South Africa: SA brings relief to Cyclone Idai victims

As Cyclone Idai waters recede, South Africas efforts to find and rescue the missing and bring aid to all those in need are intensifying.

Today the South African government is set to hand over donations to assist victims in the neighbouring Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

The donations were made by South African citizens, companies and members of the Diplomatic Corps.

The donations include financial aid, clothes, water purifiers, non-perishable food items and blankets, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation said on Wednesday.

Minister Lindiwe Sisulu will facilitate the hand over where she will start at Beira in Mozambique and the Chimanimani District in eastern Zimbabwe.

Sisulu will be accompanied by members of the business community led by Patrice Motsepe, the founder and executive chairman of African Rainbow Minerals.

She will also meet rescue teams, including the South African National Defence Force, South African NGOs, United Nations Agencies and volunteers.

Using its air platforms, the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has also been hard at work engaging in multilateral efforts to provide lifesaving and sustenance supplies to areas cut off by the devastating cyclone.

The SANDF was critical to all agencies operating in the area in that it provided air-lifts to assist in most low-lying areas, including Beira in Mozambique, which saw entire villages submerged under water, with the death toll rising and many people unaccounted for.

Other international agencies have jumped in to help.

The first of three planes carrying relief items from the UN Refugee Agency landed early on Wednesday morning in the Mozambican capital, Maputo. The supplies  including tents, sleeping mats, mosquito nets, and solar lanterns  will be distributed to 30 000 people in Mozambique, as well as Malawi and Zimbabwe.

The World Health Organisation is providing supplies to treat diarrhoeal diseases and cholera, and helping to set up three cholera treatment centres.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2019-03-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
South Africa: Police urged to probe attacks on foreign nationals

Government has expressed concern at reports of attacks on foreign nationals in KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo.

In a statement issued on Thursday, acting Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) Director General, Phumla Williams, urged law enforcement agencies to ensure that perpetrators of these violent acts are brought to book.

South Africans are generally peace-loving and friendly people and most of these attacks are nothing less of criminality (sic). Government is receptive to peoples needs and urges all citizens to use the relevant platforms to express their concerns and frustrations, including talking to elected officials in their communities, Williams said in the statement.

She said South Africa is internationally renowned for using dialogue to solve differences and problems peacefully.

As a peace-loving and law-abiding nation, we must use this noble approach to deal with our problems instead of using violence.

South Africa is a constitutional democracy governed by laws and as such, we expect everyone working and living in the country to be doing so legally and obey South Africas laws in their totality. Citizens from across the African continent supported our struggle for freedom and liberation and made immense sacrifices to provide safety and refuge to our people in exile, including our leaders.

South Africa, government said, has a high number of foreign nationals who are integrated into communities across the country and government calls on all South Africans and foreign nationals to live in harmony.

Government remains committed to building a society based on democratic values of social justice, human dignity, equality, non-racialism, non-sexism and the advancement of human rights. Government calls on all stakeholders including community leaders to stop and discourage attacks on foreign nationals.

We appeal to communities to give State agencies and relevant authorities the time and opportunity to deal with any concerns they may have as violence will not solve any issue.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2019-03-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
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An African proverb states, Teach a man to read and you educate an individual; teach a woman to read and you educate a nation.

We are rapidly approaching the end of March, and another chapter is closing on our nations annual observance of Womens History Month. This 31-day celebration, which began with the first International Womens Day observance in 1911, grew to become National Womens History Week in America through a proclamation by President Jimmy Carter, issued in February 1980. Seven years later, Congress passed Public Law 100-9, designating March as Womens History Month. A 1988 Presidential Proclamation from President Ronald Reagan stated, in part, the month is a time to recognize and salute womens contributions to the American family and society. Women strengthen the family and enrich our lives with intellectual gifts, creative talents and an indomitable spirit  in business, government, volunteer activities, religious life, education, health, the military, sports, the arts and many other areas.

The 2019 theme for Womans History Month, as declared by the National Womens History Project out of Santa Rosa, California, was Visionary Women: Champions of Peace & Nonviolence, which sought to shine a light on the work of women who led efforts to end war, violence and injustice and pioneered the use of nonviolence to change society.

As I think about the observances that took place this month honoring the work of visionary women past and present, I cant help but juxtapose that with the headlines, tweets and posts viewed during that same time period that focused a spotlight on the injustices, violence, inequality and dangers that assault us. On a daily basis a simple social media search turns up examples of hatred and intolerance for people with differing opinions and beliefs, disproportionate amounts of gun violence in resource-strapped communities, disparities in compensation, challenges in securing affordable and available health care and substandard educational opportunities for the least, the last and the left out.

Without question there are more and more conflicts and wrongs in our society today that make it difficult to champion peace and nonviolence, let alone contribute to the growth and development of healthy families and safe communities. Yet, that is exactly what we must do, especially in the face of such perceived impossibilities.

In January of this year, when the 116th Congress convened, nearly a quarter of its voting membership  the highest percentage in U.S. history  was made up of women, with 102 women serving in the House of Representatives and another 25 in the Senate. In many instances our elected officials, regardless of the level  local, state or federal  are our champions of peace and nonviolence and tolerance and compassion and justice. But they are not the only champions. All across the country, individual women and organizations of which they are a part are standing as champions, advocates, teachers, mentors and fierce protectors of peaceful, nonviolent, compassionate and inclusive communities.

At a local level, this week more than 3,000 members of the nations oldest Greek-letter organization established by and for college-educated women of African-American descent, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., will convene in Indianapolis for their Central Regional Conference. Among the subjects to be addressed will be an HBCU for Life initiative targeting support of historically Black institutions of higher learning; #CAP, a unique program designed to help high school students navigate the college admissions application and essay processes successfully and programs addressing civic engagement and service through the arts, building an economic legacy and making a global impact. A highlight of the conference will be the debut of the Yvonne Perkins Community Outreach Pavilion and a health fair offering free cholesterol and glucose screenings.

The African proverb is true. By teaching, you educate the individual and the nation. Through visionary leaders we educate by providing compassionate health care options, examine economic stability and college education as a way of combating violence, preserve historic educational institutions and guide the education of our young people to advance nonviolence and promote the common good.

Womens History Month 2019 is coming to a close, but the work of visionary women is just getting started.

Sonya L. Bowen, Central Regional Director, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.
WICHITA, Kan. - Congressional investigations over voter irregularities expanded Thursday with Democratic lawmakers requesting information from state officials in Kansas and Texas.

The U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform sent letters seeking communications related to the decision by Ford County, Kansas, to move the only Dodge City polling site outside of city limits for the 2018 midterm elections. It also is seeking communications about efforts in January by the Texas secretary of states office to purge voter rolls amid disputed claims that registered voters may not be U.S. citizens.

The four letters were signed by Rep. Elijah Cummings, chairman of the Oversight Committee, and Rep. Jamie Raskin, chairman of the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.

The spokeswoman for Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab said in an email they have acknowledged receipt of the request and will respond accordingly.

Jeff Mateer, first assistant attorney general in Texas, said in an emailed statement that they are reviewing the letter and look forward to providing the committee with information that demonstrates our compliance with the law while ensuring free and fair elections.

Spokespeople for Ford County Clerk Debbie Cox in Kansas and Secretary of State David Whitley in Texas did not immediately return messages seeking comment Thursday.

For about two decades, the only polling site for Dodge Citys 13,000 registered voters was the Civic Center in a mostly white part of town. Cox decided to move the site to the county Expo Center located outside of town and more than a mile from the nearest bus stop the month before the midterms. County officials have said the move was prompted by a planned construction project at the Civic Center, although work had not started by the time of the November election.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas sued Cox, arguing that moving the only polling site in Dodge City outside the city limits will make it more difficult for the citys majority Hispanic population to vote because they tend to have less access to transportation and flexible work schedules. A federal judge refused to order the county to open a new polling location just days before the election, finding it was not in the publics interest because it would likely create more voter confusion.

The letter to Cox from Democratic lawmakers acknowledges that Ford County recently settled a lawsuit and agreed to open additional polling sites in the city for future elections. However, it said they remained concerned that the decision to move the polling site last year may have impacted the voting ability of Dodge City residents. Their letter to Schwab seeks to determine the role of the Kansas secretary of states office in moving the polling site.

Texas bungled search for illegal voters began in January when state election officials released a deeply flawed list of 98,000 registered voters flagged as potential noncitizens. But it became almost immediately clear that the list wasnt vetted and that the U.S. citizenship of tens of thousands of Texas voters had been wrongly questioned.

A federal judge in February called Texas scouring of voter rolls for noncitizens a solution looking for a problem and prohibited the state from removing any voters following lawsuits by civil rights groups.

Paxton had originally amplified the January announcement as a VOTER FRAUD ALERT in campaign fundraising emails before problems with the list emerged. President Donald Trump had also used the reports to renew his unsubstantiated claims of rampant voter fraud.

The fallout has put Texas Gov. Greg Abbotts hand-picked elections chief in jeopardy. Whitley was appointed in December but still needs confirmation in the Texas Senate, where Democrats signalled they have enough votes to reject him.

The letters from lawmakers ask that the requested communications be produced by April 11.

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Associated Press Writer Paul Weber contributed to this story from Austin.
WICHITA, Kan. - A Kansas woman whose 3-year-old son suffered severe abuse before he was killed and his body encased in concrete was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in prison after she acknowledged that she failed as a mother.

During the hearing, Miranda Miller and her attorney, Steven Wagle, asked Sedgwick County District Judge Stephen Ternes for a lighter sentence, saying her live-in boyfriend, Stephen Bodine, controlled her through physical violence, mental abuse and drugs, The Wichita Eagle reported .

Investigators say Bodine killed Evan Brewer in May 2017 and hid his body. Before that, prosecutors say, Evans was subjected to months of abuse at the hands of Bodine and Miller  including standing naked and chained for hours and being taunted and slapped while he cried. His body was found in concrete after the couple moved out of their rental home in Wichita.

Miller pleaded guilty in late 2018 to second-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, child abuse and aggravated endangering a child. As part of her plea deal, she testified against Bodine, who was convicted of first-degree murder, child abuse and other charges and is serving a sentence of 109 years and six months in prison.

Miller acknowledged Thursday that she should have called police when the abuse first started.

At the time, I did what I thought was best, Miller said. In the end, I failed as a mother to protect my child. I will live with that the rest of my life.

But the judge and Evans relatives didnt accept her explanation that Bodine was controlling her.

While I did hear your statements, I must say after hearing the evidence in the trial that you are more than a mother who failed to protect her child. You actively participated in his murder, Ternes said.

During Bodines trial, prosecutors called dozens of witnesses and presented more than 550 pieces of evidence, including parts of the concrete tomb, videos and photos showing Evan being abused.

Among those who spoke Thursday was Evans father, Carlo Brewer, who was kept from his son by Bodine and Miller in the weeks before the boys death.

The day Evan was found, I was in disbelief and denial. I thought there was no possible way that anyone, even the worst individuals, could look into his beautiful, innocent eyes and harm him. I didnt believe that a mother was harming or allowing someone to harm their child, Carlo said. The individual who gave birth to this child betrayed him, and was his predator.
CHICAGO - A man convicted of murder who is suspected of belonging to the notorious Ripper Crew that killed as many as 20 Chicago-area women in the 1980s is scheduled for release from prison Friday.

Thomas Kokoraleis was sentenced to life in prison for the 1982 slaying of 21-year-old Lorraine Lorry Ann Borowski, the Chicago Tribune reported. Prosecutors allowed him to plead guilty on appeal in exchange for a 70-year prison term. That deal allows for the 58-year-old inmates release this week.

Jason Sweat, spokesman for the Illinois Prisoner Review Board, said the state is legally required to release Kokoraleis because he has served the maximum possible amount of time on that sentence.

Kokoraleis was denied release in September 2017 after he failed to find an approved place to live, in violation of parole-eligibility requirements.

The former DuPage County resident is likely to be the only member of the four-man gang who will have a chance to rejoin society.

His younger brother, Andrew, was executed by lethal injection 20 years ago at age 35, prior to Illinois eliminating the death penalty. The other two have used all of their eligible appeals, although one of them will be eligible for parole if he lives to be 89.

Relatives of some of the victims families were infuriated in late 2017 when they learned of Kokoraleis expected release. Their efforts led to an 18-month delay of his initial parole date, but authorities said there was nothing else they could do to hold him beyond March 29.

Some family members said that while theyre still disappointed, theyve accepted that he will be released.

Weve exhausted everything, said Mark Borowski, who was 14 when his sister Lorry Ann was kidnapped after walking a few short blocks in broad daylight from her Elmhurst apartment to work. Theres nothing else we can do. We fought as hard as we could. I cannot even imagine someone like this could get out.

Lorry Ann Borowskis mother, Lorraine, now 83, said she never envisioned shed see the day Kokoraleis would be released from prison.

I thought he was going to be in prison until I died, she said.

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Information from: Chicago Tribune, http://www.chicagotribune.com
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - The governor whose state is at the centre of the fight over work requirements for Medicaid recipients said Thursday he wants to fight a judges ruling blocking those rules, while Republicans elsewhere are trying to determine the decisions effect on their state.

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson urged the federal government to appeal the ruling against his states requirement that certain people covered by its Medicaid expansion work or lose their coverage. A day earlier, a federal judge in Washington blocked work requirements in Arkansas and Kentucky.

Hutchinson said he wants the Legislature to maintain Arkansas Medicaid expansion program, which covers 235,000 low-income residents. The Republican governor said defunding it would mean giving up the fight over the work requirement.

I remain fully committed to a work requirement, and we are in this for the long haul because we believe this is the right policy for Arkansans who want to work and need training and more opportunity, the governor said during a news conference at the state capitol.

Arkansas was the first state to enforce a Medicaid work requirement. Similar rules are in effect in Indiana and New Hampshire.

Arizona, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin have had their work requirements approved by the federal government, but they are not yet implemented. Several other states have requests pending with the Trump administration.

Expanding Medicaid to cover more low-income adults was a key pillar of former President Barack Obamas health care reforms. Its responsible for adding some 12 million people to the Medicaid rolls in the 37 states that accepted the expansion.

Many Republicans have argued for work requirements and other provisions, such as modest premiums, as a condition for agreeing to it.

In Kentucky, Republican Gov. Matt Bevin has threatened to end his states Medicaid expansion if work requirements are ultimately struck down. It was adopted under his Democratic predecessor and provides coverage for 400,000 people.

Bevin said Medicaid was intended to provide health coverage for the medically frail, the elderly and the disabled, and is skeptical of offering it with no strings attached to able-bodied, working-age adults who have no dependents. Under the rules in Kentucky and Arkansas, recipients also can fulfil the requirements if they volunteer or continue their education.

The day of the free lunch is over, Bevin said.

Indiana officials said they planned to move forward with their work requirements despite the ruling. Beneficiaries there wont have to begin reporting hours worked until July, and next January is the earliest that any recipient could have coverage suspended for not complying. New Hampshires requirement, which took effect this month, also is being challenged in court.

A spokesman for Republican Gov. Mike DeWine in Ohio said his administration was reviewing the ruling to see if it would have any effect on that states requirement, which is expected to take effect in 2021.

DeWine has described the Ohio rules as a possible model for other states. He said they strike a balance between ensuring health coverage while creating a way for recipients to find a job.

The ruling does not affect Arizonas planning to implement work requirements, said Heidi Capriotti, a spokeswoman for the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, the state Medicaid agency. Arizonas work requirements are scheduled to begin no sooner than next January, she said.

The future is less certain in Michigan, where Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer last month said she would ask the Republican-led Legislature to change newly enacted work or job-related requirements to qualify for Michigans Medicaid expansion program. They are set to take effect next year.

In Arkansas, failure to comply with the work requirement led to more than 18,000 people losing coverage last year. Those kicked off the rolls were able to re-enrol beginning in January, and Hutchinson said about 2,000 of them had done so.

Only recipients who gained coverage through the expansion  and not the regular Medicaid population  were subject to the requirement. They had to work 80 hours a month and lost coverage if they failed to comply three months in a calendar year.

State Department of Human Services officials said Thursday they were taking down the website used for reporting hours worked and planned to notify people that the requirement had been halted.

Critics of the requirement said Hutchinson should drop his support for it and instead focus on restoring coverage to the thousands who were kicked off.

It was a bad idea, an even worse implementation, and it shouldnt take federal courts to show us that we need to do better, State Democratic Party Chairman Michael John Gray said in a statement.

The future of Arkansas expansion following the ruling faces a test on Friday, when the state House takes up the budget bill for Medicaid and the expansion.

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Associated Press writers Rick Callahan in Indianapolis, Jonathan J. Cooper in Phoenix, Bruce Schreiner in Brandenburg, Kentucky, and Julie Carr Smyth in Columbus, Ohio, and contributed to this report.

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Follow Andrew DeMillo on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ademillo
RICHMOND, Va. - A Virginia student who worked with the nations first elected African-American governor is accusing him of sexually harassing her by kissing her without consent.

The Washington Post reported Thursday that Sydney Black, 22, says L. Douglas Wilder, 88, offered to take her on trips and pay for law school and suggested she live at his house in 2017. Black reported the conduct to police and Virginia Commonwealth University, where she was working as an office assistant at the schools L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs. Wilder is a distinguished professor at the school.

Citing privacy concerns, VCU declined to answer questions, but the newspaper reports the university notified Black in a January letter that its Title IX office intended to investigate. Wilder didnt respond to the newspapers repeated requests for comment over several weeks.

The report comes nearly two months after revelations that Virginias current governor and attorney general had worn blackface in the 1980s. Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, meanwhile, has vehemently denied sexual assault allegations from two women. Wilder called for Gov. Ralph Northams resignation after he admitted wearing blackface, but didnt comment publicly about allegations against Fairfax.

Black, who is African-American, said she struggled with making a report that could tarnish Wilders legacy and attract negative attention.

I had to choose being a woman over being black, she said.

In February 2017, Black said that Wilder took her to dinner on her 20th birthday, gave her alcohol and invited her back to his Richmond condo, where he kissed her. Wilder told her he could help her get accepted at the Howard University School of Law, where he is a board member, she said. When she asked what he wanted in return, he said, As long as you stick with me, you should be fine.

They went to his condo, where he poured them both champagne, and as they talked, Black said he put his hand on her leg and then kissed her. She said she immediately jerked away asking why he felt comfortable doing that and he responded that he shouldnt have.

Three months later, Wilder told Black that funding for her position lapsed, Black said. She withdrew from college 2018 and re-enrolled this semester.

I was deceived, she said. I thought he was a different sort of person.

Black reported the alleged incident to the university in December and was directed to speak with Richmond Police Detective Eric Livengood, who confirmed he spoke to Black, but didnt answer questions. A redacted Jan. 3 report says a 20-year-old woman reported that a Feb. 16, 2017, assault in a residence in the same block where Wilder owns a condo.

After Black contacted VCU, she received a letter that said VCUs Title IX office determined that the conduct Black reported could possibly meet the definitions of sexual assault or sex- or gender-based discrimination outlined in VCU policies. Last month, the deputy Title IX co-ordinator for students at VCU, Tammi Slovinsky, told Black in an email that an external attorney-investigator with specialized training and experience had been assigned to her case.

Blacks mother, Margo Stokes, and grandmother, Pauline Carver of Wytheville, said Black called them independently in the days after the alleged incident and told them Wilder gave her alcohol and tried to kiss her.

He just took a lot from Sydney when he did this because she really admired him, and so did I, Carver said.
CORONA, Calif. - The Latest on a California father charged with the murder of his missing 8-year-old son (all times local):

3:45 p.m.

Police say a Southern California man charged with murder in the death of his 8-year-old son bought gloves, acid and drain cleaner two days after the boys mother said she last saw him.

Corona police Detective Mario Hernandez wrote in a declaration filed Thursday that Bryce McIntosh bought the items March 4. Thats the day he searched on his cellphone for normal heart rate for 8 year old and information about sodium hydroxide, which is corrosive and can dissolve flesh.

McIntosh was charged Thursday with the murder of his son Noah. The boys body has not been found. Its not known if he has a lawyer.

Police say Jillian Godfrey initially told police she saw her son March 4, but she later said it actually was two days earlier and that McIntosh had taken the boy into the bathroom where her son asked his father why he was hurting him.

Corona is about 40 miles (64 kilometres) east of Los Angeles.

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10:40 a.m.

A California man jailed on a child abuse charge has been charged with the murder of his missing 8-year-old son.

Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin said Thursday 32-year-old Bryce McIntosh was charged with first-degree murder with the special circumstance of torture in the death of Noah McIntosh.

Police in the city of Corona say they are still looking for the boy but found evidence in searches in Riverside County that he was killed.

Police say the boys mother reported she couldnt reach him more than two weeks ago. Authorities say they searched the fathers home and arrested him and the mother for investigation of child abuse.

Community residents held a vigil this weekend for the boy.

Its not immediately clear if the father has a lawyer.
MANCHESTER, N.H. - The Latest on a shooting and a standoff at a hotel in Manchester, New Hampshire:

3:30 p.m.

The New Hampshire attorney generals office says a man and woman were found dead inside a hotel room following a 15-hour standoff.

But it wouldnt say how the two died nor provide their identities. It also wouldnt say whether police found anything in the room at the Quality Inn related to the standoff.

The standoff began Wednesday evening after authorities attempted to serve a warrant on 51-year-old Stephen Marshall, of Manchester and another male. Marshall was killed in an exchange of gunfire with law enforcement officers outside the hotel.

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12:50 p.m.

The New Hampshire attorney generals office says the two remaining people involved in a hotel standoff in Manchester are dead.

The two were found inside a room at the Quality Inn. The attorney generals office says in a news release Thursday at least one had fired multiple gunshots out of the room.

They werent identified and it wasnt immediately known how they died. A news conference is planned for Thursday afternoon.

The bodies were found hours after 51-year-old Stephen Marshall, of Manchester, was apparently killed by a law enforcement officer at the hotel Wednesday.

Authorities say the standoff began around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday when Marshall was holding a gun in his hand and engaged with police and Drug Enforcement Administration agents outside the hotel.

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10:30 a.m.

Police in New Hampshires largest city say a standoff between authorities and two people barricaded inside a hotel has been resolved, hours after another man was apparently killed by a law enforcement officer.

Police provided no further information, but ambulances were seen near the hotel. A stretcher was brought out with someone on it.

Authorities say the standoff began around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday when a man with a gun in his hand engaged with police and Drug Enforcement Administration agents outside the Quality Inn in Manchester.

State Assistant Attorney General Ben Agati said a Manchester police officer and a DEA agent both fired their weapons.

Authorities identified the man killed as 51-year-old Stephen Marshall, of Manchester, at a news conference early Thursday. Marshall was pronounced dead at the hospital.

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7:40 a.m.

New Hampshires attorney generals office says a man has been killed in an officer-involved shooting with police and Drug Enforcement Administration agents at a hotel. Two people remain barricaded in a first-floor room.

Assistant Attorney General Ben Agati identified the man killed as 51-year-old Stephen Marshall, of Manchester, in a news conference early Thursday.

Agati says the shooting happened about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Quality Inn in Manchester, near Interstate 293 in a busy area that includes a shopping mall.

Agati says Marshall had a gun in his hand and engaged with DEA agents and police. Marshall was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Police had evacuated the hotel and a nearby restaurant.

Officials say there is still an active standoff going on between officers and the two people barricaded in the hotel room as of Thursday morning.

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This story has been corrected to show the name of the agency is Drug Enforcement Administration, not the Drug Enforcement Agency.

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6 a.m.

New Hampshires attorney generals office says a man has been killed in an officer-involved shooting with police and Drug Enforcement Agency agents at a hotel. Two people remain barricaded in a first-floor room.

Assistant Attorney General Ben Agati identified the man killed as 51-year-old Stephen Marshall, of Manchester, in a news conference early Thursday. Agati says the shooting happened at about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Quality Inn in Manchester, near Interstate 293 in a busy area that includes a shopping mall.

Marshall was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Police had evacuated the hotel and a nearby restaurant.

No officers were hurt.

Officials say there is still an active standoff going on between officers and the two people barricaded in the hotel room as of Thursday morning.
WASHINGTON - The Latest on Congress and the special counsels Russia report (all times local):

7 p.m.

Democrats are intensifying their demands for Robert Muellers full report after learning the special counsels Trump-Russia findings run to more than 300 pages.

President Donald Trump, meanwhile, is boasting of total exoneration based on a four-page summary by his attorney general.

House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler says Attorney General William Barr told him he has no intention of giving the confidential report to Congress immediately as he redacts grand jury testimony and other elements.

Democrats say they may subpoena the report if its not forthcoming by their Tuesday deadline, which Barr has said will not be met.

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3:15 p.m.

Attorney General William Barr does not intend to give Congress a complete copy of the report from special counsel Robert Mueller.

Thats according to a House Democratic aide who briefed reporters on Thursday on condition of anonymity.

The aide said Barr spoke with Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler late Wednesday and indicated he was redacting grand jury information from the confidential report. While grand jury information is often confidential, it can be unsealed in some situations.

The aide added Nadler offered to work with Barr to have the information unsealed.

House Democrats are pressing for the full release of Muellers report.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called Barrs four-page synopsis condescending and arrogant and said Democrats need to draw their own conclusions about what Mueller found.

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12:18 p.m.

Attorney General William Barr has told the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee that he would testify before his panel.

Thats according to a Justice Department official familiar with a Wednesday call between Barr and Rep. Jerrold Nadler, the New York Democrat who runs the committee.

Democrats are anxious to hear from Barr about special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation report. They want to see the full report and the evidence that goes with it. Barr told Nadler on the call that the report is more than 300 pages.

Barr released a four-page summary of the report on Sunday and is expected to produce a public version of the document in the coming weeks.

-- By AP writer Eric Tucker

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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is heaping scorn on Attorney General William Barr, saying his letter about special counsel Robert Muellers report was condescending.

Barrs four-page summary of the Russia probe said special counsel Robert Mueller found no evidence that President Donald Trumps campaign conspired or co-ordinated with the Russian government to influence the 2016 election.

Pelosi said she found Barrs decision to write the letter arrogant. Congress, she said, doesnt need Barr to be our interpreter of something that he should just show us.

The Democratic chairmen of six House committees have demanded that Barr release the Mueller report to Congress by Tuesday.

Pelosi also defended House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, who faced calls Thursday from Republicans to resign over his comments that there was significant evidence the president and his associates conspired with Russia.

Pelosi said the Republicans are scaredy cats afraid of a patriotic leader.

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10:05 a.m.

House Republicans on the Intelligence Committee say they have no faith in Democratic Chairman Adam Schiff and are demanding his resignation. Schiff is insisting President Donald Trumps associates colluded with Russia and may be compromised.

The fiery back-and-forth came during a rare public hearing by the secretive committee on Thursday in the wake of special counsel Robert Muellers report on Russia. Attorney General William Barr has said Mueller didnt find that Trump colluded with election meddling and made no conclusion on obstruction.

Still, Republicans submitted a letter to Schiff saying his statements suggesting the contrary have produced no faith in your ability to discharge your duties and mean Schiff should resign from the panel.

Schiff angrily refused and said some activities of Trump and his associates amount to collusion and compromise.

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12:15 a.m.

The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee says hes disappointed that the attorney general will take weeks instead of days to release the special counsels report on Russias election interference.

Maryland congressman Elijah Cummings said Wednesday that the delay allows President Donald Trump to spend weeks taking a victory lap in the wake of the generally favourable findings summarized by Attorney General William Barr.

The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina says Barr told him that hes combing through Muellers report and removing classified, grand jury and other information in hopes of releasing it to Congress.

Democratic lawmakers warn that the longer it takes to release the full findings the more they will question the legitimacy of Barrs actions.
WASHINGTON - The Latest on a proposal to eliminate funding for the Special Olympics (all times local):

9 p.m.

The Trump administration is reversing itself on a budget request to eliminate funding for the Special Olympics.

President Donald Trump says he has authorized funding for the organization, adding: I heard about it this morning. I have overridden my people.

Trumps announcement comes after Education Secretary Betsy DeVos spent days defending the proposal, which drew widespread condemnation from lawmakers, as well as advocates and celebrities.

DeVos has since issued a statement saying she is pleased and grateful the President and I see eye to eye on this issue and that he has decided to fund our Special Olympics grant.

She adds that it is funding I have fought for behind the scenes over the last several years.

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4:30 p.m.

President Donald Trump says he is backing off a budget request to cut funding for the Special Olympics, after days of criticism.

Trump told reporters at the White House Thursday, Ive overridden my people for funding the Special Olympics.

The Trump administrations education budget proposal calls for the elimination of $17.6 million in funding for the Special Olympics, roughly 10 per cent of the groups overall revenue.

Democrats pressed Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on the topic during a Senate budget hearing Thursday, just days after House Democrats grilled her on the proposal and sparked criticism online.

DeVos said she wasnt personally involved in pushing for elimination of the funding, but she defended it as her agency seeks to cut $7 billion from the 2020 budget.

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11:50 a.m.

Education Secretary Betsy Devos is facing a new round of scrutiny over a proposal to eliminate funding for the Special Olympics, a cut that lawmakers say is unlikely to be approved.

Senate Democrats are pressing DeVos on the topic during a budget hearing, just after House Democrats grilled her on the proposal and sparked a wave of criticism online.

DeVos says she wasnt personally involved in pushing for elimination of the funding, but she is defending it as her agency seeks to cut $7 billion for the 2020 budget.

Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin says someone has to accept responsibility for a bad decision.
WASHINGTON - The Latest on President Donald Trumps rally in Michigan (all times local):

10:50 p.m.

President Donald Trump has deemed the Russia investigation the greatest hoax in the history of our country.

He is also warning that those behind the probe will be held accountable, calling it an attempt to tear up the fabric of our great democracy.

Trump addressed a boisterous crowd at a rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Thursday night.

He said: After three years of lies and smears and slander, the Russia hoax is dead. This was nothing more than a sinister effort to undermine our historic election victory and to sabotage the will of the American people.

It was Trumps first political event since Attorney General William Barr released a summary that said special counsel Robert Mueller found no evidence that his campaign conspired or co-ordinated with the Russian government to influence the 2016 election.

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8:30 p.m.

President Donald Trump is trying to win over Michigan voters by saying the automobile industry was decimated and going down before he took office.

He says his administration has taken historic and dramatic action to save the American auto industry and defend American auto workers right here in Michigan.

Since Trump took office in 2017, auto manufacturing employment has risen by about 51,000 jobs to just over 1 million, according to the Labor Department. Thats a 5 per cent increase over two years.

However, GM in November announced plans to shut four U.S. auto factories and one in Canada. Two of those plants are in Michigan.

The company said the moves are necessary to stay financially healthy as GM faces large capital expenditures to shift to electric and autonomous vehicles.

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8:10 p.m.

President Donald Trump is announcing that he will fully fund the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative after his administration proposed a 90 per cent spending cut.

Trump is telling supporters at a rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, that he will be providing $300 million for the cleanup program, framing the announcement as breaking news.

Trump says its time, though its unclear what he means.

Trumps 2020 budget offered just $30 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which receives $300 million most years to remove toxic pollution, prevent algae blooms and species invasions and restore wildlife habitat.

Governors of five states had warned the move would cost jobs, hurt tourism and jeopardize public health.

Trump says he supports the Great Lakes, noting theyre big and very deep.

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8 p.m.

President Donald Trump is using the case of Empire actor Jussie Smollett to rile supporters at a campaign rally in Michigan.

Smollett, who is black and gay, claimed that two men attacked him and yelled he was in MAGA country.

Prosecutors charged him with making a false police report, but abruptly dropped those charges this week, infuriating Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

Trump says its maybe the only time Ive ever agreed with the mayor of Chicago.

Trump calls the dropped charges an embarrassment not only to Chicago. That is an embarrassment to our country, what took place there.

Smollett has maintained his innocence and insisted the attack was real. Trumps comments Thursday night are the second time he addressed the case in a matter of hours.

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7:50 p.m.

President Donald Trump is attacking Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California as he speaks to supporters in Michigan, calling the Democratic lawmaker a little pencil-neck.

The president is running through a list of grievances as he revels in his attorney generals summary that Special Counsel Robert Mueller could not establish that President Donald Trumps campaign conspired or co-ordinated with Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election.

Earlier in the event, his son Donald Trump Jr., issued similar insults incorporating Schiffs last name.

Trump says the Democratic Party, the fake news media and the deep state failed to overturn the result of the 2016 election.

He says many people were badly hurt by this scam, but more importantly our country was hurt.

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7:30 p.m.

A fired-up President Donald Trump is turning the end of the special counsels Russia investigation into a political weapon at a boisterous rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Trump is telling a crowd of thousands that: After three years of lies and smears and slander, the Russia hoax is finally dead. The collusion delusion is over.

Hes also calling the investigation nothing more than a sinister effort to undermine his 2016 election victory and sabotage the will of the American people.

The rally is Trumps first political event since news broke that special counsel Robert Mueller found no evidence of his campaign colluding with Russians.

Mueller did not, however, come to a conclusion on obstruction of justice, leaving that up to his new attorney general.

Trump is calling the report total exoneration and complete vindication nonetheless.

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7:15 p.m.

President Donald Trumps supporters are taking a victory lap at his first political rally since the end of the Mueller investigation was announced.

The presidents eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., is telling a crowd of thousands in Grand Rapids, Michigan, that the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on America is now out the window.

And hes thanking his fathers supporters for sticking with him, saying its not just our vindication, its your vindication too.

The Justice Department announced Sunday that special counsel Robert Mueller found no evidence of collusion between Trumps campaign and Russia  but that Mueller did not reach a conclusion on obstruction.

Trump Jr. is also taking repeated shots at Trump antagonist Michael Avenatti, who was arrested this week, saying the lawyer went from Avenatti 2020 to Avenatti 20-25. Maybe 50.

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5:30 p.m.

President Donald Trump is turning his attention to 2020 now that the special counsels investigation is largely behind him.

Trump is heading to Grand Rapids, Michigan, for a rally Thursday night  his first political event since the Justice Department said Special Counsel Robert Mueller did not find that his 2016 campaign colluded with Russias election meddling.

As he left the White House, Trump said, Michigan is booming.

Loyal supporters started lining up in front of the Van Andel Arena on Wednesday evening, with some camping out in tents and sleeping bags overnight. By midafternoon, a crowd of thousands, many in red Make America Great Again hats, snaked for blocks around downtown Grand Rapids, just across the river from The Gerald Ford Presidential Museum.
One-hundred and eleven years ago, nine women came together to form the first Greek-letter African-American sorority at Howard University in Washington, D.C. The sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA), started out with 16 original members has now grown into a global organization with more than 300,000 members initiated and more than 1,000 chapters in countries such as Dubai, Germany and Japan.

AKA was founded with a goal of service to those who are less fortunate. Thats why International President Dr. Glenda Glover joined 48 years ago at Tennessee State University, a historically Black college where she now serves as president.

Being a part of AKA means you are committed to service that will profoundly change the lives of young girls, women and families, she said. This is truly a full circle moment for me to serve as president of my alma mater as well as international president of my sorority at the same time. I could not enjoy the successes and professional accomplishments without both, TSU and AKA.

The sororitys service touches all parts of the world. In October of last year, they launched a mobile mammogram bus that is currently traveling around the country offering free mammogram screenings to women who want one, but dont have access to get one where they live. The organization has also partnered with Sole4Souls, a Nashville-based charity that collects shoes and redistributes them to people in need, and Lions Club, a non-political service organization, to collect and redistribute eyeglasses and shoes to communities in need. To date, the three organizations have collected 16,142 pairs of glasses and 83,000 pairs of shoes.

Service to all mankind, our motto, is the foundation for our global impact target as we perform service hours to help families and individuals that are less fortunate, Glover said. We work to educate, engage and empower our communities.

This weekend, March 28-31, members within the central region of the sorority will come together in Indianapolis for their 85th annual regional conference where there will be opportunities for fellowship, personal and professional development.

The conference is also an opportunity for member milestones to be recognized. Each year, regions recognize members who have been part of the sorority for 25, 50 and 75 years. This year, the central region, which includes members from seven states and stretches from North Dakota to Kentucky, will celebrate four women from the region who have been in the organization for 75 years.

Mari Swayne has been a member for 27 years, first joining the sorority in 1992 at Indiana State University. She now serves as the Central Regional Conference Chair and is excited to catch up with old friends at this weekends conference.

Its so awesome to do something when youre 19 and then be able to see the growth and change that happens over the years, she said. I grew up an only child, so I never really dealt with the concept of sisterhood, but seeing the organization when I was in college and making the genuine connections I have in addition to service is what I enjoy most.

Dr. Glenda Glover
WASHINGTON - Democrats intensified their demands for Robert Muellers full report Thursday after learning the special counsels findings from his Trump-Russia investigation run to more than 300 pages, while President Donald Trump boasted of total exoneration based on a four-page summary by his attorney general.

House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler was told by Attorney General William Barr that theres no intention of giving the confidential report to Congress immediately as he redacts grand jury testimony and other elements.

Democrats say they may subpoena the report if its not forthcoming by their Tuesday deadline, which Barr has said will not be met.

Through the day, tempers were rising on Capitol Hill.

Shaking her fist for emphasis, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Barrs summary, which cleared Trump of campaign collusion with Russia and criminal obstruction of Muellers federal probe, was condescending and arrogant.

Mr. Attorney General, she said, show us the report and well come to our own conclusions. She asked what Trump and the Republicans were afraid of and mocked them as scaredy-cats.

Trump himself headed to Grand Rapids, Michigan, for a campaign rally, where he deemed the probe the greatest hoax in the history of our country and warned that those behind it would be held accountable.

After three years of lies and smears and slander, the Russia hoax is dead, Trump told a packed house of roaring supporters. This was nothing more than a sinister effort to undermine our historic election victory and to sabotage the will of the American people.

The length of Muellers still-confidential report makes clear that there are substantially more details that he and his team have documented in their investigation than Barr disclosed to Congress and the public. The volume of pages was described Thursday by a Justice Department official and another person familiar with the document.

The Justice Department official said Barr discussed the length of the report during a phone call Wednesday with Nadler, who would only indicate it was less than 1,000 pages.

Both the department official and the other person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the document.

Barr would not commit to providing the full report with its underlying evidence, according to a House Democratic aide granted anonymity Thursday to brief reporters.

The attorney general has been going through the report amid Democratic concerns that what has been made public so far was tilted in Trumps favour. Its unclear whether whatever Barr might release next will be Muellers own words or another summary. Nadler offered to join Barr to seek a judges approval to unseal grand jury testimony, the aide said.

Barr has said hell provide Congress with at least a partial version in April and told Nadler he would agree to testify before his committee.

As that battle brews, House Democrats barrelled ahead with their own investigation of the Trump administration, and Trump resumed his attack on Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., just as the chairman of the intelligence committee was about to gavel his panel into session.

Congressman Adam Schiff, who spent two years knowingly and unlawfully lying and leaking, should be forced to resign from Congress! Trump tweeted early Thursday.

Republicans picking up on Trumps complaints formalized their demand that Schiff resign as chairman of the intelligence panel over his comments that there was significant evidence the president and his associates conspired with Russia.

We have no faith in your ability to discharge your responsibilities in line with the Constitution, the Republicans wrote to Schiff in a missive they read aloud at the hearing.

Republicans pointed to Barrs synopsis, released Sunday, that said Muellers probe didnt find that Trumps campaign conspired or co-ordinated with the Russian government to influence the 2016 presidential election.

Schiff stood by his remarks, listing the meetings that people in Trumps circle had with Russians. He noted Trumps pursuit of a deal to build a Trump Tower in Moscow.

There is a different word for that than collusion, and its called compromise, Schiff said, as he opened the session. The hearing was called to provide an overview on how Russia in the past has blackmailed Americans.

Since Barrs findings were released, Schiff this week has repeated his assertion that evidence of collusion is in plain sight. He says Muellers failure to find a criminal conspiracy with Russia does not absolve the Trump campaign.

Pelosi stood by Schiff, saying she was proud of him and taunting Republicans  including Trump  for fearing the chairman, whom she called a patriotic leader.

What is the president afraid of, Is he afraid of the truth? she said. Theyre just scaredy-cats.

Democrats complain that Barr overstepped by making the determination, with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, that Trump did not obstruct the investigation.

While Barrs summary Sunday said Mueller did not find that the Trump campaign conspired or co-ordinated with the Russian government to influence the 2016 presidential election, it also said Mueller reached no conclusion on whether Trump obstructed the federal investigation, instead setting out evidence on both sides of the question.

I would hope the attorney general would not be acting as a political operative for the president, said Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., a member of the Judiciary Committee. The Department of Justice should not be involved in a coverup of whats actually in the report.

Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said Wednesday he was disappointed Barr would take weeks, not days, to release the report.

The president has now an opportunity for weeks, it sounds like, to do these victory laps, said Cummings, noting that Trumps lawyer, Michael Cohen, is among those headed to jail as a result of the probe. Cohen goes to jail, the president runs a victory lap.

Barr told the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., that hes combing through Muellers report and removing classified, grand jury and other information in hopes of releasing the rest to Congress.

Trump has said hes fine with releasing the findings. The president said, Just let it go, and thats whats going to happen, Graham said.

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Associated Press writers Eric Tucker, Kevin Freking, Andrew Taylor, Catherine Lucey, Jill Colvin, Alan Fram, Mike Balsamo and Padmananda Rama contributed to this report.

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Follow all of APs Trump Investigations coverage at https://apnews.com/TrumpInvestigations .
FAIRBANKS, Alaska - Testimony has begun in the trial of a man accused of fatally shooting an Alaska police sergeant.

The murder trial of 31-year-old Anthony Jenkins-Alexie opened with viewings of body camera and dashcam footage taken before and after the Oct. 16, 2016, shooting of Fairbanks Police Sgt. Allen Brandt, the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported Wednesday.

The attack was planned as revenge for a friend of Jenkins-Alexie who was shot by police two months earlier, Fairbanks District Attorney Greggory Olson said.

He set out that night to kill a police officer, Olson said.

Brandt responded to early morning reports of shots fired near a hotel, according to police, who said Jenkins-Alexie fired the shots to lure police to the location.

Both men emptied their pistols at each other, according to police, who said Jenkins-Alexie took Brandts gun and fled the scene in the patrol vehicle.

Brandt was shot once in the chest and several times in his legs, thigh and hip. He died 12 days later in an Anchorage hospital after undergoing surgery to remove shrapnel lodged in his left eye, authorities said.

Jenkins-Alexie may be guilty of weapons misconduct and first-degree assault, said defence attorney Justin Racette, but not murder.

Mr. Jenkins did not have the intent to cause Sgt. Brandts death. Mr. Jenkins was intoxicated, he was suffering from grief and depression, and the argument that precipitated at (his girlfriends house) was the spark that blew into the tinder box, Racette said.

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Information from: Fairbanks (Alaska) Daily News-Miner, http://www.newsminer.com
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump on Thursday accused Mexican and Central American leaders of doing nothing to prevent illegal immigrants from coming to the United States  one day after his administration signed an agreement with some of those same leaders aimed at reducing the number of migrants streaming north.

Trumps tweets risked undermining his administrations diplomatic efforts on immigration, and came as Mexico said it planned to set up a containment belt of federal forces to stem an increasing flow of Central American migrants.

Mexico is doing NOTHING to help stop the flow of illegal immigrants to our Country, he tweeted. They are all talk and no action. Likewise, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador have taken our money for years, and do Nothing.

Trump also suggested hed shut the U.S.-Mexico border  a threat hes floated before  as U.S. border officials stressed immigration enforcement is at the breaking point. He doubled down on the digs against Mexico in a second tweet later Thursday.

Trumps remarks stood in contrast with those of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, who expressed gratitude for the collaboration among regional leaders in addressing border problems. She met with Mexican officials and travelled to Honduras this week to meet with leaders of that country, Guatemala and El Salvador. The U.S. and Central American officials signed a border security compact Wednesday that aims to expand intelligence sharing, address human trafficking and combat transnational gangs.

America shares common cause with the countries of Central America in confronting these challenges, she said in a tweet Thursday, adding that all the countries were working toward the same goal. Together we will prevail.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Thursday acknowledged that migrants were increasingly coming north, because there are no options, no alternatives in Central America.

Lopez Obrador said Mexico is doing its part to fight immigrant smuggling. We are going to do everything we can to help. We dont in any way want a confrontation with the U.S. government.

He said Mexico was going to maintain a very respectful relationship with the U.S. government and Trump, adding that the U.S. concerns were legitimate.

For Trump, the tweet was a return to a signature policy and one that plays deeply to his base, wedged between victory tweets following the completion of special counsel Robert Muellers investigation. Muellers team found no evidence that Trumps campaign conspired or co-ordinated with Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election, according to a summary by Attorney General William Barr. The report reached no conclusion on whether Trump obstructed justice.

While overall arrests at the border are still well below highs of the early 2000s, the U.S. is facing a surge of Central American families who ask for asylum and who cannot be easily returned, straining the system, creating a huge backlog in cases, and overwhelming border facilities not set up to manage so many children and families.

Arrests along the Mexican border jumped to 66,450 in February, up 149 per cent from a year earlier. March is shaping up to be even busier. U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan said the agency was on track to make 100,000 arrests or denials of entry during the month, up about 30 per cent from February and about double the same period last year. About 55,000 people will have arrived as families, including 40,000 children.

The border agency temporarily reassigned several hundred border inspectors to process migrants, provide transportation and perform hospital watches to keep pace.

That breaking point has arrived this week, McAleenan said Wednesday in El Paso. CBP is facing an unprecedented humanitarian and border security crisis all along our southwest border.

Mexico has already allowed the U.S. to return some migrants to Mexico to wait as their asylum cases play out. And Interior Secretary Olga Sanchez Cordero said the government would try to contain migrants heading north at the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, the narrowest part of the countrys south and the easiest to control.

Its going to be a big change, she said.

Meanwhile, in Washington, Trump has spent months clashing with lawmakers over his long-promised border wall and the fight included questions from Democrats on whether there actually was a crisis at the border.

That conflict escalated last month when Trump declared a national emergency to obtain billions in additional dollars for construction. The move drew bipartisan criticism that the president was seeking to improperly circumvent lawmakers and prompted Congress to pass a resolution opposing the move. But Trump vetoed the resolution and the Democratic-led House lacked the votes to override.

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Associated Press writers Catherine Lucey in Washington and Mark Stevenson in Mexico City contributed to this report.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The 50 or so party faithful gathered at a western Michigan GOP headquarters prayed for President Donald Trumps re-election and hummed with excitement about his upcoming visit  a meeting-turned-pep rally for the effort theyll mount on his behalf in 2020.

Are we ready? former Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land asked the group assembled in Grand Rapids on Monday night.

Yeah! the crowd cried back.

The area around former President Gerald Fords hometown has been very good to Trump, helping deliver him to the White House in 2016 with a victory in a blue state he wasnt supposed to win. But as he returns to Grand Rapids on Thursday night for a rally that will celebrate the completion of special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation, there is cause for worry.

The Democratic-leaning city and the historically Republican turf surrounding it in Kent County have seen a rise of Democratic activism and electoral success since Trump took office. Democrats also are benefiting from demographic changes, as the area has grown younger and more diverse, and there are signs the improving economy also could be helping them.

Last fall, Democrat Gretchen Whitmer won the governors race over a Trump-endorsed candidate with help from voters in Kent County. She was the first Democratic gubernatorial nominee to take the county since an incumbent won it in 1986. Democrats also picked up a longtime GOP-held state Senate seat and made gains on the county board.

Local Democratic leaders also point to a flurry of new organizations that popped up to oppose Trump and promote progressive causes, from womens marches to environmental concerns.

I havent been to this many marches since the 1960s, said Frank Lynn, former chairman of the Kent County Democratic Party.

His successor agreed  and said the new wave of activism also has provided an army of motivated volunteers.

I think there will be an even higher level of motivation in 2020, Chairman Gary Stark said.

But for all the enthusiasm among Democrats, Trumps supporters could be newly energized by the Mueller investigation ending with no evidence of collusion with Russia.

Democrats are in a pickle and they put themselves here by trumpeting the investigation, said Brian Boomer Patrick, communications director for Republican U.S. Rep Bill Huizenga. All the eggs were in one basket on the Mueller report.

Trump campaign officials acknowledge that they face a battle holding the states Trump swung away from Democrats in 2016, including Michigan and Wisconsin, and that Trumps likeliest path to victory in 2020 almost requires them to do it.

Still, they insist that the lesson of the 2018 midterms is that Trumps core supporters are still enthusiastic about him  as evidenced by several victories in races in which the president invested his time. And in 2020, Trump himself will be atop the ballot and actively campaigning.

Theres nobody that excites and unites voters like President Trump. He brings in new voters that would never be involved in politics, Republican National Committee spokesman Rick Gorka said. When you have that bully pulpit, and Air Force One lands in your state, it moves people and it moves numbers.

The Trump campaign is hiring 10 regional political directors for swing states in the coming weeks. The RNC field operation in Michigan has been continuous since before the 2016 election cycle.

Meanwhile, RNC officials say, Democrats must struggle through a fractious primary with more than a dozen candidates fighting for the nomination.

Republicans will focus on what they call Trumps biggest successes, including low unemployment, tax cuts and putting the Islamic State group on the run.

The party already has been painting the Democratic field as very extreme, criticizing their support for proposals such as Medicare For All and the Green New Deal, which they say would destroy Michigans manufacturing and agricultural sectors.

Whoever emerges, I think there will be very stark differences in policies and beliefs, said Michigan GOP Chairwoman Laura Cox.

Democrats are also planning their offensive. Parties in Michigan, Wisconsin and five other battleground states are joining with the Democratic National Committee to train organizers, particularly young people of colour, to organize on college campuses and in their communities. Organizing Corps 2020 hopes to have 1,000 trained organizers by this summer.

The Democratic group Priorities USA also plans to spend at least $100 million in battleground states, including Michigan, Wisconsin and Florida.

Two 2020 candidates, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and former U.S. Rep. Beto ORourke of Texas, campaigned in Michigan this month, and Sens. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Kamala Harris of California have stops scheduled in coming weeks.

Kent Boersema, a 31-year-old security officer and member of the Kent County GOPs executive committee, said he thinks the president will do even better in the area in 2020, as people who supported GOP rivals Ted Cruz or John Kasich in 2016 get behind him this time.

I got friends that I know  didnt vote for Trump in 2016, but theyre voting for him now in 2020. Hes going to have a more solid, cohesive Republican Party behind him, he said.

Still, he said, Kent County has become more of a swing area politically than the GOP stronghold it once was.

Weve got our work cut out for us, he said.

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Burnett reported from Chicago. Associated Press reporter Zeke Miller contributed from Washington.
HOUSTON - U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence will visit Houston next week to give a speech on the political turmoil and economic crisis in Venezuela.

The White House says in a statement that Pence will address students and members of the local Venezuelan community at Rice Universitys Baker Institute for Public Policy on Friday, April 5.

Pences visit comes as the political fight in Venezuela is intensifying. The government of President Nicolas Maduro said Thursday that it barred opposition leader Juan Guaido from holding public office for 15 years.

Houston is home to a large Venezuelan immigrant community, as well as the corporate headquarters of CITGO. Six executives with the oil company are jailed in Venezuela on what their families say are trumped-up corruption charges.
Former Guantanamo Bay prisoner Omar Khadr has completed his sentence, an Alberta judge ruled on Monday. Justice Mary Moreau counted the nearly four years Khadr spent on conditional release toward his eight-year sentence. Omar Khadr is finally a free man.

To a significant segment of the Canadian public, repatriation was enough of a compensation for Khadr and the financial settlement and apology given to him in 2017 by the government was an utter affront.

In reality, this thought process comes either from a lack of knowledge or (for those who know what really happened) from a gaping void of empathy and justice. To all the people loudly clamouring against Khadrs settlement, they probably couldnt withstand a fraction of the horror that young man has undergone.

Imagine being 15 years old and being thrown into Guantanamo. For one month. For 10 months. How about for 10 years?

The best years of your life gone. The pain and suffering, indescribable. The scars, forever. A childhood snatched  twice. By those who took advantage of you from the land of your ancestry, and brainwashed you into becoming a child soldier at age 14, and by those from your adopted home  your birthplace, Canada  who decided to throw out the Charter of Rights in colluding to incarcerate and torture you while you were a ninth grader.

News of this weeks ruling should be met with relief by Canadians, but human sympathy and common sense have taken a backseat to misplaced anger in this case. Largely driven by misinformation and political actors drumming up the us vs. them trope, the backlash against the governments treatment of Khadr should really be about the denial of his basic human rights, unlawful imprisonment and inhumane torture, all while being a minor.

Instead, when the Canadian government, in 2017, settled a lawsuit filed by Khadr with $10.5 million and a formal public apology, the reaction was anger and outrage.

But the governments settlement with Khadr was the right thing to do. The first thing done right, actually, in this whole tragic saga. And this weeks ruling granting Khadrs freedom was the next step in serving justice in a case that had seen little of it.

What happened to Omar Khadr is the story of a child soldier who was taken advantage of by ideological recruiters who specialize in brainwashing and radicalizing young Muslims into acts of violence. The story of a youth, who became the first minor ever to be tried in military court as an adult. The story of a kid who, at 15 years old, would spend the next 10 years of his life in the infamous Guantanamo Bay prison, suffering unspeakable torture and being forced to confess to a crime he either committed as an eighth grader, or was merely compelled to agree being guilty to  while being subjugated to a sleep deprivation torture tactic called the frequent flyer program. All as an adolescent in a strange and distant land, far from his home in Canada.

Home. A place Omar Khadr didnt have, in large part to years of Canada not wanting to claim him  and in fact, trying to strip his citizenship, something we dont do even to traitors to the state or the vilest of criminals.

And yet, although in so many ways, it was a clear-cut decision by Canada to finally make a character move in this sad affair  by bringing justice to a story of wasted years, lives ruined and uncertain futures  there was a chorus of condemnation from the general public and media, as well as many public officials, against the governments settlement and apology.

It was shocking to see so much public outcry. Even more so, because many expressed that even an apology was not deserved, let alone a cash recompense.

This weeks ruling has sparked renewed calls by Conservative leaders asking for Khadr to give the settlement funds he received for his 10 years of torture at Guantanamo to the widow of an American soldier he is alleged to have killed as a 15-year-old.

But what happened to Omar Khadr was a grave injustice, and a true tragedy. Regarding the legal justifications for the governments settlement, some have asked, why didnt we let this go to court?

The simple answer is: because it already has. And the ruling was emphatic  damning, in fact.

In this land, there is one authority that keeps the government of Canada accountable for its actions and upholds the highest standards of justice  and that authority is the Supreme Court of Canada.

On Canadas treatment of Khadr and its utter violation of his rights and the injustice against him, the Supreme Court ruled that Canada actively participated in a process contrary to its international human rights obligations and contributed to Khadrs ongoing detention so as to deprive him of his right to liberty and security of the person.

In summarizing the wrongs committed against Khadr, the Supreme Court said the interrogation of a youth detained without access to counsel, to elicit statements about serious criminal charges while knowing that the youth had been subjected to sleep deprivation... offends the most basic Canadian standards about the treatment of detained youth suspects.

All these facts should be brought to light for the public again, and the polls that some conservative pundits have so giddily referred to should be conducted with the public knowing what really happened to Khadr.

Armed with the right information, I think the majority of Canadians would agree that we as a country have finally gotten it right with Omar Khadr  even when many would speak loudly against it.
Going after companies to recoup what the public purse pays for their unhealthy products holds a lot of popular appeal.

Its been done with tobacco companies and the drug manufacturers that push deadly opioids. And now oil companies are increasingly being sued by governments over the mounting costs of climate change.

City councillor Mike Layton followed the trend this week when he proposed that Toronto think about joining the ranks of American cities that have taken big oil to court over the rising infrastructure costs of floods and storms.

Polluters should pay, argues Layton.

Lets set aside, for the moment, that we, as citizens who drive our vehicles around every day, are the ultimate polluters.

Oil companies have played a significant and shameful role in disseminating misinformation that casts doubt on the science of a warming Earth, and the link between carbon emissions and climate change. And they continue to bolster those who argue that dramatic action isnt urgently needed.

But heres the rub: plenty of politicians in Canada (and elsewhere) happily do the very same thing every day.

Governments have long known that burning fossil fuels comes with a cost that future generations may not be able to survive, let alone pay.

Theres no question oil companies produce a product thats harmful to the environment. But its up to government to wean us off their products by supporting clean alternatives to the way we transport ourselves and our goods and heat and light our homes and businesses.

Our elected leaders arent doing that quickly or comprehensively enough. Worse, some are actively undermining the efforts of those who are trying to make progress.

Were seeing the latest version of that play out as Conservative premiers, including Ontarios Doug Ford, attack Ottawa for putting a price on carbon.

On Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus program for provinces like Ontario, without a suitable plan of their own, will extend to cover fuels, including gasoline.

As he has done since taking power, Ford will do all he can to undermine this necessary step, falsely calling it a job-killing carbon tax.

And federal Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer plans a mass-texting campaign to once again try and turn a positive environmental measure into a negative political talking point.

So, if Toronto city council wants to take up the fight for the planet, and it has billions of reasons to do so, theres a better way than a wing-and-a-prayer lawsuit.

Canadas largest city can be a powerful voice in opposing policies that undermine climate action and supporting those that work. And if councillors are looking for terrible policies to fight, they need only look up the road to Queens Park.

The Ford government has killed Ontarios cap-and-trade program, along with the green energy projects and conservation programs it helped support, and is battling Ottawa in court. Ford is in fact happy to spend $30 million in taxpayers money to take the province backwards on climate change.

Toronto council had no problem attacking Fords folly on transit this week. His (lack of) climate plan is just as worthy a target.

The city should support Ottawas carbon-pricing plan as an important step forward. Yes, Canadians will pay a bit more upfront but theyll get 90 per cent of it back as a tax rebate with the rest invested in programs to combat climate change.

At the same time, the city should do more itself.

Toronto, after all, hasnt bothered to bring back the vehicle registration fee that the premiers late brother Rob Ford got rid of when he was mayor. And it continues to underfund infrastructure, such as bike lanes, that could get more people out of cars.

Change is never easy. As the U.S. federal judge who last year threw out a case by two California cities against big oil noted, weve operated one way since the Industrial Revolution.

The development of our modern world has literally been fueled by oil and coal, wrote Judge William Alsup. Would it really be fair to now ignore our own responsibility in the use of fossil fuels and place the blame for global warming on those who supplied what we demanded?

There may be a court case that will succeed against oil companies, but so far in the U.S., they have not. Theres even less cause for optimism in the Canadian legal system.

But there is definitely a public case to be made against political leaders, like Ford and Scheer, who insist on putting their heads in the sand and refuse to take the steps on climate that are needed.

Indeed, were now in a bizarre world in which an energy company like Exxon publicly supports a carbon tax while Ford and Scheer do not. Chevron stands behind the Paris climate accord, which U.S. President Donald Trump has abandoned and Ford is undermining with his climate-lite plan for Ontario.

We need to force our elected leaders, at all levels of government, to lead on climate change. Turning to the courts is a false hope.

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Liberals block new effort to investigate SNC affair, March 27

Canadians deserve better than this.

Why have the Liberals once again blocked an investigation into the SNC-Lavalin controversy? It certainly does appear that our prime minister and his government is hiding something. And if not, then allow the investigation to continue until all parties concerned have had the opportunity to be heard. Not until then will Canadians be assured that we have one of the few governments left on the planet that can be trusted.

This will surely be a defining issue come election time.

Donald Cangiano, Oakville

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Trade diversification was supposed to make Canada less dependent on the U.S. But as the canola dispute shows, it has had a perverse effect. It has made this country more dependent on China.

Beijings decision to ban two major Canadian companies from exporting canola to China has Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus government rattled.

Canola is Canadas largest grain export after wheat. China is Canadas number one market for canola. Last year Canadian canola seed exports to China were worth about $2.7 billion.

In short, the ban is a big deal  particularly since it is accompanied by a reluctance among Chinese importers to sign any new canola contracts with Canadians.

The ban has lowered canola prices and left Canadian farmers unsure of whether to plant a new crop this spring.

It wasnt supposed to be this way.

Read more:

Opinion | Heather Scoffield: Canada is not without clout in its canola fight with China

Canadian farmers look to federal government for action in canola standoff with China

China blocks canola shipment from second major Canadian producer

Until now, canola has been the poster boy for Canadian efforts to diversify trade away from the U.S. and toward the new markets of Asia. A rapeseed variant both developed in and named for Canada, canola is a hometown success story.

Appropriately perhaps, Canada is the worlds largest producer of canola. Virtually all of it is exported, with China, Japan and Mexico being the top three destinations.

When Finance Minister Bill Morneau wrote in his 2017 budget about focusing on technological change in Canadas agri-food industry, canola was almost certainly one of the examples he had in mind. When Trudeau mused about free trade with China, canola was front and centre.

But as Canadas long and complicated history with the U.S. shows, trade relations come at a cost.

For purely technical reasons, the Chinese have always been of two minds about Canadian canola. They fret that a plant disease found in North America and called blackleg may be transmitted to Chinas relatively uncontaminated canola farms, thus threatening their domestic crops.

Its worth remembering here that China is not only an importer of canola. It is the worlds second largest producer.

According to a 2010 article in the Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection, blackleg was detected in Canadian canola exports to China in 2009. That was the year Beijing slapped restrictions on Canadian imports, restrictions that it did not begin to ease until 2012.

In 2016, China again complained about impurities in Canadian canola that might let blackleg spread to its fields. It threatened to severely tighten the restrictions on allowable foreign content in canola imports.

Again, the Canadian side talked the Chinese down, persuading Beijing to put off any new rules until March 2020.

Then, in Dec. 2018, at the behest of the Americans, Canada arrested Chinese tycoon Meng Wanzhou and held her for extradition to the U.S. where she faces charges of fraud.

Meng is a member of the nominally Communist countrys new capitalist aristocracy. With her arrest, the canola dispute developed an entirely new, political dimension.

As a result, the Trudeau government is in even more of a bind. The Chinese have already retaliated for Mengs arrest by imprisoning two Canadians on national security grounds and threatening to execute a convicted Canadian drug smuggler.

The canola ban, however, ratchets up the pressure to a new level.

What is Trudeau to do? If he ignores the U.S. extradition request and releases Meng, he risks angering Canadas largest trade partner  as well as abandoning his promise to follow the rule of law.

Yet if he does not release Meng, he puts in jeopardy not only the three Canadians held by Beijing but also his entire China-focused economic strategy of trade diversification.

The canola flap is a reminder that trade carries a price. By diversifying its markets toward Asia, Canada may be lessening its dependence on Washington. But it is also increasing its dependence on Beijing. If Ottawa is not careful, Canadians could end up trading one taskmaster for another.

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OTTAWAFormer justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould wants an investigation into the leak of confidential details of her pick for the Supreme Court, a choice of judge that was ultimately rebuffed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

In a statement, Wilson-Raybould said she was not the source of the stories. And a Conservative MP pinned the blame on political actors, charging that the Prime Ministers Office was out to smear the British Columbia MP.

In a statement to the Star on Wednesday, Wilson-Raybould said such leaks could compromise the integrity of the appointments process, our institutions and potentially sitting justices.

I do feel compelled to say that I have not  as some have suggested  been the source of any of these stories, nor have I ever authorized any person to speak on my behalf, Wilson-Raybould said.

I strongly condemn anyone who would speak about or provide information on such sensitive matters. This has to stop and given the seriousness of this matter I feel that there should be consideration of having some sort of investigation as to the source of this information.

Earlier this week, CTV and Canadian Press reported that the prime minister and Wilson-Raybould disagreed in 2017 whether a conservative Manitoba judge should be named to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court.

Read more:

Liberals block new inquiry into SNC-Lavalin

Opinion | Susan Delacourt: Nathaniel Erskine-Smith provides a rare breath of fresh air in the SNC-Lavalin affair

Opinion | Heather Scoffield: SNC-Lavalin controversy shows danger of dabbling in economic nationalism

The reports named that judge as Glenn Joyal, who responded in a public statement that he withdrew his name from consideration for the position because his wife had cancer.

The leak of confidential information seemed intended to show that relations between Trudeau and Wilson-Raybould were already souring before the SNC-Lavalin tensions emerged last fall.

It also came as Trudeau and his government continue to reel from allegations by Wilson-Raybould that she was the target of a high-level pressure campaign to intervene in the criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin.

The disclosure about discussions over a candidate for the Supreme Court has sparked condemnation and questions about how details of the tightly held process could have spilled into the open.

There is a process to get informed input about the merits of the applicants. It rightly goes on behind closed doors. Keeping the deliberations confidential respects the privacy of applicants and guards against interference, said Canadian Bar Association president Ray Adlington.

Breaching confidentiality by releasing the names and commenting on the suitability of the other applicants after the appointment demeans the selection process and ultimately all those who hold the office of judge, he said in a statement.

Conservative MP Lisa Raitt, the partys deputy leader and justice critic, suggested that sources close to the prime minister were behind the leak in an effort to smear Wilson-Rayboulds reputation.

She wrote to Federal Judicial Affairs Commissioner Marc Giroux on Tuesday, calling for an investigation.

A plain reading of the facts strongly suggests that political actors have leaked the content of discussions regarding an appointment to Canadas highest judicial body. If indeed this is true, it is an egregious case of political interference and one that severely injures the independence of the judiciary, Raitt said in her letter.

The commissioners office is responsible for ensuring judicial independence and has a role in the nomination process for appointments to the Supreme Court. In a response to Raitt on Wednesday, Giroux said he does not have the powers to investigate the leak but expressed concern that it happened.

I am deeply concerned and troubled about the release to the media of any confidential information, be it accurate or not, that pertains to judicial appointments to the Supreme Court of Canada, and to some of the finest jurists in our country. The release of such confidential information is wholly inappropriate, Giroux wrote.

Raitt told the Star that she believes the Prime Ministers Office is behind the leak because of details that described how Trudeau became disturbed about the choice of Joyal after doing some research into his views on the Charter of Rights and Freedoms  details she said only a handful of officials would know.

Trudeau declined to respond when asked about the leak on Tuesday, saying only that Canadians can have confidence in our governments respect for the institutions, for the Supreme Court.

His office said Wednesday that it did not play a role in the leak. We take the integrity of our institutions seriously. The PMO would never leak who would be considered for a judicial appointment, spokesperson Chantal Gagnon said in an email.

Asked whether the PMO was seeking an investigation into how confidential information became public, Gagnon referred to Trudeaus response the previous day.

Justice Minister David Lametti said that he was concerned about the publication of details about the justice selection. The integrity of our process depends on confidentiality for all parties involved, Lametti said on Twitter.

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Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority has plans to bring its Mobile Mammography Unit to Indianapolis this year.

The members of the Central Region of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated are proud to debut the new Mobile Mammography Unit in Indianapolis, during our regional convention, said Sonya L. Bowen, Central Regional director. The utilization of this van represents one more way in which we can provide needed healthcare services for women unable to access healthcare through conventional delivery methods.

In 2015, according to the Susan G. Komen Foundation, 61 percent of women ages 40-64 reported foregoing a routine mammogram. The sorority hopes to combat that statistic by bringing health screenings to women who wouldnt be able to receive them otherwise due to cost or a lack of access to facilities with the technology to conduct a mammogram. The Susan G. Komen Foundation has also found that the mortality rate for Black women with breast cancer is 41 percent higher than white women, which is why AKA is focusing on this specific form of cancer.

Beyond the free screenings, AKA will offer information on prevention and other mammography services should women need it. Additionally, they are partnering with local clinics and rural health centers across the country to emphasize the need for Black women to receive regular mammograms.

The key focus of Alpha Kappa Alphas breast cancer initiative is to provide women access to early detection and education when it comes to the disease, said AKA International Program Chair Ora Douglass. Our overall mission is to help reduce the factors that lead to breast cancer in African American women by having them visit our AKA Mammography Mobile Unit.

Over the next four years, the historically Black sorority hopes to screen more than 100,000 women with the mobile screening unit, which was first unveiled in October 2018 at Texas Southern University in Houston, Texas.

The Mobile Mammography Unit was scheduled to be in Indianapolis this week, but is stalled due to flooding across the Midwest. The sorority is working to get an alternate date as soon as possible. If you plan to take advantage of these free screening, but are uninsured, please register at www.assuredimaging.com/AKA.

Alpha Kappa Alpha will bring its Mobile Mammography Unit to Indianapolis this year.
OTTAWAOpposition MPs are demanding a parliamentary inquiry into the certification of the Boeing 737 Max and Transport Canadas regulatory oversight after two fatal crashes that have grounded the aircraft.

Conservative MP Kelly Block and NDP MP Robert Aubin  who each serve as vice-chairs of the House of Commons transport committee  say they each intend to call for hearings on the issue.

Mr. Aubin absolutely thinks that the committee must investigate how the certification of the Boeing 737 Max 8 was given and the role of Transport Canada in that matter, notably their relation with the (Federal Aviation Administration in the U.S.), a spokesperson for the Trois-Rivieres MP said in an email.

Block too will propose a study on the issues surrounding the Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft, its safety and its certification process, her office said in a statement to the Star.

Conservative MP Lisa Raitt, a former minister of transport, said that the issue of how Transport Canada accepts U.S. certification and its role in validating the safety of new designs is critical.

Decisions around certification are incredibly important and if something is wrong, Canadians deserve to know what happened, Raitt said in an interview.

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FAA to look at Boeings fixes for 737 Max jets

The call came as Boeing on Wednesday unveiled changes to the Boeing 737 Max it hopes will address safety concerns  and help get grounded jets back in the air  and American lawmakers put their own certification process under the spotlight.

Questions have swirled about the safety of the jet and the regulatory oversight to certify it following the two crashes just over five months apart. The jet has been grounded worldwide, including in Canada where it is flown by Sunwing, WestJet and Air Canada.

Concerns about the FAAs certification process matter here in Canada. Thats because the FAA is responsible for certifying U.S.-built aircraft, including the Boeing 737 Max. Under a bilateral agreement, Canada accepts the U.S. certification.

Yet at a hearing in Washington, senators raised concerns about the FAAs oversight of the industry and worried that practice of allowing the manufacturer a role in the certification process had gone too far.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal accused the FAA of outsourcing safety to the manufacturers.

The fact is that the FAA decided to do safety on the cheap ... and put the fox in charge of the henhouse, he told the hearing.

He called for rigorous reform of a system he said was fatally riddled with flaws ... so that the FAA is put back in charge of safety.

While the cause of each accident has yet to be determined, attention has focused a new piece of software known as the manoeuvring characteristics augmentation system. This was installed on the Boeing 737 Max to automatically pitch the nose of the jet down during manual flight if it detected that aircrafts attitude risked an aerodynamic stall.

In the case of the crash of a Lion Air flight in Indonesia last October, its believed that a faulty angle-of-attack sensor was feeding erroneous data to the system that in turn triggered incorrect commands to pitch the nose down that the pilots were unable to override.

Complicating the situation was that pilots were kept in the dark about the new system. The flight manual for the Boeing 737 Max contains just one reference to the system  in the list of abbreviations, one source told the Star.

The Senate hearing heard that Canadian pilots, along with Americans and Europeans, were involved in the testing that determined how much training would be required for aircrews moving to the Max model from earlier versions of the 737.

After many scenarios, (simulation) flights in all regimes with these pilots, there was a consensus opinion from the pilots  the Europeans, the Canadians, American pilots  that there was no marked difference in the handling characteristics of these two aircraft, said Daniel Elwell, acting FAA administrator.

Elwell put a question mark over how the pilots of the two downed aircraft  operated by Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines  reacted to the flight control problems they apparently suffered immediately prior to the crashes.

While MCAS is a new system, the procedure to cope with unwanted nose-up or nose-down movement  by disabling automatic trimming of the stabilizer  should be well-known to commercial pilots, he said.

It presents itself as uncommanded pitch trim. Pilots of large aircraft are trained from the beginning of their careers how to handle that, Elwell said.

In every plane Ive every flown, its called a memory item. Youre not fumbling through books. Its a time-critical procedure, said Elwell, who previously flew for American Airlines.

Meanwhile, Boeing on Wednesday revealed some of the changes its making in response to the incidents. They include redundant air sensors to provide data to MCAS and new flight deck displays to alert pilots to problems and new training. Software changes will limit the authority of the system, ensuring it does not exceed the ability of the pilots to counteract it.

With files from Tonda MacCharles

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Canadian intelligence agencies have identified persistent foreign state-backed cyber campaigns against government and civilian targets that have some officials worried efforts to interfere with this years federal election have already begun.

Two intelligence sources with direct knowledge of efforts to safeguard Canadas 2019 election say the rate of cyber attacks against federal institutions, political parties and private companies has been steadily increasing.

Between 2013 and 2015, an average of 2,500 state-sponsored cyber activities against government networks were detected each year. The rate of success of those activities declined over that period, from six per cent in 2013 to two per cent in 2015  but that still works out to one successful attack per week.

The government officials, who requested anonymity to speak about ongoing national security matters, said just because a hostile state have political and government systems targets does not necessarily mean they intend to disrupt the election.

But others are treating it as a foregone conclusion.

Foreign interference is a when and not an if,  said commissioner of Canada Elections Yves Cote in an interview Tuesday.

Read more:

Canadians are concerned about foreign influence in the 2019 federal election, poll finds

Never mind the Russians. Democracys real social-media threat could be homegrown

Some of Canadas closest international allies have been the targets of what were believed to be state-sponsored hacking campaigns for years.

Since 2016, elections in those countries have also been the targets of widely-publicized hacking, misinformation and influence operations by hostile foreign powers. Officials in Canada expect the 2019 election will be no different.

Cotes office investigates violations of Canadian elections law. He said intelligence agencies, government departments and law enforcement, as well as arms-length offices like Elections Canada and his own, are working together to mitigate the risk.

But he was also frank about their chances of completely countering the threat.

(We) are taking this very seriously. That doesnt mean that we can prevent everything, Cote said. That means that as much as something can be prevented, the steps that have to be taken will be (taken) to avoid these things happening.

The Communications Security Establishment (CSE), Canadas electronic spying and cyber defence agency, has said it expects the coming election to be the target of cyber attacks from a variety of sources. The agency has not yet said that hostile nation states will attempt to influence the campaign.

The United States, the U.K., France, Germany, and most recently Australia have all faced politically motivated hacking and misinformation campaigns during recent elections. Stolen documents have been strategically released, existing divisions within societies inflamed, and straight-up misinformation pushed out and presented as legitimate reporting.

A day before the French went to the polls to ultimately elect Emmanuel Macron in 2017, a leak of more than 20,000 documents about the then-candidate was spread across social media. The leak was widely attributed to Russia. In Germany, Russian bots were boosting messages from the far-right AfD party in what one bot operator said was a mutually beneficial relationship. Russian interventions in the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign and the U.K.s Brexit referendum have been widely reported.

CSE has completed a report on specific threats it believes Canada will face in the election, but has not yet publicly released it.

The Star and BuzzFeed News have learned that CSE briefed the major federal parties on the Australian parliamentary hack in February. Australian news outlets have suggested that China, one of the worlds dominant cyber powers, may have been behind the operation. Beijing has rejected those claims as baseless.

Hackers targeted not only the Australian Parliament, but also political parties, which are seen both in Australia and Canada as much easier targets than official government networks. They also proved to be one of the weak links exploited by Russian hackers during the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Canada has recently drawn negative attention from China over the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou. The country recently banned imports of canola from Canada.

Russia has been critical of Canada for passing 2017s Magnitsky Act, which was named for a Russian accountant who died in jail after a politically motivated arrest. The law places economic sanctions on corrupt officials. After it was passed, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said, Any anti-Russian actions by the Canadian authorities will not be left without an adequate response.

In a statement, CSE said it could not comment on specific cybersecurity or operational matters.

The government of Canada is continuously monitoring to detect any attempts by foreign actors to influence Canadas 2019 general election, agency spokesperson Ryan Foreman said in a written statement Wednesday.

CSE will continue to work with our national security and intelligence partners to mitigate any malicious cyber activity. We are also working closely with our international allies and partners to share information on election security.

In two recent appearances before the House of Commons justice committee, outgoing Clerk of the Privy Council Michael Wernick repeatedly mentioned he had high-level security clearance and was seriously concerned about the threat of foreign interference in the upcoming election.

The comments puzzled MPs and observers, given he was there to discuss his role in the ongoing SNC-Lavalin affair. But Wernick, in addition to being the countrys top bureaucrat and having access to Canadas most sensitive intelligence, was a member of the five-person panel that will decide whether or not to inform Canadians of foreign intervention in the election.

When asked if Wernick was warning that government agencies have already detected a threat or threats to the integrity of the election, a senior official would say only that clerks of the Privy Council are typically very well informed.

The Star and BuzzFeed News are investigating the ways political parties, third-party pressure groups, foreign powers and individuals are influencing Canadas political debate in the run-up to this falls federal election.

Craig Silverman is the media editor of Buzzfeed News. Jane Lytvynenko is a reporter for BuzzFeed News.
OTTAWAPrime Minister Justin Trudeau says he wants the damaging leaks of confidential information to stop but offered no promise of an investigation into the disclosure of details around a possible appointment to the Supreme Court of Canada.

Trudeaus government has been on the defensive for more than a month after revelations  later confirmed by committee testimony  that the prime minister and top officials held repeated discussions with former Jody Wilson-Raybould to intervene in the criminal case against SNC-Lavalin.

Since the story first broke in early February about tensions between Trudeaus office and Wilson-Raybound on the SNC-Lavalin file, there have been other leaks about cabinet discussions and Wilson-Rayboulds role as justice minister.

And this week, CTV and Canadian Press reported confidential details of Wilson-Rayboulds pick for the Supreme Court, a choice of judge that was ultimately rebuffed by Trudeau.

The details in those stories were condemned by legal associations, who said such disclosures could undermine the integrity of the judicial selection process. Wilson-Raybould herself denied she was the source and called for an investigation.

Trudeau on Thursday voiced frustration with how information that was leaking out and denied that his office had any role.

Read more:

Jody Wilson-Raybould calls for investigation into leak of Supreme Court pick

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Liberals block new inquiry into SNC-Lavalin

We condemn the number of leaks that have happened recently of confidential information that has been let out over the past weeks. I certainly would wish that people who have access to confidential information would keep it confidential, Trudeau said during a visit to Halifax.

But as he did earlier in the week, the prime minister again refused to comment whether he would seek an investigation into the leak around the judicial selection, saying that the people should have faith in the merit-based independent process to select judges for the Supreme Court.

We condemn it, as has been said. This was not something that my office had any part in leaking. This is something that degrades peoples confidence in the independence of the judicial system. They need to know that they can still very much have confidence in our system, he said.

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China has kneed Canada right in the canola, and theres no denying: it hurts to the tune of $2.7 billion in exports per year.

But while Chinas blocking of Canadian canola seed has implicated the wherewithal of 43,000 farmers and is wrapped up in the complex battle for economic supremacy between China and the United States, Canada is not without power in this dispute.

Take a look at Richard Gray.

The University of Saskatchewan agricultural economist who farms canola with his son didnt foresee this exact situation, but he had enough suspicion about the market this year that he took steps to hedge some of his contracts in advance.

For one, China has been culling hundreds of thousands of pigs over the past few months to contain the spread of African swine fever. Those pigs would normally be eating a lot of Canadian canola. So Gray locked in at a price a few months ago, and plans to forge ahead with his plans to grow the crop as usual this spring.

Gray quickly acknowledges that not everyone took the same steps and there is a lot of short-term pain and uncertainty on the Prairies. But he also believes the Canadian canola industry is sophisticated enough to roll with Chinas ups and downs. Even though China is by far Canadas biggest customer of canola, and right now no one in China is buying Canadas canola seed, the world generally needs it all, and Canadas product will find a lucrative home.

Read more:

Canadian farmers look to federal government for action in canola standoff with China

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Opinion| Thomas Walkom: Canadas canola conundrum has Trudeau pinned between China and U.S.

Theyll be back, he said. The markets will adjust, and well get through this.

China says it blocked sales from Canadian exporters because of contaminants in the seed. But with comments this week telling Canada to correct the mistakes it made earlier, the quietly understood became the obvious: the canola moves are retaliation for Canadas detention of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou at the request of the United States.

China has already jailed two Canadians in the wake of the Meng detention.

Its not by chance that the first Canadian exporter to lose its registration was Richardson International, based in Winnipeg  the home town of Jim Carr, Canadas minister of international trade.

What does China actually want from Canada? It wants Canada to release Meng, and to approve Huawei to participate in the eventual 5G telecommunications network that will be the backbone of Canadas internet.

By law, Canada cant really control the Meng detention, and her case will work its way through the courts. And officials insist that the 5G decision needs to be made on the basis of national security and technological safeguards, not political pressure.

But that doesnt mean Canada needs to just take its lumps from China.

Thats partly because the world really loves Canadian canola. Its the poster child for research and development in Canadas agrifood industry, starting out as an inedible marine lubricant to eventually become a popular source of light cooking oil, animal feed and big profits for the Canadian prairies where the crop is now as widespread as wheat.

But also, Canada has seen scenes from this movie before. China has taken a run at Canadian canola at least twice in the past decade, and each time, the two countries have worked out a science-based solution  with the help of then-prime minister Stephen Harper and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Canadian officials are convinced that its in Chinas interest to find a science-based resolution once again, mainly because China wants to establish a reputation as a fair exporter. They are hard at work proving on a technical level that theres nothing whatsoever wrong with Canadas canola seed.

Just in case, Trudeau has signalled his engagement, showing up in Winnipeg this week, meeting with executives from Richardson and the canola council, and saying he is considering a high-level delegation. The heads of Invest in Canada and Bombardier Inc. are working their contacts. And Ottawa is talking with provincial governments to bolster the case.

Theres pressure from western farmers and the Official Opposition in Ottawa to do a lot more.

Former Canadian ambassador to China David Mulroney suggests Canada should curtail organized group travel to China, and also ramp up the search for alternative markets in Asia  something that is on Carrs agenda too.

For now, though, Canadas best hope lies in the United States and China finding their way to trade peace, settling their dispute over Huawei, and ending the temptation to use Canada as a pawn.
Queens Park will start treating Ontarians like responsible adults with an expansion of the availability of beer and wine, says Finance Minister Vic Fedeli.

But sources told the Star that breaking the provinces existing 10-year agreement with the Beer Store could cost taxpayers $100 million in penalties.

Fedeli, who will table the Progressive Conservative governments first budget on April 11, told 700 people at an Empire Club of Canada luncheon that Ontario is moving into the 21st century.

Quick doesnt quite capture our governments pace thus far at Queens Park. For the Star Trek fans in the audience, weve been moving at warp speed, the treasurer said Thursday.

Its time for everyone in government to start acting like the competition is coming, and treat people like responsible adults, said Fedeli.

We are taking steps to revolutionize the way we deliver services, and that includes how people buy alcohol, he said.

Fedeli emphasized the province has no plans to sell off its lucrative Liquor Control Board of Ontario monopoly, which operates 660 outlets and about 210 rural agency stores.

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Our government is actively working to expand the sale of beer and wine to corner stores, box stores, and even more grocery stores, he said, touting plans to build upon the previous Liberal governments expansion of sales to 450 of Ontarios 1,500 supermarkets.

We made a commitment during the campaign to provide consumers with greater choice and convenience, and we plan on delivering. We firmly believe this will not only open up the province to more choice, it will lead to competitive prices, and without the need to privatize our valuable government assets.

Have your say

Fedeli  who, like Premier Doug Ford, does not drink alcohol  said Ontario has the lowest density of retail outlets selling beer, wine, cider and spirits in Canada.

Quebec has over 8,000 retail stores selling beverage alcohol. In Ontario, any guesses? Less than 3,000.

That tally includes two privately owned Canadian wine shop chains and the Beer Store.

Fedeli did not mention that under the 10-year master framework agreement signed with the Beer Store  the 450-outlet retailer mostly owned by the parent companies of Labatt, Molson, and Sleeman  the province could be on the hook for massive financial penalties.

That carefully worded accord  hammered out by former TD Bank chair Ed Clark, who was then-Liberal premier Kathleen Wynnes privatization guru  is in place until 2025 and Queens Park would owe the Beer Store damages if it is broken.

Under the terms of that deal, the Beer Store agreed to spend $100 million on capital improvements to its stores in the first four years of the pact.

Because the brewers have already made those investments, a source noted the Beer Store, Labatt, Molson, and Sleeman would all have contract and tort claims against the government, as well as ministers and other government officials involved in breaching the master framework agreement.

The province explicitly promised and agreed that if it were found to have breached the master framework agreement, it would cure such breach even if the cure required legislative change, said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity in order to discuss internal deliberations.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said Ontarians should be leery, pointing out to the expected legal fallout from the governments unilateral cancellation of 758 renewable energy projects and its legislation designed to prevent companies affected from suing for compensation.

We dont know what the price is. The premier needs to come clean on what the cost of breaking another contract is, said Horwath.

Green Leader Mike Schreiner called on the government to open convenience stores strictly to Ontario craft beer, Ontario wines with the Vintners Quality Alliance seal and Ontario craft distillers to give their businesses a boost.

Local products and local corner stores, that Im open to. If its just going to be another outlet for Big Beer, Im less enthused about it, said Schreiner.

Fedeli acknowledged to the Empire Club that we have our work cut out for us.

Thats why he has retained former Alberta cabinet minister Ken Hughes, who has some expertise in the field, as a special adviser.

While Alberta privatized alcohol sales more than 25 years ago, beer remains cheaper in Ontario than it is there.

A 24-pack of a popular brand like Labatt Blue or Molson Canadian costs $10 more in Alberta than in Ontario, where a case goes for about $38.

Fedeli insisted Ontarians would not be crying in their beers following his budget despite Fords austerity push that could see $6 billion in cuts.

Contrary to what our opponents would have you believe, our approach to restoring balance to Ontarios books will be measured and thoughtful, the treasurer said.

We will not balance the budget at the expense of our critical programs. We will not make life harder for families in this province by raising taxes, he said, promising to eliminate a deficit that has ballooned to $13.5 billion due to, among other things, accounting changes.

I call the path to balance the Goldilocks approach. It cant be too short because no one would believe it. And it cant be too long because anyone  except the previous Liberal government  could do that. It must be just right.

With files from Rob Ferguson

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Robert Benzie is the Stars Queens Park bureau chief and a reporter covering Ontario politics. Follow him on Twitter: @robertbenzie

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VANCOUVERA Huawei executives insistence that Canada should trust the telecommunications company not to spy for the Chinese government should be considered in the face of historical indifference to business ethics by Chinese corporations, according to observers and politicians.

Speaking to Canadian journalists at the companys headquarters in Shenzhen, China on Tuesday, Eric Xu, one of Huaweis rotating chairmen, offered the companys latest refutation of the suggestion Huawei would obey government orders to spy on clients abroad.

If you ask me what reasons we could use to refuse such a request, personally speaking, its very simple: Doing so would be a violation of laws in the countries where we provide our services, Xu said, according to reporting from the Globe and Mails Nathan VanderKlippe.

Experts and observers of China have long noted there is little daylight between private enterprise and state interest in the country. And intelligence officials and politicians in a number of countries have warned that including Huawei gear in 5G internet infrastructure risks opening a backdoor to surveillance or espionage  allegations which both Huawei and Chinese government officials have repeatedly denied.

But claims of respect for business protocols, whether legal or ethical, by Chinese corporations are not to be trusted, according to a Canadian Member of Parliament.

Peter Kent, Conservative MP for Thornhill, Ont., served as a federal minister and international executive co-chair of the China council under Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Kent described business dealings where government-connected Chinese companies refused to comply with the findings of Canadian courts or reneged on agreements.

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They break contracts and employment conditions pretty much at will, Kent said.

He pointed to the $15-billion (U.S.) takeover of Calgary-based energy company Nexen Inc. in 2012 by Beijing-based China National Offshore Oil Corporation  an arms-length branch of the Chinese government. At the time, the deal was Chinas largest-ever foreign takeover.

The company made a number of pledges to Ottawa to secure the purchase, which Kent said China National failed to uphold, including a promise to keep Nexen financially healthy and a commitment to safety and regulatory compliance.

The deal, approved under the Harper government, is one of many examples that Kent said demonstrates the indifference some Chinese companies show to laws and regulations governing business in foreign jurisdictions.

I have corporate constituents in Thornhill who have had trademark and patent violations which theyve pursued at great expense and won, but  the Chinese company that was infringing on those rights ends up paying a very modest fine, and didnt even take down the website that was selling the stolen intellectual property, Kent said.

The risks of doing business with Huawei have been vaulted into the spotlight since the arrest of CFO Meng Wanzhou at the Vancouver International Airport in December 2018. The U.S. authorities want Canada to extradite Meng to face fraud and conspiracy charges related to alleged violations of U.S. trade sanctions against Iran. The company itself faces a spate of criminal charges related to the same sanctions violations. Both Meng and Huawei reject the allegations.

Meanwhile, Huawei and its American subsidiaries pleaded not guilty last month to a separate set of U.S. trade-theft charges in a U.S. federal court.

Charles Burton, an expert on Western policy toward China and a senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institutes Centre for Advancing Canadas Interests Abroad, said the loose regard for corporate responsibility shown by some Chinese firms would never be tolerated in China if a foreign firm acted in a similar manner there.

Lets bear in mind, the (Canada-China) relationship is not at all reciprocal, he said.

Its not as if theres some quid pro quo here. Its an entirely asymmetrical dynamic in this regard.

Public appetite for Canadian business dealings with Huawei appears to be diminishing, he said. But the deep economic ties between China and Canada may provide a clue to Canadas reluctance to curtail business with China and companies like Huawei despite the risks associated with partnerships, Burton added.

(Canadian telecoms companies) stand to lose billions of dollars if they have to take out their existing Huawei equipment to make the 5G installation compatible with another firm such as Ericsson. So theres huge amounts of money involved here, and a lot of interests in Canada that are tied to that, and a lot of Canadians who hope to benefit from participation on boards and law firms and so on that do business with China and who feel that if they criticize Chinese politics that they will suffer potential economic disadvantage.

The Canadian government has yet to decide on whether to ban Huawei equipment from the countrys 5G networks.

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Just then he looked up and saw the rich people dropping offerings in the collection plate. Then he saw a poor widow put in two pennies. He said, The plain truth is that this widow has given by far the largest offering today. All these others made offerings that theyll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldnt afford  she gave her all! Luke 21:1-4

Jesus recognized the value and sacrifice of the widows gift. Prior to this, (Luke 20:45-47) Jesus called out the leaders who have taken advantage of widows and others who are marginalized. So even in the midst of the systemic injustice, she resisted the notion of not having enough and gave. The widow teaches us the characteristics of giving with all of our might.

Giving is an act of resistance 

Giving resists the belief that in order to get ahead, it needs to be all about us. Giving resists the notion that we need to keep it all to ourselves. Giving resists the notion that if my life is in transition, I need to put my giving on hold. I learned this in my first visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Mbandaka. Through the outside lens, people may see the economic and political factors that affect the country. But my theology of giving was transformed during my journey. During the offering, the congregation sang and danced their way up as they put their offering into baskets, which would take almost an hour. I witnessed the church explode into a higher level of praise. After service we asked our translator about the offering. He responded, God gives us life and ability to be with each other. God brought you safely here to us from the United States. The God who gives us everything, gives us the chance to give back to God! We are grateful. But his next statement silenced us, when he said, But as blessed as you are in America, your offering must take two hours during your services. That taught me the next lesson.

Giving is an act of worship 

Giving is worship with not only our treasure, our talent and our time. Worship happens when you give your time to study and service. Worship happens when you walk in your gifts and talents.

 Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship, Romans 12:1-2

During my second visit to Mbandaka, I preached at a church. After the sermon, they placed a huge basket on the altar and placed fruits, vegetables and other tangible gifts. When I asked my translator, she said that this basket was for me. The pastor shared,  You have come into our community and you will not leave out of this community without us giving to you. How dare you step into this place and we not bless you. Generosity always goes beyond the four walls of a church building. That leads to my third lesson.

Giving is an act of community 

Giving is an act of community which calls us to go into the world around us. Giving is both an individual and a team effort. Giving can take the form of volunteering at a local shelter, tutoring after school, visiting those in hospitals or home bound. Giving is an act of community when we speak out against policies that harm and marginalize others. Giving is an act of community because justice is what love looks like in public. My Congolese sisters taught me this when they formed a Micro-Credit program. They offer loans to women in the community so they can start a business or make a needed investment. The loans are paid back and the interest becomes income to women who have invested with the group. They lived out giving as an act of community.

This is the legacy of the widow who gave all she had  resisted the notion and gave, it was an act of worship with her whole being and for the benefit of community. However there is another characteristic of giving with all of our might.

Giving is an act of our Spiritual Ancestry:

God made an initial investment in all of us. God modeled this act of giving in John 3:16

For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life.

Blessed to be a blessing to you,

Sheila P. Spencer

Minister Sheila P. Spencer is an author, educator, poet and speaker. She can be contacted at CustomMadeInspiration@gmail.com, and her website is sheilapspencer.com.
Bayer AG vowed to keep defending its weedkiller Roundup after losing a second trial over claims it causes cancer, indicating that the embattled company isn't yet ready to consider spending billions of dollars to settle thousands of similar lawsuits.

A jury in San Francisco federal court awarded compensatory damages of $5.3 million and punitive damages of $75 million to a 70-year-old man who became ill after spraying the herbicide on his property for decades. Wednesday's verdict follows a similar decision by a state court jury last summer, and comes as a third trial is under way in Oakland, California.

The company will continue to "vigorously defend" the herbicide, which it considers safe, Christian Hartel, a spokesman, said by phone from Bayer's headquarters in Leverkusen, Germany. It plans to appeal the verdict and doesn't view the ruling as a harbinger for others because each trial has different factual and legal circumstances.

Some experts disagree. "You can't keep trying case after case after case and keep losing and say, 'We're not going to settle," said Thomas Rohback, a trial lawyer at Axinn in New York. If Bayer continues to lose at trial, it "has to put the possibility of a settlement of these cases into the mix."

Roundup became the German company's leading headache after it acquired Monsanto Co. for about $63 billion last June. Bayer has lost more than 60 percent of its value since the transaction. On Thursday, its shares fell as much as 3.3 percent to 54.48 euros in Frankfurt, the lowest level in more than six years.

The case was brought by Edwin Hardeman, who used the herbicide on his large plot of land in Sonoma County, about 60 miles north of San Francisco. As with the thousands of other consumers suing Bayer, Hardeman argued his years of exposure to the chemical caused his non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

The jury found that there's a defect in Roundup, that Bayer failed to warn of the product's risks and that the company was negligent.

Some analysts have put the price of settling lawsuits over Roundup filed by more than 11,200 people in the U.S. at more than $5 billion. Rohback said Bayer may be pursuing a "long game," based on a strategy of continuing to fight in hopes of finding some plaintiffs it can beat.

"A new $80 million verdict against Bayer over claims its weedkiller caused a consumer's cancer signals a tough slog ahead for the company in many of the 11,200 cases pending across the U.S," said Holly Froum, a litigation analyst.

The Roundup verdict is the third-largest product liability jury award in the U.S. so far in 2019, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The largest such verdict, for $151.8 million, was issued by an Alabama jury last month against Ford Motor Co., over an Explorer rollover accident.

Bayer won't have the advantage in Oakland that it had in San Francisco federal court. Hardeman's trial was split into two parts, a format that legal experts said gave the company its best chance of evening the score after it lost the first Roundup trial last summer and was ultimately ordered to pay $78.6 million in damages.

Instead, the Oakland trial will permit lawyers to present jurors at the outset with their narrative about Monsanto Co.'s secret campaign to manipulate public opinion and bury evidence of Roundup's cancer risks.

Jurors in Hardeman's case first sat through weeks of scientific testimony to decide whether Roundup was a "substantial factor" in causing his illness before they heard any evidence that Monsanto ghostwrote influential studies and improperly leaned on regulators. Bayer countered that scientific studies showed the herbicide is safe and argued to the jury that damning emails were taken out of context.

Hardeman sought more than $19 million in damages, including compensation for hospital bills as well as pain and suffering.

His lawyers said the verdict sends a message to Monsanto that it needs to change the way it does business.

"It speaks volumes that not one Monsanto employee, past or present, came live to trial to defend Roundup's safety or Monsanto's actions," Aimee Wagstaff and Jennifer Moore said in a statement.

Bayer's adversaries in Oakland are Alva and Alberta Pilliod, a couple in their 70s who invoked a California law that gives scheduling preference to people who are ill. A school groundskeeper who won the first trial against Bayer in August relied on the same law. Bayer is appealing the August verdict, too.

If the losses keep coming, Rohback said, Bayer's only justification for continuing to fight is if plaintiffs' lawyers are making unrealistic demands to resolve the litigation. "At some point you're not getting a lot of encouragement to go forward with the same approach," he said.

The case is In re: Roundup Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2741, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California (San Francisco).

---

Bloomberg's Margaret Cronin Fisk and Naomi Kresge contributed to this report.
Washington Post photo by Sarah L. Voisin

Move over, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and your shade-y clap: The latest Washington woman to be inducted into the She-ro Hall of Fame is longtime NPR reporter Nina Totenberg.

Totenberg, who is considered the dean of the Supreme Court press corps, is being hailed as everyone's #mood now that a clip of her purposefully striding over to former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in front of the court Tuesday has gone viral. In the much-circulated video, Totenberg wears dark shades, a radio-ready headset and an expression that tells you that she means nothing but business as she points her microphone in the former pol's direction to catch his speech - all against a backdrop of suit-wearing men. (The former Governator was there, along with Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, R, for oral arguments in a case about gerrymandering, Schwarzenegger's post-elected-office cause celebre.)
EDWARDSVILLE  Haunted by God: The Life of Dorothy Day is coming to SIUE at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 10 at the Lovejoy Library Abbott Auditorium.

Tickets are $5, with free admission for seniors and students.

The event is sponsored by the SIUE Newman Catholic Community.

Haunted by God is a one-woman play about Dorothy Day, co-founder of the Catholic Worker movement. Hailed in Sojourners magazine as a wonderfully uplifting theater experience, this dramatic portrait tells the story of the woman the New York Times eulogized as a nonviolent social radical of luminous personality.

Dorothy Day (1897-1980) was a powerful woman of immense conviction who found herself jailed many times when witnessing her beliefs, including womens suffrage.

In New York in 1933, she and a French-born itinerant philosopher Peter Maurin co-founded the Catholic Worker, a living movement that has been responsible for feeding and housing the homeless while maintaining a monthly, nationally-read newspaper.

Today, there are over 100 Catholic Worker houses in the United States and around the world, including communities in Toronto and Oxford, England.

Dorothy spent 47 years living with the poor and challenging the U.S. government to halt acts of war. She is known as the mother of the peace movement in the United States and has influenced such American peacemakers as Daniel Berrigan and Michael Harrington. She has been called the most significant, interesting and influential person in the history of the American Catholic Church.

Haunted by God was written by Paul Amandes, Lisa Wagner (who also portrays Day) and Robert McClory. Directed by Virginia Smith, with costume and set design by Daniel Ostling, this acclaimed production has been touring the U.S. since May 1990 and toured Europe in February and March of 1994. The play was also performed at the Pax Christi International Conference in Assisi, Italy in May of 1995.
PLEASANT HILL  A Missouri man is facing murder charges in the stabbing death of a Pleasant Hill resident.

An arrest warrant was issued Wednesday for Charles T. Allen, 44, of Louisiana, Missouri. Pike County States Attorney Zachary Boren is pursuing two counts of first-degree murder and one count of aggravated battery against Allen.

Authorities were called about 11 p.m. Tuesday to a residence in the 600 block of Orrill Street, where they found 65-year-old Donald R. Collard of Pleasant Hill dead of an apparent stabbing.

Pleasant Hill police and Pike County sheriffs deputies learned Allen may have traveled back to Missouri, according to a sheriffs department report. With help from the Louisiana Missouri Police Department and the Pike County (Missouri) Sheriffs Department, Allen was arrested and taken to the Pike County (Missouri) Sheriffs Department.

Once a waiver of extradition is signed, Allen will be taken to the Pike County Jail, where he will be held without bail, according to the sheroffs department.
EDWARDSVILLE  Students from Southern Illinois University Edwardsvilles East St. Louis Charter High School (CHS) heard some advice during the Pre-Collegiate event, Get Plugged In.

The event focused on connecting the students with faculty, staff and student leaders at SIUE as a way to get them plugged into the community, said Makesha Harris Lee, EdD, assistant director for Pre-Collegiate Programs. The day consisted of several sessions, beginning with a morning social that included an icebreaker game, panel discussion and an activity about self-identity and values.

Later, the students took a campus tour and experienced the SIUE Student Governments Tunnel of Oppression, she continued. The significance of the Tunnel of Oppression and the other identity awareness exercises was to raise consciousness about oppression, and for the students to have a chance to walk in someone elses shoes and be able to see the value in differences. Approximately 30 CHS students enjoyed the day of activities, information and connections.

The take-away for the day, according to Harris Lee, was for CHS students to be able to identify at least one current SIUE student or employee who will help them stay connected to the University.

The state of Illinois is losing its students to out-of-state schools, and research shows the main reason Illinois high school students and parents are not choosing Illinois schools is because they do not feel connected to the campus communities, explained Harris Lee. It is my hope to help students and their parents feel linked to SIUE by giving them opportunities to interact with our campus partners and current students. This is also the reason I created the SIUE e-Plugs mentoring program.

SIUE alumna Kelley Brooks, assistant director in the Office of Admissions, fielded several questions from CHS students as a panelist.

When you go to college, keep an open mind, Brooks advised. There are times when students can be closed minded, because they are so focused on race. When you go to college, you may not want to share a room or suite with someone of another race or background, but you never know, that person or persons could end up your lifelong friend.

Taylor Robinson, Student Opportunities for Academic Results (SOAR) teaching assistant and National Guard member, encouraged students to find their place in college. Robinson received a bachelors in criminal justice studies in 2018 from SIUE.

I am a first-generation college student, said Robinson. I came from a two-parent home and had five brothers and five sisters. When I graduated from high school, I felt like college was not for me. I enlisted in the military. It wasnt until I met others who had a college degree, who encouraged me to go to school.

I came to SIUE in the spring semester, when people already had made connections. I felt out of place. What encouraged me was my drive to be here. I had to find the beauty in obtaining an education. I pushed through and started joining clubs and organizations. I found purpose and meaning for myself. I also wanted to give my parents something to let them know that all of their struggles had not been in vain.

Joe Simpson, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences, told the students about the value in joining organizations and clubs that will support them.

Coming to college was a new experience, and I had just come out in the LGBTQ community, said Simpson. I was reserved in my freshman year. I was concerned about what people would say about me, and what they thought about me. However, joining my organization was a breath of fresh air. Without fellow members making me feel comfortable to be who I am, Im not sure where I would be.

The program went extremely well, noted Harris Lee. After this one event, I now have 11 faculty, staff, and student leaders serving our pre-collegiate students as e-Plugs. My goal is to have an e-Plug for every pre-collegiate participant.

For more information about e-Plugs, contact Harris Lee at makharr@siue.edu.
EDWARDSVILLE  Shoppers who have been wanting a HomeGoods store in the Edwardsville area have only one more month to wait.

HomeGoods, a discount furnishing store, will have its grand opening from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday, April 28 at 2222 Troy Road in the Edwardsville Marketplace.

Regular store hours will be from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday and 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

The 21,220-square-foot Edwardsville store is located at the site of the old Sears Hardware Store, near the Schnucks and Target stores. It is next door to recently opened MOD Pizza, 2300A Troy Road, which operates out of the other part of the Sears store.

On Thursday, construction continued both inside and outside the store as it prepares for the grand opening, with the HomeGoods signage already in place above the entrance.

Store shelving should be in place by the middle of next week, with merchandise soon to follow.

Ahead of the grand opening, HomeGoods is holding a hiring event for the Edwardsville location from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and again from Monday through April 5 at TownePlace Suites, 6101 Center Grove Road in Edwardsville.

Tatjana Whitesides, the manager of the new store, will be welcoming prospective employees to the hiring event.

HomeGoods is based in Framingham, Massachusetts and has more than 700 locations in the U.S. The new location will be the fifth HomeGoods store in the St. Louis area.

HomeGoods stores offer a selection of home decor and fashions including kitchen essentials, rugs, lighting, bedding, bath, furniture and clothing for the whole family.

Reach reporter Scott Marion at smarion@edwpub.net
It was March 2018, nearly 10 months into his Russia investigation, when special counsel Robert Mueller III, a man of few words, raised the stakes dramatically in a meeting with President Donald Trump's lawyers: If the president did not sit down voluntarily for an interview, he could face a subpoena.

In the months that followed, Mueller never explicitly threatened to issue a subpoena as his office pursued a presidential interview, a sit-down for which the special counsel was pushing as late as December.

But with that prospect hanging over them, Trump's legal team conducted a quiet, multipronged pressure campaign to avert such an action and keep the president from coming face-to-face with federal investigators - fearful he would perjure himself.

At one point last summer, when a lull in talks had the president's attorneys worried that Mueller was seriously contemplating a subpoena, White House lawyer Emmet Flood wrote a memo laying out the legal arguments for protecting the president's executive privilege. He sent the document to Mueller's office and to the deputy for top Justice Department official Rod Rosenstein, who oversaw the probe, according to two people familiar with Flood's outreach.

Meanwhile, the Trump lawyers sent a steady stream of documents and witnesses to the special counsel, chipping away at Mueller's justification for needing an interview with the president.

In the end, the decision not to subpoena the president is one of the lingering mysteries of Mueller's 22-month investigation, which concluded last week when he filed a report numbering more than 300 pages.

The special counsel did not find a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia, but - in an unusual move - failed to come to a decision about whether Trump obstructed justice, according to a summary of the Mueller report released by Attorney General William Barr. An interview with the president would have been pivotal to helping assess whether the president had corrupt intent, a key element of such a charge, legal experts said.

It is an open question whether a subpoena would have survived the court challenge that Trump's lawyers say they would have waged. The Supreme Court has never issued definitive guidance on issuing a subpoena to a president, but had Mueller pursued one, the courts could have established a precedent for future presidents.

In assessing whether to pursue such a high-stakes move, the special counsel was not operating with complete autonomy. That was a contrast with predecessors such as Kenneth Starr, who investigated President Bill Clinton and had broad leeway under the now-expired independent counsel statute.

But Mueller was supervised by Rosenstein, a Trump appointee. The special counsel, Rosenstein noted in one letter to a Republican senator, "remains accountable like every other subordinate."

Rosenstein himself was under intense political pressure: Trump mused about firing the onetime George W. Bush appointee and former U.S. attorney for Maryland, whom he derided at one point as "the Democrat from Baltimore." And House conservatives threatened to impeach Rosenstein, accusing him of withholding information about the Russia probe.

Internal Justice Department discussions about whether to subpoena the president - including Rosenstein's views on such an action - remain tightly held.

In the final months of the probe, there was upheaval in the department's leadership. Trump ousted Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who had recused himself from the investigation. He was replaced temporarily by his former chief of staff, Matthew Whitaker, who was publicly critical of the special counsel before joining the department.

A month before Mueller submitted his report, Barr was confirmed as attorney general. He had questioned Mueller's obstruction-of-justice inquiry in a June 2018 memo to Rosenstein months before his appointment, writing that "Mueller should not be permitted to demand that the President submit to interrogation about alleged obstruction."

If Mueller wanted to push for a subpoena, he did not force the issue with Justice Department leaders. Barr told lawmakers last week that no decision the special counsel wanted to take was vetoed during the investigation.

The Justice Department and the special counsel's office declined to comment.

More answers could be revealed in Mueller's full report, which House Democrats are pushing Barr to release.

What is known is that the president's lawyers now believe keeping their client from sitting down with investigators was their greatest victory.

"The president would not have helped his case had he gone in," said Mark Corallo, a former spokesman for Trump's legal team. "No lawyer worth his salt would let that happen."

- - -

The president was initially inclined to sit for an interview with Mueller. He thought he could deliver a convincing performance and put a swift end to the probe.

Negotiations between the sides began around Thanksgiving 2017, and an interview was scheduled for January 2018, according to a person close to the legal team and a former senior administration official.

But John Dowd, then the president's lead attorney, canceled the session. He had argued against it because he feared Trump could misspeak or even lie. And a practice session with the president further convinced Dowd that the president could be a problematic interviewee, these people said.

White House officials declined to comment.

Over the next 12 months, Mueller tried repeatedly to reschedule the interview, to no avail.

Trump continued to state publicly that he would be glad to sit for an interview - he believed being seen as willing to talk with prosecutors showed "strength," according to a former administration official with direct knowledge of his thinking. But the president came to agree with his lawyers that doing so would be too risky, especially after former national security adviser Michael Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in December 2017, current and former White House aides said.

Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani said that some of what Trump's legal advisers were hearing from Mueller "raised our suspicion that this is a trap, rather than a search for more information."

As the standoff continued, Mueller's team discussed at length the idea of issuing a subpoena, if necessary, to compel Trump to sit for an interview, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal conversations.

The discussions - which included Mueller, his top deputy James Quarles, and prosecutors Michael Dreeben and Aaron Zebley - centered both on whether a subpoena was legally feasible and what the costs of such a move might be to the overall investigation, the person said.

A fight over a presidential subpoena would have been likely to set legal precedent.

Under President Richard Nixon, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that investigators could subpoena evidence from a sitting president and ordered Nixon to turn over materials including secret recordings made in the Oval Office. That ruling did not, however, address testimony by the president.

When Starr was independent counsel, he issued a subpoena to Clinton ordering the president to testify before a grand jury about his relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Clinton's team considered challenging the subpoena in court but instead decided that it would be politically damaging to be seen as fighting the investigation. Clinton's lawyers agreed that he would voluntarily sit for an interview, and Starr withdrew the subpoena - leaving open the question of whether a president can be compelled to give testimony.

Robert Ray, a former independent counsel now in private practice at Thompson & Knight, said Mueller's team would have had to weigh whether a subpoena could survive the court challenge that was all but certain to come from the Trump White House.

The Supreme Court has never issued definitive guidance on the question, but in a previous independent counsel investigation, of Mike Espy, an agriculture secretary in the Clinton administration, an appellate court offered some clarity on the bounds of how the White House could fight a subpoena by citing presidential privilege.

On the basis of the precedent from that case - which was focused on documents, rather than an interview - Mueller would have had to demonstrate both a need to subpoena Trump to advance his investigation and show that he could not get the information he sought in any other way, Ray said.

Another major factor was time: Mueller had to consider the likelihood that such a move would bog the investigation down in a lengthy legal battle.

"That's a major fight, and you have to decide whether, in the country's best interests, it's worth it," Ray said.

Mueller broached the topic during a tense meeting on March 5, 2018, at the special counsel offices in Southwest Washington, as Trump's attorneys maintained that the president had no obligation to talk to investigators.

The special counsel noted there was an option if Trump declined: He could be subpoenaed to appear before a grand jury, as The Washington Post previously reported.

Dowd erupted angrily.

"You're screwing with the work of the president of the United States," he told Mueller, according to two people briefed on the discussion.

After that meeting, the special counsel team changed its approach: trying to coax Trump to sit for an interview voluntarily.

Prosecutors hoped the president would agree to meet, mindful that they could not explicitly threaten a subpoena unless they were prepared to issue one, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Still, the Trump's legal advisers felt after the March meeting that a subpoena threat hung over the president.

"The whole exercise was premised on the idea that that was a legal option they could pursue, and we were never absolutely sure until the end that they would not," said one Trump adviser familiar with the legal negotiations.

That threat governed the president's legal strategy in the months that would follow.

- - -

Trump's lawyers left the distinct public impression that they were not an equal match for Mueller, a venerated former FBI director. Dowd and Ty Cobb, another legal adviser to Trump, were overheard by a reporter discussing over lunch at a popular Washington steakhouse how much they would cooperate with Mueller. Giuliani developed a habit of misspeaking in meandering television interviews.

But behind the scenes, Trump's legal advisers had a quiet weapon: a husband-and-wife pair of criminal lawyers, Jane and Martin Raskin, who brought rigor and regimen to the team when they came aboard in April 2018.

While Giuliani and attorney Jay Sekulow managed the public relations strategy, the Raskins did most of the lawyering from a temporary office they set up in Washington. They declined to comment.

Giuliani said that roughly 80 percent of the Trump team's interactions with the special counsel's office were handled by Jane Raskin, who has known both Mueller and Quarles for years. She knew Mueller from her time as a federal prosecutor in Boston, while her husband had worked with Quarles.

She communicated mostly by email, developing a written record that Trump's attorneys intended to use as evidence of their cooperation and responsiveness if they ended up in court fighting a subpoena.

Martin Raskin, meanwhile, did a great deal of the writing and editing of legal arguments, including a "counter report" defending the president that Giuliani said has been prepared but may never be released.

Central to the Trump strategy - developed first by Cobb and Dowd and later carried out by Giuliani, Sekulow and the Raskins, as well as Flood, who from his White House perch represented the office of the presidency - was to cooperate fully with every request for documents and witnesses from Mueller, including Trump's written answers to some questions.

Their goal: to satisfy Mueller's hunt for information to the extent that the special counsel would not have legal standing to subpoena the president's oral testimony.

"We allowed them to question everybody, and they turned over every document they were asked for: 1.4 million documents," Giuliani said. "We had what you would call unprecedented cooperation."

Trump's lawyers, citing the independent counsel investigation of Espy, argued that to justify a subpoena of Trump, Mueller needed to prove that he could not get the information in any way other than by asking the president.

"No matter what question they would say they wanted to ask, I felt confident we could turn it over and say, 'You already have the answer to it,' " Giuliani said. "If they said, 'Why did you fire Comey?' I'd give them five interviews, and particularly the Lester Holt tape, where he goes into great detail as to his reasons."

Giuliani was referring to Trump's May 2017 interview with the "NBC Nightly News" anchor in which the president said he was thinking about "this Russia thing" when he fired James Comey as FBI director, one of the actions Mueller was investigating as possible obstruction of justice.

All the while, Giuliani said, the legal team was not convinced that it would have prevailed in court. "Honestly, I don't know who would have won," he said. "I think our argument got better as time went on. But I don't know if we would have won."

- - -

As Mueller's lawyers quietly labored, a political storm was raging around them.

Trump, his lawyers and his allies in Congress routinely attacked Mueller and his investigators as compromised and corrupt. The president repeatedly urged an end to the probe, which he condemned as a "witch hunt," a "fraud" and a "hoax" that was wasting taxpayer money.

Rosenstein urged lawmakers to respect the confidential work of the special counsel, saying in a June 2018 letter to Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, then the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, that the probe would comply with all laws and Justice Department policies.

But Rosenstein also noted that Mueller was not an entirely independent actor - and that his work was being closely supervised.

"Under the terms of his appointment, both by statute and by regulation, Special Counsel Mueller remains accountable like every other subordinate Department official," Rosenstein wrote.

A few months later, Flood sent his memo on the scope of executive privilege. While it made broad arguments, the document could have been construed to pertain to Mueller's push to interview the president, according to someone with knowledge of the contents.

Notably, Flood sent the memo not just to Mueller's office, but also to Rosenstein by way of his top deputy, Edward O'Callaghan.

Flood declined to comment.

As each month passed without a subpoena, the president's attorneys increasingly doubted that Mueller would seek to obtain one, according to people with knowledge of internal discussions.

Mueller's team kept insisting it needed to interview the president - but never followed through with an actual demand.

Mueller and Quarles would stress that they needed to know Trump's intentions when he fired Comey and took other actions that could have thwarted the Russia investigation. Jane Raskin would respond by pressing them for a legal justification for seeking to interview the president, according to a person familiar with the negotiations.

The president's team asked, "What evidence have you obtained that justifies you interviewing the president?" according the person, who added that Mueller's office was "never able to articulate a compelling case. They never gave up asking, but they had no good answer for that question."

In the absence of an interview, Trump's attorneys offered Mueller a substitute: The president would provide answers to a set of questions about Russia and the campaign, submitted in writing. But, citing executive privilege, they refused to provide answers to questions pertaining to the president's time in office - questions that went to the heart of the special counsel's inquiry into possible obstruction of justice.

However, the process of compiling answers dragged. Trump's lawyers found it difficult to get the president to focus on drafting the submission, according to people familiar with the sessions. Trump's meetings with his lawyers were frequently interrupted by phone calls and other White House business.

Finally, in late November 2018, the lawyers sent Trump's answers to Mueller.

In December, Mueller's team made one more request for an interview with the president.

And in January, the special counsel's office contacted Trump's lawyers to ask some follow-up questions, according to people familiar with the request.

But Trump's lawyers again declined. They neither agreed to an interview nor answered the additional questions.

Two months later, Mueller submitted his report without having spoken to the president. The investigation was over.

- - -

The Washington Post's Rosalind S. Helderman and Devlin Barrett contributed to this report.
EDWARDSVILLE  The Madison County Historical Society strives to fulfill its mission and vision: Opening doors to Madison County history, and inspiring a sense of place and history for Madison County.

For nearly a century, the society has worked in partnership with Madison County government. The county leases the societys assets and operates the museum and archival library, providing salaries for staff, utilities and other operating expenses.

The society owns all of the buildings and artifacts located in the museum and archival library on Main Street in Edwardsville, and pays for materials required to properly archive items in the collections, housekeeping, and various other regular expenses, but its primary financial obligation has been to obtain large donations required to obtain buildings and make any major repairs to those buildings.

A major renovation of the museum building is now underway. Board member, writer and researcher for the society, Cindy Reinhardt, said the county cut the budget last year by 30 percent, and added that representatives of the county have said the remaining budget may be cut in half next year.

These cuts, as the museum began a long renovation process, could not have come at a worse time, Reinhardt said. For the Madison County Museum and Archival Library and their patrons, the loss with the county budget cuts is incalculable. For Madison County government, at the cost of only $1 per person, per year, we are preserving our history. Losing this service and asset diminishes our community and threatens to turn our backs on those in the past, who created our present.

The museum building is presently closed as work progresses on a plan that calls for a $3 million combination restoration/renovation, which will be funded by the society. The building was built for Dr. John Weir in 1836, and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Plans are to completely restore the exterior of the building according to National Register Standards, while converting interior spaces to modern, interactive exhibits that will tell the story of Madison County. Over $600,000 in society funds have been expended so far toward accomplishing this goal. This spring, the process of removing paint from the exterior of the building will begin. The archival library remains open.

The societys primary source of regular income, when there is no building project, is through memberships and donations, Reinhardt said. It has added $13,000 to its budget, separate from the county budget, this year, with a strategic plan to increase this amount each year.

At this point, she said staff has not been cut, but any additional cuts will mean staff will have to be reduced.

A professional staff has been a great asset to the facility. Museum artifacts are preserved according to professional standards, and it is rare to see such a well-organized archival library on the county level, she said. Professional also means knowledgeable. Most staff members have spent decades doing historical research focused on Madison County, so are especially qualified to assist patrons.

While the museum is closed during the renovation process, the museum staff continues work with the collections, assists in planning exhibits for the new museum and creating new exhibits for the courthouse display cases. An exhibit on African-American History in Madison County before 1900 is currently on display at the Madison County Courthouse (four display cases) and administration building (one display case).

Since there is no way, at this time, for the society to make up for the entire loss of funds, if the additional cuts are made next year, operations would have to rely more heavily on volunteers instead of professional staff, and operating hours may need to be cut, Reinhardt said. Through committee work, research, public outreach and more, the members of the Madison County Historical Society board, who are all volunteers, donate thousands of hours each year in addition to the professional staff. This work will continue, and is also important to the success of the operations.

and Archival Library offer resources for county residents, former residents, students, educators and visitors looking for pieces of Madison County history. The library collections owned by the society include over 10,000 photographs, 1,400 boxes of probate files, hundreds of maps and plats showing early Madison County property owners, thousands of books and family documents like diaries, letters, business records, and other one-of-a-kind source materials, like records from the Civil War prison in Alton.

The museum collections have over 20,000 artifacts, including Native American and military items, products manufactured by Madison County businesses, portraits, furnishings, clothing, and unique items of special historic value, like the piano once owned by Elijah P. Lovejoy.

People come in person or contact the library by mail or phone looking for information about their families, their buildings, a business, or many other aspects of Madison County history, Reinhardt said. Students come to learn about the use of source documents, or to research a topic for their classroom. Instructors sometimes bring entire classes from SIUE or local area schools. Whether the visitor is an author researching a book, or a grade school student completing a family history assignment, they all come to learn, and they all leave knowing something they didnt know before. And everything is free.

The society also has benefits for members, which include six issues annually of MCHS News, an award-winning newsletter that focuses on a different aspect of Madison County with each issue. The current issue is about the Glik Company that opened its first Madison County store in 1902.

Each issue explores a different aspect of Madison County history, and we purposely look at the entire county, and make sure all communities are included during the year, Reinhardt said.

I will usually do a history of a building pictured in the 1873 Atlas of Madison County (this year, a house in St. Jacob), profile a community (in July we will explore Carpenter), and focus an issue on the venue for our annual event, Dining in History, she said.

Dining in History is the societys annual meeting, and is held at a historic place in Madison County, with a meal, a program and/or tours of that location.

In addition to the artifacts and documents at the museum and library, society volunteers offer (free to the public) a program of speakers throughout the year. There are also a number of programs for local organizations, and MCHS is in the process of expanding its educational outreach program to bring programs to the classroom.

The next segment in the speaker series will be held at 2 p.m., Sunday, April 7, when the society will present a program by Paul Shetley, entitled 5,000 Miles through History: The Ninth Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment in the Civil War. The program will be held in the fellowship hall of Immanuel United Methodist Church at 800 N. Main St. in Edwardsville.

For more information on MCHS or to become a member, visit www.madcohistory.org.
While attending Mass at the University of Notre Dame last fall, Maryann White saw something that horrified her: Leggings.

A group of young women, all clad in tight, clingy Spandex and short tops, were sitting directly in front of her and her family.

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"I thought of all the other men around and behind us who couldn't help but see their behinds," the self-described Catholic mother of four sons wrote in a letter to the editor that was published by the Observer, Notre Dame's student newspaper, on Monday. "My sons know better than to ogle a woman's body - certainly when I'm around (and hopefully, also when I'm not). They didn't stare, and they didn't comment afterwards. But you couldn't help but see those blackly naked rear ends. I didn't want to see them - but they were unavoidable. How much more difficult for young guys to ignore them."

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Begging female students to "think of the mothers" of sons the next time you go shopping and consider choosing jeans instead," White explained in her letter that she had hoped that leggings would eventually go out of style, but that hadn't happened yet. Maybe, she proposed, Notre Dame women could be the first to start a trend by simply choosing not to wear the wildly popular stretchy pants.

Her plea appears to have had the opposite effect: By way of responding to her complaints, more than 1,000 students at the private Catholic University indicated that they planned on showing up to class in their leggings this week.

Debates over whether it's appropriate to wear casual, form-fitting yoga pants outside of the gym have been raging for years. Numerous high schools have courted controversy by banning leggings in recent years, claiming that they are "distracting" for male students and teachers. But college campuses, for the most part, have remained a safe haven for those who choose to wear comfortable Lycra or Spandex bottoms to class, meals and campus activities.

In her letter, titled "The legging problem," White described the pants as "a problem that only girls can solve." She claimed that the depiction of women in movies, video games and music videos made it harder for Catholic mothers to "teach their sons that women are someone's daughters and sisters" and should be treated with respect. Though she acknowledged the main reason college students like to wear leggings - namely, they're extremely comfortable - White went on to imply that it wasn't too different from walking around without any clothes on at all.

"We don't go naked because we respect the other people who must see us," she chastened her readers, adding, "I'm fretting both because of unsavory guys who are looking at you creepily and nice guys who are doing everything to avoid looking at you."

That line of argument didn't go over too well on the South Bend, Indiana, campus.

"Join in our legging wearing hedonism!" one student wrote on Facebook, informing the "legging lovers of the Notre Dame community" that Tuesday would be "Love Your Leggings Day" at the university. "Or not, because what you wear is completely your own choice!"

A student group, Irish 4 Reproductive Health, similarly declared Tuesday to be "Leggings Pride Day." On Facebook, the group explained that White's letter, though well-intentioned, "perpetuates a narrative central to rape culture" by implying that women's clothing choices are to blame for men's inappropriate behavior. People of all genders were invited to "make a conscious choice to wear leggings and thus affirm your right and ability to do so," then post photos on social media.

While more than 1,000 people responded to the group's Facebook event, it's unclear exactly how many took part. Dani Green, a doctoral student in English at Notre Dame and a founding member of the group, told The Washington Post in a Twitter message that it had been "a little difficult to tell what was protest and what was everyday legging-wear," in part because the two aren't necessarily mutually exclusive.

Yet another informal demonstration took place on Wednesday, the Observer reported. Named "The Legging Protest," it was organized by Kaitlyn Wong, a senior who wrote, in parody of White's letter, "I'm just a Catholic woman who feels the need for one specific type of pant that provides utmost comfort: leggings." She asked people of all genders to express their solidarity by wearing their favorite pair of leggings that day. Again, more than 1,000 people expressed interest.

"Unfortunately," one participant wrote, "I could not find Maryann on [Facebook] to invite her and her four sons to ogle us on Wednesday."

Wong told the paper that she had organized the event in hopes that it would lead to a larger campus discussion about White's comments, which she had found troubling. "You know, we were having these conversations in my class, but I wanted this to be a more widespread conversation," she said. "Even if it's not a 'protest,' having people talk about it is better than sitting around and doing nothing."

The Washington Post was unable to locate White or her sons for comment on Wednesday night.

While some online commenters suggested that the letter could have been the work of a troll trying to stir up outrage, or an early April Fools' Day joke, Green told The Post that it was "unfortunately [ . . .] kind of on brand" for the campus community. She pointed to a 2011 letter to the editor titled "Ladies, be decent," in which a then-junior man railed against an unnamed woman who supposedly displayed a "lack of class and common sense" by wearing a skintight outfit to the dining hall. "[I]f a woman apparently doesn't respect herself enough to present herself in a non-risque manner in everyday life, I cannot trust her to respect me," the letter said. "I'd be wary about pursuing anyone like that."

But those views evidently don't represent the majority of the 12,393 students who attend Notre Dame. Several male students told the Observer that they felt that White's letter had unfairly maligned men, while others wrote rebuttals of their own, arguing that college students should know how to behave and be capable of treating women with respect regardless of what they're wearing.

"To my female classmates, wear what you want," Shane Combs, a senior at the university, wrote in a letter to the editor that was published on Wednesday. "How you dress for Mass is not a reflection of your character, nor does it disqualify you from dignified and respectful treatment from the rest of us."

Amid the flurry of letters condemning White's views, two freshmen did spring to her defense, arguing that her complaints about leggings were simply representative of a generational divide, and not an indication that she believes that women who wear revealing clothing are asking to be sexually assaulted.

"Custody of the eyes and chastity of thought are difficult to accomplish for any man," Maria Keller and William Gentry wrote. "We members of the Notre Dame community have obligations of love to one another, which includes being our brothers' keepers. It is no assault on women's rights to suggest that we ought to dress modestly to help our brothers out, just as we should consider what we eat around our Muslim friends when they are fasting for Ramadan."

Meanwhile, another Notre Dame mother, Heather Piccone, questioned whether White's sons had ever taken their shirts off at the beach.

"Women find male chests and abs attractive like men find women's legs attractive," she wrote in a letter published Tuesday. "By her own definition and logic, any male out playing on a sunny day at the park with his friends should be ashamed of himself, and as a mother she should have properly raised her son not to tempt my daughter with his body."
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WASHINGTON - Ever since she reclaimed the gavel in January, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has been her party's unquestioned leader.

That perch has been bolstered this week as she has asserted herself as Democrats' seasoned and pragmatic strategist, following the conclusion of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III's investigation.

From reassuring and reining in Democrats furious with Attorney General William Barr for only issuing a summary of the special counsel's findings to rallying her colleagues to fight the Trump administration's efforts to gut President Barack Obama's health-care law, Pelosi has taken charge.

She is providing a steadying hand as the large Democratic presidential primary field still takes shape but lacks a front-runner to serve as its pacesetter.

"Be calm. Take a deep breath," Pelosi told House Democrats during a closed-door meeting Tuesday, according to attendees. "We have to handle this professionally, officially, patriotically, strategically."

Speaking Thursday to reporters, Pelosi tried to deflect questions about the Mueller report and highlighted the Democratic agenda on health care and the environment.

"We are focused on meeting the needs of the American people in their lives," she said.

Pelosi's call for calm began hours after Mueller's report was issued to the Justice Department last Friday, when she attended her granddaughter Bella's birthday party at a bowling alley in San Francisco.

She ended up corralling not only the exuberant children, but Democrats uncertain and on edge about Mueller's finish.

Pelosi - donning a pink plastic lei to play along with Bella and sitting near the clacking lanes - called up committee chairmen and other allies.

Pelosi's message: Stay cool and concentrate on the need for transparency, oversight and a full public release of Mueller's findings - and not on the frenzied speculation on social media and elsewhere, according to three people briefed on the exchanges who were not authorized to speak publicly.

Later that night, Pelosi delivered the same message to those attending former San Francisco mayor Willie Brown's 85th birthday bash at the city's historic Fairmont Hotel, the people said, reminding friends who were grousing about Mueller's decision to issue no further indictments that House Democrats were not bystanders and would continue to probe President Trump.

Pelosi's deliberate approach has been forged over decades, from a childhood steeped in the rough-and-tumble politics of Baltimore - where her father and brother served as mayor - to her years in the House, where she has watched as generations of zealous Republicans have pursued Democratic presidents and then suffered as they have been accused of overreach.

But it is a tricky balancing act. Pelosi is showing solidarity with rank-and-file Democrats furious about Barr's decision to declare there was insufficient evidence to make an obstruction case against the president - even though Mueller failed to draw a conclusion on that matter. She is also trying to temper that fury so that it does not erupt and spark an impeachment push.

"In a delicate situation like this, I'm glad she's our leader," Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., said. "In all things, she is smart, sensible, calm, but tough. She remembers that the 2018 elections were about health care and the Republican tax cuts that skewed toward the rich, not about Russia."

Pelosi retains a tight grip over her committee chairs, several of whom sent a letter to Barr this week demanding the full Mueller report by April 2. But her control will be tested in the coming months as Democratic voters stew and the committees plow forward.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., whose panel has jurisdiction over impeachment, has vowed to keep investigating Trump and, if necessary, subpoena Barr to testify. One of Pelosi's key allies, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., the chair of the House Intelligence Committee, said in an interview this week that he would not back away from Russia-related matters.

"We will continue to investigate the counterintelligence issues. That is, is the president or people around him compromised in any way by a hostile foreign power?" Schiff insisted.

Some Republicans who have known Pelosi for years say she is a shrewd strategist, but they are uncertain if she can hold Democrats together, describing her political capital as unmatched yet facing stiff competition from the 2020 presidential field and activists who may not want to move on.

"She's certainly not bringing the party to the center," former House speaker Newt Gingrich (R) said, but keeping the Democratic Party "from going totally crazy."

"My guess is she'll fail, but she's at least attempting to keep them away from a bad political position," Gingrich said.

So far, Pelosi has mostly been able to keep her colleagues with her, pressing Barr to release Mueller's report while keeping her agenda fixed on legislative items that she believes have wide appeal and could help Democrats win back the White House and hold the House majority, particularly defending Obama's health-care law from Republican "sabotage."

"We do not need your interpretation. Show us the report," Pelosi said Thursday.

Since she flew back to Washington from the weekend flurry of phone calls and bowling, Pelosi has been determined to not have her party swept into a riptide of grievance over Barr's summary.

At a leadership meeting Monday, Pelosi said it was time for Democrats to stop talking about Trump's possible conspiracy with Russia, according to three people in the meeting or familiar with the discussion who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the conversations.

That evening, Pelosi was given a boost by one of the party's most popular figures: Obama.

Pelosi attended a private gathering with the former president and freshman House Democrats. Speaking to the assembled lawmakers, Obama praised Pelosi's "toughness" and told the group to think hard about the costs and "nitty-gritty" of their "big, bold ideas," which he did not specify, attendees said.

Then at Tuesday morning's caucus meeting, Pelosi underscored her emphasis on "lower health-care costs, bigger paychecks and cleaner government," rather than anything related to the Russia investigation.

Railing against the Justice Department's court filing, arguing that Obama's health-care law should be thrown out in its entirety - including provisions protecting millions of Americans with preexisting health conditions and allowing young adults to stay on their parents' health-care plans - has quickly become a priority.

Many Democratic presidential contenders are following her lead, increasingly turning their attention this week to kitchen-table issues even as they, too, call on Barr to release Mueller's full report.

"The investigations of Trump in New York will unfold on their own," veteran Democratic campaign strategist Bob Shrum said. "She recognizes that - and she knows that voters are asking these presidential candidates more and more about economic issues that matter and climate change."

Shrum added, "She knew that last year and the Democrats won the House. She knew it earlier this year when she made sure to stop the impeachment talk."

Still, a vocal group of Democrats - and several members of the House class of 2018, which has an independent streak and a faction of liberal stars - are not embracing Pelosi's stay-cool strategy.

Freshman Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., has been asking her colleagues in a letter to investigate Trump for "impeachable offenses" and to pursue impeachment "if the facts support those findings."

The response to Tlaib and others moving toward impeachment has been muted - and echoed Pelosi's perspective.

"We're taking a look at it," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said Tuesday when asked about Tlaib's letter. "What's tough is, impeachment in principle is something that I openly support. But it's also just the reality of having the votes in the Senate to pursue that."

Pelosi's friendly rapport with Ocasio-Cortez is reflective of how she has engaged her party's left wing as speaker: cultivating them and keeping them close, but never letting them pull her off course. On Wednesday, Pelosi unveiled her own environmental plan that calls for the U.S. to remain in the Paris climate accord and forces Trump to take steps to reduce pollution. The speaker's proposal is not as far-reaching as Ocasio-Cortez's Green New Deal.

The party has stood by her and her legions of boosters online - who celebrated an image of her adjusting her sunglasses outside the White House in December that went viral - have not fallen away.

When Pelosi turned 79 on Tuesday, her Democratic colleagues - and some Republicans - surprised her when they stood up on the House floor to sing "Happy Birthday," led by Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga.

Pelosi smiled and waved along like an orchestra's conductor - briefly playing along with the fun, as she did with Bella.

Then it was back to work, back to the message.

"No, no, no, no - no singing," she told them.

- - -

The Washington Post's Rachael Bade and Matt Zapotosky contributed to this report.
ALTON  The southbound lanes of U.S. 67 between the Clark and Lewis bridges in Missouri were closed because of encroaching floodwaters Thursday, and the expected crest on the Mississippi was changed to next week.

According to the National Weather Service the river will crest at 28 feet in Grafton, and 31.8 feet at the Mel Price Lock and Dam on Tuesday. On Thursday those levels were 26.49 and 28.84 feet, respectively.

Patrick Walsh, a meteorologist with the National Weather Services St. Louis office, said anticipated heavy rains over the weekend and continued snow melt from the upper Midwest continue to drive the flooding.

Theres quite a bit of water thats going to fall over the next 36 hours, he said.

The Metro East is expected to get 1-2 inches, while in northwestern Missouri and West-Central Illinois rainfall is expected to be 2.5 to 3 inches.

However, snow melt from the upper Midwest is still the main driver, Walsh said.

There is usually snow pack up north that we deal with, he said. This year it was a greater snow pack. With it being as cold as it was as long as it was, there was not a lot of melting through the winter.

Walsh noted that most of the area is under a moderate flooding warning, except near Hardin, where the Illinois River is expected to crest at 34 feet on Wednesday. Major flooding begins at 32 feet there.

There are also concerns that there could be long-term flooding, with another rise in river levels in late April.

But for now people are concerned about the immediate rise and crest.

The projections are its going to come up about 1 to 2 feet between now and the middle of next week, said Alton Fire Chief Bernie Sebold, who is also the citys emergency management director. Were basically monitoring at this point to see if the projections change at all. We do not believe that with the current river projections downtown will not be greatly affected.

He said both Argosy Casino and Ardent Mills were getting ready for high water. At Morrisons Irish Pub, the downtown building most prone to flooding, they were pumping water out of the basement.

Projections Thursday did have levels reaching the point where the now-familiar cement block wall had been used to protect downtown Alton in the past.

On U.S. 67 water was covering the roadway just south of the Clark Bridge, with some slow-going traffic in the now-divided northbound lanes.

The lower roads in both Elsah and Chautauqua were flooded. In Grafton Illinois Route 100 was closed north of Illinois Route 3, but some businesses north of the barricades were still open, thanks to several detours.

Beasley Fish was one of them.

Owner Deborah Beasley said the rising water will start to directly impact them soon. According to the NWS at 27.6 feet the property will start to flood.

If its going to get above 30 its going to get into our building, said owner Deborah Beasley. We take everything out. We take everything home. When it goes back down we spray everything out with a power washer, bleach it and move everything back.

We always wait until the last minute to move out, because everything is heavy, she said.

This time, with an anticipated crest at 28 feet, they will have to close but wont have to move everything.

A few customers were braving the detours for fish sandwiches Thursday.

However, most of their business was on the commercial side, with larger groups buying fish for Lenten fish fries.

And we have a few of our die-hard regulars, said owner Deborah Beasley. They dont mind driving around.

Ray Buchholz, of Godfrey, was one of them, saying he comes down once a week.

Usually it doesnt close, it doesnt get that bad, he said. I guess Ill stay home.

Bucholz said he enjoyed watching the river.

I was here during the Flood of 93, he said. You talk about some waterthere was some water.

That flood is generally the benchmark people talk about. The record crest was 38.17 feet on Aug. 1, 1993.

In 93 it touched the bottom of the lights and it was up for four months, Beasley said. We had only been open for about four months. We figured If we can survive this, we can survive anything.

Reach reporter Scott Cousins at 618-208-6447.
Jordan Peele won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for his directorial debut, Get Out. Youll remember it for its stirring use of race-baiting tension, creepy characters, subtle humor, and the panicked close-ups of star Daniel Kaluuyas eyeballs. At the time the veteran comedian was heralded as a great new filmmaker whose stock was on the rise. This weekend, I saw the release of his follow-up, Us, and Im here to tell you that its not as good as Get Out, its better!

Terrified by the trailer a few months back, it literally took me the entire time to psych myself up to see this one. Being a matinee fan, Im always glad to leave a horror film with daylight still plentiful. This one was no exception. Us offers belly laughs, social commentary, a dread-building score, stunning production value, and a sheer knack for keeping its audience off balance for two solid hours. Its the best movie Ive seen in over a year.

When the Wilson family heads to their Santa Cruz beach house for a summer vacation, theyre only hoping for a little togetherness in the sun. Gabe (Winston Duke) is really going after the relaxation part. Hes a big man and he expends a lot of effort trying to convince his gadget-addicted kids (Shahadi Wright Joseph as Zora and Evan Alex as Jason) that they might like hanging out on a rented boat or even fishing with their goofy old man. What none of them can count on is the uneasiness their mom, Addy (Lupita Nyongo), feels when they spend time with their friends the Tyler family (Elisabeth Moss, Tim Heidecker, and twins Cali and Noelle Sheldon) at the boardwalk and nearby amusement park. Flashbacks to Addys childhood give brief, eerie hints as to why this particular tourist trap brings out fear in her. She has a long monologue just after that sunny afternoon when she and Gabe are getting ready for bed. She tells him about a childhood trauma that left her devastated for many years. Hed never heard her expose any of this before and it all comes as quite a shock to him. Before he can even react to her terror, the real action of the movie kicks off.

Young Jason sees another family out the front window lurking in the Wilsons driveway long after dark. He alerts his parents who call the police just as the fearsome foursome begin what could be called a home invasion. Where the meat of this scary picture differs from something like, say, Straw Dogs, is that the Wilsons find that theyre being terrorized by some kind of animalistic, altered doppelgangers of themselves, played by each actor in markedly different makeup, hairstyles, speech patterns, and personality. This oddity is recognized by Jason first and the audience right soon after as hes announcing it to the rest of the characters. I felt a connection to these people that really ratcheted up the thriller element here. A big shout out to composer Michael Abels for bringing icy synthesizers to his piercing score. Reasons for the danger presented by their shadows are slowly dispersed in a brutal and fascinating slow burn, twists abound.

Im convinced of a few things after enjoying this movie so much. First, I continuously underestimate Lupita. Shes clearly got talent beyond her chic style. She, chiefly among the entire cast, dominates their turns at dual-role performances.

Further, America needs more Jordan Peele. His touches are all over this movie and I especially loved the pop culture references from decades in our shared past (Jaws, Hand Across America, Home Alone). I absolutely cant wait to see what he does next. We could also use a splash more of Winston Duke. He won legions of fans in Black Panther and then grounded this movie as a total hero/dad-joke joke machine. An enormous opening-weekend audience was rewarded handsomely for turning out. This kind of movie is perfect for the big screen with a huge crowd.

Us runs 116 minutes and is rated R for violence/terror and language. I give this film four stars out of four.
EDWARDSVILLE  Two downtown blocks in Alton were recently transformed to demonstrate how two-way bicycle traffic would function.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsvilles Successful Communities Collaborative (SSCC) hosted the pop-up event on East Broadway Saturday in collaboration with Altons proposed Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan, according to Connie Frey Spurlock, Ph.D., SSCC faculty director and associate professor in the Department of Sociology.

SIUE students temporarily transformed the streets by installing design features such as temporary paint, tape, cones and more.

The pop-up event provides shoppers, business owners and other community members a chance to experience and influence proposed street-level modifications, before deciding to support or oppose those modifications, said Spurlock.

Participants experienced the change and were invited to share feedback at the SIUE/STL Art Hive that was set up in the area. The art hive was hosted by SIUEs art therapy counseling program.

Pop-ups and art hives are creative and effective ways to increase public participation in community-level decision-making processes, explained Spurlock. They are more interactive than traditional formats, such as community meetings and media announcements. The expected outcome of the pop-up is that upon experiencing the spaces with fewer or no vehicles, and more pedestrians and bicyclists, the community is more apt to embrace the idea.

The project was made possible by a $4,000 grant awarded by the JPB Foundation.

SIUE Successful Communities Collaborative (SSCC) is a cross-disciplinary program that supports one-year partnerships between the University and communities in Illinois to advance local resilience and sustainability based on community-identified environmental, social and economic issues and needs.
ROCKFORD  A Springfield man facing federal murder charges in the killing of a sheriffs deputy now also faces state charges.

Winnebago County States Attorney Marilyn Hite Ross said Wednesday that a grand jury indicted Floyd E. Brown, 39, of Springfield on 75 counts, including 60 counts of first-degree murder.

Brown already has pleaded not guilty to federal first-degree murder and weapons charges in the fatal shooting of McHenry County Sheriffs Deputy Jacob Keltner, 35, on March 7.

Keltner was a member of a U.S. Marshals fugitive task force trying to serve Brown an arrest warrant at a Rockford hotel when authorities say Brown shot and killed him.
SPRINGFIELD  A former state worker in Illinois who won a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case last year striking down mandatory union fees for public employees is now asking a federal appeals court to order the union to refund nearly $3,000 in fees he was forced to pay over the course of his career.

Mark Janus worked as a child support specialist for the state from 2007 until 2018. And although he never joined a union, under Illinois law at the time, he was required to pay a fair share fee to the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, or AFSCME, Council 31.

Fair share fees are not membership dues, but rather a fee to reimburse the union for its administrative costs negotiating collective bargaining agreements that govern all members of the bargaining unit, regardless of whether or not they actually belong to the union.

When the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in his favor in a 5-to-4 ruling that struck down such mandatory payments as unconstitutional, it was seen as a major blow to public employee labor unions, and a major victory for the so-called right to work movement.

That ruling actually reversed an earlier Supreme Court ruling from 1977 that said such mandatory fees were lawful.

In Janus case, however, the high court did not order any specific relief, but instead remanded the case back to federal district court in Chicago for further proceedings. Janus then asked the district court to award damages in the amount of fair share fees he had paid prior to the Supreme Courts decision.

Last week, U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman denied that request and granted a motion by AFSCME to dismiss the claim, saying the union had acted in good faith, based on controlling law at the time.

On Wednesday, attorneys for Janus filed an appeal, asking the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals to review that decision.

Mark, and other public employees like him, were harmed when unions unconstitutionally took their money, Jeffrey Schwab, senior attorney at Liberty Justice Center, which represents Janus in the case, said in a statement. They are entitled to have that money returned.

But AFSCME Council 31 Executive Director Roberta Lynch said in a statement that the union does not believe Janus is entitled to any refund of his fair share fees, and suggested the entire lawsuit was part of former Republican Gov. Bruce Rauners anti-union agenda.

Mark Janus received wage increases, health insurance coverage, vacation time and other benefits that the union negotiated during his tenure in state government, Lynch said. He never once failed to accept such improvements in his working conditions, nor did he ever object to paying the related fees  until he became the plaintiff in Bruce Rauners court case against AFSCME. Janus prolonging this litigation is nothing but a greedy grab for more.
As the Democratic-controlled state Legislature mulls a constitutional amendment to change the states income tax structure, Republicans in the Illinois Senate are touting a plan to require a two-thirds vote to propose or raise any new taxes in the state.

Per state Sen. Dan McConchies plan, any proposal to raise taxes would require a greater supermajority  two-thirds of legislators  than the three-fifths needed to put a constitutional amendment question on the ballot. McConchie said the two-thirds threshold is the same to expel a member or convict on impeachment.

We are tying it to the exact same standards that are in place in California and Wisconsin, he said, adding that 14 states require some type of supermajority vote on taxes.

McConchie, a Hawthorn Woods Republican, introduced Senate Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 12 at a Capitol news conference Tuesday with fellow Republicans that lasted about 6 minutes. He called the effort one to protect middle-class residents by giving them a voice in safeguarding their hard-earned money.

McConchie said the amendment would apply to any tax proposal, income or otherwise.

To become law, McConchies SJRCA 12 would require approval from three-fifths of both the House and Senate, as well as approval from voters on a statewide ballot. Currently, Republicans control less than one-third of the seats in the state Senate and just more than one-third in the House.

McConchie said Gov. J.B. Pritzkers proposed graduated tax structure got the attention of Republicans in the Senate, helping to spur the proposal. The Senate Republican caucus released a statement earlier this month which said they would oppose Pritzkers tax structure without guaranteed protections for middle-class families.

While the Pritzker-backed graduated tax amendment would require the same three-fifths majorities in each chamber and from voters to become law, McConchie said unless his SJRCA 12 passes, simple majorities in the Legislature could set the tax rates and brackets under the authority granted by the Pritzker-backed amendment.

Illinois Constitution mandates a flat income tax structure, and the Legislature needs only a simple majority vote to raise the rate, which is currently 4.95 percent.

What I am simply saying is that taxpayers deserve a seat at the table when it comes to negotiating tax increases, McConchie said.

While McConchies bill was just filed Tuesday and he said some moderate Democrats had shown interest, it appears unlikely to muster the 36 votes needed for passage in the Senate, which has 40 Democrats and 19 Republicans.

The uphill battle led Think Big Illinois, a dark money group partially funded by Pritzker, to label the McConchie amendment as a desperate stunt.

Republicans in Springfield are so desperate to keep our current unfair tax system that they are resorting to political stunts in an attempt to ensure a system that disproportionately places the burden on middle- and lower-class families stays in place, Think Big Executive Director Quentin Fulks, a former Pritzker campaign staffer, said in a statement.
The following editorial appeared in Thursday's Japan News-Yomiuri:

- - -

Repercussions from two crashes involving the same aircraft model are spreading across the world.

In October 2018, a 737 MAX small passenger plane made by major U.S. aircraft manufacturer Boeing crashed in the sea off Jakarta, Indonesia. On March 10, another 737 MAX crashed in Ethiopia, with the loss of many lives. There reportedly were similarities in both accidents.

Moves to ground 737 MAX flights spread to the European Union, China, India and elsewhere. Boeing initially issued a statement in which it expressed "full confidence in the safety" of the 737 MAX. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration was slow to react but eventually it was forced to halt operations of the aircraft.

Safety is more important than anything for aircraft. Given that doubts had emerged over the safety of the 737 MAX, suspending use of the plane was a natural step to take. Was Boeing's safety management up to scratch? A thorough examination is required along with the uncovering of the causes of the accidents.

The U.S. Department of Transportation is investigating the appropriateness of the FAA's approval process for the 737 MAX. For each country that accepts flights by the aircraft, bolstering their own inspection systems also will be an issue requiring consideration.

The 737 MAX is the latest model of the 737 - Boeing's mainstay small passenger aircraft. Featuring a lighter body and good fuel efficiency, the 737 MAX apparently is a popular model that has a long backlog of orders.

Japanese airlines are not yet flying the 737 MAX, but All Nippon Airways is scheduled to introduce up to 30 of the planes from fiscal 2021 and beyond.

The global jet aircraft market is in a state of oligopoly, with Boeing and Europe's Airbus S.A.S. together holding an about 90 percent share. If the 737 MAX problem drags on, it could disrupt equipment procurement by airline companies.

ANA said it is closely watching the situation, but if the airline decided to change supplier, its options are limited.

Global air traffic passenger demand is forecast to increase, and the aircraft market also is expected to expand. If the oligopoly continues, dealing with aircraft problems will become more difficult.

Boeing has agreed to a merger with the passenger plane business of Embraer SA, a Brazilian maker whose strength lies in small aircraft. Airbus also has brought Canada's Bombardier Inc.'s commercial jet program under its umbrella.

Developing aircraft involves colossal costs. Considering it is not easy for new companies to enter the market, a watchful eye should be kept on the increasingly entrenched two-sided oligopoly.

Development of the Mitsubishi Regional Jet, a small passenger plane made by Japan's Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp., has been delayed, and the delivery date has repeatedly been pushed back. Mitsubishi Aircraft should do everything it can to quickly complete the MRJ's development, while sparing no effort to ensure the plane is safe to operate.

Japan has a wealth of advanced technologies that support the manufacture of airplanes. Joint efforts by the public and private sectors also should be accelerated from the perspective of nurturing this industry.
The British AmericanTobacco is the only International tobacco group with a significant interest intobacco leaf growing which works with thousands of farmers internationally. BATruns leaf programmes providing direct agronomy support to farmer from aspectsof crop production and environmental best practice. British American Tobacco isa market leading, global organisation with a long, established history and abright and dynamic future. Thanks to our people we have continued to delivergrowth and exceed expectations in an increasingly complex and challenging marketplace.
YWCA-YMCA Global(YGlobal) is an ecumenical and diaconal organization for development andsolidarity. We are owned by the Norwegian YWCA- YMCA and the YWCA-YMCA Guidesand Scouts of Norway, and work in partnership with our sister organizations inthe World Alliance of YMCAs and World YWCA. Our vision together building globaljustice and peace emphasizes our belief that if we work together we can createa better world for everyone. The main target group for YGlobals work arechildren, youth and young adults aged 8-35 years. We consider young people coreto global development and our work strengthens the voice of young people, bothmen and women, so that they can influence unjust policies and contribute todemocratisation of power structures. YGlobal works on four main thematic areas:Just Peace, Economic Justice, Democratic Rights and Environmental Justice. Thetopics have been chosen due to the critical importance for our target group,have a distinct rights-based focus, and are informed by the thematic prioritiesof the World YWCA and the World Alliance of YMCAs. YGlobal has since September2016 been involved in a UNHCR 1325 project in Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement,Bweyale.
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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Columnist Olivia Rasmussen believes it is more important than ever to raise awareness of what violence and discrimination the transgender community endures. Rasmussen notes that while there is still a lot of hatred, improvements in education and compassion are important factors in becoming an ally.
Lidl is rolling out 1.50 boxes containing 5kg of vegetables in a new initiative to reduce food waste.

The Too Good To Waste fruit and vegetable boxes will contain vegetables and fruits that are slightly damaged, discoloured or deteriorated, but are still good to eat.

All the boxes will be supervised by 'Freshness Specialists,' to guarantee the quality of the produce.

They will be available from opening time until midday, and any leftover boxes will be given to local good causes through Lidls surplus food redistribution programme, Feed it Back.

'Were therefore really excited to be rolling the boxes out to all of our stores nationwide,' said Christian Hartnagel, CEO of Lidl GB.

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The 'Too Good to Wsate' boxes will be available from opening time to midday, after which they will be donated to local charities

'And were really pleased to see that its also starting to be adopted by other supermarkets,' he added, in a nod to Morrisons, who rolled out similar boxes in December 2018.

The boxes rolled by Morrisons cost 1 and contained 1kg of produce produce past its best-by date, but that's still safe to eat.

The Lidl scheme will soon be rolled out in branches across the UK.

'The really brilliant thing about this initiative is that, not only is it helping to tackle the highly important challenge of food waste, its also helping our customers make even more savings,' he added.

Lidl is rolling out 5kg boxes of food and vegetables for only 1,50 in an effort to cut down on food waste

Lidl trialed the boxes in 122 stores before rolling it nation-wide. The chain hopes it will encourage people to reduce waste

'Its a great example of how we, as discounter, can utilise our lean and efficient business model to fulfil our mission to make good, healthy food more affordable and accessible, whilst acting sustain-ably.'

The company says its boxes are 'different from Wonky Veg boxes sold by other supermarkets.

It claims to be working closely with its suppliers to 'ensure a degree of flexibility with specifications at different times of the year, to include items within its standard product lines.'

Back in December 2018, Morrisons rolled out its own boxes, which cost 1 for 1kg worth of produce

Lidl first trialed the boxes in August 2018. The discounter claims it sold more than 50,000 Too Good To Waste boxes in 122 stores nation and prevented 250 tonnes of food going to waste.

In 2018, it was revealed that a third of all fresh fruit and veg is binned every year in the UK.

Across Europe, more than a third of fresh produce is discarded, meaning in the UK 4.5million tons is thrown away.

The University of Edinburgh, who conducted the study, described food loss and waste as 'one of the great scourges of our time', when ten percent of the world's population is chronically hungry.

Their findings stated: 'The use of aesthetics for classifying and accepting fresh food for sale and consumption is built into food quality standards and regulations of the European Union.

'Produce that doesn't meet these standards may be lost from the food supply chain, never seeing a supermarket shelf - it may not get past the supplier, or even leave the farm.'

'Our estimates suggest over a third of total farm production is lost for aesthetic reasons.'

The university said the climate change impact of growing the wasted food - some of which may be ploughed back into fields, used in animal feed or otherwise reused - is equivalent to the carbon emissions of almost 400,000 cars.

It was also revealed that households in Britain are throwing away a whopping 15billion of good food each year.

The UKs total food waste is estimated to be 10.2million tonnes.
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England's councils are estimated to earn over 1billion in surplus income from parking next year as a result of increased charges from 1 April 2019.

Local authorities already pocketed a staggering 867million in leftover cash from on-and off-street parking charges in 2017/18, according to the RAC Foundation.

Almost half of this, 47 per cent, was generated - unsurprisingly - by London authorities.

But what about the remaining 461million bagged by other councils outside the capital? The top 20 earners have been named and shamed.

Parking earners: This list reveals why councils ranked highest for surplus earnings from parking charges in 2017/18

Town halls are set to pocket a record 1billion profit from parking fees over the next year with motorists facing increased charges of up to 230 per cent to park from next week, it was revealed this month.

As well as charging more for town car parks, many councils are raising the cost of residential permits and ending reduced Sunday fees.

Hampshire, Nottingham, Reading, Cambridge, Brighton and Exeter are all planning big hikes, according to our analysis.

The rise will see councils pocket in the region of 885million in surplus earnings from parking fees in 2018/19.

And the RAC Foundation calculates this will hit 1billion the following financial year.

But what about those already making a mint from motorists?

Private number plates firm, Click4reg.co.uk, dug into the data to find out which local authorities have generated the most surplus funds - cash that's supposed to only be used to back transport projects.

Parking charges are due to rise on April 1, with increases to on- and off-street fees and resident's permits

Reduced parking fees on Sundays are also expected to be terminated as part of the shake-up from April 1

Click4reg found, outside of London, Brighton & Hove council is currently making the most surplus cash from on and off-street parking - at 23.4million.

That's 10 per cent more than the 21.2million surplus it received in 2016/17.

Milton Keynes council earn the second highest surplus from parking outside of London, at 11.3million, closely followed by Birmingham (11.2million).

Considerable excess cash is also raked in by councils in Cornwall (9.7million), Bristol (9.5 million) and Manchester with 9.4 million.

For Manchester, this represents a change of 21 per cent on the 7.8million surplus they received the year previous.

Other notable changes can be seen in Bath & North East Somerset (receiving 7.8million, up 24 per cent) and Southampton (receiving 6.8million, a change of 62 per cent).

However, the were no match for the rise in Medway Towns, which received 5million in surplus cash from on and off-street parking - an whopping 65 per cent leap on the year previous.

There are some councils that made less money from parking last year than in 2016/17, though.

On and off-street parking surplus fell by three per cent in Guildford, seven per cent in Cambridge and there were also decreases in Nottingham and York.

England's councils have been estimated to pocket over 1bn surplus in parking charges as a result of increased fees

Steve Gooding from the RAC Foundation said the upcoming hike in parking fees begs the question if authorities actually helping town centres and high streets to thrive and said it feels more like 'motorists being targeted to help increasingly cash-strapped councils balance their books'.

Edmund King, president of the AA, added: 'Drivers beware. April sees the start of new tactics for some councils going after more cash from drivers.

'Some councils are already budgeting to make millions of pounds more from motorists, on top of the millions they already get, by increasing parking charges, extending restricted parking zones, enforcing new bus lanes and looking for new opportunities to catch drivers.'

Councillor Martin Tett, transport spokesman for the Local Government Association, said the decision to rise parking charges had to be done to 'strike a balance when setting parking policy, both on street and off street, to make sure that there are spaces available for residents, high streets are kept vibrant and traffic is kept moving'.

'Any income raised through on-street parking charges is spent on running parking services and any surplus is only spent on essential transport projects, such as tackling our national 9billion roads repair backlog and other transport projects that benefit high streets and local economies,' he said.
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Rolls-Royce Holdings plc operates as an industrial technology company in the United Kingdom and internationally. The company operates in four segments: Civil Aerospace, Power Systems, Defence, and ITP Aero. The Civil Aerospace segment develops, manufactures, and sells aero engines for large commercial aircraft, regional jet, and business aviation markets, as well as provides aftermarket services. The Power Systems segment provides high-speed and medium-speed reciprocating engines, and propulsion and power generation systems for the marine, defense, power generation, and industrial markets. The Defence segment offers aero engines for military transport and patrol aircraft applications; and naval engines and submarine nuclear power plants, as well as aftermarket services. The ITP Aero segment engages in the design, research and development, manufacture and casting, assembly, and testing of aeronautical engines and gas turbines. It also provides maintenance, repair, and overhaul services for regional airlines, as well as business aviation, industrial, and defense applications. Rolls-Royce Holdings plc was founded in 1884 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Teledyne Technologies: Alia Corporation Inc, Bolt Technology Corp, Bowtech Products, CARIS, CDL do Brasil Equipamentos e Servicos Submarinos Sociedade Empresaria Ltda., CETAC Technologies, DALSA, Demo Systems, Detcon Holdco Inc., Ensambles de Precision S.A. de C.V., Falcon Analytical, Frontline Test Equipment, GMI Group Holdings Limited, Hafmynd ehf, Hanson Research Corp, IST Oldham Instruments India Private Limited, Industrial Control Machines, Intelek, Intelek Limited, Intelek Pension Trustees Limited, Intelek Properties Limited, LeCroy (Beijing) Trading Co. Ltd., LeCroy Corporation, Lidar Aviation Services Inc., Maple Imaging LLC, Micralyne Inc, Ocean Design Ltda., Oldham Instrument (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Oldham Simtronics SAS, Oldham-Winter GmbH, PDM Neptec, Reynolds Industries Limited, Rhombi Canada LP, Rhombi Holdings Limited, Rhombi Netherlands B.V., Rockwell Scientific Company, Simtronics AS, TDY Jersey Limited, Teledyne Advanced Pollution Instrumentation, Teledyne Australia Pty Ltd, Teledyne BlueView, Teledyne Bogatin Enterprises LLC, Teledyne Bowtech Limited, Teledyne Brown Engineering Inc., Teledyne C.M.L. Group Limited, Teledyne CARIS B.V., Teledyne CARIS Inc., Teledyne CARIS UK Ltd., Teledyne CARIS USA Inc., Teledyne CDL Inc., Teledyne CDL Limited, Teledyne Catalyst Enterprises Inc., Teledyne Computer Access Technology Corporation, Teledyne Controls LLC, Teledyne Cougar, Teledyne Czech s.r.o., Teledyne DALSA (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Teledyne DALSA Asia-Pacific Ltd., Teledyne DALSA B.V., Teledyne DALSA GmbH, Teledyne DALSA Inc., Teledyne DALSA Industrial Products Inc., Teledyne DALSA K.K., Teledyne DALSA Semiconductor Inc., Teledyne Dalsa, Teledyne Defense Electronics LLC, Teledyne Denmark A/S, Teledyne Detcon Inc., Teledyne Digital Imaging Inc., Teledyne Digital Imaging US Inc., Teledyne Energy Systems Inc., Teledyne Europe Holdings C.V., Teledyne France, Teledyne France SAS, Teledyne Gas Measurement Instruments Limited, Teledyne Gavia ehf., Teledyne Germany GmbH, Teledyne Hanson Research Inc., Teledyne ICM SA, Teledyne ICM SPRL, Teledyne Innovaciones Microelectronics S.L.U., Teledyne Instruments Inc., Teledyne Instruments Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Teledyne Japan Corporation, Teledyne Korea Ltd., Teledyne Labtech Limited, Teledyne LeCroy AB, Teledyne LeCroy Delaware LLC, Teledyne LeCroy GmbH, Teledyne LeCroy Inc., Teledyne LeCroy India Trading Private Ltd., Teledyne LeCroy Japan Corporation, Teledyne LeCroy Korea Ltd., Teledyne LeCroy OakGate Inc., Teledyne LeCroy S.A.R.L., Teledyne LeCroy S.R.L., Teledyne LeCroy SA, Teledyne LeCroy Singapore Pte. Ltd., Teledyne Limited, Teledyne Micralyne Inc., Teledyne Monitor Labs, Teledyne Monitor Labs P.R. Inc., Teledyne Netherlands B.V., Teledyne ODI, Teledyne Optech Inc., Teledyne Paradise Datacom Limited, Teledyne RD Instruments, Teledyne RD Technologies (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Teledyne RESON, Teledyne RESON A/S, Teledyne RESON B.V., Teledyne RESON GmbH, Teledyne RESON Holding B.V., Teledyne RESON Inc., Teledyne RESON Pte. Ltd., Teledyne RESON UK Limited, Teledyne RISI Inc., Teledyne Rad-icon Imaging Corp., Teledyne Redlake MASD LLC, Teledyne Reynolds Inc., Teledyne SG Brown Limited, Teledyne Scientific & Imaging LLC, Teledyne Scientific Imaging GmbH, Teledyne Scientific Imaging Limited, Teledyne Signal Processing Devices Sweden AB, Teledyne Singapore Private Limited, Teledyne TSS Limited, Teledyne Taiwan Company, Teledyne Technologies (Bermuda) Limited, Teledyne Technologies (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Teledyne Technologies International Corp., Teledyne Technologies Israel Ltd., Teledyne Tekmar Company, Teledyne UK Limited, Teledyne VariSystems, Teledyne VariSystems Inc., Teledyne Wireless LLC, Teledyne e2v, Teledyne e2v (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Teledyne e2v (Overseas) Holdings Limited, Teledyne e2v Asia Pacific Limited, Teledyne e2v Limited, Teledyne e2v Semiconductors SAS, and The Oceanscience Group Ltd..
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Read our full Opinion Policies here. Updated on 10/7/2020
Everyone eligible should be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of long-distance travel or employment.

Vaccination should be voluntary but those who don't get vaccinated should be frequently tested for COVID-19 as a condition of long-distance travel and employment.

Both vaccination and testing should be voluntary and not required as a condition of long-distance travel or employment.

I defer to the judgment of lawmakers as long as they base their decisions on a consensus of medical professionals.

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Many have been demanding legislators across the United States to implement right to repair legislation, which would make it easier for device owners to repair their devices.

But some companies have been resistant to this idea. Apple, unfortunately, is one of them. The company has long fought such legislation, preferring instead to rein in repair work to its own physical stores and authorized repair shops. But it looks like that while Apple has fought back against the idea, it may be concerned its losing that fight. As a result, Apple could be preparing to comply with any future right to repair legislation that falls into place in the future.

According to documentation dated from April 2018 obtained by Motherboard, Apple has been implementing plans in the background that seem dangerously close to complying with rules that right to repair legislation would impose. That includes giving some repair companies access to official Apple diagnostic software and tools, a host of genuine Apple-branded repair parts, training, and even no restrictions on types of repairs that independent companies are allowed to do.

As it turns out, this is what a lot of folks who have been fighting for the right to repair legislation have been looking for. Broadening the repair process.

This looks to me like a framework for complying with right to repair legislation, Kyle Wiens, CEO of iFixit and a prominent member of the right to repair movement, told me on the phone. Right now, they are only offering it to a few megachains, but it seems clear to me that it would be totally possible to comply with right to repair.

As mentioned above, Apple has been fighting these potential bills for years. Just look back to 2017 where Apple was fighting a right to repair bill in Nebraska. At the time, Apple lobbyists told legislators in that state that the proposed changes for repairs would make Nebraska a mecca for hackers and bad actors. And its happened recently, too, as the original report outlines:

A letter obtained by Motherboard that was sent last month to a Georgia lawmaker by 17 trade organizations that represent consumer tech, video game, wireless, home appliance, and air conditioning companies (including Apple) says that right to repair legislation threatens consumer security and safety and stifles innovation.

Its worth noting that while the internal documentation that outlines Apples plans does not explicitly name any companies that will be getting this type of repair rules. However, it does note that there are over 3,700 Apple Authorized Service Providers, so there appears to be plenty to choose from. And if this is indeed a means to prepare for right to repair legislation across the United States, we could see these new repair rules gradually rollout to all of those repair shops over time.

As it stands right now, these changes would more than likely be a welcomed one, both for consumers and repair shops. Even authorized third-party repair centers are ordered to send in devices that require more challenging repairs, which can make the process take quite a bit longer.

Apple authorized technicians can switch out screens and batteries and they essentially cant do anything else, Nathan Proctor, who is leading consumer rights group US PIRGs right to repair campaign, told me on the phone. Reversing that policy to let them do more standard repairs is a step toward right to repair and evidence that the people working on this issue have forced them to change.

Interestingly, the presentation itself that the original report cites suggests that Apple has decided, after many years, that people outside of Apple can fully understand the iPhone repair process now. Apple has long stood by the claim that iPhone repair is too complex to simply open up the repair process to just anyone. But, according to the report, the presentation reveals that Apple notes that people outside of Apple are perfectly capable of doing good repair work. It says that independent repair companies will own [their] customer and that you stand behind your workmanship.

The belief here appears to be that Apple is negotiating behind-the-scenes to get the legislation and public opinion to drop away, essentially by rolling out the oft-requested changes on its own terms. Albeit gradually. This isnt unlike Apples strategy with potential repair issues in its device lineup. Apple, for instance, still hasnt actually said anything about the Flexgage issue and stage-lighting effect on some MacBook Pro models. But that didnt stop the company from making a hardware tweak to address it, though.

Our Take

It feels like public attention for right to repair wanes and surges at random times. Its an obviously serious issue, which is obvious since Apple appears to be addressing it from the shadows. But at least the company is making changes in the right direction?

We Want To Hear From You

So, what do you think? Should Apple keep fighting legislation of this nature, even as it works behind-the-scenes to comply with the same potential bills?

[via Motherboard
NORRISTOWN  A teenage boy adamantly claimed to a jury that a former Limerick man had indecent and sexual contact with him on multiple occasions while he visited the mans onetime residences in Limerick and Upper Providence.

He put his hands in my drawers. I was so shocked, the 17-year-old Philadelphia boy testified on Wednesday in Montgomery County Court, recalling an alleged encounter during which Angelo Dunkerly-Adams groped him when he was about 9-years-old and was visiting the mans Orchard Court apartment in Upper Providence.

Id never been in that kind of predicament. I didnt know what to do. I was stuck there, the witness stated.

The teenager, testifying for Assistant District Attorney Matthew Brittenburg, subsequently recalled two other alleged incidents that occurred on Dec. 30, 2017, during which Dunkerly-Adams performed a sex act on him and had other sexual contact with him while he was visiting Dunkerly-Adams then residence along Pruss Hill Road in Limerick. The boy was 16 at the time, according to testimony.

I was so shocked by it. I didnt know what to do. I didnt know what to say to anybody, the teenager testified, adding Dunkerly-Adams also offered him alcohol and a Viagra pill during the encounters, which he declined. I was just confused. You could tell by my face I didnt want it to happen.

When defense lawyer Megan Schanbacher suggested during cross- examination that the teenager had given inconsistent statements during the investigation and was not being truthful, the teenager adamantly shot back, I know what he did. I remember what he did. He did it. He needs to accept that. Theres no reason for me to lie about anything. I dont need to lie.

The teenager added to Schanbacher, Youre confusing me. Youre making me mad.

Dunkerly-Adams, 41, faces charges of statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, sexual assault, indecent assault, endangering the welfare of children, corruption of minors and unlawful contact with a minor in connection with alleged inappropriate contact he had with three underage boys between 2009 and 2017.

The boys were between the ages of 7 and 16 at the time of the alleged incidents, which occurred when each of the boys was in Dunkerly-Adams company and alone with him, according to prosecutors. Dunkerly-Adams knew the families of the each of the boys and the families often visited the Limerick home, testimony revealed.

The youngest alleged victim, also of Philadelphia, testified when he visited the Limerick home in November 2017, that Dunkerly-Adams showed him nasty photos of his private parts and then groped him as they were seated on a couch playing video games. The boy was 7 at the time, according to testimony.

The third Philadelphia boy testified Dunkerly-Adams performed a sex act on him when he was 14 and was visiting the Limerick home in August 2016. That teenager told the jury he felt frozen and scared during the alleged assault.

Schanbacher did not reveal if Dunkerly-Adams will testify during the trial.

The jury of eight men and four women could begin deliberations in the case on Thursday after hearing the testimony of any defense witnesses and getting legal instructions from Judge Todd D. Eisenberg.

During the trial, prosecutors argued Dunkerly-Adams was in a position of trust and exploited the trust to sexually abuse the boys. Prosecutors argued Dunkerly-Adams ingratiated himself into the lives of some of the boys by playing video games with them when they visited the Limerick home.

But Schanbacher suggested prosecutors dont have sufficient evidence to prove the charges and suggested the boys are not being truthful.

Brittenburg and co-prosecutor Lindsey Mills wrapped up their case on Wednesday with the testimony of Limerick Police Detective Ernie Morris, who took statements from Dunkerly-Adams during the investigation.

During a Jan. 15, 2018, interview, Dunkerly-Adams, who worked for a local bank and restaurant, admitted to having some sexual contact with the 14-year-old and 16-year-old boys, describing his memories as flashes. However, he denied having inappropriate contact with the 7-year-old boy, according to Morris.

When Morris asked Dunkerly-Adams why he engaged in the activity he allegedly responded, I dont know the answer to that or how to answer that, according to testimony.

When asked how he felt about what he did, Dunkerly-Adams allegedly responded, Disgusting, according to Morris.

He agreed to speak to me without an attorney. He seemed to understand everything that I was saying. He was cooperative, Morris testified.

The investigation began about 5:23 a.m. Dec. 31, 2017, when Limerick police were dispatched to the Pruss Hill Road home to investigate the report of the sexual assault of the 16-year-old boy. The alleged assault was witnessed by another adult who resided in the home and that man called police.

The allegations of the 7-year-old boy and the 14-year-old boy came to light as detectives investigated the alleged Dec. 31 assault of the 16-year-old boy.

Dunkerly-Adams potentially faces decades in prison if convicted of the charges.
Washington

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand on Wednesday released her tax return for 2018, showing she paid $29,170 in federal taxes on an income of about $214,000.

The New York Democrat became the first 2020 presidential candidate to disclose the latest tax filing. Her income included her $167,000 Senate salary, a $50,000 book payment and a $3,000 capital gains loss.

Gillibrand's early disclosure of her 2018 tax return is a recurring nod to political transparency. She has provided tax returns each year since 2012, midway through her first Senate term, and disclosed older returns dating to 2007, her first year as a New York congresswoman.

"I want voters to know that I am beholden to no one, that my values are not for sale and that I'm working only for you," Gillibrand said in a video posted by her campaign. "We can't fundamentally change Washington unless we can show the American people we are brave enough to do what needs to be done."

The capital loss was carried over from investments made in previous years, campaign spokeswoman Meredith Kelly said. The 2018 return lists only one holding, Wind Crest LLC, a medical services company that is an inactive investment vehicle. Gillibrand's recent Senate financial disclosures have shown a $15,000 to $50,000 investment in the company.

Gillibrand's move comes as many of her rivals for their party's 2020 nomination to take on President Donald Trump have yet to share their own tax return data, even as Democrats continue to slam Trump for not releasing his returns during his 2016 run for president.

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Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren has released 10 years of her tax returns but not her 2018 filing. Other Democratic candidates have yet to share as much tax information. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders last month pledged to "sooner than later" make public 10 years of his tax returns, though he has yet to do so. During his 2016 presidential bid, he released just one year of tax returns. Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar's campaign also has indicated that she will release her tax returns, but it did not commit to a timeline.

A spokeswoman for South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who is exploring a presidential bid, said he will release taxes when or if he formalizes his campaign.

Trump broke with decades of tradition by not releasing his tax filings during his 2016 Republican presidential campaign. He argued that he couldn't release his taxes because he was under an audit by the Internal Revenue Service, but being under audit is no legal bar to a candidate from releasing tax returns.
Following the public release of iOS 12.2, Apple has finally decided now is the time to update the Apple Watch as well.

On Wednesday, Apple officially released the latest update for the Apple Watch, bumping the version number up to watchOS 5.2. While the update is minor in scale in the grand scheme of things, watchOS 5.2 is not without its big new addition. That includes ECG support in the Apple Watch Series 4 for owners in Europe. The ECG feature initially launched in the United States when the Series 4 released, and its finally landing in Europe. Apple confirmed the feature is available in 19 countries, including Spain, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and others. Irregular heart rhythm notifications are also available in Hong Kong.

watchOS 5.2 also includes support for Apple News+, which the company officially announced recently. The updated software also adds support for the second-generation AirPods.

To update to watchOS 5.2, owners must make sure that the smartwatch has at least 50 percent battery life, and that the device is attached to a charger. It must also be connected to the iPhone and within range.

The new software is available now.
SCHENECTADY  The troubled pension plan for former St. Clare's Hospital workers will fold up $53 million in the red after finding no prospects for a financial bailout, according to a court filing by officials responsible for overseeing the plan.

Two state lawmakers, who have been seeking state aid to help rescue the fund, criticized the corporation's attempt to disappear, saying ongoing relief efforts could still bear fruit if another source of outside funds steps forward.

On April 10, a state judge in Schenectady will be asked to legally dissolve a not-for-profit corporation affiliated with the Albany Roman Catholic Diocese that was responsible only for managing the pension fund since the 2008 state-mandated merger of St. Clare's with Ellis Hospitals.

Last fall, workers learned that the pension fund, which had been supported by $28.5 million from the state as part of the merger, was millions of dollars short, and that some workers would lose pensions altogether while others would see checks slashed.

State Assembly members Phil Steck and Angelo Santabarbara both said Thursday that negotiations with the multi-billion-dollar Mother Cabrini Health Foundation to match up to $20 million in potential state aid for St. Clare's pensioners remain underway.

"Before the corporation is allowed to dissolve, these efforts to obtain outside funds need to be concluded. ... We have not gotten a 'no' from the Cabrini foundation," said Steck. "This petition is untimely."

The Cabrini foundation was formed from proceeds of a $3.75 billion sale of a Catholic-based health insurance plan in New York in the fall of 2017. Its mission is to help low-income residents.

Santabarbara said because the state had provided $28.5 million to support St. Clare's pension fund in 2008 as part of the Elllis merger, the state now deserves to know why the pension failed. Fund officials have blamed the national financial recession of 2008 and its aftermath.

"The state Attorney General needs to look into this," Santabarbara said.

Since the pension woes for 1,100 former St. Clare's workers surfaced last fall, officials at St. Clare's Corporation, which includes Albany Roman Catholic Bishop Edward Scharfenberger, had been searching for outside help, including a bid for state aid as part of the 2019-20 budget.

But saying that effort had failed, the corporation instead chose on Feb. 1 to use about $30 million remaining in the fund to provide about 440 workers with either a lump-sum payment or an annuity, and terminate the depleted pension fund.

About $50,000 in remaining corporate assets were given to the Albany Roman Catholic Diocese to help the most financially stressed St. Clare's pensioners.

"All the money in the plan has been distributed; the pension fund is terminated  that is it," said corporation Chairman Joe Pofit, a former official with the diocese, on Thursday. "We have no more assets and there is no role for the corporation."

A petition filed March 25 in state Supreme Court by Pofit, asking that the corporation be formally dissolved, outlined the failed effort to attract outside funds to rescue the fund.

"The corporation has made every reasonable effort to secure additional operating funds, but has been unsuccessful, and there is no likelihood that the required financial resources can be obtained," it stated.

Both Steck and Santabarbara said they disagreed with that assertion.

The petition also was signed by Bishop Scharfenberger, whose office issued a statement Thursday that said efforts to find funds were still happening.

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"Bishop Scharfenberger continues on a regular basis to pursue grant monies to benefit the pensioners of St. Clare's. Those efforts are ongoing, and will continue," according to the statement.

The petition was also signed by St. Clare's Corp. directors Rev. David LeFort, vicar general of the diocese; Rev. Richard Carlino, pastor of St. John the Evangelist Church, Schenectady; Rev. Dominic Isopo, pastor of St. Luke's Church in Schenectady; William Mather of Clifton Park; Mark Handelman of Schenectady; Margaret Moore of Schenectady; and Michael Quinn of Latham.

"I don't think this petition makes it any worse than it was before," said David Pratt, a labor law expert at Albany Law School who is seeking to help the pensioners. "The corporation cannot avoid potential liability by dissolving."

However, Pratt said the disappearance of the corporation could make it problematic should outside aid be located, since there there would no entity with clear responsibility to receive such funds.

He added that he has asked corporation and diocesan officials last year to retain any and all corporate pension records, adding such records could be subject to subpoena if legal action ensues.

Pofit said such records are currently possessed by two Capital Region law firms that worked for the corporation.

During the 1990s, officials at St. Clare's Hospital sought and received federal approval for a religious exemption for its pension, which up to that point was federally insured as a private plan. The hospital then got a $90,000 refund for its previous premiums, but the plan was then left uninsured from fiscal calamity.

The fund was also exempted from requirements that could have alerted former workers of potential financial underperformance.

Founded in Schenectady by Catholic priests and Franciscans in 1949, St. Clare's from its beginnings has been linked to the Albany Roman Catholic Diocese. Bishops also have served on the hospital board of directors.
Albany

The United Way of the Greater Capital Region has created a new Capital Region Philanthropy Hall of Fame as well as an annual Capital Region Philanthropist of the Year award.

It's no surprise that Neil and Jane Golub and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute President Shirley Ann Jackson and her husband Morris Washington were named to the inaugural class of the Capital Region Philanthropy Hall of Fame.

"We think our community has so many positive people making an impact every day. There are individuals whose community support is legendary and that's the inspiration for the Capital Region Philanthropy Hall of Fame," said Peter Gannon, who is CEO of the United Way of the Greater Capital Region.

The United Way also revealed that the three finalists for the new Capital Region Philanthropist of the Year Award are: Jeff Buell, who created Do the Next Good Thing charitable give-away; Tracie Killar of the South End Children's Cafe, and Annmarie Lanesey, who created the Albany Can Code software coder training program.

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The Capital Region Philanthropist Hall of Fame and Capital Region Philanthropist of the Year will be celebrated at United Way's Annual Awards dinner on May 29 at Albany's Capital Center.

Tickets are available at www.unitedwaygcr.org/awards.
At 45, Bill Day wasn't sure he would ever have the means to buy a house. He has a good job working in information technology for the state, but he is a single dad with four children  two in his sole custody.

About three years ago, Day started looking. He talked to a couple mortgage brokers, but it seemed too scary and he always backed off. When he reconnected through Facebook with buddies from his days in the Navy, they started nudging him to quit paying rent and buy a home instead. They reminded him: Part of the GI Bill provides help on finding a home loan.

The benefits package first signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944, the GI Bill is better known for helping veterans pay for college, a perk of enlistment often advertised in recruiting pitches and commercials. The GI Bill also provides veterans with government-backed home loans without a down payment or private mortgage insurance. It's not necessarily the best deal for men and women in the military  home buyers will need to weigh the fee associated with the loan, currently 2.15 percent of the purchase price, slightly higher for service in the guard or the reserves. The fee goes toward the cost of running the program and the cost of foreclosures.

Veterans who receive disability payments for a service-connected disability are exempt.

Click here for information on Veterans United Home Loans

A study by the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, issued in March, showed the share of first-time home-buying servicemembers using Department of Veterans Affairs' mortgages dramatically increased, from 30 percent before 2007 to 63 percent in 2009 and 78 percent by 2016. From the report: "Among non-servicemember first-time homebuyers there was a parallel increase in the use of FHA and USDA mortgages. However, whereas non-servicemembers' reliance on FHA/USDA mortgages declined after 2009, servicemembers' reliance on VA loans continued to increase."

Day joined the Navy in 1988 and was active duty until 1991, when he entered the Navy Reserves. While in active duty, he was deployed in the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Storm as well as Mexico and Central America to assist the Coast Guard with drug busts and other operations. He was honorably discharged in 1996 as a signalman, third class. He has two sons from previous relationships and a son and a daughter from a marriage that ended in divorce. When he started home shopping, Day hoped to stay in the Bethlehem school district, where his younger children go to school, but he couldn't find anything in his price range.

"I felt pushed into more than I could afford. I qualified for $250,000, but I'm on a strict budget and I worried about getting over my head," Day said.

Day went with Veterans United, a Missouri-based lender that specializes in VA loans. (Local lenders offer VA loans as well.) He felt comfortable with the agency and appreciated the military focus. After more conversation, Day decided the most he wanted to spend was $175,000. The company paired him with a real estate agent, Victor Franco, Jr. of Howard Hanna, who has experience working with military clients.

Day estimates he toured 40 houses in three years, eventually shifting his focus to Colonie. He wanted a house with a dry basement so he could finish it as a rec room like he had as a kid  a place to relax, watch TV, play games and drink a few beers at his own bar.

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Finally, Day found a place. He paid $153,900, plus the VA loan fee, $3,308.

It's a modest one-story house on a dead-end street off Central Avenue, with a car port, three bedrooms and full windows in the basement to allow for egress in case of an emergency. Day said his kids knew he was looking, but he didn't tell them he found a house. He was hoping to close by Christmas and surprise them. It was his older sons' first house, too. But it was November and he didn't think it would work out. When all the paperwork was in, he expected the process to take four or five days. But within four hours, he had a closing date. He drove the kids by the house, but the best part was surprising his father.

"I'm kind of the black sheep in my family, I don't think he ever thought I could do this," Day said.

lhornbeck@timesunion.com  518-454-5352  @leighhornbeck
"Hotel Mumbai" takes its cue from the disaster movies of the 1970s. It depicts a calamitous spectacle  in this case, the horrific 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai  while asking us to care about a handful of individuals. The film's depiction of the extent and cruelty of the violence is overwhelming, as was surely intended. But the fictionalized parts are hamstrung by cliches of character, situation and dialogue, making for a very uneasy experience.

The background is the real-life multipronged assault that began on Nov. 26 of that year and lasted three days. Ten Pakistani terrorists, armed with automatic weapons and grenades, landed in Mumbai, split into groups and attacked a variety of targets  a train station, a hospital, hotels, a restaurant and the Jewish community center  leaving more than 160 people dead. The movie's main setting is the ultraluxurious Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. It is commandeered by four terrorists, who take orders via earpieces from a bloodthirsty mastermind, and the killings begin  brutal and indiscriminate. Indian special forces are delayed getting to Mumbai, so the ordeal drags on.
As a former supervisor with the Chief States Attorneys Cold Case Unit, Patrick Griffin understands the heartache the families of murder victims suffer when a case goes cold.

So when he was appointed as the States Attorney for the Judicial District of New Haven in 2016, he formed his own cold case unit for the municipalities the New Haven courthouse serves.

The group made its first arrest last July, charging Christopher Calhoun with the 2011 New Haven shooting death of Isaiah Gantt.

Thats one case that would have never been solved, Griffin said.

Chief States Attorney Kevin Kane estimates there are 1,500 to 2,000 unsolved homicides in the state that date back to the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Theoretically, they could be solved because witnesses could still be alive and capable of testifying, or the person who did it could still be alive, Kane said.

There is no statewide cold case clearinghouse and no exact number of how many unsolved homicides Connecticut police departments are potentially investigating, Kane said.

Survivors of Homicide, an organization that supports families who have lost loved ones to homicide, estimated there were more than 1,100 Connecticut cold case murders as of 2015. The organization is compiling a complete list, but does not yet have exact numbers for each municipality.

Theres not a general database for police to input numbers, said Jessica Pizzano, director of Victim Services for Survivors of Homicide.

Her organization supports survivors of homicide during the court process and through support groups held monthly in New Haven, Southington, Danbury and New London. Families who are dealing with a cold case homicide have an additional layer of grieving  and most dont have access to court victim advocates, since no arrest has been made, she said.

Youre in a gray area, and since the case technically is still being investigated, police usually dont give out information, Pizzano said.

Heinous impact

Its up to each police department to investigate its own cold cases. Kanes Cold Case Unit takes over investigations when requested. But the local department is required to assigned at least one part-time officer to the effort. The Cold Case Unit works on about 20 cases at a time, said Chief Inspector Michael Sullivan who oversees a number of units within the Chief States Attorneys Office.

Its tragic for a family, or even a neighborhood, to have a homicide unsolved, Kane said. Ive often thought it undermines confidence in government. How does a neighborhood react when a murder takes place that isnt solved? Urban areas where there is an unsolved murder also feel it. They say, youre bothering me for that registration and you cant even solve my brothers murder? It has a heinous impact.

The Chief States Attorneys Cold Case Unit has existed for more than 20 years, systematically chipping away at murders that other departments have been unable to solve. The effort received a boost, and a new way of investigating, in 2006 when former Hartford Detective James Rovella was appointed as the chief inspector of the unit.

Rovella reshaped the strategy by pulling in about a dozen full-time detectives from police departments looking to solve cold cases. He also brought in parole, probation and corrections officers with community sources who may have information on unsolved crimes. Each local detective worked on the cases, in addition to their own. The group started every case from scratch, examining all the evidence with fresh eyes.

Rovella, who was recently chosen by Gov. Ned Lamont to head the states Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, also instituted Cold Case playing cards in Connecticut prisons. Each card contains information on a cold case.

Four editions of the cards representing nearly 200 unsolved cases are in circulation. Sullivan is working on a fifth edition. The cards, which are the only deck inmates can use, have led to more than a dozen convictions.

If there were no card program, some of those cases wouldnt be solved, Sullivan said.

The cards have resulted in 3,000 phone calls, which have generated 800 tips, Sullivan said.

Rovellas strategy of pulling in help from local departments and outside agencies worked. Within 18 months, the unit solved four cold case homicides involving six victims, including the arrest of Pedro Miranda, accused of killing three young women in the 1980s.

It was fairly well staffed and active all around the state, Kane said. But gradually funding dried up and many police departments withdrew their participation, he said.

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The unit now has officers from Hartford, New Britain, East Windsor, the state Department of Corrections and a representative from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. They work closely with prosecutors who will eventually try the case if an arrest is made.

Kane lost staff on the unit to fill vacancies throughout the Division of Criminal Justice. But now he expects to add at least another prosecutor and an inspector and hes looking for police departments that want to become a part of the unit.

Seeking closure

The work of a second Chief States Attorneys Cold Case Unit operating in the Southeastern portion of the state continues on a reduced scale as well.

Cases are chosen based on their solvability, Sullivan said.

There are a ton of cases and they all deserve to be solved, he said. You try and pick one and see if there are still leads. Maybe witnesses wouldnt cooperate at the time. Some have been investigated so thoroughly that theres nowhere else to go with it.

There are about 100 murders each year in Connecticut, he said.

If 68 percent are solved, every year youll have more and more cold cases, Sullivan said. Cold cases all have problems, or they wouldnt be cold. The easy ones are solved, they dont become cold. But the ones that arent, there is just so many cases. Every one of those cases deserves to be solved.

Griffin understood those challenges and made forming his own cold case unit a priority when he became the New Haven States Attorney.

When I was appointed, I requested a meeting with all 13 police chiefs to discuss open and unsolved homicides, Griffin said. I requested that each town or city assign an officer to work with the team.

The task force meets regularly to discuss the cases and make recommendations on how to proceed, he said.

Hes also pulled in Federal Bureau of Investigation and ATF agents and has several of his state prosecutors cross designated as federal prosecutors since theres often a state and federal connection to the cases.

Any of the 13 police departments that want a case investigated must designate a lead investigator who prepares a presentation for the group. The Judicial District spans from Cheshire and Meriden to Guilford and Branford and includes New Haven, East Haven and Hamden. The group will review the presentation and determine if there are any avenues they can pursue.

Griffin said the unit, which is working on about five cases, is willing to investigate cases that have some possibility of being solved.

Were doing the best we can within the constraints of everyones budget, Griffin said. Its not easy, but we recognize that families have not had closure.
NEW YORK  Seagram's heiress and NXIVM defendant Clare Bronfman told a federal judge on Thursday that embattled celebrity attorney Michael Avenatti briefly served as a "consultant" to her criminal defense team, but was no longer working on her behalf.

At a pre-trial hearing in Brooklyn, U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis asked Bronfman if she was aware that Avenatti and Mark Geragos, another celebrity attorney representing her, had met with federal prosecutors on March 19 and offered information that would be "a benefit to you."

The judge did not reveal the nature of the information or the potential benefit to Bronfman. Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn previously informed Garaufis that they are in plea negotiations with three defendants in the criminal case against NXIVM's leaders.

Thursday's pre-trial hearing was a continuation of a Wednesday hearing that was interrupted when Bronfman, who has appeared frail in recent appearances, collapsed after Garaufis questioned Geragos about Avenatti's involvement. Geragos caught Bronfman before she hit the ground.

"How are you doing today, ma'am?" the judge asked the 39-year-old operations director for the Colonie-based NXIVM on Thursday.

"I'm better," said Bronfman, who was wearing a light blue sweater, scarf and slacks. "Sorry. ... I was just very scared yesterday. It was very stressful."

The judge focused on the legal topic at hand. "Are you familiar with Michael Avenatti's representation of you?" Garaufis asked.

"As a consultant, yes," Bronfman answered.

The judge asked her if Avenatti no longer represented her.

"That is correct," she replied.

Federal prosecutors in Manhattan charged Avenatti with trying to shake down as much as $25 million by threatening Nike with bad publicity  including in a meeting that was held the same day he met with federal prosecutors on Bronfman's behalf. In a separate case, Avenatti faces charges he embezzled a client's money to pay his own expenses, and was charged with extortion and bank and wire fraud in separate cases in New York and California.

Geragos has been identified as an unindicted co-conspirator in an extortion case announced Monday against Avenatti, the former lawyer for adult film star Stormy Daniels, who has alleged having a sexual liaison with President Donald J. Trump.

The judge asked Bronfman how she had secured Geragos' services: "You didn't get him from the internet, did you?"

"Actually, I did," she said, explaining that she had become curious about Geragos, whose previous clients include Michael Jackson and Whitewater figure Susan McDougal, after reading about him.

The judge reminded Bronfman that "the most important thing is for you to have conflict-free counsel."

The judge told Bronfman that Geragos' potential legal jeopardy in the Avenatti extortion case could work against her best interests. Bronfman again assured him she was satisfied with Geragos.

Outside court, Geragos declined to answer questions about the Avenatti case, but lauded Bronfman for keeping him.

"There's something really refreshing in this day and age with a client who is that satisfied with what you're doing," Geragos said.

Also attending the hearing was Benjamin Brafman, another high-powered litigator whose firm is representing NXIVM co-founder Keith Raniere. Brafman briefly represented Geragos in his recent legal trouble.

Bronfman faces charges of racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to commit identity theft connected to various alleged NXIVM schemes.

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Bronfman and Raniere are charged along with Lauren Salzman; television actress Allison Mack; and Kathy Russell, a longtime bookkeeper for NXIVM. Another codefendant, NXIVM co-founder Nancy Salzman, recently pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy.

Prior to the hearing Thursday, Donna Newman, another lawyer for Bronfman, wrote a letter to the judge explaining that Avenatti's work on the case had amounted to "a matter of days" and was never formalized.

In addition to the criminal case, Avenatti was involved in a civil matter involving Bronfman pending in western New York, Newman said.

In the letter, Newman warned the judge that questions he planned to ask Bronfman about the March 19 meeting between Avenatti, Geragos and the prosecution could breach attorney-client privilege. Assistant U.S. Attorney Moira Penza disagreed in court.

When Garaufis on Thursday began to ask Bronfman about her knowledge of the meeting, Newman answered for her client repeatedly, which infuriated the judge.

Garaufis told Newman if she did not stop answering questions for Bronfman, he would remove Newman from the case and replace her with someone else.

"I don't want a filter; I don't want a siphon," the judge fumed. "I want answers."

Meanwhile, Newman marked her letter to the judge "under seal," an indication it could not be accessed by the public. The judge made it clear Newman's wording carried no legal weight.

"It's the court that gets to decide whether it's under seal," Garaufis said. "This is not a document that was intended to be under seal."

Jury selection in the NXIVM trial will be early next month, with opening arguments scheduled for April 29.
NEW YORK  Seagram's liquor heiress and NXIVM defendant Clare Bronfman collapsed at a pre-trial hearing in Brooklyn federal court Wednesday after a judge questioned her lawyer about whether she was being secretly represented by embattled celebrity attorney Michael Avenatti.

Bronfman, 39, fainted and was caught by Mark Geragos, another celebrity attorney representing her, who has been identified as an unindicted co-conspirator in an extortion case announced Monday against Avenatti, the former lawyer for adult film star Stormy Daniels, who has sued President Donald Trump. The account of the courtroom activity was provided by two people who were present.

According to a letter filed by prosecutors that is under seal, according to the source, Avenatti and Geragos met with the government last week to discuss the case of Bronfman, the operations director for NXIVM, the Colonie-based organization now at the center of a racketeering case in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn.

Both the government and Geragos confirmed the meeting in court, the source said, adding that U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis was "extremely irritated at being kept in the dark." Bronfman never informed the judge she was being represented by Avenatti, the person said.

Bronfman is charged along with NXIVM co-founder Keith Raniere; Lauren Salzman; television actress Allison Mack; and Kathy Russell, a longtime bookkeeper for NXIVM. Another codefendant, NXIVM co-founder Nancy Salzman, has pleaded guilty.

The person said the sequence of events started when Kathleen Cassidy, an attorney for Bronfman, raised a question that Cassidy said involved attorney-client privilege and sensitive matters  and asked the judge to clear the room. The source said several reporters objected and the judge refused to close the courtroom.

Garaufis had been attempting to question Bronfman at the bench about whether she had retained Avenatti. Donna Newman, a lawyer for Bronfman, objected to her client answering the question, saying it was a matter of attorney-client privilege. Cassidy requested a sidebar conference at the bench.

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A five-minute break followed. As Bronfman walked back to the defense table, she started "wobbling and staggering on her feet," the person said. She looked pale and her knees were buckling, the person said, noting that Geragos then caught his client and put her down in a chair.

EMS and firefighters arrived and treated Bronfman in a separate room, the person said.

She did not return to court. The hearing was set to continue Thursday afternoon. She left the courthouse unaided, with Geragos. Jury selection in the trial will be early next month with opening arguments scheduled for April 29.

Federal prosecutors in Manhattan charged Avenatti with trying to shake down as much as $25 million by threatening Nike with bad publicity. In a separate case, he faces charges he embezzled a client's money to pay his own expenses, and was charged with extortion and bank and wire fraud in separate cases in New York and California.
A Jamaican man working as part of a larger organization swindled over $320,000 from an elderly Albany-area couple in the summer of 2017.

Court documents lay out how Kevin R. Palmer, 37, used tried-and-true tactics to take advantage of the couple, who weren't his only victims. In the complaint, investigators say they believe Palmer had at least three other victims who fell for a similar scam.

He admitted in federal court this week to one count of mail fraud conspiracy and 12 counts of mail fraud.

It wasnt Palmers first scam either. He was convicted in 2011 of misdemeanor unlawfully possessing a personal identification after admitting to taking part in a Jamaica-linked lottery scheme. He was sentenced to 90 days in prison.

Palmers scheme was one that is often used on elderly victims. Palmer and others contacted the couple, identified only as R.H. and D.H. in the complaint, in January 2017 and told them they had won $22 million in a sweepstakes, but in order to collect, had to cover the taxes ahead of time.

Then the letters started arriving. The first was from Bank of America informing the couple of the $22.6 million prize.

Another supposedly was from the Treasury Department, confirming the couple had won the sweepstakes through the International Gaming Commission. But the couple couldnt receive their prize until they paid over $86,000.

Another letter came, claiming the couple had a tax refund but need to pay $50,000 ahead of time. A fourth letter told the couple they owed taxes on the $22 million prize.

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By June the couple was mailing checks to two Georgia bank accounts that Palmer had access to. The first check was small, just $3,500. The next one, just nine days later was for $33,786. They eventually sent 10 more checks, each between $25,000 and $30,000. In one day alone, Palmer received three checks totaling $90,000 from the couples various accounts. The last check was sent on Nov. 3, 2017.

The scheme came to light in January 2018 after a local police department contacted the U.S. Postal Inspector Service. The court documents dont say how local police found out about the situation or where the victims live.

Palmer faces up to 20 years in prison at sentencing in July. Its unclear if he is facing further charges connected to other victims.

As a result of his guilty plea, Palmers permanent resident status in the U.S. may be revoked, and he may be sent to Jamaica.
ALBANY  The challenge of legalizing adult-use marijuana may be too much for this year's state budget negotiations.

Momentum for the proposal has stalled since it was rolled out by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo in his January budget address. With less than four days before a budget deal is due, a vocal group of opponents  including upstate lawmakers, law enforcement and education officials, and county governments  appear to be successful in blocking legalization efforts.
Spotify is testing a new Premium Duo subscription plan in which it is offering two Spotify Premium membership at a discounted price of 12.49/month. Thats down from the usual price of 9.99 each subscriber has to pay on a monthly basis.

Spotify is currently testing this plan in Colombia, Chile, Denmark, Ireland, and Poland. Spotify already offers a Family subscription in which it allows up to six family members to share the same subscription for 14.99/month. However, that requires all family members to live at the same address. The company started cracking down on Family plan subscribers in which the members lived at different addresses.

With its new Premium Duo plan, Spotify is targeting couples and roommates and also requires them to live at the same address. It is even asking the address of both subscribers during the sign-up process. The music streaming service has also rolled out a new Duo Mix playlist that is generated on the basis of the listening habits of both subscribers. This playlist will be updated weekly by Spotify and it will offer two different tempo versions: Calm and Upbeat.

The duo subscribers can also share their custom playlists with each other at the tap of a button.

Theres no word from Spotify if it plans on expanding Spotify Duo to more markets of the world. If you live in any of the five markets mentioned above where Spotify is testing Duo, you can sign up for it from here.

We Want to Hear From You

What do you think about this discounted subscription plan from Spotify for two? Do you think it will be useful for you?

[Via Spotify
ALBANY  Legislative leaders and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo have agreed on budget legislation that would prohibit the release of arrest records and mugshots.

The privacy measure, to be included in the 2019-20 Public Protection and General Government bill, would amend the state's Freedom of Information Law to bar law enforcement and government agencies from releasing the mugshot photos and booking information of those arrested unless disclosure serves a law enforcement purpose, according to an Assembly spokesman.

The language targets private companies that publish the booking photos and information online. The arrest records often remain online on those websites even if the charges have been dropped, and some of the companies that publish the information charge a fee to have it removed.

The proposal would provide law enforcement agencies with the discretion to release booking photographs in instances where there may be a public need to do so, including the search for a fugitive.

While the final bill language is not available, the New York Civil Liberties Union issued a policy memo on Thursday opposing the governor's version, noting that it fails to specify what constitutes "booking information."

The NYCLU acknowledges that the arrest records can have lasting consequences on people's lives, but argues the over-broad measure would impede data gathering necessary for police accountability, including by news organizations. The civil rights organization also contends that the proposal fails to crack down on "pay-to-remove" websites that seek to shame arrestees and profit from the FOIL process.

"While it offers little to protect arrestees' privacy, this measure would unduly restrict proper access to public records which are critical to police oversight  all in the name of solving a problem New York's courts have already begun to address independently, and with more precision," the memo reads.

The governor briefly addressed similar critiques of his proposal by transparency advocates and media groups in a radio interview in January.

"I understand the tension and I'm open to a better solution," Cuomo told WAMC's Alan Chartock.

Diane Kennedy, president of the New York News Publishers Association, said that the bill gives law enforcement too much discretion to determine what is for law enforcement purposes. Instead of preventing public disclosure of booking information the law should target operators of cyber exploitation websites directly, as states like California have done.

The bill "seems like an excellent way to ensure that the arrests of powerful, politically connected people remain secret," Kennedy said. "It also would allow arrests of suspected pedophiles and rapists to remain secret. That doesn't seem to serve the public very well."

In the final hours before the April 1 deadline, lawmakers frequently vote on the 10 budget bills combining policy and fiscal matters. They are typically accompanied by "messages of necessity" from the governor, enabling the Legislature to bypass the requisite three-day aging period, leaving legislators insufficient time to read through the entire spending plan.

On Thursday, many lawmakers said they were unfamiliar with the proposal, which will be linked to other criminal justice reform measures in the state budget. It had not been discussed during Senate and Assembly majority conference meetings.

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Even Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie on Thursday afternoon was hazy on details of the bill.

"That hasn't really bubbled up to me, but we'll look at it and see where it is," Heastie, D-Bronx, said.

Assemblywoman Patricia Fahy, a Democrat from Albany, said she saw both "pros and cons" to the proposed legislation, and had not formed a position.

A fellow Democratic Assembly member, Phil Steck of Loudonville, said that he did not think the policy measure should be included in the state budget, but does support it as a stand-alone piece of legislation.

While Steck said he is sensitive to First Amendment issues, that is outweighed by the need for people falsely accused of crimes to not forever have the charges against them published on the internet. Jury selection is also more difficult when details of alleged crimes are publicized, he said.

Chris Bragg contributed reporting.
ALBANY  A recent $25,000 per couple fundraiser hosted by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo was highlighted by a trio of state lawmakers on Wednesday evening as evidence of the need to include a public financing system of political campaigns in the state budget.

Despite the governor repeatedly insisting he won't sign off on a budget without the program, and legislative leaders backing the concept, the issue appears to be moving to the back burner during the waning days of budget negotiations.

Proponents of a public financing system, which would match private contributions up to $175 at a six-to-one rate, maintain that it would amplify the importance of small-dollar donations. The plan advanced by Cuomo's budget would also drastically lower New York's sky-high contribution limits.

Three progressive lawmakers, who said they were elected on the promise of reforming Albany, attempted to rekindle the issue during an unscheduled press conference in the Capitol late Wednesday in response to a New York Times story published earlier in the day about the governor's secretive March 14th fundraiser.

"Pay-to-play politics must end," said freshman state Sen. Jessica Ramos of Queens. "This is exactly why we ran for office."

Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou, a Manhattan Democrat, was asked about the reservations in her chamber, but wouldn't shed light on the internal discussions. "The conversations are still ongoing," she said.

Sen. Alessandra Biaggi, a Bronx Democrat, said it was "outrageous" for Cuomo to solicit contributions from lobbyists during the heart of the budget process.

"Any reasonably prudent person looking at the situation would say, 'a $25,000 ticket is a really high price to pay, during the most important time of year, to get access to the people who are going to pull the lever to make all the fiscal decisions for the state.' If you are awake, you acknowledge that that is not ok," Biaggi said.

Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie has been reluctant to embrace the governor's framework, and would only acknowledge last week that the issue was "a topic on the table." Earlier in the month he said there weren't enough Assembly Democrats in favor of the proposal.

In response to the critique by Niou, Ramos and Biaggi, Cuomo spokesman Richard Azzopardi accused the lawmakers of being "hypocrites" and encouraged them to "practice what they preach."

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"They and their colleagues hold fundraisers daily, a hop, skip and jump from the Capitol," Azzopardi said in a statement.

One of those fundraisers was held on March 6 at the City Beer Hall for Ramos. She defended the timing of her event, and noted that she returned a contribution from a lobbyist she disagreed with on labor issues.

All three legislators said they would support a ban on fundraisers in the month before and after the budget is due.

David.Lombardo@timesunion.com - 518.454.5427 - @poozer87
ALBANY  Two-and-a-half months after he was viciously attacked in a Center Square mugging, Assistant District Attorney Vincent Stark was back in court Wednesday.

And he did not want Crossgates Mall shooter Tasheem Maeweather back on the streets anytime soon.

The Albany County prosecutor told five justices with the region's Appellate Division to uphold the conviction of Maeweather, now 23, who is serving 12  to 16 years in prison for his trial conviction and violating his probation.

Stark was the victim of a completely unrelated attack on Jan. 8 when three people armed with a skateboard robbed him and a woman as they were walking on Chestnut Street in the Center Square neighborhood. Stark needed surgery after the attack, which left him with a crushed skull and severe other injuries.

But he made it clear from the outset that his appearance in court Wednesday was about affirming the conviction of Maeweather.

"We're not here for me today," Stark told the panel after thanking the judges and Maeweather's attorney, Terence L. Kindlon, for their words to welcome him back. Stark's family and coworkers were in attendance.

On Nov. 12, 2016, Maeweather fired two shots inside the shopping mall which sent the crowded mall into a chaotic state and lockdown at the start of holiday shopping season. Prosecutors said Maeweather, a reputed Albany gang member, fired two shots at a rival who punched him in the face.

Maeweather was convicted at trial of first-degree reckless endangerment. The jury acquitted him of attempted murder, attempted assault and weapon possession.

Kindlon, who argued first, told justices his client's conviction "doesn't make any sense." Kindlon noted the jury acquitted Maeweather of possessing a weapon but then convicted him of reckless endangerment which, according to Kindlon, his client could not possibly have achieved without a weapon.

"This is not a rational verdict. It is an irrational verdict," Kindlon told the judges.

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Under the law, verdicts can be declared repugnant, which means they are legally inconsistent. Kindlon said he was not arguing the verdict was repugnant but said, "What they are claiming is logically impossible."

Justices Eugene "Gus" Devine and John Egan both asked Kindlon if the trial lawyer  Kindlon's son, Lee Kindlon  could have made such an argument to the trial judge, acting Supreme Court Justice Roger McDonough, after the jury announced its verdict. They noted the defense could have asked the judge to send the jury back to deliberate for a verdict that was not legally inconsistent.

It carried a risk  jurors could have found Maeweather guilty of the more serious counts.

Kindlon acknowledged that argument was not made at that time and that it did carry such a risk.

A decision is expected within six to eight weeks.
[March 28, 2019] American Lending Center Concludes Tour of Key EB-5 Markets in Asia

American Lending Center (ALC), a leading EB-5 regional center and a subsidiary of Regional Centers Holding Group, concluded visits of key and emerging EB-5 markets throughout Asia. Comprised of conferences sponsored by and seminars led by ALC experts, the tour included stops in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Shanghai, China; Delhi, India; and Taipei and Taichung, Taiwan. ALC President Bruce Thompson represented the regional center, a platinum sponsor, at the EB5 Investors Magazine 2019 EB-5 Expo Ho Chi Minh City held March 14-15. Thompson also spoke on a panel entitled "Latest Legislation: Regional Center Program Update, Keeping Current, Looking to the Future." Following the conference, ALC executives led a seminar on March 16 in Ho Chi Minh City introducing the regional center's unique business model, which has resulted in the completion of over 70 projects exclusively in the senior loan structure. ALC's Vietnam-based team held a second event on March 23, while Thompson traveled to ALC's Delhi office to lead a similar seminar to potential investors in the Indian market interested in the EB-5 immigration and investment process. Additional seminars were held by ALC experts in Taipei and Taichung, Taiwan from March 23-27. John hen, American Lending Center's CEO, meanwhile attended a second conference held by EB5 Investors Magazine in Shanghai, China on March 18, for which ALC served as a gold sponsor. Shen spoke on a panel about "The Realities of EB-5: Current Program Status, USCIS Policies and Litigation, What Chinese Investors Should Consider." Shen, representing one of the few regional centers still recruiting investors in China and the conference's sole U.S. regional center in attendance despite Shanghai's past dominance of the EB-5 program, brought a unique and expert perspective regarding the policy challenges facing the program with his remarks.



"According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the total number of new EB-5 cases filed in 2018 was 6,424, only 53% of the total in 2017," said Shen. "Visa retrogression has significantly reduced the value of the EB-5 program in China, and this trend is unlikely to reverse any time soon. We certainly feel the pain of those families impacted by the visa backlog and are trying to help them in a number of different ways." One such way the regional center has tried to solve the retrogression crisis on behalf of investors is through litigation. ALC currently serves as the only institutional plaintiff in an ongoing lawsuit led by legendary litigator Ira Kurzban challenging the U.S. government to adopt a "one visa to one family" policy.

About American Lending Center American Lending Center (ALC) is a U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Service designated regional center held by Regional Centers Holding Group. ALC offers investment opportunities to immigrant investors interested in obtaining permanent resident status in the U.S. through the employment-based fifth preference visa (EB-5) program. Committed to fulfilling the program's promise of investment in deserving businesses in rural and underserved communities, ALC has successfully provided over 350 million dollars to projects in rural and underserved areas in 19 states and has completed over 70 projects exclusively in the senior loan structure. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005096/en/

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[March 28, 2019] Artificial Intelligence Market: Soaring Demand Assures Motivated Revenue Share during 2018-2023

KD market research provides a forecast for global Artificial Intelligence Market for a span of 6 years i.e. between 2018 and 2023. In terms of Size, market is going to register a XX% CAGR during the forecast years. The provided research provides the market trends and dynamics across seven regions: North America, Latin America, Europe, APAC and Middle East & Africa. These regions influence both current and future status for Artificial Intelligence Market over the forecast period.







Compute Free Sample Report @ https://www.kdmarketresearch.com/sample/1571 Artificial Intelligence research provides a detailed analysis of its global market and insights that is sole reason behind the popularity of Artificial Intelligence technology and its advantages. The report covers detailed analysis of key industry drivers, challenges, market trends as well as market structure. The report has been segregated on the basis of technology, application and global regions. This research also provides an assessment of key stakeholders and their strategies that helps them to succeed in business.



Growth in big data, increasing demand for cloud-based services and rising demand for intelligent virtual assistants are envisioned to bolster the growth of the market. The report begins with an overview of Artificial Intelligence Market in terms of Size. The overview section also includes current market trends, competitors and challenges in the Intelligence market. Challenges mainly come from supply, demand and economy side which are affecting the overall Artificial Intelligence market.





Classification of Artificial Intelligence is based on Offering, Technology, End User, and region. On the basis of Offering market is sub segmented into hardware, Software and Services. On the basis of Technology market is sub segmented into Machine Learning, Computer Vision, Natural Language Processing, Context-Aware Computing and Others. The End User segment is sub segmented into Automotive, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Agriculture, Retail, BFSI and Others.



Report provides detailed analysis for every segment in terms of market size for the Artificial Intelligence Market across different regions. This section also provides a deep analysis that covers key trends of the industry.



Coming to next segment, report provides an analysis of Artificial Intelligence Market for global countries in the region. It covers a market overview for 2018-2023 and gives probable forecast with the context of Artificial Intelligence market. This also covers new technological development and their role in the market. The research covers the pivotal trends within countries contributing to growth of the market, as well as analyses the factors due to which drivers impact the market in each region. Key regions and countries included in this report includes North America (U.S. & Canada), Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Rest of Latin America), Europe (Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, Russia and Rest of Europe), APAC (China, India, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand and Rest of Asia Pacific) and MEA (GCC, North Africa, South Africa and Rest of Middle East & Africa).



This report evaluates the current scenario and the growth objective of the Artificial Intelligence Market across various regions globally for the period 2018 2023. We have considered 2017 as the base year and provided data for the remaining 12 months.



As already mentioned, the global Artificial Intelligence Market is divided into a number of segments. All segments in terms of Offering, Technology, End User, and different regions are examined in terms of base points to understand the relative contributions of each segments to market growth. This detailed level of facts & information is essential for the identification of various key factors in the global Artificial Intelligence market.



In the final section of the report, we have included a competitive landscape to provide clients a dashboard view based on categories of providers in the value chain, their presence in the Artificial Intelligence market, and key differentiators. This section is mainly designed to provide clients an objective and detailed comparative assessment of key providers specific to a market segment in the Artificial Intelligence supply chain and the main competitors for the same. Report audiences can gain segment-specific vendor insights to identify and evaluate key competitors based on the in-depth assessment of capabilities and success in the marketplace. Detailed profiles of providers are also included in the scope of the report to evaluate their long-term and short-term strategies, key offerings, and recent developments in the Artificial Intelligence market. Some of the key competitors covered in the report are Intel, IBM, Microsoft, Google, Oracle, Nvidia, Cisco, SAP, Siemens and Other Major & Niche Players.



Access Full Report Details and Order this Premium Report @ https://www.kdmarketresearch.com/report/artificial-intelligence-market By Offering - Hardware - - - Processors - - - Memory - - - Network - - - Others - Software - - - Platforms - - - Solutions - Services - - - Installation & Integration Services - - - Support & Maintenance By Technology - Machine Learning - Computer Vision - Natural Language Processing - Context-Aware Computing - Others By End User - Automotive - Healthcare - Manufacturing - Agriculture - Retail - BFSI - Others By Geography - North America (U.S. & Canada) - Europe (Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, Russia and Rest of Europe) - Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand and Rest of Asia Pacific) - Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Rest of Latin America) - Middle East & Africa (GCC, North Africa, South Africa and Rest of Middle East & Africa) Competitive Landscape The report profiles various major and niche market players such as - Intel - IBM - Microsoft - Google - Oracle - Nvidia - Cisco - SAP - Siemens - Other Major & Niche Players (Competitive landscape analysis provides detailed strategic analysis of the companys business and performance such as financial information, revenue breakup by segment and by geography, SWOT Analysis, risk analysis, key facts, company overview, business strategy, key product offerings, marketing and distribution strategies, new product development, recent news (acquisition, expansion, technology development, research & development expansion and other market activities.) For more info ...



Check exemption now @ https://www.kdmarketresearch.com/discount/1571 About KD Market Research KD Market Research is one of the best market research organization that provides B2B research on the growth opportunities of the industry which is the prime factor of the overall revenue of the organization. We identify the pain points which our client is facing around revenue methods and provide them with a comprehensive database which helps them to make intelligent decisions that could ensure growth to the organization.



Our Services include market intelligence, competitive intelligence, and customized research. These research reports help the organizations to make quick and powerful decisions that make out highest growth in revenue.



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[March 28, 2019] Bryan Gaston Joins Ankura as Senior Managing Director

WASHINGTON, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Ankura, a leading business advisory and expert services firm that leverages integrated risk management, governance, compliance, investigations, forensics, technology, turnaround and restructuring, and management consulting capabilities, today announced the appointment of restructuring expert Bryan Gaston as Senior Managing Director. Based in Houston, Mr. Gaston brings over 15 years of experience advising distressed companies and creditors in navigating complex restructuring situations both in and out of court. In addition, Mr. Gaston has particular expertise providing business advisory services to energy-related businesses, including managing several energy-related restructuring situations on behalf of secured lenders, debtors, and unsecured creditor committees. He will be working alongside Ankura's talented professional teams to fortify the firm's position in the Houston metro area and grow the firm's energy and restructuring capabilities and reach in that market. "Ankura has one of the strongest turnaround and restructuring advisory offerings and with Bryan we are thrilled to expand that expertise, said Kevin Lavin, Co-President at Ankura. "His energy experience coupled with his proven track record in successfully helping to restructure companies will be an invaluable asset as Ankura continues to leverage its multidisciplinary and tailored approach to delivering client solutions."



Prior to joining Ankura, Mr. Gaston served as a managing director at Opportune where he was responsible for practice leadership and client service delivery. He has held additional roles at other national and boutique restructuring firms where his clients included those in the manufacturing, oilfield services, and upstream exploration and production industries. "I am honored to be joining this talented team of passionate professionals in further developing our energy and restructuring practices and assisting our clients with tailored, effective solutions for their business needs," said Bryan Gaston. "Ankura's rapid growth and well-regarded position in the market is a testament to the expertise and dedication of its professionals. I am fortunate to be collaborating with the best and brightest as we look to enhance the capabilities of our energy and restructuring practices and provide clients with innovative solutions for the most complex challenges impacting them."

About Ankura Ankura is a business advisory and expert services firm defined by HOW we solve challenges. Whether a client is facing an immediate business challenge, trying to increase the value of their company or protect against future risks, Ankura designs, develops, and executes tailored solutions by assembling the right combination of expertise. We build on this experience with every case, client, and situation, collaborating to create innovative, customized solutions, and strategies designed for today's ever-changing business environment. This gives our clients unparalleled insight and experience across a wide range of economic, governance, and regulatory challenges. At Ankura, we know that collaboration drives results. For more information, please visit: www.ankura.com. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bryan-gaston-joins-ankura-as-senior-managing-director-300820218.html SOURCE Ankura

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[March 28, 2019] Cloud Deployments of Computer Aided Dispatch Systems Surge Despite Security Concerns, finds Fact.MR study

The computer aided dispatch market is expected to close in on revenues worth over US$ 1,500 Mn in 2019, according to a recent research of Fact.MR. Growth of the computer aided dispatch market remains influenced by innovations and advancements in technology aiding in widening the scope of application of CAD systems.







The report opines that although on-premise computer aided dispatch systems will continue to hold a significant share of the market, demand for cloud-based CAD systems will increase in the near future. The competition in the logistics and e-commerce sectors is intensifying, as companies shift their focus toward streamlining their dispatch solutions and call centers, to expand their customer base.



Setting up cloud-based CAD systems is relatively straightforward and deprives the requirement of additional hardware, which in turn provides companies with an economic alternative. Additionally, leading cloud service-providers are continuously fortifying their security to create an enhanced infrastructure for supporting the systems.





Request For Sample Report- https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=3060 Companies and public safety institutions are finding cloud-based computer aided dispatch systems increasingly useful owing to the systems ability to allow seamless information exchange between departments. The study estimates the cloud-based CAD systems to register a Y-o-Y growth of 11.3% in 2019.



Growing Investments by Public Safety Institutions to Underpin Growth As modern computer aided dispatch systems enable public safety and law enforcement institutions to gain real-time information on contemporary incidences, state administrations and public safety institutions are investments into upgrading their existing call management systems. For instance, Calgarys government recently collaborated with Hexagon Safety & Infrastructure to upgrade its 911 response systems. On similar lines, the Scotts Bluff County in Nebraska, USA also deployed computer aided dispatch systems across different public safety verticals to shorten response times and serve citizens better.



Sophisticated computer aided dispatch systems, integrated with artificial intelligence and navigation technologies, recommend efficient routes, monitor resources, and streamline the complete dispatching process, which in turn aids in curtailing the response times. The study opines widespread adoption of computer aided dispatch systems in governmental organizations to bolster market growth, with revenues estimated at nearly US$ 600 Mn in 2018.



Browse Full Report on Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) Market with TOC- https://www.factmr.com/report/3060/computer-aided-dispatch-cad-market Computer aided dispatch services are finding robust demand in law enforcement agencies, as enhanced sophisticated computer aided dispatch systems continue to benefit these in managing calls on the basis of their priority to keep radio channels free for higher priority incidences. Features such as silent dispatching which allows law enforcement agencies to respond quickly are further adding to the growing popularity of the computer aided dispatch systems.



Innovations in the field are upholding the demand with new systems, such as Garda, being developed to overcome the shortcomings of the existing systems. Garda has been designed to allow central monitoring of incidences and calls, which will enable public safety organizations to dispatch the nearest responders circumventing the current problems that divisional response units face.



Have Any Query? Ask Our Industry Experts- https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=AE&rep_id=3060 CAD Systems Integrated with AVL Gain Ground Computer aided dispatch systems are finding increasing usage in the transportation industry. Taxi and cab services are innovating constantly to tailor the system to their requirements. Moreover, computer aided dispatch systems coupled with automatic vehicle location (AVL) is being leveraged by multiple local authorities to revamp the existing public mass transit systems to serve citizens better.



AVL reports the location of the vehicle, and CAD systems help municipal corporations keep a track of the fleet and dispatch buses on time. Additionally, these systems help in scheduling public transport system efficiently while providing drivers precise rerouting instructions in case of incidences. Rochesters Regional Transit Service (RTS) decided to upgrade its CAD and AVL systems along similar lines in 2018 to make public transportation more efficient and attractive for riders.



This report also tracks the computer aided dispatch market for the period 2018-2028. The computer aided dispatch market is projected to grow at 10.9% CAGR through 2028.



To Buy Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) Market Report, Check- https://www.factmr.com/checkout/3060/S About Fact.MR Fact.MR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.



Contact Us Fact.MR 11140 Rockville Pike Suite 400 Rockville, MD 20852 United States Email: [email protected] Web: https://www.factmr.com/ As a community-building service, TMCnet allows user submitted content which is not always proofed by TMCnet editors. If you feel this entry is of inferior quality or wish to report it for some reason, please forward the URL to "webedit [AT] tmcnet [DOT] com" with your comments.

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[March 28, 2019] Comsys AB Earns Acclaim from Frost & Sullivan for Its Innovative and Economical Harmonic Filters for the Global Market

A strong partnership network and compliance with international standards add considerable value to Comsys' products and services SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 28, 2019 /CNW/ -- Based on its recent analysis of the global harmonic filters market, Frost & Sullivan recognizes Sweden and Lund-based Comsys AB (ADF Power Tuning) with the 2018 Global Customer Value Leadership Award. The company provides a unique, economical decision-making tool that incorporates artificial intelligence (AI) into the software of its units to self monitor and record faults to improve system performance. Its ADF products are the only ones in the market capable of sensorless control, thereby simplifying their installation and commissioning. "Comsys ensures the provision of high-quality, compliant power products and equipment protection warranties for its customers. A major contributor to its success is the ADF Academy, which offers training on sales, technology and product overview, power quality, sizing, installation, commissioning, services, and troubleshooting," said Shubhuti Kiran Ghimire, Research Analyst. "Comsys performs a bench-test on every product, assuring customers of a wholesome ownership experience." Comsys offers four service packages for addressing customers' specific needs, backed by a variety of training sessions and local, language-agnostic customer support. These products are complaint with international standards, regulations, and recognized Det Norske Veritas-Germanischer Lloyd (DNV GL) rules, making them ideal for global customers in the marine, oil and gas, water treatment, processes, data center, and renewable energy verticals. In addition, the company delivers detailed annual saving sheets, along with payback times to assist clients in their decision-making. Other value-added services such as customized maintenance agreements and quick stock selecion that benefits customers enhance the company's profile in terms of service and branding.



Comsys has been growing globally and is steadily adding new partners while simultaneously nurturing relationships with existing ones. The company has established collaborations with OEMs and other market players such as Danfoss, Siemens, Toshiba, Eaton, and Rockwell, which has allowed it to supply more units than its competitors deliver. Looking ahead, Comsys plans to add the function of active filters for the energy industry to make the most of the rise of renewable energy sources and the rollout of charging stations for cars, trucks, and busses. "Comsys' delivery of high-quality solutions on time, improved global services, and a variety of training sessions have not only enhanced customer experience, but also helped it charge competitively for power tuning products, as the total cost of ownership of the units will be less," noted Shubhuti Kiran Ghimire. "These product and service benefits give the company a distinct edge over its competitors and have positioned it for further growth."

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that has demonstrated excellence in implementing strategies that proactively create value for its customers with a focus on improving the return on investment that customers make in its services or products. The award recognizes the company's unique focus on augmenting the value that its customers receive, beyond simply good customer service, leading to improved customer retention and customer base expansion. Frost & Sullivan Best Practices awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry. About Comsys AB (ADF Power Tuning)

Comsys AB, based in Lund Sweden, has a business that is based on developing methods and products in digital energy control in order to optimize and improve energy flow in a variety of different applications. The leading technology provides solutions for grid operators, industry automation, building automation, data center and marine applications to mention a few to improve power quality and meet the increasingly difficult demands set by standards and utility companies. It has also become increasingly common for the technology to be used in connection with electricity production and energy storage mainly in solar and wind energy as these applications are constantly challenged by everything stronger demands from grid operators' owners around the world. About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today's market participants. For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community. Contact us: Start the discussion . Contact: Bianca Torres

P: 1.210.477.8418

E: [email protected] Marcus Lofgren

P: +46 768 870 979

[email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comsys-ab-earns-acclaim-from-frost--sullivan-for-its-innovative-and-economical-harmonic-filters-for-the-global-market-300819882.html SOURCE Frost & Sullivan

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[March 28, 2019] Cubic to Drive the Conversation on the Future of Mobility at IBTTA Technology Summit

SAN DIEGO, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Cubic Corporation (NYSE:CUB) today announced its Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS) business division will discuss the importance of Mobility as a Service (MaaS) and showcase its Road User Charging solution at the International Bridge, Tunnel & Turnpike Association (IBTTA)'s annual Technology Summit. Taking place from March 31  April 2 in Orlando, Florida, the Technology Summit covers a variety of technological applications and business practices which are increasingly being incorporated into tolling operations. "It's essential for tolling to become a part of the wider MaaS trend as multimodal transportation continues to be the core of future mobility services," said Crissy Ditmore, director of straegy, Cubic Transportation Systems. "A more holistic form of revenue collection where drivers make micropayments based on their mileage and the zones they travel in, similar to current practice on public transportation, could be the advantageous result of a flexible MaaS structure."



Ditmore and CTS Business Development Director Keith Foxe will present during the following breakout sessions at the Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld: What is MaaS and Why Is It Important?

"Putting Transit Front and Center of the Conversation"

Keith Foxe , Business Development Director, CTS

Date/Time: Monday, April 1 ; 10:30 a.m.12 p.m. (local time)

Location: Oceans 4



"Putting Transit Front and Center of the Conversation" , Business Development Director, CTS Date/Time: ; 10:30 a.m.12 p.m. (local time) Location: Oceans 4 MaaS Implementation and Operations

"MaaS  Same Old Stuff, Something New or a Solution to Revolutionize Transport?"

Crissy Ditmore , Director of Strategy, CTS

Date/Time: Monday, April 1 ; 3:30 p.m.5 p.m. (local time)

Location: Oceans 4 Cubic will feature its Road User Charging Back Office solution designed for multiagency use, while allowing each tolling entity to have control over its own business rules, revenue apportionment and general ledger. The solution lays a solid foundation for account-based payment processing and customer services across entire states or multistate regions for any number of agencies or types of operators.

Cubic is a proud Platinum sponsor of IBTTA. Follow CTS on Twitter @CubicTS and join the social media conversation with #IBTTAOrlando. About Cubic Corporation Cubic is a technology-driven, market-leading provider of integrated solutions that increase situational understanding for transportation, defense C4ISR and training customers worldwide to decrease urban congestion and improve the militaries' effectiveness and operational readiness. Our teams innovate to make a positive difference in people's lives. We simplify their daily journeys. We promote mission success and safety for those who serve their nation. For more information about Cubic, please visit www.cubic.com or on Twitter @CubicCorp. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cubic-to-drive-the-conversation-on-the-future-of-mobility-at-ibtta-technology-summit-300819979.html SOURCE Cubic Corporation

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[March 28, 2019] Evati Rapidly Innovates as Customers Save and Invest Millions on Its Platform

EVANSTON, Ill., March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Evati's mission to help all Americans break out of living paycheck-to-paycheck and build a foundation for financial stability is starting to take hold. Their focus on continuous innovation and building a whole new way to think about personal finance is paying off as total assets under management grew to millions of dollars. This uptick is supported by a steady stream of downloads of the company's updated app following a major upgrade to the experience in February. Evati believes that transparency, simplicity and honest value are the key to success. People work hard for their money. Saving and investing should be easy. That's why the company takes user experience seriously while also doing everything possible to ensure their customers have rigorously designed investment portfolios, regardless of whether they seek short-term savings goals or long-term portfolios with 20-plus-year time horizons. Behind Evati's simple and intuitive app are powerful financial models and algorithms. Evati employs those tools through its investment advisory subsidiary Evati Advisory Services LLC to determine what kinds of investments are appropriate for particular investors. Evati Advisory then directs those investments into diversified model portfolios designed by Morningstar Investment Management LLC, a leading provider of?discretionary?investment management and advisory services and a subsidiary of Morningstar Inc. Morningstar Investment Management seeks to build and manage model portfolios using a disciplined investment process to create strategies that incorporate a wide variety of investment objectives, and the portfolios are regularly monitored to help ensure they remain well-positioned and risk-aware as the market changes. "The best part about the results we are seeing is that this is just the beginning," said Pete Clemson, Evati's CEO and co-founder "The level of innovation that occurs when you get the right team of experienced professionals together is simply astounding. Our whole team is thrilled about this rapid growth and we are already looking forward to bringing the next round of innovations to our customers."



Evati Advisory Services, LLC is a registered investment advisor based in Evanston, Illinois. The company provides its investment management services through a sleek mobile app and through its website. Customers can start saving and investing for future goals with a few simple taps  all the tools are in the palms of their hands. Evati is easy to use, inexpensive and designed to empower people to set, track and achieve their financial goals. In addition to partnering with its customers, Evati has a strong commitment to helping others, which is why, for every new account that is opened and active for at least three months, Evati donates one dollar to charity. The company deeply believes that its customers, employees and communities are all on this journey together and actively gives back to the communities where its employees live and work.

For more information about Evati, its funding and its charitable efforts, please contact Rob Spalding: 888-382-8475 or [email protected]. Investment advisory services are provided by Evati Advisory Services LLC, a registered investment advisor. Morningstar Investment Management LLC is a registered investment adviser and subsidiary of Morningstar Inc. Morningstar Investment Management LLC is not affiliated with Evati Inc. or Evati Advisory Services LLC. Morningstar Investment Management LLC provides model portfolios to Evati Advisory Services, however, Evati Advisory Services has full discretion to invest its client accounts in accordance with or to deviate from the model portfolios. Morningstar Investment Management is not acting in an advisory capacity to Evati Advisory Services' clients. Brokerage services are provided by Tradier Brokerage Inc., a registered broker/dealer and member FINRA/SIPC. All investments involve risk, including the loss of the principal investment. Investments are not FDIC insured. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Related Images evati.jpg

EVATI Related Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=br3VpDeoR74 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/evati-rapidly-innovates-as-customers-save-and-invest-millions-on-its-platform-300820047.html SOURCE Evati Inc.

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[March 28, 2019] Grupo Fleury Streamlines Demand Planning with FICO Platform

SAO PAULO, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Highlights: Grupo Fleury, one of Brazil's largest diagnostic medical companies, worked with FICO to create a demand planning management tool, known as the Fleury Forecaster

largest diagnostic medical companies, worked with FICO to create a demand planning management tool, known as the Fleury Forecaster The Fleury Forecaster has drastically reduced the time taken to create a sales forecast

The company's sales forecasts have increased in accuracy, showing an overall mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of less than 10 percent

Grupo Fleury has been recognized in the AI, Machine Learning & Optimization category at the 2018 FICO Decisions Awards Grupo Fleury, one of Brazil's largest diagnostic medicine companies, has created an automated demand planning management platform  the Fleury Forecaster  with the help of FICO Xpress Insight. Using this platform, Group Fleury has slashed the time needed to create a sales forecast. Forecasts have also become more accurate and granular in detail, with the overall margin of error now less than 10 percent. For its achievements, Grupo Fleury has been recognized in the AI, Machine Learning & Optimization category in the 2018 FICO Decisions Awards. More information: https://www.fico.com/en/products/fico-xpress-insight Grupo Fleury manages a robust demand planning process in order to appropriately allocate its 10,000+ employees at the necessary locations for the appropriate amount of time. In order to manage this complex process, Grupo Fleury must reconcile supply and demand as well as new product plans at both the detailed and aggregate levels. "Our challenge was to adapt available technologies to managing demand planning processes for a diagnostic medicine business," said Eduardo Bianchetti, manager of Pricing, Commercial Intelligence and Portfolio at Grupo Fleury. "FICO's knowledge in operationalizing analytics and optimization was used to build a platform based on artificial intelligence and machine learning. We ca now provide the most valuable information to our planning analysts, which facilitates overall decision-making. We are expecting significant cost savings through more efficient resource allocation."



The Fleury Forecaster can show both real-time levels of demand and continuously updated demand forecasts across Grupo Fleury's extensive medical services portfolio. The platform has dynamic dashboards that are important to make critical analysis of the results and that help with managing the forecast process. Having all this information contained in an integrated, user-friendly interface enables the company to identify its most pressing pain points, distinguish its best growth opportunities, and plan to effectively address and capitalize on each. "Our team worked closely with Grupo Fleury to build a forecast tool with a powerful analytics engine," said Alexandre Graff, general manager for FICO in Latin America. "This is an excellent example of combining classical statistical time-series models with AI / machine learning techniques and an intuitive user experience to improve speed and performance."

FICO Xpress Insight is one of four core components of FICO Xpress Optimization. FICO Xpress Optimization allows businesses to solve their toughest problems, faster, and with unprecedented accessibility by business users. FICO's deep portfolio of optimization options enables users to easily build, deploy and use optimization solutions that meet their needs. FICO Xpress Optimization is part of the FICO Decision Management Suite. About the FICO Decisions Awards The FICO Decisions Awards recognize organizations that are achieving remarkable success using FICO solutions. A panel of independent judges with deep industry expertise evaluates nominations based upon measurable improvement in key metrics; demonstrated use of best practices; project scale, depth and breadth; and innovative uses of technology. The 2018 judges are: Sid Dash , research director at Chartis Research

, research director at Chartis Research Tanya Andreasyan , editor-in-chief, FinTech Futures / Banking Technology

, editor-in-chief, FinTech Futures / Banking Technology Anna Milne , editor at Finextra

, editor at Finextra Julie Conroy , research director for Aite Group's Retail Banking practice

, research director for Aite Group's Retail Banking practice Andras Cser , principal analyst - security and risk professionals at Forrester

, principal analyst - security and risk professionals at Forrester Mon Pernia, head of consumer collections, Globe Telecom (2017 winner)

John Rymer , principal analyst - application development & delivery professionals at Forrester The winners of the FICO Decisions Awards will be spotlighted at FICO World 2019, the Decisions Conference, November 4-7 in New York City. About FICO FICO (NYSE: FICO) powers decisions that help people and businesses around the world prosper. Founded in 1956 and based in Silicon Valley, the company is a pioneer in the use of predictive analytics and data science to improve operational decisions. FICO holds more than 190 US and foreign patents on technologies that increase profitability, customer satisfaction and growth for businesses in financial services, telecommunications, health care, retail and many other industries. Using FICO solutions, businesses in more than 100 countries do everything from protecting 2.6 billion payment cards from fraud, to helping people get credit, to ensuring that millions of airplanes and rental cars are in the right place at the right time. Learn more at http://www.fico.com FICO is a registered trademark of Fair Isaac Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/grupo-fleury-streamlines-demand-planning-with-fico-platform-300820076.html SOURCE FICO

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[March 28, 2019] The Hartford Named A Best Place To Work For LGBTQ Equality For 11th Year

The Hartford has received a perfect score of 100 percent on the 2019 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), a national benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) workplace equality, administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. This marks the 11th year The Hartford has received this recognition. "The Hartford has a long history of proudly supporting and advocating for the LGBTQ community," said The Hartford's Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, Susan Johnson (News - Alert). "We are honored to be recognized for the work we do every day to cultivate a diverse workforce and inclusive workplace where all employees are empowered to engage and contribute to the company's long-term success." In addition to strong leadership support, the company's employees are actively engaged in LGBTQ advocacy. This includes sponsoring and marching in local Pride Parades and participating in GLOBE (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Organization Benefiting Everyone), the first of the company's nine employee resource groups. GLOBE, which was founded in 1996, champions the growth and development of its members by providing the company with a center of expertise for LGBTQ awareness, networking and business practices. For more information, visit http://thehartford.com/our-company/diversity. As part of the company's ongoing support of the LGBTQ community, The Hartford will light the sign on top of its Tower Building in Hartford, Connecticut, light blue, white and light pink on March 31 in recognition of International Transgender Day of Visibility. The 2019 CEI evaluates LGBTQ-related policies and practices including non-discrimination workplace protections, domestic partner benefits, transgender-inclusive health care benefits, competency programs, and public engagement with the LGBTQ community. The Hartford's efforts in satisfying all of the CEI's criteria results in a 100 percent ranking and the designation as a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality.



For more information on the 2019 Corporate Equality Index, or to download a free copy of the report, visit www.hrc.org/cei. About The Human Rights Campaign Foundation

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community. About The Hartford The Hartford is a leader in property and casualty insurance, group benefits and mutual funds. With more than 200 years of expertise, The Hartford is widely recognized for its service excellence, sustainability practices, trust and integrity. More information on the company and its financial performance is available at https://www.thehartford.com. Follow us on Twitter (News - Alert) at www.twitter.com/TheHartford_PR. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., (NYSE: HIG) operates through its subsidiaries under the brand name, The Hartford, and is headquartered in Hartford, Conn. For additional details, please read The Hartford's legal notice. HIG-C Some of the statements in this release may be considered forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We caution investors that these forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results may differ materially. Investors should consider the important risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ. These important risks and uncertainties include those discussed in our 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Forms 10-Q, and the other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We assume no obligation to update this release, which speaks as of the date issued. From time to time, The Hartford may use its website to disseminate material company information. Financial and other important information regarding The Hartford is routinely accessible through and posted on our website at https://ir.thehartford.com. In addition, you may automatically receive email alerts and other information about The Hartford when you enroll your email address by visiting the "Email Alerts" section at https://ir.thehartford.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005101/en/

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[March 28, 2019] MEDIA ALERT: Marketing Evolution President to Speak at Forrester Consumer Marketing 2019

Next week at Forrester Consumer Marketing 2019, Marketing Evolution President, John Matthews Czuj, will discuss new approaches to marketing measurement for a competitive advantage. He will provide insight into why marketers must trade old, siloed methods for a forward-looking, unified measurement strategy. Attendees will understand whether current marketing investments are paying off and how to prove it through meaningful ROI. WHO: John Matthews Czuj, president, Marketing Evolution

WHAT: Forrester (News - Alert) Consumer Marketing 2019 Solution Session: "Marketing Meaurement and Optimization for Today's Marketer"





WHEN: Tuesday, April 2, 2:40 - 3:10 p.m.

WHERE: New York Marriott Marquis, 1535 Broadway, New York, NY 10036 Marketing Evolution will also be hosting informational sessions in booth #305, located in the Broadway Ballroom of the New York Marriott Marquis. Stop by to learn about the latest trends in advanced marketing measurement, how to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your media spend, and why person-level data is the key to propelling your marketing and business priorities forward. To sign up for a 1:1 session please register here.

About Marketing Evolution

Marketing Evolution provides the most powerful marketing measurement and optimization solutions that increase campaign performance, sales, and engagement. Leveraging patented technology and data from hundreds of sources, our breakthrough person-centric approach provides marketers with actionable insights to prospectively recommend media, message, and budget allocation. Forward-looking brands rely on Marketing Evolution to deliver accurate unified marketing measurement across both online and offline channels, while maximizing their media spend, marketing return on investment (ROI), and brand impact. To learn more, please visit https://www.marketingevolution.com/. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005082/en/

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[March 27, 2019] Mitsubishi Electric to Launch NEXIEZ-LITE MRL Elevator in India

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (TOKYO: 6503) announced today that its subsidiary Mitsubishi (News - Alert) Elevator India Private Limited (IMEC) will launch the NEXIEZ-LITE MRL elevator, an Indian-produced model that does not require a machine room, on April 1. The model will be added to the NEXIEZ-LITE series of elevators for midrise and low-rise residences, office buildings and hotels in India, the world's second-largest elevator market. Manufacturer IMEC aims to sell 1,000 units in 2021. Main Features of NEXIEZ-LITE MRL 1) Machine room-less model meets special needs in Indian market Responds to Indian-market needs, including demands for architectural design freedom and effective usage of floor space 2) Local production shortens delivery time and reduces costs for greater competitiveness Newly developed, locally produced model creates new opportunities for machine room-less elevators in India, which previously had to be imported from Japan and Thailand

Local production avoids customs duties, lowers transport costs, and quickens delivery and installation







Sales Details Product name Use Capacity (Persons) Speed Launch Price NEXIEZ-LITE MRL Passenger 544 to 1,020 kg (8 to 15) 60m/min or

105m/min April 1, 2019 By quote

Background The elevator market in India continues to expand as the national economy grows. Annual demand for new installations in the fiscal year ending in March 2019 is believed to have totaled about 52,000 units, second only to China, and is expected to continue rising. Up to now, machine room-less elevators manufactured in Japan and Thailand have been supplied to India. In view of the local demand for architectural design freedom and effective usage of floor space, however, IMEC decided to introduce the NEXIEZ-LITE MRL in the NEXIEZ-LITE series, which is sold exclusively in India. Mitsubishi Electric (News - Alert) and IMEC now look forward to providing customers with safe and reliable products and services in the expanding Indian market. For the full text, please visit: www.MitsubishiElectric.com/news/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190327005224/en/

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[March 28, 2019] Rosatom Ranked Best Employer in Russia

MOSCOW, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Rosatom, the global technological leader in high-performance clean energy solutions, has been named best employer of 2018 in Russia in a national ranking by HeadHunter, a top HR management platform and resource center. In a vote, the company achieved the highest score by employees, candidates and experts out of over 1,000 biggest Russian companies. Commenting on the accolade, Tatyana Terentyeva, HR Director of Rosatom, said: "We're immensely proud of this achievement which is testament to our strong company culture of always putting our people first. "The growth of regional and international projects has given employees and applicants the chance to work in multicultural, cross-divisional and cross-functional project teams. Digitalisation, alone, will open vacancies for 1,000 new specialists this year, from software developers to product and data scientists. "Whilst we are delighted with this recognition, there is no room for complacency though for corporations around the world. Evidence is mountng of a widening mismatch between what employers need and what human resources are trained to do. We operate in over 40 countries across the world and we can see that it is a global problem which needs to be addressed and addressed urgently.



"We believe that the responsibility lies with human capital stakeholders, such as large multinationals, universities and governments to begin discussing the policy response in earnest. We hope that the gathering of these parties at the global Skills Summit, taking place alongside the WorldSkills 2019 Conference in Kazan this August, to address the global skills gap which affects everyone, will be an important starting point from which companies and governments can work together to help solve this issue." The HeadHunter rating took into account three indicators, using a unique methodology developed in conjunction with PwC and ECOPSY Consulting. The first was applicants choosing companies which they would like to work for (this counted for 40% of the total). The second was based on a professional questionnaire that employees completed, evaluating the company's HR function (this counted for 20% of the total). The last was an assessment of existing employees and their engagement in the company's affairs (this counted for 40% of the total).

The company has been among the top-rated employers in the ranking for several years, taking 3rd and 2nd place in 2016 and 2017, respectively. About Rosatom https://www.rosatom.ru/en/about-us/ View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rosatom-ranked-best-employer-in-russia-300820180.html SOURCE Rosatom

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[March 28, 2019] Ryan and Sovos Enter Partnership, Provide Enhanced Technologies for Tax Reporting

Ryan, a leading global tax services and software provider, announced it has entered into a strategic partnership with Sovos. The partnership will provide businesses operating globally with the tax technology solutions needed to stay ahead of the rapidly changing regulatory and compliance demands being spurred as governments increasingly embrace digital capabilities for tax reporting. "To remain compliant, multinational corporations must comply with the latest tax regulations in the various countries where they conduct business. This requires software that accommodates the shift to e-invoicing," said Ryan Tax Technology Principal and Practice Leader Grant Smith. "Sovos' comprehensive tax software is a perfect complement to Ryan's implementation services." Sovos, recently named a leader in the IDC (News - Alert) MarketScape of global tax automation software, offers the first complete solution for modern tax. The Sovos Intelligent Compliance Cloud combines tax determination and reporting tools for sales and use tax, value-added tax (VAT), and other transactional taxes with digital reporting and e-invoicing compliance software. The solution is supported by the company's S1 cloud platform, which enables Sovos to do the hard work for businesses, handling their compliance across al financial systems, while supporting them with highly reliable, scalable, and secure cloud infrastructure.



This partnership gives Ryan clients access to an expanded portfolio of software products to meet their evolving tax compliance and government reporting needs. "Ryan has a proven reputation in providing innovative tax technology services," said Sovos Solution Principal Casper Winkelman. "Their expertise and Sovos' Intelligent Compliance Cloud provide a solution for businesses to stay on top of fast-changing government regulations and manage their global tax compliance and reporting more accurately and efficiently."

About Sovos Sovos is a leading global provider of software that safeguards businesses from the burden and risk of modern tax. As governments and businesses go digital, businesses face increased risks, costs, and complexity. The Sovos Intelligent Compliance Cloud is the first complete solution for modern tax, giving businesses a global solution for tax determination, e-invoicing compliance, and tax reporting. Sovos supports 5,000 customers, including half of the Fortune 500, and integrates with a wide variety of business applications. The company has offices throughout North America, Latin America, and Europe. Sovos is owned by London-based Hg. For more information, visit www.sovos.com and follow Sovos on LinkedIn and Twitter. About Ryan Ryan, an award-winning global tax services and software provider, is the largest Firm in the world dedicated exclusively to business taxes. With global headquarters in Dallas, Texas, the Firm provides an integrated suite of federal, state, local, and international tax services on a multijurisdictional basis, including tax recovery, consulting, advocacy, compliance, and technology services. Ryan is a seven-time recipient of the International Service Excellence Award from the Customer Service Institute of America (CSIA) for its commitment to world-class client service. Empowered by the dynamic myRyan work environment, which is widely recognized as the most innovative in the tax services industry, Ryan's multidisciplinary team of more than 2,500 professionals and associates serves over 14,000 clients in more than 50 countries, including many of the world's most prominent Global 5000 companies. More information about Ryan can be found at ryan.com. "Ryan" and "Firm" refer to the global organizational network and may refer to one or more of the member firms of Ryan International, each of which is a separate legal entity. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005112/en/

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[March 28, 2019] Smart Camera Market 2018 Leading Growth Drivers, Emerging Audience, Industry Segments, Sales, Recent Trends, Profits and Regional Study

Smart Camera Market Overview: Smart camera is the advanced version of conventional cameras. The smart camera offers the transfer of photos through the wireless technology such as near field communications (NFC), Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The smart camera are extensively used in electronic gadgets such as laptop, smartphones and PCs. The photos which are captured through the smart camera can easily transferred to other devices and shared through the social networking sites such as Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and many more.







The major growth driver of Smart Cameras Market includes growing technological advancement in camera market, growing electronics and semiconductor industries, and rise in adoption of automation systems by homes and industries among others.



Increase in demand for security and surveillance, sophisticated features, and ease of installation process in the electronic gadgets are expected to be propelling features for the smart camera market. However, lack of standardization and constant review of regulatory policies of local bodies of different economies on the installation of smart cameras at sensitive locations are presumed to be hinder the growth of Smart Camera Market.





Major Key Players: Some of the major players in Global Smart Camera Market include - Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (Republic of Korea), Panasonic Corporation (Japan), Olympus Corporation (Japan), Canon Inc. (Japan), Fujifilm Corporation (Japan), Micro-scan Systems, Inc. (U.S.), Nikon Corporation (Japan) and XIMEA GmbH (Germany) among others, are profiled in MRFR Analysis and are at the forefront of competition in the global smart camera market.



Request a Free Sample Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1326 Industry News: April 2017, Panasonic had unveiled new HD home monitoring camera. Panasonic Corporation has launched Panasonic KX-HNC800B model of HD home monitoring camera which is powerful wireless technology to access real-time monitoring from android and iOS devices.



November 2017, Nikon released version 2.0 of SnapBridge app that connects a Nikon digital camera to smart device. SnapBridge app facilitate their users to connect the Nikon digital camera via Bluetooth connections to smart gadget. It also includes new functions, containing instructions for connecting to a camera that enables the app to use in an easiest way.



Smart Camera Market Global Market Segmentation: Segmentation by Component: Sensors, Digitization Circuit, Lighting Device/LED, Communication Technology, and Storage Hardware Segmentation by Sensor Technology: CMOS, CCD Segmentation by Scanning Technology: Area Scan, Line Scan.



Segmentation by Integration: Single Chip Smart Cameras, Embedded Smart Cameras, Stand-Alone Smart Cameras, and Distributed Smart Cameras.



Segmentation by Application: Security & Surveillance, Fingerprint Readers, Face Recognition, Traffic Surveillance, Robotics, and Industrial Machine Vision Segmentation by End User: Public Spaces, Military & Defense, Transit Facilities, Commercial Facilities, Enterprise & Government Infrastructure, and Residential Infrastructure Segmentation by Region: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Rest of the World.



Browse Full Report Details @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/smart-cameras-market-1326 Smart Camera Market Global Market Regional Analysis: Asia Pacific is expected to dominate the global smart camera market with the largest market share in the region. This is attributed to large number of manufacturers and suppliers of electronics components and semiconductors are encouraging the smart camera devices to gain the desired results. Furthermore, China, Taiwan, Republic of Korea, and Japan are the prominent countries leading in the Asia Pacific region. North America region is expected to have the significant growth over the forecast period due to presence of sophisticated technology.



About Market Research Future: At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.



Contact Market Research Future Office No. 528, Amanora Chambers Magarpatta Road, Hadapsar, Pune  411028 Maharashtra, India +1 646 845 9312 Email: [email protected] As a community-building service, TMCnet allows user submitted content which is not always proofed by TMCnet editors. If you feel this entry is of inferior quality or wish to report it for some reason, please forward the URL to "webedit [AT] tmcnet [DOT] com" with your comments.

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Session Division Bhakkar Jobs 2019

Latest Session Division Posts Bhakkar 2021 Experienced and responsible persons for the posts of Cook, Naib Qasid, Mali, Chowkidar, Watchman & Sweeper required for the office of the District & Session Judge in Bhakkar Punjab 2019.

How to Apply on Session Division Job Advertisement

Apply as per details in job advertisement. In some cases, you may apply online at vacancies after registering at https://www.jobz.pk online.

Note: Beware of Fraudulent Recruiting Activities. If an employer asks to pay money for any purpose, do not pay at all and report us at contact us form. Apply as per instuctions & dates mentioned in official job ad. Govt jobs may not be applied online here. Human typing error is possible. Error & omissions excepted.
[March 27, 2019] Gido launching e-commerce express delivery service from China to Vietnam in only 3 days

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Gido has launched its cross-border express delivery service from China to Vietnam in 3 working days at the price US$1.95 per parcel. According to Meticulous Research, the global e-commerce market will grow at a CAGR of 11.1% from 2018 to 2025 and will reach US$24.3 trillion by 2025. In particular, China is currently the largest e-commerce market in the world, accounting for 42% of the global market share. According to McKinsey Global Institute's report, China's ability to handle online transactions per year is higher than total of five countries France, Germany, Japan, USA and England. Especially, the Chinese government's decision to raise the purchase limit for cross-border e-commerce by the end of 2018 promises a huge growth for this market in 2019. This not only brings opportunities for global retailers to infiltrate in the 1.4 billion people market but also opens a potential market for cross-border logistics companies. Introduction to Gido - Digital Forwarding Platform Gido is a branch of GHN -- top E-commerce express delivery service in Vietnam, with a goal to deliver cross-border e-commerce parcels from China & Korea to Vietnam within 3 to 5 days. Gido builds a modern IT systm to connect multiple delivery partners in different countries along cross-border routes on one single platform to increase handling capacity, reduce transit time, tracking transparently in order to scale things up with the lowest cost.



All parcels shipped by Gido are 100% officially customs clearance. Customers can either submit the parcels and recipients information via Excel file or integrate API with Gido system. With high operating capacity based on modern technology platform, parcels will be delivered end-to-end to the recipients in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City within 3 days at the cost US$1.95 per parcel from China, and US$3.95 per parcel from Korea. This pricing applies to all e-commerce parcels which does not exceed 3 kg in weight and 1,000,000 VND in value (Vietnam's de minimis value).

What opportunities for Gido in the cross-border e-commerce "game"? Being a newcomer, what is Gido's breakthrough to be able to confronted with experienced companies? "We are inspired by asset-light business model of Cainiao, 4PX, Janio... to connect multiple delivery partners along cross-border routes on one single platform," Hai Vo - CEO of Gido said. "This enables us to combine partners' operation capacity with our own infrastructure more than 1.000 stations, 30.000 drivers nationwide to provide a comprehensive cross-border e-commerce delivery solution with minimal setup time and cost in comparison to other asset-heavy companies. Moreover, Gido provides unified tracking numbers for all stakeholders: sellers, buyers and marketplaces, to have real time tracking of the parcels from the sellers in China / Korea until successful delivery to the end buyers in Vietnam, on gido.vn website." Gido commits to provide cheaper and faster solution for cross-border delivery of e-commerce packages from China to Vietnam with the following offerings: Express delivery fee US$1.95 per parcel from Shenzhen ( China ) to all recipients across Vietnam

3 working days delivery from Gido hub in Shenzhen ( China ) to end recipients in Hanoi / Ho Chi Minh City , and maximum 5 working days to all other provinces in Vietnam

Official express clearance for every parcels Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20190311/2399134-1-a

Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20190311/2399134-1-b

Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20190311/2399134-1-c SOURCE Gido

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[March 27, 2019] NEORIS Announces Diamond Sponsorship of eMerge Americas 2019

MIAMI, March 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- NEORIS, a digital transformation service provider that accelerates capabilities for global enterprises, today announced its Diamond Sponsorship of eMerge Americas 2019. The conference takes place April 29-30 at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami, FL. Industry leaders, and custom-made robots, will be present at booth no. 437 throughout the event to collaborate with the digitally aspirational and discuss the latest in tech trends. On Monday, April 29, Anthony DeLima delivers Artificial Intelligence: Rethinking Humanity's Evolution, a keynote address that challenges artificial intelligence's status quo, its trajectory and forecasts its implications on humanity's evolution. "The rise of cognitive technologies, such as AI, is leading the new-age business revolution. NEORIS' sponsorship elements coupled with my keynote address will undoubtedly defy the permeability of digital boundaries. Our industry-leaders understand the shift in business demands, harness its challenges, and design strategies to overcome them, and we look forward to proving that at eMerge Americas," says Anthony DeLima, Head of Digital Transformation and Global CTO at NEORIS. On Tuesday, April 30, Martin Mendez hosts a private executive lunch to present Interconnecting Industrie to Intersect Successes, an exploration of multi-industry successes and insights that drive business valuation and enhance corporate proficiency.



"NEORIS' distinct approach to embracing perspectives from mixed industries and their successes allows us to break the proverbial glass ceiling of traditional transformation journeys. Our presence at eMerge Americas furthers our advocacy for encouraging and implementing diverse paradigms, my event in particular is sure to invoke executives to reimagine core values and organizational goals," says Martin Mendez, CEO at NEORIS. Visit NEORIS' sponsorship page to learn more, explore various engagement options, and RSVP to attend eMerge Americas as NEORIS' guest: https://www.neoris.com/emerge-event.

About NEORIS

NEORIS is a leading global consultancy that co-creates disruptive solutions for digitally aspirational companies to boost their connections with customers, employees and stakeholders; ignited by creative teams with deep industry knowledge and technical expertise. Headquartered in Miami, FL., NEORIS has a network of global delivery centers, design studios and operations in the U.S., Europe, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. More information is available at www.neoris.com, LinkedIn , Facebook , or Twitter. Contact

Jessica Barrios

Marketing and Commiunnications at NEORIS

[email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/neoris-announces-diamond-sponsorship-of-emerge-americas-2019-300819914.html SOURCE NEORIS

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[March 28, 2019] Lumitel's profit increases by more than 200 percent as the company becomes the most popular telco in Burundi

GITEGA, Burundi, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Lumitel, Viettel Group's brand in the Republic of Burundi, celebrated its 4th anniversary in the market with a 225 percent profit growth in 2018, marking a pre-tax profit of over USD$7.3 million. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/841959/Lumitel_Burundi_Lumicash.jpg Last year alone, the brand saw an increase of 278,000 subscribers -- the highest number in the past three years. This also made the third consecutive year Lumitel has occupied 70% of the new subscribers market in the country. Despite its seemingly weak potential when the service has launched in September 2016, Lumitel's Lumicash e-walet has regained confidence by the end of 2018. It has experienced a four time increase in the number of new subscribers compared with 2017, bringing the total number of customers to 320,000. That accounts for 47% of the electronic wallet market share in Burundi, ranking it first among all providers.



"Lumicash e-wallet service helps Burundi people pay taxes, fees and charges, electricity and water bills via mobile phones thanks to features specifically designed on 2G network USSD platform for the market," said Mr. Nguyen Huy Tan, General Director of Lumitel (Viettel Burundi). Apart from bringing convenience to people's lives and ensuring they remain connected, Viettel also aims to improve the living standards in the country.

"We operate Lumitel in Burundi not only for revenue, but also for promoting socio-economic development as well as building international relations between Vietnam and Brunudi. We hope to create a beautiful image of Vietnam in this country," said Mr. Nguyen. Among the ten international markets that Viettel is operating in, Burundi is where Viettel set the record by becoming the most popular telecommunications company in the shortest period of time. In 2018, Lumitel's EBITDA margin was 55%, ranking it the second among Viettel's international markets. With Lumitel's success, Viettel firmly believes that they will continue to lead in the digital transformation of the East African nation and is on track of becoming a leading company in digital services, transmission channels and digital payment. SOURCE Viettel Group

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[March 28, 2019] Tapi and Thinfilm Announce Strategic Partnership to Enable Smart Closures

Tapi Group, the international Group specializing in the design, production, and distribution of high-end technological closures for the premium beverage sector, and Thin Film Electronics ASA, the leader in near field communications (NFC) solutions, have signed a Letter of Intent for an exclusive joint partnership to combine their industry-leading innovation capabilities to better serve the needs of the wine and spirits industry. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005236/en/ Tapi, headquartered in Massanzago (PD), Italy, and Thinfilm, based in San Jose, California, have established a strategic partnership encompassing development, delivery, and implementation of Thinfilm's NFC-enabled solutions. The collaboration will create dependable, cost-effective closure solutions for brand protection and consumer engagement purposes. "This is further confirmation that, here at Tapi, we are capable of innovating and anticipating trends in our sector. We are excited to offer cutting-edge IoT technology in the beverage sector, which will protect and enhance our customers' products on several fronts. Counterfeit products not only cause worldwide losses in the sector, but they are a big health problem," said Tapi Group Chief Executive Officer Roberto Casini. "In addition, brands are also now looking for new ways to interact with their consumers. These cleverly integrated smart closures can help our customers track and protect their products while at the same time strengthening their reputations on the market by increasing engagement with consumers." "We are thrilled to be joining Tapi in addressing the rampant worldwide counterfeiting problem plaguing their spirits customers, as well as giving brands' empowered consumers unique and engaging experiences," said Kevin Barber, Chief Executive Officer of hinfilm. "Many brands are looking for new insights in order to move from indirect, transactional engagement to direct, long-term relationships with their consumers, as well as improvements to their packaging that will make the products more attractive and safer."



The two companies have begun to develop NFC-enabled OpenSense closures so that brands may protect their products, thus assuring their customers that the contents of the bottle are authentic and safe to consume. The OpenSense solution detects when a closure seal has been broken and alerts the consumer that the container or bottle may have been tampered with. A second closure type, based on the Thinfilm SpeedTap tag (News - Alert), is designed to allow brands to open a direct channel to customers for delivering dynamic, real-time experiences throughout the consumer journey. The strategic partnership between Tapi and Thinfilm will cover both tag types and use cases. Tapi and Thinfilm are working with premium brands to integrate NFC-integrated closures into their bottling and/or packaging production lines with minimum disruption and maximum performance.

Today, the total global addressable spirits market is estimated to be 65 billion bottles annually. The companies will release a suite of integrated smart closures to the premium segment of the spirits market over the coming months, addressing a broad range of spirits closure styles and design, aesthetic, and protection requirements. Tapi and Thinfilm will be exhibiting at the World Spirits Conference on Thursday, March 28, 2019 from 8:00am to 4:30pm at The Honourable Artillery Company, City Road, London. Tapi Group Tapi is an international Group specializing in the design, production and distribution of high-end technological closures for the Premium beverage sector. Tapi develops products for the spirits, wine, oil and condiments, cosmetics and beer sectors. With over 500 employees worldwide, providing support for over 5,000 customers in over 60 countries, Tapi has consolidated its global presence with a series of production facilities, sales offices, R&D workshops and distributors in Europe and the Americas. Tapi vision is clear: to become the world's leading supplier of closures for the Premium and Super Premium segments in the beverage market. To achieve this goal, the company invests continuously in research & development, in people and in communicating its brand value and strength, with a view to growing as an international Group. Thin Film Electronics ASA Thinfilm is enabling Intelligence Everywhere through our near field communications (NFC) solutions. We address customer and consumer pain points around brand protection, consumer engagement and supply-chain insights. Thinfilm's NFC OpenSense and SpeedTap products communicate wirelessly with NFC-enabled smartphones and can be applied to everyday objects. Thinfilm provides fully integrated services throughout the entire process incorporating NFC tags, integrating them onto products and delivering data and actionable insights via the CNECT cloud-based platform at scale. Thin Film Electronics ASA is a publicly listed company in Norway with corporate headquarters in Oslo, global headquarters in San Jose, California, and offices worldwide. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005236/en/

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[March 28, 2019] BESTORE Becomes the Only Snack Brand in China that has been Shortlisted for the World Food Innovation Awards 2019.

WUHAN, China, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The shortlists of finalists in 27 categories including "Best Drink Concept" and "Best Food Concept" were announced at the Awards Ceremony of the World Food Innovation Awards 2019 held by FoodBev Media and the winners were also announced. BESTORE becomes the first snack brand in China that has been shortlisted. The World Food Innovation Awards are reputed as the "Oscars" of the food sector. The awards and shortlists each year represent the industrial frontiers and trends with most ambitious innovations and development of global food companies. What's new at the ceremony this year is that BESTORE participates in the selection and has been shortlisted for the "Best Food Concept", becoming the first snack brand in China that has been shortlisted, with such typical Chinese delicious snacks as instant pork slices, crisp dates, dried mangoes, instant seafood snacks and new year gift boxes present at the ceremony held in London. Youmin Zhu, deputy general manager of Bestore Supply Chain, expressed that China is a country rich in food culture and hoped that BESTORE as the representative of high-end snacks could avail this opportunity to allow more people to understand Chinese snacks.



BESTORE's product "Black Sesame & Mulberry Powder" has been shortlisted for the "Best Food Concept" of the World Food Innovation Awards 2019. Made with nine ingredients including black mulberries originating from Xinjiang and chia seeds from Mexico that are baked together under a relatively low temperature and ground in a traditional and refined way, the powder will not agglomerate even when prepared in cold water. According to the estimation by China National Food Industry Association, the Chinese snack market size has been increasing and reached almost one trillion in 2017. With such a large potential market, Chinese snack brands are rising rapidly and committed to becoming providers of delicious Chinese food.

Established in 2006, BESTORE has become the leading brand of snacks in China. It has developed not only more than 1,200 kinds of snacks covering 12 categories but also 2,100 stores in 96 cities across China, which cannot be separated from its strength in product research and development. BESTORE has built an omni-channel model covering brick-and-mortar stores, e-commerce platforms, mobile APPs and O2O platforms. It now boasts 40 million VIPs with more than 400 million person-time in terms of product purchase. It focuses on high-end snack market segments and has been in a leading position in terms of sales in China for three consecutive years. BESTORE launched its high-end strategies and overseas layout last year. Online, it joins the "Tmall World" and other cross-border e-commerce platforms; offline, through the B-side dealers, it sells the products in the overseas supermarkets for Chinese. Up to now, it has brought more than 100 kinds of delicious snacks into 20 countries and regions including Europe, North America, Australia and Southeast Asia. SOURCE BESTORE

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[March 28, 2019] Songuo Motors Introduces Bold NeuWai Brand of Affordable Electric and Alternative-Fuel Vehicles with Unique Engineering, Manufacturing and Business Model

SEOUL, South Korea, March 28, 2019 /CNW/ -- Songuo Motors introduces the revolutionary NeuWai brand and its new passenger car, truck, SUV, motorcycle and scooter models with advanced technology, groundbreaking materials, electric and alternative-fuel drivetrains and sustainable construction. Twelve NeuWai vehicles were unveiled at the 2019 Seoul Motor Show. Production of the first model will begin in 12 months. All models shown at the show and others currently in development will go into production over the next 18 months. "More than just a new car brand with exciting designs, NeuWai brings a new business model, new vehicle materials and a new manufacturing strategy to the automotive industry," said Tim Shin, CEO Songuo Motors. Company leaders doing business on 5 continents and in 30 countries will meet on March 29, 2019, to sign agreements to distribute NeuWai vehicles Several of these companies will also commit to building assembly plants to supply NeuWai vehicles in their region.



Forward-Thinking Engineering

The NeuWai approach to engineering showcases key strategic differences between traditional vehicles and NeuWai vehicles. "We weren't satisfied with currently available metal, aluminum and composite body technologies," said Shin. "We created a proprietary system to mold composite body panels in color with a glossy exterior." This allows for consistent body color without painting, solving the century-old challenge of painting body parts in an assembly plant.

This recyclable material also takes door dings and minor fender benders out of the equation for vehicle owners. The resilient material does not easily dent, and it is extremely durable. Space frames provide a structural advantage over unnecessarily heavy traditional frames or unibody construction. Advancements in Powertrain Technology

"We chose to use AC electric motors for our A-class and larger vehicles, reducing reliance on rare earth magnets," said Shin. "This approach is more sustainable and reduces future cost risks." NeuWai electric motors use a unique copper alloy and a proprietary copper-injection process for the rotor, which allow for extremely good power-efficiency performance of up to 93 percent. In addition to the electric powertrains, there will be Euro 6 gasoline, Euro 4 gasoline and innovative liquid propane injection (LPI) combustion engines available in markets where these powertrains have a compelling advantage. Vehicle Manufacturing In-Country

A unique manufacturing strategy will allow distributors to do final assembly of NeuWai vehicles in-country, creating jobs. Primary manufacturing of NeuWai vehicle components and systems will take place at the company's 430,000-square-meter (4.6-million-square-foot) manufacturing plant in the National Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone in the City of Dezhou, ShanDong Province, China, to create semi-knock-down (SKD) kits. Passenger Vehicles

The NeuWai lineup of cars includes: A sporty 2-door and versatile 4-door ultra-compact car will stand out from the crowd.

A unique, modular, configurable vehicle is sized between the passenger cars and a 1-ton truck.

The NeuWai compact SUV will meet the needs of active families, with room for 4 people and their gear.

The NeuWai 1-ton pickup will provide stylish capability. Motorcycles and Scooters

NeuWai electric motorcycles are a refreshing alternative to gasoline-powered bikes, yet retain the joy-in-riding that consumers expect. Two models of motorcycles feature iconic proportions and styling that make them instantly recognizable as touring and performance models. There are also two models of electric scooters. A small scooter features simple design cues that focus on function, while a larger scooter is a more luxurious design. More information and projected specifications for these vehicles can be found at NeuWai.com. NeuWai expects to begin manufacturing and shipping vehicles for sale in early 2020. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/songuo-motors-introduces-bold-neuwai-brand-of-affordable-electric-and-alternative-fuel-vehicles-with-unique-engineering-manufacturing-and-business-model-300819669.html SOURCE Songuo Motors

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[March 28, 2019] Computers From Dell, HP and Lenovo Meet Tough Criteria in New TCO Certified

STOCKHOLM, March 28, 2019 /CNW/ -- Several brands show leadership in sustainability by certifying notebook and desktop computers according to the stricter criteria in TCO Certified, generation 8. Organizations wanting to purchase IT products that are in the frontline for sustainability now have more to choose from. TCO Certified, generation 8 was launched in December 2018. The new and updated criteria drive responsibility and transparency in the supply chain and require that IT products are durable, upgradeable and recyclable, which enables the circular economy. The certification also helps purchasing organizations contribute to national and global sustainability goals. "This is our largest step yet toward a sustainable life cycle for IT products. The criteria in generation 8 are comprehensive and challenging and the brands that have products which comply with them show that they are serious about their ambitions in the sustainability field," says Soren Enholm, CEO at TCO Development, the organization behind TCO Certified. Many of the sustainability issues facing the T industry are connected to the relatively short lifespans of IT products and the manner in which they are handled when discarded. By including sustainability criteria in procurement, organizations can help drive the development of more circular solutions.



"As a purchaser, you can really make a difference. Your demands have a direct effect on how industry acts and can drive the development of more sustainable products on the market," says Soren Enholm. He adds that using a complete certification is easier and has a greater impact than designing your own criteria.

"TCO Certified includes updated, driving criteria, covering the IT product's life cycle, and independent verification that the criteria actually are being met. It saves both time and resources for the purchasing organization." "Also, change happens faster when many organizations use the same set of criteria. A certification helps purchasers all over the world send a strong, united message to the IT industry," Enholm concludes. Find more than 3,500 certified products in Product Finder. Toward sustainable IT products

With over 25 years of experience, TCO Certified is the world-leading sustainability certification for IT products. Our comprehensive criteria are designed to drive social and environmental responsibility throughout the product life cycle. Covering eight product categories including displays, computers and mobile devices, compliance is independently verified, both pre and post certification. Contact

Gabriella Mellstrand

+46-706-35-83-51

[email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/computers-from-dell-hp-and-lenovo-meet-tough-criteria-in-new-tco-certified-300819549.html SOURCE TCO Development

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[March 28, 2019] Liquid Telecom selects Nokia to deploy multiple 100G DWDM/OTN channel network in East Africa for expanded broadband services

Press Release Liquid Telecom to deploy high-capacity service in Kenya and Uganda, with connectivity in Rwanda, Tanzania, Sudan and Ethiopia

28 March 2019 Nairobi, Kenya and Espoo, Finland - Liquid Telecom Kenya, part of the leading pan-African telecoms group Liquid Telecom, and Nokia today announced a two-year partnership to upgrade their existing fiber network to support OTN/DWDM technology with an initial network capacity of 500G. This will result in a faster and more reliable connection along the route from the Indian Ocean to datacenters in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and neighboring countries. Powered by the Nokia 1830 Photonic Service Switch (PSS), the upgrade allows Liquid Telecom to meet the growing demand from its carrier, mobile operator and internet service provider (CSP/ISP) customers for higher-capacity inter-networking services. The network will support high-capacity connections from the submarine landing stations in Mombasa, Kenya, to major datacenters in Nairobi, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda, as well as surrounding markets. Liquid Telecom will become the first communications solutions provider to connect through their own network with nearly every country that borders Kenya whilst also providing an alternate fiber route to submarine for other landlocked countries such as Ethiopia, Rwanda and DR-Congo. Ben Roberts, CTO, Liquid Telecom, said: "We believe that every individual on the African continent has the right to be connected. This is the vision that has been driving our network expansion across Africa. By teaming up with Nokia, we have been able to quickly adapt to the industry's rapid growth within the region and greater access to our high-speed fibre network and cloud services across East Africa. This comes at a time when more mobile operators are planning to increase their backbone bandwidth as they prepare for 5G which is driving the demand for high speed city to city internet links." The deployment began in October 2018, and is expected to provide enhanced services to thousandsof corporate customers and FTTH users, and has the potential to reach over 85 million mobile subscribers across Kenya and its neighboring countries.



Daniel Jaeger, head of the Central, East and West Africa Market Unit at Nokia, said: "As an industry-leading optical network provider, Nokia has enabled customers to maximize network capacity and efficiency while supporting the deployment of mission-critical services. With our DWDM/OTN network, Liquid Telecom can offer the high capacity and low latency needed for its customers, ensuring an excellent customer experience and ultimately connecting all of Africa to the digital world. This network will be an important, additional backbone network with Nokia technology across Africa." Liquid Telecom selected Nokia's DWDM and OTN technologies for increased capacity and bandwidth, and the ability to support long distances. The Nokia solution allows Liquid Telecom to reuse its existing Nokia DWDM infrastructure, which reduces its capital expenditures.

The solution will initially be available on the following routes: Nairobi - Mombasa: high-capacity interconnections from Nairobi datacenters to the submarine landing stations at Mombasa

Nairobi - Kampala: opens a new high-capacity route to Uganda, Rwanda and beyond

Nairobi - Namanga: opens a new high-capacity route to Tanzania

Nairobi - Ethiopia: opens a new high-capacity route to Ethiopia and gives the landlocked country an alternate route to the submarine connection in Djibouti About Liquid Telecom

Liquid Telecom is a leading communications solutions provider across 13 countries primarily in Eastern, Central and Southern Africa that serves mobile operators, carriers, enterprise, media and content companies and retail customers with high-speed, reliable connectivity, hosting and co-location and digital services. It has built Africa's largest independent fibre network, approaching 70,000km, and operates state-of-the-art data centres in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Nairobi, with a combined potential 19,000 square metres of rack space and 80 MW of power. This is in addition to offering leading cloud-based services, such as Microsoft Office365, Microsoft Azure and innovative digital content provision including Netflix and Kwese TV across our fibre footprint. Through this combined offering Liquid Telecom is enhancing customers experience on their digital journey. www.liquidtelecom.com About Nokia

We create the technology to connect the world. We develop and deliver the industry's only end-to-end portfolio of network equipment, software, services and licensing that is available globally. Our customers include communications service providers whose combined networks support 6.1 billion subscriptions, as well as enterprises in the private and public sector that use our network portfolio to increase productivity and enrich lives. Through our research teams, including the world-renowned Nokia Bell Labs, we are leading the world to adopt end-to-end 5G networks that are faster, more secure and capable of revolutionizing lives, economies and societies. Nokia adheres to the highest ethical business standards as we create technology with social purpose, quality and integrity. www.nokia.com Media Inquiries:

Kannan K

Nokia Media Relations

Phone: +971 529 823 406

E-mail: [email protected] Communications

Phone: +358 (0) 10 448 4900

E-mail: [email protected]

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[March 28, 2019] FairCom to showcase IIoT database technology at Hannover Messe

Attendees can explore the value of using the c-treeEDGE IoT Database MILAN, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- FairCom Corporation, a company that will be celebrating its 40th anniversary this year of providing fast, high-performance database technology, is exhibiting at the Hannover Messe industrial technology show 1-5 April. The FairCom booth will feature in-depth insight about the robust and flexible capabilities of the c-treeEDGE IoT Database -- a fast transaction-controlled database built for use in Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) environments. The FairCom exhibit will be located in Hall 7, Stand F18 in the Hannover Exhibition Grounds where attendees will be able to learn about the value of using a database management solution in IIoT scenarios. c-treeEDGE is a database that includes unique technology that facilitates full-featured, high-performance data management while running on IoT and IIoT gateways and on the smallest edge devices. c-treeEDGE is ideal for use in manufacturing, healthcare, energy and transportation, as well as many other industries. Attendes can also learn about FairCom's flagship data management solution, the c-treeACE unified multimodel database, which is the same core technology that powers c-treeEDGE. Both c-treeACE and c-treeEDGE facilitate high-performance NoSQL and industry-standard SQL access within the same application and over the same data. The result is that a number of the world's biggest names trust FairCom with their database needs, such as Software AG, Abacus and Verizon.



"Since its launch nine months ago, the c-treeEDGE IoT Database has been garnering attention because of its ability to provide organizations the power to reliably manage their data at or near the collection point," said Alysha Brown, FairCom's Chief Officer of Operations. "The benefits go beyond improved performance, better security and efficient operations. c-treeEDGE also opens the door for real-time decisions to be made in mission-critical IoT operations." Detailed information about FairCom and its family of data management solutions is available at FairCom.com.

Hannover Messe is the world's largest industrial technology show, with more than 220,000 attendees and 6,500 exhibitors. Additional information about Hannover Messe is available at hannovermesse.de. About FairCom

FairCom Corporation is a software industry pioneer and a global database technology leader. Its reputation of innovation began in 1979 and continues today with fast, reliable products that are trusted by organizations in a broad spectrum of industries, ranging from small and medium-sized businesses to enterprise level organizations, including Fortune 100 members. The FairCom c-tree-based product line includes the customizable c-treeACE unified multimodel database, the c-treeRTG "Ready-to-Go" data management solutions for legacy systems and the new c-treeEDGE IoT database for computing on the edge. Additional information about FairCom is available at FairCom.com. Contact

Brad Thomas

FairCom Corporation

[email protected]

+35.035.721.321 Follow FairCom

Twitter: @FairCom_Corp , #ctreeACE #ctreeEDGE

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/faircom-corporation

Facebook: @FairComCorporation Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/705046/C_treeEDGE_Logo.jpg

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[March 28, 2019] dynaCERT Selects Geewadin Elliott as First Nations Liaison

TORONTO, March 28, 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. Geewadin Elliott to its Advisory Board.

Mr. Geewadin Elliott is a proud Potawatomi member of the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation located in southern Ontario. He has 10 years of experience advising renewable energy companies to navigate community engagement and understand the complex socio-economic issues in First Nation communities. His political experience as Head Councillor of the Chippewas of Nawash provides him with insight in government funding programs, negotiations and the First Nation decision-making process.



As a seasoned community leader, Geewadin shares his passion for building partnerships between industry and Indigenous communities. His strong reputation has created a vast network with Indigenous communities and organizations in Canada and the United States.



Geewadin has considerable interests in renewable energy projects and reducing carbon emissions on Mother Earth. He is the executive lead consultant with Sigma Energy Storage and Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI) First Nation on a large-scale energy storage project in northern Ontario. Geewadin holds a BA in Marketing from Michigan State University. Mr. Geewadin Elliott states: I am extremely excited to have the opportunity to build relationships on behalf of dynaCERT and the indigenous communities across North America. The HydraGEN carbon emission reduction technology and company goals naturally align with Indigenous peoples connection to Mother Earth and the desire to stop global warming. I applaud dynaCERT leaders for taking the steps to engage with Indigenous people. As an Advisory Board member my first step will be to connect dynaCERT with Indigenous-led companies that provide diesel equipment services to off-grid mining projects and remote First Nations in Northern Ontario. Mr. Jim Payne, CEO of dynaCERT, commented, dynaCERT has found an extraordinary and very suitable advisor to partner within the Indigenous community. Geewadins widespread network in Canada and the USA will help our Company achieve one of our longtime goals: to make life better for Indigenous people and First Nations. I look forward to the addition of his knowledge of the community and governments to break through hurdles with our HydraGENa Technology products to reduce local pollution levels.



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 of 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

[email protected] dynaCERT .com Investor Relations

dynaCERT Inc.

Nancy Massicotte

(416) 766-9691 x 1

[email protected] dynaCERT .com



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[March 28, 2019] Urban Edge Properties Releases Annual Letter to Shareholders

Urban Edge Properties (NYSE:UE) today released its annual letter to shareholders from its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Jeffrey S. Olson (News - Alert). The text of the letter follows: To Our Shareholders, In 2018, we continued to make significant strides in positioning Urban Edge for the future in a rapidly evolving retail real estate industry. Fundamental changes such as the increasing influence of e-commerce, shifting consumer buying behavior and recent retailer bankruptcies are requiring retailers and landlords to adapt. At the same time, this changing landscape is creating opportunities for those companies with the foresight and vision to grow in this new environment. We are confident that Urban Edge will be a winner based on the strategies we have underway, our strong portfolio of urban assets and our competitive position. Specifically, we benefit from the following: 1. Our great locations. Our high-quality properties attract best-in-class retailers because of their exceptional locations. Our portfolio is concentrated in the New York metropolitan area, the most densely populated and supply constrained market in the country. Urban Edge's portfolio has an average of 164,000 people living within a 3-mile ring, 66% higher than the average of our peers, ranking first in the shopping center sector according to Evercore ISI (News - Alert). While much of the United States has excess retail space, our largest submarket, Northern New Jersey, is one of the most supply constrained regions of the country with only 11 square feet of retail gross leasable area per capita. 2. Our redevelopment opportunities. Many of our properties are ripe for redevelopment and mixed-use densification including residential, office and hotel components. Most of our shopping centers are located on large tracts of land (20+ acres) where parking accounts for approximately 75% of land usage. The remaining 25% is generally a single-story, highly fungible, rectangular building that can be easily reconfigured or demolished. All told, we have $1+ billion of redevelopment opportunities within our existing asset base. 3. Our development talent. We recently hired two of the most experienced mixed-use developers in the nation, Chris Weilminster as Chief Operating Officer and Don Briggs as President of Development. Chris and Don spent the last 18+ years together at Federal Realty developing over $5 billion of some of the most iconic retail and mixed-use destinations in the country. 4. Our balance sheet. Our balance sheet is one of the strongest in the shopping center sector with low leverage and significant liquidity. Our net debt to total market capitalization ratio was 30% and our net debt to EBITDA ratio was 4.7x as of December 31, 2018. We have approximately $500 million in cash, a $600 million line of credit, $1.4 billion of unencumbered properties, no corporate debt, no crossed mortgages and no debt maturing until 2021. Operating Results We just completed our fourth year of operations since our spin from Vornado Realty Trust. A summary of our results follows:







2015 2016 2017 2018 FFO as Adjusted per share $1.21 $1.27 $1.34 $1.31 Same property cash NOI growth w/ redevelopment 4.0% 3.6% 5.4% 1.4% Same property occupancy rate 97% 98% 98% 93% Cash $200M $100M $500M $500M Cumulative stock return since date of spin 9% 31% 26% -14% Cumulative stock return for peers since spin(1) 3% 7% -5% -20%

____________ (1) Peer average is based on the SNL U.S. REIT Retail Shopping Center Index Our primary earnings measure, FFO as Adjusted per share, was down slightly in 2018 relative to 2017, a good outcome considering the balance sheet recapitalization that was completed in late 2017 when we raised $500 million of equity at $26 per share and closed on $1 billion of non-recourse mortgages increasing our cash balance to $500 million. While the balance sheet recapitalization diluted FFO by ~$.11/share in 2018, we believe it was prudent to raise this capital to fund our long-term growth plan. During 2018, we also lost rent from several bankrupt tenants such as Toys "R" Us, Fallas and National Wholesale Liquidators, dropping our occupancy rate by just under 500 basis points. Importantly, these bankruptcies are opportunities allowing us to upgrade our tenant base with more vibrant and innovative retailers. Replacement rents are expected to start in late 2019 and stabilize in 2021. We now have 10 vacant anchor boxes accounting for 600,000 square feet of gross leasable area that should generate ~$15 million in annual gross rent, or $.12/share in FFO, once leased. Several of these boxes may be held back for redevelopment as these spaces may be worth more to demolish and reconfigure as part of larger redevelopments. We made great progress during 2018 completing 11 redevelopment projects by investing $54 million in our existing assets generating unleveraged returns of ~13%. We executed new and renewal leases for 1.6 million square feet of space with positive rent spreads of ~4%. After significantly outperforming our peers from 2015-2017, our stock lagged in 2018 primarily due to the outsized exposure we had to retailer bankruptcies and Puerto Rico. Our stock now trades at a ~20% discount to net asset value based on analyst estimates, the largest discount in our history as a public company. We are highly focused on strategies to bridge that discount including leasing up our vacant anchor boxes, redeveloping and acquiring selected properties with value-creation opportunities, and selling core and non-core assets at a material premium to valuations implied by our current stock price. Our Real Estate Strategy As part of our strategy, we have categorized our existing assets in four distinct groups - flagship properties that have mixed-use redevelopment potential, value-add redevelopment assets, core properties and non-core assets. $ in mms except PSF Flagship Value-Add Core Non-Core Total Assets 4 21 20 39 84 Est. Gross Value $1,400 $1,400 $1,000 $400 $4,200 Mortgage Debt $400 $730 $420 $20 $1,570 Occupancy Rate 93% 88% 97% 96% 93% Wtd. Avg Base Rent PSF (1) $25.07 $21.59 $16.09 $11.86 $17.90 Wtd. Avg Pop - 3 mile 290,000 200,000 150,000 150,000 200,000 Wtd. Avg HH Inc - 3 mile $113,000 $105,000 $106,000 $78,000 $105,000 ____________ (1) Excludes industrial buildings Flagship Mixed-Use Development Strategy Our flagship assets include four large-scale, highly-productive shopping centers that are situated in densely populated communities surrounded by high-rise residential and office buildings. We believe there is a significant opportunity to further densify these properties by creating mixed-use environments and attracting differentiated retailers. These assets are Bergen Town Center in Paramus, NJ, Bruckner Commons in Bronx, NY, Hudson Mall in Jersey City, NJ and Yonkers Gateway (News - Alert) Center in Yonkers, NY. We are moving forward to complete master plans for each of these assets and execute on those redevelopments. We are also evaluating several acquisition and joint venture opportunities with owners of large-scale retail assets seeking to densify their properties with mixed-uses, but who lack the expertise to execute plans that are founded on the creation of a great retail environment centered on an immersive public realm. We estimate that our existing flagship properties have the potential for ~$1 billion of investment over the next 5-7 years to drive long-term value. Funding will likely include a combination of our own capital, the sale of development rights and joint venture partners. Value-Add Redevelopment Strategy Our value-add portfolio includes 21 properties that contain high-impact, smaller-scale redevelopment opportunities that can be executed relatively quickly and include some alternative uses including residential, industrial and self-storage. We will continue to acquire value-add properties that meet our investment criteria, are well located with the potential to become the aggregators within their sub-markets and that are accretive to net asset value. Our primary focus is the DC to Boston corridor. We expect to invest $250-$500 million into our existing value-add properties over the next several years. Core Properties Strategy This portion of our portfolio consists of stable, well-located, fully-occupied centers with strong tenant credits offering moderate NOI growth. Our plan is to actively manage these assets to maximize value and evaluate seeding a portion of these assets into a new joint venture or possibly selling them over a measured time period at a significant premium to valuations implied by our current stock price. Proceeds would ideally be used to fund our flagship and value-add investment programs. Non-Core Properties Strategy Our non-core portfolio comprises an eclectic mix of 39 smaller properties valued at approximately $400 million, representing less than 10 percent of our gross asset value. These properties are typically located in secondary markets where we do not have a meaningful presence. Given the strong investment sales market for assets of this size, we will seek to divest these assets over a measured time period. Leadership Team Attracting and retaining the best and brightest real estate professionals is at the top of our playbook. We take great pride in the leaders that make our company successful. Chris Weilminster and Don Briggs bring a fresh perspective and have provided new energy to our leasing and development teams. Herb Eilberg, our Chief Investment Officer, remains steadfast and disciplined in his search for high-quality assets. Rob Milton, our General Counsel, keeps a watchful eye over all legal and compliance matters. Mark Langer, our Chief Financial Officer and my long-time business partner, remains focused on ensuring our balance sheet and liquidity will enable us to grow no matter what financial cycle we are in. He is supported by Jennifer Holmes, our Chief Accounting Officer, who is highly effective at driving new efficiencies within our accounting and reporting processes. Our entire management team is fortunate to have passionate, high-energy and motivated employees who continually get the job done while meeting high standards. Well-Positioned to Execute on Our Opportunities All in all, we are excited about what the future holds for Urban Edge as we execute on our long-term strategy. We will take advantage of opportunities to pursue mixed-use projects, redevelop and differentiate the properties in our value-add portfolio, acquire properties that can be redeveloped, and reduce our exposure to core and non-core assets through joint ventures and asset sales at prices that reflect a significant premium to our current market valuation. Brick-and-mortar retail is alive but clearly in flux. We are confident that our competitive advantages of portfolio quality, mixed-use and redevelopment expertise and capital allocation position us for continued success. In closing, I would like to recognize and thank our extraordinary Board of Trustees whose focus remains on ensuring our long-term strategy best positions us to maximize shareholder value. Thank you for your trust and confidence in investing with us. Sincerely, Jeffrey S. Olson Chairman and Chief Executive Officer March 28, 2019 ABOUT URBAN EDGE PROPERTIES Urban Edge Properties is a NYSE listed real estate investment trust focused on managing, acquiring, developing, and redeveloping retail real estate in urban communities, primarily in the New York metropolitan region. Urban Edge owns 87 properties totaling 16.1 million square feet of gross leasable area. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Certain statements contained in this Press Release constitute forward-looking statements as such term is defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. They represent our intentions, plans, expectations and beliefs and are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties. Our future results, financial condition and business may differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements. You can find many of these statements by looking for words such as "approximates," "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "estimates," "intends," "plans," "would," "may" or other similar expressions in this Press Release. Many of the factors that will determine the outcome of these and our other forward-looking statements are beyond our ability to control or predict; these factors include, among others, the Company's ability to complete its active development, redevelopment and anchor repositioning projects, the Company's ability to pursue, finance and complete acquisition opportunities, the Company's ability to engage in the projects in its planned expansion and redevelopment pipeline, the Company's ability to achieve the estimated unleveraged returns for such projects and acquisitions, the estimated remediation and repair costs related to natural disasters at the affected properties and the loss of or bankruptcy of a major tenant and the impact of any such event. For further discussion of factors that could materially affect the outcome of our forward-looking statements, see "Risk Factors" in Part I, Item 1A, of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 and the other documents filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For these statements, we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this Press Release. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or any person acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section. We do not undertake any obligation to release publicly any revisions to our forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this Press Release. NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES The Company uses certain non-GAAP performance measures, in addition to the primary GAAP presentations, as we believe these measures improve the understanding of the Company's operational results. We continually evaluate the usefulness, relevance, limitations, and calculation of our reported non-GAAP performance measures to determine how best to provide relevant information to the investing public, and thus such reported measures are subject to change. The Company's non-GAAP performance measures have limitations as they do not include all items of income and expense that affect operations, and accordingly, should always be considered as supplemental financial results. FFO, FFO as Adjusted, cash NOI and same-property cash NOI are non-GAAP measures commonly used by the Company and investing public to understand and evaluate our operating results and performance. The Company believes net income is the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure to FFO, FFO as Adjusted, cash NOI and same-property cash NOI. Reconciliations of these measures to net income have been provided in the tables below. Reconciliation of Net Income to FFO and FFO as Adjusted The following table reflects the reconciliation of net income to FFO and FFO as Adjusted for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2015. Net income is considered the most directly comparable GAAP measure. Year Ended

December 31, 2018 Year Ended

December 31, 2017 Year Ended

December 31, 2016 Year Ended

December 31, 2015 (in

thousands) (per share) (2) (in

thousands) (per share) (2) (in

thousands) (per share) (2) (in

thousands) (per share) (2) Net income $ 116,963 $ 0.92 $ 72,938 $ 0.62 $ 96,630 $ 0.91 $ 41,348 $ 0.39 Less net income attributable to

noncontrolling interests in: Operating partnership (11,768 ) (0.09 ) (5,824 ) (0.05 ) (5,812 ) (0.05 ) (2,547 ) (0.02 ) Consolidated subsidiaries (45 ) - (44 ) - (3 ) - (16 ) - Net income attributable to

common shareholders 105,150 0.83 67,070 0.57 90,815 0.86 38,785 0.37 Adjustments: Rental property depreciation and

amortization 98,644 0.79 81,401 0.68 55,484 0.53 56,619 0.54 Gain on sale of real estate (52,625 ) (0.42 ) (202 ) - (15,618 ) (0.15 ) - - Real estate impairment loss 5,574 0.04 3,467 0.03 - - - - Limited partnership interests in

operating partnership 11,768 0.09 5,824 0.05 5,812 0.05 2,547 0.02 FFO applicable to diluted common

shareholders(1) 168,511 1.33 157,560 1.33 136,493 1.29 97,951 0.93 Tax impact from hurricane Maria 2,344 0.02 (1,767 ) (0.01 ) - - - - Executive transition costs 1,932 0.02 - - - - - - Environmental remediation costs 584 0.01 - - - - 1,379 0.01 Transaction costs 491 - 278 - 1,405 0.01 24,011 0.23 Construction rental abatement 291 - 902 0.01 - - - - Tenant bankruptcy settlement income (329 ) - (655 ) (0.01 ) (2,378 ) (0.02 ) (3,738 ) (0.04 ) Casualty (gain) loss, net (777 ) (0.01 ) 6,092 0.05 - - - - Gain (loss) on extinguishment of debt (2,524 ) (0.02 ) 35,336 0.30 - - - - Impact of tenant bankruptcies (5,075 ) (0.04 ) - - - - - - One-time equity awards related to

the spin-off - - - - - - 7,143 0.07 Debt restructuring expenses - - - - - - 1,034 0.01 Severance costs - - - - - - 693 - Benefit related to income taxes - - - - (625 ) (0.01 ) - - Real estate tax settlement income

related to prior periods - - - - - - (532 ) - Income from acquired leasehold

interest - - (39,215 ) (0.33 ) - - - - FFO as Adjusted applicable to diluted

common shareholders(1) $ 165,448 $ 1.31 $ 158,531 $ 1.34 $ 134,895 $ 1.27 $ 127,941 $ 1.21 Weighted average diluted common

shares - FFO(1) 126,584 118,392 106,099 105,375 ____________ (1) Operating Partnership ("OP") and Long-Term Incentive Plan ("LTIP") Units are excluded from the calculation of earnings per diluted share because their inclusion is anti-dilutive. FFO includes earnings allocated to unitholders as the inclusion of these units is dilutive to FFO per share. (2) Individual items may not add up due to total rounding. Reconciliation of Net Income to Cash NOI and Same-Property Cash NOI The following table reflects the reconciliation of cash NOI, same-property cash NOI (with and without redevelopment) to net income, the most directly comparable GAAP measure, for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017. For the year ended December 31, (Amounts in thousands) 2018 2017 Net income $ 116,963 $ 72,938 Management and development fee income from non-owned properties (1,469 ) (1,535 ) Income tax expense (benefit) 3,519 (278 ) Other income (146 ) (118 ) Depreciation and amortization 99,422 82,281 General and administrative expense 34,984 30,691 Casualty and impairment loss, net 4,426 7,382 Gain on sale of real estate (52,625 ) (202 ) Interest income (8,336 ) (2,248 ) Interest and debt expense 64,868 56,218 (Gain) loss on extinguishment of debt (2,524 ) 35,336 Non-cash revenue and expenses (32,117 ) (47,161 ) Cash NOI(1) 226,965 233,304 Adjustments: Non-same property cash NOI (51,132 ) (44,623 ) Lease termination payments 15,500 - Natural disaster related operating loss 40 1,267 Construction rental abatement 291 902 Tenant bankruptcy settlement and lease termination income (1,028 ) (975 ) Environmental remediation costs 584 - Same-property cash NOI $ 191,220 $ 189,875 Adjustments: Cash NOI related to properties being redeveloped 20,431 18,937 Same-property cash NOI including properties in redevelopment $ 211,651 $ 208,812 __________________ (1) Cash NOI is calculated as total property revenues less property operating expenses excluding the net effects of non-cash rental income and non-cash ground rent expense but includes bad debt expense. Reconciliation of Net Income to EBITDAre and Adjusted EBITDAre The following table reflects the reconciliation of net income to EBITDAre and Adjusted EBITDAre for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016. Net income is considered the most directly comparable GAAP measure. Year Ended December 31, (Amounts in thousands) 2018 2017 Net income $ 116,963 $ 72,938 Depreciation and amortization 99,422 82,281 Interest and debt expense 64,868 56,218 Income tax expense (benefit) 3,519 (278 ) Gain on sale of real estate (52,625 ) (202 ) Real estate impairment loss 5,574 3,467 EBITDAre 237,721 214,424 Adjustments for Adjusted EBITDAre: Construction rental abatement 291 902 Transaction costs 491 278 Impact of tenant bankruptcies (5,075 ) - Tenant bankruptcy settlement income (329 ) (655 ) Casualty (gain) loss, net (777 ) 6,092 Executive transition costs 1,932 - Environmental remediation costs 584 - (Gain) loss on extinguishment of debt (2,524 ) 35,336 Income from acquired leasehold interest - (39,215 ) Adjusted EBITDAre $ 232,314 $ 217,162 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005281/en/

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[March 28, 2019] Esri Launches R&D Center in New Delhi, India

Esri, the global leader in location intelligence, today announced the opening of its latest research and development center, located in New Delhi, India. The new location will focus on data science, deep learning, and geospatial artificial intelligence (GeoAI) solutions, revolutionizing spatial analytics to overcome some of the world's biggest challenges. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005460/en/ Esri President, Jack Dangermond, celebrates opening of new R&D Center in New Delhi, India (Photo: Business Wire) Esri is committed to advances in location intelligence technology, and the creation of R&D centers worldwide plays a key role in that effort. Esri currently has 14 R&D centers around the globe, from Beijing, China, to Zurich, Switzerland. Recently, Esri opened an R&D center in Vienna, Austria-announced as part of the company's acquisition of indoor positioning system (IPS) provider indoo.rs-that is focused on develoing cutting-edge IPS capabilities. New Delhi becomes the site of the fifteenth R&D center Esri operates.



"At Esri, we are continually pushing disruption, and we see our mission and goals as being aligned with those of our customers who are also advancing their use of GIS software," said Jack Dangermond, Esri founder and president. "By locating strategic R&D centers around the globe, we are able to continue to engage talent worldwide to expand the capabilities of Esri Geospatial Cloud." Esri R&D Center-New Delhi will focus on applying artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning to location intelligence. Additionally, the center will play a significant role in developing the next generation of Esri's ArcGIS Enterprise based on a microservices architecture. The company's efforts will delve deeply into data science through spatial machine learning, visualization, and analytics; deep learning through object detection and segmentation using imagery; GeoAI solutions using advanced analytics; and ArcGIS Enterprise server and data store development.

This newly developed R&D team in New Delhi will be comprised of talented data scientists, enterprise developers, product engineers, and GIS analysts working in the areas of deep learning, GeoAI solutions, and ArcGIS Enterprise. To learn more about Esri R&D Center-New Delhi, visit esri.com/newdelhi. About Esri Esri, the global market leader in geographic information system (GIS) software, location intelligence, and mapping, offers Esri Geospatial Cloud, the most powerful geospatial cloud available. Since 1969, Esri has helped customers unlock the full potential of data to improve operational and business results. Today, Esri software is deployed in more than 350,000 organizations including the world's largest cities, most national governments, 75 percent of Fortune 500 companies, and more than 7,000 colleges and universities. With its pioneering commitment to geospatial information technology, Esri engineers the most advanced solutions for digital transformation, the Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced analytics. Visit us at esri.com. Copyright  2019 Esri. All rights reserved. Esri, the Esri globe logo, The Science of Where, ArcGIS, esri.com, and @esri.com are trademarks, service marks, or registered marks of Esri in the United States, the European Community, or certain other jurisdictions. Other companies and products or services mentioned herein may be trademarks, service marks, or registered marks of their respective mark owners. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005460/en/

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[March 28, 2019] Survey: Countries with Government-Mandated Encryption Backdoors More Susceptible to Nation-State Attacks

Venafi, the leading provider of machine identity protection, today announced the results of a survey on government-mandated encryption backdoors that evaluated the opinions of 517 IT security professionals attending the RSA (News - Alert) Conference 2019. It showed that 73 percent of respondents believe countries with government-mandated encryption backdoors are more susceptible to nation-state attacks. "This is a tense moment for industry professionals because they know backdoors make our critical infrastructure more vulnerable," said Kevin Bocek, vice president of security strategy and threat intelligence at Venafi. "This is not rocket science; backdoors inevitably create vulnerabilities that can be exploited by malicious actors. It's understandable that so many security professionals are concerned because backdoors are especially appealing to hostile and abusive government agencies and more governments are considering these mandates." Additional findings from the survey include: Sixty-nine percent believe countries with government-mandated encryption backdoors suffer economic disadvantages in the global marketplace as a result.

Seventy percent believe governments should not be able to force technology companies to grant access to encrypted user data.

Twenty-five percent believe technology companies are doing enough to protect consumers' personal information. /li>



Australia's parliament passed legislation requiring tech businesses to create encryption backdoors within their products. We know that attackers don't abide by restrictions; they don't follow the rules or buy products in controlled markets. Countries that enact these near-sighted restrictions harm law abiding businesses and court economic damage as well as intrusions focused on sovereign government processes." For more information:

https://www.venafi.com/blog/venafi-survey-negative-impact-government-mandated-encryption-backdoors

About Venafi Venafi is the cybersecurity market leader in machine identity protection, securing machine-to-machine connections and communications. Venafi protects machine identity types by orchestrating cryptographic keys and digital certificates for SSL/TLS, IoT, mobile and SSH. Venafi provides global visibility of machine identities and the risks associated with them for the extended enterprise - on premises, mobile, virtual, cloud and IoT - at machine speed and scale. Venafi puts this intelligence into action with automated remediation that reduces the security and availability risks connected with weak or compromised machine identities while safeguarding the flow of information to trusted machines and preventing communication with machines that are not trusted. With over 30 patents, Venafi delivers innovative solutions for the world's most demanding, security-conscious Global 5000 organizations and government agencies, including the top five U.S. health insurers; the top five U.S. airlines; four of the top five U.S., U.K., Australian and South African banks; and four of the top five U.S. retailers. Venafi is backed by top-tier investors, including TCV, Foundation Capital, Intel Capital, QuestMark Partners, Mercato Partners (News - Alert) and NextEquity. For more information, visit: www.venafi.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005043/en/

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[March 28, 2019] Chubb enhances Chubb Travel Smart solution with new eLearning modules

LONDON, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Chubb today announced the launch of an extended range of new eLearning modules as part of its Chubb Travel Smart app for business travellers. Chubb Travel Smart is the company's Duty of Care solution designed specifically for employees to help manage and mitigate risks as they travel for work. It provides a range of benefits for business travellers, including pre-travel eLearning, direct access to medical and security assistance and live location-based alerts to help avoid trouble and stay safe. For risk managers and human resources teams, Chubb Travel Smart provides an online dashboard for an instant and complete summary of travelling employees, including their location and whether they are in any high-risk areas. They can also send email and SMS messages direct to employees who are away on business and also pre travel. Developed in partnership with leading industry expert, Global Warning Systems, the new integrated eLearning modules mean users can now access all functions in a single app and a record is kept of employees who have completed specific courses, giving risk managers and employers the ability o monitor usage and ensure employees are adequately prepared for their trip.



Andrew Nisbet, Senior Vice President, Accident & Health, UK and Ireland, Eurasia and Africa, Chubb said: "We are delighted to announce the launch of the new eLearning functionality within Chubb Travel Smart which means employers can better demonstrate their commitment to meeting Duty of Care obligations. Even more importantly, travelling employees benefit from knowing more about the risks related to business trips they are undertaking and how to reduce these as they prepare their itineraries."

Andreas Rodman, CEO of GWS said: "With this new e-learning solution we are raising the bar on user friendliness for travel security solutions. By integrating the eLearning solution into the App, along with automated reporting tools and gamification we will create a new level of interaction that drives greater security awareness for employees away from home on business." About Chubb Chubb is the world's largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company. With operations in 54 countries and territories, Chubb provides commercial and personal property and casualty insurance, personal accident and supplemental health insurance, reinsurance and life insurance to a diverse group of clients. As an underwriting company, we assess, assume and manage risk with insight and discipline. We service and pay our claims fairly and promptly. The company is also defined by its extensive product and service offerings, broad distribution capabilities, exceptional financial strength and local operations globally. Parent company Chubb Limited is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CB) and is a component of the S&P 500 index. Chubb maintains executive offices in Zurich, New York, London, Paris and other locations, and employs approximately 30,000 people worldwide. Additional information can be found at: chubb.com/uk About GWS GWS, Global Warning System, is a global IT-company founded in 2009 in Lund, Sweden. The company has developed a security platform, based on world-leading technology. GWS Production AB is listed on Nasdaq First North Stockholm. Additional information can be found at: globalwarningsystem.com Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/324916/Chubb_Logo.jpg

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[March 28, 2019] Tru Optik Announces Agreement with Oracle Data Cloud to Make Oracle Audience Data Available to OTT/CTV Advertisers

STAMFORD, Conn., March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Tru Optik, a leading audience intelligence and data-management platform (DMP) across over-the-top (OTT) and connected TV (CTV), today announced an agreement with Oracle Data Cloud to make Oracle's audience data available for OTT/CTV campaigns through Tru Optik's OTT Data Marketplace. Tru Optik is the first DMP focused on the OTT/CTV market to integrate Oracle Data Cloud audiences. The OTT Data Marketplace is synced to Tru Optik's OTT Household Graph of more than 75 million homes, representing over 90 percent of U.S. viewers of ad-supported OTT content. Tru Optik clients  including demand-side platforms, supply-side platforms and publishers  will have access to Oracle's data for audience building across their CTV and OTT inventory. "It is humbling to be the first connected TV-focused data management platform to build an integrated audience solution with Oracle Data Cloud," said Andre Swanston, CEO of Tru Optik. "This is a huge step forward for the entire TV industry. Oracle Data Cloud's audience will give us the ability to leverage the best of digital advertising capabilities to make TV more valuable and performance-driven." At a time when legacy online advertising platforms are scrambling to adapt their technologies to CTV, many are taking shortcuts by targeting CTV households using individual-level data, collected from portable devices such as cell phones and laptops. This "apples & oranges" approach mischaracterizes households, leading to targeting inaccuracies. It can also result in the same user being associated with multiple households (because their portable devices are active away from home), further eroding targeting accuracy. Tru Optik's "OTT first" approach is anchored in household-level signals  including CTV device signatures  that ensure high-fidelity targeting and measurement across all OTT screens. A notable feature f Tru Optik's system is that it also works in reverse. Consumers can opt out, via OptOut.TV, from receiving interest-based or behaviorally-targeted OTT advertising from Tru Optik clients and partners across all OTT devices in a home.



"Oracle Data Cloud wants to allow our data to help advertisers reach the right consumers across every channel, platform, and device, so we're delighted to work with Tru Optik to integrate our data across their OTT/CTV platform," said Chris Langel, Vice President, Partnerships, for Oracle Data Cloud. "Forward thinking marketers can now use Oracle's leading data assets to reach their current and potential customers across the platforms and publishers who use Tru Optik's DMP." About Tru Optik

Tru Optik powers over-the-top (OTT)/connected TV (CTV) advertising, enabling brands and media companies to target specific audiences efficiently at scale, as well as to measure and evaluate the performance of OTT campaigns. The Company's OTT Marketing Cloud and its measurement, validation, and attribution solutions are built specifically to leverage the power of OTT, working across hardware and publishers.

Credited with leading the way to standardizing the OTT ad sector, Tru Optik is the preferred partner for many of the world's largest media companies, brands, and agencies. The Company is a founding member of OptOut.TV, ensuring that consumers have options when it comes to OTT/CTV advertising targeting. About Oracle Data Cloud

Oracle Data Cloud brings together data and technology to help digital advertising companies drive better business outcomes across more than 100 countries. Used by 199 out of AdAge's 200 largest advertisers, our Audience, Context and Measurement solutions give marketers the data and tools needed for every stage of the marketing journey, from audience planning to data management, brand safety, fraud protection, contextual relevance, viewability confirmation, and ROI measurement. Oracle Data Cloud combines the leading technologies and talent from Oracle's acquisitions of AddThis, BlueKai, Crosswise, Datalogix, Grapeshot, and Moat. About Oracle

The Oracle Cloud offers a complete suite of integrated applications for Sales, Service, Marketing, Human Resources, Finance, Supply Chain and Manufacturing, plus Highly Automated and Secure Generation 2 Infrastructure featuring the Oracle Autonomous Database. For more information about Oracle (NYSE: ORCL), please visit us at oracle.com. Trademarks

Oracle and Java are registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tru-optik-announces-agreement-with-oracle-data-cloud-to-make-oracle-audience-data-available-to-ottctv-advertisers-300819916.html SOURCE Tru Optik

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[March 28, 2019] Vonage Receives 2018 M&A Atlas Award

HOLMDEL, N.J., March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Vonage (NYSE: VG), a business cloud communications leader, has received the prestigious M&A Atlas Award for the TokBox acquisition as Small-to-Mid Cap Deal of the Year. In August 2018, Vonage acquired TokBox Inc. ("TokBox"), a subsidiary of Telefonica, S.A. in an all-cash transaction for an enterprise value of $35 million, including assumed liabilities. An industry leader in WebRTC programmable video, TokBox furthers Vonage's strategy to provide a differentiated, fully programmable communications solution for developers and businesses of all sizes. "We are honored to be recognized with this prestigious award and to be included in such an esteemed group of nominees," said Vinod Lala, Chief Strategy Officer for Vonage. "Through a series of strategic acquisitions, as well as organic growth, Vonage has transformed into a global business cloud communications leader. The acquisition of TokBox is an integral part of our vision to help our customers create better experiences and better overall business outcomes." TokBox significantly expands Vonage's total addressable market. The addition also broadens the Company's API portfolio via Nexmo, the Vonage API Platform beyond voice, SMS and IP messaging, enabling developers and enterprises to integrate live video into websites, mobile apps, and IoT devices - with just a few lines of code. With TokBox now a part of the Vonage platform, developers benefit from a simple, flexible and scalable programmable vido solution to create engaging, embedded communications experiences.



"The acquisition of TokBox furthers Vonage's programmable communications offering as a part of the Nexmo platform. Moreover, the acquisition demonstrates Vonage's ability to create communication solutions for businesses by successfully calibrating and executing its M&A strategy for growth," said Shanta Kumari, CEO and Group Global Editor at Global M&A Network. The M&A Atlas Awards singularly honor excellence in the categories of best value-creating deals, outstanding firms and dealmakers from all corners of the globe. Winners are selected independently based on firm-wide achievements, corporate development strategies, management teams and global brand standing within respective industries and markets.

About Vonage

Vonage is redefining business communications, helping enterprises use fully-integrated unified communications, contact center, and programmable communications solutions via Nexmo, the Vonage API Platform, to improve how business gets done. True to our roots as a technology disruptor, we've embraced technology to transform how companies connect, collaborate and communicate to create better business outcomes. Vonage's fully-integrated cloud communications platform built on a microservices-based architecture enables businesses to collaborate more productively and engage their customers more effectively across all channels, including messaging, chat, social media, video and voice. Vonage Holdings Corp. is headquartered in Holmdel, New Jersey, with offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and Israel. Vonage is a registered trademark of Vonage Marketing LLC, owned by Vonage America Inc. To follow Vonage on Twitter, please visit www.twitter.com/vonage. To become a fan on Facebook, go to www.facebook.com/vonage. To subscribe on YouTube, visit www.youtube.com/vonage. About Global M&A Network

Global M&A Network is a diversified digital media, news and conference connecting company. The company also produces the world's most prestigious  M&A ATLAS branded awards programs for Global Markets, Americas, Asia Pacific, Latin America and EMEA. (vg-a) View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vonage-receives-2018-ma-atlas-award-300819902.html SOURCE Vonage

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[March 28, 2019] Innovation Pharmaceuticals European Subsidiary, IPIX Pharma Ltd., Granted Meeting with European Medicines Agency (EMA) to Discuss International Phase 3 Brilacidin Oral Mucositis Program

BEVERLY, Mass., March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Innovation Pharmaceuticals (OTCQB:IPIX) (the Company), a clinical stage pharmaceutical company, announced today that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has granted a meeting with the Companys European subsidiary, IPIX Pharma Ltd., to discuss a briefing package submitted for Scientific Advice regarding the clinical development program of Brilacidin oral rinse to decrease the incidence of Severe Oral Mucositis (SOM) in Head and Neck Cancer (HNC) patients receiving chemoradiation.

The purpose of such meetings is for the EMA to provide guidance on the appropriate tests and studies in the development program for a medicine. Receiving formal scientific advice helps ensure health authority alignment regarding appropriate testing to support an eventual marketing-authorization application in Europe. The meeting with IPIX Pharma has been scheduled by EMA for mid-April 2019 and will serve to complement the regulatory feedback and advice obtained by the Company from the already completed End-of-Phase 2 Meeting held with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). At this meeting, an acceptable Phase 3 development pathway was agreed upon by the FDA and the Company to advance Brilacidin for the prevention of SOM in HNC. We are extremely pleased to have been granted this scientific meeting with the EMA, particularly in such rapid fashion, commented Arthur P. Bertolino, MD, PhD, MBA, President and Chief Medical Officer at Innovation Pharmaceuticals. New and effective treatments that not only help mitigate, but actually prevent the occurrence of oral mucositis, have been long sought-after. Currently there is no approved drug to decrease the incidence of Severe Oral Mucositis in Head and Neck Cancer. We look forward to advancing Brilacidin toward potential regulatory approval, both in Europe and the United States, as we refine key aspects of our planned Phase 3 program in oral mucositis. About Brilacidin Phase 2 Results in Treating Severe Oral Mucositis The Companys Brilacidin oral rinse demonstrated a strong therapeutic benefit in patients receiving an aggressive chemotherapy regimen (cisplatin administered 80-100 mg/m2, every 21 days), which currently is the standard of care. In this patient population, the incidence of SOM was reduced to 25.0% in the modified Intent-to-Treat (mITT) population, versus 71.4% of patients on placebo. In the Per Protocol (PP) patient group, incidence of SOM dropped to 14.3% for patients receiving Brilacidin-OM, compared to 72.7% among those receiving placebo. The completed Phase 2 study met its primary endpoint, showing a reduction of SOM incidence versus placebo, as well as beneficial treatment effects in reducing the duration of SOM and in delaying the onset of SOM. Linked below is information, published in a blog on the Companys website, elaborating on how Brilacidinis positioned compared to other investigational Oral Mucositis drugs currently in clinical development.



http://www.ipharminc.com/new-blog/2018/9/24/brilacidin-for-oral-mucositis-at-a-glance-comparative-data-presentation-with-other-investigational-om-drugs About Brilacidin and Severe Oral Mucositis There currently are no FDA-approved drugs to decrease the incidence of Severe OM (SOM) (WHO Grade = 3) in Head and Neck Cancer (HNC) patients receiving chemoradiation. The additional expenses incurred by patients suffering from SOM are estimated to be as high as $18,000 to $25,000 per case in the U.S. when hospitalization is required. These factors contribute to SOM qualifying as an area of significant unmet medical need. According to published statistics, the number of new annual HNC cases in the U.S. is estimated to be 65,000, and on a worldwide basis, ~750,000 cases. Between 60 and 70 percent of these HNC patients typically will develop SOM, with the overall incidence of HNC patients developing some grade of OM (WHO Grades 1 to 4) approaching 100 percent. Because it cannot be predicted which patients will develop SOM, a preventative treatment, such as Brilacidin oral rinse, would begin in all patients as soon as starting chemoradiation and continue until its completion (typically a seven-week course). Given Brilacidin is administered as a convenient oral rinse, with plans to package it in an easily transportable sachet form, the Company believes it would be attractive both to doctors and patientslikely translating to widespread and rapid market adoption should Brilacidin oral rinse gain regulatory approval.

Alerts

Sign-up for Innovation Pharmaceuticals email alerts is available at:

http://www.ipharminc.com/email-alerts/ About Innovation Pharmaceuticals

Innovation Pharmaceuticals Inc. (IPIX) is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing a world-class portfolio of innovative therapies addressing multiple areas of unmet medical need, including inflammatory diseases, cancer, infectious disease, and dermatologic diseases. Brilacidin, a versatile compound with broad therapeutic potential, is in a new chemical class called defensin-mimetics. A Phase 2 trial of Brilacidin as an oral rinse for the prevention of Severe Oral Mucositis (SOM) in patients with Head and Neck Cancer, met its primary and secondary endpoints, including reducing the incidence of SOM. The Company plans to advance Brilacidin oral rinse into Phase 3 development, subject to available financial resources. Positive results were also observed in a Phase 2 Proof-of-Concept trial treating patients locally with Brilacidin for Ulcerative Proctitis/Ulcerative Proctosigmoiditis. A Phase 2b trial of Brilacidin showed a single intravenous dose of the drug delivered comparable outcomes to a seven-day dosing regimen of the FDA-approved blockbuster daptomycin in treating Acute Bacterial Skin and Skin Structure Infections. Kevetrin is a novel anti-cancer drug shown to modulate p53, often referred to as the Guardian Angel Gene due to its crucial role in controlling cell mutations, and has successfully completed a Phase 2 trial in ovarian cancer. More information is available on the Company website at www.IPharmInc.com . Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 including statements concerning projected timelines for the initiation and completion of clinical trials, including planned Phase 3 trials of Brilacidin, our future drug development plans, other statements regarding future product developments, and markets, including with respect to specific indications, and any other statements which are other than statements of historical fact. These statements involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause the Companys actual results and experience to differ materially from anticipated results and expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements. The Company has in some cases identified forward-looking statements by using words such as anticipates, believes, hopes, estimates, looks, expects, plans, intends, goal, potential, may, suggest, and similar expressions. Among other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements are the Companys need for, and the availability of, substantial capital in the future to fund its operations and research and development; including the amount and timing of the sale of shares of common stock under securities purchase agreements; the fact that the Companys compounds may not successfully complete pre-clinical or clinical testing, or be granted regulatory approval to be sold and marketed in the United States or elsewhere. A more complete description of these risk factors is included in the Companys filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to release publicly the results of any revisions to any such forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by applicable law or regulation. INVESTOR AND MEDIA CONTACT

Innovation Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Leo Ehrlich

[email protected]



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[March 28, 2019] Intercontinental Exchange Releases 2019 Corporate Responsibility Report

Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE: ICE), a leading operator of global exchanges and clearing houses and provider of data and listings services, today released its annual Corporate Responsibility Report. The report complements Intercontinental Exchange's enhanced corporate citizenship website which provides timely information and resources that are meaningful to stakeholders as issues related to environmental, social and governance topics continue to evolve. "From our earliest days, innovation has been at the heart of what we do, and as our markets and products continue to expand, based on our customers' needs, so too does the way we share information and together make advances in the area of sustainability," said Intercontinental Exchange Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Sprecher. "Increased diversity of thought, strong governance, and support for the communities we serve around the world provide the foundation for what it means to be a responsible company," Sprecher added. As a leader in global environmental markets, ICE promotes opportunities for sustainable finance, including over $3.5 billion in listed sustainable ETFs and ESG-based indices like the ICE BofAML Green Bond Index.

ICE has increased the number of women on its Board of Directors and continues to focus on issues related to gender pay equity and increasing diversity across the company.

From helping increase financial literacy, to supporting employee and customer driven initiatives, ICE is committed to giving back to communities around the world.

A publicly-traded, Fortune 500 company and the owner of the New York Stock Excange, ICE's strong corporate governance and financial expertise is critical in operating tightly regulated exchanges and clearing houses around the world.



corporate citizenship path." The 2019 Intercontinental Exchange Corporate Responsibility Report is available on the company's website at: https://www.intercontinentalexchange.com/about/corporate-responsibility.

About Intercontinental Exchange Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE: ICE) is a Fortune 500 company formed in the year 2000 to modernize markets. ICE serves customers by operating the exchanges, clearing houses and information services they rely upon to invest, trade and manage risk across global financial and commodity markets. A leader in market data, ICE Data Services serves the information and connectivity needs across virtually all asset classes. As the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange, the company is the premier venue for raising capital in the world, driving economic growth and transforming markets. Trademarks of ICE and/or its affiliates include Intercontinental Exchange, ICE, ICE block design, NYSE and New York Stock Exchange. Information regarding additional trademarks and intellectual property rights of Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. and/or its affiliates is located at http://www.intercontinentalexchange.com/terms-of-use. Key Information Documents for certain products covered by the EU Packaged Retail and Insurance-based Investment Products Regulation can be accessed on the relevant exchange website under the heading "Key Information Documents (KIDS)." Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 -- Statements in this press release regarding ICE's business that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of additional risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see ICE's Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC (News - Alert)) filings, including, but not limited to, the risk factors in ICE's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, as filed with the SEC on February 7, 2019. SOURCE: Intercontinental Exchange ICE-CORP View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005132/en/

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[March 28, 2019] AMERICAN RENAL (ARA) RESTATEMENT INVESTIGATION: Rosen Law Firm Continues to Investigate Securities Claims Against American Renal Associates Holdings, Inc.; Encourages Investors to Contact the Firm - ARA

Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announces it is continuing to investigate potential securities claims on behalf of shareholders of American Renal Associates Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: ARA) resulting from allegations that American Renal may have issued materially misleading business information to the investing public. On March 8, 2019, American Renal announced it would delay the filing of its earnings report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018 as it continued to examine reserve computations and other accounting practices that may have had an impact on the company's accounts receivable and revenue for fiscal year 2018, as well as previously reported fiscal years ranging from 2014 through 2017. On this news, shares of American Renal fell $2.05 per share or over 16% to close at $10.46 per share on March 8, 2019. Then, on March 27, 2019, American Renal disclosed that its previously issued financial statements for fiscal years 2014 through 2017 should no longer be relied upon and should be restated. American Renal also announced the resignation of its Chief Financial Officer. On this news, shares of American Renal sharply declined in afterhours trading. Rosen Law Firm is preparing a class action lawsuit to recover losses suffered by American Renal investors. If you purchased shares of American Renal,please visit the firm's website at https://www.rosenlegal.com/cases-register-1533.html to join the class action. You may also contact Phillip Kim or Zachary Halper of Rosen Law Firm toll free at 866-767-3653 or via email at [email protected] or [email protected].



Follow us for updates on LinkedIn (News - Alert): https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter (News - Alert): https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook (News - Alert): https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/. Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 3 each year since 2013.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005291/en/

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[March 28, 2019] HP Propelling Industry to 3D Production, More Than 10 Million Parts Produced on Multi Jet Fusion Technology Last Year Alone

Daimler Trucks North America, Fast Radius, Linear AMS, US Marine Corps and more leveraging HP 3D Printing solutions; new HP Jet Fusion 500/300 series prototyping solution shipping in volume; HP Metal Jet Production Service now widely available HPs Jet Fusion 500/300 series 3D printer is being used by customers including Daimler Trucks North America



Metal Jet Production Service for the 3D printing of industrial-grade metal parts is now widely available



A fuel window for Husqvarnas landscaping products is an example of one of the more than 10 million parts produced using HPs Multi Jet Fusion technology in the past year



News highlights: More than 10 million parts produced using HP Multi Jet Fusion technology in the last year

HP Jet Fusion 500/300 Series 3D printers for functional prototyping are now shipping in volume with new customers such as Daimler Trucks North America

HPs Metal Jet Production Service is now widely available, enabling customers to upload designs and produce production-grade metal parts in large quantities CHICAGO, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Next week at the worlds largest 3D printing user event, the Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG) conference, HP Inc. will showcase new customers, applications, and technology as it continues leading the industry toward 3D production. HPs advanced portfolio of 3D printing technology continues to expand and is helping customers accelerate their digital manufacturing journey.



More than 10 million parts were produced on HPs Multi Jet Fusion technology in the last year. We are seeing an explosion of new applications across industries taking advantage of the design freedom, superior economics, speed, and industrial-grade quality unlocked by HP and its partners, said Christoph Schell, President of 3D Printing and Digital Manufacturing, HP Inc. As we continue to expand our plastics and metals portfolio across both prototyping and production, and build out our community of global partners, we are helping customers save money, accelerate time to market, and improve sustainability as they progress on their digital manufacturing journey.



HP and Its Community Driving the Industry to 3D Production



HP is working closely with innovative partners and customers around the world to transform the way they design, develop, produce, and distribute parts.



Fast Radius is the leading provider of comprehensive additive manufacturing solutions  from application discovery, to product design and testing, to industrial-grade production and global fulfillment. The company was recently named one of the 16 most innovative factories in the world by the World Economic Forum. Fast Radius houses the most advanced 3D printing technologies in this factory, including HP Multi Jet Fusion. They use HP Multi Jet Fusion technology to deliver innovative new 3D-printed applications and final parts to a wide-array of customers including: Husqvarna Group, a leading Swedish manufacturer of outdoor power products, is moving parts in its spare parts catalog to the Fast Radius Virtual Warehouse, where they can be produced using HPs Jet Fusion 3D printers and shipped on demand as needed.

a leading Swedish manufacturer of outdoor power products, is moving parts in its spare parts catalog to the Fast Radius Virtual Warehouse, where they can be produced using HPs Jet Fusion 3D printers and shipped on demand as needed. Yanfeng Global Automotive Interiors , the global leader in automotive interior solutions, is using additive manufacturing and HP Multi Jet Fusion technology to make advances in the drivers experience in the vehicles of today and tomorrow.

, the global leader in automotive interior solutions, is using additive manufacturing and HP Multi Jet Fusion technology to make advances in the drivers experience in the vehicles of today and tomorrow. United States Marine Corp , an elite branch of the US armed forces, has been making significant strides with the use of additive manufacturing technologies, including HP Multi Jet Fusion technology, to enhance their readiness-now capabilities 1 .

, an elite branch of the US armed forces, has been making significant strides with the use of additive manufacturing technologies, including HP Multi Jet Fusion technology, to enhance their readiness-now capabilities . HP itself is one of the largest designers, manufacturers, and distributers of products in the world. HPs award-winning Reinventing HP With Multi Jet Fusion program is leveraging its own 3D printing technolog to lower costs, speed time to market, increase customer satisfaction, and improve sustainability. Fast Radius is using HP Jet Fusion 3D printers to produce final parts for HPs Print, Personal Systems, and 3D Printing products.







HP works closely with automotive industry leaders who are adopting 3D printing technology, such as BMW and Volkswagen. HPs 3D printers are now expanding to the automotive industrys US-based suppliers network in the greater Detroit area with new customers such as:

Advantage Engineering Inc. believes in virtually limitless manufacturability, and are experts in designing, developing, and now producing 3D-printed parts using HP Multi Jet Fusion technology. The company is using their HP Jet Fusion 3D printers to enable auto manufacturers, as well as customers across other verticals including medical and consumer, to reduce time constraints and costs associated with traditional manufacturing.

believes in virtually limitless manufacturability, and are experts in designing, developing, and now producing 3D-printed parts using HP Multi Jet Fusion technology. The company is using their HP Jet Fusion 3D printers to enable auto manufacturers, as well as customers across other verticals including medical and consumer, to reduce time constraints and costs associated with traditional manufacturing. Linear AMS is a leading manufacturing service provider for the production of injection molded and 3D-printed plastic and metal parts for the automotive, consumer products, and industrial sectors. Linear AMS has installed multiple HP Jet Fusion 3D printers and is pioneering new applications using Multi Jet Fusion technology to reduce overall tooling costs, streamline designs, and provide parts for some of the worlds largest auto makers. New HP Jet Fusion 500/300 Series 3D Printers for Functional Prototyping Now Shipping in Volume



HP recently expanded its 3D printing portfolio with the new Jet Fusion 500/300 Series 3D printers, a lower-cost solution that complements HPs industrial-grade systems, enabling customers to go from prototyping to production on the same underlying technology. Today HP announced that the new Jet Fusion 500/300 series is shipping in volume and includes new customers such as: Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) is North Americas leading commercial vehicle manufacturer. DTNA is demonstrating the power of digital manufacturing using HPs Jet Fusion 500/300 platform to accelerate its prototyping to production timeline.

is North Americas leading commercial vehicle manufacturer. DTNA is demonstrating the power of digital manufacturing using HPs Jet Fusion 500/300 platform to accelerate its prototyping to production timeline. Unlimited Tomorrow is using HP Jet Fusion 580 printers to provide amputees with custom-made 3D-printed prosthetics. By liberating its manufacturing process from the constraints of traditional production methods, Unlimited Tomorrow is creating the most advanced artificial limbs that are accessible and affordable for remote and underprivileged communities.

is using HP Jet Fusion 580 printers to provide amputees with custom-made 3D-printed prosthetics. By liberating its manufacturing process from the constraints of traditional production methods, Unlimited Tomorrow is creating the most advanced artificial limbs that are accessible and affordable for remote and underprivileged communities. Clemson University is reinventing how it prototypes and produces functional parts using the HP Jet Fusion 500/300 series to advance innovation for departments such as the Clemson College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences. HP Metal Jet Production Service Now Widely Available for Final Parts Production



HPs industry leading portfolio helping customers on their journey to digital manufacturing includes HP Metal Jet , the most advanced 3D printing technology for the high volume manufacturing of production-grade metal parts, providing up to 50 times more productivity2 at a significantly lower cost3 than other 3D printing methods. Today HP announced that the HP Metal Jet Production Service 4 for the 3D printing of industrial-grade metal parts is now widely available. Customers can now upload 3D design files and receive functional metal parts in large quantities. The parts are produced by HP partners GKN Powder Metallurgy and Parmatech to ensure the highest standards of engineering and production quality.



HP at AMUG 2019



Join HP and its customers and partners as they share more insights on new 3D printing applications and digital manufacturing services: Scaling into Mass Production with Metal 3D Printing  Technology Differentiation and Applications

Join Tim Weber, Global Head of HPs Metal Jet business, and partners GKN and Parmatech, for the latest on HPs Metal Jet technology and new applications (AMUG Diamond Session on Monday, April 1 at 4:30 p.m. in Williford A/B).

Join Tim Weber, Global Head of HPs Metal Jet business, and partners GKN and Parmatech, for the latest on HPs Metal Jet technology and new applications (AMUG Diamond Session on Monday, April 1 at 4:30 p.m. in Williford A/B). All About the Customer  Removing the Hype and Making AM Real

Join Scott Schiller, Global Head of Market Development at HP, and Lou Rassey, CEO of Fast Radius, to learn how Fast Radius is leveraging HPs Multi Jet Fusion technology to unlock new applications and business models (Wednesday, April 3 at 1:30 p.m. in Waldorf).

Join Scott Schiller, Global Head of Market Development at HP, and Lou Rassey, CEO of Fast Radius, to learn how Fast Radius is leveraging HPs Multi Jet Fusion technology to unlock new applications and business models (Wednesday, April 3 at 1:30 p.m. in Waldorf). Learn more about the entire HP Jet Fusion and Metal Jet 3D printing portfolio and see a range of breakthrough applications at HPs AMUG booth D15.

About HP

HP Inc. creates technology that makes life better for everyone, everywhere. Through our portfolio of personal systems, printers, and 3D printing solutions, we engineer experiences that amaze. More information about HP Inc. is available at http://www.hp.com /go/3Dprinting .



Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. If the risks or uncertainties ever materialize or the assumptions prove incorrect, the results of HP Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries (HP) may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and assumptions.



All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including but not limited to any projections of net revenue, margins, expenses, effective tax rates, net earnings, net earnings per share, cash flows, benefit plan funding, deferred tax assets, share repurchases, currency exchange rates or other financial items; any projections of the amount, timing or impact of cost savings or restructuring and other charges; any statements of the plans, strategies and objectives of management for future operations, including the execution of restructuring plans and any resulting cost savings, revenue or profitability improvements; any statements concerning the expected development, performance, market share or competitive performance relating to products or services; any statements regarding current or future macroeconomic trends or events and the impact of those trends and events on HP and its financial performance; any statements regarding pending investigations, claims or disputes; any statements of expectation or belief; and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing.



Risks, uncertainties and assumptions include the need to address the many challenges facing HPs businesses; the competitive pressures faced by HPs businesses; risks associated with executing HPs strategy; the impact of macroeconomic and geopolitical trends and events; the need to manage third-party suppliers and the distribution of HPs products and the delivery of HPs services effectively; the protection of HPs intellectual property assets, including intellectual property licensed from third parties; risks associated with HPs international operations; the development and transition of new products and services and the enhancement of existing products and services to meet customer needs and respond to emerging technological trends; the execution and performance of contracts by HP and its suppliers, customers, clients and partners; the hiring and retention of key employees; integration and other risks associated with business combination and investment transactions; the results of the restructuring plans, including estimates and assumptions related to the cost (including any possible disruption of HPs business) and the anticipated benefits of the restructuring plans; the resolution of pending investigations, claims and disputes; and other risks that are described in HPs Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year 2018, and HPs other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. HP assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements. HPs Investor Relations website at http://www.hp.com/investor/home contains a significant amount of information about HP, including financial and other information for investors. HP encourages investors to visit its website from time to time, as information is updated, and new information is posted. www.hp.com/go/newsroom ___________________________________ 1 No Defense Department or U.S. Marine Corps endorsement implied

2 Based on comparable competitive binder jetting and selective laser melting (SLM) metals 3D printing solutions available as of July 31, 2018. Productivity claim based on: 1) up to 50 times more productive, on average, based on print speed for serial production up to 100,000 parts, and 2) solution acquisition cost. 3 Low cost based on comparable competitive binder jetting and selective laser melting (SLM) metals 3D printing solutions available as of July 31, 2018. Expected printer price for 2020 launch for lead customers. 4 HP does not provide manufacturing services. Customers work directly with and pay for manufacturing services provided by a trusted third-party manufacturing partner responsible for fulfilling the order. HP provides design compatibility check for HP Metal Jet printing. Metal Jet Production Service1 is expected to be available in Western Europe and US. Part production will be fulfilled and delivered by our trusted manufacturing partners with expected availability first half 2019. Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: //www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a082fecf-05e5-44c5-a19e-b8f21015d763 //www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0c982aab-b283-467e-983e-33ec9496aa3b //www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d0ac806f-b235-4903-9a52-8a1d25dce79b MICHELE GUTHRIE [email protected]

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[March 28, 2019] Computer Design & Integration LLC (CDI LLC) Technical Experts Honored for Contributions to the VMware Community

Computer Design & Integration LLC (CDI LLC) announced today that Will Huber, Chief Technology Officer, Services and Solutions, and Yury Magalif, Chief Architect, Managed Services and Cloud Computing, were named to VMware's vExpert 2019 list. VMware, a leader in cloud infrastructure and business mobility, and its vExpert global evangelism and advocacy program recognizes experts who've demonstrated significant contributions to the virtualization community and a willingness to share their expertise with others. The 2019 vExpert's were chosen for their engagement and personal platform of influence in a variety of VMware communities, including blogging, social media, script writing, VMUG leaders, VMTN community moderators and internal champions. "I'm privileged to once again be recognized as a vExpert for the eighth consecutive year," said Huber. "We are living in the age of digital transformation and technology is at the forefront of our customer's digital strategy. I look forward to continuing to be an ambassador for VMware and sharing my knowledge with the virtualization and software-defined communities." Huber is an experienced technology leader with an extensive background in cloud and software-defined data center (SDDC) technologies. He is one of less than 273 architects worldwide that hold VMware's Certified Design Expert (VCDX) credential, is a two-time VMworld speaker and also holds the distinction of being one of just 33 architects globally with VCDX status in the Cloud Management and Automation track.



Additionally, Huber will be presenting two speaking sessions at VMware EMPOWER 2019: Thursday, April 18, 2019 - 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM: Partner VCDX Session: Customer Win - Hybrid Cloud Use Cases: Real world customer hybrid cloud use cases leveraging a range of VMware products and services including VMware vRealize Automation, VMware Cloud on AWS, and more.

Monday, April 15, 2019 - 2:15 - 3:15 PM, 3:30 - 4:30 PM: VCAP-CMA Deploy Exam Tips & Tricks: Learn best practices from VCAP certified peers: Many first-time VCAP candidates feel overwhelmed at the depth and breadth of exam study materials. Structured as an open discussion, this session features VCAP certified panelists describing their strategies for passing a VCAP exam. "I love technology and being socially involved with the VMware community shows my desire to teach that passion to others," added Magalif. "The vExpert program recognizes this effort, and I am thankful for being included for the sixth consecutive year."

Magalif is a professional in Hybrid Cloud, End-User Computing (EUC), Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI), Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS), storage and data center technologies. He is a VMworld 2018 speaker with a session on performance analysis. For the last six years, Magalif has been a lecturer at the Hewlett-Packard (News - Alert) Enterprise Discover Conference, where his presentations are in the top 10 out of 800 sessions offered. In addition, Magalif holds many industry certifications from VMware, Cisco (News - Alert), Microsoft, Dell EMC, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and various other manufacturers. About Computer Design & Integration LLC (CDI LLC): CDI LLC was founded in 1995, with corporate headquarters in New York City, as well as office locations in Teterboro, N.J., Philadelphia, Charlotte and Atlanta. The firm has been recognized as one of the nation's top 500 IT solution providers offering clients and businesses of all sizes the most up-to-date hybrid IT technology solutions that solve today's most complex business challenges. CDI LLC continually focuses on achieving client satisfaction by developing and implementing comprehensive and innovative technology solutions that enhance day-to-day business workflow processes. As one of the largest solution providers, CDI LLC combines the required experience, exceptional talent, quality assurance and stability that its clients strive to achieve. For more information, visit cdillc.com or call 1-877-216-0133. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005023/en/

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[March 28, 2019] New CSU Program Creates Degree Pathway for International Students

Cleveland State University (CSU) and Shorelight Education today announced the launch of a new strategic partnership that will provide international students with the opportunity to receive a transformative CSU education and bolster Cleveland's growing regional economy and highly-skilled workforce. Shorelight's signature undergraduate and graduate support programs will help CSU recruit and retain top international students from across the world and ensure their success as they progress through graduation. The collaboration between Shorelight and CSU will allow more international students to access CSU's robust undergraduate and graduate programs; the University features 10 colleges and more than 175 academic programs. As a core component of the partnership, Shorelight and CSU will work collaboratively with the City of Cleveland and local businesses to build a strategic workforce pipeline that will connect qualified international students who complete their studies at CSU with companies eager to employ highly-skilled and talented students in Northeast Ohio. As part of the new three-pronged relationship, CSU will serve as the academic provider - delivering high-quality undergraduate and advanced degree programs in a number of fields, and featuring thousands of experiential learning opportunities. As the operational and programmatic provider, Shorelight will deliver technology-enabled services and resources to help engage and support international students throughout the application, enrollment, and academic experience. Finally, the City of Cleveland will help connect talented, globally-minded international grduates with employment opportunities in the Cleveland area in their chosen field to support the local economy.



"Cleveland State has long been an anchor for the city of Cleveland, helping to promote educational and economic growth for our community," said Cleveland State University President Harlan Sands. "This unique partnership with Shorelight Education will expand that mission and establish CSU as a beacon institution for students from around the world, bringing an even richer diversity of viewpoints and experiences into our classrooms, communities and places of work." "Working with CSU and the City of Cleveland, we are presented with the truly unique opportunity to create a groundbreaking initiative that benefits the entire campus community -- current students, international students, the university itself, and the local Cleveland economy," said Shorelight CEO Tom Dretler. "Our team is thrilled to use our global reach and experience to further expose CSU and the City of Cleveland to the world, and ensure that international students are supported and successful throughout their academic and professional journeys."

The relationship will leverage Shorelight's reach and experience serving international students to complement CSU's Engaged Learning approach, which emphasizes experiential and practical learning leading to tangible post-graduation outcomes. By introducing international students to a one-of-kind academic track that will ultimately place qualified students into workforce opportunities in and around Northeast Ohio, this strategic partnership will directly connect companies in need of talent to fully-prepared students who have successfully completed targeted, industry-aligned programs at CSU. The programs will officially begin in the Fall of 2019. About Cleveland State University Founded in 1964, Cleveland State University is a public research institution that provides a dynamic setting for Engaged Learning. With 17,000-plus students, ten colleges and schools and more than 175 academic programs, CSU was again chosen for 2019 as one of America's best universities by U.S. News & World Report. Find more information at http://www.csuohio.edu. About Shorelight Education Shorelight Education is reinventing the international education experience for students worldwide. Based in Boston, the company works with top-ranked, nonprofit American universities to build innovative programs and high-touch, technology-driven services that help talented students thrive and become global citizens. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005510/en/

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[March 28, 2019] Waste Industry Veterans Deliver Innovative Technology Solutions

HOUSTON, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Texas-based WASTELINQ, whose waste industry experts design innovative technology solutions to meet the needs of waste industry customers and service providers, announced the Q1 launch of its industry leading Software as a Service (SaaS) offerings this week. The technology startup, founded by experts with more than 70 years of combined experience managing waste brokerages and TSDFs, has created platforms that help waste generators and waste service providers capture the financial, operational, and environmental value of superior waste management strategy and practice. Commenting on the announcement, Chief Financial Officer Ken Odom observed, "We know our solutions work because they're the same solutions we used to build an industry-leading waste brokerage. Although we're new to the software market, our software has been tested and refined over the course of nearly 15 years of intensive operations." WASTELINQ's founders find great value in sticking to their roots as waste service providers, noting that they are using technology to share the deep knowledge of best-in-class waste operations that was the core of their service business. WASTELINQ's announcement includes two products. WASTELINQ Generator llows waste generators to develop and maintain waste management plans and efficient operations by providing capabilities like waste characterization and profiling, inventory and shipping management, document archiving, and reporting. WASTELINQ Enterprise is an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) tool designed specifically for TSDFs, brokers, transporters, and consultants. In addition to all of the features needed to manage waste on behalf of a generator, Enterprise includes tools for managing customer data, order management and logistics, and accounting.



Both products, which had a soft launch to about 100 users in Q4 2018, will be on display at the TCEQ's Environmental Trade Fair and Conference in Austin on May 14th and 15th. Odom says the company looks forward to returning to the TCEQ show in a new capacity, and he thinks waste management professionals will be impressed. "We've been in their shoes, doing these jobs, so we know the day-to-day frustrations. We saw a need and a way to make things better, and that's what these two software packages do," he said. About WASTELINQ

Founded in 2017, WASTELINQ (an E4 Holdings Company) provides innovative technology solutions designed and tested by waste industry service experts to waste industry customers and service providers. Leveraging industry-specific technical expertise, WASTELINQ's "service as a software" enables customers to utilize proven solutions that achieve both environmental and financial stewardship, maximizing the business value of responsible waste management strategy. Additional information can be found at www.WASTELINQ.com. About EMKTG Inc. Owned by Laura Magee, EMKTG INC. is a full-service Marketing Agency with headquarters located at 1919 14th Street, Suite 700, Boulder, Colorado, 80302. Contact: Laura Magee, EMKTG.com

Phone: 303-500-3267

Email: [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/waste-industry-veterans-deliver-innovative-technology-solutions-300820260.html SOURCE WASTELINQ

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CBCInnovis Announces Credit Integration with Maxwell

CBCInnovis, a leading provider of mortgage credit and data validation services to the mortgage lending industry, today announced an integration of its credit reporting capabilities with Maxwell's digital mortgage technology.

The integration of CBCInnovis with Maxwell provides credit reports to loan officers and their teams directly within Maxwell's Connected Apps platform and benefits their mutual customers.

"With the addition of CBCInnovis to Maxwell's Connected Apps platform, customers of both companies can benefit from the delivery of credit reporting services directly at the point-of-sale," said CBCInnovis President Ken Viviano.

Maxwell's Connected Aps platform allows lenders to manage all of their business application integrations with Maxwell. Integration with CBCInnovis provides credit reports to lenders and their teams directly within the platform.







"The integration of CBCInnovis's commercial credit reports with our automated mortgage loan process is designed to maximize our customers' time and increase efficiency," said Maxwell Head of Product Lindsay Hunt. "It improves the experience for both lenders and borrowers by giving them a more streamlined process at the point of sale."

About CBCInnovis

CBCInnovis offers a diverse portfolio of lending support solutions to the financial services industry. With tools designed to enhance efficiency and streamline processes, CBCInnovis solutions can assist with merged credit report services, identity, income and employment verification, fraud and risk mitigation, flood determinations, property appraisal and valuation, and closing services. http://www.cbcinnovis.com

About Maxwell

Maxwell empowers mortgage lenders to be more connected, productive and successful by intelligently automating their workflow with homebuyers and real estate agents. The platform is used by hundreds of mortgage lenders, banks and community lenders nationwide to serve their customers. Founded in 2015, Maxwell is a member of the Mortgage Bankers Association and The Mortgage Collaborative and is proud to be built in Denver, Colorado.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005142/en/
[March 28, 2019] Grupo Flor Builds the Cannabis Industry's First Commodity Trading Desk

Grupo Flor, a multi-national vertical cannabis company, has launched the cannabis industry's first commodity trading desk. Using a proprietary version of commodity trading software the company developed, the desk connects buyers and sellers for the purchase and sale of raw cannabis materials including hemp biomass, THC flower, THC trim, CBD/THC crude and distillate oil, and CBD isolate. In its first week of operation, the desk executed several million dollars worth of trades. "We created a more efficient exchange for buyers and sellers by solving two critical problems," according to Grupo Flor CEO Paul Henderson. "Buyers are sourcing raw materials from an array of entities and many of the products are inconsistent and unreliable. On the flip side, these sellers don't have the support and logistics infrastructure to efficiently sell and transport their product. We believe this trading platform is a win-win for the entire industry." Expansion plans The desk was initially introduced in the California THC market but has rapidly expanded into the national CBD market using an established network of farmers in states including Colorado, Kentucky, North Carolina, outh Carolina, and West Virginia. The desk also plans to add Colombia as its first international sourcing pipeline in the near future.



Grupo Flor Co-Founder Gavin Kogan added, "We've been working on this behind the scenes for some time. As California's THC market continues to explode, the desk will be instrumental in facilitating trades and moving physical goods around the state via our licensed warehouses and transportation network." How it works

All suppliers and buyers listed on the desk are heavily vetted based on their growing sites, manufacturing processes, management, licensing, and compliance with only the most qualified partners being introduced into the network. Once a partner is approved, the desk works with buyers to find the appropriate supply they need or the desk works with sellers looking to move large quantities of raw materials through the buyer network. The desk has the ability to enter into contract growing arrangements on behalf of buyers or to simply fill spot-market orders. Traders host weekly conference calls with buyers and sellers to discuss pricing trends among products in different markets. Sales data is logged for the eventual creation of futures contracts. Grupo Flor recruited two full-time traders with international commodity trading and food/cannabis broker experience, with plans to add additional traders in the short-term. Anyone interested in becoming a seller or buyer with the desk can contact: Ferrell Daste - [email protected] Andy Colehower - [email protected] About Grupo Flor Grupo Flor is a multi-national vertical cannabis ecosystem bringing innovative brands and quality products to customers around the globe. As one of the largest cannabis companies in California, Grupo Flor holds over 29 local and state licenses and manages a real estate footprint encompassing 1.5 million square feet. The company recently launched operations in Colombia and has aggressive plans to expand globally. The Grupo Flor Commodity Trading Desk is not registered with nor regulated by the CFTC (Commodity Futures Trading Commission) nor the SEC (News - Alert) (Securities Exchange Commission). The desk does not enter into futures or options contracts nor does it sell financial securities. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005620/en/

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[March 28, 2019] CRTC and RCMP National Division execute warrants in malware investigation

GATINEAU, QC, March 28, 2019 /CNW/ - Yesterday, the CRTC and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) National Division each executed a warrant at a residence located in the Greater Toronto Area. The operation is part of an international coordinated effort with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Australian Federal Police. The warrants were obtained as part of ongoing parallel investigations into Remote Access Trojan (RAT) technology. This type of malicious software (malware) enables remote access to Canadian computers, without their users' consent and can lead to the subsequent installation of other malware and theft of personal information. Tips from international private cyber security firms triggered the investigation. The CRTC does not comment on active investigations, nor does it name the individuals or companies under investigation. Further information will be communicated when the investigation is concluded. Quote: "The execution of this warrant illustrates how our enforcement efforts are focused on online malicious activities. We strive to protect Canadians from online threats, and this lengthy and complex investigation is an example of our commitment. We are grateful for the instrumental collaboration we obtained from our domestic and international partners in this case." - Steven Harroun, Chief Compliance and Enforcement Officer, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Quick Facts The CRTC executed a warrant under Canada' Anti-Spam Legislation ( CASL ) and the RCMP National Division executed a search warrant under the Criminal Code respectively.

( ) and the RCMP National Division executed a search warrant under the respectively. The RCMP National Division Cybercrime Investigative Team is currently leading the Criminal Code investigation in Canada .

. The CRTC is committed to working with partners in the public and private sectors to enhance information sharing, improve target identification and coordinate operational responses.

With the assistance of domestic and international partners, the CRTC investigates alleged violations under CASL.

Information collected by the Spam Reporting Centre is used by the CRTC, the Competition Bureau and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner to enforce CASL.

Canadians and private entities are encouraged to report spam, malware and other electronic threats to the Spam Reporting Centre.

To protect your devices against online threats, consult the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security.

CASL protects Canadians from online threats while ensuring businesses can continue to compete in the global digital marketplace.





Associated Links Spam Reporting Centre

Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation

Anti-Spam Legislation Frequently Asked Questions about Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation Stay connected

Follow us on Twitter at @CRTCeng

Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/crtceng

SOURCE Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

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[March 28, 2019] The Buck Is Back: The Hartford's Iconic Symbol Returns In New Marketing Campaign

The Hartford launched a new small business advertising campaign that brings back a live depiction of the company's historic icon, with the ads told from his perspective for the first time in the company's advertising history. A live representation of the logo first appeared in The Hartford's television advertising in the 1970s and last appeared in 2008. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005615/en/ "The Hartford Buck is a widely recognizable symbol for the company. We believe that by reintroducing him, we will increase the memorability of our advertising and brand promise," said Kathy Bromage, chief marketing and communications officer for The Hartford. "Throughout our history, our logo has represented strength and confidence. In the new commercials, the Buck serves as the company's spokesperson, highlighting our commitment to, and respect for small business owners, reinforcing that they can be confident knowing that the Buck's Got Their Back. While the new commercials focus on small business, this is the promise we make to all of our customers across all of our business lines." Television Commercials The new small business-focused television campaign, "Nothing Small," comprises three ads that spotlight small business owners pursuing their unique ambitions, showcasing what they do best - a baker as an artist, an accountant as a superhero and a barber as a magician. The ads are told through the perspective of The Hartford Buck and we hear his thoughts, driving home the message with a new tag (News - Alert) line that when it comes to protecting your own business, "The Buck's Got Your Back." The 30-second spots are airing on cable news stations such as CNN, Fox Business Network, CNBC, Bloomberg (News - Alert) and MSNBC, as well as streaming services such as Roku and Hulu. The new campaign will also appear in print, and on digital and social media. The Hartford partnered with its advertising agency of record, Terri & Sandy, on the strategy and creative execution for the new campaign, and the spots were directed by renowned Swedish commercial director, Filip Engstrom of SMUGGLER, a commercial, film, TV, theatre and music video production company. The Buck featured in the commercials was developed using computer-generated imagery (GI) by The Mill, a creative technology and VFX studio that collaborates on projects for the advertising, gaming, music and film industries.



"The logo is one of the greatest equities of The Hartford," said Terri Meyer, CEO of Terri & Sandy. "It was time to bring the Buck into the spotlight, give him a personality and tell the story of The Hartford's mission from his perspective. The new tag line is a promise from The Hartford that our country's small business owners can feel confident and protected with The Hartford behind them." Refreshing The Hartford's Brand

The new small business ads are an integral part of an update to The Hartford's overall brand messaging platform that includes the new tag line and purpose statement - we underwrite human achievement; which is predicated on the company's belief that people are capable of achieving amazing things with the right encouragement and support. The Hartford will incorporate the new message platform across the enterprise including a redesigned company website, advertising in key trade publications for the Group Benefits and Middle Market businesses, as well as updating its Personal Lines television advertising. "People are increasingly looking to engage with purpose-driven companies and throughout our history our purpose has been to protect and enable human achievement," Bromage said. "We provide our customers with the insurance protection they need to pursue their unique ambitions, seize opportunity and prevail through unexpected challenges." The Hartford Buck Although it is unknown exactly when the iconic symbol first appeared as The Hartford's logo, the earliest use on record is on the 1861 policy issued to Abraham Lincoln. It depicts a hart fording (a deer crossing) a stream. The company's logo was likely inspired by the seal of the city of Hartford, which in turn borrowed from the 17th-century seal of Hertford England. By 1867, the logo began to echo the majestic stag depicted in Sir Edwin Landseer's 1851 painting, "The Monarch of the Glen." The logo art and style have continued to shift throughout the years to adjust to the changing art and print needs, however, the Buck remains a clear descendant of the "Monarch of the Glen." About The Hartford The Hartford is a leader in property and casualty insurance, group benefits and mutual funds. With more than 200 years of expertise, The Hartford is widely recognized for its service excellence, sustainability practices, trust and integrity. More information on the company and its financial performance is available at https://www.thehartford.com. Follow us on Twitter (News - Alert) at www.twitter.com/TheHartford_PR. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., (NYSE: HIG) operates through its subsidiaries under the brand name, The Hartford, and is headquartered in Hartford, Conn. For additional details, please read The Hartford's legal notice. HIG-C Some of the statements in this release may be considered forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We caution investors that these forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results may differ materially. Investors should consider the important risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ. These important risks and uncertainties include those discussed in our 2017 Annual Report on Form 10-K, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Forms 10-Q, and the other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We assume no obligation to update this release, which speaks as of the date issued. From time to time, The Hartford may use its website to disseminate material company information. Financial and other important information regarding The Hartford is routinely accessible through and posted on our website at https://ir.thehartford.com. In addition, you may automatically receive email alerts and other information about The Hartford when you enroll your email address by visiting the "Email Alerts" section at https://ir.thehartford.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005615/en/

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[March 28, 2019] Tanzanian Passport Wins Award at HSP Europe, Showcasing HID Global's Citizen ID Solutions

HID Global, a worldwide leader in trusted identity solutions, today announced that the new Tanzania e-Passport, designed and delivered by HID Global and partners, has been honored with a major award at the High Security Printing conference in Europe this week. The award win is part of the Tanzania e-Immigration program being widely recognized as one that is transforming the immigration system of this African nation. Tanzania moved from a traditional MRP booklet to a complete e-Immigration system - and it did it in record time. In just four months, Tanzania transitioned from awarding the contract to HID Global and its partners, Smurfit Kappa Security Concepts (previously DLRS Group Security Concepts), Absolute Graphics and Softnet, to completion. The Tanzanian e-Passport is a state-of-the-art document that features a polycarbonate datapage. The design of the booklet captures local themes and cultures across the visa pages, datapage and end papers, helping to generate a sense of national pride in the passport holder. "The success of the Tanzanian e-Immigration program started with a vision by the country's leaders to work with best-in-class solution providers, and we are honored that HID Global was selected based on our proven leadership in citizen ID programs," said Steve Warne, Senior Director, Product Marketing, Citizen ID business with HID Global. "The award for the Tanzanian e-Passport reflects on the team effort that it took from forward-thinking government officials, to our partners, to our internal HID team. Tanzania's e-Passport is being recognized as a breakthrough example of a next-generation citizen ID." Since early 2018, HID Global has been Tanzania's primary supplier of an end-to-end solution for issuing e-Passports with advanced physical and electronic security features, automated verification capabilities and, importantly, a contactless chip embedded in the polycarbonate datapage. The country now has a single citizen identification system that spans the entire identity journey from data capture to issuance and can be used to support e-Passports, e-Visas, e-Permits and other physical electronic documents. The solution is also "future ready," anticipating the requirements of the next generation of identities. HID's solutions can be found in sixty percent of all government-issued electronic identity projects around the world. As a solutions provider, HID is delivering complete, end-to-end system solutions that meet governmental requirements for national ID, e-Passport, foreign resident ID, driver license, vehicle registration and other programs. To learn more about the HID Global's citizen identification offerings, please click here. Stay Connected with HID Global Visit our Media Center, read our Industry Blog, and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.



About Smurfit Kappa Security Concepts Smurfit Kappa Security Concepts (previously (DLRS Group Security Concepts) is Ireland's leading security printer. Established since 1976, the company has a production facility in the Republic of Ireland servicing the needs of major financial and government bodies. Smurfit Kappa Security Concerts is wholly owned by Smurfit Kappa Group and is the market leader in security printed products, with over 25 years' experience in passport manufacture and design. The company's reputation for quality and service is matched only by its reputation for unrivalled integrity, developed through working closely with governments for over 30 years. Smurfit Kappa Security Concepts is accredited to ISO9001:2015 the quality standard, ISO14001:2015: environmental management and ISO27001:2013: the IS security standard and ISO14298:2013 the Intergraf Security Printing Standard. More information can be found at: www.smurfitkappasecurityconcepts.com or contact [email protected]

About AG2 AG2 (the security arm of Absolute Graphics) is an internationally recognised design company specialising in the Passport and Secure Documents sector. Established since 2003, AG2 has won international acclaim for both the Irish Passport and the Irish Passport Card and is a well-established player in the Secure Document design arena. [email protected] Website: http://ag2.ie About HID Global HID Global powers the trusted identities of the world's people, places and things. We make it possible for people to transact safely, work productively and travel freely. Our trusted identity solutions give people convenient access to physical and digital places and connect things that can be identified, verified and tracked digitally. Millions of people around the world use HID products and services to navigate their everyday lives, and over 2 billion things are connected through HID technology. We work with governments, educational institutions, hospitals, financial institutions, industrial businesses and some of the most innovative companies on the planet. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, HID Global has over 3,000 employees worldwide and operates international offices that support more than 100 countries. HID Global is an ASSA ABLOY Group brand. For more information, visit www.hidglobal.com.  2019. HID Global Corporation/ASSA ABLOY AB. All rights reserved. HID, HID Global, the HID Blue Brick logo, the Chain Design and goID are trademarks or registered trademarks of HID Global, ASSA ABLOY AB, or its affiliates(s) in the US and other countries and may not be used without permission. All other trademarks, service marks, and product or service names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005664/en/

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[March 28, 2019] Experian earns top marks on the 2019 Corporate Equality Index

COSTA MESA, Calif., March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Experian's dedication to creating an open and accepting workplace where everyone can thrive has been recognized with a perfect score of 100 on the 2019 Corporate Equality Index (CEI). Administered by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, the CEI is the nation's premier benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality. Experian joins some of the most respected companies in America in earning top marks this year. "We work tirelessly every day to build a culture that is recognized both inside and outside Experian for being a welcoming, tolerant, and respectful organization," said Craig Boundy, chief executive officer of Experian North America. "This recognition means a great deal to our more than 6,500 people in North America since it exemplifies our commitment to ensuring everyone has equal rights, can be open and honest, and can feel safe being their whole selves at Experian. We look forward to working with organizations like HRC to identify new and best practices to help us become the most inclusive workplace, not only for the LGBTQ+ community, but for everyone." Experian prides itself on supporting a positive work environment for its employees, with companywide initiatives that aim to provide transparency into the company's commitment to diversity and inclusion. This includes transgender services and equal coverage for domestic partners and spouses, regardless of sexual identity. The company's nondiscrimination and equal employment policies go beyond federal requirements, ensuring equal treatment regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation. The 2019 CEI evaluates LGBTQ-related policies and practices, including nondiscrimination workplace protections, domestic partner benefits, transgender-incusive healthcare benefits, competency programs and public engagement within the LGBTQ community. Experian's efforts in satisfying all of the CEI's criteria resulted in a 100 percent score and the designation as a "Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality."



"The top-scoring companies on this year's CEI are not only establishing policies that affirm and include employees here in the United States, they are applying these policies to their global operations and impacting millions of people beyond our shores," said HRC president Chad Griffin. For more information on the 2019 Corporate Equality Index or to download a free copy of the report, visit www.hrc.org/cei.

About the Human Rights Campaign Foundation

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of America's largest civil rights organization, working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community. About Experian

Experian is the world's leading global information services company. During life's big moments  from buying a home or a car, to sending a child to college, to growing a business by connecting with new customers  we empower consumers and our clients to manage their data with confidence. We help individuals to take financial control and access financial services, businesses to make smarter decisions and thrive, lenders to lend more responsibly, and organizations to prevent identity fraud and crime. We have 16,500 people operating across 39 countries and every day we're investing in new technologies, talented people and innovation to help all our clients maximize every opportunity. We are listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and are a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. Learn more at www.experianplc.com or visit our global content hub at our global news blog for the latest news and insights from the Group. Experian and the Experian marks used herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Experian and its affiliates. Other product and company names mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners. Contact: Scott Anderson

Experian Public Relations

1 714 830 3185

[email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/experian-earns-top-marks-on-the-2019-corporate-equality-index-300820206.html SOURCE Experian

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[March 28, 2019] Autonomous Logistics Robots Controlled by MOV.AI's Operating System Are Making the Parcel Sorting Process of the Portugal Postal Services Scalable and Safer

LISBON, Portugal, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- MOV.AI announced today that it has successfully installed its operating system in industrial logistics robots at the parcel sorting handling center of CTT, the Portugal Postal Services. This enables CTT to process over 10,000 parcels per hour around the clock, while eliminating the risk of injured workers. CTT wanted to make its parcel sorting process safer and more scalable. The parcels arrive at the sorting machine stacked in 8 boxes of up to 20 kg each per wheeled pallet. A worker is tasked with feeding those boxes manually into the conveyor sorting machine. The process involves pushing/pulling the heavy loaded pallets and lifting the heavy boxes. Due the physical strain, workers have to be replaced every couple of hours. CTT was looking for a way to make the process faster and safer. The robots should be able to pull and lift the thousands of wheeled pallets and boxes in its human operation logistics center. It issued a tender for the automatic feeding of the boxes using AGVs (Autonomous Logistics Vehicles). CTT opted for RoboSavvy's TugBot robots powered by MOV.AI's operating system. By deploying initially two TugBots and a Kuka industrial robotic arm, the human process of bringing pallets loaded with parcel boxes, to the parcel sorting machine and unloading them, became completely automated. MOV.AI also controlled the actions of a Kuka industrial robot arm and the safety Programmable Logic Control (PLC) in charge of the robotic arm's surrounding gate. This allowed entrance and exit of the TugBots in a safety zone. A third TugBot was added to increase throughput. Limor Schweitzer, Founder & CEO of MOV.AI stated: "MOV.AI's software orchestrated the automated operation of several robots that collaborate with humans. We enabled intelligent automation of parcel logistics by having robots perform physical tasks that could otherwise pose risks to the safety and health of human workers. The parcel sorting process also became more efficient, reliable, and able to handle more parcels per hour as well as to scale with the needs of CTT." About MOV.AI

MOV.AI provides an industry-grade operating system for autonomous intelligent collaborative robots for universal commercial use. The Company was founded by Limor Schweitzer, an industry veteran with over 20 years of experience in developing robots, robotic solutions and sales robotic equipment. MOV.AI has a strong team of best-of-breed robot developers with more than 13 years of experience. MOV.AI's main target audiences are manufacturers of material handling equipment, automation integrators, and other collaborative robot manufacturers. www.mov.ai About RoboSavvy

RoboSavvy Ltd. Manufactures the TugBot, an industrial logistics mobile robot designed to replace people moving carts and materials in industrial setting. RoboSavvy also specializes in sales, distribution, development and support of robotic and engineering products. It is based in London with its R&D Lab in Lisbon, Portugal. www.tugbot.ai About CTT

Founded in 1520, CTT - Correios De Portugal, S.A., together with its subsidiaries, provides postal and financial services worldwide. The company operates through Mail, Express & Parcels, Financial Services, and Banco CTT segments. It offers courier, urgent mail, and merchandise services; banking services; services related with the distribution of advertising mail; and physical and hybrid mail production, as well as electronic document management services. The company also provides transport solutions in the road haulage market; and services related to the information and communication technologies, such as invoice processing and digital receipts. www.ctt.pt







MOV.IA media contact : Robosavvy media contact : CTT media contact: Ms. Ilan Weiss E-mail: [email protected] Ms. Ilan Weiss E-mail: [email protected] Ms. Catia Simoes E-Mail: [email protected]

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/autonomous-logistics-robots-controlled-by-movais-operating-system-are-making-the-parcel-sorting-process-of-the-portugal-postal-services-scalable-and-safer-300820232.html SOURCE MOV.AI

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[March 28, 2019] Curtis Arledge Joins Mariner Investment Group as Chairman and CEO and Head of ORIX USA Asset Management

It was announced today that Curtis Arledge, 53, has joined Mariner Investment Group, LLC, the global alternative investment manager and subsidiary of ORIX Corporation USA (ORIX USA), as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. In addition to his role at Mariner, Arledge will serve as head of ORIX USA asset management, responsible for driving the company's overall strategy in the space, including facilitating opportunities for growth across ORIX USA's enterprise. A founding member of Mariner, Arledge has returned to the firm, and will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of the business and developing new business lines. Mariner founder Bill Michaelcheck will continue in his role as the firm's Chief Investment Officer and portfolio manager for Mariner's flagship multi-strategy hedge fund. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005264/en/ Curtis Arledge Joins Mariner Investment Group as Chairman and CEO and Head of ORIX USA Asset Management. (Photo: Business Wire) ORIX USA acquired a majority interest in Mariner in 2010 and has been focused on expanding its third-party asset management platform through the acquisition and development of complementary affiliate asset managers over the past several years. Arledge previously served as the CEO of BNY Mellon Investment Management and was also responsible for the firm's Markets Group. Prior to BNY Mellon, Arledge was the chief investment officer for fundamental fixed income portfolios at BlackRock, Inc. Most recently, Arledge worked as senior research associate with the Forum for Growth & Innovation at Harvard Business School. "Curtis brings a level of global market knowlede and experience that will position Mariner for success as we continue to build out more comprehensive investment offerings across the firm," said Michaelcheck. "Mariner has been on a strong growth trajectory for a number of years, and we want to ensure that we are well-positioned to capitalize on new market opportunities and enhance our competitive edge in a rapidly evolving marketplace. Curtis brings familiarity with the Mariner organization and is a highly regarded industry luminary with a proven ability to grow assets and develop new business lines. We are so pleased to welcome him back to Mariner, and I look forward to focusing my time and energy on the Mariner multi-strategy mandate, which I believe is well positioned to benefit from the market opportunities we see today."



"Over more than 25 years, Mariner has built an enviable track record as one of the industry's most consistent performers," said Arledge. "Key to Mariner's success has been great stewardship under its management team and its ability to innovate and attract top talent on behalf of its global client base. I am delighted to join a financial services company with a great brand and a quality team and look forward to the opportunity to provide clients with even greater access to the global resources and leading origination businesses of ORIX Corporation." "Mariner is a key business for ORIX USA and is very much a part of our growth strategy as we focus on expanding our affiliated asset management businesses," said ORIX USA Group Chairman, President and CEO, Hideto Nishitani. "Curtis brings extensive experience in this area and will be critical in taking the company to the next level and, through its subsidiaries, helping position ORIX USA as a powerful and respected stakeholder in the alternative asset management market."

Arledge, a graduate of Princeton University with a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, is an Advisory Council member at Princeton's Bendheim Center for Finance. Arledge previously served as Vice Chairman of the U.S. Treasury Borrowing Advisory Committee and was inducted into the Fixed Income Analysts Society Hall of Fame in 2014. Arledge is a member of the board of directors of Autism Speaks, an autism advocacy organization that sponsors autism research and family services, and also serves on the boards of Voya Financial, Inc. and Kroll Bond Rating Agency, Inc. Mariner Investment Group, LLC Mariner Investment Group is an SEC (News - Alert)-registered investment adviser that manages approximately $8.6 billion in single and multi-strategy hedge funds, funds of funds and other alternative investment offerings. Founded in 1992, Mariner and its associated advisers employ approximately 135 people in New York, London, Tokyo, Seoul, Philadelphia, Dallas, Harrison (NY), Rowayton (CT) and Summit (NJ). For more information, visit www.marinerinvestment.com. ORIX Corporation USA (ORIX USA) Since 1981, ORIX USA has provided innovative capital solutions that clients need to propel their business to the next level. ORIX USA and its subsidiaries-Boston Financial Investment Management, Lancaster Pollard, NXT Capital, Mariner Investment Group, RB Capital and RED Capital Group-include a team of more than 1,000 employees spanning 30+ offices across the U.S. and Brazil. ORIX USA and its family of companies have $64 billion of assets under management, administration and servicing (including more than $9 billion held by the company and its subsidiaries).* Its parent company, ORIX Corporation, is a publicly owned international financial services company with operations in 38 countries and regions worldwide. ORIX Corporation is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (8591) and New York Stock Exchange (IX). For more information on ORIX USA, visit www.orix.com. *All figures are as of February 2019. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005264/en/

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[March 28, 2019] Social Sentinel Adds Integration with Gmail, Image Recognition and an Anonymous Sharing Platform to its Suite of Products

BURLINGTON, Vt., March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Social Sentinel today introduced the education industry's most comprehensive, proactive approach to keeping students safe and preventing school violence. Social Sentinel, which pioneered the technology that scans public social media posts for signals of harm, has expanded to include email scanning for Gmail, image recognition and processing, and an anonymous sharing platform to voice concerns. The company's solutions are designed to help school administrators pay attention to the myriad of important safety-related conversations happening online in their community, without straining staffing and budget resources, and to help them use these insights to promote overall social-emotional wellness and security. Social Sentinel's social media scanning software sifts through upwards of one billion data points daily for threats of harm across multiple, complex platforms. When there is a match between a publicly accessible post containing language of harm and a client, Social Sentinel delivers an alert in real time, affording schools the opportunity to intervene and avert a problem. "Every student and member of an educational community deserves a safe place to learn, teach and work. Providing a safe educational environment is even more challenging in the digital age, where so much harm is foreshadowed. Doing so requires proactive strategies that save valuable time and resources," says Dr. Gary Margolis, founder and CEO of Social Sentinel. "Our students are crying out for help, and we help you hear them." Social Sentinel's platform of prducts are powered by AI and operate safely with respect to privacy. They are backed by subject matter experts in linguistics, data science, engineering, public safety and academia.



Image recognition and processing  a picture can say a thousand words, and if it's saying there's a potential for harm or violence, Social Sentinel can help detect it. New technology allows publicly posted images and videos to be scanned for potential threats to safety. Integration with Gmail  With 68% of K-12 schools in North America using G Suite for Education, (Education Week Research Center, 2017), Gmail is a critical part of communication for students and can be a channel for conversations around bullying, harm, and violence. Social Sentinel now provides email scanning for Gmail, giving schools expanded awareness of safety-related conversations and insights happening on their system.

shareit  school communities now have a tool to easily, safely and anonymously share their thoughts - both the positive and the negative. By capturing these range of sentiments, educators can better understand and manage the social and emotional climate of their school. One view to all relevant insights  access to clients' subscription-based Social Sentinel products are centralized and neatly displayed through a single login. Data from each subscribed product such as alerts, insights, discussions, trending topics or sentiments displays through a single view, providing a simple, intelligent evaluation of concerns, threats, discussions, and analytics relevant to each client's school safety. The holistic as well as detailed view gives school administrators a breakthrough look at overall social-emotional wellness, helping to guide safety programs, community discussions, and more. More information on Social Sentinel's newly enriched platform of products can be found here . About Social Sentinel

Social Sentinel is a mission-driven technology company dedicated to protecting communities by providing safety and security insights from public social media and data sources. As an industry trailblazer, Social Sentinel helps detect potential acts of harm by assessing public information against its proprietary Social Sentinel Search Library. The continually evolving Library contains volumes of behavioral threat indicators developed by experts in mental health, public safety, security, linguistics and data science. Social Sentinel is privately held and headquartered in Burlington, Vermont. More information can be found at www.socialsentinel.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/social-sentinel-adds-integration-with-gmail-image-recognition-and-an-anonymous-sharing-platform-to-its-suite-of-products-300820422.html SOURCE Social Sentinel

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[March 28, 2019] Cannon Point Preservation Corporation Sues City in Effort to Save Neighborhood Pocket Park

Cannon Point Preservation Corporation, a community group, has filed a lawsuit in State Supreme Court against the City of New York and several government agencies in an effort to halt the construction of a bridge for pedestrians, bicycles, and other small vehicles that would severely harm a neighborhood park, and pose significant public safety concerns. In addition to issues raised in the lawsuit, Cannon Point believes that the bridge represents a serious misuse of public funds at a time when City agencies are facing budget cuts. The suit claims that the City's Public Design Commission wrongly concluded that the bridge would have 'no adverse effects' on its surrounding environment and neighborhood character. The bridge would emanate from Sutton Place South at East 54th Street and cross over the FDR Drive to an as-yet-unbuilt portion of the Esplanade along the East River. The plan would place the bridge inside Clara Coffey Park. The structure would occupy one-quarter of the park, robbing it of light and air, and significant open space. Cannn Point president and chairman James P. Donovan said, "The City was not candid with the community about its intentions and the effect of this construction on neighborhood quality of life. There is going to be a significant environmental impact, bringing a huge influx of bikes, scooters and other wheeled devices to a quiet area. Indeed, the bridge will transform a beloved public park into the southern terminus of the Esplanade's East Midtown portion."



Cannon Point also claims the project violates state law because it would permanently alienate dedicated park space for transportation uses, which the City cannot do without the express permission of the State legislature. Randy M. Mastro of the law firm Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, representing Cannon Point, stated, "The plan was to provide points of access to the esplanade, but there was no mention of the use of parkland to do so and no adequate review of the bridge's significant environmental impacts. Moreover, alienating this dedicated parkland absent the New York State Legislature's prior approval for the non-park purpose of constructing the bridge violates the Public Trust Doctrine."

According to Cannon Point, the City plans to spend $100 million in public funds to build the bridge and extend the Esplanade seven blocks from the East 60s to E. 53rd Street. "We also question the logic of the City to spend $100 million on this at a time when the project and its plans are incomplete and these funds could be put to better use. The Department of Education budget will be cut by $100 million next year. People are living in public housing without heat and hot water. Wouldn't education and housing be a higher and better purpose to serve with that amount of funding?" Donovan added. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005695/en/

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[March 28, 2019] Quotient Technology and Giant Eagle Launch Giant Eagle Advantage Media

Giant Eagle and Quotient Technology (NYSE: QUOT) have launched Giant Eagle Advantage Media, a new digital media platform that allows consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands to better reach Giant Eagle shoppers with more precise digital ads and promotional offers. Quotient, which powers Giant Eagle Advantage Media, is the exclusive partner for executing shopper media programs on GiantEagle.com and off-platform that leverages Giant Eagle customer data. This new digital service benefits shoppers as they will receive more relevant content in the form of digital ad messages and promotional savings to help them find what they need and want. "Giant Eagle Advantage Media will transform CPGs' and Giant Eagle's ability to connect Giant Eagle customers with the best available offers, contextually relevant to them, in the channels and times they prefer," said Graham Watkins, Senior Vice President & General Manager, eCommerce of Giant Eagle. "Expanding our partnership with Quotient to now offer a digital media platform that includes advertising is a natural extension of years of working together on digital promotions." This new platform provides CPGs numerous digital media solutions that can drive in-store and online sales, support new product launches, build brand loyalty, support shopper themes and amplify in-store events. Benefits of the new data-driven media platform include: Targeting & Personalization - use proprietary Giant Eagle point-of-sale purchase data, app usage and web data, and coupon activation data from Coupons.com to target and personalize messages and promotions directly to shoppers.

Creative - serve rich, dynamic creative ad experiences that are optimized for shoppers with key capabilities such as embedded coupons and offers, product galleries, support for in store specials and more.

Media - deliver messaging on GiantEagle.com, across Giant Eagle's mobile and social channels, on Coupons.com and on third-party properties using Giant Eagle shoppr data for targeting.

Measurement - measure campaign success using advanced analytics that can link ad views to a shopper's purchase.



Quotient will work with CPGs, their agencies and Giant Eagle to create digital ads and promotional campaigns, design and execute media, measure the sales impact, and leverage shopper data collected through Quotient's Retailer iQ platform. This Quotient technology platform, which has been integrated at Giant Eagle stores for several years, connects to Giant Eagle's point-of-sale system and uses a blend of proprietary purchase data and online behavior data to deliver relevant digital coupons to Giant Eagle shoppers at the most ideal time, primarily on their smartphones.

For more information about Giant Eagle Advantage Media, please visit www.GiantEagleAdvantageMedia.com. About Quotient Quotient Technology Inc. (NYSE: QUOT) is the leading CPG and retail marketing technology provider that delivers personalized digital promotions and ads to millions of shoppers daily. Quotient uses its proprietary Promotions, Media, Audience (News - Alert) and Analytics Cloud Platforms and services to seamlessly target audiences, optimize performance, and deliver measurable, incremental sales for CPG and retail marketers. Quotient's powerful suite of capabilities includes personalized digital coupons, retailer-aligned dynamic ad messaging, influencer-led social media, data analytics and audience management. Quotient's audience data solution is powered by 100 million verified buyer audience, derived from its Retailer iQ partnerships. By combining technology, data and distribution, Quotient serves hundreds of CPGs, such as Clorox, Procter & Gamble, General Mills and Kellogg's, and retailers like Albertsons Companies, CVS, Dollar General, Kroger and Walgreens. Founded in 1998, Quotient is based in Mountain View, Calif. with offices across the U.S., and internationally in Bangalore, Paris and London. Learn more at Quotient.com, and follow us on Twitter (News - Alert) @Quotient. Quotient, the Quotient logo and Retailer iQ are trademarks or registered trademarks of Quotient Technology Inc. and its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. Other marks are the property of their respective owners. About Giant Eagle Giant Eagle, Inc., ranked among the top 40 on Forbes magazine's largest private corporations list, is one of the nation's largest food, fuel and pharmacy retailers with approximately $8.9 billion in annual sales. Founded in 1931, Giant Eagle, Inc. has grown to be the number one supermarket retailer in the region with more than 410 stores throughout western Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland and Indiana. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005739/en/

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[March 28, 2019] FileTrail to Sponsor ILTA Roadshow Series Focused on Advancing Information Governance

SAN JOSE, Calif., March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FileTrail, a leader in next-generation information governance and records management software, announces the launch of a new educational series in partnership with the International Legal Technology Association. The schedule for its spring 2019 ILTA Roadshow series Client-specific Information Governance and Records Retention Requirements: Is Your Firm Ready? includes stops in Washington, D.C., Kansas City, Chicago, New York, Miami, Atlanta and Seattle.

As risks associated with poorly managed information continue to grow, law firms face more scrutiny about their IG policies and procedures than ever before. In this roadshow series, IG professionals and technology experts from FileTrail will discuss challenges and share best practices on topics including: Why IG is emerging as a cornerstone of effective risk management

Streamlining matter mobility related to lateral hires, departures and client file transfer requests

Defining and implementing firm IG policies

Evaluating and managing compliance with client-specific requirements as defined in RFPs and outside counsel guidelines

Automating records retention and disposition



ILTA members interested in attending any of the sessions may register in advance on the ILTA website. Each event is being held noon to 1:30 p.m. local time, with lunch provided by FileTrail.

FileTrails spring 2018 roadshow schedule includes: April 23  Washington, D.C., hosted by Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

April 24  Kansas City, hosted by Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP

April 25  Chicago, hosted by Husch Blackwell LLP

May 9  New York, hosted by Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP

May 15  Miami, hosted by Fowler White Burnett, P.A.

May 16  Atlanta, hosted by Arnall Golden Gregory LLP

May 30  Seattle, hosted by Williams Kastner About FileTrail

FileTrail is reshaping the information risk management landscape, enabling firms to meet urgent client demands, pass audits and address new compliance rules with a modern approach to records management and information governance. FileTrail centralizes, simplifies and automates the IG life cycle, including policy management, document review and disposition  integrating across physical records and electronic repositories  so firms can address OCGs, lateral intake, matter mobility and client audit response. Its time to move beyond records management, and FileTrail is leading the way. For more information about FileTrails records management and information governance software, visit www.filetrail.com. Media Contact

Vicki LaBrosse

Edge Legal Marketing

651-552-7753

[email protected]

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[March 28, 2019] Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP Announces Investigation on Behalf of American Renal Associates Holdings, Inc. Investors

Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP ("GPM") announces an investigation on behalf of American Renal Associates Holdings, Inc. investors ("American Renal" or the "Company") (NYSE: ARA) concerning the Company and its officers' possible violations of federal securities laws. If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate. If you wish to learn more about this action, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Lesley Portnoy, Esquire, at 310-201-9150, Toll-Free at 888-773-9224, or by email to [email protected], or visit our website at www.glancylaw.com.



On March 8, 2019, American Renal disclosed that in October 2018 the SEC (News - Alert) had requested documents and information regarding revenue recognition, collections, and other related matters. Also, the Company announced that it would delay filing its 2018 annual report while the Audit Committee investigated the Company's revenue recognition methods and accounting practices. On this news, shares of American Renal fell $2.05 per share, or more than 16%, to close at $10.46 on March 8, 2019, thereby injuring investors.

Then, on March 27, 2019, American Renal announced that certain financial statements would be restated and that its Chief Financial Officer had resigned. The Audit Committee found that the Company "did not appropriately reconcile its contractual allowance estimates for discounts and price concessions with cash subsequently received in respect of prior period patient claims." The Company also disclosed that the required adjustments would reduce operating income for fiscal 2017 by at least $10 million and would have a cumulative impact on fiscal years 2014 to 2018 in the range of negative $5 million to positive $5 million. Furthermore, the Company stated that it expected to revise related metrics "such as revenue per treatment and days sales outstanding" during the affected financial periods based on the Audit Committee's ongoing review. On this news, shares of American Renal fell by as much as 35% on March 28, 2019, thereby further injuring investors. If you purchased American Renal securities, have information, or would like to learn more about these claims, or have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Lesley Portnoy, of GPM, 1925 Century Park East, Suite 2100, Los Angeles, CA (News - Alert) 90067 at 310-201-9150, Toll-Free at 888-773-9224, or visit our website at www.glancylaw.com. If you inquire by email please include your mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased. This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005851/en/

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[March 28, 2019] Wells Fargo CEO and President Tim Sloan to Retire; Board of Directors Elects Allen Parker as Interim CEO and President

Wells Fargo (News - Alert) & Company (NYSE: WFC) announced today that Chief Executive Officer and President Timothy J. Sloan has informed the Company's Board of Directors of his decision to retire from the Company, effective June 30, 2019, and to step down as CEO, president, and Board member effective immediately. The Board has elected C. Allen Parker, who served as the Company's General Counsel, as interim CEO and President (and member of the Board), effective immediately. An external search process will now begin for the Company's new CEO and President. Wells Fargo Board Chair Betsy Duke said, "Tim Sloan has served this Company with pride and dedication for more than 31 years, including in his role as CEO since October 2016. He has worked tirelessly over this period for all of our stakeholders in the best long-term interest of Wells Fargo. His decision, and today's announcement, reflect that commitment and his belief that a new CEO at this time will best position the Company for success." Sloan said, "I have been very fortunate to work for such a great Company, and with so many dedicated team members, for more than 31 years, and I am very proud of what we have accomplished together. In my time as CEO, I have focused on leading a process to address past issues and to rebuild trust for the future. We have made progress in many areas and, while there remains more work to be done, I am confident in our leadership team and optimistic about the future of Wells Fargo. However, it has become apparent to me that our ability to successfully move Wells Fargo forward from here will benefit from a new CEO and fresh perspectives. For this reason, I have decided it is best for the Company that I step aside and devote my efforts to supporting an effective transition." Regarding the external search for a new CEO, and the interim CEO role, Duke added, "The Board has a continuous succession planning process through which we identify potential successors within the Company. Although we have many talented executives within the Company, the Board has concluded that seeking someone from the outside is the most effective way to complete the transformation at Wells Fargo. Accordingly, we will immediately initiate an external search and have selected Allento serve as interim CEO. During this search period, the Board and I will work closely with Allen and the Company's leadership team to continue to move forward on Wells Fargo's goals and commitments. Since joining in early 2017 as our General Counsel, Allen has brought thoughtful and independent points of view to business, strategy, and governance matters, and he has earned the respect and full confidence of our Board and executive team as he takes on this interim CEO role."



Parker, 64, served as Senior Executive Vice President and General Counsel at Wells Fargo from March 2017 to March 2019. Previously, he was presiding partner at the law firm of Cravath, Swaine & Moore from January 2013 until December 2016, where he was responsible for development and implementation of firm-wide strategy and day-to-day firm leadership, including financial analysis and reporting, business development, risk management, and public relations. While at Cravath, Parker also served as deputy presiding partner from January 2007 to December 2012 and as managing partner of the corporate department from January 2001 to December 2004. Parker joined Cravath in 1984 and was a partner from June 1990 to March 2017, and he was a member of the firm's corporate governance and Board advisory practice. He has extensive experience in a broad range of finance, banking and related matters. He earned an undergraduate degree from Duke University, an M.A. from the University of Chicago, and a J.D. from the Columbia University School of Law. "In my two years at Wells Fargo, I have been deeply impressed with the commitment of our 259,000 team members to move this great company forward and to build an even stronger foundation for the future," said Parker. "I am fully committed to this role as we continue the important work at hand in support of all our stakeholders, particularly our customers, and prepare for a smooth and effective transition to a permanent CEO."

Given Parker's new role, Deputy General Counsel Douglas R. Edwards will serve as interim General Counsel and join the Company's Operating Committee, effective immediately. A 24-year Company veteran, Edwards most recently led the Global Commercial and Securities Division of the Legal Department. Conference Call The Company will host a live conference call on March 28, 2019, at 3 p.m. Pacific time (6 p.m. Eastern time) to discuss today's announcement. The live audio webcast will be available at the following address: https://engage.vevent.com/rt/wells_fargo_ao~4275308. You also may listen to the call by dialing 866-872-5161. A replay of the conference call will be available beginning at 6 p.m. Pacific time (9 p.m. Eastern time) on March 28 through noon Pacific time (3 p.m. Eastern time) on April 11. Please dial 855-859-2056 (U.S.) or 404-537-3406 (International) and enter Conference ID #4275308. About Wells Fargo Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a diversified, community-based financial services Company with $1.9 trillion in assets. Wells Fargo's vision is to satisfy our customers' financial needs and help them succeed financially. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, investment and mortgage products and services, as well as consumer and commercial finance, through 7,800 locations, more than 13,000 ATMs, the internet (wellsfargo.com) and mobile banking, and has offices in 37 countries and territories to support customers who conduct business in the global economy. With approximately 259,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the United States. Wells Fargo & Company was ranked No. 26 on Fortune's 2018 rankings of America's largest corporations. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005910/en/

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[March 28, 2019] AvalonBay Communities Announces First Quarter 2019 Earnings Release Date

AVALONBAY COMMUNITIES, INC. (NYSE: AVB) will release its first quarter 2019 earnings on April 24, 2019 after the market close. The Company will hold a conference call on April 25, 2019 at 1:00 PM Eastern Time (ET) to discuss its first quarter 2019 results.







Live Conference Call Details Dial-In Number: (888) 256-1007 Conference ID: 7961532 Webcast: http://www.avalonbay.com/earnings Details for the Replay of the Conference Call Dial-In Number: (888) 203-1112 Replay Passcode: 7961532 Dates Available: April 25, 2019 at 6:00 PM ET to May 2, 2019 at 6:00 PM ET

The call will include prepared remarks by management and a question and answer session during which management may discuss the Company's current operating environment; operating trends; current or potential development, redevelopment, disposition and acquisition activity; the Company's outlook and other business and financial matters affecting the Company. The earnings release will include supplemental Earnings Release Attachments (the "Attachments") that will not be included in the wire distribution. The Attachments will only be available via the Company's website at http://www.avalonbay.com/earnings and through e-mail distribution. The Company will also provide a teleconference presentation that will be posted on the Company's website at http://www.avalonbay.com/earnings before the market open on April 25, 2019. If you would like to receive future press releases via e-mail, please submit a request through http://www.avalonbay.com/email. About AvalonBay Communities, Inc. As of December 31, 2018, the Company owned or held a direct or indirect ownership interest in 291 apartment communities containing 85,158 apartment homes in 12 states and the District of Columbia, of which 21 communities were under development and nine communities were under redevelopment. The Company is an equity REIT in the business of developing, redeveloping, acquiring and managing apartment communities in leading metropolitan areas primarily in New England, the New York/New Jersey Metro area, the Mid-Atlantic, the Pacific Northwest, and the Northern and Southern California regions of the United States. More information may be found on the Company's website at http://www.avalonbay.com. Copyright  2019 AvalonBay Communities, Inc. All Rights Reserved View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005105/en/

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[March 28, 2019] Aguas Azuis Consortium Is Chosen As Preferred Supplier To Build Four New Tamandare Class Corvettes

thyssenkrupp and Embraer equip the Brazilian Navy for the future SAO PAULO, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Aguas Azuis Consortium, formed by thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, Embraer Defense & Security and Atech, was selected by the Brazilian Navy for the construction of four defense ships in the Tamandare Corvettes Class Program (CCT) as preferred bidder. The result was announced today (March 28th) and represents a new milestone for the country's maritime defense and naval industry. With thyssenkrupp Marine Systems' leadership and its naval systems expertise, the Aguas Azuis Consortium companies will now form a SPC (Specific Purpose Company) for the implementation phase of the program. Based on a long-term relationship and strong presence in Brazil, companies and their subsidiaries have built a solid national partnership with proven capability to retain technology and ensure its development not only for the CCT Program, but also for future strategic defense projects in the country. "We are very honored by the Brazilian Navy to entrust us with the mission to build the Tamandare Corvettes Class. Being part of the CCT Program reinforces our leadership position and the proven technologies we have offered to the naval defense industry around the world for almost two centuries", said Dr. Rolf Wirtz, CEO of thyssenkrupp Marine Systems. "This partnership will bring high-skilled jobs and technology to Brazil, strengthening its defense industry", Wirtz adds. "In this consortium with thyssenkrupp Marine Systems we offer a solid national partnership model with proven capability to retain the transfer of technology, ensuring its development for future strategic defense projects in Brazil. We have always been confident and the today's result demonstrates that our proposal has truly addressed the operational needs of the Brazilian Navy", said Jackson Schneider, President and CEO of Embraer Defense & Security. National Sovereignty With the CCT Program, the Brazilian Navy will expand and modernize its fleet. With four corvettes scheduled for delivery between 2024 and 2028, the Navy will now have new Escort Ships to counter possible threats, ensure the protection of maritime traffic, and control the Brazilian jurisdictional waters and exclusive economic zone, which together form the so-called Blue Amazon, totaling over 4.5 million km. The escort ships will also play an important role in peace and humanitarian aid missions, in contribution to the Brazilian Diplomacy. The CCT Program will bring real contributions to the Brazilian economy: Local content of more than 40% during ships building and the development of state-of-the-art systems;





Development of the dual naval cluster (military and civil);





Generation of more than 1,000 direct jobs and approximately 4,000 indirect jobs throughout the entire supply chain;





Competitiveness to meet the future demands of the Brazilian Navy and export of naval defense products;





Strengthening the triple helix (government, industry and universities) with the participation of research and development centers;





In-service support capability to a high-tech and long-life product. The program contemplates a solid transfer of technology (ToT) in the naval engineering for military shipbuilding, combat and platform management systems. One of the most modern shipyards in Brazil, Oceana will act as the ship builder of the Aguas Azuis Consortium, as well as transfer of technology (ToT) receiver related to the projec. Located in Itajai (Santa Catarina State), a region with a strong vocation for shipbuilding, the shipyard is part of CBO Group, a company with more than 30 years' experience in shipbuilding and offshore maritime operations. With approximately 310,000 square meters, Oceana has the capacity to build the Tamandare Class Corvettes, and applies the most innovative engineering and construction processes, with high level of automation and cutting-edge technology. It also has facilities located in Niteroi (Rio de Janeiro State), which can serve as logistics and services support base for the Brazilian Navy.



Atech, an Embraer Group company, will be the supplier of CMS (Combat Management System) and IPMS (Integrated Platform Management System) of the Tamandare Class corvettes and receiver of transfer of technology (ToT) in cooperation with ATLAS ELEKTRONIK, a subsidiary of thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, and L3 MAPPS. Located in Rio de Janeiro (RJ) and Sao Paulo (SP), Atech has 500 engineers specializing in software and hardware development for defense applications and has unique expertise in systems engineering and situational awareness technologies of decision-making. Embraer Defense & Security will integrate sensors and weaponry into the combat system, bringing also to the program its 50 years' experience in in-service support solutions.

The MEKO Class - authentic ship for blue waters The Aguas Azuis Consortium presented to the Brazilian Navy a proposal based on the concept of the MEKO Class, a world reference through proven solutions in shipbuilding. Its modular design facilitates local integration and transfer of technology, helping to reduce acquisition, maintenance and modernization costs. Combining state-of-the-art technology, innovation and robust combat capabilities, the MEKO Class is a true blue water vessel. These vessels have exceptional qualities of autonomy and robustness. As a result, several Navies from all over the world have a flexible, versatile combat platform and a general naval environment for diversified mission profiles. Since 1982, 82 MEKO Class corvettes and frigates have been delivered to Marines from 14 different nations, 37 of which were produced outside Germany and all still in full operation - offering a life cycle of more than 40 years. This class combines the benefits of five generations of ships thanks to its design iteration, whereby the best design characteristics of each vessel evolve into the next, ensuring that the new generations have solid, proven maturity, technology, materials and standards. About thyssenkrupp Marine Systems: thyssenkrupp Marine Systems is one of the world's leading system suppliers for submarines and naval surface vessels as well as for maritime security technologies. With nearly 5,500 employees, the company has a history of naval shipbuilding that dates back centuries and offers state-of-the-art technologies, innovations and extensive and dependable services to customers around the world. With its Operating Units Submarines, Surface Vessels, Naval Electronic Systems and Services, thyssenkrupp Marine Systems is part of the thyssenkrupp Group. About ATLAS ELEKTRONIK The ATLAS ELEKTRONIK Group stands for maritime and naval solutions for surface, submarines and coast systems. The company holds a leading position in all fields of maritime high technology, including command & control systems for submarines and surface vessels, sonars and sensors, mine warfare systems, heavyweight torpedoes, coastal surveillance systems and in-service support. ATLAS has established a worldwide customer portfolio. The naval electronics specialist is a company of thyssenkrupp and has a workforce of around 2200 highly skilled employees. About thyssenkrupp thyssenkrupp is a diversified industrial company with a long tradition in the materials market and growing participation in the capital goods and services sector. Always aiming a sustainable progress, the company has more than 161,000 employees in 78 countries who work with passion and technological experience in the development of high-quality products as well as in intelligent processes and services for the industry. Competence and commitment are the foundation of our success. In fiscal year 2017/2018, thyssenkrupp achieved a global turnover of approximately 42.7 billion euros. Developing business in Brazil since 1837, thyssenkrupp employs more than 8,000 people in all regions of the country in the automotive, energy, infrastructure, mining, cement, civil construction, chemical, petrochemical and defense segments. About Embraer Defense & Security Embraer Defense & Security is the leading aerospace and defense industry in Latin America. In addition to the A-29 Super Tucano light attack and advanced trainer and the multi-mission KC-390 military airlift, it provides a full line of integrated solutions and applications such as Command and Control Center (C4I), radars, ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance) and space. This also includes integrated systems for information, communications, border monitoring and surveillance as well as aircraft for authorities' transportation and special missions. With a growing presence on the global market, Embraer Defense & Security products and solutions are present in more than 60 countries. About Atech Recognized as a Brazilian "System House", Atech has always been guided by innovation in order to help transform the country. With unique expertise in systems engineering and situational awareness technologies and support for decision making, Atech works to develop innovative solutions with applications in the areas of air traffic, command and control systems, cyber security, instrumentation and control systems, embedded systems, simulators and logistics. The company is responsible for the development and modernization of the entire system for the management and defense of Brazilian airspace. For its performance, the company is recognized and certified as a Strategic Defense Company by the Brazilian Ministry of Defense. Press contact: thyssenkrupp Marine Systems GmbH

Stefan Ettwig

Head of Communications

T: +49 431 700 3031

[email protected] thyssenkrupp South America

Margarete Storto

External Communications

T: +55 11 5105 7585

[email protected] View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aguas-azuis-consortium-is-chosen-as-preferred-supplier-to-build-four-new-tamandare-class-corvettes-300820638.html SOURCE thyssenkrupp Marine Systems and Embraer Defense & Security

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[March 28, 2019] Graph Blockchain Announces Record Revenue in Q3

Canadian Securities Exchange

Symbol "GBLC" TORONTO, March 28, 2019 /CNW/ - Graph Blockchain Inc. ("Graph" or "Company") (CSE: GBLC) is pleased to announce the results of the Company's third quarter, ending January 31, 2019. The results for the third quarter represent the Company's first consolidated operational results subsequent to the reverse-takeover ("RTO") transaction completed on November 6, 2018. For the nine months period ended January 31, 2019, the Company had revenues of $1,147,288 from operations, and loss of $6,368,121 which includes non-cash cost of $1,161,733 and Reverse Takeover ("RTO") related cost of $2,741,802. For the period, the Company's EBITDA was ($6,367,102) with Adjusted EBITDA of ($2,492,967). The Company had working capital of $1,274,248 as at January 31, 2019. The filings, along with additional information regarding the Company, are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Graph Blockchain Milestones: Successfully completed a RTO to list on the CSE November 6, 2018 ;

; Partnered with Datametrex AI Limited, and signed a non-binding LOI with LOTTE to build a Private Blockchain solution for the importation of Canadian Beef. The signing ceremony took place at the Canadian Embassy in Seoul, South Korea ;

; Through our continued sales relationship with IBM, Graph Blockchain secured a second contract with Samsung for approximately $1,000,000 . The first contract was for approximately $300,000 for a prototype and this second contract was to build out the solution;

. The first contract was for approximately for a prototype and this second contract was to build out the solution; Appointed a new management team with Andrew Ryu as Chairman and Jeffrey Stevens as CEO; and

as Chairman and as CEO; and Continue to work with the Korean Trade Organization (KTNET) for the automation of electronic trade in Korea. Graph Blockchain signed a MOU with KTNET in August of 2018, since then, our team has been negotiating with KTNET on structuring the definitive agreement.



"We are very pleased with what we have achieved to date. We have met key milestones that include the Reverse Take-Over transaction (the "RTO"), completing prototypes to various global companies, obtaining two (2) patents and six (6) patents pending, signing MOU with "Lotte" to build blockchain systems for food chain supply management and securing our first solution agreement with Samsung Electronics through IBM and a distribution partner. We are now in position to reap the benefits of the investments we have made, drive top and bottom-line growth and leverage the synergies that we are seeing across the company." says Jeff Stevens, CEO of Graph Blockchain. About Graph Blockchain Inc.

The Company develops leading-edge private blockchain business intelligence and data management solutions and is a pure play in the graph database technology space. Graph leverages its proprietary integration of the AgensGraph Database engine with IBM's Hyperledger Fabric to create a transparent and immutable ledger with near real-time transactional data processing and intuitive data visualization. The Company has secured multiple prototype development contracts with multi-national conglomerates and sells across client subsidiaries as a full enterprise product. Additional Information on the Company is available at: www.graphblockchain.com. To keep updated with all news, corporate information and direct dialogue with Management join our Investor group on 8020 Connect here: http://bit.ly/8020Graph. Forward Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements contained herein that are not clearly historical in nature may constitute forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as "may", "will", "expect", "likely", "should", "would", "plan", "anticipate", "intend", "potential", "proposed", "estimate", "believe" or the negative of these terms, or other similar words, expressions and grammatical variations thereof, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" happen, or by discussions of strategy. Readers are cautioned to consider these and other factors, uncertainties and potential events carefully and not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Such statements may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. The forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this press release and are based on the beliefs, estimates, expectations and opinions of management on the date such forward-looking statements are made. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and reflect the Company's expectations as of the date hereof and are subject to change thereafter. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law. SOURCE Graph Blockchain Inc.

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[March 28, 2019] Mr. Heng Fai Ambrose Chan Named Chairman of the Board of Directors of Document Security Systems, Inc.

ROCHESTER, N.Y., March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Document Security Systems, Inc. (NYSE American: DSS), ("DSS" or Company), a leader in anti-counterfeit, authentication, and diversion protection technologies, is pleased to announce today that it has appointed Mr. Heng Fai Ambrose Chan as Chairman of its Board of Directors.

Mr. Chan has been a DSS Director since January 12, 2017. He also currently holds positions as Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Companys subsidiaries - DSS International Inc., DSS Asia Limited and DSS Cyber Security Pte Ltd. An accomplished global business veteran with more than 40 years of experience, Mr. Chan specializes in financial restructuring and corporate transformation to unlock value and unleash entrepreneurial zeal while managing risks. He has successfully restructured more than 35 private and publicly-held early-stage and growth companies in the United States, Singapore, Hong Kong and other countries. Among his noteworthy accomplishments are ZH International Limited (formerly known as Heng Fai Enterprises) and China Gas Holdings which are listed in the Hong Kong Stock Exchange; Global Medical REIT, a New York Stock Exchange listed company; and Singhaiyi Limited (formerly known as Singxpress Land Limited), a company listed in the Singapore Stock Exchange. From previous underperformance, Mr. Chan has successfully restructured them and to-date, they hold a combined market capitalization of over USD$18.0 billion. Mr. Chan draws one dollar per annum for remuneration as an officer of the above-mentioned corporate subsidiaries. Additional information on Mr. Chans background and accomplishments is available by visiting http://www.fai185.com . Mr. Chan currently holds approximately 19.13% of DSSs issued and outstanding common stock through various direct and indirect shareholdings.



With his global connections, Mr. Chan is confident that he has the experience to create meaningful shareholder value and assist the Company in its growth. The executive team at DSS is looking forward to having Mr. Chan as Chairman of its Board of Directors. ABOUT DOCUMENT SECURITY SYSTEMS, INC.

For over 15 years, Document Security Systems, Inc. (DSS) has protected corporations, financial institutions, and governments from sophisticated and costly fraud. DSS' innovative anti-counterfeit, authentication, and brand protection solutions are deployed to prevent attacks which threaten products, digital presence, financial instruments, and identification. AuthentiGuard, the Company's flagship product, provides authentication capability through a smartphone application so businesses can empower a wide range of employees, supply chain personnel, and consumers to track their brands and verify authenticity. For more information on DSS, visit www.dsssecure.com .

Keep up-to-date on DSS events and developments, join our online communities at Facebook , Twitter and LinkedIn . Contact Information:

Document Security Systems, Inc.

Investor Relations

Tel: (585) 232-5440

Email: [email protected]

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Forward-looking statements that may be contained in this press release, including, without limitation, statements related to the Companys plans, strategies, objectives, expectations, potential value, intentions and adequacy of resources, are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act and contain words such as believes, anticipates, expects, plans, intends and similar words and phrases. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results projected in any forward-looking statement. In addition to the factors specifically noted in the forward-looking statements, other important factors, risks and uncertainties that could result in those differences include, but are not limited to, our ability to continue the growth in sales of AuthentiGuard and manage our expenses, as well as those risks disclosed in the Risk Factors section of the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 15, 2019. Forward-looking statements that may be contained in this press release are being made as of the date of its release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements.

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[March 28, 2019] Bank of America Invests $1 Million in Museum Lab at Children's Museum of Pittsburgh

The Bank of America Charitable Foundation today announced it will make the $1 million capstone grant to Museum Lab at Children's Museum of Pittsburgh, completing the organization's $18 million capital campaign. This funding enables Children's Museum to renovate and transform the former Carnegie Free Library of Allegheny, the first public library commissioned by Andrew Carnegie, to serve as the home for Museum Lab, a new hands-on museum for children ages 10 and older. During construction, the project will provide approximately $12.8 million in economic impact, providing 167 full- and part-time jobs. Once completed, the project will bring an additional 29 jobs to the new location. The grant is part of Bank of America's overall commitment to supporting the Pittsburgh community. This also includes the expansion of its financial center network in the Pittsburgh market, with 13 centers open or set to open over the next two years, including the Terry Laughlin Financial Center near the University of Pittsburgh. Through 2018, the company has extended $125 million in home and small business loans to help local clients achieve their goals, and expects that number to grow with the expansion. "We are excited to announce this $1 million capstone grant to Museum Lab at Children's Museum of Pittsburgh, which will provide access to skill-building and educational opportunities for youth that will enable them to build stronger communities," said Brian Ludwick, Pittsburgh market president. "This foundation grant, along with the business investments we've made to expand our retail network, support community development efforts, and create new jobs to support our business growth, demonstrate our commitment to creating economic opportunity for the people of Pittsburgh, a city we've served for more than 80 years." These announcements are the latest in a series of investments that Bank of America and its foundation are making in the Pittsburgh community. Bank of America has invested $7 million in Pittsburgh-area community development financial institutions to help finance small businesses, affordable housing, and other economic revitalization projects in primarily low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. The Bank of America Charitable Foundation also donated $2.5 million in gifts to the University of Pittsburgh and St. Francis University in memory of Terry Laughlin, vice chairman of the company's wealth management businesses, who passed away in October 2018.



Children's Museum of Pittsburgh has established itself as a leader in the design and development of research-based learning experiences for children and families. Museum Lab will be a center of education for all learners - educators, researchers, youth and families alike. It will foster an environment where kids can work with experts to create everything from furniture to apps, experiment with cutting-edge technology to create art, collaborate on one-of-a-kind art installations, and more. "We appreciate Bank of America's partnership; this capstone donation will allow us to scale our learning experiences to a broader audience, including older children 10 and up," said Jane Werner, executive director of the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh. "Their commitment to this project reflects their true concern for the community and the youth of Pittsburgh. With their help, we will have created the largest cultural campus for children in the United States."

Bank of America also recently recognized its first Neighborhood Builders grantee in Pittsburgh, Hazelwood Initiative, which focuses on sustainable development in the community. The nonprofit received $200,000 in flexible funding, the opportunity to join a network of peer organizations across the U.S., and access to capital to expand its impact in Pittsburgh. "With Bank of America's generous support, we have been able to hire a critical full-time position ? real estate project manager ? that helps us to fulfill our mission," said Sonya Tilghman, executive director of Hazelwood Initiative. "The additional capacity Hazelwood Initiative has because of the Neighborhood Builders program has allowed us to enter into a partnership with a local landlord, where we will acquire more than 60 housing units of affordable housing over the next three years for long-term preservation." Since announcing plans to bring retail banking services to new and existing clients in the Pittsburgh market in early 2018, Bank of America has opened seven centers to date, including a "pop-up" location at the Mall at Robinson. The company plans to bring approximately 30 jobs to the market this year alone, and subsidizes approximately 75 percent of employee health care costs, meaning Pittsburgh employees are also eligible for benefits that have an average value of almost $17,000. The firm also offers matching 401(k) contributions of up to 5 percent and an annual company contribution of up to 2 percent of pay after one year of service. The continued expansion in Pittsburgh reflects Bank of America's ongoing investment in its financial center and ATM network for clients across the U.S. Bank of America

Bank of America is one of the world's leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 66 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 4,300 retail financial centers, including approximately 1,800 lending centers, 2,200 Merrill Edge investment centers and 1,500 business centers; approximately 16,300 ATMs; and award-winning digital banking with more than 36 million active users, including over 26 million mobile users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 3 million small business owners through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and more than 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. For more Bank of America news, including dividend announcements and other important information, visit the Bank of America newsroom. Click here to register for news email alerts. www.bankofamerica.com Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC  2019 Bank of America Corporation. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005943/en/

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[March 28, 2019] Baron & Budd Files Lawsuit Against Ten Financial Aid Collection Agencies Alleging Widespread Violations of the False Claims Act

The national law firm of Baron & Budd today announced it has filed an amended complaint on behalf of whistleblowers who allege that ten private collection agencies have defrauded the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) of tens of millions of dollars. The suit alleges that the companies either created or hired ineligible small business entities to win collections contracts set aside for small businesses by the DOE and to earn additional incentive payments under those contracts. (United States ex rel. PCA Integrity Assocs. LLP v. NCO Fin. Sys. Inc., D.D.C., Case No. 15-750). Three prime contractor defendants in the case were awarded contracts by the DOE to collect and resolve defaulted student loans. These contracts stipulated that a portion of the work must be subcontracted to small businesses. Rather than hire legitimate small businesses, however, the suit alleges the prime contractors knowingly hired subcontractors that lied about their small business status in order to qualify for the subcontracts and earn work and bonuses to which they were not entitled. The suit names the following companies for their role in the alleged schemes: Pioneer Credit Recovery, Inc. ("Pioneer") of Arcade, N.Y.

Continental Service Group, Inc. ("ConServe") of Fairport, N.Y.

West Corporation ("West") of Omaha, Neb.

Alorica Inc. of Irvine, Calif.

State Collection Service, Inc., of Beloit, Wis.

Protocol Financial Service, LLC of Beloit, Wis.

Bass & Associates, P.C. of Tucson, Ariz.

Edgewater Consulting Group, LLC of Tucson, Ariz.

Professional Recovery Consultants, Inc. of Durham, N.C.

Uniquity Financial of New Braunfel, Texas



"The evidence we are presenting in this suit, including emails between company executives, demonstrates that the defendants were clearly involved in the day-to-day operational activities of each other's businesses and were therefore active participants in this fraud," said Andrew Miller, shareholder and member of Baron & Budd's whistleblower group. "The prime contractor defendants willfully ignored that the subcontractors they hired did not actually qualify as small businesses, thus depriving legitimate small businesses of work and opportunities for growth. This is textbook small business fraud, and we intend to hold these organizations responsible for any and all fraudulent behavior."

ABOUT SMALL BUSINESS SET-ASIDE CONTRACTS In the Small Business Act, Congress created a government-wide goal for contracting with small businesses. This goal is currently set at 23 percent of all federal procurements. Most federal agencies involved in procurements create opportunities called "set-asides" to meet this goal. These allow small businesses to compete against like-sized contractors for opportunities they might not have when competing against larger companies. Some small businesses qualify for additional programs because of their special ownership or geographic location. The Small Business Administration (SBA) defines what constitutes a "small business" within a particular industry. To ensure that large companies do not start new businesses for the sole purpose of getting set-aside contracts, the SBA considers not only the number of employees or revenues of the contracting company, but also of any affiliated companies with common ownership, investment, management, and identical business interests. ABOUT BARON & BUDD, P.C. Baron & Budd, P.C. is among the largest and most accomplished plaintiffs' law firms in the country. With more than 40-years of experience, Baron & Budd has the expertise and resources to handle complex litigation throughout the United States. As a law firm that takes pride in remaining at the forefront of litigation, Baron & Budd has spearheaded many significant cases for hundreds of entities and thousands of individuals. Since the firm was founded in 1977, Baron & Budd has achieved substantial national acclaim for its work on cutting-edge litigation, trying hundreds of cases to verdict and settling tens of thousands of cases in areas of litigation as diverse as dangerous pharmaceuticals and defective medical devices, asbestos and mesothelioma, environmental contamination, fraudulent banking practices, motor vehicles, employment, and other consumer fraud issues. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005969/en/

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[March 28, 2019] High Purity Quartz Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2018 - 2026

LONDON, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- High Purity Quartz Market - Overview



High purity quartz is a vital industrial component required for use in the production of all high-end electronics applications, semi-conductors, and photovoltaic (PV) solar panels.None of these products can be manufactured without reliable supply of consistent-purity HPQ.



Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5760655/?utm_source=PRN



High purity quartz has been gaining a lot of attention over the last few years.This type of high purity silica is the key raw material used in the manufacture of silica glass, a type of glass used in silicon processing and transparent UV-lamp bulbs.



Increasing demand for solar energy augments the demand for high purity quartz.High purity quartz is used in several industries including semiconductor, solar, fiber optics, and lightening.



High purity fused quartz, made from high purity quartz sand, offer a wide range of optical, mechanical, and thermal properties which are essential for producing several high-tech products.



In terms of application, the high purity quartz market has been segmented into semiconductors, solar, lightening, optics, and others.Among these, the semiconductor segment is projected to dominate the global high purity quartz market throughout the forecast period.



Increasing demand for HPQ in the semiconductor industry can be attributed to growing number of new fabrication plants (commonly called Fabs).High purity quartz is increasingly being used in the semiconductor industry to produce crucibles and quartz glass products such as windows, rods, and tubes.



This factor is expected to drive the demand for high purity quartz in the semiconductor segment during the forecast period.The Paris Agreement, which was signed between more than 190 countries in 2015, calls for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and limiting the rise in global temperature to below 2C by the end of this century.



This factor fuels the global solar power sector. This, in turn, drives the global high purity quartz market.



In terms of volume, Asia Pacific dominated the global high purity quartz market, accounting for a share of more than 45% in 2017.Increasing number of solar plants and fabrication plants in the region drives the market in the region.



China and Japan hold a major share of the Asia Pacific market, owing to presence of a promising semiconductor industry in these countries.North America is another lucrative region of the global market, due to presence of large deposits of high purity quartz in the region.



The high purity quartz market in developed countries, such as the U.K., France, the U.S., Italy, and Spain, is estimated to register a lo market attractiveness index during the forecast period.







The report analyzes and forecasts the high purity quartz market at the global and regional levels.The market has been projected in terms of volume (tons) and value (US$ Mn) for the period from 2018 to 2026.



The study includes drivers and restraints of the global high purity quartz market.It also encompasses the anticipated impact of these drivers and restraints on the demand for high purity quartz during the forecast period.





The report highlights opportunities in the market at the global and regional levels.



The report comprises detailed value chain analysis, which provides a comprehensive view of the global high purity quartz market.The Porter's five forces model has also been included to help understand the competition landscape of the global high purity quartz market.



The study encompasses market attractiveness analysis, wherein application segments have been benchmarked based on their market size, growth rate, and general attractiveness.



The study provides a decisive view of the global high purity quartz market by segmenting it in terms of application and region.These segments have been analyzed based on the present and future trends.



Regional segmentation includes the current and forecast demand for high purity quartz in North America , Europe , Asia Pacific , Latin America , and Middle East & Africa . The report also covers individual application segments of the market in every region.



The study includes profiles of major companies operating in the global high purity quartz market. Key players profiled in the report include The Quartz Corporation, Sibelco, Jiangsu Pacific Quartz Co., Ltd., Momentive Performance Materials Inc., High Purity Quartz Pty Ltd, Russian Quartz, I-Minerals Inc., Creswick Quartz, and Nordic Mining ASA. Market leaders are engaged in strategic pricing and product improvement in order to increase their profit margins.



The report provides size (in terms of volume and value) of the global high purity quartz market for the base year 2017 and forecast for the period between 2018 and 2026.Market numbers have been estimated based on application and regional segments.



Market size and forecast for each application segment have been provided for the global and regional markets.



The global high purity quartz market has been segmented as follows:



Global High Purity Quartz Market, by Application

Semiconductors

Solar

Lightening

Optics

Others (Including Catalysts, Ceramics, and Agrochemicals)



Global High Purity Quartz Market, by Region

North America

U.S.

Canada

Europe

Germany

France

U.K.

Italy

Spain

Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific

China

Japan

India

ASEAN

Rest of Asia Pacific

Latin America

Brazil

Mexico

Rest of Latin America

Middle East & Africa

GCC

South Africa

Rest of Middle East & Africa



Key Takeaways

The report provides extensive analysis of market trends from 2018 to 2026 to identify growth opportunities and market developments

It provides comparative analysis of various applications, wherein high purity quartz is utilized

It identifies key factors that create opportunities for the high purity quartz market at the global, regional, and country levels

The report offers comprehensive analysis with respect to investments and regulatory scenario that are likely to impact the outlook for and forecast of the global high purity quartz market between 2018 and 2026

It provides a detailed competition landscape of key players operating in the market to help understand the market competition level

The report covers the importexport analysis for 2017

The report provides detailed pricing analysis based on application and regional segments

The report offers Porter's five forces analysis that highlights the power of buyers and suppliers



Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5760655/?utm_source=PRN



About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers



For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +1 (718) 213 4904

Website: www.reportbuyer.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/high-purity-quartz-market---global-industry-analysis-size-share-growth-trends-and-forecast-2018---2026-300820720.html SOURCE ReportBuyer

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[March 28, 2019]

Outermost Technology Announced the Closing of a Seed Series Funding

SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Outermost Technology announces the successful raise of funding from an undisclosed investor. The company will use the funding to upgrade its service system that is focused on the semiconductor, LED, and self-driving auto industries.

This initial investment will enable Outermost Technology to further expedite its current business model development with expectations to promote its growth as a high technology service provider in metrology, reverse engineering, reliability, failure analysis, and thin film deposition. The funding will also be used to develop a new platform for the optimization of the workflow and the data analysis of service projects.

About the Company

Outermost Technology is a high technology service company in Santa Clara, California specializing in material analysis, reverse engineering, reliability, and failure analysis. For mor information, please visit www.outermost-tech.com.







2019 Outermost Technology, LLC. Outermost Technology names and logos are registered trademarks of Outermost Technology, LLC.

Sang Lee

Phone: 408-721-6800

Email: [email protected]

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SOURCE Outermost Technology
The best gas ranges will create evenly cooked and tasty meals for your home in no time. Unlike standard ovens, the best gas ranges will provide the correct heat and temperature to ensure consistent cooking results each time. A plus if you regularly cook up a storm in the kitchen or enjoy experimenting with delicious recipes.

But, with so many different types, features and prices available, it can often be challenging to find the best gas range to suit your lifestyle. Also, what is your budget and what type of fancy features do you need? There are gas ranges that include an air fryer function while others have Alexa or Google Assistant features.

We've rounded up a great selection of the best gas ranges right now to make delicious mealtimes magical.

What are the best gas ranges?

After extensive research, not to mention first-hand experience, we can strongly recommend the GE Cafe CGB500P2MS1 as the best gas range overall. Its easy on the eye with pro touches, offers great versatility and excels in baking. Its not the cheapest, but its the best option for anyone who cares about aesthetics as much as performance.

If you constantly struggle for space in your oven, then we suggest investing in the Samsung NX58K7850SS, our best double oven gas range. It features an innovative divider, which transforms a single oven into two. Each oven can then be programmed independently to cook multiple recipes at once. This means you can bake and roast at the same time!

Looking for the best value for money? Then the GE JGB635DEKSS is worth considering. It offers all of the basic settings you need, as well as a self-cleaning program, and delivers brilliant results despite the reduced price. Its not bad-looking either.

If your kitchen is designed to fit a slide-in range, then we suggest the Bosch 800 Series HGI8056UC. Its heavy-duty construction gives it a premium appeal, not to mention it features a useful warming drawer. Finally, if youre looking for the latest tech, then our top smart range would be the Whirlpool WFG975H0HV. It can even read bar codes from frozen pizzas and take orders from Alexa.

The best gas ranges you can buy today

GE JGB635DEKSS (Image credit: GE)

1. GE JGB635REKSS Best gas range for those on a budget Specifications Type: Free-standing Fuel: Gas Oven Size: 5.0 cubic feet Burners and power: 4; 13,000, 9,500 (2), 5,000 Btu Features: Self-cleaning cycle Storage drawer: Yes App Control: No TODAY'S BEST DEALS View at Lowe's View at Best Buy View at Amazon Reasons to buy + Low price, simple, easy-to-clean design + Self-cleaning oven Reasons to avoid - Only two oven racks

If you're looking for gas cooking and are on a budget, the best gas range for you is the GE JGB635REKSS. This low-cost model has less cooking power than more expensive options, but it comes with GE's excellent reputation for cooking performance and a self-cleaning oven that we think no range should be without.

The oven is 5.0 cubic feet, which is plenty large for a Thanksgiving turkey, but it doesn't have a convection system. And, it has only four burners, so there's no center griddle. This GE comes in a variety of finishes, including black, stainless steel or white. We also like its drawer in the bottom, which is great for storing baking sheets when you're not using them. While this model is not rock-bottom priced, it's worth stepping up a bit for the self-clean feature.

(Image credit: LG/Tom's Guide)

2. LG LRGL5825F A gas range thats also an air fryer Specifications Type: Free-standing Fuel: Gas Oven Size: 5.8 cubic feet Burners and power: 5; 20,00, 1,700, 10,000, 9,100, 5,000 Btu Features: Stovetop griddle; Air fry; Convection oven; EasyClean and Self-cleaning cycle Storage drawer: Yes App Control: Yes TODAY'S BEST DEALS View at Appliances Connection View at Amazon View at Lowe's Reasons to buy + Large convection oven + Air fry capability + High power burner + Griddle burner and griddle + Works with Alexa, Google Assistant, and recipe apps Reasons to avoid - Air fryer basket isnt included

You get a lot for your money with the LG LRGL5825 F. On the cooktop there are burners ranging from a super high one for getting spaghetti water boiling fast to an ultra low one for keeping gravy hot. In the center theres an oval burner and a griddle to use on it is included. The oven is large and has convection and air fry settings. When you want to check on your roast chicken or chiffon cake, you knock twice on the glass window and the oven light comes on.

LG has equipped this range with the latest smart features. Using an app on your phone, you can monitor and control the range remotely or you can give its marching orders via Google Assistant. The range also connects to cooking apps which will automatically send temperature settings to the oven. Before you call for a service visit, you can use the app to troubleshoot and diagnose problems.

(Image credit: Samsung/Tom's Guide)

3. Samsung NX60T8711SS/AA A slide in range with lots of extras Specifications Type: Slide-in Fuel: Gas Oven Size: 6.0 cubic feet Burners and power: 5; 22,00, 16,00, 10,000, 9,500, 5,000 Btu Features: Smart Dial, Stovetop griddle; Air fry; Convection oven; Self-cleaning cycle Storage drawer: Yes App Control: Yes TODAY'S BEST DEALS View at Samsung View at Lowe's View at Best Buy Reasons to buy + Large convection oven + Air fry capability + Griddle burner and griddle + Works with Alexa, Google Assistant, and recipe apps Reasons to avoid - Only comes with 2 oven racks

The Samsung NX60T8711SS/AA slides in between two cabinets giving you an upscale built-in look. As the controls are up front, theyre easy to use without reaching across the stovetop. When you turn on the dials they light up so you can easily see the settings and tell at a glance if you forget to turn one off.

On the cooktop, youll find one of the most powerful gas burners on any range you can buy. When youre stir frying and need intense heat and bringing water to a boil for pasta and want it fast, youll find it super handy. The stovetop has an oval griddle burner and a cast iron reversible grill/griddle is included. The oven is exceptionally large and has both convection and air fry settings and an air fry basket comes with the range. We only wish you got 3 instead of 2 racks so you could bake more cookies at once. You can control your range with an app on your phone or through Alexa or Google Assistant.

Bosch 800 Series HGI8056UC (Image credit: Bosch)

4. Bosch 800 Series HGI8056UC Best slide-in gas range Specifications Type: Slide-in Fuel: Gas Oven Size: 4.8 cubic feet Burners and power: 5; 18,000, 15,000, 10,000, 5,000 (2) Btu Features: Convection oven; Self-cleaning cycle Warming drawer: Yes App Control: No TODAY'S BEST DEALS View at Lowe's View at Appliances Connection Check Amazon Reasons to buy + Heavy-duty construction, upscale design + Warming drawer + Self-cleaning oven Reasons to avoid - Small-ish oven

A slide-in range gives you the upscale look of a built-in unit. While the Bosch 800 Series HEI8046U is a step up in price from most free-standing models, it's a lot less expensive than a custom-fitted or professional-style range and is still a significant upgrade when it comes to aesthetics. It has heavy-duty construction, a glass panel and metal control knobs.

You do sacrifice some oven space with this model. With a 4.8-cubic-foot capacity, you will be able to fit in the turkey, but you may not be able to pack in as many side dishes at once. Below the oven, in place of storage space, there's a warming drawer, which will come in particularly handy when you're entertaining. As you would expect at this price, the oven comes with three racks and is self-cleaning.

Samsung NX58K7850SS (Image credit: Samsung)

5. Samsung NX58K7850SS Best gas range with double oven Specifications Type: Free-standing Fuel: Gas Oven Size: 5.8 cubic feet Burners and power: 5; 1,600, 1,500, 9,500 (2), 5,000 Btu Features: FlexDuo oven; Dual door, Convection oven; Self-cleaning cycle Storage drawer: Yes App Control: No TODAY'S BEST DEALS View at Samsung View at Best Buy View at Amazon Reasons to buy + Single oven can be split in two + Flex Door gives you access to just the top or full oven Reasons to avoid - A little tricky to install the oven divider

Gas cooks who need a very flexible oven will find a lot to love in the Samsung NX58K7850SS. It's one of Samsung's fancy FlexDuo models, which means that it has one large oven that can be divided into two.

When you're cooking a Christmas ham or are in a holiday cookie baking frenzy, you have one huge (5.8 cubic foot) oven. If you need to cook two things at once, let's say broil some burgers and bake a pan of brownies, simply insert the divider and you have two ovens, one with 3.2 cubic feet of space and one with 2.6 cubic feet. Each of these can run at a different temperature and has an individual timer. The only downside is that you do have to fiddle with the divider to get it to fit properly.

In addition to the dual ovens, your $1,500 gets you five burners, including a large oval burner for the center griddle that comes with the range as well as one for keeping food warm. The controls are large and easy to read so you don't need to pull out your reading glasses.

Cafe CGB500P2MS1 (Image credit: Cafe)

6. Cafe CGB500P2MS1 Best gas range overall Specifications Type: Free-standing Fuel: Gas Oven Size: 5.6 cubic feet Burners and power: 5; 18,000, 15,000 (2), 10,000, 9,500 Features: Convection oven; Temperature probe; Steam clean and self-cleaning cycle Storage drawer: Yes App Control: Yes TODAY'S BEST DEALS Check Amazon View at PC Richard & Son Reasons to buy + Upscale look + Five burners of varying power + Great cooking performance + Self-cleaning oven Reasons to avoid - Expensive

Although it's a bit pricey, we're convinced that the Cafe CGB500P2MS1 is the best gas range for your money. For starters, it has a sophisticated design with towel bar handles and large stovetop knobs like the ones on pro ranges. To give you lots of flexibility, it has five burners, including a high-powered one for quick boils and an oval center burner for a griddle (included with the Cafe).

GE ranges are known for their even heating pattern, which means you can make several layer cakes or sheets of cookies at a time without having to rearrange them during baking. The generously sized convection oven comes with three racks and a temperature probe, and has both a steam-clean feature for quick touch-ups and a full, self-cleaning cycle. If you like asking Alexa or Google Assistant to do things for you, you can add preheating the oven to their chores, as this model works with both voice assistants. Overall, this is the best gas range you can buy.

Thermador Pro Harmony PRD366WHU (Image credit: Thermador)

7. Thermador Pro Harmony PRD366WHU Best dual fuel range Specifications Type: Free-standing Fuel: Gas/Electric Oven Size: 5 cubic feet Burners and power: 6; 15,000 (3), 18,000 (3) Btu Features: Convection oven; Self-cleaning cycle Storage Drawer: No App Control: Yes TODAY'S BEST DEALS View at Best Buy View at Appliances Connection View at Best Buy Reasons to buy + Great looks + 6 burners + Self-cleaning oven Reasons to avoid - No storage drawer

People who love to cook and are lucky enough to have access to both gas and electric lines may be willing enough to invest in a 36-inch, pro-style, dual-fuel range. On the top of the Thermador Pro Harmony PRD366WHU, you get six powerful burners, two of which can be dialed down very low for keeping a sauce warm without curdling it, or for melting chocolate.

Although you don't get an oven that's any bigger than the one on a typical 30-inch model (just 5 cubic feet), you do get luxuries. In addition to convection capabilities, the oven has three racks that slide out, two interior halogen lights and the fastest self-cleaning cycle on the market. However, the main reason you're paying the big bucks is for an absolutely beautiful all stainless-steel statement piece.

Whirlpool WFG975H0HV (Image credit: Whirlpool)

8. Whirlpool WFG975H0HV Best smart gas range Specifications Type: Free-standing Fuel: Gas Oven Size: 5.8 cubic feet Burners and power: 5; 1,800, 1,500, 9,500, 8,000, 5,000 Btu Features: Speed Heat burner; Easy-2-Lift Grates convection oven; Scan-to-Cook; Frozen Bake; AquaLift Self Clean Storage drawer: Yes App Control: Yes  Amazon Alexa, Android, Google Assistant, iOS, Nest TODAY'S BEST DEALS View at Best Buy View at Lowe's Check Amazon Reasons to buy + Lots of smart features, works with Alexa and Google Assistant + No preheat necessary for frozen foods Reasons to avoid - AquaLift self-clean doesn't work well

If you have fantasies of a robot cook that makes you dinner, the Whirlpool WFG975H0HV is as close as you'll get right now. It has a Scan-to-Cook feature, which sets the cooking temperature automatically after you scan the food package's bar code. It can also integrate with Amazon's Alexa voice control service, Google Assistant and Siri, so you can ask your voice assistant to start the oven for you and get alerts on your smartphone when everything is ready.

This range has a very generously sized 5.8-cubic-foot oven and five burners of varying power, including one for quick boils, an oval one for a griddle or fish poacher and one for keeping the soup warm for a latecomer. Thanks to an innovative design, you can clean messes from boilovers without removing the grates, and the grates themselves can be cleaned in the dishwasher. One thing to keep in mind is that Whirlpool's AquaLift is a steam-cleaning cycle and won't make much of a dent on burnt-on stains. It's best to do quick wipe outs after any messy baking or roasting.

Samsung NX60A6311SS/AA (Image credit: Samsung)

9. Samsung NX60A6311SS/AA Another great gas range Specifications Type: Free-standing Fuel: Gas Oven Size: 6.0 cubic feet Burners and power: 5; 12,000, 9,500, 18,000, 5,000, 10,000 Btu Features: Dual ring burner; Self-cleaning cycle Storage drawer: Yes App Control: Yes TODAY'S BEST DEALS View at Best Buy Check Amazon Reasons to buy + Provides two power burners + Connects with the SmartThings app + You can save the settings of your favorite recipes Reasons to avoid - No convection oven setting

The Samsung NX60A6311SS/AA offers almost everything you can ask for from a gas range. The large 6.0 cu. ft. oven capacity can easily accommodate a full roast meal, while the stovetop burners will provide ample power to meet your needs, thanks to the Dual Ring Burner. It appears modern and yet conservative with a digital display and five large dials to control the burners.

It also offers smart connectivity through Wi-Fi, allowing you to control and monitor the range through your phone as well as giving you access to Samsungs SmartThings Cooking Service. With this, you can search for and plan out your meals, including saving them. The only thing this range is missing is the convection oven setting, so cooking wont be as even as it could be. If that setting isnt important to you, this is the one to get.

(Image credit: Monogram / Tom's Guide)

10. Monogram ZGP366NTSS Best professional-style gas range Specifications Type: Professional-style 36-inch Fuel: Gas Oven Size: 6.2 cubic feet Burners and power: 6; 23,000 BTU (2), 18,000 BTU (2), 15,000 BTU (2) Features: Convection over; Temperature probe ; Steam cleaning cycle Storage Drawer: No App Control: Yes TODAY'S BEST DEALS View at Best Buy Check Amazon Reasons to buy + Two high powered burners + Large oven with good baking reputation + Easy to life and clean burner grates + App control Reasons to avoid - No self-cleaning oven - No storage drawer

People who love cooking enough to invest in a pro-style range are often willing to make room in their kitchen for a 36-inch range. The Monogram ZGP366NTSS offers two high-powered burners, each one offering a steak-searing 23,000 Btu of power as well as four other burners. They are all able to be turned down very low for simmering. The grates can also be reversed to accommodate a round bottomed wok.

This Monogram's oven is one of the largest you can find, with 6.2 cubic feet of space and three racks; two of the racks glide out. The convection oven distributes heat evenly, so it can bake several sheets of cookies at one time.

When you connect the range to the SmartHQ app on your mobile device, you can control the oven settings remotely and even take advantage of cooking programs for specific foods. Lights around the knobs add a luxurious touch, letting you change the intensity or the color of the illumination through the app as well. Unlike previous versions of the Monogram, this range does not have a self cleaning oven, but rather a steam clean function. At more than $6,000, the ZDP366NTSS is a sizable investment, although it's well priced for this caliber of range. You can also get a version with four burners and either a grill or a griddle.

When to replace a gas range

Generally, most brands will offer a one year warranty on gas ranges, however the National Association of Home Builders says your range should last around 13 years. Because of this, we dont recommend buying an extended warranty  repairs over the ranges life tend to cost less than the extended warranty itself.

If a repair costs 50% or more than the price of a new range, its time to think about buying a replacement rather than repairing it. A frequent complaint about a faulty range is that it cant reach or maintain the correct temperature. Its worth checking your manual to see if you can recalibrate this yourself, but if not a serviceperson should be able to help without charging a large sum. If you need replacement parts, such as a burner or igniter, these can be sourced for a reasonable price. However, if you find you need to replace the control board, thats when things get expensive and you should consider a new range instead.

Features to look for when buying a gas range

Power burner/simmer burner: Every range features at least one power burner which allows you to quickly sear, or boil water. The stove should also feature one burner which you can use to sear slowly and create a simmer.

Griddle: If you like making pancakes, then you should look for a gas range with a center bridge burner and griddle. If you use a griddle or poacher, then the bridge burners will come in use for those.

Convection oven: If you're into baking breads and sweets, a convection oven  which uses a fan to help distribute heat  should be on your list. Most ranges are available with convection settings and warming drawers. Some ranges also come with pre-set programs for certain dishes, so you dont need to worry about the temperature, such as turkey or proofing bread.

Smart features: The latest ranges can also connect to Wi-Fi, which lets you control the oven from your smartphone, Alexa or Google Assistant. Some ranges can even self-diagnose faults and notify the manufacturers service center. Another useful feature for some models is recipe app connectivity. With these, the range will automatically adjust the temperature and time based on the recipes. Regardless, you should invest in one of the best meat thermometers to make sure you don't overcook anything.

Check out more of our appliance coverage:
The US Air Force is now officially working in building fully autonomous, unmanned combat drones that can be controlled solely by artificial intelligence. The program name: Skyborg.

(Image credit: U.S. Air Force)

The Air Force office of Strategic Development Planning and Experimentation at the Air Force Research Laboratory has announced that it is working on fielding a prototype Autonomous, Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle as an Early Operational Capability as early as 2023.

On March 15, the SDPE sent a request to the usual suspects  from Lockheed Martin to Boeing to Northrop Grumman  and other players in the AI industry complex, asking them to start market research and concept of operations analysis. The office is asking specifically if it would be possible to have these bots in the air by 2023 with the current technology.

In a USAF press release, Skyborg program manager Ben Tran says there was a lot of analysis that determined what was put into the [request]. This is our first step in determining what the current state of the art is from a technology perspective and from a systems engineering perspective to provide that Early Operational Capability in 2023.

Force by numbers powered by AI

The Air Force claims that it is looking into low-cost, attritable, unmanned air vehicles that are autonomous thanks to artificial intelligence. Tran says that they are aware that US adversaries are investing in disposable low-cost AI-powered autonomous combat systems.

If you have these kind of low cost swarms of robotic combat vehicles, Tran says, you can be a force multiplier for our Air Force.

According to Matt Duquette, an engineer working in Skyborg for the Air Force Research Laboratorys Aerospace Systems Directorate, this program is a vessel for AI technologies that could range from rather simple algorithms to fly the aircraft and control them in airspace to the introduction of more complicated levels of AI to accomplish certain tasks or subtasks of the mission. This seems to mean that AI may have full control of the plane at times and/or work in stuff like aiming and firing at enemies.

Right now, theres no particular type of aircraft set for Skyborg  except for the combat part. Patrick Berry, who works for the laboratory in sensor technology, says that they are looking at a range of vehicle performance parameters. Tran says that Skyborg is not scheduled for a specific airplane, and the program emphasizes the importance of an open architecture for both sensors and AI.

That said, Tran says that the Skyborg program is working now with the 412th Test Wing at Edwards Air Force Base, California, and the Emerging Technologies Combined Test Force on small, fast-moving UAVs to test the current state of the art in AI and autonomy in those airplanes and the ability for them to autonomously team and collaborate in flight.

Inspired by the gaming industry

Major Ryan Carr, at the AFRL Aerospace Systems Directotrate, says that machine learning progress has inspired to take this decisive action.

We are very inspired by those results and excited by things that are going on in the gaming industry for instance, he says, we expect that technology will continue to mature fairly rapidly. What we really need to understand is, How do you take that and do something like bring it to the real world and fly with it for example? The thing were trying to get at early on is how to do that safely [...] Thats really what we want to focus our attention on in this early period. For the Air Force, the way to do this is Skyborg.

Skyborg havent these guys watched enough post-apocalyptic movies in which AI-controlled robots annihilate humanity to know that name is a clear invocation of some major Michael Bay-scale chaos and destruction?

On second thought, maybe they have watched all the movies, and thats they are making this before the Russians or the Chinese.
With a bigger cover display, improved design and innovative Flex Mode, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 is the best foldable phone yet and a productivity powerhouse.

With a bigger cover display, improved design and innovative Flex Mode, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 is the best foldable phone yet and a productivity powerhouse.

Update: Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy Z Fold 3 with a more durable design, water resistance S Pen support and improved multitasking. See our Galaxy Z Fold 3 review in progress.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 is a quantum leap better than the original Fold. And it needs to be for the high price. The front display is a lot bigger, 5G is standard, and the unsightly notch on the inside is gone. Plus, this foldable is more durable than the first Fold.

Samsung has further innovated to make this phone-tablet hybrid a lot more versatile, thanks to a new Flex Mode. Plus, the multitasking is better for running up to three apps at the same time, and several apps have a dual-pane view for enhanced productivity.

The Galaxy Z Fold 2s cameras are not as advanced as what you'll find on the Galaxy S21 Ultra (especially the zoom) and the design is pretty hefty. Plus, Samsung is reportedly prepping the Galaxy Z Fold 3 for a launch that's tipped for August, a sequel that may offer S Pen support along with other upgrades.

But if you're in the market for a foldable phone now, the Z Fold 2 does a very good job of justifying Samsung's high asking price. It's no wonder why we named this the best foldable phone in our Tom's Guide Awards 2021 for phones.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 review: What I like

(Image credit: Future)

Bigger front display makes a huge difference: The cover display has grown to 6.2 inches, which means you dont have to use the internal display to get stuff done. The exterior screen is narrower than typical phones, though.

The cover display has grown to 6.2 inches, which means you dont have to use the internal display to get stuff done. The exterior screen is narrower than typical phones, though. Apps finally make the most of tablet-size screen: For example, in Gmail youll see your list of emails on the left and the body of messages on the right, and Slack will display contacts on the left and messages on the right. The iPhone can't do this.

For example, in Gmail youll see your list of emails on the left and the body of messages on the right, and Slack will display contacts on the left and messages on the right. The iPhone can't do this. The multitasking is better: Its pretty easy to create app pairs to launch three apps at once. I also like that you can drag and drop content from one window to another in certain apps.

Its pretty easy to create app pairs to launch three apps at once. I also like that you can drag and drop content from one window to another in certain apps. Flex mode adds versatility: Thanks to the cam mechanism in the hinge, you can open the display at various angles. Flex Mode is there to take advantage of that. For example, in the camera app, youll see the live previous up top and controls down below.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 review: What I don't like

The main display is smudge prone: Although the Ultra Thin Glass on the 7.6-inch screen is more durable and has a better feel, it picks up smudges quickly. And, yes, the crease is still noticeable.

Although the Ultra Thin Glass on the 7.6-inch screen is more durable and has a better feel, it picks up smudges quickly. And, yes, the crease is still noticeable. Limited zoom: I can live without the Galaxy S21 Ultra's 108MP sensor, but having just 2x optical zoom on a $2,000 phone when you can get 10x on the Note is a bummer.

I can live without the Galaxy S21 Ultra's 108MP sensor, but having just 2x optical zoom on a $2,000 phone when you can get 10x on the Note is a bummer. No water resistance: When it started to drizzle outside I took the Z Fold 2 indoors because there is no water resistance promised for this device.

When it started to drizzle outside I took the Z Fold 2 indoors because there is no water resistance promised for this device. This is a hefty device: At 9.9 ounces, the Z Fold 2 is heavier than the original Galaxy Fold (9.5 ounces) and I felt a bit of strain after several minutes of typing. Then again, you are getting a phone and tablet in one.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 review: Price and availability

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 specs Price: $1,799

OS: Android 10

Main display: 7.6 inch inches 120Hz (2208 x 1768 pixels)

Cover display: 6.2 inches 60Hz (2260 x 816 pixels)

CPU: Snapdragon 865 Plus

RAM: 12GB

Storage: 256GB

Rear cameras: 12MP wide, 12MP ultra-wide, 12MP telephoto (2x optical/10x digital zoom)

Selfie cameras: 10MP (cover), 10MP (main display)

Battery: 4,500 mAh

Battery life: 10 hours 10 minutes

Size: 6.2 x 2.6 x 0.66 inches (closed); 6.2 x 5 x 0.27 inches (open)

Weight: 9.9 ounces

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 release date was September 18, 2020. It's available for sale through multiple carriers as well as unlocked.

When it debuted the Galaxy Z Fold 2 cost $1,999 for 256GB of storage and 12GB of RAM. Note that a microSD card slot is not included and there are no other capacities available. These days, after a permanent $200 price cut, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 sells for $1,799. (That could be a sign that Samsung is looking to clear out stock in advance of the anticipated launch of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 later this year.)

To put the Z Fold 2's price in context, Microsoft charges $1,400 for its Surface Duo phone. To see how similar these two foldable devices are, check out our Microsoft Surface Duo vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 face-off.

If you're looking for Galaxy Z Fold 2 deals, the phone has been discounted as low as $999. So it can pay to look for sales on this foldable phone. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 is available through all of the major carriers, including AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile (Sprint), as well as unlocked.

Samsung offers the Galaxy Z Premier Service for the Z Fold 2, which includes on-demand concierge support from dedicated experts. In addition, Z Fold 2 owners can get a membership to FoundersCard, access to a prepared meal from a Michelin star restaurant and access to a various golf clubs.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 review: Design and durability

(Image credit: Future)

The Galaxy Z Fold 2 immediately makes a better impression than the Galaxy Fold because of its larger exterior display. You no longer feel like you're operating Android through a peep hole, and that's because the cover screen has grown from 4.6 inches to 6.2 inches.

The interior display is also bigger at 7.6 inches for the Galaxy Z Fold 2, compared to 7.3 inches for the previous model. Even better, the ugly notch on the main screen is gone, replaced by a small cutout for a selfie camera.

Samsung also made several enhancements fo the Galaxy Z Fold 2 to improve durability and usability. This includes a sturdier new Ultra Thin Glass display, which is designed to provide a better touchscreen feel than the plastic screen Fold, and a Hideaway hinge that uses sweeper technology to prevent dust and dirt from entering the phone.

In a third-party test by YouTuber JerryRigEverything, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 survived having dirt thrown on it, which suggests that the new hinge works better than on the original model.

(Image credit: Future)

Similar to the Galaxy Z Flip 5G, the Galaxy Z Fold 2's hinge uses a CAM mechanism that allows you to position the screen in multiple positions. And while there's still a gap between the two sides of the phone when closed, it's narrower than before.

(Image credit: Future)

The Galaxy Z Fold 2 comes in two colors: Mystic Bronze and Mystic Black. But you'll be able to add some flair in the form of four hinge color options if you order through Samsung.com. Options include Metallic Silver, Metallic Gold, Metallic Red and Metallic Blue.

Measuring 6.2 x 2.6 x 0.66 inches when closed and 6.2 x 5 x 0.27 inches when open, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 is slightly shorter but wider than its predecessor. It's also heavier, as the Z Fold 2 weights 9.9 ounces, compared to 9.48 ounces for the original model. I definitely felt a bit of strain after using the phone several minutes and typing out messages.

Another bummer: The Galaxy Z Fold 2 doesn't offer water resistance, so you can't get it wet as you can with other flagship phones.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 review: Display

(Image credit: Future)

In addition to a larger size, the 7.6-inch main display on the Galaxy Z Fold 2 boasts a 120Hz refresh rate, so you should enjoy smooth scrolling and overall performance compared to the 60Hz rate on the Galaxy Fold. Plus, because the panel is adaptive, it's smart enough to dial the rate down or up based on the content on screen.

The cover display on the Galaxy Z Fold 2 does not offer a 120Hz refresh rate, but it's still a heck of a lot better than what the first Fold featured. Measuring 6.2 inches, this OLED screen is big enough to perform pretty much any task, and you can still instantly resume what you were doing on the main display when you unfold the device.

Just keep in mind that the aspect ratio on the Z Fold 2's cover display is narrower than most phones, so typing can feel a bit cramped.

Galaxy Z Fold 2 review: Software and Flex Mode

(Image credit: Future)

One of the complaints we had about the Galaxy Fold is that many of the apps just felt like blow-up phone apps in tablet mode. But Samsung is addressing this drawback with the Galaxy Z Fold 2.

For example, in Gmail I could see my messages on the left and the body of emails on the right. And in Slack my contacts were on the left and messages on the right. You need to flip the Galaxy Z Fold 2 display's orientation to landscape mode to see these changes, but it makes a huge difference in productivity. And it makes the Galaxy Z Fold 2 feel more laptop-like. Samsung also promises an optimized viewing experience in Microsoft Office and YouTube.

(Image credit: Future)

The Galaxy Z Fold 2's Flex Mode gives this foldable phone a lot of versatility. The idea is that you can have controls or settings on one side of the display and content on the other for maximum productivity.

(Image credit: Future)

I really enjoyed using Google Duo in Flex Mode, as it lets you set the phone down in a laptop-like position and have a video call with the other person without having to hold the device. It's something I immediately wished my iPhone could do.

Samsung says that Flex Mode is supported by several Samsung apps, including Camera, Video call, Gallery, Video player, Clock and Calendar. And Google is supporting Flex Mode with YouTube as well as Google Duo. Samsung is working with third-party developers as well to create Flex Mode optimized apps.

(Image credit: Future)

Another key Galaxy Z Fold 2 upgrade is multi-tasking. With the improved Multi-Active Window feature, you can open up to three apps at the same time and can quickly create presets called App Pairs that you launch with just a tap.

I tried this with Slack, Twitter, and Spotify as well as YouTube, Photos and Messages, and it was very cool to launch three apps at once.You can also quickly re-arrange the layout with a tap or drag an app from one window to another.

Even cooler, you can also drag and drop content from one window to another. I had no problem dropping a photo from the Gallery app into an outgoing message. However, it didn't work with the Google Photos app. Multiple Samsung apps support Drag and Drop, as does Microsoft 365, Gmail, Chrome and Google Maps.

Samsung's App continuity feature is also on board from the original Galaxy Fold. The idea is that you can start an app on the cover display, open the main display and pick up right where you left off. This worked in most apps, but the Sky Force 2 game forced to me restart the app when moving to the bigger canvas.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 cameras

(Image credit: Future)

It's a bit strange to say this, but the $2,000 Galaxy Z Fold 2 represents a step down from the $1,300 Galaxy Note 20 when it comes to the cameras. You don't get a 108MP main sensor, a 5x optical zoom or a 50x Space Zoom, but you do get three capable shooters you can use in a variety of ways.

The Galaxy Z Fold 2 features a 12MP main wide-angle camera, a 12MP ultra-wide angle camera with a 123-degree field of view and a 12MP telephoto lens with a 2x optical zoom and 10x digital zoom.

(Image credit: Future)

The fun really starts with the camera features that are unique to the Galaxy Z Fold 2. For example, Dual Preview lets subjects see how they're going to look using the front display while you're taking the shot. You can also take higher quality selfies with the rear cameras.

All you need to do is fire up the camera on the cover display and then press a button in the top right corner, then the Z Fold 2 will invite you to unfold the device and you'll see a live preview.

(Image credit: Future)

Another perk: you can prop up the Galaxy Z Fold 2 in what looks like laptop mode and it will keep your subject in focus when shooting video using a feature called Auto framing. Thanks to Flex Mode, you can also review recent pictures on the bottom half of the screen while maintaining the live preview in the top half.

(Image credit: Future)

The Z Fold 2's camera did a fantastic job capturing a close-up of these yellow and violet flowers. You can make out fine details in the petals and even fine droplets of water when you zoom in.

(Image credit: Future)

I also took this selfie using the rear 12MP camera and the Z Fold 2's cover screen as the viewfinder. The blue in my shirt pops, and the surrounding trees and grass look vibrant. You simply can't do this on an iPhone.

Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Future) Image 2 of 2 (Image credit: Future)

As expected, the 10x digital zoom proved disappointing compared to the more powerful Space Zoom on the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. As we zero in on the tree and hanging flower baskets, there's a fair amount of grain. It's certainly passable, though.

The Galaxy Z Fold 2 did a fairly good job in this portrait shot, artfully blurring the photos in the background. The bokeh effect is better on the Z Fold 2 than the iPhone 12. However, my face is a bit more blown out in Samsung's shot.

In this shot of fall decorations, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 delivers a brighter overall image, and you can make out lots of detail in the turkeys. The iPhone 11 Pro Max does a better job rendering the hay but overall I give the edge to Samsung here.

The Galaxy Z Fold's 2 Night mode worked well in this shot taken in near darkness of a wall hanging. However, the iPhone 11 Pro Max's Night mode captured a considerably brighter image of the scene.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 review: Performance

(Image credit: Future)

The Galaxy Z Fold 2 sports a Snapdragon 865 Plus processor along with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage (UFS3.1). So we would expect similar performance to the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.

On Geekbench 5, which measures overall performance, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 scored 3,193 on the mult-core portion. The Note 20 Ultra with the same chip scored a slightly higher 3,294 and the Asus ROG Phone 3 hit 3,393. The iPhone 11 Pro was fastest with 3,500.

On the GFXBench graphics test, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 scored 1,461 frames on the Aztec Ruins (High Tier) off-screen benchmark, compared to 1,455 for the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and 1,657 frames for the iPhone 11 Pro.

Overall, the Z Fold 2 offers smooth performance, but I noticed minor software glitches at times. The YouTube app view didn't change I switched screen modes at one point, but restarting the app resolved the problem.

In terms of 5G, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 supports both mmWave and sub-6GHz flavors, so you should have no problems tapping into 5G networks where there is coverage. I didn't see the best results in central New Jersey. On AT&T's network the Galaxy Z Fold 2's download speed hit only 22 Mbps, but on T-Mobile it was a much higher 122 Mbps in the same location.

Because the Z Fold 2 also supports Ultra Wide Band technology, you can leverage Samsung's Nearby Share features to quickly share files with other compatible devices, which thus far only includes the Note 20 Ultra.

Galaxy Z Fold 2 review: battery life and charging

(Image credit: Future)

The Galaxy Z Fold 2 packs a 4,500 mAh battery, which should be able to get you through most of the day. The Galaxy Fold had a slightly smaller 4,380 mAh, so this is a step up.

On our battery test, which involves continuous web surfing at 150 nits of screen brightness, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 lasted 10 hours and 10 minutes on the 60Hz display setting. That's not enough to make our list of best phone battery life, where are the handsets last longer than 11 hours. But given the size of the Z Fold 2's display that's pretty good endurance.

As expected, the battery life dropped on the Z Fold 2 with the display set to 120Hz (adaptive), with the phone lasting 9 hours and 5 minutes.

Anecdotally, the battery life on the Z Fold 2 is pretty solid. I started using the phone at 10 am and after a day of heavy usage it had about 18% juice left at 10 pm.

The Z Fold 2 supports 25W fast charging, as well as fast wireless charging and PowerShare reverse charging. But we didn't see the best results in our testing. After 30 minutes the Z Fold 2 was at 46% and we would expect 50%. By comparison, the Note 20 Ultra hit 56% in the same amount of time.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 review: Verdict

(Image credit: Future)

Note that a Galaxy Z Fold 3 is rumored to launch this summer. It's expected to include a faster processor, S Pen support and perhaps an under-display camera, among other upgrades. So you'll probably want to hold off until mid-August until you make a move.

Overall, though, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 is the quintessential example of a company listening to its customers and delivering a wide range of improvements they asked for. Even at its reduced $1,799 price, this is a phone that's still very much for early adopters. At least the Z Fold 2 seems a lot less like a prototype and more like a viable product.

The front display on the Galaxy Z Fold 2 alone is a huge upgrade. I also really like Flex Mode and the versatility that gives this phone. Being able to prop up the device at various angles really makes the Z Fold 2 feel like a brand new type of device. And while the Mult-Active window multitasking requires a bit of a learning curve, it maximizes productivity.

If you want a more powerful phone and better cameras, the iPhone 12 Pro Max is the better option, but Apple doesn't have anything nearly as innovative in its lineup to take on the Z Fold 2. An iPhone Flip could be on the way at some point, but we doubt it will be anytime soon.

Overall, I am really impressed with what Samsung has accomplished with the Galaxy Z Fold 2. This is clearly the best foldable phone yet and a sign of great things to come in the category.
Kansas House advances bill dropping concealed carry age to 18 TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - People as young as 18 would be allowed to carry concealed weapons under a bill that has advanced in the Kansas House. The Wichita Eagle reports that advocates rejected arguments Tuesday that the bill could endanger lives. The bill will likely receive a final passage on Wednesday.

Today's teaching moment . . . File this one under: "The Constitution Is For Teens, Too" given that youngsters aren't asking for permission to carry guns anyhoo . . .
Introduced at the Bangkok Motor Show, the Mitsubishi Triton Absolute Concept truck is a proposed rugged and performance-orientated off-roader equipped with beefed-up fenders, 2-inches of extra ground clearance, and many off-road worthy additions. Although only a concept, the Triton Absolute gives us a glimpse into what may well become the competitor to the trucks like the Ford Ranger Raptor or the Toyota Hilux Rugged X. While the fate of its production rests in the hands of the interested public, the Triton (L200) Absolute may present the starting point for development of the sporty, hardened version of the next generation Triton. The name Absolute evokes clear notes of enthusiasm and playfulness that characterizes all modern off-road-centric trucks. Unfortunately, even if it reaches production, the Mitsubishi Triton Absolute will not be available in the U.S.

Exterior

270 millimeters of ground clearance

Large off-road tires

LED bars on the roof

Carbon-fiber fenders

Novel tonneau cover

Thick protective skid plates

Just look at its appearance! It has all the essential pieces to stand out, including protective skid plates with silver and red details, and a cool LED light bar on the roof.

Coupled with wider fenders, presumably made from carbon fiber (I hope that isn't just a carbon-fiber looking sticker on them), and 2-inch lift kit, the Triton Absolute is a cool piece of machinery.

So cool, in fact, that some Mitsubishi dealers in Australia commissioned aftermarket specialists to make similar mods to the Triton trucks they sell. See, the Australian market is one of the biggest for the Mitsubishi Triton. Moreover, it is one of the major markets for performance-focused pick-up trucks such as the Ford Ranger Raptor. This Triton Absolute certainly feels like a worthy competitor to the American pickup. In fact, Mitsubishi Motors Australia CEO, John Signoriello said a word or two about the new Triton Absolute.

He noted, "The Triton Absolute concept is more robust, dynamic and powerful. It demonstrates our commitment to exploring a vision of the future Triton that will deliver on our engineered beyond tough commitment to the Triton series - bold enough to be taken on even more adventurous treks to explore Australias rugged outback, which is one of Mitsubishis defining strengths."

Now, the Australian market, although more than in love with these kinds of trucks, is not big enough to justify the Triton Absolute going into production. In that regard, to entice buyers and excite the market as a whole, Mitsubishi plans to extensively showcase the Triton Absolute Concept all over the world for the next 12 months. If there are enough curious questions asked, I dont see why they wouldnt put it into production.

It is not a coincidence that the Australian actually presents this vehicle. The Triton Absolute is partially developed down under.

Something similar happened with the Ford Ranger Raptor, whose development was led by an Australian team.

Later, it won the 4x4 of the Year Award at the Australian Motoring Awards. This only goes to show that Australians are into cool trucks. I am sure that without them, the Triton Absolute Concept would not even exist.

So, apart from the cool exterior touches, the Mitsubishi Triton Absolute Concept features a two-inch lift kit and a suspension with longer travel. It sits on Falken Wildpeak tires measuring 285/65 R18. As for other notable additions, I can see an excellent tonneau cover that complements the truck nicely with the roof assemblage that carries light bars.

With such pleasing additions, the Mitsubishi Triton Absolute Concept gives a certain aura of accomplishment. In fact, I liked the Triton/L200 redesign from the start.

This one inherited all of its talents including an impressive suite of safety features and a Super Select 4WD with modes like - gravel, mud, snow, sand, and rock.

Who knows, the Triton Absolute, if it ever comes to fruition, may bear one more special 4WD mode.

Interior

Softer surfaces

7-inch central display

Grab handle

Apple Car Play and Android Auto support

Powered seats

Paddle shifters behind the wheel (cool ones at that)

While Mitsubishi did not provide any details on the interior changes for the new Triton Absolute Concept, I have to believe this bespoke truck got some. After all, when Mitsubishi introduced the Triton in its latest guise in late 2018, it did have more delicate features in the cabin. Padded soft surfaces, fine stitching, and cool roof-mounted vents summed up the most significant changes, but it also gained 7.0-inch display in the middle, USB plugs, grab handle, and Apple Car Play and Android Auto support.

Now, if the Mitsubishi reworked the cabin for the Triton Absolute, then it must have received red stitching to go along with the exterior details, some cool relief on the seats, and, I hope, some cool graphic on the instrument panel.

Drivetrain

A capable 4WD system with 4WD Low mode

2-inch lift kit

317 pound-feet of torque

Full Driving Safety Suit

At least five drive modes - gravel, mud, snow, sand, and rock

Thick protection plates protect the drivetrain

Mitsubishi did not disclose any information about the powertrain in the Triton Absolute. However, I do believe that it features the same 2.4-liter, turbodiesel engine with 178 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque as the standard 2019 Mitsubishi Triton/L200.

That is easily enough for a tow rating of 1,653 pounds (unbraked) and 6,843 pounds (braked), just like the standard 2019 Triton.

As everyone will compare it with the newest worlds favorite - the Ford Ranger Raptor, I give you a nice comparison table between the two:

Mitsubishi Triton Absolute Concept Ford Ranger Raptor Engine 2.4-liter, turbodiesel 2.0-liter, turbodiesel Horsepower 178 horsepower 213 horsepower Torque 317 pound-feet 367 pound-feet Ground clearance 270 millimeters 283 millimeters Tow Rating 6,843 pounds 5,511 pounds Suspension 2-inch lift kit 2.5-inch FOX Shocks

However, would you take the Mitsubishi Triton Absolute instead of the Ford Ranger Raptor in real life?

Well, the Triton Absolute could be considerably cheaper, definitely narrower, more civilized even, but, if appropriately motivated, I believe that its Super Select 4WD system with 4WD Low mode could do some fantastic things off-road. It can not be as fun or as capable as the Ranger Raptor tough.

See, Ford increased the track width of the Raptor by 150mm. This, in effect, affected the Raptor's center of gravity, and overall stability.

Regardless of a tad smaller tires compared to the Triton Absolute, the Ranger Raptor (285/70R17 BFGoodrich), with forged aluminum control arms, and Watts linkage in the rear, seems to be a better fit overall. More power, more gears of its transmission, better interior and, lets face it, better looks, does not hurt either.

Final Thoughts

Although it is only a concept truck, the Mitsubishi Triton Absolute is an exciting prospect in the world of performance-geared mid-size trucks. If Mitsubishi and its Renault-Nissan overseers manage to massage its engine to deliver more than 200 horsepower and put it into production in 12 months or so, then the Ranger Raptor would get its closest competitor. The journey from the concept phase to the production is not that surprising nowadays. This kind of evolution became a common practice sometime in the nineties. You may remember the Plymouth Prowler Concept fruition going into production. Lately, we have seen the Land Rover LRX Concept growing into the Evoque, or the Kia Soul Concept transforming into a production Soul.

Of course, I am talking here about the complete vehicles. The Triton Absolute Concept is basically only an off-road package, which makes it even more likely to reach production. If not for this generation of the truck, then most certainly for the next one.
It looks like Volvo knew something when it announced that all its new cars would be limited to 180 km/h or 112 mph by 2020 because it seems all cars are going to be forced to obey the speed limit in the near future. At least thats the plan announced by the European Union after it reached a provisional agreement to mandate that automakers fit their cars with speed limiters that wont allow the driver to go over the speed limite when the situation would require it.

Volvo is obviously trying to stick to its goal to have no deaths in its new vehicles after the year 2020. Before the Swedish automaker (thats owned by Chinese giant Geely) announced how it was going to eliminate road deaths in its cars, we really didnt know how it would go about it. Well, now we do: it is going to limit the max speed of its cars to prevent excessive speeding.

Now, the EU wants to force all cars to obey the speed limit without exception.

This legislation has already been approved by the European Parliament, the European Council, and the European Commission as part of a bill that includes additional points. The plan is to have Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) fitted to new models as standard equipment no later than three years after it officially goes into effect.

What the European Union is proposing is that you will only be able to exceed the limit for very short durations before the car will start to beep at you to slow down.

The fine print is still being worked out, but it seems this is going to be a thing in the EU after the year 2022, and its even going to affect the post-Brexit United Kingdom that aims to mirror European legislation.

But, why is the EU so convinced this is the right way to proceed, even though plenty of people have come up to voice their concerns regarding this new law? Well, it seems the people making decisions for all of Europe, from Ireland to Romania, are absolutely convinced that speeding is one of the main killers on the continents roads, and they wholeheartedly believe that enforcing something like this will result in fewer road fatalities.

As you can imagine, this news has already sparked a lot of criticism not just from people who feel like their freedom is being encroached upon, but also specialized people and institutions. According to the Daily Mail, Zurich Insurance did concede that applying this measure on a wide scale would reduce the incidence of speed-related accidents, but at the same time would increase the number of other types of collisions.

It goes on to quote Edmund King, the president of the AA in the UK, as saying the best speed limiter is the drivers right foot when used to do the right speed in the right situation. The right speed is often below the speed limit, for example outside a school with children about, but with ISA there may be a temptation to go at the top speed allowed.

The information isnt especially clear yet, but it seems that while the system may be mandated to be fitted to all new cars by law by 2022, that may not mean you cant deactivate it - you probably will be able to do so, but you will probably be constrained to keep it on; the police may be allowed to fine you if they stop you and the system is deactivated, or something of the sort.

Aside from mandatory ISA, the European Union also wants to make autonomous emergency braking (AEB) mandatory too, along with lane keep assist, fatigue detectors, and backup cameras.

Even in-car breathalyzers may become mandatory, at least in the cars of convicted drunk driving offenders.

The thing about imposing speed limits in this manner is that in many cases, lowering the speed at which cars travel hasnt been proven to necessarily reduce fatalities or number of accidents. Moreover, such a system needs to allow the driver the possibility to override it with ease, at any point and you are apparently going to be able to do that by simply prodding the accelerator hard, just like you would to bypass current speed limiters that arent intelligent.

On top of this, there are those instances where a speed limit is ridiculously low for the road conditions - having to obey a city speed limit on what is very obviously a country road that just happens to fall within city limits and therefore has a lower limit. In these instances, many drivers are willing to drive at illegal but still ultimately safe speeds based on their assessment of the situation.

But a software program wouldnt do that, and it would force you to drive your car at what will feel like a very slow pace, on a straight road that goes through an empty field with nothing around.

And Im sure many drivers wont want to be told what to do, especially those who are not registered speed offenders and who have driven themselves just fine over the years.

Sure, there are undeniable benefits to the widespread adoption of ISA in all new cars, but at the same time, the argument is not so one-sided as organizations like the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) would have you believe. Yes, the system should be part of the suite of active safety systems present on new cars, but the driver should still be able to defeat it if he or she deems it necessary and safe.

Well have more on this once a final decision is made by the various European institutions currently analyzing and working on this project.

Source: Mail Online
A British Airways flight from London to Germany accidentally took off in the wrong direction, landing 525 miles away in Scotland.

The flight from London City Airport was supposed to head to Duesseldorf, Germany, but ended up in Edinburgh, Scotland, instead - the total opposite direction.

The airline said Monday the problem started when an incorrect flight plan was filed by WDL Aviation, which operated the flight on behalf of British Airways.

Officials told the Associated Press that the pilot followed the flight plan for Edinburgh, and that air traffic control officials also were following the same flight plan and saw nothing amiss.

Full Article

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
Travelers are voicing concerns over cruise-ship safety after a Viking Cruises ship ran into engine trouble and rocky seas this weekend, resulting in a mayday call and dramatic rescue off the western coast of Norway.

After seeing footage of the Viking Sky listing to one side and passengers being ferried off the ship via helicopter, would-be cruise customers are saying they may cancel their upcoming trips on Viking or other line's ships.

Full Article

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
American Airlines will cancel 90 flights a day through most of April as a result of the Federal Aviation Administration's decision this month to ground all Boeing 737 Max aircraft. This follows the Boeing 737 Max 8 Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed all 157 people aboard.

"In an effort to provide more certainty and avoid last minute flight disruptions, American has extended cancellations through April 24," the airline said in a statement. "This will result in the cancellation of approximately 90 flights each day based on our April schedule. By proactively canceling these flights, we are able to provide better service to our customers with availability and rebooking options."

Full Article

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
If an eco-luxe hideaway jungle adventure an hour from the ruins of Tikal, the UNESCO-protected Mayan pyramid temple complex sounds appealing to you, check out Las Lagunas Boutique Hotel. Spread across 300 lush acres of a private reserve in Northern Guatemala, between Mexico and Belize, each of the property's 19 lake-top casitas includes a private deck and jacuzzi. In the uncrowded summer season, you'll enjoy a truly intimate stay replete with a full-service spa, five lakes, birding, zip lining, biking, and the opportunity to take a pontoon tour to Monkey Island to see and perhaps feed spider monkeys. Rates start at $630 for a three-night stay in a Waterfront Queen Suite (normally $945 for a three-night stay). Still deciding? Check out our perfect vacations for every week of summer.

Full Article

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
pardeepdhull@gmail.com

San Francisco, March 28

Warning employees against corporate pranks ahead of April Fools Day, Microsoft issued an internal memo asking workers to refrain from participating in practical jokes and annoying hoaxes.

Considering the headwinds the tech industry is facing today, Im asking all teams at Microsoft to not do any public-facing April Fools Day stunts, The Verge quoted Chris Capossela, Marketing Chief, Microsoft as saying in the memo on Wednesday.

The software giants April Fools Day ban comes just as the company resurrected its old office assistant Clippy for a day as an animated pack of stickers and later killed it because the brand police inside the company did not approve of it.

Microsofts concerns seem legit based on the April Fools Day pranks that have backfired on major companies in the past.

In 2013, Google and Microsoft poked fun at each other on this day and traded uncalled insults.

In 2016, Google was forced to apologise for muting email threads and adding Despicable Me minions into emails, causing email havoc for Gmail users.

I appreciate that people may have devoted time and resources to these activities, but I believe we have more to lose than gain by attempting to be funny on this one day, Capossela added.  IANS
editorial@tribune.com

Mumbai, March 27

Tata Trusts today said group veteran NA Soonawala has stepped down from the trusteeship of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trusts and the Sir Ratan Tata Trusts due to health and advancing age.

Tata Trusts is a string of non-profits and owns 66% in the diversified conglomerate Tata Sons and is fighting a litigation with the tax department for allegedly over-paying its past chief executive R Venkatramanan.

The 83-year-old Soonawala, who has served at various positions in the Tata Group, has expressed his desire to retire from these trusts due to his health and advanced age, an official statement said.

Ratan Tata expressed his personal thanks to Soonawala for his colleagueship over the years and wished him good health in the years ahead, the statement added.  PTI
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 27

Officials in the Enforcement Directorate (ED) today said the proceeds from the sale of over 74 lakh attached shares held by absconding businessman Vijay Mallya in the United Breweries Holdings Limited (UBHL) fetched Rs 1,008 crore.

The Bengaluru-based Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) sold the shares attached by the agency as part of its money-laundering probe against the liquor baron, the officials said. They said, the shares were lying with Yes Bank and the Karnataka High Court had recently ordered the bank to surrender these in favour of the DRT.

Subsequently, the ED said, the recovery officer of the DRT, Bangalore, published a notice earlier this month for the sale of a total of 74,04,932 shares of UBHL.

Based on the submissions made and proactive steps taken by the ED and in view of the large outstanding debts of the SBI consortium against Kingfisher Airlines and Vijay Mallya, a special PMLA court allowed the sale of shares on March 26. Subsequently, the shares were sold by the recovery officer on Wednesday and an amount of Rs 1,008 crore has been realised, a senior ED official said, adding this was the first such sale of shares in this case and few more will be sold in the days to come.

These shares of UBL (United Breweries Limited) were held by UBHL and kept with the Yes Bank as security in lieu of a loan taken by Kingfisher Airlines, they said.

A large part of this loan taken from Yes Bank had been repaid, the agency officials said, and these pledged shares were now more or less free from encumbrances and only nominally under the pledge of the bank.

The ED had attached these shares under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to ensure that they were not alienated or sold by Mallya during the course of investigation and also to ensure that they were sold by government agencies at a later stage.

Mallya is currently residing in London and extradition proceedings are on to bring him to India. The ED and the CBI are probing parallel criminal cases against him for an alleged bank loan default of Rs 9,000 crore.

Over 74 lakh shares sold

The Bengaluru-based Debt Recovery Tribunal sold over 74 lakh shares attached by the ED as part of its money-laundering probe against the liquor baron

The shares were lying with Yes Bank and the Karnataka High Court had recently ordered the bank to surrender these in favour of the DRT

A special PMLA court allowed the sale of shares on March 26 and subsequently the shares were sold by the recovery officer on Wednesday and an amount of Rs 1,008 crore has been realised

.
editorial@tribune.com

New Delhi, March 27

Amid speculation that he ay be the finance minister if an opposition alliance wins the ensuing General Election, former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan has said he is willing to return to take an opportunity where he could be of use.

Rajan, a former chief economist at the International Monetary Fund who was denied a second term as RBI Governor by the BJP-led government, said he is very happy where he is, but is open to opportunities.

I am very happy where I am. But if there is an opportunity to be of use I will always be there, he said at the launch of his new book The Third Pillar on Tuesday evening.

Rajan, who is currently the Katherine Dusak Miller Distinguished Service Professor of Finance at the University of Chicagos Booth School of Business in the US, was asked if he would like to return to India in public service or even a political role.

Speculation in political circles has been that he may be a choice for finance minister if the Grand Alliance of opposition parties such as TMC, Samajwadi Party, BSP and TDP were to win the April/May General Election.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi had on Tuesday stated that Rajan was among top economists that his party had consulted to draft its minimum income guarantee scheme, Nyuntam Aay Yojana or NYAY.

The scheme assures up to Rs 72,000 a year or Rs 6,000 a month income to 20% of Indias poorest families if the Congress is voted back to power in the Lok Sabha elections next month.

In an interview to a news channel yesterday, Rajan said it was premature to discuss if he was approached by any of the parties to take up a policy-making position if they were to win.

I think it is premature to have this discussion. I really think that this is an important election for India and I also think we need a new set of reforms. I would be happy to push those ideas, he said.  PTI
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 27

The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum today issued bailable warrants against the manager of Lifestyle store at Elante Mall and the Managing Director, Lifestyle International Pvt Ltd, over non-compliance of its orders.

The forum has issued the warrants for May 23 for failing to provide free carry bags to customers and not paying the awarded compensation and costs of Rs 3,000 to complainants Pankaj Chandgothia and his wife Sangeeta Chandgothia.

Lifestyle has also not deposited Rs 10,000 in the Consumer Legal Aid account of the Secretary, State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Chandigarh, as directed by the forum.

Earlier, on a complaint filed on September 4, 2018, by Pankaj and Sangeeta alleging unfair trade practice of sale of carry bags by the Lifestyle store, the forum had, on January 3, 2019, directed Lifestyle to provide free carry bags to all customers forthwith who purchase articles from its shop, to refund to the complainants the amount of Rs 5 wrongly charged for the paper carry bag, to pay Rs 1,500 to the complainants towards compensation for harassment and mental agony, to pay Rs 1,500 as litigation expenses and to deposit Rs 10,000 in the Consumer Legal Aid account maintained with the State Bank of India in the name of Secretary, State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission.

The forum had directed the opposite party to comply with its orders within a month from the date of receipt of its certified copy.

Chandgothia contended before the forum that the state commission had also upheld the orders of the forum and dismissed the appeal of Lifestyle vide orders dated March 18, 2019. Although one-month time was given to the company to implement the orders, in spite of the passage of over two and a half months, Lifestyle had not implemented the orders. Lifestyle was continuing to charge for carry bags from customers all over India and was making crores of illegal money by violating the orders of the forum, he added. Hence, they were liable to be punished under Section 27 of the Consumer Protection Act. Forum president Rattan Singh Thakur, in his capacity as a Judicial Magistrate, issued bailable warrants against Hitesh Sharma, store manager, Lifestyle Store, Elante Mall, Chandigarh, and Vasanth Kumar, MD of Lifestyle International Pvt Ltd, Bengaluru, for May 23, said Chandgothia.
editorial@tribune.com

Naina Mishra

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 27

Gyandeep Model High School, Sector 20, may lose recognition up to Class X as it failed to produce documents required under the Punjab Education Code when an inspection team of the Education Department visited the school today.

The team found that in 2018, the school was granted recognition without any possession of documents for another two years by a former official of the Education Department. This has also brought forth the laxity in accessing the quality of teaching of the school by the then official. It is pertinent to mention here that the department had derecognised Classes XI and XII of the school last year.

During the inspection, it was also found that the school did not have supporting staff, including clerks and accountants. No records or accounts were found maintained at the school. Also, it did not have fee booklet, provident fund reductions and a resolution copy to start Class XI.

The school had been paying salaries in the form of cheques, but it did not provide any proof of the mode of salary when asked about the same.

Not only the records were duly maintained, but the infrastructure of the school was also found in a shambles. An official from the inspection team said, The washrooms raised a stink and the office room wore a dirty look. Moreover, no record was shown to us by the school.

The team comprised Deputy Director, School Education, Saroj Mittal, District Education Officer (DEO) Anujit Kaur and other officials of the department.

Meanwhile, an official said, We have found discrepancies in various things. Soon, an action will be taken against the school.

Denying the findings of the inspection team, Principal Suman Deswal said, The school has everything in order.

Findings

Recognition granted to the school without documents in 2018 by a former official

School does not have supporting staff, including clerk and accountants

No record, including provident fund deductions, fee booklets, etc, were found

Background
Bhartendu Kumar Singh

Bhartendu Kumar Singh

Indian Defence Accounts Service

The recent SIPRI data on Trends in international arms transfers: 2018 sounds music to Indians since India does not carry the official tag of the 'world's largest arms importer' anymore. The dubious distinction is now with Saudi Arabia that has a 12 per cent share of global arms imports against India's 9.5 per cent during 2014-18. However, India's downward slide is not a reason for celebration since structural factors catapulting India to the numero uno position for a long time remain in situ and do not get adequate consideration in our defence modernisation debates.

SIPRI's own reasons for India's slippage to the second position hint towards transitional status of import figures. While India has ordered a large number of weapons imports, many of them are delayed. Significant import proposals are also at various stages of consideration. India is also perceived as the Big Emerging Market (BEM) in the international arms bazaar.

Concurrently, Saudi Arabis's emergence at the number one spot is due to the volatile situation in West Asia, propelling its import figures by three times during 2014-18 compared to 2009-13. Overall, arms flow to West Asia increased by 87 per cent from 2009-13 to 2014-18 when there was an actual decrease to all other regions  Africa, the Americas, Asia and Oceania, and Europe. However, this is likely to be a momentary phase and once inter-state relations improve in West Asia, Saudi Arabia's figures may fall. There is, therefore, a high probability of India re-emerging as the largest weapons importer in the near future.

The issue is not India remaining the largest or the second largest arms importer, but the perpetual high figures of weapons imports. These figures actually defy India's aspirations as a rising great power. The international arms bazaar is 'regimented' and dominated by established great powers doubling as weapons suppliers. The five largest exporters during 2014-18 were the US, Russia, France, Germany and China, accounting for 75 per cent of the arms market. The US is increasing its hegemonic lead from 29 per cent during 20109-13 to 36 per cent during 2014-18. India is one great power candidate defying established trends and stuck in the 'imports conundrum'. Further, if weapons export is taken as another benchmark for measuring the great power ranking, India, with less than 0.2 per cent share of global market, does not figure amongst first 25 countries' list.

India's high dependence on weapons imports leads to many concerns.

First, it is slow in diversifying supplier base and still dependent upon Russia for 58 per cent of its weapons requirement. Russia has often exploited this dependency through monopolisation of rates in big ticket contracts (such as Gorshkov) and the supply of spare parts. It has also not reciprocated proportionate political and diplomatic gestures.

Second, many established weapons imports objectives do not seem to have been achieved in the Indian context. For example, technological imperatives, like technology transfer, have not taken place in the right spirit or proportion, were delayed or were not put to use for industrial proliferation in time (like Dhanush, the Indian version of Bofors). Similarly, industrial imperatives, like offsets, have been non-starters so far despite long existence.

Third, western scholars like Stephen P Cohen have alleged India to be 'arming (itself) without aiming' in implementing the defence modernisation process, but enough has not been done to dispel this and reduce 'imports'. Instead, they have been legitimised as 'rational myths' towards India's emergence as a military power.

Fourth, increasing cost of imported weapons pinch the modernisation process through lesser number of weapons purchased than otherwise required, budgetary constraints and resultant inter-services rivalry for the procurement pie.

Enough literature has emerged in recent times singing paeans of India's emergence as a military power and its rising military power projection capabilities. Defence experts have written about India's building of power projection platforms like aircraft carrier, nuclear submarines, long-range combat aircraft with mid-air refueling capacities and ICBMs with 5000 km range  all with the collective aim of influencing events far from home. Unfortunately, such discourses do not study and, indeed, ignore the predominant role of imports and marginalisation of the domestic military industrial complex (MIC). Also, the MIC lobby in India is weak and unable to convince the armed forces whose preference for imports dwarfs the autonomous and independent development of the domestic MIC.

There is a philosophical problem as well. Global arms trade is quite complex and under a 'veil of secrecy'. Andrew Feinstein has alleged in his narrative (The Shadow World: Inside the Global Arms Trade, 2012), that 'arms trade accounts for 40 per cent of corruption in all world trade. The combination of sheer magnitude of contexts, very small number of people making purchasing decisions and cloak of national security lends itself to bribery and corruption with huge financial implications that are neither cost-effective nor in the best interest of their countries'. Additionally, arms trade only creates what C Wright Mills calls as 'military metaphysic' or a 'permanent war economy' and provides a false and temporary sense of security. We ought to avoid global traits affecting many African, Asian and Latin American countries.

India needs sound strategies for a drastic reduction in imports. Political will, duly manifested in the 'make in India' movement and supplementary policy statements like defence industrial corridors, is dwarfed by blanket imports. An immediate step would be to have a 'weapons import policy' for selective and purposive import of weapons. Probably, there lies some hope for India slipping down further in the list of weapons importing countries.

(Views are personal)
rchopra@tribunemail.com

Singapore, March 28

A 24-year-old Indian-origin man in Singapore has been sentenced to 10 weeks in jail for his penchant for violence, having no control over his rage and hurting his pregnant girlfriend.

Mohamed Mustaffa Ali was sentenced on Wednesday by Singapore District Court Judge Mathew Joseph after he pleaded guilty to two counts of assault--one was a road rage case last year and the other for hurting his pregnant girlfriend in 2017.

The judge also ticked off Mustaffa for his penchant for violence and having no control over his rage, reported The New Paper on Thursday.

The judge sentenced Mustaffa to 10 weeks jail, the report said.

In the early hours of June 11, 2017, Mustaffa had quarrelled with his girlfriend Shahiqah Nadiyeh Mohammad Herman, then 21, over her former boyfriend.

The agitated Mustaffa slapped her thrice and kicked her thigh twice, despite knowing she was four months pregnant with his child, the report added.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Ng Jun Chong told the court that Mustaffa had also pulled her off a mattress she was sitting on in a cousins house.

The accused then dragged the victim out of the room and into the corridor...by her legs, Ng said.

His cousin then called the police. When the police arrived, Shahiqah refused to have a medical examination but told them she had bruises from Mustaffas assault.

She later gave birth to a healthy boy and married Mustaffa last December.

In another incident, in March last year, Mustaffa was driving a rented car on the extreme right lane of the Kranji Expressway at about 9 pm when he flashed the high beam at a car travelling in front of him at 60 to 70km/h.

The car moved to the middle lane, but when the vehicles were side by side, both drivers wound down their windows to exchange vulgarities and rude gestures.

They then stopped their cars at the road shoulder and got out to confront each other.

When Mustaffa raised his hands, the other man, Lum Wai Keong, 49, punched him in the face.

Mustaffa returned to his car to grab a wooden stick about the length of two arms and hit Lum with it repeatedly until it broke.

Lum, who suffered abrasions on his knee and forearms, has been charged in court with assaulting Mustaffa. His case is pending.

Mustaffa told the court that he had hit Shahiqah after losing control of himself because of stress from his recent divorce.

I find your actions quite disgusting and despicable, the Judge told the accused.

You used violence once before and you did it again. You think our Singapore roads are some kind of lawless place? I have no sympathy for your actions.

He told Mustaffa that marrying the woman he hurt did not reduce his culpability. Even though she is your wife now, that does not in any way diminish your responsibility.

He then sentenced Mustaffa to six weeks jail for voluntarily causing hurt in the road rage case and four weeks jail for hurting Shahiqah.

Another charge for committing a rash act by pulling her off the bed was taken into consideration during sentencing.

For each count of voluntarily causing hurt, Mustaffa could have been jailed for up to two years, or fined up to SGD 5,000, or both.

For committing a rash act, he could have been jailed for up to a year, or fined up to SGD 5,000, or both. PTI
monicakchauhan@gmail.com

Washington, March 28

President Donald Trump should delay his decision to terminate the preferential trade status granted to India till the General Election in the country are over, several influential US lawmakers, including Democratic presidential aspirant Tulsi Gabbard, said on Wednesday.

Trump this month informed the US Congress about his intent to terminate the designation of India as a beneficiary developing country under Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) programme that facilitates duty free import of certain products from underdeveloped countries to help grow their economies.

Under the United States GSP programme, nearly 2,000 products, including auto components and textile materials can enter the US duty-free if the beneficiary developing countries meet the eligibility criteria established by the Congress.

India was the largest beneficiary of the programme in 2017 with US$ 5.7 billion in imports to the US given duty-free status, according to a Congressional Research Service report in January.

My hope is that we can delay, the termination of these GSP preferences until after the elections in India so that we can have a non-political conversation that is very focused on how we collectively can move forward together, Gabbard, the first Hindu US lawmaker, said at a conference on The US-India Partnership: Economic, Immigration & Strategic Issues. Speaking at the conference organised by the US-India Friendship Council, Gabbard acknowledged that bilateral relationship was facing a challenge in the field of trade.

We have some trade challenges that we need to resolve as well as trade opportunities. I think that we have to make sure that cooler heads prevail as we deal with some of the differences that exist, she said.

Obviously each country (is) advocating for what is in their interest, but recognising that we have great potential and opportunity in many different areas, the announcement to terminate the GSP preferences for India, I think speak to some of those differences, Gabbard said.

Republican Congressman George Holding, who is Co-Chair of the Congressional India Caucus, agreed with Gabbard, saying that India has been in the generalized system of preferences for three decades and it's just not the right time to address that.

India, he said, is no longer that underdeveloped country when GSP was first granted. There has been a lot of changes in the country since then.

We do probably need to revisit that. But we don't need to revisit it right before a general election, he said.

Swadesh Chatterjee, chair of US-India Friendship Council, said that Trump's decision to terminate GSP for India would impact the country's export of about USD 5.6 billion. This is more than 10 percent of the total goods and services between the US and India and this suspension of GSP will definitely create some issues between the two countries.

Senator Thom Tellis from North Carolina, praised the contribution of Indian Americans in the economy and development of the United States.

I developed a greater appreciation for their culture, their dedication to education and their dedication to excellence, he said.

Referring to the growing defense ties between India and the United States, Indian-American Congressmen Ami Bera underscored the need of the two countries to work in areas like artificial intelligence.

We'd like to authorize the Department of Defense (DoD) to assist India in reducing purchases from countries that we may mutually view as adversaries and certainly that we may view as adversaries, Bera said.

He said that Indo-US partnership in the area of defense is critical and the two countries have been conducting major defense and naval exercises together.

We would like to require the DoD to conduct regular military engagements and dialogue with India, particularly in the Western Indian Ocean region. We recognize that India strategically has a vital role in protecting the Indian Ocean region and in keeping those lanes of commerce open, he said.

We'd like to require the State Department to advance India's membership into the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum or APEC, because we think this is an important vehicle by which India can continue to seek it's free and open trade across the Asia, Bera said. PTI
harinder@tribunemail.com

All men are equal, but some are more equal than others, with castes adding weight to their names, and court cases. But the Punjab and Haryana High Court's order on doing away with the archaic and insidious system of mentioning caste in legal proceedings will not only prevent additional weight from tilting the scales of justice, but also ensure equality before law  a fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution. The Bench, only recently, minced no words to say that caste disclosure was likely to hamper investigation and prejudice officials handling the case.

The only cause of concern is that freedom from the oppressive system, designed by the British in 1934, came over 70 years after the country's Independence, and that, too, following the court's intervention. Preserving legacy is one thing, continuing with the missteps of the colonial past another. India must confront its colonial past to find out other bloopers as well. The High Court was, on an earlier occasion, also called upon to examine the rationale behind mentioning the social group of the complainant and the accused. Miffed with the system, a lawyer filed a PIL petition two years back, for the deletion of caste column in FIRs and other forms prescribed under the antiquated Punjab Police Rules.

The court then observed that the Sikh Gurus had issued an edict over 300 years ago against the caste system. The governments of Punjab, Haryana and the UT of Chandigarh, subsequently, agreed to delete the column in police records and FIRs. But the ritual continued, compelling the High Court to direct a state counsel to seek fresh instructions whether mentioning of caste is obligatory in a criminal case while registering an FIR. The latest order, marked by the seal of justice and equality, came suo motu. Describing the practice as impermissible, the Bench asserted that right to dignity was a basic human right. The die has been cast for a new caste-free era. It is now for the governments to ensure the implementation of the order that says: Segmentation of society into groups cannot be determined by birth. All are born equal.
amansharma@tribunemail.com

Sumedha Sharma

Tribune News Service

Gurugram, March 28

A special task Force headed by IG KK Rao has busted a five-member gang of criminals wanted for a recent abduction of son of a hospital owner after Rs 55 lakh ransom was paid.

The gang which includes notorious proclaimed offenders and a state-level boxer from Uttar Pradesh was active in UP, Rajasthan or Delhi, but had started targeting party hubs in Gurugram owing to abundance of soft targets.

According to a senior STF official, the gang would lurk around party hubs like Sector 29 or Cyberhub and zero in on a target driving a luxury car, having a swanky mobile, either drunk or too carefree or lost and would then abduct him.

They followed the same modus operandi with the doctors son.

The victim had gone to Sector 29 to meet his friends and seeing his big car, the gang members abducted him and held him hostage. They withdrew money with the help of his ATM card and were planning to run away with his car when he revealed his identity. Coming to know that his family is facing threat from another gang, they tried their luck at getting extortion amount and succeeded, said the investigator.

We quoted a big amount and it worked. The boys father was so scared that he readily agreed to pay ransom, one of the accused told investigators.

The accused have been identified as the gang kingpin Jogender (34), who was carrying a reward of Rs 50,000; Shiv Kumar (28), Deepak (20), Kamal Malik (19) and Amitesh Chaubey (28), a pro boxer.

According to police, while Chaubey was picked up from Lucknow, all others were nabbed following an encounter in Dharuhera in Rewari. All members of gang are seasoned criminals and wanted for over 20 cases of robbery, abduction extortion and even murders in four states. Chaubey entered world of crime some eight months back. With this arrest we will cracking many cases, said IG KK Rao.

Yesterday, Dr SP Yadav, owner of Pushpanjali hospital, had filed an FIR alleging abduction of his son on March 16 and his eventual release after paying Rs 55-lakh ransom.
editorial@tribune.com

Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, March 27

Kalpana Chawla Government Medical College and Hospital (KCGMCH) on Wednesday suspended two doctors and issued notice to two doctors in connection with alleged medical negligence leading to the death of an accident victim.

Enraged over the suspension of their colleagues, a delegation of doctors met the KCGMCH Director, demanding cancellation of their suspension. Family members of Dilawar Singh of Chirao village, the accident victim, met the Director and demanded stringent action against the doctors concerned.

The action was initiated by Dr Surinder Kashyap, KCGMCH Director, after a report was submitted by the inquiry committee set up by him to probe the allegation of family members of the deceased.

Dr Kashyap said Dr Manu Chaudhary, senior resident, and Dr Raj Kumar, junior resident, both general surgeons, had been suspended till final inquiry was completed. He said notice had been served on Dr Manisha, casualty medical officer, and Dr Saurabh, senior resident, to submit their reply in two days.

Family members of Dilawar had alleged that he could have been saved, but doctors and other staff members did not take the case seriously and showed a casual approach. They alleged the staff members and doctors had claimed that the patient was alright and there was no need to worry.

Dilawar and his brother Dimple were going home on a scooter on Sunday night when a tractor hit their vehicle. Dimple died on the spot while Dilawar was taken to the KCGMCH, where he died later.

Following allegations by family members of the deceased, the KCGMCH Director initiated the inquiry. The preliminary inquiry report pointed to negligence on the part of doctors and recommended action. The doctors concerned could not be contacted for comment.
editorial@tribune.com

Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, March 27

Even as the BJP after declaration of its candidates for the Lok Sabha elections has launched its poll campaign in the respective parliamentary constituencies, the threat of rebels and disgruntled leaders indulging in undercutting looms large.

The fact that the BJP has denied ticket to two its sitting MPs, Virender Kashyap from Shimla and Shanta Kumar from Kangra segment, there could be a section of their supporters who could indulge in undercutting. However, Shanta Kumar has given his blessings to Kishan Kapoor and has also campaigned in his favour.

The outgoing MP Virender Kashyap was conspicuous by his absence during the campaign meeting of BJP candidate Suresh Kashyap, the sitting MLA from Pachaad in Sirmour in Rohru and Jubbal Kotkhai area during the last two days of campaign in Shimla district.

Even though Virender Kashyap and Suresh Kashyap are related when a sitting MP is denied ticket, there is bound to be heartburn, admitted a senior BJP functionary. He was, however, quick to add that with the passage of time Virender Kashyap will reconcile and come around. Suresh today addressed a Mahila Sammelan at Nawar in Jubbal Kotkhai. Yesterday, he had toured Rohru Assembly constituency in Shimla.

The return of former telecommunication minister Sukh Ram and his grandson Ashray Sharma back to the Congress fold too has caused some amount of worry in the BJP camp. Amidst this major political development is the talk of the three-time BJP MP and former state president Suresh Chandel joining the Congress. Even though there is only speculation Chandel has not minced words in expressing his anguish and pain at being slighted and ignored by the party.

The BJP also faces the challenge of taking along the leaders who were serious contenders for the ticket and were upset over being ignored. Prominent among them is Maheshwar Singh, former MP and MLA from Kullu who was a frontrunner in the ticket from the Mandi Lok Sabha seat. In 2012 he had floated his own political outfit, Himachal Vikas Congress (HVC), and had won from Kullu. It is only on completion of his term that he returned to the BJP though he contested the Assembly election unsuccessfully from Kullu as BJP nominee.

There are several other BJP leaders who were denied the party ticket in the Assembly polls. None of them having been accommodated in the government, they too could have issues with the partys senior leadership. Some of them are Rikhi Ram Kaundal (Jhanduta), Anil Dhiman (Bhoranj), BK Chauhan (Chamba), Govind Ram (Arki) and Manohar Dhiman (Indira), who, despite being sitting MLAs, were denied party ticket during the 2017 Assembly elections.

The disquiet is palpable

The outgoing MP Virender Kashyap was conspicuous by his absence during the campaign meeting by BJP candidate Suresh Kashyap, sitting MLA from Pachaad in Sirmour

There is the talk of the three-time BJP MP Suresh Chandel joining the Congress. He has not minced words in expressing his anguish at being slighted by the party.

The party faces the challenge of taking along the leaders who were serious contenders for ticket. Prominent among them is Maheshwar Singh, former MP, who was a frontrunner for ticket from Mandi.
rchopra@tribunemail.com

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, March 28

Four militants were on Thursday killed in two encounters with security forces in Shopian and Kupwara districts of Jammu and Kashmir, police said.

In Shopian, three militants were killed in a gun fight between militants and security forces, the Army said.

The gun fight raged between militants and a joint team of security forces in Keller area of Shopian district in the wee hours of Thursday.

Security forces launched an anti-militancy operation in Yawran forests in Shopian following information about the presence of militants there, a police spokesman said.

He said in the ensuing gunfight, three ultras were killed.

The slain terrorists have been identified as Sajad Khanday, Aqib Ahmad Dar and Basharat Ahmad Mir, all residents of Pulwama, the spokesman said.

According to the police records, it was a combined group of proscribed terror outfits Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Taiba, the spokesman said.

They were wanted by law for their complicity in a series of terror crimes, including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities, he said.

The spokesman said Dar was involved in conspiring and executing many terror attacks in the area.

Several terror crime cases were registered against him, he added.

Similarly, Khanday and Mir were also involved in many terror attacks and several terror crime cases were registered against them, the spokesman said.

Incriminating materials, including three AK rifles, were recovered from the site of the encounter. All these materials have been taken in the case records for further investigation and to probe the trios complicity in other terror cases, he said.

In another encounter, an unidentified militant was killed in the Handwara area of Kupwara district in north Kashmir, the spokesman said.

One terrorist has been killed in the operation in Handwara. Some arms and ammunition have been recovered from the site, he added.

He said the identity and group affiliation of the slain militant is being ascertained.  With PTI
rajivbhatia82@gmail.com

Akhnoor, March 28

The Congress is blinded by its "anti-Modi approach" and has stopped thinking in the nation's interest, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said here Thursday, raising issues of national security and terrorism and questioning the party's statements following the Balakot strike.

Addressing a rally in Akhnoor on the outskirts of Jammu, his first in the state after national elections were announced on March 10, Modi claimed the speeches of Congress leaders receive applause in Pakistan.

The prime minister began his speech by greeting people in the local Dogri language and went to exhort them to vote for his party's Jammu-Poonch candidate Jugal Kishore.

Modi said he was surprised at the Congress' reaction to his government's endeavour to teach a lesson to the enemies of the country.

"What has happened to the Congress party....the anti-Modi approach adopted by them has blinded them to the extent that they have stopped thinking in the interest of the nation," Modi said.

When India conducted the air strike in Balakot on February 27, Congress leaders came out with statements which were not in favour of the country, he said.

"Is it the same Sardar Patel's Congress who spent day and night for the unity and integrity of the country? I fail to understand if this is the Congress party of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose who saw the dream of an independent India," the PM said. "My soul is saying it is not."

"What do you think?" he asked the people, who replied saying they agreed with the PM's view.

"The entire country and its citizen are speaking in one voice but the Congressmen are speaking a different language," Modi said.

The prime minister also questioned the Congress' silence on National Conference's Baramulla candidate Akbar Lone's reported remarks purportedly in favour of Pakistan.

"I am surprised that they are aligning with such people who are against the interests of the nation," Modi told the gathering.

He told them if they press the 'lotus' (BJP's poll symbol) button on the EVM on April 11, it will not only unnerve terrorists and their sympathisers within the country, but its bang would be heard across the border as well.

He also asked people of the state to remain vigilant against the policies of the National Conference and the PDP, a former ally of the BJP, for their alleged pro-separatist agendas.

"We imposed ban on groups involved in secession of the state from India, but these political parties opposed it," the prime minister said.

Referring to the strike on a JeM camp in Balakot, the prime minister said the nation has shown its resolve to fight terrorism.

"Those running terrorist factory across the border are afraid and are living under a constant fear. This has happened for the first time that terrorists are forced to think 100 times before intruding into this side," he told the rally at the border town. - PTI
editorial@tribune.com

ibune News Service

Jammu/Srinagar, March 27

BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav on Wednesday said the BJP was in favour of the early Lok Sabha elections in J&K so as to establish a democratically elected government in the state.

Interacting with mediapersons in Jammu and Srinagar, Madhav, who is the BJPs point man in J&K, lashed out at National Conference (NC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for boycotting the recently held urban local bodies and panchayat elections in the state.

Those who had boycotted the process of strengthening the democratic institutions at the grass-roots level are desperate for the Assembly elections. It appears that they are worried about their own empowerment, he said.

In Srinagar, Madhav hit out at the NC and PDP for playing the separatist tune ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

What statements are they giving? Someone is saying Pakistan zindabad. This demonstrates the character of the regional parties. Some leader is saying that their party workers are the real mujahids. I want to ask the NC leadership whether they accept (Akbar) Lones statement. We demand an FIR against Lone for trying to provoke people. In Delhi they play Ram dhun (tune) and here separatist dhun, Madhav said while addressing a press conference here.

He was referring to NC candidate from Baramulla Akbar Lones recent pro-Pakistan slogan at a rally.

Asserting that the BJP had already written to the Election Commission to conduct the Assembly elections sooner in the state, Madhav said: The people here want peace, development and electoral rights, but these leaders say Pakistan zindabad and talk about mujahids. I appeal to the people of Kashmir to vote wisely. We know that it will take time for us to grow here in the Valley...we are working hard to strengthen our electoral base in the Valley. We will continue our attempts and want good people to come forward at the grass-roots level.

People want peace and the democratic process to move forward but unfortunately the regional parties here still do not understand what the people want. When the municipal elections took place, they asked people to boycott it, saying there was danger to Article 35A and Article 370 from the Modi government. But the Modi government is still there and is going to come back. There is no difference in our earlier stand on the two Articles. Then why have you fielded candidates (for Lok Sabha polls)? he asked.

He said the BJP was confident that the present alliance partners of the NDA would be able to secure enough majority to form a strong and stable government under Prime Minister Narendra Modis leadership.

Curbs to continue

On a ban on the Jamaat-e-Islami and Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front, BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav said: The curbs on separatist outfits in the Kashmir valley willcontinue. But our endeavour will be to bring happiness to the peace-loving people of Kashmir and give them development and democratic rights.
monicakchauhan@gmail.com

Jammu, March 28

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) poll campaign for the coming Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday.

BJP sources said the grand start of the party's election campaign in the region will take place from Modi's 'Vijay Sankalp rally' scheduled to be held in the outskirts of Jammu city at the Doomi panchayat in Bhalwal.

The Prime Minister is slated to arrive here at around 4.30 p.m. and will address the rally half an hour later, after which he will return to New Delhi.

During the rally, Modi will seek votes for the two BJP candidates -- Jugal Kishore Sharma from Jammu and Jitendra Singh from Udhampur -- who are seeking re-election, the sources said.

Elections to the Jammu seat is scheduled on April 11 while voting for Udhampur will be held on April 18.

Meanwhile, elaborate security arrangements have been made at the venue. An advance security liaison (ASL) team that protects the Prime Minister had already arrived here three days ago. IANS
editorial@tribune.com

ibune News Service

Srinagar, March 27

Embarrassed by the alleged pro-Pakistan remarks of its ally National Conference (NC), the Congress on Wednesday said there was no friendly contest between the two parties in the state.

Congress state chief Ghulam Ahmad Mir said his party and the NC would have a full contest in three constituencies in Kashmir and Ladakh where candidates of both parties are contesting. Mir said the leaders of the two parties had met last week and decided which seat to contest and which to leave in the state.

It is a reality that there will be a proper contest with the NC. We are not calling it an alliance. In Baramulla, we have named our candidate and they have named their candidate. Similarly, in Anantnag, they have announced their nominee and in the next two days, we will name our candidate, Mir said while talking to reporters at the party headquarters in the city.

Mir said the two parties would list their achievements and agenda before the people. The people will decide, he said.

The Congress had to distance itself from the remarks made by National Conference candidate Mohammad Akbar Lone in which he had defended Pakistan and raised pro-Pakistan slogans.

Mirs comment are a sharp contrast to a joint statement made by senior leaders of the Congress and NC last week where they said that the two parties will have friendly contests in the constituencies of Baramulla and Anantnag in Kashmir and the lone Ladakh seat.

Earlier, several political figures and a former IAS officer joined the Congress and were welcomed by Mir.

Mir described the Congress as the only unifying force in the country and state which has served the people and will continue to serve them to the best of its ability.
shalender@tribune.com

Manpriya Singh

So, the political battle (called 17th Lok Sabha elections) glides on to a bigger pedestal and even the big screen (70 mm to be precise). It was only a matter of first The Accidental Prime Minister and then Thackeray, and the audience had a hunch as to where we were headed.

While were used to actors going to polls, with PM Narendra Modi Vs Raga, the ballot goes to box-office. And thats comparatively new. Theres one on Jayalalitha already announced (titled Thalaivi and starring Kangana Ranaut). Dont be surprised if tomorrow theres a trailer launch of when Lalu Met Rabri! On a serious note  is it a good idea or sheer propaganda? Are the filmmakers truly exploring the story or exploiting the platform?

Timing matters

As for the production budgets, well, we know our legislators have that in abundance. The masses will of course watch. The film being made tax-free could just be the starting point of promotions. Film-maker Vivek Agnihotri (whose The Tashkent Files, a film based on the death of former PM Lal Bahadur Shastri, is scheduled soon) accepts how views are polarised on the subject with various narratives and debates going on like never before.

Coming to the business dynamics of such films, he says, A blockbuster of the 70s will not work today. If politics is in every topic, then filmmakers will make note of that wave. If you say that its, well, timing, then arent all the other films well-timed? Salman Khan has a big release during Eid and Ajay Devgn during Diwali. Similarly, childrens films release during summer or winter vacation; in the west there is a segment around Christmas. Also this is once in five years, so everyone making a film based on politics will draw on this.

Mob behaviour

Its an association of sorts; Vivek Oberoi who plays PM Modi, has been vocal in supporting BJP as has been his father Suresh Oberoi, also a member of the party since 2004. Anyway, this wont be the first film based on PM Modi, with a 30-minute film, Chalo Jeete Hain, having already depicted his early life. Or it wont be the first time a political figure inspires drama, with Aandhi speculated to be loosely based on former PM, late Indira Gandhi. Director Vikram Bhatt, in an earlier statement, has already touted the trend as nothing more than the herd mentality of Bollywood. I have been directing films in Bollywood for the last 26-27 years and witnessed mob behaviour like this before. The trend of biopics is the result of mob behaviour. He calls it a phase and how if three or four films fail, this phase will soon come to an end. But while its on, he doubts the authenticity of the subject. A biopic is a ready-made storyI dont feel that any autobiography can be completely true. For that matter, any biopic as well.

Quality control

Film on freedom-fighters is one thing, on political leaders, altogether another. Indian film director, writer, producer Hansal Mehta opines, Propaganda or not, these are the questions that only makers can address and I would not like to speculate, but as a cinema-lover I just wonder about the quality they will deliver, as they are obviously being made and released in a hurry. A point we all will agree with.

Film-maker Rahul Mittra, while gearing up for his next mega project Torbaaz, with his best friend Sanjay Dutt, cites the example of biopic Sanju itself. The challenge lies in presenting the characters downside too and any attempt to deviate away from their weaknesses and follies is to my mind forcing mere propaganda up the audiences throats. And if done right, the result may lead to marriage of good content and box-office success, as everyone loves triumph of the human spirit.

Rahul cites author Mark Twain, who said its easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled! Propaganda in order to be credible needs to be believed and its easier to be believed if its closer to reality or perceived reality. Hence films based on a true story offer more substance to the audience and this is precisely why political biopics are in vogue. True that.
gspannu7@gmail.com

Washington, March 28

Former NITI Aayog vice chairman Arvind Panagariya has said the implementation of the Congress partys ambitious Nyay scheme not only poses a fiscal challenge to Indias economy but also has a serious incentive problem.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said its minimum income guarantee scheme, Nyuntam Aay Yojana (Nyay) assures up to Rs 72,000 a year or Rs 6,000 a month income to 20 per cent of Indias poorest families if the party is voted back to power in the Lok Sabha elections next month.

Panagariya, who served as the first vice chairman of NITI Aayog for two years from 2015 to 2017, told PTI that Nyay is difficult to implement and unlikely to achieve its intended objective.

It raises three major questions  the incentive compatibility issue, the fairness issue and fiscal challenge, Panagariya, an eminent Indian-American economist, said.

But Gandhi said the Nyay scheme has the twin objectives of giving money to the 20 per cent poorest families and remonetising the economy damaged by the demonetisation in 2016.

Its aim is two-fold. First is to guarantee a minimum income to the bottom 20 per cent families. The second is to remonetise the economy that has been demonetised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gandhi told PTI.

Senior Congress leader and former Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday said enough economists and experts had been consulted and they broadly agreed that India has the capacity to implement the scheme.

Former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan has said the implementation of the scheme is possible, Chidambaram said.

Our calculation shows that it will not cross 2 per cent of the GDP, it will be 1.8 per cent of the GDP at any given point of time, he said.

Raghuram Rajan had yesterday admitted that he has offered his views to the Congress leadership on the Nyay scheme.

Rajan also the scheme is a doable and "well worth" to think about provided we make it more than just a handout.

Commenting on the scheme, Panagariya said the transfer is meant to be Rs 6,000 per month per family to 50 million families and at the same time, it also guarantees an income of Rs 12,000 per month to these families.

What happens if one family has an income of only Rs 4,000 and another Rs 8,000 per month? Will the former then receive Rs 8,000 and the latter Rs 4,000 per month? If so, why should anyone with income below 12,000 do any work at all since their incomes will be Rs 12,000 regardless of what they earn? he asked.

Interpreted this way, there is a serious incentive problem with the scheme, Panagariya asserted.

If the scheme is meant to transfer flat Rs 6,000 per month to identified families regardless of the familys earned income, you cannot deliver Rs 12,000 per month to families earning less than Rs 6,000, he asserted.

The programme, as announced by the Congress, guarantees Rs 12,000 per month in income to the poor, which is Rs 144,000 per year, he said, explaining the fairness issue.

Add to it all other in-kind transfers: subsidised food, NREGA wages, free house, free toilet, free education and Rs 500,000 free health insurance coverage.

The gross sum will be close to Rs 200,000 per year, Panagariya observed.

Now think of someone not covered by the scheme and earning Rs 300,000 per year. This family will have to pay Rs 2,500 in taxes (currently covered by a tax credit but in principle taxable). How fair is this to those working?

Moreover, taxpayers are all in urban areas and dole recipients all in rural areas. Will this not open a serious rural-urban schism? No one questions helping the destitute on the margin but when help is given to give all comforts of life free, those paying for those comforts will become intensely unhappy, he said.

Then there is the question of fiscal challenge, he said.

If Rs 12,000 per month per household is to be guaranteed to bottom 20 per cent of the population, even the average Rs 6,000 per family will be insufficient, he argued.

But let us set that problem aside. Can we scrape Rs 3.6 trillion per year (calculated at Rs 6,000 per family for 50 million households)? There is no chance.

It is 13 per cent of the proposed total Central Government expenditure in Budget 2019-20, Panagariya said.

Anit Mukherjee, a policy fellow at the Centre for Global Development where he works on issues of governance, public finance and service delivery in developing countries, said how to identify the target beneficiaries and how to absorb the fiscal impact are two major problems.

The amount is substantial, more than the current government has proposed (Rs 6,000 per year), and to a general definition of the poorest of the poor (and not just farmers), he said.

However, it is about half of what a similar scheme in Kenya through a US-based charity GiveDirectly provides to over 20,000 adults purely on a universal basic income criteria, Mukherjee said, adding the results of the scheme are still awaited, so there is no firm global evidence on whether Universal Basic Income works or not at the scale which the programme in India would operate on.  PTI
editorial@tribune.com

Sandeep Dikshit

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 27

The DRDOs successful display of its anti-satellite capability will help India enter the elite clubs discussing curbs on futuristic technologies.

It was as much a show of potential like the 1998 nuclear tests, said government sources, while pointing out that the diplomatic track had failed to achieve a breakthrough.

Specifically, it will bring India into the ambit of discussions by a group of governmental experts (GGE) on prevention of an arms race in outer space. India was piqued after it was excluded from the GGE on transparency and confidence building measures (TCBM) despite being a major space-faring country.

India had earlier supported a resolution in the UN General Assembly that had encouraged entities and organisations to coordinate on matters related to the recommendations of a GGE report.

In 2015, the Inter-Agency Meeting on Outer Space Activities (UN-Space), coordinated by the Office for Outer Space Affairs, too issued a special report on the role of UN entities in supporting implementation of the GGE report. Yet these initiatives cut no ice and India remained out of the discussion loop.

A crucial turning point is now at hand and India cannot afford to remain excluded.

The UN has given the green signal for preparation of recommendations to promote the practical implementation of transparency and confidence-building measures (TCBM) in outer space to prevent an arms race.

However, India is framing the anti-satellite test in the context of keeping the country secure and as a logical progression of its space programme.
rchopra@tribunemail.com

Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 28

Accusing Airtel and Vodafone of not providing call detail records (CDRs) of certain mobile numbers in connection with the Saradha chit fund scam, the CBI on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court seeking directions to the two telecom majors to share it with the probe agency.

In an application filed in the top court, the CBI submitted that till date, despite repeated requests of the applicant (CBI) and despite the specific direction of the Government of India, the service providers have not shared the information as sought

The development came a day after the Supreme Court termed as very very serious the allegations levelled by the CBI in its status report filed in a sealed cover on interrogation of former Kolkata police commissioner Rajeev Kumar, who had once headed the state police SIT on the Saradha chit fund scam probe.

The top court had said it could not close its eyes if some very very serious facts were disclosed to it and asked the CBI to file an application seeking appropriate relief/action against Kumar.

Giving 10 days to the CBI to file the application, it had asked Kumar and others to respond to the plea in seven days and ordered that the matter be posted for hearing after that.

The agency, which is probing the Saradha chit fund scam on the orders of the Supreme Court, accused the two telecom service providers of being surprisingly evasive in sharing the information.

The phone numbers and the period for which CDRs have been asked for by the CBI were actually requested to be shared by West Bengal Police which initially probe the scam.

The Bench had on Tuesday also refused to discharge West Bengal Chief Secretary and Director General of Police in a contempt case filed against them and the former Kolkata police commissioner by the CBI for allegedly obstructing the probe into the Saradha chit fund scam.

As Attorney General KK Venugopal and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had said there were serious allegations against the officials, the Bench said it could not pass any order without hearing the other side.

The top court is seized of a contempt petition filed by the CBI against senior officials of the West Bengal government, including the Chief Secretary, DGP and former Kolkata police chief, for allegedly obstructing its probe into the chit fund scam and destroying evidence.

The Supreme Court had on February 4 warned Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar of strict action if it was found that he tried to destroy evidence relating to the Saradha chit fund scam case in West Bengal after the CBI said it apprehended destruction of electronic evidence.

If the Police Commissioner is even remotely trying to destroy evidence, we will come down so heavily on him that he will regret, it had said.
rchopra@tribunemail.com

Beijing, March 28

China on Thursday accused the US of undermining the authority of the UN anti-terrorism committee by forcefully moving a resolution in the UNSC to list Pakistan-based JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist.

It said Americas move only complicates the issue.

The US, supported by France and the UK, has moved a draft resolution in the UN Security Council to blacklist the Pakistan-based terror groups chief, two weeks after China put a hold on a proposal to list Azhar under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the Council.

Asked about the development, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a media briefing that the Washington move only complicated the issue.

This is not in line with resolution of the issue through dialogue and negotiations. This has reduced the authority of the Committee as a main anti-terrorism body of the UNSC and this is not conducive to the solidarity and only complicates the issue.

We urge the US to act cautiously and avoid forcefully moving forward this resolution draft, Geng said. PTI
monicakchauhan@gmail.com

Sandeep Dikshit

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 28

India has sought to steer clear of a developing row between the US and China over a fresh move at the UN Security Council (UNSC) to blacklist Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar.

Caught in the tug-of-war between China and the US, Pakistan has sought to convey reasonableness and equanimity by asking India to submit more information about the Pulwama attacks.

China says the US is acting in haste by sponsoring a resolution at UNSC two weeks after it shot down a similar move on grounds that it needed time to study the blacklisting proposal.

As deliberations on UNSC listing proceedings are confidential, India has taken the stand that it would be inappropriate to comment at this stage on a process which is entirely within the parameters of informal discussion of the Council and its members.

China has reasons to be upset since this time the resolution has been introduced in the UNSC and not in the 1267 Committee on Al Qaida, Taliban and other proscribed organisations. This means, Beijing will have to publicly state its reasons for blocking Masoods blacklisting.

Privately, China says Pakistan is committed to reining in the jehadi groups but wants the world community to give more time to the duo of PM Imran Khan and the army chief. It also wants the world community to address Pakistans complaint of cross-border terrorism, especially in Balochistan.

Pakistan, on the other hand, has washed its hands of involvement in the Pulwama attack, but is also giving the impression that the final word has not been said.

Its purported Wednesday night statement was released on Thursday shortly after news broke that the US had moved the UNSC to list Azhar. In an effort to relieve that pressure, Islamabads diplomatic corps was informed about the findings of the preliminary report as well as Pakistans consistent commitment to cooperate in the Pulwama probe.

No terror camps on 22 sites shared: Pak
rchopra@tribunemail.com

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 27

Indias Anti-Satellite (ASAT) test conducted and declared on Wednesday now provides the ability to render an enemy country deaf and blind by targeting communication, military and surveillance satellites.

In case satellites are destroyed, it would be near impossible for the enemy to fire long-range missiles and UAVs; and even its routine communication can be stalled.

The significance of Wednesdays ASAT test is that India has successfully demonstrated its capability to interdict and intercept a satellite in outer space based on complete indigenous technology. The test was done using a ground-fired ballistic missile defence system to hit at an Indian satellite. The test does not violate any existing international treaties and is not directed at any country.

The China angle

China has conducted three such tests since 2007, the latest being in February 2018. India despite being a missile power and space power was reticent. The US Department of Defence, in its annual report to the Congress Military and Security Developments Involving the Peoples Republic of China 2018, says, China is developing multiple counter-space capabilities to degrade and deny adversary use of space-based assets during a crisis or conflict.

The Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) is acquiring a range of technologies to improve Chinas counter-space capabilities. In addition to the development of directed energy weapons and satellite jammers, China is also developing direct-ascent and co-orbital kinetic kill capabilities and has probably made progress on the anti-satellite missile system it tested, the US report said.

India will be an insider now

Former DRDO chairman VK Saraswat had claimed in 2012 that India had ASAT capability. In October 2014just five months into his tenure--Prime Minister Narendra Modi had advised top Indian military commanders about the criticality of controlling activities in space.

Addressing commanders of the three armed services, Modi had said: Control of space may become as critical as that of land, air and sea. As full-scale wars might become rare, force would remain an instrument of deterrence and influencing behaviour, and the duration of conflicts would be shorter, Modi had said.

Time was running out for India to declare itself as an ASAT power to join the US, Russia and China. The United Nations Conference on Disarmament is discussing a new treaty banning militarisation of space. Once the treaty is done and had India not carried out the ASAT test it would put New Delhi at a serious disadvantage, as it would then only be able to negotiate on such a new treaty as an outsider rather than an insider with ASAT capability.

Types of ASAT options

A way to demonstrate the ASAT capability without causing debris would be to do a fly-by test, where the ground-based direct ascent missile will fly by the targeted satellite without destroying it. The other option is by jamming satellites using space-based lasers. This method falls under the category of soft-kill methods and does not create debris.

Status of banning ASAT

The Treaty on Prevention of the Placement of Weapons in Outer Space and of the Threat or Use of Force Against Outer Space Objects and generally referred to as PPWT is still being discussed. China and Russia had submitted an update to their original 2008 proposal in June. The US has objected to the lack of a verification mechanism and no restrictions on the development and stockpiling of ASAT weapons on the ground. That means, a nation could develop a readily deployable space-based weapons break-out capability.

The PPWT bans the placement of weapons in outer space; it does not ban direct-ascent ASATs launched from the ground. India used the same ground-to-space weapon.

Beijing guarded in its reaction

Beijing: China on Wednesday reacted guardedly to Indias anti-satellite missile test and expressed hope that all countries will uphold peace and tranquillity in the outer space. The Chinese Foreign Ministry, in a written response, said: We have noticed reports and hope that each country will uphold peace and tranquillity in outer space. PTI

Dont militarise outer space: Pak

Islamabad: Pakistan said on Wednesday that it was against militarisation of outer space and took a swipe at India's announcement of shooting down a live satellite with a missile. Space is the common heritage of mankind and every nation has the responsibility to avoid actions which can lead to the militarisation of this arena," Foreign Office spokesperson said. PTI
editorial@tribune.com

New Delhi, March 27

Facebook today apologised for erroneously naming Kashmir as a separate country in a blog post that mentioned countries targeted by an Iranian network and said it has removed the reference.

The social media giant had yesterday said it has removed 513 pages, groups and accounts for engaging in coordinated inauthentic behaviour as part of multiple networks tied to Iran.

It had added that they operated in Egypt, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan or broadly across the Middle East and North Africa. The blog post had mentioned Kashmir among the list as well. We mistakenly included Kashmir in our blog post when listing the countries and regions impacted by the Iranian network we disrupted for coordinated inauthentic behaviour, Facebook said in a statement.

The US-based company explained that Kashmir was the subject of some of the content shared by this network, but it should not have been included in that list. We have corrected this in the blog post and we apologise for any confusion caused.  PTI
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Vijay Mohan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 27

A Colonel has been dismissed from service by a general court martial (GCM) on charges of improperly visiting the wife of a subordinate during late hours at her home.

The dismissal is a revision of the GCMs earlier sentence that had severely reprimanded the officer and awarded him two-year loss of seniority for the purpose of pension.

The GCM, presided over by Brig AF Shah, Commander of an infantry brigade, concluded at Lalgarh Jattan military station near Sriganganagar a few days ago. The sentence is subject to confirmation by the convening authority. The officer had pleaded not guilty.

The officer had been tried for a single charge under Section 45 of the Army Act wherein at Bathinda military station on the intervening night of October 26-27, 2017, he went to the house of the lady knowing well that her husband, a Lt Colonel of his own unit, was out of station and remained there for a few hours, thereby behaving in a manner unbecoming of his position and character expected of him.

The officers counsel, Brig JK Khera (retd), said the plea challenging the jurisdiction of the GCM on the grounds that the members of the GCM were not seated in accordance with their rank and seniority, thereby violating provisions of Army Rule 75 and relevant Special Army Orders, had been rejected by the court.

This issue is being raised in a pre-confirmation petition sent to the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, South Western Command.

He also claimed irregularities in the court of inquiry (CoI), on the basis of which disciplinary action was initiated, pointing out that while the lower formations were directed to detail two members of the CoI, there was no record to establish that the officers were approved by the CoI convening authority.

He added that the findings and sentence were sent for review without mentioning any reasons in writing in the revision order.
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New Delhi, March 27

Indias successful anti-satellite missile test on Wednesday showed that the country now possesses the capability to strike satellites in outer space with centimetre-level accuracy and precision, DRDO Chairman G Satheesh Reddy said Wednesday.

Reddy, who oversaw the top secret operation, said the government accorded clearance to the project around two years back with an aim to deter threats to the countrys space assets.

In a major feat, a DRDO-developed missile destroyed a low-orbiting satellite in a critical test that catapulted India as a space power alongside the US, China and Russia.

It is a great achievement for India as the technology used for the test has been completely developed indigenously, Reddy said.

The test was a reflection of Indias growing capability to develop critical technology and it will act as a good deterrence, he said adding India was the fourth country to go for an anti-satellite missile test after the United States, Russia and China. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) said a Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) Interceptor Missile successfully engaged an Indian orbiting target satellite in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) in a Hit to Kill mode.

The interceptor missile was a three-stage missile with two solid rocket boosters. Tracking data from range sensors has confirmed that the mission met all its objectives, it said.

The test was conducted, under Mission Shakti operation, from the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha.

The DRDO Chairman said the test has demonstrated Indias capability to defend its assets in outer space and is a reflection of the countrys growing capability to develop critical technology. The shooting down of a satellite with a missile reflected that we have matured to develop technology which could achieve accuracy in terms of centimetres said Reddy, adding clearance for the project was given over two years back.

The DRDO said the test has once again proven the capability of indigenous weapon systems. India is yet to have a comprehensive national security doctrine. However, a joint operational doctrine for the Army, the Navy and the Air Force, released in April 2017 had proposed to set up a Defence Space Agency to deal with issues relating to outer space.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs said the test was not directed against any country and that India has no intention of entering into an arms race in outer space.

The test is not directed against any country. Indias space capabilities do not threaten any country and nor are they directed against anyone, the MEA said in a 10-point explainer on the anti-satellite missile test.  PTI

In 2007, we had expertise, but no will

Hyderabad: Former ISRO chairman G Madhavan Nair said on Wednesday that India had the anti-satellite missile capability more than a decade ago but there was no political will at the time to demonstrate it. He said when China shot down an ageing weather satellite by launching a missile in 2007, India had the technology to undertake a similar mission. Asked if India could have demonstrated the anti-satellite missile capability in 2007 itself, Nair said certainly, but it could not be done due to absence of "political decision.

Technology used completely indigenous

The project was implemented in the fastest way possible and it showed the DRDOs capability in doing such programmes. The technology used has been completely developed indigenously. G Satheesh Reddy, DRDO Chairman
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Mumbai, March 27

A day after the SBI-led bankers consortium raised Rs 1,008 crore by selling 7.4 million pledged shares of United Breweries, their bid to recover more money by liquidating shares of United Spirits faced opposition from HDFC Bank which moved the special PMLA court here against it.

The special PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) court did not take up the petition and fixed April 2 for the next date of hearing.

At Thursdays closing price of Rs 532.20 on the BSE, these 6.6 million shares could fetch the banks over Rs 350 crore.

Banks are seeking court permission to liquidate 65.85 lakh shares of United Spirits which were pledged by two Vijay Mallya companiesUnited Breweries Holdings (UBHL) and Kingfisher Finvest, the holding company of the defunct Kingfisher Airlinesas collateral for loans from HDFC Bank.

The banks are trying to part-recover the Rs 6,203.35 crore of dues along with annualised interest of 11.5 per cent payable since 2013, by liquidating the confiscated assets of Mallya, who is awaiting an extradition case at the London High Court now.

In its application moved before MS Azmi, the judge of the PMLA court, HDFC Bank said as part of its business operations its been extending loans to United Breweries since 1980.

Similarly, in 2010 various loans were given and these were secured by shares and various immovable properties.

United Spirits (USL) is majority owned by British spirits major Diageo since 2013 after Mallya sold controlling stake in the countrys largest spirits maker.

Under the share pledge agreement for the loan from HDFC Bank, UBHL and Kingfisher Finvest had pledged a total of 65.85 lakh shares of United Spirits in favour of HDFC Bank, the application noted.

HDFC Bank further claimed that the exclusive charge over the attached shares, especially USL shares, was disclosed in the 2011-12 annual report of UBHL.

The application states that it is not the case of consortium of banks that UBHL or Kingfisher Finvest had created a pledge in their favour, prior to creation of pledge in favour HDFC Bank.

The contention that dues of HDFC Bank are not adjudicated and hence they cannot claim right over the pledged share of USL is baseless and unfounded, the HDFC Bank said.

Earlier, a 12-bank consortium led by State Bank had moved the PMLA court seeking release of Mallyas assets that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had attached.

The banks claimed legitimate interests in all the properties belonging to Mallya, Kingfisher Airlines, UBHL and Kingfisher Finvest including movable and immovable properties.

The ED told the special court that it had no objection to allowing banks to sell Mallya properties provided they gave an undertaking that they would return the money later. But this was opposed by the official liquidator appointed by the Karnataka High Court.

Later in January this year, Mallya, who owes over Rs 9,900 crore to banks, was declared as an fugitive economic offender under the provisions of the new Fugitive Economic Offenders Act which came into existence last August. This facilitated the PMLA court to allow banks to sell the stocks.

It can be noted that the official liquidator of the Bengaluru Debt Recovery Tribunal had Wednesday sold 74 million pledged shares of United Breweries, currently owned by beer major Heineken, for Rs 1,008 crore on behalf of the ED.

The proceeds would go to the banks. This is among the big recovery action taken by the authorities since Mallya left the country in March 2016.

These shares, which were pledged with Yes Bank, were attached by the ED in connection with money laundering probe involving Mallya and debt-laden Kingfisher Airlines.

The sale could go on after the PMLA court had last month directed Yes Bank to surrender these in favour of the recovery officer in Bengaluru within three weeks.

Mallya personally held 7.91 per cent in UBHL as of December 2016, while total promoter holdings stood at 52 per cent. UBHL is now facing liquidation. The ED attachment included 41.3 million UB shares or almost 15 per cent held by Mallya and his group companies.

Currently Heineken holds about 44 per cent in UB, once controlled by Mallya, while 23 per cent with UB promoters and promoter groups are pledged.

So far, the ED has attached assets of Mallya worth Rs 9,700 crore in connection with an alleged IDBI Bank loan fraud case registered by the CBI.  PTI
rchopra@tribunemail.com

Patna, March 28

Armed Maoists destroyed a former Bihar Legislative Council members house in Gaya district. No one was hurt, police said on Thursday.

The Maoist attack on Anuj Kumar Singhs Bodhibigha residence came late on Wednesday. The insurgents used dynamite for the explosion.

According to a police official, the banned Left wing activists had beaten up a close relative of Singh before ordering him to vacate the house.

The house was badly damaged, Dharmendra Kumar, police official at Dumaria police station said.

Gaya Senior Superintendent of Police Rajeev Mishra confirmed the incident saying a search operation had been launched.

The attack comes days ahead of the Lok Sabha poll in which Bihar will vote in all the seven phases, starting April 11 to May 19. IANS
This Google Maps image shows Mary Janes Headquarters in West Kelowna. The shop, located at 1812 Byland Rd., was one of the businesses council approved to move forward in the process of applying to become a cannabis retailer in West Kelowna. Mary Janes currently does not sell cannabis and plans to rebrand under the name Cheeba Cheeba.
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Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 27

Taking on the Centre over electoral bonds, the Election Commission has told the Supreme Court that these will affect transparency in political funding in India.

In its affidavit filed in the SC, the poll panel said the scheme of electoral bonds would have serious repercussions/impact on the transparency aspect of political funding of political parties, it said, adding it would make political donations opaque.

The commission said it had communicated its concerns on the issues arising out of certain provisions of the Finance Act, 2017, and the corresponding amendments to the Income Tax Act and the Representation of People Act to the Ministry of Law. The SC is seized of a PIL filed by Association for Democratic Reforms challenging the validity of the scheme of electoral bonds and a Bench headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi had yesterday said it would take up the matter on April 2.

The Centre had told the court that the scheme promoted transparency and accountability in political funding. However, the EC disagreed. In a situation where contributions received through electoral bonds are not reported, on perusal of the Contribution Reports of the political parties, it cannot be ascertained whether the political party has taken any donation in violation of provisions under Section 29-B of the Representation of People Act, 1951, which prohibits the political parties from taking donations from Government Companies and Foreign Sources, said the poll panel.

The EC, however, said it was not in a position to comment on the amendment made in the RBI Act.

Explaining the problem with the amendment to the RPA, the EC said by adding a proviso to Section 29C of Act on declaration of donations received by political parties, transparency of the process will be seriously affected as the source of money cant be ascertained.
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Ranchi, March 28

Noted economist Jean Dreze was detained in Jharkhands Garwah district today for allegedly holding a public meeting without permission. He was later released.

The Belgium-born economist and activi-st, now an Indian citizen, and Vivek Gupta, an activist, were taken into preventive custody.

Dreze, a member of the National Advisory Council during the UPA regime, and Gupta were released after investigation. Police said organising a public meeting without permission amounts to violation of the code of conduct.

Shocking beyond words!



Jean Dreze is a saint-economist, a potential Nobel awardee who lived in slums, written and done more for the poor than any economist, shunned all power and glory, took up Indian citizenship, is a pacifist.



Nothing can be more shameful than arresting him. https://t.co/KagTeBhFV8  Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) March 28, 2019

The organisers did not provide the name of the main speaker. So permission was denied, SDO Kamleshwar Narayan said.

Dreze said: Understanding of democracy is shrinking. Gradually, all freedoms being curbed. Dreze had helped draft the food law.  Agencies
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Sandeep Dikshit

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 28

Pakistan has washed its hands of involvement in the Pulwama attack while giving the impression that the final word had not been said.

Meanwhile, India expressed disappointment at Pakistans response to the dossier on JeMs complicity in Pulwama terror attack, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

Pakistan has not shared details of credible action, if any, taken by it against terrorists based in territories under its control.

Regrettably, Pakistan continues to be in denial and even refuses to acknowledge Pulwama as a terror attack, the MEA said.

Pakistan has given a clean chit so far to 54 individuals picked up out of a list of 90 provided by India. It also denied terrorist training camps existed at 22 pin locations provided by India. At the same time, it is demonstrating a willingness to allow visits, on request, to these locations.

Pakistans purported Wednesday night statement was released on Thursday shortly after news broke that the US had moved the UNSC to list Jaish-e-Mohamed chief Masood Azhar. In an effort to relieve that pressure, Islamabads diplomatic corps was informed about the findings of the preliminary report as well as Pakistans consistent commitment to cooperate in the Pulwama probe.

The denial about terrorist camps and the involvement of its citizens notwithstanding, Pakistan kept open the door for further exchanges by seeking more details from India as well as US- and Dubai-based social media platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram.

Pakistan maintained that local conditions had catalysed the Pulwama attack and it sought additional information and documents from India that would be essential to continue the process of investigations.

Islamabads response came a month after India had shared a 91-page dossier. Out of six parts in the dossier, Pakistan responded to only two since the other sections contained generalised allegations.

Pakistan had assembled an investigation team, detained several people for investigations and initiated work on the technical aspects of the social media content.

During the course of investigations, Pakistan examined the confessional video of Adil Dar, claim of responsibility for the attack, Whatsapp and Telegram numbers used to share videos and messages in support of Pulwama attack, list of 90 individuals suspected of belonging to a proscribed organisation and 22 pin locations of the alleged training camps.
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Islamabad, March 27

Pakistan today sought more information/evidence from India on the involvement of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in the deadly Pulwama terror attack and the presence of camps of the UN-proscribed terror outfit in the country.

Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria was called by Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua and the preliminary findings were shared with him, the Foreign Office said, referring to the deadly terror attack as an incident.

The preliminary findings were shared with India after examining the Indian dossier, it said.

India had handed over the dossier to the Acting High Commissioner of Pakistan in New Delhi on February 27 with specific details of JeMs complicity in the Pulwama attack that killed 40 CRPF personnel on February 14 and the presence of JeM terror camps and its leadership in Pakistan.

Stating that Prime Minister Imran Khan had offered cooperation in the investigation if credible evidence was provided by India, the FO said, In response, a paper was handed over to Pakistan. Pakistan has acted with a high sense of responsibility and extended full cooperation, it claimed. We do so in the interest of regional peace and security, the FO added.  PTI

Blames it on Kashmir conditions
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New Delhi, March 28

The Congress on Thursday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for comparing three opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh to liquor, saying that by doing so he has made fun of the entire democratic system and should apologise to the people for it.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the prime minister, like a flop film actor, was making acronyms from the names of opposition political parties to compare them to liquor.

He said that such statements did not behove the office of the prime minister.

By comparing three political parties with liquor, Modi ji has made fun of the entire democratic system. You should apologise to the 130 crore people who believe in the democratic system, otherwise the country and Uttar Pradesh, will never forgive you, Surjewala said.

Addressing a rally in Meerut, Modi hit out at the Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Lok Dal and Bahujan Samaj Party alliance, calling it mahamilawat (adulterated).

The first letters of the three parties stand for sarab (the Hindi word for liquor is sharab), which is bad for health, he said.

Reacting to the remarks, Surjewala asked, Does this kind of talk befit a prime minister? Is this within the boundaries of democracy? You are calling three political parties sharab? Is this the way a PM talks? Can the people accept this.

Asked about the prime ministers jibe at the Congress over its promise of eliminating poverty, Surjewala said, Congress says that income to the poor and justice to the poor, and when Prime Minister Modi today first time gave a reaction to the NYAY scheme, he made fun of the poor. Modi ji you have such arrogance, such drama, such pretence, that you are clapping and making fun of the poor.

He alleged that the prime minister had made fun of the people at the time of demonetisation as well and had gone a step ahead now by allegedly making fun of the NYAY scheme.

The country and Uttar Pradesh will not forgive you for this, Surjewala said.

He said the prime minister had made a promise in Meerut in 2017 that the dues of the sugarcane farmers would be cleared.

There are Rs 20,000 crore dues of sugarcane farmers still unpaid and out of that Rs 10,074 are due for payment to farmers in six districts of Uttar Pradesh, including Meerut.

Modi had promised to pay the dues in 14 days, Surjewala alleged.  PTI
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Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 27

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today announced Indias accession to the global space club after the DRDO successfully showcased its anti-satellite busting capability. India has shot down a live satellite, the PM said, terming it a rare achievement.

India is the fourth country to acquire such a specialised and modern capability after the US, Russia and China.

Our scientists struck down a live satellite in space 300 km away in low earth orbit. We have been able to do it with anti-satellite weapons (ASAT). I congratulate the scientists associated with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), he said in a broadcast to the nation.

The Opposition attacked the PM for trying to take credit for scientists efforts and using it as a political opportunity, even wishing him on World Theatre Day.

The timing of the test is being questioned as the programme had been in the making for almost a decade. It remains to be seen if it adds to the BJPs narrative of providing a strong and secure government after the Balakot airstrikes post-Pulwama.

Today, we have enough satellites that are contributing in various segments such as agriculture, disaster management, communication, weather, navigation. etc. The space satellites importance is going to increase. Todays ASAT missile will make India stronger, the PM said.

Assuring that India would not use the strength to harm anyone, he said: Our aim is to establish peace and not create an atmosphere of war. Mission Shakti is a step in taking forward our vision of a surakshit, smriddh and shantipriya rashtra (a safe, prosperous and peaceful nation). I dream of a country that can think ahead in time and is also able to achieve that.

The address followed Modis message on Twitter: I would be addressing the nation around 11.45 am to noon with an important message. Do watch the address on television, radio or social media.

As the country awaited the important announcement, the social media went rife with speculation. The last time the PM addressed the nation suddenly was on November 8, 2016, when he had announced demonetisation.

Read: Twitter goes into panic mode before PM Modi addresses the nation

Cong says UPA rolled ASAT; hails scientists, Manmohan Singh

National security issues don't fall under poll code ambit: EC sources

BJP leaders hail Modi for demonstration of anti-missile technology

Limitless drama to reap political benefits: Mamata after Mission Shakti op announcement

Jaitley targets Cong, Oppn over anti-satellite missile launch

With anti-satellite test, India can render enemy deaf and blind

350 km in 3 minutes to hit live satellite

An anti-satellite (ASAT) missile hit a live satellite flying in a low earth orbit after it traversed a distance of almost 350 km from Earth within 3 minutes of launch

Experts and scientists said India had the capability by 2012 to carry out a similar test, but no political clearance came at the time

Significance of anti-satellite weapon system test

An anti-satellite weapon system (ASAT) can severely cripple the enemys communications and reconnaissance systems during war, and blind the entire military of an enemy force

Destroying an enemys satellites is considered an advanced capability

With the successful test, India theoretically holds other countries satellites at risk

Pakistan has several satellites in orbit, launched with Chinese, Russian rockets

But China, which put dozens of satellites in orbit in 2018 alone, could see Indias fledgling capability as more of a threat

India said its test was done in the lower atmosphere to ensure there was no debris in space and whatever was left would decay and fall back onto Earth

EC to examine announcement

Taking cognisance of complaints from the Opposition leaders about PM Narendra Modis televised address, the Election Commission has decided to examine the matter. The committee set up by the EC will be chaired by Deputy Election Commissioner Dr Sandeep Saxena. TNS

Unprecedented feat

Our scientists shot down a live satellite 300 km away in space, in low-earth orbit... India has made an unprecedented achievement Narendra Modi, Prime Minister
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New Delhi, March 27

The Supreme Court today awarded a three-month jail term to an advocate in a contempt case but kept the sentence suspended if he refrained from browbeating judges.

A Bench of Justices RF Nariman and Vineet Sharan, which had held advocate Mathews J Nedumpara guilty of contempt earlier this month, debarred him from practising before the Supreme Court for a year.

The order to suspend the sentence came after he tendered an unconditional apology and undertaking that he would never attempt to browbeat any judge either in the Supreme Court or the Bombay High Court.

A good number of advocates were present when the court heard him and his counsel Subhash Jha.

The contemnor advocate had attempted to browbeat judges in a case related to designating advocates as senior advocates during hearing of a PIL by National Lawyers Campaign for Judicial Transparency and Reforms, challenging the system of designating lawy-ers as senior advocates.

He had named senior advocate Fali S Nariman to allege that relatives of judges were being designated as senior advocates.

The Bench also issued notice to Nedumpara and three others in a fresh contempt case for allegedly scandalising the judiciary by levelling allegations against both judges of the Bench in a letter to the CJI.  TNS
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New Delhi, March 28

The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to stall the release of film Ram Ki Janmabhoomi which is scheduled to hit the screens across the country on March 29.

A plea seeking to stall the release of the film was mentioned before a bench headed by Justice SA Bobde and the petitioner claimed that the release would vitiate the ongoing mediation proceeding in the Ayodhya land dispute case.

There is no connection between the mediation proceeding and the release of the movie, the bench said and listed the plea for hearing after two weeks.

The film Ram Ki Janmabhoomi, directed by Sanoj Mishra, revolves around the controversial issue of Ram temple.

Hearing a similar petition filed before it, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday said people would have to be tolerant if the freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under the Constitution had to survive.

The courts observation came while hearing a plea filed by Prince Yakub Habeebuddin Tucy, who claimed to be a descendant of Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar, seeking to stop the release of the film Ram Ki Janmabhoomi. PTI
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Panaji, March 27

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant today dropped deputy CM Sudin Dhavalikar after two MLAs of the latters MGP broke away and joined the ruling BJP.

Dhavalikar, the lone MGP MLA who did not break away from the party, hit back, terming the development as dacoity by chowkidars. In a communication addressed to Goa Governor Mridula Sinha, Sawant informed her about dropping Dhavalikar. I have dropped Sudin Dhavalikar from the Cabinet, Sawant said.

The Chief Ministers recommendation to drop Dhavalikar was accepted by Sinha. The Governor is pleased to accept the CMs recommendation that Sudin Dhavalikar shall cease to be a minister in the council of ministers headed by the CM, with immediate effect, an official notification said.

Dhavalikar said, People are stunned the way, in the middle of the night, chowkidars conducted dacoity on the MGP. People are watching and they will consider their course of action. He claimed the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) was an outfit of the masses and would not be eliminated by such moves. Dhavalikar was allotted portfolios of Transport and Public Works which would be now looked after by Sawant.

During the wee hours today, two of the three MGP MLAs  Manohar Ajgaonkar and Dipak Pawaskar  gave a letter to officiating Speaker Michael Lobo, merging their partys legislative wing with the BJP. Dhavalikar, the third MGP MLA, did not sign the letter.

In the night, Pawaskar, a first-time MLA from the Sanvordem assembly constituency in South Goa, was formally inducted into the Cabinet. Goa Governor Mridula Sinha administered the oath of office and secrecy to Pawaskar at Raj Bhavan here at around 11.35 pm. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said he will allot portfolio to Pawaskar on Thursday.  PTI

MGP to take on BJP in Lok Sabha poll

The MGP on Wednesday announced that it would contest both the Lok Sabha seats in Goa. MGP chief Dipak Dhavalikar said the partys MLA Sudin Dhavalikar will contest from South Goa while former MLA Naresh Sawal will contest from North Goa. The BJP has renominated Shripad Naik from North Goa and Narendra Sawaikar from South Goa.

Sacked for anti-government activity

Dhavlikar has been dropped from the ministry. He was doing anti (government) activity. We are in an alliance govt, but his brother Deepak Dhavalikar is contesting in Shiroda (Assembly bypoll). We had requested him, but he is not ready to (withdraw) so we took the decision. Pramod Sawant, Goa Chief Minister
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United Nations, March 28

Stepping up the international pressure to designate Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, the US, supported by France and the UK, has moved a draft resolution in the UN Security Council to blacklist the Pakistan-based terror groups chief.

Two weeks after China put a hold on a proposal to list Azhar under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the Council, the US on Wednesday circulated the draft resolution to the powerful 15-nation Council to blacklist the leader of the Pakistan-based terror group and subject him to a travel ban, an assets freeze and an arms embargo.

UN sources told PTI that this is the first time the US, the UK and France had moved a draft resolution directly in the Security Council to designate Azhar. The previous have been listing proposals in the Sanctions Committee of the Council to designate Azhar.

Unlike a listing proposal, which is generally under a 10-day no objection period, the draft resolution is not under any no-objection provision.

Sources said the draft resolution would be discussed informally and then it would go to the Council.

However, its not yet decided by when a vote would be held on the draft resolution, during when it could again face a veto by China, which has in the past blocked bids to blacklist Azhar.

Sources said the draft resolution would condemn in the strongest terms the heinous and cowardly suicide bombing on February 14 in Jammu and Kashmirs Pulwama district that killed 40 CRPF personnel.

An annex to the draft resolution says Azhar is associated with the Islamic State terror group, Al-Qaida for participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing or perpetrating or supplying, selling or transferring arms and related material or supporting acts of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).

It says Azhar founded JeM after his release from prison in India in 1999 in exchange for 155 hostages held on an Indian Airlines flight that had been hijacked to Kandahar, Afghanistan.

It adds that Azhar was previously the leader of the terrorist group Harakat al Mujahadin, also known as Harakat ul-Ansar, and that most of these groups members subsequently joined Jaish under Azhars leadership.

In 2008, JeM recruitment posters contained a call from Azhar for volunteers to join the fight in Afghanistan against Western forces.

The Sanctions Committee makes its decisions by consensus of its members. However, for a resolution in the Security Council to pass, it needs nine votes in favour and no vetoes from any of its five permanent members--China, Russia, the United States, France and the UK.

France, the UK and the US on February 27 moved a proposal to designate Azhar under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee.

It was under the no-objection period and Committee members had a period of 10 working days to raise any objections to the proposal.

More than a dozen member states had co-sponsored the proposal. About an hour before the no-objection deadline was to expire on March 13 at 3 pm, China blocked the proposal by putting a hold on it.

India expressed disappointment, saying in a statement this has prevented action by the international community to designate the leader of JeM, a proscribed and active terrorist organisation which has claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir on February 14, 2019.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made an apparent reference to China blocking the proposal to designate Azhar as a global terrorist at the UN Security Council when he said on Wednesday that China abused over a million Muslims at home, but protects violent Islamic terror groups from UN sanctions.

The world cannot afford Chinas shameful hypocrisy toward Muslims. On the one hand, China abuses more than a million Muslims at home, but on the other, it protects violent Islamic terrorist groups from sanctions at the UN, Pompeo said in a tweet, without mentioning the JeM or the outfits chief.

The February proposal was the fourth such bid at the UN in the last 10 years to list Azhar as a global terrorist.

A UNSC designation will subject Azhar to an assets freeze, travel ban and an arms embargo. An assets freeze under the Sanctions Committee requires that all states freeze without delay the funds and other financial assets or economic resources of designated individuals and entities.

The travel ban entails preventing the entry into or transit by all states through their territories by designated individuals.

Under the arms embargo, all states are required to prevent the direct or indirect supply, sale and transfer from their territories or by their nationals outside their territories, or using their flag vessels or aircraft, of arms and related materiel of all types, spare parts and technical advice, assistance or training related to military activities, to designated individuals and entities. PTI
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New Delhi, March 27

The Supreme Court today said there is a valid strong viewpoint that post-retirement appointment of judges in tribunals is a scar on the independence of judiciary.

A five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, which is hearing 18 petitions relating to challenges to the laws governing quasi-judicial tribunals, said retired High Court judges are usually unwilling to man these panels as there was an inordinate delay in appointments.

There is a viewpoint that post-retirement appointment is itself a scar on judicial independence of the judiciary. How do you handle that, the Bench said.

Dealing with the issue of tribunalisation of judiciary, the Bench said it has been done to lessen the burden of the high courts.

The top court rued the huge vacancies in high courts and said even the high court collegiums are not recommending names for the appointments.

Let us not blame the government for every problem, it said.  PTI
gspannu7@gmail.com

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, March 28

An accused in April 2006 bomb blast in Jalandhar was arrested by Counter Intelligence and Jalandhar police on Thursday. He is associated with Khalistan Commando Force and Khalistan Zindabad Force.

The accused has been identified as Amrik Singh, alias Manga, of Sarih village in Jalandhar who is now a citizen of Uganda and was staying here illegally for the past two years, having entered from Nepal.

Three persons got killed in the blast that took place at the Jalandhar bus stand.

In a press release, AIG Counter Intelligence, Harkamalpreet Singh Khakh said the accused was wanted in twin blasts case carried out by Satnam Singh, alias Satta Lasuri, on April 28, 2006, and May 24, 2006.

Khakh said Pakistan-based KZF commander Ranjeet Singh Neeta and US-based Balwinder Singh Posi had masterminded the blasts along with Amrik Singh.

Three persons were killed in the first blast, while the accused failed to execute the second bomb, he said.

During preliminary interrogation, it was revealed that he was involved in extremist activities from 1992 to 1995. Amrik had a close association with infamous terrorists Gurdeep Singh, alias Deepa Heran Wala, of KCF who provided him one revolver and one pistol, which he had used for some dacoity incidents in 1995, added Khakh.

The AIG further said that in 1998, Amrik and his six associates killed one person, Harwinder Singh Bhola, at Guru Nagar of Jalandhar due to latters affair with the sister of his friend.

In this case, they were sentenced to life imprisonment and a fine of Rs 2000 imposed. Later, Amrik jumped his parole and managed to flee to Uganda.

The AIG stated that in 2003, his Indian passport expired but he managed to get a new passport under his fathers name Harmail Singh and by mentioning wrong birth date of May 15, 1975, from the Republic of Uganda.

Amrik Singh has been in close association with Pak-based Ranjit Singh Neeta, US-based Paramjit Singh, alias Baba Gaddri, and Balwinder Singh Possi, alias Happy, who belongs to KZF, Khakh said.

He said that Amrik will be produced in the court and will be taken on police remand.
editorial@tribune.com

Perneet Singh

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, March 27

With the Akali Dal almost finalising the name of Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal from the Bathinda Lok Sabha seat, all eyes are now on the ruling Congress as it is expected to field a heavyweight with an eye to wrest the prestigious seat from the two-time MP.

Political observers feel that it is a great opportunity for the Congress to score a victory in the constituency, as the SAD is now out of power in the state and also facing the heat over the sacrilege issue. The party came close to triumph in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, but lost by a thin margin of over 19,000 votes when Harsimrat defeated her estranged brother-in-law Manpreet Badal.

PPCC chief Sunil Jakhar said they would most likely announce party candidates by the first week of April. Regarding Bathinda seat, he said they would field a strong candidate not only in Bathinda but also in other constituencies, as each seat counts for the party.

Sources say among the likely contenders are Finance Minister Manpreet Badal and former CM Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, although the former is not too keen to contesting from Bathinda again. However, the fact that he had given a tough fight to Harsimrat in the last polls and is now one of the tallest ruling party leaders in this part of the region may prompt the party high command to field him again. Besides, he represents the Bathinda (Urban) Assembly segment in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha.

Bhattals name is also doing the rounds even as she has applied for the party ticket from the neighbouring Sangrur seat. The sources say PPCC senior vice-president Kewal Singh Dhillon, who is known for his proximity to Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, is the frontrunner for the party ticket in Sangrur, and he has already kicked off his campaign there. The party may opt to field Bhattal from Bathinda in such a scenario.

Bhattal said, I havent heard about the party considering me from Bathinda, but being a disciplined soldier of the party, I will follow the directions of the high command. Besides, there are also speculations about CM Capt Amarinder Singhs son Raninder Singh being fielded from the constituency, although there arent any strong indications for the same.

Meanwhile, the high-profile constituency is all set to witness heightened political activity in the coming days with the SAD planning three rallies, one each in three assembly segments in Mansa district on March 29.

Sources say the party may formally announce the candidature of Harsimrat during these rallies. On the other hand, PPCC chief Sunil Jakhar will also be on a two-day tour to the constituency on March 31 and April 1. He along with Captain Sandeep Sandhu, OSD to the CM, would hold a series of meetings with party workers here.
editorial@tribune.com

Ravi Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Gurdaspur, March 27

Deputy Commissioner (DC) Vipul Ujwal, acting on a specific complaint, raided an illegally quarry today and impounded 19 tippers and three JCB machines. The DC was accompanied by the administration and police officials, including Dinanagar SDM Raman Kochar.

Allegations that the DC had overstepped his jurisdiction by entering the neighbouring district of Pathankot were vehemently denied by him.

I had gone to the border of Gurdaspur-Pathankot where I saw two sand-laden tippers entering Gurdaspur district from the Pathankot side. My men forced the drivers to come out of their vehicles and on questioning they told me that mining was taking place at a nearby village which falls in Pathankot district. I never went there. I have taken action against only those tippers which were passing through my district, said Ujwal.

Officials accompanying the DC said the activity had been going on for the last several months. The tippers and JCBs were impounded by the Taragarh police.

Pathankot SSP Vivek Sheel Soni said a case under the mining Act was registered at the Taragarh police station. Vipul Ujwal said he asked his police escort to block the path of the tippers which prevented them from speeding away.

I think this activity has been going on for quite some time as a tea shop and an eatery had been established at the site just to cater to the workforce of the mining contractor. I have been made to understand that some political bigwigs are involved, but I can comment only after I receive a report from the mining officials. I have asked my officials to make a detailed report on where such mining is going on in Gurdaspur district after which I plan to raid those places too, said the DC.

Sources say the police failed to take action despite the fact that the road taken by the tippers ran directly in front of the Behrampur police station.

The SSP, Swarandeep Singh, however, denied the allegations and added that he would have asked his men to act had he received a specific input. In the past we have acted on complaints and raided quarries indulging in illegal mining. We will surely act if we receive any input, he maintained.

RTI activist lodges complaint

Chandigarh: RTI activist Dinesh Chadha, in a letter to Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Punjab, has alleged that black money is being collected daily from the illegal practice of sand mining in Ropar. Advocate Chadha alleged that the money collected as goonda tax by men deployed by political parties would be used during the polls. But the district administration continued to sleep over the matter under political pressure, he alleged, urging the CEO to initiate necessary action. CEO Dr S Karuna Raju said he had not yet received such a complaint. TNS
editorial@tribune.com

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 27

Three years after the Supreme Court called for greater transparency, objectivity and fairness in the process of appointing law officers, the state government has not complied with the order  at least this is what a reply under the RTI Act indicates.

Placed before the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bench of Justice Rajan Gupta during the hearing of a petition, the reply from the office of the Chief Justice says a panel of persons was not received from the Punjab government with regard to the appointment of law officer after passing the judgment by the Supreme Court.

The reply adds: Since no lists/panels of persons have been received, the question of expressing of views by the Chief Justice of this court regarding suitability of candidates does not arise.

The reply further adds that there are no details of any other consultation process carried out by the government with the Chief Justice for the appointment of persons as law officers in the office of Advocate-General.

The developments took place on a petition filed against the state and another respondent by RL Mittal. At the very onset, his counsel contended that certain guidelines were set by the SC for the appointment of law officers in the office of Advocate-General in its judgment passed in civil appeal Punjab and another versus Brijeshwar Singh Chahal and another. Referring to the information sought from the Chief Justices office under the RTI Act on the issue, the counsel told Justice Guptas Bench that the judgment was not being complied with.

Responding to Justice Guptas query on the reason behind not raising the grievance before the SC, he submitted that certain persons preferred a contempt plea, but it was disposed of with liberty to challenge the validity of the enactment and the actions of appointment by way of a petition before the High Court.

Taking a note of the submissions, Justice Gupta issued notice of motion before granting time to the state counsel to seek instructions and address the Bench on the issue. The case will now come up in April first week.

The apex court judgment
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Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 27

Sitting Fatehgarh Sahib MP Harinder Singh Khalsa, who was suspended from the Aam Aadmi Party in 2015, on Thursday joined the BJP.

Khalsa joined the saffron party in the presence of top BJP leadership, Union Ministers, including Arun Jaitley, Hardeep Puri and the general secretary (organisation) Ram Lal.

While Jaitley unsuccessfully contested from Amritsar in the last elections, the name of Puri was doing the rounds for the prestigious constituency the BJP wants to wrest back from the Congress.

Khalsa started his career as an English lecturer at the GGN Khalsa College in Ludhiana. In 1974, he joined the Punjab Civil Service and in 1974, the Indian Foreign Service (IFS).

In June 1984, while posted in Norway, he resigned in protest against the Operation Bluestar. As the Congress government filed some cases against him, he stayed in Norway, running a small eating joint and working as a postman there.

He returned to India in 1990, after being assured that the cases against him would be dropped.

During 1990-91, he served as the Chairman of Punjab Human Rights Organisation, an NGO, which highlighted the alleged excesses committed by the state government during the anti-insurgency operations.

During 1991-2003, he also served as a secretary of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandak Committee (SGPC).

The AAP had in August 2015 suspended party MPs Dharamvira Gandhi and Khalsa from primary membership of the party and initiated disciplinary proceedings against them. He had won the 2014 Lok Sabha polls on the Aam Aadmi Party's ticket.
editorial@tribune.com

New Delhi, March 27

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has prohibited imparting distance degree programmes in agriculture. The decision was taken by the higher education regulator at its last meeting on the ground that a degree programme in agriculture is technical in nature as it requires practical or laboratory courses.

The Union Agriculture Ministry had referred the matter to the commission, requesting it to consider prohibiting universities from offering open and distance learning (ODL) degree programmes in agriculture, a senior commission official said.

As per UGC Open and Distance Learning Regulations, 2017, professional programmes such as medicine, engineering, architecture, nursing, dental, pharmacy and physiotherapy are not permitted to be offered in distance mode.

To protect the interest of the students already enrolled in the agriculture degree programmes, the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) has been requested for hand-holding of such higher education institutions. However, no new enrolments will be permitted from the 2019 session, the official said.

Nasik-based Yashwant Rao Chavan Maharashtra Open University, Annamalai University, IGNOU, Kuvempu University and Nalanada Open University are among the institutions offering programmes in agriculture science.  PTI
harinder@tribunemail.com

THE Muslim Herald states that the proposed visit of His Excellency the Viceroy to Hyderabad is connected with the fact that of late there has been some difference of opinion between the British Resident and His Exalted Highness over the question of filling certain high offices in the State, a number of European officials having been replaced by sons of the soil and there being every likelihood of the same policy being followed more vigorously in the future. If our contemporarys information is correct, we hope the Viceroy will impress upon the Resident the necessity and the desirability of following a policy of non-intervention in a matter which does not concern him. The question as to whom the State employ is a question of purely internal administration and should be left to the discretion of the constituted authorities.
sanjiv@tribunemail.com

Beijing, March 27

China on Wednesday sacked former Interpol chief Meng Hongwei from all his official positions and expelled him from the ruling Communist Party, accusing him of corruption, serious disciplinary violations and encouraging his wife who is settled abroad to campaign against his detention.

Meng (65), who was once a rising political star among officialdom of the Communist Party of China (CPC), held the powerful post of vice-ministerof public security before being appointed as Chinas first official to head the Interpol  a global organisation that facilitates worldwide police cooperation. He was expelled from the CPC and removed from office for serious disciplinary violations and suspected graft crimes, the partys disciplinary watchdog and national supervisory commission announced, state-run China Daily reported. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) said the Central Committee of CPC had also approved an investigation into Meng, who was a member of the committee and vice-minister for public security. The CCDI accused Meng of abusing his position and power for personal gain, squandering state funds to finance his familys extravagant lifestyle and disregarding the principles of being a party member. In a rare acquisition, the statement also accused Meng of encouraging his wife to use his status to further her own interests, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported. Any assets acquired as a result of Mengs alleged illegal activities would be handed over to procuratorial office in accordance with the law, the anti-corruption watchdog said. Meng vanished in late September after leaving his home in the French city of Lyon for China. He sent his wife Grace Meng a message on social media, telling her to wait for my call, along with a knife emoji suggesting he was in some kind of danger. Grace Meng reported her husband missing to the French authorities on October 4 a, Interpol issued a request to the Chinese government for information on Mengs whereabouts and the CCDI replied saying he had been detained in connection with an investigation into alleged corruption.  PTI

About Meng

Meng Hongwei who was once a rising political star among officialdom of the Communist Party of China (CPC), held the powerful post of vice-ministerof public security before being appointed as Chinas first official to head the Interpol  a global organisation that facilitates worldwide police cooperation.
The University of Leeds in the UK and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Germany have signed a new partnership agreement, to strengthen future research and education opportunities. The alliance will develop research collaborations and exchange opportunities for undergraduate students, postgraduates and staff.

It builds on a long-standing collaboration between Leeds Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science (ICAS) and KITs Institute for Meteorology and Climate Research, two of Europes renowned research institutes for atmospheric science. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed this week.

Professor Hai-Sui Yu, the University of Leeds Deputy Vice-Chancellor: International, said: This MoU is a symbol of our strong commitment to international collaboration and of sharing and exchanging ideas, knowledge and opportunities. Working with such outstanding international partners helps ensure our research and education makes a difference across the world.

No matter how Brexit unfolds, such successful partnerships will remain critically important to us. We are bringing together two great institutions, with a shared vision of maintaining and building strong relationships between leading UK and European universities.

KIT Vice President for Innovation and International Affairs, Professor Thomas Hirth, said: The agreement is an example for the strategic alignment of KIT in the field of international cooperation. With his partners, KIT meets global challenges and problems. In doing so, we strive for sustainable collaborations.

The next exchange visit is already planned for July 2019, when future research collaborations will be explored, focusing initially in the fields of climate change, AI and robotics, advanced materials, and data analytics.

The University of Leeds received more than 19m in funding from the prestigious European Research Council (ERC) during 2018. The figure places Leeds in the top 10 recipients of ERC funding among UK universities.

28.03.2019
sanjiv@tribunemail.com

Islamabad, March 27

A Hindu lawmaker from Prime Minister Imran Khans party has moved two Bills in Parliament seeking enhancement of punishment for those involved in forced conversion and for making child marriage a cognisable offence, amid the nationwide outrage over the alleged forced conversion of two teenage girls from the minority community.

Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani from the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has submitted Child Marriage Restraint Act (Amendment) Bill 2019 and the Criminal Law (Protection of Minorities) Act 2019 in National Assembly.

Dawn reported that the Bills, moved in the wake of alleged kidnapping of two Hindu girls and their forced conversion to Islam, were accompanied by a resolution with the support of minority lawmakers from all major political parties condemning such incidents.

Besides Vankwani, PTI legislators Lal Malhi and Shunila Ruth, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz lawmaker Dr Darshan and Pakistan Peoples Partys Ramesh Lal signed the resolution.

The five-point resolution called for immediate passage of the bill against forced conversions, which had been unanimously passed by the Sindh Assembly in 2016 and then reverted due to pressure of extremist elements, from all the legislatures.

Through the resolution, the lawmakers demanded strict action against the culprits including controversial religious figures who are involved in forced conversions. All those who are preaching hate under the cover of religion must be handled like banned religious organisations, the resolution said.

Vankwani, who is also patron-in-chief of Pakistan Hindu Council (PHC), later told the media that unfortunately the practice of child marriage was common in all parts of Pakistan, particularly in poverty-hit areas. He said the Bills were intended to serve as a deterrent and to remove the existing gender disparity in age. The lawmaker said he had moved the Bills in line with a PHC resolution that condemned the recent alleged kidnapping and forced conversion of two Hindu sisters, Reena and Raveena, and kidnapping of another Hindu girl, Shania, from Mirpurkhas.

One of the two Bills seeking protection of minorities called for sensitisation of government officials, police officials and members of judicial service on the issue. It also suggested setting up of specific courts to hear cases of forced conversions and shelter homes for victims. The Hindu community in Pakistan has carried out massive demonstrations calling for strict action to be taken against those responsible for abduction, forced conversion and marriages of two teenage Hindi girls, while reminding Prime Minister Khan of his promises to the minorities of the country.  PTI

Seeks jail, penalty for guilty
Nearly two years into the Covid-19 pandemic, the origin of the virus tormenting the world remains shrouded in mystery.

Most scientists believe it emerged in the wild and jumped from bats to humans, either directly or through another animal. Others theorise it escaped from a Chinese lab.
AS the family of popular pundit Mohindra Persad makes funeral arrangements after his sudden passing, the family says they are being caused further pain by being bombarded by comments from strangers attributing Persads death to Covid-19.

The family has been devastated by the news, and while they would prefer to grieve privately, Persads wife, Anita, agreed to do a telephone interview with the Express. She told the Express yesterday she wanted to squash the rumours around her husbands death and celebrate the remarkable legacy he left on this earth.
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I am calling upon the Government of Trinidad and Tobago to make public the details surrounding the deaths of persons despite being fully vaccinated.

Only this week two people died despite being vaccinated with the Sinopharm vaccine against Covid-19, and they were not the only two.
Somalia government has allegedly been thrown into panic following withdrawal of Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) from the country.

Samali leaders are said to be perturbed by the pulling out of the Kenyan soldiers fearing the decision could leave the country vulnerable to al-Shabaab resurgence and renewed attacks.

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READ ALSO: Kenya sends away Somalia envoy over oil blocs sale dispute

Tthe last troop of the Kenya Defence Forces reportedly left Somalia on Tuesday, March 19, after they destroyed their military base in Busar. Photo: Mediamax.

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Kenya vows not to surrender any part of its territory to Somalia

Reports seen by TUKO.co.ke on Wednesday, March 20, revealed KDF had abandoned their military base in Busar which was their command centre.

According to a report by the Daily Nation, the last troop of the Kenyan soldiers was spotted moving towards Somali border on Tuesday after they dismantled the military base in Busar.

READ ALSO: Kenya stabs Somalia in the back over oil and gas rights

Confirming the KDF withdrawal, Jubaland's minister for planning and international cooperation, Aw Hirsi, was quoted saying the exit had left Somalis worried about the return of al-Shabaab and instability in the region.

It was not immediately clear what necessitated the decision to pull out the Kenyan forces from Somalia, a moved that was seemingly contrary to the position held earlier by the Jubilee government.

READ ALSO: KDF to remain in Somalia as Uhuru rules out withdrawing soldiers from troubled country

President Uhuru Kenyatta had repeatedly ruled out withdrawal of the Kenyan soldiers from the war torn country despite persistent push by the Opposition leaders, including Raila Odinga.

Kenyans appreciate the role the KDF continues to play in the promotion of peace and security within the region and beyond. Our entry into Somalia in 2011 was informed by the threat that our nation faced then and now," Uhuru said in October 2018.

READ ALSO: Kenya stabs Somalia in the back over oil and gas rights

The withdrawal came about a month after a diplomatic spat between Somalia and Kenya resulting from a maritime border dispute involving oil and gas blocs.

Nairobi was offended after discovering Mogadishu auctioned its oil and gas blocs on the shared maritime territorial borders along the Indian Ocean to the United Kingdom.

READ ALSO: 5 KDF soldiers killed, 6 injured in suspected al-Shabaab attack in Lamu

The Kenyan government consequently kicked out Somali Ambassador Jamal Mohamed Hassan and recalled its envoy Lucas Tumbo from Mogadishu as the diplomatic row anchored on the oil fields escalated.

One could therefore argue the border dispute and diplomatic row could have necessitated Kenya's decision to move its solders out of Somalia.

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.

The Kenyan Woman With a Million Dollar Closet :Sonal Maherali - On Tuko TV

Source: Tuko.co.ke
Tanzania Anti-Corruption court has found two men guilty of 105 counts of economic crimes and fraud leading to loss of KSh 550,333,049 from the government through dubious activities at the port.

Raymond Louis and Khalid Yusufu committed the offenses when both of them worked as a security operations manager and junior staff at Azam Inland Container Deport respectively.

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READ ALSO: Tanzanian man dies in church on his wedding day

Workers at Dar es Salaam sea port. Two officials have been jailed for 315 years. Photo: Polytra.

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Mbunge wa Kimilili Didmus Barasa akana madai eti alimtikia Raila kifo

They convicts were accused of evading clearance procedures at Azam dry port and in the process defrauding the tax authority in pretext the goods had been cleared.

In her ruling, Justice Winfrida Korosso also directed the two suspects to pay KSh 275 million upon completion of their jail term according to reports by IPP Media on Thursday, March 28.

The prosecution team lined at least 34 witnesses to tighten the case and successfully pleaded with court to jail the two suspects separately for charges of money laundering.

The court has found the accused guilty of 105 crimes they committed. I hereby sentence Khalid Yusuf and Raymond Louis to serve 315 years in jail for fraud and tax evasion and a further three years for money laundering," ruled Korosso.

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.

The Man Who Accepted Uhuru Kenyatta's Rejected House - TUKO TV

Source: Tuko
Somalia's telco giant has called upon the international community to hold the Kenyan government responsible after members of the Kenya Air Forces allegedly killed its staff.

In a press statement, Hormuud Telecom accused soldiers operating near Alfamador in Somalia of killing, injuring and destruction of its masts and other infrastructural facilities on diverse dates.

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READ ALSO: Uhuru impressed by huge number of ladies joining KDF

Members of Kenya Defence Soldiers in past event. Photo: Kenya Defence Force/Facebook.

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Msichana aliyekuwa akiuza njugu jijini Nairobi ili kukimu maisha ya familia yake apata ufadhili

The company said it has borne heavy losses accumulating to millions in terms of provision of phone and data services to its customers since July 2018.

According to the press release, the soldier launched the last attack on Wednesday, March 27, which has since stalled its operations in several villages.

"The Kenya Defense Force have now killed and injured Hormuud staff, destroyed our infrastructure and their actions have had a significant impact on the provision of phone and data services to large communities who depend on our networks," said network provider.

The company disclosed it will seek legal redress once it collects enough forensic evidence linking the Kenyan soldiers to the allegations.

TUKO.co.ke tried to reach KDF spokesman but out texts and calls went unanswered.

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.

The Man Who Accepted Uhuru Kenyatta's Rejected House - TUKO TV

Source: Tuko.co.ke
A reward of half a million dollars is being offered to anyone who can provide information th
Ukrainian SkyUp Airlines launches flights to the Croatian city of Pula on Saturday, June 15.

"SkyUp Airlines will fly to Croatia every Saturday starting from June 15, 2019," SkyUp Airlines reports on Facebook.

It is also noted that the price of a roundtrip ticket (Kyiv - Pula - Kyiv) without luggage starts from UAH 4,336. The tickets are already available on SkyUp Airlines website.

As reported, the SkyUp Airlines Ukrainian low-cost carrier was founded in June 2017. The flights were launched in May 2018. By January 2019, the fleet of the airline had five aircraft: four Boeing 737-800 NG planes with 189 seats and one Boeing 737-700 NG with 149 seats. The airline performs regular and charter flights. In 2018, SkyUp Airlines passenger numbers were 442,000 people.

ol
| By Jena Frick

When Laura Buchanan, MD, was asked to set up a Stop the Bleed training session for students from P-TECH Healthcare at Dunbar, she decided to take the training a step further. The assistant professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and trauma surgeon at the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center decided to invite the ninth-grade high school students to spend the entire day at the trauma center so they could experience what its like to work in the medical field.

(View a photo gallery.)

The P-TECH students learn how trauma surgeons prepare for emergency surgery with an exploratory laparotomy simulation on a medical mannequin.

This was the perfect setting to bring all the health care specialties theyre studying together in one hands-on learning experience, said Buchanan.

On March 18, the group of 35 ninth-graders was able to visit the center and work directly with health care professionals in different areas of medicine, including physical therapy, respiratory therapy, nursing, and trauma surgery. The unique experience gave them the opportunity to use the trauma simulators that health care professionals use to practice treating real patients.

(View a video below.)

I think its impactful to give them this experience so they can see what medicine really is, explained Pamela Smith-McNeal, RRT-EMCO specialist and special projects coordinator for Shock Trauma. They see there are other aspects to medicine. Its not just a doctor or a nurse, but its a full team of people that help a person from the time they enter through the trauma center to when they go home.

The visiting students are part of the P-TECH program, which stands for Pathways in Technology Early College High School. The program puts them on an accelerated academic track, so they will be able to graduate from high school with a diploma and an associate degree. Many of the students are working toward a degree in the medical field, so they have already begun the coursework to become a health care professional.

Because these students are in an accelerated program, we really wanted to make sure they got the chance to get some professional exposure, explained Brian Sturdivant, MSW 00, the University of Maryland, Baltimores director of community partnerships and strategic initiatives. Sturdivant was the point person who reached out to Buchanan about organizing a Shock Trauma visit for the P-TECH students. This visit should be extremely helpful in exposing them to all kinds of careers within the health care profession and help them to get some really good advice on their school project.

Right now, the students are working on a case study project in which they are given a fictional trauma patient, a 16-year-old girl, who has been in a car accident. Together, the students must come up with a treatment plan for her.

By coming to the Shock Trauma Center, theyre able to get one-on-one information from experts and its really helping them, not just with their project, but with their education in general, said Robert Nolan, a teacher and extended day coordinator for the P-TECH students. Its one thing to sit in a lecture and listen to someone talking. Its quite another thing to learn hands-on.

The students certainly got a full day of hands-on learning. They started the day by earning their certification in Stop the Bleed training, which teaches how to control bleeding in emergency situations.

After receiving their certification, the students got to participate in five critical trauma simulations led by students, faculty, and staff at Shock Trauma. The simulations gave the ninth-graders a crash course in each area of medicine, something that most students have to wait until college to experience.

Smith-McNeal led them in the respiratory therapy simulation. She walked them through how to care for a patient who needs a ventilator to breathe. She also showed them how to deliver oxygen and how to intubate a patient using a medical training mannequin.

I think we did a good job giving them insight on everything trauma, said Smith-McNeal. At the beginning of the day, I only had two students interested in becoming respiratory therapists, and at the end of the class I had five!

After that, a registered nurse showed the students how to wrap a patient with an open wound and how to place an IV tube. A physical therapist showed the students how to apply mobility exercises to a patient who is in rehab for an injury. A trauma surgeon showed the students how to use laparoscopic tools for less-invasive surgeries. And a trauma surgery student helped the students scrub in for an exploratory laparotomy simulation in which they got to put on a trauma gown and perform surgery on a realistic trauma mannequin.

I think this experience is really going to help get them more excited about getting their associate degrees, said Buchanan. This way, they get to see what theyre signing up for and what all the extra work theyll be doing in high school is pushing them toward.

After the visit, many of the P-TECH students expressed interest in following a trauma-centered career path. This is something that Smith-McNeal was thrilled to hear.

Its really rewarding to see these kids eyes open up to whats out there in the medical field, she concluded. I hope they come back and visit again and again.
Bretton Woods II  New America, in partnership with the OECD surveyed 85 experts across different fields and organizations, including the World Bank, OECD, universities and civil society. These experts were asked to select their top Goals and 20 targets out of 169 Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs) targets, and to sequence them in order.

Of the 17 SDGs, experts believe that the top goal should be to reduce inequality, with the second to end poverty. However, the top 5 SDG options are almost evenly split between institutional and individual welfare issues:

Promote rule of law and access to justice;

Eliminate the most extreme poverty;

Ensure access to safe, effective and affordable health care, medicine and vaccines;

Ensure womens rights to economic opportunity, property ownership and inheritance

Ensure government accountability and transparency.

There is a message behind these findings: SDG 10 is the linchpin of the entire Development Agenda. I would even stretch it by saying that reducing inequality is not only a sine qua non condition for sustainable development; but also, of peace stability and security; as it is the foundation of any social contract.

But why have we not been able to solve it; why are we caught in the last Fermat Theorem" syndrome ? Jimmy Carter called it the disease of our Modern Civilization. Nelson Mandela called it a scourge to put in the same register as Apartheid

My thesis is as follows:

We are not solving inequality because we are not still measuring it right. And hence not rightly guiding policies.

We are not solving inequality, because we are not fully grasping, not only its manifestation (the metrics), but also the fundamentals and determinants and its political economy.

2019 offers a series of unique opportunities to deep dive into the issue. We have had, and we will have a series of high moments during the year to find wisdom to get out of the inequality grooves!

Such as the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD), High Level Political Forum, G7, and the launch of the new Human Development Report.



I am glad then that we are having this symposium on measuring inequality. But that is only half of the equation. The other half is still to truly understand inequality and its dynamics.

In measuring inequality, not only should we look at the various (yet still limited) economicist views (inequality of revenues, inequalities of spending or life cycle inequalities based on permanent incomes); but also go beyond and look at multidimensional inequality.

That would be the revolutionary contribution of the upcoming UNDP series of HDRs.

On the fundamentals and determinants of inequality. I understand why governance variables are ranked, by Experts, as second most critical SDGs targets.

Indeed, unless we understand the interplay between those variables and inequality we will remain in the Last Fermat Theorem Syndrome.

Let me end with an example of the Bangui Forum. After the devasting civil war, the government and the international community organized the Bangui forum, asking people what their main asks would be to bring peace! We all thought that they would rank security and jobs, especially youth employment as the top asks; but they came in almost all communities and regions as distant second and third, far after 'justice'.

And John Rawls was right in his famous and magnus opus theory of Justice (1971) when he argued that "The Primacy of Justice is the fundamental of a sturdy social contact" i.e. where inequalities are minimized. Justice Within nations and Justice amongst nations. Unless we have justice in national and international governance, we will not be able to solve inequalities. And Hence sustainable development, peace and security for all.
UNHCR Across Croatia, modest housewarming parties are taking place, as refugees from the conflict in the 1990s get decent and affordable accommodation, thanks to the Regional Housing Programme (RHP).

Many of these refugees have struggled for years since the fighting ended. One Bosnian woman, now 75, who lost relatives at Srebrenica, spent 22 years in the limbo of refugee centers. Another Bosnian woman, who was 16 when she fled to Croatia, has only now got her own flat at the age of 42.

Single mother Rusmira Osmic was recently allocated a bright, modern flat in the capital Zagreb. We couldnt wait to move in, stay the night and wake up here. It has been such a long road for us, she says.

Rusmira  UNHCR/Marko Mihaljevic Milan and Ljuba  UNHCR/Marko Mihaljevic

In Croatia, the state buys flats, using funds provided through the RHP and lets them to former refugees at symbolic rents. It has been supported over a number of years by international donors  in Croatia, in first place by the U.S., which is the second-biggest donor of the RHP, after the EU. Under the same programme, where possible, refugee houses have been reconstructed.

Between October 2014 and December 2018, 253 families (601 people) received RHP assistance in Croatia. Based on the current pledges of international donors, the RHP will, by 2021, provide a durable housing solution for a total of 411 families in Croatia. They will receive housing and the chance to rebuild their lives in more dignified conditions.

Life was a huge hardship. I couldnt earn enough for the rent and we went hungry. I used to get food from the church.

RHP aims to complement the efforts of the Croatian government in providing durable and sustainable solutions to the most vulnerable returnees and refugees. In Croatia, as well as in three other RHP partner countries  Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia  UNHCR has been helping the authorities to identify the neediest beneficiaries and to ensure the offered housing solutions are genuinely sustainable, including access to basic rights and services, such as health, social welfare and education.

The problem dates back to the 1990s, when war caused chaos in countries that emerged from the dissolution of the former Yugoslavia. Four years of conflict in Croatia (1991-1995) led to the forced displacement of more than 500,000 people within the country. During the conflict, some 250,000 ethnic Serbs from Croatia sought refuge in neighboring countries.

Overall, Croatia has provided or rebuilt some 170,000 homes to people who have returned since the conflict ended in 1995. Croatia also gave temporary protection to some 400,000 refugees from Bosnia and Herzegovina when the war was raging there from 1992-95.

Some of these people spent years in refugee centers, or renting very poor flats, says Giuseppe Di Caro, UNHCRs Representative in Zagreb. One even lived in a hen house. Nobody took care of these vulnerable people. They fell through the cracks.

Rusmira fled from Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992. Her three children were born in Zagreb. Her life has been a terrible struggle, briefly in a refugee center and then in sub-standard private rental properties. Her low paid jobs, cleaning and market-trading, barely paid the bills.

Rusmira cries when she remembers what she went through. One ground floor flat was so damp, the little boy got bronchitis, she says. Life was a huge hardship. I couldnt earn enough for the rent and we went hungry. I used to get food from the church.

At last, life is taking a happier turn. Rusmira now has a staff job in a company canteen. For her new subsidized flat, she will pay a smaller rent to the state than she did in the private sector, thus saving more of her income for the children.

Meanwhile in the town of Glina in central Croatia, Milan and Ljubica Martinovic are enjoying the light and warmth of a new flat after years of living in a dilapidated wooden house.

After all these years, Ive almost become Croatian.

Milan, 50, and Ljuba, 57, are ethnic Serbs, who fled to Serbia during the war but came home to Croatia, where they were born and feel they belong. They went to Serbia with their first families and met and married after they returned to Croatia.

It was late flowering love but housing conditions for the returnees were less than romantic.

Milan, a former metal worker, took his new wife to the old wooden house of his childhood in the village of Mali Gradac. Ljuba brought her elderly father Milan Borovic, now 85, to live with them.

In Milans absence, the house had been looted. I didnt find a single spoon when I returned, he says. The weather had also rotted the wooden structure and there was no electricity or running water.

Camila  UNHCR/Marko Mihaljevic Boro, completed house  UNHCR/Marko Mihaljevic

UNHCR helped the family with legal paperwork and recently they got a new apartment through the national housing scheme. Now Ljuba embroiders in comfort, Milan reads on the couch and Ljubas father rests in his own bedroom, an icon of St. George looking down from the wall.

Another ethnic Serb who has returned to his roots in Croatia is Boro Matic, 44, reviving the farm where he grew up in the wilds of the Velebit Mountains.

During the war, whilst he was away in Serbia, the house was burnt down in an arson attack. Boro and his Bosnian wife Sabina, 33, got the farm going again with some animals but until recently were unable to live there. Instead, they rented a small flat nearby.

While Boro worked at a sawmill and their two children went to school, Sabina dedicated a few hours to the farm.

Now they can look forward to full-time farming, as their family home was finally reconstructed, thanks to RHP. The family moved in at the end of 2018.

In 2015, Croatia also housed former Bosnian refugee Camila Hadzovic, 75, who had spent 22 years in collective centers. Now a widow, she has been given a low-rent house in the town of Petrinja, where she can enjoy a peaceful old age with her six cats.

Camila and her husband Ibrahim fled to Croatia in 1992, before the Srebrenica genocide of 1995. We escaped the executions and survived but many did not, she says. Cousins are buried there.

Camila ended up alone, living in one refugee centre after another. The house at Petrinja was offered through RHP after the last collective center closed in 2014.

She had wanted to return to Bosnia but housing options were not available there. After all these years, Ive almost become Croatian.

In 25 years, Ive received a lot of help. Ive experienced the atrocities of war but also the unexpected kindness of strangers.

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Ukraine exports 36.7 mln tonnes of grain since July 1

Ukrainian farmers have already shipped 13.2 million tonnes of wheat abroad.

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PrivatBank pays over US$40.8 mln in subsidies for utility services in March

The average amount of subsidies per capita was $58 per month.

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Philip Morris Ukraine urges fiscal authorities to comply with amicable deal

This will be a clear signal that the Ukrainian government protects the rights of investors in Ukraine.

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Ukraine's Rada committee calls on PM, SBU, NSDC to keep sanctions against Russian steelmaker

The Transnistria-based works is a direct competitor of Ukrainian iron and steel enterprises and leaves Ukraine's steelmaking industry without raw materials.

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EU allocates EUR 104 mln for insulation of apartment blocks in Ukraine

In general, the national budget has laid down UAH 1.6 billion for the Energy Efficiency Fund.

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China Consul General in Odesa pays visit to Voskhod Solar LLC

The diplomat highly appreciated the CNBM's achievements in Ukraine's renewable energy industry.

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Harms will also observe the second round on the ground on April 21.

Rebecca Harms, an expert for Eastern Europe and member of the Greens/EFA Group in the European Parliament, will be in Ukraine as from Thursday, March 28, onwards as an election observer with a European Parliament delegation.

Read alsoCEC: Registration of foreign observers for Ukraine's presidential elections over

After the briefings of the delegation by the long-term observers, Harms will travel from Kyiv to Odesa on Saturday, March 30, to observe the elections and visit polling stations, according to the diplomat's official website.

There are also meetings planned with members of the Central Election Commission, representatives of the press and media, civil society, and presidential candidates.

Harms will also observe the second round on the ground, which is expected to take place on April 21.
At the moment, the Kurchenko case has 3,000 volumes.

Deputy Head of the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) Department of International Legal Cooperation, Head of the Criminal Procedural Management Department Kostiantyn Kulyk has confirmed reports about charges brought against incumbent president Petro Poroshenko's allies.

"Yes, I confirm that such charges have been brought," Kulyk told UNIAN.

As UNIAN reported earlier, a U.S.-based website reported that the PGO charged Poroshenko's allies with frauds related to Ukrainian oligarch Serhiy Kurchenko, which are estimated at billions of hryvnias.

As reported by Forum Daily, referring to documents available to its editors, the Prosecutor General's Office has already completed an investigation against Kurchenko. Papers with charges over laundering billions of hryvnias of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych's "family" were served to Kurchenko's accomplices: former head of the Presidential Administration Boris Lozhkin, former Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine Valeriya Gontareva, incumbent Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration Oleksiy Filatov, and others.

Read alsoProsecutor Kulyk claims part of documents in Kurchenko case gone

In total, 98 persons, including 12 senior officials of ministries and departments, as well as the National Bank and six heads of regional state administrations, were served with charge papers within the framework of the investigation.

At the moment, the Kurchenko case has 3,000 volumes. It was opened in 2014.
Charges have been brought against ninety-eight officials.

Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yuriy Lutsenko has provided details on charges brought against senior officials in the case opened against fugitive Ukrainian businessman Serhiy Kurchenko, an ally of ex-president of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych.

The PGO's Department of International Legal Cooperation has completed an investigation against fugitive businessman Kurchenko, who is suspected of participating in a criminal organization of Yanukovych and committing especially grave crimes against the State of Ukraine.

Read alsoProsecutor General's Office in Ukraine confirms charges brought against Poroshenko's allies

In his Facebook post on March 28, Lutsenko indicated the crimes Kurchenko is accused of, and also noted that in the course of investigation, other persons had been identified who were complicit in these crimes.

"To date, charges have been brought against 98 individuals, including officials (12 of them are senior officials of ministries and departments, as well as the National Bank of Ukraine, six heads of regional state administrations, and 14 top managers of state-owned companies). Regarding those who were informed about the charges, cases into 42 persons were forwarded to court for consideration on the merits. Following court proceedings, 27 indictments were issued, four individuals were relieved from responsibility in keeping with court rulings in connection with the expiry of the statute of limitation. Trial in respect of 15 persons is under way," Lutsenko said.

The prosecutor general summed up that the total value of the assets seized is over UAH 5 billion (US$185 million at the current forex rate), while the total amount of losses compensated is more than US$1.5 billion.
Ihor Kolomoisky is convinced that Ukraine does not have another five years to see whether Poroshenko succeeds or fails.

Ukrainian businessman Ihor Kolomoisky does not consider Poroshenko a successful president, so he must give way to other politicians, according to an interview published by UNIAN.

I believe that if a politician isn't successful, they should give way to others who will work for the benefit of the country. Had the country had 630 billion in GDP, as in Poland, not 116 billion, I would've said: 'Let hem stay for another five years, maybe he will make it a trillion and two hundred.' But when we got 116 billion from 220 billion (I'm not saying whether Yanukovych is good or bad, but we had 220 with him)... Yes, there's aggression, yes, there's war, yes, there's separatism, yes, there's Donbas, the loss of Crimea... But he knew where is going, right? And it didn't get better. Therefore, it is necessary to give way to someone else, who is more capable, believes Kolomoisky.

Read alsoUkraine's Kolomoisky rules out Poroshenko's 2019 election win

According to him, Ukraine does not have another five years to see whether Poroshenko succeeds or fails. He hasn't [succeeded] now. Five years is enough time to see if someone is able to do something or not, added the businessman.

Kolomoisky sees the winner in the presidential election "anyone but Poroshenko."

Im not talking about everyone, only the top five. Well, I really doubt about Boyko though because he receives instructions from Moscow a bit too openly. And all other Ukrainian politicians are more or less worthy, the businessman said.

At the same time, Kolomoisky believes that for Poroshenko, the defeat in the presidential race would be "like death."

"He cannot give in his power, this trough, and leave quietly," the businessman added.

In November last year, Ihor Kolomoisky, in an interview with Sonya Koshkina, spoke of who he considers to be frontrunners in the upcoming presidential election.
The EU is concerned about the recent searches in their homes.

The European Union has called on Russia to stop putting pressure on Crimean Tatars in the temporarily occupied Crimea.

"EU is concerned about reports on house searches in illegally annexed Crimea with subsequent detentions," reads the report posted on Twitter by the EU delegation to the OSCE.

"Since illegal annexation by Russia, HumanRights situation in Crimea significantly deteriorated. We expect Russia to end pressure on Crimean Tatars. #crimeaisukraine," the tweet concludes.

Read alsoU.S. calls on Russia to stop persecution of Crimean Tatars

As UNIAN reported earlier, Russian law enforcers in illegally occupied Crimea on March 27 conducted massive searches in homes of 25 Crimean Tatars, having taken a number of detainees to the FSB office in Simferopol.

The FSB press service claimed the searches were part of the investigation into the Hizb ut Tahrir organization, which is outlawed in Russia. Russian law enforcers later reported on the detention of 22 individuals.

Three more Crimean Tatars have been detained in Russia's Rostov-on-Don. "Their houses were searched yesterday in their absence," NGO Crimean Solidarity reported on Facebook on March 28.
Russian law enforcers later reported on the detention of 22 individuals.

The Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Ukraine has said Russia has not noticed that its terror in Crimea will not defeat the Crimean Tatars.

Read alsoU.S. calls on Russia to stop persecution of Crimean Tatars

"Dear Russia, why do you persecute the Crimean Tatars? Are you that scared of the freedom of thought of those people that you have not noticed that your terror will not defeat them? 'The fire-hard ones, no flame can scathe them.' ([Ukrainian poet Taras] Shevchenko). Crimea is Ukraine," the Embassy wrote on Twitter on March 27, 2019.

As UNIAN reported earlier, Russian law enforcers in illegally occupied Crimea on March 27 conducted massive searches in homes of 25 Crimean Tatars, having taken a number of detainees to the FSB office in Simferopol.

The FSB press service claimed the searches were part of the investigation into the Hizb ut Tahrir organization, which is outlawed in Russia.

Russian law enforcers later reported on the detention of 22 individuals.
These children have joined 113 children of those political prisoners who have already been in prison.

Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, Member of Parliament of Ukraine Refat Chubarov has said 22 Crimean Tatars detained by Russia on March 27 have 55 minor children.

Read alsoSearches in occupied Crimea resemble raids of Stalin's secret police  Crimean Tatar leader Chubarov

"These 22 people have 55 minor children. Today, 55 more children have joined our 113 children of those political prisoners who have already been in prison," he told Ukrainian Pryamiy TV Channel.

"And this will grow exponentially. And our state, if to really speak about how to help the Crimean Tatars, people who live in some areas of Donbas that we do not control, we must answer honestly  if we help ourselves to stand up as a state, tomorrow we will be able to help those people who are in the occupied territories. But to help along with our partners. We just need a consolidation of our partners," Chubarov added.

As UNIAN reported earlier, Russian law enforcers in illegally occupied Crimea on March 27 conducted massive searches in homes of 25 Crimean Tatars, having taken a number of detainees to the FSB office in Simferopol.

The FSB press service claimed the searches were part of the investigation into the Hizb ut Tahrir organization, which is outlawed in Russia.

Russian law enforcers later reported on the detention of 22 individuals.
NDI also will remain in close contact with Ukrainian monitoring groups and other international observer delegations throughout the electoral period.

The National Democratic Institute (NDI) has announced the arrival of a high-level international delegation to observe the March 31 presidential election in Ukraine.

The 32-member delegation includes representatives from nine countries and has been accredited by the Central Election Commission, the NDI said in a statement.

The delegation will issue a preliminary statement of its findings at a press conference scheduled for April 1.

"The delegation includes political leaders, diplomats, former elected and government officials, and regional and electoral experts, including: William Taylor, former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine and executive vice president of the United States Institute of Peace (USIP); Dame Audrey Glover, chairman of the Foreign Policy Centre and former director of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR); Birgitta Ohlsson, former Swedish minister of EU affairs; Laura Jewett, NDI's regional director for Eurasia; and Mary O'Hagan, global associate and NDI senior resident director in Ukraine," the statement said.

The delegation will build on the work of NDI's pre-election assessment mission conducted in November, as well as the findings of long-term analysts who have been in Ukraine since January.

"This presidential election is occurring at another critical moment for Ukraine. We see that Ukrainian citizens remain committed to a democratic and European future. A peaceful, orderly electoral process that inspires public confidence will bring the country closer to those aspirations. It will thus be important for all of us  the international community and Ukrainians  to contribute to the integrity of the election," Taylor was quoted as saying.

Read alsoEx-SBU officer names Ukrainian cities with highest level of terrorist threat before elections

The delegation's purpose is to demonstrate the international community's continuing support for democratic processes in Ukraine and to provide an objective assessment of the election process and the political environment surrounding it.

Members of the delegation will meet with party and campaign representatives, government and election officials, as well as representatives of civil society, the media and the international community in Kyiv and 13 regions of the country.

On election day, the NDI observers will visit polling stations for the opening, voting, closing and counting processes in their assigned regions. Their findings will inform a preliminary statement, which will be released at a press conference scheduled for April 1.

NDI has organized international observation missions or assessments in more than 65 countries for more than 135 elections, earning a reputation for impartiality and professionalism. The NDI observer mission will conduct its activities in a nonpartisan, professional manner, in accordance with Ukrainian law and the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation.

NDI also will remain in close contact with Ukrainian monitoring groups and other international observer delegations throughout the electoral period. The mission is supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
An official investigation is under way.

One soldier has been injured in a blast of an unknown object at a military training ground in Chernihiv region.

Read alsoThousands evacuated after explosions at ammo depot in Ukraine's north  media (Video)

"Today [March 27], two servicemen found an unknown explosive object during the inspection of the military training ground in the village of Honcharivske. Having violated the safety rules for handling unknown explosive objects, one of the military picked the object up and threw it away. As a result, it exploded," the press service of the Pivnich (North) Operational Command wrote on Facebook on Wednesday.

"One soldier received injuries of moderate severity and was taken to hospital. There is no threat to his life. Another soldier was not injured," the report said.

An official investigation has begun to probe into this fact.
Two of them are civilian journalists and do live streaming for Crimean Solidarity.

Three more Crimean Tatars have been detained in Russia's Rostov-on-Don.

"The investigators have just reported that three more Crimean Tatars, activists, were detained in Rostov-on-Don. Osman Arifmemetov and Remzi Bekirov are civilian journalists and do live streaming for Crimean Solidarity. Vladlen Abdulkadyrov was engaged in supplying parcels to political prisoners in detention centers," NGO Crimean Solidarity reported on Facebook on March 28.

Read alsoChubarov: 22 Crimean Tatars recently detained by Russia have 55 minor children

"Their houses were searched yesterday in their absence," the report says.

As UNIAN reported earlier, Russian law enforcers in illegally occupied Crimea on March 27 conducted massive searches in homes of 25 Crimean Tatars, having taken a number of detainees to the FSB office in Simferopol.

The FSB press service claimed the searches were part of the investigation into the Hizb ut Tahrir organization, which is outlawed in Russia.

Russian law enforcers later reported on the detention of 22 individuals.
There were no Ukrainian army casualties.

Russian-led forces mounted 13 attacks on Ukrainian troops in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, in the past 24 hours.

Read alsoUkraine forces hit enemy ammo depot in Donbas (Video)

"No Ukrainian army casualties were reported in the past day. According to intelligence reports, one invader was killed and another two were wounded," the press center of Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation said in an update on Facebook as of 07:00 Kyiv time on March 28, 2019.

During the period under review, the Russian occupation forces opened fire from 122mm artillery systems, 120mm and 82mm mortars, weapons installed on infantry fighting vehicles, grenade launchers of various types and small arms to attack the Ukrainian positions near the town of Svitlodarsk, and the villages of Opytne, Hnutove, Chermalyk, Lebedynske, Krymske, Luhanske, Novo-Oleksandrivka, and Novoluhanske.

"Since Thursday midnight, Russian-led forces haven't attacked Ukrainian positions yet," the report said.
The Mission continued to face restrictions on its freedom of movement and other impediments to fulfillment of its Mandate.

The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Donbas over the two weeks recorded over 17,700 ceasefire violations.

"Between 11 and 24 March, the SMM recorded over 17,700 ceasefire violations (about 15,700 in the previous two-week period). Almost 10,000 of them were recorded in the second part of the reporting period; the highest number since early November 2018," the OSCE SMM Status Report reads.

Also, the SMM observed 139 weapons in violation of the agreed withdrawal lines (116 in areas not controlled by the Ukrainian Government).

"A number of areas were of particular concern, namely Chermalyk  which has been the scene of repeated spikes in violence since October 2018 following the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the armed formations moving closer to each other in the area  and in Zolote, where the Mission continued to observe personnel, hardware, mines, ceasefire violations and damage to civilian property," the report reads.

It is also noted that on March 11, the SMM observed damage caused by small-arms fire to a functioning school building in Zolote. The school has sustained damage six times since late December 2018, the report says.

The Mission continued to face restrictions on its freedom of movement and other impediments to fulfillment of its Mandate.

Read alsoTurkish diplomat to take over OSCE Ukraine monitoring mission  media

"In addition to mines and unexploded ordnance, members of the armed formations restricted the SMMs freedom of movement on 40 occasions and the Ukrainian Armed Forces five times. The problem remains acute in non -government-controlled areas of southern Donetsk region. Since June 2018, members of the armed formations have denied the SMM passage through checkpoints near Zaichenko over 100 times and near Verkhnoshyrokivske over 60 times," reads the status report.

At the same time, targeting of SMM unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) has continued, with the most serious incident occurring on March 20, when "14 bursts of heavy machine-gun fire were directed at an SMM long-range UAV near non-government-controlled Dovhe in Luhansk region."

The SMM had resumed its long-range UAV flights just four days previously following an assessment of an incident involving the loss of a long-range UAV on Feb 18 in a non-government-controlled area of Luhansk region.
Unlike the so-called "Wagner PMC," Vega does not engage in frontline operations, instead providing training to government troops and security to key facilities.

The Conflict Intelligence Team (CIT) investigative group has said that recently surfaced photos and videos show a Russian-Ukrainian company training a pro-Syrian government Palestinian group "Liwa al-Quds."

Unlike the so-called "Wagner PMC," this company better fits the description of a private military company, CIT said.

On January 20, former pro-Kremlin ANNA News reporter Oleg Blokhin started posting photographs of military instructors wearing St George ribbons (a pro-Kremlin nationalist symbol) and Russian flag patches. Later he posted photos of the same instructors with patches of a private military company "Vegacy Strategic Services Ltd." The photos and videos posted by Blokhin suggest Russian-speaking instructors have been training a Syrian Palestinian pro-Assad group Liwa al-Quds.

Read alsoU.S. General tells of Russian Wagner PMC presence in Africa

"We have covered this group's close cooperation with the Russian forces, in particular during the 2016 siege of Aleppo. Since then, the group's cooperation with the Russian military strengthened even further: in 2017-2018, Liwa al-Quds, supported by the Russian Air Force, took part in all major offensives by the Syrian opposition and IS militants. According a 2016 article by analyst Amir Toumaj, the group, whose name means 'Jerusalem Brigade,' plans to continue their fight beyond Syria to 'liberate' Jerusalem and the entire Palestine. The group was also seen to employ child soldiers, which is a violation of international humanitarian law," reads the report.

According to a Lebanese online media outlet "Al-Modon," in 2019 Russia's support to Liwa al-Quds grew significantly: the group got hundreds of new recruits who were trained north of Aleppo city. According to Al-Modon, Liwa al-Quds is involved in the proxy Russian-Iranian conflict within the pro-regime coalition on the Russian side.

A company with the name Vega Strategic Services (not Vegacy) was created in April 2011 in the Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv by former members of international elite and special forces of Russia and Ukraine, per the description enclosed to the list of companies who signed the International code of conduct of private security agencies. Vega Strategic Services offered security to individuals and companies in high-risk environments, as well as maritime security.

A year after the company was founded, it moved to Cyprus and changed its name to Vegacy Strategic Services Ltd. It was registered in June 2012 and terminated a year ago (May 2018), according to the Cypriot register of companies. At the time, the company's 50% owner was a Ukrainian national Anatoly Smolin. He was also listed as its director.

Companies linked to Vegacy Strategic Services Ltd work both in Russia and Ukraine. The company's head office is in Cyprus, another is in Moscow. It has representatives in Syria, the United Kingdom, Germany and Thailand.

CIT contacted Anatoly Smolin, but he refused to speak on the activities of Vegacy Strategic Services Ltd. "No comments!!!," he replied (punctuation left unedited).

Another person behind the rise of Vega was Andrey Kebkalo, who founded another organization that is often called a private military company  Omega Consulting Group. In one of his interviews, Kebkalo told about how he helped create Vega: "I was one of the people who created Vega. Later, according to certain reasons, I couldn't work with the company's co-founder A. Smolin."

Kebkalo replied to a CIT inquiry, confirming that he did create the company together with Smolin.

"The idea behind Vega was to present the first Ukrainian PMC to the international market," he said.

"Vega is, apparently, the first 'classic' PMC, active in the international security market, which has been working in Syria with pro-government forces. Unlike the so-called 'Wagner PMC,' Vega does not engage in frontline operations, instead providing training to government troops and security to key facilities  like their Western counterparts. Their Liwa al-Quds trainees' close connections to the Russian military in Syria suggest that the Russian commanders are at least aware of Vega's work. However, it is currently unknown who funds this PMC's activities in Syria," the experts said.
Members of Wagner PMC terrorist syndicate have no citizenship. The only thing that unites them is their willingness to kill on Kremlins instructions and for its money, the SBU chief says.

The Security Service of Ukraine on Thursday released a report debunking a "journalistic investigation" that was published earlier the same day claiming a "Ukrainian PMC" is operating in Syria.

The SBU sources had earlier tipped the agency, in January this year, about the fake piece being drafted, the press service wrote.

After a series of revealing briefings by the SBU about clandestine activities and crimes of Wagner PMC, the special unit of the Russian military intel, in Ukraine, Syria, Sudan and Central African Republic, including about the involvement of mercenaries in the murder of Russian journalists, Russian secret services tried to fabricate an adequate response.

To this end, the notorious Federal News Agency (FNA), controlled by Yevgeny Prigozhin, was tasked to prepare a fake investigation about "Ukrainian presence" in Syria.

Read alsoWagner PMC part of Russian military intel, IDs of "mercenaries" confirm  Ukraine security chief

The first attempt was made with the help of FANs affiliate, so-called ANNA-News news agency in early February 2019, which was a failure. Staged photographs of training of local militants in Syria, allegedly involving the fighters of non-existent Ukrainian PMC "Vega", failed to get to mainstream news.

Subsequently, several information hubs outside Russia received a proposal from FAN representatives - to conduct, for monetary reward but on based on FAN data, independent journalistic investigation concerning the mythical Ukrainian PMC Vega activity in Syria.

The SBU has decided to reveal additional information about the role of the Russian military intel in spreading fake news about "Ukrainian PMC Vega".

It is noted that private military companies are outlawed in Ukraine. VEGA STRATEGIC SERVICES LLC was, indeed, registered in Mykolaiv in 2011, by a citizen of Ukraine A. Smolin, but has nothing to do with private military companies. The LLCs scope of activity is related to the work of private security firms and related services.

Read alsoContractors of Russia's PMC Wagner beef up security for Venezuela's Maduro  media

In 2013, the company ceased operations in Ukraine after Smolin moved to Russia. At the same time, information available to the SBU suggests that in early 2014, the company's Moscow branch, headed by a citizen of Ukraine, D. Gynikashvili was actively used by representatives of Russian secret services as a structure for recruiting Russian mercenaries to take part in hostilities in Ukraine.

Secondly, Dmitriy Gynikashvili, DOB 17.07.1987, has been in the SBU spotlight since 2011, as the head of the pro-Russian NGO 227. Not a Step Backward. In September 2013, Gynikashvili left for Moscow, where he joined the so-called Slavic Corps and personally took part in hostilities in Syria. At the end of 2014, he was deployed to Donbas as a member of Wagner PMC, and in 2016-2017  to Syria. From 2017, Gynikashvili has been an instructor in another unofficial structure of Russian Military Intelligence, the so-called Volk International Centre for Combat and Special Training (based in Rostov-on-Don). The said Centre is actively used by the military intel for recruiting agents on the territory of European countries under the cover of holding special meetings of members of foreign paramilitary structures, SBU says.

The activities of the Centre and the instructor Gynikashvili were described in detail by the Ukrainian volunteer community Ikhatemnet_M0209 in March this year. Throughout 2017-2018, other mercenaries of Wagner PMC from among Russian citizens, residents of the Rostov region, were involved in working with the said Centre: Gusev Evgeniy Fedorovich, DOB 05.10.1987; Tropin Evgeniy Anatolyevich, DOB 03.03.1981; and Frank Alexander Alexandrovych, DOB 03.07.1985

Read alsoRussian journalists killed in Africa had footage about Russia's PMC Wagner bases  media

The Security Service of Ukraine has already prepared relevant reports to brief partner intelligence agencies in the EU on the activities of Russian military intel under the cover of Volk Centre.

Thirdly, the SBU reports that Mr Smolin left for Russia in 2012 after accumulating huge debts in Ukraine. Throughout 2014, he tried to revive his Mykolaiv-based contacts via email, offering acquaintances employment in a Russian private military company. To this end, he was sending questionnaires, where a significant number of questions focused on the attitude of the respondents to the annexation of the Crimean Autonomy and willingness to engage in hostilities in Donbas as part of the Russian illegal armed groups.

According to SBU data, sine 2016, Smolin has been using Russian private security agencies under his control to recruit mercenaries to Wagner PMC.

Accordingly, fake information that the FSB fed the media with about the functioning of the Ukrainian PMC Vega in Syria is untrue, the SBU stresses.

Smolin and Gynikashvili left Ukraine before 2014 and have long been actively cooperating with Russian military intelligence.

As SBU Head Vasyl Hrytsak noted: Members of the terrorist syndicate of Russian special services called Wagner PMC have no citizenship. Over the past few years, the SBU has shed light on hundreds of mercenaries of this unofficial unit of the Russian military intelligence, which includes natives of Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Serbia, and other countries. The only thing that unites them is willingness to kill - anyone, in any part of the world  on Kremlins instructions and for its money. And no Russian fake news can any longer hide this truth from the global community.
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March 28 2019

LDN Architects have published detailed designs for a 6.5m distillery and visitor centre in the Highlands to capitalise on a whisky and tourism boom.

Conceived by the Cabrach Trust the project will repurpose the abandoned Inverharroch Farm, situated eight miles outside Dufftown, with a range of refurbished and new build properties designed to bring the areas historic role in the illegal whisky trade to wider attention.

In doing so the distillery will employ authentic production methods dating from the 1830s to illustrate how rogue distillers plied their trade across the region.

Peter McIlhenny, partner at LDN Architects, told The Herald: This project will transform an existing ancient steading into a visitor attraction, centred around a museum and distillery. Our design adapts the existing range of buildings in a delicate way, whilst incorporating a completely new 21st century building containing the reception, tasting room, shop, cafe and multi-purpose spaces.

"Those new spaces are tuned to visitor needs while taking full advantage of the magnificent panoramic outlook of the setting. Great care has been brought to the selection and placing of materials to both old and new.

The designs are on public display today at The Grouse Inn, close to Inverharroch Farm, between the hours of 18:00 and 20:00.

Initial plans drawn up by Annie Kenyon Architect were approved in 2018 and the scheme could commence construction later this year subject to further fundraising.
March 28 2019

Timber construction specialists CCG and Stallan Brand Architects are seeking planning consent to build 330 mixed-tenure homes in Whitlawburn in Cambuslang, South Lanarkshire, to replace 380 existing flats.

Part of a wider 42m regeneration masterplan the project will include 230 rental homes to be managed by West Whitlawburn Housing Cooperative, alongside a further 100 properties for private sale.

South Lanarkshire Councils executive director of housing and technical resources, Daniel Lowe said: A master plan for the area was developed after extensive consultation with the local community over a number of years. A key aim of the masterplan is to create a distinctive and attractive residential development with streetscapes that deliver a seamless, integrated connection between homes for rent and sale whilst carefully connecting Whitlawburn into surrounding communities.

Occupiers should be able to move into their new homes by 2021.
Chang Kyung-hoon, center, the new KEB Hana Card chief executive, speaks to his employees at a forum held during his inauguration ceremony at Hana Financial Group's headquarters in Seoul, March 25. Courtesy of KEB Hana Card



By Park Hyong-ki



Pop quiz, hot shot.



What are you going to do when you are facing all sorts of state restrictions in running your core business?



At an internal forum at Hana Financial Group's headquarters in Seoul, KEB Hana Card's new chief executive Chang Kyung-hoon said the credit card company will need to stop being a card firm.



It will have to be reborn as a totally different company.



Specifically, it needs to become a digital information or data analysis firm with its key future operations focused in Southeast Asian emerging markets, Chang said at the meeting during his inauguration, March 25.



The path won't be easy, and it will be challenging for a minor player such as KEB Hana Card, the country's No. 7 credit card company by profit, industry sources say.



But it is also the inevitable path in the face of card transaction fee rate cuts enforced by the state regulator and stiff competition in low-cost mobile settlements.



"It has become a matter of survival for any financial company facing restrictions at home that seek to boost their nonbank business portfolios," said an industry source.



"As the new Hana Card chief executive mentioned, the company and any other ones eyeing overseas and digital are going to use whatever resources they have to achieve their goals."



This would especially be true for Hana Financial, whose big portion of profit comes from KEB Hana Bank, as the holding group, too, wants to build its nonbanking capacity like other groups, another industry source said.



"Besides Hana Card, Hana Financial Investment will need to play the leading role in the group's endeavors," the source said.



"For instance, they can piggyback on the networks of PT Bank KEB Hana Indonesia and Line Financial to build their portfolios overseas."



Line Financial, the fintech unit of Line mobile messenger, acquired a 20 percent stake in KEB Hana Indonesia for strategic ties in digital banking last year.



Line is one of the biggest messenger services in Indonesia, and KEB Hana Bank has the biggest operation there among local lenders that entered the region.



Chang said the road ahead to find and explore "new territories" and develop its digital capacity will be hard, but the company will not only use its strength but also the company and the group's resources and networks to be reborn as a global data company.



He added it will further collaborate with its key shareholder, SK Telecom, the biggest mobile operator, to achieve that goal.



Hana Financial has an 85 percent stake in KEB Hana Card, the rest is owned by SK Telecom.



"As part of Hana Financial Group, we have been providing overseas settlement services for more than 40 years. We can further gain strength through the group's domestic and global networks, and strategic ties with SK Telecom," Chang told his employees.



It will also pursue the acquisition of Lotte Card, the No. 5 card that can help boost Hana's customer data.



Chang has been with Hana Financial over the past 30 years. Prior to his new post, he was the head of KEB Hana Bank's retail and future banking, and the group's strategy department.


(@ChaudhryMAli88)

MALE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 26th Mar, 2019) Dr. Saeed Mohammed Ali Al Shamsi, UAE Ambassador to the Maldives, presented his credentials to Ibrahim Mohamed Saleh, President of the Republic of Maldives, during a ceremony that was held in Salehs office in the capital, Male.

Saleh congratulated Al Shamsi, who is the UAEs first resident Ambassador in his country. Both sides highlighted their keenness to reinforce their bilateral cooperation in all sectors, especially in the tourism sector.

Al Shamsi also met with Abdullah Shaheed, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Maldives, at the headquarters of the ministry.

Shaheed congratulated Al Shamsi on his new position and expressed his hope that the launch of the UAE Embassy in the Maldives will reinforce their bilateral ties. Both sides also discussed ways of reinforcing their cooperation, through economic and development projects.

The meeting was attended by Ahmed Khalil, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of the Maldives, Abdulghaffour Mohamed, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Abdulwares Saeed, Manager at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
About 50 public figures from Latin America and the United States signed an open letter to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko calling on him to release RIA Novosti Ukraine portal head Kirill Vyshinsky, who was detained in Kiev in May last year

BUENOS AIRES (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th March, 2019) About 50 public figures from Latin America and the United States signed an open letter to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko calling on him to release RIA Novosti Ukraine portal head Kirill Vyshinsky, who was detained in Kiev in May last year.

The signatories of the letter, initiated by Sputnik news agency, expressed concern over the situation.

"Vyshinsky is accused of high treason because he was speaking out about the situation in the east of Ukraine, and because of that he may be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison. Freedom of press is one of the key rights that has to be respected by governments of all countries. That is why we join the calls of the international community, in particular, journalist associations, such as the European Federation of Journalists and other global rights organizations," the letter said.

The signatories said they subscribed to the words of Harlem Desir, the representative on freedom of the media at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), "who urged the Ukrainian authorities to support the values of the freedom of expression and release Kirill Vyshinsky immediately."

The document was signed by 49 journalists, political scientists, experts, activists and former civil servants from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, the United States and Venezuela.

The signatories include former President of Uruguay Jose Mujica and Argentine artist and writer Adolfo Perez Esquivel, a recipient of 1980 Nobel Peace prize.

Kiev's Podolsky court on Tuesday ruled to extend Vyshinsky's arrest until May 24 and refused to return the case to the prosecution.

Vyshinsky was detained in Kiev on May 15 on suspicion of supporting the breakaway republics of Donbas and high treason. During a court hearing, Vyshinsky asked for help from Russian President Vladimir Putin. He also said that he would give up his Ukrainian citizenship.

Putin has said that Vyshinsky's arrest was politically motivated, adding that the incident demonstrated an unprecedented and unacceptable policy of Ukrainian authorities targeting journalists doing their jobs. The Russian Foreign Ministry called on Kiev to stop the crackdown on media.

OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger said, regarding the case, that all member states of the organization had commitments to ensure freedom of media.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

At least nine people were killed and three others were wounded in a collision between a bus and a minibus in Bangladesh in the early hours of Thursday, local media have reported

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th March, 2019) At least nine people were killed and three others were wounded in a collision between a bus and a minibus in Bangladesh in the early hours of Thursday, local media have reported.

According to United news of Bangladesh, citing Anwarul Haque, the in-charge officer at the Chunati police station, the accident took place around 01:15 a.

m. on Thursday (19:15 GMT on Wednesday) at the Chattogram-Cox's Bazar highway in the vicinity of Chunati Jaillartek.

The outlet added that eight people had been killed on the spot while one person had been hospitalized and subsequently succumbed to his wounds in a clinic.
Mexico is going to receive a huge 20,000-strong caravan of migrants heading to the United States from Honduras in the coming weeks, their final goal being the United States, Mexican Interior Minister Olga Sanchez Cordero said on Thursday

QUITO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th March, 2019) Mexico is going to receive a huge 20,000-strong caravan of migrants heading to the United States Honduras in the coming weeks, their final goal being the United States , Mexican Interior Minister Olga Sanchez Cordero said on Thursday.

"It is already known that at least 2,400 people joined the new caravan [which is already in Mexico], and what has already been called the [20,000-strong] 'Mother of Caravans' is now being prepared in Honduras," Cordero said, as quoted by Razon news portal.

According to the minister, in general, if the current migration flow from Central America remains unchanged, the number of migrants trying to get through Mexico to the United States will reach 900,000 people by the end of 2019.

In connection with the possible arrival of an unprecedentedly large migrant caravan, the Mexican authorities intend to sharply tighten control on their southern border with Guatemala and Belize. Employees of the migration service, Federal police and civil defense forces will be involved in these actions.

Caravans of Central American migrants began to move toward the United States through Mexico last fall. As a result, several thousand migrants who came from the countries of Central America stuck near the US-Mexican border. The US authorities deployed several thousand troops to the border to ensure security.




Hyundai Motor Securities will focus on its investment banking (IB) and wealth management (WM) businesses to diversify its revenue sources and improve competitive edge, the company said, Thursday.





The Hyundai Motor Group affiliate posted record net profits of 50.6 billion won in 2018, up 0.7 percent from the previous year, on the back of handsome performance in the IB sector, which has shown the greatest level of profitability in the industry.







Its operating income stood at 68.1 billion won ($60 million), up 2 percent from a year earlier. It was the largest number in three years since it recorded 68.2 billion won in 2015.







The IB business recorded a net operating income of 10.15 billion last year, which is up from 66.5 billion won in 2017 and 54.4 billion won in 2016.







Last year, it successfully completed the acquisition financing for Toshiba memory, the world's second-largest flash memory company  a project that confirmed the competency of its IB business.







The company's real estate project financing (PF) performance was also notable.







Last year, it secured a PF loan of 240 billion won for the Songdo Time Space development project and a PF loan of 200 billion won for the development of a commercial complex in Sejong City.







The company said it plans to place top priority on improving profitability this year by further bolstering its IB and real estate PF sectors.







To that end, it will pursue various real estate PFs in key locations in the metropolitan areas including Sejong and Dongtan.







"This year, internal and external risks will increase, including the ongoing U.S.-China trade disputes and deepening concerns over the global recession, but with a long-term vision, we will become a securities firm with the highest level of profitability," CEO Lee Yong-bae said at a general shareholders' meeting on March 15.







He said the company's management will focus on enhancing profitability to increase shareholder value, upgrading risk management capabilities, building a healthy and robust organizational culture and prioritizing customer value.






KEB Hana Bank CEO Ji Sung-kyoo

By Lee Kyung-min







Newly appointed CEOs of Korea's major commercial banks have one thing in common: extensive overseas experience.







A broad perspective gained from overcoming challenges in countries with different cultures which requires extreme agility to strategize client orientation and market approach is crucial to setting a long-term vision to identify a firm's sustainable future growth.







It is not an option but a requirement to solidify global presence as the local market is fast nearing saturation.







KEB Hana Bank CEO Ji Sung-kyoo is a known China specialist.







Of his 30 years of experience, he spent half of them in China, where he learned the basics of becoming a "true banker."







The thought of working in a foreign country was "daunting" to say the least to a man born and raised in Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province, all his life.







But the company's decision to send him there was a priceless experience through which he learned how to turn a "crisis" into a success.







Traveling hundreds of kilometers just to talk to a potential client was a normal part of the day's work, which he said was demanding at the time but highly rewarding in hindsight.







All those experiences helped him in 2014 when he became a head of a bank's corporate entity in China.







"Previous work including corporate client management, retail business and risk management are all knowledge to understand overall operation of what makes a bank tick. He knows them well because he had done them himself," a KEB Hana official said.







Shinhan Bank CEO Jin Ok-dong

Ji spent most his time in the field, a reason the colleges including junior workers call him "field commander", a nickname he takes pride to have "earned."







He said his experience will help a growing numbers of foreign investors seeking business opportunities here.







"A growing number of Korean firms are seeking to expand overseas business or gain a foothold there. But they are not getting the help they need," Ji said in a statement provided by the bank.







"The situation is similar with foreign customers seeking to enter the Korean market. I believe my years of experience can effectively meet the need of the both."







He is expected to lead an aggressive business move to achieve "Vision 2540," under which the bank will seek to increase the net income derived from overseas profit to 40 percent from the current 13 percent by 2025.







Shinhan Bank CEO Jin Ok-dong is best described as a man who knows the ins and outs of how banks work in Japan, where he spent over half of his 38 years in the business.







His promotion to the position of bank vice president without serving as an assistant vice president came in recognition of his successful management of Shinhan Bank Japan (SBJ), the bank's corporate entity in Japan.







Woori Financial Group Chairman Sohn Tae-seung

Shinhan Financial Group said Jin is an optimal figure to help the bank achieve "Vision 2020."







In a move to boost nonbanking and global operations, the bank seeks to make 20 percent of its profit through overseas operations, an attainable goal given the 14.5 percent profit garnered in the first half of 2018, according the bank.







Woori Financial Group Chairman Sohn Tae-seung is known for his perfect command of English, indicated by his reputation that he is "the only" bank CEO who never needs a translator with professional knowledge in finance.







He is able to fully communicate himself with foreign investors and able to take questions and answers without any problem to the point where language is not a barrier but more of a tool he feels comfortable using.







Sohn headed the bank's global business and the bank's branch in Los Angeles, the U.S., before becoming the CEO.






Two months ahead of the European elections and amidst the many difficulties faced by the European project, bishops from France, Germany and Switzerland meet for a seminar in Paris to discuss the European Common Good.

By Joachim Teigen

A seminar, entitled Dialogue on the European Common Good, jointly organised by the French, German and Swiss episcopal conferences, took place in Paris from 25 to 26 March.



It was presided over by the three presidents of the Bishops Conferences: Archbishop of Marseille, Georges Pontier, Archbishop of Munich, Cardinal Reinhard Marx and Bishop of Bale, Felix Gmur.

Among the participants were former government ministers of the three countries, as well as university professors and journalists.

European Common Good

In a press release presenting the event, the bishops said they were convinced that a relaunching of the European project happens through a redefinition of the common good, and that the former notion of the European common good as merely peace between European nations, is no longer sufficient.



They cited difficulties such as economic inequality, the rise of populism, uncertainty around Brexit and the environmental crisis as reasons for the need to look differently at the European project, so as to breathe new life into it.

Appeal to vote in European elections

On the day of the opening of the seminar, the French Bishops Conference released a letter encouraging all Christians and citizens in France to vote in the upcoming European elections.



Certain solutions cannot be found on a single national level, they said, and encouraged Catholics in France and Europe to ask the patron saints of the European continent for their intercession on behalf of its citizens and public servants.
A Parish Priest in Nigerias central State of Kaduna is abducted from his home in the village of Ankuwai.

By Linda Bordoni

Fr. John Bako Shekwolo, Parish Priest of Saint Teresa of Ankuwa, in the State of Kaduna, was abducted on Monday by unknown persons who broke into his home.

The Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Kaduna confirmed the kidnapping and asked for prayers for the quick release of Fr Shekwolo.

The Archdiocese appeals to the consciences of those who abducted him to kindly release him unharmed.

Local police authorities are reportedly conducting investigations into the kidnapping that has been condemned, in a statement, by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), which brings together the various Christian confessions in the country.

The statement, signed by the President of CAN, noted that kidnapping in Kaduna State has become a big business.

Government failure

It is sad, the statement continues, that Kaduna State has become the center of kidnapping with the government doing almost nothing to stop it. This shows there is governance failure, as far as security of lives and property is concerned. Government and security agencies must wake up to their responsibilities of protecting lives and property, which is the essence of government.


Kiwoom Bank backed by sound governance seen as strong contender



By Park Hyong-ki



All bids for the country's third internet banking license are in for regulatory review.



Three contenders have submitted their applications.



One of them noted it is still in negotiations with potential investors to set up a consortium. Therefore, it still could pull out of the bid.



That just leaves the other two, which could end up in a neck-and-neck battle to become the third internet bank after K bank and Kakao Bank.



Will Kiwoom Bank or Toss Bank win the prize? Or, will both be granted licenses? The Financial Services Commission (FSC) will announce it in May.



Both the Daou Kiwoom-KEB Hana Bank-led and Viva Republica's Toss-led consortia are wasting no time to promote themselves that they are ready to launch "the most innovative mobile bank for low-income households and small businesses."



Industry sources say on the surface, Daou Kiwoom has a better governance structure with strong capital support to provide such services.



Daou Kiwoom Group, which owns Kiwoom Securities, the first online brokerage here, is said to have prepared and structured its capital and governance for internet banking ahead of its application submission. Viva's consortium, meanwhile, almost faced a collapse following Shinhan Financial Group's decision not to back Toss due to risk concerns.



"It will all depend whether the regulator will pick just one or two. But from the look of things, KEB Hana-backed Kiwoom Bank with its army of strategic partners could come out strong," an industry source said.



The Kiwoom Bank consortium has partners in various fields ranging from telecommunications, retail and video streaming to credit rating analysis, artificial intelligence and cloud computing.



Based on this governance structure, KEB Hana Bank said it would be "very fit" to run an internet bank.



Viva has attracted investors such as Altos Ventures and Goodwater Capital at the last minute to replace Shinhan Financial and Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance. The startup will be holding a majority 60 percent in the envisioned Toss Bank.



However, this could pose a problem given nonfinancial companies can only own up to a 34 percent voting share.



Viva mentioned its governance is suitable, and it will not become "another bank," and will provide tailored services using a credit model it will develop for small businesses and low-income earners.



"Differentiation backed by strong capital structure will be the key to standing out not as the third bank but as the internet bank," another industry source said.



It remains to be seen whether both Kiwoom and Toss will win licenses, since FSC Chairman Choi Jong-ku told lawmakers recently that the FSC could pick two or only one.



"The market has always seemed to view three as a nice number. For example, this country never had a fourth mobile operator even though it tried to bring one into the market," the source said.








Nathans Famous will host the Nevada qualifier for its annual Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest at 3 P.M. on Saturday, April 27, 2019. The event will take place at the New York-New York Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

The top male and female finishers in the event will qualify for a seat at the Nathans Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island, Brooklyn, on July 4 th , 2019, where they will face reigning champions Joey Chestnut and Miki Sudo.

The launch of the Nathans Famous hot dog-eating contest circuit means that we are on our way toward the most exciting day of the year: July 4, said Phil McCann, Senior Director of Marketing of Nathans Famous. We are seeking new talent in Las Vegas to represent our nation on the most patriotic day of the year.

The Nathans hot dog-eating contest is a holiday celebration that is recognized across the globe, said Major League Eating Chair George Shea. There is no greater honor on July 4 than competing against the greatest eaters in the world on the big stage in Coney Island.

Joey Chestnut of San Jose, California, currently holds the title of hot dog-eating world champion after defeating rising star Carmen Cincotti and setting a new world record and Coney Island record of 74 hot dogs and buns in 2018. Miki Sudo of Las Vegas, Nevada, will defend her title as female champion, having consumed 37 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes in 2018. Mikis all-time best is 41 Nathans Famous hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes.

In recent years, an estimated 35,000 fans have traveled to the corner of Surf and Stillwell avenues in Coney Island to watch the Nathans Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest in person. The live telecast of the event has consistently attracted millions of viewers since ESPN first aired the contest in 2004.

According to legend, the Nathans Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest has occurred each July 4th in Coney Island, N.Y., since 1916, the year Nathan Handwerker opened the beloved restaurant. MLE, the governing body of all stomach-centric sports, sanctions the Nathans Famous Hot Dog-Eating Circuit and ensures the contests are judged professionally and that safety standards are in place at each event.
A Representative Office (RO) offers a low-cost entry for companies seeking to gain a better understanding of the Vietnamese market. As such, this option is among the most common for first-time entrants to the Vietnamese market and often precedes a larger presence within the country.

What are ROs permitted to do?

ROs are permitted to engage in the following activities:

Conducting market research; Acting as a liaison office for its parent company; Promoting the activities of its head office through meetings, and other activities, that leads to business at later stages.

Representatives offices are dependent on their parent company and are not allowed to generate their own profits or enter directly into contracts. They are also not allowed to issue invoices.

What do you need to get a license?

Pre-licensing checklist for setting up a RO:

File an application for setting up a RO with company chop or seal; Appointment letter of Chief of RO with identification documents and company seal; Power of attorney in favor of consultant to submit the application dossier; Certificate of Incorporation for the Company and/or Business Registration Certificate of the Company; Audited financial report of the company for the latest fiscal year; Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) of leasing office or leasing contract; Documents providing legal rights of landlord regarding the right of leasing office.

For steps 1 to 6, the foreign entity would require one notarized and consularized copy of each document and a translated copy in Vietnamese by a Vietnamese competent authority.

A signed leasing contract is also required before registering a RO in Vietnam.

What do you need to do after you get the license?

Post-licensing checklist for setup a RO:

Make a seal for the RO; License on the establishment of RO

Passport of Chief of RO if foreigner or passport/ID card if Chief is Vietnamese Register a Tax code for RO; Declaration to register a tax code

Power of attorney

Certificate of seal registration

Certificate of RO in Vietnam Open a bank account of RO; License on the establishment of RO

Certificate of seal registration

Certificate of tax code registration

Letter of authorization appointing the authorized signatories of the bank accounts Announcement of the establishment of RO of Company.

For steps 8 to 10, notarized and translated documents will be required to complete the process.

How long does it take to set up an RO?

ROs can be set up in between six to eight weeks. We recommend hiring a professional service to deal with the myriad of laws and procedures.

Given the absence of in-country revenue and associated licensing requirements, the setup process for this option does not entail as many bureaucratic procedures as others.

An RO license is valid for five years but can be extended for another five years.

What comes next?

Hiring, tax, and reporting.

There is no cap on the number of local and expatriate employees that a representative office can hire as long as their employment is properly documented.

All expatriate hires including the chief representative are required to have a work permit. ROs can hire staff directly or use the assistance of recruiting agencies.

An RO is not subject to Vietnamese corporate income tax (CIT). However, it is responsible for declaring its employees personal income tax (PIT).

In order to determine payable tax, ROs have to undertake a tax audit that checks all revenues and expenses during the tax term to establish grounds for declaring and paying tax.

The RO also has to send reports of its activities of the previous year to the Department of Industry and Trade before January 30 of each year.

Tax risks if RO viewed as Permanent Establishment

As discussed earlier, an RO is only permitted to do market research activities and act as a liaison office for its parent company. It cannot engage in commercial activities or support the parent company with its commercial activities in Vietnam.

A Permanent Establishment (PE) is defined as per local laws as well as the double tax avoidance (DTA) agreement between Vietnam and other countries. Generally, the PE definition under a DTA takes precedence over domestic regulations.

If a foreign business wants to convert the RO into a PE but has been carrying out activities as per local laws, it could activate a licensing risk. Therefore, foreign businesses should ensure that their RO performs activities as per the DTA guidelines. In addition, if the RO performs activities that are outside its scope, it may be subject to additional tax in Vietnam.

To avoid any licensing or tax risks in case the RO is treated as a PE, businesses are advised to refrain from getting their ROs involved in buying and selling activities between two parties or any other activities generating revenue.

Foreign investors looking to establish a presence in Vietnam should use the services of registered local advisors who can ensure their set up process is accurate while complying with the relevant DTAs and local regulations.

Note: This article was first published in April 2015 and has been updated to include the latest developments.
How to keep trade flowing after Brexit is a big headache. (AFP/Daniel LEAL-OLIVAS)

A total of 16 proposals were submitted, out of which House of Commons Speaker John Bercow selected eight to be voted on with green paper ballots.

Some build on Prime Minister Theresa May's twice-rejected divorce deal while others offer stark alternatives - including leaving without a deal and stopping Brexit altogether.

Here are the main options being considered:

CUSTOMS UNION

Several proposals advocate Britain remaining in the EU customs union after adopting May's withdrawal plan and its mandated implementation period to the end of 2020.

Committing fully to the customs union would ensure the Irish border remains relatively free-flowing after Brexit - one of the main points of contention.

This option is favoured by the main opposition Labour Party - alongside close alignment to the EU single market - as well as by cross-party groups of MPs.

But opponents argue it would hinder Britain's ability to strike trade deals with countries around the world, and the Conservative Party manifesto vowed Britain would leave the customs union.

NORWEGIAN MODEL

Although outside the EU, Norway is in the European Economic Area (EEA) - alongside Iceland and Liechtenstein - meaning it benefits from membership of the single market.

EEA countries must also allow the free movement of goods, capital, services and people - the EU's four freedoms - with member states.

They are not in the customs union but belong to the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), which Britain co-founded in 1960 and governs bilateral trade deals with the EU and other countries.

EEA membership would ensure Britain's large services sector - including the financial hub in the capital - is undisturbed by Brexit.

But critics say it would leave the country hostage to EU rules without a say in them, and fall foul of the promises to limit immigration.

Conservative George Eustice - a former minister in May's government who quit over Brexit - tabled an amendment for Britain to become a member of both, with "new protocols" governing the Irish border.

This approach would replace May's withdrawal agreement.

COMMON MARKET 2.0

Some lawmakers pushing the Norway model have proposed London adds comprehensive customs arrangements with the EU to ensure the Irish border remains frictionless.

Dubbed "Common Market 2.0", it has been proposed by a cross-party grouping and is thought to have one of the best chances of securing a majority.

SECOND BREXIT REFERENDUM

Many Remain-backing MPs see a second referendum as the most viable path towards preventing Brexit, while others believe it could simply break the stalemate.

The path to such a vote remains highly contentious.

A compromise amendment put forward by some Labour MPs calls for "a confirmatory public vote" on any deal reached with the EU.

That could garner more support than a vote earlier this month which saw a majority of MPs reject postponing Brexit to hold another referendum.

NO-DEAL

If no alternative course can be agreed, Britain will default to "third country" status with the EU as early as Apr 12, with trade relations run on World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules.

This involves tariffs and increased barriers that could disrupt the seamless supply chains that connect Britain and the EU.

Lawmakers have already overwhelmingly rejected this option, but will get the chance to vote on it again.

They will also consider a "managed" version put forward by arch-Brexiteer Marcus Fysh with more temporary arrangements and agreements put in place.

CANCEL BREXIT

The most dramatic option MPs will vote on Wednesday would cancel Brexit if a no-deal departure was just days away by revoking Article 50 - the mechanism that set a two-year clock ticking down to Britain's now-delayed exit.

An online petition to this effect has garnered nearly six million signatures in recent days.
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Over recent years, Vietnam has inked and engaged in 12 free trade agreements (FTAs), with the recent adoption of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

The CPTPP is a very special agreement that has attracted major attention from the public because it is the new version of the original Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), considered a golden standard of the 21st century but which was on the verge of falling apart after the United States decided not to partake in it.

Thus the signing and adoption of the CPTPP has demonstrated the strong commitment and efforts of the deals 11 member states in general and of Vietnam in particular.

The implementation of the CPTPP will have great impact on some of the key aspects of the deal.

Specifically, it will help Vietnam boost institutional reform. The acceleration of this reform for Vietnam to build a modern socialist-oriented, market-based economy and integrate further into the global economy requires great efforts from the government. However, it will bring huge benefits to businesses and people when the deal is implemented.

The CPTPP is considered a role-model trade pact of the 21st century and a new-generation FTA, because it not only covers extensive commitments on tariff reduction and removal, but also consists of a large number of commitments relevant to many aspects of the economy, such as state-owned enterprises, subsidy, competition, intellectual property rights, labour, trade union, and the environment.

In the context that we have already seen many FTAs, with import tariffs trending to be reduced to zero, it is the non-tariff factors that are key barriers in international trade and require the most attention.

With a scope of comprehensive commitments including tariff and non-tariff issues, the CPTPP will create strong pressure and impetus for Vietnam, which has the lowest economic development level among other member states, to make greater efforts to partake in this level playing field in a fair manner.

According to the World Bank, the CPTPP membership will help Vietnam increase its GDP by another 1.1 per cent, and export turnover by another 6.9 per cent by 2030.

Whether this will happen or not, and whether Vietnam can benefit from the FTAs, would largely depend on domestic institutional reform, whose pivot is the improvement in the law system, policy transparency, the business climate, and the economys competitiveness.

The CPTPP era will bring vast benefits, but Vietnamese businesses must ensure they improve product quality

The CPTPP will also help Vietnam expand its export markets, balance trade, and attract more foreign investment. Under the CPTPP commitments, member states commit to completely remove 97-100 per cent of import tariff lines for goods sourced from Vietnam. This means that nearly all Vietnamese goods exported to other CPTPP nations will be able to enjoy zero import tax right after the deal comes into force, or under specific roadmaps. Thus, with its biggest commitments to open the domestic market among the FTAs that Vietnam has inked over the past few years, the CPTPP will open wide doors for Vietnams goods to further enter other CPTPP member states, especially Canada, Peru, and Mexico.

If these markets are exploited well, Vietnam will not only be able to increase exports but will also be able to reduce the over-reliance on a specific export market region.

Currently, Vietnamese exports are still concentrated in a number of major and traditional markets, such as the US, the EU, China, Japan, and South Korea. In the event that these markets have some changes, for example due to the existing US-China trade dispute, it is certain that Vietnams export-import activities will be more or less influenced.

Thus, in addition to maintaining and strengthening these traditional markets, it is quite necessary for Vietnam to expand to other new markets through the CPTPP, because this will help the countrys exports develop in a more stable and sustainable manner.

Not only that, opportunities for made-in-Vietnam goods thanks to the CPTPP will also increase the attractiveness of the countrys investment and business climate to foreign investors. In fact, even as the TPP was about to be inked, many foreign-invested projects came to Vietnam in anticipation of opportunities induced by the deal, in terms of tariff incentives and rule of origin.

More importantly, Vietnams participation in the CPTPP with extensive and comprehensive commitments has manifested the strong commitment of the Vietnamese government in trade liberalisation and improvement of the business climate. In other words, Vietnams participation in the CPTPP is a guarantee for foreign investors to pin their hopes in investing in the country.

However, the CPTPP will also increase pressure for Vietnam. When talking about tariff reduction and removal, and opening the service market and public procurement, we also need to know that goods and services from CPTPP member states will also enter Vietnam.

Without thorough preparations, there will probably be risks in narrowed production, loss in market share, and even bankruptcy. However, businesses should not be too worried, because before the CPTPP was signed, Vietnam already acquired FTAs with seven of the 10 CPTPP member states, not to mention other FTAs. The participation in these agreements over the past few years have helped Vietnamese enterprises gradually get used to the countrys commitment roadmaps within them.

Data about a rise in exports and imports, and investment over the past few years, showed that Vietnamese businesses have been able to weather the strong competition from FTAs, and they have even taken advantage of the incentives given by the FTAs.

Thus, Vietnams participation in the CPTPP is surely not a shock in terms of competition for domestic enterprises, especially when a number of CPTPP markets have an export-import structure that can complement the country.

Though there will be a rise in competitive pressure, we can completely weather this challenge thanks to our vast experience in implementing previous FTAs.

Nevertheless, Vietnams CPTPP membership will also mean a string of technical trade barriers which will be a major challenge for Vietnamese enterprises. In the CPTPP, Vietnams partners are nations with a high economic development level in the Asia-Pacific region. Despite the removal of tariff barriers, we will have to overcome other obstructions which are related to technical standards for export goods.

If we can overcome these hurdles, our goods can really enter the CPTPP markets. Besides, even when our goods are made available in these markets, we may also have to make preparations for possible risks about trade remedies and anti-dumping tax imposition. Reality showed that over the past few years, Vietnams goods have faced many relevant cases involving these measures.

In a nutshell, when joining high-standard FTAs and new-generation ones like the CPTPP, we must double down on our efforts. The government must boost institutional reform, and improve the domestic business climate. Meanwhile, local businesses must improve the quality of their goods and services in order for them to both expand markets and keep their market share right here in Vietnam.

The countrys participation in the CPTPP will make the FTA playing field more bustling and attractive. However, local businesses are advised to have a better understanding about commitments and rules so that they can perform more professionally.

The CPTPP is clearly providing fuel for Vietnams international economic integration. However, there is a big need for concerted efforts and actions from government agencies, to the business communtiy and local people, so that this fuel can be converted into energy for the entire economy.
The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is an ambitious trade agreement to connect key markets in Asia and Latin America through the 11 member nations of Australia, Canada, Brunei, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam. Once fully implemented, it will form a trading bloc representing 495 million consumers and 13.5 per cent of global GDP  worth a total of $10.6 trillion. The CPTPP was concluded in January last year and officially signed two months later. Vietnam became the seventh country to ratify the CPTPP and the agreement entered into force nationally on January 14 this year.

For the members of the CPTPP, a new era has opened up, promoting an accessible, transparent, and rules-based business environment. The majority of the agreement deals with a comprehensive tariff elimination for participating nations. Specifically, Vietnam will benefit from a 97-100 per cent tariff reduction on exports to other CPTPP countries. Furthermore, establishing new multilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) to Canada, along with Mexico and Peru, will open up new export destinations for Vietnams key sectors such as textiles, agriculture, wood, and seafood. Last but not least, the agreement also promotes a commitment to sustainable economic development, such as in government procurement, trade remedies, labour law reforms, and clean energy. As a result, the CPTPP has widened the circulation of goods and services, benefiting both consumers and producers in participating countries.

The CPTPP also sets out terms and conditions to ensure that the investment procedure will be easier and more transparent for foreign investors. Chapter 9 specifies this matter by describing the mechanisms to protect foreign investment into the CPTPP countries. Under the CPTPP, an investment is defined to include every asset that an investor owns or controls, directly or indirectly, through a commitment of capital or an expectation to gain or profit. In particular, the agreement requires a contracting country to treat investors from other contracting countries in a fair and equitable manner regarding the establishment, acquisition, expansion, management, operation or sale of the investments. For instance, an enterprise, shares, bonds, tangible or intangible property are examples of the investment that foreign investors own. Chapter 9 of the CPTPP deals specifically with dispute resolution between foreign investors and contracting states. In the event that the invested properties are subject to expropriation or nationalisation, the CPTPP requires the authority to compensate an amount equivalent to the fair market value immediately before the expropriation took place. Moreover, compensation must be prompt and adequate to cover the loss incurred.

If a foreign investor is dissatisfied with the compensation, they are entitled to initiate lawsuits according to the Investor-State Dispute Settlement Clause (ISDS) under the CPTPP if they believe the nations regulations or actions directly lead to loss regarding the investment. The CPTPP encourages parties first to attempt dispute resolution, such as appealing to consultations, negotiations, or non-binding third-party participation procedures. If after six months the dispute is still not resolved, the affected investor may unilaterally submit its claim to arbitration under the premise that the state has breached the CPTPP leading to damage on the investors part. Here, the investor, as the complaining party, can select the forum to settle the dispute. In setting up the panel, the investor will also be able to select one out of three arbitrators, unless agreed otherwise. Moreover, they can negotiate which relevant rules to apply and set up guidance to ensure the arbitrators independence and impartiality regarding their case. To ensure this will not negatively impact the investors interest, the claimant may seek interim injunctive relief as long as it does not involve payment of monetary damages.

Hence, the CPTPP has indeed strengthened the litigation process by giving overseas investors more leeway and channels to protect their offshore investment. The consultant circle is also expanded to avoid building up political tensions that may occur as a result of the dispute.

Foreign investors that originate from a CPTPP nation will receive the aforementioned benefits as written in Chapter 9 if they invest in Vietnam. If disputes arise between a foreign investor (or the Vietnamese enterprise that he owns) and the state authority of Vietnam, that investor can appeal to good offices, conciliation or mediation for consultation and negotiation, or submit the dispute to arbitration. However, it is important to note that there are certain exceptions applicable to Vietnam to which foreign investors need to pay attention.

First, the investor will lose the right to initiate a lawsuit under ISDS if he has complied with the complaint proceedings in the Vietnamese courts. The choice to settle at a Vietnamese tribunal shall be definitive and exclusive, preventing the investor from submitting the claim to any other arbitration tribunal. Hence, to avoid nullification of their benefits under the CPTPP, investors should carefully consider which forum they wish to settle the dispute before filing their complaints.

Examples of international forums that investors can choose from are the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), the ICSID Rules of Procedure for Arbitration Proceedings, the ICSID Additional Facility Rules, the The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law. Arbitration Rules, or another arbitration institution that both parties agree to. In setting up the panel, the foreign investor will select one panellist and review all three before the resolution procedure begins to make sure that arbitrators are free of bias. Each arbitrators expertise shall also be examined by both parties.

Additionally, guidelines and other relevant rules can also be submitted for the arbitrators to comply to on top of the applicable international rules. When the tribunal makes the final award, it may award monetary damages or restitution of property and any applicable interest in lieu of restitution only for the loss that has incurred to the investment. Hence, the investor will be responsible for proving that the breach on Vietnams part was the cause of his damage. Costs and attorneys fees incurred by investors may also be remedied. Finally, if the tribunal rules in favour of the investor, but Vietnam refuses to carry out the decision, the foreign investor may appeal to his CPTPP home country to request suspensions of benefits for Vietnam until the country eliminates non-conformity, nullification or expropriation.

On the other hand, in the case that the investor does not agree to the tribunals decision, the investor may submit written comments to address any problem he sees in the decision within the 60-day comment period after the proposed decision is issued.

Under certain CPTPP bilateral agreements, there are some digressions from the main mechanisms that the CPTPP sets out for ISDS system. For example, New Zealand and Vietnam agreed not to recourse to dispute settlement against the governments of each addressing country under Section B of Chapter 9 unless the government specifically consents the application of such dispute. This bilateral agreement restricts some freedom on investors part to file disputes for arbitration. In this case, investors from New Zealand can still resort to another mechanism in accordance with the law of Vietnam or other treaties to which Vietnam and New Zealand are contracting parties.

Overall, investors now benefit from a comprehensive set of protection provisions, including protections against discrimination, expropriation without due process, and compensation together with the mechanism to resolve disputes between states and investors. When fully enforced, the CPTPP will add another layer of legal protection for prospective foreign investors wishing to invest in Vietnam. However, Vietnam would also need to prepare to deal with disputes between the state and foreign investors in the future.
Wary of Ferrari challenge: Mercedes star Lewis Hamilton AFP/Asanka Brendon RATNAYAKE

Hamilton, who came home second in a damaged car behind in-form team-mate Valtteri Bottas, said he was delighted, but surprised by Mercedes' comprehensive maximum points showing in Melbourne.

The five-time champion said that he, like most observers, had felt that Ferrari were the fastest team in pre-season testing and favourites to set the pace at the Albert Park track where a fired-up Bottas dominated.

"I think everyone was surprised by our showing in Australia," he said.

"No-one was expecting to see a gap like that with Ferrari. They were ahead - that is what we saw in testing - but it wasn't the case that weekend.

"We just did our normal job, but I am sure they will come back strong. So, we have to be ready and we have to stay on our toes."

Ferrari's four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel, who finished fourth behind Red Bull's Max Verstappen in Australia, will be seeking his third straight victory in Bahrain in Sunday's race.

Like his new team chief Mattia Binotto, the German hopes that Ferrari's disappointing Australian race was merely a blip.

"In Bahrain, we have to ensure that we have understood and rectified the areas where we were weak in Australia, which therefore meant we were unable to fully exploit our car's potential," said Binotto.

"We expect to see the effect of the corrections we have made, but we are well aware that our competitors will once again be very strong. With that in mind, we are keen to get back on track and face them."

The two Ferraris, with Vettel fourth and new boy Charles Leclerc fifth, were a minute adrift of Mercedes in Melbourne, a gap that team boss Toto Wolff said he did not expect to see repeated.

"We've seen the potential of Ferrari's package in Barcelona and we expect them to come back strong in Bahrain," he said, adding that he believed Red Bull would also ?be in the mix."

"Claiming a maximum 44 points from the first race was a fantastic result," Wolff added.

"But the fight has only just begun. Ferrari will try everything they can to hit back and Melbourne showed that Red Bull should have something to say in the fight, too."

The 5.4km Sakhir circuit is expected to be kinder to Ferrari than the semi-street track in Melbourne.

The Italian outfit will also be boosted by their record in Bahrain where they are the most successful team with six wins, including last year's success for Vettel which followed a front row lockout of the grid.

After his stunning success in Australia, where he said he drove the "race of my life", Bottas will be intent on endorsing his new-found speed and aggression in Sunday's floodlit race.

A three-team battle looks likely with Hamilton also keen to regain supremacy and ensure that he does not allow Bottas to gain early season control in the title race.
Deputy Minister Vu Dai Thang speaking at the launching ceremony of the NIIS project

Today (March 28), the Ministry of Planning and Investment in collaboration with the Korea International Co-operation Agency (KOICA) held the launching ceremony of the project for The development of the national investment information system (NIIS) for the private sector.

Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Vu Dai Thang and country director of KOICA to Vietnam Kim Jin Oh co-chaired the ceremony, which was attended by representatives of ministries, branches, some localities, and some international organisations.

The project for the development of the NIIS for private sector aims to (i) build data on foreign investment into Vietnam and overseas investment, to serve as the foundation for the formulation of investment policies; (ii) integrate and share data with other national information systems; (iii) develop searching tools and provide information for investors and businesses on investment and business in Vietnam.

At the launching ceremony, Deputy Minister Vu Dai Thang thanked KOICA for the aid and confirmed that the development of the project would contribute significantly to building e-government, reforming administrative procedures, making investment procedures more transparent, and facilitating foreign investors doing business in the country. The deputy minister called for a collaboration by all ministries, agencies, and localities to deploy the NIIS for private sector in the time coming.

On the sponsors side, Kim Jin Oh, KOICA country director, highlighted the importance of the project and confirmed that this is one of the priority projects of the South Korean government in South Asia, where Vietnam is considered a key partner.

The project has been funded by non-refundable aid from KOICA and is operated by the MPI, and was approved by Decision No.1310/QD-TTg on September 6, 2017. The two sides signed the Record of Discussion (ROD) last year to affirm the three components of the project, including consultancy, developing the information system, and management.

South Korea and Vietnam have just celebrated 25 years of diplomatic relations and congratulating each other on the outstanding achievements created through bilateral and multilateral co-operation.

South Korea is Vietnams largest FDI partner with $64 billion of total registered capital and the second-largest development co-operation and tourism partner, and the third largest trade partner. The two countries target to raise two-way trade turnover to $100 billion by 2020 from $65.7 billion in 2018.

In South Koreas co-operation strategy with Vietnam in the 2016-2020 period, the four priority sectors are transportation, public administration, healthcare, as well as education and training. Thereby, the project for The development of the NIIS for the private sector is under the second priority sector, which aims to strengthen the state management of investment and to accelerate investment procedures.
US President Donald Trump met with Fabiana Rosales, wife of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, and demanded Russia end support for president Nicolas Maduro. (AFP/SAUL LOEB)

Russia's deployment of troops and equipment to bolster Maduro has ratcheted up already high international tension in Venezuela where the Trump administration is pushing hard for regime change amid mounting chaos in the once rich country.

"Russia has to get out," Trump said at the White House alongside Fabiana Rosales, wife of opposition leader Juan Guaido, who has been recognised by the United States and more than 50 other countries as Venezuela's interim president in place of Maduro.

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova dismissed Trump's demand, asking in return why US troops were still in parts of Syria, where the Assad regime relies heavily on Russia support.

"He said the United States would withdraw from Syria a month ago," she was quoted as saying by Interfax news agency. "Before deciding the fate of another country I advise fulfilling promises made to the international community."

Russia, one of the major countries that still recognizes Maduro as leader, sent two planes carrying 100 troops and tons of military equipment to Venezuela on Saturday.

Maduro is presiding over economic chaos, with the oil-rich country unable to provide basic medical and even food supplies to much of the population.

US MILITARY EYEING VENEZUELA?

The high-profile reception given to Rosales was the Trump administration's latest bid to boost Guaido, who is under severe pressure from Maduro. On Thursday, she will meet with US First Lady Melania Trump in Florida.

Trump said "all options are on the table" when asked by journalists if the United States was considering military action to back up a major campaign of economic sanctions aimed at crippling the Maduro government's finances.

"They've got a lot of pressure right now. They have no money, they have no oil, they have no nothing. They've got plenty of pressure right now. They have no electricity," he said.

"Other than military you can't get any more pressure than they have ... All options are open."

Trump has made the veiled threat before but appeared to push it further this time.

"He's been very clear when he says all options are on the table," Trump's national security advisor John Bolton told reporters at the White House.

"He's very determined to see this through," Bolton said. "To minimise the suffering of the Venezuelan people we think it's important to bring this to a conclusion as soon as possible."

Testifying before Congress, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reiterated that the United States did not plan to negotiate with Maduro.

"I must say that there is no evidence that there is any value in speaking with Maduro at this time. His time has come, his time has gone, it's time for him to leave," he said.

Pompeo appeared to confirm that talks were taking place to find a way for Maduro to go into exile. Representative Albio Sires asked Pompeo whether Mexico and Norway, which have both offered to broker an end to the crisis, could find a way to move Maduro out of Venezuela.

"Yes, I've personally been in conversations with each of those two governments," Pompeo replied.

Earlier, Rosales met separately with Vice President Mike Pence, who plays a major role in the administration's aggressive stand against Maduro, and who also called out Russia.

He said "the United States views Russia's arrival of military planes this weekend as an unwelcome provocation and we call on Russia today to cease all support for the Maduro regime."

"Guaido is the only legitimate president of Venezuela. Venezuela is in crisis after years of dictatorship and oppression," Pence said.
Security remains a key consideration for consumers across Southeast Asia

Visas roadmap focuses on a number of key initiatives such as that relates to devalue data by removing the sensitive data from the ecosystem and making stolen account details useless, or that on harnessing data by identifying potential fraud before it occurs and increase confidence in approving good transactions.

The initiatives also cover data protection by implementing safeguards to protect personal data as well as account details while empower everyone, including accountholders, third party providers and merchants, to play an active role in securing payments.

We are proud to be launching our Vietnam Future of Security Roadmap. Securing the commerce ecosystem is our highest priority and one we view as a shared responsibility between payment networks, consumers, banks, and the government, said Dang Tuyet Dung, Visas country manager for Vietnam and Lao.

Technology has enabled new innovative ways to pay and be paid, but it has also brought unique risks. To stay ahead of fraud, we need to work together and give security the same attention and investment as we do the innovations driving new commerce experiences, she added.

The release of Visas roadmap comes at a time of rapid change for payments in Vietnam with innovations such as mobile payments to enhance the payment experience for consumers.

The release of Visas Roadmap comes at a time of rapid change for payments in Vietnam with innovations such as mobile payments to enhance the payment experience for consumers.

According to Visas recent Consumer Payment Attitude study security remains a key consideration for consumers across Southeast Asia with 67 per cent concerned about the safety of their personal information when using their mobile phone to make payments.

When asked specifically about what their top three concerns were when using their mobile phones to make payments, consumers in Vietnam said losing their phones or having their phones stolen, their phones getting hacked or someone intercepting their data, and malware or viruses being installed on their phones.

Visa works with industry stakeholders including financial institutions, merchants, policy makers, law enforcement and account holders to secure payments. The Visa Future of Security Roadmap is the product of comprehensive consultations and collaboration, making it an authoritative document on Vietnamese payments security.

Visa is delivering roadmaps around the world to ensure the security of the global commerce ecosystem, as well as working with Vietnamese industry bodies to align security initiatives.


By Park Hyong-ki





The country's economy will soon start reeling from a demographic shock as the population will start to decline faster this year, according to a report by Statistics Korea, Thursday.



This is because of two factors  the declining birthrate and superfast aging.



The number of elderly people passing away is expected to exceed that of newborns beginning this year, the statistics agency noted.



This will push down the population from 51.4 million in 2017 to 39.3 million in 2067.






In reaction to the latest remarks from the Pakistan prime minister about the formation of an interim government in Afghanistan, the Afghan government has recalled its ambassador and summoned Pakistan deputy ambassador to Afghanistan to lodge a formal protest.

Atif Mashal, the Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan, announced in a tweet Tuesday:

Talking to a group of reporters, Prime Minister Imran Khan, reportedly called for the formation of a neutral interim government, in Afghanistan to help the ongoing peace talks with the insurgents.

The Afghan peace process can only be successful if there is a neutral interim government, which can hold free and transparent elections to be participated by all the stakeholders, the Express Tribune Pakistani newspaper Tuesday quoted Khan as telling a group of journalists in his office.

Out of context

Pakistans foreign office said Wednesday that Khans comments have been taken out of context.

Pakistan has no other interest in Afghanistan but to promote peace through an Afghan owned and Afghan led political process, Pakistans foreign office said in a statement.

The prime minister was only referring to Pakistans model, where elections are held under an interim government. The comments should not be misinterpreted to imply interference in Afghanistans internal affairs, the statement added.

Sebghat Ahmadi, a spokesperson of the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, however, said Khans remarks have not been taken out of context and that they amount to a clear act of interference.

The issue [remarks] has absolutely not been misunderstood. Things have been very clear. Others have also emphasized and called it out, Ahmadi said, referring to tweets by U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan John Bass and U.S. Special Representative for Afghan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad.

Tweets

Khalilzad took to Twitter Tuesday and criticized Khan over his latest remarks about Afghanistan.

Bass, the U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan, also criticized Khans comments and urged the Pakistani leader to control his temptation to ball-tamper with the Afghan peace process.

We have no doubt, based on the past experiences, that an interim government would take Afghanistan back to square one. The people of Afghanistan are seriously concerned about this, Bashir Bezhan, a Kabul-based political analyst said, referring to how an interim government that was supposed to pave the way for elections in the 1990s following the Soviet Union withdrawal from Afghanistan actually led to a bloody civil war in the country.

If Pakistanis truly want to help Afghanistan, they should help with convincing the Taliban to engage in talks and make peace with the Afghan government since the country has the means to do that, Ishaq Atmar, another Kabul-based analyst said.

Overreaction?

Other experts charge that U.S and Afghan officials are overreacting to Khans comments.

The U.S. is having a direct dialogue with Taliban without the Afghan government but the Afghan government is not reacting on it as strongly. They are overreacting on Pakistan PMs statement and this backlash is uncalled for, Hassan Askari Rizvi, a Pakistan-based analyst, said.

The probability of many changes are on the table  there is a strong chance the current Afghan government will not remain intact if both the Taliban and U.S reach an agreement. Pakistans prime minister have indicated towards this possibility in an indirect approach, Rizvi added.

Its not just about Imran Khans statement. Many other circles have hinted towards it before, even U.S. has in the past said that there will be an interim setup in Kabul before the elections.  Afghan government has overreacted on the matter, said Najam Rafiq, another analyst following the developments.

US-Afghan tensions

Since the beginning of the direct talks between the U.S. and Taliban to end the 17-year conflict in the country, the Afghan government, though supportive of the U.S. efforts in public, has expressed concerns and frustrations in private over being excluded.

WATCH: Afghanistan War: Facts From the 17-Year Conflict

The frustration of Kabul over the U.S. peace talks with the insurgents erupted in public earlier this month when Afghan National Security Adviser Hamdullah Mohib accused Khalilzad, the U.S. special representative, of having an eye on the Afghan presidency.

Mohibs remarks were met with strong reaction to date from the State Department, which reportedly instructed U.S. officials not deal with him anymore.

On Monday, a U.S. delegation reportedly walked out of a meeting at the Afghan presidential palace, where President Ashraf Ghani was meeting a number of diplomats, when they saw the Afghan national security adviser, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

The Afghan government has not made an official announcement yet, but there are reports that the Afghan president is considering to replace his national security adviser to ease tensions with the U.S.

Spoiler?

With looming elections in a few months, current and former U.S. officials told Reuters that Ghani might position himself to spoil the ongoing negotiations.

(Ghanis worried) there could be some agreement for an interim government and hell be on the outside looking in, a U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters.

Bill Roggio, editor of The Long War Journal, which closely monitors the Afghan conflict, believes that Ghanis concerns are justified.

I certainly think Ghani would definitely be seeking to be president of Afghanistan again but I dont think he is wrong about the government being locked out of the peace talks. ... They have no reason to trust the Taliban that refuses to talk them, Roggio said.

Reuters, VOAs Mohammad Habibzada and Madeeha Anwar contributed to this report
Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's days seemed numbered Wednesday, as the country's ruling party and top labor union joined cascading calls for the ailing 82-year-old leader to resign.

But the biggest catalyst may have come the day before, when the head of Algeria's powerful armed forces, Gen. Ahmed Gaid Salah, demanded that a constitutional process be set in motion to determine whether Bouteflika, rarely seen in public and confined to a wheelchair since a 2013 stroke, is unfit for office.

As with the 2011 revolution in neighboring Tunisia, the military is again in the spotlight during this current popular uprising in vast, oil-rich Algeria. Until now, it has largely remained on the sidelines of the monthlong uprising that has drawn hundreds of thousands to the streets. The mass protests forced Bouteflika to renounce a fifth term in office earlier this month, but left him in power for an indefinite transition period.

In Tunisia, demonstrators hailed the army as a hero for siding with the street and supporting the democratic transition of the first Arab Spring uprising. The role of Algeria's armed forces may be far more pivotal, analysts say, in determining whether it realizes a similarly trajectory, or tips into turmoil.

In both cases, history has helped to shape the roles of both institutions. Tunisia's armed forces had little stake in supporting the regime of autocratic ex-president Zine el Abidine Ben Ali, a former officer who came to power in a peaceful coup and then made sure the military stayed weak, analysts say.

By contrast, Algeria's army has been a powerful player since independence, a force deeply entrenched in the political system with a mixed reputation in the eyes of ordinary Algerians, as both longtime protector of the nation but also of the current, discredited regime.

"Algeria is an army that has a state," said International Crisis Group North Africa analyst Michel Ayari. "Tunisia is a state with an army."

A close ally changes sides

Appointed by Bouteflika in 2004 to head the armed forces, General Salah, who is also Algeria's deputy defense minister, has long been considered a close presidential ally. Last year, he presided over a high-level shakeup reportedly ordered by Bouteflika, which saw more than a dozen military and security officers lose their jobs.

Some analysts considered it laying the ground for a rocky period ahead as Bouteflika bid for another term in office despite his age and infirmity.

But in recent weeks, the army chief has sided with the street, saying the protest movement supported "noble aims.

"We must adopt a solution that helps us out of this crisis  a solution that respects and adheres to the constitution so that it's a suitable one for all sides," Salah said in a televised address Tuesday.

He threw his weight behind a constitutional process that may pave the way for Algeria's senate leader to become short-term caretaker president, if Bouteflika is found unfit.

The move, France's Le Monde newspaper wrote, amounted to a crucial "rupture between the army and Bouteflika."

Others see it as a bid for stability at a time when Algeria faces serious economic and security challenges.

"Many officers and generals were sympathetic to the protest movement, and agreed there was need for change and that Bouteflika and his clan needed to cede power," said analyst Ayari.

"They intervened early to avoid deepening the democratic demands," he added, "which if they intensify, could even lead to an attack on the army."

Many protesters, however, have been underwhelmed by Salah's U-turn, suggesting the army should follow Bouteflika to the exit.

"The population doesn't accept it," youth opposition leader Addad Hakim told French radio, reacting to the general's speech. "On social networks and in the street, people are going to keep demonstrating, not just for the departure of a man or a clan, but for a whole system."

But the military is also seen a potentially crucial arbiter in the months to come.

"Having the army a guarantor of a positive exit to the current crisis is possible and even desirable," wrote Algeria's leading independent El Watan daily. "It's practically the only institution standing, largely united and patriotic."

"The army has an important role to play to guarantee the state's stability and the political transition," agreed Brahim Oumansour, North Africa analyst at the French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs, although whether it will remain an impartial arbiter is unclear.

Marked by independence

Tunisia achieved its independence largely peacefully and its leaders deliberately kept the country's military weak, analysts say.

During its 2011 uprising, the army earned support from the street by refusing to back President Ben Ali. But Ayari, of the Crisis Group, believes it largely stayed within its traditional role.

"It reacted to the 2011 uprising as it had before  by maintaining peace," he said, an expertise acquired during stints by Tunisian forces as U.N. peacekeepers elsewhere. "The army was seen in this romantic way as refusing to fire on the public. But it was actually much more pragmatic  more of a corporate reaction of applying procedure."

Algeria's army, by contrast, succeeded from the country's independence fighters who waged a brutal and protracted war with France. Along with the state and the ruling National Liberation Front party, it has since been a dominating force.

When Islamists seemed poised to win Algeria's local elections in 1992, the army canceled the vote, triggering a bloody civil war that killed roughly 150,000 people. Elected in 1999, Bouteflika was credited with ushering in peace and reconciliation. Strikingly, he was also Algeria's first long-term civilian president since independence.

While Algeria's army crushed the Islamists, its role in the conflict remained opaque, including in the thousands of disappearances that remain unsolved.

How the armed forces will react to this current period of turmoil remains unknown.

"Will it be a politically transition completely controlled by the army  as some fear?" asked analyst Oumansour. For the moment however, he said, "there is a real will not to directly intervene in the political process."
Influential figures in Washington are calling for the establishment of a bilateral free-trade agreement with Taiwan, even as U.S. and Chinese officials move toward a resolution of their long-running trade dispute.



"We have a lot of issues with Beijing, and a lot of opportunities with Taiwan," said Edwin J. Feulner in an interview with VOA. Feulner is the founder and former president of the Heritage Foundation, an influential think tank in Washington known for its conservative views and ties with the Republican Party.



Feulner thinks trade negotiations between Washington and Beijing will most likely conclude within 60 days, at which point a full-force push for a bilateral trade agreement with Taiwan could begin. Those talks would be "more or less independent of what's going on with bilateral negotiations with Beijing," he said.

WATCH: Feulner: Taiwan Not Seen by Administration as 'Bargaining Chip'

Feulner predicted "huge bipartisan support on Capitol Hill" for such an agreement. "Both Republican and Democrat, both House and Senate members, are overwhelmingly positive that a free China can exist, and can be there in the world community today," he said.

WATCH: Feulner: 'We Intend to Strengthen Our Friends'

However, any such deal could be expected to anger authorities in Beijing, who see Taiwan as a renegade Chinese province and adamantly oppose any initiatives that treat the island as an independent country or entity.



The international community has seen how Beijing tries to make Taiwan pay for any inroads it makes toward international recognition, said Scott W. Harold, a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation, a global policy research group. But Beijing's problem, he said, "is that they've dialed the pain up so high, so often, that it's hard to see what more they can do."

On Wednesday, Feulner invited Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen to participate by Skype in a conference at the Heritage Foundation in Washington. Tsai, on a stopover in Hawaii after visiting three Indo-Pacific nations that still maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan, told the audience her government was enthusiastic about the prospect of bilateral trade talks with the U.S.

"If we can have a breakthrough in trade with the U.S., this will be very helpful in terms of encouraging many other trading partners to do the same," she said, adding that a trade deal with the United States would reduce Taipei's reliance on China "as they increase their political influence in Taiwan, primarily using economic actors."

Tsai expressed hope that talks with Washington will include discussion about Taiwan's role in the global high-tech supply chain "amid concerns of technology theft and control over 5G networks" by Beijing.



Two prominent members of the U.S. Congress joined Feulner in welcoming Tsai to the U.S. and expressed their support for a bilateral free-trade agreement. Sen. Cory Gardner of Colorado, a Republican and a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, called the pursuit of a bilateral free-trade agreement with Taiwan "imperative."



Common values

Rep. Ted Yoho of Florida, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the most senior Republican on its subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific and Nonproliferation, told Tsai and the audience that "trade is important between our nations, but more important than that is our common belief in the values we hold, the democracies that we have together. That in itself is the thing that really binds us together."



Steve Yates, former U.S. government official and longtime observer of U.S.-Taiwan relations, told VOA that President Donald Trump has "unhesitatingly signed" a series of resolutions and bills in support of closer ties between Washington and Taipei. To him, this signals it might be time "for the administration and Congress to be able to cross that bridge and get some results."
Britain's Parliament on Wednesday turned down multiple alternatives to the government's twice-rejected deal for leaving the European Union, leaving the future of Brexit more uncertain than ever.



The House of Commons took over Brexit from Prime Minister Theresa May, who had failed to secure approval of a deal.

Lawmakers began debate Wednesday with 16 separate plans. Negotiators reduced that number to eight, which were brought to votes. All were rejected.



Among the alternatives turned down was one that would have kept Britain in a customs union with the EU, and one that would have put the question of leaving the EU to another referendum.



The EU has given Britain until April 12 to let members know what it plans to do, or it will leave the EU with no exit plan in place, which could lead to economic chaos.

Stephen Barclay, Britain's Brexit secretary, said the fact that eight different proposals failed was another sign that May's plan "was the best option."



May said Wednesday that she would step down as prime minister "earlier than I intended" if lawmakers adopted the plan she negotiated with the EU.



"I know there is a desire for a new approach and new leadership in the second phase of the Brexit negotiations, and I won't stand in the way of that," she said.



May has said she will consider support for other plans as "indicative votes," but has refused to say whether she will adhere to the result.



Vote led to turmoil

Britons voted nearly three years ago to leave the EU. But as last week's scheduled departure date grew near, so did turmoil over terms of the deal May negotiated with EU leaders.



The contention over May's plan centers on trade and the border crossing between EU member Ireland and British-controlled Northern Ireland, which local residents routinely cross daily without stopping.



May hopes to put her plan up for another vote, despite the decisive earlier losses.

Pro-Brexit members of her Conservative Party had called for her resignation, but until Wednesday she had resisted.



"It is my sense of responsibility and duty that has meant I have kept working to ensure Brexit is delivered," she said.



Labor Party leader Jeremy Corbyn contended May was "unable to compromise and unable to reunite the country." He said May must "either listen and change course or go."
Britain's House of Commons has rejected for a third time a withdrawal plan backed by Prime Minister Theresa May in a vote on the day Britain originally was scheduled to leave the European Union. Two-hundred-eighty-six lawmakers voted for the plan but were outvoted by the 344 votes against.

In response, Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, has called a European Council meeting for April 10. The EU has given Britain until April 12 to let members know what it plans to do.

Leaving the EU with no exit plan could cause economic chaos.

On Wednesday, Parliament turned down 16 different alternatives to Prime Minister May's deal for Britain to split from the EU. Negotiators reduced that number to eight, which were brought to votes. The options included keeping Britain in a customs union with the EU, and one that would have put the question of leaving the EU to another voter referendum.

All final eight ideas were rejected, although the idea of entering into a customs union came closest to winning majority support. Another proposal, holding a second Brexit referendum, also garnered a great deal of support.

The House of Commons took over Brexit planning from Prime Minister May after she tried and failed twice to pass her deal. The contention over Mays plan centers on trade and the border crossing between EU member Ireland and British-controlled Northern Ireland, which local residents routinely cross daily without stopping.

Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party staunchly opposed the plan.

Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn responded to Friday's vote by asking if May "finally accepts" the deal will not pass in Parliament. He said members of Parliament will have the chance on Monday to decide on a "better deal for the future of this country." He said if May couldn't accept that, she must step down.

May said Wednesday she would step down as prime minister "earlier than I intended" if lawmakers adopt the plan she negotiated with the European Union.

"I know there is a desire for a new approach and new leadership in the second phase of the Brexit negotiations, and I won't stand in the way of that," she said Wednesday.

Britons voted nearly three years ago to leave the EU. But as last week's scheduled departure date grew near, so did turmoil over terms of the deal May negotiated with EU leaders.
Federal regulators Wednesday defended the practice of letting aircraft builders certify the safety of their own planes.

The Senate called Wednesday's hearing following the deadly crashes of two Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets because of suspected problems with anti-stall software.

The head of the Federal Aviation Administration, Daniel Elwell, told the panel the agency would need another $1.8 billion a year and 10,000 new employees to do all the work now farmed out to aircraft workers.

He reminded the senators that those employees who certify the safety of the airplanes that they build themselves are specially chosen and supervised by the FAA.

Elwell said the fact that out of millions of commercial flights, there has been just one airline death in the United States in the past 10 years is "part of the fabric of what we have used to become as safe as we are today."

But Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said letting companies that build the planes certify them as safe is putting "the fox in charge of the henhouse."

"The fact is that the FAA decided to do safety on the cheap, which is neither safe nor cheap," he said.

Texas Republican Ted Cruz, who called Wednesdays hearing, said there has been concern about what he says is the closeness between the FAA and Boeing, the Chicago-based manufacturer who builds the 737 MAX.

Boeing said Wednesday it does not need and does not want any more federal regulation on how it designs, builds, and tests planes.
A new report from Human Rights Watch says Cameroon's military has killed scores of people and burned down hundreds of homes in its campaign against separatists in the country's Anglophone regions. Cameroon is rejecting the report as grossly biased.

Government spokesperson Rene Emmanuel Sadi read a communique on

Cameroon state radio CRTV, saying troops fighting separatists in the country's northwest and southwest regions have remained professional in protecting its citizens.

The communique said although soldiers in the English-speaking regions have been victims of relentless attacks from separatist forces, they have not stopped protecting people and their property. It added that in no situation have the forces torched houses or indiscriminately shot at citizens.

The acts of bravery and patriotism exhibited by the soldiers is exemplary, the communique stated.

That message has been repeated over and over in reaction to the latest report from Humans Rights Watch, which accuses Cameroon's military of killing scores of civilians, using indiscriminate force, and torching hundreds of homes over the past six months.

The report said that in one case, Cameroonian security forces attacked the village of Abuh in the northwest region and burned an entire neighborhood to the ground. It included satellite images and photographs as evidence.

Separatist violence



The report also said armed separatists have assaulted and kidnapped dozens of people, executing at least two men amid intensifying violence and growing calls for secession of the northwest and southwest regions.

All kidnap victims were released, most after a ransom was paid, according to the report.

Ilaria Allegrozzi, senior central African researcher for Human Rights Watch, said since October, at least 170 civilians have been killed in more than 220 incidents in the two regions.

"We have accounts from victims with material evidence, including photographic and video evidence, satellite imagery, showing the destruction of homes and also medical records," she said. "Ahead of the publication of this report we have also shared our findings with the government. And we have sought its response which we have incorporated. Nevertheless we do maintain our independence and impartiality."

"Allegrozzi said Cameroon's government should do more to improve its human rights record."

"We understand that the government might not share all our findings," she added, "but we firmly stand by these findings and we stand by the victims of abuses we documented and whose rights we want to see protected."

Yvonne Mumah Bih, a civil society activist in Cameroon, also said the military is committing abuses.

"To tell you how deep this problem is," she said, "look at the number of youths that have lost their lives. Should we continue in that order? I say no. Why has it become a situation where civilians are killed? It is time we talked of humanizing the military."

Human Rights Watch is calling on both the government and the separatists to restore the rule of law and bring peace that has been absent from the English-speaking regions of Cameroon for three years.

The unrest began in 2016 when English-speaking teachers and lawyers demonstrated against the growing dominance of French in the officially bilingual country.
Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff forcefully and dramatically defended his continued probe of U.S. President Donald Trump's ties to Russia amid demands from the president and other Republicans that he resign from the panel he heads.

Schiff is chairman of the powerful House Intelligence Committee. Despite Attorney General Robert Barr saying the Mueller report clears Trump of collusion, Schiff contends Trump's actions before and after the election prove his guilt.

"I think it's immoral, I think it's unethical, I think it's unpatriotic, and yes, I think it's corrupt. And evidence of collusion," Schiff said at the start of a committee hearing Thursday.

The California congressman pointed to contacts between Trump associates and Russians  some of which the associates lied about  and the president's continued pursuit of a Russian real estate deal after he was elected.

Schiff also fired remarks at House Republicans, who he accused of approving Trump's behavior.

"You might say that's all OK. You might say that's just what you need to do to win. But I don't think it's OK," Schiff remarked. "And the day we do think that's OK is the day we will look back and say that is the day that America lost its way."

Earlier Thursday, Trump demanded on Twitter that Schiff quit after years of "lying and leaking."

Trump didn't specify what lies Schiff is supposed to have told; there is also no proof that Schiff leaked any information to the press.

House Republicans picked up on Trump's insistence that Schiff resign, at least from the intelligence committee.

"We have no faith in your ability to discharge your duties," Mike Conway of Texas told him.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi defended Schiff and called Trump and Republicans who want his resignation "scaredy-cats...afraid of the truth. They're afraid of competence."

Pelosi also demanded Attorney General Barr hand over the entire Mueller report, which is said to exceed 300 pages. She and other Democrats say they do not want another Barr summary.

"No thank you, Mr. Attorney General. We do not need your interpretation. Show us the report and we'll come to our own conclusions," she said.

This week, Barr gave Congress and the public a four-page summary of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's 22 month-long probe into alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

According to Barr, Mueller wrote that Trump and his associates did not conspire with Russia. On the question of obstruction of justice by trying to derail the probe, Mueller could not reach a conclusion but did not "exonerate" the president.

Mueller turned the obstruction question over to Barr and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. Barr wrote the two could not find evidence of criminal intent on Trump's part.

Trump had spent two years calling the Mueller probe a witch hunt and now wants an investigation of the investigation.

But Democrats have latched on to Mueller writing that he could not exonerate the president and want to see the entire report, as well as whatever evidence Mueller used to reach his conclusions.

House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler has given Barr until April 2 to hand over the report. But a Justice Department official said it may be weeks before it is ready to pass along.
Traffic speeds through an intersection at night in southern Seoul. GETTYIMAGESBANK



South Korea's statistics agency forecast Thursday that the country's population is likely to peak at 51.94 million in 2028 before declining to 39.29 million in 2067.



The demographic outlook came as deaths are set to outnumber births in Asia's fourth-largest economy beginning in 2019.



South Korea plans to set up a government task force next month to come up with comprehensive measures to tackle demographic challenges.



The number of newborns in South Korea came to 326,900 in 2018, a sharp decline from a high of 1 million in 1970, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea.



In 2018, South Korea's total fertility rate  the average number of children a woman bears in her lifetime  hit a record low of 0.98, much lower than the replacement level of 2.1 that would keep South Korea's population stable at 51 million.



The statistics office said South Korea's total fertility rate could remain below 1 until 2024 before edging back to above 1 in 2025 and reaching 1.27 in 2040.



The agency forecast that the number of newborns in South Korea could hover around 290,000 in 2021 before falling to around 210,000 in 2067.



It also said total deaths could reach more than 400,000 in 2028 before rising to 740,000 in 2067, compared with 290,000 in 2017.



The decline in childbirths is blamed on a sharp fall in the number of marriages.



Some young South Koreans are opting to distance themselves from life's three major milestones  dating, marriage and having children  because they cannot find decent jobs amid a prolonged economic slowdown.



The decline in childbirths could reduce the working-age population  those aged between 15 and 65  while increasing the ratio of older people, a situation that could place heavy financial burden on young people.



The working-age population is expected to come to 33.95 million in 2030 before falling to 17.84 million in 2067, compared with 37.57 million in 2017.



Meanwhile, the number of South Koreans aged 65 years or older could account for 20 percent in 2025 and surpass 40 percent in 2051, compared with 13.8 percent of the country's population in 2017.



A country is defined as an aged society when more than 14 percent of its people are 65 or older.



The statistics agency said every 100 working-age people should support 37 people  who are aged younger than 15 or aged over 65  in 2017. The ratio is the lowest among the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a group of 36 mostly rich nations.



But South Korea's ratio is forecast to jump to 117.8 in 2065, the highest among the OECD member states. It means that every 100 working-age people will have to support 117.8 people. (Yonhap)


The leader of Australias far-right One Nation party is under fire after she was captured on camera suggesting that a deadly mass shooting that led to the countrys strict gun control laws was part of a conspiracy.

Senator Pauline Hansons comments were part of footage in a documentary produced by Qatar-based Al Jazeera news channel that depicts two party officials seeking donations from the U.S.-based National Rifle Association to help the partys effort to weaken the laws.

Hanson is shown telling an Al Jazeera journalist posing as a gun lobbyist that she has a lot of questions about the 1996 shooting that left 35 people dead in Port Arthur, Tasmania.

Ballot ranking

The revelation has prompted Prime Minister Scott Morrison of the Liberal Party to rank One Nation below the opposition Labor Party on voter ballots in the upcoming general ballot in May. Under Australias election system, voters rank parties in order of preference, which could shut out smaller, marginal parties such as One Nation.

Morrison told reporters Thursday his decision is based on our strong view about the sanctity of Australias gun laws and to ensure that at no stage that those things should ever be put at risk.

Hanson defended herself in her own news conference, which she called a day of shame for Australian media outlets who were sold a story that is too good to be true. She said the footage had been heavily edited, and that her party will never water down gun policy in this country.

She also slammed Morrison as a fool for deciding to place Labor ahead of One Nation on the voter ballots.

Documentary

The documentary allegedly depicts One Nation state leader Steve Dickson and James Ashby, Hansons chief of staff, meeting with officials of the gun lobbying organization in Washington in September 2018. The two politicians are recorded discussing their hopes of receiving a $20 million donation from the NRA and other U.S.-based gun lobbying groups.

The two men said the money could allow them to seize control of Australias House and Senate and reverse the nations gun control laws.

Ashby is also recorded saying if the donations became public it would rock the boat.

A person identified as an NRA lobbyist is seen telling Dickson and Ashby that weakening Australias gun laws would prove a boost to the U.S. pro-gun movement, as it would eliminate Australia as an example for gun control activists in the United States.

The meeting was held just weeks before the Australian parliament passed a law to ban foreign political donations.

The Al Jazeera report also casts an unflattering spotlight on the right-wing party in the aftermath of this months shooting spree at two mosques in New Zealand that left 50 Muslim worshippers dead. An avowed Australian white supremacist has been charged with murder in connection with the massacre.
The Venezuelan government of President Nicolas Maduro said Thursday that it had stripped opposition leader Juan Guaido of the right to hold public office for 15 years, a sharp escalation of the political unrest in the South American country.

But soon after the announcement on state television, Guaido said, "We're going to continue in the streets" to protest Maduro's hold on power.



Guaido, the leader of Venezuela's opposition-controlled National Assembly, is recognized by the U.S. and 50 other countries as the nation's interim president, but Maduro has clung to power amid power blackouts, street demonstrations led by Guaido, widespread poverty and frequent condemnation of his rule from world leaders.



The political ban against Guaido was announced by Auditor General Elvis Amoroso. He said Guaido, who invoked the country's constitution in January to assume the interim presidency, had inconsistencies in his personal financial disclosures and was spending more than his income would seem to allow.



Guaido has said he expects continued efforts by Maduro to try to block him from assuming outright control of the government.



The United Nations has estimated that about a quarter of Venezuelans need humanitarian assistance, including food and basic services.



Maduro, who is backed by Russia, has said no crisis exists and blames U.S. sanctions for the country's moribund economy.



Russia sent about 100 military personnel to Venezuela last weekend and 35 tons of cargo in support of Maduro. Moscow has ignored U.S. demands that it send the servicemen back home.
A Maltese special operations team Thursday boarded a tanker that had been hijacked by migrants it rescued at sea, and returned control to the captain, Maltas armed forces said.

The tanker was being escorted to a Maltese port, where the migrants will be turned over to police for investigation, they said.

Authorities in Italy and Malta on Wednesday said that the migrants had hijacked the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1 after it rescued them in the Mediterranean Sea, and forced the crew to put the Libya-bound vessel on a course north toward Europe.

'Act of piracy'

Italys interior minister, Matteo Salvini, said the ship had rescued about 120 people and described what happened as the first act of piracy on the high seas with migrants as the alleged hijackers.

The ship had been heading toward Italys southernmost island of Lampedusa and the island of Malta when Maltese forces intercepted it.

Maltese armed forces established communications with the captain while the ship was still 30 nautical miles off shore. The captain told Maltese armed forces he was not in control of the vessel and that he and his crew were being forced and threatened by a number of migrants to proceed to Malta. A patrol vessel stopped the tanker from entering Maltese waters, they said.

The special team that restored control to the captain was backed by a patrol vessel, two fast interceptor craft and a helicopter.

There was no immediate word on the condition of El Hiblu 1s crew.

Migrants mistreated

Humanitarian organizations say that migrants are mistreated and even tortured in Libya, and have protested protocols to return migrants rescued offshore to the lawless northern African nation. Meanwhile, both Italy and Malta have refused to open their ports to humanitarian ships that rescue migrants at sea, which has created numerous standoffs as European governments haggle over which will take them in.

A private group that operates a rescue ship and monitors how governments treat migrants, Mediterranea, urged compassion for the group on the hijacked vessel and said it hoped European countries would act in the name of fundamental rights, remembering that we are dealing with human beings fleeing hell.

Mass migration to Europe has dropped sharply since 2015, when the continent received 1 million refugees and migrants from countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. The surge created a humanitarian crisis in which desperate travelers frequently drowned and leading arrival spots such as Italy and Greece struggled to house large numbers of asylum-seekers.

Along with the dangerous sea journey itself, those who attempt to cross the Mediterranean risk being stopped by Libyas coast guard and held in Libyan detention centers that human rights groups have described as bleak places where migrants allegedly suffer routine abuse.

EU members alert the Libyan coast guard when refugees and migrants are spotted at sea so they can be taken back to Libya, despite knowing that people there are arbitrarily detained and exposed to widespread torture, rape, killings and exploitation, said Matteo de Bellis, an international migration researcher for Amnesty International.

European Union member countries, responding to domestic opposition to welcoming immigrants, have decided to significantly downscale an EU operation in the Mediterranean, withdrawing their ships and continuing the mission with air surveillance only.

This shameful decision has nothing to do with the needs of people who risk their lives at sea, but everything to do with the inability of European governments to agree on a way to share responsibility for them, de Bellis said.
Microsoft said it seized 99 websites used by Iranian hackers to steal sensitive information and launch other cyberattacks.

The company said the group , which it has been tracking since 2013, has tried to snoop on activists, journalists, political dissidents, defense industry workers and others in the Middle East, including some who were protesting oppressive regimesin the region.

Hackers did so by tricking people in those organizations to click on malicious links disguised to resemble well-known brands, including Microsoft and its LinkedIn, Outlook and Windows products, Microsoft said in court filings.

Iran denies involvement

Wednesday's announcement tied the hackers to the country of Iran but not specifically to its government. A spokesman for Iran's mission to the United Nations didn't respond to an email and phone call seeking comment Wednesday. Iran has denied involvement in other hacking efforts identified by Microsoft.

Microsoft calls the hacking group Phosphorus, while others call it APT35 or Charming Kitten.

Allison Wikoff, a security researcher at Atlanta-based Secureworks, said it is one of the more active Iranian threat groups she has observed. She said Microsoft's takedown was a big win using a practice known as sinkholing, which involves taking over adversary domains and analyzing their traffic to protect against future attacks.

Microsoft files suit against hackers

Microsoft sued the hacking group in U.S. District Court in Washington this month and described a hacking operation that demonstrates skill, patience and access to resources.

The hackers' malicious software, according to the lawsuit, effectively morphs the trusted, Microsoft-trademarked Windows system into a tool of deception and theft.

Microsoft said the group typically tries to infiltrate a target's personal accounts, not their work accounts, by luring them into clicking on a link to a compromised website or opening a malicious attachment.

Hackers used fake domain names

Hackers, the company said, used fake domain names that resembled Microsoft and other well-known brands. They also created fake social media profiles to target people. Microsoft said hackers were damaging the company by breaking into its customers' online accounts and computer networks.

U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson sided with the company in a March 15 ruling, arguing that there was good cause to believe the hacking activity was harming the company, its customers and the public. The documents were unsealed Wednesday.

Microsoft has taken hacking groups to court before. The Redmond, Washington, company used a similar strategy in 2016 to seize fake domains created by Russia-backed hackers who were later found to have been meddling in the U.S. presidential election.
An estimated 10 million people in Afghanistan, more than a quarter of its population, are facing severe acute food insecurity and are in need of urgent life-saving humanitarian assistance in the wake of recent floods and drought, warns an international relief agency.

Three years of drought have contributed to massive crop failure, economic hardship, hunger and loss of life, and forced 266,000 people from their homes, said the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in a statement issued Thursday.

In the outgoing month of March, it noted, extreme weather deepened extreme hardship, when above normal rain and snow fell on soil with limited vegetation or ability to soak up the water, bringing flash floods to nine provinces in Afghanistan. The calamity killed 63 people and displaced at least 281,000 to makeshift camps with inadequate services.

Rising temperatures due to climate change are increasing the hardship for Afghans because they are leading to changes in snowmelt, and rainfall is getting more erratic, with an increased risk of floods and droughts in a country where repeated disasters and ongoing conflict have eroded the peoples capacity to cope, the agency said.

The floods should be the wake-up call that triggers a massive investment to help people who at the moment are out of sight in an under-estimated, silent crisis with limited access by humanitarian agencies or media, said Ariel Kestens, IFRC country chief.

They are out of reach because of conflict and out of scope because this is a large, slow-onset disaster, and because many people in need are displaced by disaster, Kestens added.

Aid workers note that across many parts of Afghanistan, people suffer from a lack of safe water, proper sanitation and healthcare, which contribute to catastrophic levels of malnutrition.

The United States this week also announced more than $61 million in additional humanitarian assistance for providing emergency food assistance, nutrition services, hygiene kits, safe drinking water, access to latrines and protection for people in the worst affected Afghan regions.

The U.S. has provided more than $293 million in financial relief to the crisis-hit country since the fiscal year 2018, making it the single largest donor of humanitarian assistance. Washington has recently also stepped up diplomatic efforts to seek a political settlement to the conflict with the Taliban.

Afghan civilians continue to bear the brunt of the 18-year-old war that continues to kill and injure record numbers of civilians and displace tens of thousands of families.
The World Health Organization is sending 900,000 oral cholera vaccines to Mozambique, where the first cases of cholera were reported Wednesday. The organization is warning of a "second disaster" if waterborne diseases spread in cyclone-devastated Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi. More than 700 people have died in the three countries since the cyclone made landfall March 14. VOA's Zlatica Hoke reports Doctors Without Borders and World Food Program are in Mozambique to provide emergency aid.
The humanitarian crisis at the U.S. border with Mexico has many forms. Families with children, who by law cannot be held indefinitely in detention, are freed into the U.S. to wait for court dates. But now a California county is overrun with migrant families dumped by ICE who are camping at bus stops and on street corners. San Diego County's board of supervisors voted to sue the Trump administration for relief. Khrystyna Shevchenko has the story, narrated by Anna Rice.
China and Pakistan are criticizing the United States for bypassing established mechanisms and submitting a draft resolution directly in the United Nations Security Council to push for outlawing a Pakistani extremist leader.

Washington circulated the resolution to the 15-member council on Wednesday with the support of France and Britain to designate Masood Azhar, the head of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), a global terrorist.

The move came two weeks after Beijing blocked a similar U.S.-sponsored resolution at the U.N. anti-terrorism 1267 sanctions committee, which China insists is the authorized U.N. body to deal by consensus with the listing issues.

Chinese officials at the time defended their placement of a technical hold on the resolution to allow for further discussions and dialogue to settle the issue.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang while responding to the latest move at a news conference in Beijing urged Washington to "act cautiously and avoid forcefully moving forward the draft resolution.

This is not in line with resolution of the issue through dialogue and negotiations. This has reduced the authority of the committee as a main anti-terrorism body of the UNSC and this is not conducive to the solidarity and only complicates the issue, said Geng.

China, a strong ally of Pakistan, had also prevented the committee from sanctioning Azhar in 2016 and 2017.

The anti-India JeM, already listed as a global terrorist organization, claimed responsibility for a February 14 suicide car bombing in Kashmir that killed more than 41 Indian paramilitary forces, making it the deadliest ever assault in the disputed region. The violence dangerously escalated military tensions and almost pushed nuclear-armed India and Pakistan to the brink of another war.

Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Faisal told his weekly news conference in Islamabad that we regret the United States has circulated the resolution in the UNSC at time when the matter was already under consideration at the sanctions committee.

Such efforts to circumvent the established machinery for this purpose will only weaken the 1267 regime... Any action outside the committee will undermine the integrity of the sanctions regime and must be avoided. Pakistan remains committed to fulfil its obligations under the U.N. sanctions committee, Faisal stressed.

The spokesman also said that Islamabads own investigation based on a dossier of evidence handed over by New Delhi about the February 14 bombing in Kashmirs Pulwama district found no linkage of Pakistan with the attack.

Faisal also dismissed the Indian dossier as mostly compilation of social media content, though he maintained that Pakistan was ready to carry forward the investigation process if it receives fresh evidence from India linking Pakistani elements with the Pulwama attack.

Islamabad has consistently denied playing any role in the violence or allowing anyone to use Pakistani soil for such actions. The bombing in the Indian part of disputed Kashmir prompted both countries to carry out aerial strikes on each others soil and led to a brief dogfight between their warplanes, raising fears of a wider conflict in the region.

The tensions cooled down due to diplomatic interventions by major powers such as the United States, China, Russia and regional allies, particularly Saudi Arabia.

Authorities in Pakistan say a crackdown on militant groups, including JeM, in recent weeks has arrested scores of suspects and seized hundreds of facilities linked to proscribed organizations in the country. Islamabad rejects charges any outside pressure is behind the move.

But India, and even some critics at home, remain skeptical of Pakistans counter-terrorism efforts, saying some of the groups, including JeM, allegedly are backed by the countrys military and previous pledges to dismantle these organizations did not produce the desired results.
In 2014, Islamic State militants launched a brutal attack on Yazidi people in northern Iraq.

Survivors say militants often forced men to dig mass graves before killing them and throwing them in. Women and children were captured and sold into forced labor or sexual slavery.

Asia was 12 when she was taken five years ago.

"They came around noon and told us to pack," she said, a few minutes walk from the mass grave in her village, Kocho."They said they would take us to the mountains to be free and brought us to a school. First, they took our valuables, our mobile phones and our ID cards."

In recent weeks, Iraqi and United Nations workers have exhumed what they believe to be the remains of 30 bodies of Yazidi victims of IS from one of the dozens of mass graves in the region.

Thousands were killed and thousands more remain missing in what the United Nations has called a possible genocide.

WATCH: Heather Murdock's report from Kocho
The Kremlin on Thursday rejected U.S. calls for Moscow to withdraw its military specialists from Venezuela, saying they are there to honor obligations under previous arms contracts.

Asked to comment on Washington's demand for Moscow to pull out its personnel and halt other assistance to embattled President Nicolas Maduro, Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov snapped that our bilateral relations isn't something that should concern third countries.

The United States is present in many parts of the world and no one is telling it where it should or shouldn't be,'' he told reporters. We anticipate respect for our right to develop relations with any country that are in our mutual interests.

The U.S. and several dozen other nations have recognized Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim president, while Russia and China have staunchly backed Maduro.

Russia has developed traditional and mutually-beneficial cooperation with Venezuela, including arms contracts,'' Peskov said. Our specialists who have arrived in Venezuela in recent days are there as part of Russia's obligations to fulfill those contracts.

Earlier in the day, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Russia had sent military help to Venezuela under a bilateral agreement  but neither Zakharova nor Peskov provided any numbers or details on their mission.

Zahkarova questioned the grounds for U.S. Vice President Mike Pence's demands Wednesday for their withdrawal.

Zakharova said Pence's call was a completely arrogant attempt to dictate to a sovereign state.
An outside view of the Embassy of North Korea building in Madrid, Spain, March 27. The Cheollima Civil Defense organization committed to overthrowing North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un has claimed it was behind a raid at Pyongyang's embassy in Spain back on Feb. 22. EPA



Adrian Hong, who allegedly led an attack on North Korea's embassy in Madrid, is a longtime US-based advocate of regime change in Pyongyang whose sources of financial support are murky.



Spain's National Court identified the leader of the group which invaded the embassy and stole records and computers on February 22 as 35-year-old Mexican national Adrian Hong Chang.



According to the court, he went by the name "Matthew Chao" while in Madrid, booked his Uber under the name "Oswaldo Trump", and led the group of 10 who stormed the embassy wielding knives and fake guns.



After the raid he allegedly flew to New York and has not been heard from since.



In the United States, he goes by the name Adrian Hong.



Well-spoken, with detailed knowledge of North Korea's politics and economy,



Hong in 2005 co-founded the California-based Liberty in North Korea group (LiNK), which helps resettle refugees from the country.



In December 2006 he was arrested together with two other field workers in China as they tried to help six North Koreans escape their country.



They were released after being held for 10 days.



But not long after that Hong left LiNK and began campaigning for human rights and regime change in Pyongyang, presenting himelf as chief executive of a consultancy called Pegasus Strategies LLC.






The U.N. refugee agency has warned that a large-scale return of refugees from Kenya's Dadaab camp could exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in parts of Somalia.

UNHCR said it was aware of Kenya's recently renewed call to close the Dadaab refugee camp, which houses 230,000 people. Dana Hughes, the agency's senior regional spokesperson for East Africa, noted that this had happened before.

As in the past, she said, the UNHCR continues to work with the Kenyan government to implement a long-term, sustainable solution for the refugees. These steps include resettlement in third countries, family reunification, and relocation of some refugees in other parts of the country.



She said returns could occur relatively safely in some areas of Somalia. But, speaking by phone from Uganda, she told VOA that in most cases, repatriation is too dangerous to consider now.

"Most of the areas that the refugees from Dadaab come from cannot be considered stable for any kind of large-scale returns, and in fact it could exacerbate the humanitarian crisis that exists in those parts of Somalia," Hughes said.

Some safe spots

Hughes said African Union and other forces had largely established peace in 12 areas in Somalia, and that UNHCR continued to assist people who voluntarily wanted to return there. She noted that more than 82,000 refugees from Dadaab had gone back since 2014.

But in general, she said, large parts of Somalia are not ready for the massive return of refugees.



"While Somalia has made some progress in development over the last few years, it still is a country that has had decades of war, which means decades of a lack of infrastructure, and still is rebuilding itself," Hughes said. "And so, of course, any large-scale returns would not aid the stability that Somalia is trying to build."



Hughes said the UNHCR was thankful to Kenya for its generosity in hosting the Somali refugees for decades despite the toll it has taken on the environment and other aspects of life. She said her agency was having discussions with Kenyan authorities about the possible closure of the Dadaab camp.
China restarted construction on more than 50 gigawatts (GW) of suspended coal-fired power plants last year, bucking a global shift away from fossil fuels, a new study showed Thursday.

China has repeatedly pledged to reduce its reliance on coal, a major source of smog and climate-warming greenhouse gases, and it has cut coals share of its total energy mix to 59 percent, down from 68.5 percent in 2012.

But satellite images show China quietly resumed construction in 2018 on dozens of previously shelved plants, making it a glaring exception to the global decline, said a joint report by environmental groups Global Energy Monitor, Greenpeace and the Sierra Club.

The report warned that China could build an additional 290 GW of capacity, more than the whole of the United States coal capacity, and still remain within the 1,300-GW cap for national coal-fired power generation proposed by the China Electricity Council, an influential industry group.

Chinas National Development and Reform Commission and its National Energy Administration did not immediately respond to faxed requests to comment on the conclusions of the report.

Lauri Myllyvirta, analyst with Greenpeaces Global Air Pollution Unit, said Chinese firms are now pushing for hundreds of additional coal-fired power plants.

Another coal power construction spree would be near impossible to reconcile with emission reductions needed to avoid the worst impacts of global warming, he said.

Worldwide, the number of newly completed coal projects fell 20 percent in 2018 and plant retirements continued at a record pace, the study said.

China and coal

But Chinas relationship with the dirtiest of fossil fuels remains ambivalent.

The domestic coal power capacity under construction rose 12 percent in 2018, though it was still a third lower than what was being built in 2015. Beijing has also cut back dramatically on new project permits.

While China has vowed to cap consumption nationally and even make cuts in regions like Beijing, Hebei and Henan, overall coal-fired generation has increased, particularly from new coal bases in the nations northwest.

And though it has promoted alternative fuels at home and built hundreds of solar and wind farms, China is still financing more than a quarter of the new coal-fired plants abroad.

Soft landing for coal

China is also keen to prop up coal prices and ensure a soft landing for a commodity responsible for millions of domestic jobs in struggling industrial districts.

The availability of increasingly competitive and reliable renewable energy, however, has led to concerns that coal investments will soon become unprofitable stranded assets.

The State Development and Investment Corporation, a central government-run investment group with significant holdings in the power sector, announced earlier this year that it would no longer fund coal projects.

Sources told Reuters last week the central bank is also about to release new guidelines that will prevent clean coal projects, including low-emission coal-fired power plants, from issuing green bonds.
The Syrian military said Israel launched raids Wednesday on an industrial zone in the northern city of Aleppo, causing damage only to materials, while opposition sources said the strikes hit Iranian ammunitions stores and a military airport used by Tehrans forces.

The Israeli aggression targeted some positions in Sheikh Najjar industrial zone and a number of enemy missiles were brought down, an army statement said.

There was no immediate comment from Israel.

The blasts caused an electrical blackout in Aleppo, the countrys second largest city and a major industrial hub that bore the brunt of years of fighting and heavy Russian and Syrian aerial bombardment on its former rebel-held areas.

Military experts say Aleppo is one of the main areas where Irans elite Revolutionary Guards have a strong military presence supporting local militias that have for years been fighting alongside the Syrian army to defeat insurgents.

Two opposition sources familiar with Tehrans military presence in the area said large ammunitions depot and a logistics hub that belonged to Iranian-backed militias inside the industrial zone received direct hits.

Other strikes hit the vicinity of Nairab military airport on the outskirts of Aleppo in the second such strike on the installation used by Iranian troops in less than a year, they added.

Iranian-backed Shiite militias have expanded their control over mainly Sunni areas around Damascus, southern and eastern Syria that bore the brunt of the heaviest bombardment and led to mass displacement or emigration to neighboring countries.

Irans growing influence in Syria, where it has struck economic and trade deals, has raised the prospect of a military confrontation with its archenemy Israel. Israel, which considers Iran its biggest threat, has repeatedly attacked Iranian targets in Syria and those of allied militia, including Lebanons Hezbollah.

With an election approaching, Israels government has increased its attacks in Syria and has taken a tougher stance toward Hezbollah on the border with Lebanon.

Iran has warned Israel it would respond if it continued attacking targets in Syria and repeatedly said its military presence in Syria is at the invitation of the Assad government and it has no immediate plans to withdraw.
Britons desperately wanting some clarity in the countrys interminable Brexit saga were disappointed Wednesday when lawmakers plunged the countrys proposed exit from the European Union, after half-a-century of membership, into further disarray, failing to find a majority for any way forward after a series of so-called indicative votes.

The hope had been a majority might emerge from the eight different options they voted on, which included staying in the EU, leaving with no withdrawal agreement, remaining in the blocs customs union and/or single market or holding a second Brexit referendum.

Parliament Finally Has Its Say: No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. Britains Guardian newspaper announced on its front-page Thursday.



In summary: the Commons has now overwhelmingly rejected every single type of Brexit, and no Brexit, tweeted Michel Deacon, the Daily Telegraphs parliamentary sketch-writer. The option of leaving without a deal was defeated by a huge margin. So, too, was a motion that would see Brexit cancelled altogether.

It wasnt what the organizers of the indicative votes in the House of Commons had hoped would be the upshot. Backed by the opposition parties and pro-EU Conservative rebels they seized control of the parliamentary agenda from the government, the first time in 140 years that Downing Street hasnt called the shots on what can be debated and when on the floor of the House of Commons.

This is going well. Putting the Commons in charge was clearly a brilliant idea, tweeted Andrew Neil, the arch-Brexiter presenter of a BBC politics show. The EU's chief executive Jean-Claude Juncker said Britain's intentions had become more mysterious than those of the mythological sphinxes guarding ancient tombs.

More confusion



To add to the confusion in London, just before the indicative voting, an exhausted Prime Minister Theresa May told her Conservative lawmakers she would relinquish the party leadership and resign as prime minister, but only if her contentious Brexit withdrawal agreement, which parliament has twice rejected, is passed.

Mays announcement was a last-ditch bid to persuade Conservative Brexiters to back her withdrawal agreement, a deal they disapprove of because it would keep Britain closely aligned with the European Union and obedient to its rules while a longer-term trade relationship is negotiated.

A hardcore of Conservative Eurosceptics and ten lawmakers from Northern Irelands Democratic Unionist Party, who May has to rely on because her government is a minority one, have adamantly refused to back her deal. They say the plan poses a risk to the integrity of the union of the United Kingdom. The DUP believes if it took effect, it would cause trade differences between Northern Ireland and Great Britain, and create in effect a border down the Irish Sea.

There were no signs Thursday that May will be able to persuade enough holdouts to vote for her deal, if it is put before the Commons for a third time, leaving Britain on course to crash out of the EU without a deal on April 12, unless the British government requests, for the second time, a Brexit postponement.

EU negotiators have indicated they might be open to another delay, but only if it is a lengthy one of a year or more.

It remains unclear how the political deadlock in London can be broken. The idea of leaving without a transition deal has strong opposition in the Commons and would likely be blocked by a majority of lawmakers.

Frustration on EU side



EU negotiators, out of exasperation, could decide to raise the stakes and decline another Brexit postponement, hoping to force the Commons to stop Brexit altogether, say some analysts. But it is unlikely they would risk such a high stakes gamble, fearing that might push Britain into crashing out by accident as much as by design.

European Council President, Donald Tusk, said last week in Brussels that the European Union will work with Britain for as long as it takes and on Wednesday he urged European lawmakers to be open to a long delay in Britains departure.

That leaves Britain trapped  paralyzed by a deadlocked House of Commons, itself a reflection of a country split down the middle over staying a member of the EU or quitting. With all avenues seemingly leading to dead-ends, there is more talk now in the British parliament of the need to hold an general election, hoping that returns a parliament that is not so undecided.

Behind-the-scenes Cabinet ministers and Conservative party officials are war-gaming calling an election three years ahead of schedule. David Davies, a pro-Brexit Conservative MP who quit as Brexit minister, says a general election is a lot more likely now. He added: I don't say it's going to happen, but clearly if a government can't get through on the one issue which we were really elected to deal with at the last election it puts us all in a very difficult situation.

The problem in calling a snap election is the British public doesnt want another one so soon after the Conservatives called another early poll two years ago, according to opinion surveys, with just 12 percent backing the idea.

The other problem for the Conservatives is that they would be fighting an election with a leader who has announced she intends to step down soon and heading a party thats even more deeply and rancorously divided than the main opposition Labour party.

In the division lobbies on Wednesday some Conservative lawmakers on different sides of the Brexit question were spotted cursing each other and one clash prompted the intervention of colleagues, who feared a brawl might break out.

Commons in charge

Organizers of Wednesdays indicative voting are placing some hopes that the Commons can still break the deadlock. They say clarity could be reached on Monday when lawmakers are due for another session of indicative voting, this time on the options that attracted the most support.

Labour's Stephen Doughty said they never expected the votes on Wednesday to reveal a majority for one option. The whole idea was to narrow down the alternatives that have the most support and for parliament then to reconsider.

The two closest votes Wednesday were for staying in the EUs customs union and another for a second referendum confirming any Brexit departure. Both attracted more votes than Mays deal has got the two occasions it was voted on in parliament. Campaigners for a second referendum appear buoyed.

They believe Britons have shifted their attitudes on Brexit since the 2016 referendum, pointing to a new polling study by veteran pollster John Curtice, which indicates voters are becoming increasingly doubtful about Brexit. The study suggests two and half years after the plebiscite, leaving the European Union may not now reflect majority thinking.
U.S. President Donald Trump is renewing his threat to close the country's southern border, saying Mexico and three Central American countries are not doing anything to halt the surge of undocumented migrants heading north to try to enter the United States.

Trump first threatened to close the border last November, but did not follow through. However, as he ended a 35-day partial government shutdown in late January in a dispute with Congress over funding for a border wall, he declared a national emergency to build the barrier.While both houses of Congress rejected his declaration of a national emergency, the House of Representatives failed this week to override his veto of the measure, leaving the emergency declaration intact.

Trump is moving ahead with plans to extend the barriers along the border with funding that had been earmarked for other projects.

However, the fate of the national emergency declaration and more wall construction will likely be left up to U.S. courts. Sixteen states and other groups have filed suit to contest the declaration and Trump's planned use of money allocated elsewhere.

The president's latest threat to close the U.S.-Mexican border came a day after the top U.S. border official, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan, said the influx of migrants at the border this month is at "the breaking point."

He said authorities, after background checks of the migrants, are having to release them for lack of enough housing at the border.

McAleenan said because of the crush of migrants, the U.S., for the first time in more than a decade, is "reluctantly" freeing them into the United States with just a notice to appear later for an asylum hearing.

The migrants have not been required to wear ankle bracelets to track their movement.

He said the Border Patrol is on pace to arrest more than 55,000 family members this month  a more than 500 percent increase over the March 2018 figure.

Trump had previously accused Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador of misusing U.S. foreign aid intended to alleviate poverty and curb crime in hopes of stemming the flow of migrants leaving those countries for the United States. He threatened in December to cut off that aid altogether.

More recently confusion over his tweets about the three countries had stalled delivery of the U.S. assistance.

U.S. Homeland Security chief Kirstjen Nielsen met Wednesday with leaders from the Central American countries about the funding and attempts to improve conditions there to help limit the number of people tempted to leave to try to seek asylum in the U.S.

On Thursday, Nielsen announced that the Central American countries had signed the memorandum of cooperation with the U.S.

The agreement signed in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, covers four broad areas: human trafficking and smuggling; transnational criminal organizations and gangs; information and intelligence sharing; and border security.
As the top homeland security official in the U.S. prepared to announce the signing of a multinational security agreement with several Latin American countries Thursday, capping a yearslong diplomatic process, U.S. President Donald Trump accused those same countries of "doing nothing."

Trump tweeted just before 6:30 a.m.:

For the last several days, however, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen has been holding high-level meetings with Mexican, Honduran, Guatemalan and Salvadoran officials, finalizing what DHS calls a regional compact to "stem the flood of irregular migration and develop a regional approach to addressing the ongoing humanitarian and security emergency at our Southern Border."

A request for comment made to DHS about the president's contradictory tweet and any repercussions on the regional compact was not immediately answered Thursday.

Hours after Trump's tweet, Nielsen, who had traveled to Miami and Honduras for negotiations, announced that the Central American countries had signed the memorandum of cooperation with the U.S.

The agreement signed in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, covers four broad areas: human trafficking and smuggling; transnational criminal organizations and gangs; information and intelligence sharing; and border security.



Nielsen's statements around the signing have focused largely on the agreement's potential impact on migration, as the U.S. has seen a recent spike in family arrivals at the border.

Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, however, framed the anticipated outcomes in terms of protecting migrants and combating organized crime.

"The migrant is the victim of criminal structures and should not be criminalized, rather the relevant authorities of the affected countries must work together to investigate and hold accountable the criminal groups that are causing so much suffering and grief," he tweeted in Spanish Wednesday.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador Thursday acknowledged that migrants were increasingly coming north, "because there are no options, no alternatives in Central America."

Lopez Obrador said Mexico is doing its part to fight immigrant smuggling.

"We are going to do everything we can to help," he said. "We don't in any way want a confrontation with the U.S. government."

He said Mexico was going to maintain a "very respectful relationship" with the U.S. government and Trump, adding that the U.S. concerns were legitimate.

While overall arrests at the border are still well below the highs of the early 2000s, U.S. officials this week released data showing March has been another month of increased arrivals at the southern U.S. border, especially by families with young children, largely from the Northern Triangle countries (Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador).
The United Nations is assessing the Cyclone Idai humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe as calls for the government to provide aid more quickly grow louder.

At Machongwe village in Zimbabwes Chimanimani district, the area hardest hit by Cyclone Idai, people wait as officials prepare food.

Cornmeal has run out, but authorities say other food is being distributed.

Coming here has become a daily routine for many since the disaster hit March 16, including Susan Makuza. She takes care of five children whose parents died in the cyclone.

Crops swept away

Poverty has stricken us, Makuza said, and our maize crops were swept away with the river. Our survival is at risk and we dont know what to do. We came to receive food but were not given any and our houses went down the river. We are sleeping outside, she added, I was kindly asking for help.

That is the same story for 81-year-old Rwamwidzai Matamande.

There is really hunger here, Matamande said, because Cyclone Idai damaged our granaries. So, we are frequenting this place hoping to get something like corn meal. But I have not received anything.

Lloyd Kasima is acting district administrator for Chimanimani. He told United Nations officials assessing the situation that the government was aware of the villagers struggle.

He said after Cyclone Idai hit, more than 7,000 people were left homeless, while more than 40,000 people have no food.

But at the moment, the (food) distribution is quite slow because of transport problems, Kasima said. But there are some people, contractors, trying to open our usual roads. We have seen that they are making progress.

UNICEF seeks aid

UNICEF Bo Viktor Nylund is the deputy regional director for the United Nations International Childrens Emergency Fund. He says UNICEF is setting up a temporary rehabilitation center at Ngangu School for children traumatized by Cyclone Idai.

UNICEF is seeking aid to help Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe address childrens health, sanitation and education concerns in the wake of the cyclone.

Globally for the three countries, its going to be about $150 million that we are appealing. Thats the calculation at the moment, but hopefully we are also still discovering because some areas are inaccessible, Nylund said.

Acting U.N. representative in Zimbabwe Esther Muia says Harare is doing its best to cope, given the scale of the needs.

There are still a lot of gaps. Most people lost their food, you know. There was an already impeding drought. The cyclone has compounded the whole situation, she said. The waterways have been destroyed completely. People do not have clean, safe water for drinking, and that is a big priority at the moment.

The European Union has funded a World Food Program-owned helicopter to bring in UNICEF equipment and chemicals to prevent waterborne diseases.

Villagers here hope donors will soon provide funds for airlifting much-needed food to the thousands of people left struggling to survive.
U.N. Human Rights experts are calling on the government of Eritrea to clarify the fate of dozens of disappeared people whose whereabouts have remained unknown since 2001.

Eritrea is one of seven countries examined by the Human Rights Committee, which monitors the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

The 18 independent experts of the Human Rights Committee have many concerns about the prevailing situation in Eritrea.

The committee says it has received numerous allegations of extrajudicial executions, torture, disappearances and other serious violations.

Independent expert from South Africa, Christof Heynes, says the committee took up several particular cases with the Eritrean delegation in hopes of engaging in a concrete discussion with them.

Missing journalists

One of the cases, he says, involves the whereabouts of 18 journalists who were detained in 2001. He says no one knows whether they are alive. Another celebrated case which occurred the same year, he says, is that of 11 former top officials of the People's Front for Democracy and Justice. He says they wrote a letter critical of the government and were arrested. He says no one knows what happened to them.

"So, we did raise this with the delegation. We asked them in so many terms, we asked them are these people still alive. And we asked this repeatedly, and they did not answer to that, which is, of course, a worrying sign."

Heynes says forced disappearances continue. Just last year, he notes, former Minister of Finance, Berhane Abrehe, and his wife Almaz Habtemariam, were detained. He says the Eritrean government was asked whether they were alive. And again, there was no response.

Compulsory military service

The committee expresses concern about Eritrea's compulsory military service, which has been extended from 18 months for an indefinite period. his means people can be called up for the rest of their lives.

The human rights experts say the national service is the main reason young people flee to Europe for asylum. They say conscripts allegedly are used as forced labor in various posts, including mining and construction plants owned by private companies. They add they work for very little or no salary.
U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry has approved six secret authorizations by companies to sell nuclear power technology and assistance to Saudi Arabia, according to a copy of a document seen by Reuters on Wednesday.

The Trump administration has quietly pursued a wider deal on sharing U.S. nuclear power technology with Saudi Arabia, which aims to build at least two nuclear power plants. Several countries including the United States, South Korea and Russia are in competition for that deal, and the winners are expected to be announced later this year by Saudi Arabia.

Perry's approvals, known as Part 810 authorizations, allow companies to do preliminary work on nuclear power ahead of any deal but not ship equipment that would go into a plant, a source with knowledge of the agreements said on condition of anonymity. The approvals were first reported by the Daily Beast.

The Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) said in the document that the companies had requested that the Trump administration keep the approvals secret.

"In this case, each of the companies which received a specific authorization for (Saudi Arabia) have provided us written request that their authorization be withheld from public release," the NNSA said in the document. In the past, the Energy Department made previous Part 810 authorizations available for the public to read at its headquarters.

A Department of Energy official said the requests contained proprietary information and that the authorizations went through multi-agency approval process.

Many U.S. lawmakers are concerned that sharing nuclear technology with Saudi Arabia could eventually lead to a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told CBS last year that the kingdom would develop nuclear weapons if its rival Iran did. In addition, the kingdom has occasionally pushed back against agreeing to U.S. standards that would block two paths to potentially making fissile material for nuclear weapons clandestinely: enriching uranium and reprocessing spent fuel.

Concern in Congress about sharing nuclear technology and knowledge with Saudi Arabia rose after U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed last October in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. The Part 810 authorizations were made after November 2017, but it was not clear from the document whether any of them were made after Khashoggi's killing.

Representative Brad Sherman, a Democrat, called on Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during a congressional hearing on Wednesday to release the names of the companies that got the approvals by the middle of April, and Pompeo said he would look into it.

Sherman also said the Trump administration had attempted to evade Congress on sharing nuclear power with the kingdom. Pompeo said the administration was working to ensure any shared technology nuclear power would not present proliferation risks.

Last month, Democratic House members alleged in a report that top White House aides ignored warnings they could be breaking the law as they worked with former U.S. officials in a group called IP3 International to advance a multibillion-dollar plan to build nuclear reactors in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia.

IP3 did not immediately respond to a request for comment about whether it was one of the companies that got a Part 810 authorization.

Separately, the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, accepted a request by Senators Marco Rubio, a Republican and Bob Menendez, a Democrat, to probe the administration's talks on a nuclear deal with Saudi, the GAO said on Wednesday.
The United States will redraw government maps consistent with Washingtons decision to recognize Israels sovereignty over the Golan Heights. The move comes days after U.S. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation Monday officially granting U.S. recognition of the Golan Heights as Israeli territory.

VOAs State Department correspondent Nike Ching sat down Wednesday with Brian Hook, the State Departments special representative for Iran, to discuss U.S. actions affecting Israel and Iran. The following are excerpts from the interview.

Ching: How will President Trumps executive order change the way the U.S. displays the Golan Heights on its official maps of Israel? What is the time frame that we can expect the maps to be updated?

Hook: The president did sign an executive order recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. We think that this reflects, its a reflection of reality and the facts on the ground, and the need for Israel to have secure and defensible borders. As a consequence of the executive order, the State Department will be redrawing the official U.S. government maps to recognize this. And those will be released as soon as they are ready.

Ching: Last November, the U.S. issued sanction waivers to eight economies, including Irans major oil buyers in Asia: China, Korea, India, Japan and Taiwan. The waivers expire in May. Is the U.S. considering extending them?

Hook: The policy of the United States is that we are not looking to grant any new oil waivers. We did have to grant eight oil waivers in order to avoid shocking the global oil markets and causing a dramatic increase in the price of oil. We have taken off roughly 1 million barrels of Iranian crude, and we have avoided a price increase in oil. And thats not an accident. Weve done it very well and very carefully. 2019 is going to be a much better market for global oil supply, and the forecasters say that there will be more supply than demand. That gives us much better market conditions to accelerate our path to zero imports. But we have already taken off more than half of Irans oil exports in just a very few months. The prior administration granted 20 oil waivers to 20 countries over three years. We are down to a handful of countries. There are 23 countries that used to be importing Iranian crude who are now at zero. So, Secretary [of State Mike] Pompeo was very committed to that. We dont preview our decisions. The current oil waivers expire on May 2. And so the secretary, in consultation with the president, will make a final decision.

Ching: On Tuesday, the U.S. imposed new sanctions against networks supporting Irans Revolutionary Guard. What are they, and how are they different from past sanctions?

Hook: Youve got three organizations in Iran that are prohibited from accessing the U.S. financial system in order to get money, because these three organizations are engaged in weapons of mass destruction, proliferation and/or terrorism. So, these three organizations  the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, ANSAR bank and the Iran Ministry of Defense  have all been sanctioned.

What Iran did to try to get around our sanctions was they created four front companies. And over the last year and a half, they used these front companies to get $800 million, which then was spent on military vehicles for the Ministry of Defense, and the other money went to funding IRGC operations. Now, the lesson here for nations around the world is that the Iranian regime uses front companies to disguise their true identity. And thats very dangerous for corporations around the world who want to do business with Iran. When you do business with Iran, you never know if youre facilitating commerce, or terrorism, or WMD proliferation. We exposed this vast network of front companies, and now weve sanctioned all of these individuals. Twenty-four or 25 people and organizations were sanctioned.

Ching: There have been talks about why the U.S. does not revoke the visas of the children of Iranian authorities who are studying at U.S. universities or relative who simply live here and work. Is the U.S. prepared to revoke those types of visa as a form of punishment and deterrent to Iran taking dual nationals hostage? What has the State Department done in this regard?

Hook: We do make exceptions for student visas and exchange visas. We are aware of the question that you talked about. And we are taking a look at our visa policy to figure out.

I mean, part of it is the first responsibility we have is to protect American people. And when you're the leading state sponsored terrorism in the world that has consequences on our visa policy, even though we make exceptions for it. And so there may be other people here who are here because they become American citizens. They married an American--there are a range of categories as to why people are here.

We have heard these concerns, we are taking a look at it. That's as much as I can say now.

Ching: With U.S. sanctions cutting off Iran economically, isnt that, in essence, punishing common people in Iran and creating more anger against the U.S.?

Hook: I get that question a lot from the press. I dont ever get it from the Iranian people. The Iranian people know where to place the blame on their economic troubles, and its President [Hassan] Rouhani. They know President Rouhani has failed to deliver on his economic promises. Its also the case that for the 40-year history of this regime, they have prioritized their foreign policy over their domestic policy, and they have severely mismanaged their economy. When you look at the standard of living today, in many cases, its lower than it was before the revolution. The Iranian people know that. They dont confuse us with the Iranian regime. They have run their economy into the ground. Theyve run their environment into the ground, because they care more about revolution abroad than their own people at home.

Adam Greenbaum contributed to this report.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo testifies before the House Appropriations Committee on a budget request for the Department of State in Washington, Thursday (KST). EPA-Yonhap



By Kim Yoo-chul



Senior U.S. diplomats and military officials are voicing skepticism toward North Korea's commitment to denuclearization.



This indicates worsening sentiment toward the Kim Jong-un regime among U.S. officials following the Hanoi summit between President Donald Trump and Kim.



Speaking at a House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing, Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the regime has yet to make the "big move" toward scrapping its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.



"We have not yet seen them make the big move that we were frankly hoping that they would do in Hanoi. Our diplomatic efforts toward the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea are the most successful that have ever been undertaken," he said in a written statement to the House Appropriations Committee before testifying on the State Department's 2020 budget request.



"We remain committed to that goal. This budget provides for our diplomatic outreach to continue implementation and enforcement of sanctions until we achieve our objective."



In Hanoi, Trump and Kim failed to reach a deal. U.S. President Donald Trump wanted to "go big," sealing an abandonment of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programs in exchange for sanctions relief. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un wanted sanctions to be "significantly eased" in return for significant concessions.



U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Commander Gen. Robert Abrams has remained in synchronization with Pompeo's view as he also warned lawmakers that Washington might not have sufficient intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities on the peninsula.



"North Korean activity observed by the United States is inconsistent with denuclearization, making it necessary for the United States to maintain a postured and ready force to deter any possible aggressive actions. Little to no verifiable change has occurred in North Korea's capabilities," Abrams said.



Separately, the nominee to become Washington's top diplomat for East Asia said Washington "will not ease pressure" on North Korea based on its earlier commitment to denuclearize.



At his confirmation hearing, David Stillwell, a retired Air Force general, said the United States isn't going to "pull back just on their word." He went on to say the steady pressure will continue to have an effect.



Such comments run counter to Seoul's hopes that concessions such as a partial sanctions easing or early resumption of frozen inter-Korean business projects will break the impasse of denuclearization talks between the United States and the North.



South Korea is considering options to keep the momentum of the denuclearization talks alive. Holding a new summit between the leaders of the Koreas at Panmunjeom sometime in April is considered as one of the possibilities, Cheong Wa Dae officials said.






Four people died Thursday in a gunfight at a military camp in Comoros where police had detained an opposition presidential candidate. VOA's Swahili service said at least seven people were injured.

Late in the day, Interior Minister Mohamed Daoudou said the government was in control of the situation.

Earlier Thursday, police arrested Soilihi Mohammed, one of 12 politicians who ran against President Azali Assoumani in Sunday's election. Police also took into custody more than a dozen women who were protesting against Assoumani's government.

Mohamed is head of an opposition transitional authority that aims to replace Assoumani.

Escape attempt



Also Thursday, sources in Comoros told VOA Swahili that an armed group tried to help former Maj. Faissoil Abdou Salam and others they considered political prisoners escape from prison in the capital, Moroni. Faissoil had been jailed for plotting against Assoumani.

Thursday's violence prompted the U.S. Embassy for Comoros and Madagascar to order its staff to leave Comoros.



On Tuesday, the country's election commission declared that Assoumani won the election with 60.77 percent of the vote. The commission said his nearest rival, Mahamoudou Ahamada, had 14.62 percent.



The opposition leaders said they didn't recognize the election results because of what they called widespread fraud. Observers from three regional bodies  the African Union, the Common Market of Eastern and Southern Africa, and the African Standby Forces of the East  said the voting was full of irregularities that led them to conclude it lacked credibility and transparency.

Referendum on presidential terms



Assoumani came to power in a coup in 1999 and led the government until 2006. He was elected president again in 2016.



Late last year, he ordered elections to be held after Comorans voted to support changing the constitution to extend presidential terms from one five-year term to two. The opposition boycotted the referendum.



The change alters a balance of power established in 2001 that sought to end separatist crises. Under the old constitution, the presidency rotated among the presidents of the country's three main islands  Anjouan, Moheli and Grande Comore, which also is known as N'gazidja.



Comoros, with a population of about 850,000 people, is one of the world's poorest nations. It has experienced a series of military coups and attempted coups since independence from France in 1975.
The Trump administration says it will update U.S. government maps to reflect President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights.



In a Wednesday email responding to questions from VOA Persian, a State Department spokesperson said the map changes would be "consistent" with a March 25 proclamation signed by Trump, saying the U.S. "recognizes that the Golan Heights are part of the State of Israel."

In a separate interview with VOA later Wednesday, U.S. Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook said the State Department would "redraw" its official maps and release them "as soon as they are ready." The map changes will reflect facts on the ground and a "need for Israel to have secure and defensible borders," Hook added.



Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War and annexed it in 1981 in a move no other nation recognized until the U.S. officially changed its policy this week. Syria has long demanded the return of the disputed territory, which the rest of the international community considers to be Israeli-occupied.



In the earlier email to VOA, the State Department spokesperson declined to say whether the U.S. recognizes the Israeli border in the Golan Heights as being located along a 1974 cease-fire line on the western edge of a demilitarized zone patrolled by a U.N. Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF). Israel considers the western line of the UNDOF zone, also known as line "Alpha," to be its border with Syria.



Responding to a question about the Alpha line, the State Department spokesperson said: "The United States supports the goal of a secure and lasting peace between Israel and all its neighbors, including Syria. Such a peace should be achieved through direct discussions. Israel does not currently have a partner for peace in Syria."

In a Monday interview with VOA Persian in Washington, Deputy Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Benjamin Krasna said the Syrian civil war that began in 2011 and occasionally has spilled over into the Israeli-controlled Golan has highlighted the plateaus importance in providing Israel with what he called strategic depth.

With the terrible atrocities committed by (Syrias) Assad regime, with its loss of control allowing terrorist elements (to seize Syrian territory), and with Iran and its proxies then moving in, this presents a threat to Israel, Krasna said. Therefore, establishing strategic depth (on the Golan) is key to our security  and that is reaffirmed by the U.S. recognition of Israels sovereignty.

Syria has condemned the U.S. declaration on the Golan Heights. Responding to Trump's March 21 tweet announcing his intention to make the move, Syrian Ambassador to the U.N. Bashar Jaafari told reporters the next day that it was a "flagrant violation of international law, the charter of the United Nations, and the  values and ethics of international relations."

The State Department's official map of Israel had yet to be changed as of Wednesday, still referring to the Golan Heights as "Israeli-occupied." It was not clear how long it would take for this and other maps to be updated.



Official U.S. government maps of Israel also are displayed publicly on the CIA's World Factbook website and are available for download from the Library of Congress.



The CIA World Factbook map of Israel is older than the State Department's online map, as it does not display Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, while the State Department's map does. Trump recognized Jerusalem as the Israeli capital in December 2017 and moved the U.S. Embassy there from Tel Aviv in May 2018.



Palestinians' claim

Palestinians claim the eastern sector of Jerusalem, captured by Israel from Jordan in 1967, as the capital of a future state. Several other countries also have recognized Jerusalem or its predominantly Jewish western sector as the capital of Israel since the U.S. move. But most nations have declined to do so.

Republican lawmakers in the House and Senate introduced companion bills last month that would seek to codify a U.S. recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, a move they say would prevent a future U.S. president from undoing Trump's declaration.



As of Tuesday, U.S. news site Al-Monitor said no Democrats had agreed to support the bills, with only Republican lawmakers sponsoring the legislation in the House and Senate. There was no word on whether or when the bills would be put to a vote.

In its email to VOA, the State Department spokesperson said the Trump administration had not taken a position on any Golan Heights legislation "at this time."



"Legislation is not required to give effect to the president's decision," the spokesperson said.

This article originated in VOA's Persian service.
Local elections in Turkey will be held Sunday. As voters head to the polls, they will be deciding on leadership positions in 81 provinces. VOA's reporters from Turkish Service and Kurdish Service talked to locals in different parts of the country and filed this report narrated by Bezhan Hamdard.
Chinese President Xi Jinping met with the leaders of France and Germany this week and signed lucrative deals in an attempt to cozy up to the European Union. Analysts say the efforts were aimed at softening restrictions on Chinese trade and investments in Europe, but it is unlikely that his trip will weaken the EUs resolve.

Xis European tour included stops in Italy, Monaco and France. But German Chancellor Angela Merkel and European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker came to Paris to meet the Chinese leader.

Overall, analysts said, the visit has improved the general atmosphere of relations between the EU and China, but the European backlash and increased scrutiny of Chinese companies and their investments is not likely to change.

Billions in deals

The EU will not be softening its posture on its core demands (fair and reciprocal economic ties, including elimination of coerced technology transfers and respect from the EUs community-based standards) in spite of the breakout of amity and huge deals during President Xis swing through the continent, said Sourabh Gupta, senior fellow at the Institute of China-America Studies in Washington.

During the visit, Xi signed 29 deals worth $2.8 billion with Italy and placed orders for 300 jets with Airbus worth $34 billion in France, the same number of Boeing planes that he bought from the U.S. during President Donald Trumps 2017 visit to Beijing.

In turn, Italy became the first Group of Seven country to sign up for the Belt and Road Initiative despite Washingtons criticism of the BRI and Chinas vanity project.

The buying binge may grab the headlines but thats mostly just water under the bridge, Gupta said adding, and Italys formal BRI entry is a nice, shiny medal that will keep Beijing attentive and incentivized to adhere to European practices.

Xis motivation

What motivated Xis visit is the lurking danger of dual pressures from the U.S. and EU to change some of the internal systems like state subsidy and financing of Chinese companies.

Many of the issues raised by Brussels and Washington are similar, but some additional demands from Europe are adding to Beijings headaches.

Ana Andrade, research analyst in the Europe team of The Economist Intelligence Unit, said there is a distinct difference in the way the European Union and United States approach China.

EU and U.S. demands on China are not fully identical. The EU is very aware of the importance of China as a trading partner, she said adding, the EU is not interested in decoupling from China or creating a bilateral conflict as the U.S. has done.

China is the biggest market for European luxury goods and the biggest single-country market for Airbus.

Competitive edge

EUs demands for reforms in China intensified since the U.S. launched a series of aggressive trade actions raising duties on Chinese goods leading to a trade war nearly nine months ago.

The EUs strategy is to piggy-back on the momentum for action generated by the Trump administrations pressure on Beijing and engage and press China to make these market-leveling (allow fair competition) and market-opening reforms, Gupta said.

Chinese analysts argue, however, that the EUs demands are not necessarily additional pressure on Beijing and instead that the demands dovetail with reforms the U.S. is demanding.

If China would make a deal with the U.S. on some of the issues, I think that would not only apply to the U.S. but China would adjust its overall position to apply to all countries, said Shen Dingli, a Shanghai based analyst of international relations. The new foreign investment law, which was approved by the Chinese legislature this month, will apply to all countries and not just the U.S., he pointed out.

Both the U.S. and EU were driven into action because of concerns that Chinas government has long been giving Chinese companies a competitive leg up through subsidies, inadequate transparency, lax standards on protection of labor, environment and intellectual property.

Helping China

Ding Yuan, dean at the China Europe International Business School, does not agree with the claim that a lack of transparency in business dealings gives Chinese companies a competitive edge over their counterparts in the rest of the world.

Lack of transparency is never an advantage. If lack of transparency was an advantage, China shouldnt have done the economic reforms and opening, and Soviet Union should have been there still, stronger than the U.S., he said.

Ding believes the critics and business rivals may be working at cross-purposes. They are actually helping China to take forward its reforms agenda and consolidate its position in the industrial world, he said.

By blaming China on the role of the state, by promoting (the idea) Chinese state intervention as the core competence or the core competitive advantage of the Chinese success story, actually we are consolidating, helping Chinese authorities to consolidate their approach, he said.
More than 100 of the Chibok schoolgirls remain in captivity, nearly five years after Boko Haram militants in Nigeria abducted them from their school. President Muhammadu Buhari promised to make the rescue of the girls, and other abductees a top priority. Some have been released.
Zimbabwean state security agents have seized a consignment of a new book written by former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo and Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) deputy chairperson Tendai Biti, which were destined for its launch in the country on Thursday.

The seizure, the second in two wekks, resulted in the delay of the launch of the book titled Democracy Works: Turning Politics To Africas Advantage, co-authored by Jeffrey Herbst and Greg Mills.

Obasanjo apologized to the audience about the delay in launching the book, saying most people could not get the book after it was seized at the Robert Mugabe International Airport.

He said, We are sorry for the delay in launching this book as this was not of our own making. We wanted all of you to have a copy of our book but thats not the case. We are not sure whether you will manage to get the book 

Information permanent secretary Nick Mangwana, who is currently in Namibia, said he had no details of the seizure of the book, adding that he will pursue the matter.

The book was launched in Zimbabwe by the Southern Africa Political Economy Series (SAPES) Trust run by Dr. Ibbo Mandaza, a political scientist.

Eighteen copies of the book were seized by the spy network, the Central Intelligence Organization (CIO) last week.

In a tweet, Biti questioned the intentions of the CIO. "We were ridiculously asked to pay duty, which we did. Now the president's office, a euphemism for the CIO, has abducted these books. Who does this?"

Democracy Works explores ways in which people can learn to nurture, deepen and consolidate democracy in Africa. The book further addresses political, economic and extreme demographic challenges that Africa faces.

Some people who have read the book believe that it addresses some of the fundamental issues facing African nations.

Reviewing the book, former Ethiopian prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn said, Ethiopia shows  as does this handbook for democrats  that democracy and development are indivisible.

It has also been reviewed by Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who said, Democracy is essential to governance, the rule of law and economic well-being. In Venezuela, we know to our cost what happens when democracy dies  we die with it. I urge all those concerned with the state of their nation to read Democracy Works, and act on its findings.

Author Mills directs the Brenthurst Foundation, Obasanjo was president of Nigeria (1999-2007) and chairperson of the African Union (2004-2006), Biti is a constitutional lawyer, human rights activist, and former Zimbabwe finance minister and Herbst is president of the American Jewish University, Los Angeles.

Professor Herbst, who is a political scientist, taught at Princeton University for 18 years and is the author of States and Power in Africa: Comparative Lessons in Authority and Control and many other books and articles. He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and the Board of Freedom House and has served on the advisory board of The Brenthurst Foundation since 2005.
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According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is about to get a fresh injection of A-list star power. The outlet is reporting that Angelina Jolie herself is in talks to join The Eternals, a Marvel superhero team movie that Chloe Zhao is directing. Marvel had no comment on who Jolie would play, and who knows, maybe well never know. Not until her face pops up in a Marvel post-credits scene and we all briefly lose consciousness from shock. While THR points out that this will be Jolies first superhero film, this is a woman who has playing Lara Croft on her resume, so yeah, shell be fine.
Jordan Peele. Photo: Robert Falconer/CBS

Picture, if you will, a legendary and seemingly indestructible intellectual property created in 1959 by a fellow named Rod Serling. An eloquent Jewish playwright raised in then-Waspy Binghamton, New York, he sympathized with underdogs, the misunderstood, and the persecuted. As a writer-producer in early television, he was pushed out of live theatrical drama because his politics were too confrontationally left wing, only to realize, like intellectuals in authoritarian countries behind the Iron Curtain, that you could speak truth to power if you swaddled your lessons in metaphor and symbolism. As the creator of the most famous anthology program in TV history, he served as the series on-camera narrator, a hard-boiled shaman in a suit and tie, raising and lowering the curtain on a number of modern parables, his summation always ending with some variant of a phrase both playful and ominous: in the Twilight Zone.

Enter Jordan Peele, an actor turned filmmaker who went from the sketch series Key & Peele to the staggeringly profitable horror satires Get Out and Us, whose knack for turning genre to political ends made him the logical heir to Serlings legacy. CBS had already tried reanimating The Twilight Zone several times. The show originally ran on the network for five seasons. It was resuscitated as a 1983 film, produced by Steven Spielberg and narrated by Burgess Meredith, which is now remembered mainly for two things: George Millers remake of a classic 1950s Zone episode, the Richard Mathesonscripted Nightmare at 20,000 Feet; and the gruesome on-set deaths, in a John Landisdirected installment, of two child actors and star Vic Morrow. There was a mid-80s version narrated by Charles Aidman and an early-aughts UPN version hosted by Forest Whitaker. All produced episodes that held their own against Serlings originals (which were remade and reinterpreted alongside the new stuff), but none had the same impact. And the recent resuscitation of the anthology format (most strikingly via Netflixs Black Mirror) made yet another incarnation feel less necessary.

Any worry that this new Zone, which premieres on the streaming platform CBS All Access, would fail to measure up vanishes the instant you hear Peeles voice chime in at the end of a pre-credits cold opening and then see him on-camera. Peele is always revealed sharing the same space as the episodes characters, which makes him seem even more of a trickster god than his predecessors. Hes as skilled a comic actor as he is a suspense filmmaker  a baroque chameleon in Peter Sellers mode  and he understands how to channel Serling while inscribing the host-guide role with his own artistic and political signatures. Impeccably tailored in dark suits, Peele speaks in an alert but inflected voice, as if possessed by someone else (with the initials R.S., most likely). Its the voice of a master storyteller whos so in control of both his physical and aesthetic aspects that he can make you laugh by playing things straight  and who appreciates the source material hes reinterpreting yet isnt shy about adding his own preoccupations.

So we get plenty of references to classic Zone episodes (the original gremlin from Nightmare at 20,000 Feet appears in the form of a childs toy), plus some deep-dish film-and-TV-history name-drops (a single episode includes characters named after pioneering filmmaker Ida Lupino, horror master Jacques Tourneur, and Twilight Zone theme composer Marius Constant).

But this Zone (which lists seven executive producers, including Carol Serling, Rods widow) never entombs itself in nostalgia or fan service and makes a point of pulling Serling into 2019. This incarnation is as of-the-moment as Serlings original, from the more varied filmmaking styles on display to the use of profanity and frank sexual language. Most striking of all, however, is the shows political vantage point: The new Zone looks at paranoia, class disparity, artistic anxiety, xenophobia, racism, and other hot-button topics from the perspective of an outsider who had to fight for his piece of American pie, in contrast to the more abstract, theoretical diagnoses and warnings of Serling, who was as woke as a rich white guy could be in the middle of the 20th century but was nevertheless incapable of taking a ground-level view of the problems his series identified, even in the imaginative safe space of The Twilight Zone.

The best and most characteristically Peele-ian episode is Replay, starring Sanaa Lathan as a lawyer taking her wannabe-filmmaker son (Damson Idris) to a historically black college, taping moments of their journey with a 1990s-era camcorder. Seemingly inspired by a 2003 episode with a similar plot, this one is a meditation on the role of the camera as a witness in battling police brutality, as represented by a uniformed state trooper (Glenn Fleshler of True Detective). In a gloss on the Groundhog Day scenario, which has become increasingly common in pop culture, the son keeps dying at the hands of the cop; the camera can rewind and start the story over again and serve as an official witness, but it never seems to have any positive effect on the young mans fate  a bleak reading underscored by the retro technology. The whirring analog camera is redolent of the videotaped beating of Rodney King, after which the officers accused of brutality were acquitted despite the recorded evidence. This is a haunting story about the power of storytelling to capture previously ignored facets of human experience, but also a cautionary tale about the impotence of camera-as-witness in the face of state-sanctioned oppression. The trooper evokes the hitchhiker in Sterlings original series, a Grim Reaper figure, but also the description of the original Terminator as a monster who doesnt feel pity or remorse or fear. It doesnt matter whether the African-American characters treat the white policeman as a scary, faceless other or approach him as a fellow human being; he is ultimately indifferent to their fate.

Although none of the other episodes made available for review have the impact of this one, they all have their own prickly personalities. And theyre subtly and pointedly political in a different way from Serlings, acknowledging how race plays on perception and self-perception. The Comedian  which is not based on a Zone episode but has the same title as a Serling-scripted live TV play about a self-loathing stand-up comic  gives Silicon Valleys Kumail Nanjiani the chance to play a would-be George Carlin who is political but not funny and who learns that the path to success lies in mining his own life for material. As is always the case on a show like this, newfound insight comes at a price: Every subject he works into his act, including his loved ones, will disappear. Nanjianis character takes advice from an older African-American comic (Tracy Morgan in his best non30 Rock performance); the upshot is a great leveling of the worst kind, a curse-like metaphor for what happens to comedians of every cultural background after they decide that nothing in their life is off-limits.

Nightmare at 30,000 Feet is a riff on the great Matheson story that has already been told twice (notice how the new title adds 10,000 feet  talk about raising the stakes), but this time the main character is an investigative journalist (Adam Scott) who stumbles upon a discarded mp3 player playing a podcast that narrates the destruction of the flight hes on. This time the gremlin isnt on the wing of the plane; its between the heros ears. And rather than being a Cassandra on the bridge, warning of terrors that others cant see, the panicked flier is an entitled white busybody who makes his own paranoia the centerpiece of a potentially life-ending melodrama.

A Christmas episode set in a tiny Alaska town composed of white and Inuit residents is the most traditionally Serling-like of these early installments, but it allows Greg Kinnear to do an unsettling, faintly devious send-up of the affable modern cowpoke types that made TV stars of Andy Griffith and James Garner. And it gives Steven Yeun a shot to play one of those courtly and terrifying drifters who smell faintly of sulfur  roles typically earmarked for legendary Anglo character actors like Max von Sydow and James Mason (spoiler alert: Yeun nails it). That this series has already figured out that it can be political simply by virtue of the stories it tells, the points of view it adopts, and the actors it employs is further proof that magic can happen in The Twilight Zone.

An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that Replay is the first episode of The Twilight Zone revival. In fact, the series kicks off with The Comedian and Nightmare at 30,000 Feet.

*This article appears in the April 1, 2019, issue of New York Magazine. Subscribe Now!
Tekashi 6ix9ine. Photo: Jefferson Siegel/NY Daily News via Getty Images

Tekashi 6ix9ines former manager, Kifano Shotti Jordan, pleaded guilty on Thursday to two federal weapons counts, officials said. Both Jordan and Tekashi, nee Daniel Hernandez, were among those charged last November in a sprawling racketeering case that has brought the rappers brief-but-controversial career to an abrupt halt and potential end.

The indictment claimed that they were part of a New York City Bloods offshoot, the Nine Trey Gangster Bloods, which allegedly used drugs, murder, and robbery to gain power. In January, Hernandez wound up pleading guilty to nine federal counts and brokered a cooperation deal in an attempt to secure a less severe sentence.

During Jordans plea proceeding today, he admitted to using and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, according to the Manhattan U.S. Attorneys Office. The two charges relate to two incidents last year, an April 3 assault in Manhattan, and a shooting in Brooklyn on April 21, prosecutors said.

Today, Kifano Jordan admitted in open court to committing multiple acts of violence in furtherance of the Nine Trey enterprise, Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said in a statement. This conduct is simply intolerable.

For the first count, there is a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal lockup. For the second count, the minimum is ten years behind bars.

Jeffrey Lichtman, one of Jordans lawyers, told Vulture, it was a tough case against his client.

First, Lichtman said, there was the amount and type of evidence, much of which was on video tape, but also with the amount of gun charges which come with mandatory minimum sentences.

Had he gone to trial, he would have probably received a mandatory 50-year sentence, Lichtman said. To be able to get out of it with the 15-year sentence  what the plea agreement calls for  we made the best of a bad situation.

Jordan also has a pending assault case in Manhattan state court, the district attorneys office confirmed.

During Hernandezs plea proceeding, it was revealed that he was providing prosecutors information on multiple violent Nine Trey associates. Under Hernandezs plea agreement, he agreed to truthfully and completely disclose all information of the activities of himself and others to the U.S. Attorneys Office and that he cooperate fully with law enforcement agencies, prosecutors said at the time.

Mr. Hernandez is going to be happy that the case is going to be wrapping up soon, Dawn Florio, one of his attorneys, told Vulture on Thursday. Were hoping that a lot of the co-defendants plead guilty so everything can be finished.

Hernandez faces 47 years to life in federal prison, and was also back in court on Thursday.

He made an appearance in Manhattan Federal Court to address potential conflicts of interest involving his legal team  Lance Lazzaro, who represented the FEFE rapper, had previously served as Jordans lawyer.

Hernandez was escorted into Judge Paul Engelmayers courtroom shortly after 3 p.m., his hands and feet restrained. He sported navy jail blues and all-white, midrise Nikes, as well several colorful braids. He looked more elated than at prior court appearances, smiling widely in conversation with his lawyers.

After asking Hernandez a series of questions about whether he understood the potential conflict, Engelmayer said Lazzaro could resume representing him. Hernandez enthusiastically hugged Lazzaro right after the proceeding.

This post has been updated throughout.


By Jung Da-min





Adrian Hong. Korea Times file

Adrian Hong Chang, the key suspect in a recent raid on the North Korean Embassy in Spain, is a U.S. based human rights activist long involved in helping North Korean defectors.



Spain's National High Court has found that Adrian Hong led the assailant group of ten members also including a U.S. national Sam Ryu and a South Korean citizen Woo Ran Lee.



Hong was a co-founder of the California-based Liberty in North Korea (LiNK), an international non-governmental organization founded at Yale University in 2004 to rescue North Korean refugees.



He once wrote a column titled "Peace for Our Time" for The Korea Times as a contributing writer in 2007. In the column, he shared his critical views about the then South Korean liberal government's indifference to the human rights situation in the North.



In December 2006, he was arrested and deported from China together with two LiNK employees and six North Korean refugees for assisting defectors.



But the LiNK has distanced itself from Hong, saying he hasn't been engaged in LiNK activities for more than 10 years, though he co-founded the organization in his university days.



"We do not have any knowledge about Hong's recent activity nor any other information about the raid at North Korea's embassy in Spain," said Sokeel Park, a LiNK member.






President Moon Jae-in speaks at the start of his meeting with foreign businesspeople at Cheong Wa Dae, Thursday. Yonhap



By Kim Yoo-chul



A permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula will provide big business opportunities for foreign firms, President Moon Jae-in said Thursday.



"I want you to focus more on the positive economic aspects of peace on the peninsula as I believe a peace-driven economy will help the Koreas become the world's most lucrative business market," Moon said during a meeting with foreign businesspeople at Cheong Wa Dae.



The inter-Korean summits held last year significantly helped South Korea see reduced geopolitical risks, the President added.



"Standard and Poor's (S&P), one of the world's top three credit ratings agencies, has maintained South Korea's sovereign rating at a record high, even higher than China and Japan."



Moon said South Korea's credit default swap (CDS) premium has remained at a record low since October 2007. The CDS premium is seen as a key criterion for calculating foreign currency funding, which positively impacts domestic companies.



"South Korea will help foreign investors here reduce the cost of doing business by further relaxing unnecessary regulations. We will offer you more incentives in return for your investment. These are the core strategies set by the government to bring in more foreign capital. I am expecting to see an increased role for foreign investors here, for bigger investments in areas relating to the Fourth Industrial Revolution," Moon said.



The meeting was attended by business representatives from 56 foreign companies operating in South Korea and nine business lobby groups including the U.S. and European chambers of commerce. The meeting was the first of its kind since Moon took office in May 2017.



The government's policy of engagement with North Korea including humanitarian aid and economic cooperation is designed to prevent an economic failure in the North and encourage the gradual reform of its economy and political system. But some critics say this engagement has been disrupted by international disputes over the North's suspected maintenance of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programs.



President Moon noted that foreign firms have a significant presence here, accounting for 19 percent of the country's total exports, and providing 7 percent of all jobs as of last year.



"Foreign capital and foreign companies are on the same page as you invested here. South Korean firms have a weak presence in components and materials, but foreign firms are helping Korean companies offset such weakness," Moon said.



Foreign direct investment into South Korea reached a record high of $26.9 billion last year, an increase of 17.2 percent from 2017.



Asia's fourth-largest economy is suffering from prolonged low growth, widened income inequality and an aging population. To cope with the difficulties, the Moon administration is pushing to foster startups, Cheong Wa Dae said.



The failure of the U.S.-North Korea summit in Hanoi last month was a blow for the government, which had pinned hopes on the U.S. easing sanctions on North Korea that would lead to the reopening of inter-Korean projects including the Gaeseong Industrial Complex and Mount Geumgang tourism, and the start of connecting inter-Korean railways.



Those projects, stymied by sanctions on the North, are key to Moon's economic initiative that he sees as a driver for the South's moribund economy, which is suffering from its worst unemployment in a decade.




Korea's total fertility rate is estimated at 0.96 to 0.97 for last year. gettyimagesbank



South Korea's fertility rate probably fell below the critical level of 1 to an all-time low in 2018, an official said Friday.

The country's total fertility rate is estimated at 0.96 to 0.97 for last year, said the official at the Presidential Committee on Aging Society and Population Policy. An estimated 325,000 babies were born in 2018.

Last year's total fertility rate marks a fresh record low and is far below the replacement threshold of 2.1. The total fertility rate refers to the average number of babies that a woman is projected to have during her lifetime.

In 2017, South Korea's total fertility rate hit an all-time low of 1.05, ranking last among members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Gripped by the stubbornly low birthrate, South Korea's population is widely expected to start declining in 2027.
















South Korea's industry ministry said Thursday that it has reached an agreement with its Chinese counterpart to work together on reducing their dependency on coal-based power plants and seek more environmentally-friendly energy sources that can help reduce fine dust.







The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said Sung Yun-mo met high-ranking Chinese governmental officials, including Zhang Jianhua, the head of the National Energy Administration, and Zhang Mao from the State Administration for Market Regulation during his visit to Beijing.







During the meeting with China's energy administration, the two sides agreed to expand exchanges among their coal-based power plants to reduce the emission of fine dust, which has recently emerged as a major health concern for South Koreans.







Fine dust particles are likely to penetrate deeper into the lungs than other pollutants, while ultrafine particles can be absorbed directly into the blood stream, posing serious health risks.







South Korea and China agreed to kick off a regular joint technology forum that will discuss ways to reduce the emission of fine dust and greenhouse gas, the ministry said.







The two also agreed to sign a joint development agreement on establishing a power grid system in the region in the near future.







The grid is expected to stretch around 374 kilometers from China's Weihai to the eastern region of the Seoul metropolitan area. The size of the project is estimated at around 2.9 trillion won (US$2.5 billion) to 3.3 trillion won.







During the meeting with the market regulation authority, South Korea and China agreed to expand ties in the certification and standardization of electronics.







Sung expressed hope that the two countries will cooperate further in the hydrogen fuel cell automobile industry and pave the way for South Korean firms to set eyes on Asia's No. 1 economy.







Zhang claimed that China is interested in South Korea's hydrogen automobile industry and understands the importance of environment-friendly energy sources.







The South Korea policymaker asked China to take a reasonable approach in its antitrust investigation on South Korean chips, with Zhang responding that related issues will be handled in a transparent manner. (Yonhap)


The Wahkiakum School District Board of Directors met March 19 to discuss several items including a commercial kitchen, the traffic safety program, the IT infrastructure, their continued concerns about funding, and more.

Superintendent Brent Freeman gave a quick update on plans for the commercial kitchen/fish processing center, the fruit of a partnership of the school district, the local WSU Extension Office and Marine Resources Committee. He said that he and Carrie Backman of the extension office were working on a memorandum of understanding and hoped to have it ready for the directors at their next meeting in April.

Terry Bonny will no longer be training student drivers, Freeman said. Mary Moonen has to jump through a hoop or two, but will be taking over the traffic safety program.

The program is really changing, Freeman said. We just had the Department of Licensing curriculum people come down and give us their new curriculum. It is the standard we have to teach to in Washington. Its a good time for us as they are bringing in a new curriculum as we are bringing in a new teacher.

He pointed out that fewer and fewer schools were opting to teach drivers ed, and added that the program will probably be phased out eventually at public schools simply because of the expense.

For us its not terrible because we already own the two cars. I think its important for kids to get good training. I think its a life skill like swimming, Freeman said.

The board approved a conditional certificate for Moonen to teach the program, and if the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction gives the okay, Moonen may begin teaching traffic safety after spring break.

Paul Ireland, the technology director for the district, gave an overview on the Information Technology department.

He said they serve 550 clients and 1000 IP connected devices in the district.

Its easily the biggest technology footprint in county with quite a bit less IT manpower than your average enterprise or corporate environment would do it with, Ireland said.

He talked about infrastructure, software, end user devices,

"All of it is four years or newer, Ireland said. I expect it to run eight to 10 years from now, minimum.

Ireland has done a lot to protect it, even in a power outage, which was tested recently after a county wide power outage

He hopes eventually that the network will connect to places where students are learning in the field, up to 10 miles away from campus.

The infrastructure is in fantastic shape, he said. Software is extremely well licensed, including the adoption of Adobe, and soon Office 365.

He, teachers, and staff have been educating students about taking care of their Chromebooks and breakage has decreased, but Ireland feels there is still room for improvement.

Freeman gave an update on the skill center that is planned to be built in 2020 in the Castle Rock area and will serve students at 11 schools in southwest Washington, including Wahkiakum students. The programs will have a focus in three areas--diesel mechanics, construction management and health sciences.

We had a mountain lion sighting today at the access road, Freeman said in other news. The sheriff knows; we called the schools and put everybody on high alert. I do want to take out all those bushes that are down along the highway and by the grade school.

Cinnon Tarabochia tendered her resignation as secretary effective June 30.
NOAA Fisheries saw the lowest number of juvenile coho salmon in 21 years in offshore test nets in 2017, leading to low returns of coho to the Columbia River basin one year later in 2018 when the fish were adults.

However, in 2018 NOAA netted many more juvenile coho than in 2017 and that signals a better adult coho run in 2019, according to a briefing this week at the Northwest Power and Conservation Council in Portland.

Much of the reason is improving ocean conditions  cooler water than the ocean warmup during the 2014  2017 blob with more fat-rich food, said Brian Burke of NOAAs Northwest Fisheries Science Center.

Burke and biologists from Washington, Oregon and Idaho briefed the council on March 12 about 2018 fish run results and offered forecasts for 2019.

Overall, the number of salmon and steelhead forecasted to arrive at the mouth of the Columbia River will be higher this year than in 2018, with 1.3 million chinook, coho, sockeye and steelhead expected in 2019 compared to last years actual return of 665,000 fish, said Dan Rawding, Columbia River policy and science coordinator with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Still, thats far below the total run of salmonids of more than 3.5 million in 2014.

The upriver component of the total salmonid run is forecasted at 968,000 fish this year compared to last years 619,400.

Leading the increase in the total number of fish is coho. Last year the forecasted run size was 286,200, but the actual run size was half that at just 147,300 fish. This year, biologists are forecasting a run size of 726,000 coho.

However, ocean conditions affect species differently, Rawding said, as the various species and runs have different timing when they both enter the ocean and when they return to the river, and each species has its own migration pattern when offshore.

As a result, predicted run sizes for the remainder of the species are simply near or below what last years runs were, which was not a particularly good year for most Columbia River species of salmon and steelhead.

Upriver spring chinook will continue a series of years with very low returns: this year the forecast is 99,300 upriver spring chinook at the rivers mouth, which is lower than last years forecast of 166,700 fish and the actual run size of 115,000.

The forecast for Upper Columbia River spring chinook, listed as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act, is 11,200, including 2,100 wild fish. Last years actual run was 12,844, with 1,977 wild, and the forecast last year was a bit more optimistic at 20,100, with 3,400 wild. The 2014 run was about 38,000 fish, with about 4,000 wild.

Fall chinook are forecasted to return this year in higher numbers than in 2018. Some 340,400 fish are expected to return to the Columbia Rivers mouth, with 261,100 upriver fish. The 2018 run was less at 291,100 (214,000 upriver) and the forecast was 375,700 (286,200 upriver).

Columbia River chum, which historically did not pass Celilo Falls near The Dalles, Rawding said, will come in this year about the same as last years actual run  10,000 fish. Thats about average for 21st century chum runs, but far below the peak run in 2016 of about 42,000 fish.

Some 42,900 Willamette River spring chinook are expected this year, according to Art Martin, Columbia River Coordination Section Manager for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Thats about half-way between last years forecast of 55,950 fish and the actual return last year of 39,660. In 2010, about 120,000 spring chinook returned.

The upriver summer steelhead actual return at 100,483 was the lowest on record, Rawding said. The 2019 forecast is just a bit higher at 126,950. Last years forecast was 190,350. The return in 2009 was about 600,000 fish, but the numbers have mostly declined since.

There will be a slight uptick in wild winter steelhead, almost all which are below Bonneville Dam, Rawding said. Some 14,400 are forecasted in 2019, while last years forecast was 11,700 and the actual run was 11,323. The return was about 24,000 in 2016, but dropped to about 10,000 in 2017.

Columbia River sockeye are forecasted to continue the low returns experienced the last couple of years, with this years forecast set at 94,400 fish. Some 210,915 were forecasted last year, but just 99,000 showed up at the mouth. About 650,000 returned in 2014.

Wild Snake River sockeye, listed as endangered under the ESA, are forecasted to be a very low 43 fish. Thats because we prioritize hatchery production as they rebuild the stock, Hebdon said. Just 36 wild fish returned last year, although the forecast was far higher at 216. The 10-year average return is 194.

The hatchery return of Snake River sockeye is also very low, he said, forecasted at 86. Last years actual return was 240, the forecast was 162 and the 10-year average is 873.

Spring chinook anglers downstream of Bonneville Dam in 2018 kept 7,500 hatchery fish in 90,000 angler trips. 600 hatchery fish were kept from Bonneville to the Oregon/Washington border and 740 hatchery fish were kept in the Washington waters in the Snake River.

Summer season: 1,000 hatchery chinook, 2,400 hatchery steelhead and 400 sockeye were kept downstream of Bonneville in 27,500 angler trips; 430 hatchery chinook and 100 sockeye were caught from Bonneville to Priest Rapids Dam; 3,000 hatchery chinook and 16,100 sockeye were kept from Priest Rapids Dam to Chief Joseph Dam.

During the fall season, Buoy 10 anglers caught 11,600 chinook and 6,800 hatchery coho in 67,300 angler trips. The catch downstream of Bonneville was 9,800 chinook, 650 hatchery coho and 1,100 hatchery steelhead in 69,600 angler trips.

Non-tribal commercial gillnetters fishing the 2018 fall season in the mainstem river caught 8,300 fall chinook and 380 coho (spring and summer mainstem fishing was closed to them). Select Area Fisheries (SAFE) gillnetting took 8,700 chinook in the spring, 2,200 chinook in the summer and 15,000 chinook in the fall, along with 12,500 coho.

Treaty gillnetters and hook and line fishers took 10,900 spring chinook, 9,300 summer chinook, 5,400 sockeye, 1,200 summer steelhead in the spring and summer, and 5,000 summer steelhead in the fall. In fall fishing, they took 49,800 fall chinook and 3,600 coho.
Rep. Kwak Sang-do of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party walks into a pressroom at the National Assembly in Seoul to give his view on a sex-for-favors scandal involving former Vice Justice Minister Kim Hak-ui, Tuesday. Kwak, a former senior presidential official in the Park Geun-hye administration, denied the accusation that he interfered with an investigation into Kim. Yonhap



New findings show presidential office aware of sex-for-favors allegation before appointment



By Lee Suh-yoon



The reinvestigation into Kim Hak-ui, a former high-ranking official in the Park Geun-hye administration, is bringing to light new evidence that suggests the Park government was aware its vice justice minister candidate attended sex party arranged by a businessman, but pushed ahead with the appointment in March 2013 anyway.



So far, relevant officials in the former Park government have maintained they did not know of the allegations before the appointment, saying police failed to notify them of their findings before March 13, when Cheong Wa Dae announced the nomination of Kim for the post.



A former senior prosecutor, Kim was appointed as vice justice minister two days after the nomination. But he resigned six days later after allegations surfaced that he attended "sex-for-favors parties" arranged by building contractor Yoon Jung-cheon. The allegations were backed by a leaked video clip that showed a person who looked like Kim at Yoon's holiday apartment in Wonju, Gangwon Province, where dozens of women were brought in to service high-ranking officials in exchange for business favors. In the ensuing investigations, one of the women also claimed she was drugged and raped by Kim and Yoon.



Despite the evidence, the police and prosecutors did not press any charges against Kim after investigations in 2013 and 2014. A review panel under the justice ministry recently ordered the case to be reopened, saying it found evidence the Park administration interfered with the original investigations by transferring police officers in charge. It specifically said Kwak Sang-do, then senior presidential secretary for civil affairs and now a lawmaker of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP), should be investigated for abusing his power to interfere with the investigation.



With the reopening of the case being decided, whistleblowers have come to testify against the past administration.



A former government official said the presidential civil affairs office had drawn up its own report about the sex-for-favors allegations against Kim before the nomination, separately from the police's notification, according to Yonhap News. The Cheong Wa Dae report concluded Kim was unfit for the vice minister post, according to the source.



Former high-level police officers have also said they were summoned by Cheong Wa Dae to give an in-person report on the allegations days before the nomination.



Additionally, Rep. Park Young-sun of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea revealed, during a confirmation hearing Wednesday, that Hwang Kyo-ahn, who had been serving as justice minister in 2013 and now heads the LKP, also knew all about the sex-for-favors allegations against Kim, because she told him about the video clip to advise him that he was not the right person for the office.



But all these reports and recommendations did not stop Park from going ahead to appoint Kim. Earlier this week, Rep. Cho Eung-cheon of the DPK, who was Park's secretary for public office discipline at the time, also revealed that his report on Kim was ignored, likely due to "special ties" between Kim and the former president.



Kim tried to leave the country through Incheon International Airport at night on March 22 but was turned back at the boarding gate due to an emergency overseas travel ban.


SPOKANE, Wash.Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) was named as a finalist for the Democracy Awards by the Congressional Management Foundation. She is recognized for excellence in the Life in Congress  Workplace Environment category, which highlights offices that have established policies and cultures that enhance the work-life fit and professional development of their staffs.

This is McMorris Rodgers second year to be recognized by the CMF. In 2018, she received the Democracy Award for Innovation. Twelve House and Senate offices were honored as finalists in three categories: Constituent Service; Transparency, Accountability and Innovation; Life in Congress Workplace Environment.

Two winners, one Democrat and one Republican, will be announced for each category in May.




By Dong Sun-hwa







An appeals court has upheld a five-year prison term for a Chinese man who was indicted on charges of trying to kill a co-worker last year.







The Gwangju High Court said Wednesday it confirmed the lower court's sentence for the man, 61, who stabbed his fellow countryman, 57, for "not working hard" in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, June 27.







The attack left the victim with injuries requiring four weeks of medical treatment. The perpetrator later turned himself in to police and was indicted for attempted murder. He admitted attacking the victim in a fit of anger, but denied he intended killing him.







"The victim could have died if he did not receive medical treatment immediately," presiding Judge Hwang Jin-koo said. "The lower court's sentence does not seem heavy for the crime."


The Shamrock celebrates two decades of beer and fun on 31 March.

The Shamrock, a lively Irish pub near the Colosseum in the Monti district of Rome, celebrates 20 years with a day-long party on Sunday 31 March.

There will be three bands playing live over the course of the day: The Shire at 13.00, Trio Binario at 15.30, and The old Slaughterhouse trio at 18.00.

The pub opens at midday, with the party continuing until 02.00. For details see Facebook event page.




By Kim Hyun-bin







Local airlines are switching to their summer season operations and plan to launch new routes and provide additional flights to popular destinations.







The country's flagship carrier, Korean Air, will begin its summer season schedule beginning March 31.







To better match rising demands, the carrier will provide additional direct flights to destinations such as Istanbul and St. Petersburg.







On April 12, Korean Air will newly the launch Incheon-Boston route through its joint venture with Delta Air Lines that connects 290 cities in the U.S. and Asia. Starting June 1, passengers can also travel to Asahikawa in Hokkaido, with flights available five times a week.







An additional flight will be available on the popular Incheon-Istanbul route from the current four to five. The carrier will resume connections to several destinations in Russia including St. Petersburg and Irkutsk in April, and the direct flights will allow travelers to easily visit Lake Baikal and other popular north European destinations.







The country's largest budget carrier, Jeju Air, plans to better utilize local airports starting in this year's summer by providing more international flights.







"Jeju Air aims to strengthen local airports basis for growth and create more passenger demand as part of the carriers diversification strategy, as Incheon International Airport and Gimpo International Airport are too saturated to launch new routes," an official from the airline said.







In line with the new strategy, the airline will launch daily flights to Tokyo, three times a week to Macau and four times a week to Vladivostok from Muan International Airport, starting March 31.







With the new addition, Jeju Air will connect a total of nine international destinations from Muan including Osaka, Da Nang, Bangkok, Taipei, Cebu and Kota Kinabalu.







Currently, Jeju Air connects 43 cities in the Asia Pacific region including nine cities in Japan.







In February, Jeju Air received flight rights to operate between Busan and Singapore and is planning to launch the new route in the near future.








By Jung Da-min





Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom. Korea Times file

Presidential spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom is in the hot seat following a media report that he possibly engaged in property speculation.



Last July, Kim bought a two-story building in an area slated for redevelopment in Dongjak-gu, southern Seoul, for 2.57 billion won ($2.26 million). He received a loan of over 1 billion won to buy the building.



The Chosun Ilbo reported Thursday the purchase could have been speculative considering the large size of the loan.









But Kim said he bought the building to live with his family after leaving Cheong Wa Dae.



"I have lived in the official residence at Cheong Wa Dae since February last year after living for about 30 years on a lease after I got married," Kim said.





Members of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party in front of the two-story building purchased by Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom, located in Dongjak-gu, southern Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap
Virginia Woolf, noting that the Tale of Genji was originally read aloud, wrote that Murasakis listeners . . . were grown-up people . . . absorbed . . . in the contemplation of mans nature; how passionately he desires things that are denied; how his longing for a life of tender intimacy is always thwarted; . . . how beautiful the falling snow is, and how, as he watches it, he longs more than ever for someone to share his solitary joy. (Dont be confused by the masculine pronoun: Woolf was describing a predicament that was universal, but perhaps especially feminine.)
The Lufthansa Group, which includes Swiss, Lufthansa and Austrian airlines, is offering 25 percent off the ticket price if you depart by April 30 and complete your trip by June 30. Proof of a Wow ticket is required. Icelandair, which services many of the same routes as Wow, will offer reduced return fares between March 28 and April 11: $60 to or from Europe, $100 to or from North America and $160 between Europe and North America via Iceland. (Taxes not included.)
The beaches aside, Mexicos ancient Mayan culture is one of the countrys biggest tourist draws. Its no surprise, then, that the 1,500-year-old Mayan city of Chichen Itza, a 2 hour drive from Cancun, is an overwhelmingly popular attraction. Located in the state of Yucatan, this UNESCO World Heritage site is a common day trip for vacationers who take a break from swimming or snorkeling to get a dose of history. Theres no doubt that the 740-acre Chichen Itza site (about 30 percent of which is open to the public) is impressive, with its vast complex of pyramids, temples and other buildings, several of which are decently preserved. Most prominent in size and significance is the 100-foot pyramid of El Castillo, also called the Temple of Kukulkan. Each of its faces has 91 steps; with the single step they share at the top, Kukulkan has 365 in all.
Natives have long stepped up to serve their country. It goes back before there was a United States, Takawana said. Weve had to be warriors to defend our homeland, whether it was defending our hunting grounds from other tribes or from when nonwhites came in.




By Park Ji-won







Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon asked Asian countries to play a role in urging North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons and bringing peace to the Korean Peninsula during an annual international forum in China.







"The two Koreas and the United States remain on course for talks. I would like to express my appreciation to China, Japan and Russia for their support and hope they continue to play a meaningful role," Lee said during a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia held on China's tropical island of Hainan, Thursday.







His speech came following the failed summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi due to their differences on the range of denuclearization and sanctions relief. The government has been making efforts to revive the dialogue as a mediator.







"It is regrettable that the denuclearization talks were deadlocked. But I believe the Korean Peninsula will keep walking toward peace despite a rocky road ahead," he added.







Lee also called for Asian countries' cooperation in tackling environmental problems, including fine dust.







"I suggest that Asian countries cooperate more smoothly on issues, such as the reduction of fine dust," Lee said.







Lee and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met on the sidelines of the forum and agreed on sharing experiences and boosting communications with each other to tackle the issue.







South Korea has been suffering from the worst-ever fine dust pollution. Seoul and Beijing are blaming each other for the cause of the deteriorating air quality despite it being believed here that a large amount of the fine dust blows in from China.


You can throw out a bunch of goals that are lofty, that sound good, but if theyre not followed by a strategy or strategic plan with action steps that make sense, you will fail, Turnage said Thursday. He said the updated plan was being developed internally but was made public in response to lawmakers concerns.
Im very disappointed, and I believe the wrongdoers need to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, Burroughs said. Its a slap in the face to every teacher, every student and every taxpayer. . . . If we dont hold people responsible, then we create a culture that this is okay.
Mueller formally concluded his investigation into Russian election interference and last week submitted his final report to Attorney General William P. Barr. Barr has said that Mueller did not establish a criminal conspiracy between anyone associated with Trump and Russia to affect the election and that he has recommended no additional indictments as part of his investigation.
Its continuing robustly, Goodhand said, according to a transcript of the hearing, held to consider a request by lawyers from the Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the Press for the court to unseal materials including the companys identity in the cloaked litigation before the federal district and appellate courts, and the Supreme Court.
Pugh, who is soft-spoken, sometimes mumbled as she addressed reporters and choked up toward the end of her remarks, which ran about 20 minutes. She did not take questions, saying her lawyers had advised her not to because the book deal is under investigation.
We have to do something, Wilson said. He acknowledged that the bill feels like a little bit of a soft punch in the gut for business owners but added that as one of the richest states in the country, Maryland needs to make sure it is looking after all its residents.
Shim Baek-kang, president of the Korea National Culture Research Center, speaks during an interview with The Korea Times, Monday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul



By Lee Han-na



Southeast Asia, and Vietnam in particular, is becoming an important region of growth and development that has Korean corporations and education institutions seeking investments and cooperation.



The amity between the two countries is expected to increase further in tandem  and the closeness between the two countries may well hail from the historical commonalities the two peoples share, a passionate historian of early Korean history and Chinese characters opined.



According to historian Shim Baek-kang, the president of the Korea National Culture Research Center in Seoul, Korea and Vietnam are brothers and sisters by blood, sharing an origin from the Maek tribe.





A copy of 'Complete Book of Historical Record of Great Viet' by Ngo Li Sien. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul



His statement is based on resemblances in documents and traditional Chinese characters. In "Complete Book of Historical Record of Great Viet" (1479) by Ngo Si Lien, Vietnam's first kingdom starts with the Hung King. The father of the king, Lac Long Quan, shows how Vietnam is rooted in the Maek tribe with the traditional Chinese character of Lac meaning "Maek."



Another finding is that there is much resemblance between the two countries' first kingdoms  Van Lang of Vietnam (2879-258 B.C.) and Gojoseon of Korea (2333 to 100 B.C.). The father of Korea's first king, Hwanung shares the same character with the Hung kings of Vietnam which also means "Maek tribe" suggesting how both countries are rooted from the same tribe. Both kingdoms also lasted for 2000 years with 18 monarchs from Hung King and Hwanung respectively  with Gojoseon having 19 other succeeding monarchs.

Figure depicting the resemblance of the traditional Chinese characters of the two kingdoms By Lee Han-na
Im responsible for all of the passengers and demand to be able to see all of them  be they Israeli or not  at any given moment, Mr. Bacos recalled demanding. The terrorists assented, he told Ynetnews, and he was able to go from one hall to the other without receiving permission, every time.
There were also initial reports that there were also some disturbing pictures discovered on Grants social media, according to prosecutors, and that suggested to some that there may be concern he was planning to use the firearm while in the school.
Lalchan, 33, told authorities she was afraid Christopher Lalchan was going to kill her. During a nearly four-week trial, she took the witness stand, sobbing at times, and testified that her husband had been controlling and abusive. She said he often wrapped his hands around her throat in fits of rage until she decided to fight back.
One of the drivers, Garfield Manning, 29, of Brandywine, died at the scene, police said. The other driver was taken to a hospital with injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening, police said.
Sevilla, who was attending the cleanup as a legal observer, spoke with Diaz for a long while that day, and after she left, she couldnt stop thinking about her. Here was a woman just like her  a Latina raised by immigrants, whod never had much in her life. Sevilla knew what it was like to get evicted and to feel untethered from family. In an alternative reality, Sevilla realized, their roles could easily have been swapped, with her in the tent and Diaz peering in from the outside.
During the dinner, she said, he ordered her meal and vodka martinis  what he was drinking  even though she told him she was not legally allowed to drink. He told her he could help her get accepted at the Howard University School of Law, where he is a board member.
The tests also helped criminal investigations, according to the statement, with 239 hits sent to authorities, including 144 hits that confirmed the identities of previously known suspects. At least 58 cases were reopened or are under review as a result of the effort, the statement said.
By Adrian HongRecently, former President Kim Dae-Jung's "Peace Center" sponsored a special event in Seoul calling for democratization and freedom in Burma.Kim made laudable demands on the Myanmarese (Burmese) junta: access by the U.N. and NGO representatives, credible aid distribution, freedom of political dissent and the basic protection of human rights and liberties.And while Kim's voice for such ideals in Myanmar, formerly Burma, is certainly noteworthy, it reeks of great hypocrisy that a man who was in a position of tremendous influence over the future of North Korea and did nothing now purports to stand for freedom and justice elsewhere in the world.From 1998 to 2003, Kim could have called for transparency of aid to North Korea. He could have called for reforms by North Korean officials in return for South Korean motions and gifts  gifts that ranged from political concessions to outright cash.He could have pressed to allow humanitarian organizations access to any of the nearly 50 counties North Korea has marked off-limits. Instead, under his leadership, South Korea transferred hundreds of millions of dollars in cash to the North Korean government for use as they saw fit, on top of regular shipments of aid.None of the shipments were given with conditions of transparency or reciprocity. Much of this money was sent just ahead of Kim's much-vaunted (and Nobel-earning) "Peace Summit" with Kim Jong-il in 2000, an illicit process that ultimately brought senior officials under Kim Dae-jung's government under investigation.He could have called for the closure of North Korea's concentration camps, and the release of a quarter-million prisoners currently sentenced to deadly terms of hard labor. In 2005, Shin Dong-hyuk managed escape from Political Camp No. 14. He had been born and raised in the camp, grew up witnessing public executions and rapes, and was tortured.Other survivors testify of prison guards poisoning pregnant women and burying prisoners alive in mines, and the use of child labor to cut timber and dig mass graves. Kim's government not only failed to utter a single word about human rights conditions in the North, but also it actively worked against those activists, defectors, agencies and governments who sought to make an issue of it, for the sake of "dialogue."Kim could have defended the rights of North Korean refugees, tens of thousands having crossed over to China, facing sex trafficking and exploitation. Many are repatriated to the North, sentenced to harsh interrogation, torture, and sometimes execution.Instead, during his term, North Korean refugees on the run were routinely turned away from South Korean consulates and embassies throughout Asia, and on occasion reluctantly accepted, for fear of upsetting the North.Days after receiving his Nobel Peace Prize in 2000, Kim Dae-jung held a press conference in Stockholm where he announced that "peace" took priority over human rights. You can call what Kim's plan accomplished for the two Koreas many things, but peace is not one of them. Stability and economic growth are inadequate substitutes for peace.The Constitution of the Republic of Korea declares all those on the peninsula its citizens, including those in the North. When Kim calls for "peaceful coexistence" with North Korea, he is not issuing a trumpet call for the cessation of hostilities and steps toward reunification.He is condemning the North Korean people to a life under a government that has proven repeatedly that they exist to exploit their people. He is calling for coexistence with oppression and injustice.He is accepting the existence of concentration camps, public execution posts and political oppression on the Korean peninsula. He is, simply, telling the world that human rights and liberties are noble ideals to fight and die for everywhere, except in North Korea.Kim presented a false choice: hard-line confrontation with the North, or appeasement and unconditional concessions under the guise of "engagement." Neither is the proper course. There is a strategy that has not been given a chance; friendly but firm engagement, aid, concessions and rapprochement balanced with strong benchmarks for human rights improvements and transparency in aid distribution.Seeking reforms in the North does not make one an advocate of regime change. It simply states that North Korea cannot continue to torture its own citizens and expect legitimacy in the world.While Kim is no longer in the Blue House, he can still contribute a great deal to the cause of human rights for his North Korean brothers and sisters.He can call for live family reunions between the South and the North; for accountability in labor practices in the Gaeseong Industrial Complex; for nations that host North Korean laborers to ensure that their rights are respected. He can call upon China to provide amnesty to the thousands of stateless children, many of them orphans.Most of all, he can use the platform afforded him by his Nobel Peace Prize to finally earn it. It is never too late to do the right thing.Adrian Hong is executive director of Liberty in North Korea (LiNK). He can be reached at adrianh@linkglobal.org
The kidney was implanted near the recipients pelvis through a six- to eight-inch incision in the abdomen, and the recipients kidneys were not removed, as is common practice, Desai said. Kidney recipients can expect 20 to 40 years from a transplanted kidney, Segev said, with those who receive live kidney donations doing a little better than those who get the organs from deceased donors. After that period, the recipient would require another transplant or go back on dialysis, he said.
For the most part, even those here who wish the Trump administration had done more to keep the two plants open dont fault the president for their closing. At least no more than they blame state officials, or Obama-era regulations, or the utility company that closed them, or environmental groups, or the unforgiving economics of the marketplace.
There is still no electricity or running water. To bathe or flush the toilet, Freeman has to empty gallons of bottled water or use a hand pump to retrieve water from an underground cistern. At night, the family is guided by two small battery-powered lights to avoid bumping into furniture that still dampens when it rains. And without refrigeration, Freeman cannot always stock enough ice in her freezer to keep food from spoiling.


By Andrew Hammond





Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro visited Chile at the weekend after meeting in the United States with fellow conservative populist Donald Trump last week.



The fact that these two insurgent candidates are leading two of the most powerful democracies in the Americas underlines a broader trend with recent academic research suggesting some 2 billion of the world's population are now governed by such populist leaders.



The close personal bond between Trump and Bolsonaro  sometimes known as the "Tropical Trump"  is reinforced by the fact that they won power through similar campaign tactics, attacking multinational organizations, so-called "fake media," and immigrants.And this electoral success is itself a microcosm of a wider upending of the global political landscape shown in the Global Populism Database which is a comprehensive tracker of populist discourse.



In data released earlier this month, the international network of academics involved in the work highlight the extent of what is around a two decade rise in populism by analyzing speeches  through textual analysis  by key leaders in 40 countries during this period.The research found that, some 20 years ago, only a handful of states  including Italy, Argentina and Venezuela  were the countries with populations over 20 million with leaders classified as populists.



According to the Global Populism Database, this  then relatively small "populist club" expanded significantly during the onset of the globalfinancial crisis from 2006 to 2009.But it was not until the last half decade that there has been the biggest rise in populism from elections across the world including the voting into power of Bolsonaro and Trump.



The research highlights that this latest two-decade wave of populism is just one of several over the last several hundred years.In the past, for instance, populism has been a recurrent phenomenon in some countries, including the United States.



What the research reveals, however, is that this latest wave of populism  fuelled in part by the international financial crisis  has cast a bigger footprint than perhaps ever before.



As a result the data indicates that some 2 billion people are today governed by a "somewhatmoderately populist,""populist" or "very populist" leader, an increase from 120 million at the turn of the millennium, with the research calling out other leaders like Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and India's Narendra Modi as belonging in the populist camp.



Another key finding is how shades of populism differ across the world.The study found, for instance, that South America populism leans toward socialism (albeit with Bolsonaro as a key outlier), whereas current populists in Europe tend to be right-of-center.



The latter growth of populism in Europe is one of the most striking developments in the period under review.The role of economic downturn and austerity has, since the 2008 financial crisis, been key to the rise of populism here, especially in those states most impacted by the eurozone crisis like Greece and Spain.



Unrest, however, has also tapped into pre-existing disquiet with established European political parties and systems.And also a broader range of economic, political, social and technological factors that have also driven unrest across much of the rest of the world too.



The diverse nature of this political instability from the Americas to Europe and the Middle East, has reportedly been described as a "revolutionary wave" by Sir Nigel Inkster, former director of operators for the U.K. Secret Intelligence Service.



Looking to the future and potential further growth of populism, one key question is whether this international political instability will tail off in coming years, especially if economic recovery continues to take hold in much of the world.



While this is possible, protests and uprising are likely to continue for at least two sets of reasons.Firstly, there are some factors completely unrelated to the post-2008 financial crisis that will endure, if not intensify.This includes the disruptive role of social media.



There remains debate about how instrumental social media has been in fomenting political instability in recent years.However, whether one sees this new technology as an essential component that translated discontent into concrete action, or accentuated what was already-inevitable, indisputably it has played an enabling role that will likely grow.



Secondly, even though the worst of the international financial crisis has now passed, its consequences endure, especially for the young people who remain unemployed.This poses the risk of long-term damage to earnings potential and job prospects, fueling discontent.



In the EU, for instance, a relatively high number of people under 25 are still unable to find work.This has given rise to concern, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel's mentioning a "lost generation," especially in states like Greece and Spain where youth unemployment peaked at almost 60 percent.



Taken overall, it cannot be assumed that the rise of populism has peaked, more than a decade after the international financial crisis began.This is partly because the prospect of further political instability fueled not just by the legacy of the crisis such as youth unemployment, but also longer-standing political and socioeconomic discontent which social media is giving new impetus.





Andrew Hammond (andrewkorea@outlook.com) is an associate at LSE IDEAS at the London School of Economics.


A spokeswoman for ATF declined Wednesday to say how many bump stock devices had been turned over to them, saying it was not discussing who has or has not abandoned bump stocks. The spokeswoman also said that number would not be an accurate measure of bump stocks people have shed, since some may opt to destroy them on their own or give them to other agencies.
The territorial government contracted two global engineering firms, AECOM and Aptim, to carry out the construction, and more than 7,000 houses have been repaired so far. But homeowners have complained about the quality of some of the repairs, and some have alleged that workers are effecting cracks and leaks in doors, walls and roofs. In February, three major subcontractors working under AECOM said they and other firms are collectively owed more than $60 million for work performed, putting some firms at risk of insolvency or bankruptcy.
Pittsburgh approves gun-control measures: The Pittsburgh City Council gave tentative approval Wednesday to gun-control legislation introduced in the wake of the 2018 synagogue massacre, an effort certain to be challenged in court by Second Amendment advocates who point out that state law doesn't generally allow municipalities to regulate firearms. The legislation would place restrictions on military-style assault weapons like the AR-15 rifle that authorities say was used in the Oct. 27 rampage at Tree of Life synagogue that killed 11 and wounded seven. It would also ban most uses of armor-piercing ammunition and high-capacity magazines, and would allow the temporary seizure of guns from people who are determined to be a danger to themselves or others.
1st cholera cases confirmed in Mozambican city: The first cases of cholera have been confirmed in the cyclone-ravaged Mozambican city of Beira, raising the stakes in an already desperate fight to help hundreds of thousands of people sheltering in increasingly squalid conditions. The five cholera cases were confirmed in one of the poorest neighborhoods in the city, the director of medical aid said. Beira is struggling to provide clean water and sanitation after Cyclone Idai roared in March 14, killing at least 468 people in Mozambique, 259 in Zimbabwe and 56 in Malawi.
In 2019, those words ring hollow. Xi Jinpings government brazenly uses economic and political pressure to interfere in Taiwan  an attempt to turn the Taiwanese people and their leaders toward Beijing and against the West. Xi himself smashed the status quo in January when he publicly called for Taiwan to rejoin China under the One Country, Two Systems model. One look at Hong Kong should be enough for any Taiwanese citizen to realize that means a steady erosion of their freedoms and sovereignty.
Frankly speaking (as Russians like to say), the first step is for Russia to stop pretending it didnt interfere in the 2016 presidential election. The Kremlin got caught red-handed, one could say, and if it keeps claiming otherwise, it obstructs the dialogue it says it wants.


Attorney General William Barr's letter to Congress about the principal conclusions of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation was good news for President Donald Trump, in saying that neither he nor his 2016 campaign colluded with Russia. The letter was far more equivocal on whether Trump tried to obstruct the probe, and as such it has become a rallying point for both supporters and critics of the president.



Barr's letter has succeeded in guaranteeing that we are doomed to more partisan heaving.



It raises issues and does contain truths  some directly stated, some implied  that must be acknowledged in any clear and honest evaluation.



Russia did interfere in the 2016 election. This was job No. 1 for Mueller and he proved it beyond doubt. He indicted more than two dozen Russians on charges of spreading disinformation and sowing discord via social media, and of hacking and distributing emails of people associated with the Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton's campaign. Trump must finally and unequivocally accept the conclusion backed by all U.S. intelligence agencies, condemn Russia for its behavior and demand that it stop.



Trump was vindicated as to colluding with Russia in its election-meddling campaign. That should be welcomed by all Americans because the alternative  that a sitting U.S. president won because of nothing less than treasonous behavior  is horrifying.



Barr quoted Mueller as saying there is no proof of a conspiracy by Trump and his associates, and the president is taking victory laps. One key open question not addressed by Barr is why so many Trump associates lied about contacts with Russians, acts for which several people have been convicted and may serve time in prison.



Why didn't Mueller come to a conclusion about whether Trump obstructed justice? Barr's letter includes a partial quote from the special counsel: "while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him."



Mueller refused to say definitely that the president did not obstruct justice, and he provided the relevant testimony and documents to Barr that detail Trump's efforts to influence the investigation. As Barr noted, Mueller "sets out the evidence on both sides."



The decision that the evidence did not rise to the level of criminality was made by Barr and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who appointed Mueller. Mueller, it seems, was concerned about the significant evidence of obstruction, but believed the question of presidential obstruction is inherently a political one. For no other reason, Mueller should testify before Congress about his decision-making.



Barr should not have made the call on obstruction. He was conflicted, having stated in a 2018 memo before taking office that Mueller's theory of obstruction was "fatally misconceived" and that the president could not be charged with obstruction for simply exercising the powers of his office, for example, by firing FBI Director James Comey. It's a legitimate position. But Barr should have recused himself, as predecessor Jeff Sessions did, on overseeing the Russia probe.



Mueller's report must be made public. That was one decisive take-away from Barr's bare-bones letter. Too much of it was opinion based on findings still not public and it was quite short on legal analysis. The report must be released as quickly as is reasonably possible, and it must be as complete as is allowed by law. There might be no way to quell the partisan wars over the probe, but it will be impossible to do so without public access to the report.



Congressional oversight must continue. Congressional committees are investigating matters related to Russia, as well as other Trump-related organizations. This is an essential and bipartisan part of Congress' job, and should occur responsibly in every presidency. That oversight must include calling Barr, Mueller and Rosenstein to testify. The White House should not attempt to stymie these hearings by excessive claims of "executive privilege."



Trump needs to let the many ongoing investigations proceed. No interference, no obstruction, no meddling. That goes for Barr, too. Federal attorneys in the Southern and Eastern districts of New York, as well as the New York State attorney general, are probing Trump's foundation, campaign, inauguration committee, businesses and personal finances. These processes are governed by clear-cut rules, and to stay within those guardrails, Trump should remain silent.



Mueller's probe was not a witch hunt, and it was not rigged, two of Trump's principal points. It was thorough and effective. Mueller issued more than 2,800 subpoenas, executed nearly 500 search warrants and interviewed about 500 witnesses.



He indicted 37 people and entities on 199 counts, and obtained seven convictions. He sowed seeds being cultivated by other jurisdictions. Trump now says Mueller acted honorably. There was legitimate evidence to pursue and claims that required vetting. That's what Mueller did. And if you accept the rule of law, you must accept his conclusions.



These investigations can be painful. The arguments they spark along our national divide can become heated and widen the chasm between us. Another presidential election approaches. But the process must continue. The truth must out. And all of us  the investigators, those being investigated, and the rest of us watching this long drama play out  simply have no choice but to let the pursuit of justice grind on.





The above editorial appeared in Newsday. It was distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


Schiff is a disgrace. But he is not alone. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), a member of the Intelligence Committee, said, In our investigation, we saw strong evidence of collusion and declared Trump an agent working on behalf of the Russians. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) claimed, Its clear that the campaign colluded, and theres a lot of evidence of that. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), a member of the Judiciary Committee, assured us last year that the evidence is pretty clear that there was collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), a member of the Intelligence Committee, said, There is no longer a question of whether this campaign sought to collude with a hostile foreign power to subvert Americas democracy. And recently, the committees vice chairman, Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.), declared that enormous amounts of evidence exist of collusion between Trump and Russia and that theres no one that could factually say theres not plenty of evidence of collaboration or communications between Trump Organization and Russians. Except for Mueller, of course.
He probably anticipated that Democratic candidates would rush to embrace the far left of their party. For Mr. Trump, the mission at hand becomes convincing only 1 out of every 6 voters not in his pocket that the devil you know is better than the devil you dont, a task that appears to be becoming less burdensome with Democratic assistance.
Even if Mueller had concluded that the evidence against Trump was damning, its likely that party loyalties soon would have reasserted themselves in response (as, indeed, they have in the aftermath of the non-release of the report). A February 2018 Marist poll found that 55 percent of Americans would believe Mueller over Trump if the two disagreed, which was almost exactly the same percentage as disapproved of Trumps presidency in that poll. Ninety-one percent of Democrats said they would have sided with Mueller  but only 15 percent of Republicans said they would have gone against the president.
Trump continued to state publicly that he would be glad to sit for an interview  he believed being seen as willing to talk with prosecutors showed strength, according to a former administration official with direct knowledge of his thinking. But the president came to agree with his lawyers that doing so would be too risky, especially after former national security adviser Michael Flynn pleaded guilty in December 2017 to lying to the FBI, current and former White House aides said.
Other than Gillibrand, only Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts has offered an extensive look at her tax records  posting filings on her campaign site dating back to 2008, when the then-Harvard Law professor was appointed to a congressional panel overseeing the governments response to the 2008 financial crisis. Warren, who prepares her own taxes, has yet to file her 2018 return but plans to make it public when she does, according to her campaign.
On Twitter, Wolking shared several news stories about Democrats in Utah and other states voting against legislation that would make it a crime for a doctor to perform an abortion if the woman is seeking one solely because the fetus has Down syndrome. Such measures have become a new front in the battle over abortion rights in the states.
Imagine the Iranians interfere in the election to help elect Barack Obama, an Obama aide meets with the Iranians to talk about the dirt they have, then President Obamas national security adviser lies to the FBI about his communications with the Iranians, then President Obama asks Comey to drop the investigation of that, fires Comey and said he did so while thinking about the Iranian thing. Then he invited mullahs to the Oval Office and told them he lifted a lot of pressure by firing Comey.
Cummings and Raskin are also raising questions about a decision to move a polling site outside the city limits of Dodge City just before the 2018 election. The two lawmakers note the city is 60 percent Latino. And since the new location was more than a mile from the closest bus stop, the decision to move the polling site last year may have impacted the ability of Dodge City residents to vote in the 2018 election, the two wrote.
As Biden inches toward a 2020 presidential run in which female and black voters will play an outsize role, some are urging him to extend a personal apology to Hill, something he is not believed to have done in the nearly 30 years since the hearing took place. Others are calling for him to publicly demonstrate that he understands he made mistakes at the time as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
But it is a tricky balancing act. Pelosi is showing solidarity with rank-and-file Democrats furious about Barrs decision to declare there was insufficient evidence to make an obstruction case against the president  even though Mueller failed to draw a conclusion on that matter. She is also trying to temper that fury so that it does not erupt and spark an impeachment push.
Large companies' outside directors should stop being yes men



Outside directors at listed affiliates of major conglomerates voted for almost all agenda items at board meetings last year.



According to CEO Score, a corporate tracker, nonexecutive directors at 251 listed units of 57 business groups approved 99.7 percent of the total 6,350 motions forwarded to the boards in 2018. In the case of 46 family-controlled conglomerates, or chaebol, the approval rate was 100 percent, it said.



That explains why people call these independent directors "rubber-stamps." Outside directors are supposed to play the role of keeping large shareholders and top managers in check, as the owner families tend to act in their own interest or make wrong managerial judgments. However, outside directors seemed to raise few objections at board meetings.



This is because chaebol subsidiaries recruit nonexecutive directors mainly as "windshields." For similar reasons, most of these independent directors are former judges, police officers, taxmen and financial regulators. They know too well to voice any opposition; outside directors must not fall out of favor with the tycoons if they want to retain their posts. Sometimes, chaebol owners' classmates or former executives sit in directors' chairs, making it hard to expect to hear different opinions at board meetings.



The time has long past for Corporate Korea to enhance the independence of outside directors. Above all, recommendation committees made up of independent directors should be free from the control of owner families. These panels can seldom select independent directors righteously if group chairmen or executive directors lead them. Policymakers need to work out methods to ensure the independence of outside directors within the boundaries of not hurting the self-reliance of businesses.



Chaebol companies also ought to recognize the positive role of outside directors. They should realize that nonexecutive directors who offer differing views can better help conglomerates and their owners than yes men. Outside directors who apply restraint before problems get worse are precious assets for businesses.



Hanjin Group Chairman Cho Yang-ho lost his title as the CEO of Korean Air, Wednesday. This would not have happened had the group's outside directors not been allowed to fulfill their proper duties.




Kevin McAleenan, the commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said that for the first time in more than a decade, his agency is reluctantly performing direct releases of migrants, meaning they are not turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, they are not detained, they are not given ankle bracelets to track their movements and they are allowed to leave with just a notice to appear in court at a later date.
The conversation pivoted briefly to policy and politics, with Trump saying that he plans to visit the U.S.-Mexico border in California in two weeks. When Hannity asked him how much of the border wall has been fixed and built, Trump said, We repaired, I mean, literally, many, many miles. I could give you numbers, but many, many miles.
The Latino Victory Fund jumped on Udalls announcement Monday that he planned to retire at the end of 2020 by declaring that its crucial that the next U.S. senator from New Mexico be Hispanic. By Wednesday afternoon the PAC devoted to increasing Hispanic elected officials launched a website trying to draft Lujan into the Senate race, citing the turbulent era of President Trump and the battles over his demand for a wall across the Southwest border.
Maiga said Mali is not demanding a massive presence of American soldiers but wants Washington to supply training and equipment to help its military counter violence that has claimed the lives of hundreds of civilians this year. After Maiga met with White House national security adviser John Bolton on Wednesday, Bolton tweeted that he had reiterated our commitment to partnering with Mali to defeat threats from terrorist groups in the Sahel.
World eying Kim Jong-un's next move



A month has passed since the collapse of the Feb.27-28 summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. While the two countries have shown signs that they are still up for more negotiations, there are few prospects for significant progress in the stalled denuclearization talks anytime soon.



This week, U.S. officials have been increasing pressure on North Korea. During a House Armed Service Committee hearing Wednesday, Gen. Robert Abrams, the commander of the U.S. Forces Korea underlined that North Korea is continuing with activities that are inconsistent with denuclearization. "I remain clear-eyed about the fact that despite a reduction in tensions along the demilitarized zone and a cessation of strategic provocations coupled with public statements of intent to denuclearize, little to no verifiable change has occurred in North Korea's capabilities," Abrams said.



Similar concerns have been echoed by President Trump's nominee for top U.S. diplomat for Asia during his confirmation hearing Wednesday. David Stilwell, the nominee for U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said the U.S. had been "fooled enough times" by North Korea and emphasized that the pressure on North Korea will continue. The retired Air Force brigadier said that there will be no pulling back on sanctions just because of North Korea's promise to denuclearize. "Releasing that pressure too soon will get us right back where we started," he said.



U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also voiced some skepticism about the progress of North Korea's denuclearization during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing. The top U.S. diplomat said that he had not yet seen Pyongyang make the "big move" that the U.S. was "frankly hoping for," referring to the Hanoi summit which failed to produce any agreement between the two leaders.



Given the negative signs from North Korea since the collapse of the Hanoi summit, the concerns from the U.S. side are understandable. U.S. reports have shown that the North had begun to rebuild a missile site that it had started to dismantle last year. North Korean officials closely involved in the denuclearization talks, including Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui, have openly criticized the U.S., saying that Washington had missed a golden opportunity and that North Korea had no intention of submitting to its demands, during a press conference in Pyongyang earlier this month. She also said that Kim will soon announce a message regarding negotiations with the U.S.



All eyes are on what kind of move Kim will make in the near future. He warned about taking a "new path" during his New Year speech if negotiations with the U.S. did not go well. He should not make a decision that will take the Korean Peninsula back to where it was before President Moon Jae-in's peace initiative started. The U.S. and Korea should continue to work closely to prepare for Kim's next move.


In earlier years of Europes migration crisis  when flows from the Middle East and North Africa were much higher  the Mediterranean was patrolled by Italian and European vessels, as well as by humanitarian groups, which would rescue migrants from flimsy dinghies and transport them to safety, typically to Italy. But over the past year, Italy has closed its ports to migrants rescued by humanitarian boats. And the E.U. said Wednesday that it is winding down its own maritime effort.
But not her total plan  no, only the 585-page withdrawal agreement. Thats the part of the treaty that spells out, in a legally binding way, how much Britain will pay to leave the European Union ($50 billion), how the two-year transition will preserve the status quo for trade and travel (no change), and how Britain and the European Union will treat each others citizens in the interim (nobody gets kicked out of anybodys country).
The decision to release some of the women came a day after the defendants appeared in a court in Riyadh during a second hearing in their case and petitioned for their temporary release. In emotional testimony, several detailed abuse at the hands of Saudi authorities, according to Alia al-Hathloul, a sister of Loujain al-Hathloul, one of the detainees.
General Motors Executive Vice President Barry Engle, seventh from left, cuts the ribbon to celebrate the launch of General Motors' Asia-Pacific regional headquarters in GM Korea's Bupyeong plant in Incheon, Thursday. Sixth from left is Democratic Party of Korea floor leader Hong Young-pyo and second from right is GM Korea CEO Kaher Kazem. Courtesy of GM Korea
Huawei, in particular, is said to have close links to Chinese security services. The company was founded in 1987 by Ren Zhengfei, who spent about 20 years in the Peoples Liberation Army serving in a military-technology division and built the company from a staff of three to a multibillion-dollar behemoth. Ren is alleged to have close ties to the PLA, and Huaweis former vice chairwoman was an officer in the Ministry of State Security, Chinas premier intelligence agency.
Jessie K. Liu, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia who had been tapped to take the Justice Departments No. 3 job, has withdrawn from consideration after Republican senators raised concerns about her past membership in a lawyers group that supported abortion rights and opposed the nomination of Samuel A. Alito Jr. to the Supreme Court.
Perry said that since 2017, there had been 65 applications from companies seeking to share information under Part 810 of the legislation authorizing the licenses. So far, Perry said, the department has issued 37 authorizations, including six to Saudi Arabia and two to Jordan. The Energy Department later issued a correction saying there were seven for Saudi Arabia. Frankly, I think the word secret is what gets everybody spun up, Perry added. What were talking about here is something that goes on every day in this town and across this country.
Turkey has leveled weighty charges against Topuz, who has worked since 1992 for the Drug Enforcement Administration as a translator and liaison between American and Turkish officials. An indictment accuses him of supplying state information for the purposes of espionage and attempting to eradicate the Republic of Turkey, among other charges. The accusations appear mostly related to Topuzs work at the DEA, where he was in contact with Turkish security officials who were later prosecuted for being members of the Gulen movement.
Seen is an aerial view of Wonsam-myeon, Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, where SK hynix will construct a semiconductor cluster. / Korea Times file





By Baek Byung-yeul







SK hynix will invest 1.22 trillion won ($1.07 billion) as part of the firm's growth sharing plan with its partnership firms which will be housed in its new semiconductor cluster near Seoul, the chip maker said Thursday.







The announcement came a day after the government approved the firm's semiconductor cluster development plan with an investment of 120 trillion won ($106 billion) in Yongin, just south of Seoul.







The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy requested the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in February to relax regulations that restrict the size of industrial zones in the Seoul metropolitan area and a committee under the land ministry decided to allocate lands in the city to SK hynix.







With the plan, SK hynix will build four semiconductor fabrication plants in the cluster after the factory site is organized in 2022. The cluster will feature more than 50 partnership companies of SK hynix and is expected to create 17,000 new jobs and 188 trillion won in added value, according to the government.







As part of its growth sharing plan, the firm will create a financial support fund worth 300 billion won in 2022 when it will begin the construction of its first semiconductor fabrication plant in the cluster. The mass production at the new cluster is expected to begin in 2024.







The firm will also invest 638 billion won to establish a center for growth sharing. Tentatively titled WeDoTech Center, the organization will provide various kinds of financial support to the partnership firms such as localization of semiconductor manufacturing equipment.







The rest of the 280 billion won will be used to support R&D projects of the partnership companies.







SK hynix said the growth sharing plan will strengthen the country's semiconductor industry ecosystem.







"The growth sharing program will help increase the localization rate of homemade semiconductor manufacturing equipment, which currently remains at only 20 percent," Kim Jeong-ki, vice president of the firm's PR office, said. "We will continue to contribute to the development of the country's semiconductor industry."







SK hynix has pushed ahead with the cluster development plan in response to rapidly growing chip demands from all across the world. It already has operated its domestics chip manufacturing lines in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province and Cheongju, North Chungcheong.







Under its business plan, the newly built Yongin cluster will become a center for DRAM memory chips while the Icheon plant will focus on R&D projects and the Choengju plant will serve as a manufacturing hub for NAND flash memory chips.


By Nam Hyun-woo





Dow Chemical Korea Commercial Director Min Sun-hee speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the company's office in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Courtesy of Dow Chemical Korea
Lee Seok-joo, CEO of Jeju Air, speaks to reporters about the airlines' business plans during a press conference at the Mayfield Hotel in Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of Jeju Air



By Kim Hyun-bin



Korea's largest budget carrier Jeju Air will cancel the purchase of the troubled Boeing 737 Max 8, if it is not deemed fully safe for operation, according to the carrier's CEO Lee Seok-joo, Thursday.



His remark comes after safety concerns emerged about the model after crashes of the same model aircraft operated by Ethiopian Airlines and Lion Air in the last six months.



"We will not bring in the B737 Max jets if an international consensus on the aircraft's safety is not reached," Lee said during a press conference at Mayfield Hotel in Seoul. "In other words, we'll continue the delivery process if the manufacturer fully proves that its aircraft is safe and secure."



Jeju Air inked a deal with Boeing to purchase 50 B737 Max 8 planes including 10 options, and is scheduled to bring them in stages from 2022 to 2027.



"We are scheduled to bring in the jets by 2022, so we have time and we will take a very conservative approach and wait to see what actions the manufacturer takes," Lee said.



The model was first introduced in 2017, and over 371 have been in operation worldwide and 5,000 are on order, making it Boeing's best-selling aircraft.



Lee says Jeju Air's top focus will be safety. "In the aftermath of the accidents, upgrading our safety operation system will be our top priority. We will be going back to basics and thoroughly inspect and enhance our operation system."



Meanwhile, the carrier will invest more in attracting new customers and enhancing its customer service.



"In the latter half of this year we will become the country's first low-cost carrier to have its own lounge in Incheon International Airport," the CEO said. "We are creating more reasons for customers to fly with Jeju Air."



In February, Jeju Air received flight rights to operate between Busan and Singapore, and plans to launch the service on the new route in July.


Saeed Noori, who mowed down 16 pedestrians when he drove through one of Melbournes busiest intersections before Christmas 2017, has been jailed for life for murder and causing serious injury.

Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Hollingworth on Thursday ordered Noori be jailed for at least 30 years for the horror he caused on December 21, 2017 when he drove into the intersection of Flinders and Elizabeth streets while about 70 people were crossing the road.

Saeed Noori following his arrest. Credit:Seven News Melbourne

Noori, 37, will be well into his 60s before he is eligible for parole.

Grandfather of three Antonios Crocaris, 83, suffered fatal injuries when he was hit and died eight days later.
A plan to deliver cheaper medicines to millions of Australians by doubling the number of tablets that can be dispensed in a single trip to the chemist has been scrapped by Health Minister Greg Hunt after lobbying by the powerful pharmacy guild.

The Pharmacy Guild of Australia this week declared war on the government over a measure expected to appear in Tuesday's budget to enable patients to collect two months of scripts in a single visit, doubling the number of pills they can take home each time they go to the chemist - for a single dispensing fee.

Health Minister Greg Hunt has put a plan for two-month scripts on ice ahead of Tuesday's budget. Credit:Simon Schluter

With an election just weeks away, Mr Hunt reversed his position after the guild took out a full-page advert in The Australian newspaper, warning against any budgetary measures that might disadvantage the 5723 community pharmacists whose interests it represents.

In a strongly worded email to members on Wednesday night, the guild's president George Tambassis said the changes would have "a devastating impact on the viability of community pharmacy businesses" and came "without any consultation".
Pauline Hanson has issued a full-throated defence of herself, her chief of staff James Ashby and One Nation's Queensland leader Steve Dickson following an al-Jazeera investigation that appeared to show Mr Ashby and Mr Dickson talking about seeking donations from America's National Rifle Association.

"Today is a day of shame on the Australian media who have been sold a story that is too good to be true," Senator Hanson said.

Queensland senator and One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, flanked by party officials James Ashby and Steve Dickson on Thursday. Credit:AAP

Footage secretly filmed by undercover al-Jazeera journalist Rodger Muller, who pretended to be a gun advocate, appeared to show Senator Hanson questioning the 1996 Port Arthur massacre and her staffers seeking foreign donations and discussing weakening Australias gun laws.

Senator Hanson said that the footage had been heavily edited, that most of the media was biased against her and that without Mr Muller, no one from her party would have travelled to the United States.
He said an electrician had tested the new electric locking system on Thursday, and then disengaged it for Friday prayers. He said that to open the door, somebody needed to turn a lever. It was just happenstance, and perhaps the cool weather that day, he said, which meant the door wasn't wide open as usual. Muslim men pray in the refurbished Al Noor mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand. Credit:AP "On any other Friday, the door would be open," he said. "But on this Friday, nobody opened that door." He said he agreed that more people would have escaped if the door had been open. "If it had been completely open, it would have been easy for people to get out," he said. "But nobody was prepared for this. We were prepared for an emergency like a fire or an earthquake, and people would still have time to get out. This is something totally different. You don't put this in your emergency plan."

Alayedy said that in the confusion, he can't be sure if he simply failed to turn the lever properly or if something else stopped the door from opening. Loading Alnobani said he, too, tried to open the door and it didn't work, and he's familiar with the lever. He said he believes the door was electronically locked. Simply pushing a button next to the door would have unlocked it, he said, but nobody knew about the new system. Khan said the mosque was in compliance with regulations, which require emergency exits to be clear from objects, easily accessible, and unlocked. Police said the scene examination is part of their investigation and they will not be commenting while the investigation is ongoing.

Robert Wright, the Christchurch City Council head of building consents, said in an email the mosque was in compliance with the Building Act at the time of the attacks and had a valid certificate known as a "Building Warrant of Fitness." The outside of the Al Noor mosque which shows the door that volunteer Khaled Alnobani escaped through when a gunman burst into the mosque on March 15 in Christchurch, New Zealand. Credit:AP Alayedy, 30, said that on the day of the attack, he'd been listening to a holy speech by imam Gamal Fouda when he heard six or seven shots. He thought it was an electrical fault at first but then heard screaming and ran for the door. "All the brothers come in behind each other, on top of each other," he said. Because he couldn't open the door, he said, he tried punching the hexagonal piece of glass in the lower part of the door. When that didn't work, he drove his knee through it, shattering the glass, and then kicked it out. He crawled through and ran for safety.

Alayedy, a chef from Jordan who moved to New Zealand nine years ago, said he thought about his family back at their house as he ran. His pregnant wife, his 3-year-old son, and the baby daughter they hope to have within the next couple of weeks. Behind the mosque, Alayedy said, he began helping people to escape over a fence but couldn't get over it himself because of his injured ribs. Another survivor provided a second escape route near the door by diving through a window with his arm wrapped around his eyes. Tarik Chenafa said he heard a tat-tat-tat-tat-tat and knew right away it was a semi-automatic weapon from his two years of compulsory military training in the Algerian army. "I know someone is coming to kill us," he said.

Alnobani said that when he first came to the mosque that Friday, he'd noticed the side door was shut and considered opening it but then saw there were some older worshippers. It was a little cold and windy outside, he figured, so he left it alone. Loading Alnobani said he also managed to crawl through the door's smashed glass and run. He returned to help rescue a young boy whose father was shoving him through the opening, he said, and then helped the father as well. "I tried to save the child, and I thought maybe I lose my life," he said. "But I am just alone," he said, adding "He had more than me to lose." When he tried to help a third person through the opening, Alnobani said, that man was shot. The gunman walked out of the mosque to get another gun from his car, Alnobani said, and began shooting at him when he returned. But he managed to escape, and then drove two injured people to the hospital.

The gunman acted quickly, mowing down people on both sides of the mosque. On the side opposite from the closed door, some worshippers were able to escape, but the gunman also killed many others as they tried to leave. "And he was actually standing behind them, and he was shooting and shooting and shooting and shooting," Fouda, the imam, said. "Tragedy. Tragedy." Brenton Tarrant, a 28-year-old Australian, has been charged with murder in the attack. His next court appearance is scheduled for April 5. Chenafa said he's still sad and confused, and finds it hard to sleep. And he doesn't know what to believe about the door. "There will be a lot of waiting to find out the truth," he said.




Kumho-Asiana Group said Thursday its chairman will resign from key managerial posts, holding himself responsible for the recent controversy over an audit report for Asiana Airlines Inc.







Park Sam-koo will step down as group chairman and CEO of flagship Asiana Airlines and Kumho Industrial Co., the group's holding company.







"Park made the decision to stand down to take responsibility for the audit uproar that sparked chaos in the market," the group said.







Kumho-Asiana said it will tap an outside manager as group chairman as early as possible to put the ailing airline back on track.







Asiana Airlines' auditor, Samil PricewaterhouseCoopers, on Tuesday upgraded its opinion on the airline's 2018 annual report to "unqualified" from a "qualified opinion" issued a week ago.







An independent auditor issues a qualified opinion when it finds something wrong with the financial statements of a company or the company refuses to submit requested documents.







Shares in Asiana Airlines plunged 15 percent on Tuesday, despite the upgraded auditor's opinion.







Kumho-Asiana also said Park met with Korea Development Bank (KDB) Chairman and CEO Lee Dong-geol on Wednesday to request KDB's cooperation in restoring investor confidence in Asiana Airlines.







Asiana owes 3.2 trillion won (US$2.8 billion) to financial institutions and it has to repay 1 trillion won of the total this year, according to the company.







Analysts warned that a lack of reliability in Asiana's financial reports may restrict its access to capital markets and throw it into a liquidity crunch. (Yonhap)


Volunteers, comprised of SK Innovation employees, PVEP employees and students and professors from Tra Vinh University, take part in a mangrove forest restoration project in Tra Vinh, Vietnam, Wednesday. / Courtesy of SK Innovation



By Baek Byung-yeul



SK Innovation employees carried out volunteer work in Vietnam to restore mangrove forests together with employees from its Vietnamese partner PetroVietnam Exploration Production Corporation (PVEP), the energy and chemical affiliate of SK Group said Thursday.



The volunteering took place in Tra Vinh, southern Vietnam, Wednesday, involving 50 volunteers comprised of SK Innovation employees, PVEP employees and students and professors from the Tra Vinh University.



The participating members planted about 1,000 mangrove seedlings at a five-hectare site in the morning and provided education programs to raise students' awareness on environment preservation at a nearby elementary school in the afternoon.



The firm said the volunteer activity is in line with the two firms signing a memorandum of understanding to restore mangrove forests in Vietnam in September 2018. SK Innovation and PVEP have been strengthening their partnership since 1998 as the two have jointly run petroleum development businesses including the development of the 15-1 oil block.



SK Innovation has been actively taking part in the mangrove forest restoration project, which kicked off in 2018. They planted 35,000 mangrove seedlings on an 11-hectare site in 2018 and plan to double the size by planting 70,000 seedlings on a 22-hectare site this year.



A mangrove forest absorbs five times more carbon dioxide compared with a rainforest of the same area. However, about 70 percent of the mangrove forests there have been damaged because of reckless development projects over the past few decades.



Nguyen Viet Dung, chief of PVEP's Ho Chi Minh branch, said he "feels gratitude to SK Innovation employees as they came over here to make the world cleaner."



He added, "With their efforts as motivation, I hope more people from across the world would actively take part in environment preservation activities."



Kim Yong-ju, a new recruit at SK Innovation, said "The volunteering activity was a meaningful chance to contribute to the global community," adding he is willing to join this kind of volunteering program in the future.



The volunteering activities were conducted thanks to a fund donated by SK Innovation employees. Since October 2017, SK Innovation employees have donated 1 percent of their monthly basic salary for the fund.



"The mangrove forest restoration and development project is a national project of the Vietnamese government. It was meaningful to perform the volunteering activities together with our business partner PVEP," said Lim Soo-gil, head of the PR office at the firm. "We will continue to take the initiatives in creating social value."


Written by: Diana West



It is 1976. World champion human rights hero Vladimir Bukovsky (above with cig), having spent most of his adult life imprisoned inside KGB jails, labor camps and psychiatric hospitals, is released to the West in exchange for Chilean Communist Luis Corvalan (above smiling with Brezhnev).

You are John Brennan, future Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. A college sudent, you are casting your first vote for president in 1976. Ford? Carter? No. You pull the lever for Communist Party candidate Gus Hall, Comrade Brezhnev's representative in the United States, Lenin School graduate, and convicted revolutionary.

It is 1980. You are still John Brennan. You have already traveled to Indonesia, Egypt and who knows where else. You are completing your masters thesis on "Human Rights in Egypt," and trying to sound like you know what you're talking about (some things never change). Contemplating Sadat's restrictions on the activities of revolutionaries seeking his overthow, you give him a pass for, as you put it, trying to save democacy by undemocratic means -- and decide your logic also applies to Comrade Brezhnev and his violations of the human rights of peaceful, law-abiding dissidents such as Vladimir Bukovsky.

You write:

This explanation [of Sadats crackdowns], of course, can provide a convenient excuse for any authoritarian leader in any country of the world. If the preservation of democracy is not given as justification, the preservation of another ideology is.Can human rights violations in the Soviet Union be as easily justified in terms of the preservation of the communist ideology? Unfortunately (taking a Western perspective), yes.

Yes? That's BrennanThink for you. There is much more about the thinking of Brennan and the other anti-Trump conspirators -- Nellie Ohr, James Comey, Christopher Steele, et al -- in my short, new book, The Red Thread: A Search for Ideological Drivers Inside the Anti-Trump Conspiracy.

One more Brennan thing.

Quoting from pp. 38-39.

The following line from Brennans 1980 thesis has an eerie resonance with everything we are learning about the conspiracy today. Brennan is discussing the deeply imperfect state of democracy in 1980s Egypt, noting it is still a process, not a state. It is no stretch to imagine any Gus-Hall- voter or socialist or Alinskyite or progressive or college professor today considering the state of democracy in America today to be deeply imperfect, too  still a process, not a state.

Brennan writes: But if democracy is a process rather than a state, the democratic process may involve, at some point, the violation of personal liberties and procedural justice.

This is the chilling apologia for the anti-Trump conspiracy. In order to keep the regime moving forward, the violation of personal liberties and procedural justice is justified, whether it is an unpaid campaign adviser being violated (Carter Page) or the National Security Advisor (Gen. Mike Flynn); whether it entails launching a disinformation campaign (Trump- Russia), or reversing an election (the Mueller probe). The ends  their ends  justify any means.

Following the red thread, then, we may begin to see: The anti-Trump conspirators are not trying to save democracy; they are trying to save their revolution.
According to a note from law firm Thorsteinssons, the proposals cover not just those who do not pay their taxes as required by law, but also tax professionals who either intentionally or inadvertently offer services to those who are offside the law.

More so than ever, tax professionals should be well acquainted with the definitions of tax evasion, proceeds of crime, money laundering, aiding, abetting, conspiring, willful blindness, and now, recklessness, to ensure that the services and advice that they offer to their clients cannot be construed as the commission or facilitation of a criminal offence, the law firm said.

Also expected are further amendments to the Canada Business Corporations Act (CBCA), which will provide tax authorities and law enforcement with more ready access to beneficial ownership information on federally incorporated corporations. The CBCA has already been amended with requirements for federally incorporated corporations to maintain beneficial ownership information. The Budget 2018 also included a proposal to introduce enhanced tax-reporting requirements for trusts, which would be effective starting in the 2021 taxation year.

The amendments to the CBCA followed Canadas unfavourable evaluation in the Financial Secrecy Index last year. Created by the Tax Justice Network in 2009, the 112-country ranking scored Canada as the 21st most secretive jurisdiction in the world as of January 2018. Aside from a concerning lack of transparency with regard to the beneficial ownership of corporations and trusts, it noted the ease with which one can register anonymous shell corporations.

Under public pressure, in July 2017, Canadian finance minister Bill Morneau announced measures targeting Canadians who use private corporations to sprinkle income among family members, thereby lowering their collective tax burden, the report went on to say. The minister claimed to be closing loopholes available to Canadians, while continuing to ignore the astonishing phenomenon of wealthy corporations taking advantage of Canadian treaties with tax havens to lower their tax payments.
Change is in the air at La Jolla Library  Branch manager Shaun Briley is leaving to become the City of Coronados library director; the Friends of La Jolla Library held its annual election March 20; and celebrations are in the works for a 120th anniversary this summer.

Bye, Bye Briley

It has been a real pleasure working here, Briley told La Jolla Light. But it isnt really goodbye: we live here and our kids go to Torrey Pines, and eventually, Muirlands and La Jolla High. Im looking forward to remaining involved in the community.

Coronado City Manager Blair King said Briley stood out from among a strong pool of candidates for his core beliefs in supporting traditional literacy and learning, and his passion for keeping libraries vibrant.

Briley came to the La Jolla branch in 2014 and since then, has been named a Library Journal Mover & Shaker in 2016 (the library worlds equivalent of person of the year for his innovations) and Employee of the Year by the City of San Diego Public Library in 2018.

Among his accomplishments, Briley established the 3-D printing and bio-tech lab on site, a book club for middle school children that provided them with books to review that had not yet been published, and the Memory Lab that helps residents to digitize items such as obsolete VHS tapes and photo slides.

He also established a Citizen Science project that mobilized more than 1,000 people to collect insects for DNA sampling that would become part of a global database.

Briley assumes his new post on April 8 (but is away from the La Jolla branch until April 2).

A City spokesperson for the San Diego Library system said an interim branch manager will fill in while we complete an extensive search for a new full-time branch manager, and that while they are saddened by Brileys departure, we have a lot of great librarians and we wish Shaun all the best.

New Friends

Linda Dowley Courtesy

The Friends of La Jolla Library group elected Linda Dowley as their new board president and thanked those board members who have termed out.

We are so excited to welcome a dynamic new group of board members who are excited to join the efforts of the Friends of La Jolla Library Board to support our terrific branch, Dowley said.

This group is comprised of community volunteers, who between them, have years of volunteer experience at various organizations such La Jolla Historical Society, the Board of The Scripps Research Institute, local schools, Girl Scouts, National Charity League and Las Patronas.

New board members include Lisa Albanez, Anna Marie Cameron, Kim Doren, Katia Graham, Jena Joyce, Suzie Piegza and Sallie Warren. Sally Corson was elected for a second term.

Outgoing board members include Charles Hartford, Teri Newlee and Sue Wagener.

Dan Farley was elected vice president, Corson as recording secretary, David Bark as corresponding secretary, Sue Schreibman as treasurer, Jane Sagerman as assistant treasurer, Sarah Feeney as parliamentarian and Wagener as immediate past president.

120 years and counting

In 1899, The Reading Club was founded when Florence Sawyer donated land and a small cottage at the corner of Wall Street and Girard Avenue. It would become the La Jolla Library.

In 1921, the Library Association of La Jolla formed at The Reading Room, with Ellen Browning Scripps as the first president.

In 1955, the San Diego Public Library system began renting space from the Association, and all materials were donated to the Public Library except for those relating to arts and music, because the Library Association changed its name to become the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library.

The current La Jolla (Riford) Library opened in 1988 on Draper Avenue, and was renovated in 2004. Philanthropist Florence Riford gifted the $2-million piece of property to the City for construction of a branch library in La Jolla.

To commemorate the 120th year of having a public library in The Village, programs are planned for this summer with guest speakers and special events. Details will be forthcoming.
WSU Womens Center Hosts Take Back the Night to Stand Against Sexual Violence

March 28, 2019

OGDEN, Utah  The Weber State University Womens Center will host its annual Take Back the Night rally and march, April 12 beginning at 6 p.m. at Ogden Union Station (2501 Wall Ave.).

Since the 1960s, Take Back the Night events around the country have empowered and supported survivors and victims of sexual assault, domestic, dating and sexual violence. This is the fifth year Weber State has held Take Back the Night events.

Every year, the Women's Center and campus partners host Take Back the Night to highlight the experiences of all survivors of sexual violence and interpersonal violence in our community, said Paige Davies, Womens Center director. We hope that Take Back the Night can be a place for Weber State and the Ogden community to demonstrate commitment to standing against these crimes and honoring the stories of survivors.

Prior to participating in the march through downtown Ogden, those who attend will hear speeches from local survivor advocates.

When they return to Union Station, a speak-out will provide a safe space to share experiences or offer support for victims of sexual assault.

Those who wish to make signs for the march can stop by the Womens Center in Shepherd Union Room 322, April 8-12 between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Participants can also make a sign the day of the march at the Union Station Plaza.

This year, the Ogden City Council invited the Womens Center to receive the citys proclamation declaring April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

For more information, visit the Womens Center website at weber.edu/womenscenter or Take Back the Night Facebook page.

For the poster and photos, visit the following links.

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photos.smugmug.com/Press-Release-Photos/2019-Photos/March-2019/i-nn9rZcR/0/8cf09f26/X2/4-14-18%20Take%20Back%20The%20Night%20%28141%20of%20172%29-X2.jpg

photos.smugmug.com/Press-Release-Photos/2019-Photos/March-2019/i-GH8GKg8/0/f67550a4/X2/4-14-18%20Take%20Back%20The%20Night%20%28143%20of%20172%29-X2.jpg

photos.smugmug.com/Press-Release-Photos/2019-Photos/March-2019/i-VtF5vnd/0/048a04e1/X2/4-14-18%20Take%20Back%20The%20Night%20%28147%20of%20172%29-X2.jpg

Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University.
WSU Outdoor Program Hosts Regions Premier Climbing Festival

March 26, 2019

OGDEN, Utah  The Weber State University Outdoor Program, GEAR:30 and the Front Climbing Club will host the 12th Ogden Climbing Festival (OCF12) April 12-13.

As the premier climbing event in the region, OCF brings together climbers from all disciplines to introduce them to the best of Ogdens climbing opportunities.

I believe the different aspects of the festival make it unique and allow people to engage at their own skill level, said Daniel Turner, WSU Outdoor Program assistant director. The OCF has something for everyone, from the beginner to the professional. I have met many climbers who got their start at the festival.

The OCF boasts two days of events from educational climbing clinics, stewardship and service opportunities, equipment demonstrations, competitions and world-renown keynote speaker, Sonnie Trotter.

Trotter, a professional climber from Canada, has been climbing for 24 years. Most of his efforts have focused on first ascents and exploring new terrain. Trotter recently made headlines with a first free ascent of El Capitans North America Wall, which he climbed in 13 hours, leading all 26 pitches. He worked with Tommy Caldwell at belay.

Everyone should come out to the OCF, Turner said. Even those who have just seen climbing in the media and want to know more, or those who are looking for a new way to engage in the outdoors. There is truly something for everyone.

Event Schedule:

April 12

Equipment Demo and Citizens Climbing Competition

5:30-9:30 p.m., The Front Climbing Club (225 20th St., Ogden)

Participants will be able to try equipment from the climbing industrys leading brands and register for the OCF12 citizens climbing competition. Thousands of dollars in prizes and raffles are up for grabs.

April 13

Stewardship Event: Trail Work and Crag Cleanup

8 a.m.-noon, Saint Joseph High School parking lot. (1790 Lake St., Ogden)

Participants will help improve access trails and prevent erosion in the Ogden Boulder Field and Schoolhouse Climbing area. The stewardship event will run rain or shine. Participants are encouraged to dress appropriately for the weather and to bring gloves. Free lunch will be provided by Lucky Slice after the cleanup.

Educational Climbing Clinics

1-5 p.m. Lower Ogden Boulder Field. Park and check-in at Saint Joseph High School parking lot. (1790 Lake St., Ogden)

Top educators and professional mountain guides will introduce participants to cutting-edge ideas and techniques. Registration is required as clinics are expected to fill to capacity. Pre-registration is recommended as day-of registration may not be possible. Cost is free - $20. Register at the OCF clinics website.

Sonnie Trotter, OCF12 Keynote Presenter

7:30-9 p.m., Ogden Monarch Building (451-499 25th St., Ogden)

Food and beverage are provided. Trotters presentation will be followed by a raffle and prizes. Tickets are required as space is limited. Tickets are $20 general admission/$30 VIP. Price includes raffle ticket. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the OCF website.

Visit weber.edu/ogdenclimbingfestival for more information.

For the poster and photos, visit the following links.

photos.smugmug.com/Press-Release-Photos/2019-Photos/March-2019/i-8W3QzJv/0/d0f91397/X2/Desktop_Banner-X2.jpg

photos.smugmug.com/Press-Release-Photos/2019-Photos/March-2019/i-QDKGk2R/0/2b5d14ed/M/SIADAK_AUSTIN_SIA_8834_180425-M.jpg

photos.smugmug.com/Press-Release-Photos/2019-Photos/March-2019/i-fcdMzxM/0/366af057/X2/_Family_Man_5.14b_%232-X2.jpg

Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University.
Netiquette

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Als Medium, das der freien Meinungsausserung verpflichtet ist, handhabt die Weltwoche Verlags AG die Veroffentlichung von Kommentaren liberal. Die Online-Redaktion behalt sich jedoch vor, Kommentare nach eigenem Gutdunken und ohne Angabe von Grunden nicht freizugeben. Es besteht grundsatzlich kein Recht darauf, dass ein Kommentar veroffentlich wird. Weiter behalt sich die Redaktion das Recht vor, Kurzungen vorzunehmen.




Norma Lucille (Carpenter) Stolz, 85, of Rockford, IL, passed away Tuesday, March 26, 2019.

Norma was born April 2, 1933, in Omaha, Nebraska, daughter of Willard and Edna Pearl (Whitcomb) Carpenter. She was the oldest of 6 children and was raised in various locations in Western Nebraska as her father was a ranch hand at this time. In 1940, her father bought a farm in Agate, Nebraska, and the family settled down. Norma was to be found most days helping her father with farm work. She rode horses, drove teams, drove tractor, and learned to drive in a 1929 Ford Model A. She was known for being a typical, ornery farm kid, up to mischief, but always working hard. She attended high school for 2 years at the St. Agnes Academy in Alliance and completed high school at Sioux County High School in Harrison, Nebraska. She went on to college at Scottsbluff Junior College to get her teaching certificate. In 1952, she met and married Ted Huggans, with whom she had 5 girls. Ted and Norma divorced in 1967. Norma then settled in Kimball, Nebraska, with her 5 girls. She married Donald Stolz in 1970 and along with 6 of their 7 kids, at the time, moved to Woodstock, Illinois, in 1972, where she had 2 more children for a total of 8 girls and 1 boy. Norma lived in Woodstock, Illinois until 1995. While in Woodstock, she learned to play guitar with her daughters Theresa and Mary, from her dearest friend, Eunice Mast. She was known for her hand-stitched quilts, crochet, upholstery, and baking. She worked at Dean Street Elementary in Woodstock in the library for 10 years before she retired. In 1995, she returned to Kimball, Nebraska, to take care of her mother, who passed in 2007. She made many dear friends and loved small town life. In 2014, after suffering from health issues, she returned to Illinois to live with her daughter Mary and family. She was loved and remembered by many.

She is survived by her brothers, Cyril Carpenter and W. Frank (Suzanne) Carpenter; half sister Twila Davis; children, Nora Spikes, Susan (Tony) Smiley, Edna Delaney, Luana Louvier, Sydney (Stan) Mintz, Theresa (Ed) Deleon, Mary (Augustus) George, Christine Stolz, and Tony (Jennifer) Stolz; 24 grandchildren; 16 great grandchildren; 1 great-great grandchild and numerous nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents; husband, Donald J. Stolz; sisters, Nadine, Nedra, and Nancy; granddaughter, Yolanda Faggan and sister-in-law, Jean Carpenter.

Visitation will be from 6:00  8:00 p.m. on Monday, April 1, 2019 at Fitzgerald Funeral Home & Crematory, Mulford Chapel, 1860 S. Mulford Rd. Rockford, IL 61108. A Funeral Mass will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 2, 2019 at St. Mary Oratory, 517 Elm. St. Rockford, IL 61102. Visitation will also be from 1:30 p.m. until time of service at the church. Burial will conclude at St. Joseph Cemetery in Harvard, IL at a future date. Memorial contributions may be made in Norma's name to St. Jude's Children's Hospital.

Arrangements entrusted to Fitzgerald Funeral Home & Crematory, Mulford Chapel. Online condolences and memories may be shared at http://www.fitzgeraldfh.com
Just over a year after the San Diego Public Utilities Department (PUD) held a meeting in La Jolla to talk with residents about implausible spikes in their water bills, PUD provided the City Councils Audit Committee with a progress report on its activities to ameliorate the concerns.

The morning of March 20, PUD representatives addressed changes to water billing operations and the water meter cover replacements program, and told the committee that the majority of City Auditor recommended adjustments to department operations have been implemented. The rest, they said, were expected to be in effect by June.

The goals are to increase the efficiency of the department, said interim PUD director Matt Vespi. We want to create a customer-centric utility. These changes highlight the departments commitment to making changes ... to elevate the customer experience and improve operations.

In early 2018, La Jollans joined the thousands of San Diego residents who reported higher-than-normal water bills. Through in-person meetings and postings on nextdoor.com, residents shared horror stories of bills that increased, and in some cases, quadrupled, for no apparent reasons.

Soon after, City Council member Barbara Bry called for an independent audit of the water department.

In the year that followed, several measures were suggested.

Eighty percent of the recommendations have been completed, which is a commitment we made back when the audit was released, said Johnnie Perkins, deputy COO of Infrastructure & Public Works. We developed Standard Operating Procedures, which we did not have before. There wasnt coordination and oversight. Management and employees werent talking to each other. They are doing that now.

When it comes to repairs to the billing system, the City Auditor created 10 recommendations, most of which have been implemented.

Among them: PUD should periodically assess the strength and effectiveness of its billing control environment and ... at least, twice a year, evaluate the number of implausible readings created and changed, in addition to the number of customers re-billed and the number of customer complaints. PUD could then assess if these numbers are high, identify causes, and adjust controls to address root causes, such as poor meter-reader performance.

In response, PUD developed a system to generate reports to evaluate the number of customer re-bills, track customer complaints, and evaluate the number of implausibles to provide the data necessary to bi-annually evaluate the number of implausible readings, evaluate customer billing control environment statistics and establish Key Performance Indicators. The Implausible Dashboard Report and Customer Complaint Monthly Statistics serve as a baseline for future assessment purposes related to billing accuracy performance and internal control activities.

The City Auditor said PUD should also develop, track and analyze employee performance metrics to increase the effectiveness of the meter-reading program and reduce potential billing errors before they impact customers.

Among the four-point response, PUD has introduced four new meter-reading key performance metrics that evaluate productivity specific to meter-reading accuracy, use of meter-reading handheld devices, and route assignments, reps reported.

City Council member Scott Sherman opined that PUD embraced the audit rather than run away from it, and that Once we get through this, I think the taxpayers, our employees, everyone is going to be better off for it.

Council member Bry later told La Jolla Light: I am pleased with the progress and changes that have been made at the Public Utilities Department in response to the comprehensive audit that I requested early last year. The fact that the department has implemented 80 percent of the audit recommendations is a step in the right direction in rebuilding the publics trust. <end_bug_diamond>
WESTPORT  The day before Superintendent Colleen Palmer announced her resignation, the Westport Parent Teacher Association sent a letter to the education board calling for a third-party independent investigation into the workplace culture of town schools.

The letter, which the Westport News acquired through a Freedom of Information request, was sent to the Board of Education via email and refers to a survey completed by members of the Westport Intermediate Administrators Association union that showed widespread discontent, distrust and concern among school administrators.

As direct representatives of our districts parents and teachers, the PTA is greatly concerned about the results of the WIAA survey. We urge the Board of Education to convene a third party independent investigation to examine and evaluate the WIAAs concerns, read the letter, which was sent on March 13 and signed by all 18 PTA presidents from across town schools.

The following morning around 10 a.m., Palmer sent an email to Westport families announcing her retirement, effective Aug. 1.

I wouldnt say theres an investigation, BOE Chair Mark Mathias said when asked whether the board has initiated a probe into the WIAAs concerns. We want to talk to the WIAA. Thats our first thing and thats our practice. When anyone expresses a concern in our district we want to look at it.

The WIAA first sent the survey results to the board on March 8, and Mathias said the two groups have not yet met due to scheduling difficulties. However, he he expects a meeting between the WIAA and education board will occur soon.

PTA Council Co-President Carolyn Caney said she received a copy of the WIAA survey and brought it to the PTA presidents on March 13 to discuss at their meeting.

There were concerns expressed about the superintendents leadership style, Caney said.

After the announcement of Palmers retirement, Caney said some PTA presidents still want the investigation to occur, while others are satisfied with superintendents resignation.

The PTA, we support our students, our families and our administrators, so we really just want to get to the bottom of what caused the administrators to take this unusual step, Caney said.

PTA Council past president Candace Banks signed the letter  in addition to the 18 current PTA presidents  and said an independent investigation should occur despite Palmers resignation, in order to address the system failure that occurred in the schools.

The overall takeaway was this is a problem and we need to fix it. The fact that we as parents had the survey means the problems were not being adequately addressed, Banks said.

Outside experts should be brought in to understand the workplace feedback issues that led to the unhealthy environment for school employees, Banks said. I think we have an opportunity here. We can definitely make lemonade out of this.

svaughan@hearstmediact.com; 203-842-2638; @SophieCVaughan1
The prospective logistics and freight forwarding related companies and organizations in the Maritime sector, are invited to participate at the first ever Colombo International Logistics Conference scheduled to be held on 01st and 02nd August 2019 in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka is known as a mega transhipment location in South Asia. The port of Colombo is the fastest growing port among major ports around the world, with the rank of 11th best connected port in the world. Situated in the middle of the Indian Ocean, connecting multiple continents and reaching out to billions of people, many have not realized that the island nation sitting next to the major market of India, is probably the best geographical position for logistics, distribution and storage of both bulk and containerized cargo. Sri Lanka has very flexible and an investor friendly environment through its commercial hub act opening the country for logistics FDI with least procedures for international investments. In addition, it has three major ocean ports being extensively developed for variety of purposes and connectivity. Colombo being the main container transhipment port is the only main South Asian port, closest to the East-West shipping route that is well equipped for the 21st Century mega container ships.

The first ever Colombo International Logistics Conference will be held to showcase an investment destination beyond 2020. The International Conference will have international speakers from JOC, HSBC, KPMG, UNCTAD, Singapore, China India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Africa and Middle East representing different aspects of logistics. This first international logistics conference in Sri Lanka will be a launch event to promote products, new innovations in logistics solutions. They also can network and understand the Indian subcontinent market requirements and will be able to meet clients and logistics companies from the region to share solutions and ideas to improve the sector output in South Asia. The conference will be combined with port visits, free zone visits, visit to Colombo port city project and optional tours, as the country has been designated as the top travel destination for 2019 by Lonely Planet. A large international gathering is expected in Colombo for this conference.

For further details of the Conference please visit www.cimc.lk and organizers of the event can be reached through following details:

CIMC Events, C/O Shippers Academy Colombo (Pvt) Ltd

105, Hunupitiya Lake Road, Colombo 02, Sri Lanka.

Tel : +94 77 3820 703/+94 11 356 0844

Email : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka

Geneva

27 March 2019
The Bank of Canada has signed up to a global initiative to define and promote the best practices in climate risk management and green finance.

It means that Canadas central bank will join with others around the world to protect economies and the environment amid the increasing threat of climate change.

The Central Banks and Supervisors Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS) was founded following the Paris Agreement on climate change and currently has more than 30 members.

The importance of climate-related issues for financial stability and monetary policy have become increasingly clear, said BoC governor Stephen Poloz. This is particularly true for Canada, where resources play a vital role in our economy and where the natural environment is a defining feature of our national identity. Joining this network is part of the Banks broader efforts to understand climate-related risks for the Canadian economy and financial system.

Joining NGFS is the latest step by the BoC to focus on climate-related issues along with:

building climate-related risks into the Banks financial system review processand highlighting that work on our Financial System Hub;

continuing to green the Banks operationsincluding pursuing Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, energy and waste reduction, and carbon disclosure; and

developing a multi-year research plan focused on climate-related risks to the macroeconomy and financial system.
Energy Agency

Country: Austria

Field location: Seibersdorf, Austria

Office: IAEA - International Atomic Energy Agency in Seibersdorf

Grade: G-3

Closing date: Saturday, 6 April 2019

Organizational Setting

The Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications implements the IAEAs Major Programme 2, Nuclear Techniques for Development and Environmental Protection. This Major Programme comprises individual programmes on food and agriculture, human health, water resources, environment and radiation technologies. These programmes are supported by laboratories in Seibersdorf, Monaco and Vienna. The Major Programmes objective is to enhance the capacity of Member States to meet basic human needs and to assess and manage the marine and terrestrial environments through the use of nuclear and isotopic techniques in sustainable development programmes.

The Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture assists Member States of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the IAEA in using nuclear techniques and related technologies to improve food security, alleviate poverty and promote sustainable agriculture. The Joint Division consists of five Sections, each with an associated laboratory (located in Seibersdorf, 45 km south-east of Vienna), in the areas of: animal production and health; plant breeding and genetics; insect pest control; soil and water management and crop nutrition; and food and environmental protection.

The Insect Pest Control Section and Laboratory assist Member States with the development, dissemination and transfer of sterile insect and related environmentally friendly technologies for the area-wide integrated suppression, containment or eradication of major insect pests affecting crops, livestock and human health.

Main Purpose

Under the overall supervision of the Head, Insect Pest Control Laboratory and direct supervision of the Molecular Biologist, and in close cooperation with the Medical Entomologist, the Laboratory Technician will provide technical support to the research activities at the IPCL towards the development of sterile insect technique-based approaches for the population control of Aedes mosquito species by rearing and maintaining Aedes Aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquito colonies, isolating and characterizing phenotopic markers for the development of genetic sexing strains for Aedes Aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquito species, and providing assistance in the implementation of experimental protocols.
FORT WORTH, Texas - American Airlines is indefinitely suspending flights to Venezuela as political turmoil and unrest continues to grip the country.

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This article was published 28/3/2019 (990 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

FORT WORTH, Texas - American Airlines is indefinitely suspending flights to Venezuela as political turmoil and unrest continues to grip the country.

Airline spokeswoman Martha Pantin said Thursday that the airline will try to resume service when conditions are right but has no timetable for doing so.

On March 15, American announced it was suspending its two daily flights from Miami to Caracas and one from Miami to Maracaibo through April 1. The airline acted after its pilots' union told members not to operate flights to Venezuela because of safety concerns.

American was the last U.S. airline flying to Venezuela.

The United States was the first nation to recognize opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim president, heightening tension with the regime of President Nicolas Maduro. U.S. diplomats left the country this month.
MONTREAL - Finance Minister Bill Morneau is acknowledging "clouds" hovering over various trade talks, as Canada struggles to get U.S. tariffs removed and the trade war between the United States and China drags on.

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This article was published 28/3/2019 (990 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

MONTREAL - Finance Minister Bill Morneau is acknowledging "clouds" hovering over various trade talks, as Canada struggles to get U.S. tariffs removed and the trade war between the United States and China drags on.

The revised free trade pact between the U.S., Mexico and Canada, known as the USMCA, has yet to be ratified, with Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland warning earlier this week that Canada's support for the agreement may hinge on the removal of U.S. tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum.

Federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau speaks to the Chamber of Commerce Thursday, March 28, 2019 in Montreal.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

Mexico, also straining under hefty metal duties, has said that unless the tariffs are lifted it will be content with the status quo of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

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"They are clouds. These are challenges," Montreal said in Montreal Thursday.

"We see the newspaper reports and it looks messy. Ive learned that politics can be messy. I have some personal experience with that," he said. "The sausage is being made, they just dont have the casing on the sausage yet."

Morneau said the Trudeau government is pushing weekly for an end to tariffs of 25 per cent on steel imports to the U.S. and 10 per on aluminum imports  first imposed by the Trump administration in June, and met by Ottawa with billions of dollars worth of tariffs on American goods.

Morneau said he is "cautiously optimistic" the updated deal will be ratified in the "not-too-distant future," and that the China-U.S. trade row will wind down.

He suggested a growing suspicion of globalization around the world has led politicians to wax protectionist, complicating the USMCA and Sino-American negotiations.

Morneau also confirmed he has no plans to review the tax code, pointing in part to the federal election looming a half-year off.
DENVER - Colorado's long-running battle over oil and gas drilling in suburban neighbourhoods has erupted again, and this time the stakes are deeply personal.

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This article was published 27/3/2019 (991 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

FILE - In this May 4, 2017, file photo, workers dismantle the charred remains of a home in Firestone, Colo., after an explosion blamed on a severed natural gas pipeline. Erin Martinez, who survived the explosion, has become the face of a movement urging stronger regulation of the oil and gas industry in Colorado. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley, File)

DENVER - Colorado's long-running battle over oil and gas drilling in suburban neighbourhoods has erupted again, and this time the stakes are deeply personal.

As state lawmakers debate whether to clamp stronger health and safety regulations on the industry, stories of loss and anxiety are emerging on both sides.

"Nobody should ever have to experience what my family has had to go through in this past almost two years," said Erin Martinez, whose husband and brother were killed in a 2017 house explosion linked to a well near the Martinezes' home.

She supports tighter rules, including one that would require a public map of pipelines like the one that bled odourless, unrefined natural gas into her basement.

But oilfield workers worry the sweeping new rules will strangle the industry and shut down one of the few remaining careers that offer a good living to people with or without a college education.

"All you have to do is work hard, have a good attitude, be safe, do the right thing, and you really can make whatever you want out of that chance and opportunity," said Erik Finder, who has worked in the North Dakota and Colorado oilfields for six years.

"What's the alternative for all these guys that would lose their jobs?" he said.

Colorado ranks fifth in the nation for crude oil production and sixth for natural gas. It has struggled for years to balance its booming energy industry and its fast-growing communities, some that spill onto the rich Wattenberg oil and gas field north of Denver.

In November, voters rejected a ballot measure that would have kept new wells 2,500 feet (750 metres) from homes and schools, up from the current 500 feet (150 metres). But they also handed control of the Legislature and the governorship to Democrats.

Democrats are now pushing a bill that would fundamentally shift the role of oil and gas regulators from promoting production to protecting public safety and the environment.

It would also give local governments new authority to restrict locations for drilling rigs, which could put some areas off-limits.

Democratic leaders say the existing rules haven't kept pace with drilling technology or Colorado's expanding population, and they need to be updated.

Their bill passed the Senate two weeks ago and is expected to clear the House as early as Friday. Gov. Jared Polis supports it.

Oilfield workers and other industry supporters say they were shut out of the process and are being unfairly depicted as reckless villains.

"We're not just a bunch of guys that are missing all our teeth, that want to go out and party and raise hell all day and night," Finder told The Associated Press.

"I want Colorado to be a wonderful, safe place for families to come and ski and climb and hike and go to Rocky Mountain National Park," he said. "I don't want (drillers) to just punch holes and run wild and do whatever they want."

Finder said he believes Colorado can strike a balance between production and protection.

Ethan Lutz, who manages a fracking crew for Liberty Oilfield Services, said the industry has become cleaner, quieter and safer in his 10-year career.

"It can be frustrating that a lot of people don't have a complete understanding of what goes into, quote-unquote, the oilfield," said Lutz, who has a bachelor's degree from Western Colorado University.

"I'm proud of what I do," he said. "We take it seriously. We do it responsibly."

Martinez, who was critically injured by the explosion that killed her husband and brother, said she's not out to destroy the industry and believes it can thrive with tougher rules. She and her family reached a legal settlement with Texas-based Anadarko Petroleum last year after investigators determined the blast was caused by natural gas from a pipeline that was severed about 10 feet (3 metres) from the house. The line was believed to be abandoned but was still connected to an operating Anadarko well with the valve turned to the open position, investigators said.

"Lots of good people depend on the industry for their livelihood," Martinez said in February as Democrats announced the bill. "However, with great tragedies should also come great change. Human life should come first."

Colorado already has some of the strictest regulations in the nation, said Kevin Book of ClearView Energy Partners, an independent research firm.

Other states sometimes follow Colorado's lead on new rules, but that's unlikely this time, especially on giving more authority to local governments, Book said.

One reason is that the industry has fewer champions in the Colorado Legislature than in other energy-producing states because the vast majority of new production is concentrated in just a handful of lawmakers' districts, he said.

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Colorado also has a more diverse economy than other states that produce comparable amounts of energy, so the industry contributes a smaller share of its gross domestic product and total jobs, Book said.

Predicting the economic impact of the proposed new rules is difficult because the legislation isn't final, said Bernadette Johnson, vice-president for market intelligence for Drillinginfo Inc., which provides data and analysis to the oil and gas industry.

Industry-friendly Weld County, in the heart of the Wattenberg field, isn't likely to impose new restrictions, she said. But local governments closer to the cities of Denver and Boulder could raise more barriers.

"So what it would mean would depend on where you are," she said.

___

Follow Dan Elliott at http://twitter.com/DanElliottAP .
The European Union has decided to ban plastic consumer items, including plates, cutlery and straws, as of 2021 to help clean up oceans.

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This article was published 28/3/2019 (990 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

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The European Union has decided to ban plastic consumer items, including plates, cutlery and straws, as of 2021 to help clean up oceans.

The prohibition on single-use plastics approved by the European Parliament on Wednesday in Strasbourg, France, also applies to beverage cups, food containers and cotton bud sticks. EU governments have already signalled support for the ban, making their final approval due on April 15 a formality.

With plastics accounting for around 80 per cent of marine litter, the EU rushed through deliberations on the planned restrictions in less than a year. The European Commission, the blocs executive arm, proposed the curbs in May 2018 and representatives of EU governments and the 751-seat Parliament reached a negotiated deal in December.

"Plastics poison our seas," said Frederique Ries, a Belgian member who steered the draft law through the 28-nation assembly. "If we do not take action, by 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans."

The new legislation also sets a 90 per cent collection target for plastic bottles by 2029 and a 30 per cent goal for recycled material in them by 2030.

 Bloomberg News
Its been five months since the legalization of recreational cannabis in Canada, and while there have not been any disasters, from the perspective of a mainstream investor, there are still plenty of unknowns.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 27/3/2019 (990 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Opinion

Its been five months since the legalization of recreational cannabis in Canada, and while there have not been any disasters, from the perspective of a mainstream investor, there are still plenty of unknowns.

The CFA (Chartered Financial Analysts) Society Winnipeg convened a few experts to discuss some of the challenges and opportunities at an event in Winnipeg on Wednesday.

Since legalization, each province has set up its own regulatory regime on top of the federal regulations. There have been supply shortages since Day 1, keeping prices high. Some producers were upfront in cautioning consumers that would be the case, but the shortages have also taken place in an environment where some regulators insisted it would not be the case.

Speakers, including Hardev Bains, the president and founder of Winnipegs Lionridge Capital Management, and Phil Cyrenne, an economics professor at the University of Winnipeg, said that regardless of the challenges that any new industry will face, there is plenty of demand for a product that has been around for a long time, albeit on the black market.

Not surprisingly, since all the companies are so new, the Marijuana Index, which tracks the leading stocks operating in the legal cannabis industry in the United States and Canada, has shown plenty of volatility over the past year.

But for investors who cant help themselves when they hear of an investment opportunity involving something they have first-hand knowledge about, the possibilities are exciting.

Cyrenne said cannabis regulations, like alcohol regulations over the years, will loosen.

Bains is a value investor, which among other things means taking a long-term view on whatever investments he makes. Two of Lionridges top holdings are Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffetts company, and Fairfax Financial Holdings, run by Prem Watsa; the two men are considered the American and Canadian patron saints of value investing.

While Bains told the crowd of CFAs that "theres no doubt in my mind this is going to be a huge industry and there will be some very profitable companies," he also said its too soon for value investors to determine which ones they will be.

In addition to what is a fundamental exclusion of investment from value-fund managers  Bains said he does not know of any of those types of funds that have invested in cannabis  by virtue of its sheer newness, the cannabis industry has also not been able to attract much of the plentiful venture capital that is out there.

Bains said most of the early-stage, so-called venture investments in the cannabis sector have come from retail investors rather than from professional venture capital investors, who heavily support the tech sector, for instance.

"The emotional factor definitely plays into it," Bains said. "Cannabis is a story stock. People like a story, something they can see first-hand. Lots of retail investors have jumped in without really knowing the fundamentals. They are attracted by the story."

The industry has yet to attract much institutional funds, typically coming from more conservative, long-term investors who need to see some proof of performance.

As the track record starts to materialize quarter by quarter, Bains said, it will start to better illustrate the kind of metrics, like profitability, that the institutional investors need to see.

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"That will give more of those institutional investors the comfort to make a decision," Bains said.

Thats not to say all those retail investors are going to lose their shirts, but its an investment strategy that most advisers would advise against.

But regardless of the motivation of the investor or the perceived security of the investment, there are cannabis companies out there that are behaving with the same degree of responsibility with their shareholders funds as would be the case with any company considered a safe investment.

John Arbuthnot, the co-founder and CEO of Winnipegs Delta 9 Cannabis, definitely wants to attract long-term money, whether it comes from retail investors or institutional investors.

"We want long-term capital investment," he said. "I think we are starting to see a shift (with more institutional investors coming around)... and that will provide some stability to the market. Over the next few years, there will be more of a focus on operating results. Less focus on telling the story and more on showing what you have done."

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca
NEW YORK - Rachel Maddow isn't backing away from her coverage of President Donald Trump and any connection to Russia's involvement in trying to influence the 2016 presidential campaign. The question is how much her fans want to listen.

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A copy of a letter from Attorney General William Barr advising Congress of the principal conclusions reached by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, is shown Sunday, March 24, 2019 in Washington. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)

NEW YORK - Rachel Maddow isn't backing away from her coverage of President Donald Trump and any connection to Russia's involvement in trying to influence the 2016 presidential campaign. The question is how much her fans want to listen.

Maddow's audience has dipped on her two days back on the air since Attorney General William Barr reported that special counsel Robert Mueller had found no collusion between Trump and Russia's efforts. Her audience of 2.5 million on Monday was 19 per cent below her average this year, and it went down further to 2.3 million on Tuesday, the Nielsen company said.

Meanwhile, her head-to-head competitor on Fox News Channel, Sean Hannity, saw his audience soar on Monday to 4 million viewers, a 32 per cent increase from his average. It slipped to 3.57 million on Tuesday. One of Trump's most prominent media fans, Hannity was to interview the president on Wednesday's show.

Hannity and Maddow have run neck-and-neck atop the cable news ratings this year, with Maddow having the slight edge.

Fox's Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham also saw their audiences top their averages both days, while other prime-time hosts on MSNBC and CNN saw their audiences plunge.

The phenomenon isn't unusual; political camps are more interested in watching news when it reflects well on their favourites, and vice versa. Maddow's ratings dropped sharply in the immediate aftermath of the 2016 election, as many fans of Hillary Clinton couldn't bring themselves to watch the news after Trump's victory, but eventually rebounded. Similarly, Hannity saw some ratings weakness late last year as bad news piled up for Trump.

Maddow has been the most visible television personality taking on Trump during Mueller's probe, her reports methodical and detailed. As a result, she's a target of Trump supporters seeking vindication. The New York Post compiled a mock "Mueller Madness" bracket of Trump critics with Maddow the top-seeded cable news figure, and the chart was retweeted Wednesday by White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders.

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Maddow devoted virtually all of Monday's show to what she's calling the "Barr Report," listing a series of questions she wanted to pose. About half of Tuesday's show was on the investigation.

She hasn't engaged her critics, but fellow MSNBC personality Joe Scarborough took them on in an angry monologue on Wednesday.

He wondered aloud what journalists were supposed to do for the past two years as stories piled up about Trump and associates misleading Americans about contacts to Russians. He said he wasn't just unhappy about political critics, but also some in the media who are "hand-wringing" about the amount of coverage.

He criticized unnamed people who had "sold their soul to a personality cult."

And he promised that MSNBC wouldn't abandon the story.

"We're not going to divert our eyes," he said. "Damn the torpedoes. Full steam ahead. Follow the story where it leads us."
SAN FRANCISCO - A U.S. jury on Wednesday awarded more than $80 million in damages to a California man who blamed Roundup weed killer for his cancer, in a case that his attorneys say could help determine the fate of hundreds of similar lawsuits.

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Edwin Hardeman, center, and his wife Mary, left, hug attorneys Jennifer Moore, second from left, and Aimee Wagstaff after a news conference in San Francisco, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. A U.S. jury has awarded $80 million in damages to Hardeman in a high-stakes trial over his claim that Roundup weed killer caused his cancer. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

SAN FRANCISCO - A U.S. jury on Wednesday awarded more than $80 million in damages to a California man who blamed Roundup weed killer for his cancer, in a case that his attorneys say could help determine the fate of hundreds of similar lawsuits.

Edwin Hardeman proved that Roundup's design was defective, it lacked sufficient cancer warnings and its manufacturer, agribusiness giant Monsanto, was negligent, the six-person jury in San Francisco found.

It awarded Hardeman more than $5 million in compensation and an additional $75 million in punitive damages. Hardeman, 70, put his arm around his wife, Mary, as the verdict was read and hugged his attorneys.

Monsanto says studies have established that glyphosate, the active ingredient in its widely used weed killer, is safe. The company said it will appeal.

"We are disappointed with the jury's decision, but this verdict does not change the weight of over four decades of extensive science and the conclusions of regulators worldwide that support the safety of our glyphosate-based herbicides and that they are not carcinogenic," according to a statement from Bayer, which acquired Monsanto last year.

Hardeman said he used Roundup products to treat poison oak, overgrowth and weeds on his San Francisco Bay Area property for years. The same jury previously found that Roundup was a substantial factor in Hardeman's non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

"Today, the jury sent a message loud and clear that companies should no longer put products on the market for anyone to buy without being truthful, without testing their product and without warning if it causes cancer," said Jennifer Moore, one of Hardeman's attorneys.

Hardeman and his wife thanked their attorneys and jurors but declined additional comment.

A different jury in August awarded another man $289 million, but a judge later slashed it to $78 million. Monsanto has appealed.

Hardeman's trial may be more significant than that case. U.S. Judge Vince Chhabria is overseeing hundreds of Roundup lawsuits and has deemed Hardeman's case and two others "bellwether trials."

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The outcome of such cases can help attorneys decide whether to keep fighting similar lawsuits or settle them. Legal experts said verdicts in favour of Hardeman and the other test plaintiffs would give their attorneys a strong bargaining position in any settlement talks for the remaining cases before Chhabria.

Bayer says all government regulators that have looked at the issue have rejected a link between cancer and glyphosate.

Monsanto developed glyphosate in the 1970s, and the weed killer is now sold in more than 160 countries and widely used in the U.S.

The herbicide came under increasing scrutiny after the France-based International Agency for Research on Cancer, which is part of the World Health Organization, classified it as a "probable human carcinogen" in 2015.

Lawsuits against Monsanto followed, and thousands are now pending nationwide.

Monsanto has attacked the international research agency's opinion as an outlier. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says glyphosate is safe for people when used in accordance with label directions.
PORTLAND, Ore. - Federal legalization of hemp arrived in the U.S. late last year and expanded an industry already booming because of the skyrocketing popularity of CBDs, a compound in hemp that many see as a health aid.

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PORTLAND, Ore. - Federal legalization of hemp arrived in the U.S. late last year and expanded an industry already booming because of the skyrocketing popularity of CBDs, a compound in hemp that many see as a health aid.

But now, just a few months after Congress placed the marijuana look-alike squarely in safe legal territory, the hemp industry has been unsettled by an unexpected development.

This combo from photos provided by the Osage County Oklahoma Sheriffs Office shows shows from top left, David Dirksen, Andrew Ross, bottom from left, Tadesse Deneke and Farah Warsame. At least five truck drivers or security guards traveling with cannabis shipments certified in their originating states as industrial hemp have been arrested and charged with felony drug trafficking. Thousands of pounds of cannabis worth millions remain in warehouses in Oklahoma and Idaho as evidence while the legal cases play out. (Osage County Oklahoma Sheriffs Office via AP)

Truckers, now free to haul hemp from state to state, have been stopped and sometimes arrested by police who can't tell whether they have intercepted a legal agricultural crop or the biggest marijuana bust of their careers. That's because the only way to distinguish hemp and marijuana, which look and smell alike, is by measuring their tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, and officers don't have the testing technology to do so on the spot.

Marijuana, illegal under federal law , has enough THC to get users high. Hemp has almost none  0.3 per cent or less under U.S. government standards  yet drug-sniffing dogs will alert on both. Field tests that officers now use can detect THC but aren't sophisticated enough to specify whether a shipment is legal hemp or low-grade illegal pot.

In a sign of the significance of the problem, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration earlier this month put out a request for information on private companies that might have the technology for field tests sensitive enough to distinguish between hemp and marijuana.

"Nobody wants to see someone in jail for a month for the wrong thing," DEA spokeswoman Barbara Carreno said. "To enable us to do our job, we have to have something that can help us distinguish."

It's an unanticipated hiccup for the rapidly growing hemp industry, which relies on interstate trucking to transport hemp from farms to processing labs that extract the compound cannabidiol, or CBD, from the raw plant material. The pure CBD powder is then resold for use in everything from makeup to smoothies to pet food.

Kentucky and Oregon are big producers of hemp, and much of what they grow is processed in Colorado. Companies that transport the plant often drive through Oklahoma and Idaho, which is where some arrests have occurred.

Andrew Ross sits for a portrait in his Denver office on Friday, March 22, 2019. Ross, a Marine who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, is facing 18 years to life in Oklahoma if he is convicted after he was arrested in January while providing security for a load of state-certified hemp from Kentucky. Federal legalization for hemp has created a quandary for police as authorities lack the technology to distinguish marijuana from agricultural hemp at a roadside stop. (AP Photo/Thomas Peipert)

Hemp remains illegal under Idaho law, and lawmakers there are scrambling to pass a legalization bill. Law enforcement agencies are urging them to include guidance on field tests.

To further complicate the issue, states that already have their own hemp programs must have them approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which could take months.

"It's the greatest example of the cart being put before the horse that I've ever thought of," said Grant Loebs, who is on the board of directors of the Idaho Prosecuting Attorneys Association, which has demanded better testing. "You're trying to make hemp legal so farmers can grow it, but you haven't put into place anything that's going to keep marijuana dealers from taking advantage of a huge loophole."

At least three truckers and two security guards transporting state-certified hemp have been arrested and charged with felony drug trafficking. Thousands of pounds worth more than $2 million combined after processing remain in warehouses in Oklahoma and Idaho as evidence while the cases play out.

Frank Robison, a Colorado-based attorney specializing in such cases, said he has about a half-dozen clients in similar situations in other locations. He declined to provide more information, citing his clients' desire for privacy.

"What local law enforcement is doing is they're stifling an industry that Congress intended to promote to help American farmers and help the American economy  not to make people nervous that they're going to get tossed in jail over a (THC) discrepancy," said Robison, who represents one of the companies involved in the Oklahoma case.

Robison and others hope the USDA will work quickly to create rules for validating hemp shipments that local law enforcement could use instead of relying on THC field tests, such as state agricultural certificates or lab certificates. That way, police could let a suspicious load through without arrests and if the hemp samples come back high in THC from testing done in a lab setting, authorities could pursue the grower or shipper after the fact.

Andrew Ross, a Marine who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, is facing 18 years to life in Oklahoma if convicted after he was arrested in January while providing security for a load of state-certified hemp from Kentucky. Ross and a colleague were riding in a van behind a semi-truck filled with the plant that ran a red light and was pulled over.

Ross said he provided police in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, with the state-issued license for the Kentucky farm that grew the hemp, the license for the Colorado lab that was buying it and chemical analysis paperwork for all 60 sacks of hemp that he said shows it was within federal guidelines for hemp.

That wasn't enough for the officers. They tested the shipment and found it contained THC  although not how much  and arrested Ross, his colleague and the two truck drivers.

The charges against the drivers eventually were dropped, but their 18,000-pound (8,165-kilogram) cargo with a value of nearly $1 million after processing still is being held.

The case and a similar one in Idaho prompted the Oregon Department of Agriculture to issue a formal warning to hemp growers not to ship their crop across state lines.

Ross posted bail and continues to run his hemp transport business, Patriot Shield Security, from Denver while awaiting trial in Oklahoma. He said potential customers from places like Nevada, West Virginia and Wyoming say they now are afraid to send their hemp out of state.

"The whole industry has been turned upside down. Everyone is terrified. No one wants to transport anything," Ross said.

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Osage County First Assistant District Attorney Michelle Bodine-Keely said the seized hemp was still being tested. Some samples sent to a DEA lab in Washington, D.C., came back within the legal range for THC, but several were over, she said.

Based on the results so far, Bodine-Keely said she's not convinced it's all hemp.

"Part of it is hemp, and part of it is marijuana. It's an ongoing case, and not only is it an ongoing case, it's still an ongoing investigation," she said.

But, she allowed, "It would be nice to have a different kind of test in the field that will actually tell what the per cent is."

____

Associated Press writer Michael R. Blood in Los Angeles contributed to this report. Flaccus and Blood are members of AP's marijuana beat team. Follow Flaccus on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/gflaccus and Blood at http://twitter.com/MichaelRBloodAP . Follow AP's complete marijuana coverage: https://apnews.com/Marijuana .
WASHINGTON - The Latest on Congressional hearings looking into the Federal Aviation Administration's oversight of Boeing (all times local):

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WASHINGTON - The Latest on Congressional hearings looking into the Federal Aviation Administration's oversight of Boeing (all times local):

___

5:50 p.m.

Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., challenged FAA Acting Administrator Daniel Elwell on whether the FAA should ban "selling safety features a la carte to the airlines." Safety features like the MCAS (or Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System) shouldn't be optional at an extra charge but should be provided gratis like seat belts on vehicles, he said.

"It doesn't mask any problem," Elwell insisted in questioning on the MCAS. "What it does, is it gives the proper feel to a pilot because he doesn't have those cables."

And Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., raised the prickly issue of whether the FAA, as an independent regulator, has a too-cozy a relationship with the airlines and aircraft makers. He noted that Boeing, a major government contractor with deep longstanding connections in Washington, is locked in intense competition with European maker Airbus.

Political appointees at the FAA pushed the career staff to quickly get done what was needed to get the Max flying, Udall said.

Robert Sumwalt, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, said the issue of the FAA's posture toward the industry is a part of his investigation.

Elwell said he kept the White House and Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao "fully apprised" of developments before the decision to ground the planes. Chao "never told me to ground it," he told Senator Blumenthal.

___

5:40 p.m.

FAA Acting Administrator Daniel Elwell refused to answer questions about his conversation with President Donald Trump before the FAA grounded the Boeing 737 Max last week.

Elwell told Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., that it is longstanding executive branch policy through many administrations not to talk about details of discussions with the president.

Blumenthal said he is not aware of the policy and asked if it was law. If it was law, he asked Elwell which law. He also asserted that there was no executive privilege involved.

Elwell said that Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao never told him to ground the planes. He continued to say he wouldn't talk about a conversation with the president.

The U.S. was among the last nations to ground the planes after the Ethiopian Airlines crash.

___

5:15 p.m.

FAA Acting Administrator Daniel Elwell says information collected from flight data recorders shows no software malfunctions that forced down the nose of Boeing 737 Max jets in the U.S.

The software which makes the Max fly like older 737 jets is under investigation as a possible cause of jet crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia that killed 346 people.

Under questioning from Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., who flew Blackhawk helicopters in the Iraq war, Elwell said pilots should know what to do if software repeatedly points the nose down.

Duckworth says she still has "muscle memory" on how to resort to manual control if a Blackhawk nose is pointed down.

Elwell says that before the FAA grounded the Max last week, he talked to pilot unions and was told they are confident in the Max's safety.

"We are absolutely confident in the safety of this aircraft," Elwell said.

___

4:40 p.m.

FAA Acting Administrator Daniel Elwell says his agency would have to hire 10,000 more workers and spend another $1.8 billion per year to match the number of airplanes certified for flight by its current system of delegating duties to aircraft makers.

Elwell says the system has been in use for about 60 years and is "part of the fabric of what we've used to become as safe as we are today."

He says the FAA conducts strict oversight of the manufacturers, making sure employees have expertise in their field and professional integrity. Elwell also says the FAA's European equivalent relies more on delegation of tasks to manufacturers than the U.S. does.

But Democrat Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut says he will introduce legislation to reform the system, calling it "safety on the cheap."

Senator Blumenthal says Boeing rushed to get the 737 Max into the air to compete with Europe's Airbus, so critical safety features were disregarded. "There needs to be rigorous reform so the FAA is put back in charge of safety," he says.

___

4:05 p.m.

Acting Federal Aviation Administrator Daniel Elwell tells a Senate subcommittee that to his knowledge, pilots were not given specific instructions on the Boeing 737 Max software that is under investigation as a cause of crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia.

Elwell says the Max was an update to the previous generation 737 with a system called the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, or MCAS, to correct for small modifications and make it fly like the older planes. He says the plane has larger engines that were moved forward on the wings, and the nose wheel was extended 6 inches.

He says U.S., Canadian and European pilots flew the new and older planes in simulators, and unanimously agreed that the Max performed similarly and that additional flight training wasn't needed.

The FAA originally retained oversight of the MCAS system but eventually turned it over to Boeing, he said.

___

3:40 p.m.

Boeing says it doesn't see a need to overhaul the way it develops airplanes based on two recent crashes of its new 737 Max that killed a total of 346 people.

The company issued its comments as pilots, regulators and airline executives were gathering at a Boeing facility to learn more about how it is addressing the crashes.

Boeing said it hopes to issue a software update to address a crucial flight-control program that is suspected of playing a role in the Oct. 29 crash of a Lion Air jet in Indonesia and the March 10 crash of an Ethiopian Airlines Max. The company said that once the Federal Aviation Administration certifies the software fix, it would take about a day to deploy it and then an hour to install it on the planes.

Boeing said the process by which it designs, develops and tests planes has led to safer and safer air travel, and it sees no reason to overhaul it.

___

3:10 p.m.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz says the Boeing 737 Max crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia and reports about how the plane was approved by the Federal Aviation Administration have shaken the public's confidence.

The Republican opened a hearing on air safety Wednesday by the Senate Commerce Committee's aviation subcommittee. Cruz, who chairs the subcommittee, says the crashes have raised questions about FAA oversight of how airplanes are certified to fly.

Cruz noted the "close relationship between industry and regulators" as a factor threatening to erode the confidence of the flying public. He says the committee needs to understand what happened with the crashes, how the FAA determined that the Max was airworthy, and "take action to keep something like these tragic crashes from occurring again."

Cruz says commercial aviation currently is as safe as it's ever been, but reports of lax oversight are frustrating. "We need to do better and I believe that we can," he said.

Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Mississippi, says the committee will hold a second hearing with representatives of Boeing and others from outside government.

___

12:20 p.m.

Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao is defending President Donald Trump and blamed Congress for what she calls a delay in nominating a permanent head of the Federal Aviation Administration.

Sen. Richard Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois, asked Chao at a Senate appropriations hearing on Wednesday whether it was unusual that Trump took 14 months to propose a nominee to head the agency, which is under scrutiny for its oversight of Boeing after two crashes involving Boeing's bestselling plane.

Chao said the process has been slowed by the White House and by Congress, but Durbin pointed out that Trump never sent a nominee to the Senate for consideration.

Chao said acting administrator Daniel Elwell was qualified to lead the agency. Elwell is a former military and airline pilot who had been the No. 2 official at FAA.

Elwell was bypassed when Trump this month announced he would nominate a former pilot and Delta Air Lines executive, Stephen Dickson, to head the FAA.

___

10:25 a.m.

Southwest Airlines says that the government's grounding of all Boeing Max 8 jets will contribute to a $150 million revenue loss in the first quarter.

The airline says it had to cancel about 2,800 flights due to the groundings. According to numbers from Boeing, Southwest operates the largest fleet of the troubled planes.

The U.S. government followed nearly every other country in the world this month by ordering all Max 8 planes grounded after 157 people died in the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8. Another Max 8 crashed four months earlier in Indonesia, killing 189.

Southwest said in a filing Wednesday that it had to cancel an additional 6,600 flights from mid-February through the end of March due to weather and unscheduled maintenance.

The Senate is holding hearings Wednesday to look into the Federal Aviation Administration's oversight of Boeing.

The Transportation Department's inspector general, Calvin Scovel, is scheduled to testify and is expected to reveal plans to significantly revamp the FAA's oversight of airplane construction.

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___

9:45 a.m.

Congressional hearings into the Federal Aviation Administration's oversight of Boeing before and after two deadly crashes of its 737 Max, which claimed a total of 346 lives, will begin in several hours.

Among those expected to testify before the Senate aviation subcommittee Wednesday is the Transportation Department's inspector general, who is leading a review of the FAA and Boeing. Calvin Scovel is expected to reveal plans to significantly revamp the FAA's oversight of airplane construction.

Acting FAA Administrator Daniel Elwell will testify that Boeing submitted an application on Jan. 21 spelling out changes it planned to make to crucial flight-control software on the 737 Max  the same system that is suspected of playing a role in the Oct. 29 crash of a Lion Air jet in Indonesia and the March 10 plunge of an Ethiopian Airlines Max.

The Transportation Department watchdog has previously raised questions about the FAA's certification of Boeing planes and the seemingly close relationship between some agency managers and Boeing.
Residents concerned about the state of the Winnipeg's urban forest can step up and make a difference.

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Residents concerned about the state of the Winnipeg's urban forest can step up and make a difference.

In addition to launching a pilot program this year, working with two community groups to plant a large number of trees in their neighbourhoods, the City of Winnipeg allows individuals who cant or don't want to wait for city halls two-year replacement planting schedule to arrange to have trees purchased and installed on city boulevards by approved arborist contractors  at their own cost.

Martha Barwinsky, the City of Winnipeg forester, said the little-known program has run for several years.

"We implemented that option for residents who didnt want to wait," she said Wednesday, adding, however, its not been popular.

Related Items Click to Expand Articles Mar 26, 2019: City planting hardier tree types to replace dying elm, ash Aldo Santin

"Over the years, weve maybe had half-a-dozen to a dozen requests like that."

Last year, the city removed almost 12,000 diseased trees from city boulevards, parks and natural areas, but only planted 2,500 replacement trees.

Barwinsky said she hopes a pilot program the city is launching this summer with two community groups who will be planting a large number of boulevard trees can help make up the shortfall.

"Not just one tree in front of an individuals property but a number of trees in their neighbourhood," Barwinsky said, adding the groups are working with their ward councillors (John Orlikow and Jason Schreyer) who are providing them with funds through ward land dedication reserve accounts.

"The residents are co-ordinating, getting quotes from the list of approved contractors, and were identifying the specific locations and the appropriate tree species."

In Orlikows River Heights ward, a small neighbourhood group has arranged to have 59 maple and hackberry trees planted on adjacent boulevards in May. Across town, the Glenelm Neighbourhood Association is doing a similar project.

Charles Feaver, a member of the River Heights-area Friends of Peanut (Enderton) Park, said area residents want to show other neighbourhood groups they can make a difference.

Feaver said his neighbours were motivated by a similar project several years ago, when they secured a grant from Manitoba Hydro and planted more than 50 trees in Peanut Park.

Feaver said they hope to have the area  bound by Academy Road, Stafford Street, Grosvenor Avenue, Wellington Crescent  designated as a heritage neighbourhood one day, adding they all recognize one of the important features is the tree canopy.

"That really makes our neighbourhood, and if we lose (those trees), it will be devastating," he said. "We want to get as many trees in as possible."

Feaver said Orlikow provided the residents with a $12,000 grant.

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While a certified arborist contractor is doing all the work, Feaver said the residents committed to water the trees for the first two years, which is key to ensuring they survive and grow.

"Its a one-time thing for us. This will fill in where the holes in the tree canopy developed over the years," he said. "We hope (Orlikow) can do the same thing elsewhere because so much of (River Heights-Fort Garry) is filled with beautiful trees."

Barwinsky said there were only five boulevard trees planted by individual residents last year, but she said the pilot neighbourhood program will help address public concern for the citys tree canopy.

"Theres lots of other benefits to having a whole community involved rather than just individual residents isolated on their own. It is more effective and efficient to manage with a group rather than an individual citizen," she said.

"If the entire community is engaged, that leads to greater care of our trees and greater awareness and appreciation of the trees in their neighbourhood."

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca
Winnipeg police are investigating the citys sixth homicide in March, the 11th of the year, after a woman was slain in her Southdale home Tuesday.

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Winnipeg police are investigating the citys sixth homicide in March, the 11th of the year, after a woman was slain in her Southdale home Tuesday.

Following a 911 call, police went to a residence on Rockcliffe Road at 10:45 a.m. Officers found a woman suffering from severe injuries after shed been assaulted, police said Wednesday.

She died a short time later.

Police are expected to release the identity of the victim today.

No arrests had been made and police had not said whether a weapon was involved.

A neighbour, who didnt know the woman and wasnt sure if she had lived alone, described the scene on Tuesday.

"I sort of figured it was (a homicide)... They had about 10 police cars here. Then there was the ambulance. They brought her out and it did not look good. She was on the stretcher and they were doing (chest) compressions. And when they pulled out, I didnt see the sirens on," the man said Wednesday.

On Wednesday afternoon, multiple investigators canvassed the area, knocking on doors in the quiet neighbourhood. Two cruiser cars were parked outside the home, which was blocked off with police tape.

Police spokesman Const. Rob Carver confirmed that when officers arrived at the home, a second person was present and was interviewed by investigators.

Carver wouldnt say whether the individual had called 911 or if police were treating that person as a suspect.

"I think at this point, investigators are looking at all potential options here, and I would say that (a domestic dispute) is probably one of the things they would be looking at," Carver said.

"We are really looking for anyone who may have any bits of information, whether or not it was activity in the street, whether or not theres timelines that can be established... any bits of information would be considered useful to investigators at this point as theyre trying to put together what is going to be complex."

In 2018, the city hit its 11th homicide on July 15. There were 22 reported homicides that year.

In 2011, when Winnipeg police dealt with a record 41 killings, the 11th homicide was reported April 29.

By comparison, Toronto, with a population of roughly 2.8 million, has 16 reported homicides so far this year.

The latest slaying continues a gruelling month for the citys homicide unit, spokesman Const. Rob Carver said.

"Im looking at a group of investigators that I think are really doing everything they can to being their A game, which is what they always do. But this is a group of people who are really starting to show some signs of fatigue," Carver said Wednesday.

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"Theyre working unbelievably hard. People I didnt expect to be able to talk to today, because they should be (at home), are in. Leaves are being cancelled, people are being called back."

Carver took the opportunity to reassure the public that although 11 homicides in 2019 is a high number, and undoubtedly has people concerned, theres no underlying threat to public safety.

"The nature of homicides is theyre random and when they show up  you know, Im sitting at the desk yesterday as this call comes in (having) the same sort of reaction I think as anyone who would have got the advisory today," Carver said.

"Another homicide and what does that mean?... Its tragic for the city. Any number of homicides is tragic. This is a lot. It makes Winnipeggers ask: is the city safe? And I can tell you these arent risks to the public."

ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @rk_thorpe
The tri-government task force thats compiling recommendations on how to tackle Manitobas mounting meth problem has quite a number of suggestions, but isnt ready to release them yet.

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The tri-government task force thats compiling recommendations on how to tackle Manitobas mounting meth problem has "quite a number" of suggestions, but isnt ready to release them yet.

Michael Jack, co-chairman of the illicit drug task force working group that was struck in December, said the 17-member committee has met formally three times and struck three subcommittees, which meet more often.

The subcommittees are focused on making recommendations on prevention and education (one), treatment options (two) and disruption of supply and enforcement (three).

Their members include Winnipeg Police Service officers, RCMP, Winnipeg Fire and Paramedic Service members, public health officials and non-profit executive directors, all of whom were appointed by the city, provincial and federal governments.

Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman, Manitoba Health Minister Cameron Friesen and Liberal MP Robert-Falcon Ouellette are on the task forces oversight committee. They will receive the working groups final report in June.

"So, among the three subject areas, we have generated already quite a number of recommendations, but weve got a lot of work to do," Jack said Wednesday.

"Everyone involved acknowledges that weve got a fairly compacted time period within which to canvass everything thats already been done. Its important to us to not be reinventing the wheel or covering ground where other very qualified people and groups of people have already been studying and making recommendations."

Jack, who is the chief corporate services officer with the City of Winnipeg, wouldnt provide an estimate of how many recommendations have been compiled thus far, as they havent been finalized. But he acknowledged the speed at which the task force is trying to work, within a six-month window to fight a problem widely referred to as a "meth crisis."

Manitobas meth issues have Ottawas attention, thanks in large part to Ouellette bringing them up frequently in caucus, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said during a visit to Winnipeg Tuesday.

"This is a situation that is devastating for so many families on all sides of this issue. We know we need to do a better job in all levels of government to respond to this, to restore confidence in our communities and get people on the path to wellness," Trudeau said.

Trudeau and Ouellette pointed to recent funding announcements as ways the federal government is helping quell the crisis, which include boosts to the RCMP and the Canada Border Services Agency, to beef up security and stop illicit drugs from entering the country.

Ouellette said he expects next steps may include changes to the Criminal Code.

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"The question is how long can we keep someone? If someone has an addiction issue obviously, (and) the health-care system is unable to respond for whatever reason, are there other measures that we can be doing?" he asked. "What are we doing in the justice system itself to make sure that someone, when they leave criminal corrections institutions, is going to be successful in their re-integration in society? Or are they going to go fall back to the drugs? These are the types of things the federal government can deal with."

The Winnipeg Centre MP also suggested people with addictions need more secure, quickly available facilities where they can stay and receive treatment.

"I dont think it should be a jail, but I think there should be a place thats not the emergency ward people are going to. It should be someplace specific perhaps, is what Im hearing from a lot of individuals, where they get immediate treatment if they so desire  that they dont have to wait seven months to get a bed," Ouellette said.

He compared Manitobas meth crisis to the national opioid crisis "times four" and said hes "a little bit nervous" for summertime, when more people will be out in the streets and violence could surge downtown.

jessica.botelho@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @_jessbu
OTTAWA  Former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould says federal officials should consider investigating leaks to the media involving highly confidential information about two Manitoba judges, including the claim that she sought to promote an Indigenous justice.

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OTTAWA  Former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould says federal officials should consider investigating leaks to the media involving highly confidential information about two Manitoba judges, including the claim that she sought to promote an Indigenous justice.

"I strongly condemn anyone who would speak about, or provide information, on such sensitive matters," Wilson-Raybould wrote in an email to the Free Press. "I feel that there should be consideration of having some sort of investigation as to the source of this information."

Wilson-Raybould was responding Wednesday to reports regarding her choices for Supreme Court appointments as well as those of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

The Conservatives have asked the federal judicial affairs commissioner to investigate the leaks.

Conservative justice critic Lisa Raitt sent a letter Wednesday to judicial affairs commissioner Marc Giroux arguing that it appears "political actors" leaked information about an appointment to the countrys highest court.

On Monday, CTV and The Canadian Press reported that Wilson-Raybould had sought to have Glenn Joyal, the chief justice of the Manitoba Court of Queens Bench, appointed as chief judge of the Supreme Court. Trudeau chose an Alberta judge instead.

SEAN KILPATRICK / THE CANADIAN PRESS Jody Wilson-Raybould: 'I strongly condemn anyone who would speak about, or provide information, on such sensitive matters'

Supreme Court appointments and applications are highly classified. After the issue became public, Joyal issued a statement that said he had applied and then withdrew his candidacy because of his wifes illness.

The Globe and Mail reported Tuesday that Wilson-Raybould had sought to put Joyal on the Supreme Court in order to promote another Manitoba judge into the position Joyal would have vacated.

The article, which cited unnamed sources, claimed that she wanted provincial court Justice Ken Champagne, who is Metis, to replace Joyal as chief justice in the Manitoba Court of Queens Bench. This would have made him the first Indigenous head of any superior court in Canada.

A spokeswoman said Champagne was abroad this week, and unavailable for comment.

Wilson-Raybould said she could not confirm the accuracy of the media reports. She said she was not the source of the leaks, and that she had not authorized anyone to speak on her behalf.

Prior to the Globe reporting on Champagne, the Manitoba Bar Association had called the first media leak about Joyal "highly disconcerting."

The story claimed that Trudeau had concerns that Joyal would try to roll back Charter of Rights and Freedoms rulings about gay rights and access to abortion. The bar association called those "entirely improper, and indeed false" insinuations.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Manitoba Chief Justice Glenn Joyal

Wilson-Raybould did not respond when asked whether Joyal and/or Champagne were owed an apology over the leaks. She wrote that divulging information about the Supreme Court appointment process "could compromise the integrity of the appointments process, our institutions and potentially sitting justices. This has to stop and given the seriousness of this matter."

Academics have also called on Trudeau to probe the source of the leak, noting that he did not reject an assertion that they came from someone in his office.

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Critics say even revealing which judges applied for postings could make others reluctant to do so, claiming it unfairly casts doubt on their commitment to their existing roles. The applications require large amounts of confidential information.

Winnipeg Liberal MP MaryAnn Mihychuk said she was "very surprised" by the leaks, and wasnt sure whether they merit an investigation.

"Privacy and confidentiality when it comes to the appointments of judges is sacrosanct, and it should not have been leaked; its completely inappropriate," she said.

Joyal was appointed the head of Manitobas Court of Queens Bench in 2007 by the Harper government. It was unusual because he had been moved from the Manitoba Court of Appeal, which is the highest court in the province. The Harper government never explained its rationale.

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca
OTTAWA  Winnipeg MP MaryAnn Mihychuk unsuccessfully urged Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to halt last years controversial summer jobs abortion pledge, the Free Press has learned.

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OTTAWA  Winnipeg MP MaryAnn Mihychuk unsuccessfully urged Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to halt last years controversial summer jobs "abortion pledge," the Free Press has learned.

Mihychuk, who had been Trudeaus labour minister before she was shuffled out of cabinet, asked for a halt to a vague charter statement that social-conservative groups bemoaned, as they felt it required them to endorse ideas that conflict with their religious beliefs.

Groups applying for the Canada Summer Jobs program, which provides federally paid employment for young people, could not submit proposals online unless they checked the button next to the charter attestation, which some critics dubbed an "abortion pledge." Scores of groups decided against doing so.

"I would like to request that the attestation button be removed to quell the misinformation being spread," Mihychuk wrote to Trudeau in a January 2018 letter obtained through an access-to-information request.

She noted receiving 40 calls and emails from constituents who were "outraged and upset regarding what they perceive as a requirement to attest to supporting abortion."

Trudeau forwarded her concern to current Labour Minister Patty Hajdu, who did not revise the policy until this years round of applications.

For the Kildonan-St. Paul MP, the eventual changes were a success, even though they came a year later.

"The (attestation) last year resulted in negative consequences. Mistakes can happen," Mihychuk said Wednesday.

"I think the real story here is that change was made, and now groups are actively using the Canada Summer Jobs program."

Mihychuk said that last year, many Mennonites in her riding felt they could not apply for funding to help provide community services. The attestation made many "feel that it was in conflict with their ultimate values, and I know that is not what was meant," Mihychuk said.

"I worked with them, but it was still a huge issue."

Hajdu was not available for an interview, but her office said it consulted with faith groups, all MPs and Canada Summer Jobs applicants, following last winters controversy.

In the summer of 2018, there was a twelve-fold increase in rejections under the program from a year earlier, including First Nations, and Winnipeg churches that cut back on summer camps.

That years criteria asked employers to confirm that their "core mandate" respects charter values, including "reproductive rights" and not discriminating based on "sexual orientation or gender identity."

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This year, the program restricts those who "undermine or restrict the exercise of rights legally protected in Canada."

The attestation now rules out those who "advocate intolerance, discrimination and/or prejudice" and "actively work to undermine or restrict a womans access to sexual and reproductive health services."

Mihychuk said she was proud of the reboot and grateful that groups are applying again.

The Liberals have claimed groups used the program in the past to help fund graphic anti-abortion protests and to campaign against gay marriage. The Conservatives have raised concerns about the program being used to support anti-pipeline groups.

Program spots are also available to non-students, and all postings are now listed in a centralized job bank online.

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca
"Change sucks" in the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority's "valley of despair," but that feeling doesn't last, its president and chief executive officer said in his weekly message to nearly 30,000 employees.

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"Change sucks" in the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority's "valley of despair," but that feeling doesn't last, its president and chief executive officer said in his weekly message to nearly 30,000 employees.

In an interview Wednesday, Real Cloutier said his two-page missive  that riled unions and has one organization expert questioning the health of the system's realignment process  was meant to be a frank acknowledgement of the impact change has had on health-care providers over the last two years.

JOE BRYKSA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Real Cloutier, president and chief executive officer of the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority

"That was the intention," said Cloutier. "One theme, and what I was trying to reinforce, was that in any industry there's a change curve."

A graph in the bulletin showed how change affects morale and performance over time, starting with denial and shock then falling to frustration before bottoming out in a "valley of despair" and depression, before rebounding to "experiment," then "acceptance" and finally "integration."

In his memo to staff, Cloutier said it's time to say: "Frankly  change sucks."

An expert on organization theory at the University of Manitoba's Asper School of Business said "the valley of despair" doesn't come up in his teachings. "That said, we do talk about a 'threat rigidity response,' which refers to the tendency of people facing a threat to revert to familiar patterns of behaviour that worked in the past," said Prof. Bruno Dyck.

"It is not unusual for change to create feelings of frustration and loss, but words like 'depression' and 'despair' are strong words that I would not associate with a healthy change process."

"Despair" is something nurses are feeling right now, but not for the reasons Cloutier thinks, said Manitoba Nurses Union president Darlene Jackson.

A graph included in Cloutier's bulletin.

"They're not feeling despair about impending change, they're feeling despair about the change that has already happened  that they don't have the ability to provide safe, quality patient care and go the extra mile for patients," she said Wednesday.

"The workload is crushing," she said, pointing to increased mandatory overtime.

Nurses aren't opposed to change  they've been asking for "a seat at the table" since 2017, before the first phase of changing the system began, said Jackson. "The entire health-care transformation has been done without speaking with front-line health-care providers."

The WRHA is now finishing up Phase 2 of its clinical consolidation, which is working to improve patient care, said Cloutier, pointing to a reduction in the average number of assessed patients waiting in hospital for a personal care home bed. (That number has fallen to an average of 20 patients at any time, from 80.)

"We don't change for the sake of change," said Cloutier. "We're redesigning the system to make it better for patients."

Download Real Cloutier's letter

Cloutier said he recently attended meetings with staff at Concordia Hospital, where the emergency department is set to close in June, and Seven Oaks General, where the ER will be converted into an urgent care centre in September.

"The people who are going through it now are in the valley," Cloutier said of the upheaval. "When you know where (you'll be working) and which teams you're working with, you'll feel better."

The way change is implemented can have a big impact on how employees feel about it, said Dyck.

"In my class, we differentiate between top-down change  where managers use their knowledge, influence and authority to develop and implement the change  and a more bottom-up approach, where a variety of stakeholders are invited to use their knowledge to develop and implement the change," the professor said.

"I expect the latter approach to be less likely to lead to depression and despair, even though it can still lead to feelings of loss."

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca

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Almost two years ago, Ritchot mayor Jackie Hunt resigned because of workplace bullying. In a statement she provided at the time, Hunt said, There is currently no mechanism in the Municipal Act that allows for elected officials to be disciplined for behaviour that would not be tolerated in any other work environment.

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Opinion

Almost two years ago, Ritchot mayor Jackie Hunt resigned because of workplace bullying. In a statement she provided at the time, Hunt said, "There is currently no mechanism in the Municipal Act that allows for elected officials to be disciplined for behaviour that would not be tolerated in any other work environment."

Its two years later, and women councillors are still waiting for a Municipal Act with teeth, designed to fight workplace harassment. On Tuesday, the minister responsible for the status of women, Rochelle Squires, and civil service commissioner Charlene Paquin announced revisions to the governments respectful workplace policy and unveiled a new sexual harassment awareness campaign.

It has certainly been clear that at the municipal level, the Pallister government wants to strengthen protections for municipal councillors in its Municipal Act. But as with many things governmental, change has been glacial. There have been several roundtable discussions since 2018 and a bill was tabled in November, but it hasnt has gone beyond first reading.

In fact, as it stands, the bill, the Municipal Amendment Act (Strengthening Codes of Conduct for Council Members) seems nebulous and the problem for the government appears to be how to make it more substantive.

What exactly is at stake here?

In Canada, 50 per cent of adults say they have experienced at least some form of workplace bullying and, according to Statistics Canada, workplace bullying and harassment have resulted in absences at work worth about $19 billion annually. In Ontario, 77 per cent of attendees at the Ontario Municipal Administrators Association lunch meeting reported bullying or harassment by elected officials. In the United Kingdom, the problem with harassment and bullying has been pinpointed as one reason women may be reluctant to run for office at the municipal level.

Part of the challenge facing politicians in crafting this legislation is trying to determine exactly what is harassment or bullying. Its more than just calling someone a name, although it can be that, and its not about disagreement or criticism. Thats what politics is supposed to be about  debate that is engaged and sometimes passionate, often ending with an agreement to disagree.

Harassment and bullying, though, is much more malicious than that. Its the spreading of gossip, physical intimidation, excluding someone from work or snubbing them socially, spying on someone or stalking them, yelling or using profanity, blocking promotions or tampering with workspaces. There are numerous examples of what is meant by harassment and bullying that have been defined by the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety.

Some city councillors have their own examples to share. Vera Cardinal said when she was running as an incumbent for council in Lac du Bonnet in 2011, she found a dead cat speared onto a piece of rebar on her driveway. Cindy Kellendonk, who sought election three times in that small community and served on council in 2014, says she, too, was harassed with death threats and stalking.

It was both her experiences and Cardinals that moved her to get involved in the advisory group with Manitobas Womens Advisory Council that will be meeting with the municipal affairs minister next week.

Kellendonk, along with West St. Paul Mayor Cheryl Christian and Selkirk Deputy Mayor Darlene Swiderski, is happy the bill was created, but wants to keep the governments feet to the fire in getting it ready to become legislation  especially with the possibility of an early election looming.

As it stands, the bill really doesnt spell out harassment or bullying, or the complaint process. According to Christian, "So far, violations are not clearly identified about what conduct is considered harassment and bullying, what the complaint process is, how it is submitted, to whom it is submitted, where it goes, or how it will be investigated."

Those are big questions that remain to be answered.

All three women want municipalities to have an independent integrity commissioner in place who can act independently and in an unbiased manner in investigating complaints. The commissioner could also provide resources for the municipal councillors. Christian says, "We dont have anyone who can tell us if were in potential conflicts of interest, and they could help us answer those questions."

For Kellendonk, its important to have someone "with weight" who can help smaller municipalities deal with these problems.

Manitoba could potentially be the first province to implement an act that would include an appeals process as well, something Christian says is also important. She believes an appeal would ensure that everyones rights are protected.

Swiderski, who has served 20 years on city council, says she has never personally experienced harassment or bullying, because "Ive worked with great people in Selkirk council." But she says shes had to stand witness to other councillors experiences in neighbouring municipalities, and it has been "heartbreaking." She hopes the new act will stop this type of behaviour.

Kellendonk says she does consider this a womens issue: women who speak with confidence are labelled bullies and people will do whatever they can to stop them from getting into power, while men who speak with confidence are called leaders.

Christian hopes that a beefed-up act will mean that more people  particularly more young people  will become interested in running in municipal elections, bringing diversity to local politics. She points to the disturbing figure that 40 per cent of the municipal seats in last falls election were acclaimed as an example of a decline in interest.

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It always amazes me that people need to be told how to behave: that skewering cats and stalking people is not the proper way to engage your political opponents in debate. Or that bullying behaviour somehow works in the long run. It seems to me that being a bully reveals more about the bully than it does about the target.

But I agree that there needs to be a process in place, and Manitoba should join Ontario in setting standards for behaviour on municipal councils and then holding accountable those who step over the line.

And hopefully, that will result in more people becoming interested in stepping forward to participate in municipal politics, with more opportunities for ethical and fair behaviour for everyone.

Shannon Sampert is a political science professor at the University of Winnipeg.

s.sampert@uwinnipeg.ca

Twitter: @paulysigh
Another week, another scrap between Manitoba's Progressive Conservative government and the board of a Crown corporation.

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Another week, another scrap between Manitoba's Progressive Conservative government and the board of a Crown corporation.

However, this time, Autopac is involved. That is a game changer in so many ways.

Few government entities are more politically volatile than Autopac and the Crown corporation that delivers it, Manitoba Public Insurance. It doesn't matter whether the news is good or bad, it seems that Manitobans love to angrily debate the morality of the province's auto insurance monopoly.

This most recent battle between the MPI board and the government of Premier Brian Pallister is a good case in point.

Crown Services Minister Colleen Mayer denied giving a formal, written directive to to anyone at MPI. (Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press)

The Free Press reported this week that MPI's bid to move insurance and licence renewal to an online platform could be kiboshed by the Tory government. Crown Services Minister Colleen Mayer denied giving a formal, written directive to anyone at MPI, but the MPI board sought a legal opinion about whether the government had the authority to stop them from moving the licence and insurance renewals online.

The decision to obtain a legal opinion is evidence that someone high up in the Pallister government said something to someone at MPI.

Why would the provincial government be so concerned about self-service, online renewals? In this day and age where so much of our lives involve online transactions, moving annual renewals online is a no-brainer.

Unfortunately for those people who resent their annual trip to renew licences and insurance in person, the Tories have a political stake in maintaining the status quo. Pallister is trying to avoid a fight with private insurance brokers, a political constituency that has always hit a little bit above their weight when it comes to Tory governments.

Everyone who owns a car in this province understands that private brokers are the retail face of the Autopac system. In the past 20 years, brokers have worked their way deep within the Autopac renewals system until now, it is really the only place that most of us go to renew.

All of the overhead of maintaining the offices and paying the people who staff the counters for people to renew their licences and insurance policies is covered by the almost 300 private brokers across the province.

It's a system that has advantages for taxpayers. All of the overhead of maintaining the offices, and paying the people who staff the counters, is covered by the brokers. With nearly 300 private brokers in the province  and locations that include grocery stores, shopping malls and strip malls  Manitobans have a fairly accessible retail network for Autopac transactions.

It's also a sweet deal for brokers. There is no fee charged to brokers for the right to represent MPI. As well, the Crown insurer pays out more than $80 million annually in commissions to brokers and covers all of the costs of the Autopac online system that facilitates licence and insurance renewals. MPI even pays for the cameras and scanners used by brokers to process renewals.

Brokers have fought stridently for the role they play in the Autopac system. Quietly, they argue that commissions are really only one benefit of selling government auto insurance; many also note that Autopac functions as a powerful marketing tool, getting live bodies in through the door where they can inquire about other insurance products.

More importantly, allowing brokers to play an important role in government auto insurance plays well with those Manitobans who resent the government's monopoly. It would not be a stretch to say that a good many of those Manitobans vote Tory.

That political reality has allowed the Insurance Brokers Association of Manitoba, the industry's lobby group, to establish a close relationship with PC governments over the years to ensure the plan being looked at by MPI does not move too quickly.

Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries chair, Polly Craik, got the boot after she and other board members tried to forge ahead with a $60-million capital expansion of the Club Regent Casino against the premier's wishes. (Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press files)

The conflict between MPI and the provincial government is consistent with battles it has waged with two other politically appointed Crown corporation boards. Battles that have, at their core, a disagreement about how much influence the premier should have over Crown operations.

In the case of Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries, chairwoman Polly Craik was fired after she and other Tory-appointed board members tried to forge ahead with a $60-million capital expansion of the Club Regent Casino against the premier's wishes. Craik suggested government officials had provided back-channel instructions directly to MLL management  a real no-no in the world of Crown corporation governance  to undermine the expansion plans.

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In Pallister's battle with Manitoba Hydro, he and former board chairman Sanford Riley fought over several issues, including a financial settlement between the utility and the Manitoba Metis Federation. When Pallister insisted on terminating the deal, Riley and the rest of his board resigned in protest.

To be clear, a provincial government is allowed to direct a Crown corporation as long as it done in a public and transparent way, such as through a news release, ministerial statement or media interview, but a premier cannot just call up someone on the board and, unbeknownst to the public, start pulling strings.

With MPI, Pallister now finds himself between a politically tricky rock and a profoundly problematic hard place.

Frustrate MPI's efforts to expand online services, and the premier runs the risk of angering citizens who long for the opportunity to renew online, at their convenience. Green-light MPI's plan, and he will almost certainly suffer the condemnation of 300 private brokers who have, as an industry, cultivated a deep reach into the core of his party.

This is a political dilemma that requires some deft political diplomacy, not awkward political duplicity.

dan.lett@freepress.mb.ca
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What a short half-year its been for the newest push in climate activism.

Thats roughly how long its been since Swedish teen Greta Thunberg went on strike from attending school last August, citing adults inaction on addressing climate change. The message that she gave out in leaflets during her three-week strike prior to Swedens general election in September was blunt: "I am doing this because you adults are sh****ng on my future."

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg inspired thousands of students to take to the streets all over the globe. (Daniel Reinhardt / DPA files)

Ms. Thunberg is far from the first activist to raise awareness about climate change, but for her its long been an interest. The 16-year-old, who has been diagnosed with ADHD and autism, told The New Yorker magazine that, like others with autism, she has a special interest; hers is climate change, and she began to be interested in it in third grade.

That determination has only become clearer over time. "I am doing this because nobody else is doing anything. It is my moral responsibility to do what I can," she told the Guardian. "I want the politicians to prioritize the climate question, focus on the climate and treat it like a crisis."

And it is a crisis. Last fall, the United Nations International Panel on Climate Change declared that we have barely more than a decade to cut greenhouse gas emissions and avoid a 1.5 C rise in global average temperature. That kind of rise could lead, they warn, to runaway global climate change and massive disruption for human civilization, if not its collapse.

Those who laughed off Thunbergs "strike"  in fact, she brought her schoolbooks along with her  as mere teenage rebellion underestimated either the seriousness of climate change, or the determination many other young people felt to do something about their future.

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She continued her protest on Fridays after the Swedish election. Ms. Thunberg also spoke at the United Nations COP24 conference in Katowice, Poland, in December. In a sharp rebuke to adults in general, and perhaps to those who felt she was naive, she said, "You are not mature enough to tell it like it is. You say you love your children above all else. And yet youre stealing their future in front of their very eyes."

Youngsters stand on the Queen Victoria Memorial outside Buckingham Palace as they take part in a worldwide student climate protest in London, England on March 15 (Matt Dunham / The Associated Press files)

In cities around the world, other youths began striking against inaction on climate change. In December, 12-year-old Winnipegger Miyawata Stout was among those who took a page from Thunbergs book. She organized 20 of her fellow students at Ecole River Heights School to demonstrate outside MP Jim Carrs office, lobbying for laws to protect the planet.

That wasnt a one-off, either. Additional rallies have been organized by students in Winnipeg on the first Friday of every month.

Then on March 15, hundreds of students in Winnipeg joined tens of thousands of students in more than 100 countries to rally for action on climate change.

Adults may dismiss such actions as an excuse to get out of school (in fact, in a number of school divisions there were no classes that day), but that would be ignoring that these young people not only are looking to the future, but they will be voting soon themselves.

Political parties and governments that dont have plans to address greenhouse-gas emissions and climate change might soon find themselves on the receiving end of a stern ballot-box rebuke. The question, then, for politicians, is "Are you listening?"  to the climatologists, and to these future voters?
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Three Saudi women were granted temporary release from prison on Thursday, nearly a year after they and other women's rights activists were detained by security forces who report to the kingdom's powerful crown prince.

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This article was published 28/3/2019 (990 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

FILE - In this March 29, 2014 file photo, Aziza al-Yousef drives a car on a highway in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as part of a campaign to defy Saudi Arabia's then ban on women driving. Saudi women's rights activists, including al-Yousef, are expected to appear before a judge Wednesday, March 27, 2019, on charges that include speaking to foreign journalists. Several people with knowledge of the cases say the charges for the nearly dozen women relate to their efforts to promote women's rights and sharing information with accredited foreign reporters, diplomats and human rights groups. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali, File)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Three Saudi women were granted temporary release from prison on Thursday, nearly a year after they and other women's rights activists were detained by security forces who report to the kingdom's powerful crown prince.

Two people told The Associated Press that Aziza al-Yousef, a grandmother and former professor; Eman al-Nafjan, a mother of four and linguistics professor; and a third woman, Roqaya al-Muhareb, had been granted temporary release after bail hearings on Thursday.

The official Saudi press agency reported that three female detainees had been released but did not identify them. It said their cases were ongoing.

At least one of the women was already home with her family, according to details provided to the AP.

The move could mark a turning point for other women's rights activists still detained, notably because two of those released, al-Yousef and al-Najfan, were vilified in state-linked media as traitors and foreign enemies soon after their arrest in May.

Thursday's development comes as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman continues to face widespread international criticism over the assassination of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul last year in an operation planned by two of the prince's top aides. Eleven men are on trial in Saudi Arabia for the killing.

Since Khashoggi's grisly murder, the imprisonment of the women activists has drawn widespread criticism from members of the U.S. Congress, the British Parliament and other Western capitals. Nine U.S. senators urged King Salman in a letter last week to release political prisoners to demonstrate "belated yet welcome respect for human rights."

At least 10 women's rights defenders remain imprisoned, including Loujain al-Hathloul, Hatoon al-Fassi, Samar Badawi and Naseem al-Sada. More bail hearings are expected next week.

Most of the women had appeared in a Riyadh courtroom on Wednesday to submit their defence. Several people with knowledge of the cases said the women have been charged in connection with their efforts to promote women's rights and of having contact with accredited foreign reporters, diplomats and human rights groups.

In the presence of their husbands, parents and children, the women told a panel of three judges about the physical and sexual abuse they say they were subjected to by masked interrogators during their imprisonment.

The government has denied charges of abuse as "wild claims" that are "simply wrong."

Prior to their arrest, several women said they received calls from an aide to Prince Mohammed telling them not to speak to foreign media outlets. Several were surprised to also learn they had been barred from leaving the country. Concerned for their safety, the women stopped posting on Twitter and other social media sites.

As activists faced pressure to keep silent, credit for social reforms like the decision to allow women the right to drive had largely gone to the crown prince.

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The women's arrest in May  a month before Saudi women were allowed to drive  may have also been a way to convey that top-down decision-making, and not activism, determines the scope and pace of change in Saudi Arabia.

The women activists had long pushed for the right to drive. They also called for an end to restrictive male guardianship laws, which give male relatives final say over a woman's ability to travel abroad, obtain a passport, marry or undergo certain medical procedures.

In their second court hearing Wednesday, nearly a dozen of the women on trial in Riyadh told the presiding judge how they were caned on their backs and thighs, electrocuted and waterboarded by masked men who did not identify themselves.

One of the women said that several men, who seemed intoxicated, appeared late one night and took her from her place of detention in Jiddah to a nearby secret location. It was there that the women say they were tortured.

Some women have said they were forcibly touched and groped, made to break their fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, and threatened with rape and death. One of the women attempted suicide, according to information provided to the AP by people with knowledge of the cases.

Journalists working for foreign media, diplomats and other independent observers have not been allowed to sit-in on the hearings.
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Bausch Health Companies Inc. develops, manufactures, and markets a range of pharmaceutical, medical device, and over-the-counter (OTC) products primarily in the therapeutic areas of eye health, gastroenterology, and dermatology. The company operates through four segments: Bausch + Lomb/International, Salix, Ortho Dermatologics, and Diversified Products. The Bausch + Lomb/International segment offers products with a focus on the vision care, surgical, and consumer and ophthalmology Rx products in the United States; and Solta products, branded and generic pharmaceutical products, OTC products, and medical device products, and Bausch + Lomb products in Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East. The Salix segment provides gastroenterology products in the United States. The Ortho Dermatologics segment offers dermatological products in the United States; and Solta medical aesthetic devices internationally. The Diversified Products segment provides pharmaceutical products in the areas of neurology and other therapeutic classes, as well as generic and dentistry products in the United States. The company was formerly known as Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. and changed its name to Bausch Health Companies Inc. in July 2018. Bausch Health Companies Inc. is headquartered in Laval, Canada.

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Brookdale Senior Living, Inc. engages in the operation of senior living communities. The firm manages independent living, assisted living and dementia-care communities and continuing care retirement centers. It operates through the following segments: Independent Living Assisted Living & Memory Care, CCRCs, Health Care Services and Management Services. The Independent Living segment is primarily designed for middle to upper income seniors who desire an upscale residential environment providing the highest quality of service. The Assisted Living & Memory Care segment offer housing and 24-hour assistance with ADLs to mid-acuity frail and elderly residents. The CCRCs segment offers a variety of living arrangements and services to accommodate all levels of physical ability and health. The Healthcare Services segment provides home health, hospice and outpatient therapy services, as well as education and wellness programs, to residents of many communities and to seniors living outside communities. The Management Services segment composes of communities operated by the company pursuant to management agreements. The company was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in Brentwood, TN.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Mohawk Industries: A&S Energie NV, A&U Energie NV, Aladdin Manufacturing Corporation, Aladdin Manufacturing Of New York LLC, Aladdin Manufacturing of Alabama LLC, Alsace Logistique S.A., Avelgem Green Power CVBA, Avon Pacific Holdings Ltd, B&M NV, BGE Mexico S. de R. L. de C.V., Berghoef GmbH, Berghoef-Hout B.V., Bienes Raices y Materiales del Centro S. de R.L. de C.V., C.F. Marazzi S.A., Canterbury Spinners Ltd, Carpet Foundation Ltd, Cevotrans BV, Ceramus Bahia S/A  Produtos Ceramicos, DT Mex Holdings LLC, DTM/CM Holdings LLC, Dal Italia LLC, Dal-Elit LLC, Dal-Tile Chile Comercial Limitada, Dal-Tile Colombia S.A.S., Dal-Tile Distribution Inc., Dal-Tile Group Inc., Dal-Tile I LLC, Dal-Tile Industrias S. de R.L. de C.V., Dal-Tile International Inc., Dal-Tile Mexico Comercial S. de R.L. de C.V., Dal-Tile Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Dal-Tile Operaciones Mexico S. De R.L. De C.V., Dal-Tile Peru SRL, Dal-Tile Puerto Rico Inc., Dal-Tile Services Inc., Dal-Tile Shared Services Inc., Dal-Tile Tennessee LLC, Dal-Tile of Canada ULC, Daltile, Daltile, Dekaply NV, Durkan, Dynea NV, Eliane Argentina Sociedad Anonima, Eliane S/A - Revestimentos Ceramicos, Emilceramica India Pvt Ltd., Emilceramica S.r.l, Emilgermany GmbH, Emilgroup Asia Ltd, Explorer S.r.l., F.I.L.S. Investments Unlimited Company, Feltex Carpets Ltd, Feltex Carpets Pty Ltd, Feltex New Zealand Ltd, Fibremakers Australia Pty Ltd, Flooring Foundation Ltd, Flooring Industries Limited S.a r.l., Flooring XL B.V., Floorscape Limited, Godfrey Hirst & Co Pty Ltd, Godfrey Hirst (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Godfrey Hirst Australia Pty Ltd, Godfrey Hirst Group, Godfrey Hirst NZ Ltd, Hytherm (Ireland) Limited, IVC BVBA, IVC Far-East Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., IVC France S.a r.l., IVC GROUP LIMITED, IVC Green Power NV, IVC Group, IVC Group GmbH, IVC Luxembourg S.a r.l., IVC Rus OOO, IVC US Inc., International Flooring Systems S.a r.l., International Vinyl Company - Vostok OOO, KAI Group, KAI Keramica Ltd, KAI Mining EOOD, KERAMA CENTER OOO, Kerama Baltics OOO, Kerama Export OOO, Kerama Marazzi OOO, Kerampromservis (LLC), Khan Asparuh - Transport EOOD, Khan Asparuh AD, Khan Omurtag AD, Koninklijke Peitsman B.V., Kraj Kerama OOO, MG China Trading Ltd., MI Finance SRL, MUD (Holding) Brazil Ltda., Management Co EAD, Marazzi Acquisition S.r.l., Marazzi Deutschland G.m.b.H., Marazzi France Trading S.A.S., Marazzi Group, Marazzi Group F.Z.E., Marazzi Group S.r.l., Marazzi Group Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Marazzi Iberia S.L.U., Marazzi Japan Co. Ltd., Marazzi Middle East FZ LLC, Marazzi Schweiz S.A.G.L., Marazzi UK Ltd., Mohawk Assurance Services Inc., Mohawk Australia Pty Ltd, Mohawk Canada Corporation, Mohawk Capital Finance S.A., Mohawk Capital Luxembourg SA, Mohawk Carpet Distribution Inc., Mohawk Carpet Foundation Inc., Mohawk Carpet LLC, Mohawk Carpet Transportation Of Georgia LLC, Mohawk Commercial Inc., Mohawk ESV Inc., Mohawk Europe BVBA, Mohawk Factoring II Inc., Mohawk Factoring LLC, Mohawk Finance S.a r.l., Mohawk Foreign Acquisitions S.a r.l., Mohawk Foreign Funding S.a.r.l, Mohawk Foreign Holdings S.a r.l., Mohawk Foreign Investments Inc., Mohawk Global Investments S.a r.l., Mohawk Holdings International B.V., Mohawk Industries Inc., Mohawk International (Europe) S.a r.l., Mohawk International (Hong Kong) Limited, Mohawk International Capital N.V., Mohawk International Financing S.a.r.l, Mohawk International Holdings (DE) LLC, Mohawk International Holdings S.a r.l., Mohawk International Luxembourg S.a r.l., Mohawk International Netherlands B.V., Mohawk International Services BVBA, Mohawk KAI Luxembourg Holding S.a r.l., Mohawk KAI Luxembourg S.a r.l., Mohawk Luxembourg Capital S.A., Mohawk Luxembourg Financing S.a r.l., Mohawk Luxembourg Holdings S.a r.l., Mohawk Luxembourg Investments S.a r.l., Mohawk Luxembourg Pacific S.a r.l., Mohawk Marazzi International BV, Mohawk Marazzi Russia BV, Mohawk New Zealand Limited, Mohawk Operaciones Mexicali S. de R.L. de C.V., Mohawk Operations Luxembourg S.a r.l., Mohawk Pacific Investments S.a r.l., Mohawk Resources LLC, Mohawk Servicing LLC, Mohawk Singapore Private Limited, Mohawk Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Mohawk Unilin Luxembourg S.a r.l., Mohawk United Finance B.V., Mohawk United International B.V., Mohawk Vinyl Financing S.a r.l., Molber Beheer B.V., Monarch Ceramic Tile Inc., P.F. Onroerend Goed B.V., PF Beheer B.V., Pergo, Pergo (Europe) AB, Pergo Holding BV, Pergo India Pvt Ltd, Polcolorit S.A., Premium Floors Australia Pty Limited, RR Apex LLC, Rata International Pty Ltd, Recubrimientos Interceramica S. de R.L. de C.V., Riverside Textiles Pty Ltd, S.C. KAI Ceramics SRL, Sibir Kerama OOO, SimpleSolutions USA LLC, Soft Step (Australia) Pty Ltd, Spano Group, Spano Invest BVBA, Spano NV, Stroyagromekhzapchast ChaO, Stroytrans OAO Orelstroy, Summit Wool Spinners Ltd, The Flooring Federation Ltd, Tiles Co OOD, Unilin (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Unilin ApS, Unilin Arauco Pisos Ltda., Unilin BVBA, Unilin Beheer BV, Unilin Distribution Ltd., Unilin Distribution Ukraine LLC, Unilin Finland OY, Unilin Flooring India Private Limited, Unilin Flooring SAS, Unilin GmbH, Unilin Holding BVBA, Unilin Insulation BV, Unilin Insulation SAS, Unilin Insulation Sury SAS, Unilin Italia S.R.L., Unilin North America LLC, Unilin Norway AS, Unilin OOO, Unilin Panels SAS, Unilin Poland Sp.Z.o.o., Unilin SAS, Unilin Spain SL, Unilin Swiss GmbH, Unilin s.r.o., World International Inc., Xtratherm, Xtratherm Limited, Xtratherm S.A., and Xtratherm UK Limited.
The following companies are subsidiares of Cigna: Accredo Health Group, Accredo Health Incorporated, Alegis Care, Allegiance Life & Health Insurance Company, Allegiance Re, American Retirement Life Insurance Company, Benefits Management Corp., Bravo Health Mid-Atlantic, Bravo Health Pennsylvania, Brighter, CareAllies, CareCore National LLC, Central Reserve Life Insurance Company, Ceres Sales of Ohio, Choicelinx, Cigna & CMB Life Insurance Company Limited, Cigna Apac Holdings Limited, Cigna Arbor Life Insurance Company, Cigna Beechwood Holdings, Cigna Behavioral Health, Cigna Behavioral Health of California, Cigna Behavioral Health of Texas, Cigna Bellevue Alpha, Cigna Benefits Financing, Cigna Brokerage & Marketing (Thailand) Limited, Cigna Cedar Holdings, Cigna Chestnut Holdings, Cigna Corporate Services, Cigna Data Services (Shanghai) Company Limited, Cigna Dental Health, Cigna Dental Health Plan of Arizona, Cigna Dental Health of California, Cigna Dental Health of Colorado, Cigna Dental Health of Delaware, Cigna Dental Health of Florida, Cigna Dental Health of Illinois, Cigna Dental Health of Kansas, Cigna Dental Health of Kentucky, Cigna Dental Health of Maryland, Cigna Dental Health of Missouri, Cigna Dental Health of New Jersey, Cigna Dental Health of North Carolina, Cigna Dental Health of Ohio, Cigna Dental Health of Pennsylvania, Cigna Dental Health of Texas, Cigna Dental Health of Virginia, Cigna Elmwood Holdings, Cigna Europe Insurance Company S.A.-N.V., Cigna European Services (UK) Limited, Cigna Finans Emeklilik ve Hayat A.S., Cigna Global Holdings, Cigna Global Insurance Company Limited, Cigna Global Reinsurance Company, Cigna Global Wellbeing Holdings Limited, Cigna Global Wellbeing Solutions Limited, Cigna HLA Technology Services Company Limited, Cigna Health Corporation, Cigna Health Management, Cigna Health Solutions India Pvt. Ltd., Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company, Cigna HealthSpring, Cigna Healthcare Holdings, Cigna Healthcare Mid-Atlantic, Cigna Healthcare of Arizona, Cigna Healthcare of California, Cigna Healthcare of Colorado, Cigna Healthcare of Connecticut, Cigna Healthcare of Florida, Cigna Healthcare of Georgia, Cigna Healthcare of Illinois, Cigna Healthcare of Indiana, Cigna Healthcare of Maine, Cigna Healthcare of Massachusetts, Cigna Healthcare of New Hampshire, Cigna Healthcare of New Jersey, Cigna Healthcare of North Carolina, Cigna Healthcare of Pennsylvania, Cigna Healthcare of South Carolina, Cigna Healthcare of St. Louis, Cigna Healthcare of Tennessee, Cigna Healthcare of Texas, Cigna Healthcare of Utah, Cigna Holding Company, Cigna Holdings, Cigna Holdings Overseas, Cigna Hong Kong Holdings Company Limited, Cigna Insurance Middle East S.A., Cigna Insurance Public Company Limited, Cigna Insurance Services (Europe) Limited, Cigna Intellectual Property, Cigna International Corporation, Cigna International Health Services, Cigna International Health Services BVBA, Cigna International Health Services Kenya Limited, Cigna International Health Services SDN BHD, Cigna International Services, Cigna International Services Australia Pty. Ltd., Cigna Investment Group, Cigna Investments, Cigna Korean Chusik Hoesa, Cigna Laurel Holdings, Cigna Legal Protection UK Ltd., Cigna Life Insurance Company of Canada, Cigna Life Insurance Company of Europe S.A.- N.V., Cigna Life Insurance Company of New York, Cigna Life Insurance New Zealand Limited, Cigna Linden Holdings, Cigna Magnolia Holdings, Cigna Myrtle Holdings, Cigna Nederland Alpha Cooperatief U.A., Cigna Nederland Beta B.V., Cigna Nederland Gamma B.V., Cigna Oak Holdings, Cigna Palmetto Holdings, Cigna Poplar Holdings, Cigna Sequoia Holdings, Cigna Spruce Holdings GmbH, Cigna Taiwan Life Assurance Company Limited, Cigna Walnut Holdings, Cigna Willow Holdings, Cigna Worldwide General Insurance Company Limited, Cigna Worldwide Insurance Company, Cigna Worldwide Life Insurance Company Limited, CignaTTK Health Insurance Company Limited, Connecticut General Corporation, Connecticut General Life Insurance Company, CuraScript Inc., E-2 CIGNA CORPORATION - 2018 Form 10-K, ESI Mail Pharmacy Service Inc., ESI Partnership, ESI Resources Inc., Express Scripts Holding Company, Express Scripts Inc., Express Scripts Pharmaceutical LLC, Express Scripts Pharmacy Inc., Express Scripts Strategic Development Inc., FirstAssist Administration Limited, Firstassist Insurance Services Ltd, Great-West Healthcare of Illinois, Grown Ups New Zealand Limited, Health-Lynx LLC, HealthSource, HealthSpring, HealthSpring Life & Health Insurance Company, HealthSpring of Alabama, HealthSpring of Florida, HealthSpring of Tennessee, KDM Thailand Limited, LINA Financial Services, LINA Life Insurance Company of Korea, Life Insurance Company of North America, Loyal American Life Insurance Company, MCC Independent Practice Association of New York, Manipal Cigna Health Insurance Company Limited, Medco Containment Life Insurance Company, Medco Health Services Inc., Medco Health Solutions Inc., NewQuest, NewQuest Management Northeast, Olympic Health Management Services, Oz Parent, PT Asuransi Cigna, Provident American Life and Health Insurance Company, Qualcare, Qualcare Alliance Networks, Qualcare Captive Insurance Company Inc. PCC, Qualcare Management Resources Limited Liability Company, RHP (Thailand) Limited, Scibal Associates, Sterling Life Insurance Company, Tel-Drug, Tel-Drug of Pennsylvania, Temple Insurance Company Limited, United Benefit Life Insurance Company, Verity Solutions Group, Zurich Insurance Middle East, and eviCore 1 LLC.
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Columbus Energy Resources plc engages in the exploration, development, and production of oil and gas in Trinidad and Tobago, Spain, Cyprus, St Lucia, the United States, and the United Kingdom. It primarily holds a 100% interest in the Goudron Oilfield located in south-eastern Trinidad. The company was formerly known as LGO Energy plc and changed its name to Columbus Energy Resources plc in June 2017. Columbus Energy Resources plc was incorporated in 2006 and is based in London, the United Kingdom.

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There is not enough analysis data for Eildon Capital Fund.

4.5 Community Rank

Outperform Votes Eildon Capital Fund has received 13 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.)

Underperform Votes Eildon Capital Fund has received 6 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.)

Community Sentiment Eildon Capital Fund has received 68.42% outperform votes from our community.

MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Eildon Capital Fund and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe EDC will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe EDC will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days.

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First American Financial Corp. operates as an insurance company. It provides title insurance and settlement services to the real estate and mortgage industries. The company operates its business through the following segments: Title Insurance & Services and Specialty Insurance. The Title Insurance & Services segment provides title insurance, escrow, closing services and similar or related financial services domestically and internationally in connection with residential and commercial real estate transactions. It also maintains, manages and provides access to title plant records and images and provides banking, trust and investment advisory services. The Specialty Insurance segment issues property & casualty insurance policies and sells home warranty products. It also provides title plant management services, which include title and other real property records and images, valuation products and services, home warranty products, property and casualty insurance and banking, trust and investment advisory services. First American Financial was founded in January, 2008 and is headquartered in Santa Ana, CA.

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Why it is Still Best to use an Agent for your Financial Investments

When it comes to investments, any one of us might be tempted to go it alone. Gone are the days when there was no other way to access the markets save through a stockbroker, and you needed to make an appointment with your bank manager in order to move your money around. Now, anyone can buy, sell, invest and manage their portfolio online, provided they have the inclination and a modicum of financial understanding.

Nevertheless, there is still much to be said for going through an agent when it comes to managing your investments. An investment agent can be broadly described as any person or body empowered to represent or act on behalf of another person or party in financial negotiations. Depending on the nature of the contract between agent and client, the agent will be authorised to perform certain services and to act in the client's interests in certain matters. Because of this, the agent cannot enter into other contracts that may create a conflict of interest.

What is meant by an agent?

Types of agents might include attorneys (legal agents) and stockbrokers, who act as agents on behalf of clients in dealings with the stock market. Stockbroking is just one of the services offered by a large asset management firm, which will also manage a client's portfolio, buying and selling on their behalf and according to their instructions, alongside other services as specified. Al Masah Capital is one of the most successful alternative asset management and advisory firms currently operating across the Middle East, North Africa and South East Asia. From its Dubai headquarters, it provides bespoke solutions, management and advice to a wide range of private and corporate clients.

What kind of relationship do I have with an agent?

An agent and client have what is called a Fiduciary Relationship, which basically means that the agent is authorised to carry out financial transactions on behalf of the client (often referred to as the principal). A universal agent can act on behalf of the client fairly independently, and has a broad range of powers. These may include power of attorney as well as a financial mandate. A general agent represents the client in specified transactions for a specified period. A special agent is authorised only for a single transaction or body of transactions within a short, specified period of time.

What are the reasons for using an agent?

The great advantage of having an agent manage your affairs is that they can perform the tasks that you don't have time for. You can delegate your agent to look after your investments while you attend to other aspects of your business, or simply sit back and relax.

Another reason to use an agent is that you are making use of their expert knowledge and experience. A good financial agent is a professional at working the markets and maintaining a healthy, balanced portfolio. Unless you are prepared to dedicate all of your time and energy to researching and playing the market, and have a natural talent for investing, using an agent is the safest and most profitable way to manage your investments. The small fee or commission they charge will be more than recovered as you profit from their services.

Using an agent is also a way to maintain anonymity in your financial dealings, which may be useful or preferable in many ways. A lot of us would prefer to keep our finances private, and going through an agent means that your name will not be publicly linked with your investments. For well-known clients this could be particularly helpful.

Even outside of the stock market, agents know the territory in ways that those of us who are not active in the industry do not. They are able to review and advise on contracts, know who to trust and who to avoid, and generally command a respect that makes them a force to be reckoned with in negotiations.

For all these reasons, it is still preferable to go through an agent when making and managing investments, even though the internet has made the world of finance far more accessible to all. There is still much to be said for expert knowledge and the benefit of experience, as well as for letting someone else take these time-consuming tasks off your hands. If you go through an established, reputable firm, then using an agent is by far the safest and most reliable way to manage your investments.

By Jonathan

 2019 Copyright Jonathan - All Rights Reserved Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors.

 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.




Gildan Activewear Inc. manufactures and sells various apparel products in the United States, Canada, and internationally. It provides various activewear products, including T-shirts, fleece tops and bottoms, and sport shirts under the Gildan, Gildan Performance, Gildan Hammer, Comfort Colors, American Apparel, Anvil by Gildan, Alstyle, Prim + Preux, and GoldToe brands. The company also offers hosiery products comprising athletic; dress; and casual, liner, therapeutic, and workwear socks, as well as sheer panty hoses, tights, and leggings under the brands of Gildan, Under Armour, GoldToe, PowerSox, GT a GoldToe Brand, Silver Toe, Signature Gold by Goldtoe, Peds, MediPeds, Kushyfoot, Therapy Plus, All Pro, Secret, Silks, Secret Silky, and American Apparel. In addition, it provides men's and boys' underwear products, and ladies panties under the Gildan and Gildan Platinum brand names; and ladies' shapewear, intimates, and accessories under the Secret and Secret Silky brands. The company sells its products to wholesale distributors, screen printers, or embellishers, as well as to retailers and consumer brand companies. The company was formerly known as Textiles Gildan Inc. and changed its name to Gildan Activewear Inc. in March 1995. Gildan Activewear Inc. was founded in 1946 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada.

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Granite Oil Corp. engages in the exploration for, exploitation, development, and production of oil and natural gas in Canada. The company holds a 98% working interest in the Alberta Bakken properties covering 56,409 net undeveloped acres and 72,652 net developed acres with 68.0 net oil wells and 83.0 net gas wells located in southern Alberta. The company was formerly known as DeeThree Exploration Ltd. and changed its name to Granite Oil Corp. in May 2015. Granite Oil Corp. was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

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HeidelbergCement AG, together with its subsidiaries, produces and distributes cement, aggregates, ready-mixed concrete, and asphalt worldwide. It provides cement products, including special cements with targeted characteristics, special geotechnical building materials, and a range of binders. The company also offers natural stone aggregates, such as sand and gravel; crushed aggregates comprising stone chippings and crushed stones; and concrete/ready-mixed concrete for use in the construction of tunnels or bridges, office buildings, or schools, as well as for the production of precast concrete parts consisting of stairs, ceiling elements, or structural components. In addition, it provides asphalt primarily used in the construction of infrastructure, such as roads; and trades in cement, clinker, solid and alternative fuels, and other building materials. The company was founded in 1873 and is headquartered in Heidelberg, Germany.

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iShares Core MSCI Europe ETF's stock was trading at $39.49 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 (Coronavirus) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization. Since then, IEUR shares have increased by 45.8% and is now trading at $57.56.

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iShares MSCI EAFE ETF's stock was trading at $56.05 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization. Since then, EFA shares have increased by 41.1% and is now trading at $79.07.

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US Military Power Depends on This Fastest-Growing Defense Stock

Youve likely seen kids playing with toy drones at the local park



The US military also employs drones, but they are different animals. They can glide through the sky at 300 miles/hour, carry 4,000 lbs. of bombs, and cost up to $17 million apiece.



American military power relies on drones these days. In fact, the US Air Force now recruits more drone pilots than actual pilots!



And one little company makes the brains of these important machines.



Its growing faster than any military stock Ive ever seen. And its set to soar as it wins billions of dollars in defense contracts over the next few years.

US Military Pays Hundreds of Billions to Defense Contractors

Do you know how much money the US government paid its top four defense contractors last year?



It paid Lockheed Martin (LMT), Boeing (BA), Raytheon (RTN), and Northrop Grumman (NOC) a staggering $118.1 billion.



For perspective, thats roughly what internet giant Google (GOOG)the worlds fourth-largest publicly traded companyraked in last year.



And the companies drinking from this firehose of government money have been great investments.



This chart shows the top four US defense stocks vs. the S&P 500 since 2013:







You can see that shareholders have made a killing on the back of all those defense dollars.



The US government, as you may know, is the worlds biggest spender. This year itll shell out a record $4.7 trillion.



While this is nauseating for tax payers, its great for companies that sell products and services to the government.



These days one of the surest ways to get rich is to figure out how to tap into the never-ending flow of government cash.



Lockheed Martin and Boeing have figured it out. As the two largest military contractors, theyll collect $72 billion from the US government this year alone.



Both have crushed the S&P 500 for many years. But Im not recommending you buy either today.



Instead, Im recommending a little company 1/70th the size of Boeing thats shaping the future of warfare.

Mercury Systems (MRCY) Makes US Military Grade Computer Chips

Its chips power all the American militarys largest and most deadly drones.



They also enable other high-tech equipment like Patriot missiles, F-16 fighter jets, and the Navys track and destroy combat system.



Computer chips are one of the most disruptive sectors today. In fact, a computer chip stock is one of my three favorite disruptor stocks for 2019.



Mercurys chips give drones a God-like view of the terrain below. They allow the drones to process what its cameras see in real time.



This helps them to pinpoint the location of suspects, track multiple vehicles, and make absolutely sure theyve homed in on the right target before launching a deadly attack.

The Leader in Defense Electronics

The US military controls a fleet of 11,000 of drones, compared to just a handful 20 years ago. In fact, drones make up over half of Department of Defense aircraft today.



Spending on drones is growing faster than any other military program. It will hit a record $9.5 billion this year.



Drones are part of the rapidly growing defense electronics market. Leading aerospace research firm Renaissance Strategic Advisors estimates this market will grow to $117 billion in just three years.



Mercury Systems is growing into a dominant player in defense electronics. Yet its worth just $2.9 billiontoo small for inclusion in the S&P 500.



This combinationsmall firms disrupting large marketsis exactly what I look for. These are the kinds of stocks that could double or triple quickly and still have lots of room to grow.



Mercury is on pace to earn $500 million in sales this year. Even if it grows sales 10x, it would still control less than 5% of its target market.

Roughly 95% of Mercurys Sales Come from the US Government

Mercury is set to collect billions more as it wins military contracts in the coming years.



As I mentioned, defense companies that sell to the US government have been great stocks to own.



Well, in the past five years, Mercurys performance has crushed all those big defense stocks. You can see how Mercury has outperformed them by 2x, 3x, 4x on this chart:







It has achieved these gains by growing sales 163% in the past three years. Thats 6.5x faster than Lockheed Martin, and 8x faster than Boeing.



As I said, its the fastest-growing military stock Ive ever seen.



Mercury Systems has been on a tear since the start of the year, soaring 24%. Because it has climbed so quickly, I wouldnt be surprised if it takes a short-term breather soon.



But as military spending on drones and other cutting-edge equipment explodes over the coming years, I see Mercurys stock climbing much higher.

By Stephen McBride

http://www.riskhedge.com

 2019 Copyright Stephen McBride - All Rights Reserved Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors.

 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.




iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol USA ETF's stock was trading at $59.53 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 (Coronavirus) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization. Since then, USMV shares have increased by 32.2% and is now trading at $78.69.

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15 Wall Street research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Deutsche Wohnen in the last year. There are currently 8 hold ratings and 7 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street research analysts is that investors should "hold" Deutsche Wohnen stock. A hold rating indicates that analysts believe investors should maintain any existing positions they have in DWNI, but not buy additional shares or sell existing shares.

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Royal Dutch Shell Plc engages in the oil and natural gas production. It operates through the following segments: Integrated Gas, Upstream, Oil Products, Chemicals and Corporate. The Integrated Gas segment manages liquefied natural gas activities and the conversion of natural gas into gas to liquids fuels and other products. The Upstream segment manages the exploration for and extraction of crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids. The Oil Products segment manages the Refining and Trading, and Marketing classes of business. The Chemicals segment operates manufacturing plants and its own marketing network. The Corporate segment comprises holdings and treasury, self-insurance activities, and headquarters and central functions of the company. The company was founded in February 1907 and is headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands.

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What if We Threw a Cold War and Nobody Came?

Russia just cant seem to keep itself from stepping on Americas toes - the foot belonging to Latin American countries that are within the American sphere of influence known historically as the Monroe Doctrine.

On Sunday two Russian military planes reportedly landed in Caracas carrying a Russian defense official and nearly 100 troops - in another demonstration of the close ties between Russia and Venezuela.

Three months earlier, the two nations held joint military exercises, in an apparent nose-thumbing directed at opponents of embattled President Nicolas Maduro, particularly the United States.

Further north, the Russian air force is flying into territory its not supposed to be entering. At the end of January US Air Force and Canadian fighter jets were scrambled to escort two Russian bombers that were traveling over the North American coastline, in an area patrolled by the Royal Canadian Air Force.

In 2018 NORAD (the North American Aerospace Defense Command) reported two incidents of Russian bombers that were spotted and intercepted near the coast of Alaska.

Meanwhile the United States has said it would withdraw from the INF Treaty unless Russia ends what the US says are violations of the landmark 1987 arms control agreement (ie. that Russia has begun R&D on a conventional intermediate range missile), due to expire in August.

Not being party to the INF Treaty will allow the United States to counter Russian aggression in Eastern Europe - the latest example being a major training mission being carried out in Crimea. The Kyiv Post reports up to 1,500 Russian airborne paratroopers, plus combat helicopters, military transport planes and landing craft from the Black Sea Fleet, have been deployed to Russian-occupied Crimea to drill major offensive operations.

If the US is no longer tied to a treaty that prohibits intermediate-range nuclear and conventional missiles, the military will also have a freer hand in the South China Sea.

Tensions in that part of the world continue to be high. On Sunday the US Navy increased the frequency of vessel movement through the Taiwan Strait, after Beijing sent military aircraft and ships to circle the island for drills, Foreign Affairs reported. President Xi Jinping has warned that any attempt by Taiwan, or its US ally, to assert Taiwans independence will be met with armed force.

Finally, late last year in the South China Sea - a highly strategic and economic waterway that China claims as its own - a Chinese warship came dangerously close, within 45 yards, of the bow of a Navy destroyer.

These incidents are mentioned to show evidence of ever-increasing aggression and militarization among the three largest military powers in the world right now: the US, China and Russia. Weve written about this before, in the context of rare earths - see Rare earths in the context of new arms race and Pentagon missile-making plan is perplexing.

This article will present a scenario of what could happen if there is another buildup of conventional and nuclear weaponry, similar to the Cold War that gripped Russia and the US between 1957 (the launch of Sputnik) and 1989 (the fall of the Iron Curtain). How would China, Russia and the US fare, in terms of getting enough critical minerals to supply their own militaries?

The materials of war

To answer this question we need to start with the list of 23 minerals the US Geological Survey identified in 2017 as being critical to US national security and the economy.

The US is dependent on China for 20 of those 23 minerals. Along with rare earths, China is the dominant supplier of antimony, indium, tellurium and tungsten.

An expanded list of 35 minerals was published by the Department of the Interior alongside an Executive Order by President Trump, for the Commerce Department to come up with a strategy by this August, for America to reduce its reliance on critical minerals.

From the list we can identify a number of minerals that have military applications. Remember the US Military depends on imports for all of these materials:

Aluminum (bauxite) is used in the Humvee (HMMWV), HEMTT and Bradley Fighting Vehicle, and armored plates to resist explosives. The airframe of the F-16 is 80% aluminum. Aluminum is mixed with other elements, including silicon, magnesium, copper, to create high-strength alloys. The US is 100% reliant on imports of metallurgical grade bauxite.

is used in the Humvee (HMMWV), HEMTT and Bradley Fighting Vehicle, and armored plates to resist explosives. The airframe of the F-16 is 80% aluminum. Aluminum is mixed with other elements, including silicon, magnesium, copper, to create high-strength alloys. The US is 100% reliant on imports of metallurgical grade bauxite. Antimony is used in batteries and flame retardants.

is used in batteries and flame retardants. Beryllium is used as an alloying agent in aerospace and defense industries.

is used as an alloying agent in aerospace and defense industries. Chromium is used primarily in stainless steel and other alloys.

is used primarily in stainless steel and other alloys. used in rechargeable batteries and superalloys.

Gallium is used for integrated circuits and optical devices like LEDs.

is used for integrated circuits and optical devices like LEDs. Germ anium is used for fiber optics and night vision applications.

is used for fiber optics and night vision applications. Indium is mostly used in LCD screens.

is mostly used in LCD screens. Lithium is used primarily for batteries.

is used primarily for batteries. Manganese is necessary for steelmaking. Steel cannot be manufactured without adding 10 to 20 pounds of manganese per ton of iron.

is necessary for steelmaking. Steel cannot be manufactured without adding 10 to 20 pounds of manganese per ton of iron. Niobium is used mostly in steel alloys.

is used mostly in steel alloys. Rare earth elements are primarily used in batteries and electronics.

are primarily used in batteries and electronics. Rhenium is used for lead-free gasoline and superalloys.

is used for lead-free gasoline and superalloys. Rubidium is used for research and development in electronics.

is used for research and development in electronics. Scandium is used for alloys and fuel cells.

is used for alloys and fuel cells. Tantalum is used in electronic components, mostly capacitors.

is used in electronic components, mostly capacitors. Tellurium is used in steelmaking and solar cells.

is used in steelmaking and solar cells. Tin is used as protective coatings and alloys for steel.

is used as protective coatings and alloys for steel. Titanium . Due to its ability to withstand high temperatures, high tensile strength and corrosion resistance, titanium alloys are used in aircraft, armor plating, navy ships and missiles. About two-thirds of titanium is used in aircraft engines and frames.

. Due to its ability to withstand high temperatures, high tensile strength and corrosion resistance, titanium alloys are used in aircraft, armor plating, navy ships and missiles. About two-thirds of titanium is used in aircraft engines and frames. Tungsten is primarily used to make wear-resistant metals.

is primarily used to make wear-resistant metals. Vanadium is used for titanium alloys.

Rare earths are central to the whole spectrum of defense technologies that are vital to every military. Without them, countries would be unable to produce much of the military hardware and equipment required for national defense. Moreover, switching from current suppliers (ie. China) would cause major disruptions to supply chains. According to the US Government Accountability Office, it would take 15 years to overhaul the defence supply chain, meaning any changes to it need considerable lead time.

Among the military applications of rare earth elements are:

1. Radar and sonar used to prevent collisions, for surveillance and navigational aids. The Patriot Missile Air Defense System employs radio frequency circulators to magnetically control the flow of electronic signals in the radar and missiles. Rare earths required: gadolinium, samarium, yttrium.

2. Communications and displays required by soldiers, sailors and airmen to see analog and digital data. Examples are lasers that help line-of-sight communication links in satellite and ground-based systems; old and new computer monitors; and avionics terminals. Rare earths required: dysprosium, erbium, europium, neodymium, praseodymium, terbium and yttrium.

3. Lasers employed on vehicle-mounted systems like tanks and armored vehicles. They can identify enemy targets up to 22 miles.

According to DefenseMediaNetwork, The laser-equipped computer main gun sight on the Abrams M1A/2 tank combines a Raytheon rangefinder and integrated designator targeting system used to obtain a high-probability first hit. Rare earths required: europium, neodymium, terbium and yttrium.

4. Precision-guided munitions (PGMs) take in a number of missile classes including cruise, anti-ship (ASM) and surface-to-air (SAM), as well as bunker busters. The heat-seeking AIM-9 Sidewinder missile has four fins on its fuselage that use rare-earth magnets to control its flight trajectory.

Rare earths required: dysprosium, neodymium, praseodymium, samarium and terbium.

5. Guidance and control systems that steer missiles and bombs towards their targets. Rare earths required: terbium, dysprosium, samarium, praseodymium and neodymium.

6. Electronic warfare refers to a range of equipment that includes high-capacity power sources, storage batteries and electronic jamming devices. Rare earths required: yttrium-iron-garnet.

7. Electric motors that require permanent magnets, of which the US Military is an important buyer. New equipment requiring powerful permanent magnets in the next generation of electric motors will include the US Navys Zumwalt DDG 1000 guided military destroyer, hub-mounted electric traction drives and integrated starter generators. Rare earths required: terbium, dysprosium, samarium, praseodymium and neodymium.

Jet engines. The rare earth element erbium is added to vanadium to make it more malleable for use in vanadium-infused steel that goes into jet engines. While not specifically a rare earth element, the rare element rhenium is alloyed with molybdenum and tungsten. The F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter reportedly use 6% rhenium in their engines. The electrical systems in aircraft employ samarium-cobalt permanent magnets to generate power.

According to The Hill, the US Department of Defense uses 750,000 tons of minerals a year.

Buying from our enemies



Yet as mentioned, the United States is completely dependent on China for 20 out of 23 critical minerals, many of which are needed for national defense. While the US has deposits of manganese and vanadium, for example, none are currently in production. The number of electric vehicles used by the military is going to grow rapidly, yet the United States has only one lithium mine that has been going since the 1960s and is being depleted. There is also only one American rare earth mine, Mountain Pass in California. It was sold to a US consortium including a Chinese company that is processing the rare earth concentrate into oxides, in China.



Without rare earths mined and processed in China, America would be unable to manufacture military hardware. Rare earths are great multipliers, they are used in making everything from computer monitors and permanent magnets to lasers, guidance control systems and jet engines. In most cases there are no substitutes and Australia is the only significant producer outside of China (non-Chinese sources only account for about 20% of rare earth mines).

Materials made from Chinese REEs are appearing in US fighter jets and rockets.

The $392-billion F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter program was close to being canceled about seven years ago but for intervention by the Pentagon to prevent further delays. Reuters reported in 2014 that the chief US arms buyer allowed two F-35 suppliers, Northrop Grumman Corp and Honeywell, to use Chinese magnets for the planes radar system, landing gears and other hardware.

In doing so, the Pentagon was actually waiving laws banning Chinese-built components on US weapons. Permanent magnets employ the rare earths neodymium, praseodymium and dysprosium.

As we reported earlier this year, through a program called the United Launch Alliance, US rockets are powered by Russian engines. Our Cold War enemy for 30-odd years, which ironically started the space race with the 1957 launch of Sputnik, all use RD-180 engines made by NPO Energomash, a Russian state-owned company.

If Cold War Presidents from Harry Truman to Ronald Reagan knew that the nations national defense rested on technologies coming from its former and current adversaries, they would surely be turning in their graves.

How can a country be responsible for its own defense and projecting military force abroad, when it has to rely on its enemies to make its own weapons?

Its globalism

How did we get here? The blame is largely shouldered by globalism. It used to be that countries were responsible for their own defense materials. The idea of your adversary selling you supplies for weaponry was ludicrous. There was a time when the United States controlled global rare earths production, through the Mountain Pass mine in California. In the late 1990s the US ceded control of Magnequench, a unit of General Motors that was producing permanent magnets, to the Chinese. Within a decade China had a monopoly on the rare earths market.

After World War II the United States created the National Defense Stockpile (NDS) to acquire and store critical strategic materials for national defense purposes. The NDS was intended for all essential civilian and military uses in times of emergencies. In 1992, Congress directed that the bulk of these stored commodities be sold.

Since then, a variety of factors I've covered before, including restrictive environmental regulations and a sharp decline in US mining investment, has made the United States dependent on foreign mines for a number of strategic metals  a situation I have dubbed A Nation's Metallurgical Achilles Heel.

While many believe that world wars are consigned to the dust bin of history, a deeper reading shows that the Founding Fathers of the United States of America were focused squarely on the importance of maintaining a ready supply of materials necessary for the defense of the nation and war-making capabilities.

In the 1780s the US knew what it needed for war. When President George Washington signed the Tariff Act of 1789, he told Congress, A free people  should promote such manufactures as tend to make them independent on others for essential, particularly military supplies. Alexander Hamilton's Report on Manufactures, written in 1791, said Every nation ought to endeavor to possess within itself all the essentials of national supply. These comprise the means of subsistence, habitat, clothing and defence.

Globalism rejects this nationalistic program of acquiring resources. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the goal has been cooperation over confrontation, inter-dependency over independence. We saw examples of this in the expansion of the European Union and NATO, the admittance of China into the World Trade Organization, the now-defunct Trans-Pacific Partnership, and the Iran nuclear deal.

Now the pendulum has swung the other way, with a backlash against globalism and towards nationalism, manifested in Brexit, the election of populists like Trump and far-right European parties, the China-US trade war, the end of the TPP, and the Trump Administration gutting the deal with Iran and re-imposing sanctions.

Winners and losers

Suppose there is a war - either a Cold War or a shooting war - between the US and China, or the US and Russia. Who would win? The US by far has the most military might, so in the short-term, its hard to imagine America losing to either.

In 2017 the US spent $610 billion on its military  the most of any country by far. The next closest was China at about a third, or $228 billion. China's military spending is 1.9% of GDP compared to 3.3% in the US; Russia's is 5.3%, but it only spent $66.3 billion in 2016  a tenth of US expenditures. The United States maintains 800 military bases in over 70 countries, compared with 30 between Britain, France and Russia combined. China just opened its first one, in Djibouti, Africa.

The capacity of the United States Military to project power overseas, along with its tremendous arsenal of conventional and nuclear weapons, advanced technology and high numbers of Armed Forces personnel (the US has 1.4 million active frontline personnel, more than Russias 766,500 but smaller than Chinas 2.3 million), afford it the ability to contain China and Russia. In an all-out war, all the US Military needs to do is blockade the supply lines of its enemy(ies).

But if the war were to continue, it would be another story. The United States is far more dependent on China and Russia, particularly China, for its critical minerals. And without critical minerals, its difficult to re-stock weaponry and equipment lost on the battlefield, or to keep up with an arms race.

An arms race isnt only about nuclear weapons. Russia and the US have about the same number of nuclear warheads (see map below), but nukes are only used for deterrence; nobody wants to ever have to use them. Conventional military equipment, weapons and personnel (army, navy, air force) are far more likely to be deployed in a potential confrontation, like in Crimea or the South China Sea.

Of critical importance is supplying your military in a war, or a Cold War. What would the US do if conflict escalated to a level where China refused to sell its rare earths? The military would have to scramble together a source of materials for widely used permanent magnets, used in aircraft engines and in the noise cancellation technology blades of stealth helicopters, for example. Battery metals for electronics, including lithium, graphite, cobalt, and rare earths, would all be in huge demand. The demand for steel alloys needed for aircraft, ships and vehicles would suddenly explode. How would the US quickly get its hands on enough chromium, beryllium, manganese, vanadium, titanium?

Because of the already mentioned 15 years to fix the US broken supply gap regarding the critical metals related to its defense prolonged conflict would favor Russia or China in these circumstances. Thats because both Russia and China have more critical minerals than the US and would be able to out-build the US Military in an arms race scenario, and out-replenish broken or destroyed equipment in the event of a long, drawn-out war involving ships, airplanes, tanks, etc. Even more so if it was the United versus China and Russia.

Russia and China have since 1950 agreed to defend one another against an attack from US-backed Japan or its allies (China backed North Vietnam and North Korea) so continued cooperation is unsurprising. In 2001 Russia's Vladimir Putin and then-Chinese President Jiang Zemin signed a 20-year agreement to increase trust between their militaries. The two countries now regularly participate in joint maneuvers including joint naval exercises to counter US influence in the Asia Pacific region.

Of course, neither Russia nor China is free of imports of military materials. China for example imports much of its lithium. Beijing has been frantically seeking offtake agreements in South Americas lithium triangle in order to lock up a supply of lithium needed for electric vehicles, of which it is the world leader.

Among Russias top five importers are China and the United States, making Russia vulnerable to a trade embargo on materials needed for weapons or equipment. Russia surely buys a high percentage of its rare earths from China, which controls 95% of the market.

Conclusion: A US mining renaissance

How will the United States ever catch up to China and Russia with respect to its lack of materials for defending territory and projecting military force? The US has the strongest military, but the weakest metals supply infrastructure compared to China and Russia. With an economy that has moved away from raw materials and towards other things - tech, pharmaceuticals, banking, real estate, etc. - the United States no longer has the industrial base it needs to be its own military supplier. It must rely on foreign countries for critical metals like rare earths, manganese, vanadium, etc.

The US has some reserves of these materials, but it has all but stopped mining them. Why? Its a combination of NIMBYism- nobody wants a mine anywhere close to them, and environmental regulations have become so onerous that apart from Nevada, mineral exploration in most of the country is painfully slow. And the fact that it was just a whole lot cheaper to import them from China and Africa. Why look for cobalt when you can ship it over from the DRC at a fraction of what it would take to mine it here?

The fact is, though, America has dropped the ball on mining and it may be too late to pick it up. Even if the US were to suddenly allocate billions of dollars for critical mineral exploration, it takes years to find a deposit, prove it economic, and build the infrastructure needed for mining.

Import dependence was fine in an era of globalization, but not in the current international relations of nationalism and resource nationalism. An inability to supply your own military with the basic building blocks of modern technology is a weakness an enemy is bound to exploit.

Russia, and increasingly China are becoming more and more emboldened, their military aggression becoming almost every week more evident. Is it because they realize that the US military is in reality a paper tiger unable to conduct military operations past a first wave of hardware expenditures? After all, you cant fight much of a war if you cannot replace destroyed equipment, and even a short war of attrition would expose US supply chain weakness.

The United States, at the very least, if its going to continue to keep Russia out of its back (South America) and front (Arctic) yard, and China contained  as in not controlling the South China Sea and invading Taiwan - needs to have a US mining renaissance.

By Richard (Rick) Mills

www.aheadoftheherd.com

rick@aheadoftheherd.com

If you're interested in learning more about the junior resource and bio-med sectors please come and visit us at www.aheadoftheherd.com

Site membership is free. No credit card or personal information is asked for.

Richard is host of Aheadoftheherd.com and invests in the junior resource sector.



His articles have been published on over 400 websites, including: Wall Street Journal, Market Oracle, USAToday, National Post, Stockhouse, Lewrockwell, Pinnacledigest, Uranium Miner, Beforeitsnews, SeekingAlpha, MontrealGazette, Casey Research, 24hgold, Vancouver Sun, CBSnews, SilverBearCafe, Infomine, Huffington Post, Mineweb, 321Gold, Kitco, Gold-Eagle, The Gold/Energy Reports, Calgary Herald, Resource Investor, Mining.com, Forbes, FNArena, Uraniumseek, Financial Sense, Goldseek, Dallasnews, Vantagewire, Resourceclips and the Association of Mining Analysts.

Copyright  2019 Richard (Rick) Mills - All Rights Reserved

Legal Notice / Disclaimer: This document is not and should not be construed as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to purchase or subscribe for any investment. Richard Mills has based this document on information obtained from sources he believes to be reliable but which has not been independently verified; Richard Mills makes no guarantee, representation or warranty and accepts no responsibility or liability as to its accuracy or completeness. Expressions of opinion are those of Richard Mills only and are subject to change without notice. Richard Mills assumes no warranty, liability or guarantee for the current relevance, correctness or completeness of any information provided within this Report and will not be held liable for the consequence of reliance upon any opinion or statement contained herein or any omission. Furthermore, I, Richard Mills, assume no liability for any direct or indirect loss or damage or, in particular, for lost profit, which you may incur as a result of the use and existence of the information provided within this Report.

 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.




Canadian Utilities Limited and its subsidiaries engage in the electricity, natural gas, and retail energy businesses worldwide. It operates through Utilities, Energy Infrastructure, and Corporate & Other segments. The Utilities segment provides regulated electricity transmission and distribution services in northern and central east Alberta, the Yukon, and the Northwest Territories; and integrated natural gas transmission and distribution services in Alberta, the Lloydminster area of Saskatchewan, and Western Australia. It owns and operates approximately 9,000 kilometers of natural gas pipelines, 16 compressor sites, approximately 3,700 receipt and delivery points, and a salt cavern storage peaking facility located near Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta in Canada. The Energy Infrastructure segment provides electricity generation, natural gas storage, industrial water, and related infrastructure development solutions in Alberta, the Yukon, the Northwest Territories, Australia, Mexico, and Chile. The Corporate & Other segment retails electricity and natural gas business in Alberta. The company was incorporated in 1927 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. Canadian Utilities Limited is a subsidiary of ATCO Ltd.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Johnson & Johnson: 3Dintegrated ApS, ALZA Corporation, AMO (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd., AMO (Shanghai) Medical Devices Trading Co. Ltd., AMO ASIA LIMITED, AMO Australia Pty Limited, AMO Canada Company, AMO Denmark ApS, AMO Development LLC, AMO France, AMO Germany GmbH, AMO Groningen B.V., AMO International Holdings, AMO Ireland, AMO Ireland Finance Unlimited Company, AMO Italy SRL, AMO Japan K.K., AMO Manufacturing Spain S.L., AMO Manufacturing USA LLC, AMO Netherlands BV, AMO Nominee Holdings LLC, AMO Norway AS, AMO Puerto Rico Manufacturing Inc., AMO Sales and Service Inc., AMO Singapore Pte. Ltd., AMO Spain Holdings LLC, AMO Switzerland GmbH, AMO U.K. Holdings LLC, AMO US Holdings Inc., AMO USA LLC, AMO USA Sales Holdings Inc., AMO United Kingdom Ltd., AMO Uppsala AB, APSIS, AUB Holdings LLC, Abott Medical Optics, Acclarent Inc., Actelion Ltd, Actelion Manufacturing GmbH, Actelion Pharmaceuticals, Actelion Pharmaceuticals Australia Pty. Limited, Actelion Pharmaceuticals Korea Ltd., Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Actelion Pharmaceuticals Mexico S.A. De C.V., Actelion Pharmaceuticals Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Actelion Pharmaceuticals UK Limited, Actelion Pharmaceuticals US Inc., Actelion Registration Limited, Actelion Treasury Unlimited Company, Akros Medical Inc., Albany Street LLC, Alios BioPharma, Alza Land Management Inc., Animas Diabetes Care LLC, Animas LLC, Animas Technologies LLC, AorTx Inc., Aragon Pharmaceuticals, Aragon Pharmaceuticals Inc., Asia Pacific Holdings LLC, Atrionix Inc., Auris Health, Auris Health Inc., Backsvalan 2 Aktiebolag, Backsvalan 6 Handelsbolag, Beijing Dabao Cosmetics Co. Ltd., BeneVir BioPharm Inc., Berna Rhein B.V., BioMedical Enterprises Inc., Biosense Webster (Israel) Ltd., Biosense Webster Inc., C Consumer Products Denmark ApS, CNA Development GmbH, CSATS Inc., Calibra Medical LLC, Campus-Foyer Apotheke GmbH, Carlo Erba OTC S.r.l., Centocor Biologics LLC, Centocor Research & Development Inc., ChromaGenics B.V., Ci:Labo Customer Marketing Co. Ltd., Ci:z Holdings, Ci:z. Labo Co. Ltd., Cilag AG, Cilag GmbH International, Cilag Holding AG, Cilag Holding Treasury Unlimited Company, Cilag-Biotech S.L., CoTherix Inc., Codman & Shurtleff Inc., Coherex Medical Inc., ColBar LifeScience Ltd., Company Store.com Inc., Conor MedSystems, Cordis International Corporation, Cordis de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Corimmun GmbH, DR. CI:LABO COMPANY LIMITED, Darlain Trading S.A., DePuy France, DePuy Hellas SA, DePuy International Limited, DePuy Ireland Unlimited Company, DePuy Mexico S.A. de C.V., DePuy Mitek LLC, DePuy Orthopaedics Inc., DePuy Products Inc., DePuy Spine LLC, DePuy Synthes Gorgan Limited, DePuy Synthes Inc., DePuy Synthes Institute LLC, DePuy Synthes Leto SARL, DePuy Synthes Products Inc., DePuy Synthes Sales Inc., Debs-Vogue Corporation (Proprietary) Limited, Dr. Ci:Labo Co. Ltd., Dutch Holding LLC, ECL7 LLC, EES Holdings de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., EES S.A. de C.V., EIT Emerging Implant Technologies GmbH, Ethicon Biosurgery Ireland, Ethicon Endo-Surgery (Europe) GmbH, Ethicon Endo-Surgery Inc., Ethicon Endo-Surgery LLC, Ethicon Holding Sarl, Ethicon Inc., Ethicon Ireland Unlimited Company, Ethicon LLC, Ethicon PR Holdings Unlimited Company, Ethicon Sarl, Ethicon US LLC, Ethicon Women's Health & Urology Sarl, Ethnor (Proprietary) Limited, Ethnor Farmaceutica S.A., Ethnor Guatemala Sociedad Anomina, Ethnor del Istmo S.A., FMS Future Medical System SA, Finsbury (Development) Limited, Finsbury (Instruments) Limited, Finsbury Medical Limited, Finsbury Orthopaedics International Limited, Finsbury Orthopaedics Limited, GH Biotech Holdings Limited, GMED Healthcare BV, Global Investment Participation B.V., Guangzhou Bioseal Biotech Co. Ltd., Hansen Medical Deutschland GmbH, Hansen Medical Inc., Hansen Medical International Inc., Hansen Medical UK Limited, Healthcare Services (Shanghai) Ltd., I.D. Acquisition Corp., Innomedic Gesellschaft fur innovative Medizintechnik und Informatik mbH, Innovalens B.V., Innovative Surgical Solutions LLC, J & J Company West Africa Limited, J&J Pension Trustees Limited, J-C Health Care Ltd., J.C. General Services BV, JJ Surgical Vision Spain S.L., JJC Acquisition Company B.V., JJHC LLC, JJSV Belgium BV, JJSV Manufacturing Malaysia SDN. BHD., JJSV Norden AB, JJSV Produtos Oticos Ltda., JNJ Global Business Services s.r.o., JNJ Holding EMEA B.V., JNJ International Investment LLC, JNJ Irish Investments ULC, JOM Pharmaceutical Services Inc., Janssen Alzheimer Immunotherapy (Holding) Limited, Janssen BioPharma Inc., Janssen Biologics (Ireland) Limited, Janssen Biologics B.V., Janssen Biotech Inc., Janssen Cilag C.A., Janssen Cilag Farmaceutica S.A., Janssen Cilag S.p.A., Janssen Cilag SPA, Janssen Development Finance Unlimited Company, Janssen Diagnostics LLC, Janssen Egypt LLC, Janssen Farmaceutica Portugal Lda, Janssen Global Services LLC, Janssen Group Holdings Limited, Janssen Holding GmbH, Janssen Inc., Janssen Irish Finance Company UC, Janssen Korea Ltd., Janssen Oncology Inc., Janssen Ortho LLC, Janssen Pharmaceutica (Proprietary) Limited, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Janssen Pharmaceutica S.A., Janssen Pharmaceutical, Janssen Pharmaceutical K.K., Janssen Pharmaceutical Sciences Unlimited Company, Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., Janssen Products LP, Janssen R&D Ireland, Janssen Research & Development LLC, Janssen Sciences Ireland Unlimited Company, Janssen Scientific Affairs LLC, Janssen Supply Group LLC, Janssen Vaccines & Prevention B.V., Janssen Vaccines Corp., Janssen de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Janssen-Cilag, Janssen-Cilag (New Zealand) Limited, Janssen-Cilag A/S, Janssen-Cilag AG, Janssen-Cilag AS, Janssen-Cilag Aktiebolag, Janssen-Cilag B.V., Janssen-Cilag Farmaceutica Lda., Janssen-Cilag Farmaceutica Ltda., Janssen-Cilag GmbH, Janssen-Cilag International NV, Janssen-Cilag Kft., Janssen-Cilag Limited, Janssen-Cilag Manufacturing LLC, Janssen-Cilag NV, Janssen-Cilag OY, Janssen-Cilag Pharma GmbH, Janssen-Cilag Pharmaceutical S.A.C.I., Janssen-Cilag Polska Sp. z o.o., Janssen-Cilag Pty Ltd, Janssen-Cilag S.A., Janssen-Cilag S.A., Janssen-Cilag S.A. de C.V., Janssen-Cilag de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Janssen-Cilag s.r.o., Janssen-Pharma S.L., Jevco Holding Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Johnson & Johnson (Angola) Limitada, Johnson & Johnson (China) Investment Ltd., Johnson & Johnson (Egypt) S.A.E., Johnson & Johnson (Hong Kong) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (Ireland) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (Jamaica) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (Kenya) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (Middle East) Inc., Johnson & Johnson (Mozambique) Limitada, Johnson & Johnson (Namibia) (Proprietary) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (New Zealand) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (Philippines) Inc., Johnson & Johnson (Private) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (Thailand) Ltd., Johnson & Johnson (Trinidad) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (Vietnam) Co. Ltd, Johnson & Johnson - Societa' Per Azioni, Johnson & Johnson AB, Johnson & Johnson AG, Johnson & Johnson Belgium Finance Company BV, Johnson & Johnson Bulgaria EOOD, Johnson & Johnson China Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Consumer (Hong Kong) Limited, Johnson & Johnson Consumer (Thailand) Limited, Johnson & Johnson Consumer B.V., Johnson & Johnson Consumer Holdings France, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc., Johnson & Johnson Consumer NV, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Saudi Arabia Limited, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Services EAME Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Del Paraguay S.A., Johnson & Johnson Dominicana S.A.S., Johnson & Johnson Enterprise Innovation Inc., Johnson & Johnson European Treasury Company, Johnson & Johnson Finance Corporation, Johnson & Johnson Finance Limited, Johnson & Johnson Financial Services GmbH, Johnson & Johnson Foundation Scotland (NON-PROFIT), Johnson & Johnson Gateway LLC, Johnson & Johnson Gesellschaft m.b.H., Johnson & Johnson GmbH, Johnson & Johnson Guatemala S.A., Johnson & Johnson Health Care Systems Inc., Johnson & Johnson Health and Wellness Solutions Inc., Johnson & Johnson Hellas Commercial and Industrial S.A., Johnson & Johnson Hellas Consumer Products Commercial Societe Anonyme, Johnson & Johnson Hemisferica S.A., Johnson & Johnson Holding GmbH, Johnson & Johnson Holdings K.K., Johnson & Johnson Inc., Johnson & Johnson Industrial Ltda., Johnson & Johnson Innovation - JJDC Inc., Johnson & Johnson Innovation LLC, Johnson & Johnson Innovation Limited, Johnson & Johnson International, Johnson & Johnson International (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Johnson & Johnson International Financial Services Company, Johnson & Johnson Japan Inc., Johnson & Johnson K.K., Johnson & Johnson Kft., Johnson & Johnson Korea Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Korea Selling & Distribution LLC, Johnson & Johnson LLC, Johnson & Johnson Limitada, Johnson & Johnson Limited, Johnson & Johnson Luxembourg Finance Company Sarl, Johnson & Johnson Management Limited, Johnson & Johnson Medical (China) Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Medical (Proprietary) Ltd, Johnson & Johnson Medical (Shanghai) Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Medical (Suzhou) Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Medical B.V., Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices & Diagnostics Group - Latin America L.L.C., Johnson & Johnson Medical GmbH, Johnson & Johnson Medical Korea Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Medical Limited, Johnson & Johnson Medical Mexico S.A. de C.V., Johnson & Johnson Medical NV, Johnson & Johnson Medical Products GmbH, Johnson & Johnson Medical Pty Ltd, Johnson & Johnson Medical S.A., Johnson & Johnson Medical S.C.S., Johnson & Johnson Medical S.p.A., Johnson & Johnson Medical SAS, Johnson & Johnson Medical Saudi Arabia Limited, Johnson & Johnson Medical Servicios Profesionales S. de R.L. de C.V., Johnson & Johnson Medical Taiwan Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Medikal Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Johnson & Johnson Middle East FZ-LLC, Johnson & Johnson Morocco Societe Anonyme, Johnson & Johnson Nordic AB, Johnson & Johnson Pacific Pty Limited, Johnson & Johnson Pakistan (Private) Limited, Johnson & Johnson Panama S.A., Johnson & Johnson Personal Care (Chile) S.A., Johnson & Johnson Poland Sp. z o.o., Johnson & Johnson Private Limited, Johnson & Johnson Pte. Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Pty. Limited, Johnson & Johnson Research Pty Ltd, Johnson & Johnson Romania S.R.L., Johnson & Johnson S.A., Johnson & Johnson S.A. de C.V., Johnson & Johnson S.E. Inc., Johnson & Johnson S.E. d.o.o., Johnson & Johnson SDN. BHD., Johnson & Johnson Sante Beaute France, Johnson & Johnson Services Inc., Johnson & Johnson Servicios Corporativos S. de R.L. de C.V., Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision Inc., Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision India Private Limited, Johnson & Johnson Taiwan Ltd., Johnson & Johnson UK Treasury Company Limited, Johnson & Johnson Ukraine LLC, Johnson & Johnson Urban Renewal Associates, Johnson & Johnson Vision Care (Shanghai) Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Inc., Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Ireland Unlimited Company, Johnson & Johnson d.o.o., Johnson & Johnson de Argentina S.A.C. e. I., Johnson & Johnson de Chile Limitada, Johnson & Johnson de Chile S.A., Johnson & Johnson de Colombia S.A., Johnson & Johnson de Costa Rica S.A., Johnson & Johnson de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Johnson & Johnson de Uruguay S.A., Johnson & Johnson de Venezuela S.A., Johnson & Johnson del Ecuador S.A., Johnson & Johnson del Peru S.A., Johnson & Johnson do Brasil Industria E Comercio de Produtos Para Saude Ltda., Johnson & Johnson for Export and Import LLC, Johnson & Johnson s.r.o., Johnson and Johnson (Proprietary) Limited, Johnson and Johnson Sihhi Malzeme Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, La Concha Land Investment Corporation, Latam International Investment Company Unlimited Company, LifeScan, MDS Co. Ltd., McNEIL MMP LLC, McNeil AB, McNeil Consumer Pharmaceuticals Co., McNeil Denmark ApS, McNeil Healthcare (Ireland) Limited, McNeil Healthcare (UK) Limited, McNeil Healthcare LLC, McNeil Iberica S.L.U., McNeil LA LLC, McNeil Nutritionals LLC, McNeil Panama LLC, McNeil Products Limited, McNeil Sweden AB, Medical Device Business Services Inc., Medical Devices & Diagnostics Global Services LLC, Medical Devices International LLC, Medical Industrial do Brasil Ltda., Medos International Sarl, Medos Sarl, MegaDyne Medical Products Inc., Menlo Care De Mexico S.A. de C.V., Mentor B.V., Mentor Deutschland GmbH, Mentor Medical Systems B.V., Mentor Partnership Holding Company I LLC, Mentor Texas GP LLC, Mentor Texas L.P., Mentor Worldwide LLC, Micrus Endovascular LLC, Middlesex Assurance Company Limited, Momenta Ireland Limited, Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Momenta Pharmaceuticals Inc., NeoStrata Company Inc., NeoStrata Company Inc., NeoStrata UG (haftungsbeschrankt), Netherlands Holding Company, NeuWave Medical Inc., Neuravi Inc., Neuravi Limited, Novira Therapeutics, Novira Therapeutics LLC, NuVera Medical Inc., OBTECH Medical Sarl, OGX Beauty AU Pty Ltd, OGX Beauty Limited, OMJ Holding GmbH, OMJ Ireland Unlimited Company, OMJ Pharmaceuticals Inc., Obtech Medical Mexico S.A. de C.V., Omrix Biopharmaceuticals Inc., Omrix Biopharmaceuticals Ltd., Omrix Biopharmaceuticals NV, Ortho Biologics LLC, Ortho Biotech Holding LLC, Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical LLC, Orthotaxy, Orthotaxy, PMC Holdings G.K., PT Integrated Healthcare Indonesia, PT. Johnson & Johnson Indonesia, Patriot Pharmaceuticals LLC, Peninsula Pharmaceuticals LLC, Penta Pty. Limited, Percivia LLC, Perouse Plastie, Pharmadirect Ltd., Pharmedica Laboratories (Proprietary) Limited, Princeton Laboratories Inc., Productos de Cuidado Personal y de La Salud de Bolivia S.R.L., Proleader S.A., Pulsar Vascular Inc., Regency Urban Renewal Associates, RespiVert Ltd., RoC International, Rutan Realty LLC, SYNTHES Medical Immobilien GmbH, Scios LLC, Sedona Enterprise Co. Ltd., Sedona Singapore International Pte. Ltd., Sedona Thai International Co. Ltd., Serhum S.A. de C.V., Shanghai Elsker For Mother & Baby Co. Ltd, Shanghai Johnson & Johnson Ltd., Shanghai Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Sightbox LLC, Sodiac ESV, Spectrum Vision Limited Liability Company, Spectrum Vision Limited Liability Partnership, Spine Solutions GmbH, SterilMed, SterilMed Inc., Surgical Process Institute Deutschland GmbH, Synthes Costa Rica S.C.R. Limitada, Synthes GmbH, Synthes Holding AG, Synthes Holding Limited, Synthes Inc., Synthes Medical Surgical Equipment & Instruments Trading LLC, Synthes Produktions GmbH, Synthes Proprietary Limited, Synthes S.M.P. S. de R.L. de C.V., Synthes Tuttlingen GmbH, Synthes USA LLC, Synthes USA Products LLC, TARIS Biomedical, TARIS Biomedical LLC, TearScience Inc., The Anspach Effort LLC, The Vision Care Institute LLC, Tibotec LLC, Torax Medical Inc., TriStrata Incorporated, UAB "Johnson & Johnson", Vania Expansion, Verb Surgical, Verb Surgical Inc., Vision Care Finance Unlimited Company, Vogue International, Vogue International LLC, Vogue International Trading Inc., WH4110 Development Company L.L.C., XO1, XO1 Limited, Xian Janssen Pharmaceutical Ltd., Zarbee's Inc., and Zarbee's Naturals.
Thomson Reuters Corporation provides business information services in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. It operates in five segments: Legal Professionals, Corporates, Tax & Accounting Professionals, Reuters News, and Global Print. The Legal Professionals segment offers research and workflow products focusing on legal research and integrated legal workflow solutions that combine content, tools, and analytics to law firms and governments. The Corporates segment provides a suite of content-enabled technology solutions for legal, tax, regulatory, compliance, and IT professionals. The Tax & Accounting Professionals segment offers research and workflow products focusing on tax offerings and automating tax workflows to tax, accounting, and audit professionals in accounting firms. The Reuters News segment provides business, financial, national, and international news to professionals through desktop terminals, media organizations, and industry events, as well as directly to consumers. The Global Print segment offers legal and tax information primarily in print format to legal and tax professionals, governments, law schools, and corporations. The company was formerly known as The Thomson Corporation and changed its name to Thomson Reuters Corporation in April 2008. The company was founded in 1851 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Thomson Reuters Corporation is a subsidiary of The Woodbridge Company Limited.

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Natural Gas Sets Up Another Buy Opportunity

Recently, we warned that Natural Gas may set up another opportunity for traders to buy into a support zone below $2.70 with a selling range near or above $3.00. Our upside target zone is between $3.25 and $3.45. The price of Natural Gas has recently fallen below $2.69 and we believe this could be the start of a setup for skilled traders to identify key buying opportunity in preparation for a quick +8% to +15% upside swing.

Historically, March and April have been pretty solid months for Natural Gas. Lets go over the historical data using three different seasonality charts which all point to higher prices.

Taking a look at the data, above for both March and April it appears we should have a positive price outcome over the next 20+ trading sessions. Thus, we can determine that the likelihood of a positive price swing between now and the end of April is highly likely.

When we take a look at the chart data to see how our BUY and SELL zones are setting up, it becomes clear that any opportunity to BUY into the lower support channel, with a moderate degree of risk, could result in a very nice profit potential of between $0.35 to $0.70 on data that supports the Bullish potential as a 200%~220% advantage over downside potential.

Take a look at the data that we are presenting and try to understand that these types of historical price triggers are not foolproof, yet they do provide a clear advantage. They allow us to see if and when there is any type of advantage to our decision making and if we can identify any real opportunity for future success. We believe any further downside price activity in Natural Gas will result in additional opportunities for Long trades with $2.45 being our absolute low entry target. Our upside exit target would be any level above $2.95, or higher, and our ultimate target objective would be $3.15 or higher. Our last trade in natural gas (UGAZ) gave us 30% return in just two weeks in February!

This could be another opportunity for a trader to target a quick 8% to 15% swing trade in Natural Gas over the next 20+ days. Time to put Natural Gas on your radar again!

Are you ready for this next move? Want to know how we can help you find and execute better trades? Visit www.TheTechnicalTraders.com to get our, technical indicators, market analysis, daily videos and trade alerts.

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.

Chris Vermeulen Archive

 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.




Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc. is an international offshore energy company. It focuses on subsea construction, maintenance and salvage services to the offshore natural gas and oil industry. The firm also provides specialty services to the offshore energy industry, with a focus on well intervention and robotics operations. The company operates through three segments: Well Intervention, Robotics and Production Facilities. The Well Intervention segment offers vessels and related equipment that are used to perform well intervention services primarily in the Gulf of Mexico and North Sea regions. The Robotics segment involves four chartered vessels and also includes ROVs, trenchers and ROVDrills designed to complement offshore construction and well intervention services. The Production Facilities segment includes its investment in the Helix Producer I and Kommandor LLC. Helix Energy Solutions Group was founded in 1979 and is headquartered in Houston, TX.

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If you're in Wisconsin and bought a Powerball ticket, you might want to check it. That's where a winning ticket, worth $768.4 million, was purchased. (The rest of us can just go back to work.) Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and Out the Door. (You can also get "5 Things You Need to Know Today" delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up here.)

1. Health care

Republicans are scratching their heads and Democrats are jumping for joy after President Trump unexpectedly revived the health care battle. Trump said he's committed once again to repealing and replacing Obamacare, after the Justice Department reversed course and told a federal court the entire Affordable Care Act should be struck down. Trump said the GOP will be "the party of health care," but a lot of Republicans aren't eager to jump back into that battle after the drubbing the GOP took in the midterms over it. The politically sensitive spot in all this is what to do with people with pre-existing conditions. Covering them is a hallmark of Obamacare. Trump has promised to protect them but hasn't unveiled a new plan showing how he'd do that.

2. Brexit

The United Kingdom's attempt to leave the European Union just gets more and more chaotic. Beleaguered Prime Minister Theresa May offered to step down if and when her twice-defeated Brexit deal is approved. It's an attempt to nudge skeptical British lawmakers into approving the deal, which must happen before the EU will agree to moving back the date the UK will leave the trading bloc. It's unclear when a third vote on her proposed Withdrawal Agreement might happen. Lawmakers voted on various alternatives to it yesterday, and they all failed. There's no consensus on what happens next. CNN's Jane Merrick notes getting a Brexit deal done won't end the UK's political crisis.

3. Boeing

Boeing offered up a software fix for the anti-stall computer programming on its 737 Max planes. The aircraft maker unveiled it to federal regulators and its clients at its plant in Renton, Washington. The anti-stall software is thought to be the cause of October's Lion Air crash, which killed 189 people. And investigators have found similarities between that crash and the Ethiopian Airlines crash this month that killed 157 people. The entire line of 737 Max aircraft has been indefinitely grounded worldwide following the latest crash.

4. Jayme Closs kidnapping

The man who kidnapped 13-year-old Jayme Closs and killed her parents pleaded guilty to two counts of intentional homicide and a count of kidnapping. Jake Patterson, 21, fidgeted and cried in court, as he told the judge he understood the plea would probably keep him in prison for the rest of his life. There were also audible gasps in the courtroom after Patterson blurted out, "Bye, Jayme." Patterson shot and killed Jayme's parents in their Wisconsin home and kidnapped her back in October, after he saw the teen get onto a school bus.

5. European cars

It might soon be useless to put the pedal to the metal if you're driving a new car in Europe. Starting in 2022, new cars sold in Europe will have to have systems designed to limit their speed. It's all part of new safety rules from the European Union. The new rules will also require crash data recorders and reversing cameras in cars. Safety advocates praised the new rules, and a European commissioner said the steps must be taken because some 25,000 people are killed on European roads each year. But others raised concerns about drivers possibly growing complacent and focusing less on road conditions, and some car makers worry about how the new technologies will be implemented. The EU rules must still be OK'd by member states and the European Parliament.

BREAKFAST BROWSE

Bust a move

Break dancing as an Olympic sport? It could happen by 2024, so go ahead and grab a big piece of cardboard and start working on your windmills.

Better late than never

She was awarded child support payments nearly 50 years ago. Now, this San Diego woman is finally getting them.

Special spirit

Meet the 95-year-old World War II vet who took multiple buses to attend a solidarity march against racism after the New Zealand mosque massacres.

Epic run

When you go see "Avengers: Endgame" next month, you might not want to get that extra-large soda. The run time for the superhero epic reportedly tops three hours.

TODAY'S NUMBER

$80 million

That's how much a federal jury awarded to a California man after it determined his cancer was caused by Roundup. Monsanto, maker of the popular weed killer, said it will appeal.

TODAY'S QUOTE

"I'm not proud of it and feel a responsibility not to glorify it."

Rapper Cardi B, talking about an old video making the rounds on social media in which she said she drugged and robbed men during her days as a stripper

TODAY'S WEATHER

AND FINALLY

Memory maker

Memorize 100 digits of pi in one day? We guess there are worse ways to spend your time. (Click to view.)
UTICA, N.Y. -- A day before an Albany police officer is due in Utica City Court  there was another arrest in the case that involved a fatal shooting.

Amanda Bushley was charged with attempted robbery and prostitution related to the incident in January on Lincoln Avenue  that's when Shatelle Hooks was shot to death by Christofer Kitto.

Bushley is also facing drug charges, along with three others, following a drug bust at the home Wednesday.

Kitto is due in court Wednesday for a pretrial conference. He's charged with patronizing a prostitute.

Utica police called the death of Hooks a justifiable homicide.

The drug charges are:

Sean Devonish (48) of Utica

5 counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the 7th Degree (M)

2 Counts of Criminal Use of Drug Paraphernalia (M)

Unlawful Possession of Marijuana (V)

Nicholas Smith (37) of Rome

4 counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the 7th Degree (M)

Meghan Palmer (33) of Earlville

3 Counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the 7th Degree (M)

Amanda Bushley (30) of Utica

3 Counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the 7th Degree (M)
The state has revoked the medical license of the New Hartford psychiatrist found guilty of sexual abuse.

Dr. Surendra Johri will have to surrender his license to the New York State Board for Professional Medical Conduct.

Johri was found guilty of two counts of sexual abuse and one count of forcible touching.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 11.
Several school districts in the Central New York region are facing tough decision for the 2019 - 2020 budget year. Rome City School District put out a potential budget this week that's not an easy sell to parents or taxpayers in the district.

A large part of the problem is that districts are unclear at this point about the amount of foundation aid the districts will get as part of the state budget. The deadline for the state budget is April 1.

Local lawmakers are in Albany this week for budget negotiations.

The Alliance for Quality Education released a statement concerning foundation aid in the state budget saying, "Right now one of the major sticking points in the New York State budget is whether to fully fund the Foundation Aid formula which is designed to address these inequities. The AQE analysis shows that the needs of students in the underfunded districts could be addressed by fully funding Foundation Aid."

Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon, (D) - 119th District took the time to release this statement, "As budget negotiations continue, ensuring our students get the support and resources they need to thrive in the classroom remains one of my top priorities. The Assembly's proposal provides a total of $18.9 billion in Foundation Aid, which marks an increase of $1.16 billion over last year's funding level. I'll continue working with my Assembly colleagues, as well as our partners in the state Senate to ensure that all school districts receive the funding they need to educate the next generation of leaders."

We reached out to other lawmakers are are awaiting a response.

Rome's proposed school budget cuts unmandated programs at the school, which means cuts to modified sports, cuts to the three-year-old pre-K program, cuts to AIS in elementary schools. There are many other programs on the chopping block.

Superintendent Peter Blake joined us for NEWSChannel2 at Sunrise Thursday morning. Blake said, "Our revenue is decreasing for next year and is mostly attributed to the foundation aid provided not keeping up with the foundation aid owed. Our percentage of foundation aid paid is declining year over year from 87% funded a few years ago to 79% funded for next year."

"That's caused a significant decrease in our overall revenues, and revenue is our issue. We are looking at about $10 million in reductions as well as a 3.96% tax increase on the community."

The largest propsed cuts include staff reduction and restructuring the AIS programming in elementary schools.

"Pretty much anything that is a non-mandated program right now is being looked at as being reduced, outside of Kindergarten, which is going to remain and Pre-K 4. Everything else is looking to be reduced if something doesn't change in Albany in the next few days."

Blake said, "Senator Joe Griffo and Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon are working hard for all of us down there but the foundation aid is significantly impacting Rome this year."

Other schools we've profiled with tough budgets in our area are Dolgeville and Schenevus.
Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
LEBANON, Ind. (AP)  A central Indiana pediatrician charged with sexually abusing three boys has voluntarily surrendered his medical license for 90 days.

Attorney General Curtis Hill announced Thursday that his office has reached an agreement for the surrender with attorneys for 41-year-old Dr. Jonathon Cavins of Jamestown.

Cavins is charged with one count of child molestation involving a 12-year-old boy and two counts of sexual misconduct with a minor and one count of vicarious sexual gratification involving boys 15 and 14 years old. The 12-year-old came forward on Feb. 7, accusing Cavins of fondling him during a routine physical three days earlier at Witham Pediatrics in Lebanon. After the molestation count was filed, Lebanon police detectives interviewed the two older boys.

Cavins currently has a jury trial set for July 8.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI)  Purdue professors and students are reacting to the announcement that NASA will have an astronaut to the Moon by 2024.

Vice President Mike Pence made the announcement Tuesday evening at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.

Last February NASA said it would land astronauts on the Moon in 2028, so now the Trump administration has cut that deadline by four years.

"There is no plan," said planetary science associate professor Dr. David Minton. "I think this is a very sketchy announcement."

It was an announcement made in Huntsville, Alabama that called for NASA to push its limits.

"I don't see anything that's actually backing this up with a real budget or a real exploration plan," said Minton.

The plan was absent in Pence's speech. He provided a lack of details on how this would happen or how much the mission would cost.

But, it has Purdue students ready for exploration beyond the Moon.

"The Moon is a stepping stone toward Mars," said Purdue student Matt Jewison. "Like we said we kind of have already established that we can get to the Moon and we have already explored it."

"I think it's another step to how far are we going to go," said Purdue student Quinn Conway. "Like are we going to go to Mars?"

The red planet aside, Minton said the moon still has exploration left to be completed.

"By studying the Moon we can learn about the time in our solar system when the Earth formed and life began," said Minton.

Beginning in the 1960's space exploration took off when John F. Kennedy was in office. Richard Nixon was commander in chief last time an astronaut landed on the moon.

"We will return astronauts to the moon for the first time since 1972," said Vice President Mike Pence.

However, the first man to the Moon made it there back in June of 1969. That honor belongs to the late Purdue Alum Neil Armstrong.

"I think its important to have a strong presence in outer space," said Jewison.

The strong presence is something the director of Purdue Space Flight Project Laboratory agrees with.

"Establishing a permanent human presence on the Moon is the right objective, and it is a necessary goal if the U.S. is to maintain global leadership in space exploration," said Dr. David Spencer.

"If humans are going back to the Moon I have no doubt that there will be a Boilermaker putting their boots on the ground," said Minton.
Greatest places to learn to scuba dive

Egypt has some of the best diving in the world

Do you dream of learning to scuba dive? Immerse yourself in the colourful world beneath the waves at one of these great diving destinations.

Gili Trawangan, Indonesia

A tiny drop of paradise off the west coast of rugged Lombok, Gili Trawangan is a popular stop-off for travellers heading across the Indonesian archipelago. Established dive schools operate in Gili T, where warm and clear waters mean you'll be able to spot all sorts of marine life just metres from the beach  from turtles and seahorses to reef sharks.

Cairns, Australia

Find Nemo, Dory and the rest of the gang at one of the world's greatest dive locations  the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). The reef stretches out for 2,300km and though there are plenty of places all the way up Australia's eastern coast that offer dive opportunities, Cairns is one of the most popular. Well-established on the Australian backpacker trail, Cairns has a close-knit party-town atmosphere that's not to be missed.

Caye Caulker, Belize

Explore the idyllic island of Caye Caulker, just off the coast of Belize, and experience some of the best diving the Americas have to offer. While the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, located just off Caye Caulker, might not match the GBR's splendour, it has a whole host of dive sites perfect for newbies. However, the iconic Great Blue Hole, a dramatic underwater sinkhole, is best left to the more experienced!

Madeira, Portugal

Not only is Madeira one of Europe's most beautiful islands, it's also one of the best dive spots this continent has to offer. A year-round mild climate makes the island an ideal destination for beginners, with a rich variety of shore diving available. For those more ambitious divers, you can take a boat out to the incredible Desertas Islands Nature Reserve, where excellent visibility lets you to dive down to 60m.

Dahab, Egypt

The laid-back beachside town of Dahab is the perfect place to learn if you're looking for a more relaxed diving holiday. There's plenty of shore diving available and with a year-round visibility of 30m Dahab is the perfect place for beginners to get to grips with diving. The main attraction for more experienced divers is the submarine sinkhole located just steps from the shore up the coastline.

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If you're thinking about going diving, it's essential you get the right cover for you. At World First, we offer a dedicated scuba diving travel insurance that'll give you peace of mind when you take the plunge.
Namibia is a country in Southern Africa, which borders Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east, South Africa to the southeast, and to the west has an extensive coastline along the Atlantic Ocean. With a total area of 825,615 km2 and population of 2,606,971, it is one of the worlds most sparsely populated countries. Nevertheless, Namibia features numerous natural and cultural attractions, some of which are highlighted below.

10. Namibia Is the Driest Country in Sub-Saharan Africa

The climate of Namibia is extremely dry and arid, receiving an average annual rainfall of about 350 mm. The northeastern part of the country experiences the greatest amount of precipitation, while the southwestern part of the country is the driest, receiving up to 600 mm and as little as 50 mm of rain each year, respectively. Most parts of Namibia lack perennial rivers, and therefore the population is dependent on groundwater as a water supply.

9. The Worlds Oldest Desert Is Located in Namibia

The Namib Desert is a coastal desert in Southern Africa and is considered to be the worlds oldest desert. It has a total distance of about 2,000 km and covers parts of Angola, Namibia, and South Africa.

8. Africas Largest Canyon Is Located in Namibia

The Fish River Canyon is the largest canyon in Africa and is one of Namibias many natural wonders. It is located in the southern part of the country and is Namibia's second most visited tourist destination. The canyon has a gigantic ravine, which has a total length of 160 km, a maximum width of 27 km, and a maximum depth of nearly 550 m. The canyon is formed by the Fish River as it passes through the arid, stony, plateau landscape.

7. Namibia Has the Worlds Largest Wild Cheetah and Black Rhino Populations

Namibia was the first country in Africa to integrate environmental protections into its constitution. Today, the country boasts of the worlds largest populations of cheetahs and free-roaming black rhinos.

6. The Deadly Skeleton Coast Is Located in Namibia

Part of Namibia's coastline along the Atlantic Ocean has been named the Skeleton Coast. This stretch of coastline, located in the northern part of Namibia and the southern part of Angola, is covered by dense ocean fog throughout the year, which is caused by upwelling of the cold Benguela current. Within the region, winds blow from land to sea, the coast receives very little rainfall, and beaches are subject to constant, powerful surfs. Historically, it was nearly impossible to launch boats from the shore, and the only way out to the ocean was through a vast marsh that was only accessible through a hot and arid desert. Given its harsh conditions, the Skeleton Coast has been responsible for numerous deadly shipwrecks.

5. Namibia Features the Worlds Largest Non-Subglacial Underground Lake

The Dragons Breath Cave is a cave located in the Kalahari Desert, within the Otjozondjupa Region of Namibia. Discovered in 1986, the cave was named after the moist air that rises from its entrance. Located approximately 100 m below the surface, the cave also contains the worlds largest non-subglacial underground lake, which occupies an area of roughly 4.9 acres.

4. Namibia Is the Worlds Second Least Densely Populated Country

With a population of only 3.2 persons per square kilometers, Namibia is the worlds second least densely populated nation.

3. Namibia Has the Worlds Largest Meteorite

The Hoba meteorite is the worlds largest meteorite. Discovered near Grootfontein, Namibia in 1920, it is believed to have fallen to Earth approximately 80,000 years back and weighs 54,000 kg.

2. Some of the Worlds Highest Sand Dunes Can Be Found in Namibia

Located in the southern part of the Namib Desert, Sossusvlei is a massive salt and clay pan surrounded by some of the worlds highest sand dunes. Many of these dunes are more than 200 m tall, and the largest has a height of 325 m. Sand dunes with even greater heights exist in Namibia. For example, Dune 7, which is located near Walvis Bay, reaches a height of 383 m and is the countrys highest sand dune.

1. Namibia Has One of Africas Largest Concentrations of Rock Petroglyphs

Located in Namibia's Kunene Region, Twyfelfontein has one of the continents largest concentrations of rock engravings and art. The area has likely been inhabited for 6,000 years, and the site has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is believed that ancient hunter-gatherers, and later herders, who lived in the area conducted shamanist rituals that involved creating the rock carvings that remain today.
The guided-missile destroyer USS Zumwalt, left, is underway in formation with the littoral combat ship USS Independence on the final leg of its three-month journey to its new homeport in San Diego. The USS Zumwalt arrived in Ketchikan last Saturday.

Courtesy of U.S. Navy (photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Ace Rheaume)

KETCHIKAN, Alaska (AP)  One of the U.S. Navy's newest class of warships has docked at an Alaska port for a rare visit.

The USS Zumwalt docked in Ketchikan for a weekend stay beginning Saturday, the Juneau Empire reported .

The 610-footlong guided missile destroyer launched in October 2013 and based in San Diego was scheduled to be open for public tours Sunday in the southern Alaska city, officials said.

Steve Corporon, Ketchikan's port and harbors director, said bigger fenders were needed to make sure the ship would fit without damaging the vessel or the dock.

Navy Commander Brandon R...
One person was arrested and another person was taken to the hospital Wednesday evening after a pickup truck plowed into a parking lot along state Route 152, West Virginia State Police say.

The incident happened around 7 p.m. at the Creekside Tavern in the 4300 block of Route 152. That is in the Lavalette area.

Troopers say the impact set off a domino-like effect with the parked vehicles, damaging seven altogether.

The person who was taken to the hospital suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to troopers.

It is unknown at this time what caused the person to crash, as well as what charges that suspect faces.
The Trump administrations war against immigrants has taken two major steps forward. On Monday night, the Pentagon announced that it would make available $1 billion to facilitate the construction of the border wall. On Tuesday, the US House of Representatives failed to override Trumps veto of the congressional resolution to overturn his declaration of a national emergency on the US-Mexico border, the official basis for the Pentagon action.

In his letter to the Department of Homeland Security, acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan announced he had made $1 billion available for the border wall construction by re-programming available funds. Basically, part of the money allocated to the Pentagon for military personnel was moved to an account for drug enforcement. These funds would be made available to the Army Corps of Engineers and help facilitate the construction of 57 miles of pedestrian fencing, road construction and lighting along stretches of the border in Arizona and Texas.

The practice of re-programmingmoving funds between various government agencies, or between various accountsis not a new one, and does not legally require congressional authorization. However, it has been customary for the Department of Defense (DoD) to run its requests past Congress before moving any large amount of money. This was not the case with the latest re-programming.

Instead of seeking prior approval, the DoD merely notified Congress that it was acting on executive orders under the national emergency to carry out a transfer of funds. In his response, House Armed Services Committee Chair Adam Smith (D-WA) chastised the DoD for going against the gentlemans agreement and rejected the notice: The committee does not approve the use of Department of Defense funds to construct additional physical barriers. The rejection remains essentially meaningless since the Pentagon did not seek permission.

At this point, given that the budget appropriations for fiscal year 2019 have already been finalized, the Appropriations and Armed Services committees have no control over general re-programming. That hasnt prevented House Democrats on these committees from promising that they would zero-out re-programming, supposedly to dramatically reduce the amount of money the Pentagon can move around in 2020. This is a promise that should not be taken at face-value.

On a whole range of issues, including the unlawful detention of immigrants, separation of families, the abuse of detainees, the expansion of the powers of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the ongoing militarization of the border, the Democrats position has ranged from silence to actual complicity, albeit cloaked in phony rhetoric.

Even prior to the declaration of the national emergency, Congress had given the Trump administration a significant amount of funding for the wall: $341 million in 2017, and $1.375 billion in 2018. This funding would not have been possible but for support from the Democratic Party. Democrats have, however, tried to claim that the 2018 funding in particular is not for building the wall, since it is specifically earmarked for repairs to existing structures.

In addition to these appropriations and the $8.6 billion it plans to seek in its 2020 budget request, the Trump administration intends to raid three pots of money for the wall: Treasury Forfeiture Funds, Pentagon drug-enforcement funds, and military construction funds.

The administration is reportedly seeking a total of $600 million from the Treasury fund, which collects the money federal law enforcement agents seize from convicted drug and other criminals. Congress has customarily used these funds to pay for various programs, and this does not require a declaration of national emergency. The use of Pentagon military construction funds, however, do require the exercise of emergency powers by the President.

In and of itself, the re-programming of funds from the military personnel account to the drug enforcement account would not render them available for the border wall construction program. That it does so is because of one of the more blatant and constantly reiterated lies by this administration about immigration: that a border wall is necessary to prevent drug smuggling. This claimlike almost everything that has been put out by the administration about why the wall needs to be builthas been proven to be baseless, given that most drugs actually enter the US through official ports of entry, not by illegal crossings in unpoliced areas.
On Tuesday afternoon, US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, put the Green New Deal, a policy proposal co-sponsored by 89 out of 235 Democrats in the House of Representatives and 11 out 47 in the Senate, up for a vote on the Senate floor.

The Green New Deal has made endless headlines since it was introduced over a month ago by two Democrats: New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, and Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey. The content of the proposal is a non-binding resolution introduced in both houses of Congress calling for transitioning American energy production to non-carbon-based sources within 10 years.

The WSWS has previously exposed the bogus character of the Green New Deal, which promotes the fiction that there is a solution to climate change within the framework of the United States and while preserving the capitalist systemin other words, a national, free market solution to a threat to the existence of humanity that requires global economic planning only possible under world socialism (see: The fallacies and evasions of the Green New Deal).

Tuesdays political stunt added new layers of duplicity, with the Republicans carrying out a cynical maneuver to force the Democrats to vote for the bill offered by Markey and Ocasio-Cortez. Instead, not a single Democrat did so.

The final tally was 57-0 against the bill, with 43 Democrats voting present, the equivalent of abstaining. The 11 Democratic senators who had publicly endorsed the bill declined to vote for it, including such presidential candidates as Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren. Three Democrats openly voted no: Joe Manchin from West Virginia, Kyrsten Sinema from Arizona (a one-time Green Party activist!), and Doug Jones from Alabama. Senator Angus King from Maine, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, also voted against it.

The overwhelming majority of Republicans are deeply hostile to any government action on the issue of climate change, with many going as far to deny the existence of a climate crisis altogether. Others oppose climate change policy because they, along with many Democrats, are paid stooges of big fossil fuel companies. Some fall into both categories.

McConnell and the Republicans called a vote on the issue knowing it would cause a crisis for the Democratic Party. They hoped to force Democrats to publicly dissociate themselves from the billand thus embarrass themselves in front of young people and others genuinely committed to fighting climate changeand on this score they succeeded.

What accounts for the zero votes in favor of a policy proposal that is being co-sponsored by 100 Democratic representatives and senators? After all, it has been endorsed by many 2020 Democratic Party presidential candidates, and action on climate change has broad support throughout the country, even in many Republican districts.

The Democrats could not agree to a vote, first and foremost, because they knew it would reveal that most of them oppose even this minimal and non-binding resolution. The vote is another indication that the Democratic Party has no intention of passing the Green New Deal, or any other policy proposal which might infringe on the profits of big business, to which they are tied hand and foot.

The leader of the Democrats in Congress, multimillionaire Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, has derisively referred to the resolution as a green dream. For his part, Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, known as the senator from Wall Street, has received $310,020 from the oil and gas industry throughout his political career.

Even Democratic supporters and co-sponsors of the Green New Deal with less damning pro-corporate records have since qualified their support, calling the proposal merely aspirational. In the words of co-sponsor and Democratic presidential hopeful Senator Amy Klobuchar, it is at best something that we need to move toward.

However, the most deceitful aspect of the whole framework of this debate lies in the content of the Green New Deal itself. While drawing attention to some of the most critical aspects of the climate crisis, this proposal, even if it were adopted by Congress, would have zero impact on federal policy. Its non-binding status means that the US government would not in any way be required to work toward its stated goals.

So far to the right is the Democratic Party that it cannot even be pressured to vote for a proposal brought forward by its own representatives that requires that it does nothing!

It is in this context that the role of Ocasio-Cortez, the face of the Green New Deal, must be understood. Her role in Tuesdays drama was to encourage Democrats to vote present to cover over the divisions within the party over this political fraud.

Ocasio-Cortez is painted by the media and the various fake-left organizations in the orbit of the Democratic Party, above all the Democratic Socialists of America, as an insurgent who is taking on the old guard of the party. Her Green New Deal has been held up as evidence of her commitment to radical change.

Tuesdays debacle revealed on a small scale the entire political function of Ocasio-Cortez. Instead of pressuring the Democrats to take a stand on the Green New Deal, she covered for their refusal to do so.

Political figures and parties must be judged, as Lenin once put it, not by the glittering uniforms they don or by the high-sounding appellations they give themselves, but by their actions and by what they actually advocate.

Ocasio-Cortez is a Democrat, who supports Democratic Party policies, toes the Democratic Party line, advocates supporting Democratic Party candidates, and praises the stellar leadership of Speaker Pelosi, a key political agent of the US ruling elite and the military-intelligence apparatus.

She criticizes social inequality, global warming, etc. but refuses to say anything about the social system that produces these maladies and the political forces responsible for them. She proposes curing inequality by supporting the Democratic Party, one of the two parties that promotes it. She proposes to attack the wealth of the rich while leaving untouched the economic system upon which this wealth is based. In the case of climate change, she calls for radical policies (in words) on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, while on Tuesday giving her party an amnesty when it came to an actual vote.

The media campaign around Ocasio-Cortez and her Green New Deal is a repetition of the operation that was mounted behind the 2016 Sanders campaign, which was used to promote the fiction that the Democratic Party can be reformed. Sanders own role in 2016 was to channel opposition behind Hillary Clinton, the candidate of the military and Wall Street. Ocasio-Cortez is being primed to perform this same role in the 2020 elections.

There exists a powerful force capable of taking on the issue of climate change, along with every other fundamental issue facing humanity today, and it is not the Democratic Party. It is the American and international working class, in the struggle for socialism.

This author also recommends:

The fallacies and evasions of the Green New Deal

[5 March 2019]

The political role of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

[31 January, 2019]

Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders praise McCain: An object lesson in the politics of the pseudo-left

[28 August 2018]
The strike by over 1,500 University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) graduate assistants and teaching assistants entered its eighth day today. Grad students who make poverty wages walked out of classes March 19 to demand increased pay, better appointment policies, increased healthcare coverage and a decrease in administration fees. The strike has forced UIC to cancel many of its classes. UIC is currently on spring break, which has halted regular picketing by striking students until next Monday, when classes are set to resume.

Last month, 99.5 percent of the 1,014 participating GEO members voted to authorize the strike, expressing the growing militancy of educators and workers across the United States and internationally. Last year, nearly 400,000 teachers were involved in strikes, including statewide walkouts in West Virginia, and so far, this year more than 7,100 educators have struck in Los Angeles, Denver and Oakland, California.

The current minimum salary for graduate workers, working 20 hours per week for the nine-month school year is just $18,065. In the last contract, GEO agreed to a $2,000 raise over three years, which has done little to help grad students survive in one of the most expensive cities in the US.

My course load is tough and its a lot of work, a UIC teaching assistant told the WSWS. I spend at least 12 hours grading papers on the weekend along with the two classes that I teach. I try to give generous feedback on a lot of these papers and assignments to help the students, to let them see what they can improve on. Not everybody can do that. Some of the grad students have families to support. One of my friends with a family took a job with Instacart on top of graduate education and teaching and everything she has to do.

I dont know how someone with that schedule has time to give as much feedback on student papers. So, the education suffers whenever you dont pay a living wage to graduate students and teaching assistants. Its really an investment. But the university administration does not see it that way. Investing in teachers pays back, because we are what brings value to the university.

At the same time, UIC has billions in assets and handsomely pays its top administrators. UICs chancellor, Michael Dimitrios Amiridis, receives an annual salary of $475,000 and has received yearly bonuses over $100,000. Furthermore, UIC just recently announced a $1 billion campaign to renovate its campus in Chicago. There is more than enough money to fully meet the needs of students.

The struggle has thrust the grad students into direct conflict with the austerity measures of the Illinois state government, which is dominated by the Democratic Party. The states billionaire governor, Democrat J.B. Pritzker, heads up the University of Illinois Board of Trustees and has appointed several members of the management board, which is largely made up by investment bankers and other corporate figures.

While the grad students have received broad support from workers and students across Chicago who have joined picket lines and posted supportive messages on social media, their struggle has been isolated by the teachers unions, which are aligned with Pritzker and the state Democrats. The strikers are members of the UIC Graduate Employees Organization (GEO) Local 6297, which is affiliated with the Illinois Federation of Teachers and its parent organization, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).

UIC GEOs co-presidents Anne Kirkner and Jeff Schuhrke penned an open letter on Sunday to Governor Pritzker, proclaiming the billionaire a champion for workers rights, while asking him to intervene in UIC GEO bargaining and settle the negotiations in favor of the striking students. This billionaire, workers rights champion is part of the Pritzker family, one of the wealthiest on the planet, and an heir to his familys Hyatt hotel business that has long attacked its hotel workers, paying some as little as $9 an hour. In fact, the governor has already intervened as the budget-cutter-in-chief.

This poses the necessity for grad students to organize a rank-and-file strike committee, independent of the union, to fight for the expansion of the strike to the faculty and employees of all University of Illinois campuses and then to universities and colleges around the state to eradicate poverty wages for grad students. These strike committees must appeal for support from the 20,000 Chicago Public Schools educators who will be facing concession demands when their contracts expire at the end of the school year. In this struggle, rank-and-file educators must outline demands that they and their students need, not what the corporate-controlled political establishment and the unions say is affordable.

The strike at UIC follows last years strike by 2,700 graduate workers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), the flagship campus of the states public university system. The 12-day strike was called and eventually betrayed by the UIUC GEO local 6300, leading to a sellout contract which included paltry wage increases and abandoned the central demand for guaranteed tuition waivers. This betrayal was recently hailed by the UIC GEO leadership on their Facebook page as an example of a successful strike.

Negotiations between UIC and GEO began in March 2018, two months before UIC faculty, part of the UIC United Faculty union and also affiliated with the IFT and AFT, began new contract negotiations with UIC. The unions have deliberately separated these struggles, while appealing to the state Democrats to intervene.

In December 2018, the GEO and the universitys bargaining team agreed to federal mediation which began on February 1, 2019. As of this writing, the GEO has held 25 bargaining negotiations with UIC. The 26th session is set to take place today.

GEO initially asked for a 10 percent increase on the current minimum wage for graduate workers each year for the next three years, the duration of the contract, rising to $24,000 by 2021. They have asked for a reduction in fees to counter the average $2,000 in fees per academic year graduate student workers have to pay.

Even GEO has characterized its demands as wholly inadequate. Writing on Facebook on March 25, the union posted, Even if we got a 24% raise over 3 years, we would still be making $5,000-$9,000 less in the year 2021 than grad workers at other Research 1 universities in Chicago are already making in 2019. It added, The teachers with Chicago International Charter Schools (CICS) who were on strike in February won 35% raises, so 24% is rather conservative by comparison.

However, the GEO has pulled back from these meager demands. Writing again on Facebook on March 22, local officers said, In our bargaining session this past Monday, GEO had proposed a few different possible ways to waive, cap, or freeze fees, letting the administration know we are prepared to step down on our current wages proposal in exchange for them making some movement on fees.

On March 26, after their latest bargaining session, GEO officials confirmed that a concession had been put forth, stating UIC had asked us to step down on our wage proposal more than we already have.

Meanwhile, the top officials in the American Federation of Teachers inhabit a different universe. AFT President Randi Weingarten makes $514,144 a year; Executive Vice President Mary Cathryn Ricker, $332,463; and Secretary Treasurer Lorretta Johnson, $395,291. IFT president Dan Montgomery makes approximately $280,000 a year.

UIC GEO members pay hundreds of thousands each year in dues to its affiliated unions, much of which is funneled to the same Democrats spearheading the attack on public and higher education. According to open990.com, the UIC GEO paid $345,875 in 2017, $337,598 in 2016, and $296,267 in 2015. If payments in 2018 are within the range of the previous years, the GEO members paid over $1 million to its affiliates.

Although grad students are forced to fork over this money, the unions have not provided student workers with any strike benefits, forcing them to rely on supporters to provide donations to a GoFundMe strike fund account.

Striking workers must reject the sellout that is being prepared. Instead rank-and-file strike committees should fight for a counter-offensive of the working class throughout Chicago and the state against both corporate-controlled parties and their program of austerity and social inequality.
Last week, the German Left Party voted in the Brandenburg state legislature for a new police law that creates the conditions for the establishment of a police state. Just one member of the Left Party voted against and one abstained.

The law adopted by the ruling Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the Left Party allows the police to use hand grenades in the fight against terrorists and hold so-called perpetrators for weeks in preventive detention. It drastically extends storage periods for surveillance videos. It also equips the police with body cameras and permits nationwide unrestricted vehicle controls on federal highways. In addition, the police will be able to ban individuals from staying in a certain area or order them to report to police even if they have not been accused of a crime.

The World Socialist Web Site reported last year in detail on the Berlin SPD-Left Party police law, which adopts the main elements of the notorious Bavarian police law. Employing the nebulous legal conception of threat and the possibility of holding someone for up to four weeks in jail preventively without the existence of a criminal offense, the red-red Brandenburg state executive now exceeds most other states in anti-democratic measures.

The law so thoroughly exposes the Left Party as a police state party that it is causing unrest in its own ranks. In an open letter to the Left Party group in the Brandenburg state assembly before the vote, 150 members and sympathizers warned that the credibility of the Left Party as a civil rights party was in question because the red-red state government is planning a law that partly copies its Bavarian counterpart.

The signatories mention, among other things, the extension of identity checks without any prior suspicion, registration requirements in the field of the law of assembly without requiring a judicial decision, preventive detention as well as contact and residence bans without concrete signs of a crime, the extension of storage times for police video surveillance, bodycams, the extension of public searches in the preliminary stages of a suspected criminal offence and the use of hand grenades against persons. These extended police powers, the letter states, could be applied not only against actual or supposed terrorists, but also against social movements, protests and strikes.

In fact, the Brandenburg police law is not an exception but only the latest example of the extreme right-wing and anti-working-class policy of the Left Party. Wherever it participates in government, it is strengthening the states repressive apparatus and, like all the other bourgeois parties, is preparing to use violence to suppress strikes and protests that develop outside the control of the trade unions.

In Thuringia, where the state premier is a member of the Left Party and the party has more than 30 percent of the state deputies, it is responsible for Germanys second highest deportation rate and organizes brutal deportations. In the capital, Berlin, it is pursuing the same reactionary politics. After the austerity measures of the red-red Senate (state executive) made Berlin the capital of poverty, the current red-red-green state government is massively arming the security authorities and is also preparing a harsher police law.

The next measures are also being planned in Brandenburg. Shortly before the adoption of the Brandenburg Police Act, the Left Party agreed to a deal with the SPD, which aims to increase the staffing of the State Office for the Protection of the Constitution, as the regional branch of the secret service is called. As part of a new law concerning the secret service, the intelligence agency is to receive almost 40 percent more staff.
Speaking with reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday, President Trump reiterated his support for a lawsuit filed by attorneys general in 16 Republican-controlled states seeking to have the Affordable Care Act (ACA) declared unconstitutional in its entirety. An estimated 20 to 25 million people would lose healthcare coverage if the law that established Obamacare is struck down.

A federal district judge in Texas issued a ruling last December that Obamacare is unconstitutional, and the Justice Department supported the ruling only in part, urging the court to strike down the ACA provision that bars insurance companies from discriminating against individuals with pre-existing conditions, but not the entire law. But on Monday night, the Justice Department filed a one-paragraph declaration to the US Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals shifting its position and indicating its support for a court order striking down the ACA as a whole.

Trump gloated to reporters that whatever decision the appeals court makes, he is confident that the Supreme Court, with its right-wing majority reinforced by two of his own nominees, will rule Obamacare unconstitutional.

The lower court ruling, issued by Judge Reed OConnor, takes as its point of departure the congressional action in December 2017, as part of the tax cut for the wealthy, ending the tax penalty for individuals who do not buy private health insurance as mandated by the ACA. Technically, Congress did not eliminate the mandate, but reduced to zero the tax that enforces the mandate.

Judge OConnor ruled that since the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the ACA in 2014 in a ruling that relied on Congresss power to tax, and there was now no tax, the ACA as a whole was unconstitutional. This not only contradicts traditional rules for construing the meaning of legislation and court precedents, but also the legislative history of the 2017 tax cut bill itself, whose drafters were quite explicit that they were repealing the individual mandate but not the ACA as a whole.

Outright repeal of the ACA would impact two large populations the most: those who are covered by the expansion of Medicaid, the federal health care program for low-income individuals and families, and those who have been able to purchase individual insurance policies on federal exchanges because of subsidies provided by the ACA.

According to a study issued earlier this month by the Urban Institute, based on fairly conservative assumptions about how the expansion of Medicaid would be rolled back, 20 million Americans would lose their health coverage, nearly three quarters of the total due to the cutback in Medicaid. Eleven million of those who would lose health coverage live in states won by Trump in the 2016 election.

The state-by-state breakdown showed that the largest number of people losing their health coverage would be in California (3.8 million), followed by Texas (1.7 million), Florida (1.54 million), Pennsylvania (858,000), Ohio (741,000), and Michigan (720,000). The uninsured population would more than double in 18 states, with the biggest percentage increases in Montana (177 percent), West Virginia (176 percent), Maine (165 percent) and Kentucky (151 percent).

A separate study by the Kaiser Family Foundation estimated that 52 million Americans have a pre-existing condition that could be used by insurance companies to deny them coverage in the event the ACA is declared unconstitutional. The majority of these are covered under group policies, usually connected to their jobs, which have been largely unaffected by the ACA.

The response of the Democratic Party to the Trump administration decision to support full repeal of Obamacare has been a combination of pretended outrage over the callousness of the administrations policy and genuine political delight, since the Democrats expect to benefit from it in the 2020 election. The health care cuts are hugely unpopular, particularly among those who gained coverage through the expansion of Medicaid.

On Tuesday, the House Democrats issued a healthcare plan, devised by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and several chairmen of House committees, which discards the rhetoric of Medicare-for-all and healthcare as a social right, used by figures like Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to give a left cover to this right-wing capitalist party.

The Democratic plan would amount to minor tinkering with Obamacare: repealing the regulation enacted by the Trump administration last year allowing the sale on Obamacare exchanges of short-term insurance plans that do not provide coverage for important medical needs; increasing subsidies to reduce premium costs for consumers; and reducing deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs.

The Democratic plan would preserve the essentially private, profit-making character of the US healthcare system, which is the cause of ever-rising costs, vast inequality of treatment, and the exclusion of millions of people from the system because they cannot afford to pay premiums and other exorbitant costs. This was the main purpose of Obamacare, a program devised with, by and for the insurance and drug company bosses for their benefit.

It is notable that the Trump administration attack on Obamacare was immediately attacked by Matt Eyles, the president and chief executive of Americas Health Insurance Plans, the principal insurance industry lobbyist, who declared that the Justice Department action puts coverage at risk for more than 100 million Americans.

The real beneficiaries of Obamacare were the giant insurance companies and healthcare providers, which were supplied a new, guaranteed market in the form of tens of millions of uninsured people now required to buy policies and given subsidies to do so. The stock market reaction Tuesday to the Trump decision showed this: shares of Molina Healthcare plunged 6.6 percent and those of Centene Corporation dropped 2 percent, while larger companies like Cigna, Humana and Anthem slipped by lesser amounts.

Behind all the Democratic Party pretense of concern over healthcare is the determination of the US ruling elite to drastically reduce the amount of money spent on the health of the American population, regardless of the impact on life expectancy and the toll of suffering and death. The division between Trump and the Democrats is purely one of tactics: whether the federal government should be enlisted in the effort to force down healthcare costs, or whether this should be left to the workings of the free market, in which corporate employers would spearhead the assault.

The real attitude of the Democratic wing of the US ruling elite was voiced by the New York Times in a remarkable editorial published in its Tuesday print edition under the headline Not All Medicare Cuts are Bad. The editorial rebuked Democrats for indiscriminate attacks on the $845 billion cut in Medicare spending proposed in Trumps 2020 budget, declaring, But some cuts to Medicare make sense. Several sought by Mr. Trump closely resemble cuts that had been proposed by President Barack Obama.

Criticism of Trump had gone too far, the editors argued, so that a proposal to improve the efficiency of health care spending is being treated as an attack on the availability of health care. Republicans had done the same thing in relation to cuts in Medicare proposed under the Affordable Care Act, the Times wrote.

Both parties have fallen into the unfortunate habit of characterizing every proposal to reduce Medicare spending as an attack on the programs beneficiaries, the editorial warned. Maintaining tight control of Medicare spending is good government in its own right.

This is the real, class-conscious voice of American big business, calling both parties into line when it comes to the most important interests of the corporate elite, including slashing social spending and focusing all federal spending on its two main priorities: increasing the wealth and income of the financial aristocracy and building up the military machine of American imperialism for use throughout the world and against the struggles of the American working class at home.
An arsonist set fire to the Islamic Center of Escondido, in north San Diego County in Southern California this past Sunday, leaving behind a note referencing the fascist terrorist rampage at two New Zealand mosques, which left 50 dead and as many injured just two weeks ago.

There were seven people inside Masjid Dar ul Arqam when the incident occurred shortly after 3:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 24. One person who was awake at the time, spotted the flames and alerted the group, which was able to extinguish the fire before it spread.

Investigators found a note left by the arsonist on the driveway of the mosque that referenced the March 15 massacre by Brenton Tarrant, who used a semi-automatic rifle to attack worshipers at the Al Noor Mosque and the Linwood Islamic Centre in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Dustin Craun, the executive director of the San Diego office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), noted the civil rights organizations outrage in a statement Monday. It is disturbing enough that some sick individual would attempt to burn a house of worship to the ground, but referencing the slayings in New Zealand is beyond the pale ... While the majority of humanity has responded to the tragedy to draw closer to one another and refute hatred, a violent and hate-filled minority seeks further divisions.

Yusef Miller, a spokesman for the Islamic community in Escondido, told reporters that Everyone is on edge here today ... When they connected it to New Zealand, it gave us a more real fear that something outlandish might happen.

Following the New Zealand massacre, CAIR has reissued copies of its safety guide, Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety.

In an opening letter, CAIRs National Executive Director, Nihad Awad, notes that The number of bias-motivated incidents targeting mosques and other Islamic institutions has grown in parallel with the rise in anti-Muslim sentiment promoted by a well-coordinated and well-financed Islamophobia machine. Incidents targeting American Muslim institutions have included arson and bomb attacks, shootings, hate vandalism, and threats of violence.

An investigation by the San Diego Union Tribune has found that right-wing fascist groups have been meeting on college campuses in the region, intimidating students, lecturers and professors. The white nationalist group Identity Evropa held a private meeting at the California state college campus, San Diego State University, according to a leak of more than 200,000 online chat logs from the white supremacist group by Unicorn Riot, a non-profit educational media collective.

Identity Evropa helped organize the right-wing rally in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017, where one protester was killed and dozens injured by a white supremacist. The chats indicate the group has been attempting to infiltrate the right-wing libertarian group Turning Point USA and had successfully been able to man a table by the College Republicans to push their views. Identity Evropa members referred to Islam as a cancer and warned of Muslims holding public office in predominantly white countries.

These far-right and fascistic elements are being promoted from the highest levels of the state around the world, including in the United States. In Tarrants manifesto he declared that US president Donald Trump is seen as a symbol of renewed white identity.

Trump defended the white supremacists who rampaged in Charlottesville as very fine people and has repeatedly referred to immigrants seeking to cross the US-Mexico border as invaders.

Following the New Zealand attack Trump deleted a Tweet citing an interview with right-wing news site Breitbart in which he stated, I can tell you I have the support of the police, the support of the military, the support of the Bikers for TrumpI have the tough people, but they dont play it toughuntil they go to a certain point, and then it would be very bad, very bad.

New Zealand officials have refused to explain why they did not prevent Tarrants attack despite his many public statements voicing hatred of immigrants, Muslims and socialists, including threats of violence.

The New Zealand police continue to charge that Tarrant flew under the radar despite the fact that he had posted on social media his plans to attack against the invaders and emailed his manifesto before his attack to over 70 people, including the prime minister and media outlets.

Additionally, Tarrant had traveled to many European countries to meet with nationalist groups, as well as to Pakistan and North Korea, countries that are under heavy state surveillance. Tarrant claimed that he had received a blessing from Norwegian far-right terrorist Anders Behring Breivik and had prepared his attack for over two years.

The manifesto has now been banned under the pretext of preventing the spread of hate speech, but the deeper concern by authorities and state officials is that the public would begin to make the connection that the same xenophobic language used by fascists against immigrants and Muslims are the very same words spewed out of the mouths of the highest state officials, including the president of the United States.

It is within this context that the Socialist Equality Party is hosting a series of meetings in the US in April with Christoph Vandreier, on the lessons of the 1930s and the struggle against fascism today. Vandreier, Deputy National Secretary of the Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (SGP) and a widely respected leader of the fight against fascism in Europe, will present his new book, Why are They Back? Historical Falsification, Political Conspiracy, and the Return of Fascism in Germany.

Appeals to the state to censor the internet and crack down on the far right will do nothing to prevent their growth, as the ruling class is increasingly turning toward fascistic and dictatorial forms of rule to suppress growing anti-capitalist and anti-austerity sentiment by billions of workers, students, and youth throughout the world. Only an organized international socialist movement based in the working class can defeat these right-wing forces.
The betrayal of the seven-day teacher strike by the Oakland Education Association (OEA) has opened the door for the school officials in Oakland, California to accelerate their assault on public education.

On March 4, the day after the strike officially ended, the school board enacted $22 million in budget cuts, including $1.1 million from services for disabled, homeless and foster care youth support as well as $800,000 from music programs. Another $3.6 million was cut from restorative justice programs for conflict mediation, $1.3 million from nutrition for poor students, and $2.9 million from college preparation programs. As part of the OEAs deal with the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD), the union agreed to help impose these cuts.

Roughly a week later, the district began to distribute layoff notices to 257 educators across the district, including teachers with strong performance reviews, as part of the $22 million in budget cuts. Prior to the strike, the OEA adamantly refused to include teachers steadfast opposition to budget cuts as one of its demands at the bargaining table, echoing the districts claims that this could not be included in collective bargaining.

A similar process has unfolded in Denver, Colorado, where over 220 positions have been cut to pay for a meager salary increase. Like their counterparts in Oakland, the Denver Classroom Teachers Association called the deal to end the strike an historic victory.

Last Wednesday, the OUSD school board held another meeting, at which roughly 200 teachers, parents and community members protested. The school board voted to approve the Citywide Plan, which envisions the closure or merger of 24 public schools over the next five years, roughly one-third of all public schools in Oakland.

One of the key demands animating Oakland teachers during their strike was a universal hostility to the school boards long-standing plans to close public schools and convert them to charter schools. Last fall, the unveiling of the Citywide Plan provoked an outpouring of public anger across the city. Hundreds came to multiple school board meetings to denounce the plan, including a meeting in January at which Roots International Academy was officially merged with another school. This will lead to staff layoffs and force many students to attend other schools.

Seizing upon this popular hostility to school closures and charter schools, OEA claimed they were fighting to oppose both during the strike. Union officials even staged a march through deeply impoverished East Oakland neighborhoods, culminating in a rally outside Roots Academy. Within days, however, they released the tentative agreement, which contains a meaningless commitment from school board president Aimee Eng to recommend a non-binding resolution calling for a five-month pause in closures.

This resolution, along with a similar one placing an eight-month pause on the creation of new charter schools, were both passed by a margin of 6-1 on Wednesday, with only Jumoke Hinton Hodge voting against. Hodge is a right-wing figure who promotes charter schools from a racialist perspective, having received over $100,000 in campaign contributions from pro-charter organizations in the 2016 school board elections. During the strike, she was caught on camera choking a Kindergarten teacher, an attack for which she received no punishment.

As it attempted to sell its deal to teachers, the OEA cynically claimed the delays on closures and charter school creation was part of the unmitigated victory it had won at the bargaining table. But last weeks meeting at which the Citywide Plan was greenlit gives the lie to this charade. Despite the toothless resolutions, the school board is moving ahead with its plans for mass school closures and the conversion of more schools into charters.

At the state level, the OEA has promoted California Governor Gavin Newsom as a defender of public education, despite the fact that he received over $300,000 in campaign contributions from pro-charter outfits.

The OEA is further promoting illusions that Newsom and State Superintendent Tony Thurmond will support a package of legislation meant to curtail charter schools in California, including bills that cap charter schools at their current level, impose strict limits on charter locations, and give districts more power to deny charter applications.

That the OEA presents Newsom and other state Democrats as defenders of public education exposes the fact that the union is hostile to any genuine struggle by educators to demand improved wages, school funding and classroom conditions. The Democratic Party has overseen the evisceration of public schools in California, as the state has plummeted from 1st to 43rd in per-pupil spending in recent decades. Under Newsoms Democratic predecessor, Jerry Brown, California opened the largest number of charter schools in the nation.

The sellout of the Oakland strike is part of a string of betrayed walkouts, in Los Angeles and Denver, and in West Virginia, Oklahoma, Arizona and other states. In each case, the National Education Association (NEA), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and their state and local affiliates isolated embattled educators, shut down their strikes and then imposed deals entirely acceptable to the corporate and financial elites who have been looting the public school system.

The fight to provide free, high quality public education to all children requires a complete break with the Democrats as well as the Republicans, which both speak for Wall Street and are hostile to the interests of the working class.

What has transpired in Oakland highlights the vital necessity for teachers and the working class more broadly to organize themselves independently of the unions, to carry out a genuine defense of public education. During the strike, Oakland teachers formed the Oakland Rank-and-File Strike Committee to carry out this struggle, winning the support of many teachers. This committee, which is now known as the Oakland Rank-and-File Committee to Defend Public Education, is working to unite Oakland educators with the broader working class, as well as with teachers in districts across California, the US and internationally.

The development of a unified struggle of educators and all workers must be connected to the fight against the capitalist system and for socialism, including the seizure of the vast personal fortunes of the super-rich who monopolize the wealth produced by the working class. Only in this way can societys resources be directed to vastly improve public education and eradicate poverty and social inequality.

We urge all those interested in getting involved to sign up for the World Socialist Web Site Teacher Newsletter and contact us today.
The fate of Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning, political prisoners victimized by US and world imperialism for exposing imperialist crimes and conspiracies, must be a focus of attention of the entire working class and all those who defend democratic rights.

Today marks one full year since WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange was cut off from the internet and his ability to communicate with the outside world. Assange remains confined to the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he was granted political asylum in 2012. There he is subject to constant and invasive surveillance.

Assange confronts the terrible choice of remaining trapped under conditions where he cannot communicate his views or protest his treatment, or leaving the embassy to be arrested by British police and face extradition to the US, where he faces trumped-up charges of espionage.

Underscoring the danger Assange faces, WikiLeaks last week drew attention to the fact that a US Department of Justice aircraft that was previously used for rendering alleged Russian hacker Yevgeniy Nikulin to the US last year had flown to London, only to return on Saturday. The dispatch of the plane was accompanied by an unexplained increase in the presence of plainclothes police officers around the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

Tomorrow will also mark three weeks since Chelsea Manning, who in 2010 provided WikiLeaks with documents exposing US war crimes, was jailed for contempt of court by a federal judge. Mannings alleged crime is refusing to testify in a secret grand jury hearing against Assange. She is being held in solitary confinement, isolated 22 hours a day.

Manning faces another round of indefinite detention following her imprisonment for seven years under the Obama administration, in conditions the United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture called cruel, inhuman and degrading.

The fate of Manning and Assange has gone virtually unreported by major news outlets. It has produced no protests from the American political establishment. Not a single Democratic member of Congress, including Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, has spoken about Mannings imprisonment, let alone opposed it. The editorial board of the New York Times and its hypocritical columnists, who seize on alleged human rights violations when it serves the interests of American imperialism, are silent.

The Trump administration is leading the persecution of Assange and Manning. But its vindictive and unconstitutional vendetta is supported and abetted by the Democratic Party and its associated media outlets.

For more than two years, the Democrats, the New York Times and the Washington Post promoted the lie that WikiLeaks colluded with the Trump campaign and Russia to steal the presidency for Donald Trump. The media, based on unproven assertions by the US intelligence agencies, declared that WikiLeaks knowingly received hacked emails from the Russian government and conspired with the Trump campaign to weaponize this information against Trumps opponent, Hillary Clinton.

The conclusion of the Mueller investigation has exposed the entire edifice of media lies that formed the basis of the anti-Russia witch hunt. Not only the charges of collusion, but the whole framework of the anti-Russia (and anti-WikiLeaks) campaign stands exposed as a fraud.

Meanwhile, genuine journalists like Assange, who do what journalists are supposed to doinform the public and expose the secrets, lies and crimes of the governmentare being hounded and persecuted.

With the collapse of the collusion narrative, there is a growing convergence between the Trump administration, which has declared war on socialism, and its political opponents in the Democratic Party, which seeks to portray the growth of left-wing and socialist sentiment in the United States as the result of Russian meddling.

Their common agenda is an attack on democratic rights, including free speech, which finds its highestor most criminalexpression in the persecution of Assange and Manning.

The complicity of the Democratic Party, the New York Times and the rest of the corporate media in the persecution of Manning and Assange is not surprising. One can expect nothing less from these defenders of US imperialism and conduits for the CIA and the Pentagon.

So too with the organizations of the middle-class pseudo-left that orbit the Democratic Party, which have maintained their silence on Assanges imprisonment after demanding that he face justice over trumped-up sexual abuse allegations that were eventually dropped by prosecutors.

The World Socialist Web Site is waging a campaign to win the freedom of Assange and Manning. Earlier this month, the Socialist Equality Party (SEP) of Australia held rallies in Sydney and Melbourne, each attracting hundreds of demonstrators. The Sydney rally featured leading journalists John Pilger and Joe Lauria, as well as civil rights leader Professor Stuart Rees, to demand Assanges immediate and safe return to Australia.

Over the past two weeks, the SEP in the United States has held rallies and meetings opposing the jailing of Manning.

Speaking to the rally in Sydney, SEP (Australia) National Secretary James Cogan declared, Julian is a class war prisoner. His persecution is above all an attack on the working class. He added, The Trotskyist movement, the WSWS and the SEP, is committed to mobilizing the working class in defense of not only Julian, but all democratic rights, as an essential component of the struggle to achieve genuine social equality, to oppose war and to oppose capitalism.

As workers opposition grows throughout the world, from the masses of North Africa to Uber drivers in Los Angeles and auto workers in the US and Europe, Cogans concluding words bear repeating: We are sending a clear message to Julian Assange today and he will hear it: You are not alone, you have not been abandoned, you have not been forgotten. You will be freed.
At least 10 politically active students at Kings College London (KCL) were barred from accessing the university campus on March 19 as part of security arrangements for a visit by the queen and duchess of Cambridge. The activists names were also passed along by the university administration to Londons Metropolitan Police.

This deliberate intimidation of left-wing students is a grievous attack on democratic rights and the freedom of association. There was never even an indication that the students had any intention of protesting against the queens visit, which they would have been entitled to do in any case. The university and the police have given themselves the power to exclude individuals from campus solely based on their political beliefs.

All the students in question are involved with KCLs Action for Palestine and Justice4Cleaners protest groups. Action for Palestine is a registered society at the university and campaigns to end our own institutions complicity in the illegal occupation of Palestine, serve as a platform for students to learn about social justice, and to educate the wider community about the situation in Palestine.

Justice4Cleaners has carried out a years-long campaign to end the universitys use of heavily exploited, outsourced labour for their cleaning staff.

The first the 10 knew of the ban was when their university ID cards failed to grant them entry to classes, the library, work shifts and exams. One barred student was told by a KCL staff member, We were under instructions from the Metropolitan police to refuse access to Bush House due to the event that was taking place. That is all I can say to you. Others were informed, There are a number of protesters who have been visible at a number of protests over the last year, two years. Youre identifiable because you were on CCTV.

This statement suggests the illegal use of video surveillance for political purposes.

Over 400 current and former students and professors have since signed an open letter protesting the universitys despicable actions. The letter explains, This constitutes an alarming securitization of campus and an act of profiling of students based not on any evidence that they are guilty of wrongdoing, but rather a suspicion that they might potentially commit harmful acts at some point in the future. None of the students subject to this exclusion have any record of university misconduct. Such profiling of students is based on the political viewpoints and racial and national identities of students, and violates the commitment of KCL to providing a safe and inclusive academic community and campus for all

This spurious use of security encourages a culture of fear, suspicion, mistrust, and functions as a blanket reason for all kinds of repressive measures.

The signatories demand an explanation of the process by which this decision was taken, an apology from the KCL administration to these students, and a commitment not to engage in such acts of unjustified profiling and exclusion again.

KCL refuses to even acknowledge that specific students were targeted. A spokesman commented, We had an event which demanded the highest level of security and we had to minimise movement through buildings for security reasons. At times some of our buildings were not accessible.

The university administration laughably offered to carry out a full and independent review into how its own decisions were made.

These events must be placed in the context of an ongoing assault on progressive politics being carried out by the government, through the Office for Students (OfS) and Prevent scheme, and the right-wing media. They have sought to use accusations of left-wing authoritarianism and extremism, coupled with the attempt to brand anti-Zionism as a form of anti-Semitism, to outlaw socialist thought and to suppress popular protest against the reactionary figures who are ever more frequently invited onto university campuses. The barring of the KCL students is only the latest stage in this campaign.

Last November, an essay by academic Norman Geras on the ethics of revolution, listed as recommended reading in a course on Justice and Injustice at Reading University, was flagged as dangerous by the governments counter-terrorism Prevent scheme. Students were required to submit a form explaining why they were accessing the Geras article, warned not to access it on personal devices, told to read it in a secure setting and not leave it somewhere it might be seen inadvertently or otherwise, by those who are not prepared to view it.

This was on the basis, as their lecturer explained, that The University understands its responsibility to require it to control access to security-sensitive material, which includes but is not limited to material which might be thought to encourage the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism; material which would be useful in the commission of acts of terrorism; and material which glorifies acts of terrorism.

Now students themselves are being labeled as security threats, reported directly to the police and denied access to their own university.

It is especially significant that the barred individuals were active protestors against the Israeli states vicious treatment of the Palestinians. A massive campaign of slander is being carried out by the British ruling elite to criminalise political opposition to Zionism and to brand Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and the political left as anti-Semites. This found sharp expression on the campuses late last year, when now suspended Labour MP Chris Williamson had a public meeting at Sheffield University cancelled by Sheffield Labour Students. The decision was prompted by the Metropolitan Polices announcement of an investigation into allegations of anti-Semitism in the Labour Party. Williamson had been a vocal critic of this Blairite-led witch hunt.

The WSWS wrote, The ban is profoundly anti-democratic and has serious consequences for freedom of speech. Meetings can now be indefinitely postponed on university campusesand beyonduntil Scotland Yard gives the go ahead!

That warning has been confirmed. Students who protest in defence of the Palestinians are now targets for censorship and police controls. The pretext in this case was a visit by the queen, but there is nothing to stop the same argument being employed in the case of any member of government, army general or right-wing ideologue.

The Socialist Equality Party (SEP) and International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) strongly support the fight against KCLs anti-democratic actions.

The political policing of UK campuses is escalating rapidly. Universities are crucial centres of ruling class strategy and propaganda, and KCL itself is a prime example. The institution hosts a 2,000-student strong War Studies department, the front page of its Policy Institutes website features a report titled How Russian State Media Weaponises News and 19 of its alumni currently sit in the House of Commons. With British imperialism facing an unprecedented crisis of rule, these functions of the universities become ever-more vital. At the same time, the ruling class feel seriously threatened by growing anti-capitalist sentiment among young people and its solution is a crackdown on left-wing ideas and action.

Not a single instance of political censorship on campus can be seriously fought without an understanding of these deeper causes. By coming to grips with these issues, students must recognise that their basic democratic rights can only be defended based on a socialist struggle against capitalism.
Last week saw the tragic deaths of two high school students who survived the 2018 Parkland massacre in Florida followed by that of one of the parents of a girl who was killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut. All three died in apparent suicides.

The first was 19-year-old Sydney Aiello, who was a senior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School last year at the time of the Parkland mass shooting. A day after her funeral, which took place on Friday, a current sophomore, 16-year-old Calvin Desir, also took his life.

While it is difficult to say exactly why these two young people took their own lives, many of the parents are speaking out, saying that their children struggle with survivors guilt. Les Gordon, a family therapist who works with the students in Parkland, says that they wonder why theyre alive and their friend is not. Ive had kids tell me that they should have been able to do something to stop the shooting.

This past Monday morning, 49-year-old Jeremy Richman, the father of 6-year-old Avielle, who was killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut in 2012, was found dead not far from his office in a third apparent suicide.

A few months after their daughters death seven years ago, Richman and his wife, Jennifer Hensel, co-founded the Avielle Foundation to support neuroscience research that draws together biochemical and behavioral sciences. Richmans dream was a paradigm shift in the way society views the health of the brain. He told NPR in 2017, just like resources were poured into landing a man on the moon and exploring outer space, we need to invest in exploring our own inner space.

Richman remained a public figure until his death this week and spoke out to news media following many subsequent mass shootings. He said that at first, We would just bawl. It would hit us so hard. As the years went on and shootings kept happening, however, he said that their anger grew. I feel like were letting it happen. There are things that could be done that arent being done.

These tragic deaths show just how far-reaching the psychological trauma can spread, damaging thousands of people over many years. For every person who is killed, there are circles of family, friends and neighbors, not to mention teachers and administrators and other community members, who bear the scars of such acts for the rest of their lives.

The community in Parkland, like many similar communities, has established health and wellness centers for survivors and the community at large. However, more than a year later, in the case of Parkland, therapists are saying that only a fraction of those affected by the shootings have sought counseling.

The tragic deaths over the past week highlight the fact that nothing has been done to address the underlying causes of mass violence in the US, or to provide adequate assistance to those impacted.

After every school shooting, the response within the political establishment follows a definite pattern. One faction of the ruling class calls for gun control, while the other insists on arming teachers or making guns more freely available.

No one says anything about the relentless violence perpetrated by the state and the social and political dysfunction in the United States that produces with such regularity individuals who commit mass murder.

Moreover, among the factors that may have produced the rash of suicides over the past two weeks is the impact of the New Zealand massacre on the consciousness of survivors of past mass shootings. In contrast to Parkland and Sandy Hook, the shooter in New Zealand was motivated by definite fascist politics, which are encouraged and promoted by the ruling class.

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Turkish-US relations have deteriorated in recent weeks, with Washington threatening reprisals if Ankara goes ahead with the purchase of the Russian-made S-400 air defence system.

Relations between the two countries have been in a downward spiral for some timeespecially since Washington made the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG), which Ankara considers a terrorist organization and threat to the Turkish state, its main proxy army in its regime-change war in Syria, then supported a failed July 2016 coup against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Differences have since expanded to include an array of Mideast and even global issues. Washington is particularly alarmed by Ankaras attempts to offset pressure from its traditional western allies by forging closer ties with Russia and Iran.

Washington is adamant Turkey not finalize the purchase of the S-400, a long-range air and missile defence system, for $2.5 billion, claiming that its deployment would disrupt US-Turkish and Turkish-NATO military-security cooperation.

In testimony before a congressional committee Tuesday, the acting US defense secretary, Patrick Shanahan, signalled that if Ankara proceeds with the S-400 purchase, Washington will block further shipments of F-35 fighter jets to Ankara and cut Turkish companies out of the F-35 project.

Asked if the Pentagon wants Turkey as an F-35 partner, Shanahan said, We absolutely do, then added, We need Turkey to buy the Patriot. This was a reference to Washingtons offer to sell US-made Patriot missile batteries to Ankara for $3.5 billion in lieu of the S-400.

If Turkey deploys the S-400 it will run afoul of US sanctions against Russia. The 2017 Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act empowers the president to impose sweeping sanctions on any individual, organization or state that enters into a significant transaction with the defence or intelligence sectors of the Russian Federation. Washington could also seek to intensify pressure on Ankara by refusing to grant Turkey an extension of the waiver exempting it from the unilateral and patently illegal US embargo on Iranian energy exports. Turkey is heavily reliant on Iranian natural gas.

Senior Trump administration officials have raised the prospect of Turkey being excluded from NATO activities, citing interoperability concerns with the Russian-made missile system.

Erdogan has, nonetheless, repeatedly vowed that Turkey will buy and deploy the S-400. In his latest comments on the subject, made in an interview last Sunday with television broadcaster TGRT Haber, Erdogan declared that no matter what the United States says, Turkey will not reverse its position on the deal.

Erdogans rebuke to Washington came just two days after he issued a critical statement protesting the Trump administrations decision to recognise Israels illegal annexation of the Golan Heights. A Foreign Ministry statement subsequently declared, This unfortunate decision... demonstrates that the US administration continues its approach to be part of the problem, rather than part of the solution in the Middle East.

The dispute over the S-400 is a flashpoint for deeper conflicts bound up with Turkeys geopolitical and military-strategic orientation. A member of NATO since 1952 and a key Western ally during the Cold War, Turkey has been severely destabilised by American imperialisms more than quarter-century of uninterrupted war. Bordering Syria and Iraq to the south and with significant economic and political interests in the nearby regions of the Balkans and North Africa, Ankara was directly impacted by the first Gulf War, the Western-backed carve-up of Yugoslavia and NATOs bombardment of Serbia, the 2003 Iraq invasion, the 2011 air onslaught on Libya to topple Gaddafi, and the ongoing bloodbath in Syria.

The Turkish ruling elite, including under Erdogan and his AKP during their first decade in power, supported the succession of US wars and tried to advance its own interests through them. But the many shifts in US policy frequently cut across their interests and ambitions.

With Syria matters came to a head. Initially Erdogan enthusiastically supported the US fomented regime-change war in Syria and Ankara was a major co-sponsor of the Islamist militias that spearheaded the drive to overthrow Bashar al-Assad and his Baathist regime. But Turkey was incensed when, once those militias had been pushed back, the US forged an alliance with the YPG, a Syrian offshoot of the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), against which Ankara has waged a brutal counter-insurgency war for over three decades. It was within this context that Turkey orchestrated a rapprochement with Russia and intensified cooperation with Iran.

For Turkey, rolling back the proto-state that the YPG has established in northern Syria remains the overriding goal of its Syria policy. Toward this end it has repeatedly sent forces into Syria, while maintaining a shaky alliance of convenience with Moscow and Tehran and cooperating with them in the so-called Astana Syrian peace process.

The Pentagon meanwhile continues to rely on the YPG to provide a base for its predatory operations in Syria, including by denying the Assad regime access to the countrys most important oil fields.

The American national security establishment has increasingly come to view Turkey as an obstacle to its goal of securing unbridled hegemony over the energy-rich and strategically critical Middle East. In a recent analysis published by the Arab Gulf States Institute, a Washington-based think tank, the authors argued that the Middle East is increasingly divided into three blocs: the Sunni Gulf states led by Saudi Arabia, an Iran-led alliance that includes Hezbollah, and a Turkish-led bloc. Turkeys role at the epicenter of a new Middle East alliance was consolidated by the 2017 boycott of Qatar by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt. Qatar has relied on Turkey, which maintains a military base in that country, for support against the boycott, they add.

Within this context, Turkeys decision on the S-400 missile defence system is seen as having far-reaching consequences. In an editorial published earlier this month, the Financial Times, one of the principal mouthpieces of the US and European financial elites, argued, Turkey can still reset its relations with the West. After noting that Erdogan took power in Turkey in 2003, offering stable civilian leadership, a new drive for EU membership and a business-friendly approach, the Financial Times went on to complain: In recent years, Mr. Erdogan has moved towards authoritarianism, alienating western allies and adopting questionable stewardship of the economy. Choosing to purchase Russian military hardware has raised further concerns.

Erdogan has used the dispute with Washington over the S-400 to capitalise on popular hostility to US imperialism ahead of Turkeys March 31 nationwide municipal elections. However, he has given little indication he plans to alter his stance towards Washington after the elections. On April 8, the Turkish president is due to travel to Moscow for one-on-one talks with Vladimir Putin.

At the same time, and clearly with a view to exploiting the growing rift between Europe and America, Erdogan has announced that Turkey will renew its bid to join the European Union next month.

Commentary in pro-government Turkish media indicate the anger within elite circles over Washingtons failure to accommodate what they perceive as their vital interests, and their fears that the country that has been Ankaras principal military-security partner for decades can no longer be trusted. A common refrain is that if Turkey abandons the purchase of the S-400 and accepts Washingtons offer of the Patriot missiles, it could soon face additional US conditions, including making accommodations on Israel or Syria.

Turkish ruling circles also responded angrily to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeos attendance at an energy summit involving Israel, Greece and Cyprus in Jerusalem March 20. Long-standing territorial disputes in the Eastern Mediterranean bound up with the Cyprus conflict, which pits a Turkish-recognised regime in the north of the island against the internationally-recognised Greek Cypriot government in Nicosia, have been compounded with the discovery of large natural gas resources under the sea floor.

That being said, Washington will undoubtedly bring tremendous pressure to bear on Ankara, including on the economic front. Just before Erdogan visits Moscow, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu will travel to a NATO foreign ministers meeting, where he is due to meet with Pompeo.

Any attempt by Turkey to move closer to Russia or China, which has invested heavily in Turkey over recent years and sought to win Ankara over to its Belt and Road Initiative, would be fraught with conflicts. Ankaras disputes with the Western powers notwithstanding, the Turkish bourgeoisie still relies overwhelmingly on capital from Europe to invest in domestic projects, and the European Union remains far and away Turkeys most important export destination.

As shown by last Fridays 5 percent depreciation of the Turkish lira after Erdogan denounced Trumps Golan decision and the crashing of the Turkish currency last August after the Trump administration doubled its tariffs on Turkeys steel and aluminium exports, Turkeys ruling elite is extremely vulnerable to pressure from the major imperialist powers.
US President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House Wednesday that Russia has to get out of Venezuela. Asked how Washington would enforce this demand, he responded, Well see. All options are open.

Trump delivered his ultimatum during a White House photo op with Fabiana Rosales, the wife of right-wing opposition leader Juan Guaido, who, with US backing, proclaimed himself interim president of Venezuela in January, calling upon the military to overthrow the existing government of President Nicolas Maduro.

Rosales, referred to by Trump administration officials as Venezuelas first lady, is conducting an international tour aimed at drumming up support for the US-orchestrated regime change operation, which has flagged noticeably since the fiasco suffered last month with the failure of a cynical attempt to force trucks carrying supposed humanitarian aid across the Colombian-Venezuelan border.

Both Guaido and his US patrons had predicted that the provocation would trigger a rising by the Venezuelan armed forces against Maduro. With a handful of right-wing opposition supporters and gang members turning out for the humanitarian hoax, security forces easily contained the attack.

The latest US provocation has centered upon the arrival in Venezuela over the weekend of two Russian aircraft carrying approximately 100 military personnel. An Antonov An-124 cargo jet and an Ilyushin II-62 passenger plane landed on Saturday at the Maiquetia airport outside of Caracas.

The arrival of the relative handful of Russian military personnel triggered a flurry of denunciations from top Trump administration officials, who have been orchestrating the bid to bring down the Venezuelan government.

White House national security adviser John Bolton declared that the US will not tolerate hostile foreign military powers meddling within the Western Hemisphere.

Earlier this month, Bolton invoked the Monroe Doctrine as the foundation of US policy in Venezuela. This 19th century declaration of US foreign policy initially was directed at opposing any attempts by the empires of Europe to recolonize newly independent republics in Latin America. In the 20th century, it was invoked by successive US governments as a license for US imperialism to use military force to impose its will throughout the hemisphere, resulting in some 50 direct armed interventions and the imposition of fascist-military dictatorships over much of South and Central America.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, meanwhile, told his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, in a March 25 telephone conversation, that Washington would not stand idly by as Russia exacerbates tensions in Venezuela, according to a spokesman for the State Department.

The State Department called the arrival of the Russian troops a reckless escalation of tensions in Venezuela, adding that The continued insertion of Russian military personnel to support the illegitimate regime of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela risks prolonging the suffering of the Venezuelan people

What hypocrisy! Washington has imposed an ever-escalating wave of sanctions that have gravely exacerbated the intense crisis of the countrys economy, with Venezuelan working people paying the price. A Trump administration official briefing reporters last Friday boasted: The effect of the sanctions is continuing and cumulative. Its sort of like in Star Wars when Darth Vader constricts somebodys throat, thats what we are doing to the regime economically.

The Russian Foreign Ministry quoted Lavrov as having responded to Pompeo by charging that Washingtons attempts to organize a coup in Venezuela and threats against its legitimate government are in violation of the UN Charter and undisguised interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said that the arrival of the Russian troops was in fulfillment of an agreement on military technical cooperation signed between Moscow and Caracas in 2001.

As in colonial times 200 years ago, the US continues to regard Latin America as a zone for its exclusive interests, its own backyard and they directly demand that it should obey the US without a word, and that other countries should steer clear of the region, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Tuesday. [D]oes the US think that people are waiting for it to bring democracy to them on the wings of its bombers? This question can be answered by Iraqis, Libyans and Serbs.

Meanwhile, a US official speaking to Reuters expressed concern that the Russian military personnel who arrived on Saturday included a team of specialists in cybersecurity.

This concern coincides with a new series of electricity blackouts that began on Monday, affecting much of Caracas and at least 16 states. The Maduro government has blamed the outages on sabotage, including cyber-attacks on the power systems computerized infrastructure.

Meanwhile the Venezuelan situation has also ratcheted up tensions between Washington and Beijing, with the US forcing the cancelation of a 60th anniversary meeting of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), which was set to begin on March 26 in Chengdu.

The Trump administration had demanded that the IDB accept a representative named by its puppet Guaido as Venezuelas representative at the meeting. China refused to issue a visa to Washingtons man, Ricardo Hausmann, a Harvard economist and former minister in the government of Venezuelan President Carlos Andres Perez, which oversaw the massacre of some 3,000 workers and youth in the suppression of the popular 1989 revolt known as the caracazo. Hausmann has publicly called for the US to invade Venezuela along with a coalition of the willing.

A spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry defended Beijings action on Tuesday, declaring that Guaido himself is not a president elected through legal procedures and thus lacks legitimacy, adding that changing Venezuelas representative at the IDB wont help solve the Venezuelan issue.

In response to a question about US denunciations of the Russian military presence in Venezuela, the Chinese spokesman stated: First of all, countries in the Western Hemisphere, including Latin American countries, are all independent and sovereign states. They have the right to determine their own foreign policy and their way to engage in mutually beneficial cooperation with countries of their own choosing.

He added, in a pointed criticism of US imperialist policy, Latin American affairs are not a certain countrys exclusive business, nor is Latin America a certain countrys backyard.

The heated exchanges between Washington, on the one hand, and Moscow and Beijing, on the other, expose the geo-strategic interests that underlie US imperialisms regime change operation in Venezuela. Both Russia and China have established extensive economic and political ties with Venezuela, which boasts the largest proven oil reserves on the planet.

China has invested upwards of $50 billion in Venezuela over the past decade in loan agreements repaid with oil exports. Russias total investments in the country are estimated at close to $25 billion, including in the exploitation of a significant share of the countrys oil fields.

Washington views the Venezuelan crisis through the prism of the great power conflicts with revisionist states that it laid out in the Trump administrations National Security Strategy and the Pentagons strategy document elaborated at the end of 2017.

US imperialism is determined to wrest control of Venezuelas vast oil resources for the US-based energy monopolies and deny them to its global rivals, particularly China and Russia. To that end, it is prepared to starve the Venezuelan people and turn Latin America into a battlefield in a third world war.
A Saudi coalition jet fighter carried out an attack on a hospital in Yemen Tuesday morning destroying the medical facility in Kitaf, a rural area approximately 60 kilometers outside the northwestern city of Saadah. The strike, which hit a gas station just outside the gates of the hospital, killed eight people, including five children, and forced the closure of the facility, which provided much needed medical services to thousands of people in the region.

The criminal attack in Kitaf came four years to the day after a US-backed, Saudi-led military coalition began dropping bombs on Yemen in an effort to push back an insurgency by Houthi rebels that had taken over much of the country, and to reinstate the puppet government of President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi.

The attack on the hospital in Kitaf was especially egregious since it had been de-conflicted, meaning that its exact coordinates had been provided to the Saudis as part of a no-strike list drawn up to keep any bombs and missiles from falling within a 100-meter radius of the facility.

The missile strike on the hospital also took place just as it was opening for patients in the morning, the busiest time of day. The attack destroyed the hospitals pharmacy and damaged its medicine supply, emergency power generator and an ambulance. It could take months for the facility to be fully operational again.

One medical worker was injured while treating two children in the hospitals emergency room. All people were screaming and running out of the hospital. The structure of the hospital was totally damaged inside, he reported to Save the Children.

Our colleague lost two children. They were burned. I got injured in my head and I was bleeding. I ran away from the hospital with my colleague to a safe place but we found nothing that could help me stop the bleeding. It was the most difficult moments of my life.

Not only has this attack shattered the lives of those killed and injured, but it threatens to have a catastrophic impact on health care for 5,000 people in the area, Jason Lee, Save the Children deputy country director in Yemen warned in a statement Wednesday. Pregnant women may be forced to give birth without the care that could save them and their babies lives. Starving children may go without lifesaving treatment for severe malnutrition.

Coalition jets have continued to carry out airstrikes in the area. A jet fighter was spotted flying overhead during the funeral for one of the victims on Wednesday, causing mourners to flee for cover out of fear of an imminent missile strike.

The Saudi-fronted war, which began with the backing of US President Barack Obama and continues under Trump, has bogged down into a bloody stalemate, with Yemeni civilians bearing the brunt of the wars casualties. Researchers from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project estimate that between 70,000 and 80,000 people have been killed as a direct result of the war since the coalition assault began on March 26, 2015.

Three-quarters of Yemens population is in need of emergency aid and more than 8 million have been pushed to the brink of starvation by a Saudi blockade of the country, with children suffering a tragically heavy burden. The United Nations estimates that more than 1.3 million children have suffered from severe acute malnutrition over the last four years.

Save the Children estimates that at least 85,000 children under the age of 5 have died of starvation since 2015 as a result of the immense humanitarian crisis sparked by the war. Another 2,500 people died from cholera during the worlds largest outbreak between April 2017 and October 2018, when more than 1 million cases were recorded.

This grim toll would not have been possible without the support of the United States, which has provided Saudi Arabia with the jet fighters, bombs and other military equipment that it needed to rain down death and destruction on the poorest country in the Middle East. Crucially, the US has provided the Saudi coalition with refueling flights, allowing its fighters to carry out repeated attacks, and helped draw up lists of military targets. Saudi Arabia has even deployed US-made cluster bombs, a deadly munition banned by an international treaty neither country has signed.

Saudi Arabia and its Arab coalition partners have committed flagrant war crimes in Yemen, repeatedly carrying out airstrikes on hospitals, schools, marketplaces, factories and critical infrastructure. Last year, a Saudi warplane dropped a 500-pound bomb on a bus carrying school children, killing 40 children and 11 others and wounding 79, including 56 children.

A bipartisan initiative in the US Congress to invoke the 1972 War Powers Act and bring American military intervention in Yemen to an end is cosmetic and entirely toothless. Trump has already declared he will veto the joint resolution that was passed by the Senate this month and is currently awaiting a vote in the House.

As with Obama, the war in Yemen is seen by the Trump administration as a critical component of American imperialisms efforts to counter Iranian influence in the Middle East and prepare for war against Tehran. Congress approved the sale of more than $500 million in precision-guided bombs to the Saudi monarchy in 2017, and US special forces have been operating on the Saudi Arabian side of the border with Yemen for more than a year.
WORLAND  The new chair for the Washakie County Republican Party may be fairly new to Washakie County but he has a long history in the Republican party.

Peter Calderon was elected as chair during the county partys meeting March 14. Other officers elected were vice chair and state committeewoman, Tami Young, state committeeman and reporter Tim Young; treasurer, Ernie Beckley; and secretary, Elizabeth Bates.

Calderon will serve two years in the position. He is a youth specialist at the Wyoming Boys School who moved here with his wife and two high-school aged sons in the summer of 2018. He served as a precinct committeeman last year.

He is originally from Nevada and moved to Wyoming in 2010, working in Laramie and serving with the Albany County Republican Party.

Politics have been a part of my life for a long time. I witnessed some animated family discussions, Calderon said. He added that his family  grandparents and mother  were forced to flee Cuba. His grandfather did not talk much about their time in Cuba, having been imprisoned for his beliefs. His grandmother would tell him about the military knocking on doors in the middle of the night, and indoctrinating citizens into Communism.

I had a natural gravitation to being interested in politics, Calderon said, adding that he was a political science major, with a minor in history.

My passion is politics, Calderon said, noting that his second cousin, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) was a big influence on him growing up.

As the Washakie County Republican Party chair he said he wants to encourage more attendance at regular meetings. He said he wants to have discussions about the party having regular monthly meetings.

He said he would like to see Washakie County Republicans become aware of the issues the state is facing and remind them of the conservative values of the Republican party. Im concerned that the Republican platform is not being met, he said.

I support the party platform, liberty and the Second Amendment, Calderon said, noting if Cuba had, had a Second Amendment they may have been able to prevent Fidel Castro from gaining power.

Im excited for my opportunity here. We love Wyoming and we have set up roots here, he said.

Calderon is also busy helping organize the partys Lincoln Day Dinner on April 6 with guest speaker Wyoming Secretary of State Ed Buchanan at the Green Hills Restaurant.
Saturday marked the fourth anniversary of my hire as the Northern Wyoming News editor.

Every job I have had in my journalism career has challenged me and helped me grow in my chosen profession and this one is no exception. I had worked on a daily newspaper previously for nearly three years at the Laramie Boomerang, unless you also count my work experience with the Branding Iron as a student at the University of Wyoming.

I was familiar with the pace of a daily newspaper and the deadline stress so coming to the, at the time, Daily News, I had some experience from which to draw from, but there were still challenges.

Challenges in your chosen profession are a good thing. You need to be challenged to grow or you remain stagnant.

First challenge as an editor was managing a larger staff than I have had in the past, managing and scheduling for a newspaper on a daily basis instead of a weekly basis.

This year more challenges ensued as we transitioned from a daily to a weekly newspaper. The biggest challenges just came in preparing for the transition.

But having worked at a weekly newspaper for 22 years (plus summers while in school) of my 29-year career I knew that we could continue putting out a quality product, just as we had as a daily newspaper.

The Northern Wyoming News is one of 36 weeklies in Wyoming, including the Rawlins Times, which also went from a daily to a weekly.

There areseven daily newspapers now in Wyoming, which are located in Casper, Cheyenne, Laramie, Riverton, Rock Springs and Sheridan. A look at the cities that have daily newspapers show populations ranging from the lowest, Riverton at 11,058, per the U.S. Census estimate for 2017, to the highest, Cheyenne with an estimate of 63,624.

All seven also have colleges located within the community.

I note these statistics for this reason. There are 99 incorporated municipalities. Of those 99, there are 36 served specifically by a weekly newspaper, some of those weekly newspapers serve more than just the community where they are based.

There are only seven communities served by a daily newspaper.

What surprised me most when we switched were the naysayers that felt that switching to a weekly newspaper would doom the newspaper or as one writer put it "another nail in the coffin."

The majority of the communities served by a weekly newspaper have been served by that weekly paper for decades. Those communities, many of them in the Big Horn Basin, are not dying nor are their newspapers.

The Northern Wyoming News has been serving Worland and the surrounding area for more than 100 years, and my hope and my belief is that we will continue to serve you for many decades to come.

I know our readers miss their daily comics and the TV guide and unfortunately, we could not continue those services as a weekly.

For those wanting Wyoming news, we still subscribe to the Wyoming News Exchange and those stories are posted Monday through Friday on the wyodaily.com website.

The challenges newspapers face and that I as an editor face are providing a quality print subscription while still competing with the fast-paced world of the digital age. Fortunately, as a newspaper our goal is not to get it fast but rather to get it factual.

It's taken a few weeks for us to get into the rhythm of getting the Wyoming News Exchange stories posted on a continual basis. We try to update our readers with breaking news on our website and on our Facebook page @NWyoNews.

We can usually post something on Facebook faster than our website and when we have to do this we will always post it on our website when we are able.

We will continue to strive to meet the challenges that newspapers face and I will continue to look forward to the challenges that life and this job may bring. For embracing challenges, means to embrace learning and trying new things and I never want to stop learning.

Thank you Worland, Washakie County and the Big Horn Basin for welcoming me four years ago as your editor. Let's enjoy the ride for many more years to come.
The Hungarian capital can now take great pride in the fact that it has become fashionable to incorporate its name into brands monikers, reports the official website of Budapest.

This is the case with numerous catering establishments, and you can also find new brands using Budapests name in the fashion and beauty industries. Here's a look at the top few:



BP Shop

BP Shop (pictured on top) is one of the coolest youthful, casual and hip brands to crop up in the past few years. Their garments are must-have items in every trendy youngsters wardrobe, but you might also be able to spot a few iconic BP caps or T-shirts while browsing the Instagram accounts of international celebrities.

The brand was launched by young entrepreneurs from Budapest and it is safe to say that its roots can be found in the local hip-hop scene. Since then, they have opened shops in various places throughout Budapest (Wesselenyi Street, Westend City Center, Arkad Shopping Centre, Hercegprimas Street) and they have gained remarkable fame.

Year by year, they keep boosting their success by launching their limited-edition capsule collections.

They have already collaborated with Disney and Macskafogo (also known as Cat City, an animated cartoon made in the 1980s famous for its biting social criticism) but they have worked together with alternative rock bands as well.

Therefore, if you happen to be in Budapest and youre in need of a sneaker, a snapback or a nifty Budapest T-shirt, you better check out BP Shop and BDFCKPST.

Addresses:

1077 Budapest, Wesselenyi u. 24.

1069 Budapest, WestEnd City Center, Vaci ut 1-3.



Budapest Barber Shop

The Australia-based barber profession made its debut in Hungary 2 or 3 years ago, thanks to Budapest Barber Shops owners, the Gellei brothers. The two siblings  who have hairdressers in the family on their fathers side  moved back home from Melbourne and opened their first shop in Dob Street, located in the heart of District VII.

They take their two golden rules quite seriously: no women and no photos. Their Barber Shops are real man caves where there are no taboo subjects, only candid and sometimes saucy stories, high-fives and hearty outbursts of male humour.

Naturally, this is all accompanied by expert barbers who always keep an eye out for current trends and are quick to follow them. Besides cutting hair and trimming beards, these pros also offer curiosities like hair tattoos and hot towel shaves.

Attention! All their shops are extremely busy, so it is highly recommended to make an appointment, online or otherwise.



Budapest Park

Budapest has become well-known for its all-night parties, pub-crawls and turbulent carousing, and the Hungarian capital certainly lives up to the hype. During winter, people opt for the ruin pubs and the myriad clubs lining the streets.

But in the summertime, the real festival season kicks off in the city centre, in the outskirts and, as a matter of fact, throughout the whole country. It is not the first time that the owners of Hungarys most famous festival, Sziget, saw a business opportunity in this, prompting them to open Budapest Park right next to Rakoczi Bridge.

Budapest Park is a place where you can leave reality behind, just as their slogan promises. The massive establishment built out of pallets and containers is a perfect concert venue.

Starting from May, it hosts events that sometimes attract thousands of people on a weekly basis. So, if there arent any festivals to attend during your visit to Budapest  which would be quite surprising  you definitely should spend an evening at Budapest Park. Spritzers, beer, great concerts  you really cant go wrong with that formula.

Address: 1095 Budapest, Soroksari ut 60.



BP BARbq

Zsolt Serenyi aka the Tattooed Chef is the Hungarian markets amalgam of Gordon Ramsey and Jamie Oliver. He is charming, an unflinching pro and everything he touches turns to delicious gold.

The chefs chosen culinary field is BBQ (cooking in hot smoke), which seems to be in its heyday lately. Last year, he opened BP BARbq  his barbecue sanctuary in the city centre  with a good friend of his. The place has since gained a cult status.

Here you can get all the usual favourites from the world of barbecue smokers: both their brisket and their pulled pork sandwich have become instant crowd-pleasers. Heading to BP BARbq is an equally good idea both before or after a party.

Address: 1072 Budapest, Akacfa u. 24.



More: budapestinfo.hu

Photo courtesy of the venues
The Budapest Assembly voted to sell the Whale (Balna) Budapest Commercial and Cultural Centre to the state. The sale was approved with 18 votes in favour and nine votes against.

The meeting approved the initial offer made by the Hungarian National Asset Management Company (MNV) on Feb. 28 to purchase the building for 11.2 billion forints (EUR 35.4m).

Balna Budapest, a 13,000 square-metre complex by the River Danube that resembles a whale, was opened in late 2013.



Deputy mayor Gabor Bagdy said at the opening that in 2010 his administration had inherited a technically unfinished building which lacked commercial potential, in an underfinanced project under a legally challenging public-private-partnership.



The building, designed by the Dutch architect Kaas Oosterhuis, should have opened by August 2010, but the contractor left it in a half-finished state and failed to pay his subcontractors.



The Budapest municipality bought up outstanding debt in 2012 and paid some of the subcontractors, Bagdy said.



The city of Budapest called an open tender to sell the building in June 2017 with a minimum net sale price set at 11 billion forints.



Government office chief Janos Lazar announced in November 2017 that the central government intended to buy the Balna from the city of Budapest for the Hungarian Tourism Agency.



In January 2018, the city assembly authorised Budapest Mayor Istvan Tarlos to start talks with the government on selling the facility to the state.

The opposition Jobbik, Democratic Coalition and Socialist parties today stated their objections to the sale.



Jobbik representative Marcell Tokody said the city should try to make proper use out of the facility. He told reporters before the meeting of the City Assembly that Budapest was selling the building to the state based on property prices of two years ago and real estate prices had risen significantly since then.



DK representative Erzsebet Gy. Nemeth said that a 11 billion forint lawsuit was hanging over the Balna and if the city were to lose, it would end up with neither the proceeds nor the property.



MTI Photo: Szigetvary Zsolt
The search is on in Georgia for a 1-year-old girl who police say is likely in extreme danger, according to an alert from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Authorities in Arcade, Georgia, confirm that Baylee Sue Peeples was reported missing from Jefferson, Georgia, early Thursday morning.

She turns 2 next month, according to officials.

Baylee was discovered missing shortly before 2 a.m.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has been called in to assist in the search.

The GBI issued a Levis Call  the equivalent of an AMBER alert  for Baylee Thursday.

Police believe she is allegedly in the custody of Robert Joseph Peeples. Investigators have not said if the child and her possible abductor are related.

According to police, the two could be headed for Mississippi.

 Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.

Authorities believe they could be traveling in a 1993 white GMC Vandura van with Georgia tag RIK1620.

The missing toddler was last seen wearing a pink shirt with hearts, with the words Always Amazing.

She also was wearing a pink and black jacket with the word love on it.

Baylee has blue eyes and blonde curly hair, stands 3 feet tall and weighs 25 lbs.

Anyone with any information about her whereabouts is asked to call either 911 or the Arcade Police Department at 706-367-1821.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
Gabe Wilson (Winston Duke) and Adelaide Wilson (Lupita Nyong'o) in

Warning: Spoilers ahead!

If you watched Us for the umpteenth time already, you aren't alone. Complex and heavily nuanced with social and political themes - right down to the names of the doppelgangers - Jordan Peele's horror movie is a tapestry of symbolism and satire we can't help but discuss over and over again. And horror movie it is, according to Peele himself. There are endless meanings we can glean from Us, but it's hard to deny its terrifying reflection of us.

Peele asks every one of us how we look at ourselves in the mirror, and then brings our own reflection to life so we can't do anything but look at ourselves. There's a reason why one of the taglines of the movie is "Watch yourself."

We've broken down the main themes we think Us aims to discuss, proving why it's such a prescient movie.

1. The Fractured Climate of the United States

The Wilson family doppelgangers (from left) Abraham (Winston Duke), Umbrae (Shahadi Wright Joseph), Pluto (Evan Alex) and Red (Lupita Nyong'o) in



Us seems to offer a grim past, present, and future of the United States. Not only does the real Adelaide (Red) suggest the US government created doppelgangers (the Tethered) in an attempt to control society - a problematic concept on its own - but the members of the Tethered are ostracized from society to the point where they are kept and later abandoned underground. They are seen as "other," and Peele plays up their creepiness as a way to subvert the stereotypes.

In an interview with The Root, Peele said, "[W]hen I decided to write this movie, I was stricken with the fact that we are in a time where we fear the other, whether it is the mysterious invader that we think is going to come and kill us or take our jobs or the faction that we don't live near that voted a different way than us." When Red's family invades the Wilson home, Gabe asks them: "What are you people?" to which Red replies, "We're Americans." Red wants people to see the Tethered members of the same society as the "regular" people.

Story continues

Ironically, in trying to prove they're Americans, the doppelgangers tether themselves to a piece of controversial American history in the form of 1986 charity event "Hands Across America." It included participants from all walks of life fighting against poverty, but ended up being somewhat of a fundraising failure. Peele told Vanity Fair: "It's a great gesture - but you can't actually cure hunger and all that." Is Peele suggesting that the event can't help the doppelgangers either? Perhaps. When the doppelgangers recreate this event, they are blindly reverting to a publicized event that boosted morale but wasn't effective; instead of fighting against nationwide poverty, they are fighting against their own oppression and homelessness on the surface - even if their execution is questionable.

Whether their uprising becomes a success unlike the real event is left open-ended, but the way the camera pans across the landscape at the end of the movie and shows the span of them holding hands in solidarity suggests a new, potentially dystopian future . . . or just history repeating itself.

2. Materialism, Privilege, and Class Divisions

Kitty Tyler (Elisabeth Moss) and Adelaide Wilson (Lupita Nyong'o) in

It's pretty obvious that there's a significant disparity in social class between the surface humans and their doppelgangers. The latter are literally below their counterparts in all facets of life, it seems, forced to suffer at the expenses of the privileged and wealthy. Adelaide ruthlessly climbs her way up the social ladder because the capitalistic institutions in place seem to prevent her or her fellow doppelgangers from achieving success any other way. Can we begrudge Adelaide any more than we can Red, who returns to take back what she feels is rightfully hers in an epic game of survival of the fittest?

Reddit user Rydizzle234 also argues that the movie is about social inequality: "The main message of the movie in my mind is expressed near the end of the film when one of the characters mentions something like 'We all look alike, with flesh and blood yet we live very different lives.' This illustrates the fact that we are all human and equal in our creation but disparity varies rapidly here in the US and worldwide between the classes."

What's even more painful to realize is that the surface humans - except for Adelaide - are not even aware of their existence until much later, which means they don't know just how good they have it. When the family walks across the beach, we see each of their shadows clear as day. While this shot can be taken to hint at what lies beneath them, it can also show just how oblivious we can be to our surroundings, even when it's right next to us.

"Gabe's pride over a boat to show off to his wealthy friend, Kitty Tyler's many facial enhancements, or Zora's addiction to her phone feel shallow and gratuitous when juxtaposed against the decrepit tunnels and the woes of their shadows."

In fact, Peele himself acknowledges how privilege is gained on the backs of the underprivileged. "We live in a country that is about every man is created equal, and [yet] it's built on the backs of genocide. It's built on bloody soil. In the very DNA of this country, there are great ideas, and there are the worst horrors that humans can create," he said to Vanity Fair. "So I feel like if I'm going to accept the privilege I have as a modern American with opportunity, I have to take on some of that guilt of the sins. The sins, the people who suffer and have suffered so I can have."

A particularly affecting scene is the flashback Adelaide has at the end, where we see a side-by-side of the activities of the people on the boardwalk and their doppelgangers forced to mimic their behaviors underneath them without knowing why and without any of the amenities of something as simple as a food court.

Fast forward to the present, and Gabe's pride over a boat to show off to his wealthy friend, Kitty Tyler's many facial enhancements, or Zora's addiction to her phone feel shallow and gratuitous when juxtaposed against the decrepit tunnels and the woes of their shadows. After all, technology only gets them so far. Not only are the Tylers immediately killed off in their lofty house, but when Kitty asks her Alexa-equivalent Ophelia to call the police, Ophelia instead plays the song, "F*ck Tha Police."

3. The Duality of Human Nature

Doppelganger Red (Lupita Nyong'o) and Adelaide Wilson (Lupita Nyong'o) in

Peele stresses that there's a monster inside each of us, and he uses that as a launching pad for the movie. By juxtaposing the surface humans against their doppelgangers, Peele drives home the argument that we can be our own worst enemy. While speaking to NPR, he said, "Now, throughout history the doppelganger mythology exists. And what I think it represents is this - is everything that we don't face in ourselves. It is a representation of the guilt, the trauma, the fear, the hatred that might be buried underneath layers of pleasantry. All that stuff that we don't deal with: When it comes out, it'll come out in crazy ways."

In examining the duality of humans, Peele calls for a reckoning of human and societal behavior while at the same time upending the definitions of a good and bad person. Once the Wilson family begins killing their counterparts, they stop being afraid and hesitating. Zora and Adelaide in particular take great pleasure in killing the Tylers' doppelgangers. As they make their escape, the family even goes as far as turning the killings into some kind of competition and figuring out who killed the most. They are by no means the "villains" here, but facing their counterparts brings out their inner darkness.

Adelaide may have scammed Red out of a privileged life, but her track record shows she is not a bad person per se. This puts viewers in the difficult position of determining whether or her actions are just and she is simply a victim of her circumstances. Having the two physical Adelaides pitted against each other at the center of the movie personifies this introspection; they're both doing what they can and slowly resorting to their baser instincts to win and survive even as they stand as reminders of the other's wrongdoings. Killing Red doesn't expunge Adelaide's crimes, but it reminds her and us that they're intrinsically not all that different.

4. A Foreshadowing of Judgment Day

Evan Alex as Jason Wilson in

A young Adelaide first sees a man holding a Jeremiah 11:11 sign on the Santa Cruz boardwalk in 1986, not realizing that it's meant to be a warning about the Tethered. The actual Bible verse says, "Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them." There are several interpretations to what this could mean; a Reddit user posits two of them: "The evil are the tethered, who are coming for mankind, unable to escape. OR the evil is the pointless suffering the tethered have to endure for the sake of humanity."

While Red believes the Tethered are being tested by God, it's clear that surface humans don't have strong faith in God, becoming less and less tethered to their faith and more tethered to their materials goods. The glimpses we get of a post-apocalyptic world feels like the onset of Judgment Day.
Its the most ominous airplane since Rod Serling put his teleplay How to Serve Man on The Twilight Zone in 1962. The airplane in question is the amazing work of set designer Kimie Nishikawa and its the centerpiece of Jordan E. Coopers equally amazing new play, Aint No Mo, which opened Wednesday at the Public Theater. Okay, the airplane in How to Serve Man is really a spaceship, but then Aint No Mo takes us on a far more disturbing trip.Cooper connects a number of comic vignettes to an e-mail blast from the U.S. government that gives all black citizens a free one-way ticket to Africa. Latinos are on a wait list in case there are any African Americans who cant or wont make the trip. But its an offer, like the Godfathers, that no one can refuse. Barack Obama is pilot, and an airline employee named Peaches gives instructions at the gate as she zaps tickets and says, Have a nice flight! She repeatedly cautions passengers not to look back at America, or else risk being subjected to very Old Testament treatment. Of course, somebody looks back.Cooper plays Peaches, complete with pink hair and matching sequin suit out of RuPauls closet, and she is a force to fear. Whites arent to be found anywhere near her station at the airport, and so Peaches is free to let go on whats right and whats wrong with her people in vivid, expletive-laden detail. Peaches is every apparatchik youve had to tolerate for that minute or two that a certain assistant/TSA agent/voice on the phone/maitre d is in control of your life.Also Read: 'White Noise' Theater Review: Daveed Diggs Dazzles in Suzan-Lori Parks' New Race FantasyInterspersed with these Peaches-at-the-airport moments are seemingly unrelated scenes set in a jail, a family dining room, a Real Housewives-style televised reunion and a funeral. Its the funeral that comes first, because the presidential election that day of Barack Obama signals the death of the man called Righttocomplain. Marchant Davis plays the reverend and his eulogy for Rightttcomplain may set a new record for the utterance of the N-word in any time frame.Davis also blows the roof off the Publics tiny LuEsther Theater before the hope of that election collapses into a socio-political apocalypse thats effectively visualized in Nishikawas set, Adam Honores lighting and Emily Auciellos explosive sound design. After this gotterdammerung, its no wonder Peachs station at the airport gate is jam-packed. Nishikawas set alone induces severe agoraphobia, with that huge airplane looming ominously outside the window.Repeatedly, Coopers writing delivers sustained absurdist comedy that comes crashing down at scenes end, only to pick back up again for yet another wild ride through bigoted modernAmerica.Also Read: 'Nantucket Sleigh Ride' Theater Review: John Guare Takes a Big Dip Off the IslandThis young playwrights satire takes no prisoners. The new gender vocabulary gets a send-up in the Real Housewives reunion when one white woman, born Rachel but now calling herself Rachonda (the ferocious Simone Recasner), claims to be transracial, has the hair if not the skin to prove it, and gets into a fight with the black women (Fedna Jacquet, Ebony Marshall-Oliver and Crystal Lucas-Perry, being equally fierce) who think she had a choice in her transformation.Recasners transracial woman is a first in the theater, and no actor will be able ever to erase Rachondas first defiant, proud, self-pitying footsteps. Davis returns in this vignette to parody an Andy Cohen who turns his gayness on and off at will, and dares to wear black mesh on-camera. Kudos to Montana Levi Blancos outrageous costumes and Cookie Jordans equally over-the-top hair, wigs and makeup.Later in Aint No Mo, a wealthy black family finds its dinner interrupted when the long-held captive in their basement escapes to torment them. Lucas-Perrys impersonation of blackness embodies everything this family doesnt want to admit about its status in the United States. And once again, Cooper runs the gamut, from the outlandishly ridiculous to the grimly irrational.Also Read: 'The Mother' Theater Review: An Empty Nest Imprisons Isabelle HuppertStevie Walker-Webbs direction makes repeated and awesome leaps, but he and Cooper are equally good at depicting life in between the extremes. A widow (Jacquet) saying goodbye to the ghost of her murdered husband (Davis) and the release of two prisoners (Jacquet and Lucas-Perry) from jail are moments that deliver a grounding pathos.These two pivotal scenes have their fantastical elements too, but the outrage regarding a country gone wrong feels rawest here. And Cooper suddenly whips out that cushion of comedy from under us. Some wounds arent supposed to heal.Read original story Aint No Mo Theater Review: Barack Obama Pilots a One-Way Flight to Africa in This Sharp Satire At TheWrap

Its the most ominous airplane since Rod Serling put his teleplay How to Serve Man on The Twilight Zone in 1962. The airplane in question is the amazing work of set designer Kimie Nishikawa and its the centerpiece of Jordan E. Coopers equally amazing new play, Aint No Mo, which opened Wednesday at the Public Theater. Okay, the airplane in How to Serve Man is really a spaceship, but then Aint No Mo takes us on a far more disturbing trip.

Cooper connects a number of comic vignettes to an e-mail blast from the U.S. government that gives all black citizens a free one-way ticket to Africa. Latinos are on a wait list in case there are any African Americans who cant or wont make the trip. But its an offer, like the Godfathers, that no one can refuse. Barack Obama is pilot, and an airline employee named Peaches gives instructions at the gate as she zaps tickets and says, Have a nice flight! She repeatedly cautions passengers not to look back at America, or else risk being subjected to very Old Testament treatment. Of course, somebody looks back.

Cooper plays Peaches, complete with pink hair and matching sequin suit out of RuPauls closet, and she is a force to fear. Whites arent to be found anywhere near her station at the airport, and so Peaches is free to let go on whats right and whats wrong with her people in vivid, expletive-laden detail. Peaches is every apparatchik youve had to tolerate for that minute or two that a certain assistant/TSA agent/voice on the phone/maitre d is in control of your life.

Also Read: 'White Noise' Theater Review: Daveed Diggs Dazzles in Suzan-Lori Parks' New Race Fantasy

Interspersed with these Peaches-at-the-airport moments are seemingly unrelated scenes set in a jail, a family dining room, a Real Housewives-style televised reunion and a funeral. Its the funeral that comes first, because the presidential election that day of Barack Obama signals the death of the man called Righttocomplain. Marchant Davis plays the reverend and his eulogy for Rightttcomplain may set a new record for the utterance of the N-word in any time frame.

Story continues

Davis also blows the roof off the Publics tiny LuEsther Theater before the hope of that election collapses into a socio-political apocalypse thats effectively visualized in Nishikawas set, Adam Honores lighting and Emily Auciellos explosive sound design. After this gotterdammerung, its no wonder Peachs station at the airport gate is jam-packed. Nishikawas set alone induces severe agoraphobia, with that huge airplane looming ominously outside the window.

Repeatedly, Coopers writing delivers sustained absurdist comedy that comes crashing down at scenes end, only to pick back up again for yet another wild ride through bigoted modernAmerica.

Also Read: 'Nantucket Sleigh Ride' Theater Review: John Guare Takes a Big Dip Off the Island

This young playwrights satire takes no prisoners. The new gender vocabulary gets a send-up in the Real Housewives reunion when one white woman, born Rachel but now calling herself Rachonda (the ferocious Simone Recasner), claims to be transracial, has the hair if not the skin to prove it, and gets into a fight with the black women (Fedna Jacquet, Ebony Marshall-Oliver and Crystal Lucas-Perry, being equally fierce) who think she had a choice in her transformation.

Recasners transracial woman is a first in the theater, and no actor will be able ever to erase Rachondas first defiant, proud, self-pitying footsteps. Davis returns in this vignette to parody an Andy Cohen who turns his gayness on and off at will, and dares to wear black mesh on-camera. Kudos to Montana Levi Blancos outrageous costumes and Cookie Jordans equally over-the-top hair, wigs and makeup.

Later in Aint No Mo, a wealthy black family finds its dinner interrupted when the long-held captive in their basement escapes to torment them. Lucas-Perrys impersonation of blackness embodies everything this family doesnt want to admit about its status in the United States. And once again, Cooper runs the gamut, from the outlandishly ridiculous to the grimly irrational.

Also Read: 'The Mother' Theater Review: An Empty Nest Imprisons Isabelle Huppert

Stevie Walker-Webbs direction makes repeated and awesome leaps, but he and Cooper are equally good at depicting life in between the extremes. A widow (Jacquet) saying goodbye to the ghost of her murdered husband (Davis) and the release of two prisoners (Jacquet and Lucas-Perry) from jail are moments that deliver a grounding pathos.

These two pivotal scenes have their fantastical elements too, but the outrage regarding a country gone wrong feels rawest here. And Cooper suddenly whips out that cushion of comedy from under us. Some wounds arent supposed to heal.

Read original story Aint No Mo Theater Review: Barack Obama Pilots a One-Way Flight to Africa in This Sharp Satire At TheWrap
A spring release is planned for Alyssa Milanos podcast Sorry Not Sorry.

The weekly podcast, according to Milano, will tackle social, political and cultural issues from the perspective of unapologetic guests while highlighting activists doing amazing things and grassroots efforts throughout the country. The podcast will focus on shaping narratives and changing hearts and minds to bridge the ideologies of a divided nation.

Related stories

Dozens Of Hollywood Actors Pledge To Battle Georgia Filming If "Heartbeat Bill" Passes

The podcast includes interviews with VP Joe Biden, Congressman Ro Khanna, Frances Fisher, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, Congresswoman Jayapal, Manuel Oliver, and others. Future interviews include Stacey Abrams, Mayor Eric Garcetti, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, and Terry Crews.

Im not sorry for using my voice. Im not sorry for making people uncomfortable while being the voice for those who have been silenced, explained Milano. I am grateful for this opportunity to instigate empathy and conversation while highlighting the people leading change by service throughout our great country.

Milano stars in Netflixs Insatiable, which is currently in production in Georgia on its second season. She recently penned an op-ed titled When It Comes to Womens Rights in Georgia, Hollywood Is Silent, about the current Heartbeat Bill that is up for a vote Tuesday in the states House. Milano has urged Hollywood, which utilizes Georgias expansive film and TV tax incentives, to boycott the state if the bill, which would become one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the nation, passes.

Sorry Not Sorry stems from Milanos passion for causes that she has championed for decades. It began when she was a teenager kissing Ryan White on national television in efforts to help destigmatize and reduce irrational fears surrounding HIV/AIDS. She was worked to advance the #MeToo and TimesUp movements, and recently joined the ERA Coalitions Advisory Council. She is the ACLUs Ambassador for Reproductive Rights, became one of the founders of NoRA, a coalition dedicated to combatting NRA money in political campaigns following the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, and has been a long-time UNICEF National Ambassador, receiving its Spirit of Compassion Award in 2016 for her dedication to advocating for the protection of childrens rights. She also has lobbied members of Congress for greater immigrant rights and education reform, and has been a leader on efforts to protect Americans health coverage.

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Milano career began in the 1980s with her breakout role as Samantha on the sitcom Whos the Boss? and spanned decades with parts on hits Melrose Place and Charmed. She also was seen on Netflixs Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later, and has appeared in over 20 films.

Alyssa Milano: Sorry Not Sorry will be executive produced by Sim Sarna (Anna Faris is Unqualified) and Milano. It will be available for free on Apple Podcasts.

Milano and Sarna are both repped by CAA.

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Hong Kong: FS opens Disneyland new adventure

Financial Secretary Paul Chan

We're here today to formally launch "Ant-Man & The Wasp: Nano Battle!" This high-tech interactive adventure is the first Marvel attraction based on the Ant-Man & The Wasp movie at any Disney theme park in the world.

It's also brilliantly linked to Hong Kong Disneyland's "Iron Man Experience". Thrill seekers, myself included of course, get to join Ant-Man, the Wasp and Iron Man as they battle it out with Hydra and the Swarmbots in defence of Hong Kong.

The adventure's state-of-the-art gaming features are cinematic in scope, production values and storytelling. Not surprising, given that Ant-Man director Peyton Reed and his movie production team helped in producing this attraction. And that Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly, also known as Ant-Man and the Wasp, also star in Disneyland's Nano Battle.

What makes the innovative experience even more inviting is the local storyline created just for Hong Kong Disneyland. And down the road, I know there will be more Marvel superheroes to marvel over, creating Asia's ultimate hub of exciting Marvel experiences at Hong Kong Disneyland in the years to come.

Hong Kong Disneyland has been a major tourist attraction since it opened in 2005, attracting more than 77 million visitors from all over the world to date, here to enjoy the Disney magic. That, in turn, has brought significant economic benefits and employment opportunities to our tourism-related businesses.

The Disney magic will continue to bring us fabulous attractions, including a reimagined castle with new stage shows, and a novel theme area featuring the princesses Elsa and Anna from the mega-hit movie Frozen.

Hong Kong's expanding ties with the Mainland of China, including the opening of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the Hong Kong section of the high-speed rail between Guangdong, Shenzhen and Hong Kong, will create new markets, and new fans, for Hong Kong Disneyland. Even more so as the vast Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development comes together, over the years and the decades.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan gave these remarks at the Hong Kong Disneyland "Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle!" opening ceremony on March 28.

This story has been published on: 2019-03-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Amanda Knox may return to Italy  eventually.

At the Death Becomes Us true crime festival in New York City last weekend, Knox, 31, spoke out about plans to return to Italy, according to The International Business Times.

I have an amazing family and friends and an incredible support network. But you have got to face up to your fears alone if you want to heal, and I know the main thing that still terrifies me most is returning to Italy, Knox said, the outlet reports.

Its something I know I have to do, and I will do it, but it really does scare me  I know I have to go back at some point, Ive just got to prepare myself for it, she reportedly added.

This is a desire Knox also expressed in a 2017 interview with PEOPLE, during which she said, Perugia is probably the least welcome place for me in the entire world. And thats scary. But the only way that Im going to come full circle is by physically, literally, coming full circle.

Related: Amanda Knox, Four Years After Acquittal: Her Life Today

Knox was an American student studying abroad in Perugia in 2007 when she was accused of brutally murdering her roommate, Meredith Kercher, who was found dead in her bedroom on November 2. It was a dramatic case that saw controversial twists for years to come.

Knox and her then-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, were both convicted for the murder of Kercher, 21, a British exchange student who lived with Knox in Perugia. Prosecutors alleged the crime had taken place during a sex game run amok, though hard evidence against the young couple was scant.

Knox and Sollecito spent four years in prison before their convictions were overturned in 2011. However, the pair were convicted again in absentia in 2013 before being acquitted again in 2015.

 Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.

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Rudy Guede, a Perugia-based bartender, is currently serving a 16-year sentence for Kerchers murder, NBC News reports.

I am tremendously relieved and grateful for the decision of the Supreme Court of Italy, Knox said when her conviction was definitively overturned by Italys highest court on March 27, 2015, according to the New York Times. The knowledge of my innocence has given me strength in the darkest times of this ordeal.

In January 2019, the European Court of Human Rights ordered Italy to pay $20,000 in damages to Knox for failing to provide her legal assistance during her initial questioning after Kerchers murder, according to the AP.
Dont pass the bong to Chris Evans.

The Avengers: Endgame star tells The Hollywood Reporter hes chilled out on weed.

I used to love it, but now I think its the one thing that gets in my way, the actor, 37, explains. It zaps your motivation. I think apathy kind of bleeds in, and you start to think, Well, Im not apathetic, I just dont feel like doing that. And its like, no  you would feel like doing that if you werent stoned.

Evans met with Rep. Earl Blumenauer of Oregon earlier this month to discuss marijuana reform, as well as voting rights and bipartisanship in our current political times.

Enjoyed speaking with Captain America, @ChrisEvans, about marijuana reform, voting rights, and bipartisanship in times of division in the nations capital, Blumenauer tweeted on March 8. I can do this all day!

Enjoyed speaking with Captain America, @ChrisEvans, about marijuana reform, voting rights, and bipartisanship in times of division in the nation's capital.



I can do this all day! pic.twitter.com/eNy03QUvSB  Earl Blumenauer (@repblumenauer) March 8, 2019

When speaking with ComingSoon.net in 2011, Evans reacted with shock when he found out his interviewer had never done drugs.

REALLY!?? Youre missing out, dude! Evans said, adding, Lets smoke some weed, bro!

RELATED VIDEO: Charlize Theron Reveals Her Mom Supplies Her with Marijuana: You Cant Have Her, Shes All Mine

Evans in L.A. on Feb. 24.

But now, Evans feels hes aged out of blazing up.

You know  Im 37, he continues to THR. I cant be smoking weed all the time. Thats crazy.

Avengers: Endgame opens April 26.
President Donald Trump inexplicably took another shot at Jussie Smollett on Saturday night when he brought up the Empire stars case for no real reason whatsoever. Trump was at a rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin when he said that he had never heard the term MAGA country until that third rate actor in Chicago went []

Donald Trump Jussie SMollett

Donald Trump did everything but call the Jussie Smollett case fake news!

The president woke up on Thursday morning and fired up the Twitter machine, ranting about Mexico, CNN, MSNBC, Rep. Adam Schiff and the decision by prosecutors to drop charges against the Empire star.

FBI & DOJ to review the outrageous Jussie Smollett case in Chicago, Trump tweeted. It is an embarrassment to our Nation!

Late Wednesday night, several outlets reported that the FBI had launched a probe into why the Cook County States Attorneys Office dropped the case.

As The Blast previously reported, Jussie Smollett was never worried about the case going trial because he was always confident he would emerge victorious.

Sources close to Smollett tell The Blast that the Empire star was never considering a plea deal in the case. Were told Smollett was always adamant in his belief that all charges against him should be dropped.

Prosecutors in Chicago surprised everyone on Tuesday when they dropped all charges against the Empire star over allegations he lied to police in faking an alleged hate crime against himself.

The Office of Cook County States Attorney released a statement saying, After reviewing all of the facts and circumstances of the case, including Mr. Smolletts volunteer service in the community and agreement to forfeit his bond to the City of Chicago, we believe this outcome is a just disposition and appropriate resolution to this case.

Smollett spoke to the media after the charges were dropped and maintained that he has been telling the truth about his attack since the beginning. He, I have been truthful and consistent on every single level since day one. I would not be my mothers son if I was capable of one drop of what I have been accused of.

The post Donald Trump Slams Outrageous Jussie Smollett Investigation, Vows Federal Probe appeared first on The Blast.
US, Lupita Nyong'o, 2019. ph: Claudette Barius / Universal / courtesy Everett Collection

So much of Jordan Peele's second feature film, Us, is genuinely horrifying. The trailers are just creepy enough to intrigue us, and the haunting remix of "I Got 5 on It" by Luniz dictates its whole chilling vibe. Plus, the very premise of the film is terrifying - fans were so desperate to make sense of it all that they thought up their own wild theories practically seconds after the trailer debuted. But no theory could come close to the actual ending of the film, which we're here to discuss, below.

Warning: major spoilers for Us ahead!

Who Are the "Tethered"?

In the beginning of Us, we meet the Wilson family: Adelaide and Gabe (Lupita Nyong'o and Black Panther's Winston Duke) and their kids, Zora and Jason (Shahadi Wright Joseph and Evan Alex). The four travel to Adelaide's childhood vacation home in Santa Cruz, CA, for an idyllic Summer getaway, but it's hard for Adelaide to unwind because she's haunted by a trauma that happened there when she was a kid. It all comes to light after a day on the beach with their family friends, Kitty and Josh Tyler (Elisabeth Moss and Tim Heidecker, respectively).

Adelaide reveals to Gabe that when she was a child, she went with her parents to an amusement park on her birthday and wandered into a house of mirrors attraction alone. While she was in there, a storm cut the lights and she stumbled into a section of the funhouse where she ran into a little girl who looked exactly like her, down to her pigtails and the "Thriller" t-shirt she was wearing. Adult Adelaide tells Gabe that she ran out after that, but he finds it hard to believe her story until the entire family is soon confronted by demonic versions of themselves (who we learn are called the "Tethered") later that same night.

As the film proceeds, we see the Wilson family battle their doubles as Red (Adelaide's jumpsuit-wearing double who is the only Tethered to actually speak) leads them to attack the family. The Wilsons are able to escape long enough to catch the demise of the Tylers and learn from a news program that the entire country is under attack by murderous doubles. This leads Adelaide to declare that they're driving to Mexico to escape. By this point, both Gabe and Zora are able to kill their Tethered doppelgangers, Abraham and Umbrae. The family then begins their drive out of California, but they're stopped when they encounter Jason's masked doppelganger, Pluto, in front of a burning car in the middle of the road.

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Related:

What's Wrong With Lupita Nyong'o's Voice in Us Movie?

Us: The Voice Lupita Nyong'o's Evil Character Uses Was Inspired by a Real Person

Jason manages to manipulate Pluto into committing suicide by using the latter's innate urge to mirror his movements and have him walk into the blaze. Red kidnaps Jason while everyone's attention is on Pluto, which forces Adelaide to run after them. The chase leads Adelaide back to the funhouse from her childhood, and she somehow knows exactly where to go to find Red (this is important!): an underground tunnel with multiple rooms filled with rabbit cages, bunk beds, and classrooms. Adelaide comes across Red in one of the classrooms as the latter stands in front of the board, cutting figures out of construction paper as she reveals the truth behind the Tethered and why they've come.

US, Lupita Nyong'o as doppelganger Red, 2019. ph: Claudette Barius / Universal / courtesy Everett Collection

Why Did the Tethered Choose to Attack?

Red explains that the Tethered came to be as a government project, initially created to control the people they were modeled after. When they realized that the Tethered only replicated the bodies of their originals and not their souls, the government left them to ruin in the tunnels. Red has always been different from the others, though - she can speak and seems generally more intelligent than them. In response, they make her their leader, and she comes up with an idea for how to rebel against their originals. As we see, their plan is to kill their originals and form a line inspired by the 1986 charity event Hands Across America, in which people joined hands in a human chain for 15 minutes. According to Red, the line is a symbolic act to bring awareness to the Tethered's existence.

After this reveal, Adelaide and Red engage in a fierce battle that sees Adelaide suffer two stabbings from Red's golden scissors before she manages to impale the other with her fire poker. When Red slumps down, she begins whistling the tune we hear Adelaide whistle as a child in the house of mirrors. Adelaide leans over to choke Red with the chain of her handcuffs, letting out a guttural scream when the other finally dies. She finds Jason hiding in one of the lockers nearby and attempts to reassure him that everything is all right, but he seems scared of her now.

Related:

What Are the Hidden Meanings and Easter Eggs in Us?

The 17 Most Striking Pop Culture References and Easter Eggs in Jordan Peele's Us

What Is the Twist in Us?

Us's final reveal comes as the entire Wilson family reunites and continues their drive out of California. Adelaide has a flashback to her childhood, where we see her in the house of mirrors that connects to the home of the Tethered's underground. As young Adelaide (played by Madison Curry) encounters her double in the dark, we see that the young doppelganger actually knocks her out and drags her underground into the tunnel and switches places with her. The "real" Red leaves Adelaide handcuffed to a bunk bed and takes her place in the world above; this is why Adelaide's parents felt their daughter had changed after the day at the beach, why "Red" is the only Tethered who can speak, and why she leads a rebellion.

Back in the present day, the false Adelaide smiles as she realizes she's safe from being found out. That is, until she turns to see her son, Jason, staring at her with a suspicious expression on his face from the passenger side of the car. Even though she smiles at him, he turns away, pulling his mask back onto his face as if shutting himself away from his false mother.

The film ends with a view of the state of California, where the Tethered can be seen forming their human chain for miles. The Wilsons may have survived the film, but they'll probably never know that they're actually with the real Red, and they'll never really know who their wife/mother is. The monster is a part of "us," no matter how hard we try to bury it.
On Wednesday Facebook announced that as of next week praise, support and representation of white nationalism and separatism will be banned on both Facebook and Instagram, the companys flagship social media platforms which are collectively used by billions of people.

Its clear that these concepts are deeply linked to organized hate groups and have no place on our services, Facebook said in a news release about the ban.

Until now, Facebook said it had considered nationalism and separatism tamer issues than white supremacy, which it has long prohibited.

But over the past three months our conversations with members of civil society and academics who are experts in race relations around the world have confirmed that white nationalism and separatism cannot be meaningfully separated from white supremacy and organized hate groups, the company stated in its release.

Going forward, the release continued, while people will still be able to demonstrate pride in their ethnic heritage, we will not tolerate praise or support for white nationalism and separatism.

Facebook also announced it would start connecting people who search for terms associated with white supremacy to resources focused on helping people leave behind hate groups.

Specifically users will be pointed toward Life After Hate, an organization founded by former violent extremists that provides crisis intervention, education, support groups and outreach, according to the Facebook release.

RELATED: David Dukes Godson Derek Black Fully Embraced White Nationalism  Until Friends Opened His Eyes

Facebook further said Wednesday it was continuing to improve how it was finding and removing hate from our platforms.

Over the past few years we have improved our ability to use machine learning and artificial intelligence to find material from terrorist groups, the company stated. Last fall, we started using similar tools to extend our efforts to a range of hate groups globally, including white supremacists. Were making progress, but we know we have a lot more work to do.

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The company has previously faced criticism for the lines it drew between what is acceptable if provocative and what is unacceptable, such as racist content. Its difficulties screening objectionable material made headlines when a mass shooter uploaded video of the attack on two New Zealand mosques earlier this month.

As leading technology companies such as Facebook and Google have continued to hold significant sway over the time and attention of daily internet users, their practices have come under greater and greater scrutiny  including the threat of increased government regulation.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who is one of the most prominent politicians seeking to challenge President Donald Trump in 2020, has called for the breakup of Amazon, Facebook and Google.

The companys white nationalist ban was applauded by some observers, according to the New York Times.

Still, cautioned one civil rights attorney, We need to know how Facebook will define white nationalist and white separatist content.

For example, will it include expressions of anti-Muslim, anti-Black, anti-Jewish, anti-immigrant and anti-LGBTQ sentiment  all underlying foundations of white nationalism? Madihha Ahussain told the Times. Further, if the policy lacks robust, informed and assertive enforcement, it will continue to leave vulnerable communities at the mercy of hate groups.
Nearly four years after Kathie Lee Gifford said goodbye to her husband Frank Gifford, shes open to romance again.

I had a great love, Gifford, 65, tells PEOPLE in this weeks issue (on stands Friday) about Frank, who died in August 2015 at age 84. How many people have great love?

Over the course of their nearly 30-year marriage (they wed in 1986), Gifford and Frank welcomed two children: Cody, 29, and Cassidy, 25.

Frank Gifford, Cody Gifford, Cassidy Gifford and Kathie Lee Gifford | Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic

Now that her time at the Today show is coming to an end, and her son and daughter are living across the country in Los Angeles, the mother of two is ready to embrace her new chapter of life  including dating.

I had a friend of mine who asked me a couple of years ago after Frank passed, he said, Sorry, I guess Frank was the love of your life, right?  And I said so far. I was kind of surprised by my answer because it was like optimistic, so far, says Gifford.

Frank Gifford and Kathie Lee Gifford | Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic

RELATED: Kathie Lee Gifford Opens Up About Leaving Today After Becoming a Widow and an Empty-Nester

Love can happen at any time, she shares. And then he said, Ive never had a love like that in my life. I said, Not yet. I have, but that doesnt mean I cant have another one. And he hasnt, but that doesnt mean he wont.

For more from Kathie Lee Gifford, pick up this weeks issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday

Perry Hagopian

While Gifford is making herself available to the dating scene  Ive only had one date in three-and-a-half years, she says  she isnt rushing love.

Im not interested in something that isnt magnificent, she says.

Now, as she prepares for her final broadcast on the Today show on April 5, shes also looking forward to her full-time move to Nashville, Tennessee, where shell be focusing on her music career.

RELATED: Kathie Lee Gifford Says Shes Still Close with Matt Lauer: Thats What Friendship Means to Me

While she has no plans to get rid of the Gifford family home in Connecticut, Giffords excited about her relocation.

I moved to Nashville to save my life, she says.

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Cassidy Gifford, Kathie Lee Gifford and Cody Gifford | Buckner/Variety/REX/Shutterstock

I just know that creatively, Im an artist. Artists need to create, or they die on the vine and that was what was going to happen to me. I saw it happening and it was not healthy. And I said, Im moving to this place where Ive been going down every weekend and hanging out with those people,  she explains of Music City. You walk down the streets and little towns in the Nashville area, theres church bells ringing.

Although the transition from the Big Apple to Tennessee is bittersweet, Gifford, who is a devout Christian, is leaning on her faith as she steps into this new season of life.

If you keep God in the equation, He knows your needs, He knows your desires. He knows everything before we even speak. He knows our hearts. He knows my hearts desire is to be a fulfilled, complete human being, she says.

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Kathie Lee Gifford | Brian Doben

Do I need a man in my life? Well, Ive got Cody, she says of her son. Ive got a man in my life. Ive got great male friends. Do I need companionship? Yes, I do, and thats one of the main reasons I moved to Nashville.

Says Gifford, Not that Im looking for a man. What Im looking for is an active, vibrant life.
Earlier today, we reported that Rammstein had issued a teaser video in advance of their new album, which is expected to arrive this spring. Now, government officials and Jewish leaders in Rammsteins home country of Germany are accusing the band of using Holocaust imagery in the 30-second clip.

The video (seen below) shows Rammstein frontman Till Lindemann and his bandmates with nooses around their necks, in striped prison uniforms. While there is no direct reference to the Holocaust in the brief clip, the German newspaper Bild has collected quotes from government officials and Jewish leaders that condemn the video.

Reuters has offered a translation of a few of the quotes, with Charlotte Knobloch, the former president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, telling Bild, With this video, the band has crossed a line. The instrumentalization and trivialization of the Holocaust, as shown in the images, is irresponsible.

Felix Klein, the German governments commissioner for anti-semitism, added, I think it is a tasteless exploitation of artistic freedom.

At the end of the video teaser appears the title card, Deutschland XXVIII.III.MMXIX. The Roman numerals translate to 28.3.2019, suggesting that the full video could be unveiled tomorrow, at which time the context of the video may come to light.

Other video clips and images released show the severed head of Lindemann being held by a Queen-like figure.

As of yet, Rammstein have not responded to the condemnation.

Update 3/28: Rammstein have released the full music video for Deutschland. It is posted below the teaser.
Since the 90s, anyone with an internet connection has been able to log in to forums and blog comment sections to argue about rap music. Regardless of age, location, or even a basic knowledge of the music, you could talk shit about someone elses favorite rapper, and then promote your new mixtape from the safety of your own home.

With the rise of social media, the go-to places for rap discussions have changed over the years, but many of the comments themselves remain. What were left with is a time capsule of sorts: a snapshot of what fans of hip-hop have talked about in different decades.

Ive spent weeks digging through forum posts dating from the late 90s to the early 2010s. And what have I learned? In some ways, not a lot has changed over the years.

In 1999, people were already making threads saying hip-hop is dying. Each generation, fans have blamed the newest wave of rappers for ruining rap.

If you turn back the clocks a decade, you can find people already talking about missing the old Kanye.

forums-old-ye

(Hopefully, Barrikade is still holding tight for Good Ass Job.)

For years, fans have been going online to debate the definition of rap. What would Suave Nyc1 think of an artist like Lil Pump in 1999?

forums-suavenyc

Most of these threads went unnoticed at the time, but in retrospect, they were prophetic. For example, one user was hyping up Cash Money Records in 1998 (just before their big deal with Universal), and shared a link to their Angelfire website. Best of all, its still online and (somewhat) viewable here.

forums-cash-money1

Whoever posted that was right: Cash Money did blow up, and they even stuck around longer than No Limit Records. Unfortunately, the two movies mentioned in the post didnt stand the test of time. Ball Til U Fall was only posted online for the first time in late 2017 by Hot Boy Turk, and there are no results online for anything from Cash Money around that era called Welcome to New Orleans.

cash-money-website

As far as I can tell, Cash Money Records is the only multi-million dollar record label that still has a running Angelfire page.

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Typos and all, the main page includes the bold declaration: Introducing the label that will take the world by storm in the next year. Cash Money Records, brought to you by super producer Mannie Fresh, is about to blow up the scene. For many years the label has been a force to be reckon with in the underground scene in New Orleans, Louisiana. But now, hot off a national distribution deal with Universal Records, Cash Money Records is about to inbed it's name in the minds of all hip-hop fans.

Fantasies about the future of rap have always been a popular topic in online hip-hop discussions. Looking back, some wild dreams actually came true.

forums-surgical-summer

If Reed from the missinfo.tv comment section is still around, he finally got what he was hoping for last summer. The prayers of Young Money and G.O.O.D. Music fans in 2012 were finally answered when the beef was reignited with Pushas Infrared. Fans had first speculated about what would come of an all-out beef between the two camps after Wayne responded to Pusha Ts Exodus 23:1 with Ghoulish in early 2012, which was received as an overall weak rebuttal.

forums-pusha-will-eat-you-alive-copy

Making bold claims about the best to ever do it has also been a favorite pastime of internet commenters for decades. A few months after the release of Eminems debut album, Infinite, in 1997, user DJ AMF made a thread claiming Eminem was The BEST White Rapper.

forums-eminem

His thread finally got its first reply 20 years later.

Of course, for every thread where it appears fans were able to see into the future, you have to sort through hundreds of predictions that didnt quite work out.

Even though JAY-Z and Beyonce had been spotted together numerous times dating back to 2003, users still werent convinced that their relationship was the real deal in 2005. This post on the rapmusic.com forum was only one of many comments from that year about JAY and Beyonces publicity stunt of a relationship.

forums-jay-and-bey

Every year, there are dozens of threads where users try to predict the end of rap.

forums-2015

forums-2005

Two days before the release of The Massacre, which sold 1.15 million copies in its first week, one user guaranteed that 50 Cents career would be over by July of that year.

forums-50-career

Doubts about Kanyes future also span decades. Two weeks before the release of Kanye Wests Late Registration, Neyedus (and many other commenters) decided that it was time for Kanye to give up the idea that he could be a rapper and a producer.

Im sure none of these commenters could have imagined that people would be analyzing the things that they wrote over a decade later. But without realizing it, theyve created a documented history of what rap fans were thinking, allowing us to look back and see how people reacted to events that would go on to remembered as historic moments of the genre. Specific predictions are wrong, but as it turns out, many of the same conversations keep repeating themselves.

More from Complex
LILLE, France  Series Manias Forum wrapped Wednesday, the festival proper on Saturday night. Here are 10 takeaways on events to date at the biggest edition ever:

1.NETFLIX: NO IN-HOUSE PRODUCTION IN FRANCE, BUT BEYOND?

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The role of the independent producer in an Over-the-Top platform world proved the No. 1 talking point of Series Mania.

Producers fears are double-fold: Not retaining any rights to what they produce: being totally sidelined by streaming giants producing talent directly. If Series Mania served to suggest one thing, it is that the jury is still out on how this issue will play out. Especially with more OTT players coming online, nothing seems written in stone. At one of the TV festivals key panels, Developing French Content for and with Netflix, asked whether Netflix would in-house produce in France. Damien Couvreur, director international originals France, said that Netflix was doing it in the U.S., to a certain extent in other territories. In France, its hard to say no, but its not the case right now. Could hiked competition in the OTT space make OTT players more flexible? Some new U.S. platforms are coming with a producer friendly placard, remarked producer Caroline Benjo at Haut et Court (Les Revenants).

But producers should be offensive, not defensive, she added. Haut et Court is starting to develop a horizontal concentration of producers, she added. That would give them more leverage when negotiating with platforms. Companies may also address the rights issue head on. One role of Endeavor Content is to help creators, whether artists or producers, to really find the best path to maximize ownership, ECs Lorenzo De Maio said at the Lille Transatlantic Dialogues.

2.TF1-NETFLIXS MILESTONE: LE BAZAR DE LA CHARITE

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The mantra from Netflix was no one size fits all. A case in point: the deal between TF1, Frances biggest broadcast network, and Netflix, on Le Bazar de la Charite. Its a big swing for TF1, a big-budget period piece, which is not TF1 speciality, TF1 CEO Gilles Pelisson explained at Series Manias Lille Transatlantic Dialogues. Enter Netflix. Both partners pre-financed, sharing risk. Netflix has acquired rights for four years, after which they revert to TF1. This is more or less unprecedented for us. Its a win-win partnership, said Pelisson.

Its very important to acknowledge the challenges broadcasters are experiencing in their own markets, Sara May, director content acquisitions EMEA, commented at the Netflix France panel. Here, Netflix can be complementary, not a rival, she added. Finding the right way to be complementary is not always easy, she commented. Netflix and broadcasters are learning as they go.

Sylvie Testud

3.SOME COMPETITION FRONTRUNNERS

Shane Meadows The Virtues, Dominik Molls Eden and Chimerica have played very well in competition. Baghdad Central is a highly-anticipated late entry on Friday. At least two illustrate European production trends, pinpointed by Eurodata TVs Avril Blondelot at a Lille Transatlantic Dialogues presentation: Dramas can feature fathers who are not perfect role-models (The Virtues); families at risk crime thrillers, grounded in real historical circumstance (Baghdad Central). The latter marks European series apart from North American shows where threats often have a paranormal or fantasy source, she added. 1990s Paris lesbian nightclub drama Purple, which won the Series Mania Forum Co-pro Pitching Award, illustrates a further trend: Period emancipation dramas.

The-Virtues

4.DEALS: EUROPE SCALES UP

Shekhar Kapur will direct Ibis Trilogy, set against the backdrop of the opium trade between Britain, India and China, Endemol Shine Group announced to Variety at Series Mania.

The Alliance  France Televisions, Germanys ZDF and Italys Rai  unveiled a fourth title, Around the World in 80 Days.

Federation will co-produce Marcel Proust masterpiece In Search of Lost Time, adapted by actor-director Guillaume Gallienne. Following on The Name of the Rose, Orange revealed four new series, led by English-language cyber-thriller Unpunished. Beta Film is in production on Babylon Berlin 3. The first series cost a reported 2.5 million a title. Given its huge success, a third will predictably not be cheaper.

Our ambition is to create a major high-end franchise for the international market, matching the scale and epic sweep of the Ibis novels, said ESGs Lars Blomgren. But it is making series on a bigger canvas. Outside Germany and Spain, Europes powerhouses may not, curiously, be making many more drama series. One reason: They are scaling up, pouring resources into making high-end event series. The Alliance creates a European alternative to the new global players, said RAIs Eleonora Andreatta. Europes big series push also reflects emerging new market realities. There is a squeeze on international. International markets cannot absorb everything being produced. Buyers now have a big choice of series, Beta Film CEO said at a Series Mania keynote. Scaling up threatens profit margins, but allows Europe to remain competitive in an ever more competitive market.

5.RECOGNIZING ISRAEL

What are the worlds hot TV growth-spots? Israel, and Eastern Europe, said Jan Mojto, CEO of Beta Film, which is already moving energetically into Spain. Series Mania bore him out. Just For Today, showrun by Nir Bergman (In Treatment), is another buzzed up main International Competition contender. Its main virtue  taut screenwriting, large ethical dilemmas  is also on display in social issue thriller Asylum City, another Yes Studios title, from Eitan Zur and Uzi Weil, set on the mean streets of South Tel Avivs heaving melting pot. Series Mania is now strengthening its connection with Israel, teaming with Frances CNC film-TV agency and Israels Gesher Multicultural Film Fund to create a first-ever French-Israeli writing residency. Framed by two workshops  in Israel this fall, in France spring 2020, with projects presented at Series Mania  the Residency  a creative incubator, said the CNCs president, Frederique Bredin  will forge creative friendships which last a lifetime. Expect more Israelis in French writing rooms, and vice versa. The benefits will be mutual.

6.FRANCE HIKES TV SERIES SUPPORT

At the closing keynote to Series Manias Lille Transatlantic Dialogues, French Culture Minister Franck Riester confirmed the launch of a new funding scheme for one-hour and half-hour French series, to be implemented by Frances CNC National Film Board. Plan Series is aimed at encouraging the creation of original shows appeal that can appeal to younger audiences and travel abroad, Riester said. Under the scheme, a 25% financial bonus will be given to French producers who manage to raise a significant part of their series budget from international sources, plus a 25% bonus to help fund second seasons in order to reduce the wait between first and second seasons of French shows.

7.SPOT THE DIFFERENCE: AMAZON AND NETFLIX

SVOD operators are sometimes all lumped in the same YA-targeting container. Thats a misconception. I often say that we want the best favorite show of everyone in the house. We want to make sure that everyone finds something for them on the site; that means from our youngest members to our oldest members, said Damien Couvreur. Streaming services, also, are hardly strategic clones. Its never been our initiative to export Hollywood to the world. Our goal is to bring the greatest storytelling in the world to the world, Sarandos said at Lille.

Were looking for local shows for local markets, Amazon Studios Georgia Brown said just a few hours later. Thats a telling contrast. Producers should take note.

8.WIDENING THE GOALPOSTS: NEW GEOGRAPHICAL REALITIES

The worlds smaller, demands bigger, producer Alex Berger said at Lille Transatlantic Diaologues centerpiece panel on independent production. And how. For 120 years, film and then TV industries have been treated as national entities. Its status as national culture was the only way, in the final instance, to justify state protectionism for a countrys film industry. Now new paradigms are setting in. One guideline  though nothing more  to the budget for Netflix French productions is their potential market in and outside France, Netflixs Diego Bunuel said at the Netflix in France panel. Domestic markets, once enclosed in national borders, are ever more a question of language. Ted Sarandos announced at the Lille Transatlantic Dialogues, during his on-stage conversation with Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones, that Netflix in France has 15 shows or movies in various states of production. That compares to 50 in Mexico. Netflix of course bowed in Mexico three years before its France launch in Sept. 2014. More to the point, perhaps, the Spanish-speaking world has 477 million daily speakers, the French 235 million; One reason why on April 4 Netflix will bow its first European production hub in Madrid.

9.NEWSFLOW

Atresmedia in co-production with Mediapros Madrid-based Big Bang Media, announced details on upcoming Perdida, including main actress Ana Maria Orozco, Colombias original Ugly Betty.

Federation, one of the markets liveliest players, confirmed international rights on heartwarming Israeli series On the Spectrum, as well as French competition player Torn.

About Premium Content announced a rebranding as APC, reflecting the companys push into production, finance and distribution of upscale projects.

Beta Film acquired international sales rights to upcoming crime drama The Pleasure Principle, teaming Ukrainian broadcaster 1 + 1, Canal Plus Poland and Czech TV, hailed as the first-ever co-production between three Eastern European territories.

Italys RAI TV will link with Endemol Shine Italy on While I Was Away, a drama about a woman who wakes from a coma.

10.SERIES MANIAS CUP FLOWETH OVER

Everybodys heard of peak TV. But what about peak TV festivals? The 10th Series Mania demonstrated a hallmark of informed good taste in lineup, forum projects and stars  Uma Thurman, Freddie Highmore, both highly articulate. The Lille Transatlantic Dialogues attracted the industrys real, not touted, decision-makers, led by Ted Sarandos and the high command of French TV. Tracking to reach 2,500 delegates, however, the Forum has, in the space of two editions, outgrown its physical facilities at Lilles Gran Palais conference center, having to turn away delegates who queued in vain for some of its biggest draw panels and keynotes. That is a metaphor for the dramatic growth of the drama series sector as a whole of course. Going forward  and Series Mania has huge momentum  the TV festival-market will have to choose between larger conference rooms or a more boutique event.

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The first scene of Channel 4s upcoming Baghdad Central, created and written by Stephen Butchard and lead-directed by Alice Troughton, captures, with a jolt, the hectic hubbub of an ordinary street scene in Baghdad: One man fixes a container, banging it rhythmically as if it were a drum; theres the table of street conversation, a car tooting, people throwing a dice, a woman selling fruit.

Produced by Fremantles Euston Films and sold by Fremantle, Baghdad Central surprises in other ways. Apart from a brief prelude, it unspools from November 2003, when Baghdad has fallen to Coalition forces, but is told majorly from the point of view of normal occupied Iraqis, especially former inspector Muhsin al-Khafaji of the Iraqi police, once an upright respected cop, and his two daughters, the gravely ill Mrouj (July Namir, (Homeland, Collateral) and the estranged Sawsan (Leem Lubany, Omar, Condor).

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The Americans, are the but of their barbs, barbarians who want to secure the country, have little idea how.

When Sansaw goes missing, Khafali begins to suspect she has joined the resistance. Offered a job as police by Frank Temple (Bertie Carvel, Jonathan Strange), an ex-British cop working for the Coalition, Khafaji accepts in order to get Green Zone medical treatment for Mrouj and also get to Sawsan before Coalition forces do.

With the wound daily tension of a mafia movie  as a collaborator, Khafali could be shot at any moment  Baghdad Central builds very fast into a survival thriller set in a foreign land, and told from an unusual POV, but utterly relatable as human drama. And Khafaji emerges as a hero for the times.

Kate Harwood, Butchard and Troughton serve as executive producers, Jonathan Curling (The Secret) as producer.

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Variety talked to BAFTA-nominated Butchard (The Last Kingdom, House of Saddam) before the series world premiere in main International Competition at Series Mania:

My impression is that you wanted to create a series which was totally foreign in setting and main protagonists, Khafaji and Mrouj, and totally relatable in its backbone: Khafajis battle to save his daughters, whatever it takes. Could you comment?

I think your impression is absolutely correct  what make this story universal or international is that at its core, is the relationship between and the love of a father for his daughters. His daughters are in danger and therefore he must and will do everything in his power to help them, in this case, survive. The backdrop of Iraq in 2003 adds a real and constant danger, as well as a political and global event that has rarely been explored from the viewpoint of an ordinary family; this adds texture, intrigue, suspense and of course threat  but the family remain front and centre.

Baghdad Central soon emerges as a portrait of Khafaji, described by Kate Harwood as a hero for the modern age. Would you agree with Kate?

I certainly wouldnt disagree with Kate  she far too bright and clever. For me, Khafajis heroism evolves, he doesnt choose to be a hero, and the only world he wishes to changes is that of his family; there is simply no avoiding the danger and hurdles that present themselves. Because he is a father, he has no choice but to take risks and keep on moving forward  but as he moves forward, he grows, facing and overcoming the dangers make him stronger, more determined and indeed he comes to realize that he should have been much braver in the past.

Set in a world which seems to be falling apart, and whose rulers are absurd,Baghdad Central appears to capture a broad contemporary zeitgeist. But would you agree?

I think there is a contemporary resonance; we tend to believe (or rather hope) that our leaders are smarter than us and act in our best interests  but sadly and too often, that isnt the case. The ordinary man and woman do not give themselves enough credit  if our elected leaders behaved with the same integrity, loyalty, compassion, truthfulness and commitment of say a parent I would envision a totally different political landscape. Unfortunately, hubris takes a role and power corrupts to a greater or lesser degree. We see this across the world and today is no different.

The series also comes in at the invasion from the POV of Iraqis who are portrayed as far more cultured than most Coalition members. Wanting to secure Iraq, the Coalition has no idea or even desire to win the hearts of its people. The music brings out a note of absurdity. Could you comment?

Yes, we see things from an Iraqi perspective  but that perspective is also familiar and grounded because it is a familys perspective. To date, we have predominantly seen these events through the prism of politicians, soldiers and journalists, but rarely (if at all) from the POV of an ordinary family: a family that must live every minute with the consequences of the war; they must survive. What was important, was to identified and show that the love and fractures within this family are no different to the love and fractures within families worldwide  Khafaji and his daughters are us. It is the world in which they exist that changes, and as that world begins to change, as they are confronted by threat, danger and a loss of hope  as the promised liberation becomes an apparent occupation  the family too begin to change and react; rebel.

As for the Coalition personnel, the vast majority of actual boots-on-the-ground men and women, as individuals, were not absurd at all, they were predominantly professional people tasked with an impossible job. Like the Iraqis, they were failed by their leaders  who were confident of winning a fight, but had little idea how to win the peace, keep the peace or even who to trust. War, by its nature, brings fear and barbarity; but in Captain Parodi, it is important that we show a good man doing his very best by the men under his command AND the Iraqi people. He too, however, is sucked into the murky world of grey and is faced with the choice of duty and justice.

The score, I think, is brilliant and clever, evoking game-playing, intrigue and agendas a trust no-one vibe; nothing is as it seems!

What were the main challenge of adapting Elliott Collas novel into a six-part series.

Elliots novel was a beautiful, thoughtful inspiration. The series is derivative from the novel, but not an adaptation. The challenge in creating the series was the eternal challenge of finding a truthful and gripping story and ensuring that story is told through characters we believe in.

When will Baghdad Central air after Series Mania and will it air or be released elsewhere, outside the U.K.?

U.K. transmission date is in the hands of Channel 4  whose support for the project has been quite magnificent.

Baghdad-Central.-Frematlejpg

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Sword-Wielding Man Shot Dead by Police Inside the Church of Scientology in Los Angeles

Two police officers are injured and a man is dead after he walked into the Church of Scientology in the Los Angeles armed with a sword late Wednesday.

Around 3:30 p.m., officers responded to a Scientology church in Inglewood, where a suspicious man wearing a hoodie walked into the church with a sword, Inglewood Police Department tells PEOPLE.

Shortly after, the man was shot as were two police officers, according to the Inglewood Police Department.

One officer was shot in the hand and the other was struck in the forearm, the Los Angeles Times reports. The officers injuries are not believed to be life-threatening and they are stable.

The suspect, who has not been identified at this time, and the officers were taken to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical center, where the suspect later died.

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 Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.

It is not clear as to whether the man had a gun in addition to the sword and shot the two police officers or if they were injured by friendly fire.

One of the officers has been with the police force for 10 years and the other for four years, NBC Los Angeles reports.

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At this time, the incident remains under investigation and police are hoping to get a better understanding of what transpired after viewing surveillance footage from the area, police said in a press conference Wednesday.

A white Bentley driven by the suspect to the scene is also being searched for evidence.

According to KTLA, a woman, whose friend was inside the church at the time of the incident sent her alarming text messages. The woman said her friend called the suspect a weird guy that was acting crazy.

RELATED: 3 Dead and 5 Injured After Gunman Opens Fire Inside a Florida Yoga Studio

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The Church of Scientology praised the heroic actions of the police officers in defending houses of worship against hate crimes.

We thank the Inglewood Police Department for their rapid response in protecting our prisoners and staff members, the statement, obtained by Fox 11, read. These officers are doing a heroic job protecting the community and keeping houses of worship safe against hate crimes.

We have offered our full support to authorities who are investigating this incident.
President Donald Trump took to Twitter Thursday to mock the ratings of MSNBC and CNN in the days since Attorney General William Barr said the Mueller report showed no evidence of collusion between Trump and his 2016 campaign and the Russians.

He started by singling out a favorite target, the MSNBC morning show hosted by former fans Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski.

Wow, ratings for Morning Joe, which were really bad in the first place, just tanked with the release of the Mueller Report, Trump said in an early morning tweet. Likewise, other shows on MSNBC and CNN have gone down by as much as 50%. Just shows, Fake News never wins!

Trump didnt cite specific numbers or say which shows had suffered a 50 percent drop-off, but he may have been obliquely referring to a widely shared piece in the Daily Beast citing ratings concerns at MSNBC now that the Trump-Russia collusion narrative was on ice.

Also Read: Tucker Carlson Guest Ties Jussie Smollett Case to Communists, Black Panthers, Kamala Harris (Video)

Within MSNBC, theres an acknowledgement that the Trump-Russia narrative on which the cable networkand especially its primetime star Maddow  built monster ratings has fizzled for the moment, the Beast reported.

There was also an Associated Press story published Wednesday showing a sharp ratings drop-off for Rachel Maddow in the days following delivery of the Mueller report. Neither the Beast or AP mentioned Morning Joe ratings specifically or any show with a 50 percent decline in viewership.

Meanwhile, the AP reported that the audience for Trump-friendly Fox News host Sean Hannitys show surged 32 percent above average on Monday, to 4 million viewers.

The Trump jab came during a Morning Joe interview of 2020 presidential contender Sen. Amy Klobuchar and went ignored by the show hosts. Reps for MSNBC declined to comment. Reps for CNN did not immediately respond to request for comment.

Also Read: Trump Announces FBI Review of 'Outrageous' Jussie Smollett Case: 'Embarrassment to Our Nation'

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Though Trump has long been known as a Fox & Friends watcher in the morning, he does occasionally turn the channel to rivals at MSNBC or CNN. Before becoming president, Trump had been friendly with Scarborough and Brzezinski  something the pair frequently talk about on air.

Since taking office, however, however, the show has turned sharply against Trump and the president has never been shy about giving it right back to his old friends.

Read original story Trump Mocks MSNBC, CNN Ratings Drops After Mueller Probe: Fake News Never Wins! At TheWrap
The Pitch: Sixty years after the original series changed the course of science fiction forever, The Twilight Zone returns for a third revival, only this time the keys of imagination are in the hands of Jordan Peele. The Oscar-winning screenwriter and blockbuster director brings a unique vision to Rod Serlings landmark series, all without losing the tone, the finesse, and the smoky swagger that made it so iconic and enduring.

Eye of the Beholder: Like Serling before him, Peele is operating in a world in which everyones starved for cultural commentary and yet so many are afraid to give it. Its an unpredictable cultural minefield out there, where one persons insight is another persons outrage, and where one persons outrage can often lead to one persons cancellation. In many ways, its like an episode of The Twilight Zone. Its a Good Life, perhaps?

Peele is an outlier among those mouths of madness in the sense that hes always proven to eschew any such chaos. Hes a mastermind of commentary, something he proved time and time again on Comedy Centrals Key and Peele, and most notably with 2017s Get Out and this past weekends Us. With The Twilight Zone, however, hes truly filling in the shoes of Serling by offering a soap box for writers to talk about the world-at-large.

What separates him from, say, those involved in the 80s revival and the post-9/11 flop are two qualities that Serling had in spades: style and wits. Peele not only has a keen eye on the world around him, but knows the right doors to open. Theres a magic to his brand of storytelling thats original, but more importantly, ubiquitous. Thats always been the fundamental nature of this series, and whats also been missing in the wake of Serling.

Us, Horror, Jordan Peele, Red Carpet Photo, SXSW 2019

Jordan Peele at Us SXSW World Premiere, photo by Heather Kaplan

Better yet, he knows where hes going. Even at his craziest and zaniest, as he so often was on Key and Peele, you never got the sense that he didnt know how to get from point A to point Z, which is why his execution on this new revival isnt particularly revelatory. What is revelatory is his sense of wonder in that hes able to tickle that brain with morals and lessons, while never wavering from whats most essential: story.

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Thats where Serling and his team of writers always strived, even at their clumsiest, and, yes, the show was at times clumsy. Granted, weve only seen four episodes of the new revival, but theres already this sense that Peele isnt prioritizing the closing monologue, but the journey toward it. Because really, when you look back at the most effective episodes of the classic run, youre not thinking of Serlings words, but the actions behind em.

get out TV Review: Jordan Peeles The Twilight Zone Picks Up Where Rod Serling Left Off

Get Out (Blumhouse)

It also helps that Peele has a knack for invention. With just two movies under his belt, hes already added two new original constructs to the pop culture lexicon, from The Sunken Place to his already-adopted notions of The Tethered, and while thats a lot of credit for such a short run, that kind of accreditation has also been ceded to past luminaries early on, be it Stephen King, or Steven Spielberg, or Spike Lee.

Thats why when he first appears as The Narrator in this new run  again, this review is taking great pains at not spoiling a single thing ahead of its April 1st premiere  theres this built-in confidence at his guidance in the Zone. Without leaning too hard on hyperbole, its chill-inducing, to the point that even the greatest naysayers of this reboot might have to pinch their arm at believing this is finally working again.

rod serling nick of time TV Review: Jordan Peeles The Twilight Zone Picks Up Where Rod Serling Left Off

Rod Serling in The Twilight Zone (CBS)

A World of Difference? When The Twilight Zone first aired, Eisenhower was president, Nixon was VP, and the states of Alaska and Hawaii were the countrys newest neighbors. Culturally speaking, it was the calm before the storm of the 60s, when tensions among Americans were slowly and surely simmering, but mostly behind closed doors in cities, small towns, and neighborhoods that seemingly highlighted prosperity.

What The Twilight Zone offered, however, was a medium for Serling to discuss these hush-hush tensions in an arena that felt distant yet eerily close. Yet these stories were assuredly American, which is why Serlings science fiction was so palatable, opening the door for the genre to the masses as opposed to just the quirky kid with the rumpled comics under his bed and a penchant for writing to NASA on a weekly basis.

Peele gets that, and hes accomplished as much with his own pre-Zone offerings, which is likely why horror has become such a mainstream success in the aftermath of Get Out. Yet unlike Serlings America, Peele is contending with a country that has very much boiled over, where the fires can be seen with a click of a mouse, and change can be felt every time someone steps outside. In lesser hands, this would be all too easy to overindulge.

the twilight zone 3 TV Review: Jordan Peeles The Twilight Zone Picks Up Where Rod Serling Left Off

Adam Scott in The Twilight Zone (CBS All Access)

He doesnt. What we see in these episodes is a patient orator, willing to pepper the anxieties of our current state in stories that would work now, yesterday, or even a decade ago. In the series premiere, the rekindled Nightmare at 30,000 Feet, we watch what happens when good intentions go unchecked. In The Comedian, we watch a comic lose his personal life for the sake of success. These are timeless feelings.

Yet theyre fairly prescient depending on how you pivot around them. The Comedian could just as well be a commentary on the current cancel culture we celebrate with pride and self-righteousness, or it could be a missive on the intimacy we demand from our entertainers. 30,000 Feet is even more elusive, leaving one to chew on the ills of white saviors, the blindness of racial profiling, or even the pitfalls of precaution.

What you draw from them simply amounts to your own perspective, which is the genius of Peeles craft, and why so many writers and fans are going to relish this series from here on out. This is amorphous storytelling that insofar exists beyond any confined space, and theres an economy to that creative liberty that should remind viewers of the power of this series and the limitations of its many descendants (see: Black Mirror).

the twilight zone 5 TV Review: Jordan Peeles The Twilight Zone Picks Up Where Rod Serling Left Off

Kumail Nanjiani in The Twilight Zone (CBS All Access)

Kick the Can: Thats not to say this is just a complete revisitation of everything that came before. Not at all. This is a sexy and stylish facelift from Serlings era, and certainly from any of its expansions, be it the 1983 anthology film, the popular radio dramas, or even Forrest Whittakers oft-forgotten foray. Like the best of todays reboots, this feels like a modern reevaluation that updates the quality and style of what came before.

Its also very adult. By being on CBS All Access, Peele is afforded the kind of creative liberties to make this series go toe-to-toe with the prestige television of today. The characters can curse, they can act ugly, they dont need to look like the cookie-cutter version of network television that has plagued any past revivals. Things feel real again, and ironically, that reality helps nurture whatever strange that sets in.

These arent winded 30-minute gasps, either. No, these are extended episodes that hearken back to the latter era of Serlings work, admittedly a time when the writers actually struggled with the extra sheets of paper. Not here. At least not yet. The extra time, instead, allows Peeles team to breathe in the moments, injecting a little nuance to the proceedings that, in turn, get to weave in a number of unpredictable ways.

Sanaa Lathan twilight zone TV Review: Jordan Peeles The Twilight Zone Picks Up Where Rod Serling Left Off

Sanaa Lathan and Damson Idris in The Twilight Zone (CBS All Access)

All of this is benefited, of course, by the series A-list cast of incredibly diverse talent, from Kumail Nanjiani to John Cho to Steven Yeun to Sanaa Lathan. To be fair, Serlings run was incredibly revolutionary at the time with regards to casting  in fact, in the first season alone, his series was offering unlikely roles to black performers (see: The Big Tall Wish)  but this is a total leap forward and its instrumental to its success.

Namely in the sense that the eclectic casting winds up aiding in the aforementioned familiarity that Peeles team goes on to puncture. Finally, were seeing America in ways that Serling attempted to capture through class. Only now, this kind of inclusion opens up the world to an even wider range of stories, which unlocks more doors for more even more predicaments that adds even more paper to the proverbial typewriter.

Its very exciting.

twilight zone yeun TV Review: Jordan Peeles The Twilight Zone Picks Up Where Rod Serling Left Off

Steven Yeun in The Twilight Zone (CBS All Access)

The Verdict: Well, thats one word to describe this new revival. But behind it are other sweaty adjectives like invigorating, exhilarating, and monumental. Rest assured, theyre all earned. This is the kind of anthological event television that viewers have been bereft of in recent memory. Because as much as we love unraveling a long-form narrative, its the short stories that allow for varied discussions, and we need that today.

Some may write the series off as another lazy remake, but that would be missing the point. With The Twilight Zone, Peele has found a sturdy platform to tell original stories with great frequency and thats his M.O. As he recently told Rolling Stone, The whole idea of building an empire is so second to the idea of getting to constantly work on these things. It sounds stupid, but the best reward is getting to work, getting to make, getting to create.

The Twilight Zone offers that and so much more for Peele. To borrow from Serling, its a highway of impossible imagination, one that leads to the land of the different, the bizarre, the unexplainable, and given Peeles aspirations, hell go as far as he wants to on that road. If only because the only limitations hell have is the mind itself. Ladies and Gentlemen, were entering a wondrous dimension, and only he knows the next stop.

Wheres It Playing? The Twilight Zone premieres on CBS All Access on April 1st.
TV Review Grade B+

The Twilight Zone

is one of the most innovative and influential shows in TV history, and anyone attempting to revive it has some mighty huge shoes to fill. But if you could handpick someone to produce a new Twilight Zone, wouldnt you pick Jordan Peele? The former Key & Peele star has refashioned himself into a masterful horror auteur with Get Out and Us, and his Hitchcockian sense of the eerie and macabre makes him the perfect choice to lead CBS All Access TheTwilight Zone (debuting Monday, April 1), which proves itself a worthy successor to the original while updating its familiar formula for the modern world we live in.

The Twilight Zone Nightmare at 30,000 Feet Adam Scott

The Twilight Zone

is a true anthology, with each episode telling a different story (Peele steps in for Rod Serling as host and narrator, as well as executive-producing), so the letter grade Ive given it above is an average of the four episodes Ive seen. I can highly recommend two of the four: Nightmare at 30,000 Feet  starring Adam Scott as an air traveler who is convinced his flight is doomed  revamps a classic Zone episode by cleverly playing on our post-9/11 paranoia; its a nail-bitingly intense ride with a wicked twist ending. A Traveler is the most genuinely surprising of the bunch, with Steven Yeun playing a mysterious stranger who visits a remote Alaska police station on Christmas Eve; it has a fascinatingly unsettling vibe and builds to a riveting finish. (The X-Files veteran Glen Morgan co-wrote the former and wrote the latter; lets hope Peele just hands him the keys and lets him write every episode from here on out.)

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Other installments, though, arent as successful. The Comedian, starring Kumail Nanjiani as a struggling stand-up comic who discovers a new way to get laughs, is a familiar devils-bargain tale that takes some interesting turns, but maybe not enough of them to fill its nearly hour-long running time. (The four episodes vary wildly in length, from 35 to 55 minutes, and some definitely drag on too long.) Replay is the weakest episode of the initial four: It takes a sci-fi conceit weve seen a lot of lately  Sanaa Lathan plays a mom who realizes her camcorder can actually rewind time  and saddles it with a heavy-handed message about the tension between cops and the black community.

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The Twilight Zone The Comedian Kumail Nanjiani

But even when the story falters, The Twilight Zone still serves as a fantastic acting showcase. Like American Horror Story, it allows big-name actors to try on a new role without committing to a full series, and Scott and Yeun, in particular, respond with Emmy-worthy work. Plus, there are fun Easter eggs planted throughout that hint at a shared universe across all the episodes. (Check out the magazine rack before Scotts character boards the plane, for example.) Style-wise, its really a throwback to classic filmmaking, with an old-fashioned elegance to it; like the original Zone, it patiently lets its morality plays and ethical dilemmas unfold without tacking on too many narrative bells and whistles.

Peeles Twilight Zone isnt only competing with its predecessor, though. Its also competing with Netflixs Black Mirror, which stepped up a few years ago to revive the sci-fi anthology tradition that the original Zone started. No, the new Zone isnt as mind-bendingly innovative as the best Black Mirror episodes  itd be nice to see future installments break further away from the original template and blaze a new trail  but its gripping enough on its own terms. Based on the first batch of episodes, as uneven as they might be, The Twilight Zone has lots of potential and with a genius like Peele at the helm, even the sky isnt the limit.

THE TVLINE BOTTOM LINE: Though some episodes are better than others, Jordan Peeles Twilight Zone revival is a worthy successor to the original, with riveting twists and top-notch performances.

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Are you happy with your cable provider? Some animal lovers are saying No! for an unusual reason.

According to CBS News, Verizon employee Maurice German was recently suspended from his job for three weeks without pay after he rescued a cat using Verizon equipment.

German was working in a Philadelphia neighborhood on March 16, when a desperate resident asked for his help rescuing a cat stuck on top of a telephone pole.

The feline, named Princess Momma, had been perched on the pole for over 12 hours when German was tapped to help, reports CBS Philadelphia. According to the local CBS affiliate, the cats owner called the fire department, an animal rescue and a telephone company for help getting the cat down, but no one returned their calls.

GoFundMe

German agreed to try and save the feline. He was able to successfully complete the task by using the hydraulic lift on his Verizon truck. In the video of the rescue, cheers can be heard as German safely grabs the cat. Princess Momma was returned to her owner without injury.

Verizon did not celebrate Germans quick-thinking heroics, instead the telecommunications company suspended German for three weeks without pay for violating Verizon safety rules.

We take no joy when our employees face consequences related to their job duties. We are, however, fully committed and responsible for keeping our employees and customers safe. All of our field technicians go through extensive training that is focused on workplace safety. Our goal is to keep our employees and our customers out of harms way, Verizon said in a statement to WPVI.

For safety reasons, our trucks and related equipment are not intended to be used in the area in which he was operating, specifically around electrical wires. While our actions may not be popular, he potentially put his life and those around him in jeopardy, the statement continued.

In an effort to counteract this unpopular choice, Verizon donated money to the Pennsylvania SPCA

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Concerned about Germans well-being, friends and supporters of the Verizon employee started GoFundMe pages to support the man while he goes without pay. One page started by Amanda Fairchild Boyce, who captured Germans rescue on camera, raised $3,395. Boyce donated the money directly to German.

According to CBS News, a different GoFundMe, started by a co-worker of Germans, raised over $7,000.

Verizon did not immediately reply to PEOPLEs request for comment.
Richard Bransons cruise line Virgin Voyages has announced another exciting amenity on board their new ship: a karaoke room!

The Scarlet Lady, which embarks on its inaugural sailing in 2020, will incorporate a room called the Groupie, where guests can book the space for karaoke, gaming and a movie. The space is designed as a modernist take on a Japanese-style karaoke room, which are typically small, private social spaces with one karaoke player and microphones where travelers can belt out tunes with their friends.

Alongside the personal performance room, the ship will also feature a record shop called Voyage Vinyl, where sailors can experience music from all eras and genres through personal listening stations, limited-edition vinyl collections with playlists by Virgin Voyages resident DJs and a performance spot for live sets.

RELATED: The Florida Keys Are Getting Their First-Ever All-Inclusive Resort  And Its Adults Only

The Groupie room | Virgin Voyages

So far, the lineup for the adults-only voyages include Mark Ronson, MK (Marc Kinchen) and Sofi Tukker who will perform on the ship, at select in-port destinations and at The Beach Club in Bimini.

Virgin Voyages passengers will have an impressive variety of sailings to choose from, where they can enjoy these musical amenities.

The Groupie room | Virgin Voyages

We have composed itineraries that have a sense of palpable culture, history and above all induce that carefree feeling that you only get while on holiday, says Diana Block Garcia, vice president of itinerary and destination development.

The four or five-night Havana After Dark schedule, allows travelers to explore the culture of Cuba, including an overnight stay in the capital city.

The five-night Mayan Sol itinerary heads to Costa Maya, Mexico, where sailors can disembark to explore ancient ruins and dive at coral reefs.

And the Dominican Daze journey, also five nights, takes travelers to Puerto Plata in the D.R. On the island, theyll offer trekking, surfing class or, for the more low-key cruiser, shopping excursions for handicrafts.

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Voyage Vinyl

All the voyages will depart from Miami.

RELATED: All Aboard! Explore the Cardi B Hip Hop Cruise and 6 More Adults-Only Boats to Book Now

The ship, which will have a no tipping policy, has 1,330 cabins and 78 RockStar suites, with 93 percent of cabins offering an ocean view. Eighty six percent will have a terrace. There are also special rooms for groups, which have four chalet-style bunk beds, and cabins designed specifically with solo travelers in mind.

Bookings are now open for the Scarlet Ladys 2020 trips. Visit virginvoyages.com for more information.
Photo credit: .

From ELLE

Disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes has done many, many things wrong. But she did have one good idea: hiring Ana Arriola. As the companys chief design architect, Arriola worked on the look of the "Edison" machine, which ran medical tests using a small amount of blood taken from a poke in a patients finger. Her unofficial role, however, was stylist for her boss, who was unfortunately partial to "baggy Christmas sweaters." And if you wanted to scam the world into believing you were a brilliant and original mind, you would be wise to do what Arriola says.



Photo credit: Courtesy

Arriola herself has legitimately unique and cool personal style. Her signature eyeglasses are Mask Y3 Green frames from Kuboraum, an unconventional Berlin-based eyewear company. She accessorizes with scarves from Nuno and bags from Vailance and Issey Miyake's Bao Bao line. Her clothes are minimalist and mostly bespoke, with cuts designed by an Asian boutique called Divkanet. She adores Japanese avant-garde brand Y-3, the brainchild of tailor Yohji Yamamoto.

When Arriola met Holmes in 2007, she says, Holmes was "completely L7," or square. Holmes was "infatuated" with Steve Jobs' uniform of black turtlenecks and Levi's, and asked Arriola for advice on achieving a similar aesthetic. Holmes felt a sartorial message of sameness would suggest she spent more time spent thinking about her company, and not her outfit of the day.



"I'm like, 'Hey, this is who designed [his turtlenecks], this is the aesthetic, and we can go after it,'" Arriola says. "And, sure enough, she did." Holmes swapped out her frumpy sweaters for an all-black ensemble of black turtlenecks and slacks. "But it wasn't her own personal style," Arriola tells ELLE.com. "She copied other people... She was 120 percent fake."

Arriola's avant-garde, minimalist personal style can be traced back to her formative years as a design intern in the small city of Kanazawa, Japan and is often reflected in her design work. In 1998 she landed a job at Adobe, learning how to build brand new products for new market needs. That gig led her to Apple in 2005, where she was a part of the original team to develop the iPhone. During the summer of 2007, Arriola met with Holmes at Coupa, a hip cafe in Palo Alto, for the first time. She was "completely slayed" by the entrepreneur's charisma.

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Like Arriola's then-boss Steve Jobs, Holmes had "an amazing ability to really sell you on the passion, and the understanding," Arriola says. "At that first meeting with her I said, 'Hey look, this is a really big endeavor. I'm going to be having to leave a ton of stock and I want to make sure my partner also bought into this." (She lost out on fifteen thousand Apple shares, to be exact.) Arriola arranged for Holmes to meet with her now ex-partner again in Palo Alto to put any hesitations to rest.

Photo credit: Gilbert Carrasquillo - Getty Images

In September 2007, Arriola officially joined Theranos to help design and brand the Edison. While she developed the machine's aesthetic (famed Swiss industrial designer Yves Behar also consulted on its design), Arriola also assisted Holmes with her personal style. "She had this kind of spunky, frumpy Christmas sweater attire... It's literally like... Stuff you see that has pixel art really poorly done. " Arriola says. "I was like, 'I'm happy to give you some style advice, because I love couture. Go for this, look at these, leave these designers.' "

"[Elizabeth] was enamored with the style and iconic silhouette of Steve Jobs in Issey's black turtlenecks," Arriola says. According to Steve Jobs biographer Walter Isaacson, Jobs was a big proponent of the personal uniform. He believed it eliminated the need to decide on an outfit every day, thereby freeing up time for more important decisions. He asked Miyake, known for his ultra-modern style, to create his look. Miyake famously gave Jobs a hundred black turtlenecks, which he paired with Levi's and New Balance kicks.

"However, in our era [of Theranos] I don't think she had the means to invest or stomach the cost [of a Miyake-made turtleneck]," Arriola says. Still, Holmes loved the idea so much that she snapped up "about 150" turtlenecks of her own, according to a 2015 Glamour interview. (Holmes also said in the interview that she'd been wearing black turtlenecks since she was a kid. Arriola disputes that claim.) Arriola believes Holmes purchased her turtlenecks somewhere in Palo Alto.



Photo credit: Dan Krauss - Getty Images





Arriola describes herself as the "first generation of three generations" of Theranos employees. She left after a year, when it became apparent Holmes couldn't deliver the life-changing technology she'd touted at their Palo Alto meetings. "People's lives were at stake," Arriola says. "We left because it was our understanding that [Elizabeth] was jeopardizing human life."

Photo credit: Courtesy

Arriola received a slew of threatening emails from the Theranos legal team, but never heard directly from her former boss. Ex-employees gathered every quarter at a restaurant in Palo Alto as a sort of "self-therapy," Arriola says. "We would compare notes, even before they went public with all the nefarious stuff."



Three years ago, she was contacted by Wall Street Journal reporter John Carreyrou-who reported the article that broke the Theranos scam and authored the book Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup-for an interview. The call drudged up painful memories from her time Theranos, but she felt validated.



Until that point, most of Arriola's Silicon Valley connections remained skeptical when she told them Holmes was a scam artist-not even her best friends believed her. Lisa Q Fetterman, founder of sous vide cooking company Nomiku, describes Arriola as a "super bestie" that she's known for years. "I'm embarrassed [now] to say I didn't believe her," Fetterman says. "I was like, 'What are you talking about? Elizabeth has been on every magazine cover. Shes a big deal'... You just didn't talk bad about Elizabeth. Especially in the female [tech] founders community, we gave her the benefit of the doubt, because it takes so much for one of us to rise up. Everyone was obsessed with her."

Holmes and former Theranos president Sunny Balwani Balwani have since pleaded not guilty to charges of wire fraud. If convicted, could face up to 20 years in prison.







After Theranos, Arriola founded two start-ups and landed a gig at Microsoft as a general manager and partner. Even with therapy, it took years for her to understand and work through what had happened at the company. The release of Carreyrou's book in May 2018 brought some closure, but she anxiously awaits the still undated release of the recently announced Theranos movie starring Jennifer Lawrence.

Photo credit: Courtesy

"If they include me in the movie, I want another trans woman and person of color to play myself!" Arriola says. She recommends the casting director consider Indya Moore of Pose to play her.



"I will say, all the publicity, it's kind been nice, [like] closure," she says. "It's like we finally can put this to rest, because this is happening in the public and without an absolute doubt, everyone understands what we went through now... We can finally close the book on this portion of our lives that we've been kept perpetually therapy around, well hopefully.

('You Might Also Like',)
The "Fashion Icons" host finally took the hot seat for her longtime interview series at New York Citys 92Y.

Fern Mallis and Bevy Smith at 92Y. Photo: Andrea Klerides/Michael Priest Photography/Courtesy of 92Y

Since the 2011 launch of "Fashion Icons," an intimate interview series with some of the fashion industry's biggest luminaries, host Fern Mallis has taken the stage at New York City's 92nd Street Y (also known as 92Y) to chat with icons like Bill Cunningham, Lauren Hutton and Andre Leon Talley. On Tuesday night, however, Mallis finally flipped the switch and took the hot seat herself  on her birthday, no less!

In conversation with television and radio host Bevy Smith, Mallis took the audience all the way back to her Brooklyn roots and growing up with her father's business in the Garment District, as well as through her storied career in fashion, from her first job out of college at Mademoiselle magazine to being hired as the executive director of the CFDA in 1991 and creating 7th on Sixth  New York's first-ever Fashion Week  in Bryant Park a few years later.

Fashion, of course, was quite different from what it is today, but that hasn't stopped Mallis from keeping up with it. While speaking with Smith and taking questions from the audience, the industry guru had a lot to say about some of today's hot topics, along with some useful advice for those still looking to get their big break in fashion. Read on for highlights from Mallis and Smith's conversation.

On stepping away from New York Fashion Week

Ultimately, Mallis knew her time with New York Fashion Week had come to an end once the major cultural event became a full-fledged business. "I respect that it's a business, but in the last two years of my tenure there, the only word you heard was EBITDA [meaning 'earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization'] and not hemline, so it was time for a change," she recalls. "Gift bags that used to go to the media were now going to sponsors' guests. Everything was about sponsors. How do we make sponsors happy? Sponsors, sponsors, sponsors."

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But Mallis is well aware of the impact she's made with NYFW. For several years with IMG, which acquired NYFW in 2001, she traveled around the world  Mumbai, Moscow, Sydney, Melbourne, Berlin, Mexico City, Toronto, Singapore, Dubai, Tokyo, among others  to help start up a slew of international fashion weeks.

Fern Mallis and Bevy Smith at 92Y. Photo: Andrea Klerides/Michael Priest Photography/Courtesy of 92Y

On standing out in a saturated market

While Mallis has come across nearly every creative professional in New York City, it's hard for her to really explain exactly what it takes to stand out in the saturated fashion space. The key to success, according to her, is finding your voice and using your platform to share it.

"A good idea is a good idea, and somebody who is really clever with a good idea will still rise to the top of the internet, Instagram, anything," says Mallis. "You've got to find that voice or personal wave that makes it unique to you and different than anything else you're seeing out there. And it's shocking to me that people find it, they buy it, and it floods. You don't need to be in a store, you don't need to be in brick-and-mortar. You don't need any of that. You can do it from a phone if you're clever. And I can't tell you how to be clever. You have to be clever yourself."

On sustainable fashion

"Sustainable fashion is the new black," says Mallis. "I think it's the most important thing happening in the whole universe of fashion and the whole world right now. We all have an obligation to try and protect this planet and live on it as long as possible." She admires how the industry is finally, truly taking serious steps and even shouted out the CFDA's efforts in educating designers on sustainability.

"It's not an easy solution or answer but there are steps along the way  thousands of them  that companies and designers can take," says Mallis. "I urge everybody in the industry to ask the questions and try to be sustainable. It's important."

Fern Mallis and Bevy Smith at 92Y. Photo: Andrea Klerides/Michael Priest Photography/Courtesy of 92Y

On being nice in the industry

Running a tight ship like NYFW shouldn't stop you from being nice to everyone. And Mallis knows the value of being polite throughout her career, because the industry is so small, you never know who you might be running into  or even working with  one day.

"I don't think [fashion] should be elitist or exclusive but I also think there's a barrier at some point," says Mallis. "But it's so much easier to be nice to people."

On the biggest changes in fashion

According to Mallis, online has changed everything about fashion, from how it's perceived to how it's purchased. "Also, the casualization of fashion has changed," she adds, bringing up the rise of sneakers and hoodies as luxury items. "Go to an office today. Mark Zuckerberg changed the office dress code. It's crazy."

Mallis also mentions that the idea of "real trends and looks each season" that made you want to buy something new is missing in the industry now. "Fashion is something that makes you feel great and makes you feel good, and you think the world's going to change if you buy something. I don't feel that stuff so much anymore. There's so much out there. There's too much," says Mallis. "But I can't play God and say, 'You shouldn't be designing. You shouldn't be in business.' A lot of people shouldn't be in business. There's a lot of people who shouldn't be putting on runway shows who do."

To which Smith replied, "Are you talking about your friend Kanye West? What was that brouhaha about it?"

"Google it," quipped Mallis.

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Photo credit: Jacquemus Instagram

From CR Fashion Book

As fashion continues to break away from a traditional brick-and-mortar structures, dipping more and more into conceptual retail spaces, French designer Simon Porte Jacquemus does just that with his latest project, Cafe Citron.

Following a series of teaser posts on the brand's Instagram account, it was revealed that the Jacquemus brand would be opening its own cafe, collaborating with Parisian-loved eatery Caviar Kaspia. The massive new space is set to open at the newly redesigned flagship Galleries Lafayette on the Champs-Elysees in Paris.

Named Citron after the French word for lemon, the cafe oozes the Jacquemus style, transporting us right to the designer's native city, Marseilles in the South of France. The Mediterranean influence is visually present in the designs, with lemon trees and sun-bleached decor that are reminiscent of the boiling summers in Le Midi. The menu, designed by renowned pastry chefs Cedric Grolet, Jeffrey Cagnes, and Anthony Courtiells (among others), follows a regional theme with rustic baked bread and rosemary-pistachio lemon tarts adorned with flowers bringing a southern flair to metropolitan Paris.

Cafe Citron opens at Galleries Lafayette in Paris on March, 28th 2019 at 12:00pm CET.
While Joe Biden's team puts the finishing touches on a soon-to-be-delivered speech announcing his all-but-official bid to unseat Donald Trump, the candidate himself is out here doing his level best to make that task as difficult as possible. On Tuesday in New York City, Biden, for some godforsaken reason, chose to remind everyone of how he mishandled of the Supreme Court confirmation hearings of Clarence Thomas, at which an attorney named Anita Hill testified that Thomas sexually harassed her when the two were colleagues atof all placesthe Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Biden, who chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee at the time, remained largely silent as the noticeably skeptical and conspicuously all-male panel proceeded to humiliate Hill on national television. (Pennsylvania's Arlen Specter accused her of perjury and famously characterized her claims as the "product of fantasy.") Although two more women came forward with allegations of Thomas's misconduct, Biden did not make time for them to testify. And when the committee deadlocked on Thomas's nomination, it was Biden who allowed it to proceed to the full Senate, which confirmed Thomas by a 52-48 vote. It remained the narrowest margin in Supreme Court history for nearly three decades, until Republican justice Brett Kavanaugh, also the subject of credible sexual-misconduct allegations, took the bench by a final count of 50-48.

During Bidens remarks on Tuesday, in the same breath, he repudiated the committees treatment of Hill and spoke wistfully about how badly he wished there had been something, anything that hethe chair of the goddamn committeecould have done to stop it.

A brave lawyer, a really notable woman, Anita Hill, a professor, showed the courage of a lifetime, talking about her experience being harassed by Clarence Thomas. We knew a lot less about the extent of harassment back then, over 30 years ago, but she paid a terrible price. She was abused through the hearing. She was taken advantage of. Her reputation was attacked. I wish I could have done something.

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He went on to carefully note that he voted against confirming Thomas, as if doing so were the sole method by which he could have intervened in the process. This revisionist-history wish-casting is a case study in how powerful people employ the passive voice to talk about a bad thing while eliding the fact that they are responsible for it.

Biden's previous apologies to Hilland I am using a very generous definition of the term herehave been similarly tepid. In 2017, when asked about her contention that the process was not a "fair" one, he responded, "I am so sorry if she believes that. I am so sorry that she had to go through what she went through." In 2018, when the Kavanaugh debacle prompted renewed scrutiny of how Biden handled Hills testimony, he added, "I'm sorry I couldn't have stopped the kind of attacks that came to you. But I never attacked her. I supported her. I believed her from the beginning, and I voted against Clarence Thomas."

Hill, for the record, told Elle last year that she doesn't need an apology from him. There are more important things to me," she said. "Im okay with where I am." But in an interview with The Boston Globe, she clarified: "He owes all of us an apology."

He owes the country an apology because the affront was not just to me. It was really a disservice to every one of usnot just on behalf of sexual harassment victims, but also on behalf of those people who believe in the integrity of the court and that it should be protected by the Senate, whose role is to advise on judicial nominations.

Later in his speech, while discussing the legacy of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 he helped to champion, Biden added:

Folks, I realize I get a little too passionate about this sometimes, but we all have an obligation to do nothing less than change the culture in this country. Not just the laws, we changed the laws. But change the culture....A white man's culture. It's got to change.

Biden isnt wrong. But his rhetoric here is linguistic gymnastics in the face of institutional sexism. Absent a frank acknowledgement of his very own mistakes, his critiques of the culture will remain hollow.
The Duke of Cambridge is traveling to the land of the Kiwis next month.

Kensington Palace just revealed that Prince William will travel to New Zealand at the request of Her Majesty the Queen, and will depart for the trip in late April.

The trip will honor the victims of the horrific Christchurch terrorist attacks of earlier this month. The tragedy, which occurred on March 15, left 50 people dead and dozens injured at two mosques in Christchurch.

Since Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were the last royals to visit NZ, Queen Elizabeth specifically requested they pay their respects at a memorial erected for the victims at the New Zealand House in London last week.

Now, Harry's brother will have a chance to do his part for the families of the victims as well.

On his agenda: "The Duke will meet with those affected by the attack and will pay tribute to the extraordinary compassion and solidarity that the people of New Zealand have displayed in recent weeks," the palace said in a statement issued on Wednesday.

No word on whether Kate Middleton will accompany her husband, but we're positive the Sussexes will stay behind in London. Markle is due to have her baby in late April or early May.

RELATED: Kate Middleton and Prince William Held a Secret Meeting at Kensington Palace
By Karen Freifeld WASHINGTON (Reuters) - When Attorney General William Barr sent lawmakers a summary of the key findings in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation, members of President Donald Trump's legal team were gathered in an office near the U.S. Capitol. They soon had reason to celebrate on Sunday, perhaps helped by a pivotal strategic decision. Mueller had spent 22 months investigating whether Trump or his aides conspired with Russia during the 2016 election, interviewing 500 witnesses. The Republican president's lawyers made sure he was not among them. The strategy paid off, insulating Trump from the legal jeopardy presented by a sit-down interview with the special counsel's team - an interview that Trump had said publicly he wanted to do. There was even a tentative date for the interview - Jan. 27, 2018 - though one of Trump's lawyers told Reuters he never intended to make the president available to Mueller. And Mueller never issued a subpoena demanding testimony. On Sunday, Trump's lead attorneys - Jay Sekulow, Rudy Giuliani and husband-and-wife team Jane and Martin Raskin - were huddled at a conference table with their computers open, awaiting Barr's summary. When it finally popped up online, they were jubilant. Mueller had found no evidence of conspiracy with Russia, Barr said. The attorney general also concluded there was insufficient evidence that Trump had committed obstruction of justice by trying to impede the inquiry - an issue the special counsel had left unresolved. The findings provided Trump a big political victory after an investigation that had cast a long shadow over his presidency. Giuliani threw his arm around Sekulow, as Sekulow told Reuters on Tuesday. Sekulow said he told the others, "This is absolutely fantastic." Giuliani told Reuters minutes after Barr issued the findings: "It's better than I expected." Trump's legal team successfully rebuffed Mueller's repeated efforts to get a sit-down interview with Trump and avoided the president being subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury. They agreed instead to have Trump provide written responses, which he did in November. The stakes were high. Some of the lawyers had worried that if Trump had submitted to the interview, it could expose him to claims that he lied to the FBI, or made "false statements," in legal terms. Giuliani publicly called an interview a "perjury trap," especially if Mueller went beyond asking Trump about collusion and strayed into other matters. Trump is frequently called out for misstating facts or simply making things up. For the past year, Trump's lawyers pursued a two-pronged approach that relied on public attacks by Giuliani on Mueller's "witch hunt" on cable TV news alongside backroom negotiations with Mueller's team led by the Raskins, according to two sources familiar with the strategy who spoke on condition of anonymity. A spokesman for Mueller declined to comment for this story. 'WE WEREN'T GOING THERE' When Mueller began his work in May 2017, Trump's legal team initially decided that cooperation was the quickest way to end the probe, according to Ty Cobb, the White House lawyer who handled the inquiry for the presidency at the time. More than 20 White House staff members were made available for special counsel interviews, and the administration handed over more than 20,000 documents. A burning question was whether Trump himself would agree to be interviewed. Despite the tentative date being set, Trump's legal advisers were split. Attorney John Dowd, who at the time represented Trump personally in the inquiry, worried that an interview would be too risky. "We're not going to go in there and make a mistake," said Dowd, a pugnacious ex-Marine, recalling how he pushed back against Trump being interviewed even though the president had expressed willingness. Dowd said he talked to Mueller's team "about what they had done to Flynn and Papadopoulos." Trump's former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, and a former Trump campaign aide, George Papadopoulos, both ended up pleading guilty to lying to the FBI after submitting to special counsel interviews. "We weren't going there," Dowd said in an interview. Dowd said Mueller told him he wanted to discuss 16 areas in the interview, a scope viewed as too expansive. In agreeing to the tentative interview date, Trump's lawyers had been seeking to draw out Mueller to find out what he already knew, Dowd said. "We wanted to know what was really on their mind. They played it close to the vest. Our purpose was: the more meetings we had, the more we learned. That was the purpose of keeping the talking going," Dowd said, adding that he never intended to make Trump available for an interview. PROTECTING THE PRESIDENT After the interview was canceled, it was apparent, according to Cobb, that the process would drag on. "Once there was a decision by the president's lawyers in January 2018 not to proceed with an interview at that time - but to keep the possibility open - it was clear this would take some time," Cobb said. The lawyers also faced the daily prospect of a subpoena from Mueller to force Trump to testify. If it came, their plan was to ask a judge to quash the subpoena, expecting the legal fight to reach the Supreme Court. It never came. "We were prepared from the outset in the event of a subpoena to challenge it," Sekulow said. "We felt confident the law was clearly on our side." Although not all experts agree, the legal team's view was that a president cannot be compelled to testify unless the information could not be obtained from other sources and the circumstances were extraordinary. By the spring of 2018, it appeared Trump had two options: either sit for an interview or be subpoenaed. By that point, Trump's team had been reshuffled. Dowd resigned in March. The Raskins and Giuliani came on board in April. Cobb was replaced in the White House by Emmet Flood in May. Sekulow was the only key member remaining throughout. The new legal team pressed Mueller to show them that the investigation had reached a stage that would justify sitting down with the president, a source familiar with the negotiations said. "Are you in a position where you have evidence of a crime?" the source said the team asked Mueller. The Trump legal team argued that because the special counsel had amassed a wealth of information through interviews with White House staffers and others close to the president, Mueller had not reached the high bar necessary for a sit-down interview with Trump. "By providing all the witnesses from the White House and the documentation from the White House and the presidential election committee, my view from the outset was the predicate had not been reached to demand an interview with the president," Sekulow said. "I never thought we should modify from that." The team stuck to that position through the autumn of 2018 while negotiating the deal in which Trump would answer written questions only on a limited subject - potential collusion with Russia before the 2016 election - not open-ended queries that potentially could have spilled into his businesses, finances or other matters. CRITICAL MOMENT Mueller's agreement to submit a list of questions was a critical moment. The special counsel never stopped asking for the interview, the source said, but when Mueller acquiesced to answers in writing, it was a game-changer. "It went from being constantly, 'Are they going to decide to issue a subpoena?' to, 'We're doing some written questions,'" the source said. Trump's lawyers would not entertain questions on the issue of whether Trump had tried to obstruct justice when he fired former FBI director James Comey, then overseeing the Russia probe, and frequently assailed Attorney General Jeff Sessions publicly for not ending the inquiry. The legal team did not think a president could be found guilty of obstruction of justice for firing someone whom he had appointed in the first place to work for the administration. "That was off the table," and negotiations with Mueller continued on answering questions on Russia's interference in the election, the source familiar with the matter said. "At the end of the day, the strategy worked. No interview. No grand jury subpoena," the source added. Trump signed his answers to Mueller on Nov. 20 before leaving Washington to celebrate the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. "We answered every question they asked that was legitimately pre-election and focused on Russia," Giuliani told Reuters at the time. "Nothing post-election." Mueller's team had pressed during the negotiations for an opportunity to pose follow-up questions to Trump, possibly in person, Giuliani said. But ultimately the special counsel agreed to accept just the written answers with no conditions and no follow-ups, Giuliani added. By the end of last year, Trump's lawyers had little interaction with Mueller's team. Asked about the team's strategy, Sekulow said, "I guess it worked. The plane landed successfully." (Reporting by Karen Freifeld; Editing by Ross Colvin and Will Dunham)
Photo credit: Getty Images

From Oprah Magazine

Do you imagine your retirement as a series of cozy pajamas, slippers, sleeping in, and poolside margaritas? While those do sound like worthy #goals, retirement consultant Patrice Jenkins, Ph.D says that-with all due respect for margaritas-work provides us with a sense of belonging, a purpose, and an opportunity to use our skills and abilities. So, instead of seeing how many days in a row you can wear the same shirt without anyone noticing, Jenkins says retirement is the perfect time to pursue something you've always wanted to do. She calls this meaningful work. With this in mind, we put together a list of the best jobs for retirees (think low-stress, high reward) for your second time around.



Personal organizer

Do color-coded closets send your heart aflutter? Organizers help people clean out cluttered garages, organize files and set up more efficient billing systems, says Nancy Collamer, author of Second Act Careers: 50+ Ways to Profit From Your Passions During Semi-Retirement. Even if this is a far cry from the job you used to do, retirement is the perfect time to reinvent yourself, she says.

Consider advertising your services in local papers and neighborhood websites. If youre a people person with a passion for order, theres no better time than retirement to spread your (very neat and contained) joy.

Seasonal worker at a resort or national park

"The gift of retirement is that you don't have to make a living wage doing what you love," says Jenkins. So if you've always wanted to work in the great outdoors, check out seasonal employment options at national parks, ski slopes and fishing lodges on sites like coolworks.com or flexjobs.com.

Although these types of jobs often pay minimum wage, says Collamer, you can stay for free and have access to incredible resorts. If you don't have the skill set to be a ski instructor or park ranger (for example), think outside the box: like waxing skis for racers in Park City, Utah, says Chris Farrell, author of Purpose and a Paycheck: Finding Meaning, Money, and Happiness in the Second Half of Life.



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Pet sitter/dog walker

Pet parents are always looking for responsible two-legged friends to look after their fur babiesthat's where pet sitters come to play. The typical pet sitter will feed the pet for the owner and take it out for walks, says Farrell.

"Its a great flexible job for retirees that love animals." Plus, adds Collamer, Its an easy business to start, a great excuse to get exercise, and a surprisingly lucrative enterprise. The best part? Websites like trustedhousesitters.com and Rover help set up pet owners with house sitters across the globe, so if you love to travel you can play with puppies and get lodging at the next destination on your bucket list.

Retail Sales

The holiday season is a great time for retirees to get back into the workforce, says Farrell. Retailers are hiring experienced workers because of the tight labor market of recent years. So why not turn your fashion sense into something profitable, and ask your favorite clothing stores if they are hiring? Love to read? Youd be a huge asset to your local bookstore. The good news is, if you want to work beyond the busy holiday season, Farrell says retail employers are more receptive than ever about turning seasonal jobs into year-round, part-time work.

Consultant



Dont let your industry know-how shrivel up. With so many years of experience under your belt, there are plenty of people who would pay for your insight and expertise. Use your down-time to create a consulting side-business and help people in your line of work who could benefit from your sage advice.

Its important to emphasize the value of keeping your skills up to date and relevant, says Jenkins. To get started, consider working with a staffing firm or check out guru.com for freelance opportunities. Consultants can set a substantial rate, work from home, and have flexible hours.

Adjunct Professor

If you would like a part time job thats prestigious and challenging, why not become an adjunct professor? Contact your local college and see if they have any openings, or would be interested in a specific topic that meets your experience. Retirees often find it rewarding to pass along their knowledge to younger generations, says Collamer, noting that since these positions tend to pay modestly (about a $3,000 per class), colleges will sometimes hire people who dont have a PhD, as long as they have professional experience.

Volunteer (at a school, hospital, charity, or religious institution)

Volunteering is a perfect way to regain the psychological benefits of work without all the responsibilities, says Jenkins. Before choosing a volunteer role, Jenkins recommends thinking about what youre really passionate about, and what difference you hope to make. Call local shelters, hospitals, schools, or anywhere that will give you a sense of belonging. The deeper you get involved, the greater sense of accomplishment youll feel, she says. While it may be difficult to come to terms with not being paid, most people find greater satisfaction in volunteering for meaningful work, than being paid to do something that lacks purpose, she assures us.

Tutor

Did you used to be a teacher? Or maybe you just love numbers or have a way with words? Tutoring is a great way to stay on top of your skills and help students excel at the same time. While tutoring at the high school or college level may be more lucrative, Farrell recommends signing up for the AARP Experience Corp. It matches volunteers with more than 30,000 students in elementary schools, where they work 10 hours or more a week and receive a small stipend, he says.



Elder or Child Care Services

Retirement can get lonelyespecially if you're an empty nester, or don't have a partner. This is when taking care of someone else can feel very rewarding. Many families looking for help post ads in local newspapers, or on neighborhood websites like nextdoor.com. Whether it's assisting an elderly person with their daily tasks like cooking or grocery shopping, or lending an extra hand to a family that needs child care, this could be the perfect part-time position for a patient, caring person.

Docent or Usher

Dont forget about seeking part-time jobs at places near you like community arts centers, urges Collamer. If you love theater, being an usher could be a great way to see all the plays. Or if you always enjoyed learning about artists, a docent could be rewarding and interesting work. When searching locally, ask neighbors and friends for leads, or check your towns newspaper and website for job listings, she suggests.

Virtual Assistant

A VA remotely provides employers with support services-like booking travel, handling correspondences, or even helping with marketing, depending on the business they are assisting. With so many people branching out on their own, offering virtual assistant services can be a profitable and flexible business for retirees, says Collamer.

Job sites like virtualvocation.com are a great place to get started on your search. If youre organized and enjoy helping others succeed in business, this could be a very rewarding job.

Uber or Lyft Driver

Known as the gig economy (temporary jobs where organizations contract independent workers) this kind of work is extremely popular with millennials. But, according to Farrell, more older Americans are participating in opportunities like Uber and Lyft (you can sign up on the app!). A big attraction is its flexibility, says Farrell. While the downside is that these temporary jobs dont include health insurance or retirement plans, this isnt an issue for experienced workers on Social Security and Medicare. In other words, its a great gig for retirees looking to earn some extra cash.

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SHANGHAI  American Chinese fashion designer Vivienne Tam has shifted her business focus from the U.S. to China, kicking off Shanghai Fashion Week on March 27, and opening a host of stores in the region.

I have a special feeling for Shanghai, said Tam, 61, who grew up in Hong Kong and moved to New York after her university graduation. She has been a fixture on the New York fashion scene for almost three decades, but that is rapidly changing.

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Tam chose Shero, a combination of the words she and hero, as the theme for her fall 2019 collection. Every woman is a Shero in their own way, she said. The collection reflects the unique qualities of women in the modern era. I want to present the idea of female empowerment and independence to the audience in China.

She presented 48 looks, from casual blazers to heavily embroidered, sequin nightgowns decorated with Chinese motifs. The show took place in the former Shanghai Chamber of Commerce, adjacent to the Bulgari Hotel on the Bund.

Xia Ding, president of JD International Fashion and vice president of JD.com, said Tams collection blends in lots of cultural elements and focuses heavily on craftsmanship. She said her personal favorite was the evening gowns section and, in particular, a long red dress with leather details.

Tam presented her capsule with Crocs, accessorizing the classic model with punk studs and golden embellishments in traditional Chinese motifs on the runway.

Earlier this year, Tam also collaborated with the smartphone brand Honor, a subbrand of Huawei. It includes a range of tech accessories, such as a phone case, watchband and user interface, as well as T-shirts and handbags under the theme of the year of the pig, a symbol of fortune and prosperity in China.

Honor smartwatch designed by Vivienne Tam.

All the great collaborations allow me to use different channels to express my design to a wider audience, she said.

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Ever since she sold the brands Chinese operations to the Shenzhen-based clothing company Ellassay in 2017 for 37 million renminbi, or $4.46 million, Tam has been dividing her time between China and New York, and her business has grown considerably.

Some 14 Vivienne Tam stores have opened in Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Xiamen, Xian, Shenyang, Changzhou and Dalian since the transaction. The brand also operates 16 stores in Japan via another partnership, six stores in Hong Kong and two stores each in the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

Having a strong voice on the global stage doesnt mean that China can hear you, she said.

It was really hard for me from the very beginning and it took me a couple of years to find a partner. I tried to do it for the first time 10 years ago. Its a quite difficult and complicated market and you needed a local partner to operate. Also, we were maybe a bit early, but now its a better time and Ellassay is a good partner for me. They are very efficient and supportive, they understand me, my concept, my responsibility, my goal for what Im doing with my design, Tam said.

She has also learned a lot from the China partnership. My concept [has] Chinese inspirations, so were picking different areas to do the research, she said. I also have different manufacturing resources and that gives me multiple choices to make things.

Vivienne Tams fall 2019 collection finale in Shanghai.

Although this is Tams third season with the new partnership, she said she is still learning from her clients. My Chinese customers like brighter colors and more shiny things. So I add more things, such as sequins. I am glad to learn all this. They also like more expensive products and they enjoy the quality and the touch of objects of quality.

Ellassay is a publicly traded apparel manufacturer and a key player in the contemporary price point sector in China. Founded by Guoxin Xia in 1996, it has grown into a fashion empire with a market capitalization of 6 billion renminbi, or $892 million.

The company operates its own brand Ellassay, with 309 stores across China and holds the China operating rights of Laurel, Ed Hardy, Iro, Jean Paul Knott and Vivienne Tam. It also owns the e-commerce and logistics solution company Buy Quickly, whose clients include Clarks, MCM, Pandora, Swatch, SMCP and Tissot.

We will for sure retain the core value of the brand, said Xia, who has known Tam for a long time. Vivienne Tam is a very unique brand in the Ellassay group. Her design combines Oriental elements and international fashion trends, and she loves Chinese culture and continues to promote Chinese culture in the international fashion arena.

Before coming to Shanghai, Tam was in Beijing cutting the ribbon for the newly opened Mandarin Oriental Hotel, for which she designed the bar area and staffs uniform. She has been a fan and an ambassador of the hotel for a long time. She even designed the logo for the hotels in Guangzhou, where she was born.

Tam said she believes her spin on traditional Chinese culture with international taste will be much appreciated in fast-developing China. I see myself as a bridge between Chinese and Western cultures. I hope to spread Chinese culture through my own design, and through continuous innovation transform the traditional Chinese culture into a modern lifestyle, Tam said.

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The film producer Marie Therese Guirgis first met Steve Bannon 15 years ago, when he became her boss at an independent film distribution company in New York. Guirgis found Bannon to be alternately (and sometimes simultaneously) charismatic, demanding, intelligent, and foul-tempered, and, though the company was shuttered a few years later, the two stayed in touch. When Bannon joined Donald Trumps presidential campaign in 2016, Guirgis wrote him an impassioned email expressing what she calls shock, anger, and disgust.

When Bannonsoon to become Trumps campaign chairman and, after the election, the White House chief strategistactually replied to Guirgiss email, it set in motion a new round of communiques that ultimately resulted in The Brink, Guirgiss and director Alison Klaymans picaresque, fly-on-the-wall documentary that silently shadows the far-right Johnny Appleseed around the world as he attempts to assemble a kind of supergroup of hard-right political parties out of a ragtag group of nationalist leadersthink the Hollywood Vampires but instead of aging rockers theyre revanchist, hate-stoking neofascists.

Klayman began filming in the fall of 2017, just before Bannon, in the wake of Michael Wolffs book Fire and Fury, was rechristened by Trump as Sloppy Steve who had been unceremoniously dumped like a dog, to quote Trump, from both the White House and his post as executive chairman of Breitbart News, the online dumpster bin of fringe-right conspiracy theories hed led since 2012. (Among Bannons sins: throwing around words like treasonous to describe Donald Trump, Jr.s secret meeting with a Russian lawyer.) Licking his wounds, we see Bannon in his Washington, D.C., bachelor pad/world headquarters (a.k.a. the former so-called Breitbart Embassy), pounding Red Bull and watching his manservantsorry, thats his nephew Sean, billed here as Bannons assistantcook him his eggs for breakfast; we listen to him talk about wanting to lose 35 pounds so that people dont call him that gross-looking Jabba the Hutt drunk. For the record, Bannon says that, despite doing the Lords work in the White House, he hated every minute of ittheres no glamour to the place at all.

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Which genus of Bannon emerges from this septic tank of self-reinvention? As any astute observer of opportunistic, atavistic, bottom-feeding, swamp-dwelling creatures already knows, this particular pulmonate reinvented himself as the pied piper of populisma kind of global leader manque for the crowd that reviles globalists (or simply uses the term with a wink and a nodand as a stand-in for Jewswhile denying it with their fingers crossed behind their backs).

And so begins the Bannon World Toura seemingly endless vacation where the sullen sultan of scruff bathes himself in glamour aboard private jets and beds down in five-star hotels in London and Rome and Venice and Prague and Budapest (and later, in more modest accommodations, in Buffalo and Las Vegas and Staten Island).

The first series of jaunts sees Bannon trying to herd the cats who are heading up Europes various extreme right-wing political parties into a kind of Justice League of jingoism. Just who comprises this clowder? Well, lets start with a couple high-ranking people from Frances National Rally partya party whose founder, Jean-Marie Le Pen, referred to the Nazi occupation of France in World War II as not particularly inhumane, even if there were a few blunders and called the Nazi gas ovens in concentration camps a mere point of detail. (The National Rally party is also funded by a $12 million loan from the First Czech Russian Bank in Moscow, which is linked to Vladimir Putin and the Kremlinwhen asked why the party couldnt have secured financing from French banks, its current president, Jean-Maries loving daughter Marine, naturally accused Frances banks of collusion with the countrys government. Any of this sound familiar?)

Who else do we see supping at Bannons table? People like Filip Dewinter, the leader of Belgiums Vlaams Belang partyitself a reconstituted version of an earlier party that was essentially outlawed in Belgium for being racist and xenophobic. And people like Kent Ekeroth who, as spokesperson for Sweden Democrats, another (yawn) far-right party, was captured on video arming himself with an aluminum pipe after trying to pick a fight with a comedian of Kurdish descent.

The second leg of Bannons great adventure sees him barnstorming across Republican strongholds of the United States, from banquet hall to banquet hall, as he tries to stoke incendiary rage among the party faithful on behalf of Roy Moore, the former chief justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama then running for Jeff Sessionss seat in the Senate: This is called take out the sword and throw away the scabbard,  says Bannon of his all-in support for the candidate whod been credibly accused by nine women of sexual assault or harassment, some when they were as young as 14. (Moore, of course, lost the election, then refused to concede as right-wing websites pushed conspiracy theories about voter fraud.)

What do all these people, groups, and political parties have in common? What motivates them? Hatred is a motivator, Bannon says. Anger motivates. At a private meeting in his D.C. townhouse with Nigel Farage, the pro-Brexit former leader of the right-wing UK Independence Party, the two put their heads together to dream big: Well help knit together this populist movement across the worldwere fire-breathers! says Bannon, no doubt energized by whatever tidy morsel his nephew has whipped up in the kitchen behind him. Its a global revoltits a zeitgeist! (Bannon, for some reason, pronounces that last word zeitgeeest.)

On a more practical and obvious level, what joins these people and parties together from the various corners of the world is their puerile longing for a mythic past where everything was right and certain. Its a kind of high school reunion mentality, a Bob Seger song writ large on the stage of fringe-racist international geopolitics, with everybody bonding over their hatred of immigrants. Theres even jockeying for credit: Sam Nunbergwho was hired, then fired, then rehired, then let go, then rehired again, fired again, rehired, and forced out of Trumps presidential campaign before endorsing Ted Cruz and being sued by Trump for $10 million for allegedly leaking information to the New York Postboasts here that the wall was my ideathats a fact! Nunberg goes on, breathlessly, about his time in Trumps orbit: Immigration was our signature issuemass deportation and a wall. Why? Its easy to understand.

What isnt so easy to understand is where Bannon got the money to fund his global anti-globalist campaignhis World Bank of moral bankruptcy. Hes too scared, of course, to fess up about it, even when directly asked, but speaks in reverent tones about (and with) two men: John Thornton, a former Goldman Sachs president who chairs the worlds largest gold-mining company and has a long history of investments in China, and Miles Kwok, a.k.a. Guo Wengui, a Chinese billionaire forced to flee China after allegations of bribery, kidnapping, money-laundering, fraud, and rape before settling in the United States and joining Donald Trumps Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach. (Spoiler alert: At the end of the film, we learn that Kwok has funded a Rule of Law Fund to the tune of $100 million. Who manages the fund? Bannon, of course.)

I know what youre thinking: Whats not to love?

For starters, The Brink unpacks little of the above; in fact, its rather boring. Given its rather strident noninterventionist, fly-on-the-wall stance, were at the rallies where Bannons speaking; were in the room with him as he meets with all of the above; we hear snippets of their chatter and witness a rash of journalists dutifully taking in the whole sordid spectacle and saying little in response. But we learn nothing more about anything we dont already know, about Bannons three ex-wives or the shadowy stories about his pre-Trump years living with no fixed address, or about his most recent ex-wifewho was under active investigation for smuggling drugs into a Miami jail and who apparently left their Florida home in a shambles, with the bathtub destroyed by acid and the houses interior doors padlocked or removed entirely, with Sloppy Steve forced to forfeit his security deposit.

What we do see in The Brink, mostly, is a lot of movement: From city to city, country to country, hotel, motel, Holiday Inn, Bannonand his nephewlike to go, go, go! Doors open and close, planes take off and land, meetings and rallies are held, reporters come and go, and Red Bull is sought after. Ensconced in the back seat of yet another black SUV en route to wherever is next on the tour, Bannon simply asks that age-old question of performers and seekers of attention everywhere: Howd I do? And then the dog barks, and the caravan moves on, to paraphrase the old Arabic proverb.

Of course, this bystander approach to filming isnt a bug in Guirgis and Klaymans film. Instead, its the feature; its what they sought out to do. Why? Judging from their remarks in the press notes to The Brink, they sought this observational rather than participatory approach to intentionally flatten Bannons affect, to avoid giving him the obstreperous oxygen that he seems to thrive on. (Trump taught me a great lesson, he says, early in the film: Theres no bad media.) But what, then, prevents their film from being simply a moving-image version of the reporters that The Brink takes pains to highlight as stenographers rather than probers of the truth?

There are exceptions to this stand-back approach: When Paul Lewis, a reporter from The Guardian, has the temerity to confront Bannon in Venice about the sort of far-right European political party leaders hes been seeking out, meeting with, and trying to organize with, the fire-breather Bannon is suddenly a wet, limp noodle: That was just a general dinner, he mutters. When Lewis tells Bannon that another one has called Hitler his uncle? Uh, he just came to the dinner, Bannon says, meekly. When Lewis reminds Bannonin front of Giorgia Meloni, the president of the Brothers of Italy partythat he had described Melonis party to him before they met as neofascist, the incendiary, bomb-throwing revolutionary nearly whispers back: I dont think I did.

The Bannon we see on the night of the 2018 midterm elections, though, is a different beast entirely. Knowing full well that the wings of any pan-national movement of right-wing hate-meisters will be severely clipped if Democrats take the House of Representatives, giving them teeth for oversight and enforcement along with subpoena power, Bannon goes ballistic, yelling on the phone to pollster Pat Caddell, Shut the fuck up! Stay focused! I dont give a fuck about these national numbers! To Sam Nunberg, the self-proclaimed visionary of Trumps wall: This is your fucking job! Engage your fucking brain!

Of course, we all know how that election turned out: The country showed up.

As for this fly-on-the-wall approach to Steve Bannon and his not-so-excellent adventure? I prefer my flies off the wall, franklydoing what flies do naturally: feasting on the fetid piles of Bannons zeitgeest.
Mogadishu (AFP) - At least 15 people died when a car bomb exploded on a busy street and ripped into a nearby restaurant in Somalia's capital on Thursday, medics said.

Security officials and witnesses reported bodies strewn on the ground as plumes of smoke rose high into the air after the bomb detonated on Mogadishu's Maka Al-Mukarama road, one of the seaside capital's main thoroughfares, an area busy with businesses and travellers.

It struck as people were eating lunch.

The attack was claimed by Al-Qaeda's Somali affiliate Al-Shabaab, in a statement posted on a pro-Shabaab website.

Abdulkadir Abdirahman Adan, director of the Aamin Ambulance service, said that 15 people had been killed, as well as several more wounded by the ferocious blast.

Witnesses described scenes of devastation.

"The car bomb struck a restaurant along the road," said Abdulahi Osman, who was nearby when the blast hit. "This really was a disaster."

Vehicles were tossed into the air by the force of the explosion, which also damaged surrounding buildings. Witnesses said several cars and three-wheel motorbikes were destroyed.

- 'Another day, another funeral' -

"I saw 16 people carried from the blast scene -- and more than 10 of them were already dead," Osman added.

Ambulance workers rushed in to help take the wounded to hospital.

"I don't know whether they were dead or wounded, but I could see several people strewn in the street -- some of them were motionless," said Suado Ahmed, another witness who was at the scene moments after the blast.

Teams of ambulance workers carried away those killed and wounded on stretchers, while volunteers also helped by using plastic sheeting to lift the bodies away.

The bombing is the latest in a recent string of blasts in Mogadishu, which has been hit frequently by Al-Shabaab attacks.

On Saturday, Shabaab gunmen attacked a complex housing government ministries in Mogadishu, killing 11 people including the deputy labour minister.

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Since then at least four people have been killed this week in three blasts, including car bombs and roadside explosions.

"Another day. Another funeral. Another friend dead. Another acquaintance burnt alive. I have been to 4 funerals in 4 weeks. Mogadishans used to talk about being at the wrong place at the wrong time, now its degenerated to being at any place at any time," city resident Dalmar Hassan wrote on Twitter.

Shabaab fighters have been fighting for more than a decade to topple the government. They fled fixed positions they once held in Mogadishu in 2011, and have since lost many of their strongholds.

But they retain control of large rural swathes of the country, and continue to wage a guerrilla war against the authorities, striking at the heart of Somalia's government, despite years of foreign military support.
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP)  A federal judge in Argentina has launched an investigation into former President Cristina Fernandez.

Judge Claudio Bonadio said Thursday that Fernandez committed embezzlement "by taking advantage of the presidential plane fleet" while she was president from 2007 to 2015 and while she was a lawmaker during the 2003-2007 presidency of her late husband Nestor Kirchner.

She was accused of using presidential airplanes to transport furniture, a bed, clothing, newspapers and even a hair stylist to her homes in the country's south.

Fernandez has immunity from arrest, which she gained after being elected to the Senate.

Bonadio says that testimony by pilots shows that Fernandez and Kirchner regularly used the presidential fleet to get newspapers delivered from Buenos Aires to the cities of Rio Gallegos and El Calafate.

Fernandez denies wrongdoing.
China has said it is investigating other public security officials to "thoroughly eliminate the poisonous influence" of former Interpol chief Meng Hongwei, who is facing possible graft charges.

Meng -- who had also served as vice minister of public security -- has been expelled from the Communist Party and his official positions while his case was handed over to prosecutors.

He had vanished last September during a visit to China from France, where Interpol is based, and was later accused of accepting bribes.

The Public Security Ministry said in a lengthy statement late Wednesday that it held an internal meeting that "stressed that it is necessary to completely and thoroughly eliminate the poisonous influence of Meng Hongwei".

It said that Meng's expulsion was "all his own doing" and that he had used state assets to support his family's extravagant lifestyle, echoing a party anti-graft watchdog statement announcing his expulsion on Wednesday.

All party cadres involved in Meng's case will be dealt with, the statement said, adding that it is "necessary to thoroughly eliminate the legacy of Zhou Yongkang and Meng Hongwei".

A former security tsar, Zhou was sentenced to life in prison in 2015 for bribery, abuse of power and leaking state secrets.

Meng was appointed vice security minister by Zhou in 2004.

Meng and Zhou are part of a growing group of Communist Party cadres caught in President Xi Jinping's anti-graft campaign, which critics say has served as a way to remove the leader's political enemies.

More than one million officials have been punished so far during Xi's six-year tenure.
The Daily Beast

NBCSaturday Night Live returned from a four-week hiatus this week with a holiday message from Kate McKinnons Dr. Anthony Fauci.Do people still think Im sexy or are we done with that? Fauci began. With COVID cases on the rise, people still have a lot of questions: Is it safe to travel? Can I still use this as an excuse to get out of stuff? I would like to never work again.To answer those queries, Fauci presented a series of increasingly absurd scenarios that began with basic situations li
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co's Russian joint venture Ford Sollers will close two assembly plants and an engine factory in Russia, exiting the country's passenger vehicle market, resulting in charges of about $450 million to $500 million.

The move is part of a restructuring that will see Russia's Sollers assume control of the venture, which is currently led by the U.S. automaker, the companies said in a statement on Wednesday.

Industry sources told Reuters this month that Ford was considering closing Russian plants as it was reviewing operations in unprofitable regions.

The No. 2 U.S. carmaker said the closures would lead to "significant" job losses, along with the closure of assembly plants in Naberezhnye Chelny and St. Petersburg, and an engine plant in Elabuga. The restructuring follows similar actions in South America and Europe as Ford works to return to profitability in money-losing markets.

Ford also has been negotiating to expand a commercial vehicle and pickup truck alliance with Germany's Volkswagen AG, with investors focused on potential partnerships around the development of electric and self-driving vehicles. Those talks also include working together regionally, including possible plant consolidation. A Ford spokeswoman said the talks are continuing.

A restructured Ford Sollers will focus on commercial vehicles, while passenger vehicle production will cease by the end of June, the companies said.

"The new Ford Sollers structure supports Ford's global redesign strategy to expand our leadership in commercial vehicles and to grow the business in Europe in those market segments that offer better returns on invested capital," Steven Armstrong, president of Ford of Europe, said in the statement.

Ford was the first international carmaker to launch vehicle assembly in Russia, opening a plant in St Petersburg in 2002. In 2011, it set up a joint venture with Sollers in which Ford and Sollers each hold a 50 percent stake, but Ford has controlled the business since buying up preferred shares. Under the new structure, Sollers will take a 51 percent controlling interest.

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Sales of new cars in Russia are expected to rise 3.6 percent this year, marking a slowdown from last year, according to an estimate from the Association of European Businesses lobby group.

"The Russian passenger vehicle market has been under significant pressure in recent years, with recovery slower than expected and a shift to lower priced passenger vehicle segments," Ford said, adding that resulted in underused plants.

Ford said it expects pretax special item charges of $450 million to $500 million, most of which will be recorded this year and are part of the previously announced $11 billion charge that Ford said it would take to globally restructure its business.

(Reporting by Gleb Stolyarov in Moscow and Ben Klayman in Detroit; Writing by Maria Kiselyova; Editing by Mark Potter and Paul Simao)
By Paresh Dave and Sarah Marsh

SAN FRANCISCO/HAVANA (Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's Google plans to announce a memorandum of understanding with Cuban telecoms monopoly ETECSA on Thursday to explore ways of improving connectivity on the Communist-run island, a person familiar with matter told Reuters.

While relations between the United States and Cuba have nosedived of late, the old Cold War foes seem able to agree on the need to increase internet access in what has long been one of the Western world's least connected nations.

While President Donald Trump has tightened the decades-old U.S. trade embargo on Cuba, he has not eliminated an exception to it established by his predecessor Barack Obama, which allows U.S. telecommunications companies to provide services to Cuba, such as setting up fibre-optic cable.

U.S. tech behemoth Google has been working to expand its business in Cuba for years although the source said the agreement was not a commitment from the firm to build anything.

The Cuban government had been set to hold a news conference in Havana with Google on Tuesday but then rescheduled it for Thursday.

Neither Google officials working on Cuba projects nor the government replied to requests for comment.

Whether because of a lack of cash, the U.S. embargo or concerns about the flow of information, the internet in Cuba was largely only available to the public at tourist hotels until 2013.

But the government has since made boosting connectivity a priority, introducing cybercafes and outdoor Wi-Fi hotspots, slowly starting to hook up homes to the Web and last December introducing mobile internet.

Still, Cubans complain the connection is slow and expensive and coverage is spotty. The cash-strapped government has acknowledged it needs to build up the infrastructure.

Google already took advantage of the Obama-era thaw in U.S.-Cuban relations, which have since frozen over once more, to set up a small pilot display centre in Havana and signed a deal in 2016 granting internet users quicker access to its branded content.

Former Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt met with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel twice last year, first in June in Havana and then at a meeting with other technology executives in New York in September.

(Reporting by Paresh Dave in San Francisco and Sarah Marsh in Havana; Editing by Tom Brown)
By Gavin Jones ROME (Reuters) - The Italian parliament on Thursday approved a law making it harder for judges to hand down tough sentences on people who shoot robbers on their premises. The so-called "legitimate defense" law was a victory for Matteo Salvini, leader of the hard-right League party which formed a government last June with the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement. Violent crime in Italy has declined in recent years, according to interior ministry data, with murders down 16.3 percent year-on-year in the 12 months to August 2018, and armed robbery down 12.3 percent. However, Interior Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Salvini has kept the issue high on the political agenda, offering his public support to people prosecuted for shooting robbers. "This is a wonderful day for Italians," he told reporters after the bill was passed in the Senate following its approval in the Chamber of Deputies. "Finally we are definitively guaranteeing the sacrosanct principle of legitimate defense for people who are attacked in their homes, their shops or their bars." By affirming that defense is always legitimate when people feel threatened by would-be robbers on their property, the legislation makes it harder for judges to pass tough sentences on those who shoot them. Home-owners can no longer be accused of excessive violence if they can show that they shot burglars "in a state of grave confusion due to the situation of danger". The bill also increases prison sentences for burglary and armed robbery. Center-left parties and some magistrates say the law will be difficult to interpret, will increase the use of firearms, and risks giving people the idea they can shoot intruders with impunity. "Shooting people in the back will never be legitimate," said Giulia Bongiorno, the League's public administration minister, in an attempt to assuage these fears. The League's tough anti-immigration and law-and-order platform has helped it become Italy's leading party, boosting its support to more than 30 percent, according to opinion polls, compared with the 17 percent it won at the March 2018 election.
Abuja (AFP) - A Nigerian judge on Thursday said the treason trial of a pro-Biafran leader will go on without him, after he disappeared for more than a year before re-emerging in Israel and Britain.

Nnamdi Kanu, who heads the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) movement, was arrested in October 2015 after calling for a separate homeland for the Igbo people in southeast Nigeria.

The former London estate agent disappeared while on bail in September 2017 after an army raid on his home, only to re-emerge 12 months later in Jerusalem, then in Britain.

Judge Binta Nyako, sitting at the Federal High Court in Abuja, said at the last hearing in November that she wanted Kanu to return to Nigeria to attend the trial in person.

But on Thursday she said she had given the defendant's lawyers "more than enough time to produce him in court".

"The only option open to the court is to order that the trial will continue in his absence," she said, adding that no "reasonable explanation" had been given for his absence.

The judge revoked his bail and issued a warrant for his arrest to ensure he appeared in court before adjourning the case until June 18.

Kanu, who also runs the outlawed Radio Biafra, was standing trial with four other defendants. They are now being tried separately.

Calls for a separate state of Biafra are a sensitive subject in Nigeria, after a unilateral declaration of independence in 1967 sparked a brutal 30-month civil war.

More than one million people died, most of them Igbos, from the effects of conflict and disease.




Lawyers on opposite sides of a lawsuit claiming that Monsanto's Roundup weedkiller causes cancer took turns calling each other's take on the case "offensive" during closing arguments Tuesday morning in San Francisco federal court.



Jennifer Moore of Moore Law Groupone of the lawyers for Northern California man Edwin Hardeman who developed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma after about two decades of using Roundup to kill weeds on his 56-acre propertysaid that it was "reckless" and "offensive" for a Monsanto representative to say there "no evidence across the board" linking Roundup to cancer. Moore pointed to about 30 separate studies published prior to her client's 2015 cancer diagnosis that raised flags about exposure to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup.



Moore said that although Monsanto's former CEO, Hugh Grant testified that the company had an annual research and development budget of $1.5 billion, the company had spent nothing on long-term epidemiological studies of Roundup use or certain lab tests she argued were needed to prove the product's safety.



"That ladies and gentlemen is offensive," Moore said. "When you put a product on the market from 1975 to 2012 and you know that product causes cancer and you do it anyway, you deprive a consumer like Mr. Hardeman of a choice."



Monsanto's lead lawyer, Brian Stekloff of Wilkinson Walsh + Eskovitz, meanwhile, took aim at one of Moore's closing slides midway through his closing, The slide had quoted an internal company email as saying "(the good ol Monsanto way of doing things  give people $$)" when the full email actually said the "(the good ol Monsanto way of doing things  give people an extra job)." The slide, Stekloff argued, was indicative of Hardeman's lawyers avoiding telling "the whole story."



"It is offensive to misquote and put on a slide and the 'good ol Monsanto way' is to give people money," Stekloff said. Stekloff said Moore was essentially asking jurors to believe that Monsanto employees drop their kids off at school, drive to the company's St. Louis headquarters and "then say 'You know what, were going to engage in a conspiracy to give people cancer.' "



"Thats what theyre asking you to believe and thats outrageous," said Stekloff, noting that all the company's employees who testified use Roundup at home around their families and pets.



Trial in Hardeman's case, the first bellwether to go before a jury in multidistrict litigation against Monsanto, has been ongoing since Feb. 25. One week of that time was consumed by jury deliberations after the first science-heavy phase of the bifurcated trial. U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria, who has been overseeing the Roundup MDL, split the trial into phases to first consider whether plaintiffs could prove that Roundup use was a "substantial factor" in Hardeman's cancer.



After the jury answered yes to that question, the trial moved on to a second phase to consider whether Monsanto should be held responsible for Hardeman's harm. The jury is being asked to determine whether Roundup had a design defect, if Monsanto acted reasonably in selling and marketing Monsanto in light of the scientific evidence and whether the product should have included a warning label during the time that Hardeman was using it. If Monsanto is found liable on any one of those grounds by a preponderance of the evidence, the jury can award economic damageswhich the parties have stipulated are about $200,000 for Hardeman's medical expensesand non-economic damages. Moore asked the jury to award her client one million for each of the years since his 2015 cancer diagnosis and another $1 million for the next $15 million.



If jurors find clear and convincing evidence that Monsanto is liable on any ground, they can also award punitive damages. Moore on Tuesday didn't specify an amount for punitives, but she did remind jurors that Monsanto was sold to Bayer AG last year for $63 billion, when Monsanto had a net worth of $7.8 billion and $2.4 billion in cash-on-hand. She urged jurors send a "loud message" to the company.



"Nothing has stopped the company and thats because the only thing that matters to them is their greed," she said.



Stekloff responded that Monsanto shouldn't be held liable, especially at the higher burden of proof needed to award punitive damages. Monsanto has done decades of its own testing and handed over all its raw data regarding Roundup and glyphosate to regulators, he said. No regulator world-wide had found Roundup was a carcinogen or should include a warning label during the time Hardeman was using the product, he argued.



"Monsanto believed in the science. Monsanto followed the regulators," Stekloff said.



The stakes are significant for Monsanto, which last year was hit with a $289 million verdict in San Francisco Superior Court in a Roundup case outside the MDL proceedings. The state court judge overseeing that case, however, slashed the award by more than $200 million. Openings are also set for Thursday in Alameda Superior Court in a separate Roundup case against Monsanto.
Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris takes the stage for a rally at Texas Southern University in Houston on March 23, 2019. (Photo: Loren Elliott/Reuters)

California Sen. Kamala Harris has lined up a handful of early endorsements for her presidential campaign in the early primary state of South Carolina.

A source familiar with the plans told Yahoo News that Harriss campaign is set to announce five endorsements from a mix of local elected officials and Democratic Party leaders. According to the source, some of the endorsers will serve as co-chairs of Harriss campaign in the state. The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

South Carolina is the fourth state on the primary calendar, and local endorsements in the state are highly sought after. However, with a crowded field of 15 leading Democratic candidates competing for the partys presidential nomination, most officials in the state have stayed on the sidelines so far. New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker announced the first endorsement from a South Carolina lawmaker, state Rep. John King, last week.

The source told Yahoo News Harris scored the endorsement of one state senator, Darrell Jackson, who is also the senior pastor of Bible Way Church of Atlas Road. She also won the backing of two state representatives, Pat Henegan and JA Moore.

Henegan, who, like Harris, is a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, was elected in 2014. Moore, whose sister was killed in the 2015 Charleston church shooting, was elected last year after beating an incumbent with endorsements from two other Democratic presidential candidates, Booker and former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro. Berkeley County Democratic Party Chairwoman Melissa Watson and Marguerite Willis, who was a candidate for governor last year, round out the list of endorsements that Harris is poised to announce. Jackson, Henegan, Moore and Willis did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Watson, who is a teacher, told Yahoo News that she felt it was important to endorse early and said she was particularly impressed by Harriss plan to raise teacher salaries, which the candidate unveiled last weekend. She also cited Harriss experience as a district attorney and attorney general. Watson said Harris and her campaign reached out to her after a local news channel aired a story about her and other teachers who were moonlighting as servers at a restaurant in order to make ends meet. Harris shared the story on Twitter a few days after it was broadcast last December and said Watson represents the struggle many of our teachers face  with strength and dignity.

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I was impressed that she cared enough to reach out to a teacher, Watson said of Harris.

Read more from Yahoo News:
Moscow (AFP) - Russia said Thursday its troops will stay in Venezuela "for as long as needed" and urged the United States not to worry about Moscow's ties with a traditional ally.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's aide spoke after US President Donald Trump demanded that Russia remove its military from the crisis-stricken country.

President Nicolas Maduro is presiding over economic chaos, with the oil-rich country unable to provide basic medical and food supplies to much of the population.

"We don't think that third countries should worry about our bilateral ties," said Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

"We are not interfering in Venezuela's domestic affairs in any way and we expect third countries to follow our example and allow Venezuelans to decide their fate themselves," he told reporters.

Peskov said no one told the United States how to conduct its foreign policy and Moscow expected the same treatment and "mutual respect".

He said that Russia was sending military equipment and experts to Venezuela under existing contracts.

Russia's weekend deployment of troops and equipment to bolster Maduro has ratcheted up already high international tensions over Venezuela where the Trump administration is pushing for regime change.

The Russian foreign ministry insisted earlier Thursday the presence of its troops there did not pose a threat to anyone.

"They are involved in the implementation of agreements in the sphere of military and technical cooperation," said ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, adding they would remain in the country "for as long as needed".

"Russia is not changing the balance of power in the region, Russia is not threatening anyone unlike citizens in Washington whom I have just quoted," she told reporters.

She was referring to Trump's comments that "Russia has to get out" of Venezuela as well as to statements by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that Washington does not plan to negotiate with Maduro and wants to end Russia and Cuba's influence on Caracas.

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- 'Coup' accusation -

The United States and more than 50 other countries recognise Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim president while Russia, along with China, backs Maduro.

"Neither Russia nor Venezuela are provinces of the United States," Zakharova said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has accused Washington of trying to "organise a coup d'etat" in the oil-producing nation.

Venezuela's military attache in Moscow also said Thursday that Russian troops were in the country under an agreement on military and technical cooperation and not to carry out a military operation.

A Russian air force Antonov-124 cargo plane and a smaller Ilyushin Il-62 landed at the main airport outside Caracas on Saturday and off-loaded around 100 troops and tonnes of equipment.

"As for the presence of Russian specialists, we are talking about cooperation, military and technical cooperation," the attache, Jose Rafael Torrealba Perez, was quoted as saying in comments translated by RIA Novosti state news agency.

"We are absolutely not talking about Russia's military presence to carry out military operations," he added.

Venezuela's Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez is expected to visit Moscow in April, the attache said.

On Tuesday, Zakharova declared that Russia was "developing cooperation with Venezuela in strict accordance with the constitution of that country and with full respect for its legal norms".

"The presence of Russian specialists on Venezuelan territory is regulated by an agreement between the Russian and Venezuelan governments on military and technical cooperation that was signed in May, 2001," she said.

In 2011, Russia gave Venezuela a $4 billion loan to buy Russian armaments.
Buenos Aires (AFP) - The Lima Group condemned Tuesday the presence of Russian military planes in Venezuela as a provocation threatening regional peace.

The 13 Latin American states and Canada said they were concerned "over the arrival of two Russian military aircraft" in Venezuela and condemned "any provocation or military deployment that threatens peace and security in the region."

The statement was issued by the foreign ministry of group member Argentina.

The body, set up in 2017 to advocate for a regional solution to Venezuela's political and economic crisis, also renewed a call to nations that still maintain friendly ties with "the illegitimate regime of Nicolas Maduro" to help search for a democratic solution.

Russia, which recognizes Maduro as leader, sent two planes carrying 100 troops and tons of military equipment to Caracas on Saturday.

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido charged that the deployment violates the constitution of the troubled South American country.

Russia's foreign ministry said the deployment was "in strict accordance with the constitution of that country and with full respect for its legal norms."

The Lima Group -- comprising Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Santa Lucia -- all recognize Guaido as interim president.
Jake Patterson, the man accused of abducting 13-year-old Jayme Closs and murdering her parents, pleaded guilty during a court appearance on Wednesday. Patterson, 21, pled guilty to two counts of homicide and one count of abducting a minor.

According to investigators, Patterson developed an obsession with Closs after he spotted her boarding a school bus outside her home in Barron, Wisconsin, which led to him plotting to abduct her from her home. Her kidnapping and subsequent rescue were the subject of intense media coverage, with newspapers and TV networks following the story for months.

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Prosecutors allege that on October 15th, 2018, Patterson arrived at Closss home and fatally shot her father, James, while Jayme and her mother Denise hid in the bathtub. He then fatally shot Denise and abducted Jayme in the trunk of his car, driving her to his cabin about an hour away.

Patterson reportedly kept Jayme at his home for 88 days, leaving her under the bed for hours without food or water so she could avoid detection. He weighed down the bedposts to prevent her from escaping.

On Jan. 10, Patterson left the house for a few hours, giving Jayme the opportunity to push the weights away from the bed and escape. A social worker recognized her from the media coverage of her disappearance and took her to the police station. Shortly thereafter, Patterson was arrested and confessed to abducting Jayme and murdering her parents, telling authorities, I did it.

In a letter sent to a local news reporter earlier this month, Patterson expressed contrition for his actions and said he would plead guilty to the charges, so Jayme would be spared the trauma of going through a trial. No one will believe or can even imagine how sorry I am for hurting Jayme this much. Cant express it, he wrote. (Jayme is currently living with her aunt and guardian, Jennifer Smyth.)

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As Wisconsin does not have the death penalty, Patterson faces life in prison. He is due to appear in court for sentencing in May.

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Migrants accused of hijacking a merchant ship in the Mediterranean disembarked in Malta on March 28.

The Armed Forces of Malta said it sent a special operations team to board El Hiblu 1 after its captain reported he was no longer in control of the vessel. In a statement, Maltese authorities said the captain and crew were being threatened by a number of migrants to proceed to Malta.

Earlier, the ship rescued 108 migrants from the Mediterranean, the Times of Malta said. It was hijacked when migrants learned they were being returned to Libya, reports said.

Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said in a tweet on March 28 that the armed forces had boarded the ship overnight. We will now follow all international rules accordingly, he said. Maltese authorities said the ship was escorted to Boilers Wharf in Malta, where police would investigate.

These videos show migrants leaving the ship on Thursday, March 28. Credit: MISSION LIFELINE via Storyful
(L to R) Trial team Jennifer Moore of Moore Law Group and Aimee Wagstaffe of Andrus Wagstaff with plaintiff Edwin Hardeman after their $80 million verdict against Monsanto. (Photo: Jason Doiy/ALM)



A federal jury hit Monsanto with a verdict of more than $80 million Wednesday after finding the company liable for a mans cancer caused by its Roundup herbicide.



After one day of deliberations, six jurors in San Francisco unanimously found that Monsanto, now owned by Bayer AG, was liable for plaintiff Edwin Hardemans non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The award includes $75 million in punitive damages for Hardeman, who alleged he was diagnosed with the blood cancer after two decades of using Roundup to kill weeds on his 56-acre property in Sonoma County.



Hardemans lead trial attorneys, Aimee Wagstaff, of Andrus Wagstaff in Lakewood, Colorado, and Jennifer A. Moore, of the Moore Law Group in Louisville, Kentucky, said their client was pleased with the verdict.



As demonstrated throughout trial, since Roundups inception over 40 years ago, Monsanto refuses to act responsibly, they wrote in a statement following the verdict. It is clear from Monsantos actions that it does not care whether Roundup causes cancer, focusing instead on manipulating public opinion and undermining anyone who raises genuine and legitimate concerns about Roundup. It speaks volumes that not one Monsanto employee, past or present, came live to trial to defend Roundups safety or Monsantos actions. Today, the jury resoundingly held Monsanto accountable for its 40 years of corporate malfeasance and sent a message to Monsanto that it needs to change the way it does business.



Bayer said it planned to appeal.



We are disappointed with the jurys decision, but this verdict does not change the weight of over four decades of extensive science and the conclusions of regulators worldwide that support the safety of our glyphosate-based herbicides and that they are not carcinogenic, the company said in a statement. The verdict in this trial has no impact on future cases and trials, as each one has its own factual and legal circumstances.



The verdict is the second time that jurors have gone against Monsanto, which suffered a $289 million award last year in a case in San Francisco Superior Court. The judge in that case, however, slashed the award by more than $200 million. Another Roundup trial against Monsanto is scheduled to begin Thursday in Alameda County Superior Court.



The verdict caps the first bellwether trial from about 800 lawsuits coordinated in multidistrict litigation before U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria of the Northern District of California. In a move favoring Monsanto, he bifurcated the first bellwether trial, forcing plaintiffs to prove that scientific evidence proved their allegations that Roundup causes cancer before moving to the question of Monsantos liability. Wednesdays award ends the second of two phases of a trial that began Feb. 25.



In the first phase, jurors found that Roundup was a substantial factor in Hardemans cancer. In the second phase, the jury had to determine whether Roundup had a design defect, if Monsanto acted reasonably in selling and marketing Monsanto in light of the scientific evidence, and whether the product should have included a warning label during the time that Hardeman was using it.



In its statement, Bayer noted that the jury deliberated for four days in the first phase, which dealt with causationan indication that it was very likely divided over the scientific evidence. The company also noted skepticism Chhabria expressed pretrial about expert evidence on the science.



The legal rulings under which the court admitted expert scientific testimony from the plaintiff that it called shaky is one of several significant issues that the company may raise on appeal, the company wrote in its statement. Monsanto moved to exclude this same evidence before trial.



The verdict is a victory for Wagstaff, who got off to a rough start after Chhabria sanctioned her for what he called obvious violations of his pretrial orders during her opening statement in the first phase.



A team from Wilkinson Walsh + Eskovitz led by Brian Stekloff represented Monsanto.



Both sides had stipulated to about $200,000 in economic damages for Hardemans medical expenses, but the jury also awarded $5.6 million in past and future non-economic damages.



Jurors also found clear and convincing evidence that Monsanto was liable, adding punitive damages to the verdict. In closing arguments Tuesday, Moore urged jurors to send a loud message to Monsanto.
The Daily Beast

Nuccio DiNuzzo/GettyA juror in the Jussie Smollett trial has explained several reasons why the jury felt there was no way they could acquit the star actor in his bombshell trial for staging a fake hate crime attack on himself.The female juror, who declined to be named, told the Chicago Sun-Times that the jury of six women and six men didnt have any major disagreements but took nine hours to deliberate because they wanted to properly consider all the evidence.Some doubted that prosecutors had pr
By Yereth Rosen

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - Six members of a neo-Nazi gang operating in and out of the Alaska prison system were charged with murder, kidnapping and racketeering crimes including drug trafficking, federal prosecutors said on Wednesday.

The six are accused in the 2017 slaying of fellow gang member, Michael "Steak Knife" Staton, whom they believed had betrayed them by stealing drugs and a Hells Angels motorcycle vest, according to court papers.

Staton was abducted and beaten to death, and his body rolled up in a carpet, court papers say.

"They were unhappy with some things he had done in the gang. They were, in effect, removing him from the gang," Bryan Schroder, U.S. Attorney for Alaska, said at a news conference.

A public defender representing the six men was not immediately available for comment to Reuters.

An indictment detailing the charges against the men, some of them current inmates, was unsealed on Tuesday and describes their operation as a murderous, criminal outfit called the 1488s, which prosecutors say has tethers in and out of prison.

The 1488s take their name from a 14-word white supremacist slogan and the "Heil Hitler" salute, court papers say.

The 88 in 1488 stands for a double-H for "Heil Hitler" as H is the eighth letter in the alphabet, according to the indictment.

Some members have provocative names, such as one accused gangster charged in this case, "Filthy Fuhrer," who legally changed his name from Timothy Lobdell, according to the indictment.

Five of the six defendants have been arrested, but one person remained at large on Wednesday, the U.S. Attorneys Office said.

The case is part of a larger investigation that has resulted in convictions of more than a dozen other people, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

(Reporting by Yereth Rosen in Anchorage, Alaska; Writing by Rich McKay in Atlanta)
Oslo (AFP) - Norway's Justice Minister Tor Mikkel Wara resigned on Thursday after his partner was formally suspected of staging attacks against the couple to give the impression they were living under threat.

"This has been a difficult affair that I would gladly have done without," Prime Minister Erna Solberg told a joint press conference.

"I am honestly saddened that things have come to this. We will miss his contribution to the government."

Wara, 53, had taken temporary leave from his position a fortnight ago after it emerged that the Norwegian security service PST was investigating his partner, Laila Anita Bertheussen.

She was formally named a suspect on Thursday.

"The past few weeks have been hard on me and my family. The decision (to resign) was entirely my own," said Wara, of the right-wing populist Progress Party and who had held the job just under a year.

In late 2018, Bertheussen filed a complaint against a theatre troupe for showing pictures of the homes of several politicians -- including theirs -- as part of a play aimed at demonstrating who was profiting from a more segregated and racist Norway.

After that a series of attacks began against the couple.

Among other things, the couple's home was vandalised in December 2018 when a swastika and the word "racist" were drawn on their house and car, and their car was set ablaze outside their home in mid-March.

In an op-ed piece written in daily Verdens Gang, Bertheussen claimed the production was an invasion of her privacy.

Solberg had also criticised the theatre troupe.

Wara's party colleague Jon Georg Dale will take over as interim justice minister until a permanent replacement is appointed.
Islamabad (AFP) - Pakistan Thursday said it had found no links between militants swept up in a recent dragnet and a suicide attack in Indian-administered Kashmir last month that brought the nuclear-armed rivals to the brink of war.

The announcement by Pakistan's foreign office comes after India provided Pakistani officials with a list of 90 suspected militants and 22 locations of alleged training camps.

"While 54 detained individuals are being investigated, no details linking them to Pulwama have been found so far," the foreign office said, referring to the area where the attack occurred in Kashmir in February.

"Similarly, the 22 pin locations shared by India have been examined. No such camps exist."

The statement said Pakistan was "willing to allow visits, on request, to these locations".

Tensions between old foes India and Pakistan soared after the suicide bombing, which killed 40 Indian security personnel and was later claimed by the Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM).

Pakistan, long accused by India of using militant proxies in Kashmir, has denied it was involved in the attack.

Earlier this month Islamabad launched an apparent crackdown as it came under pressure to demonstrate its sincerity about eliminating militancy, rounding up alleged militants and shuttering mosques and clinics linked to banned groups.

But the crackdown is reminiscent of previous efforts which later saw militants released without charge, and Pakistan has yet to convince the international community that their latest thrust is sincere.

The US also appeared to increase pressure on Islamabad this week, circulating a draft resolution to the UN Security Council that would blacklist Masood Azhar, the Pakistan-based leader of JeM, as a terrorist.

Pakistan's ally China earlier this month blocked a request to blacklist Azhar, and the move by Washington sets up a potential clash with Beijing.

It comes as tensions between Indian and Pakistan were ratcheted-up again this week after Delhi announced it had destroyed a low-orbiting satellite in a missile test Wednesday.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the anti-satellite missile test was peaceful and not designed to create "an atmosphere of war".

But analysts said it would not go unnoticed in China and Pakistan, and could be interpreted as a show of Delhi's advancing military capabilities.
Washington (AFP) - US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo voiced disappointment Wednesday after Italy joined China's "Silk Road" network of transport and trade links, saying it was not in the ally's long-term interest.

Rome's populist government signed a "non-binding" protocol with visiting President Xi Jinping on Saturday that made Italy the first nation in the Group of Seven major economies to become part of the signature Chinese project.

"It's disappointing anytime any country begins to engage in behavior and commercial interactions with China that aren't straight up," Pompeo told the House Foreign Affairs Committee in response after a lawmaker asked about the Italian decision.

"We're saddened because we think the people of those countries ultimately lose," Pompeo said.

Under the Silk Road initiative, named for the ancient trading route across Eurasia, China is funding major rail, road and sea infrastructure as it seeks a big boost in international trade.

Pompeo, however, said that China practiced "debt-trap diplomacy" with its state-owned or state-controlled enterprises looking after only their own interests.

"It may feel good in the moment -- you think you got a cheap product or a low-cost bridge or road built. And in the end there will be a political cost attached to that which will greatly exceed the economic value of what you were provided," he said.

The United States has stepped up its warnings around the world about China's growing economic clout.

It has notably urged nations not to choose Chinese telecom giant Huawei to upgrade to fifth-generation communications, voicing privacy and security fears.

Critics say that the United States is mostly trying to shore up its own businesses which are facing tough competition, with Huawei selling phones that are substantially cheaper than Apple's.
Welcome back to Inside Track!



Late on Friday special counsel Robert Mueller delivered his report on the interference of the 2016 general elections to Attorney General William Barr. In a letter to Congress, which was made public on Sunday, the AG said he does not plan on making any further indictments based on the report. Barr also said the report exonerates President Donald Trump.



The meat of Muellers report is not very well known. Robert Litt, former general counsel of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and of counsel at Morrison Foerster, said there are a number of considerations that Barr has to keep in mind when thinking about releasing the report.



The fact that the report appears to contain some grand jury information and federal law says that matters occurring before the grand jury are confidential and cant be revealed. That is going to have to be taken care of, Litt said.



The letter Barr sent to congressional leaders did not make mention of classified information in the report, however, Litt said that is a possibility.



There is equally the possibility that there are parts of the report over which the president wants to claim executive privilege, Litt said.



Do you think the public will ever see the Mueller report? Let me know by emailing me at Dclark@alm.com.











Whats Happening





















Can Tech Companies Prevent The Next Tragedy?





Microsoft chief legal officer Brad Smith said in a blog post, which Law.com reporter Caroline Spiezio reported on, that tech companies need to do more than just talk to prevent the spread of violent rhetoric.



In the post, he said Microsoft services were used to share the video of the mosque shootings in New Zealand. He said the industry should collaborate to create a major event protocol.



This would enable all of us to share information more quickly and directly, helping each platform and service to move more proactively, while simultaneously ensuring that we avoid restricting communications that are in the public interest, such as reporting from news organizations, Smith said in the blog post.



Annemarie Bridy, professor of law and affiliate scholar at Stanford University Center for Internet and Society, however, told Caroline that tech companies limiting what can be said on their platforms is a slippery slope on free speech.



Maybe we would need to rely less heavily on content moderation and takedowns if platforms began to look a little more architecturally at the mechanisms theyre providing for spreading speech and the kind of speech theyre incentivizing people to provide and consume, Bridy said.





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The Aftermath Of The Hack









One year ago, the city of Atlanta was hit with a cyberattack, which kept online court records inaccessible and city payments systems offline for almost a week. Law.com reporter Kristen Rasmussen interviewed the citys outside counsel, Roy Hadley, about how his prior in-house experience helped him through the situation. Below are excerpts from their conversation.



 The role of the legal department. The response to the attack, Hadley said, the law department was all hands on deck to help all of the city departments. For example, the lawyers that deal with procurement process had to help get contracts signed. While the courts were down, the attorneys who normally work with the courts were helping the legal department figure out what needed to be done to make sure the courts were functioning properly.



 Differences in corporate America versus local government. Hadley said the consequences are clearly different. He said during a corporate data breach the consequences may be that the stock price temporarily dips. Anytime you talk about a data breach or an attack, its complex. But in this case, its even more complex because now what youre talking about is water delivery, public safety, fire, police, 911. Youre talking about trash pickup, building permits, court systems, a lot of different things that have to happen every day in order for the city to run. You cant say, OK, they knocked us offline, and we cant sell our widgets.



 Looking back. Hadley said while people tend to focus on what went wrong, he likes to look at how it went right. He said not only did the lawyers help put that together on the front end, they were instrumental in making sure that it was followed and that everyone was doing what they were supposed to do during the crisis. He said there had already been a response plan in place and the legal department did a great job in executing the response plan.











What Ive Been Reading









Sometimes this question pops up: What should an in-house leader do in retirement? Well, according to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, former Tyson Foods GC, Jim Blair, is taking time in his retirement to help the construction of an additional wing on a library in Arkansas. According to the report, Blair donated $2 million to help build an expansion on the library. This isnt the first time Blair has donated big to the library. According to the story, in 2003, he donated $3 million for the library to be built.



Last week, Karen Miniex, the former general counsel of the Houston Housing Authority, won $1.87 million in a whistleblower suit against the organization. According to the Houston Chronicle, the housing authority plans on appealing the verdict. While we respect the jurors for their service, we respectfully disagree with their verdict, the housing authority said in a statement to the paper." At this time, the Houston Housing Authority Board of Commissioners has advised our legal counsel to file an appeal, should the judge uphold the jury's verdict.



Over the past month, Ive been increasingly writing about the importance for diversity in law firms. However, in my research, I came across this Q&A from Black Enterprise with Toyota North Americas group executive vice president, chief legal officer and general counsel Sandra Phillips Rogers. In the interview she said working at both law firms and corporations have their advantages, but working in a corporation allowed her to have more of a hand in the business which is why she wanted the job at Toyota. She also said she oversees the companys diversity and inclusion efforts.











Dont Miss









Wednesday, April 10  The Global Leaders In Law will be hosting a Changing Corporate Culture event at Scotts in London. The organization will also host a Be the Change event on Thursday, April 25 at Dangleterre in Copenhagen. GLL is an invitation-only membership group offering general counsel a global platform for in-person collaboration to exchange ideas and receive advice and guidance from peers. For more information, contact Meena Heath at mheath@alm.com.



Monday-Wednesday, April 15-17  The Association of Corporate Counsel Foundation will be hosting a Good Lawyers to Great Lawyers event in Orlando, Florida at The Ritz Carlton. Speakers will include Dorothy Capers, executive vice president and GC of National Express; Wendy Webb Williams, chief legal officer of SaraLee; and Jason Brown, general counsel of GE Appliances.



Thursday-Saturday, April 25-27  The High Tech Law Institute at Santa Clara Law will be hosting the Fourth Annual In-house Counsel Institute. The program is for in-house counsel to learn to better serve the needs of their internal clients. Speakers will include Dorian Daley, general counsel at Oracle; Jeremiah Chan, director and assistant general counsel of patents at Facebook; and Aradhana Raj, director and senior counsel of global policy at PayPal. For more information email HTLI@scu.edu.















On The Move



















 Fannie Mae  Stergios Terry Theologides was hired as the general counsel of the mortgage loan company. Theologides replaces Brian Brooks who left the company last year to join crypto company Coinbase as the companys chief legal officer. Theologides will begin at Fannie Mae on March 28.



 Flynn Restaurants  Jacqueline Lee has left her role as a litigator at Jones Day and is the new general counsel at the chain, which owns a number of Applebees, Taco Bell and Panera Bread restaurants. She replaces Jane Froyd, who left the company to become the top lawyer of Americas at Treasury Wine Estates.



 Chatham Asset Management  Daniel Goldfried, a former partner at McGuireWoods and senior counsel at the SEC, has been named the top lawyer for the owner of The National Enquirer tabloid. Goldfried will be the only in-house lawyer at Chatham.
(Repeats earlier story with no changes)

By Phil Stewart, Jonathan Landay and Hamid Shalizi

WASHINGTON/KABUL, March 27 (Reuters) - Washington's relationship with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani appears increasingly at risk of permanent damage, the consequence of a U.S. policy shift that has so far excluded his government from talks with the Taliban and of his own determination to retain power and manage peace efforts himself.

The feud threatens to undermine the already narrow chances for a peace accord that President Donald Trump hopes would end America's longest war.

Current and former U.S. officials tell Reuters they believe Ghani is positioning himself to perhaps be a spoiler in still-fragile negotiations, angry that the Afghan government has been kept out of talks and worried about the implications for his presidency.

But from Ghani's perspective, the negotiations themselves, led by U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, feel like a personal betrayal and a capitulation by the United States that could return the Taliban to power, Afghan officials say.

"Khalilzad wants to show that he is the champion of peace and President Ghani does not want to be the villain. The president believes he is being betrayed," an Afghan government official said.

The growing rift between Kabul and Washington over the peace negotiations erupted in public view on March 14 when Ghani's national security adviser, Hamdullah Mohib, slammed Khalilzad and accused the Afghan-born veteran U.S. diplomat of perhaps trying to steal the Afghan presidency for himself.

"(Ghani's worried) there could be some agreement for an interim government and he'll be on the outside looking in," said one U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The official added that Washington should expect Ghani will act like a politician in an election year, saying: "We shouldn't expect that Ghani is going to be Ghani the statesman, where he says: 'The best thing would be for me to step aside'."

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The blow-up over Mohib's attack has had serious repercussions. The following day, the State Department decreed that U.S. officials should have no further contact with Mohib and his presence at a meeting on Monday between Ghani and NATO diplomats prompted the U.S. delegation to walk out of the presidential palace, Afghan sources said on condition of anonymity. The State Department did not respond to a request for comment.

The discord carries echoes of tensions under Ghani's predecessor, Hamid Karzai, who became an intense critic of the United States during his 13 years in power.

But the acrimony is still largely behind closed doors. Ghani is dependent on U.S. support, as Afghanistan's main economic, diplomatic and security backer, and there are signs that he will move to limit the fallout on ties.

In a nod to Washington's outrage over Mohib's remarks, Ghani is considering replacing Mohib with the Afghan envoy to London, a second Afghan official said.

Ghani's office did not immediately comment.

LATEST ROUND DISAPPOINTS GHANI

Since his 2016 election campaign, Trump has made the case to end the Afghan conflict that began in 2001 and has tied the prospect of troop drawdowns in Afghanistan to success in peace talks. But it is unclear if Trump will accept a deal at any cost - something that Ghani and other Afghans increasingly fear.

"The president has indicated that he hopes for the best in these peace talks but he also will not accept a bad deal," a senior Trump administration official said.

The Taliban, which sees Ghani as an Afghan puppet of the United States, has refused to meet with him.

Although the United States had historically balked at the prospect of unilateral talks with the Taliban, the Trump administration made a decision to move ahead with them, something that veteran U.S. officials sharply criticized.

"By acceding to this Taliban demand, we have ourselves delegitimized the government we claim to support," Ryan Crocker, former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, wrote in a Washington Post column, adding that the U.S. move signaled "we were surrendering."

The second round of U.S.-Taliban talks lasting 16 days ended this month in Doha, Qatar, with discussions including potential U.S. troop withdrawals and Taliban assurances on counter-terrorism.

But those talks disappointed Ghani, who had hoped Khalilzad would make some progress on negotiating a ceasefire for Afghanistan and convincing the Taliban to negotiate with Ghani's government, several Afghan officials said.

Instead, Khalilzad flew to Washington without such progress and without discussing the details of the talks with Ghani, which made the Afghan president paranoid, they said.

"The two sides discussed and agreed on issues concerning them but it did not change anything for the (Afghan) people or the government," the first Afghan official said.

Some current and former U.S. officials are sympathetic to Ghani and believe the United States must find a way to reassure him - and fast.

Acknowledging Kabul's frustration, the senior Trump administration official said: "It's urgent that we convince the Taliban to sit down with the Afghan government and other Afghans and engage in a political process."

AFGHAN ELECTION COMPLICATION

The Afghan election is shaping up as a major challenge for Ghani's government, with speculation that the poll may not be held at all if a peace deal is first reached with the Taliban. Delayed twice already, it is now slated for Sept. 28.

One former U.S. official said Ghani hoped that the United States would fail to reach an agreement before the vote so the ballot can move forward.

Ghani "thinks that if the peace process goes through and the election doesn't take place, he loses everything," said a former senior Afghan official.

With so much in play politically, Ghani is seen as trying to tightly control the process - something experts fear could exclude opposition elements that would be crucial for any lasting agreement between the Taliban and Afghan society.

A former U.S. official said Ghani's controlling personality was one reason Washington long worried he could prove to be "more an obstacle than a help on the peace process."

"It's not because his heart isn't in the right place in wanting peace in Afghanistan. It's because of his disposition and his controlling nature and his desire to hold on to more control in a closed circle than is realistic," the former official said. (Additional reporting by Idrees Ali in WASHINGTON, Rupam Jain in KABUL and James MacKenzie in ISLAMABAD Editing by Mary Milliken and James Dalgleish)
It was a somber day in the Washington National Cathedral Dec. 5 as thousands gathered to mourn the death of former President George H.W. Bush. Beneath the glittering stained-glass windows, the crowd of political luminaries wistfully recalled the gentler era of bipartisanship the late leader represented.

Vermonts Patrick Leahy, a Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, took the moment to reconnect with Bushs Attorney General, William Barr. Leahy had known the Republican power lawyer for decades. Speculation was swirling about whom President Donald Trump would ask to fill Barrs old job after Jeff Sessions departure. Pulling him aside, Leahy urged Barr to take the post again. Bill, we need you back, Leahy said, according to a Justice Department official with knowledge of the conversation. (Leahys staff said the Senator does not recall the discussion.)

Barr demurred, but he had a secret that very few of the mourners knew: he had already accepted the job. It hadnt been an easy choiceBarr had turned Trump down once already. And Barr knew the comity on display at the Bush funeral wouldnt last. At his youngest daughters wedding three days later, shortly after Trump announced his nomination, Barr quipped that at least she was changing her name before it was dragged through the mud at his confirmation hearings. And in fact, when Barrs nomination came up for a vote two months later, Leahy voted against him, along with nearly every other Democrat.

The partisanship has already intensified now that Barr has become the keeper of the conclusions from special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation. After nearly two years of work, Mueller submitted his final report to Barr on Friday, March 22. Two days later, Barr sent Congress a four-page letter summarizing Muellers findings. The investigation did not establish that members of the Trump campaign or its associates conspired or coordinated with Russia, Barr said, and it was inconclusive on whether Trump obstructed justice. On that question, Mueller laid out the facts on both sides and left it to Barr to render a decisionwhich Barr and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein did with alacrity, concluding that the evidence developed during the Special Counsels investigation is not sufficient to establish that the President committed an obstruction-of-justice offense. Just five weeks into the job, the new Attorney General had helped lift a cloud hanging over the Trump presidency.

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Barrs importance will only grow in the coming weeks, as he determines how much of Muellers report to share with the White House, Congress and the American people. He is working on scrubbing Muellers report of grand-jury information and details pertaining to ongoing investigations. Trump has claimed victory, saying it wouldnt bother him if Barr wanted to make the whole report public.

Already, Barrs decision on obstruction has angered congressional Democrats, who blasted him for delivering a verdict in two days on a matter that Mueller spent 22 months probing. Moreover, they note that Barr is a political appointee who wrote a memo last year criticizing Muellers obstruction inquiry. The Attorney Generals comments make it clear that Congress must step in to get the truth, said House Judiciary chairman Jerrold Nadler, a Democrat from New York, who said he will call Barr to testify. We cannot simply rely on what may be a hasty, partisan interpretation of the facts.

More than politics is at stake in how Barr handles the close of the Mueller probe. The reputation of the Department of Justice, attacked on the one hand for two years by the President who leads it and on the other by Democrats with oversight authority on Capitol Hill, hangs on the Attorney General. So too does the balance of power between the White House and Congress.

But thats partly why Barr took the job. Close aides say he believes the Justice Department has gone astray, internally and in the public perception, and he wants to bring it back in line. He is in sync with the law-enforcement goals of the President and the Administration, Rosenstein tells TIME. He views this as an opportunity to advance those goals and also to preserve and enhance the reputation of the department.

Whats clear is that Barr is making history. He alone will decide, on the basis of his experience, beliefs and personality, how this consequential chapter of the Trump presidency plays out. His closest aides recognize the power of the moment. Theres a lot of things coming down the pike at us, theres a lot of decisions that are going to need to be made, admits one, and it will be kind of viewed through the lens of how [Barr] handles things.

Barrs relationship with Trump began nearly two years ago, in June 2017, when he took a meeting at the White House because the President wanted Barr to join his personal legal team. It was a brief interaction, Barr testified at his confirmation hearing in January 2019, during which he declined Trumps job offer because he didnt want to stick my head into that meat grinder. When Trump was curious about his relationship with Mueller, Barr said he told the President that the special counsel is a straight shooter. (Barr was Muellers boss as Attorney General under Bush, when Mueller served as head of the criminal division.) Barr gave Trump his phone number and left and didnt hear from the President again for more than a year. But in the fall of 2018, Trump came calling once more, this time to talk about the Attorney General job.

Barr said no again. He was at an age when his work and personal life had finally achieved an enviable balance. Barr even suggested other contenders to Trump. But as the President continued to look, a chorus of people bombarded both Barr and the White House counsels office with calls for Barr to fill the job, according to several people close to Barr. One offering advice was Barrs friend Robert Kimmitt, a former U.S. ambassador to Germany. When he and I spoke about it, I said its one of those pristinely binary decisions, Kimmitt recalls. Its great for the country and not as great for you.

It was in the late fall, at a retreat with the external advisory board to CIA Director Gina Haspel, on which Barr sat, that the lawyer finally acquiesced. As former government officials at the gathering hounded him to take the position, he finally kind of relented, says a senior Justice Department official. A light clicked on in his brain, and he said, Well, maybe I do have to go do this.' Another Justice Department official says that when people ask Barr now why he changed his mind, hell often reply in his typically blunt style, I just did.

Its not surprising it took Barr a while to get there. In normal circumstances, Attorney General is one of the most difficult jobs in government. Nestled within the Executive Branch, the Justice Department is caught between a traditional investigative independence and duty to the President, at whose pleasure the Attorney General serves. Its a singular job, and a critical one, that relies on the judgment and character of the Attorney General to navigate the relationship.

And these are not normal circumstances. Barr inherited an agency battered by the President, beset by scandals and facing challenges ranging from the Mueller report to criminal-justice reform and immigration enforcement. Barr spent his first weeks back on the job getting briefed up, arriving at the office at around 8 a.m. and leaving at around 7 p.m., according to his chief of staff, learning everything he could about the policy issues at play.

Barr also focused on morale. When he arrived at the northwest-D.C. building for his first day of work in February, he refused the traditional clap in for incoming Attorneys General and instead decided to host a three-hour reception for career officials and political appointees. Aides say he paid for the wine and snacks out of his own pocket. Since then, he has organized a weekly lunch for top department officials, and he typically meets with at least one U.S. Attorney each day.

By far the hardest challenge Barr faces is bringing the special-counsel process to a smooth conclusion. The responsibility of overseeing it devoured his immediate predecessors. Sessions was mercilessly attacked by Trump for recusing himself, acting AG Matthew Whitaker was excoriated by congressional Democrats for being too close to Trump, and Deputy AG Rosenstein plans to leave soon. (Perhaps in a nod to the pressures of the job, Rosenstein keeps a small sign in his office that says KEEP MOVING FORWARD.)

The first big test began early on Friday afternoon, March 22, when a security officer from the special counsels office delivered Muellers report. At 4:30 p.m., Rosenstein called Mueller to thank him for his service, according to a DOJ official. A few minutes later, Barrs chief of staff, Brian Rabbitt, called Trumps lawyer Emmet Flood to alert him that the report had arrived.

Then Barr, Rosenstein and their top advisers settled in to review what one DOJ official describes as a comprehensive report and to draft a letter to Congress outlining Muellers principal findings. They worked into the evening on Friday and then all day Saturday, pausing only to eat sandwiches from Au Bon Pain for lunch. By Sunday afternoon, the letter to Congress was done. Rabbitt called Flood at around 3 p.m. to tell the Presidents lawyer the conclusions, according to a DOJ official, and soon after, the four-page note was made public. From there, Barr went to church for Sunday evening Mass before heading to an oyster bar for dinner.

Barr joins President George H.W. Bush for the announcement of his nomination as AG in 1991 | Dirck HalsteadTIME-LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images

Now Barr has sole discretion over what to do with Muellers report. The regulations governing the denouement of the special counsels work are spare. Barr will decide how much of the report to share. And House Democrats are eager to interrogate him about those decisions. There are so many profoundly serious questions that the letter glosses over, says Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, a former state attorney general and a member of the Judiciary Committee. What Barr has done essentially is to frame the message without providing any substance. He has created headlines without access to the real information. The letter raises more questions than provides answers.

Barr has already realized some of Democrats biggest fears on a key aspect of Muellers investigation. In June 2018, Barr wrote an unsolicited memo to Rosenstein that was skeptical of the obstruction angle of Muellers probe. Muellers obstruction theory is fatally misconceived, Barr wrote in the memowhich was shared with some of Trumps lawyersarguing that it would damage the institution of the presidency.

In Barrs letter to Congress, the public learned that Mueller did not come to a conclusion either way on whether Trump obstructed justice and instead left that decision to Barr. After reviewing the evidence with Rosenstein over the course of a weekend, Barr wrote that it was not sufficient to determine obstruction.

We knew from his confirmation hearing that Attorney General Barr would never conclude the President obstructed justice, said Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, a decision which he appears to have made with astonishing speed.

A Justice Department official says the decision was not as swift as it might seem. Barr and Rosenstein received a briefing from Mueller three weeks earlier, according to the official, during which the special counsel informed them that he would not be making a judgment on whether Trumps conduct constituted obstruction. That gave Barr time to prepare. It would be silly to think that Bill Barr made his decision out of thin air, the official says. The official also notes that most of the facts Barr weighed on this matter were publicly available: You all know basically almost as much as we do.

Barr was Muellers boss during his first stint at DOJ, and the two are close friends | Barry ThummaAP

Barr is in the twilight of a career that has contained no shortage of tough decisions. As Attorney General under Bush, he appointed three special counsels, including one to probe the House banking scandal in 1992. He handles issues quickly and decisively, former colleagues say. He copes with difficult situations very calmly, says James Richmond, who oversaw prosecutions arising from the savings-and-loan crisis under Barr in the early 1990s. When he blows up, he blows up and its over. It doesnt go beyond a minute or two, because he realizes its the bigger issue that hes got to solve.

Barr was born in 1950 and grew up on New Yorks Upper West Side. His parents were both educators, but Barrs interest in government and Republican politics developed early. In elementary school, he decided he supported Richard Nixon, according to a 1991 Washington Post article. In high school, he told his guidance counselor he wanted to lead the CIA one day.

In order to make that happen, he focused on Chinese studies at Columbia University in both undergraduate and graduate school. He joined the CIA in 1973, serving in the Chinese unit and its legislative-affairs office. It was a critical period that foreshadowed his current challenge. The Church Committee was probing the CIAs extrajudicial activities, from testing LSD on unwitting American subjects to spying on citizens. Barr had a front-row seat as the Legislative and Executive branches negotiated a new balance of power to protect civil liberties and preserve the national-security authority of the President.

Barr attended law school at night while he worked at the agency, leaving in 1977 for a clerkship with Judge Malcolm Wilkey on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. Later he served in President Ronald Reagans Administration in 1982 and then entered private practice before becoming head of DOJs Office of Legal Counsel in 1989. From there, his rise through the Justice Department was meteoric. He became Deputy Attorney General in 1990 and took the top job the year after that. After he left the Justice Department at the end of the first Bush Administration, Barr became executive vice president and general counsel of GTE Corp., going on to become general counsel of Verizon when GTE merged with Bell Atlantic in 2000 to form the combined company.

Barr could be intimidating, former colleagues say, but he had a quick, self-deprecating sense of humor and an approachable leadership style. He was not hierarchical at all, says Daniel Levin, who served as Barrs chief of staff the last time he was Attorney General and is now a partner at White & Case. He made it absolutely clear I wasnt a gatekeeper and I was not to keep anybody out who needed to see or wanted to see him.

In 1992, Los Angeles erupted into riots after a jury acquitted four police officers of beating Rodney King. Barr decided he needed to intervene. Just 41 years old and in his second year as Attorney General, he had to figure out how to marshal the force of the federal government to stabilize the crisis. So he sent one of his most trusted lieutenants to L.A. to handle the situation from the ground: Robert Mueller, then head of DOJs criminal division.

Many of the weighty decisions Barr faced during his first stint as Attorney General he made in consultation with Mueller, who became a close enough friend that Mueller attended two of Barrs daughters weddingsthough the two men have avoided socializing in the current circumstances. Barr led the departments response to health care fraud. He also pushed a variety of tough-on-crime policies, including enforcing Project Triggerlock, which prosecuted repeat offenders under federal weapons laws to impose harsher sentences.

In 1992, Barr issued a memo titled The Case for More Incarceration. It has proved controversial. Senator Cory Booker, a New Jersey Democrat who is running for President, criticized Barr for it during the Attorney Generals confirmation process. Some who served with Barr last time say his tough-on-crime stance fit broadly with the enforcement philosophy of the era, even if Barr was on the stricter side. I didnt see it as having a racial bent, says Wayne Budd, who is African American and served as Associate Attorney General under Barr in 1992.

Barr is a devout Catholic and loyal family man, friends say, who likes to go bird hunting and often entertains people by telling stories or talking about military and European history. Hes also an accomplished bagpiper whos been known to pipe in competitions, at family events and at parties. (During the Bush Administration, Barr was once piping at a Christmas party when he was suddenly called into the Situation Room, and he had to race to change out of his kilt.)

His jocular side can also mask a certain ferocity. In 1991, while serving as acting Attorney General, Barr authorized a dangerous predawn FBI raid on a federal prison in Alabama to confront a deteriorating hostage situation. Everyone was freed, and there were no fatalities. Hes one of those guys who can make very tough decisions and doesnt have to play Hamlet, says Christopher Landau, who knew Barr from their time together at the law firm Kirkland & Ellis. Hes a hard-ass.

Barrs role in this drama is far from over. His next big decision will be over what details from the full Mueller report the White House can suppress. Its an open question whether Barr will send the report to Trumps lawyers before Congress so that they can decide whether to assert Executive privilege. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said they need to make sure were protecting the office of the presidency as they consider Executive-privilege questions, and Democrats are worried that Barrs belief in a strong executive will prompt him to defer to the White House on that score. There has to be some reasonable opportunity to review and assert Executive privilege, but it should be denied as much as possible, says Delaware Senator Chris Coons, a Democrat on the Judiciary Committee. Thats where I think the ideological views of the Attorney General may have the greatest potential to threaten the transparency of the report.

Many congressional Democrats are already insisting that Congress be provided with both Muellers full report and the underlying documents. Barr will also have to decide whether to heed congressional summonses to testify under oath about the investigationand he may play a role in deciding whether Mueller testifies as well. Some congressional Democrats have threatened to issue subpoenas if they dont get the documents in a timely manner, but subpoenas are difficult to enforce. Depending on how aggressive Barrs posture is toward Congress, the fight could end up in court.

Its a multifront war, even before considering the fact that Trump still faces ongoing investigations in the U.S. Attorneys office for the Southern District of New York, which also reports to Barr. Many of Barrs friends and former colleagues say he is calm in times of stress. The pressure focuses his mind, they say, and accelerates his decisionmaking process rather than paralyzing it. Hell need that skill more than ever. The Attorney General, who had to be talked into taking the job, will have a big role in shaping the presidency of the man who hired him.

With reporting by Massimo Calabresi/Washington
KABUL (Reuters) - At least 50 members of the Afghan security forces have surrendered to the Taliban in a fight for control of Afghanistan's western province of Badghis that has created heavy casualties, officials said. Fighting in Afghanistan has intensified even as Taliban and U.S. officials finished the latest round of peace talks on Tuesday, with both sides citing progress. Afghanistan usually sees a marked increase in violence in spring. Some 100 Afghan personnel who are part of the interior ministry's border police attempted to flee their posts into neighboring Turkmenistan on Saturday, but they were prevented from entering that country, Badghis provincial council chairman Abdul Aziz Bik said on Sunday. About 50 Afghan border police surrendered, while the remaining 50 continued fighting in the district of Bala Murghab, he said. Bala Murghab is the province's most populous district. "These soldiers have been fighting against the Taliban for years and if they give up, they will be killed by Taliban," Bik said. The district was at risk of falling to the Taliban unless Afghan forces receive air and ground reinforcements, Badghis provincial council member Abdullah Afzali said on Saturday. Provincial councils are elected bodies that sometimes have closer connections to local residents than government officials have. CASUALTIES The Taliban said 90 border police had surrendered to the militant group. It posted photos on Twitter of a line-up of dozens of men who the Taliban said were captured border police, and it added that it had killed many others. Jamshid Shahabi, a spokesman for Badghis' governor, said the Taliban had inflated its estimate of captured forces. It was not clear how many total Afghan and Taliban forces have been killed or wounded in the battle for the district. But the International Committee of the Red Cross tweeted that attacks in Bala Murghab had generated heavy casualties. The Red Cross said it had facilitated the handover of the bodies of 20 soldiers to the Afghan National Army Corps. In a tweet, the Afghan ministry of defense said its forces had killed 12 insurgents in Bala Murghab, as part of operations across 10 provinces during the previous 24 hours. A spokesman for the ministry could not be reached for comment. The Bala Murghab district has been a focal point of battle in recent months. The Taliban killed 20 Afghan soldiers and captured 20 less than a week ago. The Taliban controls or contests nearly half of Afghanistan, the most since U.S.-led forces ousted it from power in 2001, according to the U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. The militant group conducts frequent attacks on Afghan security posts. The Taliban, ousted in 2001, say they are fighting to expel foreign troops, topple the Western-backed Afghan government and restore its version of Islamic law. Some 17,000 foreign troops are based in Afghanistan as part of a U.S.-led NATO mission to train, assist and advise Afghan forces. (Reporting by Storay Karimi in Herat; additional reporting by Orooj Hakimi in Kabul; writing by Rod Nickel in Kabul; Editing by Toby Chopra and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
Seven opposition parties in Thailand claimed on March 27 that they had won enough seats to give them a mandate to form a coalition government, following elections held on March 24, the Bangkok Post said.

However, appointing a prime minister requires majority approvals from both the lower house and the upper house. Thailands upper house is entirely appointed by the countrys ruling military junta.

Results from Thailands elections were delayed following the vote and still had not been declared on March 27.

Thailand has been under military rule since a 2014 coup that installed the coup leader and then commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army, Prayuth Chan-ocha, as prime minister. Credit: Pheu Thai Party via Storyful
President Trump on Thursday joined the chorus of Republicans calling for Rep. Adam Schiffs resignation as the House Intelligence Committee chairman refuses to drop his investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election and the Trump campaigns possible collusion with Moscow.

Congressman Adam Schiff, who spent two years knowingly and unlawfully lying and leaking, should be forced to resign from Congress! Trump tweeted.

The president's missive came just hours before Schiff's committee convened for a hearing on the topic of Putins Playbook: The Kremlins Use of Oligarchs, Money and Intelligence in 2016 and Beyond.

Schiff insists there is more for his committee to investigate despite the completion of special counsel Robert Muellers probe. The California Democrat is calling for the public release of Muellers full report rather than the four-page summary issued by Attorney General William Barr over the weekend.

He said Wednesday that Barr had attempted to exonerate the President from obstruction of justice allegations.

Barr auditioned for the job with a memo saying a president cannot obstruct justice, Schiff tweeted.

In June 2018, Barr, then a private citizen and former attorney general to President George H.W. Bush, sent a memo to senior Justice Department officials saying he thought Muellers obstruction investigation was fatally misconceived.

Barr was nominated by Trump for attorney general in December and confirmed by the Senate in February.

Last weekend, Barr did the job he was hired to do, and attempted to exonerate the President on obstruction, Schiff added. The American people must see the full Mueller Report, not a biased summary.

Mueller spent two years investigating obstruction of justice and found evidence that does not exonerate Trump. Barr took two days to set aside that evidence.



The entire report must be published and evidence provided to Congress so the American people can judge for themselves.  Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) March 24, 2019

Barrs four-page letter on Sunday said that while it is clear that Russia did attempt to influence the election, the Special Counsels investigation did not find that the Trump campaign or anyone associated with it conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in those efforts.

Story continues

Schiff disagrees.

Undoubtedly there is collusion, Schiff told reporters in Washington this week. We will continue to investigate the counterintelligence issues. That is, is the president or people around him compromised in any way by a hostile foreign power?

It doesnt appear that was any part of Muellers report, he said.

In his letter, Barr also concluded there was not enough evidence to charge Trump with obstruction of justice.

Schiff criticized the attorney general for rushing to judgment.

Mueller spent two years investigating obstruction of justice and found evidence that does not exonerate Trump, Schiff tweeted. Barr took two days to set aside that evidence.

Mueller did not find sufficient evidence to establish conspiracy, notwithstanding Russian offers to help Trumps campaign, their acceptance, and a litany of concealed interactions with Russia, he added. I trust Muellers prosecutorial judgement, but the country must see the evidence.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff and President Trump. (Photos: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP, Susan Walsh/AP)

Throughout the Russia investigation, Schiff has drawn the ire of Trump, who in November referred to the congressman as little Adam Schitt. Schiff was previously the ranking member on the House Intel Committee, but took it over this year after Democrats won the House.

Wow, Mr. President, thats a good one, Schiff fired back. Was that like your answers to Mr. Muellers questions, or did you write this one yourself?

At her weekly press briefing Thursday morning, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi expressed support for Schiff.

"I'm so proud of the work of Chairman Adam Schiff," she said.

Pelosi said Trump and GOP lawmakers calling for Schiff's resignation are "just plain afraid."

"They're afraid of the truth," Pelosi said. "They're afraid of competence. They're afraid of a leader who is recognized in our country for being calm. Professional. Patriotic.'"

She also called on Barr to release the full Mueller report.

"How can I say this more clearly: show us the report, Pelosi said. "No thank you, Mr. Attorney General. We do not need your interpretation. Show us the report."

Demonstrators demand the full release of special counsel Robert Mueller's report outside the White House in Washington, D.C., on Monday. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Schiff responded to Republicans calling for his resignation during his committee's hearing Thursday.

"My colleagues may think it's OK that the Russians offered dirt on a Democratic candidate for president as part of what was described as the Russian government's effort to help the Trump campaign," Schiff said. "That when that was offered to the son of the president, who had a pivotal role in the campaign, that the president's son did not call the FBI. He did not adamantly refuse that foreign help. No, instead that son said he would 'love' the help of the Russians.

"You might think it's OK that he took that meeting," Schiff continued. "You might think it's OK that they concealed it from the public. You might think it's OK that their only disappointment after that meeting was that the dirt they received on Hillary Clinton wasn't better."

He added: "You might think it's OK that when it was discovered a year later, that they lied about that meeting, and said it was about adoptions. You might think it's OK that the president is reported to have helped dictate that lie. You might think that's OK. I don't."

_____

Read more from Yahoo News:
A new fight over the future of the Affordable Care Act has erupted in the nations capital  and is likely to ensure that health care remains in the spotlight through the 2020 elections.

In a dramatic shift, the Trump administration has asked a federal appeals court to invalidate the Affordable Care Act in its entirety, according to a legal filing made Monday night.

The administration had previously said that the ACAs protections for people with pre-existing conditions should be struck down, but that the rest of the law could remain in place. But in a Justice Department letter sent Monday night to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, the Justice Department said the court should affirm an earlier ruling by a federal judge declaring the entire law invalid.

In December, Judge Reed O'Connor had ruled that the ACAs individual mandate had become unconstitutional after Republicans eliminated its penalties as part of their 2017 tax overhaul. OConnor further said that the change rendered the entire ACA invalid.

Whats at stake: If OConnors ruling stands, more than 20 million people who currently receive health insurance through the federal exchanges and Medicaid expansion stand to lose coverage. The law touches on many parts of the health care system that would be affected as well, such as FDA approval of biologic medicines and rules on nutritional labeling.

Nicholas Bagley, a professor at the University of Michigan Law School who served in the Justice Department during the Obama administration, says that the sheer reckless irresponsibility is hard to overstate. The notion that you could gut the entire ACA and not wreak havoc on the lives of millions of people is insane. The Act is now part of the plumbing of the health-care system. Which means the Trump administration has now committed itself to a legal position that would inflict untold damage on the American public.

A political boomerang? President Trump tweeted Tuesday that The Republican Party will become The Party of Healthcare! But given how the issue helped Democrats in the 2018 election  and how Republicans have struggled to come up with a replacement for Obamacare  this move left many political analysts scratching their heads. Fresh off a huge political victory in the Russia investigation, the White House shifted the conversation back to far less favorable grounds. Politically, this makes no sense, Axios Sam Baker says. Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi must be dancing in the streets.

Story continues

CNNs Chris Cillizza says that the decision to go after Obamacare in full ensures that health care will be a deciding factor in the 2020 election, in ways that could hurt Republicans:

Switching the spotlight of the national debate from Russia to health care so quickly would be risky under any circumstances but is particularly problematic given that a) the past five elections have shown that people care deeply about and vote on the issue of health care and b) getting rid of Obamacare is not a broadly popular view with the American public.

Whats next: The Justice Department said it would file a brief providing more details on its change in position on the law. The case is likely headed for the Supreme Court, where Chief Justice John Roberts could once again play a deciding role in the fate of the health care law.

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Washington (AFP) - President Donald Trump on Thursday again threatened to seal the US-Mexican border, claiming in a tweet that America's southern neighbor is allowing illegal immigrants to cross unhindered.

"May close the Southern Border!" the president wrote.

"Mexico is doing NOTHING to help stop the flow of illegal immigrants to our Country. They are all talk and no action," he said.

"Likewise, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador have taken our money for years, and do Nothing. The Dems don't care, such BAD laws."

The new threat to shut one of the world's busiest borders, separating two countries with massive economic and cultural links, shows Trump is doubling down on his bid to make immigration a keystone of the gathering 2020 reelection campaign.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador rejected Trump's criticism, telling journalists: "We are doing something on this issue."

"We are going to help in every way we can. We don't in any way want a confrontation with the United States," he said.

But Lopez Obrador said a solution would depend on "fundamentally addressing the causes of migration."

Trump will likely highlight the issue when he hosts a campaign rally in Michigan later Thursday.

On Wednesday, he referred to the need for more border walls to stop "people pouring in."

"Other countries stand there with machine-guns ready to fire. We can't do that," he told Fox News. "We are building massive, many, many miles of walls right now, and we are gearing up to do many more."

- 'Unprecedented' -

The US border protection agency commissioner, Kevin McAleenan, said Wednesday that the southwestern frontier faces "an unprecedented humanitarian and border security crisis."

The worst spot, he said, is around El Paso, Texas, where agents have nowhere to put the large numbers of illegal border crossers they detain.

Story continues

Nationwide, the border agency took in more than 12,000 migrants this week, it said, while just half that number would be considered already reaching "crisis level."

With the agency on track to detain more than 100,000 people in March, "it would be the highest monthly total in a decade," the agency said.

Overall, attempts to get across the border into the United States illegally are down substantially from a decade or more ago.

However, the last year has seen a surge and the general makeup of the arrivals has changed from single men to families and often small children -- greatly complicating the task of authorities in providing basic services to detained migrants while their cases are decided.

Migrants are also appearing in greater numbers from Central America, rather than just Mexico, sometimes traveling in large groups dubbed caravans.

One is currently forming in Honduras, according to Mexico's interior minister, Olga Sanchez Cordero. She said it could be "the 'mother of all caravans' and they think it might have more than 20,000 people."

However, Honduran deputy foreign minister Nelly Jerez said there was "no indication" of such a group gathering. "We don't have anything about that."

- Wall fight -

The last time Trump threatened to close the Mexican border was in December, when a row over his demand for billions of dollars in wall funding was at its peak.

Democrats in Congress turned down the funding, arguing that Trump was exaggerating problems on the border for political gain. In retaliation, Trump refused to sign wider spending bills, leading to much of the federal government having to shut down for five weeks.

Trump finally declared a national emergency so that he could bypass Congress and unlock the money -- a move drawing condemnation even from many of Trump's Republicans.

burs-sms/oh/cl
TUNIS, Tunisia (AP)  Tunisia is cleaning up its boulevards and securing its borders for an Arab League summit that this country hopes raises its regional profile and economic prospects.

New murals, exotic flowers and flags from the 22 Arab League states now decorate the capital Tunis as it prepares to host thousands of visitors, including the Saudi king and U.N. secretary-general.

Police and soldiers were deployed around the country and security was tightened on land and sea borders, as Arab government ministers hold preparatory meetings all week for Sunday's summit.

Tunisian diplomats want their country to play a mediating role in a summit marked by thorny issues: President Donald Trump's recent decision to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, the deepening rift between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and whether to let Syrian President Bashar Assad back into the Arab fold.

For Tunisia, the most burning issue is bringing stability to neighboring Libya.

Tunisia and Libya used to have $2 billion in bilateral trade, but that has plunged in the lawless chaos that has reigned in Libya since a 2011 NATO-led bombing campaign led to the ouster of Moammar Gadhafi.

Tunisia, which has taken Libyans fleeing years of unrest, has hosted repeated diplomatic meetings on Libya and will hold another one Friday with officials from the U.N., African Union, European Union and Arab League.

The summit comes at a welcome time for Tunisia, which is in need of an economic and morale boost.

Tunisian protesters unleashed the 2011 Arab Spring and it's the only country that emerged from the uprisings with a new democracy, but political infighting and a string of extremist attacks in 2015 have hurt the small Mediterranean country's economy.

While many members of the Arab League are in disputes with each other, Tunisia has managed to maintain good relations with countries around the region, and could play the role of inter-Arab mediator, said former Tunisian foreign minister Ahmed Ounais.

Tunisia "can be the winner, especially if it manages to advance the political process in Libya," he told The Associated Press.

Tunisia is also hoping the summit brings new investment, notably from Saudi Arabia. Saudi King Salman appears to be the star visitor, and a huge banner near the Tunis-Carthage airport wishes him a welcome, calling him "Salman the Benefactor."
Triggered by the continued decline in the value of lira, Turkeys banking regulator stated that it will conduct an inquiry into JPMorgan JPM. Turkey's Banking Regulation and Supervision Board alleged that the bank provided misleading and manipulative investment advice, which stimulated a run on the lira.



Supposedly, the regulator received a number of complaints against a research report that JPMorgan gave to clients. The regulator mentioned that the report caused volatility in the financial markets and loss of reputation and value especially for the banks of our country.



As a result, the lira fell more than 5% on Friday while Turkey's primary stock exchange declined 3.45%.



Notably, the board promised to undertake necessary administrative and legal proceedings against JPMorgan.



In fact, the board said that it would look into operations of other banks as well.



The economic and financial condition of Turkey has not been great over the past few years. The country has been facing currency issues of late. In fact, per president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, foreign entities are responsible for the current financial condition of Turkey. He frequently blames foreign powers for stimulating the currency crisis in the country and recently accused unnamed actors in the financial sector for trying to instigate a run on the lira.



He stated, We all know who you are, we all know what you are all doing. You should know that after the elections, we will make you to pay a heavy price. You would not be able to exploit this nation. You would not be able to cheat this nation.



However, many economists differ from him. They feel that it is the rule of law, and a lack of confidence in the economy and not foreign actors that are responsible for the current turmoil in the nation.



JPMorgans concerns are not restricted to this. It has been facing other issues as well. Yesterday, the bank reported that it plans to move roughly 300 investment banking employees from the London office to other hubs in the European Union (EU) in case of a no-deal Brexit. It asked employees working in areas such as sales and risk to sign new contracts for relocating.



Britains exit from EU is now scheduled on May 22 if Prime Minister Theresa May's proposed withdrawal agreement receives approval from the parliament. Otherwise, Britain may offer new exit plan until Apr 12 or decide to leave without a deal.



Apart from JPMorgan, several financial institutions are preparing for Brexit. In February 2019, Barclays BCS revealed plans to shift some equity and credit derivative sales jobs to Paris as it revamps operations ahead of Brexit. Likewise, Bank of America BAC and HSBC Holdings HSBC began relocating jobs to Paris.



JPMorgans shares have lost 7.5% in the past 12 months compared with the industrys decline of 10.3%.





Story continues





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Washington (AFP) - Washington on Thursday accused Russia and the Syrian government of being responsible for "escalating violence" in rebel-controlled Idlib province.

Russian jets on Wednesday carried out air strikes in Idlib, the first such attacks since a September Turkish-Russian truce deal.

At least 13 civilians, including six infants, were killed in the raids, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor that relies on sources inside Syria.

"The United States views with grave concern escalating violence in recent days in Idlib and neighboring areas prompted by Russian and Assad regime airstrikes and artillery," State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said, referring to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

"Despite Russia's claims to be targeting terrorists, these operations have caused dozens of civilian casualties and have targeted first responders as they attempt to save lives on the ground," he added.

"These abhorrent attacks on civilian infrastructure and on settlements for internally displaced people must end now."

As a party to the September ceasefire agreement with Turkey, "Russia bears full responsibility for these offensive operations," Palladino said.

Idlib is Syria's last major rebel bastion and is mainly controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a Syrian group led by former Al-Qaeda fighters.

The truce deal was meant to stave off a planned offensive by the regime and its Russian backers that aid groups feared could spark the eight-year-old Syrian conflict's worst humanitarian crisis to date.

The government assault has been held off but the deal's provisions have not been implemented.
Christchurch (New Zealand) (AFP) - New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Thursday welcomed Facebook's move to curb support for white nationalism on its platforms but said more needed to be done in the wake of the Christchurch mosque attacks.

The social media giant has unveiled tougher guidelines on hate speech for Facebook and Instagram, ruling that white nationalism and white separatism are both linked to organised hate groups and will be banned.

When making the announcement, the California-based company did not specifically reference the March 15 Christchurch atrocity that claimed 50 lives when a self-avowed white supremacist targeting Muslims opened fire in two mosques.

But Ardern made it clear she believed it was a direct response to the criticism that has since been levelled at Facebook, which the accused gunman used to livestream the attack.

"Arguably these categories should always have fallen within (Facebook's) community guidelines on hate speech," she told reporters.

"But it's positive that clarification has now been made in the wake of the attack here in Christchurch."

She added "there's more work to do" and said New Zealand would play an active role in the debate.

"There are lessons to be learned here in Christchurch and we don't want anyone to have to learn those lessons over again," she said.

Ardern said the goal was to limit harmful content "while preserving a free, open and secure internet".

Noting that countries including Australia, Ireland and Germany were all wrestling with the issue of dealing with extremist material on social media, Ardern said a global approach was needed.

"We can all promote good rules locally, but these platforms are global and I believe, therefore, that the solutions will need to be too," she said.

"I think there would be a benefit for there being a globally coordinated response, that is what New Zealand will be looking for."

Story continues

On Tuesday Australia warned social media executives they could be jailed for failing to quickly take down extremist material.

Social media platforms "can get an ad to you in half a second," Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters ahead of the meeting.

"They should be able to pull down this sort of terrorist material and other types of very dangerous material in the same sort of time frame and apply their great capacities to the real challenges to keep Australians safe," he added.
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The first female Muslim member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives said Tuesday she was offended by a colleague's decision to open a voting session with a prayer a day earlier that "at the name of Jesus every knee will bow."

Democratic Rep. Movita Johnson-Harrell of Philadelphia said she felt the remarks by Rep. Stephanie Borowicz shortly before Johnson-Harrell took the oath of office on Monday used her religion against her.

"I thought that for the most part, the entire invocation was offensive," Johnson-Harrell told reporters, noting that her own religion respects Jesus. "But to use Jesus as a weapon is not OK."
The Defense Ministry signed an agreement with defense tech company Elbit Systems to developa new artillery cannon that will replace the ones currently in use by the IDF.

The process of developing and manufacturing the cannon is expected to take a decade.
An Egyptian delegation presented Hamas officials with Israel's terms for the end to the latest round of hostilities, during an overnight meeting in Gaza City.

Sources in Gaza told Ynet that the the Israeli proposal presented to Hamas includes, among other things, an increase in the number of trucks entering the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom crossing; an increasing in the Gaza fishing zone to 12 miles and improvement in the Gaza electricity supply.

In exchange Hamas will end the nighttime confrontations along the border and guarantee that the mass demonstration planned for Saturday is nonviolent.
An Egyptian delegation presented Hamas officials with Israel's terms for the end to the latest round of hostilities, during an overnight meeting Wednesday in Gaza.

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The meeting, which took place at Hamas leader Yahya Simwar's office, also included representatives from Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

Ismail Haniyeh flashes a victory sign as he stands next to the rubble of his office building in Gaza City, March 27, 2019

Sources in Gaza told Ynet that the the Israeli proposal presented to the Palestinians includes, among other things, an increase in the number of trucks entering the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom crossing; an increasing in the Gaza fishing zone to 12 miles and improvement in the Gaza electricity supply.

In exchange Hamas will end the nighttime confrontations along the border and guarantee that the mass demonstration planned for Saturday is nonviolent. The group will also halt the regular dispatch into Israel of incendiary and explosive devices attached to balloons and floated across the border. These devices have caused millions of shekels in damage to Israeli farmland.

IDF strikes on Gaza, March 26, 2019 (Photo: AFP)

The Egyptian mediators rushed to the Strip via the Erez Crossing and a senior Hamas leader emerged from his hideout as the unofficial cease-fire between Israel and the terror group appeared to take hold after two days of fighting. The key test will be Saturday, when Hamas holds its demonstration to mark the one-year anniversary of weekly protests along the Israeli border.

In a sign that both sides had stepped back from a major conflagration, Ismail Haniyeh made his first public appearance since violence with Israel erupted earlier this week. During times of fighting, Hamas leaders typically go underground, fearing assassination by Israel.

Standing before the rubble of his Gaza City office, which was destroyed in an Israeli airstrike on Monday, he declared that "the Israeli occupation got the message."

Haniyeh urged Palestinians to come out in force to the Saturday demonstration. The Israeli Defense Forces bolstered its forces along the Gaza frontier in advance.

Palestinians inspect the damage caused by IAF strikes in Gaza, March 26, 2019 (Photo: AFP)

Hamas has staged the protests in hopes of pressuring Israel and Egypt to ease a crippling blockade the two countries say was imposed to deter attacks. The protests, however, have yielded few gains, and nearly 200 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire.

Israel accuses Hamas of using the demonstrations as cover for attacks, and says it is defending its border against crowds that have hurled flaming tires, grenades and other explosives at troops.

IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi meets on Gaza with senior IDF officials, March 28, 2019

But the military has come under heavy international criticism for allegedly using disproportionate force against large numbers of purportedly unarmed protesters.

Israel and Hamas have fought three wars and dozens of skirmishes since the Islamic militant group seized control of Gaza in 2007. The latest round was triggered by a Gaza rocket fired early Monday that slammed into a house in central Israel and wounded seven people.
The Syrian military said Israel on Wednesday night launched raids on an industrial zone in the northern city of Aleppo, causing damage only to materials, while opposition sources said the strikes hit Iranian ammunitions stores and a military airport used by Tehran's forces.

"The Israeli aggression targeted some positions in Sheikh Najjar industrial zone and a number of enemy missiles were brought down," an army statement said.
The Syrian military said Israel on Wednesday night launched raids on an industrial zone in the northern city of Aleppo, causing damage only to materials, while opposition sources said the strikes hit Iranian ammunitions stores and a military airport used by Tehran's forces.

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"The Israeli aggression targeted some positions in Sheikh Najjar industrial zone and a number of enemy missiles were brought down," an army statement said.

A fireball in Aleppo after an airstrike attributed to Israel on a weapons depot said to belong to Iran, March 27, 2019

The state-run Syrian news agency Sana said that the country's air defenses were "in operation" over Aleppo and claimed that they had brought down 70 percent of their targets.

The strike reportedly took place while the United Nations Security Council was discussing the US recognition over Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

Israeli flags on the Golan Heights (Photo: AFP)

There was no immediate comment from Israel.

The blasts caused an electrical blackout in Aleppo, the country's second largest city and a major industrial hub that bore the brunt of years of fighting and heavy Russian and Syrian aerial bombardment on its former rebel-held areas.

Military experts say Aleppo is one of the main areas where Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards have a strong military presence supporting local militias that have for years been fighting alongside the Syrian army to defeat insurgents.

Two opposition sources familiar with Tehran's military presence in the area said large ammunitions depot and a logistics hub that belonged to Iranian-backed militias inside the industrial zone received direct hits.

Other strikes hit the vicinity of Nairab military airport on the outskirts of Aleppo in the second such strike on the installation used by Iranian troops in less than a year, they added.

Syrian President Bashar Assad meeting with Irnaian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei (Photo: EPA)

Iranian-backed Shiite militias have expanded their control over mainly Sunni areas around Damascus, southern and eastern Syria that bore the brunt of the heaviest bombardment and led to mass displacement or emigration to neighbouring countries.

Iran's growing influence in Syria, where it has struck economic and trade deals, has raised the prospect of a military confrontation with Israel.

Israel, which considers Iran its biggest threat, has repeatedly attacked Iranian targets in Syria and those of allied militia, including Lebanon's Hezbollah.

Earlier this year the IDF said they had attacked Iranian targets that included munitions stores in Damascus International Airport.

Before and after satellite images of an Israeli strike on Damascus Airport in January 2019 (Photo: ImageSat International ISI)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel had carried out "hundreds" of attacks over the past few years of Syria's war to curtail Iran and its ally Hezbollah.

Israel has said it was crucial to block growing Iranian military influence in Syria and has vowed it would push its troops out of the country.

Iran has warned Israel it would respond if it continued attacking targets in Syria and repeatedly said its military presence in Syria is at the invitation of the Assad government and it has no immediate plans to withdraw.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says at least seven people were killed and five others wounded in air strike in Aleppo blamed on Israel by Syria.

The dead are members of Iranian Forces in Syria and members of militias linked to Tehran, the UK-based monitoring group said.
The United States comes under sharp criticism from the 14 other Security Council nations for its decision to recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights in violation of council resolutions.

Speaker after speaker at the open meeting supported Syria's sovereignty over the strategic plateau and opposed Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights and President Donald Trump's proclamation earlier this week.
The United States came under sharp criticism Wednesday from the 14 other United Nations Security Council member states for its decision to recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights in violation of council resolutions.

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Speaker after speaker at the open meeting supported Syria's sovereignty over the strategic plateau and opposed Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights and President Donald Trump's proclamation earlier this week.

Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump show off the US declaration of recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights (Photo: EPA)

South Africa's UN Ambassador Jerry Matjila said, "this unilateral action does nothing to assist in finding a long-term peaceful solution to the conflict in the Middle East."

He and others pointed to resolutions calling for Israel to end its occupation of the Golan Heights, including a December 1981 Security Council resolution that called Israel's annexation of the strategic area "null and void and without international legal effect."

Syria's closest ally Russia urged governments to continue to view the Golan Heights as Israeli-occupied territory.

"If anybody feels any temptation to follow this poor example, we would urge them to refrain from this aggressive revision of international law," Russia's deputy ambassador Vladimir Safronkov said.

While Syria got support on its sovereignty over the Golan Heights, German Ambassador Christoph Heusgen and Britain's Ambassador Karen Pierce also used the meeting to criticize President Bashar Assad's government for bombing civilians, using chemical weapons and violating human rights violations during the ongoing eight-year civil war.

Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War and annexed it in 1981. A 1974 cease-fire agreement that officially ended the 1973 Yom Kippur War led to the deployment of a UN peacekeeping force known as UNDOF (the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force) on the Golan Heights.

Archive: An UNDOF observer overlooks Quneitra, on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights (Photo: AFP) (Photo: AFP)

Trump's proclamation that the Golan Heights are part of Israel raised questions about the future of the UNDOF after its mandate expires on June 30.

US political coordinator Rodney Hunter told the council that UNDOF has "a vital role to play in preserving stability between Israel and Syria," an assurance that the Trump administration's recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the strategic plateau won't affect its operation.

He said the force's mandate to ensure that the area of separation between Syria and Israel "is a buffer zone free from any military presence or activities" is of "critical strategic and security importance" to Israel, and "can contribute to the stability of the entire Middle East."

Hunter said US recognition that the Golan Heights are part of Israel doesn't affect the 1974 cease-fire agreement, "nor do we believe that it undermines UNDOF's mandate in any way."

Syrians in Aleppo protest Trump's declaration on the Golan Heights (Photo: AFP)

He strongly criticized "the daily presence of the Syrian armed forces" in the area of separation, where UNDOF is the only military force allowed, calling their presence a violation of the 1974 cease-fire agreement.

The United States calls on Russia to use its influence with Syria President Bashar Assad "to compel the Syrian forces to uphold their commitment" to the cease-fire agreement "and immediately withdraw from the area of separation," Hunter said.





The Israel-Syria border on the Golan Heights (Photo: AFP)

UN peacekeeping chief Jean Pierre Lacroix told the council there is "a continued significant threat" to UNDOF personnel from explosive remnants of war, "and from the possible presence of sleeper cells of armed groups including (UN-)listed terrorist groups."

Undersecretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo expressed hope that "the recent developments will not be used as an excuse by anyone to pursue actions that could undermine the relative stability of the situation on Golan and beyond."
At least seven people were killed and five wounded in an overnight airstrike targeting Iranian weapons stores in Syria that was attributed to Israel, a monitoring group said Thursday.

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According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, all of the fatalities were members of the Iranian forces in Syria or militias linked to Tehran.

A fireball in Aleppo after an airstrike attributed to Israel on a weapons depot said to belong to Iran, March 27, 2019

Acting Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz was reticent Thursday morning about directly acknowledging that Israel was behind the attack.

"According to foreign sources, the air force attacked Iranian troops in Syria," Katz told Ynet. "As far as Iran knows, it was us. It was an extremely challenging action from a military perspective."

In the wake of the airstrike, Israel decided Thursday morning to close its air space over the Golan Heights to all flights over 5,000 feet.

In January, Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system intercepted a rocket fired from Syria at the Golan Heights, close to the Hermon ski resort. The strike was later attributed to Iranian troops near the Israeli border.

Archive: Iranian General Qasem Suleimani in Aleppo

Iran's growing influence in Syria, where it has struck economic and trade deals, has raised the prospect of a military confrontation with Israel.

Israel, which considers Iran its biggest threat, has repeatedly attacked Iranian targets in Syria and those of allied militia, including Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy based in Lebanon.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel had carried out "hundreds" of attacks over the past few years of Syria's war to curtail Iran and its ally Hezbollah.

Israel has said it was crucial to block growing Iranian military influence in Syria and has vowed it would push its troops out of the country.

Iran has warned Israel it would respond if it continued attacking targets in Syria and repeatedly said its military presence in Syria is at the invitation of the Assad government and it has no immediate plans to withdraw.

The airstrike on Aleppo

The Syrian military said Wednesday night that the air raids on the industrial zone in the northern city of Aleppo were carried out by Israel, and caused damage only to materials, while opposition sources said the strikes hit Iranian ammunitions stores and a military airport used by Tehran's forces.

"The Israeli aggression targeted some positions in Sheikh Najjar industrial zone and a number of enemy missiles were brought down," an army statement said.

The state-run Syrian news agency Sana said that the country's air defenses were "in operation" over Aleppo and claimed that they had brought down 70 percent of their targets.

The strike reportedly took place while the United Nations Security Council was discussing the US recognition over Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

There was no immediate comment from Israel.
"We are back in control of the situation," Benjamin Netanyahu said as he departed from Washington on Monday, as if there had been an event back home that demanded his urgent care.

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For doing what he actually did in Gaza, Netanyahu could have definitely stayed in the US, delivered his AIPAC speech and given an interview in his fancy English. Even Immigration and Absorption Minister Yoav Galant could have handled the events in Gaza, such as they were.

Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump at the White House (Photo: Reuters)

Five years have passed since 2014's Operation Protective Edge. Five years in which our "Mr. Security" has not done a single thing to match the achievements of the military operation on the political Level.

Instead, he has let Hamas' leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar do whatever he pleases. For when Sinwar wants peace, there is peace, and when he wants war, there is war. Everyone in Gaza must surely be familiar with Netanyahu's drill by now: We bomb them, they rocket us, and the prime minister agrees to a cease-fire.

Air strikes on the Gaza Strip on Monday night (Photo: AFP)

For years - and especially in the past year - residents of the south have been living through a never-ending nightmare of uncertainty. No one in Netanyahu's government cares for them.

It is absurd for southerners to wish for missiles on central Israel merely so that warplanes will be ordered out of their hangars. Even in the midst of the latest round of hostilities they offered to withstand rocket attacks and stay in shelters until Hamas was defeated.

The residents of southern Israel have learned from bitter experience. They too know that "Mr. Security" has nothing to offer. And what is worse is that he has no desire to resolve the situation in Gaza.

Which has led is to where we are now. For not wanting to do anything leads to an enemy on the other side of the Gaza fence that is only getting stronger, is not afraid to launch rockets of ever-increasing range, and is more than familiar with Netanyahu's habit of delivering a blow from the air, flexing his muscles and rushing to declare a cease-fire.

The house in Mishmeret demolished by the rocket

The only good thing that can be said about Netanyahu's handling of the Gaza mess is that he doesn't let the show drag on for too long, and quickly ceases fire. He knows that there no clear end to this movie and therefore prefers to shout "cut" after the first scene.

When Netanyahu signed the 2011 deal for the release IDF soldier Gilad Shalit from Hamas captivity, he probably did not predict that one of the prisoners he freed for the hostage - Yahya Sinwar - would become the bitterest of rivals and lay bare his inability to protect his country.

Sinwar brought a new kind of leadership to Gaza and turned Hamas into an organization that calls the shots. On the other side, Netanyahu has lead Israel to a policy of retaliation and instead of initiation.

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar

As of now, in the battle between Netanyahu and Sinwar, the latter has won by a knockout. He is teaching his people and the rest of the leaders in the region that you can launch rockets at Israel and ultimately ou will get a suitcase full of money. Every time Sinwar does this, he further erodes Israel's standing, and further illuminates how empty the prime minister's policies are when it comes to our enemies in the south.

Netanyahu was probably walking the red carpets of the White House and embracing the leader of the free world while Sinwar was hiding in a tunnel from Israeli airstrikes. But while Netanyahu may have been playing a winner on TV, the real victor was not him.
The Egyptian team tasked with mediating an agreement to end days of fighting in the Gaza Strip continued with its shuttle diplomacy Thursday afternoon, returning to Israel at around 1pm, after meeting with Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups.

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The delegation, made up of Egyptian intelligence officials, returned from Gaza via the Erez Crossing, to convey the Hamas response to an Israeli proposal for restoring calm along the border.

IDF tanks on the Gaza border (Photo: AP)

The Egyptian team is expected to return to Gaza for further negotiations, following their consultations with Israeli officials.

On Wednesday night, the Egyptian team met at Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar's office in Gaza for talks that also included representatives from Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

Ismail Haniyeh flashes a victory sign as he stands next to at the rubble of his office building in Gaza City, March 27, 2019

The Egyptians handed Hamas the Israeli proposal, which sources in Gaza told Ynet includes the following terms:

Concessions for Gaza

 Increase in the number of trucks carrying essential supplies entering the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom crossing

 Expanding a temporary employment project by the United Nations to 40,000 people

 Increasing the Gaza fishing zone to 12 nautical miles

 Improving the supply of electricity from Israel to the Gaza Strip

 Easing restrictions on the issue of import and export permits

 Approving the entry into Gaza of some materials currently classified as dual use

Israeli demands

 End to the nightly confrontations along the border

 Ceasing the coordination for fence protests near Kibbutz Zikim, as well as ending the attempts to sail into Israeli waters in the area

 Guarantees that the demonstration on Saturday will be nonviolent

A Palestinian woman amid the rubble in the Gaza Strip after IAF strikes on Hamas targets (Photo: Reuters)

The Egyptian mediators rushed to the Strip via the Erez Crossing and a senior Hamas leader emerged from his hideout as the unofficial cease-fire between Israel and the terror group appeared to take hold after two days of fighting. The key test will be Saturday, when Hamas holds its demonstration to mark the one-year anniversary of weekly protests along the Israeli border.

In a sign that both sides had stepped back from a major conflagration, Ismail Haniyeh made his first public appearance since violence with Israel erupted earlier this week. During times of fighting, Hamas leaders typically go underground, fearing assassination by Israel.
An IAF aircraft attacked a cell of Palestinians dispatching airborne firebombs in the northern Gaza Strip, the Israeli army said.

Gaza reports said that the attack close to the border fence may have caused some casualties
Surgeons in Baltimore have performed what's thought to be the first kidney transplant from a living donor with HIV, a long-awaited milestone.

Nina Martinez, a 35-year-old from Atlanta, traveled to Johns Hopkins University to donate to an HIV-positive stranger. She says she wanted to make a difference in someone else's life and counter stigma surrounding HIV infection.

Doctors only recent began transplanting organs from deceased donors who had HIV into HIV-positive recipients. Hopkins says it's time to try HIV-positive living donation because newer HIV treatments are less likely to harm a donor's remaining kidney.

Hopkins says donor and recipient are recovering well. Experts say if more HIV-positive patients had a living donor, it could free up space on the nation's transplant waiting list.
Israel will pursue only a ground operation in the Gaza Strip if all other options fail, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday, as efforts to restore the calm between Israel and Hamas after several days of fighting appeared to be taking effect.

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Netanyahu was referring to the Palestinian protests planned for Saturday, to mark the one-year anniversary of the weekly March of Return demonstrations, which often deteriorate into riots that lead to Gazan casualties. Hamas plans to have a "million-man march" along the Israel-Gaza border, which could shake the fragile calm.

Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at the inauguration of a new segment of the Route 6 toll road (Photo: Gil Nehushtan )

If we need a broader operation, we will enter it strong and confident, and after we have exhausted all other options, Netanyahu said, hours after visiting troops sent to the Gaza border after the fighting broke out Monday, when a rocket fired from Gaza destroyed a home north of Tel Aviv and Israel retaliated with massive aerial bombardments.

The prime minister was speaking at a ceremony inaugurating a new segment of Route 6 toll road that crosses central Israel from north to South.

Were creating a security cordon around the Gaza Strip, in recent days Ive moved troops and added equipment so that were ready for a broad operation, said Netanyahu.

Israels citizens, know this: if we need a broad operation (in the Gaza Strip), well enter it strong and secure after all other options have failed.

A short while after Netanyahus speech, the IDF announced it completed its preparations for possible riots during the March of Return and Land Day, a day expressing solidarity with the Palestinians in the territories that draws vast protest in the Israeli Arab public.

A fireball in Aleppo after an airstrike attributed to Israel on a weapons depot said to belong to Iran

The IDF Spokesmans Unit said that due to the tense and sensitive situation, all fighting forces in the Israeli Southern Command will remain on their bases during the weekend, and a division, three brigades and artillery forces have been deployed to the Gaza border.

The prime minister did not approve reports about an overnight airstrike targeting Iranian weapons stores in Syria that was attributed to Israel, but said Israeli efforts to prevent Irans entrenchment in Syria are ongoing.

Iran keeps trying to move advanced long range missiles into Syria, very advanced, very deadly. We wont have it, said Netanyahu.
A source in Hamas' Military Wing told Al Jazeera Thursday that the rockets launched at Israel this week were part of an effort to prepare for future confrontations it believed Israel was aiming for in light of the April elections.
A Syrian security official addressed Thursday the overnight airstrike targeting Iranian weapons stores in Syria, saying Israel bombed Syrian army facilities rather than Iranian ones.

"The Israeli attack on two ammunition warehouses meant for the Syrian Army and its supporters is unclear," the official said in an interview with a Syrian television channel.

"Israel also attacked a civilian factory. The Israeli enemy seeks false victories with these failed attacks."
A French Jerusalem consulate worker was convicted Thursday of several weapons - related offences, including smuggling arms into the West bank.

The man, Romain Franck, used an official car to transport guns from the Gaza Strip to the West Bank. He was arrested at the Erez border crossing a year ago after he attempted to smuggle some 70 pistols and two assault rifles from Gaza into the West Bank using his French consular vehicle.

The State Attorney asked judges to sentence Franck to seven years imprisonment and a penalty.
Judge Michael Pope presents a slideshow showing reasons for the office changes to the Gogebic County Board. Pope said the finalized project will be completed today.

By BRYAN HELLIOS

[email protected]

Bessemer - Gogebic County Circuit Court Judge Michael Pope gave a presentation at the Gogebic County Board of Commissioners meeting Wednesday regarding office changes in the courthouse.

Pope said the move was primarily to get court staff on the same floor.

"We have already moved two offices and the third is being moved (today)," he said.

The Department of Corrections offices have moved from upstairs down to the annex. The District Court probation staff, which was in the annex was moved into the old Probate Court offices on the first floor.

The Probate Court staff will be moved upstairs to join the other court staff on their same level.

Having all the court staff on the same floor will provide easier access to cross-train and allow staff the ability to learn from each other, Pope said.

"It does not help when you have staff upstairs and staff downstairs and they can't see what each other does day-to-day," he said.

Another reason Pope gave for the move was based on security concerns arising from the proximity of reporting felony probationers in the hallway the outside the Department of Corrections offices that was at times congested by other members of the public including judges, police officers and jury members.

"When we had a jury trial, our jury, our citizens had to walk past this," Pope said.

In other business the board:

-Received and placed on file a survey regarding hydroelectric projects from Excel Energy. A copy of the survey was forwarded to the Forestry and Parks Department.

-Showed support for HB 4227 to create a Committee on Michigan's Mining Future.

-Thanked Sgt. George Beninghaus for his 36 years of service to the Gogebic County Sheriff's Department.

-Approved Heidi DeRosso for the position of Emergency Management-911 Coordinator.
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Washington, DC - Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced up to $130 million for new research to advance early-stage solar technologies. These projects will help to achieve affordable and reliable energy to enhance Americas economic growth and energy security.

Solar is an integral part of the Administrations all-of-the-above energy strategy, said U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry. This cutting-edge, early stage research & development will work in concert with other innovative technologies to provide affordable, efficient, and reliable energy to the American people.

This funding program targets five research areas: photovoltaics (PV), concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP), soft costs reduction, innovations in manufacturing, and solar systems integration. These projects will make solar energy more affordable, reliable, and secure, while working to boost domestic solar manufacturing, reduce red tape, and make PV more resilient to cyberattack.

DOE will fund research in the following topics:

Topic 1. PV Research and Development ($26 million)

This topic area aims to reduce the cost of solar photovoltaics by half, helping to provide more affordable electricity for U.S. consumers and businesses. Achieving the DOEs cost targets would mean that the cost per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for unsubsidized electricity from utility-scale, commercial, and residential PV systems would be $0.03, $0.04, and $0.05, respectively, by 2030. To achieve these deep cost reductions, the PV research will focus on increasing performance, reducing material and manufacturing costs, and improving the reliability of PV cells, modules, and systems.

Topic 2. CSP Research and Development ($33 million)

This topic area focuses on technologies that enable CSP to provide power at any time or season, and that work to achieve the 2030 DOE cost target of $0.05 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for CSP-generated electricity with at least 12 hours of thermal energy storage. This research includes new materials and technologies that significantly reduce the cost of manufacturing, enable new energy storage technologies, and develop solutions that enable a solar field to operate autonomously without any human input.

Topic 3. Balance of Systems Soft Costs Reduction ($17 million)

This topic area works to reduce the costs associated with the non-hardware components of a solar system. This includes direct costs such as siting and permitting, as well as financing and compliance with local codes, rules and regulations. This topic helps reduce the red tape associated with installing solar and solar-plus-storage systems, since regulatory and financing burdens lead to higher costs for both developers and consumers. Research will focus on enabling the countrys new and developing solar markets to tackle financing and permitting issues.

Topic 4. Innovations in Manufacturing: Hardware Incubator ($10 million)

This topic supports innovative companies with early-stage product ideas that can lower solar costs and rapidly achieve commercialization, with an emphasis on projects that contribute to a strong U.S. solar manufacturing sector. These for-profit entities should be able to attract investors and become self-supporting at the end of their award.

Topic 5. Advanced Solar Systems Integration Technologies ($44 million)

This topic area supports improving the ability of grid operators to integrate increasing amounts of solar generation onto the grid in a cost-effective, secure, resilient, and reliable manner. This topic also supports development of technology solutions that enhance the visibility and control of PV inverters and sensors, while improving the security of those devices from cyberattack.

Sign up HERE to learn more about this funding opportunity at an upcoming webinar.
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Washington, DC - Deputy Secretary of State John J. Sullivan met today with Malian Prime Minister Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga. Deputy Secretary Sullivan offered his deepest condolences to those affected by the violence in the Mopti region of Mali, most of whom were civilians.

The Deputy Secretary reaffirmed the United States commitment to partner with Mali as it confronts terrorist threats in the region, and further, he urged the Malian government to prioritize cooperation as it works with signatory parties to fulfill provisions of the Algiers Accord. Deputy Secretary Sullivan also stressed the importance of demonstrating significant progress on agreed benchmarks of the mandate for the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) ahead of the June renewal. Related to these benchmarks, Deputy Secretary Sullivan and Prime Minister Maiga discussed the need for inclusive dialogue in the ongoing constitutional reform process.
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Washington, DC - The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) selected up to $36 million in research projects that will advance solar energys role in strengthening the resilience of the Nations electricity grid.

While fires, natural disasters, and cyberattacks can cause wide-spread power losses, even temporary disruptions in power quality can result in major economic losses. With more and more solar being added to the U.S. electricity generation portfolio, these projects will enable grid operators to rapidly detect physical and cyber-based abnormalities in the power system and utilize solar generation to recover quickly from power outages, in many cases without human control.

I have no higher priority than to support the security of the countrys critical energy infrastructure, said U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry. These projects will work to give solar technologies greater resiliency as they are integrated into our electric grid. A reliable electricity grid is essential to our national and economic security, and the everyday lives of American people.

The projects will develop new technologies, including: grid-forming inverters, cyber-secure communications for critical grid components during emergency operations, smart sensors, and automated control schemes. The research will culminate in grid management tools and models that show how solar situational awareness will enhance power system resilience at critical infrastructure locations such as hospitals or emergency response centers.

The following research projects were selected:

Arizona State University (Tempe, Arizona): $3.6 million

Kansas State University (Manhattan, Kansas): $2.9 million

North Carolina State University (Raleigh, North Carolina): $3 million

Siemens Corporation, Corporate Technology (Princeton, New Jersey): $5 million

University of North Carolina at Charlotte (Charlotte, North Carolina): $3.7 million

University of Oklahoma (Norman, Oklahoma): $4.5 million

University of South Florida (Tampa, Florida): $1 million

The following research projects will also conduct field validation of the advanced technologies that they develop:

Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. (Knoxville, Tennessee) with multiple partners, including Pecan Street and Austin Energy: $5 million

Electrical Distribution Design, Inc. (Blacksburg, Virginia), partnering with Pepco: $3 million

University of Utah (Salt Lake City, Utah), partnering with PacificCorp: $4 million

These technologies will enable grid operators to integrate increasing amounts of solar generation onto the grid in a cost-effective, secure, resilient, and reliable manner.
Uganda could face possible sanction by the United States over the import of gold from Venezuela.

This is because a gold refinery established by a foreign national at Entebbe-Uganda was cited as having imported 7.4 tons of questionable gold from Venezuela.

According to sources, the gold from Venezuela found its way to Entebbe before it would be transported back to the European market.

African Gold Refinery is alleged to have exported 3.8 tons of gold that is suspected that have originated from Venezuela before Uganda police raided the AGR offices to seize the balance of 3.8 that has clashed Ugandan Attorney General with the police charged with manning minerals.

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The AG wrote on March 26, to the commandant of the police mineral protection unit detailing that African Gold Refinery Limited operates as a bonded warehouse with a license Number WO408 under the East African Customs Management Act, 2004 (EACMA) under section 48 of the EACMA, bonded warehouses may be exempted from paying of duty on first importation into the bonded warehouse.

Pursuant to the directive of H.E. the President, dated April 26, 2017, reference PO/1, communicated to Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development and the letter from Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) to AGR dated June 5, 2018, reference CUST/T/3/16, government granted AGR bonded facility exemption from import duty in accordance with section 164 part XIII of the East African Community Customs Management Act, 2004. Mr William Byaruhanga wrote.

Adding Accordingly, URA granted clearance of the two consignments on March 1, 2019 and March 4, 2019 respectively in line with exemption already granted by government and also issued release orders for the consignments.

However, police maintains that gold seized from AGR must pay duty and up date, the police still keeps presence at AGR prompting AG to order them leave the offices.

In light of the above, you are directed to withdraw your officers deployed at AGR premises and release any gold that may have been seized or impounded during this investigation

On January 31, 2019, the US department of the Treasurys office of foreign assets control added Venezuelas state owned oil and gas company to its list of specially designated nationals and blocked person. The executive order 13827, issued on March 19, 2018, prohibits dealings in debt owed to the government of Venezuela.

However, in his letter, Mr. Byaruhanga warns AGR to desist from importation of more gold from Venezuela as the US sanctions could target Uganda.

Concerning the current sanctions imposed by United States government on Venezuela, in view of the principle of comity, by copy of this letter, AGR is instructed henceforth, save the gold comprising of the consignments that have been the subject of investigation, cease and desist from any further importation of gold from Venezuela, until further notice.
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Washington, DC - In recognition of Womens History Month, the U.S. Diplomacy Center will host a program exploring womens contributions in STEM to government service through the generations.

The event will feature opening remarks by Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs Marie Royce and panel presentations by author/journalist Liza Mundy, Nanoscientist and American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Legislative Fellow Dr. Teresa E. Williams, and NASA engineer Ms. Sandra Cauffman. Dr. Wanida Lewis, Senior Economic Evaluation Program Analyst and AAAS Executive Fellow of the Secretarys Office of Global Womens Issues (S/GWI) will moderate. STEM industry executives and STEM mentees will be in attendance. AnitaB.org, an organization that supports women and female students in technical fields, will sponsor the event.
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Some students and alumni of the University of Education, Winneba, (UEW) have reportedly taken to the streets to demand the sacking of the universitys vice-chancellor, Rev. Prof Anthony Afful-Broni.

YEN.com.gh understands that demonstrators have argued that some sacked lecturers of the university ought to be reinstated.

Some of the placards held by the protestors read: Bring Back Our Lecturers, President Akufo-Addo Act Now, Afful-Broni Yabre wo and VC Must Go.

Source: 3news.com

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: NDC chairman loses wife and children in Kintampo accident

It was amidst brass band music on the principal streets of Cape Coast, starting from Mfantsipim School.

Source: 3news.com

Source: UGC

At the end of the protest walk, the demonstrators, under the name, Concerned Students and Alumni of UEW, presented a petition to the Central regional minister, Kwamena Duncan.

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Ghana News Today: Mass Burial Organized for Accident Victims | #Yencomgh

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Source: Yen
New Delhi: Akshara Singh is hailed as the most beautiful actress in Bhojpuri film industry. And looking at her recent series of pictures on social media, we can't agree more. She has a solid fanbase in the country and has several big hits to her credit.

The top actress recently went on a photo-sharing spree and posted pictures of hers where she is looking stunning. Check it out here:

She has worked with almost all the A-listers in Bhojpuri movies. She has as many as 603k followers on Instagram so far and her fan army is increasing with each passing day.

Akshara began her journey as an actress in the television industry before venturing into Bhojpuri films. With over 50 movies old, Akshara is one of the highest paid actresses in the Bhojpuri film industry.

Fans love to watch her power star Pawan Singh on-screen. Their chemistry remains one of the best ones so far. Together, they have delivered some of the biggest hits in Bhojpuri movies.

Not only acting, but Akshara is also blessed with another talent and that is singing. She has crooned many songs and has cut several albums. The actress has sung special devotional songs on important festivals such asKanwar and Navratri.
Mumbai: Filmmaker Robby Grewal says his upcoming espionage thriller "Romeo Akbar Walter (RAW)", starring John Abraham in the role of a spy, will not resort to jingoism to drive its point across.

The director said the film does not portray Pakistani officers as "bad people", a stereotype often used in Hindi films made on the theme of patriotism.

"Jingoism and patriotism are two different things. It's not a jingoistic film at all. You can be very patriotic without beating your chest. My attempt with the film is to make you feel proud to be an Indian, proud of the man who's done what he's done in the film," the director told PTI in an interview.

Robby said one does not need to "scream" to make people realise their love for the country and filmmakers should be able to capture that element in their cinema.

"In today's time, a good filmmaker is probably the one who doesn't need to scream and shout to get this emotion out. You can do it without that. The resonance of what the characters are going through is loud, not in terms of pitch but emotions. I'm saying the same thing without any chest thumping," he said.

The director, who has previously made romantic films such as "MP3: Mera Pehla Pehla Pyaar" and "Aloo Chaat", spent six years researching and writing the film, which is set against the backdrop of 1971 war.

"A Pakistan Army officer is as pious as an Indian Army officer. What we have in our films, mostly, is that we tend to trivialise the other side, make them caricatures, 'bad people', which they aren't. They are doing exactly what we are doing. Circumstances put us against each other. They are not the bad people," he said.

Citing the example of Meghna Gulzar's "Raazi", which also featured an Indian spy sent to Pakistan but did not trivialise the Pakistani side, Robby said his is also not a good versus evil narrative.

"Jingoism comes when you project someone as bad. 'Raazi' didn't have a good versus bad story. My story too isn't about 'we are good and they are bad.' I don't enjoy that.

"I like to keep things real. The drama should come through the narrative, not through over-dramatising the performances. As a filmmaker, I don't like pitching it too loud. Now real is commercial."

"Romeo Akbar Walter" is scheduled to be released on April 5.
PUNE: A construction site worker in Maharashtra's Pune district was arrested Thursday by Anti- Terrorism Squad (ATS) for alleged terror links, police said.

Bihar ATS, in a joint operation with Maharashtra ATS, arrested Shariyat Mandal (19), a labourer at a construction site near Chakan, 40 km from Pune, police said.

The teenager's arrest came two days after two Bangladeshi nationals with alleged links to terror outfits were arrested in Patna, police said.

Bihar ATS had seized documents related to deputation of central forces in Jammu and Kashmir from the Bangladeshis, allegedly associated with terror outfit Jamiat-Ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh and Islamic State Bangladesh, police said.

Mandal hails from West Bengal and was in "constant touch" with the two terror suspects held in Patna.

Meanwhile, an ATS officer from Bihar, who was part of the team which arrested Mandal in Chakan, said they recovered a mobile phone and some personal items from the terror suspect.

"We have taken his transit remand from a court in Pune and now he will be taken to Patna, where he will be produced in a court," he said.
Even as the Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress spar over the question of political will, the success story of Mission Shakti was truly scripted by a team of 100 scientists of the Defence Research and Development Organisation.

DRDO propelled India to an elite space club on Wednesday when an ant-satellite missile was successfully tested in the lower orbit of Earth. The announcement that India now has these missiles - also called ASAT - was made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who heaped praise on DRDO scientists for making the country a true space power. And although Congress was quick in its congratulatory message for DRDO scientists, it said that the building blocks for ASAT were created during the UPA regime.

Political debates for credit aside, DRDO is being widely praised for a mammoth and momentous achievement. In an interview to news agency ANI, DRDO chairman G Sateesh Reddy elaborated on what it took to help India join a club of just three other countries - the US, Russia and China. "In the last six months when the A-SAT missile program entered mission mode level, about 100 scientists worked around the clock to reach the intended launch date target that was set," he said. "NSA (Ajit Doval), whom we report to on strategic matters, gave the direction to go ahead with the test and he had the concurrence from PM. The development started a few years back and we went into mission mode in the last six months."

While the three-stage missile with two rocket boosters was fired at an Indian satellite 300 kilometres from the planet as part of the test, Reddy said it has a much greater range. "A-SAT missile has capabilities of targeting all Low Earth Orbit satellites. It has a range of up to a 1000 kilometers plus."

Reddy also clarified that the missile is not a derivative of the Prithvi missile. "This missile has been developed specifically as an anti-satellite weapon. The missile has technologies developed for ballistic missile defense applications, particularly the kill vehicle. It is not a derivative of the Prithvi missile."
New Delhi: The sky is the limit for valiant heroes of the Indian Army and it is this valour that was epitomised recently by Major DP Singh - also known as 'India's Blade Runner' - when he jumped off a plane and completed a successful skydive.

Major Singh had lost the use of his right leg during the Kargil War but it was only a minor setback for a man on a mission. Unwilling to let it dictate the terms of his life from here on, he received a prosthetic leg and gradually moved to being not just mobile but took to running. And if that wasn't enough, he became the first specially-abled Indian soldier to complete a skydive.

Major Singh was trained for the dive from March 18 after Army Chief General Bipin Rawat had approved the activity to commemorate 'Year of Disabled in the Line of Duty', reported news agency ANI. The soldier completed the training and the skydive in Nasik on Thursday. His achievement celebrates 'Spirit of Adventure' for all specially-abled soldiers who have suffered injuries during peace or war.

An inspiration to not just fellow soldiers but also to people at large, the indomitable spirit of Major Singh will help Army carry forward the message that physical limitations are no limitations for the strong-willed and the brave.

2018 was celebrated by the Indian Army as 'Year of Disabled in the Line of Duty' while 2019 has been declared as 'Year of Next Kin'.
The United States has said that it has taken note of India's successful anti-satellite missile test - Mission Shakti, and that it remains committed to the strategic partnership with the country on safety and security in space.

India joined an elite and exclusive club of just three other countries when it successfully conducted an anti-satellite missile test. Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared the achievement in an address to the nation on Wednesday and even as he congratulated scientists of Defence Research and Development Organisation, highlighted that the test was not directed against any other country.

The US took a careful line in its assessment of the development. "We have taken a note on the development. As part of our strong strategic partnership with India, we will continue to pursue shared interests in space and scientific and technical cooperation, including collaboration on safety and security in space," a State Department spokesperson said. "The issue of space debris is an important concern for the United States government. We took note of Indian government statements that the test was designed to address space debris issues."

The issue of space debris is the main argument used against such tests conducted in space by countries like the US, Russia and China. In 2007, China shot down one of its defunct weather satellites as part of its anti-satellite missile test and was heavily criticised for the resulting space debris.

India, however, has outlined that the issue of space debris was addressed in Mission Shakti in which a three-stage missile with two rocket boosters was used against an Indian satellite 300 kms from the planet. To ensure there are no space debris, the test was conducted in the lower atmosphere. It is reported that the debris will eventually fall back to Earth in the next few weeks.
National Investigation Agency (NIA) has got information about a mobile application named 'TextNow', which is being used by Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad to recruit terrorists.

NIA is planning to take help from US security agencies in order to know more about 'TextNow' app. NIA sources said that the thorough probe of this app will help in unravelling the network of Jaish in India.

The NIA has got crucial information about the network of terrorists operating in Kashmir from Jaish terrorist Sajjad Khan, who was arrested by Delhi Police near Red Fort in Delhi on March 21. Sajjad was arrested while he was roaming in Delhi as a trader of shawls.

NIA sources said that during interrogation Sajjad confessed that JeM has been recruiting terrorists using 'TextNow' mobile app. Sajjad also admitted before his interrogators that he was in touch with the conspirators of Pulwama attack through TextNow. Since the server of this application is based in the US, NIA is expected to soon get in touch with the US authorities over this matter.

TextNow provides the user with a real phone number which can be used on any smartphone, computer, laptop or tablet device with an Internet connection. This mobile app can be used on multiple devices under the same login at the same time.

Sajjad also told the NIA that he had texted Mudassir, the mastermind of Pulwama attack, through 'TextNow' app immediately after the Pulwama attack on February 14.

NIA sources told Zee News that the JeM had instructed Sajjad to establish a sleeper cell in the national capital.

Muddasir, who was killed during an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Tral on March 11, had provided the Eeco car used in the cowardly Pulwama attack. He also delivered explosives to suicide bomber Adil Ahmed Dar. Mudassir was involved in plotting multiple IED blasts in Kashmir valley.

40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were martyred on February 14 in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district after Dar rammed an explosive-laden car into their bus on Jammu-Srinagar Highway.

Meanwhile, India on Thursday expressed disappointment over Pakistan's decision to seek more evidence from New Delhi over Jaish-e-Mohammed's involvement in Pulwama attack.

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said Pakistan's response to India's dossier on Pulwama shows that Islamabad continues to be in "denial" on the issue of cross border terrorism, PTI reported.

"India is disappointed at Pakistan's response to our detailed dossier on the Jaish-e-Mohammed's complicity in the cross-border terror attack in Pulwama, the presence of its terror camps and leadership in Pakistan," Raveesh Kumar said.

"Regrettably, Pakistan continues to be in denial and even refuses to acknowledge Pulwama as a terror attack," he added.

The MEA spokesperson, however, said that Pakistan's stand was not surprising at all as "this identical script" was followed by Islamabad several times in the past, including the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks and 2106 Pathankot attack.
A total of 240 bills, out of the 273 bills introduced, were passed in outgoing Lok Sabha between 2014 to 2018, revealed a recent study by Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and National Election Watch (NEW).

Seven lawmakers from Delhi have the highest average attendance, who were present in 289 out of the 312 sittings. The least attendance has been recorded by two MPs from Nagaland who attended just 88 sittings.

A total of 16 sessions of the Lok Sabha were held between June 4, 2014, to December 20, 2018.

Among the states, 50 MPs from Maharashtra asked the highest number of questions. On average, each of them asked 534 questions. Two MPs from Nagaland have asked the least number of questions, 12 each.

Among the political parties, 2 MPs from Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) have the highest average attendance in the 16th Lok Sabha. On average, they have attended 264 out of 312 sittings. The least attendance was been recorded by two MPs from the National People's Party (NPP), attending just 85 sittings.

Eighteen Shiv Sena MPs put up the highest number of questions, each one asking 639 questions on an average. Two NPP lawmakers asked the lowest number of questions, on an average asking only 10 questions.

Nationalist Congress Party MPs Supriya Sule, Dhananjay Mahadik and Vijaysinh Mohite Patil asked the highest number of questions.
As the uncertainty over an alliance with the Congress continued, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) stepped up its campaigning with plans to rope in 1.5 lakh volunteers for the Lok Sabha election.

Senior AAP leader Gopal Rai said that one central war room, where all campaigning would be closely monitored, would be set up.

Seven war rooms will be established in all the Lok Sabha constituency offices, that would be reporting to the central office.

"Seven observers would also be deployed with one observer in each constituency. There would also be an emergency feedback team with 14 people, who would carry the inspection of the campaigning rallies," Rai said.

He said for on-ground monitoring, 560 teams would be deployed and a total engagement of 1.5 lakh people would be seen.

The AAP has been seeking an alliance with the Congress in Delhi, but the grand old party has not made its stand clear on the possible tie-up, following which the AAP declared all its seven candidates for the upcoming polls an started campaigning for them.

A senior leader said that announcement of all the candidates was made seeing the Congress' "Irresponsible and indecisive" attitude towards the alliance.

Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal had also said, that internal surveys indicated that the AAP was capable of winning all the seven seats in Delhi on its own and it did not require an alliance with the Congress in Delhi.

However, the Congress and the AAP last Tuesday made fresh efforts with the help of NCP chief Sharad Pawar, to forge an alliance in Delhi for the polls.

Sources said last week that AAP had made a fresh bid to forge an alliance with the Congress in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi, with the former demanding five seats in Delhi.

However, shortly after the meeting Kejriwal said the Congress refused to form an alliance with the AAP in Delhi and the two parties were not in talks with each other.
Baghpat is one of the 80 Lok Sabha constituencies in Uttar Pradesh. Voting for Lok Sabha election in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases and Baghpat will be going to polls in the first phase on 11 April. Counting for the election will be held on May 23.

Along with the Baghpat district, the constituency covers parts of Meerut, Ghaziabad and Shamli districts.

After the reorganisation of the parliamentary constituencies in 2008, Baghpat Lok Sabha constituency comprises of five legislative assembly segments, namely Siwalkhas, Chhaprauli, Baraut, Baghpat and Modi Nagar.

In the 2014 election, Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Satyapal Singh won the seat with a margin of 209866 votes. The election saw a voter turnout of 71.58 per cent or 1004766 voters who exercised their franchise. Of the 14 contestants who were in the fray, 11 lost their deposits.

Singh is a former Police Commissioner of Mumbai and is the Minister of State for Human Resource Development and Minister of State in the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation in the Narendra Modi government.

In the 2009 Lok Sabha election, Rashtriya Lok Dal's (RLD) Ajit Singh had secured 238638 votes, defeating his closest rival Bahujan Samaj Party's (BSP) Mukesh Sharma who had bagged 175611 votes.
The BJP hopes to perform better in Jammu and Kashmir in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls than it did in the 2014 parliamentary elections, party's national general secretary Ram Madhav said on Tuesday.

He exuded confidence that the BJP will win all the three seats in Jammu and Ladakh.

The BJP is hopeful of getting a result better than what it got in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls in Jammu and Kashmir, Madhav told reporters after a meeting with senior party leaders, including party candidates from the three seats in the valley, during which election preparations were reviewed.

He hit out at the National Conference-Congress alliance in the state and dubbed its seat-sharing pact as a 'drama.'

"This drama that is going on that they are in alliance in Jammu, but fighting in Kashmir. They are trying various types of exercises against Modi and the BJP, let them do it. We will win two seats in Jammu and one in Ladakh and will try our best in Kashmir, so that our candidates go forward," he said.

"We want that all the valley seats should go to those who stand for unity of the country," he said, adding that those politicians who indulge in doublespeak should be kept away.

"People have seen what statements are given here. The whole country knows which party has what agenda. The people of Kashmir know as well and they will understand it," the BJP leader said.

On reports that Pakistan will allow a corridor for Sharda Peeth pilgrimage in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Madhav said the Centre would take a decision on that, "But terrorism is the biggest challenge. All other issues will be resolved once the issue of terrorism is tackled."
MEERUT: In a no-holds-barred attack on the Congress and the former UPA government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked the Indian voters to choose between a damdaar chowkidar' (strong watchman) and a daagdaar sarkar (tainted government)

Launching the Bharatiya Janata Party's campaign for the Lok Sabha elections from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh with a mega rally, Modi said India has made up its mind who to vote for. On one side there is a damdaar (strong) chowkidar, on the other a line of daagdaar sarkar (tainted government).

Accusing the UPA government of being soft on terror, the PM said they inquired about the religion of terrorists before deciding on what action to take. Land, sky or space, my government has shown courage to conduct a surgical strike in all spheres, he said.

Five years ago, when I sought your blessings, you gave me a lot of love. I had said that I will return the blessings and the love with interest, and I had also said that I will give account of the work that I have done. The chowkidar does no injustice, India has made up its mind who to vote for, said Modi.

Addressing a massive rally in Meerut. Watch. https://t.co/pQajSHmqpX  Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 28, 2019

This Lok Sabha election will witness the fight between a decisive government and an indecisive past, said the Prime Miniter.

They question our action to protect national integrity. They ask why we hit terror camps across LoC. They are competing with each other to become Pakistan's heroes. Does our country need India's heroes or Pakistan's heroes, he questioned.

Referring to Oppositiona's reaction to Mission Shakti, Modi said, Some intelligent people were confused over my speech on A-SAT yesterday, figured I am talking about theatre set. Should we cry on laugh on such intelligent fellows who cannot understand the difference between theatre set and Anti-Sattelite mission in space.

Modi began his speech by paying tribute to Choudhary Charan Singh, former prime minister and father of RLD leader Ajit Singh who has aligned with the BSP and the SP in this election.

He'll later head to Rudrapur in Uttarakhand and Jammu to address two more rallies.
With less than two weeks to go for voting in the first phase of Lok Sabha 2019 election, political parties are getting ready to move their respective campaigning into top gear.

Even as the list of leaders and celebrities either joining political parties or switching political allegiances continue to grow, the election heatwave has already set in across the country. A number of key issues are being highlighted and debated upon even as BJP and Congress entered into a tussle for credit for India's Mission Shakti.

The Model Code of Conduct has been in force in the country since March 10 and the Election Commission is going the extra mile to ensure that leaders and parties adhere to it. The EC is also working overtime to ensure that things are in place for an election that would surely corner the world's attention come April 11.

These were latest updates from all election-related developments on Thursday (March 28). Thanks for staying with us.

* Congress releases list of 31 candidates, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's son gets ticket from Jodhpur.

* Congress leader Divya Spandana writes to Election Commission of India against social media pages for allegedly offering free gifts to voters enticing them to support Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

* The Election Commission of India has nominated Vivek Dube as the Central Police Observer for West Bengal and Jharkhand. KK Sharma who was earlier nominated for these states has now been assigned Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

* "They (BJP) tried to persuade Kumaraswamy to form govt with the support of BJP. Before the election they extended huge money for the expenditure of JD(S), they tried to persuade him to meet them in Mumbai where money was kept but Kumaraswamy refused to budge," JD(S) leader H D Deve Gowda told ANI.

* "NC & PDP are responsible for the problems Jammu & Kashmir faces today. It is because of them that Kashmiri Pandits faced so much trouble. Sadly, national security is not a priority for them, they only care about power," says PM Modi in Akhnoor.

* "What is beyond comprehension is Congress' attitude. Is it the same Congress that Sardar Patel was a part of? Is it the same Congress that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was a part of, and fought for India's independence?" asks PM Modi.

* Addressing a rally in Akhnoor, Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "Whole country is talking in one voice and these Congress people are talking in a different voice. Do you accept this language of Congress? Of PDP? of NC? Pakistan applauds their language."

* Tej Pratap Yadav tweets that he has resigned as Chief of RJD's Student Wing

* BJP Kozhikode Lok Sabha candidate Prakash Babu remanded to 14 days judicial custody by Pathanamthitta Court in connection with Sabarimala case violence.

* Samajwadi Party releases another list of five candidates for Lok Sabha poll. Puja Pal would contest from Unnao, Nasir Qureshi will contest from Moradabad, Bhagwat Sharan Gangwar from Bareily, Shyam Sunder Yadav from Jhansi and Nathuni Prasad Kushwaha from Kushinagar.

* RJD leader Girinath Singh joins BJP in presence of Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

* Zee News' Rakesh Tripathi reports that the rift between Congress and RJD has been fixed. An official announcement can be expected soon.

* PM Modi addresses rally in Rudrapur, Uttarakhand.

- "The reason for poverty in India is Congress and the party is now claiming to remove poverty. Truth is to remove poverty, remove Congress."

- "Congress has no regard for India's armed forces. They sat back on Rafale deal because they were not getting any 'malai'. They also held back on the OROP issue."

- "The values of BJP and Congress are vastly different. We believe in development, upliftment and inclusion. Congress believes in focusing only on getting power and corruption."

* Harinder Singh Khalsa, former member of AAP, has joined BJP. He is welcomed to the party by BJP. (Read full report here)

* Click here for full report from PM Modi's first campaign speech this year.

* PM Modi also taunts BSP and SP, says alliances have been formed between people who wanted to jail one another. He adds that BSP and SP know of nothing beyond grabbing political power.

* PM Modi accuses previous government (UPA) of being soft on terror, says they inquired about the religion of terrorists before deciding on what action to take. He also calls them 'Maha milawati'.

- "Our action against terror has been questioned. We need India's heroes, not Pakistani heroes."

- "If anything had gone wrong in the action against terror, they would have abused me, demanded my resignation. That is okay. I have nothing of my own, whatever I have has been given to me by the people of India."

- "They question our action to protect national integrity. They ask why we hit terror camps across LoC. They are competing with each other to become Pakistan's heroes. Does our country need India's heroes or Pakistan's heroes."

* PM Modi says India is ready to ensure BJP is voted back to power.

- "Compare work done by our government to that of the previous government."

- " Five years ago, I had said that I will return your blessings and love with interest. I had also said that I will give account of the work that I have done and on what others have done. Both will happen together."

- "You have to choose yet again between a party that works and a party that sleeps, between a damdaar chowkidaar and a daagdaar sarkar (referring to previous UPA regime).

* PM Modi ready to address rally in Meerut.

* UP CM Yogi Adityanath addresses people, lauds PM Modi's leadership. He says the Modi's government has ensured that terror infrastructure has been crippled, economy is in fast-forward and development projects in rural and urban India are being extensively carried out.

* According to sources, there are tensions between Congress and RJD over the seat-sharing arrangement.

* Sources say there is a rift among leaders of Mahagathbandhan in Bihar. Rahul Gandhi has reportedly called for a meeting of top leaders.

* Did you know? 240 bills were passed in the outgoing Lok Sabha. (Click here for more such interesting facts)

* PM Modi will address an election rally in Meerut shortly, at 1130hrs.

Interesting facts:

- PM Modi will launch his election campaign after a meeting near Sivaya toll plaza on Dehli-Dehradun highway. He had launched his campaign for 2014 Lok Sabha election from Meerut (Shatabdi Nagar) as well.

- On Monday, BJP leaders and workers had performed bhoomi pujan at PM Modi's meeting site.

- SPG teams have taken stock of the security situation at and around the Sivaya toll plaza.

- Six SPs from neighbouring districts, 10 Additional SP's, 30 Deputy SP's, 50 inspectors, 150 sub-inspectors and 900 constables along with ten companies of PAC and RAF will remain deployed during the meeting of the PM.

* The EC may hold a press conference later in the day on the issue of Model Code of Conduct. Some opposition leaders had accused PM Modi of violating MCC by addressing the nation and announcing the success of Mission Shakti.

* Naxals blast BJP leader's house in Gaya district to protest against Lok Sabha election. (Read full report here)

* After Rahul Gandhi's attack against her, Mamata has dismissed him as a 'small boy.' (Read full report here)

* Here's some of what can be expected today:

- PM Modi to address rallies today - in Meerut, Rudrapur and outside Jammu city.

- Actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha likely to join Congress.

- The second leg of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's UP campaigning continues. It had started on Wednesday.
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee will kick off her poll campaigning from April 4 and will address nearly 100 rallies across the state in 14 days.

"I will start poll campaigning from April 4 and will continue it till May 17. I will address nearly 100 rallies. I will also address rallies in Assam," Banerjee said while releasing the TMC's manifesto for Lok Sabha polls.

TMC sources said, she will be addressing at least two rallies in each of the 42 constituencies of the state.

Banerjee said she will visit Andhra Pradesh on March 31 to campaign for the ruling Telugu Desam Party as a mark of opposition unity.

Several other opposition leaders will also be going to Andhra Pradesh to campaign for Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and the TDP.

Banerjee and Naidu share a cordial relationship and the Andhra Pradesh chief minister had taken part in the January 19 mega opposition rally organised by TMC here.

Naidu had come to Kolkata again in February to express solidarity with Banerjee when she was on a dharna to protest the CBI's attempt to question the then city police commissioner Rajeev Kumar.

The TMC will be contesting six seats in Assam, three in Jharkhand, two in Bihar and one in Andaman.
Demanding a boycott of the upcoming Lok Sabha election, Naxals on Wednesday night targeted the residence of a BJP leader in Bihar's Dumariya with dynamite.

Anuj Kumar Singh's house bore a horrific look after Naxals used dynamites to blow it, reported Zee News' Jai Kumar. The front wall was reduced to rubble while a major portion of the structure inside the house, belonging to the former MLC, suffered extensive damage as well. No casualties, however, were reported.

The Naxals also put up a poster on the house after the explosion in which they demanded that the upcoming Lok Sabha election should be boycotted.

Police officials reached the spot soon after the incident was reported to them and an investigation has been started.

Dumariya is approximately 80 kilometres southwest of Gaya and the presence of Naxals here remains a challenge for security forces. In fact, most parts of Gaya district has an omnipresent threat from Naxals which makes conducting elections here a massive security challenge.
New Delhi: Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said the 'Nyay' scheme will remonetise what Prime Minister Narendra Modi demonetised and asserted that his party's anti-poverty programme has thrown the BJP into total disarray

In an exclusive interview to PTI ahead of the 17th general election beginning April 11, Gandhi said the 'Nyay' scheme has the twin objectives of giving money to the 20 per cent poorest families in India and remonetising the economy "damaged" by demonetisation.

"What the PM has done over the past five years is to remove all money from the economy with failed policies like demonetisation and a poorly executed Gabbar Singh Tax (GST). Informal sectors have been badly hit.

"The aim of the 'Nyay' scheme is two-fold. First is to guarantee a minimum income to the bottom 20 per cent families. The second is to remonetise the economy that has been demonetised by Modiji," Gandhi said.

The Congress chief said there is a reason why the party christened the scheme 'Nyay', which translates to justice in Hindi.

"There is another aspect to calling the scheme 'Nyay'. Why have we chosen to call this scheme 'Justice'? Because over the last five years, Mr Narendra Modi has simply snatched from poor and given nothing back.

"He has taken away from the farmers, he has snatched from the small and medium businesses, he's taken away from the unemployed youth, he has extinguished the savings of mothers and sisters of this country. We want to return to India's deprived sections what Modiji has snatched from them," Gandhi said.

Terming 'Nyay' (Nyuntam Aay Yojana) a "game changer" and a "final assault" on poverty, Gandhi said the scheme is "fiscally perfectly doable" and will not be implemented "rashly like demonetization and GST of the BJP".

Asked about apprehensions of some economists that 'Nyay', which entails an expenditure of Rs 3.6 lakh crore annually, could aggravate India's fiscal deficit position, Gandhi said, "No, that's not right."

He said the party consulted a large number of economists and experts, studied numerous papers and other research material on this subject and run an extensive financial modelling exercise before deciding to include the plan in its Lok Sabha manifesto.

To a question on the scheme being prima facie populist, Gandhi said "it is not a populist measure as projected by some critics".

"If giving out Rs 3.5 lakh crore to 15 people by Narendra Modi is not considered populist, why should this be as it is aimed at benefitting the poor," he said.

"Is it only the crony capitalist friends of Mr Modi who are to benefit from government schemes? I'm only asking for fairness, for justice, or 'nyay' for India's poor. There's nothing populist about that," he countered.

Taking a swipe at Modi, who announced the demonetisation of high value currency notes in a surprise move in November 2016, Gandhi said, "We're not rash. We don't take steps like demonetisation and GST without consultations, without conferring with the experts. We have vetted this, tested this, and fiscally 'Nyay' as a scheme is completely doable."

The Congress president did not give a time line on when the party planned to make India poverty free and said 'Nyay' will first be tested through a pilot to "smoothen out any flaws".

"We're not going to do it the way GST was done. We are first going to run a short pilot project to smoothen out any flaws in the implementation process and then roll it out nationwide. We're also going to set down a robust way of identifying the beneficiaries, so that no deserving family is left out," he said.

Asked if the pilot will be run in Congress-ruled states, Gandhi said experts will decide on that.

"This is for the experts to decide. In the 10 years of the Congress-UPA government, we took 14 crore people out of poverty net. Our goal now is to finish the job," he said.

Gandhi added that 20 per cent to 22 per cent families are living in poverty even today. Many of them have been pushed into this cycle by the prime minister's demonetisation scheme and 'Gabbar Singh Tax' (GST), he noted.

"Our goal is to completely eliminate poverty from India," he said, describing 'Nyay' as the final assault on poverty.
PATNA: The political alliance between the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in Bihar came apart after the parties failed to agree on the seat-sharing deal, sources told Zee News.

Congress is likely to contest alone in Bihar in the upcoming national polls. An official announcement will to be made soon in this regard, sources added.

Party chief Rahul Gandhi has called for a meeting of the Bihar Congress unit and other leaders of the grand alliance on Thursday.

The bone of contention is reportedly the Darbhanga Lok Sabha seat, represented by former test cricketer Kirti Azad, who quit the BJP to join the Congress.

"Darbhanga is our traditional seat. We have won it many times. Even in the 2014 polls, which were swept by the BJP-led NDA, our candidate lost the battle by a thin margin.

"We would therefore like to contest the seat again and field Abdul Bari Siddiqui this time. A formal announcement would be made shortly," RJD MLA and chief state spokesman Bhai Virendra told PTI.

When asked about Bhai Virendra's statement, Siddiqui said, "I am a disciplined party worker. If the party asks me to contest from Darbhanga, I will put my heart, mind and soul into the fight."

After days of hectic negotiations, Bihar's mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) announced its final seat-sharing deal for the upcoming Lok Sabha election 2019 on March 22. The RJD was to contest on 20 seats, Congress on nine seats, Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) on five seats, Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP) on three seats each and Communist Party of India (MarxistLeninist) Liberation on one seat (from RJD quota).

As per emerging reports, the grand alliance fell apart over a few parliamentary seats. The parties have not yet confirmed this.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has already announced its seat-sharing pact -- the BJP and the JD(U) will contest on 17 seats each and six seats were allotted to the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP).

The state will go to polls in all seven phases on April 11, 18, 23, 29 and May 6, 12 and 19. The results will be declared on May 23.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha election, the BJP had won 22 seats and the LJP was successful in six. Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP, which was a part of the NDA in 2014 but has now joined the Rashtriya Janata Dal-led Mahagathbandhan, won in three Lok Sabha seats. The remaining nine seats were bagged by the RJD (four), JDU (two), Congress (two) and Nationalist Congress Party (one).
PATNA: The simmering tension within former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Yadav's family came out in open on Thursday with the RJD chief's older son, Tej Pratap Yadav, resigning as patron of RJD's student wing.

The resignation is significant because Tej Pratap had headed the RJD student wing for last many years and he had selected candidates to contest the students union polls of Patna University.

"Nadan hain woh jo log mujhe nadan samajhte hain. Kaun kitna paani mein hain, sabki hai khabar mujhe (Those who consider me naive are naive themselves. I know who has what standing in the party), tweeted Tej Pratap.

Bihar: Tej Pratap Yadav tweets that he has resigned as Chief of RJD's Student Wing pic.twitter.com/rNN6mvrf0p  ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2019

Talking to Zee Media, Tej Pratap said that he is worried for the party and had talked about the same with Lalu Yadav and his younger brother Tejashwi Yadav. Tej Pratap added that he had talked about tickets for two of his candidates with both Lalu and Tejashwi but they are yet to give any reply to him.

Sources said that Tej Pratap is seeking tickets for Angesh Kumar from Sheohar seat and Chandrapraksh Yadav from Jehanabad. Both Angesh and Chandraprakash are considered very close to Tej Pratap.

Angry at not getting any response from Lalu and Tejashwi, Tej Pratap had called a press conference at 2:30 pm on Thursday in order to announce the names of Angesh and Chandraprakash as RJD's official candidates from Sheohar and Jehanabad respectively.

RJD leaders said when Tej Pratap's mother Rabri Devi was informed about his plan, she rebuked him and forced him to cancel his press conference.

On his part, Tej Pratap refused to comment on his decision to cancel the press conference at the last moment but strongly rejected reports that he was planning to launch his own party.

In Bihar, the RJD is contesting the Lok Sabha in alliance with the Congress, Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP), Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) and Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP). As per the seat-sharing deal agreed by these parties, the RJD will contest on 20 seats, Congress on nine seats, RLSP on five seats, HAM and VIP on three seats each. The RJD has also agreed to give one seat to Communist Party of India (MarxistLeninist) Liberation from its quota.
New Delhi: Will it be a contest between Narendra Modi and Priyanka Gandhi in Varanasi?

There is no denying the fact that it would be the most high-profile contest if it happens, but for now it seems to be only a causal remark made by Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi in Raebareli.

The speculations started on Thursday after some booth workers in Rae Bareli urged Priyanka to fight upcoming Lok Sabha poll from Raebareli constituency, which is currently held by her mother Sonia Gandhi. Priyanka shot back smilingly at the booth workers and asked, Why not Varanasi?

Booth workers requested @priyankagandhi in Rai Bareilly to contest from home turf. She shot back smilingly and asked, How about Varanasi?  Kartikeya Sharma (@kartikeya_1975) March 28, 2019

In 2014, Prime Minister won from Varanasi and he will be contesting again from the same seat this year. The Congress and the SP-BSP alliance are yet to announce the name of their candidates from Varanasi.

Besides Varanasi, PM Modi also contested from Vadodara in the last elections, but BJP sources said that he will not be contesting from a second seat this time. After winning both Varanasi and Vadodara, the PM retained Varanasi and vacated Vadodara.

In Varanasi, Modi defeated his rivals Arvind Kejriwal and Congress's Ajay Rai by a huge margin. The BJP is hopeful that by pitching PM Modi as a candidate from the Uttar Pradesh the party will succeed in winning maximum seats in the state. It may be recalled that the BJP won 71 of 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh in 2014.

Earlier, it was reported that the prime minister may also contest from Puri in Odisha but the BJP has given ticket to its spokesperson Sambit Patra from this seat.

Uttar Pradesh is without doubt the most important state of the Hindi heartland. The alliance between Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party and the entry of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as Congress general secretary from Uttar Pradesh East has only made the contest more exciting and one to watch out for.

The Congress has already defeated the BJP in Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh - the other major states of Hindi heartland - in the last assembly elections.
Amethi: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday said she will contest the elections if her party asks her. However, she said her own wish is to work for the party's organisation.

"If my party asks me to contest the polls, I will definitely do so. But my personal wish is to work for the party's organisation as a lot of work needs to be done," the Congress leader told reporters.

She said, "I have told party workers that it is very important you campaign properly this election. You should go to each and every house, and tell people that this election is to save the nation. Not Rahul Gandhi, but the nation should win this election."

Taking on UP Chief Minister's Yogi Adityanath's jibe that she visits temples only during elections, Priyanka Gandhi asked whether he knows anything about her.

The Congress general secretary in-charge of the state's eastern districts kicked off second leg of her campaign on Wednesday with the visit to Amethi, her brother Rahul Gandhi's constituency, and is scheduled to reach Ayodhya, where the disputed Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site is located, on Friday.

When asked whether she will visit the makeshift temple which houses the idol of Lord Ram or "Ram Lalla (infant Ram)", Priyanka Gandhi said, "I haven't checked my schedule."

In an oblique reference to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley dig at the Congress' minimum income promise, she said her party preaches what it practices.

"See the Congress had said that it will waive off the loans of farmers, and within 10 days of coming to power in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, it was done," Priyanka Gandhi said.

Hitting back at BJP's criticism of previous Congress governments failing to remove property, she said, "Obviously all the problems have not been solved. Obviously some people are still poor. A large number of people are suffering. But there is a lot of work that has been done."

She said the issues on which her party is fighting this elections are farm distress and lack of jobs.

"I think the defining issue is that farmers are suffering. They have got no help from the government, they say that they do not get seeds and fertilisers on time. In some places, seeds are costing them more than their crop. They are in debt, and there is nobody to support them and nobody to help them," she said.

"There is gross unemployment. Jobs were promised, they were not given. There are thousands of young people who are unemployed. I see them everywhere, I see them everywhere I go. When I ask have you got a job, they say 'no'," Priyanka Gandhi said, adding that no government has performed as badly on employment as the NDA has.

She also said that a number of issues have been politicised, which should not have been done.

The Congress leader also congratulated DRDO scientists for successful testing of India's anti-satellite missile capabilities. "I am very very proud of DRDO, which is one of India's great institutions founded by Jawaharlal Nehru," she said.
Mumbai: It has been ten years for Jacqueline Fernandez in Bollywood and the actor is happy with the way her career has shaped up.

Fernandez, who started her career with 2009 film "Aladin" and has been a part of big-ticket productions such as "Kick", "Housefull" and "Race 3", says she has always got work on the basis of merit.

"I am happy I was able to achieve things on my own. Sometimes things worked out and sometimes it did not. But there was always a fight to push myself to do better, to grow as an actor," Jacqueline told PTI.

The actor will next be seen in Karan Johar's home production film "Drive", "Kick 2" opposite Salman Khan and "Kirik Party" with Kartik Aaryan.

Talking on the sidelines of the launch of cosmetic brand Color Bar, Fernandez said she loves make-up but finds the idea of being photographed constantly annoying.

"No one likes to get clicked all the time. Even when you we are clicking photo with your friend and you are not looking great... We can't be in hair and make up 24x7. I don't feel like getting photographed every time."
New Delhi: Superstar Shah Rukh Khan is an avid social media user and often shares pictures and videos to keep his fans updated with details from his life. The actor often uses social media as a means to spread awareness and talk about social causes as well. On Wednesday, SRK took to Twitter and wrote a heartfelt message after spending an afternoon with acid attack survivors.

He wrote, All of u please put ur hands in prayer...and say Bhagwan inki zindagi ki nayi shuruaat mein...inpar karam karna...May God have mercy on them...Insha Allah. These r my sisters & need ur prayers for recovery, without distinguishing between the mode of prayer

Check out the actor's post here:

All of u please put ur hands in prayer...and say Bhagwan inki zindagi ki nayi shuruaat mein...inpar karam karna...May God have mercy on them...Insha Allah. These r my sisters & need ur prayers for recovery, without distinguishing between the mode of prayer https://t.co/JjE8ZM08mX  Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) March 28, 2019

On a related note, a biopic on acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal is in the making and Deepika Padukone plays the titular role. Laxmi was attacked back in 2005 when she was only 15. The 32-year-old assailant was known to the family and after Laxmi rejected his advances, he attacked her.

The film is titled 'Chhapaak' and Dippy's first look as Laxmi was unveiled a couple of days ago, leaving everybody stunned.

The film is being helmed Meghna Gulzar and Vikrant Massey plays an important role. Deepika is also venturing into production with 'Chhapaak'.
Mumbai: Actor Madhuri Dixit, who turned producer with Marathi film "15 August" with husband Dr Sriram Nene, says they decided to release the film on the digital platform to attract a larger audience.

Set in a Mumbai chawl, the film follows the course of a series of zany mishaps that occur on a single day as its residents prepare for the Independence Day flag-hoisting ceremony.

The film will start streaming on Netflix from March 29. Madhuri made her Marathi film debut with "Bucket List" last year.

"First we thought let's make the movie then we will see. We could have gone to theatres but Marathi films don't get that many theatres and they are competing with other Marathi and Hindi films.

"With Netflix, it goes to 190 countries so you get wider audience. I remember 'Bucket List' was released in America and when my mother-in-law wanted to see it they had to sit in front row and see it because the release is very small. It gets released in two to three cities so we thought releasing it digitally would be a great platform for his film," Madhuri told PTI.

The actor said producing the film was not difficult for her as it took her back to her roots as a Maharashtrian.

"We heard many scripts but we kept going to this story. It took me back to my roots, I am a Maharashtrian and I have had relatives living in chawl and I have lived there. I felt I know every member of this chawl that we created for this film," Madhuri said.

Asked how Dr Nene came to be a part of the film, Madhuri said he always had a creative gene.

"The creative gene was always in him. I think he didn't get the opportunity to actually exercise it."

Dr Nene said he felt it was a "cool way" to release the film on a streaming platform.

"This will give us bigger canvas to showcase in India. We just thought it's a cool way to put it out. The content will dictate the absorbtion," he said.
Divyansha Kaushik is playing the role of Anshu, a childhood friend of Poorna, the role reprised by Akkineni Naga Chaitanya in Majili, which is slated for release on April 5. The actor is playing the second leading lady in the film which has Samantha Akkineni as the leading lady. The actor spoke to the media recently as part of promotions for the film and here is what she said.

Divyansha will be playing his love interest in the childhood days and she is someone who is full of life and love. She said she was pretty excited and on cloud nine when Shiva Nirvana told her that Chaitanya and Samantha are playing the lead pair.

She said, When Shiva Nirvana was narrating the script to me, I said yes even before he completed everything about my role. I fell for his narrative and what more do I need than being part of a film which has the couple whom I adore the most?! It was like a dream come true.

This Delhi girl was earlier seen in a commercial with Himanshu Kohli and thats when Shiva Nirvana saw her. It is known that Sam and Chay will be seen playing a married couple who have a lot of issues to deal with. The promotional materials only hinted at her being Poornas girlfriend at some point in his life and a heartbreak presumably tearing them away.

I will not be sharing any screen space with Samantha and my role is a very short one. Screen space is for very less time, but still, I loved my role, she added.
Mahesh Babu made headlines after his Madame Tussauds wax statue was unveiled a few days back. Photographs from the event have gone viral and the statue has received mixed responses from the audience and fans of the actor.

Well, after the event, the actor spoke to the media about his upcoming film Maharshi and said he is very happy with Vamsi Padipally and the way he has directed the film.

The film has shaped up really well and it came out as good as expected. I was desperate to start shooting for the film right after we announced, but had to wait. Now that it is releasing on May 9, I am feeling kind of peaceful and we have almost wrapped up the shoot, he said.

This film also has Allari Naresh in a key role and Pooja Hegde as the leading lady. Maharshi is an emotional drama and will be as good as film-like Oopiri which was directed by Vamsi Paidipally.

Shooting for the film was definitely a great journey. Met different people and travelled to different places. Pooja has acted really well and this is my first film with her. Devi Sri Prasad is composing some really amazing tunes and I am sure he will throw his spell on all of us, he added.

The film is jointly produced by Dil Raju, Prasad Potluri and Ashwiny Dutt Ch under their respective banners.
Facebook Inc on Wednesday banned praise, support and representation of white nationalism and white separatism on its social media platforms, a shift in policy after criticism by civil rights groups that it was failing to confront extremism.

The policy will be enforced next week, the social media giant said in a blog, and will apply to both the core Facebook app and Instagram.

Facebook, Twitter Inc and Alphabet Inc`s YouTube have been under pressure to remove white supremacist and neo-Nazi content from their platforms, along with fake news and other types of abusive posts.

In response, Facebook has beefed up its content monitoring teams and taken down event pages that were used to promote and organise rallies by white supremacy groups.

But the use of social media by those groups was again in the spotlight this month after a suspected white nationalist killed 50 people at two mosques in New Zealand and broadcast live footage of the attacks on Facebook.

Facebook has long banned white supremacy under its rules on "hateful" content, but did not previously consider white nationalist or separatist content to be explicitly racist.

Tech publication Motherboard, which first reported the policy change on Wednesday, revealed that the company was maintaining the distinction last year after an investigation into its content moderation policies.

Civil rights groups say there is no distinction between the ideologies.

In a statement, Facebook said it had initially been wary of infringing on broader concepts of nationalism and separatism, which it said are "an important part of people`s identity."

"But over the past three months our conversations with members of civil society and academics who are experts in race relations around the world have confirmed that white nationalism and separatism cannot be meaningfully separated from white supremacy and organised hate groups," the company said.

"Going forward, while people will still be able to demonstrate pride in their ethnic heritage, we will not tolerate praise or support for white nationalism and separatism."

Facebook said it would also start connecting people who search for terms associated with white supremacy to an organization called Life After Hate, focused on helping people leave hate groups.

Life After Hate did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Representative Bennie Thompson, the chairman of the US House Committee on Homeland Security, welcomed the new approach but lamented that Facebook had not made the change sooner.

"This should have happened long ago," Thompson said in a statement. "For too long, Facebook has allowed hate speech  and the violence that it can inspire  to propagate on its platform. Since billions use its service, we must demand more from them."
DHAKA: At least 19 people died in a fire at a high-rise office building in Bangladesh's capital city of Dhaka. Fire officials said that 65 people also got injured after a massive fire engulfed the 22-storey FR Tower in the city's Banani area.

The building houses several offices and restaurants. The fire started at around 1 pm on the eighth floor of the building and engulfed other floors within no time. The cause of the fire is still not known.

Farid Uddin, a duty officer of the Fire Service and Civil Defence headquarters, told a leading Bangladesh news website that the fire was brought under control at around 4:45pm.

A total of 21 firefighting units were pressed into service to control the raging inferno and rescue the people trapped inside the building. Later, helicopters were also used to spray water on the building in order to douse the flames.

Six of the deceased were identified as Parvex Sazzad, 47, Amen Yasmin, 30, Masud 36, Niras Chandra, 30, Abdullah Al Faroque, 32, Maksudur, 36, and Manir 50, reported Daily Star, a leading Bangladesh news website.

One of the deceased, Niras Chandra was a Sri Lankan national. Police sources said that Chandra died after he fell down from a window while trying to escape from the raging inferno.

Sources said that the fire badly affected four floors of the 22-storey building. Talking to reporters, a senior officer of Fire Service and Civil Defence said that a five-member probe committee has been constituted to probe the incident.

Three of the victims died after they fell off the building while trying to escape the blaze, Sazzadur Rahman, a medical official, was quoted as saying by IANS

It may be recalled that at least 70 people were killed in February when a massive fire broke out at Chawkbazar in Dhaka.
BEIJING: China has asked the United States tread cautiously and avoid forcefully moving a draft resolution at UNSC to designate JeM chief Masood Azhar a global terrorist on Wednesday.

"This is not in line with resolution of the issue through dialogue and negotiations. This has reduced the authority of the Committee as a main anti-terrorism body of the UNSC and this is not conducive to the solidarity and only complicates the issue, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a media briefing in Washington.

"We urge the US to act cautiously and avoid forcefully moving forward this resolution draft," Geng said.

Beijing's comment comes hours after the US, backed by France and Britain, circulated a draft resolution to the powerful 15-nation Council that can designate JeM leader Masood Azhar as an international terrorist under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the Council.

China, a veto-wielding permanent member of the Security Council, blocked the bid in the UN Security Council to designate Azhar as a "global terrorist" for the fourth time, saying it wanted "more time to examine" the proposal.

JeM had claimed responsibility for the February 14 Pulwama attack that claimed the lives of over 40 Indian soldiers.
Washington: US President Donald Trump said he met with the chief executive of Alphabet Inc`s Google on Wednesday and discussed "political fairness" and the company`s business in China.

"He stated strongly that he is totally committed to the US Military, not the Chinese Military," Trump said on Twitter of his meeting with Google CEO Sundar Pichai.

"Also discussed political fairness and various things that @Google can do for our Country. Meeting ended very well!," Trump said.

"We were pleased to have productive conversations with the President about investing in the future of the American workforce, the growth of emerging technologies and our ongoing commitment to working with the US government," a Google spokesperson said in a statement.

"We are not working with the Chinese military. We are working with the US government, including the Department of Defence, in many areas including cybersecurity, recruiting and healthcare.

The top US general, Marine General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a Senate committee hearing earlier this month that the Chinese military was benefiting from the work Google was doing in China.

Pichai has said Google has invested in China for years and plans to continue to do so.

In a tweet last week, Trump accused social media platforms Facebook, Google`s YouTube and Twitter of favouring his Democratic opponents over him and his fellow Republicans and said he would look into the issue.
The United States (US), Britain and France stepped up a push for the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to blacklist the head of Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) on Wednesday after China prevented an earlier move two weeks ago.

The United States circulated a resolution - drafted with British and French support - to the 15-member council that would designate JeM leader Masood Azhar, subjecting him to an arms embargo, travel ban and asset freeze, diplomats said.

JeM said it was responsible for a February 14 attack that killed at least 40 Indian paramilitary police, making it the deadliest in Kashmir during a 30-year-long insurgency, increased tensions between Pakistan and India. The nuclear-armed neighbours both said they had shot down each other`s fighter jets last month.

The United States, Britain and France initially asked the Security Council`s Islamic State and al-Qaeda sanctions committee, which operates by consensus, to blacklist Azhar. However, China prevented the move.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said that China had conducted a "comprehensive and thorough evaluation" but still needed more time to consider the proposal. China had previously prevented the committee from sanctioning Azhar in 2016 and 2017.

Instead of consensus, a resolution only needs nine votes in favour and no vetoes by China, Russia, the United States, France or Britain to pass. It was not immediately clear when the draft resolution to designate Azhar could be put to a vote.

The Chinese mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the draft text.

JeM is a primarily anti-India group that forged ties with al Qaeda and was blacklisted by the UN Security Council in 2001. In December 2001, Jaish fighters, along with members of another Pakistan-based militant group, Lashkar-e-Taiba, attacked India`s parliament, which almost led to a fourth war between the two countries.
Harassment and criticism stung Vietnam veterans returning from war, but in squad rooms and motor pools across the country, there was a different group of Americans who stood in awe of their selfless service and call to duty.

Outside of the public view, Vietnam veterans trained, educated and led the next generation of troops while quietly shaping and inspiring their service. As decades passed and attitudes shifted, Americans now pause to reflect and thank Vietnam veterans for their service on National Vietnam War Veterans Day, March 29.

I thought they were great leaders, combat-tested leaders, Lt. Gen. Dana T. Atkins, MOAA's president and CEO, said of the Vietnam veterans who made up his unit's senior leadership while he made his way to Royal Air Force Bentwaters, U.K., to fly A-10s - his first operational assignment as a young officer. You gained a level of respect having gone through that. Your leadership style is shaped by what you've seen. There certainly was a level of respect.

The squad room was full of Vietnam veterans, Atkins recalled. There was a lot of influence from them.  You saw how they conducted themselves.

Atkins, who served 34 years in the Air Force before retiring in 2012, said his earliest exposure to Vietnam came through his uncle Ed, who recorded audio tapes downrange that would be played at the family home in Portland, Oregon.

You get intimate with Vietnam through that exchange, said Atkins. I certainly didn't have an animosity toward Vietnam.

About the Day

March 29 became National Vietnam War Veterans Day in 2017, when President Donald Trump signed the Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act into law.

President Trump is not the first commander-in-chief to designate a Vietnam Veterans Day, but he did enact the annual day of recognition into law. President Richard Nixon declared March 29, 1974, as Vietnam Veterans Day to mark the one-year anniversary of the withdrawal of U.S. combat forces from Vietnam. President Barack Obama declared March 29, 2012, as Vietnam Veterans Day, with his proclamation highlighting ongoing 50th anniversary events.

The discipline and professionalism of these veterans rubbed off on countless younger leaders, Atkins said. And while many of those veterans came home to public reactions that didn't reflect their service or sacrifice, some decades later, the nation has caught up.

Atkins said he witnessed a homecoming in the early 2000s for troops returning from deployment through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. He recalled a group of people lining a corridor and waving small American flags; some people offered their cellphones so the troops could call parents to tell them they were home.

It was a remarkable expression of gratitude and respect, Atkins said. I thought, 'Wow, it has taken three decades.' It was like polar opposites.

Vietnam veterans have demonstrated resiliency that all incoming troops can learn from, Atkins said, noting MOAA will continue to fight for their benefits, including expanding benefits for Blue Water Navy veterans.

Look back at these Vietnam veterans - our nation owes them a great debt, Atkins said.

Amanda Dolasinski is MOAA's staff writer. She can be reached atamandad@moaa.org. Follow her on Twitter @AmandaMOAA.
Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong (R) and visiting Sultan of Brunei Haji Hassanal Bolkiah (Photo: VNA)



Welcoming the Sultan, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said that Bolkiahs second visit to Vietnam after 21 years has great significance, marking the two countries friendship and cooperation, and upgrading it to a new height.

The two leaders exchanged notes on the bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues of mutual concern.

They stressed that the establishment of the comprehensive partnership is a result of positive and sustainable developments in bilateral relations over the recent past, thus renewing motivation to enhance bilateral collaboration in a more effective and practical manner, especially in politics, defence-security, trade, investment, education, people-to-people diplomacy, as well as cooperation within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and other multilateral frameworks.

Both sides agreed to intensify all-level delegation exchanges through all channels to strengthen political trust and mutual understanding so as to create a firm foundation for cooperation in all fields.

They also highlighted the importance of maintaining the effective implementation of the Joint Commitment on Bilateral Cooperation, and considered the establishment of new cooperative mechanisms.

Both host and guest confirmed that potential for bilateral economic cooperation has yet to be fully tapped, and agreed to strive for USD500 million in two-way trade at an early date, through trade and investment promotion as well as business connectivity activities.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong lauded Brunei for remaining the fourth largest ASEAN investor in Vietnam, with nearly 200 projects totalling over 1 billion USD. He committed that Vietnam will continue creating favourable conditions for Bruneian enterprises to do business and investment in Vietnam, particularly in important fields such as infrastructure, energy, high-tech agriculture and industry, food processing, tourism, and services.

The Brunei Sultan pledged to support Vietnam produce products that meet international halal standards in order to approach Muslim markets.

Lauding national defence-security cooperation as a spotlight in bilateral relations over the years, both leaders spoke highly of the effective implementation of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on defence cooperation in 2005 and the MoU on naval cooperation in 2013.

They agreed to work closely together at multilateral defence forums, especially within the ASEAN and ASEAN frameworks, and highlighted the importance of security collaboration amid regional security challenges.

The two sides promised to share experience and expand partnership in the fight against trans-national, organised, human trafficking, terrorist, and cyber crimes; as well as discussed the signing of agreements on extradition, judicial assistance, and transfer of sentenced persons.

The two leaders welcomed the government-level agreement on the establishment of a hotline to support fisheries at sea. They also pledged to further expand aquaculture cooperation, share information regarding legal enforcement at sea, and cope with security challenges at sea in order to ensure maritime safety and freedom.

Furthermore, they discussed measures to enhance culture-education ties, aviation connectivity, and the facilitation of immigration procedures so as to raise mutual understanding and the bilateral friendship.

The Brunei Sultan vowed to consider the hosts proposal to amend the visa waiver agreement by increasing the duration of non-visa stay for diplomatic, official, and general passport holders.

On regional and global issues of shared concern, the guest congratulated Vietnam for successfully hosting the second DPRK-USA summit in February, thereby improving the countrys stature in the region and the world.

The two nations will work closely together as Vietnam and Brunei assume the roles of ASEAN Chair in 2020 and 2021, respectively. They will contribute to the process of building the ASEAN Community; effectively realise the ASEAN Community Vision 2025; step up linkage collaboration; narrow the development gap; deepen external relations; and uphold ASEANs central role in the regional architecture in the principles of openness, transparency, and inclusiveness.

They consented to continue cooperating and coordinating closely at other multilateral forums, particularly the United Nations, ASEAN, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM). Meanwhile, they will promote regional economic connectivity via multilateral economic agreements to which both of them are members, such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTTP) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

Reiterating their consistent stance on the East Sea issue, they affirmed the principle of peacefully settling disputes in line with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Host and guest stressed the need to strengthen trust as well as the importance of non-militarisation and self-restraint from activities that could complicate tensions in the East Sea.

They reaffirmed support for the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and the acceleration of negotiations to reach an effective and practical Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) as a roadmap.

Following the talks, they issued a joint declaration on the establishment of the Vietnam-Brunei comprehensive partnership and witnessed the signing of a government-level MoU on the use of a hotline to deal with illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing./.
[March 27, 2019] Trilogy International Partners Inc. Announces Appointment of New Bolivia CEO BELLEVUE, Wash., March 27, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Trilogy International Partners Inc. (the Company) (TSX: TRL), an international wireless and fixed broadband telecommunications operator, today announced that its Bolivian subsidiary, NuevaTel, has appointed Tomas Perez as the companys new Chief Executive Officer effective April 1st. Juan Pablo Calvo, NuevaTels current Chief Executive Officer, will stay with the company as the President of the NuevaTel Board of Directors and as a special advisor to Mr. Perez on government and partner relations.

Says Mr. Calvo, After almost 20 years of building NuevaTel from a startup to a viable competitor in the Bolivian market, it feels like an appropriate time to hand off day to day operations to Tomas. I have known Tomas for many years and am confident that with the support of our management team, he can lead NuevaTel successfully into the future. Mr. Perez joined NuevaTel in January 2019 as its Chief Operating Officer. He has nearly 30 years of executive experience at Latin American wireless telecommunication companies that include Verizon Dominicana, Cable and Wireless West Indies, Verizon Puerto Rico, as well as the Companys former subsidiary, Trilogy Dominicana. Tomas has an excellent track record leading wireless operations and executing strategy in competitive markets, says Brad Horwitz, President and CEO of the Company. His leadership qualities and industry expertise will be a tremendous asset to NuevaTel. NuevaTel has a well-earned reputation for driving disruptive market initiatives preferred by the Bolivian customers, says Mr. Perez. We have expanded our LTE coverage significantly, and we intend to grow our business by leveraging our position as the Millennial and Gen X provider of choice. I am honored to have the privilege to lead anothr of Trilogys companies, and I look forward to continuing the work advanced by Juan Pablo and NuevaTels very dedicated and seasoned team." About Trilogy International Partners Inc. Trilogy International Partners Inc. (TSX: TRL) is the parent company of Trilogy International Partners LLC, a wireless and fixed broadband telecommunications operator formed by wireless industry veterans John Stanton, Theresa Gillespie and Brad Horwitz. Its founders have an exceptional track record of successfully buying, building, launching and operating communication businesses in 15 international markets and the United States. The Company currently provides wireless and fixed communications services through its operating subsidiaries in New Zealand and Bolivia. Its head office is located at 155 108th Avenue NE, Suite 400, Bellevue, Washington, 98004 USA. For more information, visit www.trilogy-international.com . Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward Looking Information Certain information contained in this news release may be forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws in Canada and forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 of the United States of America. Forward-looking information and forward-looking statements are often, but not always identified by the use of words such as "expect", "anticipate", "believe", "foresee", "could", "estimate", "goal", "intend", "plan", "seek", "will", "may" and "should" and similar expressions or words suggesting future outcomes. Numerous risks and uncertainties could cause the actual events and results to differ materially from the estimates, beliefs and assumptions expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Please see Risks Factors in our Annual Information Form available under the Companys profile at www.sedar.com, which is also included with the Companys Annual Report on Form 40-F under the Companys profile at www.sec.gov, for information on the risks and uncertainties associated with our business. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information and statements, which speak only as of the date made. The forward-looking information and statements contained in this release represent our expectations as of the date of this release. We disclaim any intention or obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking information or statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable securities laws. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Trilogy International Partners Inc.

Ann Saxton

Vice President, Investor Relations & Corporate Development

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Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (right) and Sultan of Brunei Haji Hassanal Bolkiah (Photo: VNA)



At a meeting with visiting Sultan of Brunei Haji Hassanal Bolkiah in Hanoi on March 27th, PM Phuc suggested the two countries increase all-level delegation exchanges, as well as meetings and consultations at multilateral forums in order to ensure the freshly-established bilateral comprehensive partnership develops effectively and pragmatically, and matches potential and position of each side.

Furthermore, they should optimise bilateral cooperation mechanisms to tighten political ties, promptly remove difficulties, and promote collaboration, he said.

The leader expressed his delight at the active development of the Vietnam-Brunei relations across fields, and noted that the Asia-Pacific and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) regions in particular are witnessing intensive changes in all spheres, requiring each country to make suitable adjustments in development models, economic management and response to new cooperation initiatives.

He urged the two countries to join hands in organising the second meeting of the Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation slated for 2019 in Brunei, and consider establishing more political consultation mechanisms and joint trade committees.

The leader also suggested promoting cooperation in national defence and security  a highlight of the bilateral ties, given the rapid and unexpected developments in regional security.

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc also called on the two sides to soundly implement cooperation agreements in defence and security, step up joint training in search and rescue operations, increase visits of naval ships, and closely coordinate at international defence and security forums.

It is necessary to beef up bilateral affiliation in preventing and fighting non-traditional security risks such as terrorists, cross-border crimes, drug smuggling, human trafficking, and high-tech crimes, he said.

The two sides need to pay attention to and deepen economic ties with new, balanced and mutually beneficial approaches, while supporting each other to utilise opportunities generated by the regional economic integration and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, aiming to soon reach the target of raising the bilateral trade to USD500 million, he said.

The PM also proposed that the two countries intensify trade promotion activities, such as exhibitions, fairs, and business forums, as well as support for their enterprises to network and exchange information.

The two countries should increase two-way investment and create an open legal foundation and an optimal business environment for their enterprises to seek investment opportunities, especially in new economic areas that match the demands of the economic restructuring and modernisation targets of each side, such as infrastructure development.

Due to their strategic geographical location, Vietnam and Brunei should pay more attention to sea cooperation, and take it as a pillar in their comprehensive partnership.

He hailed the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Brunei Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism for establishing a hotline for fishery support, and requested that the two ministries promote the efficiency of the hotline and enhance information exchange not only in fishing activities, but also in search and rescue work.

Praising the two countries shared vision on regional and global issues of mutual concern, PM Phuc affirmed that Vietnam always prioritises and seeks to join hands with Brunei to accelerate the implementation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, particularly as Vietnam and Brunei are due to take on the rotary ASEAN Chairmanship in 2020 and 2021.

Both nations should coordinate to promote the ASEANs role in the regions strategic issues, he stressed.

Regarding the East Sea issue, PM Phuc said that it is important to ensure peace, stability, security, safety, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the waters while respecting international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS), fully and strictly implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) as well as soon finalising the code of conduct in the East Sea (COC).

Sultan of Brunei Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, for his part, informed PM Phuc that he had a deep discussion with Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong on various issues of mutual concern and witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding on the prevention of illegal fishing.

He expressed his joy as both nations lifted the bilateral relations to a comprehensive partnership.

As Brunei is making efforts to diversify its economy through the development of various industries and its small- and medium-sized enterprise community, the country wants to boost both bilateral and multilateral cooperation with Vietnam, he stressed.

Vietnam and Brunei have been engaged in many free trade deals, he said, stressing that businesses from the two countries should support each other to expand their markets.

He added that economic connection will facilitate people-to-people exchanges, while helping companies and investors meet and set up partnerships.

Both countries have enjoyed sound cooperation in the field of energy, and Brunei always welcomes Vietnamese firms to join the construction and maintenance of energy projects in the country. The Brunei Sultan spoke highly of Vietnams technical support for Brunei to branch out agriculture and said that they boast huge potential for further cooperation in this sector.

Touching on the issue of national defence, he said that both nations should continue working together to handle and respond to traditional and non-traditional challenges.

He took the occasion to congratulate Vietnam for taking on the role as ASEAN Chair in 2020, affirming that Brunei will promote cooperation and solidarity with Vietnam to build a strong and resilient ASEAN Community based on the principle of agreement and non-interference in each others internal affairs.

Brunei hailed advancements in the negotiations of the COC. Relevant parties will continue practical cooperation in the framework of the DOC, helping consolidate trust to maintain peace in the East Sea.

The Sultan congratulated Vietnams passage of the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), adding that his country will soon ratify the pact and coordinate with Vietnam to finalise negotiations for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) this year.

Praising Vietnam for successfully hosting the second DRPK-USA summit, he said that this shows the increasing trust of the international community in Vietnam, as well as the countrys improved position and role in regional and global peace./.
HARRISBURG  In an effort to help get a Gwynedd Mercy University renovation project off the ground, state Reps. Liz Hanbidge and Mary Jo Daley announced a $2 million state grant that will be used to launch phase 1 of the Triplex Project, the renovation of Loyola Hall. The funding is being awarded to the Montgomery County Redevelopment Authority through...
Pennsylvania Horticulture Societys Harvest program ends season with almost 19,000 pounds of produce donated and $30K raised to fight food insecurity
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Photo taken on Sept. 8, 2018 shows a lake and snow mountain in Zhongba County in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. Tibet has seen significant progress in restoring biodiversity, with a forest coverage rate of 12.14 percent, said a white paper released Wednesday by China's State Council Information Office. (Xinhua/Purbu Zhaxi)

BEIJING, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Tibet has seen significant progress in restoring biodiversity, with a forest coverage rate of 12.14 percent, said a white paper released Wednesday by China's State Council Information Office.

The population of Tibetan antelopes has grown from 60,000 in the 1990s to more than 200,000 and Tibetan wild donkeys have increased in numbers from 50,000 to 80,000, noted the document, titled "Democratic Reform in Tibet -- Sixty Years On."

Since the Qomolangma Nature Reserve was established in 1988, Tibet has set up 47 nature reserves of all kinds, including 11 at state level, with the total area of nature reserves accounting for more than 34.35 percent of the total area of the autonomous region, the white paper said.

Tibet has 22 eco-protection areas, including one at state level, 36 counties in receipt of transfer payments from central finance for their key ecological roles, four national scenic areas, nine national forest parks, 22 national wetland parks, and three national geoparks, figures showed.

The central government has continued to increase eco-compensation for Tibet in return for its cost for protecting the eco-environment and the consequent losses in development opportunities.

The white paper said that since 2001, the central government has paid 31.6 billion yuan (4.71 billion U.S. dollars) in eco-compensation to the autonomous region for protecting forests, grassland, wetland, and key ecological reserves.

Currently the autonomous region has 16.02 million ha of forests (including woodland, shrubland and other types of forestland), with a forest coverage rate of 12.14 percent and a growing forest stock of 2.28 billion cubic meters, according to the document.

The comprehensive vegetation coverage of natural grassland has reached 45.9 percent, the area of natural grassland is 88.93 million ha, and the area of wetland is 6.53 million ha.

The number of black-necked cranes has grown from 3,000 to 8,000, and wild yaks from 7,000 to 10,000 in Tibet, the white paper said.

Currently all the major rivers and lakes in Tibet remain in their natural state, 95.7 percent of key waters have reached the national water standards, 97.5 percent of days are rated as "excellent" or "good" in terms of air quality, and ratings of air quality in the Qomolangma region are being maintained at either "excellent" or "good," with Grade I air quality, it added.

6

1

[ Editor: Zhang Zhou ]
HUD Sues Facebook Over Housing Discrimination

Facebook, which has been accused recently of everything short of disappearing Jimmy Hoffa, is in more hot water. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced today that it is charging Facebook with violating the Fair Housing Act. HUD said the huge social media platform had encouraged and enabled and thus has caused housing discrimination.

The Charge, filed though HUD's office of Administrative Law Judges states that, " Because of the way [Facebook] designed its advertising platform, ads for housing and housing-related services are shown to large audiences that are severely biased based on characteristics protected by the Act, such as audiences of tens of thousands of users that are nearly all men or nearly all women. "

HUD says Facebook charges advertisers for the ability to micro-target ad to users based on the millions of bits of personal data it has collected. Facebook promotes and distinguishes its advertising platform by proclaiming that "most online advertising tools have limited targeting options . . . like location, age, gender, interests and potentially a few others.. . But Facebook is different. People on Facebook share their true identities, interests, life events and more."

The charge says the company, which also owns Instagram and Messenger, holds out its advertising platform as a powerful resource for advertisers in many industries, including housing and housing-related services and promotes its platform with "success stories," "including stories from a housing developer, a real estate agency, a mortgage lender, a real-estate-focused marketing agency, and a search tool for rental housing."

Facebook provides its advertiser with tools for selecting an ad's eligible audience, i.e. users who have the attributes the advertiser desires and then Facebook chooses which users will actually be shown the ad. During the next phase advertisers can define which users or types of users can see the ad. Tools include a toggle button to exclude men or women from seeing an ad, a search box to exclude people who don't speak a specific language, live in a certain area, or include or exclude users with specific attributes such as "women in the workforce," "moms of grade school kids," "foreigners," "Puerto Rico Islanders," or people interested in "parenting," "accessibility," "service animal," "Hijab Fashion," or "Hispanic Culture." Facebook also has offered advertisers the ability to limit the audience of an ad by selecting to include only those classified as, for example, "Christian" or "Childfree."

Further, HUD says Facebook allegedly uses machine learning and other prediction techniques to classify and group users to project each user's likely response to a given ad, and in doing so, may recreate groupings defined by their protected class.

The charge follows an investigation by HUD of a complaint initiated by the HUD Secretary last August. At that time the Department of Justice, joined by HUD, also filed a statement of interest in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) on behalf of a number of private litigants challenging Facebook's advertising platform.

HUD General Counsel Paul Compton said, "Even as we confront new technologies, the fair housing laws enacted over half a century ago remain clear-discrimination in housing-related advertising is against the law. Just because a process to deliver advertising is opaque and complex doesn't mean that it's exempts Facebook and others from our scrutiny and the law of the land. Fashioning appropriate remedies and the rules of the road for today's technology as it impacts housing are a priority for HUD."

HUD seeks to address unresolved fair housing issues regarding Facebook's advertising practices and to obtain appropriate relief for the harm Facebook caused and continues to cause. The Charge will be heard by a United States Administrative Law Judge unless any party to the Charge elects to have the case heard in federal district court

Persons who believe they have experienced discrimination may file a complaint by contacting HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at (800) 669-9777 (voice) or (800) 927-9275 (TTY).
PLAINVILLE  Arrests reported by the Plainville Police:

Feb. 28

Crystal M. Steinfeld, 25, 12 Colonial Drive, Prospect, operating under the influence of drugs or alcohol, 8:41 p.m.

Ashlee A. Beisel, 23, 15 Hamlin St., fifth-degree larceny, 6:52 a.m.

March 3

William D. Peluso, 54, 9 Russell Ave., disorderly conduct, 8:40 a.m.

March 5

Angel Vargas, 33, 51 High St., Waterbury, sixth-degree larceny, 7:26 p.m.

Stacie A. St. Pierre, 49, 109 Woodford Ave. Ext., second-degree failure to appear, 6:29 p.m.

Sidney A. Perri, 47, 99 Robbins Ave., Newington, sixth-degree larceny, 3:15 p.m.

March 6

Neysa V. Campos, 25, 210 Country Club Road, New Britain, two counts violation of a protective order, no time given.

Jesus C. Perez, 39 49 Bonner St., Hartford, second-degree larceny, 1:49 p.m.

March 7

Jamie J. Tirado, 39, 168 Camp St., disorderly conduct, 7:10 p.m.

Cheryl A. Stamant, 39, 105 N. Washington St., disorderly conduct, 3:05 p.m.

Sonette White, 42, 43 Julie Road, disorderly conduct, 7:45 a.m.

March 8

Linnea K. Savoy, 48, 46 Klein Drive, Prospect, operating under the influence of drugs or alcohol, 10:33 p.m.

Christine M. DAngelo, 44, 108 W. District Road, Unionville, operating under the influence of drugs or alcohol, 10:45 p.m.

Thomas D. Roche, 43, 582 Camp St., electronic stalking, disorderly conduct, 5:45 p.m.

March 9

Cory N. Kastner, 45, 20 Valley Brook Road, Rocky Hill, second-degree failure to appear, 7:40 a.m.

March 10

Jacob A. Ramos, 24, 33 Spring St., interfering/resisting, operating under the influence of drugs or alcohol, 1:50 a.m.

March 11

Sandra J. Stoutenberg, 74, 161 Red Stone Hill, operating under the influence of drugs or alcohol, 8:35 p.m.

March 12

Alexis Montanez, 34, 133 Warren St., Meriden, interfering/resisting, conspiracy criminal impersonation, second-degree forgery, 4 p.m.

March 13

Dennis B. Japonis, 48, 5 Loomis Ave., second-degree unlawful restraint, disorderly conduct, 10:20 p.m.

Laverne M. Rochardson, 50, 63 Orange St., Hartford, six counts second-degree failure to appear, no time given.

March 14

Margaret S. Upson, 47, 50 Maple St., sixth-degree larceny, 6:40 p.m.

Antwain M. Berry, 26, 431 S. Main St., Terryville, criminal attempt sale of narcotic, first-degree reckless endangerment, reckless driving, operating under suspension, evading police, no time given.

March 15

Julie A. Diorio, 528 New Britain Ave., Berlin, sixth-degree larceny, no time given.

March 16

Vicki A. Stanley, 540 Maple Ave., Bristol, six-degree larceny, 4:50 p.m.

March 17

Eric J. Therrien, 56 Glennwood Drive, operating under the influence of drugs or alcohol, 11:16 p.m.

Kasim Mehmedocic, 59, 45 Park St., third-degree assault, disorderly conduct, 8:02 p.m.

Ryan Guerra, 32, 1247 East St., New Britain, sixth-degree, 8:30 a.m.

Dario M. Ramierez, 52, 42 Union St., Bristol, risk of injury, sixth-degree larceny, 2 p.m.

March 18

Angel Zambrano, 27, 5 Basswood St., operating under the influence of drugs or alcohol, operating under suspension, 11 p.m.

March 20

Ryan W. Chambers, 32, 60 Cleveland St., second-degree assault, second-degree assault on a pregnant person, second-degree reckless endangerment, disorderly conduct, 10:05 p.m.

Portia M. LaPointe, 55, 154 Park St., Manchester, sixth-degree larceny, failure to have insurance, misuse of plates, operating unregistered motor vehicle, 4:16 p.m.

March 21

Keri A. Plamtamuro, 32, 42 Linden St., violation of a protective order, no time given.

Joseph P. Waluk, 24, 141 Booth St., New Britain, weapons in a motor vehicle, 1 p.m.

March 22

David P. Novack, 64, 71 Russell Ave., operating under the influence of drugs or alcohol, three counts of evading, 3:22 p.m.

March 23

Stacie A. St. Pierre, 50, 40 Washington St., Bristol, possession of controlled substance, possession of crack cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia, 9:40 p.m.

John E. Dow, 58, 49 Washington St., Bristol, possession of fentanyl, 9:40 p.m.

James J. Ouellette, 47, 375 Farming Ave., New Britain, carrying a dangerous weapon, sixth-degree larceny, 12:21 p.m.

March 24

Lynette A. Dellaera, 48, 46 John St., sixth-degree larceny, 6:20 p.m.

Brian K. Millioit, 41, 1106 S. Main St., operating under suspension, failure to have insurance, 2:17 p.m.

Christopher Haralambous, 31, 77 Weir St., Glastonbury, disorderly conduct, third-degree criminal mischief, 9:14 a.m.
International

Musharraf summoned in high treason case on May 2

Pervez Musharraf (File)

Islamabad, March 28 (IANS) | Publish Date: 3/28/2019 12:20:04 PM IST

A special court on Thursday summoned former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf on May 2 in a case pertaining to charges of high treason against him.

Musharrafs lawyer, Salman Safdar, said that the former President wishes to appear before the court on May 13. However, the three-member bench headed by Justice Tahira Safdar directed Musharraf to appear in court before Ramzan, the Dawn reported.

If he can come to court on May 13, Musharraf can also appear before the court on May 2. If he doesnt, the court will pass an appropriate order regarding recording his statement, Justice Safdar said.

The special court had indicted Musharraf for high treason in March 2014.

Musharraf left for Dubai in 2016 to seek medical treatment and has not returned since. Earlier in March, he was admitted to a hospital in Dubai after suffering a reaction from a rare disease for which he is already under treatment.

His lawyer was also handed a questionnaire that the former President is expected to answer under Section 342 of the Code of Criminal Procedures (CrPC).

Earlier in the hearing, Salman Safdar had submitted an application in court asking for the case to be quashed on the basis of CrPCs Section 265 (language of record and judgment).

He argued that Musharrafs case should be treated like any other case. You cannot record a statement under Section 342 in Musharrafs absence. If the suspect is to be punished, his presence in court is necessary.

To this, Justice Safdar said: First, tell us whether your arguments regarding Musharrafs appearance in court have been completed.

She also asked the prosecution lawyer what options the court had if a suspect does not appear in court in such a case.

Again touching upon Musharrafs health issues, the lawyer said the former President is suffering from heart issues and is also undergoing chemo therapy, which requires him to remain at the hospital for eight hours every day.

He also said that Musharraf had recently taken a fall and hurt his back.
LONDON, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Theresa May on Wednesday agreed to step down as British Prime Minister after Brexit deal is delivered.

She made the statement when addressing the 1922 Committee, the Conservatives' parliamentary group in the House of Commons.

"I know there is a desire for a new approach -- and new leadership -- in the second phase of the Brexit negotiations -- and I won't stand in the way of that," she said.

"But we need to get the deal through and deliver Brexit," she added.

"I am prepared to leave this job earlier than I intended in order to do what is right for our country and our party," May told her fellow MPs.

She urged the committee to back the deal to "complete the historic duty", according to a statement from the prime minister's office.

The latest development came before MPs are set to vote on changing the Brexit date in UK law from March 29 and also vote on eight possible Brexit options in the indicative votes.

[ Editor: Zhang Zhou ]
Anuradha Shukla By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The Department of Telecoms (DoT) proposal to allocate 4G Spectrum worth Rs 13,885 crore to Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) has not gone down well with the Union Ministry of Finance, which is not in favour of allocating 4G Spectrum to the state-run telco in lieu of preferential equities to the government.

BSNL, which operates telecom services all across India except in Delhi and Mumbai, has requested 5 MHz of 4G Spectrum on the 2,100 MHz band. It has already sent an approved proposal to DoT in this regard.

The estimated cost of the spectrum is Rs 13,885 crore and BSNL proposes 50 per cent payment to be done upfront and the remaining in 10 equal instalments.

However, the finance ministry is not in favour of BSNLs payment plan, said sources in the ministry. BSNL wants upfront payment to be met through the equity route, where government will be given preferential equities in lieu of the spectrum, valued at Rs 6,942.5 crore. The ministry is not in favour of it, given the current financial condition of BSNL, a senior finance ministry official told this publication.

Another reason for the finance ministrys disapproval is that the government is working on a financial package for the rescue of crisis-ridden BSNL. In that context, the preferential equity option would increase the financial burden on the total bailout.

However, finance ministry is not alone in its disagreement with the BSNL proposal. Even NITI Aayog has questioned the relevance of allocating 4G Spectrum in lieu of equities to government.

The finance ministry official said that Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) will start consultation on BSNLs proposal and will give its final report by the end of May or the first week of June.

TRAI on Tuesday had said that it has received the governments reference on 4G Spectrum allocation to BSNL and will soon start the consultation process.

TRAI will soon hold consultations on 4G Spectrum allocation to BSNL, we have received the reference some days back, TRAI chairman RS Sharma told media on the sidelines of an event.
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: The real estate market in India will continue to witness strong growth backed by various policy reforms like Goods and Services Tax (GST), Real Estate Regulation and Development Act (RERA) and demonetisation, says a study by real estate services firm CBRE. According to the report titled Real Estate Market Outlook 2019-India, the segment will see an addition of almost 200 million square feet real estate space in 2019 across various categories.

The current governments pro-reform policies have yielded positive news for the equity market and investment inflows, thereby positioning India as an attractive business destination. The growth of the Indian real estate market in 2019 will be driven by numerous factors including technology, demand-supply dynamics, improved ease of doing business rankings and the dust settling post the implementation of reforms such as GST, RERA among others, said Anshuman Magazine, chairman and CEO (India, South East Asia, Middle East & Africa), CBRE.

As per the CBRE office market outlook for 2019, the sectors leasing activity will be driven by evolved sources of demand, rising interest of global occupiers, workplace changes due to digitisation of jobs, evolving need for flexibility, increased demand for domestic needs, rise in net absorption and Core Flex workplace strategies.

The combination of these sources of demand, coupled with the supply influx of quality space, is likely to result in the share of net absorption to rise from the current 60-65 per cent to about 70-75 per cent during 2019-20. The share of tech in overall space take-up in the country will remain in the range of 30-35 per cent by the end of 2019, the report said.

CBRE expects nearly 40 million square feet of new office space to be released over the next 12 months. Almost 30 per cent of this pipeline is expected to be in the SEZ space.

The residential market is absorbing the impact of 2017 policy reforms such as demonetisation, RERA and GST, and is on the path to recovery. This led to a growth of about 15 per cent YoY in new supply and 13 per cent in sales, it said.

Supply-demand scenario likely to improve

In 2019, the supply-demand scenario is expected to improve, unsold inventory levels to further decline, said the CBREs report. The affordable housing will drive supply and demand, backed by several government reforms, it said. The report said 2018 was a landmark year with office space absorption crossing an all-time high of 47 million square feet across the nine leading cities.
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) will mark its summer schedule with four new domestic routes, a new airline and two additional cargo flights to international destinations. The summer schedule, which will begin on March 31, will continue till October 26.According to an official release, Singapore Airlines will operate airbus Airbus A350-900 between Bengaluru and Singapore, with ten flights each week from

May 17 onwards.

Flynas, a Saudi Arabia-based budget carrier, will be the new airline to begin operations from KIA. It will operate three weekly flights between Bengaluru and Jeddah.IndiGo will launch new routes from Bengaluru to Agra and Nasik, Spice Jet will operate to Gwalior, while Star Air will fly to Jamnagar.

Also, Spice Jet has proposed to operate additional cargo flights from Bengaluru to Singapore and Abu Dhabi from May 1.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: The jail walls are very high and there is only a single lamp giving him light. As a result, he could not even write or read. Without reading and writing a man cant survive. These are the emotional words the friends of revolutionary poet Varavara Rao said as they held a press conference here on Tuesday demanding bail on merit for the 79-year-old intellectual.

They made the demand after 121 days have passed since the poet was arrested along with 9 other activists in the Bhima Koregaon violence. Rao was booked under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, sedition and several other Sections that confined him to the jail since November 26 last year.

His family is now appealing to the Chief Justice of India to grant bail to him on the grounds of his advancing age and deteriorating health. He has been apprehended and sent to jail since I was 7 years old and to this date he has never shied away from it and stands for what he believes. However, this time the cases were all fabricated and his health has deteriorated tremendously, Sahaja, Varavara Raos elder daughter, said.

The family has now written an open letter to the CJI, which was endorsed by over 600 academicians, intellectuals, activists and professors appealing for Varavaras bail. He has never involved himself in anything criminal, but has been implicated in over 25 cases in 45 years of which 12 were withdrawn by the government. Of the other 13, he has been acquitted in two. He has spent 7 years in jail as under trial. However, he was much younger then and keeping in good health, Hemalatha, the poets wife said. She requested the Chief Justice to look into the malafide intentions and the manner in which the case is made out and also order his immediate release pending the judicial trial.Rao has been suffering from piles, BP, diabetes and other age-related health conditions making the jail term difficult.

Govt demonising dissenters

Several intellectuals noted that the ruling government has been demonising people who question their acts. It is not just about Varavara. This approach of the government towards dissent that is affecting us all, noted Professor Haragopal. Stating that in the Indian judiciary, jail was exception and bail, the rule, they added that the treatment meted out to the literary critic was inhuman. At least 100 democrats from State undersigned the open letter.
By Express News Service

Just as Dharma Keerthirajs film, Chanaksha hit the theatres last week, the actor has begun shooting for his next film titled Khadak. The film had Darshan gracing the muhurath event held on Wednesday, and the team started shooting right after a pooja.

The film, directed by Raja Rathna, has brought on board Anusha Rai in the female lead. She has previously worked in Karshanam, and is paired opposite Keerthiraj. The makers have also brought on board Udhgarsha villain Kabir Duhan Singh in the role of an antagonist.

The latter will be joining the sets from today. The film has Valli and Siddhramaiah partnering as producers for the entertainer, the shooting for which is mostly taking place in and around Bengaluru. Khadak has music by Krupakar and cinematography by Shankar.
Sajin Shrijith By

Express News Service

Not only does Prithviraj and writer Murali Gopy bring back the vintage Mohanlal in Lucifer but also the class and sophistication that has been largely missing in commercial entertainers since the 80s. It is not only Prithviraj's most impressive work till date but also Murali's. This is the first time that the latter has produced a work which finds a perfect balance between style and substance. The film manages to juggle multiple characters with ease, and there is a natural progression from one point to another. It's that rare 3-hour film that doesn't give you the constant urge to check your watch or phone.

Lucifer is a celebration of Mohanlal the actor by someone who knows the ABCD of filmmaking -- it has been made with the skill of a veteran -- and someone who has a very clear idea of what works and what doesn't in a masala entertainer. In fact, a sly dig is made to this at one point, in an interaction between Sai Kumar and Vivek Oberoi. "You watch a lot of masala films, do you?" asks Vivek, when Sai is trying to build up Mohanlal's antihero, Stephen Nedumpally. This is a film that lets the main character's actions speak for himself.

Lucifer brought back sweet memories of the 90s, that time when we used to get a well-made mass entertainer every year -- and all of them became hits. You expect Prithviraj to do what his predecessors did before him, but he doesn't. He doesn't give Stephen a grand introduction scene, which is exactly the right approach. Remember Sagar-alias-Jacky's introduction in Irupatham Noottaandu? It didn't have the actor arriving in slow motion; it was all about his character's gravitas. Lucifer, too, has plenty of such restrained moments. Speaking of, there is an Irupatham Noottaandu reference in the film that had me cheering silently.

But at the same time, Prithviraj doesn't go completely old school either. His style is a combination of different filmmaking schools, both old and new. One slow-motion fight scene is accompanied by a rousing Tamil track praising the hero. But nowhere does he go overboard. Stephen is the Malayali equivalent of Vito Corleone from The Godfather. This is not a man who is interested in loud and flashy outbursts. He conveys a lot with very little, just like Prithviraj's filmmaking style.

And there is why Stephen is a quiet and subdued character. Lucifer is not just about Stephen but about a lot of other things as well. Through his sufficiently potent script, Murali makes some topical statements about current affairs. The film gives you the feeling of reading one of those exciting, half-fictitious Frederick Forsyth novels which are packed with international intrigue. It shows a disdain for TRP-hungry media organisations which are funded by unseen forces. It reminds you that you live in a world where your life is not under your control -- that no matter how idealistic you are, in the end, you'll have to make certain compromises for survival. Nyla Usha plays the Chief Editor of a TV channel who becomes increasingly frustrated with corporate interference in editorial decisions. Giju John, who played the tough cop in last year's Ranam, is quite effective as her helpless boss.

As all good action thrillers of the past have already proved, the hero is only as good as its villain, and Prithviraj couldn't have found a better villain than Vivek Oberoi's wily Bimal Nair a.k.a Bobby. It is Vivek's finest performance since his debut in Ram Gopal Varma's Company, which also had the actor sharing screen space with Mohanlal. The personification of a cunning fox, Bobby is a man who is unapologetic about his perversions and has no qualms about revealing his true intentions because he always has an ace up his sleeve. He believes that one doesn't have to be in possession of a political seat to be powerful, because real power, to him, comes from manipulating those in power. Stephen is a manipulator too, but of the good kind. "Politics is not the battle between good and evil," says Stephen. "It's the battle between evil and evil." Stephen, as he makes it clear, is the lesser of two evils.

But this is not just an out-and-out Mohanlal show. It's also Manju Warrier's (as a woman struggling desperately to correct the wrong choices she made in the past), Tovino Thomas' (as an unexpectedly clever and witty character who gets enough clap-worthy moments despite his short screentime), Indrajith Sukumaran's (as a restless, funny, and fast-talking whistleblower), and last but not the least, Prithviraj himself, whose secretive character has been designed to deliver the maximum impact, especially in the climax.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the work of cinematographer Sujith Vaassudev, who had earlier shot several films starring Prithviraj. The anamorphic widescreen format employed couldn't be more apt for an epic of this magnitude. Given the number of characters and extras present in the film, Lucifer has a scale reminiscent of the old-school Hollywood epics. Every shot is rich, elegant, and indelible. The fight scenes are characterised by neat choreography and fluid editing. You know who is hitting whom and where.

Prithviraj is a man with lofty ambitions, and it's a delight to see him realise every single one of them. Like his maiden production venture 9, which delivered spectacle and thought-provoking ideas in equal measure, his directorial debut comes loaded with enough goods to satisfy not just his fans but also Mohanlal's. The experience is the equivalent of going to a buffet where every single dish leaves you wanting more.

Film: Lucifer

Director: Prithviraj Sukumaran

Cast: Mohanlal, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Vivek Oberoi, Manju Warrier, Tovino Thomas, Indrajith Sukumaran, Saniya Iyappan, Saikumar, Kalabhavan Shajohn, and Nyla Usha

Rating: 4.5/ 5 stars

(This story originally appeared on cinemaexpress.com)
Navein Darshan By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: The Tamil Film Producers Council has asked actor Bobby Simha to withdraw the case he filed against John Paulraj aka JPR, the director of Agni Devi.

Upon failure to do so, the council has decided to take disciplinary action by imposing a ban on him. The decision was taken at a meeting involving both parties and the producer council executives yesterday.

The film, which released last week, received a lukewarm response owing to the controversies surrounding it and John approached the council.

SS Durai, the general secretary of TFPC said: Bobby has been asked to withdraw the complaints. He has agreed to do it and has been given two days to do so. If he fails to do it, we will be forced to take punitive action on him.

In his complaint, Bobby had alleged that the director completed the movie using a body double without his consent. John Paulraj, the producer and director of the film, said that following differences, Bobby walked out, leaving him to complete the film with available footage.
She noted that the Friendship Parliamentarians' Group at the French National Assembly strongly supports the signing and approval of this agreement.

"We strongly support the signing and approval of this agreement. The agreement plays a significant role in boosting economic and trade exchange, offering benefits for both Vietnam and EU. This is a new-generation agreement and a gateway for the EU to enter Vietnam and also for Vietnam to go into the EU," she emphasised.

Regarding the cooperation between Vietnam and France, Stephanie Do highly appreciated the determination of leaders of both countries in strengthening cooperation in various fields through the signing of cooperation agreements within the framework of recent high-level visits.

The two countries also held celebrations to mark the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations and the fifth anniversary of the strategic partnership. The French Government expressed their wish to develop bilateral relations with Vietnam via high-level visits by Prime Minister Edouard Philippe last year and President Emmanuel Macron in the near future.

Stephanie Do said it was a great honour for her to receive General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong in Paris in March 2018 and to accompany French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe during his visit to Vietnam in November 2018. She added that the relationship between France and Vietnam has never been intensified as greatly as today, including strategic cooperation in all areas, such as economy, health and education.

The French NA deputy said that the France-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians' Group wishes to promote the bilateral relations in all areas to enhance the position of France in Vietnam.

Stephanie Do is one of the first Vietnamese French people to join politics in France. She asserted that the more we integrate in the host country, more initiatives we will bring to our country.

"I have worked closely with the Vietnamese Embassy in France to promote Vietnamese culture, helping the French discover our rich and interesting culture. I have also worked with representatives of many associations to bring about mutual trust in the partnership. Standing side by side, we can boost beautiful images of Vietnamese culture as well as of the Vietnamese community who have integrated very well into French society," Stephanie Do said.
Gopinath Rajendran By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: During the last couple of years, Kalaiyarasan, apart from having his share of lead roles, has done a supporting role alongside Suriya in Thaanaa Serndha Koottam, and also got his first OTP release with Kalavu.

The journey has taught me a lot. Ive seen both success and failure, and learned what kind of films I should choose, says Kalaiyarasan, who plays a supporting role in Nayantharas Airaa.

The story is intriguing and about two women from contrasting walks of lives. How theyre connected to each other, and how Amudhan (the character played by Kalaiyarasan) plays an important role in one of their lives is what the films about. I liked the story the moment I heard it. I know Sarjun (director) from his short film days as well, says Kalaiyarasan, who plays an army veteran in the film.

Elaborating on his character, he adds, Amudhan is a man who has seen his share of bloodshed and denounced that life. He is in the process of heading to Canada to become a part of a Tamil Sangam when he ends up meeting Bavani (one of the characters played by Nayanthara). Interestingly, this is the first time the actor is playing a role that is older than him.

ALSO READ: Nayanthara wasnt supposed to play Bhavani at first, says KM Sarjun on 'Airaa'

Amudhan is in his late 30s; so I wont really call it a dramatic age difference (smiles). But we worked on the appearance and costume  for instance, he walks slowly as hes a patient man. The inevitable topic of working with Nayanthara crops up. It was lovely. I was initially hesitant to converse with her, given her stature, but she is casual and cool. She lives her character on the sets, so that helps us forget that shes actually Nayanthara.

As an actor, I want to know what I can contribute to the film. I make sure it doesnt have too much heroism. It should be a sensible role with some novelty. He quite enjoys playing supporting roles. When starring in a lead role, one has to worry about dates, shooting and promotions, but when its a supporting role, everything else is taken care of and its a stress-free environment that allows you to focus only on the performance.

Speaking about his line-up of films, he says, Im doing a romcom called Titanic. Im waiting for films like China and Mugam to come out too. Im doing an abstract film called Kuthirai Vaal in which my character ends up with a horses tail. Im also doing a new-age love story titled Kachang alongside Ashok Selvan. On evidence of all his character roles, it may not be evident immediately that Kalaiyarasan is a trained dancer. Theres a kuthu track in Titanic and Ive danced in it for the first time. I cant wait to hear the feedback.

ALSO READ: Shooting Titanic Kadhalum Kavundhu Pogum was a 'rocky' experience, says Kalaiyarasan

His recent film, Kalavu, despite getting good reviews, couldnt get a theatrical release. If a film is made for the digital platform, that makes way for experimental films, more talent, and thats a good thing for the industry. But Kalavu was made for the big screen, and because of internal issues, it didnt land up there. Despite my best efforts, it didnt; and it makes me disappointed and angry. Im glad though that it came out on Zee5.

He hasnt really committed to new films, as hes got a bank of unreleased films. Most of the teams Ive worked with are those I knew before Madras, and as they respected me before my big break, I did films with them. Some new producers had issues with release and even if I help them by introducing them to senior producers for help, they feel offended and refuse it. Kalaiyarasan feels that they dont realise that its all for the good of the film.

A film needs the right shows and the right promotions to bring people to the theatres. Two continuous flops means that an actor has to start from scratch. Thats why I want to work only with those who know how the industry works. And that, of course, involves being able to say no. He had mentioned in an older interview with us that he was struggling to learn how to reject offers. Its still the same (laughs). But Im trying learn how to say no in a polished manner, says Kalaiyarasan.
By Express News Service

BHOPAL: A below poverty line (BPL) cardholder primitive tribal man hailing from Ashok Nagar district has been found to be a man of crores in Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal.

The BPL card holder Kalyan Singh alias Kalla Saharia, who hails from Saharia primitive tribe in Ashok Nagar district of states Gwalior-Chambal region earns Rs 350 per month, but owned over 50 patches of agricultural land presently worth over Rs 25 crores in three villages Kakaria, Mahabadia and Daulatpura under Huzur tehsil of Bhopal district.

Subsequent investigations into the 50-plus properties by the income tax department revealed that these properties were purchased between 2010 and 2015 for around Rs 6.5 crore, payment of which was made from the BPL card holder Kalyan Singh in cash as well as via cheques from his bank account.

Further, probe by the IT department sleuths revealed that the funds to purchase the 50-plus patches of land flowed into the BPL card holders account from a father-son duo heading a major building and real estate group in Bhopal.

Primary probe has revealed that since the entire land purchased between 2010 and 2015 was owned by tribals, hence it cannot be purchased by anyone else, except a tribal. Taking advantage of the poor economic status of Kalyan Singh, the builder and real estate group head father-son duo purchased the 50-plus patches of land from tribals in the name of Saharia tribal daily wager Kalyan Singh.

Till now the probe has established that the 50 patches of land spread in an area of around 22 acres were owned on paper by the impoverished Saharia tribal man, but the actual beneficiaries were the father-son duo builders, which made these properties prime facie come under The Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Act, official sources told The New Indian Expres.

With the probe by the IT department so far prima facie establishing that the 22 acres land owned by the Saharia tribal man was actually benami properties, whose actual beneficiary was to the father-son duo builders, the entire land which is largely being used for agricultural purpose has been provisionally attached for 90 days under the Benami law.

Show cause notices have been served by the IT Department to the tribal BPL card holder owning the land and the actual beneficiary father-son duo. Its copies are also with the revenue department officials in Huzur tehsil in Bhopal district, official sources added.

The individuals served the show cause notices under the Benami law have been asked by the IT department to show cause why these provisionally attached properties shouldnt be treated as Benami properties.

According to informed sources in the IT department, with the provisional attachment of these 50 patches of land in Bhopal district, the department has attached 250-plus alleged Benami properties worth over Rs 100 crores in financial year 2018-19, all over Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: In the backdrop of the Cold War and a perceived threat of strikes from space, both United States and the erstwhile USSR worked on the Anti-Satellite Weapons (ASAT) programme, but it was the former who tested it first in 1959.

On Wednesday, India shot down one of its satellites in space on Wednesday with an anti-satellite missile to demonstrate this complex capability, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced, making it only the fourth country to have used such a weapon, after the US, the USSR and China.

However, there was a gap of nearly 60 years between the first country--the US-- that tested the ASATs and India, which is the last one in the club to demonstrate the capability.

In September 1959, a High Virgo missile was launched by the US from B-58 aircraft targeting an Explorer satellite.

However, it was unsuccessful, according to a paper presented by Anatoly Zak at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research.

A month later, a Bold Orion missile launched from a B-47 aircraft at 11-kilometer altitude passes within four kilometers from the Explorer-6 satellite at an altitude of 251 kilometres.

Russia too was developing its ASAT.

ALSO READ | EC sets up committee to probe whether PM Narendra Modi's address to nation violated poll code

The 1,400-kilogram Russian Co-Orbital ASAT weapon was designed to approach a satellite, then detonate an explosive that would damage the target with shrapnel, states a paper by the 'Union of Concerned Scientists'.

After conducting a series of seven tests from 1963-1971, including five interceptor detonations, the Soviet Union declared the system operational in 1973, it added.

"ASATs emerged almost as soon as the first satellites were placed into orbit. Both the United States and the Soviet Union started developing nuclear-tipped interceptors as early as the 1950s in order to counter a perceived threat of strikes from space," Daniel Porras, Space Security Fellow, UNIDIR, Geneva, said in a document which comprises the suggestions for ASAT guidelines.

ALSO READ | Mission Shakti: Dedication of Hyderabad scientists helped pull off remarkable feat

China was a late entrant in this domain.

In 2007, China destroyed its FengYun 1C weather satellite with an SC-19 missile, leaving behind space debris consisting of 3,280 pieces of trackable debris, as well as up to 32,000 pieces that are non-trackable.

The following year, during Operation Burnt Frost, the US destroyed its own satellite, USA-193, with an SM-3 interceptor creating 174 pieces of trackable debris, plus non-trackable shards.

Some experts believe that Israel too posses the ASAT capability to down a hostile satellite.
Fayaz Wani By

Express News Service

SRINAGAR: The BJP general secretary Ram Madhav on Wednesday said the saffron party was a mainstream party and no longer an outsider in Kashmir and demanded registration of FIR against National Conference (NC) candidate for chanting pro-Pakistan slogans during an election rally.

We are fighting this election in J&K as a mainstream party. BJP has become a mainstream party in Kashmir. It cannot be said we are an outsider in the Valley. We have got a good number of sarpanches, municipal councillors across Valley and councillors in Srinagar Municipal corporation, Madhav said. He said BJP has become a mainstream party in Kashmir and fighting on its own. We dont have any alliance in the Valley.

While commenting on NC Baramulla candidate Mohammad Akbar Lone chanting pro-Pakistan slogans during a rally, Madhav said, Our party urges the administration to register an FIR against him. Action should be taken against Lone for chanting pro-Pakistan slogans and provoking people.

He asked NC to clarify whether the party endorses chanting of pro-Pakistan slogans. On PDP chief Mehbooba Muftis statement that if voted to power she would revoke the ban on separatist groups Jamaat-e-Islami and JKLF, Madhav said, The ban cannot be revoked.

FOLLOW OUR ELECTION COVERAGE HERE

The ban on parties was imposed to maintain peace in the Valley. Now, there is peace in Valley and a regional party is talking of revoking the ban to give the separatists a free hand in spreading violence. The ban wont be revoked, the BJP general secretary said.

The Centre has banned JKLF and Jamaat for five years. Madhav accused regional parties (NC, PDP) of befooling people, who want peace, development and electoral rights.

Madhav said the party wants early elections to the state Assembly in J&K.

NC and PDP are happy contesting the Lok Sabha elections while BJP wants to have Assembly election in the state, he said. We have asked the election committee to hold Assembly elections in the state as early as possible, he added.

Madhav said BJPs stand on Article 370 and 35A continues to remain unchanged.

JKPM to fight Assembly polls

Former IAS officer Shah Faesal on Wednesday said his party Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Movement (JKPM) will contest the forthcoming Assembly polls in the state.

The Election Commission has not announced the schedule for the state Assembly polls. Faesals JKPM is not participating in the LS polls. Former PDP minister and three-time MLA Javed Mustafa Mir joined the party on Wednesday.

Winning kashmir will remain a dream

State Congress chief Ghulam Ahmed Mir on Wednesday said winning from Kashmir would always remain BJPs unattainable dream and claimed that over a dozen leaders of the saffron party, including its ex-ministers and ex-legislators, would join the party in the coming days.

BJP is dreaming of a win from Kashmir. However, winning in Kashmir will always remain an unattainable dream for BJP, Mir said
Rajesh Asnani By

Express News Service

JAIPUR: Congress effected a masterstroke on Wednesday, inducting a dozen independent MLAs hours before party chief Rahul Gandhi announced the first list of candidates for the Lok Sabha polls.

The development put the BJP on the back foot, especially so, when rebel leaders Ghanshyam Tiwari, Janardhan Singh Gehlot and Surendra Pareek also joined its rival. The inductees can influence voting patterns in 10 LS constituencies, Congress claimed.

The inductees were mostly erstwhile Congress rebels who had fought independently and won when the party refused them tickets to the Assembly due to a tussle between Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot and PCC chief Sachin Pilot.

They, however, come at a time when the Congress is faced with a paucity of candidates, with most promising ones elected to the Assembly and made ministers. Some of them have been nominated for LS polls. Should they win, it would open the gates for new inductees to join the government.

FOLLOW OUR ELECTION COVERAGE HERE

The induction of independents will not only help Congress but also improve its chances at the hustings, said Narayan Bareth, political observer.

But most talk is centered around BJP rebel Ghanshyam Tiwari, who won the Sanganer seat in 2013 by record votes. Congress has introduced him as an RSS face who joined mainstream politics because of the opposition he faced from Vasundhara Raje, Amit Shah and Narendra Modi.

Tiwari had formed Deendayal Vahini party due to differences with Raje and fought the Assembly polls.

Surendra Goyal had left BJP after the refusal of a ticket from Palis Jaitaran seat. Raje had inducted Janardan Singh Gehlot from Congress into BJP.
Prasanta Mazumdar By

Express News Service

GUWAHATI: BJP president Amit Shah on Thursday criticised the Congress for its alleged tacit understanding with minority-based All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) to secure the political future of former Chief Minister Tarun Gogois son Gaurav.

Tarun Gogoi was forced to fall at the feet of (Lok Sabha member and AIUDF chief) Maulana Badruddin Ajmal to secure his sons political future, Shah said at a rally in Gauravs constituency Kaliabor in Central Assam.

He was campaigning for Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) candidate Mani Madhav Mahanta. BJP, AGP and Bodoland Peoples Front have stitched a pre-poll alliance. The Kaliabor seat has been held by the family of Gogoi since 1991. Gogoi and his brother Dip were elected from here several times. Last election, Dip had made way for Gaurav and he successfully contested it.

FOLLOW OUR ELECTION COVERAGE HERE

The AIUDF has fielded candidates in only three of Assams 14 seats, prompting the BJP to allege that the Congress forged an unholy alliance with the minority-based party.

The alliance was done to protect the interest of Gogoijis son, Shah said. The AIUDF earlier said its decision to contest in three seats was to thwart the division of secular votes.

In his speech, the BJP president repeated what Prime Minister Narendra Modi had pledged on the issue of Bangladeshi immigrants ahead of 2014 elections.

Well drive away the infiltrators if you make Modiji the PM again. The Congress had nurtured the illegal immigrants in Kaziranga but the BJP evicted them. We will drive out the infiltrators from the state after May 26, he asserted.

READ | Shah slams Cong over illegal immigration in Assam, lauds PM for avenging soldiers' death

Taking potshots at the Congress, Shah said the UPA government had given Rs.50,000 crore development funds to Assam compared to the Modi governments Rs.3 lakh crore in five years.

Manmohan Singh represented Assam in the Parliament for 20 years and during ten of these, he was the PM. In five years, the BJP did much more for Assam than what he had done in 20 years, Shah said.

Batting for Modi as PM again, he said, The Congress has no PM candidate and no policies. They cannot bring prosperity to the country and Assam. Only Modiji can protect the country. Only he can give befitting reply to the terrorists and Pakistan.

Later, Shah campaigned for BJPs Jorhat candidate Tapan Kumar Gogoi who is a minister.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Electoral bonds, introduced in 2018 to usher in a culture of clean political funding in the country, maybe defeating the very purpose, according to the Election Commission of India.

In an affidavit filed before the Supreme Court in response to petitions filed by Association for Democratic Reforms and others challenging the electoral bond scheme, Vijay Kumar Pandey, director, Election Commission, said electoral bonds would make political funding opaque. Besides, there would be serious repercussions on the transparency of political funding, due to anonymous foreign contributions.

Electoral bonds and removal of cap on corporate funding will have a serious impact on transparency in the funding of political parties, the affidavit noted.

The court will hear all the petitions challenging the scheme on April 2. Donations through electoral bonds need not to be reported after changes were made to the Finance Act, Income Tax Act and the Representation of People Act.

In a situation where contributions received through electoral bonds are not reported, on perusal of contribution report of political parties, it cannot be ascertained whether the political party has taken any donation in violation of section 29 B of the Representation of People Act, 1951, which prohibits the political parties from taking donations from government companies and foreign sources, the affidavit said.

According to the petition, the data on donations available show that most donations were in bond denominations of Rs 10 lakh and Rs 1 crore.

This, according to them, indicates that the donors were unlikely to be ordinary citizens and more likely to be corporate donations.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Facebook Wednesday apologised for erroneously naming Kashmir as a separate country in a blog post that mentioned countries targeted by an Iranian network and said it has removed the reference.

The social media giant, on Tuesday, had said it has removed 513 pages, groups and accounts for engaging in "coordinated inauthentic" behaviour as part of multiple networks tied to Iran.

It had added that they operated in Egypt, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan or broadly across the Middle East and North Africa.

The blog post had mentioned Kashmir among the list as well.

"We mistakenly included 'Kashmir' in our blog post when listing the countries and regions impacted by the Iranian network we disrupted for coordinated inauthentic behaviour," Facebook said in a statement on Wednesday.

The US-based company explained that "Kashmir was the subject of some of the content shared by this network, but it should not have been included in that list. We have corrected this in the blog post and we apologise for any confusion caused".

According to the blog post, the page administrators and account owners (that have now been removed) represented themselves as locals and made-up media entities, often using fake accounts and they impersonated real political groups and media organisations.

"They posted news stories on current events and frequently re-purposed and amplified content from Iranian state media about topics including sanctions against Iran; tensions between India and Pakistan; conflicts in Syria and Yemen; terrorism; tensions between Israel and Palestine; Islamic religious issues; Indian politics; and the recent crisis in Venezuela," it had said.

Facebook pointed out that although the people behind this activity had attempted to conceal their identities, the company's review linked these accounts to Iran.
By Bloomberg

One month after an aging Indian Air Force jet was shot down in a dogfight with neighbouring Pakistan, New Delhi has demonstrated a new weapons capability aimed at another, more powerful geopolitical rival: China.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi used a national address to announce India had established itself as a space power by sending an indigenously designed ballistic-missile interceptor up 300 km (190 miles) to destroy a satellite orbiting the Earth. The move -- with political overtones just weeks ahead of a national election -- sends a stark message to Indias nuclear-armed rivals, China and Pakistan, and changes Asias strategic calculus by proving India has the ability to knock out enemy satellites.

The development suggests India, which has long struggled with a lethargic military-procurement process and outdated defence technology, is getting closer to sitting alongside China, Russia and the U.S. as countries with the ability to disrupt enemy communications networks. The move comes weeks after India sparred with arch-foe Pakistan in the skies over Kashmir, a disputed border region where China also has territorial claims.

Essentially, India is saying that we are a strong and capable military power -- its not specific to any one country, but it is a message to all of Indias adversaries, said Ajey Lele, a retired Indian Air Force group captain whos now a senior fellow at the Ministry of Defence-funded Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses. If somebody wants to do something to our satellites, we have the capability to do this to your satellites.



Indias foreign ministry said in a statement that New Delhi wasnt engaging in an arms race, but asserted that with this test, India joins an exclusive group of space-faring nations consisting of USA, Russia and China. Beijings growing space capability -- conducting a similar anti-satellite test 12 years ago -- has helped drive U.S. President Donald Trumps efforts to build a space force.

China is clearly part of the calculation, said Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan, head of the nuclear and space policy initiative at New Delhis Observer Research Foundation, adding that a similar test by China in 2007 served as a big wake-up call to India. It has a deterrence effect, and that is clearly a China-driven point that India wants to convey.

Indias relations with China, which have been strained by a series of long-simmering border disputes, have grown more tense as the two rising powers jockey for influence across the region. Beijing has forged ever-closer military and economic ties with Islamabad, spurring New Delhi to improve relations with Washington.

China enjoys a big lead over its less-developed neighbour, becoming in January the first country to land a spacecraft on the far side of the Moon. Its space program is run by the military and Chinese President Xi Jinping established a Strategic Support Force in 2015 to develop greater capabilities.

John Blaxland, head of the Strategic & Defence Studies Centre at Australian National University, said the anti-satellite test nonetheless signaled that India was stepping up to the plate in space. Indias neighbours will have to think twice before upping the ante in any future space clash, particularly once this capability matures, Blaxland said.

The launch also delivers a message closer to home, especially after Indias recent Kashmir flare-up, which included Pakistans capture and release of a Indian pilot. Militarily, the move could be seen as demonstrating Indias ability to shoot down ballistic missiles from its rivals.

Politically, it showcases Indias industrial and military strength just weeks ahead a pivotal general election that could decide Modis political fate. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has leaned heavily on the prime ministers authorization of Indian air strikes against Pakistan during recent appearances on the campaign trail.

It gives Modi an opportunity to boast of his countrys technological prowess just before the elections, said Sam Roggeveen, director of the International Security Program at Lowy Institute in Sydney.
By Express News Service

As Nagaland readies for Parliamentary elections in the states lone seat, the Congress has received a shot in the arm after another opposition party, Naga Peoples Front (NPF), opted out of the race. It was the NPFs conscious decision to defeat the consensus candidate of ruling Peoples Democratic Alliance (PDA) which is made up of BJP, Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) and Janata Dal (United).

Nagaland Congress chief K Therie tells Prasanta Mazumdar in an interview why the people of Nagaland will reject the PDA

What are the Congresss poll prospects? Why should people support it?

We are confident that we will do well this time around. The Congress is the only alternative. We stand for the freedom of religion. Secondly, we uphold our identity because of the threat posed from the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.

The Congress had stood up and taken a firm decision opposing this controversial Bill when the Narendra Modi government made an attempt to ensure its passage in Parliament. Thirdly, the BJP has no political will to solve the protracted Naga political problem. It is only the Congress that can consider political solution for Nagaland.

FOLLOW OUR ELECTION COVERAGE HERE

Is the NPFs decision to not contest a blessing in disguise for the Congress?

I believe our chances have brightened as the NPF opted out of the poll race. We are also looking for support from non-PDA political parties. I am in negotiations with like-minded parties. I hope we will be able to get together and put up a united fight against the PDA.

The Centres interlocutor in Naga peace process, RN Ravi, visited Nagaland and held talks with the rebels. How do you see it?

The BJPs idea is a uniform civil code  one nation, one law and one religion. We are demanding special status but what do they have for us? And who is RN Ravi? He is just an interlocutor. He cannot make any decision. He is only buying time on behalf of the BJP and the NDA government. This is nothing but wastage of time. They cannot fool us all the time.
On display are more than 50 valuable items dating back to 2000 BC to the 19th century.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Nguyen Vu Tu said this is one of substantive outcomes of the friendship between the two countries, while expressing his belief that the exhibition will contribute to further developing the Vietnam-RoK relations.

Bae Kidong, Director of the National Museum of Korea, said he hopes the event will be a good chance for the Koreans to understanding more about Vietnam.

The event, jointly organised by the National Museum of Korea and the Vietnam National Museum of History, will runs through November 1, 2020.
Manish Anand By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Two days after the Congress unveiled its minimum income guarantee poll plank, the BJP latched on to the success of Mission Shakti to steer the political discourse back to national security.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi harped on the parakram (power) of the country to assure the people of the countrys security preparedness to meet any challenge, while Union ministers Arun Jaitely and Nirmala Sitharaman credited the leadership with giving scientists the go-ahead for the anti-satellite missile test.

The demonstration of the anti-satellite capability follows Indias air strike on a terrorist camp at Balakot in Pakistan, which has seemingly become the BJPs principal poll plank, with its stress on the decisive leadership of Modi.

The prime minister, in a televised address on Wednesday, explained the scale of the achievement for the security of the country.

FOLLOW OUR ELECTION COVERAGE HERE

Within hours of Modis address, beamed on multiple social media platforms, Union ministers tried to credit the scientific achievement to the decisive leadership of the prime minister.

Congress president Rahul Gandhis apparent mocking of Modi by wishing him Happy World Theatre Day provided enough alibi to the BJP to launch an attack on the erstwhile UPA government.

The successful anti-satellite test in space appears to have troubled some people on the ground. Heirs of dynastic politics see drama in everything, for they take the world as a theatre. Martyrdom of soldiers, achievements of scientists, all seem drama to such people, retorted BJP chief Amit Shah.

Shah claimed that the Congress-led UPA had lacked the political will to support the abilities of the countrys scientists, who were ready with the mission in the past.

Jaitley, while speaking to reporters, claimed that the UPA government lacked clarity on defence preparedness.

The Congress and its allies committed a historical blunder by seeking proof for the air strike within Pakistan, claimed Jaitley.

Testing the plank

The BJP will watch the public response to Modis rallies from March 28 to April 5 to gauge the political efficacy of the national security poll plank, sources said.
Mukesh Ranjan By

Express News Service

RANCHI: Noted social economist Jean Dreze, along with two other right to food activists in Jharkhand, were detained by the police at Bishunpura in Garhwa on Thursday allegedly for violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) as they were holding a public meeting without permission from the district administration. They were released after being held for over two hours.

Dreze after being freed from detention alleged that nowhere is it written in the model code that peaceful and non-political meetings on issues related to masses could not be conducted. It is really unfortunate that understanding of democracy is shrinking day by day in India and rights of the people being snatched away gradually. It is important to express your words during elections, said the social economist.

INTERVIEW | If Jharkhand goes hungry, New Delhi must know why: Jean Dreze

He also told that they were being forced to furnish a bond mentioning that they did not have any complaint against the government but they refused to do so.The other two activists, who were also detained along with Dreze, include president Vivek Kumar Gupta and secretary Anuj Kumar Gupta of Dehan Group, which was organising the programme in connection with ration, pension, education and employment.

Shocking beyond words!



Jean Dreze is a saint-economist, a potential Nobel awardee who lived in slums, written and done more for the poor than any economist, shunned all power and glory, took up Indian citizenship, is a pacifist.



Nothing can be more shameful than arresting him. https://t.co/KagTeBhFV8  Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) March 28, 2019

They claimed that they had sought permission for organising the programme from district administration, but no reply was received. The district administration, however, claimed that they were informed about the meeting and action was taken as a precautionary measure.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress President Rahul Gandhi Wednesday said his expression during his address to the nation betrayed his anxiety that "his time to go has come".

Addressing a convention of the party's Other Backward Classes (OBC) department, Gandhi said the prime minister has realised that the Congress will now give justice to the poor.

"He (PM) made the country wait for 45 minutes for his announcement, did you look at his face? He has realised that Congress will now give justice. Modi is now afraid that his time to go has come," he told the gathering at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium here, ahead of the April-May parliamentary election.

In an unprecedented broadcast to the nation on television, radio and social media, Modi on Wednesday announced that India had demonstrated anti-satellite missile capability by shooting down a live satellite, describing it as a rare achievement that puts the country in an exclusive club of space superpowers.

The newly-announced NYAY (minimum income guarantee scheme) whereby the party promised to give Rs 72,000 per year to five crore poor families in the country to bring them out of poverty, was justice, the Congress chief said and asserted that Modi's promises were "lies" and thus injustice.

The Congress president also assured the OBC community that they would see many more MPs and MLAs from among them as the Congress had earlier given two OBC chief ministers to the country.

"I am guaranteeing the OBC community that soon they will be given more space in the Congress party. In the coming days there will more CMs, more MLAs.This is my guarantee. I am not Narendra Modi, I don't lie. I have taken this challenge to give space to the OBC, dalit, farmers, poor. in Congress," he said.

Attacking the prime minister, Gandhi said he had lied about giving Rs 15 lakh to people in the run-up to the 2014 election, but the Congress would give Rs 72,000 as part of the proposed income guarantee scheme.

FOLLOW OUR FULL ELECTION COVERAGE HERE

"We won't be able to give Rs 15 lakh, but we won't lie. We will give Rs 3.60 lakh crore in the bank accounts of the 20 per cent of the poorest of the country over the next five years," he said.

He hailed the ability of people belong to the OBC category to work hard and said that they do "kaam ki baat" (talk about work) and not "mann ki baat", in an apparent dig at the PM's radio programme.

"We have written in our manifesto that any youth, be it from any category, doesn't need any permission for the first three years for starting a business. We want make in India, not made by Ambani. We want make in India, not made by Ambani in France," he said taking a swipe at the government's flagship Make in India scheme.

"Lakhs of youth seek financial help to start a business, but fail to get it. We cannot accept this. We believe everyone should get 'NYAY'," he said.

Gandhi has been alleging that businessman Anil Ambani has benefitted from the Rafale deal with French defence firm Dassault, an allegation denied by the industrialist and the government.
Namita Bajpai By

Express News Service

LUCKNOW: Giving a victory call for 2022 assembly polls, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra spend her day in her mothers parliamentary constituency  Rae Bareli  meeting the booth

level workers of the party and various representative groups on Thursday.

At an on-the-spot meeting with Congress workers at Musafirkhana in Amethi before leaving for Rae Bareli on Thursday morning, Priyanka exhorted the cadre to be prepared for the battle of UP in 2022

rather than the ensuing 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Are you all preparing for polls properly, no not this one but 2022? she asked the party workers adding that a lot of hard work was needed for the formidable fight. Priyanka has been made party in-charge of eastern UP and at the time of her appointment as general secretary, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi had made it clear that she was being mainly entrusted with reviving the party organisation in UP to present a formidable challenge to the ruling dispensation in 2022 assembly elections. He had said it was imperative to refurbish Congress so that it could bounce back in power in the state after three decades of exile.

However, in order to fine-tune the party machinery in her mothers constituency, the Congress general secretary held back-to-back booth level meetings with party workers at Bhoyemau guest house in Rae

Bareli on Thursday.

In the second round of her campaign in the region entrusted to her to helm during elections, Priyanka was given the sense of confidence by the cadre that the family pocket borough was strong and that she should concentrate on other parts.

While kicking off the party campaign  Sonia Gandhi Panchvi Baar -- in Rae Bareli, Congress cadre told their leader that they would take care of Rae Bareli. We asked her not to worry for Rae Bareli.

She should focus on national and state politics and strengthen party organisation, said a Congress leader of Rae Bareli.

In fact, Sonia Gandhi has been representing Rae Bareli in Lok Sabha since 1999. She has been a four-time MP from the Gandhi stronghold and is set to contest the ensuing elections as well. However, even after the announcement of her candidature, speculations are still rife about her daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra

replacing her in the constituency as the candidate.

Both Amethi and Rae Bareli will go to polls in the fourth phase on May 6, 2019.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The Pakistani government shared the preliminary findings of its report on the February 14 Pulwama attack with the Indian government on Wednesday.

According to the Pakistan Foreign Office statement, the findings were shared with the Indian High Commissioner by the foreign secretary.

The Indian government had sent a dossier to Pakistan on February 27, claiming that it had all the details of the Pulwama attack and the involvement of terrorists.

In a press statement, Pakistans Foreign Ministry said it has shared the findings with India after examining the Indian report on Pulwama incident.

Pakistan has acted with a high sense of responsibility and extended full cooperation. We do so in the interest of regional peace and security. We have sought further information/evidence from India to take the process forward, the release said.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had promised India that Pakistan would cooperate with India if the government provided credible evidence.

On February 14, 2019, over 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans were killed after a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into their convoy on the Jammu-Srinagar highway. Jaish-e-Mohammed had claimed responsibility for the attack.

Tensions between the two countries escalated further after Indian jets released their payload at Balakot on February 26.
Harpreet Bajwa By

Express News Service

CHANDIGARH: Suspended Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Member of Parliament and former diplomat Harinder Singh Khalsa today joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Khalsa joined the saffron party in Delhi today in the presence of Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. Speaking to the media, he committed to working for the party and is not eyeing for a BJP ticket.

He is considered close to Union Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Puri as both of them were Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officers of 1974. It is being speculated that Puri has played a key role in convincing Khalsa to join the saffron party.

Khalsa was elected from Fatehgarh Sahib Lok Sabha constituency in 2014 on an AAP ticket and was suspended in 2015 due to alleged anti-party activities.

Khalsa who was the Indian envoy in Norway when Operation Bluestar took place in 1984, had resigned from his post as a mark of protest.

Earlier, he was elected as an MP from Bathinda in 1996 on a Shiromani Akali Dal ticket. Khalsa was also a member of the National Commission of Scheduled Castes and Tribes during the NDA government under then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

He had attended the lecture series organised by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in Delhi in January this year. The saffron party was reportedly looking to include a Sikh face who could speak on behalf of the community in Punjab.


By PTI

BHOPAL: Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh asked Thursday why the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) was hostile to him, a Hindu.

Singh, who is the Congress candidate from Bhopal, said he was a disciple of Shankaracharya, but he did not show off his faith.

"I have no dispute with the RSS. If the RSS is an organisation of Hindus, Digvijaya Singh too is a Hindu. Then why this hostility," he said, when asked by reporters why the BJP dubs him as anti-RSS and anti-Hindu.

"I am an anointed disciple of Dwarka and Jyotish PeethShankaracharya Swami SwaroopanandaSaraswati since 1983. Neither I tom-tom my faith from the rooftop nor do I exploit it during elections," the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister said.

"Politics divides, it divides even families. Therefore religion should not be connected to politics," the Congress leader said.

To a question about BJP's slogan of "Congress-Mukt Bharat" (Congress-free India), he said, "This was the mindset of Hitler. this means no opposition. We are fighting this mindset."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised two crore jobs, but after note-ban, 27,000 jobs were lost every day, he claimed.
By Express News Service

BHOPAL: Union minister and former Lok Sabha member from Bhopal seat Uma Bharti has made it clear that while she wont be contesting coming general elections from Bhopal, she would certainly campaign in Madhya Pradesh capital to enlighten electorate about the injustice done by Congress candidate Digvijaya Singh to the city in the past.

In a series of tweets on Thursday, the former MP CM Uma Bharti (who won the Bhopal seat for BJP in 1999) wrote I wont come to Bhopal to contest the election as any BJP worker will defeat Digvijaya Singh from the constituency. But Ill definitely campaign in Bhopal to tell the electorate about what injustice has been done by Singh to the city in the past.

Referring to recent media reports, about Singhs MP minister son Jaivardhan Singh challenging her to contest against his father, Bharti tweeted, as Bhopal MP, I had announced to address the drinking water crisis in Bhopal by bringing river Narmadas water to Bhopal. As the local MP Id made necessary arrangements for it and then PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, while approving the Narmada Sagar Dam project had made adequate provision for Bhopals drinking water needs.

But then MP CM Digvijaya Singh not only ridiculed the plan to bring Narmada river water to Bhopal, dubbing it as impossible, but also created hurdles in its way. But when I became the states CM in 2003, the first cabinet meeting cleared the decks for bringing Narmada water to Bhopal.

In another tweet, Bharti said as the MP CM, Digvijaya Singh had ousted 40,000 daily wage workers (thousands being from Bhopal) at one go. These sacked workers were reinstated in the first cabinet meeting when I became the CM.

Even when I got the Bhopal Airport rechristened as Bhojpal, Singh didnt attend the program even after giving assurance to attend it, as he wasnt happy with the development. Singh has never left any opportunity to disrespect Bhopal and create hurdles in citys development. Its great that the man who did injustice to Bhopal will now have to appear before the court of the people in the same city. Im sure that people of Bhopal parliamentary constituency will avenge the injustice done to them by defeating Singh with massive margin, tweeted Bharti.
Rashmika Majumdar By

Chennai-based homemaker Kirupavathi almost lost her friend Jamuna to tuberculosis. Delay in diagnosis delayed the initiation of treatment. By the time Jamuna, then in her mid-thirties, finally knew the reason behind her constant chest pain, two of her bones had already been eaten away by the disease.

Kirupa helped Jamuna, a single mother, at every stage of her treatment, personally ensuring she took her medication and had food regularly. When Jamuna was free of TB, they understood the importance of support and both friends decided to help others in their community. Now, 16 years later, they identify people with symptoms, and often personally accompany them to the hospital. They also play the role of treatment supporters (earlier known as DOT providers) to those diagnosed with tuberculosis.

This is not an isolated case. TB survivors and people close to them, the affected community, are spreading awareness going door-to door, referring people with symptoms to free treatment facilities and helping close the gaps in service delivery in Indias Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP).

Currently, 300 tuberculosis survivors are championing TB advocacy across six statesAssam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh. They are equipped with advocacy training under a mentorship programme organised by the Chennai-based NGO REACH. The stories of the survivors echo at every roundtable and workshop, and through their lived experience, they educate and inspire others.

This growing community response to the disease is part of a worldwide movement where the affected communities play an active role in TB response. From diagnostics to service delivery, and from advocacy to patient rights, tuberculosis survivors are making their presence felt at every step, paving the path for others to lead a healthy and discrimination-free life.

Earlier, the role of patients in response to a disease, which has remained the number one infectious killer over the last 200 years, was limited to receiving treatment and bearing the side-effects, while tackling stigma and discrimination from people around them alone. On the other hand, the policy-level decisions that affected them were taken by government officials with technical inputs from doctors and healthcare staff.

But this changed when people like Nandita Venkatesan initiated their advocacy efforts. The Mumbai-based journalist and TB survivor lost her hearing due to a side-effect of a drug used in MDR-TB treatment. Today, she is taking on a pharmacy giant to prevent the extension of a patent on another drug used to treat MDR-TB, advocates vociferously on patient and disability rights and has

also been appointed to the WHO Civil Society Task Force on TB.

That the affected community is a resource is now increasingly being recognised by the healthcare community across the world. Nanditas story paves the way for other survivors to participate in decisions that affect them.

People living with HIV have led the way by advocating for their rights. In the 2016 United Nations Political Declaration on Ending AIDS, member states affirmed the critical role of communities in advocacy, participation in the coordination of AIDS responses and service delivery. A UNAIDS document states that response from the affected community can help achieve improved health outcomes, mobilise demand for services, reach people with services difficult to reach with formal health

systems, support health systems strengthening, mobilise political leadership, change social attitudes and norms, and create an enabling environment that promotes equal access.

The implementation of the HIV/AIDS Act 2017 by the Centre is a living example of the power of the affected communitys response. An offshoot of this response has also had implications on the rights of the LGBT community. Handbooks and guidelines penned by the affected community later translated to bills and rights, because they were given the platform to speak up, and their concerns were heard and addressed.

With more than a third of TB cases not being diagnosed or treated, the disease has led to the death of 1.6 million people globally in 2017. According to data from the Lancet Commission on TB, 65 per cent of the mortality occurs in high-burden countries such as India, where nearly 1,400 deaths are caused by tuberculosis every day.

A resolution brought out after a UN high-level meeting on tuberculosis in September 2018 provided comprehensive analysis and specific recommendations on how high-burden TB countries like India could target their investments in future to ensure an end to the disease. One of the four recommendations was to create a new era of shared responsibility. And for that to happen, apart from establishing greater accountability at all levels, ensuring that tuberculosis survivors and their advocates have an opportunity to raise inconvenient truths and demand action was also recommended.

For a high-burden country like India, its not too early and neither is it too late to create an enabling environment to engage the affected community in the TB response. The time is nowpatients voices must be heard and their inputs included if we are to see the end of tuberculosis in our lifetimes.

Rashmika Majumdar

Former journalist and currently a media associate at REACH, a Chennai-based NGO working towards a tuberculosis-free India

Email: rashmika.reach@gmail.com
Kalyan Tholeti By

Express News Service

Vasagiri Venkata Lakshminarayana comes with a formidable reputation that is etched permanently in the public mind in the form of the moniker JD (short for joint director, CBI) for his high-profile investigation of the alleged illegal assets case of YSRC chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. The tough as nails officer has recently shed the Khaki for Khaddar and is in the poll fray as Jana Senas candidate for the Visakhapatnam LS constituency. However, his persona hasnt changed one bit. Soft but firm as always, he shares with Kalyan Tholeti his views on politics, polls & the ongoing campaign.

Why did you join Jana Sena?

It is the same ideology and mindset. Pawan Kalyan is a good friend of mine. We have been in touch since 2014. I met him for the first time on my own initiative when I was waiting for my posting in Maharashtra. We shared our views and thought we must do something for the society. But he felt I should settle my family first as my son was in college and daughter in school at that time.

Are you not risking your credibility? Pawan is seen as a part-time politician due to his perceived inconsistency. Do you believe in him?

We are lending credibility to each other. Ultimately, our goal is the same. We want to do something for the society. We dont want to do regular politics. I believe in him 100 per cent. He is not a stereotype politician. Last time, he lent support to the government. But he is not the kind of person who interferes. He is like a referee in a match. He has always been consistent on public issues. I always tell a joke. Suppose one fellow goes on a horseback with his wife walking, people say see how he is making her walk. Then he walks but people say see how this woman is making the husband walk. When both of them decide to go on horseback, they pity the poor horse. Finally, when both walk, people say see these foolish couple are walking despite having a horse. This is the type of society we have. There is no need to worry if we are answerable to our conscience.

Why and when did you decide to enter politics?

When I was in Maharashtra, I had seven years of service left. I felt these seven years are very important for society. The average age of an Indian is going to be 29. So, I decided in favour of public service. But I made up my mind to join politics only after touring the State. Right from childhood I used to serve others. Concern for society is in my blood. Even during my years in the IPS, I used to do many other things. And if you want to do something on a wider scale in a democracy, politics is the solution. Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar said unless you have political power, it is very difficult to serve the society. But one must have good intentions. Without it... we are seeing what is happening.

Politics is seen as a cesspool. Are you prepared to face the brickbats?

I am prepared. People have stereotyped the politician that he should be harsh and abusive. Let us give a different model altogether. You see Manohar Parrikarji. He was softer than me but made a mark. Good intentions matter.

FOLLOW OUR ELECTION COVERAGE HERE

What is your response to allegations that either the BJP or the TDP is behind you?

It is speculation. I leave it to their wisdom. I am not a person to be controlled by somebody. Had I been such a person, things would have been different.

Chandrababu Naidu has been demanding that you respond on cases against Jagan. Your response?

I did whatever I needed to do as a public servant. It is now a sub-judice matter. I dont want to encash on the issue. We are working for people. The chargesheets are there and details are available. People have to infer. Why do I need to endorse anything?

Will the cases stand judicial scrutiny?

Sufficient evidence has been collected and presented to the court. We dont chargesheet unless there is evidence. I mean, it is not my decision. I was only a supervisory officer. There is an investigating officer, legal officers.. there is a procedure in the CBI. These cases referred by the high court have to go through several layers of decision-making. A chargesheet is filed only after final assent is given by the director, CBI. It is not in my hands. The structure in the CBI is such that no one individual can take a decision according to his whims and fancies.

What is your take on the Naidu govt?

There are the U-turns on special status. All turns are being taken. There is a lot of corruption, especially the sand mafia in which their leaders are involved. Then there are the Janmabhoomi committees because of which welfare schemes are going to ruling party members. If you go to villages, you will find a lot of animosity has developed. Neighbours dont look eye to eye as they belong to different parties. A farmer told me that he had to stand in front of an MLAs house for three days to get a signature to purchase a small sprayer that costs Rs 3,000. Once a person is elected as a legislator, he/she should work for all people. The importance of MLAs and MPs has to come down. Currently, local bodies are being run by administrators. When was the last time local elections were conducted? We have to empower villages.

Have your ideas been incorporated in JSP manifesto?

Yes. Pawan says we will give Rs 8,000 immediate relief to farmers and after they turn 60, Rs 5,000 as pension. If a patient is taken to the emergency, he is given IV first and then a course of treatment will follow. We should handhold farmers and take them along. Loan waiver and all will not work. I have visited places like Madanapalle, the main tomato market. It is the middleman who is making the money. Market assurance by the government is very important. We will introduce zoning system under which farmers can grow crops and we assure them the market. We will set up special agricultural zones like special economic zones and also have an agriculture price regulation commission to provide remunerative price to the farmers. We also need to encourage the youth to take up agriculture. It is going to be an organic development. Currently, we are focused on the services sector but if suddenly, Ola or Uber go off the roads, where will the people go? Secondary sector is not doing well. China is manufacturing everything. If we dont look into this, the demographic dividend will turn into a disaster.

What do you propose to do for Vizag?

I want to make it the best parliamentary constituency in the country. The mindset of the people here is different. They always want to contribute to the well-being of the society. They come out openly and express themselves. They are well-educated. There are thinking people like EAS Sarma who can guide people. I will take their opinion. At the same time, I have seen that people are afraid of land mafias. When Pawan Kalyan told me I have to become the Kotwal of Vizag to protect their properties, I said I am ready for that. I have seen Mumbai. At the peak of gang wars, I was in Mumbai as DCP. I have seen the gangs working. The main reason for this is increasing land prices. There is an undercurrent of something like that in Vizag now. If we allow this to continue, Mumbai situation will arise here.

Jana Sena has weak organisational structure. How will you address this problem?

This is a new party. From what I have seen, there is a high command with good advisors. The decisions are properly communicated. Local MLA candidates take it from there. We have committed people unlike in other parties. In other parties, you need to pump money. Here it is pumping hearts. We work with hearts.
Welcoming the Sultan, Party General Secretary and President Trong said that Bolkiahs second visit to Vietnam after 21 years has great significance, marking the two countries friendship and cooperation and upgrading it to a new height.

The two leaders exchanged notes on the bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues of mutual concern.

They stressed that the establishment of the comprehensive partnership is a result of positive and sustainable developments in bilateral relations over recent times, thus renewing motivation to enhance bilateral collaboration in a more effective and practical manner, especially in politics, defence-security, trade, investment, education, people-to-people diplomacy, as well as cooperation within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and other multilateral frameworks.

Both sides agreed to intensify the exchange of all-level delegations through all channels to strengthen political trust and mutual understanding so as to create a firm foundation for cooperation in all fields.

They also highlighted the importance of maintaining the effective implementation of the Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation mechanism, and considered the establishment of new cooperative mechanisms.

Both host and guest confirmed that potential for bilateral economic cooperation has yet to be fully tapped, and agreed to strive for US$500 million in two-way trade at an early date, through trade and investment promotion as well as business connectivity activities.

The Party and State leader lauded Brunei for remaining the fourth largest ASEAN investor in Vietnam, with nearly 200 projects totalling over US$1 billion. He committed that Vietnam will continue creating favourable conditions for Bruneian enterprises to do business and investment in Vietnam, particularly in important fields such as infrastructure, energy, high-tech agriculture and industry, food processing, tourism, and services.

The Brunei Sultan pledged to support Vietnam to produce products that meet international halal standards in order to approach Muslim markets.

Lauding national defence-security cooperation as a spotlight in bilateral relations over the years, both leaders spoke highly of the effective implementation of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on defence cooperation in 2005 and the MoU on naval cooperation in 2013.

They agreed to work closely together at multilateral defence forums, especially within the ASEAN and ASEAN+ frameworks, and highlighted the importance of security collaboration amid regional security challenges.

The two sides promised to share experience and expand partnership in the fight against trans-national, organised, human trafficking, terrorist, and cybercrimes; as well as discussed the signing of agreements on extradition, judicial assistance, and transfer of sentenced persons.

A general view of the talks between Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong and visiting Sultan of Brunei Haji Hassanal Bolkiah in Hanoi on March 27. (Photo: VNA)



The two leaders welcomed the government-level agreement on the establishment of a hotline to support fisheries at sea. They also pledged to further expand aquaculture cooperation, share information regarding legal enforcement at sea, and cope with security challenges at sea in order to ensure maritime safety and freedom.

Furthermore, they discussed measures to enhance culture-education ties, aviation connectivity, and the facilitation of immigration procedures so as to raise mutual understanding and the bilateral friendship.

The Brunei Sultan vowed to consider the hosts proposal to amend the visa waiver agreement by increasing the duration of non-visa stay for diplomatic, official, and general passport holders.

On regional and global issues of shared concern, the guest congratulated Vietnam for successfully hosting the second DPRK-USA summit in February, thereby improving the countrys stature in the region and the world.

The two nations will work closely together as Vietnam and Brunei assume the roles of ASEAN Chair in 2020 and 2021, respectively. They will contribute to the process of building the ASEAN Community; effectively realise the ASEAN Community Vision 2025; step up linkage collaboration; narrow the development gap; deepen external relations; and uphold ASEANs central role in the regional architecture in the principles of openness, transparency, and inclusiveness.

They consented to continue cooperating and coordinating closely at other multilateral forums, particularly the United Nations, ASEAN, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM). Meanwhile, they will promote regional economic connectivity via multilateral economic agreements to which both of them are members, such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTTP) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

Reiterating their consistent stance on the East Sea issue, they affirmed the principle of peacefully settling disputes in line with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Host and guest stressed the need to strengthen trust as well as the importance of non-militarisation and self-restraint from activities that could complicate tensions in the East Sea.

They reaffirmed support for the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and the acceleration of negotiations to reach an effective and practical Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

Following their talks, the leaders issued a joint declaration on the establishment of the Vietnam-Brunei comprehensive partnership and witnessed the signing of a government-level MoU on the use of a hotline to deal with illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
By Express News Service

MYSURU/MANDYA: Less than a few hours after Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy hinted at income tax sleuths preparing for large scale raids in the State, the houses of relatives of Minor Irrigation and Mandya in-charge minister CS Puttaraju were raided on Wednesday. During the day, the raids also spread to many other locations and primarily seemed to target contractors.

CS Puttaraju

I-T sleuths who came in several vehicles during the pre-dawn hours knocked on Puttaraju's relative's houses located at his native Chinukarali in Pandavapura taluk and also in Pandavapura town. The house of his nephew Ashok, a Class one contractor at Vijayanagar in Mysuru city, was raided too. The raids sparked protests by Puttaraju's followers who had gathered at Chinakurali.

The house of a businessman, who runs a popcorn business, were also raided late last night in Bengaluru and as per sources, these raids will continue.

In Shivamogga, two car showrooms, owned by a close aide of HD Devegowda, were raided. Speaking to media, a peeved Puttaraju said the raids were politically targeting JDS leaders. He also blamed independent candidate from Mandya LS seat Sumalatha Ambareesh.

Puttaraju is in the coterie of Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and he is also handling the campaign of the latter's son Nikhil Kumaraswamy who is contesting LS polls from Mandya as JD(S)-Congress' consensus candidate.

ALSO READ | CM Kumaraswamy calls Karnataka tax raids 'revenge politics'

The development came a day after Kumaraswamy raised fears about possible raids on Congress and JDS functionaries in the state. He had claimed that CRPF personnel were brought from various parts of the country to carry out the raids in the state. "I'm not deterred by the raids, which are election-related. I would like to know which BJP leader's house in Karnataka has been raided," Puttaraju, who is the in-charge minister of Mandya district, said.

Meanwhile, large scale protests broke out at the Central Revenue buildings in Bengaluru against the raids. Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy is likely to join in the protests later in the afternoon.

The Income Tax department on Thursday afternoon clarified that searches were being carried out by the Income Tax department in Karnataka and Goa on contractors and connected persons. However, it said that no Member of Parliament or Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) had been covered so far in the searches.

ALSO READ | Karnataka PWD minister H D Revanna lashes out at BJP for I-T raids on JDS leaders

"While it is true that CRPF is being used for providing security, the said Central armed personnel were requisitioned from the State Police (ADGP Law and Order) following normal protocol and have not been flown in outside the state," a statement by the office of the Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax said.

Karnataka: Income-Tax raids are underway at residence of JD(S) leader & Karnataka Minor Irrigation Minister CS Puttaraju in Mandya pic.twitter.com/BrEX9LBnOa  ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2019

"We also request that the activities of the income tax department should not be politicised, personalised or trivialised. In the particular statements which sound like an incitement to physical violence issued by persons holding very responsible posts are deeply deplorable," the statement said.
Express News Service

MANGALURU: Mutthappa, an avatar of Lord Shiva, revered as the God of the Southern Railways, will be celebrated by devotees at the railway colony behind Wenlock Hospital on the last three days of March. Most of the devotees in the city are railway employees, many of whom have origins in Kerala.

Along with a spread of 12 Kerala delicacies, the three-day Muttappa Kshetra Mahotsava will showcase bhootha kola-like Vellatam performances, where devotees can have darshan of the deity. It starts at 5 am on March 29 and ends by 12 noon on March 31.

Each day, akki payasam will be distributed as prasadam. About 10,000 devotees are expected to participate, said Thilaka, temple priest. I Babu, senior engineer of the railway mechanical department, recalled how worshiping Mutthappa was permitted in the Indian Railways during the British era, and permeated through many stations across the southern rail line in Kerala.

When the railways were being established in the region, more than 100 years ago, Britishers were not able to build the Valapattanam bridge to lay the rail tracks, as the pillars would just collapse. Apart from Kerala, the deity is worshipped in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, he told TNIE. Kasargod Station has no temple because there is no one to maintain it, he added.
By Express News Service

MADURAI: Criticizing that Prime Minister Modi visits Tamil Nadu only at the time of elections, DMK President M K Stalin questioned that why not even a single penny was allotted to the AIIMS project.

Speaking during an election campaign in Madurai on Thursday, Stalin said that mere foundation stone was laid for the AIIMS here. How can the BJP government build the institute without allotting any funds, he asked.

Hailing the CPM candidate Su Venkatesan's continuous efforts for showcasing the ancient civilization of Keezhadi, Stalin said that when DMK comes to power in the State, more funds will be allotted for the excavation. "It is the duty of the people to send intellectuals like Su Venkatesan, who works for the upliftment of Tamils through his writings, to the parliament," said Stalin.

FOLLOW OUR ELECTION COVERAGE HERE

Taking a dig on the Prime Minister, Stain alleged that Narendra Modi comes to Tamil Nadu only during the elections and has failed the State in every aspect. Referring to a survey released by Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy, Stalin said that the unemployment in the country has gone up by 6.1 percent and the Modi-led BJP government has dragged the nation 45 years back.

Pointing out the incident where 15 pregnant women died in three government hospitals due to transfusion of contaminated blood, Stalin commented that the State government is also contaminated.

Further mentioning the Pollachi issue, where young girls were subjected to sexual harassment and recent brutal killing of a 7-year-old girl in Coimbatore, Stalin alleged that the state government is keen, only in protecting the culprits and failed in maintaining the law and order in Tamil Nadu.

Stalin assured that "a real enquiry will be conducted in the death of former chief minister Jayalalithaa's death and the mystery will be solved not for the people but for the real AIADMK cadres who loved her"

Welcoming the announcement of Rs 72,000 per year to the poor households made by Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Stalin said that he acknowledges the promise made and will ensure that it will be implemented soon after the Secular Progressive Alliance comes to power.
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: In an interesting development, Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo has instructed Returning Officers of all 39 constituencies and the 18 Assembly constituencies not to allot a symbol to AMMK candidates until further orders from the Election Commission.

On Tuesday, Supreme Court rejected AMMK chief TTV Dhinakarans plea requesting pressure cooker symbol for the upcoming polls. The court, however, suggested that the poll panel could allot a common symbol for AMMK candidates. It is expected that allotment of the symbol for AMMK will be done only on Friday since the partys candidates are being considered as independents, as per the apex courts ruling on Tuesday.

FOLLOW OUR ELECTION COVERAGE HERE

This means, Dhinakaran has to run his election campaign, at least on the first two days, without a party symbol. However, despite the odds, TTV Dhinakaran launched his campaign from Chennai on Wednesday. Since the EC is yet to allot a common symbol, the CEO has instructed the ROs not to allot any symbol to the AMMK candidates, said sources. Officials said this would affect allotment of symbols for all other independent candidates as it can be done only after a common available symbol is identified and allocated to AMMK.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India (ECI) Thursday told the Supreme Court that it will hold by-elections on vacant assembly seats of Tiruparankundram, Ottapidaram and Aravakurichi in Tamil Nadu within a reasonable time.

The counsel appearing for the ECI told this to a bench of Justices S A Bobde and S A Nazeer which was hearing a plea filed by the DMK seeking a direction to the poll panel for holding the by-elections on these three vacant assembly seats.

The bench, while taking on record the submissions of the ECI's counsel, disposed of the petition and observed that the court cannot determine the timing of elections and it was for the poll panel to decide.

The counsel appearing for the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) had earlier told the apex court that there are 21 vacant assembly seats in Tamil Nadu but the poll panel has notified by-polls for only 18 seats.

The DMK's counsel had said that by-polls on 18 vacant seats are scheduled to be held on April 18 along with the Lok Sabha polls in the state.

He had said that the ECI should be asked to hold the by-elections on the remaining three assembly seats along with the general elections.

On March 15, the apex court had asked the ECI to respond to the DMK's plea seeking by-polls for Tiruparankundram, Ottapidaram and Aravakurichi assembly constituencies.

The poll panel had earlier told the court that the by-polls for three assembly seats were not announced as some election petitions were pending in the Madras High Court.

The Ottapidaram constituency is represented by disqualified AIADMK MLA Sundararaj, while Aravakurichi is represented by Senthil Balaji, an AIADMK legislator who is now with the DMK.

Thiruparankundram legislator A K Bose died last year.
By AFP

GENEVA: Ocean heat hit a record high in 2018, the United Nations said Thursday, raising urgent new concerns about the threat global warming is posing to marine life.

In its latest State of the Climate overview, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reaffirmed that the last four years had been the hottest on record -- figures previously announced in provisional drafts of the flagship report.

But the final version of the report highlighted worrying developments in other climate indicators beyond surface temperature.

"2018 saw new records for ocean heat content in the upper 700 metres," a WMO statement said.

The agency said the UN had data for heat content in the upper 700 metres (2,290 feet) of the ocean dating back to 1955.

Last year also saw new heat records for the ocean's upper 2,000 metres, but data for that range only goes back to 2005.

The previous records for both ranges were set in 2017.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the latest findings as "another strong wake-up call" for governments, cities and businesses to take action.

"It proves what we have been saying that climate change is moving faster than our efforts to address it," he said at UN headquarters in New York.

The United Nations is hosting a major summit on September 23 that is billed as a last-chance opportunity for leaders to tackle climate change, which Guterres has described as the defining issue of our time.

The UN chief has urged world leaders to come to the summit with concrete plans, instead of speeches, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45 percent over the next decade and to net zero by 2050.

Warming oceans

About 93 percent of excess heat -- trapped around the Earth by greenhouse gases that come from the burning of fossil fuels -- accumulates in the world's oceans.

Research published earlier this year in the US journal Science showed that warming in the oceans is on pace with measurements of rising air temperature.

Some models predict the temperature of the top 2,000 metres of the world's oceans will rise nearly 0.8 degrees Celsius by the end of the century if nothing is done to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to Science.

Oceans are also not warming evenly across the planet.

The WMO report said the highest rates of ocean warming are occurring in the southern ocean, where warming has also reached the deepest layers.

This could result in sea levels being substantially different in different places, experts have previously said.

The thermal expansion -- water swelling as it warms -- is expected to raise sea levels 12 inches (30 centimetres), above any sea level rise from melting glaciers and ice sheets, according to the research published in Science.
By PTI

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday said it has examined 22 "pin locations" shared by India but found no terror camps and claimed that there are no links to nail 54 people detained in connection with the Pulwama terror attack as it shared the "preliminary findings" with New Delhi.

Pakistan is willing to allow visits, on request, to these locations, the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement.

"While 54 detained individuals are being investigated, no details linking them to Pulwama have been found so far," it said. "Similarly, the 22 pin locations shared by India have been examined. No such camps exist. Pakistan is willing to allow visits, on request, to these locations," the FO said.

ALSO READ | Pakistan terms Pulwama terror attack as 'incident' in it's preliminary report shared with India

It said that inconsistent with its commitment to cooperate, Pakistan on Wednesday shared "preliminary findings" of its investigations with India along with a set of questions.

"Subsequently, the diplomatic corps in Islamabad was briefed as well," the FO said. India handed over the dossier to the Acting High Commissioner of Pakistan in New Delhi on February 27 with specific details of Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)'s complicity in the Pulwama attack that killed 40 CRPF personnel on February 14 and the presence of JeM terror camps and its leadership in Pakistan.

The FO said soon after receiving the dossier, Pakistan constituted an investigation team, detained a number of people for investigation and initiated work on the technical aspects of social media content, a main basis of the Indian documents.

The Indian dossier contains 91 pages and six parts, out of which only part two and three pertain to the Pulwama attack, it said. "Other parts are generalised allegations. Pakistan is focusing on those parts which relate to Pulwama incident," it said.

The FO claimed that during the course of investigations, all aspects of the information provided by India have been thoroughly examined including the "confessional" video of Adil Dar, "claim" of responsibility for the attack, Whatsapp and Telegram numbers used to share videos and messages in support of the Pulwama attack, list of 90 individuals suspected of belonging to a proscribed organisation and 22 pin locations of alleged training camps.

Service Providers have been requested for data including relevant details of activities and contacts of the GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) number provided by India, it said.

A request for assistance from Whatsapp has also been made to the US government, it said, adding that the said additional information and documents from India would be essential to continue the process of investigations.

"Pakistan remains committed to taking this process to its logical conclusion," the FO added.

Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after the suicide bomber of JeM killed 40 CRPF personnel in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on February 14.

India launched a counter-terror operation against a JeM training camp in Balakot.

The next day, Pakistan Air Force retaliated and downed a MiG-21 in an aerial combat and captured its pilot, who was handed over to India on March 1.
By Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS: The United States is seeking to put Masood Azhar, the head of Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed, blamed by India for a Feb. 14 suicide attack that killed 40 Indian soldiers in Kashmir on the U.N. sanctions blacklist.

A draft resolution circulated to Security Council members Wednesday and obtained by The Associated Press would impose a travel ban and freeze the assets of the JeM chief.

It would also condemn "in the strongest terms the heinous and cowardly suicide bombing" in the Indian-held portion of Kashmir that resulted in the deaths of 40 paramilitary soldiers and the wounding of dozens of others.

The draft resolution says a member of Jaish-e-Mohammed has claimed responsibility for the attack, which raised tensions between India and Pakistan and led to an Indian retaliatory airstrike inside Pakistan.

ALSO READ | France working with EU for listing of Masood Azhar as a global terrorist: MEA

It underlines the need "to hold perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice."

The Security Council added Jaish-e-Mohammed to the U.N. sanctions blacklist in October 2001 for its association with al-Qaida, Osama bin Laden and the Taliban.

The draft resolution's annex says Jaish-e-Mohammed founder Azhar is associated with the Islamic State extremist group or al-Qaida for "participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing, or perpetrating" or "supplying, selling or transferring arms and related material" or supporting acts of Jaish-e-Mohammed.

According to a statement attached to the draft, Azhar founded Jaish-e-Mohammed after his release from prison in India in 1999 in exchange for 155 hostages held on an Indian Airlines flight that had been hijacked in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

It said Azhar previously headed the extremist group Harakat al Mujahadin, but most of its members joined Jaish-e-Mohammed under his leadership. It noted that a recruitment poster in 2008 from the militant group called for volunteers to join the fight against Western forces in Afghanistan.
South Africa: SA steps up efforts to curb women abuse

President Cyril Ramaphosa has reiterated that women abuse has no place in South Africa.

It should also have no place in our homes, at places of work, churches, schools and on the streets of our townships, on the pathways of our villages and also in our cities and towns, President Ramaphosa said.

He was speaking at the official opening of Booysens Magistrate Court and the signing of Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) Declaration in Johannesburg on Thursday.

The state-of-the-art Booysens Court comprises 10 courts, including four district courts, civil court, family court, equality childrens court, childrens court enquiries, as well as two regional courts for criminal and sexual offences.

The declaration, on the other hand, is borne out of the National Gender-Based Violence and Femicide Summit, held in November 2018, in an effort to find solutions to GBV and femicide.

Addressing stakeholders and members of civil society on Thursday, President Ramaphosa said that the summit opened the eyes and ears, and even the hearts, of many people to the gravity and impact of GBV in the country.

We have heard the pleas of survivors of gender-based violence to be treated with respect by our criminal justice system. In opening this new sexual offences court in Booysens, we are affirming the right of the women and girls of this country to be treated with professionalism and empathy.

The opening of the court and the declaration against gender-based violence and femicide are two of the measures we have put in place since the Presidential Summit convened in November last year, President Ramaphosa said.

As a nation, the President said, South Africa is making a bold and unequivocal declaration that we will not yield to gender-based violence.

We will not allow it to steadily consume our people, to erode our dreams of a stable and peaceful society in which all have equal rights and opportunities, regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation or the circumstances of their birth.

In signing this declaration against gender-based violence and femicide, we are saying as a collective, that the cancer of women abuse has no place whatsoever in our homes, communities, churches, schools, streets and our villages, towns and cities, the President said.

Minister for Women Bathabile Dlamini said the South African Constitution places huge emphasis on non-sexism. She said this must be aligned with programmes that fighting GBV.

Dlamini called for the proper training of all people working in the justice system and that they should be sensitised to respect women.

End of secondary victimisation

Speaking on behalf of civil society, Dr Zubeda Dangor from the National Shelter Movement of South Africa, welcomed the signing of GBV Declaration and the opening of the court, in particular the Sexual Offences Court.

We hope that with the opening of the Sexual Offences Court, the secondary victimisation will come to a stop so that it will be easier for victims of GBV to be able to come forth and get justice, Dangor said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2019-03-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Welcoming his guests visit, Binh re-affirmed Vietnams consistent stance of attaching importance to the comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia and considering Russia a leading partner in its foreign policy.

He said the two countries still have much potential to further develop their economic, trade, and investment connections and bring them on par with the sound political relationship so that bilateral trade will reach the target of US$10 billion by 2020.

The host affirmed that Vietnam will create favourable conditions for Russian firms to do business; take part in key projects in the fields of energy, industry, transport, and agriculture; and expand cooperation in IT and e-government building. He added that Vietnam also welcomes Russian companies engagement in developing urban transport infrastructure in the country.

The official asked both sides to work together more closely to facilitate economic, trade, and investment links as well as big cooperation projects, while capitalising on the free trade agreement between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union, of which Russia is a member.

At the meeting, Minister Manturov said Russia wishes to strengthen cooperation with Vietnam in all fields. It hopes to build on what the two sides have achieved and expand partnerships in economy, trade, investment, culture, education, and people-to-people ties.
Copy Editor/Entertainment Editor

Frank Pieper is a copy editor and entertainment editor at The News-Gazette, and the author of Frank's Faves and Frank's Weekend Faves. His email is fpieper@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@frp308).
According to Vietnamese Ambassador to Morocco Tran Quoc Thuy, the embassy has worked hard to introduce Vietnamese culture as well as products through various activities in the country.

Representatives of Vietnamese students in Morocco expressed their hope that the Party and State will continue designing preferential policies to encourage Vietnamese students to return home to work.

Chairwoman Ngan said her visit to Morocco is the first made by a NA leader in 14 years following NA Chairman Nguyen Van Ans visit in 2005. The visit aims to deepen the friendship with Morocco and particularly the countrys parliament.

The NA leader briefed the Vietnamese community on Vietnams socio-economic and external relations situation, with GDP growth reaching 7.08% in 2018, the highest level since 2008.

Vietnam has signed, implemented and negotiated many bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements and successfully hosted the second DPRK-USA Summit in late February, she noted.

She lauded the efforts of the embassy in fulfilling its tasks, asking it to coordinate with relevant agencies at home, including NA bodies, on external relations.

Recognising the Vietnamese communitys wish to contribute to the growth of the homeland, she affirmed that the Party and State always create optimal conditions for the Vietnamese community abroad to promote the national cultural identity and contribute to the motherlands development.

She praised the spirit of solidarity and mutual support of the community and asked the embassy to guide Vietnamese associations to abide by the local law, supporting and protecting the rights of Vietnamese citizens in Morocco, and helping foster relations between the two countries.
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Julie Wurth is a reporter covering the University of Illinois at The News-Gazette. Her email is jwurth@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@jawurth).
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Landing at the port of Beira after a week, the shipment includes more than 50 tonnes of food, such as rice, salt, cornstarch and other essential necessities, to help solve the urgent needs of local residents in Beira following the great losses caused by the tropical cyclone Idai in mid-March 2019.

The hand-over ceremony saw the presence of Vietnamese Ambassador to Mozambique Le Huy Hoang, representatives from Movitel and local authorities of Sofala province.

Director of the Department of Industry and Trade of Sofala province, Josefa Sing Sang, expressed her thanks to Movitel and the Government and people of Vietnam for the aid, which is of great significance for the affected people to surmount the consequences of the cyclone.

She noted that residents in Beira appreciated Movitel for their efforts to deal with technical incidents, becoming the only telecom supplier to basically overcome the problem to ensure smooth communication among the central provinces of Mozambique affected by the cyclone.

The Vietnamese Ambassador said that the aid expressed the affection and support of the Vietnamese government and people towards the Mozambique government and people.

Super tropical cyclone Idai is considered the biggest natural disaster over the past 30 years, heavily affecting the central region of Mozambique and some neighbouring countries such as Zimbabwe and Malawi. At least 468 people have been reported dead and more than 1,500 people have been injured. The Mozambique government said the number of casualties will increase as localities continue to assess damages. There are no reports of Vietnamese people being injured.
(Newser)  Two men involved in a fatal 2016 drag race are going to prison for life after all, Deutsche Welle reports. Identified only as Hamdi H., 28, and Marvin N., 25, they were initially found guilty of murder after hitting and killing a 69-year-old driver during a 2016 race in downtown Berlin that topped 100mph, per an old Deutsche Welle article. The verdict hinged on the judge deciding that their reckless state of mind and grotesque over-valuation of their driving ability amounted to "limited willful intent" to kill.

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But Germany's highest criminal court overruled the life sentences in January, agreeing with defense attorneys that the drivers hadn't intended to commit murder, Deutsche Welle reported at the time. The case was re-tried as expected, and a regional Berlin court ruled Tuesday that the men were in fact guilty of murder. "The accused had trivially played with the lives of others," the presiding judge said. Germany has added a new law that fatal illegal car races are punishable by up to 10 years in prison, but that can't be added retroactively to this case. (Read more drag racing stories.)
(Newser)  The United Nations is deploying crime-scene investigators, human rights officers, and a child protection expert to central Mali to investigate intercommunal violence over the weekend that killed more than 150 people, one-third of them children. Spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani of the UN human rights office says the massacre in Ogossagou, in Mali's Mopti region, mostly targeted people from the ethnic Fulani, or Peuhl, community, the AP reports. At least 154 people were killed and dozens more injured.

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Shamdasani says the "horrific attacks" signal a "spike in killings" in a cycle of violence in the region that has caused 600 deaths and displaced thousands since last March. She says the attacks appeared to be motivated by an effort to eliminate violent Islamic extremist groups active in Mali, but that "millions of people are being painted as violent extremists simply because they are Muslim." The head of an ethnic Dogon militia blamed for the massacre denies that his fighters were involved in the gruesome attack. Human Rights Watch has said that Youssouf Toloba's ethnic militia, known as Dan Na Ambassagou, has been implicated in scores of deadly attacks over the past year. (Read more Mali stories.)
(Newser)  A teenager who pushed her friend off a 60-foot bridge in Washington state last summer is going to jail despite a deal with prosecutors. Tay'Lor Smith, 19, was ordered by Clark County District Court Judge Darvin Zimmerman to spend two days in jail and 38 days on a county work crew, NBC reports. "I think you need to do some jail time," he told Smith after hearing from several people involved in the case, including friend Jordan Holgerson, who suffered six broken ribs and punctured lungs in the fall at a popular swimming area in Moulton Falls Regional Park. Smith pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment last week after a state prosecutor agreed not to recommend jail time.

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Holgerson, who was 16 at the time of the Aug. 7 incident, testified that she was "terrified" as she fell through the air and she thought she was going to die as rescuers pulled her from the water. Holgerson's mother told the court that she believed Smith should spend three days in jail, which is as long as her daughter spent in the hospital, ABC reports. "Taylor pushed her, she did not rush down to see if Jordan was OK, she left the scene," Genelle Holgerson said. "She did not show up at the hospital to check on Jordan. She did not stop by our home to see if she was OK or in any other way act like a friend." A tearful Smith apologized in court for the "pain and humiliation I have caused by my mindless actions that occurred last summer." (Read more Jordan Holgerson stories.)
(Newser)  A bear that killed a woman and her baby daughter in Canada's Yukon Territory in November was so desperate for food that it had eaten a porcupine, whose quills badly injured its digestive system, authorities say. Gordon Hitchcock, Yukon's chief conservation officer, said there was nothing Valerie Theoret could have done to prevent the rare predatory attack, the CBC reports. He said the starving 18-year-old male grizzly did not have enough body fat to hibernate. Heather Jones, Yukon's chief coroner, said at a Wednesday news conference that the bear had apparently followed snowmobile tracks to the remote cabin where Theoret, 37, lived with trapper husband Gjermund Roesholt.

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Jones said tracks suggest that the bear hid in branches near a trail and attacked Theoret and her 10-month-old daughter Adele, who was in a carrier on her mother's back, as they walked by, the BBC reports. She said the mother and daughter were killed almost instantly. Roesholt shot the bear dead after it charged him when he returned from checking a trapline. He found the bodies of his wife and daughter nearby. Hitchcock described Roesholt and Theoret, a teacher who was on maternity leave, as "an experienced pair of backcountry users" who made sure there was nothing around the cabin that would attract bears. "Our investigation shows that more than anything else, this was an unfortunate tragedy and that little could have been done to prevent it," he said. (Read more bear attack stories.)
(Newser)  A woman once held by the Taliban detailed in court the abuse she says she suffered in captivityat the hands of her husband, not the Taliban. Caitlin Coleman testified Wednesday in Canada in the trial of Joshua Boyle, her now estranged spouse who faces 19 charges, reports the CBC. The pair were captured while in Afghanistan in 2012 and freed in 2017. While in captivity, Coleman says Boyle would regularly choke, slap, spank, punch, and bite her, saying she should enjoy the pain because it made him happy. The US-born Colemanwho first met Boyle in person at age 20, four years after the start of an online relationshipalso said her husband would often talk "casually" about killing her, reports the Ottawa Citizen.

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She added that "probably the darkest period of my whole life" was her final two years in captivity, during which Boyle confined her to a small bathroom for entire days. Though Coleman hoped the situation would improve with their return to Canada in October 2017, she says it didn't. Indeed, the 33-year-old told the court that Boyle hit her in the face while forcing her to strip naked and swallow three anti-depressant pills at an Ottawa hotel on Nov. 5, 2017, to prevent her from leaving him. "I knew that if I didn't, he would hit me harder," she said. Coleman's testimony is to continue into Friday. The identity of a second alleged victim of Boyle, 35, is hidden by the court, per AFP. (Read more Joshua Boyle stories.)
(Newser)  The FTC took a step this week in cracking down on the widespreadand annoyingproblem of illegally spamming robocalls. The agency stopped and fined four prolific robospamming operations, which had been using automatic dialers to flood customers with billions of predatory calls, reports Gizmodo. The FTC announced that Higher Goals Marketing, Veterans of America, Pointbreak Media, and NetDotSolutions agreed to settle up over alleged robocall schemes. One (NetDot) had been responsible for over a billion calls a year, according to the FTC. Veterans of America had allegedly been scamming people into donating to the fake charity, even securing boats and cars that were then sold.

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"Its a noteworthy step, but its only one small piece of solving the robocall problem," writes Adi Robertson of the Verge. The court order imposed millions of dollars of fines on the four companies, which had been aggressively pitching everything from auto warranties to home security systems. Pointbreak's robocalls suggested the company represented Google, and the calls warned businesses that their search results might suffer unless they paid a sum. (John Oliver was doing some robocalls of his own.)
(Newser)  A Seattle bus driver is being hailed as a hero for getting his passengers to safety during a chaotic shooting incident in the city Wednesday despite having been injured by gunfire. Police say the gunman opened fire on motorists in an apparently random attack in the Lake City neighborhood, the AP reports. Authorities say the attack began when the 33-year-old gunman walked out of his home and shot a woman while trying to steal her car, reports KOMO. He then attacked the Metro bus driven by Eric Stark. "Unprovoked, the suspected gunman fired multiple shots directly through the windshield of the bus," says King County Executive Dow Constantine. Stark, 53, was shot in the torso but was still able to back the bus out of the area and drive to safety before hitting the alarm button.

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Constantine says the driver, who has been with Metro for seven years, "acted heroically in the face of extreme adversity" to protect passengers, the Seattle Times reports. Police say the gunman then fatally shot a 50-year-old man and stole his car. After driving a few blocks, the man collided with another vehicle, killing a 70-year-old man, authorities say. The suspect was taken into custody after a brief standoff. Stark and the woman shot in the first attempted carjacking were hospitalized and authorities say neither victim has life-threatening injuries. "We grieve with the loved ones of those who were taken, and we extend the good wishes and support of our city to those who were injured," Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan said Wednesday night. "I am unspeakably grateful to the King County Metro driver who acted to save lives." (Read more Seattle stories.)
The festival is an annual ASEM event, aiming to enhance connection and cultural exchange, as well as promote the tourism potential of ASEM member countries.

Masni Eriza from the Indonesian foreign ministry said the event features a diverse range of cultural identities, enhancing and encouraging culture exchange among ASEM member states towards boosting mutual understanding among people in the region.

Third secretary at the Vietnamese Embassy in Indonesia Nguyen Do Ngan Giang said the embassy introduced Vietnams land, people, and traditional cuisine at the event.

Within the events framework, discussion sessions and exhibitions were arranged, offering opportunities for participants to connect and understand more about the cultures of ASEM nations.
(Newser)  It's not admitting faulty systems in its 737 MAX planes were the cause, but Boeing has still gone ahead with updates to the aircraft after two crashes in recent months that killed hundreds. The BBC reports the aerospace company has reconfigured anti-stalling software that investigators suspect may have jammed and led to the crashes, as well as made standard a once-optional safety feature that alerts pilots if two sensors in the plane are transmitting contradictory info. The update will take about 60 minutes to incorporate on each plane, and pilots will need to retrain on the upgraded system before they're permitted to bring the plane back up in the air, Boeing executive Mike Sinnett said at a Wednesday press briefing, per CNN.

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"We're working with customers and regulators around the world to restore faith in our industry and also to reaffirm our commitment to safety and to earning the trust of the flying public," he noted. On Capitol Hill Wednesday, two congressional hearings called for more oversight amid criticism that regulators had left much of the system's analysis up to Boeing itself. The Federal Aviation Administration "put the fox in charge of the henhouse," Sen. Richard Blumenthal said, per the New York Times. Meanwhile, in an open letter cited by Stuff, Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg said the company has been "humbled" and is "learning" from the entire experience. (A 737 MAX plane had to make an emergency landing in Florida this week.)
(Newser)  The small kingdom of Brunei is taking its Sharia law to a whole new level next week: Beginning April 3, anyone convicted of having gay sex or cheating on their spouse will be stoned to death, reports the Guardian. The nation in Southeast Asia adopted the strict Islamic code nearly five years ago and has been gradually phasing in new penalties ever since, per CNN. This latest phase, however, is now generating controversy. "The international community must urgently condemn Brunei's move to put these cruel penalties into practice," says Amnesty International.

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Brunei is home to about 430,000 people and most are Muslim, but the new punishments will apply to both Muslims and non-Muslims, reports the New York Times. The newspaper notes that Brunei previously backed off implementing such penalties when it ran into a major international backlash, including from investors. But the oil-rich nation, long ruled by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, appears intent on going through with them this time. Alcohol already is illegal, as is homosexuality itself. (Read more Brunei stories.)
(Newser)  A woman who IDed herself as a "Catholic mother of four sons" called out "a problem that only girls can solve" in a letter Monday to the University of Notre Dame's student newspaperbut her note is having the opposite effect of what she wanted. In her note to the Observer, Maryann White addressed "the legging problem" on the private Catholic campus, saying she first noticed it while attending Sunday Mass. She reprimands young women who wear the "unforgiving garment" and show off their "blackly naked rear ends." White claims that female students who don such dress run the risk of tempting young men. "I'm fretting both because of unsavory guys who are looking at you creepily and nice guys who are doing everything to avoid looking at you," she writes, imploring the women: "Could you think of the mothers of sons the next time you go shopping and consider choosing jeans instead?"

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HuffPost notes her letter sparked instant outrage, as well as protests in which thousands were set to put on their own leggings to push back. One protest organizer tells Today she "wanted to ... make sure that not only is this not about women taking responsibility [for] making men not sin, but also making sure that this doesn't fall into the rhetoric of survivors who are 'asking for it' because of what they are wearing." Per the Washington Post, Heather Piccone, the mom of a young woman who attends Notre Dame, penned a note Tuesday to the Observer, chastising White to stop "sexualizing everything" and instead "raise your son to respect women and view them as valuable beyond their bodies." Piccone adds she hopes White's sons keep their shirts on at the beach, because "as a mother [White] should have properly raised her son not to tempt my daughter with his body." (Read more University of Notre Dame stories.)
(Newser)  Rashad James tells the Baltimore Sun that what happened to him March 6 in a Harford County, Md., courthouse was "surreal." But he has now gathered his wits and hired his own legal team, which is calling the incident an example of "lawyering while black." Per NBC News, James, an attorney with Maryland Legal Aid, says he was at a hearing representing an absent client (who has a warrant out for his arrest), and that after that hearing, he was pulled aside by a sheriff's deputy and detained because the deputy thought he was actually the client impersonating an attorney. James pulled out his driver's license to prove who he was, but the deputy didn't think it was legit; James didn't have his bar association ID or business cards on him, though it's not required attorneys carry those, per WBAL.

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Per the complaint he has filed with the sheriff's office against the deputy, James says he was let go after about 10 minutes. "I do not know of any colleagues who have had a similar experience," James, who says he was the only black attorney in the courtroom, tells the Sun. "It was ... one of those unexpected things that I just did not anticipate." Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler says his office is looking into James' bias complaint on what James says was a racially motivated incident. James, for his part, wants a full probe and a mark made in the deputy's personnel file. "I am an advocate who speaks up on behalf of my clients," James says, per NBC. "This was an opportunity to speak up for myself." He notes that he now carries business cards with him. (Read more attorney stories.)
(Newser)  She donated a kidney to a stranger, but that's not the reason Nina Martinez's decision is making international headlines. The 36-year-old Atlanta resident is HIV-positive, and the surgery at Johns Hopkins is the first time anywhere that someone living with the virus has donated an organ, reports FOX 5 Atlanta. The unidentified recipient also is HIV-positive, and both are doing well after the surgery, reports CNN. Over the last three years, surgeons have performed more than 100 organ transplants in which the donor had HIV, but in all those cases, the donor had been deceased, notes the Washington Post. The new milestone could shorten the waiting list for surgery by expanding the list of available organs.

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"I think for me, first and foremost, it's the chance of showing people that I am just as normal as you," Martinez told FOX 5. "I don't think there is any better way, or more powerful way, than to donate an organ." She acquired HIV from a blood transfusion as an infant. Thanks to advances in treatment, the virus is now at undetectable levels in her body, a key reason she was allowed to donate. This is "really a celebration of HIV [medical] care and its evolution," lead transplant surgeon Dr. Dorry Segev told CNN. Both the virus and its treatment can damage kidneys, but a pre-surgery biopsy showed Martinez's to be in healthy shape. (Read more HIV stories.)
(Newser)  Mayor Rahm Emanuel wants actor Jussie Smollett to pay one way or another for allegedly falsely claiming he was the victim of a hate crime. Emanuel wanted Smollett, who was indicted on 16 counts, to face trial, but prosecutors dropped the charges. So Chicago police added up the costs of the investigation and sent Smollett a bill for $130,106.15 the Tribune reports. Repaying the city would acknowledge wrongdoing, Emanual said. "It is a small way of both acknowledging, one, guilt, two, that we spent these resources and the taxpayers deserve" the money back, he said. Smollett's deal with prosecutors called for him to perform two days of community service and forfeit his $10,000 bond. It's not clear what will happen if he refuses to repay the city, but the letter sent to the actor indicates the city can take legal action under Chicago's municipal code.

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Emanuel got specific about the Empire actor can repay the city. "In that memo section (of the check), he can write, 'I'm sorry and Im accountable for what Ive done,'" the mayor said, per USA Today. But Smollett's lawyers responded to Emanuel's plan in the negative: "It is the mayor and the police chief who owe Jussieowe him an apologyfor dragging an innocent mans character through the mud." Meanwhile, in another statement, Michelle Obama's former chief of staff tried to explain her involvement in the case, the AP reports. Tina Tchen said she knows both Smollett's family and the prosecutor. She said she tried to put the state's attorney in touch with the family over "concerns about how the investigation was being characterized in public." (President Trump wants the FBI and the DOJ to stay on the case.)
(Newser)  The largest supplier of bump stocks turned in its entire remaining inventory to be destroyedsome 60,000 devices. Washington state's buyback program was so popular it ran out of money. One dealer held a "Viking funeral" for his last bump stock, pouring a can of beer on it and then melting it down with a flamethrower. A nationwide ban took effect Tuesday on bump stocks, the attachment used by the gunman in the 2017 Las Vegas massacre to make his weapons fire rapidly like machine guns, the AP reports. And on Thursday, the Supreme Court again declined to put the ban on hold. Gun rights groups had asked the court Monday to keep the government from enforcing the ban for now. Chief Justice John Roberts declined one request for the court to get involved on Tuesday and a second request was declined by the court on Thursday. That was the only remaining request.

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How many of the estimated half-million devices believed to be in circulation in the US are still around is anyone's guess, but in the weeks leading up to the ban, there were signs that many were destroyed or turned in as required. Anyone in possession of a bump stock from now on can be charged with a federal offense punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms outlawed the attachments at President Trump's direction after the Las Vegas gunman rained fire from his high-rise hotel suite on concertgoers, killing 58 people in the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history. The administration's ban puts it in the unusual position of arguing against gun rights groups, and is an about-face for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. In 2010, under the Obama administration, the ATF found that the devices were legal. But under the Trump administration, officials revisited that determination and found it incorrect.

(Read more bump stocks stories.)
Fairbanks, AK (99707)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun. High -12F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low near -25F. Winds light and variable.
A Vietnamese delegation led by head of the Vietnam permanent mission to ASEAN Tran Duc Binh, who represents Vietnam at the ACCC, attended the events.

The events spoke highly of positive progress in carrying out the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025 (MPAC 2025). Among 15 initiatives for MPAC 2025s five priority fields, three involving sustainable infrastructure, three on digital creativity, two on trade facilitation are underway.

Meanwhile, seven on transportation, harmonisation of technical standards and facilitation of peoples travel are in preparatory stage.

Partner countries and international organisations pledged to continue assisting the bloc in implementing its MPAC 2025 projects.

With the support of Australia and the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia, two research projects have been basically completed, including the ASEAN Sustainable Urbanisation Strategy and the Study on Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Participation in the Digital Economy in ASEAN.

At present, the World Bank is helping ASEAN build a portfolio of sustainable infrastructure projects based on 40 proposals in the fields of road and railway infrastructure and power grid. In particular, the projects on Ho Chi Minh - Moc Bai highway and southern coastal corridor (the second phase) have been added to the list of priority projects that call for capital.

Connectivity priorities during Thailands ASEAN chairmanship 2019 and 2019 - 2021 Working Plan for MPAC 2025 were adopted.

Accordingly, ASEAN member states will pool resources to build data on roads for commercial use, build a framework to assess the efficiency of supply chain, promote ASEAN tourism via electronic information, and improve regional vocational training.

The meetings highlighted the need to popularise contents and benefits of MPAC 2025 and attract the involvement of the private sector, partner countries, regional and global financial organisations in the process.

Participants agreed to encourage the involvement of ASEAN specialised agencies in MPAC 2025 projects, enhance mechanism of coordination in implementing MPAC 2025 projects and regional connectivity initiatives by partner countries such as China, Japan, the Republic of Korea and India.
Anthony Jenkins-Alexie is escorted out of the courtroom on opening day of his trial Tuesday afternoon, March 26, 2019 in the Rabinowitz Courthouse. Jenkins-Alexie is the Fairbanks man charged with the murder in the shooting death of Fairbank police officer Sgt. Allen Brandt, who was gunned down on a downtown Fairbanks street the night of Oct. 16, 2016 while responding to a report of shots fired.
Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell, left, applauds as Gary Holton, center, presents the dedication plaque to professor Emeritus Michael Krauss, right, during the Michael E. Krauss Alaska Native Language Archive dedication ceremony Friday evening, February 22, 2013 in the Elmer E. Rasmuson Library at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The archives, located on the second level of the library, were renamed in honor of Krauss, a UAF professor emeritus whose support for the documentation of Alaska Native languages has led to the ANLA becoming one of the premier repositories for indigenous language materials in the world. "I'm, of course, overwhelmed and humbled by the scope of this event," Krauss said while speaking to the large crowd of attendees at the dedication ceremony. Krauss's contributions to Alaska Native languages include the founding of the Alaska Native Language Center in 1972, the creation of the first modern language map of Alaska in 1974, the documentation of the Eyak language and the co-editing of a bibliographic catalog for ANLA. The archive, which was started by Krauss in 1960 and houses the collections of language and cultural documentation from the UAF Alaska Native Language Center and from other researchers across the globe, includes more than 15,000 documents and more than 5,000 recordings. In 2009, the archive was established as a distinct entity, allowing a renewed focus on digital preservation and access, while at the same time serving as a repository for the growing body of educational materials being developed by Alaska Native speakers and linguists at the ANLC. Guests and speakers on hand included Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell, Alaska Native Language Center director Lawrence Kaplan, Chair of the Alaska Native Preservation and Advisory Council Walkie Charles, and Athabascan Elder Robert Charlie.
The Daily News-Miner encourages residents to make themselves heard through the Opinion pages. Readers' letters and columns also appear online at newsminer.com. Contact the editor with questions at letters@newsminer.com or call 459-7574.

Community Perspective

Send Community Perspective submissions by mail (P.O. Box 70710, Fairbanks AK 99707) or via email (letters@newsminer.com). Submissions must be 500 to 750 words. Columns are welcome on a wide range of issues and should be well-written and well-researched with attribution of sources. Include a full name, email address, daytime telephone number and headshot photograph suitable for publication (email jpg or tiff files at 150 dpi.) You may also schedule a photo to be taken at the News-Miner office. The News-Miner reserves the right to edit submissions or to reject those of poor quality or taste without consulting the writer.

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The Japanese government plans to have its top spokesperson announce the name for the era of the nation's new emperor next Monday.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga is to make the announcement after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's cabinet endorses the new era name. This will be followed by comments from Abe.

There are no set rules in regard to disclosing the name of a new era. But the government appears to be following the procedures for the era change in 1989, when then-Chief Cabinet Secretary Keizo Obuchi made the announcement.

Suga also customarily discloses decisions made by the cabinet as government spokesperson.

Obuchi read out comments on the era name by then-Prime Minister Noboru Takeshita. But this time, Abe appears set to release his comments on his own.

The change apparently seeks to make clear what Abe hopes the new era will be like.

Meanwhile, the government is making final adjustments to name nine members to the panel that will be shown candidate names prior to the cabinet endorsement.

They include Nobel Prize laureate and Kyoto University professor Shinya Yamanaka.

Two are women. Three are members of the media.

The government earlier appointed multiple scholars to propose names for the new era.

Japan ushers in the new era on May 1 when Crown Prince Naruhito ascends the throne. Emperor Akihito is to abdicate on April 30, bringing the Heisei era to a close.

The name of the new era will be announced one month before it begins.
A man used a knife to slash open his abdomen near JR Ikebukuro Station in Toshima Ward on Thursday, police said, reports NHK

At just past 3:30 p.m., the man, believed to be in his 40s, was found bleeding from his abdomen on the sidewalk in front of an outlet of electronics retailer Bic Camera near the stationas East Exit.

According to the Ikebukuro Police Station, no other persons were injured in the incident. The man was taken to a hospital but his current condition was not revealed.

Police are now investigating whether to accuse the man under the Swords and Firearms Control Law.

Due to its proximity to the station, the sidewalk where the incident took place is typically filled with pedestrians.
The number of people recognized as gangsters by police in Japan dropped to a record-low 30,500 in 2018 amid an intensified crackdown on organized crime, the National Police Agency said Thursday.

The total, including yakuza members and those loosely associated with crime syndicates, fell about 4,000 from the year before, marking the 14th consecutive year of decline, according to the agency tally.

By group, Yamaguchi-gumi was the largest at 9,500 members, while Sumiyoshi-kai had 4,900 and Inagawa-kai had 3,700, the agency report said.

The number of crime syndicate members and associates investigated in crime cases by police reached 16,881 in 2018, down 856 from the previous year. Of that figure, those suspected of violating the stimulants control law accounted for 4,569, while those who allegedly committed bodily harm stood at 2,042 and fraud stood at 1,749.
Khan told Pakistani journalists on March 26 that forming an interim Afghan government would smooth peace talks between US and Taliban officials since the militant group refuses to speak to the current government, according to comments published in The Express Tribune.

The Afghan government was a hurdle in (the) peace process that was insisting that Taliban should talk to it, Khan was quoted as saying.

He also said he had cancelled a scheduled meeting with Taliban leaders because of objections by the Afghan government.

Afghanistan summoned Pakistan's deputy ambassador to discuss the "irresponsible" remarks by Khan, foreign affairs ministry spokesman Sibghatullah Ahmadi said in a series of tweets on March 26.

The Afghan government deemed Khan's statements as "an obvious example of Pakistan's interventional policy and disrespect to the national sovereignty and determination of the people of Afghanistan," Ahmadi said.

US Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad, the chief US negotiator with the Taliban, weighed in on Kabul's side, saying on Twitter that while Pakistan had made "constructive contributions" to the peace process, "Khan's comments did not."

"The future of Afghanistan is for Afghans, and only Afghans, to decide. The role of the international community is to encourage Afghans to come together so they can do so," Khalilzad added.

The Afghan-born US diplomat's comments come amid tensions between Washington and Kabul over Khalilzad's exclusion of the Ghani government from the talks with the Taliban. Khalilzad is pressing the Taliban to hold talks on Afghanistan's political future with a broad spectrum of Afghans, including government officials.

The Afghanistan-Pakistan row marks the third time in just over a month that Kabul demanded an explanation from Islamabad over comments related to peace talks, illustrating the flaring tensions between the two neighbours at a sensitive time.

US and Taliban officials have held recurring talks to end the 17-year war, but the Taliban considers the Afghan government led by President Ashraf Ghani as illegitimate.

Ghani's mandate expires in May, and pressure is mounting on him to step down before the next presidential election, scheduled for September 28. Ghani has rejected the idea of an interim government.
An Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) will take charge of security as the Independent National Electoral Commission holds the s...

An Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) will take charge of security as the Independent National Electoral Commission holds the supplementary gubernatorial election in Adamawa State today.









The exercise is seen as a straight contest between Governor Jibrilla Bindow of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Ahmadu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).









It was gathered that the AIG Zone 3 Yola, Haruna Huzi Mshellia and the Adamawa State Commissioner of Police, Adamu Audi Madaki were on ground to manage security as there was no deployment of additional senior officers from the headquarters so far.









The APC, which had earlier threatened to boycott today election, also made a U-turn saying it will now participate.









Before the March 9 election was declared inconclusive, Fintiri, a former acting governor of the state, who ruled for only three months, had polled 367,471 votes, while Bindow had 334,995 votes.









The result showed that Fintiri was leading with a margin 32,476.









However, ballots cancelled for various infractions amounted to 40,988, making INEC to schedule a rerun in the affected 44 polling units in 28 registration areas.









The rerun was further stalemated following a court case instituted by the Movement for Restoration and Defence of Democracy (MRDD) and its candidate, Rev. Eric Theman, on the grounds that their party logo was not on the ballot, a development which, they said, denied them the right to be voted for by the electorate.









INEC scheduled the supplementary election following the discharge of a court order by Justice Abdul-Azeez Waziri of the Adamawa State High Court which restrained the commission from conducting the poll.









The partys Publicity Secretary, Muhammad Abdullahi confirmed their readiness to participate in the election involving 44 polling units across 28 wards in 14 local government areas.









I told you we are participating in the election tomorrow (today). I dont want further questions, the official said.









But the State Organising Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Ahmed Lawal, who shed light on their level of preparations, called on their supporters to go out and vote.









He told the newsmen in Yola that the party reviewed its earlier decision to boycott the poll and had resolved to fully participate in the poll.









He, however, said that despite the INECs refusal to heed their call for a re-schedule, the APC would still win the election.









Our earlier boycott threat was not out of fear, but to encourage participation by other political parties who had been taken unawares by the date for the supplementary election.









To us, we will participate and win the re-run even as INEC has refused to rescind its decision to hold the re-run tomorrow, he said.









Adamawa is an APC state, and with the developmental strides recorded by Gov. Mohammed Bindow, it is a sure qualification for winning an election, Lawal said.









In a press release issued yesterday, the PDP chairman in the state, Barrister Tahir Shehu, called on voters to come out en mass and exercise their right to vote candidates of their choice.









The PDP, however, accused the leadership of the ruling APC of plotting to hire thugs from Kano and Kaduna to disrupt todays supplementary election.









He alleged that two governors from the North West had promised to assist the Adamawa APC to manipulate the process of the re-run to ensure victory for Governor Bindow.









The statement, therefore, advised voters to remain calm and ensure they exercised their right to vote for candidates of their choice.









In a swift reaction, however, the APC Publicity Secretary said the statement had exposed the evil plot of the PDP toward the election.









God has exposed them; they are telling Adamawa people what they want to do. As a party, we never used thugs, but the PDP has the history of using violenceWe have no state other than Adamawa, so we pray for peace, he stated.









Meanwhile, the Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC, Barrister Kassim Gaidam, said the commission was fully prepared for the exercise as staff and materials had been deployed.








Dr Francis Nwufoh Administrator of WhitePlain British School Abuja who petitioned the House of Representatives Committee on Public Peti...

Dr Francis Nwufoh Administrator of WhitePlain British School Abuja who petitioned the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions on alleged forgery of documents for the take over of the school by First Bank of Nigeria over failure to repay a loan of N630 million has said that the bank defence lawyers told him point blank that they borrowed N2 billion to fight him on the matter.









Nwufoh who appeared for the third time alongside the First Bank defence team had lamented that despite the fact that he had paid a substantial part of the money in dispute, the bank is hell-bent on taking over the school.









He told the House Committee that he didnt sign any mortgage for the loan and added that he had paid a substantial part of the amount in question which is set to expire in June 2019.









The petitioner said that out of the total sum of N630 million, he had paid N310 million in two years out of the five years which is the expected period of the loan expiration.









But the First Bank defence team led by Mr. Bola Olotu Esq said that the petitioner wrote to the bank severally to borrow the said sum in other to finish the school building project.









The Committee Chairman Hon. Uzoma Nkem Abonta who was represented by Hon Simon Arabo a committee member told the parties that they are still looking at the documents to decipher the truth in the whole matter.








President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan pose for a group photo with French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron at a see-off ceremony in Paris on March 26, 2019. Xi Jinping ended his state visit to France on March 26. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's first overseas visit in 2019 has elevated China's ties with Italy, Monaco and France to a new level, and injected new impetus into China-Europe comprehensive strategic partnership, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said.

When the world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, Xi's Europe tour, hailed by the international community, is dedicated to deepening partnership for cooperation, improving global governance, and upholding multilateralism, which shows China's sense of responsibility as a major country, Wang said.

In six days, the Chinese president attended over 40 events during his visit to five cities including Rome, Palermo, Monaco, Nice and Paris, Wang noted, adding that it is a trip of friendship, cooperation and exploration that has delivered fruitful results.

FRIENDSHIP &MUTUAL BENEFIT

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the China-Italy comprehensive strategic partnership, and next year will witness the 50th anniversary of China-Italy diplomatic relations.

At meetings with Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, Xi agreed with them to further intensify high-level exchanges, consolidate political mutual trust, and elevate bilateral relations, Wang said.

This year marks the 55th anniversary of China-France diplomatic ties. During their meetings, Xi agreed with French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Edouard Philippe to forge a more solid, stable and vibrant China-France comprehensive strategic partnership, and continue to explore the way for major countries to get along with each other, which should feature independence, mutual understanding, foresight, mutual benefit and win-win outcomes, Wang said.

In the joint statement issued by China and France on jointly safeguarding multilateralism and improving global governance, the two sides pledged to build international relations of mutual respect, equality, justice, and win-win cooperation on the basis of respecting international laws and the basic principles of international norms, Wang said.

Speaking of Xi's visit to Monaco, Wang said leaders of the two countries have agreed to firmly stick to the correct direction of bilateral relations, adhere to openness and cooperation, and pursue more win-win results so as to jointly elevate the China-Monaco relations into a new era.

During Xi's talks with Prince Albert II, head of state of the Principality of Monaco, the Chinese president said both sides should adhere to openness and cooperation and pursue more win-win results, adding that China welcomes Monaco to actively participate in the joint development of the Belt and Road.

BUILDING BELT &ROAD, DEEPENING PRACTICAL COOPERATION

Wang hailed Italian government's forethought and pragmatism over its decision of endorsing the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), saying Xi and Mattarella agreed that China and Italy, which are at the two ends of the ancient Silk Road, are natural partners in constructing the Belt and Road.

Conte, according to Wang, said the BRI will bring great opportunities to Italy. He also agreed to attend the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation to be held in Beijing next month.

France is one of the earliest European countries that have expressed the willingness to take part in the BRI cooperation. During Xi's visit to France, the two countries signed agreements on the third round of the BRI-related demonstration projects in third-party markets and kicked off a third-party market fund, Wang said.

At the closing session of a global governance forum co-hosted by China and France, Macron said the BRI is significant and can play an important role in world peace, stability and development, adding that the EU could align its development strategy with the BRI in an innovative way and jointly promote Eurasian connectivity.

PROMOTING CHINA-EU TIES

Following his visits to Spain and Portugal in late 2018, Xi came to Europe again in his first overseas trip this year, manifesting the great importance China attaches to Europe, Wang said.

In a world of unprecedented transformations, Xi noted that a stable, strategic and reciprocal China-EU relationship is urgently needed.

Wang said during his visit, Xi had in-depth communication with the European leaders to discuss cooperation in international issues and reached important consensus of adhering to multilateralism, and discarding isolationism and unilateral moves.

He also said Xi and the European leaders agreed to enhance coordination and cooperation within the UN system, give full play to the constructive role of global and regional multilateral mechanisms such as the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and Group of 20 and the EU, and actively contribute to solving international conflicts, combating climate change and promoting sustainable development.

In his keynote speech at the global governance forum, Xi raised "four deficits" in global affairs including governance deficit, trust deficit, peace deficit and development deficit. To address these deficits, he proposed a four-pronged approach of fairness and reasonableness, consultation and understanding, joint efforts and mutual assistance and mutual benefit and win-win results.

It is advisable to pursue an innovation-driven, well-coordinated and inter-connected, and fair and inclusive approach and forge a growth model of vitality, a cooperation model of openness and win-win results, and a development model of balance and common benefits, so that people from across the world could share the benefits of economic globalization, Xi said.

SHARED OPPORTUNITIES

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Wang said.

During his visit, Xi, based on China's just-concluded Two Sessions earlier this month, illustrated to the European leaders the fine performances of the Chinese economy which had overcome multiple challenges in 2018.

Wang said Xi also introduced the newly-adopted foreign investment law, emphasizing that it is necessary to use legal means to better protect intellectual property rights and attract foreign investment.

Xi pointed out that China will continue to push forward all-round reform and opening-up, promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, so that European friends can better share China's development opportunities.

The European leaders said they are glad to see a greater development in China, and the EU welcomes China's willingness to share its development opportunities.

Chinese enterprises are welcome to invest in European countries, said the European leaders, adding that they will not adopt restrictive measures against specific companies, and are willing to provide a fair, open and transparent business environment for all foreign enterprises.

During the visit, Peng Liyuan, Xi's wife, also attended a number of events aimed at deepening cultural and educational exchanges between China and the European nations.

As a special envoy of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for the advancement of girls' and women's education, Peng was invited to visit the headquarters of the UNESCO in Paris.

Wang said Peng's visit highlighted China's image of a hardworking, responsible major country that actively participates in international education, gender equality and other affairs.
Suspected Boko Haram insurgents are currently burning houses in Gatamwarwa ward, Chibok local government area of Borno state. The ...





Suspected Boko Haram insurgents are currently burning houses in Gatamwarwa ward, Chibok local government area of Borno state.





The insurgents came in around 5pm through Askira, shooting sporadically leaving many villagers running for safety.





They came in tens of motorcycles. They started shooting and setting houses ablaze, a resident said.





Gatamwarwa is about 19 kilometres away from Chibok town.





Sources revealed that troops from 117 battalion in Chibok and 115 battalion in Askira have moved in to repel the attack.





In December, the insurgents attacked Makalama, another village in Gatamawarwa ward. Bwalakia villagers were also attacked three days after the Makalama attack, burning houses and leaving villagers stranded.





They looted and burnt everything we have. We dont have what to eat and we dont have where to sleep, one of the victims said.





In November, Abubakar Elkanemi, shehu of Borno, had said the people of the state were still under Boko Haram siege.




The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has lashed out at President Muhammadu Buhari over the 2019 and previous budg...

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has lashed out at President Muhammadu Buhari over the 2019 and previous budget estimates and procedure.









Dogara in his opening remarks at a public hearing on the 2019 budget said the budgets over the years have only reflected the selfish wish of its drafters.









He said the budgets have repeatedly excluded national values and interests.









He also criticised the late submission of budgets to the National Assembly by the Executive.









Over the years, the main problem with our budget as submitted by the Executive is that it does not reflect national values and priorities. The budget, more often than not, only reflects the values and priorities of those who help the president in drafting it. The integrity of the project selection process has always been the bane of our national budgets. I regret to say that until we eliminate these problems, we will always have non-implementable national budgets which cannot be relied upon by policymakers in establishing spending priorities, he said.









Dogara bemoaned a situation whereby budgets only mutter less than average performance. He exonerated the National Assembly from delays in the passage of budgets.









It is very painful that for some years now, our budget process has been an exercise in either or a combination of audacious optimism and/or hypocrisy involving key actors putting together a budget that they fully know will at best be implemented up to 45 per cent, which is by all standards below average.









How many of us will be proud of a child who consistently performs below average in his exams? How many of us here are proud of our below average budget performance all these years? Our below average budget performance is the main reason why Nigeria has remained a major promise as our national potentials cannot be realised without effective budget planning and execution.









The budget is the most important law that is passed yearly, consequently, no parliament anywhere in the world rushes it. Let me re-emphasise that this parliament can never be a rubber stamp and neither are we prepared to surrender our constitutionally assigned rights of checks on the Executive.









It is unfortunate, however, that many commentators always ignorantly accuse the National Assembly of delaying the Appropriations Bill as if we are meant to urgently rubber stamp whatever budget estimates that is submitted to us by the Executive. If we fail to scrutinise the budget proposals, it will not only amount to an abdication of our constitutional responsibilities as legislators but a betrayal of the mandate of our constituents.









Let me also add that it is very unfair for the Executive to consistently and repeatedly blame the National Assembly of delaying passage of the budget while failing to address the issue of late budget submission on its part. The Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007, provides that the Appropriations Bill be submitted not later than September of the preceding year which will give the parliament ample time to process the document and pass it in good time.









Unfortunately, the 2019 Appropriations Bill was submitted on December 19, 2018, just 12 days to the end of the year and the earliest time an Appropriation Bill has ever been presented to the National Assembly in this dispensation was on November 7, 2017.









He urged the executive to honestly and diligently implement the 2019 budget.









Earlier, the chairman Senate Committee on Appropriation, Danjuma Goje, said the public hearing was important to promote an all-inclusive and active participation in the process of passage of the 2019 budget.








A federal high court in Awka, Anambra state capital, has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to prosecute Ife...





A federal high court in Awka, Anambra state capital, has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to prosecute Ifeanyi Ubah, senator-elect of Anambra-south and M.N Umenweke, the returning officer, over criminal allegations levelled against them in the February 23 election.





The order came following an application sought from the court by Chris Uba, senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the district.





Uba had, among others, asked for A further order of mandamus compelling the 1st Respondent to prosecute the second ( Prof MN Umenweke) for announcing or publishing a false result to the effect that the 3rd Respondent had won the election held on the said 23/2/2019 even when they both knew that the said election was inconclusive and from which no genuine result had thereby been generated.





In the order, I.B Gafai, the judge, asked the INEC to conduct investigation into the matter within 14 days for the purpose of prosecuting the respondents.





Upon the honourable court having delivered a considered judgement today, it hereby ordered as follows: The 1st Respondent (INEC) shall within 14 days from today conduct or cause investigation into the criminal allegations of the Applicant (Chris Uba), the judgement read in part.





Prosecute, if the investigation result so warrants, the third Respondent ( Ifeanyi Uba) and any other person(s) implicated in its investigation.





Where it considers it inexpedient to prosecute through its legal officers, consider at its liberty, the appointment of the Applicants solicitors in this suit for the purpose of such prosecution.





Ubah won the senatorial election under the platform of the Young Peoples Party (YPP) but defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday.




The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday cleared air on its decision to withhold certificate of return from Gov....

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday cleared air on its decision to withhold certificate of return from Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo and three others.





Mr Festus Okoye, INEC National Electoral Commissioner, Information and Voter Education, said the decision does not amount to shifting goal post at the middle of a match.





He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Awka that INEC only issues certificate to people who genuinely won elections.





Issuance of certificates of return is a statutory function of INEC, it is only issued to those who won election and must be done through free will of a returning officer.





In the case of Imo West Senatorial zone where Okorocha contested, the Otu-Opi Federal Constituency in Benue, Agayi State Constituency and another in Akwa Ibom, what INEC is saying is that you cant engage in bad electoral behaviour and expect INEC to reward you with a certificate.





Our certificate is only for those who won freely, he said.





Okoye said the commission has the right not to issue certificate to such persons as it would amount to abnormality.





He said INEC action is not targeted at the voters who voted people of their choice, but to address excesses of those who wanted to use unconventional means to win elections.





Once we have such case, INEC will not issue certificate, but ensure that the right thing is done, he said

He said at the moment that contenders of the positions in all the four affected areas are in court adding that INEC is awaiting for the outcome of the pending matters.





Okoye said if the court orders INEC to issue certificates of return to the people involved, it would do same.




The Lagos State Government on Thursday cautioned parents not to pay any fee or levy for the Junior Secondary School (JSS3) Basic Educati...

The Lagos State Government on Thursday cautioned parents not to pay any fee or levy for the Junior Secondary School (JSS3) Basic Education Certificate Examination for students in the state.









Mrs Adebunmi Adekanye, Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Education, said this on Thursday in Alausa while reacting to alleged extortion from parents whose children would be sitting for the examination.









Adekanye said the state government had paid the fees of all students sitting for the examination in the state.









According to her, JSS3 students sitting for the BEC examination in the state should not pay any money to anyone under any guise, as all fees relating to the examination have been fully paid by the state government.









She warned public officials to desist from extorting money from parents under various guises which included payment for practical examinations.









She said anyone caught in the act would face the consequences of their action.









Adekanye said that in furtherance of the free education policy of the state government, all fees for all terminal examinations such as BECE and West Africa Senior School Certificate of Education were fully paid by the government.









She said the gesture was to ease the burden on parents as well as create equal opportunities for all qualified students to sit for the examinations and prove their mettle, irrespective of the circumstances or financial position of their parents.








Mrs Esther Zakaria, the Clinical Officer, Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria (PPFN), an NGO, says 75 per cent of cancer can be pre...

Mrs Esther Zakaria, the Clinical Officer, Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria (PPFN), an NGO, says 75 per cent of cancer can be prevented through early detection.









Zakaria said this at the beginning of a two-day free cervical cancer screening and family planning for 250 women in Kaduna on Thursday.









She described the screening and treatment of precancerous lesions as the best possible protection against cervical cancer.









The screening is taking place at some selected primary healthcare centres in the state.









The official and Leader of the group said cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of death among women in the country, adding that it is targeting zero level reduction to be achieved through screening.









Cervical cancer occurs commonly in women over the age of 30 and is the second most frequent cancer among women in the country after breast cancer.









The cancer is caused by the human Papiloma virus and is transmitted through sex and it can cause an infection in the cervix (the neck of the womb); the infection can change the cervix cells into pre-cancer cells.









Most cells with early pre-cancer changes go back to normal on their own and if detected can be treated, but if they are not found and treated the pre-cancer cells can lead to cancer, she said.









She stressed the need for women to go for early screening and detection of cervical cancer.









Zakaria said one of the most common symptoms of cervical cancer is abnormal bleeding, but in some cases, there may be no obvious symptoms until cancer has progressed to an advanced stage.









The early stages of cervical cancer may be completely asymptomatic vaginal bleeding, contact bleeding and also moderate pin during sexual intercourse and vaginal discharge, she added.









The officer in charge of the facility, Mrs Rahab Jacob, said the screening was to give the community the opportunity to carry out routine medical checks in order to detect cancer early enough and commence treatment.









According to her, the health of an individual is one of the most essential prerequisites for the individual to survive and carry out his or her duties effectively and efficiently.









She emphasised that the cost of the service could be unimaginable if the health of an organisations personnel and their families are neglected.









Jacob urged women to take advantage of the facilities provided in order to remain cancer-free, noting that the prevalent rate of cancer, especially among women, is alarming.









She said that awareness and screening programmes are the first of its kind in the health facility.









According to her, the exercise is aimed at increasing peoples knowledge on cancer risk and prevention and increasing access to free affordable cancer screening to enable victims to have early detection, prompt diagnosis and proper treatment.









A beneficiary of the exercise, Mrs Ramatu Andy, commended PPFN for organising the event, describing it as timely.









She noted that her pastor last week announced in the church about the cervical screening and encouraged all women to participate.









I am impressed with the turnout of women, she said.








Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo says a team of 63 fingerprint experts, including 50 from the UK police, worked to help the then Action Co...





Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo says a team of 63 fingerprint experts, including 50 from the UK police, worked to help the then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) reclaim some states that were allegedly rigged by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2007.





He listed the states as Osun, Ekiti, Ondo and Edo. Only Ondo that was not under the control of ACN then but Bola Tinubu, then the leader of ACN, had used his influence in assisting Olusegun Mimiko, a former governor of Ondo, to take the state from the PDP.





Mimiko belonged to the Labour party at the time. He later defected to the PDP.





Speaking at the 11th colloquium of Bola Tinubu, a national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the vice-president said Tinubu told him that they needed to prove that there was case of over voting.

In 2007, when our party, then ACN, was rigged out of elections in Osun, Ekiti, Ondo and in Edo state. He invited me to his residence at bourdillion and he said the only way we can possibly reclaim the states that was taken away from us is going through the courts.





He said the only is by proving that there was multiple voting. Meaning that a few people singlehandedly thumb-printed ballot papers, dumped them into ballot boxes and they were counted in favour of the opposition, the PDP, he said.





He said the only we can do this  he said I dont know how you will do this  but some how proving that their is evidence that this is what happened.





I said Asiwaju, nobody has ever proven that in an electoral case and I said what is even more is that there are over a million ballot papers, how can we prove it? He said that was his view and I should look for a way of sorting this out.





So I went to to the UK and met with possibly the most experienced [expert] in the entire UK. When I told the enormity of the problem, he laughed and almost fell off his chair. He said in all his experience as a finger print expert he has not done up to 4000 prints and you are now saying I should come and do 1.3 million finger prints. That was a Thursday and he called me back on Monday and he said lets talk again about this. And we did, and somehow we found a way.





We used a bit of technology. Most importantly we were able to get finger print experts. In the end, we hired 63 finger print experts, 50 of them were from the UK police. Asiwaju had to persuade the authorities to release them all together 63 police men  they were working for almost six months.





We were able to put together a strong forensic case that showed that that the places that were defeated it was on account of multiple voting. To cut the long long story short, one by one, we were able to get the states taken from us.




The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC on Thursday presented certificate of return to the Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Ru...

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC on Thursday presented certificate of return to the Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai and all 34 House of Assembly Members.









The event took place at the Commissions secretariat located at Unguwar Rimi GRA in the presence of INEC National Commissioner In-charge of Plateau, Niger, Abuja and Kaduna State, Professor Antonia Okoosi- Simbine and other top government officials in the state.









She said elections in Nigeria are improving and becoming more and more competitive looking at how the elections were conducted.









She also lamented on the level of violence witnessed in some states during the elections as she commended Kaduna residents for conducting peaceful polls.









Let me congratulate Ahmed Nasir El-Rufai the sitting governor of Kaduna state who is also the Governor-elect, I believe that your election is a referendum in which the people of the state passed a vote of confidence in you, she said.









The INEC official also commended the lawmakers-elect from the 23 local government area of the state.








The Osun State Governor, Gboyega Oyetola and the All Progressives Congress, APC, have appealed the Election Tribunal judgement that decl...

The Osun State Governor, Gboyega Oyetola and the All Progressives Congress, APC, have appealed the Election Tribunal judgement that declared Ademola Adeleke winner of the 2018 governorship election in the state.





Oyetola asked the Court of Appeal in Abuja to reverse the majority judgment delivered last Friday by the tribunal.





The tribunal had, by a majority judgment of two members, voided the election of Oyetola, and declared Adeleke winner.





In a 39-ground notice of appeal filed by their team of lawyers, led by Wole Olanipekun (SAN), the APC and Oyetola faulted the majority judgment given by Justices Peter Obiora and Anyinla Gbolagunte.




Rabiu Bichi, chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kano state, says violence pays under the administration of the All Prog...





Rabiu Bichi, chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kano state, says violence pays under the administration of the All Progressives Congress (APC).





The supplementary polls that held in the state was marred by violence.





Abdullahi Ganduje, incumbent governor and candidate of the APC, who was trailing Abba Yusuf, PDP candidate in the March 9 election, won after the supplementary election.





Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Thursday, Bichi dismissed the position of Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) that PDP was behind the violence.

Bichi said it was unfortunate that the organisation took sides with Ganduje and his cohorts whose sponsored thugs perpetuated massive votes buying , ballots stuffing and votes rigging.





By that such posture, BMO and its sponsors have clearly shown that violence pays under the APC led government since those who perpetrate were being rewarded handsomely by INEC as we have witnessed in kano state, he said.





The APC benefitted from thuggery orchestrated by the deputy governor and some of the commissioners.





We make bold to say that nothing could be further from the truth as there are verifiable evidence at the disposal of our agents, election monitors and well meaning citizens of Kano state to prove how the APC and their hired thugs under the watchful eyes of security agents assaulted and disenfranchised our supporters in the desperate bid to keep Ganduje in power at all cost.





It is on record that the state deputy governor, Nasiru Gawuna and the state commissioner for local government, Alhaji Sule Garo were taken into custody for taking the laws into their hands by disrupting the final Collation of results at the Nassarawa local government area collation centre when defeat stared Ganduje in the face.





That uncouth and shameful act provided the alibi to INEC to declare the governorship election clearly won by Abba Kabiru Yusuf inconclusive.





The Gama ward incidence in Nasarawa local government replete with voters intimidation, votes buying and ballot box stuffing, as witnessed in all others local governments provides an ample evidence of Gandujes hypocrisy on the issue.





Bichi said the party would recover the mandate freely given to its candidate.




Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, learns about community-based elderly care services at Xin'an community in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, March 27, 2019. Li was on a tour to south China's Hainan Province during the ongoing Boao Forum for Asia annual conference on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

HAIKOU, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang stressed Wednesday that efforts must be made to better energize market entities and solve difficulties related to development and people's lives.

The country must implement the tasks set out in this year's government work report, further promote reform and opening up, strengthen economic growth momentum, and enhance the people's sense of fulfillment, Li said in a tour to south China's Hainan Province during the ongoing Boao Forum for Asia annual conference.

Visiting a local high-tech company, Li said implementing larger-scale tax cuts, especially in the manufacturing sector, aims to leave more profits to enterprises so they will have more confidence and the ability to develop and create more jobs.

Li warned local tax authorities against arbitrary charges for services, stressing they should ensure that companies enjoy real benefits from tax cuts.

While visiting an elderly care center, he said there is much to be done to develop community-based elderly care, nursery and kindergarten services. "The country should give strong support in this respect."

This year, specific policies will be introduced on housing use, tax relief and other related issues to attract more social forces into the field to provide safe, high-quality and convenient services for the elderly and children, Li said.

In a vocational college, Li told students that the country needs not only high-end scientific research personnel but also highly skilled workers, calling for the cultivation of professionalism and craftsmanship.

"We should deepen the reform of the education system, support enterprises and social forces in running vocational education, and use high-quality human resources to promote high-quality development," Li said.

Speaking highly of Hainan's development achievements, Li said he hopes for greater strides in reform, opening up and innovation, and greater achievements in promoting economic and social development.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, learns about the work on tax cuts at a local high-tech company in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, March 27, 2019. Li was on a tour to south China's Hainan Province during the ongoing Boao Forum for Asia annual conference on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)
British Prime Minister Theresa May (front) speaks during the Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons in London, Britain, on March 27, 2019. British lawmakers on Wednesday overwhelmingly voted to change original Brexit departure date in law to April 12 or May 22 as British Prime Minister Theresa May was in an 11 hour appeal to Tory MPs to back her Withdrawal Agreement. (Xinhua/UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor)

LONDON, March 27 (Xinhua) -- British lawmakers on Wednesday overwhelmingly voted to change original Brexit departure date in law to April 12 or May 22 as British Prime Minister Theresa May was in an 11 hour appeal to Tory MPs to back her Withdrawal Agreement.

MPs voted 441 to 105 in the House of Commons to bring the new Brexit date into law and remove the original plan for Britain to leave the European Union (EU) on March 29.

MPs voted Wednesday night on eight Brexit alternatives as the British government fails in last-ditch bid to halt the process. The voting came after MPs voted to take control of Wednesday's parliamentary business in order to break the current Brexit deadlock.

Brexit chaos continued in the country as MPs fail to find a majority for an alternative to May's Brexit deal.

MPs also voted 160 to 400 to reject to leave the EU with no deal on April 12, and voted 264-272 to reject the proposal that Britain stays permanently in the customs union after Brexit.

Meanwhile, the lawmakers also voted 268-295 to reject the proposal to hold a fresh referendum on Brexit.

Earlier Wednesday, May told MPs that she will quit as prime minister if the British parliament backs her Brexit plan, which was rejected twice by MPs since January.

In appealing to Tory MPs to support her Brexit deal, the prime minister said that she will step down earlier than planned.

Her offer to stand down came in response to calls from a number of her backbenchers for her to name the date of her departure in return for their help in pushing the deal through the parliament.

At least 30 Tory hardline Eurosceptics were later said to still be opposed to May's deal, according to news reports here. If true, it would still appear difficult for Mrs May to get her deal across the line.

The Democratic Unionist Party, which props up May's minority government, still showed no sign of falling in line to support her.

The prime minister did not set a firm date for her departure from the post, but her announcement sets the stage for a Conservative leadership election within the coming weeks or months.
WASHINGTON, March 27 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Russia should pull back its presence in Venezuela, a day after Russia defended its position on this issue.

"Russia has to get out," Trump told the press in the Oval Office where he met with Fabiana Rosales, wife of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido. Trump added that Russia understands U.S. stance "very well."

Earlier Wednesday, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence called on Russia to cease talks with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and said Russia's military move was "an unwelcome provocation."

Two Russian air force planes landed in Venezuela on Saturday, carrying nearly 100 troops and 35 tons of materials, according to media reports.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that the presence of Russian specialists in Venezuela is in line with a military-technical cooperation agreement between the two countries, which does not need the approval of the Venezuelan National Assembly.

Trump also said that the Venezuelan government was under "plenty of pressure right now," noting that "other than military you can't get any more pressure than they have ... all options are open."

The United States has been pursuing a policy of economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation against the Venezuelan government in support of the opposition leader Guaido.

Moscow has condemned Washington's threats against the legitimate Venezuelan leadership, calling them "blatant interference" in Venezuela's internal affairs and a "flagrant violation" of international law.

Venezuela has been plunged into political tension since Jan. 23 when opposition leader Guaido declared himself the Latin American country's interim president and was recognized by the United States and some other countries.
Hong Kong: Environment chief visits Macau

Secretary for the Environment KS Wong today visited Macau to attend the 2019 Macao International Environmental Co-operation Forum & Exhibition (MIECF) and the launching ceremony for the Hong Kong-Macao Special Report under the Fourth National Assessment Report on Climate Change.

Mr Wong first officiated with Macau officials at the opening ceremony of the MIECF and toured booths set up by Hong Kong exhibitors.

He later paid a courtesy call on Secretary for Transport & Public Works Raimundo Arrais do Rosario.

After participating in the official luncheon hosted by the Macau SAR Government, Mr Wong together with Minister of Science & Technology Wang Zhigang attended the special reports launching ceremony.

Mr Wong delivered a speech at the MIECF Green Forum on the theme "New Opportunities in the Eco Bay Area - Creating Green Energy Cities", illustrating Hong Kong's energy policy.

He then went to the Macao Meteorological & Geophysical Bureau to exchange views with officials on decarbonisation policies and experiences in combating climate change and visited an aerosol lidar and radiometer.

Mr Wong also called on Macaus Office for the Development of the Energy Sector and discussed matters related to the feed-in tariff and promotion of renewable energy with Macau officials.

This story has been published on: 2019-03-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
An e-commerce training course for poverty alleviation is held in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, Jan. 11, 2018. (Xinhua/Liu Dongjun)

LHASA, March 27 (Xinhua) -- For the older Tibetans, the memory of bondage and abuse in an era resembling the Middle Ages, and the experience of freedom and prosperity in modern Tibet coexist.

Thursday marks the 60th anniversary of democratic reform that abolished ruthless theocracy and serfdom, and established a socialist system that has seen booming economic, political, religious, cultural and social development on the plateau.

"By abolishing serfdom, a grim and backward feudal system, Tibet was able to establish a new social system that liberated the people and made them the masters of the nation and society, thus ensuring their rights in all matters," says a white paper, titled "Democratic Reform in Tibet -- Sixty Years On," published Wednesday.

Today, the crimson-and-white Potala Palace overlooks Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region, a city that emerged from stifling rule of theocracy and is thriving under the governance of the Communist Party of China.

On Wednesday morning, chilly air traveled through Lhasa. Streets are adorned with red lanterns and brightly-colored flags. Workers set up a grand stage for a celebration Thursday at the foot of the Potala Palace and arranged a sound system to play traditional Tibetan music.

In Lhasa, devout Buddhists, with prayer wheels in their hands, walked in slow steps, while students and white-collar workers hurried on their way to school and the office.

Starting this year, special funding of 300 million yuan (about 45 million U.S. dollars) will be spent on thousands of precious antique books from the Buddhist canon stored at the Potala Palace. The investment is the latest effort to conserve and explore the modern value of the world heritage and icon of Tibetan Buddhism, which was once off-limits palace to the public.

Across the region, Tibet is thriving on a path of rapid modernization, balanced by efforts to preserve age-old traditions, culture and religion.

TURN OVER THE DARK CHAPTER

A region locked by high mountains, Tibet is now home to around 3.44 million people.

It is already the consensus of Tibetologists that the democratic reform, which started in 1959, gave personal freedom, right to serfs' life, human dignity and value to the people, and unleashed immense and consistent productive forces for years to come.

Tibet of 60 years ago was never the spiritual utopia trumpeted in adventure books written by authors from the West.

Wangdu, 70, was born as a serf in Jora Township, Shannan city. "Each day was spent working and working, non-stop," he said.

Wangdu and his family belonged to the 95 percent of the population who were serfs under rule of the upper class, who made up the remaining 5 percent.

Wangdu was 10 when the democratic reform started. His family received 2.6 hectares of land and more than 100 cows. Across the region, 180,000 hectares of land were redistributed in the reforms and serfs were freed from subjugation.

A young herder, he never learned how to farm, but the ownership of property felt refreshing. "I was very keen on learning how to grow crops because they were on my own property," he said.

Now living in a border village in Shannan, Wangdu, wearing a long white beard, owns a hotel and leads a leisurely life. Banking on booming tourism, Wangdu makes more than 1,000 yuan from a single guest who stays for a few days at the hotel.

"Life is treating me well. I can't complain," he said. He likes to wear gold and silver rings, the type of ornaments that he once saw on the fingers of aristocrats.

Like Wangdu, most people who have memories of serfdom are aged 70 or more, and Tibet has distanced itself from its past. But families in Tibet still share the common memory of dire suffering and regard it as the best justification for the need to reform.

Padma Chozin was born in 1959, the same year the reform started, so she never had to sleep near a cowshed and work without pay, like her big brother Tenzin Chophel did.

The siblings' parents lived on an estate that belonged to an official of then Tibetan local government Surkhang Wangchen Geleg. Tenzin Chophel's childhood memories are about constant starvation.

"I had to sleep on top of the bellies of my parents. It was such a small place," he said.

Three days after Padma Chozin was born, the democratic reform started and the herders and farmers association redistributed the serf owner's land and cattle to the public.

After the reform, Tibetans like Padma Chozin refused to accept subjugation as a way of living. Life began to change rapidly for the better.

Padma Chozin was sent to school by her father and at age 16 became the first medical professional in her home of Damxoi Village. She worked for over 30 years as a pediatrician before her retirement five years ago.

Now her extended family has more than 70 people, with different careers such as sanitation workers, teachers, civil servants, entrepreneurs and drivers.

"The democratic reform changed the path of our family. The dark days of the past are long gone but will never be forgotten," she said.

NEW ERA FOR TIBET

In the democratic reform, the central government fully considered Tibet's status as an ethnic and border region with deep religious traditions, said Zhang Yun, director of the Institute of History at China Tibetology Research Center.

In 1965, a system of regional ethnic autonomy came into practice in Tibet to ensure the rights of ethnic groups in political, economic, cultural and social fields.

Tibetan people became masters of their own affairs. According to the white paper, there are 35,963 deputies to the people's congresses at all levels in Tibet. Of them, deputies from Tibetan and other ethnic minority groups account for over 92 percent.

Tibet's local legislature made over 300 regulations on preserving the ethnic language, cultivating ethnic cadres, and ensuring freedom of religion, Zhang said.

One of the bills is to regulate sky burials, a Tibetan tradition in which bodies are fed to vultures and other predatory birds. It is taken as an act of generosity and a ritual that allows the soul to ascend to heaven.

In March this year, Tibet sent 19 delegates and 30 political advisors to the annual sessions of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) and the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

Thubten Khedrup, one of the advisors and an economics professor from Tibet University, has presented nearly 200 proposals both at the regional level and national level since first elected as a political advisor in 1998.

"I'm eager to know more about my hometown Tibet, and hope it becomes better," Thubten Khedrup said. "So finding problems in the development of Tibet and coming up with solutions is how I fulfill my obligation as a political advisor."

Besides a modern economic, political and cultural system that shepherds the development of the region, another boost for Tibet comes from the central government. In the past six decades, the central government has convened six conferences on Tibet.

During the 13th Five-year period (2016-2020), a total of 657.6 billion yuan of central finance was earmarked for the construction of major infrastructure in Tibet.

"No other countries in the world have channeled such huge support for a specific area," Zhang said.

The economic support has served well in solving the conflict between economic development and environmental protection, a priority at the roof of the world, with its fragile natural environment.

Tibet has 47 nature reserves. Economic projects are off-limits or strictly controlled on more than 800,000 square kilometers, roughly two-thirds of the region's land area.

To this day, a modern Tibet is in the making. Agriculture and herding sectors are becoming highly mechanized and modernized. The region's industrial economic volume is expanding. Roads, airports, railways, bridges, and pipelines as part of a highly efficient transport network are established. Tibet is increasing its connection with the rest of the world and opening up.

Tibet is seeking high-quality development. It has prioritized seven industries: the digital industry, plateau biological industry, tourism and culture, clean energy resources, green industry, modern services and border trade. The region targets 30-percent growth in the digital economy this year.

Tibet is full of vigor like never before, said Norbu Dondrup, vice chairman of the regional government, Wednesday.

MODERATE PROSPERITY AND BEYOND

Tsering Yudron, 9, dances breezy steps with playmates at the Qamdo Experimental School. She has little idea about Xiaokang, or a moderate prosperous society, which is China's national target for 2020, but her father Norbu Tsering is adamant that his village has met the target.

Norbu Tsering, 55, is the Communist Party secretary of Tatok Village in Qamdo. Row after row of spacious houses are built up the mountains in his village.

In the past 20 years, people in the village emerged from poverty by working in construction, transport and opening factories to process roasted barley flour. The average income of a family is 12,724 yuan, far above the national poverty line of 2,300 yuan.

"You never have to worry about food or clothes, or lack anything. I think that is prosperity," he said.

Well-off retirees in the village are not hesitant when they purchase items of a personal liking. Tsering Tashi spent 2,700 yuan on a stereo to listen to Tibetan music.

"When I sip a cup of tea and listen to the radio and music, and have nothing to worry about, I think that is what a prosperous life should be," he said.

Last year, 180,000 people in Tibet were lifted out of poverty, bringing the region's poor population down to 150,000 from 860,000 six years ago. The poverty rate lowered to less than 8 percent. Industries are being developed to create jobs and bring sustainable earnings for rural people.

The Drache Village in Nyingchi is known as a village of truck owners. Over 80 percent of households own trucks and lease them for logistical use. A village-owned company makes concrete slabs and other construction materials. Each family receives as much as 300,000 yuan in dividends per year.

Rural Tibetans who used to depend on herding and hunting are hired in environmental protection jobs.

Danyaan, 43, in the Nanyi Lhoba ethnic autonomous township in Nyingchi, was a hunter until he was 16 years old. Now he is a forest ranger patrolling near Nanyi scenic spot, a popular tourist destination.

"With dividends from the village tour company, and patroller allowances, I make over 100,000 yuan a year," he said.

Moderate prosperity is a target, but it does not mean that people can rest and work no more. Tibet still has a long way to improve the livelihood of the people and advance on the path of modernization, Zhang Yun said.

"Tibet has no shortage of people who have the right knowledge and ability to realize their dreams. Many young people are open-minded with sharp visions. They will bring about more changes in the future," he said.
European Commission rejects hardline position taken by US on cybersecurity

Chinese tech company Huawei Technologies Co said on Wednesday that it welcomes the objective approach of the European Commission's recommendation on 5G security, which did not include a ban on the company's equipment in the next-generation wireless network.

"Huawei welcomes the objective and proportionate approach of the European Commission's recommendation on 5G security. Huawei understands the cybersecurity concerns that European regulators have. Based on mutual understanding, Huawei looks forward to contributing to the European framework on cybersecurity," the Shenzhen-based company said in a statement to China Daily.

"We are firmly committed to continue working with all regulators and partners to make the 5G rollout in Europe a success," said Abraham Liu, chief representative of Huawei to the European institutions, in the statement.

The comments came after the European Commission laid out a broad strategy on Tuesday aimed at ensuring its future 5G networks are secure from cyber threats. Despite the mounting pressure from the United States, which called for a ban on Huawei in the Europe's 5G network, the European Commission left the decision in the hands of the member states.

At the national level, the European Commission said each member state should complete a national risk assessment of 5G network infrastructures by the end of June 2019. At the European Union level, member states should exchange information and complete a coordinated risk assessment by Oct 1, 2019. On that basis, member states would agree on a set of mitigating measures that can be used at national level.

The recommendation said member states have the right to exclude companies from their markets for national security reasons, and possible risks in relation to third-country should be assessed, but did not single out any particular company or country of origin.

Wang Yanhui, secretary-general of the Mobile China Alliance, said the announcement marks another blow to US efforts to discourage its allies from using Huawei, the world's largest telecom equipment maker.

"It shows that the US could not garner support from other countries. It did not offer any factual evidence to support its accusations of Huawei's cyber security risks," Wang said.

Huawei has many partners in Europe which include big-name mobile operators such as Deutsche Telekom, British Telecom, Vodafone, Orange and Proximus.

The Chinese company has more than 12,000 employees in Europe, over 70 percent of whom are hired locally, according to Huawei. In 2018, the company procured goods and services worth $6.3 billion from Europe.

Nick Read, CEO of Vodafonethe world's second-largest mobile operatorsaid at a conference in Spain last month that Huawei's equipment was already in use for 4G purposes in Europe, and barring Huawei will delay 5G in Europe by probably two years.

Despite some challenges Huawei faced in overseas markets, the company has been steadily growing its 5G contracts. Hu Houkun, rotating chairman of the company, said last week in Beijing that so far, Huawei has shipped more than 45,000 5G base stations globally, compared to the figure of 40,000 it reported at the end of February.
BEIJING, March 27 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese have long appreciated the wisdom of "harmony without uniformity."

Harmony is like cooking a thick soup. You need water, fire, vinegar, meat sauce, salt and plum to go with the fish or meat. Who can drink soup with nothing but water in it?

Five years ago, while addressing an UNESCO event in Paris, President Xi Jinping used the above metaphor, along with other stories, to elaborate on his thoughts on why different civilizations should respect each other and live in harmony and why exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations are relevant and valuable.

Over the past five years, China has been working to find out how to make it happen.

When the "zero-sum game" mindset and "winner-takes-all" game prevail, China shows the world the real story in business is not black and white, and win-win results can be realized.

Five years after President Xi revealed his vision for civilization, he on Tuesday reiterated the importance of upholding multilateralism in order to promote international cooperation in addressing common risks and challenges and maintaining world peace and prosperity.

At the Global Governance Forum in Paris, he outlined a four-pronged approach on improving global governance, as he called for fairness and reasonableness to address the governance deficit, and consultation and understanding to address the trust deficit.

r communication and dialogue between different civilizations, in particular, are important to increase mutual understanding and mutual recognition between one another.

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) opens a new path to improve global governance and increase mutual understanding between different civilizations.

As some Western countries move backward by erecting walls, China is working hard to build bridges through this multi-lateral mechanism aiming at advancing inclusive development in infrastructure construction and social development.

So far, more than 150 countries and international organizations have signed BRI deals with China. Italy has just become the first member of the Group of Seven to join the China-proposed initiative.

Italy, which shares long-standing historical and cultural bonds with China forged through the ancient Silk Road, has shown outstanding far-sightedness and pragmatism in choosing to embrace the initiative.

With Italy's entry, the BRI will become more inclusive and generate greater economic gains for its members. What is equally important is the mechanism makes it possible for people of different cultures to increase mutual understanding when they make deals and build roads, railways and seaports.

During President Xi's latest visit to France, French President Emmanuel Macron presented him the original French version of "An Introduction to The Analects of Confucius," which was published in 1688, as a national gift. It testifies to the long-standing cultural bonds between the two nations, which lays a solid foundation for people of today to deepen their relationships.

China has made it clear that it strives to develop itself by upholding and maintaining world peace through its development. This approach can not conceal the differences between China and other countries.

Recognizing differences, however, does not hold China back from living peacefully with others and moving their relationships forward. China will do well only when the world does well, and vice versa.
Photo taken on March 27, 2019 shows the Potala Palace in Lhasa, capital city of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. Tibet has seen significant progress in restoring biodiversity, with a forest coverage rate of 12.14 percent, said a white paper released Wednesday by China's State Council Information Office. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

BEIJING, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Tibet has seen significant progress in restoring biodiversity, with a forest coverage rate of 12.14 percent, said a white paper released Wednesday by China's State Council Information Office.

The population of Tibetan antelopes has grown from 60,000 in the 1990s to more than 200,000 and Tibetan wild donkeys have increased in numbers from 50,000 to 80,000, noted the document, titled "Democratic Reform in Tibet -- Sixty Years On."

Since the Qomolangma Nature Reserve was established in 1988, Tibet has set up 47 nature reserves of all kinds, including 11 at state level, with the total area of nature reserves accounting for more than 34.35 percent of the total area of the autonomous region, the white paper said.

Tibet has 22 eco-protection areas, including one at state level, 36 counties in receipt of transfer payments from central finance for their key ecological roles, four national scenic areas, nine national forest parks, 22 national wetland parks, and three national geoparks, figures showed.

The central government has continued to increase eco-compensation for Tibet in return for its cost for protecting the eco-environment and the consequent losses in development opportunities.

The white paper said that since 2001, the central government has paid 31.6 billion yuan (4.71 billion U.S. dollars) in eco-compensation to the autonomous region for protecting forests, grassland, wetland, and key ecological reserves.

Currently the autonomous region has 16.02 million ha of forests (including woodland, shrubland and other types of forestland), with a forest coverage rate of 12.14 percent and a growing forest stock of 2.28 billion cubic meters, according to the document.

The comprehensive vegetation coverage of natural grassland has reached 45.9 percent, the area of natural grassland is 88.93 million ha, and the area of wetland is 6.53 million ha.

The number of black-necked cranes has grown from 3,000 to 8,000, and wild yaks from 7,000 to 10,000 in Tibet, the white paper said.

Currently all the major rivers and lakes in Tibet remain in their natural state, 95.7 percent of key waters have reached the national water standards, 97.5 percent of days are rated as "excellent" or "good" in terms of air quality, and ratings of air quality in the Qomolangma region are being maintained at either "excellent" or "good," with Grade I air quality, it added.
Chinese President Xi Jinpings visit to Monaco would mark a historical moment in the friendship between the two countries, said Jean Castellini, Minister of Finance and Economy of Monaco, in a recent interview with Peoples Daily.

He believes Xis visit is of vital significance for the further development of bilateral cooperation, adding that the two countries have achieved heartening achievements in past and will embrace a brighter future together.

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Monaco, the two countries have seen remarkable development in economic and trade relations. In the past two decades, bilateral trade has grown 11 times, and bilateral cooperation has also been extended from the traditional sectors of tourism and culture to more areas such as mobile communication and high technology.

Castellini said that Monaco has always attached great importance to the economic and trade cooperation with China. Last September, Prince Albert II of Monaco paid a visit to China, and signed a slew of cooperation agreements and intentions, arousing huge attention in the business world of Monaco.

The minister noted that the achievement of visit by Prince Albert II was described as more-than-expected by the Monaco society. He told Peoples Daily that till today he could still receive letters from Monaco companies that hope to further enhance cooperation with China.

He believes that President Xis visit to Monaco will surly push for a new high of China-Monaco economic and trade cooperation.

Despite the second smallest national territory in the world as well as the lack of population and resources, Monaco has created remarkable economic achievements, becoming one of the best-performing countries regarding per capita GDP.

Since the early 20th century, Monaco has undergone successful economic transition and gradually grown into a diversified economy that enjoys all-round development.

Speaking of the characteristics of China-Monaco cooperation, Castellini noted that the two countries share many similarities in economic development despite the huge difference in economic sizes. He said that both countries lay high importance on maintaining political stability and sustainable policies, and take opening-up as the fundamental national policy.

These are what the two countries have in common for their economic success, and also an important foundation for bilateral cooperation, Castellini added.

The minister also shared his view on the potential of bilateral cooperation in the future. The two economies are highly complementary, he said, adding that China is a global leader in infrastructure and high technology, while Monaco boasts outstanding performance in clean energy, environmental protection, and financial services.

In addition, both countries have gained rich experiences during economic transition and diversified economic development, which is conducive to the further promotion of bilateral exchanges and cooperation, the minister added.

Castellini noted that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) proposed by China reflected the countrys determination to open up and its willingness to share its development dividend with the rest of the world.

The government of Monaco has always paid close attention to the BRI, and hopes that both countries could roll out more specific schemes of further cooperation under the BRI framework through President Xis visit, the minister added.
China vows easier market access for foreign investors, on course for greater opening-up

China is on course for a greater opening-up of its economy, which is increasingly becoming a magnet for foreign investment, senior government officials and business executives said over the weekend at a high-profile forum in Beijing.

China's economic development has been achieved through reform and opening-up, and greater opening-up is a must for the economy's future high-quality development, Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng said on March 24 at the opening ceremony of the annual China Development Forum (CDF) at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse.

The CDF, hosted by the Development Research Center of the State Council, the cabinet of China, has gained increasing attention in recent years for its gathering of high-ranking government officials and top industry executives.

A confluence of voices pledging greater opening-up at this year's forum put the nation's deregulation efforts in focus.

The country will unswervingly boost imports and continue to reduce tariffs, Han said, noting that the push for easing market access for foreign investment will continue, the negative list of investment will be shortened further and wholly owned foreign ventures will be allowed in more sectors, among wide-ranging opening-up efforts.

The opening of the country's financial sector seems to have been particularly fast-paced in recent years.

Theres apparent progress on foreign-invested financial institutions making inroads into the Chinese market, Yi Gang, governor of the Peoples Bank of China, the countrys central bank, said at the forum.

In a fresh move, Bank of Beijing, one of the countrys largest city commercial banks, announced on March 21 that a wholly owned subsidiary of Dutch ING Group will set up a joint venture with the bank in which the ING unit will hold a 51 percent stake. If approved, the the country will see its first foreign-controlled lender.

Yi vowed that China will continue to pursue opening of the financial services sector, giving equal treatment to both Chinese and foreign institutions in areas including shareholding.

Quicken the pace

It's a good time to quicken the pace of financial opening in China, Peter Tyroller, a member of the board of management of Robert Bosch GmbH, told the Global Times on the sidelines of the forum.

Still, cautiously considering the risk of opening too fast means being careful while seeing the necessity to open, he said.

A new industry catalog to encourage foreign investment will attract multinational companies to invest in China and set up manufacturing and research and development centers in the country, Ning Jizhe, vice chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission, said at the forum.

Foreign direct investment in China hit $135 billion last year, an indication that the country remains one of the most attractive investment destinations worldwide, according to Ning.

In another sign, the World Bank Group's annual business environment report, released in late October 2018, showed China advancing to a global ranking of 46 from the previous year's 78, which the World Bank attributed to the country's brisk reform efforts.

The crystal-clear opening-up signals apparently provide a boost for foreign investors seeking opportunities in the Chinese market.

Open environment

The investment environment in China has been increasingly open, and the business environment in China is as well improving. These chances provide multinational companies with vast space for their development in China, Leif Johansson, chairman of AstraZeneca, a British-Swedish pharmaceutical and biologics group, told the Global Times.

Johansson also reflected on the newly approved Foreign Investment Law, which was in the spotlight at the forum.

China will ramp up efforts to flesh out the newly passed foreign investment law to protect the legitimate rights of foreign-invested businesses, senior government officials pledged at the CDF.

In a conspicuous attempt to make the country more appealing to foreign investors, Chinas top legislature earlier in March approved the new foreign investment law, which will take effect on January 1, 2020.

The new law demonstrates the Chinese governments attitude and its determination to further open up the nations market, Johansson said, stressing the company believes that the investment environment in China will become more open, fair, transparent and predictable.

Therefore, we will further increase our investment in China, he said.
Kindergarten students play at China-Laos Friendship School in Muang Xay, Laos, March 22, 2019. (Xinhua/Wang Jingqiang)

VIENTIANE, March 27 (Xinhua) -- "Hello, headmaster!" Xu Shunhong, a stocky man from China's Yunnan Province, was greeted wherever people met him in Muang Xay, a major business town in northern Laos.

Since 2006, Xu has been running the China-Laos Friendship School in Muang Xay, the only one in the country that teaches Chinese language and is owned by a foreigner.

"We started with 16 students, including the first and second grade students, (and) two Lao teachers. This school couldn't make much money, so I had to find other ways to bring more income, like running a restaurant, providing certificates services, etc.," Xu recalled.

With the cultural and people-to-people exchanges growing between China and Laos, the school is now seeing more and more students enrolled, up to more than 1,000 at the peak.

"I hope it is able to provide the condition for more Lao people to learn Chinese, so only a low tuition fee is charged by this school," Xu said.

Free training is also available to personnel from local government departments at various levels as it aimed to contribute to local development while serving the Belt and Road Initiative, he added.

Proposed by China in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, aiming at building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient trade routes of Silk Road.

Xu said after graduating from university, he worked in Pu'er, China's Yunnan Province as a teacher.

"During my teaching experience, I came to know some Lao students. In 2005, a traffic accident occurred to these Lao students when they were on their way back to Laos to celebrate the New Year, and some students lost their lives," he said.

That accident prompted Xu to make up his mind to set up a school in Laos to facilitate local students learning Chinese language.

In February 2018, Xu and Zhang Tingjiang, a local Chinese business leader, began a large-scale construction project near the town of Muang Xay, with a plan to invest 25 million yuan (3.7 million U.S. dollars) to upgrade the China-Laos friendship school.

Zhang came to Oudomxay province where Muang Xay is located to do business in 2001, and saw that local students had difficulty in going to school and wanted to help. He told Xinhua that the school now offers tuition waivers for students from the northern provinces of Laos.

"They wanted to help Laos, to make Laos better, to make Lao people understand more Chinese. Schools are not built to make money, but more about teaching students knowledge," said Hongkham Bounphakhom, director of teaching affairs at the school.

"For the infrastructure, this school must be number one here, but for the scale, it's still number two, but we are developing and very confident about the future of this school," she said.

Chanpheng Duangphachan, vice principal of the school, told Xinhua that the school is well-recognized in the surrounding communities, and Lao people from all ethnic groups are willing to send their children there.

Lao government departments at various levels also spoke highly of the school for its contribution to local development and cultural exchanges.

"This might be the most exhilarating and meaningful thing I've ever done! Life should have dreams, goals, and then fight for them!" said Xu.
When spring arrived and everything came back to life, Chinese President Xi Jinping made his first overseas trip in 2019. His state visits improved Chinas bilateral practical cooperation with Italy, Monaco and France.

China, together with the three countries, proved with concrete action that both China and Europe are the constructors of world peace, the contributors of global development, and the guardians of international orders.

They injected strong power to the development of China-Europe ties, and also contributed positive energy to safeguarding multilateralism.

Xis visits mapped out a new blueprint for Chinas bilateral ties with the three countries, and enhanced strategic mutual trust and comprehensive cooperation. They demonstrated the open mind and willingness of China to conduct continuous dialogues with the countries and revitalize traditional friendships, endowing practical cooperation with new connotation, and promoting bilateral ties in the new era to a new height.

Xis visits expressed Chinas sincerity to further enhance strategic coordination and push for healthy and stable development of China-Europe ties. The visits released a positive signal that China and Europe share the same stand on safeguarding multilateralism and opposing protectionism and unilateralism, and further expanded the width and depth of China-Europe practical cooperation. They bore huge significance for the continuous deepening of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Europe.

Sticking to the basic norms of international relations, China and Europe have laid solid foundation of cooperation on international affairs for the long-term stability of China-Europe relations.

To cope with the common challenges and risks faced by human society, the world must keep strategic composure and adopt a long-term view, jointly safeguard the basic principles of the international order centered with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, protect the international system with UN at the core, respect the international law and globally recognized rules of international relations, and stick to the UN Charter.

Sticking to the trade rules, China and Europe have laid solid foundation of economic development for the long-term stability of China-Europe relations.

At present, the world is seeing increasing factors of instability and uncertainty, with emerging trend of unilateralism, protectionism and anti-globalization.

To conform to the historical trend of multi-polarization and economic globalization and to build an open world economy, the world must keep cooperating to tackle common challenges, oppose protectionism and unilateralism in any form, and make global economy strong, open and inclusive.

In addition, the world should also enhance trade liberalization and investment facilitation, safeguard the core position of the World Trade Organization (WTO), support necessary WTO reforms, and make the rule-based multilateral trading system transparent, equal, non-discriminatory, open, inclusive, and beneficial to all.

Making efforts to deepen China-Europe partnerships of peace, growth, reform and civilization, China and Europe have laid solid foundation of strategic mutual trust for the long-term stability of China-Europe relations.

To deepen the China-Europe partnerships of peace, growth, reform and civilization and develop China-Europe comprehensive strategic partnership calls for the two parties to build closer ties in trade and interconnectivity, conduct more practical cooperation, and protect global and regional peace, stability and prosperity with innovation and inclusiveness.

China firmly supports the European integration, as well as the unity and development of the European Union. It is also willing to see a larger role to be played by Europe in international affairs.

Jointly building a new platform for multilateral cooperation, China and Europe have expanded the space for the long-term stability of China-Europe relations.

Increasingly, the Belt and Road Initiative is becoming a popular public goods in the international society. China and Italy inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to jointly advance the construction of the Belt and Road and promote mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields; China welcomes Monaco to actively participate in the joint development of the Belt and Road; France pays great attention to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and is working with China to strive for early implementation of the BRI and third-party cooperation projects.

These efforts are conducive to the expansion of the common interests between China and Europe, as well as the common prosperity and the benefit of the two peoples.

Xi, in the warm spring, has composed a beautiful melody of friendship and a symphony of cooperation.

It is believed that Xis visits, focusing on the historical trend, opportunities of peaceful development, as well as the China-Europe cooperation and innovative development, will definitely promote the healthy and stable development of China-Europe ties.

The visits are expected to usher in new prospects and make new contribution for global peace and development.
Cascades to End Production of Felt Backing for Flooring at Trois-Rivieres Plant March 27, 2019 - Cascades Inc. announced that it will discontinue manufacturing felt backing for flooring at its Lupel plant in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec. In total, 35 employees will be affected by the resulting plant closure, which is expected on or about July 1, 2019. As a result of this decision, Cascades will be permanently withdrawing from felt production for the floor covering market. "Despite efforts to increase sales levels at the plant, the drop in popularity of vinyl flooring and the gradual market shift from felt backing toward fibreglass backing has had a serious negative impact on the plant's operations," said Luc Langevin, President and Chief Operating Officer of Cascades Specialty Products Group. "Unfortunately, the resulting low production volumes mean that the plant is not profitable, a trend that is not expected to reverse given the market outlook. In these circumstances, we unfortunately have little choice but to announce that the plant will cease operating." In the coming weeks, Cascades will offer staff impacted by the closure the possibility of relocating to its other business units. Employees who do not wish to or are unable to relocate to other plants will receive support in their search for other employment opportunities. Cascades is proud of the loyalty and commitment of its Lupel staff, and wishes to thank them in advance for their dedication to continue serving clients until the plant stops operating. The Company is committed to working with every employee to minimize the impact of the closure. Founded in 1964, Cascades produces, converts and markets packaging and tissue products that are composed mainly of recycled fibres. To learn more, please visit: www.cascades.com . SOURCE: Cascades, Inc.
North American Paper: A Sustainable Choice Forest area is stable to growing in North America. The key causes of deforestation are not forestry, but rather agriculture, urbanization, hydro and other industrial development. March 27, 2019 - Two Sides North America recently released a fact sheet outlining key facts and figures about the environmental sustainability of the North American pulp and paper industry. The information was compiled from over twenty different reports, studies, and sources. Below are some of the highlights of the fact sheet: Forest area is stable to growing in North America. The key causes of deforestation are not forestry, but rather agriculture, urbanization, hydro and other industrial development (ex: oil and gas). Sustainable forestry practices, either voluntarily or through regulation, ensure that the majority of harvested areas are replanted to regenerate forests. Nearly half of the globally certified forests are located in North America. Forest certification based on standards such as the Sustainable Forestry Initiative and the Forest Stewardship Council, promotes strong forest management practices which result in economically viable, ecologically sound, and socially just outcomes. Many companies in North America comply with these standards and the forest area certified increases annually. The pulp and paper industry is one of the lowest emitters of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as compared to other major industrial manufacturing industries. This result is due in part to energy efficiency improvements as well as the relatively high use of carbon-neutral biomass (and low use of fossil fuels) in pulp and paper manufacturing. The North American pulp and paper sector is heavily regulated. Pulp and paper mills are continuously improving and reporting environmental performance due to changing and evolving environmental regulations. Many companies also go beyond the required regulations as outlined in annual published sustainability reports. This regulatory framework which helps drive corporate responsibility is also one of the reasons why the U.S. and Canada rank relatively high on the Corruption Perceptions Index (Transparency International) and the Environmental Performance Index (Yale & Columbia Universities). Paper recovery rates in North America continue to be among the highest in the world. At 66% - 70% recovery rate, in the U.S. and Canada respectively, the amount of paper being recycled continues to increase. These rates are significantly higher than other materials and products such as glass, plastic, metals, and electronics. Click here to download and read the entire Fact Sheet (3-page PDF). Two Sides is an independent, nonprofit organization created to promote the sustainability of print and paper. Two Sides is active globally in North America, Europe, Australia, South Africa, and Brazil. To learn more, please visit: www.twosidesna.org . SOURCE: Two Sides North America
Who wears a choker to court? Anna Delvey does. The famed pseudo-socialite grifter glided into Manhattan's Supreme Court yesterday dressed with the perplexing and iconic self-assurance of a true scammer queen. Rather than pander with stark turtlenecks, demure sweaters, clean white button downs or serious suits often donned by the publicly shamed, Anna opted for black chunky hot-nerd girl glasses, a cleavage-baring black sleeveless dress, tights and ballet flats. Her notoriously disheveled red hair was transformed into neat, styled natural brown waves, and dare we say, it suits her! The effect was very sexy viola teacher or PhD student at cocktail hour. It was definitely not your typical courtroom 'fit designed to extract sympathy from onlookers, but then again, she wasn't dressing for an apology.

Anna's defense, according to The Guardian, is that, though her actions might not have been ethical, Anna never meant to scam anybody and was "merely buying time, so she could launch a business and repay her debts." In his opening statement, her attorney Todd Spodek's essentially arguing that Anna's exploits were just business acumen ("Sorokin was exploiting a system that was "easily seduced by glamour and glitz" after she saw how the appearance of wealth opened doors, via The Guardian). Honestly... fair. "Anna had to fake it until she could make it," Spodek said, characterizing her strategies like convincing banks to give her massive loans, faking letters of credit from European banks, leaving hotels with huge unpaid bills, and putting tens of thousands of dollars of expenses on friends credit cards, promising to pay them back. Holy shit, this trial is going to be great TV (it soon will be  both Lena Dunham and Shonda Rhymes have Anna Delvey projects in the works).

Her head-turning, chokered look is actually far trendier and more put together than she ever appeared in her socialite days (her favorite item was supposedly a Supreme hoody. As Garage has pointed out last year, her sloppiness seemed to assure people of her status rather than undermining it, because only the rich and powerful would be so careless. According to GQ, the courtroom outfit was the result of a professional celebrity stylist, who the outlet confirmed, is Anastasia Walker. Anna's team enlisted Walker following a public scramble last week to figure out what her trial style "angle" will be as the highly awaited trial ramps up.

When Anna appeared in court last week for jury selection, she showed up in her Riker's gear. Upon seeing her inmate attire, according to the New York Post, her lawyer freaked out and sent an assistant to pick up $200 worth of H&M business casual. In her fast fashion black brazer, capris and beige sweater, she looked like a fresh faced publicity intern. However, it seems that Anna and her lawyers have different ideas about how to help her case: Anna wanted the aid to pick her up some stilettos, but the Department of Correction wouldn't allow for them.

Based on the choker, it seems like Anna has convinced her team to do things the Anna Delvey way... aka acting like a wealthy and famous person. Walker's past celebrity clients include Courtney Love, T-Pain and G-Eazy. GQ confirmed that Delvey's glasses from yesterday were Celine and her black dress was Miu Miu. We can expect to see Anna in more luxury glam: Spodek told the magazine that today's look will include a "Yves Saint Laurent blouse, and Victoria Beckham pants."

Anna is, of course, on trial for grand larceny and theft of services after convincing Manhattan's elite from 2013 to 2017 that she was a wealthy German heiress with 60 million in a fund back home. Before anyone began to suspect her, she succeeded in getting nearly $300,000 out of her socialite friends, plus banks and luxury hotels, funding her multi-year champagne and Balenciaga-fueled bender. She's been incarcerated at Rikers Island since last year and could face 15 years in prison if found guilty.

Related | The 2018 Scammer Power Ranking

Well, our grifter queen is nothing if not consistent. The whole styling ordeal is very on brand with the mix of delusion and chutzpah that turned her into a pop cultural obsession in the first place. You know we'll be watching as her trial and courtroom fashion journey unfolds.
Designer Teni Adeola is obsessed with all things royal. Over the past three years, the 22-year-old Parsons student has combined her love for regality, the Renaissance Era, and her impressive design skills to produce collections featuring stand-out, colorful sheer ensembles laced with delicate ruffles. Although inspired by a very conservative time in European culture, her signature look experiments with edgy contemporary silhouettes and cuts that are now the uniforms for music and fashion's new reigning class  including SZA, Kali Uchis, Gigi Hadid, Dua Lipa and Lorde.

For Tia's latest fall 2019 collection, she expanded upon her original themes of ethereal elegance, adding a sexier and more tailored feel to pieces that would've been freer in collection's past. A white beaded two-piece pantsuit with large sheer panels lives alongside a mint green satin crop top and body-hugging pants paired with a dramatic feather armband. The contemporary cool-girl essence that made the brand an early viral hit online was distilled into this new collection, which debuted last month during London Fashion Week near the neighborhood Tia grew up in after relocating from Lagos, Nigeria as a child.

This season, Tia focused her vision on disrupting conventional ideas of what type of women are deserving of elegance and delight. She tapped spiritual advisor, wellness editor and modern day Renaissance woman Emilia Ortiz to model her designs against a vintage-inspired interior space straight out of an 18th century castle. Against dark walls smudged black with paint, a sheer orange blouse and fringed maxi skirt looked vibrant paired with Ortiz's braided pigtails and giant "Brooklyn" tattoo stretched across her chest. PAPER caught up with Tia to talk about the new collection and how to be a 'regal bad bitch':



How did growing up in London influence your design aesthetic?

London was the first time I really saw western fashion. I always joke with my American friends that people from London dress way better than people from America do, because in London everything is fitted and people are really properly dressed. As I started getting older, I spent a lot of time in areas like Brick Lane just walking around. Everyone just looked cool, and I started getting into things like skinny jeans and blazers.

How did London Fashion Week come about? The British Fashion Council reached out to me to see if I wanted to be part of their showrooms, curated by Jeanie Annan-Lewin. This was very exciting for me because for one, I'd never been in a showroom before, and also every show I'd previously had, I had to plan myself. It was perfect because I knew I didn't want to have to go through the process of planning again  I'm in my final semester of college  but I also knew I wanted to showcase my collection, one way or another.

What exciting things do you see happening in London's fashion scene right now? There are a lot of interesting things happening on the London fashion scene right now. Alongside myself, in the showroom were brands like Amari Carter, Errortique, Tuza and Katya Zelenstova  all female, all incredible designers. To put it simply, I think women are rapidly taking over, but when I think of creative directors of luxury brands today I struggle to find women in this category.

Can you tell us more about your new collection? My fall 2019 collection is inspired by a few things. The Renaissance is always my foundation. Every time I go back to the drawing board, I can't help but go back to paintings by women like Sofonisba Anguissola and the way in which garments stood out in her paintings. I took feathers, for example, which were a luxury during the Renaissance only for kings and queens, and modernized them might by making it a one-handed top. When creating my collections, one of the most important things I consider is how the woman who is going to wear it will feel. On set, Emilia said, "I feel like Princess Jasmine or something," which is the exact reaction I want from women when they first wear the clothing. To feel like royalty. This collection was also a lot sexier. The longer I stay in New York, the more confidently I dress, and most importantly feel, and that comes out in my art.

Why did you decide to team up with Emilia Ortiz?

Emilia is someone who is unapologetically herself and it's refreshing to see. She is a spiritual advisor and a wellness editor who uses her platform to speak directly to people. She's Puerto Rican, from Brooklyn, and her messages are direct and relatable. She's as authentic as they come and that embodies the type of woman I want to dress.



What did Emilia Ortiz add to the shoot and the designs?

To me, there's something very raw and artistic to these images. Going back to the fact that my clothes are inspired by the Renaissance period and the total exclusion of people of color from those paintings, this juxtaposition of Emilia in a lace embroidered suit with Brooklyn tattoo peering from her chest to me is extremely powerful. These images exude 'regal bad bitch.'

Related | Emilia Ortiz Is Not Your Typical Spiritual Advisor
Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Monaco will set an example of friendly relations between countries of different sizes and lead other small-sized nations to cooperate with China, analysts said.

The national flag of China (second right) and Monaco (first right) are raised by the Cruise Port in Monaco on March 24th, 2019. (Photo by Feng Xuejun from Peoples Daily)

Xi attended official welcome ceremony in Monaco on March 24 and held talks with Prince Albert II, head of state of the Principality of Monaco, on strengthening China-Monaco relations. He arrived in the southern French city of Nice at noon, before heading to Monaco.

Monaco was the second leg of Xi's trip to Europe. The visit was the first by a Chinese President to Monaco since the establishment of diplomatic ties 24 years ago.

Prince Albert II of Monaco and Xi had a meeting in the presence of Chinese and Monegasque delegations. Together they will address economic and environmental issues.

At the same time, Princess Charlene and Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan attended a short recital by Chinese-Canadian violinist Zhang Zhang.

Under the encouragement of his mother, Lucas Churchill, a fifth-grade elementary school student in Monaco, took the initiative to learn Chinese. He made a picture album of himself to help study Chinese. (Photo by Feng Xuejun from Peoples Daily)

After lunch, they watched a dance performance by the folk group La Palladienne and students of Lycee Albert Premier of Monaco who study Chinese interpreted a short play in Madarin Chinese, the Monaco Embassy in China said on its website.

Days before Xi's arrival, the national flags of the two countries were visible on streets, buildings of government organizations and ports and piers of Monaco. The Monaco side made thorough arrangements on the reception, traffic and security on Xi's visit, Xinhua reporters in Monaco said.

China and Monaco have set an example of friendly relations between countries of different sizes, Chinese experts noted.

The close cooperation between the two sides will attract the attention of countries in the Balkan region and lead to more cooperation between China and small-sized countries in Europe, Zhao Junjie, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Institute of European Studies, told the Global Times on March 24.

Prince Albert II, who has visited China 10 times, said in an interview with Xinhua published on Saturday that "China insists on that all countries, big or small, are equal. This has touched me."

Environmental protection

During his visit, environmental protection will also be a topic in talks between Xi with Prince Albert II, Vice Foreign Minister Wang Chao said at a press briefing.

Xi's visit will further deepen the cooperation on environmental protection, especially on ocean resources protection, biodiversity protection and climate change, Ma Jun, a renowned environmentalist and 2014 Water Awardee of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, and also the director of the Beijing-based Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, told the Global Times.

A Monegasque worker prepares national flags of China and Monaco at the square of the Prince's Palace of Monaco on Sunday ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to the country. (Photo by Li Zhiwei from Peoples Daily)

The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation (FPA2) has close cooperation with China Environmental Protection Foundation. The two sides worked together on a project investigating cyanobacterial water blooms in Taihu Lake, China's second-largest freshwater lake, and the protection of wild Siberian tigers, People's Daily reported on Tuesday.

The Belt and Road Initiative is a sustainable pathway for green development, which the Monaco government has given much attention to. The FPA2 will set a representative office in Beijing, meaning the two countries could launch more sustainable programs in the future, the report said.

Ma said that China might not have major cooperation projects with Monaco, but the two countries have close communication on environmental protection.

China can learn from Monaco on how it develops tourism without harming the environment and adjust motorcycle races into a more environmental friendly event, Ma said.

China also has a role to play in helping to replace all the country's hybrid buses with fully-electric models, China Radio International quoted Bernard Fautrier, the deputy director of the FPA2 in a report, as saying on March 23.

Borrowing the experience of Monaco, the second-smallest country in size, in fields that they are good at, such as environmental protection, culture and sports, will facilitate China in constructing the Maritime Silk Road and lead China-Europe cooperation, said Zhao.

Data cited by Xinhua showed that trade between the two countries reached $125 million from January to August, 2018, with year-on-year growth of more than 876.8 percent.

Chen Qingqing contributed to the story
Ahmad Reza Jalali, Scientist On Death Row In Iran, Speaks To Radio Farda On Floods

03/28/19

Source: Radio Farda

While Iran is struggling with its flood crisis, a top expert who is on death row told Radio Farda from Iran's notorious Evin prison that authorities should strengthen the country's early warning system. Radio Farda interviewed Ahmad Reza Jalali (Djalali), a Swedish- Iranian dual national who is facing the death sentence on charges of "Enmity with God through espionage."



Ahmad Reza Jalali before his arrest and in Evin prison.

Jalali, a medical doctor and an expert on crisis management, explained in the interview the ways of confronting the crises caused by recent floods in Iran.



During the interview, a pre-recorded message on the prison's telecom system was played automatically. The message is played during all conversations to and from the prison making it known that the person on the line is a prisoner.



The interview was conducted through a third party, as it would be impossible for media outlets to call a prisoner at Evin for an interview.



Devastating floods swept across a large part of Iran during the past week, covering 28 of the country's 31 provinces, leaving tens of people dead and causing serious damage to people's property.



Speaking from Evin prison, Jalali said that officials can reduce the extent of damage through an early warning system and prevent more damages by training the people and exercising ways of surviving the crisis.



He warned people in the flood-hit areas to be careful about possible contamination of drinking water in the affected areas.



Jalali said that because of Iran's dry climate, most emergency drills were focused on earthquakes and that officials have ignored the threat of floods.



In this interview, Jalali said that the reasons for massive floods during the past week in Iran included the destruction of natural plant coverage, obstruction of flood outlets as the case of flash flood in Shiraz and converting flood routes and dry river beds to residential areas.

Jalali also explained different ways of evacuating flood-hit areas and pumping out residual water. He called on citizens to pay careful attention to warnings issued by the authorities, and act according to their instructions.

He said gathering at flood hit areas and "flood watching" are the worst kind of behavior in critical conditions.



"Flood Watchers" in Shiraz

(photo by Mehr News Agency)

Sweden-based Ahmad Reza Jalali, a guest lecturer at the VUB (Open) university in Brussels, was arrested on charges of "espionage" during a visit to Iran in 2016 to take part at a scientific conference, and was subsequently sentenced to death at the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Tehran.



Several international human rights organizations as well as UN legal experts have strongly protested against the verdict, which was later confirmed by the Iranian Supreme Court.



Jalali's lawyers say that the death sentence was handed to Jalali, based on "confessions" he made under duress and that they disagree with the charges made against him.



Jalali's family in Iran and Sweden have told the press that charges were made against him after he refused to obey Iranian intelligence organization's instruction to spy on other Iranian scientists abroad.
Luxembourg court rejects US request to seize Iran assets over 9/11 attacks

03/28/19

Source: Press TV



A Luxembourg court has rejected a US request to compensate victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks by seizing Iranian assets, seven years after a New York court claimed there was evidence of Iran's involvement in the incident.



Headquarters of the Luxembourg-based clearing house Clearstream



The Luxembourg court said Wednesday that there were no grounds in international law to uphold a US ruling in 2012 to claim Iranian assets held with Luxembourg-based clearing house Clearstream, Reuters reported.



"The rule on which the US court had relied to remove jurisdictional immunity is not in accordance with public international law and cannot be applied in the context of the Luxembourg case," the court said in a statement.



Back in 2012, a New York court claimed there was evidence to show that Iran provided "material support and resources" to al-Qaeda operatives that carried out the attacks.



The New York court awarded the plaintiffs damages of over $7 billion.



Iran has denied any links to al-Qaeda or any involvement in the 9/11 attacks.



The Luxembourg court has yet to rule whether the $1.6 billion in frozen Iranian assets in the European country can be returned to Iran.



Iran has said it is "completely unfair" for US lawyers to try to seize its overseas assets as compensation for the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Dr Hafez Ghanem, the World Bank Africa Vice President, has expressed desire to increase support for World Bank Group funded projects in Ghana, particularly social projects that focussed on poverty reduction.



We will be very happy to increase support for social intervention programmes in Ghana, as and when more request come. This is critical because these are the types of projects we want to support. We want to support more people especially women from poverty, he added.



Dr Ghanem gave the assurance on Wednesday in an interview with the media in Akuse, in the Greater Accra Region during a site visit of some of the World Bank Groups funded projects in Ghana.



Dr Ghanem, Mr Henry Kerali, the Country Director Africa Region of World Bank Group and his entourage visited the Rosh Pinnah Farms, a project under West Africa Agriculture Productivity Programme (WAAPP), sponsored by the World Bank Group.



WAAPP is a two-phase, 10-year Adoptable Programme. The first of WAAPP involves three countries  Ghana, Mali and Senegal.



World Bank supported the first phase of the programme in Ghana with an amount of 15 million dollars from 2007 to 2012 while the second phase, from 2013 to 2017, was supported with 60 million dollars.



The priority commodities for the WAAP which has the International Food Policy Research Institute and West and Central Africa Council for Agricultural Research and Development in 2006, identified roots and tubers, livestock, rice, cereals among others as the commodities that make the greatest contribution to the regions agricultural growth and production.



Dr Ghanem and the team were impressed with progress of the programmes, stating that, the World Bank was an institution with the objective to help countries to fight poverty, hence the need for the support.



He encouraged managers of the programme to work in a concerted effort to improve the well- being of the less privileged in society, especially small holder farmers.



The team visited Vegpro Ghana Limited, a leading agro firm that produces baby corn in Fodzoku, in the Volta Region mainly for export in the European market.



Dr Ghanem and the team inspected the farm plantations of its funded projects in the area and was satisfied with the spate of work.

Source: GNA









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Former Gambian President Yahya Jammeh "orchestrated the embezzlement of nearly $1bn (762m) of public funds", a report by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) claims.



Mr Jammeh, currently in exile in Equatorial Guinea, has not responded to the allegations, the OCCRP says.



The team of investigative reporters say they reviewed thousands of documents from the course of Mr Jammeh's 22-year rule, which ended in 2017 after little-known presidential challenger Adama Barrow defeated him at the polls.



Gambia's Justice Minister Abubacarr Tambadou had already accused Mr Jammeh of unlawfully withdrawing $50m from state funds over a 10-year period.



But the OCCRP say the total figure is much higher.



One of the journalists involved, Mark Anderson, spoke to BBC Newsday's James Copnall about the findings:

Source: BBC









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Members of Parliament have emphasized the need for legislation to regulate the emergence of Cryptocurrency markets such as Bitcoin in the Ghanaian economy.



The MPs made the call today in their contribution to a statement made by Hon Ama Pomaa, MP for Juaben on the influence of Cryptocurrency on the Ghanaian economy.



Hon Ama Pomaa noted that though the Cryptocurrency market is fast gaining popularity locally and internationally, the government of Ghana as well as the Bank of Ghana do not back Cryptocurrency in the country.



She explained that Crypto currency comes with many challenges such as difficulty in tracing those engaged in the transaction and lack of Central Bank control.



However, she said Cryptocurrency has the potential to change the way banking is done as well as how people view money.



Contributing to the statement, MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said outright ban of Cryptocurrency is not the best hence the need for legislation to regulate the Cryptocurrency market.



Hon Patrick Boamah the MP for Okaikoi Central urged the public to be cautious in order to avoid becoming victims of the Cryptocurrency market.



He also suggested to the Finance Committee of Parliament to initiate a public discussion on Cryptocurrency to ensure understanding by the public on the issue.



Commenting on the statement, the MP for Keta, Hon Richard Quarshigah the need for public education on Cryptocurrency is very necessary to save people especially the youth from being swindled.



The Member of Parliament for New Juaben South, Hon Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah said Cryptocurrency is illegal in the country and urged the public to exercise caution on it.

Source: Emmanuel Akorli/ Peace Fm/ Parliamentary Correspondent









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Parliament has been urged to upgrade the existing financial laws to regulate the cryptocurrency markets in the country.



The rise in the use of cryptocurrency in Ghana demands urgent attention because the legislature needs to interrogate the impact and the future of the digital currency on the economy, Mrs Ama Pomaa Boateng, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Juaben, has said.



In a statement on the floor of the House, she said the Legislature must probe the issue because the bulk of cryptocurrency and crypto assets users were not reported.



The Bank of Ghana (BOG), in recent times, has cautioned the public against investing and dealing in the digital currency because they are currently not licensed under the Payments System Act 2003 (Act 662).



The BOG, in the statement, encouraged the public to do business with only institutions licensed by the Bank to ensure that such transactions fell under its regulatory purview.



Mrs Boateng also asked the Government to take the lead in regulating cryptocurrency, while the House went through the processes of passing a law for same.



She said this would allow the Government to supervise the digital currency activity and create a stable regulatory environment where cryptocurrency could thrive.



Mrs Boateng said the virtual currency could change the way Ghanaians banked and made financial transactions.

She said the MPs must broaden their knowledge on the issue and pioneer legislation that recognized blockchain technology and virtual currency, which had become a game changer.



Dr Mark Assibey Yeboah, the Chairman of the Finance Committee, cautioned the public against investing and dealing in the digital currency because they were currently not licensed.



He stated that currently there was no central control for cryptocurrency, the scheme was more of peer-to-peer, making its regulation difficult.



It is dangerous and you can lose all your money in a day, he said.

Until we are able to have a handle on how to regulate cryptocurrency in our country, my simple advice is for us to stay away he added.



Mr James Klutse Avedze, the Deputy Minority Leader, in his contribution, called on the BOG to begin to train its staff to gain the expertise on how the cryptocurrency could be regulated.



He said many unsuspecting Ghanaians were being swindled with the cryptocurrency, which they were made to believe could swell their investments and give them higher returns.

Source: GNA









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Government has urged private sector players to support it to raise $6.3 billion domestically to finance the implementation of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) plan.



The NDC plan consists of climate actions and projects that were adopted by 195 countries in 2015 under the Paris Agreement.



Targeted at combating climate change under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the NDC has a long-term goal of first keeping the increasing global average temperature well below 2 C, which is above pre-industrial levels and to further limit it to 1.5 C in order to substantially reduce the risks and effects of climate change.



Speaking during the NDC Investment forum at the Africa Climate Week Conference Monday in Accra, Minister of Planning, Prof George Yaw Gyan-Baffour, cited the inability to access the Green Climate Fund and unpreparedness of the private sector to take risk in unprofitable investment as some major challenges in the implementation of the plan.



He, therefore, urged government investment agencies such as the Ghana Investment Promotion (GIPC) to do more in identifying and promoting climate-friendly investment projects that would attract the private sector.



Notwithstanding the challenges, he said government would not compromise on the environmental sustainability of such projects.



The event was organised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and hosted by the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI).



The UNDP Resident Representative, Gita Welch, indicated that addressing climate change provides the greatest opportunity for investment, which requires strong political will and strategic approach.



Studies have shown that bold climate action could trigger $26 trillion in economic benefits by 2030 and create 65 million new jobs, she said.



She also said that private funds to finance the implementation of NDC in Africa have not been encouraging, since 85 percent of the regions NDC depends on international financing.



The implementation of the NDC is also in tandem with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Goal 13, which aims at mobilising $100 billion annually by 2020 to address the needs of developing countries and help mitigate climate-related disasters.



Acting Executive Director of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), John Pwamang, said though government has so far invested in excess of $13 billion to provide greenhouse solutions to Ghanaians, such investment were inadequate to achieve the NDC target.



We are ready for your investments in the climate actions to create green jobs and promote economic development, he added.

Source: Daily Guide









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The First Vice Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Asokwa Constituency, Edmund Kyei, has started a campaign to promote governments policies in the United States of America (USA).



The NPP stalwart, who is on a private visit to the US and Canada, has decided to use his short stay in those countries to thoroughly explain the numerous policies that the current Akufo-Addo administration has introduced to accelerate national development.



Explaining issues to Ghanaians living in New York, Mr. Kyei, said that President Akufo-Addo and his team have made strides in improving the lives of the people after inheriting the mess from the NDC administration.



From New York, the Asokwa Constituency First Vice Chairman of the NPP would head to Canada where he is expected to brief Ghanaians there.



Mr. Kyei, who is a member of the NPPs National Communications Team in a telephone conversation said that his interactions with Ghanaians in New York were fruitful.



I am here on a private holidays but since there are a lot of Ghanaians here, I have decided to use my short stay to explain President Nana Akufo-Addo governments positive policies to them.



I have taken my time to explain policies such as the free Senior High School (SHS), One District, One Factory, and all the other positive programmes to them, Mr. Kyei indicated.



He said that the opposition NDC is still bitter about its humiliating defeat to the NPP in 2016.



The NPP member stressed the need for a dedicated team to counteract the blatant lies by the NDC.



According to him, President Nana Akufo-Addo is committed to the accelerated development of Ghana and needs the support of everybody to become successful.



He said Ghana was on the brink of collapse due to the NDCs poor governance, but the NPP administration has reversed the negative trend since taking over in 2017.



Mr. Kyei said President Akufo-Addo and his appointees are working fervently to restore hope to Ghanaians, saying the NPP deserves a second term in office in the 2020 elections to continue with the good works.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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Audio Attachment: Listen to Elvis Afriyie Ankrah

The Director of Elections for the National Democratic Congress(NDC), Mr. Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, has denied publications by the Electoral Commission that among issues discuss at their Inter Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting on Wednesday, was a compilation of a new voter's register.



Accoding to him, though the issue of a compilation of a new voter's register was "part of the agenda", it was "never discussed at the meeting".



He was thus greatly surprised to see and read a communique from the commission regarding Wednesday's IPAC meeting indicating an extensive discussion on the compilation of a new voters register.



The NDC stalwart was speaking in an interview with sit-in host of Okay FM's "Ade Akye Abia" programme, Akosua Agoe Aboagye.



"If the Electoral Commission behaves this way by deceiving Ghanaians, we (ndc) cannot trust them in the lead up to next year's general election. An EC that is supposed to be neutral in its activities is rather deceiving Ghanaiains....this does not bode well for the country's electoral system," he stated.





In a related development, the leadership of the opposition party is demanding for an immediate withdrawal of the deceptive IPAC communique.A statement signed by the General Secretary of the party, Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketia, said the party has taken a particular notice of a portion of the EC press release which states as follows:- The Commission will compile a new voters register ahead of the 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections."We wish to state emphatically and without any fear of contradiction, that no decision was taken on this matter. In fact, the compilation of a new voters register was only mentioned in passing by the EC during discussion on limited registration. There certainly was no extensive deliberations on this particular matter," the statement added.Mr. Asiedu Nketia added that the NDC therefore "disassociates itself" from the communique and demands it's withdrawal as it is not in consonance with conclusions of the IPAC meeting.

Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected]









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Pictured is the Chinese Haixun01 maritime patrol vessel, which has a displacement of 5,418 tons. (Photo/Xinhua)

The Guangdong Maritime Safety Administration signed a contract for China's first 10,000 ton-class maritime patrol vessel on Tuesday, which experts said could sail the high seas and provide assistance to Chinese and foreign ships in need.

Under the contract, the ship will be constructed by Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding Company under China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited, according to a statement the company released on Tuesday.

Designed by the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation's No.701 Research Institute, the ship will be 165 meters long and 20.6 meters wide and have a displacement of 10,700 tons, according to the statement.

The ship will become China's first 10,000-ton class maritime patrol vessel and act as the country's flagship for high seas patrol and rescue operations, serving China's strategy of becoming a major ocean power, the statement said.

South China's Guangdong Province is an important starting point and coastal hub of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Li Jie, a Beijing-based naval expert, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

The large maritime patrol vessel could play a significant role as Guangdong will face more and more maritime tasks as the BRI develops, Li said.

Missions for the ship will include comprehensive law enforcement, emergency search and rescue, taking part in international maritime exchanges and cooperation and conducting maritime-related trainings, the statement said.

As a large ship it can carry more sailors, personnel and equipment and sail in rough seas, Li said, noting that it can also carry out longer missions and sail further distances than smaller patrol vessels.

The ship could have a crew of 100, accommodate 200 people rescued and host multiple types of helicopters, files show.

Li said the ship will not only rescue Chinese ships in peril, but help foreign ones in need.

The vessel should be delivered within two and a half years, according to a procurement notice released by Guangdong Maritime Safety Administration in April 2018.

China has experience with ships of a similar caliber, as the China Coast Guard already has two 10,000-ton class cutters, Li said.
The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, left Ghana on Thursday, 28th March, 2019, to begin a nine-day visit of the United States of America and the Republic of Cuba.



President Akufo-Addos visit to the United States is to honour outstanding invitations extended to him to participate in public engagement programmes there.



He will deliver speeches at the Harvard Kennedy School at Harvard University, and the University of Chicagos Institute of Politics, and discuss investment opportunities in Ghana at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.



He will meet with Rahm Emmanuel, former Chief of Staff to President Obama and currently the Mayor of Chicago, and also meet members of the Ghanaian community resident in Massachusetts and Chicago.



The President will, then, pay a 3-day official visit to Cuba, at the invitation of His Excellency Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez, President of the Councils of State and of Ministers of State of the Republic of Cuba.



He is also scheduled to meet with Gen. Raul Castro, First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba, and deliver a speech at the Law Faculty of the University of Havana.



The President was accompanied by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, MP; the Minister for Education, Hon. Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, MP; the Minister for Health, Hon. Kwaku Agyeman Manu, MP; and officials of the Presidency and Foreign Ministry.



President Akufo-Addo will return to Ghana on Saturday, 6th April, 2019, and in his absence, the Vice President, Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, shall, in accordance with Article 60(8) of the Constitution, act in his stead.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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The Tema West Constituency Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dennis Amfo-Sefah, has alleged that the on-going Tema Port Expansion project, short-changes the Ghanaian taxpayer.



He said the negotiations on the contract were not properly carried out thereby raising a lot of eyebrows.



In an interview with journalists in Accra, Mr Amfo-Sefah, popularly called Nana Boakye, observed that an $800 million tax exemption granted to contractors, Meridian Port Services (MPS) raised questions about the motives of the government which gave the contract out.



The whole project has been quoted to cost $1.5billion and out of this, $800 million is in tax exemption. What kind of arrangement is that? Nana Boakye asked rhetorically.



According to him, the contract smacked of shadiness, and ought to attract probe from Parliament. Yes, it was Parliament that approved this contract, but Parliament approved it when John Mahama was President and the NDC had the majority in Parliament. Now that a different party has the majority in Parliament, I think it will be proper to look into this strange arrangement.



The Tema Port expansion project began in October 2016 and is expected to have its first container berth completed and opened up for operations by the beginning of the second Quarter of 2019.



A planned reclamation of 168 acres from the sea, 70 acres of which have already been reclaimed, is displacing locals of Tema New Town, who for years had lived by the beach although government is compensating them.



According to Nana Boakye, the fact that the port expansion would establish one big container terminal means many Ghanaians who were operating small containers may have to be pushed out and this would lead to job losses.



But for me, the main issue that should bother all of us is the huge tax exemption. I, like every other level-headed Ghanaian, smell corruption in that $800million tax exemption. We need to probe this, Nana Boakye said.



Terminal companies such as TCT, Atlas, Amaris, TBT and overseas commerce are likely to close down with about 4,000 people losing their jobs on account of the current trend.

Source: GNA









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Armed forces stand onboard the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1, which was hijacked by migrants, in Valletta, Malta, Thursday March 28, 2019. A Maltese special operations team on Thursday boarded a tanker that had been hijacked by migrants rescued at sea, and returned control to the captain, before escorting it to a Maltese port. (AP Photo/Rene' Rossignaud)
RTHK: British PM plans third vote on Brexit deal

The British government said it intended to bring back Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal for a third vote in parliament on Friday to avoid a chaotic no-deal divorce from the EU.

May's throw of the dice comes a day after her dramatic pledge to resign in order to persuade her rivals to finally back her vision for breaking Britain's 46-year bond with the European project.

The government has its back to the wall as it tries to avert potential economic disaster and financial panic in the coming weeks.

The House of Commons leader Andrea Leadsom said the government was trying to secure permission for a third vote from parliament speaker John Bercow.

He already rejected a similar attempt last week after ruling that the version May was bringing back was essentially the same text that lawmakers had already twice rejected by resounding margins.

"We recognise that any motion brought forward tomorrow will need to be compliant with the speaker's ruling and that discussion is ongoing," Leadsom told the chamber.

Anxious EU leaders last week offered Britain a Brexit extension until May 22.

But it is conditional on parliament voting through May's deal by Friday -- the day Britain was originally scheduled to leave.

Failure to pass the deal could mean a no-deal Brexit as early as April 12. Businesses fear that will cause economic chaos.

To avoid that, the British government must spell out what its next steps should be.

Britain might then seek a much longer extension that would mean it has to hold European Parliament elections despite having voted to leave the bloc.

The EU on Thursday urged London to provide a way forward on Brexit, taking note that the British Parliament had failed to agree a fresh solution to the UK's divorce from the bloc.

"The European Commission takes note of the indicative votes in the House of Commons last night. This is part of an ongoing political process in the UK, which we fully respect," EU spokesman Margaritis Schinas said.

"We counted eight 'no's last night, now we need a 'yes' on the way forward," he added.

May's handling of Brexit has provoked anger and frustration - as well as ridicule.

She played what may have been her last political card on Wednesday by promising to quit once the messy divorce process is complete.

"I know there is a desire for a new approach -- and new leadership -- in the second phase of the Brexit negotiations and I won't stand in the way of that," May told a packed meeting of party members.

Her promise won over some likely contenders for her job.

May became premier shortly after the 2016 referendum in which Britons narrowly voted to leave the EU.

Former foreign minister Boris Johnson said he would now back the premier "on behalf of the 17.4 million people who voted for Brexit".

But the prime minister's position was undermined when her allies in Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) said they would continue to oppose the deal. (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2019-03-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
The Tibet regional government will launch a new app on Tibetan language learning next month, the latest innovative tool the government is using to protect and develop the Tibetan language.

The app stems from a growing interest in recent years in Tibet Autonomous Region, Buddhist culture and the Tibetan language from Chinese outside the region and foreigners, Pu Qiong, deputy director of research administration department of the office of Tibetan language working committee, told the Global Times.

The autonomous region in Southwest China has launched a number of online platforms for learning Tibetan, and a Tibetan language course taught at Tibet University was included in the domestic Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) platform last year, La Qiong, a senior official with the office, told the Global Times.

The course has an enrollment of more than 2,500 students from 15 Chinese universities and is available on zhihuishu.com, a domestic MOOC platform.

The regional government has also introduced a variety of Tibetan application software and information products with the help of Tibet University. These include a bilingual education system (Tibetan and Putonghua), an electronic dictionary (Tibetan, Putonghua and English) and a Tibetan language search engine, as a way to keep the ancient language updated.

"As an ancient language, Tibetan could see its usage drop by 50 percent if it fails to advance with the times," La Qiong said.

The regional government has regularly updated the Tibetan vocabulary with new words and expressions derived from Putonghua.

According to La Qiong, the Tibetan language applications and software are expected to be introduced to countries involved in projects under the Belt and Road Initiative.

The method used to develop the Tibetan language was established after the China-proposed Tibetan Code Character Sets for Information Interchange (TCCSII) was adopted by the International Standardization Organization (ISO) in 1997.

Before 1997, some foreign countries including the US, India and the UK had developed their own standards for the Tibetan language, according to La Qiong.

However, the TCCSII is now widely used as the international standard, which is supported by Microsoft Windows, IOS and Android systems in Tibetan word processing, according to the office.

Based on the TCCSII, China also developed a national standard for the Tibetan language, and the learning of Tibetan is listed as a main course in primary and middle schools in the region.

"The regional government has never required all courses to be lectured in Putonghua in schools, and has never canceled or reduced the number of lessons taught in Tibetan," La Qiong said, refuting overseas media reports claiming Tibetan language learning has been weakened or even faced extinction in the region's schools.

The option of teaching in Putonghua or Tibetan is adjusted according to local conditions. Most schools in remote villages use Tibetan, and those in cities may adopt bilingual education, according to La Qiong.
Just moments ago, Icelends WOW Air has ceased operation and all WOW Air Flights have been cancelled on 28th March 2019. They just posted the statement below in their website at https://wowair.com/travel-alert/

End of Operation of WOW AIR

Information for WOW AIR passengers

WOW AIR has ceased operation. All WOW AIR flights have been cancelled.

How will I reach my destination?

Passengers are advised to check available flights with other airlines.

Some airlines may offer flights at a reduced rate, so-called rescue fares, in light of the circumstances. Information on those airlines will be published, when it becomes available.

What are my rights?

Passengers whose ticket was paid with a credit card are advised to contact their credit card company to check whether a refund of the ticket cost will be issued.

Passengers who bought their ticket from a European travel agent (within the European Economic Area) as a part of a package tour (a package which includes flights and accommodation or other services) are protected by the Package Travel Directive. Those passengers are advised to contact their travel agent to arrange an alternative flight.

Passengers who may have bought travel protection, or those passengers whose credit card terms may include such protection, may be entitled to claim compensation and assistance due to delays or travel disruption. However, such compensation is often limited.

Passengers may also be entitled to compensation from WOW AIR, including in accordance with European regulation on Air Passenger Rights. In case of a bankruptcy, claims should be filed to the administrator / liquidator.

Where can I get up-to-date information?

This announcement will be published and continuously updated on the following websites:

 Icelandic Transport Authority: www.samgongustofa.is / www.icetra.is

 Keflavik Airport: www.isavia.is/en

 WOW AIR: www.wowair.com

 Posted at all relevant airports

General information about passenger rights can be found atwww.icetra.is







Information to passengers .pdf

Upplysingar til farega .pdf

28.03.2019

WOW Airline was founded in 2011 by Skuli Mogensen, started flights in 2012 and employed 1,000 people, carrying 3.5 million passengers last year in its 11 aircraft.

We were victims of such case in 2001, as we were in Sydney and Australias Ansett Airlines went busted after the 9/11 attack in New York. We had to take a bus from Sydney to Melbourne and lucky for us, we managed to get our refund months later.

We affected passengers for WOW Air managed to sort out their travel plans.

Wilson Ng A Father and traveler who enjoys to eat, shop, travel and taking pictures with Samsung S21 Ultra. Im a full time blogger, youtuber and father for two. I used to travel around 17 International trips per year but now staying at home. Remember to follow us at www.instagram.com/placesandfoods and www.youtube.com/placesandfoods. For advertisements or features, contact me at [email protected] See author's posts
News brief

As of Thursday, 28 March, Beresheet is making its final orbit around the Earth. On 30 March, it will hit perigee, buzz past its home planet one last time, and head towards the Moon, roughly 405,000 kilometers distant. SpaceIL senior engineer Yoav Landsman said the spacecraft will make a small trajectory correction on 1 April. The duration of the lunar insertion burn on 4 April, as well as the parameters of the initial lunar orbit, have yet to be decided, but SpaceIL was originally planning for an orbit roughly 10,000 by 300 kilometers. Landing won't happen for another week, on 11 April.

Now that Beresheet is so far from home, it has started making use of its partnership with NASA to use the Deep Space Network for communications. Earlier this week, it successfully chatted with flight controllers via the DSN at a rate of 1.0 kilobits per second:
China and France are going to the moon together and beyond, as space authorities from the two sides signed a new agreement in a bid to step up their cooperation in the fields of space exploration on March 25.

On March 12, 2019, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Exhibition opens at the Yantai International Expo Center in Shandong. The exhibition focuses on a series of important achievements made by China's space industry. Photo from Peoples Daily online

On the occasion of the state visit to France of Chinese President Xi Jinping, heads of China National Space Administration (CNSA) and Frances Centre National detudes Spatiales (CNES) signed an agreement on future space cooperation between the two nations at the Elysee Palace in Paris, according to a CNES press release.

China will fly French experiments on its Change-6 mission to return samples from the Moon in 2023-24, said the press release.

Besides, the two state space agencies have started work on their next joint Earth-observation mission, with focus on ocean salinity and soil moisture, and at the same time, the two nations are pursuing the roll-out of the Space Climate Observatory to deliver satellite data in support of tracking climate change and its impacts, according to the CNES.

In October 2018, China-France Oceanography Satellite, known as the CFOSat, designed to observe ocean-atmosphere exchanges, particularly between winds and waves, was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Northwest China's Gansu Province.

Calibrated CFOSat data will be available to the international science community in May this year, said the CNES.

Jean-Yves Le Gall, CNES president, told the media on the sidelines of the Monday proceedings that beyond the success of our joint CFOSat oceanography satellite and projects already in development, with the SVOM astrophysics mission to study high-energy phenomena and CardioSpace 2 in the domain of space medicine, the agreement signed today in the presence of our highest authorities is a historic one, since France will be going to the Moon with China!

This demonstrates the excellence of our cooperation in science and technology, and confirms the mutual trust we have forged to develop ambitious space projects,the CNES official noted.

Despite external constraints when it comes to space cooperation with China, the French side has had a longstanding, close collaboration with China in the field, and achieved a series of successes in the aspects of sharing space orbit data, aero engine design, satellite key component design and production, said Sun Yuming, Minister Counselor for Science and Technology at the Chinese Embassy in France, Science and Technology Daily reported on March 26.

According to Sun, the two sides will continue to push forward deep cooperation in the domains including space station, lunar and Mars exploration and space science, as well as jointly implement the Paris Agreement.

"A big China-France space cooperation potential also lies in the building of Moon village, an international program still under discussion," Deng Yulin, an International Academy of Astronautics academician and a professor with the Beijing Institute of Technology who is currently on an academic trip to Paris, told the Global Times.

China and France are complimentary to each other in the space exploration domain, with China showing significant strengths in fields including lunar exploration and building of its own space station in the near future, and France excelling in developing certain research payloads, Deng explained.
Tate Britain presents Exhibition Van Gogh and Britain (Photo by Tianxing Bai)

The Tate Britain museum recently opened a major exhibition to celebrate Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890), which will run from March 27 to Aug. 11, 2019. The EY Exhibition, Van Gogh and Britain, is the first exhibition to take a new look at the artist through his relationship with Britain. It explores both how Van Gogh was inspired by British art, literature and culture throughout his career and how he, in turn, inspired a number of British artists, from Vanessa Bell to Francis Bacon.

Bringing together the largest group of Van Gogh paintings shown in the UK for nearly a decade, the exhibition includes over 50 works by the artist from public and private collections around the world. They include Self-Portrait 1889 from the National Gallery of Art, Washington, Starry Night 1888 from the Musee d'Orsay, Paris, and the rarely loaned Sunflowers 1888 from the National Gallery, London. The exhibition will also feature his late works including At Eternity's Gate 1890 from the Kroller-Muller Museum, Otterlo.

Van Gogh - Sunflowers 1888

Van Gogh spent several crucial years in London between 1873 and 1876, writing 'I love London' in a letter to his brother Theo. Arriving as a young trainee art dealer, the vast modern city prompted him to explore new avenues of life, art and love. The exhibition reveals Van Gogh's enthusiasm for British culture during his stay and his subsequent artistic career. It shows how he responded to the art he saw, including works by John Constable and John Everett Millais, as well as his love of British writers from William Shakespeare to Christina Rossetti. Charles Dickens, in particular, influenced Van Gogh's style and subject matter throughout his career. L'Arlesienne 1890, a portrait he painted in the last year of his life in the south of France, features a favorite book by Dickens in the foreground.

The exhibition also explores Van Gogh's passion for British graphic artists and prints. Despite his poverty, he searched out and collected around 2,000 engravings, most from English magazines such as the Illustrated London News. 'My whole life is aimed at making the things from everyday life that Dickens describes and these artists draw' he wrote in his first years as a struggling artist. He returned to these prints in his final months, painting his only image of London, Prisoners Exercising, from Gustave Dore's print of Newgate Prison.

Van Gogh- Olive Trees. National Galleries of Scotland

Tracing Van Gogh from his obscure years in London to the extraordinary fame he achieved in Britain in the 1950s, the exhibition shows how his uncompromising art and life paved the way for modern British artists like Matthew Smith, Christopher Wood and David Bomberg. It concludes with a distinguished group of portraits by Francis Bacon based on a Van Gogh self-portrait known only from photographs since its destruction during the Second World War. (Tianxing Bai)
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UNITED NATIONS, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Most United Nations (UN) Security Council members expressed regret on Wednesday over the decision by the United States to recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

The 15-member council held a meeting and heard briefings on the situation in the occupied territory in the afternoon at the request of Syria.

UN Under Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo recalled that during the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, the Syrian Arab Army crossed the 1967 ceasefire line on Golan, known as the Purple Line, initially gaining territory.

In a swift counter-attack, however, the Israeli Defense Forces re-captured the lost ground and advanced further, crossing the ceasefire line and occupying a salient portion of Syrian territory, she added.

After U.S. President Donald Trump's proclamation on Monday to recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights, the UN Secretary-General has taken note of member states' reactions to the decision, she said.

The UN position on Golan is clear in the relevant Council and General Assembly resolutions, notably in Council resolutions 242 and 497, she said.

"We hope that the recent developments will not be used as an excuse by anyone to pursue actions that could undermine the relative stability of the situation on the Golan and beyond," she added.

Except the United States, all the other 14 members in the meeting expressed regret on the decision.

France's deputy permanent representative to the UN Anne Gueguen said any attempt to move away from international law and Council resolutions through unilateral decisions "is doomed to failure," expressing regret that the move by the United States undermines collective Council action.

The European Union's position on Golan is that Israel's forcible annexation of the territory is illegal under international law, including the UN Charter and Council resolution 497, said Joanna Wronecka, Polish ambassador to the UN.

British Ambassador to the UN Karen Pierce affirmed her country's belief in the rules-based international order.

Wu Haitao, the deputy permanent representative of the Chinese mission to the UN, said China is opposed to the alteration of the fact through unilateral action, and that China does not wish to see the further escalation of tensions in the region.

The parties concerned should implement relevant Security Council resolutions and agreements on disengagement, exercise restraint and desist from any action that may exacerbate tensions along the ceasefire line, said Wu.

However, Political Coordinator of the U.S. Mission to the UN Rodney Hunter insisted that the decision by his country's government neither affects the 1974 Disengagement Agreement between Israel and Syria, nor undermines the UN Disengagement Observer Force's mandate.

Rather, it is of critical security and strategic importance to Israel, he added. Expressing alarm at the presence of Hizbullah there, he said there can be no chance for peace between Syria and Israel with the Lebanese group present.

Among the participants in the meeting were representatives of Syria and Israel. Syria's delegate Bashar Ja'afari rejected "the illegal statement" by the United States, emphasizing that the unilateral behavior has neither legal nor moral value.

World public opinion is isolating the United States and Israel, he added.
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BOAO, Hainan, March 28 (Xinhua) -- China advocates free and fair trade, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said Thursday, urging reforms of the global governance system to make it more just and equitable.

Li made the remarks at the opening plenary of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) annual conference in Boao, a coastal town in China's southern island province of Hainan.

"All parties must actively push for the global governance reform, which should not aim to start a new structure, or to serve a minority of countries, but to seek the broadest possible consensus," the premier said.

"China supports reforms of the World Trade Organization, but its basic principles and core values must be maintained."

Li reiterated calls to safeguard the rule-based multilateral trading system and seek win-win cooperation, stressing that no country can stay immune alone from such challenges as downward pressure in the global economy.
Wu Haitao (front), China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, addresses a Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East (Syria) at the UN headquarters in New York, March 27, 2019. Wu Haitao on Wednesday called on the international community to continue pushing for the political process in Syria. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

UNITED NATIONS, March 27 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Wednesday called on the international community to continue pushing for the political process in Syria.

"Years of conflict in Syria have brought untold misery to Syria and its people. The Syrian people yearn for an early peace so that they can return, rebuild, and resume a life in tranquility," said Wu Haitao, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, in a Security Council meeting.

The UN should enhance its coordination with the Syrian government to facilitate the early formation of a constitutional committee that is representative and acceptable to the parties concerned, Wu said.

At the same time, it is necessary to take into account the legitimate concerns of the relevant parties in a balanced manner, including that of the Syrian government, with a view to set in motion of viable political process that can be sustained, he added.

The Chinese envoy also asked the international community to strengthen counter-terrorism cooperation in Syria, to adopt unified standard to fight all Security Council-listed terrorist organizations so as to prevent their return.

"In Idlib, there are signs pointing to the resurface of the terrorist organizations threatening security and the stability of Syria. This is the matter that must not be overlooked," said the Chinese envoy.

He also called on the international community to actively support the reconstruction in Syria, and to create conditions for the return of refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs).

A fundamental improvement of the humanitarian situation in Syria requires the international community to support the Syrian government and people in their economic and social reconstruction, so as to create conditions for the return of refugees and IDPs and help Syrian people rebuild their confidence and resume a normal life, said Wu.

Furthermore, Wu called on the international community to enhance its assistance to Syria in line with the humanitarian needs on the ground.

Around 11.7 million people require humanitarian assistance and protection inside the country in 2019 and more than 5.6 million Syrians live as refugees across the region, according to UN statistics.

"The sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity of Syria must be respected throughout all this process," said Wu, noting that China has all along supported a political solution to the Syrian issue, and China is ready to continue to play a positive and constructive role in moving forward the political process.
Savannah, GA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 03/28/2019 --It is a pity to say that current times are not so good as it was earlier. Over the years, the crime rate has risen all over the world and residents, and commercial space owners in Savannah and Rincon Georgia too are not an exception to the threats. Misdeeds and criminal activities are reported now and then, and it is hard to say who the next target will be. Homeowners and commercial space owners are always reeling under the threat of break-ins, robberies, abuses, and other brutal scenes as well as accidents due to fire. That is why it is crucial to be on the safe side. Though being cautious is excellent, one also needs to take adequate precautionary measures to keep the properties safe. That is where installing security systems in Savannah and Rincon Georgia comes into the picture. If the installations haven't taken place yet, then it is time that homeowners and commercial space owners get in touch with Coastal Empire Fire & Security for a quick consultation.



If there is one reason for clients to consider them for installing security systems as well as alarm systems in Savannah and Richmond Hill Georgia, then it is for their professionalism as well as 20 years of experience. Their so many years of experience is one reason for clients to rely on the company for their services. No wonder their track record of success has been incredible, and all their customers are happy and satisfied with their services.



Their wide range of services is yet another reason why they have a big client following. The company provides not only residential security systems but also commercial ones. There is no point delaying as trouble can come as a bolt from the blue. It is better to optimize the security level of one's property. One can be assured of no grounds to complain. Call them at 912-925-1324 to know more.



About Coastal Empire Fire and Security

Coastal Empire Fire and Security is one of the reliable sources for alarm systems and security systems in Savannah and Rincon Georgia. They also offer access control, and video surveillance systems.
Witchita, KS -- (ReleaseWire) -- 03/28/2019 --The tragic collision occurred when a commercial freightliner travelling northbound on Greenwich Road and a Ford Fusion going westbound on K-254 both entered the same intersection. Kansas State Route 254 and Greenwich Road are perpendicular, intersecting with each other at a right angle.



A Kansas State Patrol officer who responded to the scene of the crash indicated to reporters that the collision happened right in the middle of the intersection. When the vehicles collided, both the commercial truck and the Ford Fusion went off the side of the road, landing in a ditch and igniting in a terrible fire.



Many community members have raised concerns about this particular intersection in the past. The tragic accident has brought some of those complaints back to light. A local resident told reporters from KWCH 12 that something needs to change because this is a "flawed road".



Drivers travelling northbound or southbound on Greenwich Road are required to stop and yield to the traffic on K-254. Unfortunately, many of them misjudge the speed of the vehicles that are coming in either the eastbound or westbound direction.



As explained by the Wichita, KS car accident lawyers at the Wall Huntington Law Firm, "All drivers, especially commercial drivers, have a legal duty to operate their vehicle in a reasonably safe manner. Among other things, this includes following all traffic safety regulations and yielding to oncoming cars when not in the right-of-way. At the same time, and though it is less common, government entities and private companies may also sometimes bear liability for an accident that was caused, at least in part, by negligent roadway design."



While it is unclear if this intersection meets any legal definition of "unsafe", many local residents want changes. There have been many questions raised about roadway safety all across the country. According to one estimate from the American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA), bad road designs may contribute to as many as half of all fatal motor vehicle accidents in the United States. The ARTBA notes that roadway hazards come in a wide range of different forms  including everything from overly narrow bridges to lack of sufficient warning signs to mark safety hazards.
Vancouver, WA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 03/28/2019 --DL Baker Homes LLC, a company that offers roofing, siding and window replacement in Vancouver, WA, announced it has begun a partnership with BizIQ, a digital marketing company in Phoenix, Arizona that specializes in providing its services to small businesses across North America.



This new collaboration with BizIQ will provide DL Baker Homes LLC with a variety of new ways to connect with new audiences in its service area. BizIQ employs intensive search engine optimization (SEO) strategies in its web marketing efforts that can, for example, help people find expert roofers in Vancouver, WA. BizIQ also developed a brand-new website for the company, as well as an in-depth content marketing campaign that features two blog posts each month and better overall communication with potential clients throughout the area.



The new website BizIQ created for DL Baker Homes LLC offers relevant, timely and informative content that focuses on issues like residential roof replacement in Vancouver, WA. All content on the website is written by copywriting professionals. The site also provides multiple channels through which people can quickly contact the firm to learn more about its various home maintenance and repair services.



"We are thrilled to have this opportunity to work with BizIQ to improve our overall web presence, as well as our communications with current and prospective customers throughout our region," said David Baker of DL Baker Homes LLC. "This is a big step forward for us, and we can't wait to see the results this digital investment has in store for our business."



Founded in 1990, DL Baker Homes LLC is a family owned and operated company that has served the Portland-Vancouver community for nearly 30 years. The company offers work on siding, windows and roofs. For more information, visit https://www.dlbakerhomes.com/.



To learn more about BizIQ and its expertise regarding local search engine optimization, or to view its extensive list of service options, please visit http://www.biziq.com/.
Thornton, CO -- (ReleaseWire) -- 03/28/2019 --Hyper Dog Media, a metro Denver area search engine optimization and website analytics company, is proud to host SearchCon, a Digital Marketing and SEO Conference on Thursday, April 11 and Friday, April 12 in Breckenridge, Colorado. Attendees in the digital business world will gain key insight from thought leaders in the world of Search Engine Optimization (SEO), digital, content and search marketing with networking and breaks creatively scheduled into the two-day event.



Hyper Dog Media has secured an outstanding lineup of Colorado's most talented thought leaders and influencers. Speakers include Garret Acott, CEO of Tempered, LLC; Holly Starks of Marketing Genius, Kelly Campbell, Agency Growth Consultant, Cade Lee, Owner of SEO Hog, Clint Murphy, Product Manager of MobileMoxie, LLC, Jim Kreinbrink, President of Hyper Dog Media and a host of other knowledge-laden experts. During the two days of dynamic discussion, attendees will discover industry secrets and gain a new cache of knowledge about the latest in SEO and digital marketing.



"After years of leading SEO and digital marketing discussions through Meetup groups along the Front Range, we decided it would be beneficial to our Colorado industry to bring professionals together in an 'escape to the mountains'. We'll dig into the fast-changing SEO landscape while having some fun together too," said Jim Kreinbrink, President of Hyper Dog Media. "Those who use best practices from years past will be ineffective at capturing a market share the way they once did. New tools, applications, and tactics for SEO are entering the digital arena on a regular basis. We hope SearchCon will help industry professionals become more digital market savvy and effectively compete in the global marketplace. The presentations are advanced and actionable."



Discounts are available for members of the Business Marketing Association of Colorado and SEO Meetups, and for accommodations at Beaver Run Resort. Sponsoring SearchCon at the Gold level are Marketing Genius and Hyper Dog Media.



For more information and to register for the SearchCon 2019 conference, visit https://searchcon.events. Join pre-conference discussions and thought topics on Twitter (@searchconSEO #SearchCon) and Facebook (@SearchCon).



About Hyper Dog Media

Hyper Dog Media is a professional search engine optimization agency located in Eastlake, Colorado. They help small, medium and large organizations in the Denver, Colorado metro area achieve increased search ranking and targeted website traffic. Hyper Dog Media is on the cutting edge of search engine optimization, mixing innovative new strategies with tried-and-true best practices. For more information on Hyper Dog Media services, please visit us online at https://www.hyperdogmedia.com/; on Facebook @hyperdogmedia or on Twitter @DenverSEO.



Media Contact:

Jim Kreinbrink

720-489-3790

jim@hyperdogmedia.com
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A nice mix of the old and the new, courtesy of the Klipsch The Three vintage-style speaker with Google Assistant.

Yes, this is a modern-day speaker, but Im guessing you worked that out with the words Google Assistant in the title. Saying that Klipsch has been making speakers since the 1940s, so it could have been a vintage design.

In a way, it is, with the look of this speaker very much in the midcentury era. It looks like a speaker used with a record player from the 1950s or 1960s. But the devil is in the detail here. The look is what catches your eye, but its the functionality that will sell this speaker.

But the looks are worth dwelling on, with luxury materials used, such as a real wood veneer and tactile metal switches and knobs, along with the vintage weave for the speaker cloth and the vintage-style Klipsch badge topping things off.

On the technical side, this is a standalone speaker with room-filling acoustics. This is a premium speaker with deep bass and a clear dynamic range within that modest-sized box. Its also multi-room ready if you want more than one to hook up together. It also features 92kHz / 24-bit decoding for flawless reproduction of high-resolution audio tracks on services that support high-res audio.

So where does Google come in? Well, thats how you control it. With Google Assistant built-in you can play music, find answers on Google Search, manage everyday tasks, and easily control smart devices around your home with your voice.

Plenty of services and compatible with it and with Chromecast built into the unit, there are bags of streaming options here. On top of that, you can also stream to the speaker via Bluetooth. You can set everything up via your phone and the Google Home app.

So you have a speaker with a midcentury modern look packing all the latest tech. You really cant go far wrong with that concept, especially when the build quality is so impressive.

It does come at a price though. In the US (and I know a lot of readers are in the US) its probably a case of hunting around for a good deal, as there are plenty of outlets selling this.

But in the UK, it is harder to find The Three speaker with Google Assistant. But it is available, with Premium Sound selling it for 445 (which is about as cheap as I can find it here).

Find out more at the Premium Sound website
Following in the footsteps of Baidu, Tencent and Huawei, two more technology giants in China recently entered the medical equipment industry, Guangzhou Daily reported on March 28.

Last week, Tencent signed an agreement on strategic cooperation with Philips (China) Investment Co., Ltd. to collaborate in the research and development of intelligent medical devices.

Later, on March 25, the company reached a consensus with Novartis, a multi-national pharmaceutical company, aimed at integrating a social networking platform for the convenience of people with chronic diseases.

Huawei Device Co. Ltd. added medical devices into its business scope on March 21, according to Tianyancha, an enterprise data platform.

Meanwhile, Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co. Ltd last year invested in Neusoft, a high-end medical equipment manufacturer headquartered in Shenyang in northeast China.

China now has the second largest medical equipment market in the world. Chinas medical equipment market was worth $75.9 billion in 2017, accounting for 18.8 percent of the global total, according to a newly released research report.

By 2020, China plans to better serve its people with traditional Chinese medicine, especially throughout grassroots-level hospitals, and medical rehabilitation, according to the plan to deepen the reform of medical and healthcare systems.

An insider said that tech giants would probably promote the upgrading of Chinas medical equipment industry as they set foot in this sector with both capital and technology.
The Global Bay Areas Cooperation and Development Forum (GBAF), an international gathering for dialogue and cooperation between six world-renowned bay areas, will be held in San Francisco on March 29, 2019.

With the theme of Connect, Cooperate, Develop, the GBAF will engage all participants in in-depth discussions on a wide range of topics, including economic globalization, regional integration, sustainable development of global bay areas, as well as technological innovations, according to organizers.

Organizers also revealed that representatives of core institutions and top enterprises, think-tank experts, as well as senior analysts and economists from the six bay areas will attend the GBAF.

Data indicates that bay areas around the world contribute 60 percent to the global economic aggregate, among which those in San Francisco, New York, Tokyo, Sydney and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area are most prominent. The forum is especially important at a time when regional economic integration has encountered a development bottleneck against the sluggish recovery of the world economy since the 2008 financial crisis.

As a unique model to drive the regional economy, the global bay areas may shed some light on world economic development for the years to come.

The forum will also introduce a cooperation mechanism by establishing the Global Bay Areas Cooperation Council, a bridge for global bay areas to exchange resources.
Source in Information Minister's Office calls for not dealing with his last hacked account on [28/March/2019] ANAA, March 28 (Saba) - A source in the Office of Information Minister Dheifallah Al-Shami on Wednesday said that the minister's account on the social networking site "Twitter" has been hacked.



The source said in a statement to the Yemeni news agency (Saba) that the hacking against the account of Minister on Twitter came after the great success achieved by the campaign of Twitter organized by the Ministry of Information last Sunday on the occasion of the passage of 4 years on the US-saudi coalition aggression on Yemen to expose crimes committed by them against the Yemeni people, affirming that campaign occupied advanced world-class centers.



The source called on everyone not to deal with what is published in the account on Twitter as it became now hacked.



The source pointed out that the new account of the Minister of Information on Twitter will be dhaifullahshame @ until the recovery of the hacked account.





AA

Saba


Prime Minister Narendra Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday attacked the opposition parties for raising questions over India's air strikes against Pakistan and its capabilities in the space. "The country has seen many governments which believed in sloganeering but for the first time it has seen a decisive government which knows how to fulfil its commitments," Modi said as he launched his campaign for the Lok Sabha elections.



"Be it land or sky or space, the government of your 'chowkidar' has shown courage to conduct surgical strikes," he added.



Modi's reference was to the bombing by the Indian Air Force of a terrorist camp in Pakistan on February 26 and Wednesday's launch of an Anti-Satellite (A-SAT) missile that destroyed a satellite orbiting 268 km above the earth.



The Prime Minister said that by raising questions over the government's actions, some opposition leaders had become a "hero" in Pakistan.



"People have to decide whether they need a hero of India or a hero of Pakistan. They have to decide whether they need 'saboot' (proof) or 'sapoot' (hero). Those seeking 'saboot' are challenging the 'sapoot'," he said.



Modi said the country had decided to again form a BJP government "because here is a decisive government which has delivered on every front".



His government, he went on, had shown courage with "surgical strikes" not only on the land and from the sky but also in space.



This is Modi's first election rally for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) since the announcement of the April-May Lok Sabha polls by the Election Commission.




India on Thursday expressed its disappointment over Pakistans response to its detailed dossier on Jaish-e-Mohammeds (JeM) complicity in the Pulwama terror attack and said that identical script was followed by Islamabad in the past after the terror attacks in Mumbai in 2008 or in Pathankot in 2016.

India also said that Pakistan should take immediate, credible, irreversible and verifiable actions against terrorists and terror organisations operating from territories under its control.



External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in response to a media query that Islamabad continued to be in denial and even refused to acknowledge the Pulwama incident as a terror attack.



He, however, said that India was still examining the paper handed over to it by Pakistan.





"India is disappointed at Pakistan's response to our detailed dossier on Jaish-e-Mohammed's complicity in the cross-border terror attack in Pulwama and the presence of its terror camps and leadership in Pakistan. Regrettably, Pakistan continues to be in denial and even refuses to acknowledge Pulwama as a terror attack," Kumar said.



He also said that Pakistan did not share the details of the credible actions, if any, taken by it against terrorists or terrorist organisations based in territories under its control.



"We are hardly surprised, as this identical script was followed by Pakistan in the past after the terror attacks in Mumbai in 2008 or in Pathankot in 2016. It is a well-known fact that the UN-designated terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed and its leader Masood Azhar are based in Pakistan. This was also acknowledged recently in international media by Pakistan's Foreign Minister," he said.



Kumar said there was no dearth of sufficient actionable information and evidence in Pakistan to take action against them, provided there was sincerity and intent to do so. "Nevertheless, we are examining the paper handed over by Pakistan," he said.



Kumar said Pakistan should abide by the commitment it made in 2004 and which its current leadership has recently repeated, i.e, vowing not to allow any territory under its control to be used for terrorism against India in any manner.



Pakistan had on Wednesday sought more information from India on the involvement of the JeM in the Pulwama terror attack which killed 40 CRPF troopers on February 14, and the presence of JeM camps on its soil.



The Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad was recently called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the "preliminary findings" on the "Pulwama incident" were shared with him.



India handed over the Pulwama dossier to Pakistan last month with details of JeM's complicity in the attack, for which the terror outfit had claimed responsibility.



Pakistan also claimed that it had examined 22 locations of terror training camps shared by India in connection with the Pulwama attack, but found no such camps and was willing to allow visits to the locations.



"While 54 detained individuals are being investigated, no details linking them to Pulwama have been found so far. Similarly, the 22 pin locations shared by India have been examined. No such camps exist. Pakistan is willing to allow visits, on request, to these locations," it said.



It also said the Indian dossier contained 91 pages in six parts and only part 2 and part 3 pertained to the Pulwama incident. "Other parts are generalised allegations," the Pakistan Foreign Affairs ministry said in a statement.



It said the investigation team had examined all the information provided by India, including the "confessional" video of Pulwama suicide bomber Adil Dar in which he "claimed" responsibility for the attack, the WhatsApp and telegram numbers used to share videos and messages, a list of 90 individuals suspected of belonging to a proscribed organisation and 22 pin locations of alleged training camps.



It said the service providers have been requested for data, including the details of activities and contacts of the GSM number provided by India.



"A request for assistance from WhatsApp has also been made to the US government. Additional information and documents from India would be essential to continue the process of investigations," it said.
After several attempts to impose sanctions on Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar were blocked by China, the US has initiated a new effort for UN action against the terrorist leader that would force Beijing to take a public stand in the Security Council.

The US is circulating a draft resolution with the backing of Britain and France for the Security Council to condemn the February terrorist suicide-bombing in Pulwama and designate Azhar as an international terrorist who would be under the UN sanctions against Al Qaeda and related people.



While the resolution faces a Chinese veto, it would bring transparency to the sanctions process and force Beijing to publicly vote against it and, possibly, explain its stand. So far, the moves to impose sanctions against Azhar were initiated in the UN Security Council Al Qaeda sanctions committee, where the proceedings are held in secret.





China has announced its opposition to the US effort, which it said bypasses the Sanctions Committee and goes directly to the Council.



Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said in Beijing: "This is not in line with the resolution of the issue through dialogue and negotiations".



"We urge the US to act cautiously and avoid forcefully moving forward this resolution draft," he added.



A date has not been set for taking up the resolution by the Council. France is the President of the Council this month and Germany will take over next month.



The latest attempt to impose sanctions on Azhar that would have banned his international travel and frozen his assets were vetoed this month by China in the sanctions committee - the fourth such action.



With global revulsion against terrorism rising after the Pulwama attack in February, the Security Council adopted a press statement condemning it in "strongest" terms. It was a statement arrived at by consensus in the 15-member Council and did not have the force of resolution, and Beijing went along avoiding having to vote for it or veto it.



The statement, which mentioned the JeM but not Azhar, said: "The members of the Security Council reiterated that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed."



Before the Al Qaeda sanctions committee took up Azahar's case this month, the US said that China's opposition would run counter to the mutual goal with the US of regional stability.



Azhar "meets the criteria for designation by the United Nations" as a global terrorist subject to its sanctions, Department Deputy Spokesperson Robert Palladino said.



"The United States and China share a mutual interest in achieving regional stability and peace, and that a failure to designate Azhar would run counter to this goal", he added.
Northbrook, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/28/2019 -- According to a new market research report "Advanced Visualization Market by Products (Hardware, Software), Services, Solution (Standalone, Enterprise), Imaging Modality (MRI, CT, PET, Ultrasound, Radiotherapy), Clinical Application (Radiology, Orthopedics, Cardiac, Neurology) - Forecasts to 2021" published by MarketsandMarkets



The report analyzes and studies the major market drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges in North America, Europe, Asia, and the Rest of the World (RoW). On the basis of products and services, the Advanced Visualization Market is classified into hardware & software and services.



Download PDF Brochure: http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=111936030



The hardware and software segment is estimated to account for the largest share of the market owing to factors such as the development of technologically advanced software, rising adoption of AV solutions in hospitals and imaging centers, and rising focus of healthcare organizations to streamline and increase workflow efficiency.



On the basis of type of solution, the market is segmented into enterprise-wide thin client-based solutions and stand-alone workstation-based solutions. In 2016, the enterprise-wide thin client-based solutions is expected to account for the largest share of the market due to offered benefits such as enhanced data storage capacity, data transfer capabilities, multi-user interface, streamlined analysis, and centralized post-processing solutions.



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On the basis of clinical application, the market is segmented into radiology/interventional radiology, cardiology, orthopedics, oncology, vascular, neurology, and other clinical areas (obstetrics/gynaecology, urology, pulmonary, and gastroenterology).



On the basis of region, the Advanced Visualization Market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia, and the Rest of the World (RoW). In 2016, North America is expected to account for the largest share of the market. Dominant position of North America in advanced visualization industry is attributed to the faster adoption of novel diagnostic imaging technologies (as compared to other regions), advancements in the field of advanced visualization technologies, large number of disease diagnostic procedures, and higher preference for advanced visualization solutions for diagnostic imaging.



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As of 2015, the global Advanced Visualization Market was dominated by General Electric Company (U.S.), Siemens AG (Germany), Koninklijke Philips N.V. (Netherlands), Toshiba Corporation (Japan), Terarecon, Inc. (U.S.), Fujifilm Holdings Corporation (Japan), Pro Medicus Limited (Australia), Carestream Health, Inc. (U.S.), Agfa-Geveart N.V. (Belgium), and Qi Imaging, LLC (U.S.), among others.



About MarketsandMarkets:



MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions.



Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model  GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve.



MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets.



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The Vietnam Dairy Products Joint Stock Company (Vinamilk) inaugurated a dairy cow farm in the southern province of Tay Ninh on March 27 which covers a total area of 685 hectares, making it the largest of its kind in Vietnam.

The farm designed to raise 8,000 dairy cows was built at a cost of 1.2 trillion VND (51.7 million USD) in Long Khanh commune, Ben Cau district. It meets global good agricultural practices in terms of farm management and milk quality.

According to Vinamilk General Director Mai Kieu Lien, the operation of the farm in Tay Ninh will contribute to raising the total number of dairy cows in Vietnam serving Vinamilk to 200,000 by 2020, meeting the fresh milk material demand for production.

The farm not only helps Vinamilk achieve its growth targets but also contribute to local economic development, she added.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony, Tran Van Chien, Deputy Chairman of the provincial Peoples Committee, hoped Vinamilk would build a milk processing plant in the province in the near future.

On the occasion, Vinamilk presented 61,633 cups of milk to children in Tay Ninh province. - VNA
Valley Cottage, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/28/2019 -- Over the years, more than dozens of people would be involved in washing an aircraft, which was not only immensely time consuming, but the eminence of work was also not up to international standards. On an average, a team of 17 to 20 people would take about 9 to 10 hours to clean one Jumbo (707) aircraft. Also, there are other issues to be considered, such as injuries caused by even a minor carelessness. Presently, in many countries aircraft washing and cleaning is assigned to manual labor. In India, Indira Gandhi International Airport (New Delhi) will soon get washing robots to clean jumbo jets. According to DIAL (Delhi International Airport Limited), the technology will be imported from Sweden. Currently, apart from British airports, this technique is used by Qatar and Thai airways. The new aircraft washing systems will be entirely computerized and will comprise spray nozzles, cleaning brushes and mobile power units.



In the Middle East region, the aviation industry is very keen on green practices. Airlines cannot afford spending extensive periods of time on cleaning activities. Therefore, a company named Clean Middle East developed a new aircraft washing technology known as "dry wash". Dry wash is developed and produced by Rhoba-Chemie GmbH, (Germany) to clean aircrafts without water. This concept has a big edge over its counterpart since it inhibits corrosion, improves physical appearance, reduces chemically contaminated waste water and minimizes water consumption.



As the use of airplanes has increased exponentially, commercial and private aircraft agencies spend billions of dollars every year in aircraft maintenance. Now, international standards of aviation safety and rules also mandate aircraft cleaning. Cleaning is done by both, private and in-house agencies. However, cleaning is not a secondary job and must be carried out with possible aircraft washing systems (equipment).



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The commonly used aircraft washing equipment are:



Carts used to clean the floor of an airplane are included in aircraft washing systems



Coatings used to add extra shine are included in aircraft washing systems



Aero brushes used to remove dust from surface are included in aircraft washing systems



Wax and buff balls used in the belly area are also included in aircraft washing systems



Aircraft squeegee used to remove water and liquid from different areas are included in aircraft washing systems



Washing mops used to clean the surface are included in aircraft washing systems



Aircraft washing systems companies such as Riveer (U.S.) have launched automated aircraft washing systems. Such aircraft washing systems take two minutes to clean the aircraft and the wash water is reclaimed and reused again.



Aircraft Washing Systems: Dynamics



There is a never ending battle against corrosion in aircraft maintenance, particularly in rotary aircrafts operating over saltwater. Therefore, the U.S. Department of Defense has concluded on rinsing the aircrafts on a weekly or daily basis to combat this problem. Increase in these aircrafts and their running is forecasted to directly create demand and a large growth opportunity for the aircraft washing systems market.



Aircraft Washing Systems: Segmentation by Method



When it comes to washing the exterior of an aircraft, there are two types of methods: dry and wet. The wet wash requires water and cleaning agent (soap) in three steps, i.e. scrub, rinse and dry. The major problem with this method is that the water needs to be clean and mineral-free. However, most water has some mineral content, which actually captures dirt and leaves deposits on the surface.



On the other hand, the dry wash method cleans and shines the surface in a single step and hence, is becoming a more popular choice. As compared to a wet wash, the cost of dry wash chemicals are expensive and much like waxing your car. This process involves a lot of elbow grease but end results are often less intrusive. With a dry wash interior cleaning and maintenance can be performed simultaneously.



Aircraft washing systems: Market Participants



Examples of some of the market participants in the global aircraft washing systems market identified across the value chain include:



Riveer



Nordic Aerowash Equipment



Hydro Engineered Inc.



Cleaning Debrring Finishing Inc.



JRI Indstries



Stoelting Cleaning Eqipment



Utrasonic Power Corporation



Jensen Fabricating Engineers Inc.



Wanner Engineering Inc.



Ransohoff Cincinnati



Encon Evaporators



Daimler Industries Inc.



KMT Aqua Dyne Inc.



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Philadelphia, PA -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/28/2019 -- AJM Mechanical HVAC is proud to provide commercial HVAC services in Bucks County and surrounding areas across Philadelphia. Broken or faulty HVAC systems can unexpectedly wreak havoc on businesses at the most inconvenient of times. Philly residents can rest assured that AJM is available seven days a week to assist local businesses with HVAC problems whenever they arise.



All businesses are affected by heating, ventilation and air conditioning at some point in their lifetime. Whether it's cooling down across the sweltering summer months, or cranking up the heat in the depths of winter, AJM has got you covered. AJM has helped businesses across Bucks, Delaware, and Philadelphia for over a decade with any issues that arise with their HVAC systems.



Managing Director of AJM Mechanical HVAC has said, "Here at AJM, we have a solid reputation for our professionalism and hard work when it comes to repairing both residential and commercial HVAC systems. We combine timely service with superior craftsmanship to produce excellent repairs for our customers."



AJM works with their clients to create plans that help them to maximize their efficiency while saving financially. Some of the services that AJM provide include heating repair, maintenance, installation, and replacement. They also work on cooling and installation replacement and maintenance, and ductwork service.



If you are looking for commercial HVAC services in Philadelphia, contact AJM here today. AJM offer flexible appointment scheduling, competitive prices, and unrivaled expertise. They have been serving commercial businesses across the Greater Philadelphia region for over ten years, helping thousands of customers with their HVAC issues.



About AJM Mechanical HVAC

AJM Mechanical HVAC is a locally-owned and operated company that specializes in commercial and residential heating and air conditioning services. Since it was first founded in 2005, AJM Mechanical HVAC has built a reputation for superior service and quality craftsmanship. Their staff offers convenient and reliable service to customers in the Philadelphia area.
Valley Cottage, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/28/2019 -- In the automotive market, initially mechanical brakes were used which were gradually replaced by hydraulic brakes, where brake fluid was required. The first hydraulic system was developed in 1914 by Frederick Duesenberg, an American automotive pioneer. Today, most automotive brake fluid is either silicone based (DOT5) or glycol based (DOT3).



Most drivers check their engine oil or tire pressure regularly, but very often drivers check the brake fluid in their vehicle. Automotive brake fluid is a type of hydraulic fluid used in hydraulic clutches & brake applications in motorcycles, automobiles and some bicycles. It plays a crucial role as it transfers force when a driver applies the brake. Additionally, automotive brake fluid helps prevent corrosion and serves as lubricant for all movable parts.



Automotive brake fluids, across the world, are regulated products and need to meet certain specifications and recommendations set by industry agencies and associations such as the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), Japanese Standards Association (JSA the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and Regulations (FMVSS), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and GB12981-2003 in China.



Automotive Brake Fluid Market: Dynamics



The burgeoning demand for vehicles in countries like China and India is forecasted to drive growth for the automotive brake fluid market. Companies are establishing production sites in these regions so as to satiate the local demand. For instance, BASF opened an automotive brake fluid production plant in Pudong, Shanghai to support the demand of local customers; which in turn is driving demand for automotive brake fluid in China. However, the lack of awareness/understanding among end user is restraining growth of the global automotive brake fluid market.



The main route to this market is via the aftermarket, which includes workshops, automotive service centers and retailers for supply to DIY (do it yourself) end users. The retail aftermarket includes general & automotive retailers and petrol forecourts. The remaining market for brake fluid is held by OEMs for the first fill in a vehicle. Therefore, tie ups with OEMs becomes an important driver across all regions since they provide an assured route to the market through the sale of new cars.



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Automotive Brake Fluid Market: Segmentation



Automotive brake fluid are of two types: petroleum and non-petroleum. Petroleum-based automotive brake fluids are rarely used in the automotive industry.



The DOT (department of transportation) classifies automotive brake fluids by their chemical composition and boiling point. Therefore, the global automotive brake fluid market can be segment by type as: DOT 3 (glycol ether based), DOT 4 (glycol ether based/borate ester), DOT 5 (silicone based), DOT 5.1 (borate ester/glycol ether). DOT 5.1, DOT 4, DOT 3 are based on poly glycol compounds and DOT 5 is based on silicone. Gylcol fluids are used in 99% of the motor vehicles in various grades. Additionally, most cars run on DOT 3 which has lower water content since fluid causes corrosion in the brake system. Brake pistons, cylinders and lines undergo wear and tear as a result of braking over a period of time. The cost of replacing any component is significant and replacing brake fluid can help save a major portion of that cost. Automotive brake fluid varies from vehicle to vehicle, depending on various factors such as model, vehicle production year and type of brake system.



Automotive Brake Fluid: Market Participants



Examples of some of the market participants in the global automotive brake fluid market identified across the value chain include:



Beijing Haidian Huiyuan Synthetic Agents



Bosch



Copton



Cnpc



Castrol(Bp)



Caltex



Exxon Mobil



Delian Group



Fuchs



Faw(First Automobile Works) Group Corporation



Jilin Hairun



Irico Group



Original



Laike



Shenzhen Pingchi Industry Co



Shell



Sinopec



Total



Teec



Zhuhai Gaida Shiye



Tianjin Xuqi Gongmao



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Edison, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/28/2019 -- HTF MI added a new research study in its database with title 'Cognitive Security Market in IT & Telecommunication  Global Drivers, Restraints, Opportunities, Trends, and Forecasts up to 2023' that includes detailed analysis, Competitive landscape, forecast and strategies. The study covers geographic analysis that includes regions like North America, Europe or Asia and important players/vendors such as Intel Security, XTN, Symantec Corporation, IBM Corporation, Cisco Systems The report will help user gain market insights, future trends and growth prospects for forecast period of 2016-22



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Overview:

The Cognitive Security Market in It & Telecommunication is defined as security that uses data mining, machine learning, natural language processing (NLP), and human-computer interface for securing data from cyber-attacks and virus. In addition, the cognitive system even helps in analyzing the security developments and discrete the structured and unstructured information data into relevant information. It also provides security to businesses and helps in improving the productivity of the business. The increasing shift toward the use of cognitive security services for data storage of confidential and private data of an organization and the rise in employee mobility contribute to the need for cognitive security in IT & telecommunication.



With the increasing adoption of the cloud-based services in various business platforms, such as enterprize business, has led to the need to secure the information of organizations. The implementation of cloud-based cognitive security by small and medium enterprises is increasing rapidly and fuels the growth of the market.



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Market Analysis:

According to HTF Research, the cognitive security market in IT & telecommunication is expected to reach $3.68 billion by 2023, growing at a CAGR of 30.36% during the forecast period. Cognitive security is widely being adopted across diverse set of industries for the protection of crucial information that includes public safety and utility companies. An increase in the adoption of the cloud-based services and the Internet across the IT & telecommunication sector, the need to protect the data has irapidly increased.



Furthermore, the Americas is experiencing significant growth due to the developed infrastructure in the region boosting the cognitive security market, followed by APAC and EMEA during the forecast period.

Market Segmentation Analysis:



The report provides a wide-range evaluation of the market. It provides an in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and supportable projections and assumptions about the market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions based on the vendors portfolio, blogs, whitepapers, and vendors presentations. Thus, the research report serves every side of the market, and is segmented based on regional markets, deployment, organization size, and end-users.



Countries and Vertical Analysis:

The report contains an in-depth analysis of the vendor profiles, which includes financial health, business units, key business priorities, SWOT, strategy, and views; and competitive landscape. The key and the prominent vendors covered in the report include Intel Security, XTN, Symantec Corporation, IBM Corporation, Cisco Systems, CA Technologies, Inc., CSC, Fortinet, Inc., Cato Networks, and Check Point Software Technologies. Most of the major players are in the Americas. The vendors have been identified based on the portfolio, geographical presence, marketing & distribution channels, revenue generation, and significant investments in R&D.



View Detailed Table of Content @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/reports/837569-cognitive-security-market



The counties covered in report are Canada, the US, China, India, Japan, and Germany. Among these, Japan, the US, and China are expected to grow at a high rate during the forecast period (2017-2023) owing to an increase in the penetration rate of e-commere, connected devices, and increasing number of data centers.



Competitive Analysis

The report covers and analyzes the cognitive security market. Various strategies, such as joint ventures, partnerships, collaborations, and contracts, have also been included accordingly. In addition, as customers are in search for better solutions, a rising number of partnerships is expected. There is likely to be an increase in the number of mergers, acquistions, and strategic partnership during the forecast period.



The report includes a complete insight of the industry, and aims to provide an opportunity for the emerging and established players to understand the market trend, current scenario, initiative taken by government, and the latest technology related to the market. In addition, it also helps the venture capitalists in understanding the companies better and take informed decisions.



Regional Analysis

The Americas is the dominating region, which holds the largest share for of the cognitive security market owing to the high adoption of cloud security by small and medium size enterprises as the benefits and cost factors are advantageous. In addition, they have the largest base for technological innovations and adoption, and are primarily one of the global producers of automation equipment and is home to several domestic industries. Asia Pacific is among the fastest growing markets for cognitive security. The region boasts of major developing economies with focus on the increasing data centers and the growing penetration rate of connected devices across this region. In addition, the government is focused on ICT infrastructure development owing to the increasing demand for safety and security of information. EMEA is the third largest contributor to the cognitive security market due to the increasing demand from the IT industries. The companies are utilizing IoT, analytics, cloud, and various tools to differentiate their services.



Cloud-based solution is the major driving factor in the region. The proliferation of connected devices, such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, and drones, is driving the market in the region. The major telecommunication industries are also partnering with cognitive security vendors to secure their products and services. Thus, the Cognitive Security Market in IT & Telecommunication is expected to witness significant growth in this region.



Benefits

The report provides an in-depth analysis of the cognitive security market aiming to secure the data and services, reduce operational cost, improve business efficiency, and operational performance. With the help of cognitive security, various organizations can increase the productivity and efficiency and can ensure the protection of the data. They can easily be integrated with other applications. They can be installed either on-premises or even through the network of the vendors. In addition, the solutions are proven to be reliable and improves scalibility. The report discusses about the organization size, deployment mode, end-users, and regions. Further, the report provides details about the major challenges impacting the market growth.



....Continued



Thanks for reading this article, you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia.



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New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/28/2019 -- The Top key vendors in Dry Powder Extinguishers Market include are UTC, Tyco Fire Protection, Minimax, DESAUTEL, BAVARIA, Gielle Group, Survitec Group Limited, Lichfield Fire & Safety Equipment, Feuerschutz Jockel GmbH, Britannia Fire, a.b.s.Fire Fighting S.r.l., ANAF S.p.A., Protec Fire Detection plc



Trend Insight Report - Request Free PDF Sample Copy of Dry Powder Extinguishers Market at https://www.marketgrowthinsight.com/sample/21927



Apart from this, the valuable document weighs upon the performance of the industry on the basis of a product service, end-use, geography and end customer.



The industry experts have left no stone unturned to identify the major factors influencing the development rate of the Dry Powder Extinguishers industry including various opportunities and gaps. A thorough analysis of the micro markets with regards to the growth trends in each category makes the overall study interesting. When studying the micro markets the researchers also dig deep into their future prospect and contribution to the Dry Powder Extinguishers industry.



A high focus is maintained on factors such as demand and supply, production capacity, supply chain management, distribution channel, product application and performance across different countries. The report not only offers hard to find facts about the trends and innovation driving the current and future of Dry Powder Extinguishers business, but also provides insights into competitive development such as acquisition and mergers, joint ventures, product launches and technology advancements.



A quick look at the industry trends and opportunities



The researchers find out why sales of Dry Powder Extinguishers are projected to surge in the coming years. The study covers the trends that will strongly favor the industry during the forecast period, 2019 to 2025. Besides this, the study uncovers important facts associated with lucrative growth and opportunities that lie ahead for the Dry Powder Extinguishers industry.



#This Reports Includes Segmental analysis, Regional analysis, Research Methodology, Competitive Landscape, Learn how to build the strategy and business case to implement Order Here@ https://www.marketgrowthinsight.com/checkout/21927



On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, and market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split into



Ordinary Dry Powder Fire Extinguisher

Superfine Powder Fire Extinguisher



On the basis of the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate for each application, including



Commercial

Residential

Industrial

Others



Region wise performance of the Dry Powder Extinguishers industry



This report studies the global Dry Powder Extinguishers market status and forecast, categorizes the global Dry Powder Extinguishers market size (value & volume) by key players, type, application, and region. This report focuses on the top players in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia India and Other regions (Middle East & Africa, Central & South America).



Key points from TOC

7 Company Profiles and Key Figures in Dry Powder Extinguishers Business



7.1 UTC

7.1.1 UTC Dry Powder Extinguishers Production Sites and Area Served

7.1.2 Dry Powder Extinguishers Product Introduction, Application and Specification

7.1.3 UTC Dry Powder Extinguishers Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2014-2019)

7.1.4 Main Business and Markets Served



7.2 Tyco Fire Protection

7.2.1 Tyco Fire Protection Dry Powder Extinguishers Production Sites and Area Served

7.2.2 Dry Powder Extinguishers Product Introduction, Application and Specification

7.2.3 Tyco Fire Protection Dry Powder Extinguishers Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2014-2019)

7.2.4 Main Business and Markets Served



7.3 Minimax

7.3.1 Minimax Dry Powder Extinguishers Production Sites and Area Served

7.3.2 Dry Powder Extinguishers Product Introduction, Application and Specification

7.3.3 Minimax Dry Powder Extinguishers Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2014-2019)

7.3.4 Main Business and Markets Served



Continue..



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This Dry Powder Extinguishers market report holds answers to some important questions like:



- What is the size of occupied by the prominent leaders for the forecast period, 2019 to 2025? What will be the share and the growth rate of the Dry Powder Extinguishers market during the forecast period?



- What are the future prospects for the Dry Powder Extinguishers industry in the coming years?



- Which trends are likely to contribute to the development rate of the industry during the forecast period, 2019 to 2025?



- What are the future prospects of the Dry Powder Extinguishers industry for the forecast period, 2019 to 2025?



- Which countries are expected to grow at the fastest rate?



- Which factors have attributed to an increased sale worldwide?



- What is the present status of competitive development?



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Valley Cottage, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/28/2019 -- PCB design software is used by engineers for designing the printed circuit board on a device, using various features that aim to address issues an engineer faces such as those related to signal and power integrity, while designing a PCB and ease the overall designing process. PCB design software is integrated with other related software such as PLM, which helps engineers to better understand designs and layouts of PCBs. FMI forecasts the global PCB design software market to increase at 12.9% CAGR during the forecast period 2016-2026, and reach US$ 4,755.1 Mn in revenues by 2026 end.



Ease of designing a circuit and savings in cost and time are the main factors stimulating the use of PCB design software



Need to reduce time and eliminate issues faced during product development are factors that are driving the demand for global PCB design software market. Consumer electronics industry dominates in the end-user segment, because of rising popularity of smartphones and smart wearable devices globally. Before designing a PCB, an engineer must consider a number of aspects such as input signals, desired output and error tolerance. With PCB design software, an engineer can simulate the circuit design and can get an idea about real-time issues associated with applying the circuit. This saves time for the engineer, as potential errors can be addressed before building the physical prototype. These are features and benefits driving increasing adoption of PCB software in the global market.



Building a circuit involves implementing multiple wires and components. When the circuit built is complex, the number of wires and components also increases, which increases the probability of introducing errors. Using a PCB design software with features such as auto-placement, auto-routing and auto-tuning can reduce errors to a great extent and make PCB fabrication easier.



Oftentimes, after the circuit is fabricated, the engineer realizes that a component has been placed incorrectly and has to rebuild the entire prototype, which takes additional time and resources. With PCB design software, an engineer can modify the design or replace components at any time, without incurring additional loss, which is a primary factor expected to continue drive adoption of PCB software over the forecast period.



While designing PCBs using software reduces efforts significantly, the software fails to meet every engineer's expectations owing to varying requirements related to power and signal integrity etc. Software offering capability to address all required features are significantly complex to operate, and understanding them can be a very time consuming process.



Many PCB design software are available online for free and offer a variety of features. Moreover, in countries such as China, Russia and the U.S., use of pirated software is relatively common, which is resulting in companies being forced to offer software at lower prices. This is a major factor expected to restrain growth of the global PCB design software market.



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Mainstream software is estimated to account for a maximum market share due to its advanced features and affordability



Among all the types, mainstream software is estimated to account for maximum market revenue share by 2026, owing to the fact that it advanced features in the software at an affordable price. Moreover, demand for mainstream software is estimated to witness highest growth rate by 2016, followed by high-end software.



Revenue generated by global PCB design software market is estimated to reach US$ 1,409.3 Mn by 2016, witnessing an increase of 10.7% over 2015. Mainstream software is estimated to hold the largest share among the different types of PCB design software, for global PCB design software market by value by 2016, accounting for US$ 669.1 Mn by 2016, up from US$ 599.9 Mn in 2015.



Defence industry is poised to register the highest growth rate during the forecast period



In the end-user segment, defence industry is estimated to register the highest growth rate in the forecast period, followed by automotive industry. Increasing adoption of UAVs in defence industry and introduction of automated cars in automotive industry are factors expected to drive the growth of global PCB design software market in the respective industries.



North America region is expected to the largest revenue generator for global PCB design software market



Market in North America region is expected to be the largest revenue generator for global PCB design software market by 2026, and is expected to account for a revenue share of 37.0% by 2016, owing to the increasing investments in research and development. Region-wise, market in Asia Pacific excluding Japan, is estimated to be the second largest global PCB design software market with market revenues expected to be worth US$ 261.3 Mn by year 2016.



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Key market players are adopting partnerships and mergers as a strategy to strengthen their foothold in the market



Some popular vendors such as Cadence Design Systems, Inc., Mentor Graphics Corporation, Zuken Inc. etc. are focusing on partnerships and acquisitions & mergers to consolidate their position in the market. PCB design software vendors are coming up with innovative features in the software which are designed to ease the PCB design process, and distinguish their product from competitor's products.
Northbrook, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/28/2019 -- According to a new market research report "Edge Computing Market by Component (Hardware, Platform, Solutions), Application (Smart Cities, Location Services, Analytics, Augmented Reality), Organization Size (SME, Large Enterprises), Vertical, and Region - Global Forecast to 2022", published by MarketsandMarkets, the edge computing market size is expected to grow from USD 1.47 Billion in 2017 to USD 6.72 Billion by 2022, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 35.4% during the forecast period. Growing load on the cloud infrastructure, wide range of applications in different industries, and increase in the number of intelligent applications are the driving factors for the edge computing market.



Organization of different size and from different industry verticals are deploying innovative applications, such as Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality (AR/VR), personal assistants, and predictive monitoring to stay ahead in today's technological era. Edge computing assists real-time applications in processing and analyzing data collected from various sensors and connected devices, at the edge of the network.



Browse and in-depth TOC on "Edge Computing Market"

60  Tables

27 - Figures

129 - Pages



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Telecom and IT vertical is expected to contribute to the largest market share during the forecast period



With a voluminous rise in data generated from millions of subscribers streaming terabytes of videos, music, and social networking every day, enterprises are facing various challenges, such as high network load and increasing demand for network bandwidth. To overcome these challenges, enterprises are significantly focusing on optimizing and densifying their Radio Access Network (RAN). Thus, to enhance the user experience and better utilize the bandwidth, the edge computing solution is a feasible option. The edge computing solution allows operators to optimize the traffic within the prevailing radio conditions, enhance the service quality, and improve the network efficiency. Traditionally, computational power was centralized at the core network, but in the edge computing solution, data collection, and processing and storage take place at the edge of the network. Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) environment provides real-time radio information, which can be used by applications and services to optimize content delivery and utilize the network efficiently. Moreover, it enables Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to quickly deploy various monetizing services for content delivery, IoT, retail, and enterprise applications.



The SMEs segment for edge computing is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period.



SMEs have been majorly dependent on data centers to process and analyze their data. However, budget constraints have been a major obstacle for SMEs to adopt data center services. Transferring and processing the data over the cloud increases the operational costs. Edge computing facilitates SMEs to collect, process, and store data at the edge of the network closer to the source, thus reducing the operational costs.



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Rapid adoption of edge computing due to a strong and well-established economy makes North America the largest market in terms of global share



North America is said to be the largest contributor among all the other regions in the edge computing market. The top countries contributing to the growth of the edge computing market in North America include the US and Canada, out of which, about three-fourths of the market share is said to be contributed by the US alone. The market in North America is expected to have a slow growth rate by 2022 compared to the other regions, as the edge computing market in the region is well-established and stagnant.



The North American regions provide a suitable environment for startups and SMEs, in terms of government regulations and compliance. Owing to this, enterprises are growing rapidly in this region and have a heavy demand for edge computing. Therefore, the North American region is said to have the highest market share in the edge computing market.



The major trends responsible for the growth of edge computing market in the North American region include the growing number of devices and the dependency on IoT devices, the need for faster processing, the increase in cloud adoption, and the increase in pressure on networks.



The major vendors operating in the edge computing space include Nokia Networks (Finland), Huawei (China), Juniper Networks (US), Dell (US), Cisco Systems (US), HPE (US), SixSq Sarl (Switzerland), FogHorn Systems (US), Vasona Networks (US), MachineShop Inc. (US), Saguna Networks (Israel), Vapor IO (US), Xiotech (US), Mirror Image (US), Aricent (US), and ADLINK Technology (US).



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pune, Maharashtra -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/28/2019 -- Gallium Oxide Market: Introduction



Gallium oxide is an inorganic chemical compound in which Gallium and Oxygen are in a stoichiometric ratio of 2:3. The molecular formula of Gallium Oxide is Ga2O3 and its molecular weight is 187.44 g/mol. Gallium oxide, also known as gallium sesquioxide, is insoluble in water but slightly soluble in alkalis and is a thermally stable compound. Gallium oxide has a large band gap of around 4.8 eV. Larger band gap permits producers to use a thinner device for a certain voltage. In the electronics industry, the more thinner a device, the lower will be the resistance offered by it and thus, it will be more efficient.



The electronic components used in inverters, power supplies and electric motors are expected to be economic, efficient and must also be able to handle high voltage from source. Considering such requirements, gallium oxide is anticipated to be the best available alternative in the semiconductors and electronics market. However, gallium oxide, even though efficient, is not as inexpensive as silicon. However, with technological advancements, the cost of gallium oxide is expected to drop down. This will ensure that the gallium oxide market witnesses growth in near future.



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Gallium Oxide Market: Dynamics



For a long time now, silicon has been used in large scale production of semiconductors and microelectronics. However, certain limitations have been found with the use of silicon, such as scalability issue for power electronics. The semiconductor technology demands smaller designs and higher density. For microelectronics, the use of power always acts as an obstacle and the manufacturers are keen on reducing power consumption as well as the heat generated. The technologies used today employ silicon and are close to their operating voltage limits required in many applications. Gallium oxide has been found to function well in such applications. Gallium oxide is also a transparent conductive oxide which offers conductivity and transparency over the visual spectrum. As a result of these factors, the gallium oxide market is anticipated to witness robust growth throughout the forecast period. However, the only hitch in the growth of gallium market will be the cost associated with it.



It has been recently observed in academic studies that field effect transistors (FETs) could potentially benefit from gallium oxide critical electric field strength. The doping limits that might destroy other FET materials do not affect gallium oxide and gallium oxide offers a wide range of conductivity. Gallium oxide is being studied widely for its properties and new scope of applications are being developed.



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Gallium Oxide Market: Regional Outlook



Regionally, the North America gallium oxide market is anticipated to grow at a significant rate due to the increasing number of smart device owners in the region. The shift from silicon to gallium oxide is expected to be the fastest in countries, such as the United States of America. Following the North America gallium oxide market are the mature markets of countries in Europe. Asia Pacific has been seeing tremendous growth in the number of users and this growth is expected to increase further throughout the forecast period. China and the United States of America have a much bigger and technologically advanced defense sector and will quickly adopt the shifting trend from silicon to gallium oxide.



Some of the market participants identified across the value chain of the global gallium oxide market include TAMURA Corporation, Kyma Technologies, Inc., American Elements, Nanoshel LLC and FLOSFIA Corporation.



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pune, Maharashtra -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/28/2019 -- Glass Coatings Market: Introduction



Glass coatings contain particles of silicon dioxide along with hard resin and are used to repel contamination and maintain the aesthetic appearance of various objects. They are not made of glass but contain silica, which is used in the making of glass. Glass is basically made of various materials such as sodium, calcium, silica, alumina, magnesium and potassium. Glass coatings, on the other hand, are made of fluorine, silica, silicon and titanium. Glass coatings, upon application, enhance longevity  the lifespan of glass coatings ranges between six months and two years in typical working environments. Glass coatings are extensively used for the purpose of surface protection and to enhance the appearance of objects in various industries such as automotive, aerospace, household products, building and construction and others.



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Glass coatings are expensive and often pose threats due to toxic ingredients such as aladdin double shield, Sio2, modesta BC-04 and TIB chemical. On the basis of material, there are two types of glass coatings, namely Polyurethane (PU) glass coatings and stoving glass coatings. PU glass coatings are used during the finishing process of glass substances. These glass coatings are available in transparent, frost and opaque finishes and are widely used in glass surface applications such as in glass bottles for liquor and fancy lights.



Stoving glass coatings are single-coating products available in transparent, frost and opaque finishes, mostly used for industrial applications. Glass coatings are used in various industries such as marine, aviation, aerospace, household products, automotive and various others. They utilize two coating techniques, namely liquid glass coating and nano glass coating. Based on application, glass coatings can be divided into two categories, namely non-industrial and industrial. The advanced properties of glass coatings include enhanced scratch resistance, long lasting durable protection and substantial resistance to water, ice and snow. Glass coatings also provide corrosion resistance, UV protection and self-cleaning properties.



Glass Coatings Market: Dynamics



The global glass coatings market is projected to witness significant growth during the forecast period, owing to the increasing demand for glass coatings from various industries such as automotive, aerospace, marine, aviation, building and construction. The demand for glass coatings is expected to increase in the automotive industry, due to the increase in the sales, repair and maintenance of vehicles. The rise of various industries such as aviation, automotive, building and construction in developed and developing countries such as the U.S., Germany, India, Japan and China is anticipated to be one of the major driving factors for the global glass coating market.



The demand for glass coatings is also expected to increase in North America and Asia due to the growth of the manufacturing sector and technological innovation. The rise in the prices of raw materials also restrains the global glass coatings market as major global players are partnering with various companies and distributors to market their products and increase their footprint in the global glass coatings market.



Technological advancement and research and development activities are creating new opportunities for major players in the global glass coatings market. Decreasing carbon emission, increasing energy storage and optical effect are some of the factors positively affecting the global glass coatings market.



Glass Coatings Market: Regional Outlook



The North America glass coatings market accounted for a prominent share in terms of revenue generation in 2017. It is anticipated to further grow significantly, due to the increasing demand for automotive, aerospace, building and construction industries. Europe is projected to emerge as the prominent region in terms of revenue generation in the glass coatings market by 2028, owing to the growing demand from aerospace, marine, aviation, automotive, building and construction industries. Attributing to industrial growth, increasing standard of living and infrastructure development in India, China and other parts of Asia Pacific, the glass coatings market in these regions is expected to witness strong growth during the forecast period. Africa, Latin America and Middle East are also pegged to be potential markets for glass coatings.



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Glass Coatings Market: Market Participants



Examples of some of the major participants identified in the glass coatings market include,



3M Company

AkzoNobel N.V

Axalta Coating Systems LLC

Chemicals Pvt Ltd, CCM GmbH

Deutsche Amphibolin Works Se (DAW)

Hempel A/S

Jotun A/S

Nano-Care Deutschland AG

Nippon Paint Company Ltd

PPG Industries Inc.

Premium Coatings

The Sherwin-Williams Company

Valspar Corporation

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Sarasota, FL -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/28/2019 -- With the presence of a large pool of participants, the global telehealth market is displaying a highly competitive business landscape, finds a new research report by Zion Market Research (ZMR). Philips Healthcare, Medtronic plc, Tunstall Healthcare, and McKesson Corporation are some of the key vendors of telehealth across the world. These players across telehealth market are focusing aggressively on innovation as well as on including advanced technologies in their existing products. Over the coming years, they are also expected to take up partnerships and mergers and acquisitions as their key strategy for business development, states the telehealth market study.



Citing an instance, on August 29th 2018, Partners HealthCare, a U.S. based non-profit network of physicians & hospitals, has joined hands with Teladoc Inc., a key player across telehealth market, for introducing direct-to consumer telehealth service. Reportedly, the new service will provide health plan members a quick access to critical care services through video conferencing.



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As estimated in this report, the global telehealth market stood at US$ 2,513.3 million in 2016. Witnessing a tremendous rise during the period from 2017 to 2022, the revenue in this market is expected to reach US$ 12,131 million by the end of the forecast period. The main component types available in this market are service, hardware, and software. Among them, the demand for hardware is relatively higher and the trend is anticipated to remain so over the next few years, notes the research report.



Rapid Advancements In Telecommunications To Vivify Market Growth



"Rising incidences of chronic ailments along with hefty expenditure on healthcare activities are the key factors stimulating the demand for telehealth services, "says the author of this study. Apart from this, telecommunications sector is witnessing a paradigm shift through the launch of new technologies and this will enable massive expansion of telehealth market over the forthcoming years.



Inadequate compensation benefits, rising technological costs, and lacuna in the interoperability rules, however, are likely to hinder the growth of telehealth market during the forecast timeline. Nevertheless, inception of cutting-edge technologies such as electronic health records is likely to facilitate the growth of telehealth market over the ensuing years, thereby normalizing the impact of hindrances on the market, reports the telehealth market study.



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Escalating Healthcare Expenditure To Leverage North American Dominance



Regionally, North America has been leading the worldwide telehealth market and is anticipated to continue on the dominant position in the years to come, states the market study. Rise in elderly population, high incidence of chronic diseases, and bulging healthcare costs are the key factors behind the dominance of the North America telehealth market.



Low availability of healthcare experts and growing occurrence of chronic ailments such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and congestive heart failure are witnessed in the U.S. For the record, U.S. contributed a big chunk towards telehealth market share of the region in 2016. Reportedly, in Canada 77% of doctors make use of electronic healthcare record and 98% of hospitals provide telehealth video conferencing. The aforementioned factors are likely to further boost the telehealth market growth in the ensuing years.



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The global telehealth market is segmented as follows:



By Component Type



Hardware

Software

Services



By Mode of Delivery Type



Web-based

Cloud based

On-premise



By Region



North America

The U.S.

Europe

UK

France

Germany

Asia Pacific

China

Japan

India

Latin America

Brazil

The Middle East and Africa
Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Zayed said the UAE lends special attention to boosting ties with Egypt, considering it the linchpin of security and stability in the region

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan called for greater cooperation to combat threats to Arab countries, including interference in their internal affairs, during talks in Egypt Wednesday.

El-Sisi and Bin Zayed, who is also deputy supreme commander of the UAE Armed Forces, held a bilateral meeting on development and economic and political cooperation in Ras El-Teen Presidential Palace in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, the Egyptian presidency spokesman said in a statement. This was followed by broader talks between delegations from the two countries.

The two sides stressed the importance of continuing "coordination and consultation to address the challenges facing the Arab nation and to reject interference in the internal affairs of Arab countries, which threatens the stability and security of their peoples, presidency spokesman Bassam Rady said.

The crown prince said his country seeks to boost coordination with Egypt to combat threats in the Arab world, at the top of which are extremism and terrorism and the continuation of regional interferences in Arab countries affairs, according to the Emirates News Agency (WAM).

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt cut diplomatic, transport and trade ties with Qatar in June 2017, accusing it of supporting terrorism, meddling in their affairs and backing regional foe Iran  charges that Doha denies.

Bin Zayed said the UAE gives special attention to boosting ties with Egypt, considering it the linchpin of security and stability in the region, adding that supporting Egypt is fundamental to his countrys foreign policy, WAM said.

The two called for greater coordination and solidarity between Arab countries to preserve the security and stability of the region.

During the talks, the two leaders witnessed the signing of a number of agreements in trade and industry, housing and irrigation.

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New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/27/2019 -- Future Market Insights offers significant information on the global graphene nanocomposites market and delivers extensive information by structured market research. The report titled "Graphene Nanocomposites Market: Global Industry Analysis 20132017 and Opportunity Assessment 20182028" assesses the market and forecasts the upcoming market scenario based on the product type, application and region.



The global graphene nanocomposites market is estimated to have been pegged at US$ 50.4Mn in terms of value at the end of 2018 and is expected to potentially reach US$ 800.4 Mn by the end of 2028, registering over 15X growth during the forecast period. The graphene nanocomposites market report divulges that the adoption of graphene nanocomposites for the electronics & energy storage application is estimated to account for almost 50% of the consumption during the forecast period.



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Increasing Investments and Funding for R&D Activities to Propel Growth of Graphene Nanocomposites Market



In today's world, research & development (R&D) plays a substantial role in improving national competitiveness and sustainability. In recent years, many developing and underdeveloped countries are looking to catch up to the global R&D landscape, owing to which there have been significant changes in the field of science and technology.



Material science plays a crucial role in laying the foundation for various key industries. Graphene was discovered in 2004 and since then, its exceptionally advanced properties and huge potential applications in various fields have set the pace for its research & development. Escalating research and development activities will be the prime factor responsible for the Graphene nanocomposites market growth in the coming years.



Over the years, graphene nanocomposites have gained tremendous attention from research institutes, universities, science & technological organizations among with various governments. Increasing popularity of graphene nanocomposites has boosted the number of investments and initiatives taken for the enhancement and commercialization of graphene nanocomposites at a large scale. Important initiatives, such as EU Graphene Flagship, are aiming to commercialize graphene nanocomposites at a significant scale. Graphene nanocomposites are finding applications in important fields such as electronics, energy storage, medical & bio-medical technology, among others. It is anticipated that the commercialization of graphene nanocomposites at a larger scale will initiate a new era for technological advancements and modern material science.



The global funding for commercialization of graphene nanocomposites and R&D activities has reached over US$ 3.0 Bn over the years. Collective efforts from academia, manufacturers and end-use industries for the rapid growth of graphene nanocomposites across the world are expected to drive the growth of the graphene nanocomposites market. Also, the considerable expansion of production capacities will be responsible for the growth of the graphene nanocomposites market.



Graphene Oxides to Witness an Upsurge in Demand Over Years Due to Their Low Price Range



Graphene nanocomposites have been categorized on the basis of product type as graphene oxide (GO) and graphene nanoplatelets (GnP). Both graphene oxide and graphene nanoplatelets find significant applications in numerous industries such electronics, medical & bio-medical, and polymer composites. However, due its low price range, graphene oxide is expected to witness demand growth in price-sensitive regions such as developing and underdeveloped countries.



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East Asia to be a Prominent Region in Graphene Nanocomposites Market, due to Noteworthy Presence of End-Use Industries. The prominent presence of potential end-use industries such as electronics & optoelectronics, energy generation & storage is anticipated to drive the growth of the East Asia graphene nanocomposites market. Countries such as China & South Korea are highly emphasizing on the commercialization of graphene nanocomposites at a significant level. Intensifying research & development activities and increased efforts towards the commercialization of graphene composites in regions such as North America and Europe are anticipated to make these regions prominent markets for graphene nanocomposites. The increasing focus on technological advancements and research & development in countries such India, Singapore and Australia is expected to boost the growth of the graphene nanocomposites market during the forecast period.
Valley Cottage, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/28/2019 -- Watertight doors market witnessed sales of nearly 77,570 units in 2018 and is poised to grow at an impressive y-o-y of over 5.5% through 2019. Buoyancy of the global watertight doors market can be attributed to-



Optimistic outlook of coastal and marine tourism



Surging rate of ocean-based activities



Rising focus on ship repair and maintenance



Flourishing seaborne transportation and trade



Federal initiatives to promote marine safety have worked in favor of high-scale production of marine components, such as watertight doors. For instance, the Government of Canada is introducing additional measures for enhancement of navigation safety and emergency response in the Canadian waters. The measures were presented in the form of an official announcement and acknowledged as a part of Canada's 'Oceans Protection Plan'. On 14th June 2018, the U.S. Coast Guard announced two workforce initiatives in line with the 'Marine Safety Program'. Particulars as such provide enough credence to the promising outlook of watertight doors market in 2019 and beyond.



"Investments in various forms of sustainable tourism, including coastal and marine tourism, is underway. This, in turn, has resulted in augmented production of marine vessels and associated components for safety, such as watertight doors. Rising vigor of ocean-based industries, such as offshore exploration and production, is supporting growth of offshore marine vessels and related components, including watertight doors", says FMI report



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The report opines cruise ship revitalization and overhauls to be a prominent trend with profound influences on sales of watertight doors. The increasing demand for upgrading older ships by including advanced amenities and components is complementing the growth of building and repair activities, favoring high-scale production and sales of watertight doors.



As per the report, installation of hinged watertight doors is proliferating at an impressive rate, with global sales likely to cross 71,000 units in 2019. Robust watertight seal withstanding adverse conditions remains a key USP enhancing the visibility of hinged watertight doors over the sliding variants.



According to the report, end-users remain biased toward hydraulic as a viable source over electric ones in the watertight doors landscape, with global sales estimated to exceed 71,348 units in 2019. Hydraulic watertight doors have been traditionally employed in commercial and military vessels alike, owing to their attribute of greater power delivery through smaller force. Additionally, relatively higher control accuracy in light of simple push buttons and levers employed, and economic benefits owing to fewer moving parts equipped, are key demand determinants of hydraulic watertight doors.



Manufacturers Seek Approvals from Renowned Organizations to Boost Credibility



The manufacturing framework of watertight doors witnesses major reformations in the light of evolving environmental concerns. Manufacturing companies are switching to sustainability-driven approaches, wherein production processes and value creation for the environment remain closely associated. Manufacturers of watertight doors are seeking approvals from prominent organizations providing marine classification, such as International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), to boost consumer confidence and get repeat sales



Leading manufacturers of watertight doors are vying to offer distinguishable products to gain competitive advantages amid homogeneous competitors, which will help them strengthen their brand equity. Sensing the end-user shift toward high convenience and superior functionality, manufacturers of watertight doors remain focused on offering maintenance free and easy-to-install products for seamless operations on board.



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According to the report, the leading manufacturing companies are reinvigorating their technical know-how with high investments in research and development. This, in turn, is fostering their capabilities in terms of offering an ideal amalgamation of intelligent designs, enhanced longevity, and improved usability. Moreover, manufacturers are incorporating industry best drive systems in their products to offer reliable and safe products bolstering end-user convenience. As per FMI analysis, the industry giants remain involved in strategic collaborations with shipyards for seamless supply, which helps them boost their profit margins.
Rockville, MD -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/27/2019 -- Market Outlook



Vanilla is one of the most dominant flavours used in food products. Vanilla extract is an essential ingredient for baking owing to its rich taste. There is no substitute for vanilla extract, and it is an important ingredient in a large number of food products. The real vanilla extract is made up of more than 200 organic compounds, which provides it great depth and complexity. There are three basic types of vanilla extract: Madagascar Bourbon, Tahitian, and Mexican.



Vanilla extract gives a flavourful and rich vanilla taste to food, which is long-lasting. Consumers aged between 15 and 34 years are mainly setting new food trends and adopting new eating patterns. The primary factors that attract millennials are freshness, variety and exotic flavours. Millennials are generally attracted to new and exciting flavours. They open to experimentation and are likely to mix flavours & food styles. These are some of the factors that are expected to drive the global vanilla extract market. Furthermore, the consumption of vanilla extract in diverse regions of the world is associated with numerous factors such as the standard of living, the supply & demand of different types of vanilla extract products in a particular region, recent trends and other market-changing aspects.



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Reasons for Covering this Title



Vanilla extract is made by suffusing vanilla beans in a solution of alcohol and water for a few months, sometimes with added sugar, which results in the creation of a strong dark liquid with a rich aromatic flavour. Vanilla extract is the most common form of vanilla consumed these days. With an increase in population, the global production and consumption of various bakery products has also increased. Hence, there has been an increase in the demand for the vanilla extract. Moreover, as vanilla extract is used in several bakery products such as cakes, brownies, cookies, cupcakes, custards, puddings and ice cream, the global vanilla extract market is estimated to grow at a substantial rate during the forecast period.



Global Vanilla Extract: Market Segmentation



On the basis of nature, the global vanilla extract market has been segmented as 



Organic

Synthetic

On the basis of application, the global vanilla extract market has been segmented as 



Food and Beverages

Alcoholic Beverages

Dairy Products

Bakery Products

Cakes

Cookies

Brownies

Cupcakes

Custards

Ice Cream

Puddings

Milk Shakes

Nutritional Supplements

Pharmaceuticals

Cosmetics

On the basis of product type, the global vanilla extract market has been segmented as 



Liquid

Powder

On the basis of concentration, the global vanilla extract market has been segmented as 



Single Fold

Double Fold

Triple Fold

On the basis of distribution channel 



Direct Sales (B2B)

Indirect Sales (B2C)

Hypermarkets/Supermarkets

Online Stores

Specialty Stores

Other Retailers

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Global Vanilla Extract Market: Market Participants:



Some of the key players operating in the global vanilla extract market are McCormick, Adams Extract, OliveNation LLC, Wilton, Great Value, Nielsen Massey, Lochhead Manufacturing Company, PROVA, NATURALIGHT FOODS, Tharakan and Company, Cook's Vanilla, Synergy, The Vanilla Company, Sonoma Syrup Co. Vanilla Extract Blend, Hawaiian Vanilla Company, Penzeys Ltd., Singing Dog Vanilla Extract, Nisarg Life Sciences India Pvt. Ltd., Sichuan Xiaoye Bencao Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Hunan Nutramax Inc., Foodchem International Corporation, Firmenich and Symrise.



Launching new product variants, acquiring smaller players in the market and boosting awareness about the benefits of vanilla extract through various promotional activities and programs are some of the key factors expected to drive the vanilla extract market over the forecast period.



Opportunities for Market Participants in the Vanilla Extract market:



The vanilla extract market is expected to witness exceptional growth in Europe and Asia Pacific in the next few years. In the Asia-Pacific region, vanilla is cultivated in the southern states of India, namely Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Bourbon class vanilla beans, which have a sweet, aromatic and satisfying flavour, are cultivated in these states to for the production of vanilla extract. Indian vanilla beans are preserved for a treating period of 5 to 6 months. Vanilla beans nurtured in various parts of India are of the world's finest variety. The rising demand for vanilla extract is one of the key supply-side drivers responsible for market growth. The demand for vanilla extract in Europe is high as it has used in a variety of foods in the region. Numerous food and beverage manufacturers use vanilla extract in their food preparations and are also innovating new food products that contain vanilla extract.



The Vanilla Extract market on the basis of region has been segmented as:



North America

Latin America

Europe

CIS & Russia

Japan

APEJ

The Middle East & Africa

This analytical research study imparts an all-inclusive assessment on the market, while propounding historical intelligence, actionable insights, and industry-validated & statistically-upheld market forecast. Verified and suitable set of assumptions and methodology has been leveraged for developing this comprehensive study. Information and analysis on key market segments incorporated in the report has been delivered in weighted chapters. A thorough analysis has been offered by the report on



Market Dynamics

Market Size

Market Segments

Demand & Supply Trends

Current Issues and Challenges

Companies and Competitor Landscape

Value Chain

Technology

Regional Segments Analyzed Include



North America (U.S., Canada)

Latin America (Mexico. Brazil)

Western Europe (Germany, Italy, France, U.K, Spain)

Eastern Europe (Poland, Russia)

Asia Pacific (China, India, ASEAN, Australia & New Zealand)

Japan

Middle East and Africa (GCC, S. Africa, N. Africa)

Compilation of authentic and first-hand intelligence, insights offered in the report are based on quantitative and qualitative assessment by leading industry experts, and inputs from opinion leaders & industry participants around the value chain. Growth determinants, macroeconomic indicators, and parent market trends have been scrutinized and delivered, coupled with the market attractiveness for each market segment encompassed. Qualitative impact of growth influencers on the market segments across regions has also been mapped by the report.



Highlights from the Report



Elaborated scenario of the parent market

Transformations in the market dynamics

Detailed segmentation of the target market

Historical, current and forecast market size based on value and volume

Latest industry developments and trends

Competition landscape

Strategies adopted by the market players and product developments made

Potential and niche segments, along with their regional analysis

Unbiased analysis on performance of the market

Up-to-date and must-have intelligence for the market players to enhance and sustain their competitiveness



Report Analysis@ https://www.factmr.com/report/2053/vanilla-extract-market



NOTE - All statements of fact, opinion, or analysis expressed in reports are those of the respective analysts. They do not necessarily reflect formal positions or views of Fact.MR



About Fact.MR

Fact.MR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.



Contact Us

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Fact.MR

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United States

Email: sales@factmr.com

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New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/27/2019 -- Persistence Market Research (PMR) delivers key insights on the Australia lime market in its latest report titled, "Lime Market: Australia Industry Analysis and Forecast, 20162024".



The lime market in Australia is expected to expand at a CAGR of 1.7% in terms of value over the forecast period, 20162024. The market has been segmented by product type and application. The application segmentation consists of mining & metallurgy, building materials, agriculture, water treatment and others of which the mining & metallurgy segment is expected to account for the highest share of the lime market in Australia throughout the forecast period, to account for 31.4% by 2024.



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Demand for energy-efficient and cost-effective solutions is expected to be a priority for lime manufacturers in the country over the forecast period. By product type, slaked/hydrated lime segment is expected to continue to dominate the market in terms of both value and volume throughout the forecast period. The segment is estimated to be valued at US$ 146.7 Mn and account for volume share of 68% in 2016. By application, mining & metallurgy and building materials, segments in the Australia lime market are expected to account for significant volume shares of 38% and 35%, respectively.



New South Wales is expected to be the largest market for lime in Australia throughout the forecast period. The market in the region is estimated to be valued at US$ 59.1 Mn by 2016 end. In terms of production, Western Australia is expected to be a major producer, contributing over 65% to the total lime production in the country, and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 0.8% over the forecast period.



Key players in the Australia lime market include Adelaide Brighton Ltd., Boral Limited, Sibelco Australia, Omya Australia Pty. Ltd, Wagners, and Lime Group Australia. Key players in the Australia lime market are focusing on enhancing their product portfolios. They are focusing not only on basic lime products but also on importing quicklime from ASEAN countries such as Thailand and Vietnam and Southeast Asian countries such as China to minimize a cost of raw materials involved in a lime production. Manufacturers are focusing on capitalizing on economies of scale to increase production, profitability, and offer cost-effective products in order to target cost-sensitive population in the region. Joint ventures, acquisitions, and strategic collaborations in terms of production and distribution of lime have been the common strategies employed by these companies to achieve their production objectives.



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Long-term Outlook: The long-term outlook on the Australia lime market remains on the conservative side, with the market expected to expand at a modest CAGR of 1.7% in terms of value during the forecast period. The revival of the mining sector in the country, increasing demand from the construction sector, particularly in the country's east coast region, and demand from the water treatment industry are some of the factors expected to sustain a growth of the lime market in Australia.
Los Angeles, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/28/2019 -- In the recently published report, QY Research has provided a unique insight into the global Magnetic Wire market for the forecasted period of 7-years (2019-2025). The report has covered the significant aspects that are contributing the growth of the global Magnetic Wire market. The primary objective of this report is to highlight the various key market dynamics such as drivers, trends, and restraints that are impacting the global Magnetic Wire market. This report has provided an indication to the readers about market's current status.



Request Sample Report and Full Report TOC:



https://www.qyresearch.com/sample-form/form/1051764/global-magnetic-wires-market



Geographically, this report is segmented into several key regions, with sales, revenue, market share and growth Rate of Magnetic Wires in these regions, from 2014 to 2025, covering



North America (United States, Canada and Mexico)



Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia and Turkey etc.)



Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam)



South America (Brazil etc.)



Middle East and Africa (Egypt and GCC Countries)



The various contributors involved in the value chain of the product include manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, intermediaries, and customers. The key manufacturers in this market include



HITACHI



Elektrisola



Superior Essex



CNC Tech



SparkFun Electronics



Tongling Jingda Special Magnetic Wire



Zhejiang Shangfeng Industrial Holding



Liaoning Donggang Electromagnetism Wire



Roshow Technology



Tianjin Jingwei Electric Wire



Shanghai Yuke



Guangdong Ronsen Super Micro-Wire



Galanz Electrical Wire



Goldcup Electric Apparatus



By the product type, the market is primarily split into



Coated Polyamide



Coated Polyurethane



By the end users/application, this report covers the following segments



Electric Motors



Transformers



Generators



Other



Checkout link:



https://www.qyresearch.com/settlement/pre/7c00987837a73482237b01f97694bfb9,0,1,Global%20Magnetic%20Wires%20Market%20Report,%20History%20and%20Forecast%202014-2025,%20Breakdown%20Data%20by%20Manufacturers,%20Key%20Regions,%20Types%20and%20Application



Table of Contents:



Chapter 1: Global Magnetic Wire Market Overview



Overview and Scope of global Magnetic Wire Market

Global Magnetic Wire Market Sales and Market Share

Sales and Growth Comparison of global Magnetic Wire Market

Global Magnetic Wire Market by Regions

Chapter 2: Global Magnetic Wire Market segments



Global Magnetic Wire Sales and Revenue by applicants

Global Magnetic Wire Market Competition by Players

Global Magnetic Wire Market by product segments

Global Magnetic Wire Sales and Revenue by Type

Chapter 3: Global Magnetic Wire Market marketing channel



Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders

Direct Marketing

Marketing channel trend and development

. Continued



For any query contact our industry experts at enquiry@qyresearch.com
Pune, Maharashtra -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/28/2019 -- According to a recent Fact.MR study, over 1,900 units of marine shaft power meter are likely to be sold in 2019. Growth of the marine shaft power meter market can be attributed to various factors including



Growing seaborne trade that relies heavily on cargo carriers

Development of technically advanced and cost-effective solution and increasing demand for new marine shaft power meter to optimize fuel saving

Imposition of new regulations on the shipping industry to reduce greenhouse gas emission

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The study opines that cargo carriers hold relatively larger share of the marine shaft power meter market, than passenger vessels. More than 50% volume sales of the marine shaft power meter were held by cargo carriers in 2018. This can be attributed to efforts of ship owners in Germany, China, and Canada, toward strengthening their hold in the container space, in line with the upward trend of container-based shipping services in sea-borne trade..



Seaborne trade will continue to expand worldwide on the back of competitive freight cost, as carriers increasingly invest in large container vessels for realizing the supply and demand balance. Freight carriers are also making significant investments in green technologies, to comply with new regulations, and meet logistics demands of companies that seek sustainable transport solution.



The Fact.MR study estimates robust sales of the marine shaft power meter in cargo ships and tankers, along with steady demand from passenger vessels, including high-speed crafts, fishing vessels, and cruise liners. Adoption of marine shaft power meters in passenger vessels is underpinned by the requirement of optimum fuel consumption, and investigating engine performance, and shaft power measurement solutions..



Browse Full Report @ https://www.factmr.com/report/1504/marine-shaft-power-meter-market



APEJ to Retain its Hegemony in Marine Shaft Power Meter Market



APEJ is expected to hold pole position in the marine shaft power meter market in 2019, with volume sales envisaged to surpass 1,000 units. Revenues from the marine shaft power meter market in Japan are expected to be relatively lower than APEJ. These regions with their flourishing shipping industry and increasing marine trade offer potential growth opportunities for marine shaft power meter manufacturers.



Developing countries in APEJ such as China and South Korea are highly lucrative markets for marine shaft power meter collectively accounting for over four-fifth volume share, finds Fact.MR study. Ongoing recovery of shipbuilding activities is a key factor driving demand for marine shaft power meter in these APEJ countries.



"Technological advances in the shipping industry including autonomous ships and blockchain application, hold considerable promise for the supply side of shipping. Combining on-board system and digital platforms is also on a rise in vessels and cargo. The volume of world trade by sea has started to gradually increase in recent years, with growing demand for goods and raw materials by emerging economies," reveals Fact.MR study.



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The study further states, "Complementing efforts by the shipping industry to address greenhouse gas emission, International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set an emission reduction target. These targets have been introduced in form of mandatory energy-efficiency requirements. This is resulting in the growing demand for marine shaft power meter system by the shipping companies to improve efficiency and reduce fuel consumption. Meanwhile, recently released MRV regulation in Europe has made it mandatory to shipping companies to get their emission report verified and receive Document of Compliance (DOC) to prevent any penalty."



In a bid to meet the demand for significant sustainability and optimize fuel consumption, the shipping industry's reliance on technically advanced marine shaft power meter has substantially increased in recent years. Fact.MR expects that sales of marine shaft power meter through OEM will register significant growth, with sales projected to exceed 1,800 units in 2019.



The Fact.MR report offers key insights on the marine shaft power meter market for the period 2018-2028. According to the report, marine shaft power meter market is expected to register 3.0% CAGR in terms of volume between 2018 and 2028.
Valley Cottage, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/27/2019 -- Partnerships between the private sector and public institutions have been the chief agenda of global public health initiatives. The last few years have witnessed an increase in several private-public partnerships specifically focussing on vaccine provision in developing countries. Partnerships like the International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision for Epidemic Meningitis Control (ICG) help magnify the vaccine outreach to remote areas of the world with the maximum need. The governments of several countries across the globe initiate immunisation programmes periodically and these programmes are backed by global organisations such as UNICEF and WHO and private not for profits like the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI).



To Get Sample Copy of Report Visit at: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1252



A classic example of how private-public partnerships are helping boost vaccination programmes across deep regional pockets is Brazil. In 2010, Ezequiel Dias Foundation, Brazil formed a strategic alliance with Novartis Vaccines & Diagnostics for the sustainable supply of Menjugate MenC vaccines for Brazil's National Immunization Program. By 2015, Brazil became self-sufficient in the production of the meningococcal C conjugated vaccine for the country's public vaccination programmes. Such initiatives at the global level are anticipated to support global immunisation goals and at the same time boost growth of the meningococcal vaccines market.



Factors Leading to Worldwide Adoption of Meningococcal Vaccination Programmes



The global meningococcal vaccines market is expected to be driven by enhanced access to vaccines in low and middle-income countries, growing investments by manufacturers and governments to cope with pandemic meningitis outbreaks, and rapidly growing consumption of meningococcal vaccines bolstered by immunisation alliances and mass vaccination campaigns among others. Partnerships and alliances between manufacturers and governmental healthcare organisations are facilitating the speedy introduction of vaccines in some of the economically challenged countries of the Middle East and Africa region. Enhanced access to vaccines in under-penetrated global markets is expected to accelerate revenue growth of the global meningococcal vaccines market.



Approval of new vaccines in the U.S and Europe in 2015 and 2017 to treat meningococcal meningitis has revolutionised the global immunisation landscape. This is further boosting the growth trajectory of the global market for meningococcal vaccines.



According to Future Market Insights projections, the global market for meningococcal vaccines is expected to reach US$ 6,008.9 Mn by 2028 end from a valuation of US$ 2,290.7 Mn in 2017  reflecting a CAGR of 9.2% during the 10 year period from 2018 to 2028.



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GlaxoSmithKline to Lead the Global Meningococcal Vaccines Market with About 50% Market Share Recorded in 2017



The global meningococcal vaccines market is highly consolidated, with GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi together holding about 80% of the global market share in 2017. Pfizer is the third largest company in this market with just under 12% market share in 2017. Companies are expanding their production capacities through the acquisition of established vaccines production units of other global or local companies. Sanofi has a huge pipeline of 17 active meningococcal vaccines programmes and is targeting emerging markets; while GlaxoSmithKline has 5 active pipeline programmes for meningococcal vaccines, all of which are in the phase II clinical stage. Addition of the vaccine Bexsero has enabled GlaxoSmithKline to defend its brand against Sanofi's aggressive portfolio in the paediatric vaccines space.
Maharashtra, India -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/27/2019 -- Renal Dialysis Equipment Market



Renal Dialysis Equipment Market is an artificial method of maintaining the chemical balance of the blood when the kidneys have failed. The kidneys remove waste from the body, maintain the blood pressure, make hormones to create red blood cells and thus, ensure the right amount of mineral content in the body.



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https://www.reportsmonitor.com/request_sample/395767



According to this study, over the next five years the Renal Dialysis Equipment market will register a xx% CAGR in terms of revenue, the global market size will reach US$ xx million by 2024, from US$ xx million in 2019.



The Major Players Covered in this Report: Allmed Group (United Kingdom), Asahi Kasei Medical (Japan), B. Braun Melsungen (Germany), Baxter International (United States), Bellco S.R.L. (Italy), C. R. Bard (United States), Fresenius Medical Care (Germany), Hemoclean (South Korea), & More.



Segmentation by product type:

Hemodialysis

Peritoneal Dialysis



Segmentation by application:

Medical Center Dialysis

In-Home Dialysis



Regional Analysis For Renal Dialysis Equipment Market:



North America (United States, Canada and Mexico)

Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)

Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)

South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia etc.)

Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)



Market Segments:



The global Renal Dialysis Equipment market is segmented on the basis of type of product, application, and region. The analysts authoring the report provide a meticulous evaluation of all of the segments included in the report. The segments are studied keeping in view their market share, revenue, market growth rate, and other vital factors. The segmentation study equips interested parties to identify high-growth portions of the global Renal Dialysis Equipment market and understand how the leading segments could grow during the forecast period.



Grab Your Report at an Impressive Discount ! Please click Here@

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Reasons to buy:



In-depth analysis of market on global and regional level.

Major changes in market dynamics and competitive landscape.

Segmentation on the basis of type, application, geography and others.

Historical and future market research in terms of size, share, growth, volume & sales.

Major changes and assessment in market dynamics & developments.

Industry size & share analysis with industry growth and trends.

Emerging key segments and regions

Key business strategies by major market players and their key methods.

The research report covers size, share, trends and growth analysis of the Renal Dialysis Equipment Market on global and regional level.

Table of Contents:



Study Coverage: It includes key manufacturers covered, key market segments, scope of products offered in the global Renal Dialysis Equipment market, years considered, and study objectives. Additionally, it touches the segmentation study provided in the report on the basis of type of product and application.



Executive Summary: It gives a summary of key studies, market growth rate, competitive landscape, market drivers, trends, and issues, and macroscopic indicators.



Production by Region: Here, the report provides information related to import and export, production, revenue, and key players of all regional markets studied.



Profile of Manufacturers: Each player profiled in this section is studied on the basis of SWOT analysis, their products, production, value, capacity, and other vital factors.



This report considers the below mentioned key questions:



Q.1. What are some of the most favorable, high-growth prospects for the global Renal Dialysis Equipment market?

Q.2. Which products segments will grow at a faster rate throughout the forecast period and why?

Q.3. Which geography will grow at a faster rate and why?

Q.4. What are the major factors impacting market prospects? What are the driving factors, restraints, and challenges in this Renal Dialysis Equipment market?

Q.5. What are the challenges and competitive threats to the market?

Q.6. What are the evolving trends in this Renal Dialysis Equipment market and reasons behind their emergence?

Q.7. What are some of the changing customer demands in the Renal Dialysis Equipment Industry market?

Q.8. What are the new growth prospects in the Renal Dialysis Equipment market and which competitors are showing prominent results in these prospects?

Q.9. Who are the leading pioneers in this Renal Dialysis Equipment market? What tactical initiatives are being taken by major companies for growth?

Q.10. What are some of the competing products in this Renal Dialysis Equipment market and how big of a threat do they pose for loss of market share by product substitution?

Q.11. What M&A activity has taken place in the historical years in this Renal Dialysis Equipment market?



For More Details On this Report:

https://www.reportsmonitor.com/report/395767/Renal-Dialysis-Equipment-Market



To conclude, Renal Dialysis Equipment Industry report mentions the key geographies, market landscapes alongside the product price, revenue, volume, production, supply, demand, market growth rate, and forecast etc. This report also provides SWOT analysis, investment feasibility analysis, and investment return analysis.



About Reports Monitor

Reports Monitor is a market research and consulting company that provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries including Healthcare, Technology, Chemicals, Materials, and Energy. With an intrinsic understanding of many business environments, Reports Monitor provides strategic objective insights.
New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/28/2019 -- Disinfectants are chemical substances that are applied to non-living objects and surfaces of the floor to destroy microorganisms. The essential use of disinfectants is part of a strategy to prevent infectious diseases. Here surfaces are considered noncritical items and they contact intact skin. The use of noncritical items or contact with noncritical surfaces carries little risk of causing an infection in humans. Surface should be clean in hospital, clinics and Ambulatory surgical centers because there is higher possibility to spread the infection among patients and staff.



Clean t185he surfaces with disinfectant is the first and foremost step to prevent the infection in the hospital. Medical device surfaces such as hemodialysis machines, gloves, stethoscopes, blood pressure cuffs, CT scan, MRI scanners and X-ray machines can become contaminated with infectious agents and contribute to the spread of Infectious diseases while examining the patient health. To prevent this, noncritical medical equipment surfaces should be disinfected with an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) -registered low- or intermediate-level disinfectant. Examples of some of clinical contact surfaces include light handles, switches, reusable containers of dental materials, countertops, and telephone handles.



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Surface Disinfectant Market: Drivers and Restraints



Surface disinfectant place a major role in preventing infection. The main driver of Surface disinfectant is its use. Increasing the prevalence rate of infectious disease globally drives the surface disinfectant market. Developed countries and developing countries are plays a major role in surface disinfectant market. Guidance from International organizations such as World Health Organization (WHO), International Federation of Infection Control (IFIC), and Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) to prevent infectious diseases also drives the market. Great awareness about the use of surface disinfectants also one of the driver for this market.



However, while using disinfectants we need to take precautions and we need to use the disinfectant which is approved by government organization such as Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).



Surface Disinfectant Market: Segmentation



Surface Disinfectant market is segmented into following types



Based on Type



Oxidizing disinfectants



Sodium Hypochlorite



Peracetic Acid



Hydrogen Peroxide



Non-oxidizing disinfectants



Quaternary Ammonium Compounds (QAC's)



Biguanides



Amphoterics



Based on Formulation



Liquids



Sprays



Wipes



Based on End User



Hospital



Clinics



Ambulatory surgical center



Home care settings



Surface Disinfectant Market: Overview



With good awareness about healthcare among people and guidance from international organizations about the use of surface disinfectant, the use of Surface Disinfectant will increase and the market is expected to have a healthy growth in the forecast period (2016-2026)



Surface Disinfectant Market: Region- wise Outlook



Depending on geographic regions, the global Surface Disinfectant market is segmented into seven key regions: North America, South America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan, Japan and Middle East & Africa.



The use of Surface Disinfectant is high in North America because it is highly developed region, having good healthcare setup and people are having good awareness about health care. In Asia pacific region china and India also having rapid growth in health care set up. Europe also having good growth in this market.



Request For Report Table of Content (TOC):https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1177



Surface Disinfectant Market: Key Players



Some of the key players in this market are



3M



STERIS plc



Reckitt Benckiser Group plc



Metrex Research, LLC.



Whiteley Corporation



UPS Hygiene Pvt. Ltd.



Carroll Company
Paris, France -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/28/2019 -- LATY is a Paris based French brand that takes great pride in creating mindfully designed and timeless products. The brand has recently launched a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter for its all-new creation called the BHUMI MAT, which is the world's first cork yoga mat with alignment cues.



The brand is welcoming yoga and fitness enthusiasts from around the world to participate in this one of a kind crowdfunding campaign. The project is already getting a phenomenal response, the initial goal of EUR 7,500 on this Kickstarter campaign was reached in less than a week.



"Our aim is to consciously create the best quality products that last a lifetime without compromising beauty or functionality and for the well being of everybody - Humans and Mother Earth." Said the spokesperson of LATY, while introducing the BHUMI MAT to the Kickstarter community.



Named after the Hindu goddess Bhumi that represents mother earth, the BHUMI MAT also features following amazing properties due to its cork design:



Antibacterial

All Natural

Biodegradable

Long Lasting

Non-Slip

Cool Designs Created by Yogis



The Kickstarter Campaign is located on the web at: www.kickstarter.com/projects/825794484/a-superior-cork-yoga-mat and backers from around the world can participate in this campaign by making generous pledges and donations. As a reward for the backers, this campaign offers BHUMI MAT with worldwide shipping and more details regarding the pledges are available on the Kickstarter campaign page of the project.



About LATY

LATY is an inspiring French brand that takes pride in creating unique and useful products that are durable and creative. The brand has recently introduced the world's first cork yoga mat with alignment cues called the BHUMI MAT, which is a gift for yogis and fitness enthusiasts worldwide.



Contact:

Contact Person: Yetta Lee

Company: LATY

City: Paris

Country: France

Phone: +33607515922

Email: latyworld@gmail.com

Website: www.kickstarter.com/projects/825794484/a-superior-cork-yoga-mat
Hong Kong: CE attends Boao conference

Chief Executive Carrie Lam today attended the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2019 in Hainan and met central ministry, province and city leaders.

The forum theme this year is "Shared Future, Concerted Action, Common Development".

Mrs Lam listened to the keynote speech delivered at the opening ceremony by the Premier Li Keqiang.

Premier Li said the country would broaden market access for investment from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, further open sectors such as finance, professional services and high-end manufacturing, and continue to roll out policy initiatives to facilitate the movement of Hong Kong, Macau and Mainland people as well as the flow of factors of production.

Mrs Lam said these measures will be welcomed by Hong Kong enterprises and various professional sectors and show once again the Central Government's support for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

She also said she believed these measures will further enhance Hong Kong's integration into the overall development of the country.

After the opening ceremony, Mrs Lam met the State Councils State-owned Assets Supervision & Administration Commission Chairman Xiao Yaqing.

Mrs Lam expressed her gratitude to the commission for its staunch support for Hong Kong to participate in the Belt & Road Initiative.

It includes the co-organisation with the HKSAR Government of various activities regularly to foster the establishment of partnership between different trades, the state-owned enterprises (SoEs) and the professional services sector of Hong Kong, its encouragement of participation by SoEs in the capacity building initiatives of the HKSAR Government for countries along the Belt & Road, and its proactive participation in the annual Belt & Road Summit organised by the HKSAR Government.

She said she hoped to maintain close co-operation with the commission to make contributions in promoting the Belt & Road Initiative.

In the afternoon, Mrs Lam met Hebei Province Governor Xu Qin.

She said she hopes Hong Kong may participate in the Xiongan New Areas development and contribute to it.

She welcomed the news that Mr Xu will lead a delegation to visit Hong Kong next month, and said she believes the visit would help explore more areas for co-operation between the two places.

Mrs Lam also met CPC Chongqing Municipal Committee Deputy Party Secretary Ren Xuefeng.

She said Chongqing is a vital strategic location in the Western Development Programme and a main connecting point of the Belt & Road and the Yangtze River economic zone.

As an international maritime centre and a regional logistics hub, Hong Kong is able to provide support services to link up the networks of the two places, so they can both tap into opportunities of the Belt & Road Initiative, she added.

After the meeting, Mrs Lam joined the Women Roundtable themed The Power of Women & the Value of Balance to discuss women's potential and the promotion of womens development.

Mrs Lam said she, as the first female Chief Executive of the HKSAR, has a huge and important responsibility in advancing women's development.

She briefed the participants on the Governments measures to foster women's development, including efforts to unleash the female labour force, allowing them to give full play to their potential.

In the evening, Mrs Lam joined The Night of Hainan, a thematic dinner hosted by the Boao Forum for Asia.

After arriving in Boao yesterday, Mrs Lam also attended a dinner hosted by Premier Li and met Hong Kong student volunteers.

This story has been published on: 2019-03-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry will fly to the Tunisian capital on Friday for preparatory meetings of the 30th Arab League summit, the Egyptian foreign ministry said.

The meetings are planned to "discuss issues of joint Arab cooperation and ways to deal with various regional challenges and crises," the ministry said in a statement.

The Arab League Summit is scheduled to be held on Sunday 31 March.

The summit is expected to work to reach consensus over Syrias membership of the Arab League, which was suspended in 2011 following the crackdown on anti-government protesters at the start of the country's civil war.

The trip comes as Shoukry wrapped up a multi-day visit to Washington, where he held talks on bilateral ties and regional threats with a number of US congressmen.

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Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/27/2019 -- According to a new research report on the unmanned marine vehicle market, published by Transparency Market Research the global unmanned marine vehicle market is expected to reach value of US$ 1270.89 Mn by 2026, expanding at a CAGR of 5.2% from 2018 to 2026. According to the report, the market is likely to continue to be influenced by a range of macroeconomic and market-specific factors during the forecast period. In terms of demand, Europe is anticipated to be the leading market for unmanned marine vehicles, expanding at a CAGR of 5.6% between 2018 and 2026. This is primarily due to increasing demand for maritime security in coastal areas in Europe.



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The global unmanned marine vehicle market has witnessed strong growth over the last decade. The primary factor driving the market is rising threats in coastal areas across the globe. The defense sector is facing maritime security-related threats including anti-ship and anti-submarine missiles, seabed mines, and submarine warfare. These threats are forcing the defense sector to deploy unmanned marine systems i.e. either underwater or surface vehicles to counter these threats and minimize the human risk. Unmanned marine vehicles are capable to collect data from the ocean floor while keeping humans out of harm's way.



These vehicles are able to conduct survey of the ocean and perform different tasks such as ship hull inspection, mine hunting, scientific exploration, and data gathering. These features of unmanned marine vehicles are likely to drive the global unmanned marine vehicle market in the next few years. In addition, defense forces of the U.S., the U.K., France, Russia, and China are investing large amounts in research, development and engineering activities to develop unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) with the latest technologies, which is likely to propel the global market during the forecast period.



The global unmanned marine vehicle market has been broadly segmented in terms of type, application, and region. Based on type, the market has been categorized into unmanned surface vehicle (USV) and unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV). The unmanned surface vehicle segment dominated the global market, holding 81.15% of the market share, in terms of revenue, in 2017. It is expected to expand at a significant CAGR of 5.3% during the forecast period.



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This is primarily attributable to growing utilization of unmanned surface vehicles in off-shore discoveries and surveys. In terms of application, the global unmanned marine vehicle market has been divided into oceanographic survey, hydrographic survey, environmental monitoring, marine security & defense, marine patrolling, offshore mining, and others. The marine security & defense segment dominated the global market, accounting for a leading i.e. 26.31% share of the market in 2017. The segment is expected to expand at a high CAGR of 5.6% from 2018 to 2026, due to rising concerns about maritime security.



Among regions, North America is anticipated to hold the maximum share of the global market, while the market in Europe is likely to expand at the maximum CAGR during the forecast period. In 2017, North America accounted for 31.94% share of the global unmanned marine vehicle market. This is attributable to strong focus on the autonomy and intelligence of USVs and UUVs. Furthermore, the market in Europe is projected to expand at a significant CAGR of 5.6% between 2018 and 2026. This is primarily due to increasing demand from survey and scientific research industries in countries in Europe.
Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/28/2019 -- The global UV stabilizers market is likely to grow in the near future owing to the increasing demand for packaging materials and automotive coating. UV stabilizers are primarily used with UV absorbers and HALS in the industries. The properties of UV stabilizers such as low-cost, high processing ability, low volatility, and weather resistance are propelling their industrial application.



An upcoming report by Transparency Market Research on the global UV stabilizers Market provides an in-depth analysis of the recent trends, future prospect and dynamics of the UV stabilizers. Further, it helps the readers to identify several macro and micro factors associated with the global UV stabilizers market. Furthermore, it would help readers gauge various trends, restrains and opportunities of the market. A detailed analysis on major factors like geographical and competitive landscape analysis will offer a brief understanding of the global UV stabilizers market.



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Global UV Stabilizers Market: Trends and Opportunities



The rise in the global UV stabilizers market is mainly due to its increasing usage of UV stabilizers in numerous industries like thermoplastics, polymers, automotive, and packaging. Apart from this, the rising demand for greenhouse films is another factor propelling the global UV stabilizers market. Increasing investments by private holders, improving production facilities, and increasing living standards in emerging economies are some other factors boosting the global UV stabilizers market. Further, ongoing product development and expansion activities in the Asia-Pacific region is also a key factor driving the UV stabilizers market. These factors may fuel the growth of the UV stabilizers market in the upcoming years.



In spite of so many drivers, the global UV stabilizers market is restrained by a few factors. Volatility in raw material prices of UV stabilizers, and strict government regulations are some headwinds restraining the growth of the UV stabilizers market. Nevertheless, these restraints can be overcome with the rapidly growing packaging and automotive sector in emerging economies of the globe.



Global UV Stabilizers Market: Geographical Analysis



The global UV stabilizers market could be segmented into four major regions namely Asia-Pacific, North America, Europe, and the Middle East and Africa. The Asia-Pacific region holds high potential for the global UV stabilizers market and is likely to continue its dominance in the near future as well. This is due to the presence of the major consumers countries in the region such as China, India, and South Korea.



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Global UV Stabilizers Market: Competitive Landscape



Some of the predominant players in the global UV stabilizers market are ALTANA AG, BASF SE, Songwon Industrial Ltd., Solvay SA, Addivant, and Clariant AG. Owing to intense competition, top players of the global UV stabilizers are using various strategies to strengthen their market hold across the world. Market expansion, new product launches and collaborations are some of the key strategies which top players have adopted to increase their market penetration and strengthen their positions in the global UV stabilizers market.
Northbrook, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/28/2019 -- According to a new market research report "Virtual Classroom Market by Solution (Content Management, Device Management, UCC, Security), Hardware (Mobile Computing Devices, VR Devices), Service (Professional & Managed), Deployment Mode, User Type, and Region - Global Forecast to 2023", published by MarketsandMarkets, the virtual classroom market size is expected to grow from USD 9.3 billion in 2018 to USD 19.6 billion by 2023, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 16.2% during the forecast period.



The wide acceptance of Augmented Reality or Virtual Reality for corporate training and development, continuous innovation in VR/AR technologies, increased participation and engagement in learning, demand for personalized learning experiences, and the use of connected devices in virtual classrooms are some of the factors driving the market growth.



Browse and in-depth TOC on "Virtual Classroom Market"

100  Tables

60 - Figures

207 - Pages



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The content management segment to hold the highest market share



The content management segment is expected to gain traction in the virtual classroom market during the forecast period. Furthermore, an educational content management system enables educators, trainers, authors, and subject matter experts to create, store, manage, and deliver digital content in the form of texts, videos, or audios to be used by learners. The demand for online educational content with enhanced learning experience is growing rapidly in both educational institutes and corporates. This factor is driving the growth of the content management segment.



Among hardware, mobile computing devices segment is gaining traction in K-12 institutions, specifically in the US



PCs, tablets, and mobile devices play an important role to enhance the learning process of students and employees. These devices need to be implemented with applications and strategies designed to meet needs of users. The growing adoption of the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy and its implementation have seen steady and impressive growth in the last few years. For instance, Intel has implemented the BYOD policy throughout the organization by providing 30,000 mobile devices to its employees for the training and development purpose. Mobile computing devices convert the conventional classroom into mobile-centric education.



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North America to hold the highest market share during the forecast period



North America is one of the major contributors to the virtual classroom market, due to technological developments. The US and Canada are the top contributing countries to the virtual classroom market in this region. These countries have established economies, which empower them to strongly invest in R&D activities. Moreover, the rapid development of the startup culture and high adoption of technologies in education are expected to fuel the growth of the virtual classroom market in North America. In this region, enterprises are now shifting to virtual learning for better results and convenience of use. Multiple users can simultaneously access learning materials and resources from anywhere and at any time, and this has drastically helped the corporate sector cut down on expenses related to employee training. This reason is one of the major factors that has led corporates to adopt virtual classrooms over old traditional teaching methods. Many academic and corporates have implemented virtual classroom for its modes, such as technology training, distance learning, instructor-led training, and flipped learning and blended learning.



The major vendors covered in the virtual classroom market include Sony (Japan), Samsung Electronics (South Korea), HTC (Taiwan), Google (US), Microsoft (US), Panasonic Corporation (Japan), Hitachi (Japan), Barco (Belgium), LG Electronics (South Korea), Veative Labs (Singapore), Cisco (US), Blackboard (US), Dell (US), IBM (US), Saba Software (US), Oracle (US), Edvance360 (US), Electa Communications (US), BrainCert (US), SKYPREP (Canada), Impero Software (UK), WizIQ (India), BigBlueButton (US), Digital Samba (Spain), and TutorRoom (Taipei).



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Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model  GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve.



MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledgestore" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets.



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The Egyptian parliament's legislative and constitutional affairs committee concluded on Thursday its national dialogue on proposed amendments to Egypt's 2014 constitution.

A number of public figures, representatives of the economic and business sectors, NGOs, and the Ministry of Social Solidarity were invited to give their comments on the amendments during today's last two hearing sessions.

Parliament speaker Ali Abdel-Aal, who led the committee's meetings, opened the session by urging those who seek to organise a stand before parliament in protest of the proposed amendments to come and join the dialogue to freely express their views.

"I do not find any reason for this stand, and I say that the doors of parliament are open to listen to your views," said Abdel-Aal.

On Wednesday, the committee, led by Abdel-Aal, held a five-hour meeting with representatives of political parties.

Most of the participants -- 52 political parties -- supported the amendments. Five parties, however, strongly attacked the amendments, insisting that they are "needless and come to serve personal interests."

The list of the opponents includes a mix of liberal and leftist political parties; the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, the Karama (Dignity) Party, the Conservatives Party, the Tagammu Party, and the Reform and Development Party. The Islamist Nour Party expressed reservations about some of the amendments.

Mohamed Anwar El-Sadat, the head of the liberal Reform and Development Party launched a scathing attack against the amendments, describing the "national dialogue" on them as "formal and pre-packaged."

According to Sadat, who was stripped by parliament from his membership in 2017 on charges of of leaking 'secret information to international institutions,' and forging signatures, said the dialogue on the amendments lacks any kind of transparency.

"The media are not allowed any good chance to cover the dialogue, and so the people do not know the content of these amendments and or on what they will vote in the anticipated public referendum," said Sadat.

Mohamed Sami, head of the Nasserist Karama Party, accused Abdel-Aal of acting under instructions from President El-Sisi in proposing the constitutional amendments.

In response, Abdel-Aal swore that he never acts under instructions from President El-Sisi.

"President El-Sisi has no connection at all with these amendments, and that they came only upon an initiative of the majority of MPs, who believe that they are serving the national interests of Egypt."

Abdel-Aal also insisted that the national dialogue listened to all viewpoints on the amendments, including the minority opposition and the majority.

"The amendments were widely covered by the media, and parliamentary correspondents were allowed to attend the debate to convey every word to the public," said Abdel-Aal, also rejecting that the dialogue was just "formal and pre-packaged."

"We listened to all viewpoints, and tomorrow Thursday - a number of public figures and representatives of NGOs will be invited to give their comments and remarks."

Abdel-Nasser Qandil, the head of the political bureau of the leftist Tagammu Party, said the party does not sign off on the amendments.

"We have submitted a document that proposes different amendments to the constitution," said Qandil.

Talaat Marzouk, representative of the Islamist Nour Party, said that the party has reservations about the amendments, particularly the ones related to allocating a 25 percent of the quota of seats to women in parliament, recreating the Shura Council, and the one which describes Egypt as a "civilian state."

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Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan toured on Thursday the under-construction New El-Alamein City on Egypt's North Coast, according to presidency spokesperson Bassam Rady.

President El-Sisi received bin Zayed, who is also the Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE's Armed Forces, on Wednesday at Borg El-Arab airport in Alexandria.

On Thursday, El-Sisi and bin Zayed toured a 14-kilometre area where residential and tourist towers, recreation areas, and a port for touristic yachts are being constructed.

Bin Zayed said he is impressed with the speed at which Egypt is progressing in implementing a number of national mega projects, including New El-Alamien City and the New Administrative Capital, which are contributing to achieving a developmental and administrative leap in the country.

New El-Alamein City is located some 110km west of Alexandria on 50,000 feddans.

It is designed to accommodate more than 3 million inhabitants and serve as a summer resort.

El-Sisi and bin Zayed also visited the El-Alamien Military Museum, which commemorates the World War II Battle of El-Alamien.

During their talks on Wednesday, the Egyptian president and the Abu Dhabi crown prince discussed development and economic and political cooperation, and called for greater cooperation to combat threats to Arab countries, including interference in their internal affairs.

El-Sisi and the crown prince stressed the importance of continuing "coordination and consultation to address the challenges facing the Arab nation and to reject interference in the internal affairs of Arab countries, which threatens the stability and security of their peoples."

Egypt's Sisi and Abu Dhabi crown prince (1)

Egypt's Sisi and Abu Dhabi crown prince (1)

Egypt's Sisi and Abu Dhabi crown prince (1)

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Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has warned of the dangers of the collapse of nation states in the Middle East and the spread of terrorism, underlining the importance of combining international efforts to forge a comprehensive counterterrorism strategy covering not only the military and security perspectives but also tackling the social, cultural and economic factors.

The Egyptian FM's remarks came during talks on Thursday in Washington with senior US officials, including chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee Republican Jim Risch, Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Republican Ron Johnson, and Democratic Senator Bob Menendez, Egypt's Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Hafez said on Thursday.

Shoukry also met with US Congressmen Republicans Hal Rogers and Mac Thornberry.

The Egyptian foreign minister stressed Egypt's keenness on keeping in touch with US Congress members to update them on the positive developments in Egypt on the political, economic and social levels.

He also stressed that the US aid programme is of special importance to Egypt as it highlights the depth of bilateral ties.

The talks also tackled the latest regional developments, especially the crises in Yemen, Syria and Libya.

Shoukry affirmed the importance of reaching political solutions to such crises while preserving the national institutions of these countries.

On Wednesday, Shoukry met with US Representative and Chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee Democrat Nita Lowey and discussed means of boosting Egyptian-US relations in various fields, including the US economic and military assistance programme.

The foreign minister stressed the importance of maintaining the assistance program to preserve the strategic relations between the two countries.

Shoukry discussed with Lowey the latest developments in Egypt and the Middle East region, including the Palestinian issue as well as the Syrian, Libyan and Yemeni crises.

On Tuesday, Shoukry held talks with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who lauded his Egyptian counterpart's dedication to strengthening US-Egyptian ties and congratulated Egypt on Tuesday's 40th anniversary of the Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty.

The two officials discussed ways to boost mutual cooperation and strategic partnership, as well as bolstering efforts to "confront regional and international threats to stability in the Middle East."

During the talks, the Egyptian minister underlined the importance of pushing for a just settlement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the establishment of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The Egyptian diplomat reiterated Egypt's firm stance that the Golan Heights is occupied Syrian land, following US President Donald Trump's recent recognition of Israel's sovereignty over the occupied territory.

Also on Tuesday, Shoukry met with a number of US congressmen including Republican Senator Marco Rubio, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee, Republican US Representative Steve Chabot and Representative Ted Deutch, the Democrat who heads the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East.

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As the Islamic State group is finally routed in Syria, the balance of powers of the next phase is being worked out, with Turkey and the US standing to lose

Damascus hosted a tripartite meeting between key Syrian, Iranian and Iraqi military leaders 18 March.

Attended by Iranian Defence Minister Amir Hatami, Syrian counterpart Ali Abdullah Ayoub and Iraqi Chief of Staffs Lieutenant General Othman Al-Ghanimi, the meeting concluded with a reaffirmation of the Syrian armys determination to reassert its control over the whole of Syrian territory and the decision to reopen the Qaim-Bu Kamal border crossing between Iraq and Syria.

The strategic crossing had been closed for more than four years. In the context of the reassertion of Syrian sovereignty over the whole of Syria, the participants conveyed a direct message to the predominantly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that control northeast Syria and an indirect message to Turkey in connection with the northwest province of Idlib that is controlled by Turkish backed Syrian rebel groups, most notably Al-Qaeda affiliated Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham.

The official Iraqi presence alongside Iran and Syria is a precedent, although it was predictable in view of the close Iraqi-Iranian relationship and the high-level security coordination between Baghdad and Damascus since 2014 when the Islamic State (IS) group overran the borders between the two countries.

At the level of regional and international power balances in the Middle East, the tripartite alignment works in favour of Russia which has now acquired another ally, Iraq, which has been growing closer to Moscow by the same distances that it has been moving away from the US.

Washington responded with sanctions against portions of the Iraqi Popular Mobilisation Units (PMU), more commonly known as Al-Hashd Al-Shaabi.

The tripartite alignment, which Hatami described as the consolidation of the axis of resistance, boosts Irans influence in Syria and enhances the prospects of its regional project in the post-IS period.

It simultaneously hampers the influence of rival local and/or regional forces especially now that Iraq is ready to fill the vacuum at the border following the SDFs announcement last week that it had eliminated the last remaining IS pocket in Al-Baghuz.

With this final defeat of IS, Damascus and its allies are now upping the pressure on the SDF which has called for a dialogue with the government in Damascus in the framework of its drive to secure recognition for the Autonomous Administration of North and Eastern Syria (NES).

The Syrian-Iranian-Iraqi axis is also intended to assert pressure on the US, which now intends to keep 400 troops in northeast Syria in order to support the Kurdish forces there, while, to the west, it ups the pressure on Turkey which has been overseeing the implementation of the demilitarisation agreement in Idlib but has so far failed to fulfil its obligations under that agreement.

It now remains to be seen how the parties of this alliance reposition themselves on the ground in order to follow through on their objectives.

Meanwhile, the reactions of other parties have begun to unfold starting with the US which, as noted above, has focused on Iraq in the form of sanctions against the predominantly Shia PMU.

Tensions between the US and Iraq, which Washington wants to keep as a bulwark against Iran, have been escalating for several weeks since US President Donald Trump announced plans to keep some US forces in Iraq in order to keep an eye on Iran.

The announcement sparked widespread anger in Iraq where Qais Al-Khazali, leader of the Asayib Ahl Al-Haqq (League of the Righteous) Party vowed to attack US forces if they stayed in Iraq.

He subsequently announced that the US led international coalition bombarded a 30-member PMU force near Lake Tharthar in Al-Anbar region in western Iraq. As tensions heightened, the Iraqi parliament weighed drafting legislation to terminate the US military presence in Iraq.

Russia stands to benefit from the inclusion of Iraq among its allies in Syria at several levels. The addition of an ally that shares a similar vision for the future of Syria works in favour of the shift of US allies towards Russia. In fact, there had already been indications that Baghdad was moving in this direction.

The Iraqi foreign ministers first visit abroad was to Moscow and, according to the latest SIPRI report, Iraq has increased its imports of Russian arms by an unprecedented rate during the last four years.

On the other hand, Russia continues to face the Turkish challenge in Syria which subject loomed to the fore with Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoygus visit to Damascus where he met with President Bashar Al-Assad the day after the meeting of key Syrian, Iranian and Iraqi military officials in the Syrian capital. Top among the issues Shoygu and Al-Assad discussed was the situation in Idlib.

This northwest governorate is where time is running out for Turkey in Syria. Idlib, controlled by Turkish backed jihadist groups, was one of the four de-escalation zones created in accordance with the framework established between Russia, Iran and Turkey in Astana.

It is the only one of these areas that has not yet been restored to Syrian control and, in last weeks meetings in Damascus, Syria made it clear that its patience was running thin.

Russia supports Syria in this, arguing that the current situation in Idlib cannot continue indefinitely. On the other hand, Turkey stands to benefit from Syrian, Iranian and Iraqi resolve concerning the region east of the Euphrates under the control of the SDF, which Ankara regards as a terrorist organisation.

It may therefore try to use Idlib as a bartering chip in order obtain a Turkish controlled 30-kilometre wide safe zone on the Syrian side of the Turkish-Syrian border in northern Syria.

The SDF, for its part, will draw on the defeat of IS east of the Euphrates and the international coalitions recognition for the central role it played in this campaign in its attempt to negotiate an agreement with the regime.

Following its recent victory in Al-Baghuz, the SDF reiterated its call for dialogue with the regime in Damascus. However, Syrian Defence Minister Ayoub took the opposite tack, which was to send the SDF an ultimatum.

During the tripartite meeting he said that there could only be one military force in Syria  Al-Assad governments forces  and that the American backed SDF would be dealt with in one of two ways: through national reconciliation or force.

The Autonomous Administration of North and Eastern Syria (NES), commonly referred to as Rojava, responded that Ayoubs remarks ran counter to Syrian national interests and expressed a continuation of the sterile racist policy that led to the catastrophic situation in Syria.

The Rojava administrations statement added: The regime insists on reproducing itself through the military and security solution whereas Rojava prefers the political solution in principle, although it will never slacken in the legitimate defence of its rights should the situation demand.

If the formation of the tripartite alignment could be anticipated, there remains the crucial question as to how it takes shape on the ground in political and security arrangements in both Syria and Iraq, especially now that the latter is moving to restructure its relationship with the US. Washington, for its part, is facing a new challenge.

Its regional adversary, Iran, has gained greater leverage while Russia has acquired additional cards to play in its efforts to reduce US influence in the region.

Will this development induce Washington to revise its decision to pull out its troops from Syria? The situation in Iraq, where large segments of the population oppose the continuing US military presence there, adds another complicating dimension to this question.

As for the implications of all this on the Arab region as a whole, they are manifold.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 28 March, 2019 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Balance of power in the Middle East

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CCCC Shanghai Equipment Engineering (CCCCSEE) has selected Corvus Energy to supply the ESS for the battery-hybrid RTG cranes which will be a mix of new and retrofits, to operate in various ports in China.

The hybrid RTG port cranes are currently under construction by CCCCSEE and its affiliate ZPMC.

Unlike conventional conventional diesel electric port cranes, the hybrid version is powered primarily from the Corvus battery package resulting in fuel savings of up to 65%, according to Corvus Energy.

Corvus Energy added that other benefits include reduced operating costs, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and lower noise levels at the terminal.

Hear from Geir Bjrkeli, Chief Executive Officer, Corvus Energy at the Sea Asia Conference 2019 in Singapore on the future of energy in shipping

Corvus Energy has definitely shifted the economics and viability of converting diesel port equipment to battery-hybrid electric with their Orca Energy systems. Through previous deliveries they have proven that the performance, durability and reliability of its battery systems are ideally suited to the demands of our port equipment, said Gao Jianzhong, chief engineer, CCCCSEE.

Corvus Energy has previously supplied its solution to 48 RTG cranes through CCCCSEE.

Find out more at the Oil, Shipping and the Future Energy Mix conference session at Sea Asia 2019 in Singapore

The Orca Energy ESS stores regenerative braking energy captured as the RTG crane lowers a container - a high current charge that most battery systems cannot sustain.

The stored energy is used to power the RTG crane during operations such as trolley and gantry movement, allowing the diesel engine to be shut off when it would traditionally be idling or operating inefficiently at low loads. The size of the generator can be smaller, the generator can be used less often and its operation optimized for fuel efficiency.

Pradeep Datar, vp sales Corvus Energy Asia, said: We expect the market for battery-hybrid RTG crane applications will continue to grow as leading port equipment suppliers such as CCCCSEE prove the technologys efficacy to significantly reduce emissions.

There is significant retrofit potential with existing RTG cranes in global ports, in particular in Asia which operates half the worlds roughly 10,000 RTG cranes. Further, there is an upward trend for hybrid and all-electric RTG cranes in new orders.

Jointly organised by UBM (Seatrade) and the Singapore Maritime Foundation, Sea Asia 2019 will take place in Singapore from 9 - 11 April 2019 at the Marina Bay Sands.
Furthermore another account under the name of the company had also been frozen.

Minsheng Bank Shanghai branch requested the company to repay the loan of RMB150m ahead of time. The bank submitted an application to Shanghai Pudong New Area Peoples Court to freeze its account as the company was unable to repay the loan.

Shanghai Bestway warned that it will bring substantial impact to the company and Dajins normal operation. It said it was sparing no effort to reassure customers, and stabilise the staff and operations.

Due to debt issues, several creditors had applied to seize assets and freeze share equity of the company and its controlling shareholder. Currently, seven real estate properties owned by the company had been frozen, totaling in the value of RMB181.78m.

Last week, the company received notice from Shanghai No.3 Intermediate Peoples Court to restructure. The company is facing the risk of bankruptcy if the restructuring process fails.

Shanghai Bestway was listed in Shenzhen Stock Exchange in 2009. It is the first public company in A-share market on marine technology.
Gabriela Santiago-Romero

A town hall on voting rights issues on Feb. 27, 2019 featuring Stephanie Chang, Heaster Wheeler, Sharon Dolente, and Brandon Jessup.

The reasons for these outcomes are many. In some states, like Wisconsin, Georgia, and North Carolina, there have been active efforts to disenfranchise voters through policies that primarily affect vulnerable groups, like Voter ID requirements and insufficient polling stations. This was made possible in part when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down parts of the Voting Rights Act in 2013, allowing southern states to enact policies that would have otherwise been under review and potentially overturned.

Chang speaking with constituents after a town hall

Sheila Cockrel

CitizenDetroit candidate forum event

Paul Jonna

Students in a citizenship class at the Chaldean Community Foundation

Ever since her early teens, Amina Khalique had been interested in politics. But because she rarely saw people from her background  a young Bangladeshi muslim  in local or national politics, she assumed it wasn't for her.That perception changed when Gabriela Santiago-Romero came to her high school to tell students about Girls Making Change , a political leadership fellowship for high school girls of color. Though the deadline was fast approaching, Khalique applied and was accepted to be one of a dozen girls enrolled in the program.She's only 18, but Khalique already knows the experience was life-changing. "It gave me a voice, showed me I can be a leader, and gave me so many more opportunities than I could ever imagine," she says.Over 10 weeks in the summer, the young women participate in leadership workshops, organize a community impact event, and shadow a Michigan legislator, including now-State Senator Stephanie Chang, who started the program in 2016.Khalique, who is currently a student at Wayne State University majoring in political science, became a program assistant for Girls Making Change last year. She's organized a couple rallies since the fellowship and one day hopes to run for office herself. "That's mostly because of Girls Making Change," she says.And that's exactly the goal  the program hopes to create a pipeline of political leadership in Metro Detroit."If we elected people who actually understood the community, we might have more creative solutions," Santiago-Romero says. "White men who are able-bodied, straight, affluent, have a wonderful family  congratulations, you're fine. But you might not understand that there are people in the community who don't have water, can't get to school, have trouble making ends meet. If it's a nonexistent reality for you, then you won't fight for it."Historically disenfranchised communities  the poor, immigrants, people of color  often struggle to be civically engaged. Sometimes that's because, like Khalique, they don't see themselves represented in politics. Other times it's through active voter suppression or because the process is intimidating, confusing, or disillusioning.But those trends have been changing in recent elections. And the actions of some organizations to engage these groups may shift the scales even more.The simplest metric for measuring civic engagement is voter turnout. And in almost every American election, vulnerable groups vote with less frequency than their white, affluent counterparts.Minority voter turnout has consistently lagged behind white voter turnout. In the 2016 election in Michigan, for example, 66.5 percent of the white population voted, whereas 61 percent of the black and 36 percent of the Hispanic population did. In the 2010 election , only 28 percent of eligible voters who make under $20,000 a year cast a ballot, and 39 percent for those who make between $20,000 and $50,000. But turnout shoots up to 60 percent for those who made more than $100,000.Turnout also increases with educational achievement. In the 2014 election in Michigan, only 21 percent of those without a high school diploma cast a ballot.Gerrymandering, the practice of packing districts during a census year to make elections less competitive, is common across America. But it's especially egregious in Michigan , which has been described as having "some of the most partisan maps in the nation." Noncompetitive races increase voter apathy and suppress turnout.But there are other, more subtle ways vulnerable groups are disenfranchised. In Detroit in 2016, widespread voting machine failures invalidated thousands of ballots. Issues at polling places sow distrust in the political system and make people question whether their vote matters.The same goes for excessively long lines at polling stations, unclear requirements or deadlines for registration, cases of unsent absentee ballots  all of which affect minorities at considerably higher rates A Caltech/MIT survey conducted on non-voters found that "white citizens who abstain from voting do so primarily by choice, while the majority of minority non-voters face problems along the way."These numbers are reflected in other areas of the political process. Money to candidates, campaigns, and political action committees overwhelmingly comes from the wealthy. An article in The Atlantic titled, " Why do minorities vote less? ", posited that "low-income people lack funding to effectively advocate" for their needs and are under-represented as a result.It continued, "Just 2 percent of Americans at the bottom of the income and education ladder attend campaign meetings and rallies or conduct campaign work, compared to 14 percent of people at the top  a factor of seven to one. When it comes to selecting candidates and funding their campaigns, 2 percent of all Americans give money in presidential elections and less than half of 1 percent provide the lion's share."That results in lower representation in political bodies and fewer policies that reflect their interests. Prior to the 2016 election, there were only eight women of color out of 148 in the Michigan Legislature, almost all of whom were from Detroit.More representation is not just about combating apathy among underrepresented groups  it has a direct effect on policy."Having greater representation lends itself to more voices that bring up issues that wouldn't otherwise be raised," says State Senator Stephanie Chang says. She cites the example of Detroit City Councilmember Raquel Castaneda-Lopez who championed Municipal IDs in Detroit, which are especially important to immigrants and those from her community in Southwest Detroit."Having more women, people of color, immigrants  all of those things are about creating better policy," she adds.Chang, who became the first Asian-American woman elected to Michigan's Legislature in 2014, started Girls Making Change in part because there was little precedent for a person of her background to run. But, she says, she was inspired by politicians like Castaneda-Lopez and Rashida Tlaib, women of color organizers from Detroit, who successfully made the jump into politics.Because of her belief that constituencies must dictate policy, Chang is often present at events in her district, a long strip that runs along the Detroit River from the eastside of Detroit and parts of downriver like Trenton and Grosse Ile. She holds regular coffee hours, where constituents can speak to her in person, and town halls every other month on issues like voting rights Chang had been a state representative since 2014 before the most recent election, where she rode a wave of enthusiasm from minority voters in local and national elections. Last year's election had the highest turnout for a midterm election in decades. As a result, political bodies have become more diverse.In 2018, Michigan voters election women to the highest offices in the state  governor, secretary of state, and attorney general  and the number of women in the legislature grew by 15 to 53.41 new women were elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, two of whom are the first Muslim women elected to Congress. 2016 saw the first Thai-American (Tammy Duckworth) and Latina (Catherine Cortez Masto) elected.It's clear that people of all races, classes, and backgrounds are motivated to vote  now it's a matter of getting them registered, informed, and engaged.Michigan voters helped the cause by passing a pair of ballot initiatives in 2018 designed to increase election turnout and fairness. Proposal 2 combats gerrymandering by having a 13-member independent citizens' redistricting commission approve new district maps. Proposal 3 institutes a bevy of voter-friendly policies , like making it much easier to register and to vote absentee. CitizenDetroit is also doing its part. Co-founded by former Detroit City Councilmember Sheila Cockrel, the voter education group organizes all kinds of events, from candidate forums and debate watch parties to bar trivia nights centered around a political theme.These kinds of activities are in pursuit of its main goal, which is, according to Cockrel, "to provide factual information that you distill with your personal values to help you decide what your position is on policies and what candidates meet your vision."To that end, CitizenDetroit created a website, informdetroit.org , that provides information and a three-minute statement from practically every political candidate in a local or statewide election. "If we could find your email address, we reached out to you," Cockrel says.It also puts together workbooks on select topics and ballot proposals. Its workbook on the Detroit Charter Revision , for example, had information on the history of the Detroit charter, its mandate, the positions and background of those running to be on the commission, as well as contact information and other resources.The organization takes no positions and doesn't endorse candidates. "We're rigorously nonpartisan," Cockrel says. "We're not gonna come down the mountain with tablets. Rather, let's start with an agreement about facts."It's also rigorously pro-voter. Starting this year, Cockrel says the organization wants to reach more voters "who don't believe that voting impacts their lives and that it doesn't matter who's in power." It's piloting a number of strategies to do so, including using voter databases to reach out to registered non-voters, as well as promoting participation in the 2020 Census.Simply registering to vote is an issue that especially impacts immigrant populations. First-generation U.S. citizens register and then vote at a much lower rate  whereas the descendants of immigrants do so at higher rates  than the rest of the population.Language barriers and a lack of familiarity with the process are the main reasons why. And organizations like the Chaldean Community Foundation are working to overcome these obstacles.Chaldeans are Aramaic-speaking, Eastern Rite Catholics indigenous to Iraq. They migrated in large numbers to Metro Detroit during the Gulf War in Iraq. Many continue to flee persecution in the Middle East and settle here. Of the 31,000 individuals the Chaldean Community Foundation serviced in 2018, 80 percent were Chaldean, but it doesn't turn away anyone with a genuine need.Those who come to the foundation seek help for a variety of issues  citizenship, language competency, employment, health. Sometimes they arrive for one reason, like finding a job, but come to realize other barriers, like PTSD, need to be addressed first."We try to serve the whole person  the mind, body, and soul  in one place," says Paul Jonna, COO of the Chaldean Community Foundation. "So that they can get a job and stand on own their own two feet."Taking care of these fundamental issues is also a necessary prerequisite to civic engagement  joblessness, poverty, poor health, and low educational attainment are all compounding factors that make someone less likely to vote.Another prerequisite to voting is actually being a citizen. That's why the foundation offers a citizenship class that covers American civics, American history, English, and everything required in an application for naturalization. The class also teaches students the basics of voting, using a mock ballot to demonstrate. Last year, the foundation filed 4,192 immigration applications.Once they're citizens, the foundation helps them register. In 2017, it launched a voter drive, Hey U Vote , to make the registration and absentee voting process as clear as possible."Our goal is to get them to understand how system works, that they have the right to vote, and then how they can vote," Jonna says. "They're very eager to be part of it."The importance of voting, especially in the Chaldean community, came into sharper focus when around 100 Iraqi-Americans were detained and 1,400 faced deportation because of President Trump's anti-immigration policies."There's definitely been a bigger push towards citizenship," says Leila Kello, director of development for the Chaldean Community Foundation. "Prior to the last election, some asked 'What do I need to become citizen for?' Now, they get it."This article was made possible through a grant from the Solutions Journalism Network as part of its "Renewing Democracy" initiative, which encourages reporting about how people and institutions are attempting to reinvigorate democracy in communities across the country.On March 27 from 6 to 8 p.m., Model D will be co-hosting a listening and strategy session with CitizenDetroit to develop more solutions to the region's most pressing civic engagement issues. Food and drink will be provided.RSVP for the free event here All photos, except where mentioned, by Nick Hagen
Techstars Detroit, an incubator for startups in mobility, manufacturing and other areas, is looking for another round of candidates for its successful accelerator program, which has helped launch nearly four dozen companies in the past four years.Now in its fifth year, the program provides startups with access to financial, human and intellectual resources. If selected, startups receive $20,000, commonly used as a stipend for living expenses in Detroit; in return, Techstars receives 6 percent in common stock from each company. Additionally, every company is offered a $100,000 convertible note.Its a 90-day boot camp to accelerate your business, said Ted Serbinski, managing director of Techstars Detroit, part of a global network of incubators. We invest $120,000 in the company and that helps accelerate their business through mentorship, fundraising, access to industry, developing their network and really kind of helping them develop as a leader as well.While working in the city, the startups gain access to Techstars Detroits corporate partners, including Ford Motor Co., Honda Motor Co., Bosch and Lear Corp. Techstars Detroit is relocating to Lear Innovation Center at Capitol Park, where the program will be run from this summer.To date, the program has invested in 44 companies since the Detroit accelerator launched in 2015, Serbinski said. Techstars Detroit receives about 300-500 applicants each year from startups from all over the world and the United States. Ten startups are chosen annually. The program begins July 15 and runs through Oct. 8.What were looking for, more or less, is what were always looking for, Serbinski said. Were looking for what Detroit is good at. That includes automotive, manufacturing, mobility, those sort of things. The basics of what Detroit is good at.One of the big considerations, he said, is whether the startup could benefit by being immersed in this automotive and mobility ecosystem in southeastern Michigan.Detroit provides a unique advantage, he said.Among Detroit Techstars successful alumni companies are Cargo Systems, Inc., a provider of in-car snacks for Uber and Lyft, Inc., and Wise Systems, an autonomous dispatch and routing software provider for delivery fleets.Since leaving Detroit, Cargo Systems Inc., based in New York, has raised more than $22 million and has more than 12,000 drivers pedalings it snacks across the country. Massachusetts-based Wise recently raised $7 million in funding from Googles AI-focused venture fund.Applications for Techstars Detroit Accelerator close April 7. Final interviews will be held May 7 and 8, with program selections made by mid-May. To apply, go to www.techstars.com/apply/ Visit Driven and learn how the Detroit region is leading the world in next-generation mobility.
Felicia Anderson had a tooth cleaning and had a tooth capped.

Denise Crawford, FHC President and CEO

It was a bright, sunny day outside, Saturday, March 23. It was a bright, sunny day inside, too, since the facility at 505 E. Alcott is practically wall-to-wall windows. Also wall-to-wall that day were smiling, green-shirted volunteers, eagerly looking for ways to help in any way they could. In fact, at any moment, the volunteers outnumbered the patients waiting to be served.The event at the Family Health Center (FHC) was called The Dental Day of Caring. Hundreds of local residents received free examinations, teeth cleaning, even free fillings and extractions in that one day. Ordinarily, the facility handles about one hundred patients per day. People were waiting in line as they opened at 7 a.m., and were scheduled to close at 8 p.m.The hubbub of multiple conversations was accompanied by cheery songs from the '70s and '80s, heard over speakers. Fleetwood Mac crooned the magical Rhiannon and the Eagles sang One of these Nights. Some sang along. Then there was the irony of the song, Hurts So Good, by John Mellencamp. There was a definite party atmosphere.We tried to get a picture of Felicia Anderson, of Gilbert St. She had just had a tooth cleaning and had a tooth capped that had been chipped since she was 13 years old. She said the exam and treatment had been a great experience. After thinking about it, she said a picture would be OKanything to help the Family Health Center. Felicia had been third-in-line when she arrived at the facility at 5:51 a.mmore than an hour before the doors opened.Felicia said that her family doctor had informed her about the Dental Day of Caring. So many people have bad teeth...theyre doing a fantastic job...I am truly appreciative, more than you know. She added that the money saved made a big difference.We expected to see a lot of kids with toothy grins, but most kids are covered by Michigans Healthy Kids Dental program, so they dont have to put off dental care, the way their uninsured parents do. The Family Health Center also sends a mobile unit to schools, to provide care for students.Two Mobile Dental Units serve the area, providing any service you could find at a typical dentists office. One of the units, which looks like a giant bookmobile, was stationed outside the FHC building, to provide extra space for dental care, Saturday.We did, however, see one young person: Marwaha Jatin, a 6 1/2-year-old, waiting for a cleaning. He squirmed in his seat, covering his face, shy about being interviewed. He also offered fake news, claiming to be 8-1/2. His dad, Amit Kumar, was proud to show a picture Marwaha had drawn. Dad volunteered that they were mainly there, because of all the chocolates that Marwahas grandmother gives him. The two were in line for service, so we hope Marwaha only needed cleaning.We were also amused by a tall, African-American man, who was all smiles, despite just receiving several fillings. We hoped that we could get his story on the record, but he said that would not be a good idea. Turns out, he had sneaked out of work to be there, and had to rush back before anyone noticed.We likewise struck out with a lady who said she didnt speak English. The fact that she was there, anyway, is a testimony to the effectiveness of the outreach effort for the program.Meanwhile, Kristopher Rodgers, of West KL, was happy to speak with us. He said his godmother had told him about the Day. He had had a tooth extracted, but was able to speak clearly. He was very happy to have the work done free of charge. He said, its the kind of thing you wont go to get fixed on your own.Laura Capio was also happy about the event. She said she lives in southwest Kalamazoo, and she only found out about the Day by accident. I had to pay $400 for new tires, then went to Loaves and Fishes, and saw the announcement on the bulletin board. It was an answer to a prayer. I called to register the same day. Laura had to have a tooth pulled on each side of her mouth, but said, I didnt feel a thing--only pressure. They were very professional.We were shown through the clinic area by FHC President and CEO Denise Crawford. We have over 250 volunteers, from many organizations, such as Links Inc. and United Way. Twenty area dentists have volunteered, as well as fourth-year dental students from the University of Michigan. Weve served 360 patients, as of 3 p.m. On a typical day, the Center serves 100 dental patients. On Monday tthere was no final count, but if they served 360 as of 3 p.m., the Center was on its way to serving more than 550 patientswell over the goal of 450.Many adults who dont have dental insurance cant afford to take care of their teeth, and that poses a big risk to their overall health, Crawford added. Most people dont realize that good dental health has an impact on the rest of the body. Oral bacteria can cause inflammation and infections that can lead to heart disease or stroke. Gingivitis is a risk to pregnant women and can cause premature birth, or low birth weight. Studies show poor oral health can also lead to diabetes, kidney disease, dementia, and many other health issues.Family Health Center focuses on the health needs of the underserved, whoever they are and whatever their circumstances, Crawford had previously said. No one, no matter what their situation, should have to suffer from lack of dental care. Thats what makes Dental Day of Caring so important.After receiving treatment, patients were directed to the north end of the facility, to receive dental hygiene packs, including a free toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss. There were also packs for patients who had had extractions, which included an ice pack and gauze inserts, as well, according to Viveca Fairbanks-Henderson, the Senior Director of North American Execution in Engineering at Kellogg.The routine was for patients to sign up in tents that were set up in the lower, north parking lot. They would go for their exam and cleaning. If they needed additional work, they were sent back to re-register at the tents. The idea was to be sure that no one had to wait long for their turn, so they would wait in line for each separate treatment they received. However, the line was never long, and it moved quickly.Family Health Center is a non-profit 501(c)(3) Federally Qualified Health Center serving the citizens of Kalamazoo County. FHC provides quality health care to some 30,000 historically underserved patients, ensuring that all people who enter our facilities are treated with dignity, respect and a welcoming spirit. FHCs goal is to create a medical home for families, children & adults who seek answers to their health care needs. On the web: www.fhckzoo.com . On Instagram: @familyhealthcenterKalamazoo
There is a person of interest who has been identified in connection with the vandalism on Jan. 6 of Temple Beth El Synagogue, but Battle Creek Police Chief Jim Blocker says his department is treading carefully.Blockers comments come days after the Anti-Defamation League announced that it is putting up an additional $2,000 which has been added to an earlier $3,000 reward offered by Silent Observer for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for the damage done at Temple Beth El.There have been multiple incidences against houses of worship. The challenge with each incident is putting on the label of hate crime or crimes of opportunity, Blocker says. With this last incident, it was clear to us that there may be hate associated with it.In the January incident, a stone block near the front door of the synagogue was damaged with the word Lier and an unidentified symbol, painted in black, according to the BCPD. This was the second time in six weeks the same area of the synagogue was damaged. In November of 2018, the menorah embedded in stone was damaged using a sharp tool.Blocker cautions against attaching labels or jumping to conclusions, saying instead that his department needs to take care when it comes to these incidents.Its easy to say that its one type of incident or another and have someone jump to conclusions and thats why we walk so gently around these incidents, he says. We have a very specific person of interest.The challenge, he says, is being pretty darn sure to the point where that person can be charged and brought to court.Carolyn Normandin, ADL regional director for Michigan, said in a written statement that her organization condemns this cowardly, anti-Semitic incident.Battle Creek is a vibrant community, and there is no room for such destruction of places of worship, she said. Hopefully, this reward will help the police apprehend the person or persons responsible for this disgusting act.Blocker says he and his department have been in close contact with the leadership of the synagogue since both incidences.Weve been in direct contact with regional and local leadership and thats been continuous and ongoing, he says. Weve worked with them to develop security and safety and crime prevention plans. This is not work specific to the synagogue. We do this same work with all faith-based organizations.Anyone with information is urged to Silent Observer  by phone at 269-964-3888, with a text message to CRIMES (274637) with SOTIP in the message, online at www.crimereports.com , or via the free TipSubmit Mobile app for iPhone and Android.
Press Release

March 28, 2019 Angara to Gov't: Send aid to El Nino-stricken farmers asap Reelectionist Senator Sonny Angara said the government needs to dispatch immediate help to farmers who are now bearing the brunt of drought caused by El Nino to help them mitigate the negative effects of the weather phenomenon. "The government must ensure that intervention programs reach small-scale farmers and farmworkers to help them cope with and mitigate the extreme impacts of El Nino," Angara said. The lawmaker from Aurora, who is running under the platform "Alagang Angara," said many farmers, especially those in food-growing areas in the country, are in urgent need of assistance whether in the form of cash, food aid or alternative livelihoods. "Our farmers badly need food and alternative sources of income to compensate for the huge losses they incurred due to this ongoing drought," Angara said. Angara said the administration should learn an important lesson from the 2016 El Nino episode where a massive three-day protest rally in Kidapawan City ended in a bloody dispersal of drought-affected farmers seeking for urgent food aid and subsidies from government. The Kidapawan crisis left three farmers dead and over a hundred others injured. "How can we forget the Kidapawan crisis where the government came too late, too little? It reminds us how important it is for the much-needed government aid to reach its intended recipients in a timely manner," Angara said. Angara said the government can help by "flooding areas hit by drought with assistance." Several provinces in the country have been placed under state of calamity due to the impact of El Nino, the latest of which is Cebu which sustained a massive agricultural damage. Latest data from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council showed that agricultural damage caused by El Nino has already reached P2.6 billion. According to the country's state weather bureau, El Nino conditions are expected to last until end of May or June this year and could affect 42 provinces. Angara said it was unfortunate that farmers, who belong to 60 percent of the nation's poor, suffer the most from the impacts of El Nino. "Marami sa ating mga magsasaka ang nagdurusa sa malaking pagbagsak ng kanilang produksyon at natatakot sila na lalo pa silang malubog sa utang dahil sa matinding tagtuyot dulot ng El Nino," Angara lamented. "Nakalulungkot na ang pinakaapektado ng matinding tagtuyot ay ang mga magsasaka. Lumalabas na kung sino pa ang nagpapakain sa atin ay siya pang walang makain," he added.
Press Release

March 28, 2019 Duterte 'Biggest Crisis' for PH - De Lima Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has called Mr. Duterte as the "biggest crisis" that has befallen the country as she renewed her call for him to step down due to his oft-repeated empty claims of being exhausted for fighting criminality in the country. De Lima, the staunchest critic of the administration's all-out war on drugs, said that the Filipino people have had enough of Duterte's dramatics and empty rhetorics that only seek to cover up for his obvious incompetence and lack of governance. "Kung pagod ka na Ginoong Duterte, mag-resign ka na lang. Pagod na pagod na rin ang bansa sa mga drama at kabuktutan mo. "Si Duterte ang pinakamalaking krisis na nangyari at nangyayari sa bansa," she said in her recent written statement. A few days short of his 74th birthday on March 28, Duterte said he is willing to cut short his one-time, six-year term of office because he was already feeling tired from solving the issues in relation to his war on drugs. "Pagod na ako sa inyo (drug lords and other criminals). Naghahanap lang ako ng lusot. Ke magbarilan tayo...," Duterte said during a campaign sortie recently. "Naghahanap lang ako talaga ng lusot na para makapagpahinga na. Pagod na rin ako." It was not the first time that Duterte broached in the idea of relinquishing his post. In August 2018, he expressed interest to step down from presidency before his term ends in 2022 because he was tired of fighting illegal drugs and corruption in government. Duterte also threatened to resign if women would protest his controversial kiss involving a Filipino worker in South Korea, and if anyone who has gone to see God and have a "selfie" with Him would come back and prove God's existence. As early as the beginning of his term in 2016, De Lima recalled that Mr. Duterte also promised to resign if he could not rid the country of drugs and criminality after three to six months, but he still sits at the President's throne in Malacanang to date. In one of her recent ambush interviews, the former justice secretary also called out on Duterte for causing so much damages to the country by plunging it into crisis after crisis, the gravest of which is the human rights crisis that killed thousands of individuals. "Crisis after crisis. Puro na lang perwisyo!," she quipped. In September 2017, De Lima challenged Duterte to resign if he cannot stop the killings in the country even as she urged him to give a direct, categorical and public order to the entire police force to stop the killings.
De Lima's birthday wish for Duterte: Enlightenment

Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has wished for nothing but "enlightenment" for Mr. Duterte who is celebrating his 74th birthday today (March 28).

De Lima shared her birthday wish for Duterte at the sidelines of her trial for the illegal drug case filed against her at the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 256 at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) last March 27.

"Enlightenment. True and profound enlightenment. Happy birthday po," she said when prodded by the media to share her birthday wish for Duterte.

The lady Senator from Bicol wished for enlightenment as the President continues to unleash violence and terror to the populace through his bloody war on drugs and his unlawful policies targeting the poor and the defenseless.

Meanwhile, De Lima raised the issue of the possible involvement of the President and former Special Assistant to the President Bong Go in the illegal drug trade in the country amid the President's effort to defend former presidential economic adviser Michael Yang from accusations of involvement in the drug trade.

"Kailangan itanong natin, sangkot rin kaya si Pangulong Duterte at Bong Go sa iligal na droga. Mukhang sila ang tunay na protektor ng mga drug lords," she said.

"Kaya nga nila ito ginawa sa akin - itong mga kasinungalingan at mga pekeng kaso para ilihis ang taumbayan sa katotohanan, at pagtakpan ang kaniyang mga krimen - mga EJKs at ang pagkasangkot mismo nila sa iligal na droga," she added.

Dismissed police officer Eduardo Acierto recently came out to reveal that Yang (aka Yang Hong Ming), along with his business partners Allan Lim (aka Huen Li Gen or Ayong) and Johnson Chua (aka Chung Nga Way or Greg Sia) were allegedly into illegal drug trade.

Without proper investigation, Duterte quickly vouched for Yang, saying that the latter was a legitimate businessman who helped create local jobs.

Even presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo and Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesman Col. Bernard Banac were quick to clear Yang from any involvement in the illegal drug trade.

Just recently, De Lima urged Acierto to make public his intelligence report about the alleged links of Yang into illegal drug trade not only for public scrutiny but also to find out if Duterte's drug war is indeed a sham.

Considered as a leading prisoner of conscience, De Lima is currently detained at the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame, Quezon City for bogus drug charges invented by the Duterte administration for political reasons and personal vendetta.
After the Yemens Muslim Brotherhood set its eyes on the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait, Yemens Taiz has drowned in violent clashes

As the world celebrated Mothers Day on 21 March, Taiz in southwest Yemen was enduring heavy infighting in the Old City between forces affiliated to the Yemen National Army and the Muslim Brotherhoods Islah Party militias, said eyewitnesses.

Twenty armed groups affiliated to the military wing of Islah faced off with the Abul-Abbas militias, described by the citys local authorities as outlaws. The battle resulted in civilian deaths and injuries. By Sunday, 50 were killed and 200 injured, in addition to the destruction of 83 residential buildings.

Eyewitnesses said the 21 March infighting was the bloodiest the city has endured since the expulsion of Houthi militias from Taiz governorate.

Local sources revealed that the clashes were most intense in the Old City, near Hael School, regarded as a military barricade and weapons store for the Abul-Abbas group.

Violence between Abul-Abbas and Islah erupted after the latter accused Abul-Abbas of assassinating members of the partys military wing.

When Taiz Governor Nabil Shamsan arrived in the city, he sent 20 armed groups from Islahs military wing to expel Abul-Abbas gunmen from the city.

Islahs forces headed to Taizs Old City and engaged in four-day bloody confrontations with Abul-Abbas group. The clashes resulted in the burning of Al-Mudhafar Hospital and many of its patients, while people fled the city fearing for their lives.

Fighting was renewed between security forces affiliated to Islah Party and militias from Abul-Abbas on the morning of Saturday, 23 March. The violence spread to different parts of the city and smoke rose in the air in many areas, reported Crater Sky, a Yemeni independent news Website.

The battles taking place in Taiz are evidence of the states lack of vision and vulnerability. The state should be the umbrella for everybody, away from the authorities of parties and fighting forces that use the state to fight their enemies and settle scores, writer Nabil Abdallah said in an article.

When Shamsan ordered a halt to the violence, Islah didnt comply. The security campaign in Taiz rejected the directives of the governor, Chairman of the Security Committee Nabil Shamsan, to cease fire and return to its barracks. Governor Shamsan issued three urgent letters to the leader of the Taiz military axis and Taiz police director to quickly stop the security campaign, Crater Sky reported.

An informed source in Taiz said the governor felt betrayed by the military axis and police leaderships in Taiz after they didnt comply to his orders to withdraw the security campaign after it deviated from its main purpose, resulting in the death of tens of civilians in addition to numerous violations in the Old City. The source added that the military axis leadership refused to take the governors calls and directives, stating that the governor was trying to reach, since 23 March, the president to inform him of the reality on the ground and to request quick intervention to contain the situation, the Website added.

The source also said the governor feels he has fallen into a trap set up by the axis leadership. The source revealed Shamsan is intent on resigning his post if the security campaign is not brought to an immediate halt.

The scene in Taiz was indescribably painful as civilians headed for noon prayers amid violent clashes and the shelling of women and children, calling on President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi and Governor Shamsan to stop the attack on the overpopulated Old City.

It was the Old Citys residents that temporarily brought the Brotherhoods intifada to a halt when they headed to the Bab Al-Kabir (an entrance gate to the Old City) and performed the noon prayers amid the hell of the fighting. It was the people of Taiz who headed to the governorates headquarters after their houses were shelled. They had to go out to express their opinion, fearing not the snipers positioned on top of buildings and not the experienced militias spread in the districts and streets. This is the first popular message clearly expressing Taiz residents rejection of the war crimes committed by Brotherhood militias and their leaders who didnt comply to the orders of Governor Nabil Shamsan, wrote Mohamed Said Al-Sharaabi in an article titled Taiz Has Spoken.

Hashtags denouncing the Brotherhoods burning of Taiz spread on social media platforms. It looks like Islah Party is aware of the value of Taiz, overlooking the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait, an international strategic waterway.

The strait is the reason why Islah is trying to control Taiz under the cloak of its military wing that operates beneath the umbrella of the state.

Shamsans return to Taiz didnt spare him a barrage of accusations. Mohamed Dabwan Al-Sharaabi wrote on News Yemen Website that it seems the Brotherhoods Islah has allowed the new governor Nabil Shamsan to enter Taiz on the condition of implementing the directives of Salem, who supervises the brigade of vagabonds under the leadership of his son, Azzam Al-Farhan, who is close to Al-Qaeda ranks.

It also seems that the Brotherhood of Taiz were able to receive a presidential decree from Ali Mohsen Al-Ahmar, vice president to Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi, for their pronounced leader Abdou Farhan, aka Salem, to supervise the campaign, alongside Adnan Rozeik, the leader who didnt hide the tone of Al-Qaeda in his voice.

Al-Sharaabi pointed out that the Brotherhoods media has been inciting against the governor since his appointment to the post, to terrorise and weaken him, accusing him of being a follower to former president Ali Abdallah Saleh and the UAEs employee, forgetting that it was they who called him the sheikh who memorised the Quran.

The writer revealed that sources said Shawki Said Al-Mekhlafi had returned from Turkey six months ago and that he was the brother of Mahmoud Al-Mekhlafi who destroyed Taiz and committed the most heinous of crimes before fleeing to Turkey.

Upon arriving in Taiz, Shawki said Qatar tasked him with supervising Camp Yefres in the directorate of Jabal Habashi. The sources added that Yefres hosts a military training camp affiliated to Islah Party and that two Islah followers attested to this information.

In Aden, southerners acted in solidarity with their brethren in Taiz, posting pleas to save Taiz on social media networks. Vice President of the Southern Transitional Council Hani Bin Brek called on the alliance to intervene quickly to save Taiz.

He tweeted: Islah commits genocide in Taiz, requesting more media coverage of the crimes against the city. He continued: Taiz burns today at the hands of the terrorist, Brotherhood Islah Party gangs. They raided houses, terrorised women and children We call on the alliance for immediate intervention, and we plead to rights organisations to document these massacres as war crimes.

The city overlooking the strategic Gate of Tears has turned into a ghost town. Its residents cant access drinking water, let alone food and medical supplies. Asharq Al-Awsat Website reported Monday that calm was restored in Taiz following violent clashes in the Old City between factions loyal to the legitimate government and that led to the death and injury of tens of civilians.

Local sources and eyewitnesses fear the infighting will whet the appetite of Houthi militias to expand militarily and take over the city and liberated directorates again, benefiting from the chaos, lack of security and the infighting between government-clad parties.

Taiz is an ancient city overlooking the precious and priceless Bab Al-Mandeb. Will the government embark on serious, effective steps to protect Taiz? Will the alliance get to the bottom of what is really taking place in Taiz? The city of science and culture needs to be protected, and its people, together with the government and the alliance, have to save it from parties and militias settling scores on its land.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 28 March, 2019 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Blood and fire in Taiz

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The Commerce Commission has warned Vocus Group-owned broadband provider Slingshot over an online ad campaign offering a 10 percent discount for customers who bundled power with internet services.

The regulator said the retailer probably misled customers and breached the Fair Trading Act in a campaign between July 2017 and May 2018 by failing to make clear that customers would only receive the discount for bundled services provided they paid their invoices by the due date. Slingshot responded by amending its website to clearly reflect the prompt payment criteria.

"In this case, Slingshot provided information that disclosed the true conditions of the promotion, but only once a consumer had nearly completed the online sign-up process," commission competition and consumer general manager Antonia Horrocks said in a statement.

"In the commissions view, Slingshots late disclosure of a key condition did not remedy the initial misleading representation that was made to consumers at large."

Vocus built up the New Zealand business after merging with rival M2 Group in 2016, bringing the CallPlus, 2talk, Orcon, Slingshot and Flip businesses and local fibre line provider previously called FX Networks under one umbrella. It diversified into electricity the following year after buying retailer Switch Utilities and now has about 22,100 power customers.

The regulator sent a warning letter to Slingshot on March 21, which it published today, saying that was an appropriate censure rather than legal proceedings.

The letter noted that once a customer signed up to the offer, Slingshot accurately portrayed the prompt payment criteria of the discount, however, that didn't "remedy the impression created by the initial representation."

The public warning came the same day Vocus was hoping to make a good impression on the regulator in its oversight of regulated wholesale telecommunications.

Network operator Chorus today pitched a price for access to its fibre network on an unbundled basis. It is proposing a $28.80 monthly charge covering access to the fibre between the premise and the splitter  a key point where shared fibres are split into individual fibres that go into each customers home or office. It would also charge retailers $200 a month to access feeder fibre from each splitter, which can connect up to 16 customers.

Choruss regulated prices for the transition period between December 2019 and January 2022 range from $25 a month for a monthly voice connection up to $65 for a 1 gigabit per second connection.

Vocus has set up a joint venture with rival Vodafone New Zealand to buy fibre access at a wholesale price then repackage it for consumers to allow greater innovation for consumers.

Vocus New Zealand chief executive Mark Callander said the pricing proposed by Chorus was ridiculous and would stifle unbundling.

"Chorus have played their hand early and the Commerce Commission will now need to intervene, its as simple as that," he said. "The UFB network was designed to be unbundled, and ultimately is an asset that the government has helped fund."

Chorus shares were recently up 2.2 percent at $5.895, having hit a record $5.90 earlier in the day.

(BusinessDesk)

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Hallenstein Glasson Holdings lifted first-half profit 5.9 percent as cuts to back-office costs offset skinnier margins from clearance sales.

Net profit rose to $16 million in the six months ended Feb. 1, from $15.1 million a year earlier. Lower administration costs of $12.4 million, down from $14.3 million, helped offset a bigger tax bill of $6.5 million.

Revenue grew 3.1 percent to $151.2 million but gross margin shrank to 59.7 percent from 61.5 percent, leaving gross profit flat at $90.2 million. The contraction in margin was due to increased promotional sales through November and December.

"Although the trading environment in both New Zealand and Australia is still challenging, it has been encouraging that group sales for the first seven weeks of the 2019 winter season are 1.5 percent ahead of the same period last year," chair Warren Bell said in a statement.

The result was in line with guidance given in February.

The board declared an interim dividend of 20 cents per share, to be paid on April 18, unchanged from a year earlier.

Bell said the retailer's balance sheet was strong and inventory well controlled. That, combined with the current trading, meant the board could maintain the dividend.

The shares rose 2.2 percent to $4.65 and are up 10 percent so far this year.

The retailer's inventory stock was $23.9 million at Feb. 1, up from $18.7 million a year earlier.

Mary Devine will officially take over the reins as managing director from April, replacing chief executive Mark Goddard, who unexpectedly resigned in February.

Bell said the group will keep focusing on building digital engagement with customers, controlling costs and expanding market share under Devine's leadership.

Sales in the womenswear Glasson brand climbed 16 percent in Australia to $48.5 million and were up 1.6 percent at $51.1 million in New Zealand.

"As with last season, the focus will be on fashion, speed to market and customer service to keep the brand in a strong position in both New Zealand and Australia," Bell said.

Sales were up 1.3 percent at $51.7 million across its Hallenstein stores on both sides of the Tasman.

(BusinessDesk)

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The extent of the performance fees Vital Healthcare Property Trusts manager collects highlights the lack of hurdles that correlate with investor returns in the calculation of such fees.

Too often, such fees dont actually relate to how well the manager has actually performed.

In Vitals case, its manager, Canada-based NorthWest, is entitled to 10 percent of the rise in value of Vitals gross assets over that year and the previous two years. That means that when property values are rising generally, NorthWest doesnt have to do anything much or nothing at all to collect.

And anything NorthWest borrows or buys on Vitals behalf adds to Vitals assets and boosts NorthWests performance fees.

Of its $22.1 million in total fees and expenses charged to Vital in the six months ended December, NorthWest claimed $5.1 million as its incentive fee.

Mint Asset Management highlighted the other end of the spectrum, where performance fees do require significant out-performance before theyre paid. It is abolishing performance fees on its retail funds.

Founder and managing director Rebecca Thomas says although returns on the Mint Trans-Tasman Equities fund have exceeded the benchmark S&P/NZX 50 Index every year since inception in 2007, her firm has only collected a performance fee once in all that time, in the year ended March 2013.

The Mint funds performance has to exceed the NZX50 plus 3 percent before it can collect any performance fee and it has a high water mark feature, meaning it can only collect once for the same performance.

In the 2013 financial year, the funds performance was 27.45 percent compared with the indexs 26.02 percent gain.

In the year ended March 2018, the funds performance of 19.41 percent compared with the indexs 15.59 percent wasnt sufficient to allow the collection of a performance fee.

So you could say Mint is making a virtue of necessity, given the unlikelihood of it ever collecting performance fees.

Other fund managers, including Harbour Asset Management, Milford Asset Management and Fisher Funds Management, including the latter's listed Kingfish fund, take the high water mark approach to calculating performance fees.

Like Mint, Harbour isnt collecting a lot of performance fees at the moment. Three of its various funds can earn performance fees but have to outdo their respective benchmarks plus 1 percent or 2 percent, depending on the fund, before a performance fee kicks in.

It currently doesnt expect any performance fees to be payable this calendar year.

Managing director Andrew Bascand says the whole point of hurdles for performance fees is that they should be difficult to reach. His firm has no current intention of getting rid of them.

Thomas, who is a former Financial Markets Authority board member, says she thinks people dont understand how high a hurdle Mint has to clear and that its constantly ratcheting upwards. Its easier just to get rid of it.

Ive given up trying to describe how it works so I thought, stuff it, lets just clean it all out  stuff it being a technical term, of course.

But Thomas says this has nothing to do with her views of where markets are heading. Were probably more positive about the next 12 months than we were about the last 12 months, she says. The NZX50 is at a record and is up almost 11 percent so far this year.

Mint isnt making any other changes to its fees, unlike PIE Funds which abolished performance fees in June last year but ratcheted up its base fees to compensate.

For example, the base management fee on PIEs specialist funds went from 1.5 percent of net assets to 1.85 percent while the fees on its climate-friendly fund rose from 1.25 percent to 1.45 percent.

Thomas is critical of funds that use benchmarks which are unrelated to the asset class the fund is investing in.

For example, Fishers listed Kingfish funds performance hurdle is the New Zealand 90-day bank bill index plus 7 percent but Kingfishs purpose is investing in New Zealand shares.

Fishers listed Barramundi fund, which invests in Australian shares, and the Marlin fund, which invests in global shares, share the same NZ 90-day bank bill benchmark, plus 7 percent in Barramundis case and plus 5 percent in Marlins case.

And Fishers unlisted growth funds have a benchmark of the Reserve Banks official cash rate plus 5 percent.

The product disclosure statement for the unlisted funds makes it clear that this means you may pay a performance-based fee, even if the funds performance does not match or beat the market index.

But one benefit of this is that you will never pay a performance-based fee if your investment performance is negative.

The New Zealand equities market looks set to enjoy its 10th successive positive annual return in the 12 months ending this month but in the year ended March 2009, for example, it fell 25.36 percent after a 15.5 percent decline the previous year.

Fisher chief executive Bruce McLachlan, says that where a Fisher Funds fund does have a performance fee, this is clearly communicated and reported on and Fisher Funds benchmarks the fees on best practice guidelines issued by the FMA.

Because the company operates in a competitive marketplace, all features of every fund are always under review to ensure they are relevant and competitive, McLachlan says.

Our primary gauge for this is feedback from our 270,000 clients.

Milford has a range of funds that are benchmarked to the relevant benchmark of the assets they invest in, called relative return funds, but it also offers a range of absolute return funds.

For example, its Australian Absolute Growth fund has a benchmark of New Zealands official cash rate plus 5 percent.

Chief investment officer at Milford, Brian Gaynor, says when the firm started in 2003 it looked at using a share index for a fund investing in shares in that index.

We decided that wasnt really what clients were after.

They were looking for a core positive return and didnt want to see a fund manager rewarded for a negative return, even if that negative return was less negative than the benchmark.

Retail investors in New Zealand tended to throw their hands up at such performance fees, Gaynor says.

Milfords absolute return funds also have the ability to reduce exposure to equities if the manager thinks equities are going to fall.

Through the GFC, when equity benchmarks were strongly negative, Milfords Active Growth fund never had a negative return, because of this flexibility, Gaynor says.

Theyre dramatically different types of funds, and Milford has no plans for change, he says. Were finding clients are very happy with the things that we do.

Another of Milfords points of difference from other funds is that it doesnt charge separate administration fees.

As for the FMA, it says it welcomes any proactive movement from MIS  managed investment schemes  managers where they more closely align their fees with the interests of their investors and that performance fees arent prohibited by the Financial Markets Conduct Act.

The regulator has provided various pieces of guidance to help managers understand their obligations to disclose details of their fees but it isnt the FMAs job to set fees. The rules for KiwiSaver fees are a little different and none of the funds discussed in this story are KiwiSaver funds.

The rules are clear on how performance fees and other fees should be disclosed," the authority says. "We have focused on improving transparency and consistency of fees so that investors can better understand what they are paying for and have well-informed conversations with their providers about whether they are getting value for money.

(BusinessDesk)

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Businesses are getting ever gloomier with investment and employment intentions now barely positive and cost pressures rising. Export intentions have fallen to near record lows - below levels at any time during the Asian and global financial crises.

ANZ Banks headline confidence index shed a further 7 points in March and now a net 38 percent of respondents are pessimistic about general business conditions in the next 12 months.

A net 6 percent still expect their own businesses to improve, but thats down 5 points from February.

Most activity indicators eased slightly in March, consistent with our expectations that the economy is quietly losing steam, says ANZ chief economist Sharon Zollner.

A marked exception was residential building intentions which dropped sharply, led by Auckland  down 21 points to be the weakest since 2009, Zollner says.

Nationally, the construction index fell from positive 3.8 points to negative 16.

At face value, this suggests significant downside risk for private sector residential building activity, but there are reasons to discount the data, Zollner says.

The data can be volatile and spikes in both directions are not uncommon, so the fall may reverse over the next couple of months.

The sharp drop may partly be related to the possible threat of a capital gains tax and may therefore not come to much in terms of actual activity.

The Tax Working Groups final report was released just before the March survey began.

Zollner notes construction companies' views about their own business are considerably better than their view of the sector as a whole  a net 3.6 percent of construction firms expect better times ahead.

She suggests the plunge might be related to credit availability  a net 40 percent of firms expect credit will be harder to get, down 2 points  or to the fact that Auckland house prices are now falling a little.

The latest Real Estate Institute data showed New Zealand house prices, excluding Auckland, rose 8.1 percent in the year ended February, but Auckland house prices fell 2 percent.

The ANZ confidence survey found a net 1 percent of firms are expecting to lift investment, down a point, while hiring intentions fell 2 points to 1 percent.

Profit expectations fell 3 points to a net 14 percent expecting profit declines while a net 55 percent are expecting higher costs. A considerably smaller 27 percent expect to raise their prices, up 1 point.

Export intentions fell to a net 1 percent from 3.3. This doesnt square with anecdotes and it is hard to know what to make of it, Zollner says.

The services sector is particularly pessimistic  it has some correlation with growth in short-term arrivals which is easing  whereas export intentions out of the manufacturing sector and the agriculture sectors are trending down but are not at such dire levels.

Zollner notes the data hasnt always been a good indicator for discretionary exports, particularly non-food manufactured exports, but this cycle, it certainly has been. There is no doubt global growth is slowing so, all up, the signal should certainly not be dismissed out of hand.

The New Zealand economy is delicately poised with GDP growth moderating but still respectable but with leading indicators suggesting the economy is running out of steam quite rapidly.

Complicating the situation, the regional story is very mixed, with the party still in full swing in some smaller centres. But it does appear that increased wariness on the part of firms is starting to feed through into intentions, with a growing risk that the hard data is going to start to roll over more markedly, Zollner says.

Sharply lower export intentions despite a relatively steady exchange rate suggest global factors are a part of it as well as disappointing profitability as firms struggle to absorb higher costs in a pricing-constrained environment, she says.

(BusinessDesk)

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Related US orders all government personnel to leave Comoros after gunfire in capital

Four gunmen were killed on Thursday in a shootout with military near a base in the Comoros capital after an opposition presidential candidate, former military colonel Soilihi Mohamed, was arrested, security and military sources said.

The security source said a group of soldiers who were in Moroni prison, accused of attempting a coup last year, broke out of prison on Thursday morning.

Earlier in the day, gunfire was heard near the main military base in the Comoros capital, hours after opposition candidates announced plans to unseat the president whose re-election this week they reject as fraudulent.

The gunfire prompted the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security to order all its personnel to leave the country.

President Azali Assoumani was declared the winner in Sunday's election with more than 60 percent of the vote, enough to avoid a second-round run-off. Observers from African monitoring missions have said the election lacked credibility.

The 12 opposition candidates said they had set up a body called the National Transition Council, chaired by one of them, Mohamed Soilihi, to remove Assoumani from office.

"The mission of the National Transitional Council is to resolve the post-election crisis, to ensure a peaceful transition, to preserve peace, stability and national cohesion in our country," Soilihi said in a statement broadcast on private-owned radio stations and social media platforms.

A diplomatic source said Soilihi was arrested after releasing the statement, and the military camp came under attack shortly afterwards. A Reuters journalist said shooting could be heard at the camp and stopped after about an hour.

"The Union of the Comoros is experiencing gunfire, political unrest, and infrastructure disruptions. US Government personnel have been ordered to depart the country," the Bureau of Diplomatic Security said in a statement on its website.

In Soilihi's statement, the opposition candidates set an April 3 deadline for the vote to be invalidated. Otherwise they called for civil disobedience and a general strike from April 4.

Observers from the African Union, the Common Market of Eastern and Southern Africa and the African Standby Forces of the East said the voting process was riddled with irregularities that led them to conclude it lacked credibility or transparency.

Assoumani said on Tuesday that anyone wishing to contest the results should do so via legal means.

"I hope that those that are contesting the results will follow the legal channels and wait for the final results to be announced by the Supreme Court," he told Reuters.

Authorities shut down a local newspaper, La Gazette, for publishing a story about the proposed transition council.

Assoumani triggered months of protests last year by extending term limits allowing him to stand for another consecutive term.

His decision particularly angered natives of the island of Anjouan who argue that it is their turn to hold the presidency, traditionally rotated among leaders from the three main islands of the Indian Ocean archipelago.

A former army officer, Assoumani has been in and out of office since taking power in a coup in 1999. He has served as president for 10 of the past 20 years, winning elections in 2002 and 2016.

About 60 women leaders who had marched to the Supreme Court to deliver a letter asking it not to validate the election results were dispersed by police and six of them arrested.

They carried banners that denounced the heads of the military, the electoral commission and the supreme court as being "accomplices of a coup d'etat".

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The other names doing the rounds include Janaki Ballav and Arundhati Bhattarcharya, both former chairpersons of SBI, according to people privy to the developments.

New Delhi: Former State Bank of India (SBI) Chairman Arun Kumar Purwar tops the list of probables to head the interim board of Jet Airways, among others, sources told IANS.

Banking sources said that Purwar's chances of heading the board are higher and he could be one of the two nominees on the Jet board, which became vacant after former Chairman Naresh Goyal and his wife Anita Goyal stepped down on Monday.

The other vacant seat could go to one of the other lenders -- IDBI Bank, ICICI Bank or Yes Bank.

The decision, once taken by the lenders, would need the approval of the current board which is still in the process of being reconstituted.

People in the know of things said that the SBI-led management is likely to soon approve the names of the would be Chairman and the other member of the board. Thereafter, the newly constituted board will formally approve the next Chairman.

"The SBI wants to appoint a Chairman to head the interim board fast, as it does not want the baord to remain headless and also wants to start work on finding a buyer at the earliest," a source said.

On Tuesday, the Civil Aviation Ministry had a meeting with the representatives of the SBI, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Jet Airways whereby the airline assured that it would not ground any more flights and would talk to lessors to operationalise as many as 40 grounded aircraft by April-end.

Jet Airways has been struggling with cash flows for the past six months because of rising fuel costs and intense competition. It has even delayed payment to lessors, airport operators and oil marketing companies (OMCs) besides a part of its workforce to keep the company running.

Around 50 of its aircraft were grounded due to the inability to pay rentals. Its pilots and certain sections of the employees have been without pay for some months, forcing the pilots to issue an ultimatum to the erstwhile management on salary payments.

The airline owes Rs 8,000 crore to the SBI-led lenders' consortium.

The SBI expects Jet Airways to find a new financial investor by the first quarter of the next fiscal.
Through the partnership, Tech Mahindra said it will help arm UNO students and faculty with the latest digital capabilities through regular speaker events, webinars and hackathons and in-demand skills needed to join the workforce.

New Delhi: Software major Tech Mahindra on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) to train, support academic research and create solutions leveraging next-generation technologies.

Tech Mahindra will also work closely with the students and faculty on proof-of-concepts, white papers and research projects. In addition, Tech Mahindra will offer workshops and industry visits to allow students to experience the practical side of working in Information Technology and digital industry.

"We are excited to work with the students and faculty not only to help support their research projects, but also to train them in practical, cutting-edge digital skills in order to help create a future-ready technology workforce," Sandeep Khajuria, Senior VP, Tech Mahindra, said in a statement.

Tech Mahindra aims to attract a diverse range of individuals and competencies from the local Omaha area in Nebraska and equip them with digital skills required for working with cyber security, data analytics, and Artificial Intelligence, the statement said.
While it has not been confirmed, this suggests that a meaningful vote - for the third time - on UK Prime Minister Theresa May's Withdrawal Agreement may take place tomorrow, according to CNN.

London: The British Parliament is set to debate on a motion related to Brexit on Friday, according to the Leader of the House of Commons, Andrea Leadsom.

This comes after May announced that she would step down from her post if the deal negotiated by the Prime Minister with the European Union was passed by the Parliament. This announcement has been met with mixed reactions across political lines, with many still not ready to back the deal.

The British Parliament, on Thursday, also rejected all eight Brexit options, adding to the ongoing Brexit impasse.

On the one hand, May has called for the Parliament to back her deal. While on the other, calls for a second referendum are gaining momentum. The British Prime Minister has previously quashed calls for a second public vote, showing her resolve to honour the 2016 referendum where more than 50 per cent of the British electorate voted to leave the EU.
When asked by reporters on Thursday about whether he would move Brazil's Israel embassy to Jerusalem as he has repeatedly floated, Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro backtracked and told reporters in Brasilia that the government may instead open a "business office" in Jerusalem.

In 2017, the UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly on a resolution to reject the decision by US President Donald Trump to recognise Jerusalem as Israels capital.

The vote was passed with 128 countries in favour, nine against, and 35 abstentions.

At the time, Brazil voted against Trump's decision.

However, President Bolsonaro, who assumed the presidency of Brazil on 1 January, 2019, said on more than one occasion he would open an embassy in Jerusalem.

Brazil's agriculture sector is ardently against any embassy move, as it would threaten the country's halal meat trade with Middle Eastern countries.

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Hegazi was granted the award in recognition of his distinguished scientific efforts in Arabic language teaching and his diagnosis of the challenges facing the Arabic language

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman Bin Abdulaziz patronised the closing ceremony of the 41st King Faisal International Prize (KFIP) in Riyadh Sunday, during which the prizes were handed to the winners.

The KFIP recognises individuals and institutions for significant contributions to their fields. The prestigious prize honours exceptional achievements in five categories: service to Islam, Islamic studies, Arabic language and literature, medicine, and science.

The secretary-general of KFIP, Abdul Aziz Al-Sabil, presented the winners of the awards. He noted that this years award in the Islamic studies category, themed Studies on the objectives of Islamic law, had been withheld due to the lack of sufficiently meritorious nominations.



King Salman began handing out the awards with the Service to Islam prize, which was won by the International University of Africa in Sudan and received by director Kaman Obaid Babaker. The university was chosen for its efforts in teaching Islam's provisions and the dissemination of the Arabic language in Africa, as well as housing and teaching tens of thousands of students, and contributing to deepening Islamic and Arab authentic heritage.

King Salman granted the prize for Arabic language and literature to Egypt's Mahmoud Fahmy Hegazi, professor in the Faculty of Arts of Cairo University, and Moroccan Abdelali Mohamed Wadghiri, professor in the Faculty of Arts and Human Sciences at Mohamed V University in Rabat.

Wadghiri was chosen for his original and outstanding scientific work in modern Arabic linguistic studies, his educational efforts in university institutions, and his defence of the Arabic language in the face of foreign languages and calls to replace dialects.

Hegazi was granted the award in recognition of his distinguished scientific efforts in Arabic language teaching and his diagnosis of the challenges facing the Arabic language at the present time.

King Salman handed the prize medicine to Steven Teitelbaum, a professor from Washington University, Saint Louis for his pioneering research in bone biology, identifying the workings and organisation of the cells of the osteoclast, which has contributed to deepening knowledge of osteoporosis.

Professor Bjorn Olsen from Harvard University also received medicine award for his pioneering research in bone biology, contributing to understanding the causes of many genetic skeletal disorders.



The science prize was awarded to Texas University professor Allen Joseph Bard for his pioneering contributions to the development of chemo-generated flare methods currently used in biochemical analyses, and improving electro-chemical vacuums.



Professor at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology Jean Frechet also received the science prize for his pioneering work and fundamental contributions to the development of Dendrimers' applications and the development of photoresist methods and organic photovoltaic.



Some 20 winners of the King Faisal International Prize in science and medicine were later awarded the Nobel Prize.

The prize amount in each branch is 750,000 riyals (about $200,000), and is distributed equally among the winners if there are more than one.



The ceremony was attended by a number of princes and senior officials.

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On March 26, 2019 the Minister Plenipotentiary and her Cabinet hosted a reception themed Building Partnerships, in honor of the visit of the Governor of Sint Maarten, His Excellency (H.E.) drs. E. M. Holiday.

The venue chosen for this event was Domo Eclectica, an art gallery in the City Center of The Hague. The owner of this unique location, Mrs. Mariella van der Net not only has direct family ties to Sint Maarten through Sint Maartens representative in the Council of State, Mrs. Maria Plantz, but she is also very much involved in the promotion of arts from the Dutch and French Caribbean as well as the African and Asian diaspora.

The Minister Plenipotentiary welcomed the invited guests to the event by reminding them of the purpose of the gathering. The theme Building Partnerships entailed not only the area of diplomacy, but includes economic, social and educational partnerships.

Sint Maarten having much to offer in these fields, and even much more to acquire, the Minister stated, can only become a fundamental reality through strong ties and partnerships.

His Excellency drs E.M. Holiday, in addressing the guests reiterated this sentiment in his speech themed Building Partnerships of cooperation for socio-economic sustainability.

He briefly touched on the challenges where Sint Maarten, like many small island developing states, is more vulnerable to the external global developments, and of which a number have translated into real threats for the financial systems and social economic stability of small island developing states like Sint Maarten.

For example, the increasing level of global warming resulting in the increase in the strength of hurricanes.

The contacts and partnerships formed now will play an important role in building expertise and mutual respect and understanding, consequently resulting in an increase in shared values and ideals.

This, His Excellency stated, is especially important in building societies on shared principles of democracy, equality, the rule of law, peaceful co-existence and international solidarity.

Believing in mutual benefits to build partnerships and cooperation will greatly assist in the recovery of Sint Maarten after the devastating hurricanes of 2017, he stated.

In closing His excellency emphasized that in our globalized world, where countries are highly interconnected, there is an imperative for us to build partnerships of cooperation for social-economic sustainability in the interest of our people, through friendship and dialogue which are the bedrock for a sustainable, interconnected global community.

Also, on the program was the launching of an auction for paintings made by Sint Maarten youth in the Too Cool to Loot campaign.

Guests were able to bid on 14 paintings, and all proceeds generated from the auction will go directly to the participating schools and after-school projects as a contribution to strengthen their arts and crafts departments and classes.

The auction was a huge success, with 10 of the pieces having been auctioned off on the spot. The combined total amount generated through this auction amounted to 5.700 Euros.

The auction is ongoing and will be opened to online bidders within short.

The Building Partnerships reception in honor of H.E. Governor Holiday has been deemed a great success by all guests in attendance, ranging from ambassadors, representatives of the Second Chamber, representatives of international Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) organizations, of schools who donated to our local schools, the private sector, local Sint Maarten entrepreneurs and young professionals, Sint Maarten students, retired Sint Maarten professionals, and friends of Sint Maarten.

PHOTO CUTLINE: H.E. Governor Eugene Holiday (3rdfrom left) and Minister Plenipotentiary Jorien Wuite (4thfrom left) along with other officials who attended the auction event.


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Directors from Tunisia, Iraq, Hungary, Egypt and Lebanon were among those to be recognised last night at the BBC Arabic Film Festivals fifth annual award ceremony that took place at the iconic Radio Theatre at Broadcasting House in London.

The winning lms explore themes ranging from political satire to a coming-of-age story, and from revolution to ecological disaster.



The BBC Arabic Film Festival - Young Journalist Award, one of the key awards, went to filmmaker Rabeb MBarki for All is Well, Lella?!, a little-known yet shocking story of ecological demise in Tunisia.



Sam Farah, head of BBC Arabic said: Rabeb M'Barki was courageous in her choice of covering the pertinent issue of ecological devastation in her city of Gabes. While most people in our part of the world are looking at issues of war and displacement, she has chosen water pollution, and she has chosen to cover it in a way that connects her city to the rest of the world.



This years festival theme was stories of Arab women. However, the choice of theme came after the films were submitted to the festival, not before.

We dont specify themes. Each year, however, the films tend to focus on a certain theme. So this year the focus is on Arab women. Many of the films are made by men, but still women are at the heart of the film stories, Farah told Ahram Online.

We have no quota for women, and the festival is a reflection of reality. We encourage women and try to balace as much as we can, but we dont police women or introduce a quota that patronises them, added Farah.



Following in the footsteps of previous winners, Rabeb will receive training, mentoring and equipment to help develop her filmmaking as part of the BBC Arabic Festivals commitment to independent filmmakers. Last year, Ali Al-Ibrahim won the Young Journalism Award for his film One Day in Aleppo. He was invited back this year to show a clip from his latest project, Anonymous Syria, on the opening night of the festival.



The BBC Arabic Film Festival Award for Best in Journalism was awarded to Birds of Sinjar by Ahmed Abid, a short documentary that tells the story of Hadi who has been bearing arms since his youth, one of the few survivors of the massacre against the Yazidis by the Islamic State (IS) group in Mosul.



Sheyma Buali, BBC Arabic Festival director, said: This is a warm and lyrical film that conveys a harsh reality. While we are all thinking about the threat that the IS group is to the world, to women and other minorities, we have not quite heard about the way young men have had to respond. Ahmed focused on this issue of youth, arms and violence in a poetic and narrative way.



Buali seemed content with the festival as it came to a close after a year of hard work, from the initial call, to the selection of films, to the festival, the competition and finally the awards. She cheerfully told Ahram Online: Today, I am happy to call it a professional festival after five years. Our strength is in having a strong platform, like the BBC here in London. It has been a strong and amazing organic process based on trial and error." "Its a rewarding learning process, with good feedback from the audience. The filmmakers are happy, she affirmed.

Best Feature Documentary was scooped by Amal, a multi-award-winning film by Mohamed Siam. Shot over six years, this film follows 14-year-old Amal as she grows into adulthood in the aftermath of the Egyptian revolution, cutting between unfolding political events and pivotal changes in Amals life.



Best Short Documentary was won by Koka, the Butcher by Bence Mate. For the rst time, the legendary pigeon races of Cairo are captured on camera and a young pigeon ghter must choose between his lifelong passion and romantic love.



Best in Short Film was awarded to Fadi Bakis satirical short Manivelle - Last Days of the Man of Tomorrow. Manivelle, an automaton gifted to Lebanon by Charles de Gaulle in 1945, still haunts an abandoned mansion in Beirut. This mockumentary is about a man-robot whose ups and downs reflect those of his country.



This film was a big hit in the festival and besides the award it won audience applause, and raised their curiosity. Some people were seen by this reporter googling Manivelle (the fictional robot meant to be an Arab version of the Japanese Garendiser, which children adored worldwide during the 1980s). The film is a witty, humorous and deeply moving story between a man-robot Manivelle and his mechanic and best friend, Vartan.



Filmmaker Fadi Baki, who wrote, produced and directed Manivelle, acknowledged the audience was confused with the film as it features widely acclaimed characters  including renowned historian and political analyst Fawaz Trabulsi  who detail the history of Manivelle and make fun of everything along the way. The humour was shocking, yet funny. The audience reacted raucously to the very local Lebanese jokes said with the most serious and straight face from one of the most acknowledged politicians and historians in the Arab world.

This story was very intriguing to me personally. The subject has been eating me up. Why dont we have our own Arab super hero? As a kid, I grew up thinking Garendiser was Lebanese and I was shocked to find out he is Japanese. But the Arab audience wont believe in the robot unless we Arabise him and humanise him. So I wrote this story as a robot given to Lebanon by French President Charle De Guelle. The film goes on to portray the glorious days of Lebanon, then the war, the rise and fall of cinema, and of Manivelle, his friendship story with Vartan. The film mocks everything and everyone in a bitter sweet slap on the face."



Best Topical Short was awarded to Sabeya by Dhyaa Joda. In the summer of 2014, the IS group launched a brutal campaign against the Yazidis in northern Iraq. Sabeya tells the story of one woman who builds a fort of resilience and wit whilst those around her flee to safety. It is based on a story by Iraqi writer Hassan Blassim.



This years award ceremony was hosted by acclaimed stand-up comedian Wonho Chung. He was joined by the judges, including BBC World Service presenter Jackie Leonard, Amnesty Internationals head of video Jim Ward, and Curzon Cinemas event programmer Michael Garrad.

Also presenting awards were BBC chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet and Channel 4 News anchor Jon Snow.

Live music was provided by Palestinian hip-hop crew DAM.

Some 24 films were screened across six days as part of this years festival.

For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture



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Hubble watches spun-up asteroid coming apart

A small asteroid has been caught in the process of spinning so fast it's throwing off material, according to new data from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and other observatories.

Images from Hubble show two narrow, comet-like tails of dusty debris streaming from the asteroid (6478) Gault. Each tail represents an episode in which the asteroid gently shed its material -- key evidence that Gault is beginning to come apart.

Discovered in 1988, the 2.5-mile-wide (4-kilometer-wide) asteroid has been observed repeatedly, but the debris tails are the first evidence of disintegration. Gault is located 214 million miles (344 million kilometers) from the Sun. Of the roughly 800,000 known asteroids between Mars and Jupiter, astronomers estimate that this type of event in the asteroid belt is rare, occurring roughly once a year.

Watching an asteroid become unglued gives astronomers the opportunity to study the makeup of these space rocks without sending a spacecraft to sample them.

"We didn't have to go to Gault," explained Olivier Hainaut of the European Southern Observatory in Germany, a member of the Gault observing team. "We just had to look at the image of the streamers, and we can see all of the dust grains well-sorted by size. All the large grains (about the size of sand particles) are close to the object and the smallest grains (about the size of flour grains) are the farthest away because they are being pushed fastest by pressure from sunlight."

Gault is only the second asteroid whose disintegration has been strongly linked to a process known as a YORP effect. (YORP stands for "Yarkovsky-O'Keefe-Radzievskii-Paddack," the names of four scientists who contributed to the concept.) When sunlight heats an asteroid, infrared radiation escaping from its warmed surface carries off angular momentum as well as heat. This process creates a tiny torque that can cause the asteroid to continually spin faster. When the resulting centrifugal force starts to overcome gravity, the asteroid's surface becomes unstable, and landslides may send dust and rubble drifting into space at a couple miles per hour, or the speed of a strolling human. The researchers estimate that Gault could have been slowly spinning up for more than 100 million years.

Piecing together Gault's recent activity is an astronomical forensics investigation involving telescopes and astronomers around the world. All-sky surveys, ground-based telescopes, and space-based facilities like the Hubble Space Telescope pooled their efforts to make this discovery possible.

The initial clue was the fortuitous detection of the first debris tail, observed on Jan. 5, 2019, by the NASA-funded Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in Hawaii. The tail also turned up in archival data from December 2018 from ATLAS and the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS) telescopes in Hawaii. In mid-January, a second shorter tail was spied by the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope in Hawaii and the Isaac Newton Telescope in Spain, as well as by other observers. An analysis of both tails suggests the two dust events occurred around Oct. 28 and Dec. 30, 2018.

Follow-up observations with the William Herschel Telescope and ESA's (European Space Agency) Optical Ground Station in La Palma and Tenerife, Spain, and the Himalayan Chandra Telescope in India measured a two-hour rotation period for the object, close to the critical speed at which a loose "rubble-pile" asteroid begins to break up.

"Gault is the best 'smoking gun' example of a fast rotator right at the two-hour limit," said team member Jan Kleyna of the University of Hawaii in Honolulu.

An analysis of the asteroid's surrounding environment by Hubble revealed no signs of more widely distributed debris, which rules out the possibility of a collision with another asteroid causing the outbursts.

The asteroid's narrow streamers suggest that the dust was released in short bursts, lasting anywhere from a few hours to a few days. These sudden events puffed away enough debris to make a "dirt ball" approximately 500 feet (150 meters) across if compacted together. The tails will begin fading away in a few months as the dust disperses into interplanetary space.

Based on observations by the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, the astronomers estimate that the longer tail stretches over half a million miles (800,000 kilometers) and is roughly 3,000 miles (4,800 kilometers) wide. The shorter tail is about a quarter as long.

Only a couple of dozen active asteroids have been found so far. Astronomers may now have the capability to detect many more of them because of the enhanced survey capabilities of observatories such as Pan-STARRS and ATLAS, which scan the entire sky. "Asteroids such as Gault cannot escape detection anymore," Hainaut said. "That means that all these asteroids that start misbehaving get caught."

The researchers hope to monitor Gault for more dust events.

###

The team's results have been accepted for publication by the Astrophysical Journal Letters.

The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and ESA (European Space Agency). NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the telescope. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, conducts Hubble science operations. STScI is operated for NASA by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy in Washington, D.C.

For more information about 6478 Gault and Hubble, visit:

http://hubblesite. org/ news_release/ news/ 2019-22

http://www. nasa. gov/ hubble

This story has been published on: 2019-03-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
The system, dubbed Superpower Glass, helps them decipher whats happening with people around them

Children with autism may have an easier time reading facial expressions and navigating social interactions when they use Google Glass paired with a smartphone app, an experiment suggests.

The system, dubbed Superpower Glass, helps them decipher whats happening with people around them, researchers found.

The experiment included 71 children, ages 6 to 12, who were receiving a standard treatment for autism known as applied behavioral analysis therapy. This type of therapy typically involves using structured exercises like flash cards depicting faces to help kids learn to recognize different emotions.

Forty kids were randomly assigned to use the Superpower Glass system - glasses with a camera and speaker that sent information on what children saw and heard to a smartphone app designed to help them decode and respond to social interactions.

While kids with autism can struggle to recognize and respond to emotions, the app gave them feedback in real time to help bolster these skills.

After six weeks of using Superpower Glass in 20-minute sessions four times a week, kids who received this digital support scored better on tests of socialization, communication and behavior than the control group of 31 kids who received only standard care for autism.

With Superpower Glass, Children learn to seek out social interactions, learn that faces are interesting, and that they can learn what theyre saying or what the faces are telling them, said senior study author Dennis Wall of Stanford University in California.

This is powerful since it encourages social initiations - a form of fostering social motivation - by the child and theyre learning that they can get these things - the emotions of their social partners- themselves, Wall said by email.

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Superpower Glass is designed to tackle a common struggle for kids with autism - how to understand social cues and use past experiences to learn how to respond in various situations.

The glasses act as a messenger and interpreter, with the app relying on artificial intelligence to offer feedback in real time that can help kids track faces and classify emotions. A green light flashes when kids look at a face, and then the app uses emojis to tell kids what emotion is in front of them, whether its happy or angry or scared or surprised.

Facial expressions are complex, dynamic, and unique, said Geraldine Dawson, director of the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development in Durham, North Carolina.

Emojis are much simpler, static stimuli, Dawson, who wasnt involved in the study, said by email. It makes sense that emojis would be easier for a person with autism to understand.

Kids interactions are also logged by the app so parents can look later and talk to kids about how well they did at recognizing and responding to emotions.

Together these elements of the intervention enable real-life learning, Wall said.

Wall is the founder of Cognoa.com, a company partnering with Stanford to develop digital devices to treat autism.

Google Glass has been controversial because of privacy concerns about how anything recorded might be stored or shared, and the experiment only had children using Superpower Glass at home with close friends or family members.

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The use of technology for autism screening and treatment is still a relatively new area of study, and we have much to learn, Dawson said.

This approach holds much promise, Dawson added. But more research is needed to understand whether Superpower Glass is feasible in real world settings, how many families would choose to use it, and its impact on social skills in children with autism.

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The Three Mile Island nuclear accident 40 years ago



Washington, March 27 (AFP) Mar 27, 2019



The 1979 accident at the Three Mile Island power plant, the worst in US history, claimed no lives but provoked an outcry over the country's nuclear electricity program.

Caused by mechanical, design and human errors, the partial meltdown registered a five on the International Nuclear Event Scale that peaks at seven, the rate given to the Chernobyl (1989) and Fukushima (2011) disasters.

Here is a rundown of what happened on March 28, 1979 at one of the two reactors at the Three Mile Island Generating Station in eastern Pennsylvania.



- Early morning alert -



An alert was declared at 4:00 am after a fairly minor malfunction in the water reactor's cooling system that was linked to a filter.

Authorities quickly emphasized there had been no radioactive leaks.

The reactor in question, TMI-2, automatically shut down. However engineers did not know that a pilot-operated relief valve remained open, allowing coolant to escape.

A high pressure back-up system immediately pumped water back into the reactor. However technicians feared that too much pressure would build up and reduced the flow of water.



- Partial meltdown -



As sufficient cooling was prevented, the reactor core heated up; water evaporation exposed the fuel core and temperatures climbed even higher.

The reactor remained intact, though a subsequent investigation determined that about 45 percent of its core had suffered a meltdown.

Radioactive material called corium flowed to the bottom of the reactor core, where it was contained, which averted disaster.

Engineers finally realized they had to restore the high pressure flow of water.

They were able to gradually vent built-up radioactive gases to waste tanks.

Some radioactivity, however, escaped into the atmosphere through a system of filters that officials insisted retained the most dangerous elements.



- Five days of fear -



Uncertainty and fear reigned for five days before the situation was declared under control.

During that time residents were told to stay indoors with windows closed.

More than 100 pregnant women and young children who lived close to the power plant were evacuated to a covered skating rink.

President Jimmy Carter, who had studied nuclear engineering, visited the site on April 1 to reassure the public.

It was not until April 27 that a natural convection circulation of coolant was reestablished, according to a World Nuclear Association account of the accident.



- Panic, thousands flee -



The accident caused major panic, fed by confusion and poor communication between state authorities, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the media.

More than 140,000 people fled during a two-day exodus that rendered any official evacuation plans useless.

With the exception of four plant employees, the NRC determined that millions of locals had only been exposed to about the same amount of radioactivity they would absorb during a routine chest X-ray.



- Costly aftermath -



The clean-up operation lasted until 1993 and cost an estimated $973 million.

The 900 megawatt reactor, designed to provide 900,000 homes with electricity, was scrapped.

Although no one died and no immediate injuries were linked to the incident, no new nuclear power plants have been built in the United States since then.
Syria repels Israeli air 'aggression' in Aleppo province: report



Damascus, March 27 (AFP) Mar 27, 2019



Syria said Wednesday that Israel had attacked targets just north of the city of Aleppo and that its defences had shot down several missiles.

"Army air defences repels an Israeli air aggression that targeted a number of industrial sites in Sheikh Najjar industrial zone, north-east of Aleppo, and downed a number of the hostile missiles," the official SANA news agency said, citing an unnamed military source.

A number of residents of Aleppo city told AFP that the attack led to a power cut in the whole city.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Israeli bombardment hit "ammunition stores belonging to Iranian forces and allied groups, and caused huge explosions."

If confirmed, this would be the first attack on Syrian territory since US President Donald Trump signed Monday a proclamation recognising Israel's 1981 annexation of the strategic Golan Heights plateau which it seized from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War.

Earlier this year in January, Israel targeted a number of Iranian installations in the country, hours after intercepting a rocket fired from Syrian territory.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 21 people, mostly Iranians, were killed in those attacks.

Israel insists that it has the right to continue to target positions in Syria held by Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah.

In May 2018, Israeli strikes killed 27 pro-regime fighters including 11 Iranians in strikes on dozens of Iranian targets inside Syria.
Israel carries out air attack in Syria: report



Damascus, March 28 (AFP) Mar 28, 2019



Syria said Wednesday that Israel had attacked targets just north of the city of Aleppo and that its defences had shot down several missiles.

If confirmed, it would be the first attack on Syrian territory since US President Donald Trump on Monday recognised Golan Heights -- seized from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War -- as Israeli territory, a move which breaks with decades of international consensus.

"Army air defences repels an Israeli air aggression that targeted a number of industrial sites in Sheikh Najjar industrial zone, north-east of Aleppo, and downed a number of the hostile missiles," Syria's official SANA news agency said, citing an unnamed military source.

War monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Israeli bombardment hit "ammunition stores belonging to Iranian forces and allied groups, and caused huge explosions."

It added that at least four people, believed to be warehouse guards, were killed.

A number of residents of Aleppo told AFP that the attack led to a power cut in the whole city.

Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes in Syria in the past few years targeting positions held by its main enemy Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah, with the goal of stopping Iran from entrenching itself militarily in the war-torn country.

Iran is a major supporter of President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian civil war.

In January Israel hit a number of Iranian installations in the country, hours after intercepting a rocket fired from Syrian territory.

The Observatory said 21 people, mostly Iranians, were killed in those attacks.

In May 2018, Israeli strikes killed 27 pro-regime fighters including 11 Iranians in strikes on dozens of Iranian targets inside Syria.
Erdogan juggles Moscow, Washington over Russia missile deal



Ankara, March 28 (AFP) Mar 28, 2019



A deal to buy Russian missiles has left Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan balancing NATO ally the United States and new regional partner Russia as he risks fallout from both Washington and Moscow.

Turkey's already soured relations with the United States could be significantly damaged with possible US sanctions if Ankara pushes ahead with the deal for the sophisticated S-400 missile defence system.

US officials have repeatedly warned the deal could threaten Turkey's participation in the F-35 stealth fighter jet programme.

But should Ankara renege on the missile purchase, Erdogan risks alienating Russia at a time when Moscow has become a pragmatic partner in Turkey's strategy in Syria.

At risk would be a deal between Russia and Turkey to stop a Syrian regime offensive in a province controlled by jihadists.

Moscow would also likely hit back economically, experts say, perhaps by stopping millions of Russian tourists coming to Turkey.

Sanctions or fallout from either could not come at a worse time with Turkey's economy in recession for the first time since 2009 following a currency crisis last year.

US sanctions that helped trigger that turmoil showed just how exposed Turkey's economy can be.

US Department of Defense spokesman Charlie Summers recently warned Ankara faced "grave consequences" if Turkey took the S-400s, a serious threat according to analysts.

"The US government and Congress are not making idle threats when they warn Turkey not to proceed with the purchase of Russian S-400s," Amanda Sloat, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said.

"There are serious concerns in Washington as well as Europe about a NATO ally purchasing Russian defence equipment."

The Americans fear technology from the S-400s would be able to gather data from NATO aircraft and allow Russians to access this information.

"There is the NATO set of issues of buying material that won't be NATO interoperable and the effect that will have on alliance interoperability," a senior US official said.



- 'Out of question' -



Erdogan says the S-400s are needed to protect Turkey's borders, and said he turned to Russian equipment because no acceptable US missile deal was available at the time.

The first S-400 delivery is expected in July.

"For us to turn back from the deal is out of the question," Erdogan said recently.

That could risk Ankara being sanctioned by Washington under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), experts say.

Under CAATSA, any entity doing business with Russia's state and private defence and intelligence sectors risks sanctions.

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said last year Turkey would "absolutely respond" to any US sanctions.

US officials have repeatedly said Turkey's involvement in the F-35 stealth fighter programme should be curtailed if the Russia deal goes ahead.

Turkey plans to buy 100 F-35s and some Turkish pilots have already started training with counterparts in the US.

US General Curtis Scaparrotti this month reiterated that Washington should block delivery of the F-35s if Ankara completes the Russia agreement.

Turkey has invested over $1 billion in the F-35 programme and any US decision to prevent the fighters reaching Turkey would be a breach of contract, but there are indications that Washington would be prepared to repay Ankara.



- Time is short -



Hoping to supply an alternative to the S-400, Washington approved the sale of Patriot missiles to Ankara last year.

Turkey has no air defence system though NATO allies temporarily deployed Patriots to help defend the country from attack by Syrian jets in 2013.

Acting US Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan on Tuesday said Turkey was "absolutely" wanted in the F-35 programme but added: "We need Turkey to buy the Patriot."

"We're doing our best to give them as real and as credible and as urgent an alternative as possible," the senior US official, who requested anonymity, said.

Cavusoglu on March 1 said Patriot negotiations had begun after a "positive" response.

But time is short. The formal offer for the Patriot expires at the end of March, according to media reports.

US-Turkey ties are already at a low point with tensions over US support for a Syrian Kurdish militia viewed as terrorists by Ankara, and Washington's failure to extradite a Muslim preacher accused by Turkey of ordering a 2016 coup attempt.

Last summer, ties between the NATO allies hit another low with tit-for-tat sanctions and the US doubling steel and aluminium tariffs on Turkey over the case of a jailed American pastor.

That battered Turkey's lira and the pastor was freed in October.

The missile row is "unlikely to cause a permanent rupture", said Sloat, a former US State Department official. "It will significantly strain already challenged relations and raise further questions in Washington about whether Ankara is a reliable ally."

Part of the concern is the burgeoning relationship between Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin, with the Turkish leader expected in Russia in April.

While Turkish and US officials are talking privately, top-level discussions will likely wait until after Turkish local elections on Sunday.

Hande Firat, a Hurriyet daily columnist, said Cavusoglu will meet with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on a US trip in April and would likely discuss the S-400 dispute.

"How this will develop, we will see after the elections," she wrote on Tuesday. "But discussions between US President (Donald) Trump and President Erdogan will be key."
13 killed in military helicopter crash in Kazakhstan



Almaty, Kazakhstan, March 28 (AFP) Mar 28, 2019



A military helicopter has crashed in southwestern Kazakhstan, killing all 13 servicemen on board, the defence ministry said Thursday.

The crash involving the Russian-made Mi-8 aircraft occurred on Wednesday, the ministry said in a statement.

"13 servicemen were killed... while performing their military duty," it said.

Kazakhstan's new president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev tweeted that he had ordered an investigation into the crash.

A Soviet-era workhorse first built in the 1960s, the Mi-8 helicopter is widely used to transport passengers and supplies to remote sites.

It has been involved in a number of recent accidents. In August last year, 18 people were killed in a crash in Siberia.

The defence ministry said on Thursday that the families of those killed would receive compensation.

Tokayev became Kazakhstan's president last week following the shock resignation of long-ruling 78-year-old strongman Nursultan Nazarbayev, who has retained key decision-making powers in the Central Asian country of 18 million.
Maltese military seizes tanker hijacked by migrants



Valletta, March 28 (AFP) Mar 28, 2019



A tanker that was hijacked by migrants off Libya docked in Malta on Thursday after the Maltese armed forces took control of the vessel.

The Palau-flagged tanker Elhiblu I had picked up the 108 migrants including women and children on Tuesday evening and then headed back to Tripoli.

But six nautical miles from port the ship suddenly changed course and headed north toward Europe.

Italy's far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said Wednesday the vessel had been hijacked and vowed that the migrants would not be allowed to disembark in Italy.

The 52-metre (170-foot) tanker was about 30 nautical miles from Malta when the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) established communications with the captain.

"The captain repeatedly stated that he was not in control of the vessel and that he and his crew were being forced and threatened by a number of migrants to proceed to Malta," the AFM said in a statement on Thursday morning.

"AFM Patrol Vessel P21 stopped the tanker from entering the Maltese territorial waters.

"An AFM Special Operations Unit team was dispatched to board and secure the vessel in order to hand over control of the ship to the captain."

It said the team was backed up by several naval vessels and a helicopter.

Escorted by the Maltese navy, the tanker arrived in the port of Valetta around 8:30am (0730 GMT), where the AFM said it would "be handed over to the police for further investigations".



- 'People are very upset' -



The German charity Sea-Eye, whose ship Alan Kurdi was in the rescue zone off Libya, said it had overheard radio messages between a European military aircraft and the captain of the tanker, both before and after the hijacking.

"The captain of the ship rescued the people and requested assistance. He said unequivocally on the radio that people are very upset and do not want to be brought back to Libya," Sea-Eye said in a statement.

"Tripoli, however, was the destination port of the cargo ship."

Migrants in chaos-wracked Libya face trafficking, kidnap, torture and rape, according to the United Nations and aid groups.

Following Rome's increasingly tough anti-migrant stance, vessels that pick up migrants making the perilous journey across the Mediterranean increasingly return them to Libya.

Boatloads of rescued migrants have in recent months refused to disembark in Libya, prompting the authorities there to use force.

The European Union announced on Wednesday it will suspend ship patrols that have rescued tens of thousands of migrants in the Mediterranean and brought them to Italy, in the face of deep resistance from Rome's populist government.

Migrant arrivals from North Africa and the Middle East have been sharply reduced since a 2015 peak when Europe faced its worst migration crisis since World War II.
Israel air strike hits northern Syria: report



Damascus, March 28 (AFP) Mar 28, 2019



Syria said Wednesday that Israel had attacked targets just north of second city Aleppo and that its air defences had intercepted several missiles.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor, the strike hit an arms depot used by Iranian forces and killed seven people.

It would be the first attack in Syria since US President Donald Trump on Monday recognised the Golan Heights -- seized from Syria in the Six-Day War of 1967 -- as Israeli territory, a move which broke with decades of international consensus.

"Army air defences repel an Israeli air aggression that targeted a number of industrial sites in Sheikh Najjar industrial zone, northeast of Aleppo, and downed a number of the hostile missiles," Syria's official SANA news agency reported, citing an unnamed military source.

The Observatory said the Israeli bombardment hit "ammunition stores belonging to Iranian forces and allied groups, and caused huge explosions."

SANA said the strike caused only material damage but the Britain-based Observatory, which relies on a network of sources inside Syria, said seven people were killed.

It said the victims were guards protecting the targeted warehouses, which were used as ammunition depots by Iranian forces and allied militia.

The Observatory added the seven dead were neither Syrian nor Iranian but could not specify their nationalities.

A number of residents of Aleppo told AFP that the attack led to a power cut in the whole city. Power was restored hours later.

Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes in Syria in the past few years targeting positions held by arch foe Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah, with the goal of stopping Iran from entrenching itself militarily in the war-torn country.

Iran has been a major supporter of President Bashar al-Assad in the civil war that borke out in 2011.

In January, Israel hit a number of Iranian installations in the country, hours after intercepting a rocket fired from Syrian territory.

The Observatory said 21 people, mostly Iranians, were killed in those attacks.

In May last year, Israeli strikes killed 27 pro-regime fighters, including 11 Iranians, in strikes on dozens of Iranian targets inside Syria.

burs/jmm/kir
Maltese military seizes tanker hijacked by migrants



Valletta, March 28 (AFP) Mar 28, 2019



A tanker that was hijacked by migrants off Libya docked in Malta on Thursday after the Maltese armed forces took control of the vessel.

The Palau-flagged tanker Elhiblu I had picked up the 108 migrants including women and children on Tuesday evening and then headed back to Tripoli.

But six nautical miles from port the ship suddenly changed course and headed north toward Europe.

Italy's far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said Wednesday the vessel had been hijacked and vowed that the migrants would not be allowed to disembark in Italy.

The 52-metre (170-foot) tanker was about 30 nautical miles from Malta when the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) established communications with the captain.

"The captain repeatedly stated that he was not in control of the vessel and that he and his crew were being forced and threatened by a number of migrants to proceed to Malta," the AFM said in a statement on Thursday morning.

"AFM Patrol Vessel P21 stopped the tanker from entering the Maltese territorial waters.

"An AFM Special Operations Unit team was dispatched to board and secure the vessel in order to hand over control of the ship to the captain."

It said the team was backed up by several naval vessels and a helicopter.

Escorted by the Maltese navy, the tanker arrived in the port of Valletta around 8:30am (0730 GMT), where the AFM said it would "be handed over to the police for further investigations".



- 'People are very upset' -



The German charity Sea-Eye, whose ship Alan Kurdi was in the rescue zone off Libya, said it had overheard radio messages between a European military aircraft and the captain of the tanker, both before and after the hijacking.

"The captain of the ship rescued the people and requested assistance. He said unequivocally on the radio that people are very upset and do not want to be brought back to Libya," Sea-Eye said in a statement.

"Tripoli, however, was the destination port of the cargo ship."

Migrants in chaos-wracked Libya face trafficking, kidnap, torture and rape, according to the United Nations and aid groups.

Following Rome's increasingly tough anti-migrant stance, vessels that pick up migrants making the perilous journey across the Mediterranean increasingly return them to Libya.

Boatloads of rescued migrants have in recent months refused to disembark in Libya, prompting the authorities there to use force.

The UNHCR's special envoy for the central Mediterranean, Vincent Cochetel, tweeted Thursday that the "safety of crews (is) as important as safety of human beings fleeing a hellish situation & not wanting to return there.

"With a robust rescue at sea capacity & predictable disembarkation on both sides of the Med, this would not have happened."

The European Union announced on Wednesday it will suspend ship patrols that have rescued tens of thousands of migrants in the Mediterranean and brought them to Italy, in the face of deep resistance from Rome's populist government.

Migrant arrivals from North Africa and the Middle East have been sharply reduced since a 2015 peak when Europe faced its worst migration crisis since World War II.
At least 170 civilians killed in Cameroon conflict since October: HRW



Libreville, March 28 (AFP) Mar 28, 2019



At least 170 civilians have been killed since October in fighting in English-speaking western Cameroon between separatists and government forces, Human Rights Watch said Thursday.

"Government forces in Cameroon's anglophone regions have killed scores of civilians, used indiscriminate force, and torched hundreds of homes over the past six months," the rights group said in a report.

The group based its findings on interviews with 140 victims, family members and witnesses between December and March, it said.

"Since October, at least 170 civilians have been killed in over 220 incidents... according to media reports and Human Rights Watch research," it said.

Another 31 members of the security forces were killed in operations between October and February, it said.

"Given the ongoing clashes and the difficulty of collecting information from remote areas, the number of civilian deaths is most likely higher," it added.

HRW did not explicitly blame government forces for all 170 civilian deaths.

It said armed separatists assaulted and kidnapped dozens of people during the same period, executing at least two men.

The government sent a letter to HRW denying "exactions" by the army described in the report, the group said.

The conflict broke out in October 2017 when the anglophone separatists launched an armed campaign.

The International Crisis Group has said the death toll since the start of the fighting has topped 500 for civilians and more than 200 for members of the security forces.

English speakers, who account for about a fifth of Cameroon's population of 24 million, have chafed for years at perceived discrimination in education, law and economic opportunities at the hands of the francophone majority.

The anglophone movement radicalised in 2017 as the authorities refused demands for greater autonomy for the Northwest and Southwest Regions.

On October 1 that year, separatists declared the creation of the "Republic of Ambazonia" in the two regions, named after the local Ambas Bay. The declaration has not been recognised internationally.

"Cameroon's authorities have an obligation to respond lawfully and to protect people's rights during periods of violence," said Lewis Mudge, HRW's Central Africa director. "The government's heavy-handed response targeting civilians is counterproductive and risks igniting more violence."

Some 437,000 people have fled the fighting, according to the United Nations, which called Tuesday for $184 million (163 million euros) to help the displaced.
Afghan military could pose threat to country if aid ends: US report



Washington, March 28 (AFP) Mar 28, 2019



The Afghan military could pose a serious threat to the country's security if international aid comes to an abrupt halt following a peace deal between the Taliban and the government, an official US report said Thursday.

The findings come as the US seeks to broker a peace deal between the insurgent fighters and the internationally recognized government led by President Ashraf Ghani to end 17 years of war.

"There are over 300,000 Afghans currently serving in the security forces, most of whom are armed," said John Sopko, who heads the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), while presenting his report in Washington.

"If, because of a loss of financial support, their paychecks were to stop coming, this could pose a serious threat to Afghanistan's stability."

Since invading Afghanistan in 2001 to oust the then Taliban regime, The US has poured more than $780 billion in aid into the country, 15 percent of which was spent on reconstruction.

Most of the reconstruction funds, 63 percent or $83.1 billion, were spent on Afghan security services, including salaries, equipment, infrastructure and training, the report said.

In recent years, financial support for Afghan forces has been even more critical, with $4.8 billion allocated in 2018, or 83 percent of funds set aside for reconstruction.

"It does not take an advanced degree in mathematics to recognize that if donor support is decreased or eliminated - whether there is a peace agreement or not -- the Afghan government and its military in particular, will be in dire straits," said Sopko.

The report warned that if an elusive peace deal is achieved, some 60,000 heavily armed Taliban fighters will have to be peacefully reintegrated into Afghan society, "as disaffected former Taliban who may have been expecting a peace dividend may return to violent and predatory behavior."

"Without financial support, the government of Afghanistan cannot survive," it stressed.

"Should peace come, if that peace is to be sustainable, it will come at an additional price that only external donors can afford.

"That is why we have issued today's report -- to encourage policymakers to vigorously think about the 'day after.'"

The US envoy seeking a peace deal with the Taliban is currently on a trip to Afghanistan and Pakistan that is scheduled to run through April 10.

The last negotiations between Zalmay Khalilzad and the Taliban closed on March 12 in Doha and appeared to make headway.

An outline of a deal is expected to see the United States withdrawing from Afghanistan in return for the Taliban promising not to let the country be used by foreign extremists -- the reason for the US attack following the September 11, 2001 attacks.

But the talks have so far not included the Kabul government.

President Donald Trump has voiced impatience with continuing America's longest war and late last year ordered the withdrawal of half the 14,000-strong US troop contingent.
Kremlin says US not to 'worry' about Russia-Venezuela ties



Moscow, March 28 (AFP) Mar 28, 2019



Russia said Thursday its troops will stay in Venezuela "for as long as needed" and urged the United States not to worry about Moscow's ties with a traditional ally.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's aide spoke after US President Donald Trump demanded that Russia remove its military from the crisis-stricken country.

President Nicolas Maduro is presiding over economic chaos, with the oil-rich country unable to provide basic medical and food supplies to much of the population.

"We don't think that third countries should worry about our bilateral ties," said Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

"We are not interfering in Venezuela's domestic affairs in any way and we expect third countries to follow our example and allow Venezuelans to decide their fate themselves," he told reporters.

Peskov said no one told the United States how to conduct its foreign policy and Moscow expected the same treatment and "mutual respect".

He said that Russia was sending military equipment and experts to Venezuela under existing contracts.

Russia's weekend deployment of troops and equipment to bolster Maduro has ratcheted up already high international tensions over Venezuela where the Trump administration is pushing for regime change.

The Russian foreign ministry insisted earlier Thursday the presence of its troops there did not pose a threat to anyone.

"They are involved in the implementation of agreements in the sphere of military and technical cooperation," said ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, adding they would remain in the country "for as long as needed".

"Russia is not changing the balance of power in the region, Russia is not threatening anyone unlike citizens in Washington whom I have just quoted," she told reporters.

She was referring to Trump's comments that "Russia has to get out" of Venezuela as well as to statements by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that Washington does not plan to negotiate with Maduro and wants to end Russia and Cuba's influence on Caracas.



- 'Coup' accusation -



The United States and more than 50 other countries recognise Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim president while Russia, along with China, backs Maduro.

"Neither Russia nor Venezuela are provinces of the United States," Zakharova said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has accused Washington of trying to "organise a coup d'etat" in the oil-producing nation.

Venezuela's military attache in Moscow also said Thursday that Russian troops were in the country under an agreement on military and technical cooperation and not to carry out a military operation.

A Russian air force Antonov-124 cargo plane and a smaller Ilyushin Il-62 landed at the main airport outside Caracas on Saturday and off-loaded around 100 troops and tonnes of equipment.

"As for the presence of Russian specialists, we are talking about cooperation, military and technical cooperation," the attache, Jose Rafael Torrealba Perez, was quoted as saying in comments translated by RIA Novosti state news agency.

"We are absolutely not talking about Russia's military presence to carry out military operations," he added.

Venezuela's Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez is expected to visit Moscow in April, the attache said.

On Tuesday, Zakharova declared that Russia was "developing cooperation with Venezuela in strict accordance with the constitution of that country and with full respect for its legal norms".

"The presence of Russian specialists on Venezuelan territory is regulated by an agreement between the Russian and Venezuelan governments on military and technical cooperation that was signed in May, 2001," she said.

In 2011, Russia gave Venezuela a $4 billion loan to buy Russian armaments.
Five arrested after Maltese military seizes tanker hijacked by migrants



Valletta, March 28 (AFP) Mar 28, 2019



Five men were arrested Thursday after Maltese armed forces took control of a tanker that was hijacked by migrants off Libya and the ship docked in Malta.

The Palau-flagged tanker Elhiblu I had picked up 108 migrants including women and children on Tuesday evening and then headed back to Tripoli.

But six nautical miles from port the ship suddenly changed course and headed north toward Europe.

Italy's far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said Wednesday the vessel had been hijacked and vowed that the migrants would not be allowed to disembark in Italy.

The 52-metre (170-foot) tanker was about 30 nautical miles from Malta when the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) established communications with the captain.

"The captain repeatedly stated that he was not in control of the vessel and that he and his crew were being forced and threatened by a number of migrants to proceed to Malta," the AFM said in a statement on Thursday morning.

"AFM Patrol Vessel P21 stopped the tanker from entering Maltese territorial waters.

"An AFM Special Operations Unit team was dispatched to board and secure the vessel in order to hand over control of the ship to the captain."

Escorted by the Maltese navy, the tanker arrived in the port of Valletta around 8:30 am (0730 GMT).

Five men suspected of having been the leaders of the hijacking were arrested, handcuffed and taken away in a police van.

The women and children disembarked next, followed by the other men, many of whom appeared physically very weak.

Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat commented that his country does "not shirk responsibility despite our size," Malta being the smallest EU country of around 450,000 people.

"We will now follow all international rules accordingly," he added.



- 'People are very upset' -



Both before and after the hijacking, the German charity Sea-Eye, whose ship Alan Kurdi was in the rescue zone off Libya, said it had overheard radio messages between a European military aircraft and the captain of the tanker.

"The captain of the ship rescued the people and requested assistance. He said unequivocally on the radio that people are very upset and do not want to be brought back to Libya," Sea-Eye said in a statement.

"Tripoli, however, was the destination port of the cargo ship."

Migrants in chaos-wracked Libya face trafficking, kidnap, torture and rape, according to the United Nations and aid groups.

Following Rome's increasingly tough anti-migrant stance, vessels that pick up migrants making the perilous journey across the Mediterranean increasingly return them to Libya.

Boatloads of rescued migrants have in recent months refused to disembark in Libya, prompting the authorities there to use force.

The UNHCR's special envoy for the central Mediterranean, Vincent Cochetel, tweeted Thursday that the "safety of crews (is) as important as safety of human beings fleeing a hellish situation & not wanting to return there.

"With a robust rescue at sea capacity & predictable disembarkation on both sides of the Med, this would not have happened."

The European Union announced on Wednesday it will suspend ship patrols that have rescued tens of thousands of migrants in the Mediterranean and brought them to Italy, in the face of deep resistance from Rome's populist government.

Migrant arrivals from North Africa and the Middle East have been sharply reduced since a 2015 peak when Europe faced its worst migration crisis since World War II.
US approves companies' nuclear work in Saudi Arabia



Washington, March 28 (AFP) Mar 28, 2019



The United States has given the green light to companies to work on six nuclear projects in Saudi Arabia, Energy Secretary Rick Perry said Thursday, despite lawmakers' worries that the kingdom could seek weapons.

Questioned during a Senate hearing, Perry confirmed that the Trump administration has approved six applications to do initial nuclear work in Saudi Arabia and two in Jordan.

Perry, who said the Energy Department approved 37 of the 65 applications it received globally since 2017, promised the United States was committed to ensuring the Saudis do not reprocess spent fuel to make nuclear weapons.

"What I'm really concerned about, senator, is that if the United States is not the partner with Saudi Arabia, (or) for that matter Jordan," Perry said, "they will go to Russia and China for their civil nuclear technology."

"I can assure you that those two countries don't give a tinker's damn about nonproliferation," he said.

"We've got a history of nonproliferation, and nobody in the world will do it better than us."

The approvals, first reported Wednesday by news site The Daily Beast, were not earlier announced, with Perry saying the companies wanted to shield proprietary information.

But Democratic lawmakers have voiced alarm that the Trump administration is rushing in secret to approve civilian nuclear energy in Saudi Arabia even though the kingdom -- the world's largest oil exporter -- has not sought a so-called Section 123 agreement, under which a country assures the peaceful use of technology.

US companies cannot legally transfer nuclear material to countries without Section 123 agreements.

President Donald Trump has pursued a close relationship with Saudi Arabia, saying openly that the kingdom was good for US business even if the powerful crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, is confirmed to have ordered the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in October.

Khashoggi, a contributor to The Washington Post who wrote critically of the crown prince, was strangled and his body dismembered after he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to handle wedding paperwork.

Representative Brad Sherman, in a hearing Wednesday with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, accused the administration of working with the Saudis to do an "end-run around the law."

"If you cannot trust a regime with a bone-saw, you should not trust them with nuclear weapons," said Sherman, a Democrat from California.

Prince Mohammed has warned that the Saudis will pursue nuclear weapons if their arch-rival Iran obtains them.
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A professional, secular and apolitical military is being utilised for electoral gains of the ruling establishment. Questioning it and the Government is kosher





by Ashok K Mehta





If the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) returns to power two months from now, piggybacking the armed forces, one central fact will be eminently clear: The optics of a powerful military with high morale belies the ground reality. The Government has misled the country on defence modernisation and preparedness through high-decibel claims and self-praise for its devotion to the soldier. Never before has any Government milked the success of military operations for political and electoral gains as the present one and successfully politicised the armed forces. The creation by it of nationalist sentiment and allied jingoism through coopting sections of the print and electronic media and their armies of supporters and cheerleaders has diverted the focus of elections from Achche Din and Sabka Saath, SabkaVikas to national security and taking the mickey out of Pakistan.





Last Sunday, the BJP launched a blitz of victory rallies in Uttar Pradesh, pitching the forthcoming elections as a means of rooting out terrorism and defeating Pakistan. Citing Balakot air strikes as the Governments befitting reply for Pulwama, its leaders said that only a Government led by the charismatic and decisive leader, Narendra Modi, could guarantee the countrys defence and security. Part II of this self-congratulatory boast is the caustic criticism of Opposition parties, mainly the Rahul Gandhi-led Congress, for questioning the Government and the Indian armed forces on their claims of targetting, damage assessment and casualties. Balakot has become the magic wand for winning the Lok Sabha polls.





In 2016, following the Uri terrorist strike, modest ground surgical strikes were magnified to being the silver bullet for ending cross-border terrorism and, therefore, employed liberally to show-case the Governments determination to teach Pakistan a lesson. They were cited extravagantly to win the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka, to name just a few. Banners and posters using serving Army officers pictures alongside Government leaders politicised the military. Surgical strikes were liberally replayed to deify the BJP leadership, principally Prime Minister Modi. The Armys resolute stand at Doklam was also appropriated by the Government as its own dogged action of thwarting China in its attempt to present Bhutan and India with a fait accompli. In all the three military operations  Operation Surgical Strikes, Operation Juniper and Operation Balakot  the Army and IAF came out as winners but it was the Government which super-imposed the lotus on them.





This is the great irony as the Modi Government apparently attaches minuscule importance to the Defence portfolio, posting four Ministers in five years. The last of these, Nirmala Sitharaman, is a first-time MP, who has spent her prime-time defending Modi on Rafale in and outside Parliament, whereas traditionally, the Defence Minister is invariably a political heavyweight. Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was twice a part-time Defence Minister and is not known to be terribly sympathetic towards the military. The most effective and committed was the late Manohar Parrikar whose pledge to appoint the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) was unfortunately killed by the Prime Ministers Office. This coupled with the musical chairs in the Defence Ministry allowed National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval to become de facto CDS and also interfere in key issues of the Ministry like Rafale. Policeman Doval is the first NSA to become directly involved in planning and conduct of operations, notably Pathankot, which is in the remit of a military professional. His appointment as Chairman of Defence Planning Committee is another first and needless padding to planning. The Doval empire is enviable.





Under Jaitley, defence funding etched an interesting trajectory. After his second budget, his reasoning for limited capital funding for modernisation was that the military is unable to spend even what little is allotted. The following year, Jaitley changed tack, saying that actually, he did not have the money to increase the capital account. The interim budget presented this year by acting Finance Minister Piyush Goyal earmarked the lowest amount in memory for modernisation with the staple byline, more funds will be provided if required. At a national security conclave last month, Jaitley said that hike in modernisation funding will depend on paying off committed liabilities and that any increase would be contingent on income from widening the tax net. This years allocation may fall short of even accounting for committed liabilities. Still, BJP president Amit Shah raved about the current defence budget as a milestone having crossed the Rs 3 lakh crore mark, more than 70 per cent of which is revenue expenditure.





The true reflection of the state of defence funding and operational readiness was provided by the BJPs own chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on defence, Maj Gen BC Khanduri, who rated defence allocation of 1.5 per cent of GDP as disabling war preparedness. His blunt inference led to his removal and replacement by party veteran Kalraj Mishra. Just as well that Balakot did not escalate into a short and intense conventional war as ammunition, tank, artillery and night-fighting equipment inventories are critically hollow, not to mention the plummeting decline in Air Force squadrons from the authorised 42 to below 30 squadrons, actually around 26 squadrons (Air Chief Marshal AY Tipnis at last months security conclave). No Service Chief should have to say we will fight with what we have as Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa had to.





The armed forces have been successively short-changed by the once in 10 years Pay Commissions. The last Seventh Pay Commission was no exception even as roll-on anomalies have piled up. Service Chiefs were denied a meeting with Modi on Seventh Pay Commission and on One Rank One Pension earlier. The then Defence Secretary Mohan Kumar did not endorse the militarys request to reconsider their case for Non Functional Upgrade (NFU), which about 60 A group services receive. Now the Central Government has opposed in the Supreme Court an Armed Forces Tribunal order, asking it to include the armed forces in NFU. This has serious implications for status, parity and pay grade and is one issue hurting the morale of the military. So much for Balakots surge in nationalism and the





Government putting the soldier on a pedestal. Indias military is overly obedient with high tolerance threshold in civil-military relations. Service chiefs have not taken an issue-based stand individually or collectively.





A professional, secular and apolitical military is being progressively politicised and utilised for advancing electoral prospects of the ruling establishment in the guise of promoting nationalism. Questioning the military and the Government on this is kosher.





(The writer is a retired Major General of the Indian Army and founder member of the Defence Planning Staff, currently the revamped Integrated Defence Staff)
A more recent publication of this set of statistics is available. Latest publication: Energy supply and consumption 2021, 2nd quarter

Published: 28 March 2019

Total consumption of energy increased by 2 per cent in 2018

According to Statistics Finland's preliminary data, total consumption of energy in 2018 amounted to 1.38 terajoule (TJ), which corresponded to a growth of two cent compared with the previous year. The growth was due to the increased use of both fossil fuels and peat and renewable energy sources. Carbon dioxide emissions from the energy use of fuels went up by three per cent, which was particularly influenced by the growing use of peat. Total consumption of electricity went up by two per cent to 87 terawatt hours (TWh).

Total energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions 19902018*

In 2018, the consumption of renewable energy sources increased by three per cent and their share of total energy consumption grew by one percentage point to 37 per cent. The consumption of black liquor from forestry went up by nine per cent. As a result, the consumption of wood fuels grew in total by four per cent and with the share of 27 per cent they were the most used energy source in Finland. Production of wind power grew by 22 per cent and that of hydro power in turn fell by 10 per cent.

The use of fossil fuels and peat increased by two per cent from the previous year and their share of total energy consumption was 40 per cent. For oil and coal, consumption fell by one to two per cent. By contrast, the consumption of natural gas increased by 12 per cent. In the cold period in the early part of the year, the challenges presented by the acquisition of wood fuels significantly increased the consumption of peat. In the whole year, the consumption of peat was 24 per cent higher than in the year before. After wood fuels, oil was the second most significant energy source with a 22 per cent share of total energy consumption.

Domestic production of electricity in 2018 was 67 TWh, which was four per cent more than one year ago. Around one-third of electricity was produced with nuclear energy. Nearly as much electricity was produced with combined heat and power production. Production of hydro power fell on account of the poor water situation for a third year in a row, which in part had an effect on the 49 per cent growth in condensate power. Production of wind power increased by 22 per cent and its share of total electricity production rose to nine per cent. Solar power is growing briskly and the electricity produced with it nearly quadrupled from the previous year. Despite this, production of solar power only corresponded to two per mil of total production. In all, 20 TWh of total electricity consumption, or 23 per cent, was covered with net imports of electricity. The amount of net imports rose slightly from the previous year and Russia's share of imports grew.

Final consumption of energy went up as a whole by two per cent. The growth was biggest in manufacturing, four per cent. The share of manufacturing in total final consumption stood at 48 per cent. The consumption of heating energy for buildings remained on level with the previous year and their share of total energy consumption was 25 per cent. For transport, final energy consumption fell by one per cent and its share was 16 per cent.

Net imports of electricity to Finland amounted to 20.4 TWh, which corresponded to 24 per cent of total electricity consumption. Compared with 2016, net imports of electricity grew by eight per cent, which was mainly caused by a 44 per cent fall in exports of electricity. Finland's largest electricity import countries in 2017 were Sweden and Russia. Most electricity was imported from Sweden, 15.3 TWh. Electricity imports from Russia were 5.8 TWh. Almost all exports of electricity from Finland were directed to Estonia, amounting to 1.7 TWh.

Last year, diverse energy products were imported into Finland to the value of EUR 10.7 billion, which was 21 per cent more than one year earlier. Most energy products were imported from Russia, whose share of the value of imports was around 61 per cent. Respectively, energy products were exported from Finland to the value of EUR 5.4 billion, which was around 14 per cent more than in the year before.

Total energy consumption by source (TJ) and CO2 emissions (Mt)

Energy source, TJ 4) 2018* Annual change-%* Percentage share of

total energy consumption* Oil 307,563 -2 22 Coal 1) 112,121 -1 8 Natural gas 73,576 12 5 Nuclear energy 2) 238,784 2 17 Net imports of electricity 3) 71,769 -2 5 Hydro power 3) 47,322 -10 3 Wind power 3) 21,086 22 2 Peat 66,696 24 5 Wood fuels 376,338 4 27 Others 67,751 6 5 TOTAL ENERGY CONSUMPTION 1,383,005 2 100 Bunkers 46,019 7 . CO2 emissions from fuel combustion 41 3 .

1) Coal: includes hard coal, coke, blast furnace gas and coke oven gas.2) Conversion of electricity generation into fuel units: Nuclear power: 10.91 TJ/GWh (33% total efficiency)3) Conversion of electricity generation into fuel units: Hydro power, wind power and net imports of electricity: 3.6 TJ/GWh (100%)4) *Preliminary

Source: Statistics Finland, Energy supply and consumption

Inquiries: Ville Maljanen 029 551 2691, energia@stat.fi

Director in charge: Ville Vertanen

Publication in pdf-format (466.6 kB)

Updated 28.3.2019

Referencing instructions: Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Energy supply and consumption [e-publication].

ISSN=1799-7976. 4th quarter 2018. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 13.12.2021].

Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/ehk/2018/04/ehk_2018_04_2019-03-28_tie_001_en.html
Published: 28 March 2019

Finnish residents' travel to Southern Europe increased in 2018

According to Statistics Finland's survey, Finnish residents made 8.2 million different leisure trips abroad in 2018. Finnish residents travel to Estonia decreased clearly, but Southern Europe increased its popularity as a leisure destination. The number of various domestic leisure trips was 38 million. Domestic business trips decreased, but the number of business trips abroad grew.

Finnish residents travel in 2012 to 2018 (excl. domestic leisure trips with free accommodation)

Finnish residents' leisure trips abroad decreased slightly from the year before. The biggest reason for the fall was Estonia to which considerably fewer trips were made in 2018 than in the year before. Despite the strong decrease in travel, it retained its unswerving top position as a travel destination for Finns. Leisure trips to our western neighbour Sweden remained on level with the previous year, but trips to our eastern neighbour Russia decreased from the year before.

Among customary Southern European favourites, Italy and Croatia increased their appeal.

The number of trips heading outside Europe increased slightly. More tourists than before headed to the American continent and Asia and particularly the favourite Asian country, Thailand, received more Finnish tourists than in the previous year.

Finnish residents most popular destinations for leisure trips with overnight stay in the destination country in 2018, 2017 and 2016

The number of domestic trips with paid accommodation remained on level with the previous year. Nearly seven million of these trips were made in 2018. Short trips lasting under four nights decreased, but the number of trips with at least four nights increased from the previous year. As expected, summer months were the most popular time to travel in Finland.

One-fifth of trips with paid accommodation were made to the region of Uusimaa. The next most popular regions were Pirkanmaa and Lapland. The most popular towns were Helsinki, Tampere and Turku.

Compared with the previous year, nights spent at hotels and rented cottages increased somewhat from the previous year.

The most popular destination for trips with free accommodation was also Uusimaa. The next most popular destinations with free accommodation were Pirkanmaa and North Ostrobothnia.

The most popular destination regions for day trips in Finland were Uusimaa, Pirkanmaa and Southwest Finland. The most popular towns were Helsinki, Tampere and Turku.

The number of business trips in Finland decreased and abroad increased compared with the previous year.

Leisure trips of an average Finn in 2018:

1.5 domestic leisure trips with paid accommodation,

2.7 domestic same-day trips,

1.4 trips abroad with overnight stay in the country of destination,

0.4 same-day trips abroad or cruises to neighbouring areas.

Data collection

The data concerning travel derive from Statistics Finland's monthly Finnish Travel sample survey. In all, 13,539 persons aged 15 to 84 permanently resident in Finland were interviewed for the numbers of trips.

The numbers of persons who had travelled during the year were collected with an additional survey carried out in connection with the December interview concerning travelling. The data for the annual survey of 2018 are based on 1,146 interviews.

Additional tables are found in the PX Web database at:

http://pxnet2.stat.fi/PXWeb/pxweb/en/StatFin/StatFin__lii__smat



Source: Finnish Travel, Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Taru Tamminen 029 551 2243, Ossi Nurmi 029 551 2984, liikenne.matkailu@stat.fi

Director in charge: Mari Yla-Jarkko

Publication in pdf-format (374.7 kB)

Updated 28.3.2019

Referencing instructions: Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Finnish Travel [e-publication].

ISSN=1798-9027. 2018. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 13.12.2021].

Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/smat/2018/smat_2018_2019-03-28_tie_001_en.html
Full STEAM ahead

Who says a 5 year old is too young to create his or her own company?

Not the folks behind the inaugural Kidzpreneur competition, which takes place Saturday, April 13, at the Danforth Plant Science Building, 975 N. Warson Road. Kidzpreneur, a St. Louis-based entrepreneurial competition that is free to enter, offers youngsters ages 5-13 the opportunity to pitch their best business or product ideas for a chance to win cash scholarships and prizes (think TVs Shark Tank for kids).

We mentor a lot of local high school students and have learned that schools have a hard time recruiting that age of kids for their entrepreneur programs, said Angela Sandler, CEO and co-founder of xplor, which partnered with St. Louis Magazines St. Louis Family to launch Kidzpreneur. We wanted to create a platform for younger children to express their ideas and also give them opportunities for mentorships and scholarships to help those ideas become a reality.

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A pre-competition, Mentor Day will take place from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 6 at the Danforth building. At that time, youngsters and their families can attend mentoring workshops with prominent local business leaders including Maxine Clark, founder of Build-A-Bear Workshop; Kara Newmark, owner of Sweetology; and Talia Goldfarb, founder of Myself Belts and a former Shark Tank winner. One-on-one mentorship opportunities also will be available.

The following Saturday, April 13, the actual competition kicks off at 8:30 a.m., with breakfast and an hour-long mentoring session, followed by two rounds of competition. First, participants will compete in one of three groups, depending on their age, in a speed round, pitching their business idea in three minutes to a panel of judges, including local business owners and mentors. The top three winners from each age group will move on to the final round where they have an opportunity to win scholarships and other prizes donated by area businesses.

In addition to the competition, Sandler says the family-friendly event will include STEM/STEAM activities, food trucks, a vendor village and a concluding party to celebrate the competitors accomplishments.

This is not a competition where were asking kids to come in with a website and finished product, said Sandler, who is a member of Temple Israel. Were looking for them to come in with a good idea. We want to give them the opportunity and the platform to speak in front of adults and explore their business ideas. I hope everyone walks away inspired that the next generation of kids has great ideas and the confidence to pursue them.

She said some of the kids who have already registered have ideas for apps that focus on positive ways to use social media, as well as new clothing brands, video editing and creating different YouTube stations.

Everyone is welcome to come, said Sandler. Were viewing it as a community-wide day. There will be free babysitting available and all kinds of ways for children and their families to learn about innovation and starting their own business.

For more information and to register as a Kidzpreneur participant, visit http://bit.ly/Kidzpreneur. Participants will be asked to fill out a few questions, including the name of the idea or company, what problem it may solve, whether it is a product or service and how much it costs to make.

Progressive STL Jews unite

Connect with your community every morning.

A new St. Louis Jewish multigenerational group is forming called Progressive Jews of St. Louis, or ProJo, for short.

Hannah Rosenthal, 26, a native St. Louisan, explained that she and other like-minded local Jews of all ages are convening a community meeting to get a sense of the priorities of the progressive Jewish community in St. Louis and see where we go from there.

We want to build a leadership team and a broader group that is really representative of the progressive Jewish community as a whole in St. Louis, said Rosenthal. Whatever shape and form that takes should be guided by the community.

Rosenthal says an ad-hoc ProJo steering committee came up with three belief statements, which she outlined as the following:

 We are dedicated to engaging and educating the St. Louis Jewish community and broader St. Louis community about anti-Semitism and racism;

 We believe it is the responsibility of progressive Jews to speak out against Israeli occupation;

 And we are committed to differentiating between anti-Semitism and criticism of Israel.

Rosenthal, a Princeton graduate who grew up in Olivette involved in several Jewish programs and summer camps, is now attending the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University. She says when she moved back here last fall, she found it frustrating that there was not an active, organized space where I could be my full Jewish self. She adds that part of what ProJo hopes to do is strengthen and build the community so that progressive St. Louis Jews can feel more of a sense of belonging.

She and others on the ProJo steering committee are inviting the community to MaTovu, 4200 Blaine Ave., in the Botanical Heights neighborhood, from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 7 to find out more about the new group. For more information, go to www.facebook.com/ProJoSTL.

Mitzvah for the mikvah

In last weeks N&S, I mentioned the April 1 opening of Cafe Coeur, a new full-service kosher restaurant in Creve Coeur. Those wanting to check it out and sample its kosher sushi, signature pizzas, Italian and seafood specialties, cocktails and more can do so from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Sunday, March 31, when the restaurant, at 10477 Old Olive Street Road, hosts a fundraiser for the renovation of the St. Louis mikvah, or ritual bath. A portion of the proceeds for the $180 per person evening will go to the mikvah renovation. Seating is limited. To reserve a spot, go to https://www.duvys.com/simple/stlouismikvah.

News and Schmooze is a weekly column by Editor Ellen Futterman. Email Ellen at: [email protected]thejewishlight.com
Shares is the leading weekly publication for retail investors. It is packed with investment ideas, news and educational material to help build and run portfolios and get more from your money.

Shares puts on free Investor Events throughout the year across the country. They provide an opportunity for investors to learn more about companies on the stock market and hear from a range of investment experts including fund managers and Shares journalists.
"Despite a reduction in tensions along the demilitarized zone and a cessation of strategic provocations coupled with public statements of intent to denuclearize, little to no verifiable change has occurred to North Korea's military capabilities," Abrams told lawmakers.

Gen. Robert Abrams said Pyongyang's production of nuclear weapons materials and missiles are "inconsistent with" the pledge of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to denuclearize.

North Korea continues to pose a nuclear threat to the United States and its allies, the commander of U.S. forces in South Korea told a congressional panel Wednesday.

"These capabilities continue to hold the United States, South Korea and our regional allies at risk," he said. Abrams told the House Armed Services Committee he could not comment in open session about commercial satellite photos seeming to show increased North Korean activity at weapons production sites. But he said, "Their activity we have observed is inconsistent with denuclearization."

Kim told U.S. President Donald Trump last June at a summit in Singapore that he would work toward denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. Trump returned to Washington and declared, "Just landed -- a long trip, but everybody can now feel much safer than the day I took office. There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea."

But since then, there has been little progress toward a deal detailing when and how North Korea would destroy its nuclear arsenal. A second Trump-Kim summit in Hanoi a month ago ended without a further agreement.

Abrams said he believes it is necessary to maintain a "postured and ready force to deter any possible aggressive actions."

The United States has said it will not accept a gradual denuclearization of North Korea in exchange for lifting economic sanctions.


Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon arrived in China's southern island province of Hainan on Wednesday to attend the annual Boao Forum for Asia.

Lee met with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on the sidelines of the conference later in the evening to discuss boosting cooperation on the environment, chiefly how to tackle air pollution, including the use of artificial rain to clear the air.
The group, which recently declared itself the North Korean government-in-exile, has made headlines with daredevil guerrilla tactics that mark a drastic break with the staid activities of other defector groups, who content themselves with floating propaganda leaflets across the border or helping other defectors escape across China.

Free Joseon also confirmed that it shared information stolen from the embassy with the FBI.

A shadowy dissident group calling itself Free Joseon on Tuesday claimed responsibility for a raid on the North Korean Embassy in Spain last month.

In 2017 Free Joseon, then calling itself Cheollima Civil Defense, said it was protecting Kim Han-sol, the son of Kim Jong-un's half-brother Kim Jong-nam, who was assassinated by North Korean agents in Kuala Lumpur.

Spanish authorities said the Feb. 22 raid began when a member identified as Adrian Hong Chang walked into the embassy and asked to see the commercial attache, and other members burst in after him. They held embassy staff hostage for several hours before fleeing with computers, mobile phones and a stash of documents.

Park Sang-hak of defector group Fighters for Free North Korea in Seoul said Wednesday he has been in touch with Chang and was told that Kim Han-sol and other members of the North's ruling Kim dynasty who defected overseas have joined Free Joseon.

He said Kim Han-sol lives in the U.S. in the same neighborhood as Kim Jong-un's aunt Ko Yong-suk.

Free Joseon said in a statement on its website on Tuesday, "this was not an attack. We responded to an urgent situation in the Madrid embassy."

"Embassies around the world run by the current Pyongyang regime are not like the traditional diplomatic, commercial, and cultural outposts of legitimate governments that serve their nation's interests and respect international norms," it added. "The regime's embassies and offices are hubs of illicit narcotics and arms trafficking, mediums for the furtherance of propaganda of a totalitarian regime that systematically commit crimes against humanity against its own (and others) without current parallel."

"There were no other governments involved with or aware of our activity until after the event. The Hanoi summit [between Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump later that week] had no relation to this operation," it said.

"The organization shared certain information of enormous potential value with the FBI in the United States, under mutually agreed terms of confidentiality. The information was shared voluntarily and on their request, not our own. Those terms appear to have been broken. That information was leaked to the media was a profound betrayal of trust," it added.

U.S. State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said his government "had nothing to do with" the incident.

Prof. Nam Joo-hong at Kyonggi University said, "Free Joseon is completely different from other anti-North Korean groups. The North Korean regime has not commented on the latest incident because it feels threatened by Free Joseon's activities."

And a senior North Korean defector commented, "It is important that Free Joseon is protecting Kim Han-sol. If sanctions continue and the North Korean regime's power is weakened and public unrest mounts, members of the North Korean elite and ordinary people could end up viewing Free Joseon as a real alternative."


The U.S. government is demanding that the Korean government shoulder tens of millions of dollars to maintain an American underground bunker in Seongnam south of Seoul.

The U.S. Department of Defense recently tapped into its budget for the classified Theater Air Naval Ground Operations or TANGO bunker in Seongnam to finance President Donald Trump's wall along the border with Mexico.

The Defense Ministry here said there is "no relation" between Trump's wall and the demand for money.

"The U.S. and Korea reached a preliminary agreement during... talks many years ago to shift TANGO to a jointly managed facility," a government source here said Wednesday. The South Korean government had been discussing with the U.S. what to do with the doomsday bunker, which fell into disuse when the U.S. Forces Korea's headquarters was relocated to Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province.

"The U.S. tried to hand over the operation of the bunker to Korea as it moved to Pyeongtaek, but the Korean military refused because of the high maintenance costs and overlapping function with other bases," a military source here said. "Instead the U.S. proposed joint operation of TANGO, and related talks are under way."

The ministry said no specific agreements have been made in recent years, but military insiders here believe the latest demand is simply an attempt at fundraising for Trump's wall, which has been denied federal funding by the Democrat-dominated House of Representatives.


David Tran/iStock(WASHINGTON) -- The federal government charged Facebook Thursday with allowing its massive trove of personal demographic data to enable housing discrimination, an allegation the company fiercely denied.



The allegations set up a lengthy legal battle between the Trump administration and one of the world's largest social media companies. At issue is whether the company's sophisticated algorithms and artificial intelligence capability still allows landlords to reach certain demographics and not others with rental advertisements.



"Facebook is discriminating against people based upon who they are and where they live. Using a computer to limit a persons housing choices can be just as discriminatory as slamming a door in someones face," tweeted Ben Carson, head of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, known as HUD.



Facebook said it was surprised by the charges, particularly after last week's announcement of a court settlement on the same issue. The company had already agreed to shield race-based data to landlords and creditors looking to advertise, and said it would go a step further by shielding zip code, gender and age.



"We're disappointed by todays developments, but well continue working with civil rights experts on these issues," said a company spokesman.



The action by HUD suggests the court settlement wasn't enough. The agency on Thursday accused Facebook of violating the Fair Housing Act by "encouraging, enabling and causing housing discrimination" with its advertising platform. Officials said Facebook specifically allowed discrimination based on "race, color, national origin, religion, familial status, sex and disability by restricting who can view housing-related ads on Facebook's platforms and across the internet."



The Fair Housing Act of 1968  also known as The Civil Rights Act of 1968  states that its illegal "to make, print, or publish, or cause to be made, printed, or published any notice, statement, or advertisement, with respect to the sale or rental of a dwelling that indicates any preference, limitation, or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin."



In 2016, ProPublica found that Facebook allowed advertisers to exclude anyone with an "affinity" for African-American, Asian-American or Hispanic content. The company has said it removed that option for landlords, employers and creditors about a year ago.



Last week, Facebook and fair housing advocates announced it had reached a legal settlement on accusations that Facebook enabled discrimination. As part of the deal, Facebook agreed to block landlords and creditors from using certain demographic data including a persons zip code, gender and age, when buying online advertisements.



According to Facebook, the federal government wanted access to the "sensitive information" it keeps on its members "without adequate safeguards" and Facebook refused. HUD's top lawyer said that wasn't good enough.



"Just because a process to deliver advertising is opaque and complex doesn't mean that it exempts Facebook and others from our scrutiny and the law of the land," said HUD General Counsel Paul Compton.



Facebook said in a blog post last week by Sheryl Sandberg, the company's chief operating officer, that it already prohibited certain categories from being used in advertising such as race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and religion.



"Our policies already prohibit advertisers from using our tools to discriminate," Sandberg wrote. "Weve removed thousands of categories from targeting related to protected classes such as race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and religion. But we can do better."



Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
The author of popular webtoon "The Secret of Angel" on Korea's largest portal Naver became one of the most searched keyword after her picture was released in celebration the series' first anniversary on Tuesday.

Naver published an interview with Lim Ju-kyung, who uses the pen name Yaongyi (kitten). Her pretty looks surprised many readers, and reactions included a fan gushing, "An angel is drawing an angel."

The romantic webtoon is about a girl transforming herself with the help of makeup and has been updated every Tuesday since April last year. It is often one of the most-watched webtoons on Tuesdays.


Like a Roman emperor, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un brought personal food tasters with him to his summit in Hanoi with U.S. President Donald Trump for fear of being poisoned.

As the two leaders dined on caviar and foie gras in the Vietnamese capital last month, every dish was first tasted by the North Korean staff for their supreme leader.

Paul Smart, the head chef at the Sofitel Legend Metropole in Hanoi where the two leaders met, told the China Newsweek last week that both leaders brought their own kitchen staff with them, and the North Koreans supplied their own ingredients including wagyu beef, foie gras and kimchi.


As a young person who identifies as nonbinary, meaning I do not identify within the gender binary, accessing pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) was a challenging quest. PrEP is a once-daily pill regimen that supports people in remaining HIV negative. Although I have been an organizer and advocate in support of LGBTQ youth for over five years in Philadelphia, I have only been aware of PrEP for about two years. PrEP is extremely effective at preventing HIV transmission. So why was no one talking about it to young people?

In 2016, 21% of people newly diagnosed with HIV were age 24 or younger (about 40% of HIV diagnoses are in people under 30), and yet people under 25 were only 15% of all people on PrEP. There have only been approximately 27,000 prescriptions issued to this group since 2012. A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on how PrEP is prescribed found that black and Hispanic/Latinx people are most likely to benefit from PrEP, but least likely to be prescribed it.

Truvada (FTC/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) for PrEP was first approved as an HIV prevention method in 2012, but only for individuals age 18 and older. In 2018, the Food and Drug Administration expanded the approval of PrEP to include adolescents. But there are still too many logistical, economic, and cultural barriers to young people receiving this vital medication.

One key barrier and area of missed opportunity is the doctor's office. Unfortunately, like many LGBTQ people, until recently I never felt like my doctor's office was a safe place to openly talk about my sexual health and experiences. I often felt like I was being slut-shamed or othered for my identity and the partners I had. I answered the standard questions about sexual behavior, but these didn't create an opportunity to ask about PrEP. No one offered it to me, and I wasn't sure if it was my job to ask for it. I'd go to my appointments and end up leaving without a PrEP prescription because I was afraid to ask my doctor about it.

Then there's the price tag. Without insurance, PrEP can cost up to $2,000 per month. A young person on their parents' insurance pays far less but faces the risk of their parents finding out they're on PrEP if their explanation of benefits goes to their parents. Title X clinics, like Planned Parenthood, provide cost-effective and confidential options, but the Trump Administration is intent on shutting them down, without regard for the vital services they provide young people.

There's also a huge gap in comprehensive sex education. Today, fewer than half of all states mandate medically accurate sex and HIV education. In Pennsylvania, schools are required only to provide education on HIV and AIDS, with a focus on abstinence. The Philadelphia School District (where I live) provides teachers with additional information on contraception and dating violence but fails to require any specific curriculum. Unfortunately, what students learn can vary greatly depending on the teacher. It's unforgivable that most students get through school without learning that there is a medication that can help them remain HIV negative.

This LGBT Health Awareness Week, March 25-29, I'm asking everyone to take the steps they can to ensure young people have access to PrEP. In hospital and clinic settings, sexually transmitted infection screenings have to go beyond the standard of offering condoms, lubrication, and dental dams after a person is tested. Information about PrEP and post-exposure prophylaxis should be publicly promoted in health care environments and spaces that LGBTQ youth, people that identify as nonbinary, and black cis and transgender women occupy. Sex education needs to be honest and comprehensive, and it needs to address real solutions and skills. And young people ourselves need to take the initiative and ask our health care providers about PrEP.

It was only after I met an affirming nurse at Planned Parenthood, who happened to be queer, that I became comfortable discussing my sexual health and HIV prevention needs, including PrEP. When young people are educated about PrEP, when staff and physicians are knowledgeable about LGBTQ-competent services and provide equitable and affordable care, we are empowered to take our sexual health into our own hands. Help us protect our futures and lay the groundwork for a lifetime of sexual health.

Tyunique Nelson is a member of Advocates for Youth's YouthResource Leadership Program and a program associate at the Mazzoni Center in Philadelphia.
HIV diagnoses among Hispanic/Latino gay and bisexual men increased 13% overall. Trends for HIV diagnoses among Hispanic/Latino gay and bisexual men varied by age.

Hispanic/Latino a gay and bisexual men b are heavily affected by HIV. In 2016, Hispanic/Latino gay and bisexual men accounted for 19% (7,689) of the 40,324 new HIV diagnoses c in the United States and 6 dependent areas. d HIV diagnoses have increased in recent years among Hispanic/Latino gay and bisexual men.

Subpopulations representing 2% or less of HIV diagnoses among gay and bisexual men are not reflected in this chart. Source: Diagnoses of HIV infection in the United States and dependent areas, 2016 . HIV Surveillance Report 2017;28

Living With HIV

In the 50 states and the District of Columbia:

At the end of 2015, an estimated 632,300 gay and bisexual men had HIV (56% of everyone with HIV). f Hispanic/Latino gay and bisexual men accounted for 24% of all gay and bisexual men with HIV.

Hispanic/Latino gay and bisexual men accounted for 24% of all gay and bisexual men with HIV. In 2015, an estimated 80% of Hispanic/Latino gay and bisexual men with HIV knew they had the virus.

In 37 states and the District of Columbia:g

Among all Hispanic/Latino gay and bisexual men who received an HIV diagnosis in 2015, 75% were linked to HIV medical care within 1 month.

Among all Hispanic/Latino gay and bisexual men who received an HIV diagnosis in 2013 or earlier, 71% received HIV medical care in 2014, 58% received continuous HIV care, and 61% had a suppressed viral load.h A person with HIV who takes HIV medicine as prescribed and gets and stays virally suppressed or undetectable can stay healthy and has effectively no risk of sexually transmitting HIV to HIV-negative partners.

Deaths

In 2015, there were 1,120 deaths among Hispanic/Latino gay and bisexual men with diagnosed HIV in the United States and 6 dependent areas. These deaths may be due to any cause.

Prevention Challenges

Stigma, homophobia, and discrimination put gay and bisexual men of all races/ethnicities at risk for multiple physical and mental health problems and may affect whether they seek and are able to receive high-quality health services, including HIV testing, treatment, and other prevention services. In addition to stigma, other risk factors may affect all gay and bisexual men:

Most gay and bisexual men get HIV from having anal sex without using condoms or taking medicines to prevent or treat HIV. Anal sex is the riskiest type of sex for getting or transmitting HIV. Receptive anal sex is 13 times as risky for getting HIV as insertive anal sex. But a person with HIV who takes HIV medicine (antiretroviral therapy or ART) as prescribed and gets and stays virally suppressed or undetectable can stay healthy and has effectively no risk of sexually transmitting HIV to HIV-negative partners. An HIV-negative person at high risk for getting HIV can take pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), which is daily medicine that can lower their chances of getting infected. PrEP is highly effective for preventing HIV if taken every day as prescribed.

Gay and bisexual men are also at increased risk for other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), like syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia. Having another STD can significantly increase a persons chance of getting or transmitting HIV. Condoms can protect from some STDs, including HIV.

Some other factors that may increase HIV risk among Hispanic/Latino gay and bisexual men include:

An estimated 80% of Hispanic/Latino gay and bisexual men with HIV have received a diagnosis. People who do not know they have HIV cannot get the treatment they need and may transmit HIV to others without knowing it.

Hispanic/Latino gay and bisexual men are more likely to report that their last sex partner was older, compared to white or African American gay and bisexual men. Having older partners may increase the likelihood of being exposed to HIV.

Overall, a very small number of Hispanic/Latino gay and bisexual men reported using PrEP, and a much lower number than white gay and bisexual men.

Poverty, migration patterns, lower educational level, and language barriers may make it harder for some Hispanic/Latino gay and bisexual men to get HIV testing and care.

The immigration status of some Hispanic/Latino gay and bisexual men may make them less likely to use HIV prevention services, get an HIV test, or get treatment if they have HIV because of lack of access.

What CDC Is Doing

CDC funds state and local health departments and community-based organizations (CBOs) to deliver effective HIV prevention services for Hispanic/Latino gay and bisexual men. For example:

Under the current funding opportunity, CDC will award around $400 million per year to health departments for surveillance and prevention efforts. This funding opportunity will direct resources to the populations and geographic areas of greatest need, while supporting core HIV surveillance and prevention efforts across the United States.

CDC is funding molecular HIV surveillance to identify active HIV transmission networks and implement HIV interventions for Hispanic/Latino gay and bisexual men. Activities include identifying molecular clusters, assessing transmission and risk networks, HIV testing, and linking/re-engaging HIV-positive persons in care.

In 2017, CDC awarded nearly $11 million per year for 5 years to 30 CBOs to provide HIV testing to young gay and bisexual men of color and transgender youth of color, with the goals of identifying undiagnosed HIV infections and linking those who have HIV to care and prevention services.

In 2015, CDC added three funding opportunities to help health departments reduce HIV infections and improve HIV medical care among gay and bisexual men. Targeted Highly-Effective Interventions to Reverse the HIV Epidemic (THRIVE) supports state and local health department demonstration projects to develop community collaborations that provide comprehensive HIV prevention and care services for gay and bisexual men of color. Training and Technical Assistance for THRIVE strengthens the capacity of funded health departments and their collaborative partners to plan, implement, and sustain (through ongoing engagement, assessment, linkage, and retention) comprehensive prevention, care, behavioral health, and social services models for gay and bisexual men of color at risk for and living with HIV infection. Project PrIDE (PrEP, Implementation, Data2Care, and Evaluation) supports 12 health departments in implementing PrEP and Data to Care demonstration projects for gay and bisexual men of color.



To learn more about health issues affecting gay and bisexual men, visit the CDC Gay and Bisexual Mens Health site.

a Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.

b The term male-to-male sexual contact is used in CDC surveillance systems. It indicates a behavior that transmits HIV infection, not how individuals self-identify in terms of their sexuality. This fact sheet uses the term gay and bisexual men.

c The numbers reported in this fact sheet include infections attributed to male-to-male sexual contact only, not those attributed to male-to-male sexual contact and injection drug use (men who reported both risk factors).

d American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, the Republic of Palau, and the US Virgin Islands.

e HIV diagnoses refers to the number of people who received a diagnosis of HIV during a given time period, not when the people were infected.

f Includes diagnosed and undiagnosed HIV infections.

g These jurisdictions are included because they had complete reporting of CD4 and viral load results to CDC.

h People are considered retained in care if they get two viral load or CD4 tests at least 3 months apart in a year. (CD4 cells are the cells in the bodys immune system that are destroyed by HIV.) Viral suppression is based on the most recent viral load test.

Bibliography

Other Resources

Web Sites

General Resources

[Note from TheBody: This article was originally published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on March 19, 2019.]
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First foreign-funded pension insurance company established

From:ChinaDaily | 2019-03-27 20:07

China's banking and insurance regulator announced on Wednesday it had approved the establishment of the first foreign-funded pension insurance company in the country.

Taking new steps to further open up China's financial sectors, the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission recently gave the green light to the application of Heng An Standard Life Insurance Company Limited, a China-UK joint-venture insurance company headquartered in Tianjin, for setting up a wholly-owned pension insurance company.

The regulator also approved the global property and casualty insurer Chubb to increase its stake in Huatai Insurance Group from 20 percent to 26 percent. It also approved the Hong Kong-headquartered life insurer AIA to begin preparations for the establishment of sales and service centers in Tianjin and Shijiazhuang, North China's Hebei province. This is in accordance with the pilot program on promoting insurance integration under a plan for the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

Since the beginning of this year, the commission has allowed several foreign banks and insurers to start preparations for the establishment of branches and branch companies in China, in addition to giving approval to foreign banks and insurers for a total increase of 10.87 billion yuan ($1.62 billion) in registered capital or working capital.

The regulator said it will continuously push ahead with the opening-up of China's banking and insurance sectors and keep improving the business environment, so that a larger number of foreign banks and insurers that meet regulatory requirements will be allowed to participate in the Chinese financial market.
SUMMONS STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF RICHLAND IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS Case No.: 2021-CP-40-04853 Crystal Goodwin and Tyrone Goodwin, Plaintiff, vs. Jatorri Jefferson, Defendant. TO: THE DEFENDANT ...

All persons having claims against the following estates are required to deliver or mail their claims to the indicated Personal Representatives, appointed to administer these estates, and to file their...
It had been a few months since her uncle (her mothers brother) harassed her. However, this teenage girl, studying at a secondary school in Lalitpur, could not report this issue to anyone. She thought no one would support her.

When her school organised a self-defence training in 2018, she learned why it was important to keep herself safe from abuses and how she could ensure her safety. More precisely, she learned that she must share such incidents with her parents.

A few days after the training, she shared it with her parents. The parents, in turn, met the uncle and warned him not to harass their daughter. The girl feels safe now.

Until a few years ago, such stories would feature on nonprofit NGOs progress reports only. But, this is what an international experts team found while studying the impacts of work carried out by a private company.

Fightback, a self-defence training enterprise, is one of the handful of companies that have started working in Nepal, where cases such as the Nirmala Pant murder case are reported in the media almost every month

Their aim is to work towards establishing self-defence as a part of mindset and culture, especially among girls, and to make a business out of it.

The significant shift

Vikrant Raj Pandey launched Fightback as a social enterprise around 10 years ago. His teams primary target was to establish self-defence as a skill that people can learn and utilise to earn a living.

We realised that our education system incorporated many of the skills people could learn and earn through, but safety was missing, he shares, On the other hand, all activities that aimed at women empowerment had a judicial approachthey would empower women to fight for justice after suffering violence. There were nominal efforts, if any, that focused on preventing violence.

Though Fightback was established around a decade ago, it came to the limelight after a few international media covered a self-defence training programme it organised for blind women in 2013. After the mysterious Nirmala Pant rape and murder case last year, the company received more attention.

Perhaps that is why Pandey hopes that Fightback will emerge as a self-sustaining business soon. His two companies have been supporting each other until today. You dont need to look for external funding; the resources are there within you, Pandey says, But, the consumers have to understand the value of our services.

Pandeys confidence is subtly reflected on the growth experienced by Niraj Neupane, who first led Girls Kick as a loose network of martial artists in 2015 and converted it into a nonprofit company two years later.

I worked for some NGOs in the past, but I would like to introduce myself as an emerging entrepreneur.

Like Pandey, Neupane also does not entirely rely on Girls Kick for his living. He owns another company named SDGs Studio which produces and sells media content related to the Sustainable Development Goals. But, he is also hopeful that the market will expand gradually.

The funding model

Fightback and Girls Kick operate under similar business models. Things common between them: they are supported by national and international NGOs. The NGOs hire them as consultants to train women and girls that they work with.

Fightback, for example, has worked with DFID on different projects. Women Forum for Women in Nepal has also been its longtime partner. Likewise, Girls Kick has been working with Search for Common Ground and Mercy Corps.

With the historic empowerment of local governments after the promulgation of 2015 constitution, a big chunk of the government budget has been transferred to the local level. Therefore, these companies have also concentrated their focus on the grassroots.

Girls Kick has launched women empowerment training programmes for women of Budhanilakantha, Tokha and Nagarjun municipalities of Kathmandu. Likewise, it is also working with Tulsipur Sub-Metropolitan City of Dang district for a project.

Pandey shares that many municipalities and rural municipalities of different districts have expressed their readiness to spend their money on self-defence training programmes. They are ready to bear up to 50 per cent cost for such events, he informs.

In addition, Fightback has reached out to diverse groups like public transport workers; and professional organisations of the concerned sectors are partnering with Fightback. Recently, we conducted a session for drivers and conductors of Sajha Bus, the entrepreneur informs, Now, Sajha Bus is helping us expand this campaign to workers of other companies as well.

Neupane says he has also identified some more vulnerable groups and his team is researching how to approach them more effectively.

Balancing business and social work

The discipline of self-defence is shifting its location from NGOs to enterprises; but it still holds a tricky problem. While every individual has the right to defend themselves against abuses and attacks, every responsible business also has duties towards protecting people. But, the businesses also have to make moneythey have to sustain and earn profits.

In the conflict between business and service, where do these entrepreneurs selling the idea of safety keep themselves?

Fightbacks Pandey says his company charges people who can pay but provides free training to people who cannot. For example, private school students can afford to pay a few thousand rupees to attend our session. We utilise the proceeds to fund training for community school kids.

While Neupane is clear that his companys target is not to survive on peoples risks and insecurities, his model is also quite similar to Pandeys. His team members have reached almost all government schools of Kathmandu Valley to train girls free; but they have also developed a three-day training module for people who are ready to pay.

At the corporate level, Fightback provides self-defence training under a barter deal. For example, if a bank wants to get its staffers trained by the company, the bank can provide some nonmonetary benefits to the company to get the service free of cost, according to Pandey.

Sometimes my friends mock methey say increasing security threats is another business opportunity for me, an argumentative Neupane positions himself in the conflict, No. More infections give more jobs to the doctors, but sincere doctors do not wish for more infections. Their target is to get rid of the diseases.

But, medical science is an ever-growing business almost everywhere in the world. Therefore, Neupanes analogy is suggestive of an immeasurable potential of the self-defence business in Nepal.

Image courtesy: Fightback and Girls Kick
Home  Just In  Nepal govt forms panel to pick new officials for transitional justice bodies

Kathmandu, March 28

The government of Nepal has formed a panel to pick new officials for two transitional justice mechanisms: Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons.

The twin bodies extended deadline was over in February. However, the government had extended their term by one year by amending the act. Their incumbent officials are due to retire in April.

A recent meeting of the Council of Ministers formed the five member panel under the leadership of former chief justice Om Prakash Mishra.

Other members of the panel include senior advocate Ram Nath Mainali, Prem Bahadur Khadka and Sharmila Karki. The National Human Rights Commission Chairman or any member appointed by him will work as the fifth member.
Mar 28 2019 10:25 am

New Jersey will be the first state in the nation to sell annual state parks passes through a public lands pass website, giving visitors the opportunity to save gas, time and money by avoiding daily walk-in costs and parking fees, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Catherine R. McCabe announced today.

The online purchase program through YourPassNow takes effect on Monday, April 1 and stems from an existing partnership between the DEPs Division of Parks and Forestry and the New Jersey Division of NICUSA Inc. YourPassNow is a digital marketplace that makes it easy and convenient for visitors to purchase online electronic passes, permits and tickets to public lands.

This partnership benefits the public in a variety of ways and is another example of New Jerseys environmental leadership on a national level, Commissioner McCabe said. Instead of driving to a park office to buy an annual pass or mailing an application, visitors can order an annual state parks decal online at their convenience and affix it to their vehicles windshield. Using this method will allow visitors to save transportation time and costs and help reduce fuel emissions.

YourPassNow.com offers online purchase of passes to approximately 22 federal and state sites, most of which are in the western half of the United States. With New Jerseys entry into the program, residents and non-residents have the option to buy a decal to affix to their vehicles windshield that will provide entrance for one calendar year to state parks, forests and historic sites. Fees vary, and a $3 per-pass surcharge will apply to every purchase.

The Division of Parks and Forestry is excited to offer a new and convenient way to purchase a New Jersey State Park Pass through YourPassNow, said Olivia Glenn, Parks and Forestry Director. We hope to attract more state park pass holders who enjoy our forests, beaches, historic sites and the 1,000 miles of trails in the state park system.

Visitors can order one or more passes, including discounted household passes, for other members of their household, or as gifts for family and friends.

The State Park Service includes 47 state parks, forests, recreation areas, battlefields and marinas. Camping is available at 19 sites ranging from Brendan T. Byrne State Forest in the Pinelands to Stokes State Forest near the Delaware Water Gap to Parvin State Park in Salem County. Visit www.camping.nj.gov to reserve a camping site.

The New Jersey Division of NICUSA, Inc. is the official digital government partner of New Jersey, assisting governmental entities with web-enabling their information services.

NICUSA, Inc. has partnered with the DEP on other information services projects, including development of the award-winning campground reservation system NJ Outdoors at camping.nj.gov and WARN NJDEP, a smart device app that allows the public to report non-emergency environmental incidents. WARN NJDEP is available in the Google Play store and the Apple App Store.
Police make an arrest in the fatal stabbing of a resident at an East 9th Street shelter. [Patch]

Local activists push back against the mayors latest plans for a huge new jail in Chinatown. [Tribeca Trib]

The NYPD comes out against the City Councils proposals to crack don on placard parking abuse. [Politico New York]

Three young lawmakers, including local Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou, blast the governor for his $25,000 a plate fundraiser. The governor lashes out. [New York Post]

Big banks continue to scale back. Capitol One exits the East Village. [EV Grieve]

What has every trendy development project just got to have? A food hall, of course! The Essex Crossing project on the Lower East Side is one example of the trend. [Shopping Center Business]

Fine dining vet Samuel Yoo opens Golden Diner at 123 Madison St. He explains, The whole point is to be affordable and approachable, try to have the whole neighborhood, as well as people who want to, eat solid food made well at not too crazy of a price point and no pretense. [Eater]
Image Credit: Pixabay

Glastonbury, Boomtown, Bestival, Latitude, Download, Greenman, Reading, Leeds - the list of British festivals goes on and on, each bringing their own roster of big-name artists from all over the world. Like bees to musical honey, hundreds and thousands of music lovers swarm to these events with overseas music tourists spending on average 657 each while in the UK.

This is all well and good, but if the musicians and performers themselves are faced with substantially increased visa and touring costs, will there even be any shows for these fans to see?

In order to work in the UK, one route is to

apply for a Tier 2 Visa

. The downside of this is that artists and their crews must earn a minimum of 30,000 to be eligible. Whilst this is unlikely to be an issue for major Euro-stars, smaller name artists, as well as the host of technicians, producers and security and tour staff members that accompany them, may struggle. This application requires a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from a licensed employer and an application must be made within 3 months of the visit to the UK. A faster turnaround is available, but for a hefty surcharge.

On top of the complicated and expensive visa process, the lugging of vital tour equipment between countries is also something that will be made more difficult. Tour managers must pay for expensive legal documents known as tour carnets, that detail all the equipment that a company is bringing into the UK. These documents cost up to 500 for a solo artist, and 2,000 for a touring band. The time taken to process this mountain of paperwork at border control will likely add significant length to a tour, adding yet more expenses and ultimately dissuading overseas artists from visiting the UK for good.

So, we might not get Rammstein or Enrique Iglesias on the bill - so what? Weve got Stormzy and Florence. This is all true, but the implementation of restrictive work visas means that a large portion of EU citizens working in the hospitality sector are also set to run into difficulty. As Tier 2 Work Visas will not cover the casual nature of festival work, some of Britains world-leading festivals stand to take a substantial operational hit. Many rely on contracting stewards, bar and security workers, and litter pickers from overseas to ensure they run smoothly.

As the Home Office rhetoric continues to remind us, this could potentially provide more job opportunities for hard-working Brits. However, this sort of casual work is inconsistent and therefore unlikely to appeal to a large number of workers seeking job security. Positions such as bar and security staff require role-specific skills that take time and money to train, stretching festivals' overall administrative overall costs still further. Whilst these issues are unlikely to get Glastonbury axed, smaller, regional festivals will struggle to plug the gaps left by EU workers.

In a bid to prevent a cliff edge loss of talent across the UK, the immigration plan promises to roll out a 12-month Temporary Work Visa, ideal for short-term or seasonal staff. Yet a major oversight to this visa is that the scheme will only run until 2025. Not only are applicants only eligible to stay and work in the UK for 12 months, afterwards they must leave the country for a cooling off period of a year during which they cannot return. While in the UK, they cannot bring any family members, switch visa routes, find new employment or seek any permanent settlement. Essentially this work experience will never contribute or amount to anything secure. Considering the Government is keen on reducing reliance on migrant labour, this route is arguably as exploitative as they come.

As well as the hit taken by the current music industry, future expansion is just as bleak. Self-employed music and performing arts industry workers (70% of which are EU migrants) will not qualify for the Tier 2 Visa and so will be unable to come to the UK to explore new projects. If left unresolved, this could cause a serious collaborative talent gap to emerge over in the music industry in years to come.

Subject to the restrictions brought about by the post-Brexit immigration vision, the UK - once a bastion of musical innovation - risks becoming side-lined by European artists (both major and up-and-coming) who prefer to skip the hassle and expense of visiting the UK to perform. With so much white noise coming out of Westminster currently, can we really blame them?

This article has been written by Mike Bedigan; a specialist content writer and correspondent for the Immigration Advice Service  an organisation of leading UK

immigration solicitors

.

Regardless of whether the UK crashes out of the EU without a deal, the post-Brexit skills-based immigration plan that is scheduled (for the time being at least) to come into effect by 2021 will damage the music industry financially, operationally and reputationally. In 2017, Britains music industry contributed a whopping 4.5 billion to the UK economy, with live concerts and festivals producing 1 billion alone . The visa application process outlined in the governments Immigration White Paper, released in December 2018, will make it much more difficult for European artists to visit and tour in the UK.
Theresa May has announced her resignation from office before the next phase of Brexit negotiations.

Eight amendments were put to vote including revoking Article 50 and a "no deal" Brexit.

The indicative votes will not be legally binding on the government. But if MPs do get behind a single plan, the Prime Minister will have to decide what to do next.

However, all eight of the Brexit options were rejected.

In a statement, Theresa May said:

This has been a testing time for our country and our party. Were nearly there. Were almost ready to start a new chapter and build that brighter future. And I have heard very clearly the mood of the parliamentary party.

"I know there is a desire for a new approach  and new leadership  in the second phase of the Brexit negotiations  and I wont stand in the way of that.

I am prepared to leave this job earlier than I intended in order to do what is right for our country and our party. I ask everyone in this room to back the deal so we can complete our historic duty  to deliver on the decision of the British people and leave the European Union with a smooth and orderly exit.

Conservative MP David Mundell called May 'driven' by her duty of public service ahead of the announcement:

PM is driven by a sense of duty and public service. Her decision today reflects again her putting the national interest ahead of personal interest. She remains determined to secure our departure from the EU on an orderly basis and will have my full support in doing so.  David Mundell (@DavidMundellDCT) March 27, 2019

Theresa Mays pledge to Tory MPs to stand down if they vote for her deal shows once and for all that her chaotic Brexit negotiations have been about party management, not principles or the public interest.



A change of government can't be a Tory stitch-up, the people must decide.  Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) March 27, 2019

Jeremy Corbyn, on the other hand, accused the Prime Minister of prioritising party managemenr over public interest.

When and if May resigns as Prime Minister will depend on the outcome of further negotiations.

Speaking to The Guardian, Jacob Rees-Mogg said the time-scale for May's resignation was 'very clear.'

"I think it was very clear. She basically said that when the withdrawal agreement was approved  and I assume that was by the 22 May deadline. But if the deal did not pass, she would have every right to carry on."

More to follow.

Image Credit / Theresa May: Annika Haas [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)]
While both options have their advantages, a recent study by TravelSupermarket found that it may be cheaper to take a two-week holiday to Thailand rather than to Palma Mallorca despite the 9577km distance between the two destinations. Hence, it would seem unwise to many people not to opt for the cheaper and more exotic holiday.

Image credit: Tim Gouw on Unsplash

However, the changing patterns in the way that we travel have unintentional consequences. As far-flung travel becomes the new norm, could the beaches of Southeast Asia begin to resemble the Costa del Sol? And how do you choose between short-distance and long-distance travel?The appeal of unknown or hard-to-pronounce destinations nestled in a faraway country with palm-fringed beaches is undeniable. Despite initially appearing cheaper, long-haul travel can turn out to be more expensive than short-haul travel when you consider that it may be necessary to purchase a more expensive travel insurance policy, visas or costly vaccinations Many destinations such as the UAE have very different cultures and customs which may impact how you want to spend your holiday. Furthermore,and legal infrastructures are not always to the same standard as in Europe. If you are conscious of the environmental and social impact of your travel habits, you should also be aware that long-haul flights are more detrimental to the planet by contributing massively to carbon emissions. Alongside this, emerging tourist destinations often come hand-in-hand with exploitation in developing countries.The close proximity of European countries to the United Kingdom makes them ideal for last-minute holidays or short breaks free from the headache of the planning that long-distance travel requires. All you need is your passport and you are ready to go! In a matter of hours, you could be eating Pizza in Napoli, swimming in Greece's Aegean Sea or drinking beer in Munich.

Image credit: Tom Grimbert on Unsplash
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MBABANE  The woman who was convicted of raping a 16-year-old boy is perplexed as to why she was sent to prison when the teenager allegedly confirmed to have proposed love to her.

Sandzisiwe Magagula (24) of Nhlalakahle under Chief Velamuva mentioned this in her application for bail pending appeal. The prosecution is opposed to the application and it will file its responding papers in due course. She is appealing the sentence of eight years without a fine option which was issued by Nhlangano Principal Magistrate Florence Msibi.

Magagula, who is represented by Raymond Mwelase, submitted that during her trial, the complainant told the court about their relationship and further confirmed that he was the one who proposed love to myself.

She said despite the complainants evidence, the principal magistrate found her guilty. Magagula stated that when she was arrested and convicted, she was taking care of her minor child. She said she did not know who was taking care of her child now that she is in prison. Magagula was charged with contravening Section 3(1) of Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence (SODV) Act 2018. Section 3 (1) stipulates that: a person who rapes another commits an offence and, for purposes of this Act, the offence of rape is committed either by a male or female person against another person.

In her notice of appeal, Magagula argued that the principal magistrate erred in law and in fact in imposing a penalty of eight years imprisonment without an option of a fine when the reality on the ground was that many people in the country especially the female population were unaware of the legislation which was used to convict her. She wants the High Court to set aside the sentence that was imposed by the magistrate. She further contended that the magistrate erred in holding that she was guilty on the charge of rape while the complainant informed the court that he was old enough to consent to sexual activity.
MATSAPHA  Two male lecturers have been suspended at the University of Eswatini (UNESWA), Kwaluseni Campus, for allegedly assaulting female students, physically and sexually.

The suspended lecturers are from the Faculty of Science and Engineering and are both known to this publication but their identities will be concealed pending the conclusion of the investigations. Professor Justice Thwala, the Vice Chancellor of UNESWA, said the institution had suspended the two male lecturers following allegations implicating the duo in the assault of students. Thwala said last week Wednesday and Thursday, his office received allegations that two male members of the academic personnel had assaulted students, physically and sexually.

The accusations against the two lecturers were filed with the office of the Dean of Student Affairs (DSA)  who then communicated them to the office of the vice chancellor. The first report comprised of allegations insinuating that a lecturer physically assaulted a pregnant female student while the subsequent information received was that of another lecturer, who allegedly raped a student. Professor Thwala said the reports from the DSA were detailed as the students, their guardians and the police were involved. Both matters are still being investigated by the police.

Submission

Following the submission of the claims of abuse by the students to the office of the DSA, the vice chancellor said the administration of the institution held a meeting with its Senate. As an institution, Thwala said they condemned any form of abuse as their aim was to give students a new experience, so that they enjoyed learning through engagement. He said the administration of the institution had a vision of being a university of choice in the region. It is regrettable when we receive reports that our staff are abusing students; we condemn it with full sincerity, the vice chancellor said. Thwala said the lecturers were suspended with full pay pending the completion of the investigations by law enforcers.
By Azernews





By Leman Mammadova

Turkey imported more than 808 million cubic meters of natural gas from Azerbaijan in January 2019.

According to Turkeys Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA) report, Turkey's gas imports from Azerbaijan increased by more than 214 million cubic meters (36 percent) compared to the same month of the previous year.

In January, Turkeys natural gas imports decreased by 6.54 percent to 5.810 billion cubic meters. The volume of natural gas supplies through pipelines amounted to 3.470 billion cubic meters, LNG - 2.340 billion cubic meters.

During the reporting period, Azerbaijani gas accounted for 13.91 percent of total imports of Turkey. Azerbaijan was the third largest gas supplier to Turkey, being only behind Russia (1.83 billion cubic meters) and Iran (824 million cubic meters).

The remaining volumes are accounted for Algeria, Nigeria, U.S., Qatar, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea.

Turkey imports natural gas from Azerbaijan via the South Caucasus Pipeline (Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum) and Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP). The South Caucasus Pipeline commissioned at the end of 2006 is currently supplying Shahdeniz gas to Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey.

Azerbaijani gas exports to Turkey reached 7.5 billion cubic meters last year.

TANAP, along with TAP, is a part of Southern Gas Corridor project that envisages transportation of gas from Azerbaijani Shah Deniz-2 gas field to European markets. TANAP gas pipeline was put into operation on June 12 2018 in Eskisehir, Turkey. The first gas transportation to Turkey started on 30 June. So far, TANAP has transported about 800 million cubic meters of Shah Deniz gas to Turkey. TANAP will transport 2 billion cubic meters in 2019 to Turkey, 4 billion cubic meters in 2020, and 6 billion cubic meters of natural gas will be transported in 2021.

Since Turkey's energy security is dependent on foreign energy resources, Turkey has been continuously exploring new hydrocarbon reserves offshore and onshore.

Turkey is a partner in many strategic projects of Azerbaijan. Turkey was the first state to recognize Azerbaijan's independence in 1991 and has been a staunch supporter of Azerbaijan in its efforts to consolidate its independence, preserve its territorial integrity and realize its economic potential arising from the rich natural resources of the Caspian Sea.

Every year, trade and economic cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkey diversifies and covers new areas. Both countries are interested in the maximum expansion of relations.

Two countries have gained good experience in the implementation of large-scale projects of international importance, which are well known in the region and the world such as Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline, TANAP, the Southern Gas Corridor and the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway.

Turkey and Azerbaijan, both effectively use their economic and energy capabilities, as well as the geopolitical position to expand bilateral and regional cooperation.

All projects initiated by Azerbaijan and Turkey are implemented successfully and serve further development and well-being of two nations.
Five entrepreneurs were named winners of the finale of the 2nd Bahrain edition of the [email protected] competition, a global initiative to promote the entrepreneurial culture, held yesterday March 27) at Four Seasons Hotel.



The event was held under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and chairman of the Economic Development Board and His Royal Highness Prince Andrew Duke of York,



Shaikh Mohammed bin Isa Al Khalifa, chairman of Bahrains labour fund Tamkeen greeted Prince Andrew Duke of York upon his arrival at the venue.



In his speech to the audience, the Duke of York said: [email protected]s partnership with Bahrain matters and we are able to do great things. Our Partnership with Tamkeen is key to this and together we are able to make introductions for Entrepreneurs from Bahrain to the rest of the world and bring Entrepreneurs here to Bahrain.



Every single person here tonight can make a significant difference to these businesses helping them with their Asks.



Shaikh Mohammed bin Isa Al Khalifa commended the competition as an exemplary initiative which works on the global level to promote the entrepreneurial culture and spirit and support tomorrows entrepreneurs across the various growth stages of their budding ventures.



This initiative, which was launched by Prince Andrew Duke of York, is a valuable tool for entrepreneurs in all sectors for the promotion of entrepreneurial skills and knowledge, and a catalyst for innovation and creativity that truly offers a unique and rewarding experience, Shaikh Mohammed said.



After the speeches, each of the 12 Bahraini entrepreneurs who qualified for the finale gave three-minute presentations in which they highlighted their business projects in front of invited guests, technology and media professionals, investors and an expert judging panel.



The Duke of York then announced the winner as follows: Newtons Apple Science Center, Mavi VR Studios, DocWhere App, WindStorm and Telp.



The winners will go on to the 2nd edition of the competitions Gulf regional qualifying round.



The Audience Choice Award, which is voted on by the public following announcement at the [email protected] bootcamp on March 19, was won by LARA.



Bahrain will host the Gulf regional qualifying round in October, and will see the winners from Bahrain compete against their peers from other Gulf countries for a chance to move on to international and final round of competition at the St. James Palace in London, UK.



The local Bahrain version was organised for the second year in a row through a strategic collaboration between Tamkeen and Prince Andrew who launched the [email protected] initiative in 2014 to provide a platform for entrepreneurs across the world and connect expertise and knowledge resources, as well as facilitate engagement with the local, regional and international entrepreneurial market and subject matter specialists.  TradeArabia News Service
HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, has issued orders discontinuing the newly-introduced edition of the Mazaya housing programme. However, the standard Mazaya programme remains in effect, reported BNA.



HRH the Crown Prince emphasised the importance of continuing to deliver innovative housing solutions and efficient services for citizens, whose interests remain the core focus of development efforts, including national policies and strategies, it added.


The importance of Omanisation in the industrial and manufacturing sector was highlighted recently at a seminar organised by the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (Madayn) in the sulatanate, said a report.



The seminar was held under the auspices of Hamad bin Khamis al Amri, under secretary of the Ministry of Manpower for Labour Affairs, reported the Oman News Agency report.



Speaking at the event, Hilal bin Hamad Al Hasani, chief executive officer of Madayn, said that it was important for Madayn to spotlight the topic of Omanisation and the significance of training and qualifying the national cadres in the industrial sector in particular and other sectors in general.



He added that this would raise the competence and productivity and create an ideal work environment, which would positively reflect on the sultanates national economy.



Al Hasani noted that one of the major national objectives that Madayn seeks to achieve is providing suitable job opportunities for the national workforce. By the end of 2018, Madayn has provided more than 20,000 job opportunities for the nationals in its various industrial cities, of which more than 6,000 opportunities were provided in Suhar Industrial City.



He added that the overall Omanisation rate achieved by Madayn has touched 35 per cent by the end of 2018. The Omanisation rate in Sohar Industrial City alone has reached 34 per cent during the same period.



These results would not have been achieved without concerted efforts and coordination with the Ministry of Manpower and the factories and companies, added Al Hasani.
/.                        ,    ...
Sohar Industrial City, part of the Public Establishment of Industrial Estates (Madayn), has signed an agreement with Majis Industrial Services (MIS), the wholly government-owned water services utility, covering the supply of potable water to the industrial cluster, said a report.



The agreement aims to create an integrated supply of water services and supply of potable water to the industrial city with a capacity reaching 10,000 cu m per day, Oman News Agency report.



This will be supplied through a network extending from the water production plant for a distance of 15 km.



The agreement was signed by Hilal bin Hamad al Hasani, chief executive officer of Madayn, for Sohar Industrial City, and Ahmed al Mazrouy, chief executive officer, Majis.



The agreement will contribute to enhance potable water service for industrial purposes as well as human consumption, and to ensure uninterrupted supply of water service to customers.
The just-concluded 2019 edition of ArtBAB, Bahrains premier international art platform, recorded a rise in sales overall, ringing in BD257,700 ($683,639).

Of this, Bahraini artists recorded sales of BD156, 097, which is a jump over last years BD147, 900 and the highest recorded so far at ArtBAB.

The show was marked by the engagement of new ideas and new avenues to take Bahraini artists to bigger global platforms.

Held under the patronage of HRH Princess Sabeekha bint Ebrahim Al Khalifa, wife of the King of Bahrain, the show saw 11 countries participating in the fair this year, including Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Russia, Bulgaria, Argentina, India, Belgium, UK, Italy and Portugal.

The 16 participating international galleries recorded sales of BD93,156.

Participating local galleries and universities recorded total sales of BD11,050. The Bahrain-based galleries and universities included Baghdad Art Gallery, the Bahrain Contemporary Art Association, Art for Heart, the University of Bahrain and the Royal University for Women. This year there were 17 artist stands and a BAAB Pavilion of Bahraini contemporary art show framing the works of 30 selected Bahraini artists.

The success of the Bahraini artists, especially the emerging talent, is a sign that ArtBAB as a movement has clearly helped to elevate the recognition levels and commercial victory of Bahraini art which is increasingly finding a place in some of the most prestigious collections around the world, commented fairs and programme director Kaneka Subberwal.

She added: The growing weight of excellence that the ArtBAB shows have brought to international attention, has resulted in many significant collaborations and exposure. Ten Bahraini artists will be participating in an artists residency programme in New York, founded by well-known art authority Nathalie Angles. The 18-month programme, which begins in September 2019, will be a valuable insight for our artists on trends and techniques of the contemporary art scene internationally. The artists will attend the residency in two batches of 5 artists each.

In another development, the works of five Bahraini artists being selected for inclusion in CollectorIQ, a USbased art-collection management online system that lists over 320,000 artists and 6.5 million listed works of art from around the world. The Bahraini artists listed on the platform are Balqees Fakhro, Omar Rashid, Jamal Abdulrahim, Faika Al Hasan, Nabeela Al Khayer and Othman Khunji.

The organisers have also announced that Bahrain will be the invited country at the prestigious La Paris Biennale with a 300 sq m pavilion dedicated to contemporary Bahraini art. The Paris exhibition shall be conceived and curated by Subberwal and Art Select programme manager Tasneem Al Shuroughi, in collaboration with a curatorial team from Paris. The pavilion will also exhibit artefacts and collectibles from ArtBABs newly-launched crafts showcase, The Bahrain Room.

According to the agreement, the Biennale shall feature a central pavilion that will showcase over a 100 works of Bahraini artists.

"With 300 sq m, the Bahrain Pavilion will be the biggest one at the Biennale Paris, said Mathias Ary Jan, president of the Syndicat National des Antiquaires, which organises the biennale. Bahrains presence as a guest country at the Paris Biennale is expected to energise the event and reinforce its international standing. In addition to this significant presence, Bahrain will also sponsor several tables during the traditional gala dinner. We are confident that this robust presence along with the excellence of contemporary Bahraini art will attract collectors from the region and also other parts of the world.

The Paris Biennale runs from September 13 to 17.

ArtBAB 2019 also broke new ground, with visitors getting to experience kingdoms traditional crafts heritage through The Bahrain Room, a curated collection of specially designed collectibles that were based on Bahraini craft traditions but given a contemporary look by international fashion and design icon JJ Valaya, assisted by Ameena Khan.

There was also a CRAFTed section where Bahraini and international designers working with design elements unique to the Kingdom showcased their fashion and style portfolios.

We are delighted with the warm response of art-lovers, collectors and the artist community to ArtBAB  its an indication of the continuing relevance of the fair to the spread of Bahrains artistic narrative across borders, said Shaikha Maram bint Isa Al Khalifa, director of the office of Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeekha bint Ebrahim Al Khalifa. We are pleased to have started new global conversations about contemporary Bahraini art and the Kingdoms crafts heritage.

The ArtBAB initiative is being held in collaboration with Tamkeen.  TradeArabia News Service
DNO, a Norwegian oil and gas operator focused on the Middle East and the North Sea, recorded a 2018 net profit of $354 million on revenues of $829 million, the highest annual revenues in the Companys 47-year history.



Cash flow from operations increased 40 per cent to $472 million in 2018, of which $334 million represented free cash flow. Operated production in 2018 averaged 117,600 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd) including 81,700 boepd on a Company Working Interest (CWI) basis, up from 113,500 boepd and 73,700 boepd, respectively, during 2017.



DNO stepped up its operational spend in 2018 to nearly $300 million to support the fast-track development of the Peshkabir field in the Kurdistan region of Iraq (Kurdistan) and the ongoing drilling program at the Tawke field within the same license.



Already the leading international oil company in Kurdistan, with a 75 per cent operating interest in fields contributing a third of the regions total exports, DNO is now firmly establishing itself in Norway as it completes the takeover of Faroe Petroleum plc (Faroe).



The combination places DNO among the top three European-listed independent oil and gas companies in production and reserves. With 90 licenses, of which 22 are operated, the Group will leapfrog to the ranks of the top five companies in total licenses held in Norway.



Looking ahead to 2019, DNO plans to drill or participate in up to 30 wells across its portfolio in Kurdistan and the North Sea. The Company projects 2019 capital and exploration expenditure in the range of $650 million for the combined entity, of which $330 million is on the DNO assets, up from $193 million in 2018, and $315 million is on the Faroe assets, up from $269 million in 2018.  TradeArabia News Service
Oman Oil Company and Oman Oil Refineries and Petroleum Industries (Orpic) will jointly inaugurate the $2.7-billion Sohar Refinery Improvement Project (SRIP) thus boosting local and international demand for oil derivatives.



SRIP adds five new units, thus improving Sohar refinerys ability to process heavier Omani crude oil including crude distillation unit (CDU), vacuum distillation unit (VDU), delayed coker unit (DCU), hydrocracker unit (HCU) and bitumen blowing unit, said a statement from Orpic.



These units are vital to handle heavy crude more efficiently, which increase the performance, production and lower emissions, it stated.



The inauguration ceremony will be held under the patronage of Dr Mohammed bin Hamad Al Rumhy, Minister of Oil and Gas, and chairman of the board of directors of Oman Oil and Orpic Group.



The project is all set to enhance the group assets value and further maximise the Omani crude oil value besides helping meet the increasing demand for oil and refined products locally and internationally in order to support the economic development of the sultanate, it added.



The project contributes significantly to improving the environmental performance of Sohar Refinery and supporting it in overcoming the challenges resulting from changing the quality of the crude oil mix, with the five new units.



The project will enable Sohar Refinery to increase the value achieved from each barrel of crude oil to the sultanate, as well as its ability to adapt to unexpected changes in the quality of crude oil, thanks to its modern technology, which is currently operating efficiently.



The project will bring economic benefits to the GDP, as well as supporting local companies, providing about 300 direct jobs, 900 indirect jobs, supporting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the sultanate and enhancing local added value, said the statement.



The Sohar Refinery Improvement Project achieved a total of 74.4 million hours without lost time injury (LTI), as well as an added value of $720 million, with more than 300 projects being awarded

to the local SMEs sector, it added.-TradeArabia News Service
The Arab Investment and Development Authority (AIDA) has signed an agreement with STC Energy for the development of 170MW solar power plants across Ukraine.



Development of these solar power plants in the Ukraine will be backed by a minimum $2-billion by AIDA.



The agreement also details closer co-operation in the agriculture and rural development sectors, along with improving co-operative programmes across the Ukraine, remarked AIDA Chairman Adil Al Otaiba after sealing the deal with STC Energy CEO Nataliia Tykhonova at a key ceremony held in Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce in Dubai.



The Ukrainian Ambassador to the UAE, Yuri Polurez, and State Secretary of Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine, Oleksil Perevezentsev, also took part along with representatives from AIDA.



Commenting on the deal, Al Otaiba said: "AIDA is coming on board to co-develop and invest with STC in making this project with the Government of Ukraine a reality."



Under the agreement, AIDA and STC Energy will pool their resources and other partnerships to strengthen their commitment towards the energy project.



"The project will assist in the generation of clean green energy, reductions in billions of power costs, creation of jobs, as well as its impact on the rural agricultural development and cooperative initiative programmes for both on grid and micro off grid solar power plants," stated Al Otaiba.



"We will harness all resources and our experiences for the success of the project," he added.



On the partnership, Tykhonova said: "We are honoured to join hands with AIDA in this mega project. Our journey to transform Ukraine into a renewable energy zone, which is now inching closer to fruition."



"AIDA brings on board unparalleled investment and development expertise that will be useful in ensuring the projects success," she added.



The duo has signed up Swiss Alpha Management as the financial advisor and lead funding group for the project.-TradeArabia News Service
The European national tourist boards of Germany, Switzerland, Austria and France are hosting an exclusive networking event in Dubai in April ahead of the Middle Easts leading tourism fair Arabian Travel Market (ATM) to raise awareness before the onset of the busy summer season.



In a combined effort, Atout Frances travel trade workshop Marhaba will kick off their two-day event on April 24, while the national tourist boards of Germany, Switzerland and Austria will take over on April 26 and host the Heart of Europe Travel Summit in the beautiful settings of the Sofitel, The Palm, Dubai.



More than 40 tourism suppliers from France and 80 from Germany, Switzerland and Austria  ranging from local tourist boards, hotels, destination management companies, airports, shopping facilities, transport companies as well as medical clinics  are looking forward to developing the knowledge on the destinations and provide travel trade from the GCC with the opportunity to source products to enhance their holiday offerings for the summer season and beyond. The four tourism boards expect the attendance of over 100 buyers from the GCC region.



Highlighting the importance of the travel trade industry in the Gulf region, Sigrid de Mazieres, director for the Gulf countries at the German National Tourist Office (GNTO), an affiliate of the German National Tourist Board, said: We are excited to collaborate with our European neighbouring countries, and to facilitate business relations between our touristic partners and the local travel trade through this new innovative platform."



Commenting on this exclusive networking-event, Robert Groblacher, director Middle East & South East Asia, Austrian National Tourist Office, said: Our four countries are amongst the most visited and most popular premium destinations by travellers from the GCC in Europe. We are very proud to join forces and thus provide a perfect networking opportunity for the top touristic players from our countries and the GCC region



The travel trade workshops will include pre-scheduled B2B appointments, cutting-edge presentations and extensive social programmes to experience the destinations hospitality and networking opportunities with participating decision makers.



Switzerland Tourism is happy to welcome the most successful GCC tour operators and travel agents on the Heart of Europe Travel Summit. The summit is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the beauty of Switzerland and its neighbours to the GCC travel-trade. The event enables dedicated buyers and suppliers to meet in a very convenient way and nice setting in Sofitel the Palm, Dubai and its straightforward approach will guarantee a great return on investment, said Matthias Albrecht, director GCC, Switzerland Tourism.



For travel trade interested in selling the respective European countries, the event is the perfect opportunity to strengthen ties and discover the latest product offerings from Germany, Switzerland, Austria and France. By working together and investing in this workshop, the tourist boards showcase their support of the GCC travel trade, and reflect the value of the industry for their tourism business.



We believe that one of many challenges facing the travel trade industry today is to keep abreast of the growing and changing needs of travellers from the region. This joint and unprecedented event is a direct response to assist the travel trade in selling our countries, explained Karim Mekachera, regional director of Atout France Middle East.



The GCC is one of the Top 15 source markets for Germany and Austria and the third largest non-European source market, after China and US. For Switzerland, the GCC market is the fifth biggest foreign market and the first market in daily expenditure spending with approx. - CHF450 ($452.9) daily per person. MENA accounted for 2.5 million visitors in France, of which 60 per cent were GCC travellers, in 2018.



In addition, the tourist boards of Germany, Switzerland and Austria will be participating with dedicated stands at the trade fair ATM to further boost tourism growth from the Gulf region. - TradeArabia News Service
Saudi Arabia has announced the launch of a new cultural residency scheme under which it is offering international artists the opportunity, for the first time, to take up residency in the kingdom, said a report.



The programme was one among a number of initiatives unveiled by the Ministry of Culture during an event in Riyadh. Other schemes include art prizes, scholarship programmes and a culture fund to support artists, said a report in Arab News.



Today marks a turning point in the history of our nation. It is rare that a nation undergoes such a massive revival of its culture," the report said, citing the Minister of Culture, Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, who addressed the audience at the event.



The transformation of arts and culture will benefit all Saudis, young and old, from every corner of our country. It will help build bridges of understanding. And for our children, we will build a Saudi Arabia where their creative spirits can flourish," said Prince Badr.



On the ministrys Twitter account, the minister said: The Ministry will work to enable creatives and intellectuals and harness their potential."



We will work to promote culture as an enabler of coexistence and peaceful dialogue, and we are marching confidently towards a promising future.
In light of the double-digit growth figures recorded in 2018, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) kicked off 2019 with a series of roadshows targeting key Eastern European countries to promote the destination, highlight the emirates latest product developments and unique offerings.



The special delegation from Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority visited the cities of Budapest, Bucharest, Bratislava, Moscow, Kazan, Novosibirsk and St. Petersburg over the course of two months, and met with various tourism bodies, local government entities, private sector representatives and other partners from the travel and tourism sector.



Eastern European markets are the main contributors to the emirates inbound tourism. In 2018, Russia, Romania and Hungary recorded double-digit growth in the total number of visitors to Ras Al Khaimah year-on-year, accounting for an increase of 17.1 per cent in visitors from Russia, 29.7 per cent from Romania and 11.4 per cent from Hungary.



Haitham Mattar, chief executive officer of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, said: International visitors are significantly important to Ras Al Khaimah, and we believe our roadshows in Q1 served as a great vehicle to tell our story, and to continue to raise awareness about our spectacular products and diversified destination offerings, featuring year-round sunshine that our European visitors are especially keen to have. Last year, we exceeded our goals and recorded a 10 per cent increase in the total number of visitors year-on-year, with a remarkable growth in Eastern European markets. This gives us confidence in our ability to reach our new Destination Strategy goals, which aims to attract close to 1.5 million visitors to the emirate by 2021 and 3 million visitors by 2025.



The roadshows widely focused on highlighting Ras Al Khaimahs summer campaign that featured the destinations most diverse offerings that are ideal for families looking for holidays of sun, fun and adventures. Some of the emirates latest products include the launch of its very own luxury camp, which will comprise of 34 deluxe tents, 11 one-bedroom tented suites with private pool, and two two-bedroom tented suites with private pool as well as other cultural and adventure products that the emirate is further developing to bring its unique selling points (USPs) to life. - TradeArabia News Service
Accor has entered into a partnership with Saudi Arabia's Al Tayyar Travel Group, giving the online travel agent (OTA) access to its portfolio of hotels worldwide.



Accor will provide Al Tayyar Travel Group with direct access to real-time rates and availability across its portfolio of 4,800 hotels and resorts in 100 countries worldwide. It will help strengthen Accors visibility and sales capabilities in major regional and international customer source markets through Al Tayyars extensive online and retail channels.



Our partnership with Al Tayyar Travel Group accelerates our growth strategy by cementing our presence as a world-leading travel and lifestyle brand in the Middle East, which is an increasingly important source of core business for Accor, said Markus Keller, senior vice president, Global Sales Organisation for Accor.



This mutually-beneficial agreement provides us with a prime opportunity to amplify awareness of our unrivalled portfolio of diverse brands and lifestyle experiences around the globe to some of the regions most dynamic and travel-hungry consumer markets, in particular Saudi Arabia, via Al Tayyar Travel Groups leading brands and platforms as well as their far-reaching retail and online channels, he said.



Abdullah Al Dawood, Group CEO, Al Tayyar Travel Group, added: Accor is a global brand and connecting with them on our platform will bring thousands of well-known hotels to our travellers, giving greater choice and convenience. With over 90 million online sessions last year, we have the largest travel platform in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, which is why hotel brands such as Accor choose us as key regional partners.



The landmark agreement was signed by Keller, and Al Dawood at a special ceremony, which took place at the Accor headquarters in Paris, France, and was attended by senior executives from both companies.



Al Tayyar Travel Group is one of the regions most influential travel companies with two leading OTAs in the Middle East - Almosafer and Tajawal - and has the largest retail distribution networks in Saudi Arabic with over 400+ points of sale.



The partnership significantly reinforces Accors distribution capabilities in these major growth markets and further bolsters its robust outbound growth from the Middle East to major destinations including the US, Asia and Europe. - TradeArabia News Service


ABC/Rick Rowell

Happy Birthday, Stefanie Germanotta -- that's Lady Gaga, to the rest of us. The Oscar and Grammy-winning superstar turns 33 today, and according to E! Online, she's celebrating this week with some much-needed R&R in Mexico.

A source tells E! that Gaga took a bunch of friends with her on a surprise trip to Cabo San Lucas, which the source refers to as the star's "happy place."

"[She] and...her closest friends are staying in a huge villa and are having a relaxing time so far," dished the source. "Everyone has been laying out at the pool, sipping drinks and having food while laughing and chatting together."

Another source reveals that among the 11 friends who joined Gaga for the trip are her agent, manager, makeup artist, hair stylist and band members.

It's not known if Gaga's buddy Bradley Cooper is part of the entourage, or if Avengers star Jeremy Renner, with whom she's been hanging out lately, is included. One person we're sure isn't there is her former fiance, Christian Carino, with whom she split shortly before the Oscars.

"It's been a super casual vacation so far, but Gaga has expressed that she is ready to celebrate getting older," the first source tells E! "She has been in a great mood and seems to be very happy."

The source adds, "Gaga has a private dinner planned for her birthday and is really happy to be spending her [day] with all of the people that have been by her side for many years."

At the end of May, Gaga will crank things back up with a new run of dates as part of her residency at the Park Theater at Park MGM Las Vegas. She's also working on her next album, the follow-up to 2013's ARTPOP.

Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
GLO.ACT supports drafting of guidelines on the protection and assistance for victims of human trafficking

Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR 28 March 2019 - IOM, under the framework of the Global Action against Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants (GLO.ACT) together with Winrock International, supported the Counselling and Protection for Women and Children Center of the Lao Women's Union, to organize a consultation meeting on the drafting of guidelines on the protection and assistance for victims of Trafficking in Person (TIP). The main objective of this meeting, held from 19 to 20 March 2019, was to solicit inputs from a broad range of stakeholders and to share these with the drafting committee.

Mrs. Thoummaly Vongphachanh, Vice President of Lao Women's Union and Mrs. Misato Yusa, IOM Head of Office and Dr. Xoukiet Panyanounvong, Programme Director, Winrock International/USAID opened the two-day meeting.

The guidelines on protection and assistance for victims of TIP were drafted to ensure that the victims are protected and assisted in line with government policy. The guidelines are meant to support officers directly involved in protection and assistance work. The idea is to have one set of guidelines on referral, protection, assistance and rehabilitation for women and children who are the victims of TIP. Sharing the draft guidelines and seeking inputs from UN agencies, NGOs, CSOs and relevant ministries ensured that the final draft guidelines, which will now be submitted to the National Steering Committee on Anti Human Trafficking, are as comprehensive as possible.

The Global Action to Prevent and Address Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants (GLO.ACT) is a four-year (2015-2019), 11 million joint initiative by the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The project is being implemented in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). GLO.ACT aims to provide assistance to governmental authorities and civil society organizations across 13 strategically selected countries: Belarus, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao PDR, Mali, Morocco, Nepal, Niger, Pakistan, South Africa, Ukraine. GLO.ACT works with the 13 countries to plan and implement strategic national counter-trafficking and counter-smuggling efforts through a prevention, protection, prosecution, and partnerships approach. It supports the development of more effective responses to trafficking and smuggling, including providing assistance to victims of trafficking and vulnerable migrants through the strengthening of identification, referral, and direct support mechanisms.

For more information, please contact:

Ms. Phrommala Souriivonexay

Email: sphrommala@iom.int

Website: https://www.iom.int/gloact

Email: glo.act@un.org

Twitter: @glo_act
Three Safe Zone Trainings Scheduled in April at UW

The University of Wyomings Safe Zone will host three trainings during April. Each training will be in Room 315 of the Wyoming Union at noon.

Safe Zone trainings allow students to learn about the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex and asexual or allied (LGBTQIA) community and discover something about themselves, education, collaboration and advocacy, says Sarah Devine, the Campus Activities Center (CAC) marketing coordinator.

The first training, Friday, April 5, will discuss lesbian, gay and bisexual 101; the second training, Friday, April 12, will discuss gender identity; and the third training, Friday, April 19, will discuss Safe Zones Visible Ally training.

All trainings are free, with lunch provided.

Safe Zone aims to create an inclusive environment for the LGBTQIA community through discussions about tolerance and acceptance. The programs goal is to educate individuals on the issues facing the LGBTQIA community and to provide tools to become allies.

Safe Zone at UW offers a variety of training sessions that cover topics from inequalities in the everyday lives of LGBTQIA individuals to health care issues specific to members of the LGBTQIA communities, Devine says.

For more information about Safe Zone, visit www.uwyo.edu/union/cac/safezone/.

For more information about the CAC, visit www.uwyo.edu/union/cac/, like the Wyoming Union on Facebook, or follow the CAC on Twitter and Instagram.

Individuals needing assistance to attend events should call the CAC at 766-6340.
Wyoming Business Tips for April 1-7

A weekly look at issues facing Wyoming business owners and entrepreneurs from the Wyoming Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network, a collection of business assistance programs at the University of Wyoming.

By Melissa Forziat, principal, Melissa Forziat Events and Marketing

When you don't know exactly who would be interested in your product or service, or you don't know exactly what to say to them, you are either marketing inefficiently or losing out on sales! Being clear on your target markets and knowing what to say to each one allow you to maximize your sales. In my upcoming webinar -- brought to you by the Wyoming SBDC Network -- I will introduce the exercises you can do to define your target markets and your brand, and offer resources to help you further along in this process for your business.

When you talk to the wrong audience about your product or service, their lack of interest is a waste of time for both of you. When you tell the right audience the wrong message, you are burning a lead that would have been interested in working with you if only you had made your offer relevant to them. Sales come from getting in front of the people who would be most likely to buy your product or service, and getting their attention with a noticeable message that applies to them.

Brand and target market are fundamentals of marketing, and these fundamentals impact the way you run your business and products you offer. The more clear you are about your brand and target markets, the more you can maximize your revenue and ensure that the money or time you spend on marketing is producing results for you.

As a small-business owner, your resources are limited. You want to make the most of the marketing you do. You can learn more about this topic in my upcoming webinar, How to Build Your Brand and Reach Your Target Market, Thursday, April 4, 2-3 p.m. You can register for the webinar at www.wyomingsbdc.org.

The Wyoming SBDC Network offers business expertise to help Wyoming residents think about, launch, grow, reinvent or exit their business. The Wyoming SBDC Network is hosted by UW with state funds from the Wyoming Business Council and funded, in part, through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

To ask a question, call 1-800-348-5194, email wsbdc@uwyo.edu, or write 1000 E. University Ave., Dept. 3922, Laramie, WY, 82071-3922.
Led by Swansea Universitys Tree Ring Research Group, researchers from Sweden, Finland, and Norway analyzed information contained in the rings of ancient pine trees from northern Scandinavia to reveal how clouds have reduced the impact of natural phases of warmth in the past. Clouds are doing so again now to moderate the warming caused by anthropogenic climate change.

Even though northern Scandinavia should be strongly affected by global warming, the area has experienced little summer warming over recent decades  in stark contrast to the hemispheric trend of warming temperatures, which is strongly linked to rising greenhouse gas emissions. According to the study, temperature changes have been accompanied by an increase in cloudiness over northern Scandinavia, which in turn has reduced the impact of warming.

Mary Gagen, Professor of Geography at Swansea University, said:

The surface warming caused by rising greenhouse gases is modified by many complicated feedbacks  one thing changing in response to another  meaning that there are large geographical variations in the temperature of a particular place at a particular time, as the global average temperature rises. One of the most important, and most poorly understood, climate feedbacks is the relationship between temperature and clouds. We might think that, simply, when it is cool it is cloudy, and when it is warm it is sunny, but that is not always the case.

The research team analyzed tree ring records to find out what summer temperatures were like in the past, and how cloudy it was. Using their collected data, the team produced a new reconstruction of summer cloud cover for northern Scandinavia and compared it to existing temperature reconstructions to establish the relationship between temperature and cloud cover. Gagen said:

Most people know that the width of a tree ring can tell us what the temperature was like in the summer that ring grew, but we can also measure other things in tree rings such as the isotopes of carbon and water that the wood is made from. Isotopes are just different types of an element; the amount of the different isotopes of carbon in the wood tells us how cloudy it was in the summer the tree ring grew. By combining the tree ring width and tree ring carbon measurements, we built a record of both past summer temperatures and past summer cloud cover. Summer temperatures in Scandinavia have increased by less than the global average in recent decades because it also got cloudier at the same time, and that modified and reduced the warming. That turns out to also be the case back through time.

Author Professor Danny McCarroll explained:

We found that over short timescales, increased cloud cover led to cooler temperatures and vice versa in the past. However, over longer timescales  decades to centuries  we found that in warmer times, such as the medieval, there was increased cloud cover in this part of the world, which reduced local temperatures. The opposite being true in cool periods, such as the Little Ice Age. These finding are important as they help to explain the feedback relationship between cloud cover and temperature, which is one of the major uncertainties in modelling future climate. Understanding the past relationship between temperature and cloud cover in this part of the world means we can now predict that, as the global temperature continues to rise, that warming will be moderated in northern Scandinavia by increasing cloud cover. The next step is to find out whether the same is true for other parts of the world.

Professor Mary Gagen added:

One of the main sources of uncertainty about future climate change is the way that clouds are going to respond to warming, cloud cover has a really big influence on temperature at the surface of the Earth. Clouds are going to be critical in modify warming of the climate. In some places, like Scandinavia, it turns out that the summer climate gets cloudier as the planet warms, in other places though it is likely that warming will be enhanced by a reduction in cloudiness, which will make the surface of the Earth even warmer. What is really worrying is that climate models have shown that, if greenhouse gas emissions are allowed to continue until there is double or even triple the pre-industrial amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, then some of the most important clouds for cooling our planet, the big banks of oceanic clouds that reflect a lot of sunlight back to space, could stop forming altogether and this would really accelerate warming.

Provided by: Swansea University [Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.]

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Nursing Assistant Training Programme

On Tuesday 26th March, Sir Joe Bossano attended an award ceremony for the newest tranche of certificated Healthcare Assistants.

All candidates underwent a rigorous 6-month training programme where they spent several months in each of the training areas identified as the most valuable to impart the necessary skills and develop their competences to become the backbone of Gibraltars exceptional Healthcare.

This training falls under the Training Dept. of the Ministry for Economic Development and was co-funded by the European Social Fund.

The trainees have now gone onto full time employment within the Healthcare industry.
Cortes calls for Declaration of Climate Emergency

Minister for Environment and Climate Change John Cortes has presented a Motion in the Gibraltar Parliament calling for the declaration of a Climate Emergency and asking Parliament to commit to a number of measures to address this.

Below is the full text of the motion.
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Womanless Beauty Pageant at Civic Center, sponsored by Heart USA {Enter by May 1}

Mar. 27, 2019

By Mar. 27, 2019

PADUCAH - Men are invited to strut their stuff for a great cause at the 2019 Womanless Beauty Pageant on Saturday, August 24 at the Robert Cherry Civic Center. Men who want to participate must register by May 1.



The event is a fundraiser for Heart USA, a non-profit organization that helps western Kentucky residents get prescription medications, healthcare equipment or supplies, and resource tools.



The event, featuring "Hunks in Heels," will include segments for biographical, formal wear and talent competitions. Any talent is okay, but contestants are reminded that this is a family event that is rated PG, so raunchy or distasteful talents are not allowed.



Men must be 18 or older to participate, and must dress in an evening gown, heels, wig, and make-up. They must also have a stage name for the pageant.



There is no entry fee for contestants, but Heart USA encourages everyone to collect donations.



Admission for the event on August 24 will be $10 for adults and $5 for children 6-12 years old. Kids 5 and under get in free.



Awards will be presented in several categories, Mr. Congeniality, Best Legs, and Most Money Raised. The winner will receive a crown, sash, roses, cash, and bragging rights until next year.



The Robert Cherry Civic Center is at 2701 Park Avenue in Paducah. The pageant starts at 7 pm.



For more information or to enter, call Peggy Brown at 270-538-5828 or send an email to heart.usa@yahoo.com.
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By West Kentucky Star Staff Mar. 27, 2019 | 10:18 PM | MCCRACKEN COUNTY

According to the McCracken County Sheriff's Department, they were notified by Ballard County Sheriff's deputies of a suspicious dump truck entering McCracken County on Woodville Road.





The truck was located by McCracken deputies, and they conducted a traffic stop for traffic violations.





The driver, Joseph White, of Kevil, was asked to step from the vehicle for sobriety testing.



The Ballard County Sheriff K9, "Kony", was called, and a search of the vehicle revealed items containing methamphetamine and other items associated with illegal drug use.





White was charged with careless driving, first degree possession of controlled substance-methamphetamine, and possession of drug paraphernalia.



He was arrested and taken to the McCracken County Regional Jail.

The Ballard County Sheriff's Department K9 Team assisted McCracken County Sheriff's deputies with a drug arrest late Monday evening, in western McCracken County.
By West Kentucky Star Staff Mar. 27, 2019 | 05:37 PM | PADUCAH

This is the 27th consecutive year Paducah has achieved this honor recognizing the efforts by the community to make the planting and care of trees a priority.



Mayor Brandi Harless said, Everyone benefits when a community makes smart investments in the management of urban forests. Trees provide multiple benefits when properly planted and maintained. They bring shade to our homes, beauty to our neighborhoods and commercial corridors, and a variety of economic and environmental benefits through cleaner air, improved storm water management, and energy savings.



City Manager Jim Arndt commented, Access to trees, green spaces, and parks increases a communitys health and well-being. In addition to providing aesthetic benefits, trees are environmental machines working to produce oxygen, reduce smog, and enhance respiratory health.



Planning Director Tammara Tracy also added, Trees are our communitys unsung heroes. As a critical element of our infrastructure network, for example, a mature shade tree can hold up to 1000 gallons of water by storing the water in its leaves, branches, and trunk.





Paducah achieved Tree City USA recognition by meeting the programs four requirements: a tree board or department, a tree care ordinance, an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita, and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation. Paducah is one of more than 3,500 cities designated as a Tree City USA.



This month the Arbor Day Foundation is launching a new initiative, the Time for Trees. The goal is to plant a total of 100 million trees by 2022.



Arbor Day Foundation President Dan Lambe says, We are losing trees at an alarming rate in our forests and our cities putting the very necessities of life at risk. We need trees to provide what we must have in order to live: clean air, clean water, and a tolerable climate. The trees will restore our forests and strengthen our communities, and the inspired tree planters will create a larger network of individuals dedicated to greening our plant. These goals are ambitious. We realize that we need to plant trees at a scale like never before.



The Arbor Day Foundation in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters has named Paducah a 2018 Tree City USA.
By West Kentucky Star Staff Mar. 28, 2019 | 06:36 AM | GRAVES COUNTY

It's been a year since Samantha Sperry disappeared, and on Wednesday night, friends and family held a special vigil in Graves County.

Graves County Sheriff Jon Hayden said his office has an open and active investigation into Sperry's disappearance. Hayden said numerous local law enforcement agencies have joined in the investigation as well as state and federal law enforcement agencies.

Hayden said he believes there are people who know details surrounding Sperry's disappearance, but may be afraid to come forward. He urged anyone with information to contact his office or any other law enforcement agency.

Private messages can be sent to the sheriff department's Facebook page, and Hayden said detectives are willing to meet in a private and discreet manner with anyone who has information.

Hayden said updated reward information related to the Sperry case will be released soon.
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By West Kentucky Star Staff

Mar. 27, 2019 | MURRAY

By West Kentucky Star Staff Mar. 27, 2019 | 05:07 PM | MURRAY

Three people were arrested in a Murray child abuse investigation that began in late February.



On Tuesday, the Murray Police Department obtained arrest warrants for three subjects in the case regarding possible abuse of a young juvenile.



During the course of the investigation, detectives spoke with multiple family members. Based on the information that was obtained, an arrest warrant was obtained for 26-year-old Phalen Stover of Almo for a charge of 4th degree assault, child abuse.



Also, during the investigation, the person who reported the events to police was allegedly contacted and threatened by family members of Stover. A warrant was also obtained for 50-year-old Duane Conklin and 44-year-old Darana Conklin of New Concord for the charge of retaliating against a participant in a legal process.



Stover, Duane Conklin, and Darana Conklin were each taken into custody and lodged in the Calloway County Jail.
You have a voice, tell your story

One of the tragedies of apartheid was to make many of us believe our experiences and stories were worthless.

Storyteller, childrens book author, poet and political activist Chris van Wyk was this week posthumously honoured when the Universitys conferred an honorary doctorate on him.

Van Wyk, who died in 2014, was awarded a Doctor of Literature (DLitt) degree that was accepted by his two sons, Kevin and Dr Karl van Wyk.

In reading the citation, the Dean of Humanities, Professor Garth Stevens, described Van Wyk as a gentle giant in South African literature and praised him for being a mentor to hundreds of young writers, and was particularly generous as a member of the Wits community: encouraging students, giving talks and lectures, and participating in public readings on campus. His connection to the University is one of which we can be proud. (Read the full citation below.)

In his address to graduands, Kevin van Wyk, when his father published his heart-warming and honest memoir, Shirley, Goodness & Mercy, about growing up in Riverlea, one of the so-called coloured townships sandwiched between Johannesburg and Soweto, Van Wyk Snr were taken aback by the overwhelming positive response from the people in this community and the success of his book.

Alongside his own books for young readers, like A Message in the Wind (1982) and Peppy n Them (1991), Chris van Wyk also produced adaptations to make seminal South African texts more accessible, like Bessie Heads The Collector of Treasures (1995). #WitsGradWeek pic.twitter.com/gXNAXLvW6C  Wits_News (@Wits_News) March 27, 2019

People would come up to his father and thank him for also writing their story in this memoir. Kevin said while Riverlea was a community beset by poverty, gangs and drugs, my father realised that one of the tragedies of apartheid was to make many of us believe our experiences and stories were worthless.

By telling stories of so-called ordinary people he was giving a voice to the voiceless. People wanted their stories to be heard and were proud of it. They were not mere onlookers or footnotes in the history of this country but were intricately part of the story.

Today marks the seminal moment in each of your lives and in the spirit of my father I urge you all to tell your story because those stories will inspire your family, your friends and your children, Kevin said in addressing the graduands.

Citation: Christopher van Wyk

Christopher Van Wyk was born at Baragwanath Hospital in 1957 and grew up in Riverlea, one of the so-called coloured townships sandwiched between Johannesburg and Soweto. He would live there for most of his life. A bookworm from a very young age, Chris decided as a child that he wanted to become a writer. While still a teenager, he had a few of his poems published in The Star newspaper. Van Wyks poetry and political activism alike were spurred by the Black Consciousness Movement. His commitment to the intellectual liberation of black South Africans espoused by Steve Biko led him into a lifelong project: the production of childrens literature and educational materials.

It is the fate of many South African writers to be known by thousands of schoolchildren and university students for a single work: a poem, novel, short story or play prescribed on educational syllabi or anthologised to the point that, through familiarity, it loses its singular power and becomes bracketed inside a generic label like struggle literature. This might have happened with Van Wyk, whose poem In Detention  which exposes the brutal absurdity of apartheid state security  has been so widely studied and so frequently quoted since it was first published in 1979 that it has taken on a life of its own. Yet Van Wyk was a figure whose literary activity extended into many spheres, and whose writing style shifted and morphed to suit many different genres (even though his voice remained distinct); his legacy could not be contained within the lines of a single poem.

In the 1980s, he was a key member of the United Democratic Front-aligned Congress of South African Writers (COSAW), editing the journal Staffrider and working in various capacities for its publisher, Ravan Press. The South African literary landscape would have looked very different  would, indeed, have been substantially denuded  were it not for these crucial platforms. Like many of his fellow-writers who employed the poem as a petrol bomb in their fight against racism and injustice, Van Wyk faced constant threats and intimidation by the apartheid government. In an ironic twist, he was once arrested and taken to the notorious John Vorster Square prison  associated with the police practice of torturing and murdering activists followed by bland explanations for their deaths, which is precisely what In Detention protests against  and warned that if he continued to write such poetry he, too, would fall from the ninth floor.

While such circumstances might naturally lead to what Njabulo Ndebele famously described as the spectacular literary treatment of life under apartheid, Van Wyks prose work also responded to Ndebeles call for writers to rediscover the ordinary. The people of Riverlea and surrounds  their trials and tribulations, their foibles and quirks  are vividly portrayed in Van Wyks biography of rugby player and community leader Bill Jardine, Now Listen Here (2003), and subsequently in two celebrated memoirs, Shirley, Goodness and Mercy (2004) and Eggs to Lay, Chickens to Hatch (2010). Indeed, the popular appeal and critical acclaim of Shirley, Goodness and Mercy in particular  not to mention its prescription as a set text for readers at high school and university  temporarily eclipsed Van Wyks many other accomplishments.

Van Wyk collaborated with director Janice Honeyman to adapt Shirley, Goodness and Mercy for the stage. Honeyman ascribes the success of the show  crowds were storming the box-office, queuing out into the precinct  to a sense of recognition and identification with the piece ... it spoke not only to his own community from Riverlea and Newclare, but also to those from Sandton, Soweto, Bryanston and Booysens.

If there is a thread connecting a poem like In Detention to the memoirs published three decades later, it is Van Wyks sense of humour. In his protest poetry  In Detention first appeared in the collection It Is Time To Go Home, which included the work of Soweto Poets like Oswald Mtshali, Mongane Serote, Sipho Sepamla and Mafika Gwala  the humour is bitter, angry, and satirical. In the memoirs, there is levity alongside lyricism, gentle mockery tempering pathos. In between these early and later works, there are outlandish experiments in fiction like The Year of the Tapeworm (1996), described by Rita Barnard as uncannily predictive in its deep ambivalence about the political transition it records.

Alongside his own books for young readers, like A Message in the Wind (1982), Petroleum and the Orphaned Ostrich (1989) and Peppy n Them (1991), Van Wyk also produced adaptations to make seminal South African texts more accessible. These include Can Thembas The Suit (1994) and Bessie Heads The Collector of Treasures (1995), although his major work in this vein was an abridged and illustrated version of Nelson Mandelas autobiography Long Walk to Freedom (2009), which was published in all eleven of the countrys official languages. Mandela was also one of the icons of the liberation struggle profiled in the Freedom Fighters series (2003-2010). In these thirty short biographies; Van Wyk depicts not just the historical figures but also their social, geographical and cultural contexts: the series becomes an opportunity for young readers to learn about their country in a detailed and varied way. Van Wyk was, as Jay Heale has dubbed him, A man intent on sharing Africa with Africas children.

n 2009 Chris van Wyk published his major work: an abridged and illustrated version of Nelson Mandelas autobiography Long Walk to Freedom (2009), which was published in all 11 official languages of South Africa.#WitsGradWeek pic.twitter.com/hmPwbuKaxo  Wits_News (@Wits_News) March 27, 2019

Van Wyk also produced support materials and readers for adult literacy programmes. In addition, having clerked for the South African Committee for Higher Education (SACHED), he remained a staunch advocate for students in the tertiary sector. He was a mentor to hundreds of young writers, and was particularly generous as a member of the Wits community: encouraging students, giving talks and lectures, and participating in public readings on campus. His connection to the University is one of which we can be proud.

Chris van Wyks contribution to literature, to publishing, to education  indeed, to our countrys social, cultural and political history  is not easily measured. One might point to the awards and prizes he received: the Olive Schreiner Prize for poetry, the Maskew Miller Longman Award for childrens literature, the Sanlam Prize for short stories, a South African Literary Award for translation. These can, however, give only a vague indication of his significance and of his place in our literary pantheon.

When he passed away in 2014, South African literature lost a gentle giant and it is therefore befitting that the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg bestow an honorary degree on Christopher Van Wyk.
Poor coverage of floods in southern Africa? Blame the media bosses

Local media coverage of the havoc and destruction caused by Tropical Cyclone Idai has been very poor and shows that traditional media is dying.

South African media has been criticised on social media for its initially superficial and underwhelming coverage of the massive floods in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi in the wake of the devastating Tropical Cyclone Idai. Serious news consumers had to rely on foreign news sources instead of local media as the grim picture of the destruction  which included hundreds of deaths, flooding, disease and havoc to resources and infrastructure  started emerging.

In my view the criticism is valid. The coverage of the floods by South African media has been poor. In fact, Ive hardly seen a local journalists face from on the scene coverage.

Based on my experience of newsrooms, plus my research and as former co-ordinator/author of the annual State of the Newsroom report as well as presently co-ordinator of the Job Losses/New Beats project in South Africa  its clear that this is due to the fact that local newsrooms have been depleted of journalists. This, in turn, is because the media companies have not handled the transition to digitisation well.

But are journalists to blame? I would argue that people should scrutinise media companies rather than blame the profession. Those who criticise journalists tend to conflate media companies and the individuals who are the work horses in the newsroom. They are not the same thing.

This is happening all over the world where companies are clumsy in how they are handling the transition to digital. Its a disaster for democracy because the experience of trained journalists is lost and we have little context in reporting on events such as natural disasters as well as elections. You find that younger journalists dont have mentors to help them through reporting. Media companies are looking for profits by cutting the experienced journalists salaries and employing those who they can pay less.

What this shows is that traditional media is dying. It is also not fulfilling its mandate to be informative, to provide the facts and serve the public.

Whats gone wrong

Newsrooms have mainly become content producers made up of people who have technical capabilities such as producing videos and podcasts. Podcasts are good, but even there you need journalists who can ask the pertinent questions and do good intros and angles with context.

Editors are increasingly demanding that journalists stay indoors in the newsrooms so that they can do desk work to fill pages with content rather than to travel out on a breaking story. The main reason cited for this is that there isnt budget set aside for travel, which would include flights to Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi as well as accommodation and food.

Another factor is that newsrooms have been shrinking at an alarming rate. Conservative estimates in research to be published later this year show that South African newsrooms have shrunk by about half in the past decade. In 2007 there were about 10 000 journalists. Now there are about 5 000.

South Africa fits very much with the developed world global pattern of job losses in the traditional media sector. The losses are mainly in the senior category of journalists (40-60 year olds). In other words, those who are experienced.

The age-old practice of having journalists who are specialists  they write about specific fields such as science and education, also known as beat reporters  have all but disappeared. Other layers that have been removed from newsrooms included those responsible for editing articles and fact checking for accuracy. This explains the spike in mistakes in newspapers as well as online publications.

An aerial view shows damage from the flood waters after cyclone Idai made landfall in Sofala Province, Central Mozambique, 21 March 2019. EPA-EFE/Emidio Jozine

The issue of resources is a particularly big challenge when disasters are being covered. For example, its not possible simply to send one person. At the very least a team of two is needed  a camera person or photographer and a journalist. And resources and backup are needed  and journalists just do not get this support.

The role of social media

Social media is partly filling the gap left by traditional media. But not completely. Its also an arena for misinformation, malinformation (disinformation with malicious intent) propaganda and general falsehoods.

On top of this theres a great deal of hatred on social media. The latest and most worrying is cyber misogyny and the trolling and vilification of women, especially women journalists who are prominent, those who speak out and investigate corruption.

There are no checks and verification on social media. Anyone can post anything  unfiltered. Anyone can believe anything. Right wing movements and populism are growing  enabled by social media. Not because of social media but enabled by  these types are able to connect with each other and discuss strategies on how to kill, for example.

Its contrary to what we all thought 10 years ago, that social media would act as the equaliser, the leveller  everyone would have access. In fact, what has happened is that the promise of cheap broadband has not been rolled out, nor does everyone have a smart phone to be engaging in debates and discussions.

Social media has become more of a divider between rich and poor than ever. Its also a platform for great divisiveness.

This is a disaster for democracy. Media companies need to press the pause button to reflect on what they are doing. If they dont, it will cost democracy dearly.

The New Beats is an international research project based in Melbourne.

Glenda Daniels, Associate Professor in Media Studies, University of the Witwatersrand. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Chinese President Xi Jinping's first overseas visit in 2019 has elevated China's ties with Italy, Monaco and France to a new level, and injected new impetus into China-Europe comprehensive strategic partnership, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said.

When the world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, Xi's Europe tour, hailed by the international community, is dedicated to deepening partnership for cooperation, improving global governance, and upholding multilateralism, which shows China's sense of responsibility as a major country, Wang said.

In six days, the Chinese president attended over 40 events during his visit to five cities including Rome, Palermo, Monaco, Nice and Paris, Wang noted, adding that it is a trip of friendship, cooperation and exploration that has delivered fruitful results.

Friendship & Mutual Benefit

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the China-Italy comprehensive strategic partnership, and next year will witness the 50th anniversary of China-Italy diplomatic relations.

At meetings with Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, Xi agreed with them to further intensify high-level exchanges, consolidate political mutual trust, and elevate bilateral relations, Wang said.

This year marks the 55th anniversary of China-France diplomatic ties. During their meetings, Xi agreed with French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Edouard Philippe to forge a more solid, stable and vibrant China-France comprehensive strategic partnership, and continue to explore the way for major countries to get along with each other, which should feature independence, mutual understanding, foresight, mutual benefit and win-win outcomes, Wang said.

In the joint statement issued by China and France on jointly safeguarding multilateralism and improving global governance, the two sides pledged to build international relations of mutual respect, equality, justice, and win-win cooperation on the basis of respecting international laws and the basic principles of international norms, Wang said.

Speaking of Xi's visit to Monaco, Wang said leaders of the two countries have agreed to firmly stick to the correct direction of bilateral relations, adhere to openness and cooperation, and pursue more win-win results so as to jointly elevate the China-Monaco relations into a new era.

During Xi's talks with Prince Albert II, head of state of the Principality of Monaco, the Chinese president said both sides should adhere to openness and cooperation and pursue more win-win results, adding that China welcomes Monaco to actively participate in the joint development of the Belt and Road.

Building Belt & Road, Deepening Practical Cooperation

Wang hailed Italian government's forethought and pragmatism over its decision of endorsing the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), saying Xi and Mattarella agreed that China and Italy, which are at the two ends of the ancient Silk Road, are natural partners in constructing the Belt and Road.

Conte, according to Wang, said the BRI will bring great opportunities to Italy. He also agreed to attend the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation to be held in Beijing next month.

France is one of the earliest European countries that have expressed the willingness to take part in the BRI cooperation. During Xi's visit to France, the two countries signed agreements on the third round of the BRI-related demonstration projects in third-party markets and kicked off a third-party market fund, Wang said.

At the closing session of a global governance forum co-hosted by China and France, Macron said the BRI is significant and can play an important role in world peace, stability and development, adding that the EU could align its development strategy with the BRI in an innovative way and jointly promote Eurasian connectivity.

Promoting China-EU Ties

Following his visits to Spain and Portugal in late 2018, Xi came to Europe again in his first overseas trip this year, manifesting the great importance China attaches to Europe, Wang said.

In a world of unprecedented transformations, Xi noted that a stable, strategic and reciprocal China-EU relationship is urgently needed.

Wang said during his visit, Xi had in-depth communication with the European leaders to discuss cooperation in international issues and reached important consensus of adhering to multilateralism, and discarding isolationism and unilateral moves.

He also said Xi and the European leaders agreed to enhance coordination and cooperation within the UN system, give full play to the constructive role of global and regional multilateral mechanisms such as the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and Group of 20 and the EU, and actively contribute to solving international conflicts, combating climate change and promoting sustainable development.

In his keynote speech at the global governance forum, Xi raised "four deficits" in global affairs including governance deficit, trust deficit, peace deficit and development deficit. To address these deficits, he proposed a four-pronged approach of fairness and reasonableness, consultation and understanding, joint efforts and mutual assistance and mutual benefit and win-win results.

It is advisable to pursue an innovation-driven, well-coordinated and inter-connected, and fair and inclusive approach and forge a growth model of vitality, a cooperation model of openness and win-win results, and a development model of balance and common benefits, so that people from across the world could share the benefits of economic globalization, Xi said.

Shared Opportunities

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Wang said.

During his visit, Xi, based on China's just-concluded Two Sessions earlier this month, illustrated to the European leaders the fine performances of the Chinese economy which had overcome multiple challenges in 2018.

Wang said Xi also introduced the newly-adopted foreign investment law, emphasizing that it is necessary to use legal means to better protect intellectual property rights and attract foreign investment.

Xi pointed out that China will continue to push forward all-round reform and opening-up, promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, so that European friends can better share China's development opportunities.

The European leaders said they are glad to see a greater development in China, and the EU welcomes China's willingness to share its development opportunities.

Chinese enterprises are welcome to invest in European countries, said the European leaders, adding that they will not adopt restrictive measures against specific companies, and are willing to provide a fair, open and transparent business environment for all foreign enterprises.

During the visit, Peng Liyuan, Xi's wife, also attended a number of events aimed at deepening cultural and educational exchanges between China and the European nations.

As a special envoy of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for the advancement of girls' and women's education, Peng was invited to visit the headquarters of the UNESCO in Paris.

Wang said Peng's visit highlighted China's image of a hardworking, responsible major country that actively participates in international education, gender equality and other affairs.

(Source: Xinhua)
Tibet residents peruse a book of group portraits of 100 of the autonomous region's families going back four generations. The book was unveiled on Wednesday in Lhasa. [Photo/for China Daily by lobsang]

Sixty years ago, serfs and slaves did not even have the right to subsistence, let alone the right to pursue their development, Norbu Dondrup, vice-chairman of the region, said at a news conference in Beijing.

A white paper, Democratic Reform in Tibet  Sixty Years On, was also released on Wednesday by the State Council Information Office.

Before 1959, Tibet had been a society of feudal serfdom under theocratic rule for centuries. Millions of serfs and slaves were subject to cruel exploitation and oppression. By abolishing serfdom, Tibet was able to establish a new social system that liberated the people and made them the masters of the nation and society, ensuring their rights in all matters, the document said.

Norbu Dondrup said the 14th Dalai Lama's attack on the human rights situation in today's Tibet has ulterior motives. "As for some countries criticizing our human rights, they either don't know the real situation or believe the rumors from the Dalai clique," he said.

Even as they were aware that feudal serfdom under theocracy was coming to an end, the 14th Dalai Lama and the reactionaries in Tibet's upper class  officials, aristocrats and high-ranked lamas in monasteries  had no desire for reform, the white paper said.

Instead, they tried to maintain the system for fear that reform would deprive them of their political and religious privileges, together with their huge economic benefits, it said.

On March 10, 1959, some members of the ruling class staged an armed rebellion in an attempt to perpetuate theocratic feudal serfdom. The rebellion triggered the start of democratic reform. After the rebellion had been foiled, the 14th Dalai Lama soon fled to India.

"The so-called government-in-exile set up by the Dalai clique is illegal and invalid. It is not recognized by any country in the world," Norbu Dondrup said, adding that Tibet has always been an inseparable part of China.

Tibetan people can now enjoy good healthcare services, which were exclusively provided to the upper class before democratic reform. Their average life expectancy has increased to 68.2 years from 35.5 in 1959, Ren Jingdong, deputy director of the regional development and reform commission, said at the news conference.

(Source: China Daily)
Mao Xin, a Chinese dance teacher, takes a photo with one of her students in Prague, capital of the Czech Republic. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Mao Xin has been only too busy since she arrived in Prague three months ago to teach dance in the capital of the Czech Republic.

Mao, 33, is a dance teacher at Harbin Children's Palace, a community artistic center in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. Early this year she began a two-year project assigned by the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council to support dance education at the Chinese International School of Prague.

"The school in Prague has enrolled overseas Chinese students. As the school gradually expanded, the school headmaster decided to start an arts troupe," Mao said.

Mao has a class of 70 students. "The lessons focus on Chinese folk dance, such as Uygur and Tibetan dance. I hope the children can learn more about China and Chinese culture," she said.

She also gives Chinese lessons to local residents. During Spring Festival, Mao taught her students to write couplets in calligraphy and the Chinese character fu, which means happiness in Chinese.

"At the Spring Festival party, I performed a northeast-characteristic handkerchief dance, which drew loud cheers from both Chinese and Czechs in the audience," she said. "I was really happy that I could bring Chinese culture and art here."

Mao also spends her spare time studying Czech at a language course set up at Charles University in Prague.

"I hope I can integrate into the local social life and spread Chinese culture better," she said.

Mao Xin gives dance lessons to Chinese children at Chinese International School of Prague. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Mao Xin gives dance lessons to Chinese children at Chinese International School of Prague. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Mao Xin, a Chinese dance teacher, takes a photo with her Czechic students in Prague, capital of the Czech Republic. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

(Source: China Daily)
Visiting teacher Wu Minglan asks students at a local primary school in Liupanshui, Guizhou Province for a show of hands during class. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The long summer and winter vacations during which teachers can recharge their batteries and prepare for a new semester is certainly a perk. But Wu Minglan, a primary school teacher in Liupanshui City, Guizhou Province, has certainly not seen it that way for the past seven years.

Wu, a Chinese teacher at Liupanshui Experimental Primary School, has been devoting her spare time to finding out the pressing social needs of people by conducting door-to-door surveys and drafting proposals for the National People's Congress since she was selected as an NPC deputy in 2013.

"I try to strike a balance between instructing the students and following up on people's urgent demands," says Wu, 49, who was re-elected last year.

She just proposed at the two sessions that the government expand maternity leave for female workers and come up with more favorable policies for families with two or more children. She came up with the idea after some of her colleagues at school talked about the challenges and hardships they faced after giving birth to their second child.

Her proposal was the result of a survey of over 60 families with a second child, and focused on how the new arrival influenced the parents' lives.

"I mainly interviewed the parents of my students as they are from various walks of life, and I found that they usually became upset when facing a doubled economic load and more pressure at work," says Wu, adding that she feels a great need to call on the government to help these families go through this period of disequilibrium.

As a primary school teacher, she always concerns herself with the development of compulsory education and the well-being of students in Southwest China's rural areas.

In 2013, when she volunteered to train teachers at a primary school in Liupanshui's Luome village, she was surprised to see that these rural teachers always rushed to the canteen after class without marking papers or giving individual attention to students.

And after investigating the matter she was shocked to discover that these teachers also doubled up as school cooks and often searched for pig breeders in nearby villages at night to purchase fresh, reasonably priced pork for the children.

"They told me that the food subsidies that the school got at that time were insufficient to hire someone to work exclusively in the canteen and at the same time provide students with good meals," recalls Wu.

She says although the country started its "nutritional lunch project" by providing an allowance of 3 yuan ($0.45) a day per student to ensure quality food for students in compulsory education early in 2011, the funding was not enough for schools in remote places.

"So, because of a tight budget, some teachers were asked to cook in the school canteen in order to cut costs," says Wu, who later made a proposal at the two sessions in March 2014, suggesting that the government increase the free lunch project subsidies.

Now, most primary schools and junior high schools in Guizhou are able to afford a nutritious lunch that includes three dishes and a soup every day, according to Zou Lianke, director of the provincial education department.

Besides her raising the issues of people in need at the two sessions, Wu also keeps a close watch on how the problems are resolved after the annual event.

In 2015, she was the first to propose that heating systems should be installed in classrooms at high altitude in western China.

"In winter, students usually suffer from chilblains and terrible coughs due to the freezing and damp weather in western China," says Wu. "So, it's really imperative to address the problem."

The government of Shuicheng county in Liupanshui city was then inspired to take action the following year.

And at the start of last year, a central heating system was set up to cover 12 schools and kindergartens in the county's downtown area, benefiting over 22,300 students.

Also, to enable more students benefit from the heating project, Wu is now trying to persuade local officials to do a survey and expand the coverage of the project.

"If there's one less child suffering from the cold, I will feel a bit better," she says. "Making positive changes for the people and society is a source of happiness for me."

[Photo provided to China Daily]

(Source: China Daily)
More than 200 million migrants relocate each year globally, according to a study posted on Oxford Scholarship Online.

About 500,000 arrive in the United States annually. Many of them are from families who have adopted transnational lifestyles after settling in their new country - often after their children are born.

According to a paper published by Oxford Scholarship Online, it is believed that every year in large urban centers in the US and Canada a significant number of infants and toddlers experience separations from their parents.

The paper, Satellite Babies, Costs and Benefits of Culturally Driven Parent-Infant Separations in North American Immigrant Families, states, "They are sent to live with extended family in the family's country of origin, a tradition that is often culturally sanctioned."

In 1999, The New York Times reported that up to 20 percent of some 1,500 babies born at the New York Chinatown Health Center were sent to China.

In 2009, a survey of 219 New York immigrant mothers from Fujian province found that 57 percent intended to separate from their infants as they needed to return to work because of a lack of access to childcare.

Two years later, a study of Chinese immigrants in New York indicated that more than 70 percent may have sent infants to China.

Researchers have found evidence that immigrant children who are separated from their parents are more prone to depression, low self-esteem and behavioral problems.

Young people in these studies, who joined their parents after several years of separation, were at greater risk of "internalizing disorders" due to the loss of relationships in China, loneliness and disappointed expectations upon arrival in the US.

More recently, the authors conducted a study examining stress and well-being among Chinese immigrant families in Boston's Chinatown by interviewing 30 parents in the area. Twenty-seven of them sent their children to China for child-care, and three had strongly considered doing so.

The interviews explored parents' motivations for sending their children to China, the experience of separation and reunion, their thoughts on the long-term consequences of separation and advice they had for other parents.

The interviews highlighted the difficulties children faced on being reunited with their parents in the US after prolonged separation.

These include being confused about the situation, missing their primary caregivers in China, adjusting to mothers and fathers who have a different parenting style to their relatives, and adapting to new siblings and different food, language and educational environments.

Parents interviewed for the study reported that more difficulties arose with longer separations. Many regretted missing their children's early stages of development and felt that their relationships were more distant compared with other children who were not sent to China.

When children returned to the US, parents had to adjust their schedules, with many mothers stopping work to care for them. Parents also felt they had to correct "bad habits" the children learned in China, and attempted to establish intimate emotional bonds with their children after long separations.

To help overcome difficulties when they are reunited, the researchers said it is important to consider that a child is separated from primary caregivers twice - first from parents and then from grandparents or other relatives.

When children are due to be reunited with their parents soon, the researchers said it may help if both the parents and grandparents prepare the children for this by giving them a sense of what to expect and engaging them in an honest dialogue about the situation.

(Source: China Daily)
First Minister Questions: Call For Investigation Into Possible Ministerial Code Breach

This article is old - Published: Thursday, Mar 28th, 2019

The below is the another in our now regular summaries of this weeks First Minister Questions session from Cardiff Bay. First Minister Questions takes place every Tuesday when the Assembly is sitting and can be watched live via Senedd.tv

For those who have never ventured onto the Senedd site, you can view the session the below was taken from here, that displays a video of the meeting (along with creation of your own clips!) plus by clicking the meeting information and papers link you are able to view all the supporting documentation, along with a link to the full transcript.

Wrexham did not appear to get a mention this week.

Public procurement not fit for purpose

Leader of the Opposition, Paul Davies AM (Con, Preseli Pembs.) focused his attention on the Welsh Governments public procurement record. In 2017, just 150million was spent through the National Procurement Service (NPS) compared to a target of 1billion. The NPS was even unable to repay a 5.9million Welsh Government loan. Why has NPS failed so badly and why were the Welsh Government dithering and kicking another decision into the long grass on its long-term replacement.

The First Minister said public procurement was under review and a slimmed-down NPS was one part of that, but he rejected dreary old tropes:

Well, its a dreary old trope that the Member offers us week after week. I can assure Members that the review of the NPS has been led by the people who use that service.We do that precisely in order to

make sure that local economies are able to take advantage of public procurement, as we move to a situation where it is not the cheapest price, but the greatest value in the round for public expenditure that we get from the 6 billion worth of public expenditure that is carried out in this way each year.

 First Minister, Mark Drakeford (Lab, Cardiff West)

Did Dafydd Elis-Thomas breach the Ministerial Code?

Plaid Cymru leader, Adam Price AM (Plaid, Carms. E. & Dinwfwr) brought up the recent row over the appointment of a new head of the National Library, particularly whether the post-holder had to be a Welsh-speaker:

.its become apparent that the (Deputy Minister for Culture, Dafydd-Elis Thomas) has opposed making Welsh language a requirement for the post of national librarian, contrary to your own governments policy. E-mails between the Welsh Government and the national library.confirm that the Government had tried to make a deal in terms of the national broadcast archive, to bring pressure to bear on the library authorities not to make the Welsh language a requirement for the post.

 Adam Price AM

A month later, the money for the broadcast archive was in the balance (though an agreement has since been reached), the question was asked did this inappropriate influence constitute a breach of the Ministerial Code and Nolan Principles on Public Life?

The First Minister disagreed,Instead of relying on random notes of telephone conversations, lets look to see what actually happened in this instance. The outcome that we have for the National Library for Wales is that we have a new national librarian who is a fluent Welsh speaker and competent to do the job. Thats what we actually have. And we have a new broadcasting archive located at the national library. That seems to me. Those two facts appear to me to be far more powerful and testament to the way in which the Government has conducted this than the Members reliance on delving, as ever, far into the weeds of a matter rather than being able to recognise its substance.

Adam Price AM replied: disgraceful response from the First Minister to a perfectly valid question, which asked just for an adjudication from him. According to the code, we do have a right to ask him for a decision. Hes made his position clear, and Im sure that we will return to this issue when more details emerge.

Social media companies responsible for clamping down on abuse of women online



This afternoon was also an opportunity for AMs to put questions to Deputy Minister without portfolio, Jane Hutt (Lab, Vale of Glamorgan).

Joyce Watson AM (Lab, Mid & West Wales) raised the issue of abuse of women online. A recent review found that female politicians were disproportionate targets for such abuse, which she said was cowardly and detrimental to efforts to encourage women into public life.

Leanne Wood AM (Plaid, Rhondda) later described it as an epidemic and something she has personal experience of  though research suggests it now affects younger women to a greater extent than older women. Did the government agree that it should be recorded as a form of gender-based abuse?

The Deputy Minister said it was critical social media companies were properly held to account and she would tell the UK Ministers responsible to properly engage with them as its a non-devolved matter; We cannot afford to let the bullies win and the Welsh Governments position is that abuse of candidates and holders of public office was intolerable, as was intimidation of voters.



Keep up to date with what is going on in the Senedd via SeneddHome.com





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Residents claim plans to increase poultry plants production limit to a million chickens a week could cause road accidents

This article is old - Published: Thursday, Mar 28th, 2019

Plans by a poultry plant near Wrexham to increase the number of chickens it processes to a million a week could cause more road accidents, a hearing has been told.

Maelor Foods launched an appeal after proposals to increase the number of birds it can process for meat at its factory in Cross Lanes were rejected by councillors in Wrexham on two occasions.

The application to up the current limit of 400,000 birds a week was made as the firm looks to expand operations at the 20m facility to meet demand.

Around 70 people gathered at Wrexham Memorial Hall yesterday for a public hearing, including a large number of residents from the village and other communities who wanted to voice their objections.

Planning inspector Hywel Wyn Jones said the main issues to be considered were the impact on road safety and the living conditions of residents.

According to figures put forward by the company, the changes would increase the number of lorries visiting the site from four an hour up to 12.

People living nearby have claimed it will also lead to a rise in collisions at the junction between the A525 and Pickhill Lane, potentially putting lives at risk.

Stuart Richards, a farmer who lives in Cross Lanes, said: Over the years weve had loads of people crashing, some wagons and some cars.

Theres a likelihood that if theres a crash on that road its probably going to be someone in this room who uses it all the time.

If I am ever the first person out to a fatal accident because of that factory, I would say that the risk would be on anyones head whos agreed that the junction is acceptable for big wagons to go over the middle line on a very fast stretch of road.

Many residents have also expressed concerns about the smell generated by the site, as well as being kept awake at night by the noise from lorries carrying chickens.

Geoff Dutton, who lives opposite, said: The vehicle movements at two, three and four in the morning continually wake us up every week day.

Sometimes they come one after the other, which we find totally unacceptable.

In response to the issues raised, Maelor Foods bosses said if permission was granted by the inspector they would carry out road improvements, including widening the junction.

The plans would also see the company take on the former Lloyd Fraser haulage site next door to help manage lorries moving in and out.

Acting on behalf of the firm, planning lawyer Stuart Andrews said: The need for 24/7 operation is a product of the use of the site. The issues as to highway safety and the function of the surrounding roads havent given rise to any issues.

The contribution of noise impact and associated concerns have to be seen in the context of the flow of activity in the general locality.

He said that odour issues were a matter which needed to be dealt with by Natural Resources Wales.

The firm added that the expansion of the facility would create a minimum of 80 new jobs and benefit the local economy.

Speaking on behalf of 21 farmers who supply Maelor Foods, Elaine Rees Jones, who runs a poultry farm based in Pentrefoelas, Conwy, said it would also help to sustain their businesses.

She said: May I convey our disappointment and disbelief that this expansion proposal has come to an appeal.

For us as farming families, the poultry sector is the heart of our business and allows us to safeguard our own familys future, employment and many directly employed staff members.

Poultry being a non-subsidised platform removes our reliance on government support and we are also meeting the demand of the UK population as they continue to demand chicken meat in ever increasing numbers.

The objections raised by residents were supported by both the MP and AM for Clwyd South.

Ken Skates and Susan Elan Jones recently met with campaigners to offer their backing and also made written submissions to the inspector.

Mr Skates said: I have previously made formal representations to Wrexham Council in support of my constituents to register their objections, which include fears that heavy traffic on the extremely busy A525 will be exacerbated to dangerous levels and unpleasant odours which spreads for miles around.

With production set to more than double, it is easy to see why people living close to the plant fear these problems will only get worse.

Mr Wyn Jones said he would make his decision on the appeal known at a future date.

By Liam Randall  BBC Local Democracy Reporter (more here on the LDR scheme).



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Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-27 21:37:15|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong (R), who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, shakes hands with visiting Sultan of Brunei Haji Hassanal Bolkiah in Hanoi, Vietnam, March 27, 2019. Vietnam and Brunei decided here Wednesday to upgrade their bilateral relations to the comprehensive partnership. (Xinhua/VNA)

HANOI, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam and Brunei decided here Wednesday to upgrade their bilateral relations to the comprehensive partnership.

The decision was made at the meeting between General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President Nguyen Phu Trong and visiting Sultan of Brunei Haji Hassanal Bolkiah.

The two leaders stressed that the establishment of the comprehensive partnership renews motivation to enhance bilateral collaboration in a more effective and practical manner, especially in politics, defense, security, trade, investment, education, and people-to-people diplomacy, Vietnam News Agency reported.

Both sides agreed to strive for 500 million U.S. dollars in two-way trade at an early date, through trade and investment promotion as well as business connectivity activities.

Following their meeting, they issued a joint declaration on the establishment of the Vietnam-Brunei comprehensive partnership and witnessed the signing of a government-level memorandum of understanding on the use of a hotline to deal with illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

Also on Wednesday, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc met with Sultan of Brunei Haji Hassanal Bolkiah.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 01:18:29|Editor: yan

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NAIROBI, March 27 (Xinhua) -- The Africa Netpreneur Prize Initiative (ANPI) backed by co-founder of Alibaba Group Jack Ma was on Wednesday launched in Kenya to help boost Sino-Africa ties, organizers said.

Sam Gichuru CEO of Nailab, which is the continental and Eastern Africa partner of the ANPI, told journalists in Nairobi that the competition was designed for Africans doing business in Africa.

"The initiative will help to further cement Sino-Africa ties because it shows that China is a close partner of Africa and is concerned about playing a role in lifting people out of poverty through entrepreneurship," Gichuru said.

The online application for ANPI was launched simultaneously in Nigeria, Egpyt, Kenya and South Africa.

The prize competition for African entrepreneurs was founded by the Jack Ma Foundation and for the next 10 years, the ANPI will host an annual pitch competition across Africa culminating in a finale where 10 finalists will compete for 1 million dollars.

Gichuru said that the prize seeks to support and reward entrepreneurs in all sectors of the economy who have a huge positive impact in their communities.

"In order to be inclusive, women and youth entrepreneurs are also encouraged to apply in order to get a chance to win the grants," he added.

He observed that ANPI will officially begin collecting applications starting from March 27 up to the June 30.

Gichuru said that the 10 finalists of the competition will also receive mentorship from the Netpreneur community of African business leaders on how to scale up their businesses.

The ANPI will seek to create a community of about 100 young African entrepreneurs who will receive a total of 1 billion shillings (about 10 million U.S. dollars) grants by 2030.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 01:58:45|Editor: Li Xia

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TUNIS, March 27 (Xinhua) -- "I happen to come across a big strike during my holiday in Tunisia, but I cherish the unique experience because of the lovely Tunisian people," said Zhang Haiou, a tourist from Beijing, capital of China.

Zhang told Xinhua that she came to Tunisia for a self-guided one-week tour with her friends in February. Their return flight to Beijing was cancelled because of a local big strike. However, their Tunisian driver Lutfe invited them to his home in the coastal city of Hammamet in eastern Tunisia.

Zhang's panic gradually faded away when more than 20 family members, old and young, from Lutfe's home warmly welcomed them, preparing dozens of dishes, various sweets and tea.

The unexpected experience enabled Zhang to find that the family values of the Tunisians are quite similar to those of the Chinese.

"They respect the elderly, and all brothers and sisters help each other and get along well," Zhang said.

"The harmonious family reunion makes me recall my childhood with my family," she added.

Tunisia, a North African country, boasts a history of more than 3,000 years. Bordering the Sahara desert and the Mediterranean Sea, the country is renowned for its rich tourism resources.

Tunisia has become an increasingly popular destination for the Chinese tourists, with 27,900 Chinese arrivals in Tunisia in 2018, according to data from Tunisian government.

Tunisia began to offer visa-free entry to the Chinese tourists in 2017, the year that saw the number of Chinese tourists rocket to around 20,000 from 12,000 in 2016.

The increasing number of Chinese tourists also brings opportunities for local Tunisians. Najwah, a Tunisian college student, has worked as a part-time waiter in a Chinese restaurant for over one year.

"Gradually I get in touch with many Chinese tourists. Through talks with them, I become quite interested in the Chinese culture," said Najwah.

The Tunisian girl said she will choose a job with the Chinese elements after graduation.

The number of local Tunisians dining in the Chinese restaurant already exceeded that of Chinese tourists, said Huang Cong, the Chinese manager of the private-owned restaurant.

"At first, our main target is Chinese tourist groups as I didn't expect that Tunisians love Chinese dishes so much," said Huang.

Most Tunisian customers would like to know the Chinese pronunciation of each dish, such as Kung Pao Chicken, and try to use Chinese chopsticks, according to Huang.

Wang Wenbin, Chinese ambassador to Tunisia, said tourism is one of the prioritized sectors of cooperation between China and Tunisia.

Karim Jatlaoui, representative of Tunisian National Tourism Office Beijing Bureau, expected the number of the Chinese tourists to Tunisia to increase to 50,000 by 2020.

According to the Tunisian Ministry of Tourism and Handicrafts, Tunisia endeavors to draw more Chinese tourists by upgrading payment methods, setting up Chinese logos, launching direct flights, and running more Chinese restaurants, to make Chinese visitors' trips in Tunisia more convenient and enjoyable.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 02:28:54|Editor: yan

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NEW YORK, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Teahouse, a masterpiece written by Chinese novelist and dramatist Lao She, has been adapted into an immersive, bilingual play and staged recently in New York City by the Princeton Chinese Theatre (PCT).

The play, which premiered at the weekend in New York City, explores the vicissitudes of modern Chinese society in one special venue -- a small teahouse.

About a third of the audience were invited to be seated with the performers on the stage, acting as guests of the teahouse, talking with supporting characters, and being truly immersed in the play.

Changshuo Liu, director of the play, told Xinhua that PCT selected and adapted Teahouse into an immersive, bilingual play because the story happened during a time when there was strong collision of eastern and western culture.

"We can see many characters in the play were influenced by western culture," and "we were able to include English lines in the play appropriately" to reflect their dispositions and to allow more English-speaking audience to enjoy the show, said Liu, a student at the Department of Mathematics, Princeton University.

Jointly presented by PCT, China Institute, and Future China Initiative at Columbia University, the play not only enables Chinese audiences in New York City to renew their memories about their home country, but also introduces the Chinese masterpiece to foreign audience.

All cast members of Teahouse are from Princeton University or Princeton community, with most of them Princeton students enthusiastic about drama. The play offers a wonderful opportunity for them to access Chinese culture and literature.

"It was fun when we rehearse the play, as we said we welcome all ethnicity background when we recruit members...We have been flexible in casting, (no matter they are) Asian Americans or internationals. Even though some of them are not so good at Chinese, I'm not so good at English, we are compatibly working together," Liu said with excitement.

"PCT will stage more plays like this with bilingual lines to make sure that the audience with different background understand and accept," said Liu, adding that "the content will be based on Chinese culture."

The play is also in commemoration of the 120th anniversary of the Chinese literary master Lao She's birth.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 02:54:00|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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Rosemary DiCarlo (front), United Nations Under Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, addresses a Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East (Syria), at the UN headquarters in New York, March 27, 2019. The top United Nations political official told the Security Council on Wednesday that the Secretary-General had concerns about the situation in Idlib in recent weeks amid escalating violence. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

UNITED NATIONS, March 27 (Xinhua) -- The top United Nations political official told the Security Council on Wednesday that the Secretary-General had concerns about the situation in Idlib in recent weeks amid escalating violence.

"We've seen reports of exchanges of artillery and mortars; of airstrikes, some reported to have hit civilian targets, causing civilian casualties and further displacement of tens of thousands," said Rosemary DiCarlo, UN Under Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, during her briefing to a meeting of the 15-member Security Council on the situation in the Middle East.

There are reports of rocket attacks and cross-line raids by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) which have resulted in casualties among government soldiers and civilians, she added. The HTS was considered as a terrorist movement by Turkey, Russia and the United States.

Idlib has been in a state of lawlessness and the humanitarian situation across the country remains dire. Turkey and Russia brokered a deal in September to impose a demilitarized zone in Idlib and its surrounding areas. However, the deal wasn't fully implemented as the HTS was supposed to withdraw from the zone but it didn't.

The United Nations is worried about the strain this escalation has placed on the Memorandum of Understanding between Russia and Turkey that, since September 2018, has largely contained the scope of military operations in the area, said DiCarlo.

In order to maintain the cease-fire deal, Turkey and Russia recently started coordinated patrols in and around Idlib. DiCarlo hoped it will help avoid further escalation in the northwest, and she urged them to uphold their agreed arrangements for Idlib and press all concerned to halt violence and stabilize a dangerous situation.

DiCarlo also called on the guarantors to work together to address the issue of Security Council-listed terrorist groups in full compliance with international humanitarian law.

Last week, the Syrian Democratic Forces, backed by the U.S.-led international coalition, proclaimed the capture of Baghouz, the last remaining territory held by the Islamic State in Syria.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 03:54:15|Editor: Li Xia

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BEIRUT, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Norwegian Ambassador to Lebanon Lene Natasha Lindt said Wednesday that her country will continue supporting Lebanon's education ministry to enable it to provide education services to Syrian refugees and to Lebanese students in public schools, local media reported.

"We should increase visits between the two countries and bilateral meetings with the ministry to boost our support for the assistance program and work on improving the quality of education," Lindt was quoted as saying by the National News Agency.

Her remarks came during her meeting with Lebanese Education Minister Akram Chehayeb.

Lindt said this move is important for both the future of Syria and the Lebanese society.

Meanwhile, Chehayeb said Lebanon appreciates Norway's support for the Lebanese education ministry while adding that Norway ranks fifth on the list of countries that offer support to Lebanon in the education sector for Syrian refugees.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 03:59:16|Editor: yan

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GENEVA, March 27 (Xinhua) -- A new study released Wednesday jointly by the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the International Organization of Employers (IOE) finds that global businesses need innovation and flexibility to face major changes as job providers.

The skills gap is a significant issue, with 78 percent of corporate executives saying schools are failing to meet future employers' needs, according to the research conducted by the ILO, IOE and the Bureau for Employers' Activities (ACT/EMP).

IOE Secretary-General Roberto Suarez Santos said, "The report confirms that companies, together with business and employer organizations, that embrace connectivity and digitalization will be the winners in this competitive landscape."

The report, Changing Business and Opportunities for Employer and Business Organizations, said that businesses cannot meet the challenges alone and should develop common solutions through Employer and Business Membership Organizations (EBMOs).

The report identifies trends radically altering global business models.

They are regardless of size, sector or location along with technological innovation, global economic integration, climate change and sustainability, demographic and generational shifts, and a global shortage of skilled labor.

"Technological innovation is by far the most influential trend, and is fundamentally changing the way companies add value to products and services," said ACT/EMP Director Deborah France-Massin.

"At the same time, we find that the greater penetration of technology increases the demand for 'human' skills such as creativity, problem-solving, communication and collaboration."

In the survey, 56 percent of respondents identified technological innovation as the global trend having the greatest overall impact on business.

Global economic integration is increasing the harmonization of global corporate governance, tax/regulatory and business environments, which is having an enormous impact on companies.

Some 37 percent of executives mentioned increasing exposure to global economic and political uncertainty as a significant trend.

In Europe, 62 percent of companies in Asia 58 percent, reported that a declining working-age population would have a large impact on their business.

For Latin America and the Caribbean 45 percent and in Africa 39 percent in Africa of businesses, indicated the youth bulge would have a considerable impact on them.

SMEs (small- and medium-sized enterprises) are the most active supporters of changes in the skills agenda, with 84 percent of small businesses supporting updating education systems to meet skills needs.

The role employers and business organizations will play in these coming changes is a crucial element of the debate around the future of work included in the report.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 04:24:22|Editor: yan

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KAMPALA, March 27 (Xinhua) -- At least six people were killed on spot and five others critically injured in a Wednesday road accident in the northern Ugandan district of Dokolo, a police spokesperson in the region said.

David Ongom, North Kyoga regional police spokesperson, told Xinhua by telephone that a driver of Toyota Noah attempted to overtake a commuter taxi at a high speed, knocking it from behind before crashing along the Dokolo - Amolatar road.

He said six people aboard the Noah died on spot and five passengers traveling in the commuter taxi sustained injuries.

The two vehicles were traveling from Lira to Amolatar district to take passengers to catch a ferry at Namasale landing site.

The spokesperson said the injured were rushed to hospitals. "Most of the injured persons have fractures. Most of them would survive as they are receiving treatment."

Ongom warned drivers to avoid reckless driving and speeding, which are the major causes of road carnage in the East African nation.

Uganda registers about 20,000 accidents each year, with some 2,000 deaths, making it one of the countries with the highest traffic death rates, according to police statistics.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 04:39:27|Editor: yan

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KHARTOUM, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Sudanese First Vice-President Awad Mohamed Ahmed Ibn Auf will lead his country's delegation to the Arab summit, scheduled to be held in Tunisia at the end of March, Sudan Tribune reported.

"Sudan is keen on attending the Arab event, to take place on March 30 and 31, out of its commitment to Arab causes," Sudan's Foreign Minister Al-Dirdiri Mohamed Ahmed was quoted as saying.

He explained that the summit will discuss support for peace and development in Sudan and the recent U.S. decision on the Golan Heights.

Issues of developing the national Arab security, combating terrorism and human trafficking and the current political situation in the Arab region will also be on the agenda of the summit, he said.

He said that Ibn Auf will meet with a number of Arab leaders on the sidelines of the summit.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 04:49:29|Editor: yan

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GENEVA, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Worsening international conditions are forecast to negatively impact Switzerland's export-driven economy, with the Swiss Economic Institute (KOF) saying Wednesday it is lowering its outlook for this year.

"Brexit uncertainty, economic slowdown in China, downturn in the euro area: the Swiss economy is operating in a tough environment. KOF is lowering its forecast for GDP growth in 2019 from 1.6 percent to 1.0 percent," said the institute affiliated to the Swiss university ETH Zurich in a press release.

However, the latest outlook for 2020 remains virtually unchanged with a growth of 2.1 percent.

"The economic slowdown is likely to continue in China too. Although the outlook for the United States remains sound, the partial shutdown of the U.S. federal government has depressed business activity appreciably in the first quarter of 2019," said KOF.

The Swiss export industry is expected to suffer from worsening international conditions, said the institute.

Real wages are set to grow modestly by 0.4 percent in 2019, further depressing consumer spending, said KOF.

The KOF outlook is in line with forecasts from other economic experts, reported Swissinfo, the website of the national broadcaster.

The government's State Secretariat for Economic Affairs has adjusted its spring forecast to 1 percent from 1.5 percent, while the independent research institute, BAK Economics, and economists at UBS bank trimmed their estimates to 1.1 percent and 0.9 percent respectively for 2019.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 07:30:51|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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People gather around an overturned bus in Bangalore, India, March 27, 2019. More than 20 people were injured when a bus overturned as it was climbing a flyover in Bangalore. (Xinhua/Stringer)
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 07:34:57|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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by Xinhua writers Gu Zhenqiu, Gui Tao

LONDON, March 27 (Xinhua) -- British MPs on Wednesday voted against all eight alternatives to Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal, meaning a failure in the legislature to find consensus on how to replace the unpopular withdrawal agreement.

None of eight indicative votes gains majority, with customs union option coming closest. The Brexit deadlock will hang on in the country as lawmakers fail to find a majority for an alternative to May's Brexit deal.

The voting, which is aimed at breaking the current Brexit deadlock, took place after MPs voted to take control of Wednesday's parliamentary business.

The vote results, which just confirmed the delay of Brexit date to April 12 or May 22, did not build on the consensus on how to push forward the stalled Brexit process.

The British government had already agreed, under international law, with the European Union (EU) for an extension to quitting the regional bloc until at least April 12.

All major differences remain unchanged over how the country will leave the EU. However, one thing is for sure: Brexit will not happen on March 29, the original departure date.

At least 30 Tory hardline Eurosceptics were later said to still be opposed to May's deal, news reports said here. If true, it would still appear difficult for the prime minister to get her deal across the line.

The Democratic Unionist Party, which props up May's minority government, still showed no sign of falling in line to support her.

Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the opposition Labour Party, criticized Wednesday the government for being "chaotic" and "incompetent" in the face of the Brexit impasse.

It was hoped that Wednesday's parliamentary votes would establish a path towards the UK's divorce from the EU. However, the deadlock remained as none of the suggestions secured a clear majority on Wednesday night.

After the Wednesday vote, the British Brexit secretary, Stephen Barclay, said the results strengthened the government's view that May's Brexit deal was the best and only way forward.

On the lack of a majority for any of the eight alternatives put to the vote on Wednesday, he said, "It demonstrates that there is no easy option here, that there is no easy way forward."

After long debate in the House of Commons, most of British lawmakers reject a second Brexit referendum and the no-deal Brexit, which is also the last thing the EU is willing to see.

Earlier Wednesday, May told MPs that she will quit as prime minister if the British parliament backs her Brexit plan, which was voted down twice by large margins in the parliament since January.

In appealing to Tory MPs to support her Brexit deal, the prime minister said that she will step down earlier than planned.

Her offer to stand down came in response to calls from a number of her backbenchers for her to name the date of her departure in return for their help in pushing the deal through the parliament.

The delay is intended to get more time to bridge gaps among major British Brexit players, but the tactics may need to be changed to break the Brexit deadlock.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 08:15:02|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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UNITED NATIONS, March 27 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Wednesday adopted a resolution to renew the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) until March 31, 2020.

Under Resolution 2461, UNSOM will continue to provide strategic support and advice to the federal government of Somalia and the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) on peacebuilding and state-building.

The resolution requested UNSOM to maintain and strengthen its presence in all of the federal member states of Somalia.

It underlined the importance of UNSOM's political and technical support, as well as operational and logistical support, in collaboration with the UN Support Office in Somalia, to the federal government of Somalia for the delivery of "inclusive, peaceful, free and fair one-person-one-vote elections in 2020/2021.

It urged the federal government of Somalia and the federal member states to accelerate implementation of key security sector reforms, including a coherent national security architecture.

The resolution condemned continued violations and abuses against children, including the continued recruitment and use of children, rape and sexual violence and abduction, especially by Al-Shabaab in Somalia, urging all parties to the conflict to take appropriate measures to end and prevent further such violations and abuses.

Meanwhile, the resolution called on Somalia to consider the adverse implications of climate change, other ecological changes and natural disasters, among other factors, including by undertaking risk assessments and risk management strategies relating to these factors.

UNSOM was established on June 3, 2013 by the Security Council, following a comprehensive assessment of the United Nations in support of the establishment of the Federal Government of Somalia.

The mandate of UNSOM was subsequently renewed multiple times by Security Council resolutions.

The current mandate of UNSOM is valid until March 31, 2019.
The Rhodes Scholarship, a century-old scholarship program founded at the University of Oxford, regards recruiting Chinese students as the top priority in its mission to become more global.

"For us to be a truly great scholarship, we have to be truly global and if we are going to be truly global then China has to be our number one priority," says Elizabeth Kiss, CEO and Warden of the Rhodes Trust, which funds the Rhodes Scholarship.

Dr. Elizabeth Kiss, CEO and Warden of the Rhodes Trust (Photo provided by the Rhodes Trust)

The Rhodes Scholarship, founded in 1903, has been supporting outstanding students from all over the world to complete their postgraduate studies in Oxford.

The Rhodes Trust launched scholarships for China in March 2015, with the first batch of Chinese students starting their studies at the university in 2016.

By making itself better known to schools in China, the Rhodes Trust hopes it can create more opportunities for Chinese students and become more global.

Last Thursday, 15 Rhodes Scholars from eight countries, including four from China, shared their experiences with hundreds of hopeful high school and college students at ShanghaiTech University, in an aim to encourage more Chinese students to apply for the scholarship.

High school and university students attend a presentation given by the Rhodes Trust at ShanghaiTech University. (Photo provided by the Rhodes Trust)

Chinese students are very supportive to each other just like a family, Kiss says, adding that they are wonderful cultural ambassadors of their home country.

This year, Chinese Rhodes Scholars celebrated the Spring Festival with about 60 scholars from other countries. They held workshops to teach others how to make traditional Chinese paper cuttings, write Chinese calligraphy and make Chinese knots.

Although Chinese students only account for a small part of all Rhodes Scholars, we wanted to share Chinese customs with students from other cultures by celebrating Chinese festivals, said Mao Xiao, a Rhodes Scholar and organizer of this year's Spring Festival celebrations at Oxford.

Mao applied for the Rhodes Scholarship in 2017 and is now studying at Oxford. She is one of 16 Chinese students that were admitted by the Rhodes Trust in the past four years to study subjects like genetics, theater and politics.

Mao Xiao at the University of Oxford (Provided by the Rhodes Trust)

"In Rhodes' multicultural community, I have learned a lot by communicating with students from other cultures," Mao said. "I got to know different values, noticed the divergences between them and learned to bridge such divergences."

In recent years, an increasing number of Chinese students have gone abroad to study. The population of Chinese students in London has increased by 89.6 percent since 2011 to the current total of 21,350.

The Rhodes Scholarships will start recruiting in June this year.

The trust looks forward to recruiting more Chinese students who demonstrate academic excellence, strong leadership and an interest in learning about other cultures.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 09:25:19|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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WELLINGTON, March 28 (Xinhua) -- The Duke of Cambridge will visit New Zealand in late April to honor the victims of the Christchurch attack, New Zealand Prime Minster Jacinda Ardern said on Thursday.

Prince William would represent the Queen during the visit.

Ardern welcomes the visit, saying, "I'm really pleased that Princes William can make a short visit to support those affected by the attack and pay tribute to the extraordinary compassion and solidarity that New Zealanders have displayed in recent weeks."

Kensington Palace also issued a brief statement confirming the visit.

Princes William has a strong connection with the people of the Canterbury region. He visited Christchurch after the earthquake in 2011.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge last visited New Zealand in 2014.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 09:50:28|Editor: Li Xia

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Wu Haitao, Chinese deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, addresses a meeting of the UN Security Council on the Golan Heights, at the UN headquarters in New York March 27, 2019. Wu Haitao said on Wednesday that the Golan Heights is recognized by the international community as an occupied territory. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

UNITED NATIONS, March 27 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy said Wednesday that the Golan Heights is recognized by the international community as an occupied territory.

The UN Security Council has adopted several resolutions that demand Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights, which it seized from Syria in 1967, Wu Haitao, the deputy permanent representative of the Chinese mission to the United Nations, told a Security Council meeting on the Golan Heights.

China is opposed to the alteration of the fact through unilateral action, he said. "China does not wish to see the further escalation of tension in the region."

Wu said the cease-fire between Israel and Syria has by and large been held. However, there continue to be violations of the agreement on disengagement of forces in a buffer zone monitored by a UN observer force.

The parties concerned should implement in real earnest relevant Security Council resolutions and the agreement of disengagement, exercise restraint and desist from any action that may exacerbate tensions along the cease-fire line, said Wu.

The Security Council held a meeting on Wednesday afternoon at the request of Syria after U.S. President Donald Trump's proclamation on Monday to recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 09:50:29|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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KIGALI, March 27 (Xinhua) -- The Rwandan government has stepped up measures to reduce the effects of natural disasters in the country, Rwandan minister of emergency management Germaine Kamayirese said Wednesday.

The measures include relocation of residents living in high-risk zones across the country, Kamayirese said at a disaster management stakeholders' forum hosted by the Rwanda Red Cross in Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda.

The government also adopted the use of early warning systems, she said, calling on the Rwanda Red Cross and other partners to invest more in disaster prevention.

At least 234 people were killed and 265 injured across Rwanda due to natural disasters triggered by torrential rains in 2018, a report by the Rwanda Red Cross showed.

Torrential rains also destroyed over 15,000 houses last year, leaving thousands of people homeless, said the report.

The Rwandan government spent 200.4 billion Rwandan francs (about 227 million U.S. dollars) on relief services to combat natural disasters last year, according to an assessment report of the ministry.
Credit: Brian Bowen SmithIn addition to touring together this summer, both 311 and Dirty Heads have new albums due out this year. Speaking to ABC Radio, 311 frontman Nick Hexum and Dirty Heads co-vocalist and guitarist Dustin "Duddy B" Bushnell say that you'll hear new music from both their bands before the tour kicks off in July.

"We are in the mixing phase, some of the songs are mixed," Hexum says of his band's album, the follow-up to 2017's Mosaic.

"We are gonna get this out in time for summer tour, come hell or high water," he adds. "We're gonna put a single out in April, so it's right around the corner."

The summer deadline, Hexum explains, has encouraged him and the rest of 311 to get the album done.

"It's good for us to have these deadlines," he says. "It's made [us feel] a little bit of pressure, we've had to work extra hard to get things in in time, but that makes it exciting, and we're looking forward to our 13th album."

As for Dirty Heads, Bushnell says that their follow-up to 2017's Swim Team is "pretty much done."

"We actually just got the first versions of the masters back, which we're pretty happy with," he says. "We're gonna try to release the first song of the album before this summer tour."

311's tour with Dirty Heads launches July 2 in Dayton, Ohio.

Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 09:55:31|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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WINDHOEK, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Inequalities in Namibia remain high relative to aggregate income, and the country should build a fair society to solve the ills, Finance Minister Calle Schlettwein said Wednesday.

Absolute poverty has declined from 41 percent in the 1990s to 17.4 percent by 2015/16, and the Gini coefficient is at 0.56 compared to 0.7 in the 1990s, Schlettwein said when tabling the National Budget for 2019/20 Financial Year.

"Our society and the structure of our economy are a product of past political economy, shaped by apartheid and colonialism," he said. "The outcome is that Namibia is still second most unequal society in the world."

The only way to become a prosperous nation is to heal these scars, "for this reason, we have chosen to build a fair and equitable society where socio-economic opportunities are available to all Namibians," he said.

"We must therefore upgrade and deploy policy permutations that will reform the structure of our economy to achieve eroding inequality and eradicate extreme poverty during lifetime," said the minster.

Namibia's natural mineral riches and small population have made it an upper-middle-income country, according to the World Bank in 2018.

Nevertheless, challenges to poverty reduction linger, including slowing economic growth, adverse weather patterns, high inequality, and high unemployment, the institution added.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 10:05:32|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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HAVANA, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Cuban paleontologists have discovered the first fossil remains of a pterosaur, a flying reptile closely related to dinosaurs, state daily newspaper Granma reported on Wednesday.

While digging in the Damuji Paleontological Region near the central Cuban city of Cienfuegos, researchers found the fossilized bone fragments in sedimentary rock from the Upper Cretaceous layer in the Cienfuegos Geological Basin.

Cuban researcher Carlos Rafael Borges, who heads the team that found the remains, said experts from Argentina's La Plata Museum, a natural history museum, have confirmed the fossil belongs to a pterosaur.

Specialists from the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Montana in the United States, were the first to suggest the fossil remains could be that of a flying reptile, the newspaper said.

Pterosaurs lived from the end of the Triassic era, about 205 million years ago, to the end of the Cretaceous period, some 65 million years ago, when they went extinct. They mainly consumed fish captured when flying low, according to scientists.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 10:20:35|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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CARACAS, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Venezuela has been taking steps to restore electricity nationwide following a second widespread blackout this month, the government said in a statement.

The statement came after Venezuela's main Guri hydroelectric plant again suffered a crippling attack Monday night, knocking out power across several regions.

The authorities were working "to immediately repair the damage" caused by the attack on the plant in the southern Bolivar state. They were also trying "to reconnect and distribute electricity throughout the system nationwide," the statement said.

President Nicolas Maduro was leading the efforts along with members of the National Electricity Corporation, the National Bolivarian Armed Forces and the cabinet.

Monday's attack on the national electric system, which the government labeled as a "terrorist act," caused serious damage to essential infrastructure.

By Tuesday night, more than 85 percent of the national electricity service had been restored. However, damage to facilities and machinery has weakened the network, the statement added.

Venezuela suffered its worst blackout on March 7 when a power outage plunged nearly the entire country in darkness for about five days, and temporarily shuttered schools and offices.

Officials have blamed the blackouts on sabotage by U.S.-backed right-wing extremists trying to undermine the government.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 10:30:37|Editor: Li Xia

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TIANJIN, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Huo Baiming, 25, is poised to receive his master's degree from the Civil Aviation University of China and an engineering certificate from a French professional commission in July.

After that, he will settle in Shanghai and work for the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, a leading civil aircraft R&D and manufacturing company.

"I'm glad to gain a wealth of bilateral education resources," Huo said.

The Tianjin-based Sino-European Institute of Aviation Engineering, where Huo has studied for almost seven years, was co-founded by the Civil Aviation University of China and GEA France (Le Groupement des Ecoles Aeronautiques et Spatiales) in 2007.

This was the first time for China to introduce France's engineering school system, created by the French emperor Napoleon, to its domestic aviation industry.

Yang Xinsheng, dean of the institute, said they integrated France's engineering school system into their daily teaching model. General courses such as mathematics, physics and French, as well as professional courses related to aeronautical engineering technology and management are taught by a group of teachers from the Chinese side and around 50 teachers from the French side.

"Students need to finish about 5,500 credit hours before graduating," Yang said. "Through years of intensive learning, our students are knowledgeable both in languages and engineering."

Joel Flahaut has been teaching at the institute for over 11 years. He said international cooperation in the field of aviation is essential and brings mutual benefit to both sides.

"I hope to introduce more advanced knowledge to Chinese students and cultivate more talents with professional competence and international perspectives."

As of 2019, more than 350 graduates are working in China's civil aviation industry. Among them, five graduates now work as engineers in Airbus (Tianjin) Final Assembly Co., Ltd., a Chinese cabin installation and delivery base for the A320 and A330 models.

Liu Chang from the company's human resources office said they are more than capable of providing tailored technical solutions and improving efficiency in aircraft delivery.

An array of teachers and students at the institute have offered technical support in several important aviation R&D projects in China.

"We hope our students can make more contributions to China's civil aviation industry," said Bai Jie, vice president of the university.

The bilateral trade between China and France exceeded 60 billion U.S. dollars last year, marking a record high.

China will continue to deepen cooperation with France in many areas such as civil aviation, and push forward the bilateral economic and trade cooperation to a new level, said Gao Feng, a Ministry of Commerce spokesman.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 10:50:42|Editor: Li Xia

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CANBERRA, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Australian opposition leader Bill Shorten has taken to Chinese social media platform WeChat to proclaim that he appreciates China's peaceful development.

Bill Shorten, leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), hosted a live session on WeChat on Wednesday, fielding questions from approximately 500 Chinese Australians about their concerns in the lead-up to May's general election.

Shorten said he received a lot of questions about Michael Daley, former leader of the New South Wales (NSW) Labor Party.

A video surfaced in the final week of the NSW election campaign, which was won by the incumbent Liberal-National Party Coalition (LNP), of Daley telling an audience at a 2018 function that "Asians with PhDs" were taking Australian jobs.

"I just want to make clear, as the leader of the federal Labor Party I don't agree with what he said and the comments should not have been made," Shorten told his WeChat audience.

Some participants in the session asked the opposition leader about the ALP's policy towards China.

"I see China as a strategic opportunity for Australia and I want to see greater mutual understanding between all of us," he said.

Shorten also said his party was "pro-immigrant" and would make it easier for Chinese people who migrated to Australia to bring their parents to the country on a sponsored visa.

"Labor wants to make sure you never have to pick which parents you want to bring to Australia."
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 11:00:46|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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CARACAS, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Venezuela on Wednesday criticized the "hypocrisy" of Latin American countries that object to its military cooperation with Russia, but welcome U.S. military bases on their soil.

"The hypocrisy of regional governments that maintain U.S. military bases and personnel on their soil is surprising," Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Minister Jorge Arreaza said via Twitter.

The United States is the "only country in the world to have used nuclear weapons against civilians, to wage war over oil without the authorization of the UN, to threaten countries with the use of force and to have an annual military budget of more than 700 billion U.S. dollars," said Arreaza.

Several regional countries and the United States expressed alarm after two Russian military planes landed in Venezuela on Saturday, carrying officials and nearly 100 soldiers.

Washington is backing a push by Venezuela's right-wing opposition to oust the ruling socialist party from power, and Russia's support for the government of President Nicolas Maduro is likely to hamper their efforts.

On Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke by phone with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, when he said the presence of Russian military troops in Venezuela risked "prolonging the suffering of Venezuelans," according to a release from the State Department.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 11:08:46|Editor: huaxia

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By Liu Dan

BEIJING, March 28 (Xinhuanet) -- China's newly approved foreign investment law reflects its welcoming approach to foreign investment and represents a crucial step as it moves towards further openness, senior executives of foreign enterprises have said.

China's national legislature NPC passed the law at the closing meeting of its annual session on March 15.

It is a landmark legislation that will provide stronger protection and a better business environment for foreign investors.

The law, based on a system of pre-establishment national treatment plus a negative list, aims to improve the transparency of foreign investment policies and ensure that foreign-invested enterprises participate in market competition on an equal basis.

Shen Yuxin, partner at the international law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, believed that the increased transparency and trustworthiness of Chinas investment environment that the law creates will provide a confidence boost for potential foreign investors.

Shen made the remarks in a recent written interview with Xinhuanet.

Foreign-invested enterprises that were previously wary of Chinas investment environment will find themselves in a better position with broader market access, better protections of their intellectual property and technology and more efficient and convenient foreign investment services provided by the central and local governments," Shen added.

Similarly, Rachel Duan, senior vice president of U.S. engineering, manufacturing and power giant General Electric (GE), also spoke highly of the newly passed law, saying it is a substantial improvement, compared with the country's three current laws related to foreign investment.

Also in a written interview with Xinhuanet, she said that GE has participated in the discussion surrounding the preparation and drafting of the new foreign investment law in recent years.

Therefore, they are pleased to see that the legislation clearly stipulates that foreign enterprises will receive pre-establishment national treatment, in addition to a negative list management system.

For example, foreign-invested companies will enjoy the same rights as Chinese companies to participate in activities such as drafting standards and bidding for government procurement projects in China, she mentioned.

These measures are of great concern to foreign-invested enterprise, she said.

Saying that China has become GE's largest single-country market outside the U.S., she pinned high hope for the new foreign investment law.

"We hope that it can serve as a further boost of confidence in the Chinese economy for the international community, and promote more high-quality economic growth in the future," she said.

With unified provisions for the entry, promotion, protection and management of foreign investment, the law is scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, 2020.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 11:05:47|Editor: xuxin

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UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jan Kubis speaks to reporters during a press encounter at the UN headquarters in New York, March 27, 2019. Jan Kubis reiterated Wednesday the UN principles of "safe, voluntary, and dignified return" for the Syrian refugees sheltering in Lebanon. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

UNITED NATIONS, March 27 (Xinhua) -- A United Nations (UN) envoy reiterated Wednesday the UN principles of "safe, voluntary, and dignified return" for the Syrian refugees sheltering in Lebanon.

"There is a national consensus, even political consensus among major political parties, (in Lebanon) in favor of return of Syrian refugees back home," UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jan Kubis told reporters.

Before he met with the press, Kubis had briefed the UN Security Council on the situation in Lebanon.

There was a "big discussion" around the issue, including "how to shape relations between Lebanon and Syria" as a broader topic, he said.

With regard to the possibility that the refugees might be pushed back to unsafe locations, Kubis said the UN has been working to ensure the principles of "safe, voluntary, and dignified" return of them, noting that the humanitarian community is also addressing the issue.

Last week, Lebanese President Michel Aoun said he was "very much worried" about his country due to the big burden of Syrian refugees on its economy.

"Lebanon cannot take anymore the negative economic and social repercussions of the presence of a big number of Syrian refugees in the country," Aoun said during his meeting with UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen.

According to the Lebanese government, some 1.5 million Syrian refugees have fled into Lebanon since the start of the Syrian crisis in 2011.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 11:15:51|Editor: Li Xia

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CHICAGO, March 27 (Xinhua) -- The University of Michigan (UM) will host the 2019 Michigan China Forum on Saturday and Sunday to explore cooperation opportunities between the United States and China.

The forum will focus on such topics as trade and politics, China's nationalism under pluralistic perspective, political economy in science and technology, and modernization and political evolution.

Chinese Consul-General in Chicago Zhao Jian will preside over the main forum to talk about the new cooperation opportunities and challenges the two countries are facing. Several professors will speak at the forum.

Founded in 2017, the Michigan China Forum is a non-profit organization registered at the UM with an aim to tap bilateral cooperation and mutually beneficial development opportunities between China and the United States.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 11:45:54|Editor: Lu Hui

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DHAKA, March 28 (Xinhua) -- A head-on collision between a passenger bus and a microbus left eight people dead and dozens of others injured early Thursday in Bangladesh's Chattogram district, 242 km southeast of capital Dhaka, a police official said.

Aman, a local police official, told journalists, "Eight passengers were killed on the spot in the head-on collision between the passenger bus and the microbus."

All the deceased were aboard the microbus, he said.

The road accident that occurred on a highway at Chattogram's Lohagara sub-distritct at around 1:00 a.m. local time Thursday also left 25 passengers injured, he said.

Local media feared the death toll may rise.

According to the police official, all the injured were rushed to local hospitals and clinics.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 11:45:54|Editor: Lu Hui

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CANBERRA, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Bill Shorten, leader of the Opposition Australian Labor Party (ALP), has called on Prime Minister Scott Morrison to take a stand against racist Members of Parliament (MPs).

In a letter to Scott Morrison published by Fairfax Media, Shorten asked the prime minister to support a parliamentary code on "race ethics" that would require MPs to recognise and value diversity as an integral part of Australia's social and economic future.

Labor MPs endorsed a parliamentary code of conduct in 2016 after Pauline Hanson, leader of the right-wing One Nation Party, warned in a speech that Australia was being "swamped by Muslims". But the parliamentary proposal of the code of conduct was shot down by the government.

In his letter to Morrison, Shorten said that Senator Fraser Anning's recent comments following the Christchurch attacks, in which he blamed the attacks on Muslim immigration, was a chance for the government to rethink its decision about the code of conduct.

Shorten wrote that the attacks "should give us all cause to reflect on the kind of language we use in public debate."

"We know that words matter. We know they can hurt, and we know they can lead to hate and violence," Shorten said.

Signatories to the code would be held to eight principles, including respect for religious and cultural beliefs of all groups living in Australia. They would also commit to speak and write in a manner which provides factual commentary on a foundation of truth, Shorten said.

Both Morrison and Shorten have agreed to officially censure Anning for his comments when Parliament resumes on Monday.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 13:01:09|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Three militants were killed Thursday in a fierce gunfight with government forces in restive Indian-controlled Kashmir, officials said.

The gunfight between militants and government forces broke out in Yarwan forest area of Keller in Shopian district, about 65 km south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"Three militants were killed early today in a gunfight inside forest area of Yarwan in Keller with joint contingents of army and police," an Indian army spokesperson said. "The identity of slain militants is being ascertained."

Police officials said the operation was underway in the area.

Meanwhile, another gunfight broke out in Handwara of Kupwara district, northwest of Srinagar.

"Exchange of fire between militants and joint contingents of police and army is going on at Yaroo area in Handwara," a police official said. "Further details are awaited."

Last week, eight militants were killed in four different gunfights across the region.

A guerrilla war is going on between militants and Indian troopers stationed in the region since 1989.

Kashmir, the Himalayan region divided between India and Pakistan, is claimed by both in full. Since their independence from Britain, the two countries have fought three wars, two exclusively over Kashmir.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 13:06:11|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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WASHINGTON, March 27 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Air Force on Wednesday announced that Ellsworth Air Force Base in the state of South Dakota has been selected as the preferred location for its first operational B-21 Raider bomber and formal training unit.

Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri and Dyess Air Force Base in Texas will follow, and receive B-21s as they become available, the Air Force added.

"These three bomber bases are well suited for the B-21," said Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson. "We expect the first B-21 Raider to be delivered beginning in the mid-2020s, with subsequent deliveries phased across all three bases."

The Air Force said Ellsworth was selected as the first location because "it provides sufficient space and existing facilities necessary to accommodate simultaneous missions at the lowest cost and with minimal operational impact across all three bases."

The Air Force will incrementally retire existing B-1 Lancers and B-2 Spirits when a sufficient number of B-21s are delivered, according to the press release.

It added that the Air Force will keep operating B-52 Stratofortresses at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana and Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota.

The B-52 is expected to continue conducting operations through 2050 -- nearly a century after it first became operational in 1955.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 13:21:13|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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HANOI, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Retired government officials will not be allowed to found, own or run private companies in areas under the jurisdiction and management of their former posts for at least six months after retirement, local media reported on Thursday.

The new regulation is included in a draft government decree on guiding the implementation of the amended Anti-Corruption Law which was approved by Vietnam's top legislature last year, daily newspaper Vietnam News reported.

Stricter regulations on gifting and receiving gifts were introduced in the country's new anti-corruption law, under which public assets can only be gifted for charity purposes, or as part of a compensation program for high-ranking public servants and families of revolutionaries.

Such activities will be under the supervision and regulation of the Ministry of Finance.

Public servants who received gifts are required to return or report within five days to their respective office if returning them is not feasible.

In 2018, Vietnam's Central Steering Committee on Anti-Corruption concluded the investigations into 23 cases with 222 suspects, and started proceedings on 20 cases with 251 individuals, Vietnam News Agency reported.

In particular, 10 major corruption cases drawing the special attention of the public were brought to court.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 13:26:13|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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GABORONE, March 27 (Xinhua) -- A United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) delegation is now in Botswana to discuss the country's economic transformation, Foreign Ministry of Botswana said Wednesday.

UNCTAD Secretary General Mukhisa Kituyi is visiting Botswana from Wednesday to Saturday, accompanied by a group of experts from the international development policy sphere who will engage with Botswana's cabinet members.

"The discussions will focus on the strategies that need to be put in place to transform Botswana from a resource-based to a knowledge-based economy," said Unity Dow, Botswana's international affairs and cooperation minister, told Xinhua in a telephone interview.

Available information suggested that since gaining independence, Botswana's economic record has been built on the foundation of diamond mining.

Furthermore, it is estimated that Botswana has the fourth highest gross national income at purchasing power parity in Africa, giving it a standard of living around that of Mexico and Turkey.

Although Botswana's economy is considered a model for countries in the region, its heavy dependence on mining and its high rate of HIV/AIDS infection (one in every three adults is seropositive) and unemployment could threaten its success in the future.

Botswanan President Mokgweetsi Masisi extended an invitation last year to the UNCTAD during the World Investment Forum held in Geneva, Switzerland.

UNCTAD was established by the United Nations in 1964 to deal with trade, investment and other developmental issues.

The overarching aim of the organization is to strengthen trade, investment and developmental opportunities in developing countries and assists them in their efforts to integrate into the world economy.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 13:41:15|Editor: Lu Hui

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BOAO, Hainan, March 28 (Xinhua) -- China has started to formulate matching regulations and rules to support the implementation of the newly-adopted foreign investment law, Premier Li Keqiang said Thursday.

Li made the remarks at the opening plenary of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) annual conference in Boao, a coastal town in southern island province of Hainan.

The supporting rules will go into effect together with the foreign investment law on Jan. 1, 2020, he said.

China to further ease market access for foreign investment: Premier Li
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 13:46:17|Editor: Li Xia

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SYDNEY, March 28 (Xinhua) -- More Australian mud crabs will be exported to China thanks to a government fund supporting producers in the state of Queensland.

Australian Gulf Seafoods (AGS) were announced as a beneficiary of the Growing Queensland's Food Exports program on Thursday, allowing them to ship their catch from Australia's northern Gulf of Carpentaria to markets across Asia.

"Whether it's mud crabs, barramundi, grey mackerel or pomfret, Queenslanders know AGS only supplies the freshest and best," state Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Mark Furner said.

"Word has clearly spread, because catch from the mangrove-lined waters of the Gulf of Carpentaria will soon be exported to China."

The state of Queensland is already Australia's largest producer of fruit and vegetables and the second largest producer of fruit and nuts, and is now set to make claims on the seafood business as well.

"The Asian market is a real game-changer for seafood producers because with increased demand of course comes increased supply," Furner said.

"So far, we've assisted macadamia, mango, melon, strawberry, sweet corn and pork producers to build their business capability to take advantage of opportunities to grow exports."
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 13:56:20|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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RIO DE JANEIRO, March 27 (Xinhua) -- The Brazilian government announced on Wednesday evening that they will send humanitarian aid to Mozambique, which was devastated by Idai cyclone last week.

The cyclone killed hundreds of people and destroyed Mozambique's port city of Beira almost completely. The situation in Mozambique is considered critical and several countries and organizations are giving humanitarian and financial aid.

Brazil's humanitarian assistance includes rescue teams of 40 specialists with boats, vehicles and six kits with medicine and basic health supplies sufficient to serve 9,000 people for up to one month.

The aid will be sent through the Brazilian cooperation agency (ABC) and will be transported by two Hercules C-130 cargo planes of the Brazilian Air Force.

The first shipment is expected to leave Brazil on Friday and arrive at Beira on Saturday.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 14:07:26|Editor: Li Xia

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Bharal, also called the Himalayan Blue sheep, is seen at the Helan Mountain National Nature Reserve in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, March 27, 2019. The number of bharal has reached over 40,000 on the Helan Mountain after years of environment renovation. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua)
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 14:06:21|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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LOS ANGELES, March 27 (Xinhua) -- A suspect carrying a samurai sword was killed by policemen inside a Church of Scientology Wednesday afternoon in the city of Inglewood, 10 km southeast of downtown Los Angeles.

According to local CBS news channel, an Asian man, who arrived at the scene in a white Bentley, went into the building "with a sword acting crazy."

Police were called and the suspect was shot in the head.

Two police officers were also wounded in the incident, authorities said, without revealing whether they were shot in exchange of fire or injured by friendly fire.

The police did not confirm if the sword-wielding man had a gun.

The man was taken to the hospital in grave condition and died a short time later, police said.

On Nov. 23, 2008, Mario Majorski, who used to be a Scientologist in the early 1990s, went into the Los Angeles Celebrity Center wielding dual samurai swords and was shot dead by a security guard.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 14:11:21|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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WASHINGTON, March 27 (Xinhua)-- James Alex Fields, Jr., who killed a woman and injured dozens while plowing his car into a crowd of counter-protestors in Charlottesville in the U.S. state of Virginia in 2017, pleaded guilty Wednesday to federal hate crime charges.

The charges included one count of a hate crime act that resulted in the death of Heather Heyer, and 28 counts of hate crime acts that caused bodily injury and involved an attempt to kill other people within the crowd.

Each of the 29 counts carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a fine of up to 250,000 U.S. dollars.

According to a statement of facts agreed to and signed by Fields, and entered into the court record at his guilty plea hearing, the Ohio man admitted that he drove into the crowd because of the actual and perceived race, color, national origin, and religion of its members.

He also admitted that his actions killed 32-year-old Heyer, and that he intended to kill other victims he struck and injured with his car.

Fields attended the "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville's Emancipation Park on Aug. 12, 2017.

That morning, multiple groups and individuals espousing white-supremacist ideology also attended the rally. These participants engaged in chants promoting or expressing white supremacist and other racist and anti-Semitic views.

Shortly before the scheduled start of the rally, law enforcement declared an "unlawful assembly" and required rally participants to disperse. Fields later returned to his vehicle and began to drive on the streets of Charlottesville before dashing into a crowd protesting against racial and other forms of discrimination.

Jurors in his state case found him guilty of murder and recommended he be sentenced to life in prison plus 419 years. Sentencing in that case is scheduled for July 15.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 14:11:22|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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PUL-E-KHUMRI, Afghanistan, March 28 (Xinhua) -- At least four militants were killed as a clash erupted Wednesday outside Pul-e-Khumri, the capital of northern Baghlan province, army spokesman in northern region Mohammad Hanif Rezai said Thursday.

According to the official, the clash erupted in Bagh-e-Shamal and Mulayan areas outside Pul-e-Khumri city on Wednesday afternoon and lasted for a while, as a result, four armed Taliban insurgents were killed and four other injured.

No civilians and security personnel had been hurt in the fighting, the official said.

Taliban militants are yet to make comment on the report.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 14:26:27|Editor: Li Xia

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MANILA, March 28 (Xinhua) -- The ties that bind China and the Philippines are "very important," Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines and former Philippine president, has said.

Arroyo made the remarks in a recent exclusive interview with Xinhua. She spoke highly of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte for continuing "very friendly" relations between the two countries.

"I think we have good momentum and I expect that we will continue to have very good relations in the future," Arroyo said at her home in Quezon City.

Arroyo said the relationship between Beijing and Manila "is very important for the Philippines for several reasons."

"One is that China is our neighbor. We should be friends with our neighbors. Second is that China is increasingly involved not only in bilateral dealings but also in ASEAN of which the Philippines is a member," she said, referring to the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

"Third is China is the most dynamic and fast-growing economy in the world today," she added.

Moreover, she said the Philippines has "a very vibrant Filipino-Chinese community. "It's very natural to be friends with China (and) natural to have business dealings with China," she said.

She said the Duterte government's ambitious infrastructure development projects under the "Build, Build, Build" program will benefit from the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Proposed in 2013, the BRI refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, aiming at building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient trade routes of Silk Road.

The "Build, Build, Build" program, which was rolled out by the Duterte administration in 2017, intends to spend 8 to 9 trillion pesos (roughly 160 to 180 billion U.S. dollars) in the medium term on building roads, bridges, airports, seaports and railways in the Philippines.

Arroyo said the Philippines is already beginning to feel the impact of China's ambitious effort to improve regional cooperation and connectivity on a transcontinental scale.

For instance, she cited bridges, dams, railroads and other projects that are being and will be financed by China. The nation-to-nation and the people-to-people relationship between the two neighboring countries continue to improve, she added.

Because of the warm relations that both countries enjoy now, she said the Philippines is enjoying more trade and investment activities with China.

"We have more investments from China coming in, and then more people-to-people exchanges are happening. The tourism sector (benefits from the warm relations) ... That's also the influence of China also being felt there," she said.

She also cited the increasing scholarship grant that the Chinese government is giving to Filipinos.

"We're even beginning to look at some opportunities for labor and employment in the services (sector). So, yes, the influence is being felt (in the Philippines)," she said.

She lauded the eagerness of Chinese investors to sink in their capital in the Philippines.

"I'm really very impressed by the enthusiasm displayed by the potential investors from China. We in the Philippine should match that enthusiasm on the implementation side. Implementation is the key," Arroyo said.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 14:31:28|Editor: Li Xia

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GABORONE, March 27 (Xinhua) -- China's National Forestry and Grassland Administration (NFGA) and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) on Wednesday held an advocacy workshop here to raise awareness on wildlife trafficking amongst Chinese nationals living and working in Botswana.

The workshop which took place at Chinese Embassy in Botswana was attended by more than 80 Chinese nationals working in state-owned enterprises, private businesses and residing in Botswana.

In his opening statement, Peng Youdong, deputy minister of the NFGA, said that China is promoting the concept of sustainable development and the construction of ecological civilization, strengthening endangered species conservation and combating wildlife crime.

China's recent decision to close its domestic ivory market, to ban the commercial processing of rhino horn and tiger bone, as well as its tightening of legislation governing the trade in other endangered wildlife species demonstrates the government's commitment to tackling illegal wildlife trade, he said.

"The Chinese government has been actively supporting Botswana's wildlife protection work. I hope that Chinese nationals in Botswana could learn about the laws and policies, raise awareness of conservation, resist any actions of illegal wildlife trade, and spread the words to your fellow Chinese," said Zhao Yanbo, Chinese ambassador to Botswana.

"Legal ivory is no longer available in China. In addition, any attempt to bring ivory from abroad is illegal and will be punished by law," said Zhou Fei, chief program officer of the WWF in China. "Ivory or rhino horn items are simply not options as souvenir or gifts for international travelers."

Thato Raphaka, permanent secretary of Botswana's Ministry of Environment, Natural Resource, Conservation and Tourism, urged delegates from China to help Botswana combat wildlife crime.

"Illegal wildlife trade is not only a concern for conservation areas in the source country, but also extends to international criminal and terrorist syndicates, which threaten global peace," Raphaka said, adding that cooperation among source, transit and destination countries is important.

Botswana is working with regional and multilateral institutions and partners to combat the import and export of illegal wildlife products, particularly ivory, by looking for means to cut the demand and supply for such products, he said.

At the end of the workshop, a public pledge to say no to illegal wildlife trade was made by the representative of the local Chinese nationals and companies in Botswana.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 14:56:32|Editor: Li Xia

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LHASA, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Representatives from various ethnic groups and walks of life gathered in the Potala Palace square in Lhasa Thursday to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the campaign of democratic reform in Tibet.

Tibet has made historic achievements and undergone tremendous changes since the democratic reform that started 60 years ago, said Wu Yingjie, Communist Party of China (CPC) chief of Tibet Autonomous Region.

In March 1959, the Chinese central government dissolved the aristocratic local government of Tibet and freed more than 1 million serfs, making them the masters of the nation and society.

The democratic reform completely obliterated the feudal serfdom of theocracy, changed the production relations of the old Tibet, smashed the shackles of feudal spirit and culture, and freed local people from feudal political oppression.

The democratic reform is a major historic event in Tibet's development and human rights advancement, Wu said.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 15:06:36|Editor: Yurou

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Chinese Premier Li Keqiang delivers a keynote speech at the opening plenary of the Boao Forum for Asia annual conference in Boao, south China's Hainan Province, March 28, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

BOAO, Hainan, March 28 (Xinhua) -- China has started to formulate matching regulations and rules to support the newly-adopted foreign investment law, Premier Li Keqiang said Thursday.

Li made the remarks at the opening plenary of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) annual conference in Boao, a coastal town in China's southern island province of Hainan.

The supporting rules will go into effect together with the foreign investment law on Jan. 1, 2020, he said.

Authorities are also sorting through related laws, regulations and normative documents, and those inconsistent with the foreign investment law must be abolished or revised, Li said.

China is opening up wider to the world under the principle of competitive neutrality, the premier noted.

"We treat domestic and foreign-funded enterprises equally and protect the rights and interests of all types of businesses with concrete measures," he said. "It is the consistent stance of the Chinese government to strengthen intellectual property right protection."

Speaking of a draft amendment to the patent law that was submitted for top legislature review in December, Li said the revisions would increase the compensation for patent infringement to impose "unaffordable costs" on serious violations.

"Forced technology transfers are not allowed," the premier noted.

Authorities will also improve dealing with complaints from foreign-funded enterprises and strengthen communication and coordination with foreign businesses to better protect their interests, he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 16:01:53|Editor: xuxin

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MOSCOW, March 28 (Xinhua) -- The United States asked Russia to postpone the launch of the Soyuz MS-13 to the International Space Station (ISS) for two weeks in order to increase the number of American astronauts at the station, Russian media reported Thursday.

"The American side asked the Russian side to postpone the launch of the Soyuz MS-13 for two weeks -- from July 6 to 20, as well as to extend its flight for two months -- from December 2019 until February 2020," Sputnik news quoted a source in the Russian rocket and space industry as saying.

The crew includes Russian astronaut Alexander Skvortsov, Italian astronaut Luka Parmitano and U.S. astronaut Andrew Morgan. The return of the ship from the ISS to the earth was previously planned for Dec. 18.

The delay would allow NASA to ensure the presence of not only one but three astronauts in the U.S. segment of the space station until February 2020 in case of delays in testing new U.S. manned spacecraft, according to the source.

The Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft successfully docked to the ISS on March 15 with a new crew. The current ISS crew comprises Russian astronaut and Commander Oleg Kononenko, Russian astronaut Alexey Ovchinin, Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques and U.S. astronauts Anne McClain, Nick Hague and Christina Koch.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 16:06:57|Editor: ZX

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Chinese Premier Li Keqiang meets with Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, who is attending the Boao Forum for Asia annual conference in Boao, south China's Hainan Province, March 27, 2019. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

BOAO, HAINAN, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met with Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel here on Wednesday and the two sides expressed willingness to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation.

China-Luxembourg relations have enjoyed healthy and stable development for a long time and the economies of the two countries are highly complementary, Li said, adding that China is ready to work with Luxembourg to expand two-way opening up, enhance political and economic ties, and deepen pragmatic cooperation, particularly financial cooperation, to achieve common development.

Noting that Luxembourg is an important member of the European Union, Li said China supported European integration and the two sides held similar position on addressing climate change and maintaining multilateralism and free trade.

China is willing to see a prosperous and stable Europe and hopes the European side can provide an equal environment for companies from the two sides to cooperate and compete with each other, the premier said.

Bettel, who is attending the Boao Forum for Asia annual conference, said Luxembourg firmly supported the EU-China comprehensive strategic partnership and the construction of the Belt and Road, and hoped to enhance mutually beneficial cooperation with China.

After their meeting on Wednesday, Li and Bettel witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding on jointly building the Belt and Road, and financial cooperation documents.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 16:17:04|Editor: xuxin

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KABUL, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Up to 12 police personnel have reportedly been killed in the southern Zabul and neighboring Helmand province on Thursday amid peace efforts to find negotiated end to Afghanistan's protracted fighting.

The militants, as a sign of mounting pressure on security forces targeted police checkpoints in Siory district of Zabul province early Thursday, leaving seven police dead, head of Provincial Council, Ata Jan Haqbayan has confirmed.

Provincial government's spokesman Gul Islam Sayal has also confirmed the attack but said "both sides have suffered casualties," adding investigation has been initiated into the case.

This is the second attack on police in a single day on Thursday that has inflicted casualties on the personnel of law enforcing agency.

In a similar deadly offensive on police force, militants stormed a checkpoint in Pozak area of Kajaki district in the southern Helmand province, killing five police personnel and injuring two others, provincial police spokesman Zaman Hamdard said.

According to the officials, Taliban militants have also suffered in the fighting.

Fighting often gets momentum in spring and summer in Afghanistan commonly known as fighting season among Afghans.

Taliban militants' latest deadly offensives are taking place amid media reports that the U.S. special envoy for peace in Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad had resumed his efforts and embarked on a seven-nation trip Monday to muster support for succeeding peace talks with the Taliban.

Taliban militants who had held five rounds of direct talks with the United States since November last year have rejected to hold negotiation with the Afghan administration.

Afghan government's Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah on Wednesday described the Taliban outfit as "obstacle for bringing peace" in Afghanistan, saying the militant group by refusing to talk with Afghan government wants to re-establish its so-called Islamic Emirate, which is unacceptable to Afghans.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 16:42:11|Editor: xuxin

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DHAKA, March 28 (Xinhua) -- A massive fire broke out in a high-rise commercial building in Bangladeshi capital Dhaka's upmarket Banani on Thursday afternoon, leaving unknown number of people trapped, fire service personnel said.

The fire service personnel managed to rescue dozens of people trapped in the building's several upper floors.

A fire department official who declined to be named told Xinhua that as many as 13 fire-fighting units have been striving to put out the blaze that broke out at about 1:00 p.m. local time on Thursday on the 7th floor of the "FR Tower."

TV footage showed thick plumes of smoke billowing into the sky over the 22-storey commercial building at Dhaka's posh Banani area.

No casualties have been reported so far.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 16:47:13|Editor: ZX

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Chinese Premier Li Keqiang meets with Republic of Korea (ROK) Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, who is attending the Boao Forum for Asia annual conference in Boao, south China's Hainan Province, March 27, 2019. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

BOAO, Hainan, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met with Republic of Korea (ROK) Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon here on Wednesday, and the two sides expressed willingness to deepen bilateral cooperation.

Both China and ROK are major economies in the world, important countries in their region and one of each other's major trading partners, Li said, adding that China is willing to work with the ROK side to promote mutual trust, increase exchanges, enhance cooperation and push the bilateral relations to achieve new progress.

Noting that China and ROK have strong economic complementarity, Li said the two sides should better dovetail their development strategies, explore cooperation potentials, expand bilateral trade and investment and actively carry out third-party market cooperation.

Li stressed that China is ready to work with the ROK and Japan in hastening the negotiation process of a free trade zone among the three countries, promoting regional economic integration and maintaining regional prosperity and stability.

Lee, who is attending the Boao Forum for Asia annual conference in Hainan Province, said the ROK and China are important neighbors and bilateral relations and cooperation have experienced rapid development since the establishment of diplomatic ties.

The ROK side is willing to actively participate in the construction of the Belt and Road, deepen cooperation in various fields and work together to maintain multilateralism and free trade, Lee said.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 16:52:47|Editor: xuxin

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Tourists visit the ancient Persian city of Persepolis outside Shiraz, southern Iran, on March 27, 2019. Persepolis, a UNESCO world heritage site, was the capital of the Achaemenid Empire of Persia (550-330 BC). It was the king of kings, Darius I, who built an impressive palace complex inspired by Mesopotamian models. The importance and quality of the monumental ruins make it a unique archaeological site. (Xinhua/Ahmad Halabisaz)
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 17:17:28|Editor: Yamei

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SINGAPORE, March 28 (Xinhua) -- The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) announced on Thursday it will tighten the regulatory regime on alcohol abstention to mitigate the risk of pilots operating under the influence of alcohol.

According to a media release from CAAS, the authority will implement the Airport Alcohol Testing Programme (AATP) and commence random alcohol testing of pilots at Changi and Seletar airports on March 31.

It will set the alcohol abstinence standard at 0.02 grams per 210 liters of breath for pilots, and those who are found to exceed the standard will not be permitted to fly.

In addition, pilots found to be operating under the influence of alcohol may be subject to criminal penalties, of up to 50,000 Singapore dollars (about 36,878.5 U.S. dollars) and/or imprisonment of up to two years for the first offence, and up to 100,000 Singapore dollars and/or imprisonment of up to five years for repeat offenders.

The media release also said that Singapore Air Operator Certificate holders will be required to strengthen their alcohol abstention policies, and they will be required to implement an Airline Alcohol Management Programme from May to proactively identify, manage and rehabilitate pilots with problematic use of alcohol.

Kevin Shum, director-general of CAAS, said in the release that the safety of aircraft operations, passengers and crew on board is paramount, and CAAS and the aviation community take a serious view of pilots operating aircraft under the influence of alcohol.

"The new alcohol testing and management programmes will help ensure that pilots' ability to operate aircraft is not impaired by alcohol," he added.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 17:27:31|Editor: Yamei

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JALALABAD, Afghanistan, March 28 (Xinhua) -- At least five militants loyal to the Islamic State (IS) group were killed as an unmanned plane targeted the militants' hideouts in the eastern Nangarhar province, said an army statement released here Thursday.

The air raids were launched against IS militants in Achin district's Bagh-e-Dari and Bandar areas of the province on Wednesday, killing five militants on the spot, the statement said.

Air operations would continue until the area is cleared of militants, the statement added.

IS outfit has yet to make comment.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 17:47:35|Editor: Yamei

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LHASA, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Guard dogs were viciously barking behind them when, on a moonless night, three undernourished and exhausted teenagers climbed frantically over a wall, ran out of Tamshol Village and all the way to Kharila Mountain.

The three Tibetan serfs were looking for the "Jia Gongchan," which was how they referred to the Communist Party of China in Tibetan.

"I can run no more. Let's take a rest here," said young Tenzin Chosphel when he was just halfway up the mountain. Sweat dripping down their faces, the exhausted teenage Tibetans sat on the ground in despair, waiting for morning to arrive to continue their search.

"Where on earth is the Jia Gongchan?" asked Samten, a young monk who had escaped along with Tenzin.

"I heard that they are just around the Drigu Tso Lake," said Tenzin, breathing out in the air so cold that water vapor came out of his mouth.

As the sun rose, they saw shadows moving in the village in the distance. They stood up at once. "Let's go!"

But their escape attempt resulted in them being caught by their owner and brutally beaten.

Although it was six decades ago, that night is burned into Tenzin's memory. It happened before the Chinese central government began its landmark democratic reform in Tibet Autonomous Region, which ended the feudal and theocratic serfdom system.

Tenzin is the eldest son of Lhawang and Changpa Chozom, and at that time, the whole family were serfs of the brutal and oppressive Khamchu Manor in Tamshol Village, Tsomed County.

Under the rule of the Kashag, the cabinet of old Tibet, serfs had to stay on the land within the manors of their owners. They were not allowed to leave without permission. Fleeing the manor was forbidden, and any attempt to do so would result in severe punishment. But Tenzin was determined to escape.

Today, Tenzin, 75, sits in his warm house, and, while bathing in the sun, recalls his journey to a new, free life. He remembers every mountain he climbed and every word he said on his mission to find the Communist Party of China.

Tenzin's family, along with a million Tibetan serfs, were emancipated after the democratic reform in Tibet in 1959, which was led by the Communist Party of China. Since then, they have stood up for themselves and become their own masters.

Sixty years on, the family of the liberated serfs has expanded to four generations of more than 70 people, with each person leading a prosperous life. Ahead of Serfs' Emancipation Day, which falls on Thursday, Tenzin and his family looked back on the extraordinary history they have witnessed in Tibet.

HELL ON EARTH

In old Tibet, governmental officials, aristocrats and senior lamas, who represented only 5 percent of the total population, had a monopoly on almost all cultivated land, pastures, mountains, rivers and livestock. The other 95 percent, comprised of serfs and slaves, had no personal possessions nor personal freedom, let alone human rights.

"Our owner Tashi Qoipei was cruel to us," said Tenzin. "My parents could only get a small spoon of tsampa --Traditional Tibetan food made out of roasted barley flour -- before and after a day's work. There was never enough food for them."

"Serf children were even poorer. Those under age 13 would get nothing, even if they worked," he said, recalling how his parents would mix the small amount of tsampa they earned with water and share it with him and his siblings.

The family lived in a windowless mud dwelling beside serf owner Tashi's flock enclosure. The whole family slept in a room that was less than three square meters in size. They had no bed to sleep on and only had a worn woolen mattress, keeping warm with a measly linen sack that was used to hold flock waste.

Tenzin said his parents loved summer the most because they could pick edible wild plants and stay warm. He also remembers one serf woman giving birth to five children, but none of them survived.

Worse still, serfs were treated as private property, and owners would verbally abuse, punish, trade, whip, beat and even brutally kill them whenever they pleased.

"When will a life like this end?" Tenzin kept asking himself quietly.

IN SEARCH OF HOPE

"The Jia Gongchan is here!"

When this news spread to Tamshol Village, Tenzin decided to run away again to look for them.

"I hear that the Communist Party can help us get proper meals and keep us warm," Tenzin told his father Lhawang.

And Lhawang didn't try to stop him. "Just go ahead. Find anyone who can help us lead a life like humans," said Lhawang.

So, after two or three failed attempts of escaping, the 13-year-old sneaked out of the manor with two other teenagers once again. The trio trekked persistently on winding paths and climbed over two mountains for days, before finally reaching the Drigu Tso Lake at dusk. They were so hungry and tired that they spent the night in a family's yard.

But that was a huge mistake, Tenzin recalled. While they slept, the monks who served in the Mawoijok Temple in the Khamchu Manor had caught up with them, mercilessly capturing the three runaways in rage.

"Samten was beaten hard. His cries could be heard across the pasture," said Tenzin.

They were sent back to the Khamchu Manor and spent two years being tortured. Tenzin was feeling defeated, but in March 1959, a group of soldiers arrived and truly restored his hope.

At that time, an armed rebellion was staged by the 14th Dalai Lama and a group of high-ranking Tibetan feudal serf owners who attempted to preserve the serfdom, and some rebels were looting in Tamshol Village.

When Tenzin saw these soldiers defeat the rebels and protect the serfs in the village, he realized they were the people he was looking for.

Tenzin volunteered to be their guide. After a day with the People's Liberation Army, he learned his first word in Chinese, "lu", which means way or road, and, for the first time, ate rice and fried dishes. He was also paid for his work.

When he took the coins he earned back home, his mother Changpa burst into tears. "We had worked for the manor owners for generations, but we were never paid."

Freedom awaited.

A NEW LIFE

After the armed rebellion failed, the Chinese central government began its democratic reform in Tibet, which abolished this ruthless theocracy and serfdom and established a new social system that liberated the people and made them their own masters.

Serfs of Tamshol Village then elected members to the Preparatory Committee for the Association of Farmers and Herders. Lhawang had gained enough votes to become a member of the association's committee, and Tenzin was elected head of security in the village.

Every family in the village was allocated a piece of land, housing, food and livestock, and since then, all harvests have belonged to them.

Tenzin's mother Changpa later gave birth to her eighth child, Padma Chozin. The couple carried the baby girl in their arms to their farmland, scooped up a handful of soil, and smelled it with joy. "This is our land!" They told their daughter, even though she was too young to understand.

Hospitals and schools were soon set up in the village and Mother Changpa learned how to grow potatoes and carrots.

Four years later, the family built a 110-square-meter house on what was their former owner's flock enclosure. Tenzin got married at the new house, and when he had his daughter, he built another house.

After reform and opening-up started in 1978, the family contracted 1.46 hectares of farmland and grew barley with an annual yield of 2,800 kilograms. With the harvest, Tenzin and his siblings traded wool, fur and wood. In 1989, Tenzin remodeled his home into a two-story house, the first in the village.

As the family welcomed more children, Tenzin spent 320,000 yuan (abut 47,560 U.S. dollars) in 2011 on building a cottage that had 18 pillars.

In 2015, the family built their fifth house. "Five houses! So much hard work!" Tenzin's wife Choskyi Lhamo once complained.

In contrast, Tashi's once grand, regal mansion stands derelict with collapsing walls. On that site, the local government plans to build free homes for poor families in the village.

Starting with Padma Chozin, the first family member to leave the village to study medicine in Henan Province, the family now has doctors, teachers, drivers, businesspeople and civil servants. Many of the fourth generation are now living across the country pursuing higher education in subjects like IT, marketing and business administration.

Lhawang died in 1988, and Changpa died in 2014 aged 95. Before she died, she always told her children that she wanted to live long so she could enjoy the happy life she was once deprived of.

"Tibetans have embraced prosperity, and we will work harder to create a better life," said Tenzin.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 18:12:41|Editor: Yamei

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BRUSSELS, March 28 (Xinhua) -- In a stark contrast with the United States, the European Union does not recognize Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights, its foreign policy chief has said.

"The position of the European Union as regards the status of the Golan Heights has not changed," Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the 28-member EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said Wednesday in a statement.

"In line with the international law and UN Security Council resolutions 242 and 497, the European Union does not recognize Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights," she said.

The United States is highly isolated on its decision to recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

Earlier on Tuesday, the five UN Security Council members from the EU -- Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, and Poland -- issued a joint statement after U.S. President Donald Trump's Monday proclamation to recognize Israel's sovereignty over the territory.

Israel occupied much of the Golan Heights from Syria during the 1967 Six Day War. In 1981, Israel annexed the territory, although this was never recognized by the international community.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 18:12:41|Editor: Yamei

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MANILA, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Five leftist rebels were killed in two separate clashes with Philippine security forces in central and southern Philippines on Thursday, the government military said.

The military said local policemen fought out with an undetermined number of New People's Army (NPA) guerrillas that attacked a police station in Victoria town in the central Philippine Northern Samar province around 3:50 a.m. on Thursday.

Three rebels were killed and three others captured in the foiled NPA attack, the military said. Two civilians aboard a private car were also wounded when the rebels opened fire at their car, the military added.

Police recovered four high-powered firearms from the rebels, including a M60 machine gun, two M16 assault rifles and an M14 rifle, the military said.

The military said troops also clashed with rebels in Mabini town in Compostela Valley in the southern Philippines around 1:30 a.m. on Thursday, killing two rebels and capturing another. A soldier was also wounded in the incident, the military said.

Arsenio Andolong, the spokesperson for the Philippine Department of National Defense, urged Filipinos on Thursday to denounce the atrocities committed by the NPAs during its five-decade existence and support the government in its efforts to crush the insurgents.

"Let us show the world that the NPA and their ways of crime, violence and terror have no place in our homes, in our society, and in our country," Andolong said in a statement on the eve of the 50th founding anniversary of the armed struggle that began in the 1960s.

The NPA fighters are believed to number around 3,500 fighters, down from a peak of 26,000 in the 1980s during the martial law era.

The NPA has engaged in killings, bombings and hostage-taking across the archipelago, collecting "revolutionary taxes" from businesses in the areas it controls.

Since the 1980s NPA has entered into talks with successive governments, but a peace deal has remained elusive.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 19:07:54|Editor: xuxin

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BANGKOK, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Palang Pracharath party won most votes in Sunday's election, but Pheu Thai party won most MP seats, according to the Thai Election Commission (EC).

The EC announced on Thursday that it has finished counting raw votes from all polling units nationwide and that Palang Pracharath secured 8.43 million votes, followed by Pheu Thai party's 7.92 million votes and Future Forward party's 6.26 million votes.

Besides, Democrat Party won 3.94 million votes and Bhumjaithai party gained 3.73 million votes.

Though Palang Pracharath won most raw votes, Pheu Thai party won most MP seats among all contestant parties, accounting for 137 MP seats or over out of a total of 500, followed by some 118 MP seats for Palang Pracharath, 88 MP seats for Future Forward and 50-plus MP seats for Democrats and Bhumjaithai each.

Winning the most MP seats in individual constituency mode, Pheu Thai gained none in party-listed mode.

The number of MP seats for the top five parties might be eventually increased or reduced, pending calculations on party-listed basis by the polling agency.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 19:12:55|Editor: ZX

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BEIJING, March 28 (Xinhua) -- China on Thursday urged the United Kingdom to respect China's sovereignty and stop interfering in Hong Kong's affairs.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang made the remarks after the UK government released its latest six-monthly report on Hong Kong.

"We urge the UK to face the reality that Hong Kong has returned to China for 22 years, respect China's sovereignty, stop releasing relevant reports, and stop interfering in Hong Kong's affairs," Geng said at a press briefing.

It is undeniable that the "one country, two systems" practice has achieved widely-acknowledged success, he said.

"Hong Kong's affairs have been entirely China's internal affairs since July 1, 1997. The British side has no right to make irresponsible remarks or interfere with any excuses," Geng said.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 19:17:58|Editor: xuxin

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COLOMBO, March 28 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) on Thursday said it had launched 22 new police units in tourist areas across the island to ensure the safety of tourists and locals.

In a statement, the SLTDA said that presently there were 11 tourist police units in the country and another 22 new Tourist Police Units had been established.

Due to the lack of lands, the police units have been set up using containers in a small area of land.

Locals and foreigners who face any difficulties are able to seek the assistance of the police who are deployed in these special police units.

Sri Lanka's tourism sector has faced criticism in recent months due to a rising number of sexual harassment allegations and fraud.

Tourism Development and Christian Religious Affairs Minister, John Amaratunga said recently that the government would take immediate measures to provide a safe environment for tourists to the island nation.

Amaratunga said the tourism industry was concerned about the increasing number of complaints of exploitation and harassment of foreign tourists and pledged to take stern action against those involved.

The minister added that with tourist arrivals hitting record figures in recent years, the number of complaints was also increasing.

"We are very much aware of the situation and plan to take stern measures so that the good name of the industry and the country is not spoiled by a few miscreants," he had said.

Sri Lanka's tourism industry, which was once heavily scarred by a 30-year civil conflict, has emerged as the leading foreign exchange earner with an increasing number of tourists.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 19:23:02|Editor: ZX

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LHASA, March 28 (Xinhua) -- China commemorated the 60th anniversary of democratic reform in Tibet Thursday, celebrating the region's fast economic growth, stable society, favorable natural environment and progress in other sectors.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core has made arrangements for social stability, border development, ecological protection and ethnic unity in Tibet and opened a new chapter of improving governance, stability and people's wellbeing there.

The following is a timeline of some key moments of Xi's engagement in promoting the development of Tibet as general secretary of the CPC Central Committee.

-- On March 9, 2013, when joining the delegation from Tibet in a panel discussion at the first session of the 12th National People's Congress, Xi said, "To govern the country well we must first govern the frontiers well, and to govern the frontiers well we must first ensure stability in Tibet."

-- In August 2014, Xi called for improvements to transport infrastructure in Tibet to boost the region's development, when marking the 60th anniversary of the opening of the Sichuan-Tibet and Qinghai-Tibet highways.

-- On April 25, 2015, a devastating earthquake in neighboring Nepal caused serious damage in several parts of Tibet. Xi called for all-out efforts to rescue the wounded, accommodate the quake-affected people and carry out the reconstruction by restoring the damaged infrastructure in a timely manner.

-- On July 30, 2015, Xi presided over a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, which discussed economic and social development in Tibet and how to ensure the autonomous region achieve prolonged stability.

-- Xi delivered a key speech at the Sixth National Symposium on Work in Tibet held on Aug. 24 and 25, 2015, defining guiding principles, objectives, and tasks in Tibet in the new era.

-- In September 2015, when the country celebrated the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Tibet Autonomous Region, a delegation from the central government presented Tibetan authorities with a plaque inscribed with Xi's words: "Enhancing ethnic unity, building a beautiful Tibet."

-- On Oct. 28, 2017, in a reply to a letter from a herding family in Lhunze County, near the Himalayas in Tibet, Xi encouraged them to set down roots in the border area, safeguard the Chinese territory and develop their hometown.

-- On Oct. 15, 2018, Xi congratulated Xizang Minzu University on the 60th anniversary of its founding in a letter and urged the university to fully implement the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and the spirit of the 19th CPC National Congress, promote core socialist values, and improve education quality.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 19:23:03|Editor: xuxin

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MOGADISHU, March 28 (Xinhua) -- At least 11 people were killed and several others injured in a car bombing in the restive Somali capital Mogadishu on Thursday, the police said.

The police said the latest blast occurred after a car packed outside a restaurant near Hotel Weheliye exploded.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 19:23:05|Editor: xuxin

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Firefighters try to douse flame after a fire broke out at a high-rise building in Dhaka, Bangladesh on March 28, 2019. At least one person has died and 30 others rushed to hospital as a massive fire engulfed a high-rise building in Bangladesh capital Dhaka's upmarket Banani Thursday afternoon, a hospital official said. (Xinhua/Salim Reza)

DHAKA, March 28 (Xinhua) -- At least one person has died and 30 others rushed to hospital as a massive fire engulfed a high-rise building in Bangladesh capital Dhaka's upmarket Banani Thursday afternoon, a hospital official said.

The fire at the 22-storey FR Tower housing offices and restaurants started on its seventh floor at around 1:00 p.m. local time on Thursday.

"At least 30 people were rushed to Kurmitola General Hospital," Rashid, a senior official of the hospital, told journalists.

He said the man died as a result of a fall from one of the upper floors of the commercial building.

The fire quickly spread to other floors with intense flames and thick black smoke visible.

The Fire Service personnel said they managed to rescue dozens of people trapped in the building's several upper floors.

Mizanur Rahman, a fire department control room official, told Xinhua that as many as 19 fire-fighting units have been striving to put out the blaze.

It was not clear how many people were inside the building when it caught fire. The cause of the fire was not immediately known.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 19:28:08|Editor: Xiaoxia

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An injured child receives medical treatment at a hospital in Alishing district of the eastern Laghman province, Afghanistan, March 28, 2019. Two civilians were confirmed dead and eight others injured as a mortar mine fired by militants struck a house in Alishing district of the eastern Laghman province on Thursday, provincial government spokesman Assadullah Dawlatzai said. (Xinhua/Saifurahman Safi)

MEHTERLAM, Afghanistan, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Two civilians were confirmed dead and eight others injured as a mortar mine fired by militants struck a house in Alishing district of the eastern Laghman province on Thursday, provincial government spokesman Assadullah Dawlatzai said.

"A mortar mine fired by the armed oppositions struck a house in Alishing district this afternoon, killing two innocent civilians on the spot and injuring eight others, all civilians," Dawlatzai told Xinhua.

Taliban militants who are active in the area have yet to make comment.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 19:48:12|Editor: xuxin

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TOKYO, March 28 (Xinhua) -- The number of reported domestic violence cases rose to a record high in Japan in 2018, which marks the 15th successive year the figure has increased since record keeping began, the National Police Agency (NPA) said Thursday.

According to the agency, there were 9,088 cases of domestic violence reported in 2018, rising by 666 cases compared to a year earlier.

The number of reported cases of domestic violence that were classified as attempted murder stood at 109 in 2018, the NPA said.

There were two domestic violence cases in the year that led to murder, the agency also said.

The NPA added that the number of people contacting local police about instances of domestic violence jumped dramatically in the recording period to 77,482 cases, which is an increase of 5,027 cases when compared to a year earlier.

According to the NPA, possible reasons for the increase in the number of reported cases of domestic violence and rising cases of people contacting the police, could be an increase in awareness about the social malady.

Compared to the past, anthropologists here have said that individuals, including neighbors, family members, friends and colleagues, were more likely to intervene somehow in situations where domestic violence is suspected, including contacting local authorities.

The majority of victims of domestic violence in the recording period were women at 80 percent of all reported cases.

The number of male victims, however, surged threefold between 2014 and 2018 to 15,964 reported cases, the agency said.

In terms of age, the highest segment of victims were in their 30s at 28.2 percent of all cases. Victims in their 40s comprised 24.1 percent of the total.

Those in their 20s accounted for the lowest proportion in 2018, at 23.4 percent of all reported cases.

The NPA said that spouses or former spouses were the perpetrators of domestic violence in 76.1 percent of all reported case in 2018.

In 2017 the anti-stalking law here was revised to empower the police and authorities to issue restraining orders without first handing out warnings to the perpetrators.

The NPA said that the stricter anti-stalking law may have led to the number of reported cases in Japan dropping by 161 a year earlier to 2,464 cases in 2018.

One of the reported cases did, however, lead to murder, the agency said.

The vast majority of stalking victims were women, said the NPA, accounting for around 90 percent of all reported cases, with the number of victims totaling 18,949 in 2018.

The police agency said that 43.3 percent of the stalkers were predominantly current or former boyfriends or girlfriends, compared to reported acts of stalking carried out by strangers, which stood at 7.5 percent in the recording year.

In cases where the unknown stalkers could not be identified, the agency suggested that the growth of social media and its use could be responsible for this figure.

The NPA also added that in terms of the number of consultations dealt with by police and public safety authorities regarding instances of stalking the number had dropped in 2018 from a year earlier.

The agency said there were 1,523 fewer consultations, with the figure standing at 21,556 consultations and reports.

The figure for 2018, however, marked the sixth successive year it has topped the 20,000 mark.

Authorities here, meanwhile, issued 1,157 orders against acts of stalking in 2018, marking a new record high.

This was a 70 percent increase in the issuance of such orders compared to a year earlier, the NPA said.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 19:53:13|Editor: xuxin

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ASADABAD, Afghanistan, March 28 (Xinhua) -- At least 23 fighters from Taliban outfit and the rival Islamic State (IS) group have been killed and over a dozen injured due to infighting in Chapa Dara district of Afghanistan's eastern Kunar province over the past couple of days, said an army statement released here Thursday.

The infighting, according to the statement, flared up after the hardliner IS outfit attacked the rival Taliban group couple of days ago, triggering heavy fighting and resultantly 18 IS fighters and five Taliban insurgents have been killed and 18 others, including 15 IS militants sustained injuries.

No civilians and security personnel have been hurt in the Taliban, IS bloody rivalries, the statement contended.

Neither Taliban nor IS group has made comment.

However, media reports suggest that infighting between Taliban group and the rival Islamic State outfit in Chapa Dara district of Kunar province has forced hundreds of families to leave their houses for safer places.

Officials have yet to make comment on the reported displacement of locals in Chapa Dara district and its vicinity.

Militants affiliated with the IS group, according to locals, have been operating in Kunar and the neighboring Nangarhar province over the past couple of years.

The government forces after series of bloody operations were able to shrink the ability of IS fighters in the eastern Nangarhar province over the past couple of years. However, the militant group has been fighting to consolidate positions in the neighboring Kunar and Nuristan provinces.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 20:13:17|Editor: xuxin

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BEIRUT, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese Interior Minister Raya El Hassan emphasized on Thursday the need to improve the condition of prisons in Lebanon in compliance with human rights' standards, the National News Agency reported.

"We will do a series of field visits to prisons to adopt strategies to improve their conditions in coordination with the Directorate of the General Security," Hassan said.

Her remarks came during the launching ceremony of the program "Assisting in the development of procedures adopted in Lebanese prisons," funded by the U.S. embassy's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 20:23:20|Editor: xuxin

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NICOSIA, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Cypriot government is extending for another two years its Startup Visa program for non-EU nationals, which is meant to attract young entrepreneurs to live in the eastern Mediterranean island and establish a startup business "with a high growth potential", an official said on Thursday.

"The initial two-year pilot program which expired at the end of February is being replaced with an upgraded one," Maria Matsi, assistant to the director of the Directorate of Economic Research and EU Affairs, said on Thursday.

The Cyprus Startup Visa scheme operated on a pilot basis for two years from February 2017 to February 2019.

The decision to extend the program was made by the Council of Ministers on Wednesday.

Matsi told Xinhua that 150 visas will be given to nationals of third countries under the new scheme, which will be more attractive to applicants.

The original one provided that applicant should provide evidence, such as a bank affirmation, that they had 50,000 euros available for their living expenses.

"Under the new scheme to be proclaimed in about two weeks, applicants will be required to provide evidence that they have available only 20,000 euros for living expenses. They will also be entitled to a government grant, depending on the progress of their projects, out of a budget of 500,000 euros," Matsi said.

She said that under the pilot scheme, visas were given to six individuals and to the owners of four or five companies.

The applicants, individuals or teams, were required "to enter, reside and work in Cyprus in order to establish, operate, develop a startup with a high growth potential" with the goal to create "new jobs, the promotion of innovation and research, the development of the business ecosystem and consequently the economic development of the country".

Besides having the money for their living expenses, the applicants should also hold an undergraduate degree or an equivalent professional qualification and have a very good knowledge of Greek and or English language.

Further requirements include that the enterprise must be innovative, meaning that its research and development costs represent at least 10 percent of its operating costs in at least one of the three years preceding the summation of the application.

Once qualified, the applicants will enjoy a series of benefits including the right to economic activity and residence in Cyprus for one year, with the possibility of renewal for at least another year, and prospective residence in Cyprus without any maximum time restrictions, if the enterprise succeeds.

Matsi said that effort will be made in the new proclamation to further improve benefits to the applicants.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 20:23:21|Editor: ZX

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BEIJING, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang on Thursday refuted recent U.S. accusations and attacks against the Chinese government and China's Xinjiang policy, once again urging the U.S. side to stop interfering in China's internal affairs by using Xinjiang-related issues.

Geng made the demand at a press briefing when commenting on U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's recent moves and tweets related to Xinjiang issues.

Geng reiterated that the affairs of Xinjiang are China's internal affairs, noting that at present in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the overall social situation is stable, with sound economic development momentum, people of the various ethnic groups living in harmony, and people's improved sense of security and their enhanced satisfaction with social stability.

Based on the fabricated lies, the U.S. side has made unwarranted accusations and attacks against the Chinese government and China's Xinjiang policy, which the Chinese side will never accept, he said, adding that the Chinese side is strongly dissatisfied and resolutely opposed to U.S. relevant remarks and moves, and has already made solemn representations to the U.S. side.

"The vocational and educational training centers are set up in Xinjiang as a preventive counter-terrorism and de-radicalization measure, which is carried out in line with the law and is fully supported by people of all ethnic groups. And good results have been achieved," said Geng.

Facts have proven that the vocational and educational training centers are not the so-called "reeducation camps" claimed by the western sides including the U.S., he said.

Geng again asked the U.S. side to respect the facts, abandon prejudice, be cautious with words and actions, and to do more things that are conducive to mutual trust and cooperation between China and the United States.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 20:43:25|Editor: ZX

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Children from northwest China's Shaanxi Province perform a folk dance during the opening ceremony of the Silk Road Stories program on board the Majestic Princess cruise ship in Italy on May 21, 2017. (Xinhua/Luo Na)

BEIJING, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's first overseas trip in 2019 has achieved a train of tangible results, thus further unlocking potential for more dynamic and productive cooperation between China and its many European partners.

The Europe tour, which took him to Italy, Monaco and France, has helped bolster Belt and Road cooperation, stimulate inter-cultural exchanges, and build up a global consensus on safeguarding multilateralism for a better and more shared future.

B&R BOOSTER

During Xi's visit to Italy, the two countries inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on jointly advancing the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Rome's official endorsement of the BRI makes it the first Group of Seven member to do so.

In a joint communique issued by the two countries, Beijing and Rome agreed that the BRI boasts huge potential in promoting infrastructure connectivity.

The two sides stand ready to strengthen the alignment of the BRI and Trans-European Transport Networks, and deepen cooperation in ports, logistics, marine transportation and other areas, according to the document.

The BRI, proposed by Xi in 2013, aims to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe, Africa and beyond.

Xi told Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte during their meeting that China and Italy are at the two ends of the ancient Silk Road, thus they have every reason to carry out cooperation on the BRI.

Conte, in response, said Italy is glad to seize the historic opportunity, adding that he strongly believes that it will help fully explore the potential of Italy-China ties.

Manlio Di Stefano, Italian Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, said "it is evident that Italy is a natural European terminal for the Belt and Road Initiative."

Among the key sectors of the Italian economy that will benefit from the BRI, he added, are those "related to high technology and high specialization, in which we are a leader," as well as "the infrastructure sector and its supply chain, which are other priorities for us."

"In this way, we can open the way to the huge Chinese market for our highly specialized SMEs (small or medium-sized enterprises)," said the senior diplomat.

Matteo Bressan, a professor on international relations at University LUMSA, echoed Di Stefano. He said Italy's port advantage can facilitate the Belt and Road's construction and promote cultural exchanges and trade between the two countries.

Alessia Amighini, a senior associate research fellow at the Italian Institute for International Political Studies, a think tank, said Xi's visit and the BRI MoU are important to Italy and meaningful to the Europe.

GLOBAL GOVERNANCE

Apart from boosting bilateral practical cooperation, the visit has also become a platform for Xi and European leaders to compare notes on how to build a shared future in a world of growing uncertainties.

While in France, Xi, together with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, attended in Paris a global governance forum co-hosted by China and France.

Addressing the forum, Xi warned of a rising volatility, uncertainty and protectionism facing nations, and raised what he termed the "four deficits" in global affairs, namely in governance, trust, peace and development.

To address these deficits, he proposed a four-pronged approach of fairness, consultation and understanding, joint efforts and mutual assistance, and win-win results.

He pledged that China would work with all parties to firmly uphold multilateralism, improve global governance and jointly address global challenges.

Macron said the meeting of Chinese and European leaders sent a positive signal to the international community that the EU and China firmly uphold multilateralism.

France and the EU are willing to further enhance mutual trust with China, and shoulder together the historic responsibility of promoting world peace, security and development, he said.

Merkel said Germany attaches importance to China's key role in international affairs, highly appreciates its support for Europe's prosperity, and is ready to work with China to advance multilateralism.

Juncker also said the EU and China could do great things together in jointly addressing global challenges.

David Gosset, a French expert on international affairs and China, said Xi's visit to France has bolstered cooperation between China, France and the EU in tackling climate change, maintaining multilateralism, enhancing the role of the UN and promoting trade connections.

The convergence is a source of hope for the world, Gosset said.

DEEPER UNDERSTANDING

Creating a better world requires a need for nations across the globe to better understand each other.

In his 2014 keynote speech at the headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in Paris, Xi laid out his vision of civilization, one featuring diversity, equality and inclusiveness.

"We need to encourage different civilizations to respect each other and live together in harmony while promoting their exchanges and mutual learning as a bridge of friendship among peoples, a driving force behind human society, and a strong bond for world peace," Xi said.

Five years on, China is joining various countries and regions to promote inter-civilization exchanges. As a result, the rest of world is becoming more knowledgeable and understanding of the Asian country.

Sonia Bressler, a French writer and sinologist who has made six trips to China, said China cannot develop without the world and vise versa.

The BRI connects the Chinese dream to the world's, she said. "The Belt and Road Initiative accords with the trend of the times."

"The China-Europe Railway Express has already transported goods between China and Europe. I believe I can continue my train trips to China again in the near future," said Bressler.

Prince Albert II, head of state of the Principality of Monaco, described Xi's visit to his country as a "historic" one.

Albert II, who has traveled to China 10 times, said he was deeply impressed by China's development.

"China has undergone tremendous development, as evidenced by its leading position in the global economy. But what strikes me most is Xi's determination and will to pursue green growth not only in China, but also at global level by participating as much as possible in all discussions on climate change and the protection of biodiversity," he said.

The prince told Xinhua earlier that he shares in the notion of "building a community with a shared future for mankind" proposed by Xi, saying Monaco and its neighboring countries have a similar saying for a "community of a shared destiny."

Extending the notion to the global level is an innovative move, the prince said, adding that it will benefit not only China but also the entire world.

(Video reporters: Han Qian, Yu Yue, Lian Zhen, Ji Li, Han Chong, Zhao Yuchao; video editor: Liu Yuting)
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 21:03:36|Editor: ZX

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BERLIN, March 28 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese delegation headed by Wan Gang, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, visited Germany on March 25-28 to attend the Sino-German Dialogue Forum.

As chairman for the Chinese side, Wan met with his forum counterpart Annette Schavan during his visit.

He also met with Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, the party leader of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany, Steffen Bilger, parliamentary state secretary at the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, and other business and research representatives.

Both sides exchanged in-depth views on deepening bilateral ties, non-governmental exchanges and technical cooperation on new energy.

Wan also addressed the 6th Professional Conference "Electric Vehicle On Spot" in Germany.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 21:03:39|Editor: Yamei

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Chinese Premier Li Keqiang delivers a keynote speech at the opening plenary of the Boao Forum for Asia annual conference in Boao, south China's Hainan Province, March 28, 2019. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

BOAO, Hainan, March 28 (Xinhua) -- At a time when trade protectionism rises and pressure on the global economy mounts, the world is in dire need to find a way to achieve sustainable development.

At the ongoing Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) annual conference, China has voiced its answer loud and clear.

"The world should work together to seize opportunities, embrace challenges, seek win-win results in cooperation and inject confidence to the world economy with an open mind, inclusiveness and coordinated action," Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said Thursday at the opening plenary of the BFA in China's southern island province of Hainan.

By further opening its economy, promoting multilateral initiatives and advancing structural reforms, China is offering its solution to increase certainties for the world.

UNWAVERING OPENING-UP

Attendees of the BFA know one thing for sure: China will open its economy wider to the world.

On Thursday, Li announced a new set of measures to further open up the economy, offering reassurance to global investors trying to tap into the country's gigantic market.

China will further relax controls on market access and shorten the negative list for foreign investment this year, he said.

The country has also started to formulate matching regulations and rules to support the implementation of the newly-adopted foreign investment law, Li said.

"It is a very encouraging sign for investors in general. For us, it's an additional confirmation that we can continue with our plans," said Robert Aspell, president of Asia Pacific for Cargill, a U.S.-based agriculture and food company.

Following the company's additional investments last year in northeast China's Jilin Province, the company is looking at more investment opportunities in the value-added oil field, as more Chinese are living healthier lifestyles and crave different kinds of oil, Aspell told Xinhua on the sidelines of the BFA.

"We are in China for the long term," he said.

Economists and entrepreneurs at the BFA agreed that openness and cooperation are the keys to address the so-called "black swan" events, or incidents that are rare but could cause catastrophic ramifications.

"There's an old Chinese saying that we should cope with shifting events by sticking to a fundamental principle," said Zhang Yuyan, an economist with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

"The fundamental principle here is that the world should always work together to counter the uncertainties," Zhang said.

INCLUSIVE GROWTH

During a heated discussion at the BFA titled "Global Economic Outlook 2019: Certainties and Uncertainties," panelists saw the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) proposed by China as an effective way to deal with the uncertainties that the world faces.

Michele Geraci, undersecretary of state of the Italian Ministry of Economic Development, said the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with China on the BRI will bring win-win results in areas including infrastructure, especially for water transport projects.

Geraci said that he expects other countries to follow Italy to join the initiative and sign the MoU.

"We will do more business with China and lead other European countries to see the benefits," Geraci said.

Initiatives such as the Belt and Road not only bring Chinese firms more opportunities to expand overseas but add to the chance for the global community to achieve common prosperity, participants at the BFA said.

China and other countries should push forward regional integration, build a more dynamic Asian market and better align the BRI with development strategies of all countries, Premier Li said at the opening plenary.

Hiria Ottino, president of the Pacific-China Friendship Association, said the BRI has offered a new perspective on how the international community could work together.

"In the past, we didn't want to share our knowledge or experiences because we feared losing out. Now we are looking at each other not as competitors but as partners. This is the most important thing about the BRI," he said.

INNOVATION-DRIVEN ECONOMY

At the international conference center of the BFA, two photos showing the sharp contrast of farming in central China's Henan Province have drawn the attention of the participants.

In one picture, farmers were plowing a field with two cattle in 1957. In another photo taken last year, several harvesting machines were reaping wheat in a similar field.

Technological innovation in the past decades has fostered world economic growth, and it will continue to be the key driving force for global prosperity, analysts said.

China has been intensifying its efforts to restructure the economy, with incentives introduced to encourage entrepreneurship and innovation.

On Thursday, Premier Li urged all countries to strengthen cooperation in innovation and create an open, fair, transparent and predictable business environment, which will facilitate the sharing of innovation resources and achievements.

For Aspell, China's commitment to better protect intellectual property helps companies like Cargill tap into the innovation that is thriving in the country.

"There are a lot of young people in China sitting in their apartments coming up with very interesting things," Aspell said, adding that the company is particularly interested in digitalization.

In a world that abounds with uncertainties, fostering innovation is one certain thing that countries should resort to for achieving sustainable growth, said Zhang Tao, deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

"Innovation can provide a variety of new technologies which provide opportunities for higher productivity," he said.

Hans-Paul Burkner, chairman of the Boston Consulting Group, believed there are more certainties than uncertainties in the future.

"The future requires more effort, more restructuring, more reform and more change," said Burkner.

"The key is to see that the future is in our hands. It does not just happen. We make it happen," he said.

(Video reporters: Wang Junfeng, Cao Xiaofan; video editor: Liu Ruoshi)
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 21:08:43|Editor: xuxin

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WINDHOEK, March 28 (Xinhua) -- The Namibian economy recorded a negative growth of 0.1 percent in 2018, Statistician-General Alex Shimuafeni told reporters on Thursday.

This is a second year in a row that the country has recorded a negative growth; the economy contracted 0.9 percent in 2017.

According to Shimuafeni, the main industries driving this weak performance were the secondary and tertiary industries.

Sectors such as hotels and restaurants, wholesale and retail trade as well as transport and communication all fell.

Namibia's economy is expected to expand by 1 percent this year, officials said.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 21:13:48|Editor: xuxin

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ADEN, Yemen, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Yemeni government forces said on Thursday that 30 Houthi fighters were killed in an ambush in the country's southern province of al-Dhalea.

According to the Defense Ministry's website 26sepnews.net, the government forces conducted the ambush against Houthi fighters in Muris district of al-Dhalea, 245 km south of the capital Sanaa.

A total of 30 members of the Houthi group, including a field commander, were killed during the well-planned ambush, the website said.

Moreover, 10 Houthi fighters were injured during armed confrontations with the government forces following the ambush, it added.

There is no comment yet from the Houthi group.

Several areas in the north and west of al-Dhalea have been witnessing constant armed confrontations between the Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces and the Houthi fighters for nearly four years.

The long-running Yemeni conflict between the two warring parties has left tens of thousands dead or injured, including at least 17,700 civilians as verified by the United Nations.

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Houthi rebels overtook the capital Sanaa and ousted the internationally-backed government of President Abd-Rabbuh Mansour Hadi. A Saudi-led coalition has been fighting the Houthis since 2015.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 21:18:51|Editor: ZX

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MACAO, March 28 (Xinhua) -- The 2019 Macao International Environmental Cooperation Forum and Exhibition (MIECF), organized by the government of China's Macao Special Administrative Region, attracted more than 500 exhibitors from about 20 countries and regions on Thursday.

The three-day event, with the theme of promoting ecological civilization and green development, served as an platform for promoting global environmental technology transfer and sustainable development.

It also meant to support the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and the implementation of the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and promote the Pan-Pearl River Delta cooperation.

The forum featured eight green forums and a keynote speaker special session with around 70 speakers from various countries and regions sharing their insights into ways toward ecological civilization, green finance, and other international frontier environmental issues.

The forum also set up a "Greenovation Zone" to offer displays and networking activities related to innovative green technologies, and promote the application and exchange of innovative environmentally-friendly technologies.

The MIECF was launched in 2008 and this year is its 12th edition. Last year's forum witnessed the signing of 35 agreements and 349 on-site business matching sessions.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 21:23:53|Editor: xuxin

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LONDON, March 28 (Xinhua) -- The British pound slipped against the U.S. dollar on Thursday morning as the market watches and waits for more clarity on the next step of Brexit after parliament vote failed to break the Brexit impasse on Wednesday evening.

The UK parliament voted against eight alternative options to the Brexit deal Wednesday evening, including leaving without a deal, creating a customs union and backing a confirmatory referendum on any deal.

It paves the way for a third meaningful vote over the next few days on the Brexit deal, already twice defeated by the parliament, but the Prime Minister Theresa May has said no vote will be held unless it stands a good chance of winning.

The pound was trading at 1.3116 against the U.S. dollar, down by 0.34 percent and it fell 0.11 percent against the euro at 1.1687 by noon.

Benefiting from a weaker pound, the benchmark FTSE 100 Index, comprised of multinationals, has risen by 0.59 percent, or 42.52 points, at 7,236.71 points. The FTSE 250, with a more domestic focus, went up by 0.19 percent, or 36.20 points, at 18,929.94 points.

Analysts said Brexit will continue to weigh on the movements of pound in the coming days. British lawmakers overwhelmingly voted to change original Brexit departure date in law from March 29 to April 12 or May 22, depending on whether the Brexit deal could win approval from parliament. May has said she will step down after Brexit deal is delivered.

"Sterling is lower this morning courtesy of that heightened no-deal and electoral risk and will be watching Downing Street and Northern Ireland to see whether the intransigent Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) are offered enough to back the PM's deal," said Jeremy Thomson-Cook, Chief Economist at international payments group WorldFirst.

If the DUP comes on board, May is a lot closer to a majority, though some Conservative lawmakers still stand opposed to the deal, Thomson-Cook said.

The DUP voted against the Brexit deal at the parliament's previous two votes, warning that the Irish border "backstop" in the deal endangers the integrity of the country.

The controversial "backstop" plan is designed to avoid border checks between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It is considered by some British especially Brexiteers to be a trap to retain Britain in a customs union with the EU and pragmatically delay their "divorce".
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 21:28:55|Editor: xuxin

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BUJUMBURA, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Burundian authorities said on Thursday that two foreigners -- a Brazilian and a Latvian -- were held in custody for being involved in drug trafficking.

The police seized 3 kg of heroin packed in six parcels from the Brazilian national at the Bujumbura International Airport on March 20, Pierre Nkurikiye, spokesperson of Ministry of Security, told a press briefing in Bujumbura, commercial capital of Burundi.

The heroin, with a street value of about 400,000 U.S. dollars, was taken to Bujumbura in transit to another destination, Nkurikiye said.

The Latvian national was arrested on suspicion of acting as the Brazilian's accomplice upon arrival at the Bujumbura aiport the following day, he said.

The Latvian was travelling from Greece to Burundi to collect the heroin and is scheduled to take it to the destination, Nkurikiye added.

Two Burundian nationals who went to pick up the Brazilian were also arrested for complicity, according to the ministry.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 21:28:56|Editor: ZX

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HONG KONG, March 28 (Xinhua) -- A new Marvel-themed attraction is set to open to the public on March 31 at Hong Kong Disneyland, the theme park said on Thursday.

Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle is the first attraction to feature characters of Ant-Man and The Wasp, and also the first-ever Marvel attraction in a Disney Park to feature a female super hero as a title character.

Combined with high tech and high energy, this attraction invites tourists to experience a critical mission to defend Hong Kong. In the ride, tourists will be shrunk down to the size of an ant as 150 targets shown in various shapes and sizes provide different levels of shooting challenge.

Marvel stories attract tourists from all around the world, and Hong Kong markets especially resonate with these stories, said Stephanie Young, managing director of the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort.

Young added that more popular Disney characters and stories are arriving in HKDL under the multi-year expansion plan.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 21:39:00|Editor: xuxin

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ATHENS, March 28 (Xinhua) -- The Greek Coast Guard rescued 36 migrants from a beach on Chios island on Thursday, with two still missing, Greek national news agency AMNA reported.

The migrants reached the Greek island on board a dinghy from Turkey. An operation was still underway to locate the missing.

The nationalities of the survivors and the missing have not been identified.

More than one million people have landed on Greek shores since 2015, mainly via the Aegean Sea from Turkey's coasts, seeking refuge in Europe from warzones and extreme poverty.

Hundreds have perished in the waters, and despite the closure of the Balkan route to central Europe three years ago, thousands continue to risk their lives to cross into Europe.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 21:39:00|Editor: xuxin

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BEIRUT, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's state security arrested on Thursday a Syrian woman for selling forged passports to Syrians in Lebanon, the National News Agency (NNA) reported.

The woman has admitted offering forged passports and documents for Syrians trying to travel to Turkey and other European countries at a starting price of 6,000 U.S. dollars per passport, NNA said.

The woman was working with a network in Turkey, it added.

She was transferred to the judicial bodies for further investigations and other legal procedures.

The Lebanese authorities are pursuing other suspects in similar cases.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 21:44:01|Editor: xuxin

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WARSAW, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Konrad Szymanski, Polish secretary of state for European affairs, said on Thursday that Poland should support British Prime Minister Theresa May and "do everything to help get the Brexit deal ratified".

"The only chance for ratification is to support Prime Minister May in her heroic battle for this deal -- she is also fighting for us," added Szymanski who was speaking to Polish broadcaster TVN24.

"A hard Brexit means enormous damages for everyone," Szymanski said.

The secretary of state said Poland was in favour of EU actions which are "not confrontational" and give Britain as much time as possible so that the British Parliament "definies its opinion" and an orderly exit from the EU is possible.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 21:54:02|Editor: Xiaoxia

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Confiscated weaponry are seen at a military base in Damascus, Syria, March 28, 2019. The Syrian army on Thursday showcased various weaponry found in formerly rebel-held areas in the southern province of Daraa, including missiles, rockets, mortar shells, various ammunitions put in wooden boxes. The Syrian army has found several batches of weapons in Daraa and elsewhere across the country following the defeat of the rebels and their withdrawal to Idlib province. Daraa province in southern Syria holds a big significance as it was the birthplace of the eight-year-long war in Syria. (Xinhua/Ammar Safarjalani)

DAMASCUS, March 28 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian army on Thursday showcased various weaponry found in formerly rebel-held areas in the southern province of Daraa.

Retaken late last year, the Syrian army is still discovering weapons stashed by the rebels in Daraa ahead of their surrender and evacuation to rebel-held areas in the northwestern countryside of Idlib.

During a Xinhua trip to the base where the weapons were laid on the ground, a military officer told Xinhua and other reporters that the new discovery includes heavy and medium weapons.

"A large amount of heavy and medium weapons were found hidden in underground stores by the terrorist groups ahead of their evacuation to northern Syria," the officer said, asked not to be named.

He said the big amounts of weapons is a sign of the big support rendered to the rebels by foreign powers.

"The presence of such a large amount of weapons is an indicator of how big the foreign support to the terrorist groups by the countries that support terrorism," he said.

The shown weapons include missiles, rockets, mortar shells, various ammunitions put in wooden boxes.

The officer said the weapons include some U.S. and Israeli-made munition.

The Syrian army has found several batches of weapons in Daraa and elsewhere across the country following the defeat of the rebels and their withdrawal to Idlib province.

Daraa province in southern Syria holds a big significance as it was the birthplace of the eight-year-long war in Syria.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 21:54:02|Editor: xuxin

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DHAKA, March 28 (Xinhua) -- A Sri Lankan man was among seven people killed in a massive fire that engulfed a high-rise building in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka on Thursday, a police official said.

The majority of deaths resulted from smoke inhalation and injuries sustained after falling from upper floors, Forman Ali, officer-in-charge of Banani Police Station, told reporters.

"Seven people including the Sri Lankan national have been killed," he added.

The Sri Lankan man sustained serious injuries as he jumped off the building to escape the fire and died before he was rushed to the hospital.

The fire was brought under control at around 6:00 p.m. local time.

The blaze started on its seventh floor of the 22-storey FR Tower housing offices, TV and radio stations and restaurants at around 1:00 p.m. local time on Thursday.

Some 100 people were rushed to different city hospitals with injuries.

A Fire Service official said they managed to rescue dozens of people trapped in the building's upper floors.

Mizanur Rahman, a fire department control room official, told Xinhua that as many as 21 fire-fighting units were battling the blaze.

It was not clear how many people were inside the building when it caught fire. The cause of the fire was not immediately known.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 21:59:04|Editor: xuxin

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BERLIN, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Germany's governing coalition parties were unable to resolve its ongoing dispute over an extension of the arms export ban to Saudi Arabia, German local media reported on Thursday.

"We are still engaged in intensive talks," said German government spokesperson Steffen Seibert after the meeting of the German security council (BSR).

An attempt to reach an agreement in a confidential meeting was unsuccessful. The BSR, headed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, deferred its deliberations to an unspecified date in the future.

Following the death of the Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi last year, the German government suspended all arms shipments to Saudi Arabia .

The German government has already extended the ban twice, most recently to March 31, according to Deutsche Presse Agentur.

On Saturday, Andrea Nahles, leader of the Social Democratic Party(SPD), had called for a six-month extension of the export ban but the SPD's coalition partners CDU/CSU were against this.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 21:59:05|Editor: xuxin

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DAR ES SALAAM, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian authorities on Thursday warned non-governmental organizations (NGOs) operating in the country to stop engaging in immoral deeds, including money laundering and threats to national security.

"The government will not hesitate to revoke registration licenses for such NGOs lest they endangered the security of the nation," said Faustine Ndungulile, the Deputy Minister for Health, Community Development, Gender, the Elderly and Children.

Opening a two-day annual meeting of the National Council of NGOs Tanzania (NaCoNGOs) in the capital Dodoma, Ndungulile said some NGOs were engaging in operations which were not in their constitutions that they submitted for registration.

He said the government has completed collection an electronic data for all NGOs working in the country aimed at receiving information about their activities on time.

He urged the NGOs to maintain transparency and accountability in their efforts to help build the nation.

He said their goals and objectives should also be in line with the government development agenda, adding that the authorities will not tolerate rogue NGOs who were not working on their own direction in the pretense of helping people.

"Much as you come with financial resources but if your purported activities are not in line with the government development agenda you will not be allowed in the country," said Ndungulile.

He urged the NGOs to use the annual meeting to focus on their contributions to the development of the country, where they started, where they are and plan for more actions.

Ndungulile said the government appreciated NGOs' contribution and that was why President John Magufuli this week appointed the chairman of the board of NGOs to help them work as expected.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 22:09:11|Editor: xuxin

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NICOSIA, March 28 (Xinhua) -- A new governor of Central Bank of Cyprus (CBC) was appointed on Thursday to replace current CBC chief Chrystalla Georghadji at the end of her five-year term in April, according to an official statement.

The statement said that President Nicos Anastasiades appointed Constantinos Herodotou, an economist and former banker, to lead CBC.

Herodotou has been serving as an executive director and member of the CBC supervisor's board since March 2017, while his previous state job was commissioner for privatization.

The statement said Herodotou joined UBS Investment Bank in 2001 in London, and rose to be simultaneously head of two sectors of the bank.

Chrystalla Georghadji became head of the central bank on April 11, 2014, at the height of the financial and banking crisis that hit Cyprus a year before.

She had been strongly criticized for failure to effectively oversee the operations of former Cyprus Cooperative Bank, which was finally merged with another bank, and also for failing to take action for the reduction of non-performing loans, totaling 52 percent of the total loan portfolio when she took office.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 22:09:11|Editor: xuxin

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JOHANNESBURG, March 28 (Xinhua) -- The South African government on Thursday condemned attacks on foreign nationals in Kwazulu-Natal and Limpopo, calling on law enforcement agencies to ensure that perpetrators are brought to book.

This follows attacks on foreign nationals in Limpopo province and KwaZulu-Natal in the last two days which resulted in some of them seeking refuge at police stations and mosque.

"South Africans are generally peace loving and friendly people and most of these attacks are nothing less of criminality," said Government Communication Information System acting Director General Phumla Williams.

She said the government is receptive to people's needs and urges all citizens to use relevant platforms to express their concerns and frustrations, including talking to elected officials in their communities.

She called on locals and non-nationals to coexist, saying that South Africa was helped by many African countries during the liberation struggle.

"South Africa has a high number of foreign nationals who are integrated into communities across the country and government calls on all South Africans and foreign nationals to live in harmony," she said.

On Tuesday, South African media reported that more than 150 foreigners sought refuge in KwaZulu-Natal's Sydenham police station after being attacked. The attackers accused local employers of employing foreigners.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 22:29:17|Editor: xuxin

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GAZA, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Three Palestinians were wounded on Thursday in an Israeli drone airstrike in northern Gaza Strip, Palestinian medics said.

Palestinian security sources meanwhile said that an Israeli drone launched a missile on a group of youth north of Jabalia refugee camp northern Gaza Strip who were releasing arson balloons from the area into Israel, causing three injuries.

According to the sources, the three injured were taken to the Indonesian hospital for treatment and their wounds were described as moderate.

Since the start of the "Great March of Return" in March 2018, Israeli soldiers have shot dead over 260 demonstrators and wounded around 26,000 others. Most of them were wounded by Israeli gunfire, according to officials of Gaza Health Ministry.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 22:44:29|Editor: yan

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MOSCOW, March 28 (Xinhua) -- The Russian troops will stay in Venezuela as long as the legitimate Venezuelan government needs them, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Thursday.

"All this is done in accordance with bilateral agreements," Zakharova told a press briefing.

Two Russian air force planes landed in Venezuela on Saturday, carrying nearly 100 troops and 35 tons of materials, said media reports.

Zakharova noted that the Russian troops' presence in Venezuela is in line with the bilateral agreement on military-technical cooperation. Mentioning the remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday that Russia has to pull out of the South American country, she said the Russian move violates neither international rules nor the Venezuelan law.

"Russia does not change the balance of forces in the region. Russia does not threaten anyone, unlike people in Washington, the statement of whom I just quoted," she added.

At the same time, the Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman noted that the world has seen a series of actions by Washington trying to intervene in the situation in Venezuela, including imposing sanctions, splitting the society and the armed forces, attempting to force an entry of humanitarian aid, among others.

"All these are a deliberate provocation for chaos, the collapse of the state, as a result of which there may simply be no winners," Zakharova said.

Venezuela has suffered a political crisis since late January when the opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself the country's interim president and was recognized by the United States and some other countries.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 22:49:31|Editor: yan

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Chinese Premier Li Keqiang meets a delegation from the Taiwan-based Cross-Straits Common Market Foundation, led by its honorary chairman Vincent Siew, in Boao, south China's Hainan Province, March 27, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

BOAO, Hainan, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Premier Li Keqiang Wednesday met a delegation from the Taiwan-based Cross-Straits Common Market Foundation, led by its honorary chairman Vincent Siew, in Boao, Hainan Province.

Li praised the foundation for its efforts in promoting the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and pushing forward pragmatic cooperation between the two sides.

"It is in line with the fundamental wellbeing of people on both sides of the Strait to uphold the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, oppose 'Taiwan independence,' work for the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, and advance the process of the peaceful reunification of the motherland," Li said.

Li lauded the significant contributions made by Taiwan entrepreneurs and Taiwan-funded enterprises to the economic development of the mainland and said Taiwan entrepreneurs are welcome to continue investing on the mainland.

"The existing preferential policies will remain and the legitimate rights and interests of Taiwan entrepreneurs and Taiwan-funded enterprises will be protected by the law," Li said, adding that new preferential policies would also be offered.

Taiwan-funded enterprises could refer to provisions of the newly-adopted foreign investment law and enjoy the same treatment as mainland enterprises, Li said, adding that they would benefit from the mainland's tax and fee cuts.

"We are willing to expand imports of farm produce and aquatic products from Taiwan and provide more conveniences and favorable conditions," Li said.

Li also pointed out that the mainland hopes to increase cross-Strait exchanges in economy and culture, promote the integrated development of the two sides and let compatriots from Taiwan be the first to share opportunities brought by the development of the mainland.

"We will also listen to Taiwan compatriots' opinions and roll out more policies and measures to offer equal treatment to compatriots of Taiwan coming to the mainland for travel, study, living and work," Li said. "We will do our best to benefit compatriots of Taiwan."

Siew said people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are Chinese descendants and should support each other, adding the Cross-Straits Common Market Foundation is willing to work with the Chinese mainland to promote integrated development of both sides of the Strait and consolidate the foundation for the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 22:49:31|Editor: yan

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MOSCOW, March 28 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said Thursday it had detained in the North Caucasus republic of Dagestan a suspected member of a gang which organized a double terrorist attack in the Moscow subway in 2010.

The suspect was taken to Moscow for further investigative actions, it said in a statement.

On March 29, 2010, 39 people were killed and 129 others were injured in an attack carried out by two female suicide-bombers at two central Moscow subway stations.

The Russian special services, investigators and law enforcement agencies have since identified the organizers and perpetrators of the terrorist attacks.

During the investigation of the case, it was established that, prior to the Moscow explosions, members of the gang organized and carried out repeated attacks on law enforcement officers and public figures of Dagestan between 2008 and 2010.

Members of the group, led by Magomedali Vagabov, a resident of Dagestan, offered armed resistance and were eliminated in 2010. Another member of the group was found and killed in a shootout in 2013, according to the Russian Investigative Committee.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 22:49:31|Editor: yan

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TEHRAN, March 28 (Xinhua) -- At least 44 people died in the flash floods that hit most parts of Iran over the past days, an official with Iran Emergency Organization said on Thursday.

The announcement was made by Hamid Reza Khankeh, the deputy head of the organization, according to Entekhab news website.

Besides, at least 265 people were injured in the flash floods over the past days, he added.

Over the past week, unprecedented snowstorm and flash floods swept northern, western and central Iran, when people were out celebrating the Iranian New Year started on March 21.

According to local media reports, scores of families were relocated due to the deadly floods and landslides.

The flood also caused losses of hundreds of millions of dollars to the agriculture sector, and damage to the residential rural areas.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 22:49:31|Editor: yan

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CAPE TOWN, March 28 (Xinhua) -- The South African government vowed on Thursday to curb a new spate of violence against foreigners in some parts of the country.

This followed reported attacks on foreign nationals in Kwazulu-Natal and Limpopo provinces earlier this week. In some incidents, foreign-owned shops were looted.

Foreigners are blamed for taking up jobs that should have been taken by locals. A message that has been circulating on social media since the weekend calls for protest action against the employment of foreigners as truck drivers and security guards.

The South African government calls on all stakeholders including community leaders to stop and discourage attacks on foreign nationals, spokesperson Phumla Williams said.

South Africans are generally peace loving and friendly people and most of these attacks are nothing less of criminality, she said.

"We urge law enforcement agencies to ensure that perpetrators of these violent acts are brought to book," said Williams.

Referring to concerns from the local communities over employment of foreigners, Williams said the government is receptive to people's needs and urges all citizens to use relevant platforms to express their concerns and frustrations, including talking to elected officials in their communities.

South Africa is internationally renowned for using dialogue to solve differences and problems peacefully, Williams said.

"As a peace-loving and law-abiding nation, we must use this noble approach to deal with our problems instead of using violence," she added.

South Africa is a constitutional democracy governed by laws and as such everyone working and living in the country is expected to be doing so legally and obey South Africa's laws in their totality, Williams said.

"Citizens from across the African continent supported our struggle for freedom and liberation and made immense sacrifices to provide safety and refuge to our people in exile, including our leaders," said Williams.

South Africa has a high number of foreign nationals who are integrated into communities across the country and the government calls on all South Africans and foreign nationals to live in harmony, she said.

The government remains committed to building a society based on democratic values of social justice, human dignity, equality, non-racialism, non-sexism and the advancement of human rights, Williams said.

Xenophobia-related attacks are not unrare in South Africa. In 2015, widespread violence against foreigners broke out in parts of the country, leaving several foreigners killed. Ever since, sporadic incidents of xenophobia-related attacks have been reported.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 22:54:33|Editor: yan

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LONDON, March 28 (Xinhua) -- British MPs will hold a debate and vote Friday on the withdrawal agreement Britain needs to pave the way for its exit from the European Union (EU).

Downing Street insisted that Friday's vote will not be a third meaningful vote on May's twice-rejected Brexit deal.

Leader of the House of Commons Andrea Leadsom told MPs that if agreed by the House there will be a motion tomorrow relating to Britain's exit from the EU.

She said: "The only way we ensure we leave in good time on May 22 is by approving the Withdrawal Agreement by 11 pm on the 29th of March.

"It's crucial we make every effort to give effect to that and to allow the house to debate this important issue."

EU leaders agreed at their recent summit to allow Britain's exit to be delayed until May 22, but that extended deadline is contingent on MPs approving the EU Withdrawal Agreement by Friday night.

Leadson said the new motion tabled will comply with the ruling by the Speaker of the Commons, John Bercow who has said May cannot return to parliament to vote again on the same rejected deal. It will be up to Bercow to rule whether he will allow the debate to take place on Friday.

The latest moves come after MPs spent hours Wednesday debating a series of options for a Plan B Brexit to overcome the deadlock in May's own deal.

But all eight options, ranging from a second referendum to a softer Brexit were all rejected by MPs.

May has told Conservative MPs that if her Brexit deal is approved she will resign as prime minister in the summer to make way for a successor to head the next phase of the future trade deal talks with Brussels.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 23:04:36|Editor: yan

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ROME, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Italy's Senate gave final green light to a new law on legitimate self-defense on Thursday.

Lawmakers in the upper house of parliament passed the law with a wide majority of 201 votes in favor, 38 against and 6 abstentions.

The bill was a flagship proposal of the right-wing League party led by Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, which forms Italy's coalition government with the Five Star Movement (M5S).

"From now on, there will be no more reimbursement for relatives of burglars. We are not going to distribute weapons, nor we legitimate any'Wild West', but we stand by the honest citizens," Salvini told local media in parliament, and wrote later on the League's official Facebook account.

"From now on, criminals are aware that being a robber in Italy will be more difficult and more dangerous," he added.

The new legislation expands the rights of citizens to self-defense, amending a previous law approved in 2006 that had already expanded the circumstances under which it was lawful to resort to this behaviour.

The new law makes it legal to react against any intruder entering one's own property by any possible mean, even shooting, and regardless of a possible physical danger for the citizen.

Under the original legislation, a citizen could react to an intruder in their home only if under direct physical threat. Even in case of self-defense, citizens had to prove to have been in reasonable fear for their life, or else they could be held liable for any injury to the intruder, and even charged with manslaughter.

The new law says that self-defense at home is "always legitimate," even when the act of defense proves lethal. However, the victims of intrusion would still need to prove that the force they used in self-defense was in proportion to the perceived threat.

The new legislation also increases the maximum penalty in case of theft and robbery to six and seven years in jail, respectively, and that for housebreaking from 1-4 years to 2-6 years.

The law has been widely supported by right-wing and center-right political forces in an effort to respond to the plea of many citizens who -- especially in the northern regions -- felt themselves not adequately protected against robbery.

It was strongly opposed by the center-left and leftist forces, which claimed that it could encourage an increase in weapons possession by introducing rules similar to those of the United States.

Among those who advocated against the new law was Italy's National Association of Magistrates (ANM), which said this legislation was "not needed."

"The legitimate defense reform contains serious flaws," ANM chief Francesco Minisci told the Lower House Justice Committee in a hearing in January.

"The principle of proportionality cannot be abandoned, otherwise there will be no more rules or borders, with the risk of legitimizing the most serious crimes, even murder," he stressed.

In his address, later published on ANM's official website, Minisci also doubted whether some elements of the new law were consistent with Italy's Constitution.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 23:09:40|Editor: yan

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DAR ES SALAAM, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Communications regulators from southern Africa on Thursday started their two-day meeting in Tanzanian commercial capital Dar es Salaam to discuss ways of fighting cybercrime.

The Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA), hosting the 8th Communications Regulators Association of Southern Africa (CRASA) annual general meeting, said fighting cybercrime tops the agenda of gathering.

The closed-door meeting's theme is "Making Smart Societies a Reality," and information and communication technology (ICT) and postal regulators from Tanzania, Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe are in attendance, TCRA Director General James Kilaba said.

The delegates will also review policies and guidelines that govern the regional communication regulators' operations, he said.

Tanzanian Deputy Minister of Works, Transport and Communication, Atashasta Nditiye, expressed optimism that participants will come up with comprehensive methodologies that will foster connectivity in the region.

He reassured CRASA members of the Tanzanian government's commitment to continue supporting the regional communication regulators' operations and programs.

CRASA chairperson Mvilawemphi Dlamini said high mobile data tariffs are among the key challenges facing member countries in the region.

Dlamini gave assurance that the regional association is determined to issue guidelines to encourage mobile operators to reduce data prices in the region.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-28 23:44:55|Editor: yan

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BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Brunei recorded an 11.1-percent year-on-year growth in trade surplus for January 2019, following increased exports of crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG).

The International Merchandise Trade Statistics for January, released by Brunei's Department of Economic Planning and Development at the Ministry of Finance and Economy on Thursday, showed the sultanate's trade balance for the month increasing to 468.5 million Brunei dollars (345.3 million U.S. dollars) from 421.6 million Brunei dollars in January 2018.

A trade surplus occurs when a country's exports are higher than its imports.

Exports went up 27 percent to 952.6 million Brunei dollars from 749.8 million Brunei dollars, while imports grew 47.5 percent to 484.1 million Brunei dollars from 328.2 million Brunei dollars.

Mineral fuels recorded the highest contribution of total exports with 850.5 million Brunei dollars. The report showed that mineral fuel exports went up by 24 percent in January year-on-year.

"This was mainly due to increases in exports of crude oil and LNG by 13.3 percent and 34 percent respectively," said the report.

It attributed the increase in the exports of crude oil to a 23.8-percent rise in volume.

"Meanwhile, the increase in the exports of LNG was due to an increase in the export price of LNG by 19.2 percent," said the report.

Japan continued to be Brunei's biggest customer, accounting for 46.3 percent of the sultanate's exports.

China, which accounted for 32.3 percent of Brunei's imports, was the top supplier of the sultanate for the month.
File photo shows Somali security forces gather at the scene of a car bomb in Mogadishu, capital of Somalia, Nov. 26, 2018.(Xinhua/Faisal Isse)

MOGADISHU, March 28 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from car bombing in Somalia's capital Mogadishu rose to 15 while 17 others sustained injuries, medical sources said on Thursday.

Abdulkadir Abdirahman, director of Aamin Ambulance, free ambulance service in Mogadishu, confirmed the latest death toll to Xinhua, saying some victims succumbed to injuries at hospital.

"The death toll is 15, five of them are females, while 17 others got injured," Abdirahman said.

A car laden with explosives hit a popular restaurant at Makka Al-Mukarrama Street causing destruction of the buildings nearby.

Witnesses said the explosion was huge. "I was near the place when the car detonated. I have seen bodies scattered at the area and windows shattering," Ise Awil, a witness told Xinhua.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but the terror group al-Shabab conducted similar attacks in the past.

Somali security forces backed by the African Union Mission in Somalia ousted al-Shabab from the capital Mogadishu in August 2011, but the group is still in control of several areas in southern Somalia and capable of conducting attacks.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-29 00:00:07|Editor: yan

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SHENZHEN, March 28 (Xinhua) -- China International Marine Containers (Group) Co., Ltd. (CIMC) posted a 34.7 percent annual growth in net profit for 2018.

In its 2018 financial results filed to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, CIMC said its net profit reached 3.38 billion yuan (503 million U.S. dollars) last year.

Meanwhile, its revenue rose 22.5 percent year-on-year to 93.5 billion yuan, said the leading supplier of logistics and energy equipment.

Overseas businesses contributed to over 52 percent of the revenue, it said.

Revenues from its container and road transport vehicle businesses rose 26 percent and 25 percent to 31.5 billion yuan and 24.4 billion yuan, respectively.

Revenue from its energy, chemical and liquid food equipment business, its third-largest business, rose 20 percent to 14.2 billion yuan.

Shares of China International Marine Containers closed the morning trade 1.96 percent higher at 14.06 yuan on Thursday in Shenzhen. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-29 00:00:09|Editor: yan

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BEIJING, March 28 (Xinhua) -- More than 70 fossils seized by Beijing customs in recent years were handed over Wednesday to the Beijing Museum of Natural History.

The fossils, aged between 5 million and over 500 million years old, involve various species such as trilobites, sea urchin, tortoise and deer skulls. Among them, a fossil of a Sinoceras, a sea animal living about 450 million years ago, was a highlight.

Measuring more than 2 meters long, the unique Chinese Sinoceras fossil can be used to determine the geological age of strata.

The Beijing Museum of Natural History, owned by Beijing Academy of Science And Technology, is capable of restoring, researching, exhibiting and promoting popular science education of paleontology fossils.

Fang Li, the committee secretary of the academy, said the fossils will be registered, numbered, restored and identified as soon as possible.

"Handing over the seized fossils to the museum for exhibits and scientific popularization will not only prevent the loss of precious fossil resources but also improve public awareness on fossil protection," said Xu Fuhua, deputy chief of Beijing Customs.

Paleontology fossils refer to the body and trace fossils of animals and plants formed and preserved in the earth during any geological period of history.

Individuals or organizations may face criminal charges if they transport, mail or take fossils out of the country without approval, according to China's regulation on the protection of paleontology fossils.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-29 00:05:09|Editor: yan

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DAMASCUS, March 28 (Xinhua) -- At least 50 Islamic State (IS) militants were killed Thursday by U.S.-led airstrikes on a caves area in eastern Syria, a war monitor reported.

The air raids targeted the caves in the Baghouz, the last IS redoubt in the eastern countryside of Deir al-Zour province in eastern Syria, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The UK-based watchdog group said the IS militants were hiding in caves and underground bunkers after they had lost control over Baghouz.

It said the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is still combing the Baghouz area in search for IS militants.

On March 23, the SDF declared the defeat of IS in eastern Syria after launching a campaign last September to eliminate the extremist organization's gunmen on the eastern bank of Euphrates River.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-29 00:10:12|Editor: yan

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UNITED NATIONS, March 28 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday urged the international community to end subsidies for fossil fuels.

"We must set radical change in motion. This means ending subsidies for fossil fuels and high-emitting, unsustainable agriculture and shifting towards renewable energy, electric vehicles and climate-smart practices," the UN chief told the High-level Meeting on Climate and Sustainable Development for All, which was held at the UN headquarters in New York.

"It means accelerating the closure of coal plants, halting the construction of new ones and replacing those jobs with healthier alternatives for the people there employed, so the transformation is just, inclusive and profitable," he added.

UN General Assembly President Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces chaired the meeting, which was participated by some heads of government and state.

The objectives of the high-level meeting include highlighting the inter-linkages between climate and economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development for present and future generations including the synergies between the climate agenda and 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-29 00:10:14|Editor: yan

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DOHA, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Qatar and France on Thursday discussed means to boost ties in the defense and security fields and signed five relevant deals, according to the official Qatar News Agency (QNA).

Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser Al Thani held an official session of talks with the visiting French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe.

The agreements and memorandums of understanding focused on the spheres of defense information exchange and enhancing cooperation over combatting cybercrime as well as culture and education, QNA reported.

In statements, Sheikh Abdullah voiced confidence that the meeting would help bolster the strategic concept for relations between Qatar and France.

Philippe, for his part, said "ties binding France and Qatar are developing, particularly in this critical period which the Qatari people managed to surpass excellently."

The French prime minister met earlier in the day with Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and reviewed friendly relations between the two countries as well as recent regional and international developments.

Philippe had arrived in Doha on Wednesday on an official visit and attended the inauguration of the National Museum of Qatar, designed by French architect Jean Novel.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-29 00:15:15|Editor: Liangyu

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Deng Li, the Chinese ambassador to Turkey, addresses the Turkey-China trade and investment seminar in Istanbul, Turkey, on March 28, 2019. Turkish and Chinese business people attending a seminar in Istanbul on Thursday explored ways of increasing bilateral trade and investment. A Chinese business delegation comprising 28 Chinese enterprises and more than 40 entrepreneurs attended the seminar. (Xinhua/Xu Suhui)

ISTANBUL, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Turkish and Chinese business people attending a seminar in Istanbul on Thursday explored ways of increasing bilateral trade and investment.

As a regional power straddling Asia and Europe, Turkey boasts huge potential for increasing its cooperation with China in a wide range of fields like agriculture, energy, transportation and tourism, said Lyu Xinhua, chairman of the Council for Promoting South-South Cooperation, a Chinese nonprofit organization.

Addressing the Turkey-China trade and investment seminar, Lyu said the Chinese enterprises, whose businesses cover finance, infrastructure, environmental protection, electronic technology, security, culture, tourism, agriculture and animal husbandry, were seeking new deals with their Turkish counterparts.

Lyu is on a visit to Turkey as the head of a Chinese business delegation comprising 28 Chinese enterprises and more than 40 entrepreneurs.

Speaking later at a press conference, Lyu described China and Turkey as "natural partners" on the grounds that the two countries are almost on the same level of development, with China being a manufacturing power and Turkey having relatively sound economic development.

He advised Turkish exporters to join the annual China International Import Expo in Shanghai and use other bilateral channels to market more Turkish products in China so as to further narrow the trade deficit with China, citing the expanding middle class in China as a result of the country's reform and opening-up over the past 40 years.

The China-Turkey trade volume has hit 100 billion U.S. dollars since the two countries cooperated under the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative over the past five years, said Cui Wei, the Chinese consul general in Istanbul.

Over the same period, the Chinese investment in Turkey grew by 120 percent, with nearly 1,000 Chinese enterprises now operating in Turkey, while the number of Chinese tourists visiting Turkey increased by over 60 percent to nearly 400,000 in 2018, noted Cui.

Deng Li, the Chinese ambassador to Turkey, expected Turkish exports to China as well as Chinese investment and tourists to Turkey to double by 2021, the year marking the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

In Deng's view, if some technical issues are smoothed out, Turkish cherries and other produce could be exported to China.

"The Chinese market is almost unlimited for many Turkish products," he said, urging Turkish businesses to find the right partners and devote more efforts to market Turkish products in China.

"Turkish pistachio could be delicious, but how many Chinese people are aware of it?" he asked.

Ismail Gultekin, a deputy governor of Istanbul, said the Turkish authorities have been doing their best to remove any obstacles to foreign investment in the country.

Murat Kolbasi, chairman of the Turkey-China Business Council under the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey, said Turkish business people have long been seeking to boost their exports to China.

"We are aware of the challenges, but we desire to increase our cooperation and be in the Chinese market to minimize the gap in the trade figures," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-29 00:25:18|Editor: yan

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BOAO, China, March 28 (Xinhua) -- The objective of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) resonates with the missions of the United Nations (UN) and the UN stands ready to cooperate with China within the BRI framework, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said Thursday.

"The emphasis on improving people's lives and improving connectivity resonates very much with the United Nations. We fully appreciate it and stand ready to cooperate in whichever manner is most appropriate," Grandi said in an interview with Xinhua on the sidelines of the ongoing Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) held in China's southern island province of Hainan.

The BRI, proposed in 2013, aims to build trade and infrastructure networks connecting Asia with Europe and Africa on and beyond the ancient Silk Road routes.

The BRI is expanding and has lots of potentials in new areas, Grandi said, stressing that the objective of the BRI is very important for his agency as it can also contribute to the global refugee work.

Grandi said displacement is mostly generated by wars and conflicts. "Peacekeeping is what the international community has established to counter wars and I appreciate very much China's efforts in her peacekeeping efforts," he noted.

According to statistics, China has dispatched 40,000 peacekeepers to around 30 UN peacekeeping operations since 1990, the most among all the five permanent UN Security Council members. It is also the second largest donor country for UN peacekeeping missions.

The refugee problem is not a national issue, but a transnational one in nature, Grandi said.

"People move for many reasons including wars, conflicts, persecution, discrimination and climate change. That's why we need to work together," he said, adding that development is one of the keys to addressing the phenomena.

"By reducing poverty, it will be a large motivation for people to stay."

Grandi appreciates China's efforts in prioritizing poverty reduction. "Lessons learnt in this country on how to reduce poverty is very important for other parts of the world."

He also expects more actors from the society to engage in humanitarian assistance.

"Humanitarian assistance is not limited any more to governments, but is expanding to entire societies. We want to involve more actors from society including the private sector which has not only the financial resources, but also technologies and business models to contribute," he said.

Grandi said if the future is to be really shared, it has to be shared by all, including refugees, displaced people and victims of conflict.

The BFA that runs from March 26 to March 29 is a non-governmental and non-profit international organization. This year's BFA themed "Shared Future, Concerted Action, Common Development" has drawn from over 2,000 delegates from 60 countries and regions.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-29 00:25:19|Editor: yan

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DAMASCUS, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Tens of Syrian actors gathered Thursday in front of the UN headquarters in the capital Damascus, denouncing the recent decision by the U.S. President Donald Trump regarding Israel's control over the Golan Heights.

The participants held banners, with some of which reading: "Golan is a Syrian land and it belongs to the Syrians" and others reading "Golan is ours not for others."

Others held placards reading "what is taken by force, could only be returned through force."

The actors also shouted slogans such as "with soul and blood we sacrifice for you Golan."

The protest is part of a broader popular movement denouncing the decision of Trump to recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria during the war in 1967 and annexed the territory in 1981.

Omaya Malas, a famous Syrian actor known for her traditional old Damascus roles, told Xinhua that the Trump decision is basically an act of "theft."

"We are Syrians and this is our country and we don't accept such arrogant decisions that have no base of legitimacy," she said.

She stressed that "this land is ours and it will remain ours and if we couldn't visit Golan, our sons and grandchildren will take it back."

For his part, Iskandar Aziz, another actor, said the main goal behind the protest is to deliver a message stressing that the Golan Heights will remain a Syrian land.

"The main goal is to tell the entire world that the Golan is a Syrian land whether they like it or not and what has been done by them through this outrageous and irresponsible act will not affect us because we the Syrians are the owners of this land," he told Xinhua.

Meanwhile, the head of the actors' syndicate, Zuhair Ramadan, handed a written message to the UN spokesman in Damascus, Khaled al-Masri, urging the UN to stand in the face of Trump's decision.

On Monday, the Syrian Foreign Ministry condemned Trump's recognition of the Golan Heights as Israeli territory.

The ministry said in a statement that Trump's move is a "flagrant violation of the sovereignty of Syria," adding that the Syrian government completely rejects the decision and the Golan Heights will always remain as Syrian territory.

"Trump does not have the legal right to legitimize the occupation of others' land by force," the ministry said.

Recognizing the Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights has been a recent demand by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which comes months after the Trump administration moved the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to the contested city of Jerusalem.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-29 00:45:25|Editor: yan

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WASHINGTON, March 28 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Air Force is seeking nearly 5 billion U.S. dollars in new funding over the next two and a half years to cover the costs of rebuilding two air bases damaged by hurricane and flood, local media reported Thursday.

About one-third of Offutt Air Force Base, in eastern Nebraska, was underwater earlier this month as flooding hit large swaths of the Midwest. And Tyndall Air Force Base in the Florida Panhandle was hit hard by Hurricane Michael in October, said an NPR report.

"This storm, if we don't get a supplemental, is going to affect the rest of the Air Force and our ability to operate," Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson said Wednesday at the Heritage Foundation.

"We desperately need the supplemental to recover from the natural disaster that hammered Tyndall and Offutt," said Wilson.

The Air Force is asking for 1.2 billion dollars in supplemental funding for fiscal year 2019 and 3.7 billion dollars for fiscal years 2020 and 2021, according to the report, noting that Congress would need to approve the funding.

Wilson said as many as 61 projects, consisting largely of operations and maintenance, at air bases in 18 states would not happen if the supplemental disaster funding does not come through.

The Air Force fiscal year 2020 budget proposal is more than 165 billion dollars, Wilson said.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-29 00:45:26|Editor: Liangyu

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Chinese rescuers pass donated food and drinking water to a community school in Dondo district of Sofala province, central Mozambique, on March 28, 2019. Chinese rescuers donated food and drinking water for hundreds of children at an orphanage and a community school in central Mozambique on Thursday. (Xinhua/Zhang Yu)

BEIRA, Mozambique, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese rescuers donated food and drinking water for hundreds of children at an orphanage and a community school in central Mozambique on Thursday.

Director of Orphanage Bom Samaritano (Good Samaritan) in Dondo district of Sofala province Farruque Ribeiro told Xinhua that the number of children sheltered at the orphanage has increased to 448 from the normal 330 due to Cyclone Idai.

Among the children are those who lost their parents and those who cannot be fed well by their parents, said Ribeiro.

The supplies donated by Chinese rescuers have come to provide some relief to the children, Ribeiro said.

Medical staff at the Chinese rescue team also provided medical assistance for some children with diarrhea and other symptoms.

The team, which has been delivering humanitarian aid in central Mozambique since Monday, also donated groceries to a community school in Dondo district that no longer functions normally due to Cyclone Idai.

"After the cyclone, we were left with destroyed rooms, and the worst hit part is the school kitchen, where we kept groceries and now the roof was gone," said Latifo Marcos, head of the community school, adding that China's aid has come at an opportune time.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-29 01:00:29|Editor: yan

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GUIYANG, March 28 (Xinhua) -- China's leading liquor maker Kweichow Moutai said Thursday that its net profit saw a 30-percent rise in 2018.

The company's net profit attributable to its equity holders reached 35.2 billion yuan (about 5.2 billion U.S. dollars) last year, thanks to supply-side improvements, according to its financial report filed to the Shanghai Stock Exchange.

Over the same period, the Guizhou-based company saw its revenue grow 26.49 percent year on year to 73.6 billion yuan. Its output reached 70,200 tonnes, an annual growth of 10.08 percent.

Moutai is a sorghum-based spirit produced by Kweichow Moutai and is China's top brand of baijiu (white alcohol). The liquor, often served on official occasions and at state banquets, is considered a luxury item and has long been a popular gift.

Despite its high price, domestic demand for Moutai has always exceeded supply.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-29 01:25:34|Editor: yan

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KATHMANDU, March 28 (Xinhua) -- A four-day photo exhibition to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the campaign of democratic reform in China's Tibet Autonomous Region has been open to public here on Thursday.

Speaker of the Nepal's House of Representatives Krishna Bahadur Mahara inaugurated the photo exhibition amid the presence of parliamentarians, leaders from various political parties, civil society members, media persons and among others.

Addressing the event, Speaker Mahara said that China's Tibet Autonomous Region has made tremendous socio-economic, political, religious and cultural transformation in the past 60 years.

"Tibet has been playing the role of gateway for both Nepal and China to promote trade, culture, people-to-people contacts and political communications," said the speaker, adding that the photo exhibition will contribute to further deepening age-old cordial bilateral ties between the two countries.

Reiterating Nepal's commitment to the one-China policy, the speaker said that the country will never allow anti-Chinese elements on its soil.

Talking about his country's participation in the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), he said that Nepal is looking for a meaningful cooperation under the BRI framework.

"We would like to reap benefit through enhanced railroad connectivity and trade under the BRI framework," Mahara said.

On the occasion, Chinese Ambassador Hou Yanqi said the exhibition will be helpful for Nepali people to know more about the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China.

Senior government officials, media persons, diplomats and people from various walks of life visited the photo exhibition on Thursday.

The "Present and Past Days of Tibet" exhibition will run till April 1 at the Nepal Academy in the heart of the capital.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-29 01:40:38|Editor: yan

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RABAT, March 28 (Xinhua) -- The board of directors of the African Development Bank (AfDB) group has approved over 300 million U.S. dollars loan to support Morocco's industrialization program, the Moroccan official MAP news agency reported on Thursday.

This loan will facilitate the financing of projects promoted by small and medium-sized enterprises, MAP said quoting statement from the AfDB.

"This operation will help improve Morocco's industrial competitiveness and strengthen its integration into African and global value chains," the report said quoting Leila Farah Mokaddem, the bank's country manager in Morocco.

It will also bring the bank's overall financing to nearly 483 million dollars since 2017, the same source noted.

Since 1970, the AfDB group has invested more than 10 billion dollars in multiple strategic sectors of the Moroccan economy.

Morocco adopted in 2014 an Industrial Acceleration Plan with the aim to achieve greater productive diversification by increasing the share of industry in the country's gross domestic product by nine percent in 2020.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-29 01:45:39|Editor: yan

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LONDON, March 28 (Xinhua) -- British business group called for clarity to escape from Brexit "black hole" which "has sapped energy, investment, and confidence for far too long", Adam Marshall, director general of British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said on Thursday.

Addressing in his keynote speech of the annual conference of BCC, one of Britain's main business associations, Marshall said: "To Westminster, we say: we are frustrated, we are angry. You have let British business down."

This comment came after the British Parliament failed to find a consensus to break Brexit impasse on Wednesday night.

"Three years going round in circle," Marshall said, "In many parts of our economy, real-world damage is happening right now: increased costs, orders lost to competitors elsewhere, contracts unrenewed or put on hold, investments postponed, cancelled, or diverted elsewhere..."

According to Marshall, business in the West Midlands mothballing its flagship project and putting assets up for sale because its investors want to move their money "to a more stable country", and this example is just "the tip of the iceberg".

He said: "If the vast majority of our elected representatives say that they want an end to uncertainty and want to avoid a messy and disorderly exit, they must act now."

Alison Rose, Deputy CEO of NatWest Holdings, who also gave a speech at BCC annual meeting, said British business investment fell every quarter of last year, "clarity is all they want."

Edward Mellamphy, the specialist from Flexitrans, Felixstowe based logistics and transportation firm, told Xinhua that, even though Brexit have not exerted impact on their business for now, clarity is also important for them. "Big companies can arrange a lot of Brexit plans, the small business can only hope nothing will change."
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-29 01:55:42|Editor: yan

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UNITED NATIONS, March 28 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Thursday adopted a resolution that calls upon countries to prevent and counter the financing of terrorism, especially in its new forms.

Initiated by France, Resolution 2462 is intended to update existing resolutions and adapt them to new forms of financing of terrorism and new challenges in this field.

The resolution notes with concern that terrorists may abuse legitimate businesses and non-profit organizations for their activities, and make use of emerging payment methods, such as prepaid cards and mobile payments or virtual assets.

It also expresses concern at the continuing use by terrorists and their supporters of information and communications technologies, in particular the internet, to facilitate terrorist acts, as well as inciting, recruiting, funding, or planning terrorist acts.

Therefore, the resolution calls upon all countries to enhance the traceability and transparency of financial transactions, including assessing and addressing potential risks associated with virtual assets and as appropriate, the risks of new financial instruments, including but not limited to crowd-funding platforms.

It also encourages member states to apply risk-based anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing regulations to virtual asset service providers, and to identify effective systems to conduct risk-based monitoring or supervision of virtual asset service providers.

Furthermore, the resolution encourages competent national authorities, in particular financial intelligence units and intelligence services, to continue to establish effective partnerships with the private sector, including financial institutions, the Financial technology industry and internet and social media companies, in particular with regards to the evolution of trends, sources and methods of the financing of terrorism.

Adopted in 2001 in response to the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, Resolution 1373 was the first comprehensive resolution imposing obligations on all states to respond to the global threat of terrorism.

Resolution 2462 also affirms the Resolution 1373 and in particular its decisions that all countries shall prevent and suppress the financing of terrorist acts and refrain from providing any of support, active or passive, to entities or persons involved in terrorist acts.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-29 01:55:42|Editor: Yang Yi

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The undated photo provided by Egyptian ministry of antiquities on March 28, 2019 shows a royal hall annexed to Ramses II temple in Abydos city of Sohag province, southern Egypt. An archeological mission from the University of New York discovered a royal hall annexed to Ramses II temple in Abydos city, the country's ministry of antiquities said in a statement on Thursday. (Xinhua)

CAIRO, March 28 (Xinhua) -- An archaeological mission from the University of New York discovered a royal hall annexed to Ramses II temple in Abydos city of Sohag province, southern Egypt, the country's ministry of antiquities said in a statement on Thursday.

The team also discovered the temple's foundation stones and paintings.

"The new discovery will change for the first time the shape and the map of the temple that was discovered about 160 years ago," said Mostafa Waziri, secretary general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), in the statement.

The SCA chief added that the architectural design of the temple's annexes, including the palace and the royal hall, simulates that of the annexes of the temple of King Seti I, father of King Ramses II, located about 300 km southward.

"The discovery will also add to our knowledge about the design and shape of temples and their annexes in the Ramesside period," Waziri stressed.

The walls of the royal hall are made of limestone and adobe, while its floor is covered with limestone tiles, according to Ayman Ashmawi, head of Ancient Egyptian Antiquities Sector.

"The team also found a base of a sandstone column as well as sandstone steps bearing the name of King Ramses II, in addition to rock masses with remains of drawings of stars that once decorated the hall ceiling," Ashmawi added.

Head of the archaeological mission Sameh Eskandar said that it is the first time for a team to discover foundation stones of the temple with all of them bearing the name of King Ramses II.

Ramses II, also known as Ramses the Great, was the third pharaoh of the 19th dynasty. He ruled ancient Egypt about 3,300 years ago, leaving behind a rare legacy of monuments including his well-known great temple in Abu Simbel, Aswan, southern Egypt.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-29 01:55:42|Editor: yan

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SKOPJE, March 28 (Xinhua) -- The Appellate court in North Macedonia decided Thursday to reduce by two years the prison terms for former interior minister Gordana Jankulovska.

The court reduced Jankulovska's jail terms to four years from six years.

In October 2018, the Criminal Court found her guilty of abusing power and authorizing the procurement procedure of a luxurious vehicle.

The trial for Jankulovska started at the end of August last year and it was separated from the other defendants due to her pregnancy.

In January 2017, the Special Public Prosecution in North Macedonia launched the investigation codenamed "Tank" regarding the purchase in 2012 of the "Mercedes C600" worth about 600,000 euros (681,000 U.S. dollars).

Former North Macedonian prime minister Nikola Gruevski, who was granted political asylum in Hungary, was sentenced to two years in prison in the same case.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-29 01:55:42|Editor: yan

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ZAGREB, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Croatia and Latvia want a strong Europe, as well as to preserve the unity of the European Union and NATO, Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic and visiting Latvian President Raimonds Vejonis agreed here on Thursday.

The presidents said that only a strong and secure European Union could be a guarantor of security in this part of the world.

"Our goal is to strengthen the European Union and enable the security of Western Balkan countries, as well as stronger relations with Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova," said Vejonis who was on a one-day official visit to Croatia.

He thanked Croatia for participating in NATO's mission in the Baltic Sea and said that Latvia considers NATO the most important military alliance in the world.

Croatian President Grabar-Kitarovic pointed out that the two countries have similar views on many of the most important issues on the foreign policy agenda, and that for Croatia the defensive initiatives of the European Union are also important.

Commenting on the forthcoming European elections, the presidents have concluded that Croatia and Latvia firmly believe in the European project.

"The rise of populism in Europe is the result of the departure of political elites from the real interests of citizens," Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic told reporters after talks with president of Latvia.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-29 02:10:46|Editor: yan

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Photo taken on March 27, 2019 shows the Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons in London, Britain. British lawmakers on Wednesday overwhelmingly voted to change original Brexit departure date in law to April 12 or May 22 as British Prime Minister Theresa May was in an 11 hour appeal to Tory MPs to back her Withdrawal Agreement. (Xinhua/UK Parliament/Mark Duffy)

LONDON, March 28 (Xinhua) -- British lawmakers will hold a vote on the withdrawal agreement on Friday in a fresh effort to break the current Brexit deadlock.

The British House of Commons will hold the vote on Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal, which has been voted down twice by the parliament since January.

The decision was made after the British government is seeking to hold the vote on Brexit deal on Friday following a debate on Thursday in the parliament.

The speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, said Thursday in the parliament that the motion is "new and substantially" different while he was clearing the motion for debate and vote on Friday.

The vote will take place at a time when the British businesses are increasingly angry over the stalled Brexit process.

Bercow said the proposed motion for a debate in the House of Commons complied with parliamentary rules that meant the prime minister's Brexit deal could not return to the commons unchanged.

He said the government's motion complies with a convention that motions that are the same or substantially the same must not be put to the house more than once in a parliamentary session.

"In short, the motion is new, and substantially different" he said.

He confirmed Friday's motion will only cover the withdrawal agreement and not the accompanying political declaration.

"The previous meaningful vote encompassed both the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement and the Political Declaration -- this motion covers the former but not the latter," said Bercow.

It came hours after Boris Johnson, the former British foreign secretary who is among those against the prime minister over Brexit, branded May's deal as being "dead."

There were further calls on Thursday for May to honor her commitment to step down even if the parliament rejects her blueprint again.

On Wednesday, May told MPs that she will quit as prime minister if the British parliament backs her Brexit plan, which was rejected twice by MPs since January.

In appealing to Tory MPs to support her Brexit deal, the prime minister said that she will step down earlier than planned.

Her offer to stand down came in response to calls from a number of her backbenchers for her to name the date of her departure in return for their help in pushing the deal through the parliament.

British lawmakers on Wednesday voted to change original Brexit departure date in law to April 12 or May 22 as the prime minister was in an 11th hour appeal to Tory MPs to back her Withdrawal Agreement.

MPs voted 441 to 105 in the House of Commons to bring the new Brexit date into law and remove the original plan for Britain to leave the European Union (EU) on March 29.

MPs also voted on Wednesday night to reject eight Brexit alternatives to May's Brexit deal as the British government fails in last-ditch bid to halt the process.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-29 02:20:47|Editor: yan

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ZAGREB, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Construction of the biggest infrastructure project in Croatia, the Peljesac Bridge, has opened a new chapter in Croatia-China ties, President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic said here on Thursday.

The Croatian president met representatives of China Communications Construction Company Limited (CCCC) and China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), with whom she talked about the Peljesac Bridge construction and possible cooperation in transportation projects in the country.

According to a press release from her office, the president stressed that she is happy that the construction of the bridge, which is being built by a Chinese consortium led by CRBC, is going faster than planned.

"It's a project of great importance for Croatia, but for the People's Republic of China, too, as it is their first such project in the European Union," Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic said. "There is a potential for even better and versatile cooperation between the two countries," the president noted.

She informed the Chinese delegation of railway and port development projects in the country, such as the Zagreb Pier Deep Sea Container Terminal, as well as the plans for the construction of a new port on the island of Krk.

The president said that Chinese companies could be interested in cooperation on the construction of the Rijeka-Botovo railway.

She also saidCroatia recognizes the importance of the Belt and Road Initiative, stressing that the presence of Chinese Premier at the 8th Summit of China and Central and Eastern European Countries next month is important for the southeastern European country.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-29 03:11:03|Editor: yan

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BRUSSELS, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Sino-Belgian cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has brought real benefits to Belgian communities and businesses, Chinese Ambassador to Belgium Cao Zhongming has said.

"Belgium is an important partner of the Belt and Road Initiative," Cao said Wednesday in a speech in front of an audience of young students and academics at the HEC Business School of the University of Liege.

Take the infrastructure interconnection. The ambassador said land, sea and air connectivity between China and Belgium is progressing across the board.

China-Europe direct rail freight service has linked the northeastern Chinese city of Daqing to the Belgian port of Zeebrugge. China has become the third largest customer of the port of Antwerp.

Direct flights shuttle between Chinese cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Hong Kong and Brussels. Charter flights and cargo flights provide the link between Liege and several Chinese cities, the ambassador said.

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba plans to set up a European logistics center in Liege, which is set to contribute to economic development and create jobs in Liege, according to Cao.

The BRI, proposed by China in 2013, aims to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe, Africa and beyond.

Over 150 countries and international organizations have signed cooperation agreements with China. Trade in goods between China and BRI partners has reached six trillion U.S. dollars in total over the years, he said.

Cao said China is committed to building "a world of shared prosperity". "In today's world, the problem of insufficient and unbalanced development is becoming increasingly acute and is causing tension and conflicts," he said.

"The Belt and Road Initiative was proposed by China, but the opportunities and fruits it carries belong to the whole world," Cao said.

China will host the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation next month in Beijing.

Thanks to participation and efforts of all, cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative looks to bring even more fruits to the benefits of people in many countries, Cao said.

"To focus on national development, China needs not only a harmonious and stable domestic environment, but also a peaceful external environment," he said.

Although China is the world's second-largest economy, it ranks only 71st globally in terms of GDP per capita, with over 16.6 million Chinese rural dwellers still living below the poverty line at the end of 2018.

HEC Business School of the University of Liege is one of the leading business schools in Belgium and Europe. Recently, the University of Liege has set up exchange mechanisms with many universities in China, including through the Confucius Institute in Liege.
File Photo: Syrian refugees prepare to return to Syria from the Lebanese border town of Arsal, Lebanon June 28, 2018. (Xinhua/REUTERS)

UNITED NATIONS, March 27 (Xinhua) -- A United Nations (UN) envoy reiterated Wednesday the UN principles of "safe, voluntary, and dignified return" for the Syrian refugees sheltering in Lebanon.

"There is a national consensus, even political consensus among major political parties, (in Lebanon) in favor of return of Syrian refugees back home," UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jan Kubis told reporters.

Before he met with the press, Kubis had briefed the UN Security Council on the situation in Lebanon.

There was a "big discussion" around the issue, including "how to shape relations between Lebanon and Syria" as a broader topic, he said.

With regard to the possibility that the refugees might be pushed back to unsafe locations, Kubis said the UN has been working to ensure the principles of "safe, voluntary, and dignified" return of them, noting that the humanitarian community is also addressing the issue.

Last week, Lebanese President Michel Aoun said he was "very much worried" about his country due to the big burden of Syrian refugees on its economy.

"Lebanon cannot take anymore the negative economic and social repercussions of the presence of a big number of Syrian refugees in the country," Aoun said during his meeting with UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen.

According to the Lebanese government, some 1.5 million Syrian refugees have fled into Lebanon since the start of the Syrian crisis in 2011.
South Africa: Seize investment opportunities in SA, Ghana

Business people from South Africa and Ghana have been urged to take advantage of the cordial political relations between the two countries and seize the myriad trade and investment opportunities available.

We continuously encourage South African businesses to seize opportunities that Ghana presents to South Africa for trade and investment.

The net effect of such trade and investment is economic development, job creation and poverty alleviation in both countries, and that fundamentally contributes towards realising intra-Africa trade, said South African High Commissioner to Ghana, Lulama Xingwana.

South African companies that have expanded their businesses to Ghana contributed more than US$170 in capital investment.

This, Xingwana said, was a further illustration of the importance of Ghana to South Africa.

The high commissioner was speaking at the Ghana-South Africa Business Seminar that was hosted by the Department of Trade and Industry (dti) and the SA High Commission in Accra on Wednesday.

The session which attracted about 30 South African businesspeople  is part of the Outward Trade and Investment Mission organised and funded by the dti.

Xingwana said the main objective of the mission to Ghana is to expose SA companies to further linkages and opportunities to export value-added manufactured products and services and to also pursue investment opportunities in Ghana. - SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2019-03-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Burke/Triolo Productions/ThinkstockMichael Ray guests on the latest installment of What's Next with Eric Wood, the podcast hosted by the former center for the Buffalo Bills. You can check it out via iTunes or anywhere podcasts are available.

The new song from ACM-nominated Canadian duo High Valley comes out April 3. It's titled "Single Man."

The 2019 American Music Awards will take place November 24 and air live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on ABC.

Sara Evans is set to play the Thursday, April 4 Nashville House Concert at Music City's War Memorial Auditorium. She'll be joined by her children Avery and Olivia, who together with their mom make up The Barker Family Band.

Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-29 04:11:16|Editor: yan

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RABAT, March 28 (Xinhua) -- The Jordanian King Abdullah II wrapped up Thursday evening a working visit to Morocco during which bilateral ties have been deepened and unified positions were expressed regarding key regional issues.

Earlier on Thursday, King Abdullah II and the Moroccan King Mohammed VI held talks at the Casablanca Royal Palace.

According to a joint statement issued at the end of the Jordanian king's visit, Morocco and Jordan have decided to elevate their cooperation relations to the level of a "multidimensional strategic partnership."

The two countries decided to implement concrete projects in areas such as energy, agriculture and tourism.

Morocco's king gave announced the establishment of a vocational training center in Jordan in areas of Morocco's expertise in tourism, agro-industry, construction and water resources management.

The joint statement noted that a Moroccan economic mission would visit Jordan to explore investment and cooperation opportunities between the private sectors of the two countries.

The two kings reaffirmed their support to the two-state solution for settling the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

They reiterated "full support to the Palestinian people for the recovery of all their legitimate rights and the establishment of independent Palestinian State, within the borders set in 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital."

The two leaders also reaffirmed rejection of all "unilateral measures taken by Israel, as an occupying force, to change the legal and historical status quo and the demographic situation, as well as the spiritual and historical character of East Jerusalem."

They deemed as their countries' "absolute priority" to defend Jerusalem and its sacred sites and their preservation against all attempts to alter their legal, historical and political status and their Muslim and Christian religious and civilizational character.

In addition, the two sides described Israel's decision to annex the occupied Golan Heights as "illegal and invalid and constitutes a violation of the resolutions of international legitimacy."

As for the Syrian issue, they stressed the need to end the Syrian crisis through a political solution which preserves the unity and cohesion of the country, calling for an effective Arab role and concerted efforts to reach this endeavor.

With regard to Iraq, the two leaders hailed the victory achieved by this country against the Islamic State group, affirming that Jordan and Morocco stand by Iraq in the process of reconstruction and stability.

The visit to Morocco is the first stop in Jordanian king's international tour that will bring him also to Tunisia, Italy and France.
File Photo: Police officers take part in a joint anti-terrorist exercise between Chinese and Laotian police in Xishuangbanna of southwest China's Yunnan Province, Sept. 13, 2016. (Xinhua/Chen Haining)

UNITED NATIONS, March 28 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese UN envoy on Thursday urged the international community to advance practical cooperation and strengthen capacity building among member states when combating the financing of terrorism.

The fight against terrorism financing involves complicated issues of technical nature. "The broad developing countries are faced with the daunting challenges of lack of capacity in financial regulation and lack of resources," Ma Zhaoxu, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, said at an open debate of the Security Council.

The open debate was convened by France, the president of the Security Council in March, with the theme "Threats to International Peace and Security Caused by Terrorist Acts: Preventing and Combating the Financing of Terrorism."

In order to avoid the short plank of any country resulting in an influx of external risks, and to deny any "safe haven" for terrorism financing, the international community should vigorously strengthen the technical assistance to member states and augment capacity building, in joint efforts to respond to the threat of the financing of terrorism, Ma said.

"Terrorism is the common enemy of mankind. The future of all countries is a shared one, and no country can stay immune from the scourge of terrorism," said the Chinese envoy.

Preventing and combating the financing of terrorism is an important part of responding to the threat of terrorism and conducting an international counter-terrorism cooperation, Ma said.

In order to completely eliminate terrorism financing in the international financial system, Ma said that the awareness of a community with a shared future for mankind has to be enhanced, while relevant UN resolutions must be effectively implemented.

In addition, multiple measures and integrated policies are needed to address the symptoms and the root causes of terrorism financing, said the Chinese ambassador, adding that eliminating financing for terrorism requests coordination and cooperation in many areas ranging from political and financial sectors to intelligence, science and technology.

Furthermore, efforts should be made to assist member states in poverty reduction and alleviation, realization of sustainable development, and encouraging dialogue on an equal footing and harmony among different civilizations and religions, Ma added.

The Chinese envoy also highlighted the importance of unifying standards to resolutely combat all forms of terrorism and its financing.

He said that the international community should build consensus and effectively respond to all sources, ways and channels of the financing of terrorism, while special attention should be given to regulating the internet so as to cut off platforms used by terrorist organizations for their proliferation and cyber financing.

Ma also said that China will further explore and establish a regulatory mechanism in countering the financing of terrorism based on financial intelligence, funding monitoring and shared data.

"China attaches great importance to preventing and combating the financing of terrorism, with enhanced regulatory mechanisms in combating money laundering, financing for terrorism, and tax evasion," he said.

Ma said that China will actively participate in international cooperation, provide capacity building assistance for developing countries within its capabilities, and work together with all other countries in jointly eliminating the financing of terrorism, combating terrorism, and maintaining world peace and tranquility.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-29 05:41:30|Editor: yan

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SARAJEVO, March 28 (Xinhua) -- After seven months of intensive training, 100 cadets of the Border Police of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) were promoted on Thursday to the rank of police officer in Mostar, a city 130 kilometers southwest of the capital, local media reported.

At the ceremony, Slobodan Krstic, assistant to the director of BiH Border Police, said the 100 police officers are the best from the 2,000 candidates.

Given the increasing number of migrants illegally crossing the border to enter the country, the newly appointed police officers would be in charge of surveillance and border check, said Krstic.

They have gained basic legal knowledge necessary for the job, and learned about weapon handling, shooting skills, tactics and self-defense techniques.

A regular session of the country's Council of Ministers on Thursday revealed that from Jan. 1 to March 25 this year, a total of 3,323 illegal migrants had entered the BiH territory.
Scapa de sinuzita: Tratamente naturiste pentru care au efect garantat

Scapa de sinuzita: Tratamente naturiste pentru care au efect garantat Profita acum : Oferta de nerefuzat Oferta de nerefuzat . Cum facem un concediu reusit cu bani putini! Oferta de nerefuzat la President Hotel & Resort**** din Baile Felix Cataplasme / Comprese [citeste mai departe]
The organization of opinion polls is usually stopped two weeks before the election, therefore the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS), the Razumkov Center think tank, and the Rating group met the deadline, having carried out the last measurements of electoral moods from March 5 to 14. According to the study, Volodymyr Zelensky has the support of 27.7% of respondents who plan to take part in the vote and have decided on their choice. Yulia Tymoshenko (16.6%) and Petro Poroshenko (16.4%) compete for second place.

As for the second round, in the case of Zelenskys entry into it, this candidate defeats both hypothetical rivals. In a pair with Poroshenko, he leads with a score of 39% versus 18%, in a pair with Tymoshenko - 34% versus 21%. If Tymoshenko and Poroshenko compete in the second round, the latter will win with a score of 26% versus 19%. These are the results of a fresh poll, the authors of which, however, say: 22.3% among those who go to the polls have not yet decided on the candidate. And much depends on them.

We have discussed the issues of election campaign with Bohdan Petrenko, Deputy Director of the Ukrainian Institute for the Study of Extremism, Vadym Karasiov, Director of the Global Strategies Institute, Andriy Zolotariov, Head of the Third Sector Center, Ruslan Bortnyk, Director of the Ukrainian Institute for Policy Analysis and Management, Kost Bondarenko, founder of Gorshenin Institute think-tank, and Dmytro Sinchenko, Chairman of the Association of Political Sciences.

Zelensky as a red card in the old greasy deck

Volodymyr Zelenskiy, a candidate in Ukraine's upcoming presidential elections who came to fame as TV comic, speaks after submitting registration documents to the Central Election Commission, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Jan. 25, 2019 Reuters

Undoubtedly, the attention of all observers is focused primarily on Zelensky. None of the Ukrainian election campaigns knew such a rapid take-off of a candidate who declared balloting three months before the first round. What is the secret of Zelensky's success? "There are objective prerequisites for this, which consisted, in particular, that voters are disappointed in the current leaders. Although, in fact, the main feature of Zelensky is the actual absence of his campaign as such, the absence of specific messages. He played on a certain image, opposing the established policy," Bogdan Petrenko says.

Vadym Karasiov notes: "Zelenskys online campaign is successful," he says. We live in a digital culture. If there were no Internet, Facebook, YouTube, maybe, there would be no Zelensky as a candidate, he adds.

Poroshenko-energizer

Bogdan Petrenko lauds the current president: "If we talk about the classic election campaign, then the president is successful." The expert likes how the head of state promoted three basic components of his political identity - the army, language, faith... However, his colleague Bortnyk considers the visualization of these components in the form of billboards excessive. "Billboards work only for those who have low visibility. Poroshenkos billboards are not a very effective step. Zelensky was very creative in his billboards and, Shevchenko, who was looking for his wife, but it looked like a trolling campaign. The rest of the billboards were standard."

Zelensky avoided direct contact with the electorate because the candidate was simply not capable of face-to-face communication. This is Zelenskys weakness. In order not to lose in the eyes of the voter against the background of more professional politicians, he is forced to avoid communication. If he had the appropriate communication skills, he would have won the election in one round, the expert said.

Kost Bondarenko adds: Poroshenkos campaign is most successful. No one has fought for power from former presidents (the expert might mean Poroshenkos numerous knocking cell phones out of peoples hands, slapping on the face of the voters, who come to his election meetings and asked unpleasant questions, etc, - ed.).

Answering the question why one of Putins slogans was used in Poroshenkos headquarters, Andriy Zolotarev notes: Knowing Hryniv and Medvedev (Poroshenkos advisors, - ed.), I can say that they are professionals and would not just ignorantly use this copy-paste creativity. I think they did it consciously.

Although, Zolotarev continues, this attempt seems unsuccessful to me. Their plan was not accepted, and Poroshenkos campaign has stumbled. Tomos-tour also turned out to be an unsuccessful project, as it was spoiled by the flash mob of asking Poroshenko why he persecutes a journalist. In addition, Svynarchuk-hate (since 1990s Oleg Gladkovsky, at that time his last name was Svynarchuk, has become a business-partner of Petro Poroshenko. In 1997 he reached the position of a deputy CEO of "Ukrprominvestgroup", which includes main assets of Poroshenko, like Roshen, International Investment Bank. In addition, he is suspected of being covering a major corruption scheme on embezzlement in Ukrainian defense sector, - ed.) has also stumbled Poroshenkos election campaign. According to optimistic forecasts, Poroshenko might gain 17-18%," the political scientist says. And he adds: "According to my observations, this is the first time since 1999 that the president has been trying so hard..."

Tymoshenko managed to bother everyone

Yulia Tymoshenko seems to go too far with her campaign, Dmytro Sinchenko believes. She started early  she has already tired up with her campaign.

Yulia Tymoshenko, a former prime minister and candidate in Ukraine's upcoming presidential election, speaks at a news conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, Feb. 22, 2019 Reuters

Karasiov does not agree with this point of view: Tymoshenkos progress was smooth. I wouldnt say that the campaign was overwhelmed. If there were no Zelensky, Tymoshenko would surely get to the second round.

Some people think that Tymoshenko has conducted the unsuccessful campaign, Zolotariov joins the discussion. But I wouldnt be so categorical, because at the finish she often shows a better result than the one predicted by the forecasters, he notes.

Sinchenko says that no matter how successful the campaign is, its success in the sociological dimension means nothing if the candidate is not able to defend his result.

Not that spectacular crusade

The situation with another wannabe prez Andriy Sadovy (who withdrew his candidacy in favor of Anatoliy Hrytsenko, -ed.)his Samopomichch party is rather interesting. Zolotariov says this: As for Sadovy, this is a normal move. He couldnt participate in the elections, because his Samopomich has been in a disaster zone, it is drifting towards the Lviv regional ghetto and becoming a quasi-regional party. The political force, which was very successful in 2014, slipped below 5%. Sadovy had to raise the flag, so he could not but was forced to fight. At the same time, Sadovy couldnt show a low result (and it was predictably low).

Anatoliy Hrytsenko Open source

Karasiov agrees: Sadovy is the one of those who really fails. Therefore, he was forced to support Hrytsenko not to demonstrate such an obvious loss as a result in the first round. At the same time, he adds, this did not help Hrytsenko very much: He could have done a better campaign if he had teamed up with Sadov from the very beginning. So Hrytsenko would have collected rating bonuses that would give him chances for a second round.

Experts say that election of one more presidential candidate, Igor Smeshko, is also worthy of attention. He has demonstrated a bright start, but then everything went smoothly and unnoticed, although at first, he made the voters talk about himself, Kost Bondarenko notes. Karasiov agrees: "Smeshko has successfully campaigned  he responded to the need for new faces." He calls a campaign for the election of former Ukraines Security Service head Valentyn Nalyvaychenko and oligarch Serhiy Taruta (who withdrew in favor of Tymoshenko, - ed.)"obscure." As for Oleg Lyashko, Karasiov is convinced that his ultimate goal is the parliamentary campaign, and he has a good start and a good reserve for it.

Read the original text at 112.ua.
The emergency crews will fix it soon; the fuel supply will resume over several days

Pro-Kremlin mercenaries have shelled the area of Novoluhanske; a mortar attack resulted in the damage to a local gas pipeline. The press office of the Joint Forces HQ reported that on Facebook.

'In the near future, the Ukrainian crews will get to fix the pipeline. Over the next few days, the blue fuel supplies will be resumed', the HQ reported.

On March 27, the Russian-backed militants fired at Ukraine's positions several times. The enemy used the Minsk-banned weaponry six times in the Donbas conflict zone. The Joint Forces Operation (JFO) HQ reported this on Facebook.

In Donetsk region, the enemy attacked the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Opytne, Hnutove, and Chermalyk settlements.

In Luhansk region, the enemy attacked our positions near Luhanske, Novooleksandrivka, and Krymske villages.

According to the report, the Russia-backed militants fired with 120 mm and 82 mm mortars, heavy machine guns, small arms and grenade launchers of various systems.
The name of Oleksandr Moroz will remain in the ballot; however, it is not going to be marked that he is out of the presidential race

Oleksandr Moroz, the candidate for the presidency in Ukraine, has withdrawn from the elections as he reported on Facebook.

The decision about the refusal from the participation in the elections was made at the political council of the party.

The political council of the party, which proposed my candidature at the post of the president of Ukraine, analyzed the election campaign and made a grounded conclusion on the preparation of the unprecedented, presumptuous falsification of the elections, Moroz wrote.

The active of the party finds the continuation of my participation in the campaign, the political farce, unfeasible, accepting its nature. Considering the mentioned, I ask not to perceive myself as the candidate for the post of the president of Ukraine, the message said.

The receiving of the applications on the refusal from the participation in the elections is finished and the name of Oleksandr Moroz will remain in the ballot. The Central Election Commission noted that there would be no information in the ballot that Moroz refused to participate in the elections.

As we reported the biggest polling station will be in the Ukrainian embassy in Moldova, as over 52,000 voters are registered there. Over 5,000 voters are registered in Belarus, Israel, Spain, German, Poland, the USA, the Czech Republic, and Finland.

The election campaign has officially started on December 31, 2018. 39 candidates take part in the race. The election will most likely come in two rounds this time. The first one is slated for this Sunday, March 31. The second round is expected to take place in late April.
Over 30 MPs of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine involved in the criminal proceedings investigated by State Investigation Bureau (SIB) as bureaus Director Roman Truba reported.

There is a great number of the criminal proceedings in which we call and will question the lawmakers. There are over 30 MPs, who we will question and estimate their activity, judicially analyze their actions, Truba said.

Earlier the State Investigation Bureau launched the criminal proceeding against the General Prosecutor Yuriy Lutsenko on possible disclosing of the information about the investigation of the murder of activist Kateryna Hanzdiuk.

Besides, the SIB launched pre-trial investigation after journalists published information about the bribing of law enforcement officials. The investigators of the SBI started a pre-trial investigation of receiving a large bribe by an official, or by previous agreement by a group of people, committed twice, or by extortion of illicit enrichment.

In case the guilt of law enforcement officials is proved, they will face sentence of deprivation of the right to hold certain positions from 5 to 10 years or engage in certain activities for up to 3 years with confiscation of property.
Poroshenko also stated that the newly elected president should come to Moscow for approval

Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko Open source

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko stated that all issues concerning Ukraine should be discussed only with the support of the international partners, as Russia perceives only position of strength as the presidential press service reported.

That's why we are heading to NATO, because NATO is not every man for himself. NATO is when one for all and all for one. NATO is when 30 member states ensure the inviolability of borders," Poroshenko stated.

Concerning the possibility of the bilateral negotiations with the leadership or representatives of Russia as other candidates for presidency promise to hold them, Poroshenko answered:

Can there be bilateral negotiations? Well, of course, we are a sovereign independent state. But will Ukraine's position be weaker if we go without the support of our international partners in the pro-Ukrainian coalition? Yes, obviously".

"Can we discuss, for example, immediate release of Ukrainian sailors? Can we discuss the freedom of navigation or the return of Ukrainian warships? We can. But a comprehensive position must be discussed when we have a great power," the president said.

Poroshenko also noted that Putin is not the one to decide who will become the president of Ukraine but Ukrainian people should do it.

Earlier Poroshenko condemned the visit of presidential candidate Yuriy Boyko and the chairman of the political council of Opposition platform  For Life Party Viktor Medvedchuk to Russia, as well as talks with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Gazprom head Alexei Miller.

However, the number of the European MPs stood for the negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. Jiri Payne said that dialogue with Russia, on economic cooperation as well, can help to overcome the conflict between Kyiv and Moscow.

Steven Woolfe said that to have any deal between Europe, Ukraine and Russia to create a stable energy supply for each of those regions is very very important.

Besides, it was emphasized that Ukraine will be more of a bridge than a wall between European Union and Moscow.
The weapons are designed to cause malfunctions and shutdowns of radio-electronic devices set on the enemy armament and vehicles; Spetstekhnoexport enterprise is ready to produce the new weaponry for the Army's needs

Signal jammer IndiaMart

Ukraine's defense industry companies have successfully developed the production of electromagnetic weaponry. The cutting-edge kind of weapon is supposed to damage various kinds of enemy communication devices, power supply systems and data exchange systems. Spetstekhnoexport enterprise, which is a part of Ukroboronprom state-run defense concern posted this on Thursday.

'The Ukrainian scientists and developers received proper funding, which let them produce new knowledge and implement in the new products. Thanks to this project, Ukraine joined the closed club of the countries that are working on highly effective electromagnetic weaponry', said Vladyslav Belbas, the CEO of Spetstekhnoexport company.

The new weapon creates a powerful electromagnetic ray, which impedes or incapacitates the enemy radio-electronic devices set on the enemy armament, vehicles and infrastructure objects. Such weapons are considered non-lethal for people and, thus, falls under the respective category of non-lethal defensive weaponry.

The jamming devices may be set on missiles, fired from the combat aircraft or unmanned aerial vehicles, e.g. drones.

Consequently, the new weapons may be used against the enemy's objects of strategic importance, without any risks for civlian lives.
The National Police have begun the criminal proceeding due to the emergency tied with the explosions at the petrol station in Kropyvnytsky as the police reported.

The information on this case was put on the Unified register of pretrial investigations due to the violation of the safety rules during the performance of high-risk works, the law enforcement reported.

The police reminded that the accident took place about 20:00 on March 27. The law enforcers received the report about the fire followed by a number of explosions, which occurred at the petrol station in one of the districts of the city.

The employees of the State Emergency Service went to the site as well as the garrison of the patrol police department. The elimination of the fire lasted for about three hours. At 21:00, the fire was localized and at 22:45, it was completely put out.

Three citizens, including two rescuers and driver of tank-vehicle, sustained injuries in the result of the explosion and fire. The victims were immediately hospitalized, the police said.

At the moment, the specialists establish the circumstances of the accident.

Sergy Kovalenko, the Head of Emergency Department of Kropyvnytsky City Council stated to 112 Ukraine that the City Electricity Supply Company did not find the breaches in the power grid, which supplies outer lighting.

Kyrovohradsky subsidiary of Regional Electricity Supply Company works to restore electricity supply to consumers because there are some problems with the electricity supply to the private sector; it is promised to restore the supply until the end of the day, the message said.

Kovalenko stated that the check of the gas supply systems in the private sector takes place.

The City Council emphasized that the law enforcement bodies hold the pretrial investigation of the legality of the use of land plot, where the explosions occurred.

As we reported the explosions occurred at the petrol station in Kropyvnytsky. Preliminary, three trucks started to burn.
The diplomats are concerned about raids and intimidation if the Crimean Tatars

Crimean Tatar flag Open source

U.S. Embassy in Ukraine expressed their concern about raids and massive stalking held by Russia in Crimea on March 27. The official Twitter of the Embassy stated that.

We are extremely concerned by Russias raids and massive intimidation today targeting Crimean Tatars. We call on the Russian government to cease its unjust arrests, detentions, searches, and persecution of Crimean Tatars, activists, and journalists, reads the message.

We are extremely concerned by Russias raids and massive intimidation today targeting Crimean Tatars. We call on the Russian government to cease its unjust arrests, detentions, searches, and persecution of Crimean Tatars, activists, and journalists. #CrimeaIsUkraine  U.S. Embassy Kyiv (@USEmbassyKyiv) March 27, 2019

As it was reported earlier, the Russian Security Service raided ten houses of the Crimean Tatars in an occupied village of Strohonivka, Simferopol region.

In particular, the investigation was conducted in the houses of Remzi Bekirov, Osman Arifmemetov, Rustem Sheyhaliyev, Efran Osmanov, Aziz Bekirov, Akim Bekirov, Abdulaziz Umerov, Mejit Abdurakhmanov, Tofik Abdulgaziyev, Yashar Muedinov, Seitveli Seytabdiev, Edem Yachikov. In total, 17 houses were being searched.

The Crimean police launched two criminal proceedings on illegal detaining of the Crimean Tatars and violating the inviolability of the home.

At the same time, TASS informed that searched are related to the case of Hizb ut-Tahrir. According to FSB, they are conducting searches within the probes opened against alleged members of this organization.
The apology concerns the information, which stated that Poroshenko paid money for meeting with Trump

BBC apologized and agreed to pay the compensation to President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko. The apology concerns the incorrect material, which stated that Petro Poroshenkos side paid money to continue meeting with Donald Trump as BCC reported.

This article was published in May 2017 but later it was deleted. The article stated that $400,000 were transferred to Michael Cohen, the lawyer of Donald Trump. This information was also announced at BBC TV program.

According to TheBabel, BBC will compensate $209,872 to President Poroshenko. He promises to pass this money to the Ukrainian army as Poroshenko stated during the closed meeting with bloggers on March 26.

Earlier British BBC reported citing its own sources that Trumps personal lawyer Michael Cohen received the secret payment in the sum of $400,000 or $600,000 for the organization of the first meeting between Petro Poroshenko and Donald Trump in June 2017.

BBC noted that it contacted Michael Cohen and two Ukrainian officials, who supposedly organized the payment. All of them denied that it took place.

The Administration of the President of Ukraine demanded the retraction of the published information by BBC.

Poroshenko and Trump met on June 20, 2017, in the White House in Washington.
After the briefing of the delegation by the long-term observers, the MEP will travel to Odesa on March 20 to observe the elections and visit polling stations

The member of the European Parliament Rebecca Harms Euromaidanpress

The member of the European Parliament Rebecca Harms is heading to Ukraine to observe the first round of the presidential elections, as it was reported on her website.

Expert for Eastern Europe and member of the Greens/EFA Group in the European Parliament, will be in Ukraine as from tomorrow (Thursday 28 March) onwards as an election observer with a European Parliament delegation, the message reads.

After the briefing of the delegation by the long-term observers, the MEP will travel to Odesa on March 20 to observe the elections and visit polling stations.

There are also meetings planned with members of the Central Election Commission, representatives of the press and media, civil society and presidential candidates. Rebecca Harms will also observe the second round on the ground, which is expected to take place on 21 April, the website reported.

The first round of the presidential elections in Ukraine is scheduled for March 31.

Relatede video:
The U.S. State Secretary Mike Pompeo Reuters

U.S. State Secretary Mike Pompeo announced joint additional measures against Russia for its aggression against Ukraine with NATO, as Reuters reported.

Next week I am hopeful ... I will be able to announce another series of actions that we will jointly take together, he stated.

He also admitted that Washington should have done more to solve issues in Ukraine because of Moscows influence.

Earlier, the U.S. and Canada imposed anti-Russian sanctions for attack at the Ukrainian vessels in Kerch Strait. Besides, the EU sanctioned the Russian citizens involved in capturing the Ukrainian sailors near Kerch Strait in November 2018.

As we reported, the U.S. State Secretary Mike Pompeo called assistance the U.S. provides to Ukraine and Georgia visible amidst their counterwork of Russian aggression and interference into elections.

Pompeo reminded that the U.S. did not recognize Crimeas annexation and wait till the situation on the peninsula will be settled.
Crimean Tatars were searched due to their participation in one of the religious organizations

Russian Security Service (FSB) raids Crimean Tatars' homes, March 27, 2019 Lutfiye Zudiyeva Facebook

The Crimean police launched two criminal proceedings on illegal detaining of the Crimean Tatars and violating the inviolability of the home. The press service of the National police of Ukraine reports this.

On March 27, the police officers found out that representatives of the illegally created law enforcement bodies of the Russian Federation hold unlawful searchers of the Crimean Tatars on the territories of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. The victims live in Strohonivka and Kamyanka villages of Simferopol region. According to the police, 27 citizens were searched due to their participation in one of the religious organizations, the report said.

The law enforcement of Crimea and Sevastopol launched the criminal proceedings under part 2 of the article 162 (the violation the inviolability of the home) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Besides, the officers found out that illegal detaining of the citizens took place after illegal searches of their houses. The criminal proceedings have been opened under part 1 of the 146-1 article (enforced disappearance) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The article suggests up to 5 years in prison.

Earlier, Russian Security Service (FSB) detained 20 people after raids in occupied Crimea.

The Russian Security Service raided ten houses of the Crimean Tatars in an occupied village of Strohonivka, Simferopol region.

In particular, the investigation was conducted in the houses of Remzi Bekirov, Osman Arifmemetov, Rustem Sheyhaliyev, Efran Osmanov, Aziz Bekirov, Akim Bekirov, Abdulaziz Umerov, Mejit Abdurakhmanov, Tofik Abdulgaziyev, Yashar Muedinov, Seitveli Seytabdiev, Edem Yachikov. In total, 17 houses were searched.
The commanders of the vessels will meet with the military of Ukraines Armed Forces

Social media

Two vessels from Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) will enter Odesa seaport on April 1, as the press office of Canadas Embassy to Ukraine reported.

The frigate of the Royal Navy of Canada Toronto and the frigate of the Spanish Navy Santa Maria will arrive in Odesa after patrol in the Black Sea along with the other vessels as a part of the Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 within a couple of days, the message says.

The commanders of the vessels will meet with the military of Ukraines Armed Forces including Ukraines Navy and the representatives of the local authority during their stay in Odesa.

Besides, they will host guests on board of the vessels during visiting hours.

As it was reported, French Navy warship, Eridan-class Minehunter Capricorne (M653) entered the sea port of Odesa.

Earlier, American guided missile destroyer USS Gravely (DDG-107) has passed the Great Belt and entered the Baltic Sea moving along the German coast as gazeta.ru reported. This vessel entered the Baltic Sea for the second time in 2019.

USS Gravely is the leader of the First permanent naval group of NATO, 57th out of 62 destroyers of the fourth generation with guided missile weaponry of Arleigh Burke type. Its construction was approved by thr U.S. Congress. The vessel is armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles are its main weapon. The missile's range is up to 2,500 km and it can carry the nuclear warheads.
The total sum of the incomes, which legality was investigated by anti-corruption agents amounted to about $18,4 million

Open source

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) closed all cases on the illicit enrichment on March 27 as the Constitutional Court recognized the article of the Criminal Code on the illicit enrichment of officials unconstitutional as the NABU reported on Facebook.

From now on, there are no cases on the illicit enrichment in the NABU. Due to the decision of the Constitutional Court, 26 criminal proceedings and 37 cases on the illegal benefit were closed, the message said.

According to the NABU, the total sum of the incomes, which legality was investigated by anti-corruption agents amounted to about $18,4 million.

Mostly, the issue was about the incomes and property of the MPs, prosecutors, officials of the central bodies of power and judges, the NABU specified.

Constitutional Court of Ukraine ruled unconstitutional an article of a Criminal Code on the illicit enrichment of public officials upon the pretext that the provisions of the article violate the presumption of innocence.

The Constitutional Court said that the legislative structure of Article 368-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine "permits accusations based on assumptions." In addition, it includes the provisions regulating the process of evidence, although this is related to the criminal procedure law.

In addition, the Constitutional Court said that the legislative definition of "illegal enrichment" as a crime makes it possible to shift this responsibility from the prosecution to the defense.

Later President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko signed the new draft law on the article on the illicit enrichment and later it was registered in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
Mike Pompeo noted that the U.S. was providing Ukraine with "visible assistance"

The U.S. State Secretary Mike Pompeo Open source

The U.S. State Secretary Mike Pompeo called assistance the U.S. provides to Ukraine and Georgia visible amidst their counterwork of Russian aggression and interference into elections, as he said during the hearings in the Committee on the international relations of the U.S. Senate as a reaction to the question of Senator Steve Chabot.

We have provided the Ukrainian nation with means of defence, intelligence assistance, I have seen this on the previous position (CIA Head, - ed.) before I was appointed as the U.S. Secretary of State.

He also stressed that America supported Ukraine and Georgia in opposing the Russian interference in the elections, in particular, during the current presidential run.

Pompeo reminded that the U.S. did not recognize Crimeas annexation and wait till the situation on the peninsula will be settled.
He stressed that this case is a reason for being especially concerned

Ukraines Permanent Representative to the UN Volodymyr Yelchenko Ukrinform

Ukraines Permanent Representative to the UN Volodymyr Yelchenko informed the Secretary-General of the Organization Antonio Guterres on the new wave of persecution of the Crimean Tatars on the peninsula, as Ukrinform reported.

Gross violations of the human rights of the Russian Federation on the temporary occupied Crimea should trigger a strong and consolidated reaction from the international community so that the illegally detained people were released and to prevent humans suffering in the future, Yelchenko stated.

Besides, Ukraine demands Russia to implement the resolution of the UN General Assembly On the situation with the human rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol and an interim decision of the International Court on the case Ukraine against Russia.

As it was reported earlier, the Russian Security Service raided ten houses of the Crimean Tatars in an occupied village of Strohonivka, Simferopol region.

In particular, the investigation was conducted in the houses of Remzi Bekirov, Osman Arifmemetov, Rustem Sheyhaliyev, Efran Osmanov, Aziz Bekirov, Akim Bekirov, Abdulaziz Umerov, Mejit Abdurakhmanov, Tofik Abdulgaziyev, Yashar Muedinov, Seitveli Seytabdiev, Edem Yachikov. In total, 17 houses were being searched.

The Crimean police launched two criminal proceedings on illegal detaining of the Crimean Tatars and violating the inviolability of the home.

At the same time, TASS informed that searched are related to the case of Hizb ut-Tahrir. According to FSB, they are conducting searches within the probes opened against alleged members of this organization.
In a world where a blog is created every second does the world really need another blog? Well, it's got one. An irregular set of postings, weaving an intricate pattern around a diverse set of subjects. Comment on culture, technology, politics and the occasional rant about life. Alan ... in Belfast, Northern Ireland
Photo by Clarke Conde

As the last remnants of snow fade from view on the Sandias, Albuquerque turns to the approaching spring. A naturally perfumed moment of reflection before the impending heat and din of swamp coolers fills the soon-to-be under construction streets of our fair city. What I am talking about is flowers. Albuquerque has them, and this weekend offers the opportunity to take them in with two art forms that reflect the temporary nature of blossoming beauty.

The first is the Ichiyo Ikebana exhibition Picnic Under the Blossoms at the ABQ BioPark this Saturday and Sunday. For those unfamiliar with the Japanese art form ikebana, the name means living flowers, and as Albuquerques own master ikebana teacher Mary Burnett de Gomez describes, It is flower arranging, but not like Westerners think of flower arranging. It is art. Indeed, it is a contemplative practice with roots hundreds of years old. Burnett de Gomez says, It is bringing a bit of nature into your own environment.

courtesy of the artist

Burnett de Gomez brings her students from the Albuquerque Chapter Ichiyo School of Ikebana to the BioPark to share what is as much process as product. Some people think of it (ikebana) as moving mediation. I have a lot of students that are techies like medical people, attorneys and engineers who really dont have much of an opportunity to just sit down and enjoy something very beautiful, quiet and meditative. They take classes because they enjoy detaching from their work.

It is the temporary nature of ikebana that is just as much part of the process and the result. Part of the beauty of it is learning to let go, says Burnett de Gomez. Like the cherry blossoms, it is going to go away in a very short time.

Prefer passivity? The BioPark also celebrates spring with their annual Hanami celebration. Youve never had art so easy as when you engage in the art of hanami or flower viewing. Done properly, you simply bring a picnic and view the cherry blossoms contemplatively. Take a moment to think about the change in seasons, what spring means to you and then have a snack. Soon spring will have moved into summer, the cherry blossoms will have gone away and you will be on the roof trying to figure out where the swamp cooler is leaking.
PLEASE NOTE!

Due to the March 23, 2020 NM DOH Public Health Order, These Event Listings Are Not Accurate!

All non-essential businesses are closed, public gatherings are prohibited!

(One day some of these events will be rescheduled or will resume, but they are not happening now!)
Thursday 28

Europe in Chaos: Brexit (Smithsonian 6pm) In a way its sort of comforting to know that the rest of the world is in political turmoil as well. Heck, the Germans even have a word for that feeling: schadenfreude.

Abbys (KOB-4 8:30pm) From producers/creators Michael Schur (The Good Place, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Parks and Recreation) and Josh Malmuth (New Girl, Superstore) comes this surefire comedy hit. Natalie Morales (The Middleman, BoJack Horseman) stars as a woman who opens an unlicensed, makeshift bar in her San Diego backyard.

Tacoma FD (truTV 8:30pm) From the members of the Broken Lizard comedy troupe comes this sitcom about the bored members of a firehouse in the wettest city in America.

Friday 29

Hanna (Amazon streaming anytime) The 2011 action film (starring Saoirse Ronan) as a 15-year-old super assassin on the run gets the series treatment with Esme Creed-Miles (daugher of Samantha Morton) taking over the title role.

Osmosis (Netflix streaming anytime) In near future Paris, two brilliant siblings unveil the ultimate dating appa high-tech implant designed to pair up soul mates. But wouldnt you know it, the beta test yields unwelcome surprises. This one comes from writer-creator Audrey Fouchee (who gave us the eerie French anti-zombie series The Returned).

Traitors (Netflix streaming anytime) Emma Appleton (The End of the F***ing World) stars in this drama about a British civil servant who agrees to spy on her own government for the Americans in the aftermath of World War II.

The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs (Shudder streaming anytime) World famous drive-in movie critic Joe Bob Briggs returns to host this movie series spotlighting cult horror hits (Blood Fest, Sleepaway Camp, Tourist Trap, Sorority Babes at the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama).

Saturday 30

Victor and Valentino (Cartoon Network 10:30am) Two half brothers spend a summer with their grandmother in Monte Macabre, a small and mysterious town where Mesoamerican myths and legends come to life.

Represent Change: 50th NAACP Image Awards (TV One 6pm) Anthony Anderson (Black-ish) hosts.

Sunday 31

Mrs. Wilson on Masterpiece Theater (KNME-5 8pm) Ruth Wilson (Jane Eyre) stars in this three-part drama inspired by the historical memoir of Ms. Wilsons own grandmother stretching from 30s India to 60s London.

Monday 1

The Twilight Zone (CBS All Access) Simon Kinberg (X-Men: The Last Stand, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Sherlock Holmes) and Jordan Peele (Get Out, Us) are behind this latest reboot of the classic sci-fi anthology. Peele also gets to do Rod Serling duty.

Ultraman (Netflix streaming anytime) The long-running. live-action Japanese superhero series (since 1966) returns (in something like the 33rd iteration) to fight off more giant monsters from space.

Tuesday 2

Growing Up Chrisley (USA 8:31pm) Savannah and Chase, Todd Chrisleys adult children get their own spin-off series from the inexplicably popular reality series Chrisley Knows Best.

Wednesday 3

Youre the Worst (FXX 8pm) The final episode of this dark and dirty and romcom finds acerbic Gretchen (Aya Cash) and narcissistic Jimmy (Chris Geere) finally manning up and getting married.
Chevanon Photography / Pexels License

Its hard to imagine not having a coffee shop within a mile of you nowadays, but it didnt always used to be that way. There was a time where your midday coffee choices were McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts, a local diner or Folgers. So how did this shift happen to the culture we live in today? Welcome to Weekly Alibis discussion of the three waves of coffee.

Wave one was simple: quick, cheap, fast coffee via a drip brew system that allowed anyone to swing by and grab a cup or make it at home. The get-up-and-go drink of the modern era, people were accessing coffee easier than they ever had before, and it continued that way for a long time. The important information to take away from this wave was that the beans used werent anything fancy. There was no deep science or love in the brewing; this was mass production of a (typically) dark roast that had no real magic behind it. It was a cup of coffee, as simple as that, and if you didnt like it, there werent really many other options for you to explore. Which leads us straight into the second wave.

Second wave coffee was all about two main goals: availability and choice. This was the rise of Starbucks everywhere, with the idea that coffee didnt need to be a single taste profile and wasnt meant just to give you a kick in the pants first thing in the morning. As more and more people fell in love with lattes and cappuccinos, coffee became more of a cultural touchstone and choices continued to evolve and grow. Eventually the market exploded, leading to the cafe on every corner world of the mid to late aughts. Second wave was the coffee of the future, with local favorites like Satellite, Java Joes and other local shops getting in on the action and cutting out their own market from the Starbucks empire.

So, what is third wave then? Third wave was the next, and arguably final, step in the growing market of coffee as more than a drink. Third wave is coffee with love, care, knowledge and precision. The beans are sourced specifically, and usually for their sustainability, with a history and a culture to follow, so you know what youre getting in terms of a flavor profile. The brewing is an exact science, with water temperatures closely monitored and brewed to maximize the taste. This isnt a mass-production product, but more a labor of love, making sure every cup is an experience to unwind and enjoy, not power through on the way to the next destination. A third-wave style cup of coffee is an amalgamation of care and effort from everyone to create magic in a cup that will cause you to stop and sit for a few minutes and take inventory of your day.

Albuquerque is lucky to have so many third wave coffee shops, giving us a wealth of options to choose from when it comes to getting our daily fix. Looking for where to start? Weve got a couple of suggestions to get you rolling.

 Zendo  Located in Downtown at 413 Second St SW (zendocoffee.com), Zendo has been around for a hot minute, and has a selection of specialty styles and drinks that will leave your head spinning while you try and decide which to partake in first. The Turkish Latte is a go-to favorite with honey, cardamom, clove and nutmeg. Let that first sip flow through you and feel every inch of you wake up instantly.

 Little Bear Coffee  Found up in the Heights at 2632 Pennsylvania St NE (littlebearcoffeeco. com), Little Bear is the sister shop of the currently closed (but not for much longer, please!) Deep Space Coffee. Carrying a lot of the same ideals for perfection in a cup, Little Bear Coffee strives to help educate about coffee beyond the normal baseline many would expect. In fact, their website is currently hosting a couple videos that can help you learn the process behind your favorite drinks and get a newfound appreciation of the art of brewing.

 Michael Thomas Coffee  A Nob Hill staple for many years, Michael Thomas Coffee (located at 202 Bryn Mawr Dr SE, michaelthomascoffee. com) transitioned from a great second wave shop into an amazing third wave shop. The selection of beans available is almost overwhelming the first time you walk in. Thankfully, the staff are beyond competent and will be your first-class navigators for getting you the right cup for your taste profile. Find the bean thats right for you and check out some of their free brewing classes so you can start making your favorite drink from the comfort of your own home.

Is there a new wave on the horizon for the cafe scene, or are we in the truly golden era of coffee? Its hard to say, and time will tell if and when a fourth wave is coming. For now, we should consider ourselves lucky to be surrounded by such an amazing scene for coffee creators and lovers. Whats more, newer places are popping up every day, helping push innovation and style forward. Its a long road ahead, but thankfully, weve got more than enough caffeine to see it through to the next destination.
Maybe it was the planet Mercury going retrograde that inspired one citizen to sing for the Albuquerque City Council during its special meeting held March 21. Councilors were meeting to discuss amendments and hear public input on updating the Civilian Police Oversight Ordinance. Not quite sure how the song fit into the amendment discussion but since the orator had a decent voice, it made for a curious few minutes during the nearly two-hour special meeting.

Who? What? Why?

The citys police oversight ordinance governs how the Civilian Police Oversight Agency and Police Oversight Board functions. The CPOA is an independent agency, not part of city government. The agency also has an executive director and a civilian police oversight board. The police oversight board investigates complaints against Albuquerque Police Department officers, in particular excessive use of force cases, along with policy review.

The POB also makes discipline recommendations to the chief of police. There are nine seats on the POB. There are three seats vacant and the Council has come under a bit of scrutiny for not filling the available seats. The police department has about 900 sworn officers. The amended ordinance proposes to give the oversight agency .08 percent of the police department budget annually, or about a million bucks, to operate with eight staff members that include investigators, an analyst and administrative support.

Having a functional police oversight ordinance is not a luxury. It is required by the 2014 consent decree with the US Department of Justice after the citys police department was found to have a pattern and practice of excessive force, including a string of officer involved shootings that cost the taxpayers many millions of dollars, and irrevocably damaged families on all sides of a shooting.

Some of the amendments approved give the civilian oversight board more teeth by giving them subpoena power to view raw data such as documents, videos, audios, interviews and any other pieces of information the board may need to investigate civilian complaints about police uses of force. It also adds more autonomy for the board, and asks that the police chief respond within 30 days if he or she does not agree with disciplinary recommendations.

Public Support

While there was not much public comment other than the singing guy, the regular angry guy and a couple others, watchdog groups spoke up, such as the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico and APD Forward. Peter Simonson, executive director for ACLU-NM spoke for both his organization and for APD Forward. Simonson said overall, both groups were happy with the proposed ordinance and its new subpoena power teeth.

Taking Its Time

City Council and its subsequent committees have been messing around with amending the current version of the citys civilian police oversight ordinance since June 2018. It has moved through various committees, amended and postponed for even more amending. Councilors did not confirm the reappointment of Edward Harness until December 2018, a delay of nearly six months. There are still vacant seats on the POB. Councilors have said they will fill those seats once the amended ordinance is in place.

How Blue Are You?

A couple of long overdue police department annual use of force reports for 2016 and 2017 were released this week, giving us a glimpse into department doings. These annual reports are mandatory as part of the DOJ consent decree. These were filed late obviously. Some of the highlights of the two years worth of reports include: APD officers answered about 450,000 calls in 2016 and 480,000 calls in 2017; during these two years, show-of-force incidents rose 35 percent while use-of-force incidents remained consistent. Show-of-force is when a weapon is displayed but not used; use-of-force means an incident where a weapon of any type is drawn and used or an officer puts his or her hands on a citizen.

The reports showed an increase in use-of-force with unarmed citizens. Fewer people were injured in 2017 but more of those injuries required hospitalization.

Native Americans make up less that 5 percent of the citys population yet they were involved in about 15 percent of the use-of-force cases. Hand techniques such as grabs, strikes, kicks and other distraction methods were the majority of use-of-force cases. Critical firearm discharges at subjects tallied at five for 2016 and nine in 2017. The reports show an increase in the use of electronic control weapons like tasers.

There were 40 SWAT deployments in 2016 and a big jump in 2017 to 77 SWAT team activations. Police officers sent their trained dogs in just over 1,000 times in 2016 and again in 2017. Male citizens ages 20 to 49 are the most likely to be engaged in any use-of-force incident. For more interesting data check out the entire report at documents. cabq. gov/ police/ reports/ use- of- force- annual- report- 2016- 2017. pdf .

Whats Next?

The Council approved nine amendments and will take up some others and engage in a bit more debate on the proposed oversight ordinance amendments. There will also be another opportunity for the public to voice opinions at its regular meeting set for April 1 at 5pm in the Vincent E. Griego Chambers, City Hall. The meetings are streamed on Channel 16 and on GOV-TV.

You can watch government in action on April Fools Day, and that is no joke.
Dateline: Oregon

The world's last Blockbuster is staying open due to pure stubbornness, says its general manager. Huffpost reports that at the end of March, a Blockbuster located in Australia will be shutting its doors, leaving one final franchise location in Bend, Ore. The store's general manager, Sandi Harding, has worked at the location for 15 years, and she says she did everything in her power to keep the store's costs down and the doors open. The Bend location was originally a local video store until it was converted to a Blockbuster in 2000. In 2010, the company declared bankruptcy and all corporate locations closed by 2014. Last year the Bend location became the last location in the US when the only other onea store in Alaskaclosed its doors for good. Surprisingly, being the last Blockbuster in America helped bring new customers, as tourists began to visit the site. Harding began carrying sweatshirts, T-shirts, cups, magnets, bumper stickers, hats and stocking caps that carried the slogan The Last Blockbuster in America, which became hot items at the store. Fans began donating old VHS tapes, DVDs and Blockbuster memorabilia. Harding says she has no plans to close the store anytime soon, as business is booming. She has allegedly ordered a batch of merchandise sporting a new slogan: The Last Blockbuster on the Planet.

Dateline: China

Chinese internet users are paying to have strangers give them compliments. According to CNBC, the new social media fad is primarily taking place on China's most popular messaging app, WeChat. Users visit a website called Taobao to search for social groups known as kuakuaqun, Mandarin for praising groups. These groups are listed on the site with pricing options. After purchasing services, the user is invited to join the group on the platform. Once there, group members will lavish praise and compliments on the user for a set amount of time. CNBC spoke to the administrator of one of these groups who said they charged 15 yuan for three minutes or 25 yuan for five minutes of praise. This specific group also offered the option of adding details to make the experience more personal, and even gave clients the chance to order compliments for a friend. The craze reportedly extends to free groups, as well. These groups consist of users bombarding each other with constant compliments. Both types of groups reportedly attract large numbers of userssome have hundreds of followers. It is believed that the groups might be a response to a previous trend of curse groupsgroups where users would hurl insults at one another. The phenomenon could also be a response to the general negativity found on social media.

Dateline: Massachusetts

The mayor of Fall River, Mass., was recently voted out of officethen voted back in on the same ballot. The New York Times reports that Mayor Jasiel F. Correia II, who was serving his second term in office, was charged with 13 criminal counts of wire fraud and filing false tax returns in November of last year. He denied the charges and when the City Council gave him an ultimatumresign or face a recallhe refused to leave. A recall election was held earlier this month, and 7,829 residents reportedly voted to remove Correia from office. On the same ballot, however, voters were also asked to choose his replacement. Among the five candidates, Correia was again listed. There, with a 35 percent plurality vote, he won the right to succeed himself. School committee member Paul Coogan, the runner-up, lost by less than 300 votes. In an interview the following day, Coogan seemed perplexed. This is weird, he said. It doesnt make much sense to anybody. He didnt really get a mandate. Opponents of the plurality voting system say this is an example of why it should be replaced. A lawsuit was filed last week claiming that the city charter prohibits city officers facing recall from running for reelection, but a superior court judge rejected the suit. Coogan said he plans to run in the mayoral primary in September.

Dateline: Colorado

When a Colorado Senator invoked his right to hear the entirety of a 2,000-page bill read aloud, proponents brought in computers to read the bill faster than a human can understand. According to The Denver Post, last week Sen. John Cooke requested that House Bill 1172, which seeks to revise Title 12 of the Colorado Revised Statutes, be read aloudpresumably to delay the Colorado Senate from voting on bills concerning the death penalty and oil and gas. Cooke reportedly requested a delay in the proceedings, but was dismissed. After making the request, he said, We keep saying we want things slowed down, and this is the only thing we have in our arsenal, indicating the procedural move was a tactical one. It was estimated that a full reading of the text would take upward of 60 hours, but Democrats in the Colorado Senate devised an unconventional plan. After a staffer read for three hours, five computers were brought into the Senate. The computers each read a separate portion of the bill at a speed that was too fast to understand. Cooke complained that the act violated the spirit of the rule. Hearings scheduled for the following day proceeded as planned.
Dear Editor,

Trent Englands letter defending the electoral college [Alibi, v28 i10] merits a response. I usually avoid ad hominem arguments, but since Mr. England opened that door by casting aspersions on John Kozas background, I think it only fair to consider his organizations bias. Hes a member of the Rio Grande Foundation, which purports to be an independent, local research organization but is actually just one of the think tanks set up by the Koch brothers and the Heritage Foundation in each state. The Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, which wants to save our state from the popular vote, is another.

Mr. Englands criticism of the National Popular Vote is largely a straw man argument, as it isnt the only alternative to the electoral college. Personally, I favor a direct, popular vote for president. I understand the practical reasons of an interstate compact; it probably would be much more difficult to get a constitutional amendment passedgiven that the very states that benefit from the electoral college would block it!

The electoral college was a compromise; some of the Founders felt that citizens could not be trusted to wisely choose the president. In addition, according to some scholars, slave-owner James Madison was concerned that Southern states would have less power due to their lower population. He came up with a compromise whereby the non-citizen slaves would be counted as three-fifths of a person.

Mayors, county officers, state governors, members of Congress and Senators (since the 17th Amendment was ratified in 1913) are all chosen directly by popular vote within their respective constituencies. The majority of US Supreme Court Justices decide the cases before them. Why then do we not use the democratic method of majority rule when voting for president? Moreover, since the 1964 Supreme Court decision Reynolds v. Sims, states must follow the One-Person One-Vote principle. Yet voters do not have equal representation when voting for president; voters in rural, low population states have an unfair advantage, as each state gets two additional electoral votes by virtue of having two senators regardless of its population size or representation in the House.

So why does the Right want to preserve such an archaic system with dubious origins? Because its political party, the GOP, benefits from having its constituencies over-represented in the presidential election. Fewer voters are registering Republican, and population projections do not bode well for the GOPs aging, mostly white male demographic. But with the electoral college, Republicans have their solid block of red states in the South, Great Plains, and Rockies. There are far fewer people per electoral vote in Wyoming than in California. Thus, the minority rights Mr. England wants to safeguard are those of the shrinking GOP. The president should serve all Americans, not just certain states or regions.

Virtually every other Western democracy uses a direct, popular vote to choose its national leader, as do countries new to democracy. Yet twice in the past 20 years we have elected a president who lost the popular vote.

As historian Doris Kearns Goodwin has said, The Electoral College is an appendix, and its time to get rid of the appendix. Let us join the other great democracies by abolishing the electoral college and switching to a national, popular vote for president.
PRINT | EMAIL | PERMALINK Newscity Oil Company Accused of Air Quality Violation The New Mexico Environment Department issued a notice of violation to oil and gas giant Hilcorp Energy Company earlier this month, claiming the corporation violated the state's Air Quality Control Act last year. According to a NMED press release, Hilcorp violated both state and federal laws by improperly controlling emissions from one of its wells in the San Juan Basin. The company is accused of failing to capture natural gas that was released during hydraulic fracturing operations in February 2018. According to the Farmington Daily Times, oil industry groups have denounced the move as politically motivated. Independent Petroleum Association of New Mexico Executive Director Jim Winchester issued a statement claiming NMED isn't being completely honest. As the NMED is aware, he said, the pressure and geology of San Juan wells require the use of nitrogen in the completion process  The existing regulations allow for these completion technologies to be used. The NMED's interpretation of the existing rules will significantly impact all development projects in the San Juan Basin. The New Mexico Oil and Gas Association says wells in the area are marginal and were never intended to fall under the authority of air quality regulations. NMED said it's investigating the matter and a notice of violation is not a final determination that a violation has occurred.

Balloon Fiesta Spur Line Questioned Plans for a Rail Runner spur line have upset some North Edith area residents. In February, Mayor Tim Keller told reporters the city was looking at ways to ease traffic congestion during the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiestaincluding a Rail Runner spur line that would operate temporarily during the event. But KRQE reports that residents in the area of the proposed spur line are resentful of the city for making plans without consulting them. The city allegedly failed to discuss the project with any of the neighborhood associations before Keller made the announcement. Neighbors are also worried that a spur line will be too expensive and unnecessary. Albuquerque Chief Operating Officer Lawrence Rael told reporters that the city expects the project to cost between $8 million and $11 million, a price some residents say is too high for a line that will only operate for about 10 days a year. A petition against the project has reportedly been created and at least four neighborhood associations have spoken against the plan. Rael said the proposed spur line is only one of several options the city is investigating and no plans have been made for immediate action.
E. JASON WAMBSGANS/AFP/Getty Images(CHICAGO) -- The city of Chicago is seeking more than $130,000 from Empire actor Jussie Smollett to pay for the cost of the investigation in which he "falsely claimed" that two men attacked him.



The city asked for an "immediate payment" of $130,106.15 "in an attempt to resolve this matter without further legal action, according to a letter sent from the Chicago Department of Law to Smollett's attorneys, which was obtained by ABC News. A cashier's check made payable to the "City of Chicago" was requested to be paid by money order or certified cashier's check within seven days.



If the fee is not paid in a"timely" manner, the Chicago Department of Law will prosecute Smollett for making the "false" Jan. 29 statement, the letter warned. The city will also impose a fine between $500 and $1,000 in addition to up to three times the amount of damages.



Charges against Smollett for felony disorderly conduct for filing a false police report were dropped on Tuesday by Cook County prosecutors, which enraged Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson. The FBI has now opened a review of the disposition of the case.



"The City of Chicago and the Chicago Police Department take seriously those who make false statements to the police, thereby diverting resources from other investigations and undermining the criminal justice system," the letter stated.



More than two dozen detectives and police officers participated in the "extensive" weeks-long investigation, which included reviewing video and physical evidence as well as conducting several interviews, according to the letter.



Smollett maintains his innocence, insisting outside of court on Tuesday that he has "been truthful and consistent on every single level since day one."



Both police and prosecutors say they believe that Smollett is guilty of the crime.



Cook County first assistant state attorney Joe Magats told ABC Chicago station WLS Tuesday that the charges against Smollett were dropped in favor of an "alternate resolution" in order to focus resources on violent crimes, since it was a low-level felony, he had no criminal history. Smollett was required to perform community service and pay $10,000 to the City of Chicago. His attorneys asked that the case records be sealed, which was granted due to an Illinois statute that allows for it, Magats said.



Magats insisted that the decision was not an exoneration. When he was asked whether he believes Smollett fabricated the incident, the prosecutor replied, "yes."



Emanuel described the announcement as a "whitewash of justice," while Johnson said he does not believe justice was served.



Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Critics of Mayor Bill de Blasio are accusing him of "Islamophobic hypocrisy" for not more forcefully condemning a Brooklyn Councilmember who repeatedly claimed that Palestine does not exist.

The incendiary comment was made on Wednesday by Councilman Kalman Yeger  a Democrat who represents Borough Park, Bensonhurst, and Midwood  in response to a tweet from Zainab Iqbal, a reporter for BKLYNER. Noting Yeger's aggressive attacks on Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, Iqbal pointed out that Yeger is prone to making derogatory statements about Palestinians.

"Palestine does not exist," Yeger responded. "There, I said it again. Also, Congresswoman Omar is an antisemite. Said that too. Thanks for following me."

Palestine does not exist.

There, I said it again.

Also, Congresswoman Omar is an antisemite. Said that too.

Thanks for following me. https://t.co/apM565HoEV  Kalman Yeger (@KalmanYeger) March 27, 2019

The statement immediately prompted a flurry of strongly-worded condemnations from New Yorkers, as well as some tsk-tsking from fellow politicians. In a statement to Gothamist, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams said the comments were "very hurtful to individuals and the cause of a two state solution and peace," and urged him to apologize. Likewise, City Council Speaker Corey Johnson tweeted a statement denouncing Yeger's remarks as "unhelpful and unwelcome."

Johnson did not, however, respond to follow up inquiries about whether he would seek to remove Yeger from his post on the NYC Council Immigration Committeeas he did to Councilman Ruben Diaz Sr., after he faced renewed scrutiny for his own bigoted stances earlier this year.

De Blasio also weighed in on the Yeger's remarks, noting in a tweet that "a two-state solution is the best hope for peace. I challenge anyone who thinks the State of Israel shouldnt exist. But the same goes for anyone who would deny Palestinians a home."

A two-state solution is the best hope for peace. I challenge anyone who thinks the State of Israel shouldnt exist. But the same goes for anyone who would deny Palestinians a home. https://t.co/3JvnS4UOhm  Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) March 27, 2019

In response, Muslim activist Linda Sarsour called de Blasio's comment "the weakest statement he could possibly come up with." She noted that the mayor was more forceful in his denunciation of controversial tweets from Rep. Omar, a freshman lawmaker from Minnesota who implied support for Israel was based on money.

"He needs to directly call out Councilmember Yeger in the same way he called out a black congresswoman who made poorly worded tweets," Sarsour told Gothamist. "This is blatant bigotry, it's a double standard, it's Islamophobic hypocrisy."

A spokesperson for the mayor's office declined to elaborate further on de Blasio's statement. Attempts to reach Councilman Yeger were unsuccessful.


Local legislators may soon ban fur within New York City. Council Speaker Corey Johnson, along with Council members Mark Levine of Manhattan and Fernando Cabrera of the Bronx, has introduced a bill that would make it illegal to sell new fur across the five boroughs.

"As an animal lover, I truly think it is cruel to kill an animal for the sole purpose of people wearing a fur coat," Johnson said in an emailed statement to Gothamist. "There is really no need for this. In a progressive city like ours, we need to take steps to protect animals."

The proposed legislation would fine businesses that sold fur between $500 and $1,500, depending on how many violations they racked up, but would not apply to used fur products. Thrift stores could still sell vintage and second-hand furs, and as long as they didn't add any new fur apparel to their inventory, they'd avoid penalties. The proposal would also allow people to repurpose fursinto a trim, for example, or a similarly recycled productand sell them that way. "No new furs" would seem to be the bottom line.

According to the NY Post, the city is home to more than 130 fur businesses, 101 of which reside in Johnson's district. Furriers, naturally, blasted the idea. "I guess he [Johnson] wants to represents a district with empty storefronts," Steve Cowit, owner of Cowit Furs & Madison Avenue Furs, said. "What happened to freedom of choice? Next it will be the meat industry and chicken industry. When will it end?"

To be clear, local lawmakers are not proposing forced vegetarianism.

A number of other citiesWest Hollywood, Berkeley, San Francisco, and most recently, Los Angeleshave banned fur, though, and New York State legislators are considering doing the same. Last week, Linda Rosenthal, who represents the Upper West Side in the Assembly, introduced a bill proposing "prohibitions on fur products," specifically, their "manufacture, sale, display for sale, [and] trade." The bill would also put a moratorium on "giving, donating, or otherwise distributing of a fur product by any means in the state" starting January 1, 2021. It would apply to clothing items, accessories, and fur accents.

Rosenthal characterized the bill as a necessity to guard against cruelty at fur farms and within the fur industry in general, practices that include raising animals in captivity and trapping them in the wild. Because the whole point is to harvest their pelts, you can see where animal welfare might not top the list of the farmers' priorities. National Geographic reports that at largely unregulated mink farms in China, for example, self-mutilation, "extreme fearfulness," infanticide, difficulty breeding, and unresponsiveness are exceedingly common among the animal stock, which often live in tiny cages that allow little room for their occupants' movement.

"There can be no denial that killing animals for their fur is abject cruelty," Cabrera said in a statement emailed to Gothamist, condemning the practice of gassing and electrocuting animals for their coats, and applauding the trend toward synthetic fur and leather by some in the fashion industry. "New York City must follow its tradition as a leader among municipalities and promote animal welfare and protection by banning the sale of fur."
Police are searching for the Amtrak employee who shot a coworker in a Queens rail yard on Thursday morning, according to authorities. [Update below]

Categorizing the incident as a "coworker dispute," a spokesperson for the NYPD said that a suspect had shot the 53-year-old victim in the leg, then fled westbound on Northern Boulevard. The shooting occurred within Sunnyside Yard, which is owned by Amtrak, at around 8 a.m.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the company said that "Amtrak Police are working with NYPD investigating a shooting incident at our Sunnyside Yard location, an equipment and servicing facility in Queens, NY."

"The suspect is known, and a search for the suspect is ongoing," the statement continued. The area has been secured by the Amtrak Police Department and NYPD. There is no impact to train operations."

The victim was transported to an area hospital, and is in stable condition, authorities said.

"He knows who this person is but I don't know if he's identified him yet, because he's been shot," a police spokesperson added.

UPDATE: The Amtrak employee who allegedly shot his coworker has reportedly committed suicide. According to the Queens Ledger, police officers located the 48-year-old suspect in a Cadillac SUV on Roosevelt Avenue, below the 52nd Street subway station. Following a standoff with armed officers, the man fatally shot himself in the chest, the Ledger reports.

A police spokesperson confirmed to Gothamist that a man was found inside the vehicle with a self-inflicted gun shot wound. He was rushed to Elmhurst Hospital in critical condition, police said.
As the powers that be have looked for new ways to get people excited about going to the movies (and justify that expensive ticket), a concept that was once something of a regional anomalythe movie theater that also serves food!has become increasingly prevalent. New York City now offers a number of theaters that not only offer the option of snacking on the beloved buttered popcorn/soft drink combo, but also the choice of sipping on an IPA or Margarita at your seat, washing down your sandwich or salad.

Whether you want to check out a big budget blockbuster, an indie you heard everyone talking about at the bar the other night, or looking for a chance to quote The Big Lebowski or Clueless with a couple dozen strangers, you've now got the option to do so in various levels of dining, comfort, and luxury.

In addition to these theaters we've highlighted below, it can't be overlooked that this list is continuing to expand: this year, were expected to add a new eat-in Regal Cinemas in the East Village, a Downtown Manhattan Alamo Drafthouse, and a Staten Island Alamo Drafthouse (complete with a Wu-Tang Clan-themed bar called, yes, THE FLYING GUILLOTINE) all to the mix.



Nitehawk Williamsburg (Evan Romano/Gothamist)

Nitehawk Williamsburg As far as movie theaters go, the OG Nitehawk located near the top of Williamsburgs Metropolitan Avenueis about as enjoyable as it gets. Tickets are not as expensive as the other dine-in theaters (only $13 for a GA seat), and the in-seat menu has an assortment of snacks, drinks, entrees and more. The unassigned seating means youll have to arrive early to lock your spot in, but the pre-show programming is always entertaining, with short clips fine-tuned to fit the film youre about to see. Downstairs bar Lo-Res makes for a great landing spot to discuss any and all things post-movie, whether its Marvel/Star Wars spoilers, or the latest buzzy A24 release. One thing unique to Nitehawk: the morning brunch series of movie selections where you can enjoy a hand-picked movie on Saturday and Sunday before noon, along with breakfast and a tasty mimosa.

Located at 136 Metropolitan Ave, Williamsburg (718-782-8370, Nitehawk Williamsburg)



Nitehawk Prospect Park (Scott Lynch / Gothamist)

Nitehawk Prospect Park Similar to its sibling location in Williamsburg, this new-to-the-game spot is much roomier, having taken over the space formerly occupied by The Pavilion, Park Slopes longtime neighborhood theater. The programming is the same as most others on this listnew releases, buzzy indies, and specially curated screenings are all in play. With seven total screens and a lot more space to play with, Nitehawk Prospect Park is almost like a souped-up version of the original.

Located at 188 Prospect Park West, Park Slope (718-782-8370, Nitehawk Prospect Park)



Syndicated BK (Evan Romano/Gothamist)

Syndicated BK While youre probably heading to Bushwicks premiere movie house if youre in the mood for, you know, a movieand their programming is frequently fantastic, ranging between old favorites, theme weeks, and new-to-new-ish releases (it's a good place to catch up on Oscars nominees/winners a month later)Syndicated is the only spot on this list that could feasibly serve as a destination for a movie-free evening of fun. Their massive main bar area has two giant projector screens, surround sound, and high ceilings. Those screens either show old movies or attract a big crowd for events like the Golden Globes or even the finale of The Bachelor. The drinks and specials are fantastic, and the food is probably tops of anywhere on this listkeep your eye on the Hot Mess Chicken Sandwich, which balances fried chicken in a sweet and spicy package that will have you salivating for at least a day after youve wolfed it down.

Located at 40 Bogart St, Bushwick (718-386-3399, SyndicatedBK)



Alamo Drafthouse (Evan Romano/Gothamist)

Alamo Drafthouse Downtown BK The Alamo Drafthouse at City Point in Downtown Brooklyn is the holy grail of NYC eat-in theaters. Housing everything from new release blockbusters and quirky and/or provocative indies (I just saw A24s new Gaspar Noe film Climax here, and MY GOODNESS) to special curated showings, this is your best bet to find the movie youre looking for in a cool, fun, movie buff-friendly environment. Its important to arrive well before your movie showtime; thats the best way to take advantage of the House of Wax cocktail bar, featuring endless beers on draft along with signature cocktails (with creepy horror movie faces, arms, legs, etc. all around you in a dimly lit space).

As soon as you find your seat and notice the movie-specific pre-show programming playing on screen, youll have a chance to take a look at the in-seat menu that is as wide-ranging as youll see at any theater of the sort: they have drinks of both the alcoholic and non-alcoholic variety, main dishes, snacks, salads, dessert. When I went, the front of the menu was advertising a special menu for the release of Harmony Korines new film The Beach Bum, which featured Lobster Fondue and a can of PBR, which is about as on point as you can get.

445 Albee Square W #4, Downtown Brooklyn (718-513-2547, Alamo Drafthouse Downtown BK)



iPic Theatre (Evan Romano/Gothamist)

iPic Theatre If youre feeling fancy and I do mean fancythe iPic theater in the Fulton Market is the spot for you. This luxurious film haven is home to not only the Drafthouse/Nitehawk/Syndicated style of food service in your seat (though only at certain seats, more on that in a bit), but is also home to a full-service bar and restaurant upstairs, and extreme in-theater luxury. The seats here come in a tiered structure, with the front row of each theater modeled after a loveseat couch, and other seats coming with a brand new blanket and bottomless popcorn (some seats feature waiter/waitress service, while others require ordering from a bar/counter and bringing it to the seat yourself). The prices vary between mid-week to weekend, and again, be prepared to spendtickets range from $16 - $30 during the week, and $20 - $34 during the weekends but if youre looking for the full Tony Stark-worthy experience for Avengers: Endgame, this might be as close as you can get.

11 Fulton St, South Street Seaport (212-776-8272, iPic Theatre)



Metrograph (Scott Heins / Gothamist)

Metrograph If iPic is aiming for the new, sleek, high-tech experience, Metrograph is going for the exact opposite: everything inside feels like youve stepped into a time machine, back to the era of the big studios and Hollywoods golden age (I thought of the Coen Brothers movie Hail, Caesar!). The old school snack bar and coffee shop in the front lobby, to the finished wooden seats inside the main theater, Metrograph sure feels like a portal to a different era. The theaters programming, additionally, is to die for. Between new movies you wont be able to catch anywhere else, and repertory screenings of true and modern classics, this is a spot youll want to familiarize yourself with.

Unlike the other dine-in cinemas in this guide, Metrograph does not offer food service in the theaters, but the Metrograph Commissary, the luxury dining room and upstairs restaurant/coffee shop/hangout area, is a fantastic choice for a pre- or post- film stop. It is modeled after the hot spots where a moviegoer used to be as likely to brush elbows with the director of the film they just watched as their next door neighbor.

7 Ludlow St, Lower East Side (212-660-0312, Metrograph)



Angelika Film Center (Evan Romano/Gothamist)

Angelika Film Center & Cafe While not a traditional eat-in theater like most of the others on this list, Angelika makes the cut due to an expansive in-house cafe that also serves as a coffee shop with WiFi during the daytime. Angelika is home to pretty much every independent, limited release that you could want to be the first to see, across five screens (when Barry Jenkins Moonlight debuted in a super-limited release back in 2016, this was where I was among the first to check it out). In addition to the stellar on-screen programming, Angelika also frequently hosts film-accompanying Q+As with actors, directors and more.

18 W Houston St, SoHo (212-995-2570, Angelika Film Center)



AMC Dine-In Staten Island 11 (AMC Theaters)

AMC Dine-In Staten Island 11 For those looking outside of Brooklyn/Manhattan, the newest addition to the eat-in field is AMCs Dine-In located on Staten Island, which opened its doors in February. This location sports power recliner seats, and the Delivery-to-Seat model, where guests order food at a counter and have it brought straight to their theater seat (typically before the movie even begins), which promises for minimal viewing distractions. As the theater is essentially brand new, the alcoholic beverage service isnt quite ready yet, but having seen the full bar on display at the Riverside Mall (Hackensack, NJ) location, once its ready, the bar will be locked and loaded.

2655 Richmond Ave, Staten Island, NY (718-285-7529, AMC Dine-In SI)

Evan Romano is a Brooklyn-based writer and editor who primarily covers culture. He is always open to talking about The Big Lebowski, and his work has been featured in The New York Times, VICE, MTV News, and Esquire.
At 68, Aisha is a native New Yorker figuring out her exit strategy. In 2014, she moved to a rent-stabilized apartment in Brooklyn's Sheepshead Bay neighborhood. She pays $1,485 a month for a one-bedroom on a librarians salary. But Aisha, who asked that we withhold her last name to avoid problems with her landlord, figures its only a matter of time before her rent goes up beyond what she can afford. Its just not economically feasible, she said, about staying in the city long-term. I can live here but I cant travel or do anything more than pay rent and just survive. Even her financial adviser agreed, telling her, "Pray that you dont get sick."

So when she recently received a letter in the mail from a company called Metro Tenant Advisors inviting her to an important tenant association meeting on Monday to discuss buyout strategies, she decided to go. I didnt know anything about buyouts, she said. The letter seemed prescient. In two years, she figured she would be ready. I thought they were connected with the building," she added.

In a city where tenant buyouts have become standard operating procedure for many landlords of rent-regulated buildings, Metro Tenant Advisors is seeking what would seem to be a natural role in that transaction  that of a middleman.

Over the years, buyouts have developed their own lore, with some resulting in multimillion-dollar hauls for tenants. In one instance, real estate developer Tishman Speyer paid $25 million in 2015 to two tenants to vacate a small apartment building on a Hudson Yards site where they were seeking to build an office tower.

Benjamin Landy, who started Lease Buyout Advisors in 2018, has laid claim to being the first company in New York City to represent tenants in buyouts. In the past, buyouts have typically been handled by either the tenants themselves or attorneys. According to Landy, the latter are not suited for real estate negotiations. "They dont understand the economics of a buyout," he said. "Its a different skillset. I would never represent someone on a legal case. My expertise is getting tenants as much money as possible."

Although there is no way to track the number of buyouts, Landy said business is booming. He currently has over 150 clients across the city, he said. He closes one buyout every week, for amounts ranging from $7,000 to "hundreds of thousands."

Metro Tenant Advisors, which launched in January with five employees, is the new player in the industry. The company's founder Robert Sedaghatpour has cited the ramp up in tenant protections and anti-harassment regulation as having a dampening effect on buyouts. For brokers like himself, the world of buyout negotiations is "much easier to navigate than a landlord approaching a building, building-wide, and unnecessarily disturbing some tenants," he told amNewYork last month.

Both companies say they do not charge any upfront fees, but they charge a commission for closed buyouts, 18 percent for Lease Buyout Advisors, and 15 percent for Metro Tenant Advisors. That's more than double the standard 6 percent commission a real estate broker gets for selling an apartment, although considerably less than what some high-profile attorneys charge. In the Tishman Speyer case, the well-known tenant lawyer who brokered the buyout took home one-third of the payment.

The meeting by Metro Tenant Advisors on Monday was held in Flatbush, inside the small brightly-lit conference room of a co-working space. The event, which was the company's fourth to date, drew about 10 participants, almost all of whom were black, except for one elderly white man. Sedaghatpour was low-key but friendly in his approach. He told them that buyouts were not for everyone. He also dispelled certain myths about what matters in buyouts. The size of your apartment? Yes. How long youve lived there? No.

After identifying myself as a reporter, Sedaghatpour declined to answer any questions, although an employee said the company employs licensed real estate brokers. The company did not immediately respond to an emailed list of questions.

Afterwards, Aisha said she came away feeling empowered, and said she was surprised to learn from Sedaghatpour that as a tenant she had rights. "They're advocates," she said about the company before correcting herself. "I mean, advisors." During the presentation, she made sure to take copious notes. She even asked Sedaghatpour if he could send her a copy of his Powerpoint slides. He said no. But as helpful as she found him, she said she doubted she would ask him to negotiate a buyout on her behalf. Fifteen percent? That seemed too much.

Like other people, shes heard stories about buyouts. One person who she knew lived in a rent-controlled unit received $100,000 and used the money to purchase a condo in the same neighborhood. In her case, it was a win win, she said.

Aisha does not know if her landlord is interested in buying her out, although her building was recently purchased by a new owner who has been renovating vacated units. It was a good sign, she figured. She found out about the new ownership after she was instructed to pay her rent online, a process she objected to and which involved several phone calls to the management office. "I don't do online payments," she explained. What would she do if her landlord offered her a buyout tomorrow? "I would ask if they can honor my two year lease and negotiate with me in 2022," she said.

"It certainly would be retirement money to..." Her voice trailed, before she firmly added, "It certainly would help me get out of New York."


New York home health aides who have been fighting to get paid for every hour they spend on the job had their hopes dashed Tuesday when the highest court in the state ruled that its legal for them to get paid for 13 hours of a 24-hour shift while caring for elderly and disabled people in their homes.

The Court of Appeals ruling upheld a controversial minimum wage exemption the state Department of Labor has carved out for round-the-clock home care workers, known as the 13-hour rule. Its predicated on the idea that aides typically get eight hours of sleep (at least five of which is uninterrupted) and three hours for meals during a 24-hour shift. But workers say these breaks arent always possible given their duties.

I am very angry with this decision, Lai Yee Chan, a home care worker involved in a class-action lawsuit against her employer, the Chinese-American Planning Council Home Attendant Program, said in Cantonese through a translator. So are other home care workers who work 24-hour shifts. The court should not listen to the Department of Labor. We need help from the state legislature to make the 24-hour workday illegal."

Tuesdays Court of Appeals ruling reversed lower-court decisions in two class-action lawsuits from 2017 that said the 13-hour rule was illegal. Those rulings could have set a legal precedent that entitled thousands of workers to back-pay and set the stage for them to receive a full 24 hours of pay moving forward, or for 24-hour shifts to be abolished altogether.

State Assemblyman Harvey Epstein told Gothamist that he and other legislators who have been following the issue have been waiting to see whether the matter would be resolved in court. Epstein now says he plans to work with advocates to develop legislation that will address the issue, either by banning the 24-hour work day or requiring home care workers to be paid for every hour on the job.

I think well need to look towards other remedies to help these low-income New Yorkers who are mostly women of color who have now been relegated to a position where they are forced to work and not get paid, Epstein said.

Having settled the question of whether the 13-hour rule is valid, the Court of Appeals decision still leaves the door open to class-action lawsuits alleging violations of the policy, which workers say are widespread. It may have therefore done little to dissolve the liability for unpaid wages that some have warned could have devastating effects on the industry that elderly and disabled New Yorkers rely on to remain in their homes.

While the Court of Appeals decision brings clarity on how state policy is interpreted, the risks nevertheless remain, just as they do under any regulation, especially one as complex as this, said Roger Noyes, a spokesman for the Home Care Association of New York State.

Round-the-clock home care workers who testified at a Department of Labor hearing in July said that they routinely have to work through designated sleep and meal breaks and that coordinators at their agencies are not responsive when they report that they dont get the requisite sleep and meal time under the law.

The two cases that were under consideration by the Court of AppealsAndryeyeva v. New York Health Care and Moreno v. Future Care Health Servicesare being remanded back to a lower court to determine whether workers still have valid claims and are justified in suing as a class. Michael Sweeney, an attorney representing the workers in Moreno, said he is confident his clients will still be able to pursue damages, in part because the home care agency didnt keep adequate records of whether workers were getting their required sleep and meal breaks.

If they want to take 11 hours out of someones paycheck, theyre required to keep records, said Sweeney. Each of these workers has to use a remote clock-in, clock-out system. [The home care agency] could have easily said, Call and punch out when you go on a sleep break and call when you go back to work, but they didnt.

The state Medicaid program, which insures low-income and disabled New Yorkers, pays for the bulk of 24-hour home care. Eliminating the 13-hour rule would significantly increase costs at a time when Governor Andrew Cuomo is already alarming health care providers by floating measures to keep Medicaid spending down. Increasing the cost of home care could lead to tough decisions about who qualifies for the highest levels of assistance.

Susan Dooha, executive director of the New York chapter of the Center for Independence of the Disabled, acknowledges all of that, but said she still sees a need for reform.

We believe in just treatment for home care workers, who are our partners in maintaining our independence, Dooha said, referring to disabled people seeking to avoid being placed in a nursing home. She said the state should shape the budget based on peoples needs, acknowledging that the population is aging and people with disabilities are living longer, rather than trying to keep spending under the cap Cuomo instituted to keep ballooning Medicaid costs in check.

Dooha said the best thing would be to break 24-hour shifts up into two shifts of 12 hours each.

There are certain people with disabilities who have told me that having someone available for 24 hours straight is more beneficial to them, Dooha said. But, by and large, a worker is able to do their job better if they have sleep and are able to be more engaged and are not exhausted all the time. Therefore, its also a safer situation with better communication for people with disabilities.

JoAnn Lum, an organizer with the labor group the National Mobilization Against Sweat Shops, says the Court of Appeals decision was disheartening but the fight is far from over. Its a blow to workers rights and to patient care, she said, but we will continue to organize even more broadly than ever.


A man accused of shoving a B train rider for a subway seat is now wanted for assault, police say.

The incident took place on Tuesday, March 26th, during the evening commute, at the 7th Avenue-53rd Street subway station. According to the NYPD, a 27-year-old woman was on a southbound B train "when an unidentified male pushed the victim with his shoulder to obtain a seat."

The man left the train at an unknown station. The victim reportedly experienced back pain but refused medical attention at the scene.

Police released an image of the suspect, describing him as 40-50 years old and last wearing a black coat.

Anyone with information in regard to the identity of this male is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM, on Twitter @NYPDTips or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.
Broward County(MIAMI) -- A Florida defense attorney was taken to the hospital on Wednesday after an inmate punched her in the head during a bond hearing, knocking her to the courtroom floor.



Assistant public defender Julie Chase was looking down at a piece of paper when 27-year-old William Green jumped out of his seat at the Broward County Courthouse and sucker punched her, courtroom video showed.



The attack caught the crowd of defendants, and the judge, by surprise.



"What happened?" Judge Jackie Powell asked as court bailiffs rushed to tackle Green.



Chase was taken to Broward Health Medical Center for evaluation. She told reporters that she was doing better after the visit.



The punch was a bit of a shock, she told Miami ABC affiliate WPLG-TV while leaving the hospital.



"I didn't expect it, but I'm doing OK," she added.



Green, who was accused of attacking a worker at a mental health facility, is now facing additional battery charges. Broward County public defender Howard Finkelstein said the suspect appeared to be suffering from a mental illness.



"In 40 years this is the first time one of my attorneys has been attacked," Finkelstein said in a statement. "This has a chilling effect on my team because we are committed to our work. This is not part of the job description."



The Broward County Sheriff's Office said it would tighten inmate security during court hearings going forward.



"BSO has received numerous requests from the public defender's office asking for a more lax approach to our security procedures during magistrate hearings," Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony said in a statement Wednesday. "Although I understand their concern that having deputies standing close to the inmates or having them wear handcuffs or shackles could imply guilt, they must in turn understand that their requests made it possible for this unusual situation to occur."



He said all inmates will be restrained during magistrate hearings from now on.



"As the senior ranking law enforcement official for Broward County, I am obligated to ensure all policies related to the protection and safety of our court officials are enforced," Tony said. "Effective immediately, all inmates will be handcuffed during these proceedings as to reduce the ability of an inmate to cause similar harm or greater."

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In the seminal 30 Rock episode "Sandwich Day," Liz Lemon's ex-boyfriend, Floyd, shows up in New York, and they have a wonderful albeit bittersweet time. When he sets out again for his home of Cleveland, Ohio, he encounters startling news at the airport: The airline is canceled. Not the flight, rather the airline, which leaves passengers unsure of what to do or where to go.

On Thursday, that exact thing happened with the Icelandic budget airline WOW Air: The airline abruptly went out of business, leaving 2700 passengers without flights, and about 1000 employees without jobs. A statement on their website simply says that they've "ceased operation" and that all flights are cancelled. The airline advises those looking to not be stranded are advised to check flights with other airlines, some of which offer lower-cost options dubbed "rescue fares."

Earlier today, before the closure was announced, Wow Air had suspended flights. They claimed that they were "in the final stages of finalizing equity raise with a group of investors," and would be announcing more information soon. Then, they shut down the airline entirely. "We have run out of time and have unfortunately not been able to secure funding for the company, Chairman Skuli Mogensen wrote in a letter to employees, Bloomberg reports. I will never be able to forgive myself for not taking action sooner.

As people on Twitter noted, the airline was still selling tickets to certain destinations as of this morning. Travelers were baffled and angry about the shocking news, with many of them unable to get home or to their next destination.

@wowairsupport Disappointed to hear that my flight has been cancelled. I've been trying to contact your customer service but nothing what should I do? #wowair  Itzelle Medina (@ItzelleMedina) March 28, 2019

It's been a tough few years for budget airlines, and it doesn't help that tourism rates to Iceland, Wow Air's homebase, have dropped in recent years. According to BBC News, Wow is the third airline that's shuttered just this year. It's too bad, given that the airline had an exceptional, unofficial spokesman in Owen Wilson, noted auteur of the word "wow."
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The team, led by Rigoberto Estrada Zuniga an expert on Andean grains collected 192 samples of the disease in 20 provinces of five quinoa-producing regions , which were analyzed in greenhouse tests and at INIA's laboratories.









As a result, they assessed the reaction of 100 accessions of quinoa that are part of the germplasm bank established at INIA's Agricultural Experimental Station  Andenes, located in southern Cusco region, of which four showed higher resistance to mildew.





This genetic material selected through the project will be used in improvement programs in order to generate quinoa varieties resistant to mildew in southern Peru's production fields that contribute to counteracting the incidence of this disease by reducing production losses, in a bid to improve producers' economic incomes.









In his speech at an international meeting in Chile, Zuniga explained in detail the experiments developed within the framework of the project "Study of genetic diversity of Peronospora sparsa causing downy mildew disease on quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa wild) and search of differential accessions."





This project was carried out since 2016, together with Cayetano Heredia and San Antonio Abad universities, and financed with funds from the National Agricultural Innovation Program INIA's executive unit.





The 7th World Congress on Quinoa gathers experts from China, Greece, Malawi, Mexico, United States, Peru, and Bolivia, together with counterparts from Chile, as well as local and foreign agricultural producers.





It is organized by the Agricultural Development Institute (INDAP) and the Office of Agricultural Policies and Studies (Odepa) of Chile's Agricultural Ministry along with QuinoLab a research team from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.





(END) NDP/LIT/RMB/MVB

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Peruvian scientists presented the results of a research that identified types of quinoa with higher resistance to downy mildew, a microscopic fungus that strongly affects such crop, the National Institute of Agricultural Innovation (INIA) has reported.Publicado: 28/3/2019
Presidente @MartinVizcarraC: Apostamos por una Politica de Integridad que priorice la prevencion, la probidad y la honestidad, y que ponga por delante el bien comun antes que el individual. Esta politica es una de las principales prioridades de la labor del Estado. pic.twitter.com/aMZ4jXckgZ
YEREVAN, MARCH 28, ARMENPRESS. The ministry of emergency situations informs that on March 28, as of 09:00, some roads are closed and difficult to pass in Armenia, reports Armenpress.

Vardenyats Pass is difficult to pass for passenger vehicles.

Sotk-Karvachar highway is difficult to pass.

Drivers are urged to use snow tires.

According to the information provided by the Georgian authorities, the Stepantsminda-Lars highway is open for all types of vehicles.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
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YEREVAN, MARCH 28, ARMENPRESS. British lawmakers rebuffed all eight alternative proposals on a deal with the European Union on Brexit conditions during the vote in the House of Commons on Wednesday evening, reports TASS.

The MPs voted against holding a referendum to endorse the results of Brexit talks, canceling Brexit, a no-deal Brexit, the United Kingdoms accession in the European Free Trade Association and preserving membership in the European Economic Area, the countrys participation in the EU Customs Union as well as signing preferential trade agreements with the EU on the impossibility of striking the deal.

Besides, they rejected an alternative plan proposed by the Labour Party on keeping the countrys membership in the EU Customs Union and thoroughly coordinating British trade rules with the rules of the single European market.

The vote on various options of Brexit was aimed at establishing control over the entire Brexit process, taking it away from the government. The goal of the vote was to understand which of the options is likely to be backed by most lawmakers and to break the current deadlock.

The UKs withdrawal from the EU will be postponed either until May 22 if the British parliament endorses by the end of March a Brexit deal with Brussels, or until April 12 in case the deal is not backed.

On March 27, UK Prime Minister Theresa May promised eurosceptics from the Conservative Party to step down shortly after Brexit if they supported a deal with the EU.
YEREVAN, MARCH 28, ARMENPRESS. The session of parliament kicked off with lawmakers set to resume asking questions to PM Nikol Pashinyan during the Prime Minister's Questions.

The agenda of the session includes the Cabinets presentation of its action plans performance.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, MARCH 28, ARMENPRESS. Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido has said that the Liberation action, that he argues will bring down Nicolas Maduros government, will begin on April 6.

On April 6, the first tactical events of the Liberation action will begin across the country, he said on Twitter.

On this day, we must be ready, prepared and organized.

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido called on his supporters on March 24 to get prepared for a liberation action that will lead to the establishment of a new government.

The time has come to prepare for carrying out the Liberation action and exert maximal pressure on the government to end the dictatorship, he said on Instagram.

Everyone, absolutely everyone have a role at this stage of our struggle.

He said that Liberation Support Committees are being set up all across the country. These committees will carry out advocacy campaigns, he said.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, MARCH 4, ARMENPRESS. The traffic department of the Georgian ministry of infrastructures told Armenias ministry of transport, communication and information technologies that on March 28, as of 10:00, the Stepanstminda-Lars highway is open for all types of vehicles, the ministry told Armenpress.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, MARCH 28, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian government has paid $300,000 to a prestigious international company to carry out audit at the Amulsar mine, PM Nikol Pashinyan said in parliament in response to a question from Prosperous Armenia Party lawmaker Artur Grigoryan.

The audit will give the answer to one question  whether the environmental risks that might emerge in the event of the Amulsar mines operation are manageable or not, are they acceptable or not. I am saying this very simply. If the conclusion will be negative, meaning they will say that it contains environmental risks for Jermuks water system and Lake Sevan, then this project will be shut down completely. If they will say that these risks arent big, meaning they are manageable, then the project will work, the PM said.

However, the prime minister admitted that the issue has been protracted a bit. He said the delay was caused by the mines operator Lydians unwillingness to cooperate with the government.

I cannot and I dont want to make an approximate decision by eyeballing it. Whatever the conclusion will say the government will realize it.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, MARCH 28, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan hopes the Teghut mine will start involving labor within the upcoming 1-1,5 years and people will begin to work.

The PM was speaking in parliament today when asked to comment on the developments around the Teghut Copper and Molybdenum Mine in Armenias Lori Province.

Pashinyan said now real progress is being made in the issue.

Yesterday I was told that already administrative issues are being solved, and preparation-type of issues will be solved, and then they will enter the next phase, Pashinyan said.

He also hoped for better legislative systems to rule out corruption risks and for the risk assessment to be reliable.

In 2017, Teghut produced and exported 120 million dollars worth of product, and its halt impacted industrial growth in 2018.

The mine in Armenia's northern province of Lori ceased operations due to financial troubles.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, MARCH 28, ARMENPRESS. Russian President Vladimir Putins visit to Kyrgyzstan is a historic event for the bilateral relations, President of Kyrgyzstan Sooronbay Jeenbekov said on March 28 following the meeting with his Russian counterpart, reports RIA Novosti.

This is a historic event in our relations, the Kyrgyz President said, adding that his talks with Putin were quite comprehensive.

The talks were held in an atmosphere of mutual trust and understanding, we have signed numerous mutually beneficial agreements and expressed interest in the future cooperation, he said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Kyrgyzstan on a state visit on March 28.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, MARCH 28, ARMENPRESS. President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will arrive in Russia on an official visit on April 3, his Office said, RIA Novosti reported.

This will be Tokayevs first foreign trip since assuming office.

The Kazakh President and Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold talks in Moscow during which they will touch upon the bilateral cooperation issues in political, commercial and cultural-humanitarian spheres.

Based on the visit results the two sides are expected to sign bilateral documents.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, MARCH 28, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has addressed opinions claiming that Armenia has failed in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).

The PM was speaking today in parliament, and emphasized that Armenia has actually succeeded in the organization.

Today, our voice is heard in the CSTO, we are saying what we have to say and allow me to say that respect towards us has grown, Pashinyan said.

He said that whether Armenia has served a month longer or shorter in a temporary position in the CSTO is not an assessment standard for him. Pashinyan was referring to the sacking of Armenian general Yuri Khachaturov from the CSTO Secretary General position. Khachaturov is currently under investigation.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, MARCH 28, ARMENPRESS. Armenia has sent a humanitarian mission to Syria proceeding from its sovereignty and historic mission, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in parliament today during concluding remarks of the governmental action plans performance report.

If our medic has saved the life of a person there whose grandfather has in 1915 helped one of our compatriots who survived the Armenian Genocide, given them a piece of bread or a glass of water, I find that we are repaying our historic debt to the Syrian people. If in a de-mining zone, where children are running and playing, our experts are clearing 100 square meters of area for the grandchildren of those people who at a time had given refuge to our compatriots who survived the Armenian Genocide, I think this is a historic mission that we are carrying out in Syria. Does this mission have risks? Of course it does. But does this really increase Armenias sovereignty and international subject matter? Yes, it does, Pashinyan emphasized.

He said the humanitarian mission in Syria is a morally, humanly and politically correct mission.

Armenia dispatched humanitarian de-miners and medics on February 8 to Aleppo, Syria.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, MARCH 28, ARMENPRESS. Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction Judge Harutyun Manukyan will be the presiding judge at the trial of Lt. General Levon Yeranosyan, the former commander of the national police troops charged with abuse of power, Datalex online judicial information platform reported.

Yeranosyan is suspected in personally and unlawfully deploying anti-riot stun grenades during the mass protests in April 2018.

Yeranosyan was summoned and questioned by authorities and was banned from leaving the country.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, 28 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 28 March, USD exchange rate stood at 486.31 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 1.22 drams to 547.34 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.01 drams to 7.50 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 3.50 drams to 638.77 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 103.19 drams to 20477.46 drams. Silver price down by 0.63 drams to 240.78 drams. Platinum price up by 46.90 drams to 13461.93 drams.
YEREVAN, MARCH 28, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan sent a condolence message to President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on the occasion of the crash of the military Mi-8 helicopter and the lives it claimed. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister of Armenia, the message runs as follows,

It was with deep grief that I learned about the crash of the military Mi-8 helicopter in Zhalagash district in the Kyzylorda Region of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the human lives it claimed.

I offer my sincere sympathy and solidarity to you, the families of the victims and relatives, wishing them patience and spiritual strength.
YEREVAN, MARCH 28, ARMENPRESS. The situation with Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement will be analyzed during the March 28 meeting of Minsk Group Co-chairs, Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers, ARMENPRESS reports official representative of the Russian foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova said during a media briefing, referring to the situation on Artsakh-Azerbaijan contact line.

All the questions will be discussed today in the sidelines of the meeting between the Co-chairs and the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan. Here the question is not so much about the wishes, but the analysis of the whole situation that will be done during that meeting. We will inform on the results later, Zakharova said.

Armenian foreign minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan has met with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk in Vienna.

On March 29 the meeting of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will take place in Vienna under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs - Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Stephane Visconti of France, and Andrew Schofer of the United States of America. The discussions will focus on the settlement process of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

PM Pashinyan will depart for Austria today in the evening. He is scheduled to meet with Austrias Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and President Alexander Van der Bellen.

Pashinyan will also meet with the Armenian community representatives at the Hayastan Center of the Armenian Embassy in Austria.
The experience led the pair to adopt their two kids, Connor and Isabella, seen here in 1996. Source: Getty Images

Tom Cruise has reportedly banned his ex-wife Nicole Kidman from the wedding of their son Connor, who they adopted in the mid-1990s, during their marriage.

Connor Cruise, 24, plans to marry his Italian girlfriend Silvia, who has reportedly been named the Scientologist Princess.

Tom is behind this and what he wants is as good as law, a source told Radar Online.Tom made the call and Connor followed.

First, Tom would never even consider inviting Nicole to Connors wedding because shes considered a suppressive person by the church  and, second, he doesnt want her there.

Nicole left the Church of Scientology in 2001, when she divorced Tom. Photo: Getty Images

Kidman and Cruise were married from December 1990 to August 2001. Photo: Getty Images

According to the source, Connor worships the ground his father walks on, and didnt want to disobey him.

Kidman and Cruise were reportedly both absent from her daughter Isabellas wedding to Max Parker in 2015.

When Kidman split from Cruise in 2001, she also left behind the Church of Scientology, of which Cruise is an outspoken advocate.

Kidman and Cruise were married from December 1990 to August 2001.

The Aussie actress went on to marry country signer Keith Urban in 2006, and they have two daughters, Sunnie, 10 and Faith, 8.

Cruise also has a daughter Suri, 12, from his marriage to Katie Holmes. The couple married in 2006.

Kidman has denied rumours of a rift with her adopted children as she hasnt been seen with them, she caused a stir when she picked up an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in Limited Series or Movie in 2017.

According to the source, Connor worships the ground his father walks on, and didnt want to disobey him. Photo: Getty Images

The Australian actress, 51, gave an impassioned speech about her two daughters Sunday, 10, and Faith, eight, with husband Keith Urban, but failed to mention Isabella and Connor.

They have made choices to be Scientologists and as a mother, its my job to love them,she later told Who.

And I am an example of that tolerance and thats what I believe  that no matter what your child does, the child has love and the child has to know there is available love and Im open here.

Got a story tip? Send it to lifestyle.tips@verizonmedia.com

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Or sign up to our daily newsletter here.


A mother has tragically died after falling out of her hospital bed while breastfeeding her four-day-old son who was also killed.

Marie Downey was in the Cork University Maternity Hospital (CMUH) in Ireland when it is believed she suffered a seizure and fell out of bed on Monday.

She was later found on top of her newborn, Darragh, who died on Tuesday evening, the Irish Times reported.

It is believed the 36-year-old mother of three suffered from epilepsy and the hospital is launching an investigation to confirm whether she fell out of her bed due to having a seizure.

Irish mother Marie Downey died after falling out of bed while breastfeeding her baby on Monday. Source: Facebook/Mahon Community Centre

A family friend told the Irish Mirror the deaths were unbelievable.

She was a gorgeous girl. She had a heart of gold, she was very caring, the friend said.

Ms Downeys parents were trying to come to terms with the tragedy and the friend said they were fantastic people.

Both the mother and child will undergo post-mortems at Cork University Hospital.

The South/South West Hospital Group told the BBC in a statement the mother died on Monday before the baby on Tuesday.

Cork University Hospital is launching an investigation into the deaths. Source: Google Maps, file

As with all unexplained deaths, a full medical investigation was immediately initiated, the statement said.

CUMH wishes to express its deepest sympathy with the family of the mother and her baby. The priority now for the hospital is the wellbeing of their family.

Yahoo7 News has contacted the South/South West Hospital Group for comment.

Do you have a story tip? Email: y7newsroom@yahoo7.com.au.

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Two "assailants" and a policeman were killed and two people injured in violence in Comoros Thursday, a minister said, after a defeated presidential candidate bidding to unseat the president was arrested. The Indian Ocean nation is in the grip of a political crisis following President Azali Assoumani's victory in Sunday polls that his opponents say was rigged and led rivals to unite against him. One of those hurt Thursday was a policeman who suffered minor injuries while another "assailant" was badly hurt following an exchange of gunfire near a barracks in the capital Moroni, Interior Minister Mohamed "Kiki" Daoudou told journalists. "The situation is under control, an investigation is underway," he said, urging people not to assume the bloodshed was linked to the opposition leader's arrest. Soilihi Mohamed is a widely respected former colonel who was named head of an opposition transitional authority hoping to unseat Azali. A group who attempted to help former major Faissoil Abdou Salam, jailed for plotting against Azali, to escape from Moroni prison were responsible for the exchanges of fire, a source said ahead of Daoudou's briefing. Civilians deserted the streets of Moroni, police fired teargas and taxis stopped working, an AFP correspondent saw, during two hours of gunfire around the Kandani base. "The March 24 vote was a deceit, a shameful charade... We will organise resistance," Mohamed, the leader of the opposition "transitional administration", said Thursday, calling for "civil disobedience" if the poll result was not overturned by April 3. He remains in police custody, according to a military source. - 'Peaceful transition'? - His transitional body is backed by all 12 of the defeated presidential candidates and has pledged to manage a "peaceful transition" and "resolve the post-election crisis". A Western source in Moroni said there was "major confusion" during the unrest. "A dozen or so heavily armed men tried to seize a barracks following the arrest of the colonel (Soilihi Mohamed)," they said. Comoros has had a volatile political history since independence in 1975 and has endured more than 20 attempted coups, four of which were successful. Protesters took to the streets of Moroni's northern TP district, and the presidential palace at Itsandra was locked down following the disturbances. Earlier, police broke up a women's protest march and arrested 12 demonstrators. The opposition has flatly rejected Azali's victory as the angry mood threatened to erupt into violence on the archipelago nation. Iain Walker, a researcher at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, said a power shift to the opposition council "would probably require support from the army -- which seems to be pro-Azali for the moment". Opposition council leader Mohamed had previously said that Azali's rivals would "use all peaceful means to oust the government". Azali initially came to power in a coup, then ruled the country between 1999 and 2006, and was re-elected in 2016. He left his 12 poll rivals trailing on Sunday. Both observers and community groups have questioned the credibility of the election, which saw Azali declared the winner with almost 61 percent of the vote. The result, from a turnout of just under 54 percent, meant he does not need to contest a second round. - 'It's not the street which rules' - Polling stations were ransacked, ballot boxes stuffed by police and observers prevented from overseeing the integrity of the vote, according to several witnesses. Interior Minister Daoudou has dismissed criticism of the polls' conduct and declared: "It's not the street which rules the country." For months the opposition has accused Azali of behaving like a dictator. Azali staged the poll after Comorans voted in a referendum, boycotted by the opposition, to support the extension of presidential mandates from one five-year term to two. He could theoretically rule until 2029, critics say. Several opposition figures were arrested around the time of the referendum. The change upset a fragile balance of power established in 2001 that sought to end separatist crises. Azali initially came to power in a coup, ruled the Comoros between 1999 and 2006, and was re-elected in 2016 Civilians deserted the streets of Moroni as gunfire rocked the Comoran capital Opposition leader and defeated presidential contender Soilihi Mohamed announces an "opposition transitional authority" Map of the Comoros Islands
Italian international defender Daniele Rugani has extended his contract with Juventus until 2023, the Serie A champions announced on Thursday. Rugani -- who joined Juventus in 2013 from Empoli -- has played 14 times for the Turin side this season, in back line alongside Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci. The 24-year-old has already made 81 appearances for the Turin giants, and scored seven goals, including two this season. After spending two seasons on loan back at Empoli between 2013 and 2015 he returned to Juventus and had attracted the interest of Premier League club Chelsea last summer. Rugani looks set to claim a fourth Serie A title with Juventus as Massimiliano Allegri's side hold a 15-point lead over Napoli. But the seven-times capped Italian is also hoping to win a first Champions League title with Juventus playing Ajax in the quarter-finals next month. "We hope to return to Madrid, in the stadium where we were a few weeks ago, and raise the cup," added the defender of the European final which will be held in Atletico's Wanda Metropolitano Stadium. "The biggest dream is definitely that." Italian defender Daniele Rugani (R) has won three Serie A titles with Juventus.
Kyrgyzstan has charged two people with inciting inter-ethnic hatred after they protested a visit to the Central Asian country by Russian President Vladimir Putin, the couple's lawyer said Thursday. Nurlan Karymshakov and Gulzana Imayeva, who are husband and wife, were arrested and charged while staging a protest outside the Russian embassy in the capital Bishkek on Wednesday, lawyer Zamir Zhosheev said. "They have been charged with inciting inter-ethnic hatred," Zhooshev said. The offence "is a serious crime and can carry a prison sentence up to 10 years," he said, calling the charges "complete nonsense." Police confirmed the arrests but did not immediately confirm the charges. In a statement on Thursday police said the pair had held posters calling Putin a "killer" and called for an end to Russian military activities near a lake in Kyrgyzstan. Police also said that a rifle, ammunition, $17,600 in cash and passports with visas for Mexico had been found at the couple's family home, which they raided following their arrest. "According to the results of state judicial-linguistic expertise, a conclusion was received that (the posters) contain appeals to incite national, racial, religious hatred," police said in a statement. Putin arrived Thursday on a state visit to Kyrgyzstan, an impoverished ex-Soviet ally that looks to Russia for much-needed investment and security. During the visit Russia and Kyrgyzstan agreed to expand the territory allocated to Russia's base and raise Moscow's annual rent payments to Bishkek by nearly $300,000 per year to $4.79 million. Moscow is also set to provide Kyrgyzstan with a grant of $30 million to support the cash-strapped state budget, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said at a Wednesday press-conference in Moscow. The Kyrgyz government has regularly stressed its loyalty to Moscow and Russia has operated a strategically important military base in Kyrgyzstan since 2003. In 2012, Kyrgyzstan agreed to extend Moscow's lease of the Kant base by 15 years while Russia pledged to cancel nearly $500 million of debts. Two years later the country opted not to extend the lease on a base used by the United States for Afghanistan operations. The latest charges come as a Kyrgyz citizen is on trial for inciting inter-ethnic hatred over critical comments about Russia on social media. International rights groups regularly accuse Kyrgyzstan and other countries in the predominantly authoritarian region of Central Asia of using inter-ethnic hatred laws too broadly. Putin arrived Thursday on a state visit to Kyrgyzstan, an impoverished ex-Soviet ally that looks to Russia for much-needed investment and security


Anna Sorokin travelled in celebrity circles and tossed US$100 (A$140) tips  all the more reason to believe she was the German heiress she said she was.

But behind the jet-set lifestyle and pricey threads was a fraudster who bilked friends, banks and hotels for a taste of the high life, prosecutors have said.

Sorokin, 28, lived in luxury New York City hotel rooms she could not afford, promised a friend an all expenses-paid trip to Morocco and then stuck her with the US$62,000 (A$87,500) bill, the Manhattan District Attorneys office has alleged.

The office also alleged she peddled bogus bank statements in a quest for a US$22 million (A$31 million) loan.

Anna Sorokin traveled in celebrity circles and tossed $141 tips  all the more reason to believe she was the German heiress she said she was. Source: AAP

The one-time darling of the Big Apple social scene went on trial on grand larceny and theft of services charges on Wednesday.

It is alleged she swindled various people and businesses out of US$275,000 (A$388,000) in a 10-month odyssey that saw her jetting to the Midwest and Marrakesh before landing in a cell at New York City jail complex Rikers Island.

Her overall scheme has been to claim to be a wealthy German heiress with approximately US$60 million ($85m) in funds being held abroad, prosecutor Catherine McCaw said after Sorokins October 2017 arrest.

Shes born in Russia and has not a cent to her name as far as we can determine.

Anna had to fake it until she could make it

Sorokins attorney said she never intended to commit a crime.

Lawyer Todd Spodek told jurors in an opening statement Sorokin was exploiting a system that was easily seduced by glamour and glitz after she saw how the appearance of wealth opened doors.

Mr Spodek said she was merely buying time, so she could launch a business and repay her debts.

Anna had to fake it until she could make it, he said.

Sorokin, jailed since her arrest, faces deportation to Germany regardless of the outcome of the trial because authorities say she overstayed her visa. Her story, however, may stick around.

Sorokin, 28, lived in luxury New York City hotel rooms she couldnt afford. Source: AAP

Sorkin story to become a Netflix show

Story continues

Shonda Rhimes, the force behind Greys Anatomy and Scandal, is developing a show about Sorokin for Netflix. Lena Dunham, of Girls fame, is working on one for HBO.

Sorokin arrived in the world of champagne wishes and caviar dreams in 2016 with a new name, Anna Delvey, and a wardrobe to match  including Celine sunglasses, Gucci sandals and high-end buys from Net-a-Porter and Elyse Walker.

She made a show of proving she belonged, passing crisp Benjamins ($100 US notes) to Uber drivers and hotel concierges.

But she gave varying accounts for the source of her wealth, according to people who knew her.

At different times, they said, she would claim her father was a diplomat, an oil baron or a solar panel muckity-muck.

In reality, her father told New York magazine he is a former trucker who runs a heating-and-cooling business.

Suspects heiress ruse

At first, people around Sorokin did not see a red flag when she asked them to put cabs and plane fares on their credit cards  she sometimes said she had trouble moving her assets from Europe, they said  and they laughed it off as forgetfulness when they had to hound her to pay them back.

It was a magic trick, Rachel Williams, the friend from the Morocco trip, wrote in Vanity Fair.

Im embarrassed to say that I was one of the props, and the audience, too. Annas was a beautiful dream of New York, like one of those nights that never seems to end. And then the bill arrives.

As she ingratiated herself into the New York party scene, prosecutors said, Sorokin started talking up plans to spend tens of millions of dollars building a private arts club with exhibitions, installations and pop-up shops.

She thought about calling it the Anna Delvey Foundation.

Annas was a beautiful dream of New York, like one of those nights that never seems to end. And then the bill arrives.  Anna Sorokins friend

Sorokin kept up the heiress ruse as she went looking for a US$22m loan for the club in November 2016, prosecutors said.

She claimed the loan would be secured by a letter of credit from UBS in Switzerland and showed statements purporting to substantiate her assets, according to an outline of the charges.

One bank rejected Sorokin because she did not have sufficient cash flow to make loan payments, prosecutors said.

She bailed on another firm when it pressured her for a meeting with a UBS banker who could verify her assets, prosecutors said.

While seeking the loan, prosecutors said, Sorokin convinced one bank to lend her $100,000 to cover due diligence costs. Source: AAP

At the same time, Mr Spodek said, one of the firms executives sent Sorokin provocative texts, telling her she was beautiful inside and out that he was forcing myself not to kiss you and asking to come up to her hotel room.

While seeking the loan, prosecutors said, Sorokin convinced one bank to lend her US$100,000 (A$141,000) to cover due diligence costs.

She ended up keeping $78,000 and frittered away these funds on personal expenses in about one months time, prosecutors said.

A few months later, in May 2017, Sorokin allegedly chartered a plane to and from the Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, but never paid the $35,400 bill.

Broke and facing a big bill at a midtown Manhattan hotel in July 2017, Sorokin pleaded with a police officer that a bailout was on the way, prosecutors said.

I have no money and no credit cards. Im waiting for my aunt from Germany. Shes going to pay, Sorokin said, according to court documents.

Im not trying to run. Why are you making a big deal about this? Give me five minutes, and I can get a friend to pay.
Malaysia's ousted prime minister is scheduled to go on trial next week over a massive financial scandal that helped topple his government, a prosecutor said Thursday. Najib Razak had originally been due to stand trial in February over allegations linked to his involvement in the looting of Malaysian sovereign wealth fund 1MDB. He and his cronies are accused of plundering billions of dollars from the investment vehicle and spending it on everything from high-end real estate to artworks in a fraud that stretched around the world. An 11th-hour appeal by his legal team succeeded in getting the case postponed, a hold-up that sparked fresh criticism of the new government's failure to swiftly bring him to justice. But a judge reportedly ruled that the trial -- related to just a small amount of the total sum allegedly looted -- should now proceed, and a prosecutor confirmed it would start on Wednesday. "Prosecutors are ready and we will call the witnesses on Wednesday to provide the evidence," V. Sithambaram, a criminal lawyer on the prosecution team, told AFP. The 1MDB scandal played a major part in persuading voters to oust Najib's coalition after six decades in power at elections in May last year, and he has been hit with dozens of charges over the controversy. He denies wrongdoing. In next week's trial, Najib faces seven charges and is accused of pocketing 42 million ringgit ($10.3 million) from SRC International, a former unit of 1MDB. It is just one of several trials Najib, who is free on bail, is expected to face over 1MDB. Cynthia Gabriel, head of the non-profit group The Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism, welcomed the news but said that Malaysians had been "kept waiting for too long". "Malaysia's have not forgotten Najib's crimes of theft amounting to billions," she told AFP. jsm/sr/fox Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak is escorted by police after being charged in Kuala Lumpur
Norway's Justice Minister Tor Mikkel Wara resigned on Thursday after his partner was formally suspected of staging attacks against the couple to give the impression they were living under threat. "This has been a difficult affair that I would gladly have done without," Prime Minister Erna Solberg told a joint press conference. "I am honestly saddened that things have come to this. We will miss his contribution to the government." Wara, 53, had taken temporary leave from his position a fortnight ago after it emerged that the Norwegian security service PST was investigating his partner, Laila Anita Bertheussen. She was formally named a suspect on Thursday. "The past few weeks have been hard on me and my family. The decision (to resign) was entirely my own," said Wara, of the right-wing populist Progress Party and who had held the job just under a year. In late 2018, Bertheussen filed a complaint against a theatre troupe for showing pictures of the homes of several politicians -- including theirs -- as part of a play aimed at demonstrating who was profiting from a more segregated and racist Norway. After that a series of attacks began against the couple. Among other things, the couple's home was vandalised in December 2018 when a swastika and the word "racist" were drawn on their house and car, and their car was set ablaze outside their home in mid-March. In an op-ed piece written in daily Verdens Gang, Bertheussen claimed the production was an invasion of her privacy. Solberg had also criticised the theatre troupe. Wara's party colleague Jon Georg Dale will take over as interim justice minister until a permanent replacement is appointed. Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg said she would miss justice minister Tor Mikkel Wara (L) who resigned after his partner allegedly faked attacks on the couple
An environmental lawyer and anti-corruption campaigner is poised to win Slovakia's presidential run-off Saturday, one year after the murder of an investigative journalist plunged the EU member state into crisis. Political novice Zuzana Caputova could command 60 percent of the vote to become the first woman to hold the presidency in the eurozone member of 5.4 million people, according to two recent opinion polls. The outspoken government critic will face off against EU energy commissioner Maros Sefcovic, a 52-year-old career diplomat backed by the governing Smer-SD party. That support appears not to have served him well, as Sefcovic took just 19 percent of the vote in round one of the election earlier this month, while Caputova secured 40 percent. "The ruling populist Smer-SD party is worn out and compromised by manifestations of arrogance of power, corruption, and relations with the oligarchs," Bratislava-based analyst Juraj Marusiak told AFP. "Caputova's popularity is an expression of voter dissatisfaction." The 45-year-old divorced mother of two was among tens of thousands of protesters who took to the streets after investigative journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee were gunned down in February 2018. Kuciak was about to publish a report on alleged ties between Slovak politicians and the Italian mafia and associated irregularities in EU farm subsidy payments. The weekly protests forced the government to resign in March 2018, though then premier Robert Fico was replaced by an ally and fellow Smer-SD member. On Monday, Caputova won the endorsement of Jozef Kuciak, the slain journalist's brother. "I will definitely vote for Ms. Caputova," he wrote on his Facebook page. "I will not vote for someone supported by oligarchs and their people who have deprived me of my brother and sister-in-law." - 'Home stretch' - Junior coalition member Most-Hid, the Hungarian minority party, also called on its supporters to back Caputova. The third member of the ruling coalition, the far-right Slovak National Party, did not offer support either way. Slovakia's president ratifies international treaties, appoints top judges, is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and can veto laws passed by parliament. Though the office is largely ceremonial, Caputova has noted that "next year we'll be facing the election of a new attorney general appointed by the new president". The former member of the centrist non-parliamentary party Progressive Slovakia -- which she left prior to the run-off -- told AFP she would choose carefully. "Thorough investigations of corruption and the prosecution of these criminal activities are the most important steps to be taken," Caputova said. "Our biggest problem is top-level corruption that concerns higher amounts of money." On Sunday, hundreds of people joined Caputova for a hike up Slovakia's Sitno hill. "From the very beginning, I've compared this campaign to climbing a steep mountain. Now we've hit the home stretch," she told supporters. - 'Experienced president' - "We share her ethical values, her idea of fighting corruption," said Emilia Jurcikova, a resident of the northern town of Dolny Kubin. Caputova is no stranger to tough battles. The community activist won a top prize for grassroots environmental activism for her successful campaign to block a landfill in her hometown of Pezinok. Those efforts won over voter Eva Kapustova. "We are an environmental family, this was one of the reasons we voted for her," said the resident of the central town of Banska Stiavnica. Gynaecologist Michal Lunicek, 52, told AFP he would vote for Caputova "because Sefcovic is linked to a party that is absolutely unacceptable for me". Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini has expressed support for Sefcovic, without naming the multilingual European Commission vice-president directly. "I would really wish to see an experienced president, one who is a seasoned politician and capable of plunging headlong into what is an extremely turbulent international life from day one," he said, the local TASR newswire reported. Bratislava teacher Martin Chudoba also believes Sefcovic would "be a good advocate for Slovakia abroad. "He never loses his temper and is a good diplomat," the 56-year-old told AFP. Polling stations open Saturday at 0600 GMT and close at 2100. Last year's murder of investigative journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee Martina Kusnirova provoked a wave of hostility towards the establishment that has helped the outsider Zuzana Caputova's campaign 'Let's stand up against evil, together we can do it': Caputova's campaign has struck a chord with voters The winning candidate in the decisive 2nd-round vote will have the responsibility of appointing the country's top judges Supporters of Maros Sefcovic, a former vice president of the European Commission, point to his experience
Venezuela's auditor general's office announced Thursday it has stripped opposition leader and speaker of congress Juan Guaido of the right to hold public office for 15 years. The move, announced by Auditor General Elvis Amoroso on state television, marked another effort by President Nicolas Maduro's regime to politically sideline Guaido, who is recognized by the US and 50 other countries as Venezuela's interim president. Amoroso said his office decided "to ban this citizen (Juan Guaido) from all elected public office for the maximum duration under the law." Venezuela's single-chamber congress, called the National Assembly, is in opposition hands and stands as the sole institution not under the control of Maduro. The country's supreme court and a parallel legislature set up by Maduro in 2017 regularly adopt decisions scrapping National Assembly motions against the regime. The National Assembly, for its part, often ignores or passes laws annulling decisions by what it regards as an "illegitimate" regime, asserting that Guaido is in charge of the country constitutionally. Although Maduro's government has heeded warnings from the United States to not arrest Guaido or face unspecified repercussions, the opposition leader's chief of staff was taken into custody last week and charged with "terrorism." Maduro has also accused Guaido and the opposition of "terrorist acts" that caused a massive nationwide blackout for three days this week that authorities appeared to have repaired by Thursday. - Maduro bolstered by Russia - The socialist president has been bolstered by the arrival last weekend of 100 Russian troops and Moscow's vow to stand up against what it said was a "coup" being fomented by Washington. However, internationally, Maduro has been weakened by Guaido's rise to lead the previously fractured opposition and his endorsement as interim leader by most Western countries and big Latin American nations. The United States has handed diplomatic missions and seats on some international organizations to Guaido's representatives, booting out Maduro's envoys. In a month, Washington is set to greatly ratchet up its sanctions on Venezuela by banning crude imports from the country, yanking a top revenue-earner for Caracas's already badly depleted coffers. US President Donald Trump on Wednesday told Russia to "get out" of Venezuela. Moscow responded by saying its troops will stay "for as long as necessary." Venezuela's government has stripped opposition leader and speaker of congress Juan Guaido of the right to hold public office for 15 years
U.S. Rep. John Katko joined House Democrats on Thursday to support a resolution opposing President Donald Trump's ban on openly transgender individuals serving in the military.

The House passed the non-binding resolution by a 238-185 vote. Five Republicans, including Katko, supported the measure. Another New York GOP member, U.S. Rep. Tom Reed, also voted for the resolution.

Katko was the lone Republican cosponsor of the resolution.

"I supported the resolution before the House today which prohibits discrimination in the military based on sexual orientation," Katko, R-Camillus, said in a statement. "Any American ready and willing to serve our great nation should be given that opportunity, so long as he or she is able to dispatch all duties."

Katko voted against a GOP-backed amendment in 2017 that would've prevented the Department of Defense from funding gender reassignment surgeries for transgender service members. He was one of 24 GOP members who opposed the measure.

The ban on transgender individuals from serving in the military will take effect in April. There are certain exceptions that would allow transgender personnel to continue serving, including if they were diagnosed with gender dysphoria and already openly transgender, then they make remain in the military "in their preferred gender" and receive medical treatment.

Trump announced in 2017 that he would reverse an Obama administration policy allowing openly transgender individuals to serve in the military. At the time, Trump tweeted that the U.S. "will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. military." He maintained that the decision was due to "tremendous medical costs" and "disruption that transgender in the military would entail."

There were injunctions to block the ban, but the Supreme Court lifted two of the injunctions. A federal judge lifted the remaining injunction  a move that allows the policy to take effect April 12.

Several groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, have filed lawsuits challenging the ban.

It's unlikely the House-passed resolution will be considered by the Republican-controlled Senate. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who spoke in support of the resolution Thursday, called it "cruel."

"No one with the strength and bravery to serve in the U.S. military should be turned away because of who they are," she said.

Online producer Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding.

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MivPiv/iStock(VANCOUVER, Wash.) -- A judge granted a Washington state mother's request to lock up a young woman, who admitted to shoving her daughter off a 60-foot bridge, for "as many days in jail as her daughter" spent in the hospital.



Tay'Lor Smith was expected to walk out of court on Wednesday to begin a promised plea bargain of 60 days of electronic home confinement, 30 days of community work crew and 30 days of community service. Instead, Genelle Holgerson, the mother of Jordan Holgerson, asked the judge "to force" Smith to "spend as many days in jail" as her daughter spent confined to a hospital bed, while recovering from the incident.



In a surprise turn of events, the judge went against the planned plea agreement and sent Smith to jail for 48 hours.



Once she completes her confinement, Smith will have to serve an additional 38 days on a work crew.



The sentencing comes one week after Smith pleaded guilty to a charge of reckless endangerment, which is considered a gross misdemeanor that is punishable by up to a year in jail and a maximum fine of $5,000.



Smith, who was 18 at the time, pushed Jordan Holgerson off a bridge over the Lewis River at Moulton Falls Regional Park near Vancouver, Washington, on Aug. 7, 2018.



Jordan Holgerson, then 16, plunged the equivalent of three stories before belly-flopping into the water below. She suffered "significant injuries" including six broken ribs, a punctured lung and air bubbles in her chest, authorities said.



The incident was captured on a cellphone video that went viral on social media, but has since been removed. Surveillance camera video also shows the moment Smith shoved Jordan Holgerson off the bridge's ledge.



According to the initial complaint filed in Clark County district court last year, Jordan Holgerson told authorities that Smith was the one who pushed her and that it was unwanted. Smith admitted to pushing Jordan Holgerson off the bridge, but told authorities she did so in an attempt to help her friend overcome her fear and not to injure her.



In an exclusive interview with ABC News on Good Morning America, Smith said she didn't consider the repercussions beforehand.



"She wanted to jump and she was scared and she had asked me to give her a push, and I didn't think about the consequences," Smith told GMA co-anchor Michael Strahan. "I thought she would be fine."

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The Cayuga Regional Digester was cited by the state Department of Environmental Conservation on Wednesday and ordered to stop numerous practices discovered in a surprise investigation more than two weeks ago.

The DEC said in a statement that a "thorough investigation including unannounced site inspections of the digester facility and nearby storage lagoon ... revealed that CH4 Generate Cayuga was accepting wastes (fats, oils and greases) they were not authorized to accept and sampling that was inconsistent with their operating plan."

DEC said the notice of violation issued "prohibits the facility from continuing to receive certain waste streams until all necessary reviews and approvals are obtained."

The citation also indicates that CH4 violated its permit by not doing monthly effluent sampling and analysis for a time period in the last calendar year. One of the digester's waste streams the department put on hold was source-separated organics that had been coming to the Sennett facility from New York City.

The DEC's unannounced inspection of the digester site in Sennett, as well as the manure lagoon it utilizes on Maiden Lane Road in Mentz, was prompted by a complaint filed by Mentz resident Jessica Marks, who'd heard from a digester employee that the facility was accepting household trash from New York City.

Former digester employee Amanda Quill left her job of more than two years in February when the facility began accepting what she described as 30-ton loads of household trash and expected employees to sort through it by hand to separate out organic material for the digester. She said the trash began coming to the facility around January. The plant manager at the time, John Roser, didn't think the workers should be picking through the trash, she said. But when he quit in January, even more trash started coming to the digester.

"I didn't want to pick through trash," Quill said of why she quit, "it was impossible to pick out the stuff."

After Marks heard of Quill's experience she filed the complaint with DEC as she believed the digester was accepting municipal waste, which would violate its permit that allows for putting organic wastes into the digester such as dairy, food and agricultural waste.

After submitting information to the department, Marks was told DEC conducted an unannounced inspection at the digester facility March 11.

Marks said one of her main concerns, and reasons for filing the complaint, is that the effluent the digester creates and sends to the manure lagoon may no longer be organic. She questioned the type of product being developed if there is contamination from trash and worries about how it could affect crop land it's spread on, the watershed and residents' wells.

Quill described the waste as general household trash, as it contained items such as diapers, used feminine hygiene products and needles. There wasn't obvious food or organic waste to pick out to put in the digester. Even if the trash were sorted, she didn't think it could ever be sorted enough to be considered safe. Sometimes, she added, trash was dumped into the digester without being sorted.

Quill said that waste would come out in the after product made by the digester, noting that she had seen chunks of plastic enter the storage lagoon where they haul the effluent. Feeling as though she'd be doing the wrong thing if she continued to work for the digester, she quit.

"Hardly any manure goes through there any more," Quill said of the material put into the digester.

The digester is operated by CH4 Generate Cayuga, a large California-based investment firm that focuses on renewable energy projects. CH4 then operates the digester facility through a long-term, lease-to-own agreement with Cayuga County Soil and Water Conservation District.

Former digester plant manager Roser told The Citizen in August that the digester is supposed to take in a combination of manure and both liquid and solid organics materials, such as food processing waste, and processes it in a way that produces gas, which is then pumped through a generator to produce electricity. The power created supplies the digester and soil and water district facilities, the Cayuga County jail and more.

Mentz manure lagoon part of Cayuga County biogas digester's growth plan SENNETT  The manure lagoon project that many Mentz residents have been fighting to stop the

To dispose of the end product, known as effluent, the manure and waste reduces to, the digester facility transports it to a newly built 10-million-gallon manure lagoon in Mentz. The lagoon was built by CH4 on land leased from Hourigan Farms, an Elbridge-based farm. The lagoon was built last summer under Hourigan's existing general CAFO permit, and the farm plans to use the effluent in the lagoon to fertilize the 400 acres of crop land the lagoon is situated on.

Before trash was coming in, manure and "clean stuff"  such as milk waste from Byrne Dairy  was going into the digester, Quill said.

Reached last week, Roser confirmed that he resigned from his job with CH4 but offered no other comment to The Citizen. He'd been with CH4 for more than two years.

In an article posted at an environmental blog, Waterfront, Roser reportedly said he was "'strong-armed' to process truckloads of illicit types of waste," adding that the digester began accepting truckloads of household waste, which is not allowed under its DEC permit. Roser also said that he doubted manure made up half of the waste shipped to the lagoon, which he said is required by Hourigans existing CAFO permit.

In a Wednesday email, current digester Plant Manager John Stapleton said he had no comment about Roser's resignation.

Regarding the inspection, Stapleton said he "received a letter from DEC today regarding the inspection and will be responding in writing in the near future." He added that the digester and lagoon "continue to operate successfully" in creating renewable energy from organic and food waste.

Stapleton said the facility does not accept household trash, but did say source-separated organics "are brought in from various locations throughout the state of New York." He said some is received from "pre-consumer sources" such as food and beverage companies which includes bottled sodas, packaged ice creams, fruits, vegetables and more. He said post-consumer SSO is also collected from residents and businesses after they separate it from their waste.

Stapleton said "post-consumer SSO can have some inorganic material in it," and it's separated both manually by staff and then through a Tiger machine that's designed to separate out the organic material to feed the digester from the remaining inorganic material.

The DEC said in a statement that it "will continue to monitor operation of the facility and lagoon to ensure compliance with all permits and DEC regulations."

Staff writer Megan Ehrhart can be reached at (315) 282-2244 or megan.ehrhart@lee.net. Follow her on Twitter @MeganEhrhart.

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Proposals to increase oversight of state spending are close to becoming law in New York, and we urge the Legislature and Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office to iron out the details before the completion of the state budget.

At stake is the Database of Deals, which would show the details of companies getting state subsidies for economic development and track the number of jobs they create. A second proposal would restore the authority of the state comptroller's office to review pending contracts to make sure the state is hiring reputable contractors at the best possible prices.

It's important to have checks and balances in place to safeguard state funds, and recent scandals involving bid-rigging of upstate economic development projects underscores that necessity.

But although there is widespread enthusiasm to pass these reforms, the Assembly, Senate and executive versions don't completely match up. The Assembly's version of the Database of Deals, for example, is more comprehensive than the others because it includes a wider range of disbursements and seeks to track jobs created for women and minorities.

The Senate's version of pre-audit authority is stronger because it would apply to a lower threshold to audit spending for SUNY health-care facilities along with the oversight of SUNY and CUNY construction contracts.

Another tweak that needs to be made is for the Senate to join the Assembly and governor's office in budgeting $500,000 for the creation of an online database of economic development projects.

Because this is the first time that all state leaders are supporting these reforms, it would be a real shame if an agreement can't be reached by the end of the fiscal year on April 1.

The state gives out billions of dollars a year in the form of grants and tax breaks, and New York taxpayers should be able to see exactly how their money is being spent.

The Citizen editorial board includes interim publisher Thomas Salvo, executive editor Jeremy Boyer and managing editor Mike Dowd.

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DENVER, Colo.Anybody remember this?: "When I was in England, I experimented with marijuana a time or twoand didn't like itand didn't inhale and never tried inhaling again."

Yup, that was then-candidate William Jefferson Clinton on CNN during the 1992 presidential campaign, and sure enough, almost no one believed him when he claimed not to have inhaled the burning leaves. After all, how do you "try" a smokeable product without inhaling it?

Fast-forward 27 years to fledgling presidential candidate John Hickenlooper, the former governor of Colorado (where, BTW, recreational pot is legal), who took part in a town hall on March 20 sponsored by CNN, and for those who hadn't read Hickenlooper's 2016 autobiography, The Opposite of Woe: My Life in Beer and Politics, what he said from the stage was quite a revelation.

"My dad died right after I turned 8, and my mother and I had a pretty tempestuous relationship," Hickenlooper told correspondent Dana Bash. "She was just the most amazing person. And I went off to college, and for the first time she was alone in the house. And I didn't realize how powerful that was until I got home at Thanksgiving. ... I had called a friend in PhiladelphiaI didn't know what an X movie was. We thought it was a little naughty, but we didn't think it was that bad. Again, you've got to understand, I was 18 years old. [Actually, he was 20, but who's counting?]

"And so I came home. ... And I said, 'I promised Jed that we'd go to the movie theater and see this new movie; do you want to come?' And it's an X-movie, and you know, I was sure that she would say no. I made a mistake. And she said, 'I'd love to go,' because she didn't want to be left alone in the house again. So I took my mother to see Deep Throat, and to her creditthe first scene isI didn't ask the questionbut I will tell you that my mother wasI'm sure she was mortified. And I said repeatedly, 'I think we should leave. I think we should go' ... once she paid, she was going to stay. And at the end she knew that I was humiliated. And as we drove home, and you know how the dashboard in the old cars had a kind of green light? And you know, I asked her, I said, 'Well, that was some experience.' And she goes and says, 'Well, I thought the lighting was very good in the movie.' I thought I saw a little grin in that green light."

(Hickenlooper, who lived in Narberth, Pa., at the time, would have taken mom to the Levick Theater in northeast Philly, as that was the only theater in town that dared to show Deep Throat when it was first releasedand it's where this author saw the movie as well.)

Sure, for religious conservatives, this is just the type of revelation that, if The Hick winds up getting any traction as the 2020 presidential primaries approach, they will bring up in just about every "news" story they write about him, but for most of America, its shock value is on a par with the "revelation" that Donald Trump paid off Stormy Daniels so she wouldn't ruin his election by letting everyone know he fucked her.

After all, for pretty much any American who doesn't "religiously" attend a church, synagogue or mosque every weekend (and probably for a good number who do), the fact that a candidate saw the world's most famous porn movie not only isn't a surprise, it's probably something they themselves have done at least onceand that puts them in pretty good company.

Let's face it: Is there anyone who doesn't think President Grab 'Em By The Pussy doesn't have a Deep Throat DVD squirreled away somewhere? And he'd be in good company; celebs such as Martin Scorsese, Brian De Palma, Truman Capote, Jack Nicholson, Johnny Carson, Spiro Agnew, Frank Sinatra, Barbara Walters, Amy Poehler, Miley Cyrus, Amanda Seyfried (who played the title character in the docu-drama Lovelace) and co-star Peter Sarsgaard, Scarlett Johansson, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Juliette Binoche and Cameron Diaz all admit to having seen it, with Diaz telling Now magazine, "I love porn. You know what I love about hotels? How discreet they are. They always give you that little thing at the bottom: 'Your room will be charged the same as any other room, no titles will be used.'"

So while his having seen at least one XXX movie isn't necessarily a reason to vote for Hickenlooper, at least (most of) American society has advanced to the point that having smoked a joint or watched porn is no longer an automatic disqualifier for being President of the United States!
When the FOSTA/SESTA law that was supposedly designed to curtail sex trafficking via the internet was signed into law by Donald Trump in April, sex workers warned that far from protecting them from traffickers, the law would actually make their lives and jobs more dangerouswarnings that proved to be accurate, as at least one American city reported a 170 percent spike in sex trafficking cases after the anti-sex trafficking law went into effect, as AVN.com reported.

Now, strippers in Washington State are trying to do something about the problem by pushing legislation of their own. Washington Senate Bill 5724, an act relating to safety and security of adult entertainers, would, among other provisions, create a blacklist of strip club patrons who are known to be abusive toward performers.

The bill would also provide a panic button to each entertainer who performs in the establishment, at no cost to the entertainer. The performer would activate the panic button any time she sees an ongoing crime, harassment, or other emergency take place in her presence; for example, if a customer who hires a VIP room in a club becomes violent or abusive toward a performer.

The performer would have the protected right under the new law to immediately stop working and leave the area where the offense is taking place.

Seattle-based sex worker and activist Savannah Sly told The Stranger newspaper that local strippers began to organize and come up with the grassroots legislation after the federal shutdown of classified ad site Backpage in April, followed just days later by enactment of the FOSTA/SESTA law.

"The unintended consequence of that is that there are displaced sex workers and clients who are looking for a place to connect," Sly said in testimony to Washingtons State Senate Labor and Commerce Committee this week. "I think that clients are coming into clubs with mismatched expectations. Maybe theyre looking for a different kind of provider in the clubs. What were seeing is an uptick in violence across the sex trade since the passing of these bills, largely because it further criminalizes communication.

The new bill would also establish mandatory know your rights training for strippers, because, according to Sly, the bad actors among club clientele know that strippers are not likely to report illegal acts against them to the police.

Sometimes were discouraged from calling the police when were working for management, and due to stigma we may be unlikely to tell the people closest to us because they may not know that we are sex workers on the side or for our job, she told the committee.

Senator Rebecca Saldana, a co-sponsor of the bill, said she feels hopeful the bill will pass the committee and the full state legislature, because it is about improving the safety of workers whose voices are often not heard in [the state capitol] Olympia, according to The Stranger.

Photo By Gogirl18/Wikimedia Commons
TORONTOErin Sue has been named director of sales for PinkCherry.com, an industry-leading online adult sex toy distributor.

Erin is an integral part of our team and we wanted to position her in a role that utilizes her creative marketing and sales background, which will undoubtedly take us to the next level, said Daniel Freedman, CEO of PinkCherry. Erin has been in the industry for 10 years and has a great relationship with all of our vendors, and knowledge of their product lines. It just makes sense to give her more opportunity to work with everyone and to grow our 900-pound gorilla [PinkCherry].

Sue will manage the growing sales of Canadas favorite sexual health and wellness brand. She will drive sales through her work with creative direction to the website, mobile-first design, user experience, product merchandising, brand marketing, and the PinkCherry social media presence. Sue will continue to be the lingerie buyer for the company and work on enhancing this section of the business.

Coming from a fashion and apparel background Sue brings a fresh perspective to the PinkCherry brand. Freedman discussed that Sue will work on the companys image to transition it into a lifestyle brand with sex positive messaging, and to grow the U.S. side of the business.

PinkCherry has always been dominant in Canada, and over the last half a year we have accelerated our growth in the U.S., Freedman said. To keep that momentum going, we need to have the best people on our team to help us do that.

As director of sales Sue will be collaborating with the entire PinkCherry family to focus the direction of the brand. She will work with the team on transforming the multi-platform business into an e-commerce hub of sexual health products and a plethora of sensual wellness information.

PinkCherry has such a strong foundation in Canada and a tremendous opportunity to get really creative with the marketing. Im excited to work with the team to boost the overall branding and to dramatically increase our business and brand exposure, Erin Sue said.

PinkCherry currently has distribution facilities in Toronto and Las Vegas respectively servicing Canadian and U.S. customers.
UNC System attorney says Staton resigned voluntarily, board didn't need to be consulted

University of North Carolina Interim President Dr. Bill Roper acted unilaterally, at the direction of Board of Governors Chairman Harry Smith, to reach a termination agreement with East Carolina University Chancellor Cecil Staton's employment, one BOG member says.The BOG had no chance to weigh in on the termination of Staton, a violation of UNC's Policy Manual, says Steve Long, a supporter of Staton, in a March 18 letter to the public. Staton's departure was orchestrated to settle a long-running feud Smith had with the chancellor, the letter says.UNC System General Counsel Tom Shanahan said in a statement to Carolina Journal that Staton resigned voluntarily, so the board didn't have to be consulted.But Long insists Staton was pushed out.Long said.Smith has been seeking the chancellor's removal ever since Staton nixed Smith's 2016 plan to buy a student housing complex near ECU and lease it to the university, Long said.Former UNC President Margaret Spellings, who left the university in January just three years into her five-year contract, told Long thatSmith found any reason possible to criticize Staton, Long said.the letter said.CJ retained media attorney John Bussian to represent the publication in continuing attempts to receive public records from the UNC System regarding discussion of Staton's status. The university has refused to comply with requests, citing personnel exemptions in public records law. Bussian and CJ dispute UNC's interpretation of the law.Late last year, Smith accused CJ of false reporting after the publication reported about the events surrounding his involvement with Staton, ECU campus housing, and his recusal from ECU affairs. Originally responsive to phone calls and emails, Smith instructed CJ to cease "harassment" of him, and only contact his attorneys, or media representation at the UNC System office.Long, a Raleigh tax attorney and UNC Chapel Hill alumnus, is serving his second term on the board. He had chaired the board's University Governance Committee.*
Below: The "N.C. 3rd Congressional District GOP Adopts Resolution Supporting Treasurer Folwell"

Resolution Supporting Treasurer Folwell

Email of explanation to Republican Party 3rd District Chairman Carl Mischka on why Beaufort County will not support greater transparency, and more fulsome negotiations with the medical industry within North Carolina by traditional means through the good office of the State Treasurer

Allowing North Carolina's Treasurer Dale Folwell the ability to do what is within his purview as treasurer is a major issue to decide the path of a North Carolina government. Do we let the special interests control us, bend us to their economic way, as their economic slaves, or do we guide our path by better governing our way forward? Limiting North Carolina's active, determined and wise Treasurer from accomplishing his constitutional tasks as mandated by his elected directive is the initiative now of the special interests within North Carolina's Health Care industry; their owned politicians within the Democratic Socialist party, and even, the non Conservatives within the Republican party.Maintaining the status quo, which insures that the medical industry remains a full blown monopoly, where free markets will never control the costs of health care is their overarching desire, and the nexus of these beginnings can be found in the proposed HB 184 . It is also an overarching desire of a 5 to 2 majority of Beaufort County Commissioners, and, therefore, will not be brought before the people of Beaufort County for the consideration of their representatives.The Republican party's 3rd District Resolution here just below will not be considered at the April 1 General Meeting, and further below is my reply to 3rd District Chairman Carl Mischka as why Beaufort County government can not muster the Conservative principles to do what is right for our county and, in some small way, for the people of North Carolina.Carl Mischka,orWASHINGTON, N.C.North Carolina State Treasurer Dale Folwell is working hard for the taxpayers fulfilling his Constitutional duty to safeguard solvency of State programs by his efforts to investigate the $35 Billion shortfall in the State Health Plan to identify needed reforms; andTreasurer Folwell's efforts to bring solvency to the State Health Plan will benefit the taxpayers of North Carolina, as well as the State employees and retirees who use the State Health Plan; andcertain special interests are seeking legislation to stop Treasurer Folwell in his efforts to reform and make the State Health Plan solvent.that the Executive Committee of the Third Congressional District Republican Party commends Treasurer Folwell for his efforts to protect the taxpayers and State employees by making the State Health Plan solvent; andBE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we call upon all legislators from our region to back Treasurer Folwell in his efforts and to defeat any legislation from the special interests that would delay or halt those efforts.Carl Mischka, ChairmanCecilia R. Wasserman, Secretarythe North Carolina State Health Plan spends more than $3.4 billion annually providing health care coverage to the approximately 727,000 teachers, state employees, retirees, and their dependents; andin 2008, expenses were roughly $2.2 billion, thus, medical and pharmaceutical costs are increasing five to nine percent annually and current spending projections estimate that the Plan will be insolvent by 2023 unless action is taken; andthe North Carolina General Assembly has vested the State Treasurer, the Executive Director and the Board of Trustees for the State Health Plan with certain responsibilities to provide and administer the health plans to Plan Members; andon October 4, 2018, Treasurer Folwell announced that the State Health Plan will launch a new medical reimbursement strategy for North Carolina providers that care for Plan members; andeffect January 1, 2020, the State Health Plan will move towards a payment model based on publicly available Medicare rates, thus, amid at keep rising health care costs under control while promoting quality care, transparency and affordability; andthe initiative seeks lower medical costs, saving $258 million for taxpayers and more than $57 million for teachers, state employees and other public servants; andon November 28, 2018, a report released by the Pew Charitable Trusts confirms that the State's unfunded retirement/health care costs as a share of personal income are one of the worst in the country, right behind Illinois; andafter the release of the Pew report Treasurer Folwell stated "this new report underscores our immediate need to get medical and pharmaceutical costs for the State Health Plan under control. Every man, woman and child in the state would have to pay almost $3,200 each to cover our current promises of health care for state and local government retirees. We're having to act because others haven't"; anda campaign against lower health care costs is largely funded by special interests, notably the North Carolina Healthcare Association (NCHA), with Vidant Health of Greenville taking the lead; andpart of the campaign against clear pricing and lowering costs could be paid using taxpayers' dollars since the State's hospital, UNC Health Care, is a member of NCHA paying thousands of dollars a year in dues to the organization.
Kevin Graham, the president of the Chicago police union, sent a letter on March 15 to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) requesting a federal investigation into Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx, alleging that Foxx interfered in the police's investigation of "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett.Graham accuses Foxx - who eventually recused herself from the case - of acting inappropriately when she tried to talk Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson into handing the Smollett investigation over to the FBI. The Chicago Sun-Times reports Text messages showed that Foxx told both Tchen and Smollett's relative that she had personally reached out to Johnson and requested that he give the investigation over to the FBI.According to text messages provided by the Sun-Times, Foxx wrote: "Spoke to the superintendent earlier. He is going to make the ask. Trying to figure out logistics. I'll keep you posted."The relative replied:Smollett was charged with 16 felonies for filing a false police report after authorities alleged that he staged a hate crime against himself because he was angry that the tens of thousands of dollars that he earned per episode of "Empire" was not enough.NBC News notes that a spokesperson from her office said at the time:" Graham said in his letter.Graham continued.Graham added.Smollett has repeatedly claimed that the attack was real. His attorney went on CNN earlier this month and claimed that Smollett, who is openly gay, was the victim of a "media gang bang" of "unprecedented proportions."
For Aran, turning to electronics to develop a system with unique capabilities came naturally: She earned an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering and went on to a PhD in biomedical engineering and postdoctoral work in bioengineering.

Researchers have found multiple applications for the CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspersed Short Palindromic Repeats) gene editing technology since it came into use by the scientific community. Keck Graduate Institute (KGI) Assistant Professor and University of California, Berkeley Visiting Scientist Kiana Aran is the first to combine the power of CRISPR's nucleic acid targeting with the ultra sensitivity of graphene, making it possible to digitally detect DNA without amplification.

"The innovation is to bring the two together as a capture mechanism. Our system does not use amplification; instead, it relies on CRISPR's genome-searching capability and graphene's sensitivity," explains Aran, who led the multi-university research team responsible for the work described in the paper "CRISPR-Chip: A CRISPR-based Graphene-enhanced Field Effect Biosensor for Electronic Detection of Unamplified Target Genes," which was published in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering on March 25.

Aran's novel system immobilizes the CRISPR complexes on the surface of graphene-based transistors. These complexes search a genome to find their target sequence and, if the search is successful, bind to its DNA. This binding changes the conductivity of the graphene material in the transistor, which detects the change using a handheld reader developed by Aran's industry partner, San Diego-based Cardea Bio.

"What Kiana does is an application we hadn't thought about beforethat no one thought about before. It shows the potential of a graphene biosensor that no one knew was even possible," says Brett Goldsmith, Cardea's chief technology officer and cofounder. "To detect DNA without amplification is so shocking, so futuristic. This will skip several generations of technology development."

Aran and her research colleagues demonstrated the system's effectiveness by testing for the digital detection of DNA mutations in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a genetic disorder that results in progressive muscle degeneration and shortened life expectancy.

"We have shown that our system is sufficient for genetic mutation testing. Now we need to enhance the system to detect infections," says Aran. "We're also evaluating CRISPR-Chip for detection of single-point mutations."

Aran notes that the system, which enables users to run a test in less than an hour, has potential applications beyond diagnostics. She explains that these include multiplexing capabilities to run hundreds or thousands of tests at the same time. Another potential application is for quality control purposes within companies that use CRISPR for therapeutics; the system could enable them to better evaluate the efficiency of the CRISPR technology.

For Aran, turning to electronics to develop a system with unique capabilities came naturally: She earned an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering and went on to a PhD in biomedical engineering and postdoctoral work in bioengineering.

"I look at everything through the lens of electronics. It's important to think about electronic biosensors because that is where I believe biological analysis is heading," says Aran, who is now exploring avenues to commercialize the system. "My goal is to integrate fast-growing electronics technologies with modern biology not only to develop better diagnostic tools, but also to gain a better understanding of biological events using nanoscale electronics devices."

Co-authors on the paper also include KGI's Reza Haijan, Sarah Balderston, Thanhtra Tran, Mandeep Sandhu and Mitre Athaiya, UC Berkeley's Tara Deboer, Jessy Etienne, and Noreen Wauford, Cardea Bio's Jolie Nokes and Brett Goldsmith, NanoSens Innovations' Regis Peytavi, and the University of Navarra's Jacobo Paredes.

This work was primarily supported by Keck Graduate Institute Start-up funding to the Aran Lab, by the Rogers Family Foundation, and by an Open Philanthropy Research Gift.
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Can avoiding a handful of socially harmful activities virtually guarantee someone will not live in poverty? Social scientists in the United States said they have found the secret, and a new report from Canada has found it also applies across the northern border.

The success sequence began with Isabel V. Sawhill and Ron Haskins of the Brookings Institution, who found that meeting a few criteria greatly reduced the likelihood of a family living in poverty: finish high school, work full time, wait until age 21 to get married, and do not have children outside wedlock. Rick Santorum became fond of repeating these conditions during the 2012 presidential primaries, and they passed into broader use.

The Fraser Institute applied these tests and concluded they hold just as true in Canada. The report The Causes of Poverty, which was released on Tuesday, found that less than one percent of Canadians who graduated high school, worked full time, and waited until marriage live in poverty.

Specifically, their poverty rate is 0.9 percent.

The poverty rate in a home where at least one person works full time is just 1.7 percent.

The poverty level for all Canadian families is 3.5 percent, but 12 percent of single-parent households led by females live in poverty, as do 14 percent of homes where no one works full time.

The evidence is clear, said Christopher A. Sarlo, its author. There are certain societal norms that, if followed, are key to avoiding long-term poverty.

Sarlo actually undersells his research: He tested only for those currently living in need, not for those in long-term poverty (which would be lower yet).

Sarlo does not overstate his findings. He highlights the importance of avoiding addiction and a criminal record, which Sawhill and Haskins omitted. And he acknowledges that conditions outside peoples control, such as mental or physical disability and natural disasters, create negative life outcomes. Yet the success sequence predicts human flourishing.

The success sequence succeeds again

Since its conditions are still normative, few people must deal with the consequences. Only 1.4 percent of Americans in 2007 did not meet a single one of these benchmarks. But they account for 76 percent of the poor and 17 percent of the lower middle class.

The new study is yet another confirmation that work and personal responsibility pay economic, as well as spiritual, dividends. W. Bradford Wilcox and Wendy Wang found in a 2017 AEI study that 97 percent of Millennials who followed the sequence are not poor by the time they reach their prime young adult years (ages 28-34).

Charles Murray covered this ground copiously in his Coming Apart: The State of White America, 1960-2010.

Raj Chetty has established that the proportion of single parents in a neighborhood affects the life outcomes of their neighbors. [T]here is a strong relationship between upward mobility and measures of family stability. Areas with lower fractions of single parents have much higher rates of upward mobility, he wrote.

Work does all of the work

Nonetheless, the theory has its critics on the Left, who blame structural barriers for persistent poverty. The left-wing Vox website is also triggered by the sequences implied morality:

Describing full-time work as a norm is slightly bizarre, as plenty of people are out of work despite wanting a job. Treating birth timing as a norm is also strange, as it implies that people have more control over when to have children than they often do.

Matt Bruening of Jacobin magazine called the success sequence a totally ad hoc set of rules that  allow conservatives to say personal failures are the cause of poverty in society.

Bruening said that having a full-time job accounts for virtually all the difference. [N]one of the rules provide meaningful poverty reduction after you have applied the full-time work rule, he wrote. (Emphasis in original.)

Put another way, he wrote, Work does all of the work.

But if full-time employment is the one-step path to success, then the new Jacobins should embrace the success sequence.

Sarlo noted the difference marriage makes in his new study. In the U.S., more single mothers than married mothers are working outside the home. However, more than one-in-four single mothers  and nearly one-third of single mothers with children under six  are unemployed. In a single-parent home, that means zero earned income.

Single mothers earn $20,000 a year less than the U.S. median income, often because they must seek flexible work to tend to home emergencies. There is simply less time and energy to go around when all the responsibilities fall on two, rather than four, shoulders.

Critics such as Bruening should also follow Sarlo to his next unique contribution to the success sequence: After he weighed the data, Sarlo concluded that the existing welfare system  or as it is called in Canada, social assistance  turns out to be the key enabler of poverty:

In practice, a system that has no employment strategy for clients, has no requirements of them, and expects nothing from them, is simply unhelpful. It slowly traps some people, especially those with low self-esteem and little confidence, into a child-like state of dependency and permanent low income.

Welfare policies that slowly break down the work ethic should trouble critics such as Bruening, et. al., who believe full-time work is the only prerequisite to prosperity. [B]ad choices and bad luck are not destiny, Sarlo wrote. But [b]ad choices can be enabled by ineffective and counterproductive policy.

Human flourishing, as with all else, is also hindered by the world, the flesh, and the devil. Religion is indispensable in dealing with the root causes preventing people from following the success sequence, which is proven to eliminate 99.1 percent of poverty in Canada. Faith teaches that every human being has worth, all honest work can become a vocation, and that sex should take place only within the context of marriage.

Charles Murray, particularly, has said that religion is:

a resource that can lead people, adolescents and adults alike, to do the right thing even when the enticements to do the wrong thing are strong: a belief that God commands them to do the right thing. I am also invoking religion as a community of faith  that socializes the children growing up in it in all sorts of informal ways, just as a family socializes children.  [I]t is not a matter of ideology but empiricism to conclude that unless the traditional family and traditional communities of faith make a comeback, the declines in social capital that are already causing so much deterioration in our civic culture will continue and the problems will worsen. The solutions are unlikely to be political but cultural.

We need a cultural Great Awakening akin to past religious Great Awakenings, Murray concluded.

The antidote for poverty is the success sequence. And the best starting point for a cultural Great Awakening is a religious Great Awakening.

(Photo credit: Public domain.)
Alexis de Tocquevilles Democracy in America is primarily and rightly regarded as a work of political science. But the book is also replete with economic observations. One of the most significant was Tocquevilles astonishment at the spirit of enterprise that characterized much of the country. Americans, Tocqueville quickly realized, were a commercial people. The nation hummed with the pursuit of wealth. Economic change was positively welcomed. Almost all of them, Tocqueville scribbled in one of his notebooks, are real industrial entrepreneurs.

America and entrepreneurship were, to Tocquevilles mind, synonymous. Thats one reason it remains very important to keep an eye on the state of entrepreneurship in the United States. There are few better insights into this than the Indicators of Entrepreneurship produced on a regular basis by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

Perusing one of their latest publications, 2017 State Report on Early-Stage Entrepreneurship (February 2019), provides a revealing look into how entrepreneurship in its rawest form is doing on a state-by-state basis. Looking at all 50 states and the District of Columbia for 2017, some of the reports most salient points include the following:

The rate of new entrepreneurs ranged from a low of 0.16 percent in Delaware to a high of 0.47 percent in Wyoming, with a median of 0.30 percent. Nationally, the rate of new entrepreneurs in 2017 was 0.33 percent, meaning that an average of 330 out of every 100,000 adults became new entrepreneurs in a given month.

The opportunity share of new entrepreneurs estimates the percentage of those new entrepreneurs who created their businesses out of opportunity instead of necessity. This indicator ranged from a low of 68.7 percent in Rhode Island to a high of 94.0 percent in Nebraska, with a median of 84.7 percent. The national opportunity share of new entrepreneurs in 2017 was 84.4 percent.

Startup early job creation captures job creation, measured as the total number of jobs created by startups per capita. This indicator ranged from 2.95 jobs per 1,000 people in West Virginia to 10.34 in the District of Columbia, with a median of 4.71. The national startup early job creation in 2017 was 5.27 jobs per 1,000 people.

Startup early survival rate reflects the one-year survival rate for new firms. It ranged from 73.48 percent in Georgia to 88.13 percent in Maine, with a median of 79.1 percent. Nationally, the startup early survival rate was 79.8 percent in 2017.

These numbers tell that the picture for entrepreneurship is quite mixed throughout America, the exception being the survival rate of new firms. Thats relatively consistent across the nation.

Its also revealing that states as culturally and politically different as Wyoming (0.47) and California (0.44) share very high levels of new entrepreneurs entering the marketplace. Among other things, I think this tells us that entrepreneurship is very much a question of attitude and can flourish in very different settings.

At the same time, the report underscores that economic conditions are crucial for shaping peoples motivations for starting new businesses. Over time, the more prosperous the economy, the more likely it is that entrepreneurship will be embarked upon as a question of opportunity than simply a matter of necessity (e.g., someone loses their job). Thats important because businesses established through opportunity entrepreneurship tend to have higher survival-rates than necessity entrepreneurship.

This, Id suggest, affirms one of the crucial insights of perhaps the worlds foremost scholar of entrepreneurship, the economist, rabbi and Talmudic scholar, Israel Kirzner. In his work on this subject, Kirzner maintains that entrepreneurship is partly a question of people looking through the fog of the future that looms before them, seeking opportunities to actualize hitherto unknown potentialities. The term used by Kirzner to describe this process of searching is alertness.

Is America still the land of entrepreneurs that Tocqueville suggested it was in the 1830s? Is it a land of alertness? The answer is, generally-speaking, yes, though some partssuch as Delaware, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvaniaare clearly not.

Obviously not everyone is called to be an entrepreneur. But the unevenness of this vocation across the United States is something that legislators and the shapers of culture need to be concerned about. For entrepreneurs are crucial to the wealth-creation process. When they are absent from a community, everyone in that community losesand not just economically.

Image source: Pxhere
What just happened?

Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida) and Rep. Ann Wagner (R-Missouri) re-introduced a bill yesterday (slightly modified from one from last year) that would allow parents to use their Social Security benefits to provide paid parental leave benefits following the birth or adoption of a child.

Our proposal would enact paid family leave in America without increasing taxes, without placing new mandates on small businesses, Rubio said in a news conference.

Earlier this month, Sens. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) introduced similar legislation which also provides family leave benefits through the Social Security system. (Unless otherwise stated, the details below are from the Rubio-Wagner plan.)

How would it work?

Parents would start the process by filing an application (available online) with the Social Security Administration (SSA) and clarifying when they anticipate giving birth to or becoming the parent of a child. Upon verification of the parents eligibility, SSA would notify parents of their expected eligibility for the parental leave benefit. After the birth or adoption of the child, approved parents would then provide SSA with additional documentation, and upon verification SSA will remit the parental leave benefit. The benefit would be delivered in one month, two months or three monthly payments of equivalent size, depending on the amount of benefit claimed.

The benefit is transferrable between parents in a household, which means one parent could use the benefit for four weeks, and the other could use it for four weeks. The benefit can also be claimed if parents continue to work, either full or part-time.

Parents taking the option will delay the date at which they begin receiving Social Security retirement benefits by about three to six months per benefit taken, as determined by the Social Security Administration each year. Alternatively, they could also have the sum gradually deducted from benefits over the first five years of retirement.

How much would parents receive?

A summary of the bill provided to the Washington Post says nearly all parents earning less than the $60,000 median family income would receive leave pay equal to about two-thirds of their wages.

Who would be eligible?

To be eligible, parents would need to have a minimum of four quarters of coverage during the 4-quarter period preceding the birth or adoption of their child; and 8 quarters of coverage preceding the birth or adoption of their child; or 12 quarters of coverage preceding the birth or adoption of their child.

Would the benefit be taxable?

Yes. The leave benefit would be taxable, as are regular Social Security payments.

What is the difference between the Rubio-Wagner plan and the Ernst-Lee plan?

The primary difference is that the Rubio-Wagner bill would allow parents to choose to keep working and use the extra funds to pay for expenses, such as childcare.

Is there already a law requiring family leave?

The federal Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) allows individuals to be eligible for unpaid leave if their employer has more than 50 employees and the person has worked at the company for at least 12 months. But there is no requirement that companys pay for such leave, and most corporations do not. (According to estimates from the Congressional Research Service, only 13 percent of private-sector employees have access to paid family leave through their employers.)

Who supports the bill?

In his announcement of the bill, Rubio was joined by Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), and Reps. Ann Wagner (R-Missouri) and Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas). President Donald Trump endorsed the idea in his recent State of the Union, and his daughter and advisor Ivanka Trump is a strong supporter.

The Rubio plan from last year was endorsed by social and religious groups such as the Independent Womens Forum (IWF) and the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), as well as by the vast majority of Americans.

Many Congressional Democrats, however, oppose the bill because it is paid for through an earned benefit. They prefer full family leave to be paid through taxes or imposed on employers through federal mandates.
Yesterday, Boeing announced a software update for the 737 MAX-8, the airliner that was grounded after two crashes and rising concerns about a possible flaw in the planes maneuvering characteristics augmentation system (MCAS). Boeing presented the MCAS updates as improvements to the system and has always maintained that the plane is safe. Now the company is asking the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to certify the updates so the aircraft can be returned to service. This has given lawmakers in Washington, D.C., the opportunity to ask questions about the whole process of aircraft safety certification. As it turns out, the FAA delegates much of the highly complex certification process and even relies heavily on Boeing itself to evaluate whether its planes are safe.

These facts, together with some close relationships between FAA officials and Boeing, has raised concerns about cronyism. It did not take long for lawmakers to raise the prospect of completely overhauling the certification system and giving the whole process exclusively to the federal government in the form of a beefed up FAA. One US senator even sounded the alarm that the system was riddled with flaws, adding that relying on Boeing for the safety assessment of its own planes is putting the fox in charge of the henhouse.

So who should decide whether the 737 MAX is safe? This is a question worth asking, and changes to the FAAs certification process may be necessary, especially if Boeing has been receiving preferential treatment over other manufacturers vying for government approval. But why should we expect that a government agency, even one as skilled and experienced as the FAA, would be better at evaluating an aircrafts safety entirely independent of the manufacturers own evaluations? The kneejerk suggestion that we commit the entire process to the FAA seems like another example of the mindset that the federal government does all things well and can become omnicompetentprovided it has enough funding. The FAA reports that it would need an additional $1.8 billion and 10,000 more employees in order to conduct the entire certification process on its own. Undoubtedly there are some who would not flinch at those numbers, but rather see them as simply the price of safety, which is ultimately priceless.

Safety is indeed priceless, but it is also not absolutely achievable. This is the case whether youre crossing the street or flying to Paris. In fact, the FAA has a long history of relying on aircraft manufacturers to evaluate their own aircraft, with the agencys close oversight, of course. And this process has a track record of increasing the safety of air travel in the US. Modern airliners are incredibly complex and contain parts and systems built by dozens of other manufacturers. So who knows best whether a Boeing aircraft is safe? The people at Boeingalong with the people at GE Aviation and at all the other companies that designed, built, and tested it and its components. And who stands to lose the most if the aircraft is deemed unsafe and is mothballed the world over? All the same folks. This is evident both from the hit that Boeings stock took in the wake of the MAXs safety concerns and from Boeings efforts to defend their product. The people at Boeing know that there are other airliner manufacturers who are eager to offer a better, safer option. Airbus is, of course, the other major player in the market, but its not just a two-horse race.

This is not to suggest that there should be no government oversight or regulation of aircraft safety. The government has a legitimate interest in protecting the lives of its citizens. But Boeing has an interest in passenger safety as welland perhaps even a greater interestsince the companys very existence depends on the safety of its aircraft. So we should be careful not to remove what is arguably the most interested and most knowledgeable party, the manufacturer, from decisions about aircraft safety.

Image source: Wikimedia Commons
With unemployment and poverty levels at historic lows, why do so many people persist in believing peoples economic prospects are always getting worse? Why are discussions of current living conditions always marked by catastrophic thinking? Take, for instance, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezs recent assessment that the America that were living in today is so dystopian. The fact that her assertion is misguided does not mean it is not widely shared.

One answer to Americas dyspeptic discourse is found in the Fraser Institutes new report on The Causes of Poverty, by Christopher A. Sarlo. The report, which states that following the success sequence reduces the chance of living in poverty by more than 99 percent, offers a thorough examination of how to measure poverty.

Sarlo notes that statists seek to increase the number of people mired in penury, at least on paper, by raising the threshold:

Finally, social justice advocates (mostly teachers and professors) want to impose a socialist system on our economy. For them, poverty is a defining issue. If they are able to convince enough people that poverty is high and rising, they can blame it on the existing structures and presumably make an easier case for the fundamental change they desire.

This, in part, explains why governments have inflated their definitions of poverty. Instead of measuring those unable to afford necessities, nations such as the UK redefine poverty living below 60 percent of the national median income:

Of course, a compassionate definition of poverty (i.e., relative poverty) serves their purpose very well. It allows them to inflate the numbers, create a crisis, and manufacture the obvious need for radical change. This is in no way to malign the genuine sentiments of some who truly want poverty eliminated. However, we do have to appreciate the incentive structure and the power of special interests here. There is simply lot of rent-seeking behaviour within the state. So, despite their stated goal, few in the poverty industry actually want to reduce poverty. They have every incentive to keep it high and growing.

This is true in the United States, as well. The Center for American Progress encouraged the Obama administration to replace the federal poverty level with an undefined decent living standard in 2009. This measure would likely be considerably higher than even an improved poverty measure.

While CAP makes one valid criticism  that federal poverty guidelines make few adjustments for geographical variation (although the government has calculated separate guidelines for Alaska and Hawaii since the late 1960s)  its key complaint against the current standard is:

The thresholds are low. Living costs and standards have changed in many ways since the 1960s. Food now comprises only about one-seventh of an average familys expenditures. The poverty line represented nearly 50 percent of median income for a family of four in the early 1960s, but now represents only about 28 percent of median income. So the level at which a family is considered poor has fallen further and further outside the mainstream.

CAP seems unhappy that the average American has more disposable income, because food prices have dropped and the U.S. median income has increased about 10 percent since the federal government developed poverty thresholds in 1963-1964.

Economic interventionists envision government technocrats (directed by themselves, of course) deftly setting all wages and prices according to their own criteria. However, the public will not consent to this vision if there is no crisis to solve.

The free market makes these mass allocations one transaction at a time. Hundreds of millions of Americans, and countless transactions wired in from overseas, divide the national pie in a way that maximizes each individuals happiness.

A free market, couched within a virtuous society, assures that people have adequate incentive to work full time; that they earn their living by serving the needs of others; and that those aims are directed to the flourishing of all society.

A free and virtuous society that creates human flourishing is the best vaccination against socialism.

(Photo credit: Mark Dixon. CC BY 2.0.)
Nearly 100 years ago, a young journalism student at the Southern Branch of the University of California (now UCLA) walked into Ms. Pirie Davidsons biology classroom (Campbell, 2000, 775). This young woman was not particularly interested in biology and, really, why would she have been? At the time, women were barred from attending any off-site field trips and science was thought to primarily be the work of men. However, it was not long before Hildegarde was captivated by the subject  so much so that she became Ms. Davidsons lab assistant. Young Hildegarde Howard was soon offered a position as a part-time day laborer sorting fossils for renowned paleontologist Chester Stock at the Museum of Science, History, and Art of Los Angeles County (now the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County) at Rancho La Brea.

Rancho La Brea, or as it is also known, the La Brea Tar Pits, is a group of natural asphalt seeps that have been bubbling up from the ground for tens of thousands of years in what is now the Hancock Park area of Los Angeles. Throughout this time, the asphalt has seeped into a layer thick enough to trap animals. The tar would become camouflaged under dirt, debris, or water. Then, an unsuspecting animal might accidentally happen into the pool and find itself ensnared in an inescapable mess. This attracted scavenger animals like dire wolves or birds of prey, who also became entrapped. The layers of asphalt would again seep up to completely cover the animals and the cycle would continue.

During the early development of Los Angeles, landowners allowed scientists including Stock to dig and do research on fossils at Rancho La Brea. In 1924, the land was donated to the museum. When Hildegarde was through counting her first lot of avian fossils, she had identified over 4,000 individual birds in the pits (Sutton, 1929). The wealth of fossils demonstrated that nearly as many birds met the same fate as mammals in the pits and in much the same way. The pits captured flora and fauna indiscriminately and left a sticky snapshot of the diversity of life over time in Los Angeles. Hildegarde was enraptured. It was at this time that she found her lifes passion in paleontology.

When Hildegarde graduated, she came back to Los Angeles where her part-time research associate position was waiting for her (Downs, 1980, 7). During her careful work measuring and examining avian fossils, Hildegarde wrote her first published paper on the extinct California turkey, Parapavo californicus, which was a fossil turkey at Rancho La Brea that Hildegarde had labored over (Campbell, 1980a, 11). She described the extinct bird from more than 800 specimens. This abundance of specimens required her to account for osteological (bone) variation within the species and impressed her mentor, who allowed the paper to count as credit towards a masters degree, which she would finish two years later.

Her dissertation, The Avifauna of Emeryville Shellmound, included drawings of fossil birds with clearly labeled osteological features. This was a huge boon to avian osteology, as it was the first time there had been a standardized terminology to use as a point of reference. Howards illustration would remain the principal reference until 1979 when Nomina Anatomica Avium was published (Campbell, 1980b, 27).

Hildegarde had remained working at the museum over school breaks while she was completing her advanced degrees (Staff Records, NHMLA). In 1929, Howard received her PhD and became Dr. Howard. She returned once again to the museum, this time as a junior clerk tasked with curating the fossils from Rancho La Brea and the research birds that had been collected in the American Southwest.

1929 marked the start of the Great Depression in America, and the Museum was not exempt from hard times. Hildegardes paychecks took increasingly sharp cuts until there were no paychecks at all for several months. Near the end of the Depression, in 1938, Dr. Howard was officially promoted to senior curator, a position that came with a title change but no pay increase from her previous position as a junior assistant (Staff Records, NHMLA). However, once the depression was over and museum work was beginning to stabilize, America found itself in World War II, and the Los Angeles County Museum once again faced aggressive budget cuts to help support the war effort. Hildegarde remained vigilant and remarkably prolific in her work. Between 1929 and 1939, Dr. Howard had published twenty-four papers on fossil birds in the American Southwest (Campbell, 1980a, 12-15) and in 1942, the prehistoric bird fossils she had assembled were exhibited in the Museums Hancock Hall (Los Angeles Times, 24 May 1942).

In 1944, Dr. Howard was promoted to the curator of Avian Paleontology (Campbell, 2000, 777). Hildegarde would serve in that role until 1951, when she would again be promoted to Chief Curator of Science, wherein she would not only continue to publish new work and further her research, but also serve as the leader of the Science Division for the Museum. Jean Delacour, the director of the museum throughout the bulk of Hildegardes tenure as Chief of Sciences wrote, I sincerely believe that no one could have done it better (Delacour, 1980, 8) and by all accounts museum research thrived under her leadership (Friedmann, 1980, 9).

Just two years later, Dr. Howard became the first woman to receive the Brewster Medal for outstanding research in ornithology by the reputable American Ornithologists Union (Oliver, 1988). By the time of her retirement in 1961, Dr. Howard had described two families, 6 genera, 23 species, and 1 subspecies, published ninety-nine papers of avian fossils, and embraced the technology of Carbon-14 dating to target the age of specimens and Rancho La Brea and help create a timeline of avian extinctions during the late Pleistocene (Howard, 1960).

Never one to slow down, Dr. Howard stayed on as an emeritus curator and continued her research. As California continued to rapidly develop, marine Miocene and Pliocene strata was exposed. Hildegard was free of administrative distractions and could devote herself full time to both the fossil birds of the American southwest and Tertiary marine birds of Southern California. She said of retirement, When your lifes work is a hobby, you dont need other hobbies (Loper, 1980).

Retirement proved to be a fertile time for research and writing. Dr, Howard became a Guggenheim fellow (Up Close, 1989) and contributed titles such as A Comparison of Avian Assemblages from Individual Pits at Rancho la Brea, Fossil Birds from the Anza-Borrego Desert, and Tertiary Birds from Laguna Hills, Orange County, California. In total, after retirement, Dr. Howard would go on to write over forty more papers, describe another family, 7 genera, 34 species, and another subspecies (Campbell, 1980a, 11-15). These statistics would be remarkable as ones career accomplishments. As post career statistics, these figures are a testament to Dr. Howards true passion for her field.

Little is known about Dr. Howards personal life. She was a very private person who shied away from the spotlight and publicly shared little of herself beyond her ardor for avian paleontology. Of the little that is known, one certainty is that she met the love of her life, Henry Anson Wylde, on that first fateful day sorting fossils (Downs, 1980, 7). He was also a day laborer who would go on to become the Chief of Museum Exhibits. They married in 1930 and remained together until his passing in 1984. It is also known that after retirement, Hildegarde also published in another medium: poetry (Howard, 1972). However, her mind never strayed far from birds, even in her private musings.

Dr. Hildegarde Howard led an extraordinary life and remains highly regarded as one of the foremost experts in her field. She published her last paper, Middle Miocene Marine Birds from the Foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains, Orange County, California, in 1984 when she was 83 years young. Dr. Howard passed away on February 28, 1998, but her contributions and legacy as a pioneer in the field of avian paleontology will not be forgotten.

References

Campbell Jr., Kenneth. September 15, 1980a. The Contributions of Hildegarde Howard. Contributions in Science, Papers in Avian Paleontology Honoring Dr. Hildegarde Howard, No 330, pp. 1115.

Campbell Jr., Kenneth. September 15, 1980b. Illustrations of Avian Osteology Taken from The Avifauna of Emeryville Shellmound. Contributions in Science, Papers in Avian Paleontology Honoring Dr. Hildegarde Howard,No 330, pp. 27.

Campbell Jr., Kenneth. 2000c. In Memoriam, Hildegarde Howard 1901-1998. The Auk, vol.117, no.3, 775-779.

Delacour, Jean. September 15, 1980. A Tribute to Dr.Hildegarde Howard. Contributions in Science, No 330, pp. 8.

Downs, Theodore. September 15, 1980. Appreciations: Hildegarde Howard. Contributions in Science, No 330, 7-8.

Friedmann, Herbert. September 15, 1980. Hildegarde Howard and the Museum: Fifty years. Contributions in Science, No 330, pp. 9.

Howard, Hildegarde. 11 Mar 1960. The Significance of Carbon-14 Dates for Rancho La Brea Science, Vol. 131, Issue 3402, pp. 712-714, DOI: 10.1126/science.131.3402.712.

Howard, Hildegarde. 1972-1976. Poetry. Box 38, folder 2, Hildegarde Howard papers, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Archives.

Loper, Mary Lou. 25 Nov 1980. Dedicating a Lifetime to Fossils: FOSSILS: A Lifetime Dedicated to Science Los Angeles Times (1923-1995); f1. Accessed 18 March 2019.

Oliver, Myrna. 04 Mar 1998.Obituaries; Hildegarde Howard; Avian Paleontologist, Curator. Los Angeles Times [Home Edition], pp. 18. Accessed 7 March 2019.

Prehistoric Birds Will Be Displayed: Museum Experts Have Taken Bones From Pits. Los Angeles Times (1923-1995); Los Angeles, Calif. [Los Angeles, Calif] 24 May 1942: A8. Accessed March 7, 2019.

Staff Records, 1911- 1986. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Archives.

Sutton, Ransome. Nov. 10,1929. Tar Tripped Birds Tallied: Bones of More Than 4000, Many Now Extinct, Trapped in Asphalt, Identified by Scientist. Los Angeles Times (1923-1995). ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Los Angeles Times, C7, accessed 4 March, 2019.

Up Close: HIldegarde Howard Wylde. An intimate look at one of south Orange Countys interesting personalities. Orange County Register [ZONE 7 Edition]; Santa Ana, Calif. 08 June 1989: pp. 09.
Unlike all the breadcore pals I have baking loaves with hand-ground sorghum and Bolivian yeast strains kept at 75% hydration, I left my sourdough starter on the kitchen counter for a week and didn't bother feeding it.

After another midafternoon phone call from a friend who newly discovered baking as a relaxing and delicious artform asking for recommendations on baking something crisp-but-gooey, I looked at the live starter I keep on my counter. I transplanted it from the sleeping mass of junk a week or so back, baked a few great loaves of bread, and then kinda forgot about it. I had other stuff on my mind. The phone conversation led me to desire bread.

Intending to put up a loaf later in the afternoon, I fed the room temperature but dormant starter. First, I mixed all the hooch back into the starter. I then discarded a cup of starter and added 1/2 cup each of warm water and flour. Then I stirred, covered and gave it 4 hours.

I used the starter to prepare my go-to no-knead loaf of bread, flour and whole wheat. Said dough was permit to rise overnight. Pretty much everything looked like dough normally does on a first rise. I then folded the blob! The dough was pretty wet, I left it to proof in its basket.

I had a hard time deciding when it was ready for the oven. After 90 minutes I could see some large bubbles had formed in the dough, and a poke-with-index-finger test was getting what I thought were correct springing back results, but something looked off.

The loaf looked fantastic coming out of the oven, and my daughter claims it is the best tasting loaf of sourdough we've had. She ate about 1/2 the loaf in one sitting. The bubbles and crumb were really strange, however.

I think it needed another 5 minutes in the oven, but it was done. Toasting slices made them perfect.

I have since fed the starter a few times and will bake another loaf with it tomorrow. I am pretty sure my yeast will be back to its normal behavior.

Baking obeys the same principle offered homebrewers by the great Charlie Papazian, "Relax, don't worry, have a homebrew."
Gymboree is one of the many companies acquired by Mitt Romney's Bain Capital, through a "leveraged buyout" through which the company was loaded up with debt so that the hedge fund could cash out; the company was left with massive debts and cycled through a succession of incompetent, inexperienced grifter CEOs who eventually ran the company into bankruptcy.

As the company was going through bankruptcy, the board decided to exercise an obscure clause in its contracts to "terminate the severance plan," for all but a handful of favored execs on the leadership team (that is, the people who drove the company into bankruptcy). By doing this, the company was able to fire longterm employees who had stayed on in the runup to bankruptcy despite the obvious warning signs because they had been hired with the promise of generous severance.





One of those denied severance was Mera Chung, who was recruited to work at Gymboree by her former boss from Old Navy, where she had been a vice-president. Chung was promised control of Crazy 8, Gymboree's most successful brand, and even though she could see that the company was headed for insolvency, she stayed on the job so that she could continue to pay her household bills, which included the costs of caring for her elderly and infirm mother; Chung assumed that her contractually promised one-year severance would kick in if the company folded and that she would have a cushion while she sought other employment.





Instead, she was given no severance  but watched as colleagues more favored by the company's board and its lead creditor, Goldman Sachs, were given secret severance payouts in the form of "retention bonuses" that nominally ensure that key personnel were available to ensure an orderly wind-down. Incredibly, at least three of Chung's "essential" colleagues who were given these bonuses immediately left for a luxurious vacation at the Sundance Festival, begging the question of exactly how essential they were.





Chung was an executive, but there were also 10,000 clerks at 800 Gymboree stores who have been denied severance thanks to the financial shenanigans of the hedge funds, financial engineers and investment bankers running Gymboree.

There's a class-action suit brewing over this, but that will be a long process with an uncertain outcome. In the meantime, a productive company full of talented and loyal workers has been liquidated in order to enhance the personal fortunes of a group of grifters who  incredibly  style themselves as "job creators.'



Ron Tyler, a friend of Chung's and a law professor at Stanford, provided her with several legal contacts. "I think her devastation comes from the fact that she, after very carefully and persistently creating this extremely successful career, to have it end so dramatically and intentionally by her company," Tyler says. "And she saw the writing on the wall. Had it not been for that [severance] agreement, she would have left before." Shortly after the bankruptcy, Chung felt an even deeper sting. One of the lawyers she consulted asked how many employees worked at Gymboree headquarters, and so Chung put the question to Lu. "She was laughing and said, 'I'll call you when I land, I'm going to Sundance,'" Chung says. Chung wrote to the trustee that Lu and three other members of the executive leadership team  Tricia Lesser, Shelly Walsh, and Parnell Eagle  had decamped to the Sundance Film Festival, weeks after being given a retention bonus to stay on at Gymboree. Thompson corroborated that Gymboree executives were at Sundance, though she didn't name names. Pictures from Lu's Facebook account, since removed, place her in Park City, Utah, at the time of the film festival. One check-in still on Facebook places her there as well. "It's like a B-grade Netflix movie," Chung says. "If they were so needed for retention, why were they able to go to Sundance?"

"She Lied to My Face": Inside the Hectic Last Days of Gymboree's Retail Bankruptcy [David Dayen/The Intercept]
Former NSA contractor Harold Martin today changed his plea to guilty, on charges of willful retention of national defense information.

Harold Martin was originally charged with 20 counts of violating the Espionage Act. He now appears more likely to face up to a recommended 9 years in prison, after pleading guilty to only the one charge, and may get credit for time served.

Martin was arrested in 2016 on charges he stole an enormous amount of sensitive information and stored it on various devices he kept at his home in Glen Burnie, Maryland.

From CBS News, Baltimore:

He initially pleaded not guilty. The government recommended a nine-year-sentence. Martin has already served two and a half years, which he will get credit for. He pleaded guilty to one count of stealing a top secret NSA document and leaving it in his car, and another copy in the living room of his Glen Burnie home. His sentencing is scheduled for July.

And from a 2016 Daily Beast profile of Martin:

The retired Navy officer arrested for allegedly removing highly classified information from the National Security Agency worked with the organization's elite computer hackers, who specialize in using computer code to penetrate the systems of foreign nations, according to a former colleague and the man's online resume. Harold Thomas Martin, III, who goes by Hal, was also enrolled in a PhD program at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. The university has a partnership with the NSA, in which the agency helps develop curriculum for the school and agency employees can take classes there. Martin worked with NSA's Tailored Access Operations unit, sources with knowledge of his background told The Daily Beast. In his LinkedIn resume, Martin says he worked as a "cyber engineering advisor" supporting "various cyber related initiatives" in the Defense Department and intelligence community.

More from reporters on Twitter:

Martin has already served 2 1/2 years. He will get credit for that. He pleaded guilty to just 1 count of stealing a top secret NSA document and leaving it in his carand another copy in the living room at his Glen Burnie home @wjz  Mike Hellgren (@HellgrenWJZ) March 28, 2019

Former NSA contractor Hal Martin has pleaded guilty to one count of willful retention of defense information. Martin and government agreed to a 9-year sentence and for other 19 counts to be dismissed at sentencing in July. News via @scottmcalvert https://t.co/lwp1ElFHCt  Dustin Volz (@dnvolz) March 28, 2019

Previously charged with 20 counts of violating the Espionage Act, it looks like former NSA contractor Hal Martin will face only 9 years in prison after pleading guilty to a single charge. https://t.co/xgyqCEbD2e  Andrew Blake (@apblake) March 28, 2019
The admitted agent for Russia was connected with the NRA and pro-Trump U.S. political groups.

Convicted Russian spy Maria Butina, who admitted to working in the United States as an agent of the Russian government to infiltrate the NRA and influence U.S. conservative activists and Republicans, will be sentenced on April 26, said U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan on Thursday.

The charges against Butina were not part of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's now-completed investigation into Russia's role in the 2016 U.S. election. The contents of Mueller's report have not been released.

The man identified as Butina's former boyfriend (more accurately, her compromise target) Paul Erickson, in the photo below, remains in legal jeopardy. His fate is yet to be determined.

From Reuters:

Butina, a former graduate student at American University who publicly advocated for gun rights, pleaded guilty in December to one count of conspiring to act as a foreign agent for Russia. She has remained in custody since her arrest in July 2018. The 30-year-old native of Siberia wore a green jail jump suit during the brief hearing in Washington, but said nothing. Chutkan said during the hearing that sentencing memos from prosecutors and Butina's defense team will be due a week before the sentencing date. Prosecutors and defense lawyers approached the bench for a discussion with the judge, but the subject of those talks was not made public. Butina has admitted to conspiring with a Russian official and two Americans from 2015 until her arrest to infiltrate the National Rifle Association and create unofficial lines of communication to try to make Washington's policy toward Moscow more friendly. The NRA is closely aligned with U.S. conservatives and Republican politicians including President Donald Trump. Chutkan in February had delayed the sentencing at the request of prosecutors, who said Butina was cooperating in their ongoing investigation. Butina's attorney, Robert Driscoll, said at the time his client was ready for sentencing. Russia in December accused the United States of forcing Butina to falsely confess to what it described as the "absolutely ridiculous charges" of her being a Russian agent.

Alexander Torshin, former deputy governor of the Russian central bank, is the Russian government official named in Butina's U.S. legal case.

Paul Erickson is named as "Person 1" in court records. He is said to have helped Butina figure out which American politicians to target.


In a New York Times review of celebrity chef Thomas Keller's Manhattan eatery Per Se, critic Pete Wells described the mushroom soup "as murky and appealing as bong water." So now for special guests, Keller's legendary French Laundry restaurant in the Napa Valley serves their porcini mushroom broth out of a blue and green swirl glass bong. From a column by San Francisco Chronicle food critic Soleil Ho:

After dinner, I emailed the French Laundry's public relations people about the bong. In an email, they responded that it's something Thomas Keller pulls out for restaurant industry folks because he knows we'd get a kick out of it. (This is true. And Keller knows me from a previous encounter during my past life as a New Orleanian line cook.)





"It is clearly a tongue-in-cheek reference to past writing and is not on the menu," they wrote, "but regularly prepared for guests as a fun item." When I pressed them on where the bong was actually from  obviously not Riedel or Zalto  all they would say was that it was "hand blown by an artisan."
U.S. Department Of Energy Secretary Rick Perry gave "six secret authorizations by companies to sell nuclear power technology and assistance to Saudi Arabia," Reuters reports, based on a copy of a document seen by reporters on Wednesday.

"Many U.S. lawmakers are concerned that sharing nuclear technology with Saudi Arabia could eventually lead to a nuclear arms race in the Middle East," Reuters reports:

The Trump administration has quietly pursued a wider deal on sharing U.S. nuclear power technology with Saudi Arabia, which aims to build at least two nuclear power plants. Several countries including the United States, South Korea and Russia are in competition for that deal, and the winners are expected to be announced later this year by Saudi Arabia.

Perry's approvals, known as Part 810 authorizations, allow companies to do preliminary work on nuclear power ahead of any deal but not ship equipment that would go into a plant, a source with knowledge of the agreements said on condition of anonymity. The approvals were first reported by the Daily Beast.

The Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) said in the document that the companies had requested that the Trump administration keep the approvals secret.

"In this case, each of the companies which received a specific authorization for (Saudi Arabia) have provided us written request that their authorization be withheld from public release," the NNSA said in the document. In the past, the Energy Department made previous Part 810 authorizations available for the public to read at its headquarters.

A Department of Energy official said the requests contained proprietary information and that the authorizations went through multi-agency approval process.
Photographs we're seeing online today, including one by Mark Lambie of the El Paso Times, below, capture the desperation of the unknown number of men, women, and children currently penned in, inside cages, under the Mexico-US international bridge, in El Paso, Texas.

This should have been the featured photo. The United States government is penning in asylum seekers under the international bridge in El Paso. pic.twitter.com/8CDc5MOZjr  Brooke Binkowski (@brooklynmarie) March 28, 2019

Hundreds of migrants are being held beneath the Paso Del Norte International Bridge in El Paso. CBP says it has run out of space to process the asylum seekers. In the El Paso Times' photo above, two boys look out from the fence at the bridge as protestors demand their release.

As reported yesterday, most are from Central America, many are families, and some are in urgent need of medical attention.

Border Patrol holding asylum seekers in tent under bridge in El Paso. Calls it a "transitional camp." More than half are families, most from Central America, "meaning their asylum requests and credible fear interviews must be heard," reports @abcnews https://t.co/ekCRCyft9B pic.twitter.com/mAP6VVkDjr  Xeni Jardin (@xeni) March 27, 2019

Let's be clear about what we are witnessing in these images.

The United States government under Donald Trump is creating impromptu wire fence concentration camps for asylum seekers, as part of a manufactured border crisis driven by the Trump administration's white nationalist, white separatist, white supremacist policies.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin K. McAleenan visited El Paso today, El Paso Times reports, and said the border has hit its "breaking point."

The recent influx of Central American migrants has made the El Paso Sector the second-busiest location on the U.S.-Mexico border.

From today's edition of the El Paso Times:

The Border Network for Human Rights, an El Paso immigrant advocacy group, said that the government should invest in staff and infrastructure "to make our asylum system in ways that uplift our values and humanity of all persons." In a statement, the group accused McAleenan of painting migrants as criminals. "Asylum seekers are not criminals," the group stated. "Asylum is a lawful process and migrants need to have an ability to claim asylum. Denying migrants the ability to claim asylum at ports, as our laws are designed to work, may force them to cross without authorization but does not make them criminals or undermine their asylum claims in any way." The group added that they "invite Commissioner McAleenan to tell the Irish of the 1840s or the Italians of the 1890s that poverty and starvation are not reasons to come to seek the opportunity, welcome, and grace of these United States."

Trump sure made an interesting comment yesterday, when updating us on his lies about his Border Wall.

"We're building massive, many, many miles of wall, right now," Trump lies. No new miles have been built, only replacement or reinforcement fencing.  Daniel Dale (@ddale8) March 28, 2019

Is this what's next?

Trump says other countries have people on the border with machine guns, ready to fire on migrants. He adds that he wouldn't want to do that: "It's a very effective way of doing it, and I wouldn't want to do it."  Daniel Dale (@ddale8) March 28, 2019

Keep an eye on it.

This is extremely concerning. Please do not become numb. This is President of the United States expressing admiration for murder. This is a human rights violation admirer. Please pay attention. https://t.co/CoP6ntLC7L  Jennifer Taub (@jentaub) March 28, 2019

[via brooklynmarie]
Bowalley Road Rules



The blogosphere tends to be a very noisy, and all-too-often a very abusive, place. I intend Bowalley Road to be a much quieter, and certainly a more respectful, place.

So, if you wish your comments to survive the moderation process, you will have to follow the Bowalley Road Rules.

These are based on two very simple principles:

Courtesy and Respect.

Comments which are defamatory, vituperative, snide or hurtful will be removed, and the commentators responsible permanently banned.

Anonymous comments will not be published. Real names are preferred. If this is not possible, however, commentators are asked to use a consistent pseudonym.

Comments which are thoughtful, witty, creative and stimulating will be most welcome, becoming a permanent part of the Bowalley Road discourse.

However, I do add this warning. If the blog seems in danger of being over-run by the usual far-Right suspects, I reserve the right to simply disable the Comments function, and will keep it that way until the perpetrators find somewhere more appropriate to vent their collective spleen.


For a rough introduction to my philosophy of blogging, including the Code of Amiability Ito follow on this weblog, please read my fifth anniversary post . I consider blogging to be a very informal type of publishing - like putting up thoughts on your door with a note asking for comments. Nothing in this weblog is done rigorously: it's a forum to let my mind be unruly, a place for jottings and first impressions. Because I consider posts here to be 'literary seedings' rather than finished products, nothing here should be taken as if it were anything more than an attempt to rough out some basic thoughts on various issues. Learning to look at any topic philosophically requires, I think, jumping right in, even knowing that you might be making a fool of yourelf; so that's what I do. My primary interest in most topics is the flow and structure of reasoning they involve rather than their actual conclusions, so most of my posts are about that. If, however, you find me making a clear factual error, let me know; blogging is a great way to get rid of misconceptions.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Government is moving away from the colonial education structure which had a caged education system for Africans to one that churns out industrialists who will transform the country, a Government official has said.In a speech read on his behalf to mark the official opening of Zimbabwe University Library Consortium (ZULC) congress held in Harare yesterday, Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Professor Amon Murwira said there was the need to transform the education system to promote industrialisation and modernisation.Professor Murwira said Government had inherited a colonial education system 3.0 which was designed to produce workers and was now moving to 5.0 aimed at churning out industrialists."Education 3.0 constitutes teaching, research and community services only suited for that purpose. This type was not meant to produce goods and services but designed for research articles and materials for teaching and consultancy," said Prof Murwira."We are getting out of this cage where education was not exploited to its full potential. We have to redesign our education system to 5.0 in order to optimally exploit our potential as a nation based on our heritage," he said.He said 5.0 education system was anchored on teaching, research, community service, innovations and industrialisation. He urged university libraries to be hubs for technology and to transform from being academic libraries to remain relevant."Without a good library we cannot win, academic libraries need to provide products that stimulate and nurture futuristic innovations, knowledge generation and transfer," he said.Speaking at the same occasion, ZULC chairperson Ms Patience Chibanda concurred that libraries at higher institutions of learning should cease being academic and strive to meet the demands of the 21st century student."Fellow librarians our universities and colleges need to move away from the idea of academic libraries as buildings that stock books on dusty shelves, to learning spaces that can facilitate access to information at any time and place," she said.Established in 2001 to promote resource sharing and collaborations amongst its members, ZULC is a consortium of 18 university libraries and 21 affiliate colleges.
News / National

by Mapozho Saruchera

While addressing journalists at a hotel in Harare on March 25 2019, European Union (EU) Ambassador to Zimbabwe Timo Olkkonen, tried to downplay human rights violations in Europe, especially with regards to the "yellow vest" demonstrations in France.Ironically, at the same time he insinuated that the alleged post-election human rights violations in Zimbabwe had made the country's relations with the bloc difficult. It did not take much to realise that EU was not so sincere when it comes to re-engaging with the Southern African country based on the objective facts on the ground.Besides, the EU's standoff with Zimbabwe has been based on a borrowed issue in solidarity with an aggrieved former colonial party in Zimbabwe's history.That is an important background. But back to Mr Olkkonen's presentation, there are some glaring issues that will not go unchallenged. Mr Olkkonen In essence, a miss is as good as a mile  the long and short of it is that you have missed. If the case of alleged human rights violations in Zimbabwe were to be honestly raised, it follows that France could face similar sanction.Ideally, EU should be seen imposing sanctions on France for the injury of over 2 000 civilians in the "yellow vets" protests owing to excessive force employed by that country's police while quelling down the protests. But what does France get?A quick research on the Internet showed that following a visit to Paris in February 2019, the Council of Europe's Human Rights Commissioner, Ms Dunja Mijatovic, wrote a memorandum asking the French Government to "refrain from introducing excessive restrictions to freedom of peaceful assembly" and called for a "full investigation" into the possible excessive use of force by French police during the "yellow vest" demonstrations. Really? Have they run out of sanctions? Ms Mijatovic Down here in Southern Africa, Mr Olkkonen was at pains trying to push a narrative to the effect that the alleged human rights violations in Zimbabwe were of concern to the EU than those happening in a European country, France.The EU ambassador e said that if African ambassadors in Europe were concerned about the violations in that region, they were free to take up the issue. Now, this statement is an eye opener. It shows how the EU is using the human rights violation rhetoric to evade meaningful engagement with the Zimbabwean Government.Again, it also show how some African countries have been cowed into submission by sanction-wielding Europeans  who then would dare raise concerns about violations in Europe?Mr Olkkonen's utterances should, however, not be read in isolation for one to fully comprehend what the EU wants to see happening in Zimbabwe. MDC-Alliance leader Mr Nelson Chamisa is on record declaring that "if President Mnangagwa is not willing to dialogue, we are going to deal with him on the streets."In simple terms, Mr Chamisa is threatening to orchestrate violent demonstrations in a bid to force the President to dialogue with him. The question is, where does Mr Chamisa get the power to do that? This is where Mr Olkkonen comes in.After the good ambassador tried to downplay human rights violation in Europe, he went on to warn the Zimbabwean Government that further violations were destroying the goodwill and were a setback to the country's recovery efforts.In short, the Government of Zimbabwe is being threatened with economic meltdown in the event that they try to quell down Mr Chamisa's forthcoming violent demonstrations - which government worth talking about complies with such an order? Zimbabweans have the right to protest "peacefully," subject to the notification of the relevant authorities.On the other hand, the Government is entitled to safeguard the lives and property of every person in the country. However, I doubt that demonstrations meant to force the President to do something are going to be peaceful.This is a ploy to force the Government to react so that the EU and company can get a chance to shout on mountain tops about the alleged human rights violations by Government so as to further isolate the southern African state, in the process deliberately ignoring the opposition's provocations in all this.To the people of Zimbabwe, only unity can save the day.This is the time to speak with one voice against all forms of restrictions against the mother land. Demonstrate peacefully for there is no reward in burning down your country.
News / National

by Staff reporter

The banking sector has been called upon to embrace digital technologies which will enhance strategic partnerships and ensure efficient services to clients. The call was made at the 25th WSBI Africa Regional Group Meeting being attended by banking institutions and regulators from 11 countries in Victoria Falls.WSBI Africa Regional Group was established to bring together the members in the region to keep close exchange on specific issues and to promote the exchange of best practices and create business cooperation opportunities.It represents 36 financial institutions from 22 countries. Local bank, Agribank and People's Own Savings Bank (POSB) are the hosts.Speaking at the occasion, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe director for bank supervision Mr Norman Mataruka challenged players in the banking sector to embrace technology if they are to progress especially in light of the digital era which has replaced traditional banking."For the banking sector to move ahead, it has to embrace technology. Banks should start looking at digital KYC (Know Your Customer) to be able to identify and access clients as this is key to financial inclusion," he said.Mr Mataruka said banks should be wary of cyber criminals who are using different methods to defraud financial institutions hence the need for use of biometric systems. POSB chief executive Mr Admore Kandlela said banking institutions' priority was on consumer protection."Consumer protection should be taken into account. As POSB we are dealing with the poor pensioners and our request to the regulator is that when you introduce new facilities there should be more involvement," he said.Mr Kandlela highlighted that banks were competing for a small pool of clientele with Mobile Network Operators (MNOs). Participants urged MNOs to embrace interoperability in terms monetary transactions for the purposes of financial inclusion.Zimbabwe has three MNOs namely Econet whose facility is Ecocash, NetOne (Netcash) and Telecel which offers Telecash.Consumers hardly send or receive money across the three networks. Mr Mataruka said as a regulator, RBZ was encouraging strategic partnerships where the MNOs should adopt interoperability for customers to be able to transact across networks. He, however, said measures need to be put in place to ensure protection of clients.In response to the issue, Postal and Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) deputy director general Mr Alfred Marisa said MNO are already offering cross floor transactions."Inter network transfers are now possible. We are however still battling with other aspects such as charges which are prohibitive and this is an issue that needs to be looked at," he said.The general feeling from participants was that interoperability should start with sharing infrastructure such as ATMs and security services. The conference ends tomorrow.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Defence and War Veterans' Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri and her counterpart from Zambia Mr Stephen Kampyongo are today expected to officially open the 32nd Session of the Zimbabwe Zambia Joint Permanent Commission on Defence and Security aimed at deepening collaborations and containing security threats that might arise between the two countries.Officials from the two countries, led by Zimbabwe's permanent secretary for Defence and War Veterans, Mr Martin Rushwaya and his counterpart from Lusaka, Mr Stardy Mwale held closed door meetings on Tuesday and yesterday.Service chiefs from the two countries are also attending the Joint Permanent Commission which started on Tuesday.Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commander, General Valerio Sibanda, Police Commissioner General Godwin Matanga and Deputy Director General in President's Office, Mr Aaron Nhepera are some of the senior officers from the security services here attending the meeting.According to the programme, Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri and her counterpart Mr Kampyongo will officially open today's meeting. It will be followed by closed deliberations before a communique of agreed resolutions is read out.The two countries are discussing an array of security issues that affects the two countries and how security threats could be prevented, detected and contained.In his speech on Tuesday Mr Rushwaya called for stronger cooperation in combating security threats facing the two nations. Mr Rushwaya said the meeting offered them a platform to deepen bilateral relations in the areas of Defence and Security."The defence and security meetings provide us an important platform to exchange notes and pave way for stronger cooperation in combating the common security threats that confront, not only our two countries, but the entire Sadc region and the African continent," said Mr Ruswaya."These threats continue to evolve, riding on the exponential growth in information and communication technology and the accelerated pace of globalisation. This is leading to a rise in transitional organised crime and as such, the need for stronger bilateral and multilateral defence and security cooperation can never be overemphasised."He said the influx of irregular migrants, particularly from the Great Lakes Region and the Horn of Africa, poaching of wildlife heritage and smuggling were some of major security challenges facing the region.In his remarks, Mr Mwale said defence and security services personnel from the two countries should continue to explore more areas of cooperation and ensure continued peace and security not only along the common border but also within the two countries.He bemoaned the effects of Cyclone Idai that affected Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique and killed hundreds of lives and left a trail of destruction saying that was the effects of climate change which have not spared Africa."Our continued interaction between our defence and security institutions accords us an opportunity to find ways of addressing effects of such calamities and other matters of concern," said Mr Mwale.
News / National

by Staff reporter

A Harare woman yesterday sought relief from the court claiming she is being battered for standing up against her husband's infidelities.Filda Mungwanya said she once left her co-owned matrimonial home after continuous attacks from Muchineripi Mandaza.Mungwanya applied for a peace order alleging that her husband was assaulting her publicly using dangerous weapons."I fear for my life around this man, he is physically assaulting me because I don't approve of his extra marital affair."We are customarily married but he is seeing this other woman and sometimes disappears for days informing me of his whereabouts."He attacks me with any weapon he finds next to him and I don't know what will happen to me next," claimed Mungwanya.She added:"The last time he assaulted me I sought refuge at my sisters' place and stayed there since September last year until January this year."When I returned in January I learnt that he had moved out with his mistress and had left someone at our matrimonial home."I want him to stop all the abuses towards me and embarrassing me in front of the neighbours."However, Mandaza had a different story to tell."I might not have problems with her being granted this application but she is the one who instigates most of the fights."We once all admitted to guilty when our matter reached the police and we were warned and cautioned," he told the court.He also claimed he moved out of the house to keep peace with the applicant."I am staying with my brother in Highfield to try and avoid quarrelling with my wife."She once took money from EcoCash wallet and I never recovered it, that's when all these problems started," he said.By Consent, Harare magistrate Noah Gwatidzo granted the peace order in Mungwanya's favour.He ordered the respondent not to physically assault and verbally insult the applicant or threaten to evict her from the house.
News / National

by Staff reporter

THE Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has said no child should be sent home for failure to pay school fees.This comes amid reports that there were some schools which were sending children back home for not paying school fees.The ministry's publicist, Patrick Zumbo said children are not supposed to be sent home for failure of paying school fees."The policy is very clear that no child should be chased away from school."The school authorities must deal with parents who fail to pay but they are not supposed to send their children home."Boarding schools are the ones which should make sure that children pay their fees before schools open but as long as it's a day school, pupils will go to school."Zumbo also said parents should do their part for the betterment of the schools."Parents have an obligation which they need to fulfil."They must not relax on issues of school fees and they must as well not take advantage of the policy."One of the parents with children at Glen View 7 Primary School said children were being sent home for not paying school fees."Our children are not allowed to enter the school premises because they did not pay school fees."It's been three weeks now since the arrangement and the school authorities have refused to attend to our request to have payment plans."For a child to enter the school gate, he or she is supposed to show proof of payment in form of a receipt and those without receipts are being sent back home," she said.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Five men, who were accused of torturing, kidnapping and robbing while impersonating police officers to villagers who had reportedly stolen gold ore from a mine earlier believed to be owned by United Family International Church (UFIC) leader Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa in Mutawatawa, have been acquitted of all charges.It also emerged that Prophet Makandiwa does not own the mine, which belongs to a church member, although he regularly visits the facility in his spiritual and business mentorship of a member of his flock.Garikai Murambidzi, Warren Chinyani, Joseph Dzomba, Osward Mukwesha and Brian Mawarura and four others were found not guilty after a full trial before Mutawatawa magistrate Mr Elijah Sibanda after ruling that State allegations were unsubstantiated and lacked corroboration.The accused persons were facing four counts of kidnapping, three counts of robbery, assault and impersonating a police officer, peace officer or public official.The complainants in the case were Godknows Mhungu, Lloyd Sande, Boniface Mudzonga and Clever Masango, former employees at Havilla Gold Mine Syndicate .It was the State's case that the five interrogated the suspects and severely assaulted and tortured them.The said unlawful detention dragged for 23 hours until 12 noon the following day.In his ruling on the kidnapping charges, Mr Sibanda said the four State witnesses made clear indications that none of them were deprived of movement at the milling plant where they had been taken for investigations."Where a company security officer takes employees during working hours, and they go with him freely for questioning on the happenings at the company, surely that can't be kidnapping", he said.On allegations of robbery it was established that the complainants admitted to have stolen the gold and had sold it and offered to restitute the gold with property they had bought."The fact that the accused persons took the property then surrendered the accused persons and property to the police do not show that the accused persons had an intention to steal, it corroborates with their defence that their intention was to investigate and refer the matter together with the evidence to police".The medical affidavits tendered were not consistent with the complainants version of facts. The affidavits say nothing about soles of their feet and other injuries which they said they sustained from the assault.He queried why they delayed to get medical examinations on the February 24 rather than on the 28th if they were surely injured.Mr Sibanda dismissed impersonating charges, saying one of the witnesses Brighton Kuzora said when the accused persons arrived, they introduced themselves as mine employees based at Havilla head offices in Harare.The State failed to call the parents to whom such statements were made to testify that the accused persons impersonated police officers.
News / National

by Staff reporter

A 22-YEAR-OLD man from Bulawayo has appeared in court for maliciously damaging his stepmother's property claiming it is his inheritance.Mncedisi Mpofu appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Mr Franklin Mkhwananzi and pleaded guilty to a malicious damage to property charge. He was remanded in custody to tomorrow for sentence.Prosecuting, Mr Mufaro Mageza said Mpofu committed the crime when his stepmother, Ms Virginia Gumbi (41), had gone to church."On March 23 this year at around 6PM, Ms Gumbi had gone to church for an all night prayer leaving her stepson and her daughter at home."At around 7PM, the daughter went to sleep while Mpofu was away and she locked the doors before sleeping," he said.The court heard how at around 8PM Mpofu returned home and his younger sister opened the door for him.She asked him to be quiet because he was making noise and they exchanged harsh words. Mpofu left the house for about 30 minutes and came back with his other relative from his father's side who told his sister the property in the house belonged to Mpofu.Mr Mageza said Mpofu pushed a room divider which had 16 dinner plates, 12 coffee mugs and a 14 inch television set. The plates, mugs and the television were damaged."He also damaged an electricity meter box and went on to pour hot ash in the sitting room, burning sofas," he said.The value of the damaged property is $800.
News / National

by Mandla Ndlovu

Exiled Former Cabinet Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo says 1 July should be declared a national holiday in honour of the late Vice President of the country who passed on in 1999."On 1 July, it will be 20 years since Father Zimbabwe's death. It's biblical that a good name is better than fine perfume & the day of death better than the day of birth." Prof. Moyo posted on Twitter. "To honour his contribution and stature, 1 July should be a national holiday: JOSHUA NKOMO DAY!"The suggestion by Prof. Moyo seems to have been accepted with mixed feelings with others saying the country already has a Heroes Day hence there is no need for a separate day while others said it will be an honour to have a Father Zimbabwe Day.Nkomo died of prostate cancer on 1 July 1999 at the age of 82 at Parirenyatwa Hospital in Harare. He was declared a national hero and buried at the national shrine.Joshua Nkomo founded the National Democratic Party (NDP) and in 1960. The NDP was banned by the white minority government and it was subsequently replaced by the Zimbabwe African Peoples Union (ZAPU), also founded by Nkomo, in 1962.After Independence Nkomo was a victim of civil unrest that was unleashed by a special brigade called the Fifth Brigade that killed close to 20 000 of Nkomo's supporters.He fled to the United Kingdom after the brigade killed people at his house in Pelandaba.He returned back to the country to sign a negotiated Unity Accord with Robert Mugabe which made him the Vice President of the country from 1987 till his death.
News / National

by newzimbabwe

SOUTH AFRICA'S International Relations and Cooperation Minister Lindiwe Sisulu jetted into the country this Thursday with a delegation that includes mining magnate and humanitarian Patrice Motsepe to hand over donations towards Cyclone Idai victims.The visit was confirmed by SA's department of International Relations and Cooperation Ndivhuwo Mabaya in a statement Thursday.The South African delegation landed at Manyame Air Base and were met by Zimbabwe's Foreign Affairs Minister Sibusiso Moyo and some government officials.They are expected to visit disaster hit Chimanimani and Chipinge districts in Manicaland.The two districts were ravaged by the hostile weather phenomenon which left nearly 200 people dead, hundreds missing while property and livestock worth tens of millions of dollars were also destroyed."The team is expected to hand over donations made by South African citizens, companies and members of the Diplomatic Corps who heeded the call for assistance to the affected Zimbabweans," Mabaya said."The donations include financial aid, clothes, water purifiers, non-perishable food items and blankets."According to South African media, before their Zimbabwe visit, Sisulu and her delegation were set to visit Mozambique's Beira which was worst affected by the disaster.In Zimbabwe, Sisulu is set to meet South African rescue teams such as members of the South African Defence Forces, South African NGOs, United Nations agencies and volunteers.The visit by the delegation comes after the SA police service and NGO, Gift of the Givers Tuesday presented four sniffer dogs to help search for victims of the cyclone who are still buried in mud and rubble.The donation comes at a time individuals, corporates and NGOs have also donated tonnes of food, clothing, medicine and other forms of assistance towards the plight of their Cyclone survivors.Similarly, countries such as United Arab Emirates, the European Union, Canada, among others, have also made millions worth of donations.
News / Press Release

by Methusi Ncube

STATEMENT BY THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY ON HOTEL RATES FOR THE ZIMBABWE INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR 2019

The Ministry of Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry notes with grave concern the level of rates purportedly being charged by some accommodation providers in Bulawayo for the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair. The unpopular reaction to some of the charged rates calls for intervention by the authorities as we seek to protect the consumers while at the same time also promoting business.In this regard, the Ministry is in engagement with the Operators, Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe and the Tourism Business Council of Zimbabwe in an attempt to amicably resolve the problem as a matter of urgency.Whilst it is an understandable and widely accepted notion that supply and demand determine the prices of goods and services, providers of services and goods should not take advantage of the customers. Price hikes should be within reasonable and justifiable levels. The kind of price increases being alledged in Bulawayo and said to be triggered by demand far outstripping supply are not justifiable. We expect the hospitality sector to be responsible and to exercise restraint while conducting their businesses in an ethical manner.It is a known fact that we have been accorded the best status as a Sustainable Destination both in Africa and we have been internationally recognized as a must visit destination during the 2019. We have also managed to surpass the highest tourism figures of 1999 to an unprecedented 2.5 million visitors in 2018. We have also grown our tourism figures and we cannot dilute the positives garnered in the new despensation, the second republic. We cannot price ourselves out of business, we must remain competitive with the region & international community in our pricing structure. This kind of pricing effectively works against our Domestic Tourism marketing efforts as ordinary Zimbabweans will not be able to afford their own tourism product.Going forward it is necessary to find a lasting solution and my Ministry together with relevant stakeholders and other partners are seriously promoting investment into the accommodation sector not only in Bulawayo but throughout the country. As a relief, the Ministry through the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority in collaboration with the ZITF Company have allowed people with suitable accommodation in their homes to avail this to interested visitors during the ZITF time, and that at reasonable rates. Those interested in providing such a service should contact the ZTA or the ZITF Offices in Bulawayo to register. The premises will be duly inspected for registration purposes.
Opinion / Columnist

Following the recent and ongoing xenophobic attacks in Durban, following hard after Vuwani in Limpopo, and not so long-ago Mpumalanga, we are compelled to issue a statement strongly condemning the violation of the fundamental rights of migrants in the country. The National Action Plan (NAP) launch on Monday the 25th of March 2019 is seen as a milestone in the attempt to deal with hate crime and hate speeches which follows the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (WCAR) presented in the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA, 2001) in August to September of 2001.This has been a long journey but indeed a welcome gesture by the government following the approval and endorsement of the NAP by cabinet last month. The President of the Republic of South Africa, on Wednesday 26/03/2019 in a meet the people and community event with the Hellenic, Italian and Portuguese communities (the HIP Alliance), stated that the bill on hate crimes is before parliament to deal with hate crimes and the sanctions thereof. This is a clear desire and intention by the South African legislature to deal with all forms of hate crime and section 3(I)(k) particularly deals with nationality, migrant or refuge status as a ground or characteristic or perceived characteristics for the hatred.We as the migrant community welcome this development and understand that some of the victimisation of the migrants is not government policy but the mere corruption and exploitation of the vulnerable by those in office, like the police, immigration officers or Home affairs officials, those implementing the laws and policies. Such corrupt tendencies also affect the native South Africans in various ways and we need to team up as people living in South Africa to rid our society of these corrupt tendencies and in his address to the HIP community President Ramaphosa stated that his mandate was to fight corruption vigorously.We stand together with the President on his sentiments in respect to corruption and we note that not all South African citizens are xenophobic maybe not even a tenth of native South Africans are, on the same note not all legislators and leaders are not xenophobic, as a result we need to condemn or point blame to where it belongs. We need to speak with one voice to fight tendencies that make our societies and communities unsafe and angry. Migrants are a very vulnerable part of society that needs the authorities to be very sensitive to such vulnerabilities and be able to protect them and ensure that those breaking the law by attacking them, attacking their property are brought to book to face the law like any other criminals unlike laying the blame with the victims.The current xenophobic spats are most likely as a result of the hate speeches that are being paddled by politicians trying to buy votes than earn them based on sensible and respectable campaign promises. We cannot condone the use of hate speech to be the anchor of electioneering and find society to be progressive. The politicians that want to capitalise on the cheap populism of promising the electorate that by getting rid of migrants, the economy will have more jobs, crime will be lessened, are indeed lost and ill-advised. The role of migrants in creating jobs, providing essential services, provision of scarce skills, FDI, is ignored by these myopic views and this is a fault of lack of understanding and must be understood in that light and unfortunately such ignorance is very expensive and mainly costed in terms of human life which is unacceptable. The law must come to play to ensure that this is prevented particularly in terms of the cost of human life.We have information pointing to the death of a person(s) and injury to some due to the unrest in Durban and we need to emphasise that loss of life is very regrettable and cannot be condoned whether this be migrant life or native South African life and this needs proactive government intervention to encourage peaceful co-existence of migrant and native communities to be integrated and exist as one South African community fighting crime and social ills as a single South African rainbow community. This will help prevent such loss of life and the law must also be allowed to take its course where ever it has been offended upon.We urge the police to act decisively when called to xenophobic hot spots which could even be opportunistic criminally activities taking advantage of the political hype created by the xenophobic sentiments of some politicians and we also understand the strain on national resources like the shortage of police officers as alluded to by the President as informed by the police minister, we understand all these dynamics, and call for preventative measures and working with the migrant communities to set up warning measures and system to curb and deal decisively with anyone flouting the law from native South African communities or from migrant communities without favour.In closing we call upon all peace-loving South Africans to work with migrant communities to help protect them from those seeking to attack or take advantage of them or even those in the migrant community denting the name of others by engaging in criminal activities. We call upon all leaders to lead in blaming and condemning these acts of xenophobia and pledge to be on the fore-fronting in fighting the crime of xenophobia.By the ADF ChairpersonDr Vusumuzi Sibanda - 0814606572sibandav@adf.org.za
- T. S. Eliot

Thoughts After Lambeth

"The World is trying the experiment of attempting to form a civilized but non-Christian mentality. The experiment will fail; but we must be very patient in awaiting its collapse; meanwhile redeeming the time: so that the Faith may be preserved alive through the dark ages before us; to renew and rebuild civilization, and save the World from suicide."
Skuli Mogensen, CEO of WOW air, poses with cabin crew members in 2017. Photo: REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol/File Photo

The budget airline Wow air has collapsed, leaving passengers stranded after all flights were cancelled.

The Icelandic carrier became the latest airline to cease operations today, abruptly announcing its closure just hours after saying it had suspended flights to raise funds.

Many customers took to social media in disbelief on discovering their flights to and from Iceland had been cancelled altogether, with the airline advising passengers to search for flights elsewhere.

READ MORE: Heres why European airlines keep going bust

The announcement will also come as a devastating blow to around 1,000 staff at the airline. The firm had already revealed plans to cut 111 jobs and cut its fleet size to 11 planes to reduce costs.

Hey @wow_air ! my girlfriend is gonna miss her grandfathers funeral because of you this,i have nothing but deep hate and disrespect for this company  heal me (@amireallyleon) March 28, 2019

@wowairsupport I am in Berlin having purchased a round trip ticket with Wow Air and am now stranded with no flight home that I have already paid for. Havent received any email regarding this or any notice of a refund  had to find out through Twitter. Terrible.  Alex Spence (@alex0spence) March 28, 2019

@AirCanada My mom and friend are now stranded in Iceland due to @wow_air ceasing operations. They were due to fly on Saturday morning. Can you help them get home? Rescue Fare back to Ontario available?  DeeBee (@DMBDisciple) March 28, 2019

My @wow_air flight from BWI tonight is delayed almost 4hI feel terrible for the family here with cranky kids #beenthere course, if this plane doesnt take off at 11 like they promise I may rival those kids with my own crankiness  Denise E. (@dcrre) March 28, 2019

READ MORE: Boeing unveils fix for its jets after Ethiopian Airlines disaster

Story continues

The company had been under pressure from creditors, but had said only this morning it was in the final stages of completing an equity fundraising with a group of investors.

On Tuesday Wow air said it had achieved an important milestone in restructuring the firm, after bondholders approved plans to convert their bonds into equity and talks with investors began.

It had previously been in talks with rival Icelandair last week, but the discussions appear to have broken down. Last year the privately-held airline had come close to being bought in an all-share deal with Icelandair, but the rival pulled out, according to Reuters.

Indigo Partners, a private equity fund, also cancelled a proposed investment last week.





The airline said on its website today: Wow air has ceased operation. All Wow air flights have been cancelled.

Passengers are advised to check available flights with other airlines. Some airlines may offer flights at a reduced rate, so-called rescue fares, in light of the circumstances. Information on those airlines will be published, when it becomes available.

Only last year the firm had announced an ambitious vision to expand into India, the worlds fastest-growing aviation market, through low-cost long-haul flights between India and North America.

The firms founder and CEO, entrepreneur Skuli Mogensen, also won Marketing Man of the Year in Iceland in 2017 and a national Business Man of the Year award in 2011 and 2016.

Mogensen founded the firm in 2012, and by 2018 Wow air was carrying 3.5 million passengers a year.

READ MORE: What to watch today  Wow air collapse, Debenhams rescue and probe into funeral costs
By Lusha Zhang and Ryan Woo BEIJING (Reuters) - People.cn, the online unit of China's influential People's Daily, is boosting its numbers of human internet censors backed by artificial intelligence to help firms vet content on apps and adverts, capitalizing on its unmatched Communist Party lineage. Demand for online censoring services provided by Shanghai-listed People.cn has soared since last year after China tightened its already strict online censorship rules. As a unit of the People's Daily - the ruling Communist Party's mouthpiece - it is seen by clients as the go-to online censor. Investors concur, lifting shares in People.cn by around 240 percent since the start of 2019. "The biggest advantage of People.cn is its precise grasp of policy trends," said An Fushuang, an independent analyst based in Shenzhen. In recent years, China has shut tens of thousands of websites and social media accounts that contained what it said was illegal content as well as "vulgar" and pornographic material. Tibet, Taiwan, the 1989 crackdown on Tiananmen Square, and even local government scandals, are also sensitive topics prone to censorship. People.cn has clinched deals with tech firms including leading news aggregator Jinri Toutiao to identify and delete material that does not meet government guidelines. Its other partners include Liangziyun, a Shenzhen-based tech company that operates nearly 1,000 social media accounts and has hundreds of millions of followers. Full-year net income is expected to have risen as much as 140 percent, People.cn said in late January, the biggest annual increase since 2011. That would mean net profit of as high as 214.8 million yuan ($31.93 million). Revenue from its censoring business is forecast to have jumped 166 percent last year, the company said in a filing to the Shanghai Stock Exchange. Encouraged by surging revenue, People.cn is raising a bigger army of censors. This month, it signed a strategic deal with the government of Jinan in eastern Shandong province to help the city become China's censorship capital. People.cn, whose content-vetting business already has hundreds of employees, will set up an affiliate company in Jinan, the official Jinan Daily reported, drawn by the city's proximity to Beijing and ample supply of college graduates that could join the firm as content analysts. People.cn declined to comment when asked by Reuters about its expansion plans and expected earnings, due out in mid-April. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Types of content vetted by People.cn include images, texts, music, video, apps, games, advertisements and animations, according to the company. People.cn's online content review platform can detect and remove most sensitive online material via artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning algorithms, Ye Zhenzhen, president of People.cn, wrote in an article in February. The bottom-line is to filter out and block harmful information and spot and correct false ideas in time, Ye said. Content that AI has trouble recognizing and information in "grey areas" such as metaphors and subtle references is left to human analysts. "The platform adjusts key words for monitoring from time to time according to directives from the Communist Party propaganda department," said a Beijing-based manager at a major U.S.-listed Chinese tech company that had collaborated with People.cn to develop AI technology for its platform. The platform continues to learn new words and rules on its own, for example by memorizing state media reports, the person, who was not authorized to speak to media, told Reuters. "With some big-name social media accounts being shuttered recently, companies are paying more and more attention to content compliance," said independent researcher An. "And with the development of 5G, the space and scale for the online content censorship market will only grow bigger and bigger." ($1 = 6.7282 Chinese yuan renminbi) (Reporting by Lusha Zhang ang Ryan Woo.; Editing by Lincoln Feast)
Oil pumps against sunset

Oil has rallied sharply since the start of 2019, making gains that were unexpected by many analysts and industry insiders. The international price Brent has soared by 23% to trade at over US$66 per barrel. Surprisingly, the differential to West Texas Intermediate (WTI) has narrowed to see the North American benchmark selling for US$59 a barrel. There are signs that crude will move higher over the course of 2019, making now the time for investors to buy intermediate oil producer Parex Resources (TSX:PXT).

Quality assets

Parex owns over two million gross acres in Colombia covering 21 blocks in the Andean nations Llanos, Middle, and Lower Magdalena basins. This gives the driller proven and probable reserves of 185 million barrels of oil equivalent with a production life of 10 years and an after-tax net present value of US$3.4 billion, or around $28 per share. That is 37% higher than Parexs current market value and indicates the considerable upside available to investors, particularly should oil rally further as anticipated.

The value of those reserves will expand as oil moves higher. This is because they were calculated using an average assumed 2019 price for Brent of US$63.25 per barrel, which is 5% lower than the current spot price of US$66 a barrel.

Importantly, over a third of Parexs reserves are categorized as proved developed producing, which  along with the drillers demonstrated history of developing its oil assets  indicates that it can fully maximize the value of those reserves.

Parex also reported an impressive 2018 proven and probable reserve-replacement rate of 238% along with a 14% year-over-year increase in the volume of its oil reserves. That coupled with the company growing its proven and probable reserves at a compound annual growth rate of 29% since 2014 can be attributed to its quality oil acreage and enviable history of exploration success.

Growing production

For 2018, Parex reported that its oil output had risen by 25% year over year to 44,408 barrels daily with a very healthy operating netback of US$41.44 per barrel pumped. That is among the best netbacks reported by intermediate oil producers operating in Colombia. It is this considerable operational profitability along with Parexs ability to consistently expand its oil output which makes it a very appealing play on higher oil.

Story continues

Aside from the quality of its Colombian oil assets, as underscored by their low decline rates and operating costs, Parex can generate such high netbacks because it can access international Brent pricing. This gives it a distinct financial advantage over its peers solely focused on operating in Canada, because Brent is trading at a premium of over US$7 a barrel to the North American benchmark WTI.

For 2019, Parex has forecast oil production of around 53,000 barrels daily, which is 19% greater than 2018. It anticipates that if Brent averages US$60 a barrel during 2019, it will generate a cash netback of around US$26 per barrel, and that will rise to US$29 a barrel if the international benchmark averages US$65 per barrel.

Why it is time to buy Parex

When coupled with the healthy boost in production and higher-than-expected oil prices, it is feasible to see Parexs earnings grow at a decent clip over the course of 2019. What makes the driller particularly appealing is that it has no long-term debt and can fund its planned production growth and exploration activities from the cash flow generated by its operations. That endows Parex with considerable financial flexibility and reduces much of the risk associated with upstream oil producers.

More reading

Fool contributor Matt Smith has no position in any of the stocks mentioned.

The Motley Fools purpose is to help the world invest, better. Click here now for your free subscription to Take Stock, The Motley Fool Canadas free investing newsletter. Packed with stock ideas and investing advice, it is essential reading for anyone looking to build and grow their wealth in the years ahead. Motley Fool Canada 2019
Air Canada and WestJet "dropped the ball," says the family of a 15-year-old girl who was stranded alone overnight at Calgary International Airport.

Emma Fenton was flying solo from Kelowna, B.C., to visit family in Fort St. John, B.C., on March 23, but she got stuck late at night in the Calgary airport after an Air Canada flight delay, a route change and a complex ticketing error.

"I felt very helpless, knowing she was there by herself at the airport," said Emma's stepmother, Christy Fenton, who had been awaiting Emma's flight in Fort St. John.

Emma spent the night on the airport floor as her parents attempted to reach Air Canada and WestJet.

"I was just so tired and so ready to go home," said the teen.

Albert Couillard/CBC

The problems began that morning in Kelowna, where Emma's initial flight was delayed by a combination of spring break travel volumes and the grounding of Boeing 737 Max 8 planes, said her family.

Rerouted to Calgary

When it appeared Emma would miss her connecting flight, Air Canada offered to reroute her to Calgary, where she could catch a WestJet flight to Fort St John.

But WestJet agents in Kelowna weren't able to "complete" her new ticket or give her a boarding pass, the family said.

She was told the matter would be resolved at the departure gate in Calgary.

But once in Calgary, Emma said, WestJet staff directed her to leave the airport's secure area and visit the WestJet ticket counter.

But by then, the WestJet and Air Canada counters were not staffed, and the flight left without her.

Contributed/Christy Fenton

'They didn't do the right thing'

Emma has flown many times between her parents' homes. But she said nothing quite prepared her for the runaround that left her stranded.

"They didn't even try to be helpful at all," she said of airline staff. "They [were] just kinda like  not our problem, go away. That's kinda what it felt like."

Her stepmother said the airlines should have done more to help the young traveller.

Story continues

"They didn't do the right thing. They left a 15-year-old without a confirmed flight and then sent her out through security when there was no one there to help her," said Christy Fenton.

"Not one, but two airlines dropped the ball."

'Hadn't slept in over 24 hours'

The next morning, Emma was able to fly out of Calgary  but only as far as Grande Prairie, Alta., more than two hours from her destination of Fort St John.

"She was a mess actually," said Christy Fenton, who drove to the Alberta airport to pick her up. "She hadn't slept in over 24 hours ... she was pretty drained."

Air Canada said Emma should have had adequate time to sort out any problems with her ticket during her Calgary layover, and "can't explain" WestJet's actions or the agents' direction to leave the secure area. The airline said three other passengers were able to make the connection.

WestJet, Air Canada apologize

On Thursday, Air Canada said, " We have been in contact with the family and apologized."

When CBC News first inquired about the incident, WestJet deferred questions about Emma's trip to Air Canada, the original booking agent.

The airline also said guests over age 12 who travel alone are subject to adult travel policies.

WestJet apologized on Wednesday.

"Following a fulsome investigation by our teams, it appears that this guest experienced an unfortunate series of events," said Morgan Bell, a media and public relations adviser for WestJet.

"We will most certainly use this situation as a learning for our teams, as in no case, regardless of the carrier responsible, would we be comfortable with a 15-year-old being left alone overnight in an airport.

"We sincerely apologize for not going above and beyond for this guest and letting her and her family down during her travels."

WestJet said Air Canada should have properly issued the ticket for Fenton's rerouted flight or made WestJet aware of any ticketing error earlier.

And WestJet said that because travel can be unpredictable, guests under the age of 18 travelling without an adult should have "a plan in place to handle any potential issues."

It's not the first time a travelling teenager has been stranded alone at a major Canadian airport.

In three separate incidents  in 2017, 2016, and 2013  teenage travellers were stuck alone overnight at Pearson International Airport in Toronto.

Listen to the full interview with Emma's mother, Christy Fenton:
The UN expert investigating the brutal killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi is calling on the government of Saudi Arabia to make public the names of the accused and the evidence against them, and to open the secretive hearings to independent observers.

Khashoggi, a Saudi national who had been critical of Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, was killed on Oct. 2 inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

After providing several contradictory statements  including insisting Khashoggi had left the consulate alive  Saudi Arabia indicted 11 people in connection with his murder, seeking the death penalty against five of them.

Khashoggi's body has never been recovered.

"To date, the trial of those alleged to be involved in the killing of Mr. Khashoggi has proceeded largely in secrecy, both in terms of the proceedings and substance," said Agnes Callamard in a statement released today.

"The trial is held behind closed doors."

The Saudi kingdom has invited representatives from the five permanent veto-wielding members on the Security Council  the U.S., U.K., France, Russia and China  to observe "at least some of the hearings," explained Callamard.

But she said their presence raises more concerns than it answers.

"We should not be expecting them to provide an international, impartial, technical observation of the trial," Callamard told CBC News in an interview. "It's just not their role."

More worrisome, she said, is the possibility that the presence of state observers may give Riyadh international cover from critics "to legitimize a trial that is clearly not meeting international standards."

"They should release information regarding the circumstances, rules and outcomes of their observation," the UN rapporteur said. International NGOs, such as Human Rights Watch, have also called for transparency. In the statement, she also cautions they risk being complicit in a potential "miscarriage of justice."

Story continues

'We are watching closely'

The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said it, too, has pushed Riyadh for accountability in the "horrific murder" of Khashoggi. A spokesperson for the FCO confirmed the U.K. is "part of a group of international observers" following the hearings, but stopped short of saying it would make those observations public.

"We are watching closely and expect the continuing investigation to proceed in line with internationally recognized legal standards."

Virginia Mayo/Associated Press

Callamard, meanwhile, is demanding that the Saudi government do more.

She wants Riyadh to invite "international, independent monitors" with expertise and a proven track record in monitoring trials, such as the International Bar Association, to follow the hearings.

She also wants them to disclose what is being done to retrieve the body of the slain writer. Callamard said the extreme distress caused to Khashoggi's family by not knowing what happened to him, or where his remains are, is "recognized under international law as a form of torture."

Diplomatic disputes

Saudia Arabia has long been criticized by state and non-state actors for its record on human rights.

That was thrust into the spotlight again last summer when Saudi Arabia and Canada were involved in a Twitter-fuelled row over Riyadh's jailing of women's rights defenders.

Callamard questions whether the international community's silence in the wake of Ottawa's tweet calling for the release of the activists, and the ensuing retaliation by Riyadh, may have helped foster an atmosphere of impunity among those who carried out the murder.

The kingdom's reaction to the tweet was swift and substantial. It expelled Canada's ambassador, suspended flights to Canada on its national airline, and ordered a freeze on new trade and investment deals with Ottawa.

"Had more countries rallied around Canada  It would have been more difficult for those people to proceed," she said.

"I feel that maybe Mr. Khashoggi would still be alive now."

While Riyadh has admitted the crime was committed by Saudi nationals, it has denied the royal family, which rules the country, was aware or involved in any way.

Multiple reports by U.S. media have said the CIA believes that the crown prince was complicit in the killing.

Denis Balibouse/Reuters

Riyadh has demonstrated little patience for any form of public criticism as evidenced by similar spats with Germany and Sweden in the past.

Callamard insists states can't be afraid to confront bad actors.

"If you are not being told off when you do something wrong, you just keep going," she said.

Since her initial fact-finding mission to Turkey in January, Callamard has met with officials in the U.S., France, U.K. and Canada. In February she spoke with Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland in Ottawa.

''We fully support the UN special rapporteur's inquiry. Canada is working with its partners, including the UN, and calls for a thorough, credible and independent international investigation,'' said a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada.

Public rebuke

Earlier this month, 36 states including Canada, New Zealand and all the countries of the European Union, signed a joint statement condemning the killing and calling on the kingdom to co-operate "with all investigations." The statement also urged officials to release women's rights' defenders.

This unprecedented action was initiated by Iceland which replaced the United States on the global-rights body. The latter withdrew last July blaming the council's "chronic bias against Israel." The U.S. did not sign on to the statement.

Sveinn Guomarsson, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Reykjavik, said after the Khashoggi killing, his government and others felt it was "high time to end the silence in the council" and send a message that extra-judicial killings are "simply unacceptable."

Saudi Arabia, which is also a member of the 47-member rights council, rejected the call for an international probe calling it ''interference in our domestic affairs.''

Callamard believes the collective condemnation signals "a turning point in the public critique of a very powerful state."
Piers Morgan labelled Meghan a social climber on Australias Today Show [Photos: PA]

Piers Morgan has branded the Duchess of Sussex a social climber, and accused her of using people to get to the top, in another tirade against the former actress.

The Good Morning Britain presenter, 53, claimed Meghan, 37, ditched me like a sack of potatoes when she started dating Prince Harry, on Australias Today Show.

Presenter Deborah Knight asked Mr Morgan: Is Meghan really fake and a piece of work as I know youve said before?

He responded with: Im sorry to have to say to this, but Im afraid I think she is. I got to know her quite well over a two-year period and we would message each other a lot, email each other a lot.

Although some people are falling for this act, Im afraid I see a bit of a hard-nosed actress whos been using people on her way up to what is now, of course, the top.  @piersmorgan shares his thoughts on the Duchess of Sussex. #9Today pic.twitter.com/rsxjPKLM9S  The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) March 27, 2019

Morgan says the pair began corresponding after he began following her on Twitter in 2015 and recalled the time they met up in his local pub when she visited London in 2016.

She said Im coming to London, can we meet up? We went to my local pub, I had a couple of pints of real ale, she had a couple of Dirty Martinis and we chewed the fat for a couple of hours.

She said afterwards from her cab, I had such a great time, love to see you again. It was purely platonic, I hasten to add.

But she went in that cab that night to a party where Prince Harry was at and the next night she went on a date with him. I never heard from her again, ever.

Morgan claims Meghan ditched him when she began dating Harry [Photo: Getty]

Morgan said he thought it was rude, adding: It showed me that she, Im afraid, is probably a bit of a social climber.

Story continues

Although some people really like her and are falling for this act, Im afraid I see a bit of a hard-nosed actress, whos been using people on her way up to, what is now of course the top, which is marrying into the Royal Family.

READ MORE: Rumours of a rift are undoubtedly true, says royal author

When Harry and Meghan announced their engagement in November 2017, Morgan revealed how delighted he was for the couple in his column for The Daily Mail.

He said that it was perfectly understandable under the circumstances, that he hadnt heard from Meghan again after news of her relationship broke.

It seems that hes changed his tune since then and has continually bleated about being ditched by her.

Meghan is expecting her first child next month and has no more scheduled public engagements in her diary.


On 15 March 2019, the National Copyright Administration of China (NCAC) published the 10 Highlights of Copyright in China 2018 . This national-level review is of good referential value to know the status quo of copyright protection in this country ... or even just to know what qualified as the top 10 events in the eyes of the NCAC.







1. Reorganisation





the Plan for Deepening the Institutional Reform of the Party and State released by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (the CPC Central Committee) in March 2018 (the full text is available In accordance withreleased by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (the CPC Central Committee) in March 2018 (the full text is available here , only in Chinese), the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee started to administer copyright, the press and publication, and the film sectors. So now the NCAC is part of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee.





2. Better ecosystem for online music





In 2018, the NCAC continued promoting the cooperation in copyright licensing between the major online music service providers, such as Tencent Music, Netease Cloud Music, and Ali Music. Significantly, over 99% of their exclusive musical works were opened to license. The NCAC also instructed parties to improve copyright authorisation models and eventually to promote the construction of a healthy and orderly online music copyright ecology.





3. Sword Net 2018





From July to December 2018, the NCAC, together with the National Internet Information Office, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and the Ministry of Public Security launched the "Sword Net 2018" special action to tackle copyright infringements in the emerging short video field.





In accordance with the requirements of the action, the 15 main short video platforms, such as Douyin, namely the Chinese version of Tiktok, strengthened copyright protection and actively fulfilled their own corporate responsibilities. Accordingly, in total of 570,000 short video works containing alleged infringements were taken down.





The 15 main players in the Chinese short video market





4. China Financial Media Copyright Protection Alliance





On 15 December 2018, more than 30 mainstream Chinese financial medias launched a joint action called China Financial Media Copyright Protection Alliance, aimed at defending the copyrights specifically owned by financial and economic media and to fight against the unauthorised reprinting of news works. This initiative was expected to enhance their bargaining power over the reprinted works, and to normalise the regular monitoring, rights protection, and market-oriented transactions, in order to promote the healthy development of the entire news copyright market.





5. E-commerce platform and anti-piracy alliance work together to crack down online piracy





On 21 October 2018, during the 7th China International Copyright Expo, Alibaba Group and the Beijing-based 15 Anti-Piracy Alliance signed a collaboration agreement to protect books copyright. Shortly afterwards, on 9 November 2018, during the China International Import Expo, Pinduoduo (see a Kats post on Pinduoduo here ) signed cooperative agreements on the protection of books copyright with both the Beijing-based 15 Anti-Piracy Alliance and the Children's Publishing Anti-Piracy Alliance.





Multiple parties have been jointly promoted the co-governance of copyright and strengthened the cooperation with both the e-commerce platform and the right holders. New measures to curb multiple kinds of infringements from the source continued to emerge.





6. Special action to protect the copyright of Mr. Jin Yongs works





Jin Yong (in Chinese:, the pseudonym of Louis Cha Leung-yung, ) is a legendary Chinese martial arts fiction novelist. He captured the hearts of millions globally as over 300 million copies of his works have been (in Chinese:, the pseudonym of Louis Cha Leung-yung, ) is a legendary Chinese martial arts fiction novelist. He captured the hearts of millions globally as over 300 million copies of his works have been reportedly sold worldwide. On 30 October 2018, Mr. Jin Yong passed away at age 94. Millions of fans mourned his death but meanwhile, some illegal merchants took the opportunity to make profits from piracy.





A Legend of Wuxia Literature

In response, the copyright enforcements of multiple regions operated series of investigations to protect Mr. Jin Yongs copyrights. Notably, Beijing Shunyi (district), Tianjin Jinghai (county), Zhejiang Hangzhou (city), Guangdong Guangzhou (city), Henan Zhengzhou (city) seized approx.180,000, 110,000, 27,000, 20,000, 10,000 allegedly pirated books, respectively.





7. Beijing Internet Court hears the first copyright case





The Beijing Internet Court was established on 9 September 2018. The first case heard by the Court was a dispute in relation to the rights to distribution through Internet between short video streaming platforms Douyin and Huopai. The case was also the first in China in which a platform helped users defend their rights. Douyin requested the court to order Huopai to stop the infringement, apologise, and to pay a fine of CNY 1 million.





The case is not final yet. One significance of the case was that the Court confirmed short videos could fulfil the originality requirement.





8. 2018 China Copyright Gold Awards





To encourage the individuals and organisations that had made outstanding contributions in the creation, utilisation, protection and management of copyrights, on 19 October 2018, WIPO and the NCAC held the award ceremony for the 2018 China Copyright Gold Award in Suzhou, announcing the winners of the Creativity Award, Award for Copyright Utilisation, Award for Copyright Protection and the Award for Copyright Administration Management.









9. The value-added of the Chinese copyright industry exceeded CNY 6 trillion





On 25 December 2018, the China Press and Publication Research Institute released the results of the economic contribution of China's copyright industry in 2017: the value-added of China's copyright industry was CNY 6.08 trillion, accounting for 7.35% of the national GDP. Specifically, the added-value of the core copyright industry was CNY 3.81 trillion, accounting for 4.61% of Chinas GDP. In 2017, the market scale of China's online copyright industry reached CNY 636.5 billion, with a year-on-year increase of 27.2%.





The important role of the copyright industry in promoting economic and social development has become increasingly prominent in China.





10. Copyright judicial trial rules continued to improve





the Guide to the Trial of Infringement of Copyright Cases (available In April 2018, the Beijing Higher Peoples Court promulgated(available here , but only in Chinese), involving 11 key matters, including for instance the basic regulations, ownership, infringement determination, and grounds for defence.





the Provisions of the Supreme People's Court on several issues concerning the application of law in examining cases involving act preservation in intellectual property disputes (available In December 2018, the Supreme Peoples Court issued(available here ), addressing four main matters, namely the procedural rules, substantive rules, the identification and the processing of the wrong application of the behavioural preservation, and the removal of behavioural preservation measures.





The introduction of a series of judicial and relevant rules is of great significance for improving the quality of trials in intellectual property cases.























Photoes courtesy:



1st pic: tootie_bunface
C.S. Lewis, in his book,Mere Christianity, asked the question, Is Christianity hard or easy? To be honest, if anyone tells you that following Christ is easy and that you are going to be healthy, successful, and wealthy, he or she isnt telling you the truth. In fact, life gets more difficult after we come to Christ.

In Luke 9:23, Jesus said, If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up His cross daily and follow me. Taking up the cross means being willing to die to follow Jesus. Denying yourself means surrendering your life to Christ. Thus, Christianity is hard. However, at the same time, Jesus said that it is also easy. In Matthew 11:30, Jesus said that His yoke is easy, and His burden is light. Therefore,the answer to the previous question is that the Christian life is both hard and easy at the same time, and Lewis gives the reason for that, which is the whole transformation of our inner being.

Christianity is Hard

The moment we stepped into the relationship with Jesus Christ, our life gets hard. The struggle against sin and flesh become more intense, and it seems never-ending. Moreover, being a Christian is also difficult because we are going against the current world around us. In John 15:19, Jesus said, I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.

Furthermore, it is hard to be a Christian because Jesus tells us to deny ourselves and to take up the cross daily to follow Jesus. Being a Christian means that you have to give up your life, your fleshly desires, and your sinful way of life, and it is a tough call.

Yet, Christianity is Easy at the Same Time.

Jesus describes the Christian life as very hard, but also easy at the same time. Being a Christian is hard, and yet it is easy because your whole inner being is being transformed, and that is C.S. Lewiss point in his book,Mere Christianity. He states that the whole aim of Christianity is the transformation of the human natureso that we can be drawn to the Father through the Son.

The Scripture also tells us that the aim of Christianity is the transformation of the inner being. In Roman 12:2, the apostle Paul says, Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. The apostle Paul tells Christians to be transformed through the renewing of the mind, and transformation involves those who were far from God being drawn near to Him through His blood (Ephesians Chapter 2 Verse13). The purpose of Christians being transformed by the renewing of the mind is to be drawn closer to God through His Son, Jesus Christ.It is true that being a Christian is hard, but we often fail to realize that trials and hardships are meant by God to transform us so that we can be drawn closer to Him.

The church of Christ also exists for the purpose of drawing men closer to God. Lewis writes, The Church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time. In other words, church activities such as preaching, teaching, studying the Bible, or evangelizing are often considered the end in themselves but in fact, they are only the instruments for the ultimate goal, which is the transformation of human nature. Furthermore, Lewis states that it is possible that the activities of the entire universe are geared toward the goal of drawing us to the Father through the Son.

As Christians, we should not be discouraged when life gets hard. Jesus clearly states that life is supposed to be hard. However, because it is hard, we will be drawn closer to God the Father through Jesus Christ.

Dat Nguyen is a student at the Masters Seminary and a member of Grace Community Church in Los Angeles, California. His desire is to be a faithful minister of the Word of God. Heloves playing basketball and American football and watching movies.
Genesis Chapter 37 Verses 23-24 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the ornate robe he was wearing, and they took him and threw him into the cistern. The cistern was empty; there was no water in it.

Here it isrepresenting a clear context, in which Joseph was threw in a vulnerable situation, several times in during our life, people will put us on undesirable circumstances orevents that will not be under our control may occur.

Waiting for God

Nevertheless, what we do in those situations? Its usually for us stand with crossed arms, waiting for God to solve the issue for us, watching the course of things without knowing what directions will take. Just as it happened with Joseph, he was captured by the brothers, into a hole, taken from the hole and from it and then sold to Midianites

(Genesis Chapter 28 So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt).

God will deliver

Perhaps Joseph had no clue what he could do at that moment, he felt totally vulnerable and weak to fight the forces contrary to his direction,but even in vulnerable circumstances, God is always with us, he can deliver us even though our reaction to the situation is still waiting for things to improve without acting.(Genesis Chapter 39, verses 2-3The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did).

Gods power

Nevertheless, there will be situations in which we will have to act,certainly those would not be the last circumstances in which Joseph would be vulnerable,God showed his power through Joseph in a fragile condition in which he acted peacefully, but now God intended to show his power through the power of Jose's actions under circumstances

(Genesis Chapter 39, verses 7-8 And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand).

Here we see Josephfirst reaction to adversity, he had to take the initiative and say not the Potiphar wife and we can see in the sequence of the story that God raised him even more. Every so often, when we found at vulnerable situations, so we need to have the courage to act and trust God, because many times he expects our initiative as proof of faith that He will be in charge.

Liliana Ferrao is from Mozambique, currently living and studying in Queensland at James Cook University. lilianaferrao4@hotmail.com




At the 2019 IPCPRR Trade Show, Steve Sakas Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust will release an offshoot of his Mi Querida line known as the Mi Querida Triqui Traca. Saka made the announcement on a video posted to his Facebook page.

The genesis of the Mi Querida Triqui Traca goes back to the Mi Querida Firecracker project that Saka did for New Hampshire-based retailer, Two Guys Smoke Shop in 2018. The Firecracker project features blends by leading manufacturers put into a 3 1/2 x 50 size featuring a long fuse much like a Firecracker. For that project, Saka released the Mi Querida Firecracker using an alternative blend that was stronger than the original Firecracker. With Mi Querida Triqui Traca, Saka takes that alternative blend and releases it in two other formats.

Mi Querida Triqui Traca will be released in a 5 x 52 and a 6 x 48 format. The 3 1/2 x 50 Firecracker size will remain exclusive to Two Guys Smoke Shop, and Saka says another 500 boxes will be released to the retailer this year.

As for the name, Saka says it is a Nicaraguan slang word that references large firecrackers that almost resemble sticks of dynamite. These are typically set off on the streets during celebrations in Nicaragua.

Packaging wise, Saka says the cigars will have red bands and will also feature a chevron on the packaging.
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New York, March 28, 2019  Mauritanian authorities should immediately release bloggers Abderrahmane Weddady and Cheikh Ould Jiddou and stop detaining journalists on false news charges, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Weddady and Jiddou each responded to a summons by Mauritanias Economic Crimes Unit on March 22 and have been detained since then, according to posts on each bloggers Facebook page and Nasser Weddady, the bloggers brother, who spoke with CPJ.

The two are currently being held at Dar Naim prison, Weddadys brother said, and are awaiting trial after being charged with spreading false news. Nasser Weddady added that each blogger was subject to an 18-hour interrogation on March 25 without a lawyer present.

The jailing of Abderrahmane Weddady and Cheikh Ould Jiddou is an outrage, and the charges against them demonstrate how allegations of false news are weaponized against journalists who are critical of those in power, CPJ Advocacy Director Courtney Radsch said from Washington, D.C. Mauritanian authorities must free both bloggers immediately and stop persecuting the news media.

Jiddou and Weddady have reported on corruption in Mauritania, including on allegations that President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz misappropriated funds, had a $2 billion account in the United Arab Emirates, and benefited from illicit real estate schemes run by his friend, according to Weddadys brother and news reports.

President Abdel Aziz has denied the allegations that he misappropriated funds, and Finance Minister Moctar Ould Diay said that the presidents friend acted according to the law, according to news reports. The Mauritanian Embassy in Washington, D.C., did not answer the phone when CPJ called to request comment on the bloggers detention and charges, as well as the allegations against the president. An email to the office of the Mauritanian ambassador to the U.S. seeking comment on the bloggers case and on the allegations against the president did not receive a response.

Both bloggers were summoned by the Economic Crimes Unit in early March and questioned about their reporting on the misappropriation allegations against the president, and were asked why they did not file an official complaint rather than writing about it online, according to Weddadys brother, who added that authorities seized the bloggers passports and identification cards after the interrogation was finished.

Nasser Weddady told CPJ that his brother is prediabetic, and therefore needs to eat at regular intervals; he said that while his family has been bringing food to Dar Naim prison for his brother, he does not believe it is being given to him in a timely manner.

Last year, Mauritanian authorities jailed two journalists for a week over a defamation complaint from a businessman whom they alleged had ties to the government, according to CPJ reporting.
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Replacing poles and wires with renewables and battery storage on parts of Australia's electricity network could 'save hundreds of millions of dollars' in network costs and deliver more reliable supply, according to energy minister Angus Taylor.Taylor's clean energy epiphany - at least for the edge of grid - was delivered as part of Coalition plans to underwrite the establishment of up to 50 'affordable and reliable' renewable microgrids around the country, via a new $50.4 million purpose-built fund.But they're not going to just go out and do it. In a statement on Thursday  and just weeks out from a May federal election  Taylor said the Regional and Remote Communities Reliability Fund would investigate whether establishing new microgrids or upgrading microgrids was cost-effective.Where feasibility studies found microgrids to be economically viable, the statement said, communities could upgrade existing diesel generation or take advantage of local generation and storage opportunities.Of course, plenty of evidence already exists to show that shifting remote and fringe-of grid communities to, say, solar and battery storage, is a great deal cheaper than any other available alternatives, not to mention better for the environment and easier to manage in an increasingly volatile climate.In Western Australia, the state government-owned utility Horizon Power has been investigating this very pathway on various parts of its own unwieldy grid for several years, with consistently impressive results.So impressive, in fact, that the Labor McGowan has now committed to a major grid transformation that will replace 54km of ageing power lines with stand-alone solar and battery systems.As we reported here earlier this month, site are set to begin any day now on works to prepare for the installation of 13 Micro Power Systems across 14 rural properties (one of those systems will service two properties) in the state's south.The stand-alone MPS will use a combination of solar and battery technology, with back-up diesel generation, to provide power for farmers living on the edge of the grid in the Esperance and Condingup regions.The state's other government-owned utility, Western Power, is doing a similar thing, but on a much larger scale  fitting 57 regional properties with stand alone solar and battery storage.A statement from W.A. energy minister Bill Johnston last monthsaid the cost of servicing the 57 SPS (stand-alone power system) units for their entire working life would save Western Power almost $6 million, compared to traditional network refurbishment.But credit where it's due; Taylor  who has previously complained that there is already far too much solar on Australia's networks, and not enough 'fair dinkum power' also hopes the fund will unlock private sector and community investment in new generation and storage.It is also hoped that the new fund it will enable new forms of microgrid 'ownership,' taking proposals like the Daintree region project to investment stage  and 'guiding' them to additional support, potentially from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation or the Australian Renewable Energy Agency.The Daintree project has been a pet of the Coalition government since back when Josh Frydenberg was energy minister, during which time an ARENA-backed analysis from Sunverge examined five optionsto power the World Heritage-listed rainforest region.These included single and multiple electrical micro-grids with high renewables uptake and a gas micro grid with renewables and bio methane.'As the cost of providing off-grid electricity continues to fall, in some cases it will be cheaper to provide off-grid supply rather than maintain and replace the long power lines that connect remote customers to the grid,' Taylor said in Thursday's statement.'Moving some remote customers to off-grid supply could save hundreds of millions of dollars in network costs and reduce bushfire risks. Microgrids will also deliver more reliable supply to remote communities.'Sophie VorrathSophie is editor of One Step Off The Gridand deputy editor of its sister site, Renew Economy. Sophie has been writing about clean energy for more than a decade.
Migrants hijacked a cargo ship in Libyan waters Wednesday and forced the crew to redirect the vessel north to Europe, according to Italian and Maltese authorities.As the vessel headed in a direction leading to the island nation of Malta or Italy's shores, both countries vowed to keep the hijacked ship out of their territorial waters.Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini identified the ship as the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1 and said the crew earlier rescued migrants in the Mediterranean Sea.He put the number of migrants on board at around 120 and described what was happening as 'the first act of piracy on the high seas with migrants that hijacked' a cargo ship.'Poor castaways, who hijack a merchant ship that saved them because they want to decide the route of the cruise,' Italian news agency ANSA quoted Salvini saying with sarcasm.A private group that operates a rescue ship and monitors how governments treat migrants, Mediterranea Saving Humans, urged compassion for the group on the hijacked vessel and said it hoped European countries would act 'in the name of fundamental rights, remembering that we are dealing with human beings fleeing hell'.The Armed Forces of Malta said military personnel were standing by and the tanker still was in Libyan territorial waters as of early Wednesday night.A Maltese military official told Maltese media the ship was carrying 108 migrants. The official was not authorised to speak to reporters and requested anonymity.The official also said Malta would not allow the ship to enter the country's waters.Salvini said weather conditions were not good and it was too early to tell if the ship was being directed toward Malta or Italy's Lampedusa island. But he had a message for the pirates: 'Forget about Italy.'
Pregnant women who work two or more night shifts in a week are at higher risk for miscarriage the following week, a new study revealed.Researchers in Denmark foundthat women who work at night are exposed to light that disrupts their circadian rhythm and decreases the release of melatonin, which is important in a successful pregnancy because it preserves the placenta.However, other experts dismiss the findings of the study because it is "not strong enough for people to think they need to change their lifestyles."Night Shift Is Linked To MiscarriagesThe team of researchers analyzed pregnancy outcomes among 22,744 public service workers, most of whom worked in hospitals in Denmark.They matched records from these workers with those of women from the Danish Medical Birth Register, which provided researchers information on pregnancies that resulted in births as well as from the Danish National Patient Register, which provided information on miscarriages.The study revealed that among 10,047 women who went on night shiftduring the third week to the 21st week of their pregnancies, 740 women had miscarriages.Meanwhile, among 12,697 women who did not go on night shift, 1,149 women had miscarriages.Taking into account the age of the mother, body mass index, smoking habits, number of previous births, socioeconomic statuses, and former miscarriages, the study found that working two or more night shifts in a single week between the 8th week and 22nd week of pregnancy was linked to a 32 percent increased risk of miscarriage in the next week.Pregnant women who worked 26 or more graveyard shifts between the fourth week and 22nd week were more than twice as likely to have a miscarriage compared to those who worked no night shifts. This finding was based on eight women, researchers said.What Are The Impacts Of This Study?The study above is based on observational research, which means it does not establish cause. Other experts believe it is no proof that working night shift causes miscarriages. What's more, data regarding miscarriages were incomplete, the researchers said."This was not a randomized trial. With something like this, there are so many other confounders," saidDr. Zev Williams, who works at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center.This means that there must be other factors that affected the health of the night shift workers and the study did not take those factors into account.Williams said the results of the data is not enough to convince pregnant women to change their lifestyles. He explained that in an individual case, the risk is so small and that preventing pregnant women from working night shifts will not have a major effect on reducing the rates of miscarriagesStill, the findings of the study are helpful for the 14 percent of women in Europe who work night shifts every day.Dr. Luise Molenberg Begtrup, lead author of the Denmark study and a researcher in the occupational and environmental medicine department at Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital in Copenhagen, said the results of the study can have implications for national occupational health regulations.The details of the study are publishedin the journal BMJ.Buster Benson | Flickr
brazzo/iStock(NEW YORK) -- Federal authorities filed criminal murder charges against members of a "vile and racist" white supremacist gang that operates in state-run prisons across Alaska, Arizona and Colorado, according to an indictment unsealed Wednesday.



Six of the alleged members of the 1488 prison gang were indicted for murder, assault, kidnapping and a host of other charges in connection with the brutal beating death of Michael Staton, a member whose Nazi tattoo was burned off his rib cage with a hot knife, according to the indictment.



"The defendants allegedly participated in the heinous murder of Michael Staton, with the goal of impressing their vile and racist gang," Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski said in a statement Wednesday. "The Criminal Division is committed to bringing the 1488s to justice, and holding accountable those who further its agenda of violence and hatred."



Those charged include Filthy Fuhrer, 42 (formerly Timothy Lobdell); Roy Naughton, 40; Craig King, 53; Beau Cook, 32; Colter ODell, 26; and 37-year-old Glen Baldwin, who is still at large. The men allegedly kidnapped, assaulted and murdered Staton, 34, in August 2017 in order to gain membership or increase their ranking within the 1488s.



Two others, Nicholas Kozorra and Dustin Clowers, previously pleaded guilty to murder charges in Staton's death. Federal prosecutors also announced charges against several other members or associates who were accused of various crimes, including drug possession, carjacking and possession of stolen mail and illegal firearms.



The "whites only" prison gang spawned out of Alaska around 2010, according to the indictment, which described the organization as one that requires members to "be white, look white and act white."



"In order to be considered for membership, a person had to be sponsored by a 1488 member. The 1488s did not accept homosexuals, 'rats,' or individuals who had been charged with sex offenses," the indictment stated. "The 1488s used Nazi-derived symbols to identify themselves and demonstrate their affiliation with the gang."



The most-coveted tattoo of 1488s is the Nazi-inspired patch that consists of an Iron Cross superimposed over a swastika that can only be worn by made members who gained full affiliation "by committing an act of violence on behalf of the gang," according to the indictment.



Court documents did not list attorneys for the suspects charged.



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Gujarat: How the World Bank can stop funding disaster

by Komala Ramachandra and Erika Lennon

March 28,2019 | Source: First Post

Until recently the World Bank enjoyed absolute immunity in the United States from lawsuits. But a US Supreme Court decision on February 27 opens the door for individuals and communities around the world to approach US courts about harm caused by its investments. The case, Jam v. IFC, involved the World Bank Groups private-sector banking arm, the International Finance Corporation, and it wound through US courts after farming and fishing communities in India sued the IFC for funding the Tata Mundra coal-fired power plant in the Kutch district of Gujarat. The plaintiffs said the power plant harmed their environment and livelihoods. They sued for compensation in US courts because the IFC, which has its headquarters in Washington, provided a $450 million loan for the construction of the plant.



Lower courts dismissed the lawsuit, saying the IFC had absolute immunity under the International Organizations Immunities Act, which gives international organizations like the World Bank the same immunity from lawsuits as foreign governments and diplomats. But since that law passed in 1945, the United States has carved out several exceptions to foreign-government immunity, including for commercial activities, through the 1976 Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act. The Supreme Court decided the reference to foreign-government immunity was to an external body of potentially evolving law, and therefore the same exceptions to immunity should apply to the IFC. The plaintiffs will now return to the lower courts to pursue their case against the IFC.



This major ruling from the highest court in the United States speaks volumes about the lengths that communities harmed by the IFC have had to go in pursuing justice. US courts were not the first avenue the plaintiffs in the India case had tried. They first lodged their complaints with the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO), IFCs independent accountability office, alleging that the IFC did not follow its own social and environmental standards.



An audit by the CAO found numerous shortcomings in the project, including failures to consult with local communities and to conduct adequate environmental assessments. However, neither the IFC nor the World Banks president and board, who also oversee the IFC, sufficiently addressed those issues or attempted to provide a remedy. When the IFCs own accountability process failed them, the communities turned to the courts for justice. Unfortunately, this case is not unique. For years, the CAO and the Inspection Panel, its accountability counterpart for public-sector lending, have responded to community complaints and identified instances of noncompliance and harm caused by IFC and World Bank funding. And often the banks management has ignored these findings and has not done anything to correct the problem.



Workers on cotton farms in Uzbekistan and tea plantations in India are still waiting for compensation or other actions to address abuses they suffered, despite commitments at the highest levels of the IFC and World Bank. And so are farmers in the Aguan Valley in Honduras, where they say another IFC-funded company is behind a series of murders. Notably, there is a second pending lawsuit against the IFC in this case in the Delaware District Court.



The World Banks lack of respect for its own accountability system has led to this situation. The World Bank is reviewing the operations of the Inspection Panel and a review of the CAO is coming soon. The bank should take this opportunity to strengthen its accountability systems, including the way it responds to these offices. The bank should renew its commitments to the independence of its accountability systems, ensuring sufficient funding and resources to carry out their work.



Only time will tell how the Supreme Courts ruling on IFCs immunity will influence its behavior. To stay out of courts, the IFC will need to prevent abuses and limit those harmed by its investments. Rather than ignoring the findings of the Inspection Panel or CAO, the World Bank and IFC should respond to them, not merely on paper, but in concrete and measurable action plans, developed in consultation with the affected individuals and communities. The accountability offices then should monitor and report on progress toward these goals, making sure that that problems are actually addressed and resolved. It should also establish a remedy fundresources set aside to provide compensation and remediation or take other necessary steps to make communities whole. Doing this will help make sure that when communities are harmed by its projects, they are not only heard but helped. The World Bank and IFC should also create robust systems to learn from every case and incorporate changes into their operations to avoid repeating their mistakes.



The World Bank is approaching elections for its new president later this month. The Supreme Courts ruling provides an important moment to prioritize respect for environment and human rights and bolster accountability across the banks operations. The countries that make up the World Bank and sit on its board of directors should demand a firm commitment to accountability and concrete answers on how the new leadership plans to achieve inclusive and rights-respecting development. Without stronger leadership in these areas, the World Bank and the IFC risk losing their relevance and authority in the fight to end global poverty.
Pakistan: Sindh Govt. imposes ban on usage of prohibited nets for fishing

by Fawad Maqsood

March 28,2019 | Source: Business Recorder

Sindh Government has imposed a ban on three types of fishing nets including Bullo, Gujjo and Katra because these are dangerous for the fish population. It was stated by Sindh Minister for Livestock and Fisheries and Cooperative Abdul Bari Pitaffi while monitoring operation against use of prohibited nets by fishermen on sea banks on Wednesday, said a statement.



He said that Marine resources in Pakistan are on the decline as fishermen are using banned nets for catches in the countrys seawater. Sindh Secretary Livestock & Fisheries Aizaj Ahmed Mahesar, Director General Fisheries Dr. Allahdad Talpur, Director Marine Saleem Akhter and other officers concerned were also present. Illegal and prohibited nets were found from four boats of the fishermen which were seized during the operation for further legal action.



The minister also checked licenses and permits of various boats during the operation. He directed the authorities concerned to take stern action against the fishermen found violating the terms and conditions of their permits. He told the fishermen that if they do not stop using illegal nets immediately, they will lose their livelihood. He further stated that if necessary, steps are not taken now, the fishermen will have no fish to catch in the future.



The Secretary Livestock briefed the minister about mangroves and sea pollution which is dangerous for marine. The minister directed the Secretary livestock to write a letter to Sindh Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) for taking necessary measures in this regard as the pollution has emerged as the most serious threat to marine life in Pakistani waters. He further stated that Sindh Government is committed to providing friendly environment to fishermen.
Myanmar: Entrepreneurs call for cutting no-fishing period

March 28,2019 | Source: Eleven Myanmar

Entrepreneurs called on Myanmar Fishery Department to reduce the no-fishing period as the department is likely to totally ban offshore fishing vessels during the three-month no-fishing season this year, said Win Kyaing, General-Secretary of the Myanmar Fishery Federation. The department held a meeting on the no-fishing season and areas in Nay Pyi Taw, on March 22.



In a bid to conserve fish resources in Myanmars seas, the department has introduced the no-fishing season for the offshore fishing vessels since 2013. The department is likely to execute a total ban on fishing for 90 days from May 15 to August 14, according to the MFF. In 2014, the department fixed the 60-day ban for 65 per cent of all fishing vessels. In 2015, the department banned 50 per cent of fishing vessels and fixed the 90-day ban. In 2016, the department banned 40 per cent of fishing vessels and made the 90-day ban. In 2017, the department banned 30 per cent of fishing vessels and made the 90-day ban.



We would like to call on the department to reduce the non-fishing season from three to two months, he added. Offshore fishing vessel entrepreneurs association called on the department to allow 20 per cent of all fishing vessels last year as fishing workers find it difficult to survive due to lack of employment.



Kyaw Naing, General Secretary of Myanmar Offshore fishing vessel entrepreneurs association said: Entrepreneurs demand to reduce non-fishing days to 45 in Rakhine and Ayeyawady and 60 days in Yangon, Tanintharyi and Mon. The conversation of fish resources is not in a position to fully achieve success as the department is unable to control the onshore fishing. The onshore fishing industry along the 1800-km-long coast covering Rakhine, Ayeyawady, Mon, Tanintharyi and Yangon.
Bangladesh: Climate change is a security threat. We must act now

by Sheikh Hasina

March 28,2019 | Source: World Economic Forum

For three years in a row, the World Economic Forums Global Risk Report has identified climate change as the gravest threat for global business and industry. The report notes that failure in climate change mitigation and adaptation  water crises  natural disasters will impact business and industry worldwide. Nowhere has seen the impact of climate change as closely as Bangladesh. I was born in pristine riverine rural Bangladesh. As I grew up in the countryside in the fifties and sixties, we had inadequate electricity or roads. River and monsoon flooding were part of our life. My father used to recount how lives and livelihoods of people were intricately linked to land, rivers, wetlands and sea in Bangladesh.



Our life was then as comfortable as today, yet nature was not as challenging or unpredictable as it is now. To our utter dismay, without contributing to environmental destruction, we are confronted with a situation where Bangladesh is one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world.



The world acknowledges how increasing cyclones, storm surge and monsoon flooding challenge the livelihoods of people in Bangladesh. On our southern border, the Bay of Bengal is getting increasingly acidic. With rising sea levels, one third of our population risks displacement. Every year, we risk losing 2%-3% of our GDP as a result of climate change impacts. Deep in our active delta, every monsoon and every flood erodes the river banks. Families become landless and helpless over night. Thousands of acres of precious farmlands are lost. This is no surprise when our rivers carry nearly one quarter of the entire load of sediment carried by all the major river systems in the world every year!



The erratic pattern and intensity of rainfall and rising heat make farming difficult for people. As I interact with Bangladeshis across the country many also highlight the growing drought during dry season. In early February, the UK Met Office predicted that the decade of 2014 to 2023 will be the warmest in 150 years. Our changing climate leads to the emergence of new pathogens. Diseases like malaria, which we successfully eradicated, risks a comeback. Similar risks are evident in diseases in cereals, livestock and poultry. Temperature variation is also challenging for our fisheries industry. All these seriously challenge our precious gains in development and our impressive poverty eradication efforts.



Despite these challenges, Bangladesh today is the fourth largest in rice production, fourth largest in fish production, fifth largest in vegetable production, and within the top ten in horticulture. We also offer the world a magical fibre  jute  that can help thwart climate change. We further developed stress-tolerant varieties of crops as our own response to climate change adaptation. All these accomplishments have been possible thanks to the continuing ingenuity and innovation of our farmers.



But, we are worried that we may not be able to sustain the progress that we have made. Bangladesh notes a reluctance across the world to embrace climate change mitigation efforts. Over the past decade, I have been telling the world how millions of Bangladeshis are moving out of their ancestral lands because of river erosion, water stress, salinity intrusion and arsenic contamination of groundwater.



A sense of hopelessness is gripping a population of nearly 160 million people. They find their resources depleting, their capacity to cope reduced, and their support shrinking. The climatic vulnerabilities accentuate social instability and cohesion within and among communities. The net result is various types of strain at different tiers of society. I am less concerned about conventional warfare. Instead, I foresee climatic stress causing tensions to simmer and sparking different forms of conflicts within communities. We must rise above the politics of doubt, and accept that climatic vulnerabilities lead to a fragile economy and risk human security.



We have substantial science, technology, innovation and finance at our disposal to address climate change. A crucial missing piece is the will of the more affluent segments in our societies to act ambitiously against climate change. We need to transform our lifestyles, attitudes, systems, economies. Back in 2012, I pledged suo moto in New York that Bangladesh will pursue a low-carbon development pathway, as our commitment to the collective good of tackling climate change. The time to act on climate change is now. If anyone still doubts climate change, even slightly, I invite you to visit Bangladesh. I am ready to walk with you to show how climate change silently impacts the lives of millions.
West Bengal: Multimedia: Sorry state of Ganga downstream of Farakka

by Gurvinder Singh

March 28,2019 | Source: India Climate Dialogue

The Ganga, which has nourished Indian civilisation for millennia, is fighting its biggest battle for survival. Increasing pollution coupled with the failure of cleanliness drives has turned the river and its banks into a dump. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has listed the 2,520 km long river as among the worlds most endangered.



One of the worst stretches is in Murshidabad district of West Bengal, where the Gangas biodiversity is being affected by constant human intervention. Many blame the Farakka barrage for the pathetic condition of the river. Sourced from a partly snow-bound catchment area of 1,008,500 sq. km, the Ganga has an average annual discharge of 11,811 cumecs at Farakka. Since 1975, the Farakka barrage diverts an average discharge of 1,046 cumecs from the Ganga into the Hooghly River, towards Kolkata, through a 38 km feeder canal. The discharge of hot water from Farakka Super Thermal Power Station of NTPC at Dhuliyan in Murshidabad has been causing fluctuations in the water level and temperature, posing a danger to the aquatic life surviving on it.



Too hot to handle



Locals claim that the water released from the thermal plant is too hot to be touched during the early morning hours. Arif Sheikh, who lives close to the plant, says that it not possible to touch the water in summers, while it is pleasantly warm in winters. The water released from NTPC is very hot but still we come to take a bath during the winters. But it is difficult to touch the water during summers. We might be getting affected by diseases by taking a dip into the river as we have constant itching but absence of any medical check-up fails to identify the ailments, he said. The authorities should look into this and make alternative arrangements to stop the discharge of hot water into the river.



Fishers lament that the hot water discharge from NTPC is affecting aquatic life in the Ganga downstream. I have been catching fish for the past 10-12 years. But the catch in the river has been dwindling each year. Earlier, we used to get around 20 kg fish everyday, which has now come down to 1-2 kg. It is becoming difficult to run our families as we solely depend on fish for our livelihood. The river is turning dry, may be because of increasing pollution and chemical laced hot water released by NTPC. Our houses have already been swallowed by erosion. We request the government to look into the matter or else the fishing community would completely migrate to other areas for livelihood, said Subroto Biswas, a fisherman.



The small channels close to the plant, whose water gets mixed with the Ganga, are being used by the power plant as dumping ground for fly ash, contaminating the river. Farmers complain that fly ash has been destroying crops year after year, The crops are getting affected because of the fly ash in the fields but the administration is taking no action despite being informed numerous times. We have been facing severe losses and have also filed a case against the NTPC seeking compensation. But nothing has been done, rued Akbar Ali, 66, a farmer at Japukuria village at Dhuliyan, less than 20 km downstream of Farakka.



NTPC was forced to shut down five units of its power plant in 2016 due to the abysmally low level of water in the Farakka Feeder Canal. The Farakka barrage has also worsened land erosion downstream by driving more water into the Hooghly. Various reports have suggested that the barrage was constructed without regard to the natural behaviour of the river in the Gangetic delta. According to reports, the Ganga annually carries more than 700 million tonnes of sediment at Farakka, of which about 300 million tonnes get trapped in a barrage pond. The water erodes the banks; the lack of silt means banks cannot be built naturally again. The process is leading to the sinking of the entire delta.



Mahbub Alam, an environment activist, says that sediment deposits have been creating small islands right in the middle of the river while blocking its natural flow, People of Malda and Murshidabad are living in distress due to the land erosion. The sediments are responsible for it as they have blocked the natural course of the river and have led to the increase in depth of channels on both sides of the river. Subsequently, the water is entering the villages and hundreds of people are losing their land and houses. The situation is very alarming and I request everybody to save the river.



Erosion havoc



Erosion has wreaked havoc in Malda and Murshidabad and has devoured hundreds of houses forcing people to migrate to other areas. Anjuma Bibi, who lives in Muskinagar village of Murshidabad district, shudders to think of the moments when she along with her family had a miraculous escape after erosion devoured their house in the dead of a night, The wooden bed on which I was sleeping suddenly started to slip away. I realised that our house was going into the river. I managed to pull my husband and my granddaughter out of the room and within seconds my house got cracked and plunged into the river. We lost all our belongings to the erosion. It has been three years since but we have received no help from the administration. The villagers helped us and gave us shelter in their house, she said.



Over 400 children who study at Muskinagar Primary School come with prayers on their lips and pounding hearts every day. The boundary wall of the school located close to the river has been swallowed by the river thrice in the past one year.



School authorities claim they have informed the administration several times about the looming danger to the lives of the children but nothing has been done. We live in perpetual fear during the monsoon. I have already written to the state irrigation minister and other officials but have received no reply for the past two years. The administration has only thrown some stone bags as a stopgap measure but it is not enough. Hundreds of children in my school might lose their lives if nothing is done to resist the erosion, said Obaidur Rahman, the school headmaster while pointing to the heap of bricks in the river that was once a school but was lost to erosion.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP)  In a case that stirred racial tensions across the country, a self-avowed white supremacist pleaded guilty Wednesday to federal hate crime charges in a deadly attack at a white nationalist rally in Virginia, admitting that he intentionally plowed his speeding car into a crowd of anti-racism protesters, killing a woman and injuring dozens.





James Alex Fields Jr. of Maumee, Ohio, pleaded guilty to 29 of 30 federal charges stemming from the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville on Aug. 12, 2017.





Under a plea agreement, federal prosecutors will not seek the death penalty against Fields and will dismiss the one count that carried death as a possible punishment. The charges he pleaded guilty to call for life in prison under federal sentencing guidelines.





Fields appeared stoic, with his hands folded in front of him for much of the hearing. He repeatedly responded yes, sir, when U.S. District Judge Michael Urbanski asked him if he was pleading guilty knowingly and voluntarily.





Under a statement of facts, Fields admitted that he expressed and promoted white supremacist ideology through his social media accounts and engaged in white supremacist chants during the rally in Charlottesville. He also admitted driving his car into the ethnically diverse crowd of anti-racism protesters because of their race, color, religion or national origin.





Urbanski scheduled sentencing for July 3.





Fields, 21, was convicted in December in a Virginia court of first-degree murder and other state charges for killing anti-racism activist Heather Heyer and injuring dozens of others who were protesting against the white nationalists.





The rally drew hundreds of white nationalists to Charlottesville to protest the planned removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. Hundreds of counterprotesters demonstrated against the white nationalists.





President Donald Trump sparked a national uproar when he blamed the violence at the rally on both sides, a statement critics saw as a refusal to condemn racism.





After Tuesdays hearing, U.S. Attorney Thomas Cullen said he hoped the plea agreement would help the victims move on with their lives.





The defendants hate-inspired act of domestic terrorism not only devastated Heather Heyers wonderful family and the 28 peaceful protesters  but it also left an indelible mark on the city of Charlottesville, our state and our country, Cullen said.





Heyers mother, Susan Bro, said she and Heyers father agreed they did not want prosecutors to seek the death penalty.





Theres no point in killing him, she said. It would not bring back Heather.





Cullen said prosecutors had been in talks with Fields lawyers for months about a potential plea agreement, but did not seek to finalize a deal until U.S. Attorney General William Barr last week authorized him not to seek the death penalty if Fields agreed to plead to 29 counts.





The car attack by Fields came after violent brawling between the two sides prompted police to disband the crowds.





During his state trial, prosecutors said Fields  who described himself on social media as an admirer of Adolf Hitler  drove his car into the crowd because he was angry after witnessing earlier clashes between the white nationalists and the counterprotesters.





The jury rejected a claim by Fields lawyers that he acted in self-defense because he feared for his life after witnessing the earlier violence.





During the plea hearing Wednesday, Fields  responding to questions from the judge  said he has been treated for mental health issues since he was 6. He said he is currently on medication for bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, schizoid disorder, explosive onset disorder and ADHD.





More than 30 people were hurt in the car attack. Some who received life-altering injuries described them in anguished detail during the state trial.





Jurors in Fields state trial recommended a life sentence plus 419 years, although a judge still has to decide on the punishment. Sentencing is scheduled for July 15.





A reporter asked Bro if she thought her daughters death had served some purpose, such as opening a discussion of race relations. She answered: Sadly, it took a white girl dying before anyone paid attention to civil rights around here  Heathers death is at least a catalyst for change.





Bro said she wouldnt have chosen that catalyst and added, I wish we would have woken up sooner.





Source: wsvn.com , Associated Press, March 28, 2019









Guilty plea to hate crimes in deadly car attack at rally





The man convicted for a fatal 2017 car attack during a white nationalist rally will not face the death penalty.





James Alex Fields pleaded guilty to 29 federal hate crimes Wednesday.





Fields drove his Dodge Challenger into a crowd of protesters during a rally in Charlottesville nearly two years ago, more than two dozen protesters were injured.





Heather Heyer, a 32-year-old paralegal, died from injuries suffered in what U.S. attorney Thomas Cullen called a hate-inspired act of domestic terrorism.





In December a Virginia jury convicted 21-year-old Fields on numerous charges, including first-degree murder.





Because of his guilty plea, Fields will not face the death penalty.





U.S. Attorney Thomas Cullen said, Given all of the facts and circumstances, we believed that life imprisonment  or the potential life imprisonment  was an acceptable result.





Attorney General William Barr issued a statement saying that following this months mass murder in New Zealand, the U.S. Can have zero tolerance for violence on the basis of race, religion or association with people of other races and religions.

 | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com



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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,

but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde
A senior opposition congressman appealed Thursday to the Malaysian government to spare the lives of 48 Filipinos who are on death row in the country.





His appeal came following reports that Kuala Lumpur has decided to scrap the mandatory hanging for 11 offenses.





Senior Deputy Minority Leader and Buhay Partylist Rep. Lito Atienza called on the Malaysian government to grant commutation of the death sentences meted out to Filipinos now in the gallows.





In light of Malaysias decision to scrap the mandatory death sentence for several offenses, we are appealing for the lives of Filipinos on death row there to be spared, said Atienza.





The commutation of death sentences does not mean that the convicts are not getting punished. They are still getting penalized with harsh prison terms, Atienza, a leading Philippine crusader against capital punishment, said.





He added: The death penalty is cruel and inhuman punishment that flouts the right to life.





A staunch [opponent] of the death penalty bill pending in the Senate, Atienza noted that Philippine Congress had abolished the capital punishment as majority of lawmakers agreed that it does not help address the rising crime statistics, especially heinous crimes.





Citing Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) records, Atienza said there are 48 Filipino citizens awaiting execution in Malaysia.





Malaysias Pakatan Harapan or Alliance of Hope coalition government imposed a moratorium on all judicial executions in October last year pending the passage of new legislation that would remove the mandatory death sentence for 11 offenses.





Instead, the new legislation would give Malaysian judges the leeway to impose either death by hanging or long-term imprisonment.





At present, Malaysian judges have no choice but to send to the gallows those convicted of offenses that carry the mandatory death penalty, such as terrorist acts, murder, rape resulting in murder, gang-robbery with murder, drug trafficking, kidnapping in order to murder, and hostage-taking resulting in death.





The Pakatan Harapan government had campaigned on reviewing the death penalty and other unsuitable laws in the 2018 general election.





The coalition government originally announced in October that it would be endorsing a bill to abolish the death penalty in Malaysia.





It has since retreated, moving instead to just give judges the discretion to impose either the supreme or lesser punishment, due to pressure from anti-abolitionist groups in Malaysia.





Malaysia carried out 13 executions from 2016 to 2017 before it froze executions in October.





In the Philippine, Congress revived the death penalty for 13 heinous crimes in 1993, only to abolish it in 2006 due to mounting flaws.





 | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com



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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,

but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde
TAIWAN: Taiwan plans to ramp up punishments for those who cause a fatal accident while drink driving, including the death penalty for the most egregious cases, sparking an outcry from abolition and rights groups.





The cabinet on Thursday (Mar 28) approved a draft amendment to the Criminal Code that would make death by drink driving an indictable murder offence, potentially punishable by death if the deed is deemed "intentional", officials said.





The proposal needs parliamentary approval but comes after a spate of high profile deaths that have generated widespread outrage.





Currently the maximum sentence in Taiwan for causing a death while drink behind the wheel is 10 years.





The new proposal would increase jail sentences for repeat offenders who commit a new offence within five years of their first conviction.





They face up to a life sentence for causing a death and 12 years for grave injuries.





"Cases of drunk driving leading to death are rampant ... drink drivers recklessly caused accidents that took lives and destroyed families to result in irreparable regret," the Justice Ministry said in a statement.





In one notorious case in January, a 40-year-old man crashed his van into a taxi while driving intoxicated, killing three people and injuring three others including himself.





Very few countries employ the death penalty for drink driving cases.





China has previously vowed to execute those who have killed behind the wheel and some states in the United States retain capital punishment for such cases.





In 2014 a Texas man was indicted on "capital murder" after he ploughed his car into a crowd killing four people.





But in the end prosecutors did not seek the death penalty and he was sentenced to life imprisonment.





Several rights groups on Thursday, including the Taiwan Association for Human Rights, issued a joint statement criticising the proposed amendment and calling for "rational legislation for irrational drunk driving".





"There is a lack of evidence and research that seeking grave penalties and legislation would truly prevent drunk driving," the statement said.





Taiwan resumed capital punishment in 2010 after a five-year hiatus, despite ongoing calls from local and international rights groups for its abolition.





Various surveys over the years have shown support from the public for keeping the death penalty.





Taiwan executed a man who murdered his ex-wife and their daughter last September, the first execution carried out under President Tsai Ing-wen's government that took office in 2016.





Source: Agence France-Presse, Staff, March 28, 2019









Intentional homicide drunk drivers could face death penalty





Taipei, March 28 (CNA) The Executive Yuan approved a draft amendment to the Criminal Code at its weekly meeting Thursday, mandating that drunk drivers found guilty of intentional vehicular homicide could face capital punishment.





The draft stipulates that repeat drunk drivers who commit a similar offense within a five-year period that results in serious injury to another party, face a jail term of five to 12 years, and in the event the victim dies, seven years to life imprisonment.





The bill will be sent to the Legislative Yuan where they will be debated and passed before taking effect.





Citing Premier Su Tseng-chang (), Executive Yuan spokesperson Kolas Yotaka () said more severe punishments are being introduced for driving under the influence (DUI) because such behavior has resulted in the deaths of many innocent people and destroyed numerous families.





In response to the law amendments, several civic groups, including Covenants Watch, Taipei Bar Association and Taiwan Association for Human Rights, urged what they called "rational legislation," arguing that in practice, implementing harsher sentences could be problematic if they result in severe punishments for minor offenses.





According to Deputy Minister of Justice Tsai Pi-chung (), based on Article 13 of the Criminal Code, a DUI driver convicted of deliberately killing a person he or she hit could potentially receive the death penalty -- something international conventions do not rule out.

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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,

but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde
Nursing accreditation a must now in Australia before registration at skills authority

Following the deregistration of an Australia-based technical institution, which has pushed the future of hundreds of students into uncertainty, the countrys education regulatory bodies have made accreditation from Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) mandatory before the registration at Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA).
The campaign for Ann Roe, who is running for Congress against Lyin' Bryan Steil has come out with the best one-liner of this cycle so far: I can't argue...

1 month ago
I am a retired newspaperman. I live in Poca, WV, with my wife of 44 years, Lou Ann. I grew up in Cleveland. Three kids. Grandfather.



Report all errors to DonSurber@GMail.com
Biden still hasn't announced and people-- albeit not Wall Street-- are already sick of him. According to CNN polling , Biden's favorable numbers have been declining since people started looking into his actual record. In October of 2018 he was the favorite candidate of 33% of Democrats. That dropped to 30% in December and now stands at 28%. Once he announces and people figure out that he's been a lifelong corporate whore (not to mention a disgusting racist), he should drop down into single-digit Amy Klobuchar territory, which is where candidates from the Republican wing of the Democratic Party all belong.

Saturday, in hispiece, The Challenges and Opportunities Facing Joe Biden , John Cassidy notes that "Inside the political world, there is a common presumption that entering an elongated Democratic-primary contest will prove damaging to the former Vice-President Joe Biden, who is riding high in early opinion polls, and that, as the saying goes, the first day of his campaign may well be the best." As he points out, though, "Biden is also exposing himself to hazards by standing on the edge and prevaricating."

He worries that he won't be able to raise the kind of money from the Democratic grassroots that Bernie and Beto have and that the money chase will expose him for what he, at his core, is and has always been: the Wall Street candidate. So his consultant-based campaign is sitting around floating gimmicks that might generate interest in a completely corporate campaign. (Apparently Stacey Abrams has already told him to stop tossing her name around as a lure , all too typical of the disrespect Biden has always shown women-- andAfrican-American women.)

The message these stories send is that Biden is worried about various things: money, his age (he will turn seventy-seven later this year), and his ability to reach younger and more progressive voters. At least some of these worries may well be justified, but they arent the sort of thing that any Presidential contender wants amplified on the home pages of national newspapers, particularly a contender whose biggest assets are supposedly his likeability and electability. Assuming that Biden does intend to run, he needs to jump in and start making the case for himself, as other candidates have done. In an environment of heightened political activism, blanket media coverage, and ubiquitous social media, history doesnt favor those who wait. And it certainly doesnt favor he whose proto-campaign is already generating damaging stories.





If Biden does take the plunge, he will start out with at least two substantial advantages. Having faithfully served as Barack Obamas wingman for eight years, he is widely liked among Democratic voters; his popularity extends across regions and racial groups. Moreover, Democrats desperately want to nominate someone who can beat Donald Trump, and Biden currently polls better than the other Democratic candidates in head-to-head matchups. An Emerson College survey that came out on Wednesday showed him defeating Trump by ten percentage points, fifty-five to forty-five. The matchups involving other Democrats, such as Kamala Harris and Bernie Sanders, were a lot closer.





Of course, the fact that Biden is polling well in March, 2019, doesnt mean that hes the best candidate to take on Trump in November, 2020. To win the nomination, hell need to prove his mettle on a daily basis, avoid the mistakes that plagued his two previous Presidential bids, and cast off some of the baggage he has acquired during his nearly fifty years in politics. (He entered his first electoral race, for New Castle County Council, in 1970.)





Washington Post He could begin by saying sorry to Anita Hill for his role in the 1991 Clarence Thomas hearings (he has said that he wished he could have done more to prevent other members of the Senate Judiciary Committee from hounding Hill but stopped short of issuing an apology); reiterating his contrition about the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, which led to mass incarceration of minorities; and apologizing for some of the statements he made in the mid-seventies, when, as a freshman U.S. senator, he vigorously opposed school-busing. (A recent article dug up a number of Biden quotes, including this one, from 1975: I do not buy the concept, popular in the 60s, which said, We have suppressed the black man for 300 years and . . . to even the score, we must now give the black man a head start, or even hold the white man back, to even the race.)





Judging by some comments he made last weekend, Bidens first instinct will be to defend his record and point to progressive positions he has adopted over the years, such as his support for public housing, labor unions, and expanding voting rights. He needs to go further. Democratic-primary voters know that Biden started out in a different era, but many of them will also want him to demonstrate that he embraces an environment in which there is zero tolerance for anything that smacks of sexism or racism.





Making such a gesture is the right thing to do, and it could help defuse some of the attacks that are sure to come. Its a smarter play than immediately floating the idea of selecting Abrams as his running mate, talented though she is. As the Washington Post columnist Karen Tumulty pointed out, the Abrams story smacked of gimmickry, and it was also presumptuous of Bidens advisers to assume that Abrams would accept the role of acting as Bidens human shield, constantly called upon to answer for his past positions on issues that put him at odds with African American and female voters. (On Thursday, a spokesperson for Abrams issued a statement saying that she has met with more than a half-dozen Presidential contenders, and she continues to keep all options on the table for 2020 and beyond.)





To be sure, if Abrams doesnt decide to enter the Presidential race on her own account, she could eventually be a potential running mate for a number of the other candidates, Biden included. Right now, though, the former Vice-President needs to stand on his own feet. He would do well to take the advice of his Delaware friend and colleague, Senator Chris Coons, who has called on him to make clear that he has the energy and determination to serve for two terms.





Whatever he does, Biden will be attacked from the left for being too centrist, too friendly with Republicans, and too in hock to financial interests headquartered in Delaware. These are substantive criticisms. Still, if he combines his defense of the Obama legacy with a populist economic agenda focussed on advancing the middle class-- one that he has already embraced-- he could be a formidable candidate. And despite being the front-runner in the polls, he could also benefit from being underestimated by pundits, many of whom expect him to falter. In any case, though, he needs to get in there. Enough of the Hamlet act.
OCB aims to use at least 50 percent of this loan to finance women-owned or managed SMEs. Photo by VnExpress/P. Anh

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) will lend $100 million to Orient Commercial Joint Stock Bank (OCB) towards extending credit to SMEs.

The long-term financial package provided by IFC, a World Bank affiliate, will comprise $57.16 million from its own capital, and another $42.84 million raised from other sponsors through the corporations Managed Co-Lending Portfolio Program.

OCB aims to use at least 50 percent of this loan to finance women-owned or managed SMEs, with support from the World Banks Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi).

We-Fi is a multi-government and bank partnership aimed at unlock financing for women-led/owned businesses in developing countries.

An IFC announcement Wednesday morning said it would also provide consultancy services alongside the finance package, facilitating OCB in providing loans to small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

In addition, the IFC will help the local bank develop supply chain financing, which involves lending to SMEs without collateral.

According to the IFC, SMEs account for 98 percent of total enterprises in Vietnam. This is the main source of job creation in Vietnam, employing more than half of the workforce and contributing about 40 percent of the country's GDP.

However, about 60 percent of SMEs face a shortage of capital, which the credit institution estimates at $21 billion. Access to finance, according to IFC, is the key to unlocking the potential of SMEs.

According to the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), only 30 percent of SMEs in Vietnam have access to loans from the formal sector, with the rest having to use their own funds or depend on unregulated, informal loans.
Prithvi Man Shrestha is a political reporter for The Kathmandu Post, covering the governance-related issues including corruption and irregularities in the government machinery. Before joining The Kathmandu Post in 2009, he worked at nepalnews.com and Rising Nepal primarily covering the issues of political and economic affairs for three years.
Quang Ninh has low costs for them to enter the market, land access is easy and local workers are well trained. Photo by VnExpress/Minh Phuong

Quang Ninh was the most competitive province in Vietnam for the second time in a row.

The northern province scored 70.36 points in the Provincial Competitive Index (PCI) 2018 survey released Thursday by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

Businesses surveyed said that Quang Ninh has low costs for them to enter the market, land access is easy and local workers are well trained.

The southern province of Dong Thap came second with 70.19 points, followed by Long An and Ben Tre provinces, all in the Mekong Delta region.

Mr. Vu Tien Loc, Chairman of VCCI spoke at the event.

The central city of Da Nang, which dominated the ranking from 2013 to 2016, came in fifth place at 67.65 points. Surveyed businesses gave the city low scores in policy bias and proactive leadership.

Hanoi was ranked 9th with 65.40 points, the first time that the city made to the top ten; as also the first time it outranked Ho Chi Minh City, which fell from 8th place in 2017 to 10th last year with a score of 65.34.

The survey found noticeable improvement in some aspects of business environment in the localities, including less bias and encouraging progress in administrative reforms.

49 percent of surveyed private firms and 56 of foreign invested enterprises said they plan to expand their operations in the following two years.

However, domestic businesses wanted to see more improvement in transparency. The majority of businesses, 55 percent, said they still had to pay informal charges to complete their administration procedures.

Over a third of business, 34 percent, said they faced difficulties in acquiring business certificates. Sixteen percent of respondents said they had to wait over a month to receive all necessary documents to enter the market.

Seven out of ten respondents said that they needed to maintain relationships with government officials to access documents relating to their businesses that should normally be made public.

Speaking at a press conference on releasing the survey report, Dau Anh Tuan, director general of VCCIs legal department, said that the lack of transparency was preventing local companies from thriving.

"Businesses that want to have advantages in the market have to rely on their relations with provincial officials, not their capabilities," he said.

There is an increase in the percentage of firms, most of which are small and micro enterprises, facing difficulties in their business activities, the survey found.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) firms covered by the survey said several areas required the governments immediate attention, such as customs clearance, social insurance, taxes and inspections.

Labor quality, especially high-skilled labor supply, remains a bottleneck in Vietnams investment environment, they said.

The 2018 PCI report, the 14th iteration, is based on responses from over 12,000 enterprises, including nearly 11,000 domestic private enterprises from 63 provinces and cities and more than 1,500 foreign invested enterprises in 20 provinces in Vietnam.
Japan has increased its imports of Vietnamese coffee thanks to low prices and the geographic proximity between the two countries.

In January-November 2018 its imports rose by 15 percent to 94,000 tons, according to the Nikkei Asian Review.

The worlds second biggest coffee producer in fact accounted for 25 percent of Japan's imported, compared with 27 percent from market leader Brazil, which saw its exports to Japan fall by 7 percent.

Vietnam mostly produces the robusta variety of coffee, which is somewhat bitter compared to Brazil's arabica.

Industry insiders said Japanese consumers preference for good tasting, low-priced coffee is driving robusta's market share there. Robusta beans are currently trading at around 68 cents per pound, more than 30 percent lower than arabicas $1.03.

Besides, from Vietnam and other regional countries only takes about half as long as from Latin America, which accentuates the price difference.

Last year Vietnam exported 1.89 million tons of coffee worth $3.5 billion, up 20.1 percent in volume and 1.2 percent in value from 2017, according to the General Statistics Office. Its largest markets were Germany, the U.S., Italy, Spain, and Japan.

The countrys coffee output might fall by 20 percent this year because of low water levels and the threat of a drought in its main coffee-growing region, the Vietnam Coffee and Cacao Association has warned.
Lumitel, Viettels mobile service in Burundi in Africa, reported pre-tax profit more than doubled last year.

At $7.3 million, it was up 225 percent against 2017, Viettel Burundi announced on its fourth anniversary.

The number of subscribers increased by 278,000 last year, the highest rate in the last three years and for a third straight year making up 70 percent of all new subscribers in Burundi.

In Burundi, it took Viettel just seven months to become the biggest player and three months to break even, both the fastest for the company in any of its 10 overseas markets.

In Burundi, it took Viettel just three months to break even.

Viettel Burundi had earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) up to 54 percent, ranking the second among Viettel's 10 overseas markets.

Lumitel accounted for 54 percent of Burundi's telecom market share, taking the lead position in this country.

Burundi market has the best urban subscription rate in Africa with 39 percent of the total number of subscribers. Despite poverty, Lumitel's rate of subscribers with Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) of more than $5 per month is up to 34.6 percent of total subscribers, ranking the highest among Viettel's African markets.

Burundi is also the first overseas market of Viettel to offer unlimited internal messaging package with feature phone, which costs equivalent to only VND500 (2 cents) per day.

Lumicash e-wallet leads the electronic payment market of Burundi.

In 2018, Lumicash, e-wallet by Lumitel, reported an increase by 4 times in the number of new subscribers. The total number of Lumicash customers has been up to 320,000 since officially launching in 2016, accounting for 47 percent of the e-wallet market share in Burundi. Lumicash is now profitable.

According to Nguyen Huy Tan, general director of Lumitel, Viettel's services are aiming at offering cheap prices and optimal operation to meet the local demand.

"For example, Lumicash e-wallet service enables Burundian to pay taxes, fees and charges, electricity and water bills, etc...via mobile phones, thanks to tailor-made features on USSD platform with 2G network", he added.

Nguyen Huy Tan, Viettel Burundi CEO.

"Lumitel is not only targeting revenue but also contributing to promoting socio-economic development. We hope to enhance the two countries' relationship, creating a beautiful image of Vietnam in this country", said Tan.

In 2019, Lumitel has set the goal to lead in digital services, transmission channels and digital payment.
The two-week-long arts festival will feature 10 multidisciplinary, collaborative performances. Photo courtesy of KOAFs official website

The third Krossing Over Arts Festival to be held in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi in April will feature some exquisite performances.

With the theme "Roots", a metaphoric image linked to our ancestors, the two-week-long arts festival will feature 10 multidisciplinary, collaborative performances that will seek to awaken audiences memories of their origin and the tradition of gratitude towards the older generations for their sacrifices, according to the festival website.

The event, organised by the French Institute in Vietnam and Kerman Company, will feature more than 30 international artists like French choreographer Kader Attou and South Korean choreographer Sunyoung Grace Lim.

The opening contemporary dance act named Nguong Cua Lang Quen (At the Gates of Oblivion), telling a story about the connection to ancestors and delivered by art director Sebastien Ly along with two Vietnamese and two French dancers, will be the highlight of Krossing Over Arts Festival (KOAF).

There will also be a number of interactive activities such as short films by independent filmmakers and choreographers that reflect the festivals overarching theme, artists talks and introductory workshops on contemporary dance.

It will be held in HCMC from April 5-11 and Hanoi from April 13-21.

Launched in 2017 by Ly with support from the French Institute in Vietnam, the festival seeks to promote contemporary dance in the country.

It is all about intersections: between contemporary dance and other art forms; between local and international artistic approaches; and between the public and artists.
Pond's the pig, a gift from a husband to his wife, is a big part of the family, literally.

A year ago, her husband gave Tran Tu Linh a gift, a small pig weighing two kilos, worth VND200,000 ($8.6).

"I saw many people who raised pigs as pets, so I wanted to try as well," said Linh.

To say Pond's grew up fast would be an understatement. The "loving, intelligent" pig weighs over 100 kilograms today.

Pond's does not smell like the proverbial pigsty, because he showers three times a day, in the morning, at noon and in the afternoon.

"He is happy every time he gets to shower. The stronger the water jet, the better. He even gets to wear perfume afterwards," said Linh.

Pond's enjoys being showered by Linh.

Ponds is carefully groomed by Linh, every day.

Out on the street, Pond's never fails to turn heads.

Pond's sleeps on the floor with Linh on a couch nearby.

Linh said Pond's would only sleep if Linh lies down close to him. "He would squeal incessantly, otherwise," she said.

Pond's eats rice daily and his favorite food is sour broth and durian. Linh is trying to cut down on the fat, however.

Pond's is also loved by his neighbors. "Few are willing to raise a pig inside their homes because they fear it would dirty the place. But Pond's is clean and adorable. If my house has any good food, we always leave some for him," said Lan, one of Linh's neighbors.
Packs of drug seized in Hoc Mon District on Ho Chi Minh City outskirts on March 27, 2019. Photo by VnExpress/Minh Tuan

HCMC police Wednesday night detained two Taiwanese men transporting more than 300 kilos (661 pounds) of heroin.

The drug was packed in nearly 900 packages in a truck found in Hoc Mon District on the city outskirts. The vehicle is registered in the northern Thai Nguyen Province and was driven by a 30-year-old Vietnamese driver, who was also arrested.

Police are looking for another Taiwanese man who escaped during the police check. They are also searching a series of suspicious locations in the area that could be used as warehouses and meeting points by drug dealers.

They said that the latest seizure was part of evidence that drug crime has "developed complicatedly" in HCMC. The southern hub is showing signs of becoming a transit point for drugs to be distributed to other countries later, the police added.

On March 20, a raid was carried out by hundreds of police officers and border guards netted 16 Chinese nationals including Wu Heshan, 56, the suspected ring leader, three Vietnamese and one Lao national as well as a pickup truck with about 300 kilos of meth.

It was found out later that the ring operated nationwide, and was linked to two seizures of around 300 kilos each in central Vietnam in October last year and February this year.

On March 22, Vietnam customs police and Filipino police also joined hands to seize 270 kilos of meth that the gang had transported to the Philippines via the sea.

Vietnam has become a key trafficking hub for narcotics around the Golden Triangle, an intersection of China, Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar and the world's second-largest drug producing region.

It also has some of the worlds toughest drug laws. Those convicted of possessing or smuggling more than 600 grams of heroin or more than 2.5 kilograms of methamphetamine face the death penalty.
A female Vietnamese migrant worker has been placed under criminal investigation in Taiwan for abandoning her newborn baby girl.

Surveillance camera footage captured the 20-year-old woman leaving the baby near a construction site in New Taipei City, police said.

Based on the camera footage, police arrested the woman, identified only by her surname Nguyen, at the dormitory of an electronics company in Zhonghe District Wednesday morning, the Taiwan News reported.

The arrest was made after police received a call from a passerby, reporting that there was a baby in a cardboard box on the sidewalk.

Police rushed to the scene and found a newborn baby girl whose body temperature was slightly low, as she was only wrapped in a thin layer of clothing.

Nguyen confessed to the police that she gave birth to the infant in the dorm on Tuesday and decided to abandon the baby as she could not afford to raise her child.

She is now in custody and faces charges of Child Abandonment, police said.

The baby girl is in stable condition and being cared for by social workers, they added.

Since 2015, when Taiwan lifted a 10-year ban on certain categories of Vietnamese workers, thousands have sought jobs in the territory.

In 2018, 65,000 Vietnamese workers were sent to Taiwan, accounting for nearly half of Vietnam's overseas workforce last year.
Armed police officers stand on duty in central Manchester, Britain, May 28, 2017. Photo by Reuters/Phil Noble

A Romanian man will spend six years in a U.K. jail for smuggling 21 Vietnamese citizens into the country.

The Vietnamese, including children, were hidden in two "coffin hides" inside a refrigerated truck that Andrut Mihai Duma, 29, drove last November.

Border Force police stopped Duma at the Port of Newhaven, East Sussex. He told them he had collected the truck near Dieppe, France.

The police discovered the Vietnamese when an officer saw some clothing in the water pallets of the truck.

Duma pleaded guilty to "assisting unlawful immigration" and was sentenced to six years in prison at the Guildford Crown Court, BirminghamLive reported Tuesday.

"[The Vietnamese] were literally in the modern equivalent of a slave ship," the report quoted Judge Rufus Taylor as saying. The judge also recommended that Duma be deported.

Dumas act was "no amateur effort at people trafficking," but the work of an organized crime gang, said prosecutor Nicholas Corsellis.

"There must have been significant sums of money either paid or due to the smugglers" by the Vietnamese, he added.

Earlier this month, another Romanian was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for trafficking 10 Vietnamese from Germany to the U.K.

Vietnam is consistently one of the top source countries for modern slaves in Britain - at least 3,187 Vietnamese victims have been identified since 2009, according to official data.

About 362 possible child victims from Vietnam were discovered in Britain in 2017, up more than a third over 2016.

Victims trafficked from Vietnam most commonly end up being exploited, often in cannabis farms and nail bars, but many are also sexually exploited, according to a report commissioned by Britains Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner Kevin Hyland.
Customs officials at Da Nangs Tien Sa Port in central Vietnam on Tuesday seized 9.12 tons of elephant tusks hidden in timber containers.

This is the biggest ivory seizure in recent years, police say. Police, border guards and customs officials have joined hands to investigate the case.

Preliminary investigations show that the containers were imported to Tien Sa from Congo, Africa. They are registered for a business in the neighboring Quang Nam Province.

Last October, police and customs officials in Da Nang seized 10 tons of elephant tusks and pangolin scales trafficked from Nigeria to Tien Sa.

Vietnam outlawed ivory trade in 1992, but the country remains a top market for ivory products prized locally for decorative and medicinal purposes, according to conservation groups.

The country is also a busy thoroughfare for tusks trafficked from Africa destined for other parts of Asia, conservationists say. A report from the Environmental Investigation Agency, a London-based NGO, last year ranked Vietnam among the top 10 countries for ivory smuggling.

Since 2009, Vietnamese authorities have been able to seize more than 56 tons of ivory. About 20 tons of ivory linked to Vietnam were seized in other countries in the same period. This is equivalent to nearly 11,500 elephants, the report said.
Satellite photo dated March 28, 2018 shows Woody Island in the Paracels, South China Sea. Photo by Planet Labs Inc/Handout via Reuters

Vietnam has denounced Chinas live-fire drills in the Paracel Islands and plans to turn Vietnamese islands into its cities.

Last week, the Customs Department of China's Hainan Province issued five notices of live-fire drills between March 22 and 24 in the Paracel (Hoang Sa) Islands of Vietnam.

On March 16, Beijing also announced plans to turn Phu Lam, Duy Mong and Cay islands of Hoang Sa into cities and strategic logistics bases. Phu Lam (Woody) is the largest island in the archipelago.

Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said Vietnam's representatives have met with Chinese counterparts and handed an official statement protesting those events.

"These activities have seriously violated Vietnam's sovereignty over the Hoang Sa Islands and gone against basic principles on settling maritime issues between the two countries," Hang said at a press conference Thursday.

Hang asserted that China has violated the spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties (DOC) in the South China Sea, complicated the situation in the waters and caused trouble for negotiations on the Code of Coduct between China and ASEAN. Vietnam calls the waters the East Sea.

She reiterated that Vietnam has full legal grounds and historical evidence to assert sovereignty over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes in accordance with international law.

"Vietnam demands that China respect international laws, Vietnam's sovereignty, the mutual awareness of the countries' high-ranking leaders, that China end and not repeat similar activities that escalate tension in the area," Hang said.

China seized the Paracel Islands from South Vietnam by force in 1974, and has been illegally occupying a number of reefs in the Spratly Islands since 1988.

Last May, Vietnam also voiced opposition against China's live-fire drills in the Paracels.
Nepal and India will review bilateral tiesand a laundry list of pending issues

After months of delay, officials from Nepal and India will finally review bilateral ties from the Eminent Persons Group report to India-funded projects in Nepal as Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Keshav Gokhale arrives in Kathmandu on Thursday.
Vietnam to go all out to help free suspect in Kim Jong-nam murder case

Doan Thi Huong (L) appears for trial in Malaysia on March 14, 2019. Photo by Reuters

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman says no effort will be spared to ensure a fair trial for Vietnamese woman accused of murder in Malaysia.

"Vietnam will continue taking the necessary measures at the highest level to ensure a fair trial and freedom for Doan Thi Huong," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said Thursday.

Hang was speaking at a press conference about the Vietnamese suspect in the murder of Kim Jong-nam, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's half-brother, in Malaysia in 2017.

Huong, 30, has been on trial for a year and a half on charges of killing Kim by smearing his face with VX poison, a banned chemical weapon, at the Kuala Lumpur airport in February 2017.

She and her co-accused Indonesian woman Siti Aisyah, 26, both said that they thought they were playing a prank, and had no idea their actions would have deadly consequences.

On March 11, the murder charge was withdrawn against Aisyah and she was set free, prompting the Vietnamese government to call for Malaysia to do the same with Huong, on the basis of the law and the good friendship and strategic partnership between the two countries.

Authorities did not give any reason for withdrawing the charge against Aisyah, which followed an intense lobbying effort by Jakarta, AFP reported.

However, Malaysia rejected Vietnams appeal to drop murder charges against Huong during a court hearing on March 14 and announced that her trial would be adjourned until April 1.

Hang said the Vietnamese government has so far taken several measures to protect the legitimate rights and interests of the Vietnamese suspect.

Vietnamese authorities are maintaining regular contact with representative offices in Malaysia and Vietnamese Embassy officials have visited Huong three times this month to help her have stable metal health, Hang added.

She said the embassy officials will visit Huong again before she is brought to court on April 1.

Huong is now the sole defendant on trial for Kim's murder and could face death by hanging if convicted.
A bridge and the city view in Kawagoe, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. Photo by Shutterstock/eakkarat rangram

A Vietnamese man has been arrested after he allegedly stabbed a compatriot in Japan last week, local reports say.

Citing local police, the TBS News reported Tuesday that Nguyen Do Nhat allegedly slashed the head and an arm of an unnamed 19-year-old Vietnamese acquaintance with a knife in a building in the Namiki area of Kawaguchi City last Thursday.

Emergency services received a call from a witness saying "a foreign man soaked in blood screaming about a burglar."

The victim was transported to the hospital and found to carry no life-threatening injuries.

Nhat was arrested after he arrived at a police station in the Suginami Ward of Tokyo, saying he had "lost some property."

He has denied all allegations about stabbing a compatriot, police said. More information about the case has not been released.

An investigation is ongoing.

The number of non-permanent residents from Vietnam in Japan grew more than six-fold from 2008 to 2017, when it reached about 260,000. Vietnam has surpassed Brazil to become the fourth biggest minority group in Japan, according to Japans National Police Agency.

But the reputation of Vietnamese people living in Japan has also been tarnished following a 2017 Japanese police report that said they committed more crimes than any other foreign non-permanent residents in the country.

Police recorded 5,140 crimes committed by Vietnamese people in 2017, up from 3,177 the year earlier, accounting for 30.2 percent of the total number of crimes committed by foreign nationals.
This blog may be a labor of love for me, but it takes a lot of effort, time and money. For over 14 years and 30,000 articles I have been providing accurate, original news that would have remained unnoticed. I've written hundreds of scoops and sometimes my reporting ends up making a real difference. I appreciate any donations you can give to keep this blog going.
New mobile apps that give customers the ability to pay bills on the go, track their energy use from anywhere, and report and monitor power and water outages are now available from Minnesota Power and Superior Water, Light and Power.



The addition of the MyAccount program to the mobile apps creates a powerful tool for customers to manage their account on their smartphone or tablet from anywhere they have access to a cellular network.



"With MyAccount integrated into the Minnesota Power and Superior Water, Light and Power mobile apps, our customers have convenience at their fingertips. They can now pay their bill, check on their account and track their energy use from anywhere, any time," said Frank Frederickson, vice president of customer experience. "This mobile convenience will expand as we add more features to MyAccount and continue to modernize our information technology for customers. The app also includes our Outage Center, the best way for customers to stay informed in the unfortunate event of an outage in their area."



The new apps will function immediately upon download and will replace the current Minnesota Power outage app, which will be deactivated April 1. All customers who want to have quick access to outage information and account information are encouraged to download the new apps before April 1.



To download the new apps for Apple iOS or Android, go to the Minnesota Power or Superior Water, Light and Power website and click on "Outage Center," then on "Outage Mobile App" on the Minnesota Power website or "Download Electric Outage App" on the Superior Water, Light and Power website. You will then be linked to the webpage where the app can be installed on your device.



In addition to the outage and MyAccount functions, the "Contact Us" section in each new app goes beyond company phone numbers to include links to company social media feeds, links to outage and public safety web pages and a handy flashlight button to turn on a phone's flashlight in the event of a power outage.



Minnesota Power provides electric service within a 26,000-square-mile area in northeastern Minnesota, supporting comfort, security and quality of life for 145,000 customers, 16 municipalities and some of the largest industrial customers in the United States.



More information can be found at www.mnpower.com.



Superior Water, Light and Power provides electricity, water and natural gas in the city of Superior and adjacent areas in northwestern Wisconsin. The company has served the area since 1889 and provides services to approximately 15,000 electric customers, 13,000 natural gas customers and 10,000 water customers.



More information can be found at www.swlp.com.



The statements contained in this release and statements that ALLETE may make orally in connection with this release that are not historical facts, are forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and investors are directed to the risks discussed in documents filed by ALLETE with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Arkansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. has partnered with other utility companies, construction contractors, state agencies and community colleges to form the Arkansas Energy Workforce Consortium. The consortium has launched a new certified line worker training program.

The program, which has a six-month curriculum, will commence prior to September. The curriculum will provide training for students and allow them to gain certifications in many areas including: Certified Line Worker; National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) Core, Power Line and Power Line Worker Level 1 with modules from 2 and 3; Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 10; cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) First Aid Basic Plus; and 600 hours of curriculum and exercises. Students may also obtain a Commercial Drivers' License (CDL).

"We look forward to this program increasing the number of certificated line workers across Arkansas," said Jonathan Oliver, vice president of utility sales and services for AECI. "Arkansas' electric cooperatives have had great success with a similar program at Arkansas State University - Newport for many years. Line workers play a crucial role in the delivery of safe and reliable electric service."

To qualify for the program, students must be 18 years old, have a high school diploma or GED, hold a valid driver's license, pass a drug and background check and be comfortable working at heights of up to 40 ft.

Students interested in the program should contact the University of Arkansas - Pulaski Tech at 501.907.6670 or visit www.facebook.com/arkenergyworkforce

The Arkansas Energy Workforce Consortium is a coalition of electric utilities and contractors, community colleges and workforce development groups which projects energy worker needs and finds creative solutions to locate, educate and train workers for careers in energy in Arkansas.

Arkansas' electric cooperatives comprise 17 electric distribution cooperatives; Arkansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. (AECI), a Little Rock-based cooperative that provides services to the distribution cooperatives; and Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp. (AECC), a generation and transmission cooperative. The distribution cooperatives provide electricity to approximately 500,000 homes, farms and businesses in Arkansas and surrounding states.

Contact:

Rob Roedel, Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas, 501.570.2296 or rob.roedel@aecc.com
"Ameresco is thrilled with the news of the SMART project awards and applauds the leadership of the DOER and DPU in catalyzing and supporting solar development in the State of Massachusetts," said Jim Walker, Vice President of Solar PV. "We appreciate the opportunity provided by the SMART program to develop a broad range of solar projects and offer clean energy access to a diverse range of customers in Massachusetts."

The projects awarded represent an extensive variety of Ameresco's solar project capabilities from solar canopies for parking lots to landfills to residential solar rooftop arrays to large scale ground-mounts.

"Massachusetts is a national leader in solar energy with over 2,300 megawatts of solar installed across all 351 cities and towns of the Commonwealth," said Department of Energy Resources Commissioner Judith Judson. "DOER commends Ameresco for its efforts to build solar projects in partnership with municipalities under the SMART program, particularly those sited on landfills, rooftops, and parking lots. Such projects are directly in line with the goals of the SMART program and demonstrate an excellent re-use of existing land."

Ameresco won a SMART award to build solar canopies for the Town of Natick for the Natick High School (494 kW AC). This project will provide the Town of Natick with the benefits of solar canopies for coverage in their high school parking lots as well as the electricity savings generated by the solar projects.

"Through projects like the planned solar canopies, Ameresco has helped the Town of Natick strengthen its commitment to sustainability and become a solar suburb'," said Jillian Wilson-Martin, Sustainability Coordinator, Town of Natick. "In 2012, our municipality was one of the first in Massachusetts to install solar on public buildings, and now more than 700 of our residents have solar on their roofs. We are eager to continue our leadership in renewable energy through the SMART program."

Three of Ameresco's SMART awards are to be built on public landfills, generating savings for the Towns of Wellfleet, Westport and Hamilton; the three solar arrays are sized 700 kW, 480 kW and 636 kW respectively. Ameresco won 221 small-scale SMART awards to build roof-mounted solar arrays, totaling almost 2,000 kW in capacity, providing residents with access to clean energy.

Additionally, Ameresco won three SMART awards for solar ground-mounts in Erving (4,954 kW) and Dartmouth (178 kW), as well as Gardner (2,500 kW), which was awarded under the initial SMART Competitive Procurement.

"We commend the efforts of this important mission within the local community," said George Sakellaris, CEO of Ameresco. "We are thrilled to be a part of the continued efforts within Massachusetts to lead by example in energy stewardship."

These projects, which collectively represent approximately 12,000 kW, will save approximately 10,300 Metric Tons of Greenhouse Gas Emissions.

Ranked as the #1 Solar Contractor in Massachusetts in 2017 by the Solar Power World Top 500 Solar Contractors List, Ameresco continues to grow its solar footprint with these SMART award announcements. Ameresco's North American footprint represents approximately 235 MW of solar projects completed or in construction.

About Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) Program

The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER), in conjunction with the participating electric utilities is setting their sights even higher for the most energy-efficient state in the nation by launching the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) Program. The SMART Program is a long-term sustainable solar incentive program sponsored by Eversource, National Grid and Unitil. SMART will encourage the development of solar photovoltaic (PV) technology by supporting 1,600 MW of new solar generating capacity.

The SMART Program began with 17 projects totaling 53.273 MW of solar PV. These new Solar Tariff Generation Units (STGUs) will generate clean, renewable power for decades to come. Along with this first block of awards, the Base Compensation Rate levels have been set for the SMART program. On November 26, 2018 the SMART Program became available to solar PV projects of all types and sizes, up to 5 MW per project. For a status report on the volume of capacity applied for and awarded to date, see the Total Megawatts Available section to the left.

About Ameresco, Inc.

Founded in 2000, Ameresco, Inc. (NYSE:AMRC) is a leading independent provider of comprehensive services, energy efficiency, infrastructure upgrades, asset sustainability and renewable energy solutions for businesses and organizations throughout North America and Europe. Ameresco's sustainability services include upgrades to a facility's energy infrastructure and the development, construction and operation of renewable energy plants. Ameresco has successfully completed energy saving, environmentally responsible projects with Federal, state and local governments, healthcare and educational institutions, housing authorities, and commercial and industrial customers. With its corporate headquarters in Framingham, MA, Ameresco has more than 1,000 employees providing local expertise in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit www.ameresco.com.

The announcement of a SMART Program award is not necessarily indicative of the timing or amount of revenue from such award, of the company's overall revenue for any particular period or of trends in the company's overall total assets in development or operation. A portion of the energy assets under this SMART Program award was included in our previously reported assets in development as of December 31, 2018.
Nepals investment climate has improved, officials say

The government has announced that it would finalise all the projects that are selected by the investors by May. The Nepal Investment Summit is part of the effort to address what the government says is a funding gap in transport, energy, industry, agriculture, and health and education infrastructure over the next decade.
In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that Ive been turning over in my mind ever since. Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, he told me, just remember that all the people in this world havent had the advantages that youve had.

The opening line from The Great Gatsby, the masterpiece by F. Scott Fitzgerald, shows two things: that the world is unfair and that it is unequal. It was so in 1920s America, and it is so in contemporary Spain.

Being born into a more educated family with more financial possibilities is practically a guarantee of better job prospects

The social elevator  the economic and social mechanisms that allow the new generations to be better off than their parents and grandparents  is slow, and it keeps making long stops.

It would take a Spaniard born into a low-income family four generations (120 years) to reach the countrys average income. Thats the kind of time frame revealed by a new study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), A Broken Social Elevator? How to Promote Social Mobility.

While this period of time is shorter than the average for all OECD countries, there are signs that the situation has deteriorated in recent years. Being born into a more educated family with more financial possibilities is practically a guarantee of better job prospects.

During the crisis, given similar training, people from a lower socioeconomic background suffered more. If your parents were manual workers, there is a 50% chance that you will be one as well, says Luis Ayala, who teaches economics at King Juan Carlos University.

Many Spanish workers are stuck in low-paying, temporary jobs. Victor Sainz

Millions of working-class Spaniards seem fated by birth to remain in precarious, ill-payed jobs with fewer social benefits. This system limits prosperity, economic growth and productivity, while talent gets lost along the way. In a low-mobility economy, not only are we paying too much money for the work of a privileged few, but we are also trying to prosper with low-skilled workers, warns David B. Grusky, director of the Stanford University Center on Poverty and Inequality.

The US philosopher John Rawls said that people with similar skills and abilities, and an identical desire to use them, should have equal prospects of success regardless of their initial status.

But this is not the case in Spain, where mobility within the same generation is like a stopped elevator. A worker could spend his or her entire professional life without moving up to the next rung. According to the OECD, 66% of Spaniards within the poorest 20% of the population will remain stuck there. The average in the richest countries is 57%. The problem is not so much that the elevator is not working, but that income inequality has increased, which is even worse. Above all, it has consequences in investment in human capital, warns Claudia Canals, a senior economist at CaixaBank Research.

Growing inequality

Unfortunately, 21st-century capitalism cannot be explained without inequality, which grew throughout the 1990s, trapping millions of families in wealthy nations at the bottom of the income ladder.

Millions of working-class Spaniards seem fated by birth to remain in precarious, ill-payed jobs with fewer social benefits

Whats worrying about high inequality levels is that it fragments society and creates polarization, says Branko Milanovic, an economist who teaches at the Maryland University School of Public Policy.

And there are indications that greater income inequality runs parallel to lower mobility, adds Brian Nolan, a professor of social policy at Oxford University. It is the Great Gatsby curve, a concept introduced by the economist Alan Krueger when he advising ex-US president Barack Obama. The curve shows a correlation between low social mobility and high inequality.

In Spain, the reduction of inequality among the poorest layers of society has slowed down brutally. Now, unskilled workers have reduced working days and lower income, and this affects their childrens education, says Gonzalo Garcia, a markets expert at Analistas Financieros Internacionales (AFI). That loss in the early stage of life will define the childrens future. The care and training that children get between the ages of zero and five play a determining role in whether they will find a good job and a good salary in the future, he says.

The scenario is even starker if we consider that the horizon holds the beginnings of a new crisis and greater unemployment. When both parents lose their jobs in a Scandinavian country, this has a very small impact on their childrens chances of going to university. But its the opposite in the US or in Spain, says Markus Gangl, a sociology professor at Goethe University in Frankfurt. This is because northern European countries protect their citizens with a generous system of unemployment benefits, grants and low tuition fees. In Spain, 617,000 households have no income whatsoever and 2.6 million children are at risk of poverty.

There are many repercussions to that immobility, and women are among the worst affected, but if I had to choose one effect, it would be talented peoples inability to prosper within the formal economy. Many of them end up in jobs beneath their potential or are forced to move abroad, says Giles Alston, and expert at Oxford Analytica.

The OECD report talks about sticky floors and sticky ceilings to illustrate how the poorest members of society remain trapped at the bottom of the social ladder while the wealthy remain at the top for a long time. Over a four-year period, the poorest 20% have few possibilities of climbing rungs, and 66% will remain trapped at the bottom.

The problem of lack of mobility is a very serious one, notes Stefano Scarpetta, director of Employment, Labor and Social Affairs at the OECD. It means, for instance, that many investment opportunities remain unexploited and potential businesses never see the light.

No miracle solutions

There is no miracle solution to make the social elevator go faster. Economists propose reinforced support for the unemployed, raising productivity and improving the economic output. But entire generations of Spanish policymakers have been trying to make this work. Education should pull on the elevator, but there are elements weighing it down. Spain has the highest early school dropout rate in the European Union, 19.9% in 2015.

The rich getting richer There are growing numbers of wealthy individuals in the world, and their bank accounts are more padded than ever before. In 2018, there were 42.2 million people with financial assets worth a million dollars or more, or 2.3 million more than in 2017, according to the latest global wealth report by Credit Suisse. These fortunes combined represent 317 trillion, the equivalent of 300 times the GDP of Spain. The US leads the ranking with 41% of all millionaires, whereas China is the country where this wealthy club is growing the fastest: 186,000 new millionaires last year. These figures are in stark contrast to the fact that 64% of the worlds adult population lives on less than $10,000.

But not even an education is enough to ensure upward mobility. In my studies, I discovered that countries with more inequality such as Italy, the UK or Spain still have a salary gap among people with the same education level, which favors those who come from more privileged backgrounds, says Michele Raitano, who teaches political economics at Sapienza University in Rome. What counts is what the market rewards. If the market only values peoples productive skills, the best policy is to equate these skills, for instance by encouraging the education of talented youths from underprivileged backgrounds or mixing students from different social backgrounds.

This reality contradicts the oft-repeated message that if one works hard and gets good training, good job prospects and a successful future will follow. The privilege of the elites remains strong. In Britain, a system of 2,600 private schools has produced 29% of all prime ministers and 74% of judges.

Spain has its own exclusive business schools. They are drivers of inequality, admits Gayle Allard, who teaches at the IE Business School. It is an expensive education. We give out scholarships and loans, but it is still an elite education.

Sometimes, although there are no equal opportunities, if the economy grows very fast it is possible to compensate for it, holds Jorge Rodriguez Menes, who teaches political and social science at Pompeu Fabra University.

If education is not enough and economic growth is not a guarantee of success, what can be done? The best strategy to increase mobility is to reduce inequality in the families, says Suresh Naidu, a professor of economics at Columbia University and one of the founders of the network Economics for Inclusive Prosperity.

Spaniards place little faith in the merit system: 53% of respondents in the OECD study believe that having a good education and parents with higher earnings are essential factors to doing well in life. This is far higher than the OECD average of 37%. This is maybe not so surprising in a country filled with revolving doors, families that got rich under Franco, and where family contacts are still the best professional network.

It is true that family nepotism is still alive and well, but the job market is changing a lot. Children increasingly do not follow in their parents professional footsteps, because maybe those jobs no longer exist in the first place, says Claudia Canals, of CaixaBank Research.

The nepotism and the lack of a merit-based system has a direct impact on productivity and potential growth, and it remains one of the pending challenges for Spanish businesses, universities and also politics, says the economist Jose Carlos Diez.

English version by Susana Urra.
The North Korean embassy in Madrid. uly martin

The 10 individuals who broke into the North Korean embassy in Madrid last month, assaulting staff members and taking audiovisual material with them, had micro-cameras that they used to provide evidence of their actions to whoever ordered and financed the operation, according to Spanish investigators.

The only thing the assailants did not plan for was the fact that a woman would manage to jump out an embassy window

Police sources said these recordings are different from the video recently reported on by The Washington Post, where a person is seen breaking portraits of North Korean leaders inside a room with no positive identifying elements in it.

On Tuesday, investigating Judge Jose de la Mata, of Spains High Court, Audiencia Nacional, issued international arrest warrants against some of the intruders.

The leader of the group that broke into the embassy on February 22 has been named as Adrian Hong Chang, whom sources familiar with the investigation describe as a North Korean mercenary. The 35-year-old is a US resident with a Mexican passport who owns several dubious companies and is in contact with various intelligence services.

Investigators are now exploring whether Hong Chang played a role in other violent incidents against North Korean interests in other countries. Near the Madrid embassy, the police found an Italian drivers license belonging to Hong Chang but showing a fake name. The North Korean ambassador to Italy has been missing since January, and is presumed to have defected.

The CIA link Investigators soon linked two of the assailants with the CIA. It was not until March 19, nearly a month after the attack and with the Spanish police investigation nearly completed, that the FBI told Spanish authorities it had been contacted by Adrian Hong Chang. According to the judges report, the group leader got in touch with the FBI on February 27, five days after the operation, to share information and hand over the material obtained in Madrid. Hong Chang was not arrested, and Spanish authorities were only informed after the story had made news headlines. Spanish authorities contacted the CIA, which offered an unconvincing reply. Sources at the US embassy in Madrid said they do not comment on intelligence matters being handled by Spanish authorities, and that even if there had been any kind of official or informal call, no comments would be provided either. Investigation sources say the attack was perfectly planned down to every last detail, something that would require significant infrastructure and financing, which the individuals involved lack.

Five days after leading the Madrid assault and flying to the United States, Hong allegedly contacted the FBI to share the material he obtained at the diplomatic compound, even though the CIA is the agency in charge of monitoring the North Korean nuclear program. (see box)

Investigators believe that the intruders were looking for sensitive information regarding North Koreas nuclear and arms program just days ahead of the Hanoi summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump, which ended abruptly without a deal.

The head of the North Korean delegation at the talks with the US was Kim Hyok Chol, who served as the ambassador to Spain until September 2017, when he was expelled from Spain over the nuclear testing program.

Investigation sources said that the violence employed against the current head of the embassy, the commercial attache Yun Sok So, was due to the fact that the intruders wanted him to tell them the location of the documents and files that they knew for a fact were in there. Other sources said that the assailants were looking for compromising information about the former ambassador.

The attackers took the attache to a room, beat him, and offered to take him out of Spain to a safe place, if he would repudiate the North Korean regime. Yun Sok So refused to do so.

Operation Nollan

Even though the assailants  mostly young South Koreans living in the US and trained in military action  took away the hard drives of the embassys security cameras, the police was able to partially recover the footage before its automatic deletion. This is what allowed investigators to observe the intruders extremely violent and professional behavior, and to identify them.

Four days after the break-in, investigators from the Madrid Provincial Information Brigade  which has also headed investigations into Islamist groups in Spain  had identified the group leader. The following week, most of his accomplices had been named as well.

The only thing the assailants did not plan for was the fact that a woman would manage to jump out an embassy window and alert the police while they were still inside.

This element of surprise  which gives the police operation its codename, Nollan (amazement in Korean)  forced the group to change its plans. Eight of them fled in embassy vehicles, while Hong Chan and an aide jumped over the back wall, ditching their weapons in the bushes, where they were later found by the police. These two then used the Uber app to request a vehicle, and left when the police was already outside the front door.

Operation Nollan has positively identified at least seven of the assailants after investigators watched thousands of hours worth of security camera footage from transportation hubs, hotels and other establishments, and after sending out international information requests. The police has also been offering protection to the victims of the attack, some of whom were treated at a Madrid hospital.

At the time of the attack, there were seven people inside the diplomatic compound, including staff members and visitors.
Muslim worshipers pray around the Kaaba, in the holy city of Mecca. KARIM SAHIB (AFP)

Why do they hate us?

That was the question posed on the cover of Newsweek magazine after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The headline nodded to the fact that all the perpetrators were Muslims with a deep hatred of the US and the West. The attacks provoked a massive military response from the US and its allies, as well as an intense debate about the causes of this hatred and how to confront it. The debate popularized the theory of a "clash of civilizations," suggesting that, in the new century, religion and culture  not ideologies like communism and capitalism  would be the primary sources of international conflict. This attack pitting Islam and the West was seen as evidence of this new world view.

In this century Islam will mold many of humanitys most critical issues

But now we know that this theory was wrong. Instead of a clash between civilizations, what we really have is bloody clash within a civilization. And that civilization is Islam. The vast majority of the victims of terrorism worldwide are innocent Muslims murdered or wounded by radicalized Muslims. The attacks of Islamist terrorists against Europeans and Americans have been serious and remain a real threat. And the recent attack on the mosque in New Zealand is part of a new criminal activism by white supremacists. But the number of victims of Islamic terrorism in the US and Europe is significantly lower than the deaths caused by these terrorists in Muslim countries.

In order to successfully confront this terrorism, we need to better understand Islam and its current circumstances, practices and demographic outlook. This is not just important for fighting terrorism. In this century Islam will mold many of humanitys most critical issues, from the fight against poverty to mass migration, and from the future of Africa and the Middle East to how to prepare hundreds of millions of young new workers for a workplace defined by the digital revolution. Sadly, it is also possible that new tragedies like those that have already occurred in Syria and Yemen and with the Rohingya people of Myanmar may occur.

Today there are 1.8 billion Muslims and they are the worlds fastest growing religious group. By the end of this century there will be more Muslims than Christians in the world, and by 2050, 10% of Europeans will be Muslims.

Now more than ever we need to fully understand Islam, its problems and its promise

Until the late 1990s, analysis of the role of Islam in economic performance had been mostly left to theologians, sociologists and political scientists. Today, however, more and more economists are applying the latest theories and methods to help us understand Islams impact. Timur Kuran, a professor at Duke University, has just published a comprehensive review of the relationship between Islam and the economy. The scope of this work is vast and impossible to summarize but the full text is in The Journal of Economic Literature.

One of the most critical questions is whether Islam retards economic development since countries with a predominantly Muslim population are, on average, poorer than the rest of the world. In 2017, the average income per person of the 57 member nations of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) was $11,073 while that average for the rest of the world was $18,796. Moreover, in countries with Muslim majorities, life expectancies are lower and illiteracy higher. In countries such as India, where there are many different religions, Muslims tend to be the poorest group. The relative poverty of Muslims occurs both in countries where they are a minority and in those where they constitute the largest religious group. Nonetheless, Professor Kuran warns that although these data are suggestive, On the whole, cross-country research on whether Islam harms growth is inconclusive. After all, he correctly notes, the economies of the poor countries of South Asia and Latin America also suffer from a chronically mediocre economic performance.

Today there are 1.8 billion Muslims and they are the worlds fastest growing religious group

This review of scientific articles published since 1997 reveals other interesting results. For example, those who make the annual pilgrimage to Mecca bring home attitudes that favor economic growth and greater tolerance towards non-Muslims. Individuals whose mothers fasted while pregnant with them during Ramadan have shorter lives, poorer health, less mental acuity, lower educational attainment and poorer work performance. Islamic charities tend to favor the middle class over the poor. The rules that govern so-called "Islamic finance" have little effect on the financial behavior of Muslims. And the rulers of Muslim countries have contributed to the persistence of authoritarianism by treating Islam as an instrument of governance.

The study includes the explanations and data that support these conclusions as well as many other surprising findings. We need more and better studies of this kind. Now more than ever we need to fully understand Islam, its problems and its promise.

Twitter @moisesnaim
Protesters at Saturdays demonstration in Madrids Margaret Thatcher square. Simon Hunter

This week on our Que? podcast, we discuss why 400 British migrants came out to Margaret Thatcher square in Madrid to protest against Brexit, and what a young man was doing on public transport with a large carving knife.

Que? is a podcast that tries to explain to an English-speaking audience the curious, the under-reported and sometimes simply bizarre news stories that are often in the headlines in Spain. You can subscribe through this RSS Feed or via your favorite podcast app, such as Google Podcasts or Apple Podcasts.

If you have any comments or questions about the topics we discuss, or would like to suggest issues for future podcasts, email us at englishedition@elpais.es or tweet Simon Hunter at @simoninmadrid using the hashtag #quepodcast.

And if you want more information about all the podcasts available from EL PAIS, visit this website.
Spains state railway company Renfe has taken eight train security guards off duty after they were caught on camera brutally beating a young migrant at the Plaza Catalunya Metro station in the Catalan capital Barcelona on Tuesday night.

The rail operator also announced that it has opened an investigation into why the officers beat the passenger, who did not have a ticket, and violently manhandled him to the ground. It added that the investigation could lead to disciplinary measures.

This has just happened at Plaza de Catalunya station (Barcelona). We have one thing to say: the brutality in which the security guards beat the young man is racist brutality. They acted disproportionately. [The man was] against a wall with everyone hitting him with a baton.

The incident was reported by the anti-discrimination group Es Racismo, which published a video of the assault on its Twitter account. The video shows a group of security guards chasing the passenger through the station and cornering him against a column. The officers then hold him as a female officer repeatedly beats the passenger with a baton.

Sources from Renfe, which was made aware of the incident thanks to the video on Twitter, maintain the company condemns all violence and does not tolerate any discriminatory attitude, action or display against anybody, regardless of what may have provoked the attack.

The video comes just weeks after three migrant youth centers were attacked in Catalonia.

English version by Melissa Kitson.
Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell. GJB (GTRES)

Spains Foreign Minister Josep Borrell briefly interrupted an interview with a German television station after getting upset at the tone of the interviewers questions on Catalonia.

The tense half-hour interview between Borrell, of the Socialist Party (PSOE), and a journalist named Tim Sebastian, was aired on Wednesday evening on an English-language program called Conflict Zone, on Germanys Deutsche Welle station.

After 10 minutes and 50 seconds, Borrell tells his interviewer to stop, and accuses him of ignorance and bias on the issue of the Catalan conflict. Other topics addressed in the interview included Gibraltar and arms sales.

The interview was recorded last week, said a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry. This source added that it was evident that the journalist was merely echoing theses that were contrary to the government of Spain, no matter what the topic.

At one point, Borrell asks for the cameras to stop recording, takes off his microphone and walks away from the set. The screen then shows a message informing viewers that after talking with his advisors, the minister decided to finish the interview.
Joint Statement by the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair Countries

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International Court of Justice will deliver its decision on the request for provisional measures in the case of ARMENIA v AZERBAIJAN

Statement of the Foreign Ministry of Armenia

OPEC Fund Partners Ameriabank to Address Problems and Help to Improve the Life of People in Armenia. T. Alnassar.

Generation A: Edition 14. Exclusive Chance to Begin Your Professional Career with Ameriabank

Katna Armenian cheeses enter the market: the new project of Galaxy Group of Companies

US$30m OPEC Fund loan to Ameriabank to promote sustainable energy and support small businesses in Armenia

Black Friday at ucom: up to 70% discount for smart home devices, gadgets and smartphones

116 million AMD assistance to minors with disabilities in Shirak Province from Mikayel Vardanyan

Discussion on the topic IT infrastructure as the basis of the digital economy with the participation of the heads of telecommunication companies in Armenia

Statement nn the ongoing Aggression by Azerbaijan against the Republic of Armenia

"We condemn any attempts at borderisation, as observed since the incursion of Azerbaijani troops into Armenian territory on 12 May" Joint statement

The United States is deeply concerned about reports of intensive fighting today between Armenia and Azerbaijan.ANTONY J. BLINKEN

Statement of the MFA of Armenia

Ookla has awarded Ucom with The fastest fixedline network in Armenia award

UCOM keeps on supporting the 42 YEREVAN programming school

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Recognizing the One-Year Anniversary of the Ceasefire Declaration Between Armenia and Azerbaijan

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Humanitarian and human rights protection needed following the 2020 outbreak of hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh

Galaxy Group of Companies expands its activities in Belarus: a new TIME and Pandora store launched

I think its a good moment to invest in Armenia. Head of Markets at Symbiotics Vincent Lehner

Ameriabank has Raised USD 17.5M Tier 2 Capital

UNIGHT TO UNITE. UCOM CELEBRATED ITS REBIRTH

Ameriabank and HSBC Armenia to provide their customers access to each others ATMs without additional fees

Ameriabank. 62.5% Growth in Taxes YOY

Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans have provided 300 million AMD to overcome the infertility in Armenia

UCOM has officially launched the sale of IPHONE 13

Six servicemen were wounded by the attack of the Azerbaijani armed forces in Artsakh, two of them in critical condition

S&P Improved the Outlook on Ameriabank to Positive
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says the end of the occupation of Crimea will remain his priority after the presidential election.

"I want to say that my first priority, immediately after the elections, will be the Crimean issue," he said in an interview to Ukrainian television channels on Wednesday.

He says retaking Crimea is a matter of principle for him.

"We are not going to trade Crimea, as someone does. We are not going to say that Crimea is something to be addressed later. Crimea will be one of the first items on the agenda," he said.

According to the president, sanctions against the Russian Federation over Russian aggression against Ukraine and claims filed by Ukraine against Russia in international courts will be conductive to the end of the Russian occupation of Crimea.
Back to the Middle Ages

An examinee had her sanitary pad confiscated in the name of security
Giving up the Minsk peace process and the Normandy format in favor of any other format of negotiations on Donbas and Crimea will allow Russian President Vladimir Putin to avoid fulfilling already undertaken commitments, Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko said.

"Anyone who offers something else  Budapest formats, Warsaw formats, Moscow formats  this is done with one purpose: to let Putin avoid the commitments he undertook. If Ukraine itself abandons the Minsk process, if Ukraine itself abandons the Normandy format, sanctions will be lifted. This is what Putin wants. Ukraine will not get anything," Poroshenko told Ukrainian television channels on Wednesday.

"Therefore, incompetent and irresponsible state-mongers cannot be let anywhere near these processes. For it will turn out that the huge price paid for our opportunity to build a country will be worthless," he said.
The U.S.-based nonprofit National Democratic Institute has announced the arrival of a high-ranking international delegation of 32 persons representing nine countries that will observe Ukraine's first round of presidential elections on March 31. The delegation on April 1 will present their preliminary conclusions at a press conference, a NDI press release said on Thursday.

"The delegation includes political leaders, diplomats, former elected and government officials, and regional and electoral experts, including: William Taylor, former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine and executive vice president of the United States Institute of Peace (USIP); Dame Audrey Glover, chairman of the Foreign Policy Centre and former director of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR); Birgitta Ohlsson, former Swedish minister of EU affairs; Laura Jewett, NDI's regional director for Eurasia; and Mary O'Hagan, global associate and NDI senior resident director in Ukraine," the press release says.

The delegation will build on the work of NDI's pre-election assessment mission conducted in November, as well as the findings of long-term analysts who have been in Ukraine since January.

"This presidential election is occurring at another critical moment for Ukraine. We see that Ukrainian citizens remain committed to a democratic and European future. A peaceful, orderly electoral process that inspires public confidence will bring the country closer to those aspirations. It will thus be important for all of us  the international community and Ukrainians  to contribute to the integrity of the election," ex-U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine and executive vice president of the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) William Taylor was quoted in the press release as saying.

The delegation's purpose is to demonstrate the international community's continuing support for democratic processes in Ukraine and to provide an objective assessment of the election process and the political environment surrounding it. Members of the delegation will meet with party and campaign representatives, government and election officials, as well as representatives of civil society, the media and the international community in Kyiv and 13 regions of the country. On election day, the NDI observers will visit polling stations for the opening, voting, closing and counting processes in their assigned regions.

Their findings will inform a preliminary statement, which will be released at a press conference scheduled for April 1.

NDI is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, which works to strengthen democratic institutions worldwide by engaging civil society, ensuring the openness and accountability of authorities. NDI has organized international election observation missions or evaluated them in more than 65 countries at more than 135 elections.

NDI also will support contacts with Ukrainian national monitoring groups and other international delegations observing the election process. The work of the mission is made possible with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Ukraine's delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has called on Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjrn Jagland and PACE President Liliane Maury Pasquier to use all mechanisms possible to defend the rights of the indigenous population of Crimea and demanded an end to attempts to restore Russia's PACE delegation mandate. The appeal came a day after about 20 Crimean Tatars were arrested by Russia-occupation forces on the peninsula.

"We ask leaders of the Council of Europe to use all means and mechanisms at their disposal to defend the rights of the indigenous population of the peninsula and demand an end to all attempts to unconditionally restore Russia's delegation to PACE because of continuing violations by Russia of rule of law and human rights, which, first and foremost, must be defended by the Council of Europe, according to its charter," Member of Ukraine's Parliament (Bloc of Petro Poroshenko  BPP) and Ukraine's PACE delegation chairman Volodymyr Ariev said on Facebook on Thursday.

A similar appeal from Ukraine's PACE delegation was sent to Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatovic.

As reported, on Wednesday, Russian security forces in the illegally annexed city of Simferopol during searches in the homes of the Crimean Tatars detained at least 16 people (according to Russia's Federal Security Service [FSB]  about 20 people).

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry protested against the arrests, expressing concern that the Russian occupation authorities again chose the so-called "Hizb ut-Tahrir case" as a pretext for the searches. The ministry said it did not rule out that could be the start of a new wave of persecution against Crimean Tatars.
Ukraine's Representative to the European Union, Ambassador Mykola Tochytskyi has called on European partners to "harshly and decisively" condemn the mass illegal searches of homes and arrests of Crimean Tatars, which took place in Russia-occupied Simferopol and Bilohorodsky districts of Crimea on Wednesday.

Tochytskyi commented on the arrests in a note received by Interfax-Ukraine on Wednesday.

The ambassador said the situation with human rights violations in Crimea and, in particular, the arrests and searches on Wednesday was discussed during his meeting with the EU's Special Representative for Human Rights Eamon Gilmore.

"We also informed EU institutions, members of the European Parliament and EU member states about the latest dirty crimes of the Kremlin in occupied Crimea. We called on our partners in the EU to respond harshly and decisively, because only such a reaction is able to stop Russia," Tochytskyi said.

The ambassador said Wednesday's actions show that "the Kremlin is trying once again to check the resolve of European and transatlantic unity on the issue of counteracting Russia's aggression against Ukraine and the entire civilized world. I am convinced of the depth of the resolve to return all occupied territories to Ukraine's control."

Tochytskyi believes that the mass searches and arrests of Crimean Tatars recently conducted in "temporarily occupied Crimea by Russian occupiers show that Russia is deliberately provoking and escalating the situation on the peninsula by increasing repression and harassment."

The ambassador focused attention that the events are occurring against the background of recent discussions of the situation in occupied Crimea, which was held on Tuesday in the European parliament and after the meeting in Strasbourg of Russian Ombudswoman Tatyana Moskalkova with Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatovic, who plans to visit Moscow at the start of April.

He emphasized that the increase in the repression coincided with the fifth anniversary of the occupation of the peninsula, which "no one in the world, despite the Kremlin's expectations, has forgotten," as well as the fifth anniversary of the adoption of the resolution by the UN General Assembly on the territorial integrity of Ukraine.

As reported, on Wednesday, Russian security forces in the illegally annexed city of Simferopol during searches in the homes of the Crimean Tatars detained at least 16 people (according to Russia's Federal Security Service [FSB]  about 20 people).

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry protested against the arrests, expressing concern that the Russian occupation authorities again chose the so-called "Hizb ut-Tahrir case" as a pretext for the searches. The ministry said it did not rule out that could be the start of a new wave of persecution against Crimean Tatars.
Ukrainian State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) Director Roman Truba has said his agency will soon report on its criminal investigation into facts reported by investigative journalists at Bihus.info about involvement of law-enforcement agencies in covering up corruption in Ukraine defense industry, adding a number of journalists had been questioned during the probe.

"Immediately after the [investigative report] was aired, [the SBI] opened a criminal case on facts of corrupt activities in the law-enforcement system, and not only based on facts of possible corrupt actions of the National Anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), but other law-enforcement agencies  the State Fiscal Service, the SBU State Security Service, and the Prosecutor General's Office (PGO)," Truba said at a briefing in Kyiv on Thursday.

"We are conducting investigative actions in terms of identifying and fixing the evidentiary base and giving an assessment of the actions of all law enforcement agencies. Currently, interrogations are being conducted. We have requested almost all the materials and studied the criminal proceedings being investigated by various law enforcement agencies," he said.

Truba said 10 SBI agents are working on the case.

"We called in journalists who conducted the investigation in for questioning. Some have already been questioned," he said.

Truba said he is aware of "all the challenges of this criminal proceeding."

"I am sure that in the near future we will report on the status and results of the investigation," he said.

As reported, in the final series of the Bihus.info investigation about corruption in the defense sector aired on the Nashi Groshi program on March 11 journalists said Ukraine's tax authorities, military prosecutor's office and NABU were aware of the presence of illegal schemes in the defense sector.
The State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) is investigating a whole range of criminal proceedings involving more than 30 deputies of Ukraine, one of the cases concerns the misuse of budgetary funds, Roman Truba, the director of the SBI has said.

"We have a significant number of criminal proceedings in which we call and we will call deputies ... More than 30 deputies are participants, whom we will interrogate and give their actions a legal assessment," the director of the Bureau said at a briefing in Kyiv on Thursday.

Answering the clarifying question in exactly which criminal cases the parliamentarians are involved, Truba noted: "This is not one criminal case, we are talking about several criminal cases. We have reason to say that, perhaps, deputies are related to inappropriate use of state funds. And it is precisely this criminal proceeding where there is the largest number of deputies who will be summoned, and we have questions for them: why was a mechanism like that they developed when using budget funds."

According to him, some of the deputies have already been questioned. "We continue to call them for questioning, the deputies come to us every week and give testimony," said Truba.

At the same time, he did not specify in which sphere, perhaps, there was an inappropriate use of public funds, citing the secrecy of the investigation.

Also, according to Truba, experts have not yet calculated the amount of possible damage. "I don't want premature accusations and suspicions," the director of the SBI added.
The Russian side in Minsk refused to discuss the issue of the release of Ukrainian political prisoners on the "25 for 25" formula, as well as in a narrow format, First Deputy Chairperson of Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada and Kyiv's representative in the humanitarian subgroup of the Trilateral Contact Group Iryna Gerashchenko said.

"The Russian Federation also categorically refused to discuss the issue of the release of convicted Russians to Kremlin political prisoners both in 25/25 format and in a narrow format (we offered to immediately transfer to us the sick Pavlo Hryb, the elderly Oleksiy Syzonovych and Volodymyr Balukh in exchange for Russians Sedikov and Vysotsky). Representatives of the Russian Federation once again abandoned their citizens and repeated the mantra about "internal conflict" and that "Kyiv must negotiate with Luhansk and Donetsk," wrote Gerashchenko on her Facebook page.

According to her, at this stage, the representatives of the Russian Federation are not ready for any progress in addressing humanitarian and security issues.

In addition, Gerashchenko reported that, within the framework of the humanitarian subgroup, in which representatives of the Security Service of Ukraine and the Ministry of Temporary Occupied Territories and IDPs, and the TCG are involved, the issue of the immediate release of the POW-sailors was raised. "Gryzlov [Russia's representative in the TCG Boris Gryzlov] hides his head and avoids discussing the problem," she added.
The State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) has initiated investigative actions in the framework of criminal proceedings on the possible intervention of Artem Sytnyk, Director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), in the election of the U.S. President, SBI Roman Truba has said.

"As for the possible influence of the head of the NABU in the presidential elections in the United States. Criminal proceedings on this fact have been recently registered by employees of the General Prosecutor's Office of Ukraine. We are just starting investigative actions in this criminal proceeding," Truba said at a briefing in Kyiv on Thursday.

At the same time, he added: "I can't say anything more at this stage."

As reported, on March 15, 2019, Lutsenko said during the Right to Power program that he had received a statement from MP Borysav Rozenblat (unaligned) in which the latter alleged Director of the National Anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) Artem Sytnyk had shared information from the so-called "black ledger" [of the Party of Regions] to support Hillary Clinton in the presidential election.

On March 22, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) said its detectives did not collect and hand over to any party any proof of U.S. political consultant Paul Manafort's illegal activities.

In turn, Ukraine's Specialized Anti-corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) head Nazar Kholodnytsky said, "If he (Sytnyk) really saw himself as a geopolitical figure and helped Hillary, then it is necessary to draw conclusions. This is wrong ... I met with him [Sytnyk] in 2016 and talked with him at a conference in Panama. He also told me he wanted to help Hillary. He didn't answer when I asked him where he was and where Hillary was."

The leak of the records kept by the Party of Regions was a reason for Manafort's dismissal as Trump's campaign manager and became one of the key accusations in the investigation of collusion [between Trump campaign officials] with Russia. The case has been under investigation for the last two years.

According to The New York Times newspaper, Manafort's name is mentioned 22 times in the "black ledger," which indicates $12.7 million was paid to him from 2007 to 2012.
President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has signed amendments to some legislative acts of Ukraine regarding transplantation of anatomical materials to a person (bill No. 9461-d), adopted by the Verkhovna Rada on February 28, 2019 and giving the opportunity to unblock transplantation that was suspended from January 1, 2019.

According to the website of the parliament, the document with the signature of the president was returned to parliament on March 28.

As reported, the Verkhovna Rada adopted law No. 9461-d on amendments to certain legislative acts of Ukraine regarding transplantation, which provides for the postponement of the introduction of the new law on transplantation until January 1, 2020, allowing to extend until December 31, 2019 the law which was valid earlier. Thus, the parliament unblocked transplantation suspended due to the unavailability of state registers.
On Friday, March 29, at 12.30, the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency will host a press conference entitled "March 31 is the Day that Will Complete the Current Stage of Modern Ukraine's Political History. What Will Ukrainians' Choice Be?" Participants include Director of Ukraine's Institute for Global Strategies Vadym Karasiov, expert of the Gardarica Strategic Consulting Corporation Kostiantyn Matviyenko, and Director of the Ukrainian Barometer Sociological Service Viktor Nebozhenko (8/5a Reitarska Street). Registration of journalists with editorial IDs on the spot.
Civil servants adjustment process completed: Govt

Lal Babu Pandit, Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration, said that the deputation of 137,614 civil servants has been approved under this process while 97,588 civil servants have been integrated.
KYIV. March 28 (Interfax-Ukraine)  The State Fiscal Service (SFS) as of March 27, 2019 has not withdrawn tax notifications for UAH 635 million sent to private joint-stock company Philip Morris Ukraine, despite the amicable agreement foreseeing their cancelation within 30 days after signing the agreement. The agreement was signed on January 31, 2019.

"The State Fiscal Service has not yet withdrawn tax notifications, as it should have done so in accordance with the obligations assumed when signing an amicable agreement with the Philip Morris companies," Managing Director of PrJSC Philip Morris Ukraine Michalis Alexandrakis said at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine on Wednesday.

According to the legal adviser and the representative of investors  Philip Morris companies, Volodymyr Nakonechny, on January 31 of the current year Head of the SFS Oleksandr Vlasov signed the amicable agreement. According to the document, Ukraine is obliged to ensure the abolition of tax notifications within 30 days after the signing of the amicable agreement, that is, before March 2, 2019.

In connection with the failure to comply with the terms of the amicable agreement, Philip Morris Ukraine appealed to the president of Ukraine, the prime minister to take measures and ensure control over its execution.

"We believe that the SFS will abolish tax notifications in the near future and fulfill the amicable agreement. Otherwise, the Philip Morris companies will be forced to provide the State of Ukraine with reports of violation of the amicable agreement's obligations and international obligations under investment assistance and mutual protection agreements with the Swiss Confederation and the United States," Nakonechny said.

As reported, PrJSC Philip Morris Ukraine in March 2015 appealed and received permission from Kharkiv customs office to apply the processing mode in the customs territory of Ukraine for the production of cigarettes and accompanying products and their re-export for the period from April 1, 2015 through March 31, 2016. The company was authorized to conditional exemption from Ukrainian import duties and other import taxes on materials for processing under the terms of re-export.

After Philip Morris Ukraine carried out processing and re-export operations, the main directorate of the State Fiscal Service in Kharkiv region conducted an unscheduled inspection of the company's compliance with the customs legislation of Ukraine regarding the clearance of goods in the processing mode in the customs territory of Ukraine.

According to the results of the inspection of the main directorate of the State Fiscal Service in Kharkiv region, on June 14, 2016, it approved decision notices that determined the liabilities for paying of import duties, additional import duty and VAT on the import of materials, as well as penalties for the total amount UAH 635.3 million Philip Morris Ukraine. Philip Morris Ukraine said that the actions of the State Fiscal Service are pressure on the company. After that, the parties entered into litigation.

On December 5, 2018, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved a draft amicable agreement between Philip Morris and Ukraine, foreseeing the abolishment of the tax notification for the amount of UAH 635.3 million by the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine.
Sayenko Kharenko won the titles of Law firm of the year: Russia, Ukraine and the CIS and European energy and infrastructure deal of the year at The Lawyer European Awards 2019. The firm is the only one on the Ukrainian market ever to have won two accolades in a single year. The ceremony took place on Tuesday 19 March 2019 at The Grosvenor House Hotel in London.

Despite an uncertain market in Ukraine, Sayenko Kharenko grew its top line in 2017 and continued to invest in quality lateral hires. It is firmly international in outlook with a majority of the firms clients now coming from overseas and including brand names from Fortune 500 companies. Those clients, which form the bedrock of the firms practice, have propelled Sayenko Kharenko to a top position in terms of cross-border corporate activity. A striking aspect of the firm is its commitment to inclusion, both within the firm and outside of it in the form of corporate social responsibility. It has supported over 100 social impact projects in Ukraine. Its associated think-tank is actively researching social, economic developments that will shape the firms response to client delivery, says The Lawyer. The judges noted warmly the firms strong financials, good evidence of people initiatives, and investment in strategic thinking and tech.

Sayenko Kharenko scooped the prize for the European energy, infrastructure and projects deal for its work on the complex financing to State Enterprise National Nuclear Energy Generating Company Energoatom (Energoatom), operator of all running nuclear power plants in Ukraine.

The Lawyer notes that the significance of the project for Ukraine as a whole was enormous, since it will create a safe environment for processing, storing, safeguarding significant quantities of nuclear spent fuel. The facility will increase capacity to store spent fuel moving Ukraine closer to energy independence. The judges lauded the way that the firm dealt with the complex technical and legal challenges around the financing.

The lawyers of the firm particularly involved in the project are partner Nazar Chernyavsky, counsel Olexander Olshansky, associates Denis Nakonechnyi, Vira Pankiv, Oles Trachuk and Dmytro Vasylyna.

Partner Nazar Chernyavsky comments: The Lawyer European Awards is no doubt one of the most distinguished awards in Europe, and I am more than happy to know that Sayenko Kharenko is the only Ukrainian law firm ever to have won two categories in a single year. I would like to thank each and every member of the Sayenko Kharenko team. You do a great job and deserve this professional recognition.

To see the full shortlist, please follow the link.
With the web of US sanctions tightening, Iran faces a host of challenges as it looks to an isolated port in the country's far southeast to maintain the flow of goods.

The port in Chabahar, only about 100 kilometres (62 miles) from the Pakistan border and located on the Indian Ocean, is Iran's largest outside the Gulf.

It is also the only Iranian port with exemptions from unilateral economic sanctions reimposed by the United States in 2018.

That is due mainly to the pivotal role of the port, and a planned railway line, in breaking landlocked Afghanistan's dependence on Pakistan for trade with the world, especially India.

Afghan trade as well as plans for a trading route by rail between central Asia and the Indian Ocean called the North-South Corridor are the main reasons the Islamic republic has invested one billion dollars in Chabahar's Shahid Beheshti port, official sources say.

"We will keep on developing this port... our rail network, road network and airport are all being developed, so that we can implement the North-South Corridor," Roads and Urban Development Minister Mohammad Eslami told AFP while visiting Chabahar for a development conference.

- 'Traffic will pick up' -

More than 200 hectares (almost 500 acres) of land have been reclaimed from the sea for the project and over 17.5 million cubic metres (618 million cubic feet) dredged, creating a 16.5-metre (54-foot) draught.

But more than a year since the new installations became operational in December 2017, business has yet to pick up.

The ships that officials say have docked in the past year have only loaded and unloaded 2.1 million tonnes of cargo, a far cry from the port's annual capacity of 8.5 million tonnes.

Only 20 ships have docked at the new section of the port and most of its three kilometres of waterfront remains unutilised, with new machinery and neatly lined-up cranes standing idle.

But authorities remain upbeat about the prospects for growth.

Hossein Shahdadi of the provincial ports and maritime authority said that in the first 11 months of the past Iranian year, which started on March 21, 2018, "there has been a 56 percent increase in cargo handled at the port compared with the previous year".

"We've also had a 25 percent rise in the number of ships calling at the port" on the Gulf of Oman, he said.

Arun Kumar Gupta, managing director of India Ports Global Limited which has a 10-year concession at the new port, played down the startup issues.

"Any port will have a gestation period, there will be lulls but we are very sure that traffic will pick up," Gupta told AFP.

- 'Born with sanctions'-

The Indian company began work in December and has so far handled only an average of 60,000 tonnes of cargo per month.

But Gupta is counting on the port's proximity to India and Afghanistan to attract business.

Chabahar's location, however, carries its own risks as it lies in the volatile Sistan Baluchistan province where militant jihadists operate.

In December, a suicide attack on the local police headquarters killed two policemen.

During an investment conference in February, security was tight with many roads cut off and hundreds of armed security personnel deployed to protect delegates.

Apart from security concerns, US sanctions banning financial transactions with Iran make it ever harder to pay or receive payments.

Some like Afsaneh Rabiani, who runs a freight forwarding company, see Chabahar as an opportunity for "those willing to take the risk".

"I've been researching Chabahar for the past year and a half, and the infrastructure is now in place to do serious work here," she said.

As for the sanctions, Iran's roads minister said the challenge was nothing new.

"We were born with sanctions. Ever since the (1979 Islamic) revolution, we have been under sanctions and we are working on how to counter them," Eslami said, as he oversaw the unloading of a first shipment of Afghan goods lined up to be re-exported from

.
Iran's trade generally declined in the first two months of 2019, largely due to less oil exports and a substantial reduction in imports, due to its ongoing economic crisis.

Irans exports to U.S. reached zero during January 2019, while its imports from the United States plunged to $4.5 million, according to U.S. Census Bureau statistics, released March 28.

The monthly trade turnover between the two countries stood at the lowest level since 2000.

U.S. withdrew from the Iran nuclear agreement in May 2018 and imposed sanctions on Iran in the second half of the year. During mid-2018, Irans imports from U.S. soared, but declined in December.

In total, U.S. exported $440.5 million and imported $67.9 million from Islamic Republic in 2018.

Irans exports mostly include Persian carpets, dried fruit, pistachios. It imports mostly medical equipment, pharmaceuticals, and agricultural products from the United States.

Washington imposed sanctions on imports of Persian carpets from Iran in July 2018.

The decline in Irans imports from most countries is due to its economic crisis, which began more than a year ago, resulting in a sharp devaluation of its currency. This means Iranians cannot afford to buy as much from the rest of the world.

Irans trade during post-sanctions era

U.S. imposed sanctions on Irans oil exports in November 2018, but extended waivers to eight friendly countries to continue oil purchases from Iran in restricted quantities. Only China, India, South Korea, Japan and Turkey used the waivers. Italy, Greece and Taiwan didnt import any Iranian oil despite partial exemptions from sanctions.

Irans crude oil exports have halved to 1.1 mb/d since May 2018.

The official statistics of Irans oil clients show very sharp fluctuations in trade with Iran, not only in imports, but sometimes even in exports to Islamic Republic.

China

China is Irans biggest trading partner and oil client.

According to its custom statistics, the countrys exports to Iran declined by 65% year-on-year in January-February 2019 to $428 million, while its imports from Islamic Republic also declined 34% to $2.32 billion.

India

India is Irans second oil client after China.

The latest statistics of the Indian Economy Ministry indicates that its imports from Iran declined 30% year-on-year to $718 million in January 2019, but its exports increased by 64% to $332 million.

Iran imports mostly agriculture and food products from India, including rice, tea, etc.

South Korea

South Korea exported only $34 million and imported $580 million from Iran during January 2019, according to its customs statistics. The report didnt elaborate year-on-year change, but South Koreas monthly exports to Iran during 2018 was $190 million and its imports $330 million.

However, South Koreas both imports and exports to Iran halved in 2018, compared to 2017 level. This means the reimposition of U.S. sanctions already had their impact in 2018.

Japan

Japan comes fourth as an Iranian oil client in Asia. Figures released by its customs administration show only a little more than $4 million exports to Iran during January-February 2019, while the value was $83.3 million during the same period of last year. Japans imports from Iran also declined from $668mn to $134 million during the same period.

Turkey

Irans neighbor, Turkey, is the biggest West Asia oil importer, which has repeatedly insisted on boosting relations with Iran despite U.S. sanctions.

However, according to Turkey Statistics Center, its exports to Iran declined 27% year-on-year to $191 million in January 2019, and its imports from Iran decreased by 28% to $485 million.
While Iran is struggling with its flood crisis, a top expert who is on death row told Radio Farda from Irans notorious Evin prison that authorities should strengthen the countrys early warning system.

Radio Farda interviewed Ahmad Reza Jalali (Djalali), a Swedish- Iranian dual national who is facing the death sentence on charges of "Enmity with God through espionage."

Jalali, a medical doctor and an expert on crisis management, explained in the interview the ways of confronting the crises caused by recent floods in Iran.

During the interview, a pre-recorded message on the prison's telecom system was played automatically. The message is played during all conversations to and from the prison making it known that the person on the line is a prisoner.

The interview was conducted through a third party, as it would be impossible for media outlets to call a prisoner at Evin for an interview.

Devastating floods swept across a large part of Iran during the past week, covering 28 of the country's 31 provinces, leaving tens of people dead and causing serious damage to people's property.

Speaking from Evin prison, Jalali said that officials can reduce the extent of damage through an early warning system and prevent more damages by training the people and exercising ways of surviving the crisis.

He warned people in the flood-hit areas to be careful about possible contamination of drinking water in the affected areas.

Jalali said that because of Iran's dry climate, most emergency drills were focused on earthquakes and that officials have ignored the threat of floods.

In this interview, Jalali said that the reasons for massive floods during the past week in Iran included the destruction of natural plant coverage, obstruction of flood outlets as the case of flash flood in Shiraz and converting flood routes and dry river beds to residential areas.

Jalali also explained different ways of evacuating flood-hit areas and pumping out residual water. He called on citizens to pay careful attention to warnings issued by the authorities, and act according to their instructions.

He said gathering at flood hit areas and "flood watching" are the worst kind of behavior in critical conditions.

Sweden-based Ahmad Reza Jalali, a guest lecturer at the VUB (Open) university in Brussels, was arrested on charges of "espionage" during a visit to Iran in 2016 to take part at a scientific conference, and was subsequently sentenced to death at the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Tehran.

Several international human rights organizations as well as UN legal experts have strongly protested against the verdict, which was later confirmed by the Iranian Supreme Court.

Jalali's lawyers say that the death sentence was handed to Jalali, based on "confessions" he made under duress and that they disagree with the charges made against him.

Jalali's family in Iran and Sweden have told the press that charges were made against him after he refused to obey Iranian intelligence organization's instruction to spy on other Iranian scientists abroad.
After a relatively long lull in Israeli airstrikes in Syria since January, reports say Israel attacked Iranian-linked targets near Aleppo on March 27.

The Syrian army announced Israel hit targets in an industrial zone, but opposition sources say the site contained Iranian ammunition stores and a military airport used by Tehrans forces.

The London based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that one Iranian and six Iraqis fighting for the Syrian regime were killed in the airstrike and several others wounded.

Israel has not commented so far, a practice it has usually followed in hundreds of airstrikes in Syria.

Reuters quoted military experts saying Aleppo is one of the main areas where Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) keeps a presence.

The explosions caused an electricity blackout in Aleppo, as opposition sources said that an ammunition depot and a logistics hub used by Iran-supported militias were hit.

Another strike hit a target near Nairab military airport also said to be used by Iranian forces.

Israel has repeatedly said its aim is to drive Iran out of Syria and has admitted hitting hundreds of targets in the country connected with the Iranian military.

Despite military and diplomatic pressure, as well as crippling U.S. economic sanctions, Iran has vowed to stay in Syria. U.S. officials have accused Tehran of trying to establish a land bridge through Iraq and Syria to the Mediterranean.

With reporting by Reuters and AP
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 28

Trend:

One of the leading banks in the country, Bank Respublika held an ordinary meeting of the Supervisory Board.

It was decided at the meeting to appoint Tariyel Ismayilov as a new Chairman of the Bank's Executive Board. Tariyel Ismayilov will take up his new duties starting from April 2, 2019.

Asef Namazov, who made a great contribution to the development of the bank, leaves his post at his own will and will continue his work in different business structure.

Tariyel Ismayilov, who has extensive experience in the banking sector, previously held a position of Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board of AccessBank CJSC. He has a diploma in "Legal regulation of the economy." He is married and has 2 children.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 28

Trend:

Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops 20 times, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said March 28, 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 28

Trend:

The ceasefire monitoring on the contact line between the Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, in the direction of Azerbaijans Terter district, held in accordance with the mandate of personal representative of the OSCE chairperson-in-office on March 28, ended without incidents, Trend reports referring to the Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan.

The Personal Representative's field assistants Ognjen Jovic and Ghenadie Petrica carried out the monitoring on the territory of Azerbaijan.

The Personal Representative's field assistants Mihail Olaru and Simon Tiller carried out the monitoring on the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan occupied and controlled by the armed forces of Armenia.

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, Mar. 28

Trend:

The website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has published information on the rules of entry into the occupied territories of Azerbaijan for Ukrainian citizens, Trend reports.

The precautionary message states that illegal visits to the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan and seven adjacent areas - Agdam, Lachin, Kalbajar, Gubadli, Zangilan, Jabrayil and Fuzuli districts are strictly prohibited, and visits to these territories can be made only with the permission of the Azerbaijani authorities. In a contrary case, Ukrainian citizens violating the law will be declared persona non grata and will be denied entry into the country.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry also stated that it is strictly forbidden for individuals and legal entities to engage in commercial activities in these territories without the permission of the Azerbaijani government.

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.
Congress Mahasamiti leader Bajgain demands disciplinary action against Deuba

Nepali Congress Mahasamiti member Rajendra Bajgain on Wednesday wrote a letter to the partys central disciplinary committee demanding strong action against party President Sher Bahadur Deuba according to the party statute.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 28

By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend:

Hard socio-economic situation of Armenia affected the countrys armed forces as well, Azerbaijani MP Elman Nasirov told Trend.

A riot of Armenian soldiers against officers caused a big resonance in Armenia, he said. The fact that soldiers left the military unit without permission became the most discussed topic in the local media and social networks, and, just like under the Sargsyan regime, mothers of soldiers began to protest again.

It is noteworthy that namely the Armenian press writes about sending Armenian soldiers to the frontline zone in the occupied Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh region as punishment, he noted.

The occupied Nagorno-Karabakh is the place of punishment for rebellious soldiers, he added. Thus, the Armenian media once again mention the participation of Armenia in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and provide evidence that Armenian soldiers serve in Nagorno-Karabakh.

First of all, this shows that there is arbitrariness in the Armenian armed forces, there is a big gap between soldiers and officers, and today the Armenian soldier doesnt trust his officer, he said. What kind of fighting spirit can such a soldier have? This is a very serious signal for the leadership of Armenia. That is, if the situation doesnt change, and the Armenian authorities wont soon demonstrate a constructive position on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, it is possible that the supreme commander-in-chief of Armenia soon be left without armed forces at all, or they will exist only on paper.

The Azerbaijani MP stressed that an army, which has no fighting spirit, where a soldier doesnt trust his officer, cannot be considered a real army.

Since March 23, relatives of soldiers serving in Armenias Meghri town have been coming to the building of the Armenian government.

One of the soldiers mothers said that for several days she had no news from her son, whom she then found in the Stepanakert military police, Trend reports with reference to Armenian media.

A couple of days ago, the woman met her son, and found out that a week earlier several hundred soldiers had rebelled because of the behavior of one of the officers, they had left the military unit, but returned at the call of the commander, the report said.

At midnight, twenty soldiers were selected and sent to the frontline zone in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region.

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 28

By Samir Ali - Trend:

There are no unresolved issues in the Azerbaijani army, deputy defense minister, head of the Main Department on Personnel, Lieutenant General Karim Valiyev said when commenting on the slanderous information spread that there were negative phenomena in the Azerbaijani army, Trend reports.

The deputy minister noted that, despite the specificity of the service, the army is open to the public: "We work closely with other government agencies, international, humanitarian, public, non-governmental and other organizations."

Valiyev stressed that there are no unresolved issues in the Azerbaijani army, but some people are haunted by its success. They see only negative everywhere: Exaggerated losses, facts of betrayal, allegations of the acquisition of old military equipment, false information about corruption schemes, insults to the army leadership, etc. are nothing more than an attempt to undermine the image of one of the main structures responsible for defense and security of the country."

"Those who live abroad through grants, including the Armenian lobby, are deliberately slandering the army and the reforms carried out in the country. They use the misinformation of the Armenian special services, openly carry out enemy propaganda," said Valiyev.

He stressed that he unequivocally condemned all the discussions that are conducted in social networks in connection with the military theme, and called on these individuals to stop such provocative activities.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 28

By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend:

Speaking against global values, Armenia is destroying national monuments and monuments of spiritual culture in the occupied Azerbaijani territories, first deputy chairman of the State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations of Azerbaijan Sayyad Salahli told reporters in Baku, Trend reports March 28.

Salahli noted that by destroying these values, Armenians are trying to prove that Azerbaijanis didnt live there.

Armenians are destroying Azerbaijani monuments in order to make their dream of Greater Armenia real, he said.

He added that Armenians throughout the history were destroying these monuments.

They demolish them, misappropriate, change their inscriptions, he said. Thus they declare that the monuments belong to them, and the Azerbaijanis settled at these lands later.

Salahli stressed that among the monuments destroyed in ancient Azerbaijani lands, including in Nagorno-Karabakh, 367 monuments were historical, 67 were mosques, 140 were places of worship, and 140 more were temples.

Despite that the nations of the world dont support this policy of Armenians, unfortunately, neither major organizations nor states react to this fact, he said. In most cases, they turn a blind eye to these processes. However, Azerbaijan will never put up with this occupation policy.

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 28

Trend:

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has arrived in the Republic of Austria for a working visit, Trend reports referring to the presidential press-service.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 28

Trend:

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has met with Vice-Chancellor of the Republic of Austria Heinz-Christian Strache in Vienna, Trend reports referring to the presidential press-service.

Recalling his meeting with the Austrian vice-chancellor in Baku, the head of state said that they had a broad exchange of views on the bilateral cooperation at that meeting. Praising the successful development of Azerbaijan-Austria relations, including political and economic ties, President Ilham Aliyev emphasized the importance of his visit to Austria, as well as his meeting with the vice-chancellor in terms of expanding cooperation.

Vice-Chancellor of the Republic of Austria Heinz-Christian Strache said that his meeting with President Ilham Aliyev and fruitful discussions held during his visit to Azerbaijan gave impetus to the development of relations between the two countries.

The sides touched upon the initiatives to establish cooperation formats in order to expand economic and trade ties between Azerbaijan and Austria, and stressed the significance of enhancing relations between the two countries` government authorities and business communities within this framework.

The sides discussed issues of mutual interest.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 28

Trend:

Supreme Court of Azerbaijan has ended the hearings on the cassation appeal against the decision with respect to the REAL partys President Ilgar Mammadov on March 28, Trend reports.

At the session chaired by Judge Ahmad Nurmammadov, a court decision was announced, according to which, the decision of the Shaki Court of Grave Crimes against Ilgar Mammadov was changed, and his probation was canceled.

According to the decision, Ilgar Mammadov's term of punishment reduced to 5.5 years and nine days, which is considered to have been served.

According to the results of the trial against participants of the events that occurred in 2013 in Ismayilli, the deputy head of the Musavat party Tofig Yagublu, was sentenced to five years by the decision of the Shaki Court of Grave Crimes, and the co-chairman of the REAL movement Ilgar Mammadov was sentenced to seven years in prison. By the decision of the Sheki Appeal Court the term of punishment, which was not served by Mammadov, was replaced by a conditional sentence.

Tofig Yagublu was pardoned by the recent decree of President Ilham Aliyev on pardoning a number of convicted persons.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 28

Trend:

Chairman of the Caucasus Muslims Office Sheikhulislam Allahshukur Pashazade is leaving for Chechnyas Grozny city, Russia to participate in the international religious conference entitled "Islam is the herald of peace and good", Trend reports referring to the Caucasus Muslims Office on March 28.

Sheikhulislam will pay a visit upon the invitation of Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov.

Pashazade will deliver a report at the conference.

During the visit, Pashazade will meet with officials of Grozny city, members of the Supreme Religious Council of the Caucasian Peoples and foreign guests participating in the conference.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 28

By Samir Ali - Trend:

The Baku Grave Crimes Court continued the trial proceedings on the criminal case of the former head of the International Bank of Azerbaijan Jahangir Hajiyev, his relative Ismayil Hidayetzade, ex-MP Dunyamin Khalilov, also Jamal Hasanov, Sarkhan Rasulov, Natig Imanov, Samir Hajiyev, Tabriz Abdulhamidov, Mahir Gafarov, Sadikh Murtuzayev, Tarlan Maharramov, Fakhraddin Heybatov, Ramin Ahmadov, Fariz Muradov, Salahaddin Gadirov, Erkhan Javad, Arif Ramazanov, Navai Shirinov, Svetlana Asadullayeva, Arif Madatov, Adil Mikailov and Ramiz Karimov accused of embezzlement, Trend reports.

Shahin Khalilbayov, who testified as a witness during the process, said that he was the head of the estimates department at the Institute of Municipal Engineering of the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

Our specialists checked the volume of construction work of companies and compared it with market prices, he noted. At that time I was a member of the commission, I worked as an engineer, and my job was to compile a table using figures taken from Form 2. All the figures in the table were correct.

The witness said that an audit of the volume of construction work was also conducted in the company Interglass. Two of our employees conducted the audit at this company, Khalilbayov added.

At the trial process, it was said that the employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, on the basis of the instructions of the investigative body, conducted inspection of the volume of construction work of the company owned by Khalilov, compared it with market prices and compiled a table.

Senior specialist of the estimate department of the Municipal Engineering Institute of the Ministry of Emergency Situations Tunzala Afandiyeva, who was interrogated as a witness, noted that after employees of the Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime presented Form 2 to her, she checked the volume of work at Solit company.

Sometimes the workers who were in the workplace werent listed on Form 2, but later we included them into the table, said Afandiyeva.

She noted that during the audit she met accused Natig Imanov, the companys head, at the site. He told me that the construction was underway long before he worked there, she added.

Imanov also confirmed the words of the witness.

Yes, this construction was underway before I began to manage the company, Imanov said.

Witness Ilkin Jafarov in his testimony stressed that he was an employee of the Ministry of Emergency Situations. Jafarov said that he was checking the volume of work, in accordance with Form 2.

During the trial, it was announced that Jafarov was the chairman of the commission.

According to official information, during investigations there were reasonable suspicions that contracts for the purchase and sale of promissory notes in the amount of $3.4 billion and 987 million euros were concluded with some legal entities in various countries and illegal transactions were carried out by using promissory notes in 2001-2015 upon Jahangir Hajiyevs instructions, who was the chairman of the Board of the International Bank of Azerbaijan.

Moreover, there were reasonable suspicions that Khalilov, 20 more people, as well as other people, caused damage to the bank, misappropriating 4.7 billion manats. Moreover, Hajiyev declined to pay taxes to the budget in the amount of 1,752,000 manats from the profit of Aztorg LLC, jointly led by Hajiyev and Khalilov in 2011-2014.

The Baku Grave Crimes Court previously sentenced Hajiyev to 15 years in prison, Dunyamin Khalilov to 13 years, and Ismayil Hidayetzade to 7 years in prison.

Khalilovs sentence was reduced from 13 to 12 years and 9 months by a decision of the Baku Court of Appeals; Hidayetzades sentence was reduced to five years by the Supreme Court.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, March 28

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

Turkmen-Estonian political consultations were held in Ashgabat, Trend reports with reference to the Turkmen Foreign Ministry.

At the talks, the Turkmen side proposed to consider the possibility of preparing a new draft agreement on trade and economic cooperation, the report said.

Lembit Uibo, director general of the Political Department of the Estonian Foreign Ministry, who led the Estonian delegation, proposed cooperation in the field of agriculture, implementation of e-government and the digital economy. The parties also noted the importance of intensifying contacts at the highest state level.

The two countries have identified the sectors of transport and telecommunications, trade, science and technologies as promising areas of partnership.

In particular, Estonia has expressed readiness to cooperate with Turkmenistan in the spheres of modern manufacturing, shipbuilding and maritime transport, as well as information and communication technologies.

Moreover, Estonia, which has the largest cargo and passenger ports of international importance, including Tallinn and Sillamae ports, has expressed willingness to cooperate with State Service of Maritime and River Transportation of Turkmenistan.

Earlier, Estonian Reval Shipbuilding OU shipbuilding company built a tanker in Turkmenistan for the transportation of oil and oil products. The transaction cost totaled $10.8 million.

Turkmenistan is interested in attracting investments, development of the rail, road, sea and air transport systems, logistics, tourism, as well as getting access to the Estonian market, where Turkmen producers could sell refining and petrochemical products, as well as other competitive goods.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, March 28

By Huseyn Hasanov Trend:

An Emirati company, Dragon Oil, which has been operating in the Turkmen sector of the Caspian Sea for more than 18 years, has invested over $6.6 billion in the development of offshore fields, Dragon Oil Assistant CEO Faisal Rabee Al Awadhi said in an interview with the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper, Trend reports.

He said that during this period, the average daily hydrocarbon production increased more than tenfold - from 7,000 barrels per day in 2000 to 80100,000 barrels.

In 2018, the company produced over 4 million tons of oil, he noted.

Dragon Oil expressed interest in extending the contract, which expires in 2025, and presented a number of proposals in this regard, he added.

During the period of work in Turkmenistan, the company reconstructed the existing and constructed five new operational offshore fixed platforms and three nodal platforms.

Dozens of new wells were commissioned. Jackup rigs Elima, Neptune and Caspian Driller, as well as rigs Sakson and Nis mounted at offshore fixed platforms, are involved in the drilling operations.

In addition, an oil complex preparation and pumping workshop, 14 storage tanks for raw materials with a total capacity of about 1.8 million barrels and other facilities were built.

Construction of additional oil storage facilities and pipelines at the Aladzha oil-loading terminal made it possible to simultaneously load two tankers, and this increased the companys export capacities.

The company has containers with special equipment for the removal of oil and other pollutants from the water surface and in the coastal zone.

For the round-the-clock duty at the fields, high-speed rescue ships CM Rescue by Caspian Mainport Int. and Topaz Responder by BUE Marine, which have modern equipment, are leased for elimination of oil spills.

A tender is being held to buy additional equipment to respond to such situations, the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper reported.

The company operates under the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) for the development of the oil-bearing sections of the Jeitun (Lam) and Jigalybek (Zhdanov) fields, signed in 1999.

The company's shares are listed on the London and Dublin exchanges (stock exchange ticker: DGO), the companys main shareholder is Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC).

The company conducts its activity mainly in the Eastern sector of the Southern Caspian Basin in the contract area of Cheleken. This area is nearly 950 square kilometers. It includes the Jeitun, Jigalybek and Chelekenyangummez deposits.

The estimated and proven reserves of oil and condensate in the contractual area amount to 663 million barrels. The contingent reserves of oil and condensate total 63 million barrels. The gas reserves amount to 1.3 trillion cubic feet. The prospective gas resources are 1.3 trillion cubic feet.
Corruption rampant in Janakpur labour office

The Labour and Employment Office that was established in Janakpur, the provincial capital of Province 2, three months ago, has been accused of rampant corruption.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 28

By Fakhri Vakilov  Trend:

Uzavtosanoat, General Motors and the GM Korea Supplier Association (South Korea) signed a memorandum of understanding, Trend reports via Uzbek media.

Following the signing, the parties agreed to support the development of the automotive industry in Uzbekistan through joint cooperation on the localization of automotive components and spare parts for new cars planned for production at GM Uzbekistan.

"The companies will make maximum efforts to attract Korean suppliers for localization projects in Uzbekistan. Moreover, the meeting participants noted that the priority area of cooperation will be to attract foreign direct investment to these projects," Uzavtosanoat noted.

In addition, the parties agreed to organize a symposium of suppliers in Uzbekistan in June 2019, where all business opportunities in Uzbekistan will be presented to Korean partners.

In mid-March, GM Uzbekistan and Saryarka AvtoProm LLP (Kazakhstan) signed a production development contract. The parties within the framework of the document have agreed to release 16,000 vehicles intended for sale, both in the market of Kazakhstan and in export markets, including Russia up to the end of 2019.

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Follow author on Twitter:@vakilovfaxri
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 28

By Fakhri Vakilov  Trend:

The European Union is ready to finance projects to combat the consequences of desiccation of the Aral Sea in Uzbekistan, Trend reports via Uzbek media.

Uzbek delegation headed by the Deputy Minister of Investments and Foreign Trade Badriddin Abidov visited Brussels to determine the prospects for cooperation with the European side in the framework of the Multi-Partner Trust Fund for Human Security for the Aral Sea Region in Uzbekistan (MPTFHS).

During the meetings, representatives of the EU and Belgium said that they support the initiative of Uzbekistan and the United Nations to establish MPTFHS and are committed to establishing long-term cooperation in reducing the negative impact of drying up of the Aral Sea.

Embassy of Uzbekistan in Belgium states that in early April the EU delegation headed by the special representative Peter Burian would visit the Aral Sea region to study the needs of Uzbekistan and prepare recommendations for EU institutions and member countries on cooperation opportunities with the Uzbek side in the framework of the MPTFHS.

The European side also intends to propose the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation between the European Investment Bank and the MPTFHS, which is scheduled to be signed during the visit of the Vice-President of the Bank, Vazil Hudak to Uzbekistan in May.

Follow author on Twitter:@vakilovfaxri
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 28

By Fakhri Vakilov  Trend:

Second round of consultations on a new agreement on expanded cooperation between the EU and Uzbekistan is planned to be held in Brussels in the first half of this year, Trend reports with reference to the ambassador of Uzbekistan in Belgium, Dilyor Khakimov.

The European Parliament (EP) approved the report of the Foreign Affairs Committee with recommendations to the executive bodies of the EU to work on a new agreement on an expanded partnership with Uzbekistan.

The new agreement on the expanded partnership between the EU and Uzbekistan is intended to replace the current treaty, which has been in force since 1999.

The report notes that the new foreign policy of Uzbekistan has led to improved cooperation with neighbors and international partners, in particular, to promote stability and security in the region, and also expressed support for the positive participation of Uzbekistan in the peace process in Afghanistan. The EP also supported Uzbekistans efforts to join the WTO, which would attract more foreign direct investment.

"Representatives of the European Parliaments international affairs committee visited Uzbekistan in August-September last year. We are very positive here and expecting the support from our European colleagues in advancing all procedures under the agreement on extended partnership and cooperation between the EU and Uzbekistan," the ambassador commented on the vote in EP.

He noted that great attention in the treaty, which was discussed by the parties, is devoted to those issues that are priorities for Uzbekistan, including five areas of the development strategy until 2020, which include, among other things, attracting investment, reforming the social, economic and political spheres and attention to regional security issues.

"European partners are studying the documents that have been adopted in Uzbekistan over the past two years," the ambassador said, noting that the negotiation process on the agreement will take some time.

"The negotiation process began in February, when delegation headed by Luc Pierre Devigne, head of the European External Action Service responsible for Central Asian region, visited Uzbekistan. The first round passed, and we expect the process to continue. The next round should be held in Brussels, probably, in the first half of this year," the diplomat stated.

He stressed that there is a block of issues in the document which is of particular interest to the Uzbek side, in particular, the expansion of investment, trade and economic cooperation with the EU.

"The priority for us is the content of the document itself, so that it will be full-fledged, well thought out and fulfilled and could lay a good foundation for the coming years. The previous document served for more than two decades, the new document should become just as solid " Khakimov underlined.

Earlier he said that the EU plans to complete negotiations with Uzbekistan on a new comprehensive agreement as soon as possible, hoping that its conclusion will create a favorable environment for investment, as well as ensure interaction on foreign policy issues.

Follow author on Twitter:@vakilovfaxri
Baku, Azerbaijan, Mar. 28

By Rashid Shirinov  Trend:

Investments in the processing industry of Kazakhstan in January-February 2019 made up only 92.2 billion tenge, which is 58.4 percent less than a year earlier, Trend reports via Energyprom.kz.

At the same time, growth of investments in the processing industry was observed in the Aktobe region (8.1 billion tenge, growth of almost 6 times), Almaty (5.5 billion tenge, growth of 2.1 times), the Karaganda region (29 billion tenge, growth of 2.1 times) and the East Kazakhstan region (6.1 billion tenge, double growth).

It should be noted that the "Aktobe" industrial zone is operating in the Aktobe region, which currently involves 5 enterprises that produced products for 1 billion tenge last year. In 2019, it is planned to put into operation 8 more projects.

In the first two months of this year, the share of investments in the processing industry of Kazakhstan out of the total investments in the industry amounted to 10.4 percent, and to 7.2 percent of the total investments in fixed assets.

In particular, in the Aktobe region investments in the processing sector amounted to 8.8 percent of total investments in the industry of the region, and 3.6 percent of the total investments in fixed capital in the region.

(378.36 KZT = 1 USD on Mar. 28)

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Follow the author on Twitter: @ShirinovRashid
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 28

By Kheyraddin Nasirzade - Trend:

The First Illinois-Azerbaijan Agriculture Forum will be held in Chicago April 3-5, Trend reports.

The forum, organized under the program of the US-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce to expand trade and business relations of Azerbaijan with US states, will bring together representatives of the agribusiness of Azerbaijan and Illinois, one of the leading US agricultural states.

The purpose of the forum is to establish cooperation between the parties in the agricultural sector, acquaintance with US technologies, which allow increasing yields, as well as new methods used in various fields of agriculture.

Azerbaijans Agriculture Minister Inam Karimov, Chairman of the US-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce (USACC) Reza Vaziri, Azerbaijani Ambassador to the US Elin Suleymanov, Assistant Administrator of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) Brock Bierman, WB Senior Agriculture Economist for the Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region Bekzod Shamsiev, Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Azerbaijan (AmCham) Natavan Mammadova and other participants are planned to deliver speeches as part of the forum.

The forum participants will also discuss education and vocational training in the field of agriculture, successful cooperation mechanisms in the field of introducing innovations and increasing agricultural productivity, introducing modern technologies for the development of smart farming.

Representatives of Azerbaijani companies are expected to visit the leading manufacturing enterprises of Illinois, farms and research centers, as well as sites for the production of fertilizers and protein as part of the three-day forum.

Illinois is one of the 10 leading agricultural states of the US. Sown areas account for 75 percent of the states territory. The states annual profit from the sale of agricultural products alone amounts to $19 billion.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 28

By Matanat Nasibova - Trend:

The opening of the first Centers for Sustainable and Operational Social Security (DOST) will take place in the coming days, Azerbaijani Labor and Social Protection Minister Sahil Babayev said at a meeting with foreign diplomats on social reforms in the country, Trend reports.

The minister noted that the construction of the center building has already been completed. The creation of DOST centers will allow collecting all services of the ministry in a single place, Babayev added.

He also raised the issue of automating the assignment of benefits and pensions. The minister reminded that from Jan. 1, pensions are assigned automatically, and from April 1, the automatic allocation of disability benefits will begin. In addition, there are plans to automate the system of social benefits.

The DOST centers are established with the aim of rendering social services (employment, social security, targeted social assistance, pensions, social insurance and other services) through simplified procedures.

In 2019-2025, 31 DOST centers are planned to be established in Baku and the countrys districts: five in Baku, two in Sumgayit and Ganja, and the rest in the countrys other districts.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @MatanatNasibova
Baku, Azerbaijan, Mar. 28

By Sara Israfilbayova  Trend:

The board of the Chamber of Accounts of Azerbaijan revealed a number of shortcomings in the course of an audit in the Gadabay District branch of the State Social Protection Fund of Azerbaijan under the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population, Trend reports.

The audit covered the period from January 2017 to September 2018.

It was revealed that there was no significant approach to making forecasts for compulsory state social insurance payments in Gadabay District, and the approved forecasts were not fully implemented.

In a number of cases, pension payments continued to be carried out for some time after the death of the pensioners, the retirement pensions of both parents were charged for the same child, and the disability pension continued after the transition to the old-age pension.

The board of the Chamber of Accounts discussed the results of the audit and ruled to send a copy of the resolution to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population and the Gadabay District branch of the Social Protection Fund for further measures.

Follow the author on Twitter: @IsrafilbekovaS
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, March 28

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov received Chairman of the Management Committee and Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of Gazprom Alexei Miller in Ashgabat on March 27, Trend reports via the State News Agency of Turkmenistan.

Miller confirmed the interest of the largest Russian energy company in cooperation with Turkmenistan, the report said. In particular, the sides discussed issues related to the resumption of the purchase of Turkmen gas by the Russian holding.

"Here, the basic document is the current intergovernmental agreement between Turkmenistan and the Russian Federation on cooperation in the gas sector until 2028, and the relevant work is carried out by the parties on the basis of this agreement," report read.

The sides confirmed the readiness of Turkmenistan and Gazprom to further develop mutually beneficial cooperation, built on the principles of long-term and focused on concrete results, Turkmen news agency reported.

Until 2009, Gazprom was the largest buyer of Turkmen natural gas, purchasing up to 40-42 billion cubic meters of natural gas. But subsequently, purchases were significantly reduced, and on Jan. 1, 2016, Gazprom Export notified the Turkmengas state-owned concern about early unilateral termination of the 25-year gas purchase and sale contract signed in 2003. Gazprom agreed with Turkmengas on a two-year pause in the procurement of Turkmen gas.

In October 2018, Gazprom began negotiations on the resumption of purchases of Turkmen gas. However, the supply of Turkmen gas to Russia has not yet been resumed. The CAC main gas pipeline system can potentially be used to supply natural gas from Turkmenistan to Eastern Europe and the CIS.

"If the fundamental principles of the Energy Charter Treaty are applied and certain agreements are reached with transit countries, the CAC pipeline system can potentially be used to supply natural gas from Turkmenistan to Eastern Europe and the CIS," the report said.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 28

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

Russias Surgutneftegaz on March 27 awarded a spot tender to sell a Urals cargo loading from Primorsk port on April 10-11 to Azerbaijans SOCAR, traders said, Trend reports citing Reuters.

Reportedly, the cargo of 100,000 tons was added to the Primorsk loading plan in April on March 26.

SOCAR purchased the cargo to supply its new Star refinery in Turkey, traders said. The plant is expected to reach its full production capacity in April.

The opening ceremony of the Star oil refinery took place on October 19, 2018 in Izmir, Turkey.

The total refining capacity of the refinery will be 10 million tons, and Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR is the main supplier of crude for the refinery. The refinery will significantly reduce the dependence of Turkey on imports of petrochemical products.

The refinery worth $6.3 billion, built by SOCAR in the Aliaga District of Izmir, will produce 1.6 million tons of naphtha, 1.6 million tons of aviation fuel, 4.8 million tons of low-sulfur diesel, 700,000 tons of petroleum coke, 420,000 tons of mixed xylene and 160,000 tons of sulfur.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 28

By Kheyraddin Nasirzade - Trend:

The Financial Market Supervisory Authority of Azerbaijan (FIMSA) has issued a license for Xalq Life Insurance to provide life insurance services, a source at the financial market of the country told Trend.

Xalq Life Insurance will be the fourth company providing life insurance services in Azerbaijan. To date, these services have been provided by PASHA Life, Ateshgah Life and Qala Life.

Xalq Life Insurance appealed to the regulator to obtain a license in November, 2018. The company's authorized capital is 15 million manat, and is headed by Roman Valiyev, deputy chairman of Xalq Insurance.

According to the FIMSA, in January 2019, the life insurance market in Azerbaijan amounted to 13.78 million manats, which is 25.4 percent less compared to January 2018. Life insurance accounts for over 15 percent of the country's insurance market.

(1 USD = 1.7 AZN on March 28)
In Case You Missed It: Here are the top five stories from today's paper

Take a quick look at some of the important news you may have missed from todays paper.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 28

By Kheyraddin Nasirzade - Trend:

Azercell LLC, a mobile operator in Azerbaijan, completed 2018 with a net profit of 100.2 million manat, Trend informs referring to the company's financial report.

For comparison, the company completed 2017 with significant losses of 19.4 million manats.

According to 2018 report, revenues increased by 2.4 percent, and reached 421.2 million manats. On the other hand, expenditures decreased by 27.9 percent, and amounted to 286.2 million manats.

The company's assets have significantly increased. In 2018, assets increased by 12.6 percent, and reached 1.031 billion manats. In particular, total capital increased by 12.8 percent and amounted to 934.7 million manats. In this regard, the company's liabilities increased by 10.8 percent, and reached 97.1 million manats. Authorized capital remained unchanged - 42.08 million manats.

By the end of 2018, the operator had invested $59.5 million in the development of its network, thanks to which the total investment of the company over the past 22 years exceeded $1.527 billion.

(1 USD = 1.7 AZN on March 28)
Baku, Azerbaijan, Mar. 28

By Matanat Nasibova  Trend:

Recent changes in the Azerbaijani Tax Code have caused certain problems for travel agencies in Azerbaijan, Nijat Imanov, Deputy Director General of the Tax Policy Department of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Taxes, said at an event on the latest changes in tax legislation affecting the tourism industry, Trend reports.

In particular, the recent changes in the Tax Code caused problems with the use of electronic invoices by travel agencies, according to Imanov. It was, however, possible for the department to promptly solve these issues.

Imanov noted that changes are made in the tax legislation of Azerbaijan every year, and any and all innovations are aimed at easing the activities of entrepreneurs.

According to him, all changes are aimed both at eliminating the shadow economy in this area and at creating preferential conditions for the development of the tourism sector.

"Of course, most changes in tax legislation were aimed at supporting business entities, and at supporting the development of business areas in general. Taxes are a balancing tool  therefore, innovations in legislation tied directly to the field of entrepreneurship are also relevant to the field of tourism," he said.

Imanov also noted that the Ministry of Taxes is actively involved in solving the problems of business entities in the field of tourism.
Presided over by President Emomali Rahmon, a government session began in Dushanbe today morning, Asia-Plus reported.

A source in the Tajik government says the session is focusing on issues related to implementation of industry development projects and spring sowing.

Besides, the government is discussing a number of draft laws and send them for consideration to the parliament, the source said.

He further added that it could not be ruled out that a number of staff changes would be introduced at the meeting.

The issue of mobile Internet tariffs can also be resolved today.

Recall, intranet calls are expected to rise tenfold in cost in Tajikistan. Internet calls will probable rise in cost as well.

By Antimonopoly Agencys order on tariffs for telecommunications that was issued on March 4 intranet calls are expected to rise tenfold in cost in Tajikistan beginning on March 27.

The order, in particular, provides for setting the price of one minute of intranet call for all mobile operators, with the exception of Tojiktelecom (state-run telecommunications company), at no less than 10 dirams (direct taxes not included). The previous price for one minute of intranet call fluctuated in Tajikistan from 0.7 diram to 1.2 dirams.

The internet call in Tajikistan is expected to rise in cost as well. According to the order, the cost of maintenance of local telecommunication networks by means of modern technologies, including NGN, for all mobile operators, with the exception of Tojiktelecom, will be set at no less than 0.20 somoni per minute (direct taxes not included).

The minimum price of one minute of internet call cost will be set at 0.25 somoni (taxes included).

As of March 27, mobile telecommunication services providers will be able to sell online data for no less than 0.05 somoni per megabyte and the price for one minute of mobile international call, including NGN communications, will amount to no less than 1.00 somoni (taxes not included).

An official with the Antimonopoly Agency says the instruction on raising mobile Internet prices has taken effect and mobile operators must execute it.

Meanwhile, Tajikistans internet continues to get slower, ranking among the worst in the world. Beginning from last year, all Internet traffic is required to pass through Tojiktelecom.
President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin has arrived in Kyrgyzstan for a state visit today, March 28, Kabar reported.

At Manas International Airport, head of Kyrgyzstan Sooronbay Jeenbekov welcomed President Vladimir Putin.

The official welcoming ceremony will be held at Ala-Archa state residence, the press service of the Kyrgyz Presidents Office reported.

The heads of the two states will hold talks in a narrow format, then Kyrgyz-Russian negotiations will be held in an expanded format with the participation of members of the delegations of the two countries.

Following the talks, signing of joint documents is expected.

The Presidents of Kyrgyzstan and Russia will make a joint statement for the press.

The heads of state will also attend the 8th Kyrgyz-Russian interregional conference and visit Aitmatov home-museum.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, March 28

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

A meeting of the Task Force on Regional Energy Cooperation in Central and South Asia (RECA) is being held in Ashgabat (March 27-28), Trend reports with reference to the Turkmen Foreign Ministry.

Assistance is provided by the Turkmen Foreign Ministry and the Energy Ministry.

Representatives of sectoral ministries and departments, as well as energy companies from Central Asia, Afghanistan and Pakistan, representatives of international and regional organizations, such as the Energy Charter, have been invited to the event.

The agenda includes the role of cross-border energy trade and regional energy security. The meeting participants are discussing trends in regional energy cooperation, new projects and the state of renewable energy sources in Central Asia.

The meeting will serve as a platform for dialogue on energy cooperation to integrate energy markets, diversify sources of supply and achieve sustainable development, the organizers note.

Turkmenistan exports electricity to Iran, Afghanistan and Turkey. Prospects for supplies to the countries of the Caucasus, Central and South Asia are being explored.

By 2024, the total volume of electricity produced in Turkmenistan is planned to increase to 33 billion kilowatt-hours, which is almost 30 percent more compared to 2018.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Mar. 28

By Elnur Baghishov  Trend:

Joining the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) will result in the development of Iran's production, trade and economy, Mehdi Mirashrafi, head of Iran Customs Administration, said at the meeting with Reza Masrour, CEO of the Anzali Free Trade Zone, Trend reports referring to IRNA.

According to Mirashrafi, Iran attaches importance to trade with the Caspian littoral states and its neighbors.

The Iranian official, who called the EAEU a 100 percent customs union, added that this union allows member countries to exchange their products without paying customs duties.

"The Anzali Free Trade Zone, especially the Kaspian port, can play a key role in this alliance with the appropriate infrastructure," he said.

Mirashrafi said that the Iranian Customs want to benefit from the capabilities of the EAEU, as well as that of the private sector operating in Irans free trade zones.

"The Anzali Free Trade Zone can play a transnational role in increasing the trade turnover with the EAEU and the Caspian littoral states," he said.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Mar. 28

By Elnur Baghishov  Trend:

The water levels in Lake Urmia, located between Irans East Azerbaijan and West Azerbaijan provinces, have increased by 31 centimeters during the current water year, compared to the levels from the previous year, Farhad Sarkhosh, head of West Azerbaijans Lake Urmia Restoration Committee, told ILNA, Trend reports.

According to Sarkhosh, the current water level of the lake is 1,271.1 meters, when compared to the water levels of international waters.

Sarkhosh also said that the water surface area in Lake Urmia is 2,583 square kilometers, adding that there was an increase of 352 square kilometers compared to the previous water year.

"The water of Lake Urmia has increased by 740 million cubic meters, and has now reached 2,000,000,640 cubic meters," he said.

Sarkhosh said that the provision of water to the lake from the Ajabshir Ghaleh Chay dam in East Azerbaijan Province has commenced.

He added that precipitation from the beginning of the year was 334/5 millimeters, and that there was an 82 percent increase compared to the previous water year.
Tehran,Iran, March 28

Trend:

Gaddam Dharmendra, new ambassador of India to Iran has stressed the necessity to facilitate the establishment of a branch of an Iranian private bank in India.

Speaking in a meeting with the governor of Central Bank of Iran, Dharmendra expressed hope that deep historical ties between two countries and their good relations would go ouver the limits and the US pressure, Trend reports citing IRNA.

He noted, India intends to move toward Iran's development and expanding ties though diplomacy.

Iranian Central Bank Governor Abdolnasser Hemmati said during the meeting that the US is "running propaganda to create psychological atmosphere to affect Iran's economy."

Hemmati insisted on expanding economic relations between Iran and India and expressed Iran's readiness to develop economic ties.

Iran's crude oil exports to India reached $8 billion, while the country has exported $2.6 billion worth of tea and rice to Iran, the bilateral economic ties have made the total trade volume of $10.6 billion.

India's exports level to Iran in January have increased by 109 percent. The two countries have agreed to trade in rupees and rials, which has raised the volume of trade by over 100 percent.
Tehran, Iran, March 28

Trend:

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Ghasemi has said that unblocking the assets of the Central Bank of Iran by Luxemburg court was the result of hard efforts in various organizations.

"The CBI complaints alongside with excessive efforts at national level and CBI cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Center for International Legal Affairs of the Presidency allowed to resolve the issue successfully and to restore the rights of the nation," Trend reports citing telegram channel of Iranian Foreign Ministry.

Ghasemi insisted on the important role of cooperation between domestic organizations.

"The cooperation between public organizations and support of people alongside with using skilled lawyers and diplomacy have worked in all legal stages to restore the people's right."

Luxembourg court has rejected the US request to compensate victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks by seizing Iranian assets, seven years after a New York court claimed there was evidence of Irans involvement in the incident.

That court awarded the plaintiffs damages of over $7 billion. Families of victims are seeking access to $1.6 billion of Iranian funds in Luxembourg, which were frozen as part of international sanctions over Irans nuclear program.

However, the Luxembourg court ruling said the plaintiffs could not continue their legal case to seize Iranian assets in the country.

Iran has denied any links to Al Qaeda or any involvement in the Sept. 11 attacks.
Honda Motor and Hino Motors are joining a venture of SoftBank Corp and Toyota Motor that will develop self-driving car services in Japan, as alliances between automakers and tech firms broaden, Reuters reported.

Under an agreement, Honda and truck maker Hino, in which Toyota owns a majority stake, would each invest around 250 million yen ($2.27 million) in the joint venture, Monet Technologies, and take 10 percent stakes in the venture, Monet said on Thursday.

Tech conglomerate SoftBank Group Corps domestic telco and Toyota formed the venture last year. It will foray in the ride-sharing sphere that is dominated by startups such as Uber, Didi Chuxing and Lyft.

Honda and Hinos participation in the venture highlights the challenges facing automakers in developing new transportation services as the rise of self-driving cars could threaten vehicle sales in the future with users seen opting for pay-per-use services over car ownership.

It is also the latest example in the growing trend of consolidation among automakers and technology and communications companies as they grapple with the massive investment and software expertise required to develop new services for which demand has yet to be tested.

The more automakers we can get to join the partnership, the smarter we can make our platform, Junichi Miyakawa, chief executive of Monet and chief technology officer of SoftBank Corp said at an event to promote the venture.

The new investment from Honda and Hino would leave SoftBank with a 40.2 percent stake in Monet, down from just over 50 percent when the venture was formed. Toyota will hold a 39.8 percent stake.

Toyota President Akio Toyoda said that increased cooperation between automakers and companies in other sectors would help make the mobility services industry more transparent.

With the participation of Honda and Hino, the auto world has taken a big step towards openness, he said at the event.

Hondas investment in Monet will be its latest in new mobility services after it invested $2.75 billion for a 5.7 percent stake in General Motors Cos Cruise self-driving vehicle unit last year.

The Japanese automaker, which has lagged many of its rivals in developing self-driving cars, is also an investor in Southeast Asian ride-hailing service Grab. SoftBank also invests in Cruise and Grab.

The latest investment in Monet values the venture at just $22.7 million, for now making it a miniscule player compared with Cruise, which is valued at around $15 billion, and Uber, which has been valued at around $120 billion ahead of its expected IPO.

For now the size of the venture is insignificant compared with SoftBank Corps enterprise value, said Dan Baker, analyst at Morningstar. The telco is looking to diversify beyond its core cash-generative wireless business amid pressure on carrier fees.

SoftBank Group and its $100 billion Vision Fund are already a major player in ride sharing. Founder and Chief Executive Masayoshi Son says his portfolio companies, which include Uber, Didi, Grab and Ola, control 90 percent of the industry.

Monet plans to roll out on-demand bus and car services in Japan in the next year, and a platform to operate self-driving vehicles as early as 2023 based on Toyotas e-palette, a boxy multi-purpose vehicle which can be used for on-demand mobile shops, offices and other services.
Nepals promise and opportunities

With political commitment and leadership, Nepal will be able to achieve its development goals
U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday called for the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to boost oil production to lower the price of the commodity, reports Trend citing Reuters

Very important that OPEC increase the flow of Oil. World Markets are fragile, price of Oil getting too high. Thank you! Trump wrote in a post on Twitter.

Immediately following Trumps tweet, U.S. crude oil futures fell by more than $1 to $58.33 a barrel and Brent futures were down by more than $1 to a session low of $66.76 per barrel.

Crude oil prices have risen this year amid supply cuts by OPEC as well as U.S. sanctions on OPEC member countries Venezuela and Iran. The drop in production has led to a tightening of oil inventories.

But analysts have warned oil prices would be higher by now if not for a spreading economic slowdown expected to soon start hitting fuel consumption.
A 74-year-old man died from injuries that he sustained during the mass shooting on a tram in Utrecht, raising the total death toll to four, Trend reported citing Sputnik.

Initially, it was reported that three people had been killed and three people had sustained injuries following the shooting.

The development means that the suspect arrested for the shooting, Turkish-born Gokmen Tanis, will be charged with a fourth count of manslaughter with a terrorist objective, Dutch NL Times news outlet said.

The shooting took place on March 18 in a tram in central Utrecht. Initially, Turkish media outlet reported that the suspect had a dispute with a family member. However, the following day, Dutch authorities said that they were seriously considering terrorist motivations behind the incident. Tanis has claimed responsibility for the incident and said he acted alone. The investigation into the motives are continuing and a ruling is expected next week on the initial detention of Tanis.
The UN Security Council on Wednesday adopted a resolution to renew the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) until March 31, 2020, Trend reports citing Xinhua.

Under Resolution 2461, UNSOM will continue to provide strategic support and advice to the federal government of Somalia and the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) on peacebuilding and state-building.

The resolution requested UNSOM to maintain and strengthen its presence in all of the federal member states of Somalia.

It underlined the importance of UNSOM's political and technical support, as well as operational and logistical support, in collaboration with the UN Support Office in Somalia, to the federal government of Somalia for the delivery of "inclusive, peaceful, free and fair one-person-one-vote elections in 2020/2021.

It urged the federal government of Somalia and the federal member states to accelerate implementation of key security sector reforms, including a coherent national security architecture.

The resolution condemned continued violations and abuses against children, including the continued recruitment and use of children, rape and sexual violence and abduction, especially by Al-Shabaab in Somalia, urging all parties to the conflict to take appropriate measures to end and prevent further such violations and abuses.

Meanwhile, the resolution called on Somalia to consider the adverse implications of climate change, other ecological changes and natural disasters, among other factors, including by undertaking risk assessments and risk management strategies relating to these factors.

UNSOM was established on June 3, 2013 by the Security Council, following a comprehensive assessment of the United Nations in support of the establishment of the Federal Government of Somalia.

The mandate of UNSOM was subsequently renewed multiple times by Security Council resolutions.

The current mandate of UNSOM is valid until March 31, 2019.
A truck crashed into a crowd of people in western Guatemala on Wednesday evening, killing more than 30 and injuring at least four, local authorities and President Jimmy Morales said, Trend reports referring to Reuters.

The truck struck a group of people who had gone onto the road to inspect another person who had been hit by a car, Cecilio Chacaj, a spokesman for the local fire department, told Reuters.
The board of directors of the African Development Bank (AfDB) group has approved over 300 million U.S. dollars loan to support Morocco's industrialization program, Trend reported citing Xinhua.

This loan will facilitate the financing of projects promoted by small and medium-sized enterprises, MAP said quoting statement from the AfDB.

"This operation will help improve Morocco's industrial competitiveness and strengthen its integration into African and global value chains," the report said quoting Leila Farah Mokaddem, the bank's country manager in Morocco.

It will also bring the bank's overall financing to nearly 483 million dollars since 2017, the same source noted.

Since 1970, the AfDB group has invested more than 10 billion dollars in multiple strategic sectors of the Moroccan economy.

Morocco adopted in 2014 an Industrial Acceleration Plan with the aim to achieve greater productive diversification by increasing the share of industry in the country's gross domestic product by nine percent in 2020.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Mar. 28

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

Militants of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) are losing their leaders, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said while commenting on the joint operation of Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and the Turkish Air Force in northern Iraq, Trend reports referring to the Turkish media.

According to him, the PKK terrorists have already lost their activeness and strength in northern Iraq.

The president added that Turkey will continue actively fighting till the elimination of the last terrorist.

Recently, the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and the Turkish Air Force conducted an operation to eliminate Riza Altun, the closest ally of Cemil Bayik, the leader of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) terrorist group. Once Altuns exact whereabouts were established by the MIT, the Turkish Air Force delivered a precision strike on a house where the terrorist was located.

The conflict between Turkey and the PKK, which demands the creation of an independent Kurdish state, has lasted more than 25 years, claiming more than 40,000 lives. PKK is recognized as a terrorist organization by the UN and the EU.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 28

By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:

Turkey and Malaysia have signed an agreement on the joint production of Turkish Zigana PX-9 pistols, Trend reports referring to Turkish media.

Another agreement between Turkey and Malaysia on the joint production of a model of Turkish gun was signed in 2018.

According to media reports, Zigana PX-9 pistols will be produced for the Malaysian police at the first stage, then it is planned to export this model to a number of neighboring countries.

Turkish holding Albayraklar and Malaysian company Dian Synergy signed agreements on cooperation in the defense industry on Jan. 10, 2019.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier said that Turkey will strengthen defense industry and will become a world leader in the manufacture of defense products.

Erdogan noted that no obstacles can stop the development of Turkey's defense industry.

He noted that mass production of Turkish ALTAY tanks will soon begin.

In the recent years, Turkey has invested about $35 billion in the defense industry.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
KYODO NEWS - Mar 28, 2019 - 14:28 | Feature, All, Japan

Police took action against a record 3,578 people in cannabis cases in 2018, up 570 from the previous year, in Japan, where its possession, sale or cultivation is prohibited by law.

The data released by the National Police Agency on Thursday showed the figure per 100,000 people doubled from 1.7 in 2014 to 3.5 in 2018, with a sharp growth seen among teens and those in their 20s. An NPA official said, "We are worried that more youths may use the drug without recognizing the hazards."

By age group, the number per 100,000 people came to 6.0 among those aged 14 to 19, nearly a six-fold jump from 1.1 in 2014. The figure more than doubled from 5.0 to 12.2 among people in their 20s while it increased from 4.1 to 7.3 among those in their 30s.

Of the 3,578 people, 2,928 were implicated in possession of cannabis, followed by 201 in dealing, 152 in cultivation, 138 in receiving and 63 in smuggling.

Police said 13,862 people were involved in overall drug cases, with stimulant drug cases topping the list with 9,868 despite a slight decline from the previous year. Cannabis cases came second, accounting for 25.8 percent of the total.

The number of people involved in cocaine cases more than tripled from 61 in 2014 to a record 197 in 2018, up 20 from a year earlier.

The amount of stimulant drugs seized by police across Japan in 2018 totaled 1,138.6 kilograms, topping 1 ton for the third straight year. That of cocaine jumped to 42.0 kg from 9.6 kg in 2017, while 12,303 pills including synthetic drugs such as MDMA were confiscated.

The street value of stimulants was 60,000 yen ($540) per gram, while that of cannabis was 5,000 yen, cocaine 20,000 yen and heroin 30,000 yen, according to the NPA.
KYODO NEWS - Mar 28, 2019 - 10:57 | All, World, Japan

Japan on Wednesday recognized former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney for his contribution to strengthening the bilateral security alliance.

In a ceremony in Washington, Japanese Ambassador to the United States Shinsuke Sugiyama presented the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun to Cheney, who was vice president from 2001 to 2009 under President George W. Bush.

In a speech, Cheney, who also served as defense secretary from 1989 to 1993 under President George H.W. Bush, underscored the significance of the United States' alliance with Japan.

Cheney said that in the face of new strategic challenges in the Asia-Pacific and beyond, "I have no doubt that our alliance will remain as steady and constant" as before.

He said Tokyo and Washington have built a relationship of shared interest and values, as well as deepened trust as two friends.
KYODO NEWS - Mar 28, 2019 - 16:35 | All, Japan

The number of people recognized as gangsters by police in Japan dropped to a record-low 30,500 in 2018 amid an intensified crackdown on organized crime, the National Police Agency said Thursday.

The total, including yakuza members and those loosely associated with crime syndicates, fell about 4,000 from the year before, marking the 14th consecutive year of decline, according to the agency tally.

(Police raid the headquarters of Yamaguchi-gumi in Kobe on Oct. 30, 2019.)

By group, Yamaguchi-gumi was the largest at 9,500 members, while Sumiyoshi-kai had 4,900 and Inagawa-kai had 3,700, the agency report said.

The number of crime syndicate members and associates investigated in crime cases by police reached 16,881 in 2018, down 856 from the previous year. Of that figure, those suspected of violating the stimulants control law accounted for 4,569, while those who allegedly committed bodily harm stood at 2,042 and fraud stood at 1,749.

"It is becoming harder to live as a crime syndicate member amid crackdowns and escalating social exclusion of members," said an NPA official.

But the agency also said it had found yakuza were playing a key role in so-called special fraud cases, including defrauding old people by impersonating their children or their grandchildren and asking for urgent money transfers over the phone.

Of the 2,747 people police investigated last year over special fraud cases, 630 people, or 22.9 percent, were crime syndicate members.

The agency said 24 of the 53 people who were recognized as the main culprits in special fraud cases were crime syndicate members, and 58 of the 121 coordinators in those cases were also gangsters.

Police confirmed more than 16,000 special fraud cases in 2018 and the amount swindled exceeded 35 billion yen ($318 million).
Police foil move to seize land owned by reserve

On Wednesday morning, supporters of the Mangol National Organisation Party attempted to seize a strip of land at the buffer zone of the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve in Saptari.
Islamabad: Neighbouring country Pakistan labelled the ghastly Pulwama terror attack as an incident. Pakistan sought more information and evidence from India on the involvement of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in the attack and the presence of terror camps of the UN-listed terrorist outfit in the country.

Tehmina Janjua, Pakistani Foreign Secretary called Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria to the Foreign Ministry and shared the "preliminary findings" on the "Pulwama incident". It should be noted that the attack was described by Pakistan as incident.

TRS MP Jithender Reddy joins BJP in presence of Amit Shah

In the press release Pakistan stated, Pakistan has acted with a high sense of responsibility and extended full cooperation. We do so in the interest of regional peace and security. We have sought further information/evidence from India to take the process forward. The findings were shared with New Delhi after Islamabad examined the dossier on the Pulwama attack.

On February 27, India handed over the dossier to the Acting High Commissioner of Pakistan in New Delhi with key details highlighting the role of JeM in Pulwama attack that killed 40 CRPF personnel on February 14. In the dossier information about JeM launch pads in Pakistan was also shared with the Pakistani leadership.

PM Modi to visit Jammu and Kashmir today

Pakistani PM Imran Khan had offered complete cooperation in the investigation if "credible evidence" was provided by India. India, however, termed it a lame excuse and said that a dossier of evidence on Mumbai 26/11 was provided but the case has not progressed for the last more than ten years.
South-South Cooperation

Nepal delivered well when it was provided with an opportunity to present their case as a recipient country
Anti-graft body summons five international firms involved in supplying Airbus jets to Nepal

The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority has summoned officials of five international firms that were involved in supplying two wide-body Airbus A330 jets to Nepal Airlines Corporation last year.
Visible imagery from NASA's Terra satellite showed Tropical Cyclone Joaninha as it moved through the Southern Indian Ocean triggering warnings in the island nation of Mauritius.

Mauritius is an island nation, known for its beaches, lagoons and reefs. It is located to the northeast of Reunion Island.

The Mauritius Meteorological Services (MMS) issued several warnings on Joaninha. On March 26 a Strong wind and High Wave warning were in effect for Rodrigues valid until 10 a.m. local time on Wednesday, March 27, 2019.

MMS noted "The intense tropical cyclone Joaninha evolving to the east of Rodrigues is causing strong southerly winds to blow over the island. Gusts may reach 100 kph (62mph) in places. The cyclone is also generating heavy swells of the order of 5 to 7 meters (16 to 23 feet) which are influencing the sea state around Rodrigues. Also storm surge will cause a rise in the sea water level of about 1.5 meters (5 feet) above the normal tides which will result in the inundation of low lying coastal areas particularly to the east, south and south-west."

On March 26, 2019, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument aboard NASA's Terra satellite provided a visible image of Joaninha. Joaninha had a 15 nautical-mile wide eye surrounded by powerful thunderstorms. Bands of thunderstorms spiraled into the center of circulation from the eastern quadrant.

On March 26 at 8 a.m. EDT (1200 UTC) Joaninha had maximum sustained winds near 115 knots (132 mph/213 kph). Joaninha was centered near 19.6 degrees south latitude and 65.2 degrees east longitude. That's about 86 nautical miles (99 miles/ 159 km) east of Port Mathurin, Mauritius

Joaninha is moving through an area of warm waters, which will continue to fuel it. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center noted that the wind shear, outside winds that can affect a storm at different altitudes, was light, so it will not affect the storm on its track to the south for the next day or two.

For local updates from the MMS, visit: http://metservice.intnet.mu

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With live music offered six nights a week, K.J. Farrell's is a must-visit for music fans in Nassau County. The venue has a full menu of appetizers, pizzas, tacos, sliders, and more to snack on during each show. Tiger Rose will be performing on this particular date.
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"Real talk: Daniel Rubin has a great little piece up wherein he chats with The Field Negro, the Philly-based blogger who sharply ponders all things black on a daily basis. (Seriously, if youve never checked in with TFN, you should: Its author, Wayne Bennett, is a fantastic read who can cut through bullshit like a hot knife through butter, which is a far grosser analogy than I wanted to make, but there you have it.)"

~Philebrity~



"One of the most precocious and hilarious Black political minds on the net. Ive been a long-time fan!" ~Asad Malik~









"..While most of what he writes is tongue-in-cheek, his space is a safe house for candid discussions about race, especially in the comments section, where people of all colors meet."



~~Daniel Rubin, "The Philadelphia Inquirer"~~



"To white people, Bennett's musings are like kitchen-table talk from a kitchen they may otherwise never set foot in. To African Americans, he is part of a growing army of black Internet amateurs who have taken up the work once reserved for ministers and professional activists: the work of setting a black agenda, shaping black opinion and calling attention to the state of the nation's racial affairs."



~~Richard Fausset, "L.A. Times"~~~











~Erik Hare, "The Twin Cities Daily Planet"~



"That's why I love the blog " Field Negro " so much. Field, as he's known to his fans, has the sense of reality that it takes to call out the ( CowPuckey ) of blame beating by those who are in positions of power and their lackeys. Because of his handle and his unabashed way of writing about racial issues, Field is often cited as a "Black blogger." What he is, however, is a first-class detector of blame deflection and an excellent student of history. If you want to write about the past and future of repression there's really no other perspective to take - which is why everyone should read Field."~Erik Hare, "The Twin Cities Daily Planet"~





411 On The Field field negro Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States Raised in the house, but field certified. Jamaica is the land of my birth, but I consider myself a citizen of the world. I currently practice law in the city of "brotherly love". View my complete profile



"Half a century after Little Rock, the Montgomery bus boycott and the tumultuous dawn of the modern civil rights era, the new face of the movement is Facebook, MySpace and some 150 black blogs united in an Internet alliance they call the

AfroSpear.



Older, familiar leaders such as Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rev. Al Sharpton and NAACP Chairman Julian Bond, are under challenge by a younger generation of bloggers known by such provocative screen names as Field Negro, thefreeslave

and African American Political Pundit. And many of the newest struggles are being waged online."



~Howard Witt-The Chicago Tribune~



"I had no idea, for example, of the extent of the African-American blogging world out there and its collective powers of dissemination.But now, after reading thousands of anguished, thoughtful comments posted on these blogs reflecting on issues of persistent racial discrimination in the nation's schools and courtrooms, what's clear to me is that there's a new, "virtual" civil rights movement out there on the Internet that can reach more people in a few hours than all the protest marches, sit-ins and boycotts of the 1950s and 60s put together." ~Chicago Tribune Reporter, Howard Witt~

IF YOU ARE BRAVE ENOUGH TO FLAUNT IT. Come visit my store on CafePress!




































By Rania El Gamal, Dmitry Zhdannikov and Olesya Astakhova DUBAI/LONDON/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia is having a hard time convincing Russia to stay much longer in an OPEC-led pact cutting oil supply, and Moscow may agree only to a three-month extension, three sources familiar with the matter said. Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak told his Saudi counterpart Khalid al-Falih when the two met in Baku this month that he cannot guarantee an extension to the end of 2019, the sources said. "Novak told Falih that he will extend in June but can only do it until the end of September as he is under too much pressure internally to end the cuts," a source familiar with Russian oil policy said. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Russia and other non-OPEC producers - an alliance known as OPEC+ - agreed in December to reduce oil supply by 1.2 million barrels per day from Jan. 1 for six months. "We can extend for three months when we meet in June and then see if we need to extend later," an OPEC source said. "We really don't know now, and we may not know until the last minute before we meet in June, whether the Russians will stay." The OPEC+ alliance was formed in 2017. Since its inception, oil prices have doubled to more than $60 per barrel - mainly as a result of a series of production cuts by its members. Should Russia pull out of the latest agreement on cutting output, oil prices would drop. Saudi Arabia and other OPEC members could be forced to consider continuing the cuts alone if Russia opted not to stay, the OPEC source said. It was unclear whether Russia's tough stance was a negotiation tactic or a real threat to quit the agreement as Novak faces mounting pressure from Russian oil companies that no longer want curbs on their production, the sources said. Igor Sechin, head of Russian oil giant Rosneft and an ally of Vladimir Putin, told the Russian president that the deal with OPEC is a strategic threat and plays into the hands of the United States, Reuters reported in February. On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump called for an OPEC production boost to lower oil prices. There is no guarantee Putin will back Sechin's view. The president sees the pact with OPEC as part of a bigger puzzle involving dialogue with OPEC's de facto leader, Saudi Arabia, over Syria and other geopolitical issues. But Russia knows Saudi Arabia wants oil at a minimum $70 a barrel for its budget requirements, while Moscow needs just $55 a barrel to balance its books, the sources said. Moscow has always kept its cards close to its chest when it comes to extending supply agreements with OPEC, only to agree later to what Riyadh has advocated. "Russia and Saudi Arabia are both bluffing now and are trying to play the same card that we saw in December," a Russian industry source said. "Novak is threatening to end the deal, but later he will ask Putin for permission to extend the cut." This month, OPEC and its allies scrapped a planned meeting in April. They will decide instead whether to extend output cuts in June, once the market has assessed the impact of new U.S. sanctions on Iran due in May. Russia was among the countries that recommended cancelling the April meeting, OPEC sources said. (Editing by Dale Hudson)
Binod Ghimire covers parliamentary affairs and human rights for The Kathmandu Post. Since joining the Post in 2010, he has reported primarily on social issues, focusing on education and transitional justice.
- Completed enrollment in ACH-4471 Phase 2 PNH trial in combination with eculizumab -

- Interim data to be released in May 2019 -

- Targeting FDA end-of-Phase 2 meeting in second half of 2019 -

BLUE BELL, Pa., March 27, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Achillion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ACHN), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to transforming the lives of patients and families affected by complement-mediated diseases, today announced achievement of enrollment in their ACH-4471 Phase 2 paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) trial in combination with eculizumab.

In the Phase 2 trial, patients with an inadequate response to eculizumab as monotherapy are being evaluated for increases in hemoglobin and reduced transfusions over 24-weeks. Early data released in December 2018 provided evidence that ACH-4471 in combination with eculizumab had a positive impact on patient hemoglobin and FACIT-fatigue scores while reducing transfusions, reticulocyte counts and LDH levels.

The company expects to present interim data for the first 10 patients on May 17, 2019 at The New Era of Aplastic Anemia and Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria meeting in Napoli, Italy. This specialized meeting is sponsored by AIEPEN Onlus, the Italian PNH Association.

We are excited to present interim data on the first 10 patients enrolled and to discuss these results with the FDA, said Steven Zelenkofske, D.O., Executive Vice President, Chief Medical Officer at Achillion. This is an important clinical milestone for our first-generation oral factor D inhibitor program, as it adds to the growing body of ACH-4471 data in PNH patients who remain anemic or transfusion dependent while receiving eculizumab. We believe this data supports the hypothesis that alternative pathway inhibition can potentially provide additional benefit to patients who are receiving C5 inhibitors, such as eculizumab.

The data from the ACH-4471 Phase 2 combination study along with the prior completed 10 patient Phase 2 monotherapy study will be submitted for review by regulatory authorities in an end of Phase 2 meeting in the second half of 2019.

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About the ACH-4471 Phase 2 Combination Study

A Phase 2 open-label study of ACH-4471 in up to 12 patients with Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH) who have an inadequate response to eculizumab as monotherapy. The purpose of this dose-ranging study is to determine the effectiveness of ACH-4471 in improving anemia, as measured by increased blood hemoglobin, when given with eculizumab (a C5 inhibitor commonly used for treatment of PNH) for 24 weeks. In December 2018, Achillion announced interim data for the first four patients in this trial, which showed trial participants reduced blood transfusions to zero from an aggregate of 14 in the prior 52 weeks. In addition, early data provided evidence that ACH-4471 in combination with eculizumab had a positive impact on patients hemoglobin, reticulocyte counts, LDH, and FACIT-fatigue scores. The Company believes this data helps support its hypothesis that if the alternative pathway is adequately inhibited, therapeutic benefit can be achieved in fundamentally different ways than has been seen with C5 inhibitors alone. Achillion expects to report updated interim results for this Phase 2 clinical trial in May 2019 and is targeting a meeting with the FDA in the second half of 2019.

About Achillion Pharmaceuticals

Achillion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ACHN) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on advancing its oral small molecule complement inhibitors into late-stage development and commercialization. Research has shown that an overactive complement system plays a critical role in a number of disease conditions including the therapeutic areas of nephrology, hematology, ophthalmology and neurology. Achillion is initially focusing its drug development activities on complement-mediated diseases where there are no approved therapies or where existing therapies are inadequate for patients. Potential indications being evaluated for its compounds include paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), C3 glomerulopathy (C3G), and immune complex membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (IC-MPGN). Each of the product candidates in the Companys oral small molecule portfolio was discovered in its laboratories and is wholly owned. To advance its investigational product candidates into Phase 3 clinical trials and commercialization, the Company plans to work closely with key stakeholders including healthcare professionals, patients, regulators and payors. More information is available at http://www.achillion.com .

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that are subject to risks, uncertainties and other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. Achillion may use words such as expect, anticipate, project, target, intend, plan, aim, believe, seek, estimate, can, could focus, will, look forward, continue, goal, strategy, objective, may, potential, and similar expressions to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements also include statements about: the potential benefits of factor D inhibition as a treatment for complement-mediated diseases; the potential benefits of, and indications for, Achillions compounds that inhibit factor D, including ACH-4471, ACH-5228 and ACH-5548; Achillions belief that its portfolio of compounds could expand factor D portfolio opportunities, provide strategic optionality or create significant value; Achillions expectations regarding the advancement of, and timeline for reporting results from, clinical trials of its product candidates as well as its ability to advance additional compounds; and other statements concerning Achillions strategic goals, efforts, plans, and prospects. Among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements are risks relating to, among other things, Achillions ability to: demonstrate in any current and future clinical trials the requisite safety, efficacy and combinability of its product candidates; advance the preclinical and clinical development of its complement factor D inhibitors under the timelines it projects in current and future preclinical studies and clinical trials; enroll patients in its clinical trials on its projected timelines; replicate in later stage clinical trials favorable data demonstrated in preclinical and early-stage clinical trials; obtain and maintain patent protection for its product candidates and the freedom to operate under third party intellectual property; obtain and maintain necessary regulatory approvals, and the granting of orphan designation does not alter the standard regulatory requirements and process for obtaining such approval; establish commercial manufacturing arrangements; identify, enter into and maintain collaboration and other commercial agreements with third-parties; compete successfully in the markets in which it seeks to develop and commercialize its product candidates and future products; manage expenses; manage litigation; raise the substantial additional capital needed to achieve its business objectives; and successfully execute on its business strategies. These and other risks are described in the reports filed by Achillion with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, and any other SEC filings that Achillion makes from time to time.

In addition, any forward-looking statement in this press release represents Achillion's views only as of the date of this press release and should not be relied upon as representing its views as of any subsequent date. Achillion disclaims any duty to update any forward-looking statement, except as required by applicable law.

Investors:

Brian Di Donato

Chief Financial Officer

Tel. (215) 709-3032

bdidonato@achillion.com
MILAN, March 27 (Reuters) - The three commissioners running Alitalia are putting pressure on Ferrovie dello Stato to present a rescue plan for the troubled airline but are willing to allow it more time.

Alitalia was put under special administration in 2017 after workers rejected its most recent rescue plan.

State-owned Ferrovie, which said last year it was interested in Alitalia, is racing to meet an end of March deadline set by Rome to present a business plan for the troubled carrier.

Ferrovie, which has been spearheading the rescue efforts, is looking to create a transport consortium to offer consumers a one-stop shop for travel inside and outside Italy.

The railway group said in a statement on Wednesday it needed more time to go into further details on the rescue plan.

The special commissioners in a parliamentary hearing on Wednesday said the main risk facing Alitalia was the possibility of the airline falling into liquidation if there was no rescue package in the coming weeks.

"A deadline extension for Ferrovie could only be very short... we are talking about weeks, not months," Alitalia Special Commissioner Daniele Discepolo said during the hearing.

Discepolo, Enrico Laghi and Stefano Paleari have been working flat out to cut costs and revive travellers' confidence in the carrier in the hope a consortium of industrial partners would take it over and pay back a 900 million euro bridge loan granted by the state.

The loan needs to be repaid by the end of June.

"Either Ferrovie files a request for an extension that is backed by documents or it is better they walk away because we are using public money -- I don't want to say we are burning it -- to make the airline fly," Discepolo said.

He said the law would force them to put the carrier into liquidation if time ran out.

Ferrovie, which is in negotiations with U.S. carrier Delta Air Lines, also said it was talking with a "small group of potential partners" without giving further details.

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The railways group is prepared to take up to 30 percent of Alitalia, sources have said. To date it has secured a commitment from Delta to take an additional stake of up to 15 percent, leaving open the question of who would buy the rest.

The commissioners said that under their management Alitalia had made substantial progress, adding the airline was now attractive to potential buyers.

Alitalia's revenues rose 3.5 percent last year to 3.07 billion euros ($3.5 billion), documents prepared for the parliamentary hearing showed.

It recorded a loss at the core earnings (EBITDA) level of 120 million euros, down from 283 million euros in 2017. ($1 = 0.8879 euros) (Reporting by Francesca Landini. Editing by Jane Merriman)
By Heekyong Yang

SEOUL (Reuters) - Asiana Airlines' co-CEO resigned on Thursday and its debt-ridden parent Kumho Asiana Group sought financial support from its top creditor after an accounting fiasco at the South Korean carrier threatened the group's liquidity position.

The surprise resignation of Park Sam-koo, who also quit as chairman of the group and co-CEO of its biggest shareholder Kumho Industrial, comes after the two firms failed to get auditors' sign-offs on their annual reports last week.

That triggered warnings of credit ratings downgrades, a sharp earnings revision for Asiana, and a massive stock-market sell-off of the two firms on Tuesday when shares resumed trading after a two-day trading halt.

Asianas shares jumped as much as 15.1 percent on Thursday following news of Parks resignation but pared gains to close 2.9 percent higher, while Kumho Industrial ended up losing 2.1 percent after rising as much as 8.2 percent.

"His resignation could darken the clouds over one of South Koreas biggest airlines as the company faces critical moments," said Yang Ji-hwan, an analyst at Daishin Securities.

Kumho Asiana Group said in a statement that Park met the chairman of the groups main creditor, Korea Development Bank (KDB), late on Wednesday and asked for help to normalise Asiana Airlines, the conglomerate's flagship firm.

It said it will launch an "emergency management committee headed by vice chairman of the group to normalise our management in a short period of time and will hire a respectable person outside the company as the new chairman."

KDB said in a statement on Thursday that it planned to work with the airline to improve its financial structure.

Asiana has already sold assets to improve cash flow and reduce debt from aircraft purchases, as it battles rising fuel costs and competition from low-cost carriers.

The carrier had to revise its accounts and disclose a bigger annual loss this week to win auditor approval for its 2018 financial statements after the auditor raised doubts about the statements. It also said its debt amounted to more than six times its equity.

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Asiana's bigger rival Korean Air Lines is also in management turmoil after shareholders removed chief executive Cho Yang-ho from its board in a landmark vote on Wednesday, making him the first founding family member of any South Korean corporate giant to be forced off a board.

IMAGE SETBACK

The accounting fiasco comes after Asiana suffered an image setback in July when it was unable to provide meals on some flights after a change in caterer left the airline short. It prompted Park to make a public apology at that time.

The airline had two CEOs, and with Park stepping down, Han Chang-su remains its sole CEO.

Park's elder son serves as CEO at its IT services affiliate Asiana IDT, while his younger daughter works as an executive at Kumho Resort.

"The status of junior Parks won't change even after their father leaves the group," a Kumho Asiana Group spokesman told Reuters.

The senior Park is the biggest shareholder of Kumho & Company, the holding company of Kumho Asiana Group, with an ownership of 31.1 percent.

(Reporting by Heekyong Yang, additional reporting by Joori Roh, Cynthia Kim and Ju-min Park; Editing by Miyoung Kim and Muralikumar Anantharaman)
Banksy Brexit mural in Dover, Kent: A man chips away at the EU flag. Photo: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire/PA Images

Fewer Europeans are looking for work in the UK because of Brexit, according to figures released on Wednesday.

Jobs site Monster found the number of EU workers actively searching for jobs in the UK has dropped by 12.6% year-on-year since the 2016 EU referendum. Overall, searches have decreased by nearly a third (31%) over the past three years.

Since the vote to leave the EU, UK organisations have seen the biggest decrease in interest from Romanian job seekers, with traffic dropping by 53%. Portuguese and Italian job seeking in the UK has decreased almost as much, by 48% and 46% respectively.

READ MORE: UK sets out plans for visas for non-EU migrant farm workers post-Brexit

Denmark (42.9%), Greece (41.7%), Belgium (41.5%), Spain (41.%), France (40.8%), Netherlands (34.4%) and Slovenia (33%) follow closely behind, showing the impact Brexit is having on attracting foreign talent to the UK.

However, Monster data has also shown an increased interest from job seekers across a number of countries, with Ireland (19%), Hungary (16%) and Poland (14%) leading the way.

Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show net migration from the EU has plummeted to its lowest level in almost a decade. Less EU workers in the UK could mean trouble for Britain, which is already facing a huge skills shortage crisis, Monster said.

READ MORE: London construction firms rely heavily on EU workers, figures show

Lou Goodman, marketing director for the UK & Ireland at Monster, said: While the proportion of international traffic from outside the EU has increased, a fall in active searches from EU Countries in the wake of the 2016 referendum could leave UK businesses unable to fill critical skilled roles, and things could get even more challenging.

With the Brexit deadline now delayed, there is a huge amount of uncertainty on what, if any, deal the UK is going to leave the EU with. One thing that does seem certain is that we will likely end up with controlled movement of EU workers, further restricting the supply of labour.

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Goodman added that employers will have to step up their recruitment game and focus on targeting passive job seekers who are not actively looking.

READ MORE: EU heads agree to tighten rules on cheap migrant workers

She said: Traditional methods of pursuing active jobs seekers are no longer enough, with 51% of all candidates now wanting to be found rather than search for jobs themselves.
Trade settlement period to be shortened to one day

The Securities Board of Nepal said it was working to shorten the time needed to settle stock trades.
According to a Fox News Poll released Wednesday, voters top tax concern isnt how much they pay. Instead, they are most concerned about the rich not paying enough (34 percent) and the way the government spends the money (28 percent).

About 1 in 10 say what bothers them most is the amount they pay (12 percent), too many people dont have to pay at all (12 percent), and the complexity of the system (10 percent).

Compared to 2014, the last time the question was asked, there has been an increase in voters who are troubled that the rich arent paying enough (+6 points). The shift in frustration comes mainly from self-identified liberals (+20) and voters under age 30 (+14 points). However, its not limited to traditional left-leaning groups -- voters ages 65 and over (+14), voters earning $50k and over (+11), and whites without a college degree (+9) are also increasingly bothered by the wealthy not pulling their weight.

One underappreciated aspect of the past two years is the Democrats have fought the president to a draw on taxes, says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts the Fox News Poll with Democrat Chris Anderson. While the Democrats managed to regain their edge on health care, they also reframed the tax debate in terms of fairness and breaks for the wealthy, which has prevented President Trump and the GOP from gaining any substantial political benefit from their tax reform.

In December 2017, President Trump marked a campaign promise off his list as the Republican-led Congress passed a sweeping tax reform bill. At that time, former House Speaker Paul Ryan said, The message to the hardworking taxpayers of America is: Your tax relief is on its way. That is whats happening here. The message to the families in America whove been struggling, paycheck and paycheck -- your tax rates are going down and your paychecks are going up.

Voters dont entirely share Ryans view. Last month, the Fox News Poll found voters split over the new tax law: 34 percent favorable vs. 36 percent unfavorable. Thirty percent were unable to rate it.

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In addition, the new poll finds 55 percent of voters think their taxes are too high, and thats about where that number has stood since the Fox News Poll first asked the question 15 years ago (2004).

However, while the overall numbers held steady, a role reversal recently took place in the background.

Consider this: The number of Democrats who say their taxes are too high is 59 percent. It was 49 percent in 2018 and 45 percent in 2017. Thats a 14-point increase since Trump won.

An even bigger swing happened among Republicans -- in the opposite direction. Sixty-eight percent said their taxes were too high in 2017 and 59 percent in 2018. Now, 50 percent feel that way. Thats an 18-point drop since their candidate won, and a 9-point decrease since passage of the GOP tax reform bill.

No one ever claimed that partisans are logically consistent, says Shaw. With a Republican president, Republican voters are less likely to think their tax burden is unfair. Meanwhile, with Trump in the White House Democrats think taxes are too high -- but they also support substantial increases in federal spending.

Overall, 37 percent say their tax bill is about right. Three percent think they pay too little.

Trumps job performance on taxes has taken a hit since last year. In March 2018, more voters approved than disapproved of him on taxes by 2 points (48-46 percent). Today, he is underwater by 6 (42-48 percent). Drops in approval among independents (-12 points) and Democrats (-8) account for that downward shift.

New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand became the first presidential candidate to release her 2018 tax returns Wednesday challenging her rivals for the 2020 Democratic nomination to do the same. With the exception of Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren who, barring 2018, has released a decade worth of tax returns, none of the other candidates have released their own.

The Democratic-led House passed a comprehensive proposal March 8 that would require the disclosure of presidential tax returns.

The Fox News poll is based on landline and cellphone interviews with 1,002 randomly chosen registered voters nationwide and was conducted under the joint direction of Beacon Research (D) (formerly named Anderson Robbins Research) and Shaw & Company Research (R) from March 17-20, 2019. The poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points for all registered voters.

Over a year since Trump signed his tax cuts into law, voters just arent feeling it, says Anderson. His job approval for handling taxes is down, while more people say their taxes are too high and the rich arent paying their fair share.

Trump receives his only net positive job rating on the economy (50 percent approve vs. 42 percent disapprove). He gets a net -2 on North Korea (42-44 percent), a -13 on immigration (41-54 percent) and -15 on health care (37-52 percent).

Trump broke with decades-long precedence when he declined to release his tax returns during the 2016 presidential campaign. He continues to decline to make them public.

But voters want transparency. Three-quarters overall (74 percent) and over half of Republicans (54 percent) believe that, in general, the president of the United States should be required to release his or her tax returns.

Indeed, roughly equivalent numbers want that same transparency from congressional leaders like the speaker of the house and senate majority leader (76 percent) and presidential candidates (72 percent).

New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand became the first presidential candidate to release her 2018 tax returns Wednesday challenging her rivals for the 2020 Democratic nomination to do the same. With the exception of Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren who, barring 2018, has released a decade worth of tax returns, none of the other candidates have released their own.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX BUSINESS APP

The Democratic-led House passed a comprehensive proposal March 8 that would require the disclosure of presidential tax returns.

The Fox News poll is based on landline and cellphone interviews with 1,002 randomly chosen registered voters nationwide and was conducted under the joint direction of Beacon Research (D) (formerly named Anderson Robbins Research) and Shaw & Company Research (R) from March 17-20, 2019. The poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points for all registered voters.

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(Bloomberg) -- Eleven days after Intercontinental Terminals Co.s chemical tanks erupted in flames near Houston and spread panic across the fourth-biggest U.S. city, the companys top executive made his first public appearance.

Until Wednesday afternoon, a sales and marketing executive was tasked with explaining and defending ITCs handling of the worst Gulf Coast chemical disaster in 14 years. The lack of visibility of more senior executives during the crisis is "cowardly, Harris County Commissioner Adrian Garcia said in an interview.

Less than three hours after Garcias comments were published by Bloomberg, ITC Chief Executive Officer Bernt Netland posted an 88-second YouTube video in which he thanked firefighters and apologized to residents of Houstons eastern suburbs whose lives have been disrupted by the calamity.

All of us are profoundly upset the incident happened and very sorry for the impact on the surrounding communities, Netland said in the video against a backdrop of computer screens. I pledge to you that we are making available all necessary resources to resolve this.

Netlands absence from the public eye irked Garcia, a former sheriff whos now in charge of the precinct where the disaster zone is located. Ill give you a Texas term for what I think that is, and that Texas term is chickens---," he said.

No-Show

The CEO skipped Thursdays media briefing.

Garcia said hed been involved in two closed-door meetings with ITCs CEO and spoken via phone once. But invitations to Netland to appear at town hall meetings with residents were ignored, he said.

While I have shown up at these town hall meetings, I feel like Ive been having to provide answers for ITC that they should have been present to answer themselves, said Garcia, a former sheriff of the third-largest U.S. county.

ITC is a unit of Japanese conglomerate Mitsui & Co. Prior to the March 17 fire and subsequent benzene plumes that shut down entire towns, ITC had ambitions to expand its chemical storage capacity to 17.6 million barrels, according to Mistuis March 2018 annual report, the most recent available.

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Life Disrupted

As the incident approaches the two-week mark, commerce and daily life in and around the disaster zone in the industrial suburb Deer Park has yet to return to normal. Vessel traffic in the Houston Ship Channel that links oil refineries, chemical plants and grain exporters to the Gulf of Mexico has been constrained because of runoff and fumes from ITCs complex.

Shipping traffic was 35 percent of normal rates on Wednesday, up from 25 percent on Tuesday, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

I can assure you that our executives are very, very involved, working very, very hard with this incident, ITC spokeswoman Alice Richardson said on Tuesday. They will guide us in the right direction and make sure we have the resources to ensure that we get back to where we were.

Garcia said his top concern is that toxic fumes from the incident will create the next generation of cancer patients.

More Demanding

A CEO whos busy directing a disaster response behind the scenes also needs to make time to publicly assure neighbors and the broader community, said Lan Ni, an associate professor at the University of Houstons Valenti School of Communication.

This may have worked in the past but nowadays people are more demanding, Ni said. People are looking not only for what has been done but also how the CEO or other executives are actually feeling towards the residents and community affected by the crisis.

(Adds CEOs absence from Thursdays media briefing in sixth paragraph, shipping rates in 11th paragraph.)

--With assistance from Ramsey Al-Rikabi.

To contact the reporters on this story: Joe Carroll in Houston at jcarroll8@bloomberg.net;Kevin Crowley in Houston at kcrowley1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Simon Casey at scasey4@bloomberg.net, Joe Carroll, Carlos Caminada

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com

2019 Bloomberg L.P.
Motley Fool

Share prices of Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) are up 140% year to date, and that's on top of a staggering 750% gain over the last three years. Buying hot tech stocks like Nvidia can be tricky. On one hand, Nvidia has clear opportunities to grow revenue and expand margins over the long term. Here are the most important factors to consider before deciding to buy Nvidia at these highs.




Over the course of 29 years in the courtroom, Im frequently tempted to tell clients that Ive seen it all. But just as the urge comes over me, I reflect on the seemingly never-ending stream of oddball cases and parties and realize that we actually havent seen everything yet. If you dont believe me, just consider the following examples.



Hes Not a Criminal, Just a 'Regular' Guy



Peter Emery of Florida is a 58-year-old facing felony charges of petty theft, which could have been more serious drug charges. It seems that Emerys roommate, Jayme Ream, suspected him of stealing Reams prescription pain medication, an opioid called hydrocodone acetaminophen. So he set up a video camera, but also switched the opioid pills with the nearly identical Equate, an over-the-counter gentle laxative for relieving constipation. Sure enough, Emery was caught on camera taking the pills from a lock box, and Ream turned the incriminating video over to the Pinellas County Sheriffs Department, which promptly arrested Emery. Emery hasnt commented yet on how it felt scoring laxatives instead of opioids, but prosecutors feel this is one case that will move quickly through the system.



The Force Was Not With Him



Police in Carter County, Tennessee, arrested something of a celebrity last December, booking 21-year-old Luke Sky Walker (his real name) for violating probation. The unfortunately named Walker had been originally arrested in 2017 on charges of stealing 46 road signs. Jailers should be wary of any Jedi mind tricks, or alibis that he was just going to Tosche Station to pick up some power converters.



This Defense Didnt Work for Will Farrell Either



In the 2012 comedy The Campaign, Will Farrell played a hapless congressman making embarrassing mistake after embarrassing mistake on the campaign trail, including accidentally punching an iron-jawed baby. That characters pleas for sympathy were as poorly received as the explanation offered by David Steven Bells lawyer recently. The 51-year-old Bell is accused of punching an 11-year-old girl at an Asheville, North Carolina, mall on Jan. 12. In response to the assault charges, his attorney, Andy Benzhoff, says his client was defending himself from the aggressive preteen. By the way, Bell is 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds.



Do as I Say, Not as I Do



Maybe 48-year-old Sunita Jairam will fare somewhat better with her defense to her January drunken driving arrest. The Lexington, Kentucky, woman, who was arrested after she drank a bunch of beer (her blood alcohol level was twice the legal limit) and drove at 150 miles per hour, says she was only doing it to teach her son a lesson. Its not really clear yet what lesson she was trying to impart, or how this defense will go in court.



Not Your Turn to Drive



At least Sunita didnt choose a certain 27-year-old Irishman as her designated driver. According the Belfast Telegraph, the young man in question was recently sentenced to six months in jail for kicking a taxi driver out of his car and saying Its my turn to drive. Apparently, alcohol and a dispute over how much the fare would be were the catalysts for the defendants abusive behavior. Unfortunately for the drunken passenger, his seizure of the taxicab occurred right in front of the local police station, so apprehending him wasnt difficult. And in an interesting touch, the presiding judge over this matter in the Belfast Magistrates Court was Judge Mark Hamill, not the Star Wars actor, but still maybe Luke Sky Walker of Tennessee could apply for a change of venue?



That Old Black Magic



Last December, Canada did a bit of legislative spring cleaning, repealing a number of zombie laws that had remained on the books for years despite being redundant, unconstitutional, or just plain weird. One of these was Section 365 of the Canadian Criminal Code, a law which made it illegal to practice any kind of witchcraft, sorcery, enchantment, or conjuration." Youd think a law like that, which was actually aimed more at fake fortunetellers and mediums than witches of the Salem variety, would have been eliminated long ago. But in a case that illustrates that timing is everything, a self-proclaimed clairvoyant from Ontario was charged with violating the law just two days before it was eliminated.



Youd think a clairvoyant would have seen that coming.



John G. Browning is a shareholder at Passman & Jones in Dallas, where he handles a wide variety of civil litigation in state and federal courts.
Pramod Mishra is a biweekly columnist for The Kathmandu Post. He is the department chair of English Studies at Lewis University in the United States.
Lima, March 27, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lima, PERU, March 27th, 2019  Credicorp Ltd. announces to its shareholders and the market that Krealo, a subsidiary of Credicorp, has agreed to pay approximately US$ 19 million to acquire 100% stake of Multicajas digital business unit. The payment will be made in two installments, 50% in 2019 and the remaining in 2020. The transaction is subject to compliance with certain conditions precedent and approvals.



Multicaja is a Chilean payment-acquiring company founded in 2007 with a wide presence in Chile through more than 17,000 affiliated merchants and 700,000 online users. Multicaja processes over 115 million transactions per year. The digital business unit of Multicaja comprises: support services to cross-border payments, online top-ups, online utility payments, and pre-paid accounts. The prepaid account business requires a regulatory approval from SBIF (the Chilean Banking Supervisor).

This acquisition represents the first investment of Krealo in Chile.

About Credicorp (www.credicorpnet.com)

Credicorp Ltd. (BAP) is the leading financial holding in Peru with presence in Chile, Colombia and Bolivia. Credicorp has a diversified business portfolio, which is organized into four lines of business: Universal Banking, through Banco de Credito del Peru-BCP and Banco de Credito de Bolivia; Microfinance, through Mibanco and Encumbra; Insurance & Pension Funds, through Grupo Pacifico and Prima AFP; and Investment Banking & Wealth Management, through Credicorp Capital, Wealth Management at BCP and Atlantic Security Bank.

About KREALO (www.krealo.pe)

Krealo is the business unit of Credicorp constituted in 2018 to create, invest and manage fintechs that provide digital products and services, which will enhance the value proposition offered to current and potential customers of Credicorp and its subsidiaries. Krealo aims to serve over one hundred million of customers in Peru, Chile and Colombia.

For further information please contact the IR team:

Story continues

Investorrelations@credicorpperu.com

Investor Relations

Credicorp Ltd.

Attachment
MEAD, Neb. (AP)  Flooding in the Midwest temporarily cut off a Superfund site in Nebraska that stores radioactive waste and explosives, inundated another one storing toxic chemical waste in Missouri, and limited access to others, according to federal regulators.

The Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday reported no releases of hazardous contaminants at any of eight toxic waste sites in flooded parts of Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa. It has not issued any public health advisories or alerts, nor has it tested any of the soil and water at those sites.

The EPA identified the Nebraska Ordnance Plant in Mead, Nebraska, and the Conservation Chemical Corporation site in Kansas City, Missouri, as heavily flooded Superfund sites that required the agency to take immediate action to prevent the spread of contaminated groundwater.

Two Iowa sites  Railroad Avenue Groundwater Contamination Site that is part of Des Moines Water Treatment Plant, and the Mid-America Tanning Company site near Sergeant Bluff  had some minor flooding on the property but did not require the agency to immediately do anything. It plans to reassess once the flood waters recede.

The remaining four toxic waste sites were not affected by floodwaters, but road closures limited access, the agency said.

Larry Poell, 62, who lives on top of the Superfund site in Mead, said federal officials have always maintained that the contaminated plumes are stable, but he wonders if the floodwater caused them to shift.

"I'm concerned about it. I think everybody's concerned about it," he said in an interview inside a local flood relief shelter in Ashland, Nebraska.

Poell said officials test the water near his home quarterly and hold community meetings twice a year. He said the meetings are usually sparsely attended.

The Mead site operated as a munitions plant from 1942 to 1956 and its disposal of radioactive waste and other chemicals led to groundwater contamination.

Maureen Hunt, 50, who farms on land less than a mile from the Nebraska Ordnance Plant, said all of the surrounding roads were inaccessible at the flood's peak. On Wednesday, many surrounding cornfields still held large ponds of floodwater.

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"Imagine water everywhere you look," she said between cleanup chores. "I've never in my life seen anything like it."

To contain the underground plume from expanding at sites where the groundwater is contaminated, the EPA normally pumps up the contaminated water, treats it to clean up contaminants and then discharges the water.

But because the Mead area was already heavily flooded, the Nebraska Ordnance Plant temporarily shut down the pumps and treatment plant on March 13 for a couple of days rather than exacerbate the situation by discharging treated water, EPA said.

At the Conservation Chemical Company site, a 6-acre area in Kansas City, Missouri, chemical storage and disposal operations from the 1960s to the 1980s led to contamination of groundwater and soils. During the latest flood, the site owner increased the pumping rate to suck up more water and increase pressure to keep its underground plume of contaminated water from expanding, the EPA said.

The remaining sites that the EPA says are not currently affected by floodwaters, but where road closures are limiting field work, are the former landfill called Lawrence Todz Farm in Camanche, Iowa, the Iowa-Nebraska Light & Power Co. site in Norfolk, Nebraska; a site identified only as Old Highway 275 and 288th Street in the town of Valley in Nebraska; and the closed St. Joseph City Landfill, north of Kansas City, Missouri.

Valerie Wilder, the Superfund section chief for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, said in an email that the EPA contacted the state agency's project manager for the Conservation Chemical Company site to keep her informed of its flooding status, but that there has been no EPA request for a state response at this time.

Aerial photos taken Friday of Missouri's closed St. Joseph landfill, which is not a Superfund site, showed that roughly half of the closed landfill had water on top of asphalt at that time. EPA said it is no longer flooded.

At many Superfund sites, contaminated soils are capped with additional soil layers or other materials as a temporary measure until cleanups are finished. Floods can wash away those covers, releasing toxic pollution into the waters. That happened at the San Jacinto River Waste Pits near Houston when floodwaters from Hurricane Harvey damaged a concrete cap meant to contain pollutants, releasing dioxins into the river.

"That's a risk for cleanup crews and families that have returned to their homes, as well as fish, wildlife and waterways down the road," said Kara Cook-Schultz, toxics director for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group.

It's important for EPA to inform first responders, cleanup workers and residents about the types of contaminants at each flooded Superfund site and precautions they should take to limit exposure, Cook-Schultz said.

"In the long term, we'd like to see more money going to Superfund sites," she said. "A lot of them have been around 40 or 50 years and have not been cleaned up. We'd like to see them completely remediated so we don't have to worry that they will be flooded and the floodwaters contaminated."

__

Associated Press writers Margery Beck in Omaha, Nebraska; Roxana Hegeman in Wichita, Kansas; Margaret Stafford in Kansas City, Missouri; and John Flesher in Traverse City, Michigan, contributed to this report.
By Francesco Guarascio

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - EU ambassadors backed on Wednesday new rules to facilitate banks' sales of bad loans on their books but failed to agree on a reform that would make it easier for lenders to recover assets from borrowers who default.

The proposed rules are part of a wider overhaul of EU banking rules and aim to accelerate banks' efforts to offload soured loans, which have reduced European banks' ability to lend to households and companies since the 2007-09 global financial crisis.

The agreement reached on Wednesday is expected to favour the purchase and servicing of so-called non-performing loans (NPLs) "which will lead to the development of efficient secondary markets," said Romania's Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici, who chaired the negotiations among the 28 EU countries.

Under the overhaul, which still needs to be finalised in agreement with the European Parliament, financial companies specialised in buying bad loans, such as private equity giant Blackstone and asset manager Cerberus, are set to gain easier access to NPLs across EU states.

The new rules are expected to lower regulatory barriers to making cross-border purchases.

This should further stimulate a secondary market for bad loans, possibly driving prices up and making banks more willing to sell.

The low prices of bad loans have long discouraged banks from offloading them. Although the mass of NPLs has been steadily decreasing in recent years, there is still a backlog of more than 700 billion euros (597.70 billion pounds) hanging over EU banks' balance sheets, especially at lenders in Italy, Greece, Ireland and Cyprus.

In a less positive development for banks, EU states were not able to reach a deal on proposals put forward by the EU Commission on facilitating lenders' recovery of assets from borrowers who default.

The proposal introduced a mechanism to facilitate out-of-court procedures on foreclosures, to speed up banks' recovery of the collateral used by borrowers to obtain loans - when borrowers are too late on their repayment schedule.

This mechanism, envisaged only for business loans and not consumer loans, would increase the value of NPLs and reduce bank losses, but would increase the burden on firms.

EU states failed to agree on this part of the reform, an EU statement said. Talks will continue in coming weeks among EU countries and with EU lawmakers on this matter. The reform needs to be agreed before EU elections in May.

(Reporting by Francesco Guarascio; Editing by Susan Fenton)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Federal Aviation Administration told a U.S. Senate panel would need an additional 10,000 employees that would cost $1.8 billion if it were to assume all responsibilities for aircraft certification.

Some lawmakers have questioned the FAA's decades-old practice of delegating a significant amount of the work for certifying airplanes to manufacturers, including Boeing Co, which is under scrutiny after two crashes of its 737 MAX plane within five months in Indonesia and Ethiopia.

Acting FAA Administrator Dan Elwell told the Senate Wednesday that it would require a dramatic boost in its staffing and budget to handle those duties.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; editing by Grant McCool)
Young IT entrepreneurs feel left behind at the Nepal Investment Summit

As the government is set to court international investors on mega infrastructure projects during the two-day Investment Summit starting on Friday, young Nepali entrepreneurs, especially those from the IT sector, say they have been forced to cancel deals with global investment firms because of a lack of clarity in policies and difficulty in doing business in the country.
(Bloomberg) -- U.S. regulators say digital advertising practices at Facebook Inc. violate housing law and they are reviewing whether ads placed by Twitter Inc. and Alphabet Inc.s Google also discriminate against those seeking a place to live.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development on Thursday accused Facebook of enabling and encouraging bias based on race and religion, as well as sex, by restricting who can see housing-related ads on its platforms and across the internet. HUD also has sent letters to Twitter and Google inquiring about the advertising systems for their sites and products as well, said Brian Sullivan, a department spokesman.

Facebook is discriminating against people based upon who they are and where they live, HUD Secretary Ben Carson said. Using a computer to limit a persons housing choices can be just as discriminatory as slamming a door in someones face.

The social network allowed those advertising housing to exclude people it classified as parents; non-American-born; non-Christian; interested in accessibility and Hispanic culture; as well as other groups deemed protected classes, HUD said in a statement.

The Washington Post reported earlier Thursday that HUD had alerted Google and Twitter last year that it was scrutinizing their practices for possible violations of the federal Fair Housing Act.

Weve had policies in place for many years that prohibit targeting ads on the basis of sensitive categories like race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, disability status, negative financial standing, etc, a Google spokesman said in an email. Our policies are designed to protect users and ensure that advertisers are using our platforms in a responsible manner. 

A Twitter spokesman said the company doesnt allow discriminatory advertising on its platform and that, someone using Twitter to advertise agrees to comply with the law and not use our services for illegal activities.

The governments civil lawsuit against Facebook came after the social network has been working to address many of the issues raised and last year eliminated advertising targeting options that could be misused.

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Last week, the Menlo Park, California-based company reached agreements with the National Fair Housing Alliance, the American Civil Liberties Union and others to change how housing and credit ads can be run on the platform. Facebook said it would no longer let advertisements for housing, jobs or credit be targeted to particular users by age, gender or zip codes and companies that use the social network and its other platforms to run those ads will have to certify compliance with anti-discrimination laws.

Were surprised by HUDs decision, as weve been working with them to address their concerns and have taken significant steps to prevent ads discrimination, Facebook said in the statement. While we were eager to find a solution, HUD insisted on access to sensitive information -- like user data -- without adequate safeguards. Were disappointed by todays developments, but well continue working with civil rights experts on these issues.

HUDs accusation will be heard by a U.S. administrative law judge unless one of the parties to the lawsuit wants it moved to federal district court, according to the agency. If the judge rules that Facebook violated the Fair Housing Act, penalties could include fines and a ban on the ads in question.

The White House declined to comment on HUDs accusations.

(Updates with White House declining to comment in final paragraph.)

--With assistance from Selina Wang, Gerrit De Vynck and Margaret Talev.

To contact the reporters on this story: Terrence Dopp in Washington at tdopp@bloomberg.net;Jesse Westbrook in Washington at jwestbrook1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Jillian Ward at jward56@bloomberg.net, Andrew Pollack, Alistair Barr

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com

2019 Bloomberg L.P.
Global Firm First to Offer Cloud-Based RelativityOne in Brazil and Across Four Continents

SAO PAULO, Brazil, March 27, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FTI Consulting, Inc. (FCN) today announced the Companys Technology segment has expanded its partnership with Relativity to provide the RelativityOne e-discovery platform in Brazil. With this partnership, FTI Technology is the first to seamlessly handle cross-border e-discovery matters on Relativitys SaaS product, RelativityOne, across South America, North America, Europe and Asia.



Brazilian companies and global organizations with offices in Brazil are facing growing pressure to keep data in-country when handling discovery or investigations, said Andrew Szwez, a Senior Managing Director in the Technology segment at FTI Consulting. By launching Relativity within Brazil, our clients can quickly find relevant data and focus on case strategy while complying with Brazils data privacy laws.

Recent trends in Brazil  including enforcement actions and regulatory changes  have increased the frequency and complexity of investigations. Within the past decade, Brazilian federal prosecutors have intensified anti-corruption investigation efforts and levied billions in fines and multi-year jail sentences. In 2018, the Brazilian president signed into law its General Data Privacy Law, closely modeled after the European Unions General Data Privacy Regulation, placing new requirements on how personal information is managed and shared.

For Brazilian companies responding to litigation or government investigations, FTI Technologys offering enables clients to safely manage the entire e-discovery process within Brazil, in accordance with the countrys data privacy laws. Organizations looking to manage their data across borders can benefit from RelativityOne, which offers the added security, flexibility and extensibility of a complete SaaS solution.

FTI Technology has built a reputation for delivering high-quality e-discovery services on a global scale, said Jeff Seymour, Director at Relativity. By adding RelativityOne to its portfolio in Brazil, FTI Technology continues to demonstrate its commitment to innovation and outstanding customer service.

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FTI Technology is widely recognized as a leading provider of consulting and services that span the entire discovery process. From legal holds and global data collections to legal review and production, FTI Technology consultants assist in developing policies, deploying technology and executing entire programs as a managed service. FTI Technology professionals are experienced in managing data requirements within highly regulated industries and leading discovery efforts across a wide range of matters, from large-scale, multi-jurisdictional disputes to targeted internal investigations. As part of this, FTI Technology provides clients with a choice of technology and service options to best meet their particular needs. Relativity augments other technologies offered by FTI Technology, including Ringtail and Microsoft Office 365 Advanced eDiscovery.

For more information on FTI Technologys e-discovery consulting and services, please visit www.ftitechnology.com.

About FTI Consulting

FTI Consulting, Inc. is a global business advisory firm dedicated to helping organizations manage change, mitigate risk and resolve disputes: financial, legal, operational, political & regulatory, reputational and transactional. With more than 4,700 employees located in 28 countries, FTI Consulting professionals work closely with clients to anticipate, illuminate and overcome complex business challenges and make the most of opportunities. The Company generated $2.03 billion in revenues during fiscal year 2018. For more information, visit www.fticonsulting.com and connect with us on Twitter (@FTIConsulting), Facebook and LinkedIn.

About Relativity

At Relativity, we make software to help users organize data, discover the truth, and act on it. Our e-discovery platform is used by thousands of organizations around the world to manage large volumes of data and quickly identify key issues during litigation, internal investigations, and compliance projects. Relativity has over 180,000 users in 40+ countries from organizations including the U.S. Department of Justice, more than 70 Fortune 100 companies, and 198 of the Am Law 200. RelativityOne offers all the functionality of Relativity in a secure and comprehensive SaaS product. Relativity has been named one of Chicago's Top Workplaces by the Chicago Tribune for eight consecutive years. Please contact Relativity at sales@relativity.com or visit http://www.relativity.com for more information.

FTI Consulting, Inc.

555 12th Street NW

Washington, DC 20004

+1.202.312.9100

Investor Contact:

Mollie Hawkes

+1.617.747.1791

mollie.hawkes@fticonsulting.com

Media Contact:

Kate Holmes

+1.206.373.6521

kate.holmes@fticonsulting.com
- A move to Canada would open up funding opportunities

- The company would be valued at a higher multiple

- The ability to dual list in the United States

COCONUT CREEK, Fla., March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via OTC PR WIRE -- Global Consortium, Inc., (GCGX) is exploring the opportunity to take one of its divisions public in Canada.

Ongoing discussion are being held to take one of the Company's divisions public in Canada, where it can receive a higher multiple and gain easier access to capital for expansion. Cannabis companies listed in Canada thrive after going public on the CSE than dual list here is the United States.

Opportunities exist all over the United States at reasonable valuations while the country keeps Cannabis in the grey area between State Government and the Federal Government. Utilizing the Canadian markets to raise capital would open up growth potential currently being missed.

Global's CPA has almost completed the consolidation of the financials and when completed they will be forwarded to the Company's auditors for review.

The Company will file its Consolidated Annual Report by the 15th of April.

About Us:

Global Consortium, Inc., is building America's First Cannabis Mall, which when completed will house Manufacturing, Distribution, Delivery, Retail, Testing, and Cultivation all under one 64,000 square foot building. The Mall will house the largest Manufacturing facility of THC and CBD Distillate and Edibles believed to be operational in the United States.

Global Consortium, Inc., in compliance with SEC regulations, may in the future use social media outlets like Facebook or Twitter and its own website to announce key information in compliance with Reg. FD.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" as that term is defined in Section 27(a) of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Statements in this press release which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such forward-looking statements include, among other things, estimates of services and equipment markets, the release of corporate apps, growth of the platform, target markets, product releases, product demand and, business strategy. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, the inherent uncertainties associated with new projects and development stage companies. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although we believe that any beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that any such beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consult all of the information set forth herein and should also consider that any investment in securities is at risk.



Details of the Company's business, finances, appointments, and agreements can be found as part of the Company's continuous public disclosure on otcmarkets.com.
1. Yes. Patrol cars in the lot and armed officers inside would deter would-be criminals.

2. Yes. Police should announce their plans and be highly visible during store hours.

3. No. The citys police officers have other obligations. More private security is the answer.

4. No. Perhaps, but installing more surveillance cameras would be a better deterrent.

5. Unsure. More police might help, but it could also stretch KPDs resources too thin.

Vote

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This article is written for those who want to get better at using price to earnings ratios (P/E ratios). To keep it practical, we'll show how Goal Rise Logistics (China) Holdings Limited's (HKG:8457) P/E ratio could help you assess the value on offer. Goal Rise Logistics (China) Holdings has a P/E ratio of 6.24, based on the last twelve months. That is equivalent to an earnings yield of about 16%.

Check out our latest analysis for Goal Rise Logistics (China) Holdings

How Do I Calculate A Price To Earnings Ratio?

The formula for price to earnings is:

Price to Earnings Ratio = Price per Share (in the reporting currency)  Earnings per Share (EPS)

Or for Goal Rise Logistics (China) Holdings:

P/E of 6.24 = CN0.17 (Note: this is the share price in the reporting currency, namely, CNY )  CN0.028 (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 HK$1 of company earnings. That isn't necessarily good or bad, but a high P/E implies relatively high expectations of what a company can achieve in the future.

How Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios

When earnings fall, the 'E' decreases, over time. That means even if the current P/E is low, it will increase over time if the share price stays flat. So while a stock may look cheap based on past earnings, it could be expensive based on future earnings.

It's nice to see that Goal Rise Logistics (China) Holdings grew EPS by a stonking 157% in the last year. Unfortunately, earnings per share are down 1.3% a year, over 3 years.

How Does Goal Rise Logistics (China) Holdings's P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers?

The P/E ratio indicates whether the market has higher or lower expectations of a company. If you look at the image below, you can see Goal Rise Logistics (China) Holdings has a lower P/E than the average (10.8) in the logistics industry classification.

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SEHK:8457 Price Estimation Relative to Market, March 27th 2019

Its relatively low P/E ratio indicates that Goal Rise Logistics (China) Holdings shareholders think it will struggle to do as well as other companies in its industry classification. Many investors like to buy stocks when the market is pessimistic about their prospects. It is arguably worth checking if insiders are buying shares, because that might imply they believe the stock is undervalued.

Remember: P/E Ratios Don't Consider The Balance Sheet

Don't forget that the P/E ratio considers market capitalization. Thus, the metric does not reflect cash or debt held by the company. 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 Goal Rise Logistics (China) Holdings's Debt Impact Its P/E Ratio?

Goal Rise Logistics (China) Holdings has net cash of CN64m. That should lead to a higher P/E than if it did have debt, because its strong balance sheets gives it more options.

The Bottom Line On Goal Rise Logistics (China) Holdings's P/E Ratio

Goal Rise Logistics (China) Holdings's P/E is 6.2 which is below average (11) in the HK market. Not only should the net cash position reduce risk, but the recent growth has been impressive. One might conclude that the market is a bit pessimistic, given the low P/E ratio.

Investors should be looking to buy stocks that the market is wrong about. If the reality for a company is not as bad as the P/E ratio indicates, then the share price should increase as the market realizes this. Although we don't have analyst forecasts, you could get a better understanding of its growth by checking out this more detailed historical graph of earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking at a few good candidates. So take a peek at this free list of companies with modest (or no) debt, trading on a P/E 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.
Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co.'s RS stock looks promising at the moment. The company, sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), is gaining from its broad and diversified product base, wide geographic footprint, focus on high-margin products, continued demand strength across aerospace and automotive end-markets and strategic acquisitions.



We are positive on the companys prospects and believe that the time is right for you to add the stock to portfolio as it looks promising and is poised to carry the momentum ahead.



Let's see what makes this metals service center company an attractive investment option at the moment.



Price Performance



Reliance Steel has outperformed the industry it belongs to year to date. The companys shares have gained 24.2% compared with roughly 14.2% rise recorded by the industry.









Estimates Going Up



Earnings estimate revisions have the greatest impact on stock prices. Estimates for 2019 for Reliance Steel have moved up over the past two months. Over this period, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the year has shot up around 11.5%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2020 has also increased roughly 10.7% over the same timeframe.



Superior Return on Equity (ROE)



ROE is a measure of a companys efficiency in utilizing shareholders funds. ROE for the trailing 12-months for Reliance Steel is 13.3%, above the industrys level of 10%.



Cash Deployment



Reliance Steel remains focused on returning value to its shareholders. The company paid $145.3 million in dividends to its shareholders in 2018. It also repurchased 6.1 million shares worth record $484.9 million in 2018. At the end of 2018, it had roughly 7.03 million shares available for repurchase under its share repurchase program.



Reliance Steel, last month, also raised its quarterly dividend by 10% to 55 cents per share. The company has paid regular quarterly dividends for 59 straight years.



Strong End-Market Demand, Favorable Pricing



Reliance Steel is seeing strong demand across aerospace and automotive markets. Demand in the aerospace market has been driven by higher commercial aerospace build rates. The company is witnessing strong demand for its heat-treated aluminum products. It remains committed to boost its market share in aerospace.



Strong demand is also witnessed in the automotive market, backed by increased use of aluminum in the industry. The company remains committed to invest in facilities and value-added processing equipment to address the rising demand for the services it offers.



Reliance Steel, in its fourth-quarter call, said that it is optimistic about business conditions for the first quarter of 2019. It expects demand to be healthy in the first quarter and projects tons sold to be up 6-8% sequentially in the quarter.



Reliance Steel is also expected to benefit from a favorable metal pricing environment. The companys average selling prices increased 20% year over year in fourth-quarter 2018. Section 232 trade actions on imported steel coupled with strong demand led to higher metal pricing in the quarter. Higher metal pricing also largely helped the company to generate strong gross profit margin in 2018.



The company expects price hikes for many of its products based on current demand levels, impact of ongoing trade actions and raw material costs.



Synergies of Acquisitions



Reliance Steel continues with its aggressive acquisition strategy to tap growth opportunities. With the takeover of Metals USA, the company has added about 48 service centers throughout the United States. The buyout of Tubular Steel also boosts the company's long-term growth strategy and strength by expanding its product portfolio and end market diversification. Moreover, the acquisition of Best Manufacturing Inc. highly complements the company's service center network with specialty high-margin products, strong focus on customer service and value-added processing capabilities.



Moreover, the purchase of All Metals Holding complements Reliance Steels growth strategy and meets its criteria of buying high quality businesses that are immediately accretive to its earnings. All Metals focus on high return, toll processing and logistics services further bolsters Reliance Steels solid position in these areas.

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Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. Price and Consensus

Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. Price and Consensus | Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. Quote

Other Stocks to Consider



Other top-ranked stocks worth considering in the basic materials space include Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd. KL, Israel Chemicals Ltd. ICL and W. R. Grace & Co. GRA. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.



Kirkland Lake Gold has an expected earnings growth rate of 47.1% for the current year and carries a Zacks Rank #1. Its shares have shot up around 120% in the past year.



Israel Chemicals has an expected earnings growth rate of 10.8% for the current year and carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). The companys shares have gained around 23% over the past year.



W. R. Grace has an expected earnings growth rate of 10.4% for the current year and carries a Zacks Rank #2. Its shares have gained roughly 26% in the past year.



Today's Best Stocks from Zacks



Would you like to see the updated picks from our best market-beating strategies? From 2017 through 2018, while the S&P 500 gained +15.8%, five of our screens returned +38.0%, +61.3%, +61.6%, +68.1%, and +98.3%.



This outperformance has not just been a recent phenomenon. From 2000  2018, while the S&P averaged +4.8% per year, our top strategies averaged up to +56.2% per year.



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Israel Chemicals Shs (ICL) : Free Stock Analysis Report



W.R. Grace & Co. (GRA) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. (RS) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd. (KL) : Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment Research
(Bloomberg) -- Chinese telecommunication equipment giant Huawei Technologies Co. is putting U.K. national security at risk by failing to improve its devices and software, according to a report by its oversight body.

The annual report by the watchdog, which examines how the company conducts its U.K. operations and is funded by Huawei, concluded it has not seen anything to give it confidence in Huaweis ability to improve defects in cyber security and software engineering.

The publication of the report, which echoed complaints made last year, comes as the U.K. is preparing to roll out fifth-generation mobile networks. Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright is currently considering the results of a review into the resilience of the telecom supply chain.

While Thursdays report from Huaweis oversight board makes clear it has seen nothing to give confidence that the company can fix its long-term security risk management, this is only one element Wright will examine before making recommendations to the National Security Council.

The report identified:

Further significant technical issues in Huaweis engineering processes, leading to new risks in U.K. telecommunications networksNo material progress has been made by Huawei regarding issues reported last yearSignificant, concerning issues in its approach to software development, bringing significantly increased risk to U.K. operatorsU.K. networks are not more vulnerable than last year because the technical insight provided to British operators allows them to plan more effective defenses.

A Huawei spokesman said: "The oversight provided for in our mitigation strategy for Huaweis presence in the U.K. is arguably the toughest and most rigorous in the world. This report does not, therefore, suggest that the U.K. networks are more vulnerable than last year."

The Huawei Cyber Security Evaluation Centre and its oversight board are funded by Huawei, and staffed by both Huawei employees and representatives from the U.K.s National Cyber Security Centre. Based at Banbury in Oxfordshire, northwest of London, the centers board is made up of around 35 U.K.-security approved cyber experts, and chaired by the head of the NCSC. It was established in 2010 to provide insight for the British government into the companys strategies and products.

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The center approved and employed one person who later failed vetting and had to be removed. Thursdays report said. His or her clearance was equivalent to the government privileges required for frequent, uncontrolled access to classified information and is mandatory for members of the intelligence services, the report said.

The Chinese company has a significant presence in the U.K. Huawei has signed contracts with all four U.K. mobile networks to test its 5G wireless equipment, deepening the Chinese vendors involvement in Britains telecom industry as officials weigh whether to ban the company over security concerns.

Although critical of Huawei, the U.K. is still no closer to putting in place any restrictions on the company. Taking a softer approach to Huawei could put the country at odds with some of its closest security counterparts, including in the so-called Five Eyes network, the pan-national intelligence sharing network which comprises the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the U.K.

Officials from the U.S. have been warning allies over letting carriers work with Huawei. The head of the U.K.s foreign intelligence agency MI6 Alex Younger has denied lobbying from the U.S.

"We believe the DCMS supply chain review will make the right choice, and we also believe that DCMS recommendations to the operators will enable them to build not only a secure telecoms infrastructure but also the most advanced 5G network," said David Wang, Huaweis president of products and solutions, via a translator on a call with reporters Thursday.

(Updated with Huawei comments, context.)

To contact the reporters on this story: Kitty Donaldson in London at kdonaldson1@bloomberg.net;Thomas Seal in London at tseal@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Tim Ross at tross54@bloomberg.net, Giles Turner, Kim Robert McLaughlin

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com

2019 Bloomberg L.P.
Women plant rice saplings at a paddy field in a village in Nagaon district, in the northeastern state of Assam, India, July 3, 2018. REUTERS/Anuwar Hazarika/File Photo

By Sethuraman N R

(Reuters) - Rice export prices in India eased from multi-month highs this week due to weaker demand, while domestic buying pushed up rates in Thailand.

Top exporter India's 5 percent broken parboiled variety was quoted around $390-$393 per tonne, down from the previous week when prices rose to the highest level in more than seven months at $392-$395.

"Buyers are waiting for a price correction," said an exporter based at Kakinada in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.

"Exporters can't reduce prices due to the strong rupee and higher paddy prices."

Last week's price rise was attributed to an appreciation in the rupee, which lowers returns from overseas sales.

In Thailand, benchmark 5 percent broken rice prices rose to $400-$404 a tonne, free on board Bangkok, on Thursday, from $390-$393 last week.

Traders said the price rise was due to higher domestic demand, even as overseas demand remained flat.

"Prices were very low last week, so there were some purchases in the country and now prices have bounced a little," said a Bangkok-based trader.

Last week, the Thai cabinet agreed to extend a rice trading agreement with the Philippines, which expired in December, for another two years. The agreement allows Thailand, the world's second-largest rice exporter, to take part in tenders issued by the Philippines and states that the two countries can trade up to 1 million tonnes of rice per year.

In Vietnam, rates for 5 percent broken rice were unchanged from last week at $360 a tonne.

"Activity is slowing down this week on weaker demand," a trader based in Ho Chi Minh City said.

"Buyers from the Philippines, our key market, said they have signed enough deals for the near term and don't plan to buy more for now," the trader said.

Buyers from China held a meeting with commodity traders in Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday to explore trading opportunities, but no major rice deals were made, another trader said.

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Meanwhile, Bangladesh's rice production is expected to rise 7 percent to 34.9 million tonnes in the year to April from the corresponding period last year, due to higher acreage and yields, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said.

Bangladesh, traditionally the world's fourth biggest rice producer, was forced to massively increase imports to shore up domestic reserves in 2017 after floods wrought havoc on local crops.

(Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav in Mumbai, Patpicha Tanakasempipat in Bangkok, Khanh Vu in Vietnam, Ruma Paul in Dhaka; editing by Arpan Varghese and Kirsten Donovan)
FILE PHOTO: Werner Baumann, CEO of Bayer AG poses for a picture during the annual results news conference of the German drugmaker in Leverkusen, Germany February 27, 2019. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay/File Photo

By Tina Bellon

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bayer AG had hoped a new trial strategy focusing jurors on scientific evidence could stem a burgeoning tide of U.S. lawsuits over its glyphosate-based weed killer Roundup, but a second jury finding on Tuesday that the product caused cancer has narrowed the company's options, some legal experts said.

Bayer shares tumbled more than 12 percent on Wednesday after a unanimous jury in San Francisco federal court found Roundup to be a "substantial factor" in causing California resident Edwin Hardeman's non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

The jury decision was a blow to Bayer after the judge in the Hardeman case, at the company's request, had split the trial, severely limiting evidence plaintiffs could present in the first phase. Tuesday's defeat on terms considered advantageous to Bayer sets up the second phase to be even tougher and limits the grounds on which the company could appeal any final verdict, the experts said.

"The fact that Bayer lost this trial despite it being set up in the most favourable way for them is a huge setback," said Thomas Rohback, a Connecticut-based defence lawyer.

Bayer in a statement on Tuesday said it stood behind the safety of Roundup and was confident the evidence in the second trial phase would show that Monsanto's conduct was appropriate and the company not liable for Hardeman's cancer.

The company, which bought Monsanto last year, on Wednesday declined to comment beyond that statement.

Tuesday's finding did not address liability, which will be determined following the second trial phase that began on Wednesday.

Bayer denies glyphosate or Roundup cause cancer. The German company faces more than 11,200 lawsuits over the popular weed killer. Last August, following the first Roundup trial, a California state court jury issued a $289 million verdict against the company.

Two weeks after that verdict, which was later reduced to $78 million and is being appealed, Bayer Chief Executive Werner Baumann reassured analysts that the company had a new legal strategy based on focusing jurors on the scientific evidence.

"Bayer and the joint litigation team are working to ensure that, going forward, this overwhelming science will get the full consideration it deserves," Baumann said in an Aug. 23 conference call.

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A LOT AT STAKE

There is a lot at stake for Bayer, which acquired Roundup maker Monsanto last year for $63 billion (47.7 billion pounds). Though Bayer does not break out sales figures for Roundup, glyphosate is the world's most widely used weed killer, and Roundup is the leading brand.

Bayer's new strategy was focused on keeping out plaintiffs' allegations that the company improperly influenced scientists, regulators and the public about the safety of Roundup. Bayer has denied it acted inappropriately and said in public statements following the August verdict that it thought the jury was inflamed by the claims of corporate misconduct.

Vince Chhabria, the San Francisco federal judge overseeing the Hardeman case, agreed with the company's argument that such evidence was a "distraction" from the scientific question of whether glyphosate causes cancer. He agreed to split the trial in a January order.

Had Bayer had won the first phase, there would have been no second phase looking at company liability. Now that it has lost, almost all of the previously excluded evidence can be presented to the jury.

Plaintiffs' lawyers hit Bayer with those allegations in their opening statements for the second phase on Wednesday.

Aimee Wagstaff, one of Hardeman's lawyers, said Monsanto influenced the science around Roundup through its "cozy" relationship with regulators.

Bayer could convince the jury in the second phase that, despite their finding that Roundup played a substantial role in Hardeman's cancer, the company was not liable. Experts said that was unlikely.

"They could present evidence of how careful they were in developing Roundup, but that's an uphill battle given that the scientific evidence was their strongest argument," said Alexandra Lahav, a law professor at the University of Connecticut.

A lawyer for Bayer on Wednesday argued that Bayer could not be held liable because the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, as well as other regulators worldwide, approved Roundup without a cancer warning.

If the Hardeman trial had not been split and a final verdict went against Bayer, the company might have been able to appeal any damages award to the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals by claiming the jury had been improperly swayed by inflammatory evidence, said Lori Jarvis, a Virginia-based mass tort defence lawyer. That argument will now be difficult to make.

"It would not be surprising at all for the 9th Circuit to uphold what the jury did in this case, particularly given the great effort Chhabria put into creating a level playing field for Monsanto," Jarvis said.

Some lawyers said Bayer could still argue on appeal that plaintiffs' experts and their scientific evidence were insufficient and statistically invalid and should not have been admitted at trial. But they noted the 9th Circuit, which oversees the San Francisco federal court, has generally been permissive in allowing expert testimony.

However, experts said it was probably too soon to write off Bayer's legal strategy, noting future Roundup cases could result in different outcomes.

"It's a relatively early phase in this litigation as a whole and we just need to see more trials to understand Bayer's liability," said Adam Zimmerman, a law professor at Los Angeles-based Loyola Law School.

(Reporting by Tina Bellon; Editing by Anthony Lin and Bill Berkrot)
Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- For many Americans, the sudden burst of inflation that has rocked the economy has been disorienting.Most Read from BloombergZero Taxes, Golf and Beach Houses Create a Crypto Island ParadiseAnatomy of a Bad RoadBoris Johnsons Furious MPs Worry That His Next Misstep Could Be FatalChina Is Building the Worlds Largest National Park SystemThe 15 Best Beers We Drank This YearConsumer prices had been so stable for so long in the U.S. that the population finds itself a little rusty on b
New Dedicated AI Research Center Will Add Dozens of Jobs in Israel

BOSTON and HERZLIYA, Israel, March 27, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LogMeIn (LOGM) today announced the establishment of the companys new Artificial Intelligence (AI) Center of Excellence (COE). Based in Herzliya, Israel, the new center will lead the companys research, development and advancement efforts in AI, focusing on bringing Natural Language (NLP) and Speech technologies to LogMeIns product line-up, including its recently announced GoTo UCC portfolio , its identity and access management portfolio (led by LastPass), and its customer engagement portfolio (led by Bold360).



As we look to the future of LogMeIn, we know AI will be a critical component to the innovations we bring to market, said Paddy Srinivasan, Vice President & General Manager at LogMeIn. The establishment of this center is not just about researching the possibilities of AI but empowering our entire organization to think about how we can leverage our unique NLP, deep learning and speech capabilities to strengthen our market leading product portfolio. Our team in Israel will lead that charge  working on both practical and roadmap-worthy applications of AI as well as imaginative and envelope-pushing use cases.

The research center will also bring new jobs to the region  with LogMeIn adding dozens of new researchers and engineers over the next few months. Today, Israel ranks 3 rd in the world for AI development and with this strong history of innovation and skilled workforce, LogMeIn is poised to not only help this innovative technology community continue to grow, but also leverage some of the greatest AI talent in the world.

This announcement comes less than two years after LogMeIns acquisition of leading Israeli AI & chatbot company, Nanorep  which jumpstarted the companys AI innovation. The team and technology behind Nanorep formed a key foundation for LogMeIns flagship digital engagement product, Bold360  which has been one of the companys key growth drivers and one of its fastest growing product lines. LogMeIn also recently advanced their capabilities in deep learning and speech recognition, furthering its commitment to AI development.

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At LogMeIn we are leading the movement towards better global business communication, and AI is quickly becoming an essential component in any modern solution, said Amit Ben, Head of AI at LogMeIn. Building on our already strong AI foundation, the new Center of Excellence will provide us with the ability to dedicate even more time and resources to creating game-changing technologies and deploy them across our entire product portfolio.

To learn more about the LogMeIn AI Center of Excellence and the work the team is doing, check out their blog here and for information on employment opportunities in Israel, please visit the careers page here .

About LogMeIn, Inc.

LogMeIn, Inc. (LOGM) simplifies how people connect with each other and the world around them to drive meaningful interactions, deepen relationships, and create better outcomes for individuals and businesses. One of the worlds top 10 public SaaS companies, and a market leader in communication & conferencing, identity & access, and customer engagement & support solutions, LogMeIn has millions of customers spanning virtually every country across the globe. LogMeIn is headquartered in Boston with additional locations in North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia.
* PM to meet her Conservative Party lawmakers at 1700 GMT

* Parliament to try indicative votes, results due 2100 GMT

* Brexit supporter Rees-Mogg: I will back May's deal

* Northern Irish DUP kingmakers in focus

By Guy Faulconbridge and Andrew MacAskill

LONDON, March 27 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May is expected on Wednesday to indicate a date for quitting as the price for getting her twice-defeated Brexit deal ratified, while parliament tries to select its own alternative from a multiple-choice list of options.

As the United Kingdom's three-year Brexit crisis spins towards its finale, it is still uncertain how, when or even if it will leave the European Union, though May hopes to bring her deal back to parliament later this week.

With British politics at fever pitch, lawmakers on Wednesday grab control to have so-called indicative votes on Brexit, with options ranging from a much closer post-exit alignment with the EU to leaving without a deal or revoking the divorce papers.

Just two days before the United Kingdom had been originally due to leave the EU on March 29, some of the most influential Brexit-supporting rebels, such as Jacob Rees-Mogg, have now reluctantly fallen in behind May's deal.

The price for May may be her job.

She is expected to indicate a date for her departure at a showdown with Conservative Party lawmakers at a meeting of the 1922 Committee in Westminster at around 1700 GMT.

Before that, lawmakers start a debate on what sort of EU divorce the world's fifth largest economy should go for. They will vote at 1900 GMT on a ballot paper for as many proposals as they wish. Results will be announced after 2100 GMT.

"The prime minister might get a deal over the line on Thursday or Friday," said Oliver Letwin, a Conservative former cabinet minister who has led parliament's unusual power grab. "If she does, no one would be happier than I am."

"If, however, that doesn't happen and if we do go forward to Monday, and if on Monday one or more propositions get a majority backing in the House of Commons, then we will have to work with the government to get the government to implement them."

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The uncertainty around Brexit, the United Kingdom's most significant political and economic move since World War Two, has left allies and investors aghast.

Opponents fear Brexit will divide the West as it grapples with both the unconventional U.S. presidency of Donald Trump and growing assertiveness from Russia and China.

BREXIT FINALE?

Supporters say while the divorce might bring some short-term instability, in the longer term it will allow the United Kingdom to thrive if cut free from what they cast as a doomed experiment in European unity.

May's deal, an attempt to soothe the divide of the 2016 referendum by leaving the formal structures of the EU while preserving close economic and security ties, was defeated in parliament by 149 votes on March 12 and by 230 votes on Jan. 15.

It is unclear if parliament's attempt to find an alternative will produce a majority. Options to be voted on also include a public vote on any deal or an enhanced Norway-style deal.

Brexit supporters fear the entire divorce is at risk. The government could try to ignore the votes, though if May's deal fails then an election could be the only way to avoid parliament's alternative proposal.

She still hopes to get her deal, struck with the EU in November after more than two years of negotiation, approved.

To succeed, May needs at least 75 lawmakers to come over - dozens of rebels in her Conservative Party, some opposition Labour Party lawmakers and the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which props up her minority government.

"I am now willing to support it if the Democratic Unionist Party does," Rees-Mogg wrote in the Daily Mail. "The numbers in parliament make it clear that all the other potential outcomes are worse and an awkward reality needs to be faced." (Writing by Guy Faulconbridge; additional reporting by William Schomberg, Elisabeth O'Leary and James Davey; Editing by Janet Lawrence)
Photo by Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images(MADRID) -- A shadowy North Korean opposition group accused of a brazen raid of the North Korean embassy in Madrid last month announced that it is "temporarily" suspending operations in the wake of glaring media attention.



"Multiple actions targeting the North Korean regime were being prepared, but because of speculative attack articles in the media, the activities of action groups have been temporarily suspended," the group, Cheollima Civil Defense, which is also known as Free Joseon, said in a Korean-language statement on its website. "We ask the media to refrain from taking interest in the identity of this group and its members."



Earlier this week a Spanish judge unsealed court documents related to the daylight embassy "assault," as it was described by Spanish authorities, and named several individuals suspected to be involved including the purported ringleader, Adrian Hong Chang, a U.S. resident.



A detailed account by Spanish authorities, contained in a judicial report obtained by ABC News, tracks Hong and other individuals purportedly linked to the attack as they travel to Spain, book hotels, rent cars, buy "tactical material" presumably for the operation, conduct the raid and then make their successful escape.



An American attorney for the group, Lee Wolosky, contested the Spanish court's version of events.



"The reported comments of the Spanish judge are misinformed in critical aspects and the decision to disclose the names of those opposing a regime that routinely assassinates its opponents is deeply troubling," Wolosky said.



According to a judicial summary, on the afternoon of Feb. 22, a group of 10 people using fake firearms burst into the North Korean embassy in the Spanish capital, badly beat and bound some staff members and tried to convince a high-ranking North Korean diplomat to defect. The diplomat declined and was himself gagged, authorities said.



The assailants held the embassy for several hours, but in the meantime, the wife of a North Korean employee managed to escape by jumping out a window. She alerted locals who called the police. When the police arrived, the leader of the assailants, named in the report as Hong Chang, purportedly greeted them at the door posing as a diplomat and told an officer everything was fine, authorities said.



The assailants then left the embassy with computers, hard drives and other electronics using embassy vehicles and, for Hong Chang and an associate, a ride-share car that had been arranged under the name Oswaldo Trump, according to the judicial report reviewed by ABC News.



On Tuesday, Cheollima Civil Defense claimed responsibility for the incident but said in a vague statement they were only responding to an urgent situation in the embassy. The group denied it had used violence or gagged anyone in its operation. It also apologized to Spain for involving the European nation in the groups struggle against the North Korean regime.



"Our fight is only against the regimes practices and on behalf of millions of our enslaved people, reads a statement posted on a website that appears to belong to the group, whose involvement was first reported by The Washington Post.



In its statement Thursday, Cheollima called itself a group of North Korean defectors from around the world that have joined forced after fleeing from the Kim regime. ABC News has not confirmed details of the group's membership.



Jenny Town, a North Korea analyst at the Stimson Centers 38 North, told ABC News Wednesday little is known about the Cheollima Civil Defense group, which first came to some prominence in the wake of the assassination of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Uns half-brother, Kim Jong Nam, in 2017. At the time, the group claimed it had helped protect Nams son, Kim Han Sol.



Hong Chang, appears to be the Adrian Hong who was known to North Korean observers for his work with dissidents in the past, according to The Associated Press. In the mid-2000s, when he was a college student, Hong co-founded a group called Liberty in North Korea (LiNK) that was devoted to helping North Korean refugees.



But Hong left LiNK a decade ago and has had no involvement with it since, according to Hannah Song, LiNKs current CEO.



We have no knowledge of his recent activities, and we have no information on the Madrid Embassy incident other than what has been published by the media, Song said in a statement provided to ABC News Wednesday.



Town, who said she knew Hong years ago, said she didnt understand what the group was trying to do in Madrid  especially by allegedly using violence, according to the Spanish police.



"Thats what makes this case really kind of surprising Its hard to kind of figure out what they hope to accomplish from all this, she said. If theyre really looking for regime change, what lengths are they willing to go to sort of engineer this?"



ABC News has been unable to reach Hong for comment.



Copyright  2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 28, 2019) - Miramont Resources Corp. (CSE: MONT) (OTCQB: MRRMF) (FRA: 6MR) ("Miramont" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has now completed 3,679 meters in nine diamond drill holes. The Company has received assay results for six of the nine holes. Although drilling has confirmed the basic geologic model that Miramont had developed for this district, significant mineralized drill intercepts thus far appear intermittent and discontinuous.

Drilling was planned to test three principal targets of the five targets currently identified. The existence of a deep-rooted hydrothermal system was determined, as was the presence of a buried intrusion as surmised from geophysical studies. The location of the nine drill holes is shown on the accompanying map.

Bill Pincus, Miramont's President and CEO said: "We are satisfied that we have confirmed our basic deposit model. Our understanding of the three-dimensional nature of this mineralized system has expanded with this program, but thus far, mineralized intercepts have proven to be discontinuous. Once we have received the results for all nine drill holes, we plan to evaluate data to develop a better understanding of hydrothermal fluid flow vectors. We will model all new data so as to best determine the controls on economic mineralization, where to best find it and how Miramont will best go forward."

The table below highlights selected high grade intervals. Values as high as 14.75 ppm Au and 110 ppm Ag were found. Significant base metal values were also encountered.

Selected High-Grade Samples for Cerro Hermoso Drill Program Hole Au ppm Ag ppm Cu% Pb% Zn% From (m) To (m) Width (m) CH-006 14.75

0.105



315.00 316.50 1.50 CH-004 2.71







158.45 159.60 1.15 CH-006

110





96.40 98.00 1.60 CH-004

18.9





21.00 23.00 2.00 CH-005



0.125 4.26 1.47 400.00 402.00 2.00 CH-006



0.105



315.00 316.50 1.50 CH-005





1.13 1.075 380.00 382.00 2.00



Analytic Protocols and QA/QC

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Assays were completed first by SGS and then by ALS Laboratories in Peru. Future samples will be analyzed by ALS as primary laboratory. Miramont follows rigorous sampling and analytical protocols that meet industry standards. Core samples are stored in a secured area until transport in batches to either SGS or ALS prep labs in Arequipa, Peru. Sample batches include certified reference materials, blanks, and duplicate samples are then processed under the control of ALS or SGS. ALS samples are analyzed using the ME-ICP61 (a technique that provides a comprehensive multi-element overview of the rock geochemistry), while gold is analyzed by AA24 and GRA22 when values exceed 10 g/t. Over limit silver, copper, lead and zinc are analyzed using the OG-62 procedure. SGS samples are analyzed using the ICP 40B method while gold is analyzed by FAA515. Over limit silver, copper, lead and zinc are analyzed using the AAS41B procedure.

National Instrument 43-101 Disclosure

The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. William Pincus, CPG, President and CEO of Miramont and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

About Miramont Resources Corp.

Miramont is a Canadian based exploration company with a focus on acquiring and developing mineral prospects within world-class belts of South America. Miramont's two key projects are Cerro Hermoso and Lukkacha, both located in southern Peru. Cerro Hermoso is a diatreme-hosted copper dominant polymetallic prospect. Lukkacha is a classic copper-porphyry prospect.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

MIRAMONT RESOURCES CORP.

"William Pincus"

William Pincus, President and CEO

For more information, please contact the Company at:

Telephone: (604) 398-4493

info@miramontresources.com

www.miramontresources.com

Reader Advisory

This news release may contain statements which constitute "forward-looking information", including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Company, its directors, or its officers with respect to the future business activities of the Company. The words "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company, or its management, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future business activities and involve risks and uncertainties, and that the Company's future business activities may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, fluctuations in market prices, successes of the operations of the Company, continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such information will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. The Company does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking information except as required under the applicable securities laws.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

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As the humanitarian crisis deepens in Venezuela, more aid workers are rallying to help. Its not only traditional NGOs that are mobilising though. Bitcoin non-profit BitGive is pitching in as well to help support Venezuelan orphans, overrun and collapsing hospitals, and animal rescue centres in the country. More Venezuelans are purchasing cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Dash as a means of protecting their wealth and making everyday payments. But now, the first Bitcoin non-profit, founded in 2013 in the US, is helping the cause with three new projects on its GiveTrack donation tracking platform. Bitcoin is making a difference to Venezuelans The ongoing economic crisis and political unrest have left the country in desolation. Masses of refugees are fleeing and thousands of

As the humanitarian crisis deepens in Venezuela, more aid workers are rallying to help. Its not only traditional NGOs that are mobilising though. Bitcoin non-profit BitGive is pitching in as well to help support Venezuelan orphans, overrun and collapsing hospitals, and animal rescue centres in the country.

More Venezuelans are purchasing cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Dash as a means of protecting their wealth and making everyday payments. But now, the first Bitcoin non-profit, founded in 2013 in the US, is helping the cause with three new projects on its GiveTrack donation tracking platform.

Bitcoin is making a difference to Venezuelans

The ongoing economic crisis and political unrest have left the country in desolation. Masses of refugees are fleeing and thousands of innocent lives have been lost.

Partnering with a US-based NGO experienced in providing humanitarian aid in South America, BitGive has developed three core donation programmes. The first will help Venezuelan orphans by providing essential items such as food, clothes, shoes, medications, toys, and clean drinking water.

The second will support animal shelters in Venezuela by providing starving animals with vitamins, food, supplements, flea and tick collars, and other essential items. And the third will provide quality food and medicine for especially high-risk children and adults in hospitals across the country.

Cryptocurrency is capable of so much more than price speculation

Its not only Bitcoin thats proving itself as a force for good beyond mere price speculation or HODLing. Dash is also making major inroads into the ravaged country.

Coin Rivet recently reported on how Dash Charity is allowing Venezuelan school children to receive funds to buy their meals. Dash Text was the only service that continued to work during the blackouts that left millions of Venezuelans without power.

Clearly, the country is crying out for international aid. Yet, with such a hostile government at the helm, I asked BitGives founder and executive director Connie Gallippi exactly what compelled her to act in Venezuela. She explained:

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There is little hope for the Venezuelan people, other than to leave the country or try to survive through this horrific time. There is very little food, medicine, or aid of any kind; and the country is experiencing nationwide power outages that are exacerbating the already terrible conditions. Of course, we wanted to see if there was something we could do to help.

How far will Bitcoin get when aid agencies are struggling?

Despite the difficulties of getting aid to Venezuelans, and the hurdles put in place by the government, Connie believes that the three GiveTrack projects BitGive has come up with will have positive results. She says:

The situation in Venezuela is dire; and people, including young children, are dying. Pets are abandoned, starving, and ending up euthanised. These projects help children in orphanages, patients in hospitals, mothers with young children, and animals survive through this crisis. This is about saving lives by providing food, medicine, and care where it is no longer available or not enough.

Transparency in the donation process

For those people outside of Venezuela who want to help but are often unsure of whether their money reaches the right people, programmes like Dash Charity and BitGive provide unprecedented transparency in the donation process.

Donors can watch the funds tracked on the blockchain and see that they are reaching the people in need. Connie explains:

The funds are tracked on the Bitcoin blockchain and reported on through milestone reports that include expense reports. Donors can see their transaction on the blockchain and can also watch the flow of the funds into and back out of the charitys Bitcoin wallet While of course there are no 100% guarantees on the reporting side, there will always be blockchain data, and NGOs who do not follow the terms and policies of the platform will not be invited back to fundraise on GiveTrack in the future.

BitGive has already achieved so much

BitGive was the first Bitcoin non-profit to be recognised by the government in the United States. With the aim of bridging the gap between the Bitcoin and blockchain industry and humanitarian aid, Connie and her team have created practical applications that can be used for doing good. BitGive is leading the charge in using technology for the furtherment of global philanthropy.

BitGive makes it easier for charities to accept donations in Bitcoin. So far, it has worked with many well-known non-profits including Code to Inspire, Save the Children, and The Water Project. Connie has also become a key influencer in the industry, making Coin Rivets list of top females in the blockchain space.

The post More aid is needed in Venezuela and Bitcoin is helping once again appeared first on Coin Rivet.
Commuters heading to work in Dublin, Ireland. Photo: Reuters

Irelands leading think tank on Wednesday cut its standard forecast for Irish economic growth in 2019 to 3.8%, and warned that the countrys economy would grow by just 1.2% in the event of a disorderly no-deal Brexit.

The new forecasts mean that the growth of Irelands economy is expected to be dented by nearly 75% if the UK leaves the European Union without a deal.

The think tank, the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), had previously said that such a scenario would halve economic growth.

The lower expected pace of growth in 2019 can be generally explained by a slowdown observed in the global and European economies since the end of last year, the ESRI said in a statement.

It also said that it expected the Irish economy to grow by 3.2% in 2020 in a normal scenario, and by 2.4% if there is a no-deal Brexit.

The think tank said that there were persistent uncertainties with respect to the form of the UKs withdrawal from the EU, and that its most severe predictions were reserved for what it called a disorderly no-deal situation.

The results of the ESRIs analysis suggest that employment levels would be 3.4% lower than if the UK stayed within the bloc.

A disorderly no-deal scenario would involve additional disruption to trade in the short-run compared to what it considers to be the standard impact of a no-deal situation, the think tank said.

The new study estimates the impact of Brexit on the Irish economy by looking at the impact on trade. This was done by attempting to predict the impact of the UKs tariff and non-tariff measures, but also included the potentially positive impact of foreign direct investment diversion to Ireland from the UK.

Ultimately, while the [foreign direct investment] effect is expected to have a positive effect on Ireland, the positive impact is outweighed by the negative trade effect, the ESRI said.
Press Release

As the sole telecom provider, Nokia will assure full 4G and 5G New Radio coverage for the experimental factory

Collaboration with industry leaders across German automotive industry to develop use cases for Industry 4.0 and digital factories of the future

27 March, 2019

Stuttgart, Germany - Nokia has recently become member of ARENA2036, a collaboration of automotive industry leaders to create a flexible research factory model for production of the next generation of automobiles. As the sole telecom provider of ARENA2036, Nokia will provide full private 4G/LTE and 5G New Radio coverage for the joint experimental factory. Nokia will also validate use cases for the industry along with key players including Daimler, Bosch, TRUMPF.

ARENA2036 is an ambitious research program from the University of Stuttgart with a long-term horizon of developing a lightweight automobile design with integrated functionality and sustainable engineering to mark the 150th anniversary of the automobile in 2036. The venture is based on the University of Stuttgart Campus and already has a flourishing ecosystem of around 35 participating enterprises. One of the prerequisites for the next generation of production technology is a 5G Industrial Wireless Solution provider to facilitate a more flexible production line. Industrial digitalization and automation can already start today with private 4G/LTE infrastructure, evolving to 5G as spectrum and industrial devices become available.

Nokia has already started with the installation of private 4G/LTE and 5G Industrial trial systems. Nokia will look to validate key use cases with industry leaders and partners, including solutions for Secure Remote Access, Mobile Manipulation, Massive Sensor Networks, Wireless Safety, Truck-to-X-communication, Localization and Industrial Edge Cloud implementations.

Peter Froeschle, Managing Director ARENA2036 said, "5G is the essential building block of the factory of the future where moving robot arms, automatic guided vehicles and production cells that can be reconfigured overnight are the norm. Nokia's end-to-end 5G solution fulfils the stringent requirements we had in terms of availability, latency and reliability to create a flexible and cost-efficient production line that will enable large scale rollouts of next generation customizable cars."

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Wolfgang Hackenberg, Managing Director, Nokia Germany said, "The factory of the future will be more automated, flexible, and as a result, more productive. This can only be achieved with ultra-reliable wireless connectivity between machines, robots and vehicles in all steps of the production process. ARENA2036 is an ambitious project and a prestigious venture to be part of. It will help us in strengthening our partnerships with major industry players and further advancing our campus solutions."

Learn more about Nokia's enterprise solutions at Hannover Messe 2019 in Hall 6, H10.

About Nokia for Industries

Nokia has deployed over 1,000 mission-critical networks with leading customers in the transport, energy, large enterprise, manufacturing, webscale and public sector segments around the globe. Leading enterprises across industries are leveraging our decades of experience building some of the biggest and most advanced IP, optical, and wireless networks on the planet. The Nokia Bell Labs Future X for industries architecture provides a framework for enterprises to accelerate their digitalization and automation journey to Industry 4.0

About Nokia

We create the technology to connect the world. We develop and deliver the industry's only end-to-end portfolio of network equipment, software, services and licensing that is available globally. Our customers include communications service providers whose combined networks support 6.1 billion subscriptions, as well as enterprises in the private and public sector that use our network portfolio to increase productivity and enrich lives.

Through our research teams, including the world-renowned Nokia Bell Labs, we are leading the world to adopt end-to-end 5G networks that are faster, more secure and capable of revolutionizing lives, economies and societies. Nokia adheres to the highest ethical business standards as we create technology with social purpose, quality and integrity.

nokia.com

Media Inquiries:

Nokia

Communications

Phone: +358 10 448 4900

Email: press.services@nokia.com
By Laila Kearney

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices sank about 1 percent on Wednesday after government data showed U.S. crude stocks unexpectedly rose last week as exports slowed due to a chemical spill along at the nation's busiest energy port.

Brent crude futures fell 51 cents, or 0.8 percent, to $67.46 a barrel by 11:59 a.m. EST (1559 GMT). U.S. crude futures dropped 83 cents, or 1.4 percent, to $59.11 a barrel.

U.S. crude inventories rose last week by 2.8 million barrels, compared with analysts' expectations for a decrease of 1.2 million barrels, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said.

"The report was bearish relative to expectations, as crude inventories rose due, in part, to a steep drop in exports week-on-week," said John Kilduff, a partner at Again Capital LLC in New York. "The rise in crude oil inventories at Cushing was another bearish data point."

Crude stocks at the Cushing, Oklahoma, delivery hub rose by 541,000 barrels and exports fell 506,000 barrels per day, the EIA said.

A petrochemical tank fire and chemical spill last week along the Houston Ship Channel hampered crude shipments for several days.

"The tank fire caused a lot of problems in the ship channel with benzene and other chemicals slipping into the water," said Donald Morton, who runs an energy trading desk at investment banking firm H.J. Sims & Co. "It was a very short-term situation that will get better quickly and already has started getting better."

The U.S. Coast Guard on Monday reopened portions of the Houston Ship Channel with restrictions on waterways affected by chemical leak.

Further disruptions to Venezuelan exports helped to limit losses.

On top of U.S. sanctions in January which banned U.S. refiners from buying Venezuelan oil, the OPEC member's main oil export port of Jose and its four crude upgraders were unable to resume operations following a massive power blackout on Monday, the second in a month.[nL1N21E0FV]

Oil prices have jumped more than 25 percent this year, supported by supply curbs by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and other major producers, along with U.S. sanctions on exports from Venezuela and Iran.

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Bullish supply and demand signals from the United States were also supportive.

Crude flows from two key shale basins to the Cushing, Oklahoma delivery point for U.S. crude futures slowed in March due to winter production outages, dealers said.

Hedge funds and other money managers have increased bets that demand for oil will be sustained, even as the market rallied last week.

(Additional reporting by Ron Busso in London, Aaron Sheldrick in Tokyo, Koustav Samanta in Singapore, Stephanie Kelly and Scott DiSavino in New York; Editing by David Evans and Marguerita Choy)
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 27, 2019) - Orestone Mining Corp. (TSXV: ORS) (the "Company") is pleased to announce a non-brokered private placement consisting of up to 10,000,000 units ("Units") at a price of $0.11 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $1,100,000 (the "Offering"). Each Unit will consist of one common share of the Company and one common share purchase warrant. Each Warrant will be exercisable for one common share of the Company at a price of $0.15 for two years from the date of issuance.

Subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange") and applicable laws, the Company may pay a cash fee of 6% of the proceeds of the Offering to certain arm's length finders.

The Offering is scheduled to close in April 2019 and is subject to regulatory approval. Resale of the securities distributed in connection with the Offering will be subject to a hold period of four months and one day following the closing date of the Offering.

The net proceeds of the Private Placement will be used to advance exploration on the Company's Resguardo project in Chile and the Captain Project in British Columbia and for general working capital.

It is anticipated that certain directors, officers and other insiders of the Company will acquire Units under the Offering. Such participation will be considered to be "related party transactions" within the meaning of TSX Venture Exchange Policy 5.9 and Multilateral Instrument 61 101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61 101") adopted in the Policy. The Company intends to rely on the exemptions from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61 101 contained in sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61 101 in respect of related party participation in the Offering as neither the fair market value (as determined under MI 61 101) of the subject matter of, nor the fair market value of the consideration for, the transaction, insofar as it involves interested parties, is expected to exceed 25% of the Company's market capitalization (as determined under MI 61 101).

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The private placement previously announced by the Company October 17, 2018 and amended as announced December 7, 2018 was not completed.

The securities referred to in this news release have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any applicable securities laws of any state of the United States, and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons (as such term is defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) or persons in the United States unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and any other applicable securities laws of the United States or an exemption from such registration requirements is available. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of these securities within any jurisdiction, including the United States.

Orestone Mining Corp. (TSX.V: ORS) is a Canadian based company managed by mining industry professionals. The Company controls a portfolio of gold and gold-copper exploration projects in Chile and British Columbia, Canada. The Resguardo project is a drill ready project located 90 km northeast of the City of Copiapo in Region III, Chile. The region is host to many world class gold and copper deposits. The Captain project hosts the Admiral target, a large drill ready gold/copper porphyry system located 30 kilometres south of the Mt Milligan Mine in British Columbia. For more information please visit: www.orestone.ca

ON BEHALF OF ORESTONE MINING CORP.

David Hottman

President and CEO

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this News Release. This news release has been prepared by management and no regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. Such forward looking statements concern expected subscriptions and closing of the Offering, net proceeds from the Offering, the intended use of proceeds. Such forward looking statements or information are based on a number of assumptions which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things: conditions in general economic and financial markets; timing and amount of capital expenditures; and effects of regulation by governmental agencies. The actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward looking statements as a result of risk factors including: the availability of funds; the timing and content of work programs; results of exploration activities of mineral properties; the interpretation of drilling results and other geological data; and general market and industry conditions. Forward looking statements are based on the expectations and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. The assumptions used in the preparation of such statements, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward looking statements, which speak only as of the date the statements were made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements included in this news release if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as otherwise required by applicable law.

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

Corporate Logo

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/43712
A man assist trucks carry palm oil fruit on a damaged road at Mesuji Raya village in Ogan Komering Ilir, South Sumatra province, Indonesia, January 11, 2017. Antara Foto/Budi Candra Setya/ via REUTERS/Files

By Emily Chow

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysian palm oil futures edged down to a more than one-week low in early trade on Thursday, as high inventory levels continued to weigh on the market.

The benchmark palm oil contract for June delivery on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange was down 0.4 percent at 2,128 ringgit ($522.21) a tonne by the midday break, after hitting a more than one-week low of 2,106 ringgit earlier in the session. It was headed for a fourth session of losses in five.

"The market is down as Dalian came down, and also due to our high stocks," said a futures trader in Kuala Lumpur, referring to China's Dalian Commodity Exchange.

Palm oil inventories in Malaysia, the world's second-largest producer and exporter, rose 1.3 percent to 3.05 million tonnes in February from a month earlier.

Stockpiles reached 3.21 million tonnes in December, the highest since January 2000, according to Refinitiv Eikon data.

Palm oil may test a resistance at 2,155 ringgit per tonne, as it has found a support at 2,110 ringgit per tonne, said Wang Tao, a Reuters market analyst for commodities and energy technicals.

In other related oils, the Chicago May soybean oil contract fell 0.2 percent, while the May soyoil contract on the Dalian Commodity Exchange declined 0.3 percent.

The Dalian May palm oil contract fell 0.8 percent.

Palm oil prices are affected by movements in soyoil, as they compete for a share in the global vegetable oil market.

($1 = 4.0750 ringgit)

($1 = 6.7295 Chinese yuan)

($1 = 68.9980 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Emily Chow; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)
MANILA, March 28 (Reuters) -

* The Philippines' Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Thursday it would form a "technical working group" with Malaysia and Indonesia to address its concern over alleged smuggling and dumping of palm oil into the Philippines

* The agreement was reached after the DA on Friday last week sought a temporary ban on palm oil from Malaysia and Indonesia, saying local coconut and oil palm farmers were hurting from "extremely low" prices due to "dumping" of the commodity by the world's two biggest producers

* Philippine Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Pinol, in a Facebook post, said he met with Malaysian and Indonesian government representatives on Wednesday and told them to keep their palm oil exports to the Philippines at levels that would not hurt its coconut and oil palm industries

* Pinol also asked Malaysia and Indonesia to check on reports of the smuggling of crude and refined palm oil into the Philippines, he said

* He also urged Indonesia and Malaysia to open their markets to products from neighbouring Philippines, especially coconut-based products, to "correct the trade imbalance" (Reporting by Enrico dela Cruz; Editing by Tom Hogue)
Europol and the Dutch Financial Criminal Investigative Service have seized the domain of a Bitcoin transaction mixing service. Calling it the first law enforcement action of its kind against such a cryptocurrency mixer service, Europol said in a statement on Wednesday that the seizure of Bestmixer.io was the culmination of a year-long investigation that began last summer. As part of the move, police seized six servers based in Luxembourg and the Netherlands. #bestmixer.io down. The yellow smallprint matters  pic.twitter.com/FwuDC6J2ts  Jarek Jakubcek (@jakubcek) May 22, 2019 Europol has alleged that much of the money that passed through Bestmixer.io had a criminal origin or destination and that the mixer was probably used to conceal and launder criminal flows of money. 27,000 BTC

Reports have surfaced alleging that Pakistani police have been involved in the kidnapping of a university professor, with the criminals demanding a Bitcoin ransom for his safe return.

Professor Shahid Naseer, an information technology teacher, was kidnapped on March 19. The suspects then demanded a ransom of Rs 20 million crore in Bitcoin.

Reportedly, the plot had been hatched inside of the deputy commissioners (DC) office in Lahore. A police report revealed that the DCs phone operator  Mazhar Abbas  was part of the seven-member crime ring.

Police arrested Mazhar Abbas on March 23 at an official ceremony where he was attending with the DC.

According to the report, police constables Mohsin Abbas and Mohammad Arif  who allegedly were also involved in the kidnapping  were the official guards of a high court judge.

Faisal Yousuf, a student of Professor Naseer, is also a suspect in the case.

The report contains recommendations for senior members of the police and stipulates it is the first case of its kind in the country. It also suggests it could boost the trend of using digital currencies for ransom, terror, and other illicit activities.

Saddar Division SP (Investigation) Rashid Hidayat has said six suspects, including the primary suspect, had been arrested alongside the safe recovery of Professor Naseer.

Mr Hidayat told news outlet Dawn that Faisal Yousuf planned to kidnap his teacher and engaged the other suspects for the same purpose. They rented a car from Sheikhupura and brought it to the DCs office where Abbas removed its license plate and replaced it with a green one.

The suspects took Professor Naseer to Sheikhupura to execute their plan of obtaining the ransom. The SP revealed that the next day, the complainant of the case  Asmar Sheikh  received a call from Professor Naseer and the crime ring who demanded the ransom.

He reportedly said the kidnappers received the first installment of Rs 2.3 million crore and were in contact with the family for the remainder of the payment.

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Mr Hidayat informed Dawn that three teams of expert police officials managed to trace the culprits using digital technology before arresting them.

Interested in reading more crypto crime-related news? Discover how the thieves behind a Bitcoin mining equipment heist were arrested.

The post Police in Pakistan reportedly involved in Bitcoin ransom kidnapping appeared first on Coin Rivet.
Italy's buy-in on major project boost China's place in world maritime trade, but Western powers decry what some call vanity project.'

By many measures, China is one of the biggest commercial shipping powers in the world. Propelled by the twin needs of importing much of its raw materials and exporting much of the world's consumer goods, Chinese companies own the third largest commercial fleet in the world, behind shipowners in Greece and Japan; China's shipyards built one-third of the world's commercial fleet in 2017; and its container ports account for over one-quarter of the worldwide capacity.

The furtherance of that sea reach is a major part of the "Belt-and-Road Initiative", a multi-billion dollar, Chinese-financed project to build roads, marine terminals and other transportation infrastructure throughout Asia, Africa, and Europe. The BRI aims to connect China with a market comprised of two-thirds of the world's population and nearly half of its gross domestic product.

China scored another notch in that belt with a memorandum-of-understanding signed this between Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and President Xi Jinping. The deal calls for the two countries to jointly develop Italy's marine ports, airports, roads and railways, with the goal of "improving connectivity between Asia and Europe and the role that the Belt and Road Initiative can play in this respect."

China's Xi Jinping with Italy's Giuseppe Conte (Photo: Italian Prime Minister's Office)

China's Xi Jinping with Italy's Giuseppe Conte

(Photo: Italian Prime Minister's Office)

China already has a toehold in Italy as Cosco Shipping Ports (HKEX: 1199), one of the world's largest terminal operators, is developing Italy's first automated container terminal at the Vado Port in Liguria.

The BRI deal expands that reach. As part of the new agreement, China Communications Construction (HKEX: 1800) will help Italy's largest port, Genoa, in construction and modernization projects.

China Communications Construction also struck a deal to improve rail infrastructure with the port of Trieste, which is a major gateway for delivering goods to Europe's landlocked countries.

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Italy is only one part of China's stake in Europe, its second largest trading partner behind the United States. Cosco Shipping Ports also runs two of the three container ship docks at Piraeus, the biggest port in Greece. Along with stakes in terminals in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, Chinese firms own about 10 percent of the container capacity at European ports.

Beyond port-specific deals, China's wider agreement with Italy covering both maritime and surface transportation is a coup for the BRI, which has largely targeted developing countries in the Asian subcontinent. Now the project has the endorsement of the third largest economy in the European Union.

While its ostensible intent is the advancement of trade, the BRI is also perceived as giant debt trap due to the onerous loans, chiefly from Chinese banks, that some participants have been saddled with to fund the projects.

Moreover, China has also used the BRI to further its national interests. Three Chinese warships sailed into Piraeus in 2017 to conduct naval exercises with Greece's navy as part of a BRI summit.

Along with hosting China's navy, the Piraeus port has been named as a site for potential tax evasion by shippers seeking to avoid paying customs and other duties on imports into Europe.

With these issues in mind, the European Union is treating China's overtures warily. While welcoming greater trade cooperation, the EU called China "an economic competitor in pursuit of technological leadership, and a systemic rival promoting alternative models of governance." The U.S. government, though, is more unsparing in its assessment of China's move to court Italy, with one White House official calling the BRI a "vanity project."

Hyundai Marine opts for scrubbers for IMO 2020

Korea's largest container ship owner will install devices on its biggest box ships. (Seatrade Maritime)

U.S. Agency sees rebound in high-sulfur shipping fuel

EIA said further uptake of sulfur scrubbers will push up high-sulfur fuel demand by 2022. (Maritime Executive)

Moves of low-sulfur fuel help boost rates for tankers

Traders positioning of IMO 2020-ready fuel said to be helping demand for tankers. (TradeWinds)

Australian ports slow to return from Veronica shutdown

FreightWaves Jim Wilson reports on the after-effects of Cyclone Veronica, which blew over the northwest coast of Australia. He writes that operations at the world's largest dry bulk ports appear to be largely, although not completely, unscathed. Nevertheless, rates for dry bulk vessels remain in a slump.

According to official statements from the Pilbara Ports Authority, which operates several ports along the Pilbara coast, the ports of Dampier (the world's second biggest iron ore export port and some salt) and Ashburton (LNG) are open. The world's biggest iron ore export port, Hedland, is still shut according to a statement on the port's website. However, that is slightly contradicted by a separate statement from the Authority that Hedland was only shut for Veronica's duration four days, which does tend to imply that the port has, in fact, resumed operations.

Meanwhile, FreightWaves has heard from sources that shipping has been scheduled to take place at Hedland. Furthermore, there is a statement from junior mining company, Fortescue (ASX: FMAG), which says that the Authority reopened the port.

In an official statement, the Authority said that damage to infrastructure was minimal and that there was no significant damage at any of the ports. A notice to mariners reveals that three navigational aids have been damaged at Port Hedland and repairs are underway.

According to the Authority, the total shutdown at Hedland lasted about four days; Dampier closed just over five days; and Ashburton was also closed close to five days.

Pilbara Ports Authority CEO Roger Johnston said the safety of staff and port users during the cyclone was the main priority.

"Our staff live in the communities that were impacted by the cyclone, so their safety was paramount to us, along with the safety of everyone across our sites. This was a very severe weather event and I would like to acknowledge staff and port users for their professionalism and hard work during this challenging time," Mr Johnston said.

The Authority envisages a return to normality by early Thursday.

Major mining company BHP (NYSE: BHP) did not respond to questions. Rival miner Rio Tinto (NYSE: RIO) also ignored questions and instead released a short statement that normal operations will resume "once it is safe to do so". Meanwhile, mining company Fortescue said that iron ore shipments resumed from Hedland on the afternoon of Tuesday, March 26.

Fortescue added that its rail operations were suspended on Saturday, March 23, but these have now resumed after localized-flooding subsided. The mining company adds that shipping has begun using inventory at the port and that there are sufficient ore stocks at Hedland for operations to resume.

Presumably, it can be inferred that, despite the heavy storm surges and extensive rainfall, that the iron ore stockpiles are not so wet that they cannot be transported. Nothing is known about the current status of the salt stockpiles or salt pans as Rio Tinto, which owns those commodities, is not providing any information.

Maritime executives familiar with the situation on the north west coast have commented that congestion levels at the north west bulk ports will blow out from a pre-storm average of about two days to five days while shippers and ports work through the backlog.

Turning to the dry bulk markets and one source told FreightWaves that the market for capesize vessels, which carry most of the world's iron ore, on the Hedland-Australia to Qingdao-China route have been adversely affected.

"There seems to be flooding at mine sines. We're trying to find out which ones. There has been a little bit of damage at Port Hedland and some flooding in the stockpile areas," the executive commented.

Capesize freight rates are trending down but all of the other sizes of vessels have shown "good recovery" over the last week.

Capesizes were generating an average freight rate of US$4,035 per day. But the smaller kamsarmax vessels are generating rates of $10,100 per day and even smaller panamax vessels are generating about$8,313 per day.

They're interesting figures. They're interesting because capesizes are generating lower daily freight rates than the other sizes of vessels. Historically, and as previously reported on FreightWaves, that's been a marker that a downturn in capesize market may be about to end.

The reason is that dry bulk vessels are, to some extent, partially interchangeable (depending on many factors, especially depth and length restrictions at a port). In theory, the kamsarmax and panamax vessels could potentially handle a cargo normally carried by the smaller capesize vessels. Similarly, the smaller capesizes could potentially carry a cargo normally transported by the bigger kamsarmax and panamax, provided it can physically fit in access channels, berth pockets and canals at the loading and destination ports.

Normally, that would be uneconomic. However, freight rates sometimes make the impossible, possible. With capesize rates being less than half of both kamsarmax and panamax rates, it's possible that capesizes could grab cargo that would otherwise be carried by the other two categories of vessels.

However, some maritime executives draw a completely different inference.

"Over the last five years, capesizes have been decoupling from other size vessels. Capes are more and more focused on carrying iron ore. About 78 percent of all capesize cargoes is iron ore. The rest of the cargoes are coal and a bit of salt. Why? Chinese demand. The markets for the other size vessels is much more fragmented," the source says.

Image sourced from Pixabay

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Researchers claim using the term cyclist dehumanises bike riders and leads to an increased number of acts of aggression towards them. Stock image.

Experts have called for the word cyclist to be banned because they claim it dehumanises people who ride bikes.

Researchers at Queensland University of Technology and Monash University, made the findings in a new study which links the dehumanisation of cyclists and deliberate acts of aggression directed towards them.

Professor Narelle Haworth said the study, which questioned 442 people in Victoria, NSW and Queensland, found 55% of non-cyclists rated cyclists as not completely human.

Prof Haworth believes scrapping the term in favour of people who ride bikes could reduce the number of acts of aggression involving cyclists.

Queensland University of Technology researchers believe if we refer to cyclists as people on bikes they are less likely to be treated with aggression. Stock image. (PA)

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia she said: If we used the term people on bikes, instead of cyclists, were giving a term that is more human-like and less like a species.

We need to spread the idea that those people [cyclists] could be any of us. There is need to grow a culture of mutual respect for people on bikes.

Professor Haworth said banning the word cyclists wasnt the only solution to change the negative attitudes towards them.

She added: Infrastructure is paramount. The best thing would be not to have to share the road.

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One in five drivers admitted to researchers that they intentionally block cyclists. Stock image.

The study found that one in five drivers deliberately blocked cyclists on roads, while one in ten admitted to using their car to cut off a cyclist.

Participants across different states in Australia completed an online survey for the study.

A dehumanisation trait scale was part of the survey, which included statements such as I feel like cyclists are mechanic and I feel like cyclists arent sophisticated.

For each statement, participants were given an option to agree, disagree or remain neutral on a scale.

Participants were also asked about their behaviour towards cyclists, with some admitting they had shouted and thrown things at cyclists.
WILMINGTON, Del., March 26, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rigrodsky & Long, P.A. announces that it has filed a class action complaint in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware on behalf of holders of Ellie Mae, Inc. (Ellie Mae) (ELLI) common stock in connection with the proposed acquisition of Ellie Mae by affiliates of Thoma Bravo Fund XIII, L.P. (Thoma Bravo) announced on February 12, 2019 (the Complaint). The Complaint, which alleges violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 against Ellie Mae and its Board of Directors (the Board), is captioned Kent v. Ellie Mae, Inc., Case No. 1:19-cv-00473 (D. Del.).



If you wish to discuss this action or have any questions concerning this notice or your rights or interests, please contact plaintiffs counsel, Seth D. Rigrodsky or Gina M. Serra at Rigrodsky & Long, P.A., 300 Delaware Avenue, Suite 1220, Wilmington, DE 19801, by telephone at (888) 969-4242, by e-mail at info@rl-legal.com, or at http://rigrodskylong.com/contact-us/.

On February 11, 2019, Ellie Mae entered into an agreement and plan of merger (the Merger Agreement) with Thoma Bravo. Pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement, shareholders of Ellie Mae will receive $99.00 in cash for each share of Ellie Mae they own (the Proposed Transaction).

Among other things, the Complaint alleges that, in an attempt to secure shareholder support for the Proposed Transaction, defendants issued materially incomplete disclosures in a proxy statement (the Proxy Statement) filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. The Complaint alleges that the Proxy Statement omits material information with respect to, among other things, Ellie Maes financial projections and the analyses performed by Ellie Maes financial advisor. The Complaint seeks injunctive and equitable relief and damages on behalf of holders of Ellie Mae common stock.

If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than May 27, 2019. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. Any member of the proposed class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member.

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Rigrodsky & Long, P.A., with offices in Delaware, New York, and California, has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars on behalf of investors and achieved substantial corporate governance reforms in numerous cases nationwide, including federal securities fraud actions, shareholder class actions, and shareholder derivative actions.

Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

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RIP Wow Air: Discount Airline Finally Calls It Quits

Icelandic low-cost airline Wow Air has finally admitted defeat in its quest to keep flying.

The airline carried an announcement on its website on Thursday that it had ended operations and had canceled all flights.

The carrier, which offered its first flight in 2012, had been searching for a financial lifeline having failed to secure deals with Icelandair and the private equity owner of Frontier Airlines.

Earlier this week it had sounded hopeful that it would be able to continue with bondholders agreeing to convert their bonds into equity.

UK consumer publication Which? said that Wow Air was still selling tickets at 7am on the morning of its collapse.

Passengers will quite rightly be appalled that Wow Air was still selling tickets right up to the moment it collapsed knowing full well that any tickets sold would likely not be worth the paper they are printed on, said Rory Boland, Which? travel editor.

The Icelandic Transport Authority advised passengers to check available flights with other airlines. Some passengers may also be able to claim refunds or compensation.

The Dream Is Over

Wow Air was one of a new type of low-cost airlines that aimed to ferry passengers long distances but at a fraction of the price of more established carriers.

Skuli Mogensen the airlines CEO, founded it in 2011. He was also the owner.

Unlike, say Norwegian, however, Wow used Icelands strategic position between North America and Europe as a hub to connect flights. This is whats known in the airline business, unofficially, as the sixth freedom of the air.

It flew to cities such as Boston, New York, Detroit, Amsterdam, and London.

I think ultimately Iceland is a one airline town and probably always should be but may not always be! said John Grant, partner at consultancy Midas Aviation.

The market had become hugely over sized with Sixth Freedom traffic creating an ultimately false expectation of the opportunity leading to investments in tourism and airport infrastructures that were probably not sustainable in the long term.

Story continues

With that in mind, despite the attempts to save Wow and find a solution that works; a combination of an increasingly competitive North Atlantic market and too much reliance on Sixth Freedom traffic has probably brought the market back to a more balanced situation.

Icelands largest airline Icelandair has suffered financial problems of its own in recent months and gave up trying to take part in Wow Airs rescue.

It has been a particularly torrid few months for the European aviation industry in general with a host of carriers, including Primera Air and Germania, going under.

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By Ruth Anderah.

Government is yet to respond to a case filed by the deported MTN Chief Executive Officer Wim Joris Vanhellepute.

According to state attorney Kodoli Wanyama, government is still looking for information from relevant departments and authorities in order to file a response inthat case.

Kodoli revealed this while appearing before Justice Henrietta Wolayo to hear Vanhelleputes application inwhich he seeks to quash his deportation.

Last month Vanhellepute dragged Attorney General to High court for orders to set aside his deportation following an order issued by the Internal Affairs Minister Gen. Jeje Odongo on February 14th 2019.

According to Vanhellepute , the said order labelled him as a undesirous and prohibited immigrant yet he has been a law abiding citizen and has no trace of a criminal record for the 25 years he has lived in Uganda.

Vanhellepute through his lawyers from Birungi and company advocates his demanding damages from government for his violated rights to a fair hearing, just treatment and illegal detention.

His troubles began on the 29th /January 2019 when he was summoned by the Special Investigations Unit at Kireka that accused him of communicating to the deported MTN staff, to which he was also asked to record a statement.

Court will hear the application on April 11th2019.

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By Marja Novak

LJUBLJANA, March 27 (Reuters) - Serbian bank AIK made the highest bid for state-owned Abanka with a 450 million euro ($507 million) offer for Slovenia's third-largest lender, TV Slovenia reported on Wednesday,

Slovenia is aiming to sell the whole of Abanka by the middle of this year to meet the conditions of a deal to gain European Commission's approval of state aid for it in 2013.

U.S. investment fund Apollo had offered 400 million euros, while Hungarian bank OTP was ready to pay 380 million for the Slovenian bank, TV Slovenia said, citing unofficial sources.

The Slovenian Sovereign Holding (SDH) told Reuters it will continue with the privatisation of Abanka, despite the replacement of SDH head Lidija Glavina, who has led Slovenia's state privatisation body since 2016.

She will be replaced by economist Igor Krzan, who has been head of SDH's supervisory board, on April 1.

SDH said that Glavina and the supervisory board had reached an agreement on her leaving the post, giving no further details.

SDH told Reuters it "does not comment the sales process", while AIK, Apollo and OTP were not available for comment.

OTP is not present in Slovenia while Serbia's AIK last month bought Slovenia's seventh-largest bank Gorenjska Banka and Apollo owns the second-largest bank Nova KBM. ($1 = 0.8880 euros) (Reporting by Marja Novak Editing by Alexander Smith)






Michelle Lee, former USPTO director (Photo: Jason Doiy / ALM)



The House Judiciary's Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet held its first hearing of the 116th Congress on Wednesday.



The title was Lost Einsteins: Lack of Diversity in Patent Inventorship and the Impact on Americas Innovation Economy. It was a follow-up to last year's passage of the SUCCESS Act, which directed the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to study and report on the number of patents obtained by women, minorities, and veterans. Academic studies indicate those populations are underrepresented among patent owners. The Senate's IP subcommittee is scheduled to tackle the same subject next week.



Here are six takeaways from Wednesday's hearing:



 Welcome back to Capitol Hill, Michelle Lee. PTO Director Andrei Iancu is presiding over an agency that is now, under a congressional mandate, formally studying the issue of women and patents. Wednesday's hearing brought the reminder that his predecessor, Michelle Lee, is an actual pioneer in the area.



Lee ticked off a list of initiatives she helped roll out as PTO's first woman director: a STEM education initiative, an invention camp for kids, pro bono and law student assistance for inventors, the opening of three regional offices to improve community outreach and a Girl Scouts intellectual property patch.



That wasn't enough to please the subcommittee's ranking member, Martha Roby. Do inventors know that these programs even exist? she asked, explaining the pro bono and law school programs are buried in the website.



Lee at least got credit from her hometown representative, Zoe Lofgren. She said the PTO's Silicon Valley office has been a huge success. So thank you for the efforts you made.



 Maybe a white male genius isn't the best branding for a diversity initiative? Subcommittee Chairman Hank Johnson, D-Georgia, said the Lost Einsteins title speaks directly to the issue at hand: When women and minorities are not in the innovation pipeline, or if they leave because they don't feel welcome, we are losing sources for increased innovation, he said.



Michigan State economics professor Lisa Cook confirmed that economic output could increase by 3 percent to 4 percent if the innovative process were more inclusive. I look forward to talking to you more about finding the lost Einsteins, as well as the hidden figures such as Katherine Johnson, she said, referring to the pioneering NASA mathematician. None of the House members followed up with her about Katherine Johnson.



 Get ready for demographic data collection at the PTO. Some academic studies have inferred the gender of named inventors from government and commercial databases. That's harder to do for racial and ethnic minorities.



Unfortunately, the PTO does not collect demographic data on inventors, Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-New York, noted early on in the hearing. He then asked Cook: Is there enough data to understand the scope of under-representation of racial minorities in patenting?



There's not, Cook quickly answered. Lee agreed that collecting the data is critically important, saying it could provide a road map for policymakers, agency leaders, the private sector and academics. It was a good point, though maybe not the optimal metaphor this week for House Judiciary members.



 Climate change is needed at tech companies. Lee said that, in her experience, inventive companies that convene brainstorming sessions with relevant team members are more productive than those that leave potential inventors on their own.



Cook said the cultural problem goes further than that. Tech workers in the U.S. have demonstrated to protest sexual harassment and misconduct, lack of transparency, including forced arbitration for sexual harassment claims, workplace culture, and pay opportunity and inequality, she said.



Cook said she can and has explained to companies that they're leaving money on the table if, for example, patent teams remain single sex, rather than co-ed. But on the other hand there has to be enforcement. The EEOC enforcement, she said.



Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, asked Lee, who spent nine years at Google before joining the PTO, if she could comment on the culture at these institutions. Lee sidestepped the question.



 The secret sauce: A good patent prosecutor. Ayanna Howard is a former NASA researcher who's now chair of Georgia Tech's School of Interactive Computing. Yet it wasn't until she founded Zyrobotics, an artificial intelligence startup for childhood education, that she was able to obtain a few patents.



I discovered a little bit of a trick. I hired a great patent lawyer, she told the subcommittee. Although expensive, she learned that patent examination is a lengthy process requiring persistence.



Unfortuantely, the price tag is not very sustainable for a startup company in the education space, she said. That's especially true for startups run by women, she said, which aren't favored by venture capitalists in the first place.



 Qualcomm is promoting women inventorsand its role in 5G technology. Qualcomm's senior vice president of engineering, Susie Armstrong, helped pioneer the company's commercialization of packet data, and showed the subcommittee the vintage mobile phone on which she demonstrated web surfing in 1997.



Armstong is now also a member of Qualcomm's government affairs group, and she made sure to emphasize the company's role in 5G foundational technologies, name-checking 5G seven times in her five-minute opening remarks.



Armstrong outlined four key areas of for inclusion at Qualcomm: promoting STEM educationsuch as with Qualcomm's Thinkabit Lab, where young students create their own Internet of Things invention; expanding recruiting to universities with higher black and Latino populations; focusing on employee retention; and promoting inventorship among employees.
In this March 24, 2019 photo, Special Counsel Robert Mueller walks past the White House, after attending St. John's Episcopal Church for morning services, in Washington. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Since the Justice Department announced that Robert Mueller found no criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia, President Donald Trump has urged Americans to toss the whole Russia investigation aside as a waste of time.

It's true the special counsel didn't find an agreement between Trump's campaign and the Russian government to influence the 2016 election, and he decided not to make a call on whether the president obstructed justice. But Mueller did find other crimes  including some committed by people close to the president  and he exposed a coordinated assault on American democracy aimed at helping Trump win.

Over a 22-month investigation, the special counsel's team put together perhaps the most definitive story of the Trump campaign and Russia.

As Attorney General William Barr decides how much the public will get to see of Mueller's confidential report, here's a guide to what the special counsel has revealed so far.

___

RUSSIA TRIED TO HELP TRUMP

The Kremlin directed a large-scale effort to help Trump during the 2016 election.

According to U.S. intelligence agencies and lengthy indictments brought by Mueller's team, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a multipart influence campaign aimed at hurting Democrat Hillary Clinton's candidacy, undermining American democracy and helping Trump get elected.

That effort included the hacking of the Democratic National Committee, Clinton's campaign and other Democratic groups. Russian intelligence officers then coordinated the release of stolen emails and internal documents using the false online personas Guccifer 2.0 and DCLeaks, and later the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks.

While the hacking was being carried out, Mueller has also accused a Russian troll farm, known as the Internet Research Agency, of using fake social media accounts to flood the American public with disinformation. That social media effort began in 2014 with a goal of sowing discord by trumpeting extreme positions on divisive political issues. But as the presidential campaign progressed, the Mueller team says the effort began supporting Trump and disparaging Clinton.

WikiLeaks has denied that Russia was the direct source of the material it released. One defendant in the troll farm case has denied the allegations.

Story continues

___

PEOPLE AROUND TRUMP WERE RECEPTIVE TO THE HELP

Donald Trump Jr., Donald Trump confidant Roger Stone and Trump himself all sought to benefit politically from Russia's efforts.

In the middle of the campaign, Trump Jr. took a meeting at Trump Tower with a Russian lawyer thinking he would be getting "dirt" on Clinton. Trump Jr. agreed to the meeting, which included Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner and Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, despite it being described to him as part of a Russian government effort to help his father.

Stone sought to help the Trump campaign benefit from damaging material released by WikiLeaks. After the DNC pointed the finger at Russia in its hacking, Stone pitched himself as a WikiLeaks insider in discussions with the Trump campaign. According to Mueller, Trump's campaign kept in contact with Stone about the timing and content of any releases of Clinton documents that could be damaging to her campaign.

Trump himself also publicly welcomed Russia's help. During a political rally, Trump called on Russia's hackers to help find emails scrubbed from Clinton's private server, saying: "Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing."

Court documents show that on that same day, Russian intelligence officers tried to hack into email accounts hosted at a domain used by Clinton's personal office, as well as email addresses used by her campaign.

___

TRUMP WAS TRYING TO DO BUSINESS IN RUSSIA DURING THE CAMPAIGN

In fact, he wanted to build a Trump Tower in Moscow.

Court documents in the case of Trump's longtime lawyer, Michael Cohen, show the Trump Organization pursued the project even after Trump had secured the Republican presidential nomination. As part of that effort, Cohen spoke with an assistant to the Kremlin's spokesman about finding the land and financing for the building's construction. He also pitched Trump on visiting Russia during the campaign as part of the business proposal.

The potential deal ultimately fell through, but Cohen discussed the project with Trump and his family even as the GOP candidate was publicly claiming that he had nothing to do with Russia.

___

HIS CLOSE ADVISERS SOUGHT RUSSIAN BACK CHANNELS DURING THE TRANSITION

Former national security adviser Michael Flynn , in particular, was a conduit, according to court documents .

In the waning weeks of the Obama administration, Flynn had several conversations with Sergey Kislyak, Russia's ambassador to the U.S., involving two issues important to Mueller. On Dec. 22, 2016, at Kushner's direction, Flynn asked Kislyak to delay or vote against a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements, a request Russia rebuffed.

A couple days later, President Barack Obama imposed sanctions on Russia in response to its election interference efforts. But in discussions with Kislyak, Flynn asked that Russia not escalate the situation and only respond "in a reciprocal manner."

Putin ultimately decided not to respond in kind, which Kislyak said was the result of Flynn's request.

___

LOTS OF PEOPLE AROUND TRUMP LIED TO INVESTIGATORS

His national security adviser, campaign chairman, personal lawyer and three other aides or advisers: All of them have been accused of lying to federal agents or Congress.

Flynn lied about his contacts with Kislyak. Cohen lied about the Trump Tower Moscow deal. Former Trump campaign foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos lied about his contacts with a Maltese professor who told him the Russians had dirt on Clinton in the former of thousands of emails.

Mueller also accused Stone of lying to Congress about his discussions regarding WikiLeaks, though Stone denies any wrongdoing.

___

BUT MUELLER DIDN'T FIND A CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY WITH RUSSIA

There were Russia contacts but they weren't a crime.

In his letter , Barr says Mueller uncovered "multiple offers from Russian-affiliated individuals to assist the Trump campaign." But the investigation "did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities."

To make that determination, Mueller's investigation used a specific definition for "coordination."

According to Barr's letter, the special counsel looked for evidence of any agreement "tacit or express" between the Trump campaign and the Russian government regarding election interference.

They found none.

___

EVIDENCE ON "BOTH SIDES" ON OBSTRUCTION

On obstruction, Mueller decided not to decide.

"While this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him," Mueller wrote in his report according to Barr.

Instead, the special counsel laid out the evidence on "both sides" of the question. According to Barr, Mueller left unresolved "difficult issues" of law and fact regarding whether Trump's "actions and intent could be viewed as obstruction."

Without a recommendation from Mueller, Barr stepped in. Barr, who was appointed by Trump, says he and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein decided there wasn't sufficient evidence to establish that the president obstructed justice.

He stressed that the decision was based on the facts related by Mueller and not a reflection of the Justice Department's view that a sitting president can't be indicted.

___

UNANSWERED QUESTIONS

There's still a lot unknown about Mueller's report.

Barr laid out the main findings and revealed the report's title "Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election." He said it is made up of two main parts, one on Russia election interference and one on obstruction of justice.

But he didn't say what episodes the special counsel specifically evaluated or why Mueller chose not to take a position on the question of obstruction. He didn't even say how long it is, and the Justice Department still won't.

Barr has said he's still reviewing what can be released to Congress. And for now, Americans will just have to wait.

___

Follow all of AP's Trump Investigations coverage at https://apnews.com/TrumpInvestigations
Consensus expectations for Teleflex Incorporated (NYSE: TFX) imply an improvement in revenue growth from an estimated 6.5 percent in 2019 to 7.2 percent in 2020, according to Raymond James.

New product traction and the potential commencement of UroLift sales in Japan could drive a further acceleration in revenue growth toward 7.5 percent or higher in 2020, the sell-side firm said Wednesday.

The Analyst

Analyst Lawrence Keusch maintained a Strong Buy rating on Teleflex and raised the price target from 0 to 8.

The Thesis

New products like RePlas and Manta could play a key role in enabling the company to achieve multiyear growth, Keusch said in the Wednesday note.

Raymond James' forecasts reflect around 6.5-percent constant-currency revenue growth for 2020 and 2021. This appears conservative, since new products could add an estimated $36 million in revenue, the analyst said.

The Japanese market represents an opportunity of at least $2 billion for UroLift, Keusch said. It could be larger when patients who are being medically managed for enlarged prostate symptoms are taken into account, he said.

Even a 20-percent shift of male patients who are on medical therapy in Japan could add another $1.2 billion in UroLift sales, the analyst said.

Even while raising the revenue growth estimate for 2020 from 6.7 percent to 6.9 percent, Keusch said that the figure still leaves room for upside.

In addition, well-timed M&A could help maintain organic growth in 2021 and beyond, adding to the sustainable growth profile.

Price Action

Teleflex shares were down 0.61 percent at $302.18 at the time of publication Wednesday.

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 2019 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, left, and his Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer arrive at a hotel in Beijing, Thursday, March 28, 2019. Mnuchin and his Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer arrive to China's capital to hold a new round of high-level trade talks with China on March 28-29, start with a working dinner. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

When U.S. officials, led by Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, meet with their Chinese counterparts for the latest round of trade talks, enforcement mechanisms and the timeline for tariff rollbacks will be among the key sticking points.

But, Alex Camara isnt waiting for a resolution.

The CEO of Seattle-based electronics manufacturer Audio Control has already begun shifting the companys supply chain away from China, forced to make a business decision with the political uncertainty in Washington and Beijing clouding outlook.

Weve started. We have plans in place, were working through that with two or three Chinese companies that supply product because we cant wait to suddenly find out, by the way the tariffs are now 25% or something, Camara said.

Camara sources 70% of his components from U.S. suppliers. But when the Trump administration implemented a 10% tariff on $200 billion in Chinese goods last fall, Camaras costs jumped. Everything from resistors to the diodes he imported were all taxed, resulting in a $200,000 bill, for the small business so far.

Thats a lot of money thats not being invested in our company, thats not being invested in growth, not invested in trying to improve efficiencies and employ more people as we grow in size, he said. Its not Chinese people that are paying tariffs. People need to realize that.

The high costs have prompted Audio Tools to get creative with its sourcing strategy. Oftentimes, thats meant working with Chinese suppliers to find alternative countries to buy from to avoid the tariffs. The same factories Camara relied on in China are now shifting to countries like Thailand and Vietnam, a move thats expected to take at least six months  and increase prices.

A growing number of companies

Sage Chandler, vice president for international trade for the Consumer Technology Association, says Camara represents many member companies that have simply accepted tariffs as a new way of doing business, taking control of their own supply chains instead of waiting for a political solution. The challenges are especially great for American companies with manufacturing hubs outside of the U.S.

Story continues

We have heard, on the very conservative side, that it takes at least two years to get an operations manufacturing up and running someplace else, but more like closer to five, Chandler said. Thats five years out of financial planning for something they already had. Theyre not getting anything new or better

The diversified supply chains have made the shift particularly expensive and lengthy for tech companies. Apple, for example, sources parts from 43 different countries to assemble its iPhones. Late last year, its key assembler Hon Hai Precision, known as Foxconn, announced it would invest roughly $230 million combined in factories in India and Vietnam to expand its presence outside of China amid the trade spat.

The global rethink of supply chains goes beyond the tech space. In a recent report published by McKinsey and Company, 33% of companies surveyed said uncertainty over trade policy was a top concern. Nearly half said their companies would shift their global footprint in response, and expected to invest more in local supply chains.

Rising labor costs in China

Nathan Resnick, founder of Sourcify, a manufacturing platform that connects entrepreneurs with overseas factories, says trade uncertainty has only accelerated a trend that began well before U.S.-China relations turned frosty. Rising labor costs in China have been a key driver for the shifts, especially among apparel makers.

There are some areas in China that are still affordable, but if youre in, say, the Guandong Province, moving production to outside Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam, labor costs can be as much as a third more affordable compared to a factory that is close to a very big city in China, he said.

Resnick says Chinese factories used to source 90% of his clients. Today, that number has dropped to nearly 60%, with Vietnam and the Philippines among the biggest beneficiaries. And those numbers arent likely to reverse, regardless of what President Trump and Xi Jinping agree to, he said.

Chandler says the broader shift out of China has raised another threat: the vacuum created by hollowed-out factories. Chandler says there are concerns that employees that are trained and well-versed in the manufacturing of some of these products could look to replicate the process and compete with some of her member companies.

The China exit is seen as a bigger hit to the domestic economy there, with factory activity shrinking to a 3-year low in February. Exports slumped to the worst in a decade.

But Chandler cautions that the China slump hasnt necessarily led to a significant bump for the U.S.

Precious few companies have said that their solution to this is bringing jobs back to the United States, she said. In fact, weve seen several that say were leaving the United States.

Akiko Fujita is an anchor and reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter at @AkikoFujita

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By Moses Kyeyune.

Former minister of Works Abraham Byandala says that Uganda carries a huge risk in national career, unless it wields majority shareholding.

According to the Katikamu North mp, only the Ethiopian Airways across the continent has registered profits.

He says that unless majority ownership is in the hands of the government, tax payers will have to break their backs.

The MP has been giving submissions on the debate in which government wants approval of 280 billion shillings for the final purchase of Bombardier aircrafts.

MPs have since poked holes in the move, in which government has only two shares, and the rest of the shares belong to an unnamed beneficiary.

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(Adds background on NASA planning, more quotes)

By Joey Roulette

March 26 (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Mike Pence announced on Tuesday an accelerated goal of putting Americans back on the moon within five years "by any means necessary," and NASA's top official immediately embraced the challenge.

Pence, chairing a meeting of the National Space Council at NASA's Marshall Spaceflight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, borrowed from the vocabulary of the Cold War era in declaring, "We're in a space race today, just as we were in the 1960s."

Setting such an ambitious goal - one likely to cost tens of billions of dollars - comes as NASA has struggled with the help of private partners to resume human space missions from U.S. soil for the first time since the shuttle program ended in 2011.

The drive to reach the moon reflects President Donald Trump's desire to champion a bold new national objective as he mounts a re-election bid, while also seeking to counter the potential space weaponry capabilities of Russia and China.

NASA had previously aimed to return astronauts to the lunar surface by the year 2028, after first putting a "Gateway" station in orbit around the moon by 2024.

The U.S. Apollo program, NASA's forerunner to the effort at returning humans to Earth's natural satellite, tallied six manned missions to the moon between 1969 and 1972.

So far, only two other nations have conducted "soft" landings on the moon - the former Soviet Union and China - but those were with unmanned robot vehicles.

ECHOES OF ARMSTRONG

"It's time for the next giant leap," Pence said, alluding to the famed words spoken by astronaut Neil Armstrong upon becoming the first man to step onto the moon in 1969.

"That next giant leap is to return American astronauts to the moon within the next five years by any means necessary, and to establish a permanent presence on the moon and prepare to put American astronauts on Mars," Pence said.

He added, "In order to accomplish this, NASA must transform itself into a leaner, more accountable and more agile organization."

Pence's remarks caused some initial confusion over whether a "return" to the moon necessarily meant landing astronauts on the moon or putting them into lunar orbit by 2024. But NASA officials later clarified a moon landing within five years was, indeed, the stated objective.

Story continues

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said in a Twitter post: "Challenge accepted. Now let's get to work."

Testifying before a U.S. Senate committee two weeks ago, Bridenstine said NASA was about two years away from launching its next big rocket and capsule vehicle - the Space Launch System, or SLS, designed to carry crews and cargo beyond Earth orbit. Boeing Co. is the primary contractor for the SLS rocket engines.

Bridenstine said NASA was considering moving forward with a less powerful commercial rocket, perhaps a vehicle built by SpaceX or the Boeing-Lockheed Martin partnership United Launch Alliance, to get an uncrewed capsule into space by 2020. After Tuesday's announcement, Bridenstine said he was sure NASA could achieve a successful SLS flight by next year.

In November, NASA named nine U.S. companies, including Lockheed Martin Corp, that would compete for funding under the space agency's renewed private-public partnership for developing technology to explore the lunar surface.

NASA has already set its sights on the moon's south pole, a region believed to hold enough recoverable ice water for use in synthesizing additional rocket fuel.

NASA also sees the moon as a way station en route to an eventual manned mission to Mars, which Bridenstine has said might be accomplished by the mid-2030s. (Reporting by Joey Roulette in Orlando, Florida; Writing by Steve Gorman; Editing by Bill Tarrant and Sandra Maler)
By Susan Cornwell

WASHINGTON, March 27 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump pledged on Wednesday to deliver a better healthcare system than Obamacare if the Supreme Court tosses out his predecessor's signature domestic achievement, a potentially hazardous claim as he seeks re-election.

Trump defended his administration's decision to step up its assault on the healthcare law passed under former President Barack Obama, which expanded healthcare coverage to about 20 million Americans.

"Obamacare is a disaster. It's too expensive by far," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. "We're coming up with plans. ... And if the Supreme Court rules that Obamacare is out, we will have a plan that's far better than Obamacare."

The Justice Department on Monday asked the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn Obamacare, as the 2010 Affordable Care Act that overhauled the U.S. healthcare system is popularly known. Justice said it backed a federal judge's ruling in December that the Affordable Care Act violated the U.S. Constitution because it required people to buy health insurance.

Trump had repeatedly called for the replacement of Obamacare during his 2016 presidential campaign. In a tweet in October 2016, he said, "We will have MUCH less expensive and MUCH better healthcare."

After he entered the White House in January 2017, Trump urged his fellow Republicans to repeal Obamacare, something that they tried and failed repeatedly to do. Republicans have never been able to agree on a replacement plan.

Trump predicted on Tuesday that would change, saying Republicans "will soon be known as the party of healthcare."

Top Democrats pounced on the administration's move, saying their success in winning control of the House of Representatives in the mid-term elections in November showed Americans want them to protect Obamacare against repeated Republican attacks.

Believing the healthcare issue can help them defeat Trump's re-election bid next year, House Democrats unveiled a new proposal on Tuesday that would expand the Affordable Care Act.

NO RUSH BY REPUBLICANS

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"If the Republican Party wants to be, in Donald Trump's words, the party of healthcare, God help the middle class," Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said on Wednesday on the Senate floor. The elimination of Obamacare would send health insurance premiums soaring and revoke coverage for tens of millions of people, he said.

Health insurance has been a rallying cry for Democrats who have launched presidential bids for 2020, though there are differences in what they propose. The "Medicare-for-all" approach first championed by Senator Bernie Sanders is now also embraced by several other contenders for the Democratic nomination.

Republicans in Congress seemed to be in no rush to re-engage on the healthcare issue.

Senator John Thune, the No. 2 two Republican in the Senate, told reporters on Wednesday that if there is a path forward on healthcare legislation, he assumed the Trump administration would be involved in the process.

"Well see what he puts forward and his team, Thune said.

Republican Senator Charles Grassley said, "We would have to act accordingly" if the Supreme Court dismantles Obamacare, but he noted there might not be any definitive court action until next year. And he doubted there would be a push for major healthcare legislation in a presidential election year.

Trump won a political victory over the weekend when Special Counsel Robert Mueller said his 22-month probe of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election had found no evidence that Trump's campaign team colluded with Moscow.

But Democrats say a new Republican push to end Obamacare could quickly overshadow that victory.

Obamacare survived a 2012 legal challenge at the Supreme Court when a majority of justices ruled the "individual mandate," which requires individuals to buy insurance or pay a penalty, was a tax that Congress had the authority to impose.

In December, U.S. District Judge Reed OConnor in Fort Worth, Texas, ruled the individual mandate could no longer be considered constitutional after Trump signed the $1.5 trillion tax cut package passed by Congress that eliminated the penalties.

Obamacare's supporters point out that in addition to expanding healthcare coverage to millions of Americans, it has made it more affordable for many via subsidized coverage, and prevented insurance companies from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions.

Critics view the law as a costly government intrusion into the private marketplace, and complain of high deductibles and premiums that price out some middle-income people who do not get subsidized coverage. (Reporting by Susan Cornwell Additional reporting by Steve Holland, Makini Brice and David Lawder; writing by Susan Cornwell; Editing by Leslie Adler)
FILE PHOTO: U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer holds a "Trump Playbook" document as he stands behind U.S. President Donald Trump as the president announces the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) during a news conference in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, U.S., October 1, 2018. REUTERS/Leah Millis

By Chris Prentice and David Lawder

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. labour officials on Tuesday pressed lawmakers to strengthen enforcement of the provisions of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) intended to protect workers, the latest sign the trade deal could face hurdles to passage in the Democrat-led House of Representatives.

Renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was one of President Donald Trump's campaign promises and part of his broader push for better terms of trade for the United States. He has said bad deals cost millions of U.S. jobs.

Republican House members who met with Trump at the White House on Tuesday afternoon said they would work hard to pass the new agreement, calling it a better deal for U.S. workers than the 25-year-old NAFTA.

"Our farmers and our manufacturers and tech companies tell us that it's crucial that we come together and pass this new agreement and get it to the president's desk this summer," said Representative Kevin Brady, the top Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee.

The Trump administration is lobbying to persuade Congress to ratify USMCA this year.

But representatives from some of the largest and most influential U.S. unions told members of the House Ways and Means trade subcommittee the reworked trade pact does not go far enough to ensure improvement of wages and working conditions, especially for Mexican workers.

"All the NAFTA renegotiation efforts in the world will not create U.S. jobs, raise U.S. wages or reduce the U.S. trade deficit if the new rules do not include clear, strong and effective labour rules that require Mexico to abandon its low wage policy," said Celeste Drake of the American Federation of Labour and Congress of Industrial Organizations.

In late 2018, the leaders of the United States, Mexico and Canada signed the deal to replace NAFTA, but it has yet to be reviewed and ratified by Congress. Trade among the three countries totals more than $1 trillion.

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Democrats, who took control of the House of Representatives in January, have traditionally been sceptical of free trade agreements and sympathetic to labour groups. Their support is essential to USMCA's passage.

USMCA requires its three signatories to maintain labour laws in line with international standards, and to enforce them. But critics have called the agreement's enforcement mechanism insufficient, saying it will still allow weak unions and resulting low wages in Mexico, while failing to stanch the flight of U.S. factories to lower-cost Mexico.

NAFTA, launched in 1994, put labour provisions in an unenforceable addendum to the agreement, allowing Mexican wages to stagnate despite a flood of factory investment from U.S. companies.

"The (USMCA) labour chapter is an improvement. The problem is the enforceability mechanism," said Shane Larson, a director with the Communications Workers of America, advocating for reopening the agreement.

Autoworkers, too, are concerned about the new agreement, despite provisions aimed at requiring more vehicle value content produced in North America and in high-wage areas in the United States and Canada.

USMCA "takes some positive steps but doesn't measure up to being able to make more good-paying jobs now and going forward," said Josh Nassar, legislative director of the United Auto Workers union.

NAFTA led to decades of lost jobs for U.S. autoworkers, who watched factories close as manufacturers moved production to Mexico.

House Democrats have greeted USMCA coolly, telling U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer earlier this month about concerns over labour enforcement and provisions that could lock in higher drug prices. [nL1N2101HP]

"This agreement is a continuation of the assault on the American middle class," Brian Higgins, a Democratic representative from New York, said at Tuesday's hearing.

(Reporting by Chris Prentice in New York and David Lawder and Jeff Mason in Washington; editing by Simon Webb, Steve Orlofsky and Tom Brown)
FILE PHOTO: Boeing logo at their headquarters in Chicago FILE PHOTO: The Boeing logo is seen at their headquarters in Chicago, in this April 24, 2013 file photo. Boeing Co on April 27, 2016, reported a 9 percent drop in first-quarter profit, citing an after-tax charge from the KC-46 aerial refueling tanker it is developing for the U.S. Air Force. REUTERS/Jim Young/File Photo/File Photo

By Tina Bellon

(Reuters) - A lawsuit against Boeing Co was filed in U.S. federal court on Thursday in what appeared to be the first suit over a March 10 Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX crash that killed 157 people.

The lawsuit was filed in Chicago federal court by the family of Jackson Musoni, a citizen of Rwanda, and alleges that Boeing, which manufactures the 737 MAX, had defectively designed the automated flight control system.

The 737 MAX planes were grounded worldwide following the Ethiopian Airlines disaster, which came five months after a Lion Air crash in Indonesia that killed 189 people.

Boeing said on Wednesday it had reprogrammed software on its 737 MAX to prevent erroneous data from triggering an anti-stall system that is facing mounting scrutiny in the wake of two deadly nose-down crashes in the past five months.

The planemaker said the anti-stall system, which is believed to have repeatedly forced the nose lower in at least one of the accidents, in Indonesia last October, would only do so once per event after sensing a problem, giving pilots more control.

(Reporting by Tina Bellon in New York; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Tom Brown)
(Adds quotes, details)

ABU DHABI, March 27 (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates' regulator is in the final stages of issuing a licence to the operator of the Barakah nuclear power plant now being built but cannot yet give a date for when it will be granted, a senior official said on Wednesday.

Operator Nawah Energy Company said in May that Barakah should start up between the end of 2019 and early 2020. It will be the UAE's first nuclear plant and the world's largest when complete, with four reactors and 5,600 megawatts (MW) capacity.

"We are not yet ready to issue the operating licence, we are in the final stages," Christer Viktorrson, director-general of the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR), told reporters, adding it was "very hard" to say when it would be issued.

Barakah, which will be operated by Nawah and owned by Emirates Nuclear Energy Company, is being built by Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO).

Delays in training enough local staff have pushed back the startup of the first reactor several times.

Viktorrson said the UAE was working with government entities on a strategy to provide education and training in radiation protection to those involved in the project.

He also said concrete voids detected by the contractor in the construction of two units of the plant had been repaired and he said this issue "is not part of the delay."

Asked about environmental concerns raised by Qatar to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Viktorrson said the nuclear regulator was conforming to the "highest international standards" of the IAEA for safety and security.

Qatar said in a letter to the IAEA that the Barakah plant posed a serious threat to regional stability and the environment. It called for a regional safety framework to ensure the safe use of nuclear energy in the Gulf.

(Reporting by Stanley Carvalho Editing by Edmund Blair)
WILMINGTON, Mass., March 27, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- UniFirst Corporation (UNF) today announced results for its second quarter ended February 23, 2019. Revenues for the quarter were $437.5 million, an increase of 4.3% from last year's second quarter. Operating income increased 48.9% from the prior year period to $62.4 million. Net income in the quarter decreased to $47.6 million ($2.48 per diluted share) from $58.4 million ($2.85 per diluted share) in the second quarter of fiscal 2018.



The Company's operating income and net income both benefited from a pre-tax gain of $21.1 million in the second quarter of 2019. This gain related to a settlement the Company entered into with the lead contractor for the version of the Customer Relationship Management system for which it recorded a $55.8 million impairment charge in fiscal 2017 (the "CRM Settlement"). This settlement included the receipt of a one-time cash payment in the amount of $13.0 million, the forgiveness of amounts previously due the contractor as well as the receipt of certain hardware and related maintenance.

The quarterly net income and earnings per diluted share ("EPS") comparisons were affected by uneven effective tax rates. The second quarter of fiscal 2019 had an effective tax rate of 24.9%, compared to a negative provision for income taxes in the year ago period. The prior year period tax rate was significantly impacted by the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act enacted on December 22, 2017, which resulted in a one-time benefit to the Companys provision for income taxes of $20.1 million (the Tax Reform Adjustment). This benefit was largely due to a one-time revaluation of the Companys U.S. net deferred tax liabilities. Excluding the impacts of the CRM Settlement and the Tax Reform Adjustment, the non-GAAP adjusted operating income in the second quarter of fiscal 2019 was $41.3 million compared to $42.0 million a year earlier. Non-GAAP adjusted net income for the quarter was $32.0 million ($1.67 per diluted share) compared to $38.2 million ($1.87 per diluted share) in the prior year period. The decline in non-GAAP adjusted net income and EPS was primarily due to a lower adjusted effective tax rate in the second quarter of fiscal 2018. The EPS decline was limited by fewer shares outstanding in the most recent quarter due to the effect of share repurchases made by the Company over the last twelve months. See the GAAP to Non-GAAP table for the reconciliation to adjusted results.

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Steven Sintros, UniFirst President and Chief Executive Officer, said, "Overall we were pleased with the results of our second quarter as despite a modest decline in operating margin, our revenues and profits exceeded our expectations. We want to thank our thousands of employee Team Partners across North America, Central America and Europe as they continue to produce solid results for our Company all while striving to provide high quality service to our customers."

Core Laundry revenues in the quarter were $394.4 million, up 4.1% from the second quarter of the prior year. Organic revenue growth, which excludes the estimated effect of acquisitions as well as fluctuations in the Canadian dollar, was 4.0%. The Core Laundry operating margin, which was positively impacted by the CRM Settlement, was 15.0% compared to 10.0% in the second quarter of the prior year. Excluding the impact of the CRM Settlement, the non-GAAP adjusted Core Laundry operating margin decreased from 10.0% in the second quarter of fiscal 2018 to 9.6%. See the GAAP to Non-GAAP table for the reconciliation to adjusted results. This decrease was primarily due to higher production and service payroll costs as well as higher merchandise amortization. These items were partially offset by lower healthcare claims as well as the capitalization of sales commission costs due to the adoption of new revenue accounting guidance in the first quarter of fiscal 2019.

Revenues from our Specialty Garments segment, which consists of nuclear decontamination and cleanroom operations, were $29.7 million in the quarter, an increase of 10.1% compared to the same period a year ago. This segments results can vary significantly due to seasonality and the timing of reactor outages and projects. This segment's top-line benefited from acquisitions in fiscal 2018 that increased quarterly revenues by 10.8%. Specialty Garments' operating margin decreased from 10.4% in the prior year to 7.5% in the second quarter of fiscal 2019 primarily due to higher costs related to its 2018 acquisitions as well as higher production payroll, merchandise amortization and casualty claims expense as a percentage of revenues.

UniFirst continues to maintain a strong balance sheet with no long-term debt and significant cash balances. At the end of the Company's second quarter of fiscal 2019, cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments totaled $335.3 million. During the second quarter of fiscal 2019, the Company repurchased 45,000 common shares at an average share price $139.57 under its previously announced stock repurchase program.

Outlook

Mr. Sintros continued, "At this time, we now expect our fiscal 2019 revenues will be between $1.785 billion and $1.795 billion. Based on better than expected results to date as well as the inclusion of the CRM Settlement we now expect full year diluted earnings per share to be between $7.65 and $7.90. This guidance for fiscal 2019 assumes no future share repurchases and includes one extra week of operations compared to fiscal 2018 due to the timing of our fiscal calendar."

Conference Call Information

UniFirst will hold a conference call today at 9:00 a.m. (ET) to discuss its quarterly financial results, business highlights and outlook. A simultaneous live webcast of the call will be available over the Internet and can be accessed at www.unifirst.com.

About UniFirst Corporation

Headquartered in Wilmington, Mass., UniFirst Corporation (UNF) is a North American leader in the supply and servicing of uniform and workwear programs, as well as the delivery of facility service programs. Together with its subsidiaries, the company also provides first aid and safety products, and manages specialized garment programs for the cleanroom and nuclear industries. UniFirst manufactures its own branded workwear, protective clothing, and floorcare products, and with more than 250 service locations, over 300,000 customer locations, and 14,000-plus employee Team Partners, the company outfits nearly 2 million workers each business day. UniFirst is a publicly held company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol UNF and is a component of the Standard & Poor's 600 Small Cap Index. For more information, contact UniFirst at 800.455.7654 or visit www.unifirst.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This public announcement contains forward-looking statements that reflect the Companys current views with respect to future events and financial performance, including projected revenues and earnings per share. Forward-looking statements contained in this public announcement are subject to the safe harbor created by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and may be identified by words such as estimates, anticipates, projects, plans, expects, intends, believes, seeks, could, should, may, will, strategy, objective, assume, or the negative versions thereof, and similar expressions and by the context in which they are used. Such forward-looking statements are based upon our current expectations and speak only as of the date made. Such statements are highly dependent upon a variety of risks, uncertainties and other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the performance and success of our Chief Executive Officer, uncertainties caused by adverse economic conditions and their impact on our customers businesses and workforce levels, uncertainties regarding our ability to consummate and successfully integrate acquired businesses, uncertainties regarding any existing or newly-discovered expenses and liabilities related to environmental compliance and remediation, any adverse outcome of pending or future contingencies or claims, our ability to compete successfully without any significant degradation in our margin rates, seasonal and quarterly fluctuations in business levels, our ability to preserve positive labor relationships and avoid becoming the target of corporate labor unionization campaigns that could disrupt our business, the effect of currency fluctuations on our results of operations and financial condition, our dependence on third parties to supply us with raw materials, any loss of key management or other personnel, increased costs as a result of any changes in federal or state laws, rules and regulations or governmental interpretation of such laws, rules and regulations, uncertainties regarding the impact of the recently passed U.S. tax reform on our business, results of operations and financial condition, uncertainties regarding the price levels of natural gas, electricity, fuel and labor, the negative effect on our business from sharply depressed oil and natural gas prices, the continuing increase in domestic healthcare costs, including the impact of the Affordable Care Act, our ability to retain and grow our customer base, demand and prices for our products and services, fluctuations in our Specialty Garments business, instability in Mexico and Nicaragua where our principal garment manufacturing plants are located, our ability to properly and efficiently design, construct, implement and operate a new customer relationship management (CRM) computer system, interruptions or failures of our information technology systems, including as a result of cyber-attacks, additional professional and internal costs necessary for compliance with any changes in Securities and Exchange Commission, New York Stock Exchange and accounting rules, strikes and unemployment levels, our efforts to evaluate and potentially reduce internal costs, economic and other developments associated with the war on terrorism and its impact on the economy, general economic conditions, our ability to successfully implement our business strategies and processes, including our capital allocation strategies, and other factors described under Item 1A. Risk Factors in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended August 25, 2018 and in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances arising after the date on which they are made.







UniFirst Corporation and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Income

(Unaudited)





(In thousands, except per share data) Thirteen

weeks ended

February 23,

2019 Thirteen

weeks ended

February 24,

2018 Twenty-six

weeks ended

February 23,

2019 Twenty-six

weeks ended

February 24,

2018 Revenues $ 437,485 $ 419,264 $ 876,035 $ 835,042 Operating expenses: Cost of revenues (1) 281,672 265,400 558,721 519,050 Selling and administrative expenses (1) 68,321 88,648 154,280 176,158 Depreciation and amortization 25,046 23,264 50,162 45,971 Total operating expenses 375,039 377,312 763,163 741,179 Operating income 62,446 41,952 112,872 93,863 Other (income) expense: Interest income, net (2,009 ) (1,430 ) (3,714 ) (2,706 ) Other expense, net 1,060 (186 ) 1,232 (32 ) Total other income, net (949 ) (1,616 ) (2,482 ) (2,738 ) Income before income taxes 63,395 43,568 115,354 96,601 Provision for income taxes 15,789 (14,810 ) 29,428 4,017 Net income $ 47,606 $ 58,378 $ 85,926 $ 92,584 Income per share  Basic: Common Stock $ 2.59 $ 3.02 $ 4.67 $ 4.79 Class B Common Stock $ 2.07 $ 2.42 $ 3.74 $ 3.83 Income per share  Diluted: Common Stock $ 2.48 $ 2.85 $ 4.46 $ 4.53 Income allocated to  Basic: Common Stock $ 39,923 $ 46,744 $ 72,061 $ 74,126 Class B Common Stock $ 7,683 $ 11,634 $ 13,865 $ 18,458 Income allocated to  Diluted: Common Stock $ 47,606 $ 58,378 $ 85,926 $ 92,584 Weighted average number of shares outstanding  Basic: Common Stock 15,428 15,481 15,430 15,471 Class B Common Stock 3,710 4,816 3,710 4,816 Weighted average number of shares outstanding  Diluted: Common Stock 19,232 20,463 19,258 20,434



(1) Exclusive of depreciation on the Companys property, plant and equipment and amortization on its intangible assets.







UniFirst Corporation and Subsidiaries

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

(Unaudited)





(In thousands) February 23,

2019 August 25,

2018 Assets Current assets: Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments $ 335,322 $ 270,512 Receivables, net 203,163 200,797 Inventories 95,706 90,176 Rental merchandise in service 179,134 174,392 Prepaid taxes 576 27,024 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 35,195 21,899 Total current assets 849,096 784,800 Property, plant and equipment, net (1) 554,187 547,996 Goodwill 397,336 397,422 Customer contracts and other intangible assets, net (1)

77,607 82,484 Deferred income taxes 433 425 Other assets 75,447 30,259 $ 1,954,106 $ 1,843,386 Liabilities and shareholders equity Current liabilities: Accounts payable $ 69,596 $ 73,500 Accrued liabilities 108,574 124,225 Accrued taxes 2,012 736 Total current liabilities 180,182 198,461 Long-term liabilities: Accrued liabilities 105,446 105,888 Accrued and deferred income taxes 87,688 74,070 Total long-term liabilities 193,134 179,958 Shareholders equity: Common Stock 1,540 1,543 Class B Common Stock 371 371 Capital surplus 84,454 82,973 Retained earnings 1,520,431 1,405,239 Accumulated other comprehensive loss (26,006 ) (25,159 ) Total shareholders equity 1,580,790 1,464,967 $ 1,954,106 $ 1,843,386



(1) The Company has reclassified $11.6 million of software from property, plant, and equipment to intangible assets as of August 25, 2018, to conform to current year presentation.





UniFirst Corporation and Subsidiaries

Detail of Operating Results

(Unaudited)

Revenues





(In thousands, except percentages) Thirteen

weeks ended

February 23,

2019 Thirteen

weeks ended

February 24,

2018 Dollar

Change Percent

Change Core Laundry Operations $ 394,408 $ 378,955 $ 15,453 4.1 % Specialty Garments 29,745 27,009 2,736 10.1 % First Aid 13,332 13,300 32 0.2 % Consolidated total $ 437,485 $ 419,264 $ 18,221 4.3 %





(In thousands, except percentages) Twenty-six

weeks ended

February 23,

2019 Twenty-six

weeks ended

February 24,

2018 Dollar

Change Percent

Change Core Laundry Operations $ 784,885 $ 752,751 $ 32,134 4.3 % Specialty Garments 64,193 55,436 8,757 15.8 % First Aid 26,957 26,855 102 0.4 % Consolidated total $ 876,035 $ 835,042 $ 40,993 4.9 %





Operating Income





(In thousands, except percentages) Thirteen

weeks ended

February 23,

2019 Thirteen

weeks ended

February 24,

2018 Dollar

Change Percent

Change Core Laundry Operations $ 59,113 $ 38,084 $ 21,029 55.2 % Specialty Garments 2,235 2,800 $ (565 ) (20.2 )% First Aid 1,098 1,068 $ 30 2.8 % Consolidated total $ 62,446 $ 41,952 $ 20,494 48.9 %





(In thousands, except percentages) Twenty-six

weeks ended

February 23,

2019 Twenty-six

weeks ended

February 24,

2018 Dollar

Change Percent

Change Core Laundry Operations $ 103,895 $ 84,442 $ 19,453 23.0 % Specialty Garments 6,705 7,277 $ (572 ) (7.9 )% First Aid 2,272 2,144 $ 128 6.0 % Consolidated total $ 112,872 $ 93,863 $ 19,009 20.3 %





UniFirst Corporation and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(Unaudited)









(In thousands) Twenty-six

weeks ended

February 23,

2019 Twenty-six

weeks ended

February 24,

2018 Cash flows from operating activities: Net income $ 85,926 $ 92,584 Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by operating activities: Depreciation and amortization 50,162 45,971 Amortization of deferred financing costs 56 56 Forgiveness of a liability (7,346 )  Share-based compensation 2,796 2,417 Accretion on environmental contingencies 377 346 Accretion on asset retirement obligations 441 470 Deferred income taxes 364 (20,613 ) Other (810 ) (135 ) Changes in assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions: Receivables, less reserves (2,502 ) (6,931 ) Inventories (5,589 ) (5,296 ) Rental merchandise in service (4,862 ) (69 ) Prepaid expenses and other current assets and Other assets (3,616 ) (7,067 ) Accounts payable (5,268 ) (5,395 ) Accrued liabilities (7,711 ) 39 Prepaid and accrued income taxes 26,243 22,535 Net cash provided by operating activities 128,661 118,912 Cash flows from investing activities: Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired (67 ) (21,729 ) Capital expenditures, including capitalization of software costs (52,152 ) (56,653 ) Proceeds from sale of assets 178 1,164 Other 15 (200 ) Net cash used in investing activities (52,026 ) (77,418 ) Cash flows from financing activities: Proceeds from exercise of share-based awards 27 430 Taxes withheld and paid related to net share settlement of equity awards (1,095 ) (2,094 ) Repurchase of Common Stock (6,281 )  Payment of cash dividends (4,140 ) (1,447 ) Net cash used in financing activities (11,489 ) (3,111 ) Effect of exchange rate changes (336 ) (444 ) Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments 64,810 37,939 Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments at beginning of period 270,512 349,752 Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments at end of period $ 335,322 $ 387,691





UniFirst Corporation and Subsidiaries

Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Measures

The Company reports its consolidated financial results in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). To supplement these consolidated financial results, management believes that certain non-GAAP operating results provide a more meaningful measure on which to compare the Companys results of operations for the periods presented. The Company believes these non-GAAP results provide useful supplemental information regarding the Companys performance to both management and investors by excluding certain non-recurring amounts that impact the comparability of the results. Supplemental reconciliations of consolidated operating income, net income and earnings per diluted share on a GAAP basis to adjusted operating income, net income and earnings per diluted share on a non-GAAP basis are presented in the following tables. In addition, Core Laundry Operations operating income and operating margin on a GAAP basis to adjusted operating income and adjusted operating margin on a non-GAAP basis are presented in the following tables. Investors are encouraged to review the reconciliations of these non-GAAP measures to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measures, which are provided below.





Thirteen weeks ended February 23, 2019 Consolidated Core Laundry Operations (In thousands, except percentages) Revenue Operating

Income Net

Income Diluted

EPS Revenue Operating

Income Operating

Margin As reported $ 437,485 $ 62,446 $ 47,606 $ 2.48 $ 394,408 $ 59,113 15.0 % CRM Settlement  (21,127 ) (15,566 ) (0.81 )  (21,127 ) (5.4 )% As adjusted $ 437,485 $ 41,319 $ 32,040 $ 1.67 $ 394,408 $ 37,986 9.6 %





Twenty-six weeks ended February 23, 2019 Consolidated Core Laundry Operations (In thousands, except percentages) Revenue Operating

Income Net

Income Diluted

EPS Revenue Operating

Income Operating

Margin As reported $ 876,035 $ 112,872 $ 85,926 $ 4.46 $ 784,885 $ 103,895 13.2 % CRM Settlement  (21,127 ) (15,566 ) (0.81 )  (21,127 ) (2.7 )% As adjusted $ 876,035 $ 91,745 $ 70,360 $ 3.65 $ 784,885 $ 82,768 10.5 %





Thirteen weeks ended February 24, 2018 Consolidated Core Laundry Operations (In thousands, except percentages) Revenue Operating

Income Net

Income Diluted

EPS Revenue Operating

Income Operating

Margin As reported $ 419,264 $ 41,952 $ 58,378 $ 2.85 $ 378,955 $ 38,084 10.0 % Tax Reform Adjustment (a)   (20,138 ) (0.98 )    % As adjusted $ 419,264 $ 41,952 $ 38,240 $ 1.87 $ 378,955 $ 38,084 10.0 %





Twenty-six weeks ended February 24, 2018 Consolidated Core Laundry Operations (In thousands, except percentages) Revenue Operating

Income Net

Income Diluted

EPS Revenue Operating

Income Operating

Margin As reported $ 835,042 $ 93,863 $ 92,584 $ 4.53 $ 752,751 $ 84,442 11.2 % Tax Reform Adjustment (a)   (20,138 ) (0.99 )    % As adjusted $ 835,042 $ 93,863 $ 72,446 $ 3.54 $ 752,751 $ 84,442 11.2 %



(a) The Tax Reform Adjustment, as presented, represents a one-time revaluation of our U.S. net deferred tax liabilities as well as a charge related to a one-time transition tax the Company will be subject to for the deemed repatriation of our foreign earnings. This does not include the benefit associated with the lower U.S. federal corporate income tax rates as of January 1, 2018. Our presentation of the effect of tax reform in our non-GAAP reconciliations of net income and diluted earnings per share for the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended February 24, 2018 contained in our press release dated March 28, 2018 included all of the net benefits associated with lower U.S. federal corporate income tax rates amounting to $30.1 million. Our presentation of the effect of tax reform in our non-GAAP reconciliations of net income and diluted earnings per share for the thirty-nine weeks ended May 26, 2018 contained in our press release dated June 28, 2018 included all of the net benefits associated with lower U.S. federal corporate income tax rates.





CONTACT:

Shane OConnor

Senior Vice President & CFO

Email: Shane_OConnor@UniFirst.com




UPS Inc. (NYSE: UPS) said today it has begun an unmanned drone service to deliver blood samples across the campus of a North Carolina-based hospital system. This is the first time the U.S. government has approved a drone's use for routine commercial flights under a contractual agreement, UPS said.

UPS is conducting the service through a joint effort with Matternet, a Menlo Park, California-based start-up which provides autonomous drone technology. The deliveries are being made at WakeMed Health and Hospitals' flagship hospital and campus in the Raleigh metropolitan area. WakeMed is a 919-bed system with multiple locations across the city. Atlanta-based UPS will provide customer management, oversee operations planning and optimization, and establish standard operating procedures. UPS and Matternet will manage the remote monitoring of the drone flights.

The program is being overseen by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT). The state agency has been active in deploying drones to expand healthcare access to North Carolina residents. Today's flight is expected to be the first of many daily scheduled flights at the WakeMed Raleigh campus, UPS said.

Under the program, a medical professional will load a drone container with a medical sample or specimen, such as a blood sample, at one of WakeMed's facilities. The drone, which will be remotely monitored, will fly along a predetermined flight path to a fixed landing pad at WakeMed's main hospital and central pathology lab. The service will supplement the hospital system's existing ground delivery network, which doesn't use UPS equipment, said Kyle Peterson,a UPS spokesman.

The program will utilize Matternet's battery-powered "M2 quadcopter," which can carry medical payloads weighing up to about five pounds for up to 12.5 miles, UPS said.

Based on a predetermined route of about 164 yards, a drone can complete a delivery in about three minutes, according to Peterson. By contrast, a ground delivery made by a courier takes at least 15 minutes because the cars operate in a circuit, Peterson said. A ground delivery, in fact, can take several hours depending on the availability of the equipment, he added. The hospital will determine what is loaded into the drone, he said.

Story continues

The addition of drone transport provides an option for on-demand and same-day delivery, and improves patient outcomes with potentially life-saving benefits, UPS said.

NCDOT began working with Matternet last August to test drones on the WakeMed campus. A three-year FAA program aims to test practical applications of drones by partnering local governments with private sector companies to learn more about how the technology can be incorporated into daily lives.

In 2016, UPS partnered with GAVI and Zipline to deliver blood products to remote locations in Rwanda. Matternet has already completed more than 3,000 flights for healthcare systems in Switzerland.

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Actors Winston Duke, from left, Lupita Nyongo and director Jordan Peele pose for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film Us in London, Thursday, March 14, 2019. (Photo by Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP)

Since its release last week, Jordan Peeles latest film Us has spawned numerous theories and thought pieces, as viewers attempt to unpick the notoriously cryptic directors doppelganger horror and its twist ending.

Reddit has been overwhelmed with posts about the film, but as noted by Vulture, one theory has proved popular. If you havent seen Us yet, spoilers follow.

Reddit user hoopsterben theorized in /r/FanTheories that the character of Jason, played by Evan Alex and his tethered double Pluto, switch places like Lupita Nyongos Adelaide and her tethered Red.

Read more: Us: All the Easter eggs, references and hidden meanings

For context; the film darkly ends with the revelation that when Adelaide and Red first met in 1986, they switched places. The haunting smile she gives her son in the car as they drive away from what the family think are the evil doubles is believed to be a sign that he too is a swapped tethered.

Hoopsterben presented his evidence to Reddit, 1. He forgot the magic trick. He didnt actually forget the magic trick, he learned it successfully and burnt half of his face off in the process, though his tethered only has a slight memory of him learning the trick. 2.While at the beach instead of building sand castles he was building tunnels, weird right 3. When both of the boys are in danger, the moms realize this had happened and each of them focus on their child. You can see in her eyes how sad she is when he burns alive.

You can read the theory here, along with other users responses.

Whether you believe the Jason theory or not, its hard to deny the draw of Us  over the weekend, the film brought $70 million just in North America, giving it the second biggest opening of the year.

Put simply, Jordan Peele is a genius, said Jim Orr, Universals president of domestic distribution.




Continuing with its retrenchment efforts, Wells Fargo WFC will now slash around 202 jobs in the banks consumer banking business payroll services, per a filing with the state. The latest development comes after the bank announced that will outsource its consumer banking business payroll services to HR and payroll company, ADP. These layoffs will be in its Bloomington office, per Minnesota's Department of Employment and Economic Development.



The retrenchment, beginning May 24, will be completed by the first quarter of 2020. Moreover, currently there is no information whether or not the employees have any bumping rights. Furthermore, the laid-off employees will be granted severance and permit to be on the banks health plan temporarily.



Notably, these employees are allowed to apply for other positions within the bank as per their qualifications, else it will help secure new jobs.



Reasons of Retrenchment



In sync with its restructuring moves, Wells Fargo has entered into an agreement with HR and payroll company  ADP  in order to transition the banks payroll clients on closure of the Business Payroll Services department. Per the deal, existing or future client inquiries regarding Wells Fargo payroll services will be directly catered by ADP. However, the acquiring company will not take over any of Wells Fargo's payroll employees.



"The agreement does not include the transfer of any Wells Fargo team members to ADP," a Wells Fargo spokesman stated in an email. The relationship with ADP helps us meet our goal of ensuring the business needs of these customers are met to the fullest extent possible," the mail further mentioned.



Conclusion



Wells Fargos sales scam allegation has led to many setbacks, including the banking giants tainted image, numerous lawsuits, triggered federal and state investigations, and congressional hearings. Moreover, the bank was unable to maintain profitability as compared to the set targets.



The bank aims to control costs through consolidating its operations, processes improvement through technology and mechanization, as well as the outsourcing of certain operations.



Currently, Wells Fargo carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Shares of the company have gained around 6.5% in the last three months.



Story continues

Wells Fargo & Company Price

Wells Fargo & Company Price | Wells Fargo & Company Quote

Stocks to Consider



Webster Financial Corporation WBS has been witnessing upward estimate revisions for the past 60 days. Further, the stock has appreciated more than 3% in the past three months. It currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.



M&T Bank Corporation MTB has been witnessing upward estimate revisions for the past 60 days, with the companys shares rising nearly 10%, in three months time. It holds a Zacks Rank of 2, at present.



E*TRADE Financial Corporation ETFC has been witnessing upward estimate revisions for the past 60 days. Over the past three months, this Zacks #2 Ranked companys shares have been up more than 3%.



Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2019



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Who wouldn't? Our annual Top 10s have beaten the market with amazing regularity. In 2018, while the market dropped -5.2%, the portfolio scored well into double-digits overall with individual stocks rising as high as +61.5%. And from 2012-2017, while the market boomed +126.3, Zacks' Top 10s reached an even more sensational +181.9%.



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Boeing. Photo by Tim Boyle/Bloomberg News



The World Trade Organization ruled Thursday that the United States had continued to provide subsidies to aeroplane maker Boeing despite the support being declared illegal in 2012.



The WTO's appellate body, which is effectively the highest court of world trade, issued a report saying that the U.S. had failed to end a number of tax measures that subsidised Boeing's production. These include programs and incentives provided by Washington state and South Carolina, as well as measures such as the Foreign Sales Corporation and the Extraterritorial Income Exclusion.



The EU, which had said the illegal subsidies hurt sales by Airbus, Boeing's European competitor, welcomed the ruling.



"Today's ruling is a welcome one for the EU, its aircraft-producing industry and workers across EU member states in this strategic sector," said Cecilia Malmstrom, the EU's Commissioner for Trade. "The Appellate Body has now settled this case definitively, confirming our view the U.S. has continued to subsidise Boeing despite WTO rulings to the contrary.



Malmstrom added that the EU will continue to defend a level playing field. "European companies must be able to compete on fair and equal terms and today's ruling is important in this respect."



The WTO also ruled that the tax measures had harmed Airbus, Boeing's European competitor.



The U.S. also claimed victory in the ruling, saying most of the EU's claims were rejected. European governments have provided massive subsidies to Airbus that dwarf any U.S. subsidies to Boeing, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said in a statement.



The ruling will allow the EU to impose retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods and services. The level of those tariffs is based on the harm done to Airbus, and not on the amount of aid Boeing received. They potentially could total billions of dollars.



The Appellate Body ruling ends a long-running dispute over subsidies to aeroplane makers that started in 2005, when the European Commission, which is responsible for EU trade policy, asked the WTO for a dispute settlement panel. In 2012, the Appellate Body ruled that U.S. tax measures broke trade rules.



The U.S. said in 2012 that it would comply with the WTO's rulings. The commission argued that the U.S. had failed to comply and asked the WTO for the right to apply sanctions on the U.S. to offset the harm caused to European aeroplane makers.



The verdict is one of several disputes pitting Boeing against Airbus in recent years and comes as Boeing has been facing concerns over its 737 Max aircraft following a fatal crash in Ethiopia this month and another off the coast of Indonesia last year.



It also comes at a time when a trade war is brewing between the U.S. and the EU. The Trump administration has threatened to place tariffs on European cars, and Europe has said it will not agree to U.S. demands that it open its markets to agricultural imports.
Pakistani authorities are investigating five prominent journalists and a blogger for displaying the photo of slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggis on social media during Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmans visit to Pakistan last month.

A confidential letter by the Cybercrime Wing of Pakistans Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on March 13 said that the organization had launched inquiries against journalists Matiullah Jan, Murtaza Solangi, Azaz Syed, Ammar Masood, and Umer Cheema for disrespecting the Saudi leader during his visit on February 17 and 18. The letter also names exiled blogger Ahmad Waqass Goraya and four Islamist groups opposed to Saudi Arabia.

These activists displayed the picture of murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi on their social media profile DPs [Display Photos] which conveyed a very disrespectful message to the visiting dignity, the letter said.

Sources in the FIA confirmed to RFE/RLs Gandhara website that the letter was authentic. Pakistans leading English-language daily Dawn also said that sources within the FIA had independently confirmed the authenticity of the letter.

"A targeted social media campaign was planned/executed against the [crown prince's] visit, during which [a] few social media activists and groups remained particularly consistent/active till the very last day of the visit," the letter noted.

Last October, Khashoggi was killed in Istanbul after entering the Saudi consulate. After initial denials, Riyadh confirmed that the dissident journalist was inside its consulate. Saudi Arabia, however, has denied the countrys crown prince ordered or was involved in the murder.

Solangi, one of the journalists named in the letter, reacted strongly. "This is preposterous, he told Gandhara. It looks like the Imran Khan administration is trying to appease its news bosses, the Saudis.

He said that inquiries ordered in the letter violated Pakistani laws and international conventions and thus amounted to killing the freedom of expression. Media in Pakistan was already muted and silenced, and this is a fresh attempt to make Pakistan look like an appendage of the Saudi monarchy, he said.

Masood, another journalist named in the letter, questioned whether Pakistani journalists would now be punished for changing their display photos. Freedom of expression is under real threat in Pakistan, he wrote on Twitter.

Global press freedom watchdog the Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the move. Pakistan's FIA should stop harassing journalists over social media posts, the organization wrote on Twitter. Is there any wonder why journalists wave the flag of Jamal Khashoggi? He was one of them, murdered for his work.

Amnesty International Deputy South Asia Director Omar Waraich also questioned the official probe against the journalists. They [the FIA] say honoring a murdered journalist is disrespectful to the murderer, he wrote on Twitter.

In the message sent to the FIA, Netherlands-based blogger Goraya said he will continue his campaign. I am a Pakistani citizen and I am fighting for democracy and rule of law in Pakistan, he wrote in the text message, which he said was sent to FIA officials. We want a Pakistan free from fear and terror and a Pakistan where all citizens are equal.

In January 2017, Goraya, an IT consultant, disappeared for three weeks along with four other secular activists in Pakistan. Human rights campaigners then blamed Pakistani intelligence agencies for detaining them. Pakistani authorities, however, denied holding the activists.

Currently, Pakistan is ranked 139th out of 180 nations in Reporters Without Borders 2018 World Press Freedom Index. Journalists and activists in the country complain of censorship and rapidly declining space for freedom of expression with the civilian and military authorities seeking to control the press and social media.
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Members of Colorados House of Representatives might vote on a second reading of a controversial bill seeking to overhaul the states oil and gas industry Wednesday evening.

Senate Bill 181 passed the House Finance Committee Monday on a party-line vote, and early Wednesday the House Committee on Appropriations also passed the measure on a party-line vote.

The bill would hand local governments control over industry development and operations, increase emission monitoring, and direct the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission to prioritize public health and the environment over fostering the industry.

Pushed through the Senate by Democrats earlier this month, House Republicans recently amped up their opposition to the measure, which they call a job killer and reincarnation of Proposition 112. Voters shot down the proposition, which would have mandated statewide setbacks for oil and gas drilling operations, last November.

On Tuesday House Republicans began to filibuster other bills as they demanded -- unsuccessfully -- to have a clause added to the oil and gas measure that would allow opponents try to block it through a voter petition drive.

It was not immediately clear if those attempts would continue Wednesday when the House reconvenes.
A 63-year-old man who was gunned down in the street Wednesday night near the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs recorded his killing on his cellphone.

An AMR medical tech found the phone next to Gary Dolces body, still recording, after he had been shot several times, an arrest affidavit says. The medical tech stopped the recording and played the video back, showing what had just happened to Dolce in the 1800 block of Rimwood Drive in north Colorado Springs.

The video shows a blue SUV driven by a man police later identified as Dolces next-door neighbor, James William Hanlon II, 53, pulling up to the curb on Rimwood Drive next to Dolce, the affidavit says.

Youre stupid, Hanlon is heard saying. Say again? Dolce replies.

Hanlon repeats himself, calling Dolce stupid, before a black handgun is pointed at Dolce, held by a hand wearing a blue, disposable glove, the affidavit states.

Several shots are fired, and Dolce falls to the ground and is heard yelling, Oh my god! over and over, the affidavit says. The handgun again comes into view. More shots are fired. The second volley of shots are not on the video. By then, police believe, Dolce was fatally wounded and dropped the phone, the affidavit says.

A car door can be heard closing, followed by the sound of a car speeding away.

A woman who was driving on Rimwood Drive at the time of the killing told police she heard gunshots, then saw a vehicle on the side of the road with a door open, the affidavit says. She saw a man get out of the vehicle and walk toward a person lying on the ground.

She thought the man from the vehicle was going to help the man lying on the ground, but, instead, he raised a gun, pointed it at the persons head and shot him, the affidavit says.

Police identified Hanlon on Thursday as the suspected shooter. Hanlon turned himself into police in the Denver Metro area on Friday night.

Police spokesman Lt. Howard Black called the killing horrific and said investigators would appreciate assistance from the public.

The shooting was reported at 6:24 p.m. Less than an hour earlier, at 5:38 p.m., Hanlon was cited by the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region for having an aggressive animal, the affidavit says.

In an audio recording of Hanlon being cited by Animal Law Enforcement, Hanlon and the animal control officer are heard going back and forth about Hanlons duty to restrain animals and having a dangerous dog.

They also are heard talking about the fence separating Hanlons and Dolces properties, and Hanlon says, Well, maybe he just needs his ass kicked. Maybe that will help. Ive done that before, that will sometimes get your neighbors to back off.

Later, Hanlon is heard saying, Were just gonna kick his ass, thats all were gonna do. Next time I see him, Ill just kick his ass. ... I guarantee you once he gets his ass kicked, that will be the end of it.

Shortly after Hanlon was cited, he told his family he had an emergency work callout and left his house on Rimwood Drive, the affidavit says.

More than a month earlier, on Feb. 19, police were called to Rimwood Drive for an altercation between Dolce and Hanlon, the affidavit says. Dolce told police his neighbor was trying to get him to fight and that there were ongoing issues with the neighbor.

The Gazettes Leslie James contributed to this report.
The controversial red flag measure allowing the court-ordered seizure of guns from people deemed a threat passed the Colorado Senate on Thursday by a single vote.

Senate President Leroy Garcia was the only Democrat to vote against House Bill 1177, which passed by an 18-17 margin in a chamber where Democrats hold a slim majority. Garcia, D-Pueblo, who signaled earlier in the week that he would vote no, joined every Senate Republican in opposing the bill.

The measure moves back to the House of Representatives, where Democrats hold a larger majority.

The House previously approved an earlier version of the bill, but needs to vote again on Senate amendments before the bill can advance to Gov. Jared Polis for his signature.

Polis has said he will sign the measure.

The measure was given preliminary approval by the Senate on a voice vote late Friday after hours of debate, but final action was delayed until Thursday amid uncertainty over Garcias vote.

Garcia, who in the past has taken conservative stands on some gun-control measures, revealed his opposition Tuesday to his hometown newspaper, the Pueblo Chieftain.

I took a hard look at this bill and while I strongly believe in its intent of preventing gun violence, this is simply not the right legislation for the people of Pueblo and southern Colorado, he told the paper.

Make no mistake  as a Marine veteran, I firmly believe that we can work together while respecting the rights of responsible gun owners and addressing the issues at hand. I want to continue working with my colleagues to find a Colorado solution.

A similar measure last year was defeated, although it had a modest amount of GOP support. Critics called this years version more extreme and say it poses a greater threat to Second Amendment gun rights because, in their view, it would make it too easy to seize guns and too difficult for someone to get them back.

During Thursdays debate ahead of the final vote, Senate President Pro tem Lois Court of Denver, one of the bills two prime sponsors, said HB 1177 will save lives and is totally constitutional.

At one point during Thursdays debate, Democrat Sen. Brittany Pettersen of Lakewood, the bills other prime sponsor, said the bill wasnt contentious, although about 30 of the states 64 counties have vowed not to enforce the bill, which has also been opposed by several sheriffs. Recall petitions are being discussed for up to a dozen lawmakers.

Thank you for fighting against fear mongering, Pettersen said. This is widely supported by Coloradans, asking us if we will fight for them or cave to misinformation.

She added: Its unfathomable that this is not already in law. She said the measure is for the woman whose sister died in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012, or for the student who is now part of the active shooter drill generation.

Opponents on Thursday spent about four hours decrying what they claim is the lack of due process under the measure for gun owners. They also complained that the bill lacks a process for providing mental health treatment for those whose firearms are seized.

An amendment from state Sen. Jerry Sonnenberg of Sterling, offered during last Fridays debate, would have struck the bill in its entirety and instead set up a process for ensuring mental health treatment, not dissimilar from an existing state law that allows a person to be placed on a 72-hour mental health hold.

That amendment was not allowed because it did not fall under the bills title of Extreme Risk Protection Order. That didnt stop Republicans from continuing to argue for it, or to seek that the bill be amended to include a petition clause that would allow voters to decide the issue.

Senate Minority Leader Chris Holbert of Parker pleaded with Democrats to either amend the bill or kill it.

If the measure becomes law, someone can make an accusation, the courts would issue a search warrant, and firearms could be seized without a crime being committed, Holbert said.

He also noted that the Denver and Aurora police unions have come out against the measure in recent days.

According to Colorado Ceasefire, 14 other states and the District of Columbia have similar laws. In two states, the laws have been deemed constitutional. And five Republican governors have signed similar bills into law.

Tom Mauser, a spokesman for Colorado Ceasefire, said in a statement that ERPO will prevent people who are a threat to the public from causing more tragedies. ... It would have been tragic, after listening to all the testimony by victims and survivors, to have this bill fail again. Mausers son, Daniel, was one of the students murdered at Columbine High School in 1999.

Under HB 1177, a family or household member or a police officer could ask a court for a temporary extreme risk protection order, or ERPO, if they can establish by a preponderance of the evidence that a person poses a significant risk to self or others by having a firearm in his or her custody ...

Under the bill, the petitioner must submit an affidavit signed under oath and penalty of perjury that sets forth facts to support the issuance of a temporary ERPO and a reasonable basis for believing they exist.

Under the ERPO, the respondent shall surrender all of his or her firearms and his or her concealed carry permit if the respondent has one, the bill says.

If a court agrees to issue a temporary ERPO requiring that weapons be surrendered, the court must schedule a second hearing no later than 14 days following the issuance to determine whether the issuance of a continuing ERPO is warranted, the bill says.

The court shall appoint counsel to represent the respondent at the hearing. If a family or household member or a law enforcement officer establishes by clear and convincing evidence that a person poses a significant risk to self or others by having a firearm in his or her custody or control or by possessing, purchasing, or receiving a firearm, the court may issue a continuing ERPO. The ERPO prohibits the respondent from possessing, controlling, purchasing, or receiving a firearm for 364 days.
Congratulations to Air Force Gen. Jay Raymond, whom President Donald Trump announced Tuesday as his nominee to command the reactivated U.S. Sp
Colorado Springs April 2 municipal election has drawn hundreds of thousands of dollars of campaign contributions, some from out of town, records show.

In all, four candidates are competing for the citys mayoral seat, including incumbent John Suthers; 11 hopefuls  including two incumbents  are in the running for three open at-large seats on the City Council; and one question  Issue 1  also is on the ballot.

The Colorado Springs city clerk requires candidates to itemize campaign contributions above $20.

The largest cash magnet has been Issue 1, put forth by the Professional Firefighters Association, IAFF Local 5, asking voters to approve collective bargaining rights for the citys firefighters.

One group opposing the initiative  Citizens Against Public Employee Unions  has raised more than $326,000, filings indicate. Cash and in-kind contributions have come from Suthers and employees of the Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC, among other city residents.

The chamber contributed $10,000, but Folium Biosciences more than doubled that with a check for $25,000 and the Housing and Building Association donated $30,500, the filings show.

Foliums contribution, however, was dwarfed in early February by a $70,000 check from a local conservative political group  Colorado Springs Forward  which also was heavily involved in the 2017 municipal election. The group wrote several smaller checks later in February, totaling about $11,000 and another check early this month for $85,000, the filings show.

In addition, the Issues Mobilization Committee, of Inverness, and the president of ProTerra Properties, of Larkspur, contributed $10,000 and $5,000, respectively, the filings show. At least one out-of-state organization, Microchip Technology of Arizona contributed to the cause as well, writing a check in late February for $10,000.

Citizens Against Public Employee Unions expenditures were mostly focused on media spots, mailing and printing services and consulting and polling services.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, Firefighters for a Safer Colorado Springs, in favor of Issue 1, collected more than $537,000.

The organization received about $200,000 from the unions membership dues, at least $100,000 from Colorado Professional Firefighters, of Denver, and $70,000 from the International Association of Firefighters, based in Washington, D.C.

The pro-union group spent $50,000 in its effort to petition onto the April ballot and tens of thousands of dollars on consulting, ad buys, social media marketing, printing, mailing and more, the filings show.

Among candidates, Suthers has raised the most money. As of his March 15 filings, the incumbent had raised more than $160,000. One of Suthers opponents, John Pitchford, reported more than $100,000 of cash on hand throughout the campaign, though the vast majority of that stems from a $104,000 loan he gave himself, the filings show. Pitchford has reported just a few hundred dollars of itemized contributions.

Juliette Parker, another mayoral candidate, reported about $1,750 of itemized contributions in addition to a $4,000 loan to herself, the filings show. The fourth and final mayoral candidate, Lawrence Martinez, had not filed a finance report as of March 15.

Four council candidates  Tony Gioia, Terry Martinez, Tom Strand and Wayne Williams  reached the five-figure mark for contributions.

Through March 15, Gioia has raised more than $23,000, Martinez has raised more than $28,000 and Strand has raised more than $28,000, the filings show. Through March 24, Williams has raised more than $55,000.

Williams received checks from the Realtor Candidate Political Action Committee and others.
With clocks relentlessly ticking and chimes melodically ringing, the Tick Tock Shop is not a quiet place.

But that symphony  from desk clocks and wall clocks and cuckoo clocks and more  is lost on Jonathan Mattson, who has been around the repair and retail business since he was a kid running free in the shop his father opened.

"I don't really hear them anymore," he says of the sounds.

David Mattson started the business in 1974. The shop has moved a couple of times as it has grown.

David Mattson moved with his family from his native Finland to the United States in the 1940s. He served in the Navy for four years, then went to watchmaking school before going to work at Hamilton Watch Co. in Pennsylvania. After that, it was back to the U.S. military  this time in the Air Force, where he served for more than 20 years.

He worked on early computer systems  "the punch card kind," Jonathan says  at the now-gone Ent Air Force Base and the North American Aerospace Defense Command.

"When he got out, he decided, I don't really care if I ever use another computer again," Jonathan Mattson says. Instead, David Mattson returned to watchmaking.

Why that passion? "I'm not sure," Jonathan says. "He always had a good mechanical mind. It's been said that a watchmaker might not make it rich, but they'll always have work."

David Mattson started off doing watch repairs for jewelry shops. The shop also became an authorized Timex repair service. "That was kind of a big deal," Jonathan says.

Did You Know?  The art of making watches and clocks is known as horology, which is also defined as the study and measurement of time.  The demand for watchmakers in the U.S. is increasing, according to the American Watchmakers  Clockmakers Institute. For every 10 watchmakers that retires each year only one new watchmaker is entering the workplace, the institute says.  The average starting salary for a certified watchmaker, according to the institute, is between $35,000 and $45,000 annually.  The Research and Education Council is an entity of the American Watchmakers  Clockmakers Institute that promotes education in the horology industry. The REC lists five schools in the U.S. devoted to horology.

Jonathan's brother Carl learned watchmaking and repair from his dad and has worked on iconic clocks in the area, such as the Wheeler Clock in Manitou Springs and clocks at the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum. Jonathan went a different direction, getting a masters in theology and becoming a full-time pastor. He returned to the business when his dad began to slow down and needed some help. David Mattson died in 2010 and Jonathan and Carl now own the business.

It's a business that's thriving, even in this digital age. "We're backed up six to eight weeks on clock repair," Jonathan Mattson says.

There are a dozen people on staff, a mix of full- and part-timers.

"A lot of my staff has been here a long time," Jonathan Mattson says. That includes Marie Westmoreland, who does watch repairs and will celebrate 29 years with the business in September.

Westmoreland learned watchmaking and repair in her native Germany; as a woman in the field, she was a rarity, she says. She moved to the Springs with her then-husband, who was in the military, and looked up clock shops in the Yellow Pages in search of work. She ended up sitting down for an interview with David Mattson at the nearby Loaf 'N Jug and got hired.

As a boss, David Mattson was "quiet but always fair," Westmoreland says. Family came first for him, she says, so he understood the home obligations Westmoreland had with three small children at the time.

She, of course, has seen timepieces change over the decades. "The more you get into the fancy stuff, the less you can really work on them."

Some people, though, cling to their favorite timepiece. Westmoreland cites one customer's "regular lady's Seiko quartz watch" that she's cleaned four times over the years rather than the person replacing it. (She notes the cleanings on the inside of the back of the watch.)

One thing that hasn't changed: "We're still pretty packed and busy," she says.

People these days are finding their options for clock repair to be increasingly limited, Jonathan Mattson says. "A lot of guys in my dad's generation had a shop, but there's no one to take it over. ... There's a shortage of qualified watchmakers, particularly in the U.S."

Hundreds of clocks, including an expansive collection of grandfather clocks, are on display at the Tick Tock Shop. "I don't know anybody who has more clocks in Colorado," Mattson says.

The repair staff makes house calls on grandfather clocks. "It's not something that's easy to load into your car and bring to the shop," Mattson notes.

While most people today can simply glance at their smartphone to get the time, a lot of the older clocks and watches that the Tick Tock Shop repairs come loaded with sentimental value: a grandfather's pocket watch, a watch that was a graduation gift, a clock that has been in the family for generations.

"It's a neat tie to the past and it's something that's functional going forward, too," Mattson says. "How many things from a hundred years ago do we use in our daily lives? Clocks or watches are among them. Everyone is tuned in to what time it is."
WASHINGTON  The U.S. House Financial Services Committee on Thursday approved a bill co-written by U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter of Colorado that would authorize marijuana-related businesses to open bank accounts and obtain lines of credit. The accounts would be allowed only in states that legalize marijuana sales, such as Colorado.

Financial regulations now deny access to the banking system for marijuana businesses because it is an illegal drug under federal law.

The bill, called the Secure and Fair Enforcement Banking Act, was co-written by Perlmutter, an Arvada Democrat.

The SAFE Banking Act is about public safety, accountability and respecting states rights, Perlmutter said.

Supporters say the bill would help the businesses grow and reduce crime associated with their cash transactions. The alleged crimes have included money laundering, tax fraud and attacks on marijuana business owners believed to be carrying cash.

Allowing the business access to banks, along with the laws that regulate them, would improve transparency and accountability and help root out illegal transactions, Perlmutter said.

Most importantly, the SAFE Banking Act will get cash off our streets, reducing the risk of violent crime and making our communities safer.

The bill, H.R. 1595, had 152 cosponsors in the House of Representatives by the time of the committees 45-to-15 vote Thursday.

One of them was Rep. Earl Blumenauer, an Oregon Democrat, who tweeted: Outstanding! This is an important first step in the blueprint to legalization.

Colorado is one of nine states that have legalized recreational and medicinal use and sales of marijuana. Forty-seven states allow at least limited use of marijuana.

The bill next moves to a vote on the floor of the House. A Senate companion bill is expected to be introduced within weeks.

An amendment in the bill extends the shield from regulatory penalties for serving marijuana businesses beyond banks and credit unions to include insurance companies.

Republicans generally opposed the legislation, saying Congress needs to consider a broader issue of whether marijuana should be legalized before thinking about bank access. They were joined in their opposition by the public policy group SAM Action, which opposes marijuana legalization as a health and safety threat.
Grand Old Partisan salutes Henry Washburn, born in Vermont this day of 1832. He studied law, after apprenticing as a tanner, and set up a practice in Indiana. For seven years he was a county auditor.

Outbreak of civil war, Washburn recruited volunteers and enlisted as lieutenant colonel of the 18th Indiana Infantry. He battled through Missouri and Arkansas and Mississippi and Virginia and Georgia. Leadership and gallantry merited his promotion to brigadier general.

In 1866, this patriotic Republican won the first of two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. President Ulysses Grant appointed him surveyor general of Montana. He led an expedition that brought the Yellowstone area to national attention. Mount Washburn is named for him.

Here is a Video Version of this article on YouTube: https://youtu.be/xEJKFYvlQS4

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

"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"
Republic of China (Taiwan) All the following listed ATM machines still on service, with their machine code, as: 76 Taipei Railway Station...
The University of Houston has transformed its Energy Research Park into the Technology Bridge to better connect research-based startups to the market. Natalie Harms/InnovationMap
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.
There are no traffic lights in the historic village of S. Miguel de Allende, Mexico, but now there is Chabad. Rabbi Daniel and Raizel Huebner, and their three children, moved to the city just before last Chanukah and have begun producing programs for the Jewish community.

The mountainous, cobblestoned village, a three-and-a-half hour drive away from Mexico City, attracts artists, writers, weavers and others looking for creative inspiration. One section of the town that attracts tourists is a World Heritage Site, a center of the historic Chichimeca War of the late 1500s. The local Jewish community of 2,000 in the summer and 4,000 in the high season of winter is made up mostly of retirees and expats, including many businesspeople from the U.S.

The infusion of Judaism has been well received: a challah bake hosted soon after their arrival filled the familys living room to capacity with over thirty people attending.

The Huebners didnt come empty handed: the family brought with them a Torah recently dedicated by Rabbi Tuvia and Chaya Teldon, directors of Chabad in Long Island. They wrote the Torah in memory of their son Boruch, who passed away at age thirteen, twenty-seven years ago, from complications related to cystic fibrosis. The Torah will be loaned to communities who dont yet have their own and S. Miguel is the first city to host it.

Gerald Getzel Teldon, Rabbi Tuvias father, lives in S. Miguel and proudly shares memories of his grandson whenever the Torah is read from at Chabad. The Huebners are grateful for the boost the Torah gives their start-up Chabad.

For more information, visit: https://www.chabadsma.com/

The Huebner family

There are no traffic lights in S. Miguel de Allende






IceViking strongly condemns physical attacks and harassment directed towards them.





They are also often victims of the Islamic idea. This is true when it comes to the cruel and tragic treatment of Muslim women and children when it is in accord with the Koran, the example of Mohammed and Islamic law, Sharia, which may be applied regardless of where a Muslim male may find himself in the world, whether in a Muslim or non-Muslim country.





However, in no way, shape or form should one judge all Muslim men because of what is in Islamic scripture and what constitutes the Islamic law, Sharia.





"Race", ethnicity or basically anything that you are "merely" born with should never be a basis for bigotry and discrimination.





Apostates from Islam have been executed for 1400 years in accord with the Koran and the words and actions of the Islamic prophet Mohammed and Islamic law, Sharia.





They should be lovingly helped.





Furthermore, approximately as many as 11,000,000 Muslims may have been killed by other Muslims since 1948.





To quote the website The Religion of Peace (TROP), edited by Glen Roberts:





While it may be safe to say that a true Muslim would not intentionally kill another true Muslim ( 4:92-93 ), the Quran places no such value on the life of a Muslim who is not true. Consider verse 9:73 :

Strive hard against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be harsh against them, their abode is Hell.

The Arabic for strive hard uses the same root as Jihad - and the context in this sura is holy war (see v. 86 and 91). Thus, there are two distinct classes of people that a true Muslim is to target with harshness: disbelievers and hypocrites.



A disbeliever obviously refers to a non-Muslim, so a "hypocrite" must be a Muslim of some sort. In fact, hypocrites are those who say they believe, but do not act as they should. In other words, they are "Muslims", but not true Muslims. They will go to hell just as unbelievers do, and so, according to the verse, their lives matter for naught.



The same sura says that a hypocrite can be recognized not just by lack of piety (reluctance to follow Sharia), but by fear of death ( 9:56 ), reluctance to fight ( 9:44-45 ) and even friendliness toward non-believers ( 9:67 ). A true Muslim would thus be a pious person who relishes martyrdom, is eager to fight, and shuns non-believers.



Even the Quranic passage that warns against killing "believers" ( 4:88-94 ) is more complicated than it first appears. It never says that a true Muslim is incapable of killing another Muslim, just that it should not be done. In fact, it makes exceptions for the unintentional killing of "believers" in war and mandates the killing of "hypocrites."



Verse 17:33 says, "Do not kill anyone which Allah has forbidden, except for a just cause" . The greatest cause of all is that Islam be superior ( 9:33 ), which is exactly what Islamic terrorists say is their goal. Thus believing Muslims are allowed to be collateral damage in the war on unbelievers.









There is sadly a phenomena that I`ve noticed in Sweden and elsewhere of people using true facts about Islamic doctrine and history as a cover for all sorts of irrational targeting of Muslims, ranging from xenophobia and racism to verbal abuse and physical attacks.





This is strongly condemned by this website and does not in any way serve serious criticism of orthodox Islam and other important work.





It`s also important that one tries to express oneself in a civilized way. Words matter.





In this bloggers humble opinion the root cause of the problem is the ancient doctrine of orthodox Islam.













In simple terms a non-Muslim is a Kafir.





" The Koran defines the kafir and kafir is not a neutral word. A kafir is not merely someone who does not agree with Islam, but a kafir is evil, disgusting, the lowest form of life."





An exact quote, as stated in the writings of Dr. Bill Warner in the article "Kafir" at http://www.politicalislam.com/kafir .





In the perfect Koran (Allah`s direct and literal word as revealed to Mohammed through the angel Jibril), Muslims are told 89 times to emulate Mohammed in all ways (see Koran 33:21 for instance).





Mohammed`s example, the Sunna, is found in the Hadith (stories of what Mohammed said and did) and the Sira (biographies of Mohammed).





Islamic law, Sharia , is directly derived from these unchanging scriptures. It is based on the Koran`s numerous commands to obey Allah and obey the Messenger, that is Mohammed (see Koran 4:59 for instance).









Islam is Sharia. Sharia is Islam.





It is a capital crime for Muslims to deny Sharia in any way.





A Muslim is someone who submits to Islam and submitting to Islam means obeying the Sharia of Allah.





Sharia law includes pronouncements for both Muslims and non-Muslims (Kafirs).









Islam is a "complete way of life", a "complete code of life", a "complete system of life".





Islam is not just a religion but also a comprehensive ideology.





Islam is a supremacist ideology.





Islam is a totalitarian and imperialistic ideology akin to Communism and Nazism.





Islam is a civilization.

Islamic law, Sharia, is a manual for a civilization.





Islamic law, Sharia, governs every aspect of life.

It has a say about every conceivable human act .





Non-Muslims are morally and legally inferior in Islam. Women are morally and legally inferior in Islam.

























The History of Jihad: From Muhammad to ISIS by Robert Spencer is the first one-volume history of jihad in the English language and a great book on the topic.





Allah guarantees Paradise to those who "kill and are killed" for him (Koran 9:111).





A hadith depicts a Muslim asking Muhammad: "Instruct me as to such a deed as equals Jihad (in reward)." Muhammad replied, "I do not find such a deed." (Bukhari 4.52.44)





Muhammad himself said:

I have been commanded to fight against people so long as they do not declare that there is no god but Allah, and he who professed it was guaranteed the protection of his property and life on my behalf except for the right affairs rest with Allah. (Sahih Muslim 30)









Freedom of speech, human rights, democracy, science and human lives are all at stake in the fight against the Islamic Jihad.




Should proponents of legalizing cannabis in Illinois be worried about Rep. Marty Moylans (D-Des Plaines) House resolution?



The resolution, HR157, urges legislators to slow the process of legalizing recreational marijuana in Illinois. Moylans resolution now has 60 sponsors and co-sponsors, which is a majority of the Houses 118 members. In theory, anyway, it has enough votes to pass.



One of Moylans newest co-sponsors is Rep. Carol Ammons (D-Urbana), who has her own, very liberal legalization bill. Ammons noted last week that her own legislation hasnt moved and wants assurances that some concerns are addressed before the main bill starts to advance. Those concerns include a social justice component that would do things like expunge criminal records.

Left-leaning groups are also legitimately concerned that the industry will be overrun by rich people and huge corporations, crowding out people who live in poor areas and minorities in general. Big companies are dumping huge amounts of money into this industry. Im all for people making money, but the wealth needs to be spread around on this one, particularly since the folks living in those neighborhoods have borne the brunt of the misguided and over-zealous war on drugs.Moylans resolution has been assigned to the House Judiciary - Criminal Committee. Just one of Moylans Democratic co-sponsors (Rockford Rep. Maurice West) sits on that committee. So, it seems unlikely to pass. However, Moylan could press to have the resolution discharged from committee to the House floor, which will require 60 signatures.Would it pass if it did get to the floor? Well, I do know that at least some Republicans signed on as co-sponsors to send a message to Gov. J. B. Pritzker. They didnt like how the governor steamrolled his minimum wage increase bill through the General Assembly and they want to make extra sure he knows he shouldnt try to do it again with cannabis.While legalization should not ever be considered any sort of be-all, end-all state fiscal solution, it is an integral part of Pritzkers budget proposal, so you can probably expect Democratic legislative leadership to weigh in on this eventually and quietly slow down the slow-downers.After years of remaining coy, House Speaker Michael Madigan finally came out for legalization shortly after Pritzker was elected last year. Some even believe that Pritzkers election convinced Madigan to get with the program.Moylan has never made any bones about being a Madigan guy. Well, except for that time during last years campaign when he denied taking Madigans money when he had. The opposition ran a TV ad last year that included video of Moylan joyfully leading cheers for Madigan at a Springfield event.Because of that, folks have been wondering ever since Moylan started this quest whether he was really doing Madigan some sort of favor. Is he trying, for instance, to force the governor into bending to Madigan somehow?Its more likely that Moylan is simply doing what he always likes to do: Get publicity for himself. The man, like many folks in Springfield, is a bit of a media hound. He works very hard at that. And keep in mind that both Chicago newspapers have published editorials this year asking that the process be slowed down, so thats perfect for him during endorsement time if he picks up another challenger next year. Well just have to wait and see if and/or when Madigan ever yanks his chain.But the whole idea that this process has moved too fast is just ridiculous on its face. Negotiations between legislators and stakeholders began about two years ago. And the governors office only began convening meetings a couple of weeks ago.If people want their issues addressed, they should get themselves to the bargaining table.
Shawn Gregory, Gail Simpson, Tom Shafer, Herman Senor

Among myriad issues, aldermanic candidates in Ward 2 face a common issue in the April 2 election: voter apathy.



Four years ago, Ward 2 had the lowest turnout of any ward, with 20 percent of registered voters casting ballots and more than 400 of the 1,828 voters who did go to the polls not expressing a choice in the aldermanic race that Herman Senor won handily.

Even as Ward 2 voters stay home, they face some of the biggest challenges in the city, including poverty, crumbling infrastructure and a lack of commercial development that could provide jobs.Why do so many Ward 2 voters skip municipal elections?I attribute that to people who dont see change, answers Gail Simpson, a retired state worker who is seeking her old seat after serving two terms as Ward 2 alderman before running for mayor four years ago and capturing less than 5 percent of the vote in the primary. When people dont see change, they get frustrated, they say Why should I vote?Simpson didnt do well as a mayoral candidate, but shes enjoyed success in Ward 2, where she won a seat on the city council by a comfortable margin in 2007 and ran unopposed four years later. Shes been endorsed by Inner City Older Neighborhoods, a coalition of neighborhood groups, but otherwise has struggled to get endorsements. Shes a Democrat in a race that is officially nonpartisan, but hasnt won party support this time around. Instead, Democrats have endorsed Shawn Gregory, a political newcomer who counts as a mentor Frank McNeil, a three-term alderman who is his adoptive uncle. Like Simpson, Gregory, who works for Green Family Stores and has won support from organized labor, says that voter apathy is a symptom of lost hope. The thought is, Why vote  dont waste your time, he says. He says his chances improve with every voter who goes to the polls, and he predicts hell win if turnout is higher than in past years.Gregory says hes the candidate who can produce change, and he criticizes Senor and Simpson for not changing anything for constituents during their years on the city council.Simpson says that experience and knowledge count, and she has both. Frustrations dont get jobs done, she says. My feeling is, as alderman for Ward 2, I am uniquely positioned to know whats best. I know my constituent base. I know what they want, what they need. During her prior tenure on the council, Simpson gained a reputation for saying no to new liquor licenses and convenience stores, but she also pushed to allow Magros Meat and Produce, a grocery store and meat processing company, to move into the ward. She also sponsored a successful measure to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana.Senor, a Republican who works for the Illinois Department of Transportation, says that the ward, and the city as a whole, have seen progress during the past four years. Railroad relocation work has improved access between the east and west sides of town via rail overpasses on the 11th Street rail corridor, he said. The Salvation Armys move to the Golds Gym building on Clear Lake Avenue with financial help from the city has proven a good thing, he said, although communication about the citys intentions and goals could have been better early in the process, when the move, pushed by Mayor Jim Langfelder, surprised many and sparked opposition from neighbors, who were worried about a planned homeless shelter that never came to fruition.All three candidates say they support legalization of recreational marijuana. Gregory stands alone in opposition to Hunter Lake, a proposed backup water supply for the city. Gregory and Simpson agree that the city needs to do more to fight poverty and provide employment for ward residents. Senor, however, says that folks need to work for what they want.There are opportunities out there, but people have to be motivated from within, the alderman said at a recent candidate forum sponsored by the State Journal-Register. No job is going to come to your door and come knock on your door. You just have to get out and motivate yourself to get better.Gregory said no one wants a handout, but the deck often is stacked. A lot of times, they know who theyre going to hire before you even get there, he said. Simpson says Senor absolutely does not have a point. Minorities, she said, arent given sufficient consideration in city hiring.Tom Shafer, whos run for Sangamon County Board, county coroner, Springfield School District 186 board and Lincoln Land Community College board of trustees, also is running for the Ward 2 seat. He did not respond to an interview request and indicated at the State Journal-Register candidate forum that he did not wish to speak with Illinois Times.
Ward 1 Alderman Chuck Redpath and candidate Rev. T. Ray McJunkins are facing off again to represent the largest ward in the city.



McJunkins, lead pastor at Union Baptist Church and a founder of the Faith Coalition for the Common Good, received about a quarter of the votes in the 2015 election. McJunkins said he had no intention of running against Redpath a second time until he was approached the week of Thanksgiving by residents who wanted to see him on the ballot. He said he realizes its a tough race, especially since Redpath is a Springfield name thats been around the city for the past couple of decades, but he knows there are constituents who are ready for change.



McJunkins said one of the biggest criticisms he has received is about his lack of experience in governing, but he disagrees. He said his current position leading his church required a vote, and he can be voted out if hes doing an inefficient job. He was also tapped to serve on the Committee on Equality, Equity, and Opportunity transition team after Gov. J.B. Pritzker was elected.

Redpath, whos now retired, was originally elected as the Ward 4 alderman in 1987 until he reached term limits in 2007. He returned to public service in 2015 when current mayoral candidate Frank Edwards termed out as the Ward 1 alderman and Redpath successfully ran for alderman in a new ward.Redpath said he believes his record, like stabilizing residential energy needs for the next five years and shifting road maintenance in his ward from CWLPs Lake Services to public works, demonstrates the type of change hes been able to effect in his position.Redpath and McJunkins both realize that issues in Ward 1 are vastly different than those of other wards, since residents living near the lake dont typically deal with problems such as the homeless population, problem properties or fly dumping that are prevalent in many other parts of the city. However, both candidates see room for improvement.McJunkins said he would like to see more commercial development on his side of the city since there are limited options for shopping in Ward 1. However, he thinks more development should be simultaneously occurring on the east side, rather than being limited to the west side of town. He is concerned with the future growth of the city as a whole.We could always stroke our egos, but there comes a time where you need to be honest with yourself. Jobs have left here, McJunkins said.He also thinks the city should take the opportunity to cultivate a better relationship with the new leaders in state government.If not, when other federal funding comes into the state  its going to go to Chicago, its going to go to Champaign, and the capital city will be neglected, McJunkins said.Redpath also agrees there is a need for economic development and jobs, and he thinks the $56 million hotel project that the council voted Feb. 19 to support is necessary if the city is going to revitalize its downtown. In his own ward, he sees Lake Springfield as critical for future development.Redpath said hes revisited the issue of Hunter Lake, or Lake 2, and thinks theres a good chance the land purchased for a second lake could become a state park in the near future. But that would involve redredging Lake Springfield the correct way.Back in the 80s when we did it the first time, we did some dredging but we didnt clog up the areas that drain into the lake, so all the silt ran right back into the lake, Redpath said.Its necessary to have a backup water supply, Redpath said, but he also believes using Lake Springfield as a recreational area is a great way to create additional revenue. Springfield is a tourism town, Redpath said. The big issue we have is tourism.Redpath said one of the improvements he made in the past few years was shifting some of the road maintenance from Lake Services to Public Works, and he believes his efforts have paid off. The roads are in a lot better shape than they were about two years ago, Redpath said.Redpath is also concerned about accessibility to the lake for all residents in Springfield. He said he and Mayor Jim Langfelder have been working on a plan to develop a bike trail around the lake and install walking paths so it can be an area that everyone in the city can enjoy.Redpath said the job of an alderman is to represent the people, but McJunkins said voters have expressed a need to have an alderman who returns calls.McJunkins was also critical of what a vote for Redpath would mean. Whats missing from the city council, McJunkins said, is newness, citing an absence of innovation that is prohibiting the city from evolving.I dont think Springfield is headed in the wrong direction, McJunkins said. Its going in a slow direction. To me, theres a better way, because right now its business as usual.
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Post: #1 Man threatens to kill the President and blow up Pentagon

Advertisement



KINGWOOD, W.Va. - UPDATE (March 27, 2019 7:15 p.m.):



West Virginia State Police released new information about the incident along Interstate 68 in Preston County.



On March 27, at approximately 10:30 a.m., a trooper was driving on I-68, when he saw a gray sedan with Missouri registration approach him from behind at speeds exceeding 130 mph, according to a press release. This vehicle then passed the state police cruiser, at which time the trooper made a traffic stop near mile marker 30.



According to police, the driver, who has not been named, appeared to be confused and stressed and made statements that concerned police. These statements, along with other factors, led the trooper to believe there could be an explosive device inside the vehicle, the release states.



The trooper removed the driver from the vehicle without incident. After securing the driver, police made the decision to close all lanes of I-68 in that area for safety concerns, according to the release.



Police said Explosives Response Teams from West Virginia State Police, Maryland State Police and the West Virginia University Police Department responded to the scene. Three explosives-detecting K-9s from the WVU Police Department indicated the presence of explosive materials inside the vehicle. West Virginia State Police Explosives Response Team members arrived and performed a search of the vehicle but did not find any explosive devices, according to the release. The incident remains under investigation.



Special Agents with the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Secret Service are also looking into the incident.



Authorities removed the vehicle from the scene at approximately 2:30 p.m., according to police. The interstate was closed for 3 1/2 hours.



There is no word on what charges, if any, the driver may face in the incident.



https://www.localdvm.com/news/update-man...1880698317 You can't go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending. ~ C.S. Lewis UPDATE: Man detained after I-68 traffic stop reveals threats against President Trump & the PentagonKINGWOOD, W.Va. - UPDATE (March 27, 2019 7:15 p.m.):West Virginia State Police released new information about the incident along Interstate 68 in Preston County.On March 27, at approximately 10:30 a.m., a trooper was driving on I-68, when he saw a gray sedan with Missouri registration approach him from behind at speeds exceeding 130 mph, according to a press release. This vehicle then passed the state police cruiser, at which time the trooper made a traffic stop near mile marker 30.According to police, the driver, who has not been named, appeared to be confused and stressed and made statements that concerned police. These statements, along with other factors, led the trooper to believe there could be an explosive device inside the vehicle, the release states.The trooper removed the driver from the vehicle without incident. After securing the driver, police made the decision to close all lanes of I-68 in that area for safety concerns, according to the release.Police said Explosives Response Teams from West Virginia State Police, Maryland State Police and the West Virginia University Police Department responded to the scene. Three explosives-detecting K-9s from the WVU Police Department indicated the presence of explosive materials inside the vehicle. West Virginia State Police Explosives Response Team members arrived and performed a search of the vehicle but did not find any explosive devices, according to the release. The incident remains under investigation.Special Agents with the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Secret Service are also looking into the incident.Authorities removed the vehicle from the scene at approximately 2:30 p.m., according to police. The interstate was closed for 3 1/2 hours.There is no word on what charges, if any, the driver may face in the incident.
Post: #1 US approves secret sale of nuclear tech to Saudi Arabia

Advertisement US approves secret sale of nuclear tech to Saudi Arabia







The administration of US President Donald Trump has approved six authorizations that allow American companies to secretly provide Saudi Arabia with nuclear technology or technical assistance, an official document shows.



According to the document, issued by the Department of Energy and seen by Reuters on Wednesday, the firms had requested the US government to keep their approvals secret.



In this case, each of the companies which received a specific authorization for (Saudi Arabia) have provided us written request that their authorization be withheld from public release, the departments National Nuclear Security Administration wrote in its document.



Meanwhile, a Department of Energy official stressed that the requests contained proprietary information and that the authorizations had gone through a multi-agency approval process.



According to Reuters, an informed source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also said that the authorizations let companies do preliminary work on nuclear power ahead of any deal but not ship equipment that would go into a plant.



In a congressional hearing on Wednesday, Representative Brad Sherman urged Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to release the names of the companies that received the authorizations, accusing the Trump administration of attempting to evade Congress on sharing nuclear power with Riyadh.



One thing that is in our interest is to prevent Saudi Arabia from getting a nuclear weapon, he said. What Ive seen in this administration recently... is an effort to evade Congress and to some extent evade your department and provide substantial nuclear technology and aid to Saudi Arabia while [Riyadh] refuses to abide by any of the controls we would like to see regarding reprocessing, enrichment.



Many US Congress members are concerned about the provision of nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia, a destabilizing force under the Salman clan.



Last month, a report by a congressional committee revealed that the Trump administration was trying to bypass Congress to transfer sensitive nuclear power technology to Saudi Arabia.



Irans Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif at the time decried the US hypocrisy over the planned nuclear sale to the Saudi regime.

PressTV-Nuclear sale to Saudis clear case of US hypocrisy





PressTV-Nuclear sale to Saudis clear case of US hypocrisy

Irans foreign minister calls the United States' planned sale of nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia a hypocritical move.



Last March, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said that the kingdom would be quick to develop nuclear weapons if Iran  which Riyadh views as its arch rival in the region  did so.



Iran does not pursue nuclear weapons, and under a 2015 international deal, it has placed its entire nuclear program under enhanced 24/7 monitoring by the United Nations (UN)s atomic watchdog. That organization, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has repeatedly confirmed the peaceful nature of Irans nuclear program.



With the secret nuclear support of the Trump administration  which is strongly opposed to Iran  reported by Reuters, it is unlikely that Saudi Arabia will allow any meaningful international monitoring of its nuclear work once it is in possession of the technology, augmenting concerns about nuclear weapons proliferation. The Israeli regime, another adversary of Iran, also has a nuclear weapons program not subject to any international monitoring at all mainly due to support from Washington. Under King Salman and his son, Mohammed, Saudi Arabia has been recently cozying up to the Tel Aviv regime.



The Reuters report said Russia and South Korea are competing with the US to secure a nuclear contract with Saudi Arabia. The administration of US President Donald Trump has approved six authorizations that allow American companies to secretly provide Saudi Arabia with nuclear technology or technical assistance, an official document shows.According to the document, issued by the Department of Energy and seen by Reuters on Wednesday, the firms had requested the US government to keep their approvals secret.In this case, each of the companies which received a specific authorization for (Saudi Arabia) have provided us written request that their authorization be withheld from public release, the departments National Nuclear Security Administration wrote in its document.Meanwhile, a Department of Energy official stressed that the requests contained proprietary information and that the authorizations had gone through a multi-agency approval process.According to Reuters, an informed source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also said that the authorizations let companies do preliminary work on nuclear power ahead of any deal but not ship equipment that would go into a plant.In a congressional hearing on Wednesday, Representative Brad Sherman urged Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to release the names of the companies that received the authorizations, accusing the Trump administration of attempting to evade Congress on sharing nuclear power with Riyadh.One thing that is in our interest is to prevent Saudi Arabia from getting a nuclear weapon, he said. What Ive seen in this administration recently... is an effort to evade Congress and to some extent evade your department and provide substantial nuclear technology and aid to Saudi Arabia while [Riyadh] refuses to abide by any of the controls we would like to see regarding reprocessing, enrichment.Many US Congress members are concerned about the provision of nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia, a destabilizing force under the Salman clan.Last month, a report by a congressional committee revealed that the Trump administration was trying to bypass Congress to transfer sensitive nuclear power technology to Saudi Arabia.Irans Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif at the time decried the US hypocrisy over the planned nuclear sale to the Saudi regime.PressTV-Nuclear sale to Saudis clear case of US hypocrisyLast March, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said that the kingdom would be quick to develop nuclear weapons if Iran  which Riyadh views as its arch rival in the region  did so.Iran does not pursue nuclear weapons, and under a 2015 international deal, it has placed its entire nuclear program under enhanced 24/7 monitoring by the United Nations (UN)s atomic watchdog. That organization, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has repeatedly confirmed the peaceful nature of Irans nuclear program.With the secret nuclear support of the Trump administration  which is strongly opposed to Iran  reported by Reuters, it is unlikely that Saudi Arabia will allow any meaningful international monitoring of its nuclear work once it is in possession of the technology, augmenting concerns about nuclear weapons proliferation. The Israeli regime, another adversary of Iran, also has a nuclear weapons program not subject to any international monitoring at all mainly due to support from Washington. Under King Salman and his son, Mohammed, Saudi Arabia has been recently cozying up to the Tel Aviv regime.The Reuters report said Russia and South Korea are competing with the US to secure a nuclear contract with Saudi Arabia.
- Vic Sotto and his wife Pauleen Luna-Sotto took their child Tali Sotto to Japan for a vacation

- Photos and clips of their trip abroad surfaced online

- The celebrity family bonded with each other in different locations in Japan

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Vic Sotto, Pauleen Luna-Sotto, and their baby Tali Sotto went abroad for an awesome vacation.

KAMI learned that the superstar family had a vacation in the beautiful country of Japan.

Photos and clips of their bonding moments there went viral on social media.

Some of the photos show the family spending quality time with each other in a clean public playground.

The Sotto family also tried out Japanese meals at a restaurant.

The celebrity baby also enjoyed her time walking outdoors.

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KAMI reported earlier that baby Tali already knows how to fill in the blanks when her mommy is country from one to 10.

Vic Sotto married his fellow Kapuso star Pauleen Luna on January 30, 2016. She gave birth to her firstborn named Talitha or Tali Sotto on November 6, 2017. Vic and Pauleen are both hosts of Eat Bulaga, the longest noontime variety program in the Philippines. Tali Sotto is now one of the most popular celebrity babies in the country today, thanks to her viral social media photos and videos.

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Tricky Questions: What Is The Tagalog Of Lighthouse? We're back on the streets of Metro Manila to ask tough and tricky questions to ordinary citizens! And as expected, their answers are out of this world! Check out all of our exciting videos  on KAMI HumanMeter YouTube channel!

Source: Kami.com.ph
- Senator Leila De Lima shared her birthday message for President Rodrigo Dutertes 74th birthday

- She said that she wishes enlightenment for the President

- The detained senator also urged the President to quit from his post

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Detained Senator Leila De Lima shared her birthday message for President Rodrigo Duterte who is celebrating his 74th birthday today, March 28. KAMI learned that De Lima referred to the President as the Philippines biggest crisis.

Enlightenment. True and profound enlightenment. Happy birthday po, De Lima told the reporters.

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In a report by the Inquirer (author Pathricia Ann V. Roxas), De Lima urged the President to quit from his post after complaining that he is getting more and more exhausted amid the countrys woes.

Kung pagod ka na, Ginoong Duterte, mag-resign ka na lang. Pagod na pagod na rin ang bansa sa mga drama at kabuktutan mo. Si Duterte ang pinakamalaking krisis na nangyari at nangyayari sa bansa, De Lima said.

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As previously reported by KAMI, President Duterte shared days before his birthday that he is exhausted and that he is just trying to find an excuse to quit so he can finally rest.

During his speech, the President said that he does not want to have a grand birthday celebration and he plans to sleep instead. He added that he wants to celebrate his special day with his children and grandchildren.

Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news!

Tricky Questions: What Is The Tagalog Of Lighthouse? We're back on the streets of Metro Manila to ask tough and tricky questions to ordinary citizens! And as expected, their answers are out of this world! Check out all of our exciting videos  on KAMI HumanMeter YouTube channel!

Source: Kami.com.ph
- An OFW in Malaysia shared a hilarious conversation she had with her employer

- One of the lines in their convo was, "Ok maam I dont cook you...I just cook sir"

- Many netizens had a good "laughtrip" after reading their funny conversation

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A conversation between an OFW working in Malaysia and her employer has gone viral.

KAMI learned that the convo was so hilarious that it got many netizens laughing their hearts out.

Despite the fact that the English was somewhat ridiculous, the OFW was able to fully understand it and knew what her employer wanted her to do.

Here's the conversation between Valleryn Caranza Landong and her employer, which she shared on Facebook, and was also reported by OFW Tambayan.

'I just cook sir' OFW shares hilarious convo with employer whom she fully understands (Photo: Facebook Valleryn Landong)

Source: Facebook

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Employer: Sandra I out tomolo you cook sir the brief in the frid fly veges and rice you can fly the rice put egg

Valleryn: Okie maam I dont cook you... I just cook sir?

Employer: Yes just cook sir and please fly the fish sir many eat if you cooking

Valleryn: Okie maam

Employer: Thank you

'I just cook sir' OFW shares hilarious convo with employer whom she fully understands (Photo: Facebook Valleryn Landong)

Source: Facebook

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While her employer may not be that good in English, it is far better to have an employer who says "please" and "thank you" than to end up with an employer who would maltreat an OFW.

Her employer simply wanted her to know that she would be out tomorrow and that Valleryn would have to cook the beef, fry the veggies, and fry the rice with egg.

The employer also stated that if it's Valleryn cooking, her male employer eats a lot.

She also knew how to say please and thank you.

Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news!

Bea Alonzo reveals how ghosts intervened in the process of the "Eerie" movie shooting. Spooky and exciting moments first-hand, from one of the greatest movie stars in Philippines! Watch it here.

Source: Kami.com.ph
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By Leslie Berestein Rojas and Jill Replogle

Orange County has announced that it will stop housing detainees from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to free up more space for inmates requiring mental health services.

"We are terminating the ICE contract for all facilities," Orange County spokeswoman Carrie Braun told KPCC/LAist.

The county will stop housing detainees as of Aug. 1, according to ICE, which said in a statement that the move "will negatively impact local ICE operations" and force it to relocate detainees "farther away reducing the opportunities for in-person family visitation and attorney coordination."

The detainees "will most likely be transferred outside of California," the sheriff's department said in a statement.

Orange County's contract with ICE permits it to hold nearly 1,000 ICE detainees long-term, about 600 detainees at the Theo Lacy Facility in Orange and more than 350 detainees at the James A. Musick facility in Irvine.

"Since 2015, we have seen a 40 percent increase in open mental health cases in our jails, Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes said in a video announcing the change. "The number of mental health cases now exceeds 1,800 on any given day."

"Consequently we must focus on enhancing our mental health services and expanding the number of beds for individuals with mental health needs," Barnes added.

The county plans to add about 500 beds for inmates with mental health issues at its Intake Release Center in Santa Ana, according to the sheriff's department.

Speaking with reporters Wednesday afternoon, Barnes said the move was also a business decision. He said it would cost more to maintain the ICE contract than to end it, and that the county must spend money to upgrade its facilities for the mentally ill if it wants to stave off potential litigation from disability rights advocates.

At the same time, Barnes said, the county is not housing as many ICE detainees as its contract allows, which results in fewer federal dollars.

Ending the contract will also mean that county personnel can be redirected from ICE detention duties, Barnes said.

"It gives me the personnel I need to put into these mental health units," he said.

Barnes said the Musick facility will be temporarily closed while the county builds two new state-funded facilities.

The county has leased bed space to ICE since 2010. The current contract isn't due to expire until July 2020, but it allows for early termination.

The ACLU of Southern California is "profoundly concerned about the fate of the immigration detainees" in Orange County's custody, staff attorney Sameer Ahmed said in a statement. Barnes "is wrong to suggest that all individuals must be transferred to other facilities," he added. "We demand that ICE release as many individuals as possible to ensure they remain closer to their families, friends, communities, and attorneys."

Ahmed noted that the Theo Lacy immigrant detention facility has been under scrutiny after investigations uncovered poor conditions there.

Barnes, in his video, said he wanted to make clear the decision to end the contract was not due to "recent political rhetoric."

"Our nine-year leasing agreement has been mutually beneficial and a benefit to Orange County taxpayers," he said. "Ending the contract early is necessary to ensure that we are utilizing our resources to meet our local responsibilities."

Barnes added that the county would continue to work with ICE to the extent allowed by California law, which limits local and state cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

Orange County houses more than 6,000 people in its jails on any given day, the sheriff said.

This story has been updated to include additional comments from Sheriff Barnes on Wednesday afternoon.
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This year's primary election for an open seat on the Los Angeles Unified School Board was the closest result in an LAUSD race in 24 years.

On Wednesday, candidate Graciela Ortiz announced she would not challenge that result. In an interview, Ortiz said she decided not to request a recount ahead of a deadline Wednesday evening.

The final tally left Ortiz on the outside looking in -- just 31 votes behind Heather Repenning for second place and a spot in the May runoff election that will decide who ultimately claims the LAUSD Board District 5 seat.

"The numbers just weren't there," Ortiz said. "Historically, when you do a recount, you end up getting maybe a handful of votes different. If [the margin] were in the single digits, possibly."

Only the top two finishers from the March 5 primary will advance to the runoff on May 14. Jackie Goldberg took first place with 48 percent of the vote. Ortiz and Repenning ran a neck-and-neck race for second; both won around 13 percent.

The margin in this year's election was the tightest LAUSD race since 1995, when a recount determined that David Tokofsky beat Lucia Rivera for a school board seat by a mere 76 votes.

Ortiz's campaign had suggested another, overlapping special election for an open State Senate seat, which may have confused some voters.

State Senate District 33 covers some of the same turf as LAUSD Board District 5 -- in particular, the "Southeast Cities" like Huntington Park, where Ortiz is a city council member and a high school counselor.

Election day in the state Senate race was this Tuesday, March 26 -- but sample- and mail-in ballots were sent to voters at around the same time as the March 5 LAUSD primary.

The near-simultaneous arrivals of election materials also may have prompted some voters to show up at the wrong polling place on March 5; many voters were assigned to different precincts for the LAUSD and state Senate elections.

Michael Sanchez, a spokesman for the L.A. County Registrar-Recorder/Clerk's office, acknowledged that a small number of voters who cast ballots by mail, stuffed LAUSD ballots into state Senate envelopes.

But Sanchez said any ballots mailed that way -- and received by the mail-in deadline for the LAUSD race -- were counted in the overall totals for the school district race. Ortiz said she was satisfied that voters who showed up to the incorrect polling place were allowed to cast provisional ballots.

"Every single question that we had, we got answered," Ortiz said.

Repenning, who initially declared victory after the county concluded its count on March 15, said the decision not to recount leaves a little more room to run a "short sprint" to the runoff election day.

"The work for me is to continue to build my coalition," Repenning said, "so that I can really give myself the best possible chance to win on May 14."

Ortiz said she is still deciding whether or not to run for re-election for her seat on the Huntington Park City Council.

"All odds were against us," Ortiz wrote in a statement emailed to her campaign's supporters, "just like many times the odds are against the children in our communities."

"In fact, it is just the beginning," she continued. "I will continue to fight for equity in all our schools."

Ortiz said she was still deciding whether to make an endorsement, but could announce whether she backs Repenning or Goldberg as early as Sunday.

UPDATES:

Mar. 28, 9 a.m.: This article was updated to include Ortiz's plans to endorse in the race.

This article was originally published on Mar. 27 at 6:26 p.m.
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(5) Mar 29 (7) Mar 28 (6) Mar 27 (5) Mar 26 (5) Mar 25 (6) Mar 24 (5) Mar 23 (5) Mar 22 (5) Mar 21 (4) Mar 20 (3) Mar 19 (6) Mar 18 (6) Mar 17 (2) Mar 16 (4) Mar 15 (5) Mar 14 (4) Mar 13 (5) Mar 12 (5) Mar 11 (4) Mar 10 (4) Mar 09 (2) Mar 08 (5) Mar 07 (4) Mar 06 (3) Mar 05 (4) Mar 04 (6) Mar 03 (4) Mar 02 (4) Mar 01 (5) Feb 28 (6) Feb 27 (4) Feb 26 (4) Feb 25 (6) Feb 24 (2) Feb 23 (3) Feb 22 (4) Feb 21 (6) Feb 20 (2) Feb 19 (6) Feb 18 (4) Feb 17 (2) Feb 16 (3) Feb 15 (6) Feb 14 (6) Feb 13 (6) Feb 12 (9) Feb 11 (5) Feb 10 (3) Feb 09 (4) Feb 08 (4) Feb 07 (7) Feb 06 (3) Feb 05 (4) Feb 04 (5) Feb 03 (4) Feb 02 (3) Feb 01 (3) Jan 31 (4) Jan 30 (4) Jan 29 (3) Jan 28 (2) Jan 27 (2) Jan 26 (3) Jan 25 (4) Jan 24 (4) Jan 23 (2) Jan 22 (2) Jan 21 (5) Jan 20 (4) Jan 19 (5) Jan 18 (4) Jan 17 (4) Jan 16 (3) Jan 15 (4) Jan 14 (3) Jan 13 (3) Jan 12 (3) Jan 11 (2) Jan 10 (8) Jan 09 (6) Jan 08 (2) Jan 07 (2) Jan 06 (3) Jan 05 (2) Jan 04 (2) Jan 03 (2) Jan 02 (2) Jan 01 (2) Dec 31 (2) Dec 30 (3) Dec 29 (3) Dec 28 (3) Dec 27 (2) Dec 26 (2) Dec 25 (2) Dec 24 (2) Dec 23 (2) Dec 22 (2) Dec 21 (2) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (2) Dec 18 (3) Dec 17 (2) Dec 16 (2) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (2) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (3) Dec 11 (3) Dec 10 (5) Dec 09 (3) Dec 08 (3) Dec 07 (2) Dec 06 (3) Dec 05 (3) Dec 04 (5) Dec 03 (4) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (3) Nov 30 (4) Nov 29 (4) Nov 28 (2) Nov 27 (2) Nov 26 (2) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (2) Nov 23 (2) Nov 22 (2) Nov 21 (2) Nov 20 (3) Nov 19 (3) Nov 18 (2) Nov 17 (2) Nov 16 (5) Nov 15 (5) Nov 14 (4) Nov 13 (2) Nov 12 (2) Nov 11 (2) Nov 10 (2) Nov 09 (2) Nov 08 (2) Nov 07 (3) Nov 06 (6) Nov 05 (4) Nov 04 (5) Nov 03 (5) Nov 02 (3) Nov 01 (5) Oct 31 (7) Oct 30 (5) Oct 29 (4) Oct 28 (3) Oct 27 (2) Oct 26 (4) Oct 25 (4) Oct 24 (4) Oct 23 (4) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (2) Oct 20 (3) Oct 19 (2) Oct 18 (2) Oct 17 (3) Oct 16 (5) Oct 15 (4) Oct 14 (2) Oct 13 (2) Oct 12 (4) Oct 11 (5) Oct 10 (4) Oct 09 (3) Oct 08 (3) Oct 07 (3) Oct 06 (2) Oct 05 (5) Oct 04 (5) Oct 03 (4) Oct 02 (4) Oct 01 (5) Sep 30 (2) Sep 29 (2) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (6) Sep 26 (2) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (3) Sep 23 (2) Sep 22 (2) Sep 21 (2) Sep 20 (2) Sep 19 (3) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (3) Sep 16 (2) Sep 15 (4) Sep 14 (3) Sep 13 (5) Sep 12 (4) Sep 11 (6) Sep 10 (2) Sep 09 (5) Sep 08 (5) Sep 07 (5) Sep 06 (4) Sep 05 (4) Sep 04 (3) Sep 03 (2) Sep 02 (3) Sep 01 (3) Aug 31 (2) Aug 30 (2) Aug 29 (3) Aug 28 (6) Aug 27 (3) Aug 26 (2) Aug 25 (2) Aug 24 (3) Aug 23 (2) Aug 22 (3) Aug 21 (5) Aug 20 (4) Aug 19 (3) Aug 18 (2) Aug 17 (5) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (4) Aug 14 (5) Aug 13 (2) Aug 12 (2) Aug 11 (2) Aug 10 (2) Aug 09 (2) Aug 08 (5) Aug 07 (5) Aug 06 (6) Aug 05 (2) Aug 04 (5) Aug 03 (2) Aug 02 (3) Aug 01 (2) Jul 31 (4) Jul 30 (2) Jul 29 (2) Jul 28 (2) Jul 27 (2) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (2) Jul 23 (3) Jul 22 (2) Jul 21 (3) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (2) Jul 18 (3) Jul 17 (4) Jul 16 (5) Jul 15 (2) Jul 14 (3) Jul 13 (2) Jul 12 (3) Jul 11 (2) Jul 10 (2) Jul 09 (2) Jul 08 (2) Jul 07 (2) Jul 06 (2) Jul 05 (2) Jul 04 (2) Jul 03 (2) Jul 02 (2) Jul 01 (3) Jun 30 (3) Jun 29 (7) Jun 28 (3) Jun 27 (2) Jun 26 (3) Jun 25 (1) Jun 24 (2) Jun 23 (3) Jun 22 (5) Jun 21 (3) Jun 20 (2) Jun 19 (2) Jun 18 (2) Jun 17 (2) Jun 16 (2) Jun 15 (2) Jun 14 (2) Jun 13 (3) Jun 12 (3) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (2) Jun 09 (4) Jun 08 (2) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (5) Jun 05 (3) Jun 04 (3) Jun 03 (2) Jun 02 (2) Jun 01 (4) May 31 (2) May 30 (3) May 29 (3) May 28 (3) May 27 (2) May 26 (2) May 25 (2) May 24 (2) May 23 (2) May 22 (3) May 21 (3) May 20 (2) May 19 (2) May 18 (4) May 17 (7) May 16 (2) May 15 (3) May 14 (4) May 13 (3) May 12 (4) May 11 (4) May 10 (4) May 09 (3) May 08 (2) May 07 (2) May 06 (2) May 05 (1) May 04 (2) May 03 (4) May 02 (3) May 01 (4) Apr 30 (1) Apr 29 (3) Apr 28 (2) Apr 27 (3) Apr 26 (2) Apr 25 (2) Apr 24 (4) Apr 23 (2) Apr 22 (2) Apr 21 (2) Apr 20 (3) Apr 19 (3) Apr 18 (4) Apr 17 (5) Apr 16 (4) Apr 15 (4) Apr 14 (3) Apr 13 (3) Apr 12 (3) Apr 11 (3) Apr 10 (4) Apr 09 (4) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (2) Apr 06 (3) Apr 05 (3) Apr 04 (1) Apr 03 (1) Apr 02 (1) Apr 01 (2) Mar 31 (2) Mar 30 (3) Mar 29 (2) Mar 28 (3) Mar 27 (3) Mar 26 (3) Mar 25 (3) Mar 24 (2) Mar 23 (3) Mar 22 (3) Mar 21 (4) Mar 20 (2) Mar 19 (3) Mar 18 (1) Mar 17 (2) Mar 16 (2) Mar 15 (1) Mar 14 (3) Mar 13 (1) Mar 12 (2) Mar 11 (1) Mar 10 (3) Mar 09 (2) Mar 08 (1) Mar 07 (1) Mar 04 (2) Mar 02 (2) Feb 28 (1) Feb 24 (1) Dec 31 (4) Dec 30 (4) Dec 29 (4) Dec 28 (5) Dec 27 (3) Dec 26 (3) Dec 25 (4) Dec 24 (3) Dec 23 (3) Dec 22 (4) Dec 21 (3) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (3) Dec 18 (3) Dec 17 (3) Dec 16 (3) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (3) Dec 11 (3) Dec 10 (3) Dec 09 (3) Dec 08 (3) Dec 07 (3) Dec 06 (3) Dec 05 (3) Dec 04 (3) Dec 03 (4) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (3) Nov 30 (3) Nov 29 (3) Nov 28 (3) Nov 27 (3) Nov 26 (3) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (3) Nov 23 (3) Nov 22 (3) Nov 21 (3) Nov 20 (3) Nov 19 (3) Nov 18 (3) Nov 17 (3) Nov 16 (2) Nov 15 (3) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (3) Nov 12 (4) Nov 11 (3) Nov 10 (4) Nov 09 (4) Nov 08 (4) Nov 07 (3) Nov 06 (3) Nov 05 (5) Nov 04 (4) Nov 03 (3) Nov 02 (4) Nov 01 (4) Oct 31 (4) Oct 30 (3) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (2) Oct 27 (4) Oct 26 (4) Oct 25 (4) Oct 24 (3) Oct 23 (3) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (4) Oct 20 (4) Oct 19 (3) Oct 18 (4) Oct 17 (4) Oct 16 (3) Oct 15 (3) Oct 14 (3) Oct 13 (3) Oct 12 (3) Oct 11 (3) Oct 10 (4) Oct 09 (3) Oct 08 (3) Oct 07 (4) Oct 06 (3) Oct 05 (4) Oct 04 (3) Oct 03 (4) Oct 02 (5) Oct 01 (3) Sep 30 (4) Sep 29 (3) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (4) Sep 26 (3) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (3) Sep 23 (3) Sep 22 (3) Sep 21 (3) Sep 20 (3) Sep 19 (4) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (3) Sep 16 (4) Sep 15 (3) Sep 14 (3) Sep 13 (3) Sep 12 (4) Sep 11 (4) Sep 10 (4) Sep 09 (4) Sep 08 (4) Sep 07 (3) Sep 06 (3) Sep 05 (3) Sep 04 (3) Sep 03 (3) Sep 02 (4) Sep 01 (3) Aug 31 (3) Aug 30 (4) Aug 29 (3) Aug 28 (3) Aug 27 (3) Aug 26 (3) Aug 25 (4) Aug 24 (4) Aug 23 (5) Aug 22 (3) Aug 21 (3) Aug 20 (3) Aug 19 (3) Aug 18 (3) Aug 17 (3) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (3) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (3) Aug 12 (3) Aug 11 (4) Aug 10 (5) Aug 09 (3) Aug 08 (3) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (5) Aug 05 (4) Aug 04 (3) Aug 03 (3) Aug 02 (3) Aug 01 (3) Jul 31 (3) Jul 30 (4) Jul 29 (3) Jul 28 (5) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (3) Jul 24 (4) Jul 23 (4) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (4) Jul 20 (3) Jul 19 (3) Jul 18 (4) Jul 17 (4) Jul 16 (4) Jul 15 (3) Jul 14 (3) Jul 13 (4) Jul 12 (5) Jul 11 (4) Jul 10 (4) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (3) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (5) Jul 05 (3) Jul 04 (3) Jul 03 (4) Jul 02 (3) Jul 01 (6) Jun 30 (4) Jun 29 (4) Jun 28 (3) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (4) Jun 25 (5) Jun 24 (4) Jun 23 (3) Jun 22 (5) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (4) Jun 19 (4) Jun 18 (5) Jun 17 (4) Jun 16 (5) Jun 15 (5) Jun 14 (3) Jun 13 (3) Jun 12 (3) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (5) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (4) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (5) Jun 05 (4) Jun 04 (3) Jun 03 (4) Jun 02 (5) Jun 01 (3) May 31 (4) May 30 (3) May 29 (3) May 28 (3) May 27 (3) May 26 (4) May 25 (4) May 24 (4) May 23 (4) May 22 (3) May 21 (3) May 20 (4) May 19 (3) May 18 (3) May 17 (4) May 16 (3) May 15 (4) May 14 (3) May 13 (4) May 12 (1) May 11 (3) May 10 (3) May 09 (3) May 08 (3) May 07 (4) May 06 (3) May 05 (4) May 04 (4) May 03 (3) May 02 (3) May 01 (6) Apr 30 (3) Apr 29 (3) Apr 28 (3) Apr 27 (5) Apr 26 (3) Apr 25 (3) Apr 24 (3) Apr 23 (3) Apr 22 (3) Apr 21 (3) Apr 20 (3) Apr 19 (3) Apr 18 (3) Apr 17 (4) Apr 16 (3) Apr 15 (4) Apr 14 (3) Apr 13 (3) Apr 12 (3) Apr 11 (3) Apr 10 (3) Apr 09 (3) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (3) Apr 06 (3) Apr 05 (3) Apr 04 (3) Apr 03 (3) Apr 02 (3) Apr 01 (3) Mar 31 (3) Mar 30 (3) Mar 29 (3) Mar 28 (4) Mar 27 (3) Mar 26 (3) Mar 25 (3) Mar 24 (3) Mar 23 (3) Mar 22 (3) Mar 21 (3) Mar 20 (3) Mar 19 (3) Mar 18 (3) Mar 17 (3) Mar 16 (4) Mar 15 (3) Mar 14 (3) Mar 13 (3) Mar 12 (4) Mar 11 (3) Mar 10 (4) Mar 09 (4) Mar 08 (3) Mar 07 (3) Mar 06 (4) Mar 05 (4) Mar 04 (3) Mar 03 (3) Mar 02 (3) Mar 01 (3) Feb 28 (3) Feb 27 (3) Feb 26 (3) Feb 25 (3) Feb 24 (2) Feb 23 (3) Feb 22 (3) Feb 21 (3) Feb 20 (3) Feb 19 (3) Feb 18 (3) Feb 17 (3) Feb 16 (3) Feb 15 (3) Feb 14 (3) Feb 13 (3) Feb 12 (3) Feb 11 (4) Feb 10 (3) Feb 09 (3) Feb 08 (3) Feb 07 (4) Feb 06 (3) Feb 05 (3) Feb 04 (4) Feb 03 (4) Feb 02 (4) Feb 01 (4) Jan 31 (3) Jan 30 (3) Jan 29 (3) Jan 28 (5) Jan 27 (4) Jan 26 (5) Jan 25 (5) Jan 24 (5) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (3) Jan 21 (4) Jan 20 (3) Jan 19 (5) Jan 18 (5) Jan 17 (4) Jan 16 (3) Jan 15 (4) Jan 14 (3) Jan 13 (5) Jan 12 (5) Jan 11 (4) Jan 10 (4) Jan 09 (3) Jan 08 (3) Jan 07 (3) Jan 06 (3) Jan 05 (3) Jan 04 (4) Jan 03 (3) Jan 02 (3) Jan 01 (4) Dec 31 (3) Dec 30 (3) Dec 29 (3) Dec 28 (3) Dec 27 (3) Dec 26 (3) Dec 25 (3) Dec 24 (3) Dec 23 (4) Dec 22 (3) Dec 21 (3) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (3) Dec 18 (3) Dec 17 (3) Dec 16 (4) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (3) Dec 11 (4) Dec 10 (3) Dec 09 (3) Dec 08 (3) Dec 07 (3) Dec 06 (4) Dec 05 (3) Dec 04 (3) Dec 03 (3) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (3) Nov 30 (3) Nov 29 (3) Nov 28 (3) Nov 27 (3) Nov 26 (3) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (4) Nov 23 (6) Nov 22 (4) Nov 21 (5) Nov 20 (4) Nov 19 (4) Nov 18 (4) Nov 17 (4) Nov 16 (3) Nov 15 (2) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (3) Nov 12 (2) Nov 11 (3) Nov 10 (2) Nov 09 (4) Nov 08 (5) Nov 07 (3) Nov 06 (2) Nov 05 (2) Nov 04 (3) Nov 03 (2) Nov 02 (4) Nov 01 (4) Oct 31 (2) Oct 30 (6) Oct 29 (5) Oct 28 (3) Oct 27 (5) Oct 26 (3) Oct 25 (4) Oct 24 (3) Oct 23 (4) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (5) Oct 20 (4) Oct 19 (4) Oct 18 (4) Oct 17 (3) Oct 16 (2) Oct 15 (3) Oct 14 (3) Oct 13 (2) Oct 12 (2) Oct 11 (2) Oct 10 (3) Oct 09 (4) Oct 08 (2) Oct 07 (2) Oct 06 (2) Oct 05 (3) Oct 04 (2) Oct 03 (4) Oct 02 (3) Oct 01 (3) Sep 30 (3) Sep 29 (4) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (2) Sep 26 (2) Sep 25 (2) Sep 24 (1) Sep 23 (1) Sep 22 (2) Sep 21 (2) Sep 20 (1) Sep 19 (1) Sep 18 (1) Sep 17 (2) Sep 16 (1) Sep 15 (2) Sep 14 (2) Sep 13 (1) Sep 12 (1) Sep 11 (2) Sep 10 (2) Sep 09 (1) Sep 08 (1) Sep 07 (2) Sep 06 (1) Sep 05 (1) Sep 04 (2) Sep 03 (1) Sep 02 (1) Sep 01 (1) Aug 31 (2) Aug 30 (1) Aug 29 (1) Aug 28 (1) Aug 27 (1) Aug 26 (1) Aug 25 (1) Aug 24 (1) Aug 23 (2) Aug 22 (1) Aug 21 (1) Aug 20 (2) Aug 19 (1) Aug 18 (1) Aug 17 (2) Aug 16 (2) Aug 15 (1) Aug 14 (1) Aug 12 (1) Aug 09 (1) Aug 08 (1) Aug 07 (1) Aug 05 (1) Aug 04 (1) Jul 31 (1) Jul 30 (3) Jul 29 (5) Jul 28 (2) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (3) Jul 24 (3) Jul 23 (3) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (4) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (3) Jul 18 (4) Jul 17 (6) Jul 16 (5) Jul 15 (3) Jul 14 (4) Jul 13 (4) Jul 12 (4) Jul 11 (3) Jul 10 (4) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (4) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (5) Jul 05 (4) Jul 04 (4) Jul 03 (4) Jul 02 (5) Jul 01 (3) Jun 30 (4) Jun 29 (6) Jun 28 (4) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (4) Jun 25 (4) Jun 24 (4) Jun 23 (4) Jun 22 (6) Jun 21 (3) Jun 20 (3) Jun 19 (6) Jun 18 (5) Jun 17 (5) Jun 16 (5) Jun 15 (4) Jun 14 (4) Jun 13 (5) Jun 12 (4) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (4) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (3) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (3) Jun 05 (4) Jun 04 (5) Jun 03 (5) Jun 02 (4) Jun 01 (5) May 31 (4) May 30 (4) May 29 (4) May 28 (5) May 27 (5) May 26 (5) May 25 (4) May 24 (5) May 23 (4) May 22 (4) May 21 (3) May 20 (6) May 19 (4) May 18 (4) May 17 (4) May 16 (5) May 15 (3) May 14 (3) May 13 (4) May 12 (3) May 11 (3) May 10 (3) May 09 (3) May 08 (3) May 07 (3) May 06 (3) May 05 (3) May 04 (3) May 03 (3) May 02 (3) May 01 (4) Apr 30 (4) Apr 29 (6) Apr 28 (3) Apr 27 (3) Apr 26 (3) Apr 25 (4) Apr 24 (4) Apr 23 (3) Apr 22 (3) Apr 21 (4) Apr 20 (3) Apr 19 (3) Apr 18 (3) Apr 17 (6) Apr 16 (3) Apr 15 (4) Apr 14 (3) Apr 13 (6) Apr 12 (4) Apr 11 (4) Apr 10 (5) Apr 09 (7) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (4) Apr 06 (4) Apr 05 (4) Apr 04 (6) Apr 03 (4) Apr 02 (4) Apr 01 (3) Mar 31 (4) Mar 30 (5) Mar 29 (5) Mar 28 (6) Mar 27 (5) Mar 26 (5) Mar 25 (3) Mar 24 (4) Mar 23 (3) Mar 22 (3) Mar 21 (5) Mar 20 (3) Mar 19 (5) Mar 18 (4) Mar 17 (5) Mar 16 (5) Mar 15 (3) Mar 14 (6) Mar 13 (4) Mar 12 (4) Mar 11 (5) Mar 10 (4) Mar 09 (7) Mar 08 (5) Mar 07 (5) Mar 06 (6) Mar 05 (4) Mar 04 (4) Mar 03 (4) Mar 02 (6) Mar 01 (4) Feb 28 (4) Feb 27 (4) Feb 26 (5) Feb 25 (4) Feb 24 (5) Feb 23 (5) Feb 22 (6) Feb 21 (6) Feb 20 (3) Feb 19 (6) Feb 18 (7) Feb 17 (4) Feb 16 (5) Feb 15 (7) Feb 14 (5) Feb 13 (5) Feb 12 (6) Feb 11 (8) Feb 10 (4) Feb 09 (6) Feb 08 (4) Feb 07 (3) Feb 06 (6) Feb 05 (3) Feb 04 (6) Feb 03 (4) Feb 02 (3) Feb 01 (4) Jan 31 (5) Jan 30 (4) Jan 29 (6) Jan 28 (3) Jan 27 (6) Jan 26 (6) Jan 25 (4) Jan 24 (5) Jan 23 (5) Jan 22 (5) Jan 21 (5) Jan 20 (5) Jan 19 (5) Jan 18 (4) Jan 17 (6) Jan 16 (4) Jan 15 (3) Jan 14 (5) Jan 13 (3) Jan 12 (4) Jan 11 (5) Jan 10 (3) Jan 09 (6) Jan 08 (5) Jan 07 (4) Jan 06 (5) Jan 05 (6) Jan 04 (4) Jan 03 (3) Jan 02 (2) Jan 01 (4) Dec 31 (3) Dec 30 (3) Dec 29 (5) Dec 28 (3) Dec 27 (3) Dec 26 (4) Dec 25 (4) Dec 24 (3) Dec 23 (4) Dec 22 (5) Dec 21 (3) Dec 20 (4) Dec 19 (4) Dec 18 (7) Dec 17 (5) Dec 16 (5) Dec 15 (5) Dec 14 (5) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (3) Dec 11 (6) Dec 10 (4) Dec 09 (3) Dec 08 (5) Dec 07 (4) Dec 06 (3) Dec 05 (4) Dec 04 (5) Dec 03 (5) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (6) Nov 30 (5) Nov 29 (3) Nov 28 (4) Nov 27 (4) Nov 26 (3) Nov 25 (5) Nov 24 (3) Nov 23 (4) Nov 22 (4) Nov 21 (4) Nov 20 (5) Nov 19 (5) Nov 18 (4) Nov 17 (5) Nov 16 (3) Nov 15 (4) Nov 14 (4) Nov 13 (4) Nov 12 (4) Nov 11 (3) Nov 10 (4) Nov 09 (4) Nov 08 (3) Nov 07 (5) Nov 06 (4) Nov 05 (4) Nov 04 (5) Nov 03 (4) Nov 02 (3) Nov 01 (4) Oct 31 (3) Oct 30 (5) Oct 29 (4) Oct 28 (5) Oct 27 (5) Oct 26 (4) Oct 25 (3) Oct 24 (3) Oct 23 (5) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (4) Oct 20 (2) Oct 19 (4) Oct 18 (2) Oct 17 (3) Oct 16 (4) Oct 15 (5) Oct 14 (4) Oct 13 (3) Oct 12 (4) Oct 11 (4) Oct 10 (2) Oct 09 (5) Oct 08 (3) Oct 07 (3) Oct 06 (3) Oct 05 (5) Oct 04 (3) Oct 03 (6) Oct 02 (4) Oct 01 (3) Sep 30 (5) Sep 29 (3) Sep 28 (6) Sep 27 (4) Sep 26 (4) Sep 25 (5) Sep 24 (3) Sep 23 (3) Sep 22 (4) Sep 21 (4) Sep 20 (2) Sep 19 (4) Sep 18 (4) Sep 17 (4) Sep 16 (4) Sep 15 (5) Sep 14 (5) Sep 13 (4) Sep 12 (4) Sep 11 (5) Sep 10 (3) Sep 09 (3) Sep 08 (3) Sep 07 (3) Sep 06 (3) Sep 05 (6) Sep 04 (5) Sep 03 (4) Sep 02 (4) Sep 01 (4) Aug 31 (4) Aug 30 (4) Aug 29 (2) Aug 28 (3) Aug 27 (2) Aug 26 (3) Aug 25 (3) Aug 24 (4) Aug 23 (4) Aug 22 (2) Aug 21 (5) Aug 20 (3) Aug 19 (4) Aug 18 (4) Aug 17 (3) Aug 16 (2) Aug 15 (3) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (4) Aug 12 (3) Aug 11 (4) Aug 10 (3) Aug 09 (3) Aug 08 (3) Aug 07 (6) Aug 06 (3) Aug 05 (4) Aug 04 (5) Aug 03 (4) Aug 02 (3) Aug 01 (3) Jul 31 (3) Jul 30 (4) Jul 29 (3) Jul 28 (4) Jul 27 (4) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (3) Jul 24 (4) Jul 23 (3) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (2) Jul 20 (3) Jul 19 (4) Jul 18 (3) Jul 17 (4) Jul 16 (3) Jul 15 (5) Jul 14 (3) Jul 13 (4) Jul 12 (5) Jul 11 (4) Jul 10 (4) Jul 09 (8) Jul 08 (6) Jul 07 (4) Jul 06 (3) Jul 05 (3) Jul 04 (4) Jul 03 (3) Jul 02 (4) Jul 01 (5) Jun 30 (3) Jun 29 (4) Jun 28 (3) Jun 27 (3) Jun 26 (4) Jun 25 (3) Jun 24 (3) Jun 23 (3) Jun 22 (2) Jun 21 (1) Jun 20 (2) Jun 19 (2) Jun 18 (4) Jun 17 (4) Jun 16 (3) Jun 15 (7) Jun 14 (3) Jun 13 (3) Jun 12 (5) Jun 11 (4) Jun 10 (3) Jun 09 (4) Jun 08 (3) Jun 07 (5) Jun 06 (3) Jun 05 (4) Jun 04 (4) Jun 03 (4) Jun 02 (3) Jun 01 (4) May 31 (3) May 30 (3) May 29 (3) May 28 (3) May 27 (3) May 26 (3) May 25 (4) May 24 (2) May 23 (4) May 22 (3) May 21 (2) May 20 (3) May 19 (2) May 18 (4) May 17 (4) May 16 (3) May 15 (2) May 14 (6) May 13 (4) May 12 (2) May 11 (3) May 10 (2) May 09 (3) May 08 (4) May 07 (4) May 06 (3) May 05 (3) May 04 (4) May 03 (3) May 02 (4) May 01 (3) Apr 30 (2) Apr 29 (5) Apr 28 (2) Apr 27 (2) Apr 26 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Black Legislator Under Fire for Legislation Capping Charter Schools

A fight is on and Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) should be concerned, charter school leaders and advocates say.

About 6,000 supporters showed up at the State Capitol in Sacramento recently to rally against four pieces of unfriendly charter school legislation, one co-sponsored by McCarty. If passed, school choice advocates say the bills could curb the growth of charter schools in California. They also fear the proposals could begin the dismantling of the existing 1,323 taxpayer-funded independent schools in the state.

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There is a package of bills, that has been introduced by various Assemblymembers, including our own Kevin McCarty, also a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), which taken together amount to a ban on charter schools, said Margaret Fortune, President and CEO of Fortune School. Were here to let the legislature know were going to hold them accountable for standing up for all of our kids.

McCarty, who is African American, represents Californias 7th Assembly District, which includes Sacramento. He currently serves as Chair of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance.

The California Charter Schools Association (CCSA) hosted the Stand for All Students Rally held on the grounds outside the Capitol. A number of speakers took to the stage to make their case against the charter school proposals and take aim at McCarty and the California Teachers Association (CTA) for sponsoring the bills.

Stand up, fight back, a crowd of Fortune charter school students walked the hallways and chanted outside of McCartys office in the Capitol, expressing their concerns about his intentions to modify the way charter schools work.

Imposing a cap, not a moratorium, will be beneficial for communities, McCarty defended the bills in a written response to CBM. The current method has been unregulated for far too long, allowing charter schools to open without considering financial concerns. We should not have more charter schools than school districts in the state.

McCartys critics say the lawmaker did not greet or speak with the protesting students on the day of the rally. He later praised the students for being engaged but said he had a prior commitment. Charter school advocates also point out that the McCarty never met with operators or supporters of charter schools to ask for their perspective before sponsoring the bills.

They have to impact this building, They have to penetrate this building and make sure that the legislators in here know that they are not playing with them  that this is not a game, said Steve Perry, an author and nationally known educator who founded his own charter school in Connecticut. Let the legislators know that they want access to quality education, they want access to school choice or else theyre taking their jobs.

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Former State Sen. Gary Hart, a Democrat who represented Santa Barbara in both the Assembly and Senate, authored Californias Charter School bill. It passed in 1992. He drafted it, partly, as an alternative to Prop. 174 which proposed giving all parents in California the option to use vouchers for tuition at private or church schools. Voters rejected that measure in the 1993 general election.

Today, about 660,000 students are enrolled in the states charter schools. That number represents about 10 percent of the total public school population. According to the CCSA, Charter schools in the state enroll a larger percentage of African American students at eight percent than district schools, which matriculate five percent.

The package of bills Fortune refers to and the ones CCSA opposes include AB 1506, which is sponsored by McCarty and Assembly member Patrick ODonnell (D-Long Beach). The others are AB 1505, AB 1507 and AB 1508.

AB 1505, also authored by ODonnell, would eliminate all charter appeals and allow school districts broad discretion to deny a new or renewing charter. AB 1507 prohibits any charter school site from being established outside of its authorizing district. AB 1508 intends to allow school districts the ability to deny new charter petitions based on the fiscal, academic reasons and even the facilities of new charter schools.

Officials from CCSA say the bills are misleading, divisive, and premature. CCSAs President and CEO Myrna Castrejon suggests that legislation should be introduced to benefit both sides, public schools and charter schools.

No matter where you are in this great state, when you talk to families, what they want is a great school, Castrejon said. In the end, we have to be willing to say that our schools that are delivering good results for our students, whether they are district operated or independent charter schools, they deserve support.

McCarty insists the bills are not designed to shut down charter schools.

The current method has been unregulated for far too long, allowing charter schools to open without considering financial concerns, McCarty said in an email to CBM. Our goal is not to shut down schools, but institute reforms to best serve all students.

Getting ahead of the 4 bills, sponsored by the California Teachers Association, the CSSA is also sponsoring two bills aimed at achieving better results for Black students. The first is AB 575, authored by Assemblywoman Shirley Weber (D-San Diego), and the other is Senate Bill 614 or SB 614, introduced by state Sen. Susan Rubio, (D-Baldwin Park).

AB 575 would increase funding and require greater accountability for the education of African American students, specifically the lowest performers. SB 614, the Child Care and Development Act, would expand programs that offer services to students with disabilities.

Fortune says her network of schools in Sacramento were created to address and close the African American achievement gap, referring to the well-documented racial disparity in academic performance between White and African American children. The controversial 1966 Coleman report, mandated by the 1964 Civil Rights Act, first revealed the stark racially-based differences in the countrys education system.

Schools that prepare kids for college starting in kindergarten would be shut down within two years, she said.

Gov. Gavin Newsom is also keeping his eye on the future of public education in the state and his ears open to the ongoing conversations. He recently passed a bill into law requiring more transparency and accountability in charter school operations. He also charged Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond to lead an 11-member Charter Task Force to look into the details of charter schools financing.

CBM reached out to the California Teachers Association for comment on the bill package but they did not respond as of press time.
Dorothy Butler Gilliam  Washington Posts First Black Woman Reporter

Being the first can be more than challenging, but Dorothy Butler Gilliam cleared every high hurdle to claim the title and succeed beyond all expectations.

Gilliam was the first Black woman reporter at the Washington Post, one the nations most respected newspapers. Hired in 1961, she went on to become an award-winning journalist, editor and columnist during her 50-year career.

The trials she endured  blatant racism, gender discrimination, segregated facilities  could easily destroy a lesser person, but Gilliam determined long ago that journalism was her joy and defeat was not her goal.

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It was like diving into a sea of White men with two invisible weights  one was race and one was gender. But, I knew that if I didnt succeed, it would be just that much harder for the next Black woman, insisted Gilliam.

She reveals her story of incredible perseverance and her efforts to report stories from an African American perspective in her new memoir, Trailblazer  A pioneering Journalists Fight to Make the Media Look More Like America. During a community book signing hosted by retired Congresswoman Diane E. Watson at the Lula Washington Dance Theater on March 25, Gilliam recounted her experiences as a Black woman reporter.

Explaining why she penned the memoir, Gilliam said, I thought it was crucial to write it. I think we, as African Americans, really have to tell our own story and I think so often we dont tell our stories. So this is a herstory, not a history. I am really happy  almost providentially  that it was released just at a time when we have the kind of people running the country who are so against truth telling.

We have a leader who calls the media the enemy of the people, so its just fortuitous that my story  which talks about the training that journalists go through and the ethics we have to observe  tries to capture how minority journalists worked to make a difference and worked to integrate mainstream media.

Gilliam went on to captivate the audience as she recalled how she worked closely with the late Robert Maynard, the Pulitzer Prize-winning owner of the Oakland Tribune who established the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education to assist Black reporters, editors and managers, and she also detailed some of the conditions she faced and overcame to report the news.

Unfortunately, the nations capital was very segregated in 1961, said Gilliam. President John F. Kennedy was talking about some things that needed to happen for the Black population. But as a reporter, when I would get my daily assignment and go out to try to hail a taxi to cover it, it took forever. I would walk and try to write my story and get back to file it before the deadline.

Sharing another episode, Gilliam said one assignment took her to interview an elderly White woman celebrating her 100th birthday. Although she was dressed professionally, the doorman told her, The maids entrance is in the back. It was only after she showed him her newspaper credentials that he let her inside the home.

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In 1962, Gilliam was assigned to travel to Mississippi to report on James Merediths integration of the University of Mississippi. At that time, Mississippi was not a hospitable place for African Americans, she said.

Undaunted, Gilliam hired a freelance photojournalist and went to report Black Americans reactions to that historic event. Since segregation was still enforced, she dodged angry white mobs and the local KKK to get the opinions of local Blacks. At night, she slept with the dead by resting at a Black funeral parlor. She headlined her story, Mississippi Mood: Hope and Fear.

Fortunately, her assignments were balanced by several positive encounters. She interviewed civil rights activist Medgar Evers (just months before his assassination) who greatly impressed her with his courage, she was later appointed assistant editor of the Posts Style section where she hired others who could report on Black culture, and she served as president of the National Association of Black Journalists and of Unity: Journalists of Color.

Another memorable moment for Gilliam occurred when she spoke with Nelson Mandela following his election as president of South Africa. I was a Mandela groupie and to have him released [from prison] and become president was a marvelous moment. I was thrilled to be a part of the coverage and have lunch with him when he visited the U.S., she said. I could not believe the forgiving spirit that he had.

As Gilliam closed, she encouraged the crowd to support Black media. Acknowledging that news reporting has changed a lot, especially with the advent of social media, she still stressed the vital role of African American publications and broadcasts.

The Black press is still an important source of information. Its very important because not every reporter who works for a mainstream paper can get into the newspaper. The Black press can really help delineate the issues and help us to know the most crucial issues Black people are facing.

Gilliams memoir is available locally at Malik Books in the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Mall in Los Angeles. Call (323) 389-8040 or visit malikbooks.com.
Gods Faithfulness Strengthens Whitaker in P.R. Profession

March is Womens History Month  Champion of Faith Yumiko Whitaker

As Womens History Month concludes, the L.A. Sentinel Religion section celebrates by highlighting Los Angeles-area Champions of Faith, which features ordinary people inspired by their faith to make a difference in the community.

Yumiko Whitaker, founder of Hummingbird PR

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What is the mission of your profession?

I view my work with clients as divine assignments, and am privileged to work with a mix of businesses, non-profits and public entities to shape positive change. I grew up in the Crenshaw District and attended local schools, including a self-financed earned degree in Political Science from Loyola Marymount University.

Hummingbird PRs mission is to help organizations build capacity and strengthen their position in the marketplace. The significance of hummingbird as part of the company name imbues my way of working as hummingbirds hover above with a big picture perspective, yet a keen focus on the task at hand. They are small, yet efficient, effective, graceful, swift and humble. I love the challenge of going in, getting the job done, and moving on to the next challenge.

My decades long experience in the public, private and non-profit sector, growing the footprint, revenue, awareness and relevance on behalf of entities such as IKEA, Gap, Inc., American Cancer Society, Nakatomi PR, the State of California and Ocean Park Community Center, has aided me greatly in solving unique problems with a highly disciplined, strategic approach.

What role has God or your faith played in your profession?

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My faith has played a very significant role in my profession. I have often been the only person of color and/or the youngest person with a seat at the table or serving in a leadership capacity. I endured numerous trials, and was often given the most challenging, undesirable assignments, which only proved Gods faithfulness, as He continuously opened doors, and made crooked places straight and rough areas smooth.

My work with IKEA involved a lot of solo international travel to Sweden, Denmark, The Netherlands and Finland. I was grateful to God for these opportunities, and trusted Him for traveling mercies, wisdom, protection, favor, peace, discernment and positive outcomes.

Another instance where faith was key was with the decision to go out on my own to form Hummingbird PR. This leap of faith has allowed me to truly test my knowledge and skillset. It also allowed me to take a more active role in caring for my elderly mother who recently turned 91 on February 25. By faith, my siblings and I balance the rigors of her daily needs. After seven years, Hummingbird PR continues to thrive, and I continue to trust God for His daily guidance.

What is a memorable experience during your profession?

While serving as a legislative aide to former Senator Diane E. Watson (my first job after graduating college), the L.A. uprising erupted and it was utter chaos. I remember the pervasive sense of unbelief, disappointment, anger, and the eventual boiled over frustrations in response to news of the officers acquittals. People were in pain, and its been a long road to recovery. I also remember our district offices swift response as a community hub and salve during this difficult time. What a blessing to be an answer to those in need.

What are you doing or working on now?

I am managing client projects, and also serving as a board member of the Black Public Relations Society of Los Angeles (BPRS-LA). A stealth focus of BPRS-LA is to connect public relations professionals to tangible opportunities within the industry. Our aim is to equip professionals through mentorship, career-building resources, and access to decision makers. We are also working with companies toward a common ground understanding for successful onboarding and retention. We are a great group of solid professionals, and I am excited to play a role in bridging this gap.

How can others get involved in your efforts?

Anyone looking to connect via Hummingbird PR may reach me at [email protected]. As a non-profit, BRPS-LA is open to value-added resources or collaborative support. Learn more at bprsla.org.
Harris Announces Diverse New Hires In Senior Roles

U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) on Monday announced the hiring of three staff members, all women of color. Heather Hutt has been appointed as State Director, Deanne Millison will serve as Legislative Director, and Meaghan Lynch has been named Press Secretary.

I am thrilled to have Heather, Deanne, and Meaghan on my team, said Senator Harris. Each of these women are experienced public servants, and I am confident they will serve the people of California well.

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Heather Hutt has been named State Director for Senator Harris. A Los Angeles, California native, Hutt joined Senator Harris office in 2017 to work as Harris Southern California Deputy State Director and in 2018 was promoted to Deputy State Director where she worked on Senator Harris community town halls, civic engagement, and liaising with key leaders. She is currently organizing Maternal Morbidity roundtables with health care professionals to discuss implicit bias in health care throughout the state to amplify Senator Harris Maternal CARE Act legislation. Prior to working for Senator Harris, Hutt was the District Director for California State Senator Isadore Hall in Californias 35th Senate District. Prior to accepting her position in government, she was a founding partner in The Hutt Group, a marketing, branding, and event production company. Her work has been recognized by the California State Democratic Party African American Caucus for Breaking the Glass Ceiling as the first African-American Deputy State Director for the U.S. Senate in Californias history. In 2018, New Frontier Democratic Club honored Hutt with the Emerging Leaders Award.

Deanne Millison has been newly hired as Legislative Director for Senator Harris. Previously, she served as the Deputy Director for the Legislative Council and Government Affairs Team (LCGA) in the Mayors Office for the City of Chicago. Prior to joining the City of Chicago, Millison served as the Legislative Director and Oversight Investigations Counsel for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services, where the Honorable Maxine Waters, served as Ranking Member. Before taking the leadership role with the House Democratic Financial Services Committee, she served as Counsel for other Congressional Committees including the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs and the House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce. Millison started her legal career at the law firm of Jenner & Block, and later clerked for the Honorable Sharon Johnson Coleman. She received her B.A. in Political Science with Honors and a minor in Psychology from Washington University in St. Louis, MO, and her J.D. from Harvard Law School. She is also a proud fellow of Leadership Greater Chicago.

Meaghan Lynch has been named Press Secretary for Senator Harris. Prior to joining Senator Harris office, Lynch served as Communications Director and Counsel for U.S. Representative G. K. Butterfield (D-NC), Chief Deputy Whip for the House Democratic Caucus and former Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus. Lynch began her career in the office of Congressman Butterfield as an intern. Prior to taking her place in public service, Lynch worked as senior associate at a strategic communications firm in Washington, DC. A North Carolina native, Lynch graduated with honors from North Carolina State University with bachelors degrees in Psychology and Communications. She received her J.D. from Howard University School of Law and is a member of the Maryland State Bar.
Kirk Franklins Gospel Music Journey Continues to Shine

His compositions range from catchy, rousing tunes to deeply, piercing ballads to upbeat, head nodding raps. But, regardless of the song, the message remains the same  the incredible power of God.

Franklin is the first to declare his unwavering, unapologetic commitment to Christ and his music reflects his belief. Award-winning songs such as Why We Sing, Now, Behold the Lamb, Melodies From Heaven and You Are the Only One loudly proclaim his faith as well as his many number one singles including Stomp, I Smile, and Wanna Be Happy.

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Thats always important for me so that people will understand that Im a gospel artist and share the good news of Jesus Christ in every format and way that I can, said Franklin, who released the track, Love Theory, in January and plans to launch the album in May.

Im just doing what is authentic to me and I try to do what is true to me and try to communicate how big the God Im talking about is and how relevant the conversation of God is within culture and to continue to try to push the conversation of God forward within culture. That is very, very important to me.

Spreading the Gospel has resonated with a plethora of Christian and secular listeners, along with many faith and mainstream artists. Franklins diverse collaborations include songs with the Gospel Music Workshop of America, the Georgia Mass Choir, Cheryl Salt James, Karen Clark Sheard, Mary J. Blige and Bono. Also, his soundtracks flow throughout theatrical films like Get on the Bus, The Preachers Wife, The Prince of Egypt and Kingdom Come.

With such an impressive body of work, its no surprise that Franklin has earned 12 Grammy Awards, 43 Stellar Awards, nine NAACP Image Awards, four Billboard Music Awards, three BET Awards, and an American Music Award.

Pondering how his career has endured, Franklin said, I really believe that it is Gods grace and God blessing me with these songs. He lets me borrow these songs and I believe that its His gift, its His grace and Im just really appreciative to be a pen in His process.

Considering his success with gospel music, its hard to believe that it wasnt always in the forefront for Franklin. Born in Fort Worth, Texas and raised by his aunt, he began playing at the age of four and quickly learned to read and write music and play by ear.

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I was influenced by so many different genres coming up as a kid. I didnt really get engulfed into gospel music until about 15 or 16 when I became [a] born-again [Christian], he recalled.

Before that, most of my life, I was a break dancer, rapping at the skating rink and I was really into early hip-hop, early R&B, the Commodores, Elton John and The Jackson 5  that was the music that really motivated me and inspired me. It wasnt until later on that gospel music really started to become part of the fabric of who I am, said Franklin.

The release of his debut album, Kirk Franklin & The Family, in 1993 shattered both the gospel and R&B charts, remaining number one on Billboards Top Gospel Albums list for 42 weeks and near the top for nearly two years. His succeeding works continued the trend with Whatcha Lookin 4 going double platinum in 1996 and garnering his first Grammy for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album.

Around the same time, Franklin dreamed of presenting a gospel tour in major venues just as mainstream artists did. Connecting with a friend who was also a promoter, he enlisted recording artists Fred Hammond and Yolanda Adams to join him in the venture.

Describing that experience, Franklin said, We were really did the first kind of big-scale gospel tour called The Tour of Life, and it kind of opened up the doors for this whole idea of gospel music being able to live in venues outside of the church. That was a very big moment.

Even today, big moments persist in Franklins life. His upcoming projects consist of hosting the Stellar Awards in Las Vegas on March 29, partnering with his manager, Ron Hill, and Live Nation Urban to headline the 2nd Annual Exodus Music & Arts Festival on May 26, in Texas, starting his tour in July and uniting with BET to bring back the Sunday Best gospel singing competition show later this year.

Although his projects will vary, his underlying goal is always the same  spreading the message of Christ to all that he encounters and in all that he does.

The message of the Gospel and the message of Gods hope are for everyone and anyone. Im very appreciative for the opportunity to have the chance to speak Gods great name. I need people to know that it is an honor for me to have opportunities to talk to others about how much I believe in what I am saying, explained Franklin.

I believe in it on so many deep levels and so many different layers of my life and lots of other people. This is a very important component to our existence  the conversation of a loving God.
Los Angeles Two Largest Black-Owned Law Firms Win Largest Jury Verdict Against City of Long Beach in Police Shooting

Concluding a four-day trial, on Friday, March 23, 2019, a United States District Court for the Central District of California jury awarded $9,800,000 to the family of a mentally ill Long Beach woman who suffered fatal injuries on January 15, 2017, as a result of being shot seven times by two Long Beach police officers.

The jury of six women and two men unanimously found that the shooting officers acted with malice and oppression, supporting a finding of punitive damages against the officers, and additionally found that the shooting incident shocked the conscience, which allowed the parents of the deceased woman to recover damages for the loss of their familial relationship with their daughter. This global award represents the largest jury verdict that has ever been awarded by a jury against the City of Long Beach arising out of a police shooting, and the second largest verdict ever handed down by a jury in the Central District of California in a police shooting case.

Plaintiffs were represented at trial and in the case by attorney Rodney Diggs of Ivie, McNeill, & Wyatt and The Cochran Firm attorneys Brian Dunn, Constance Rice and Megan Gyongyos.

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We hope that this verdict will save lives and change the way that the officers in the Long Beach Police Department and other police departments respond to people that are suffering from mental illnesses, said The Cochran Firm managing attorney Brian Dunn. It has been a great privilege and a great honor to join forces with such a venerable and respected law firm, Ivie, McNeill & Wyatt, to achieve to this wonderful result for this well-deserving family. We have been on opposite sides for a long time and it is a true blessing that we are on the same side this time.

On the morning of January 15, 2017, Long Beach police officers Bradley Muhlenkamp and Elieser Domingo were dispatched to the intersection of 7th Street and Bellflower Boulevard near the Veterans Administration Hospital in the city of Long Beach. They were responding to reports that 37-year-old Sinuon Pream had been assaulting and threatening civilians with a knife. Upon arriving at the location, the officers observed Ms. Pream pushing a shopping cart and waving a knife. The officers, believing Ms. Pream to be possibly transient and possibly suffering from a mental illness, ordered her to drop the knifea fruit carving knife less than 4  inches long. She refused to do so and began moving away from the officers. The officers ordered Ms. Pream to drop the knife again and according to the officers, she refused to drop the knife and responded to the officers with profanity while proceeding to move away and continuing to wave the knife at them. Less than a minute later, the officers proceeded to fire a total of 8 total rounds at Ms. Pream, hitting her 7 times.

Ms. Pream stood 5 feet 2 inches on the date of the incident. Officer Muhlenkamp fired 7 times, striking Ms. Pream 6 times and Officer Domingo fired once, striking Ms. Pream. The coroner determined that Ms. Pream suffered numerous wounds which entered the back of her body, including a fatal wound which entered her left buttock and severed her femoral artery.

The officers claimed that they fired the at Ms. Pream because they feared that she was attempting to attack Officer Muhlenkamp with the knife at the time of the shooting. The jury disagreed. Some of the jurors who returned this historic verdict felt that the responding officers should have employed less aggressive tactics which would have taken into consideration Ms. Preams mental illness. These jurors also felt that the manner in which the bullets entered Ms. Preams body demonstrated that she was not facing the officers during the shooting, and consequently did not pose a substantial threat to the shooting officers throughout the shooting incident.

The verdict that the jury came back with on behalf of the Pream family speaks volumes, added Rodney Diggs, partner and director at Ivie, McNeill & Wyatt. The jury got it right in this case. They evaluated the evidence before them and was able to come back with a substantial verdict for the awful shooting that was done by the Long Beach Police Department. My hope is that this verdict sends a message to the Long Beach Police Department and other police departments that there are other options available before resorting to deadly force. In reverence for human life, deadly force must be the last option that is ever used by law enforcement officers. That was not the case in this shooting. Working together with the Cochran Firm to achieve justice for the Pream family has been a wonderful experience.

Upon receiving the verdict, the family of Ms. Pream issued the following statement: As we mourned Sinuons death these last two years, we remained confused and devastated, not knowing how or why it happened. We are so thankful to Rodney, Brian, Megan, Constance, Darryl, and the team at Ivie, McNeill & Wyatt for all their hard work and dedication to this case. We are also grateful to the jury for believing our story and understanding our familys perspective. While this was an extremely tough week at trial, hearing the full details of what actually happened and receiving this verdict makes us feel like we have finally received justice. We hope Sinuons soul can finally rest in peace.

I think the verdict that came down in the Pream case is a true testament to what our system of justice can achieve when you have a family thats willing to fight when something terrible has happened to their loved one at the hands of the police and when you have a team of fine attorneys behind that family every step of the way from the beginning until the end of the this tragic, tragic case, said Megan Gyongyos, associate attorney at The Cochran Firm. To see this jury come back, after taking their job so seriously, and to validate everything that the family has felt since this occurred is just a fine example of what can be done by good people to achieve the right result.

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I am both humbled and honored to have been

a part of such an important case, said Darryl Meigs, a law clerk with Ivie, McNeill & Wyatt. It feels amazing to get justice for the family of Ms. Sinuon Pream, but I also hope this verdict sends a clear message to law enforcement that there needs to be a major change in the way that officers deal with the people in our communities who are impacted by mental illness.
Post-Racial Myth Perpetuates Racism and White Privilege

Those who feel America is a post-racial society tend to be either die-hard conservatives or so naive, they might believe there are snow-capped mountains in Florida. But by any measure, public education, the criminal injustice system, poverty, etc., White privilege and its cohort racism, remain the prime barriers to Blacks receiving actual justice and equality.

Unfortunately, Blacks were never among President Obamas top priorities. They never received the support they need, and hoped for, from his administration. A case in point, in his second inaugural address, the president singled out poverty, LGBT, immigration reform and seniors for special consideration, but not Blacks. Apparently, they are not a part of the chosen ones.

Todays column again cites alternative analyses and suggestions to meet the daunting challenges facing the Black community in the 21st century.

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White privilege and racism remain Americas pre-eminent realities even though White America still denies it. Sadly many Black people, albeit for vastly different reasons, join Whites as partners in a dance of denial. Clearly, Whites downplay the primacy of race but maintain race-based power under the bogus guise of America as a non-discriminating melting pot. (For many Blacks, downplaying race is a misguided attempt to assimilate.) On the color continuum, however, its still the closer to White, the better, rendering assimilation an exercise in futility. Race matters, and Black lives have always mattered.

The late Derrick Bells penetrating analysis is a primer on the implications of the continuing significance of race. And his observations and conclusions shed light on seldom discussed aspects of an extremely complex issue. Bell argued that racism is so ingrained in American life that no matter what Blacks do to better their lives they will not succeed as long as the majority of Whites do not see their own well-being threatened by the status quo. He also reminded us that Blacks in bondage managed to retain their humanity and faith that pain and suffering were not the extent of their destiny.

Professor Bell insisted that Americas veiled dogma of race-based progress fails those who have been marginalized: Blacks, the poor and others whom the myth ignores must call for national action that incorporates their life experience. He said Blacks must find inspiration in the lives of their oppressed ancestors who defied death as slaves and freed men, insisting on their own humanity despite societys consensus that they were an inferior people. He argued Blacks can only de-legitimatize racism by accurately pinpointing it as the center, not the periphery in their own lives, the lives of Whites and all others.

Bell maintained Blacks must first acknowledge (at least to themselves) that their actions are not likely to lead to immediate or transcendent change.. Only then can that realization lead to public policy less likely to worsen their condition, and more likely to remind the nation that they are determined to constantly challenge its power.

Professor Adolph Reed too raises provocative questions on the need for greater unity in combating racist policies, especially because of the still developing state of the Black community. He argues that a cohesive Black collective is a myth, necessary after the Civil War to present a semblance of unity. And he contends the leadership class defined specific Black interests, named themselves leaders and was assumed to be so by Whites- a phenomenon that unfortunately still exists today..

According to Reed, egalitarianism appealed to both the civil rights movement and capitalism because it actually raised no questions about capitalism itself.. Rather, it stressed the immorality of racism and segregation and how they were obstacles to economic progress. But Black opposition was integrated into the system in a way that strengthened, not challenged it. Reeds suggestions for remedying the situation include breaking Black elites traditional control over ideas in the Black community, critiquing so-called Black agendas in order to transcend Black leaders serving their own interests exclusively and recognizing the diverse interests in Black communities.

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Dr. Cornel Wests Nihilism in Black America is a corollary to his seminal essay, Race Matters. In it, he points out Blacks initially struggled against racism in the enslaved circumstances of a new world and argues that the major enemy of Black survival in America is the loss of hope and absence of meaning, which is a by-product of racism. He maintains the genius of Blacks forbearers was to create powerful buffers to counter the demons of helplessness, meaningfulness and lovelessness, adding, Black people have always been in Americas wilderness, in search of a promised landbut many Blacks now reside in a jungle with a cut throat mentality devoid of any faith in deliverance or hope.

All three scholars forcefully articulate the need for Blacks to debunk the internalized myths that White privilege and race are no longer significant factors in their lives. They also concur that the need for Black unity is at the heart of all efforts to internalize the positive core values and strengths of our forbearers. Despite pervasive denial, race matters and Blacks must shed the twin burdens of victimization and futile dependence on others. This requires renewed commitment and courageprerequisites for dealing with the magnitude of change necessary to make justice a reality and Black people increasingly proud to be Black.

Larry Aubry can be contacted at [email protected]
You Can Now Contribute to End the School-to-Prison Pipeline

In the state of California approximately 56,000 youth are arrested every year, two-thirds of those arrests are for status offenses or misdemeanors such as: truancy, running away from home, curfew violation, underage drinking, and the alarmingly vague incorrigibility. Approximately 8 out of 10 youth arrested are referred to probation and of these youth, a quarter of them are detained, ultimately contributing to the School to Prison Pipeline.

Research has shown that non-detention alternatives, particularly for low-level offenses, are a more appropriate response to curbing delinquent behavior and will avoid pushing youth deeper into the juvenile justice system. Most importantly, communities that have diversion programs show improved outcomes for youth and public safety. Thus more funding for diversion and after school programs is vital for our at-promise youth.

As Chair of the Assembly Public Safety Committee and the Select Committee on ending the School to Prison Pipeline, I am committed to finding solutions that keep our children in schools and away from the justice system. However, dismantling the school to prison pipeline is a responsibility for everyone, our children are our future and we must all commit to investing in their future.

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As a state, there is a collaborative liability for educating our children, not incarcerating them. That is why last year I authored legislation to create the Schools Not Prisons voluntary contribution tax fund. This new law will allow an opportunity for taxpayers to make a tax deductible donation to programs that help end the school-to-prison pipeline and give our at-promise youth opportunities and the tools they need to live a successful life.

Donations made to the Schools Not Prisons fund are tax deductible charitable donations that will fund nonprofit programs for disadvantaged youth through competitive grants. Grants will be awarded to programs that advance youth leadership, community organizing, life skills, workforce readiness and mentorship.

More community based organizations need the support and additional funding to assist children in disadvantaged communities avoid the criminal justice system. Improve Your Tomorrow (IYT) is a program that creates a pathway for young men of color to attend and graduate from colleges and universities. IYT started servicing only 7 students, and now serves over 1000 young men of color through a variety of academic programs in the Sacramento. Programs like IYT should be the norm and not a privilege mirrored across the Golden State.

With a population of nearly 40 million Californians, we can invest millions of dollars in diverting our youth from the criminal justice system if we all donate at least one dollar during this tax season.

On your tax returns locate the check-off box and donate to Schools Not Prisons on the final page of your personal income tax form. I hope you will join me in dismantling the school to prison pipeline because its time we stop locking up are children and start investing in their future.
Wednesday, March 27, 2019

Richard Moberly (Nebraska) has somehow found time from his decanal duties to write and post to SSRN his new article (North Carolina L. Rev.) Confidentiality and Whistleblowing. Here's an excerpt from the abstract:

... [T]the federal government has aggressively courted employees to become whistleblowers. In response, corporations have tried to mitigate potential damage by relying on broad confidentiality provisions to discourage employees from revealing insider information. As a result, uncertainty abounds when the corporate desire for confidentiality clashes with the governments desire for employees to blow the whistle.

This Article is about the increasing tension between these countervailing trends. Ultimately, the Article concludes that the governments ability to rely on insiders to monitor organizational behavior by blowing the whistle will depend on its willingness to regulate the ability of an organization to protect its secrets through contract.

rb

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/laborprof_blog/2019/03/moberly-on-whistleblowing-confidentiality.html
Apple has announced several new product offerings, including television and gaming services, an expanded news app and a credit card. The new services were announced this week during a launch event at Apples headquarters in Cupertino, California.

The event marked a clear new direction by the technology company, as it seeks to expand its offerings in answer to dropping demand for its iPhone.

Past Apple launch events centered mainly on new devices ready for release. But unlike at earlier events, several of the announcements this week did not include exact launch dates or pricing information.

One of the new offerings will increase the number of channels available on the companys existing Apple TV service. The new lineup will include popular channels that people often get through cable television providers. The company says the new choices can be bought individually on demand, much like how its iTunes service works. The offerings can be watched on any Apple devices.

The company said the new Apple TV was designed to bring many channels, shows and movies from different places together, into one searchable app. For example, people already using services like Amazons Prime Video, Hulu or ESPN+ can use the new system.

The new Apple TV app will be available in May.

In addition, Apple announced it will launch its own television and movie streaming service called Apple TV+. The company said the subscription service will include Apple-produced programming and movies only available for its users. Many industry experts see this offering as a direct effort to compete with major international streaming services like Netflix.

To introduce the service, Apple invited several Hollywood stars to announce their new television projects that will launch on Apple TV+. Among stars attending were Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston and Steve Carell. Academy Award-winning filmmaker Steven Spielberg and Star Wars director J.J. Abrams also announced upcoming Apple TV+ projects.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said at the event that the company has always believed deeply in the power of creativity. He said one goal of Apple TV+ is to show the work of some of the worlds greatest creators and performers.

So we partnered with the most thoughtful, accomplished and award-winning group of creative visionaries who have ever come together in one place to create a new service unlike anything that's been done before. Apple TV+

Cook said Apple TV+ will be available this fall on the Apple TV app. No pricing was announced. Winfrey, who spoke at the event, described Apple as the company that has reimagined how we communicate.

I am proud and honored to be a part of this new platform, where I can connect with people around the world to share meaningful ways to create positive change.

She added that she liked the companys huge reach. Theyre in a billion pockets, yall, she said. That number refers to the estimated 1.4 billion Apple devices in use worldwide. Winfrey announced she is working on two documentaries for Apple TV+ and has plans to launch a worldwide book club with the company.

Apple also announced that its free Apple News app will now come in a pay version called Apple News+. This new service will offer users digital versions of more than 300 magazines and some newspapers for $9.99 each month.

The company also used the event to introduce a new credit card, made of titanium, called the Apple Card. The digital version of the card lives on a users device in the Apple Wallet app. The physical version has no numbers at all. Apple says the card is protected by Face ID or Touch ID. This means that if it gets stolen, another person should not be able to use it. The card will have no yearly fee and also no late payment fees.

The company also announced Apple Arcade, a game subscription service for phones, tablets and desktop computers. The service, which is to launch in the fall, will offer more than 100 games only available to Apple users. The cost was not announced for the service.

Im Bryan Lynn.

Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from the Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse and Apple. Ashley Thompson was the editor.

What do you think about the new services being launched by Apple? Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

Quiz - Apple Announces New TV Service, Expanded News, Credit Card Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

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Words in This Story

app  n. program for a smartphone or other device that performs a special function

cable  n. set of wires carrying a television signal into people's homes

streaming  n. content being sent to televisions or devices directly from the Internet

subscription  n. paying an amount of money to receive a service or product

accomplished  adj. being skillful or talented i

proud  adj. much pleased; feeling very good about someone or something

platform  n. a program or set of programs that controls the way a computer works and runs other programs

yall  used as a contraction of you all

digital  n. relating to computer technology, especially the internet

tablet  n. small computing device that is controlled by touching the screen or by using a special pen
Officials in Mozambique said Wednesday several cases of cholera have been confirmed in the city of Beira. These are the first confirmed cases of cholera announced there since Cyclone Idai hit the area on March 14.

Officials and aid workers are still struggling to provide clean water and sanitation, as well as help hundreds of thousands of people who lost their homes.

Ussene Isse is the national director of medical assistance.

You know, cholera is an epidemic situation, he said. When you have one case, you expect to have more cases in the community.

Cholera is a major problem for cyclone survivors living in crowded camps, schools, churches and other places where there are still flood waters. The disease is spread by contaminated food and water. It causes severe diarrhea and can kill within hours. It can be treated with different types of rehydration.

The World Health Organization has warned of another disaster if cholera spreads throughout the area. On Tuesday it said 900,000 cholera vaccines were expected to arrive later this week.

Health workers were opening clinics across Beira, the center of aid operations for the area.

Expect more health problems

Some people in the city have started to drink standing water by the side of the road. Doing this increases the chances of diarrhea, the medical charity Doctors Without Borders said.

The aid group said it has seen hundreds of cases of severe watery diarrhea in the past few days. Gert Verdonck is the groups emergency official in Beira.

He said, Extreme damage will likely lead to an  increase of waterborne diseases, skin infections  and malaria in the coming days and weeks.

Efforts to help are continuing

Workers are continuing their efforts to get clean running water to Beira. The United Nations childrens agency said parts of the citys water supply system were working again. It said there was water running in 60 percent of the pipes. The government also was operating water trucks.

Aid operations continued to explore ways to send aid to the city, which is reachable only by air and sea. There has been no contact with some small communities beyond the city.

Aid groups continued to arrive in Mozambique. The United Nations has asked the international community to give $282 million to the country for the next three months.

The U.N. refugee agency announced that its first aid flight had landed in the countrys capital. The agency plans to send supplies to Beira immediately.

Two other flights are planned for Zimbabwe and Malawi this week.

President Nyusi and Pope Francis

In a televised speech to the nation, Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi said Pope Francis will visit the devastated country in September. The Popes visit will help the nation rebuild, Nyusi said.

President Nyusi last week estimated that 1,000 people had been killed. The number could be higher as floodwaters leave and more bodies appear, some emergency workers have said. The true number of dead may never be known.

The cyclone had winds of up to 240 kilometers an hour and destroyed whole villages.

One resident told The Associated Press, The cyclone destroyed everything we built for more than 100 years.

Im Susan Shand.

The Associate Press reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for VOA Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor.

Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

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Words in This Story

cholera - n. a serious disease that causes severe vomiting and diarrhea and that often results in death

sanitation - n. the process of keeping places free from dirt, infection, disease, etc., by removing waste, trash and garbage, by cleaning streets

epidemic - n. an occurrence in which a disease spreads very quickly and affects a large number of people

contaminate - v. to make (something) dangerous, dirty, or impure by adding something harmful or undesirable to it

diarrhea - n. an illness that causes you to pass waste from your body very frequently and in liquid rather than solid form

rehydration - n. the process of returning water to the body

clinic - n. a medical office
India has successfully test-fired a missile that destroyed a low-orbit satellite in space.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the test Wednesday in a nationally televised speech. He said the development marked a major step forward in the nations efforts to become a world power in space technology.

Our scientists shot down a live satellite 300 kilometers away in space, in low-earth orbit, Modi announced, speaking in Hindi. He added that through the test, India had registered its name as a space power.

Satellites collect valuable information and carry out important communication activities during modern warfare. Anti-satellite weapons permit enemies to attack the equipment. The same technology can also be used to develop weapons to block incoming missiles.

Modi said the test was not designed to create "an atmosphere of war" with any of its neighbors. "I want to assure the world community that the new capability is not against anyone. This is to secure and defend fast-growing India," he said.

Indias foreign ministry said the anti-satellite system was meant to protect against possible threats against the countrys growing space-based assets. In addition, the technology would help guard against possible missile attacks, the statement said.

Very few countries have used such weapons. India became just the fourth nation to do so, following the United States, China and Russia.

Such abilities have made some countries fear that anti-satellite technology could fuel the development of new space weapons, security experts say. This could set off a race between competing nations.

After Indias announcement, Chinas foreign ministry said it hoped all countries would seek to continually protect lasting peace and tranquility in space.

In the U.S., acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan warned that such tests risk leaving a mess in space from the pieces they leave behind. My message would be: We all live in space, lets not make it a mess, Shanahan said. Space should be a place where we can conduct business. Space is a place where people should have the freedom to operate.

Anti-satellite weapons that break up their targets can send many pieces flying through space. Experts say these pieces, also called debris, could threaten satellites or spacecraft in Earths orbit.

Indias foreign ministry said after its missile test that officials believed there was little risk of major debris created that could hit other objects. It said this was because the test happened in low-Earth orbit and the pieces were expected to decay and fall back on to the Earth within weeks.

A spokesman for the U.S. Department of Defense said the militarys Strategic Command was tracking more than 250 pieces of debris from Indias missile test and would continue to do so.

India has at times experienced tense relations with its neighbor to the north, Pakistan. Both nations are nuclear-armed powers. In February, 40 Indian soldiers were killed in a suicide bombing in Kashmir, a disputed area claimed by both India and Pakistan. Later, India reported it had answered the bombing with a surgical strike on a terrorist camp in Pakistan.

Pakistans foreign ministry reacted to Indias anti-satellite test in a statement. Space is the common heritage of mankind and every nation has the responsibility to avoid actions which can lead to the militarization of this arena, the statement said.

Modis announcement came just two weeks before a general election. Some opposition politicians accused Modi of trying to earn political favor by announcing the test on national television.

Im Bryan Lynn.

Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from the Associated Press, Reuters and VOA News. Ashley Thompson was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

assure  v. make something sure

asset  n. something of value that is owned

tranquility  n. feeling of calm and quietness

mess  n. state of disorder

decay  v. gradually become weak or destroyed

surgical  adj. resembling the exact, careful work of a surgeon

heritage  n. traditions or practices passed down in a culture or society

arena  n. place or area of interest
This week, Pope Francis visited a Catholic shrine in Loreto, Italy. He repeatedly withdrew his right hand as a long line of people lowered their heads and tried to kiss his ring. The tradition of kissing the popes ring is hundreds of years old and is meant to show respect and obedience, the Washington Post explains.

The images of Francis withdrawing his hand spread quickly on social media. The pope's refusal became an issue of debate among Catholics.

LifeSiteNews, a Catholic website that often criticizes the pope, called the event "disturbing" in the headline of an article. That article included a long history of the rings that popes wear and their importance in Catholic history.

Austen Ivereigh has written a book about the current pope and is a supporter of Francis. He answered the social media storm in a Tweet. "He's [Pope Francis] making sure that they engage with him, not treat him like a sacred relic. He's the Vicar of Christ, not a Roman emperor," Ivereigh wrote. Vicar of Christ is a term that refers to the pope.

On Thursday, Vatican spokesman Alessandro Gisotti addressed the criticisms aimed at Pope Francis. Gisotti stated the Francis pulled his hand away because he was concerned about hygiene. The pope did not want the long line of well-wishers to spread any sickness by kissing his ring, one after the next.

I'm Kelly Jean Kelly.

John Russell adapted this story based on reports from the Reuters news agency and the Associated Press. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

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Words in This Story

shrine  n. a place connected with a holy person or event where people go to worship

disturb  v. to worry or upset (someone); disturbing  adj.

sacred  adj. worthy of religious worship

relic  n. an object that is conserved holy

vicar  n. a priest in a certain area

hygiene  n. the things that you do to keep yourself and your surroundings clean in order to maintain good health
Ukraine is preparing for presidential elections.

The voting will take place on Sunday. If no one wins a majority of the votes, officials will organize a second vote between the top two candidates. That run-off election would be held two weeks later.

The winner will face great difficulties. Ukraine is struggling to deal with corruption and help energize a weak economy. The country is also at war with rebels in the east. The rebels receive support from Russias government.

Ukrainian voters will find 39 candidates on the ballot Sunday. However, the election appears to be a three-way race between the current president, Petro Poroshenko, the well-known politician Yulia Tymoshenko, and comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Poroshenko, the incumbent, says he has worked for reforms during his five-year term. He says he has moved Ukraine toward the West and has fought corruption. His supporters say now is not the time to change leaders.



But the Poroshenko campaign been hurt by reports of corruption in military spending. These claims have hurt his hope for re-election.

In the past week, someone new to politics is leading in opinion studies of likely voters: 41-year-old Volodymyr Zelenskiy. During a recent visit to his campaign headquarters, young supporters were busy putting information about him on social media.

Zekenskiy campaign spokesperson Dmytro Razumkov says Ukrainians are longing for new leaders.

"The lack of trust in all the political elites has led to a decision by the Ukrainian people to punish them, and the name of this punishment is Zelenskiy," Razumkov said.

Zelenskiy's television program is called Servant of the People. On the show, an everyday Ukrainian worker becomes president by chance. So is life about to imitate art?

Zelenskiys show is on a television station owned by a billionaire who has been accused of corruption. Some think Zelenskiy is under the businessmans control.

But Zelenskiy says he would fight Ukraine's corrupt elite. He says he would end the guaranteed protection from legal action of judges and politicians.



The third leading candidate is Yulia Tymoshenko. She became famous as one of the leaders of Ukraines Orange Revolution in 2004. Since then, she has been put in jail two times on corruption charges. She denies any wrongdoing.

In her campaign, Tymoshenko has promised to lower fuel prices and to increase payments to retired government workers by 200 percent.

Her voters are the poorest people of Ukraine," says Volodymyr Fesenko. He works at the Center for Political Studies in Kyiv.

Fesenko adds that the war in the east and threats from Russia are the real issues.

"No matter who becomes president, they can't finish this war by themselves. But they also can't meet (Russian President) Putin's conditions, as the people of this country won't accept it, he said.

Many Ukrainians say they remain undecided over who should be their next leader.

I'm Susan Shand.

VOAs Henry Ridgwell reported this story. Susan Shand adapted his report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________

Words in this Story

comedian  n. a person who performs in front of an audience and makes people laugh by telling jokes or funny stories or by acting in a way that is funny

incumbent  n. a person who holds a particular office or position

elites  n. the people who have the most wealth and status in a society

imitate  v. to copy (someone's or something's behavior, sound, appearance, etc.)
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said the United States will reduce the amount of money it gives to the Organization of American States, or OAS.

The reduction is tied to existing rules that bar the United States from providing money for medical operations to end pregnancies or efforts to support abortions.

The restrictions now extend to foreign groups that provide money to other organizations that promote or provide abortions. Pompeo said at least two agencies connected to the OAS appear to be promoting abortion availability in the Western Hemisphere.

Pompeo said the administration of President Donald Trump is able to meet critical global health goals, including providing health care for women while refusing to subsidize the killing of unborn babies.

The policy requires that foreign nongovernmental organizations that receive family-planning money from the United States must show that they do not provide or support abortions.

The policy is sometimes called the Mexico City Policy after the place where it was first announced in the 1980s, under the presidency of Ronald Reagan. Later presidents canceled or did not follow the policy. The Trump administration put the policy in place again in 2017.

Critics call the policy a global gag rule. They say it prevents people from talking about abortion and hurts reproductive care.

State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said the United States would cut about $210,000 dollars from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, an independent group within the OAS.

Pompeo said the aim is for American taxpayer money to not be used to pay for abortions.

Democratic lawmakers denounced the expansion to the policy. U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called it cruel on Twitter. And Jeanne Shaheen, a Democratic senator from New Hampshire, said the move was dangerous to the reproductive health of women.

Im Jill Robbins.

Marissa Melton reported this story for VOA News. Mario Ritter Jr. adapted it for VOA Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

abortion n. a medical operation used to end a pregnancy and cause the death of the fetus.

promote v. to help something happen, develop or increae

global adj. involving the entire world

subsidize v. to help someone pay for the cost of a product or service
Icelands WOW air suspended operations and cancelled all its flights on Thursday without warning.

The move left thousands of passengers in North America and Europe without transportation.

In a statement on its website, the airline company told passengers there would be no more flights. It advised them to find flights with other airlines.

WOW air was the creation of Icelandic businessman Skuli Mogensen. The airline was founded in late 2011, with its first flight coming six months later.

The company specialized in low-cost travel across the Atlantic Ocean. Its main cities were Reykjavik, London, Paris, New York and Washington, D.C.

In 2013, the airline grew as a result of its low ticket prices and a marketing campaign aimed at making Iceland a popular destination for foreign travelers.

WOW air flew travelers to a total of 16 cities in 2015. By 2018, it offered flights to 36 destinations in Europe, North America and Asia. The company reported a 60 percent increase in passenger numbers.

But then those numbers began to fall, and the company began having difficulties with its finances.

Wow Air announced a pre-tax loss of almost $60 million in the first half of 2018. It was forced to fly fewer airplanes and pay back more debt.

By 2019, the number of planes was cut from 20 to 11 and the company stopped serving several cities, including some in the United States. It also cut jobs.

For the past six months, Mogensen had been seeking investors to keep the airline in the sky.

The first interested buyer was Icelandair. When those negotiations failed, the American company operating the airline Wizz, Indigo Partners, expressed interest, but also passed on investing. Icelandair reconsidered its decision, but by this morning those negotiations collapsed.

I will never forgive myself for not acting sooner, Mogensen said in a letter to employees Thursday. WOW was clearly an incredible airline, and we were on the path to doing amazing things again.

More than 1,000 people will lose their jobs.

WOW air grounded at least six planes that were set to fly late Wednesday from six airports in North America.

In Europe, flights to Iceland from seven cities did not take off Thursday morning.

Passenger Kimberly Worthy was waiting at the airport in Iceland. She told CNN television she was supposed to fly home to Atlanta.

I arrived and there were no signs for WOW and when I asked about how to check in, the only response I got was: Check your email. Wow doesn't fly here anymore, she said.

Im Alice Bryant.

The Associated Press reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ______________________________________________________________

Words in this Story

destination  n. a place to which a person is going

ticket  n. a document or piece of paper showing that payment was made for a show or ride

incredible  adj. extremely good, great, or large

amazing  adj. causing wonder; surprising

check  v. to compare with something; to inspect or examine
Have writer's block? Hopefully this resource will help librarians identify publishing and presentation opportunities in library & information science, as well as other related fields. I will include calls for papers, presentations, participation, reviewers, and other relevant notices that I find on the web. If you find anything to be posted, please drop me a note. thanks -- Corey Seeman, University of Michigan(cseeman@umich.edu)
In addition to the fact that limousine travel is very glamorous, it is also the most comfortable trip you can...
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"chupacabra" kills two people in Honduras Soul

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03-28-2019 09:12 PM



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Post: #1 "chupacabra" kills two people in Honduras

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Testimonies collected account for the death of two people attacked by the so-called "Chupacabras" in Honduras.



The being that for some people is a myth, for others it is an extraterrestrial biological entity.



In the places where the deadly attacks have been reported , the inhabitants are terrified, since they assure that the victims presented strange signals and that makes them believe even more that the furtive being not only attacks the cattle and other fledglings, but that also to humans.



RETURNED FROM PARTY

Now there is talk that there have been human victims. One of the recent events was recorded three weeks ago in a community of Yamaranguila, Intibuca, where neighbors reported that a young man known as "Geovany" had been the victim of the furtive creature, which has now reappeared with strange capabilities, as reported.



The boy went to a dance party in the municipality of Yamaranguila, and then left at midnight for his village, but he did not arrive home and they went looking for him and they found him after three days on a mountain that is a bit removed from the place. "Explained the resident Jose Martinez.



He added that, "the strange thing is that it was in a hollow that no one could enter and we do not know how it could have got there and there was no trace and we thought that some wild animal took it. And the other thing is that he was as pale as the Chupacabras had taken his blood, "he described.



TERRIFIED

However, two weeks ago the villagers of El Naranjo, Siguatepeque, Comayagua, were terrified to learn that a farm worker known as "Tulio" was found dead in a farm without being hit or injured, more than a "puncture" in the foot as if you have been given an injection or a venoclysis to suck your blood.



The villager, Miguel Angel Martinez, said that the farmer went alone in the morning hours to cut a few poles and then lay down to rest under the shade of a tree, while removing his shoes to be more comfortable.



"There was a hole nearby and, apparently, an animal came out of there that attacked him by the feet and sucked all the blood, " said Martinez, who indicated that now they are afraid to go alone to the mountain.



He commented that the attack happened at noon, but when the night was approaching, the locals went out to look for the young man and they found the painful surprise that was lifeless.



The attacks of the predator are also reported in other communities in the area where they have killed several cows in a mysterious way and their stories are similar to those of other events that occurred in different parts of the national geography and other countries.



https://tn8.tv/america-latina/471527-ext...ras-video/ Continuing my line of thank f&*king god it's not politics threads here's thisTestimonies collected account for the death of two people attacked by the so-called "Chupacabras" in Honduras.The being that for some people is a myth, for others it is an extraterrestrial biological entity.In the places where the deadly attacks have been reported , the inhabitants are terrified, since they assure that the victims presented strange signals and that makes them believe even more that the furtive being not only attacks the cattle and other fledglings, but that also to humans.RETURNED FROM PARTYNow there is talk that there have been human victims. One of the recent events was recorded three weeks ago in a community of Yamaranguila, Intibuca, where neighbors reported that a young man known as "Geovany" had been the victim of the furtive creature, which has now reappeared with strange capabilities, as reported.The boy went to a dance party in the municipality of Yamaranguila, and then left at midnight for his village, but he did not arrive home and they went looking for him and they found him after three days on a mountain that is a bit removed from the place. "Explained the resident Jose Martinez.He added that, "the strange thing is that it was in a hollow that no one could enter and we do not know how it could have got there and there was no trace and we thought that some wild animal took it. And the other thing is that he was as pale as the Chupacabras had taken his blood, "he described.TERRIFIEDHowever, two weeks ago the villagers of El Naranjo, Siguatepeque, Comayagua, were terrified to learn that a farm worker known as "Tulio" was found dead in a farm without being hit or injured, more than a "puncture" in the foot as if you have been given an injection or a venoclysis to suck your blood.The villager, Miguel Angel Martinez, said that the farmer went alone in the morning hours to cut a few poles and then lay down to rest under the shade of a tree, while removing his shoes to be more comfortable."There was a hole nearby and, apparently, an animal came out of there that attacked him by the feet and sucked all the blood, " said Martinez, who indicated that now they are afraid to go alone to the mountain.He commented that the attack happened at noon, but when the night was approaching, the locals went out to look for the young man and they found the painful surprise that was lifeless.The attacks of the predator are also reported in other communities in the area where they have killed several cows in a mysterious way and their stories are similar to those of other events that occurred in different parts of the national geography and other countries. LoP Guest

lop guest

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03-28-2019 09:14 PM











Post: #2 RE: "chupacabra" kills two people in Honduras

Who let Big Mike off the leash? LoP Guest

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03-28-2019 09:15 PM











Post: #3 RE: "chupacabra" kills two people in Honduras

LoP Guest Wrote: (03-28-2019 09:14 PM) Who let Big Mike off the leash?

Interpol Interpol Strange Candy

that one jellybean what ruins yer bag

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03-28-2019 09:21 PM



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Post: #4 RE: "chupacabra" kills two people in Honduras

Oh sh!t, they're starting to kill people. daersoulkeeper

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03-28-2019 09:24 PM



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Post: #5 RE: "chupacabra" kills two people in Honduras

and unicorns are now sending satellites to planet poptart

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The environmental situation in Macau is appalling according to Antonio Trindade, CEO of local energy and environment firm CESL Asia, and those in the government and other entities ought to be held responsible for allowing the situation to deteriorate so far and so fast.

Ahead of this years Macao International Environmental Cooperation Forum and Exhibition (MIECF), the Times spoke with Trindade, seeking updates on the regions current environmental situation, as well as ideas and challenges for the future.

Above all, Trindade stressed the urgency to restore an attitude of integrity in public service toward environmental issues.

According to Trindade, a very high percentage of untreated wastewater is being dumped on the Macau coastline, causing total disruption of the entire maritime ecosystem, among other problems.

I would say that over 80 percent of the sewage water that is produced in Macau is discharged, untreated, to coastal waters, and this means that there is no possibility of a marine economy. But the problem is way broader, because it is not just the fish that die. Then you have health problems like, for example, gastroenteritis, that increase when typhoons and flooding occur. All this pollution affects the environment and the place we live in, he said.

Unfortunately the situation is deteriorating and we need to have a solution [] artificial intelligence-style. We must change everything that we do nowadays.

This pollution does not appear by chance; it occurs because none of the wastewater treatment plants [ETARs] work properly, and it is proven the administration knows about this for a long time and miscommunicates the real situation to the public.

Trindade noted that, contrary to pollution resulting from plastic waste, the impact of the untreated wastewater has direct and immediate consequences, although the majority of the population is not aware of the seriousness of their exposure.

Questioned as to how the current situation could be reversed, Trindade said: Well, only two things can happen: either a push from society [like in the plastic situation] or by the initiative of a new leadership in public office and the private contractors.

We are not just talking about gastroenteritis, there are many things involved. There were explosions occurring in the sewage of Macau a couple months ago [due to concentrations of methane gas] which could have much worse consequences.

The CESL Asia CEO also said that other cases are being reported. For example, people getting intoxicated from sewage gases in their own homes is a situation that normally occurs during the night when there is less use of the sewage piping, he said. The same happens with the tons of fish dying every week or so and the administration replies that it is due to a lack of oxygen, which is an almost grotesque [statement].

Common people probably do not know but the specialists know that lack of oxygen is a technical term for extreme pollution.

He described the situation in Macau as dramatic, adding that it was not possible to emphasize the matter more.

Maybe 10 years ago we could warn  and we did  but at the moment things are at a stage which does accept such resolutions anymore and demands action.

For Trindade, 15 [or even] 10 years ago, Macau was considered a center of excellence in terms of public environmental infrastructure. The problems have been clearly identified, but unfortunately nothing changed.

As an example, Trindade claimed CESL Asia was replaced from the Macau ETAR project due to a dispute with the administration, because the government never wanted to accept that the facility had half of the capacity [to treat wastewater] than what the government had announced.

The fact is, after four of five years there is no ETAR and we will not have it  at least [not] in the upcoming three or four years. So what we are seeing is a delay that goes almost to 10 years, which is something completely unthinkable.

Macau cannot be turned into a World Tourism and Leisure Center for the Greater Bay in such a poor condition.

Meanwhile, Trindade attributed the new anti-plastic bag bill proposed by the government to community awareness, adding that the long-awaited initiative might never have been put into action without pressure from the public.

These are things that clearly result from public pressure and the community, which is, in fact, most of the time the origin of these positive actions, he told the Times.

The plastic is a serious problem, not only in Macau but all over the world, and it is has received special attention in the last few years, with an attempt from worldwide communities to eliminate its use because it does have a very significant impact on the ecosystem.

Trindade noted that the creation of the plastic material, which was considered at the time a wonderful fiber with a huge range of applications, had consequences that were already predictable at that time.

[Public awareness] has an immediate impact, visible, and [it can be done] in a very simple way. It just needs a small group of activists to come to the public and find a way to measure the pulse of society and the performance of the government on such a matter, making it impossible for the [local] government to be indifferent to a matter that all the world is addressing.
Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. agreed to pay HKD2.25 billion (USD287 million) in cash for Hong Kongs only budget airline to enter the no-frills market, after more than a decade resisting such a move to focus on premium services.

Cathay plans to operate Hong Kong Express Airways Ltd., part of HNA Group Co., as a standalone carrier after the transaction is completed by Dec. 31, the flag carrier said.

HK Express captures a unique market segment, Cathay said in an emailed statement Wednesday. This represents an attractive and practical way for the Cathay Group to support the long-term development and growth of our aviation business and to enhance the competitiveness of the Hong Kong hub during a time of intense regional competition.

The acquisition will give Cathay a crucial piece of business thats missing from its operations and additional landing slots in Hong Kong, home to Asias busiest international airport. It will provide Cathay with a new revenue source as the regions growing economies allow more people to fly, and as Chinese rivals expand with direct long-haul flights, bypassing the need to transit in Hong Kong.

Cathay declined 0.3 percent to HKD13.64 as of 10:12 a.m. in Hong Kong trading, after climbing as much as 3.4 percent.

The company will use its existing funds for the cash payment. As part of the transaction, Cathay also pledged to repay HKD2.68 billion of debt held by Hong Kong Express in the form of promissory notes.

Asia Pacifics burgeoning market will probably see the largest increase in air traffic worldwide, with almost 4 billion passenger journeys expected in the next two decades.

Cathay is more than a decade behind Asian arch rival Singapore Airlines Ltd. in entering the no- frills business, and has seen demand for some shorter routes eroded by low-cost airlines while Chinese and Middle Eastern carriers chip away at premium and long-haul demand.

As airlines from Australia to India acknowledged the travel aspirations of Asias rising middle class by setting up budget carriers including Jetstar, Peach Aviation and IndiGo, Cathay sat tight on its premium roots. Profits were further eroded as mainland carriers began offering cheaper, direct flights to the U.S. from Chinese cities including Shanghai and Guangzhou, reducing the need to fly via Hong Kong.

In March 2017, Cathay reported the first annual net loss in eight years and said it was embarking on a three-year transformation program to improve its operational efficiency and returns.

In April that year, it named a new chief executive officer, Rupert Hogg, who said a few months later that Cathay broadly had no plan to begin a low-cost carrier. Less than a year later, Cathays parent, Swire Pacific Ltd., named Merlin Swire as chairman, marking the return of a Swire family member to lead the conglomerate.

The overhaul amid the management changes appears to be bearing fruit. After cutting at least 600 jobs, adding destinations, and improving services, the carrier ended a two-year run of losses and posted its first full-year profit in 2018.

Apart from Hong Kong Express, airlines looking to start frills-free operations in the city have been met with opposition. In 2015, Hong Kong rejected an application from Jetstar Hong Kong Airways Ltd., saying it didnt comply with legal requirements to operate such a business. Cathay also voiced its objection to the budget airline  a venture of Qantas Airways Ltd. and China Eastern Airlines Corp. that was backed by billionaire Stanley Hos Shun Tak Holdings Ltd.

Hong Kongs position as an aviation hub has been threatened in recent years as airports in the mainland have been expanding to handle more international passengers, while Chinese carriers are either adding direct routes to the U.S. and Europe or teaming up with U.S. peers to expand their networks. Delta Air Lines Inc. took a minority stake in China Eastern in 2015 and American Airlines Group Inc. announced a similar deal with China Southern Airlines Co. in 2017.

For Chinese conglomerate HNA Group, the disposal is part of its efforts to trim one of Chinas biggest debt piles by selling dozens of assets from hotels to aircraft-leasing and inflight-catering businesses.

Hong Kong Express, which started services in October 2013, operates a fleet of Airbus SE A320 family aircraft. It flies to cities in countries including China, South Korea, Japan and Vietnam. Kyunghee Park, Bloomberg
Commission Against Corruption (CCAC) investigators detected an increase in cases of fraud, document forgery and the abuse of power committed by public servants in 2018, especially in those that saw violations of the law exchanged for the private gain of senior state officials.

In its 2018 Annual Report, the CCAC said it would be necessary moving forward to strengthen the integrity and responsibility of senior government officials.

While the abovementioned crimes were on the rise, the Annual Report conversely pointed to a decrease in bribery cases detected by the anti-graft body last year involving public servants.

Nevertheless, the CCAC warns that public officials shall not take advantage of their powers and positions directly or indirectly for private gain.

Over the course of 2018, the CCAC investigated a number of fraud cases relating to government subsidies, with the Fund of Environmental Protection and Energy Saving, as well as the Fund of Continuing Education identified as some of the culprit organizations. The Commission said that such cases demonstrate the need for more stringent criteria and the monitoring of the grant of subsidies by public services.

In 2018, the corruption watchdog completed two major inquiries on a controversial construction project at Alto de Coloane and on the approval of major investment immigration and technical immigration, as arranged by the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM). The Annual Report noted that, in the latter case, the involvement of senior government official Jackson Chang, former IPIM president, indicated that corrupt practices had spread even into leadership positions in the Macau government.

A summary of the Annual Report released on the CCAC website yesterday described in somewhat colloquial terms the publics reaction to learning of these two cases. Even citizens thought that they were unbelievable and smelled a rat after knowing them, the summary reads, paraphrasing the statement of CCAC Commissioner Andre Cheong in the reports foreword.

Cheong states in the Annual Report that being incorruptible and not accepting bribes and other personal gain constitute the minimum legal requirements for public positions.

In 2018, the CCAC received a total of 733 complaints and reports, of which 141 involved corruption and 592 were about administrative impropriety. Compared with the previous year, there was a decrease in complaints and reports, attributed by the CCAC to the occurrence of the 2017 Legislative Assembly Election, which prompted enquiries pertaining to the legal conduct of various aspects of the election.
Tubig Pilipinas, MWC sign deal

posted March 28, 2019 at 08:00 pm by Manila Standard Business March 28, 2019 at 08:00 pm

Tubig Pilipinas Group Inc. and Manila Water Philippines Ventures Inc. signed a joint venture agreement for the overall development, improvement and maintenance of Iloilo Citys water supply system. Under the city ordinance granting the franchise for the JVA, the designated consortium of Tubig Pilipinas and Manila Water will be responsible for the design, construction, operation, maintenance, repairs, improvement, and finance of a reliable and adequate water supply system in Metro Iloilo. The National Economic and Development Authority reported that Western Visayas enjoyed 8.4-percent growth in 2017, making it the fourth fastest growing regional economy in the country. Iloilo City is considered as the economic and investments center of the region.The local government said that a credible water system should be maintained to respond to the growing demands of Iloilo City.

COMMENT DISCLAIMER: Reader comments posted on this Web site are not in any way endorsed by Manila Standard. Comments are views by manilastandard.net readers who exercise their right to free expression and they do not necessarily represent or reflect the position or viewpoint of manilastandard.net. While reserving this publications right to delete comments that are deemed offensive, indecent or inconsistent with Manila Standard editorial standards, Manila Standard may not be held liable for any false information posted by readers in this comments section.
Budget aviation aint what it used to be.

Passengers on Easyjet Plc aircraft can book fares that let them change flight times at no extra cost. Those on Singapore Airlines Ltd.s Scoot and JetBlue Airways Corp. can pay for business-class seats, and people flying Juneyao Airlines Co. can collect frequent flier points and spend them on flights with Star Alliance members such as Lufthansa AG. These days, no-frills carriers often seem to have as many frills as their upmarket counterparts.

Thats reason for Hong Kongers to temper any excitement about Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. giving up its longstanding opposition to discount aviation. Cathay will pay HKD4.93 billion (USD628 million) to buy Hong Kong Express Airways Ltd. from debt-strapped HNA Group Co., the carrier said yesterday, giving it control of the territorys sole low-cost airline.

Those hoping to see the sorts of peppercorn-priced tickets that Indias SpiceJet Ltd. and Irelands Ryanair Holdings Plc like to offer are likely to be disappointed. Its much more likely that Cathay is trying to protect its existing patch than becoming a born-again no-frills carrier.

If youve ever had that experience of going to book a flight on a low-cost airline and finding the prices arent all that low-cost, youre not alone.

Indeed, theres a substantial group of nominally budget carriers that have much more in common with full-service airlines. Per available seat kilometer, the grandaddy of discount aviation Southwest Airlines Co. makes more passenger revenue than Air France-KLM and International Consolidated Airlines Group SA.

It also gets a lower share of revenue from ancillary services like fees and in-flight meals than Delta Air Lines Inc., according to Oliver Wyman. On top of that, it takes a cautious approach to expanding capacity that resembles legacy carriers such as Delta and American Airlines Group Inc. than true, ultra-low-cost airlines, the consultant says.

This blurring of the boundaries between discount and full-service aviation is hardly surprising. For all that the likes of Ryanair Chief Executive Officer Michael OLeary like to fetishize their spartan approach to customer service, most of the savings for budget carriers come from having simple fleets flying short routes that maximize aircraft utilization and minimize crew costs. Unlike wild proposals like charging passengers to use the toilet, these are savings that can easily be carried across to large parts of a full-service network.

Thats the logical place for Cathay to position Hong Kong Express. As regional peers Qantas Airways Ltd., Singapore Airlines and ANA Holdings Inc. have learned, having a low-cost carrier in your stable can be an effective strategy. By keeping the business in-house, you can ensure that it doesnt cannibalize your mainline carrier, restricting it to more leisure-oriented routes and times of day.

Having a discount airline with the cost-base to match also provides some ammunition in the event that truly no-frills carriers like AirAsia Group Bhd., Cebu Air Inc. and Spring Airlines Co. move aggressively onto your patch. Its a lot easier for Cathay Pacific to win a price war using Hong Kong Expresss fleet of Airbus SE A320s and bare-bones services than on its own more premium metal.

Ultimately, this deal will serve only to consolidate Chief Executive Officer Rupert Hoggs control over Cathays home market, especially as HNAs other local unit, Hong Kong Airlines, shrinks its fleet and network and pulls out of long-haul markets such as Australia and New Zealand.

The low-cost typhoon may still be blowing through the global aviation industry, but Cathay Pacific is hoping Hong Kong can still remain a sheltered harbor. David Fickling, Bloomberg
Rep. Lito Atienza

A senior member of the Philippine Congress has urged the Malaysian government to downgrade to prison terms the death sentences meted out to dozens of Filipinos, mostly migrant workers. In light of Malaysias decision to scrap the mandatory death sentence for several offenses, we are appealing for the lives of Filipinos on death row there to be spared, said Buhay Rep. Lito Atienza, the senior deputy minority leader of the Philippine House of Representatives.The commutation of death sentences does not mean that the convicts are not getting punished. They are still getting penalized with harsh prison terms, said Atienza, a leading Philippine crusader against capital punishment. The death penalty is cruel and inhuman punishment that flouts the right to life, Atienza, former three-term mayor of Manila, said. At least 48 Filipino citizens are on death row in Malaysia, according to the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs. Malaysias Pakatan Harapan or Alliance of Hope coalition government imposed a moratorium on all judicial executions in October last year pending the passage of new legislation that would remove the mandatory death sentence for 11 offenses. Instead, the new legislation would give Malaysian judges the leeway to inflict either death by hanging or long-term imprisonment.At present, Malaysian judges have no choice but to send to the gallows those convicted of offenses that carry the mandatory death penalty, such as terrorist acts, murder, rape resulting in murder, gang-robbery with murder, drug trafficking, kidnapping in order to murder, and hostage-taking resulting in death. The Pakatan Harapan government had campaigned on reviewing the death penalty and other unsuitable laws during the 2018 general election. The coalition government originally announced in October that it would be endorsing a bill to abolish the death penalty in Malaysia. It has since retreated, moving instead to just give judges the discretion to impose the either the supreme or lesser punishment, due to pressure from anti-abolitionist groups in Malaysia. Malaysia carried out 13 executions from 2016 to 2017 before it froze executions in October. In the Philippine, Congress revived the death penalty for 13 heinous crimes in 1993, only to abolish it in 2006 due to mounting flaws.
Anakalusugan Party-list and senatorial candidate Dr. Willie Ong have teamed up for the May 13 polls to push for a truly responsive and inclusive healthcare system in the country. We need a partner in the House of Representatives to come up with key legislation that will promote and protect the health and well-being of all Filipinos. I have found that partner in Anakalusugan, a party-list that truly represents us allrich and poor, young and oldbecause health knows no political color nor economic class, said Ong, a social media presence who has continued to lead Facebook surveys among senatorial bets. We are honored to join forces with Doc Willie. His advocacy is aligned with our own in Anakalusuganthat of pushing for affordable and accessible healthcare for all Filipinos, party-list nominee Mike Defensor said. Together, we will be a force to reckon with in Congress not just in passing necessary laws but also in serving as the Filipinos watchdog to ensure that PhilHealth and the Department of Health deliver the services expected of them, Defensor added in a statement. Just as Anakalusugan is the sole party-list running on a health platform in the forthcoming midterm polls, Ong also holds the distinction of being the only doctor running for the Senate. We really are in the midst of a health crisiswe have at least 60 percent of sick Filipinos who die without even being able to see a doctor. The cost of healthcare and medical procedures in the Philippines is one of the highest in Asia. You have the rising number of dengue cases and a measles outbreak as well. All these make the need for health advocates in Congress an urgent matter, Ong said. The doctor, a former consultant of the DOH who has been conducting medical missions for at least 25 years now, said a priority would be to closely monitor the crafting of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Universal Health Care Law.DOH and PhilHealth have 180 days to come up with the IRR since the landmark measure, which would pave the way for the inclusion of all Filipinos in the National Health Insurance Program, was signed by President Rodrigo Duterte in February. Anakalusugan, for its part, is advocating for a three-point priority health agenda: to ensure that all maintenance medicines are given free of charge under PhilHealth; to provide free diagnostic tests to cover not just the curative but also the preventive aspect of healthcare; and to allocate a fixed amount of allowance for barangay health workers and barangay nutrition scholars. You need a blood test or a diagnostic exam to get a proper prescription and accurately identify your illness, but in rural areas, the nearest hospital or clinic may be several towns away. The cost of these tests as well as that of maintenance medicines are also prohibitive, Anakalusugan nominee Ower Andal said in a statement. Barangay health workers and nutrition scholars, on the other hand, are the proverbial bagong bayani who are on the frontline in delivering medical services, especially in areas where there are no public doctors, party-list nominee Darlo Ginete said. They are our unsung heroes. We should take care of them by ensuring they get just compensation in the form of allowance and other incentives for taking care of our health, Ginete said.
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Aedes aegypti mosquito larvae. Credit: NIAID (CC BY 2.0, 2016)

As many as a billion people could be newly exposed to disease-carrying mosquitoes by the end of the century because of global warming, says a new study that examines temperature changes on a monthly basis across the world.

Scientists say the news is bad even in areas with only a slight risk of having a climate suited for mosquitoes, because the viruses they carry are notorious for explosive outbreaks when they show up at the right place under the right conditions.

"Climate change is the largest and most comprehensive threat to global health security," says global change biologist Colin J. Carlson, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in Georgetown University's biology department, and co-lead author of the new study. "Mosquitoes are only a part of the challenge, but after the Zika outbreak in Brazil in 2015, we're especially worried about what comes next."

Published in the open access journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases ("Global expansion and redistribution of Aedes-borne virus transmission risk with climate change"), the research team led by Sadie J. Ryan of the University of Florida and Carlson, studied what would happen if the two most common disease-carrying mosquitoes - Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus track and move as the temperature changes over decades.

According to the World Health Organization, mosquitoes are one of the deadliest animals in the world, carrying diseases that cause millions of deaths every year. Both Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus can carry the dengue, chikunguyna and Zika viruses, as well as at least a dozen other emerging diseases that researchers say could be a threat in the next 50 years.

With global warming, the scientists say, almost all of the world's population could be exposed at some point in the next 50 years. As the temperature increases, they expect year-round transmissions in the tropics and seasonal risks almost everywhere else. A greater intensity of infections is also predicted.

"These diseases, which we think of as strictly tropical, have been showing up already in areas with suitable climates, such as Florida, because humans are very good at moving both bugs and their pathogens around the globe," explains Ryan, associate professor of medical geography at Florida.

"The risk of disease transmission is a serious problem, even over the next few decades," Carlson says. "Places like Europe, North America, and high elevations in the tropics that used to be too cold for the viruses will face new diseases like dengue."

More severe climate change would produce proportionally worse population exposures for the Aedes aegypti mosquito. But in areas with the worst climate increase, including west African and southeast Asia, serious reductions are expected for the Aedes albopictus mosquito, most noticeably in southeast Asia and west Africa. This mosquito carries dengue, chikunguyna and Zika.

"Understanding the geographic shifts of risks really puts this in perspective," Ryan says. "While we may see changing numbers and think we have the answer, imagine a world too hot for these mosquitoes."

"This might sound like a good news, bad news scenario but it's all bad news if we end up in the worst timeline for climate change," Carlson says. "Any scenario where a region gets too warm to transmit dengue is one where we also have different but equally severe threats in other health sectors."

The team of researchers looked at temperatures month by month to project risk through 2050 and 2080. The modeling did not predict which type of mosquito would migrate, but rather accounted for a climate where their spread would not be prevented.

"Based on what we know about mosquito movement from region to region, 50 years is a considerable long time and we expect significant spread of both types of insects, particularly Aedes aegypti, which thrive in urban environments," Carlson explains.

"This is only one study to begin understanding the fast-approaching challenges we face with global warming," Carlson says. "We have a Herculean task ahead. We need to figure out pathogen by pathogen, region by region, when problems will emerge so that we can plan a global health response."

Explore further Forecasting mosquitoes' global spread
United NationsThe United States faced sharp criticism Wednesday at the UN Security Council over its decision to recognize the Golan Heights as Israeli territory, which big powers denounced as a violation of UN resolutions. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation Monday in which the United States recognized Israels annexation of the strategic plateau that it seized in 1967 and annexed in 1981. Britain, Washingtons closest ally, said the decision was in violation of Resolution 497 that declared Israels annexation of the Golan as null and void. France warned that any attempt to turn away from international law was doomed to fail as the United States prepares to unveil its Middle East peace proposals. Russia appealed to governments to reject the US decision and to continue to view the Golan as Israeli-occupied territory. If anybody feels any temptation to follow this poor example, we would urge them to refrain from this aggressive revision of international law, said Russian Deputy Ambassador Vladimir Safronkov. The council was meeting at the request of Syria, which in a letter to the council called the US decision a flagrant violation of UN resolutions. Three Security Council resolutions call on Israel to withdraw from the Golan, which it seized from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War and annexed, in a move that was not recognized internationally. The United States defended its decision, arguing it bolstered Israels security and could contribute to the stability of the entire Middle East by keeping Syria and its Iranian ally in check. To allow the Golan to be controlled by Syria would turn a blind eye to the threats emanating from Damascus and from Iran and its Hezbollah allies that want to use the Golan to attack Israel, said US diplomat Rodney Hunter.Despite its decision to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan, the United States called for a UN peacekeeping mission deployed in a buffer zone there to remain in place. The 1,000-strong UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) was dispatched to a buffer zone between Israel and Syria in the Golan in 1974, tasked with monitoring a ceasefire. Trumps decision prompted speculation that Washington would seek to end the UNDOF mission when its mandate comes up for renewal in June. This announcement does not affect the 1974 Disengagement Agreement, nor do we believe it undermines UNDOFs mandate in any way, said Hunter, adding that UNDOF continues to have a vital role to play in preserving stability between Israel and Syria. China recalled that UN resolutions declare the Golan as a territory occupied by Israel, with Deputy Ambassador Wu Haitao adding that China is opposed to any unilateral action that attempts to alter that fact. China does not want to see tensions in the region to escalate, he added. Germany took a swipe at Syria for invoking international law, accusing it of blatantly disregarding UN resolutions by attacking schools and hospitals during eight years of war. After Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israels capital, a group of Arab countries presented a resolution condemning the decision to the General Assembly, which won overwhelming support. UN diplomats were awaiting the outcome of an Arab League summit in Tunis on Sunday that could lead to action at the United Nations to counter the US decision on the Golan.
The MRI scan on the left reveals gray matter atrophy commonly seen in a person with HIV. On the right, the atrophy is associated with HAND, establishing a new profile for the disorder. Credit: Xiong Jiang/Georgetown

A new map of brain tissue in people with HIV shows atrophy in several areas including a primary neurocognitive control center where shrinkage and loss of function can be seen in scans before clinical symptoms appear.

The map and other findings from researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center, are published in the journal Human Brain Mapping.

The brain map paints a two-stage model of what exposure to HIV does to the brain, says the senior author, Xiong Jiang, Ph.D., director of the Cognitive Neuroimaging Laboratory at Georgetown.

"The drugs we use to keep HIV at bay work wonderfully well in the body, but they cannot easily reach the brain due to the blood-brain barrier," says Jiang. "We have long known about neurocognitive impairment resulting from HIV, but this is the first time we have a neural model to relate neurocognitive impairment severity to injury in certain brain structures." HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders are known as HAND.

The model shows the sweep of atrophy that occurs as time passes from initial viral infection. It suggests that early on in HIV+ disease, the virus affects the frontal lobe, considered to be the essential hub of brain networks, responsible for such high-level tasks as attention and executive and cognitive functioning. By contrast, the injury to the caudate/striatum area, a subcortical region and part of the motor and reward system, becomes more prominent when individuals develop clinical HAND symptoms.

Inspired by work in Alzheimer's disease, the Georgetown model was proposed to relate neurocognitive impairment to neural underpinnings, says Jiang.

"There is a strong desire for a neural model of HAND severity, which currently is solely defined by neurobehavioral assessments using standard neuropsychological tests," he says. "This model, while highly simplified, might have the potential to help to develop targeted treatment, which in turn might be more effective."

The method researchers used to assess brain atrophy across 25 published studies, called colocalization-likelihood estimation (CLE), was developed by Peter E. Turkeltaub, MD, Ph.D., an associate professor of neurology at Georgetown and a co-author of the study.

The researchers found that the frontal region (including anterior cingulate cortex, or ACC) is the most frequently affected brain region in HIV+ adults, whereas the neural injury to the caudate/striatum was consistently linked to neurocognitive impairment.

These results suggest a two-stage model of HAND in the context of brain atrophy, with a frontal/ACC stage that links to HIV disease and likely other comorbidities, such as substance abuse, and a caudate/striatum stage that links to neurocognitive impairment. "These two areas likely play different roles in HAND," Jiang says.

"It is our theory, and others, that the frontal/ACC area damage is due to a number of factors, but which importantly includes damage to the dopaminergic region," he says. "Also, we believe the caudate might be one of the key HIV reservoirs in the brain.

"This model is limited, but it has, we believe, meaningful theoretical and practical implications in HAND clinical diagnosis, management, treatment, and future research," Jiang says, "It will be of a great interest for future studies to explicitly test the model's predictions."

Explore further Brain clock ticks differently in autism
When Charles Immanuel Akhimien was a medical student he was shocked to learn that a former classmate had died from a back-alley abortion.

The brilliant young woman's life may have been spared if she had the kind of apps that are available today that discreetly inform young people about sex, Akhimien said.

"When it comes to contraception, the lack of communication generates more and more AIDS infections and unwanted pregnancies. These tragedies could be avoided," Akhimien told AFP.

In the doctor's native Nigeria, 3.1 million people are HIV-positive and 34,000 women die each year from botched abortions, according to official statistics.

Akhimien's app "myPaddi" anonymously connects young people with doctors who advise them on sex and contraception.

The software was among 30 medical innovations showcased at the World Health Organization's second Africa Health Forum, hosted in Praia, the capital of Cape Verde in West Africa.

Selected from among more than 2,400 submissions, many of the apps address reproduction and sexually transmitted diseases in countries where sex education is often taboo and abortion is generally illegal.

Akhimien's compatriot Morenike Fajemisin has the same determination to combat the paucity of sex education in Nigeria and to help women claim control over their own bodies.

A pharmacist, the 30-year-old developed a cellphone app called "Whispa"suggesting discretionthrough which women can obtain contraception anonymously, without having to answer probing questions.

"If a young girl asks for the pill at a doctor's office or in a pharmacy, she might be lectured," Fajemisin said. "Isn't she too young? Is she a virgin? How many partners did she have?"

'No human bias'

"These intrusive questions can block young women, who might be scared to speak about their sexual life to doctors. With a mobile app, there's no human bias," she said.

She said a cousin she grew up with would likely not have got pregnant in high school if she had had Whispa.

"She would have continued her studies. She was a brilliant girl. I hope my innovation will allow every girl to make her own choices," Fajemisin said.

Even when a pregnancy is wantedand having children is widely encouraged in Africafew apps are adapted to local traditions and culture.

Examples are the Zimbabwean app "Afrimom", available in English and local languages, and "My Pregnancy Journey", being developed by South African entrepreneur Jacqueline Rogers with her own funds.

Rogers' app, to come out in April, offers advice to expectant mothers, spelling out month by month what they may encounter during the course of their pregnancies.

"I want African women to have access to every possible knowledge about their pregnancyand influence positively motherhood in Africa," Rogers said.

"In Africa, the needs for reliable information regarding pregnancy are huge," she added.

Nine of the world's 10 countries with the highest infant mortality rates are in Africa, and half the children who die before age five live in sub-Saharan Africa, noted WHO's regional director Matshidiso Moeti at the start of the Forum.

 2019 AFP
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

It's no surprise that smoking during pregnancy is unhealthy for the fetusjust as it's unhealthy for the person smoking. But the powerful combination of medical research and data science has given new insights into the risks involved, specifically when it comes to babies suddenly dying in their sleep.

The risk of Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID) increases with every cigarette smoked during pregnancy, according to a joint study by Seattle Children's Research Institute and Microsoft data scientists.

Further, while smoking less or quitting during pregnancy can help significantly, a risk of SUID exists even if a person stops smoking right before becoming pregnant, the team demonstrated.

"Any amount of smoking, even one cigarette (per day), can double your risk," said Tatiana Anderson, a post-doctoral research fellow at Children's who worked on the study, published in the journal Pediatrics.

Anderson and the rest of the team estimate that smoking during pregnancy is responsible for 800 of the approximately 3,700 SUID deaths in the United States every year. That's 22 percent of all SUID cases.

The team analyzed vast data sets from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that included every baby born in the United States from 2007 to 2011. In that time span, more than 20 million babies were born and 19,127 died of SUID, which includes Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

The study found that the risk of SUID doubles if a person goes from not smoking to smoking just one cigarette daily throughout pregnancy. At a pack a day (20 cigarettes), the risk is tripled compared to nonsmokers. The odds plateau from there.

The chance of SUID decreases when women quit smoking or smoke less: Women who tapered their smoking by the third trimester showed a 12 percent decreased risk. Quitting altogether by the third trimester lowered the risk of SUID by 23 percent.

The biggest predictor of SUID risk was the average number of cigarettes smoked daily throughout the three trimesters of pregnancy, rather than smoking more or less at any particular point.

"Thus, a woman who smoked 20 cigarettes per day in the first trimester and reduced to 10 cigarettes per day in subsequent trimesters had a similarly reduced SUID risk as a woman who averaged 13 cigarettes per day in each trimester," the study states.

Having such precise data about the effects of smoking before and during pregnancy better arms health-care providers to speak with their patients, Anderson said.

"Doctors need to have frank discussions with patients," she said. "Every cigarette you can eliminate on a daily basis will reduce your risk of SUID."

Microsoft data scientists teamed up with the Children's researchers after John Kahan, who heads up customer data and analytics for Microsoft, lost his son Aaron to SIDS in 2003. After Aaron's death, days after he came home from the hospital, Kahan started the Aaron Matthew SIDS Research Guild. In 2016, he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for SIDS research.

When he returned from Africa, he found out his team at Microsoft had been working with the available data on infant deaths. Their goal was to use algorithms to analyze the data and help come up with a way to save babies like Aaron from SUID.

Juan Lavista, a member of Kahan's team at that time, is now the senior director of data science at the AI For Good research lab, which is part of an initiative called AI for Humanitarian Action, launched by Microsoft president Brad Smith. The idea behind the initiative is to use artificial intelligence to tackle some of the world's most difficult problems, and it has allowed Lavista to work on things like the SUID study full time instead of cramming it in around his day job.

Data scientists can use computing power to work with huge data sets to help solve confounding issues like SUID, climate change and immigration, Lavista said.

"There are many problems the world has that, we believe, we can make a difference with AI," he said.

The collaboration has been exciting for Anderson, the Children's research fellow. She says this unusual partnership between the medical world and the technology sector has applications in many different fields.

"I think it is really exciting because it is a concept that absolutely can be used to ask questions outside of SIDS," Anderson said. "Everybody is there because they want to make a difference. It is very much a collaborative effort."

The scientists at Microsoft and Children's aren't stopping with the publication of this study. Lavista said they are delving into other questions surrounding SUID, such as the impact of prenatal care, how the age of an infant relates to sudden death and an examination of what SUID looks like in all 50 states.

Explore further Smoking during pregnancy doubles the risk of sudden unexpected infant death, study warns

2019 The Seattle Times

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Researchers at Stanford University released findings of a study examining what happens to physicians who experience multiple malpractice claims. Where do physicians with poor malpractice liability records go? Where do they practice? Who would hire them? Stanford professors David Studdert and Michelle Mello wanted to know.

The answers to these questions are described in a new study released March 27 in the New England Journal of Medicine. After reviewing more than a decade's worth of data from nearly half a million physicians, Studdert and Mello found that physicians who were sued repeatedly were no more likely to relocate their clinical practices than colleagues who had no claims. However, they were more likely to either cease practice or, if they continued to practice, to shift to smaller practice groups or solo practice.

"There is an emerging awareness that a small group of 'frequent flyers' accounts for an impressively large share of all malpractice lawsuits," said Studdert, the lead researcher and professor at both Stanford Law School and Stanford University School of Medicine. "This study confirms that, and begins to shed light on the professional trajectories of these physicians."

In a 2016 study, also published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Studdert and Mello examined demographic characteristics of claim-prone physicians. "When we presented that work, people kept asking us questions about this group that we couldn't answer, like who would ever hire or insure them," Studdert said. "Now we have a better idea."

A small group with many lawsuits

The research team reviewed data from 480,894 physicians who had 68,956 claims paid against them between 2003 and 2015. The researchers estimated that 2 percent of practicing physicians had two or more paid malpractice claims. Those physicians account for nearly 40 percent of all paid claims, confirming results from their earlier study.

"Our main goal was to follow these multi-claim practitioners over time as they accumulated claims and see where they went and what kind of changes they made to their practices," said Mello, professor of law and professor of health research and medicine at Stanford and a co-author of the study. "One surprising result was that they were no more likely to relocate than their colleagues."

In the late 1980s, widespread concerns that physicians with poor liability records were moving interstate to put their reputations behind them led Congress to establish the National Practitioner Data Bank. When a malpractice claim is paid on behalf of a health practitioner, or the practitioner is subjected to certain forms of disciplinary action, the information must be reported to the Data Bank. Employers, such as hospitals, are then required to check the Data Bank.

"Given the policy history here, it was gratifying to find that physicians prone to malpractice claims were not flight risks," Mello said, noting that it is clearly harder for physicians with bad records to escape their past than it once was.

They don't move, but many go solo

The study also found that claim-prone physicians were more likely than their peers to quit practicing. Nonetheless, more than 90 percent of physicians who racked up five or more paid claims continued to practice medicine.

The study also showed that claim-prone physicians were much more likely than their peers to shift into smaller practice settings. For example, physicians with five or more claims were more than twice as likely as physicians with no claims to switch to solo practice.

"Compared to practicing in large group practices or hospitals, physicians in small or solo practices are subject to less oversight from administrators and peers," Mello said. "Quality problems with solo practitioner may be more difficult to detect and report. From a patient safety standpoint, this is the study's most troubling finding. Frankly, solo practice is the last place we want practitioners who pose patient safety risks to be working."

While a single malpractice claim is a weak signal that there's a quality problem, when there are repeated paid claims over a relatively short period of time, that sends an important signal about patient safety risk, Studdert said.

"We think the study's main message is that regulators and the companies that provide physicians with liability insurance should be paying closer attention to this signal," Studdert said. "I wouldn't want my family members to be treated by a physician who had paid out six malpractice claims in the past few years. Who would?"

Explore further Small number of physicians linked to many malpractice claims, researchers say

More information: David M. Studdert et al. Changes in Practice among Physicians with Malpractice Claims, New England Journal of Medicine (2019). David M. Studdert et al. Changes in Practice among Physicians with Malpractice Claims,(2019). DOI: 10.1056/NEJMsa1809981 David M. Studdert et al. Prevalence and Characteristics of Physicians Prone to Malpractice Claims, New England Journal of Medicine (2016). DOI: 10.1056/NEJMsa1506137 Journal information: New England Journal of Medicine
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Just looking at something that reminds us of coffee can cause our minds to become more alert and attentive, according to a new U of T study.

"Coffee is one of the most popular beverages and a lot is known about its physical effects," says Sam Maglio, an associate professor in the Departments of Management at U of T Scarborough and the Rotman School of Management.

"Much less is known about its psychological meaningin other words, how even seeing reminders of it can influence how we think."

The study, co-authored by Maglio and published in the journal Consciousness and Cognition, looks at an effect called priming, through which exposure to even subtle cues can influence our thoughts and behaviour.

"People often encounter coffee-related cues, or think about coffee, without actually ingesting it," says Maglio, an expert on consumer behaviour.

"We wanted to see if there was an association between coffee and arousal such that if we simply exposed people to coffee-related cues, their physiological arousal would increase, as it would if they had actually drank coffee."

Arousal in psychology refers to how specific areas of the brain get activated into a state of being alert, awake and attentive. It can be triggered by a number of things, including our emotions, neurotransmitters in the brain, or the caffeinated beverages we consume.

In this case the researchers, including Maglio and Eugene Chan, a former Ph.D. student at Rotman, wanted to explore how simply being exposed to things that remind us of coffee may have an effect on arousal.

Across four separate studies and using a mix of participants from Western and Eastern cultures, they compared coffee- and tea-related cues. They found that participants exposed to coffee-related cues perceived time as shorter and thought in more concrete, precise terms.

"People who experience physiological arousalagain, in this case as the result of priming and not drinking coffee itselfsee the world in more specific, detailed terms," says Maglio, whose past research has looked at how uncertainty can affect our perception of time.

"This has a number of implications for how people process information and make judgements and decisions."

However, the effect was not as strong among participants who grew up in Eastern cultures. Maglio speculates that the association between coffee and arousal is not as strong in less coffee-dominated cultures.

Sam Maglio, an associate professor in the Department of Management at U of T Scarborough, is an expert on consumer behaviour. Credit: Yana Kaz

"In North America we have this image of a prototypical executive rushing off to an important meeting with a triple espresso in their hand. There's this connection between drinking caffeine and arousal that may not exist in other cultures."

Past U of T research has looked at the effect of other primed associations, notes Maglio. One study specifically found that merely looking at the McDonald's logo may lessen our ability to slow down and savour pleasurable experiences in life.

He says the research may be of interest in better understanding a range of consumer-related behaviours, and for marketers in considering retail store locations.

"If you want walk-in customers who are thinking about their long-term future, a retail storefront next to David's Tea may be ideal," he says. "Just walking past it should reduce arousal and make them care less about immediate, short-term indulgences."

Maglio says next steps for the research will look at associations people have for different foods and beverages. Just thinking about energy drinks or red wine for instance could have very different effects on arousal.

Explore further How much coffee is OK?

More information: Eugene Y. Chan et al. Coffee cues elevate arousal and reduce level of construal, Consciousness and Cognition (2019). Journal information: Consciousness and Cognition Eugene Y. Chan et al. Coffee cues elevate arousal and reduce level of construal,(2019). DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2019.02.007
Ebola virus. Credit: NIAID

The U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) today announced that, for the first time, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has provided formal regulatory agreement for use of an animal model to support development of a drug candidate, remdesivir, for treating deadly Ebola virus (EBOV) infections. This agreement was made possible through a 2018 Natural History Study (NHS) of Ebola virus conducted by USAMRIID in close collaboration with Gilead Sciences, Inc., the sponsor of remdesivir development, and The Geneva Foundation (Geneva), and funded by the Joint Project Manager for Medical Countermeasure Systems (JPM-MCS), a component of the U.S. Department of Defense's Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense.

Specifically, FDA agreed that the rhesus macaque, infected by intramuscular (IM) injection, is a relevant and adequately characterized model of Ebola virus disease to support filing under the FDA Animal Rule. In addition, the agency agreed that the rhesus IM/EBOV disease model is sufficient as a single animal model for therapeutic product development. Notably, FDA also agreed that a specific delayed time-to-treat approach is appropriate for future nonclinical studies aimed at characterizing the efficacy of remdesivir.

Sponsors must demonstrate efficacy before a medical product can be approved by the FDA; however, for certain products, when obtaining efficacy data from human patients is not ethical or feasible, the FDA may grant approval under the Animal Rule. Such approval would be based on efficacy data from well-controlled studies in adequately characterized animal model(s), when the results of those studies establish that the drug candidate is reasonably likely to produce clinical benefit in humans. The sponsor must still demonstrate the product's safety in humans.

"For years, development of Ebola virus medical countermeasures has been subject to regulatory uncertainties regarding which models, if any, would be acceptable to the FDA as a foundation for evaluating efficacy under the Animal Rule," said COL Gary Wheeler, USAMRIID commander. "The study design and data-quality posture USAMRIID adopted for the Ebola virus NHS sets a precedent that has the potential to be useful for medical countermeasure development efforts targeting other similar human pathogens, such as Marburg or Sudan viruses."

USAMRIID and Gilead Sciences, Inc. worked in close partnership to develop the study plan for conducting the IM/EBOV NHS in rhesus monkeys, analyze the study outcome and submit data to the FDA. A team of over 100 USAMRIID and Geneva personnel, representing the divisions of Molecular and Translational Sciences, Virology, Telemetry, Pathology, Veterinary Medicine, Advanced Research Studies and Quality Assurance participated in the study, which was conducted in a Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4) laboratory under maximum containment conditions. Importantly, this project was the first-ever study to be completed in compliance with Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) standards in a BSL-4 laboratory. In January 2019, FDA auditors visited USAMRIID to conduct a data quality and integrity inspection of USAMRIID's GLP facilities and processes. The results of the audit were reported as "No Action Indicated," a classification that occurs when no objectionable conditions or practices were found during the inspection.

"To date, there are no FDA-approved therapeutics for treatment of Ebola virus disease. Both the current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak, the largest in history, highlight the urgent need for antiviral therapy to combat this deadly disease. We are committed to developing our investigational antiviral agent, remdesivir, for the treatment of Ebola virus infection using the Animal Rule or other appropriate regulatory pathway based on feedback from FDA," said John McHutchison, AO, MD, Chief Scientific Officer and Head of Research and Development, Gilead Sciences, Inc. Remdesivir is an investigational agent and is not approved by any regulatory agency globally. Its safety and efficacy have not been established.

"This project is a testament to the efficiency of public-private partnership to accelerate the development of critically needed medical countermeasures," said COL David Hammer, Joint Project Manager for Medical Countermeasure Systems. "We can advance products more quickly when we work together to leverage the skills of multiple organizations."

The NHS was conducted as part of the overall remdesivir development plan, and product-independent qualification of the rhesus IM/EBOV model through the FDA Animal Model Qualification Program has not been sought or obtained.

Explore further Novel small-molecule antiviral compound protects monkeys from deadly Ebola virus
Grid cell fields shift towards the location of a hidden food reward. No cheese was used in the actual experiments. Credit: Michele Nardin

Grid cells and place cells are specialized neurons that allow the brain to create a map of the outside world in which one navigates (Nobel Prize 2014). This brain GPS system is built on grid cells' strikingly regular pattern of activity. This pattern provides the metric coordinates to "triangulate one's position" which is decoded by the place cells providing the "you are here" signal.

A team of scientists at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria) now shows that grid cells go beyond providing simple spatial coordinates. They also carry information related to goals, deforming their activity fields to provide rats with a "treasure map" of where to reach goals, like hidden rewards. This is the result of a new study by the research group of Jozsef Csicsvari, Professor at IST Austria, including co-first authors Charlotte Boccara, now at the University of Oslo, and Ph.D. student Michele Nardin, published today in the journal Science.

The hippocampus is a brain area essential for navigation. It contains neurons called place cells. Place cells make a mental map of the environment, as each neuron is only active at specific locations. Knowing which place cell is active tells the brain where it is. Grid cells are another type of neuron essential for orientation. They are located in a different brain region, the entorhinal cortex. Since their discovery, grid cells have fascinated mathematicians and neuroscientists alike.

Contrary to place cells, which are active only in one location, grid cells are active in many locations. Yet these locations are far from random; on the contrary, their activity follows a strikingly regular hexagonal firing pattern, drawing a mosaic pattern of the whole environment. "Imagine a map of Vienna. Most tourists need to look at the coordinates to navigate and find this amazing Vietnamese restaurant near Karlsplatz in B5. Well, grid cells provide your brain with these coordinates. Every time you cross one of the grid's nodes, the grid cell activates. At least that's what we thought," explains first author Charlotte Boccara.

However, the question of whether this is all that grid cells do has been debated for the past five years, says Boccara: "Researchers have observed that the firing pattern of grid cells is sometimes deformed. They have thus wondered whether grid cells may play a broader organisational role for any type of information, not just space."

Grid cell firing fields shift as rats learn where rewards are hidden

In the current study, the researchers investigated whether the grid cell firing pattern changes when rats learn the location of hidden rewards. In this test of goal-driven behaviour, rats first learned the location of three hidden food pellets and then tried to find them again. By recording the activity of grid cells, the researchers could observe whether and how firing patterns change through goal learning. "We saw that the majority of grid cells respond to goal learning. Their firing pattern is deformed by the introduction of a goal," explains Boccara. Interestingly, the grid cell fields closest to the reward location move towards it the most, while fields further away shift less. "Our results mean that grid cells carry information related to goals, not only to space. They have more organizational power than previously thought."

As the researchers tested random goal locations on several consecutive days, they also got insights into how goal-directed learning and goal representation occurs. Boccara says, "As the rats learn about new locations, we see that the grid pattern shifts between the old pattern from the previous day and the new pattern. After learning, the new pattern is more present."

Persistent grid cell deformation gives hints about circuit dynamics

At the same time, the researchers recorded activity from the hippocampus, where place cells are located. The scientists observed that place cell firing also shifts towards the goal location. However, while the grid cells maintained the deformed pattern overnight, the place cells are "reset."

This is surprising, says Jozsef Csicsvari: "It is a paradox. The grid cells remember where the rewards were, but the place cells don't. This suggests that grid cells are important for behaviour."

Boccara adds, "Our results have implications on our understanding of how circuits work and which brain region sets the tone. Is it the entorhinal cortex that dictates to the hippocampus how to shift the firing pattern? Our result would suggest that maybe grid cells tell place cells where relevant regions are, and then the place cells map these areas more finely."

Explore further Memories of movement are replayed randomly during sleep

More information: C.N. Boccara el al., "The entorhinal cognitive map is attracted to goals," Science (2019). Journal information: Science C.N. Boccara el al., "The entorhinal cognitive map is attracted to goals,"(2019). science.sciencemag.org/cgi/doi  1126/science.aav4837
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

A team of researchers from the University of Bristol and AstraZeneca has found what they describe as a link between the "locus of control" (LoC) in adolescents and their use of tobacco and alcohol. In their paper published in Royal Society Open Science, the group describes their study of data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children and what they found.

LoC is described by psychologists as a perception or world view by an individualthose who see themselves as mostly at the whim of others are said to have an external LoC. Those who see themselves as being more in control of what happens to them, on the other hand, are described as having an internal LoC. In this new effort, the researchers sought to learn more about the role LoC might play in adolescent children choosing to smoke tobacco products and/or drink alcohol-based beverages.

The study by the team consisted of accessing data obtained from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Childrenalso known as Children of the '90san ongoing study conducted by the University of Bristol that involves gathering data, first from 15,247 pregnant women in the early 1990s, and then from their family members, including their children, as time passes. Part of the data contains information from interviews and questionnaires filled out by the children that were born to the initial women who moved through the various stages of their livesmost are now in their mid to late 20s.

The researchers studied the data from the offspring, focusing on the parts that revealed information about their LoC and then compared what they found with their tobacco and alcohol use. They report that they found a connectionthose children with an external LoC were found to be more likely to take up smoking cigarettes and to become addicted as they grew older. They found similar results for children at age 17 using alcohol in hazardous ways, but not as they grew older.

The researchers suggest their findings might serve as a signal for parents, letting them know that their children are more at risk of tobacco and alcohol abuse if they have an external LoC.

Explore further Drinking in pregnancy could affect children's mental health

More information: G. Lassi et al. Locus of control is associated with tobacco and alcohol consumption in young adults of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, Royal Society Open Science (2019). Journal information: Royal Society Open Science G. Lassi et al. Locus of control is associated with tobacco and alcohol consumption in young adults of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children,(2019). DOI: 10.1098/rsos.181133

 2019 Science X Network
Men are much less likely than women to seek help for depression and anxiety, and a host of physical conditions. Credit: Karl Fredrickson

A man sits in a doctor's office after months of his wife's increasingly desperate pleas for him to seek professional help for his constant coughing. In the end, she was the one who booked his appointment and even drove him there.

Another man is meeting with his manager, anticipating derision and mockery when he mentions he needs to reduce his workload to accommodate the birth of his first child.

A third man has a violent encounter outside a pub, fuelled by binge drinking and machismo. He cops a blow to the head and crumples, hitting his head against the pavement.

These aren't just stereotypes of men. They are the types of experiences and outcomes that reliably differ between men and women. Men are 32% less likely to visit a health professional than women. Men are also less likely to seek therapy for psychological complaints, such as feeling down or anxious.

Men also experience higher rates of suicide and motor accidents, are more likely to drink excessively and smoke, and are more prone to serious health conditions such as heart attacks, strokes, and vascular disease.

Similarly, men are more likely to both perpetrate and experience violence, and to adopt beliefs and behaviours that increase the risk of violence.

It is no surprise that men die four years earlier, on average, than women. A woman can expect to live to just over 84, while a man can expect to live to just over 80.

In a bid to improve men's health and well-being, the American Psychological Association (APA) recently released guidelines for psychologists when working with boys and men.

These guidelines complement the APA's 2007 guidelines for working with girls and women. Both guidelines share commonalities, such as focusing on gender-appropriate therapeutic practices and education.

The APA is acknowledging that gender issues are relevant to everyone, not just women, and that the experiences of men may differ to those of women.

But despite the positive intentions of the guidelines, their release was met by backlash and unfounded criticisms in some parts of the media.

What do the guidelines actually say?

The guidelines aim to challenge some aspects of traditional masculinity that might cause problems in men's lives.

Traditional masculinity encompasses a set of norms, ideas and beliefs about what it means to be a man. Such beliefs include identifying men as self-reliant, emotionally reticent, focused on work over family, and oversexed.

When these beliefs are taken to an extreme level, they can result in poor outcomes for men, such as being dissatisfied in romantic relationships, having mental health problems, and engaging in more risky behaviours.

To illustrate the impact of these traditional ideas of masculinity on men's health and well-being, let's look at three of the ten APA recommendations in detail.

First, the guidelines urge psychologists to address the high rates of problems like violence, substance abuse, and suicide, which are more commonly experienced by men.

The guidelines highlight the link between beliefs about traditional forms of masculinity and the encouragement of aggressive behaviour in boys by family, peers and the media. As a result, men are more likely to display violent behaviours and to be victims of violence.

The guidelines also highlight the negative links between male childhood abuse and victimisation, and later aggressive behaviour, suicidal thoughts, and substance abuse.

Recognising these patterns offers an opportunity for therapists to engage in gender-appropriate conversations and tailor behavioural change to the problems that plague men.

Second, the guidelines highlight the importance of encouraging men's positive involvement in families.

Despite increasing numbers of dual-income households, there is still strong social pressure for men to be the providers and breadwinners rather than taking on nurturing and caring roles. This expectation can come at the expense of men's relationships with their partners, children and extended family.

Encouraging men's positive involvement with their families has been shown to improve health and well-being outcomes for men, their children and their partners.

It may have spillover benefits in making work practices more progressive, with better balance between paid work and time spent with loved ones.

Third, the guidelines highlight the need for boys and men to more willingly seek help and health care.

Men are more likely than women to die from diseases such as colorectal cancer, which can be prevented with the right health care.

In terms of mental health, men's reluctance to express emotions and seek help through therapy may underlie the high rates of self-harm and suicide.

Traditional masculinity also encourages risky and competitive actions in men, resulting in unintentional injuries being the leading cause of death in men under 45.

According to the guidelines, we need to shift beliefs around self-reliance so men feel more comfortable looking after themselves and seeking professional help and services when needed.

Taken together, the APA guidelines have the potential to improve the lives of men. The guidelines squarely focus on the disparities in outcomes between men and women, and provide clear suggestions on improving men's well-being through strategies like strengthening family engagement and changing attitudes towards embracing healthy behaviours.

Many non-profit organisations and advocacy groups are already taking on this challenge to encourage healthy masculinity among boys and men. Our Watch, Australia's national foundation to prevent violence against women and their children, for instance, provides resources and articles for young people on masculinity and what it means to be a man through their campaign, The Line.

By recognising that gender also affects men, we can move towards improving the way that clinicians, practitioners and society support boys and men.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Measles is so contagious that one infected person can spread the respiratory virus to 90 percent of people in the same roomand it can live in the air for two hours. Often, an infected person doesn't even know they have measles for several weeks.

Early symptoms include a fever, cough, runny nose, and red eyes, all of which could be overlooked as part of a common cold. A skin rash doesn't typically appear until three to five days after the first symptoms appear. Someone with measles is contagious four days before the rash begins and four days after. There is no cure for measles, but if you've received the measles vaccine or are immune from a previous infection, consider yourself protected.

And protection is a good thing, because measles is not a disease anyoneespecially a childwants to get. As many as one in 20 children who contract measles get pneumonia. That's a dangerous risk because pneumonia is the leading cause of measles-related deaths in children under age 5.

From vaccine to 'elimination' to outbreaks

Before the measles vaccine was introduced in 1963, the disease caused major epidemics every two to three yearsand 2.6 million deaths worldwide each year. But by 2000, measles was considered "eliminated" in the United States, thanks primarily to vaccination efforts.

Eliminated is a term that means a disease was not continuously transmitted for more than a year in a specific geographic area. Another termeradicatedmeans a disease has been eliminated worldwide. For example, polio was eliminated from the U.S. in 1979, but still exists in other places around the world. Smallpox, however, was eradicated globally in 1980.

But if measles was eliminated in 2000 in the U.S., why are there reports of new cases now?

Basically, if a disease is eliminated, outbreaks (defined as three or more cases) can still happen if someone who is unvaccinated travels to a country where the disease is still common and becomes infected. Once back at home in the U.S., that traveler can transmit measles to anyone who is unvaccinated. A number of outbreaks have occurred in recent years, with a spike of 667 cases in 2014.

So far this year, 15 states, including Connecticut, have reported more than 300 measles cases, with more than 70 alone in Washington.

"This is a serious, highly contagious viral disease and the only strategy we have to fight it is vaccination. And that is a strategy that has worked very well for many, many years," says Marietta Vazquez, MD, a Yale Medicine pediatric infectious disease specialist and vaccine expert. "If people are saying no to this vaccine, we need to consider what their reasons are and if they have the information they need."

The power of the herd

Also known as community immunity, herd immunity is achieved when a large majority of a population is immune to a specific disease. This indirectly protects people who are not immunized, and in some cases, those who cannot receive the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, including children younger than 12 months and people who have weakened immune systems from a disease (cancer or HIV/AIDS) or are receiving certain medical treatments (radiation, chemotherapy, immunotherapy).

If much of the population is immunized, it is difficult for a disease to spread. And as the number of people vaccinated increases, so does the protection of the herd. Depending on the disease, herd immunity may begin to show beneficial effects when just 40 percent of the population is vaccinated. But for particularly contagious diseases, that threshold is far higher, exceeding 80 percent. To achieve herd immunity for measles, the vaccination rate should be about 96 percent.

Young children at highest risk

Unvaccinated young children are at the highest risk for measles and its complications, which in addition to pneumonia, can include swelling of the brain, severe diarrhea (and related dehydration), and blindness. Severe complications are most common in children who are malnourished or have immune systems weakened by HIV or other diseases.

Children under age 5 are more susceptible to complications because they are more fragile in general and don't yet have fully mature immune systems, Dr. Vazquez explains. "When you are smaller, your lung volume is not as large and your chest muscles are not as strong, so if you get pneumonia, that's a lot harder to fight," she says.

In some ways, the global measles immunization program has been a victim of its own success, particularly in the U.S. and Europe, says Dr. Vazquez.

"We've been so successful in decreasing the number of cases, and that allows people to say no to a vaccine because the disease is something they haven't seen before. Suddenly, people incorrectly believe the vaccine itself is the threat," she adds. "It boils down to education. As medical providers, it is our duty to not just say, 'Get vaccinated,' but to explain in very clear terms why this vaccine matters."

Parents' opinions matter

While physicians are armed with the most up-to-date information about the harm a disease like measles can cause, and the safety of the vaccine, it doesn't mean a parent's reservations don't matter. Talking to parents about any vaccinationwhether it's for measles or the flu or HPV (human papillomavirus)is important, says Caitlin Hansen, MD, a pediatric infectious disease specialist.

"Pediatricians want to vaccinate their patients and feel strongly that these vaccines are safe and effective, but when parents hear things in the news or through social media about vaccines, sometimes it can be challenging to have the time to discuss those concerns and explain why vaccines are so important during a busy office visit," she says.

So, Dr. Hansen is researching ways to solve some of these problems. "I am looking at how we can use the time in the visit more effectively so that pediatricians can address the questions parents have about vaccines in ways that satisfy the parent's questions and they feel comfortable," she explains.

Jaspreet Loyal, MD, a pediatric hospitalist (a doctor who only sees patients inside the hospital), agrees. She sometimes meets resistance from parents who don't want their newborns to receive a vitamin K injection, which has been routinely given to newborns since 1961 to prevent a rare but potentially lethal bleeding disorder. "Although the vitamin K injection is not a vaccine, many parents who refuse childhood vaccinations also decline it," Dr. Loyal says. "Physicians need to understand where parents are coming from. For us to partner and take care of a child together, we need to be respectful and nonjudgmental. We really need to listen to each other."

Herd immunity protects vulnerable children

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends all children get their first dose of the MMR vaccine between ages 12 and 15 months, and then a second dose between ages 4 and 6 years. Adults who were never vaccinated should receive at least one dose of the MMR vaccine. Those who were either born before 1957 or are immune (which can be determined through a laboratory blood test) don't need the vaccine.

The MMR vaccine is 97 percent effective at preventing measles (no vaccine is 100 percent effective, according to the CDC). "In the unlikely case of vaccinated patients who develop measles, the disease tends to be weakened," Dr. Vazquez notes. "The fact that measles is occurring in communities should not cause panic; it should lead to all of us ensuring we have done everything we can to be protected."

Maryellen Flaherty-Hewitt, MD, a pediatrician, stresses the value of herd immunity in protecting children who can't have the MMR vaccine. The vaccine is "live," which means it contains a weakened version of the virus. Therefore, children with an immunodeficiency (from receiving chemotherapy for cancer, for example) are unable to receive the vaccine while their immune system is compromised, Dr. Flaherty-Hewitt says.

"This is one of the most important reasons to vaccinate the rest of the populationto protect our most vulnerable children who cannot receive the vaccine due to these illnesses," she adds. "They benefit from the herd immunity provided by the rest of their community being immune to diseases like the measles, and are at most risk during these outbreaks."
"This complaint is more a political move than a solid legal case."

Will Chinese President Xi Jinping ever see the inside of a jail for "crimes against humanity?" That's the scenario that former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario and former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales wanted to create by filing a complaint before the International Criminal Court recently, but I really doubt whether this would happen at all. I consider the complaint as more of a political move than a solid legal case, addressed largely to the international community to muster support for the Philippine victory in the Permanent Arbitral Tribunal in The Hague in 2016. In the first place, China is not a member of the ICC, and therefore the complaint could be dismissed outright for lack of jurisdiction. The Duterte administration has already withdrawn Philippine membership in the international body. Under its charter, the ICC may exercise jurisdiction to prosecute individuals for international crimes of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity only under certain conditionswhen national courts are unwilling or unable to prosecute criminals or upon referral by the United Nations Security Council or individual states. The complaint filed by the two former government officials, however, alleges that the Chinese leader directly caused the problems in the South China Sea through the building of artificial islands that led to deterioration of fish resources and the loss of livelihood for Filipino fishermen. It asked the ICC to investigate the "massive, near-permanent, and devastating environmental damage across nations. President Duterte reacted to the issue by saying that the two former government officials were "entitled to file the case" and that "it has no jurisdiction over this country and China. Even more so with China. The Palace spokesman dismissed the complaint as a "futile exercise." Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra described it as "politically motivated...The complaint against President Xi is really a political statement more than a legal action, and is thus intended to achieve a political result rather than a legal victory.For his part, lawyer Jay Batongbacal, Director of the Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea of the University of the Philippines College of Law, also sees rough sailing for the complaint before the ICC. But he also said it shows a "principled stand" on the part of the former government officials and Filipino fishermen: "I don't think it's entirely futile because in the first place it already has an impact. It has called attention to the fact that China continues to carry out its activities in the West Philippine Sea." David Bosco, an associate professor at Indiana University's School of Global and International Studies, asserts that "there is a theoretical possibility" for the ICC to investigate the complaint against Chinese President Xi Jinping, but there is "close to zero" odds that the tribunal would do so. "Any group can lodge a complaint at the ICC, even against the nationals of states that are not members of the tribunal like China, as long as the alleged crimes are committed in the member-state's territory," according to the analyst. While the ICC defines crimes against humanity as "large scale" and "coordinated" attacks as a policy against civilians, the complaint against Xi cites crimes against the environment, Bosco noted. "Based on the jurisprudence we've seen from ICC and from other courts, I think it's very unlikely that these alleged facts would constitute a crime against humanity," Bosco said, adding that the complainants should go to another international body. Another foreign analyst, Anders Corr, who makes no secret of his anti-China bias, avers that the complaint heightens public awareness of the problem in the South China Sea: "Bringing these lawsuits have more than legal impact. It has a public relations impact. It brings the attention of the Philippine community and also the world community to bear on China. It takes China to the court of public opinion." The Philippines, he suggested, can go to legal venues, such as the United Nations General Assembly and the UN Human Rights Commission, to present its case. At a press briefing in Beijing on March 22, foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said Chinas position on the South China Sea dispute had always been consistent and clear, that the country's joint efforts with countries in the region had ensured developments in the waterway had gone in "the right direction." "In this context, the actions of a few people to stir up a fuss wont result in any big trouble. Neither will it affect or damage bilateral ties, Geng said. We have had enhanced bilateral ties with China in the past three years, with the Philippine government opting to put aside contentious issues in the territorial dispute in the South China Sea. The prudent thing to do, from where we sit, is for the two sides to strive for the peaceful resolution of the dispute while continuing to strengthen economic cooperation and people-to-people exchanges in the years ahead on the basis of mutual benefit and mutual respect.
Oncology researcher Armin Gamper (right) and PhD student Amirali Bukhari examine a sample of cancer cells. Their new study showed an experimental therapy combining two drugs dramatically shrank tumours in mice and prevented cancer cells from metastasizing. Credit: Jordan Carson

An experimental combination drug therapy attacking the DNA integrity of cancer cells is showing promise for a possible new cancer therapy in the future.

Scientists at the University of Alberta used two drugs together to enhance DNA damage to human breast cancer cells in mice and reduce their capacity to repair themselves. By doing so, the researchers were able to dramatically shrink tumours and prevent metastasis in the mice.

"Most cancers don't kill patients because of the primary tumour. It's nearly always the metastasis that kills," said Armin Gamper, an assistant professor of oncology at the U of A.

"Traditionally we find that the subset of cancer cells responsible for metastasis is especially resistant to treatment. But when we combined the two drugs, it made these cells as sensitive as the other cancer cells. This is something really new that has never been observed before."

Compared with normal cells, cancer cells have higher levels of DNA damage. The experimental treatment was designed to selectively kill cancer cells by targeting their DNA repair capability. With the treatment, the researchers found that cancer cells attempting to multiply with unrepaired DNA failed and died in the process. The team also found the treatment had few side-effects compared with cancer treatments such as traditional chemotherapy.

"The combination was very well tolerated," said Gamper, also a member of the Cancer Research Institute of Northern Alberta. "If we see that this works as well in patients as it does in mice, at one point it might, at least in some cases, replace the traditional chemotherapy because it seems to have far fewer side-effects."

The drugs used are already being tested in clinical trials, on their own or in combination with other treatmentsbut not together. According to the team, that will greatly speed the process of starting a new clinical trial combining the two.

Gamper and his research team are partnering with Alberta Health Services clinicians at the Cross Cancer Institute in hopes of starting a phase one clinical trial to test how people tolerate the drug combination.

In the meantime, the researchers are expanding their work to other types of cancer and also aim to identify biomarkersbiological indicators of which patients would most benefit from the new treatment. Doing so would allow them to tailor a precise cancer therapy to the individual patient.

"The idea behind this combination was that it would target many different cancers, not just breast cancer," explained Gamper. "So we would like to test it in others that we know have a high level of DNA damage to start with, like ovarian cancers, colon cancers and some other types of breast cancer. We'll start with those first and then see later how it affects other cancers that don't have such high DNA damage levels to start with."

The research, published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, was supported by funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Alberta Cancer Foundation, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and Cancer Research Society.

Explore further Targeting breast cancer through precision medicine

More information: Amirali B. Bukhari et al, Inhibiting Wee1 and ATR kinases produces tumor-selective synthetic lethality and suppresses metastasis, Journal of Clinical Investigation (2019). Journal information: Journal of Clinical Investigation Amirali B. Bukhari et al, Inhibiting Wee1 and ATR kinases produces tumor-selective synthetic lethality and suppresses metastasis,(2019). DOI: 10.1172/JCI122622
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Human-induced climate change is disrupting nature's calendar, including when plants bloom and the spring season starts, and new research from the University of School of Public Health suggests we're increasingly paying the price for it in the form of seasonal allergies.

The study, based on over 300,000 respondents between 2002 and 2013, shows that seasonal allergic rhinitis, or hay fever, increases when the timing of spring "greenup" changes. The findings were published today in the journal PLOS ONE.

"We found that areas where the onset of spring was earlier than normal had 14% higher prevalence of hay fever," said Associate Professor Amir Sapkota in the Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health. "Surprisingly, we also found similar risk in areas where the onset of spring was much later than what is typical for that geographic location," he added.

The study provides the first national-level quantitative data showing how ongoing climate change is increasing the allergic disease burden in the United States. Hay fever, or "seasonal allergic rhinitis," affects 25 million adults in the United States and results in $11.2 billion in related medical expenses annually.

Dr. Sapkota and his team used satellite data collected by NASA's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) to identify the start of the spring season throughout the US and linked these data to National Health Interview Survey data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

"Previous studies have shown that plant phenology is highly dependent on temperature. As such, it is one of the most sensitive indicators of how our ecosystem is responding to climate change," said Dr. Chengsheng Jiang, co-author of the paper. "We show that such climate change-driven ecological changes are directly linked to allergic disease burden in the United States. Even a relatively small change in the timing of tree flowering can have a significant economic impact given that 25 million American adults already suffer from hay fever each year."

The reason for increased hay fever when spring arrives early seems to be related to pollen exposure. An earlier onset of spring means trees flower sooner and create a longer season for tree pollen, which is the major source of spring seasonal allergens. But a very late onset of spring may mean many species of trees simultaneously burst in bloom, blasting allergy suffers with a high concentration of pollen for a shorter duration.

Dr. Sapkota suggests this is yet another example of how climate change is impacting burden of allergic disease right here in our backyard. Given that climate change is projected to intensify, Dr. Sapkota argues such data are critical to inform public health adaptation strategies, including early warning systems. "Climate change impacts our health in more ways than we can imagine. We need community-specific adaptation strategies to increase resilience and minimize disease burden associated with climate change," he urged.

Explore further Hay fever from ragweed pollen could double due to climate change
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Researchers at the University of British Columbia, BC Children's Hospital, the British Columbia Institute of Technology, and BC Women's Hospital + Health Centre have designed a therapeutic robot that simulates human skin-to-skin contact, helping reduce pain for babies in the neonatal intensive care unit at BC Women's.

Premature babies admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU, often undergo medically necessary procedures, some of which can be uncomfortable. To help babies cope, health care providers recommend techniques like skin-to-skin holding or hand hugging.

Calmer, the therapeutic robot, was created with this in mind, helping mimic the parent's heartbeat sounds, breathing motion and the feel of human skin.

In a study published this week in Pain Reports, the researchers found that Calmer worked no differently for reducing pain-related indicators in premature, or preterm, infants than hand hugginga technique where a caregiver places their hands gently to contain the infant's head, arms and legs in a curled positionduring blood collection. The findings suggest the robot could be a helpful tool for pain relief when parents are not available.

"The best treatment is for parents to hold babies skin-to-skin, but if that's not an option, we wanted to be able to provide something else that could help," said the study's lead author Liisa Holsti, the Canada Research Chair in Neonatal Health and Development, an associate professor in the department of occupational science and occupational therapy at UBC, and an investigator at BC Children's Hospital and Women's Health Research Institute (WHRI).

"We found that there were no significant differences between Calmer and human touchthe robot provided the same level of pain relief for infants as a human," Holsti added. "While there is no replacement for a parent holding their infant, our findings are exciting in that they open up the possibility of an additional tool for managing pain in preterm infants."

The researchers collaborated with MAKE+ engineers at the British Columbia Institute of Technology's Centre for Applied Research and Innovation to design and build Calmer. The robot is designed as a platform that fits inside a NICU incubator, replacing the standard mattress. Calmer's heart and breathing rate can be adjusted to mimic a parent's heart rate. The robot is also covered with a skin-like surface that moves up and down to simulate breathing.

Credit: University of British Columbia

To test Calmer's effectiveness at reducing pain, the researchers conducted a randomized clinical trial with 49 premature infants admitted to the NICU at BC Women's. After obtaining informed consent from parents, the researchers randomly allocated infants who were born prematurely between 27 and 36 weeks of pregnancy to either the Calmer or human touch group while they had their blood drawn. Infants in both groups also received a soother.

Babies in the human touch group received hand hugging. Previous research has shown that hand huggingthe current standard treatment for premature babies at BC Women'sis an effective strategy for reducing pain in these infants when having their blood drawn.

Using a variety of measures to assess pain, such as the babies' heart rate, facial and hand movements, the researchers found that Calmer and human touch were no different for reducing pain. Both groups of infants experienced a reduction of two points on the pain scale, which is considered "clinically significant," said Holsti.

The findings are especially important since previous research has found that early exposure to pain has a negative effect on premature babies' brain development. The researchers are now looking at the effects of Calmer for stress reduction in the NICU over longer periods.

Holsti said she hopes all incubators will be designed with this technology embedded in them in the future.

For Vancouver mom Lauren Mathany, the potential benefits of the Calmer robot are promising, especially for parents who aren't able to be in the hospital with their babies at all times, she said.

Mathany's twin daughters, Hazel and Isla, were born prematurely 24 weeks into her pregnancy. Weighing less than two pounds each, the tiny babies spent the next four months in the NICU at BC Women's Hospital + Health Centre.

"We were very lucky that we lived fairly close by, but even then, we could not be at the hospital 24-7," said Mathany. "It would be great to have an additional tool like Calmer to help out."

Explore further Gently stroking babies before medical procedures may reduce pain processing

More information: Liisa Holsti et al. Calmer, PAIN Reports (2019). Liisa Holsti et al. Calmer,(2019). DOI: 10.1097/PR9.0000000000000727
California hospitals would need to make substantial investmentsbetween $34 billion and $143 billion statewideto meet 2030 state seismic safety standards, according to a new RAND Corporation report.

After the 1994 Northridge Earthquake, in which 11 hospitals were damaged, and eight were evacuated, the state adopted SB1953, which aims to improve hospital resilience to seismic events. The law requires hospitals to reduce their buildings' risk of collapse by 2020 and to remain operational after an earthquake by 2030.

This study, which builds upon earlier RAND research on the law's cost to hospitals, focuses on the 2030 deadline. Researchers assessed the cost and affordability of compliance of the state's 418 general acute-care hospitals based on recent hospital data, depending on whether hospitals upgrade current buildings or opt for new construction.

The state law puts the responsibility on hospitals to pay the entire cost for upgrades. The researchers note that this presents a challenge to the state's hospital industry, with 34 percent of all hospitals currently in some form of financial distress. That could rise to more than 50 percent as hospitals comply with the law. The most significant increases are likely to be among public healthcare district hospitals, independent private hospitals, critical access hospitals that serve rural areas and hospitals that serve a large share of Medi-Cal patients, according to the study.

"There is little question that it is in the public interest to have seismically resilient hospitals. But given that hospitals most at risk of collapse will be upgraded by 2020, there is an opportunity for analysis and discussion for how to most effectively and efficiently enhance resilience in health service delivery in the future," said Benjamin Preston, the report's lead author and a senior policy researcher and director of RAND's Community Health and Environmental Policy Program. "While acute-care hospitals still play a critical role, more and more individuals rely on outpatient services to support health needs. It is important that capital investments in health facilities are aligned with current models for health care delivery."

The report, which was funded by the California Hospital Association (CHA), describes the potential cost implications of the law but does not make specific policy recommendations as to whether it should be implemented as is or altered. Instead, it presents possible policy alternatives that may more effectively balance the public benefits of seismic safety with the financial burden imposed by seismic requirements.

As part of RAND's commitment to independent and objective analysis, a project advisory committee was established at the outset of the project. Members of that group consisted of stakeholders with diverse viewsprivate-sector structural engineers, former hospital executives as well as CHA-member hospitals. As with all RAND analyses, the report was subjected to RAND's rigorous research quality assurance process, which includes an independent peer review.

Other authors of the report are Tom LaTourrette, James Broyles, R.J. Briggs, David Catt, Christopher Nelson, Jeanne Ringel and Daniel Waxman. RAND Social and Economic Well-Being is a division of RAND that seeks to actively improve the health and social and economic well-being of populations and communities throughout the world.

Explore further Lower mortality seen for cardiac care at top-ranked hospitals
Credit: Ashley Harrigan/Flickr

Teenage years can be a turbulent time, thanks to a sharp increase in hormones. What's not known is the role that these hormones, along with physical and social changes, have in the maturing teenage brain.

UBC's Social Health Lab has launched a new study to explore how sex hormones shape teens' emotions over time. If you have a daughter between the ages of 13-15, you and your daughter are invited to join this study and take part in an important conversation on the developing health and emotions in teenagers.

Bita Zareian, a Master's student working with Dr. Frances Chen in UBC's department of psychology, spoke with us about this research.

What is the motivation for this study?

The main purpose is to investigate how hormonal changes during adolescence can affect teenagers' emotions, social interaction and mental health. During adolescence, our bodies naturally start producing sex hormones. Some girls and women may also be exposed to sex hormones contained in drugs and medications, such as birth control pills. These sex hormones not only regulate the menstrual cycle, they also affect emotions and social interactions. There is evidence suggesting that sex hormones can affect our reactivity to stress, and that imbalances in these hormones can contribute to the development of mental health problems. Therefore, we are trying to answer these questions through this study: How do sex hormones affect teenagers' emotions? Do sex hormones shape social interactions and peer relationships that develop during adolescence? And why are some teenagers more susceptible to these changes and develop emotional difficulties?

How will you identify these factors?

We are recruiting females aged 13 to 15. We will collect saliva samples to measure sex hormones and stress hormones. We also use saliva samples to determine whether and how genetic variables contribute to various levels of sex hormones in the body, and the role they play in emotional and social development. We conduct interviews with the teenagers to get a sense of their moods, health-related behaviours, stress, and social support. We will then follow up with them after 18 and 36 months to see how changes in their hormone levels have affected their emotional and social development.

Once you've completed the study, what do you hope will happen with the information?

We will make our research findings available to the public through multiple media channels. We hope that our research will help teenagers and their parents, as well as the larger scientific and medical community, understand how sex hormones influence emotional and social development. The results of this study could also help teenagers and their parents make more informed decisions about the use of medications that alter levels of sex hormones.

What can families expect if they decide to participate?

Families will first be scheduled to come to our lab at UBC for two sessions during which they will complete interviews and answer some questions, and do some computerized tasks. We will also ask the teenagers to collect saliva samples at home. We will then repeat these procedures after 18 and 36 months. For more information on our study, families can visit our website at blogs.ubc.ca/teenstudy.

How can families sign up to participate?

Families can apply on the study website, send us an email at teenstudy@psych.ubc.ca, or leave a voicemail at 604-822-9557.

Explore further How much sleep do teenagers really need?
Credit: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers

With heroin abuse on the rise in the United States, related surgical complications are also increasing, including severe infections and complications related to heroin injection. A firsthand perspective on how acute care surgeons can best help reduce heroin-related morbidity and mortality is presented in an article published in Surgical Infections.

In "The Heroin Epidemic in America: A Surgeon's Perspective," Gary Vercruysse, MD, University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) and coauthors from University of Nebraska (Omaha), University of Arizona (Tucson), and University of Maryland Medical Center (Baltimore) discuss the changing demographics of heroin abuse in the U.S., including growing numbers of women and white Americans. They focus on the main complications of heroin injection, including skin and soft tissue infections, septic thrombophlebitis, and mycotic pseudoaneurysms. Necrotizing soft tissue infection and other types of problems such as bacteremia can also occur. Rapid recognition and management of these complications may be life-saving.

"Infections following the self-administration of heroin and other injectable agents have increased in frequency and severity. These infections are being identified across all cultures and ethnic groups and can no longer be viewed as a problem of minorities and indigent patients," says Surgical Infections Editor-in-Chief Donald E. Fry, MD, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, and Executive Vice-President MPA Healthcare Solutions, Chicago, IL.

Explore further Another side effect of the opioid crisis: Heart infections

More information: Zachary M. Bauman et al, The Heroin Epidemic in America: A Surgeon's Perspective, Surgical Infections (2019). Zachary M. Bauman et al, The Heroin Epidemic in America: A Surgeon's Perspective,(2019). DOI: 10.1089/sur.2019.004
Graduate student Mateusz Czub, left, and undergraduate chemistry student Barat Venkataramany, center, analyze a testosterone binding site and discuss the possible medical implications of their finding with Wladek Minor. Credit: Josh Barney, UVA

Scientists at the University of Virginia and elsewhere have mapped out how the body transports testosterone, and their surprising findings may explain low testosterone levels seen in men with diabetes or patients on certain medications.

The discovery allows scientists to understand exactly how testosterone, the male sex hormone, binds to a protein called serum albumin and can be carried through the body.

The finding suggests that many drugs bind to serum albumin in the same way as testosterone, potentially explaining why the drugs interfere with normal testosterone transport. Further, the researchers report a similar overlap may explain why low testosterone is common in men with type 2 diabetes.

"This represents a key finding from one of many albumin-related projects investigated in our laboratory," said principal investigator Wladek Minor of UVA's School of Medicine. "We study human and equine serum albumins, but are interested in bovine, rat, mouse and rabbit serum albumins as well. These projects have been active for more than a decade in the lab.

"But we cannot stop our research here. We must address the next big challenge, which is the determination of albumin structures in complex with commonly used and abused opioids. We believe that the determination of these structures may be crucial in the development of new methods and treatments as our country combats the opioid crisis."

Potential Answers About Low T

The discovery represents a collaboration of Minor's lab, in UVA's Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, with that of David Hage of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Together, they developed the first 3-D structure of serum albumin bound to a sex hormone with results of binding studies, which led to some unexpected findings.

Using an approach known as X-ray crystallography, the researchers were able to inspect the complex in unbelievable detail. But this was no easy task: First they had to capture the pairing inside a lab-made crystal  a tremendous challenge  and then they bombarded it with a stream of powerful X-rays. By tracking how the X-rays diffracted, they could determine the shape of something far too small for even the most powerful light microscopes to see.

What they found defied expectations: Testosterone was not bound in its previously predicted binding site, but rather in two other sites, both with an affinity for fatty acids, various metabolites and certain drugs. That suggests that testosterone faces strong competition for transport inside the body  important information for doctors not just when prescribing existing treatments, but also when looking for new treatments. (Serum albumin, for example, is an important carrier of cancer drugs.)

"It is wonderful that we can use state-of-the-art techniques to study the transport of hormones and drugs in the blood on the molecular level." said Mateusz P. Czub, a graduate student in Minor's lab and lead author of the group's new paper outlining the discovery. "I hope to combine our results with the findings of other researchers from UVA so that we may collectively contribute to the development of personalized medical treatments."

"I am thrilled to have contributed to a basic research project that can be later used for translational research and advancing the treatment of real patients in a clinic," said Barat S. Venkataramany, the second author and an undergraduate student in UVA's Department of Chemistry, who recently was admitted to medical school. Minor's lab, like many successful UVA labs, routinely involves undergraduates in its research, which benefits both the students and the research.

The researchers reported their findings in the scientific journal Chemical Science.

Explore further Here's how your body transports zinc to protect your health

More information: Mateusz P. Czub et al. Testosterone meets albumin  the molecular mechanism of sex hormone transport by serum albumins, Chemical Science (2018). Journal information: Chemical Science Mateusz P. Czub et al. Testosterone meets albumin  the molecular mechanism of sex hormone transport by serum albumins,(2018). DOI: 10.1039/C8SC04397C
Workflow of how: 1) eligible patients and the appropriate HBV-specific T cells are selected and 2) T cells are engineered, for T cell therapy of HBV-HCC. Credit: Gastroenterology

Researchers from Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore General Hospital (SGH) and Lion TCR have demonstrated that they were able to engineer HBV-specific T cells, a type of immune cells found in the body, to treat Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a commonly occurring liver cancer. The treatment was also individualised, as T cells that were engineered were specific to the patients. The approach was successfully performed on two liver transplanted patients who had HBV associated liver cancer recurrence with one patient seeing a reduction in size of the tumour lesions.

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is predominant in Asia and is highly associated with the development of Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the commonly occurring liver cancer. The currently effective treatments for small to moderate size HCC are restricted to surgery, liver transplantation and loco-regional treatment that kill cancer cells by interventional radiologic means, while treatment with drugs helps only in a modest increase in the overall survival in more extensive disease. In patients who have HCC recurrence after liver transplantation, the treatment options are even more limited.

"In this study we showed that the integrated HBV-DNA gene components in the HCC cells were able to activate functional HBV-specific T cells. Hence, by analyzing the specific HBV- DNA integration patterns in these HCC cells, we were able to select, design and engineer the individualised T cells for therapy. Our studies showed that these engineered T cells were able to destroy the tumor," said Dr. Antonio Bertoletti, Professor of the Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID) Programme at Duke-NUS, Founder of the Singapore biotech company Lion TCR and co- author of the study.

"There were over 20 T cell infusions that were successfully performed on the two liver- transplanted patients. None of the patients experienced adverse reactions related to the treatment and one of them had a reduction in the tumour size of distant metastases of the liver cancer. Given that 80 per cent of the HCC cases in Asia are currently HBV-related, this approach could lead to a major breakthrough in improving the survival and quality of life of patients suffering from this disease," said Dr. Thinesh Lee Krishnamoorthy, consultant, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, SGH, and co-author of this study.

The authors plan to further refine the technique and treatment strategy with further research study and trials to improve the efficacy of the therapy.

Explore further Hepatocellular carcinoma diagnosis, prognosis and treatment may improve by identifying a protein

More information: Tan AT et al. Use of expression profiles of HBV DNA integrated into genomes of Hepatocellular carcinoma cells to select T cells for immunotherapy. Gastroenterology. 2019. Journal information: Gastroenterology Tan AT et al. Use of expression profiles of HBV DNA integrated into genomes of Hepatocellular carcinoma cells to select T cells for immunotherapy.. 2019. DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2019.01.251
The new species, identified last summer in Westchester and Staten island, is increasing and spreading quickly. Credit: Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Staten Island residents have another reason to apply insect repellent and obsessively check for ticks this spring and summer: the population of a new, potentially dangerous invasive pest known as the Asian longhorned tick has grown dramatically across the borough, according to Columbia University researchers. And the tickwhich unlike other local species can clone itself in large numbersis likely to continue its conquest in the months ahead.

"The concern with this tick is that it could transmit human pathogens and make people sick," explains researcher Maria Diuk-Wasser, an associate professor in the Columbia University Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, who studies ticks and human disease risk.

In a new study appearing in the April issue of the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, Diuk-Wasser and colleagues provide the most exhaustive local census of the new species to dateand suggest the Staten Island infestation is far more advanced than previously known.

The researchers found the species Haemaphysalis longicornis in 7 of 13 parks surveyed in 2017 and in 16 of 32 in 2018. In one park, the density of the ticks per 1000 square meters rose almost 1,698 percent between 2017 and 2018, with the number of ticks picked up in the sample area rising from 85 to 1,529. They also found the ticks on anesthetized deer from the area.

The news comes less than a year after the New York City Department of Health announced the discovery of the first member of the species in the citya single tickfound on southern Staten Island last August.

The tick, native to Asia and Australia, had been identified in the months prior to the Staten Island sighting in New Jersey, West Virginia, North Carolina and Arkansas and just a few weeks earlier in Westchester County. The Westchester sighting prompted a number of state senators to send a letter urging state health officials to act aggressively to stop the spread of the new species.

Public health officials are particularly concerned because the longhorned tick is notorious for its ability to quickly replicate itself. Unlike deer ticks, the common local variety known for carrying Lyme disease, the female Asian longhorned can copy itself through asexual reproduction in certain environmental conditions, or reproduce sexually, laying 1,000-2,000 eggs at a time. They are typically found in grass in addition to the forested habitats that deer ticks prefer, adding a new complication to public health messaging. The Columbia analysis suggests that the public warnings may have come too late.

"The fact that longhorned tick populations are so high in southern Staten Island will make control of this species extremely difficult," says Meredith VanAcker, a member of Diuk-Wasser's lab who collected the data as part of her Ph.D. thesis. "And because females don't need to find male mates for reproduction, it is easier for the population to spread."

The threat these new arrivals pose to human health is still unknown. In Asia, there have been reports of ticks passing on a virus that can cause a number of diseases, including hemorrhagic fever and ehrlichiosis, a bacterial illness that can cause flu-like symptoms and lead to serious complications if not treated.

The arrival of the species on Staten Island adds another unwelcome dimension to the region's tick woes, which have grown dramatically in recent years. Thanks to an expanding deer population, Lyme disease spread through deer ticks has reached epidemic proportions in some areas of the Northeast. Deer ticks (also called black-legged ticks) are capable of disseminating six other human pathogens.

The first Asian long-horned tick in the U.S. was identified in New Jersey in 2013. A large population was later found on sheep in Mercer County, New Jersey. Diuk-Wasser became aware of the potential danger when a doctor at a Westchester clinic removed a tick from a patient and sent it in for identification. The discovery of the first human bite prompted widespread alarm.

By then, the Columbia team was already in the midst of an extensive "tick census" on Staten Island to determine how the landscape connectivity between urban parks influenced the spread of disease.

The Asian longhorned is easy to miss because it resembles a rare native species of rabbit tick. VanAcker spent months combing areas of Staten Island for ticks, dragging a square-meter corduroy cloth over leaf litter and examining it every 10 to 20 meters Diuk-Wasser, post-doctoral student Danielle Tufts and other members of the Diuk-Wasser lab found huge numbers of them on the bodies of unconscious deer that had been captured and anesthetized by wildlife authorities.

VanAcker found her collections were overflowing with the new species, leading to publication of the current study in Emerging Infectious Diseases. Her work on landscape connectivity, slated to appear in the June issue of the same journal, drives home the difficult decisions facing policymakers as they attempt to arrest the spread of the new species and others like it.

"The easier it is for deer to maneuver through urban landscapes between parks, the more likely the ticks are to spread to new areas," Diuk-Wasser says. "This suggests that the emphasis on urban wildlife corridors has a previously unappreciated downside for human health."

Explore further Fighting ticks with a few taps of the phone

More information: Danielle M. Tufts et al. Distribution, Host-Seeking Phenology, and Host and Habitat Associations of Haemaphysalis longicornis Ticks, Staten Island, New York, USA, Emerging Infectious Diseases (2019). Journal information: Emerging Infectious Diseases Danielle M. Tufts et al. Distribution, Host-Seeking Phenology, and Host and Habitat Associations of Haemaphysalis longicornis Ticks, Staten Island, New York, USA,(2019). DOI: 10.3201/eid2504.181541
"Will the water problem cost administration bets some votes?"

Finally after so much pressure and consumers outrage, the Ayalas admitted shortcomings in Manila Water service. This is also in the face of the governments threat to sever the contract granted to the concessionaire. The water service in the Metro Manila area is aggravated by the El Nino effect, wreaking havoc on hundreds of thousands of farmers and acreage planted to rice and vegetables. This can only bring up the price of these basic staples beyond the reach of middle-income and poor Filipinos. The question now being asked is If the government took over public water delivery in the Metro area, can it do better than the private sector companies? The answer to that is at least government can be held accountable through the voters ballot. This is a particularly telling factor in the coming May 13 midterm elections. How the administration candidates will fare is seen as a referendum on both Duterte administration and its candidates. Will the public outcrytranslate into negative votes for administration candidates? I guess we will know after May 13 whether government will heed the wake up call from the people. It is a sign of how the populace will cast their votes in the 2022 presidential polls and the end of Dutertes six-year term. The lack of electricity is also looming in the horizon. Distributor Manila Electric Co. allays such fears as unfounded even as the high -priced Meralco rates will surely be in great demand during the hot summer months when consumers have their air conditioners almost turned the whole afternoon.The shortage of electric power is presently being felt in politically-rocked Venezuela which has crude oil albeit high in sulphur content. Oil is an essential component in the generation of electricity. The Philippines which buys Middle East oil with the falling pesos vis-a-vis the US dollar could face another challenge in another vital service area. The government must address this issue before like the water shortage stares us in the face. Social discontent is a strong element in the stability of a nation. Lack of food was what cost the French monarchy its grip on power and led to the Fall of the Bastille revolution. On the bright side, the Senate and the House finally threshed out their differences on the General Appropriations Act. Submitted to President Rodrigo Duterte, its now up to the President to veto or take out contentious parts of the national budget . This is good for government employees who render service to keep government agencies functioning. Another bright side is the report that the government will grant industrialist Ramon Ang the right to build an international airport in Bulacan. This would allow passengers from Central Luzon and further up north to skip going to the Manila international airport for departure and arrival. If the new Bulacan airport succeeds, it would give a boost to Ang who is being pushed by supporters to run for president in 2022. And why not? This is better than another presidential candidate from the dysfunctional Liberal Party and the political butterflies that fly to whoever is the party in power. There should really be a return to the two-party system with each having its own distinctive platform. We doubt though that the prevailing political parties would do this in case of an amendment to the Constitution. The present Congress prefers the status quo including its opposition to banning political dynasties. Why kill the goose that lays the golden eggs that perpetuate themselves in power? Dynasties equal decades in the lever of power. There are exceptions in the present composition of the Senate. Aside from Senators Grace Poe, Richard Gordon and Francis Pangilinan, the rest are chaffs from the grain. This is why I would like to see former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile elected back to the Senate. He is really the only Juan who can imbue intelligent intercourse in the Upper Chamber. The mans innate intelligence, sense of history that has relevance to present day events plus his deep knowledge of the law would inculcate in the other lawmakers to raise their own standard, The poll surveys show Enrile outside the win column of 12, but surveys are not always correct. There is that socalled margin of error that could open a window to Enriles inclusion in the winning column. Going to the hustings has invigorated Enrile to widen his campaign swing to key out-of-town sorties. Seen more as an independent shorn of the two other parties political baggage, Enrile could yet be a surprise winner.
"This blindness to the vital importance of energy is precisely what Earth Hour exploits."

On Saturday, March 30, cities in the Philippines and around the world will turn off their lights to observe Earth Hour. Iconic landmarks from Paris Eiffel Tower to Makatis skyscrapers will be darkened to encourage reduced energy use and signal a commitment to fighting climate change. While a one-hour blackout will admittedly have little effect on carbon emissions, what matters, organizers say, is the events symbolic meaning. Thats true, but not in the way organizers intend. We constantly hear that the debate is over on climate changethat man-made greenhouse gases are indisputably causing a planetary emergency. But there is ample scientific evidence to reject the claims of climate catastrophe. And whats never mentioned? The fact that reducing greenhouse gases to the degree sought by climate activists would, itself, cause significant harm. Politicians and environmentalists, including those behind Earth Hour, are not calling on people just to change a few light bulbs, they are calling for a truly massive reduction in carbon emissionsas much as 80 percent below 1990 levels. Because our energy is overwhelmingly carbon-based (fossil fuels provide more than 80 percent of world energy), and because the claims of abundant green energy from breezes and sunbeams are a myththis necessarily means a massive reduction in our energy use. People dont have a clear view of what this would mean in practice. We, in the industrialized world, take our abundant energy for granted and dont consider just how much we benefit from its use every minute of every day. Driving our cars to work and school, sitting in our lighted, air-conditioned homes and offices, powering our mobile phones, computers, and countless other labor-saving appliances, we count on the indispensable values that industrial energy makes possible: Hospitals and supermarkets, factories and farms, international travel and global telecommunications. It is hard for us to project the degree of sacrifice and harm that proposed climate policies would force upon us. This blindness to the vital importance of energy is precisely what Earth Hour exploits. It sends the comforting-but-false message: Cutting off fossil fuels would be easy and even fun! People spend the hour stargazing and holding torch-lit beach parties; restaurants offer special candle-lit dinners. Earth Hour makes the renunciation of energy seem like a big party.Participants spend an enjoyable sixty minutes in the dark, safe in the knowledge that the life-saving benefits of industrial civilization are just a light switch away. This bears no relation whatsoever to what life would actually be like under the sort of draconian carbon-reduction policies that climate activists are demanding: punishing carbon taxes, severe emissions caps, outright bans on the construction of power plants. Forget one measly hour with just the lights off. How about Earth Month, without any form of fossil fuel energy? Try spending a month sweating in the dark without air-conditioning, electricity, refrigeration; without power plants or generators; without any of the labor-saving, time-saving, and, therefore, life-saving products that industrial energy makes possible. Those who claim that we must cut off our carbon emissions to prevent an alleged global catastrophe need to learn the indisputable fact that cutting off our carbon emissions would be a global catastrophe. What we really need is greater awareness of just how indispensable carbon-based energy is to human life (including, of course, to our ability to cope with any changes in the climate). It is true that the importance of Earth Hour is its symbolic meaning. But that meaning is the opposite of the one intended. The lights of our cities and monuments are a symbol of human achievement, of what mankind has accomplished in rising from the cave to the skyscraper. Earth Hour presents the disturbing spectacle of people celebrating those lights being extinguished. Its call for people to renounce energy and to rejoice at darkened skyscrapers makes its real meaning unmistakably clear: Earth Hour symbolizes the renunciation of industrial civilization.
9 minute read

On Jan. 1, German citizen Hans Schlabaugh arrived in the United States for business meetings. He returned to Germany 10 days later. Then, on May 15, Schlabaugh traveled to the U.S. again, this time on a visa to work for the American division of his employer for the remainder of the year.

For tax purposes, the Internal Revenue Service considers Schlabaugh a U.S. nonresident alien until May 15. After May 15, he is considered a U.S. resident alien. Will this affect the tax forms Schlabaugh will file for that tax year?

In a word: Yes. Hell need to file federal income taxes as a dual-status alien, which recognizes a person as a U.S. resident alien and a U.S. nonresident alien in the same tax year. Typically, this occurs the year a non-U.S. citizen arrives in or departs from the U.S., as long as certain residency requirements are met.

Being a dual-status alien shouldnt be confused with citizenship, though. It only applies to federal taxes. It signifies that a person will need to follow different tax rules for portions of the same year, depending on the amount of time he or she is a U.S. resident alien versus a U.S. nonresident alien [source: IRS].

Certain people, although they may meet the criteria for dual-status aliens, are exempt. This includes teachers, trainees, students and people temporarily in the U.S., such as professional athletes or foreign government workers.

Weve compiled 10 tips for keeping up with all the ins and outs of taxes for those who wind up with more than one status.

10. Pass the Resident Alien IRS Test

Youre not a U.S. resident, but your work necessitates that you to live in America for a significant period of time, probably several months. This may sound like a simple enough scenario for figuring out your income taxes, but theres an important test that will eventually factor into the mix.

Before you break out the calculus primer or hire a tutor, take heart. This test doesnt require any studying. In fact, it may be one of the easiest tests youll ever take. It simply tracks the time youve spent in the United States.

Youll pass the test, known as the Resident Alien Test, if youve established a substantial presence in the U.S. This means you have spent more than 31 days in the U.S. during the current tax year or more than 183 days during a three-year period that includes the current tax year.

Youll also meet the requirements of the Resident Alien Test if you become a permanent resident of the U.S. but do not have citizenship or are in the process of applying for citizenship. In this case, the Resident Alien Test applies to someone who, for example, has a green card that allows him or her to resident and work in the U.S. lawfully [source:Investopedia]. Find out how  and when  youll qualify as a nonresident alien next.

9. Pass the Nonresident Alien IRS Test

If you are not a citizen of the U.S., but are in the U.S., you may be considered a nonresident alien, according to the IRS. Unlike a noncitizen who passes the Resident Alien test, which involves a green card and a days-spent-in-country threshold, the Nonresident Alien Test requires neither of these criteria. In fact, the opposite is true.

A nonresident alien earns the classification when they reside in the U.S. without a green card. A green card is the colloquial term for the Alien Registration Card, which signifies that a nonresident is lawfully in the U.S. as a permanent or conditional resident. It allows a nonresident to work in the U.S., and travel back and forth between the U.S. and other countries [source: Bray]. If a noncitizen does not qualify for a green card, that person is considered a nonresident alien.

In addition, if a person who is not a U.S. resident does not show substantial presence in the U.S.  by living in America for 31 days in the current year or 183 days during a three-year period that includes the current year  then that person is considered a nonresident alien [source: Investopedia].

When a person is a nonresident alien and a resident alien in the same year, he or she will follow different tax rules according to the difference in alien status. Its important to understand the differences between resident alien taxes and nonresident alien taxes, which well begin outlining on the next page.

8. Understand Resident Alien Taxes

When a noncitizen of the U.S. is classified as a U.S. resident alien, that person is subject to specific taxation on income. In general, a resident alien will be taxed on personal income in the same way a U.S. citizen is taxed.

This means a resident alien will need to include all forms of income  interest, dividends, wages or other compensation for services  when filing federal income taxes. A resident alien also will need to include income from rental property, royalties or any other type of income on his or her taxes. And this goes for income earned in any other part of the world, too. Worldwide income should be included when filing U.S. federal income taxes.

Because resident aliens are taxed the same way U.S. residents are taxed, resident aliens will be taxed on income according to the graduated tax rates determined by the IRS. These gradated tax rates, known commonly as tax brackets, range from 10 percent on taxable income of $9, 075 or less to 39.6 percent on taxable income of $406,750 or more [sources: Erb, IRS].

7. Understand Nonresident Alien Taxes

In most cases, nonresident aliens will need to file federal income taxes in the United States. Specifically, nonresident aliens who earned income that exceeded the personal exemptions allowed by the IRS, who received money from an estate or trust, or who are charged with the care of a nonresident alien, will be required to withhold federal income tax and file federal income taxes at the end of the tax year.

There is one important exception. Nonresident aliens need only to claim sources of income that originated in the United States.

To complicate matters, there are exceptions to the exception. Certain investments, like stocks, could still be subject to tax. For example, if you live in Saudi Arabia and own a company that operates in the U.S., but you are a nonresident alien of the U.S., the income you receive from the business could be subject to U.S. tax. Dividends like these would be taxed at 30 percent for a nonresident alien, unless they are capital gains received from the sale of a business or property, at which point the money is exempt until a certain threshold  usually $250,000 [sources: IRS, Investopedia, Pomerlau].

6. Claim Tax Credits When You Can

For the part of the tax year a person is considered a resident alien, he or she can generally claim the same tax credits that apply to U.S. citizens. After all, a resident alien is withholding taxes according to the same rules and regulations that apply to U.S. citizens, too.

As long as a resident alien meets the criteria for each credit, he or she is typically able to claim credits such as a Child Tax Credit, Earned Income Credit, Adoption Credit, Child and Dependent Care Credit and Credit for the Elderly and Disabled [source: IRS].

Plus, a resident alien can claim foreign tax credits, unlike a nonresident alien. A foreign tax credit is designed to avoid double taxation by the U.S. and another country. Often, if the tax rate in another country is higher than in the U.S., there wont be a U.S. tax levied on foreign income. If, however, the tax rate in another country is lower than in the United States, the U.S. tax will only be applicable to the difference between the two tax rates. Keep in mind, however, that the credit can only be used to reduce U.S. taxes on income that originates in another country. It cannot be used to reduce U.S. taxes on U.S. income [source: IRS].

5. Take Advantage of Tax Deductions

Its important to know which tax deductions you can claim as either a resident alien or nonresident alien during the year you qualify as a dual-status alien. These tax deductions, and your ability to claim them, will depend on your status.

For example, if you are a nonresident alien, you will not be able to claim the standard deduction unless you are a student or business apprentice from India. However, generally, you can claim deductions on income that is related to your business activities and earnings in the U.S., and itemize certain deductions such as charitable contributions, state income taxes and some business expenses [source: IRS].

Nonresident aliens are given a wider berth when it comes to deductions because they are allowed the same tax deductions as U.S. citizens. For example, nonresident aliens can claim some medical expenses, real estate taxes, home mortgage interest, state income taxes and other deductions. Unlike resident aliens, nonresident aliens can claim a standard tax deduction.

Keep in mind that when you are considered dual-status, you will need to toggle between which deductions you are allowed on income earned either as a resident alien or nonresident alien during the same year [source: IRS].

4. Know Which Exemptions to Claim  and When

When youre a dual-status alien, you need to know which exemptions you can claim  and when. It will all depend on which portion of the year you are considered a resident alien and which portion of the year you are considered a nonresident alien.

When youre a resident alien, youre able to claim all the same exemptions as a U.S. citizen, such as dependents.

Things are a bit more limited when youre a nonresident alien, though. During the time of year when you are a nonresident alien, you may claim only one personal exemption (as long as you cant be claimed a dependent by anyone else). This one-exemption rule holds true even if you are married.

There are certain exceptions. For example, U.S. nationals or residents of Canada or Mexico may claim additional exemptions for spouse and dependents under certain circumstances, such as when a spouse has no gross income and cannot be claimed as a dependent of another U.S. taxpayer or when dependents qualify under normal dependent regulations [source: IRS].

3. File Two Tax Returns

For most people, filing a solitary federal tax return is the norm. For dual-status taxpayers, however, filing federal taxes is a bit more involved.

A dual-status taxpayer will need to file two tax returns for the year, one for the portion of the year when the person was a nonresident and another for when the person was a resident alien. As if this werent complicated enough, youll need to know which forms to file at the end of the tax year based on your status at the end of the tax year. For example, if you end the tax year as a resident alien or a resident, you will need to file Form 1040. At the top of Form 1040, youll need to write Dual-Status Return and then attached a statement to the return that illustrates your income for the portion of the year when you were a nonresident. You may be able to use a Form 1040NR or Form 1040NR-EZ as the statement, as long as you write Dual Status Statement across the top.

A nonresident alien, on the other hand, will need to file Form 1040NR or Form 1040NR-EZ. This would be applicable to a dual-status taxpayer who does not reside in the U.S. on the last day of the tax year and who is not a U.S. resident at the end of that same year. When filing, Dual-Status Return will need to be written across the top of the return and an income statement will need to be attached [source: IRS].

2. Elect to Be Treated as Full-year Resident

If you are not a citizen of the United States, and even if you live and work in the U.S. for only part of the year, you may be able to file your federal income taxes as a full-year resident. This option may be especially attractive during a dual-status transition year because electing to be treated as a full-year resident in the U.S. allows the taxpayer to file only one tax return instead of two. Otherwise, the taxpayer would need to file a tax return in the United States and the country in which he or she is a citizen.

In order to be considered a full-year resident during a tax year, certain conditions must be met. For example, the option is open only to nonresident aliens who are married to a person who is either a citizen of the U.S. or a resident alien of the U.S. Plus, both spouses must agree for the nonresident alien to be treated as a full-year resident. To make this election, both spouses must sign a statement and attach it to their tax return, and the status will remain in force until either spouses citizenship status changes  or a requested revocation, separation, divorce or death occurs [source: KPMG].

One of the chief benefits to being treated as a full-year resident centers around filing a joint tax return, which we explore in more detail in the next section.

1. File as a Full-year Resident

One of the main reasons a dual-status or a nonresident alien of the United States would want to file as a full-year resident is to gain the benefits of filing a joint tax return. Electing to file as a full-year resident makes a dual-status alien or a nonresident a fully-fledged citizen, at least in the eyes of the IRS when it comes to filing taxes. Without being designated as a full-year resident, a dual-status alien or a nonresident alien cannot file a joint return.

While the option of filing a joint tax return only applies to people who are married, it offers a number of tax benefits, including the ability to stay within a lower tax bracket or take a higher standard deduction. In fact, standard deductions arent available to dual-status aliens as a general rule [sources: KPMG, IRS].

There are a few exceptions to the rule that a dual-status alien or nonresident alien cant file a joint tax return. If a dual-status alien or nonresident is married to a resident alien, then they can file a joint tax return. The same is true of a dual-status alien or nonresident alien who is married to a U.S. citizen [source: IRS].
Zimbabwes Ministry of Energy has rejected a plan by South Africa-owned Mining, Oil and Gas Services Company (MOGS) to construct a $1 billion fuel pipeline in the southern African nation, Zimbabwean publication The Herald reported.

According to the government, the sector is oversubscribed and has no space for new players.

The proposed 550km pipeline would run from Beira, Mozambique to Harare, Zimbabwe, with the possibility of extending as far as neighboring Botswana, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

MOGS, a diversified resource company, has already been given access in Mozambique and Zambia and is now seeking the Zimbabwean Governments approval to construct the giant facility.

The bid to build a second fuel pipeline lost momentum following a meeting in December where MOGs representatives were informed that the country already receives sufficient fuel from its existing pipeline.

This is not the first time the government has expressed its disinterest in a second fuel pipeline to complement the Feruka Oil Pipeline.

The fuel sector in Zimbabwe is currently monopolized by Sakunda Holdings, which controls the existing Beira to Harare pipeline that supplies the country with the majority of its fuel.

Fuel consumption in Zimbabwe has declined by 35 million liters following the January fuel price hike, Governor of Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, John Mangudya said earlier this month.
Huawei has seen tremendous growth in South Africa in recent years, becoming a major player in the smartphone market.

This success has spread across many market segments, with Huawei smartphones continuing to gain market share in low, middle, and high pricing brackets.

The company has also improved its retail service and cloud offerings, launching infrastructure and platforms specifically for the South African market.

Huawei also launched its new P30 smartphones this week, which are expected to launch in South Africa in the near future and will be attractively priced.

South Africa has historically been one of the first-wave launch countries for Huawei, which means that products will quickly arrive on local shores.

Speaking to MyBroadband, Huawei Consumer Business Group CEO Richard Yu confirmed this stance for the P30 smartphones.

Important market

Yu said that South Africa is a key market for Huawei, with the company seeing continued growth in the smartphone sector.

He said that the company has noted good adoption of its smartphone products in the mid-to-high pricing tiers, meaning that more local customers are selecting Huawei products over competing manufacturers.

The South African market is very important for Huawei and we have seen strong growth in South Africa, especially in the middle-to-high tier, Yu said.

We continue to launch more competitive products in that market and we are confident that we can continue to win more market share.

Yu added that Huawei would continue to invest in its South African presence across multiple sectors.

We will continue to invest more in South Africa across our service, products, and retail services, Yu told MyBroadband.

Local presence

Over the past year, Huawei has greatly expanded its footprint in South Africa and has overtaken Apple in terms of market share.

Speaking at the launch of the Huawei P Smart earlier this year, Huawei South Africa CTO Akhram Mohamed told MyBroadband that Huawei is on the precipice of becoming the biggest player across most, if not all, pricing segments.

In 2018, Huawei was either number one or number two in every pricing segment, Mohamed said.

And where we are number two, the gap is so small that we think we could break through very quickly.

The company has continued to expand its local presence in other market segments too, and recently launched cloud services in South Africa.

Huawei has stated it plans to gradually open more data centres in Kenya, Nigeria, and other African countries to provide localised services.
Chinese telecommunication equipment giant Huawei Technologies Co. is putting U.K. national security at risk by failing to improve its devices and software, according to a report by its oversight body.

The annual report by the watchdog, which examines how the company conducts its U.K. operations and is funded by Huawei, concluded it has not seen anything to give it confidence in Huaweis ability to improve defects in cyber security and software engineering.

The publication of the report, which echoed complaints made last year, comes as the U.K. is preparing to roll out fifth-generation mobile networks. Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright is currently considering the results of a review into the resilience of the telecom supply chain.

While Thursdays report from Huaweis oversight board makes clear it has seen nothing to give confidence that the company can fix its long-term security risk management, this is only one element Wright will examine before making recommendations to the National Security Council.

The report identified:

Further significant technical issues in Huaweis engineering processes, leading to new risks in U.K. telecommunications networks No material progress has been made by Huawei regarding issues reported last year Significant, concerning issues in its approach to software development, bringing significantly increased risk to U.K. operators U.K. networks are not more vulnerable than last year because the technical insight provided to British operators allows them to plan more effective defenses.

A Huawei spokesman said: The oversight provided for in our mitigation strategy for Huaweis presence in the U.K. is arguably the toughest and most rigorous in the world. This report does not, therefore, suggest that the U.K. networks are more vulnerable than last year.

The Huawei Cyber Security Evaluation Centre and its oversight board are funded by Huawei, and staffed by both Huawei employees and representatives from the U.K.s National Cyber Security Centre. Based at Banbury in Oxfordshire, northwest of London, the centers board is made up of around 35 U.K.-security approved cyber experts, and chaired by the head of the NCSC. It was established in 2010 to provide insight for the British government into the companys strategies and products.

The center approved and employed one person who later failed vetting and had to be removed. Thursdays report said. His or her clearance was equivalent to the government privileges required for frequent, uncontrolled access to classified information and is mandatory for members of the intelligence services, the report said.

The Chinese company has a significant presence in the U.K. Huawei has signed contracts with all four U.K. mobile networks to test its 5G wireless equipment, deepening the Chinese vendors involvement in Britains telecom industry as officials weigh whether to ban the company over security concerns.

Although critical of Huawei, the U.K. is still no closer to putting in place any restrictions on the company. Taking a softer approach to Huawei could put the country at odds with some of its closest security counterparts, including in the so-called Five Eyes network, the pan-national intelligence sharing network which comprises the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the U.K.

Officials from the U.S. have been warning allies over letting carriers work with Huawei. The head of the U.K.s foreign intelligence agency MI6 Alex Younger has denied lobbying from the U.S.

We believe the DCMS supply chain review will make the right choice, and we also believe that DCMS recommendations to the operators will enable them to build not only a secure telecoms infrastructure but also the most advanced 5G network, said David Wang, Huaweis president of products and solutions, via a translator on a call with reporters Thursday.

Now read: Apple says sorry for MacBook keyboard problems
The best-selling smartphone in South Africa in 2018 was the Mobicel Astro.

The device, available for R429 from Pep, was listed by Counterpoint as the most popular phone in the country as part of its latest report on the local smartphone sector.

Counterpoint added that Mobicel became the second-largest smartphone brand in South Africa during 2018. Samsung took top spot, claiming 32% of the market.

Cheap vs expensive

While many readers will have no problem naming the most expensive smartphones on the market today  like the Apple iPhone Xs, Samsung Galaxy S10, and Huawei P20 Pro  they will be hard-pressed to name the devices which the majority of the local market will purchase.

This is emphasised by the fact that, according to Counterpoints report, iPhones made up only 5% of the local market.

And while Samsung took top spot in terms of market share, this was thank to devices like the Galaxy J2 Core  not the flagship Galaxy Note or S range.

This is due to the fact that these smartphones are considerably cheaper than what is available at the top-end of the market and provide smart functionality through operating systems such as Android Go.

iPhone Xs vs Astro

To put into perspective the gulf between the smartphones that most South Africans use and the top-of-the-range devices available, we compared the Mobicel Astro and Apple iPhone Xs.

The Astro runs Android Go and was unveiled in South Africa in 2018, available with 512MB of RAM, 4GB of storage, and a 4-inch LCD display.

At the other end of the spectrum, the iPhone Xs has 4GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage. It also features the A12 Bionic processor, which has made the new iPhones the most powerful in the world.

The operating systems on the devices are also vastly different.

Apples iOS 12 is the operating system on the iPhone Xs and features support for the latest applications and features  such as facial recognition.

Mobicels Astro runs Android Go: a lightweight version of Android which is designed for smartphones will little RAM, but which supports a range of Go versions of apps. This includes Google Go and Google Assistant Go.

The table below details the specifications and pricing of the devices.

Specifications Mobicel Astro iPhone Xs OS Android Go iOS 12 Display 4-inch LCD (800 x 480) 5.8-inch AMOLED (2,436 x 1,125) Processor 1.3GHz Quad-Core Apple A12 Bionic RAM 512MB 4GB Storage 4GB 64GB/256GB/512GB Rear camera 2MP 12MP + 12MP Front camera 0.2MP 7MP Connectivity 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0 Cellular 3G (GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA, HSUPA) LTE Cat.16 Durability  IP68 Battery 1,400mAh 2,658mAh Price R429 R21,499

Now read: The most powerful smartphones you can buy in South Africa
You can sue the media for ...
New fees in Georgian Post

By Nika Gamtsemlidze

In legislation presented by European Georgia, Giorgi Kandelaki suggests that the limit of 300 GEL for Customs Duty for international parcels should be raised to 500 GEL because of the changes in national currency. Initially, the limit was set as an equivalent of 200 USD, but, as of today, it has become 500 GEL.The initiative was supported by both  the representatives of the opposition and the ruling party. Among them was Roman Kakulia, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee of Branch Economy and Economic Policy.Although the idea was supported by the Parliament, the Georgian Government is opposed to this proposition, claiming that in most European countries, the limit is as little as 22 euros.They also noted that its hard to tell if the purchase was made for personal purposes or for doing business.The initiation was made last year as well but was turned down by the Parliament.Georgian Post also set a new regulation regarding the customs control of International Incoming Parcels that went into force on January 3, 2019. The regulation set a fee for receiving such parcels at 2 GEL.The reason behind this decision was to make customers service better and more sufficient. Representatives of Georgian Post noted that they are trying their best to maintain the low price policy.While national currency keeps deprecating, new ideas are coming along. Georgian economy has a lot of challenges and the only way to overcome them seems to be keeping having an open mind and the best interest of the people.
PG&E can tap $5.5 billion in financing to keep operating during its wildfire-linked bankruptcy case, a judge ruled Wednesday, effectively authorizing a funding package whereby big banks and Wall Street behemoths could seize the embattled utilitys gas and electricity systems if PG&E defaults on the loan.

U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Dennis Montali approved the financing, which PG&E claims is essential to continue basic electricity and gas operations, despite objections raised by victims of multiple PG&E-linked infernos of recent years, including lethal wildfires in Northern California in 2015, 2017 and 2018, as well as the 2016 Ghost Ship Fire in Oakland.

This is basically Wall Street investment banks and Park Avenue lawyers getting their paydays before the wildfire victims, who are at the back of the line to be paid back by PG&E, said Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog, a frequent critic of PG&E.

PG&E, already a convicted felon for crimes related to a fatal gas explosion in San Bruno, has argued that it requires the $5.5 billion in whats called debtor-in-possession, or DIP, financing, while it attempts to reorganize its shattered finances through a Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding.

However, the collateral for the funding package includes the companys electricity system, gas operations and real estate.

We are pleased that the court approved PG&Es access to $5.5 billion in debtor-in-possession financing, which will provide us with the capital necessary to continue to invest in safety and reliability, PG&E spokeswoman Lynsey Paulo said.

PG&E filed bankruptcy on Jan. 29, as it faced a forbidding pile of liabilities and wildfire-related claims that have mounted steadily in the wake of deadly infernos that roared through the North Bay Wine Country and nearby regions in October 2017, as well as a fatal blaze that torched Butte County and essentially destroyed the town of Paradise in November 2018. Eighty five people perished in that November fire.

The better thing to do is go ahead and grant the motion, Montali said in authorizing the PG&E request to gain access to the $5.5 billion loan.

However, Cecily Dumas, an attorney for an official committee of tort claimants that is a party in the bankruptcy case, told the court her clients, which include wildfire victims, opposed approval of the financing package. She also accused PG&E of being uncooperative in negotiations to craft a funding deal.

The frustrating part is the unwillingness of PG&E to compromise, Dumas told the court. We havent been taken seriously by the debtor. We have been taken seriously by the lenders.

Paul Zumbro, a bankruptcy attorney for PG&E, shot back and disputed suggestions that PG&E wasnt being cooperative in the financing discussions.

I think we were constructive, Zumbro said.

PG&E filed for bankruptcy on Jan. 29, listing $51.69 billion in debts. JPMorgan Chase Bank, Bank of America, Barclays Bank and Citigroup Global Markets have teamed up to lead the funding package.

Kristopher Hansen, an attorney for JPMorgan Chase, the administrator for the banking consortium, forcefully urged Judge Montali to authorize the $5.5 billion in financing right away, saying the utility could collapse without the financing help.

The more this process plays out, there is additional risk, Hansen said. The financing could get smaller, it could get more expensive, it might go away.

PG&Es attorney insisted that it would be better off financially the sooner it receives the funding.

There is an economic benefit to approving it today? Judge Montali asked PG&Es legal representative during the hearing. Zumbro replied, Yes.

Court warned that PG&E customers and the California taxpayers could wind up being on the hook to bail out the disgraced utility if its unable to repay the loan.

You have $5.5 billion in financing thats backed up by $70 billion in PG&E assets, Court said. If those assets are tied up as collateral, then you have the ratepayers and taxpayers left holding the bag.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Campbell is all set for her perfect moment, her senior year at Truman High where shell be captain of the award-winning cheerleading squad. Then the bombshell falls: she is being redistricted to the inner-city Jackson High  where they dont even have a cheerleading squad.

Shes thrown off her rocks, said Noelle Moore, who plays Campbell in Bring It On, the American Canyon High School musical opening on Saturday, March 30 and running for two weekends.

The story of cutthroat competition, cheerleading and team rivalries, friendship and betrayal is the creation of a team of Tony Award winners, with a libretto by Jeff Whitty (Avenue Q), music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton), music composer Tom Kitt (Next to Normal), lyrics by Broadway lyricist Amanda Green (High Fidelity) and music supervision by Alex Lacamoire (Wicked).

Bring It On is the first full-scale Broadway musical that the American Canyon theater has produced, although they have been staging plays and last year presented a junior version of their first musical, Bye Bye Birdie.

This year, after winning $10,000 matching grant from the SHN theater company that brings Broadway shows to San Francisco we are pushing the program, said Haley Konoval, who is handling publicity for the production. This is different than anything weve ever done before.

Students are handling all aspects of the production, said theater teacher Summer Heartt. They are making costumes, building sets, creating choreography, lighting, in addition to serving as student director and stage manager.

I can relate to Campbell, Moore said. This is about accepting yourself and enjoying your life, no matter what happens. You cant control what happens but you can control who you are.

While Campbells life is turned -upside-down  and she has boyfriend problems, too  another transfer student is suddenly triumphant. Bridget, the geeky outcast, played by Taylor Buono, finds a warm welcome, a place on the Jackson High dance team  an a love interest too when Jacksons hip-hop artist Twig falls for her.

Im weird, quirky and dont fit in, Buono said. But then at another school, Im on the dance team and I have a boyfriend.

As soon as I heard about the play, I was in, said Aaron Santos who plays Twig.

Buono said she has been performing in plays for as long as she can remember. Im excited that Im ending my senior year with a bang, said Buono.

Another of the lead actors in the production, Frankie Martinez, said he took a longer time getting on stage.

A senior at American Canyon High, Martinez said, Id always loved to perform. When I was younger, Id perform for my family but I was too shy to try anything else. I went through middle school with out trying to be involved in it, and it was in my junior year when I thought Screw this! And I tried out. Thats when I discovered this is where my heart is. You can be as nervous as you like standing in the wings but when you step on stage, you forget it because you are your character. Its a feeling of happiness that nothing else gives me.

Martinez plays Cameron, a hip-hop star at Jackson High. Bring It On is about building bridges between the schools, he said. It tackles issues about not fitting in, finding friends, being a friend, and how much it means to have a friend. I love the message that no matter what you face, you can do it if you have friends behind you.

While other students are making decisions about where to go to college and what fields theyll pursue after graduation, Martinez said that his experiences with theater at American Canyon High have taught him that this is what I want to pursue for the rest of my life. I want to help people, maybe change their lives from a bad place. I want make people smile.

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A trio of Sonomans has produced an hour-long documentary film on the history of Sonoma Valley as a nonprofit venture on a shoe-string budget.

"Call of the Valley: The Enduring Lure of Sonoma" premiers at this years Sonoma International Film Festival on March 29.

Its the brainchild of Julie Morrison who did not intend to be a film producer.

Several years ago, she made a documentary film on Sonomas wine grapegrowing Sangiacomo family. Following that project and through contact with local historian and retired attorney Robert Parmelee, Morrison, a lover of historical research, decided that the valleys colorful tales should be documented and shared.

Nearly three years later, after dozens of hours of interviewing locals and uncovering thousands of images from numerous sources, Morrison has created a treasure of information on the birth of Sonoma, and its struggles, failures and successes.

The film is geared to helping people  residents and visitors alike  understand the incredible scope and breadth of Sonomas past, said Morrison. It was at one time the most important place in the state north of Monterey; the California Republic was born here, she added.

Many local residents are featured in interviews about their families and how the valley has evolved over hundreds of years. Woven into the film are rare images of people, places and events and stories revealing a Sonoma Valley that few know.

Completing the projects trio is local archivist Sandi Hansen, who assisted Morrison and Parmelee. Video and audio experts Leslie and James Simmons of Shoot Blue Productions, in Sonoma County, shot and edited the film.

Call of the Valley shows on Friday, March 29, at 9:30 a.m. in the Sonoma Veterans Memorial Hall on First Street West. Tickets for the film festival are available at www.sonomafilmfestival.org.

A second screening will follow after the festival, on April 5, at 6 p.m. at the Sebastiani Theatre. Advance tickets for this special showing only may be purchased online at sebastianitheatre.com or at Readers Books.

For more information on the film, email sshansen@sonic.net.
The two middle-schoolers had never met in person, but they both struggled with depression and were drawn to the same dark group chat. When one wrote that he planned to kill himself, the other took an image of his post. "I'm so freaked out," she told me, her school counselor. "Please find him and make sure he's okay."

With some assistance, I was able to figure out what Washington-area school the boy attended. When I called his principal, she was bewildered. Her student could be disruptive in class, she told me, but he didn't seem sad.

I wasn't surprised. In early adolescence, depression can resemble rage or irritability or be mistaken for normal mood fluctuations. She acted quickly to make sure the student was safe. At a time when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting a spike in suicide rates among 10- to 14-year-olds, educators are leaving nothing to chance.

"When talking about adolescent suicide, half the time we're talking about kids who are depressed, and half the time we're talking about kids who are impulsive," says Ken Ginsburg, an adolescent developmental pediatrician at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and co-founder of the Center for Parent and Teen Communication. "Kids this age can't articulate their pain as clearly as older teens, their peers are less mature and don't know how to recognize the signs, and they don't want to snitch."

Put this all together, and it's easy to see why parents can be the last to know their child is suffering, says Christina Conolly, director of psychological services for Montgomery County Public Schools.

Adolescent children are far less likely to commit suicide than adults, but they have not been immune from a nationwide increase in suicides over the past two decades. The CDC reports that from 1999 to 2017, the suicide rate among boys ages 10 to 14 grew from 1.9 suicides per 100,000 people to 3.3. Among girls, suicides roughly tripled from 0.5 per 100,000 to 1.7. Researchers recently reported in the journal Pediatrics that while 50 percent of parents are unaware that their 11- to 17-year-olds are having suicidal thoughts, younger teens are more likely than older teens to deny their pain.

To plug the gap on the issue, Conolly implemented the Signs of Suicide Prevention Program in every middle school in her district this year. Students learn to recognize the signs of depression, care for struggling friends and report concerns to adults.

As depression and anxiety skyrocket, communities are scrambling to meet kids' needs with limited resources. Here are six ways parents and schools can combine forces to tackle the spike in tween suicide.

1. Maintain open communication

Two-way communication is critical, but it can be thwarted by logistical and emotional barriers. Educators may feel unequipped to help distressed students or apprehensive about calling home with nonacademic concerns. To build their comfort, many schools now offer mental-health training to teachers.

One program, Youth Mental Health First Aid, partnered with Lady Gaga's Born This Way Foundation to teach school personnel how to "recognize the signs of a mental health or addiction crisis, initiate a conversation, and connect young people to professional help and community resources," says Betsy Schwartz, who oversees the program at the National Council for Behavioral Health.

Even teachers who would readily intervene are squeezed for time. "I want our children's needs to be met, but I also want people to understand how much teachers do every day," says Traci Townsend, principal of Silver Creek Middle School in Kensington. Parents can help. To improve dialogue, signal that you're open to hearing unsettling news about your child.

"Adopting an accusatory or defensive posture will get in the way of sharing key information, such as ups and downs of the young person's mood, concerns brought forward by peers, and changes in a student's academic performance, that can be key to keeping students safe and making sure that treatments are working as they should," says psychologist Lisa Damour, author of "Under Pressure: Confronting the Epidemic of Stress and Anxiety in Girls."

Transparency is critical in middle school, says social worker Amy Morin, author of "13 Things Mentally Strong Women Don't Do."

"When we most need to have eyes and ears on the ground, communication really drops off," she says. "Email the school and say, 'Everything seems fine, but what are you seeing?' " Be proactive and alert the school when your child needs more support, whether they're grieving a death, adjusting to a change in family structure or coping with depression.

Susan Levine, the resource counselor at Silver Creek, is seeing a shift toward more openness, but it comes with a twist. "Parents are more honest, but children are less resilient," she says. "If a kid's friend says 20 nice things and one bad thing, we can spend a whole day undoing that."

2. Prioritize self-directed play

As recess decreases and testing increases, there has been a rise in children's mental disorders, says Peter Gray, a research professor at Boston College and the author of "Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life." The cause and effect should be obvious, he notes. "Life without play is depressing."

"Children are almost like prisoners today," he says. "They're constantly being monitored, their sense of control over their lives has declined, and that sets them up for depression and anxiety." Instead of just going out to play, they are frequently put in competitive, anxiety-provoking conditions, such as trying to earn a spot on a team or win a game.

Gray co-founded Let Grow with Lenore Skenazy, founder of Free-Range Kids, to help communities prioritize play. Michael Hynes, the schools superintendent of the Patchogue-Medford School District in New York, now offers elementary and secondary students one hour of self-directed play before school. "It's the closest thing to a silver bullet I've ever seen in my 20-plus years serving children in education," he says. "Kids are less anxious, upset and depressed."

Parents can help change the tide. Make the case for more recess at school and prioritize unstructured play at home. Organize weekend block parties and coordinate with neighbors to send kids outside at the same time to just play.

3. Identify helpers

To normalize help-seeking behavior, prompt kids to silently name the adult they'd approach in a crisis. When I do this with my middle school students, I invite anyone who is stumped to come meet with me. Willing educators can self-identify as helpers, too. Teachers may need backup support, but Morin urges them not to send a student to their counselor alone. For starters, the American School Counselor Association is reporting an average student-to-school counselor ratio of 406 to 1, so they may not even know that person. "They also might not know what to share, so walk them there and say, 'This is what I'm hearing,' " Morin says. "It's powerful for a teacher to say, 'I really know this kid, he's not a complainer, and here's some background.' "

Parents also can make an effort to be a trusted adult in their kid's friends' lives. Ask questions and show genuine interest in their well-being. If your own child is suffering, convey to them that they're not alone. Ginsburg recommends saying, "I feel like you're really uncomfortable, and I need you to know it doesn't have to be that way. You deserve to feel better, you can get better, and I will be by your side as you do."

4. Sweat the small stuff and the big stuff

A child's concern may seem overblown, but take it seriously anyway. Middle schoolers have intense emotions but little perspective. "It's easy for them to imagine that every circumstance is an emergency," Ginsburg says.

That said, some experiences should raise a red flag. Bullying, for example, is strongly linked to suicidal thoughts and attempts, says Sameer Hinduja, co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Center and professor of criminology at Florida Atlantic University. Listen to your children, validate their experiences and involve them in problem-solving. "Well-meaning parents and educators need to avoid secondary victimization by responding callously or incompletely when a tween or teen summons enough courage to tell them what's going on in the first place," he says.

Stay calm, engaged and nonjudgmental. "If a child says, 'I hate myself and want to die,' don't respond with, 'But you're so great at this and great at that,' " says psychologist Mary Alvord, the author of "Conquer Negative Thinking for Teens." "Pull from them, 'What have you done well this month?' Give choices; 'Were you nice to people? Were you a loving or helpful son or daughter?' "

Alvord created the Resilience Builder Program, now in several schools in the District and Maryland, to build kids' sense of agency. "We might say, imagine you didn't do well on a test and were really upset," she says. "We explain that if you're reactive, you rip up the paper or cry. If you're passive, you hold it in, which doesn't make it go away. But if you're proactive, you ask, 'Is there extra credit? Could I study more next time?' " At home, ask your child, "What can you control and what do you need to let go? How can you take initiative?"

5. Bolster kids' sense of belonging

When students leave elementary school, they trade the constancy of a homeroom teacher for a revolving cast of educators. "They can feel progressively alienated from staff in the school at a time when they need nonparental adults more than ever," says Robert Dodd, principal at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda.

In response, some schools are prioritizing relationship-building. White Oak and Argyle middle schools in Montgomery County implemented Project Success to make it possible for some sixth-graders to spend half of each schoolday with one teacher and an intact peer group. The data shows it's working incredibly well, says Dodd, who founded the program after many years as a middle school principal. "These kids are more likely to feel their teachers value and care about them and their peers want to help them."

Care starts at the top and is contagious, Townsend says. "When you feel care from your colleagues, you pass that down to kids. You're more likely to sit down next to that one kid in the cafeteria who is by himself and say, 'What are you doing - where's everybody?' That's care."

Parents can help strengthen community ties, too. Get to know other families in the school and make a pact to exchange information, whether you hear that a child is giving away prized possessions, making comments about dying or disengaging from friends, all signs of serious trouble.

6. Encourage kids to care for one another

Middle schoolers may think they're a bad friend if they disclose that a peer is off-kilter. "We give them permission and tell them it's more important to save someone's life," Conolly says. "We say, 'Put your phone down, have a conversation, tell them you want what's best for them, and you're going to seek help.'" Parents can relay that same advice.

Kids can even make a pledge to prioritize emotional health, says consultant Mimi Darmstadter, the parent chair of Stressbusters Committee at Walt Whitman High School. The PTSA subcommittee coordinated with school officials to distribute "Oath of Wellness" cards that every student could sign. Dodd says he hopes to duplicate the effort in the cluster's middle and elementary schools, and parents can do the same exercise at home. Ask your child how they plan to take care of themselves and look out for others. Then model self-care and self-compassion in your own life, and verbalize any strategies you use to cope with frustration, sadness or disappointment.

"Parents and schools have to work closely together to evaluate shared norms about parenting," Dodd says. "Are we completely performance-oriented, or are we modeling empathy, resilience and wellness?"

Phyllis L. Fagell is the school counselor at Sheridan School in Washington, a therapist at the Chrysalis Group in Bethesda and the author of "Middle School Matters."
Californias Department of Motor Vehicles has significant deficiencies and an outdated organizational structure that set conditions for poor customer service and the failed implementation of a new ID program, according to an audit released Wednesday.

Department of Finance auditors determined the DMV was ill-prepared to implement Real ID  a federally mandated program requiring people to get special ID cards if they want to board airplanes or enter other federal facilities without a passport.

That project was not recognized as a priority until 2017  a year before the programs January 2018 launch, the audit said. Congress passed the law requiring states to create Real IDs in 2005. About 20 million Californians are expected to come in for the new ID cards by 2023. The program goes into effect Oct. 1, 2020.

Citing a reactive culture that has adversely impacted the field office customer experience, the report also shed light on issues of misleading wait times, outdated technology and employees not showing up to work on time.

The report warns the DMV will continue facing challenges in efficiently and effectively delivering services to its customers if it cannot correct its shortcomings.

The 67-page report gives Gov. Gavin Newsom a road map to improve customer service at an often maligned state department that interacts with more Californians than any other.

His predecessor, Gov. Jerry Brown, ordered the audit in September after Democratic lawmakers killed a request from Republican Assemblyman Jim Patterson of Fresno for a more extensive investigation into the DMV. Newsom has already formed a strike team to find solutions for challenges that have dogged the department for years.

Patterson said the audit shows incompetence at the highest levels and is a very serious indictment. He said he remains optimistic more improvements will come to the DMV under Newsoms governorship.

It took a long time to get Gov. Browns attention with respect to DMV, Patterson said. Right out of the inauguration, Gov. Newsom took some concrete action. I have increasing confidence this is now being treated as a serious matter. Theyre not making excuses or looking the other way.

Undercover auditors from the Finance Department carried out their review in part by sending teams to 30 DMV offices around the state. They took notes, documenting poor customer services that frustrated residents.

During their visits, the investigators found about 30 percent of service windows were closed during business hours, rendering them unavailable to customers. In some places, employees did not greet customers.

Even if workers were around, they were not always easily identifiable. One greeted customers in a hooded sweatshirt. The investigators said some offices also had confusing layouts and signage.

The audit also revealed extensive management, training, and technology failures.

One in five employees who deal with customer transactions had not attended either a driver license or vehicle registration training provided by DMVs Training Branch, according to the audit. The DMV said it hadnt yet trained the workers because of the cost and time lost associated with sending them to training.

The report suggests a number of solutions the DMV could implement to improve customer experiences, such as accepting credit card payments and making more use of text message notifications.

The department struggles with employees not coming to work. In mid-2018, the DMV reported an alarming absenteeism rate of 30 percent  meaning nearly a third of employees dont show up for work when field offices open.

After adjusting for those on vacation and other factors, the DMV told lawmakers in March that its actual rate is just 6.2 percent. The updated numbers are still 82 percent higher than the average 3.4 percent absenteeism rate for states, according to the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Field office managers told auditors that poor attendance contributes to increased overtime worked by employees and the fact that some employees must request approval for vacation time up to a year in advance.

The DMV experienced a wait time crisis last summer, with delays north of six hours. Wait times have dropped substantially since then, but the audit discovered problems that bring into question the accuracy of the DMVs numbers.

The DMV electronically tracks customers wait times only after they receive check-in tickets. Before that, field offices are expected to measure pre-queue wait times by manually tracking customers. But investigators found that just two of the 15 offices with lengthy lines were accurately measuring pre-ticket wait times.

The department advertises the wait times it tracks electronically on its website and some people might feel misled if they are stuck in line for more time than they expected. The audit suggests the DMV update its website and advertise wait times by appointment, non-appointment and transaction type.

The DMV in a brief response agreed with all of the conclusions and said it is already taking a number of steps to address underlying problems, including more technology monitoring to reduce outages.

Brian Annis, secretary of the California State Transportation Agency, said in a statement hes confident the DMV can turn things around. His agency is responsible for the DMV.

The Department of Motor Vehicles is at a period of transition, Annis wrote. Its my expectation that the department will fully implement the Department of Finance audit findings, continue work to streamline processes and improve the overall customer experience for all Californians.

Newsom is looking to hire a new DMV director. His appointment will be the departments fourth leader since December, when Jean Shiomoto announced shed retire. Acting director, Bill Davidson, left the agency shortly thereafter. Kathleen Webb is now at the helm as acting director.

A private company has also been hired to provide a technical assessment of the DMVs Motor Voter application, though that review wont examine whether non-citizens were improperly added to the voter rolls in the June 2018 primary, according to the Department of Finance.

The DMV has two months to respond to the audit. It will then update its corrective plan every six months until all issues have been resolved. In the meantime, the DMV plans to work with the Department of Finance to ask lawmakers for budget increases.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
A 24-year-old man was injured around 9 p.m. Tuesday after falling 20 feet from a light pole on the Third Street Bridge, fire officials say.

He was transferred to Queen of the Valley hospital and is expected to recover, according to the Napa Fire Department.

The young man was with friends, walking to downtown Napa from Stone Brewing via the Third Street Bridge, when he jumped atop the handrail onto a light pole and attempted to swing around, officials say. He lost his grip and plunged 20 feet to the walkway below.

He suffered moderate injuries and was suspected to be under the influence of alcohol, according to Napa Fire. Officials at the scene say they believed he may have broken bones.

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SAN FRANCISCO  A federal jury in San Francisco on Wednesday awarded a Sonoma County man more than $80 million in compensation and punitive damages from Monsanto Co. for causing his cancer with its Roundup herbicide.

The award to Edwin Hardeman, 70, of Santa Rosa, includes $5.8 million in compensation for medical expenses and past and future pain and suffering, plus $75 million in punitive damages for alleged reckless conduct by Monsanto.

Hardeman was diagnosed in 2015 with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, which is now in remission. He testified he sprayed Roundup on properties in Gualala and Forestville for 26 years to control poison oak and weeds.

The case was the first to go to trial of more than 760 federal lawsuits pending in the court of U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria against Monsanto for lymphoma allegedly caused by Roundup.

Bay City News

Bay City News
ST. HELENA  Less than a year after hiring St. Helenas first full-time firefighters, the city is looking to add two part-time firefighters to staff the firehouse during the day.

The City Council signaled its support for the staffing changes during a study session earlier this month. The package costs $234,450, which includes a stipend for firefighters who respond to night calls.

The shift signals one more step away from the volunteer/part-time model that sustained the St. Helena Fire Department for more than 100 years but has become less effective due to increasing call volume, high housing costs, and a shortage of firefighters who work in St. Helena and can respond to daytime calls.

Mayor Geoff Ellsworth said its important for the city and community to support the fire department because it protects St. Helenas $2.5 billion in assessed property values.

That depends on (the department) working correctly and being immediate in its response, Ellsworth said.

The departments 26 firefighters, who are technically part-time employees but arent stationed at the firehouse, would sign up to fill the two part-time slots: one year-round and the second during fire season between May 1 and Dec. 1.

The part-time positions would supplement the two full-time positions and  depending on the time of year  put either two or three firefighters on duty from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

The hiring of two full-time firefighters last July has been a financial success, reducing salary and benefit costs by about $10,000.

City Manager Mark Prestwich estimated that the part-time/professional model saves the city $1.5 million a year compared with the cost of a fully professional department. He said the city should try to keep the model intact for as long as possible.

On the operational side, the full-time firefighters have brought the department back into compliance with standards set by the National Fire Protection Association, said Fire Chief John Sorensen.

St. Helena firefighters have reached the scene of fires and medical aids within five minutes 66 percent of the time, up from 41 percent under the old system. Responses of less than 10 minutes have increased to 95 percent, up from 86 percent the previous year.

Every minute counts during emergencies like fires and heart attacks, Sorensen said. Fires double in size every minute, and structural damage can quickly become catastrophic once the response time stretches past five minutes.

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Thomas Folks spent years in his U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lab developing a treatment to block deadly HIV in monkeys. Then, San Francisco AIDS researcher Robert Grant, using $50 million in federal grants, proved the treatment worked in people who engaged in risky sex.

Their workalmost fully funded by U.S. taxpayerscreated a new use for an older prescription drug called Truvada: preventing HIV infection. But the U.S. government, which patented the treatment in 2015, is not receiving a penny for that use of the drug from Gilead Sciences, Truvadas maker. which earned $3 billion in Truvada sales last year.

Gilead argues that the governments patents for Truvada for PrEP, as the prevention treatment is called, are invalid. And the government has failed to reach a deal for royalties or other concessions from the companybenefits that could be used to distribute the drug more widely.

With the amount of effort and time and taxpayer money that went into it, for CDC and Gilead not to come to an agreement, so the taxpayer could get some of that money, is really unconscionable, said Folks, who is retired.

The extraordinary standoff between the CDC and a drug company over patent rights raises a big question for the Trump administration: How aggressively should the government attempt to enforce its patents against an industry partner?

The Department of Health and Human Services, which includes the CDC and the National Institutes of Health, has patented more than 2,500 inventions created with taxpayer dollars since 1976, according to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

It routinely licenses new pharmaceutical compounds to private companies that take those publicly financed discoveries into the marketplace.

Intellectual-property disputes between private companies are common, and they often wind up in court. But it is rare for the government to bring lawsuits over pharmaceutical patents.

Gilead, which has a U.S. monopoly on Truvada, charges between $1,600 and $2,000 for a months supply of a pill that can be manufactured for a fraction of that amount. The number of new HIV infections in the United States has barely budged, meanwhile, and is stuck at about 40,000 a year, according to CDC estimates.

Activists want the government to take a more aggressive stance against Gilead. Their complaints are part of a broader wave of anger over drug companies reaping hefty financial rewards by capitalizing on taxpayer-funded research.

The CDC has all these patents and is allowing Gilead to rip off the American people at the expense of public health, said James Krellenstein, an HIV/AIDS activist and co-founder of the PrEP4All Collaboration, who has spent months digging into the government patents. Instead of enforcing its patent, Krellenstein said, the CDC is twiddling their thumbs.

The fight over PrEP presents a novel challenge to the interdependence of drug companies and government developed over years of collaboration.

The government is not locked in a battle for profits, like a private company, said Neel U. Sukhatme, a professor and patent expert at Georgetown Universitys law school. Rather, NIH and CDC officials see their role as encouraging the commercialization of government-financed discoveries, not placing curbs on them, Sukhatme said. That tends to take patent infringement lawsuits off the table.

They may not want to be in the position of suing these companies that arguably are producing valuable stuff, he said.

But that stance increasingly is challenged by political anger over high drug prices. Consumer advocates and members of Congress have stepped up demands that the government exercise its rights under existing law to license generic competition or imports during shortages or unwarranted price spikes; several bills would enhance such compulsory licensing provisions.

The case of Gilead and Truvada for PrEP adds a new twist to these debates, with demands that the government be more aggressive in exercising its own patent to ease the cost effects of a monopoly.

Government officials would not discuss aspect of steps it has taken to enforce the CDC patent.

When it comes to conversations with companies, those are subjects were not at liberty to talk about, said Michael Mowatt, director of the office within the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases that represents the CDC in patent licensing matters.

The CDC itself did not respond to requests for comment.

Gilead said it was contacted by the CDC about licensing Truvada for PrEP in 2016.

Since that time there have been several phone discussions and the exchange of about half a dozen letters addressing the parties concerns and positions, Gilead said in a written statement in response to questions from The Washington Post. It would not discuss contents of the calls and letters, citing a confidentiality agreement with the CDC.

President Donald Trump set a goal in his State of the Union speech last month of eradicating HIV/AIDS by 2030; to get close to that goal, specialists say, Truvada for PrEP needs to be far more widespread. Trumps newest budget, released this month, would add $291 million to combat the disease.

Gilead began marketing Truvada in 2004 after the Food and Drug Administration approved it to treat people who were already infected by HIV.

At about the same time, government researchers at the CDC were looking for medicine that would do something to slow or end the epidemic: block HIV from infecting a healthy person, even if they had unprotected sex. Gilead worked with the government, providing Truvada doses free of charge to test in the monkeys at CDC labs in Atlanta.

After Truvada was shown to work as a prophylactic in primates, the CDC applied for its patents. That began a nine-year effort, using two outside law firms retained by the CDC, which made their case to U.S. Patent and Trademark Office examiners.

The National Institutes of Health awarded grants to conduct more study, this time in clinical trials in humans. Grants study, led from his lab in San Francisco and published in 2010 in the New England Journal of Medicine, proved that the drug lowered the risk of contracting HIV by more than 92 percent.

In addition to $50 million in government money, $17 million for the study came from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Grant said.

Based on those clinical trials in humans, Gilead won approval to market Truvada for PrEP in 2012.

Gilead often works in cooperation with federal research agencies because it seeks to develop drugs to fight infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and hepatitis C, epidemics that have attracted intense government attention. But it also has been criticized for excessive pricing; in 2013, it sparked an uproar when it priced a 12-week course of the hepatitis C medication Sovaldi at $84,000.

HIV/AIDS activists have been upset about the price of Truvada for PrEP for years. Even though it is covered by most private and government insurance, the drugs high cost is factored into state Medicaid programs; when state Medicaid programs pay for the drug, that leaves less money for education and distribution efforts on the ground, they say.

Federal officials estimated in 2016 that less than 10 percent of the 1.1 million people who should be on PrEP treatment are receiving the drug. Gilead says that statistic has risen to about 20 percent. The problem is particularly acute in Southern states, where cultural barriers and lack of education programs are holding back its use.

Krellenstein and other activists began unearthing facts about the CDCs patents last year and then commissioned a report on their validity, which they shared with The Post. The outside review was conducted by Christopher Morten, a patent expert and fellow at the Global Health Justice Partnership, a program of Yale Universitys law school and the Yale School of Public Health.

The CDC waged a successful defense of its patent in Europe, strengthening its case that its patents are legitimate, Morten said.

I have no reason to believe that these patents are not valid and enforceable, and moreover, they seem to be infringed (by Gilead) by the use of Truvada for PrEP, Morten said in an interview. These are public assets that were generated with public money that effectively are going to waste here.

Gilead says the government improperly claimed to invent the use of Truvada for HIV prevention.

The drug was already being used by doctors and patients for that purpose off-label, meaning in a way not approved by the FDA, before the CDC patent application in 2006, Gilead said.

Further, the patents do not reflect the contributions of Gilead scientists, who collaborated with the CDC to design the monkey studies that underlie the patents. In addition, Gilead provided Truvada free of charge for the primate study, the company said.

Gileads Truvada patent expires in 2021; it could be at least two more years before Gilead faces lower-cost competition in the United States.

In response to complaints about its price, Gilead said it offers discount coupons that reduce the cost to less than $5 for a monthly supply for patients who lack insurance. It says it has spent $138 million since 2012 on community grant programs to raise awareness and educate at-risk people. Gilead has earned $36.2 billion on Truvada since 2004, according to its annual reports.

Limited awareness and societal and structural barriers, rather than cost, have hindered broader Truvada usage, the company said, citing studies.

HIV/AIDS activists and researchers say assertions about the benefits of coupons are misleading.

Obtaining Gileads coupons for Truvada for PrEP is a cumbersome process, they said. If the CDC leveraged its patents to get money for Truvada, it could help cash-strapped state Medicaid programs undertake aggressive education and distribution programs. Virginia Medicaid said it pays $54.04 per pill, or $1,621.20 for a monthly course of treatment.

What were seeing is that because city and local governments are spending so much on getting PrEP, said HIV/AIDS activist Christian Urrutia, they dont have a lot of money left over to do these kinds of programs.
Penalties for inhumane treatment of animals tightens

By Levan Abramishvili

The Legal Issues Committee of the Parliament of Georgia supports the toughening the penalty for the cruel and inhumane treatment of animals. The changes will be made in the administrative and criminal law codex.The project will foresee the creation of a list of the cruel and inhumane acts and what they encompass. The proposed law was also supported with a first hearing by the Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Committee.The cruel, inhumane and brutal acts towards animals and birds will be punishable by the administrative law. If the aforementioned acts result in the death of the animal, the criminal law will come into effect.The mistreatment of an animal and/or birds, which results in their distress, misery, pain, infliction of the body and physical suffering as a single act or on prolonged periods of time, will result in a fine from 100 GEL to 500 GEL.  the law reads.The series of changes is an ongoing process in approximating the Georgian legislature to the EU law. In European Union, the imposition of a penalty for animal cruelty is mainly regulated by the Animal Protection Act, Animal Welfare Act, Law on Veterinary Activities, Law On The Protection Of Animals from Cruelty, and/or criminal code and the administrative codex of the countries.The punishment for animal cruelty will become harsher in the Georgian Criminal Code. Torture and abusive treatment that results in the death or mutilation of the animal will be punished with community service of 120 to 240 hours; house arrest from 6 months to a year, with a fine, or imprisonment up to a year.Recently, social media was flooded with the videos of killed dogs in a landfill in Batumi. On March 20, a demonstration was held in Batumi, the protesters attended with their pets and proclaimed that there are people dedicated to killing animals and they need to be punished. They demanded a quick reaction from the authorities.There had been several other instances of animal cruelty that were made public through social media, which shows a rise of awareness around the issue.According to a study conducted by IDFI (The Institute for Development of Freedom of Information) in 2017, there is a low number of animal cases that are investigated and considered in courts:It turns out that the Supreme Court does not keep separate statistics on administrative penalties imposed on cases of animal cruelty. As for criminal cases, in the period of ten years from 2006 to 2016, courts throughout Georgia have considered a total of 5 criminal cases related to animal cruelty. In three of these cases, the only reason why the court imposed a penalty harsher than a fine was the fact that the charges included offenses in addition to animal cruelty (murder, stealing and coercion).  reads the study.Unfortunately, Georgia is not being evaluated by any of the global indices on animal protection. Even though information disclosed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Supreme Court suggests a low number of animal cruelty cases in Georgia, it is to be believed that this data fails to reflect the reality of animal protection in the country. The low number of official animal cruelty cases in Georgia is most likely due to the lack of reports from citizens.Hopefully, the new legislature will prove to be fruitful in minimizing cruelty towards animals. But, as much as the change in law and its enforcement is important, the general attitude of the public in what will bring the actual change in the conditions of animals in Georgia.
BETHESDA, Md. - Yasmin Behbehani had just walked into her third-period health class when her friend asked her if she had seen the list.

"There's a list of the girls' names," her friend Nicky Schmidt, a fellow senior at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School in Maryland, said. "And we're ranked."

Behbehani didn't want to see the list, or know whether she was on it. She had spent the past four years recovering from an eating disorder, working hard to avoid comparing herself with others, she said. But by her sixth-period class on that Monday earlier this month, a text message appeared on her phone with a screenshot of the list, typed out on the iPhone Notes app.

It included the names of 18 girls in the Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School's International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, ranked and rated on the basis of their looks, from 5.5 to 9.4, with decimal points to the hundredth place. There, with a number beside it, was Behbehani's name.

A group of male students in their program created the list more than a year ago, but it resurfaced earlier this month, through text messages and whispers during class. One male classmate, seeing the name of his good friend Nicky Schmidt on the list, told her about it, and within 24 hours, dozens of girls had heard about the list.

Lists like this one had silently circulated among teen boys for generations, and it has happened in more recent years at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, too, the students said. But it was happening now, in the era of the #MeToo movement. Women had been standing up to harassment in workplaces and on college campuses and the high school girls, who had been witnessing this empowerment, decided they weren't going to let the issue slide.

They felt violated, objectified by classmates they considered their friends. They felt uncomfortable getting up to go to the bathroom, worried that the boys might be scanning them and "editing their decimal points," said Lee Schwartz, one of the other senior girls on the list.

"Knowing that my closest friends were talking to me and hanging out with me but under that, silently numbering me, it definitely felt like a betrayal," Schwartz said. "I was their friend, but I guess also a number."

But there is power in numbers, too. Dozens of senior girls decided to speak up to the school administration and to their male classmates, demanding not only disciplinary action in response to the list but a school-wide reckoning about the toxic culture that allowed it to happen.

"It was the last straw, for us girls, of this 'boys will be be boys' culture," Behbehani said. "We're the generation that is going to make a change."

That same Monday, a group of girls reported the list to an administrator, who encouraged the students not to talk about it around school, Schmidt said. The next day, the girls learned that after an investigation, school officials decided to discipline one male student with in-school detention for one day, which would not show up on his record.

Bethesda-Chevy Chase Principal Donna Redmond Jones said an investigation revealed the list was made during school hours, and that "there was definitely discipline applied," in line with the district's code of conduct, but that she could not give any more information due to privacy concerns.

Unsatisfied with the disciplinary action, Schmidt texted about 15 girls she knew, and told them to tell all of their friends to show up at the school's main office the next day during lunch, "to tell them we feel unsafe in this environment and we are tired of this toxicity," Schmidt wrote in her text.

About 40 senior girls showed up, packing into an assistant principal's office as Schmidt read a statement she had written.

"We want to know what the school is doing to ensure our safety and security," Schmidt said. "We should be able to learn in an environment without the constant presence of objectification and misogyny."

The girls and administrators agreed that they should have a large meeting with the male students in the program, including the boys who created and circulated the list. That Friday, on International Women's Day, almost all of the students in the IB program - about 80 students - met in a large conference room for what was supposed to be a 45-minute meeting during fifth period.

Instead, the meeting lasted two-and-a-half hours. Several girls delivered personal and impassioned speeches describing not only their presence on the list, but also their previous experiences with sexual abuse, harassment, and objectification, both inside the school and outside of it.

"I feel it when walking home from school, I get catcalled by a man in a truck who repeatedly asks me to get in his car, and follows me home when I don't," said Rose Frank, one of the senior girls on the list, reading from a letter she had prepared. "I feel it when my mother tells me that my third ear piercing will 'send the wrong message' in a workplace setting, and that in the future it's best to let my hair down for job interviews."

Sitting toward the center of the room during the meeting was the male student credited with creating the list, an 18-year-old senior in the IB program. After listening to all of the girls' speeches, many of which were directed specifically to him, he stood up and spoke to the group, admitting to making the list and apologizing for the hurt it caused.

"It was quite intense, being so directly confronted in front of so many people for so long," the student recalled in an interview with The Washington Post, speaking on the condition of anonymity out of fear of the repercussions he could face.

He recalled coming up with the list - which began in the 5 range for girls perceived to be average-looking - during a brief conversation with a friend during a fifth-period English class last year. He said he never distributed the list to anyone else in the grade, and he didn't know how it began circulating earlier this month. But he took responsibility for what he said was a haphazard, "stupid decision."

"When you have a culture where it's just normal to talk about that, I guess making a list about it doesn't seem like such a terrible thing to do, because you're just used to discussing it," he said in an interview. "I recognize that I'm in a position in this world generally where I have privilege. I'm a white guy at a very rich high school. It's easy for me to lose sight of the consequences of my actions and kind of feel like I'm above something."

While he regrets making the list, he said he was grateful that the girls spoke up. "It's just a different time and things really do need to change," he said. "This memory is not going to leave me anytime soon."

Since that confrontational meeting, a co-ed group of senior students - including the boy who created the list - have been gathering on an almost weekly basis at lunch time to discuss how to prevent this sort of incident from happening again.

Jones, the school principal, said she has been proud to see the students take the lead on the meetings since the list emerged. "It takes bravery, it takes being vulnerable, it takes a sense of forgiveness," she said.

The Bethesda-Chevy Chase students are planning a day next month in which pairs of students - one senior girl and one senior guy - will go to the younger students' classes to talk about toxic masculinity, said Gabriella Capizzi, one of the senior girls taking the lead on the campaign.

Some students are also organizing a pop-up museum focused on the theme of cultural toxicity. While the event was planned before the list circulated, it has now taken on a new meaning, said Gloria Karekezi, a 17-year-old senior who is working on an exhibit and who has been a part of the ongoing efforts to speak up about the list.

With the two months of high school they have left, the seniors hope to set a precedent for the younger grades, Capizzi said.

"I wasn't surprised by the list," Capizzi said. "The kids like the kid who made the list aren't the outliers. It's the people who speak up about it that are. And that culture needs to change."
Gavin Newsoms election as governor and the expanded Democratic Party majorities in the Legislature have raised hopes in some quarters and fears in others that big tax increases may be on the horizon.

During his campaign for governor last year, Newsom pledged support for a variety of expensive public services, including universal health insurance coverage and universal pre-kindergarten care and education.

His initial budget offered only token appropriations for those and other items on his wish list, but were he to seriously pursue them, they would require tens of billions of dollars in new taxes each year.

Newsom has proposed a new tax on water to pay for cleaning up municipal water supplies in impoverished communities. Several other targeted taxes have also been introduced in the Legislature.

Meanwhile, an initiative has qualified for the 2020 ballot to undo some of Proposition 13s property tax limits. The measure would create a split roll, removing the 2 percent annual cap on increases in assessed valuation for non-residential, non-agricultural commercial property, such as office building and shopping centers.

If passed, it would raise property taxes by perhaps $10 billion a year  a lot of money, certainly, but far short of what the most ambitious service expansions would need. However, the initial polling on the split-roll measure doesnt bode well for its passage, and the commercial real estate industry has pledged to spend $100 million to defeat it.

The more likely avenue for big tax increases would be some version of tax reform, which Newsom has endorsed in principle.

However, it must contend with the simple fact that we Californians are, in the aggregate, already carrying one of the nations highest tax burdens and quite possibly the highest.

The Tax Foundation, a Washington-based organization that charts taxation trends, has California at No. 6 in state and local tax burden as a percentage of personal income, the most accepted method of comparison. It pegs Californians burden at 11 percent of personal income.

However, thats based on 2012 data, so it is seven years out of date, and it does not include all forms of taxation.

A more up-to-date estimate is that Californias state and local governments collect about $325 billion a year in taxes, and that works out to 12.5 percent of personal income, estimated by the state as $2.6 trillion this year, thus putting us very near the top of the states.

So, assuming that Newsom and his fellow Democrats in the Legislature want a bigger tax bite to finance their expansionist ambitions, what form would it take?

Income taxes? They already supply 71 percent of the states general fund revenues, half of them are paid by the top 1 percent of taxpayers and California already has the nations highest marginal tax rate, 13.3 percent on incomes over $1 million.

Sales taxes? Were at or near the top in those rates as well, 10 percent in many communities.

Property taxes? That would require not just a split roll for commercial property, but voter permission to virtually repeal Proposition 13s protections for homes, which polling indicates would be close to impossible.

The real world effect of a big tax increase, moreover, would be magnified by new federal tax laws that sharply limit deductions for state and local taxes, raising the likelihood of a political backlash.

So are we going to see a big tax increase? However much Newsom, et al, might want it, the political lift would be daunting.

CALmatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how Californias state Capitol works and why it matters. For more stories by Dan Walters, go to calmatters.org/commentary.
I had my first experience with the Napa County Planning Commission recently and came away completely disillusioned with the governance of Napa County.

I attended the meeting to determine whether a winery with visitors and events would be allowed at the dead end of Darms Lane. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Darms Lane, its a small country lane lined with an assortment of houses from small cottages to several grander homes. I have had my home here for about 40 years and it has always remained a charming little eclectic lane where neighbors know each other and watch out for one another.

I hoped more neighbors would be there, but I had only heard about the meeting from a neighbor who by chance saw it in the rear pages of the paper. The winery planning consultant said they conducted neighborhood outreach, but none of the many residents Ive spoken to said they were contacted by anyone from the winery, and most residents hadnt received anything from county officials either. Was this lack of notice to keep resident dissent at a minimum?

Darms Lane is a small lane that dead ends; it is not a busy street. The proposed winery and cave are at the end on a plot of ground made up mainly of hills. Because the vineyard is not large enough to supply all the grapes that it would need for a 30,000-gallon winery (they only have about 30 percent), additional trucks of grapes would have to be brought in.

It seems to me that if we were truly concerned about the agricultural side of this, a person should only be allowed to have a winery to process the grapes on their property. Once you start trucking grapes in, it becomes a commercial establishment.

Big trucks carrying building supplies, wine barrels, glass bottles, grapes and all the other supplies necessary to construct and maintain a winery will have to travel along this little country lane. We have no sidewalks, people bike, walk their dogs, children play, neighbors converse, etc. at the side of this quiet lane.

Our local garbage trucks have taken to backing down the lane because they have difficulty maneuvering the narrow road and tight turns. I cant imagine how large trucks are going to deliver grapes and turn around at a winery all with only a projected 12 parking spaces.

The commissioners said they were concerned about how many visitors per day would visit the winery, and how many events there were. The applicants immediately said they were willing to compromise and lowered the number of visitors and events. It played out like a planned routinely orchestrated offer.

The commission commended them, and then said they were worried about the increased traffic on Solano, especially in light of the fatality recently. They knew increased traffic on Darms Lane would impact the safety of residents, but said that if the applicants considered putting up speed bumps on the lane and signs on Solano, and cautioned their visitors to drive carefully through the lane on their way back out to the highway, that all would be well.

Maybe they arent aware that there are no lights on Darms Lane at night and it is pitch black. So a visitor after imbibing a few at an event at 10 at night is going to slow down because his hosts admonished him to?

The commissioners also all seemed to acknowledge the numbers in the applicants reports, and those in the rubber-stamped recommendation from the county, just didnt add up. As it was nearing the lunch, however, all but one, Commissioner Gallagher, seemed to indicate they just couldnt be bothered to send the reports back to obtain the accurate information and explore viable alternatives that would ensure the safety of the residents.

It felt to me that the Planning Commission was all too aware of the dangers to an established neighborhood due to increased traffic, but they still voted to allow the applicants to go ahead with their proposed winery. That sends the message that the safety of county residents is secondary to the profits of yet another winery (the owner, by the way, does not live in California).

When does Napa County have enough wineries? When are we considered to be at a saturation point? How long will we continue to blindly rubber stamp approval for every winery? One day, people will stop coming to Napa Valley because it has lost its charm, and we will be one big traffic jam with people going from one event center to another.

Kathrine Borsetto

Napa
Leonid Bershidsky's commentary on March 22 ("Treat far-right terror as the threat it is") was quite misleading, but I would like to deal with his first paragraph where he wrote, "Terrorists linked to the far right are no less murderous than the Islamist groups that get more headlines and attention from politicians."

I beg to differ. Far right attacks get far more coverage. Case in point:

CBN has reported that "at least 70 Christians have been killed during a 10-week span at the beginning of 2019 across the Middle Belt states in Nigeria. The 2018 Global Terrorism Index compiled by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP) lists the Fulani Muslim Militia among the top terrorist groups in the world. In Nigeria in 2018, there has been a dramatic increase in violence involving Fulani extremists. Those attacks are clearly not letting up in 2019."

Since Feb. 10, as reported by CBN news, "there have been at least 270 people killed in Kaduna State alone;" International Christian Concern confirms that.

And according to Open Doors Ministry, "in only days, a dozen villages in Nigerias Plateau state were wiped out. The affected communities surround the city of Josknown as the epicenter of Christianity in northern Nigerias Middle Belt."

All these reports are from Christian and overseas news organizations. I couldn't find one major American news organization on Google search that covered the slaughter to any extent or any politician who talked about it. Or any other violence against Christians like the Copts in Egypt. Or Christians in Iran, Pakistan, India, Indonesia or China for that matter.

But CNN, MSNBC and many politicians obsessed on the New Zealand shootings, and they were terrible, going as far as trying to connect them to President Trump. Sorry, Mr. Bershidsky, I think so-called "far right" terror gets far more coverage than Islamic group terror.

According to Wikipedia, there were 3,239 deaths by Islamic groups 2018, and so far this year there have been 291 reported. By the same survey, 17 were killed in far right attacks in 2018 and so far this year 49 were killed in the New Zealand attack. Since 2014, 6517 people have been killed in Jihadist attacks around the world (Wikipedia). According to a Southern Poverty Law Center report published in February 2018, over 100 people were killed "and injured" in 13 attacks by alt-right-influenced perpetrators since 2014.

Terror is terror and needs to be condemned no matter who the terrorist is, but I think these statistics should concern everyone here and in the rest of the world. Europe is experiencing divisive Muslim immigration troubles as you read this, terrorist attacks, rapes, no go zones and murders, and may be coming to the U.S.

But I doubt if you'll get accurate information from most media outlets on that in this country. Could it be that we're not concerned here and are focusing on "far right terror" because we're not getting the whole story from our news sources? And that includes Mr. Bershidsky.

We've been fortunate so far, the ISIS Caliphate has been destroyed and attacks in this country have all but disappeared, but maybe it will take another 9/11 to awaken us before we fight the real terrorist danger that could very well come to our shores. Much more danger than right wing extremists. I pray that won't happen.

Some may accuse me of Islamophobia. But if moderate, peace loving Muslims are not extremists, I wonder why more aren't doing something about the Jihadists who interpret their Holy Book in such a violent way and stain Islam with innocent blood.

Kent Cohea

Napa
The small room at the Francis Ford Coppola Winery in Geyserville last Friday provided a respite from a cold rain that forced four dozen folks to huddle up against a wine bar and jostle for sips of four dozen wines they all had brought to share.

Most of the wines, surprisingly, were rather young given the average age of the crowd  about age 70. Or older.

This was one of the least-known events in the states wine industry. It takes place a few times a year. There is never any fanfare. Its by invitation only.

Nothing substantial ever takes place other than a good meal, and old friends sharing stories from decades ago; in some cases, many decades.

But as the self-introductions began, it was clear that the assembled represent some of the most iconic names ever to make and market wine over the last century in the states north coast.

Most are from Sonoma and Napa counties. And dozens of the names ring bells:

Dorothy Tchelistcheff (widow of Andre, unquestionably the states greatest wine maestro); Andres successor, Dr. Richard Peterson, and his daughter and son-n-law, Heidi Peterson Barrett (Screaming Eagle, Grace Family and more) and Bo Barrett (Chateau Montelena); Mike Martini (Louis M. Martini); Jim Pedroncelli; Rob Davis (Jordan); Steve MacRostie (Hacienda, MacRostie), Fred Cline (Cline Cellars).

David Ramey (Simi, David Ramey wines); Greg Fowler (Mumm Napa, Constellation Wines), David Stare (Dry Creek Vineyards), Corey Beck (Coppola); Bruce Rector (Glen Ellen, Ooh and Ahh); Zelma Long (Mondavi, Simi and numerous international projects).

Grape growers Andy Beckstoffer, Bob and Crawford Cooley, and, executives Alan Hemphill, Walt Klenz, Dick Maher, Brice Jones (Sonoma-Cutrer, Emeritus), Pete Downs (Jackson Family), and brilliant wine retailer Darrell Corti from Sacramento.

How many years in the wine business are represented in this room? asked former winemaker, now executive Rob McNeil (Foppiano) rhetorically.

When Bo entered the room, I said, Hey, youre too young to be here. Barrett, whose winerys 1973 Chardonnay was one of two California winners of the 1976 Tasting of Paris against French wine, shot back, I just turned 65, so I belong!

The only somber moment

preceded the luncheon when Zelma Long recognized the great work that Mary Ann Graf did as longtime winemaker and enologist. Graf died in February at age 76 after a struggle against pancreatic cancer,

One attendee was the vibrant, jocular winery founder and winemaker Frank Pastori, who just turned 99.

There were few speeches as the attendees introduced themselves, but Corti, an iconic retailer, implored the assembled that they all had a major responsibility.

After noting the many attacks on all alcoholic beverages as life-threatening, Corti said the assembled had an obligation to remind the American public that wine consumption leads to a long and happy life.

The Old-Timers Luncheon was created by wine and grape broker Joe Ciatti, who even though he retired has continued the tradition through the kindness of various wineries who host the events.

Hank and Katie Wetzel of Alexander Valley Vineyards are considering hosting the next Old-Timers event in September. It is not open to the public.

No Discovery of the Week:

Dan Berger lives in Sonoma County, where he publishes Vintage Experiences, a subscription-only weekly wine newsletter. Write to him at winenut@gmail.com. He is also co-host of California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon on KSRO Radio, 1350 AM.
A red alert has been sounded for security forces across Bangladesh in view of specific intelligence pointing to efforts by the radical Islamist group Hizb-ut-Tahrir.

The reports point to Hizb linkages within a section of junior military officers who are reportedly planning to target senior leaders of the ruling Awami League including Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The Hizb is also reportedly behind attempts to whip up student unrest after recent road accidents in Dhaka.

The Hizb-ut-Tahrir has supporters among a section of junior officers in the military. We have reports indicating plans to use them to attack senior leaders, a top Bangladesh intelligence official said.

After the recent attempt to hijack a passenger aircraft which failed because of an alert crew, we cannot take chances, the official told Northeast Now, but on condition of anonymity.

The banned Hizb ut-Tahrir had stepped up its activities ahead of the recent general election when it cadres distributed leaflets, put up posters, and even organised a procession through Dhaka calling for the creation of a caliphate in Bangladesh.

In its posters and leaflets, the Hizb urged Bangladeshis to remove the Awami League government and unite under a Khilafah Rashidah.

The same call for a caliphate was made when around 30 Hizb ut-Tahrir activists led a flash procession through Shahbagh in Dhaka just before the elections.

Hizb ut-Tahrir is trying to reorganize in secret (but) we are monitoring their present activities, Mohibul Islam Khan, the deputy commissioner of the Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of police, said.

Several members have already been arrested and we are making an effort to detain the organizations top leadership based on information gleaned from members already in custody, he added.

Who are Hizb ut-Tahrir?

Islamic thinker Taqi al-Din al-Nabhani formed Hizb ut-Tahrir in 1953 in Jerusalem, five years after the creation of Israel.

The organizations Bangladesh chapter was launched in 2000 by Nasimul Gani and Kawsar Shahnewaz under the leadership of Dr Syed Golam Maula, who was then a teacher at Dhaka University.

In September, 2008, Dr Syed Golam Maula was among 10 Hizb ut-Tahrir leaders detained by Rajshahi police. They were released within two weeks after the group threatened to oust the army-backed caretaker government.

Intelligence officials say Hizb ut-Tahrir has links to other Islamist terror groups like Jamaatul Mujiheedin Bangladesh, Harkat ul-Jihad, and the Pakistan-based militant group, Jaish-e-Mohammed.

In October 2009 the group was banned but it remains operational, silently picketing in front of mosques, recruiting meritorious students as its members and leaders, and maintaining a well-managed online presence.

Of the 650 Hizb ut-Tahrir leaders and members arrested since the ban, more than 450 have since been let out on bail and are now absconding.

According to data available with Bangladesh intelligence, different units of law enforcement have arrested more than 50 Hizb ut-Tahrir members between 2015 and now. Most of the detainees are students of various universities and colleges.

Hizb ut-Tahrir is reorganizing with a long-term agenda, an official of the CTTC said on condition of anonymity.

They usually target meritorious students for recruitment, as having members in high government positions will help them in the long run, the official further added.

Some of these students end up in the military and remain loyal to the Hizb.

Intelligence said the Hizb ut-Tahrir members are highly-educated and technologically-adept, which allows them to carry out their organizational activities , evading the security dragnet.
Iran ready to exchange electricity with neighboring countries

Armenia takes part in tank exercises in southern Russia

Azerbaijani FM says the only way to avoid tensions is to start the process of demarcation

Peskov says US aggressive rhetoric does not contribute to detente in relations Russia

US tornado leaves 79 people killed

133 new cases of coronavirus confirmed in Armenia

ICRC representatives visit Armenian POWs in Azerbaijan

UK urges allies to seek alternatives to Russia natural gas

168.am: Armenia ex-police chief hospitalized

NBC: US holds back additional military aid to Ukraine to avoid tension

Person, 26, found dead in Armenia water pit

Criminal case launched into killing of Armenia soldier

Man found dead in Yerevan

At least 2 killed from tornado in Arkansas

Investigative Committee: Staff left combat positions and fled as a result of which adversary invaded Armenia territory

Jill Biden comments on talks about US President's mental fitness

Poland PM issues ultimatum to Russia

30 new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Media: Islamic State takes responsibility for 2 blasts in Kabul

France presidential candidate Eric Zemmour to visit Armenia

US to sell 18mn barrels of oil from its strategic reserve

Famous Armenia singer declared wanted

Bright Armenia Party leader: ECtHR obliges Azerbaijan to pay 30,000 to Badalyan as moral damage compensation

Psaki: US seeks diplomacy in context of situation between Russia and Ukraine

290 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Biden believes leaders of all other countries would like to be in his place

Armenia PM: Internal patriots do not calm down because their foreign partners do not consider the mission over

Peskov: Russia concerned about NATO military equipment transfer via Greece port

Esplanade of Armenia opens in Paris

Armenia soldier dies, 2 others wounded

Newspaper: Bill that pampers Armenia banks to have very serious consequences

Newspaper: What to expect from Armenia parliament special session next week?

Boris Johnson threatened with resignation due to parties during pandemic

Kopirkin: Russia is ready to make all efforts to contribute to normalization of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations

Armenia MFA: '3+3' platform needs to refrain from duplicating formats with mandate to settle conflicts

RT: US may build facilities in Georgia and Armenia to support its 'defense activities'

Armenia 2nd President: We will continue the struggle, all the phony cases will be crushed

MFA: Armenia calls on Azerbaijan to refrain from provocative rhetoric

Hero of 44-day Karabakh war Garik Hovakimyan's sister Mariam is born

Republican Party of Armenia Executive Body holds session chaired by Serzh Sargsyan

Iranian Embassy: Iran supports '3+3' platform during meeting held in Moscow

Armenia ex-defense minister on Prosecutor General's Office imposing attachment on his assets

Alen Simonyan: Armenia is in one of the most crucial stages in its history, and opposition is demanding my resignation

PM: Armenia is committed to contributing to global mission of strengthening democracy, and we hope we're not alone

Armenia MOD: Soldier who was injured from gunshot fired by fellow serviceman has regained consciousness

Armenia Deputy PM: Omicron variant is not sufficiently explored

First meeting within scope of '3+3' regional platform held in Moscow

NEWS.am daily digest: 10.12.21

Armenia soldier killed while resisting Azerbaijanis' attack, 8 are injured, 6 of whom are in severe condition

Armenia PM introduces new Head of State Supervision Service Romanos Petrosyan

Armenia human rights activists: There were cases when POWs were brought to territory under Azerbaijan's control

The book Capitalism and Freedom by Milton Friedman was translated and published on the initiative of Ardshinbank

Armenia regional governor, IFRC Secretary General discuss return of Armenian POWs originally from Shirak Province

Armenia human rights activist: Number of Armenian POWs in Azerbaijan is 80 more than the confirmed one

Pashinyan: Environmental sphere is of strategic importance for Armenia

Armenia President: We must understand that we are entering completely different era for humanity

Dollar goes up somewhat in Armenia

Armenia State Revenue Committee chief meets with French Development Agency Regional Director

Opposition 'Armenia' faction MPs Artur Sargsyan and Mkhitar Zakaryan released from penitentiary institution

Head of Armenia's Norabak village: Azerbaijan has military post that is 2 km from us

Armenia finance minister receives France Ambassador and French Development Agency Regional Director

Armenia opposition MP Ishkhan Zakaryan leaving 'With Honor' faction

Russian and Armenian Deputy FMs meet in Moscow

Armenia PM highlights importance of speedy conclusion of full-format agreement between Iran and EEU

Armenia opposition MPs Mkhitar Zakaryan and Artur Sargsyan to be released without court decision today

Armenian opposition MP Armen Charchyan is released

Armenia MOD: Armenian side has one casualty, few soldiers are injured, exchange of fire is over

Armenias Pashinyan: High-tech component development also important in Eurasian integration context

Armenia Deputy PM dismisses his two assistants

Nazarbayev says Azerbaijan can become observer country in Eurasian Economic Union

Head of Armenia village: The Azerbaijanis tried to advance in direction of Sotk, but our soldiers didn't let them

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan attacked in eastern direction of border

Special court hearing underway on case of Armenia opposition lawmaker behind bars

Artsakh officials visit Stepanakert memorial

2 more die of coronavirus in Karabakh

Vardenis protesters dismiss Armenia MOD statement on obstructing car taking wounded soldier to Yerevan

Armenia FM briefs Francophonie chief on regional security issues (PHOTOS)

Armenia Police: 13 people apprehended near MFA building

Armenia protesting residents reopen Martuni-Vardenis motorway due to border tension

Armenia parliament passes changes to some laws

Armenia MOD: Deputy commander was told in Vardenis that car taking wounded soldier to Yerevan would be obstructed

347 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Armenia opposition movement staging protest inside MFA building

Armenia has new environment minister

Artsakh MFA: Referendum on independence is solid legal basis for statehood

Special court session to be held on case of imprisoned Armenia opposition MP

Biden promises Zelenskyy to punish Russia in case of invasion of Ukraine

Newspaper: Armenia parliament recent fight case to have former ones fate

Newspaper: What is reason for recent long visit to Armenia by ex-commander of Russia peacekeepers in Artsakh?

Petition to arrest one of accused Armenia soldiers returned from Azerbaijan captivity is granted

Russian Aerospace Forces consider practice of reconnaissance and strike UAVs during Karabakh conflict

Investigative Committee: Motion filed for arrest of 5 of 10 POWs returned to Armenia on Dec. 4

Armenia State Revenue Committee chief hosts Iran Customs Administration head

Armenia Shirak Province ex-deputy governor Boris Aleksanov dies

Constitutional Court announces decision on release of arrested MPs of opposition 'Armenia' parliamentary faction

Iran, Azerbaijan discuss cooperation in petrol and natural gas sectors

Lavrov: We understand the complexity of the situation in Armenia, but it's not right to speculate Russia's role

Cem Ozdemir who initiated adoption of Armenian Genocide resolution is Germany's first minister with migration history

Armenia FM, France Secretary of State sign 'Roadmap for Armenian-French Economic Cooperation'

Armenia PM scheduled to deliver speech at Summit for Democracy on Dec. 10
Celebrated media personality has come out to share her battle with endometriosis since her high school days.

In a series on Instagram posts, the former Citizen TV news presenter said that she suffered from extremely painful and prolonged menses that made her skip school days and even work.

According to Janet, getting a diagnosis for the condition was such a breakthrough for her. She was thereafter put on birth control and has continued using it to date.

In 2005, I had just undergone a laparoscopy for deep ovarian endometriosis, also known as endometriomas or ovarian cysts. It causes the formation of cavities within the ovary that fill with blood. It had been years, literally since high school, of painful, prolonged periods that sometimes rendered me unable to go to class or to the office, especially during the first few days of my cycle, said Janet.

Adding, Finally getting a diagnosis was such a breakthrough and I was put on birth control thereafter and have had to continue using this, except for the times we were trying for a baby.

Janet, who is actively raising awareness about endometriosis, advises ladies that painful prolonged periods are not normal.

Until today, if I dont take my medication, Ill struggle during my period. Endometriosis affects an estimated 1 in 10 women during their reproductive years (i.e. usually between the ages of 15 to 49), which is approximately 176 million women in the worldLets talk periods and most importantly, lets talk period pain. Because ladies (and gents), a very painful, prolonged period is NOT normal, she remarked.

Janet Mbugua further invited willing participants to an event dubbed SpreadTheYellow at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi on Saturday, March 30th, 2019 as Kenya joins the world to mark the 6th Annual Worldwide Endometriosis March (EndoMarch).



Endometriosis is an incurable but manageable gynaecological condition.

Symptoms are generally present during the reproductive years and the pain and other symptoms can affect different areas of life, including the ability to work, medical care costs, and difficulty maintaining relationships.

Symptoms of endometriosis include:

Severe menstrual cramps

Long-term lower-back and pelvic pain

Periods lasting longer than 7 days

Heavy menstrual bleeding where the pad or tampon needs changing every 1 to 2 hours

Bowel and urinary problems including pain, diarrhoea, constipation, and bloating

Bloody stool or urine

Nausea and vomiting

Fatigue

Pain during intercourse

Spotting or bleeding between periods
The possible exclusion of Turkey from the F-35 project would not have caused significant damage to the production of fighter-bombers, Reuters reported referring to US sources.

Turkey, along with the US and seven other countries, is participating in the F-35 project, producing various parts for the fighter. At the same time, Ankara has already ordered 30 such machines from Washington. The US, however, warned Turkey that they might refuse to sell the F-35 if Ankara acquired Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems.

According to the source, Turkey can also be excluded from the F-35 project without serious consequences for this program.

Turkey reportedly produces about 800 parts for the fighter, while rejecting Turkish services initially may slow down the production of F-35s. The Pentagon declined to comment in this regard.

In November 2016, it became known that Turkey holds talks with Russia on the purchase of S-400. In September 2017, Russia confirmed the conclusion of the deal, at the same time Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan announced that an advance payment had already been made. The US is actively trying to prevent Turkey from buying the Russian S-400s.

On Tuesday, Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said that the US government was in favor of Turkey remaining a participant in the F-35 program and would not have completed the implementation of the contract for the acquisition of S-400s.
Commentary by the Head of the Artsakh Information and Public Relations Department Artak Nersisyan to Lragir.am.

Recently, Baku has again made statements that Azerbaijan has a limit of patience and, if the resolutions of the UN Security Council are not implemented, it will be forced to use all the rights specified in the UN Charter. In addition, the Azerbaijani authorities believe that there is a difference between how peace is perceived by Armenia and how international law defines it. How would you comment on such statements by official Baku?

The statements of the Azerbaijani side about the alleged difference between how Armenia perceives peace and how international law defines it are a direct consequence of Bakus distorted perception and arbitrary interpretation of the norms of international law. Moreover, the highest leadership of Azerbaijan altogether denies international law, believing that the principle of might makes right prevails in international relations.

Attempts to ascribe to themselves the right to unleash aggressive war, allegedly in accordance with the UN Charter, also point to a biased interpretation by official Baku of the norms of international law. Meanwhile, the UN Charter, on the contrary, legally enshrined the ban on the use of force in international relations, with the exception of two permissible cases  in self-defence and by decision of the UN Security Council. However, in the context of the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict, Bakus reference to the right of self-defence is devoid of legal grounds, both in terms of treaty and customary law. Azerbaijan can refer neither to Article 51 of the UN Charter, nor to an instant and overwhelming necessity for self-defence, since a trilateral cease-fire agreement of unlimited duration has been in place since 1994, which is fully respected by the two Armenian parties. Let me remind that on 26-27 July 1994, Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), Azerbaijan and Armenia signed an additional agreement, in which they confirmed the commitments to cease-fire until the conclusion of a large political agreement. It is worth noting that it was Artsakh that was subjected to military aggression by Azerbaijan and used its right to self-defense to reflect it in full compliance with Article 51 of the UN Charter.

Azerbaijans speculations on the right to self-defence in the context of the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict were rejected by the international community, including also in April 2016, when, in violation of the cease-fire agreement, it launched a large-scale armed attack against Artsakh. It should be noted that, thanks mainly to the decisive actions of the Defence Army of the Republic of Artsakh, Azerbaijans attempt to unleash a new aggression was thwarted. In response to this situation, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries  the United States, Russia, France, as well as the UN Secretary General, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Secretary General of the Council of Europe were unanimous on the need to strictly observe the cease-fire agreement of 1994 and the 1995 agreement on strengthening the cease-fire. In particular, on 8 December 2016, within the framework of the OSCE Ministerial Council, the heads of delegations of the Minsk Group co-chair countries made a strong appeal to the parties to strictly adhere to the 1994/95 cease-fire agreements that form the basis for the cessation of hostilities in the conflict zone.

Moreover, international law also prohibits the use of force to suppress the right to self-determination, which is a peremptory norm of international law. The prohibition of the use of force against the principle of self-determination has the status of a norm of customary international law and is enshrined in a number of fundamental international documents, in particular the Declaration on Principles of International Law Concerning Friendly Relations and Co-operation among States in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, the UN General Assembly Resolution 3314 Definition of aggression.

It is also worth recalling that the UN Charter, in addition to a general ban on the use of force, also enshrined the principle of peaceful settlement of international disputes, according to which All Members shall settle their international disputes by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and security, and justice, are not endangered.

It is obvious that sustainable peace and stability in the region can be achieved only by addressing the root cause of the conflict, which is the denial by Azerbaijan of both individual and collective rights of the people living in Artsakh. It was the attempt of the Azerbaijani authorities to suppress, through force and terror, the right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination that led to the transformation of a political problem into an armed confrontation. And today, Bakus unwillingness to abandon this destructive policy has become one of the main obstacles to resolving the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict.

In case of attempts by Azerbaijan to resolve the conflict by force, which, according to Article 1 of the above UN GA resolution 3314, would mean unleashing a war of aggression, the Republic of Artsakh has every right to take all necessary self-defence measures and protect its freedom and independence in accordance with international law, including, in particular the UN Charter.
The headline-making meeting between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto on Tuesday will change nothing, Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu has said.

Mr Ngunjiri, who is among the Jubilee MPs opposed to Rutos 2022 presidential ambitions, said the situation will only change if the DP stops his opposition to the war on graft.

According to Ngunjiri, DP Ruto must also genuinely support the handshake between President Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga.

HAS ANYTHING CHANGED AFTER YESTERDAYS ANNEXE MEETING? Friends and non-friends are asking me what it means now that Uhuru Kenyatta went to see William Ruto. (I dont know why I am assumed to know ?). All that I can say is that no matter how many public meetings they have nothing will change between them unless/until (i) Ruto stops his opposition to the fight against corruption, and (ii) Ruto genuinely embraces the handshake, Ngunjiri posted on his Facebook page on Wednesday.

The Nyeri politician further predicted what will happen following Uhurus meeting with the DP. He listed three possible outcomes saying only one will happen.

Before Uhuru went to see Ruto the Presidents position was that the fight against corruption will not stop for anyone; & that his handshake with Raila is real & must be respected. Ruto on the other hand held the position that the fight against corruption is political, & that the handshake fake.

So one of 3 things will happen now;
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has a strong case against Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu, Queens Council Khawar Qureshi told a five-judge court on Wednesday.

Qureshi, who is defending the DPPs decision to prosecute the DCJ, asked the bench to dismiss Mwilus petition and allow her to be charged before the lower court.

QC Qureshi, whose appointment had been challenged by Mwilus lawyers, stated that they have evidence to sustain criminal charges against DCJ Mwilu, adding that theres a strong case against the judge.

We have evidence to sustain criminal charges against DCJ Mwilu, said the Queens Council.

He further submitted that Mwilus petition to stop her prosecution lacks facts and should be dismissed. The British Prosecutor also noted that Philomena Mwilu has failed to prove that the corruption charges against her are politically instigated.

There is simply no basis, rhetoric aside, to assert that DPPs decision was done by improper consideration. There is also no evidence to suggest it was politically motivated, he said.

The DPP followed the law in preferring charges against DCJ on failure to pay stamp duty and abuse of office, the court heard.

According to the prosecution, Mwilu had a direct line with the managing director of Imperial Bank Limited and even attended his funeral when he died.

Qureshi observed that the relationship raises eyebrows since Mwilus requests to the bank were dealt with without delay.

We will show that she abused her office and that count one of abuse of office is properly framed.

Qureshi also questioned how Mwilu got an unsecured facility that had zero (0) interest when loan facilities were charged at 14 %.

This is not an ordinary client-bank relationship, stated Qureshi.

Charges against the DCJ relate to credit transactions between her and Imperial Bank Limited and alleged failure to pay stamp duty on four properties she bought between 2014 and 2016. The bank is under receivership.
Several Russian media outlets today covered the case of Second President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan. Exactly eight months ago, on 28 July 2018, former President of the Republic of Armenia Robert Kocharyan was arrested in Armenia. Right from the start, his custody and the charges related to overthrow of constitutional order led one to think that Nikol Pashinyan, who came to power in Yerevan, was literally taking revenge. After all, Pashinyan was an active participant of the disturbances that Kocharyan suspended through rather brutal methods. Over time, the doubts were confirmed with facts, Komsomolskaya Pravda particularly writes.

The recordings of the conversations of Pashinyan and the Director of the National Security Service (NSS) of Armenia, as well as the conversations of other heads of special services were posted on YouTube. Right after the wiretaps, Pashinyan ordered to detain Robert Kocharyan no matter what. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, as well as foreign and Armenian human rights activists issued special statements right after the detention of the former president, but Yerevan didnt pay any attention to that. By Pashinyans will, Armenian law-enforcement authorities committed a number of violations. For instance, they spit on the constitutional norm related to the immunity of the President, write the authors, stating that Robert Kocharyan meets the major requirements of PACE Resolution 1990 to be recognized as a political prisoner. He was taken under custody by violation of the guarantees provided for by the European Convention on Human Rights. He is being kept under custody for political reasons, regardless of a specific violation of law. After all, he was remanded as a result of an overtly unjust verdict. Democrat Pashinyan has his own political prisoner.

In its turn, the Vesti report on Rosia 24 TV channel states that political revenge, pressure on the court and direct violation of the Constitution have been mixed together. Moreover, Pashinyan is referred to as one of the organizers of the disturbances that took place on 1 March 2008. The more than 4-hour report provides quite a lot of details about the famous phone wiretaps and states that Kocharyan was detained almost immediately after he announced that he had decided to return to big politics.
Mike Sonko will not stop helping the drought-stricken people of Turkana because of Maina Kamandas dirty mouth and menopause politics.

The Nairobi Governor strongly hit out at the nominated Jubilee MP on Wednesday after Maina Kamanda told him to focus on the affairs of the Capital city instead of Turkana.

In a post on social media, Kamanda wrote, Dear governor, after going to Turkana with your complete photograph team, please wake up and serve Nairobians. Streets are still dirty, hawkers being harassed, drainage pathetic and workers being fired left right like garbage. Nairobians also need service.

But in a rejoinder, Sonko told off Kamanda and explained that his philanthropic mission in Turkana and West Pokot was not PR.

What is wrong with this old man Hon. Maina Kamanda whom I respect a lot. Is it bad to help other Kenyans when theyre in need? posed Sonko.

He added, I went to Turkana and West Pokot for 3 days knowing Nairobians need services I did not go there to stay forever or perform the duties of their Governor HE Nanok, I did not go for PR as you allege. I was recently crowned the good deeds Ambassador in Kenya by the Global good deeds organisation based in Israel.

According to Sonko, Maina Kamanda is aging badly and needs to respect others.

Its not my first time to stand with the needy and I will not stop it because of your dirty mouth and menopause politics which has been overtaken by events. Inaonekana wewe Mzee unazeeka vibaya respect others, respect your age the same way we respect you.
Survey research professionals are well aware that the way respondents answer a question can be influenced by the questions that precede it. "Context effects" can occur when results to a specific question vary when it is asked in different surveys, especially when those surveys cover different topics.

Some context effects are easy to anticipate and avoid. For example, suppose a researcher wanted to include an open-ended question that asked people to name the most important issues to their vote. If that question followed questions asking about crime and healthcare, we would expect more people to mention crime and healthcare as important issues to their vote than would have if they had not been reminded about those issues. Or, people may answer the presidential job approval question differently if it were asked after questions about the economy during an economic boom than during a recession. Survey questions can activate thoughts or frame a subject in a particular way -- in turn causing people to respond to subsequent questions in ways they otherwise would not.

But context effects can be unexpected and may not be discovered until a question has been repeated many times and it becomes apparent that the same question in different contexts yields different results. This is what occurred for Gallup's long-standing trend question on sympathies toward the Israelis and Palestinians in the Middle East conflict.

Gallup has asked Americans this question since 1988, and it has been included in Gallup's annual World Affairs survey each February since 2001. An examination of the trend results on this question from the World Affairs survey versus other Gallup surveys showed a consistent difference. Specifically, the percentage of adults who did not express an opinion about the conflict or who expressed a neutral opinion (favoring both sides or neither side) was consistently lower on World Affairs surveys than on others, while the percentage expressing sympathy toward Israel was considerably higher. The average differences are well beyond what we would attribute to normal sampling error.

Middle East Sympathies, by Survey 2001-2019 World Affairs surveys 1988-2003 Other Gallup surveys Difference % % pct. pts. Sympathetic toward Israelis 59 46 +13 Sympathetic toward Palestinians 17 13 +4 Both/Neither/No opinion 23 40 -17 Gallup

Given that the World Affairs surveys date back to 2001 and most of the non-World Affairs surveys on which the question was asked were conducted before then, it is possible that the shifts represent real changes in public opinion on the Middle East over time. It may be that people have become more likely to hold opinions about the Middle East conflict and have increasingly sympathized with Israel in recent years. Such a shift is certainly plausible given the United States' strong ties to Israel.

However, an analysis of World Affairs surveys and other surveys conducted at about the same time indicate this is not the case. Roughly contemporaneous surveys conducted by Gallup and other organizations show consistent differences in the percentage sympathizing with the Israelis when compared with the World Affairs survey results.

Differences in Results to Middle East Sympathies Question in Surveys Conducted at Similar Times Israelis Palestinians Both/Neither/No opinion % % % 2001 Feb 1-4 World Affairs 51 16 33 Aug 10-12 CNN/USA Today/Gallup 41 13 46 2002 Feb 4-6 World Affairs 55 14 31 Mar 8-9 CNN/USA Today/Gallup 43 14 43 2003 Feb 3-6 World Affairs 58 13 29 May 19-21 Gallup 46 16 38 2014 Feb 6-9 World Affairs 62 18 21 Jul 8-14 Pew Research Center 51 14 36 Jul 29-Aug 4 CBS News 53 16 31 2018 Feb 1-10 World Affairs 64 19 16 Jan 10-15 Pew Research Center 46 16 38 Note: 2014 CBS News wording: "In the dispute between Israel and the Palestinians, which side do you sympathize with more: Israel or the Palestinians?" 2014-2018 Pew Research Center wording: "In the dispute between Israel and the Palestinians, which side do you sympathize with more: Israel or the Palestinians?" Gallup

That leaves two possible explanations for the differences between surveys:

Certain questions that precede the sympathies question in the World Affairs survey, but not in other surveys, influence how people respond to that question. Respondents are more likely to express opinions on the Middle East conflict in World Affairs surveys -- which are almost entirely devoted to international issues -- than they are in other Gallup polls that typically focus on domestic politics.

The Experiment

Gallup tested these hypotheses in a Feb. 12-28 survey of 1,932 U.S. adults.

The experiment was positioned toward the end of the questionnaire. The questions preceding the experiment asked about President Donald Trump's handling of his job, ratings of U.S. politicians, personal finance ratings, personal life satisfaction ratings and society's treatment of women. Thus, the survey format's lack of questions on international matters provided a test for whether the heavy focus on international matters in the World Affairs surveys encourages respondents to express opinions on foreign policy matters they might not otherwise. The theory is that after respondents answer some questions on international affairs, they may become more focused on the topic and more comfortable expressing opinions (including weakly held ones) in response to subsequent questions on that same topic.

Survey respondents were randomly assigned to different versions of the survey (roughly half to "Form A" and roughly half to "Form B"). Form A respondents were asked the Middle East sympathies question after being asked to rate several countries on a favorability scale, including Israel and the Palestinian Authority -- the standard sequence in World Affairs surveys. Form B respondents were asked the sympathies question without that country favorability question preceding it, as on other non-World Affairs surveys on which the sympathies question was asked.

The Results

The experiment results were persuasive. The differences seen in past surveys appear to be context effects produced by asking the country favorability question before the Middle East sympathies question.

When respondents were asked the sympathies question after rating countries on a favorability scale, 58% said they were sympathetic to the Israelis, compared with 47% who did not rate countries before answering the sympathies question. Twenty-two percent of respondents who rated Israel and other countries had no opinion or did not favor either the Israelis or Palestinians, compared with 32% of respondents who were not asked to rate countries. These differences are similar in size to those found between World Affairs surveys and other surveys in the past.

Additionally, the 58% of respondents in the Feb. 12-28 experiment who rated countries and were sympathetic to the Israelis essentially duplicates the 59% who expressed the same opinion in the Feb. 1-10 World Affairs survey. The similarity in these results also refutes the hypothesis that World Affairs surveys' focus on international issues is a factor in the differences in sympathy toward the Israelis and "no opinion/no preference" responses observed in past World Affairs and non-World Affairs surveys.

Results of Experiment Into Possible Context Effects on Middle East Sympathies Israelis Palestinians Both/Neither/No opinion % % % Sympathies asked after country favorable ratings 2019 Feb 1-10 World Affairs 59 21 20 2019 Feb 12-28, Form A 58 20 22 Sympathies not asked after country favorable ratings 2019 Feb 12-28, Form B 47 20 32 Differences between forms +11 0 -10 Gallup

A closer look at the results reveals that the country favorability question has little impact on whether people sympathize with the Palestinians. Rather, the priming effect of asking country favorability appears to push people toward sympathizing with Israel rather than expressing no opinion (or not taking a side). This suggests that those who do not hold especially strong opinions on the Middle East are most susceptible to survey context effects. And because Americans in general are more likely to have positive opinions of Israel than the Palestinian Authority, those with weakly held opinions who are influenced by the survey context are more likely to say they sympathize with the Israelis than the Palestinians.

The context effects were apparent in key subgroups, including by education and by party identification, with similarly sized effects among those with more versus less education and among Republicans, Democrats and independents.

Results of Experiment Into Possible Context Effects on Middle East Sympathies, by Subgroup Figures are percentage who say they are sympathetic toward the Israelis Asked country favorables prior Not asked country favorables prior Difference % % pct. pts. Education College graduate 54 47 +7 College nongraduate 60 48 +12 Party identification Democrat 43 32 +11 Independent 50 42 +8 Republican 81 72 +9 Gallup, Feb. 12-28, 2019

Implications

The experiment results indicate that Americans respond differently to the question about their sympathies toward the two sides in the Middle East dispute depending on whether they rated each of those countries (among others) immediately before they were asked the sympathies question.

One question that cannot be answered from the experiment is whether the percentage of Americans who are sympathetic toward Israel is closer to 50% (as it is when not preceded by country ratings) or 60% (as when preceded by country ratings). However, regardless of whether the percentage is closer to 50% or 60%, the findings are still clear -- that many more Americans sympathize with the Israelis than the Palestinians.

While, as in this example, some context effects are difficult to anticipate, there are some steps that can be taken to minimize their occurrence. Gallup usually puts questions that are especially important to a survey -- such as presidential job approval -- or that are particularly vulnerable to survey context (e.g., open-ended questions) near the front of the survey to make the results less susceptible to context effects.

Of course, in a long survey not all questions can be asked near the front. For these, if the goal is to compare results on certain questions in the current survey to those from previous surveys, it is important to try and maintain as similar a context as possible. In World Affairs surveys and others in the Gallup Poll Social Series, Gallup largely maintains the same questions in the same order, year after year. Even if there is a known context effect, as on the Middle East sympathies, maintaining a similar context helps researchers be more confident that any changes they see over time are likely due to real attitude change as opposed to context effects or other types of survey bias.

In addition to reminding survey researchers about the care they need to take in designing surveys, awareness of context effects also helps those who are looking at the data be better consumers of it. Those who study public opinion and want to understand changes in attitudes over time would be well-served to dig deeper into the surveys to see if the change might be due to context rather than a shift in attitudes. Often, the answer is not immediately clear -- but as more results are collected using the same questions over time, the conclusion as to whether a past result represented a definite change in public opinion or was a potential context effect becomes increasingly apparent.
A Conversation with Dr. Gwendolyn Sasse

Director of the Centre for Eastern European and International Studies

It has been five years since the Euromaidan revolution, and Ukrainians are still waiting for many of the reforms they were promised. What do you see as the top priority for Ukraine's next president -- whomever that will be -- and its next government?

Sasse: Socio-economic issues, corruption and the ongoing war in the Donbass have been the three top concerns of the Ukrainian population for a while. Identity issues related to the war and corruption have figured prominently in the election campaign. In turn, they have crowded out a more detailed debate on social and economic policies.

The incumbent President Petro Poroshenko has built his campaign around his role as the defender of the Ukrainian nation against Russian aggression, while his opponents Yuliya Tymoshenko and Volodymyr Zelensky have tried to capitalize on the fact that the anti-corruption reforms have stalled under Poroshenko.

Tymoshenko has been the only candidate with a chance of winning who has tried to address socio-economic issues, mostly in the form of unrealistic promises, such as lowering utility tariffs. However, over time she has toned down this part of her campaign, focusing instead on Poroshenko's failure to stop corruption and on his own alleged involvement in corruption.

The next president of Ukraine, whoever he/she is, will have to quickly demonstrate that they have a coherent plan for proceeding with reforms, especially anti-corruption reforms, to deliver both socio-economic returns to households and small- and medium-size enterprises and a sense of regime legitimacy. The biggest challenge will be to restore the public's trust in national-level politicians and institutions that has reached an all-time low since the Euromaidan.

What has changed in Ukraine since Euromaidan? Either for the better or for the worse?

Sasse: Under Poroshenko, Ukraine has embarked on the most comprehensive reform process since 1991. Among the reform successes are the ongoing decentralization process, economic reforms limiting the scope for oligarchs in some sectors, the establishment of anti-corruption institutions and, more generally speaking, a critical influence of civil society actors and young parliamentarians shaping reform legislation and monitoring implementation.

Most of the reforms remain incomplete, however, and in particular with regard to anti-corruption, the newly created monitoring and judicial bodies remain incomplete and lack the capacity to follow through from compiling the evidence to bringing cases to court and actually sentencing individuals.

Somewhat paradoxically, the general population is as disenchanted with national-level politics now as before the Euromaidan. This is not to be confused with a wish to return to the pre-Euromaidan times; it is best understood as a direct consequence of the mass mobilization around the time of the Euromaidan and the high expectations this process generated.

It has also been five years since Crimea joined Russia, and the conflict in the Donbass is still ongoing. What role will relations with Russia play as Ukraine works to end the fighting and recover from the conflict?

Sasse: So far there is little sign of either Russia or Ukraine actively trying to end the war. Russia's role is critical in this regard, but it is fair to say that the Ukrainian government's attempts at reintegration or even addressing local needs in the Donbass have been limited in recent years and that Poroshenko has utilized the war in his electoral campaign. Here the question is if a new president could reprioritize the needs of the local population.

There is speculation whether Zelensky or Tymoshenko would attempt to make a "deal" with Russia, either on the Donbass or on economic issues. While Poroshenko's departure might open up some space for dialogue with Moscow, it is highly unlikely that Russian-Ukrainian relations will improve in the foreseeable future under Russian President Vladimir Putin.

It suits current Russian interests to retain a degree of leverage over Ukrainian politics through the Donbass issue and the gas transit to Western Europe bypassing Ukraine when Nord Stream 2 is completed. There is some indication in Russian opinion polls that the costs of the Donbass war are getting harder to justify. This might induce a greater willingness to negotiate, for example, to enable a UN peace mission. The issue of Crimea is considered settled by Russia and Russian public opinion. Here the only imaginable change would have to come from the Crimean population itself in the post-Putin era.

As a follow-up to that, what about the West?

Sasse: The experience of the Euromaidan and the war have put Ukraine on a decidedly pro-Western course. The IMF, the U.S., the EU and individual EU member states have stepped up their financial and political support of Ukraine's reform process significantly since the Euromaidan. The EU's Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement and visa-free travel to the EU are in place, and the U.S. and the EU have implemented a sanctions regime against Russia in reaction to the annexation of Crimea and the war in eastern Ukraine and might extend sanctions in reaction to the military escalation in the Azov Sea.

Support for EU and NATO membership has increased in Ukraine, although it varies across regions. Poroshenko has made membership in both institutions an explicit goal anchored in the constitution, but neither the EU nor NATO are likely to offer Ukraine an explicit membership perspective beyond the current forms of cooperation. This hesitation is reinforced by the strained transatlantic relationship and internal challenges of the EU.

Sasse has been the Director of the Centre for Eastern Europe and International Studies since 2016. She is Professor of Comparative Politics at the Department of Politics and International Relations and at the School of Interdisciplinary Area Studies at the University of Oxford, and is Professorial Fellow at Nuffield College and a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at Carnegie Europe.

The views of those interviewed are expressly their own.
In the past week, the suicides of two students connected to the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland and the father of a child killed at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, have shocked and saddened many in the South Florida community and beyond.

To understand and prevent similar tragedies, News@TheU reached out to associate professor of psychology Amanda Jensen-Doss, director of the University of Miami College of Arts and Sciences psychology departments child and family division, and head of the Child Implementation and Effectiveness Lab (CIELO), which uses evidence-based strategies to help improve mental health for children and adolescents.

Amanda Jensen-Doss

There have been reports of children who witnessed the Columbine High School shooting in 1999 still struggling with memories of that day. Is there a history of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from survivors of mass shootings in general? Can you explain why these two young people chose to take their lives a year later?

People can have a range of reactions to traumatic events like shootings, including PTSD, depression, substance use, and anxiety, although many people recover after the initial stress of the event and do not have long-lasting symptoms. It is difficult to know for sure why these young people ended their lives a year later. We know that the first anniversary of an event is often very difficult for survivors, so it may be that the recent anniversary increased their distress. It also can be difficult for survivors to hear about similar incidents, so it is possible that the recent mass shooting in New Zealand caused them distress. Finally, it is possible that the second teen felt more able to take his own life after hearing about the first death, or these suicides may be completely unrelated to any of these things.

What are some signs that a child/adolescent may be struggling with PTSD or depression following a violent event, such as a mass shooting?

Signs of PTSD include feelings of anxiety, strong reactions to or avoidance of reminders of the event, jumpiness, difficulty sleeping, and poor concentration. Signs of depression include sadness, irritability, and/or loss of interest in things the child used to enjoy, accompanied by other symptoms, such as sleep difficulties, change in appetite, guilt, or hopelessness. The National Mass Violence and Victimization Resource Center (NMVVRC) and the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) have a lot of resources to support parents and schools after a violent incident.

Are there strategies that survivors and/or schools can use to overcome triggers that bring back the trauma of a situation?

The most important thing after a traumatic event is for individuals to feel safe and supported. This means trying to keep them in their routine as much as possible, and letting them talk about what happened at their own pace. Often, people can be eager to just move on from an event, but avoiding talking about it is thought to keep people from healing.

How can parents get their own adolescents to talk about their feelings, so that the parents are aware of any mental health issues and can get the help their child needs?

The most important thing for parents to do is to let their adolescents know that they are there for them, and that they can talk to them about the trauma. Often, teens will not want to do this, so parents should keep an eye out for big changes to their childs school work, social life, sleep, and/or appetite. When in doubt, it never hurts for parents to consult with a doctor or a mental health professional if they are worried about their child. The Miami Herald has compiled a list of local resources for people in Broward County, and the website Effective Child Therapy has resources to help locate mental health professionals nationally.

How can professors, teachers, resident assistants, counselors, and employees of places that serve adolescents support these students (and others who have witnessed shootings), so that they feel comfortable asking for help?

A lot of the same principles apply to professionals that apply to parents: being open and willing to listen, while keeping an eye out for concerning changes is the best way to go. The NMVVRC and NCTSN websites also have resources geared toward schools that are very helpful.

Learn more about the mental health resources available to students through the UM Counseling Center, as well as faculty and staff through the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program.
IS Formally Claims Tongo Tongo Operation, Claims Kidnapping and Execution of Canadian in Burkina Faso
(Adds U.S. peace negotiator's tweet)

By Hamid Shalizi

KABUL, March 26 (Reuters) - Afghanistan has recalled its ambassador from Pakistan over reported remarks by Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan that suggested Kabul should set up an interim government, calling the comments "irresponsible."

Khan told Pakistani journalists on Monday that forming an interim Afghan government would smooth peace talks between U.S. and Taliban officials since the militant group refuses to speak to the current government, according to comments published in The Express Tribune.

The Afghan government was a hurdle in (the) peace process that was insisting that Taliban should talk to it, Khan was quoted as saying.

He also said he had canceled a scheduled meeting with Taliban leaders because of objections by the Afghan government.

Afghanistan summoned Pakistan's deputy ambassador to discuss the "irresponsible" remarks by Khan, foreign affairs ministry spokesman Sibghatullah Ahmadi said in a series of tweets on Tuesday.

The Afghan government deemed Khan's statements as "an obvious example of Pakistan's interventional policy and disrespect to the national sovereignty and determination of the people of Afghanistan," Ahmadi said.

U.S. Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad, the chief U.S. negotiator with the Taliban, weighed in on Kabul's side, saying on Twitter that while Pakistan had made "constructive contributions" to the peace process, "Khan's comments did not."

"The future of Afghanistan is for Afghans, and only Afghans, to decide. The role of the international community is to encourage Afghans to come together so they can do so," Khalilzad added.

The Afghan-born U.S. diplomat's comments come amid tensions between Washington and Kabul over Khalilzad's exclusion of the Ghani government from the talks with the Taliban. Khalilzad is pressing the Taliban to hold talks on Afghanistan's political future with a broad spectrum of Afghans, including government officials.

Story continues

The Afghanistan-Pakistan row marks the third time in just over a month that Kabul demanded an explanation from Islamabad over comments related to peace talks, illustrating the flaring tensions between the two neighbors at a sensitive time.

U.S. and Taliban officials have held recurring talks to end the 17-year war, but the Taliban considers the Afghan government led by President Ashraf Ghani as illegitimate.

Ghani's mandate expires in May, and pressure is mounting on him to step down before the next presidential election, scheduled for Sept. 28. Ghani has rejected the idea of an interim government. (Reporting by Hamid Shalizi in Kabul; Additional reporting by Jonathan Landay in Washington; Writing by Rod Nickel; Editing by Gareth Jones, Peter Graff and Peter Cooney)
* Turkey sole source for 'very few' F-35 parts, U.S. source says

* Rift likely to widen over Turkey's planned Russian defense buy

* Pentagon may freeze preparations for F-35 delivery to Turkey

* Ankara says it is a key partner in F-35, removing it is not easy (Adds analyst comment, Turkey's F-35 order figure)

By Mike Stone and Humeyra Pamuk

WASHINGTON, March 28 (Reuters) - The United States can still proceed with the trillion-dollar F-35 fighter jet program without Turkish components, U.S. sources said, rebuffing arguments by Ankara that excluding the NATO ally would be too complicated.

Washington is exploring whether it can remove Turkey from production of the stealth fighter jet, angered by Ankara's refusal to back down from its planned purchase of a Russian-made defense missile system.

Reuters last week reported that the United States could soon freeze preparations for delivering F-35 fighter jets to Turkey. While no decision has been made, excluding Turkey from the F-35 program, in which it has been a long-time partner, would be a massive blow to already strained ties between Washington and Ankara.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly said Ankara remained committed to buy a Russian air defense system that the United States says would compromise the security of F-35 aircraft, which is built by Lockheed Martin Corp.

The United States and other NATO allies who own F-35 fighter jets fear the radar on the Russian S-400 missile system will learn how to spot and track the F-35, making it less able to evade Russian weapons in the future.

The United States has offered Turkey the more expensive Patriot anti-missile system at a discount that expires at the end of March, but on condition that Ankara drop its plans to buy the S-400.

So far Ankara has not shown any willingness to reverse the S-400 purchase, forcing the United States to explore a future for the F-35 program without Turkey, which makes parts of the fuselage, landing gear and cockpit displays.

Story continues

Two U.S. sources familiar with the F-35's intricate worldwide production process and U.S. thinking on the issue say Turkey can be replaced. Officials with the Pentagon and the Turkish embassy declined to comment.

"There are about 800 parts that Turkey makes for the F-35, and of them, very few are sole source," said a person with direct knowledge of the U.S. position, explaining that single source parts from Turkey can be replaced by contractors who had previously bid to make them.

"Turkey is not too big to fail," the person said.

Ankara has long said it plays a key role in the F-35 program and that excluding it would not be easy. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in December that the U.S. cannot unilaterally cancel Turkey's participation.

NO MAJOR DELAYS IF TURKEY DROPPED

But several U.S. sources said the impact would not be drastic. Replacing or finding substitutes for the Turkish components would slow production for a three-month period at the Lockheed Martin facility that builds the jets, one of the sources said.

Several components of the F-35 made in Turkey can be easily replaced. For example, the center fuselage produced in Ankara could be made by Northrop Grumman Corp, which already makes them in California.

Lockheed declined to comment.

Arda Mevlutoglu, a Turkey-based defense industry consultant, said removal of Turkey from the program would not cause major issues for F-35 production process. "Removal of Turkey from the supply chain will definitely create some delays in the production and delivery process ... I personally believe that it will not create drastic delays and cost overruns," he said.

In the mean time, more Turkish pilots are set to begin training at U.S. air force bases, joining pilots already there, while Ankara still hopes to take delivery of two aircraft in November.

Turkey has said it plans to buy a total of 100 aircraft over the years.

Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said on Tuesday he wants Turkey to remain in the F-35 fighter jet program, but added that Ankara needed to buy the Patriot missile defense system.

(Reporting by Mike Stone and Humeyra Pamuk Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Phil Berlowitz)
(Adds U.S. State Department comment)

SEOUL/MADRID, March 28 (Reuters) - A shadowy dissident group accused of breaking into North Korea's embassy in Madrid last month said on Thursday it was temporarily suspending operations, after a Spanish judge issued international arrest warrants for two suspects Spanish authorities say fled to the United States.

Cheollima Civil Defense, also known as Free Joseon, acknowledged on its website late on Tuesday it was behind the Feb. 22 incident but said it was not an attack and that the group had been invited into the embassy.

In a statement on the website on Thursday, Cheollima Civil Defense said that while it has "bigger tasks ahead," it had temporarily suspended work because of "speculative" media reports.

"We ask the media to restrain itself in its interest in our organization and its members," the statement said, noting that the group's membership includes North Korean refugees, but that it had not recently contacted defectors living in South Korea.

A Spanish judicial source said on Wednesday that warrants were issued for the group's alleged leader and another suspect after a Spanish court investigation found that they had broken into the embassy, tried to persuade an official to defect and then stolen computer equipment.

The suspected leader has been identified by the court as Adrian Hong Chang, a Mexican citizen who is a U.S. resident.

The other suspect sought in the arrest warrant is Sam Ryu, a U.S. citizen of Korean descent.

According to a Spanish court document made public on Tuesday, Hong Chang traveled to the United States a day after the raid and contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation to pass on information about it.

The FBI has declined to comment officially on any investigation, but an authoritative U.S. government source said on Wednesday that it had received the names of the alleged embassy intruders from Spanish investigators and was looking into the matter at the request of Spanish authorities.

Story continues

According to the Spanish newspaper El Pais, investigators have linked two of the attackers to the CIA.

The U.S. State Department said earlier there was no U.S. government involvement in the attack and a U.S. government official said on Thursday that the CIA had had "no contact at all" with any of the individuals mentioned in the Spanish indictment.

"The Spanish authorities are still investigating this. All facts are not known," State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said at a regular briefing on Thursday, reiterating the U.S. position that diplomatic missions "ought to be respected and are protected by treaty."

Asked whether the United States was assisting in the search for the suspects, he told reporters it was a "law enforcement matter" and that the State Department had no information to provide.

The White House declined to comment.

Spanish judicial sources told Reuters the two arrest warrants were likely to be the first of several as there were believed to have been 10 intruders.

The other suspects include South Korean citizens.

According to the Spanish court document, Hong Chang flew from Lisbon to New York after the raid and made contact with the FBI on Feb. 27.

His current whereabouts are not known and efforts to contact him were not successful.

Analysts say Hong is a longtime activist who helped found a refugee aid organization, Liberty in North Korea (LiNK), and later led an organization preparing for an "imminent, dramatic change" in North Korea.

Lee Wolosky, an American attorney who represents Cheollima Civil Defense, said in a statement on Wednesday that the Spanish court "purported to reach conclusions without any input from representatives" of the group.

He said it was irresponsible "to disclose publicly the names of people who are working in opposition to a brutal regime that routinely and summarily executes its enemies."

The embassy raid occurred shortly before a Feb. 27-28 summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi.

According to the court document, during the raid, three of the intruders, who identified themselves as members of a group who campaigned for the "liberation of North Korea," took an embassy official into the basement and tried to convince him to defect.

The group kept embassy staff tied up for several hours and then searched the premises for arms before leaving, at which point they separated into four groups and headed to Portugal, the document said.

The document gave a detailed account of the intruders' movements before and during the intrusion, including their stay in a hotel and purchases of knives, balaclava masks and fake guns. (Reporting by Josh Smith in SEOUL, Belen Carreno and Isla Binnie in Madrid, additional reporting by Mark Hosenball, David Brunnstrom, Matt Spetalnick, Lesley Wroughton and Jonathan Landay in Washington; Editing by James Dalgleish and Sandra Maler)
(Updates death toll)

By Serajul Quadir and Ruma Paul

DHAKA, March 28 (Reuters) - A fire broke out in a 22-story commercial building in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka on Thursday, killing at least 19 people, injuring 70 and trapping many more, officials said.

Search operations went on late into the day as some of the trapped waved frantically from the windows and roof of the building in the upscale Banani area of the city, while others tried to jump to safety.

Firefighters perched on cranes smashed windows in an attempt to reach those inside, witnesses said.

Officials carried charred bodies out as hundreds of people gathered in the street below. One man who tried to escape by coming down a rope fell earlier in the day, a Reuters witness said.

By evening there were still some pockets of fire in the building, though it had largely been doused, officials said.

More than 100 people had been rescued from the building through helicopters and ladders, Julfikar Rahman, director of the Fire Service and Civil Defence, told Reuters from the scene.

The cause of the fire was not immediately clear.

"Our firefighters are searching for bodies on every floor," Rahman said.

A girl sobbing outside the Banani building said that her father worked in an office inside but was not answering his phone.

"I don't know where he is," she said.

The blaze comes a month after an inferno killed 71 people in an old neighborhood of the city. Critics at the time blamed poor enforcement of safety regulations https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bangladesh-fire/deadly-dhaka-blaze-prompts-calls-for-government-action-on-building-safety-idUSKCN1QB1PC in one of the world's most densely packed cities.

Helicopters joined 22 firefighting units that worked with the army, navy, air force and police to battle Thursday's blaze as smoke billowed into the sky.

Several of the roughly 140 employees of the private firm Quasem Group that had multiple offices in the building, escaped across a roof to an adjacent building, said Shamim Reza Khan, an assistant general manager at the firm.

Nanda, a finance manager at the IT firm AAMRA which has offices on four different floors in the building, said he escaped with 20 colleagues. (Writing by Zeba Siddiqui; Editing by Clarence Fernandez, Robert Birsel and Hugh Lawson)
(Adds geographic locator to headline)

By Yereth Rosen

ANCHORAGE, Alaska, March 28 (Reuters) - Six members of a neo-Nazi gang operating in and out of the Alaska prison system were charged with murder, kidnapping and racketeering crimes including drug trafficking, federal prosecutors said on Wednesday.

The six are accused in the 2017 slaying of fellow gang member, Michael "Steak Knife" Staton, whom they believed had betrayed them by stealing drugs and a Hells Angels motorcycle vest, according to court papers.

Staton was abducted and beaten to death, and his body rolled up in a carpet, court papers say.

"They were unhappy with some things he had done in the gang. They were, in effect, removing him from the gang," Bryan Schroder, U.S. Attorney for Alaska, said at a news conference.

A public defender representing the six men was not immediately available for comment to Reuters.

An indictment detailing the charges against the men, some of them current inmates, was unsealed on Tuesday and describes their operation as a murderous, criminal outfit called the 1488s, which prosecutors say has tethers in and out of prison.

The 1488s take their name from a 14-word white supremacist slogan and the "Heil Hitler" salute, court papers say.

The 88 in 1488 stands for a double-H for "Heil Hitler" as H is the eighth letter in the alphabet, according to the indictment.

Some members have provocative names, such as one accused gangster charged in this case, "Filthy Fuhrer," who legally changed his name from Timothy Lobdell, according to the indictment.

Five of the six defendants have been arrested, but one person remained at large on Wednesday, the U.S. Attorneys Office said.

The case is part of a larger investigation that has resulted in convictions of more than a dozen other people, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

(Reporting by Yereth Rosen in Anchorage, Alaska; Writing by Rich McKay in Atlanta)
(Adds Kremlin comment)

By Tom Balmforth and Maxim Rodionov

MOSCOW, March 28 (Reuters) - Russia said on Thursday it had sent "specialists" to Venezuela under a military cooperation deal but said they posed no threat to regional stability, brushing aside a call from U.S. President Donald Trump to remove all military personnel from the country.

Trump said on Wednesday that "all options" were open to make Russia pull troops out of Venezuela after two Russian air force planes landed outside Caracas on Saturday carrying nearly 100 Russian troops, according to media reports.

As Venezuela has descended into political turmoil this year, Russia has emerged as a staunch backer of President Nicolas Maduro while the United States backs the country's opposition and has imposed sanctions.

Venezuela's military attache in Moscow said on Thursday Russia had sent "servicemen" to Venezuela, but that they would not take part in military operations, Interfax news agency reported.

"The presence of Russian servicemen in Venezuela is linked to the discussion of cooperation in the military-technical sphere," Jose Rafael Torrealba Perez was quoted as saying.

Speaking at a weekly news briefing on Thursday, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described the arrivals only as "Russian specialists."

"Russia is not changing the balance of power in the region, Russia is not threatening anyone, unlike (officials) in Washington," she told a weekly news briefing.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia's specialists were in Venezuela to service pre-existing contracts for the supply of Russian arms.

He told reporters on a conference call that Russia was not interfering in Venezuela's internal affairs and that the Kremlin hoped other countries would also allow Venezuelans to decide their own fate.

Russia and China have backed Maduro, while the United States and most other Western countries support opposition leader Juan Guaido.

In January, Guaido invoked the constitution to assume Venezuela's interim presidency, arguing that Maduro's 2018 re-election was illegitimate.

Maduro, who retains control of state functions and the country's military, has said Guaido is a puppet of the United States. (Reporting by Maxim Rodionov; additional reporting by Polina Nikolskaya Writing by Tom Balmforth; Editing by Gareth Jones)
(.)

SEOUL, March 28 (Reuters) - A dissident group accused of breaking into North Korea's embassy in Madrid said on Thursday it was temporarily suspending operations, after a Spanish judge issued international arrest warrants for two suspected intruders now believed to be in the United States.

A shadowy group called Cheollima Civil Defense, also known as Free Joseon, acknowledged on its website late on Tuesday that it was behind the incident but said it was not an attack and that the group had been invited into the embassy.

In a statement on its website on Thursday, Cheollima Civil Defense said that while it has "bigger tasks ahead," it had temporarily suspended work because of "speculative" media reports.

"We ask the media to restrain itself in its interest in our organization and its members," the statement said, noting that the group's membership includes North Korean refugees, but that it had not recently contacted defectors living in South Korea.

A judicial source said on Wednesday that warrants were issued for the group's alleged leader and another suspect after an investigation by a Spanish court found that they broke into the embassy, tried to persuade an official to defect and then stole computer equipment.

The suspected leader has been identified by the court in an official document as Adrian Hong Chang, a Mexican citizen who is a U.S. resident.

The other suspect sought in the arrest warrant is Sam Ryu, who is a U.S. citizen of Korean descent.

According to the court's official document, which was made public on Tuesday, Hong Chang is believed to have traveled to the United States a day after the raid and contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation to pass on information about it.

It was unclear how the court knew that the man had contacted the FBI, which said on Tuesday it is "our standard practice to neither confirm nor deny the existence of an investigation."

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An authoritative U.S. government source said on Wednesday that the FBI received the names of the alleged embassy intruders from Spanish investigators and was looking into the matter at the request of Spanish authorities.

Other Spanish judicial sources told Reuters the two arrest warrants are likely to be the first of several as there were believed to have been ten intruders.

The other suspects include South Korean citizens.

Lee Wolosky, an American attorney who represents Cheollima Civil Defense, said in a statement on Wednesday that the Spanish court "purported to reach conclusions without any input from representatives" of the group.

He said it was irresponsible of the court "to disclose publicly the names of people who are working in opposition to a brutal regime that routinely and summarily executes its enemies."

The U.S. State Department has said the U.S. government was not involved in the raid and did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Spanish arrest warrants.

Three of the intruders took an embassy official into the basement and tried to convince him to defect. They identified themselves as members of a group who campaigned for the "liberation of North Korea," the Spanish court document said.

The document gave a detailed account of the intruders' movements before as well as during the intrusion, including their stay in a hotel and purchases of knives, balaclava masks and fake guns.

The embassy raid occurred shortly before the Feb. 27-28 summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi.

The group kept embassy staff tied up for several hours and then searched the premises for arms before leaving, at which point they separated into four groups and headed to Portugal, the document alleged.

Hong Chang then flew from Lisbon to New York. His current whereabouts was unknown, the document said.

In Spain the High Court has the power to investigate criminal offenses, after which formal accusations are launched. (Reporting by Josh Smith in SEOUL, Belen Carreno and Isla Binnie in MADRID, additional reporting by Mark Hosenball, David Brunnstrom, Matt Spetalnick and Jonathan Landay in Washington; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
(Adds Chinese Defense Ministry comment)

By David Brunnstrom

WASHINGTON, March 27 (Reuters) - Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said on Wednesday the United States was responding positively to Taipei's requests for new arms sales to bolster its defenses in the face of growing pressure from China.

Speaking during a stopover in Hawaii at the end of a Pacific tour, Tsai told Washington's Heritage Foundation think-tank via videolink that Taiwan had submitted new requests to the United States for M-1 Abrams tanks and F-16V fighter jets.

These, she said, "would greatly enhance our land and air capabilities, strengthen military morale and show to the world the U.S. commitment to Taiwans defense."

The United States has no formal ties with Taiwan but is bound by law to help provide it with the means to defend itself and is its main source of arms.

On Sunday, Washington sent Navy and Coast Guard ships through the narrow strait separating the island from the mainland, part of an increase in the frequency of U.S. movement through the strategic waterway to show support for Taipei.

Tsai said mounting pressure from China for Taiwan to accept a "one country, two systems model" and its attempts to alter the cross-straits status quo underscored the need for Taiwan to "increase our self defense and deterrence capabilities."

"Fortunately ... Taiwan does not stand alone," she said. "The United States' commitment to Taiwan is stronger than ever."

Tsai said she felt the process of U.S. arms sales to Taiwan had become less politicized, adding: "We are able to have frank discussions with the U.S. on the right equipment for Taiwans defense and the U.S. is responding positively to our request."

She said big-ticket defense items would be managed though a special budget and Taiwan's regular defense budget would "increase based on challenges coming across the strait."

Speaking in Beijing, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian said China opposed any arms sales to Taiwan, and that it would not brook any interference in what China views as an internal matter.

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"Any words or actions that damage the 'one China' principle is tantamount to shaking the foundations of Sino-U.S. ties, is inconsistent with the fundamental interests of China and the United States, and is extremely dangerous," Wu told reporters.

Tsai's Pacific tour has come amid heightened tension between Taipei and Beijing, which has stepped up diplomatic and military pressure to assert its sovereignty over Taiwan.

China suspects Tsai and her pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party of pushing for the island's formal independence.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said in January that Beijing reserved the right to use force to bring Taiwan under its control, but would strive to achieve peaceful "reunification."

PRESSURE

Beijing has regularly sent military aircraft and ships to circle the island on drills in the past few years and has heaped pressure on Taiwan internationally, including whittling by down its few remaining diplomatic allies.

Tsai stressed that Taiwan sought positive relations with Beijing, but China needed to talk without preconditions.

She said developments in Hong Kong, a former British colony that returned to Chinese rule in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formula, were not encouraging.

"One country, two systems will become just one country," she said. "The two systems do not seem to be respected that much. So I think the experience of Hong Kong teaches the Taiwanese a lot."

Tsai said this month that Taiwan has sent a request to the United States to buy an unspecified number of F-16s, a move that could add another irritant to Beijing-Washington ties.

Last week, U.S. China hawk Peter Navarro, director of the White House's Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, wrote in the New York Times that Taiwan may soon buy 108 M-1 tanks.

Tsai, who faces re-election in January, has repeatedly called for international support to defend Taiwan's democracy in the face of China's warnings.

Her Hawaii stopover, a customary practice for Taiwanese presidents, has drawn criticism from Beijing.

This week, Republican and Democratic U.S. lawmakers introduced legislation seeking to boost Taiwan ties, which among other things would direct the Pentagon to make efforts to include Taiwan in military training exercises and expresses congressional support for regular U.S. arms sales.

Tsai visited three diplomatic allies in the Pacific, part of an effort to prevent Taiwan's 17 remaining allies from switching allegiance to China. Four of the six Pacific island nations aligned with Taiwan have elections this year.

On Monday, Nauru's parliament passed a resolution supporting Taiwan's democracy and opposing Beijing's "one-China" policy after Tsai made a speech there. She also visited Palau and the Marshall Islands during her eight-day trip in which she offered support to the agriculture sectors of the island nations. (Reporting by David Brunnstrom in Washington; additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in BEIJING and Yimou Lee in TAIPEI; Editing by James Dalgleish, Robert Birsel)
The Emory Global Health Institute celebrated the 10th anniversary of its annual International Emory Global Health Case Competition on March 15-16 by hosting 30 university teams charged with developing hurricane preparedness strategies for multiple countries. This years winning team traveled halfway around the globe from Melbourne, Australia to participate and help EGHI mark the competitions milestone year.

Phil Batterham, PhD, and his colleagues at the University of Melbourne have been sending student teams to the global health case competition since 2014. He learned about the opportunity during a conference where he met Mo Ali, PhD, a Rollins School of Public Health faculty member who had participated in the competition as a faculty advisor. Batterham was intrigued and advocated for the University of Melbourne to send a team to Emory.

A group of students from different disciplines focusing the best of their abilities on a shared goal of providing a realistic solution to a wicked global health problem is one of the best possible educational experiences that any university could offer, Batterham explains, as one of the primary reasons why he has sent top students to the competition for the past six years. The opportunity for our students to test themselves in competition against students from some of the best universities in the world is something they relish, he adds.

The Emory Global Health Case Competition began in 2009 and was developed and initially coordinated by members of EGHIs first Student Advisory Committee. The first competition took place on a Saturday morning and included eight multidisciplinary teams representing numerous Emory schools. The program has grown significantly both in scope and popularity over the last 10 years, with EGHI hosting an annual intramural competition reserved for up to 12 multidisciplinary Emory student teams and an international competition that hosts the winning Emory team along with 29 teams from top universities located around the world.

In addition to the University of Melbourne, 2019 participating universities included: Brown, Cornell, Emory, Georgia Tech, McMaster, Medical University of South Carolina, Miami University, NYU, Northwestern, Penn State, SUNY, Downstate, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS), University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB), University of Kentucky, University of Minnesota, Notre Dame, University of Pennsylvania, University of Scranton, University of Texas Southwestern, University of Tampa, University of Toronto, UVA, University of Washington, Washington University in St. Louis, Yale, and Yeshiva.

This years other top placing teams were USUHS (second place), UT Southwestern (third place), Yale (fourth place), and UAB (fifth place).

There is high demand for our international global health case competition each year. Since 2012, we have hosted 24 teams annually, but due to the programs growing popularity, we decided to include six more teams in our 2019 competition. The 30 team slots were filled within the first 25 minutes of our application period, with several universities landing on our wait list, says Rebecca Baggett, EGHIs Director of Programs and Communications.

While EGHI advertises the competition, much of its popularity has spread via word of mouth from past participants. Participants tell us that they competed as an undergraduate at one university, and then introduced the competition to students at their graduate school. We also hear stories from participants who learned about the competition from a friend or classmate, which I think explains why we have so many universities that apply to participate year after year, adds Baggett.

Friends who had participated before all had really positive things to say about the competition, Emory University, and Atlanta. The opportunity to think critically about a relevant global issue with a like-minded but professionally diverse group of students seemed too good to be true  and the experience certainly delivered, says Anna Traill, a member of the 2019 University of Melbourne team.

The multidisciplinary aspect of the competition is one of the ways that the program is unique. Not only are student teams required to be multidisciplinary, but the Emory student case writing group that develops the case subjects each year are also multidisciplinary. This years international case writers included Peter Richards, an Emory College senior studying psychology and human health, Jessie Preslar, an RSPH/MD student, and Eliana Paljug, an Emory/Georgia Tech biomedical engineering student. Additionally, EGHI recruits a professionally diverse group of judges to evaluate teams case solutions.

I think the programs popularity continues to grow because it provides students from a variety of academic backgrounds the chance to work together on a real-world global health challenge in an environment that takes them out of the classroom. It challenges them to work on a problem that requires them to think about it from numerous perspectives and to package their solutions so that they are polished, compelling, and understandable, which is what they will have to do in any future professional endeavor, says Jeffrey P. Koplan, MD, MPH, Emory vice president for global health.

Georgia Gibson, a University of Melbourne team member agrees. The opportunity to look at a case from all perspectives, not just from your own field, to come up with a solution, while consulting with experts across the world was the most rewarding experience Ive had and I would recommend it to anyone who is even considering entering, she says.

We have been really pleased with the experience the competition provides to students  whether they are participating in a team, as a case writer, or as an EGHI graduate assistant or volunteer helping to coordinate the program. Weve had a great first 10 years and are looking forward to the next 10, Koplan says.
(Adds comment from Smollett's lawyer, Chicago mayor)

March 28 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the Department of Justice will "review" the case of actor Jussie Smollett, who was charged with staging a fake hate crime in Chicago before prosecutors abruptly dropped the case this week.

Trump wrote in an early-morning Twitter message announcing the review that the case had embarrassed the nation.

Smollett, who is black and gay, said two men attacked him on the street at night in January, making homophobic and racist remarks, pouring a chemical on him and putting a noose around his neck while shouting support for Trump.

Investigators later charged Smollett with paying $3,500 to the two men to pretend to attack him in order to garner public sympathy for himself. Prosecutors dropped the charges on Tuesday, saying they stood by the accusation but that an agreement by Smollett to forfeit his $10,000 bond was a just outcome.

Smollett, 36, says he is innocent and did not stage the attack.

Tina Glandian, one of his defense lawyers, told NBC News on Thursday that she was not concerned by the review. "To my knowledge, nothing improper was done," she said in the interview.

She acknowledged that Smollett was friendly with the men he accused of attacking him, brothers Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, and that he had spoken on the phone to one of them, who had been working as his fitness trainer, about an hour before the incident.

"He had a hard time believing his friend would be behind this," she said. Asked about Smollett telling police his attackers appeared to be white, Glandian speculated that the brothers, who are black, may have worn whiteface make-up.

The brothers have not spoken about the case since police said they confessed to being paid to stage the attack.

The county prosecutors' decision stunned the city's police chief, prompted the police union to demand a federal investigation, and enraged Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, a Democrat, who called it a "whitewash" that made a fool of the city.

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Trump, a Republican, echoed those remarks on Thursday.

"FBI & DOJ to review the outrageous Jussie Smollett case in Chicago," Trump wrote on Twitter, referring to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice. "It is an embarrassment to our Nation!"

The Department of Justice declined to comment or answer questions about the review.

The FBI has already had some involvement in the case, with agents investigating a threatening letter Smollett said he received prior to the attack, according to the Chicago Police Department.

The initial reports of two Trump supporters attacking a gay, black celebrity drew widespread sympathy for Smollett, particularly from Democrats. That faded quickly after the actor's arrest, and the case was seized on by some as an example of what Trump likes to deride as "fake news."

On Thursday, Mayor Emanuel said he would seek to have Smollett reimburse Chicago for the investigation costs, and rejected Trump's federal review, telling the president to "sit this one out."

Smollett is best known for playing a gay musician on the Fox drama "Empire." His lawyers said he hopes to move on with his career, but it remains unclear whether he will return to "Empire" after being written out of the last two episodes of the most recent season.

Chicago's chief prosecutor, Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx, has defended her office's decision as proportionate to what she described as relatively minor charges, saying that even if Smollett had been convicted he would likely not have faced prison time.

Foxx recused herself from the case after acknowledging she had discussed it with a relative of Smollett. (Reporting by Jonathan Allen in New York; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)
(Adds details, Saudi comments, paragraphs 3, 14-15.)

By Lesley Wroughton and Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON, March 27 (Reuters) - Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. Congress rejected President Donald Trump's proposed cuts to diplomacy and foreign aid budgets as dangerous to national security on Wednesday, setting the stage for a budget battle with the White House.

Representative Eliot Engel, Democratic chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said Trump's proposal was "dead" as soon as it arrived in Congress, during the second of two House of Representatives hearings where Secretary of State Mike Pompeo took questions from lawmakers for some seven hours.

"This budget ... signals to the world that the Trump foreign policy is one of disengagement," Engel said.

The senior Republican on the House subcommittee that oversees State Department spending, Hal Rogers, described the budget plan at an earlier hearing as "woefully inadequate" to cover the administration's foreign policy and security goals.

The proposal slashes the State Department and aid budget by about $11 billion to $40 billion, he said.

"Given what the world looks like right now, this approach seems detached from reality," Rogers said, citing the need for U.S. leadership in a world with millions of displaced people, more countries facing instability and rising tensions.

Democratic Representative Nita Lowey, who chairs the full Appropriations Committee, also rejected the "draconian" cuts. "I am astonished that three years into his administration, the president still does not appreciate the merits of sustained investments in diplomacy and development," she said.

In written remarks before the hearings, Pompeo said the budget sought to double funds for countering China's increased aggression, and strengthen systems to target Russia's growing threats to the United States and Western world.

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"China is proactively applying its power and exerting its influence in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond," Pompeo said, adding: "This budget prioritizes countering Russian malign influence in Europe, Eurasia, and Central Asia, and further strengthens the Department's own systems against malign actors."

Pompeo said resources would also fund work to reach a deal with North Korea on curbing its nuclear program and push back against Iran's role in Iraq, Yemen and Syria.

He said the budget also requested new authority to support a democratic transition in Venezuela, including transferring up to $500 million to foreign assistance accounts.

'EMBARRASSING AND DANGEROUS'

Trump's proposal calls for spending more U.S. taxpayer money on the military and a U.S.-Mexico border wall, while overhauling social safety-net programs in a budget plan likely to die in Congress but live on in his 2020 re-election campaign.

Democratic Representative Lois Frankel called Trump's budget proposal "embarrassing and dangerous."

Pompeo came under repeated questioning to explain the administration's policy toward Saudi Arabia, from lawmakers concerned about the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a U.S. resident, as well as the imprisonment and abuse of women's rights activists.

He insisted repeatedly that human rights were a top Trump administration priority, and said efforts were under way "across the government" to investigate what happened and hold accountable anyone responsible, even the highest Saudi officials.

Several Democrats sharply criticized an expanded anti-abortion policy Pompeo outlined on Tuesday, which cuts funding to groups that support abortion rights. "Your budget and action is devastating to the health of women around the world," Frankel said.

"Your administration is abortion obsessed," she said.

Republicans said they backed the policy and several praised Pompeo for his stance.

Pompeo was reluctant to detail the administration's plan and timeline for releasing an Israeli-Palestinian peace plan developed by White House advisers Jason Greenblatt and Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law.

He said the proposed plan sought to tackle areas of a Middle East conflict that previous U.S. administrations failed to resolve.

"Our vision will demonstrate our commitment that we want Palestinians to have a better life as well," Pompeo said, adding he hoped the Palestinians would view the United States as a "fair arbiter."

Pompeo was pressed by Democrat Barbara Lee about proposed cuts in funding to African countries. She said Trump sought cuts of 56 percent to Ghana, 33 percent to Ethiopia, 14 percent to Mozambique, 44 percent to South Sudan, and 71 percent to South Africa, mostly in global health funding.

"This is after a well-documented track record of controversial statements from the president identifying certain countries as 's-hole' countries, and quite frankly, attitudes toward the continent in general," said Lee.

Pompeo pushed back at the criticism, saying the gist of the question was "in my judgment fundamentally unsound."

(Reporting by Lesley Wroughton and Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Susan Thomas and Peter Cooney)
A 10-year-old girl has died two days after she was injured in a fight with a fellow pupil at her primary school.

RaNiya Wright was found unresponsive by staff at the Forest Hills Elementary School in the South Carolina of Walterboro, after she got into an altercation with another Year 5 student on Monday.

They called the emergency services and RaNiya was taken to hospital where she remained alive, until she passed away on Wednesday.

The other student involved in the fight, who has not been identified, has been suspended from the school, according to NBC News.

Because this is an ongoing investigation, we ask that the community understands that the information we can share is limited, district officials said in a statement.

Ash Wright, the 10-year-olds mother, posted a photograph of the RaNiya in hospital on her Facebook page.

This is what bullying cause, she wrote.

She later confirmed her daughter had died. "My baby girl has gain her wings, she wrote.

We are devastated by this news, and we want our communities to keep their thoughts and prayers with the students family at this time, a spokesperson for Colleton County School District (CCSD) said, adding that officials were continuing to "focus on providing needed support services to our students, teachers, staff, and community.

Parents in the school district voiced their concerns about violence in schools at a meeting on Wednesday night, according to NBC 11 News.

Im very sorry to hear that there are parents out there who feel like this, said William Bowman Jr., a Colleton County school board member. "We (the district) have provisions in place for parents to disclose their concerns to district and school administration.

I would also suggest they bring those concerns to the attention of their respective board representatives with the expectation of the democratic process, and true representation, being effective in addressing their issues of concern.
Franklin Covey (NYSE: FC), which focuses on leadership and organizational-improvement services for businesses, reports on its fiscal second quarter of 2019 on Thursday, April 4. As I discussed last quarter, the company's beginning to make progress in its attempts to diversify its revenue streams and improve profitability. Below, let's walk through four critical numbers investors should visit once the report is released in order to gain a read on the organization's relative health.

1) Subscriptions as a percentage of total revenue

Franklin Covey's business-model shift to a subscription-based revenue structure is the primary factor behind a trend of higher sales and decreasing losses. In a recent presentation, the company noted that its "All Access Pass," aimed at corporate enterprise clients, not only has the benefit of a high initial purchase price of $25,000 per subscription but also boasts an annual retention rate of over 90% and generates gross margin on services of 74%.

In the last sequential quarter, subscription revenue increased 36% year over year and equaled 51% of total company revenue. In the fiscal second quarter, investors should similarly expect a double-digit year-over-year expansion in subscription-based sales. Importantly, watch for the percentage of subscription revenue to total revenue to rise again incrementally over the 50% mark.

A brown clock next to a pencil and a calendar on top of a table.

Image source: Getty Images.

2) Change in quarterly loss

In the first quarter of the fiscal year, Franklin Covey's net loss diminished by 43%, to $1.6 million. While the company's gross margin held steady at roughly 68%, management was able to keep a lid on overhead expenses and thus gained operational leverage from a 12% jump in sales.

The current quarter's results will be compared to a net loss of $2.7 million incurred in the fiscal second quarter of 2018. Shareholders can expect substantial progress against the comparable quarter as the company continues its steady march toward GAAP-based positive net income.

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3) Adjusted earnings

While Franklin Covey may well cross over into positive GAAP earnings this year, for now, management is still advising investors to gauge its progress on adjusted EBITDA. The company's full-year outlook anticipates adjusted EBITDA of $18 million to $22 million, which will represent a significant improvement over the approximately $12 million in adjusted EBITDA generated during fiscal 2018.

The second quarter should show a healthy year-over-year leap in this metric, as Franklin Covey reported an adjusted EBITDA loss of $668,000 in the second quarter of 2018.

4) Deferred revenue balance

Deferred revenue is an important measure of future earnings recognition, and healthy growth in this balance-sheet account can give investors insight into ongoing demand for a company's subscription-type revenue. Deferred revenue decreased on a year-over-year basis by 11% in the first quarter of 2019, to $46.2 million. Management was quick to point out, however, that unbilled deferred revenue increased 50% year over year, to $24.4 million, during the same period.

Unbilled deferred revenue consists of sales that have been contracted but not yet been billed; therefore, unbilled deferred revenue isn't found on the balance sheet.

While a decrease in deferred revenue may be a caution flag in the larger narrative of subscription growth, the uptick in unbilled deferred revenue implies that the deferred balance is set to rise again. This logic is simple: As time passes, the contracted revenue will indeed get billed, and thus, its balance should transfer over into the deferred revenue account.

While this may be a little confusing to follow, the bottom line is that management has implied that deferred revenue will soon be on the rise. Shareholders should expect year-over-year growth in this number -- which sat at $36 million in the prior-year quarter.

We'll potentially see sequential growth, as well, when Franklin Covey reports on April 4. I'll be sure to discuss the result in my upcoming earnings recap.

More From The Motley Fool

Asit Sharma has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Several technology stocks got hammered by the current market gyrations. But, a number of software companies held their ground. Software stocks performed well mostly due to corporate outlays on information technology and digital projects gaining steam. Another reason behind software stocks success is spike in merger and acquisition activities.

Now, if you feel tempted to look for the best cloud stocks or top software makers, the search leads to software-as-a-service, or SaaS. This is because SaaS stocks time and again have notched the best revenue growth among software companies. SaaS stocks not only have a predictable subscription revenue stream, these stocks are high-growth companies due to their alignment with cloud computing. Theyre high margin companies as well because the costs linked with delivering a cloud-hosted software service is relatively less.

Widely speaking, SaaS stocks are winners in the near term with big margins and steady revenue streams. But, will the growth continue? Just 20% of organizations have shifted to the cloud, so there is plenty of room for cloud growth. And margins will surely improve further as the software industry grows stronger. Thus, its not too late to get optimistic on SaaS stocks, even though it isnt a new concept. After all, it is a software distribution model, where a third-party provider hosts applications and makes them available to customers over the Internet. We have, thus, zeroed down on four solid SaaS stocks that are worth a look for long-term gains.

Twilio

Twilio Inc. TWLO provides a cloud communications platform that enables developers to build, scale, and operate communications within software applications in the United States and internationally. The companys communication solutions have value and growth potential.

On the value front, it offers personalized customer experience. And on the growth side, it has less than 65,000 customers. But, there are more than 200 million customers across the globe, and nearly all of them will eventually require Twilios communication solutions.

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Twilio currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

The companys expected earnings growth rate for the current quarter is 125%, higher than the Internet - Software industrys projected rise of 38.8%. The company has outperformed the broader industry so far this year (+41.6% vs +26.3%).

salesforce.com

salesforce.com, inc. CRM is built on enterprise SaaS cloud solutions. The company is known for offering cloud-based solutions that leverage analytics, data and AI to optimize all kinds of enterprise operations.

salesforces initiative to expand globally to capitalize overseas demand for cloud-based applications should lift the top line. Notably, partnership agreements with bigwigs like Amazon.com, Inc. AMZN and Alphabet Inc. GOOGL will help the company expand its client base significantly and in turn boost revenues. Lest we forget, only a third of its revenues come from outside the United States, so there is plenty of scope for growth in the days to come.

salesforce currently has a Zacks Rank #3. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has moved 0.4% north in the past 60 days. The companys expected earnings growth rate for the next year is 24%, more than the Computer - Software industrys projected rise of 19.3%. The company has outperformed the broader industry over the past year (+33.4% vs +24.5%).

Adobe

Adobe Inc. ADBE operates as a diversified software company worldwide. Its Digital Media segment provides tools and solutions that enable individuals, small and medium businesses, and enterprises to create, publish, promote, and monetize their digital content. But, at its core, the company offers creative and visual-oriented cloud solutions to professionals and business houses.

Its Document Cloud segment is expected to improve on a rise in enterprise-level digital workload adoption, while focus on visual-first content is expected to bolster its Creative Cloud segment.

Adobe at present has a Zacks Rank #3. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings has moved 0.5% up in the past 60 days. The companys expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 15.5%, more than the Computer - Software industrys projected growth of 7.6%. The company has outperformed the broader industry over the past two years (+102.5% vs +61.0%).

Axon Enterprise

Axon Enterprise, Inc. AAXN develops, manufactures, and sells conducted energy weapons worldwide. But, most importantly, the company provides cloud-hosted and next-gen solutions to improve law enforcement processes. Thus, Axon Enterprise is an attractive business since it sells to law enforcement agencies, which means demand is largely recession proof.

Axon Enterprise right now has a Zacks Rank #3. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings has moved 1.1% north in the past 30 days. The companys expected earnings growth rate for the next year is 47.3%, more than the Security and Safety Services industrys projected rise of 22.2%. The company has outperformed the broader industry on a year-to-date basis (+20.0% vs +16.7%).

Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2019

In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-holds for the year?

Who wouldn't? Our annual Top 10s have beaten the market with amazing regularity. In 2018, while the market dropped -5.2%, the portfolio scored well into double-digits overall with individual stocks rising as high as +61.5%. And from 2012-2017, while the market boomed +126.3, Zacks' Top 10s reached an even more sensational +181.9%.

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The technology sector has come a long way from the chaotic 2018, having recovered impressively so far this year. The Technology Select Sector SPDRs XLK 17.7% year-to-date return, outperforming the S&P 500s rally of 12.5%, bears testimony to the fact.



Rapid adoption of AI, cloud, IoT, autonomous cars and wearables has been fueling growth for the sector. Moreover, increasing video streaming, growing demand for smart speakers and connected devices, powered by AI, machine learning and deep learning, are key catalysts.



Additionally, the accelerated deployment of 5G technology and faster-than-expected growth in robotics set the stage for more development.









This Too Shall Pass



Although 2019 looks promising for the sector, the volatile macroeconomic scenario is quite an eyesore. Notably, the semiconductor industry, which forms the fulcrum of the tech sector, is caught in a volatile geopolitical situation stemming from trade and tariff disputes as well as economic weakness in China.



Moreover, a soft second half of 2018, primarily due to a slowdown in the memory market, fueled the uncertainty.



Nonetheless, positive commentary by CEOs of leading tech companies on growth revival in the second half of 2019 is boosting investors confidence.



Further, a trade truce between the United States and China, financial stimulus by Chinese authorities and a dovish stance by a growing number of central banks are strengthening the stock market.



Here we pick a few tech stocks from the S&P 500 which flaunt a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and have outperformed the composite in the year-to-date period. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Key Picks



Santa Clara, CA-based Arista Networks, Inc. ANET is engaged in providing cloud networking solutions to data centers and cloud computing environments. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the companys 2019 earnings has been revised 3.7% upward to $9.26 over the past 60 days. The stock has gained 47.7% year to date, significantly outperforming the industrys 23.7% rally.

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Year-to-Date Price Performance



Olathe, KS-based, Garmin, Ltd. GRMN is an original equipment manufacturer of navigation and communication equipment that incorporate the global positioning system-based technology. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the companys 2019 earnings has risen 6.9% to $3.72 over the past 60 days. Shares of Garmin have gained 35.6% year to date, significantly outperforming the industrys 20.3% rise.

Year-to-Date Price Performance





Based in San Jose, CA, Cadence Design Systems Inc. CDNS offers products and tools that help customers design electronic products. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings of $2.04 has risen 4.6% in the past 60 days.



Headquartered in Mountain View, CA, Synopsys Inc. SNPS is also a vendor of electronic design automation software to semiconductor and electronics industries. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings has increased 2 cents to $4.27 in the past 60 days.



Mountain View, CA-headquartered Symantec Corporation SYMC is a provider of a broad range of solutions for content security and information back up to individuals and enterprises. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its fiscal 2019 earnings of $1.59 has moved 3.3% north in the past 60 days.



In the year-to-date period, shares of Cadence, Synopsys and Symantec have returned 44.2%, 33.5% and 20.9%, respectively, outperforming the 17.9% rally of the industry that the three belong to.

Year-to-Date Price Performance





Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2019





In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-holds for the year?



Who wouldn't? Our annual Top 10s have beaten the market with amazing regularity. In 2018, while the market dropped -5.2%, the portfolio scored well into double-digits overall with individual stocks rising as high as +61.5%. And from 2012-2017, while the market boomed +126.3, Zacks' Top 10s reached an even more sensational +181.9%.

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Symantec Corporation (SYMC) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (CDNS) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Synopsys, Inc. (SNPS) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Garmin Ltd. (GRMN) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK): ETF Research Reports



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Donald Trump called on Rep. Adam Schiff to resign from his position as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee on Twitter, alleging the California Democrat knowingly and unlawfully lying and leaking information regarding special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

On Thursday morning, Mr Trump tweeted: Congressman Adam Schiff, who spent two years knowingly and unlawfully lying and leaking, should be forced to resign from Congress!

Mr Schiff has come under fire for continuing to launch investigations into the president and the Trump campaign to determine whether there was any possible collusion with the Kremlin and if Mr Mueller had any limitations during his investigation.

Since Mr Muller did not find the Trump campaign had colluded with Russia, according to a letter sent to Congress by Attorney General William Barr, many Republicans believe the California Democrats continue investigation of the president to be an act of congressional overreach and an abuse of power to knowingly promote false information.

In addition to the president, nine other Republicans sitting on the House Intelligence Committee signed a letter calling on Mr Schiff to resign.

Congressman Adam Schiff, who spent two years knowingly and unlawfully lying and leaking, should be forced to resign from Congress!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 28, 2019

The letter read: Your willingness to continue to promote a demonstrably false narrative is alarming. The findings of the Special Counsel conclusively refute your past and present assertions and have exposed you as having abused your position to knowingly promote false information, having damaged the integrity of this Committee, and undermined faith in U.S. government institutions.

Rep. Mike Conaway, the Republican leading the House Intelligence Committees Russia investigation, echoed calls for Mr Schiffs resignation at the beginning of the public committee hearing on money laundering.

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Your actions both past and present are incompatible with your duty as chairman, Mr Conway said. We have no faith in your ability to discharge duties.

Who is Adam Schiff?

Mr Schiff is a Democrat representative of Californias 28th congressional district. He first assumed congressional office in January 2001 representing the Golden States 27th District and then the 29th District.

He was tapped to serve on the House Intelligence Committee in 2008 until earlier this year when he became chairman of the committee.

What is the California Democrats political background?

Mr Schiff graduated from Stanford University in 1982 with a degree in political science before earning his law degree from Harvard University in 1985.

In Los Angeles, Mr Schiff made headlines as an assistant US attorney for his successful prosecution of Richard Miller. Mr Miller was an FBI agent who leaked confidential US documents to the former Soviet Union.

What was his role as House Intelligence Committee chairman like?

Until recently, among Democrats, Mr Schiff was often seen as a heroic figure as a ranking member of the House Select Committee on Intelligence, using his political prowess to bring forward concerns about the president and his campaigns possible collusion with the Kremlin.

Mr Schiff was also credited for standing up against former House Intelligence Chairman Republican Rep. David Nunes. Despite working alongside him in the committee, Mr Schiff called on California Republican to step aside as the head of the Russia investigation after Mr Nunes appeared to safeguard the Trump administration.

How is Mr Schiff responding to the president's call for his resignation?

Question: "What do you make of the President calling you a disgrace, calling for you to resign?"



Rep. Adam Schiff: "It's nothing new from this president."



EARLIER: Trump: Schiff should be forced out of office https://t.co/alSzyiTtby pic.twitter.com/Y1usBMKONr  The Hill (@thehill) March 28, 2019

The California Democrat brushed it off. He said: "It's nothing new from this president.:
By Sarah N. Lynch WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Maria Butina, who has admitted to working as a Russian agent to infiltrate an influential gun rights group and make inroads with U.S. conservative activists and Republicans, will be sentenced on April 26, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan said on Thursday. Butina, a former graduate student at American University who publicly advocated for gun rights, pleaded guilty in December to one count of conspiring to act as a foreign agent for Russia. She has remained in custody since her arrest in July 2018. The 30-year-old native of Siberia wore a green jail jump suit during the brief hearing in Washington, but said nothing. Chutkan said during the hearing that sentencing memos from prosecutors and Butina's defense team will be due a week before the sentencing date. Prosecutors and defense lawyers approached the bench for a discussion with the judge, but the subject of those talks was not made public. Butina has admitted to conspiring with a Russian official and two Americans from 2015 until her arrest to infiltrate the National Rifle Association and create unofficial lines of communication to try to make Washington's policy toward Moscow more friendly. The NRA is closely aligned with U.S. conservatives and Republican politicians including President Donald Trump. Chutkan in February had delayed the sentencing at the request of prosecutors, who said Butina was cooperating in their ongoing investigation. Butina's attorney, Robert Driscoll, said at the time his client was ready for sentencing. Russia in December accused the United States of forcing Butina to falsely confess to what it described as the "absolutely ridiculous charges" of her being a Russian agent. Court records have pointed to the involvement of several others with Butina's actions including Paul Erickson, a conservative political activist with deep Republican ties who was romantically linked to her. Erickson is referred to as "Person 1" court records, which stated that he helped advise her on which American politicians to target for meetings. Erickson's attorney William Hurd declined to comment. Federal prosecutors in South Dakota have charged Erickson with 11 counts of wire fraud and money laundering unrelated to the case against Butina. Erickson's indictment appeared to make references to her when it said he made a payment of $8,000 to an "M.B." in June 2015 and another payment of $1,000 to "M.B." in March 2017, as well as more than $20,000 to American University in June 2017. Alexander Torshin, who was a deputy governor of Russia's central bank, has been identified as the Russian official involved in Butina's case. The charges against Butina were not part of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's now-concluded investigation into Russia's role in the 2016 U.S. election. (Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Will Dunham)
Shares of AGCO Corporation AGCO have rallied 23.2% year to date, fueled by its forecast-topping performance in fourth-quarter 2018 and an encouraging outlook for 2019. The company is likely to benefit from its focus on strategic investments and capital-allocation plan.



AGCO, a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock, has a market cap of roughly $5.25 billion and average volume of shares traded in the last three months was around 634K. The company has an expected long-term earnings per share growth rate of 14.4%, higher than the industry average of 8.9%.

The company outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in all of the trailing four quarters, average positive earnings surprise being 59.36%. The stocks 23.2% year-to-date rise outperformed the industrys growth of 7.6%.





Lets delve deeper and analyze the reasons behind the companys impressive price performance and find out if there is room for further appreciation:



Strong Q4: AGCO reported fourth-quarter 2018 adjusted earnings per share of $1.31, up 19% year over year. The reported figure surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.23. Revenues of $2,592 million were up 2.6% year over year and came ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2,574 million.



Upbeat Outlook: AGCO has reaffirmed its net sales 2019 outlook at $9.6 billion, owing to improved sales volumes and positive pricing. It anticipates gross and operating margin to improve from the 2018 level, backed by positive impact of pricing and cost reduction. Considering these, the company expects 2019 earnings to come in at around $4.60 per share.



Additionally, AGCO forecasts industry demand in South America to improve this year from the prior-year level. Backed by favorable wheat prices and crop production, farm economics are expected to improve modestly across Western Europe in the current year, leading to relatively stable demand in European markets.



Positive Growth Projections: The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AGCOs 2019 earnings is currently pegged at $4.67, reflecting year-over-year growth of 20%. The same for 2020 stands at $5.39, indicating a year-over-year rise of 15.5%.



Growth Drivers



AGCO is consistently making strategic investments to enhance and expand product lines, upgrade system capabilities and improve factory productivity. In a bid to execute its product-development plan, and meet new emission requirements in Brazil and Europe, the company intends to maintain its level of investment in 2019. As a result, AGCO expects capital expenditures in 2019 to flare up roughly above $25 million compared with the 2018 level. Notably, its spending plan for the ongoing year will support long-term business growth.



AGCO has completed two acquisitions in the last two years. In September 2017, it acquired Precision Planting  a leader in innovative planting technology. Later that October, AGCO purchased the forage division of the Lely Group, which will significantly enhance hay and forage product line in Europe and drive growth in this market.



Moreover, AGCO is focused on the companys long-term capital allocation plan by returning cash to its shareholders. Over the past six and a half years, the company has executed share repurchases of $1.2 billion, which reduced share count by more than 20%. Last year, it completed share repurchase worth $184 million and expects to continue share repurchases in 2019 as well. AGCO also aims to generate solid free cash flow this year.

Story continues

AGCO Corporation Price and Consensus

AGCO Corporation Price and Consensus | AGCO Corporation Quote

Stocks to Consider



A few better-ranked stocks in the Industrial Products sector are Mueller Industries, Inc MLI, Lawson Products, Inc. LAWS and Albany International Corp. AIN, each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.



Mueller Industries has an expected earnings growth rate of 2.2% for 2019. The companys shares have rallied 18%, over the past year.



Lawson Products has an impressive projected earnings growth rate of 102.5% for the current year. The stock has appreciated 21.8% in a years time.



Albany International has an estimated earnings growth rate of 44.7% for the ongoing year. The companys shares have gained 13.5%, in the past year.



Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2019



In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-holds for the year?



Who wouldn't? Our annual Top 10s have beaten the market with amazing regularity. In 2018, while the market dropped -5.2%, the portfolio scored well into double-digits overall with individual stocks rising as high as +61.5%. And from 2012-2017, while the market boomed +126.3, Zacks' Top 10s reached an even more sensational +181.9%.



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AGCO Corporation (AGCO) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Mueller Industries, Inc. (MLI) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Lawson Products, Inc. (LAWS) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Albany International Corporation (AIN) : Free Stock Analysis Report



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Shares of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. APD scaled a fresh 52-week high of $188.17 on Mar 27, before closing the session at $187.65.



The company has a market cap of roughly $41.2 billion and average volume of shares traded in the past three months was around 1,180.3K. The company has expected long-term earnings per share (EPS) growth rate of 13%.



The stock has gained 18.7% in the past year, against the industrys 13.1% decline.





Driving Factors



Upbeat outlook, strategic investments and new business deals are contributing to the rally in Air Products shares.



Air Products profits from continuing operations jumped more than two-fold year over year to $347.5 million or $1.57 per share in first-quarter fiscal 2019 (ended Dec 31, 2018).



Air Products continues to expect adjusted EPS for fiscal 2019 in the range of $8.05-$8.30, reflecting a 10% increase at the midpoint year over year. Also, the company expects adjusted EPS in the range of $1.80-$1.90 for second-quarter fiscal 2019, up 8% at the midpoint year over year.



Air Products strategic investments in high-return projects, new business deals and acquisitions should drive its fiscal 2019 results. The Lu'An syngas project in China, which is now fully onstream, contributed to the results in the companys Industrial Gases  Asia segment in the fiscal first quarter. The company expects the Lu'An project to contribute more than 25 cents per share to its earnings in fiscal 2019.



Earlier this month, the company completed the buyout of ACP Europe SA, which is the largest independent carbon dioxide business in Continental Europe. The buyout enables the company to serve existing customers better and tap new industrial gas growth opportunities. Customers will gain from a broader liquid carbon dioxide supply position across additional regions of Europe as well as greater density throughout Continental Europe.



Air Products noted that the acquisition provides it a strong platform to pursue further industrial gas growth in Europe and deliver value to customers.



In February 2019, the company announced that it has successfully achieved the mechanical completion of the worlds largest industrial gas complex in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. Moreover, Air Products completed the world-scale project without a lost time injury in 25 million worker hours. The industrial gas complex is expected to be onstream in phases in 2019.

Story continues

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. Price and Consensus

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. Price and Consensus | Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. Quote

Zacks Rank & Key Picks



Air Products currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).



Some better-ranked stocks in the basic materials space are Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd. KL, Ingevity Corporation NGVT and Materion Corporation MTRN, all currently sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.



Kirkland has an expected earnings growth rate of 8.8% for 2019. The companys shares have surged 116.7% in the past year.



Ingevity has an expected earnings growth rate of 17.9% for the current year. The companys shares have rallied 45.1% in a years time.



Materion has an expected earnings growth rate of 12.6% for 2019. Its shares have gained 14% in a years time.



Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2019



In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-holds for the year?



Who wouldn't? Our annual Top 10s have beaten the market with amazing regularity. In 2018, while the market dropped -5.2%, the portfolio scored well into double-digits overall with individual stocks rising as high as +61.5%. And from 2012-2017, while the market boomed +126.3, Zacks' Top 10s reached an even more sensational +181.9%.



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Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (APD) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Ingevity Corporation (NGVT) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Materion Corporation (MTRN) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd. (KL) : Free Stock Analysis Report



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Zacks Investment Research
In the past week, premier trade organization  Airlines for America (A4A)  issued a bullish forecast for U.S. carriers. These companies are expected to draw substantial traffic this spring (Mar 1 Apr 30). The projection mirrors a 4.3% increase in passengers flying to various destinations over the period compared with last year.

On the flip side, Southwest Airlines LUV provided a downbeat guidance for the first quarter of 2019. Notably, factors like weather-related disturbances, unscheduled maintenance disruptions due to negotiations with the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA) as well as the Boeing 737 MAX 8 groundings were the primary reasons behind the drab view. In the meantime, American Airlines AAL stated that it was unable to provide an estimate of the costs associated with the grounding of its 737 MAX fleet.

Also, Delta Air Lines DAL featured in the headlines by virtue of its announcement to boost capacity on the Atlanta-San Juan route to meet the surge in demand during the peak winter holiday season.

(Read the last Airline Stock Roundup here).

Recap of the Past Weeks Most Important Stories

1. According to the forecast put forward by A4A, passengers traveling on U.S. airlines during the spring travel period this year will reach an all-time high of 158.2 million. Notably, 151.7 million people chose to travel by air in the same period last year. The forecast translates into 2.59 million fliers per day during the abovementioned period. To meet the surge in travel demand, U.S. carriers are increasing the number of available seats by 129,000 per day. (Read more: Busiest Spring Season in the Cards for U.S. Airlines Per A4A).

2. Due to multiple headwinds, Southwest Airlines expects approximately 9,400 flight cancellations since mid-February through Mar 31, 2019. As a result, first-quarter capacity (available seat mile or ASM) is now anticipated to increase approximately 1% year over year compared with a 3.5-4% rise projected earlier.

Story continues

Earlier, Southwest had expected a negative revenue impact of $60 million for first-quarter 2019 on softness in bookings due to the government shutdown. However, the company continued to experience low demand and yields ever since the government shutdown. Revenues were further impacted by bad weather conditions, maintenance disruptions and the MAX 8 groundings. Consequently, the metric is now expected to be hurt to the tune of $150 million. Additionally, first-quarter operating revenue per ASM (RASM) is now predicted to increase 2-3% year over year compared with 3-4% growth anticipated earlier.

As a result of the flight cancellations, first-quarter non-fuel unit costs are expected to increase around 10% year over year. Previously, the same was estimated to increase 6%. Moreover, the companys recent agreement in principle with AMFA is estimated to add approximately $30 million to costs associated with salaries, wages, and benefits in the first quarter. Additionally, fuel costs are estimated to be approximately $2.05 per gallon for the first quarter (past forecast was in the $2-$2.05 band).

3. American Airlines acknowledged significant disruptions in its operations and associated financial damages due to the Federal Aviation Administrations (FAA) decision to ground all U.S.-registered Boeing 737 MAX jets. Due to the grounding of the above-mentioned planes, American Airlines, which currently has 24 such jets in its fleet, is canceling 90 flights per day. Also, the carrier extended cancellations of the Boeing 737 MAX jets through Apr 24, assuming their non-availability till that date.

American Airlines carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

4. Inflow of visitors to Puerto Rico are expected to increase significantly during the winter holiday season. In bid to cope with the passenger rush, Delta has decided to operate one of its four daily flights on the Atlanta-San Juan route with an Airbus A330-300 aircraft that accommodates more passengers. Given the presence of multiple festivities like the San Sebastian Street festival, travelers throng into San Juan during the period. Naturally, upgauging the planes on the route is a logical step.

5. Ryanair Holdings RYAAY, which has been plagued with labor unrest for quite some time, received encouraging tidings on the labor front. According to an Associated Press report, the European low-cost carrier and a German union representing around 1,100 of its cabin crew inked a deal pertaining to wage hikes and working conditions.

Price Performance

The following table shows the price movement of the major airline players over the past week and during the last six months.

The table above shows all airline stocks, barring Hawaiian Holdings HA, have shed value in the past week. Consequently, the NYSE ARCA Airline index declined 1.2% in the same period. Over the course of six months, the NYSE ARCA Airline index appreciated 3.4%. Shares of GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes GOL appreciated the most in the period (19.1%).

Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2019



In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-holds for the year?



Who wouldn't? Our annual Top 10s have beaten the market with amazing regularity. In 2018, while the market dropped -5.2%, the portfolio scored well into double-digits overall with individual stocks rising as high as +61.5%. And from 2012-2017, while the market boomed +126.3, Zacks' Top 10s reached an even more sensational +181.9%.



See Latest Stocks Today >>





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Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A. (GOL) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Ryanair Holdings PLC (RYAAY) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (HA) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Delta Air Lines, Inc. (DAL) : Free Stock Analysis Report



American Airlines Group Inc. (AAL) : Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment Research
Adrian Hong, who allegedly led an attack on North Korea's embassy in Madrid, is a longtime US-based advocate of regime change in Pyongyang whose sources of financial support are murky.

Spain's National Court identified the leader of the group which invaded the embassy and stole records and computers on February 22 as 35-year-old Mexican national Adrian Hong Chang.

According to the court, he went by the name "Matthew Chao" while in Madrid, booked his Uber under the name "Oswaldo Trump", and led the group of 10 who stormed the embassy wielding knives and fake guns.

After the raid he allegedly flew to New York and has not been heard from since.

In the United States, he goes by the name Adrian Hong.

Well-spoken, with detailed knowledge of North Korea's politics and economy, Hong in 2005 co-founded the California-based Liberty in North Korea group (LiNK), which helps resettle refugees from the country.

In December 2006 he was arrested together with two other field workers in China as they tried to help six North Koreans escape their country.

They were released after being held for 10 days.

But not long after that Hong left LiNK and began campaigning for human rights and regime change in Pyongyang, presenting himelf as chief executive of a consultancy called Pegasus Strategies LLC.

The company was described in one article on Hong as "an initiative that uses cutting-edge technology to penetrate closed societies and empower people in those nations."

His resume from when he was a fellow at the TED organization in 2010 said he has lectured at South Korea's Ewha University on human rights and foreign policy, and was a research fellow at Yale University.

- 'Dress rehearsal' -

But then his activity gets murky. Few in Washington's close-knit circles of North Korea watchers said they knew much about him, or who finances his activities.

In 2011 he showed up in Tripoli, Libya.

A former TED associate of Hong's, Jordanian businessman Suleiman Bakhit, said that during the first Libyan civil war, they built an operation to take some 15,000 Libyan civilians to be treated in Jordanian hospitals.

Story continues

He continued advocating about North Korea.

"I consider the Arab Spring a dress rehearsal for North Korea," Hong told Abu Dhabi's The National newspaper in 2011.

"But North Korea is a far more lethal, prepared and massive opponent for the people than Syria, Libya, Egypt, Tunisia or Yemen, in every category: pervasiveness of public security and secret police, size of military and mobilisation, hopelessness and general impoverished and malnourished state of the people."

In 2015, Hong founded the Joseon Institute, based in New York and named after the 14th-19th century dynasty that ruled the Korean peninsula.

Its website describes its mission as to "prepare actionable blueprints on how to manage a transition and prepare for a brighter future in a new North Korea," and suggests it has secret "planning commissions" to direct the country.

Hong's link to the "Cheollima Civil Defense" group, which took credit for the attack on the embassy and apparently offered the materials it took to the FBI, is unclear.

The group presents itself as the government-in-waiting for a "Free Joseon": "We declare this entity the sole legitimate representative of the Korean people of the north," its website says.

Yet the group could very well be tied to Hong: "Cheollima" is the name of a powerful stallion in East Asian mythology -- a direct parallel to Pegasus of Greek mythology.
Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - Palestinians in Gaza will on Saturday mark a year since mass protests and deadly clashes began along the Israeli border, with a demonstration expected to draw thousands and bring tensions to boiling point.

The anniversary falls only days after another severe flare-up between Hamas and Israel, with a rocket attack from the Gaza Strip that sparked retaliatory air strikes.

Israel also holds elections on April 9 and is seeking to avoid a major escalation before then.

The protests initially drew global attention, but with more than 200 Palestinians killed and participation seeming to have peaked, some are questioning what strategy to take now.

Thousands of Palestinians have gathered at least weekly along the border in protests dubbed the Great March of Return.

They are calling for Israel to lift its crippling decade-long blockade of Gaza, while also demanding refugees be allowed to return to homes their families fled in the late 1940s during the creation of the Jewish state.

Those homes are now inside Israel, whose government views the demands as advocating for the end of the Jewish state.

Palestinians and rights groups have criticised Israel for its response to the protests, saying soldiers were shooting at demonstrators who posed little threat.

Israel says its response is necessary to defend the border and accuses Hamas, with whom it has fought three wars, of orchestrating violence there.

The rallies peaked on May 14, the day of President Donald Trump's landmark transfer of Washington's embassy to Jerusalem after recognising the city, also claimed by the Palestinians, as capital of Israel.

It led to split-screen coverage of the serene embassy opening ceremony, attended by Trump's daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner, alongside bloodshed in Gaza.

Israeli fire killed at least 62 Palestinians that day in border clashes, wounding hundreds more.

In recent months, the protests have gained less attention, though they were back in the news recently when a UN probe said Israeli soldiers had intentionally fired on civilians in what could constitute war crimes.

Story continues

- A Facebook dream -

In total, 258 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in Gaza since the protests began, the majority during border clashes.

Two Israeli soldiers have been killed over the same period.

Ahmed Abu Artema was widely credited with being a founder of the marches after a Facebook post calling for mass peaceful border protests went viral.

But as the protests continued, Hamas, the Islamist group that rules the Gaza Strip, appears to have exerted more control.

Demonstrators have also shifted tactics.

Early on, many protesters remained far away from the fence and demonstrated peacefully.

Others approached and burned tires to make it harder for Israeli snipers to see while throwing stones and shooting fireworks at soldiers on the other side.

Some sought to breach the fence, which has recently been fortified further, and explosive devices were also used.

There was occasional gunfire, and one soldier was killed by a Palestinian sniper.

Protesters later began launching balloons and kites carrying incendiary devices to set fire to Israeli lands near Gaza.

"What happened was not exactly what I had wished for, but there is a difference between dream and reality," Abu Artema said.

"We have to fight for the rallies to continue in their popular and peaceful nature."

Mukhaimer Abu Saada, a politics professor in Gaza, said while the protests had highlighted the situation in Gaza, mistakes had been made.

"One of the most important failures is that the marches have transformed from peaceful to violent," he told AFP.

This, he said, helped Israel justify a violent response.

Meanwhile, the protests have achieved little.

In November, Israel agreed to allow tens of millions of dollars in Qatari aid into the impoverished enclave in exchange for relative calm, seen by many as a victory for the demonstrations.

Abu Artema said the protesters had succeeded in shining a light on the plight of Palestinians in Gaza.

"The marches were able to bring back to prominence the issue of refugees and engage popular energy," he said.

Asaad Abu Sharkh, a spokesman for the marches, was less equivocal.

"The marches are the strongest message to the world that our people are committed to the right of return," he said.

"The protests will continue into a second year until they realise their goals of breaking the blockade."

- 'Disappointment' -

The organising committee is calling for all of Gaza to shut down Saturday for the demonstration.

Desperate economic circumstances mean people often feel they have little to lose.

Seven out of 10 young people in Gaza are unemployed, according to the World Bank.

"We come and we don't know if we will achieve our goals," said Ayman al-Maflah, 20, who takes part every Friday.

"I'm not sure, as everyone is against us (Palestinians) and we're against each other."

Separately in Gaza, protestors recently took to the streets against rising prices and criticising Hamas rule.

Hamas cracked down violently, arresting more than 1,000 people, according to rights groups.

Abu Artema expressed "disappointment" at the crackdown.

"How can we convince the world of our right to peaceful protest against the occupation and they are seeing pictures showing us repressing people's right to peaceful demonstration?"
Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello

Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello had a stern warning for President Donald Trump as the president's feud with the U.S. island territory's politicians over its disaster relief management continued.

"If the bully gets close, I'll punch the bully in the mouth," Rossello told CNN in an interview. "It would be a mistake to confuse courtesy with courage."

Rossello told the network he wouldn't be bullied by the White House as he continues to press for disaster relief assistance tied to Hurricane Maria, which devastated Puerto Rico in 2017 and had impacts that linger over a year and a half later.

CNN reported Rossello has requested a meeting with Trump to discuss the disaster relief but that Trump has declined.

More: Hurricane Maria's economic impact on Puerto Rico: At least $43 billion, possibly as high as $159 billion

The rift between Trump and Puerto Rico grew this week when, in a meeting with Senate Republicans, the president again questioned the amount of funding the island was receiving for disaster relief, CNN and the Washington Post reported.

During the meeting, Trump questioned why Puerto Rico received more than $90 billion in aid, the two outlets reported. However, Congress has appropriated only $20 billion in Department of Housing and Urban Development disaster funds for Puerto Rico, and only $1.5 billion have been approved for spending, the outlets report.

"It's unfortunate that we are having to hear this. These statements lack empathy, but more so they lack the true facts of the matter," Rossello told CNN.

More: San Juan mayor rips Trump for 'neglect' of Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria

In a statement to CNN White House spokesperson Judd Deere said, "The Trump administration is committed to the complete recovery of Puerto Rico."

Rossello is in Washington this week in a push for Puerto Rico's statehood.

Rep. Darren Soto, D-Fla., introduced a bill Thursday that would make Puerto Rico the 51st state.

Follow USA TODAY's Ryan Miller on Twitter @RyanW_Miller

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'I'll punch the bully in the mouth': Puerto Rico governor warns Trump over Maria relief
At a sunny Hong Kong art studio Kacey Wong gazes out through the bars of a cage, painted communist red -- his work a protest in a city struggling to square its vast cultural ambitions with an increasingly assertive Beijing.

Better known for its high-end commercial galleries -- and glamourous fairs like this month's Art Basel -- Hong Kong is striving to turn itself into a cultural heavyweight through a spate of new multi-million-dollar public art spaces.

But local artists warn Beijing's growing influence is creating a climate of fear that is stifling creativity and threatens the nascent grassroots art scene Hong Kong says it wants to enrich.

"The way I look at it is that all government-supported art space... is already not safe," said Wong, who sat in his cage outside Hong Kong's government headquarters last July 1 -- the anniversary of the city's return to China by Britain.

"The red line is invisible and it's shifting all the time," Wong, 49, told AFP.

Hong Kong has rights unseen on the mainland but fears they are being steadily eroded were compounded last year when a highly-anticipated show by Chinese political cartoonist Badiucao was cancelled, with organisers citing threats made by the Chinese authorities.

Talks by dissident author Ma Jian were pulled just a week later by the new Tai Kwun arts centre, before being reinstated at the last moment.

The freedom of the city's publishing has also taken a hit, with five booksellers known for printing gossipy titles about China's leaders disappearing in 2015 and resurfacing in custody on the mainland.

- 'Obedient artists' -

The unprecedented challenges to freedom of expression come at a time of staggering public investment in Hong Kong arts and culture.

As well as Tai Kwun -- a $484 million renovation of a former colonial prison and police station led by The Hong Kong Jockey Club in partnership with the government -- there is the 60,000-square-metre harbourfront M+ gallery due to open in 2020.

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M+ and the Xiqu centre, a recently-opened Chinese opera venue, are part of the vast West Kowloon Cultural District costing upwards of $2.8 billion.

The city's Chief Executive Carrie Lam has said that West Kowloon's success would "elevate the status of Hong Kong to among the great cities of the world".

But others fear Hong Kong could follow the model of Singapore, which has a thriving, government-supported arts scene but is at the mercy of authorities who can withhold or withdraw funding if work is deemed to breach their guidelines.

Critics say this pushes locally-based creatives to self-censor and avoid delving too deeply into topics deemed sensitive by the government.

"Tai Kwun and West Kowloon will provide opportunities," said Wen Yau, who researched artist participation in social movements as part of a PhD at Hong Kong Baptist University.

"So it's quite an easy way to get all these people in and they will be obedient artists because once you depend on the funding it's hard to say no."

Cosmin Costinas -- the director of Para Site, one of Hong Kong's oldest contemporary art centres -- said the city's artists were not yet self-censoring, but admitted censorship was a problem, albeit one caused primarily by middle men.

"I think it's important to understand that the majority of them (censorship cases) have not come directly from sources of power but from different intermediaries that were themselves afraid," he said.

His words echoed the experience of AFP.

West Kowloon's press office refused to allow directors at M+ and the Xiqu centre to be interviewed on this subject and a Tai Kwun press officer also turned down an interview on behalf of Tobias Berger, head of arts.

One exception was Eve Tam, director of the Hong Kong Museum of Art -- due to reopen later this year after a revamp -- who said she would give "freehand to the artist to have their own position" on sensitive issues.

- 'Can't help their homeland' -

Still, some creatives aren't taking any chances.

"Some of my artist friends moved away, to Germany and to Taiwan. They don't want to stay in Hong Kong," said Man Chan, 32, an artist and assistant at Wong's studio.

"Of course they are angry but how however hard they try they can't help their homeland. So they just go."

Even among those who remain in Hong Kong, some have sent their work abroad.

Last year hand-drawn sketches of Hong Kong's 2014 Umbrella Movement -- month's-long pro-democracy demonstrations -- were part of an exhibition on dissent at London's British Museum.

M+ told AFP at the time it was still "carefully evaluating this recent past" and was not considering the works for its collection.

But there are young artists in Hong Kong who are still fighting on their home turf.

"I've always been someone who cares about Hong Kong and an artist who's willing to discuss these topics through my creations," said Siu Wai-hang, 32, whose video work depicting the July 1 pro-democracy protest won the Hong Kong Human Rights Art Prize in 2018.

Wong agrees.

"Don't think people will just totally give up and won't do anything even in a super suppressive regime. People will be doing Banksy-like (works). There'll be invisible platforms."
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Duncan Painter has been the CEO of Ascential plc (LON:ASCL) since 2011. First, this article will compare CEO compensation with compensation at similar sized companies. After that, we will consider the growth in the business. And finally - as a second measure of performance - we will look at the returns shareholders have received over the last few years. The aim of all this is to consider the appropriateness of CEO pay levels.

View our latest analysis for Ascential

How Does Duncan Painter's Compensation Compare With Similar Sized Companies?

According to our data, Ascential plc has a market capitalization of UK1.4b, and pays its CEO total annual compensation worth UK856k. (This number is for the twelve months until December 2017). While this analysis focuses on total compensation, it's worth noting the salary is lower, valued at UK509k. As part of our analysis we looked at companies in the same jurisdiction, with market capitalizations of UK756m to UK2.4b. The median total CEO compensation was UK1.3m.

A first glance this seems like a real positive for shareholders, since Duncan Painter is paid less than the average total compensation paid by similar sized companies. However, before we heap on the praise, we should delve deeper to understand business performance.

The graphic below shows how CEO compensation at Ascential has changed from year to year.

LSE:ASCL CEO Compensation, March 28th 2019

Is Ascential plc Growing?

On average over the last three years, Ascential plc has grown earnings per share (EPS) by 118% each year (using a line of best fit). Its revenue is down -7.3% over last year.

Overall this is a positive result for shareholders, showing that the company has improved in recent years. The lack of revenue growth isn't ideal, but it is the bottom line that counts most in business. It could be important to check this free visual depiction of what analysts expect for the future.

Story continues

Has Ascential plc Been A Good Investment?

I think that the total shareholder return of 54%, over three years, would leave most Ascential plc shareholders smiling. This strong performance might mean some shareholders don't mind if the CEO were to be paid more than is normal for a company of its size.

In Summary...

It appears that Ascential plc remunerates its CEO below most similar sized companies. Considering the underlying business is growing earnings, this would suggest the pay is modest. The strong history of shareholder returns might even have some thinking that Duncan Painter deserves a raise!

It's not often we see shareholders do so well, and yet the CEO is paid modestly. It would be even more positive if company insiders are buying shares. Shareholders may want to check for free if Ascential insiders are buying or selling shares.

Important note: Ascential may not be the best stock to buy. You might find something better in this list of interesting companies with high ROE and low debt.

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.
London (AFP) - The pound dropped on Thursday, weighed down by ongoing chaos in Brexit proceedings, dealers said.

London's stock market rose, however, buoyed by the weaker currency.

Eurozone markets, having enjoyed modest gains earlier in the session, slipped towards the close as Wall Street gave up its opening gains as worries about economic growth weighed on sentiment.

British Prime Minister Theresa May will renew attempts to push through her Brexit plan on Friday, after she dramatically offered to quit to save her deal and MPs failed in their own bid to break the deadlock.

"The pound has remained under pressure today," said XTB analyst David Cheetham.

"The decline has been fairly steady and not too dramatic in its nature, but the move could well gather momentum in the next few days if the current political impasse shows no sign of abating with no-deal prospects seemingly being resurrected," Cheetham said.

Sterling's fall against the dollar exceeded one percent by the late European trading day, and the currency lost around 0.8 percent against the euro.

- 'No clear way out' -

Connor Campbell, analyst at Spreadex, said there was "no clear way out of the Brexit labyrinth in sight".

Meanwhile top Chinese and US negotiators held their latest round of trade talks in Beijing, with hopes the two economic superpowers can find a deal to end their long-running tariffs row.

Investors took heart from reports of "US/China trade progress on significant structural issues", analysts at Charles Schwab said.

Earlier Thursday, Asian stock markets were gripped by volatility as investors grow increasingly worried about the state of the global economy, sending them rushing to haven assets and fuelling talk of possible recession.

Tokyo's main stocks index sank 1.6 percent, with exporters hit by a jump in the haven yen currency, while Shanghai shed almost one percent.

After a stellar start to the year, equities are beginning to stumble with closely watched sovereign bond yields -- key indicators of the state of the economy -- flashing a warning.

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The yields on government bonds, considered a watertight investment in times of turmoil and uncertainty, have tumbled around the world while central banks are becoming more dovish on their outlooks.

This is most notable in the United States, where the Federal Reserve has lowered its rate hike expectations and 10-year Treasury bond yields are below those of three-month notes.

The last time this happened was before the 2008 global financial crisis.

- Key figures around 1640 GMT -

London - FTSE 100: UP 0.6 percent at 7,234.33 points (close)

Frankfurt - DAX 30: UP 0.1 percent at 11,428.16 (close)

Paris - CAC 40: DOWN 0.1 percent at 5,296.54 (close)

EURO STOXX 50: DOWN 0.1 percent at 3,320.29

New York - Dow: FLAT at 25,628.58

Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 1.6 percent at 21,033.76 (close)

Hong Kong - Hang Seng: UP 0.2 percent at 28,775.21 (close)

Shanghai - Composite: DOWN 0.9 percent at 2,994.94 (close)

Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3069 from $1.3189 at 2100 GMT

Euro/pound: UP at 85.87 pence from 85.26 pence

Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1224 from $1.1217

Dollar/yen: DOWN at 110.78 yen from 110.51 yen

Oil - Brent Crude: DOWN 74 cents at $66.50 per barrel

Oil - West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 58 cents at $58.82 per barrel

burs-jh/bp
Australia's hard-right One Nation Party faced outrage and risked voters' ire Thursday after its leader Pauline Hanson was captured on camera suggesting the county's worst gun massacre was a conspiracy.

In footage from an Al Jazeera undercover investigation, Hanson floats the idea that the 1996 Port Arthur shootings, which left 35 people dead, were carried out to change Australian gun laws.

"An MP said it would actually take a massacre in Tasmania to change the gun laws in Australia," she told an undercover journalist posing as a gun lobbyist.

"Those shots, they were precision shots," she continues. "I've read a lot, and I've read the book on it -- Port Arthur. A lot of questions there," Hanson added.

The same Al Jazeera investigation earlier this week revealed senior One Nation members travelled to the United States in September last year to solicit millions in donations from gun lobby group the National Rifle Association.

Hanson reportedly made the comments about three months after they returned.

Australia was rocked in 1996 when gunman Martin Bryant went on a rampage with semi-automatic weapons at the historic Tasmanian colonial convict site of Port Arthur.

It led to swift gun legislation, making Australia the gold standard for gun control advocates, and the laws retain overwhelming public support.

The footage comes at a particularly sensitive time, less than two weeks after an Australian gunman massacred 50 people at two mosques in neighbouring New Zealand, where the government swiftly tightened weapons regulations.

Hansen, who was condemned by all political quarters, tried to turn fire on Al Jazeera, describing it as an "Islamist organisation", while claiming she had been "heavily edited" and her party had been "stitched-up".

But she appeared to backtrack on claims that someone other than Bryant may have been behind Port Arthur -- a common claim from conspiracy theorists after similar shootings in the US.

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"There is no question in my mind that Martin Bryant was the only person responsible," Hansen told reporters.

- 'Appalling' behaviour -

The footage could have wide-ranging implications for Hanson's two-decade-old hard-right party and for general elections expected in May.

And the political fallout is already mounting.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison, whose conservative Liberal Party has for years courted One Nation voters, on Thursday slammed the behaviour as "appalling".

"The comments particularly last night and the linkages to Port Arthur, I'm sure all Australians would be shocked about," he told reporters.

After days of mounting pressure, Morrison said his party would rank One Nation below the opposition Labor Party on voting cards in the upcoming election.

Under Australia's voting system parties jostle for voter preference, as secondary votes can be critical, particularly in marginal seats like those in northern Australia where minority party One Nation enjoys its largest support.

Morrison had resisted attacking Hanson and her party, fearing One Nation voters would not list the Liberal party as a preference.

Hanson branded Morrison a "fool" for the move, saying that he had handed election victory to Australia's centre-left parties.

It remains to be seen how her comments about the Port Arthur shooting play with the party's voters, many of whom see her as a welcome alternative from politics as usual.
(Backstory is a series of reports showing how Reuters journalists work and the standards under which they operate)

By Roslan Khasawneh

SINGAPORE, March 28 (Reuters) - It was a quiet day in January, and many oil traders were still on holiday, when two sources in the industry called to alert me to something unusual - a supertanker that had gone off radar for two weeks appeared off the coast of the United Arab Emirates and was pumping out fuel oil to two smaller vessels.

The sources said it appeared that the supertanker was selling Iranian oil in violation of U.S. sanctions. If confirmed, the sale would shine a rare light on how traders and shippers were evading the sanctions.

My first task was to identify and monitor the vessels involved. I called up satellite data offered by Refinitiv, a sister company of Thomson Reuters, that show the movements of ships around the world.

I also reached out to three other institutions that track the passage of ships and confirmed that the supertanker, the Grace 1, had its Automatic Identification System, or transponder, switched off between Nov. 30 and Dec. 14, 2018, meaning its location could not be tracked.

The transponder is an instrument that all large commercial ships are required to keep on, to pinpoint their location. However, it's difficult to police vessels that switch it off on the high seas.

The satellite data showed the supertanker re-appearing in waters near Iran's port of Bandar Assaluyeh. The data also includes the ship's draft - how deep a vessel sits in water - and it was near maximum at the time, indicating its cargo tanks were full.

The Grace 1 then lined up next to two smaller tankers between Jan. 16 and Jan. 22 in waters offshore Fujairah in the UAE, the data showed. When both left the area, their cargos were full.

Following tankers via satellite images wasn't enough, however. I contacted the companies managing the Grace 1 and the two smaller vehicles.

Reuters also mobilized journalists in Baghdad and Tripoli in Libya to talk directly to ship managers, port officials and shipping agents about the transactions.

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NO RESPONSE

The Grace 1, a Panamanian-flagged tanker, is managed by Singapore-based shipping services firm IShips Management Pte Ltd, according to shipping data. IShips did not respond to several requests for comment via email or phone.

I visited the Singapore office listed on IShips' website but was told by the current tenant that the company had moved out two years earlier.

The manager of Kriti Island, one of the smaller vessels, e-mailed me a document, the Certificate of Origin, showing the oil was loaded from the port of Basra in Iraq.

The next step was go to Iraq to establish the authenticity of the document.

An official from Iraq's state oil marketer SOMO told Ahmed Rasheed, a Baghdad-based Reuters correspondent, the document was "faked" and "completely wrong." The official declined to be identified by name, citing the marketer's communications policy.

Two other Iraqi oil industry sources with direct knowledge of Basra port and oil industry operations also told Rasheed the document was forged.

The two sources said the document bore the signature of a manager who was not working at Basra port on the stated dates. The document also contained contradictory dates: It indicated a loading period of Dec. 10 and 12, 2018 but a sign-off date for the transaction of 11 months earlier, at Jan. 12, 2018.

Basra port loading schedules reviewed by Reuters did not list the Grace 1 as being in port between Dec. 10-12.

Major oil traders form a small group and soon talk was spreading that Reuters was investigating the Grace 1 transactions.

Reuters received several unsolicited calls, text messages, and even a legal notice by e-mail aimed at preventing the publication of such an article.

After many more checks and clearance by our legal advisers, the article uncovering Iranian fuel oil shipments despite U.S. sanctions was published on March 20, two months after the first chatter of such trades. The story was among the most read on the day by Reuters clients and it was widely circulated by media customers.

Two days later, a U.S. State Department official said Washington was investigating and that it reserved the right to take action against any person helping Iran evade U.S. sanctions on energy shipments.

(Reporting by Roslan Khasawneh; Editing by Henning Gloystein and Raju Gopalakrishnan)
By Ludwig Burger

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Bayer AG shares sank to their lowest in almost seven years on Thursday after a U.S. jury awarded $80 million to a man who claimed use of the group's weed killer Roundup caused his cancer, with thousands of similar lawsuits looming.

The jury in San Francisco federal court on Wednesday found Bayer liable because its Monsanto unit did not warn plaintiff Edwin Hardeman of the herbicide's alleged cancer risks.

German chemicals giant Bayer, which bought Roundup maker Monsanto last year for $63 billion, said it would appeal the verdict.

Its shares were down 1.3 percent at 55.59 euros at 1023 GMT. That added to last week's 9.6 percent plunge after the jury concluded part-way into the trial that there was a causal link between the weedkiller and Hardeman's disease.

The steep, steady slide since the first adverse verdict in a Roundup lawsuit in August 2018 has pushed Bayer's value down to about 52 billion euros ($58 billion), which is several billion dollars less than what the drugs and crop chemicals group paid to acquire Monsanto in 2016.

On Wednesday, the jury awarded Hardeman $5 million in compensatory and $75 million in punitive damages. Under a 2003 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, punitive damages are generally limited to less than 10 times the compensatory damages award, meaning the current verdict will likely be reduced, said Adam Zimmerman, a law professor at Los Angeles-based Loyola Law School.

The trial is only the second of more than 11,200 Roundup lawsuits set to go to trial in the United States.

In the first trial, a California man was awarded damages by a jury in state court in August, which were later reduced to $78 million from an original $289 million that Monsanto sought to throw out. The case is on appeal.

A third Roundup trial, handled by the same plaintiff lawyers who won the August verdict, is scheduled to start in California's Superior Court in Oakland on Thursday.

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It was brought by California couple Alva and Alberta Pilliod who were diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2011 and 2015 respectively. They allege their decades-long use of Roundup caused their cancers.

Analysts at JP Morgan and Liberum said Bayer's stock price shows the market expects an eventual settlement of up to 20 billion euros or 40 billion euros. They said that was overly pessimistic and they expected the final amount to be "substantially lower" than that.

"Even if Monsanto/Bayer may win some cases, there is great uncertainty about the number of victories and defeats. That is why we expect Bayer to try to settle the remaining cases," said Bryan Garnier analyst Jean-Jacques Le Fur.

Peter Verdult, an analyst at Citigroup, said more focus should be paid to trials later in the year outside of California to better determine settlement estimates. At least two trials are scheduled to take place in St. Louis, Missouri state court this fall.

Hardeman's case was considered a bellwether trial to help determine the range of damages and define settlement options for the more than 760 other federal cases pending in the same court before U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria. Other cases will be heard in state courts.

"This verdict does not change the weight of over four decades of extensive science and the conclusions of regulators worldwide that support the safety of our glyphosate-based herbicides and that they are not carcinogenic," Bayer said.

Monsanto's Roundup was the first to contain glyphosate, the world's most widely used weed killer. But it is no longer patent-protected and many other versions are available.

Bayer does not provide sales figures for the product and analysts no longer deem it a major profit driver.

Genetically modified crops that resist glyphosate's plant-killing effect, however, contribute heavily to earnings at Bayer's agricultural division.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the European Chemicals Agency and other regulators have found that glyphosate is not likely carcinogenic to humans. The World Health Organization's cancer arm in 2015 reached a different conclusion, classifying glyphosate as "probably carcinogenic to humans."

(Reporting by Ludwig Burger; Additional reporting by Tina Bellon in New York; Editing by Keith Weir and David Gregorio)
Havana, Cuba Charles and Camilla sip their mojitos after a cocktail making class in Cuba [Photo: Getty]

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall have just finished their 12-day tour of the Caribbean, where they visited six countries and one Overseas Territory.

The trip kicked off on March 17 in St Lucia, where Charles marked the countrys 40th anniversary of Independence.

Charles and Camilla then rubbed shoulders with A-list stars such as Lionel Richie and Sir Tom Jones at the Princes Trust International Reception in Barbados. The prince couldnt resist making a cheeky quip, when he met Mr Richie.

The pair soaked up the Caribbean sun as they also undertook engagements in St Vincent, St Kitts and Nevis and Granada. But it was paparazzi-style pictures of the couple in their swimwear on a public Barbados beach, which caused a stir among royal fans.

The overseas tour also saw Charles and Camilla make history as they travelled to Cuba, making them the first members of the Royal Family to visit the Communist-run country.

They spent four days in Cuba where they met with locals and enjoyed sampling the local produce, making their own mojito cocktails and riding in a vintage car.

See the best photos of the prince and duchess on their tour in the gallery above.
This week, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos found herself at the center of a firestorm after Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) questioned her about a budget that proposed eliminating federal funding for the Special Olympics in a now-viral moment.

Its 272,000 kids that are affected, he told her.

The moment blew up, even though the administrations budget was released weeks ago and the cut was previously proposed twice without success. DeVos response drove an entire news cycle, though there was no indication the proposed budget would ever make it through Congress.

But advocates say the focus on the Special Olympics obscures the much deeper cuts DeVos is trying to make to other areas, even if it is an important program. Amid all the controversy, other at-risk programs have been overlooked  even if those cuts are similarly unlikely to pass.

So many people dont understand there are so many programs that impact kids with disabilities, said Curtis Decker, the executive director of the National Disability Rights Network. Just because they dont have disability in their name doesnt mean the cuts being proposed in a variety of program arent serious.

The Education Departments proposed budget would eliminate 29 education programs, including a program that operates after-school programs for low-income kids, one that provides professional development for teachers and one that helps provide mental health services.

These programs are essential to kids with disabilities, according to advocates.

This budget is pretty anti-disability, said Decker.

Other areas have avoided proposed cuts. Grants that directly fund special education services are not being targeted. The administration is proposing that those funding levels remain flat.

Still, advocates say current funding for such grants isnt nearly enough.

It does feel like a reduction as districts identify more and more kids who have special needs, said Bob Farrace, a spokesman for the National Association of Secondary School Principals.

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Instead, DeVos has prioritized other areas, like charter schools and private-school vouchers. The proposed budget calls for tens of millions of dollars more to support charter schools and an increase in funding for a school voucher program in the District of Columbia.

It aims to cut over $7 billion from the Department of Education overall.

A focus on school choice  at the expense of traditional public schools  is an attack on students with disabilities, Decker said.

When you start going after public education, this is the major place kids with disabilities go. Thats where the protections are. Thats where the trained teachers are. Thats where theres a familiarity of the rights of kids with disabilities, he said.

The Trump administrations original proposal aimed to cut $17.6 million from the Special Olympics, about 10 percent of the organizations funding. But by Thursday, President Donald Trump said his administration would not make that cut, though it was proposed in his administrations budget and Congress makes the ultimate decision about funding.

DeVos echoed support for his decision, saying in a statement that it was funding I have fought for behind-the-scenes over the last several years.

But during hearings before the Senate and House this week, she repeatedly defended eliminating federal funding for the Special Olympics, using the national deficit as justification.

We had to make some difficult decisions with this budget, DeVos told a House subcommittee on Tuesday.

In a statement on Wednesday, she noted that the program is mostly privately funded.

The Special Olympics is not a federal program. Its a private organization. I love its work, and I have personally supported its mission, she said in that statement. Given our current budget realities, the federal government cannot fund every worthy program, particularly ones that enjoy robust support from private donations.

Advocates see the proposed federal defunding of the Special Olympics as symbolic of the administrations larger disdain for people with disabilities, even if it accounts for a relatively small share of the programs budget.

The Special Olympics cut gained a lot of prominence in large part because its a tangible expression of what we believe is a very cruel budget proposal, said Farrace. Its a very easy shorthand.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Washington (AFP) - Billionaire investor Warren Buffett said Thursday that wealthy countries are obliged to take care of victims of the fast-moving global economy who become "roadkill."

Some companies and workers inevitably become obsolete in a changing capitalist economy, and jobs move to other industries, improving quality of life over time, Buffett said at a charity event in Texas.

"You do take care of the people that for one reason or another can become -- it's a terrible term, but it's true -- roadkill in an economy," the Berkshire Hathaway chief said.

Asked about General Motors' plans to close some auto factories, Buffett, known as "Oracle of Omaha, said some people will always become "uneconomic in a world economy."

He noted that Berkshire Hathaway started out as a textile company in New England with 2,000 workers, half of whom spoke only Portuguese, but the mills have all closed.

"A rich country can take care of... the relatively few who are dislocated and I think that's the obligation of a rich country," he said.

He said he is "100 percent for free trade" but the enormous benefits of can "ruin the lives" of older workers and others who cannot retrain or relocate.

President Donald Trump has lashed out at GM chief Mary Barra for the plant closures, but Buffett said she is doing a "sensational job" for the automaker.

GM last week announced a $1.8 billion investment creating 700 new US jobs, and said it has openings for nearly all of the 2,800 workers impacted by the plant closures.
Boeing says it has developed software fixes for an automated flight-control system on its 737 airliners, which are under scrutiny after two deadly crashes in five months.

The aircraft manufacturer is under pressure from victims families, airlines, US politicians and regulators worldwide to prove the automated systems aboard its 737 Max aircraft are safe and pilots have the training required to override the system in an emergency.

Earlier this month, 157 people were killed when a 737 Max jet of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed minutes after take-off.

In October, Lion Air Flight 610 crashed just minutes into a flight from Jakarta, Indonesia, killing 189 people. It was the first fatal accident involving a 737 Max.

Preliminary evidence has suggested similarities between the two accidents, and investigators are examining whether an automated system designed to help the plane avoid stalling may have been partly to blame.

A Boeing official in Seattle said on Wednesday the timing of the software upgrade was 100 per cent independent of the timing of the Ethiopian accident, and the company was taking steps to make the anti-stall system more robust.

We are going to do everything that we can do to ensure that accidents like these never happen again, said Mike Sinnett, vice president for product strategy and development at Boeing.

Boeing will offer the software fix to airlines free of charge, and it will be released only after it is certified by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Seattle Times reported.

The company previously charged airlines extra for some safety features, the New York Times has reported.

A spokesperson for the FAA said it had not reviewed or certified the software upgrade yet.

Southwest Airlines, which is the first major airline to cut its financial outlook for the year after being forced to pull its 34 Max jets out of service, said it supported Boeings decision.

Additional reporting by agencies
Renton (United States) (AFP) - After two fatal crashes in five months, Boeing is trying hard -- very hard -- to present itself as unfazed by the crisis that surrounds the company.

The company's sprawling factory in Renton, Washington is a hive of activity on this sunny Wednesday during a tightly-managed media tour as Boeing tries to communicate confidence that it has nothing to hide.

Several employees working on the embattled 737 MAX plane don yellow vests and work in teams, with one group of staff gathered at a large table, poring over plane designs.

The new planes are painted green by Boeing before they are delivered to commercial airlines, which then give them a makeover with their corporate brands. On this day, three new aircraft are ready to leave the factory.

After a once over of one of the planes, a young woman and her colleague plunge into discussion over a plane that still needs key components.

- No questions for workers -

It's impossible to know what the workers make of the March 10 Ethiopian Airlines crash, which left 157 dead, or the October catastrophe involving Lion Air, which claimed another 189 victims.

The Boeing 737 MAX has been grounded worldwide in light of the debacles. Another mystery is how the employees are reacting to speculation in local media that the stoppage could affect the plant.

Boeing has dismissed talk of production cuts or layoffs. But it cannot currently deliver new planes, which means it isn't receiving revenues, even as it continues to pay suppliers.

The visit is part of Boeing's strategy for trying to influence the narrative on the 737 MAX situation, which has badly bruised its reputation and standing with key industry and government figures in aviation.

The walk-through of the manufacturing area was part of a site visit opened to a select group of journalists. Reporters were shown around for 20 minutes and instructed not to ask questions or approach workers.

The tour was a high point in a carefully-scripted day as Boeing outlined its proposed fix for the anti-stalling system that has been under scrutiny since the Lion Air crash.

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Located about 30 minutes to the southeast of Seattle, the factory employs 12,000 and shifts are split into eight hours. There are glimpses of robots doing tasks that are too delicate for humans.

Boeing has previously outlined a timetable to boost production of the 737 MAX from 52 per month to 57 starting in June. But that was before the Ethiopia Air crash created a cloud of uncertainty over the entire product line, which accounts for more than two-thirds of Boeing's order book.

Finished jets can be kept in storage in Renton, or transported to "Boeing Field," an open-air facility between Renton and Seattle.
South Africa: Sanral board to monitor e-tolls decision

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Top intellectual property (IP) creators will be rewarded for their contribution to an innovation agenda intended to address South Africas triple challenge of poverty, inequality and unemployment. The National Intellectual Property Management Office (NIPMO) which falls under the Department of Science and Technology is set to issue award... See more
Loosening the ties that bound the U.K. into the EU was always going to be complicated. Dropping out of Brussels relentless trudge towards political integration is not in itself too great a challenge, but doing so in a way that minimizes the damage to Britains economic access to its European markets is an entirely different matter. To Brussels, economic and political integration are inextricably intertwined. Preserving as much of the benefit of the former while escaping the latter needs patience, diplomatic savvy, a realistic understanding of the EUs workings, and the ability to weigh the strength (or otherwise) of the U.K.s negotiating position. Since the Brexit vote on June 23, 2016, Britains Conservative government has displayed no sign of any of these qualities.

None. Not one.

This was an operation calling for a scalpel. Theresa May chose to try her luck with a blunt, rusty saw. The result has been a predictably bloody mess. After dithering and then overplaying her hand, May came up with a scheme  the Chequers Plan  that was received with disdain in the U.K. and which the EU threw back in her face.

May ploughed on. London and Brussels have now structured a two-part deal. The first part, the Withdrawal Agreement, which would be legally binding, governs the terms of the U.K.s departure from the EU. Its provisions include a transition period ending on December 31, 2020. The second, the non-binding Political Declaration, sketches out Britains longer-term relationship with the bloc. It envisages an ambitious, broad, deep and flexible partnership. Sounds good, but before reaching that happy state, Brits can expect a brutal trade negotiation in which the skeptic isle will be trying to cut the best deal it can with a greedy, aggrieved and much larger counterparty. As it does so, London will also have to keep a sharp eye on the clock. This new partnership must be in place by the conclusion of the transition period (which can be extended by one to two years).

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All this assumes that the U.K. has entered the Withdrawal Agreement. If its terms have not been accepted by Parliament before April 12, the U.K. can request a much longer extension (the original date for Brexit Day, incidentally, was March 29). Alternatively, Britain can either give up on Brexit (it is able do this unilaterally) or abandon any attempt to enter into the agreement, in which case it will face a no deal Brexit from April 12, a grim prospect, euphemistically known by more Panglossian Euroskeptics as the WTO option. If, on the other hand, the U.K. signs up for the agreement and  a detail not to be forgotten  the agreement is ratified by the European Parliament and approved by the EUs other member states, it will leave the EU on May 22 and the transition period will begin.

As things currently stand, it is (to put it mildly) uncertain that the Withdrawal Agreement can get through Parliament. A flawed prime minister acting on flawed premises has, not unsurprisingly, negotiated a flawed deal. Some of its drawbacks were inevitable, but that does not ease their sting. During the transition period, the U.K. will effectively be a voteless member of the EU, a rule-taker with no say: It will be the vassal state of Euroskeptic rhetoric, a condition made yet more aggravating by the fact that the U.K. will be paying a large divorce bill (roughly 39 billion). What has caused the most trouble, however, is the so-called Irish backstop.

Whatever the rights, wrongs, and necessity of the backstop, the intention behind it (at least nominally: there are other darker theories) is to avoid a potentially destabilizing hard border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic. It provides that, prior to reaching a permanent agreement satisfactory to all sides (how long will that take?) that defuses the border problem, the U.K. will enter into a single customs territory with the EU, a state of affairs that theoretically could endure for years. Among other problems, this would mean putting a brake on Britains plans to cut its own trade deals independent of Brussels, a major reason (to some) for Brexit. In an additional twist of the knife, for as long as the backstop is in force, Northern Ireland will be obliged to remain in closer regulatory alignment with the EU than will the rest of the U.K.. This would insert a degree of separation between Britain and the province, an extraordinarily sensitive issue for Ulsters Protestant majority and more than a touch embarrassing for the Tories, a party formally known as the Conservative and Unionist Party. Wait, theres more: Since May threw away her parliamentary majority in 2017s election campaign, her government has been dependent on the support of Northern Irelands (Protestant) Democratic Unionist Party. The D.U.P. really, really, doesnt like the backstop.

The Withdrawal Agreements debut in the 650-member House of Commons in January was not a success. It was defeated by a majority of 230, the biggest loss by any British government in modern (and perhaps not just modern) history. Accompanied, after talks with Brussels, by what lawyers, rarely reassuringly, call a comfort letter, the agreement returned to Westminsters Orient Express on March 13, only to be murdered again. This time it was felled by a majority of 149, merely the fourth-largest such loss on record: progress of a sort, but alarming with less than three weeks to go before that original March 29 deadline (the extension was only agreed to on March 21).

With Brussels insisting the Withdrawal Agreement was not up for renegotiation, Mays strategy appeared to be to keep repeating the same question, and bet that a glimpse of the approaching abyss would scare MPs into submission. On March 14, the House of Commons passed a motion against leaving the EU without a deal  a nice gesture, but no deal remains the default position. If nothing is agreed, Britain crashes out of the EU. The abyss, however, has not proved as terrifying as the prime minister might (quite reasonably) have hoped. Based on very little evidence, some Tories, particularly those associated with the European Research Group  a group noted for the depth of its Euroskepticism and the shallowness of its research  contended that the abyss was little more than a ditch. Other Conservatives seem to be relying on the EUs tradition of cutting last-minute deals, apparently oblivious to the distinction between going the extra mile for someone staying in the club and for someone on the way out. Meanwhile there are many in the opposition Labour party who are well aware that a chaotic Brexit will do their election chances no harm.

Mays plan to keep asking MPs the same question has since run into an unanticipated obstacle. On March 18, John Bercow, the Speaker of the House of Commons (a somewhat Napoleonic figure, minus hat and achievements), ruled, citing a principle dating back to 1604, that the agreement could not be put to the vote again without substantial changes. Changes, in other words, of a type that Brussels had already said it would not consider.

In another sign that power is sliding away from Mays spavined government and towards the legislature, MPs then decided to hold a series of indicative votes on (broadly) the type of Brexit they would like to see. It was an innovative response to the current impasse. The EU is unwilling to give any more time to allow for discussion of a deal that Parliament has no intention of passing, but if a form of Brexit could be found that had the support of the Commons, well, who knows? There has, after all, been some talk of longer extensions.

That said, Parliaments effort to find some sort of resolution did not start well. Eight next steps were presented to MPs on Wednesday, and eight next steps were rejected. The madness of no deal was heavily defeated, but by less of a margin than the fantasy of managed no deal. Both, naturally, outperformed the eminently sensible Norway option, as did both Labours ludicrously unrealistic plan and Common Market 2.0, a less attractive variant of Norway. A suggestion that Article 50 should be revoked in the event of an imminent no deal was rejected a little more decisively than I might have expected. The two proposals that came closest to passing were a call for a second referendum to confirm Brexit and a suggestion that the U.K. should enter into a customs union with the EU but avoid the Single Market. The Institute of Economic Affairs Kristian Niemietz has previously described the latter combination (which would, by the way, do nothing to resolve the backstop conundrum) as throwing away the burger and eating the napkin.

So what now? Courtesy of some procedural sleight of hand, there will be a third vote on the Withdrawal Agreement on Friday, supposedly made more enticing by Mays offer to step down if its passing leads to Brexit. At the time of writing, it did not seem as if that long-overdue promise would be enough to do the trick. The DUP remain opposed as, it seems, do many of those Euroskeptic researchers. The Withdrawal Agreement might not be the only revenant. Theres already talk of another round of indicative votes next week, and backers of a number of the options are promising that next time, things will be different. Maybe.

Best guess? Brexit will still take place: The how and the when remain a mystery.

Tick, tock.

More from National Review
After MPs failed to vote through a single one of the indicative votes on Brexit on Wednesday, Britain is no closer to leaving the EU.

Theresa May said she would quit if Tory rebels back her deal  but several Brexiteers and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) have said they will still not vote for it.

With no majority for any version of Brexit, what happens next for Britains exit from the EU?

The Brexit process is far from over (PA)

The Prime Ministers deal could return

The UK was due to leave the EU on Friday, but instead it could be the day Mrs May tries to make it third time lucky for her Brexit deal.

The Commons was not expected to sit on March 29, but Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay said plans were being made for that to happen because its better to have it and to not need it, than to need it and not have it.

However, Commons Speaker John Bercow could throw a spanner in the works after he again stressed that there would have to be substantial changes before he would allow another vote on an issue that had already been considered.

Theresa May has promised to fall on her sword if Tory rebels back her deal (Getty)

Resistance to the deal has weakened  but is it enough?

Boris Johnson, who once compared Mrs Mays deal to a suicide vest wrapped around the British constitution, told the European Research Group (ERG) of Tory MPs he will now back it.

Other Eurosceptics previously opposed to the deal have also reluctantly swung behind it because they fear the alternatives are now softer forms of Brexit or the possibility of not leaving the EU at all.

Read more:

The eight alternative Brexit options MPs voted on

Donald Tusk comes out in support of those who want Brexit cancelled

Government rejects Revoke Article 50 petition

But the DUP remain opposed, with leader Arlene Foster saying she could not sign up to a deal that threatens the union of the United Kingdom.

The DUPs continued opposition means that some Tories, including Jacob Rees-Mogg, will also refuse to back the deal.

A third defeat for the PM would cause further damage to her crumbling authority (Getty)

What about the Prime Minister?

Mrs May told MPs: I know there is a desire for a new approach  and new leadership  in the second phase of the Brexit negotiations  and I wont stand in the way of that.

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But in order to get to that second phase, her deal would have to pass. It remains to be seen whether her commitment to leave office is enough to win over wavering rebels.

Mr Rees-Mogg acknowledged that if her deal did not get through then she would have every right to carry on.

But a third defeat  or ducking another vote entirely  would surely cause further damage to her crumbling authority.

The key dates in the Article 50 extension (PA)

When will the UK actually leave the European Union?

Unless the Withdrawal Agreement is passed by MPs by the end of the week, Brexit day is set for April 12. This is the final day on which the UK can set out its next steps to the European Council, if it wishes to be granted a longer extension. If it does not do so, the UK would crash out without a deal.

If Mrs May finally gets her deal through Parliament the UK will leave on May 22.

Jacob Rees-Mogg said he would only back the bill if the DUP voted for it (PA)

When will Mrs May leave Number 10?

Once the Withdrawal Agreement is passed, the Government needs to rush an implementation bill through Parliament, along with other legislation needed to ensure a smooth departure. It is unclear whether Mrs May would delay her resignation until this process is complete and the UK formally leaves on May 22.

It would be possible for her to declare she is stepping down, but to remain in post during the contest to select a successor.

If she remains in office until May 25, she will overtake Gordon Browns tenure of two years and 319 days in office to become the 35th longest-serving PM in British history. If she lasts until May 26, she outstrips the Duke of Wellington and another 28 days to June 23 will take her past Neville Chamberlain.

She is due to represent the UK at the annual G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, on June 28-29, which could be her last outing on the international stage before stepping down.

How the MPs voted in Wednesdays indicative votes (PA)

Will there be more indicative votes?

After Wednesdays votes failed to produce a majority for any of the eight options under consideration, more time has been set aside on Monday, April 1.

Sir Oliver Letwin, architect of the plan to seize control of the Commons timetable, said: If on Monday the House is able to reach a majority view, I think that would be in the interests of our constituents.

Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK
After Charles Darwin boarded the H.M.S. Beagle in 1831, the 90-foot ship visited 15 disparate lands  the likes of Brazil, the Canary Islands, and Chile  before eventually anchoring in the Galapagos Islands, four years later.

For 500 years, in fact, ships from thousands of miles away landed in Galapagos, unwittingly carrying along seeds, insects, and critters picked up from around the globe. It's little surprise, then, that the famous volcanic land teems with foreign animals and plants. But new research, published Thursday in the journal Aquatic Invasions, shows that off the shore, the Galapagos waters are also alive with non-native, invasive species. By scouring just two areas off of two islands (there are 13 major islands), researchers discovered 48 non-native marine species  10 times more than previously known.

"While the land invasion is understood and often well-accepted, just a couple of steps away into the water theres a sense that everything is native," said James Carlton, a professor emeritus of marine sciences at Williams College who lead the research. Carlton began performing research in the Galapagos in 1987.

But the water swarms with invaders. "It's rather stunning the number of non-native marine species that we discovered on the Galapagos Islands," said Greg Ruiz, a study coauthor and marine biologist at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center.

"What were finding is invasions are happening there, and weve been ignorant to the extent to which thats occurring," Ruiz added.

A cargo dock on San Cristobal Island in Galapagos where non-native species thrive.

Image: Inti Keith / Charles Darwin Foundation

On remote exotic islands, the introduction of species, whether on land or in the water, have proven to be either problematic or devastating. These native critters are not equipped to fight off or resist the rapid introduction of predators, like rats who devour tortoise eggs.

"New arrivals are more likely to get established in that case and become invaders," Dave Anderson, a professor of biology at Wake Forest University who had no role in the study, said via email.

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And in a new world, alien creatures can flourish.

SEE ALSO: The ocean keeps gulping up a colossal amount of CO2 from the air, but will it last?

"If they left their predators and competitors behind in their travel, they have unfair advantages over the native biota, like the terrestrial fire ant Wasmannia that wallops a variety of native Galapagos ant species," added Anderson, who has studied Galapagos' Blue-footed Booby for decades.

(People, too, played a seminal role in wiping out or exploiting some native Galapagos species. Darwin himself chowed down on cooked tortoise).

Now, biologists are trying to get a grip on which marine invasive critters flourish in the Galapagos Islands  and where they came from over the centuries. "Were just trying to catch up with who came from where, and who went where," said Carlton.

The non-native marine species Ascidia sydneiensis, a sea squirt.

Image: Jim Carlton

In water off of two Galapagos islands, both the spaghetti weed and a species of sea squirt stood out as particularly successful invaders, capitalizing on human-made structures like piers and docks, said Ruiz. Though nearly 50 new invasive species were confirmed, Galapagos waters could be teeming with much more.

"To me, we only have a snapshot of whats there," said Ruiz.

"Weve had this brief look in time and brief look in space," added Carlton.

Some of the species lurking in Galapagos' waters might seem like fairly harmless barnacles. But, they have the potential to conquer ecosystems.

"The species found by Carlton et al. to be established in the Galapagos fly beneath the radar of most biologists," Sea McKeon, a biology professor at St. Mary's College of Maryland and co-host of "The Naturalist Podcast," said over email.

"This is the first time most have been identified at this location, and their stories are almost completely unknown," added Mckeon, who had no role in the research. "The same could have been said of Zebra Mussels when they first appeared in the Great Lakes or Marbled Crayfish in Europe. We are now playing Russian Roulette with invasive species."

Zebra Mussels arrived in the Great Lakes in the early 1990s. Now, some 750 trillion mussels have invaded the lakes.

Biologists retrieving an underwater plate, left to see which creatures would grow on them. Many invasives did.

Not all invasive species will prove so dominant. But inevitably, some will. "We recognize that some subset of invasions have significant effects," said Ruiz, noting the ruthless lionfish that has spread to every corner of the Caribbean Sea, just this century. The predatory fish, with its flamboyant venomous spines, has become a menace to native fish and the coral reefs they live in.

The good news is that although most invasive species are transported on boats, today the Galapagos Islands have some of the best "biosecurity" in the world. That means making sure incoming boats or airplanes aren't transporting invasive species. "All of the vessels that come in are inspected," noted Ruiz.

Though, some invaders will still get through. "Biosecurity is hard when the potential invaders are small and hard to detect, or have small eggs or seeds or spores," said Anderson. And in the marine world, these sneaky creatures can leave a boat before it can be scoured for invasive life.

But for the past five centuries, the damage has already been done. The search for and identification of alien species is now an ongoing, unceasing project, said Carlton. The goal is not only to see how creatures are adversely impacting Galapagos life, but to grasp who came from where, and which creatures actually evolved and thrived on these tropical islands  a place renowned since Darwin's 1830s visit as a living laboratory, a natural archive of evolution.

"The Galapagos archipelago  both above and below the water  is revered by biologists and naturalists around the world as our best remaining example of the power of evolutionary and ecological pressures to shape species and ecosystems," said Mckeon.

But what naturally evolved there, before the first European explorers pulled into the bay, their hulls teeming with invasive life?

"It goes to the heart of our understanding of whats natural," said Carlton.
JERUSALEM (AP)  Egyptian mediators rushed to the Gaza Strip on Wednesday and Hamas' supreme leader emerged from his hideout as an unofficial cease-fire between Israel and the Islamic militant group appeared to take hold.

The Egyptian delegation sought to cement the truce that ended two days of heavy fighting between the bitter enemies. They face a key test on Saturday, when Hamas is planning a mass demonstration to mark the one-year anniversary of weekly protests along the Israeli border.

In a sign that both sides had stepped back from a major conflagration, Hamas' supreme leader Ismail Haniyeh made his first public appearance since violence with Israel erupted earlier this week. During times of fighting, Hamas leaders typically go underground, fearing assassination by Israel.

Standing before the rubble of his Gaza City office, which was destroyed in an Israeli airstrike on Monday, he declared that "the Israeli occupation got the message."

Haniyeh urged Palestinians to come out in force to the Saturday demonstration. The Israeli military bolstered its forces along the Gaza frontier in advance.

Hamas has staged the protests in hopes of pressuring Israel and Egypt to ease a crippling blockade. The protests, however, have yielded few gains, and nearly 200 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire.

Israel accuses Hamas of using the demonstrations as cover for attacks, and says it is defending its border against crowds that have hurled flaming tires, grenades and other explosives at troops. But the military has come under heavy international criticism for using disproportionate force against large numbers of unarmed protesters.

Palestinian media reported that the Egyptian mediators would offer Hamas economic incentives in exchange for its commitment to end the protests.

Meanwhile, in the West Bank, a teenage Palestinian medic was shot dead during clashes between Israeli troops and protesters. The Israeli army said it had responded to Palestinians who hurled blocks and firebombs at Israeli forces. The army released a video showing what it said was a medic who removed his uniform and joined a group of protesters throwing objects at troops. It was not clear if the video showed the same medic who was shot.

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Israel and Hamas have fought three wars and dozens of skirmishes since the Islamic militant group seized control of Gaza in 2007. The latest round was triggered by a Gaza rocket fired early Monday that slammed into a house in central Israel and wounded seven people.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rushed back to Israel from a trip to Washington to deal with the crisis. Israel struck dozens of targets in Gaza, including Haniyeh's office. Gaza's Health Ministry said seven Palestinians were wounded in the airstrikes.

Netanyahu faced the difficult task of delivering a tough blow to Hamas while avoiding protracted fighting that could work against him in next month's national elections. He has faced heavy criticism from both political allies and opponents for what they describe as his failure to contain and deter Gaza militants.

Netanyahu has conducted indirect cease-fire talks through Egyptian mediators in recent months, and even allowed the delivery of millions of dollars of Qatari aid to Hamas to ease harsh conditions in the territory, which has been under an Israeli-Egyptian blockade since Hamas seized power in 2007.

Hamas has recently faced rare demonstrations over its mismanagement of an economic crisis that has left Gaza with an unemployment rate above 50 percent. Hundreds of Gazans took part in the protests last week, and Hamas responded with a violent crackdown, beating and arresting dozens of demonstrators.

The fighting in Gaza comes amid an uptick in violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

The Palestinian health ministry said Israeli soldiers shot dead 18-year-old paramedic Sajed Mizher while he tended to wounded Palestinians during an arrest raid in the Dheisheh refugee camp near Bethlehem early Wednesday. It said two others were wounded in the clashes.

Fellow paramedic Abed Ghareeb said they were tending to a wounded protester when Mizher, who was wearing a paramedic vest, was shot by a sniper.

The Israeli military said it responded to the violent protests with "riot dispersal means," which usually refers to tear gas and rubber-tipped bullets. The World Health Organization condemned the killing of the Palestinian medic in uniform, saying, "health care is not a target."

Israeli troops killed four Palestinians last week, including one said to be unarmed. That followed a weekend stabbing and shooting attack in which a Palestinian killed two Israelis near a West Bank settlement.

____

Associated Press writer Mohammed Daraghmeh in Ramallah, West Bank, contributed.
The intertwined histories of American business and finance  our great capitalist saga  hold virtually zero interest to cultural elites. The entire library of American cinema and theater contains few works that set out to celebrate or even dispassionately to chronicle, rather than savage or satirize, the details of how great businesses were made and the wonders they wrought. Thats why the three-hour staging of the history of Lehman Brothers is such a surprising  no, staggering  achievement. Housed in the suitably august Park Avenue Armory in New York City, The Lehman Trilogy is one of the finest plays Ive ever seen.

The rise of the three Lehman brothers, who emigrated to the U.S. from Bavaria in the mid 19th century, is interwoven with the economic, political, and even cultural story of the United States, touching everything from Reconstruction to the Panama Canal and the making of King Kong. As directed by Sam Mendes, the English film and theater director whose many credits include Skyfall, American Beauty, and Broadways riveting IRA play The Ferryman, The Lehman Trilogy is a captivating three-and-a-half-hour epic, a kind of Angels in America of capitalism. I kept waiting for the playwright, an Italian I had never previously heard of named Stefano Massini, to pull the rug out and inform us in dire, hectoring tones that lending money or earning profits or engaging in complex financial transactions is evil. That moment never comes, not even when Lehman collapses infamously in September 2008. The death of Lehman is properly thought of as a tragedy, and so it is in this majestic play.

Men in business suits are sometimes spotted at the theater, but usually grumbling at the end of an invisible leash tightly gripped by their culture-loving wives. The Lehman Trilogy, which earned a sponsorship from the Wall Street Journal, is something different, an attraction of genuine interest to financiers (who appeared by the score on opening night) and anyone who wonders how the tool that is capital built and continues to build American wealth.

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Mendes stages the work on a single set  a glassed-in contemporary conference room  against a vast semi-circular backdrop upon which he projects the restlessly changing scenery of 150 years of American dynamism. Three expert British actors  the production is on loan to us from London, to which it will shortly return  play all of the speaking parts, everyone from babies to teenaged coquettes to ancient rabbis. Simon Russell Beale, one of the most esteemed stage actors alive, plays Henry Lehman, who arrives in New York Harbor in 1844 and makes his way to Montgomery, Ala., to open a tiny store selling cloth by the yard, or even by the inch. Later he is joined by his two younger brothers, one the exacting Emanuel Lehman (Ben Miles) and the other the ingratiating Mayer Lehman (Adam Godley).

Having each actor move deftly from character turns to third-person narration, Massini (whose play was adapted by Ben Power) is able to work in a phenomenal amount of information about various business deals, romantic liaisons, and historical events as the play races through the decades. Its impossible to imagine a more spellbinding evening of theater, and the way the actors interact with one another  they are so frequently in motion that the play is practically a dance, to the tune of a near-constant piano score played live at the front of the stage  is precision itself.

Lehman began as well as ended in conflagration: When a massive fire lays waste to neighboring plantations around Montgomery, the shopkeepers see an opportunity to provide the instruments of rebuilding  on credit. Buying a few wagon loads of raw cotton, they are surprised to find out how easily the staple could be resold to a Northern factory owner at a profit. They engage to buy up as much cotton as they can and resell it, which requires opening an office in Americas marketplace in downtown Manhattan. That they are greatly enriching themselves in the process and creating a dynasty of prosperity for their descendants is marvelous, thrilling, inspiring.

Men like the Lehmans built America as surely as men like Henry Ford did, and yet Americas admiration for the bankers has always been grudging. Perhaps the work they do, being esoteric and invisible, makes us suspicious. Perhaps ancient moral and religious injunctions against lending money at interest play a role in our mistrust. No one has a problem with Apple or Amazon for marking up their products, and yet we forever complain about bank profits despite their crucial role in our story. Midway through the play, as a railroad is being built, Philip Lehman (Emanuels son, played by Beale) demands a guaranteed profit of $10 million for financing it. The railroad man hesitates but ultimately and correctly concludes that the price is fair. So the business is concluded and America continues not to move forward but to leap forward.

Such bargaining is rendered with an exceptional gift for clarity; rare is the Wall Street saga that is easily understood but also doesnt seem dumbed down. Amid all of the deal-making, though, there are wonderful grace notes and extended metaphors (the Depression is a rain storm, with Philips son Robert Lehman, played by Godley, as Noah; the era of split-second electronic banking four decades later is reimagined as a frantic dance sequence enacted by Robert, this time with an even more mesmerizing turn by Godley to stop the show). The haunting central image of the play is the one that adorns the program: a Wall Street tightrope walker. As resourceful as the Lehmans are, as hard-working and alert and insightful as anyone in business may be, catastrophe is always within sight. The fall of the House of Lehman was even swifter than its astonishing rise.

Because the play must return to London in May, this production will continue only until April 20, and is likely to sell out quickly. Its far too brilliant to be limited to such a brief run, though, and I expect it will return to New York in some form or other. Since that isnt guaranteed dont forgo the opportunity to experience this theatrical tour de force.

More from National Review
What happened?

A bottle of wine increases a womans cancer risk by as much as smoking 10 cigarettes a week, according to new research. For men, one bottle has the equivalent risk of smoking five cigarettes each week. Men and women are advised to drink no more than 14 units of alcohol a week, less than a bottle and a half of wine.

Men vs women

The study revealed that wine affects women significantly more than men, because they are more vulnerable due to an increased risk of breast cancer from drinking alcohol.

The researchers found that in non-smoking men the increase in the absolute lifetime risk of cancer from drinking one bottle of wine per week was 1.0%. That means if 1,000 non-smoking men each drank one bottle of wine per week across their lifetime, 10 of them would develop cancer as a result. For non-smoking women this was approximately 50% higher with a cancer risk of 1.4%.

Not widely understood

The researchers said they wanted to make the stark comparison to drive home the consequences of drinking too much alcohol. Dr Theresa Hydes, one of the study authors, said: It is well established that heavy drinking is linked to cancer of the mouth, throat, voice box, gullet, bowel, liver and breast. Yet, in contrast to smoking, this is not widely understood by the public.

Read more

Drinking a bottle of wine like smoking 10 cigarettes (HuffPost)

Here are five types of problem alcohol drinkers (Yahoo Style UK)

Alcohol is killing women at an alarming rate (The Independent)

After MPs failed to vote through a single one of the indicative votes on Brexit on Wednesday, Britain is no closer to leaving the EU. Theresa May said she would quit if Tory rebels back her deal  but several Brexiteers and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) have said they will still not vote for it. If Mrs May does eventually step down from the top job, who is most likely to replace her? Read the full story (Yahoo News UK) and have your say below:

Man Utd show their faith in Solskjaer

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Manchester United have handed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a three-year contract to make him their manager on a permanent basis. The move has seemed inevitable for weeks given the transformation United have made since Solskjaer arrived on a caretaker basis following the sacking of Jose Mourinho in December. Solskjaer has won 14 of his 19 games in charge and unexpectedly guided United to the quarter-finals of the Champions League. Read the full story here (The Independent)

Meet the Scottish pensioner who feels no pain

A happy-go-lucky woman in Scotland who can feel virtually no pain has a mutation in a previously unidentified gene, according to researchers. Jo Cameron, who lives near Loch Ness in the Highlands, also experiences very little anxiety or fear and may have enhanced wound healing. The 71-year-old said throughout her life she often did not notice cuts or burns until she could smell burning flesh and the injuries tended to heal very quickly. She said: I had no idea until a few years ago that there was anything that unusual about how little pain I feel  I just thought it was normal. Read the full story here (PA Science)

A toddler from the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, took her first steps on March 20 despite fears that she might never be able to walk. Two-year-old Keira Hockley was diagnosed with congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) at 37 weeks old. CMV poses serious health and development risks, including intellectual disabilities, deafness and poor vision. Keiras mother, Danielle, said: The minute she was handed to me we thought there was a chance shed forever be in a wheelchair.

64

A giant fatberg lurking under a Devon seaside town has finally been successfully broken up. The removal of the 64m (210ft) object, which contained congealed oils, grease and wet wipes among other detritus, took a team of hardy workers seven weeks to break down. The mass was taken to a local sewage treatment works in more than 30 tanker loads  each carrying 136 cubic metres (3,000 gallons). Read the full story here (The Guardian)
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn gives his keynote speech to the Scottish Labour Party Conference at the Caird Hall on March 8, 2019 in Dundee, Scotland. Photo: Duncan McGlynn/Getty Images

The head of Britains biggest business lobby has attacked the Labour Partys plans to renationalise key infrastructure in the UK, such as rail, water, and energy.

The Labour Partys current proposals get the balance wrong, Confederation of British Industry (CBI) director general Carolyn Fairbairn said in a speech on Thursday, and will harm the very people they are intended to help. They already have prompted investors in our country to reach for their coats.

The Labour Party, the UKs biggest opposition party, has repeatedly pledged to re-nationalise infrastructure such as railways, energy supply networks, mail delivery, and water suppliers if they win power. The re-nationalisation plans were a key part of the partys 2017 election manifesto.

We need to put Britain at the forefront of the wave of international change in favour of public, democratic ownership and control of our services and utilities, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said in a speech last year.

The plans would do profound harm to the UK economy, Fairbairn said on Thursday, and make up to eight million people poorer in their old age due to investments made by pension funds in the private companies that currently provide these services.

The sense that the current system is run not for consumers, but for shadowy investors exploiting ordinary people for personal gain, is not the true picture, Fairbairn said in a speech at Liverpool John Moores University.

Those investors are not the unaccountable fat cats of fiction. They are you and me. Theyre anyone who pays into a pension, donates to one of our big charities or participates in an employee ownership scheme.

Take the water company that supplies Liverpool. Its 70% owned by pension funds, charities, and employees.

CBI Director General, Carolyn Fairbairn. Photo: ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images

Fairbairn said Labours plans would cost the economy 175bn, a figure based on a white paper by the right-leaning think tank the Centre for Policy Studies that came out last year.

Its the regression to a way of doing things we have already tried, at which we have already failed and at which we would fail again, Fairbairn said.

Story continues

Fairbairn admitted that utility and transport companies in the UK do need reform but said re-nationalisation would be like throwing out the baby and keeping the dirty bath water.

We agree. These industries are not always working as they could and should, she said. But, of course, Labour doesnt just identify a problem  it also presents a radical remedy. And that is where our disagreement begins.

Fairbairn suggested alternative remedies such as automatically switching people onto the best utility tariffs for them, caps to dividends when customer care goals are not met, and more local accountability for companies.

The conversation between business and the Labour Party must continue. We believe they are asking the right questions, she said. But by working with business  and not against it  we believe they can find much better answers.

The CBI represents 190,000 businesses across the UK.




EL PASO, Texas  U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin K. McAleenan said the border has hit its "breaking point" during a visit to Texas on Wednesday.

A huge influx of Central American migrants has made the El Paso Sector the second-busiest location on the U.S.-Mexico border.

McAleenan spoke along the border in the Chihuahuita neighborhood in Downtown El Paso.

The immigration system "breaking point has arrived this week," McAleenan said.

"CBP is facing an unprecedented humanitarian and border security crisis all along our Southwest Border  and nowhere has that crisis manifested more acutely than here in El Paso," McAleenan said.

In the past two mornings, border officers took more than 12,000 migrants into custody along the border, McAleenan said.

"A high number is 4,000  6,000 is crisis level," McAleenan said. "Twelve thousand is unprecedented. On Monday, we saw the highest total of apprehensions and encounters in years, with over 4,000 in a single day."

He continued, "We are now on pace for over 100,000 apprehensions and encounters with migrants, with 90 percent  90,000  crossing the border illegally between ports of entry. March will be the highest month in over a decade."

The number of migrants detained in El Paso is not as large as in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, but the Border Patrol's El Paso Sector has seen the biggest growth along the border.

McAleenan said that Congress needs to come up with legislative solutions to expedite political asylum claims made by migrants.

The surge numbers are just overwhelming the entire system," McAleenan said.

He said that 10 to 15 percent of migrants have legitimate asylum claims, but it will take years for those claims to be heard in court.

"Economic migration" from impoverished Central American nations is overwhelming the legitimate asylum system, McAleenan said.

While 65 percent of border crossings are families and children surrendering to agents, the rest are adults trying to evade capture, including some with criminal backgrounds, McAleenan said.

Story continues

The Border Network for Human Rights, an El Paso immigrant advocacy group, said that the government should invest in staff and infrastructure "to make our asylum system in ways that uplift our values and humanity of all persons."

In a statement, the group accused McAleenan of painting migrants as criminals.

Asylum seekers are not criminals, the group stated. Asylum is a lawful process and migrants need to have an ability to claim asylum. Denying migrants the ability to claim asylum at ports, as our laws are designed to work, may force them to cross without authorization but does not make them criminals or undermine their asylum claims in any way.

The group added that they "invite Commissioner McAleenan to tell the Irish of the 1840s or the Italians of the 1890s that poverty and starvation are not reasons to come to seek the opportunity, welcome, and grace of these United States."

Hundreds of migrants are being held beneath the Paso Del Norte International Bridge in El Paso as U.S. Customs and Border Protection has run out of space to process the asylum seekers. Above, two boys look out from the fence at the bridge as protestors demand their release.

Bridge waits may grow as CBP officers sent to help Border Patrol

There could be longer waits to cross the border at the ports of entry because 750 CBP officers are being shifted to help Border Patrol, McAleenan said.

"El Paso knows what those six bridges mean in the daily commerce with Mexico," McAleenan said. "We need those officers now, though, to help Border Patrol agents to care for migrants."

CBP officers will help the Border Patrol with processing, transportation and hospital watch duties involving detained migrants, McAleenan said.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin K. McAleenan held a news conference in the Chihuahuita neighborhood of El Paso with the bollard border fence in the background Wednesday, March 27, 2019.

"There will be impacts to traffic at the border," McAleenan said. "There will be a slowdown in the processing of trade. There will be longer wait times in our pedestrian and passenger vehicle lanes.

"We know that we have Semana Santa, Holy Week, approaching, but this is required to help us manage this operational crisis," he added.

Holy Week is a popular vacation period in Mexico and a busy time for border travelers.

Number of Central American immigrants continues to rise in El Paso

El Paso leaders have accused federal authorities of not doing enough to assist and deal with problems in Central America in what they described as a "humanitarian crisis."

The numbers of migrants from Central America and other countries has been rising since last year.

The arrival of migrants is straining immigrant shelters across the border in Juarez, Mexico, where the city opened a shelter inside a gym.

Some migrants seek political asylum at the international ports of entry, including in El Paso and Antelope Wells in the remote Bootheel of New Mexico.

A group of migrants were detained shortly before U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin K. McAleenan held a press conference in the Chihuahuita neighborhood of El Paso on Wednesday, March 27, 2019.

In a practice known as "metering," CBP officers stand at the borderline at the middle of international bridges in El Paso and tell asylum seekers to wait because of a lack of space at CBP facilities.

Other migrants cross the Rio Grande often in groups of hundreds of men, women and children to surrender to El Paso Border Patrol agents on U.S. soil on the river levee next to the tall, metal border fence.

Border Patrol officials have said the agency is averaging about 570 migrant apprehensions a day in the El Paso Sector, mostly in the El Paso metro area.

More than 36,000 migrant families have arrived in the El Paso border region in fiscal year 2019 compared with about 2,000 at the same time last year, according to CBP data.

Statistics show that the number of unaccompanied children jumped from more than 1,300 last year to more than 5,000 this fiscal year. The federal fiscal year begins in October.

About 1,000 migrants were taken into custody in El Paso in one day on March 6 with large groups walking across the Rio Grande to turn themselves in.

The number of migrants is far fewer than decades ago, but the demographics have changed, Border Patrol officials said.

More than a decade ago, El Paso area Border Patrol agents were dealing with mostly adult Mexican males, which means detainees could be arrested, processed and returned to Mexico within hours, officials said.

In a development sparked by the surge in migrants, Border Patrol highway checkpoints in the El Paso Sector have been closed to shift agents to duties dealing with the influx.

Also, a new immigration processing center will be built in El Paso to help address the large number of migrants crossing the Southwest border, CBP officials said.

Migrant shelters strained

The large number of migrants also is straining the network of temporary migrant shelters at churches and charities in the El Paso-Las Cruces area.

Migrants stay in the El Paso area from one to three days before traveling to sponsors or relatives in other parts of the United States.

McAleenan said he met with El Paso Mayor Dee Margo. McAleenan said CBP will continue to work with the city and El Paso County, as well as nonprofit immigration shelters, such as Annunciation House.

El Paso immigrant advocates described 2018 as their "busiest year ever" but current trends could surpass last year.

Immigration historically increases in the spring months of March, April and May as the weather gets warmer.

Follow Daniel Borunda and Aaron Martinez on Twitter: @BorundaDaniel and @AMartinez31

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: CBP commissioner says immigration system at 'breaking point'
A Los Angeles artist has started building a wall made out of blocks of cheese at the United States' southern border and is selling merchandise branded "Make America Grate Again" in support of the efforts.

Cosimo Cavallaro is building a 6-foot high, 3-foot wide wall made of expired cheese blocks, a Facebook page for the artistic project says. The cheese costs $100 per block and organizers initially had the funds to build a 25-foot long wall, a website for the project says.

The first thing that comes to your mind is that its absurd, Cavallaro told the Los Angeles Times, which reports the cotija cheese wall is being built in southeastern San Diego County, mere feet from border with Mexico. Cavallaro said that both his wall and President Donald Trump's proposed border wall with Mexico are similarly pointless.

The goal of the Cheese Wall project is not to be directly political, but rather to react to the "political environment" of the current moment, according to promotional materials for the project.

"The simplicity of the wall is that it shows and exposes the waste," Cavallaro said in a promotional video. "I don't like walls. So this is a wall that I can handle. This is a wall that I'm willing to live with. Because this wall is a perishable  it will not last."

A website for the project says a goal of the Cheese Wall is to start dialogue and conversations.

Organizers of the Cheese Wall project say they hope to raise enough funds to extend the wall to 1,000 feet. In addition to selling merchandise  some of which uses the symbol of a cheese grater in its "Make America Grate Again" slogan  a GoFundMe is raising funds for the project.

Cavallaro has repeatedly used perishables in art installations previously, according to the project's website. Press clippings from 2007 show he was criticized for a project involving a life-size sculpture of Jesus that was made out of chocolate.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Make America Grate Again': California artist using expired cheese to build border wall
By David Stanway SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China will launch a month-long, nationwide inspection campaign into hazardous chemicals, mines, transportation and fire safety, the country's safety watchdog said, following a deadly pesticide plant blast that killed 78 people last week. The Ministry of Emergency Management said in a notice late on Wednesday authorities needed to "deeply absorb" the lessons of the explosion at the chemical park in the city of Yancheng in eastern China's Jiangsu province. The blast a week ago occurred at a plant owned by the Tianjiayi Chemical Co, which produces more than 30 organic chemical compounds. State media said the company had a history of safety violations and had been punished repeatedly. Rescue efforts at the blast site were officially completed on Monday. A total of 164 people were caught up in the explosion, with 86 survivors, the local government said. In a new round of inspections, safety departments had been told to investigate "poor, chaotic and small" enterprises and to ensure that unqualified companies are shut down. They are also under pressure to crack down on other violations, including the illegal or excess storage of dangerous chemical materials. They have also been urged to make use of big data and other technological methods to strengthen real-time monitoring of hazardous chemical producers. Environmental authorities have been at pains to show the incident was under control and continue to seal off rivers in order to prevent water contaminated with toxic chemicals from posing health risks to residents. The environmental protection bureau in the area said an emergency plan to remove and treat toxic wastewater from a river close to the blast site was underway, with surface water concentrations of dangerous chemicals such as benzene exceeding standards. Environment minister Li Ganjie also visited the site this week and urged workers to ensure that polluted wastewater does not overflow as a result of heavy rain. He also visited the nearby Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant and urged officials there to learn lessons from the accident, the ministry said on Thursday. "In the next stage, we will tighten environmental impact assessment approvals for chemical plants and enhance daily inspections," environment ministry spokesman Liu Youbin told Reuters on the sidelines of a briefing on Thursday. China has a history of major work safety accidents and each one normally triggers a nationwide inspection campaign aimed at rooting out violations and punishing officials for cutting corners or shirking their supervisory duties. After a pipeline explosion killed 62 people in Qingdao in 2013, a nationwide safety inspection revealed nearly 20,000 potential disaster risks in China's oil and gas sector. (Reporting by David Stanway; additional reporting by Muyu Xu in BEIJING; editing by Paul Tait and Richard Pullin)
(Repeats with no change in content)

By Jeff Mason

WASHINGTON, March 27 (Reuters) - The United States and China have made progress in all areas under discussion in trade talks, with unprecedented movement on the touchy issue of forced technology transfers, but sticking points remain, U.S. officials told Reuters on Wednesday.

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin arrive in Beijing on Thursday for a new round of talks with Chinese officials to work out a deal that would end a months-long trade war.

The in-person talks, which will be followed by a round in Washington next week, are the first face-to-face meetings the two sides have held in weeks after working past an initial end-of-March goal for a summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to sign a pact.

Reuters spoke to four senior administration officials for this report.

One official said China had put proposals on the table that went further than in the past, creating hope for a deal that the United States insists must include structural changes in the Chinese economy.

"They're talking about forced technology transfer in a way that they've never wanted to talk about before - both in terms of scope and specifics," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Washington wants Beijing to end practices it says involve the theft of U.S. intellectual property and the forced transfer of American technology to Chinese companies. It wants improved access for American companies to Chinas markets and a reduction in Chinese industrial subsidies.

Talks would continue as long as progress continued to be made on the core agreements being negotiated in the deal.

Reuters reported previously that the two sides were working on written agreements in six areas: forced technology transfer and cyber theft, intellectual property rights, services, currency, agriculture and non-tariff barriers to trade.

"If you looked at the texts a month ago compared to today, we have moved forward in all areas. We aren't yet where we want to be," the official said.

Story continues

The officials declined to lay out a timetable for the talks.

"It could go to May, June, no one knows. It could happen in April, we don't know," another administration official said.

He said intellectual property and enforcement of an eventual deal continued to be sticking points.

'SOME TARIFFS WILL STAY'

The world's two largest economies have slapped tit-for-tat tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of goods. China wants the United States to lift its tariffs as part of a deal. Washington, which is cognizant that the tariffs give it leverage to ensure Beijing follows through on any commitments it makes, is wary of lifting them right away.

Trump said last week the United States may leave tariffs on Chinese goods for a "substantial period" to ensure compliance.

"Some tariffs will stay," the second official said. "There's going to be some give on that, but we're not going to get rid of all the tariffs. We can't."

The topic will be addressed in upcoming talks.

"Obviously that is an issue that we need to resolve ... and will be an important part of a final deal," the first official said.

Since July 2018, the United States has imposed duties on $250 billion worth of Chinese imports, including $50 billion in technology and industrial goods at 25 percent and $200 billion in other products including furniture and construction materials, at 10 percent.

China has hit back with tariffs on about $110 billion worth of U.S. goods, including soybeans and other commodities. (Reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Peter Cooney)
Washington (AFP) - Nestled between Saturn's rings are a collection of mini-moons that NASA's Cassini spacecraft skimmed past in 2017.

On Thursday, for the first time, astronomers and scientists are detailing their findings about the moons in the US journal Science.

Pan, Daphnis, Atlas, Pandora and Epimetheus each measure between eight and 116 kilometers (five to 72 miles) in diameter. They are either round, shaped like flying saucers or resemble potatoes.

They are wedged in the gaps separating the planet's rings.

Cassini spent 13 years near Saturn.

In its final year of operation, it inserted itself between the rings, sending data back to Earth until it went dark on September 13, 2017, 20 years after its launch.

Some 4,000 scientific articles have been published about Cassini's findings, and the well of knowledge is nowhere near dry.

"I want to work for at least another decade on this stuff," Bonnie Buratti, a planetary astronomer at the US space agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, told AFP.

The data captured by Cassini's instruments are still being assessed. The study published on Thursday is only one preview of the discoveries yet to come.

But the study reinforces the dominant theory that Saturn's rings and moons stem from the same celestial body, which shattered as a result of some kind of collision.

"The largest fragments became the core of these ring moons," explained Buratti, a 33-year veteran of NASA.

"And what happened was the moons continued to accumulate particles from the rings -- this is what we saw close up, the accumulation of the ring material onto the moon."

This would explain the gaps left behind the moons.

More than three dozen co-authors from the US, Britain Germany and Italy worked on the study published Thursday -- a rather remarkable collaboration, according to Buratti.

"It's all in flux, science driven by disagreements," she said.

Story continues

The question gnawing at astronomers is to figure out how old the rings are.

A study published in January, based on Cassini data, concluded that they were relatively young -- somewhere between 100 million and one billion years old.

But other models and methods suggest a different answer.

"Science is never cut and dried -- you never have your final answer," Buratti said.
Moroni (Comoros) (AFP) - One of the world's poorest countries, the Indian Ocean island nation of the Comoros has endured years of political turmoil including a spate of coups.

Here is some background on the country, where gunfire erupted near a military barracks in the capital Moroni on Thursday after the arrest of a defeated presidential candidate.

Incumbent President Azali Assoumani was delcared the winner of Sunday's poll but the opposition says the results were rigged.

- 'Islands of the Moon' -

Made up of the islands of Anjouan, Grande-Comore and Moheli, the small country has a population of nearly 814,000 on a land surface of 1,870 square kilometres (772 square miles).

It is densely populated, with about 400 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,150 inhabitants per square mile), according to World Bank data.

The Comoros, which means "Islands of the Moon" in Arabic, are situated between Madagascar and Mozambique, and next to the French-administered island of Mayotte.

It embraced Islam in the 12th century and 99 percent of its people are Muslim, mostly Sunnis.

Just over half are aged under 20 years.

- Tensions with France -

The Comoros became independent from France in 1975, breaking away in a referendum in which nearby Mayotte opted to remain with the colonial-era power.

The Comoros continues to lay claim to Mayotte and is backed by several UN resolutions.

Mayotte is relatively well-off compared to the impoverished and unstable Comoros, and grapples with an influx of illegal migrants -- many of whom make the 70-kilometre (40-mile) crossing in makeshift boats.

- Coups and mercenaries -

Since independence, the Comoros has endured more than 20 attempted coups, four of which were successful.

The first president, Ahmed Abdallah, was ousted a month after independence with the help of renowned French mercenary Bob Denard.

In 1978 Denard organised a coup to reinstate Abdallah and became army chief.

Abdallah was assassinated in 1989 in as yet unexplained circumstances. Denard, then head of the presidential guard, tried to take control but fled as France intervened militarily.

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The island of Anjouan seceded in 1997 and only rejoined the others in 2001 after a new constitution created the Union of the Comoros that allowed more autonomy, including rotating the presidency between the islands.

The incumbent president Azali seized power in a coup in 1999. He was re-elected in a 2016 vote marred by violence and allegations of irregularities.

- Controversial reforms -

Tensions have been running high since a contested referendum in July 2018 that enables the rotating president to hold two five-year mandates instead of one.

After his victory on Sunday, Azali is considered as starting a first term, allowing him to vie for a second in 2024.

The referendum sparked violent protests and dozens of officials and opposition activists have been arrested in recent months.

In October an armed rebel group clashed with Comoran security forces in Mutsamudu, the capital of opposition-leaning Anjouan which had been next in line for the presidency.

Both observers and community groups have questioned the credibility of the election, which saw Azali declared the winner with almost 61 percent of the vote.

- Ylang-ylang and poverty -

Lacking the infrastructure that draws tourists to Mauritius and the Seychelles, the country's main activities are fishing and agriculture.

Vanilla, cloves and above all ylang-ylang -- the tree whose fragrant oil is used to make perfume -- are the principal sources of hard currency.

The country is heavily dependent on remittances from emigrants, notably in France which is home to 200,000-300,000 Comorans.

It is at the tail end of the UN's Human Development Index -- which compares life expectancy, education and living standards -- and ranked 165 from 189 in 2018.

The World Bank says the Comoros must tackle hunger and malnutrition, with almost 18 percent of its population living on less than $1.90 a day, the international poverty line.

It projected economic growth in 2018 at a stable 2.7 percent.
Mexico City (AFP) - The body of Hernan Cortes, the conquistador who launched three centuries of Spanish rule in Mexico, today lies all but forgotten in a Mexico City church, even as a new debate rages over his legacy.

The story of how it got there is as complicated and dramatic as the conquest itself, launched 500 years ago when Cortes, a talented, cunning and ambitious adventurer, defied his boss' orders and sailed off to conquer the Aztec empire.

That violent collision between the Old and New Worlds surged into the headlines this week when Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador called on the king of Spain and the pope to apologize for the abuses of the conquest -- drawing a resentful response.

Amid the row, the remains of the Spaniard who started it all lie in oblivion in the Mexican capital, a silent reminder of both countries' shared past.

It is an unlikely fate for a man who rose from nothing to conquer an empire and build another in its place, winning fame and fortune along the way.

"There's a very complicated and theatrical story behind Cortes's remains, worthy of a TV special," said the historian Miguel Pastrana Flores, of Mexico's largest university, UNAM.

Cortes was a smart but rebellious thirty-something when he launched the conquest in 1519 -- defying his boss, the governor of Cuba, who had told the young official to stay put on the newly colonized island.

Instead, Cortes not only set sail for the mainland, but destroyed his own ships on arrival, leaving his several hundred men little choice but to try and colonize it.

- Losing it all -

With the help of horses, swords, guns and smallpox -- all unknown in the New World -- and alliances with other indigenous groups, Cortes overthrew the Aztec empire in 1521, claiming it for Spain.

He governed the new colony for several years, but was haunted by his own insubordinate streak: legal problems and frayed relations caused by his defiance of the nobility would dog him the rest of his life.

Story continues

Cortes died in Spain in 1547, aged about 62, diseased and indebted.

In his will, he asked his family to build a convent south of Mexico City and bury him there. But that never happened.

Buying time, Cortes' heirs put his body in a mausoleum in Seville, then moved him to a nearby tomb three years later when another noble needed the space.

That was just the beginning.

- Dead man walking -

"His remains have been moved from place to place" for centuries, Mexican writer Hector de Mauleon told AFP.

Cortes' family finally sent his remains to Mexico in 1566. He was buried near his mother at a church north of Mexico City.

In 1629, Cortes' last male heir died, and the colonial government ordered Cortes reburied alongside him in the capital's Franciscan monastery in a lavish ceremony.

Cortes' bones -- now in a velvet-lined urn -- were later transferred to the monastery's altar, locked with a key that passed from one generation of monks to the next.

In 1790, he was moved again, to a stately tomb inside the church that adjoins the Hospital de Jesus, the first hospital in the Americas, which he founded.

- Mystery disappearance -

But then Mexico declared independence in 1810.

By 1823, "Mexico City was aflame with pamphlets, with calls to kick out the Spanish, to dig up Cortes' remains and drag them through the streets," said De Mauleon.

A conservative historian and writer, Lucas Alaman, decided not to let that happen. He slipped into the church and removed Cortes' body from its tomb.

For more than a century, its whereabouts were a mystery. Historians speculated it was in Spain or Italy.

Then, in 1946, a refugee of the Spanish civil war and a Cuban student invited the historian Francisco de la Maza to a secretive meeting. There, they told him they had a letter left by Alaman with a map to Cortes' body.

The remains, it turned out, were just meters from where Alaman had taken them, sealed inside a wall at the very same church.

With the government's permission, De la Maza led a secret excavation -- and found what experts confirmed was Cortes's body.

It was a far cry from the image of the virile young conquistador, said De Mauleon.

"He had one tooth, various injuries sustained in combat, and his bones seemed eroded by venereal disease," he said.

The government ordered the body returned to the same spot. Today, it is marked by a discrete plaque: "Hernan Cortes, 1485-1547."

- Revisiting history -

Pastrana criticized Mexico's request to Spain -- two countries that didn't even exist as such at the time -- and said the idea of good "Indians" versus evil conquistadors was overly simplistic.

"We have to try to understand these figures in their enormous complexity," he said.

"Two civilizations... met without a single reference point. It's as if we went to Jupiter and found another civilization."

Spanish academic Guillermo Seres said it was "unjust" that Cortes, "a man of action, but also... of science and letters," had been cast as a villain.

"He has come to represent everything bad in Spanish history," he said.
Earlier this week at for National Review, Kyle Sammin made a conservative case for Puerto Rican statehood. Some people might think that its unusual to see a conservative make that argument, but actually, it isnt. As Sammin notes in his column, for decades the Republican-party platform has favored statehood for Puerto Rico. So have George W. Bush, along with his father and other, mostly moderate Republicans.

Its a bit like the illegal-immigration argument. Democrats favor illegal immigration and Puerto Rican statehood for the same easy-to-understand reason: Its likely to bring millions of new voters into the Democratic party. On the other hand, Republicans who push these ideas always seem to be compelled to go deep into the weeds to explain their position. For example, the central case in Sammins article, which Ive read several times, seems to be that adding Puerto Rico as a state would remind American voters of the importance of federalism. You have to think that there is a better, less radical, and, perhaps most important, less costly way to achieve that aim.

Setting aside how obviously bad it would be for the Republican party to add a new center-Left state that would mostly vote for Democrats in the House, Senate, and White House while occasionally sending a Susan Collinsstyle Republican to D.C., I think its worth asking a question that very seldom seems to be asked in Washington anymore: How would this benefit the American people?

Keep in mind that Puerto Rico is extremely poor. As of 2017, the per capita income there is only slightly more than half that of Mississippi, which is the worst-performing state in the U.S. by that measure. Moreover, 50 percent of Puerto Ricans live in poverty. Its also worth noting that the word bankruptcy never appears in Sammins column. Yet the territory has been incapable of paying its debt since 2017. Put simply, Puerto Rico is an economic sinkhole. The General Accounting Office has estimated that the added tax burden coming along with statehood would cause enormous job losses and damage the economy of Puerto Rico even further. What benefit would the American people get from adding to the union a bankrupt state with a tanking economy?

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Puerto Rico has had difficulty getting back on its feet after Hurricane Maria. While I have no qualms about criticizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency or the Trump administration, its hard to believe that the same government that led Puerto Rico into bankruptcy doesnt bear a large share of the responsibility for the botched recovery. The media love to point the finger of blame at a Republican president in situations like these (see George W. Bush after Katrina), but it doesnt matter how much aid a government agency provides to a nation if the local government cant, whether owing to incompetence or for other reasons, help its own people.

There are two final challenges to the case for Puerto Rican statehood. First, while Puerto Rico officially speaks both English and Spanish, the primary language spoken there is Spanish. Although estimates vary, most seem to put the number of residents fluent in English at less than 20 percent. That fact alone should give most Americans pause about whether Puerto Rico should become a state  people who dont share a language will have difficulty working together at a job or sharing a common culture. Second, there is a real question about whether Puerto Rico even wants to become the 51st state. It has held five votes on the question. Three times, the people of Puerto Rico said no. The fourth vote was indeterminate. The fifth time, 23 percent of Puerto Ricans overwhelmingly said yes  but the anti-statehood party refused to participate because of the way the referendum was worded, and the vote was therefore practically meaningless. In other words, its unclear whether a majority of Puerto Ricans have ever wanted the island to become the 51st state.

The question that Americans have before us is whether we want a bankrupt, mostly Spanish-speaking, left-of-center state with an incompetent government to join the union even when its unclear whether most people in that country want to join in the first place. Its understandable, if not admirable, that Democrats might put their narrow party interests ahead of whats good for the country in backing Puerto Rican statehood. Whats hard to understand is what the appeal of Puerto Rican statehood would be to any conservative.

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A look at the shareholders of Peking University Resources (Holdings) Company Limited (HKG:618) can tell us which group is most powerful. Institutions often own shares in more established companies, while it's not unusual to see insiders own a fair bit of smaller companies. Warren Buffett said that he likes 'a business with enduring competitive advantages that is run by able and owner-oriented people'. So it's nice to see some insider ownership, because it may suggest that management is owner-oriented.

Peking University Resources (Holdings) is not a large company by global standards. It has a market capitalization of HK$1.6b, which means it wouldn't have the attention of many institutional investors. In the chart below below, we can see that institutions own shares in the company. Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholder can tell us about 618.

See our latest analysis for Peking University Resources (Holdings)

SEHK:618 Ownership Summary, March 28th 2019

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Peking University Resources (Holdings)?

Institutional investors commonly compare their own returns to the returns of a commonly followed index. So they generally do consider buying larger companies that are included in the relevant benchmark index.

Peking University Resources (Holdings) already has institutions on the share registry. Indeed, they own 9.0% of the company. This suggests some credibility amongst professional investors. But we can't rely on that fact alone, since institutions make bad investments sometimes, just like everyone does. When multiple institutions own a stock, there's always a risk that they are in a 'crowded trade'. When such a trade goes wrong, multiple parties may compete to sell stock fast. This risk is higher in a company without a history of growth. You can see Peking University Resources (Holdings)'s historic earnings and revenue, below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story.

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SEHK:618 Income Statement, March 28th 2019

We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in Peking University Resources (Holdings). Our information suggests that there isn't any analyst coverage of the stock, so it is probably little known.

Insider Ownership Of Peking University Resources (Holdings)

The definition of company insiders can be subjective, and does vary between jurisdictions. Our data reflects individual insiders, capturing board members at the very least. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it.

Most consider insider ownership a positive because it can indicate the board is well aligned with other shareholders. However, on some occasions too much power is concentrated within this group.

Our most recent data indicates that insiders own a reasonable proportion of Peking University Resources (Holdings) Company Limited. Insiders have a HK$175m stake in this HK$1.6b business. I would say this shows alignment with shareholders, but it is worth noting that the company is still quite small; some insiders may have founded the business. You can click here to see if those insiders have been buying or selling.

General Public Ownership

The general public, with a 20% stake in the company, will not easily be ignored. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies.

Private Company Ownership

We can see that Private Companies own 60%, of the shares on issue. It might be worth looking deeper into this. If related parties, such as insiders, have an interest in one of these private companies, that should be disclosed in the annual report. Private companies may also have a strategic interest in the company.

Next Steps:

It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand Peking University Resources (Holdings) better, we need to consider many other factors.

Many find it useful to take an in depth look at how a company has performed in the past. You can access this detailed graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow .

If you would prefer check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, backed by strong financial data.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

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.
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP)  Cyprus' president has selected Constantinos Herodorou, an executive member on the national central bank's board, to replace the outgoing governor.

President Nicos Anastasiades made the announcement on Thursday. Herodotou takes over from Chrystalla Georghadji after her five-year term ends next month.

Anastasiades had tried to remove Georghadji from the post a year into her term over a perceived conflict of interest.

Herodotou served as the central bank's executive board member since March 2017. Before that, he held the post of commissioner of privatizations for three years.

That post oversaw the privatization of state-owned enterprises that had been required under the country's international financial rescue in 2013.

Herodotou had worked as an investment banker in London where he joined UBS in 2001.
VIENNA/PRAGUE (Reuters) - Czech police have detained two people as suspected associates of an Iraqi citizen arrested in Austria on suspicion of carrying out attacks on the German railway, Austrian Interior Minister Herbert Kickl said on Thursday. Czech police confirmed on their Twitter page that officers detained two foreigners at Prague Airport on a warrant issued in Vienna on Wednesday but gave no details. They said only that a court would decide on any extradition to Austria. Kickl, speaking on Thursday in Austria's parliament, also gave no details of the arrests. An interior ministry spokesman declined to comment. On Wednesday, Austrian prosecutors said police in Vienna had arrested the 42-year-old Iraqi on suspicion of involvement in two failed attacks on Germany's national railway. They said the Iraqi admitted committing attacks in October and December aimed at derailing trains by damaging or tampering with steel cables, but denied having a terrorist motive. "Arabic writings found near the crime scene as well as a flag of the so-called Islamic State justify suspicion of terroristic (intent)," a prosecutors statement said. (Reporting by Kirst Knolle in Vienna and Jason Hovet in Prague; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
The author and his daughter. (Photo: Zachery Roman)

As parents, we all dream of having healthy kids. But when you find out that your child has a disability, its as if that dream is shattered into a million tiny pieces.

Our second daughter was diagnosed with Sticklers Syndrome when she was born nine years ago. Sticklers Syndrome is a connective tissue disorder marked by a lack of collagen that is used to develop cartilage in our bodies. Its effects can include hearing loss, and doctors at first believed our daughter was completely deaf and wouldnt be able to hear anything, thereby delaying her ability to learn language.

The initial shock of this news was overwhelming. Not only were we scared, but confused about how to best help her. Questions swirled our heads: How would we be able to communicate with her? Would hearing aids help? Did we need to learn American Sign Language (ASL)? If so, where do we learn ASL? Did being deaf mean that she would not be able to attend normal school? The laundry list of questions went on and on.

Hearing loss comes in varying degrees. Theres slight, mild, moderate, moderately severe, severe and profound. After some additional testing, the doctors told us that our daughter had moderately severe hearing loss, which meant that without hearing aids, speech is inaudible to her. And even with hearing aids, speech is difficult for her to understand.

Rearing a child with hearing impairment is not for the faint at heart. It causes you to reconsider every aspect of how you live your life and what your focus will be.

After discovering that our daughter would be able to benefit from hearing aids, we found out that most medical insurance policies dont cover their cost, as they are considered more an accessory than a necessity. Entry level hearing aids cost anywhere from $1,500-$2,000 each. We purchased her first set when she was about a year old.

In order to facilitate communication with her, my wife decided to learn ASL by taking night classes at the local community college, in case our daughter went completely deaf.

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Rearing a child with hearing impairment is not for the faint at heart. It causes you to reconsider every aspect of how you live your life and what your focus will be.

When she was ready to attend preschool, we discovered that the school district where we lived didnt have a deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) program. The nearest one was 45 minutes away. Making the commute every day, especially in Los Angeles area traffic, was overwhelming. It took us about a year of commuting before deciding to uproot our family from our comfortable three-bedroom house to move into a tiny two-bedroom apartment so she could attend the DHH program.

We lived on the second floor of the apartment complex. As you can imagine, we were loud neighbors. We spoke loudly, listened to the television loudly, and she sang loudly. One day we had been particularly noisy, so my wife went to apologize to our downstairs neighbors only to find out that the couple, a husband and wife, was fine with all the noise we had been making because, as luck would have it, they were completely deaf and couldnt hear a peep from us.

As our daughter began learning how to speak, it was challenging to understand the words she would say. We would have to correct and help her with pronunciation and enunciation of words, which was frustrating for all of us.

Additionally, we had to take her to various doctors appointments at least once, sometimes two or three times a month, to see various medical specialists outside of her regular pediatrician. There is a craniofacial team for her nose and jaw, an audiologist for her ears, a physical therapist and rheumatologist for her bones, an ophthalmologist for her eyes. Twice shes had tubes placed in ears, and shes undergone surgery on her retinas and to repair her cleft palate.

Every few months she gets tested by the audiologist to check on her hearing. Most of the time its routine to ensure that she still has the same level of hearing and that her hearing aids dont need to be adjusted to make sounds louder. But recently, my wife and I noticed that her hearing seemed to be diminishing.

Even though she was wearing her hearing aids, we kept having to raise our voices and repeat ourselves so she could hear us. We would talk to her from another room expecting a response, only to be met with silence. When one of us would go looking for her, she would be playing with her dolls unaware that we had been yelling her name.

The sound to our television increased from level 30 to level 50, which is the maximum volume.

At night time, when I would tuck her in, I had to press my lips to her ears so she could hear the words, I love you and goodnight.

My daughter looked at me and said, 'Why is it every time I come here, I always get bad news? Now, Im never going to hear birds sing or anything like that.'

We took her for a hearing test and the results revealed that she had lost half her hearing from the last time she had been tested six months prior. The doctor informed me that any additional hearing loss would make her eligible for a cochlear implant to replace the inner ears function  but only in one ear.

As the doctor reviewed the test results, he commented that he had never seen someone lose so much hearing in so little time. He thought some of the cause was due to a fluid buildup in her ears, so he prescribed antibiotics.

With that, the doctor left the room.

My daughter looked at me and said, Why is it every time I come here, I always get bad news? Now, Im never going to hear birds sing or anything like that. Tears started to well up in both of our eyes.

I crouched down. If you were going to lose your hearing, what is the one thing you would want to hear?

Without hesitation, she responded, Opera. I want to hear the opera.

Out of all the things in the world she could have mentioned, the last thing I expected her to say was that word.

It shouldnt have surprised me, though. For the past few weeks, she had been trying to emulate, to our amusement, a Volvo commercial that featured a woman dressed in an orange dress singing opera.

Okay, tomorrow, Im going to buy us some tickets to the opera.

I hugged and squeezed her little body.

Call it wishful thinking or being foolishly optimistic, but I had hoped that the day when my daughter could no longer hear our voices would never come. Even though weve been learning ASL, nothing prepares you for being told that your child is going from hard of hearing to completely deaf.

How does a parent accept and comfort their child when they receive a dire diagnosis, knowing full well that outside of a miracle, the inevitable will come?

Call it wishful thinking or being foolishly optimistic, but I had hoped that the day when my daughter could no longer hear our voices would never come

The only thing I could think of was, We are fighters. My family and I have a faith in One bigger than us and that regardless of the circumstances, we believe that this one episode in my daughters life is part of a bigger journey that we, not she alone, will endure. And I told her as much.

Still, seeing your child cry with heavy sobs, knowing as a father theres nothing you can do, is beyond heartbreaking.

That night, I put her and her older sister to bed. A few minutes later, I heard some rustling from their room and went in to find my oldest daughter hugging the little one.

Whats wrong? I asked.

She had a bad dream, my eldest responded.

I had a dream that you and mom were talking and I couldnt hear you, the youngest said. I dont want to go deaf. I want to hear.

Thankfully, the light was off as bit my lip and tears started to fall. I hid my face in her long, black hair. I kissed her, knowing there is a limited amount of time before our voices go into the dark, not to return to her.

As I shut the bedroom door, I prayed, Please, God, give us one more day. Dont let our voices disappear.

The next day, I went and bought tickets to the opera.

I can honestly say that my daughter has been a blessing to many people. Weve had wonderful experiences and interacted with other individuals who we never would have had the pleasure of knowing if it hadnt been for our circumstances. She has shown me what really matters in life and serves as a reminder to appreciate each day for what it is: a gift.

In some ways, I feel that my wife and I were chosen to be her parents. Knowing this does not make the road any easier to travel as we move forward, but I know that hope is there.

Since we dont know if and when our daughter will go completely deaf, weve decided to expose her to as many different hearing experiences as possible. Recently, weve gone to a concert to hear four harpists play, weve attended two operas and well see a third in the near future. Weve gone to a childrens play to see a rendition of Shel Silversteins, The Giving Tree. We went to Santa Monica Pier and heard the waves of the ocean. This summer, were traveling to Alaska so she can see and hear the glaciers crack and calve into the water.

Just the other day, she asked us to enroll her in singing classes. When we asked what type of songs shed like to sing, we should have anticipated her response.

You guessed it... opera.

Have a compelling first-person story you want to share? Send your story description to pitch@huffpost.com.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
Copenhagen (AFP) - Children born abroad to Danish jihadists will no longer receive Danish citizenship, the minority government announced Thursday after striking a deal with its populist ally the Danish People's Party.

"Contrary to current rules, children who will be born in regions prohibited to Danes... will not automatically receive Danish nationality," the immigration ministry said in a statement.

"As their parents have turned their back on Denmark, there is no reason for the children to become Danish citizens," Immigration Minister Inger Stojberg was quoted as saying in the statement.

The proposal must still go through parliament. No date has been set for the vote but it is expected to pass.

The fate of foreign fighters with the Islamic State group and their families has become a major international headache since the fall of the last vestige of its so-called caliphate in Syria.

Since 2016, it has been a criminal offence under Danish law to have fought in conflict zones for a terrorist group.

The courts have already convicted 13 people for having joined or tried to join a terrorist organisation.

Nine of those were stripped of their Danish nationality and expelled from the country. The others could not be stripped of their citizenship as they did not hold dual nationality.

Under the new rules, holders of dual nationality can lose their Danish citizenship by simple administrative order.

There are around 40 jihadists with links to Denmark in what used to be territory held by the Islamic State group in Syria, 10 of whom have been captured, according to the government.

The exact number of Danish children born there remains unknown.
Haiti is a nation familiar with adversity. It was founded by blacks who won freedom from slavery by force of arms, then was ostracized by world powers that resented its very existence. In the 21st century, the country has endured disaster and deprivation  the latter of which might be poised to worsen.

About 50,000 Haitians could be forced to return to their homeland in 2020 if the Trump administration is successful in ending a special immigration status granted following the catastrophic 2010 earthquake in the capital, Port-au-Prince, that killed 200,000. The administration previously sought to end the temporary protected status by mid-2019 before being blocked by a California court late last year.

Haitians living and working legally in the USA since the earthquake could have to go back to a country that is the most impoverished and environmentally degraded in the Western Hemisphere.

Advocates who favor extending Temporary Protected Status for Haitians point out that a series of disasters since 2010  a cholera outbreak and a cycle of hurricanes and drought  have intensified the humanitarian crisis. Water, food and medicine remain in short supply.

'Computer riot': 1969 Sir George Wiliams protest was Canada's civil rights reckoning

1619: 400 years ago, a ship arrived in Virginia, bearing human cargo

Exodus: Blacks fled the South in droves more than a century ago, seeking true freedom

Sending tens of thousands of Haitians back would strain the small countrys limited resources, endanger the lives of those returning and sever a financial pipeline from Haitians working in the USA that is helping keep their family members alive in Haiti.

As the only Western nation to emerge from a successful slave rebellion, Haiti's history and survival are remarkable.

The island of Hispaniola, shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic, was once the richest colony of the New World. The western third of the island  todays Haiti  was known as Saint-Domingue and was a major destination of the transatlantic slave trade. At the height of Saint-Domingues prosperity, colonial power France had brought in some 800,000 enslaved Africans from what is now Senegal, Guinea and Sierra Leone.

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Slaves provided the muscle for an economy that during the 1780s produced 60% of the coffee and 40% of the sugar consumed in Europe, as well as indigo and cotton. The crops earned the colony the nickname Pearl of the Antilles.

The French drove their sugar canecutting slaves especially hard. From the plantations came a former slave, Toussaint Louverture, skilled in veterinary medicine and a self-taught military strategist. He would become a leader in the Haitian Revolution, which began with a slave rebellion in 1791 and ended with the nations independence in 1804.

Sister Maryse Alsaint walks alongside a school damaged by a magnitude 5.9 earthquake the night before, in Gros Morne, Haiti, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2018. Emergency teams worked to provide relief in Haiti on Sunday after the quake killed at least 11 people and left dozens injured.

The revolution influenced events across the Americas. The French emperor Napoleon gave up on the New World, selling the vast Louisiana Territory to the U.S. In the Caribbean, Jamaica was poised for the next revolution, which many historians say the British would not have been able to stop. The U.S. ended the international slave trade in 1808 (although slavery remained legal).

Ever since, Western policies have been punishing Haiti for winning its independence.

The problem was not politics or commerce. The central issue was ... the specter of blacks ruling themselves, said Barrymore Bogues, professor of Africana Studies and director of the Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice at Brown University. The fragile example of ex-slaves ruling themselves  the Western powers had to make sure it failed.

After its independence, Haiti was a fledgling country trying to find its place in an hemisphere dominated by slavery. Their question was, Are we going to be able to survive? Bogues said.

The answer: Barely. In 1825, Haiti started to pay France reparations  the equivalent today of $21 billion  to compensate the French slaveholders it had fought to overthrow.

The United States, fearing slaves in the South would get ideas about staging their own revolution, refused to trade with Haiti and didnt recognize its independence until 1862. U.S. troops invaded Haiti in 1915 and didnt leave until 1934.

Haiti has been ruthlessly exploited by Western powers many times in its 200 years of independence, said Madison Smartt Bell, an English professor at Goucher College in Towson, Md., and author of a trilogy of novels about Louverture and the slave revolt.

Bogues also pointed to the Western powers history of propping up of ineffective and corrupt Haitian governments, including U.S. support for dictators Francois Papa Doc Duvalier and his son Jean-Claude Baby Doc Duvalier, who ruled Haiti from 1957 through 1986.

The Americans did not want another Cuba, Bogues said, referencing the communist regime of Fidel Castro.

But despite government corruption and acute poverty, Haitians are among the worlds most resilient people.

Its in their art  Haitians show their spirit is not broken, said Jamaica-born Bogues. Its as if theyre saying, You can bend us, but you will never break us.

Mark Curnutte has written extensively on Haiti since the 2010 quake. He is author of "A Promise in Haiti: A Reporters Notes on Families and Daily Lives."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Despite punishing history, Haiti remains revolutionary, remarkable
Deutsche Bank AG DB is mulling to set fresh cost cutting targets, as reported by a German newspaper  Handelsblatt. Per people familiar with the matter, the bank experienced weak first-quarter performance.

Particularly, the investment banking segment remained dull during first three months of 2019, most notably in the area of securities trading.

Previously, Deutsche had plans to reduce adjusted costs by 1 billion to 21.8 billion in 2019 through additional headcount reductions, synergies from German retail merger and completion of the sale of Portuguese retail operations.

"With regard to the developments in the first quarter the board is assessing whether cost cuts planned so far are sufficient," per a Reuters article that quoted the German paper.

Merger talks with Commerzbank could be another reason for raising cost savings target as Deutsche is facing criticism from the unions regarding the anticipated layoffs. Further, some major shareholders at the German lender have also expressed concerns about the deal.

On the back of some restructuring initiatives, Deutsche reported full-year net income of 341 million ($389.4 million) for 2018 against net loss of 735 million at the end of 2017. Yet, it faced a number of headwinds throughout the year.

The German banks name was included in the list of troubled banks, after it failed the second level of the Federal Reserves stress test on qualitative shortcomings. Further, its credit rating of a class of debt cut was downgraded to the lowest ranking. Also, it continued to encounter a number of legal probes, which kept costs elevated.

Shares of Deutsche have declined 24.8% over the past six months on the NYSE compared with 2.7% fall recorded by the industry.

The stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).

Some better-ranked stocks in the same space are Bank of Montreal BMO, Lloyds Banking Group PLC LYG and Royal Bank of Canada RY. All these stocks carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Bank of Montreal has been raised nearly 1% for the current year in the past 60 days. The companys share price has jumped 15.2% in the past three months.

Lloyds has witnessed 2.4% upward earnings estimate revision for 2019 in the past 60 days. Its share price has risen 28.5% in the past three months.

Royal Bank of Canadas shares have gained 11.1% in three months time. Its earnings estimates for 2019 have moved up slightly in the past 60 days.

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Who wouldn't? Our annual Top 10s have beaten the market with amazing regularity. In 2018, while the market dropped -5.2%, the portfolio scored well into double-digits overall with individual stocks rising as high as +61.5%. And from 2012-2017, while the market boomed +126.3, Zacks' Top 10s reached an even more sensational +181.9%.



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Today we are going to look at China Animation Characters Company Limited (HKG:1566) to see whether it might be an attractive investment prospect. Specifically, we'll consider its Return On Capital Employed (ROCE), since that will give us an insight into how efficiently the business can generate profits from the capital it requires.

First up, we'll look at what ROCE is and how we calculate it. Second, we'll look at its ROCE compared to similar companies. Last but not least, we'll look at what impact its current liabilities have on its ROCE.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

ROCE is a measure of a company's yearly pre-tax profit (its return), relative to the capital employed in the business. Generally speaking a higher ROCE is better. In brief, it is a useful tool, but it is not without drawbacks. Renowned investment researcher Michael Mauboussin has suggested that a high ROCE can indicate that 'one dollar invested in the company generates value of more than one dollar'.

So, How Do We Calculate ROCE?

The formula for calculating the return on capital employed is:

Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT)  (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)

Or for China Animation Characters:

0.064 = HK$76m  (HK$1.7b - HK$524m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2018.)

Therefore, China Animation Characters has an ROCE of 6.4%.

See our latest analysis for China Animation Characters

Is China Animation Characters's ROCE Good?

When making comparisons between similar businesses, investors may find ROCE useful. Using our data, China Animation Characters's ROCE appears to be around the 5.8% average of the Retail Distributors industry. Setting aside the industry comparison for now, China Animation Characters's ROCE is mediocre in absolute terms, considering the risk of investing in stocks versus the safety of a bank account. It is possible that there are more rewarding investments out there.

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As we can see, China Animation Characters currently has an ROCE of 6.4%, less than the 22% it reported 3 years ago. So investors might consider if it has had issues recently.

SEHK:1566 Past Revenue and Net Income, March 28th 2019

When considering ROCE, bear in mind that it reflects the past and does not necessarily predict the future. ROCE can be deceptive for cyclical businesses, as returns can look incredible in boom times, and terribly low in downturns. This is because ROCE only looks at one year, instead of considering returns across a whole cycle. You can check if China Animation Characters has cyclical profits by looking at this free graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow.

How China Animation Characters's Current Liabilities Impact Its ROCE

Current liabilities include invoices, such as supplier payments, short-term debt, or a tax bill, that need to be paid within 12 months. Due to the way ROCE is calculated, a high level of current liabilities makes a company look as though it has less capital employed, and thus can (sometimes unfairly) boost the ROCE. To counteract this, we check if a company has high current liabilities, relative to its total assets.

China Animation Characters has total assets of HK$1.7b and current liabilities of HK$524m. Therefore its current liabilities are equivalent to approximately 31% of its total assets. China Animation Characters's ROCE is improved somewhat by its moderate amount of current liabilities.

What We Can Learn From China Animation Characters's ROCE

With this level of liabilities and a mediocre ROCE, there are potentially better investments out there. Of course you might be able to find a better stock than China Animation Characters. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have grown earnings strongly.

For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

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.
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When China Machinery Engineering Corporation's (HKG:1829) announced its latest earnings (31 December 2018), I wanted to understand how these figures stacked up against its past performance. The two benchmarks I used were China Machinery Engineering's average earnings over the past couple of years, and its industry performance. These are useful yardsticks to help me gauge whether or not 1829 actually performed well. Below is a quick commentary on how I see 1829 has performed.

See our latest analysis for China Machinery Engineering

Commentary On 1829's Past Performance

1829's trailing twelve-month earnings (from 31 December 2018) of CN2.1b has jumped 25% compared to the previous year.

Furthermore, this one-year growth rate has exceeded its 5-year annual growth average of -1.1%, indicating the rate at which 1829 is growing has accelerated. How has it been able to do this? Let's see whether it is only attributable to industry tailwinds, or if China Machinery Engineering has experienced some company-specific growth.

SEHK:1829 Income Statement, March 28th 2019

In terms of returns from investment, China Machinery Engineering has fallen short of achieving a 20% return on equity (ROE), recording 13% instead. Furthermore, its return on assets (ROA) of 4.2% is below the HK Construction industry of 6.0%, indicating China Machinery Engineering's are utilized less efficiently. However, its return on capital (ROC), which also accounts for China Machinery Engineerings debt level, has increased over the past 3 years from 12% to 12%.

What does this mean?

China Machinery Engineering's track record can be a valuable insight into its earnings performance, but it certainly doesn't tell the whole story. While China Machinery Engineering has a good historical track record with positive growth and profitability, there's no certainty that this will extrapolate into the future. I recommend you continue to research China Machinery Engineering to get a more holistic view of the stock by looking at:

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Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for 1829s future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for 1829s outlook. Financial Health: Are 1829s operations financially sustainable? Balance sheets can be hard to analyze, which is why weve done it for you. Check out our financial health checks here. Other High-Performing Stocks: Are there other stocks that provide better prospects with proven track records? Explore our free list of these great stocks here.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the trailing twelve months from 31 December 2018. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

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.
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When Singapore Shipping Corporation Limited (SGX:S19) released its most recent earnings update (31 December 2018), I compared it against two factor: its historical earnings track record, and the performance of its industry peers on average. Being able to interpret how well Singapore Shipping has done so far requires weighing its performance against a benchmark, rather than looking at a standalone number at a point in time. In this article, I've summarized the key takeaways on how I see S19 has performed.

View our latest analysis for Singapore Shipping

Did S19's recent earnings growth beat the long-term trend and the industry?

S19's trailing twelve-month earnings (from 31 December 2018) of US$10m has increased by 6.5% compared to the previous year.

Furthermore, this one-year growth rate has exceeded its 5-year annual growth average of 4.6%, indicating the rate at which S19 is growing has accelerated. What's the driver of this growth? Let's take a look at if it is only owing to an industry uplift, or if Singapore Shipping has experienced some company-specific growth.

SGX:S19 Income Statement, March 28th 2019

In terms of returns from investment, Singapore Shipping has fallen short of achieving a 20% return on equity (ROE), recording 11% instead. However, its return on assets (ROA) of 6.7% exceeds the SG Shipping industry of 4.7%, indicating Singapore Shipping has used its assets more efficiently. Though, its return on capital (ROC), which also accounts for Singapore Shippings debt level, has declined over the past 3 years from 7.7% to 7.5%. This correlates with an increase in debt holding, with debt-to-equity ratio rising from 34% to 70% over the past 5 years.

What does this mean?

Though Singapore Shipping's past data is helpful, it is only one aspect of my investment thesis. While Singapore Shipping has a good historical track record with positive growth and profitability, there's no certainty that this will extrapolate into the future. I recommend you continue to research Singapore Shipping to get a more holistic view of the stock by looking at:

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Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for S19s future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for S19s outlook. Financial Health: Are S19s operations financially sustainable? Balance sheets can be hard to analyze, which is why weve done it for you. Check out our financial health checks here. Other High-Performing Stocks: Are there other stocks that provide better prospects with proven track records? Explore our free list of these great stocks here.

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WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP)  When the gunman began to attack the Al Noor mosque, Ahmed Alayedy scrambled to get to the nearest emergency exit. He was the first one there.

"I tried to open the door," he said. "But it doesn't open."

Alayedy and other survivors of the March 15 mosque attacks in New Zealand have described to The Associated Press a scene of confusion and terror at the door on one side of the main prayer room, in the first accounts of the role the door played.

Alayedy said so many people began crushing him against the door that some of his ribs cracked. Another survivor, Khaled Alnobani, says he thinks as many as 17 people may have died trying to get out through the door.

Investigators have likely examined a new electric locking system installed on the door in the days before the attack. The mosque says an electrician disabled that system the day before the attack, although some of those who escaped question whether that was the case. What is clear is that nobody managed to open the door that afternoon.

With the gunman in the middle of the room, the door represented the only escape route for those on one side of him, at least until people started smashing windows to get out.

Fifty people were slaughtered by the gunman at two Christchurch mosques during the attack, including 42 who died at Al Noor. Alayedy and others say that if the door had been wide open like it typically was during Friday prayers, many more people might have escaped.

Shagaf Khan, the president of the Muslim Association of Canterbury which oversees the mosque, said the door was closed and latched much like the front door of a house. He said it wasn't locked, although worshippers may have believed it was in the confusion.

He said an electrician had tested the new electric locking system on Thursday, and then disengaged it for Friday prayers. He said that to open the door, somebody needed to turn a lever. It was just happenstance, and perhaps the cool weather that day, he said, which meant the door wasn't wide open as usual.

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"On any other Friday, the door would be open," he said. "But on this Friday, nobody opened that door."

He said he agreed that more people would have escaped if the door had been open.

"If it had been completely open, it would have been easy for people to get out," he said. "But nobody was prepared for this. We were prepared for an emergency like a fire or an earthquake, and people would still have time to get out. This is something totally different. You don't put this in your emergency plan."

Alayedy said that in the confusion, he can't be sure if he simply failed to turn the lever properly or if something else stopped the door from opening.

Alnobani, said he, too, tried to open the door and it didn't work, and he's familiar with the lever. He said he believes the door was electronically locked. Simply pushing a button next to the door would have unlocked it, he said, but nobody knew about the new system.

Khan said the mosque was in compliance with regulations, which require emergency exits to be clear from objects, easily accessible, and unlocked.

Police said the scene examination is part of their investigation and they will not be commenting while the investigation is ongoing.

Robert Wright, the Christchurch City Council head of building consents, said in an email the mosque was in compliance with the Building Act at the time of the attacks and had a valid certificate known as a "Building Warrant of Fitness."

Alayedy, 30, said that on the day of the attack, he'd been listening to a holy speech by imam Gamal Fouda when he heard six or seven shots. He thought it was an electrical fault at first but then heard screaming and ran for the door.

"All the brothers come in behind each other, on top of each other," he said.

Because he couldn't open the door, he said, he tried punching the hexagonal piece of glass in the lower part of the door. When that didn't work, he drove his knee through it, shattering the glass, and then kicked it out. He crawled through and ran for safety.

Alayedy, a chef from Jordan who moved to New Zealand nine years ago, said he thought about his family back at their house as he ran. His pregnant wife, his 3-year-old son, and the baby daughter they hope to have within the next couple of weeks.

Behind the mosque, Alayedy said, he began helping people to escape over a fence but couldn't get over it himself because of his injured ribs.

Another survivor provided a second escape route near the door by diving through a window with his arm wrapped around his eyes. Tarik Chenafa said he heard a tat-tat-tat-tat-tat and knew right away it was a semi-automatic weapon from his two years of compulsory military training in the Algerian army.

"I know someone is coming to kill us," he said.

Alnobani said that when he first came to the mosque that Friday, he'd noticed the side door was shut and considered opening it but then saw there were some older worshippers. It was a little cold and windy outside, he figured, so he left it alone.

Alnobani said he also managed to crawl through the door's smashed glass and run. He returned to help rescue a young boy whose father was shoving him through the opening, he said, and then helped the father as well.

"I tried to save the child, and I thought maybe I lose my life," he said. "But I am just alone," he said, adding "He had more than me to lose."

When he tried to help a third person through the opening, Alnobani said, that man was shot. The gunman walked out of the mosque to get another gun from his car, Alnobani said, and began shooting at him when he returned. But he managed to escape, and then drove two injured people to the hospital.

The gunman acted quickly, mowing down people on both sides of the mosque. On the side opposite from the closed door, some worshippers were able to escape, but the gunman also killed many others as they tried to leave.

"And he was actually standing behind them, and he was shooting and shooting and shooting and shooting," Fouda, the imam, told the AP after the attack. "Tragedy. Tragedy."

Brenton Tarrant, a 28-year-old Australian, has been charged with murder in the attack. His next court appearance is scheduled for April 5.

Chenafa said he's still sad and confused, and finds it hard to sleep. And he doesn't know what to believe about the door.

"There will be a lot of waiting to find out the truth," he said.
On Hannity Wednesday night, President Donald Trump changed his tune about the Green New Deal, an ambitious Democratic resolution to cut carbon emissions, increase the use of renewable energy and create jobs. In the past, Trump has openly mocked the resolution. But when asked about it, Trump explained that he doesnt want to do that anymore  but only so his political opponents keep pushing it, to his favor.

He explained his reasoning to Hannity, botching the plans name in the process.

Well, I dont want to talk badly about the New Green Deal, Sean, Trump said, because, frankly, Im afraid theyll stop using it. Because I really do want to campaign against it.

And though Trump told Hannity he didnt want to say anything bad about the Green New Deal, that didnt stop him from saying something bad about it.

Itll cost $100 trillion, nobody knows what that means, Trump claimed. That means its more money than you have in the world, and itll be catastrophic.

It should be noted that what the Green New Deal would actually cost is up for debate. Even a right-wing think tank came up with a number smaller than Trumps.

Nearly every 2020 democratic presidential candidate has publicly supported the Green New Deal, which is exactly what Trump says he wants. But he still cant seem to stop taking swipes at it even in the same breath as saying he doesnt want to.

The New Green Deal is ridiculous, Trump said, but I dont want to speak badly because I want them to keep going forward with it. I really look forward to campaigning.

Hannity airs weeknights at 9 p.m. on Fox News.

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By David Lawder and Alexandra Alper WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Chief executives from American steel producers urged lawmakers to maintain strong U.S. tariffs on the metal on Wednesday to protect their industry, as Senate efforts to rein in President Donald Trump's tariff powers gained steam. The CEOs of top U.S. steelmakers Nucor Corp, United States Steel Corp, ArcelorMittal SA and Commercial Metals Co told the Congressional Steel Caucus that the "Section 232" steel tariffs were just starting to allow their industry to recover from damage caused by years of dumped imports and needed to be kept in place long-term. Trump imposed the 25-percent global tariffs on steel imports a year ago to protect the industry from imports, citing national security grounds under a Cold War-era trade law. The move drew retaliation by countries including China, Canada, Mexico, Turkey and the European Union. Little has been done to reduce excess steel production capacity in China that U.S. producers blame for most of the industry's woes, and without the tariffs, unfairly traded imports would flood back into the U.S. market, the executives said. "Now is not the time to blink," U.S. Steel CEO David Burritt told the lawmakers at a hearing on Wednesday. "Section 232 must continue to be applied to all countries, especially the largest import sources, whether that's a tariff or a hard quota. Even our best allies can be conduits for foreign steel from China or elsewhere." Canada and Mexico are trying to negotiate a plan to lift U.S. metals tariffs from their products. The Trump administration is demanding quotas to limit import volumes in lieu of tariffs, but Canada and Mexico are resisting. Earlier this week, Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer made little headway in a meeting to resolve the issue, a Canadian official told Reuters. "There was not a meeting of the minds," the official said. "That of course is an opportunity for the minister to reflect and think about what our next steps are." One issue in the negotiations is addressing U.S. concerns about how to prevent Chinese steel from entering the United States duty-free from Canada and Mexico. The Canadian official said Ottawa was willing to work with U.S. authorities to block such imports, but added that Washington had not yet presented convincing evidence that steel was being trans-shipped through Canada. Canada and Mexico have retaliated against the U.S. steel tariffs with their own tariffs on U.S. beef, pork and other agricultural products, raising the ire of farm-state lawmakers. Several Republican U.S. senators are combining forces on legislation to limit Trump's ability to impose tariffs under Section 232 of the Cold War-era Trade Expansion Act of 1962. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, who represents the farming state of Iowa, on Tuesday said he would lead the effort aimed at restoring Congress' constitutional authority over trade matters. His plan calls for Section 232 tariffs to be limited to a defined period of time unless extended by Congress. United Steelworkers President Leo Gerard told the steel caucus lawmakers that Canada should be exempted from the Section 232 tariffs because of the high level of cross-border integration and common ownership in the industry. His union represents about 9,000 Canadian steel workers and 50,000 at U.S. mills. But Representative Mike Bost, a Republican whose district saw U.S. Steel restart two blast furnaces and rehire 800 workers at its Granite City, Illinois mill last year, made clear that he was focused on rebuilding steelmaking capacity in the United States, not Canada. "I want to let you know that the focus of this committee should be our U.S. workers," Bost said. The steel executives also called on the lawmakers to boost U.S. demand for steel by passing a significant infrastructure investment package this year. "Please let this year be the time to stop talking and start investing," said ArcelorMittal USA President John Brett. (Reporting by David Lawder and Alexandra Alper, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
By Rod Nickel and Abdul Matin Sahak

KABUL/MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Afghanistan's summer harvest will be one of the most critical in years, especially of wheat, its biggest cereal crop, as the country recovers from floods and the worst drought in decades, government and aid organization officials say.

Ample snow and rain during winter partly replenished soil moisture and raised hopes for a better wheat crop, which is a food source for rural families who turn their harvested grain into bread. Last year, however, drought displaced hundreds of thousands of people and also forced farmers who stayed in their homes to sell livestock and tools to survive, making recovery a multi-year challenge.

Many farmers were unable to plant crops last year because of parched conditions.

Jabbar, 44, a farmer in Balkh province in northern Afghanistan, sold sheep, cows and one camel at discounted prices to buy food for his family of 12. Recent floods washed away some of his land that had been planted with peas and wheat.

"I have a big family so it's my responsibility to feed them. If it rains or not, it is harmful to us," he said, referring to the double damage inflicted by drought and flood.

"I hope I can get good results this year."

Floods in March complicated the recovery. Heavy rains killed at least 63 people and destroyed or damaged more than 12,000 homes, affecting 119,600 people, according to the United Nations' Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Some 243,000 people remain displaced from last year's drought in the western provinces of Herat, Badghis and Ghor, according to OCHA. Many have moved to urban areas where they live in tents on public and private lands, creating tensions with landowners.

"If the harvest is OK, that will help communities come out of a terribly bleak period. If it's not OK, we'll need a massive injection of food quickly," said Toby Lanzer, the U.N.'s deputy special representative for Afghanistan.

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The winter wheat harvested in June and July will need to help feed displaced people and some 10.6 million people who are struggling to find enough food where they live, Lanzer said.

Farming accounts for one-third of the country's economy, although only 12 percent of its land is arable.

The wheat crop's outlook remains uncertain, said Agriculture Minister Nasir Ahmad Durrani, in an interview on March 20. If the temperature warms too rapidly, melting snow could create floods that wipe out ripe crops, he said.

It is also unclear how much wheat farmers were able to plant last autumn, said Rajendra Aryal, the representative in Afghanistan for the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Many farmers used wheat seed to make bread to survive, rather than save it for planting, Aryal said.

"The people were already poor," he said. "It will be very difficult if the harvest fails, so I don't even want to think that way."

The floods also damaged critical farm infrastructure, such as irrigation canals, reservoirs and wells. The Afghan government is working to repair damaged infrastructure, especially in the provinces of Kandahar and Farah, Durrani said.

Afghanistan produced 3.6 million tonnes of wheat last year, down 25 percent from the five-year average, according to the FAO.

The country dipped into its grain reserve last year for 190,000 tonnes of wheat, leaving just 50,000 tonnes left, Durrani said.

The expected shortfall between supply and demand this year will be made up through wheat imports from countries including Pakistan and Kazakhstan, he said.

Abdul Majid Khan, who coordinates aid related to food security and agriculture for the U.N., said a plan is in place to assist families who return home as the drought abates. It includes food assistance, cash for work and farm supplies, but the plan still requires approval from international donors.

"My biggest concern is delays in funding," he said. "We can lose the trust of the people."

A significant number of families should be able to return, as long as it is safe, said Zlatan Milisic, country director for the World Food Programme.

"There are no more resilient people on Earth," U.N. Representative Lanzer said about Afghans. "But goodness me, it is being tested."

(Reporting by Rod Nickel in KABUL; additional reporting by Abdul Matin Sahak in MAZAR-I-SHARIF; editing by Christian Schmollinger)
WELLINGTON (Reuters) - Representatives of governments from around the world are expected to attend a national remembrance service in New Zealand on Friday for the 50 victims of a mass shooting at two mosques in Christchurch.

"This is an event that affected New Zealand deeply. But it was our Muslim New Zealanders who were targeted. So rightly so, that would be reflected in the remembrance service," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told a news conference.

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will be represented at the service, but the full list of the attendees from 59 countries was withheld for security reasons, as the country has been on high alert since the March 15 attack.

Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison, the governor general Peter Cosgrove and opposition leader Bill Shorten will be among foreign leaders attending the service, Ardern said.

Heads of state from Pacific countries, including Fiji's President Jioji Konkrote will also be in attendance, she added.

The service will be held in Christchurch in Hagley Park, where tens of thousands of New Zealanders have gathered since the attack to mourn the deaths. It will be televised live on state television networks.

Britain's Prince William will visit New Zealand next month to honour the victims, his office said.

The massacre in New Zealand was carried out by a lone gunman at two mosques. Australian Brenton Tarrant, 28, a suspected white supremacist, has been charged with one murder following the attack and is likely to face more charges when he is presented in court on April 5.

(Reporting by Praveen Menon; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
Emotional labour is linked to adhering to prescribed gender roles in order to avoid negative consequences. Photo: Digital Vision/Getty

The discrimination women face at work comes in many different forms. If women negotiate a pay rise, they risk being seen as pushy. If they choose to have children, the likelihood is they will experience the motherhood penalty. Women are also more likely to be judged for their appearance and the way they speak.

Women in the UK also effectively work for free for more than two months a year because of the countrys gender pay gap, according to the Trades Union Congress (TUC). They also shoulder the responsibility of unpaid work in the home, in the form of cooking, chores, and childcare.

In recent years, another term been used to describe another responsibility women take on for free while at work. Emotional labour can mean many different things, but on a basic level, it refers to surface acting  suppressing your own emotions to make other people around you comfortable.

The term was first used in 1983, when US sociologist Arlie Hochschild wrote about it in her book, The Managed Heart. Hochschild described emotional labour as having to induce or suppress feeling in order to sustain the outward countenance that produces the proper state of mind in others.

Essentially, emotional labour means putting on a fake smile or watching the way you speak or interact, regardless of how youre feeling.

When I first started working, I was told you should always leave your feelings at the office door, according to Hester Grainger, founder of the Mumala Club, a PR and social media collective for women in business.

So, irrelevant of the type of morning youd had, whether the bus was late, youd got stuck in traffic, had an awful night sleep, or an argument with your partner  you were expected to be at your desk, bright eyed and bushy tailed with a big smile ready for the day, Grainger said.

I now realise that this is emotional labour. Its a term that Ive only heard being used recently, but I can imagine it sums up a lot of how we feel when we are at work.

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While we all have to act a certain way at work to be professional, emotional labour is an issue that disproportionately impacts women. This is because emotional labour is linked to adhering to prescribed gender roles in order to avoid negative consequences.

Women forced to watch how they act and what they say

Research has shown women are treated more harshly for displays of emotion in the workplace, while professional men are more likely to benefit from similar behaviours. A series of three studies led by Victoria Brescoll, a professor at the Yale School of Management, examined the relationship between anger, gender, and status.

Male job applicants who expressed anger were shown to be more likely to be hired than those who expressed sadness, and they were subsequently given more power and autonomy in their jobs, one study found.

However, womens expressions of anger  because they run counter to social expectations  can decrease rather than increase womens status and perceived competence.

Displays of anger from men are often viewed as a response to external circumstances, the researchers added. Meanwhile, displays of anger by women are more likely to be seen as an internal trait  that theyre simply angry women, or out of control.

Another study for Fortune found women are more likely to be criticised at work, with the focus on their personality traits rather than their performance. Derogatory words like bossy, abrasive, and aggressive, as well as emotional and irrational, were commonly used.

Many have pointed out that emotional labour is a problem faced more acutely by women of colour, to avoid the angry black woman stereotype.

Its no wonder women feel forced to suppress their emotions at work. In addition, emotional labour often means women take on time-consuming caretaking roles at work, alongside their actual jobs.

Looking back when I worked for a number of large corporate companies, I often had to put on a front at work and change the way I behaved, Grainger said. Weve all been there where weve pretended to be interested in John from accounts not so hilarious holiday stories or had to soothe someones broken heart over the watercooler.

But it seems to be women that are expected to be there with sweet tea and sympathy. Men arent expected to organise the baby shower for a pregnant colleague or choose a birthday gift  it usually falls to the females in the office. So us women need to start learning that its ok to not be ok at work. And no-one has to put on a big smile and pretend they are ok, if they dont feel like it.

Importantly, emotional labour impacts womens work and careers, as well as their wellbeing. Policing language and behaviour is often exhausting and time-consuming, and can detract focus from work  particularly, for example, if you have to triple-check an email to ensure the tone is correct and wont upset anyone.

While suppressing emotion is often unavoidable, emotional labour can mean letting problematic issues slide  such as an offensive comment, uncomfortable situation, or even sexual harassment.

Crucially, expecting women to behave a certain way  and not asking the same of male colleagues  is not only unfair, but perpetuates damaging gender stereotypes.
Ankara (AFP) - A deal to buy Russian missiles has left Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan balancing NATO ally the United States and new regional partner Russia as he risks fallout from both Washington and Moscow.

Turkey's already soured relations with the United States could be significantly damaged with possible US sanctions if Ankara pushes ahead with the deal for the sophisticated S-400 missile defence system.

US officials have repeatedly warned the deal could threaten Turkey's participation in the F-35 stealth fighter jet programme.

But should Ankara renege on the missile purchase, Erdogan risks alienating Russia at a time when Moscow has become a pragmatic partner in Turkey's strategy in Syria.

At risk would be a deal between Russia and Turkey to stop a Syrian regime offensive in a province controlled by jihadists.

Moscow would also likely hit back economically, experts say, perhaps by stopping millions of Russian tourists coming to Turkey.

Sanctions or fallout from either could not come at a worse time with Turkey's economy in recession for the first time since 2009 following a currency crisis last year.

US sanctions that helped trigger that turmoil showed just how exposed Turkey's economy can be.

US Department of Defense spokesman Charlie Summers recently warned Ankara faced "grave consequences" if Turkey took the S-400s, a serious threat according to analysts.

"The US government and Congress are not making idle threats when they warn Turkey not to proceed with the purchase of Russian S-400s," Amanda Sloat, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said.

"There are serious concerns in Washington as well as Europe about a NATO ally purchasing Russian defence equipment."

The Americans fear technology from the S-400s would be able to gather data from NATO aircraft and allow Russians to access this information.

"There is the NATO set of issues of buying material that won't be NATO interoperable and the effect that will have on alliance interoperability," a senior US official said.

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- 'Out of question' -

Erdogan says the S-400s are needed to protect Turkey's borders, and said he turned to Russian equipment because no acceptable US missile deal was available at the time.

The first S-400 delivery is expected in July.

"For us to turn back from the deal is out of the question," Erdogan said recently.

That could risk Ankara being sanctioned by Washington under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), experts say.

Under CAATSA, any entity doing business with Russia's state and private defence and intelligence sectors risks sanctions.

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said last year Turkey would "absolutely respond" to any US sanctions.

US officials have repeatedly said Turkey's involvement in the F-35 stealth fighter programme should be curtailed if the Russia deal goes ahead.

Turkey plans to buy 100 F-35s and some Turkish pilots have already started training with counterparts in the US.

US General Curtis Scaparrotti this month reiterated that Washington should block delivery of the F-35s if Ankara completes the Russia agreement.

Turkey has invested over $1 billion in the F-35 programme and any US decision to prevent the fighters reaching Turkey would be a breach of contract, but there are indications that Washington would be prepared to repay Ankara.

- Time is short -

Hoping to supply an alternative to the S-400, Washington approved the sale of Patriot missiles to Ankara last year.

Turkey has no air defence system though NATO allies temporarily deployed Patriots to help defend the country from attack by Syrian jets in 2013.

Acting US Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan on Tuesday said Turkey was "absolutely" wanted in the F-35 programme but added: "We need Turkey to buy the Patriot."

"We're doing our best to give them as real and as credible and as urgent an alternative as possible," the senior US official, who requested anonymity, said.

Cavusoglu on March 1 said Patriot negotiations had begun after a "positive" response.

But time is short. The formal offer for the Patriot expires at the end of March, according to media reports.

US-Turkey ties are already at a low point with tensions over US support for a Syrian Kurdish militia viewed as terrorists by Ankara, and Washington's failure to extradite a Muslim preacher accused by Turkey of ordering a 2016 coup attempt.

Last summer, ties between the NATO allies hit another low with tit-for-tat sanctions and the US doubling steel and aluminium tariffs on Turkey over the case of a jailed American pastor.

That battered Turkey's lira and the pastor was freed in October.

The missile row is "unlikely to cause a permanent rupture", said Sloat, a former US State Department official. "It will significantly strain already challenged relations and raise further questions in Washington about whether Ankara is a reliable ally."

Part of the concern is the burgeoning relationship between Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin, with the Turkish leader expected in Russia in April.

While Turkish and US officials are talking privately, top-level discussions will likely wait until after Turkish local elections on Sunday.

Hande Firat, a Hurriyet daily columnist, said Cavusoglu will meet with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on a US trip in April and would likely discuss the S-400 dispute.

"How this will develop, we will see after the elections," she wrote on Tuesday. "But discussions between US President (Donald) Trump and President Erdogan will be key."
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Telecoms equipment supplier Ericsson is yet to see an increase in contract wins on the back of security concerns over China's Huawei, the Swedish company's chief executive said on Wednesday

The mobile network gear maker counts market leader Huawei and Finland's Nokia as its main rivals and some analysts think it could benefit from Western suspicions of Huawei, after Washington alleged its gear could be used by Beijing for spying.

Huawei has strongly rejected the allegations and launched a lawsuit against the U.S. government.

"What we see is that customers are worried," Ericsson Chief Executive Borje Ekholm told Reuters ahead of the firm's annual meeting at a venue close to its north Stockholm headquarters.

"And that of course leads to more discussions with customers for us, but we can't see that contracts are being allocated. That has not happened yet."

EU nations will be required to share data on 5G cybersecurity risks and produce measures to tackle them by the end of the year, the European Commission said on Tuesday, shunning U.S. calls to ban Huawei across the bloc.

"It's good that the EU is trying to harmonize the regulations...they are trying to create some kind of umbrella, which I think is very good for Europe," Ekholm said, adding that Ericsson will not take a position on national security issues.

Ericsson won back a 5G customer from Huawei in its own backyard last week when it signed a comprehensive deal with Denmark's TDC to deploy its 5G platform and modernize the carrier's radio access and core networks.

Huawei had signed a six-year networks deal with TDC back in 2013, establishing the Danish company as a 'reference' customer to showcase its performance.

TDC CEO Allison Kirkby was quoted as saying that the operator "is not blind" to widespread concerns about Huawei and information security, although she also pointed out that price was a significant factor.

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Ericsson said it had won the contract because it is a technology leader in 5G.

"This is an important customer, we will be working with their whole network... and we see that as a strategically important cooperation," Ekholm said, but added the deal had been on the table for "a few years".

(Reporting by Johannes Hellstrom and Helena Soderpalm, additional reporting by Douglas Busvine)
The European Commission on Tuesday presented its plan to ensure the secure introduction of 5G telecoms networks, with suspicions hanging over Chinese giant Huawei.

The United States has accused the firm of posing a security risk to western networks, because of its alleged ties to Chinese intelligence.

But some European countries are in negotiations with Huawei to deploy its advanced technology to power the faster wireless networks of the future.

The Commission has not yet urged European countries to follow the example of the US, Australia or Japan in banning deals with the firm.

But it will now take steps to determine the extent of the risk and encourage EU members to share information.

Andrus Ansip, vice president of the commission in charge of the digital single market, told reporters: "We have specific concerns connected with some producers.

"Everybody knows I'm talking about China and Huawei," he said, noting tha under a 2017 intelligence act Chinese firms mist collaborate with national spy agencies.

"I think we have to be worried about this," he said.

The plan, unveiled at a news conference at the EU parliament in Strasbourg, calls for member states to report back on any security threats to their national network infrastructure by June 30.

After that, the European Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) will be given to October 1 to produce a report evaluating the risks at a European level.

Then member states will debate what if any measures to take, with a decision before the end of the year.

Huawei cautiously welcomed the EU approach.

"Huawei understands the cybersecurity concerns that European regulators have. Based on the mutual understanding, Huawei looks forward to contributing to the European framework on cybersecurity," the firm said.

"We are firmly committed to continue working with all regulators and partners to make the 5G rollout in Europe a success."

Fifth Generation telecoms with almost instantaneous data transfer will become the nervous system of Europe's economy in the coming years, in strategic sectors like energy, transport, banking and health care.

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Huawei has become a world leader in the technology, and Europe's deployment of the network could lag behind if it shuns Chinese suppliers.

Some Western capitals are wary that Huawei networks may give Beijing access to commercial, military, scientific and diplomatic secrets.

China furiously denies this, but Washington has banned Huawei's 5G technology from its territory and has urged its allies to follow suit or face losing some of their own access to American intelligence.

The European Commission's statement came just as China's President Xi Jinping met his French, German and EU counterparts in Paris.
CHICAGO  An ex-Michelle Obama aide said Wednesday she had limited involvement in assisting Empire actor Jussie Smolletts family get in touch with the Chicago-areas top prosecutor last month.

Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx earlier this month released a series of text messages and emails to and from Tina Tchen, a prominent Chicago attorney and former chief of staff to Michelle Obama, and an unnamed Smollett relative.

The messages were sent to convey the family's unease with how police were handling their investigation of an alleged attack on the actor at a moment when police were still classifying Smollett as a victim, according to Tchen.

I know members of the Smollett family based on prior work together, Tchen said in a statement. Shortly after Mr. Smollett reported he was attacked, as a family friend, I contacted Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx, who I also know from prior work together. My sole activity was to put the chief prosecutor in the case in touch with an alleged victims family who had concerns about how the investigation was being characterized in public.

Foxx said she recused herself from the investigation because of her contacts with Tchen and the Smollett family member. The prosecutor wrote to Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson after the contacts to convey that the family wanted the FBI to take over the investigation, according to copies of emails and text released by the States Attorneys Office.

What happened: Jussie Smollett: How did prosecutors go from indictment to wrist slap?

Text lobbying: After Michelle Obama's former aide's urging, prosecutor pushed for FBI to investigate Smollett

Tchen's comments are her first about her involvement in the case and come one day after Foxxs office abruptly announced they were dropping charges against Smollett, who was charged last month for disorderly conduct for filing a false police report.

The decision to suddenly drop the charges, less than three weeks after Smollett was indicted by grand jury, was met with sharp criticism by police officials and Mayor Rahm Emanuel. The case was being overseen by Foxx's first deputy, Joseph Magats, after the chief prosecutor's recusal.

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Police and prosecutors say Smollett paid two brothers, Abel and Ola Osundairo, $3,500 to stage an attack on Smollett near his apartment building in Chicagos swanky Streeterville neighborhood in which he was made to look like the victim of a vicious hate crime.

Smollett hoped to use the incident to raise his profile and salary, according to Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson.

The Cook County States Attorneys Office announced Tuesday they would drop the charges against Smollett, who in turn agreed to forfeit the $10,000 bond he put up to secure his release after he was arrested.

Smollett and his attorneys maintain the actor is innocent. Prosecutors, who said the deal should not be seen as an exoneration, described the decision to drop the charges as simply a just disposition and appropriate resolution to the case.

Johnson said Foxx and her deputies did not give him or his aides any forewarning of their decision to drop the case.

Foxx told the Chicago Tribune Wednesday that she regretted her contact with the family about the case. She also told the paper she had nothing to do with the decision to drop the case, but defended her deputies' decision.

Its frustrating to me that the reliability of the work of the people of this office has been challenged, she said. What happened with Jussie Smollett and having this type of diversion is something we offer to people who do not have his money or his fame.

For weeks, police treated Smollett as a victim before shifting course and charging him with staging the attack. The Smollett family member and Tchen raised their concerns amidst of a series of leaks about the case to news media before the actor was charged.

Tchen first contacted Kim Foxx by text on Feb. 1 and said the actor's family had "concerns" about the investigation, according to the communications.

Spoke to the Superintendent Johnson, Foxx responded by email to Tchen on Feb. 1, referring to the citys top cop, Eddie Johnson. I convinced him to Reach out to FBI to ask that they take over the investigation.

Foxx also texted with one of Smolletts relatives, whose name was redacted in copies of the communication released by her office.

Spoke to the superintendent earlier, he made the ask, Foxx wrote. Trying to figure out logistics. Ill keep you posted.

Johnson said in an interview with USA TODAY earlier this month that he told Foxx he was amenable to conversations about having the FBI take the lead in the Smollett investigation.

But ultimately, police and federal officials determined it was most appropriate that the investigation continue to be led by Chicago Police, Johnson said. The FBI had been providing city police with technical assistance since soon after it launched its investigation.

I did speak to the FBI because they handle hate crimes, Johnson said. We had conversations about it, but at the end of the day it stayed where it should have, in my opinion.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel continued his criticism of Foxx and the prosecutors office on Wednesday for their handling of the case.

There is something rotten in Denmark, Emanuel told USA TODAY, paraphrasing a famous line from Shakespeares Hamlet. It doesnt add up . . . I dont get it.

People better get their stories straight, Emanuel said of Foxx's team. Were all owed a sense of accountability by the system.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ex-Michelle Obama aide says she had small role in assisting Jussie Smollett's family
(Adds comments on Maduro, BRICS ties with Russia and China)

By Anthony Boadle

BRASILIA, March 28 (Reuters) - The Russian troops sent to Venezuela should leave if their purpose is to maintain the country's leftist government in power, Brazilian Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo said on Thursday.

In an interview with Reuters, Araujo said he hoped Russia would recognize that propping up President Nicolas Maduro would only deepen the collapse of Venezuela's economy and society, and that the only way out of the crisis was to hold elections under an interim government led by opposition leader Juan Guaido.

"If their idea is to keep Maduro in power for longer that means more people starving and fleeing the country, more human tragedy in Venezuela," the minister said.

"Anything that contributes to the continuation of the suffering of the Venezuelan people should be removed," he said in a telephone interview.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday called on Russia to pull its troops from Venezuela and said that "all options" were open to make that happen.

Brazil's right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro, whose government has joined a U.S.-led operation to get humanitarian aid into Venezuela, said the Brazilian armed forces have no intention of intervening militarily in the neighboring country.

The arrival of two Russian air force planes outside Caracas on Saturday believed to be carrying nearly 100 Russian special forces and cybersecurity personnel has escalated the political crisis in Venezuela. Russia said on Thursday they were "specialists" sent to Venezuela under a military cooperation agreement and were staying put.

Araujo said the presence of Russian soldiers in Venezuela was a sign of the weakness of Maduro. "If he needs to bring troops from abroad, it is clear that his own armed forces are not totally with him and not able to keep repressing the Venezuelan people," he said.

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Brazil would like to discuss the Venezuelan crisis bilaterally with Russia and China, its partners in the BRICS group of largest emerging markets economies, to convince them that a diplomatic transition in the oil-producing nation might be in their best interest too, he said.

With the Lima Group of countries recognizing Guaido as the legitimate leader of Venezuela, Brazil is now focusing on getting his representatives recognized in international organizations instead of Maduro's, Araujo said, as happened recently at the Inter-American Development Bank.

Despite having differing views of the world, Araujo said the Brazilian government is looking to cooperate on trade and many other issues with Russia and China, whose presidents will attend a BRICS summit in Brazil in November.

A top priority for the Bolsonaro government is to expand agricultural exports worldwide, and particularly to China, Brazil's biggest customer, he said. Araujo plans to visit China with Agriculture Minister Tereza Cristina Dias in May.

(Reporting by Anthony Boadle, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien and Lisa Shumaker)
By Anthony Boadle BRASILIA (Reuters) - The Russian troops sent to Venezuela should leave if their purpose is to maintain the country's leftist government in power, Brazilian Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo said on Thursday. In an interview with Reuters, Araujo said he hoped Russia would recognize that propping up President Nicolas Maduro would only deepen the collapse of Venezuela's economy and society, and that the only way out of the crisis was to hold elections under an interim government led by opposition leader Juan Guaido. "If their idea is to keep Maduro in power for longer that means more people starving and fleeing the country, more human tragedy in Venezuela," the minister said. "Anything that contributes to the continuation of the suffering of the Venezuelan people should be removed," he said in a telephone interview. U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday called on Russia to pull its troops from Venezuela and said that "all options" were open to make that happen. Brazil's right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro, whose government has joined a U.S.-led operation to get humanitarian aid into Venezuela, said the Brazilian armed forces have no intention of intervening militarily in the neighboring country. The arrival of two Russian air force planes outside Caracas on Saturday believed to be carrying nearly 100 Russian special forces and cybersecurity personnel has escalated the political crisis in Venezuela. Russia said on Thursday they were "specialists" sent to Venezuela under a military cooperation agreement and were staying put. Araujo said the presence of Russian soldiers in Venezuela was a sign of the weakness of Maduro. "If he needs to bring troops from abroad, it is clear that his own armed forces are not totally with him and not able to keep repressing the Venezuelan people," he said. Brazil would like to discuss the Venezuelan crisis bilaterally with Russia and China, its partners in the BRICS group of largest emerging markets economies, to convince them that a diplomatic transition in the oil-producing nation might be in their best interest too, he said. With the Lima Group of countries recognizing Guaido as the legitimate leader of Venezuela, Brazil is now focusing on getting his representatives recognized in international organizations instead of Maduro's, Araujo said, as happened recently at the Inter-American Development Bank. Despite having differing views of the world, Araujo said the Brazilian government is looking to cooperate on trade and many other issues with Russia and China, whose presidents will attend a BRICS summit in Brazil in November. A top priority for the Bolsonaro government is to expand agricultural exports worldwide, and particularly to China, Brazil's biggest customer, he said. Araujo plans to visit China with Agriculture Minister Tereza Cristina Dias in May. (Reporting by Anthony Boadle, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien and Lisa Shumaker)
By Sudarshan Varadhan and Shihar Aneez

NEW DELHI/COLOMBO, March 28 (Reuters) - An agreement to build a proposed $3.85 billion oil refinery in Sri Lanka will take at least a year to be finalized as its main investor, India's Accord Group, says it is yet to recruit partners and conduct an assessment of the plan's viability.

The comments add to confusion about the project, which was announced last week by the Sri Lankan government as the nation's largest single foreign direct investment ever, but has since been the subject of conflicting statements by various parties.

Accord's Chairman S Jagatrakshakan, a former Indian government minister, said he has submitted a preliminary proposal to the Sri Lankan government to invest in the project but has not finalized any terms of the deal.

"The project assessment and financial viability assessment will take at least a year. We have not sorted out any of the equity partners for the projects, but are in talks with investors from many countries," he told Reuters over the phone from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

The 68-year old politician is campaigning in Tamil Nadu for a seat in the current general election. He was an MP and minister in the last Congress-led government in 2009-2014.

CHINA-INDIA STRUGGLE

When the Sri Lankan government made the announcement on March 19, it said the oil refinery would be a joint venture between Oman's oil ministry and Accord and cost $3.85 billion.

A day later, Omani officials denied involvement in the project, but the middle eastern country's oil minister arrived in Sri Lanka three days later and said he was "excited" to inaugurate the project though there was no indication of a firm deal in place.

India and China have been vying for political influence in Sri Lanka in recent years, with investment a key part of the battleground.

The refinery's proposed site is 585 acres of land near the site of the new Humbantota International port and a related industrial zone - both run by Chinese entities - on Sri Lanka's southern coast.

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A Sri Lankan government document seen by Reuters showed the previously proposed deal would have a debt to equity ratio of 51:49, and said the Accord Group's Singapore entity, Silver Park International Pte Ltd, would fund 70 percent of the equity, with Oman funding the rest.

However, Jagatrakshakan said he expected 70 percent of the project to be bankrolled by debt from financial institutions, adding that Silver Park would get more investors to fund the equity stake.

"We are looking at getting 20-30 investors on board for the 30 percent equity investment in the project. We expect 70 percent of the project to be bankrolled by debt from financial institutions," he said.

POTENTIAL RISK

A senior official at Sri Lanka's Strategic Development and International Trade ministry, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said he was confident of the terms of the deal as originally announced by the government.

He said Jagatrakshakan's son Sandeep was also present when the deal was signed. Sandeep Jagatrakshakan did not respond to repeated calls seeking comment.

China is the biggest buyer of Omani oil, importing about 80 percent of the Middle Eastern nation's overall crude exports in January, according to Oman government data.

(Reporting by Sudarshan Varadhan in NEW DELHI and Shihar Aneez in COLOMBO Edited by Martin Howell)
By Julia Payne and Dmitry Zhdannikov LONDON (Reuters) - The United States has instructed oil trading houses and refiners around the world to further cut dealings with Venezuela or face sanctions themselves, even if the trades are not prohibited by published U.S. sanctions, three sources familiar with the matter said. The move comes as Washington's efforts to oust President Nicolas Maduro in favor of opposition leader Juan Guaido have stalled, and is further evidence of how it is leaning on non-U.S. firms to achieve its foreign policy goals. The U.S. imposed fresh sanctions on Venezuela's oil industry earlier this year but some companies have continued to supply the country with fuel from India, Russia and Europe. Washington is particularly keen to end deliveries of gasoline and refined products used to dilute Venezuela's heavy crude oil to make it suitable for export. Jet fuel and diesel would be exempt for humanitarian reasons, the sources said. The U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced a ban in early February on the use of its financial system in oil deals with Venezuela after April. But as recently as this week, the U.S. State department has called up foreign firms to say that the scope of the sanctions is wider. The sources said that the State Department made clear that any kind of oil trade, whether it be direct, indirect or barter, would be considered a breach. OFAC did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A spokesman for the State Department said "we continue to engage with companies in the energy sector on the possible risks they face by conducting business with PDVSA." "This is how the United States operates these days. They have written rules and then they call you to explain that there are also unwritten rules that they want you to follow," one of the sources said. Washington has been using its oil clout more and more. At a major oil event in Houston this month, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a rare appearance and laid out a vision of working with energy firms to isolate Iran and Venezuela. Venezuela's overall exports of crude and fuel dropped to 920,000 barrels a day in the first month of sanctions from more than 1.5 million bpd in the prior three months, according to Refinitiv Eikon and state firm PDVSA data. Russia, however, remains a staunch supporter of Maduro's government which has plunged Venezuela into an economic and humanitarian crisis. In an escalation of tensions, U.S. President Donald Trump called on Moscow to remove all its soldiers from Venezuela after a Russian military contingent arrived just outside of Caracas, saying "all options" were open to make that happen. Russia responded on Thursday saying it had sent "specialists" to Venezuela under a military cooperation deal. The biggest trading firms, based in Europe, such as Vitol, Gunvor, Mercuria, Trafigura and Glencore account for about 10 percent of global oil trade. (Reporting By Julia Payne and Dmitry Zhdannikov in London, Additional reporting by Lesley Wroughton in Washington; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)
The U.S. government accused Facebook on Thursday of violating the Fair Housing Act (FHA) by determining which users can see housing-related ads, on the heels of a separate settlement of similar allegations brought by private civil rights groups.

Olivier Sylvain, a professor at Fordham Law School, said the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Developments (HUD) complaint is more comprehensive than the civil rights groups action  and that it could hit revenues harder.

HUD has a broad regulatory authority so that if this is litigated to a consent decree they can oversee what Facebook does for years looking forward, he said. It takes up and makes allegations about what Facebook does that go beyond the complaint in the cases I've seen. I think it's more far-reaching, and implications are potentially more dramatic.

On Thursday, HUD Secretary Ben Carson told Yahoo Finance that Facebooks alleged discrimination was new territory. He added, Technology has advanced very significantly  when we can use these sophisticated tools to track people  then use that to discriminate against certain people  thats a very, very significant problem, its not minor at all.

A HUD spokeswoman also confirmed with Yahoo Finance a Washington Post report saying that last year the Department alerted Twitter and Google that their advertising practices were being scrutinized.

Were surprised by HUDs decision.

According to HUDs complaint, Facebooks advertising platform, which generated $55 billion in ad revenue in 2018, violates the FHA, a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination in buying, selling or renting housing based on a persons race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status and disability.

HUD put Facebook on notice of its discrimination claims in August last year. According to Facebook, the company had already been addressing the Departments allegations.

Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive officer and co-founder of Facebook Inc., speaks during the Oculus Connect 5 product launch event in San Jose, California, U.S., on Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2018. Facebook unveiled a wireless virtual-reality headset called Oculus Quest, an attempt to help popularize the developing technology with a more mainstream audience. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images

We're surprised by HUD's decision, as we've been working with them to address their concerns and have taken significant steps to prevent ads discrimination... While we were eager to find a solution, HUD insisted on access to sensitive information  like user data  without adequate safeguards, Facebook said in a statement, without elaborating on the type of sensitive data HUD requested.

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In the settlement reached last week, which included the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA), the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Communication Workers of America (CWA), and other private parties, Facebook agreed to remove features that allow ads for housing, employment and credit opportunities to single out desired audience members by age, gender, or zip code. Facebook also agreed to disable targeting options that describe or appear to relate to classes protected under the Civil Rights Act.

In a statement to Yahoo Finance, HUD responded to Facebooks statement, suggesting that the company still needs to impose heavier advertising restrictions.

[U]nresolved fair housing issues remain with Facebooks advertising platform, a HUD spokesman said in an email. Until HUD can verify that Facebooks practices are in full compliance with the law, we will continue to use all resources at our disposal to protect Americans from the harmful effects of discrimination.

Broader allegations against the social network

Facebooks targeted advertising platform is described by the Departments complaint as operating in two distinct phases: one, where advertisers select attributes of their targeted audience; and another, where Facebooks algorithms select the ads actual audience from the selected attributes.

The second phase at issue in HUDs complaint makes its allegations more broad than the complaint filed by the civil rights groups.

Facebook has an algorithm that takes that target audience and then tries to figure out how to maximize within that target audience who's most likely to interact with the ad, Pauline Kim, a law professor at Washington University. In doing so, they could very well be, behind the scenes, relying on other data that they have collected about the user, both online and offline behavior, to try to figure out who's most likely to interact with the ad.

OXON HILL, MD, UNITED STATES - 2019/02/28: Ben Carson, United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, seen speaking during the American Conservative Union's Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Oxon Hill, MD. (Photo by Michael Brochstein/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

That could cause ad distribution on a discriminatory basis, Kim said, even though the person who's advertising the housing may not have inputted any suspect categories, didn't use any proxies [non protected classes that work as analogues to protected classes], and doesn't want to limit the audience in that way.

The relief that was agreed to the private housing advocacy groups will limit the ability of people advertising housing opportunities to use those kinds of proxy attributes, Kim said. However, it does not address Facebooks own manipulation of data using algorithms that customizes targeted ads based on inferences it makes about its users.

Asked whether Facebook may have a valid concern about handing over too much user data, Kim said HUD could likely explore a third party audit of its algorithm.

Certainly they would have a legitimate concern if what HUD wanted was for Facebook to just turn over all the data that it has, Kim said. I would suspect in order to test whether that algorithm is actually ending up serving ads on a discriminatory basis, you would need to know a lot more about the data that Facebook holds about users, and how it deploys that data, to figure out how to maximize interaction with the ads.

In 2018, Facebook reported having more than 7 million advertisers. The companys $55 billion in advertising revenue was a 38% increase over the previous year.

Alexis Keenan is a New York-based reporter for Yahoo Finance. She previously produced live news for CNN and is a former litigation attorney. Follow on Twitter at @alexiskweed.

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Gov. Bevin, right, and President Trump, left, talk near Air Force One at Bluegrass Airport in Lexington, Oct. 13, 2018.

LOUISVILLE, Ky.  A federal judge in Washington has rejected for a second time Gov. Matt Bevin's effort to overhaul Kentucky's Medicaid program, dealing a resounding blow to his efforts to impose work requirements and other rules on "able-bodied" adults covered by the government health plan for the poor.

In a pair of closely watched cases that drew national attention, U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg also rejected similar work requirements Arkansas imposed on its Medicaid program.

Kentucky had planned to launch its changes Monday, though it announced in February most of the changes wouldn't begin until July 1. Arkansas' plan is already underway.

Boasberg's decision was hailed by the National Health Law Program, which led the legal challenge.

"Medicaid is federal and state program designed to provide health care; it is not and never has been a program intended to encourage work," said Jane Perkins, legal director for the group. "The law is about providing health care services to low-income individuals and families and underserved populations."

More: Challenge to Obamacare could leave 20 million people without health insurance

The National Health Law Program, the Kentucky Equal Justice Center and the Southern Poverty Law Center joined in filing the legal challenge, acting on behalf of 16 Kentuckians covered through Medicaid who they say would suffer direct harm and likely lose health coverage under Bevin's changes

Adam Meier, secretary of Kentucky's Cabinet for Health and Family Services, which oversees Medicaid, called the ruling on the plan, which the state calls Kentucky HEALTH, illogical.

In Kentucky, we want more than to simply give someone a Medicaid card they can put in their wallet  we want a program that focuses on actually improving health outcomes," he said. "And that is what Kentucky HEALTH was designed to do."

He added, Although a setback to our implementation schedule, we believe that we have an excellent record for appeal and are currently considering next steps.

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The rulings come as 14 more states have sought or won permission from the Trump administration to add such requirements to Medicaid that would apply largely to adults added since 2014 under an expansion authorized by the Affordable Care Act.

It's the second time Kentucky's case has come before Boasberg, which he noted in his opinion, writing, "The bell now rings for round two." He rejected a virtually identical plan last year and sent it back to federal officials for further review.

More: 23-year-old mother with asthma dies after nearby ER closes

In Wednesday's bluntly worded opinion, Boasberg said Kentucky again had failed to prove its changes would advance a central goal of Medicaid  to ensure health coverage to its most vulnerable citizens. Rather, he said, it appears at least 100,000 Kentuckians stood to lose health coverage under the work rules.

As he did last year, the judge sent Kentucky's plan back to the U.S. Department for Health and Human Services for further review. But he indicated he was doubtful the federal agency could justify approving it a third time "given a second failure to adequately consider one of Medicaid's central objectives."

Boasberg also was not persuaded by Bevin's claim that he could shut down the entire Medicaid expansion and end health coverage for nearly 500,000 people, comparing it to the threat "of a gun to the head."

"Kentucky, it now seems, has picked up that gun by threatening to de-expand Medicaid," Boasberg wrote in his opinion.

The ruling is a major setback for the Bevin administration, where officials have been working for more than two years to create sweeping changes to the state's $11 billion a year program that provides health coverage to nearly 1.4 million Kentuckians.

The changes would have affected many of the about 450,000 people added under the 2014 Medicaid enacted by Bevin's predecessor, Gov. Steve Beshear, a Democrat. Bevin, a Republican elected in 2015, came into office highly critical of the expansion, pledging to scale it back and add more personal responsibility through changes under a federal "waiver."

Democrats who opposed Bevin's plan were quick to respond to Wednesday's ruling.

This is a great decision, and my hope is that it finally puts this unnecessary waiver behind us," said state Rep. Joni Jenkins, a Democrat and House minority whip. "The facts are clear: The Medicaid expansion has saved lives, it has improved our overall collective health, and it has added billions of dollars to our economy. It is a win for everyone involved."

More: Kentucky's 'too low and too slow' response to the nation's worst hepatitis A outbreak

It's also a clear signal to other states that have followed Kentucky in seeking federal permission to add "community engagement" rules requiring people to prove they are working or volunteering in order to keep Medicaid health coverage.

Seven other states have been approved for Medicaid work requirements and seven more have applications pending with the federal government, which provides most of the funding for and oversees the program, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Officials in many states, largely led by Republicans, seek to add work requirements arguing they will make people more responsible and engaged in their communities.

Advocates in both Kentucky and Arkansas say the majority of low-income adults covered by Medicaid already work but are employed in part-time or in low-wage jobs that don't come with health coverage or sufficient hours to meet state reporting requirements.

Kentucky's rules require people to put in at least 80 hours a month in work, volunteering, attending school or other activities it considers "community engagement."

Bevin, an ally of the Trump administration, has said the changes will make people better consumers of health care and become more engaged in their communities.

Bevin has relied on his now-familiar story of growing up poor and having a life of hard work in New Hampshire with no health coverage to explain his desire to give "able-bodied" people on Medicaid the dignity of work.

"This is a program that will allow people to rise up out of poverty," he said in January 2018, announcing his plan had been approved by the Trump administration.

Kentucky was the first state to win federal approval to add work requirements and other rules for some people covered by Medicaid, but Arkansas was the first to enact them.

Follow Deborah Yetter on Twitter: @d_yetter.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Federal judge blocks Medicaid work rules in Kentucky, Arkansas
By Carolyn Crist

(Reuters Health) - Women doctors who specialize in using radiation to treat cancers collect less in Medicare reimbursement dollars than their male counterparts, even when they see similar numbers of patients, according to a new study.

Depending on the setting, female radiation oncologists collected an average of $27,000 to $143,000 less than their male counterparts in 2016, the authors report in JAMA Network Open.

"Armed with the knowledge that disparity exists, we are better positioned to understand . . . and work toward leveling the playing field," said lead study author Dr. Luca Valle of the University of California, Los Angeles.

Failure to address barriers to economic advancement in radiation oncology may weaken the specialty by discouraging women from entering it, he told Reuters Health by email.

Valle and colleagues analyzed 2016 data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on payments made to 4,393 radiation oncologists, of whom 1,133 were women.

Overall, in non-facility-based practices, such as outpatient clinics and federally qualifying health centers, radiation oncologists billed nearly 9 million charges using 447 billing codes and received over $1 billion from Medicare. Men made 82.1 percent of the charges and collected 82.8 percent of the payments. Women made fewer charges and used an average of 1.32 fewer billing codes than men, which translated to women collecting about $8.50 less per charge than men.

In facility-based settings such as hospitals, radiation oncologists overall billed about 4.5 million charges with 342 billing codes and received $288 million in Medicare payments. Women, on average, made fewer charges, used 1.28 fewer billing codes and collected about $1.30 less per charge than men.

When the study team looked at productivity in terms of the number of charges submitted to Medicare, 46 of the 397 most productive radiation oncologists in facility-based settings were women, as were 54 of the 326 most productive in non-facility-based practices. In both settings, the most productive women still collected an average $176,885 less per year than equally productive men.

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"Even among physicians who were equally highly productive in terms of seeing patients and submitting claims to Medicare, male radiation oncologists still earned significantly more than female radiation oncologists," Valle said.

The differences suggest that women submit fewer or different types of charges than men, resulting in lower Medicare total reimbursements, the authors note.

Valle and colleagues next plan to study whether there is a difference in the types of services that are billed and if billing patterns are different among men and women. It may indicate whether women spend more time with patients, select more cost-effective treatment options or use fewer well-reimbursed technologies, the study authors write. Or, it could indicate a referral bias that leads to women receiving fewer cases.

"In a field where we're trying to close the pay gap, there are multiple factors for why those pay gaps exist," said Dr. Stephanie Terezakis of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, who wasn't involved in the study.

"What it really comes down to is not a snapshot in time of a salary but what this disparity means over an entire career," she said in a phone interview. "What does this mean for your benefits and retirement, which are then compounded over time?"

If future studies can pinpoint differences in charges and billing codes among men and women, medical schools and healthcare institutions may be able to better train new doctors to submit consistent paperwork for reimbursements.

"This has continued implications for gender inequity across a spectrum of jobs and how women are treated in the workplace," Terezakis said. "People talk about the glass ceiling, but in reality, it's hard to break that if you start off with completely different footing and a disadvantage."

SOURCE: https://bit.ly/2V08qZE JAMA Network Open, online March 22, 2019.
WALTERBORO, S.C. (AP)  Authorities spoke privately Thursday to school board members for two hours about what happened when a fifth grader died from injuries suffered in a fight at a South Carolina elementary school.

But the Colleton County School Board gave out no additional information about the death of Raniya Wright after the meeting.

Wright was knocked unconscious Monday at Forest Hills Elementary School in Walterboro during a fight with another fifth grader. She died in the hospital two days later.

The other student involved in the fight has been suspended. The student's name, sex and age have not been released. No charges have been filed.

Colleton County deputies met with the school board behind closed doors. When the board emerged, Chairman Tim Mabry read a brief statement saying student privacy laws and the ongoing criminal investigation meant they could not release additional information.

"We understand this is an emotional and difficult time for our community," Mabry said.

Superintendent Franklin Foster then read a brief statement promising to review the findings of the investigation and make any changes needed.

People who came to the school board meeting were unhappy with the lack of answers.

"We wait outside for two hours and y'all just going to adjourn the meeting and leave?" one yelled as the board members walked out.

School officials who called 911 initially said the girl collapsed Monday after the fight and was unconscious but breathing in the nurse's office, according to a Colleton County Sheriff's Office incident report.

The report and statements from deputies and school officials have not detailed how the girl was injured or what the fight was about. The attack is listed on the report as a simple assault. The report also said no weapons were used.

Raniya died Wednesday at a Charleston hospital. An autopsy is scheduled for Friday.
(Reuters) - Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV said on Thursday it will eliminate one shift at its Windsor, Ontario, assembly plant where it builds minivans, resulting in the loss of 1,500 jobs.

The Italian-American automaker said in a statement the elimination of the shift, which will take effect on Sept. 30, was to address slowing global demand.

The company said it would offer retirement packages to eligible employees and attempt to place indefinitely laid off hourly employees in open full-time positions. Earlier this week, Canadian media outlets reported Fiat Chrysler would idle the plant for two weeks in April, the third time this year the plant has been temporarily closed.

The company has sold more than 12 million minivans, since being introduced by Chrysler in 1983. It sold more than 500,000 a year by the early 1990s.

Over the last decade, sales have shrunk as many automakers stopped building minivans altogether and more U.S. buyers gravitated toward sport utility vehicles.

Last year, Fiat Chrysler sold 270,000 Chrysler Pacifica and Dodge Grand Caravan minivans in the United States. Through February, the company's U.S. minivan sales have fallen by about 25 percent.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Leslie Adler)
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BONN, Germany (Reuters) - The way Germany's 5G auction is being run is creating a shortage of spectrum that risks forcing up costs and leaving operators short of cash to build next-generation networks, Deutsche Telekom CEO Tim Hoettges said on Thursday. "An artificial shortage of public resources is being created, which may push up the price," Hoettges told the company's annual general meeting in Bonn, adding: "In the end, there is no money for the build-out." German regulators have carved out a slab of frequency suited for use in high-tech 'connected' factories, and will allocate that on a regional basis directly to industrial companies later this year. Four operators are, meanwhile, vying for a total of 420 MHz of spectrum in the 2 GHz and 3.6 GHz bands in an auction that started last week, with combined bids topping 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) on Wednesday evening. Industry analysts expect the amount raised at the open-ended auction - in which Vodafone, Telefonica Deutschland and new entrant 1&1 Drillisch are also taking part - to reach 3 billion euros or more. A court threw out challenges filed by the operators to halt the auction. Litigation is still outstanding that could put the auction's results to the test retroactively, the industry says. Hoettges repeated earlier complaints about delays to winning local approvals to erect new telecoms masts in Germany, which can take two years or more, and urged the authorities to lighten regulation to encourage investment. He also called for more infrastructure sharing, in which competitors can install antennas on the same towers, as a way to ease the cost of building out 5G networks. "We build the mast, and others can use it to mount their antennas. Particularly in rural areas, where coverage gaps are still large," he said. (Reporting by Douglas Busvine; Editing by Mark Potter)
Goldman Sachs has been fined by a UK watchdog. Photo: Jaap Arriens/SIPA USA/PA Images

Goldman Sachs has been fined 34.3m ($45m) over serious and prolonged failures in how it reported financial transactions to a UK watchdog.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said it would have handed out an even higher fine of 49m if the bank had not been given a discount for agreeing to resolve the case.

The regulator revealed in a statement on Thursday that Goldman Sachs had failed to report on 15% of transactions in an accurate and timely way between November 2007 and March 2017.

It also accused the bank of failing to organise and control its affairs responsibly and effectively by not taking reasonable care to ensure it had robust reporting systems in place.

READ MORE: UBS fined a record 28m over millions of transaction reporting failings

The FCA said it had consistently told firms they needed such systems to ensure accurate and complete reporting.

Goldman Sachs failings involved breaching FCA rules by making over 220 million errors in how the bank reported transactions.

The failings in this case demonstrate a failure over an extended period to manage and test controls that are vitally important to the integrity of our markets. These were serious and prolonged failures, according to Mark Steward, FCA executive director of enforcement and market oversight.

We expect all firms will take this opportunity to ensure they can fully detail their activity and are regularly checking their systems so any problems are detected and remedied promptly, unlike in this case.

A Goldman Sachs spokesman said: We are pleased to have resolved this legacy matter. We dealt with the issues proactively at the time and have made significant investments across the period to develop and enhance our reporting procedures.

READ MORE: Goldman Sachs slashes no-deal Brexit risk to 10%

The FCA said Goldman Sachs had dedicated significant resources towards identifying and solving the errors itself, as well as improved its reporting systems and co-operated fully with the investigation.

This comes after UBS was hit by a record 28m ($37m) fine earlier this month for problems in 136 million of its own transaction reports.

If firms cannot report their transactions accurately, fundamental risks arise, including the risk that market abuse may be hidden, Steward said after the UBS announcement.
NEW YORK (AP)  Google and the McClatchy publishing company say they will work together on an experiment launching three digital-only outlets to provide local news in U.S. communities that are currently news "deserts."

Besides providing news to the three communities, which the companies haven't named yet, the idea is to test business approaches that could revive local journalism. More than 1,800 U.S. newspapers have closed over the past 15 years, most of them in small towns, according to a University of North Carolina study. Big-city newspapers also suffering declines in staff and circulation.

Google will provide the money and won't be involved in the newsrooms, said Craig Forman, McClatchy's president and CEO.

"Our objective at McClatchy is to explore new models for independent local news and information," Forman said in a blog post on Tuesday. "Google's objective is to test the business models and operational aspects necessary to succeed in local news. Ultimately, those findings may lead to Google expanding its tools and services to enable other companies to do similar work."

Google said the project is part of its $300 million, three-year news initiative. Among the other ideas it is testing is an easy-to-use system allowing people to subscribe to various publications, with the Guardian and Washington Post among the participants.

There's been a flurry of philanthropic and experimental efforts recently aimed at arresting the decline in the local news industry, although finding new business models has proven elusive.

Meanwhile, a study issued Tuesday by the Pew Research Center further illustrated some of the problems facing the local news industry.

Pew found that only 14 percent of American adults said they had paid for local news within the past year, such as through a subscription, donation or membership. Asked why, half of the people questioned said there was free content available to them. That's not surprising, because people told Pew that television and radio was the most-preferred source of local news.

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The idea that the local news industry is suffering hasn't reached most of the potential customers. Pew found that 71 percent of Americans believe their local news outlets are doing very or somewhat well financially.

"Certainly, any attempt by the industry to inform consumers about their financial challenges seems to have gone unheard," said Amy Mitchell, Pew's director of journalism research.

The study is based on a survey of nearly 35,000 adults on Pew's American Trends Panel and Ipsos' Knowledge Panel, taken between Oct. 15 and Nov. 8, 2018.
Its no secret that CNN commentator Van Jones is a liberal, but he recently did the unthinkable and praised conservatives for leading the way in passing a sweeping criminal-justicereform package, the First Step Act, last year. The conservative movement in this country, unfortunately from my point of view, is now the leader on this issue of reform, Jones told a crowd at last months Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). That was supposed to be my issue.

As Republican leaders grapple with how to build on the bipartisan momentum created by passage of the First Step Act last year, they would do well to line up behind Representative Bruce Westerman (R., Ark.) in his efforts to reform the way that the federal justice system sentences minors. Westerman introduced today a legislative package that seeks to spare juveniles from the excesses of the tough-on-crime policies to which both major parties have adhered for decades.

The package includes three bills. Of these, a bill called Saras Act has the best chance of attracting bipartisan support. The bill exempts juveniles from mandatory-minimum sentences for crimes they committed against adults who trafficked or abused them. Named after Sara Kruzan, who spent 20 years in prison for murdering her abusive pimp, the bill wont be a tough sell.

Kruzan was eventually released in 2014 following a lengthy legal battle and has said she now forgives the man who trafficked and raped her before she killed him. He was a person, she told KPBS of her abuser after she was released . And he was a father, of course, and I think about what happened to him that made him make those decisions in his life. I mean no one wakes up and says, Hey, Im going to go traffic children.

As Westerman sees it, Kruzans evident rehabilitation occurred despite, and not because of, the decades she spent behind bars. Its a sentiment he believes his colleagues on both sides of the aisle will get behind. People dont have a lot of sympathy for someone whos trafficking a minor, but they have a lot of sympathy for minors that are in that position, and I think thats a bipartisan issue, he told National Review.

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It should be easy for lawmakers of both parties to support sparing Americans such as Kruzan from harsh mandatory sentences. Westerman is betting that a strong bipartisan consensus will convince the White House to get on board after it received favorable coverage after the passage of the First Step Act.

The Trump administration paired the signing of that bill  which eliminated mandatory-minimum sentences for a number of drug offenses, among other reforms  with the commutation of 63-year-old Alice Johnsons life sentence for a first-time drug offense she committed in 1996. Kruzans case presents a similar opportunity for this made-for-TV White House: Trump standing somberly next to Kruzan, expressing sympathy for her plight, before affecting his brusque Queens persona while offering a note of praise for the act of self-defense that landed her in jail. White House officials have in fact already expressed interest in backing Saras Act; Westerman met with them on Monday and, while he told National Review he had nothing official to announce, he said they will likely go public with their support soon after he introduces it.

The other two pieces of legislation that Westerman introduced on Thursday afternoon lack the obvious advantages of Saras Act, which is a narrow bill designed to help sex-trafficked minors, an exceedingly sympathetic group. The rest of the package is broader and likely to be more controversial on both sides of the aisle. One bill would ensure that Americans cant be sentenced for life without parole for crimes committed before their 18th birthdays. Another would require that parole boards consider the diminished culpability of minors relative to adults when determining an offenders release date. The U.S. is the only country in the world that allows minors to be sentenced to life without parole, though the practice has been banned by 21 states and the District of Columbia, according to the Sentencing Project.

What kind of reception might these bills receive? If the negotiations surrounding the First Step Act hold any lesson, its that small subsets of lawmakers on both ends of the ideological spectrum are likely to stand in the way of passage. For progressives, the proposed reforms did not go far enough: While the First Step Act gave most federal inmates the opportunity for an earlier release by expanding the population eligible for earned-time credits, it did not explicitly seek to redress racial disparities in the justice system. Asked about the potential for the same complaint to be levied against his own bills, Westerman seemed to reject the possibility outright.

These bills are aimed at making sure there is justice and fairness in the system, and it will affect people of all races. Its not specifically targeted as justice for racial minorities, but its creating justice and fairness for everyone who finds themselves in these situations, Westerman told National Review.

Appeals to the practical implications of the legislative package might not convince progressive activists, but they could help sway rank-and-file Democrats. African-American juveniles are sentenced to life without parole at ten times the rate of their white counterparts. In California, 158 of the 180 people serving life without parole for crimes committed as juveniles are members of racial minorities. According to the Sentencing Project, of the roughly 2,100 American juveniles serving life without parole in 2012, 47 percent had themselves been physically abused. Seventy-seven percent of the girls among the 2,100 incarcerated had been sexually abused.

For a certain portion of law-and-order conservatives  including senator Tom Cotton (R., Ark.), whose former seat in the House Westerman now fills  the First Step Act went too far, too fast. If the bill is passed, thousands of federal offenders, including violent felons and sex offenders, will be released earlier than they would be under current law, Cotton wrote in an op-ed for National Review weeks before the bill passed. Its almost certain that like-minded Republicans will level similar criticism at Westermans package.

Westerman responded to this potential criticism by pointing out that the bill would bring federal law into line with Supreme Court jurisprudence, which held in Miller v. Alabama that sentencing a juvenile to life without parole violates the Eighth Amendment. While the ruling proved somewhat controversial, precedent-conscious conservatives likely will support harmonizing federal law and Supreme Court jurisprudence. Westerman also noted that, If youve got an extremely egregious offender and somebody whos not developing while incarcerated, the parole board is only required to consider releasing them, not to actually release them.

Could the White House be in the mood for bipartisan policymaking? Id like to see that kind of unity. Id like to see the Democrats focusing on whats good for the American people, Donald Trump Jr. told Tucker Carlson on Monday when asked how Congress should redirect its energies after the Mueller probe. What better way for the GOP to counter the accusation leveled by top Democrats that it is a party of moral monsters than by backing this legislative package? Supporting Westermans proposal is not only the right thing to do; it has the added benefit of being politically savvy.

More from National Review
The Commons is set to vote on Theresa Mays Brexit deal for a third time on Friday (PA)

The Government intends to stage a third vote on its EU Withdrawal Agreement (WA) on Friday, Leader of the House of Commons Andrea Leadsom has told MPs.

She added that the Commons would sit from 9.30am to 2.30pm and said it was the only way the UK can get its article 50 extension approved.

The announcement came as Boris Johnson claimed Theresa Mays Brexit deal was dead  despite backing it just 24 hours earlier  and as a potential Conservative party leadership election appeared likely.

However, it appears it will not be the widely anticipated MV3 vote  the third on Mrs Mays Brexit deal, but instead a watered-down vote on only one part of the deal.

Andrea Leadsom (PA)

Mrs Leadsom added that the government intends to comply with the Speaker John Bercows ruling about MPs not voting on the same motion twice.

Rumours at Westminster suggest that the Speaker has indicated to officials that the vote can come back to the Commons.

OK. So meaningful vote three is not tomorrow. But government will lay a different motion tomorrow that would ask MPs to approve the Withdrawal Agreement ALONE  and NOT the accompanying political declaration. Because passing that books 22 May as Brexit day under  Robert Peston (@Peston) March 28, 2019

He previously stopped a third vote after it was defeated for a second time, claiming parliamentary procedure meant it could not be brought back to the house and voted on in the same form.

Subject to the House approving the motion on the order paper in the name of the prime minister this evening the business for tomorrow will be Friday March 29, debate on a motion relating to the UKs withdrawal from the EU, Mrs Leadsom told the floor of the House.

Speaker John Bercow (PA)

The vote is seen as a crucial way of unblocking the parliamentary paralysis over Brexit and resolving the issue of when Britain leaves the European Union.

However, almost immediately as it was announced, questions were being asked about what form the vote would take  and if it did constitute a third meaningful vote.

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With scenes verging on farcical, there was speculation that the government might hold a vote only on the Withdrawal Agreement, and not the political declaration as well.

The WA is the legally-binding treaty covering the backstop, the 39bn payment to the EU as well as citizens rights.

The political declaration covers future trade deals between London and Brussels.

But no sooner had Mrs Leadsom announced it to the House, then MPs queried if the meaningful vote three would actually be meaningless.

Chris Bryant, for Labour, said the WA and political declaration must be debated together, else it would be a complete waste of time.

Brexit and ant-Brexit demonstrators outside the House of Commons (PA)

The SNPs Neil Gray asked if would be MV3, and if not what was the point?

Mrs Leadsom said the motion had not been finalised.
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Nava Bharat Ventures Limited (NSE:NBVENTURES) shareholders might be concerned after seeing the share price drop 13% in the last quarter. On the other hand the share price is higher than it was three years ago. However, it's unlikely many shareholders are elated with the share price gain of 26% over that time, given the rising market.

View our latest analysis for Nava Bharat Ventures

To quote Buffett, 'Ships will sail around the world but the Flat Earth Society will flourish. There will continue to be wide discrepancies between price and value in the marketplace...' One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price.

Nava Bharat Ventures was able to grow its EPS at 20% per year over three years, sending the share price higher. The average annual share price increase of 7.9% is actually lower than the EPS growth. Therefore, it seems the market has moderated its expectations for growth, somewhat. This cautious sentiment is reflected in its (fairly low) P/E ratio of 3.70.

You can see how EPS has changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values).

NSEI:NBVENTURES Past and Future Earnings, March 28th 2019

It's good to see that there was some significant insider buying in the last three months. That's a positive. On the other hand, we think the revenue and earnings trends are much more meaningful measures of the business. Before buying or selling a stock, we always recommend a close examination of historic growth trends, available here..

What About Dividends?

As well as measuring the share price return, investors should also consider the total shareholder return (TSR). Whereas the share price return only reflects the change in the share price, the TSR includes the value of dividends (assuming they were reinvested) and the benefit of any discounted capital raising or spin-off. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. In the case of Nava Bharat Ventures, it has a TSR of 30% for the last 3 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. The dividends paid by the company have thusly boosted the total shareholder return.

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A Different Perspective

While the broader market gained around 3.2% in the last year, Nava Bharat Ventures shareholders lost 23% (even including dividends). However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. On the bright side, long term shareholders have made money, with a gain of 6.4% per year over half a decade. It could be that the recent sell-off is an opportunity, so it may be worth checking the fundamental data for signs of a long term growth trend. If you want to research this stock further, the data on insider buying is an obvious place to start. You can click here to see who has been buying shares - and the price they paid.

There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on IN exchanges.

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.
Hearsay and mistrust in health workers may have thwarted attempts to contain Ebola during the current outbreak of the deadly disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo, researchers said Wednesday.

More than 1,000 people are now known to have been infected during the eight-month-old epidemic, almost two-thirds of whom have died, according to the country's health ministry.

A study of nearly 1,000 people in the central Congolese cities of Beni and Butembo found that only a third trusted local authorities to help them during the outbreak and more than a quarter believed that Ebola does not exist.

An even higher proportion of respondents (36 percent) believed that the disease had been fabricated to destabilise the country, and most of the 961 people questioned said they had heard false rumours about the outbreak.

The authors of the study, published in the journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases, said such mistrust was a factor in prolonging the epidemic.

Patrick Vinck, from Harvard Medical School and the study's lead author, said more than a third of Ebola cases were treated within their communities.

"This means people are not taking patients to an Ebola centre and not reporting the disease to professionals, which has a direct influence on the risk of transmission," he told AFP.

The current Ebola crisis in DR Congo is already the second deadliest on record, after the epidemic that struck West Africa in 2014-16, which killed more than 11,300 people.

After the panic that that outbreak induced, millions were spent on developing an effective vaccine.

But Vinck said not enough thought was given to how the vaccine might be received by local communities.

Just 589 people questioned in the survey -- fewer than two-thirds -- said they would accept a vaccine for Ebola.

"Without understanding how to deliver the vaccine but more generally how to get people to listen, believe what you say, and adopt the behaviour that you're promoting will be a challenge," Vinck said.

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"That challenge is in the context of decades of ongoing violence and poor governance, so the trust in institutional actors is really, really low."

The Ebola virus disease was first discovered in 1974 in a village near the Democratic Republic of Congo's Ebola River, which gave the disease its name.

The current outbreak originated in the violence-wracked region of North Kivu on August 1, 2018, before spreading to neighbouring Ituri province.

The World Health Organization has denounced several attacks on Ebola treatment centres by local militias.
The winter is an especially lean, difficult time for European airlines. Photo: Tim Boyle/Getty Images

Icelands Wow Air just joined a growing list of European airlines that have gone bust in the last two years, which begs the question: What the heck is happening?

Britains Flybmi and Germanys Germania both folded last month, following in the failed footsteps of Monarch Airlines, Primera, Air Berlin and Cobalt.

Aviation experts say issues including over-capacity, tough competition, higher fuel costs and the introduction of new long-haul planes have contributed to the failure of various small carriers.

Plus, the winter months are known to be lean in the industry as passengers simply dont take as many holidays.

Airlines effectively burn cash over the winter season. Profit peaks in the summer, said Mark Simpson, an airline analyst at Goodbody Stockbrokers.You tend to see, over the winter months, that this is when airlines go bust.

Europe is known as a cut-throat market with large, efficient competitors including Ryanair (RY4C.IR, RYA.L) and EasyJet (EZJ.L), along with legacy airlines such as Air France-KLM (AF.PA), Lufthansa (LHA.DE) and British Airways owner IAG (IAG.L).

Ultimately the main problem really is too much capacity in the industry, said Alex Irving, a transport researcher at the financial services firm, Bernstein.

A recent spike in jet fuel costs in late 2018 also created pain in the industry.

Small airlines like Wow Air are particularly vulnerable to spikes in jet fuel costs as they lack the required scale to negotiate discounts.

If youre a small airline, you dont have the ability to hedge, said Simpson

Competitive pressures

The recent introduction of efficient, long-haul planes such as the A320neo from Airbus (AIR.PA) and the 737 Max from Boeing (BA) also contributed to Wow Airs demise, said Sandy Morris, an aviation analyst at Jefferies.

Within a short time span, competitor Norwegian (NAS.OL) began offering non-stop transatlantic flights for a very competitive price, making it less desirable to have a cheap Wow Air flight with a stop-over in Iceland.

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Sometimes you get a new aircraft that comes along that allows others to introduce competition when previously there was none, he said.

Flying from Europe to the US through Iceland was a jolly interesting, cheap way of doing it. Now you have these 737 Max and A320neo [planes] that can fly directly from Europe to the east coast of the USA. You dont need to stop in Iceland. Wow was trying to respond to this, but ultimately, the market isnt big enough to share.

Morris also said Wow Airs business model was simply not up to scratch.

You have to start with a sound business model, he said, noting that this is another big factor behind the demise of many small players.




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When Hinduja Global Solutions Limited (NSE:HGS) released its most recent earnings update (31 December 2018), I compared it against two factor: its historical earnings track record, and the performance of its industry peers on average. Being able to interpret how well Hinduja Global Solutions has done so far requires weighing its performance against a benchmark, rather than looking at a standalone number at a point in time. In this article, I've summarized the key takeaways on how I see HGS has performed.

See our latest analysis for Hinduja Global Solutions

Was HGS weak performance lately part of a long-term decline?

HGS's trailing twelve-month earnings (from 31 December 2018) of 1.7b has declined by -11% compared to the previous year.

Furthermore, this one-year growth rate has been lower than its average earnings growth rate over the past 5 years of 3.7%, indicating the rate at which HGS is growing has slowed down. What could be happening here? Let's examine what's going on with margins and whether the entire industry is feeling the heat.

NSEI:HGS Income Statement, March 28th 2019

In terms of returns from investment, Hinduja Global Solutions has fallen short of achieving a 20% return on equity (ROE), recording 11% instead. Furthermore, its return on assets (ROA) of 6.2% is below the IN IT industry of 7.1%, indicating Hinduja Global Solutions's are utilized less efficiently. However, its return on capital (ROC), which also accounts for Hinduja Global Solutionss debt level, has increased over the past 3 years from 9.1% to 11%. This correlates with a decrease in debt holding, with debt-to-equity ratio declining from 34% to 26% over the past 5 years.

What does this mean?

Though Hinduja Global Solutions's past data is helpful, it is only one aspect of my investment thesis. Companies that are profitable, but have volatile earnings, can have many factors impacting its business. I recommend you continue to research Hinduja Global Solutions to get a better picture of the stock by looking at:

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Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for HGSs future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for HGSs outlook. Financial Health: Are HGSs operations financially sustainable? Balance sheets can be hard to analyze, which is why weve done it for you. Check out our financial health checks here. Other High-Performing Stocks: Are there other stocks that provide better prospects with proven track records? Explore our free list of these great stocks here.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the trailing twelve months from 31 December 2018. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

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.
Solola (Guatemala) (AFP) - A truck ploughed into a crowd of indigenous Guatemalans gathered on a highway, leaving 18 dead as it drove off without stopping and plunging the Central American country into an outpouring of grief on Thursday.

The government announced three days of mourning after the incident late Wednesday in the western town of Nahuala, whose population of around 65,000 are mostly K'iche' Maya.

A group of people had converged at the entrance of the town, at the scene of another hit-and-run in which a local community leader was killed, when they in turn were hit by a truck with its lights off on a road without street lighting.

Chilling images from the scene showed the victims' bodies in their brightly colored clothing laid out in a line on the asphalt, as relatives cried out in anguish.

"In total, there are 18 deaths that have been counted in this tragedy," fire department spokesman Cecilio Chacaj told AFP, revising down a previous toll of 30 that he attributed to early chaos on the scene.

"The place was in chaos and there were corpses piled on top of other corpses."

Three of the dead were children, Chacaj said. Another 20 people were injured in the accident, several seriously, and were being treated in hospitals.

The truck driver initially got away but police spokesman Pablo Castillo told reporters a patrol caught up with him.

"After a chase, police officers managed to capture a man allegedly responsible for running over several people with a truck that was travelling at excessive speed in the municipality of Nahula," Castillo said.

The alleged driver of the yellow-striped black and white vehicle was identified as 28-year-old Pedro Rene Lorenzo Lopez.

"For reasons unknown, he ran over several people, leaving 18 dead, including a child under eight years of age," Castillo said.

A photo released by police of the recovered truck shows dents on the cab, likely to be from the impact of the collision with the crowd.

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- Nation in mourning -

The government said the mourning period would start Thursday, while President Jimmy Morales tweeted his condolences.

"We are currently coordinating actions to provide all the support to the victims' families," he said.

The United States embassy in Guatemala expressed its "deepest condolences to the families of the victims."

"We sympathize with the injured, their families, and the families of the deceased, hoping they will recover from this tragedy," a statement released on Twitter said.

Authorities set up a morgue in the local community hall where family members arrived to pick up the bodies of loved ones and take them back to their homes before funerals later Thursday.

Hundreds of people crowded around the morgue, located near a market, as heartbroken families took possession of coffins and bore them to a fleet of nearby pick-up trucks and cars.

Castillo said investigators were initially prevented from getting to the scene by angry residents and relatives of the victims, and were given access only after several hours of talks with community leaders.

Local reports said the man killed in the first accident was president of the state Council of Urban and Rural Development, though authorities have not confirmed this.

The semi-trailer did not have its lights on when it struck the group of people, which may have been why the driver did not spot them, while the highway was also unlit, according to local media.

Traffic rules are frequently ignored in Guatemala, a nation of some 16.5 million people.
By Katie Paul and Akanksha Rana (Reuters) - The Trump administration accused Facebook Inc on Thursday of selling targeted advertising that discriminated on the basis of race, in violation of the U.S. Fair Housing Act. Seeking damages and unspecified relief for harm caused, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said https://www.hud.gov/press/press_releases_media_advisories/HUD_No_19_035 in its civil charge that Facebook also restricted who could see housing-related ads based on national origin, religion, familial status, sex and disability. Facebook said it had been working with the department to address the concerns and was surprised by the decision to issue the charge, having taken "significant steps" to prevent ads that discriminate across its platforms. The company also said the government had "insisted on access to sensitive information - like user data - without adequate safeguards," adding that it was willing to provide aggregate reports but not user-level personal information. The Housing Department claims Facebook mines data about its users and then employs machine learning to predict their responses to ads in ways that may recreate groupings defined by characteristics such as race. A spokesman for the department declined to comment on the details of the discussions. The social media giant last week agreed to overhaul its paid advertising platform as part of a wide-ranging settlement with U.S. civil rights groups, which had filed five separate lawsuits accusing the company of enabling discrimination in advertising. Under U.S. law, including the federal Fair Housing Act, it is illegal to publish certain types of ads - including online ads - if they indicate a preference based on race, religion, sex or other specified classifications. As part of last week's settlement, Facebook said it would create a new advertising portal for ads linked to housing and employment that would limit targeting options for advertisers. It also pledged to build a tool that would allow users to search all current housing ads listed in the United States, regardless of whether the ads were directed at them. The government charge said Facebook enabled advertisers to exclude people whom the social network's data classified as parents, non-American-born, non-Christian, or a variety of other interests that closely align with the Fair Housing Act's protected classes. "Facebook is discriminating against people based upon who they are and where they live," Department Secretary Ben Carson said. "Using a computer to limit a person's housing choices can be just as discriminatory as slamming a door in someone's face." GROWING DISCONTENT The Housing Department has also requested information about ad targeting from Twitter and Google, Facebook's main competition for online advertising dollars, but has not launched an investigation into either company, the spokesman said. Both Twitter and Google denied allowing discriminatory advertising, although they said that they do allow advertisers to target by gender. Researchers have told Reuters that gender targeting could potentially be a violation of the Fair Housing Act. Discrimination against transgender individuals was prohibited, Google said. "We've had policies in place for many years that prohibit targeting ads on the basis of sensitive categories," Google said in a statement. Advertising practices at Facebook, the world's largest social network with 2.7 billion users and $56 billion in annual revenue, have been in the spotlight for two years amid growing discontent over its approach to privacy and user data. News organization ProPublica reported as far back as 2016 that advertisers could target ads through Facebook based on people's self-reported jobs, even if the job was "Jew hater." ProPublica later reported that it was able to buy discriminatory housing ads and slip them past Facebook's review process, despite the company's claims it was blocking such ads. Since then, Facebook has faced legal pressure over the issue from the National Fair Housing Alliance, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Communications Workers of America, among others. The ACLU welcomed the complaint, saying it would add "much-needed pressure" on the company on top of last week's settlement. It encouraged the department to investigate other online ad targeting platforms. "Although the settlement we reached with Facebook will result in removing many of the most troubling of Facebook's advertising practices, there is more work to be done," Galen Sherwin, an ACLU attorney, said in a statement. The charge will be heard by a judge who can award damages for harm caused by the discrimination, along with fines, injunctions and other relief. (Reporting by Akanksha Rana in Bengaluru and Katie Paul in San Francisco; Additional reporting by Paresh Dave in San Francisco; Editing by Dan Grebler and Rosalba O'Brien)
Ilhan Omar has responded to Benjamin Netanyahu in an excoriating series of tweets after the Israeli prime minister rebuked her comments about the influence of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac) over US politics.

Take it from this Benjamin. Its not about the Benjamins, Mr Netanyahu told an audience at Aipacs annual policy conference on Tuesday.

The comments, in which he never mentioned Ms Omar by name, were a reference to tweets by the Democratic congresswoman earlier this month in which she claimed much of Israeli support by US politicians was all about the Benjamins  a slang reference to money.

Asked who she thought was paying members of Congress to support Israel, the lawmaker responded, AIPAC!

She later apologised "unequivocally" for the tweets, which critics said featured the antisemitic trope of "Jewish money", but nevertheless on Tuesday she criticised Mr Netanyahus speech, claiming the topic PM Netanyahu chose to focus on was  me.

We are not even 6 months out from the Pittsburgh massacre. We are not even 2 weeks out from the Christchurch massacre, Ms Omar, who is a Muslim, wrote. Yet the topic Netanyahu chose to focus on was  me.

White supremacist violence is on the rise globally. Right-wing extremists killed more people in the US in 2018 than any year since 1995. Anti-Semitic violence accounted for 58% of religious hate crimes.

Yet the topic Netanyahu chose to focus on was  me.

Ms Omar went on to criticise Mr Netanyahus failure to mention his alliance with far-right party Jewish Power, and to defend herself against charges she is antisemitic.

I like so many othershave not criticized Aipac because of its membership or the country it advocates for. Ive criticized it because it has repeatedly opposed efforts to guarantee peace and human rights in the region, she said, in reference to the plight of Palestinians.

Netanyahu and the GOP may want to make this about one Muslim-American refugees views, but I am not alone, she continued, before naming a number of progressive organisations lobbying for a two-state solution.

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We cannot accept a status quo of perpetual armed conflict and occupation. We must forever strive towards peace.

In his speech, Mr Netanyahu addressed Israels military response to a rocket attack from Gaza, and praised Mr Trumps decision to recognise the Golan Heights as Israeli territory and his pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal, before moving onto antisemitism.

I have a message to all the antisemites out there  whether they live in modern Persia, in the palaces of Tehran or the bunkers of Beirut; whether they march through the streets of Charlottesville or murder worshippers in a synagogue in Pittsburgh; whether they voice their hatred in political parties in Britain, or Europe, or the United States

The Jewish people do not bow down. We stand up. We fight. And we win.

My friends, ladies and gentlemen, some people will just never get it. Theyll never understand why the vast majority of Americans  Jews and non-Jews alike  support Israel.

Take it from this Benjamin, its not about the Benjamins.

Benjamin Netanyahu's speech in full

Good morning, AIPAC.

Unfortunately, Im not able to be with you in person because I returned to deal with the security situation in Israel after that criminal rocket attack from Gaza on our territory.

We responded with great force. In the last 24 hours, the IDF destroyed major Hamas terrorist installations on a scale not seen since the end of the military operation in Gaza four years ago.

Now Im just coming from a meeting with our Chief of Staff and our senior command. And I can tell you, we are prepared to do a lot more.

We will do what is necessary to defend our people and to defend our state.

In the midst of these events, I wanted to speak to you and say two words. Thank you.

Thank you, AIPAC. Thank you for bringing together 18,000 proud Americans  and more than 4,000 American students  who stand with Israel.

Thank you for working year after year, decade after decade to strengthen the remarkable alliance between our two countries. And I can tell you that alliance has never been stronger.

Thank you for working to strengthen support for Israel on both sides of the aisle, Democrats and Republicans alike. That is how it has always been and thats how it should always be.

Yesterday at the White House, President Trump again made history. He formally recognized Israels sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Now that deserves enormous applause.

The Golan Heights is indispensable for our defense. Its part of our history. When you put a shovel in the ground there what you discover are the ruins of ancient synagogues. Jews lived there for thousands of years and the people of Israel have come back to the Golan.

Israel holds the high ground, and we shall never, ever give it up. It is part of Israel.

So on behalf of all the people of Israel, thank you, President Trump and thank you for all the historic decisions you have made.

Im sure you remember that in 2015, I went to the American Congress. I spoke out against the disastrous nuclear deal with Iran. In 2018, President Trump walked out of that bad deal. He restored American sanctions against a genocidal regime in Tehran that vows to destroy the one and only Jewish state. He recognized Jerusalem as Israels capital. He moved the American embassy there.

He put a great ambassador there, Ambassador David Friedman. You just heard him. And with Ambassador Ron Dermer, Israel and the United States have two of the greatest ambassadors on earth. Thank you, Ambassadors. Thank you, President Trump.

Ladies and gentlemen, in recent weeks, weve heard a lot about the rise of forces who want to pull America and Israel apart. So I can tell you one thing. I guarantee you this. They will fail. They will fail.

Our shared values are too deep. Our shared interests are too strong. Our shared destiny too intertwined.

But having said that, I will also tell you we must never take anything for granted.

Those who seek to defame this great organization AIPAC, those who seek to undermine American support for Israel, they must be confronted.

Despite what they claim, they do not merely criticize the policies of Israels government. G-d Im used to that. That happens every five minutes. They do something else. They spew venom that has long been directed at the Jewish people.

Again, the Jews are cast as a force for evil. Again, the Jews are charged with disloyalty. Again, the Jews are said to have too much influence, too much power, too much money.

Ladies and gentlemen, you know what the best way to respond to this kind of hatred is? We read it. We read it just a few days ago in the Book of Esther when Mordechai confronted Haman of Persia.

The best way to respond to those who hate the Jews is not to bow down to them. Its to stand up to them.

So I have a message to all the antisemites out there  whether they live in modern Persia, in the palaces of Tehran or the bunkers of Beirut; whether they march through the streets of Charlottesville or murder worshippers in a synagogue in Pittsburgh; whether they voice their hatred in political parties in Britain, or Europe, or the United States

The Jewish people do not bow down. We stand up. We fight. And we win.

My friends, ladies and gentlemen, some people will just never get it. Theyll never understand why the vast majority of Americans  Jews and non-Jews alike  support Israel.

Take it from this Benjamin, its not about the Benjamins.

The reason the people of America support Israel is not because they want our money, its because they share our values. They just dont get it. Its because America and Israel share a love of freedom and democracy. Its because we cherish individual rights and the rule of law. Its because we dont judge people by the color of their skin, their religion or their sexual orientation.

I am proud of Israels vibrant democracy, where no one  no one  is a second-class citizen. All of Israels citizens are first-class citizens. All of Israels citizens whether Jew or Arab, Muslim, Christian, or Druze, have exactly the same individual rights. We vote in the same elections. Were subject to the same laws. We study in the same universities. And we are also treated in the same hospitals.

But Israel is also the one and only country on earth in which the Jewish people exercise our collective right of self-determination. And that right is expressed in the Star of David that is on our flag, in the Hatikvah that is our national anthem, in Hebrew our official language and most powerfully, in the right of every Jew across the world to automatically immigrate to Israel and become a citizen if they choose to do so.

It is these features of our collective existence that the Nation State bill enshrined into an historic constitutional law. And contrary to the false attacks and allegations, it did not denigrate any individual rights, which remain sacred and equal for all our citizens. And it will always be that way.

Israel will always be a democracy, just as Israel will always be the Jewish State, a place where all Jews anywhere can always call home, no matter how they pray or how they wish to conduct their lives. Israel is the home of all Jews.

That is why we all celebrate today the democratic, Jewish State of Israel. We know the truth.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Jewish state that Herzl envisioned, the Jewish state that Ben-Gurion proclaimed, is the same Jewish state whose future I am working to secure.

I hope the people of Israel continue to allow me to lead them for many years to come.

And I am as confident as ever, that as Israel takes its rightful place among the nations, you will be there by our side. Youve always been there by our side. America will be there by our side.

Thank you AIPAC. Thank you all for standing with Israel.

May G-d bless you, may G-d bless America and may G-d bless our great alliance.

Thank you all.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi speaks during the introduction of the Climate Action Now Act on Capitol Hill on Wednesday. (Photo: Joshua Roberts/Reuters)

In the aftermath of the special counsels investigation, Washington is girding for a conflict between Capitol Hill and the Department of Justice over Congresss and the publics access to the contents of special counsel Robert Muellers report and the evidence collected by his investigation, including the grand jury evidence.

However, there is a complication that neither congressional Democrats nor the Department of Justice appear ready to acknowledge or discuss: The strength of the legal authority supporting lawmakers demand for grand jury evidence depends in part on whether those materials are sought in connection with an impeachment inquiry, something party leaders have publicly disavowed.

Im not for impeachment, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a Washington Post magazine interview earlier this month. Impeachment is so divisive to the country that unless theres something so compelling and overwhelming and bipartisan, I dont think we should go down that path, because it divides the country. And hes just not worth it.

The battle over grand jury material was already alluded to in Attorney General William Barrs letter to Congress on Sunday, in which he noted the special counsels report contains grand jury evidence that would be kept under wraps, citing the general procedural rule governing secrecy of these proceedings. The heads of the congressional investigating committees, in response, have signaled that they expect Muellers entire report and everything that he gathered, including the grand jury materials, to be turned over.

In their reply to Barr, the committee chairs noted  without going into detail  that theres legal authority for the release of grand jury materials to Congress under similar circumstances.

Democratic House and Senate staff have confirmed that they want that evidence. We expect the grand jury materials, Shadawn Reddick-Smith, a spokesman for House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler, said. A spokesman for Senate Judiciary ranking member Dianne Feinstein, Tom Mentzer, added that Democrats calls for the Mueller report and underlying evidence would certainly include the grand jury materials.

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But that means Democrats leading the House investigative committees will have to convince Department of Justice lawyers that turning over grand jury materials to Congress is permissible, or go to court to compel the production of those materials.

House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., walks through the Capitol on Wednesday. (Photo: J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

If Democrats frame their requests as preliminary to a potential impeachment proceeding, they would likely be on stronger legal footing because it would make an exception to the general rule of grand jury secrecy available to them  one that likely would not be available for a simple oversight request. However, adopting that stronger legal position to obtain investigative materials would run the risk of contradicting the political messaging of Democratic leaders, including Pelosi, who have sought to take impeachment off the table.

House and Senate Democrats declined to answer questions about the specifics of their precedent and whether it may be influenced by impeachment. The Department of Justice, likewise, did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

Grand jury secrecy is a long-established tradition under the common law.

The Fifth Amendment to the Constitution makes the grand jury an integral part of federal criminal investigations. It provides, in part, that no person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury. Accordingly, unless a cooperative defendant is willing to waive the requirement, every federal prosecutor must obtain the agreement of a grand jury in order to bring serious criminal charges.

While this requirement is a theoretical check on the prosecutors power, a commonplace joke is that a grand jury, if asked by prosecutors, will indict a ham sandwich.

The grand jury is also a potent investigative tool. A venerable institution of the common law that first the American colonies and then the United States inherited from England, grand juries have extraordinary investigative powers and scope. A grand jury consists of 16 to 23 citizens drawn at random from the jurisdiction where the criminal proceeding is expected to be held.

In starting an investigation, grand juries are not constrained by any burden of proof. The Supreme Court has written that a grand jury may investigate merely on suspicion that the law is being violated, or even just because it wants assurance that it is not. Probable cause, which is required in other criminal proceedings, is the endpoint of a grand jurys work. A grand jury, in other words, has the ability to compel a person to provide testimony or documents without any required pretext, and because lying to a grand jury is a serious felony, prosecutors are able to use these proceedings to extract detailed and intimate information.

By tradition, these investigations are secret. Congress codified that secrecy as part of the federal rules on criminal proceedings, which prohibit grand jurors or prosecutors from disclosing matters that occur before the grand jury, subject to several exceptions where disclosure is allowed.

In his letter to Congress on Sunday, Barr indicated that one of the first steps in his processing of Muellers report would be identifying grand jury materials that by law cannot be made public, but left out any discussion of the exceptions.

Attorney General William Barr leaves his house in McLean, Va., on Monday after special counsel Robert Mueller found no evidence of collusion between President Trumps campaign and Russia in the 2016 election. (Photo: Joshua Roberts/AP)

The exceptions allow for disclosures to other government attorneys and personnel for purposes of law enforcement, counterintelligence or counterterrorism, etc., or a judge can authorize the disclosure of grand jury information in connection with a judicial proceeding or in the exercise of the courts inherent authority over grand jury matters. None of the exceptions expressly recognizes a congressional right to get grand jury materials, but a number of courts have found that Congress can rely on the established exceptions in certain situations.

Although no exception to grand jury secrecy explicitly encompasses disclosures to Congress, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) wrote in a summary published in January, a few of the exceptions could apply to Congress in particular situations.

The CRS summary points out that the judicial proceeding exception is likely available to Congress only in an impeachment scenario.

The House chairs echoed that general statement in their letter back to Barr, writing, There is precedent for the release of such materials to Congress under similar circumstances. But they did not get into specifics.

CRS legislative attorney Michael Foster wrote that a pair of court rulings had rejected a congressional committees request for grand jury materials in its ordinary investigative and oversight role. The courts reasoned that those traditional committee functions were too remote from any judicial proceeding to trigger the judicial proceeding exception.

By contrast, Foster continued, where a congressional committee has sought grand jury materials in connection with the contemplated impeachment of a specific public official, several courts have recognized that court-ordered disclosure may be available pursuant to the judicial proceeding exception.

The key distinction is that an impeachment proceeding involves the prospect of a trial in the Senate to hear the charges against the public official and decide whether the individual ought to be removed from office; several courts have recognized an impeachment trial as a quasi-judicial proceeding similar enough to a proceeding in court that it justifies the use of the judicial proceeding exception.

Foster and his colleagues at the CRS did not respond to a request for an interview about his summary.

Special counsel Robert Mueller departs St. Johns Episcopal Church, across from the White House in Washington, on Sunday. (Photo: Cliff Owen/AP)

With or without the threat of impeachment, there is a possibility that Democrats could obtain disclosure if a court, recognizing that the fight over the Mueller materials is an extraordinary circumstance, exercises its authority over grand jury matters to make a disclosure. This is exactly what happened in 1974, when the grand jury materials from the Watergate special prosecutors investigation were handed over to Congress.

If grand jury materials from the special counsels report or investigation are disclosed to Congress with a courts permission, the secrecy rules would not prevent the further disclosure of those materials by members  however, the court could seek to impose restrictions on any further release.

Whatever the court decides, it appears likely that Democrats in Congress will pursue the materials. Democrats should do all they can to get the grand jury material underpinning the Mueller report, said a Democratic staffer, speaking on condition of anonymity because the source was not authorized to discuss the matter.

The grand jury materials will likely be critical to understanding the special counsels conclusions and evidence behind them, the staffer said.

Lets not pretend Republicans wouldnt do the same if the shoe were on the other foot  theyve spent the past two years requesting every investigative document under the sun.

_____

Read more from Yahoo News:
By Sai Sachin Ravikumar

MUMBAI (Reuters) - Indian tax authorities raised about $8 million in an auction on Tuesday of rare oil paintings that were once part of fugitive billionaire jeweller Nirav Modi's collection and seized by the government.

Tax authorities who are pursuing Modi in connection with the country's largest bank fraud appointed auction house Saffronart to carry out the sale of 68 works.

The sale will be challenged in court on Wednesday by lawyers for a company controlled by Modi that owns the artwork.

Auctioneers say the sale, which was originally expected to raise up to $7.3 million, was the first of its kind in a country where tax authorities have usually auctioned property, gold and luxury items, but not art.

"Until a few years ago, the tax authorities really didn't know the value of art," said Farah Siddiqui, an art adviser who advised clients eyeing Modi's collection.

The 48-year-old Modi, whose diamonds have sparkled on Hollywood stars, is one of the prime accused in a $2 billion loan fraud at state-run Punjab National Bank. Modi denies the charges and says they are politically motivated.

The auction comes just weeks before a national election and as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi faces pressure to bring back Nirav Modi (no relation), who fled the country last year and has been residing in Britain.

He was arrested last week by British authorities and remanded in custody after he appeared before a London court. India asked Britain last August to extradite Modi.

An oil painting by Raja Ravi Varma, a 19th century painter considered among India's finest, fetched the taxman 161 million rupees ($2.3 million), while another by modernist V.S. Gaitonde raised $3.7 million.

Over 80 percent of the works on auction were sold, Saffronart Chief Executive Dinesh Vazirani said.

India Law Alliance, the law firm representing the company controlled by Modi that owned the art, is challenging the court order that allowed the auction. The case will be heard by the Bombay High Court on Wednesday, a lawyer at the firm told Reuters.

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Vijay Aggarwal, a lawyer for Modi, declined to comment on the holding of the auction.

($1 = 68.9850 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Sai Sachin Ravikumar; Editing by Frances Kerry and Alison Williams)
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's Election Commission said it had directed a committee of officers to examine Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement of an anti-satellite test on Wednesday, after opposition leaders complained the move was aimed at scoring political points. In a television address to the nation, Modi said an Indian missile had shot down an Indian satellite in space, making India only the fourth country after the United States, Russia and China to have that capability. Opposition leader Mamata Banerjee said she was lodging a complaint against Modi with the Election Commission for violating the electoral code of conduct. "Today's announcement is yet another limitless drama and publicity-mongering by Modi desperately trying to reap political benefits at the time of election (in April-May)," Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal state and a potential prime ministerial candidate, said on Twitter. Randeep Singh Surjewala, a spokesman for the main opposition Congress party, called Modi's announcement a "gross violation of code of conduct." The Election Commission said in a statement later that the matter had been brought to its notice. "The Commission has directed a Committee of Officers to examine the matter immediately in the light of Model Code of Conduct," it said, without elaborating. India's general election begins on April 11. (Reporting by Krishna N. Das, Zeba Siddiqui, and Subrat Patnaik in New Delhi; Editing by Robert Birsel/Mark Heinrich)
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on a campaign blitz Thursday with three huge rallies where he declared voters would reward his decision to test new weapons and bomb Pakistan with a thumping election victory.

The Hindu nationalist leader addressed tens of thousands of supporters in three northern cities in his first official campaign events since the announcement of the election earlier this month.

Modi, 68, hit the hustings a day after India destroyed a low-orbiting satellite using a ballistic missile -- a military feat only equalled by China, Russia and the United States.

That came a month after Indian warplanes bombed Pakistani territory for the first time in decades, drastically escalating tensions between the nuclear-armed foes.

Modi, whose economic record has come under steady attack from a resurgent opposition, said these decisions proved his mettle as a strong leader.

"For the first time, this country has seen a decisive government which knows how to turn its words into action," he told supporters in Meerut, northeast of the capital Delhi.

"India's 1.3 billion people have already made up their minds. Once again, a Modi government is going to be formed in this country."

He picked up on the theme again in two separate rallies, pointing to last month's "surgical strikes" on Pakistan and India's successful missile test as evidence of his government's ability to defend the country.

"(Be it) land, sky or space, my government has shown courage to conduct surgical strikes in all spheres," he said.

The main opposition Congress party and its leader, Rahul Gandhi, have accused the prime minister of stoking nationalist fervour to curry votes.

Indians will start voting April 11 in the world's largest election, a nearly six-week affair involving 900 million voters and one million polling booths.

Gandhi has relentlessly attacked Modi for failing to fulfil his 2014 election promises, pointing to rising unemployment and farmer suicides as evidence of his failures.

The Congress leader has offered 50 million of India's poorest families -- an estimated 250 million people -- a guaranteed basic income of $1000 a year, if his party wins power on May 23.
Indonesia's president has started beaming a hologram of himself to reach voters in key battleground provinces as he shuttles around the Southeast Asian archipelago ahead of national polls.

Joko Widodo, running for re-election in the world's third-biggest democracy, has a tight schedule so he and his vice-presidential running mate are projecting three-dimensional images of themselves at some campaign rallies, his team said.

The high-tech campaign launched this week and is targeting the heavily populated provinces of West, Central and East Java -- seen as key sources of support.

More than 190 million people are registered to vote on April 17, with thousands running for seats in parliament and local councils across Indonesia, the world's biggest Muslim majority nation.

Like the candidate himself, Widodo's life-sized hologram will keep moving across the Southeast Asian nation in the coming weeks.

The 57-year-old leader is believed to be the first Indonesian politician to rely on a hologram, but others including Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan, India's Narendra Modi and a far-left French politician have used them in recent years.

Dressed casually in a white long-sleeved shirt, jeans and sneakers, the hologram pitches Widodo's economic record.

It also hits out against false claims, including that Widodo is an ethnic Chinese communist and not a devout Muslim.

Indonesia has been battling a wave of fake news and misinformation campaigns online in the lead-up to the polls.

Last month, three Indonesian housewives were arrested over an online video that claimed Widodo would ban prayer and make gay marriage legal if re-elected -- deeply unpopular moves that the politician has never publicly pushed.

"I assure you it's all slander, lies. Don't believe it," his hologram said.

"We must fight against it, explain this to those who do believe it."

The image of Widodo's vice-presidential running mate Ma'ruf Amin -- a prominent Islamic cleric widely seen as a buffer against questions about Widodo's Muslim credentials -- warned against letting religion influence voters.

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"Islam has become a political commodity," the hologram said.

"Verses from the Koran are being used for political purposes."

Recent polls show Widodo and Amin hold a wide lead over rivals Prabowo Subianto, a retired general, and business magnate Sandiaga Uno.

Widodo beat Subianto in a 2014 presidential contest.
Ontology (ONT) is a China-based cryptocurrency aiming to assist businesses throughout the world. Ontology was airdropped to existing NEO (formerly Antshares) holders in March 2018. With Ontology reaching one year old, lets take a look at what it is all about.

What is Ontology?

Ontology aims to serve the businesses of the world that are unsure of how to use blockchain technology or those that do not have the capacity to create one themselves. The companys main tagline on its website is ready for all business.

Ontologys website also claims that its blockchain is able to customise different public blockchains for different applications. Some examples include:

ONTO  which allows users sovereignty over digital identities and digital assets.

ONT TSE  the trust search engine which provides portal authentication and connecting services for individuals, assets, objects, and affairs.

ONT DDXF  a data exchange framework that allows customised data trading marketplaces with data and financial security.

Through Ontology, you can create a system and framework that would suit your business best. Whilst this may cost (as you would need to hire the Ontology team), the service is a quick and easy way to harness a blockchain should you so wish. The money saved on your own research and development might also make it economically fiscal.

Ontology and NEO

Whilst Ontology was airdropped to NEO holders, neither NEO or Ontology are owned by one another. The key in the partnership between the two is that they are both major Chinese cryptocurrencies.

Whilst at first glance Ontology and NEO might appear on a collision course in that they have similar goals and are both major Chinese coins, they are actually more of a partnership working to help each other.

The fact that Ontology was airdropped rather than launched through an ICO suggests that the company already had some substantial funding. And you would be correct to think that.

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Ontology is funded by Fosun International, a large Chinese conglomerate and investment company. Through this funding, Ontology has managed to acquire an extremely large team  in cryptocurrency terms at least. The founder is a man by the name of Jun Li who has a background in computer science and many years experience in fintech.

It is always interesting to see major Chinese investment going in to building cryptocurrencies, as for many years there has been a consistent fogginess surrounding their legality in the nation. With funding from Fosun, perhaps these fears are misplaced. Although, for those of a cynical nature, one could question whether Ontology is really aspiring for the decentralised nature of Bitcoin.

The risk that arises from its partnership with NEO is that if NEO begins to struggle, so would Ontology. In the risky world of cryptocurrencies, having to rely on the strength of a partner doubles the risk.

Price history

Unlike many cryptocurrencies, Ontologys price history is relatively short considering it is just reaching its first birthday. This means that it missed the massive bull run of 2017 and the severe drops that many other altcoins have suffered.

Despite this, ONT initially outperformed much of the market soon after the airdrop. The coin went from around $2.50 from the airdrop up to almost $10 in the space of a couple of months.

Since then, it has settled at just over $1. This still gives ONT a large market cap of $600 million and places it inside the top 20 largest cryptocurrencies.

Interestingly, it is one place above its partner NEO, which has an extremely similar market cap.

Conclusion

Chinese cryptocurrencies tend to bring a lot of hype and interest with them. With China being such an economic powerhouse and having such a technically-minded population, cryptocurrencies should appear attractive to the vast majority.

However, uncertainties still remain as to how the stringent Chinese regime will view and deal with cryptocurrencies. It is highly unlikely that the Chinese state would allow wide-scale usage of say Bitcoin due to the lack of control the government has over the network. The internet in China is still restricted for many, showing that the state fears this loss of control.

Both NEO and ONT seem to place themselves on the friendlier side of the state to allow them to flourish. In doing so though, they reject the importance of the philosophies that make cryptocurrencies such as BTC valuable, namely decentralisation.

On the other hand, ONT is not in the market for general citizens, but rather big businesses that are thinking of incorporating blockchain technology. Whether this will become a prominent market in the near future is still being widely debated.

The post An introduction to Ontology appeared first on Coin Rivet.
Arbil (Iraq) (AFP) - With her robe featuring a cross, crescent, two stars and the winged symbol of Zoroastrianism, a Kurdish artist hopes to reconcile a part of Iraq ravaged by jihadists.

Shanaz Jamal, 40, says she has already been assured by the authorities in the autonomous northern region of Kurdistan that they will send her work to the Vatican to be put on display.

A Muslim, she explains how she embroidered "3,000 beads including semi-precious stones traditionally used for Kurdish crafts" onto the white ecclesiastical cloak.

After five months of endeavour, she stitched together eight symbols representing the main communities in Kurdistan and Iraq, which are both predominantly Muslim.

But there is also the Jewish Star of David and the sun and temples of the Yazidis -- the minority in northern Iraq persecuted by the Islamic State group (IS) for their faith in what the UN has described as possible genocide.

From the beginning, Jamal says, she planned to offer her artwork to Pope Francis as a "symbol of peace and harmony in the world".

"I want to show that women in Kurdistan want coexistence and fraternity between all religions," she told AFP.

"I do not see any difference between them: they all share love," she added, repeatedly glancing at the ornate robe.

Experts and activists see reconciliation between the various communities as the number one priority in Iraq.

Without it, they say, the country's reconstruction will be impossible and the 1.8 million people displaced by the conflict won't want to return.

Situated on the lands of ancient Mesopotamia, Iraq has been ruled by many civilisations and is today a patchwork of peoples and faiths.

Their coexistence was shattered in 2014 when the IS jihadists seized large swathes of Iraq and neighbouring Syria.

Now, more than a year after Iraq declared victory over IS, tensions persist, especially in the north of the country where minorities accuse each other of crimes.

It has seen Yazidis and Sunni Muslims at loggerheads, with the minority accusing the latter of complicity with IS and the Sunnis insisting they live in fear of retaliation for acts committed by other members of their community.
By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Maayan Lubell GAZA/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Palestinian militants fired rockets from Gaza into Israel on Tuesday, drawing retaliatory air strikes and breaking a day-long lull in cross-border fighting between Israel and Hamas that could impact an Israeli election two weeks away. The biggest Israeli-Palestinian escalation in months, which began on Monday with the longest-range Palestinian rocket attack to cause casualties in Israel in five years, had eased after Egyptian mediation. But even if the crisis subsides, it could shadow the impending Israeli election on April 9 in which right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has campaigned on a tough security platform. In the wake of Palestinian rocket attacks and Israeli air strikes, Israel said it reserved the right to strike again and kept its troops and tanks massed at the Gaza frontier. The border was mostly quiet on Tuesday and the military lifted its security restrictions in the area. But after darkness fell, at least two rockets launched from Gaza triggered sirens on the Israeli side of the border, the military said. There were no reports of casualties or damage. In response, the Israeli military said its aircraft struck several targets, including a military compound and a weapons-manufacturing facility belonging to the Hamas militant group, which controls the Palestinian enclave of Gaza. The exchange was less intense than Monday's fighting. Israel responded to the initial rocket attack on Monday with a wave of strikes on Hamas targets and Palestinian militants fired dozens of rockets into Israel. Seven Israelis were injured in Monday's initial attack that hit the Israeli village of Mishmeret, 120 km (75 miles) north of Gaza, and five Palestinians were wounded by the retaliatory Israeli strikes. Netanyahu, who cut short a visit to the United States to deal with the crisis, said Israel may take further action. The military said that after consultations with Netanyahu, it was bolstering its troops in the area and calling up some reserves. "There is no ceasefire agreement, fighting could start up again at any moment," a senior Israeli official said. "We are prepared to do a lot more. We will do what is necessary to defend our people and to defend our state," Netanyahu said in a satellite address delivered from Tel Aviv to the pro-Israel U.S. lobby group AIPAC in Washington. Hamas and the Islamic Jihad militant group, which also took part in the fighting, said Egypt had brokered a truce. As in past escalations that ended with Egyptian mediation, Israel denied it had agreed to a ceasefire with groups it views as terrorists. "Netanyahu is trying to portray himself as a hero to his people, therefore he publicly denies the understanding reached with the Egyptians," Islamic Jihad official Khader Habib said. "Resistance factions are committed to calm as long as the enemy abides by it." Egypt was expected to pursue further truce talks on Wednesday, said a Palestinian official involved in the efforts. U.N. Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov told the Security Council on Tuesday he had been working with Egypt to secure a ceasefire. "A fragile calm seems to have taken hold," he said. Mladenov condemned indiscriminate firing of rockets by Hamas toward Israel as provocative and urged restraint by all parties. 'WE DON'T WANT WAR' The escalation was the biggest since November between Israel and Hamas, which fought three wars between 2008 and 2014 and have come to the brink of all-out conflict several times since. In the 2014 Gaza war, more than 2,100 Palestinians, most of them civilians, were killed in seven weeks of fighting. Sixty-six Israeli soldiers and seven civilians in Israel were killed. Security is a major issue as Netanyahu, in power for a decade and beset by corruption allegations that he denies, faces his strongest electoral challenge from a centrist coalition led by a former general. Netanyahu says he has kept Israelis safe with a tough stance toward the Palestinians that could be weakened if he leaves office. Israeli-Palestinian peace talks have been stalled for five years. In Washington, Netanyahu met U.S. President Donald Trump, who reversed decades of U.S. policy to sign a proclamation recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed in 1981. A senior Israeli official said Trump's move was proof Israel could retain land captured in a "defensive war", an apparent suggestion of a permanent hold over other areas captured in 1967, such as East Jerusalem and the West Bank. After the rocket strike on Mishmeret, retaliatory Israeli air strikes in Gaza lit up the night sky and explosions rocked the densely populated coastal enclave, destroying targets that included the office of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. "We dont want war, but if Israel wants it then what should we do? We ask our factions to respond," said Mohammad Sayed, 40. "But we hope Egypt reaches a deal to end this." Gaza is home to 2 million Palestinians, mostly descendants of people who fled or were driven from homes in Israel on its founding in 1948. Israel captured the territory in the 1967 war but pulled out its troops in 2005. Hamas took control two years later, and Israel and Egypt have since maintained a security blockade that has brought Gaza's economy to a state of collapse. (Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi, Maayan Lubell, Ran Tzabari and Ari Rabinovitch; additional reporting by Michelle Nichols in New York; writing by Jeffrey Heller; editing by Mark Heinrich)
Mount Sodom (Israel) (AFP) - Israeli cave explorers said Thursday that a salt cave with striking stalactites near the Dead Sea is the world's longest, beating the previous record-holder in Iran.

The cave named Malham, stretching over 10 kilometres (6.25 miles), runs through Mount Sodom, Israel's largest mountain, and spills out to the southwest corner of the adjacent Dead Sea.

Pale salt stalactites hang from the ceilings, and some of the walls sparkle with salt crystals. Drops of salty water are visible at the tips of some of the stalactites.

Malham became known to researchers through the work of Amos Frumkin, founder and director of the Hebrew University's Cave Research Centre, who in the 1980s mapped around five kilometres of it.

But in 2006, researchers mapped over six kilometres of the N3 cave in southern Iran's Qeshm island, granting it the widely recognised status of the world's longest salt cave.

Two years ago, Israeli spelunker Yoav Negev decided to complete Frumkin's work, reaching out to Bulgarian cave explorers for reinforcements with the promise of a warm winter adventure.

Negev, founder of the Israel Cave Explorers Club, joined forces with Boaz Langford, a researcher at the university's research centre, to organise a delegation of eight European spelunkers and another 20 locals.

They spent some 10 days mapping the cave in 2018.

A second 10-day expedition this year with 80 local and international spelunkers completed the measuring and mapping of the cave with lasers, determining its length at more than 10 kilometres.

- 'The most beautiful' -

Mount Sodom is essentially a huge salt block covered by a thin but resilient layer of cap rock.

The rare desert rains find their way through cracks in the cap rock and dissolve the salt to form small caves that flow down toward the Dead Sea.

Even in the short period of time since Frumkin's mapping, the cave's structure has changed, and will continue to do so.

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Much of the cave's interior is covered by a fine dust that blows in from the desert. Massive slabs of salt, some amber-coloured from dust and minerals, jut out in dramatic formations.

A thin slab appearing to have been sliced out is nicknamed "The Guillotine," while twin slabs in a different hall earned the title of "The Ten Commandments."

Reporters touring the site clambered and crawled through the narrow passages before reaching the "wedding hall," where hundreds of white stalactites of various shapes and lengths created a festive backdrop.

To Negev, Malham was in "a category of its own."

"There's nothing like it in Israel," he said, claiming that no other cave came even close to the 10-kilometre mark.

Negev pointed to its vast network of "caverns, passageways, piers, plateaus, one over another".

He called it "the most impressive and complex in Israel... and one of the most beautiful and fascinating ones I've been in".

Negev downplayed the significance of retaking the title from Iran -- Israel's main enemy -- saying he had "excellent ties" with Iranian spelunkers through social media and professional conferences.

"The political rivalry creates a desire to connect and mutual curiosity," he said. "They're really excellent spelunkers."

"I wish I could visit there," he said of Iran and its caves.
A Japanese court on Thursday acquitted a man who spent 13 years in prison for murder, finding there was "no material evidence" he committed the crime, his lawyer and media said.

"He was found innocent," Fumio Takemura, lead lawyer for the now 85-year-old Koki Miyata, told AFP.

Miyata was sentenced to 13 years in prison in 1986 after being convicted of stabbing an acquaintance to death in the town of Matsubase in southwestern Japan.

His sentence was confirmed by the Supreme Court four years later and he was not released until 1999.

He has since suffered several strokes that have left him partially handicapped.

"Objectively, there are contradictions in the confessions and there is no material evidence," the judge said in explaining the decision to overturn Miyata's conviction, local media said.

In recent years, there has been a surge in the number of appeals against convictions in Japan because of legal changes including the introduction of jury trials for serious crimes.

Among the best-known cases is that of former boxer Iwao Hakamada who was sentenced to death after being convicted of murdering four people and spending 48 years on death row.

In 2014, a court granted him a retrial and he was released pending the new process.

But last year the Tokyo high court reversed that ruling, pushing the case up to the Supreme Court, which has yet to issue a verdict.
Jared Kushner was spotted by reporters leaving a secretive Senate Intelligence Committee hearing just six days after Special Counsel Robert Mueller concluded his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

The Senate committee, which is still carrying out a probe into Russias actions during the election, apparently met with the White House senior adviser during a closed-door hearing on Thursday afternoon in Washington.

A reporter for BuzzFeed News snapped a photo of Mr Kushner leaving the hearing, posting it to Twitter with the caption, Jared Kushner appears from a closed door Senate Intelligence Committee hearing room this afternoon, six days after Mueller submitted his report on to AG Barr.

Mr Kushner declined to respond to questions from reporters on the scene about why he was meeting with the Senate Intelligence Committee.

He also did not answer any questions about Attorney General William Barrs four-page summary of the special counsels report. He was in the closed-door hearing for nearly three hours, according to Mr Leopold.

The meeting was held in a secure space, known as a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility, or SCIF, and began at 9:30am local time.

The Senate Intelligence Committee is just one of several government committees and state agencies investigating Donald Trumps 2016 campaign and Russias purported connections, as well as the presidents finances and dealings with the controversial Deutsche Bank.

Mr Kushner, who has previously been interviewed by the Senate Intelligence Committee, is among at least 81 contacts surrounding the president who were the subjects of requests for information from Democratic lawmakers conducting probes into the 2016 election and Mr Trumps finances.

The White House recently rejected a request from the House Oversight Committee for additional information on the administrations security clearance process.

It had been previously reported Mr Trump stepped in to order Mr Kushner and the presidents daughter, Ivanka Trump, receive top-level clearances, defying the counsel of experts and the agency tasked with overseeing security clearance applications.
A Mississippi State University journalism ethics instructor seemed to suggest that a conservative student group, Young Americans for Freedom, was kind of similar to the KKK.

Hey the White Male Student Caucus holding a gathering, stated the lecturer, Ryan Phillips, in a March 20 tweet commenting on a photo of one of the groups events, which featured a Build The Wall display.

Hoods and burning crosses optional, he continued, followed by an emoji face with glasses.

Phillipss account is locked  only approved followers have access to his tweets  but a screenshot of the tweet in question was obtained by Campus Reform.

A spokesperson for Mississippi State, Sid Slater, told Campus Reform that YAFs actions were well within university guidelines  and that Phillipss comments were inappropriate.

His social media comments aimed at these students were highly inappropriate, inflammatory, and patently unfair and intolerant, Slater said. On any given day, students and faculty with widely divergent social and political views intersect on our campus and it is incumbent on all parties to maintain decorum and mutual respect in the conduct of those activities.

Spencer Brown, YAFs national spokesman, said that the incident was emblematic of a major problem within higher education  and to an extent within the larger culture today  where ideological opponents of conservatism turn to ad hominem attacks and poison the well of ideas in their attempts to silence conservatives.

Brown is absolutely correct. After all, this is far from the first time that conservatives have faced comments like this on a college campus. Last November, an assignment at Arizona State University asked students to compare President Donald Trumps policies to those of hate groups. In January of 2017, flyers appeared around the University of Kansas campus claiming that Make America Great Again was the coded language of neo-nazis. In 2015  even before the election of Trump  a professor at the University of Wisconsin claimed that thenpresidential candidate Scott Walker and Adolph Hitler had so many similarities that it was actually terrifying.

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Just as in those cases, the comparison here is absolutely ridiculous. I may not be a fan of the whole wall idea myself, but comparing people who want to secure our border using that method to people who committed acts of terrorism against black people simply because they were black is offensive  not only to the conservative students themselves but also to every single one of the KKKs victims.

Whats more, making stupid, overblown comments like this one isnt going to do Phillips or his cause any favors. If he doesnt like the idea of a wall, fine. But youd have to be an idiot to think that comparing someone to a KKK member is a good way to get them to listen to your point of view. Regardless of his intentions, all Phillips did here was further sow division  and make absolutely certain that the students involved will never come around and consider his opinion.

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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS  MARCH 26: Actor Jussie Smollett leaves the Leighton Courthouse after his court appearance on March 26, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. This morning in court it was announced that all charges were dropped against the actor. (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)

Jussie Smollett is set to be slapped with a bill from the Chicago Police Department to pay for the cost of the investigation  after prosecutors unexpectedly decided to drop all charges against the Empire star earlier this week.

Police Department spokesman, Anthony Guglielmi, said: The City of Chicago will be sending Mr. Smollett a bill.

From a 30,000-foot view, the bill will include the hours, the overtime, the financial costs and the resources that were used.

It was an extensive investigation that required a lot of review of cameras. There was technical assistance provided by external agencies, but itll likely only include Chicago expenses and not expenses incurred by the FBI and other technical experts we brought in for analysis.

Read more: Latest on Jussie Smollett case

Back in January, Smollett told police he was victim of an attack, in which two men shouted racist and homophobic slurs as they punched, kicked and strangled the actor.

But cops eventually come to the conclusion Smollett, aged 36, had paid acquaintances to stage the assault, claiming the actor did so to give his career and profile a boost. Prosecutors then indicted Smollett on 16 felony charges.

Read more: Charges against Smollett dropped.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel called the decision a whitewash of justice. Talking of the decision to bill Smollett, the mayor said: My recommendation is when Jussie Smollett writes the check, in the memo section he can put the words Im accountable for the hoax.'





He wasnt the only politician to express an opinion.

President Trump took to Twitter to call the situation outrageous and an embarrassment to our nation. He also said the case will be reviewed by the FBI and DOJ (Justice Department).

FBI & DOJ to review the outrageous Jussie Smollett case in Chicago. It is an embarrassment to our Nation!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 28, 2019

Officials have yet to provide an estimate of the total cost or when the bill will expected to be paid.
Charges against Jussie Smollett have been dropped, one month after he was accused of faking a racist, homophobic attack, in which he was the victim, and lying to police about it.

However, Los Angeles-based criminal defense attorney Steven Graff Levine tells Yahoo that the Empire stars case isnt closed just yet.

I think this case is really just starting now, Levine says. I think this dismissal has opened up a brand new can of worms, because I think people who were not interested in the case before are now very interested in the case. This case is far, far, far from over.

The lawyer addresses questions about why Smollett forfeited his $10,000 bail, why the Chicago Police Department is angry at the charges being dropped, why the charges were dropped at all and more in the video above.

The FBI is still investigating Smollett, looking at whether he sent himself hate mail laced with white powder in the days before the alleged hate crime. ABC Chicago reports that the FBI is also reviewing circumstances surrounding the dismissal of criminal charges against Jussie Smollett.

Smollett maintained his innocence as he addressed the media on Tuesday after charges were dropped.

I have been truthful and consistent on every level since day one, he said. I would not be my mothers son if I was capable of one drop of what Ive been accused of.

The actor said this has been an incredibly difficult time.

Read more on Yahoo Entertainment:

Want daily pop culture news delivered to your inbox? Sign up here for Yahoo Entertainment & Lifestyles newsletter.
Rarely do we find ourselves nodding vigorously in agreement with Rahm Emanuel or David Axelrod, but both onetime Obama lieutenants expressed needful levels of disbelief and disgust at the surprise outcome of LAffaire Jussie Smollett. Hate crimes are loathsome. Faking them is insidious and shouldnt be excused, Axelrod wrote on Twitter after the Cook County States Attorney dropped all charges against Smollett for faking the supposed January 29 attack on him by a raging pair of Trump supporters. Despite Smolletts denials, Axelrod added, nothing the prosecutor said in dismissing the case supports that. If prosecutors have evidence that contradicts the indictment THEY brought, they should share it today. Emanuel, in perhaps his finest public performance ever, called the disposition of the case a whitewash and asked Is there no decency in this man? A grand jury saw the evidence (and) realized this was a hoax  a hoax on the city, a hoax on hate crimes, a hoax on people of good values who actually were empathetic at first. And he used that empathy for only one reason . . . himself. Axelrod deftly summarized the moral hazard in another tweet: You can contrive a hate crime, make it a national news, get caught and-if you are a well-connected celebrity-get off for $10K and have your record expunged and files sealed. Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said, I think this city is still owed an apology because at the end of the day, its Mr. Smollett who committed this hoax.

Prosecutors hastened to clarify that they were not dropping the case for lack of evidence, or because any exculpatory evidence had emerged to back up Smolletts claims of innocence, but because they believed a brief term of community service and the forfeit of a $10,000 bond constituted condign punishment. Smollett, who had earlier pleaded not guilty, seized the opportunity to claim vindication and insisted he had told nothing but the truth all along, saying, I would not be my mothers son if I was capable of one drop of what Ive been accused of.

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Perhaps further developments will shed light on what happened behind the scenes  Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx had already recused herself from the case for nebulous reasons  but what is already evident is that Smollett is the laughing beneficiary of a breathtaking miscarriage of justice. Chicago police detectives spent more than two weeks investigating Smolletts claims, following the trail of evidence so diligently that they turned up video of Smolletts acquaintances Ola and Abel Osundairo, who they believed staged the phony attack, buying a red hat and two ski masks the day before the supposed ambush.

Smolletts staging was obviously intended to disparage his avowed political enemy Donald Trump and Trump supporters, and he even said on Good Morning America that he believed his attackers were motivated by his public anti-Trump stance. Sharing his priors about the deplorables, far too many Americans who should have known better believed Smolletts tall tale. A guilty plea from Smollett and robust punishment would have provided the closure America needed. Yet the colossal error in judgment by the Cook County prosecutors has foreclosed both opportunities. The rancor and ill-will connected with this sordid case will continue, and we will all be forced to breathe the toxic atmosphere. Meanwhile prospective hate-crime grifters will smile.

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CHICAGO  The surprise decision by prosecutors to drop charges against Empire actor Jussie Smollett shocked the legal and law enforcement community.

In Chicago, its not unusual for a criminal case to take years to wind its way through the court system. Legal experts said it was stunning to see the Cook County States Attorneys Office go from unsealing a grand jury indictment to dropping charges against Smollett in a matter of weeks.

Did prosecutors not have enough evidence to make their case?

Prosecutors maintained that they stood behind the police investigation that found Smollett paid two brothers, Abel and Ola Osundairo, $3,500 to stage an attack that made it look like the actor was the victim of an assault by homophobic, racist assailants.

The decision to drop the charges was simply a just disposition and appropriate resolution to the case, prosecutors said.

Police laid out in detail how they used police video, private security cameras and rideshare records to identify the Osundairos as the assailants in the attack.

The brothers, who worked on the set of Empire, were arrested 15 days after the incident upon returning to Chicago from an overseas trip.

They initially resisted cooperating with police. But on the cusp of being charged for the assault, the brothers told police Smollett, 36, who is black and gay, paid them to stage the attack in hopes of boosting his profile and salary.

In addition to the brothers statements, police said they collected bank records and reviewed text messages between Smollett and the brothers to solidify the case.

Actor Jussie Smollett talks to the media before leaving Cook County Court after his charges were dropped, Tuesday, March 26, 2019, in Chicago.

Reputation: Chicago's image is muddied by crime and inequity. The Jussie Smollett case doesn't help

Text lobbying: After Michelle Obama's former aide's urging, prosecutor pushed for FBI to investigate Smollett

Aftermath: Jussie Smollett's lawyer, Rahm Emanuel fired up about case on 'Good Morning America'

Prosecutors agreed to seal records in the case. Is that unusual?

Story continues

Legal experts said its hardly unusual for prosecutors to agree to seal court records for someone with Smolletts limited criminal history. (Smollett pleaded no contest in 2008 to a charge of giving police false information after a DUI arrest in Los Angeles a year earlier. Smollett gave officers his brothers name, according to The Associated Press.)

The decision to seal the records in this case raised questions about whether Smollett benefited from his celebrity or if prosecutors tried to keep certain information out of the public eye.

Cheryl Bader, associate professor at Fordham Law School, said the lack of clarity from prosecutors on the decision is curious.

I am assuming the prosecution discovered a significant blow to the credibility of prosecution's witnesses or to the integrity of the police investigation to justify this drastic turnaround, Bader said. Interestingly, they did not announce charges or make statements indicating any action against the two men who were initially accused and then appear to have been the prosecutors witnesses in the case against Smollett. This move raises more questions than provides answers.

In this image taken from video, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, right, and Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson appear at a news conference in Chicago, Tuesday, March 26, 2019, after prosecutors abruptly dropped all charges against "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett, abandoning the case barely five weeks after he was accused of lying to police about being the target of a racist, anti-gay attack in downtown Chicago. The mayor and police chief blasted the decision and stood by the investigation that concluded Smollett staged a hoax. (Mitch Armentrout/Chicago Sun-Times via AP) ORG XMIT: ILCHS403

Voters in Chicago are set to decide who will serve as the citys next mayor. Both candidates urged the Cook County states attorneys first deputy, Joseph Magats, to provide the public with more information about the decision.

Magats was tapped to oversee the case after States Attorney Kim Foxx recused herself from the investigation. Foxx stepped back from the case, because she passed on a request from Smolletts family to Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson to hand over the investigation to the FBI.

In addition to her exchanges with a Smollett family member, Foxx disclosed she traded messages about the matter with Tina Tchen, a high-profile Chicago attorney who served as first lady Michelle Obama's chief of staff.

Foxx told the Chicago Tribune Wednesday she regretted her contacts with the Smollett family. She also said she was not involved in her deputy's decision to drop the charges, but defended the decision.

Its frustrating to me that the reliability of the work of the people of this office has been challenged, Foxx told the paper. What happened with Jussie Smollett and having this type of diversion is something we offer to people who do not have his money or his fame.

Wednesday, Patricia Brown Holmes, one of Smolletts attorneys, dismissed the notion that politics or Foxxs interaction with the actors family impacted the states attorneys move.

Kim Foxx had zero to do with this, Holmes told Fox 32 Chicago. She recused herself. She was not involved."

Is Smollett completely out of the woods? Could the FBI bring charges?

A week before Smollett reported being attacked, he said he got a letter that threatened him at the Chicago studio where "Empire" is filmed. Chicago police said Smollett sent himself the letter.

Federal authorities confirmed to USA TODAY that the FBI is investigating the matter. The bureau declined to comment on the matter.

Will politicians do anything but express outrage over the case? Are there any consequences for Smollett?

Smollett maintained his innocence, though Magats insisted that the arrangement should not be viewed as an exoneration. As part of the deal, Smollett agreed to forfeit $10,000 he put up as bond to secure his release from Cook County Jail after he was charged.

State Rep. Michael McAuliffe, who represents a district that includes parts of the citys Northwest Side, said he will introduce legislation this week that would prohibit any production using Smollett from receiving Illinois film tax credits.

Empire is one of several television shows that films in Chicago and is eligible for 30 percent state tax credit. The state offers an additional 15 percent tax credit for labor in high-poverty areas.

Where the city of Chicago is concerned, Jussie Smollett is far from exonerated, McAullife said in a statement. While the states attorney has chosen not to pursue justice in this case, we need to send a message that Smolletts actions are not a reflection of the values we have in Chicago and wont be tolerated. His accusations and lies caused a lot of pain to all Chicagoans.

Ronn Torossian, a crisis communication expert who has represented celebrities such as Sean Diddy Combs and Nick Cannon, predicted Smollett will have a difficult time getting film and television work.

Generally in the world of crisis, there's two courts to worry about, the court of law and the court of public opinion, Torossian said. Despite his 'success' in the court of law, the court of public opinion decided weeks ago that they will not support him. In today's climate, I don't believe the public will forgive him for this."

One of Smollett's attorneys, Tina Glandian, said on ABC's "Good Morning America" that the actor is weighing whether to sue police over the ordeal.

For Jussie, what's really important is he really just wants his career and his life back. Again, he did not ask for any of this. He was a victim of a crime," Glandian said.

Actor Jussie Smollett leaves the Leighton Criminal Courthouse in Chicago on Tuesday, March 26, 2019, after prosecutors dropped all charges against him.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jussie Smollett: How did prosecutors go from indictment to wrist slap?
The Hague (AFP) - Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic on Thursday filed an appeal against a UN court's decision to increase his sentence to life in jail for war crimes, court documents said.

Judges in The Hague will now have to decide whether to admit Karadzic's challenge to his sentence, as the March 20 ruling on his sentence was supposed to be final.

"President Radovan Karadzic hereby appeals... the life sentence imposed upon him", said the legal notice filed by his lawyer Peter Robinson and released by the court.

Appeals judges in The Hague last week upheld Karadzic's 2016 conviction for genocide in the Srebrenica massacre and other atrocities throughout the Bosnian civil war in the 1990s.

They then increased his sentence from 40 years to life, saying the initial jail term had underestimated the "sheer scale and systematic cruelty" of his crimes.

Karadzic's appeal cited eight grounds to challenge the March 20 ruling despite the fact that decisions by the appeals chamber of the UN tribunal are usually decisive.

"A prospective appeal raises complex issues, including whether an appeal of an impugned decision is even receivable by the appeals chamber," the legal filing said.

But it said that while in previous cases the court found a person cannot challenge a conviction if it is upheld on appeal, "President Karadzic's appeal may be distinguishable since he seeks to appeal only his sentence."

The 73-year-old also sought legal aid to pay for lawyers to bring the appeal, the court said.
AUSTIN, Texas  One day this past fall at Wooten Elementary, a low-income school north of this citys trendy downtown, a school staff member was approached by a stricken mother.

The womans husband had just been deported. Without his income, she couldnt afford the current apartment for her and the kids. She needed to downsize quickly. Could Bernardo Martinez, Wootens full-time parent liaison, help her?

Knowing the ripples of disruption that hasty residential moves can bring to students lives, Martinez quickly brought the mother into his office. Then he pulled up a new website custom-built for the Austin Independent School District that showed all the rental properties within Wootens attendance zone  as well as current vacancies and rent prices.

A crossing guard (left) and a student safety patrol member help others cross the street at Govalle Elementary School in Austin, Texas.

Within minutes, the mother had three names of landlords to contact.

Normally, parent support workers like Martinez stationed at Austins 75 lowest-income schools focus on helping poor and immigrant families navigate discipline issues, homework expectations and parent-teacher conferences. But recently theyve added an unlikely new role: trained house hunter.

With legions of young professionals moving to Austin for its music and tech scene, the citys rent prices are soaring  and pushing out the lowest-income families.

Milwaukee schools: High student mobility stalls achievement, despite well-planned school reforms

As those parents move in search of cheaper rent, they often have to enroll their children in new schools. The resulting student turnover leads to more absences, lower academic performance, a higher likelihood of behavioral outbursts and weaker connections to school staff.

Almost one in five students in Austin switch schools in the middle of the year, state figures show. Worse, most of the churn is happening at schools that are already struggling. Research shows the instability also harms the progress of kids who stay put, probably because teachers must repeat material.

This pattern plays out in urban districts across the nation, especially in cities with high poverty, a high cost of living or lots of school choice  or some combination of all three.

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But Austin is one of the nations only districts employing a comprehensive approach to stemming turnover. In the past two years, the district has trained key staff members at all schools on how to help parents search for nearby affordable housing so that a residential move doesnt also become a school switch in the middle of the academic year.

This is a way to provide more stability for our families, said Austin Superintendent Paul Cruz. Were not sending parents to multiple places for housing information. Its basically, well help you locate a place and say how much its going to cost you and this is what the deposit is  its almost like a prescreening.

Two sides of Austin

The experiences of families in schools like Wooten is far removed from what most visitors associate with downtown Austin.

The city is a blue island in a red state with mild winters and abundant live music, beer and barbecue. In March, more than 200,000 people overcrowded Austins hip bars, clubs and other venues for the annual South by Southwest music festival and conferences.

The citys appeal has added new pressures in the metro area. In 2017, an average of 151 people moved to the metro area each day, U.S. Census Bureau figures show. Roads and highways werent designed for that many people; on some days the congestion rivals that of Los Angeles.

The popularity has driven up rent prices and driven development in areas that have historically remained low-income and affordable for immigrants and minority populations.

In Austin, the median gross monthly rent  meaning rent plus utilities  for a two-bedroom unit was $1,257 in 2017, according to census data. Thats about $300 above the national median of $964.

That year, Austins median rent was more expensive than New York ($1,197), Denver ($1,225) and Chicago ($1,052).

According to the website Apartment List, Austins rent prices have increased by more than 3 percent over the last year, about three times faster than the Texas or national average.

Changing schools: Seven kids. Five homes. Nine schools. Two years in the life of a Milwaukee family

In fact, rents have grown faster in Austin recently than in cities with more expensive rent overall, such as San Francisco, New York and Seattle, the website showed.

Affordable housing is one of the biggest issues we have, said Geronimo Rodriguez, president of the Austin school board and chief advocacy officer at Seton Healthcare Family.

We have a city where about 150 people are coming in every day, and we are also losing about 1,000 students per year whose families can no longer afford the city, he added.

The resulting student turnover creates additional financial consequences.

Doyle Valdez, a founder of Mobility Blueprint in Austin, Texas, points out the haphazardly drawn attendance boundaries for schools in the Austin Independent School District. The red on the map is the boundary for Allison Elementary School. The poster displayed at the school advertises Mobility Blueprint, a website that helps families locate affordable housing to help schools reduce student turnover.

Texas schools receive part of their state aid based on student attendance, so every day a child is absent means a lost aid payment as well as a lost day of learning.

One of the things we found is that when a family moves their children, they typically lose six days of academic time, said Doyle Valdez, a former president of the Austin school board.

Over time, that really adds up for our families.

A website to unite schools and housing

Valdez, a lifelong Austin resident, has a day job in the oil and gas industry. But hes also the co-founder of the new website and training program for Austins school staff that aims to help families find affordable housing and reduce student turnover.

This is one of the most pernicious problems facing school districts all over the country: New York, San Diego, Portland, Milwaukee, Valdez said. Educators have known for a long time that student mobility is a problem, but theyve said they cant do anything about it.

More: Free program gives parents personal advisers to help them choose good schools

Valdez left the school board. But he remained interested in how to solve the problem of enrollment instability. He looked around the country for models that were working and couldnt find any, he said. So he decided to build something himself.

He started by calling a friend from childhood, Rafael Childress, who works in web development and startups. As boys growing up in Austin, their mothers worked together as seamstresses.

Valdez explained to Childress how repeatedly switching schools is more harmful to a child's academics than staying at one good school until its time to advance. Valdez then pitched his idea: What if they built a website that combined all the necessary data on housing and schools and school boundaries and then trained educators on how to help parents use the information?

Valdez didnt think they could stop parents from moving. But he thought they could influence where they moved by promoting the availability of other affordable residences close to their current schools.

Charter schools: Betsy DeVos calls for more charter schools even as they spark investigations across the country

A big problem in Austin is that attendance boundaries are drawn so haphazardly that its easy for parents to move just a few blocks and inadvertently put themselves in the attendance zone of a different school.

The website, called Mobility Blueprint, is effective in its simplicity: It scrapes real-time information on apartments and duplexes available for rent, as well as vacancies, square footage and amenities, plus landlord contact information, and overlays it all on a map of the attendance zone for each school run by the Austin school district.

The site notes the apartments that rent at below-market rates. It also lists each schools features and programs and contact information, as well as corresponding feeder schools. It does not map out the location of charter schools because those schools operate independent of the district.

A key part of this is creating a philosophical change that has school staff saying to families: Youre important to us. Were family. We want you to stay at this school and within our system of feeder schools, and were demonstrating this by offering you this tool that can help you find cheaper housing and still stay connected to us, Valdez said.

How to train staff and parents

Austin trained staff in 18 schools on how to use Mobility Blueprint in the 2015-16 school year. It expanded the training and advertised the website to all 130 schools last year and this year.

The cost: about $100,000 a year.

The website gets 1,200 to 1,600 hits per month, Valdez said. One of the early adopters was Allison Elementary, a low-income school in the citys gentrifying Montropolis neighborhood.

According to state data, the school had about 18 percent student turnover in 2014-15. That rate dropped to about 16 percent in 2015-16, the year staff started teaching parents how to use the site to find housing.

The next year, in 2016-17, student turnover dropped to 12.7 percent, state data show.

The school met state standards in English and math and academic progress each year, so its hard to tell how much the reduction in turnover improved academic performance.

Allison's principal, Lupe Molina, said she thinks parents have noticed staff members putting more effort into helping them navigate housing challenges and theyre more connected to the school as a result.

One of the challenges our families have is the ability to scout the areas in which they live, Molina said. Some are moving from far away, some have two or three jobs, some have a hard time because of the language barrier.

The new website is a one-stop shop for all the information they need, she said.

Sherri Davis, a parent at Allison Elementary, attended an information session about the website one morning in December in the schools cafeteria.

Davis is raising two girls, ages 5 and 6, and lived in an apartment nearby with the help of a support check from the federal government. She said shed like to move to a house with a yard where her girls could play right outside the door.

I have to get on the website and look for what duplexes might be available, she said.

A search on the website for housing near Allison mapped out four apartment complexes. Two didnt list any information, but the other two noted the availability of income-restricted units. Both of those complexes had vacancies for one-, two- and three-bedroom units, ranging from about $700 to $1,000 per month.

As for duplexes, a total of 68 popped up within Allisons attendance boundary. But the information on each of them was limited to the propertys address, its distance from the school and a link to see the front of the property on Google street view.

Tackling student turnover nationwide

Rampant student turnover plagues many urban and high-poverty schools for different reasons.

In cities like Portland, Oregon; Seattle; Washington, D.C.; and Austin, gentrification and evictions are driving forces. The Oregonian newspaper featured a series of stories about the issue in 2018 and noted the early work of Mobility Blueprint in Austin.

In Milwaukee, high poverty, a high rate of evictions and abundant school choice have contributed to the citywide rate of about one in four students switching schools over the course of a year, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel found in a city and statewide analysis in 2018.

In Detroit, about one in three students are switching schools midyear, according to an analysis by the education website Chalkbeat and Bridge Magazine. School choice and a plethora of low-performing schools drove a lot of the movement, reporters found.

Despite the attention on the issue, district, state and local leaders have been slow to act. Virtually nobody has funded any large-scale solutions to improve access to affordable housing or to more systematically help parents navigate the morass of life issues that often prompt them to move their children to new homes and schools.

For now, Valdez and Childress are adapting their website and training program for a different educational system: Austin Community College, which educates about 41,000 students. Leaders of the college just signed a contract for a customized version of the site that counselors can use to help students find affordable housing close to the systems 11 campuses.

At the colleges request, the website will also map out day care centers, public schools and bus routes near all the campuses.

We think this can increase persistence and stem college dropouts, said Richard Rhodes, CEO of Austin Community College. Life gets in the way. This website can provide a touch point to all the things students need.

Follow Erin Richards on Twitter: @emrichards

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Dad was deported. School helped Mom find a cheaper home. Why Texas schools handle housing
Want to participate in a research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and earn a $60 gift card!

A look at the shareholders of China Coal Energy Company Limited (HKG:1898) can tell us which group is most powerful. Institutions will often hold stock in bigger companies, and we expect to see insiders owning a noticeable percentage of the smaller ones. Companies that used to be publicly owned tend to have lower insider ownership.

China Coal Energy is a pretty big company. It has a market capitalization of HK$67b. Normally institutions would own a significant portion of a company this size. Our analysis of the ownership of the company, below, shows that institutions are noticeable on the share registry. Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholder can tell us about 1898.

View our latest analysis for China Coal Energy

SEHK:1898 Ownership Summary, March 28th 2019

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About China Coal Energy?

Many institutions measure their performance against an index that approximates the local market. So they usually pay more attention to companies that are included in major indices.

As you can see, institutional investors own 21% of China Coal Energy. This implies the analysts working for those institutions have looked at the stock and they like it. But just like anyone else, they could be wrong. When multiple institutions own a stock, there's always a risk that they are in a 'crowded trade'. When such a trade goes wrong, multiple parties may compete to sell stock fast. This risk is higher in a company without a history of growth. You can see China Coal Energy's historic earnings and revenue, below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story.

SEHK:1898 Income Statement, March 28th 2019

We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in China Coal Energy. There are a reasonable number of analysts covering the stock, so it might be useful to find out their aggregate view on the future.

Insider Ownership Of China Coal Energy

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The definition of company insiders can be subjective, and does vary between jurisdictions. Our data reflects individual insiders, capturing board members at the very least. The company management answer to the board; and the latter should represent the interests of shareholders. Notably, sometimes top-level managers are on the board, themselves.

Insider ownership is positive when it signals leadership are thinking like the true owners of the company. However, high insider ownership can also give immense power to a small group within the company. This can be negative in some circumstances.

Our data suggests that insiders own under 1% of China Coal Energy Company Limited in their own names. But they may have an indirect interest through a corporate structure that we haven't picked up on. As it is a large company, we'd only expect insiders to own a small percentage of it. But it's worth noting that they own HK$250m worth of shares. In this sort of situation, it can be more interesting to see if those insiders have been buying or selling.

General Public Ownership

The general public, with a 20% stake in the company, will not easily be ignored. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies.

Private Company Ownership

It seems that Private Companies own 58%, of the 1898 stock. Private companies may be related parties. Sometimes insiders have an interest in a public company through a holding in a private company, rather than in their own capacity as an individual. While it's hard to draw any broad stroke conclusions, it is worth noting as an area for further research.

Next Steps:

While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important.

I always like to check for a history of revenue growth. You can too, by accessing this free chart of historic revenue and earnings in this detailed graph.

But ultimately it is the future, not the past, that will determine how well the owners of this business will do. Therefore we think it advisable to take a look at this free report showing whether analysts are predicting a brighter future.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

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.
MOSCOW, March 28 (Reuters) - The Kremlin on Thursday rejected a call from U.S. President Donald Trump for Russia to pull out of Venezuela and said its actions there were lawful and agreed with the Latin American country's legitimate government, RIA news agency reported.

Trump on Wednesday called on Russia to pull its troops out of Venezuela and said "all options" were open to make that happen. Russia has declined to comment on reports it has deployed Russian servicemen to Venezuela. (Reporting by Maxim Rodionov Writing by Tom Balmforth Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin on Thursday rejected a call from U.S. President Donald Trump for Russia to pull out of Venezuela and said its actions there were lawful and agreed with the Latin American country's legitimate government, RIA news agency reported.

Trump on Wednesday called on Russia to pull its troops out of Venezuela and said "all options" were open to make that happen. Russia has declined to comment on reports it has deployed Russian servicemen to Venezuela.

(Reporting by Maxim Rodionov; Writing by Tom Balmforth; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) (AFP) - Kyrgyzstan has charged two people with inciting inter-ethnic hatred after they protested a visit to the Central Asian country by Russian President Vladimir Putin, the couple's lawyer said Thursday.

Nurlan Karymshakov and Gulzana Imayeva, who are husband and wife, were arrested and charged while staging a protest outside the Russian embassy in the capital Bishkek on Wednesday, lawyer Zamir Zhosheev said.

"They have been charged with inciting inter-ethnic hatred," Zhooshev said.

The offence "is a serious crime and can carry a prison sentence up to 10 years," he said, calling the charges "complete nonsense."

Police confirmed the arrests but did not immediately confirm the charges.

In a statement on Thursday police said the pair had held posters calling Putin a "killer" and called for an end to Russian military activities near a lake in Kyrgyzstan.

Police also said that a rifle, ammunition, $17,600 in cash and passports with visas for Mexico had been found at the couple's family home, which they raided following their arrest.

"According to the results of state judicial-linguistic expertise, a conclusion was received that (the posters) contain appeals to incite national, racial, religious hatred," police said in a statement.

Putin arrived Thursday on a state visit to Kyrgyzstan, an impoverished ex-Soviet ally that looks to Russia for much-needed investment and security.

During the visit Russia and Kyrgyzstan agreed to expand the territory allocated to Russia's base and raise Moscow's annual rent payments to Bishkek by nearly $300,000 per year to $4.79 million.

Moscow is also set to provide Kyrgyzstan with a grant of $30 million to support the cash-strapped state budget, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said at a Wednesday press-conference in Moscow.

The Kyrgyz government has regularly stressed its loyalty to Moscow and Russia has operated a strategically important military base in Kyrgyzstan since 2003.

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In 2012, Kyrgyzstan agreed to extend Moscow's lease of the Kant base by 15 years while Russia pledged to cancel nearly $500 million of debts.

Two years later the country opted not to extend the lease on a base used by the United States for Afghanistan operations.

The latest charges come as a Kyrgyz citizen is on trial for inciting inter-ethnic hatred over critical comments about Russia on social media.

International rights groups regularly accuse Kyrgyzstan and other countries in the predominantly authoritarian region of Central Asia of using inter-ethnic hatred laws too broadly.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)  The Latest on flooding throughout the Midwest (all times local):

7:25 p.m.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says it is assessing two Superfund sites located in areas that have seen overwhelming floods in recent weeks.

The EPA identified the Superfund sites as the Nebraska Ordnance Plant in Mead, Nebraska, and the Conservation Chemical Corporation in Kansas City, Missouri. Superfund is a law that gives the EPA funding and authority to clean up contaminated sites.

The Mead site operated as a munitions plant from 1942 to 1956 and its disposal of radioactive waste and other chemicals led to groundwater contamination. The EPA says it has not found evidence that any hazardous contaminants were released by the flooding.

The federal agency says it will evaluate the sites further as floodwaters recede.

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3:20 p.m.

Flooding that has hit parts of the Midwest hard has nearly paralyzed an American Indian reservation in southern South Dakota.

Floodwaters on the Pine Ridge Reservation caused by heavy snowfall and a rapid melt have swamped roads, trapped people in homes and cut off water supplies to thousands. Volunteers have used horses to get to some people in need.

The situation is slowly starting to improve, and National Guard soldiers dispatched by the governor over the weekend have ended their water supply work.

But Oglala Sioux President Julian Bear Runner says there are still people in rural areas without easy access to pharmacies and grocery stores. And he says the flooding could put the tribe in recovery mode for months, if not longer, and devastate its economy.

Bear Runner hopes the "state and federal government help out to the best of their abilities."
UNIDO Director General, LI Yong, has lauded the progress and the efforts made by Morocco to promote inclusive and sustainable industrial development.

Speaking during signing ceremony of partnership program held lately in Rabat with Moulay Hafid Elalamy, Moroccos minister of industry, investment, trade & digital economy, Mr. Li praised the North African country for its industrial vision through its Industrial Acceleration Plan 2014-2021. The plan underlines the importance of public investment to guide industrial transformation and calls for a more dynamic manufacturing sector in the country.

UNIDO believes that the Kingdom has a unique window of opportunity to create high and inclusive growth. We will endeavor to support the acceleration of an inclusive and sustainable industrial development that contributes to the Kingdoms drive for increasing competitiveness, said Chief of the UN agency.

Morocco and UNIDO have been working closely together to develop a comprehensive partnership program to unleash Moroccos industrial potential, underlined Mr.Li.

This program focuses on industrial zones, agro-industry, energy efficiency, the circular economy, e-commerce, South-South & triangular industrial cooperation and multi-stakeholder partnerships.

For his part, Moulay Hafid Elalamy stressed the importance of the Morocco-UNIDO partnership program, developed in close consultation and coordination with various ministerial departments, the private sector and all stakeholders.

The implementation of this program will support Moroccos national strategies, particularly in the fields of agriculture, energy, environment and vocational training, he added.

During his visit to Morocco, the UNIDO chief met several senior officials including Head of Govt Saad Eddine El Othmani and minister of foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP)  The Latest on a U.S. Supreme Court decision limiting federal authority to enforce laws on state-owner rivers in Alaska (all times local):

5:10 p.m.

An Anchorage moose hunter says a unanimous decision from the U.S. Supreme Court is "a huge win for the state of Alaska."

Justices on Tuesday unanimously limited the National Park Service's authority to enforce laws and regulations on state-owned rivers in the nation's largest state

Justices rejected the agency's argument that the river was "public land" for regulatory authority and that the agency's water rights interest gave it rule-making authority.

Hunter John Sturgeon says the court recognized that the rivers in Alaska are often used like the interstate highways in the Lower 48.

The decision also came with a little humor. Justice Elena Kagan wrote: "Sturgeon can again rev up his hovercraft in search of moose."

Sturgeon says Kagan's comments were "pretty cool" and made the decision feel human.

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6:33 a.m.

An Alaska moose hunter can "rev up his hovercraft" in search of moose, the Supreme Court says.

The court on Tuesday limited the National Park Service's authority to enforce laws and regulations on state-owned rivers in Alaska. Justices held unanimously that the Park Service can't enforce a ban on amphibious vehicles known as hovercrafts on rivers that run through national conservation areas there.

The outcome was a victory for hunter John Sturgeon. Three park rangers ordered Sturgeon off the Nation River within the Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve in northeast Alaska. They told him it was illegal to operate the noisy craft that can navigate shallow water or even mud.

Justice Elena Kagan said in her opinion that Sturgeon "can again rev up his hovercraft in search of moose."
For businesses these are unprecedented times. Major economic and international events have generated volatile market conditions. Added to this is the ever growing plethora of complex legal and regulatory requirements.



At the forefront of spearheading companies through these challenges are legal teams. However, for many of these teams, there remains a continued emphasis on delivering these legal services with improved efficiency and reduced legal spend. Nowhere has then been felt more than in their approach to external panels.



Such panels have undergone an evolution in recent years. General Counsel (GC) have demonstrated their willingness to reign in their panels, favouring slimmed-down rosters as part of an ongoing strategy to not only save on cost, but improve relationships with firms. At the same time, many GCs now look beyond established relationships and select firms based upon their approach to efficiency, innovation and pricing flexibility.



Below is an analysis of how this selection criteria has evolved further and the importance for firms to respond to this when looking to maintain or secure a position on a roster. Also examined is the approach that GCs could take to their panel arrangements in the future in terms of the number and type of occupants and the review process itself.



Panel selection  An expanding criteria



In addition to reducing roster size and moving away from the status quo, there are now two additional themes arising out of the GC selection criteria  diversity and collaboration. In regard to the former, the days of a firm arriving at a panel pitch with a team made up of solely white males are hopefully over. Those that do (and there is no doubt some that still do) are immediately demonstrating a clear disconnect and lack of understanding with the demands of a modern-day GC.



Diversity has become an embedded characteristic of many in-house teams. For those GCs whose teams are still lagging behind, ensuring diversity in terms of criteria such as gender, ethnicity, education and disability will nonetheless still be at the forefront of their current and future strategy. GCs are now expecting their counsel to follow suit. Those firms that fail to demonstrate greater diversity within their own teams or at least make some sort of progress, run the risk of losing out on work. For a more in-depth analysis on the importance of firms to meet the needs of diversity, including the latest data trends, see here.



When it comes to collaboration this can fall under two strands. The first is collaboration between the in-house team and the individual firm. This boils down to a GC desire for prospective firms to demonstrate a willingness to develop a greater understanding of the inner-workings of the business and strengthen the firm-client relationship. This is where technology can play a key role in helping to forge this collaboration. GCs currently possess little time and resource to dedicate to technological implementation. Here provides the perfect opportunity for prospective panel firms to step forward and bridge this gap by developing solutions of their own and offering to work directly with the in-house team to install and tailor this technology to meet in-house needs.



Technology aside, some GCs have attempted to bridge the relationship gap through the utilisation of law firm summits. Through these, panel firms collectively spend one-or two days at a particular client communicating face-to-face with leadership and in-house teams in a bid to gauge current and future concerns. Those GCs not currently utilising this capability should think about installing it within their selection criteria. Summits bring a human element to the firm-client relationship and install expectations and trust which can only benefit both parties in the long term.



Prospective firms should also be thinking about how they can use their own initiative to improve relations. This could involve offering to provide in-house teams with complimentary training programmes, secondees (both lawyers and project managers) and general technological support. Not only will GCs appreciate the initiative, but it also demonstrates a firms willingness to provide their client with cost-effective and tailored legal solutions.



The second strand of collaboration is direct collaborative working between panel firms. This form of collaboration is one of the most interesting developments in the evolution of the modern-day panel, representing an important shift in the firm-client relationship towards a more coordinated and linked service offering. Such collaboration should also only be welcomed by GCs and firms alike. Bringing together expertise on a particular deal or in-house project, can not only aid the client which can benefit from the integrated service offering, but can also benefit the firms themselves which can use the opportunity to share knowledge and learn from each other.



Firms should now expect this form of collaboration to be a pre-requisite as part of securing any panel position. At the same time, firms need to be able to demonstrate a willingness to work with potential rivals. In showing the importance of this, a growing number of GCs are now beginning to rate firms in their end of matter evaluation, for their decorum and treatment of opposing counsel. Now is the time for firms to put hostilities aside.



So what do these additional requirements mean for firms? To either secure or maintain their position on rosters, it has become critical for firms to respond effectively to the varying and changing demands of GCs. Put simply, those firms that dont demonstrate a willingness to adapt, will find themselves missing out on panel places and with it, the accompanying and consistent work streams and revenue generators. Ultimately, firms should no longer see themselves as mere advisers but instead long-term partners to clients with an integral role to play in furthering their business-wide goals.



From the perspective of GCs, they should not forget their position of power in the firm-client relationship. If operated effectively, panels should be used to extract the maximum value and full potential out of a firm. If this is not the case, GCs should be asking the firm why. Furthermore, the GC community is a small one. Word can often spread quickly and those firms that fail to move with the times could find themselves the topic of conversation  and not in a good way.



The future approach to panel arrangements



Looking ahead to the approaches that GCs could take to their panel arrangements in the future, there are three trends that firms should potentially prepare for:



1) The first is the removal of the review process altogether. Back in March, Barclays began the last ever formal review of its global legal panel. From now on, the bank will review its panel firms through what it calls active relationship management. Under this system firms are added or removed from the panel on an ad-hoc basis, while subject to an ongoing scoring system based on metrics including service delivery and alternative fee arrangements.



The rationale behind the change of approach is to afford firms greater clarity and transparency in terms of the banks expectations of its advisers and create a benchmark for its in-house lawyers of what firms should be aiming for. The interesting thing for the market is whether such an approach will catch on. The advantage of active management is that it does away with lengthy and resource intensive procurement which will be particularly welcomed by those partners who dread the process. However, it also requires an experienced and embedded legal operations team in order to be effectively managed. This is not often a luxury afforded to many in-house departments.



Instead of scrapping the review process, the more likely option, at least in the short-to-medium term, is that pitching firms be required to utilise their ever-growing cross-firm expertise to demonstrate the linkage between different areas of the firm. This is most likely to encompass the level of collaboration between lawyers and technologists which requires the former spending as much time as possible with the latter. However, lawyers that can talk with confidence about technology and what it can entail for the client, not only make a firms full-service capability more credible, but could ultimately be a differentiator over rival firms when it comes to the pitch.



2) A second trend is the shift by some GCs from a multi-firm panel to a single firm model. In the UK, notable examples include construction company Balfour Beatty which uses just one firm, Pinsent Masons, for its business-as-usual work. Also adopting this approach are Turkish Airlines and Thames Water which both use Eversheds Sutherland as their respective sole provider.



Such partnerships are certainly innovative and enable a close strategic relationship. Furthermore, a common theme across supplier agreements is the innovative pricing on offer for GCs who are willing to take up the option. In the case of Balfour Beatty, under the terms of its new agreement with Pinsents, the company can choose from a range of fixed-price agreements based on the type of legal work, while also seek advice from the firm on the design and implementation of legal process technology.



These are the perks that come with a close relationship. However, such an approach has yet to fully take off outside a limited few. Although consolidation of external advisers is one of the ongoing themes within the in-house market, GCs are likely to favour retaining at least a choice of firm to choose from and see the advantages of the differing knowledge and experience these firms can bring to the table.



This forms a considerable barrier to the growth of the single firm model. Nonetheless, the model will still form part of some GCs thinking as more straightforward methods to cut spend and secure maximum value from firms are sought. Managing just one firm also removes the added burden that comes with managing multiple firms. Therefore, although the supplier approach has yet to fully develop across the board, firms should still be prepared to demonstrate their ability to provide such an offering.



3) Lastly, firms need to be prepared to share their future panel places with alternative legal service providers (ALSPs). As of yet, ALSPs do not feature heavily on legal rosters but are known to be widely enlisted by a growing number of GCs on an ad-hoc basis. Expect this to change. Such providers are more-suited than firms to meet in-house demands around automation and flexible resourcing and as these relationships continue to develop, expect the innovative GC wanting to formalise these relationships through formal panel appointments.



This points towards a potential shift in the type of providers occupying panels away from the traditional law firm towards NewLaw. The danger for the former, is if this shift begins to gain momentum. Firms have traditionally failed to capitalise on GCs needs around automation and flexible lawyering, something which they may now be starting to regret. Firms either need to start upping their game in this sphere or else accept a future where panel positions are harder to come by.



Email: jwiller@alm.com
With the $190M QuadrigaCX cryptocurrency exchange hack still fresh in the minds of many, quality custodial solutions are becoming increasingly important.

Today, Hong Kong-licensed and public trust company Legacy Trust and Ledger, crypto security and custody solutions provider are announcing a partnership to launch an institutional-grade custody solution geared at OTC firms, exchanges, and high net-worth individuals.



The combination of Ledgers technological versatility in safekeeping digital assets with Legacy Trusts regulatory standing provides a complete and permanent solution to the issue of custody in the digital asset space, that did not exist until now, said Vincent Chok, CEO of Legacy Trust.

Legacy Trust's new custody solution will be powered by Ledger's Ledger Vault key management solution. We want the digital asset industry to be mainstream," Demetrios Skalkotos, Global Head of Ledger Vault tells The Block. "In order for it to become mainstream, the digital plumbing needs to be put in place.

Legacy Trust, was originally a traditional asset custody provider. The firm began exploring the custody of cryptocurrencies in 2017 after Hong Kong regulators announced that these assets were a form of a commodity. "Two years ago a lot of [crypto] clients and ICOs began coming to us," Chok tells The Block, emphasizing that there is a need for qualified custodians in this industry. The partnership with Ledger enables Legacy Trust to custody bitcoin and ERC-20 tokens.

Furthermore, Ledger Vault's unique multi-authorization feature enables Legacy Trust to offer customizable custodial services. With multi-authorization, Legacy Trust's client can set up a wallet structure that best fits their needs. If a hedge fund client needs quicker access to their funds, they could set a "warm" wallet, requiring fewer private key signatures to release the fund. If a client is a long term investor, they can set up a "cold" wallet, requiring up to six signatures for a fund's release.

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"We designed it to be very flexible for a clients needs," Skalkotos tells The Block.

To be sure, Legacy Trust and Ledger aren't the only custody providers in this industry. More recently, firms like Fidelity and Bakkt announced their interest in offering custody services for cryptocurrencies. Leading businesses like Coinbase and BitGo are also increasingly active in this space. Legacy Trust and Ledger, however, are not concerned.

This a huge market. The more custodians out there means this is going to become mainstream," says Chok. Skalkotos agrees, adding that "It is great to see competitors like Bakkt and Fidelity coming into the space," because "it validates the space." Skalkotos also notes that, despite launching Ledger Vault in late 2018, the firm is nearing a hundred clients for its solution.
Zagreb (AFP) - On paper, abortion has been legal in Croatia for decades.

But in practice, it is becoming less available in the largely Catholic country where religious pressure is pushing doctors increasingly to refuse abortions on moral grounds.

"Why are gynaecologists obliged to do abortions? I don't really see a connection," said Boris Ujevic, a doctor at Zagreb's public Holy Spirit Hospital, when asked why he does not offer the procedure.

"For me, it's first a moral issue," added Ujevic, who describes his choice as a human right.

All his colleagues at the hospital also refuse to perform abortions, which wasn't the case when he first qualified as a gynaecologist more than 20 years ago.

But now, these refuseniks constitute the majority in Croatia, where some 60 percent of gynaecologists at public hospitals do not offer abortions on grounds of "conscientious objection", according to a survey conducted last month by RTL television.

Under a 1978 law, passed when Croatia was part of the former Yugoslavia, abortion remains legal up to the 10th week of pregnancy.

But since the Balkan state won independence in 1991, the Catholic Church -- which was forced to keep a low-profile under communism -- has sought to reclaim its leading role as a moral force and guardian of national identity in Croatia.

Since then a proliferation of religious groups, plus allies among conservative politicians, have been calling for an all-out abortion ban.

- 'Fewer abortions, more babies' -

Though they have not yet managed to achieve their aim, anti-abortion campaigners won a key victory in 2003 when doctors were given the right to refuse on grounds of "conscious objection".

And after Croatia's top court ruled that the abortion law was outdated, pro-abortion campaigners fear there may be even more restrictions put in place as the conservative-dominated parliament moves to update the legislation.

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According to Health Minister Milan Kujundzic, the goal is clear: "That we have fewer abortions and more newborn children."

For Sanja Cesar, an activist with the rights group CESI, the minister's comments suggest that no efforts will be spared to ensure women who fall pregnant end up giving birth.

That, in turn, means that accessing abortion services is likely "to become more difficult, through (mandatory) waiting periods, biased counselling and also support to gynaecologists who refuse to provide the procedure," she said.

- '58 lives saved' -

In recent years, religious groups with an anti-abortion agenda have become increasingly prominent, staging the annual "March for Life" rallies which have drawn thousands onto the streets as well as holding candlelit prayer vigils outside hospitals.

"In some Croatian hospitals, the number of abortions has fallen more than 50 percent during our vigils," said Ante Caljkusic, who leads the Croatian chapter of "40 Days for Life", an anti-abortion movement that began in Texas in 2004.

"We know concretely that we saved the lives of 58 children," he told AFP.

The Croatian chapter opened in 2014 and has since spread to 29 towns with some 10,000 participants praying in front of hospitals for 40 days, twice a year, he added.

The aim, he says, is to provide "moral, spiritual and material help to mothers and fathers".

But not everyone is happy about the vigils.

"It's not ethical for anyone to decide on anybody else's... body and life, it's not natural and it's not justified by any religion or philosophy," said Iva Anzulovic, a Croatian journalist who had an abortion in 2006.

She had an eight-month-old baby at the time and did not feel prepared to care for another infant.

"At the time, you could go to any hospital" for the procedure, the 43-year-old told AFP.

That's no longer the case, with five out of the 27 public hospitals not providing any abortions at all, the RTL survey showed.

Under Croatian law, only public hospitals are allowed to carry out the procedure, with the exception of one private clinic.

Of those that do provide abortion access, only three hospitals offer nonsurgical abortions, an option considered safe by medical experts that terminates pregnancies through pills.

- Going underground or abroad -

For women looking for guidance online, a Google search on where to have an abortion in Croatia comes up with one top result: "Clinic for Abortion".

But rather than offering information on where to go, it shows a graphic video of a termination procedure, warning that the possible side effects include breast cancer, sexual dysfunction and even alcoholism.

Government figures suggest that such campaigning has had an impact, with the number of abortions sharply declining since the 1990s.

In 1993, doctors performed more than 25,000 abortions.

By 2017, the number had fallen to 2,416.

But experts say the statistics do not tell the whole story.

"If the number is dropping, (abortion) is either becoming illegal or patients are going abroad," said Zagreb-based gynaecologist Jasenka Grujic, a prominent voice for reproductive rights.

Many activists believe proper sex education and prevention are as important as keeping the right to abortion open.

But proposed sex education classes in public schools were suspended by Croatia's top court in 2013 following fierce opposition by conservative groups.

"We cannot allow theologists or nuns to talk about sexual education," Grujic said.

"It is ridiculous."
A woman claims she was wrongly convicted of making false sex attack claims that led to one man being imprisoned (PA)

A woman jailed for a string of fake sexual assault and rape accusations in 2017 has lost an appeal to overturn her conviction.

Jemma Beale, 27, from Bedfont, west London, was handed a 10-year prison sentence after making false claims of sexual assault and rape against 15 men.

Her claims led to one man being wrongly jailed and convicted of rape, while another fled the country.

On Thursday, Ms Beale, 27, asked senior judges at the Court of Appeal to overturn her conviction and maintained that she is innocent.

Beale was branded a serial liar by a judge and jailed in 2017 (PA)

Her lawyers told the court that the judge hadnt warned the jury about the myths and stereotypes which surround false rape claim cases.

Gillian Jones QC told the Court of Appeal: The learned judge erred because he failed to give a direction about the dangers of myths and stereotypes.

She was the subject of extensive media scrutiny in which she was vilified.

The effect of which might have been to further prejudice the jury in the absence of such a direction.

Read more on Yahoo News UK

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Alleged member of neo-Nazi terror group had wedding edition of Mein Kampf

Man who claimed child sex doll was for an art project jailed



This reporting compounded or could have compounded these myths and stereotypes which were never corrected by way of judicial guidance to the jury.

But on Thursday afternoon, Ms Beale lost her appeal against her conviction and sentence., with judges saying she showed no indication of remorse.

After a five-week trial at Southwark Crown Court in July 2017, a jury found Ms Beale guilty of perjury and perverting the course of justice.

Ms Beale, who made false accusations against 15 men, is appealing her conviction (PA)

Detectives first became suspicious when one of Beales previous partners claimed a man had been wrongly jailed for raping her in November 2010.

Mahad Cassim was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2012, but subsequently had his conviction quashed in 2015.

Ms Beale then told police she was the victim of two sexual assaults in July 2012 and fabricated similar allegations against six other men in 2013, her trial heard.

Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK
P2P trading platform LocalBitcoins will soon be under supervision by Finnish regulators. | Source: Shutterstock

By CCN.com: International peer-to-peer crypto exchange platform LocalBitcoins has revealed that it will now be put under the supervision of the Financial Authority of Finland. This is a blow for users who have continued to use the exchange for its reliable presence in the industry and the ability to make anonymous trades.

AML regulation and new features update  LBC blog posthttps://t.co/8SvGx1ecwl  LocalBitcoins.com (@LocalBitcoins) March 25, 2019

LocalBitcoins, which is based in the Finnish capital of Helsinki, wrote in the post that the Finnish Parliament had granted approval for the new legislation that will legalize crypto assets. The regulator reportedly passed approval on a new Act on Virtual Currency Service Providers, which is expected to come into effect from November 2019.

The operator added:

The Virtual Currency Service Providers Act will come into full effect in the beginning of November 2019 creating a legal status for crypto assets, which should improve significantly Bitcoins standing as a viable and legit financial network.

Finnish Regulators Mean Business

The Finnish Parliament also voted to make an amendment to the Act on Detecting and Preventing Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing, ensuring providers of crypto-based services are subject to the countrys Anti-Money Laundering (AML ) laws. The new law brings Finlands regulation in line with the new European Unions (EU) 5th Anti-Money Laundering Directive (5AMLD).

Under the 5AMLD, crypto exchanges are mandated to report suspicious activity and perform know-your-customer reports. Financial investigators can also obtain the identity of traders at will. Irrespective of your username online, investigators can get your full name and obtain your home address. Lastly, all crypto-related businesses must be registered with the relevant financial authority in their country.

Read the full story on CCN.com.
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Over the past 10 years Beijing Capital Land Ltd. (HKG:2868) has been paying dividends to shareholders. The company currently pays out a dividend yield of 8.9% to shareholders, making it a relatively attractive dividend stock. Should it have a place in your portfolio? Let's take a look at Beijing Capital Land in more detail.

Check out our latest analysis for Beijing Capital Land

5 checks you should use to assess a dividend stock

When assessing a stock as a potential addition to my dividend Portfolio, I look at these five areas:

Is it the top 25% annual dividend yield payer?

Has its dividend been stable over the past (i.e. no missed payments or significant payout cuts)?

Has dividend per share amount increased over the past?

Can it afford to pay the current rate of dividends from its earnings?

Will it have the ability to keep paying its dividends going forward?

SEHK:2868 Historical Dividend Yield, March 28th 2019

How well does Beijing Capital Land fit our criteria?

Beijing Capital Land has a trailing twelve-month payout ratio of 48%, meaning the dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Furthermore, analysts have not forecasted a dividends per share for the future, which makes it hard to determine the yield shareholders should expect, and whether the current payout is sustainable, moving forward.

When assessing the forecast sustainability of a dividend it is also worth considering the cash flow of the business. Companies with strong cash flow can sustain a higher payout ratio, while companies with weaker cash flow generally cannot.

If there's one type of stock you want to be reliable, it's dividend stocks and their stable income-generating ability. 2868 has increased its DPS from CN0.080 to CN0.22 in the past 10 years. During this period it has not missed a payment, as one would expect for a company increasing its dividend. This is an impressive feat, which makes 2868 a true dividend rockstar.

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Relative to peers, Beijing Capital Land generates a yield of 8.9%, which is high for Real Estate stocks.

Next Steps:

With these dividend metrics in mind, I definitely rank Beijing Capital Land 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 company's fundamentals and underlying business before making an investment decision. Below, I've compiled three important factors you should look at:

Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for 2868s future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for 2868s outlook. Historical Performance: What has 2868's returns been like over the past? Go into more detail in the past track record analysis and take a look at the free visual representations of our analysis for more clarity. 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.
Valletta (AFP) - Five men were arrested Thursday after Maltese armed forces took control of a tanker that was hijacked by migrants off Libya and the ship docked in Malta.

The Palau-flagged tanker Elhiblu I had picked up 108 migrants including women and children on Tuesday evening and then headed back to Tripoli.

But six nautical miles from port the ship suddenly changed course and headed north toward Europe.

Italy's far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said Wednesday the vessel had been hijacked and vowed that the migrants would not be allowed to disembark in Italy.

The 52-metre (170-foot) tanker was about 30 nautical miles from Malta when the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) established communications with the captain.

"The captain repeatedly stated that he was not in control of the vessel and that he and his crew were being forced and threatened by a number of migrants to proceed to Malta," the AFM said in a statement on Thursday morning.

"AFM Patrol Vessel P21 stopped the tanker from entering Maltese territorial waters.

"An AFM Special Operations Unit team was dispatched to board and secure the vessel in order to hand over control of the ship to the captain."

Escorted by the Maltese navy, the tanker arrived in the port of Valletta around 8:30 am (0730 GMT).

Five men suspected of having been the leaders of the hijacking were arrested, handcuffed and taken away in a police van.

The women and children disembarked next, followed by the other men, many of whom appeared physically very weak.

Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat commented that his country does "not shirk responsibility despite our size," Malta being the smallest EU country of around 450,000 people.

"We will now follow all international rules accordingly," he added.

- 'People are very upset' -

Both before and after the hijacking, the German charity Sea-Eye, whose ship Alan Kurdi was in the rescue zone off Libya, said it had overheard radio messages between a European military aircraft and the captain of the tanker.

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"The captain of the ship rescued the people and requested assistance. He said unequivocally on the radio that people are very upset and do not want to be brought back to Libya," Sea-Eye said in a statement.

"Tripoli, however, was the destination port of the cargo ship."

Migrants in chaos-wracked Libya face trafficking, kidnap, torture and rape, according to the United Nations and aid groups.

Following Rome's increasingly tough anti-migrant stance, vessels that pick up migrants making the perilous journey across the Mediterranean increasingly return them to Libya.

Boatloads of rescued migrants have in recent months refused to disembark in Libya, prompting the authorities there to use force.

The UNHCR's special envoy for the central Mediterranean, Vincent Cochetel, tweeted Thursday that the "safety of crews (is) as important as safety of human beings fleeing a hellish situation & not wanting to return there.

"With a robust rescue at sea capacity & predictable disembarkation on both sides of the Med, this would not have happened."

The European Union announced on Wednesday it will suspend ship patrols that have rescued tens of thousands of migrants in the Mediterranean and brought them to Italy, in the face of deep resistance from Rome's populist government.

Migrant arrivals from North Africa and the Middle East have been sharply reduced since a 2015 peak when Europe faced its worst migration crisis since World War II.
The European Bank for reconstruction and development (EBRD) has agreed to provide a 24 million loan to Tunisie Leasing and Factoring, the countrys largest leasing company.

The loan will allow the Tunisian company to continue growing its network across the country and reaching SMEs in regions less well-covered by competitors. Supporting access to finance for SMEs has been identified as a strategic priority by both the government of Tunisia and the EBRD.

There are over 80,000 SMEs in Tunisia; they are responsible for 40 per cent of GDP and employ more than half the population. The performance of the countrys economy relies on the growth of its small businesses.

Tunisie Leasing and Factoring was the first company to establish leasing operations in Tunisia and has a strategic focus on supporting small businesses.

Since it began operations in Tunisia in 2012, the EBRD has invested 840 million across 38 projects in the country and provided technical assistance to nearly 800 SMEs.

The Banks investments aim to support Tunisias competitiveness by opening markets and strengthening governance, promote economic inclusion for women, young people and those living in remote areas, strengthen the financial sectors resilience, and support Tunisias green economy transition.
VIENNA (Reuters) - Austria's far-right Identitarian Movement received cash from the man charged with killing 50 people in mass shootings at mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, this month, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said on Wednesday.

"We can now confirm that there was financial support and so a link between the New Zealand attacker and the Identitarian Movement in Austria," Kurz said.

A spokesman for prosecutors in Graz said the head of Austria's Identitarian Movement, Martin Sellner, received 1,500 euros ($1,690) in early 2018 from a donor with the same name as the man charged over the March 15 Christchurch attacks.

New Zealand police said investigators were making a large number of enquiries, across New Zealand and internationally, but refused to go into details.

Sellner, who did not reply to requests for comment from Reuters, published two videos on YouTube in which he said he had received a donation which involved an email address that matched the name of the Australian alleged to have carried out the Christchurch attacks.

He said in one of the videos: "I'm not a member of a terrorist organisation. I have nothing to do with this man, other than that I passively received a donation from him."

He said the donation was from early 2018 and that he would give the money to a charitable foundation.

Sellner said police had raided his house over the possible links to the attacker.

Austria's Identitarians, who say they want to preserve Europe's identity, are a relatively new, media-savvy far-right movement that uses the internet to promote their actions on the streets.

They imitate the tactics of more established activist groups such as Greenpeace. In 2017, they helped charter a ship as part of what they said was a campaign to defend Europe and they have tried to stop migrants crossing the Mediterranean from Libya.

Hansjoerg Bacher, spokesman for Graz prosecutors, said an investigation was underway about whether there were criminally relevant links between Sellner and the mosque attacker.

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The Austrian Interior Ministry declined to comment.

Kurz said Austria was looking into dissolving the Identitarian Movement.

"Our position on this is very clear, no kind of extremism whatsoever - whether it's radical Islamists or right-wing extremist fanatics - has any place in our society," he said.

Kurz said on Twitter on Tuesday any connection between the Christchurch attacker and members of the Identitarian Movement in Austria needed to be fully clarified.

Austrian Vice-Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache, of the far-right Freedom Party (FPO), said the FPO had nothing to do with the Identitarian Movement.

New Zealand has announced a royal commission inquiry into the Christchurch attack.

A suspected white supremacist has been charged with one count of murder over the shootings and will next appear in court on April 5.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has said the man had not been on any watch lists in New Zealand or Australia.

(Reporting by Alexandra Schwarz-Goerlich and Kirsti Knolle; Writing by Michelle Martin; Editing by Jon Boyle and Paul Tait)
The 2020 presidential race will pit the Democrats Medicare for All proposal against the Trump administrations Medicare for Less.

At least thats how the Washington Post and some Democratic political operatives suggest it will play out. According to the Post article, progressives are looking to make political hay out of the contrast between their dream of enlarging the Medicare program to cover all 327 million Americans and a Trump budget that proposes to reduce Medicare spending by $818 billion over the next decade.

Free medical care vs. pushing granny off the cliff. For progressives, it doesnt get any better.

Or more misleading. On closer examination, most of the Medicare savings contained in the presidents budget would not adversely affect beneficiaries, and some would likely save them money. But Republicans are nevertheless vulnerable to the Medicare for All vs. Medicare for Less meme, because of their own reluctance to offer a credible alternative to the health-care status quo after losing the House in the 2018 elections.

As even the New York Times has observed, its misleading to claim that the Trump budget would harm Medicare beneficiaries. Consider hospital uncompensated care. Medicare currently makes payments to hospitals for uncompensated care they provide to non-Medicare patients. The administration proposes to remove this spending from Medicare and fund it instead through a separate program. That shift would save Medicare $183 billion over ten years.

The budget calls for a similar trade-off of $211 billion in spending on graduate medical education, moving financing out of Medicare and into a newly created program. These two transfers account for $394 billion of the $818 billion in Medicare cuts.

Another $271 billion in savings comes from eliminating Medicare payment disparities between procedures done in hospitals and those performed in physicians offices and other non-hospital settings. Typically, Medicare reimbursement rates are higher for hospital services. For example, Medicare can pay more than three times as much for cardiac imaging when its done in hospitals rather than physician offices, according to a study by Avalere, a health-care consultancy. Equalizing payments could provide significant savings to taxpayers and beneficiaries.

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The administration estimates that its medical-malpractice-reform proposal would save Medicare $27 billion. Another $6.5 billion comes from policy changes designed to reduce waste, fraud, and abuse.

These policy initiatives collectively account for nearly $700 billion of the $818 billion in so-called Medicare cuts. Such proposals can be debated on their merits, but it is more than disingenuous to characterize them as a massive transfer of wealth from the working class to the wealthiest people and the most profitable corporations in America, as Senator Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) tweeted last week.

That wont stop the demagoguery. Voters trust Democrats more than Republicans on health care. Democratic candidates effectively exploited that credibility gap in the 2018 midterm elections, ousting Republican moderates in swing districts by accusing them of seeking to gut federal insurance regulations on preexisting conditions.

The charge wasnt true, but it was believable, and so is the contention that Republicans would back Medicare cuts that would harm seniors  because Republicans have failed to table a health-care agenda that speaks to the concerns of voters.

President Trump seems to have grasped that. Under assault from congressional Democrats over a decision by the Justice Department not to contest a federal judges ruling to invalidate Obamacare in its entirety, Trump announced that he had a better idea. If the Supreme Court rules that Obamacare is out, he said, well have a plan that is far better than Obamacare.

But the statement reportedly rattled congressional Republicans, who in fact are not currently advancing a plan thats better than Obamacare, and who hope to prevail in 2020 without proposing one. Instead, they are spoiling for a fight against a presidential candidate who advocates Medicare for All. Always more comfortable faulting liberal ideas on health-care reform than with proffering their own, Republicans relish the prospect of running against a government takeover of health care.

That may prove more difficult than they imagine. The Kaiser Family Foundation, which has been tracking public opinion on single-payer health care for nearly two decades, finds that Americans favor the idea by a margin of 5639 percent. In the early 2000s, the same poll yielded the opposite result.

Its true that support for single payer declines as voters consider its cost and contemplate exchanging the insurance they have for something unfamiliar. The century-long quest for single payer has repeatedly foundered largely for that reason. Maybe 2020 will run true to form.

Still, Republicans are gambling by not advancing an alternative that enhances health-care choices and dampens rising health-care costs. They may come to regret allowing their opponents to caricature them as advocates of Medicare for Less and opponents of Medicare for All.

More from National Review
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Monday blocked a bipartisan resolution calling for the release of Robert Muellers full report, according to Axios, CNN and NBC News.

McConnell, an ally of President Donald Trumps who has nonetheless been critical of him at times, reportedly urged caution before trying to rush out the release of potentially sensitive material.

Its not unreasonable to give the special counsel and the Justice Department just a little time to complete their review in a professional and responsible manner, McConnell said on the Senate floor, according to CNN.

Were likely dealing here with potential other prosecutions, classified information, damaging peoples reputation, McConnell continued. Theres no evidence that the attorney general is not going to produce as much information as possible for all of us, and thats why I objected. I think its a reasonable thing to do.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, in turn, said McConnells hesitancy was in contrast to even the president.

Schumer noted that his resolution, which he moved to pass without a roll call vote on Monday night, per NBC, had already unanimously passed the House.

According to NBC, the nonbinding resolution, if approved, would not force the reports release  only express Congress position on the matter.

This language was good enough for every Republican in the Senate as well as every Democrat, Schumer said in the Senate, according to CNN. The president himself says it should be released. Its hard to understand why the majority leader should stand alone with objections no one else found to be reasonable or sustainable and oppose this resolution. The report should be made public and the Senate should resolve that it should be.

Mueller, who has been investigating any possible coordination and links between Trump and Russian officials (and related matters) since May 2017, concluded his investigation last week.

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According to a brief summary of his findings released by Attorney General William Barr, Mueller did not find evidence of conspiracy or coordination between the president and Russia.

On the question of whether Trump obstructed justice into his investigation, however, Mueller did not make a determination  expressly noting that while this report does not conclude that the president committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.

Barr has said he will work with Mueller and other officials in determining what parts of the report cannot be released, including information connected to underlying grand jury proceedings, but said that he will be releasing additional information.

Democratic lawmakers have called for the releases full report.

Asked Monday how he felt about the possible release, Trump told reporters: Its up to the attorney general, but it wouldnt bother me at all.
By Sanjeev Miglani and Krishna N. Das NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India shot down one of its own satellites in low-Earth orbit with a ground-to-space missile on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, hailing his country's first test of such weaponry as a breakthrough establishing it as a military space power. India would be the fourth country to have used such an anti-satellite weapon after the United States, Russia and China, according to Modi, who heads into general elections next month. "Our scientists shot down a live satellite 300 kilometers away in space, in low-Earth orbit," Modi said in a television broadcast. "India has made an unprecedented achievement today," he added, speaking in Hindi. "India registered its name as a space power." Anti-satellite weapons permit attacks on enemy satellites, blinding them or disrupting communications, as well as providing a technology base for intercepting ballistic missiles. Such capabilities have raised fears of the weaponization of space and setting off a race between rivals. (Graphic: MISSION SHAKTI - India shoots down satellite - https://tmsnrt.rs/2HHGp61) Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan warned that the use of anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons like the one India tested on Wednesday risk making a "mess" in space due to the debris fields the can leave behind. The U.S. military's Strategic Command was tracking more than 250 pieces of debris from India's missile test and would issue "close-approach notifications as required until the debris enters the Earth's atmosphere," Pentagon spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Dave Eastburn said. The New Delhi government and Washington, which have generally close relations, have been in talks regarding the event, and India publicly issued an aircraft safety advisory before the launch, Eastburn added. Lieutenant General David Thompson, vice commander of U.S. Air Force Space Command, said the International Space Station was not at risk at this point. China's foreign ministry said it hoped all countries "can earnestly protect lasting peace and tranquillity in space." Russia declined to make any immediate comment. India's neighbor and arch-rival, Pakistan, said space is the "common heritage of mankind, and every nation has the responsibility to avoid actions which can lead to the militarization of this arena." Tensions flared last month between the nuclear-armed foes after a militant attack in the disputed region of Kashmir. India has had a space program for years, providing Earth-imaging satellites and launch capabilities as a cheaper alternative to Western space services. It sent a low-cost probe to Mars in 2014 and plans its first manned space mission by 2022. India also launched a lunar mission, Chandrayaan-1, in 2008 that included an orbiter and an impact probe. The latest test, conducted from an island off India's east coast, was aimed at protecting the country's assets in space against foreign attacks, the government said. A ballistic missile defense interceptor produced by the government's Defence Research and Development Organisation was used to shoot down the satellite, the foreign ministry said. "The capability achieved ... provides credible deterrence against threats to our growing space-based assets from long-range missiles, and proliferation in the types and numbers of missiles," it said in a statement. The three-minute test in the low-Earth orbit ensured there was no debris in space and the remnants would "decay and fall back on to the Earth within weeks," the ministry added. But Jeffrey Lewis of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey said the risk of fragments hitting other objects in space remained. "One of the big risks of a hit-to-kill ASAT (anti-satellite weapon) is that it shatters the target, leaving a cloud of lethal debris that threatens other satellites. In an extreme scenario, there is even a risk of 'collisional cascading' in which one breakup triggers others in a chain reaction." "While tests can be arranged to minimize this risk, any operational use of such a system in war poses a real threat to all satellites in orbit at similar altitude." China destroyed a satellite in 2007, creating the largest orbital debris cloud in history, with more than 3,000 objects, according to the Secure World Foundation. China's test spurred India to develop its anti-satellite capability, said Ajay Lele, a senior fellow of the government-funded Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses in New Delhi. Indian defense scientists had sought political approval for live tests but successive governments had baulked, fearing international condemnation, an Indian defense official said. Brahma Chellaney, a security expert at New Delhi's Centre of Policy Research, said the United States, Russia and China were pursuing anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons. "Space is being turned into a battlefront, making counter-space capabilities critical. In this light, India's successful 'kill' with an ASAT weapon is significant." UNITED STATES A PIONEER The United States ran the first anti-satellite test in 1959, when satellites were rare and new. In the 1960s and early 1970s, the Soviet Union tested a weapon that would be launched into orbit, approach enemy satellites and destroy them with an explosive charge, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists. In 1985 the United States tested the ASM-135, launched from an F-15 fighter, destroying a U.S. satellite called Solwind P78-1. There were no tests for more than 20 years, until China entered the anti-satellite arena in 2007. The following year, the United States used a ship-launched SM-3 missile to destroy a defunct spy satellite in Operation Burnt Frost. Modi's Hindu nationalist-led government has taken a strong position on national security, launching air strikes last month on a suspected militant camp in Pakistan that spurred retaliatory raids. Although he faces criticism for failing to deliver on high economic growth and create jobs, a hawkish position on security should help Modi at the ballot box, pollsters say. The leader of the main opposition Congress party, Rahul Gandhi, congratulated defense scientists but took a dig at Modi for the announcement on a day that commemorates theatricals. "I would also like to wish the prime minister a very happy World Theatre Day," Gandhi said. School children held flags in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad celebrating the test. A concern for India is that China could help its old ally Pakistan neutralize any advantage. "Pakistan and China have a very deep strategic kind of partnership. So some kind of sharing of capabilities can't be ignored," Uday Bhaskar, director of the Society for Policy Studies, another Delhi think-tank, said. (Additional reporting by Gerry Doyle in SINGAPORE, Zeba Siddiqui in NEW DELHI, Ben Blanchard in BEIJING, James Mackenzie in ISLAMABAD, Polina Nikolskaya in MOSCOW and Stephanie Nebehay in GENEVAWriting by Sanjeev MiglaniEditing by Robert Birsel and Clarence Fernandez, William Maclean)
Around 100 Algerian top business tycoons, including the leader of Algerias business forum, have been put on a blacklist and denied exit from the country amid the gradual decaying of President Abdelaziz Bouteflikas regime.

The army Chief of Staff, Ahmed Gaid Salah reportedly instructed security forces at airports and other exit points of the country to prevent heads of Algerias top companies from leaving.

Gaid Salah, who early this week dropped his support for Bouteflika declaring him inapt to rule the country, gave a blacklist that names the companies leaders and their addresses.

Algeria since February has been witnessing an unprecedented political crisis sparked by the 82-year old Presidents plans to run for a fifth term in office.

Repeated demonstrations at home and abroad by Algerians against the plans have frozen economic activities. Bouteflika scrapped his controversial plan but postponed the April 18 elections sine die  a move that is seen by many as an attempt to extend his stay in power.

Algerias business forum leader Ali Haddad, a staunch supporter of Bouteflika, was reportedly banned from leaving the country few days ago, at Algiers airport.

Sources told HuffPost Algerie that leaders of state-owned companies are barred from leaving the country expect on written authorization. The media also reported that banks have received instructions to cap money withdrawal operations to be carried out economic operators in a move to thwart flee plans by these operators and their families.
By Sanjeev Miglani and Krishna N. Das

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India shot down one of its own satellites in low-Earth orbit with a ground-to-space missile on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, hailing his country's first test of such weaponry as a breakthrough establishing it as a military space power.

India would be the fourth country to have used such an anti-satellite weapon after the United States, Russia and China, according to Modi, who heads into general elections next month.

"Our scientists shot down a live satellite 300 kilometres away in space, in low-Earth orbit," Modi said in a television broadcast.

"India has made an unprecedented achievement today," he added, speaking in Hindi. "India registered its name as a space power."

Anti-satellite weapons permit attacks on enemy satellites, blinding them or disrupting communications, as well as providing a technology base for intercepting ballistic missiles.

Such capabilities have raised fears of the weaponisation of space and setting off a race between rivals.

Acting U.S. Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan warned that the use of anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons like the one India tested on Wednesday risk making a "mess" in space due to the debris fields the can leave behind.

The U.S. military's Strategic Command was tracking more than 250 pieces of debris from India's missile test and would issue "close-approach notifications as required until the debris enters the Earth's atmosphere," Pentagon spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Dave Eastburn said.

The New Delhi government and Washington, which have generally close relations, have been in talks regarding the event, and India publicly issued an aircraft safety advisory before the launch, Eastburn added.

Lieutenant General David Thompson, vice commander of U.S. Air Force Space Command, said the International Space Station was not at risk at this point.

China's foreign ministry said it hoped all countries "can earnestly protect lasting peace and tranquillity in space." Russia declined to make any immediate comment.

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India's neighbour and arch-rival, Pakistan, said space is the "common heritage of mankind, and every nation has the responsibility to avoid actions which can lead to the militarization of this arena."

Tensions flared last month between the nuclear-armed foes after a militant attack in the disputed region of Kashmir.

India has had a space program for years, providing Earth-imaging satellites and launch capabilities as a cheaper alternative to Western space services. It sent a low-cost probe to Mars in 2014 and plans its first manned space mission by 2022. India also launched a lunar mission, Chandrayaan-1, in 2008 that included an orbiter and an impact probe.

The latest test, conducted from an island off India's east coast, was aimed at protecting the country's assets in space against foreign attacks, the government said.

A ballistic missile defence interceptor produced by the government's Defence Research and Development Organisation was used to shoot down the satellite, the foreign ministry said.

"The capability achieved ... provides credible deterrence against threats to our growing space-based assets from long-range missiles, and proliferation in the types and numbers of missiles," it said in a statement.

The three-minute test in the low-Earth orbit ensured there was no debris in space and the remnants would "decay and fall back on to the Earth within weeks," the ministry added.

But Jeffrey Lewis of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey said the risk of fragments hitting other objects in space remained.

"One of the big risks of a hit-to-kill ASAT (anti-satellite weapon) is that it shatters the target, leaving a cloud of lethal debris that threatens other satellites. In an extreme scenario, there is even a risk of 'collisional cascading' in which one breakup triggers others in a chain reaction."

"While tests can be arranged to minimize this risk, any operational use of such a system in war poses a real threat to all satellites in orbit at similar altitude."

China destroyed a satellite in 2007, creating the largest orbital debris cloud in history, with more than 3,000 objects, according to the Secure World Foundation.

China's test spurred India to develop its anti-satellite capability, said Ajay Lele, a senior fellow of the government-funded Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses in New Delhi.

Indian defence scientists had sought political approval for live tests but successive governments had baulked, fearing international condemnation, an Indian defence official said.

Brahma Chellaney, a security expert at New Delhi's Centre of Policy Research, said the United States, Russia and China were pursuing anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons.

"Space is being turned into a battlefront, making counter-space capabilities critical. In this light, India's successful 'kill' with an ASAT weapon is significant."

(Graphic: MISSION SHAKTI - India shoots down satellite - https://tmsnrt.rs/2HHGp61)

UNITED STATES A PIONEER

The United States ran the first anti-satellite test in 1959, when satellites were rare and new.

In the 1960s and early 1970s, the Soviet Union tested a weapon that would be launched into orbit, approach enemy satellites and destroy them with an explosive charge, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists.

In 1985 the United States tested the ASM-135, launched from an F-15 fighter, destroying a U.S. satellite called Solwind P78-1.

There were no tests for more than 20 years, until China entered the anti-satellite arena in 2007.

The following year, the United States used a ship-launched SM-3 missile to destroy a defunct spy satellite in Operation Burnt Frost.

Modi's Hindu nationalist-led government has taken a strong position on national security, launching air strikes last month on a suspected militant camp in Pakistan that spurred retaliatory raids.

Although he faces criticism for failing to deliver on high economic growth and create jobs, a hawkish position on security should help Modi at the ballot box, pollsters say.

The leader of the main opposition Congress party, Rahul Gandhi, congratulated defence scientists but took a dig at Modi for the announcement on a day that commemorates theatricals.

"I would also like to wish the prime minister a very happy World Theatre Day," Gandhi said. School children held flags in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad celebrating the test.

A concern for India is that China could help its old ally Pakistan neutralize any advantage.

"Pakistan and China have a very deep strategic kind of partnership. So some kind of sharing of capabilities can't be ignored," Uday Bhaskar, director of the Society for Policy Studies, another Delhi think-tank, said.

(Additional reporting by Gerry Doyle in SINGAPORE, Zeba Siddiqui in NEW DELHI, Ben Blanchard in BEIJING, James Mackenzie in ISLAMABAD, Polina Nikolskaya in MOSCOW, Stephanie Nebehay in GENEVA, Phil Stewart in MIAMI and Idrees Ali in WASHINGTONWriting by Sanjeev MiglaniEditing by Clarence Fernandez, William Maclean, James Dalgleish and Cynthia Osterman)
By Subrat Patnaik MEERUT, India (Reuters) - Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially launched his party's general election campaign on Thursday with a rally in India's most populous state, promising development with national security in seeking votes for another term. A coalition led by Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is widely expected to retain power in a staggered election beginning on April 11, especially given recent tension with old rival Pakistan. "This country has seen governments that only made slogans, but for the first time, they are seeing a decisive government that knows how to demonstrate its resolve," Modi told the rally in the city of Meerut in Uttar Pradesh state, which has the most members of parliament of all states. "Our vision is of a new India that will be in tune with its glorious past," he said to roars of approval from the crowd who waved BJP flags and chanted for another term for Modi. The rally was held in a field flanking a main road, surrounded by farm land. Vendors sold BJP mugs, T-shirts and clocks. The general election, the world's biggest democratic exercise with about 900 million eligible voters, will be held in phases ending on May 19. Votes will be counted on May 23. Tension with neighboring Pakistan soared last month after a suicide bomb attack in the Indian part of the disputed Kashmir region killed 40 Indian paramilitary police. The bombing was claimed by a Pakistan-based militant group. India retaliated with an air raid against a suspected militant camp in northern Pakistan. In December, the main opposition Congress party defeated the BJP in three major rural states as a lack of jobs and weak farm prices dented Modi's popularity. But pollsters say Modi's chances have improved significantly thanks to his tough stance on Pakistan At the rally, Modi repeatedly spoke about the Indian bombing of the suspected militant camp. He also referred to a test on Wednesday in which India shot down one of its own satellites in space, which he said made India a space power. Modi also promised economic growth and a prosperous society for all. Modi's main challenger is the opposition Congress party, which was for decades India's dominant political party. One Modi supporter derided a recent Congress offer to hand out 6,000 rupees ($87) a month to the poorest families if it was voted back into power. "I know how the economy works," said chartered accountant Anupam Sharma. "GDP would be decimated." Modi was due to address another rally in Jammu, the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir state, later on Thursday. (Reporting by Subrat Patnaik in MEERUT; Writing by Krishna N. Das; Editing by Robert Birsel)
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP)  A North Carolina Catholic diocese official stepped down after what the diocese called a "credible allegation" of sexual misconduct, officials said Thursday.

The Diocese of Charlotte announced in a news release that Monsignor Mauricio West stepped down effective March 25. The allegation involves multiple instances of unwanted overtures during the mid-1980s toward an adult student at Belmont Abbey College, where West was vice president of student affairs, the diocese said.

West has denied the allegation. He had served as the diocese's vicar general and chancellor.

Bishop Peter J. Jugis said that in February, the individual met with the lay review board to discuss the allegation.

"While the alleged behavior did not constitute sexual abuse and did not involve a minor, it is the strict policy of the Diocese of Charlotte to refer all allegations by known accusers of potential sexual misconduct to the Lay Review Board for investigation," Jugis said. "Misconduct includes boundary violations and improper behavior by clergy, lay people and church volunteers involving children and adults."

Jugis said West will remain a priest but be on a leave of absence during a period of counseling and assessment.

Belmont Abbey College Chancellor Placid Solari issued a statement saying school officials have apologized to the victim personally.

"Although we cannot undo the past, we are dedicated to preventing such inappropriate behavior in the future," Solari said.
A 20-year-old woman from rural Bangladesh who recently gave birth to a healthy baby boy was stunned when, 26 days later, she gave birth to a set of twins.

Arifa Sultana welcomed her first-born son at Khulna Medical College Hospital in late February, according to Dr. Sheila Poddar, her gynecologist.

Less than four weeks after returning home from the hospital, Sultana was admitted to Ad-din Hospital in Dhaka complaining of lower abdominal pain, the BBC reports.

An ultrasound, which Sultana did not undergo during her first pregnancy, revealed that the new mother was pregnant with twins, despite it being less than a month since she gave birth.

Her physicians discovered she had a condition called uterus didelphys, a rare congenital abnormality in which a female develops a second uterus as a fetus.

The condition often causes no symptoms and may not even be discovered until a routine pelvic exam or during imaging tests to determine the cause of repeated miscarriages, according to the Mayo Clinic.

"We were very shocked and surprised," Dr. Poddar told the BBC. "I have never observed something like this before."

Dr. Poddar performed a successful C-section on Sultana to deliver her twins; a boy and a girl. All three newborns and their mother are said to be in good condition.

While Sultana and her husband say they are excited about their growing family, they also expressed concerned about the financial obligations of raising three children when they originally expected one.

"It was a miracle from Allah that all my children are healthy," her husband, a laborer, told AFP news agency. "I will try my best to keep them happy."
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The CEO of Bank of Tianjin Co., Ltd. (HKG:1578) is Liguo Sun. This report will, first, examine the CEO compensation levels in comparison to CEO compensation at companies of similar size. Next, we'll consider growth that the business demonstrates. And finally - as a second measure of performance - we will look at the returns shareholders have received over the last few years. This method should give us information to assess how appropriately the company pays the CEO.

Check out our latest analysis for Bank of Tianjin

How Does Liguo Sun's Compensation Compare With Similar Sized Companies?

At the time of writing our data says that Bank of Tianjin Co., Ltd. has a market cap of HK$29b, and is paying total annual CEO compensation of CN525k. (This is based on the year to December 2017). While this analysis focuses on total compensation, it's worth noting the salary is lower, valued at CN319k. As part of our analysis we looked at companies in the same jurisdiction, with market capitalizations of CN13b to CN43b. The median total CEO compensation was CN2.4m.

Most shareholders would consider it a positive that Liguo Sun takes less total compensation than the CEOs of most similar size companies, leaving more for shareholders. Though positive, it's important we delve into the performance of the actual business.

The graphic below shows how CEO compensation at Bank of Tianjin has changed from year to year.

SEHK:1578 CEO Compensation, March 28th 2019

Is Bank of Tianjin Co., Ltd. Growing?

Over the last three years Bank of Tianjin Co., Ltd. has shrunk its earnings per share by an average of 15% per year (measured with a line of best fit). In the last year, its revenue is up 7.2%.

Sadly for shareholders, earnings per share are actually down, over three years. The modest increase in revenue in the last year isn't enough to make me overlook the disappointing change in earnings per share. It's hard to argue the company is firing on all cylinders, so shareholders might be averse to high CEO remuneration. Although we don't have analyst forecasts, you might want to assess this data-rich visualization of earnings, revenue and cash flow.

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Has Bank of Tianjin Co., Ltd. Been A Good Investment?

With a three year total loss of 28%, Bank of Tianjin Co., Ltd. would certainly have some dissatisfied shareholders. So shareholders would probably think the company shouldn't be too generous with CEO compensation.

In Summary...

Bank of Tianjin Co., Ltd. is currently paying its CEO below what is normal for companies of its size.

Shareholders should note that compensation for Liguo Sun is under the median of a group of similar sized companies. But then, EPS growth is lacking and so are the returns to shareholders. While one could argue it is appropriate for the CEO to be paid less than other CEOs of similar sized companies, given company performance, we would not call the pay overly generous. Shareholders may want to check for free if Bank of Tianjin insiders are buying or selling shares.

Important note: Bank of Tianjin may not be the best stock to buy. You might find something better in this list of interesting companies with high ROE and low debt.

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 360 is a feature designed to show you diverse perspectives on the days top stories.

Speed read

Whats happening: The report is in and President Trump has taken a victory lap. After a nearly two-year probe, special counsel The report is in and President Trump has taken a victory lap. After a nearly two-year probe, special counsel Robert Mueller concluded that no one in the Trump campaign, including the president, conspired with Russia when it meddled in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Attorney General William Barr, who read the report, issued a four-page summary . According the Barrs letter, Mueller stated while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it does not exonerate him either. That left it to Barr to determine whether Trump broke the law and obstructed justice. In his letter, Barr said the evidence collected in Muellers probe was not sufficient to establish that the president committed a criminal obstruction offense.

Trump allies then claimed vindication over what the president has repeatedly called a witch hunt.

So thats it then? Not quite : Theres still a lot up for debate. Democrats want the Theres still a lot up for debate. Democrats want the full report to be released . Several Republicans have raised questions about how the probe was conducted. Trump allies say the media and prominent Trump opponents should apologize for overly critical coverage of the president. Speaking on CNN , Trumps lawyer Rudy Giuliani demanded the network apologize for its overreaction to collusion. Meanwhile, Senate Republicans want Barr to appoint another special counsel to investigate whether law enforcement made missteps during the probe.

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In sum, the official investigation may have concluded, but this conversation is far from over.

Perspectives

The full report should be released to the public.

Now Attorney General William Barr, facing a series of decisions that will determine his legacy, needs to release the report to the public  promptly and, apart from any redactions needed to protect national security or grand jury secrecy, in full. A synopsis will not do, nor will a heavily redacted version. The American people have a right to know the degree to which Russia conspired to help Donald Trump win the election, as well as the degree to which Trump or his advisers did or did not conspire in this effort.  Editorial Board, USA Today

Trump won. Its time for Democrats to move past Russia.

Democratic candidates can talk about all the indictments and charges the special counsels office brought against Russian nationals and Trump advisers, but most Americans will tune them out. Better now for Trumps antagonists to focus on the stream of lies constantly spewed by the president about policies that impact Americans lives every day.  Joe Scarborough, Washington Post

Saying the probe cant establish collusion doesnt mean there wasnt any.

Saying that the investigation did not establish that there was collusion is not the same thing as saying that the investigation established that there was no collusion. Two points are worth emphasizing.  By using the same language that Mueller used with respect to establishing coordination with Russia, Barrs letter suggests the possibility that, rather than no evidence of collusion, Mueller did find such evidence  but similarly did not conclude it warranted a criminal prosecution. Clearing up this ambiguity is yet another reason why the Mueller report should be released promptly.  Robert Litt, Lawfare Blog

The media has covered Trump with a drama filter not used for past presidents.

"This question of Trumps treatment during the Russia investigation, what he sees as a witch hunt perpetrated by the elite media, is a complicated one for me. My first instinct, and I dont think its a purely defensive one, is that if Trump hasnt been afforded the same presumption of innocence that other presidents have enjoyed, its because he lies routinely in a way other presidents have not.  That said, I think we have to admit an inescapable and uncomfortable truth about the Trump presidency more generally, which is that the media that covers him is almost unrecognizable from the media that covered every previous president. Hes just right about that.  Matt Bai, Yahoo News

The media should apologize for portraying Trump as a traitor.

The press, in its zeal to believe the worst, sometimes published too-good-to-check erroneous reports. Otherwise serious opinion writers accused Trump of being a traitor or perhaps a Russian asset since 1987.  Mueller ended up proceeding in the same rut as most special-counsel probes, prosecuting a lot of process crimes and a few more-serious offenses not directly related to the matter at hand. There was plenty to work with here, since Trumps associates, from Paul Manafort to Roger Stone, were such a motley, sleazy crew. They are marks against his judgment; that never made Trump a traitor. If nothing else, Mueller will have accomplished something important if hes managed to put that poisonous charge to bed.  Editorial, National Review

We in the media allowed unproven charges and false accusations to dominate the news landscape for more than two years, in a way that was wildly unbalanced and disproportionate to the evidence. We did a poor job of tracking down leaks of false information. We failed to reasonably weigh the motives of anonymous sources and those claiming to have secret, special evidence of Trumps treason. As such, we reported a tremendous amount of false information , always to Trumps detriment.  Sharyl Attkisson, The Hill

The system worked  DOJ did its job and did it well.

DOJ leaders  and Robert Mueller  deserve our thanks. In a time of (justified) collapsing public trust in American institutions, our best available evidence indicates that they responded to a challenging moment with integrity and resolve. It is a relief to say, with a high degree of confidence, that in the Mueller investigation our system worked.  David French, National Review

President Trump is exonerated.

That the president of the United States appears to have been exonerated of treason  collusion with a hostile foreign power to win an election  should make every American happy.  Trump deserves the benefit of the doubt for the next two years. The president was robbed of that because collusion mania set in immediately, never allowing his administration to function under the usual sunshine instead of clouds. His decisions have been deemed illegitimate by many Democrats who couldnt accept an election outcome and needed to salve their emotional wounds by inventing this Russian collusion story.  Scott Jennings, USA Today

Muellers findings did not exonerate President Trump.

The president is entitled to take satisfaction in some of what Mueller concluded. But Congress must not take Barrs summary of Muellers conclusions as total exoneration of the president or a substitute for Congress own responsibility to investigate important matters. They include the presidents firing of former FBI director James B. Comey and Comeys allegation that Trump pressured him to drop an investigation of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.  There is a long list of reasons why we think Trump is unfit for the presidency and dangerous for the country. The only thing we learned from Barrs summary is that colluding with Russia is no longer on it.  Editorial Board, Los Angeles Times

Read more 360s

 Electoral College: Keep, ditch or overhaul?

 Leaving Neverland and Michael Jacksons legacy

 Should the U.S. give reparations for slavery?
Just a few days after Murphy Oil Corporation MUR announced its intent to divest Malaysian assets, the company is reportedly eyeing to jettison further assets from its Asia-Pacific portfolio. As we know, Murphy Oils Malaysian business will be sold to PTT Exploration and Production Public Company Limited (PTTEP) in an all-cash transaction worth $2.1 billion. The company intends to use the proceeds from the same to repurchase shares, trim debt and focus on domestic assets.

Post the closure of the deal within second-quarter 2019, the U.S. oil producer will be holding foreign exploration assets in Australia, Brunei and Vietnam. The company is contemplating to offload non-core assets in these regions, in a bid to streamline portfolio and deepen its focus on domestic holdings.

How Prudent is Murphy Oils Divestment Plans?

The divestment plans are certainly in sync with the companys intention to expand operations in oil-rich Eagle Ford Shale and the Gulf of Mexico. With Equinor EQNR and Pioneer Natural Resources PXD mulling the sale of their Eagle Ford acreage, Murphy Oil could well tap this opportunity to bolster its presence in the shale play. The companys divestment plans are likely to help it in boosting financials and enhancing investor-friendly moves.

However, one thing thats worth noticing here is the fact that the Malaysian holdings of the firm attributed to revenues and profits of $854.2 million and $269.5 million, respectively. Further, it generated cash flows of $468 million, given modest capex requirement of $140 million. Since the Malaysian assets were a strong free cash flow generator for the company, we remain a little uncertain if Murphy will be able to meet its FCF target of more than $400 million.

The other holdings (in Australia, Vietnam and Brunei) resulted in a loss of $37.5 million in 2018 despite shelling out $88 million as capital expenditure. Hence, it seems judicious for the company to shed off these non-core assets, and concentrate on deep-water projects and U.S. onshore opportunities.

Story continues

Final Thoughts

We appreciate Murphy Oils strategic JV with Petrobras PBR in the GoM late last year, increased focus on the production of more profitable domestic assets and cost-saving initiatives. While we would also like to remain optimistic about Murphy Oils divestment plans, whether the decision will actually be fruitful for the Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company totally depends upon the way it will reinvest the proceeds and the impact of the same in the coming periods. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2019

In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-holds for the year?

Who wouldn't? Our annual Top 10s have beaten the market with amazing regularity. In 2018, while the market dropped -5.2%, the portfolio scored well into double-digits overall with individual stocks rising as high as +61.5%. And from 2012-2017, while the market boomed +126.3, Zacks' Top 10s reached an even more sensational +181.9%.

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Jerusalem (AFP) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday Israel is prepared for a widespread military campaign in Gaza as tensions simmered following the latest flare-up -- but only after all other options were exhausted.

Netanyahu has been seeking to head off political pressure over Gaza ahead of April 9 elections, in which he faces a strong challenge from former military chief Benny Gantz.

"In recent days I gave instructions to fortify forces, to add vehicles, to be prepared for a comprehensive campaign," he said during the inauguration of a new road in northern Israel.

The premier, who was speaking after visiting military forces on the Gaza border, noted however that a war would be the last option.

"All Israelis should know that if a comprehensive campaign is required, we will enter it strong and safe, after we have exhausted all other possibilities," said Netanyahu, who also serves as defence minister.

Palestinian militants had on Monday fired a long-distance rocket from the Gaza Strip, hitting a house north of Tel Aviv and wounding seven Israelis, triggering Israeli air strikes and further Palestinian fire at southern Israel.

Netanyahu beefed up the military presence near Gaza, but by Wednesday the fighting had abated after Hamas announced a ceasefire brokered by Egypt.

Israel has been carefully monitoring the situation on the Gaza border ahead of Saturday, which will mark a year since mass protests and deadly clashes began there.

A demonstration on the day of the anniversary is expected to draw thousands of Palestinians.

A Hamas official said an Egyptian delegation met with the Islamist movement's leader Ismail Haniya in Gaza City on Wednesday night in further efforts to calm tensions.

The official said the delegation informed Hamas and its allies in Gaza that Israel had agreed to measures such as improving the electricity supply in the strip, which suffers from severe power shortages.

In exchange, Hamas would be expected to maintain calm at the weekly protests along the Gaza border, including during Saturday's anniversary.

It was unclear whether any progress had been made, and an Egyptian official said they would continue to mediate between the sides to try and maintain calm.
New Delhi has appointed Joint Secretary of the Defense Ministry as the countrys new envoy to Morocco at a time relations between the two countries are witnessing a growing trend.

Shri Shambhu S. Kumaran, presently Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Defense, has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of Morocco, said the Indian Foreign Ministry in a statement.

He is expected to take up the assignment shortly, the statement said.

According to the Moroccan news wedsite le360, Shri Shambhu S. Kumaran who worked in the Defense Ministry from 2016 to 2019 will take up his position at the Indian mission in Rabat from June this year.

The appointment followed a February visit to the kingdom by the top Indian diplomat, Sushma Swaraj.

The two countries have in recent years boosted their ties in all fields including security.

During Swaraj visit, the two allies signed an agreement to set up a Joint Working Group on Counterterrorism to develop a comprehensive approach to combat terrorism including cross-border terrorism, terrorist financing, and recruitment of terrorists.
By Naomi Tajitsu

YOKOHAMA, Japan (Reuters) - An external committee reviewing governance at Nissan Motor Co said on Wednesday there were enough facts to suspect violations of laws and the private use of company funds by ousted chairman Carlos Ghosn.

Following a three-month audit of Nissan's governance after a scandal that shook the global auto industry, the committee put the blame squarely on what it called Ghosn's concentration of power. It also acknowledged Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa's role in Ghosn's salary arrangement at the heart of the scandal.

Twenty years to the day since French automaker Renault SA agreed to rescue Nissan, the committee described a corporate culture at Nissan "in which no one can make any objections to Mr. Ghosn", who was "in a way deified within Nissan as a savior who had redeemed Nissan from collapse".

A representative for Ghosn replied in a statement that the allegations made against the former Nissan chairman "will be revealed for what they are: part of an unsubstantiated smear campaign against Carlos Ghosn to prevent the integration of the Alliance and conceal Nissans deteriorating performance."

The group issued 38 recommendations to bolster Nissan's governance, including that top executive positions at the Japanese car maker should not be held by people serving in executive positions at Renault or junior partner Mitsubishi Motors Corp.

It also proposed that the majority of directors, including the chairman of the board, be independent, outside directors and that the role of company chairman be abolished.

Responding to the committee's comments, Saikawa told reporters on Thursday that Nissan would seriously consider the committee's recommendations, which he characterized as "tough".

Saikawa, who was speaking outside his home, did not specifically address his responsibility in the scandal but has previously said that top management, including himself, were responsible for weak governance which led to the misconduct.

Story continues

The recommendations from the external, seven-member committee came weeks after Nissan and Renault said they would retool their alliance, one of the world's biggest automaking groupings, to break up the all-powerful chairmanship previously held by Ghosn.

"There are facts sufficient to suspect violations of laws and regulations, violation of internal rules and private use of company funds and expenses ... by Mr. Ghosn," the committee said in its report.

It also singled out Nissan director Greg Kelly, who too has been indicted, for his alleged role in helping Ghosn avoid oversight, and said that Saikawa had signed documents regarding compensation Ghosn would receive after retirement.

"It is clear that there are issues requiring improvement with respect to Nissan's governance as it could not prevent the misconduct."

Ghosn, who this month was released on $9 million bail after spending more than 100 days in a Tokyo detention center, has called the charges against him "meritless". Kelly has also denied the charges.

"We expect Nissan will take these recommendations seriously and execute them in a swift manner to build the best possible governance structure," committee co-chair Seiichiro Nishioka told a briefing in Yokohama on Wednesday.

At the briefing, the committee declined to comment on whether other individual directors - including Saikawa - should be held responsible for failing to prevent the alleged actions by Ghosn.

MERGER TALKS?

Nishioka also told the briefing that the capital structure between Nissan and Renault was a matter for the companies, and it was not appropriate for the committee to get involved.

The Financial Times reported on Wednesday that Renault intends to restart merger talks with Nissan within 12 months, after which it will set its sights on a bid to buy Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.

The plans signal a return to the strategies supported by Ghosn, who held talks about merging Renault with Fiat Chrysler two to three years ago, the Financial Times story said, citing sources familiar with the matter. It added that the French government had opposed the move.

Saikawa said on Thursday he was not aware of discussions about any possible bid by Renault for Fiat Chrysler.

At the time of his arrest in Tokyo in November on financial misconduct allegations, Ghosn held the chairmanship at Nissan, Renault and Mitsubishi Motors, while also serving as Renault CEO. The automakers together sell roughly 10 million vehicles a year.

Nissan's board currently comprises nine directors including the chairman, three of whom are categorized as outside, independent directors. Two directors, including one outside director, formerly served senior vice president roles at Renault.

The Japanese automaker has said it will put forward proposals to change its governance at the general shareholders meeting in June. It will hold an extraordinary shareholders meeting next month to vote on the ouster of Ghosn and Kelly as company directors.

(Additional reporting by Takashi Umekawa; Writing by David Dolan and Naomi Tajitsu; Editing by Keith Weir, Matthew Lewis and Muralikumar Anantharaman)
A glass  or two  a day keeps the doctor away? Not in France.

French health officials announced Tuesday that the country should drink less alcohol, urging adults over the age of 18 to follow three new benchmarks:

Drink no more than two glasses of wine or other alcoholic beverages per day

Drink no more than 10 glasses per week

Make sure to leave "days in the week without consumption."

Alcohol kills more than 41,000 people in France per year, according to Sante Publique France, a French health agency. Twenty-four percent of French people age 18 to 75 exceed one the the three benchmarks, and the agency warned that excessive alcohol consumption can lead to diseases like hypertension and cancers.

The problem is more widespread among men than women, with 33 percent of men exceeding one of the benchmarks and 14 percent of women, according to 2017 health data.

Although French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron admitted to drinking wine daily during lunch and dinner, health officials still maintain that cutting down on alcohol is critical in lowering the risk of disease.

Thats about 10.5 million adults who drink too much. In any case they drink in proportions that increase the risks to their health, including cancers, high blood pressure, cerebral hemorrhage, and cardiovascular diseases, Viet Nguyen-Thanh, head of Sante Publique France's "addition unit," told France 24.

The pushback against wine has not been without critics in France. French Agriculture Minister Didier Guillaume said wine is "not an alcohol like any other," earlier this year and that it typically plays a small role in excessive drinking.

Alcohol addiction is a real problem, notably among young people with binge drinking and so on, Guillaume said in an interview with French media as translated by France 24. "Its a real problem but Ive never seen, to my knowledge, unfortunately, perhaps, a youngster leaving a nightclub drunk because they drank Cotes-du-Rhone, Crozes-Hermitage or Costieres-de-Nimes."

The announcement launched a new nationwide information campaign about the dangers of alcohol, running until April 12. Health officials introduced an online "alcoholometer," a quiz tell people whether they are drinking too much in their daily lives, as well as other media campaigns and public service announcements.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Non merci! Health officials say the French should drink less wine, no more than two glasses a day
North Korean hackers really don't care that the bitcoin price crashed. It's still plenty profitable for them. | Source: Shutterstock

By CCN.com: The cryptocurrency sector may still be in a bearish phase, but the state-sponsored North Korean hacking group Lazarus remains absurdly bullish on the bitcoin industry  at least if its continued focus on the sector is anything to go by.

For Lazarus, Crypto Exchanges are the Geese that lay Golden Eggs

Per cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab, both Mac and Windows OS users remain vulnerable to the groups ongoing hacking effort. Lazarus is understood to have launched the operation in November last year.

For this effort, the hacking group has created custom PowerShell scripts which communicate with malicious command & control (C2) servers and run commands initiated by the operator. The names of the C2 server script names are made to look like WordPress files or other open source projects.

Once control of the server is gained, the malware can collect basic information on the host. The malware is also able to download and upload files as well as execute system shell commands among other things.

The Kaspersky Lab report further states that Lazarus is only hosting malware on rented servers. Compromised servers are used to host the command & control scripts. For some reason, Lazarus is disproportionately focused on North Koreas geopolitical rival, South Korea.

As cryptocurrency exchanges are top of the list among the North Korean hacking groups targets, Kaspersky Lab has urged vigilance:

Read the full story on CCN.com.
Santiago (AFP) - Norway agreed Thursday to hand back thousands of artefacts removed from Easter Island by the explorer Thor Heyerdahl during his trans-Pacific raft expeditions in the 1950s.

An agreement was signed by representatives of Oslo's Kon-Tiki Museum and officials of Chile's culture ministry at a ceremony in Santiago as part of a state visit by Norway's King Harald V and Queen Sonja.

The museum pieces include carved artifacts and human bones from the Rapa-Nui, the first inhabitants of the remote Chilean island in the Pacific.

"Our common interest is that the objects are returned and, above all, delivered to a well-equipped museum," said the museum's director Martin Biehl.

He warned however that the repatriation process "will take time."

Heyerdahl's family said he had long wanted to return the pieces he collected in expeditions in the mid-1950s and mid-1980s, currently exhibited in the Oslo museum.

The signing ceremony was also attended by Thor Heyerdahl Jr. who accompanied his father on one of his expeditions to the island in 1955, when he was 17.

"The repatriation is a fulfillment of my father's promise to the Rapa-Nui authorities, that the objects would be returned after they had been analyzed and published," he said.

Anthropologist and adventurer Heyerdahl became famous in 1947 when he and a crew of five crossed much of the Pacific on a reed raft, the Kon-Tiki.

He was seeking to prove his theory that the Polynesian islands could have been settled by prehistoric South American people, and not by settlers from Asia as most scholars believed.

Heyerdahl died in 2002 aged 87.

"The study of human remains -- using DNA -- could demonstrate a prehistoric contact between Rapa-Nui and South America, which was the main thesis of my father," Thor Heyerdahl Jr. said.

"As a ministry we have the mission to respond to the just demand of the Rapa-Nui people to recover their cultural heritage," Chile's Culture Minister Consuelo Valdes said in a statement.

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"Today, one more step has been taken through this historic agreement with Norway, which will enable the return of valuable cultural and symbolic pieces."

The Rapa Nui island community is also demanding the British government return the Hoa Hakananai, one of the most spiritually important of the island's stone monoliths, or maois, from the British Museum.

The maoi was stolen from the island in 1868 by the captain of a British frigate and given to Queen Victoria.
Tokyo (AFP) - From bento boxes to individually wrapped bananas, plastic reigns supreme in Japan. But amid global concern about single-use waste, new legislation could help end the country's love affair with plastic.

The push comes ahead of the G20 summit, which Japan will host in Osaka in June. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government wants to use the meeting to push for an agreement on reducing marine plastic waste.

But the country's own record on single-use plastic is hardly exemplary: Japan generates more plastic packaging waste per capita than any other country except the United States, according to the UN.

"We believe there is room to reduce that volume and we are now considering ways to do that," said Kentaro Doi, director of plastic waste strategy at Japan's environment ministry.

In 2018, Japan's government unveiled a proposal to start tackling the issue, with the goal of reducing the country's 9.4 million tonnes of plastic waste a year by 25 percent by 2030.

A key part of the proposal is to require businesses to charge for plastic bags -- a measure that has been already been widely adopted around the world.

"What we are going to do is to put a value on it... we would like people to think about whether it is really necessary to use them," Doi told AFP.

But government officials acknowledge Japan is coming to the issue late -- dozens of countries already require businesses to charge for plastic bags, and many have banned their use outright.

"Other countries were ahead of us," concedes Doi, adding that the policy in Japan "will be introduced in 2020, at the earliest."

- 'Pay a little bit' -

So far, the proposals also lack any specific measures on limiting other types of single-use plastic waste, such as straws or cups.

With the national government moving slowly, local governments and businesses in Japan have in some cases taken up the mantle themselves.

The town of Kamikatsu has set a goal of zero plastic waste by 2020, while Kyoto city has long required large retailers to charge for plastic bags.

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At a supermarket in Makuhari, east of Tokyo, customers line up with their groceries and reusable shopping bags.

The store belongs to the Aeon group, which since November 2013 has been charging customers for plastic bags at all 1,631 of its large supermarkets.

"Most customers understand the purpose of it and bring their own bags, and if they forget to, they are willing to pay a little bit for a plastic one," said Haruko Kanamaru, division manager of Aeon's corporate social responsibility unit.

Customers who request a bag can pay five yen ($0.05) to receive a biomass bag that is biodegradable.

Kanamaru said the firm estimates the policy saved 270 million plastic bags in 2017, though customers can still use smaller plastic bags for fruit and vegetables and cold items free of charge.

"About 80 percent of customers now bring their own bags or turn one down," she told AFP.

Yumi Takahashi is one of those consumers, and says she now tries to keep a reusable bag with her whenever she is out.

"It takes only a little effort to not use plastic bags and plastic items," she said, explaining her shock at seeing images of marine life suffering the effects of such litter in the ocean.

But Kanamaru said not everyone felt the same.

"Some customers actually left and said they would shop elsewhere," she said.

"So it's time for the government to introduce this system across all businesses... Not 100 percent of customers will accept this system if only Aeon does it," she added.

- 'Ambitious case' -

A key obstacle, activists say, has been the association representing Japan's ubiquitous convenience stores, which are sprinkled across every block of the country's major cities.

When Tokyo's local government wanted to ban free plastic bags in the city, the association strongly opposed the plan and it was dropped, said Kenji Ishihara, a campaigner with Greenpeace Japan.

"That was a very symbolic case showing that the association has a very strong economic and lobbying power," he said.

Greenpeace and other environmental NGOs want Japan to commit to the bolder goal of reducing plastic waste by 50 percent by 2030 and more concrete measures including bans on single-use plastics.

Ishihara said while public awareness about plastic waste is growing in Japan, the country's famed waste sorting and pristine streets had the effect of "hiding" the scale of the problem.

He praised a decision by Japan's government in February to ban plastic straws and cutlery in its cafeterias, but said the country was still lagging behind other nations.

"The Japanese government needs more ambitious goals if they truly want to lead the G20 summit," he said.

"The current proposals are not enough."
Geneva (AFP) - Ocean heat hit a record high in 2018, the United Nations said Thursday, raising urgent new concerns about the threat global warming is posing to marine life.

In its latest State of the Climate overview, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reaffirmed that the last four years had been the hottest on record -- figures previously announced in provisional drafts of the flagship report.

But the final version of the report highlighted worrying developments in other climate indicators beyond surface temperature.

"2018 saw new records for ocean heat content in the upper 700 metres," a WMO statement said.

The agency said the UN had data for heat content in the upper 700 metres (2,290 feet) of the ocean dating back to 1955.

Last year also saw new heat records for the ocean's upper 2,000 metres, but data for that range only goes back to 2005.

The previous records for both ranges were set in 2017.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the latest findings as "another strong wake-up call" for governments, cities and businesses to take action.

"It proves what we have been saying that climate change is moving faster than our efforts to address it," he said at UN headquarters in New York.

The United Nations is hosting a major summit on September 23 that is billed as a last-chance opportunity for leaders to tackle climate change, which Guterres has described as the defining issue of our time.

The UN chief has urged world leaders to come to the summit with concrete plans, instead of speeches, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45 percent over the next decade and to net zero by 2050.

- Warming oceans -

About 93 percent of excess heat -- trapped around the Earth by greenhouse gases that come from the burning of fossil fuels -- accumulates in the world's oceans.

Research published earlier this year in the US journal Science showed that warming in the oceans is on pace with measurements of rising air temperature.

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Some models predict the temperature of the top 2,000 metres of the world's oceans will rise nearly 0.8 degrees Celsius by the end of the century if nothing is done to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to Science.

Oceans are also not warming evenly across the planet.

The WMO report said the highest rates of ocean warming are occurring in the southern ocean, where warming has also reached the deepest layers.

This could result in sea levels being substantially different in different places, experts have previously said.

The thermal expansion -- water swelling as it warms -- is expected to raise sea levels 12 inches (30 centimetres), above any sea level rise from melting glaciers and ice sheets, according to the research published in Science.
Drinking a bottle of wine a week holds the same cancer risk as smoking ten cigarettes as week [Photo: Getty]

A bottle of wine increases a womans cancer risk by as much as smoking 10 cigarettes a week, according to new research. For men, one bottle has the equivalent risk of smoking five cigarettes each week.

Study authors explained that women are more vulnerable due to an increased risk of breast cancer from drinking alcohol.

The research, conducted by the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Bangor University and University of Southampton and published in the journal BMC Public Health, found that in non-smoking men the increase in the absolute lifetime risk of cancer from drinking one bottle of wine per week was 1.0%.

READ MORE: Hangover-free synthetic alcohol could soon change the way we drink

For non-smoking women this was approximately 50% higher with an increase in absolute cancer risk of 1.4%

The team estimated that if 1,000 non-smoking men and 1,000 non-smoking women each drank one bottle of wine per week across their lifetime, around 10 men and 14 women would develop cancer as a result.

And if 1,000 men and 1,000 women drank three bottles of wine per week throughout their lives, around 19 men and 36 women would develop cancer as a result.

Commenting on the findings Dr Theresa Hydes, one of the study authors said: It is well established that heavy drinking is linked to cancer of the mouth, throat, voice box, gullet, bowel, liver and breast.

Yet, in contrast to smoking, this is not widely understood by the public.

Dr Hydes believes that converting the risks of alcohol into cigarette equivalents could help people make more informed decisions about their drinking.

We hope that by using cigarettes as the comparator we could communicate this message more effectively to help individuals make more informed lifestyle choices.

Men and women are advised to drink no more than 14 units of alcohol a week, less than a bottle and a half of wine, after evidence concluded that regular drinking increased the risk of cancer.

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Researchers have compared the cancer risk of drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes [Photo: Getty]

But before we all head to the kitchen and empty our wine racks, researchers are keen to point out that the study is not saying that drinking alcohol in moderation is in any way equivalent to smoking.

Our finds relate to lifetime risk across the population, Dr Hydes adds.

Smoking kills up to two thirds of its users, and cancer is just one of the many serious health consequences. This study purely addresses cancer risk in isolation.

The authors also point out that the study does not take into account other smoking or alcohol-related outcomes such as respiratory, cardiovascular or liver disease in which case the conclusions would likely be quite different.

Jane Green, professor of epidemiology and co-director of the cancer epidemiology unit at the University of Oxford, told Sky: It is important to view these results in context.

For both men and women in the UK, the lifetime risk of cancer is around 50%.

The authors estimate that lifetime risk is around 1% higher for men and women who drink a bottle of wine a week, or who smoke five to 10 cigarettes a week, than for those who neither smoke nor drink.

READ MORE: Bad news: beer before wine wont make you fine

The research follows a further study released last year which found that people who enjoy the odd alcoholic drink are less likely to suffer a premature death than those who dont drink at all.

Quaffing up to three glasses of wine or beer a week could lower the risk of dying from any cause, and in particular cancer, according to a study by researchers at Queens University, Belfast.

But scientists also warned that the risk of a deadly illness rises slightly among more regular drinkers.

The findings also found that with each additional drink per week, the risk of cancer and death from any cause increased.

Very heavy drinkers (three or more drinks each day) had the highest risk of dying early or developing cancer at 21 per cent.

This group were followed by heavy drinkers (two to three drinks each day), who were 10 per cent more likely to die young or get cancer.
Paris (AFP) - From a medieval fortress protecting Paris to one of the world's biggest and most-visited museums, the Louvre has been reinvented many times over the centuries.

Today it attracts 10 million visitors a year, most of them tourists drawn by star attractions such as the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo.

On the 30th anniversary of the inauguration of I.M. Pei's landmark glass pyramid within one of its courtyards, here is a look back over some of the colourful episodes in the long life of the Louvre.

- 1190: watchtower -

It started off as a Middle Age fortress set up by King Philippe-Auguste in 1190 as part of an enclosure to defend Paris, then several times smaller than it is today.

As part of the fortification, the moated Louvre Castle monitored entry from the river Seine just as the Tower of London did with the Thames.

The base of its "Grosse Tour", a large tower that served in part as a dungeon, still exists today.

- 1546: royal palace -

As Paris expanded, the fortress lost its defensive role and was occasionally used as a royal residence. But when King Francis I returned after being imprisoned in Spain, he announced it would be converted into his main residence.

Celebrated French Renaissance architect Pierre Lescot designed the luxurious palace, with work starting in 1546 on its now-famous facade interspersed with columns, bas-reliefs and statues.

It became home to successive monarchs, each adding to its transformation, but lost its status as a royal residence after Louis XIV moved in 1678 to Versailles, about 20 kilometres (12 miles) outside of the city.

- 1725: arts salon -

The Louvre evolved into a centre for arts, the prestigious Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture taking up residence in the 1690s.

In 1725 the academy exhibited its members' work for the first time in its Salon Carre (Square Salon). Such "salons" or shows became major events in the arts world.

A handful of artists worked and lived in the Louvre during this time, including Jean-Baptiste Simeon Chardin and Rococo painter Jean-Honore Fragonard, but they were driven out as the space was reclaimed for a museum.

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- 1793: museum -

Soon after the start in 1789 of the French Revolution that overthrew the monarch, the governing Assembly decided the Louvre should be turned into a museum and its royal collections displayed to the public.

The National Museum opened in 1793. Napoleon I played a key role in its formation, remodelling the space and increasing its collection with acquisitions from his various conquests. He married Marie-Louise of Austria in the Louvre in 1810.

After a first presentation of just over 700 paintings and objects, the Louvre today exhibits about 35,000 pieces from a collection nearly 20 times larger.

- 1830: artists stand guard -

During the three-day 1830 July Revolution that overthrew another king, artists acted as national guardsmen to watch over the Louvre's masterworks and stop looting.

Eugene Delacroix kept an eye on Egyptian antiquities; Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres safeguarded works by Raphael.

Both men are today proud features of the Louvre's collection, which includes Delacroix's most famous painting "Liberty Leading the People", inspired by those "Three Glorious Days".

- 1911: Mona Lisa missing -

In 1911 the number of visitors to the Louvre reached a new peak with crowds flocking to see the empty space where Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" used to hang.

The painting, acquired by Francois I centuries before, had been stolen.

An Italian labourer was discovered to be the thief and the work was found two years later in Florence. It was returned by special train to the Louvre, becoming its star attraction.
Patrick and John Collison, the Irish brothers who run Stripe. Photo: Stripe

Stripe, the San Francisco-based payments platform owned by two Irish brothers, is set to expand its Dublin base significantly after it secured an e-money licence from the Irish Central Bank.

While Stripe cited Brexit as a factor in its decision to apply for the licence, the company noted that its desire to expand its Dublin operation was the overriding reason for the move.

Dublin is the heart of Stripe in Europe. Its our fastest-growing office and our first international engineering hub with over 150 employees, a company spokesperson told the Irish Times.

Our licence here is another testament to our commitment to Ireland, and we plan on deepening that over the long term.

The company, which runs a platform that allows companies and individuals to accept online payments, set up its first engineering hub outside the United States in Dublin last year.

In September, Stripe was valued at $20bn (15.1bn), when it raised $245m (185m) in investment from Tiger Global Management, Sequoia, and DST Global.

Stripe already has a similar e-money licence in the UK, but  once the UK leaves the European Union  it will need a licence from an EU country such as Ireland to offer its services across the bloc.

With the money raised, it plans to launch other engineering hubs across the world, such as in Singapore.

Stripe recently launched a pilot of its payment offerings in several EU countries, including Estonia, Poland, and Lithuania.
The Speaker of the Romanian Senate has called off his trip to Morocco at the demand of the Speaker of the North African countrys parliament on the backdrop of the Romanian Prime Ministers recent decision to transfer the embassy of the European country in Israel to Jerusalem.

Calin Popescu Tariceanu was scheduled to visit the kingdom 27-31 March for official meetings with the speakers of the two chambers of the Moroccan Parliament in the framework of the Moroccan-Romanian parliamentary friendship group.

According to a statement of the Romanian Senate, reported by the local Insider newspaper, Popescu cancelled a visit to Morocco, after Rabat asked to postpone it, following the announcement made by Prime Minister Viorica Dancila from Washington on March 24 that she would transfer the Romanian embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

She made the announcement at a conference in Washington, held by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the most prominent and influential pro-Israel lobbying group in the United States.

Romanian President Klaus Lohannis rejected the announcement, saying that he is the only one who has the authority to do so and that the Prime Minister has proved her ignorance of foreign policy on the issue of Jerusalem.

King Abdallah II of Jordan, who is currently on a state visit to Morocco at the invitation of King Mohammed VI, has also called off a visit he was to pay to Bucharest Monday following Dancilas unpopular decision.

The Royal Hashemite Court said in a statement published on Monday that King Abdullah II has decided to cancel a scheduled visit to Romania after Dancilas declaration on the transfer of her countrys embassy to Jerusalem.

Relatedly, the Jordanian Businessmen Association (JBA) announced in a statement issued on Monday the freezing of the agreement signed in 2013 with the Federation of Romanian Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

According to the Jordanian News Agency (Petra), the Jordanian-Romanian Business Forum that was scheduled to be held on the sideline of the royal visit with the participation of private sector representatives from both countries was reportedly cancelled.

The United States and Guatemala officially moved their embassies from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in May last year.

The move was condemned by the international community, while the Palestinian leadership cut off its contacts with Washington.

Both King Mohammed VI and King Abdullah rejected the embassy transfer, emphasizing the status of the city as the future capital of the Palestinian state.
TAMPA, Florida (Reuters) - Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan dismissed Russian assurances on Thursday that its troops in Venezuela posed no security threat, saying: "I'm not sure I always believe what they say." Russia said earlier in the day it had sent "specialists" to Venezuela under a military cooperation deal but said they posed no threat to regional stability, brushing aside a call from U.S. President Donald Trump to remove all military personnel from the country. Shanahan, speaking to a small group of reporters in Florida, did not elaborate on what he thought the Russian forces were doing in Venezuela. (Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
Lima (AFP) - A Peruvian judge said Wednesday that soldiers had committed crimes against humanity by "systematically" raping nine female farmers between 1984 and 1995 during the conflict with the Shining Path guerrillas.

"Because this is a crime against humanity, the trial will take place in public hearings," Judge Edhin Campos said.

Fourteen non-commissioned officers who are now retired were accused of having repeatedly raped nine women in the Andean region of Huancavelica, one of Peru's poorest, during the bloodiest period of the conflict between the military and the Maoist guerrillas.

"It's a historic decision... We are not talking about isolated instances of rape but systematic rape on military bases," said Juan Jose Quispe, an attorney for six of the victims.

"We are now waiting for the trial to take place within two years and for those responsible to face the law and be sentenced."

Prosecutors said that several of the women became pregnant as a result of the rapes, and more women likely were raped, but some are afraid to speak up about the crimes.

Five of the women got pregnant and were "scarred for life because they were very young when the events took place," said lawyer Cynthia Silva of the Demus rights group.

On Twitter, the Ministry of Women and Vulnerable Populations hailed progress for "the victims' right to the truth."

The case was presented to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2003. The panel investigated for four years.

Hundreds of cases of rape and other sexual abuse, forced prostitution and abortions, as well as sexual slavery took place during the two decades of conflict in Peru from 1980 to 2000, according to the commission.

A total of 538 people testified about sexual abuses before the commission, including 527 women and 11 men.

Some 4,567 rapes took place during the conflict, along with 1,500 cases of different forms of sexual violence, according to the Justice Ministry's victims registry.

More than 69,000 people died or disappeared during Peru's internal conflict, with abuses on both sides, according to the commission.
(Reuters) - Some creditors of PG&E Corp, including Elliott Management Corp and Pacific Investment Management Co (Pimco), are proposing a $35 billion plan for the California power utility to exit bankruptcy within a year, Bloomberg reported late on Wednesday.

Pimco, Elliott and David Kempner Capital Management have discussed the proposal with California lawmakers and other stakeholders, Bloomberg reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.

The plan is to form a $14 billion cash trust to pay for the claims linked to the wildfires in 2017 and 2018, it said, citing the proposal seen by the news outlet.

The proposal is being pitched on behalf of an ad hoc committee of PG&E's senior unsecured noteholders and will create a statewide wildfire fund of at least $13 billion. The fund will be financed by statewide bonds, PG&E, other California utilities and state funding sources, according to the report.

PG&E will also be recapitalized through contributions worth $8 billion that will allow it to refinance its debtor-in-possession loan and other maturities, according to Bloomberg.

PG&E, Pimco, Elliott and David Kempner did not respond to requests for comment outside regular U.S. business hours.

San Francisco-based PG&E filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January in the aftermath of devastating wildfires that struck California in recent years, some linked or suspected to be linked to the company's equipment.

The bankruptcy was filed in anticipation of liabilities from the wildfires, including a catastrophic 2018 blaze, the Camp Fire. It killed 86 people in the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Gopakumar Warrier)
Moroni (Comoros) (AFP) - Police in Comoros arrested 12 women on Thursday, activists said, after they took to the streets to protest the re-election of President Azali Assoumani in polls they say were rigged.

The opposition has flatly rejected Azali's victory with 60.77 percent of the vote in Sunday's polls as the angry mood threatened to spark a new political crisis on the archipelago.

Azali, who previously led a coup, ruled the country between 1999 and 2006, and was re-elected in 2016, left his 12 poll rivals trailing.

Both observers and community groups have questioned the credibility of the vote.

Polling stations were ransacked, ballot boxes were stuffed by police and observers were prevented from overseeing the integrity of the vote, according to several witnesses.

Those arrested on Thursday were part of a march by roughly 100 women to the Supreme Court where they were planning to appeal for the results to be nullified.

Armed police dispersed them, and 12 of the protesters were arrested for unspecified crimes.

"We have had enough of what's happening. We wanted to deliver a memorandum to the Supreme Court but we weren't able to," march organiser Samoa Abdoulmadjid told AFP.

"The police arrived and started rounding people up."

Opposition parties in the coup-prone Indian Ocean country have opted not to appeal the vote's outcome but called instead for new polls to be held as soon as possible.

Interior Minister Mohamed "Kiki" Daoudou has dismissed criticism of the polls' conduct and said that "it's not the street which rules the country".

For months the opposition has accused Azali of behaving like a dictator.

Azali staged the poll after Comorans voted in a referendum, boycotted by the opposition, to support the extension of presidential mandates from one five-year term to two.

He could theoretically rule until 2029, critics say, and several opposition figures were arrested around the time of the referendum.

The change upset a fragile balance of power established in 2001 that sought to end separatist crises on Anjouan and Moheli islands, and halt an endless cycle of coups.
British singer and fashion designer Victoria Beckham attends the official opening ceremony for the National Museum of Qatar, in the capital Doha on March 27, 2019. (Photo credit: KARIM JAAFAR/AFP/Getty Images)

Victoria Beckham will not be taking part in this years Spice Girls reunion tour, as performing live petrifies her, according to one of her former bandmates.

Posh, aged 44, declined to be involved in the groups first tour since 2008, having last sang with the group at the London Olympics in 2012.

Her old bandmate Melanie Chisholm, revealed to Jay Rayner on the Out to Lunch podcast:

Were sad Victoria wont be joining us, but we are genuinely very supportive. We understand. We knew the Olympics was hard for her. She has moved on, her life has changed.

Spice Girls (left to right) Melanie Brown, Melanie Chisholm, Emma Bunton and Geri Horner will reunite for a tour later this year (Matt Crossick/PA)

She doesnt have that love of performing. It completely petrifies her. She puts her heart and soul into her business. To step away from that would be difficult.

Read more: Spice Girls on the #MeToo movement

Victoria Beckham, Mel C, Emma Bunton, geri Halliwell and Mel B from The Spice Girls National TV Awards, BBC, London, October 1, 1996 (Photo by Fred Duval/FilmMagic)

When asked during an interview with the Guardian in January if there were plans to make a surprise cameo appearance, Victoria said: No. Definitely not. What I do now is my passion and a full-time job.

Im excited to see it, though. And Im sure when Im there and they are on stage, there will be a part of me that feels a bit left out. Because even after all this, a part of me will always be a Spice Girl.

Read more: Mel B reveals spicy one night stand with Geri

Talking to the Guardian last weekend, Emma Bunton said of Victoria not joining the reunion: I think we knew that the Olympics was the last time wed all perform together.

In every chat weve had, Victorias always like: Im here, Im with you, but I cant do it. We feel strong as a four-piece now.

Another Spice Girls story made headlines earlier this week, when Mel B revealed to Piers Morgan she once had a fling with fellow group member Geri Horner.





In November, the group announced they would play a UK stadium tour in June 2019, with only four members of the band taking part.
By Sarah Marsh

HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba's rolling museum of vintage U.S. cars may be world-renowned, but it was the island's collection of British vehicles, from Jaguars to MGs, that were on display on Tuesday for Prince Charles and his wife Camilla during their historic trip to Havana.

On his second full day in Cuba, the heir to the UK throne drove a black 1953 MG TD to a rally of British cars at a park known as the island's most British corner, with its statue of John Lennon and Yellow Submarine bar.

While local musicians played covers of songs by British bands like the Beatles and Queen, the Prince of Wales spoke with owners of the cars, which like their U.S. counterparts, predate Communist-run Cuba's 1959 revolution.

The royals' three-day visit comes as Britain seeks to strengthen relations with Cuba as part of the island's broader normalization of relations with the West, although the Trump administration has rowed back on the U.S.-Cuban detente.

On Monday evening, they met at the presidential Palace of the Revolution with the Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, who said their visit was an honour for Cuba that underscored the good state of bilateral relations.

"This visit is a real boost to the club, which has only met up a few times so far," said Lupe Fuentes, 66, who co-founded the group last year after realizing there was a wealth of British cars on the Caribbean's largest island.

Many of the around 50 members are Cubans who inherited the cars from their parents and grandparents and for whom they are now prized family possessions in a country where cars are expensive and hard to come by.

"He asked us how old the car was and how we managed to preserve them," said Fuentes, adding that the club served to pool knowledge and resources for restoring the cars.

"British cars are harder to maintain than the U.S. ones because there is a constant inflow of U.S. parts but many of the British ones are no longer even made," said Fuentes' partner Ricardo Medell, 63. "We end up inventing a lot."

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He said Cubans often replaced the original parts with alternative or homemade parts. His car, a red and white Austin Healy from 1959, was now probably 90 percent "fabricated," he said.

The club posted ad on Cuban state-run TV and radio in order to find other owners of British cars, and stopped some they spotted on the street to invite them to join.

That's how they convinced Fernando Gonzalez, 30, who runs a silver Jaguar from 1958 as a taxi, to join.

"The prince asked me how difficult it was to maintain and I said the most difficult thing was the steering system because of all the potholes," said Gonzalez.

"I expected him to be more reserved but he was very chatty."

Charles and Camilla, who tacked the Cuba stop onto a two-week Caribbean tour of former and current British territories, also stopped to talk with members of a club of British motorbike owners and UK expats living in Havana, who were waving flags.

They also talked to enthusiastic local residents who eschewed royal protocol to display Cuban warmth, with one woman hugging Charles enthusiastically.

(Reporting by Sarah Marsh; Editing by Dan Grebler)
Denise De Gaetano is the founder of Data Science Malta, an education platform that provides courses, networking events, and general knowledge transfer.

The Maltese resident recently spoke to Coin Rivet about Women in Blockchain, the data science industry, and the emergence of blockchain technology in Malta.

How did you get involved in blockchain technology?

Having a background in data science, I have been working with data for now almost 11 years. My career started off with the then initiation of the term big data in various industries, and it has been moving from strength to strength in terms of different areas of data science, including but not limited to, AI, machine learning, and also blockchain technology  the last of which I have been involved in for now almost five years.

Tell us more about what you do.

There is no one-liner to this. I am involved in a number of different aspects of tech, data science, and business. Having always been an inquisitive mind, I always loved learning and applying various different aspects and turning them into money. Hence, I can say that I am a data scientist, business consultant, and entrepreneur, having worked within various industries throughout my career.

My skills and expertise have helped with the transformation of data investments into actionable business results through the visioning and implementation of big data, web presence, content publishing, and enterprise search solutions. I was also involved in business strategies providing a superior engagement experience through a combination of business acumen, intellectual curiosity, a collaborative work style, and strong partnerships with award-winning vendors.

Why is it so important to be philanthropic?

Doing good in the world is something which we should all be doing. Giving back to society and making it a better place in view of what we build will allow us to live in harmony with each other and the world we live in.

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What were your career ambitions when you were younger?

Since I was little, I always loved science and business. For quite a number of years, I wanted to become an astronaut. Innovation was the pillar to what I enjoyed doing. I always needed to know newer ways of doing things. Nonetheless, I also loved coming up with ideas of how to turn my projects into possible businesses. This flourished when I started working in data science, where we can use data and technology to turn ideas into money.

Why are so few women involved in blockchain?

The number of women I meet in blockchain is increasing. In reality, rather than looking at the actual field of blockchain, one needs to focus on the full aspect of the science, given that blockchain technology needs a strong background in technology. Perhaps to break this chain, both males and females need to be invited to this gender diversity conversation, for such to turn into a more gender-balanced science.

What more needs to be done to remove obstacles for women in blockchain?

Once again, I do not think that we need to focus on gender in any field. Whenever there is the drive and passion to succeed, it will be done. In most instances of my career I was the only female, coupled with almost always being one of the youngest in the team. This has never deterred me from moving up the ladder of my career and being successful.

What are you, personally, doing to get more people involved in blockchain?

I am the founder of Data Science Malta. The aim is to provide various courses, networking events, and a platform for general knowledge transfer in all fields of data science, including blockchain technology. There has been a lot of interest in this field, not only from Malta, but also abroad.

How do you see this technology changing peoples lives for the better?

Blockchain technology brings with it transparency together with accountability. Any company utilising blockchain technology will allow its consumer to understand the whole process of the product life cycle right from origination, allowing you to know if what you are buying has been ethically made or otherwise. This will eradicate illegal activities in various industries, such as that in illegal fishing, as keeping track of the life cycle will not be done anymore over a piece of paper, but rather tracked over the blockchain platform.

What would you say to young women considering a career in blockchain? How would you encourage them?

Go for it! Pursue your dreams. Whatever you believe will make you happy for the rest of your life, do it  even if it is not what the majority of your peers are doing. You will only reach success when you have reached happiness.

Is gender a barrier to success. Or not?

Absolutely not. As I said before, whenever their is passion and drive to succeed, anyone can do it, irrespective of your gender.

For more news, guides, and cryptocurrency analysis, click here.

The post Q&A with Data Science Malta founder Denise De Gaetano appeared first on Coin Rivet.
The Queen travelled to Somerset on the Royal Train [Photos: PA]

The Queen arrived at Castle Cary Station, for her visit to Somerset on Thursday morning, on board the Royal Train.

The nine-carriage vessel dates back to 1842, but the Royal Family have been scrutinised on multiple occasions because of the high costs of running the train.

In recent years, theyve increased the use of normal scheduled services  the Queen often travels by commuter train when going to Sandringham at Christmas.

Royal finance expert David McClure tells Yahoo UK: The Royal Train is very expensive, it costs almost a 1 million a year to run and last year was probably only used about a dozen times, so more than likely, it is nearing the end of its life and when the Queen goes, the Royal Train will probably go too.

READ MORE: Prince William will visit New Zealand to honour Christchurch terror attack victims

To control costs, the Royal Train is only used by the Queen with the Duke of Edinburgh, or the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall.

Last June, the newly-wed Duchess of Sussex accompanied Her Majesty on a trip to Cheshire.

The Duchess of Sussex travelled on the Royal Train with the Queen to Cheshire last June [Photo: PA]

The train was first commissioned for use by Queen Victoria back in 1842.

Today, most of the carriages date back to 1977, when they were used for the Silver Jubilee tours, though it is rare that they are all used at one time. They can be moved around to accommodate its intended use and amount of people on board.

The Queen has her own carriage, which includes a formal entrance hall, bedroom, bathroom, seating area and her office. The Prince of Wales has his own lounge.

The Queen pictured in her office on the Royal Train in 2002 [Photo: Getty]

The train features a kitchen and a large 12-seater dining area for the royal family to enjoy breakfast.

The carriages also provide accommodation for the royal household staff, police personal protection officers and railway staff members.

Back in 2002, director of royal travel, Tim Hewlett, told the BBC: There is a perception the train is a bit like the Orient Express. But there are not many bathroom furnishings you could not get in Homebase or B&Q.

The Queen is undertaking a number of engagements in Somerset, including a visit to Manor Farm Stables, boarding school Kings Bruton and the Hauser & Wirth Somerset art gallery.
The Moroccan government warned that the teachers demanding inclusion in the civil service will be sacked if they do not return to their classrooms after a four-week strike.

Education Minister Saaid Amzazi who was speaking at a press conference together with government spokesperson said that the teachers have created an illegal coordination that has been forcing other colleagues to leave work and take into the street demanding permanent jobs.

They are permanent employees of regional academies, said the education minister, stressing that their regional academies adopted regulations that give them equal rights, similar to their colleagues who were hired by the education ministry directly.

The minister added that regional academies started sacking the protest leaders who force other teachers to leave classrooms adding that trainee teachers will be immediately replaced by their peers in the waiting list.

Some 15,000 trainees are currently receiving a scholarship before they start working while 55,000 teachers have been hired by regional academies as Morocco moves into a regionalization plan.

Regional hiring is a strategic choice for the government to achieve territorial equity, Spokesperson for the government said.

Government coalition parties have also backed the education ministrys moves to secure the functioning of public schools as the strike continues for its fourth week affecting some 400,000 students, 7% of Moroccos total students.
You dont have to be a Sephora VIB member or subscribed to tons of beauty Youtube channels to recognize Manny Gutierrez, aka Manny MUA, and his brightly made-up face.

The 27-year-old is one of the most popular beauty influencers, with over 4.6 million Instagram followers and almost 5 million subscribers on Youtube. And while men wearing makeup isnt a new trend, Manny MUA broke gender barriers when he was appointed Maybellines first-ever male brand ambassador back in 2017.

Like many children, he grew up watching his mother apply makeup as she got ready for work every morning. Manny MUA tells Yahoo Lifestyle that he hid his love of makeup from his parents by doing his glam to work and then wiping off his beauty secrets with a makeup removal towel before returning home.

It wasnt until he was 21 and tried drag for the first time that the San Diego native really delve into the makeup world. But if you believe Manny MUA wears a full face of foundation and fluttery eyelashes because he wants to be someone he isnt, youve got him all wrong.

Wearing makeup just makes me feel powerful. Its not about me wanting to be female. Im a man in makeup I like wearing it because its fun, he explains.

As the head-beauty-boy-in-charge of his cosmetics brand Lunar Beauty, Manny MUA creates an array of makeup products that appeal to people from all walks of life. His go-to: the nude Selene Lip Gloss.

A nude lip with a little bit of gloss in the center goes a long way, he says. It gives you a really plump appearance because it catches the light ever so lightly.

Watch our exclusive video with Manny MUA, above, to learn more about how he uses makeup as a form of creative expression, his expert tips for men who are interested in experimenting with makeup and the three beauty products he must have if stranded on a desert island (I wanna be cute because I will be rescued!).

 Video produced by Kat Vasquez

Read More from Yahoo Lifestyle:

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Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.

Want daily pop culture news delivered to your inbox? Sign up here for Yahoos newsletter.
Earnings estimates for Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. AQN have been revised upward in the past 60 days, reflecting analysts optimism on the stock. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2019 and 2020 earnings moved up a respective 6.5% and 1.5% to 66 cents (for both periods).



Algonquin Power & Utilities, through its subsidiaries, owns and operates a portfolio of regulated and non-regulated generation, distribution as well as transmission utility assets in Canada and the United States.



Lets focus on the factors that make Algonquin Power & Utilities an appropriate investment option at the moment.



Price Performance



In the past 12 months, Algonquin Power & Utilities shares have gained 14.7% compared with the industrys rise of 14.5%.



Earnings & Surprise History



Algonquin Power & Utilities delivered operating earnings of 14 cents per share in fourth-quarter 2018, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by a penny. The companys average four-quarter positive earnings surprise is 22.48%.



Return on Equity (ROE)



Algonquin Power & Utilities has an ROE of 9.35%, which is higher than the industrys average of 9.27%. This reflects the companys efficiency to utilize shareholders funds.



Long-Term Growth & Dividend Yield



The companys long-term (three to five years) earnings growth is pegged at 10.38%.



Currently, the company has a dividend yield of 4.51% compared with the Zacks S&P 500 Composites 1.97% and the industrys 2.82%.



Zacks Rank & Other Key Picks



Algonquin Power & Utilities currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.



Some other top-ranked stocks from the same industry are IDACORP, Inc IDA, The Southern Company SO and NextEra Energy, Inc NEE. All the stocks carry a Zacks Rank of 2.



IDACORP pulled off an average positive earnings surprise of 9.60% in the last four quarters. The companys long-term earnings growth is pegged at 3.90%



NextEra Energy pulled off an average positive earnings surprise of 2.52% in the last four quarters. The companys long-term earnings growth is pegged at 7.70%



The Southern Company delivered an average positive earnings surprise of 7.85% in the last four quarters. The companys long-term earnings growth is pegged at 4.50%

Story continues

Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2019



In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-holds for the year?



Who wouldn't? Our annual Top 10s have beaten the market with amazing regularity. In 2018, while the market dropped -5.2%, the portfolio scored well into double-digits overall with individual stocks rising as high as +61.5%. And from 2012-2017, while the market boomed +126.3, Zacks' Top 10s reached an even more sensational +181.9%.



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Southern Company (The) (SO) : Free Stock Analysis Report



NextEra Energy, Inc. (NEE) : Free Stock Analysis Report



IDACORP, Inc. (IDA) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. (AQN) : Free Stock Analysis Report



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Maltese special forces soldiers stormed the ship in the early hours - REUTERS

Five migrants who allegedly led the hijacking of a tanker in the Mediterranean to avoid being returned to Libya were arrested in Malta on Thursday after special forces stormed the vessel to take back control.

The five men, some of whom were led off the merchant vessel in plastic handcuffs, were among 108 asylum seekers who were rescued by the El Hiblu 1 tanker north of Libya on Tuesday.

The tanker was ordered by Libyan authorities to take the migrants to Tripoli, but they allegedly subjected the 12-man crew to physical threats and forced the vessel to sail north instead, towards Europe.

Migrants in Libya are held in horrific conditions and are often subjected to beatings, torture and rape, according to the UN and humanitarian agencies.

A migrant suspected of hijacking the ship is detained in Valletta, Malta Credit: Reuters

The Maltese military intervened in the early hours of Thursday, with armed commandoes boarding the tanker in an operation that involved Maltese naval vessels and helicopters.

Maltese authorities established communications with the captain of the 170ft-long oil tanker when it was about 30 nautical miles away from Malta and proceeding towards the island.

"The captain repeatedly stated that he was not in control of the vessel and that he and his crew were being forced and threatened by a number of migrants to proceed to Malta," the authorities said.

The tanker was escorted by navy vessels to Valletta, Maltas capital, where the five alleged ringleaders were arrested and taken away for questioning.

They are likely to be charged with illegally forcing the captain of the ship to hand over control through coercive action and changing its course, Maltese government sources said.

No one was injured during the high seas drama, but the outnumbered crew said they were threatened with assault unless they followed orders.

The rescued migrants consisted of 77 men, 19 women and 12 children.

We do not shirk responsibility, despite our size. We will now follow all international rules accordingly, said Joseph Muscat, Maltas prime minister.

Story continues

Matteo Salvini, the hardline deputy prime minister of Italy, had called the migrants pirates and vowed that they would not be allowed to land on Italian soil.

Police buses await migrants who arrived on the 'hijacked' merchant ship Credit: DARRIN ZAMMIT LUPI/REUTERS

"Immigration is managed by criminals and should be blocked by any legal means necessary," he said.

Sea-Eye, a German migrant rescue NGO, said one of its vessels had overheard radio messages between a European military aircraft and the captain of the tanker.

"The captain of the shipsaid unequivocally on the radio that people are very upset and do not want to be brought back to Libya," Sea-Eye said.

Vincent Cochetel, the UN refugee agencys special envoy for the central Mediterranean, said that the safety of merchant ship crews was as important as that of human beings fleeing a hellish situation and not wanting to return there.

A Maltese special forces soldier guards a group of migrants Credit: DARRIN ZAMMIT LUPI/REUTERS

Italys populist coalition closed its ports to rescued migrants last summer, leading to a number of stand-offs with other EU countries over boatloads of rescued migrants.

There has been a sharp drop in the number of asylum seekers crossing the Mediterranean, as the EU-trained Libyan coast guard intercepts them and returns them to the Libyan coast.

Humanitarian organisations said the migrants should not be characterised as criminals or pirates because they were trying to avoid returning to a hellish existence in Libya.

It is entirely legitimate for people found in distress at sea to reject being returned to Libya, the very place they know they will only continue to suffer the gravest of violations of their rights and the most degrading treatment, said Johannes Bayer, the chairman of Sea-Watch.

Matteo Salvini, the Italian interior minister and deputy prime minister Credit: AFP

EU countries such as Italy and Malta "alert the Libyan coast guard when refugees and migrants are spotted at sea so they can be taken back to Libya, despite knowing that people there are arbitrarily detained and exposed to widespread torture, rape, killings and exploitation," said Matteo de Bellis, an expert on migrants for Amnesty International.

In November, dozens of migrants seized control of a container ship that had picked them up at sea, barricading themselves inside and refusing to disembark in the Libyan port of Misrata.

After 10 days, Libyan authorities forcibly removed them from the ship and placed them in a detention centre.

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Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. WBA is slated to release second-quarter fiscal 2019 results on Apr 2, before market open.

In the last reported quarter, the company delivered a positive earnings surprise of 2.1%. It has outperformed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the last four quarters, the average positive earnings surprise being 5.1%.

Lets take a look at how things are shaping up prior to this announcement.

Key Catalysts

Over the recent past, Walgreens Boots Retail Pharmacy USA division witnessed comparable prescription growth and benefited from a strong retail prescription market. Notably, revenues from this division accounted for more than 76.1% of total first-quarter fiscal 2019 revenues.

Also, Walgreens Boots' purchase of 1,932 stores, three distribution centers and related inventory from Rite Aid has already started to prove beneficial for the company with respect to a number of aspects. In this regard, Pharmacy sales, which contributed around 74.4% to the divisions sales in the first quarter of fiscal 2019, increased 17.5% year over year. The upside was primarily led by increased prescription volume from the buyout of Rite Aid stores and central specialty.

Notably, Walgreens Boots has been witnessing increasing comparable prescription growth. The company is benefitting from the transfer of prescriptions from Rite Aid stores. It continues to believe that the underlying trend in terms of prescription volumes and market share in the United States have been in its favor for quite some time now.

Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise

Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise | Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. Quote

Several planned developments, early benefits from new pharmacy contracts as well as volume expansion owing to previously-announced pharmacy partnerships have been driving growth in this space.

At the same time, the company has been gaining from its partnership with FedEx regarding existing stores. The retail pharmacy market has been witnessing rise in expenditure on prescription drugs and growing demand for specialty drugs.

Story continues

Moreover, the company has recently started installing the Alipay system at its stores in the United States, thereby expanding its partnership with Alibaba. This move is expected to attract more Chinese customers to the stores and thus boost its top line.

Walgreens Boots has also been witnessing comparable sales growth in the health, wellness and beauty groups gaining from investments in its top stores.

Thus, widening pharmacy network, healthy prescription volumes along with contributions from Rite Aid are expected to contribute to Walgreens Boots top line in the to-be-reported quarter.

Accordingly, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter total revenues at the Retail Pharmacy USA division is pegged at $26.45 billion, indicating a rise of 10.8% year over year.

Meanwhile, tough market conditions, particularly in retail, have been leading to sluggishness in the Retail Pharmacy International division. Declining U.K. prescription volumes and continuing reimbursement pressure from the U.K. government are headwinds.

Walgreens Boots is investing in new stores and digital content to improve U.K. retail performance. The Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.15 billion for revenues from the Retail Pharmacy International division reflects a 2.5% decline from the year-ago quarter.

Strong growth in certain emerging markets is expected to consistently drive the companys Pharmaceutical Wholesale division.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for total revenues of $34.87 billion depicts a 5.6% rise on a year-over-year basis.

On the flip side, Walgreens Boots gross margin figure has been declining for some time now. However, the company is working to gain efficiency and provide high quality, cost-effective pharmacy services in order to reduce pharmacy costs.

Here is what our quantitative model predicts:

Walgreens Boots does not have the right combination of two main ingredients  a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or higher  which are needed for increasing the odds of an earnings beat.

Earnings ESP: Walgreens Boots has an Earnings ESP of -2.35%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Zacks Rank: Walgreens Boots carries a Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell). Please note that we caution against stocks with a Zacks Rank #4 or 5 (Strong Sell) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revision.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings of $1.70 represents a 1.7% decline on a year-over-year basis.

Stocks Worth a Look

Here are a few medical stocks worth considering as these have the perfect combination of elements to come up with an earnings beat in the to-be-reported quarter.

Cardinal Health, Inc. CAH has an Earnings ESP of +18.49% and a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy).

Luminex Corporation LMNX has an Earnings ESP of +61.77% and is a Zacks #3 Ranked player. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Edwards Lifesciences Corporation EW has an Earnings ESP of +6.03% and is a Zacks Rank #3 stock.

Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2019



In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-holds for the year?



Who wouldn't? Our annual Top 10s have beaten the market with amazing regularity. In 2018, while the market dropped -5.2%, the portfolio scored well into double-digits overall with individual stocks rising as high as +61.5%. And from 2012-2017, while the market boomed +126.3, Zacks' Top 10s reached an even more sensational +181.9%.



See Latest Stocks Today >>



Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report



Luminex Corporation (LMNX) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (EW) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (WBA) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Cardinal Health, Inc. (CAH) : Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment Research
Bucharest (AFP) - Centre-right Romanian President Klaus Iohannis called Thursday for a referendum to be held on the left-wing government's controversial proposed justice reforms, which he himself opposes.

In a televised statement, Iohannis said the ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD) was "continuing the assault against the justice system which started when they took over power".

He called for the referendum to be held on May 26, the same day Romania is due to hold EU parliament elections.

Regarded as one of the EU's most graft-ridden members, Romania has repeatedly clashed with Brussels over a series of judicial reforms proposed by the PSD which the EU Commission believes will hamper the much-needed fight against corruption.

In January Iohannis hit out at the government over an emergency decree unveiled by Justice Minister Tudorel Toader allowing people found guilty of corruption after 2014 to fight their convictions.

At the time Iohannis condemned the decree as an attempt to protect the PSD's party chief Liviu Dragnea, who was barred from becoming prime minister due to his criminal convictions.

In his statement on Thursday, Iohannis accused the government of using such decrees "abusively and far too often".

"Justice is a matter of national interest and the people have the right to decide whether or not they want corruption to become state policy," he said.

Iohannis has been holding discussions this week with civil society groups and magistrates about exactly what question should be on the ballot paper, but he did not elaborate on this question on Thursday.

The PSD is opposed to a referendum and local media reports have suggested the government may try to introduce legislation in the coming days which would force the vote to be held in separate polling stations from the EU elections.

It is thought this would make it harder to reach the 30 percent turnout needed to validate the referendum.
HAVANA (AP)  Prince Charles and his wife Camilla briefly drove a classic British car, visited a statue of John Lennon and cut the ribbon on a British renewable energy project Tuesday, the royal couple's second full day visiting Cuba.

They began their public schedule with a short drive in a 1953 MG alongside a park that hosts a statue of Lennon that draws thousands of tourists a year. A local rock band played Beatles songs at the Yellow Submarine, a nearby bar and cultural center.

The couple strolled around the park, sat on a park bench next to the statue of Lennon, and talked with local residents and British residents of Havana.

Charles later inaugurated the first phase of a $250 million dollar British-led renewable energy project in the Mariel free-trade zone outside Havana, part of an effort to bring solar and alternative energy sources to the island.

Solar Mariel, a wholly owned British company, is expected to begin providing power to the Port of Mariel and local communities by the end of 2019, and once other phases of the project are complete, will add renewable energy to Cuba's power grid.

The Cuban Government hopes to have as much as 24 percent of the island's energy needs met by alternative energy sources by 2030, reducing oil-based power generation on the island.

The royal couple was expected to assist a gala dance performance at the Alicia Alonso Theater late Tuesday.
By Matt Spetalnick WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Russian military contingent that arrived in Venezuela over the weekend, drawing U.S. condemnation, is believed by the U.S. government to be made up of special forces including "cybersecurity personnel," a U.S. official told Reuters on Tuesday. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the United States was still assessing the Russian deployment, which Washington has called a "reckless escalation" of the situation in Venezuela. Two Russian air force planes landed outside Caracas on Saturday carrying nearly 100 Russian troops, according to local media reports, two months after the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump disavowed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Venezuela's government has confirmed two planes landed from Russia at the weekend and were authorized by Maduro but has given no more details. The Trump administration has recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as the country's legitimate president and demands that Maduro step down. Russia has described this as a U.S.-backed coup against the socialist government. The U.S. determination that the Russian contingent includes cybersecurity specialists suggests that part of their mission could be helping Maduro's loyalists with surveillance as well as protection of the government's cyber infrastructure. Russia's main objective in providing the military assistance, including cyber experts, would likely be to help shield Maduro from "regime change" and ensure a foothold for Moscow in Latin America, according to a source familiar with U.S. government assessments of Venezuela. Russia also has major energy investments in OPEC member Venezuela. Russia's foreign ministry said on Tuesday that the presence of "Russian specialists" in Venezuela was governed by a military-technical cooperation agreement between the two countries. It did not provide further details. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in a phone call on Monday that Washington would "not stand idly by" as Russia backed Maduro. The United States and most Western countries have backed Guaido while Russia, China and Cuba are among those that have continued to support Maduro, who retains control of Venezuela's state institutions, including the military. On Tuesday afternoon the Lima Group of Latin American countries said in a statement it was concerned about the arrival of military airplanes in Venezuela. "We reiterate our condemnation of any military provocation or deployment that threatens peace and security in the region," said the group formed in 2017 to pressure Maduro, which includes Brazil, Canada, Colombia and Peru. U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, sent a letter to Pompeo on Tuesday urging him to determine if Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua should face mandatory U.S. sanctions for conducting significant transactions with the Russian defense and intelligence sectors. (Reporting by Matt Spetalnick, additional reporting by Mark Hosenball, Editing by Richard Chang and Rosalba O'Brien)
By Matt Spetalnick WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Russian military contingent that arrived in Venezuela over the weekend, drawing U.S. condemnation, is believed to be made up of special forces, including "cybersecurity personnel," a U.S. official told Reuters on Tuesday. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the United States was still assessing the Russian deployment, which Washington has called a "reckless escalation" of the situation in Venezuela. Two Russian air force planes landed outside Caracas on Saturday carrying nearly 100 Russian troops, according to local media reports, two months after the Trump administration disavowed President Nicolas Maduro. The Trump administration has recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as the country's legitimate president and demands that Maduro step down. Russia has described this as a U.S.-backed coup against the socialist government. The U.S. assessment that the Russian contingent includes cybersecurity specialists and those from "related fields" suggests that part of their mission could be helping Maduro's loyalists with surveillance as well as protection of the government's cyber infrastructure. Russia's foreign ministry said on Tuesday that the presence of "Russian specialists" in Venezuela is governed by a military-technical cooperation agreement between the two countries. But it did not provide further details. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in a phone call on Monday that Washington would "not stand idly by" as Russia backed Maduro, who has overseen a dramatic collapse of a once-bustling economy. John Bolton, U.S. President Donald Trump's national security adviser, said on Tuesday that while Guaido asks for humanitarian aid to help his people, Maduro asks for Cuban and Russian goons to suppress the people of Venezuela. "The military ranks are seeing Maduro's corruption, violence, and lack of support within Venezuela," Bolton said in a message on Twitter. The United States and most Western countries have backed Guaido while Russia, China and Cuba are among those that have continued to support Maduro, who controls Venezuela's state institutions including the military. On Tuesday afternoon the Lima Group of Latin American countries said in a statement it was concerned about the arrival of military airplanes in Venezuela. "We reiterate our condemnation of any military provocation or deployment that threatens peace and security in the region," said the group formed in 2017 to pressure Maduro, which includes Brazil, Canada, Colombia and Peru. U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, sent a letter to Pompeo on Tuesday urging him to determine if Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua should face mandatory U.S. sanctions for conducting significant transactions with the Russian defense and intelligence sectors. (Editing by Leslie Adler and Richard Chang)
By Tom Balmforth and Maxim Rodionov

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said on Thursday it had sent "specialists" to Venezuela under a military cooperation deal but said they posed no threat to regional stability, brushing aside a call from U.S. President Donald Trump to remove all military personnel from the country.

Trump said on Wednesday that "all options" were open to make Russia pull troops out of Venezuela after two Russian air force planes landed outside Caracas on Saturday carrying nearly 100 Russian troops, according to media reports.

As Venezuela has descended into political turmoil this year, Russia has emerged as a staunch backer of President Nicolas Maduro while the United States backs the country's opposition and has imposed sanctions.

Venezuela's military attache in Moscow said on Thursday Russia had sent "servicemen" to Venezuela, but that they would not take part in military operations, Interfax news agency reported.

"The presence of Russian servicemen in Venezuela is linked to the discussion of cooperation in the military-technical sphere," Jose Rafael Torrealba Perez was quoted as saying.

Speaking at a weekly news briefing on Thursday, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described the arrivals only as "Russian specialists".

"Russia is not changing the balance of power in the region, Russia is not threatening anyone, unlike (officials) in Washington," she told a weekly news briefing.

"Russian specialists have arrived in Venezuela in line with the provisions of a bilateral inter-government agreement on military-technical cooperation. No one cancelled this document," Zakharova said.

Russia and China have backed Maduro, while the United States and most other Western countries support opposition leader Juan Guaido.

In January, Guaido invoked the constitution to assume Venezuela's interim presidency, arguing that Maduro's 2018 re-election was illegitimate.

Maduro, who retains control of state functions and the country's military, has said Guaido is a puppet of the United States.

(Reporting by Maxim Rodionov; Writing by Tom Balmforth; Editing by Gareth Jones)
New York (AFP) - New York state accused the billionaire Sackler family on Thursday of attempting to shield money from their company, Purdue Pharma, to avoid damage payments from lawsuits over the opioid Oxycontin.

"As the lawsuits have piled up against Purdue, they continued to move funds into trust and yes, offshore accounts, to be out of reach of potential recovery," New York Attorney General Letitia James told reporters.

Purdue became a dominant force in the pharmaceutical industry largely due to the blockbuster painkiller OxyContin, the highly addictive drug now subject to more than 1,000 lawsuits over its role in the opioid crisis.

The Connecticut-based company has denied the claims.

"Such serious allegations demand clear evidence linking the conduct alleged to the harm described, but we believe the state fails to show such causation and offers little evidence to support its sweeping legal claims," it said in a statement.

"Instead, the state is seeking to publicly vilify Purdue and its former directors while unfairly undermining the important work we have taken to address the opioid crisis."

Purdue insisted that OxyContin -- a Food and Drug Administration-approved drug prescribed by doctors and dispensed by pharmacists -- only accounts for less than two percent of total opioid prescriptions.

The lawsuit filed in New York on Thursday by James expands on one already brought against Pharma and other pharmaceutical giants such as Johnson and Johnson in the state.

"The opioid epidemic has ravaged families and communities across New York," James said in a statement.

"We found that pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors engaged in years of deceptive marketing about the risks of opioids and failed to exercise their basic duty to report suspicious behavior, leading to the crisis we are living with today.

"As the Sackler Family and the other defendants grew richer, New Yorkers' health grew poorer and our state was left to foot the bill," she said.

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"The manufacturers and distributors of opioids are to blame for this crisis and it is past time they take responsibility."

Purdue Pharma, based in Connecticut, released OxyContin in 1995 and the powerful drug reportedly has generated more than $30 billion in revenue.

In 2017, 70,000 people died of overdoses in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control. That same year, 1.7 million people were suffering from addiction to painkillers like OxyContin.

Purdue Pharma reached a $270 million settlement earlier this week in a lawsuit in the state of Oklahoma, but the company faces hundreds of other suits besides the ones in New York.

The bulk of the settlement money will go toward establishing an addiction treatment and research center at Oklahoma State University.

The Sacklers have been high-profile philanthropists but museums and galleries have recently been rebuffing their donations because of the opioid crisis fallout.
Online marketplaces such as Jumia, Souq, Uber, and Travelstart could create around 3 million new jobs by 2025 across Africa.

These digital platforms, which match buyers and providers of goods and services, could also raise incomes and boost inclusive economic growth with minimal disruption to existing businesses and workforce norms.

These are among the findings of a new report, titled How Online Marketplaces Can Power Employment in Africa, released this week by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and reproduced by Thursday by the Africa Business Communities website.

Generating employment is an urgent priority across the continent. The African Development Bank estimates that one-third of the 420 million Africans aged 15 through 35 were unemployed as of 2015. Around 58% of the new jobscreated directly, indirectly, and through the additional economic activity generated by online marketplaceswill be in the consumer goods sector, 18% will be in mobility services, and 9% in the travel and hospitality sector, according to the report.

For online marketplaces to reach their full potential, however, the public and private sectors must work together to build the right digital environment from the outset, the report notes. Obstacles to industry expansion include underdeveloped infrastructure, a lack of regulatory clarity, and limited market access. For their part, African policymakers are concerned about issues such as data security and potential disruption to traditional business sectors.

The report highlights the economic and social benefits of Online Marketplaces, quoting Patrick Dupoux, a senior BCG partner who leads the firms Africa business, as saying that Online Marketplaces are a good illustration of how the digital revolution can create economic opportunity and improve social welfare in Africa. Because Africa currently lacks an efficient distribution infrastructure, online marketplaces could create millions of jobs.

Concerns that growth in online marketplaces will merely cannibalize the sales of brick-and-mortar retailers are misplaced in the case of Africa, according to the report. There were only 15 stores per one million inhabitants in Africa in 2018, compared with 568 per million in Europe and 930 in the US. This extremely low penetration suggests that theres minimal risk that e-commerce will displace existing retailers and that much of the population is underserved.

Nor are online marketplaces likely to disrupt labor-market norms by blurring the lines between employees and freelances. Unlike in developed economies, the vast majority of African workers are in the largely undocumented and unregulated informal sector. In Nigeria, for example, 71% of workers are self-employed and another 9% contribute labor as family members.

The report also details the ways in which economic activity generated by online marketplaces boosts employment and incomes. These businesses create demand for personnel in new fields, such as platform development, as well as for merchants, marketers, craftspeople, drivers, logistics clerks, and hospitality staff. Some also offer skills-development programs and help small enterprises raise capital to expand their businesses. Online marketplaces also boost demand for goods and services in areas currently beyond the reach of conventional retail networks and bring new peoplesuch as women and youth who may be currently excluded from labor marketsinto the workforce.

The report recommends that the online marketplace community and African governments collaborate to address the challenges that hinder the online marketplaces ability to grow. Both industry and government should take actions that foster a mutual understanding of both opportunities and concerns, strengthen trust through the sharing of resources, and build the right technological infrastructure and governance systems.

Fulfilling the tremendous promise of online marketplaces relies on the ability of the private and public sectors to come together to create the right digital environment that is designed from the outset to bring economic and social benefits for all, said Amane Dannouni, a BCG principal and co-author of the report.
Riyadh (AFP) - Saudi Arabia on Thursday released three out of 11 women detained last year in a sweeping crackdown on activists, a close relative and London-based rights group ALQST said.

Blogger Eman al-Nafjan, Aziza al-Youssef, a retired lecturer at King Saudi University, and academic Rokaya al-Mohareb were freed following the second hearing on Wednesday of their high-profile trial in Riyadh's criminal court, a relative of one of the women told AFP.

The conditions of their release were unclear and there was no immediate comment from the court.

But the relative said that the women, freed after nearly a year in detention, will still have to appear in court next Wednesday when the trial resumes.

ALQST confirmed the news on Twitter, adding that the other detained women were expected to be released on Sunday.

Most of the women were detained last summer in a sweeping crackdown on campaigners just before the historic lifting of a decades-long ban on female motorists.

The women had long campaigned for the right to drive and to abolish the restrictive guardianship system that gives male relatives arbitrary authority over women.

Their trial has intensified criticism of the kingdom over human rights following global outrage over journalist Jamal Khashoggi's murder by Saudi agents last October.
Riyadh (AFP) - Saudi Arabia on Thursday temporarily released three out of 11 women detained nearly a year ago in a broad crackdown on activists, state media said, as the kingdom faces intense global scrutiny over human rights.

Blogger Eman al-Nafjan, retired lecturer Aziza al-Youssef and academic Rokaya al-Mohareb were freed, one of their relatives told AFP, as the women face trial in Riyadh's criminal court on charges that include contact with foreign media, diplomats and human rights groups.

"The criminal court in Riyadh announces the provisional release of three detainees," the official Saudi Press Agency said, without naming them.

"The court will continue to hear their cases and they will attend the trial sessions... until the issuance of the final judgement."

Confirming the names of the freed women, London-based rights group ALQST said other detained women were expected to be freed on Sunday.

Most of the women were detained last summer in a wide-ranging crackdown against women campaigners just before the historic lifting of a decades-long ban on female motorists.

Their release follows an emotionally charged second court hearing on Wednesday that saw some of the women breaking down while testifying that they faced torture and sexual harassment in detention.

They accused interrogators of subjecting them to electric shocks, flogging them and groping them in detention, two people with access to the trial told AFP.

At least one of the detained women tried to commit suicide following her mistreatment, a close relative said.

The government, facing sharp global criticism of its human rights record, denies the women were tortured or harassed.

- Silencing dissent -

The three released women will have to appear in court next Wednesday when the trial before a three-judge panel resumes.

"This is a long overdue step as these women should never have been jailed in the first place, and their release should certainly not be on a 'temporary' basis," said Lynn Maalouf, Amnesty International's Middle East research director.

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"They have been locked up, separated from their loved ones, subjected to torture and threats for simply peacefully calling for women's rights and expressing their views."

The women had long campaigned for the right to drive and an end to the restrictive guardianship system that gives male relatives arbitrary authority over women.

Saudi officials have repeatedly accused the women of links to foreign intelligence agencies, while state-backed media branded them traitors and "agents of embassies".

The charge sheets, however, make no mention of contact with foreign spies, say campaigners who have reviewed the documents.

Some of the charges fell under a section of the kingdom's sweeping cyber crime law that carries prison sentences of up to five years. The law has typically been used to silence political dissent, rights campaigners say.

"It's a relief some of the women have been freed," said Najah al-Otaibi, a senior analyst at the pro-Saudi think-tank Arabia Foundation.

"Saudi Arabia needs corrective policies to ensure people have the freedom to express their views."

The trial has intensified criticism of the kingdom over human rights following global outrage over journalist Jamal Khashoggi's murder by Saudi agents last October.

Western nations, including the United States and the 28 countries of the European Union, appear to have stepped up pressure on the kingdom to release the activists.
In a few weeks, the dreaded tax season will be over. We loathe those oddly titled documents with the tiny print. We wonder what number  refund or remainder  those mysterious equations will spit out.

And as more of us sign up as part-time contractors, driving for Lyft and selling crafts on Etsy, our taxes get more complicated. We get anxious.

Criminals love to take advantage of that anxiety.

Tax scams and phishing operations are getting more sophisticated than ever. By faking ads, websites and caller IDs, scammers will gladly prey on your ignorance.

Impersonators have a new twist

Many people have fallen victim to fake calls from the IRS. These calls are designed to trick you into giving up your personal info. They'll pretend to be an IRS employee, even some type of federal agent or law enforcement officer and demand you pay non-existent overdue taxes. They will insist on using wire transfer, prepaid debit card or gift cards. If you don't pay up, scammers say they'll come to your house and arrest you.

TurboTax, H&R Block, Jackson Hewitt: The best tax software for filing online

What you need to do: How to protect your tax refund from scammers, identify risks

Conversely, scammers may play good cop as well: Theyll impersonate a friendly IRS agent and say you're entitled to a big refund. You just have to hand over some of your info first.

Now there's a new spin. Impersonators are calling, saying they're from the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS), which is an independent organization within the IRS. They'll even spoof the number from TAS offices in Houston and Brooklyn. It could be a person or a robocall asking for a callback, but either way, those scammers will ask for your info, which includes your Social Security number or individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN).

Here's the thing  the real TAS exists to help you resolve an IRS-related problem. But you call them, not the other way around.

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Be smart and look for these signs

There are definite red flags that can identify a scammer, no matter how real they sound. Here's what they do:

Scammers identify themselves using fake names and IRS badge numbers.

They might even know the last four digits of your Social Security number.

It's not hard for scammers to spoof phone and identification numbers to appear official.

Fake emails might accompany phishing calls.

They might even go as far to fake background noises of other calls so it'll sound like a real call center.

The IRS says crooks might threaten to put you in jail or revoke your driver's license and then in some cases, and they'll hang up. That'll be followed with a call from someone pretending to be from another agency, like local police or the DMV, to give more weight to the initial threat. Again, Caller ID will probably say the same thing, but don't fall for it.

The IRS says they'll never call you demanding immediate payment. And the biggest red flag is that government agencies don't ask people to pay with gift cards. That's the easiest tell.

If you do owe money to the real IRS, you'll get a bill in the mail. You can set up a payment plan, and you will either send a check or use a trusted third-party service (verified on the IRS website) to pay overdue taxes online.

How to protect yourself from IRS scams

There are some easy ways to make sure you don't become the victim of one of these scams. First of all, the real IRS also doesn't threaten to have you arrested, nor do they call about a bonus refund you're entitled to. And they certainly don't ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.

If you get a call from one of these scammers, hang up immediately. If they sense hesitation and think they've got you on the hook, they might keep calling back to convince you that they're real.

You can report those calls to phishing@irs.gov. Put "IRS Phone Scam" in the subject line. You can also contact the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, or TIGTA, to report the call, using their IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting page. The Federal Trade Commission is another option. Just use the "FTC Complaint Assistant" on FTC.gov, and add "IRS Telephone Scam" in the notes. You can also call the IRS at 800-366-4484.

The IRS also keeps an updated list of tax scams and consumer alerts on their website.

Microsoft said there was an average of 300,000 phishing attempts across their browsers Internet Explorer and Edge. Just think what that number really is when you factor in more popular browsers like Google Chrome.

If you're a Windows 10 user, don't rely on just passwords, and when possible, use multi-factor authentication. A lot of modern Windows-based laptops come equipped with "Windows Hello" face or fingerprint ID.

Watch out for suspicious-looking emails, too, especially those that say they're your bank or another financial institution. Don't download attachments sent by anyone you dont know, and don't click on included links.

Each year, the IRS puts together a list of the "dirty dozen," or the most popular scams to look out for each year. Take a look at the video, and learn more at their website.

What digital lifestyle questions do you have? Call my national radio show and click here to find it on your local radio station. You can listen to the Kim Komando Show on your phone, tablet or computer. From buying advice to digital life issues, click here for my free podcasts.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Scams, phishing calls from IRS running rampant this tax season. How to avoid them
SEIU staffers Andy Bonior (right) and Omar Martinez say the contract proposals from management would further weaken their staff union. (Photo: Dave Jamieson/HuffPost)

Workers at the Washington headquarters of the Service Employees International Union held a vote March 12 to determine whether they would be willing to go on strike. After months of negotiations, SEIU and its staff union still hadnt reached a new collective bargaining agreement, creating the real possibility of a work stoppage inside one of the countrys largest labor unions.

Most employees found managements final contract offer unacceptable, fearing it would weaken their job security and the viability of their own union. But they knew management planned to stand firm  especially when they found printouts of managements talking points in copiers around the building.

The document made clear in bold that management would budge no more at the table. It also included what some employees considered an ominous warning if they chose to walk out due to the impasse: SEIU will be well prepared to conduct the business of our members without interruption in the event of a strike.

Translation: We can get by without you.

In a sign of the staff discontent, 92 percent of those who cast ballots voted in favor of the strike authorization, meaning leaders of the staff union could declare a stoppage if and when they saw fit.

I like my job. I like my boss. I like SEIU. But theres something wrong going on here, said Andy Bonior, a communications specialist who has worked for the organization for 15 years. He said of the strike threat, The union busting has forced us to do this.

SEIU, which is headed by its international president, Mary Kay Henry, is one of the most powerful advocates for service and health care workers in the country, representing 2 million members and leading the Fight for $15 campaign in the fast food industry. But while SEIU has been working to promote collective bargaining rights, it has overseen the erosion of its own staff union at its headquarters, which is part of the Office and Professional Employees International Union Local 2.

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The staff union says SEIU has misclassified employees in order to keep them out of the bargaining unit, leading it to file a grievance. They say managements proposed contract would diminish the staff union even further by eliminating a key layoff protection for new hires. Management also wants to reserve the right to bargain with employees in two separate groups  a move staffers say would reduce their clout.

As the two sides head to mediation, the contract fight has turned into an emotional clash over SEIUs core values.

Dan OSullivan, an SEIU spokesman, said management welcomes the staff flexing its muscle with a strike authorization vote, calling it a show of the collective power they champion at the organization. OSullivan also called SEIUs offer an excellent contract.

What they have  the ability to negotiate a contract and go through a process where their voices are heard  thats what we want for the 89 percent of workers out there who dont have a union, he said.

A Shrinking Staff Union

SEIU employees do enjoy strong job security. Under the terms of the contract that expired last August, if a worker has at least five years of service at SEIU, management cannot eliminate that persons position without offering another job. While management is willing to let current workers keep that valuable safeguard, its proposal would eliminate it for any future employees.

If staffers were to agree to that, time and turnover would eventually leave no one with the protection.

SEIU has argued that with the attacks on unions and their funding around the country, it can no longer afford to guarantee workers a job for life. But what management is proposing is the kind of two-tier system that labor groups like SEIU regularly fight on principle. Unions can foster resentment and fray over time when legacy employees have it better than those who come in the door after them.

Some employees bristled at an email recently sent by Deedee Fitzpatrick, SEIUs chief of staff, making the case for managements last best and final offer. The note included the same kind of messaging on two-tier proposals that typically comes from the employers SEIU does battle with, reassuring current workers that they wont lose anything  only their future colleagues will.

Under SEIUs offer, SEIU is honoring the commitment it made to all current employees. Each of you will continue to enjoy that benefit, Fitzpatrick wrote. The area of disagreement is around new hires who were never promised this benefit.

Employees of both SEIU and its pension fund have traditionally bargained side by side in past contracts. The staff union has asked SEIU to commit to that arrangement  something management so far has declined to do. OSullivan, the SEIU spokesman, said management doesnt want to be locked into bargaining a certain way in its next contract.

Staffers say they worry that negotiating separately in two groups would weaken their leverage in negotiations or strikes.

If we were to accept that, that means a fraction of our strength, said David Hoskins, a shop steward for Local 2 and a research analyst at SEIU.

The drop in Local 2 membership inside SEIU might explain why Hoskins and others are so opposed to managements offer. The staff union was 138 strong in 2014. Now its down to just 83, according to Local 2. The numbers have held relatively steady within the pension fund, but the drop-off has been startling for the rest of the unionized headquarters staff: from 109 members to just 52 in about five years.

SEIU has been the prime driver behind the Fight for $15 movement. (Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS)

SEIU made significant budget cuts in the wake of the 2016 elections, to prepare for the legal headwinds organized labor would face after Trumps victory. As expected, last year the conservative majority of the Supreme Court issued a sweeping ruling saying public-sector workers cannot be required to pay fees to the unions that represent them. SEIU says it lost roughly 100,000 fee-payers after the decision.

OSullivan said the staff unions attrition can also be partly explained by a shift in strategy, away from headquarters-based staff and toward SEIUs local unions and operations outside Washington.

Our focus has been more about putting people in the field, he said. That was a decision that was made a number of years ago. Thats a big reason why there are less headquarters staff now.

Some staffers say they can understand the belt-tightening, but have a harder time accepting the money SEIU has steered to outside contractors with nonunion workforces. Aside from information technology work, the two largest beneficiaries of SEIU contracts in 2017 were the public relations firms SKDKnickerbocker and BerlinRosen, according to financial disclosures with the Labor Department. Together the two firms alone accounted for $4.6 million in SEIU spending.

Salaries for all Local 2 members, by comparison, amounted to $6.5 million in 2017, according to Local 2. It is now down to just $4.5 million.

That could be money spent on people in-house who care more for our members and for the labor movement than outside contractors, said Bonior.

Managers, Managers, Managers

SEIU employees say theres another reason their staff union has become so small: worker misclassification.

Under labor law, supervisors are not eligible to be in a union  only rank-and-file employees are. In general, to qualify as a supervisor someone should be able to hire, fire or direct other employees in their work. But employers sometimes try to categorize workers as managers in order to keep the bargaining unit small.

At SEIU, the staff union filed a grievance claiming 48 managers should actually be classified as union-eligible employees.

Omar Martinez, a communications staffer at SEIU and a Local 2 member, said he believed he was improperly classified as a supervisor when he accepted a job at SEIU in Washington last year. Despite the designation, he didnt seem to have anyone to manage.

Martinez and the staff union moved to have him added to the bargaining unit, and SEIU did not object, he said. But according to Local 2, there are still more than two managers for every employee covered by a union contract.

There are some people who are literally managing no one, said Martinez. So how are you a manager?

The grievance alleging misclassification is now headed to mediation, like the contract dispute, according to Martinez. Staffers said they hope to avoid the spectacle of a work stoppage, fearing it could inflict reputational damage on a union that battles powerful employers and conservative groups. Companies that SEIU has pilloried, such as McDonalds, would certainly relish the sight of picket lines outside the organizations doors.

Martinez said its awkward to be publicly criticizing an employer whose mission he believes in, but he feels compelled to, for the sake of SEIUs members and would-be members.

Not to get all romantic about the values of the labor movement, but I talk to workers every day. Its hard for me to tell them, Oh, you should stick your neck out there when you have zero job protection because youre fighting for a union, he said. How could I do that without feeling like the biggest hypocrite?

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By Shirley Halperin

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) - Following the likes of Willie Nelson Snoop Dogg, Wiz Khalifa, Whoopi Goldberg and Melissa Etheridge, the latest to enter the burgeoning legal cannabis market are Hollywood heavies Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg.

The two longtime collaborators, both natives of Vancouver, today announced Houseplant, which is described as "an elevated Canadian Cannabis company" with a focus on "product and quality, education and guidance." Canada legalized marijuana in fall 2018.

The first strain, Houseplant Sativa, will be available for purchase next month in British Columbia, to be followed by the Houseplant Hybrid and Indica lines which will be available in flower form along with softgels and pre-rolled joints. Eventually, retailers all over Canada will be able to carry Houseplant products.

The company, which is partnered with Canopy Growth, also pledges to work with industry leaders, legal advocates politicians and non-profits maintain a social consciousness and lobby on behalf of the unjustly incarcerated.

Said Rogen, the star of the "Neighbors" franchise along with such comedies as "Knocked Up," "Pineapple Express" and "Superbad" (all written with Goldberg): "Houseplant is a passion we've brought to life through drive and dedication. Every decision we've made for the business reflects the years of education, first-hand experience and respect we have for cannabis."

"We are so proud to be launching in Canada, our home," added Goldberg. "After spending five years diligently preparing for the launch of this company, we're excited to be able to share our passion for cannabis with Canadians in this way."

Canopy Growth is publicly listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (WEED) and New York Stock Exchange (CGC). Said Mark Zekulin, president and co-CEO: "We have been getting to know the Houseplant team for quite a while now and continue to be impressed by their understanding of the cannabis consumer, attention to detail, and drive towards their vision. We could not be more excited to partner with them and work towards our shared goal of making Houseplant one of the largest cannabis brands in the world."
Washington (AFP) - A television actor claims to be the victim of a racist, homophobic hate crime. Chicago police say he staged the whole thing. The chief prosecutor says she believes he is guilty.

So why isn't the matter going to trial?

The curious case of Jussie Smollett, who stars on Fox music drama "Empire," got even weirder when prosecutors in Illinois' Cook County -- who handle crimes in Chicago -- dropped the charges Tuesday.

On Thursday, President Donald Trump said that the FBI and the Justice Department will review the case -- calling it "outrageous" and an "embarrassment to our Nation!"

All of this has revived the long-simmering debate in America about how just the US justice system really is, whether the rich get off easy -- and whether prosecutors should have so much discretion.

At both the federal and state level, prosecutors are widely free to pursue cases as they see fit. They supervise the initial investigations, take cases to trial or not, and recommend sentences.

"It's a long-standing tradition, a cultural norm in the United States," says Rory Little, a professor at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco.

"Prosecutors want to have flexibility," Little told AFP.

For Carl Tobias, a professor at the University of Richmond's TC Williams School of Law, "a big concern is overreach, that they go too far... prosecuting people who should not be prosecuted or by seeking penalties that are too large for the infraction."

This can especially be a concern at the state level, where prosecutors are elected officials, and want to show constituents they are being tough on crime.

But in Smollett's case, some say they did not go far enough.

- 'Prosecutors caved' -

Smollett, who is black and openly gay, said he was attacked on the streets of America's third-largest city in late January by two masked men hurling abuse at him.

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The 36-year-old claimed they tied a noose around his neck and doused him with a chemical substance.

But the story quickly unraveled.

Police say Smollett hired a pair of brothers he knew from the "Empire" set to stage the attack -- and paid them for it.

Nevertheless, the actor has maintained his innocence.

"I have been truthful and consistent on every single level since day one," Smollett told reporters on Tuesday.

Prosecutors said Tuesday they made a deal with the actor under which he agreed to perform community service and forfeit a $10,000 bond payment in exchange for the 16 felony counts to be dismissed.

But his attorneys say no agreement was made.

And after Trump's probe announcement, Smollett's attorney Tina Glandian told NBC News on Thursday: "Nothing improper was done."

Some experts say the actor definitely got special treatment.

"I think prosecutors caved to the court of public opinion and gave the case away," said Bob Bianchi, a former prosecutor in New Jersey, decrying a "sickening abuse of prosecutorial discretion."

Tobias says prosecutors "are often overloaded -- they have too many cases to give all of them the attention they need, so they need to have the flexibility to cut plea deals."

Indeed, prosecutor Joseph Magats said Cook County's limited resources were better used focusing on gun violence in the Windy City, and not on Smollett.

- 'Whitewash' -

The controversy over the case is far from over.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has called the result a "whitewash of justice."

"You cannot have, because of a person's position, one set of rules apply to them and another set of rules apply to everybody else," he said.

The city on Thursday sent a letter to Smollett's attorneys, asking the actor to pay the $130,000 cost of overtime from the police investigation within seven days or potentially face new legal action.

Under fire, Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx said she believed Smollett was guilty and insisted he was treated the same way as many other low-level offenders.

"I cannot offer him the opportunity to forfeit his bond... if I didn't believe he is guilty," Foxx told Chicago television station WGN.

"I have an ethical obligation that, if I believe someone is not guilty, I have to drop the charges without condition," she said.

"This wasn't about the integrity of the case."

But skeptics remain unconvinced, especially as details of the case were sealed.

"Isn't it a hopeful sign for America that regardless of your race or sexual orientation, all rich famous people get off easily?" late-night comic Stephen Colbert quipped.
Nairobi (AFP) - A quarter of a million Somali refugees face violence back home if Kenya continues with plans to shut the vast Dadaab camp, rights groups warned Thursday.

Kenya has submitted plans to shut the camp complex located in the east of the country near Somali border by August, according to internal UN documents.

"Many Somali refugees are themselves victims of violence, from which they fled to seek protection," said Otsieno Namwaya from Human Rights Watch, adding that the plan "threatens the rights and safety" of the people.

"Forcing them to go back to face violence or persecution would be inhumane and a violation of Kenya's legal obligations," Namwaya added.

Amnesty International said Kenya should look for solutions, including integration into Kenyan society and resettlement to third countries.

The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said in a document seen by AFP it was committed to working with the government on voluntary repatriation to countries of origin, relocating refugees to other parts of Kenya and resettlement to third countries.

A Kenyan foreign ministry official confirmed to AFP on condition of anonymity that government had sent a note to the UNHCR advising them of the closure of the camp, but would not discuss the matter further.

"Kenya courts a humanitarian disaster and international criticism if it intends to forcibly return hundreds of thousands of refugees to Somalia without proper consultation, planning and regard for their safety," Kenya's Amnesty chief Irungu Houghton said.

Dadaab is home to some 230,000 people. The vast majority of them are Somalis who fled civil war in 1991. Many have lived there ever since.

For many years Dadaab was the world's largest refugee camp -- with once as many as 580,000 residents -- although it is now far smaller and dwarfed in size by Cox's Bazaar in Bangladesh, home to some 600,000 people fleeing Myanmar.

Kenya, which sent troops into Somalia in 2011 following a spate of kidnappings by Somali-led Al-Shabaab insurgents, claims the camp is a security risk. Kenya's military remains in Somalia, prompting revenge attacks by the Al-Qaeda-linked Shabaab in Kenya.

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Kenya has moved to shut the camp before.

In May 2016, Kenya decided to close the camp, and tens of thousands of refugees returned to Somalia under a repatriation package.

However, many encountered drought, hunger and dire conditions in a country destroyed by decades of conflict, where five million lack enough food, and where war continues.

A year later, Kenya's High Court ruled the plan to close the camp was unconstitutional.
By Rachit Vats and Sanjana Shivdas (Reuters) - Southwest Airlines Co on Wednesday was the first major U.S. airline to formally cut its financial outlook for the year after being forced to pull its new fleet of 34 Boeing 737 MAX planes out of service. The Dallas, Texas-based airline, which has struggled with maintenance problems and a harsh U.S. winter, estimates it will have canceled 9,400 flights between mid-February and March 31, reducing growth in its number of available seats to just 1 percent compared to a year ago. That compared with a forecast of around 3.5 percent to 4 percent in late January. The reduction also led it to cut growth in another closely-watched measure - revenue per available seat mile (RASM) - by a full percentage point. Overall it estimated it would lose $150 million in revenue in the quarter compared to previous expectations. "(We) experienced softness in passenger demand and bookings related to the government shutdown, resulting in an estimated $60 million negative revenue impact in first quarter 2019," Southwest said. "Trends have also been negatively impacted by more winter weather disruptions than expected, unscheduled maintenance disruptions, further softness in leisure-oriented passenger demand and yields, and the MAX groundings." Southwest also now estimates first-quarter unit costs to increase about 10 percent, compared with its previous forecast of about 6 percent because of flight cancellations. This figure excludes fuel costs and profit-sharing expenses. U.S. airlines and manufacturers, along with Wall Street, have been slow to estimate losses from the fallout of the Ethiopian Airlines crash on March 10, which killed 157 and led to the worldwide grounding of Boeing's new MAX jets. Southwest said of its expected cancellations, about 3,800 would be weather-related and about 2,800 due to unscheduled maintenance disruptions and the grounding of the 737 MAX 8. Its larger rival, American Airlines, has so far said only that it was cancelling around 90 flights per day as a result of the grounding of its own 24 Boeing 737 MAX planes. No. 3 U.S. carrier United Airlines has 14 of the planes. United Airlines and Air Canada had earlier warned of a hit to their business due to the groundings, with the Canadian carrier suspending its 2019 financial forecasts. "The impacts associated with the MAX are contained to Southwest, American, and United, though are most acute for Southwest per today's update," Morgan Stanley analyst Rajeev Lalwani said. Airlines shares, including those of Southwest, were up in late afternoon trading on optimism that the worst is over for the 737 MAX now that Boeing has put forward a plan for fixing the aircraft. TOUGH APRIL FOR AIRLINES Boeing is this week briefing airlines on software and training updates for the MAX, with more than 200 airline pilots, technical experts and regulators from around the world due to visit the Renton, Washington, facility where the 737 is assembled. As well as approval from the Federal Aviation Administration, any MAX software fixes will need a green light from governments around the world, which could take months. While shares of the world's biggest plane manufacturer have fallen around 12 percent since the March 10 crash, Wall Street has been slow to predict major financial implications. "(Our) base case is a multiple-month grounding punctuated by a manageable fix; meaning the stock can resume its move into the $400s with a path to more than $500," analysts from U.S. bank Citi said. Another analyst, Cai von Rumohr, said most of the immediate impact on airlines was likely to be in March and April given the leisure-oriented spring break travel period. "We still see a tough Q1, marred by the government shutdown, weather, and MAX grounding; and Q2 will be affected through at least April, probably longer," he said. Boeing shares were down about 1 percent at $367.82 on Wednesday. (Reporting by Rachit Vats and Sanjana Shivdas in Bengaluru; Editing by Patrick Graham, Bernard Orr)
Next-generation wars are likely to shift from the Earth to outer space. Weaponization of space or the arms race for the outer space is gradually picking up pace. On Mar 27, India became the fourth nation of the world with military space capabilities. The other three countries are the United States, Russia and China.



Indias Mission Shakti



On Mar 27, India conducted Mission Shakti, an anti-satellite missile test, from Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam Island launch complex. This was a critical military mission carried out by Indias Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO).



The anti-satellite test was successful as a missile developed by indigenous technology hit a low-orbit satellite of the country. The DRDO confirmed that the test achieved all objectives. The significance of the test is that India will now be able to intercept and destroy a satellite in outer space.



Global Pursuit of Space Weaponization



In February 2019, U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) published an extensive report about military expansion in space by China and Russia. The report revealed that China is conducting sophisticated satellite operations and could be testing on-orbit dual-use technologies for space missions.



The report also cited an instance when China destroyed a weather satellite in 2007 using an anti-satellite missile. Therefore, U.S. satellites used for navigation, early warnings and communication might be susceptible to attacks.



In October 2018, CNBC cited an U.S. intelligence report that Russia is preparing for an anti-satellite weapon that will be ready for warfare by 2022. It claimed it had a photograph of a never-before-seen missile on a Russian MiG-31 interceptor as proof.



The Trump administration is aggressively pursuing a new space-based missile defense system. Given the geopolitical tensions between the United States and countries such as Russia and China that are developing space weapon systems, Pentagons new defense technologies in space could be appropriate.



Last year, the U.S. Congress approved $11.5 billion for the Missile Defense Agency, an increase of $3.6 billion, or 46%, from the Trump administrations May 2017 initial budget request. In addition, the Congress provided $1.3 billion in extra funds for the purchase of additional interceptors for the Navys Aegis missile defense program and the Armys Theater High Altitude Area Defense system.



In addition to Russia and China, threats from North Korea and Iran make it imperative to develop space-based interceptors, since these can not only help in identifying enemy missiles but also destroy them in the first few minutes of flight.



Who Will Gain?



At this stage, major aerospace defense product (especially missile) developers are likely to gain. Here we have narrowed down our search to four stocks with strong footing in the defense sector.



Lockheed Martin Corp. LMT a security and aerospace company engages in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration, and sustainment of technology systems, products, and services worldwide.



Its Missiles and Fire Control segment provides air and missile defense systems; tactical missiles and air-to-ground precision strike weapon systems; logistics; fire control systems; mission operations support, readiness, engineering support, and integration services; manned and unmanned ground vehicles; and energy management solutions.



The stock carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) and a VGM Score of B. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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The company has an expected earnings growth rate of 7% for the current quarter. Lockheed Martin delivered average positive earnings surprise of 12.5% in the last four quarters.



Northrop Grumman Corp. NOC a security company, provides products in the areas of autonomous systems, cyber, space, strikes, and logistics and modernizations in the United States, the Asia Pacific, and internationally.



Its Mission Systems segment provides space systems; intelligence processing systems; air and missile defense integration systems; navigation systems; and shipboard missiles and encapsulated payload launch systems. The Innovation segment offers missile products and defense electronics.



The stock carries a Zacks Rank #3 and has a VGM Score of A. The company has an expected earnings growth rate of 9.3% for the current quarter. Northrop Grumman delivered a positive earnings surprise of 19.9% in the last four quarters.



Raytheon Co. RTN is a technology and innovation leader specializing in advanced and integrated products, services and solutions.



Its Military Systems segment develops and supports weapon systems comprising missiles, smart munitions, close-in weapon systems, projectiles, kinetic kill vehicles, directed energy effectors, and combat sensor solutions.



The stock carries a Zacks Rank #3 and has a VGM Score of A. The company has an expected earnings growth rate of 13.6% for the current year. Raytheon came up with a positive earnings surprise of 6.9% in the last four quarters.



General Dynamics Corp. GD is a global aerospace and defense company that offers a broad portfolio of products and services in business aviation; combat vehicles, weapons systems and munitions; IT services and C4ISR solutions; and shipbuilding and ship repair.



Its Mission Systems segment offers mission-critical C4ISR products and systems, such as space, intelligence, and cyber systems, ground systems and products, and naval, air and electronic systems.



The stock carries a Zacks Rank #3 and has a VGM Score of A. The company has an expected earnings growth rate of 4.5% for the current year. General Dynamics delivered a positive earnings surprise of 19.9% in the last four quarters.

The chart below shows price performance of our four picks year to date.





Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2019



In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-holds for the year?



Who wouldn't? Our annual Top 10s have beaten the market with amazing regularity. In 2018, while the market dropped -5.2%, the portfolio scored well into double-digits overall with individual stocks rising as high as +61.5%. And from 2012-2017, while the market boomed +126.3, Zacks' Top 10s reached an even more sensational +181.9%.



See Latest Stocks Today >>



Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report



General Dynamics Corporation (GD) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Northrop Grumman Corporation (NOC) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Raytheon Company (RTN) : Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment Research
The board of directors of the African Development Bank (AfDB) group approved a 268 million financing to phase II of the Industrialization Acceleration Support Program in Morocco (PAAIM II), the financial institution announced on Wednesday.

The objective of this program is to promote Moroccos industrial acceleration through the deployment of industrial ecosystems, the improvement of the competitiveness of operators in the sector and the financing of first-class industrial economic activities, the AfDB said in a statement.

The PAAIM II is a support to reforms through its complementarity with the Banks other areas of intervention, particularly in terms of infrastructure financing, which strengthens the countrys logistical competitiveness with greater availability of liquidity from financial institutions, the statement explained.

The second phase of the PAAIM will make it possible to consolidate what has been achieved. This is a decisive step towards Moroccos successful industrialization, which will bring the Banks overall financing to the PAAIM to more than 430 million since 2017, said AfDB managing director for the North Africa region, Mohamed El Azizi.

This operation will promote the development of new integrated ecosystems, bringing the level of industrial integration to 60% and will contribute to facilitate access to industrial land at competitive prices, the AfDB added.

A portal will be created to simplify all administrative procedures for exporting companies, it said.

The PAAIM II is expected to contribute to bringing the total number of guarantees for very small and medium-sized enterprises to 11,000 in 2020 and to facilitate the financing of projects promoted by SMEs and SMIs managed by women.

This operation will help improve Moroccos industrial competitiveness and strengthen its integration into African and global value chains, said Leila Farah Mokaddem, the Banks country manager in Morocco.

The AfDBs support to PAAIM is aligned with two of the Banks High 5 goals, namely industrializing Africa and improving the quality of life of the people in Africa.

PAAIM is part of Moroccos Industrial Acceleration Plan 2014-2020, which aims to achieve greater productive diversification to increase the share of industry in the countrys gross domestic product by 9 percentage points.
Want to participate in a research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and earn a $60 gift card!

Many investors are still learning about the various metrics that can be useful when analysing a stock. This article is for those who would like to learn about Return On Equity (ROE). We'll use ROE to examine Spirax-Sarco Engineering plc (LON:SPX), by way of a worked example.

Over the last twelve months Spirax-Sarco Engineering has recorded a ROE of 29%. One way to conceptualize this, is that for each 1 of shareholders' equity it has, the company made 0.29 in profit.

View our latest analysis for Spirax-Sarco Engineering

How Do I Calculate ROE?

The formula for return on equity is:

Return on Equity = Net Profit  Shareholders' Equity

Or for Spirax-Sarco Engineering:

29% = UK223m  UK767m (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2018.)

Most readers would understand what net profit is, but its worth explaining the concept of shareholders equity. It is the capital paid in by shareholders, plus any retained earnings. You can calculate shareholders' equity by subtracting the company's total liabilities from its total assets.

What Does Return On Equity Signify?

ROE measures a company's profitability against the profit it retains, and any outside investments. The 'return' is the profit over the last twelve months. That means that the higher the ROE, the more profitable the company is. So, as a general rule, a high ROE is a good thing. That means ROE can be used to compare two businesses.

Does Spirax-Sarco Engineering Have A Good Return On Equity?

One simple way to determine if a company has a good return on equity is to compare it to the average for its industry. The limitation of this approach is that some companies are quite different from others, even within the same industry classification. As you can see in the graphic below, Spirax-Sarco Engineering has a higher ROE than the average (12%) in the Machinery industry.

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LSE:SPX Past Revenue and Net Income, March 28th 2019

That's clearly a positive. We think a high ROE, alone, is usually enough to justify further research into a company. For example, I often check if insiders have been buying shares .

How Does Debt Impact ROE?

Companies usually need to invest money to grow their profits. That cash can come from retained earnings, issuing new shares (equity), or debt. In the case of the first and second options, the ROE will reflect this use of cash, for growth. In the latter case, the use of debt will improve the returns, but will not change the equity. That will make the ROE look better than if no debt was used.

Combining Spirax-Sarco Engineering's Debt And Its 29% Return On Equity

Spirax-Sarco Engineering has a debt to equity ratio of 0.55, which is far from excessive. Its ROE is very impressive, and given only modest debt, this suggests the business is high quality. Careful use of debt to boost returns is often very good for shareholders. However, it could reduce the company's ability to take advantage of future opportunities.

In Summary

Return on equity is one way we can compare the business quality of different companies. Companies that can achieve high returns on equity without too much debt are generally of good quality. If two companies have around the same level of debt to equity, and one has a higher ROE, I'd generally prefer the one with higher ROE.

But when a business is high quality, the market often bids it up to a price that reflects this. Profit growth rates, versus the expectations reflected in the price of the stock, are a particularly important to consider. So you might want to check this FREE visualization of analyst forecasts for the company.

But note: Spirax-Sarco Engineering may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with high ROE and low debt.

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.
Taiwan plans to ramp up punishments for those who cause a fatal accident while drunk driving, including the death penalty for the most egregious cases, sparking an outcry from abolition and rights groups.

The cabinet on Thursday approved a draft amendment to the Criminal Code that would make death by drunk driving an indictable murder offence, potentially punishable by death if the deed is deemed "intentional", officials said.

The proposal needs parliamentary approval but comes after a spate of high profile deaths that have generated widespread outrage.

Currently the maximum sentence in Taiwan for causing a death while drunk behind the wheel is 10 years.

The new proposal would increase jail sentences for repeat offenders who commit a new offence within five years of their first conviction.

They face up to a life sentence for causing a death and 12 years for grave injuries.

"Cases of drunk driving leading to death are rampant... drink drivers recklessly caused accidents that took lives and destroyed families to result in irreparable regret," the Justice Ministry said in a statement.

In one notorious case in January, a 40-year-old man crashed his van into a taxi while driving intoxicated, killing three people and injuring three others including himself.

Very few countries employ the death penalty for drunk driving cases.

China has previously vowed to execute those who have killed behind the wheel and some states in the United States retain capital punishment for such cases.

In 2014 a Texas man was indicted on "capital murder" after he ploughed his car into a crowd killing four people.

But in the end prosecutors did not seek the death penalty and he was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Several rights groups on Thursday, including the Taiwan Association for Human Rights, issued a joint statement criticising the proposed amendment and calling for "rational legislation for irrational drunk driving".

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"There is a lack of evidence and research that seeking grave penalties and legislation would truly prevent drunk driving," the statement said.

Taiwan resumed capital punishment in 2010 after a five-year hiatus, despite ongoing calls from local and international rights groups for its abolition.

Various surveys over the years have shown support from the public for keeping the death penalty.

Taiwan executed a man who murdered his ex-wife and their daughter last September, the first execution carried out under President Tsai Ing-wen's government that took office in 2016.
A schoolboy has been cautioned after he was arrested amid claims he waterboarded a Syrian pupil (Picture: SWNS)

A schoolboy arrested amid claims he waterboarded a 15-year-old Syrian pupil has been handed a caution, police said.

The unnamed 16-year-old was arrested after footage emerged of the Syrian boy being dragged to the floor and held down by his throat before having water poured over his face.

The alleged incident took place on October 25 at Almondbury Community School in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, which has since been criticised in a report by Ofsted for ineffective safeguarding.

The incident took place in October last year, with footage going viral online (Picture: SWNS)

Following his arrest, the boy was interviewed and then summoned to court for a section 39 assault offence in November last year.

A review of the case investigated whether there was a racially aggravated element to the offence but on Thursday West Yorkshire Police said the CPS had found there was not sufficient evidence to charge the teen with a racially aggravated assault.

A statement from the force said: On 26 October 2018, West Yorkshire Police received a report from a 15-year-old male that he had been assaulted at school by a named 16-year-old male, the previous day (25 October 2018).

Included in the report received by police was the video evidence of the incident, which has been widely circulated in the media and on social media.

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The suspect was interviewed by police. Upon completion of the investigation, it was reviewed by the Youth Offending Team, the suspect was reported for summons for section 39 assault.

However, following significant media coverage about the incident, West Yorkshire Police has received further intelligence and evidence and a review of the case was undertaken to investigate whether there was a racially aggravated element to the offence.

The incident led to meetings between community leaders and the school (Picture: SWNS)

The statement said a file had been submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for their consideration, adding: The CPS has concluded that there was not sufficient evidence to charge the suspect with a racially aggravated assault and he was given a caution for a section 39 assault.

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The victim and his family has been kept updated throughout the process and has been updated on the CPSs decision.

Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK
Yasmin Behbehani had just walked into her third-period health class when her friend asked her if she had seen the list.

Theres a list of the girls names, her friend Nicky Schmidt, a fellow senior at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School in Maryland, said. And were ranked.

Behbehani didnt want to see the list, or know whether she was on it. She had spent the past four years recovering from an eating disorder, working hard to avoid comparing herself with others, she said. But by her sixth-period class on that Monday earlier this month, a text message appeared on her phone with a screenshot of the list, typed out on the iPhone Notes app.

It included the names of 18 girls in the Bethesda-Chevy Chase High Schools International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, ranked and rated on the basis of their looks, from 5.5 to 9.4, with decimal points to the hundredth place. There, with a number beside it, was Behbehanis name.

A group of male students in their program created the list more than a year ago, but it resurfaced earlier this month, through text messages and whispers during class. One male classmate, seeing the name of his good friend Nicky Schmidt on the list, told her about it, and within 24 hours, dozens of girls had heard about the list.

Lists like this one had silently circulated among teen boys for generations, and it has happened in more recent years at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, too, the students said. But it was happening now, in the era of the #MeToo movement. Women had been standing up to harassment in workplaces and on college campuses and the high school girls, who had been witnessing this empowerment, decided they werent going to let the issue slide.

They felt violated, objectified by classmates they considered their friends. They felt uncomfortable getting up to go to the bathroom, worried that the boys might be scanning them and editing their decimal points, said Lee Schwartz, one of the other senior girls on the list.

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Knowing that my closest friends were talking to me and hanging out with me but under that, silently numbering me, it definitely felt like a betrayal, Schwartz said. I was their friend, but I guess also a number.

But there is power in numbers, too. Dozens of senior girls decided to speak up to the school administration and to their male classmates, demanding not only disciplinary action in response to the list but a school-wide reckoning about the toxic culture that allowed it to happen.

It was the last straw, for us girls, of this boys will be be boys culture, Behbehani said. Were the generation that is going to make a change.

That same Monday, a group of girls reported the list to an administrator, who encouraged the students not to talk about it around school, Schmidt said. The next day, the girls learned that after an investigation, school officials decided to discipline one male student with in-school detention for one day, which would not show up on his record.

Bethesda-Chevy Chase Principal Donna Redmond Jones said an investigation revealed the list was made during school hours, and that there was definitely discipline applied, in line with the districts code of conduct, but that she could not give any more information due to privacy concerns.

Unsatisfied with the disciplinary action, Schmidt texted about 15 girls she knew, and told them to tell all of their friends to show up at the schools main office the next day during lunch, to tell them we feel unsafe in this environment and we are tired of this toxicity, Schmidt wrote in her text.

About 40 senior girls showed up, packing into an assistant principals office as Schmidt read a statement she had written.

We want to know what the school is doing to ensure our safety and security, Schmidt said. We should be able to learn in an environment without the constant presence of objectification and misogyny.

The girls and administrators agreed that they should have a large meeting with the male students in the program, including the boys who created and circulated the list. That Friday, on International Womens Day, almost all of the students in the IB program  about 80 students  met in a large conference room for what was supposed to be a 45-minute meeting during fifth period.

Instead, the meeting lasted two-and-a-half hours. Several girls delivered personal and impassioned speeches describing not only their presence on the list, but also their previous experiences with sexual abuse, harassment, and objectification, both inside the school and outside of it.

I feel it when walking home from school, I get catcalled by a man in a truck who repeatedly asks me to get in his car, and follows me home when I dont, said Rose Frank, one of the senior girls on the list, reading from a letter she had prepared. I feel it when my mother tells me that my third ear piercing will send the wrong message in a workplace setting, and that in the future its best to let my hair down for job interviews.

Sitting towards the centre of the room during the meeting was the male student credited with creating the list, an 18-year-old senior in the IB program. After listening to all of the girls speeches, many of which were directed specifically to him, he stood up and spoke to the group, admitting to making the list and apologising for the hurt it caused.

It was quite intense, being so directly confronted in front of so many people for so long, the student recalled in an interview with The Washington Post, speaking on the condition of anonymity out of fear of the repercussions he could face.

He recalled coming up with the list  which began in the 5 range for girls perceived to be average-looking  during a brief conversation with a friend during a fifth-period English class last year. He said he never distributed the list to anyone else in the grade, and he didnt know how it began circulating earlier this month. But he took responsibility for what he said was a haphazard, stupid decision.

When you have a culture where its just normal to talk about that, I guess making a list about it doesnt seem like such a terrible thing to do, because youre just used to discussing it, he said in an interview. I recognise that Im in a position in this world generally where I have privilege. Im a white guy at a very rich high school. Its easy for me to lose sight of the consequences of my actions and kind of feel like Im above something.

While he regrets making the list, he said he was grateful that the girls spoke up. Its just a different time and things really do need to change, he said. This memory is not going to leave me anytime soon.

Since that confrontational meeting, a co-ed group of senior students  including the boy who created the list  have been gathering on an almost weekly basis at lunch time to discuss how to prevent this sort of incident from happening again.

Jones, the school principal, said she has been proud to see the students take the lead on the meetings since the list emerged. It takes bravery, it takes being vulnerable, it takes a sense of forgiveness, she said.

The Bethesda-Chevy Chase students are planning a day next month in which pairs of students  one senior girl and one senior guy  will go to the younger students classes to talk about toxic masculinity, said Gabriella Capizzi, one of the senior girls taking the lead on the campaign.

Some students are also organising a pop-up museum focused on the theme of cultural toxicity. While the event was planned before the list circulated, it has now taken on a new meaning, said Gloria Karekezi, a 17-year-old senior who is working on an exhibit and who has been a part of the ongoing efforts to speak up about the list.

With the two months of high school they have left, the seniors hope to set a precedent for the younger grades, Capizzi said.

I wasnt surprised by the list, Capizzi said. The kids like the kid who made the list arent the outliers. Its the people who speak up about it that are. And that culture needs to change.

Washington Post
In the past five trading days, telecom stocks witnessed a downtrend as uncertainty regarding trade negotiations lingered amid fears of a potential U.S. recession. Although key issues relating to forced technology transfer and subsidies of state-owned enterprises by China apparently remained unresolved, the latest hurdle seems to be a unilateral U.S. insistence to re-impose tariffs if the deal is abrogated. To add to the woes, falling U.S. Treasury bond yields suggest difficult economic times ahead.



As the United States and China seem eager to walk the extra mile to reach a consensus decision that honors domestic obligations as well as international commitments, negotiations continue to iron out the differences. The U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer are scheduled to travel to Beijing later this week to meet a Chinese delegation led by Vice Premier Liu He for further discussions. In addition to some sticking points on subsidies, cyber theft, public sector enterprises, IP rights and so-called forcible technology transfers, the biggest stumbling block appears to be a firm U.S. stance to re-impose tariffs unilaterally if China revokes on the trade agreement. Although China has reportedly agreed to periodic meetings at the levels of office director, vice minister and minister to keep a tab on its deal commitments, it is resisting to univocal U.S. powers and its inability to retaliate with its own punitive measures.



As the industry awaits further clarity on policy issues and its aftereffect with no official statement release, there remains an element of uncertainty in the domestic market. Meanwhile, the yield on the 10-year Treasury bond was lower than the three-month Treasury bill, a condition known as an inverted yield curve, speculating fears of a recession. Although a healthy American labor market with rising wages allayed the alarm bells, concern regarding a possible market correction remained a latent threat.



Among other developments, the bill introduced by the Democratic lawmakers in the House and Senate to reinstate the net neutrality rules that the Federal Communications Commission had repealed in 2017, passed through a subcommittee markup, paving the way for a full vote in the House of Representatives in April. Titled Save the Internet Act, the bill aims to discourage blocking or throttling content and consider Internet access as a utility under Title II of the Communications Act. Although it is expected to pass the House, stiff resistance is apprehended in the Senate where Republicans hold the majority. Moreover, the bill is likely to be vetoed by Trump as he had been vocally skeptical of net neutrality in the past.



In the meantime, leading domestic telecom players have joined forces to clamp down on robocalls or unwanted phone calls by aiming to set up updated technology by the end of the year. These include free spam detection and blocking app to the introduction of new tool for the identification of spoofed calls. Such strategic moves seem to be the call of the hour to strengthen the market position as Huawei, Chinas leading smartphone and communication equipment manufacturer, recorded strong sales year to date. Despite negative publicity and U.S. advice to allied countries to shun Huawei, revenues jumped 36% over the first two months of 2019, underlining its strength in smartphone, computing and communications networks businesses.



Regarding company-specific news, strategic restructuring, acquisition, divestment and collaborations primarily took the center stage over the past five trading days.



Recap of the Weeks Most Important Stories



1. AT&T Inc. T has averted a potential blackout of Viacom Inc. channels like MTV, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central in DirecTV by inking a renewed contract well past the official deadline. The deal has put to rest potential conflicts between the two powerhouses that jeopardized the uninterrupted delivery of popular shows and contents across the telecom carrier's pay TV service.



The two companies continued their negotiations past the set deadline of Mar 22 midnight to stave off a shutdown, and a deal for an undisclosed amount was finally reached. (Read more: AT&T Averts Viacom Blackout in DirecTV With Renewed Contract)



2. As the digital barriers between wireless telecom and cable firms seem to blur with a consolidated product portfolio, various companies from these two industries are stepping into each others territory to tap a niche market. T-Mobile US, Inc. TMUS is the latest to follow this trend. The company has launched a pilot home broadband Internet service for rural and underserved markets to disrupt the cable industry.



T-Mobile has rolled out the pilot project for existing customers on an invitation-only basis due to LTE network and spectrum capacity constraints and intends to reach about 50,000 rural and underserved U.S. households by the end of this year. Although this represents a small fraction of the entire population (about 0.04%), the carrier expects to amplify its coverage to extend service to more than half of U.S. households (approximately 9.5 million) by 2024 through Sprint Corporation S merger. (Read more: T-Mobile Launches Home Broadband to Disrupt Cable Industry)



3. Ericsson ERIC has inked a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with South Korean wireless telecommunications operator SK Telecom to help drive the evolution of 5G network in the country. At the same time, the company has secured a deal from South Korea's largest telecom firm KT to support its transition to 5G network as local operators target 5G launch in the country in April 2019.



The MoU focuses on the development of more agile and programmable 5G standalone core network that efficiently manages growth with automation and simplified operations. (Read more: Ericsson Gears Up for South Korea 5G Launch With Local Firms)



4. Nokia Corporation NOK announced that it has inked a deal with A1  a leading Austrian fixed and mobile network operator  to expand next-generation 5G mobile communications in the European country. Financial terms of the contract were not disclosed.



The agreement strengthens the long-standing partnership between A1 and the Finnish telecom equipment supplier, which has seen the successful expansion of 3G, 4G/LTE mobile networks and roll-out of Austrias largest fiber-optic network. (Read more: Nokia Partners A1 to Build 5G Mobile Networks in Austria)



5. Recently, TELUS Corporation TU announced that it is going to invest $95 million in wireless and fiber optic networks across rural communities in Greater Quebec City and Eastern Quebec this year. Notably, this amount includes a contribution of $25.7 million from the federal Connect to Innovate and provincial Quebec branche programs to help modernize networks.



The move is aimed at fostering the companys deployment of ultra-high-speed and fiber optic networks to 34,000 new families and businesses in 80 remote locations. (Read more: TELUS to Invest $95 Million in Quebec for Upgrading Network)



Price Performance



The following table shows the price movement of some of the major telecom stocks over the past week and during the past six months.

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In the past five trading days, Verizon Communications was the biggest gainer with its share price increasing 5.3% while Sprint was the largest decliner with its stock down 4.1%.



Over the past six months, SBA Communications has been the best performer with its stock appreciating 18.8% while Qualcomm declined the most with its shares falling 27.6%.



Over the past six months, the Zacks Telecommunications Services industry has declined 0.7% compared with the the S&P 500s fall of 3.9%.





Whats Next in the Telecom Space?



In addition to product launches and deployment of 5G technologies, all eyes will remain glued to how the United States and China continue their negotiations for a long-term solution to the trade war.



Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2019



In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-holds for the year?



Who wouldn't? Our annual Top 10s have beaten the market with amazing regularity. In 2018, while the market dropped -5.2%, the portfolio scored well into double-digits overall with individual stocks rising as high as +61.5%. And from 2012-2017, while the market boomed +126.3, Zacks' Top 10s reached an even more sensational +181.9%.



See Latest Stocks Today >>



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Ericsson (ERIC) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Nokia Corporation (NOK) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Sprint Corporation (S) : Free Stock Analysis Report



TELUS Corporation (TU) : Free Stock Analysis Report



AT&T Inc. (T) : Free Stock Analysis Report



T-Mobile US, Inc. (TMUS) : Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
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This article is written for those who want to get better at using price to earnings ratios (P/E ratios). We'll show how you can use Fujian Holdings Limited's (HKG:181) P/E ratio to inform your assessment of the investment opportunity. Based on the last twelve months, Fujian Holdings's P/E ratio is 25.61. That corresponds to an earnings yield of approximately 3.9%.

View our latest analysis for Fujian Holdings

How Do You Calculate A P/E Ratio?

The formula for price to earnings is:

Price to Earnings Ratio = Price per Share  Earnings per Share (EPS)

Or for Fujian Holdings:

P/E of 25.61 = HK$0.21  HK$0.0082 (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 HK$1 of company earnings. That isn't a good or a bad thing on its own, but a high P/E means that buyers have a higher opinion of the business's prospects, relative to stocks with a lower P/E.

How Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios

Earnings growth rates have a big influence on P/E ratios. Earnings growth means that in the future the 'E' will be higher. Therefore, even if you pay a high multiple of earnings now, that multiple will become lower in the future. Then, a lower P/E should attract more buyers, pushing the share price up.

Most would be impressed by Fujian Holdings earnings growth of 18% in the last year. And it has bolstered its earnings per share by 77% per year over the last five years. So one might expect an above average P/E ratio.

How Does Fujian Holdings's P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers?

The P/E ratio essentially measures market expectations of a company. The image below shows that Fujian Holdings has a higher P/E than the average (14.8) P/E for companies in the hospitality industry.

SEHK:181 Price Estimation Relative to Market, March 28th 2019

Its relatively high P/E ratio indicates that Fujian Holdings shareholders think it will perform better than other companies in its industry classification. Clearly the market expects growth, but it isn't guaranteed. So investors should delve deeper. I like to check if company insiders have been buying or selling.

Story continues

Remember: P/E Ratios Don't Consider The Balance Sheet

It's important to note that the P/E ratio considers the market capitalization, not the enterprise value. Thus, the metric does not reflect cash or debt held by the company. Hypothetically, a company could reduce its future P/E ratio by spending its cash (or taking on debt) to achieve higher earnings.

Such expenditure might be good or bad, in the long term, but the point here is that the balance sheet is not reflected by this ratio.

Fujian Holdings's Balance Sheet

Fujian Holdings has net cash of HK$50m. That should lead to a higher P/E than if it did have debt, because its strong balance sheets gives it more options.

The Bottom Line On Fujian Holdings's P/E Ratio

Fujian Holdings trades on a P/E ratio of 25.6, which is above the HK market average of 11.2. Its strong balance sheet gives the company plenty of resources for extra growth, and it has already proven it can grow. So it does not seem strange that the P/E is above average.

Investors should be looking to buy stocks that the market is wrong about. People often underestimate remarkable growth -- so investors can make money when fast growth is not fully appreciated. We don't have analyst forecasts, but you might want to assess this data-rich visualization of earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Of course you might be able to find a better stock than Fujian Holdings. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have grown earnings strongly.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.



If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
Abattoirs could be hit badly by EU worker fees. Photo: Andrew Milligan/PA Archive/PA Images

Tens of thousands of EU workers could be forced to pay hundreds of pounds to keep their jobs in the UK meat industry under a no-deal Brexit, a government minister has admitted.

Environment secretary Michael Gove said the government would not cover the cost of licensing migrant workers in slaughterhouses, but the bill could cost British meat processors millions of pounds if they were forced to pick up the tab.

Gove defended charging EU migrants 220 ($264) for new certificates to continue working in the UK if Britain leaves the EU without a deal, as their European documents may no longer be legally recognised.

Asked by MPs on the environment and rural affairs committee today if such fees were reasonable, he said they were fairbefore adding that in many cases employers would pay.

50,000 migrant workers in UK meat industry

The UKs meat industry is heavily reliant on migrant labour from the EU, with 69% of its 75,000 workers reported to be from other European countries.

The total bill could run to 11.6m if it affected all of the migrant workforce of more than 50,000 employees.

It would be a significant blow to meat processing firms if they had to fork out for the fees themselves, with many operating on thin margins. But Gove ruled out the idea the government should cover such costs in a blanket fashion.

READ MORE: Brexit effect sees 7,000 London jobs moved overseas

One MP warned some workers would be unable or unwilling to pay and could leave their jobs, worsening staff shortages in a sector already fearful of losing EU nationals because of Brexit.

Independent Group MP Angela Smith warned Gove at an evidence session of the committee today: Many may just decide to go back home. That would create an immediate problem on day one, would it not?

Gove said he believed slaughterhouses would still have enough staff, but when Smith pressed him on expecting employers to take the wrap he merely replied: As Ive said a number of times before, there are costs to a no-deal exit that all of us need to contemplate.

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Exodus of EU workers

The British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) has already warned Brexit could severely hurt the industry in other ways.

The trade body says an exodus of EU workers has already begun because of uncertainty over their future and the falling value of their earnings since the pound slid after the referendum in 2016.

Workers are also being lured into other sectors such as manufacturing, warehouses and delivery work because of record levels of employment, higher wages and less challenging working conditions, according to the BMPA.

It argues many processors try to recruit local people through social media, job fairs and apprenticeships paid above the minimum wage, but have struggled to attract them.

Struggle to recruit British staff

British workers are widely put off by the physical demands of the work and an obvious aversion to the slaughter process, the sectors representatives say.

The governments plans to introduce a 30,000 salary threshold for all skilled EU migrants after Brexit are seen as a final kick in the teeth for the industry.

The majority of EU workers in the sector are unskilled, while the BMPA says many skilled butchers would not earn enough to qualify  and margins as low as 1% make it difficult to pay higher wages.

European laws which ensure EU nationals qualifications are recognised in Britain will no longer apply if the UK crashes out of the bloc without a deal on 12 April.

In an alarming sign for many other professionals working in the UK with EU qualifications or licences, Gove also failed to rule out the possibility they may also have to pay for new certification under a no-deal Brexit.

Presumably that means doctors and professors up and down Britain from the EU will be expected to pay for their own certification on exit day? asked Smith.

Gove said he could not comment.

READ MORE: Who are the winners and losers from no-deal Brexit tariffs?
On the eve of his visit to Morocco at the invitation of King Mohammed VI, Commander of the Faithful, Pope Francis expressed, on Thursday, his thanks to the Sovereign for this gracious invitation.

In a video message to the Moroccan people, Pope Francis says he is coming to the Kingdom as a pilgrim of peace and brotherhood, in a world that greatly needs it.

Pope Francis remarked that both Christians and Muslims believe in God the merciful Creator who created men and women, and placed them in the world so that they might live as brothers and sisters, respecting each others diversity and helping each other in their needs.

God entrusted to them the earth, our common home, to guard it responsibly and preserve it for future generations, he pointed out.

It will be a joy for me to share these convictions directly with you at the meeting we will have in Rabat, he said. Pope Francis underlined that this trip offered him the precious opportunity to visit the Christian community in Morocco and to encourage its journey.

The Pope also mentioned that he would be meeting with migrants, who, he said, together embody an appeal to build a world of greater justice and solidarity.

Immigration will actually be high on the agenda of Pope Francis, who is the first pope to visit the North African country in 35 years, after the visit to Pope Jean Paul II in 1985.

Pope Francis who had backed the United Nations Global Compact for Migration signed in Marrakech last December, will on Saturday meet migrants and deliver a speech at the Caritas Diocesan Centre.

Also, the Pope will hold a mass in a Rabat stadium on Sunday to be attended by up to 10,000 people, mostly sub-Saharan African students and migrants.

Interreligious dialogue will also feature high in the Popes talks in Morocco.

In this connection, Moroccan Foreign Minister, Nasser Bourita, highlighted the symbolism of the meeting between King Mohammed VI, Commander of the Faithful, and Pope Francis, scheduled for Saturday.

It is necessary to underline the symbolism of a meeting between the Pope and the Commander of the Faithful, two important religious leaders, Bourita said in a recent interview with French magazine Le Point.

The Pope comes to a country where the head of State has a special religious status and is not only Commander of Muslims. He has the responsibility to protect, to preserve, the three great monotheistic religions, Bourita said, explaining that this title of Commander of the Faithful has existed since the 9th century; it is a unique concept in the Muslim world.

The Popes visit takes place in a context marked by a loss of points of reference, Bourita said, noting that the two leaders personality, and vision are necessary in this particular moment when moderate voices have difficulty making themselves heard.
* Violence eases after late-night attacks

* Schools reopen on both sides of border

* Latest escalation began on Monday

* Egypt trying to cement calm

*

By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Jeffrey Heller

GAZA/JERUSALEM, March 27 (Reuters) - Schools reopened in southern Israel and traffic clogged Gaza's streets on Wednesday in signs of a pullback from the most serious escalation of cross-border fighting in months.

But while violence eased amid Egyptian mediation, Israeli forces and Palestinian militants were on hair-trigger footing, with rocket attacks from Gaza and Israeli air strikes in the enclave briefly resuming late on Tuesday after a day-long lull.

Despite dozens of rocket launchings and Israeli attacks, no deaths have been reported. Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile interceptors have destroyed some of the rockets and Palestinian militants vacated facilities targeted in the air strikes.

Towns in southern Israel, where rocket-warning sirens have disrupted daily life since the current round of fighting began on Monday, reopened classrooms. In Gaza, schools were also operating and cars filled the streets.

The Gaza frontier remained tense, however, with Israeli troops and tanks deployed along the border. Both Israel and Gaza's ruling Hamas militant group made clear that attacks by the other side would not be tolerated.

Even if the crisis subsides, it could shadow Israel's April 9 election, in which right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has campaigned on a tough security platform.

TENSIONS BUILDING

The latest fighting has added to tensions that were already building ahead of the first anniversary on March 30 of the start of weekly Gaza protests at the border. Some 200 Gazans have been killed and thousands wounded by Israeli fire during those protests, and one Israeli soldier has been killed.

Israel says its use of lethal force is meant to stop attempts to breach the border and launch attack on its troops and civilians.

The protesters are demanding the right to return to lands Palestinians fled or were forced to leave in Israel during fighting that accompanied its founding in 1948.

Story continues

Seven Israelis were injured in Monday's initial rocket attack that hit the village of Mishmeret, 120 km (75 miles) north of Gaza. No other casualties in Israel have been reported. Twelve Palestinians have been wounded by Israeli strikes, Gaza health officials said.

Egypt was expected to pursue further truce talks on Wednesday, said a Palestinian official involved in the efforts.

U.N. Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov told the Security Council on Tuesday he had been working with Egypt to secure a ceasefire and that a fragile calm had taken hold.

Security is a major issue for Netanyahu, in power for a decade and beset by corruption allegations that he denies. He is facing his strongest electoral challenge from a centrist coalition led by a former general.

In Dheisha refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, a 17-year-old Palestinian was shot dead by Israeli troops during clashes with stone-throwers, an ambulance service official said, identifying him as a volunteer wearing a paramedic uniform. The Israeli military had no immediate comment. (Additional reporting by Ali Sawafta; Writing by Jeffrey Heller; Editing by Maayan Lubell and Gareth Jones)
New York's financial regulator grants BitLicense #18. | Source: Shutterstock

By CCN.com: Backed by Paypal co-founder and pro-Bitcoin billionaire Peter Thiel, a crypto brokerage has received a BitLicense allowing it to do business in the state of New York.

Tagomi Trading, LLC, is the latest firm to receive the highly sought after green light from the Department of Financial Services. The New Jersey firm went through seven months of applications first.

Substantial Opportunity

Tagomi CEO and former Goldman Sachs executive Greg Tusar commented on the regulatory approval, saying Tagomi was eager to get started.

The executive said:

The number of clients that opens up in New York is quite a substantial opportunity. We definitely have a backlog of clients that we would like to onboard that we were waiting for this approval to move forward with.

The firm operates by taking trader orders and searching for the lowest price across multiple exchanges. Tagomi will also add margin trading, shorting, and lending features to the platform. Supported currencies include Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, and Litecoin  the firm has approval for additional currencies also.

Tagomi raised a total of $27.5 million from a number of investors including Pantera Capital, Peter Thiel Founders Fund, and BitOoda. BitOoda discussed the investment with CCN.

Read the full story on CCN.com.
The experience led the pair to adopt their two kids, Connor and Isabella, seen here in 1996. Source: Getty

Tom Cruise has banned his ex-wife Nicole Kidman from the wedding of their son Connor, who they adopted in the mid-1990s, during their marriage.

When Kidman split from Cruise in 2001, she also left the Church of Scientology, of which Cruise is an outspoken advocate.

Kidman and Cruise were married from December 1990 to August 2001.

Read more: Nicole Kidman opens up about her adult kids with ex Tom Cruise

Connor Cruise, 24, plans to marry his Italian girlfriend Silvia, who has reportedly been named the Scientologist Princess.

A source told Radar Online: Tom is behind this and what he wants is as good as law.

Tom made the call and Connor followed.

According to the source, Connor worships the ground his father walks on, and didnt want to disobey him.

Kidman and Cruise were both absent from her daughter Isabellas wedding to Max Parker in 2015.

Read more: Tom Cruises daughter Bella thanks her dad for everything in Scientology promo

Kidman married country signer Keith UIrban in 2006, and they have two daughters, Sunnie, 10 and Faith, 8.

Cruise also has a daughter Suri, 12, from his marriage to Katie Holmes. The couple married in 2006.

Kidman has denied rumours of a rift with her adopted children as she hasnt been seen with them, she caused a stir when she picked up an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in Limited Series or Movie in 2017.

The Australian actress, 51, gave an impassioned speech about her two daughters Sunnie, 10, and Faith, eight, with husband Keith Urban, but failed to mention Isabella and Connor.

She later told Australian magazine Who: They have made choices to be Scientologists and as a mother, its my job to love them.

And I am an example of that tolerance and thats what I believe  that no matter what your child does, the child has love and the child has to know there is available love and Im open here.




Donald Trump reportedly "doesn't want another single dollar" of additional relief funds going to Puerto Rico, which is still struggling amid the fallout from Hurricane Maria in 2017.

In a meeting with advisers in the Oval Office last month, the US president asked for ways to limit government financial support from going to the Caribbean island, according to The Washington post, who cited senior administration sources.

Mr Trump allegedly wanted more money going to the mainland, and that he only wanted to allocate funds that would fortify Puerto Rico's electric grid.

According to the newspaper, the billionaire has also privately signalled he will not approve any additional help to the island beyond food stamp money, which was drastically cut after Congress failed to vote for its reauthorisation earlier this month.

A senior administration official told the newspaper: "He doesn't want another single dollar going to the island."

[[gallery-0]]

It comes amid a battle over a long-delayed disaster aid bill that has become a top political priority for some of Mr Trump's Republican allies as it heads to the Senate floor this week.

At stake is $13.5bn (10.2bn) emergency relief legislation to help southern farmers, rebuild hurricane-damaged military bases, repair water systems, and assist victims of last year's California wildfires, among other purposes.

The measure has wide backing from both Democrats and Republicans and is perhaps most ardently backed by Trump loyalists such as senators David Perdue and Thom Tillis, who face potentially difficult re-election fights next year.

The White House, however, is unhappy with the bill and remains opposed to efforts by Democrats to make hurricane relief to Puerto Rico more generous.

Senate Republicans are supporting food aid to the devastated island and are working with top Democrats like Patrick Leahy of Vermont to try to speed passage of the measure by adding additional help for Puerto Rico.

Story continues

The House passed a companion $14.2bn (10.7bn) version of the legislation in January, but it got tangled up in the politics of the partial government shutdown and Mr Trump's demands for a wall along the US-Mexico border.

The measure is especially sought by lawmakers from southern states like Florida, Georgia and North Carolina, which were hit by hurricanes Michael and Florence last year.

There is also money to respond to floods in South Carolina, Nebraska, Iowa and other Midwestern states, an earthquake in Alaska, California wildfires, as well as Puerto Rico.

In an official position paper in January, the White House said the House bill was far too generous, objecting to almost $6bn (4.6bn) worth of the measure. But it stopped short of an outright veto threat, and aides say Mr Trump has since told Mr Perdue he would sign the Senate version of the bill, which mirrors the House plan in most respects.

For many lawmakers, passage is already overdue. Puerto Rico has already cut nutrition benefits by roughly 25 per cent amid the funding crunch and Georgia lawmakers warn that their farmers need help in the run-up to planting season.

"We are past the time when this should have gotten done. I have spoken with the president many times about this. His commitment to our farmers is unwavering," Mr Perdue said last month.

Mr Trump's commitment to aid to storm-ravaged Puerto Rico is in question, however.

Last fall, Mr Trump tweeted falsely that the government of Puerto Rico was using disaster aid funding to pay off its debt, and earlier this year Mr Trump reportedly contemplated trying to shift some of Puerto Rico's disaster aid to address disaster in the mainland US.

While Mr Trump supports $600m (454m) to maintain food stamp benefits in Puerto Rico, Capitol Hill aides say the White House is opposing more generous terms for delivery of disaster aid dollars and funding to rebuild antiquated water systems and make them more resilient to future storms.

Allies of Puerto Rico say Mr Trump treats the US territory worse than states that have endured far less devastating hurricane disasters.

"These folks are living under the American flag," said Democratic congressman Jose Serrano. "They should not be treated any differently than any other American citizen."

The Puerto Rican vote is an increasingly potent vote in Florida, an essential state to Mr Trump's re-election bid. Florida senator Rick Scott, a Trump ally, is a strong supporter of aid to the island.

"Puerto Rico's success is America's success and Puerto Rico's recovery is America's recovery," Mr Scott said in his maiden Senate speech earlier this year.

The measure represents leftover business from last year, but efforts to add it to a catchall spending bill fizzled last month. Advancing the measure on its own promises to be a delicate task and a test of divided government. It reconnects the main players in last month's successful negotiations on a catchall spending bill and border security measure.

That success has lawmakers and staff aides cautiously confident that talks between Senate appropriations committee Chairman Richard Shelby and top panel Democrat Patrick Leahy of Vermont will bear fruit and that the measure could pass the chamber by the end of the week.

If the legislative planets aligned just right, supporters hope, the Democratic-controlled House could simply pass the Senate bill and immediately ship it to Mr Trump, forgoing any need for time-consuming House-Senate conference talks.

Generally, the more disaster areas that are addressed in an emergency aid bill, the easier it is to pass. That seems to be true in this case, and the legislation could be helped as well because so many Trump-friendly areas were affected.

Tyndall Air Force Base on Florida's Panhandle took a direct hit from Hurricane Michael last October and Camp Lejeune in North Carolina took a big hit from Hurricane Florence. Communities in wildfire-ravaged northern California are eager for rebuilding help and thousands of homes in Alaska were damaged in last year's earthquake.

Additional reporting by AP
King Mohammed VI, Chairman of Al-Quds Committee, and King Abdullah II of Jordan have reiterated their full support to the Palestinian people for the recovery of all their legitimate rights, including their right to statehood.

This came in the joint statement issued at the end of the working and friendship visit King Abdullah II paid to Morocco on March 27-28 at the invitation of King Mohammed VI.

The two leaders have renewed their unwavering backing to the Palestinians right to establish their independent Palestinian State, within the borders of 4 June 1967, with Eastern Al-Quds as its capital, on the basis of the relevant international resolutions, the Arab Peace Initiative and the principle of the two-State solution.

The two Sovereigns also reaffirmed their rejection of all unilateral measures taken by Israel, as an occupying force, to change the legal and historical status of Al Quds, or its demographic, spiritual and historical character, particularly with regard to Islamic and Christian sacred sites in the holy city.

In this connection, King Mohammed VI stressed the importance of the historical Hashemite guardianship over the Islamic and Christian holy sites in Al-Quds Asharif and its main role in the protection of these sacred sites and their Arab-Islamic and Christian identity, and more particularly the Al Aqsa Mosque. The Sovereign also underlined the important role of the Jordanian administration of the Waqf and of the Al Aqsa Mosque, as the sole legal authority on Al Haram, which manages, maintains and preserves it and organizes access to the Mosque, says the statement.

For his part, King Abdullah II commended the continued efforts made by the Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee, to support the Holy City. He praised the development projects and programs implemented by Bayt Mal Al Quds Asharif Agency, as well as the agencys backing to the resistance of the inhabitants of the holy city.

The two leaders who discussed at their meeting other topical Arab issues, stressed the need to end the Syrian crisis through a political solution that would preserve Syrias unity and cohesion, restore its security and stability and its role in the joint Arab action.

The two Sovereigns also stressed that, in accordance with international legality resolutions, the Golan is an occupied Syrian territory and Israels decision to annex it is illegal and void, and represents a violation of international legality, particularly Security Council resolutions, the joint statement said.

Regarding Iraq, the two leaders lauded the victory achieved by this country, due to great sacrifice, over the terrorist organization Daech, expressing Moroccos and Jordans support for the reconstruction of Iraq and the consolidation of its stability.

At the bilateral level, the two Kings decided to upgrade the fraternal and cooperation relations between Morocco and Jordan to the level of a multidimensional strategic partnership, and convened to this end to implement concrete projects in areas such as energy, agriculture and tourism.

The two heads of State also agreed that a Moroccan economic mission, including representatives of Moroccos Employers Association (CGEM) and the professional Group of Moroccan Banks (GPBM), would visit Jordan to explore investment and cooperation opportunities between the two countries private sectors.

The joint statement also announced that King Mohammed VI has given his high instructions for the establishment of a vocational training/qualification center in Jordan. The center will provide training in tourism, agro-industry, construction and water resources management.
By Patricia Zengerle and Andy Sullivan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's Republican allies tangled with one of Trump's most prominent Democratic critics during a chaotic congressional hearing on Thursday and the U.S. attorney general revealed that Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia inquiry report is more than 300 pages long. Hours after Trump went on Twitter to demand that Democrat Adam Schiff resign from Congress, Republican lawmakers called on him to quit as chairman of the bitterly divided House of Representatives Intelligence Committee because of his comments about the president's 2016 campaign and Russia. Schiff quickly fired back at a tumultuous hearing and called actions by the president's associates unpatriotic and corrupt. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, defended Schiff and called the actions of Trump and committee Republicans "shameful" and "irresponsible." Attorney General William Barr, empowered by Justice Department regulations to decide how much of the special counsel's report to make public, on Sunday released his four-page summary of Mueller's findings. Barr said Mueller did not establish that Trump's campaign conspired with Russia in the 2016 election. The attorney general informed House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler about the length of the report in a telephone call on Wednesday, a Justice Department official said. Barr also agreed to testify before Nadler's committee, although no date was set, the official said. Republicans in the Senate on Thursday thwarted another effort by Democrats to pass a resolution calling for the Mueller report to be made available to the public and Congress. The House has passed a similar resolution. A Justice Department official said on Tuesday that Barr would issue a public version of the report within "weeks, not months." But top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer said Barr's delay of the release has "too much of the odor of political expediency to help the man who appointed him, President Trump." Pelosi also demanded the report's release. "No, thank you, Mr. Attorney General. We do not need your interpretation. Show us the report and we'll come to our own conclusions," she said. Republicans have launched a counter-attack against Democrats since Barr released his summary. Trump used an early-morning Twitter post to assail Schiff, whose committee is investigating Russia's influence on U.S. elections. "Congressman Adam Schiff, who spent two years knowingly and unlawfully lying and leaking, should be forced to resign from Congress!" Trump wrote. Trump did not give specifics of his accusations against Schiff, who has not been accused by authorities of leaking classified information. SCHIFF VS. COMMITTEE REPUBLICANS Republican members of the intelligence panel opened a Thursday session on Russian meddling with an attack on Schiff. They said all nine Republican panel members had signed a letter asking him to quit. Representative Mike Conaway read the letter to Schiff, accusing him of spreading "false information" and saying Republicans had no faith in his ability "to discharge your duties in a manner consistent with your constitutional responsibility." Schiff responded by citing a list of the Trump campaign's contacts with Russians, from Donald Trump Jr. welcoming a Russian offer of "dirt" on Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, to former national security adviser Michael Flynn secretly discussing easing U.S. sanctions on Russia with Moscow's ambassador before Trump became president. "You might say that's all OK," Schiff said. "You might say that's just what you need to do to win. But I don't think it's OK. I think it's immoral. I think it's unethical. I think it's unpatriotic and, yes, I think it's corrupt - and evidence of collusion." During his investigation, Mueller brought charges against 34 people, including Russian agents and former Trump aides. Mueller left unresolved in his report the question of whether Trump committed obstruction of justice by impeding the Russia investigation and did not exonerate the president, Barr said. Barr himself concluded there was insufficient evidence to establish that Trump had committed obstruction of justice. Pelosi rallied to Schiff's defense. "They're afraid of the truth. They're afraid of competence," Pelosi told her weekly news conference. "I'm so proud of the work of Chairman Adam Schiff." The House intelligence committee has been bitterly split along party lines for years on the Russia investigation, which was taken over by Mueller in May 2017 after Trump fired FBI Director James Comey. The committee's Republicans wrapped up their investigation a year ago, finding no collusion between Trump and Moscow to influence the vote. Democrats, led by Schiff, blasted the announcement as premature. Thursday's hearing, examining the influence of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the country's wealthiest business leaders, known as oligarchs, continued after the angry exchange between its members. The U.S. intelligence community has concluded that Russia used a campaign of hacking and propaganda to sow discord in the United States, harm Clinton and boost Trump's candidacy. Russia denied election interference. (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle and Andy Sullivan; Additional reporting by Doina Chiacu, Susan Cornwell and Makini Brice; Writing by Will Dunham, Doina Chiacu and Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Bill Trott and Grant McCool)
WASHINGTON  President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he intends to release classified documents the FBI used to launch an investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election as he and his allies call for a deeper look into the origins of that investigation.

In a 45-minute interview on Fox News in which Trump attacked his critics and touted a summary of special counsel Robert Muellers probe that found no collusion with Russia, Trump said his attorneys initially advised him not to release the documents used to secure a wiretap on former Trump campaign aide Carter Page.

"I do. I have plans to declassify and release, Trump told Fox. I have plans to absolutely release.

Trump, who had ordered the release of the documents before reversing course, also used the interview to criticize opponents and tout what he described as progress on his proposed wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

 Trump added his name to a chorus of Republicans calling for the resignation of Rep. Adam Schiff, the Democratic chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and an outspoken Trump critic. Schiff, who has continued to question the presidents actions during the 2016 campaign, faced similar calls from Trump aides earlier in the week.

He should be forced out of office, Trump told Fox. He is a disgrace to our country."

Schiff, D-Calif., has shrugged off the criticism. Im more than used to attacks from my GOP colleagues, and I would expect nothing less, he told CNN this week.

 The president demurred on a question about whether he would consider pardoning some of his former associates caught up in the Russia investigation, including former national security adviser Michael Flynn. Flynn pleaded guilty in December 2017 to lying to investigators about meetings with Russians during the presidential transition.

He cooperated with Mueller under a plea agreement and still awaits sentencing.

I dont want to talk about pardons now, but I can say its so sad on so many levels, Trump said.

Story continues

 Trump said he was planning to go to California in two weeks and have a news conference there to discuss the progress of his border wall. Trump has frequently claimed progress is being made on the wall, though he also acknowledged the work is focused on repairing and replacing existing barriers, not adding barriers to parts of the border that now have none.

"We will have hundreds of miles built fairly quickly," Trump said.

 Trump said he was wary of criticizing Democratic presidential candidates and policies so early in the 2020 election cycle. On Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., however, Trump said, I hit her too hard too early, and now it looks like she's finished.

Trump has been taking a victory lap since Attorney General William Barrs summary of the Mueller report released Sunday said he had not conspired with Russia. That summary also said Mueller did not exonerate Trump on questions about whether his actions constituted obstruction of justice.

The full Mueller report could be delivered to Congress in several weeks.

"I was the most innocent human being," Trump told Fox.

In returning to the question of classified Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act documents, Trump and other Republicans have noted FBI agents relied in part on a dossier created by former British intelligence agent Christopher Steele to obtain a wiretap on Page.

Republicans have blasted that disclosure, noting that Steele had been hired by a research firm working for Trumps 2016 opponent, Hillary Clinton.

Swaths of the records were released last year and showed that the FBI also relied on other evidence. Those documents also show that the FBI disclosed to the court that agents believed Steele was seeking information that would be damaging to Trump.

Vast portions of those documents, however, were redacted because the FBI said they remain classified, including details about why the FBI believed Page was participating in Russias election meddling. Page was never charged with a crime in the case.

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters alongside Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., as he arrives on Capitol Hill on March 26, 2019, before joining Senate Republicans for lunch in Washington.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump calls for release of classified documents tied to Russia probe in Fox News interview
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said he met with the chief executive of Alphabet Inc's Google on Wednesday and discussed "political fairness" and the company's business in China. "He stated strongly that he is totally committed to the U.S. Military, not the Chinese Military," Trump said on Twitter of his meeting with Google CEO Sundar Pichai. "Also discussed political fairness and various things that @Google can do for our Country. Meeting ended very well!," Trump said. Google also issued a statement on the meeting. "We were pleased to have productive conversations with the President about investing in the future of the American workforce, the growth of emerging technologies and our ongoing commitment to working with the U.S. government," a Google spokesperson said in the statement. "We are not working with the Chinese military. We are working with the U.S. government, including the Department of Defense, in many areas including cybersecurity, recruiting and healthcare," the spokesperson said. The top U.S. general, Marine General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a Senate committee hearing earlier this month that the Chinese military was benefiting from the work Google was doing in China. The U.S. military said that Dunford met Pichai on Wednesday at the Pentagon at Google's request. "General Dunford shared his concerns about U.S. tech firms working in China and the potential impact on the United States' ability to maintain a competitive military advantage due to intellectual property being indirectly shared with the Chinese military," Colonel Patrick Ryder, a spokesman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said. Pichai has said Google has invested in China for years and plans to continue to do so. In a tweet last week, Trump accused social media platforms Facebook, Google's YouTube and Twitter of favoring his Democratic opponents over him and his fellow Republicans and said he would look into the issue. (Reporting by Eric Beech, David Shepardson and Idrees Ali; editing by Mohammad Zargham and Phil Berlowitz & Simon Cameron-Moore)
WASHINGTON  President Donald Trump said he would jettison a proposal to slash funding for the Special Olympics, undercutting Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and the budget proposal he signed.

"The Special Olympics will be funded. I just told my people I want to fund the Special Olympics," Trump said he left the White House en route to a political rally in Grand Rapids, Mich. "I have overridden my people. We're funding the Special Olympics."

Trump's remarks came after widespread criticism targeted DeVos' budget proposal to eliminate funding for the program, which is designed to help children and adults with disabilities.

DeVos proposed $17.6 million cut for the Special Olympics was included in the $4.75 trillion federal budget that President Donald Trumps administration sent to Congress earlier this month.

Trump, in his comments on Thursday, offered no additional information about whether his administration will commit to funding the entire $17.6 million Special Olympics had been getting and whether it will be protected from future proposed reductions.

After Trump made the announcement, DeVos thanked the president and said they see "eye to eye" on this, adding she pushed him to change his stance on funding the program.

More: Five things to know about the federal budget process

More: Betsy DeVos wants to cut Special Olympics $$ and people are outraged: What we know now

Karen Pence, wife of Vice President Mike Pence, also voiced her support after Trump's remarks, saying on Twitter: "Love the @SpecialOlympics!" Karen Pence led the U.S. delegation to this year's Special Olympics World Games in the United Arab Emirates.

It is not just Special Olympics facing the budget ax. Trump seeks dramatic across-the-board spending cuts to domestic programs for the coming fiscal year. An exception: the military, which would get a 5 percent increase under his proposal.

Get rid of the fat, get rid of the waste, Trump had instructed his Cabinet.

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DeVos, however, proposed additional funding for a few programs, including charter schools and a tax credit for individuals and companies that donate to scholarships for private schools.

DeVos said she had to make some hard decisions after the president demanded across-the-board cuts and has had to defend her cuts to members of Congress, where she's faced days of being grilled.

Earlier Thursday, DeVosa wealthy Republican donor and former school choice advocatewas on Capitol Hill again defending the proposed cut to the Special Olympics to a Senate Appropriations subcommittee.

During that hearing, she sharply criticized comments on the proposed cut by U.S. Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., as a "shameful" and "disgusting" political ploy.

"I've given a portion of my salary to Special Olympics," said DeVos, raising her voice as Durbin tried to interrupt her with more questions about the cut. "Let's not use disabled children in a twisted way for your political narrative. That's just disgusting and is shameful."

Durbin responded that proposing to eliminate $18 million out of a $64-billion Education Department budget for something as beloved as Special Olympics "is shameful, too."

He added that whoever approved the proposed cut should get "a special Olympic gold medal for insensitivity."

More: 'Get rid of the fat': Why Betsy DeVos' plan to slash Special Olympics funding probably won't happen

More: Betsy DeVos: Special Olympics questions from Congress are 'disgusting'

The education secretary has explained her rationale by saying the Special Olympics is a private organization  not a federal program  that is better supported by philanthropy.

The cuts have not gone into effect yet and did not have a strong chance of passing in Congress. The budget is just a proposal, a way for the Trump administration to spell out its spending priorities for the coming year.

Trumps budget was basically dead the moment it arrived at Congress. And, given the political support that the Special Olympics has in Congress, there's virtually no chance that lawmakers will let the proposed cuts to the program stand.

Contributing: Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'I have overridden my people': Trump says he will keep Special Olympics funded, undercutting DeVos
A Fox News legal analyst has warned viewers Robert Muellers report undoubtedly contains evidence of collusion with Russia and an attempt by Donald Trump to obstruct justice.

Andrew Napolitano, a former New Jersey superior court judge whose views have previously been parroted by Mr Trump, also said the document ran to 700 pages, a detail previously unknown and yet to be confirmed by the Department of Justice.

A four-page summary of the report written over the weekend by attorney general William Barr cleared the Trump campaign of conspiracy and concluded there was insufficient evidence to prosecute the president with obstruction.

In the 700-page summary of the 2 million pages of raw evidence, there is undoubtedly some evidence of a conspiracy, and some evidence of obstruction of justice, Mr Napolitano told Fox Business on Wednesday, adding Mr Barr would have concluded it failed to pass the standard of reasonable doubt.

He continued: Once the 700 pages comes out, Democrats and the presidents other opponents will have a field day with what is in there.

If there were no evidence of conspiracy, and no evidence of obstruction, the attorney general would have told us so. He didnt, so there is something in there that the Democrats and opponents of the president want to see. They will see it, and they will make hay out of it.

The judges comments come amid a concerted effort by the White House and Republicans to cast the special counsels findings as a total exoneration of the president, despite the fact the report is yet to be released.

Mr Trump and his allies, including many Fox pundits, are also using Mr Barrs summary to double down on their attacks against mainstream media outlets who reported on Mr Mueller's investigation.

The Fake News Media has lost tremendous credibility with its corrupt coverage of the illegal Democrat Witch Hunt of your all time favorite duly elected President, me! T.V. ratings of CNN & MSNBC tanked last night after seeing the Mueller Report statement. @FoxNews up BIG!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 27, 2019

For two years theyve indulged in an orgy of hatred (for Trump) that coloured absolutely everything, one Fox presenter said, in a clip tweeted by Mr Trump on Wednesday evening.

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Earlier on Wednesday, House judiciary chairman Jerrold Nadler revealed Mr Barr had told him in a phone call he would not commit to turning over Mr Muellers report in full to Congress, and would almost certainly miss a 2 April deadline set by House Democrats.

Im very disturbed by that, Mr Nadler told reporters, adding the date was a hard deadline.

Backing up Mr Napolitanos claim, Mr Nadler said the reports length was very substantial - confirming it was fewer than 1,000 pages.
To hear Donald Trump tell it, even a witch hunt can have a happy ending.

On his way to a lunch with Republican senators Tuesday, Trump continued his celebration of the release of a summary of the report by special counsel Robert Mueller. Attorney General William Barr said the report concluded that Trump had not conspired with Russia to win the 2016 presidential election.

The Mueller report was great, the president said. It could not have been better.

President Trump speaks to the media as he arrives for a Senate Republican policy lunch Tuesday. (Photo: Susan Walsh/AP)

Trump presumably was relying on secondhand accounts of the report, which as far as is known to the public has been seen only by Barr and other top officials in the Department of Justice.

Muellers investigation did result in the indictment of 34 Americans and Russians. Trumps former lawyer, Michael Cohen, his former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, his former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, and his former campaign aides Rick Gates and George Papadopoulos have all been convicted.

But Trump has gone out of his way to depict the findings as not only conclusive, but wholly positive for him.

No Collusion, No Obstruction, Complete and Total EXONERATION. KEEP AMERICA GREAT!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 24, 2019

Yet Barrs summary notes that while Muellers report does not conclude that the president committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.

The report found equivocal evidence of obstruction of justice by the White House, but Barr announced the president would not face charges for that.

While Barr has pledged to release as much of the Special Counsels report as I can consistent with applicable law, regulations, and Departmental policies, and Trump has said he does not object to its release, the White House isnt pushing for its publication.

I think that the president is doing exactly what he should, which is leaving that decision in the hands of the attorney general, and well see what decision he makes on that front, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Monday on the Today show.

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Asked if he would like to see the report made public, the president also deferred to Barr. Up to the attorney general, but it wouldnt bother me at all, Trump told reporters Monday during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In the absence of the actual report, rather than Barrs summary of it, the president and his allies can continue to claim vindication while Democrats in Congress can equally allege a cover-up.

Americans simply want the truth.



Today I tried to pass a resolution saying the full Mueller report should be made public.



The House passed the exact same resolution 420-0.



But here you can watch @SenateMajLdr McConnell object.



Why do they want to hide the full report? pic.twitter.com/kSRFcuwXDf  Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) March 26, 2019

As the political fallout from Barrs summary continues in Washington, perhaps the most striking development so far has been Trumps change of heart on Mueller himself. Trump has repeatedly assailed Muellers probe as biased, illegitimate and a witch hunt.

Universities will someday study what highly conflicted (and NOT Senate approved) Bob Mueller and his gang of Democrat thugs have done to destroy people. Why is he protecting Crooked Hillary, Comey, McCabe, Lisa Page & her lover, Peter S, and all of his friends on the other side?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 15, 2018

But on Monday, in response to a question from a reporter as to whether he thought Mueller acted honorably, Trump replied: Yes, he did.

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Read more from Yahoo News:
The Mueller report undoubtedly contains evidence of collusion between Donald Trump and Russia, according to Fox Business legal analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano, contradicting the verdict of attorney-general William Barr and risking the presidents ire.

House Oversight Committee chairman Elijah Cummings has meanwhile warned of a looming constitutional crisis ahead as Democrats express growing frustration at what they see as Republican efforts to prevent the full release of the FBI special counsels 700-page report into his 22-month investigation.

For his part, President Trump has been busy on Twitter hitting out at an array of targets, from the media to Mexico, Jussie Smollett and House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff, whose resignation he has called for in response to the congressman's repeated allegations regarding conspiracy with the Kremlin.

A House Democratic aide who briefed reporters Thursday on condition of anonymity said Mr Barr does not intend to give Congress a complete copy of the report from special counsel Robert Mueller.

The aide said Mr Barr spoke with Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler late Wednesday and indicated he was redacting grand jury information from the confidential report. While grand jury information is often confidential, it can be unsealed in some situations.

The aide added Mr Nadler offered to work with Mr Barr to have the information unsealed.

During her weekly press conference, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called Mr Barrs four-page synopsis condescending and arrogant and said Democrats need to draw their own conclusions about what Mr Mueller found.

The Democratic chairmen of six House committees have demanded that Mr Barr release the Mueller report to Congress by Tuesday.

Ms Pelosi also defended House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, who faced calls Thursday from Republicans to resign over his comments that there was significant evidence the president and his associates conspired with Russia.

Additional reporting by AP. See The Independents live reporting from Washington on Thursday below.

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Washington (AFP) - With the Russia meddling probe complete, Donald Trump has unexpectedly pivoted to health care, alarming fellow Republicans who warn there is no coherent Obamacare replacement ready and galvanizing Democrats.

The president trumpeted his renewed belligerence against the Affordable Care Act (ACA) this week when the Justice Department announced it was siding with a federal court ruling that declared the health care law -- which has reduced the numbers of uninsured Americans by 20 million -- unconstitutional.

"Obamacare is a disaster" that must be repealed, Trump tweeted Thursday, repeating a newly framed campaign narrative that Republicans will become "the party of great health care" when it unveils a better plan.

But Trump -- who was only recently cleared by Special Counsel Robert Mueller of colluding with Russia over election interference -- offered no specifics or timetable for a replacement.

Will the political gamble help Trump's 2020 re-election efforts, as he moves to reassure supporters that he is honoring a campaign pledge to dismantle his predecessor Barack Obama's signature domestic achievement? Or does it play into Democratic hands?

Some Republicans are confounded by Trump's pivot, with moderate Senator Susan Collins saying she remained "vehemently opposed to the administration seeking to invalidate the entire ACA."

Top House Republican Kevin McCarthy reportedly told the president he disagreed with the administration's push to invalidate Obamacare.

Even Republicans who enthusiastically support Trump acknowledge no fresh Obamacare replacement plan is in the offing, and its likelihood of passing a divided Congress would be minimal.

Some strategists say Trump is looking instead at injecting himself into the ongoing primary battle between some 15 Democratic presidential hopefuls, many of whom are advocating various versions of universal health care, such as Medicare for all.

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"He's trolling the Democrats by doing this," conservative consultant Patrick Hynes, an advisor to former presidential candidates John McCain and Mitt Romney, told AFP Thursday.

"By throwing this stink bomb into the public debate, the president is going to force all Democrat candidates and most Democratic officials to the hard left on... a policy proposal that is indefensible on its finances."

- 'War' on Obamacare -

Democrats, who ran successfully on shoring up health care for more Americans in last year's mid-term elections, were relishing the chance to do so again.

"Now the president wants to go back to repeal and replace again? Make our day," proclaimed Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer from the Senate floor.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi weighed in to criticize Trump's renewed "war on America's healthcare," and promised to fight against the Obamacare repeal effort in Congress, where her Democrats rule the House, in the courts, and "in the court of public opinion."

Several Democratic presidential hopefuls also joined the escalating battle, lobbing criticism at Trump's administration for seeking to kick millions off health care and return to an era when insurance companies could deny coverage to people with pre-existing conditions.

"Enough," tweeted liberal Senator Bernie Sanders. "We must defend the ACA and move forward to pass Medicare for All."

At the heart of 2010's hugely consequential ACA was a mandate that Americans buy health insurance, while also forcing insurance companies to accept all applicants, even those with pre-existing health conditions.

Democrats saw the law as a historic step to getting tens of millions of Americans who had no health coverage to participate in what is a highly uneven and often inaccessible system.

Republicans have attacked the law from the start -- especially the mandate on buying insurance -- as government overreach.

They have whittled away at the law, and managed to scrap the penalty imposed on anyone who fails to get insurance.

But the dozens of legislative attempts to repeal Obamacare have failed, and many Republicans have embraced the protections for those with pre-existing conditions.

Several have complained that Trump turned too swiftly to the toxic health care fight, saying he should instead enjoy a victory lap after Attorney General Bill Barr, having received Mueller's report, cleared the president of collusion with Russia.

"I would have liked to see him bask in his post-Mueller report a bit longer before shifting to policy issues," said Hynes, the Republican consultant.

Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, said Democrats hold an "enormous advantage" because Americans trust Democrats over Republicans on reforming health care.

While Sabato said it is already too late to pass an alternative health care plan through Congress before the election, Trump's goal is to rally conservatives who oppose Obamacare.

"Trump has had one priority since the day he entered the race: to please his hard-core base," Sabato said.
Washington (AFP) - President Donald Trump on Thursday reversed his administration's decision to cut funding for the Special Olympics, saying the competition for people with intellectual disabilities is "incredible."

"The Special Olympics will be funded," Trump told reporters at the White House, saying he was "overriding" his administration.

"I've been to the Special Olympics, I think it's incredible," he said.

He was speaking after Education Secretary Betsy DeVos caused an uproar when she said the government was axing $18 million in funding. The cut was part of a proposed hefty 10 percent reduction in overall federal education spending, a savings of $7 billion.

"We had to make some difficult decisions with this budget," DeVos told a House appropriations subcommittee hearing on Tuesday.

When DeVos acknowledged she did not know how many American children would be affected by the cuts, House Democrat Mark Pocan provided the figure: 272,000.

The Special Olympics, founded by president John F. Kennedy's sister Eunice Kennedy Shriver in 1968, has grown into a global movement, providing competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

The organization is largely funded by corporate and private donations. The US funds had been earmarked for Special Olympics education programs at 6,500 schools, where activities have shown to increase inclusion and reduce bullying.

Democratic congresswoman Barbara Lee called the Special Olympics cuts "appalling."

With the outcry growing, DeVos on Wednesday insisted the Department of Education remains "focused every day on raising expectations and improving outcomes for infants and toddlers, children and youth with disabilities."

Special Olympics chairman Timothy Shriver expressed disappointment with the proposal, saying the organization does critical work in schools to help educate youths "about the importance of an inclusive mindset to the future of the country."

The latest Special Olympics World Games were held last week in Abu Dhabi.
Washington (AFP) - President Donald Trump announced Thursday that the FBI and Justice Department will review Illinois prosecutors' decision to drop all charges against a US television actor accused of fabricating a hate crime.

Calling the Chicago case involving "Empire" star Jussie Smollett "outrageous," Trump said: "It is an embarrassment to our Nation!"

Prosecutors said they had shelved all 16 felony charges against Smollett in exchange for an agreement that he carry out community service and forfeit a $10,000 bond payment.

But Smollett's lawyers claimed there was no such agreement, saying the state simply "dismissed the charges," and that the actor was the victim of a rush to judgment.

The 36-year-old, one of the main cast members on Fox musical drama "Empire" alongside Taraji P. Henson, was accused of masterminding a hoax attack in downtown Chicago to gain publicity and secure a bigger paycheck.

He reported to police that he was attacked in the middle of the night in January by two masked men while walking near his home.

Smollett, who is gay and African American, maintained his innocence in the face of a damning public account from authorities' of their case against him.

They accused him of sending himself a threatening letter and hiring two acquaintances to stage the attack, complete with homophobic and racial slurs, while invoking Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan.
Dr. Willie Parker speaks to other reproductive rights advocates. Photo: Neilson Barnard/2014 Getty Images

Candice Russell, a Texas-based reproductive rights activist, has accused a prominent abortion provider of sexual misconduct. In a Medium post published on Monday evening, Russell asserted that Dr. Willie Parker, who chairs the board of Physicians for Reproductive Health and is the author of Lifes Work: A Moral Argument for Choice, sexually assaulted her after they shared a bottle of wine in his hotel room. Though this appears to be the first time Russell has come forward publicly with her story, her account portrays his behavior toward women as something of an open secret. Complaints of his inappropriate behavior had become increasingly prevalent, within the movement, she wrote, adding, The whispers had become so loud they were more like shouts.

Russells story will rock the reproductive rights movement. The fight for abortion access has entered an especially perilous time; activists worry that the addition of Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court guarantees that Roe v. Wade will be overturned, or at least hollowed out so that the right to access abortion is only available to a privileged few. High stakes make a tight-knit movement, and Russell is well-known within it. So is Parker, but unlike Russell, he is also well-known outside activist circles. Russell has taken on a giant.

Parker owes his public profile to his work, which makes him a target for domestic terrorists, and to his personal story, which is compelling. Dr. Parker is black, feminist and driven by his Christian faith to provide abortions in the South, where women seeking to terminate a pregnancy have few options, Nicholas Kristof once wrote in his regular column for the New York Times. Parker once objected to legal abortion because of his religious convictions; now, he says, those same convictions direct him to perform terminations for women who need them. A 2014 profile in Esquire referred to his abortion as ministry; at the time, he was one of two abortion providers who traveled to Mississippi to provide care. Parkers Christian case for abortion rights is effective counterprogramming, but its beneficial for Parker, too. Hes a fixture on the progressive speaking circuit, a sought-after source for commentary on abortion rights, and to some, a hero.

He is also a predator, according to Russell. And as she tells it, people know he is a predator. In her post, Russell said that she stopped attending reproductive rights conferences since SisterSong in New Orleans. SisterSong is a reproductive rights organization, and its 2017 conference was held in New Orleans. At that conference, Russell wrote, she had an awkward run-in with Parker and a complete stranger from another state, who was described to Russell as one of Willies girls with enough innuendo in her tone to ensure I knew exactly what she meant.

Parker has now denied Russells allegations in his own Medium post, published on Tuesday afternoon. In it, he says that he has known for two weeks that a rumor was about to drop, though he adds that he had no clue of what it could possibly be. Spliced in between compliments of Russells intelligence and writing talent, Parker denies all allegations of misconduct. He says that he has never seen Russell drunk, that he is a teetotaler and thus would not purchase a bottle of wine for his own use, and that their encounter was consensual.

But Russells detailed account is credible, and some reproductive rights organizations have already distanced themselves from Parker. On Tuesday, UltraViolet released a statement that affirmed its support for Russell and added, Demanding accountability from leaders in our movement only makes us stronger. Now that Candice Russell has done just that, it is on us to model what justice really looks like. We stand with her and thank her for her bravery. As Jezebel reported on Monday, the National Network of Abortion Funds also released a statement that indicated its support for Russell.

Abortion opponents, meanwhile, have pointed to the news as proof of the abortion rights movements innate moral hypocrisy:

Scandalized abortionist Willie Parker is a regular on the Religious Left speaking circuit. The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice gave him an award in 2013 as @JohnLomperis reported: https://t.co/qEbU97L5Cs https://t.co/jvY9rkETWj  Jeff Walton (@jeffreyhwalton) March 26, 2019

Abortionist Willie Parker has been accused of sexual misconduct.



He's accused of getting women drunk to have sex with them.



And the abortion industry has been working overtime TO COVER THIS UP because it cares more about abortion than women. https://t.co/M1yEHVUSWA pic.twitter.com/ouGndddN4k  LifeNews (@LifeNewsToo) March 26, 2019

"At Planned Parenthood, our motto is 'care, no matter what' -- words that might as well have been written with Dr. Willie Parker in mind."@CecileRichards wrote that ^ in 2017. Still no word from her about recent allegations of predatory sexual behavior by Parker. pic.twitter.com/5qSC4U1zLT  Pro-Life Action League (@ProLifeAction) March 26, 2019

I take it celebrity abortionist Willie Parker has been credibly accused of sexual abuse. Let me put on my surprised face.  secularprolife (@secularprolife) March 26, 2019

A thorough investigation is due. If rumors of Parkers misconduct had become so widespread, its time to find out who knew what, and when. But whatever revelation comes next, itll have no actual bearing on the case for abortion access. Parker is not the first progressive figure to allegedly commit sexual misconduct  and on this subject, the conservative movement doesnt exactly have the moral high ground. Sexual misconduct is a problem that transcends partisanship, facilitated by power differentials that exist independently of political views. I had to turn off the email on my rarely-touched website last night after I was spammed by a repeated message telling me that coming forward was selfish, and warning me of the blood that would be on my hands, Russell wrote. Justice is always a fight, whether its for abortion access, or for survivors of sexual abuse.
President Trump announced on Twitter that the FBI and Justice Department will look into the Jussie Smollett case after prosecutors dropped all criminal charges against the Empire actor, who had been accused of staging and falsely reporting a hate-crime attack.

FBI & DOJ to review the outrageous Jussie Smollett case in Chicago, Trump tweeted Thursday. It is an embarrassment to our Nation!

Departing the White House on Thursday afternoon, the president told reporters that he asked the federal law enforcement agencies to look into the case.

I think the case in Chicago is an absolute embarrassment to our country, Trump said. Somebody has to at least take a very good, hard look at it.

Smollett had been charged with falsifying a police report by claiming he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack in January.

The actor told police he was attacked by two masked men as he was leaving a Subway restaurant near his apartment in Chicago around 2 a.m. on Jan. 29. Smollett, who is black and gay, initially said the men shouted racist and homophobic slurs, poured bleach on him and tied a rope around his neck. He claimed the alleged attackers yelled, MAGA country  a reference to Trumps Make America Great Again slogan.

Jussie Smollett; President Trump (Yahoo News photo Illustration; photos: Reuters, Getty Images)

The actor said he sustained injuries to his clavicle bone and bruised ribs during the attack.

Police later identified and questioned two persons of interest captured on surveillance video near the scene around the time of the alleged attack. The men, brothers Ola and Abel Osundairo, told police that Smollett paid them $3,500 by check to help orchestrate and stage the crime after he became upset that a threatening letter  addressed to him and sent to the Fox set where Empire is filmed  did not get enough attention.

The crude letter was sent in an envelope that contained a powdery substance and had MAGA written on it. The substance was later determined to be aspirin. Police said that they believe Smollett sent the letter to himself.

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According to Smollett, the $3,500 check was for nutrition and training advice.

Jussie Smollett waves after his court appearance at Leighton Courthouse in Chicago on Tuesday. (Photo: Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)

The actor was indicted on 16 counts of disorderly conduct for allegedly falsifying a police report, a Class 4 felony that is punishable by up to three years in prison.

But in a striking development, the Cook County States Attorneys Office dropped all charges against Smollett on Tuesday, noting the actors record of community service and his agreement to forfeit a $10,000 bond.

A judge then ordered the case against Smollett sealed and his record wiped clean.

At a press conference Tuesday afternoon, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel blasted the decision, accusing Smollett of using hate-crime legislation to self-promote his career.

This is a whitewash of justice, Emanuel said.

[Also read: On Jussie Smollett case, Emanuel tells Trump to 'sit this one out']

On Wednesday, Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx defended the decision by her staff to drop charges against Smollett.

Foxx, who recused herself from the case because she had discussed it with a Smollett family member, didnt directly answer when asked if she believed Smollett was innocent.

First Assistant States Attorney Joseph Magats, who handled the case, has said he does not believe Smollett is innocent and that the decision to drop the charges against him was not an exoneration.

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Read more from Yahoo News:
Istanbul (AFP) - A Turkish court on Thursday ordered a US consulate staffer accused of spying held in detention while he is on trial, his lawyers said.

The case of Metin Topuz, a Turkish citizen and liaison for the US Drug Enforcement Administration, is part of a growing rift between Washington and Ankara.

First arrested in 2017, Topuz is accused of contacts with police and a prosecutor suspected of ties to US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen, who Ankara says ordered a failed 2016 coup.

"Under normal circumstances, he should have been released based on the evidence presented to the court," lawyer Halit Akalp told reporters in Istanbul's Caglayan court where Topuz went on trial on Monday.

Topuz, who faces life in prison if found guilty, will next appear in court on May 15.

"I am innocent, I did not commit any crime," Topuz told the court on Thursday, an AFP reporter said. "All my contacts were just part of my job."

US embassy and consular officials, who have dismissed the charges as being without merit, were also at the courthouse to observe proceedings.

"We did not see today any evidence of criminal wrongdoing and we reiterate our government's call for swift and fair resolution of this matter," US Consul General Jennifer Davis told reporters.

- Spying charge -

The trial has begun at a time when NATO allies United States and Turkey are increasingly at odds over Syria, a Turkish purchase of a Russian missile system and the US refusal to extradite Gulen back home.

According to his indictment, Topuz is accused of espionage as well as arranging arms trafficking through exchanges on the Whatsapp messaging service.

Since the failed 2016 coup against Erdogan, tens of thousands of people have been arrested over suspected ties to Gulen and more than 100,000 people have been suspended from public sector jobs. Gulen rejects the coup accusations.

Ankara has been criticised by its Western allies and rights defenders over the crackdown, which they say has weakened democracy. But Turkish officials say the raids are needed to purge Gulen's influence from judiciary, police and military.

Ties were already strained over US support of Kurdish forces in Syria, which Ankara brands as a terrorist group tied to PKK Kurdish militants fighting an insurgency against the Turkish state.

Erdogan's decision to buy S-400 missile systems from Russia has provoked warnings from Washington that the deal may impact its sale of US-made F-35 fighter jets to Turkey and trigger sanctions.
By Timothy Gardner WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry has approved six secret authorizations by companies to sell nuclear power technology and assistance to Saudi Arabia, according to a copy of a document seen by Reuters on Wednesday. The Trump administration has quietly pursued a wider deal on sharing U.S. nuclear power technology with Saudi Arabia, which aims to build at least two nuclear power plants. Several countries including the United States, South Korea and Russia are in competition for that deal, and the winners are expected to be announced later this year by Saudi Arabia. Perry's approvals, known as Part 810 authorizations, allow companies to do preliminary work on nuclear power ahead of any deal but not ship equipment that would go into a plant, a source with knowledge of the agreements said on condition of anonymity. The approvals were first reported by the Daily Beast. The Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) said in the document that the companies had requested that the Trump administration keep the approvals secret. "In this case, each of the companies which received a specific authorization for (Saudi Arabia) have provided us written request that their authorization be withheld from public release," the NNSA said in the document. In the past, the Energy Department made previous Part 810 authorizations available for the public to read at its headquarters. A Department of Energy official said the requests contained proprietary information and that the authorizations went through multi-agency approval process. Many U.S. lawmakers are concerned that sharing nuclear technology with Saudi Arabia could eventually lead to a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told CBS last year that the kingdom would develop nuclear weapons if its rival Iran did. In addition, the kingdom has occasionally pushed back against agreeing to U.S. standards that would block two paths to potentially making fissile material for nuclear weapons clandestinely: enriching uranium and reprocessing spent fuel. Concern in Congress about sharing nuclear technology and knowledge with Saudi Arabia rose after U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed last October in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. The Part 810 authorizations were made after November 2017, but it was not clear from the document whether any of them were made after Khashoggi's killing. Representative Brad Sherman, a Democrat, called on Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during a congressional hearing on Wednesday to release the names of the companies that got the approvals by the middle of April, and Pompeo said he would look into it. Sherman also said the Trump administration had attempted to evade Congress on sharing nuclear power with the kingdom. Pompeo said the administration was working to ensure any shared technology nuclear power would not present proliferation risks. Last month, Democratic House members alleged in a report that top White House aides ignored warnings they could be breaking the law as they worked with former U.S. officials in a group called IP3 International to advance a multibillion-dollar plan to build nuclear reactors in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia. IP3 did not immediately respond to a request for comment about whether it was one of the companies that got a Part 810 authorization. Separately, the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, accepted a request by Senators Marco Rubio, a Republican and Bob Menendez, a Democrat, to probe the administration's talks on a nuclear deal with Saudi, the GAO said on Wednesday. (Reporting by Timothy Gardner; Editing by James Dalgleish and Peter Cooney)
By Makini Brice

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Democratic presidential contender Amy Klobuchar presented a trillion-dollar plan on Thursday to fix the country's roads, bridges and other public works that she said would be her top budget priority if elected.

The U.S. senator's plan would include the repair and replacement of roads and bridges, modernization of flood protection and airports, expansion of public transportation and the increase of rural access to broadband internet, among other policies.

Klobuchar often refers to one of the worst bridge collapses in U.S. history, in her home state of Minnesota, repeating her admonition at the time that "A bridge in America just shouldn't fall down." An interstate highway bridge spanning the Mississippi River collapsed in 2007, killing 13 people and injuring more than 100 others.

Republicans and Democrats in Congress have long called for fixes to the United States' infrastructure, including aging schools and water systems, but plans have foundered over disputes over how to fund the projects.

To pay for the investments, Klobuchar said she would commit more than $650 billion in federal funding for infrastructure, partly by changing parts of the tax overhaul legislation passed in 2017 to adjust the corporate tax rate to 25 percent.

She would establish an Infrastructure Financing Authority to help states better leverage private funds for projects and steer money to rural areas, as well as bring back a bond program to give a 35 percent subsidy to state and local governments for public projects.

In President Donald Trump's annual State of the Union address to Congress in February, he once again called on lawmakers to pass legislation to aid the country's infrastructure.

An infrastructure plan Trump asked lawmakers to support in February 2018 was roundly criticized and never received a vote in Congress, which was then controlled by his Republican Party.

Klobuchar, who is in her third term in the U.S. Senate, is one of more than a dozen Democrats running for their party's 2020 presidential nomination.

(Reporting by Makini Brice; Editing by Doina Chiacu and Steve Orlofsky)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Four U.S. senators on Thursday introduced a bipartisan bill to prohibit the transfer of F-35 fighter aircraft to Turkey until the U.S. government certifies that Ankara will not take delivery of a Russian S-400 air defense system, a statement on the move said. Turkey is a production partner in the trillion-dollar F-35 fighter jet program but Ankara also wants to purchase a Russian missile defense system, which the United States says would compromise the security of F-35 aircraft, which are made by Lockheed Martin Corp.. The senators - Democrats Jeanne Shaheen and Chris Van Hollen and Republicans James Lankford and Thom Tillis - have all expressed alarm over Turkey's planned purchase of Russian S-400 missiles and said the NATO ally cannot have both. "The prospect of Russia having access to U.S. aircraft and technology in a NATO country, Turkey, is a serious national and global security risk," Shaheen said. Reuters last week reported that the United States could soon freeze preparations for delivering F-35s to Turkey. While no decision has been made, any such move would be a massive blow to already strained ties between Washington and Ankara. "Turkey is an important NATO ally and willing partner in addressing a number of U.S. national security priorities, said Lankford. "Its concerning that Turkey would seek close defense cooperation with Russia, whose authoritarian ruler seeks to undermine NATO and U.S. interests at every turn." So far Ankara has not shown any willingness to reverse the S-400 purchase, forcing the United States to explore a future for the F-35 program without Turkey, which makes parts of the fuselage, landing gear and cockpit displays. (Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk; Editing by James Dalgleish)
By Orfa Mejia TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - The United States said on Wednesday it had reached an agreement with three Central American countries to carry out joint police operations in the region, as the Trump administration seeks to stem the flow of migrants across its southern border. The governments of Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and the United States said in a statement they had agreed to a series of measures, including joint police work, improved border security, and efforts to deter international crime and curb "irregular migration." A series of migrant caravans from the region have traveled to the United States' southern frontier over the past year to seek asylum, drawing the ire of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has made border security a top priority. The announcement on police cooperation followed meetings in Honduras on Wednesday between Central American officials and U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. Nielsen described the agreement as the first of its kind and said in a speech during the meeting the countries would reinforce security by air, land and sea to restrict the movement of criminals, according to a transcript of her remarks. "I'm pleased to announce the U.S. & our Northern Triangle allies have reached a HISTORIC agreement to confront the root causes of the crisis on our border," Nielsen said on Twitter. The bulk of migrants caught trying to enter the United States illegally are from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. The three Central American countries, among the poorest and most violent in the Americas, have given rise to large migrant communities in the United States. The statement did not detail how the countries would collaborate on police matters. However, a Honduran official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the operations would include the United States. Multiple U.S. agencies, including the State Department, U.S. Agency for International Development, and the Department of Defense, have helped train or assist police and security forces in Central America. The assistance is meant to help forces overcome corruption and fight organized crime. In a report last September, the U.S. Government Accountability Office looked at 22 U.S. police assistance projects in the northern triangle between 2014 and 2017. Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez praised the accord. "A peaceful and prosperous Honduras and Central America is the best investment for the U.S. and Central American people," he tweeted. Representatives from the Central American countries and the United States will meet again in Guatemala in late May. (Reporting by Orfa Mejia; Additional reporting by Delphine Schrank; Writing by Julia Love; Editing by Dave Graham, G Crosse and Leslie Adler)
DUBAI, March 28 (Reuters) - Relations between Arab states and Israel need to shift to help progress towards peace with the Palestinians, a senior United Arab Emirates official was quoted on Thursday as saying.

The decision by many Arab countries not to talk with Israel has complicated finding a solution over the decades, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said, according to Abu Dhabi-based daily The National.

"Many, many years ago, when there was an Arab decision not to have contact with Israel, that was a very, very wrong decision, looking back," Gargash said, in unusually candid remarks.

"Because clearly, you have to really dissect and divide between having a political issue and keeping your lines of communication open."

The UAE and other Gulf states criticized U.S. President Donald Trump's recognition this week of Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights, a strategic plateau captured from Syria in a 1967 war. (Reporting by Sylvia Westall Editing by Gareth Jones)
London (AFP) - Britain has identified "significant" issues in Chinese giant Huawei's engineering processes that pose "new risks" for the nation's telecommunications, a government report found Thursday.

"Further significant technical issues have been identified in Huawei's engineering processes, leading to new risks in the UK telecommunications networks," read annual findings from the government's Huawei Cyber Security Evaluation Centre (HCSEC) oversight board.

Huawei is the leading manufacturer of equipment for next-generation 5G mobile networks that will bring near-instantaneous connectivity for smartphones, but some Western nations have barred it amid fears Beijing could gain access to sensitive communications and critical infrastructure.

A Huawei spokesman on Thursday told AFP that the company was taking the concerns "very seriously" and they would be used as part of its "ongoing" process to improve its capabilities.

HCSEC stressed that it "does not believe that the defects identified are a result of Chinese state interference".

However the board added that "no material progress has been made by Huawei in the remediation of the issues reported last year".

And it concluded: "Overall, the oversight board can only provide limited assurance that all risks to UK national security from Huawei's involvement in the UK's critical networks can be sufficiently mitigated long-term."

HCSEC was formed in 2010 to mitigate perceived risks arising from the involvement of Huawei in critical national infrastructure.

The government-led board includes officials from Britain's GCHQ cybersecurity agency as well as a senior Huawei executive and representatives from the UK telecommunications sector.

Thursday's report "details some concerns about Huawei's software engineering capabilities", the Huawei spokesman added.

"We understand these concerns and take them very seriously.

"The issues identified... provide vital input for the ongoing transformation of our software engineering capabilities," he told AFP.

The spokesman added that Huawei's board of directors had last year launched a company-wide $2.0-billion (1.8-billion-euro) transformation plan to enhance those capabilities.
LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal is the only way forward for lawmakers who have argued for a no-deal Brexit, health minister Matt Hancock said on Tuesday. "There's a withdrawal agreement on the table that is a clear way to deliver on the (referendum) result and do so in a way that protects the economy, protects peoples job, and yet we haven't been able to assemble a majority in parliament for it," he told BBC television. Hancock also said ousting May would not help resolve the current impasse. "Changing the party leader doesn't change anything. It doesn't change the arithmetic in parliament and also it would be a huge distraction," he said. (Reporting by David Milliken, writing by Elisabeth O'Leary, editing by William Schomberg)
Attorney General William Barr. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Most weeks, New York Magazine writer-at-large Frank Rich speaks with contributor Alex Carp about the biggest stories in politics and culture. Today, why the Mueller investigation wasnt Watergate, the role of the press in investigating Trump, and if Washington will return to normal.

Before Robert Mueller submitted his report to Attorney General William Barr, many people thought of Muellers work as a kind of Watergate investigation, with everything that means about presidential accountability. Now that his investigation, at least according to Barr, has ended inconclusively, were we wrong to think of it that way?

No one thought Muellers work was more of a Watergate investigation than Donald Trump, who outdid the Nixon template in trying to derail it, to the point of vilifying his own attorney general, Jeff Sessions, because he didnt prevent it. But given that Muellers narrow brief was to determine if Trump and his campaign had conspired with Russias efforts to sabotage the 2016 election, it was never in the cards that he could adjudicate all the wrongdoing of a kleptocratic administration laced with grifters and liars from the top down. And if you believe, as I did and do, that there was a near-zero chance that the Vichy Republicans of the Senate would convict Trump in an impeachment trial, it is arguable that Trump might have escaped even if Mueller had recommended prosecution for conspiracy. His base would have rallied around him as a victim of a deep-state conspiracy, with Mueller and James Comey as co-conspirators taking orders from George Soros, Hillary Clinton, Jussie Smollett, and the ghost of John McCain.

Of course, Mueller had an ancillary brief as well: to investigate possible obstruction of justice. The verdict of Not Guilty has been rendered by Trumps own appointee, William Barr, without letting any independent authority, including Congress, see whether the evidence meets a prosecutorial legal standard or not. Meanwhile, those looking for presidential accountability must rely on other law enforcement agencies, starting with the Southern District of New York, as they investigate and, if warranted, indict any in the Trump White House, Trump Organization, the Trump Inaugural Committee, or Trump family who committed un-Russia-related crimes. I still believe that if Trump leaves office prematurely, it will be according to the Al Capone model  not for capital offenses but for tax fraud or other financial crimes that might encourage him to strike an omnibus deal rather than spend the rest of his postWhite House life in court fighting to save his company, fortune, and possibly his children (if he gives a damn about them).

Meanwhile lets be grateful for the good news. I accept and am relieved by Muellers finding that Trump didnt conspire with Russia when it attacked the very heart of American democracy. The bad news is that Trump still is colluding with Russia as he attempts to destroy NATO, soften sanctions, and fulfill other items on Vladimir Putins to-do list. Trump may already be colluding, passively if not illegally, with Russias attack on the 2020 election as well by mounting, at most, a nominal effort to combat it. And theres no reason to doubt that he will continue to ignore, deride, and delegitimize the American intelligence agencies which are tracking it. Surely his biggest takeaway from Muellers verdict is that, as in 2016, he can openly reap and celebrate Russias efforts on his behalf without having to be a participant in them. As Cold War parlance would have it, hes a useful idiot for the Russian cause even if hes not a Russian agent. Its not for nothing that the Kremlin has been celebrating the Mueller report with the same hyperbolic enthusiasm as Sean Hannity.

In the wake of the Mueller report, the debate over the Russia investigation has, in some corners, turned into a debate over the role of the press  both the new facts reporters dug up, and the expectations journalists and outlets have set. Looking back, did the media play too much of a role?

Had it not been for the press, we never would have known about any of Trumps dealings with Russia or those of his convicted cohorts. That Mueller determined that these corrupt activities did not rise to the level of an illegal conspiracy does not mean that they didnt happen and didnt include other crimes. The facts remain the facts. The efforts of the White House and its allies to overstate Muellers report  or, more accurately, Barrs four-page spin on a document that runs over 300 pages, not including mountains of supporting documents  as complete exoneration for Trump is evidence that they know well that the exoneration is far from complete.

Where the media went overboard, myself included, is when its punditry shifted into premature adjudication and raised the expectation that the walls were soon to close in on Trump. In cable news, there was an added systemic issue that needs to be addressed. When reporters covering stories like the Mueller probe appear on cable news programs that have a partisan point of view and are populated by anchors, experts, and opinion journalists speculating on what may happen next, those reporters lend their imprimatur to the overall narrative being presented, even if that is far from their intent. On cable news, the border between reporting and punditry is not clearly demarcated as it is, say, between a newspapers news report and opinion pages. The criticism being heaped on the Times and Washington Post in particular is unwarranted  their investigative reportage on the Russia story was uncompromising, meticulous, and holds up  but it is easy for critics to stir them into the brief against cable hysteria, which reached a ludicrous peak in the week or so before Mueller turned in his report.

In what some observers note might be an attempt to move the Mueller report out of the headlines, the Trump administration opened a new attack on the Affordable Care Act just one day after Barrs summary was made public. Will Washington return to business as usual?

It already has. Steve Bannon was surely correct when he used an implicit King Kong analogy this week in predicting that the president will now come off his chains and go full animal. (Its sobering to contemplate that what weve seen thus far is only partial animal.) Without the witch hunt and Mueller to kick around anymore, a toddler like Trump has too much time on his hands and will cast about for any loud rattle he can shake. Its a measure of how unleashed he is that his first big play would be to try again to blow up Obamacare, the very move that cost the GOP the House in 2018, and to declare that the Republican Party, which spent years failing to come up with its own health plan, will soon be known as the party of health care. Even Susan Collins, whose usual stance is to say shes concerned by such Trump actions, declared she was appalled.

The first post-Mueller report week is not yet over, and already this liberated Trump has followed his health-care hand grenade by threatening to close the Mexican border, intervene in the Smollett case, and declare war on OPEC. He is appointing an unqualified political hack and IRS deadbeat to the Federal Reserve. His secretary of Education, the inimitable Betsy DeVos, has called for defunding the Special Olympics. The Mueller finding on collusion does nothing to alter the reality that we have a mentally unstable and lawless Putin-Kim wannabe running amok in the White House, perhaps more empowered than ever, with no one applying the brakes. What will happen next is anyones guess and everyones problem.
LONDON (Reuters) - A former British minister who stepped down on Monday to vote against Prime Minister Theresa May's approach to Brexit said he was confident she would present future proposals from parliament to Brussels. Richard Harrington, who quit as a junior business minister, said he hoped May would not resign but instead take to Brussels whatever Brexit proposals parliament comes up with in a series of votes that the government had opposed. May has previously said she will not necessarily follow up whatever approach parliament comes up with. "Theresa May is a democratic person and is actually a person of great morality and integrity. I am sure she will look at the will of parliament and say parliament has mandated me to go to Brussels with this solution," Harrington told BBC Radio 4. If parliament wanted to revoke the 'Article 50' Brexit process, another referendum should be held before doing this, he added. (Reporting by David Milliken; Editing by Elisabeth O'Leary)
United Nations (United States) (AFP) - A massacre of 160 people in a village in central Mali has shattered two communities who must now begin rebuilding ties and learn to live together, the UN envoy said Wednesday.

The United Nations is investigating the March 23 attack in the village of Ogossagou against the Fulani herding community, which has been blamed on Dogon hunters.

"These people were neighbors. They have always lived together," said Mahamat Saleh Annadif, who also heads the MINUSMA peacekeeping force in Mali.

He called for talks and mediation to bring about reconciliation after the massacre in which the victims, many of them women and children, were shot or hacked to death with machetes.

Annadif, a former Chadian foreign minister who has been the UN's representative in Mali since 2015, did not apportion blame for the atrocities, but said Islamist groups had stoked hatred in the communities.

"It's terrorism, jihad, extremism that injected this virus like a cancer among peaceful citizens who began to kill each other," he said, speaking to a small group of journalists.

The Fulani have regularly been accused of siding with Islamists since jihadist leader Amadou Koufa began recruiting fighters for his armed group among the Fulani four years ago.

The Dogon and Bambara communities have responded by setting up self-defense groups and clashes have been on the rise ever since.

The UN envoy acknowledged that the peacekeeping force, which has 14,000 troops on the ground, had not anticipated such violence and said the blue helmets must interact more with Malians.

But he added: "MINUSMA is not supposed to do what the Malian government should be doing."

The lack of state institutions and security forces in the center of Mali has given extremists a foothold, he argued.

MINUSMA has deployed extra patrols near the village to beef up security.
Washington (AFP) - The United States has given the green light to companies to work on six nuclear projects in Saudi Arabia, Energy Secretary Rick Perry said Thursday, despite lawmakers' worries that the kingdom could seek weapons.

Questioned during a Senate hearing, Perry confirmed that the Trump administration has approved six applications to do initial nuclear work in Saudi Arabia and two in Jordan.

Perry, who said the Energy Department approved 37 of the 65 applications it received globally since 2017, promised the United States was committed to ensuring the Saudis do not reprocess spent fuel to make nuclear weapons.

"What I'm really concerned about, senator, is that if the United States is not the partner with Saudi Arabia, (or) for that matter Jordan," Perry said, "they will go to Russia and China for their civil nuclear technology."

"I can assure you that those two countries don't give a tinker's damn about nonproliferation," he said.

"We've got a history of nonproliferation, and nobody in the world will do it better than us."

The approvals, first reported Wednesday by news site The Daily Beast, were not earlier announced, with Perry saying the companies wanted to shield proprietary information.

But Democratic lawmakers have voiced alarm that the Trump administration is rushing in secret to approve civilian nuclear energy in Saudi Arabia even though the kingdom -- the world's largest oil exporter -- has not sought a so-called Section 123 agreement, under which a country assures the peaceful use of technology.

US companies cannot legally transfer nuclear material to countries without Section 123 agreements.

President Donald Trump has pursued a close relationship with Saudi Arabia, saying openly that the kingdom was good for US business even if the powerful crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, is confirmed to have ordered the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in October.

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Khashoggi, a contributor to The Washington Post who wrote critically of the crown prince, was strangled and his body dismembered after he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to handle wedding paperwork.

Representative Brad Sherman, in a hearing Wednesday with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, accused the administration of working with the Saudis to do an "end-run around the law."

"If you cannot trust a regime with a bone-saw, you should not trust them with nuclear weapons," said Sherman, a Democrat from California.

Prince Mohammed has warned that the Saudis will pursue nuclear weapons if their arch-rival Iran obtains them.
Beijing (AFP) - Beijing said Thursday US and Chinese negotiators still face a "large amount of work" as they meet for fresh talks aimed at resolving a months-long trade war.

US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin arrived for two days of meetings in Beijing with China's top economic official Liu He, the first since China put into law new measures seen as an olive branch in their high-stakes stand-off.

While US President Donald Trump has voiced hope that he could soon hold a signing ceremony with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, negotiations have dragged on, suggesting substantial differences remain.

Liu, Mnuchin and Lighthizer have "made some progress" after holding several phone calls recently, commerce ministry spokesman Gao Feng said at a weekly press briefing.

"But there is still a large amount of work remaining to finish," he said, adding both sides are "going all out to earnestly negotiate" following the truce struck by Xi and Trump in December.

And White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said the negotiations are not "time dependent" and could be extended.

The talks are "policy and enforcement dependent" so "if it takes a few more weeks or if it takes months, so be it," Kudlow said in a speech in Washington.

The negotiators will have a working dinner on Thursday before a full day of talks on Friday, Gao said. Liu will head to Washington next week for more talks.

"Ambassador Lighthizer and myself are pleased to be back here in Beijing. We look forward to productive meetings," Mnuchin said ahead of the dinner.

Lighthizer has sought to play down expectations.

"I'm hoping but not necessarily hopeful," he told National Public Radio earlier this week.

"If there's a great deal to be gotten, we'll get it -- if not, we'll find another plan."

The two sides have slapped tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of goods since last year, hitting a slew of businesses.

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Trump suggested last week some of those tariffs should stay in place after a deal is reached to ensure China follows through.

Kudlow told Bloomberg said the tariffs are meant to influence Beijing and "we are not going to give up our leverage."

- Market access -

Beijing has taken steps to address some US complaints. Earlier this month, China's rubber-stamp parliament rushed through a law that seeks to protect foreign firms from the forced transfer of technology.

Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday repeated his pledge to step up punishment for intellectual property infringers to ensure they "bear an unpayable cost", addressing a major bone of contention in Washington.

"We will again widen foreign firms' market access," Li pledged at the Boao Forum for Asia, a Davos-like annual meeting hosted by China.

While the US has hit out at Chinese practices, Lighthizer told NPR "the kinds of things that we're asking for are not anti-Chinese at all".

"Protection of intellectual property is not anti-Chinese. Stopping people from forcing transfer of technology is not anti-Chinese. In fact, the reformers would say it's pro-Chinese. It will help their economy, not hurt their economy," he added.

Negotiators hope to iron out remaining differences on other issues including Beijing's subsidies to state-owned firms and policies to build up Chinese companies in strategic sectors.

"In our conversations with the US government, they've indicated that subsidies which create an uneven playing field between foreign and domestic companies are most definitely something that continues to be negotiated," said Jacob Parker, vice president of the US-China Business Council.

"I suspect this is one of the areas China is pushing back on, (and) it remains a core of the negotiations."

When Li presented the government's 2019 policy plans earlier this month, he made no mention of its controversial Made in China 2025 industrial policy, which had called for Chinese firms to take control of many strategic industries.

- Lack of trust -

Still, analysts say Beijing's push for self-reliance and indigenous innovation will continue in practice.

Foreign tech companies have also long been locked out of China's market with many like Google, Facebook and Amazon blocked or facing restrictions.

Beijing has yet to give in to demands for greater market access to foreign cloud computing providers or loosen restrictions on overseas data transfer, the Financial Times reported this week.

The two sides also need to resolve when to remove the punitive tariffs on billions of dollars' worth of goods and how to enforce any deal.

"The question will be the details and enforceability," Lighthizer said, outlining a mechanism for US companies facing problems in China to bring cases to the US Trade Representative for discussion with Chinese officials.

"They're committed to do this, but it's going to be a question of whether they can get all the layers of government, I think, to follow through."
Washington (AFP) - The kidney of a 35-year-old HIV-positive woman has been transplanted into another patient with the AIDS virus, US surgeons announced Thursday, in a major medical breakthrough.

The surgeons at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore performed the operation on Monday, calling it the first in the world of its kind.

The donor, identified as Nina Martinez, was to address reporters alongside her doctors at 1:00 pm (1700 GMT). The recipient has not been named.

Martinez initially wanted to donate the kidney to a friend, but after that friend passed away, she pursued her wish to be an organ donor, Johns Hopkins said.

Before this transplant operation, doctors had believed it was too risky to leave an HIV-positive patient with only one kidney.

The decision to move forward with the transplant highlights the confidence scientists have in current anti-retroviral medication, which allows those with HIV to lead normal, productive lives.

Thousands of people die each year in the United States awaiting organ transplants.

Dorry Segev, an associate professor of surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, says about 500-600 HIV-positive patients could donate organs each year, benefitting about 1,000 people with the virus.

Until now, only organs removed from dead HIV-positive patients were eligible for transplants to people with the virus.

The possibility of using organs from living donors would significantly change the equation.

Johns Hopkins University Hospital received authorization in 2016 to move ahead with the first transplant from a living donor with HIV. Surgeons had been waiting to find compatible patients.

Martinez and the recipient of her kidney will have to keep taking their anti-retroviral medication.

"When I take this recipient off the list, everyone moves up," Martinez told The Washington Post, "whether they have HIV or not."
WASHINGTON (AP)  A British government report issued Thursday detailing security risks posed by Chinese firm Huawei confirms U.S. government warnings of security risks associated with the telecom giant, according to a U.S. official.

The report from a cybersecurity watchdog identified "significant technical issues" in Huawei's engineering and warned there is "only limited assurance" the risk can be managed.

The U.S. official said those findings support similar American assessments that concluded Huawei's equipment cannot be "made safe from Chinese influence or disruption." The official spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to brief the media publicly.

Huawei denies that its equipment could be used to facilitate spying and Chinese authorities have accused Washington of exaggerating security concerns to limit competition with Western vendors.

Washington is campaigning in Europe and beyond for allies to ban the use of Huawei technology as they develop plans to build new high speed fifth generation, or 5G, mobile networks.

The U.S. has experienced significant pushback from allies concerned about remaining competitive in the global race to develop 5G technology. Germany recently announced Huawei would be able to bid on 5G contracts there and the U.S. has issued warnings to Israel that Chinese investment could result in reduced intelligence sharing.

The United Kingdom has previously said it believes Huawei's security risks could be managed. Thursday's report authored by British cybersecurity inspectors also said Huawei's plans to address security flaws "could in principle be successful."

The U.S. argues Huawei could give the Chinese government backdoor access to snoop on internet users worldwide.

"Our intelligence community has made it abundantly clear Huawei and ZTE put the security of our communications at risk and it is concerning that allies like Germany are considering relying on their products," said Republican Sen. Cory Gardner of Colorado in statement Thursday. "It is my hope all of our allies in Europe and around the globe hear us loud and clear."

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The U.S. accused ZTE Corp., a major supplier of telecom networks and smartphones based in southern China, of misleading American regulators after it settled charges of violating sanctions against North Korea and Iran. The company was blocked in 2018 from importing American components for seven years.

Despite the security flaws identified in the report Thursday, British authorities said they do not believe the defects were a result of "Chinese state interference" and the report did not find that Huawei was giving the Chinese government backdoor access as the U.S. is warning.

U.S. officials didn't expect to find dedicated backdoors, instead assessing its more likely the Chinese government would use what appear to be flaws in Huawei's code to gain access, according to the official who spoke on condition of anonymity. The official added that type of access can be just as damaging.
Washington (AFP) - The kidney of a 35-year-old HIV-positive woman has been transplanted into another patient with the virus that causes AIDS, US surgeons announced Thursday, in a major medical breakthrough.

The surgeons at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore performed the operation on Monday, calling it the first in the world of its kind.

"I'm feeling good," said the donor, Nina Martinez, at a news conference on Thursday following the surgery.

The recipient, who has not been identified, is doing "beautifully," said Christine Durand, associate professor of medicine and oncology at Johns Hopkins.

They are "incredibly grateful for this gift and now we just monitor for the long term outcomes," Durand said.

Martinez initially wanted to donate the kidney to a friend, but after that friend died, she pursued her wish to be an organ donor, Johns Hopkins said.

The Atlanta resident, who was inspired to donate her kidney by an episode of "Grey's Anatomy," said she was excited to be part of a medical first.

"I knew that I was the one that they had been waiting for," she said. "For anyone considering embarking on this journey, it's doable.

"I've just showed you how and I'm very excited to see who the first follow-on might be."

Before this transplant operation, doctors had believed it too risky to leave an HIV-positive patient with only one kidney.

The decision to move forward with the transplant highlights the confidence scientists have in current anti-retroviral medication, which allows those with HIV to lead normal, productive lives.

Thousands of people die each year in the United States awaiting organ transplants.

- 'Doors are now open' -

Dorry Segev, an associate professor of surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said about 500-600 HIV-positive patients could donate organs each year, benefiting about 1,000 people with the virus.

Story continues

Until now, HIV-positive patients could receive organs from dead HIV-positive patients but not from anyone living with the virus.

They could also previously receive an organ from someone who was not HIV-positive.

The possibility of using organs from living donors would significantly change the equation.

Johns Hopkins University Hospital received authorization in 2016 to move ahead with the first transplant from a living donor with HIV. Surgeons had been waiting to find compatible patients.

Martinez and the recipient of her kidney will have to keep taking their anti-retroviral medication.

"The doors are now open for people living with HIV to become kidney donors," said Segev. "Now anybody can do this anywhere in the world, provided that they screen the patients accordingly.

"For us, this is not only a celebration of transplantation but a celebration of the progress of HIV care," he said.

"And the fact that 30 years ago, a disease that was basically a death sentence has been so transformed, that today somebody with HIV can save somebody else's life."

Like other countries, the United States suffers from a shortage of donor kidneys and there is a waiting list of around 100,000 people, according to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network.

Durand said about 10,000 HIV-positive patients are currently suffering kidney failure and on dialysis.
Rio de Janeiro (AFP) - Brazilian authorities have frozen more than $4 billion dollars' worth of assets belonging to Vale over a deadly dam collapse, the mining giant said Wednesday, as it reported a 24.6 percent increase in full-year net profit.

Vale has been struggling to deal with the aftermath of the January 25 rupture in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais that spewed millions of tons of mining waste across the countryside and forced the suspension of some of its operations.

As the official death toll from the disaster rose to 212 with another 93 missing, Vale said local judicial and government authorities had frozen more than 16 billion reais (more than $4 billion) of its assets to cover the potential cost of compensation, wages and other expenses relating to the disaster.

It was too early to estimate the total cost of the dam break, Vale said in a statement, noting the "preliminary stage of the various claims and contingencies."

For 2018, the world's top iron ore producer said net profit rose 24.6 percent to $6.86 billion on a strong fourth-quarter performance. Its full-year operating revenue reached $36.58 billion, up 7.7 percent from the previous year.

Vale president Fabio Schvartsman and three executives temporarily stepped down in early March after prosecutors recommended their dismissal over the crisis.

More than two months after the disaster, environmental activists say poisonous sludge from the dam has reached the Sao Francisco River -- Brazils second longest -- hundreds of kilometers (miles) downstream.

The disaster was the second involving Vale in three years in the mineral-rich region. So far, Vale says, its water quality analysis shows toxicity levels near the dam are "below the legal limits for mining tailings" and are "not harmful to health."

And its technicians predict that material from the dam would "not reach the Sao Francisco," Vale said Friday.
Verint Systems VRNT reported fourth-quarter fiscal 2019 adjusted earnings of $1.08 per share, which increased 2.9% year over year and comfortably beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.01.



Adjusted revenues of $336.3 million increased 4.3% year over year and beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $333 million



Verint Systems Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Verint Systems Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | Verint Systems Inc. Quote



Quarter Details



Product revenues (38.5% of total revenues) grew 5.4% year over year to $127.1 million. Service and support revenues (61.5%) increased 2.5% year over year to $203.2 million.



Segment wise, non-GAAP Customer Engagement revenues (66%) increased 2.6% year over year to $217.8 million. Moreover, the company stated that it generated about 15% of Customer Engagement revenues from SMB business partners.



Non-GAAP Customer Engagement cloud revenues increased 22.5% year over year to $165.4 million. Non-GAAP Customer Engagement recurring revenues increased 9.1% year over year to $480.7 million.



Non-GAAP cloud annualized recurring revenue (ARR) increased 44.8% year over year to $199.8 million.



In the current quarter, Verint received cloud orders from both new and existing customers. Some new customer orders included a $6 million order from a travel company, a $5 million order from a financial company and a $2 million order from a ridesharing company. Additionally, it received an order worth $7 million from an existing telecom customer in fiscal fourth-quarter, bringing their total order value to $20 million for fiscal 2019.



With the evolution of digital connectivity, growth in customers interactions is driving the need for efficient customer management solutions. Additionally, about 71% of the companies are considering customer experience to be their top priority and using it as a business differentiator, per management.



Due to the abovementioned trend, Verint Customer Engagement revenues are expected to increase given the companys ability to provide automated solutions that boost efficiency while cutting down on costs.



Cyber Intelligence revenues (36%) grew 7.7% year over year to $118.9 million. The company has more than 1,000 government and enterprise customers in this segment across the globe. Notably, government customers contributed more to Cyber Intelligence revenues (about 80%).



Additionally, the companys ability to anticipate new market trends and bring solutions to address the same helped it win approximately $65 million worth of orders in the reported quarter.



Verint has a strong clientele of more than 10,000, with about 85% of them belonging to the top 100 of the Fortune 500 list.



Operating Details



Non-GAAP gross profit increased 6% year over year to $234.9 million. Gross margin expanded 110 basis points (bps) to 69.8%.



Research and development expenses increased 9% year over year to $53 million. Also, selling, general and administrative expenses increased 2.1% year over year to $114.7 million. Total operating expenses increased 4.5% year over year to $176 million.



Adjusted EBITDA increased 6.2% year over year to $95.4 million. Adjusted EBODTA margin expanded 50 bps to 28.3%.



Non-GAAP operating income increased 7.5% year over year to $88.2 million and operating margin expanded 80 bps to 26.2%.



Balance Sheet and Cash Flow



Verint had $369.9 million of cash and cash equivalents as of Jan 31, 2019 compared with $353.4 million in the prior quarter.



Cash flow from operations was $215.3 million compared with $176.3 million from the year-ago period. Moreover, long-term debt for the quarter was $777.8 million compared with $775.3 million for the quarter ending Oct 31.



Guidance



First-Quarter Fiscal 2020



Non-GAAP revenues are expected to witness year-over-year growth of 8%. Non-GAAP earnings per share are anticipated to increase 14% year over year.



Fiscal 2020



Non-GAAP revenue guidance has been revised to $1.37 billion (+/-2%) from $1.325 billion guided earlier, indicating year-over-year growth of 10%. Additionally, cloud revenues are anticipated to be $250 million owing to strength in Verints cloud solution and increasing demand for the same.



Non-GAAP earnings per share guidance has been revised to $3.60 from the earlier projection of $3.50, indicating year-over-year growth of 12%.



Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider



Currently, Verint carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).



Some better-ranked stocks in the broader computer and technology sector are Akamai Technologies AKAM, Facebook FB and Intuit Inc. INTU. All three stocks carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.



Long-term growth rates for Akamai, Facebook and Intuit is projected to be 15%, 18% and 16%, respectively.



Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2019



In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-holds for the year?



Who wouldn't? Our annual Top 10s have beaten the market with amazing regularity. In 2018, while the market dropped -5.2%, the portfolio scored well into double-digits overall with individual stocks rising as high as +61.5%. And from 2012-2017, while the market boomed +126.3, Zacks' Top 10s reached an even more sensational +181.9%.



See Latest Stocks Today >>



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Facebook, Inc. (FB) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Akamai Technologies, Inc. (AKAM) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Intuit Inc. (INTU) : Free Stock Analysis Report



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BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP)  Vermont filed a lawsuit Tuesday against two pharmaceutical distributors, accusing them of selling ever-increasing amounts of prescription opioids in the state while failing to effectively monitor and control the sales and acknowledge the quantity of pills was outpacing the need.

The lawsuit alleges Cardinal Health, Inc. and McKesson Corporation committed unfair and deceptive acts and practices, were negligent, and that their behavior constitutes a public nuisance.

"By law, these companies  McKesson and Cardinal Health  are supposed to be the gatekeepers to keep out the flow of opiates in this state," said Attorney General T.J. Donovan. "They essentially opened the gate, and let the flood of these pills come into this state and overwhelm the state of Vermont."

"The idea that distributors are responsible for the number of opioid prescriptions written defies common sense and lacks understanding of how the pharmaceutical supply chain actually works and is regulated," said John Parker, a spokesman for the Healthcare Distribution Alliance, a national trade association representing wholesale distributors. "Those bringing lawsuits would be better served addressing the root causes, rather than trying to redirect blame through litigation."

McKesson did not directly address the lawsuit in an emailed statement but said that the company has "strong programs designed to detect and prevent opioid diversion within the pharmaceutical supply chain."

It noted that it only distributes opioids to state-licensed and Drug Enforcement Administration-registered pharmacies. It said it is concerned about and working to address the opioid crisis.

An email seeking comment was sent to representatives for Dublin, Ohio-based Cardinal.

The lawsuit was filed on the same day that the maker of OxyContin and the company's controlling family agreed to pay $270 million to Oklahoma to settle allegations they helped create the country's opioid crisis with their marketing of the painkiller.

Story continues

Vermont has a similar lawsuit pending against the company, Purdue Pharma. Last week, a judge denied Purdue's motion to dismiss the state's case. Purdue has denied it acted improperly.

In the newest lawsuit, the state alleges McKesson and Cardinal Health were involved in marketing aimed at increasing sales in Vermont, although Donovan said the companies deny that.

"They worked with Purdue Pharma, the manufacturers, to increase the sales to make money at the cost of hundreds of Vermonters who have died and thousands whose lives have ruined," he said. "That is why we bring the lawsuit today, against McKesson and Cardinal Health."

In 2015, nearly 500,000 opioid prescriptions were dispensed in Vermont, which had about 625,000 residents.

The two companies also failed to notify regulators of increasing evidence of widespread diversion of the drugs that should have been apparent in their distribution and sales data, Donovan said.

About a dozen states have pending lawsuits against distributors, the attorney general's office said.
A health center in an Appalachian county in Kentucky. Photo: The Washington Post/The Washington Post/Getty Images

Efforts by the Trump administration and Republican-governed states to weed out Medicaid beneficiaries via work requirements hit a major legal hurdle today as a D.C. district court judge struck down waivers granted to Arkansas and Kentucky for this purpose. Judge James Boasberg (an Obama appointee) was insistent in holding that the statutory purpose of the Medicaid program is to provide health coverage to the poor, and making it conditional on work requirements or other ancillary social goals was unacceptable and an abuse of agency discretion, as the Washington Post reported:

The twinned opinions, in a pair of states that have been national leaders in the move towards Medicaid work requirements, cast doubt on the Trump administrations approvals of efforts to re-envision the public insurance program. The opinions undo the permission the U.S. Health and Human Services Department had given those two states, telling the agency it must reconsider their applications with an eye towards the effect on poor people who depend on the coverage.

Arkansas was the state that had already implemented a work requirement, and had already kicked 18,000 people off Medicaid between September and December of last year for noncompliance (or actually, for the most part, failure to promptly report compliance). This is the second time Boasberg has blocked Kentuckys work-requirement waiver, which has not yet been implemented.

Both states initiatives were part of a broader conservative effort to subvert the expansion of the Medicaid population via the Affordable Care Acts optional provisions allowing coverage of low-income people (mostly childless individuals) who otherwise had no meaningful access to health insurance. There are states, though, like Alabama, that seek to impose Medicaid work requirements without an expansion. Politically, of course, work requirements are relatively popular, and tend to put progressives in the difficult position of defending a failure to work by allegedly able-bodied beneficiaries, even though studies have shown that nearly all of them work, are in school, or are taking care of family members.

Six other states have had work-requirement waivers approved by the administration and seven states have applications pending.

Boasbergs decision will certainly be routed to the D.C. Court of Appeals, and if affirmed, to the U.S. Supreme Court. Its a particularly urgent priority for Kentuckys conservative Republican governor Matt Bevin, whos up for reelection this year.

More generally, todays decision is a blow to conservative social engineering, and to a Trump administration that continues to make a noisy fight against expansion of health coverage.
Vietnam police have arrested a Chinese national found with a massive haul of heroin in Ho Chi Minh City, the second such bust in a week as the country cracks down on the illicit trade.

Though communist Vietnam boasts some of the world's toughest drug laws, it is both a consumption hub and a popular thoroughfare for narcotics from the lawless "Golden Triangle" region straddling Laos, Myanmar and Thailand.

Vietnam has clocked several high-profile busts in recent months as it seeks to contain rampant drug trafficking.

Police on Wednesday found 313 kilograms (690 pounds) of suspected heroin worth an estimated $8.6 million after stopping a "suspicious" pick-up truck in the southern commercial hub of Ho Chi Minh City.

"Authorities found many carton boxes with objects that looked like heroin blocks," according to Cong An Nhan Dan, the official mouthpiece of the Ministry of Public Security.

"Two suspects were detained, including a Chinese person," it added in its report Thursday.

Police launched searches of several properties in Ho Chi Minh City after the bust and said the investigation would expand.

A witness at the scene reported seeing "a lot of police... they surrounded a large area (and) took many boxes out of the car," according to state controlled VNExpress news site.

The bust follows a seizure in the city last week involving 16 Chinese citizens and three Vietnamese accused of running a major drug ring under the guise of a textile business.

Police found 300 kilograms of methamphetamine in a luxury home in the bust and said the ring likely extended to other branches in the country.

Days later, authorities in the Philippines seized more than 270 kilograms of meth linked to the Chinese-run Ho Chi Minh City cartel.

Though heroin and opium have long been the drug of choice in Vietnam, the use of synthetic party drugs is on the rise, especially among young people.

Drug laws in Vietnam are among the harshest in the world. Anyone caught with more than 600 grams (21 ounces) of heroin or more than 2.5 kilograms of methamphetamine can face the death penalty.
Walgreens will begin selling CBD creams, patches and sprays in nearly 1,500 stores in select states.

CNBC was the first to report the news Wednesday, which came about a week after CVS announced some of its stores will sell CBD topical products.

CBD, a hemp-derived cannabidiol, is a nonpsychoactive ingredient in cannabis that is becoming increasingly mainstream.

This product offering is in line with our efforts to provide a wider range of accessible health and wellbeing products and services to best meet the needs and preferences of our customers," Walgreens spokesman Brian Faith said in a statement to USA TODAY.

The drugstore chain will sell the cannabis-based products in Oregon, Colorado, New Mexico, Kentucky, Tennessee, Vermont, South Carolina, Illinois and Indiana, Faith said.

Roundup weed killer: Man awarded $80M in lawsuit claiming Monsanto's Roundup causes cancer

Special candy: Jelly Belly creator debuts cannabis-infused jelly beans

Walgreens declined to specify which brands it would carry, CNBC reported.

Cannabis-based products got a major boost in December when President Donald Trump signed off on an $867 billion Farm Bill that gave a green light for hemp to be cultivated on a large scale.

Walgreens will sell CBD products in 1,500 stores in select states.

Unlike marijuana, another cannabis species, hemp has almost none of the psychoactive compounds that cause a user to get high. Now that it's no longer labeled a controlled substance, more businesses have the opportunity to create hemp-based products, from tinctures to lotions.

CVS introduced CBD-containing topicals, including creams and salves, to stores in seven states earlier in March.

Follow Kelly Tyko on Twitter: @KellyTyko

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Walgreens to sell CBD products in nearly 1,500 drugstores
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Analyzing CapitaLand Limited's (SGX:C31) track record of past performance is a valuable exercise for investors. It enables us to reflect on whether or not the company has met expectations, which is a powerful signal for future performance. Today I will assess C31's recent performance announced on 31 December 2018 and compare these figures to its long-term trend and industry movements.

See our latest analysis for CapitaLand

Could C31 beat the long-term trend and outperform its industry?

C31's trailing twelve-month earnings (from 31 December 2018) of S$1.8b has jumped 12% compared to the previous year.

However, this one-year growth rate has been lower than its average earnings growth rate over the past 5 years of 13%, indicating the rate at which C31 is growing has slowed down. What could be happening here? Well, let's examine what's going on with margins and if the rest of the industry is facing the same headwind.

SGX:C31 Income Statement, March 27th 2019

In terms of returns from investment, CapitaLand has fallen short of achieving a 20% return on equity (ROE), recording 8.6% instead. However, its return on assets (ROA) of 3.5% exceeds the SG Real Estate industry of 3.5%, indicating CapitaLand has used its assets more efficiently. And finally, its return on capital (ROC), which also accounts for CapitaLands debt level, has increased over the past 3 years from 2.2% to 4.1%.

What does this mean?

Though CapitaLand's past data is helpful, it is only one aspect of my investment thesis. Companies that have performed well in the past, such as CapitaLand gives investors conviction. However, the next step would be to assess whether the future looks as optimistic. You should continue to research CapitaLand to get a better picture of the stock by looking at:

Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for C31s future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for C31s outlook. Financial Health: Are C31s operations financially sustainable? Balance sheets can be hard to analyze, which is why weve done it for you. Check out our financial health checks here. Other High-Performing Stocks: Are there other stocks that provide better prospects with proven track records? Explore our free list of these great stocks here.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the trailing twelve months from 31 December 2018. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

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.
New York (AFP) - Wells Fargo Chief Executive Tim Sloan, a frequent target of critics following a series of lapses by the bank, is stepping down from his post "effective immediately," the bank announced Thursday.

Sloan, who was promoted to CEO from president in October 2016 following a fake accounts scandal, also will leave the board immediately, and will retire from the company June 30, Wells Fargo said in a statement.

The board elected General Counsel Allen Parker to serve as interim CEO and president while the bank undertakes an external search for a new chief.

Sloan touted reforms he spearheaded at the nation's third biggest bank by assets since the fake accounts scandal broke two and a half years ago.

The company replaced several key executives, scrapped compensation incentives that encouraged selling, and enhanced compliance training.

Wells Fargo has settled a number of regulatory cases, although it remains under a Federal Reserve asset cap imposed following the problems.

But though he was not CEO during the fake accounts scandal, Sloan has faced continual pressure from Democratic Senator and presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren and others in Congress for the bank's behavior, which she blamed on him as well.

"About damn time," Warren said on Twitter moments after the announcement.

"Tim Sloan should have been fired a long time ago. He enabled Wells Fargo's massive fake accounts scam, got rich off it, & then helped cover it up."

Sloan appeared at a House hearing two weeks ago where he faced sharp question from lawmakers of both parties.

He said the company "has made progress in many areas," according to a Wells Fargo statement.

"While there remains more work to be done, I am confident in our leadership team and optimistic about the future of Wells Fargo," Sloan said.

"However, it has become apparent to me that our ability to successfully move Wells Fargo forward from here will benefit from a new CEO and fresh perspectives."

Shares of Wells Fargo rose 2.6 percent to $50.35 in after-hours trading.
Photo: Getty Images / Larry Washburn

When you think about breast cancer screening, one word usually comes to mind: mammogram. But for about half of the women in this country, this traditional measure of testing might not be enough.

That's because roughly 50 percent of women in the U.S. have what's called dense breasts, a description that refers to the amount of fibroglandular tissue versus fat in the breasta factor that impacts both cancer risk and detection, explains Laurie Margolies, M.D., the chief of breast imaging at the Mount Sinai Health System in New York. (Related: 5 Simple Ways to Reduce Your Breast Cancer Risk)

Women with the densest breasts are five to six times more likely to develop breast cancer than women with the lowest breast density, Dr. Margolies says. Why? It could be that with dense breasts, there's more active tissue that can develop breast cancer, she explains. "The fatty part typically doesn't develop breast cancer. With dense breasts, there are more opportunities for something to go wrong as a cell divides." And once diagnosed, women with dense breasts may have an increased chance of developing aggressive or metastatic breast cancer, which decreases a breast cancer patient's chance of survival.

The other biggie: Mammograms can miss cancers in women with dense breasts. Fatty breast tissue is ideal for a mammogram. "The cancer shows as a white spot and it's easy to see in a gray background," explains Dr. Margolies. An extremely dense breast, on the other hand, appears on a mammogram like a white piece of paper. "The cancer is white and the tissue is white, so the cancer is much harder to see unless there is some fat around tissue," she says. "Dense breast tissue is tissue that might hide a small canceror a not-so-small cancer."

Surprised? You're not alone. A survey published in Oncology Times in 2017 discovered that only 20 percent of women realize breast density plays a role in how well a mammogram detects cancer. Even fewer ladies were aware that dense breast tissue was a risk factor for breast cancer.

Story continues

So now, the important stuff: How do you know if your breasts are considered "dense"?

For one, younger women are generally more likely to have dense breasts than older women are. "Breast density is related to the hormonal milieu that the body has," says Dr. Margolies. "As we hit menopause, fatty tissue increases and fibroglandular tissue decreases." From an evolutionary standpoint, that's likely because fibroglandular tissue is needed to produce milk, and as we hit menopause we no longer need it. Breast density will likely be found to have a genetic component, too, notes Dr. Margolies: "But no one yet knows what it is or how to test for a potential breast density gene." (Related: This Company Offers Genetic Testing for Breast Cancer at Home)

But you can't figure out your breast density by your age or even through a self-check. When it's time to get your first mammogram (at age 40 or 45 depending on your risk factorstalk to your doctor about the best age for you), the radiologist will typically record your breast density in the radiology report.

Historically, women were not told this was in their report, says Dr. Margolies. But now, for the first time in 20 years, the FDA is proposing changes to mammography standardsto include specific information for patients about their breast density and how it might influence the accuracy of a mammogram, according to CNN. That information would be provided in the form of a letter, with screening results, the news outlet reports. Today, 37 states require that if your breasts are dense, that information be included in your results. But if the FDA's proposed changes are finalized upon review, then it will be a nationwide requirement for all mammography standards.

When the first breast density law went into effect in Connecticut, a number of health professionals worried these laws would lead to unnecessary procedures, false positives, and patient anxiety. And, Dr. Margolies confirms, initial results did indeed show that there were many false positives and many benign biopsies completed. But, she adds: "In the ensuing eight years, this has dramatically improved."

Today, breast density awareness is seen as a lifesaver. In part, that's because if you have dense breasts, an ultrasound (a supplementary breast cancer screening for women with dense breasts) can catch a cancer that a mammogram might miss. Says Dr. Margolies: "If you take 1,000 women with dense breasts who had a normal mammogram, three will have a tiny, little invasive breast cancer that an ultrasound can pick up early."

That might not seem like a big number, but considering breast cancer takes the lives of 40,610 women in the United States every year, catching the cases that might otherwise be missed proves incredibly important. For now, make sure to check out the laws in your state regarding breast densityand always ask questions if you're unsure. It could be the difference between catching a cancer early and missing it until it's too late.
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Today we'll evaluate Mirza International Limited (NSE:MIRZAINT) to determine whether it could have potential as an investment idea. To be precise, we'll consider its Return On Capital Employed (ROCE), as that will inform our view of the quality of the business.

First, we'll go over how we calculate ROCE. Next, we'll compare it to others in its industry. And finally, we'll look at how its current liabilities are impacting its ROCE.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

ROCE is a measure of a company's yearly pre-tax profit (its return), relative to the capital employed in the business. All else being equal, a better business will have a higher ROCE. Ultimately, it is a useful but imperfect metric. Author Edwin Whiting says to be careful when comparing the ROCE of different businesses, since 'No two businesses are exactly alike.'

So, How Do We Calculate ROCE?

Analysts use this formula to calculate return on capital employed:

Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT)  (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)

Or for Mirza International:

0.19 = 1.3b  (11b - 4.7b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2018.)

Therefore, Mirza International has an ROCE of 19%.

Check out our latest analysis for Mirza International

Does Mirza International Have A Good ROCE?

When making comparisons between similar businesses, investors may find ROCE useful. Mirza International's ROCE appears to be substantially greater than the 11% average in the Luxury industry. We would consider this a positive, as it suggests it is using capital more effectively than other similar companies. Regardless of where Mirza International sits next to its industry, its ROCE in absolute terms appears satisfactory, and this company could be worth a closer look.

As we can see, Mirza International currently has an ROCE of 19%, less than the 33% it reported 3 years ago. So investors might consider if it has had issues recently.

Story continues

NSEI:MIRZAINT Past Revenue and Net Income, March 27th 2019

When considering ROCE, bear in mind that it reflects the past and does not necessarily predict the future. Companies in cyclical industries can be difficult to understand using ROCE, as returns typically look high during boom times, and low during busts. This is because ROCE only looks at one year, instead of considering returns across a whole cycle. Since the future is so important for investors, you should check out our free report on analyst forecasts for Mirza International.

How Mirza International's Current Liabilities Impact Its ROCE

Current liabilities are short term bills and invoices that need to be paid in 12 months or less. The ROCE equation subtracts current liabilities from capital employed, so a company with a lot of current liabilities appears to have less capital employed, and a higher ROCE than otherwise. To counter this, investors can check if a company has high current liabilities relative to total assets.

Mirza International has total liabilities of 4.7b and total assets of 11b. As a result, its current liabilities are equal to approximately 42% of its total assets. Mirza International has a middling amount of current liabilities, increasing its ROCE somewhat.

The Bottom Line On Mirza International's ROCE

With a decent ROCE, the company could be interesting, but remember that the level of current liabilities make the ROCE look better. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking at a few good candidates. So take a peek at this free list of companies with modest (or no) debt, trading on a P/E below 20.

I will like Mirza 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.

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.
Jussie Smollett. Photo: Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images

Jussie Smollett is off the hook. Until Tuesday, the Empire actor was facing felony charges on several counts of disorderly conduct stemming from allegations that he lied to police. Two white men, he claimed, attacked him on January 29 in Chicago and wrapped a noose around his neck and poured a chemical substance on him. This is MAGA country, one allegedly said. Smollett filed a report. After investigating, though, Chicago police accused the actor of lying. No surveillance footage of the incident could be found, and two Nigerian brothers  Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo  confessed that Smollett paid them $3,500 to stage an assault. A grand jury found probable cause to charge Smollett as a hoaxer on February 20. But on Tuesday, Cook County prosecutors dropped the charges. Smollett is sticking by his story. Ive been truthful and consistent on every single level since Day One, he said.

Smolletts journey from alleged victim to alleged fabulist to free man riveted the nation. Its political overtones  including its indictment of Trumpian violence  prompted the president to weigh in. [What] about MAGA and the tens of millions of people you insulted with your racist and dangerous comments!? Trump tweeted in February after the grand jury decision. This weeks reactions were similarly indignant. A bipartisan coalition that included Chicagos mayor, police superintendent, and a whos-who of conservative pundits and social media personalities cried black privilege and leftist privilege, calling the decision a mockery of justice that exposed Americas two-tiered criminal-punishment system. (A system, its worth noting, that almost none of them saw fit to wail about until now.)

Its easy to forget, amid the outcry, that leniency has rarely been a problem in Cook County. Nearly 8,000 people were in jail there as of Tuesday. Black residents comprise 24 percent of the county population but almost 75 percent of those locked up. These figures did not come about because prosecutors used kid gloves. Nor was the Smollett investigation a particularly egregious drain on resources that law enforcement was otherwise using effectively. That the Chicago police clear less than 18 percent of homicides in a given year suggests that those incarcerated are generally not even the individuals who most immediately threaten their fellow civilians.

In this light, few enraged by Smolletts case seem to have considered what should be intuitive  that Tuesdays decision was a perfectly reasonable response to a system that locks up far too many people while offering inadequate ways to address the most serious crimes. This not a conclusion rooted in conjecture, or reached in haste out of expediency. Rather, it is entirely consistent with mandates set forth years ago by the Cook County States Attorneys office, as articulated on its website, in States Attorney Kimberly Foxxs campaign platform, and on Tuesday by Joe Magats, the first assistant states attorney who made the decision to drop charges against Smollett. (Foxx recused herself from the case.)

Whether hes guilty or not, it is right that Smollett should avoid the prison time so many wished upon him. This was not an exoneration, Magats told WLS, clarifying that he did not see Tuesdays outcome as an admission of Smolletts innocence. To say that he was exonerated by us or anyone is not true. We believe he did what he was charged with doing. Magatss decision, then, arose from an altogether different set of considerations  namely, that he felt Smolletts shellacking in the court of public opinion, service to the local community, and forfeiture of $10,000 in bond money to the city were sufficient punishment for a nonviolent infraction where nobody was physically harmed and whose primary victim was the Chicago Police Departments pride.

And is that so unreasonable? This equation is no silver bullet for local policing or prosecutorial woes, to be sure. Nor will it  or should it  quell the anger of those disaffected by how the system disproportionately punishes the poor and marginalized while letting the wealthy and influential skate. (Although the same anger would perhaps be put to better use creating a system where punishment is used less in general.) But it is an important challenge to those who feel that Smollett escaped what could very well have been prison time. To the extent that incarceration is ever appropriate in its current American manifestation, it should be used sparingly to protect people from those who would harm them. Smollett clearly does not qualify.

If that argument is insufficient for those who still require their Wednesday accountability fix, rest assured that targets are plentiful in Chicago. Theres still the endemically racist and brutal police department that spent so much time running victory laps around Smollett that it made selecting an impartial jury all but impossible. Then theres the mayor  Rahm Emanuel  who closed black schools with abandon while presiding over the concealment of a horrific police shooting video that, conveniently, was not released until after hed secured reelection. (Naturally, Emanuel has chosen not to seek a third term.)

It is more than reasonable, on the other hand, for a prosecutors office that years ago committed itself to reform, to enact precisely the types of reforms it promised and that voters endorsed. For those angered that Smollett reaped the benefits, it may seem like justice deferred. But it is also a chance for them to rethink what too many Americans consider justice to be. I, for one, welcome it.
Geneva (AFP) - The World Trade Organization confirmed Thursday that Washington failed to fully comply with a 2012 order to halt subsidies to Boeing, marking a partial victory for rival aircraft maker Airbus and the EU.

The ruling from the WTO appeals body was the latest blow in the decade-long clash between the titans of the civil aircraft industry, which has seen both Airbus and Boeing score points along the way.

The WTO ruled in March 2012 that billions of dollars of subsidies to Boeing were illegal and notified the United States to bring them to an end.

But just a few months later, the European Union filed a new complaint with the global trade body, alleging that Washington was not complying with that order.

In a ruling published in June 2017, the WTO said the US had brought 28 of 29 programmes into compliance, but agreed with Brussels that Washington had not taken "appropriate steps to remove the adverse effects or ... withdraw the subsidy" in the case of Washington State.

Both the EU and the US appealed that finding to the WTO Appellate Body, which on Thursday basically toed the same line as the 2017 panel, although it appeared to take a harsher line against the American-side.

It found there were other subsidy programmes, including in South Carolina, which did not conform with the 2012 ruling, but in several of them it said it had been unable to complete the legal analysis to determine if the subsidies had an adverse effect on competitors' sales.

Both the EU and the US claimed victory after the ruling landed.

In its own statement, Airbus described the ruling as a "major win" and warned that if without a settlement, the US "will face billions in countermeasures."

Boeing meanwhile maintained that the WTO appeals body had "rejected every allegation of unlawful subsidies to Boeing with the single exception of one measure," referring to Washington State.

"Boeing will support the United States and Washington State as they take steps necessary to fully comply with todays ruling," the company said.

Story continues

"We trust that our example will prompt Airbus and the European Union to immediately bring themselves into full compliance with the substantial rulings against these parties by the WTO," it added.

The EU has also been reprimanded by the WTO during the tit-for-tat conflict between Airbus and Boeing, and the US aircraft maker suggested last year that billions in sanctions might also be applied against the bloc.

The WTO, which aims to create a level playing field in global trade, does not have the ability to force compliance with its rulings, but can approve retaliatory measures which in theory can pressure trade manipulators to fall into line.
By Tom Miles and Tim Hepher

GENEVA/PARIS (Reuters) - The World Trade Organization said on Thursday the United States had ignored its request to halt a subsidized tax break for Boeing Co in its main plane-making state of Washington as a 15-year-old transatlantic trade row edges towards tit-for-tat sanctions.

The European Union said the WTO appeal ruling had vindicated its claims that Boeing continued to receive illegal subsidies, but the United States said only one measure, a Washington state tax break worth around $100 million annually, had been found still to violate the rules.

The trade powers have been battling since 2004 over mutual claims of illegal aid to plane giants Boeing and Airbus, with parallel cases generating thousands of pages of findings and dense litigation that put a burden on the already congested WTO.

Both sides have been caught paying billions of dollars of subsidies to gain advantage in the global jet business, and asked to stop or face potential sanctions. Thursday's appeal ruling showed that the United States did not stop all subsidies when asked to do so, echoing an earlier finding against the EU.

The WTO's Appellate Body, effectively the supreme court of world trade, ruled that the business and occupancy (B&O) tax rate reduction in Washington state had significantly cut Airbus sales in five particularly price-sensitive sales campaigns.

"The Appellate Body has now settled this case definitively, confirming our view the U.S. has continued to subsidize Boeing despite WTO rulings to the contrary," European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said in a statement.

But U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer called the ruling a victory for the United States, since the WTO had found only one illegal subsidy while upholding an earlier rejection of EU claims that Boeing's commercial aircraft programs received over $10 billion in illegal U.S. subsidies.

"This report confirms what every other WTO report on these issues has found: the United States does not provide support even remotely comparable to the exceptionally large and harmful EU subsidies to Airbus," Lighthizer said in a statement.

Story continues

Boeing said it would support the new decision.

Any sanctions could broadly target industries beyond aerospace, but the impact of the record trade dispute on Boeing and Airbus themselves has so far been modest.

Analysts have long predicted the case would peter out or be settled without a trade war, but the prospect of retaliation is grabbing more attention than before amid global trade tensions.

COUNTERMEASURES

Airbus said Boeing still received a raft of support and urged the United States to negotiate a "fair-trade environment" - a settlement proposal that Washington has so far rejected.

In a technical point, it said the WTO had resurrected a wider group of U.S. subsidies which could be challenged later.

But Boeing said the slate had now been wiped clean of any unlawful subsidies in the United States, except for the Washington state measure which it agreed would now be amended.

"We trust that our example will prompt Airbus and the European Union to immediately bring themselves into full compliance with the substantial rulings against these parties by the WTO," Boeing said in a statement.

In a parallel ruling last year, the WTO said the European Union had failed to remove illegal subsidies for two airplane programs, the A350 and the A380 - the world's largest airliner which Airbus has since decided to stop building due to poor sales.

That part of the row simmers on as Airbus argues the case against European government loans for the A380 no longer counts because of its plans to shut production. The United States says the partly unpaid loans continue to damage Boeing indirectly.

The two sides are now in arbitration to decide the size of any countermeasures, starting with a U.S. request for authorization to impose $11 billion in sanctions on EU goods.

(Reporting by Tom Miles and Tim Hepher, additional reporting by David Lawder in Washington; editing by Stephanie Nebehay, Toby Chopra and James Dalgleish)
For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL  March 28, 2019  Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: American Airlines AAL, SkyWest SKYW, Alaska Air ALK, Delta Air Lines DAL and Southwest Airlines LUV.

Here are highlights from Wednesdays Analyst Blog:

Busiest Spring Ever for U.S. Airlines?

According to a projection by Airlines for America (A4A)  the trade organization for leading U.S. airlines  companies in the airline space are set to be extremely busy in the 2019 spring travel season (Mar 1-Apr 30). The projection mirrors a 4.3% increase in passengers flying to various destinations over the period compared with last year.

This bullish forecast further confirms a solid demand for air travel. Affordable ticket prices have also contributed to the favorable projection. With the advent of spring, many people spend on outdoor activities and traveling. After all, very few can travel in the harsh winter months characterized by inclement weather.

A4A's Projection

According to the forecast put forward by the Washington-based trade group, passengers traveling on U.S. airlines during the spring travel period this year will reach an all-time high of 158.2 million. Notably, 151.7 million people chose to travel by air in the same period last year. The forecast translates into 2.59 million fliers per day during the above-mentioned period.

To meet the surge in travel demand, U.S. carriers are increasing the number of available seats by 129,000 per day. Also, with the U.S. economy improving and consumer confidence remaining strong, more Americans planning for vacations.

Affordable airfares in addition to rising disposable income and low unemployment have provided added incentive for consumers to opt for air travel. Driven by the above reasons, the two-month period is likely to see 106,000 additional passengers taking to the skies per day on various U.S. carriers.

Story continues

Impressively, the solid spring season travel forecast made by A4A comes close on the heels of the findings of the A4A commissioned research, conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs.

According to the survey, 50% participants revealed that they flew at least once in 2018. The figure compared favorably to 39% recorded in 1997. Per the research findings, 72% Americans resorted to air travel for personal reasons including vacations, with overall flight satisfaction exceeding 80% last year.

Oil Price Decline Bodes Well for Airlines

The upbeat performance by airline stocks during the 2018 Thanksgiving holiday period and the bullish projection for the spring travel season this year coincide with the decline in oil prices. With oil prices declining in excess of 20% from the highs of $76 a barrel touched in October 2018, operating expenses of airlines have decreased.

In line with the decline in oil prices, carriers have issued a favorable projection for the metric. For example, American Airlines anticipates fuel costs between $1.97 and $2.02 per gallon in the first quarter of 2019 compared with $2.10 recorded in the year-ago quarter. The same for 2019 estimated to be between $1.99 and $2.04, lower than $2.23 in 2018.

American Airlines carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Low Taxes: A Boon

The current tax law, which came into effect in late 2017, is a huge positive for the airline industry. A considerably lower corporate tax rate is boosting cash flow and improving the bottom line of carriers. Huge savings owing to the reduction in corporate tax rate implies that more cash will be available to fund their capital expenditures, acquisitions and share repurchases, among others. Shareholder-friendly activities apart, lower tax related outflow of most carriers have enabled them to undertake employee-friendly activities such as profit sharing.

Carriers like SkyWest and Alaska Air have already increased their dividend payouts this year. Dividend hikes from the likes of Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines are expected through 2019.

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The Immediate past chairman of the Nigeria Bar Association Taraba state chapter Mr Joel Daniel has been kidnapped.

He was kidnapped in the early hours of today by unknown gunmen who made their way to his house at Mayo Dasa area of Jalingo firing gun bullets into the air to scare people.

A member of his family, ThankGod Andetarang who spoke to newsmen said his abduction is really a devastating one and pray God to touch the heart of his abductors to release him for the sake of his family and the entire Bar, Taraba state chapter.

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Home | News | General | Senate presidency: Memo to APC leadership by Ismail Omipidan (opinion)

Editor's note: Ismail Omipidan, a senior journalist, political and social affairs commentator, takes a strong look at the leadership issues about to characterise the incoming National Assembly as well as the supposed influence by the All Progressives Congress (APC) chaired by Adams Oshiomhole

Omipidan also suggests that the south east should be given a prime place in the leadership of the National Assembly

This advice may be unsolicited. But it will help the party to avoid the pitfall of 2015. Although, it claimed it has learnt from its past mistakes, nothing so far shows it has learnt any lesson.

At the meeting yesterday with APC Senators-elect, I understand President Muhammadu Buhari did not say anything on the party's preferred choice for the position of president of the Senate. But I learnt the party chairman, Adams Oshiomhole said "We're recommending Lawan."

And even after saying that, despite the fact that he was seated next to the president, President Buhari did not utter a word on that. But when Oshiomhole met with members-elect from the House of Representatives, he did not say who they were recommending, that is error number one.

Error number two, APC will be making the race a little bit difficult for Lawan by zoning the position to him. You don't zone position to an individual, you zone to the zone. That way, the party's preferred choice will have the buy in of other leaders from the zone. And from the zone, everyone will market him. It will reduce bickering and friction.

Error number three, unveiling Lawan this early may be counter productive for him.

My thoughts:

#Zone the various leadership positions in the National Assembly, accommodating all the six geo-political zones, with south east giving a special consideration.

#Perish the idea of having a deputy president of the Senate from the north west. It cannot fly. Governor Yari may have done well by providing material resources to do battle with Tambuwal, DSP position should not a reward for such a venture.

#The northern leaders must stop carrying on as if they have conquered other parts of the country. It will not augur well for the party and the administration.

#Perish the idea that you don't need other parts of the country to run the government.

#APC as a party must parish the idea of having all the A-list committee chairmen in the National Assembly, if indeed it is desirous of delivering on its campaign promises to Nigerians without any encumbrance.

Finally, if south west is desirous of producing a deputy president of the Senate, it must parish the idea of wanting to produce the speaker at the same time.

I make these submissions in good faith as an experienced parliamentary reporter, a participant observer in the emergence of at least four leadership of the National Assembly and one desirous of a united Nigeria. Where I have erred, may Allah forgive me, for perfection belongs to HIM alone. I rest my case for now.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Legit.ng.

Your own opinion articles are welcome at info@corp.legit.ng drop an email telling us what you want to write about and why. More details in Legit.ngs step-by-step guide for guest contributors.

Were ready to trade your news for our money: submit news and photo reports from your area using our Citizen Journalism App.

Contact us if you have any feedback, suggestions, complaints or compliments. We are also available on Twitter.

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2019 elections: Do you still trust INEC to conduct fair elections? - Nigerians speak| Legit TV

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Home | News | General | DSS kept me blindfolded in underground cell, dealt with me - IPOB member

- A member of IPOB, Chidiebere Onwudiwe, claimed he was tortured by DSS operatives

- Onwudiwe spoke on court where he said he was kept in a small room blindfolded

- The IPOB member claimed the statement he wrote was provided by the DSS

Chidiebere Onwudiwe, a member of the Indigenous People of Biafra, (IPOB), on Wednesday, told the Federal High Court, Abuja that officials of the Department of State Services (DSS) allegedly electrocuted him while was in their custody.

Onwudiwe was testifying as a witness in the trial-within-trial ordered by the court to ascertain the veracity of his claim that DSS officials coerced him to give them a statement.

READ ALSO: Breaking: INEC announces details of resumption of election in Rivers state

The witness who was led in evidence by his counsel, Mr Ifeanyi Ejiofor also told the court that he was locked up in an underground cell in blindfold.

I was brought from Port Harcourt to Abuja in July 2016, blindfolded, chained and kept in a room.

 After some days, they took me to another facility within the DSS premises called New Echo. It was there I met Mr CB who told me to make a statement but I asked him what my offence was.

Then one man that looked like the boss slapped me from the back and asked me: Do you want to die here, there is nothing like a lawyer here, you will write what we tell you to write and he assigned me to Mr CB.

 I was then sent to a smaller room in the basement, with an air-conditioning system of about two horsepower where I slept on tiles with only my boxers on.

I spent about a month there, blindfolded and drinking water from the tap, the witness told the court.

He further told the court that apart from the data page of his statement, every other thing on the statement was written by the DSS officials for him to rewrite.

Under cross examination by the prosecutor, Mr Shuaibu Labaran, the witness said that the only thing that was recognisable to him on the statements he was compelled to recopy was IPOB.

The trial judge, Justice Binta Nyako directed counsel to file, serve and exchange written addresses.

She adjourned the matter until May 28, for counsel to address the court.

The court ordered the trial-within-trial on Tuesday after Ejiofor told the court that his client alleged that all the statements he gave to the DSS were obtained under duress.

Onwudiwe is standing trial alongside Bright Chimezie, Benjamin Madubugwu and David Nwawuisi, on an amended three-count charge bordering on conspiracy to commit treasonable felony and improper importation of goods.

Meanwhile, Anthony Nwoko, an activist, has berated the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, and his Biafra Independent Movement (BIM) counterpart, Ralph Uwazuruike, for compromising the Biafra struggle for personal profit.

Nwoko, in a report available in Vanguard, raised heavy allegations against the duo among which was collecting money from Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

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THE SCOOP: IPOB proscribed, Nnamdi Kanu vanishes, 2600 rifles from Turkey | Legit TV

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Home | News | General | Some states now enjoy almost 24 hours electricity supply - Fashola claims

- Babatunde Fashola, has stated that some states in the country now enjoy almost 24 hours of electricity supply

- The minister said the increase in transmission capacity was responsible for the increase in electricity supply

- Fashola added that the federal government is ready to invest N72 billion to install transformers and expand electricity distribution

The minister of power, works and housing, Babatunde Fashola, has stated that almost 24 hours of electricity supply is now being enjoyed by some states in the country.

Fashola made the claim on a Channels TV programme on Wednesday, March 27, The Cable reports.

READ ALSO: Adamawa APC makes dramatic U-turn, accepts to participate in guber rerun

Legit.ng gathers that the minister said the increase in transmission capacity was responsible for the increase in electricity supply.

He, however, pointed out that the major challenge in making power available all the time has been the distribution networks; even as he said transmission grew with about 8,100 watts as of December 2018.

He said: Sitting down here, I can tell you some states that have almost 24 hours  Kebbi, Yobe. Some have five, some have 10 and there are still outages.

The generation capacity is also increasing. It is a value chain where the distribution is not matching up the available power and from time to time, there are slacks.

The short term goals are incremental power and stable supply in some places.

Fashola further disclosed that the federal government is ready to invest N72 billion to install transformers and expand electricity distribution.

He said: The government has decided that as 40 percent holder of everything in the distribution of power, we have our programme to invest N72 billion which will involve installing transformers and all of that.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Babatunde Fashola said that N10 trillion infrastructural bond was needed to meet up with infrastructural deficit and advance the course of Nigerias development.

Fashola made this known on Monday, March 25, in Abuja at a meeting with members of the House of Representatives Committee on Works to defend his ministrys 2018 budget performance and 2019 budget.

The minister received legislative commendations from the committee for his achievements so far in the road sector.

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Fashola EXCLUSIVE Interview: How Nigeria Can Have Uninterrupted Power Supply - on Legit TV:

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Photo: Ting Shen/Xinhua News Agency/Getty Images

Intelligencer staffers Jonathan Chait, Benjamin Hart, and Max Read discuss accusations that the mainstream press hyped up special counsel Robert Muellers investigation in an irresponsible manner.

Ben: Since the anticlimactic release of William Barrs letter last weekend, many on the right, joined by a few prominent figures on the left (Glenn Greenwald, Matt Taibbi, etc.), have gone hard with their accusations that mainstream news sources  especially cable news, but also including this magazine, among other places  were utterly wrong about the arc and scope of the Trump-Russia story, and that the entire media apparatus is now due for a reckoning. What have you made of these critiques so far?

Jon: Obviously the media is a large group, and it contains bad stories and bad commentary on every topic. I do not think the coverage of the Russia scandal has, on the whole, exaggerated the size of the scandal. In some ways it has minimized it, failing to contextualize all the previous information.

Sometimes it focuses too heavily on each incremental development, but this comes at the expense of contextualizing the previous ones, which add up to a very damning picture most readers cant keep track of.

Max: Yeah, I agree with Jon  one problem with this discussion (characteristic of discussions on Twitter) is that it suffers from a lack of specificity. Who is the media? What, specifically, have they gotten wrong? In the case of the right, the accusations mostly seem to have a partisan motive, i.e., to discredit the press and whatever other enemies of the administration they can identify.

Ben: Right. The media has long been one of the laziest tropes around.

Jon: There are figures who confidently predicted Mueller would bring criminal charges against Trump, but I think these are mostly Twitter personalities who have been mostly (though perhaps not entirely) walled off from the MSM.

Max: In the case of people like Greenwald  I dont know, it seems as much like hes lashing out against silly resistance-Twitter figures as he is at big news institutions or organizations.

Jon: Right, Greenwalds method relies heavily on elevating marginal figures and making them stand-ins for the entire media.

Max: All that being said: I think there is good evidence that lots of the speculation on cable news, specifically CNN and MSNBC, was wildly overblown and irresponsible.

Jon: Though maybe those people have more influence than we realized? I dont watch much television news, but almost every scandal tends to be covered in a breathless tone.

Max: Clearly those people have influence over Greewalds attention. Not sure they have influence elsewhere.

Jon: Im sure those people are invading his Twitter mentions constantly.

Max: Yes, I dont know that cable news coverage of Mueller was worse than cable news coverage of anything, except in the sense that the Mueller story was potentially much bigger and more important than, say, the missing plane.

Jon: I was a teenager during Iran-Contra, and I remember portentous coverage all the time. It seemed like the story was everything.

I once saw some debate on Twitter where Greenwald was being called a Russian agent. I stated that he is definitely not a Russian agent, which seemed almost like a given, but he appeared genuinely grateful that I said this, as if its even a question. Maybe in his world, the crazy looms much larger.

Ben: Marginal figures aside, is there a valid critique that many actual journalists did not consider the possibility that there was less to the Trump-Russia story than met the eye?

Jon: The problem is, we dont know if theres less than meets the eye. What we know is that theres not a chargeable crime against Trump. I cant think of anybody who treated that as a slam-dunk possibility, except your Louise Mensch types. It gives me no pleasure to report this.

Ben: True, though I was a little surprised, and I think many of us were, that there were no further indictments and no verdict on coordination with Russia.

Jon: Good point. Why no Jerome Corsi indictment? Thats weird.

Ben: Right, I was expecting some marginal figure like that, at least.

Max: I guess the question I keep having is what the Times or the Post or the Journal mishandled. It seems really possible that they did get a story badly wrong, but I havent seen much evidence. So far the person who seems to have gotten this wrongest, Mensch aside, is John Brennan, who is not the media.

Jon: Im not sure what verdict on coordination with Russia there is  Barrs language was so vague it might not have really said anything about that.

Ben: I agree. But one could say that outlets spent too much time and space on it.

Jon: I dont think so at all. Its a huge scandal. I agree that its not a huge issue for Democrats, but running Democratic messages is not the medias job.

Max: The thing that keeps getting weirdly elided is that presidential advisers were charged with crimes! Or, campaign advisers, at any rate. Its not like nothing has been happening for a year except speculation.

Jon: Sometimes I come across old stories about this and get shocked, before I realize its a year old. Theres so much out there!

Ben: Yes, it became an expectations game  Mueller seemed to be building his way to the top of the Trump pyramid, month by month, and people figured something bigger was going to happen. So now, an actual successful investigation that produced indictments and prison terms seems like a letdown.

Max: I think part of the issue here for Greenwald and some of the people on the left is that theyre using a sort of media-process argument to make a political argument

Jon: I would say the Mueller-as-Superman meme might have infected the media too strongly.

Ben: What do you mean, Max?

Max: I guess I mean that the objection to the Mueller investigation among the sort of rank-and-file Twitter left isnt really that nothing happened. Its that an account of Trumps election that blamed Russian interference was incomplete and distracting, and that focus on the Mueller investigation meant looking away from real issues.

Jon: Greenwald also disputed that Russia hacked the emails, and Taibbi questioned the intel finding that Russia was trying to help Trump win.

Max: Yeah, Greenwald is a frustrating figure in all of this because hes making the worst possible argument on the biggest possible platform.

Ben: As is so often the case, the people who want a full accounting of their enemies mistakes resist any accounting of their own mistakes.

Jon: Its fundamentally ideological with the left, which is honorable in a way.

Max: Heh, I guess what Im saying is that I wish it were MORE ideological.

Jon: The Russia scandal helps or is in some way connected to hawkish Russia policies, even if it doesnt necessitate them. Thats the starting point for Greenwald/Taibbi. The Russia scandal makes Russia the bad guy, it makes neocons the good guys (or at least not the central villains), and it casts some suspicion on dovish policy toward Russia. Obviously it centers the Bernie or Bust movements anger toward Hillary as a key villain. It dismisses the substantive importance of the DNC hacks, which Greenwald and his allies very much played up. It also casts Assange as a Russian tool. Basically, the story flatters all their enemies and makes his allies look bad. Nobody likes stories like that

Ben: Max, how do you want it to be more ideological?

Max: I think the media got the Mueller report wrong is more or less a statement of fact that we can assess based on evidence. And I dont think the evidence really supports it, outside the significant and important case of cable news. When I say Id rather the objections were ideological, I mean that Id rather they explicitly focused on questions of politics than on media behavior.

Liberal attention to the Mueller report is a waste of resources better served organizing an electoral political response to Donald Trump is obviously an arguable contention. But its a much more supportable position than the Mueller report was a nothingburger that the media completely fucked up. Does that make sense?

Ben: I believe it does.

Max: I would just add, by the way, that I feel like Im letting cable news off the hook here??

Ben: Feel free to go off on it!

Max: Every single thing I said in this conversation should be amended with: Regardless of all other concerns, cable news is incredibly corrosive to civic culture. Anyone who wants to hear the full rant can buy me a beer.

Ben: Max will be at Lucky Strike bar at 6:30.
Home | News | General | Adamawa guber rerun: Drama as APC makes U-turn, accepts to participate in exercise, boasts of victory

- The Adamawa chapter of the APC has accepted to participate in the gubernatorial rerun slated for Thursday, March 28

- The party said its earlier boycott threat was not out of fear, but to encourage participation by other political parties who had been taken unawares by the new date

- The APC said the developmental strides recorded by Governor Mohammed Bindow would ensure its victory

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Adamawa has called on its supporters in the state to get prepared and participate in the governorship supplementary election slated for Thursday, March 28.

Alhaji Ahmed Lawal, state organising secretary of the party, gave the directive on Wednesday, March 27 in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yola.

READ ALSO: NNPC enters second phase of recruitment exercise, gives crucial update

Legit.ng gathers that Lawal said that the party reviewed its earlier decision to boycott the poll and had resolved to fully participate in the poll.

He, however, said that in spite of the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC)s refusal to heed their call for a re-schedule, the APC would still win the election.

He appealed to the APC family and supporters not to be deterred by INECs action, but to go out en mass to vote for the candidate of the party.

Having consulted all the party stakeholders, we have resolved to participate in the supplementary election fixed for tomorrow.

Our earlier boycott threat was not out of fear, but to encourage participation by other political parties who had been taken unawares by the date for the supplementary election.

To us, we will participate and win the re-run even as INEC has refused to rescind its decision to hold the re-run tomorrow.

We appeal to APC supporters to come out and vote for APC massively so as to ensure victory in the election.

Adamawa is an APC state, and with the developmental strides recorded by Governor Mohammed Bindow, it is a sure qualification for winning an election, Lawal said.

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Recall that Legit.ng previously reported that the All Progressives Congress in Adamawa rejected the March 28 date fixed by INEC for the supplementary governorship election in the state.

The organising secretary of the party, Alhaji Ahmed Lawal, announced the partys decision in Yola on Tuesday, March 26. Lawal said that INEC did not consult the party before fixing the new date for the poll.

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Home | News | General | Oshiomhole asks court to dismiss suit compelling EFCC to investigate him

- Adams Oshiomhole asked a court to dismiss a suit asking the EFCC to investigate him

- The former governor said the plaintiff lacked the right to institute the action

- The APC chairman asked the court to throw out the case

Former governor of Edo state, Adams Oshiomhole, has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to dismiss the suit seeking to compel the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to commence criminal investigation against him.

Nigerian Tribune reports that the All Progressives Congress chairman in a preliminary objection to the suit filed by Bishop Osadolor Ochei said the plaintiff lacked legal right to institute the action.

READ ALSO: Breaking: INEC announces details of resumption of election in Rivers state

Terhemba Gbashima who filed the objection on behalf of the former governor told the court that the suit filed by the plaintiff is status-barred, as it was filed18 months after the cause of action instead of three months after it.

He also submitted that Bishop Osadolor has not shown how the alleged cause of action has affected him more than other indigenes of Edo state and asked the court to dismiss the suit for being incompetent.

In her response, counsel to the plaintiff, Uju Chukwurah, asked the trial Judge, Justice Anwuli Chikere to discountenance the preliminary objection of Oshiomhole, who is the second respondent in the suit.

She said the EFCC is empowered to investigate financial crimes against anybody and as such, it is under a statutory duty to examine the petition brought before it by the petitioner.

Meanwhile, Ibrahim Magu, the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday, December 5, revealed that it has recovered not less than N794 billion from looters of the nations treasury.

Magu represented by EFCC's head of operations, Usman Muktar, in Port Harcourt, Rivers state capital said that over $261 million, 8.1 millions euros and 1.1 million Pounds had been recovered from corrupt Nigerians, The Sun reports.

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EXCLUSIVE: Be patient with President Buhari, Femi Adesina tells Nigerians | Legit TV

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Home | News | General | Minister reacts to Waje's outburst, urges her to return to gospel music

Recently, popular female musician did something very unusual - she shared her pains and frustrations as a musician to the whole world. This she did via a short documentary that mirrored just how tired she was of her seemingly failing music career. In response to her confession, many people have taken to giving her candid advice.

A particular man named Asu Ekiye also weighed in on the issue. The man who is a gospel minister and the national president of Fellowship of Gospel Music Ministers of Nigeria (FOGMMON) also weighed in on the issue.

First off, he spoke of how much he reckoned with Waje's statement. Then, he went on to acknowledge how much impact she had made in the secular music industry.

However, he spoke of his strong belief that the frustration she was facing in the secular music industry might be a clear indication that she should return to her base - gospel music.

READ ALSO: 12 Times Meghan Markle Went Against Royal Rules

The FOGMMON president, thus, urged her to return to gospel singing as God is about to use her in his kingdom.

See his post below:

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"My Beloved sister Waje @officialwaje, my name is Asu Ekiye, The National President of FOGMMON Fellowship of gospel music ministers of Nigeria. I watched u live talking about your experiences in the music Industry.. I felt very touched and seriously constrained to say this to you. While thanking God for your sterling achievement in the world of secular music. May I use this medium to let u know that your primary constituency remains the church.

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"I want to officially invite you to Come back to Gospel Music where u started from. The Holy Spirit awaits your arrival .. There is a big space for you in the kingdom .. This is where you belong . God is about to use you to another level. God bless."

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Recently, Ubi Franklin, a record label owner, also weighed in on the issue and vented out his own frustration as well.

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Why gospel music is thriving in a secular world | Legit TV

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Home | News | General | NNPC enters second phase of recruitment exercise, gives crucial update to applicants

- The NNPC has ended the first phase of its 2019 recruitment exercise and has begun the second phase which involves shortlisting of qualified candidates

- The corporation says qualified candidates would be invited to participate in computer-based aptitude tests

- The tests would be administered in about 50 centres across the country and successful candidates would subsequently be invited for oral interviews

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has ended the first phase of its ongoing recruitment exercise.

The corporations general manager, group public affairs division, Ndu Ughamadu, on Wednesday, March 27 disclosed that phase two of the exercise has kicked off.

READ ALSO: ASUU, FG resume re-negotiations on 2009 agreement

Legit.ng notes that in tweets on its handle, @NNPCgroup, the corporation disclosed that Ughamadu stated that the second phase involves shortlisting of qualified candidates.

He further disclosed that qualified applicants would be invited to participate in computer-based aptitude tests.

See tweets below:

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Recall that Legit.ng previously reported that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation announced a recruitment exercise for prospective staff of the revenue-generating organization, just days after the end of the 2019 general elections.

The NNPC placed the announcement on its social media walls, asking applicants to visit its website to register.

We are hiring, the announcement said. Are you passionate about building an exciting career in NNPC? Join us.

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The Federal Government says it will soon clamp down on those who sell cigarettes to minors and also enforce the prohibition of flavoured tobacco product, also known as shisha.

The Nigerian Competition and Consumer Protection Commission in partnership with the Tobacco Control Alliance, a network of civil society organisations, researchers and professionals in charge of tobacco control and public health in Nigeria, made the disclosure in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.

The Programme Coordinator, Nigerian Tobacco Control Alliance, Oluseun Esan, explained that the move was aimed at preventing minors from consuming tobacco products.

Esan said, It gladdened my heart when I heard about the enforcement of the National Tobacco Control Act of 2015 by the Consumer Protection Council, which started in Abuja months ago and has continued in Port Harcourt.



Part of the provisions of the Act also states that flavoured tobacco products should not be sold in Nigeria.

Selling cigarettes to children that are under the age of 18 is also prohibited, but unfortunately, parents and guardians send their children and wards to buy cigarettes and other tobacco products for them, which is clearly against the law.

The acting Zonal Coordinator, South-South, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, Johnson Ossy, said, The essence of the programme is to teach and educate retailers to stop selling tobacco products to minors because it is against the law.

Buying a pack of cigarettes, which costs about N350, will be difficult for children to afford, but selling a cigarette will be easier for the minors to afford and in the long run become addicted to it (cigarette).

Ossy said the government would soon clamp down on defaulting retailers in the state.

If you are caught, you will go in for it; ignorance of the law is no excuse. We will start enforcement by arresting defaulting retailers, which we intend to do in phases until we cover the entire state, he added.

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Home | News | General | Report of plot to amend constitution to keep Buhari beyond 2023 false - Senator Lawan

- Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi said the reported plan to amend the constitution to allow for a third term in office for the president is false

- The spokesperson of the Senator Ahmad Lawan for Senate President Group said the news came from the opposition

The spokesman of the Senator Ahmad Lawan for Senate President Group, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, has dismissed report that the constitution will be amend to allow President Muhammadu Buhari seek a third term in office.

The Nation reports that Senator Abdullahi said the report was from people against the emergence of Lawan as Senate president.

READ ALSO: Why we endorsed Lawan for Senate president - APC

He insisted that Lawan has no plan to amend the constitution to allow for a presidential third term if elected Senate president.

He said: This is just a very desperate attempt by detractors and some politicians who want to taint the good image of the Senate Leader, and the future Senate President, Senator Ahmad Lawan.

When we (Senators) met the President two days ago, he (President) was very emphatic that he has stood for election five times, and this is his last.

The President made it clear that he wants to retire quietly to his home, on the basis of which he is going to work very hard these four years since Nigerians have given him this opportunity, to leave a lasting legacy behind.

The Presidents statement clearly shows that he is a full democrat who knows that our constitution only provides for second term which he has gotten, and for which he is grateful to Nigerians.

Therefore, to come back to say that Senator Ahmad Lawan will amend the constitution to keep him in office beyond 2023 is just the height of evil thinking and bad politics taken too far.

The public should discountenance that and focus on supporting a very genuine and transparent process that will lead to the emergence of our own choice leaders as Senators-elect when the 9th Senate unveils.

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Meanwhile, a report by ThisDay indicates that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) may face a major crisis in the election of the leadership of the 9th National Assembly.

This is as one of the aspirants for the office of the Senate President, Senator Ali Ndume, on Tuesday, March 26, faulted the adoption of the Senate Leader, Senator Ahmad Lawan, by the party leadership.

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Home | News | General | Invest more in preventing corruption than fighting it - Senate to FG

- The Senate called on the FG to invest in preventing corruption

- Senator Matthew Urhoghide noted that the EFCC has more budget funding than the office of the auditor-general

- The lawmaker said fighting corruption should not take precedence over preventing it

The Senate has advised the Federal Government to invest more in preventing corruption than fighting it.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Public Accounts, Senator Matthew Urhoghide, made the call when the Auditor-General of the Federation, Anthony Ayine, appeared before the committee to defend the 2019 budget of his office on Wednesday.

READ ALSO: Why we endorsed Lawan for Senate president - APC

Urhogide said to effectively tackle corruption, government ought to adequately fund the Office of Auditor-General of the Federation (OAUGF).

He added that for the government to achieve any meaningful impact in its fight against corruption, the Auditor-Generals Office needed to be adequately funded.

He said the Auditor-Generals Office, like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), required adequate funds for its activities to prevent acts of indiscipline in agencies.

I wonder why the EFCC has a whooping N22 billion in 2019 Budget while the Auditor Generals Office has just N3billion. I do not think the Executive believes in this office, if not they will not be underfunding it every year.

To achieve transparency and probity of public funds, it is better to invest in stopping corruption instead of fighting it, he said.

Urhoghide appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the Federal Audit Bill before him to give strong backing to the fight against corruption in the country.

He added that the Bill would guarantee and safeguard operational independence of the OAUGF.

When the Bill is passed into law, the Auditor-General shall be vested with additional powers to inquire into, examine, investigate and report, as he considers necessary, on the expenditure of public monies.

He shall also investigate money advanced or granted to a private organization or body in which the federal government has controlling interest.

The administrative autonomy will enable the OAUGF attract quality human capital at competitive standards for improved efficiency; as recruitment of members of staff will now be conducted professionally by the Federal Audit Service Commission, he said.

The Auditor-General, Ayine, said that much was achieved by office in 2018 budget performance, especially in the areas of training and re-training of staff and provision of working tools as part of ongoing reforms by the management.

He also disclosed plans to recruit 969 new staff members this year to further improve the performance of the office, saying that some of them would retire and needed to be replaced so as not to create vacuum in the system.

On inadequate funding of the OAUGF, Ayine said it has been a recurring problem that has led to the underperformance of the Office.

Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan reacted to the allegation by Ibrahim Magu, the chairman of Nigerias anti-graft body, that N1.3 trillion was looted under the immediate past administration.

Jonathan described the allegation as diversionary and coming days after the United States released a report that massive corruption remains under the present government.

The former president accused Magu of trying to drag his name into the mix and blame him for this latest in a series of negative verdicts on the current administrations anti-graft war.

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Home | News | General | We are satisfied with outcome of Kano election - CUPP makes U-Turn

- The Coalition of United Political Parties described the Kano rerun election as free and fair

- The coalition dissociated itself from the earlier condemnation credited to it

- CUPP said it accepted the outcome of the election

A coalition of 42 registered political parties in Kano State, under the aegis of Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), have expressed support for the re-election of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje at the just concluded governorship election.

The CUPP chairman in the state, Alhaji Nuhu Isah, who paid a congratulatory visit to the governor, expressed dismay over a purported news conference held in Kano where it was reported that the coalition condemned the entire process due to alleged electoral irregularities.

Isah who is also the chairman, lnter Party Advisory Council (IPAC), said the 42 political parties were satisfied with the election outcome and would not challenge it at the tribunal.

We are shocked to read the contents of the news conference discrediting the whole conduct of the process, security agencies, INEC and worst still the declaration to challenge the outcome of the exercise.

We in CUPP comprising the representatives of the 42 political parties in the coalition, and joined by the Inter-party Advisory Council (IPAC), categorically disown and disassociate the coalition from the sham press conference as well as condemn it in its entirety.

We also express our dismay at the action of the conveners of the news conference for using the coalition to express personal and untoward views for whatever reasons and influence under the guise of CUPP, he said.

He noted that the coalition monitored the supplementary election in Kano and in all sincerity believed it to be free, fair and peaceful.

Isah also acknowledged that there were pockets of violence in some polling units which magnitude were insignificant to warrant any call for cancellation of the election or legal redress at the tribunal.

Earlier, Governor Ganduje wondered why only the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faulted the re-run election while it was not the only party that participated.

He promised to run an all-inclusive government, which would be anchored on unity to develop Kano state.

We are going to carry everybody along irrespective of political inclination to move Kano state forward,  he said.

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Meanwhile, Amnesty International urged the federal government to investigate alleged cases of political thuggery and violence on journalists and the electorate during the supplementary election conducted in Kano state.

Isa Sanusi, Amnesty International spokesperson, made the call in an interview with BBC Hausa service, monitored by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Damaturu, Yobe.

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Home | News | General | Breaking: INEC announces details of resumption of election in Rivers state

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released schedule of activities for the resumption of election in River state.

The electoral body had suspended electoral processes in the state on March 10 following reported violence.

READ ALSO: Adamawa guber rerun: PDP urges supporters to turn out massively, peacefully

In a statement signed by Edwin Enabor on behalf of INEC on Wednesday, March 27, INEC said the process will continue on April 2.

The statement reads According to the timetable, a stakeholders meeting is scheduled for Saturday, March 30, while the resumption of collation and announcement of results will hold between April 2 and 5.

"Supplementary elections will be conducted where necessary on April 13, results will be announced between April 13 and 15, while certificates of return will be issued on April 19.

The identified activities for the conclusion of the process flow from the careful auditing by the Fact-Finding Team set up by the Commissions headquarters to review the circumstances that led to the suspension of the process.

Meanwhile, Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers state, has said that allegation that he paid for the defection of Akpo Bomba Yeeh, the deputy governorship candidate of African Action Congress (AAC), to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is false.

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He denied the accusation through Emma Okah, his commissioner for information and communications, on Monday, March 25, saying he did not pay N200 million for Yeehs defection, Sahara Reporters reports.

Yeeh earlier announced his defection to the PDP through a letter he sent to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

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2019 elections: Do you still trust INEC to conduct fair elections? - Nigerians speak| Legit TV

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Home | News | General | Yahaya Bello gets major contender for Kogi governorship election

- Late Abubakar Audu's son has declared his intention to run for governorship election in Kogi state

- Prince Audu said his purpose of run for the seat of the governor in the state is to end poverty in Kogi

- According to Prince, he would be contesting on the platform of Young Progressives Party (YPP)

A son to the former governor of Kogi state, late Abubakar Audu, has formally declared intention to contest in the governorship election of the state scheduled for November this year.

Prince Mustapha Audu made his intention public in Lokoja, Kogi state's capital city on Wednesday, March 27.

Mustapha who noted that he was in the race to bring revolution in Kogi said he would be contesting on the platform of Young Progressives Party (YPP).

READ ALSO: Raymod Dokpesi explains why he was invited by Nigeria Immigration Service

He also said he is ready to salvage the state from suffering, hunger, poverty, non-payment of salaries, hardship-induced suicides and deaths.

According to Mustapha, he would build on the good legacies of good governance and development bequeathed by his late father if elected as governor come November.

He also urged youths to join hands with him to make the dream a reality, adding that Kogi would move on to greater heights if he became governor.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that a senatorial candidate for the Kogi central district in the forthcoming election has accused Governor Yahaya Bello of shutting her out of the state in her bid to exercise her civil right as a Nigerian voter.

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Natasha Akpoti in a series of tweet alleged that the governor mounted over 100 fake police officers at Banda area of the state preventing her from gaining entrance into Kogi on Friday, February 22.

Akpoti had earlier tweeted that she would be leaving Abuja to her hometown in Kogi central senatorial district on Friday, February 22, for the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled to hold on Saturday, February 23.

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Stacey Abrams. Photo: Melina Mara/The Washington Post/Getty Images

Dont ask Stacey Abrams to settle for second best. On Wednesday, the Georgia Democrat rejected the prospect of running in the primary as Bidens vice-president. You dont run for second place, she said on The View. If Im going to enter a primary, then Im going to enter a primary. If I dont enter a primary, my job is to make certain the best Democrat becomes the nominee and, whoever wins the primary, that we make certain that person gets elected in 2020. As Yahoo News reports, sources close to Biden had floated the idea of announcing Abrams as vice-president if he launched a campaign, though they seemingly did so without input from Abrams herself. Abrams did not reject the notion of becoming a vice-presidential candidate altogether; in the same View appearance, she said that she would be willing to serve as a nominees running mate once a nominee was set.

Biden is expected to formally announce his candidacy for the presidency shortly, and he already leads the primary polls. That would make him the front-runner, if or when he announces, but his path to the nomination is littered with obstacles of his own construction. Democratic voters also just elected a historically diverse class of freshman representatives, and may not have much appetite for another white male at the top of the ticket. Its easy to see what Biden had to gain from running with Abrams from the start.

But its less obvious that Abrams ever had much to gain from running as Bidens vice-president. Shes a rising star in her own right, a trajectory affirmed by her response to President Trumps State of Union address in January. The first black woman to deliver the Democratic Partys response to a Republican president, Abrams delivered a speech that not only defined her raison detre as a national political figure, but also marked out a new direction for her party. She seamlessly linked voting rights to economic justice, and presented a cohesive, compelling vision that would have been Georgias reality were it not for voter suppression.

Biden, meanwhile, belongs firmly to the partys past  and he doesnt have an inspiring record. He arguably owes his place atop the primary polls to Barack Obama. Before he became vice-president, Biden was known mostly for repeatedly running for president, co-sponsoring an anti-school integration measure in 1975, and badly botching Anita Hills sexual-harassment allegations against Clarence Thomas in 1991. Biden, then the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, failed to call witnesses that could have corroborated Hills account, and allowed Democratic members of the committee to question her harshly about her motivations for coming forward. Nearly 20 years later, the Hill hearing threatens to damage his campaign as soon as he announces it  especially since he seems unwilling to apologize for his role in hindering Hills bid for justice. As reported by the Cut, Biden sidestepped responsibility for the Hill hearing at the Biden Courage Awards on Tuesday. Hill, he said, paid a terrible price. She was abused in the hearing. She was taken advantage of. Her reputation was attacked. I wish I could have done something.

Bidens verbal shrug doesnt just obscure the facts of the Hill hearing. Its also out of character for him. The former vice-president worked hard to establish himself as a plainspoken, hard-driving politician with a commitment to social justice. His office drafted the Violence Against Women Act three years after the Hill hearing. During the Obama presidency, he advocated publicly for survivors of campus sexual assault and announced a moon shot to cure cancer after the untimely death of his son. A moon shot for cancer, but not for Anita Hill; the disparity rankles. And so there is no good reason for Abrams to yoke herself to Biden, at least not right now. She would have surely found herself in the exhausting and unenviable position of apologizing for his legacy and his future gaffes, the likes of which we can only imagine. Abrams hasnt announce her plans for the future. Ill know when I know, she told New York Magazines Rebecca Traister. Whatever shape those plans take, they dont include playing second fiddle to Joe Biden.

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Home | News | General | Breaking: Ooni of Ife, Emirs, Ifeanyi Ubah, Ganduje, others arrive ICC for Tinubu's 67th birthday celebration (photos)

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, the minister of interior Abdularahman Dambazzau, chairman of Capital Oil, Ifeanyi Ubah among many others have graced the 67th Bola Tinubu Colloquium in Abuja.

The event which is currently taking place at the International Conference Centre is also expected to be graced by President Muhammadu Buhari, who is the chairman of the colloquium, asource told Legit.ng.

Also present at the event is the minister of industry, Okechukwu Enelamah; Kano state governor, Abdullahi Ganduje; Governor Ibikunle Amosun, former state minister of defence, Musiliu Obanikoro.

Legit.ng gathers that Enelemah will be making a presentation on the Next Level Industrialisation for special economic zones with spotlight on the mining industry.

Breaking: Ooni of Ife, Emirs, Ifeanyi Ubah, Ganduje, others arrive ICC for Tinubu's 67th birthday celebration

Source: UGC

Breaking: Ooni of Ife, Emirs, Ifeanyi Ubah, Ganduje, others arrive ICC for Tinubu's 67th birthday celebration

Source: UGC

Breaking: Ooni of Ife, Emirs, Ifeanyi Ubah, Ganduje, others arrive ICC for Tinubu's 67th birthday celebration

Source: UGC

Also, the chief of staff and special adviser to the president on industrialisation, Professor Oyelaran-Oyeyinka will be speaking on funding national industrialisation programmes around the special production and processing centres.

While a meet and greet session is ongoing, at the event centre, Legit.ng gathers that there will be a multimedia presentation on the history of the colloquium as well as a next level presentation.

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Home | News | General | Nigerians notified as FG gets set to introduce new taxes to raise revenue

- The minister of finance, Zainab Ahmed, has disclosed that the federal government plans to introduce new taxes in order to increase revenue

- The minister said the government has devised a new revenue initiative which is divided into three thematic areas

- Ahmed said to achieve this, the govt will be working with the National Assembly to amend some laws and might be using some executive orders

The federal government has concluded plans to introduce new taxes in order to increase revenue.

The development was made public by the minister of finance, Zainab Ahmed, while speaking at the public hearing on the 2019 budget organised by the Senate and House of Representatives committees on appropriation on Wednesday, March 27, Premium Times reports.

READ ALSO: Nigeria, Ghana set to explore more areas of business opportunities

Legit.ng gathers that in order to increase revenue to fund the 2019 budget, the federal government has devised a new revenue initiative which is divided into three thematic areas.

Ahmed appealed for support for the initiative from the National Assembly.

She said: The first area is sustainability in revenue generation. The focus of this is for us to build a sustainable revenue generation ecosystem by ensuring resilience and applying automising revenue streams, applying the right incentives, the right safeguards as well as ensuring accountability and performance management systems.

On this first area, the minister said it aims to manage performance, deregulate and provide funding for the energy sector by improving collection, shocking loopholes, and collaborating with trading partners.

She continued: The second thematic area is to identify new and enhance the enforcement of existing revenues streams. We plan to grow revenue by collecting new taxes, modulling the tax base and enabling strategic investment that will spur economic growth.

"In this area, we have identified some new taxes that well be coming to discuss with the National Assembly. Weve also continuously been working to broaden the tax base to expand and improve the value added tax performance.

We will be working with the National Assembly to amend some laws and we might be using some executive orders.

The minister, however, did not disclose details of the new taxes; though different government officials have suggested that taxes be levied on luxury goods like alcoholic beverages. They also suggested an increase in the Value Added Tax (VAT).

Ahmed added that the third thematic area focused on achieving cohesion in the revenue ecosystem.

She said efforts are being made by the federal government to ensure the 2019 budget performs better than that of 2018.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) on Wednesday, March 20, refuted reports of a planned increment of Value Added Tax by 50 percent to meet up payment of the newly proposed minimum wage.

The head, communication and servicom department, Wahab Gbadamosi, made this known in a statement in Abuja.

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Home | News | General | FG will fund 2019 budget through borrowing - Finance minister

The federal government on Wednesday, March 27, declared that it would fund the 2019 budget through borrowing.

According to Sahara Reporters, Zainab Ahmed, the minister of finance, who made this known after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja said the funds would be sourced locally and internationally.

Ahmed said: "We intend to fund the 2019 budget through borrowing locally and internationally with a spread of 50:50. Our focus is on concessionary long-term loans."

READ ALSO: I'll end hunger, suffering - Late Audus son promises as he declares for Kogi governorship

He disclosed that local revenue generation comes with challenges, but noted that there are strategies in place to finance the 2019 budget.

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that President Buhari on Wednesday, December 19, proposed a budget of N8.83 trillion for 2019 to a joint session of the National Assembly, saying the budget was prepared after wide consultations.

According to the budget, about a quarter of the sum (N2.14 trillion) will be used for debt servicing while N2.031 trillion will be used for capital expenditure.

The proposed recurrent expenditure is N4.04 trillion, statutory transfer is N492.36 billion, there is a sinking fund of N120 billion, while capital expenditure is N2.031 trillion.

Legit.ng previously reported that the minister of finance, Zainab Ahmed, has been summoned by the House of Representatives over the recent protests by legislative workers under the Parliamentary Staff Association of the National Assembly.

The lawmakers summoned the minister on Thursday, December 6, to come and explain why funds meant for the National Assembly and the Judiciary were not released as captured in the 2018 budget.

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The summons followed a motion by the chairman of the House committee on rules and business, Edward Pwajok, on urgent public importance, where the lawmaker decried the disruption of legislative activities by protesting workers.

NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng: Same great journalism, upgraded for better service!

Nigeria News 2018: Nigerians Blow Hot as President Buhari Signs 2018 Budget in June | Legit TV:

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Home | News | General | South African auto components, parts manufacturers to open shop in Nigeria

Jelani Aliyu, director-general of the National Automotive Design and Development Council,(NADDC) says arrangements are in top gear with South African automotive components and parts manufacturers to open shop in Nigeria and produce for the local and export markets.

The director-general disclosed this at a briefing in Abuja in Abuja on Wednesday, March 27.

READ ALSO: I'll end hunger, suffering - Late Audus son promises as he declares for Kogi governorship

Aliyu disclosed that the Council had already led a delegation to South Africa where they met and had discussions with the National Association of Automotive Component and Allied Manufacturers of South Africa (NAACAM), which supply the big global automotive companies, to support its proposed automotive supplier parks in Kaduna , Oshogbo and Nnewi, Leadership reports.

Going further, he said that the Nnewi Automotive Industrial Park when it comes on stream, would be a world  class hub of advanced technology which would supply world standard components.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) on Thursday, March 21, said the proposed VAT rate increment was unfriendly to the manufacturing sector.

The director-general of the association, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, made the remarks in Lagos, in spite of the rebuttal from the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) on the issue.

Ajayi-Kadir also said the proposed VAT increment did not take into cognisance the prevailing times and ongoing government efforts to re-invigorate the economy.

READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda

The director-general said that as plausible as the recommendation to increase VAT looked, implementing it at this time would boomerang.

NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng. We have upgraded to serve you better.

I Quit My Accounting Job to Start Making Shoes | Legit TV.

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Home | World | Africa | IMF mission to visit Zimbabwe next week

An IMF mission is expected in Zimbabwe next week to hold discussions with the government on the country's debt clearance strategy and the possibility of yet another Staff-Monitored Programme, George Guvamatanga, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development has said.

Zimbabwe owes $623 million to the African Development Bank (AfDB) and $1,1 billion to the World Bank, a move which has hindered access to cheap lines of credit.

Most commentators say Zimbabwe required more economic and political reforms to fully engage the international community.

A Staff Monitored Programme (SMP) is a supervised economic reform plan undertaken by IMF members with support from the global lender. In 2013, IMF approved an SMP for Zimbabwe which ran up to the end of 2015 where Zimbabwe met all the benchmarks.

Zimbabwe has been mending its relations with IMF culminating in Harare last year clearing the $108 million arrears to the Bretton Woods institution. The obligation had been outstanding since 2001.

IMF responded a month later by removal of remedial measures that applied to Zimbabwe. The measures included the declaration on noncooperation with IMF, suspension of technical assistance which had partially been lifted and renewal of Zimbabwe to the list of Poverty Reduction.

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New post, The Adversarial System and the Torah Ethic of Justice on Nishma Policy
Conservative commentators have called for Trump to pardon Michael Flynn. Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post/Getty Images

The ink was barely dry on Robert Muellers report last Friday when the calls for Trump to start issuing pardons began. Citing early reports that Mueller was not bringing any new charges, and taking that to mean that prior charges were somehow no longer relevant, Tucker Carlson suggested that Trump immediately rescue Roger Stone, who was indicted for lying to the FBI.

Stone is still looking at life in prison. Where is Roger Stones pardon? His pardon from the president. Lets hope it comes very soon, Carlson said.

A week later, Stone is still waiting. But relief for him, Michael Flynn, Paul Manafort, and George Papadopoulos could be coming. (No one seems to care about Rick Gates, and Michael Cohen wont be sniffing a pardon any time soon.)

In an interview with Sean Hannity Wednesday, Trump didnt rule out the possibility of pardoning associates whove faced charges. Many, many people were incredibly hurt by this whole scam, Trump said when asked about possible pardons for Flynn and Papadopoulos. I dont want to talk about pardons now, but I can say its so sad on so many levels.

The Hannitys and Carlsons of the world have spent all week pushing Trump to let his friends off the hook. The calls have come from Turning Point USAs Charlie Kirk, Judicial Watchs Tom Fitton, and the internets Mike Cernovich, among others. Theyve primarily focused their attention on Flynn, who was entrapped by federal agents that were seeking revenge against Trump, Kirk tweeted (thats not true).

Senator Rand Paul has also joined the chorus calling for a Flynn pardon. Asked on Fox News if Trump should come to the aid of any of his former aides, Paul said, The one that I have the strongest feeling about is General Flynn.

A day after Manafort was sentenced to nearly four years in prison for financial crimes earlier this month, Trump wouldnt say if he would consider a pardon. But hes long expressed sympathy for his former campaign manager, who would still face charges in New York state if Trump pardoned his federal convictions.

Among those calling for Trump to pardon Papadopoulos is Papadopoulos. The former Trump campaign adviser, who served 12 days in prison last year for lying to investigators, told Fox News that his lawyers have formally requested a pardon. If its granted, I would be honored to accept it, he said.

But as the AP reported Thursday, Trumps also hearing from allies who think issuing pardons would be a bad idea.

White House aides and Republican lawmakers alike have advised the president to steer clear of the idea, particularly as House Democrats continue their investigations and the 2020 campaign has begun.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who spent last weekend with Trump, told reporters on Monday that if President Trump pardoned anybody in his orbit, it would not play well.

Newt Gingrich and Chris Christie have also told Trump to steer clear of pardons. For now at least, hes listening. The president is not going to consider pardons. Hes not gonna give any pardons, Rudy Giuliani, Trumps lawyer, told the AP. If it ever happens, it has to happen in the future, but nobody has any promise of it, nobody should assume it.
Conor McGregor has responded to the New York Times report which claimed he is under investigation for sexual assault in his native Ireland.

Irish media were unable to identify McGregor due to laws in the country preventing anyone accused of sexual assault or rape to be publicly named, unless found guilty.

A spokeswoman for McGregor, Karen Kessler, provided a statement to ESPN denying the claims in the New York Times report.

Statement from a spokesperson for Conor McGregor following todays NY Times report: pic.twitter.com/aM10DAUK7I  Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) March 26, 2019

This story has been circulating for some time and it is unclear why it is being reported now, the statement read.

The assumption that the Conor retirement announcement today is related to this rumour is entirely false.

Should Conor fight in the future it must be in an environment where fighters are respected for their value, their skill, their hard work, and their dedication to the sport.

Bombshell allegations

The Times report said McGregor had not yet been charged with any crime, but remained under investigation by Irish authorities.

According to the report, a woman accused McGregor of assaulting her in a Dublin hotel in December, before he was arrested and released without charge in January.

Conor McGregor. (Photo by Brandon Magnus/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

McGregor has been known to frequent the hotel in question, The Deacon Hotel.

McGregor has not been charged with a crime. Following the usual protocol in criminal investigations in Ireland and much of Europe, where a formal charge does not necessarily follow an arrest, McGregor was arrested in January, questioned by law enforcement authorities and released pending further investigation, according to the people, the Times report read.

The allegations have not been proven and the fact that an investigation is continuing does not imply that McGregor is guilty of a crime. A lawyer for McGregor in Dublin did not respond to messages seeking comment.

The allegations come less than one day after McGregor took to Twitter to announce a shock retirement from the sport.
All opinion polls since 2017 have consistently thrown up two main concerns - unemployment and agrarian distress - barring national security which found place after the Pulwama terror strike and its aftermath.

Therefore, it is incumbent on any government to address unemployment and agrarian distress on high priority through evidence-based policies and strategies for which collection and analysis of economic statistics is critical. What, however, is on display is quite the contrary.

Take a look at the unemployment scenario. The NSSO's 2017-18 periodic labour force survey (PLFS) says that the unemployment rate (6.1%) has reached a 45-year high (since 1972-73) and worse, the workforce has shrunk by 47 million between 2011-12 and 2017-18 - indicating a sharp fall in jobs in the economy. It also says that the labour force participation rate (LFPR) - the share of the working age population either working or looking for work - has shrunk from 55.9% in 2011-12 to 49.5% in 2017-18- an indication that people are going out of workforce because of lack of jobs.

This is also in line with the household surveys by the Centre for Monitoring of Indian Economy (CMIE) which says unemployment rose to 7.2% in Feb 2019 and that the workforce shrunk by 7.5 million between February 2017 and February 2019.

Turning blind eye to growing unemployment

Prudence would demand that the Central government took serious note of the PLFS, analyse the findings and set the stage for appropriate response. Instead, it chose to call it a 'draft' and junk it leading to the resignation of PC Mohanan, head of the National Statistical Commission - the final authority to clear the release this data - and another of its independent member. Mohanan said it was not a draft but the final report. There is a clear pattern to this behaviour of the government more of which will be seen later in the narrative.

The NSSO report is not the only one to be dumped. There are two other employment specific reports that the Central government's labour ministry brings out periodically - the Annual Employment-Unemployment Survey (EUS) and Quarterly Employment Report (QES). The 6th EUS report for 2016-17 and the QES reports after the October 2017 quarter have not been released - long after these were due - apparently because these too show unflattering job scenario.

Strange as it may sound, the government is instead presenting all kinds of irrelevant and unrelated economic statistics as evidence of job creation, like the growth in the number of registered members of the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO). No less than the Chief Statistician of India (CSI) Pravin Srivastava, appointed to the office by this very government in October 2018, has stated clearly that this data is not about job creation but should be seen as proxy for formalisation of jobs. That should have chastened the rest but did not.

Similarly, growth in the number of subscribers to the National Pension Scheme (NPS) is cited as evidence. Everyone knows that the NPS is a voluntary scheme for the private sector and its growth can only mean greater awareness or adoption of it, rather than creation of jobs.

Other such unrelated data being offered are the sale of trucks and autos and the number of professionals like chartered accountants, engineers and doctors passing out every year. How these are evidence of job creation is anybody's guess.

Last month, the government declared that it would release the jobs created by the MUDRA loans - a refinancing scheme that re-routes the priority sector lending to non-corporate, non-farm small/micro enterprises. India Today has already shown that only 3% of MUDRA loans have the potential to create jobs; there is no direct evidence of any job being created. Not surprising that the government has put that report into deep freeze.

Suppression of relevant data on unemployment has done the obvious: The last budget (2019-20) did not acknowledge the problem or proposed any remedy. This means we are heading for more trouble.

Wishing away farmers' suicide

So is the case with the farmers' suicide. Until a few years ago, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) would religiously release such data every year. Now this has been stopped after 2015 without any explanation whatsoever. The obvious reason is that the government does not want the bitter truth to come out.

The NCRB has been releasing this data since 1995. Between 1995 and 2015, it reported 3,21,428 such deaths (an average of over 16,000 suicides a year) spreading across Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and others.

The last NCRB report of 2015 shows that while the number of suicide has fallen (see the table below) as a percentage of the total suicide it has gone up.

It also says that the primary reason for farmers' suicides is 'bankruptcy or indebtedness' (38.7%), followed by 'farming related issues' (19.5%) in 2015. How indebted are the farmers? According to the All India Rural Financial Inclusion Survey 2016-17 by NABARD, the average indebtedness of an indebted agricultural household is Rs 1.05 lakh.

But what did the government do? In the 2019-20 budget, the government announced Rs 6,000 for small and marginal farmers - a small fraction of Rs 1.05 lakh of indebtedness - but there was no mention of indebtedness or suicides. When the Congress promised loan waivers for farmers in the assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, the entire BJP-led government at the Centre started criticising the party, even when eight of their own party ruled states, including Uttar Pradesh (2017), Maharashtra (2017), Assam (2018), Gujarat (2018) Jammu and Kashmir (2017), Chhattisgarh (2015), Rajasthan (Feb 2018 under Vasundhara Raje), Madhya Pradesh (Mar 2018) have declared loan waivers.

No data means no attention, no remedy

A problem can't be wished away by suppressing data. Prof Surajit Mazumdar of JNU says the suppression of data means the government is not only not willing to do anything about the problems but also not allowing others to do anything about it either. This is a double whammy and harms the very people the government claims to serve or work for.

Questioning the government's opacity regarding economic statistics, 108 economists and social scientists from across the world said: "This is the time for all professional economists, statisticians, independent researchers in policy - regardless of their political and ideological leanings - to come together to raise their voice against the tendency to suppress uncomfortable data..."

Keeping with the strange times, 131 chartered accountants, some of them known government sympathisers, hit back at the economists and social scientists, dismissing the objections as "politically motivated and baseless" and that most "independent professionals have no doubt about the remarkable progress India has achieved in the last five years".

In the second part, we will see how India's growth story is built on doubtful data.

ALSO READ: Data fudging: Dressing up GDP and budget numbers does no good to economy
Look what I just pulled out of my @ChipotleTweets burrito!! 9 FULL-SIZED STAPLES!!!!! Are you kidding me!?! Had to yank one out of my teeth!! Didnt even search the rest of the burrito but Im sure not eating it pic.twitter.com/7qJDdpREg1  Jimmy Smith (@jimmysmithmma) March 27, 2019

Found 4 more!! Thats 13 FULL-SIZED STAPLES IN A SINGLE BITE OF @ChipotleTweets BURRITO!! pic.twitter.com/lGTq3DE2AY  Jimmy Smith (@jimmysmithmma) March 27, 2019

MMA announcer Jimmy Smith says that when he took a bite out of his burrito from, he found 14 staples in his mouth. I took one bite and it was something hard in there and I pulled it out of my tooth and it was 14 staples. A brick of staples!Smith called the Chipotle in Delray Beach, Florida to complain and freaked out on the manager. He was offered another burrito but Smith declined and said he just wanted to let them know so it wouldnt happen to anyone else.A rep for Chipotle has already reached out to make things right with Smith, but hes made it clear he is not seeking free food or money and will not be filing a lawsuit against the company. He just wants to make sure a mistake like this never happens again.
I'm glad I erased mine for good. Always the same guys anyway.

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another chinese company, tencent, has been buying up social media and gaming apps too. their epic games store app has been accused of being spyware and they got the steam store blocked in china so it wouldn't compete with them.



they're known for being very effective at...helping the chinese government's censorship and they just bought a piece of reddit. i look forward to a future where every site is bought up by these fronts for the prc so i can be protected from the pantsless menace of winnie the pooh!

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Sydney man becomes seventh PrEP user to contract HIV https://t.co/vTTa8QtjYO  Brett Simpson (@BrettJSimpson) March 22, 2019





know your stats and play safe before your hook up fellas! also.... men still aren't into safe play and think prep makes them invincibleknow your stats and play safe before your hook up fellas!

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Guys are abusing PrEP. The only thing this will bring is a antiviral resistant HIV. Not even counting all the other STIs and STDs that you still can catch.



But hey, those loads in your ass are worth it!

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Wow the antiviral HIV is terrifying

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I agree that Prep is just another line of defense, and should not be used as an excuse to have as much bareback sex as you want. However, this headline is misleading. This guy was using the 'on demand' use.. which is taking a bunch of the med before/after risky sex, rather than taking it daily as prescribed. The 'on demand' approach reduces the med's effectiveness to like 85% vs. daily use @ 99%. All 7 men on Prep who have gotten HIV have not taken Prep daily as described. I think that it's an important distinction, rather than people scaring others into thinking Prep may not work.

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it also doesn't protect against STI's yet so many gays i know think they're immune



this guy i was talking to awhile ago thought bc he had the HPV vaccine he was immune from gonorrhoea lmfao

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Wasn't he on the different kind 'on demand' prep instead of the one pill every day kind?

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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/11/if-you-enter-a-camp-you-never-come-out-inside-chinas-war-on-islam

and i'm just like

any time there's something new related to china im freaked out

before someone tries it - the topic here is china that's why i'm singling it out. the us is no different and the treatment the citizens of both countries receive is very 1984 china scares me sfm. my hairdresser was telling me about the mandarin language classes theyre organising in uganda where her family is originally from and then i read about this -and i'm just likeany time there's something new related to china im freaked outbefore someone tries it - the topic here is china that's why i'm singling it out. the us is no different and the treatment the citizens of both countries receive is very 1984

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truly. i want to believe in another administration america would intervene done to at least put some sense of fear into the chinese government of repercussions--sanctions--something, but between the economic war with china and the overall islamaphobia that's taken over america.

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Eh, anyone that tries to derail a conversation about the Uyghurs just doesn't understand or care what is happening to them. No other country in the world is doing something like this to their own citizens, and even countries which detail refugees/asylum seekers are not behaving as badly as China. The simple truth is these "re-education" camps are meant to eventually accommodate all Uyghurs who fail to completely assimilate to the requirements set out by the PRC, which includes being monitored. The camps are updated concentration camps and people are being killed in them who are seen as a threat or fail to be properly re-educated. The goal is for complete Han control of Xinjiang. PRC is also testing the international waters, and the lack of backlash will only embolden them to continue and expand these practices.

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If anyone wants to come for you for expressing a negative opinion of the Chinese government of all things, they really need to look at their choices

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Can China be a bit less blatant at wanting a hand in everything, please.

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Good thing I dropped using Grindr and Jack'd, 2 years ago.

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i admire your willpower

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Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in Hello! Your entry got to top-25 of the most popular entries in LiveJournal!Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in FAQ

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i wouldn't call the same 12 white, roided torsos a threat, more like a nuisance , but go on i suppose..

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nnnnnn

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god this tech dystopia is fucking terrifying

want to know how star trek is utopian sci fi? not a fucking coorporation or brand name in sight.

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Ive wondered this too. I think at some point between now and Star Trek times theres a complete eradication of social media and digital spying, lol

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Just wait till the US, EU, and PRC are at each others throats in a couple years. This is just the beginning, theres legit so much spying going on, its crazy. All of this has to culminate into something, we just cant see it yet.

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Isn't the Chinese government incredible homophobic? Guess they still like to take that gay money.

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They are communist in the streets and capitalist in the sheets

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Lol

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i hate these types of apps



i miss when okcupid was good



Sent from Grindr



Edited at 2019-03-28 09:02 pm (UTC)

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Its full of meth heads anyway, its only good if youre visiting from somewhere.





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the meth thing is terrifying and isn't being talked about enough.

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It really is. Its like more and more people are getting hooked, its scary.

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Wild. Lifes so exhausting

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Research on the Levant Basin dates back to 2010 when the Leviathan block was first discovered by Ratio Oil. Following this, companies like US-owned Noble Energy and French giant Total E&P began to actively show interest in the region. Following discoveries in the Israeli and Cypriot Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ), Italys Eni had outstanding results in the Zohr field in Egypt.

(Click to enlarge)

Partnering up on hydrocarbons: An energy dispute

Regional countries stand to benefit from the discovery of hydrocarbons. This includes strong economic incentives, both for the EU, as well as partner states. Cyprus, Egypt, Lebanon, and Israel have all recently pushed for stronger economic cooperation. In fact, Cyprus views itself as a bridge between the EU and ME given its efforts to engage in tripartite partnerships. Additionally, it has been argued that closer economic cooperation might lead to overall stronger relations, confidence-building, and greater peace prospects. As a result, Eastern Mediterranean countries have pursued a series of negotiations and trilaterals to discuss the creation of an EastMed pipeline. The pipeline would ensure energy transfers and exports to the EU.

However, this ideal situation is unlikely to be realised. It is not yielding concrete results given the stressed regional relations inhibiting collaboration. Instead, these new developments have created growing security risks. These tripartite partnerships with Cyprus and Greece exist because of hostility between some states. Lebanon and Egypt are not on the best terms with Israel. This is particularly because of the Palestinian conflict, but also because of historic hostilities that have driven each states foreign and security policies. An example is that of the historical Arab-Israeli wars and the Lebanese Civil War.

Furthermore, Turkey hopes to have a share of the pie. It has a large accumulation of military presence abroad in occupied territories of Syria and Cyprus. Vessels are also used to conduct research on energy resources. Example, the RV Barbaros Hayreddin Pa?a that violates the Republic of Cyprus EEZ. Relations between Cyprus and Turkey severed in 1974 but the ongoing dispute and Cypriot conflict date decades back.

Borders, Discoveries, and Trilaterals

Cyprus declared its EEZ back in 2004 clearly identifying the fields that fall under its territory. This includes offshore fields that hold hydrocarbons reserves. The first discovery was made in 2011 by Noble Energy, an American oil and gas exploration and production company, in the Aphrodite field, which partially falls into Israeli EEZ.

Since then, other companies showed great interest in getting involved in the Eastern Mediterranean fields. This includes Italian ENI discovering more reserves in Calypso in 2018. ExxonMobil earlier this year declared encouraging results in the Glafkos field, just south of Limassol. This puts an additional reserve between 5 trillion and 8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

These discoveries have prompted several talks and tripartite negotiations. Amongst these discussions, the idea of the EU-funded EastMed project was born. EastMed aims at fostering greater cooperation between the EU and the Eastern Mediterranean. Cypriot Foreign Minister Nicos Christodoulides comments emphasise the benefits and significance of these trilaterals in the geopolitical sense. These include good prospects for a cost-effective mechanism that would address energy security needs of the region according to Christodoulides. He also explained how important the project is for countries like Cyprus in promoting regional stability, energy security and counterterrorism. Related: Oil Sands M&A Grinds To A Halt

Nevertheless, the usefulness of these trilateral relations are questionable. National audiences positively receive these talks but it is yet to provide substance. For instance, Cyprus originally hoped to use the reserves to address the Cypriot conflict with Turkey. However, the discovery of hydrocarbons has only fueled more tensions with Ankara and not offered a breakthrough.

Profiling the political impediments

Egypt: Earlier in February 2019, it rejected the proposals put forward by partners on securing safe passage for the EastMed pipeline. Instead, Cairo suggested using alternative routes, as this pipeline would be rather costly and unsustainable in the long run.

Cyprus: The unresolved and costly Cypriot conflict impacts foreign policy. Rooted before the islands de facto division in 1974, this has been the main driver of Cypriot diplomacy. It has compromised focus on other priorities, such as unemployment, crime, and social welfare. It also makes Cyprus an unreliable partner over energy-related, as well as EU security and accession-related matters. This is particularly because of the growing involvement of Turkey in the Cypriot EEZ.

Turkey: With a military presence in Syria and Cyprus, Turkey has pursued its own set of ambitions in the region. This has included tackling Kurdish opposition and exploiting energy. Its self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) is not recognised as legitimate internationally. As a result, Turkey often uses the Cypriot conflict in order to justify its own actions in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Cypriot conflict also has prevented Turkey from fulfilling EU accession requirements.

Greece: Amidst economic instability and a looming crisis, Greece does not have the technology nor the funds to sustain the vision of the trilateral partnerships. Simultaneously, the country is unable to provide energy for its own population. This poses a serious security risk, making Greece an unreliable partner unless the countrys economic problems are first addressed.

Lebanon: Lebanon has rejected the EastMed pipeline passing through its territory. The conflict in neighbouring Syria, as well as growing disputes with Israel strongly inhibit a unifying Eastern Mediterranean partnership. The Hezbollah-dominated government has specifically challenged Israeli ownership of the Leviathan field. This puts additional strains on future partnerships.

Israel: Prior to the hydrocarbons discovery, Cyprus and Israel were not close allies. The discovery upgraded economic and diplomatic relations with both Cyprus and Greece. Israel has also sought to help boost the security apparatus of its allies. Despite criticisms that have emerged about its behaviour towards Arabs and Palestinians, Israel has not held back. The state has even used disputes to improve its regional status, including territorial recognition of the Golan Heights.

Calls for a new security infrastructure

Several benefits can be accumulated from a healthy partnership over energy in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant Basin. This includes new and reliable trade routes, transportation, diplomatic and economic support, and technological exchanges. As it currently stands, the security mechanisms currently in place do not accommodate thriving cooperation.

Related: Venezuelas Oil Production In Jeopardy After New Blackout

As Egypt and Lebanon express concerns over the EastMed project, it becomes apparent that there are no strong guarantees in place to ensure a long-lasting partnership. The geopolitical implications also present high stakes, as these external factors are primarily for shaping policy.

There is a growing need to focus on a win-win situation rather than a zero-sum game. Firstly, the end-game of all the actors involved needs identification. This is the successful delivery of energy. Secondly, those involved in the extraction and production process, including the countries hosting the offshore fields, must understand each others conflicts. However, an outdated security apparatus is in place. Currently overcoming long-lasting interstate conflicts in the region is not within reach, at least not in the short run. If the benefits derived out of an Eastern Mediterranean-wide partnership supercede the drawbacks, then resolving the deadlock becomes more likely in the long run. Regional cooperation can prevent full-scale confrontation because of interdependency. This is a likely scenario that countries might opt in for. Alternatives to this present higher costs and an increased likelihood of escalating tensions.

By Petros Petrikkos via Global Risk Insights

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
President Donald Trump called OPEC out on Twitter once again on Thursday, pressing the oil monopoly to stop driving prices higher.

The US Presidents latest tweet, while calling on the cartel to increase the flow of Oil, used a rather friendly tone, which is different from previous tweets on the same subject that go further back than his presidency.

Todays message to OPEC cited the worlds fragile markets and the high price of oil.

In the past, the tone has been far more critical, citing higher gas prices instead of higher oil prices, chastising the cartel for doing little to help and claiming that the group is responsible for driving prices higher. President Trumps April 2018 tweet on the subject said that oil prices were artificially Very High! and that it would not be accepted.

His July 2018 tweet pointed out that the United States defends some of these OPEC members.

In December, the evening before OPEC was set to meet to discuss production cuts, the President sent oil prices down as he informed OPEC in a tweet that the World does not want to see, or need, higher oil prices!

Todays tweet sent oil prices downward as well, with WTI trading down $0.46 (-0.77%), and Brent down $0.52 (-0.77%) at 11:25am EST.

Related: Venezuelas Oil Production In Jeopardy After New Blackout

Just yesterday, a Twitter executive informed the Washington Post that the company was mulling over the possibility that it may soon label tweets from politicianseven the presidentswhen they violate Twitter rules. The label would likely be some type of comment designed to provide context to alert Twitter users that a post is a violation of its rules while leaving the posts up as it is still considered newsworthy.

The organization said that it would still pull down some tweets that violate rules, even ones that it considers newsworthy, when it rises to a particular level, for example, a tweet that threatens violence.

It is unclear how such a label will be assigned, what the label will read, and who will make that determination.

By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
The long awaited Saudi Aramco acquisition of Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) is finally here.

With a statement to the press, Aramco CEO Amin Nasser reported that Aramco has acquired a 70 percent stake in SABIC, with an estimated value of $69.1 billion. Aramcos CEO Nasser reiterated that the deal is a major step in accelerating Saudi Aramcos transformative downstream growth strategy.

Aramco has acquired the shares from the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) for a share price of 123.39 riyals, which is a slight discount from SABIC's closing price on Wednesday. Analysts have been positive about the closing price, based on the fact that the acquisition is seen as a strategic, long-term investment, especially given that SABIC is one of the most defensive, non-cyclical segments.

Still, there could be criticism as Aramco has been looking at a much bigger discount during its negotiations the PIF. Nasser stated also that Aramco and SABIC together will be creating a stronger and more robust business that can meet rising demand for energy and chemicals products globally.

PIFs CEO Yasir Othman Al Rumayyan stated that the deal is a win-win-win transaction, looking at the positive effects for Aramco, SABIC and the PIF at the same time. For the PIF, the objectives has been to generate additional cash for the SWF to invest and generate higher yields than it currently was able to. The PIF, as the main investment fund of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has been tasked to finance and support the ongoing economic diversification and liberalization of the Saudi economy, as indicated in Saudi Vision 2030 and the NIDLP.

Officially the deal is a real winner, looking at the positive effects following a merger between the worlds largest oil company and the worlds largest petrochemical company. With the acquisition Aramco will be able to reach its targets of increasing current refining capacity from 4.9 million bpd to 8-10 million bpd by 2030 much quicker. Of the latter 8-10 million bpd Aramco wants to convert 2-3 million into petrochemical products. Related: IMO2020: Can We Expect Extreme Price Shocks?

Still there is a long list of questions to be asked and answered. The first will be how to integrate SABICs Saudi and international business operations into Aramco, still largely a Saudi based and managed company. Without doubt Saudi Aramcos managerial and technical standards and operations are top-class, several off them even better than most IOCs. The managerial changes currently ongoing inside of Aramco have propped up the company to become a major power player in- and outside the Kingdom. The situation within SABIC is different. The petrochemical giant is facing increased international pressure, but continues enjoy a strong position in Saudi markets and benefits from an active acquisition spree of the 1990s and 2000s. SABICs European and American based operations are up to speed, with its European subsidiary being a market leader. Inside of the Kingdom, SABICs historical position of being a leader, however, is under pressure, and some even state that without Saudi support, the company already would have faced major difficulties. Managerial issues are a challenge too and could possibly lead to conflicts or merger problems with its new mother company. Based on inside knowledge, Aramco will have to deal with a much more conservatively operated and managed new kid in the family.

A second question being asked at present is how the Aramco deal will be financed. Looking at the current cashflow of Aramco, the oil giant will not have a real problem to finance the deal, possibly taking part of the needed cash from the international financial markets. However, it is more likely that the deal will entail a spread financing arrangement in which Aramco will be able to pay over a prolonged period of time. This would also mean that the highly anticipated deal which was largely meant to generate additional cash inflows for the PIF is not as lucrative or effective as was expected by the media. With a long period of payments, the PIFs cash influx is not going to be $69.1 billion in one go, but spread over years. This could mean that the SWF still needs to find additional funding sources for its national and international project acquisitions.

Mainstream analysis is again addressing the fact that the deal is being done to fund Crown Prince MBSs Saudi Vision 2030. There are no clear indications at present that this is the case. The only option to push MBS dream forward much quicker is to fully finance the Aramco-SABIC deal by international debt. Even with several large bond issues, MBS will not generate $70 billion in one go. Aramcos management is also too conservative or prudent in its investments to take this route without caution. By entering the international capital markets, Aramco will be forced also to open up its books and present detailed financial statements to potential financial institutions. Related: A Perfect Coup Is Unfolding In Algeria

A possible other not yet addressed issue is the fact that with the SABIC acquisition, Aramco has become a fully integrated international oil company. By taking over SABIC operations worldwide Aramco also has not only increased its exposure globally to downstream but also to possible geopolitical issues or legal threats, such as NOPEC or the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA). By becoming a major downstream giant, Aramco has entered the premises of IOCs, traders and chemical producers worldwide. Competition will be fierce, demanding major changes within the SABIC operations worldwide and adjusting the upstream focus of Aramco with a bang. As stated by Aramco, it has appointed banks, such as JPMorgan Chase & Co., Morgan Stanley, Citigroup Inc., HSBC Holdings Plc and National Commercial Bank to manage a potential bond sale.

Finding enough appetite in the market for a Saudi bond sale is still an issue. Geopolitical risks and concerns about the internal stability of the Saudi royal family could decrease the appetite of major financial institutions. The Kingdom might be listed on several emerging markets indexes (FTSE/MSCI), but investment appetite is being constrained by the impact of the Khashoggi murder, increased volatility in oil markets and pressure on the position of the Crown Prince.

Some analysts are expecting the Aramco-SABIC merger to be a major step forward in the Aramco IPO. Looking at the need for financial reporting and opening up the books of Aramco, a full scale downstream IPO, including SABIC operations and assets can now be considered.

By Cyril Widdershoven for Oilprice.com

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Washington has secretly given the go-ahead to several companies to sell nuclear power technology to Saudi Arabia, Reuters reports, citing a document it had obtained. The document featured an approval of six authorizations for nuclear power tech by Energy Secretary Rick Perry.

The request for secrecy came from the companies that won the authorizations, according to the document, authored by officials from the National Nuclear Security Administrations.

In this case, each of the companies which received a specific authorization for (Saudi Arabia) have provided us written request that their authorization be withheld from public release, it said.

An official from the Department of Energy told Reuters the reason for the secrecy was that the requests from the companies to partake in the deal with Saudi Arabia contained proprietary information.

The information comes on the heels of a report that the Government Accountability Office had initiated a probe into the U.S.-Saudi nuclear power talks that have been going on for a while. There is one important obstacle in these talks and this is Saudi Arabias reluctance to sign a nuclear co-operation agreement under the Atomic Energy Act that seeks to guarantee that nuclear technology is only used for civil purposes.

Related: Texas Needs 11,000 More Miles Of Pipelines

The Financial Times recalls that two months ago Congress accused the Trump administration of trying to sell U.S. nuclear power technology in defiance of the law. A recent report for the House of Representatives said the administration was trying to rush the transfer of highly sensitive US nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia.

In this, Reuters notes, the U.S. competes with South Korea and Russia. Riyadh will announce the companies that will build Saudi Arabias first nuclear reactors later this year. There is concern, however, that the Kingdom will not use nuclear technology for strictly civil purposes, which could ignite an arms race in the Middle East.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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Technical teams from the Alaska Gasline Development Corp. (AGDC) and supermajors BP and ExxonMobil will meet next week in Houston to begin a review of the proposed $43 billion Alaska LNG project in an effort to find potential cost reductions so the massive capex project can move forward, Tim Fitzpatrick, an AGDC spokesman said on Tuesday. Discussions will begin on April 2 and last for most of the month, he said, adding that about 25 technical folks from ExxonMobil, BP and AGDC will meet in Houston on the cost reduction workshop.

The move comes as recently elected Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy reviews the projects financial feasibility, in stark contrast to his predecessor, former Gov. Bill Walker, which promulgated the project both in the state and overseas looking for new customers for the projects gas. The Anchorage Daily News said recently that Dunleavy s message was a sharp contrast to what former AGDC President Keith Meyer often stressed. Meyer and former Governor Walker emphasized the state would only go forward with an LNG pipeline and export plan if it was economical, but there was never an indication the corporation would give up on finding a path forward for Alaska LNG if the current plan ultimately didnt work.

Dunleavy made changes to the AGDC board in January, replacing Meyer with Joe Dubler who is also taking a more cautious approach to the project and its financial feasibility. Dubler, for his part, told state legislators during a Feb. 27 Alaska Senate Finance subcommittee meeting that AGDC, a quasi-state corporation, holding the states dream of a large natural gas pipeline project was in the process of scaling back while evaluating the technical and commercial viability of the project. Dubler emphasized that Dunleavy replaced four board members and hired him to refocus the corporation. Related: The Worlds Largest Oil Company And Petrochemical Company Merge

If it is (viable) were going to solicit world-class partners for FEED, which is front-end engineering and design and completion of regulatory efforts, Dubler said at the meeting. If we do all of our work and we determine that the project does not look like its going to be viable we will wind the project down, close the corporation up and return all the current funds that remain to the General Fund, he added.

Oil major renewed interest

However, on March 8, BP and Exxon Mobil, two of three oil majors that were part of the original four-member Alaska LNG consortium that pulled out in 2016 due to low oil and gas prices, expressed renewed interest in the project - which led to the upcoming meeting in Houston. After BP, Exxon Mobil and Conoco Phillips withdrew from the project three years ago, Walker directed the AGDC to continue work on its own, mainly on the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission license. All three oil majors that had been part of the consortium are North Slope oil and gas producers.

Massive capex

The project has a massive capex due to several factors. For one, an 800-mile pipeline would have to be built to move gas from North Slope fields to a liquefaction plant in Nikiski (about 60 air miles southwest of Anchorage). Also, much of that pipeline would have to be built on permafrost, adding even more cost. Second, construction costs are much higher in Alaska than for competing LNG projects in the Lower 48, which means that gas sold at the Alaska LNG project would have to bring in higher prices for the project to break even. Some estimates place Alaska LNG project gas exports as high as $10/MMBtu just to be profitable.

Meetings in China

Separate meetings are also slated to be held Shanghai next month with three Chinese companies, led by Chinese state-run oil major Sinopec, that have expressed interest in purchasing LNG from Alaska, Fitzpatrick also said on Tuesday. Meetings will take place during the LNG 2019 conference, set for April 1-5, and will include Bank of China and China Investment Corp., which have been working with Sinopec in discussions with AGDC.

By Tim Daiss for Oilprice.com

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At least five indigenous groups are looking to buy a stake in the Trans Mountain pipeline that the Canadian federal government bought from operator Kinder Morgan last year, CBC reports, adding that one of these groups yesterday met with finance minister Bill Morneau for early discussions of the issue.

Participants in the discussion from the First Nations group said the talks were preliminary and not an acquisition discussion. The federal government has already stated it would rather sell the project once the expanded pipeline is built.

"Any group that is interested in the Trans Mountain pipeline can be doing whatever they see fit from their perspective," Morneau told CBC, adding "The government has not yet gotten to a decision point."

In January, media reported that a group of First Nations was mulling over a bid for the project and would likely place it in April or May, the Vancouver Sun reported citing one representative of the group.

There were even reports that the First Nations were discussing buying 100 percent of the pipeline.

"We all want a safe and proper environment; the environment is so key," the chief executive of the Indian Resource Council said at the time. "But we can continue to still do some economic development and have that balance. And that's what we need to strive for  to find that balance."

The federal government of Canada last year bought the Trans Mountain expansion project from TransCanada for US$3.4 billion (C$4.5 billion) when the latter said it was reluctant to pursue the project in the face of too many delays and strong opposition from environmentalists and the new government of British Columbia. It then said it would seek other buyers for the project to carry it out. The expansion project will cost more than US$5 billion (C$7 billion).

The Trans Mountain project is currently suspended while the British Columbia Court of Appeals hears a case brought against it by the government of the province and a First Nation that is against the project.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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Enbridges much-debated Line 3 oil pipeline replacement chalked up one in the win column on Wednesday, according to Reuters who cited company statements.

The Line 3 pipeline plan garnered approval yet again from the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission to replace in total over a thousand miles of pipeline.

The approval for Line 3s replacement actually came last year, but petitions were later raised by those opposing the project, asking for the commission to reconsider its approval. It dispensed with the petitions in December, but Minnesotas governor challenged that ruling last month, the latest in a long string of setbacks for the pipeline project.

Today, Minnesota confirmed its earlier decision, denying all requests for reconsideration.

The pipeline, which will help bring Canadian oil to US markets, is not only a win for Enbridge, but a win for Canadas oil industry, which has suffered from a serious shortage of takeaway capacity that ate away at the price of its oil and created a huge discount to WTI.

Despite the win, the project is not expected to begin carrying oil until at least H2 2020. Enbridge had originally planned to have the pipeline completely replaced by the end of 2019, but announced earlier this month that it would delay the completion by six months after hearing from the state of Minnesota that the timeline for collecting permits would take longer than originally thought.

Line 3 is expected to have a capacity of 370,000 bpdnot enough to completely eliminate Canadian bottlenecks, but enough to relieve much of the pressure on Canadas oil industry.

The Line 3 replacement is one of two major pipeline projects that Canadas oil industry desperately needs. Earlier this week, reports emerged that the unknowns in Canadas oil industry has cut into long-term crude oil contracts as traders took a wait-and-see attitude before diving in.

By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com

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The Japanese parliament approved an extension of insurance coverage for imports of Iranian crude oil effective from the start of April and expiring a year later. However, this does not mean Japanese refiners will continue buying Iranian crude if they do not score sanction waivers from Washington.

Reuters reports Japans parliament approved the import insurance extension yesterday. Now, refiners are pressing the government to find a way to secure an extension to the waiver that Washington granted Tokyo and seven other importers in November.

Despite the sanction waiver, Japan only restarted its purchases of Iranian crude last month, at a rate of just a little above 76,000 bpd, compared to almost 160,000 bpd a year earlier. S&P Global Platts reports this was the first time Japanese refiners took in Iranian crude in four months as they treaded with extra caution around Washington, which still aims to reduce Iranian oil exports to zero.

According to shipping data from S&P Global Platts, the last Japan-bound cargo of Iranian crude left earlier this month and should reach Japan by mid-April. The sanction waiver that the U.S. granted Japan and seven other importers expires on May 4.

The chances for an extension seem slim right now. Washingtons special envoy for Iran, Brian Hook, earlier this week told VOA no new waivers will be granted after the expiry of the current ones.

Related: Texas Needs 11,000 More Miles Of Pipelines

The policy of the United States is that we are not looking to grant any new oil waivers, Hook said. We did have to grant eight oil waivers in order to avoid shocking the global oil markets and causing a dramatic increase in the price of oil. We have taken off roughly 1 million barrels of Iranian crude, and we have avoided a price increase in oil.

And thats not an accident. Weve done it very well and very carefully. 2019 is going to be a much better market for global oil supply, and the forecasters say that there will be more supply than demand. That gives us much better market conditions to accelerate our path to zero imports, the official added.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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With fiscal math under pressure due to lower buoyancy in tax collection, the government is turning to the public sector to meet its estimates - the original ones not the optimistic revised numbers. The direct tax collections target for the current fiscal was hiked from Rs 11.50 lakh crore to Rs 12 lakh crore in the Interim Budget, but with total net collection standing at around Rs 10 lakh crore as on March 16, the taxman is scrambling for ways to at least meet the original target.

Hence, the revenue authorities have asked state-owned banks to deposit tax deducted for March, which would ordinarily be paid to the government in April, in the current month itself, a source in the know told The Economic Times. This revenue along with some savings on the expenditure front may help the government meet the fiscal deficit target of 3.4% of GDP.

The news on the GST front is not optimistic either. The government had lowered the GST collection target for the current fiscal to Rs 11.47 lakh crore in the Revised Estimates, from Rs 13.71 lakh crore budgeted initially. GST collections in the current fiscal till February totalled Rs 10.70 lakh crore - with last month's collections dropping to Rs 97,247 crore from Rs 1.02 lakh crore in January.

The government in the interim Budget had also revised customs collection target from Rs 1.12 lakh crore to Rs 1.30 lakh crore. Revised excise duty collections are pegged at Rs 2.59 lakh crore. The buzz is that there may be a total shortfall of around Rs 1 lakh crore from the Budget's estimates considering GST as well as direct tax collections.

Furthermore, it seems that the disinvestment proceeds may also fall short of the target by at least 25% of the targeted Rs 80,000 crore. The shortfall of Rs 35,000-45,000 crore is likely to stretch the deficit by 20 basis points, as Business Today previously reported. To bridge this deficit, the government has asked PSUs Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) and Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) to dish out a second round of dividends to bridge the deficit. These two companies have reportedly already given Rs 8,400 crore dividend, bulk of which went to the government. While IOCL, in which the government owns a 54% stake, declared a second interim dividend of over Rs 1,400 crore last week, ONGC refused to budge. Previously, in mid-March, Coal India Ltd approved a second interim dividend, which according to analysts translated to about Rs 2,600 crore for the government, in addition to the over Rs 11,500 crore it received earlier.

In addition, the CBDT has reportedly been issuing an advisory asking the taxpayers to pay the fourth and last instalment of advance tax for the current fiscal, and there are apprehensions that corporates may have to pay more in the last instalment and claim refund in the next fiscal.

Also read: CBDT raises alarm as direct tax collection stands at Rs 10.21 lakh crore till March 23

(With PTI inputs)
Sempra Energy has ambitions to become the top U.S. liquefied natural gas producer, the companys chief executive told Reuters.

Sempra has five LNG projects under development right now, in Louisiana, Texas, and Mexico, that together will have the capacity to produce 45 million tons of LNG. Thats more than what Cheniere Energy, the current leader in this space, plans to have in terms of capacity at its two LNG plants in Sabine Pass and Corpus Christi.

Eventually, Sempra could become the second-largest LNG supplier in the United States if and when Cheniere builds its small-scale LNG trains now at the planning stage.

We are going to move aggressively to unlock these five projects over the next three to five years, CEO Jeff Martin told Reuters, noting the expected jump in LNG demand resulting from a large-scale shift from coal to cleaner fossil fuels.

U.S. LNG capacity could reach a daily processing rate of 8.8 billion cu ft this year and rise further to 10.1 billion cu ft daily in 2020, from 3.8 billion cu ft daily in 2018. However, all this is contingent on the companies behind the projects securing long-term contracts with buyers.

Related: Sources: Saudis Admit They Want $70 Oil

For now, this is challenging because of the price situation: LNG prices have fallen substantially over the past 12 months after a surge in new supply with two large-scale projects in Australia starting production last year. As a result, buyers are preferring to buy their LNG on spot markets rather than opt for long-term contracts that could end up being costlier.

LNG projects cost billions of dollars to build and are often accompanied by cost overruns and delays. Companies with activities in the area need debt financing to go ahead with their plans, and lenders are a lot more willing to dispense the cash when they see long-term commitments from buyers.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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South Africa is negotiating an oil deal with South Sudan, Energy Minister Jeff Radebe told media following reports that South Africa was in talks to build a US$1-billion refinery in Africas newest country.

Radebe said the negotiations with South Sudan were not exclusive: Cape Town was seeking to reduce its exposure to the highly volatile oil prices by securing deals in the sector with other countries including Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea as well.

South Africa is currently almost completely reliant on imported crude oil, but French Total recently announced a discovery off its shore that could contain as much as 1 billion barrels in total resources.

It is gas condensate and light oil. Mainly gas. There are four other prospects on the license that we have to drill; it could be around 1 billion barrels of total resources of gas and condensate, Totals CEO Patrick Pouyanne said at the time.

At the same time, South Sudan, which is home to most oil reserves of the old united country, is eager to start raising its oil production after a devastating civil war that has yet not ended completely.

Before the civil war began, South Sudan produced 350,000 bpd of crude, but now production averaged 180,000 bpd. Plans are to boost this to 270,000 bpd and eventually restore the pre-war production level. The country has oil reserves estimated by BP at 3.5 billion barrels as of 2016.

Reports of a US$1-billion refinery deal with South Africa first emerged earlier this year, saying Cape Town had already spent almost US$1.4 million (20 million rand) on the refinery project. Radebe and the government were criticized by lawmakers of going about the deal in a secretive way. The Energy Minister dismissed the criticism saying all was above board in South Africas oil and gas negotiations with South Sudan.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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From Greg Swank, 12-4-2 You are about to read a list of 45 goals that found their way down the halls of our great Capitol back in 1963. As...
Jamas nos callaran



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Eso es todo amigos!



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Asi gobierna la maldita burguesia



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Hace 15 anos Por que la OEA no se pronuncio?



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USA TODAY



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USA HOY (1)



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LOS REVOLUCIONARIOS NO TOMAN CACA-COLA No se trata solamente de un capricho, sino de una sana actitud en todos los sentidos. Desde la solidaridad con el pueblo colombiano donde la empresa Caca-Cola ha cometido los mas grandes abusos contra sus trabajadores incluyendo el presunto secuestro y asesinato de los dirigentes del sindicato, hasta la proteccion de la salud de nuestros hijos, enviciados por ese jarabe de cola y azucar, que les produce obesidad prematura. Pensemos tambien los revolucionarios, que ese dinero que gastamos en los refrescos es utilizado por esas empresas para financiar el terrorismo en nuestro pais. Es cierto, no se trata solo de la Caca-Cola, sino tambien de la cerveza, de los cigarrillos y todos esos articulos innecesarios y mas que eso, daninos para nuestra salud. Podriamos incluso pensar en un dia de parada para cada uno de ellos. Es cuestion de irnos organizando. Pero para empezar, que tal si dejamos de comprar Caca-Cola y sus similares?



























Cuando lo extraordinario se vuelve cotidiano...



Discurso del Acto de Grado en Barinas en 12 de Febrero del 2005 Queridos Graduandos:



Mas que un discurso, quiero dirigirles algunas palabras que escribi anoche, despues de visitar en las clinicas, a los estudiantes heridos, a consecuencia de los enfrentamientos con la policia de hace apenas dos dias.



Me ha tocado por razones del destino, ser la persona que les otorgue el titulo que bien merecieron con sus estudios. Y me siento sumamente orgulloso de serlo. Me consta que la Universidad de Los Llanos Occidentales Ezequiel Zamora, a pesar de lo dicho por los enemigos de esta universidad, es una universidad de primera.



No tendremos la mejor planta fisica, en los salones hace calor. En el comedor hace calor. Pero no es en lo material que las cosas deben valorarse. El mayor capital es el ser humano. Y en eso, nuestra UNELLEZ, lo digo con conocimiento de causa, esta sobrada. Los llaneros venezolanos son nobles, valientes, de coraje.



En la UNELLEZ hacen vida, en este momento, aproximadamente 67000 personas. El 97% de ellas son estudiantes. Jovenes que, como Ustedes hasta el dia de hoy, buscan ese titulo, que constata los anos de dedicacion y de estudio.



Los jovenes son el rio de la vida, ustedes graduados deben ser los capitanes de esos barcos que naveguen por el rio de la vida.



Nuestra Patria atraviesa momentos muy dificiles porque decidio dejar de ser esa matrona de edad vetusta y complaciente, para ser joven, rebelde y altanera. Nuestra imagen ya no es la de una acaudalada ricachona mayamera. En nuestro rostro brilla ahora la sonrisa del Che Guevara, con su diente delantero torcido, su pelo largo y su boina con la estrella.



Entender esto, a mi me ha tomado practicamente toda la vida. Tengo 53 anos, y ya perdi mi oportunidad de derramar sangre joven a causa de un ideal.



Ustedes son jovenes, estan en la flor de la vida. No cometan por favor el error de renunciar a su instinto de rebelion. El Che Guevara fue Ministro de a Economia en Cuba. Los billetes y las monedas se adornaban con su rostro. Nada de eso le importo. Primero fue a Angola donde paso un penoso ano de combate. Despues se fue a Bolivia, donde encontro la muerte. El Che era el ultimo que comia, el que cargaba la mochila mas pesada. Siempre se sacrificaba por los demas en un estoicismo que mas parecia fervor religioso que ideologia marxista.



Si quieren un modelo de vida. Ahi lo tienen.



Dije hace unos momentos que el 97% de la poblacion de la UNELLEZ es estudiante. Se imaginan Ustedes la Universidad que podriamos tener si todos los estudiantes tuvieran la abnegacion, la combatividad del Che?



Los momentos que se avecinan van a requerir de una gran unidad del pueblo venezolano. La alternativa de continuar siendo libres o regresar a la pobreza se nos planteara en los proximos dias de forma enmascarada, o quizas peor, desenmascarada, vestida con uniforme de soldado del Imperio.



Por nuestra parte podemos esperar lo mejor. La macroeconomia no podria ir mejor, la justicia social ha mejorado notablemente. Las misiones ocupan un papel muy importante en el pago de dicha justicia social. Aqui en Barinas ya hemos cumplido con dos de las misiones, la mision Robinson y la mision Sucre. No hay analfabetismo y no hay exclusion en la educacion superior, en estas tierras de Zamora.



Pero ay malhaya! Son precisamente estos exitos los que nos hacen mas antipaticos al Imperio. Para ellos, somos inclusive un mal ejemplo que se esta contagiando al resto del continente y cuidado sino al resto del mundo.



Nunca venceremos al Imperio. Estara siempre ahi, acechando. Por lo menos hasta que el mismo no se autodestruya. Porque, sepanlo senores, el neoliberalismo es canibal. Cuando le ataque el hambre, se devorara a si mismo.



Ustedes, queridos graduandos, a partir de hoy pasan a conformar la elite profesional que debe sostener este pais en los proximos cuarenta o cincuenta anos. Anos decisivos para el logro de nuestra libertad y del rescate de nuestra Soberania.



No se dejen comprar. No se dejen corromper. No se dejen gritar. No se dejen pisar. Que nadie les diga que comer, o que vestirse, o que leer. Sean siempre autenticos, rebeldes, contestatarios. Pero eso si, profundamente patriotas, dignos de ser hijos de Bolivar.



Muchas gracias y que Dios los bendiga.





Alguna duda?



Medio siglo de Holocausto Palestino



Oscar Zanartu Nacio en Caracas en 1960. Ha realizado exposiciones individuales en las galerias Minotauro, Clave y San Francisco, y en salas de Coro, estado Falcon, y Puerto Ordaz, estado Bolivar. En Paris su obra ha sido exhibida en el Centro Cultural Tanagra, en la Exposicion Cite Internationale des Arts, en las galerias De Mars y Arver Space, al igual que en la Galeria Municipal Levallois, en Levallois Perret (Francia). En muestras colectivas, su obra se ha expuesto en Belgica, Francia, Estados Unidos y Venezuela; en Caracas intervino en la exposicion "Del genesis a la memoria", 1995, organizada por la Fundacion La Previsora. En 1982 obtuvo el Premio Nacional Critven y en 1990 la Mencion de Honor Jose Antonio Paez, en la Embajada de Venezuela en Paris. En 1991 se le concedio el primer premio de Pintura Itinerante, en Levallois Perret, Francia.



OZ1



OZ2



OZ3



OZ4



Homenaje a Jason Galarraga



La Victoria de Samotracia



Odalisca



Mas fotos de la nevada del pasado agosto 2008



























La Sierra Nevada de Merida



Nuestro precioso Churum Meru



Homenaje a Picasso



Autoretrato



Sabes lo que bebes en una Coca-Cola?

La formula de la Pepsi tiene una diferencia basica con la de la Coca-Cola y es intencional, para evitar el proceso judicial. La diferencia es a proposito, pero suficientemente parecida como para atraer a los consumidores de Coca-Cola que prefieren un gusto diferente con menos sal y azucar.

Mi profesion?

Tuve que aprender quimica, entender todo sobre componentes de gaseosas, conservantes, sales, acidos, cafeina, enlatado, produccion, permisos, aprobaciones y muchas otras cosas. Monte mi propio mini-laboratorio de analisis de productos.

Sal en la Coca Cola?

A patadas. El Cloruro de Sodio no solo refresca sino da mas sed, como para pedir otra gaseosa. Y no resulta desagradable porque la sal mata literalmente la sensibilidad al dulce... del que por cierto tambien tiene mucho: 39 gramos de azucar.

De los 350 gramos de producto liquido, mas del 10% es azucar, o sea que en una lata de Coca-Cola mas de un centimetro y medio es puro azucar en polvo. Aproximadamente tres cucharadas soperas llenas de azucar por lata!!La formula de la Coca Cola es muy sencilla:

Concentrado de azucar quemado caramelo- para dar color oscuro y gusto

Acido fosforito (para darle el sabor acido)

azucar (HFCS-jarabe de maiz de alta fructosa)

Extracto de hojas de la planta de Coca (Africa e India) y otros pocos aromatizantes naturales de otras plantas

Mucha Cafeina

Conservante que puede ser Benzoato de Sodio o Potasio

Dioxido de Carbono en cantidad para sentir freir la lengua cuando se bebe

Sal para dar la sensacion de refrigeracion

El uso del acido fosforito y no del acido citrico como en todas las demas gaseosas, es para dar la sensacion de dientes y boca limpia al beber. El acido fosforito literalmente frie todo y dana el esmalte de los dientes, cosa que el acido citrico lo hace en menor grado.Trate de comprar acido fosforito para ver las mil recomendaciones de seguridad que te dan para su manipulacion (quema el cristalino del ojo, quema la piel, etc...). Esta prohibido usar el acido fosforito en cualquier otra gaseosa; solo la Coca Cola tiene permiso. Porque claro, sin el acido fosforico, la Coca Cola sabria a jabon.El extracto de coca y otras hojas casi no cambia en nada el sabor. Es mas bien un efecto cosmetico. El extracto forma parte de la Coca-Cola porque legalmente tiene que ser asi. Pero sin el, no se nota ninguna diferencia en el gusto, que esta dado basicamente por las cantidades diferentes de azucar, azucar quemada, sales, acidos y conservantes.Sabor a que...? ja, ja, ja.

Aqui en Bartow, sur de Orlando, hay una empresa quimica que produce aromatizantes y esencias para zumos. Envian diariamente camionadas de sales concentradas y esencias para las fabricas de helados, gaseosas, jugos, enlatados y comida colorida y aromatizada.Cuando visite por primera vez la fabrica, pedi ver el deposito de concentrados de frutas, que deberia ser inmenso, especialmente los de naranja, pina, fresa y tantos otros. El encargado me miro, se rio y me llevo a visitar los depositos inmensos... pero de colorantes y componentes quimicos.

Las gaseosa de naranja no contiene naranja.

En los zumos dizque de fresa, hasta los puntitos que quedan en suspension estan hechos de goma (una liga quimica que envuelve un semi-polimero).

Pina, es un popurri de acidos y goma.

La esencia para helado de aguacate usa peroxido de hidrogeno (agua oxigenada) para dar la sensacion espumosa tipica del aguacate.

Bebidas Light?

Quieres saber la cantidad de basura que tiene un refresco 'light'? Yo ni siquiera los uso para destapar mi lavaplatos pues temo que danen los tubos de PVC. Los productos endulzantes 'ligth' tienen una vida media muy corta. Por ejemplo el

Despues de toda mi experiencia con la produccion de bebidas embasadas, puedo afirmar sin dudar un segundo: la mejor bebida es el agua, como tambien los jugos exprimidos de naranja o limon. Nada mas, cero azucar y cero sal.



Publicado por loretahur



En realidad, la formula secreta de la Coca-Cola se puede detallar en 18 segundos en cualquier espectrometro optico, y basicamente la conocen hasta los perros. Lo que ocurre es que no se puede fabricar igual, a no ser que uno disponga de unos cuantos millones de dolares para ganarle la demanda que te metera la Coca-Cola ante la justicia (ellos no perderian).La formula de la Pepsi tiene una diferencia basica con la de la Coca-Cola y es intencional, para evitar el proceso judicial. La diferencia es a proposito, pero suficientemente parecida como para atraer a los consumidores de Coca-Cola que prefieren un gusto diferente con menos sal y azucar.Tuve que aprender quimica, entender todo sobre componentes de gaseosas, conservantes, sales, acidos, cafeina, enlatado, produccion, permisos, aprobaciones y muchas otras cosas. Monte mi propio mini-laboratorio de analisis de productos.A patadas. El Cloruro de Sodio no solo refresca sino da mas sed, como para pedir otra gaseosa. Y no resulta desagradable porque la sal mata literalmente la sensibilidad al dulce... del que por cierto tambien tiene mucho: 39 gramos de azucar.De los 350 gramos de producto liquido, mas del 10% es azucar, o sea que en una lata de Coca-Cola mas de un centimetro y medio es puro azucar en polvo. Aproximadamente tres cucharadas soperas llenas de azucar por lata!!La formula de la Coca Cola es muy sencilla:Concentrado de azucar quemado caramelo- para dar color oscuro y gustoAcido fosforito (para darle el sabor acido)azucar (HFCS-jarabe de maiz de alta fructosa)Extracto de hojas de la planta de Coca (Africa e India) y otros pocos aromatizantes naturales de otras plantasMucha CafeinaConservante que puede ser Benzoato de Sodio o PotasioDioxido de Carbono en cantidad para sentir freir la lengua cuando se bebeSal para dar la sensacion de refrigeracionEl uso del acido fosforito y no del acido citrico como en todas las demas gaseosas, es para dar la sensacion de dientes y boca limpia al beber. El acido fosforito literalmente frie todo y dana el esmalte de los dientes, cosa que el acido citrico lo hace en menor grado.Trate de comprar acido fosforito para ver las mil recomendaciones de seguridad que te dan para su manipulacion (quema el cristalino del ojo, quema la piel, etc...). Esta prohibido usar el acido fosforito en cualquier otra gaseosa; solo la Coca Cola tiene permiso. Porque claro, sin el acido fosforico, la Coca Cola sabria a jabon.El extracto de coca y otras hojas casi no cambia en nada el sabor. Es mas bien un efecto cosmetico. El extracto forma parte de la Coca-Cola porque legalmente tiene que ser asi. Pero sin el, no se nota ninguna diferencia en el gusto, que esta dado basicamente por las cantidades diferentes de azucar, azucar quemada, sales, acidos y conservantes.Sabor a que...? ja, ja, ja.Aqui en Bartow, sur de Orlando, hay una empresa quimica que produce aromatizantes y esencias para zumos. Envian diariamente camionadas de sales concentradas y esencias para las fabricas de helados, gaseosas, jugos, enlatados y comida colorida y aromatizada.Cuando visite por primera vez la fabrica, pedi ver el deposito de concentrados de frutas, que deberia ser inmenso, especialmente los de naranja, pina, fresa y tantos otros. El encargado me miro, se rio y me llevo a visitar los depositos inmensos... pero de colorantes y componentes quimicos.Las gaseosa de naranja no contiene naranja.En los zumos dizque de fresa, hasta los puntitos que quedan en suspension estan hechos de goma (una liga quimica que envuelve un semi-polimero).Pina, es un popurri de acidos y goma.La esencia para helado de aguacate usa peroxido de hidrogeno (agua oxigenada) para dar la sensacion espumosa tipica del aguacate.Quieres saber la cantidad de basura que tiene un refresco 'light'? Yo ni siquiera los uso para destapar mi lavaplatos pues temo que danen los tubos de PVC. Los productos endulzantes 'ligth' tienen una vida media muy corta. Por ejemplo el aspartamo , despues de tres semanas mojado, pasa a tener gusto de trapo viejo sucio.Para evitar eso, se agregan una infinidad de otros productos quimicos, uno para alargar la vida del aspartamo, otro para neutralizar el color, otro para mantener el tercer quimico en suspension porque sino el fondo de la gaseosa quedaria oscuro, otro para evitar la cristalizacion del aspartamo, otro para realzar el sabor, dar mas intensidad al acido citrico o fosforito que perderia su sabor por el efecto de los cuatro productos quimicos iniciales... y asi sucesivamente.Un consejo final !!Despues de toda mi experiencia con la produccion de bebidas embasadas, puedo afirmar sin dudar un segundo: la mejor bebida es el agua, como tambien los jugos exprimidos de naranja o limon. Nada mas, cero azucar y cero sal.Publicado por loretahur

MARGARINA o MANTEQUILLA La margarina fue producida originalmente para engordar a los pavos; cuandolo que hizo en realidad fue matarlos.Las personas que habian puesto el dinero para la investigacion quisieronrecobrarlo asi que empezaron a pensar en una forma de hacerlo.Tenian una sustancia blanca, que no tenia ningun atractivo como comestible,asi que le anadieron el color amarillo, para venderselo a lagente en lugar de la mantequilla.Que tal esa?... Ahora han sacado algunos nuevos sabores para vender mas alos incautos como usted y yo.CONOCE USTED la diferencia entre la margarina y la mantequilla?Siga leyendo hasta el final... porque se pone bastante interesante!Comparacion entre mantequilla y margarina:

1.- Ambas tienen la misma cantidad de calorias.

2.- La mantequilla es ligeramente mas alta en grasas saturadas: 8 gramos,comparada con los 5 gramos que tiene la margarina.

3.- Comer margarina en vez de mantequilla puede aumentar en 53% el riesgo deenfermedades coronarias en las mujeres, de acuerdo con un estudiomedico reciente de la Universidad de Harvard.

4.- Comer mantequilla aumenta la absorcion de gran cantidad de nutrientesque se encuentran en otros alimentos.

5.- La mantequilla provee beneficios nutricionales propios mientras lamargarina tiene solo los que le hayan sido anadidos al fabricarla.

6.- La mantequilla sabe mucho mejor que la margarina y mejora el sabor deotros alimentos.7.- La mantequilla ha existido durante siglos mientras que la margarinatiene menos de 100 anos.

Ahora... sobre la margarina:

1.- Es muy alta en acidos grasos trans. (Si, esos que recien ahora loscientificos descubrieron que son malisimos y los gobiernoscomenzaron a prohibirlos) .

2.- Triple riesgo de enfermedades coronarias.

3.- Aumenta el colesterol total y el LDL (el colesterol malo) y disminuye elHDL (el colesterol bueno).

4.- Aumenta en cinco veces el riesgo de cancer.

5.- Disminuye la calidad de la leche materna.

6.- Disminuye la reaccion inmunologica del organismo.

7.- Disminuye la reaccion a la insulina.

Y he aqui el factor mas inquietante (AQUI ESTA LA PARTE MAS INTERESANTE! ):A la margarina le falta UNA MOLECULA para ser PLASTICO...!!Solo este hecho es suficiente para evitar el uso de la margarina de porvida, y de cualquier otra cosa que sea hidrogenada (esto significaque se le anade hidrogeno, lo cual cambia la estructura molecular de lassubstancias).Usted puede ensayar lo siguiente:Compre un poco de margarina y dejela en el garaje o en un sitio sombreado.Dentro de unos dias notara dos cosas:

* No habra moscas; ni siquiera esos molestos bichos se le acercaran (esto yale debe decir a usted algo).

* No se pudre ni huele mal o diferente porque no tiene valor nutritivo; nadacrece en ella. Ni siquiera los diminutos microorganismos puedencrecer en ella.Por que? Porque es casi plastico!!



No a la guerra, Si a la Paz



Misterios de la ciencia...



Los costos de la guerra



medicos y capitalismo...



Capitalismo...



medicos (2)



Quien educa a nuestros hijos?



Los Medios...



Sin Palabras...



Chistes feministas

- Cual es el problema, Eva?

- Se que me has creado, que me has dado este hermoso jardin, todos estos maravillosos animales y esa serpiente con la que me muero de risa... pero no soy del todo feliz...

- Como es eso, Eva? - replico Dios desde las alturas.

- Me encuentro sola, y ademas estoy harta de comer manzanas...

- Bueno Eva, en tal caso, tengo una solucion... creare un hombre para ti.

- Que es un hombre?

- Un hombre sera una criatura imperfecta, con muchas artimanas. Mentira, hara trampas, sera engreido... vamos, que te va a dar problemas... Pero, va a ser mas fuerte y rapido que tu y le gustara cazar y matar cosas... Tendra un aspecto simple, pero como te estas quejando, le creare de tal forma que satisfaga tus... eh... necesidades fisicas... Y tampoco sera muy listo, y destacara en cosas infantiles como pegarse o dar patadas a un balon... Necesitara tu consejo siempre para actuar cuerdamente.

- Suena bien - dijo Eva, mientras levantaba la ceja ironicamente.

- Cual es el truco?.

- Pues... que lo tendras con una condicion.

- Cual?

- Como te decia, sera chulo, arrogante y muy narcisista... asi que le tendras que hacer creer que le hice a el primero... recuerda... es nuestro secreto... de mujer a mujer.





Por que a los hombres no les puede dar la enfermedad de las vacas locas?  Porque todos son unos cerdos

Un dia, en el Paraiso, Eva llamo a Dios: Tengo un problema.- Cual es el problema, Eva?- Se que me has creado, que me has dado este hermoso jardin, todos estos maravillosos animales y esa serpiente con la que me muero de risa... pero no soy del todo feliz... - Como es eso, Eva? - replico Dios desde las alturas.- Me encuentro sola, y ademas estoy harta de comer manzanas...- Bueno Eva, en tal caso, tengo una solucion... creare un hombre para ti.- Que es un hombre?- Un hombre sera una criatura imperfecta, con muchas artimanas. Mentira, hara trampas, sera engreido... vamos, que te va a dar problemas... Pero, va a ser mas fuerte y rapido que tu y le gustara cazar y matar cosas... Tendra un aspecto simple, pero como te estas quejando, le creare de tal forma que satisfaga tus... eh... necesidades fisicas... Y tampoco sera muy listo, y destacara en cosas infantiles como pegarse o dar patadas a un balon... Necesitara tu consejo siempre para actuar cuerdamente.- Suena bien - dijo Eva, mientras levantaba la ceja ironicamente.- Cual es el truco?.- Pues... que lo tendras con una condicion.- Cual?- Como te decia, sera chulo, arrogante y muy narcisista... asi que le tendras que hacer creer que le hice a el primero... recuerda... es nuestro secreto... de mujer a mujer.Por que a los hombres no les puede dar la enfermedad de las vacas locas?  Porque todos son unos cerdos

Ellas...



Ellas (2)...



Tres venganzas femeninas VENGANZA NUMERO 1

Hoy mi hija cumple 21 anos y estoy muy contento porque es el ultimo pago de pension alimenticia que le doy, asi que llame a mi hijita para que viniera a mi casa y cuando llego le dije:

-Hijita, quiero que lleves este cheque a casa de tu mama y que le digas que: Este es el ultimo maldito cheque que va recibir de mi en todo lo que le queda de su puta vida!!! Quiero que me digas la expresion que pone en su rostro.

Asi que mi hija fue a entregar el cheque. Yo estaba ansioso por saber lo que la bruja tenia que decir y que cara pondria.

Cuando mi hijita entro, le pregunte inmediatamente: -Que fue lo que te dijo tu madre?

-Me dijo que justamente estaba esperando este dia para decirte que no eres mi papa!



VENGANZA NUMERO 2

Un hombre que siempre molestaba a su mujer, paso un dia por la casa de unos amigos para que lo acompanaran al aeropuerto a dejar a su esposa que viajaba a Paris.

A la salida de inmigracion, frente a todo el mundo, el le desea buen viaje y en tono burlon le grita:

- Amor, no te olvides de traerme una hermosa francesita Ja ja ja!!

Ella bajo la cabeza y se embarco muy molesta.

La mujer paso quince dias en Francia.

El marido otra vez pidio a sus amigos que lo acompanasen al aeropuerto a recibirla.

Al verla llegar, lo primero que le grita a toda voz es:

- Y amor me trajiste mi francesita??

- Hice todo lo posible, - contesta ella - ahora solo tenemos que rezar para que nazca nina.



VENGANZA NUMERO 3

El marido, en su lecho de muerte, llama a su mujer. Con voz ronca y ya debil, le dice: - Muy bien, llego mi hora, pero antes quiero hacerte una confesion.

- No, no, tranquilo, tu no debes hacer ningun esfuerzo.

- Pero, mujer, es preciso - insiste el marido - Es preciso morir en paz.

Te quiero confesar algo.

- Esta bien, esta bien. Habla!

- He tenido relaciones con tu hermana, tu mama y tu mejor amiga.

- Lo se, lo se Por eso te envenene, hijo de puta!!!



machismo y cibernetica



Chiste machista La NASA ha enviado al espacio una mision experimental tripulada por dos monos y una mujer.Apenas abandona la atmosfera, se establece comunicacion con Houston.

-Atencion, simio 1, verifique sistemas hidraulicos, controle adecuada presion de los propulsores de arranque. A 60.000 pies disminuya un 25% la velocidad.

El simio hace la sena de OK.

-Atencion, simio 2, nivele al cruzar la estratosfera y active sistemas anticongelantes. No olvide monitorear sistemas de comunicacion e indicadores de presion. Comprendido?.

El simio hace la sena de OK.

-Atencion, Houston llamando a mujer: no se olvide.

-Mujer: Si, si, ya se! -interrumpe enojada- que no me olvide darles de comer a estos monos de mierda y que no se me vaya a ocurrir tocar nada!.



.Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti.

Un abogado mantiene un romance con su secretaria.Al poco tiempo, esta queda embarazada y el abogado, que no quiere que su esposa se entere, le da a la secretaria una buena suma de dinero y le pide que se vaya a parir a Italia.Esta pregunta: Y como voy a hacerte saber cuando nazca el bebe ? El abogado responde: Para que mi mujer no se entere, tan solo enviame una postal y escribe por detras: Spaghetti. Y no te preocupes mas, que yo me encargare de todos los gastos.

Pasan los meses y una manana la esposa del abogado lo llama al bufete, algo exaltada: Querido, acabo de recibir el correo y hay una postal muy extrana viene desde Italia. La verdad, no entiendo que significa.El abogado, tratando de ocultar sus nervios, contesta:Espera a que llegue a casa, a ver si yo entiendoCuando el hombre llega a casa y lee la postal, cae al suelo fulminado por un infarto.Llega una ambulancia y se lo lleva. Ya en el hospital, el jefe de cardiologia se queda consolando a la esposa y le pregunta cual ha sido el evento que precipito tan masivo ataque cardiaco.

Entonces la esposa saca la postal y se la muestra diciendole: No me explico, doctor; el solamente leyo esta postal. Vea usted mismo lo que trae escrito.Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti."Tres con salchicha y albondigas y dos con almejas



Gol !!!!



Chistes de Borrachos Entra un borracho a su casa todo manchado con lapiz labial por todos lados hecho un desastre, y la mujer le pregunta:-Hombre que te paso?Y el borracho le responde:-No me vas a creer, me pelee con un payaso!



Este es un borracho que entra en un bar y le dice al camarero:-Me da cinco copas de whisky?Al rato:-Me da cuatro?Al rato:-Me da tres copas?Despues:-Me da dos copas?Luego le dice:-Me da una copa?Y le dice al camarero:-Ves? Cuanto menos bebo, mas borracho estoy!


" " In Korean culture, sleeping with the fan on is considered a major risk  no matter how hot it is. mohammad rehan/Thinkstock

Sleeping with the gentle breeze of a fan on a hot summer night is one of life's greatest pleasures. Unless you subscribe to the belief of "fan death," that is, where this pleasure will leave you dead by morning. This superstition has been passed down through generations  and mostly in just Korean families, it appears.

According to folklore, the only way to survive sleeping with a fan on is to open the window or use a fan that has an automatic shut-off so it doesn't run all night. The origin of the killer fan story is murky, but does it have any kernels of truth? First, we'll look at all the ways your fan may be trying to murder you in your sleep.

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One urban legend claims that a fan's blades actually chop up oxygen into carbon dioxide, making the air in your bedroom impossible to breathe and, therefore, fatal [source: Snopes]. Another says that a fan blowing on you all night can make your body temperature drop so low that it will cause hypothermia, and then death. Or, a fan constantly circulating very hot air won't actually cool you off; the hot air will eventually just suffocate or dehydrate you to the point of your demise. Fans can't cause hypothermia, though. They don't cool the air; they just circulate it. And because no house is air tight, you can't suffocate from hot air or a lack of oxygen.

The issue of "fan death" was such a concern that, in 2005, the Korea Consumer Protection Board issued a warning entitled "Beware Summer Hazards!" One of these warnings, regarding electric fans, advised leaving doors open when using a fan while sleeping, citing possible dehydration, hypothermia and decreased oxygen. The warning also attributed 20 deaths from fans in the years 2003 to 2005 [source: Levin]. However, nobody has been able to confirm these deaths [source: Lee]. Nevertheless, the belief persists even today.

How did this superstition begin? Some believe it grew from a 1970s campaign to conserve electricity. Or it could simply be coincidence  someone finds a dead body in a closed room with a running fan and makes a hasty conclusion. More likely, the person died from natural causes, such as a heart attack. In one case, a man fell asleep in front of a fan after a night of heavy drinking [archived source: Herskovitz].

Interestingly enough, however, the Environmental Protection Agency states in its Excessive Heat Events guidebook that people should not "direct the flow of portable electric fans toward yourself when room temperature is hotter than" 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius). This warning came about during the heat waves of the 1980s and 1990s when evidence suggested that fans in enclosed rooms could evaporate moisture from the body faster in heat indexes of 90 degrees Fahrenheit and higher.

So could that Korean grandmother be on to something, after all?
A day after addressing the nation on Mission Shakti, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sounded the poll bugle for Lok Sabha Elections 2019 today.

Modi kickstarted the election campaign for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by addressing two rallies in Meerut (UP) and Rudrapur (Uttarakhand). He is scheduled to address a rally in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K).

Meanwhile, Congress General Secretary of UP East, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra visited her mother Sonia Gandhi's pocket borough Rae Bareli as a part of her second leg of her campaign. Actor and former BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha has joined Congress and will be contesting from Bihar's Patna Sahib constituency.

In Karnataka, following an income tax raid in minister Puttaraju's residence, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and other senior leaders of JDS are staging a protest outside the I-T Department office. The CM had tweeted on Wednesday that the Prime Minister is misusing the I-T Department to take on the Karnataka leaders.

Follow the latest developments on the BusinessToday.In live blog:

7:32 PM: Congress president Rahul Gandhi has promised start-ups to make bank credit easier, remove angel tax and do away with the need for regulatory permissions for three years if Congress is voted to power.

6:35 PM: HD Deve Gowda has alleged that the BJP tried to offer huge sums of money to his son and Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy in order to convince him to form an alliance. The offer was turned down by Kumaraswamy, he said.

H D Deve Gowda, JD(S): They (BJP) tried to persuade Kumaraswamy to form govt with the support of BJP. Before the election they extended huge money for the expenditure of JD(S), they tried to persuade him to meet them in Mumbai where money was kept but Kumaraswamy refused to budge pic.twitter.com/nsHIOrOixJ  ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2019

6:19 PM: "The NC and the PDP have betrayed the people of Jammu and Kashmir. They have stalled the projects for development and steering the youth of the course.", says PM Modi.

6:17 PM: "BJP hopes that the state gets an impetus in education with more number of AIIMS, IITs and IIMs. We hope that the Ring road becomes the heart of road transport in state. We have created 42,000 government posts in J&K.": PM Modi

6:06 PM: PM Modi: Congress, NC & PDP are responsible for the problems Jammu & Kashmir faces today. It is because of them that Kashmiri Pandits faced so much trouble. Sadly, national security is not a priority for them, they only care about power.

5:58 PM: Addressing a rally at Akhnor, Jammu & Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "What is beyond comprehension is Congress' attitude. Is it the same Congress that Sardar Patel was a part of? Is it the same Congress that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was a part of, and fought for India's independence?"

5:48 PM: Congress was giving out statements against India during the Balakot air strike, when we attaced terrorists: PM Modi @ Akhnoor rally, J&K.

5:46 PM: Meanwhile, Tej Pratap Yadav resigns as Chief of RJD's Student Wing.

Bihar: Tej Pratap Yadav tweets that he has resigned as Chief of RJD's Student Wing pic.twitter.com/rNN6mvrf0p - ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2019

5:44 PM: I salute the place where the Dogra community has given the country many brave jawans. We are still inspired by Prem Nath Dogra. I am happy that when I have set out to reach out to the people of this country ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, I came to Jammy first: PM Modi.

5:35 PM:Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a public rally in Akhnoor, Jammu & Kashmir (J&K)

#WATCH: PM Narendra Modi speaking at a rally in Akhnoor, J&K. https://t.co/SCxukNGJ3K - ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2019

5:20 PM: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has released its Manifesto for the Lok Sabha Elections 2019. Read it in full here: https://elections.cpim.org/page/manifesto

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has released its Manifesto for the Lok Sabha Elections 2019. Read it in full here: https://t.co/puFlWQx0Xohttps://t.co/fwgtYeYDbY - CPI (M) (@cpimspeak) March 28, 2019

5:14 PM: Reacting to West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress Supremo Mamata Banerjee's claim that she can solve the Kashmir problem expeditiously, former Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti has said that her party would welcome Banerjee with open arms as the Chief Minister has the "conviction, authority & respect to understand the aspirations of our people".

We would welcome @MamataOfficial didi with open arms. She has the conviction, authority & respect to understand the aspirations of our people https://t.co/vyGcqI7Lt3 - Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) March 28, 2019

5:01 PM:Samajwadi Party releases another list of candidates to contest from various seats in Uttar Pradesh (UP). Nasir Qureshi to contest from Moradabad, Bhagwat Sharan Gangwar from Bareily,Pooja Pal from Unnao, Shyam Sunder Yadav from Jhansi and Nathuni Prasad Kushwaha from Kushinagar. #LokSabhaElections2019

Samajwadi Party releases another list of candidates. Nasir Qureshi to contest from Moradabad, Bhagwat Sharan Gangwar from Bareily,Pooja Pal from Unnao, Shyam Sunder Yadav from Jhansi and Nathuni Prasad Kushwaha from Kushinagar. #LokSabhaElections2019pic.twitter.com/OJNTRjtMA4 - ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 28, 2019

4:57 PM: 'Under Congress led UPA, Assam was given only Rs 50,000 crore. It was increased to Rs 3 lakh crore under the BJP led NDA govt': BJP President Amit Shah.

Under Congress led UPA, Assam was given only Rs 50,000 crore. It was increased to Rs 3 lakh crore under the BJP led NDA govt : Shri @AmitShah#IndiaWithNaMo - BJP (@BJP4India) March 28, 2019

4:49 PM: As a part of its #NYAYForIndia logo contest, Congress tweeted a couple of designs on its official twitter handle and invited more entries before the competition deadline ends on 30th March.

We've had an incredible response to our #NYAYForIndia logo contest, hundreds of designs have come in & we're sifting through them all to pick the best ones. Keep sending us more before the 30th March deadline & you could meet CP @RahulGandhi.

Here are some samples we loved: pic.twitter.com/L47mv9IS0J

4:40 PM: Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy has blamed the Income Tax department for working on the instructions of Modi and Amit Shah alleging a dictatorship like scenario after the BJP came to power.

Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy in Bengaluru: IT Dept has to work independently but it's working on the instructions of Modi & Amit Shah. After BJP came to power, it has become like a dictatorship. Do you think the IT Director in Bengaluru is innocent? I also have lot of records. pic.twitter.com/AbZZw68xli - ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2019

4:16 PM: RJD minister Girinath Singh joins BJP in the presence of Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

RJD leader Girinath Singh joins BJP in presence of Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. #LokSabhaElections2019pic.twitter.com/LMD8rbKPdK - ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2019

4:15 PM: National Commission for Women has issued a notice to SP leader Firoz Khan over his remark on BJP Rampur candidate Jaya Prada. He had said, "Rampur ki shaamein rangeen ho jaayengi ab jab chunavi mahual chalega." Referring to BJP's Sanghamitra Maurya, he said, "Ab koi apne ko gundi batade koi naachne ka kaam kare woh unka apna pesha hai."

4:00 PM: "Naveen babu (Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik) has filed a wrong election affidavit, that's what we have come to know. When he was Coal Minister in 1998 he allotted coal block to a ghost company. How are you connected to the company? You didn't give info in affidavit that CBI questioned you?," says Dharmendra Pradhan.

3:50 PM: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) writes to Chief Electoral Officer of Bhubaneswar demanding action against BJP for alleged violation of Model Code of Conduct 'for surrogate advertising through a TV serial broadcast on a TV channel in which the characters talk about 'Atal Pension Yojana': ANI.

3:40 PM: Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy, Dy CM G Parameshwara and other senior leaders are protesting outside the I-T office, against income tax raids at the residence of Karnataka Minor Irrigation Minister CS Puttaraju in Mandya.

3:31 PM: BJP president Amit Shah addresses a rally in Kaliabor, Assam.

3:25 PM: Shatrughan Sinha is set to join Congress on April 6, India Tv reported. Will contest elections from Patna Sahib constituency in Bihar. Sinha met Congress President Rahul Gandhi in Delhi.

Shatrughan Sinha meets Congress President Rahul Gandhi in Delhi. pic.twitter.com/UXAChtZHfR - ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2019

3:19 PM: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in a tweet said that the Nehruvian vision on Jammu & Kashmir was not correct and it's time now that the journey from separate status to separatism be stopped.

Nehruvian vision on Jammu & Kashmir was not correct. It's time now that the journey from separate status to separatism be stopped. pic.twitter.com/n4AxetCa9A - Chowkidar Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) March 28, 2019

3:13 PM: Launching a scathing attack on Congress, PM Modi said that the party can never understand the sentiments of people reiterating that the way Congress has behaved with the Armed Forces, it repeated the same behaviour with farmers and the poor as well. He also said that Congress is repeating its promise of 'Garibi Hatao', it had promised four decades ago which is the biggest proof of the party's lie.

3:08 PM:PM Modi blamed Congress for poverty in the country and said that Modi does everything with a mission and the proof is for the people of the country to see.

3:05 PM: In 2022, no family in this nation will be without a pucca house: PM Modi

3:00 PM: Meanwhile, Congress In-Charge of Bihar Shakti Singh Gohil has announced Shatrughan Sinha's induction in the party. He also said that Sinha will work as Congress' star leader and campaigner.

Shakti Singh Gohil, Congress In-charge of Bihar: Shatrughan Sinha ji has decided that he will join Congress party and will work as our star leader and star campaigner. #LokSabhaElection2019pic.twitter.com/hEX848aXhY - ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2019

2:45 PM: Addressing the rally in Rudrapur, Uttarakhand PM Modi in a veiled attack on congress said that that it has insulted the soldiers by giving anti-national statements to please Pakistanis. "When we entered the homes of the terrorists and killed them then is it right to question valour of our jawans? Is it right to abuse our Army Chief? Will people forgive those who give anti-national statements just to become a hero in Pakistan?" Modi said.

2:38 PM:PM Modi begins his address at a public rally in Rudrapur, Uttarakhand.

2:25 PM: Congress and JDS workers protest against Income-Tax raids at residence of JD(S) leader & Karnataka Minor Irrigation Minister CS Puttaraju in Mandya, Bengaluru

Bengaluru: Congress and JDS workers protest against Income-Tax raids at residence of JD(S) leader & Karnataka Minor Irrigation Minister CS Puttaraju in Mandya pic.twitter.com/73pqk8oqcq - ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2019

2:10 PM:'Everything is fine, there is no confusion', says Shatrughan Sinha after meeting Congress President Rahul Gandhi, according to media reports. Sinha who was denied party ticket from Patna Sahib constituency in Bihar by BJP, is likely to join Congress today. The rebel BJP leader is expcted to contest from the same constituency on Congress ticket taking on Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. Sinha has held the seat since 2009 for the BJP.

1:45: Congress reacted sharply to PM Modi's jibe at 'NYAY' and said that the Prime Minister has mocked at the poor of the the country.

It is unfortunate that when we speak of 'NYAY', Mr. Modi mocks the poor of the country. Previously he had mocked the poor of the country during demonetisation, this shows his true character: @rssurjewala - Congress Live (@INCIndiaLive) March 28, 2019

1:27 PM: Aam Aadmi Party leader from Punjab, Harinder Singh Khalsa joins Bharatiya Janata Party in the presence of Union Minister Arun Jaitley in Delhi today.

Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party leader from Punjab, Harinder Singh Khalsa joins Bharatiya Janata Party in the presence of Union Minister Arun Jaitley. pic.twitter.com/wyVoNDqzTD - ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2019

1:14 PM: "PM hurls abuses, that is his character." Randeep Surjewala

1:07 PM: Responding to PM Modi's attack at a public rally in Meerut, UP, Randeep Surjewala, Congress Spokesperson said that sugarcane farmers have been duped by the Modi government saying that "Drama is PM's character."

12:55 PM: "Will continue to work towards new India," says PM Modi

12:54 PM: PM Modi: Congress hatao, poverty will also be eradicated.

12:52 PM: For dynasts gareebi hatao is a mere slogan: PM Modi

12:46 PM: "Farmers, youth all have been betrayed by the previous governments," says PM Modi

12:44 PM: "Dont let go of your right to vote," says PM Modi

12:43 PM: PM Modi said, "Everyone remembers goondaraj under SP, BSP's rule."

12:41 PM: "Last Elections were about UP ke Ladke." Modi

12:35 PM: 2019 "UP Pools about Bua-Babua", says PM Modi

12:34 PM: Addressing a public rally at Meerut, UP Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed his critics for maligning his announcement on Mission Shakti yesterday saying the previous governments did not take steps on military equipment.
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte, who turns 74 today, March 28, only wished for a "prosperous and progressive" Philippines.Duterte made the birthday wish during his dinner with the Presidential Security

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte, who turns 74 today, March 28, only wished for a "prosperous and progressive" Philippines.

Duterte made the birthday wish during his dinner with the Presidential Security Group at Matina Enclaves in Davao City on Wednesday night, March 27.

Photos from former special assistant to the president Christopher Lawrence Go showed Duterte blowing a cake resembling the Philippine flag.

In a video taken by one of the staff of Matina Enclaves, Duterte wished that the country would not be involved in any tensions among other nations.

"My wish? Well, that this government will prosper and huwag sana tayong magka-mali (may we not make wrong decisions)," the President said.

"My wish is that we will just continue to progress and prosper as a nation. Hindi tayo sasali diyan sa mga gulu-gulo sa ibang bayan (We will not join any rift among any countries)," he added.

Duterte also reiterated that on his 74th birthday, he would just be at home, "sleeping all day."

In a statement, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said the country is blessed to have Duterte as its president who he dubbed as "one of the most intense and focused persons in government."

"On behalf of the Office of the Cabinet Secretary, I would like to greet the President a very Happy 74th Birthday," he said.

"We are truly blessed to have Mayor Rody as President. I've always known him to be one of the most intense and focused persons in government; his passion tempered by a soft heart for the ordinary Filipino. His style of leadership is very much defined by his own strong personality, which we have witnessed countless times in Davao City and beyond. This is the type of leadership we need as a country now," Nograles added.

Nograles also wished the President the "best of health in body and spirit," as the latter continues to serve the nation in fulfillment of his promises to the Filipino people.

For Communications Secretary Jose Ruperto Martin Andanar, destiny designed Duterte's name 74 years ago "to lead that we may follow, and to follow that we may live, your noble cause within our lives." (SunStar Philippines)
REP. Gwendolyn Garcia and Provincial Board Member Alex Binghay have asked the court to stop the construction of the P1.3-billion 20-storey building inside the Capitol compound.They filed the injunction

REP. Gwendolyn Garcia and Provincial Board Member Alex Binghay have asked the court to stop the construction of the P1.3-billion 20-storey building inside the Capitol compound.

They filed the injunction suit on the grounds that Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III did not have the authority from the Provincial Board (PB) to enter into contracts with a bank and a building contractor and ignored other lawful procedures.

Named in the injunction suit filed on March 26, Tuesday, at the Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Toledo City were Davide, Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale, Provincial Administrator Mark Tolentino who also heads the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), contractor WT Construction Inc. and Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP)--the people and entities behind the proposed Cebu Resource Center.

Gwen Garcia of One Cebu party and Magpale of Bakud are facing off in the gubernatorial race on May 13.

Davide has stepped back to be Magpales running mate. He faces off with Daphne Salimbangon, Gwens running mate.

At a press conference Thursday, March 28, in a Chinese restaurant in Cebu City, Gwen Garcia and her lawyers, among them her younger brother Pablo John Garcia, gave details of the violations committed by Davide et al.

Davide violated Section 22 of the Local Government Code of 1991 that requires the local chief executive to secure legislative authority before entering into a contract or any agreement with anyone.

While its true that the PB passed a resolution authorizing the governor to enter into a memorandum of agreement with DBP to take out a loan, there is no resolution that authorized the governor to sign a deed of assignment with holdout, Garcia said.

Davide also entered into a contract with WT Construction without PB authority.

Tolentino, the provincial administrator, sent a letter to the PB on Jan. 14, 2019 seeking the approval of a resolution authorizing the governor to enter into a contract with the private contractor.

Sensing that no authority was forthcoming, Davide had the letter request recalled and said the PB authority was no longer needed based on a Supreme Court ruling.

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Also, the detailed engineering cost of the building project is already indicated in the supplemental budget 1 that the PB earlier approved.

Garcia said that what Davide did was a breach of procedure because the governor would always seek PB approval for every Capitol project.

Furthermore, the building contract was awarded to WT Construction when the source of funds for the project was not clear.

The building project, which Gwen called Torre ni Davide, is anomalous and illegal because its completion target goes beyond the gubernatorial term of Davide.

Davide only has until June 30 to sit as governor, but the building project has 790 days or two years to be completed.

Besides, the design of the building goes against the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009 as it does not have the approval of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.

Cebu has no need for the Torre ni Davide, Gwen said.

Ask forgiveness from Cebuanos for insulting their feelings and intelligence, she said.

Davide, for his part, said Capitol observed the requirements under the Government Procurement Act.

We are prepared to defend the project. Of course we know them. Mao man ni sila. Hilig kaayo og broka. Kanang file file dayon og kaso, pero sige lang preparado man ta motubag ana, Davide said.

He said Capitol took out a P1.3-billion loan from DBP so that it will not have to touch Capitol funds that can be used for basic services.

Davide said the proposed Cebu Resource Center is a worthy project, and that Capitol has studied it carefully.

It will also address the problem on the lack of office space in the executive building, he said. (MPS from reports of DRT of SuperBalita Cebu, MVG)
THE National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) has removed over 650,000 campaign materials all over Metro Manila.NCRPO Director Major General Guillermo Eleazar urged the candidates to also do their

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte, who is celebrating his 74th birthday today, March 28, may continue to have a "sound mind and healthy body."

This is the birthday wish of Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo for the President, who shunned a grand celebration as he turns 74.

"The countrys number one man of the masses celebrates his birthday (March 28) today. As in the previous years, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte had always spent the day quietly with his family and loved ones in Davao City," Panelo said in a statement.

"As Mayor Duterte celebrates his 74th birthday, we pray the Almighty to continue giving him a sound mind and a healthy body, that he may finish the goals he had set for the betterment of the country and people that he loved so well towards a future of progress and prosperity," he added.

On Tuesday, March 26, Duterte said he would not be throwing a lavish birthday bash, as he merely wanted to stay at home to take the opportunity to have enough sleep.

Duterte has been used to celebrating occasions in a simple way even when he was still the mayor of Davao City.

Panelo was elated that Duterte has maintained a "simple lifestyle, no frills but certainly plenty of thrills" even now that he holds the highest position in the country.

"From a local public servant, he (Duterte) had evolved to be a force with national constituency catapulting him to the zenith of political power as the Chief Executive and Head of State," the Palace official said.

"His sense of duty and fidelity to the country not only inspires and motivates workers in the government to serve the people well but moves the rest of society to march in cadence with him as he breathes life to the winds of change he has spurred," he added.

Panelo said the nation was "blessed and privileged" to have a "dedicated" president who serves as "the captain of our ship steering our flag carrier safely to a land he vowed to be free from drugs and crimes where each Filipino will enjoy a comfortable life."

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In Duterte's remaining years in office, he continues in fulfilling his mandate to serve and protect the people, as well as his promises to improve the Filipinos' lives, Panelo stressed.

Panelo also praised Duterte's dedication to curb the proliferation of illegal drugs and get rid the government of corrupt officials.

"As we approach the midpoint of his term, we have witnessed the daily toil of this tough but compassionate man in making good his campaign promises, and now as Chief Executive, relentlessly and tirelessly performing his constitutional duty to serve and protect the people," he said.

"Maligayang kaarawan mahal na Pangulo! Basbasan kayo ng Dakilang Lumikha upang maipagpatuloy ninyo ang sinimulan ninyo ng pagbabago sa ating bansa (Happy Birthday to our dear President. May our Creator bless you you can continue what you have started to bring change in the country)," Panelo added.

In a separate statement, former special assistant to the president Christopher Lawrence Go, who has been with the President during the latter's mayoral stint, wished that Duterte will have "50 more years to live to serve our fellow Filipinos." (SunStar Philippines)
FOUR more congressmen and 25 local government officials have been included in the government's list of "narco-politicians," Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Director Aaron Aquino

FOUR more congressmen and 25 local government officials have been included in the government's list of "narco-politicians," Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Director Aaron Aquino said Thursday, March 28.

Aquino said they cannot divulge yet the identities of the local government executives, stressing they are still validating their alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade.

Ipa-priority ko muna yung naiiwan pa na narco-politicians na hindi pa nadi-disclose kasi yung partial na na-disclose ng ating Presidente ay 46 pa lang, so more or less nasa 25 pa yata o 20 yung naiiwan, he said.

(I will prioritize first those alleged narco-politicians whose names were not disclosed yet, because President Rodrigo Duterte has named only 46, so there are more or less 25 other names in the list.)

He said the PDEA is working double time, hoping that the names of the narco-politicians will be released prior to the May 13 midterm polls.

On March 14, Duterte identified the 46 politicians allegedly involved in illegal drug operations.

The names announced by Duterte included 35 mayors, seven vice-mayors, one provincial board member, and three members of the House of Representatives.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government has filed charges of grave misconduct, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, conduct unbecoming of a public officer, and gross neglect of duty against the 46 politicians.

Authorities earlier said releasing the names of the politicians on the list will help voters decide on who to vote as the countrys next leaders. (SunStar Philippines)
PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) Chief Oscar Albayalde re-assured President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday, March 28 that the entire national police agency is behind his every advocacy and thrust, particularly

PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) Chief Oscar Albayalde re-assured President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday, March 28 that the entire national police agency is behind his every advocacy and thrust, particularly in making the country free from illegal drugs, corruption and criminality.

To our President, Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte, sir, on behalf of the 190,000 strong PNP personnel, we would like to greet you a happy birthday. We wish you long health and good life and we would like to assure you that the PNP is behind you in all your advocacy and thrust against illegal drugs, criminality and corruption, he said.

With your great leadership, we can make our country great and strong. Once again, Mr. President, Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte sir. Happy birthday, he added.

Duterte turns 74 today, March 28.

Earlier, Duterte said the PNP is at the brink of surrendering in the countrys war on drugs as despite the relentless operation, the problem still worsens.

Albayalde, however, assured Duterte that they will not surrender and that the PNP will take Dutertes statement as a challenge to do more and to accomplish more in line with the governments crackdown on illegal drugs. (SunStar Philippines)
PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) Chief Oscar Albayalde commended Thursday, March 28, the personnel of Victoria Municipal Police Station in Northern Samar for being able to defend their post against some

PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) Chief Oscar Albayalde commended Thursday, March 28, the personnel of Victoria Municipal Police Station in Northern Samar for being able to defend their post against some communist rebels who attacked the station.

We would like to commend the Victoria Municipal Police Station doon sa Samar at nagpakita talaga sila ng tapang, wherein they were harassed by more or less 50 NPA (New People's Army) rebels but they were able to repulse yung pag-atake sa kanila, Albayalde said.

The attack happened around 3:30 a.m. Thursday, March 28.

The station has 15 police personnel. They engaged in a gunfight with the rebels.

The gunfight last for more than three hours.

Three rebels were killed in the incident, while two policemen, identified as Police Senior Master Sergeant Arturo Gordo Jr. and Police Master Sergeant Arnold Cabacang, were wounded.

Albayalde said some of the police officers positioned at the rooftop of the station in order to have a good vantage point against the attackers.

They occupied the high ground. Pumunta sila sa second or third floor ng kanilang station at doon sila nakipaglaban at nakipagpalitan ng putok. Of course, in any firefight, ang sabi nga nila, you always occupy the high ground, he said.

Recovered during the attack were one caliber M60, one M14, and two M16, while an NPA member was arrested.

Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Ano said he would recommend that the police personnel involved in the incident be given due honors and recognition.

Despite being outnumbered by the attacking communist terrorists, these brave police officers held their position and defeated the enemy. This is a highly commendable accomplishment that should be the standard in all police stations nationwide: outnumbered but never outfought, he said.

The best defense is always offense. Let us go and attack the NPA guerrilla bases in tandem with the Armed Forces of the Philippines and make sure that these NPA terrorists will pay for their heinous crimes against the Filipino people, he added. (SunStar Philippines)
THE National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) has removed over 650,000 campaign materials all over Metro Manila.NCRPO Director Major General Guillermo Eleazar urged the candidates to also do their

BEFORE Mahathir Mohammad decided to rule Malaysia again, his country was like what the Philippines is now, having a leader that was too pro-China for comfort. Najib Razak willingly pushed his country into the debt trap China laid down, forcing the retired Mahathir, already 92 years old, to challenge him in the polls. Najib got pushed out of power and is now facing corruption charges.

Supreme Court senior associate justice Antonio Carpio recently exposed some of the questionable provisions in the loan that the Philippine government got to fund the Chico River dam project. These include using our natural resources as collateral. Carpio said that could include us losing the oil-rich Reed Bank to China.

Reed Bank, also known among others as Recto Bank, is within the Philippines exclusive economic zone. Or at least that was what the United Nations arbitral tribunal ruled in 2016. But it is near the Spratlys whose ownership is also claimed by China. We might end up finally losing that territory if we default on our loan payments to China.

The terms of the loan have other onerous provisions but these have been brought to light only recently, beginning with Carpios expose. In Malaysia, after Mahathirs return and Najibs fall, the terms of every loan have already been subjected to deeper scrutiny. That is not being done in our country. Instead, our officials are one in lawyering for China on the loan agreements they entered into.

Beggars, they say, cant be choosers. But even beggars have dignity. Our officials apparently want us to lose that dignity when it comes to China. We allow ourselves to be abused and exploited because we supposedly do not want to be at the receiving end of Chinas ire. By we, I actually mean only our leaders. Because the overwhelming majority of Filipinos still have their dignity intact.

That is not even our only problem with our government officials tight embrace of China. Because every time we get the services of Chinese contractors, one of the conditions in getting Chinese loans, we are also forced to allow those contractors to hire Chinese workers. Meaning that we are displacing our own workers. Worse, those Chinese workers get paid handsomely.

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All these, of course, start in us having leaders that are puppets of the Chinese, something that Mahathir sensed in the case of Malaysia with Najib Razak. And those Chinese puppets rose to power not through the use of force but through elections. Which should also remind us of what happened to the United States in the case of Donald Trump and Russia.

Is it possible that like Russia in the case of the US, China is also influencing the outcome of our elections? Did China influence the outcome of the 2016 elections? Nobody is looking into that, but we now know that some candidates did visit China during that time. And was Chinas online presence capable of influencing the thinking of the voters here in our country?

Those are rather interesting questions.
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A team of researchers from Israel, the U.S., the Netherlands and Norway has found what they describe as associations between structural variation in the human gut microbiome and host health. In their paper published in the journal Nature, the group describes their genetic study of microbes living in the guts of large groups of people from Israel and the Netherlands, and what they found.

In recent years, medical scientists have become increasingly focused on the microbes that live in and on our bodies with the goal of figuring out which are good or bad for us, and in what ways. In this new effort, the researchers sought to better understand gut bacteria that are genetically very similar. They wanted to know if such small differences are due to natural instances between species or if they simply represent the evolution of bacteria as they exist in the gut.

To learn more, the researchers obtained 887 microbiome samples from people living in Israel and studied them using iterative coverage-based read assignment and SGV-Finder algorithms. They report that they found 7,479 variants in 56 of the species they isolated in the samples. They further report that of those found, they were able to identify 5,056 deletions in genomes and 2,424 variable structure variants, which, they note, were prevalent in genes that were involved in CRISPR and antibiotic functions. Those involved in housekeeping, on the other hand, were noticeably less prevalent. They further report that the structural variants they looked at harbored genes with distinct functions that could be associated with bacterial growthpossibly suggesting utility in adaption. They also found 124 associations between variants and diseases in the host such as those connected to body mass index, blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

The researchers performed a similar analysis on microbiome samples obtained from 1000 people living in the Netherlands, and found many of the same structural variants with many of the same associations. They conclude by suggesting that their results support prior findings in studies of the mouse microbiome and that more research is needed to fully understand the role of genetically similar microbes living in our guts.

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More information: David Zeevi et al. Structural variation in the gut microbiome associates with host health, Nature (2019). David Zeevi et al. Structural variation in the gut microbiome associates with host health,(2019). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1065-y Press release Journal information: Nature

 2019 Science X Network
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As society becomes more automated, the structure of evidence rules needs to keep up with the times, argues Ed Cheng, the Hess Professor of Law at Vanderbilt Law School. "Beyond the Witness: Bringing a Process Perspective to Modern Evidence Law," coauthored with University of Arkansas law professor G. Alexander Nunn, will appear in the May issue of the Texas Law Review.

For centuries, trials have centered on witness testimony, a practice enshrined in the Sixth Amendment, which guarantees criminal defendants the right to confront witnesses in court. That focus on witnesses made sense a hundred years ago, when most evidence was created by individuals, but that's not the case today. Today, sometimes the "witness" is a process or a machine.

Because the courts are so focused on witnesses, Cheng suggests, they are constantly searching for human surrogates that the parties can cross-examine instead of focusing on the evidence itself. "The classic example is how courts treat photographs," Cheng said. "In conventional trial practice, photographs are only treated as 'aids' used to illustrate a witness's testimony, not evidence in themselves. But we all know that the power of a photograph comes from the fact that it is the product of a mechanical or electronic process, not from the fact that some person vouches for its content."

With some kinds of forensic reports, Cheng said, finding a witness surrogate becomes even more absurd because a technician at a commercial lab is highly unlikely to remember that specific sample in the first place. "There's no reason to bring in that particular analyst to explain what they did. The lab treats every sample the same way," Cheng said. "What we care about is the lab's procedures in general. Yet, the individual analyst is precisely what recent Supreme Court precedent has required in criminal cases."

There are some exceptions to this, Cheng and Nunn notebusiness records, for one. The law does not require a cashier to testify about a store purchase. A store receipt or electronic transaction record is sufficient, because it is part of a regular business process assumed to be reliable enough to stand on its own.

The problem, Cheng argues, is that these business records then get something of a free pass. "Business records are an exception to the hearsay rulethe usual rule requiring live testimonyand that's a good start. But then, the parties never really get an analog to cross-examination. They have no meaningful opportunity to 'test' the process that produced the record." For example, they may want to verify that a piece of accounting software was free of any bugs that might have created a discrepancy, or make sure a piece of drug testing equipment was calibrated correctly.

This is not to say that witnesses should go away entirely, Cheng saidthere is always going to be evidence that needs to be explained and justified by a human being. Rather, process-based evidence is a category of evidence that the law needs to deal with in a different way.

"The world has changed a lot since evidence laws came about," he said. "Our trial system is based on the idea that individuals are what you want to test, but sometimes what you really want to test is the process. How we think about evidence hasn't gotten with the times, and we need to grapple with these problems."

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As decision makers balance economic, environmental and social aspects of living, planners and others need decision-making tools that support the process, but do not dictate the outcomes, so that trade-off choices can reflect a wide array of needs, according to a team of researchers who looked at an interactive program using trade-off diagrams.

"We are seeing a massive growth in the use of decision support systems, particularly ones branching into the use of more immersive technology," said Danielle Oprean, assistant professor of information science and technology, University of Missouri, and former Penn State postdoctoral fellow. "However, we still do not know much about how current systems and human decision makers interact in complex scenarios."

The researchers were looking for a tool that would lead decision makers in the right direction, allow compromises, but not dictate the results. The types of decisions are not clear cut, but require a give-and-take to find the point where all the constituent sides are balanced as best they can be.

"Say you have a village next to a lake and the lake is used for recreation and fishing," said Klaus Keller, professor of geoscience and director, Penn State Center for Climate Risk Management. "If phosphorus-containing wastewater is going into the lake, the lake will become overgrown with algae and the fish will die. Reducing the phosphorous inputs into the lake costs money. Loss of fishing costs money and recreation."

The challenge is to find the low-cost strategy to reduce the phosphorous and keep the lake safe for recreation and fishing. And this is a problem with only one decision over time: How much to reduce phosphorus inputs into the lake. Other problems, with more variables, become far more complex.

The researchers created a computer interface for a decision support system using trade-off diagrams that can be altered by the user. Not only can the input number of decisions be changed, but the point of view of the resulting diagrams can also be moved.

"One of the most important things is to run this type of system by human users," said Alexander Klippel, professor of geography and inaugural director of the Center for Immersive Experiences. "We need to take users into consideration. Users don't always behave the way we think they will. People don't always follow directions."

The researchers presented the results of their study at the 52nd Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences and the results appear in the conference proceedings. The researchers found that contextual information in the diagrams increased decision quality. Although contextual information is often difficult to incorporate into the models and makes the diagrams specific to the situation, the researchers considered it beneficial.

Interactivity also improved decision-making quality, but to a lesser extent than context. The researchers suggest that if resources are limited, incorporating context should take priority over interactivity.

The researchers also found that as problems became more complex, the usefulness of trade-off diagrams alone became less valuable. They concluded that we need to better understand how decision support systems can actually assist human decision makers by systematically investigating visualizations beyond trade-off diagrams.

"I would like to see more exploration of decision-making visualizations in increasingly complex decision spaces," said Oprean. "It is important to understand how these visualizations impact human decision makers and then use that information to improve decision-support systems that may start to use virtual and augmented reality."

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On March 27, the Prime Minister addressed the nation and announced that India has become the fourth nation, after US, China and Russia, to attain the capability to interdict and intercept a satellite in outer space after the successful Anti-Satellite (ASAT) missile test. What makes this feat glorious is that it is based on completely indigenous technology. However, the question still remains - why is the ASAT missile test or Mission Shakti important for India?

A top retired diplomat explained that this step is important not only because it is an asset to India but also because it has happened before any international agreement is forged. The diplomat also said that when the nuclear tests were carried out in Pokhran in 1998, India had to face a lot of criticism since the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) was already in place. So, the timing is just right because if any document is drawn on outer space now, it would also include the countries that already have the capability.

In 2008, China and Russia had introduced the draft text of such a treaty to the Conference on Disarmament (CD), after which they revised a draft treaty in 2014. The UN General Assembly is also trying to bring about an international legally binding document on the prevention of an arms race in outer space that would include the prevention of placement of weapons in outer space among other things.

During the time of war, ASATs can be used to intercept and jam communication or military satellites of enemy countries and stop them from communicating with their soldiers. It can also be used to access critical information about troop movements or incoming missiles.

The announcement, hence, sends a message to countries like China that carried out similar tests in 2007 and more recently, last year.

However, while announcing the ASAT missile test, aka Mission Shakti, Prime Minister Modi assured the international community that the technology is not a threat to anyone and is for India's security only. "India has always been opposed to the weaponisation of space and an arms race in outer space, and this test does not in any way change this position. Today's test does not violate any international law or treaty obligation to which India is a party", said Prime Minister Modi.

The MEA also reiterated the same in its statement: "The capability achieved through the missile test provides credible deterrence against threats to our growing space-based assets from long range missiles, and proliferation in the types and numbers of missiles."

Also read: What is ASAT and how can it be used in war?

Also read- Mission ASAT: Why India needs a satellite killer
Nick Balascio examines an earth core in his McGlothlin-Street Hall laboratory. His is a co-author on a Nature Communications paper that reports a discovery that a deep-water Atlantic current system is a 400-year harbinger of climate change. Credit: Joseph McClain

The warm waters of the Gulf Stream flow up along the east coast of North America, moderating the climate of vast areas of northern and western Europe.

Once the Gulf Stream gets far enough north, the warm waters cool. As they cool, they sink and start flowing south, forming what scientists call the North Atlantic Deep Water.

Nick Balascio explained that the Gulf Stream/Deep Water system is known as the AMOC, or Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. Balascio, an assistant professor in William & Mary's Department of Geology, is a member of a group of scientists that found evidence that changes in the strength of AMOC can serve as an precursor to massive future climate changes.

Their findings were published in the journal Nature Communications in a paper "Deep-water circulation changes lead North Atlantic climate during deglaciation." Deglaciation, or the widespread melting of glaciers, have triggered massive shifts in climate. Balascio explains that the team's evidence shows that a strengthening in the AMOC flow was a precursor to a sudden warming trend about 11,000 years ago.

Conversely, a weakening AMOC was followed by what is known as the Younger Dryas stadial, a major cooling period about 13,000 years ago. Balascio pointed out that each shift in AMOC strength preceded the climactic shift by the same amount of timearound 400 years.

He also noted that the AMOC has been weakening once again for the past century or so. The paper indicates that once the Younger Dryas settled in, air temperatures in Greenland dropped by about six degrees.

"These results suggest that changes in ocean circulation precede major global climate events," he said. "So we should therefore take seriously the evidence that suggests the AMOC has been slowing down over the past century or more."

The team recorded the relative strength of the AMOC and the development of the Deep Water Formation through comparison of various coring samples of ice and sediment from various points across the North Atlantic, including sites from the land, ocean and lakes.

"Each record provides one piece of the puzzle," Balascio said. "So each record provides information on a different aspect of the climate system such as past atmospheric temperatures and surface ocean conditions."

The team was led by Francesco Muschitiello, who is associated with the University of Cambridge and Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. Other members of the team were from the Norwegian Research Centre & Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, Oregon State University, the University of Sheffield and Purdue University.

Balascio's contribution was to conduct tephra analysis, or examination of key volcanic ash layers to establish the chronology in the marine sediment record that generated much of the data for the study.

"In order to address questions about leads-and-lags of climate and ocean circulation, we had to establish how old sections of the core were with precision," he said.

Balascio acknowledges that the ocean and climate conditions of today are quite different from the days when the Younger Dryas was getting a toehold on the world's climate.

"But these results provide insight into the mechanisms for how the systems respond and interact," he said. "If we use them, we can better model and predict future changes."

More information: Francesco Muschitiello et al. Deep-water circulation changes lead North Atlantic climate during deglaciation, Nature Communications (2019). Journal information: Nature Communications Francesco Muschitiello et al. Deep-water circulation changes lead North Atlantic climate during deglaciation,(2019). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-09237-3
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Conventional wisdom holds that when parents divorce, their children's educational success can be derailed. But research led by UCLA sociology professor Jennie Brand suggests that divorce's effect on a child's education varies widely depending on several factors, especially the family's socioeconomic status.

According to the study, which was published in the Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences, children whose schooling is most affected are those whose parents' are not statistically likely to divorce, based on socioeconomic status and other factorstypically those that fall into a more advantaged socioeconomic status.

Meanwhile, divorce tends not to change educational outcomes for children from less advantaged families. Poor and disadvantaged kids are more likely to experience divorce, researchers noted.

"Our findings suggest that divorce is just one of many hardships that disadvantaged families face, which makes the event less disruptive," said Brand, who also is the director of the UCLA California Center for Population Research and co-director of the UCLA Center for Social Statistics. She also has an appointment in the UCLA statistics department.

Brand and her co-authors examined data on the family and socioeconomic backgrounds of 11,512 children and 4,931 mothers from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth and the National Longitudinal Survey Child Mother File, a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics program that began in 1979 and has continued to follow respondents ever since.

They found that the mothers who were most likely to get divorced were women who themselves grew up in single-parent families, who have inflexible work hours or who have depressive symptoms. Divorce was also more likely when spouses were of different races or had different levels of educational success.

In conducting the analysis, the researchers divided the families into three groups: those whose parents were more likely to get divorced, based on the demographic and socioeconomic factors; those whose parents were less likely to get divorced; and those in the middle.

In families in the "unlikely to divorce" group, children of divorced parents were 6 percent less likely than children of non-divorced parents to graduate from high school and 15 percent less likely to complete college.

But for children in the "likely to divorce" group, there was virtually no impact on their likelihood to graduate from high school or college if their parents' marriage ended. The paper noted that children in that group already have lower levels of academic achievementso a divorce generally didn't make things better or worse for them.

Brand said the findings should make people rethink the notion that there is a universal value in parents sticking out a failing marriage for kids who already have the deck stacked against them.

"We try to discourage rhetoric such as, 'If these disadvantaged kids had parents who stayed married, they would be doing great,' because that's just not the case," she said. "Marital stability isn't a solution without addressing socioeconomic and other disadvantage among these families, as we don't see much difference for disadvantaged kids whose parents did and did not divorce. There are just so many other factors that are leading to their educational disadvantage."

Although Brand said the results were expected, she was surprised at how little an impact divorce had on the families where divorce was statistically more likely.

Brand said the findings could potentially be used to create better public policy, and to inform the public at large.

"For some families, staying together may have a positive impact on children, while for others we might see an increase in children's psychological well-being after a divorce, even if there's a negative financial impact," Brand said. "It's clear through this study and other research that there's no one right answer for every family."

The study was funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health. Co-authors are Ravaris Moore of Loyola Marymount University, Xi Song of the University of Chicago and Yu Xie of Princeton University.

Brand's other research focuses on the negative effects of job loss on families and the impact of a college education.

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More information: Parental divorce is not uniformly disruptive to children's educational attainment. PNAS. doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1813049116 Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Parental divorce is not uniformly disruptive to children's educational attainment.
This photo taken on March 7, 2019 and provided by the Observatoire Pelagis shows dead dolphins on a shore of La Tranche sur Mer, on the Atlantic coast, western France. France has been shaken into action after a record number of dead dolphins have washed up on the country's Atlantic coast this year, many clearly victims of industrial fishing. More than a 1,000 corpses, according to French marine researchersdeath toll that has alarmed animal welfare groups and prompted France's ecology minister to launch a national plan to protect them. (Cecile Dars, Observatoire Pelagis/CNRS/Universite de la Rochelle via AP)

The dolphins' bodies were horribly mutilated, the fins cut off.

But what shocked French marine researchers wasn't just the brutality of the deaths of these highly intelligent mammals, but the numbers involveda record 1,100 have landed on France's Atlantic coast beaches since January.

The mass deaths, widely blamed on industrial fishing, have alarmed animal welfare groups and prompted France's ecology minister to launch a national plan to protect them.

"There's never been a number this high," said Willy Daubin, a member of La Rochelle University's National Center for Scientific Research. "Already in three months, we have beaten last year's record, which was up from 2017 and even that was the highest in 40 years."

Though Daubin said 90 percent of the fatalities resulted from the dolphins being accidentally captured in industrial fishing nets, the reason behind the spike this year is a mystery.

"What fishing machinery or equipment is behind all these deaths?" he asked.

Autopsies carried out on the dolphins this year by La Rochelle University's National Center for Scientific Research show extreme levels of mutilation.

This photo taken on Feb.13, 2019 and provided by the Observatoire Pelagis shows a dead dolphin on a shore of Jard sur Mer on the Atlantic coast, western France. France has been shaken into action after a record number of dead dolphins have washed up on the country's Atlantic coast this year, many clearly victims of industrial fishing. (Willy Dabin, Observatoire Pelagis/CNRS/Universite de la Rochelle via AP)

Activists say it's common for fishermen to cut body parts off the suffocated dolphins after they are pulled up on the nets, to save the nets.

French Ecology Minister Francois de Rugy rushed last week to La Rochelle in an attempt to lower the number of dolphins dying as a result of humans. He's under pressure, partly due to French President Emmanuel Macron's pro-ecology stance and oft-quoted slogan to "Make the Planet Great Again."

Rugy has come up with some plans, including bolstering research into existing acoustic repellent devices in place in 26 two-vessel trawlers off the Bay of Biscay, an industrial fishing hub in the Atlantic Ocean. When activated, the devices send unpleasant signals to nearby dolphins that cause them to swim away.

But animal rights group Sea Shepherd said his measures do not go far enough, and has already decried the acoustic repellents as "useless."

This photo taken on Feb.6, 2019 and provided by the Observatoire Pelagis shows a scientist standing by a dead dolphin in Chatelaillon-les-Boucholeurs on the Atlantic coast, western France. France has been shaken into action after a record number of dead dolphins have washed up on the country's Atlantic coast this year, many clearly victims of industrial fishing. More than a 1,000 corpses, according to French marine researchersdeath toll that has alarmed animal welfare groups and prompted France's ecology minister to launch a national plan to protect them. (Jerome Spitz, Observatoire Pelagis/CNRS/Universite de la Rochelle via AP)

It claims many of the trawlers they watch in the region don't activate the repellent devices, fearing they will scare off valuable fish as well, and only turn them on if they are being checked fishing monitors.

It also said increasing the number of repellent devices is not a long-term solution, since that makes the oceans an uninhabitable drum of noise pollution for all mammals and fish.

"The government needs to take responsibility and actespecially Macron, who said he wanted to protect ecology," Lamya Essemlali, President of Sea Shepherd France, told The Associated Press.

She cited scientists who predict that the current rates of fishing will likely drive the dolphin population to extinction.

This photo taken on Feb. 10, 2019 and provided by the Observatoire Pelagis shows a dead dolphin on a shore of Rivedoux, Re island on the Atlantic coast, western France. France has been shaken into action after a record number of dead dolphins have washed up on the country's Atlantic coast this year, many clearly victims of industrial fishing. More than a 1,000 corpses, according to French marine researchersdeath toll that has alarmed animal welfare groups and prompted France's ecology minister to launch a national plan to protect them. (Helene Peltier, Observatoire Pelagis/CNRS/Universite de la Rochelle via AP)

"The spotlight has been put on the trawlers that fish for sea bass ..., which is a scandal. But they were not the only ones responsible," she said.

She suggested that aggressive hake fishing, which was given the green light three years ago after a long ban, was a major factor. The spike in dolphin deaths also began three years ago.

Her group says the ecological crisis stems from unprecedented demand for low-cost fish.

"Right now, the sea bass that is being caught by the trawlers that kill dolphins you can find on the French market for 8 euros per kilogram ($4 per pound)," she said.

Global seafood consumption has more than doubled in the past 50 years, according to European Commission, a rate that rights groups have branded unsustainable.

This photo taken on Feb. 7, 2019 and provided by the Observatoire Pelagis shows dead dolphins lined up in La Tremblade on the Atlantic coast, western France. France has been shaken into action after a record number of dead dolphins have washed up on the country's Atlantic coast this year, many clearly victims of industrial fishing. More than a 1,000 corpses, according to French marine researchersdeath toll that has alarmed animal welfare groups and prompted France's ecology minister to launch a national plan to protect them. (Olivier van Canneyt, Observatoire Pelagis/CNRS/Universite de la Rochelle via AP)

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 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
The bryozoan Amathia verticillata. Known in other parts of the world for fouling pipes and fishing gear and killing seagrasses, its discovery in the Galapagos is especially concerning for scientists. Credit: Dan Minchin/Marine Organism Investigations

Over 50 non-native species have found their way to the Galapagos Islands, almost 10 times more than scientists previously thought, reports a new study in Aquatic Invasions published Thursday, March 28.

The study, a joint effort of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Williams College, and the Charles Darwin Foundation, documents 53 species of introduced marine animals in this UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of the largest marine protected areas on Earth. Before this study came out, scientists knew about only five.

"This increase in alien species is a stunning discovery, especially since only a small fraction of the Galapagos Islands was examined in this initial study," said Greg Ruiz, a co-author and marine biologist with the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center.

"This is the greatest reported increase in the recognition of alien species for any tropical marine region in the world," said lead author James Carlton, an emeritus professor of the Maritime Studies Program of Williams College-Mystic Seaport.

The Galapagos lie in the equatorial Pacific, roughly 600 miles west of Ecuador. Made famous by Charles Darwin's visit in 1835, the islands have long been recognized for their remarkable biodiversity. But with their fame, traffic has spiked. In 1938, just over 700 people lived on the Galapagos. Today, more than 25,000 people live on the islands, and nearly a quarter-million tourists visit each year.

A cargo dock on San Cristobal Island in the Galapagos. Manmade structures like docks can make it easier for nonnative marine species to thrive, by giving them a hard surface to grow on. Credit: Inti Keith/Charles Darwin Foundation

Carlton and Ruiz began their study in 2015, with Inti Keith of the Charles Darwin Foundation. They conducted field surveys on two of the larger Galapagos Islands: Santa Cruz and Baltra, where they hung settlement plates from docks one meter underwater to see what species would grow on them. They also collected samples from mangrove roots, floating docks and other debris and scoured the literature for previous records of marine species on the islands.

The team documented 48 additional non-native species in the Galapagos. Most of them (30) were new discoveries that could have survived on the islands for decades under the radar. Another 17 were species scientists already knew lived on the Galapagos but previously thought were native. One final species, the bryozoan Watersipora subtorquata, was collected in 1987 but not identified until now.

Sea squirts, marine worms and moss animals (bryozoans) made up the majority of the non-native species. Almost all of the non-natives likely arrived inadvertently in ships from tropical seas around the world. Some of the most concerning discoveries include the bryozoan Amathia verticillataknown for fouling pipes and fishing gear and killing seagrassesand the date mussel Leiosolenus aristatus, which researchers have already seen boring into Galapagos corals.

"This discovery resets how we think about what's natural in the ocean around the Galapagos, and what the impacts may be on these high-value conservation areas," Carlton said.

Smithsonian marine biologist Greg Ruiz shows a Callyspongia sponge to a young girl in the Galapagos. Credit: Kristen Larson/Smithsonian Environmental Research Center

To reduce future invasions, the Galapagos already have one of the most stringent biosecurity programs in the world. International vessels entering the Galapagos Marine Reserve may anchor in only one of the main ports, where divers inspect the vessel. If the divers find any non-native species, the vessel is requested to leave and have its hull cleaned before returning for a second inspection.

Still, the authors say, the risks remain high. The expansion of the Panama Canal in 2015 may bring the Indo-Pacific lionfisha major predator in the Caribbeanto the Pacific coast of Central America. Once there, it could make its way to the Galapagos, where the likelihood of its success would be very high. Another possible arrival is the Indo-Pacific snowflake coral, which has already caused widespread death of native corals on the South American mainland.

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More information: James Carlton, Assessing marine bioinvasions in the Galapagos Islands: Implications for conservation biology and marine protected areas, Aquatic Invasions (2019). James Carlton, Assessing marine bioinvasions in the Galapagos Islands: Implications for conservation biology and marine protected areas,(2019). DOI: 10.3391/ai.2019.14.1.01
Detector engineers Hugh Radkins (foreground) and Betsy Weaver (background) are pictured here inside the vacuum system of the detector at LIGO Hanford Observatory, beginning the hardware upgrades necessary for Advanced LIGO's third observing run. Credit: LIGO/Caltech/MIT/Jeff Kissel

The National Science Foundation's LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) is set to resume its hunt for gravitational wavesripples in space and timeon April 1, after receiving a series of upgrades to its lasers, mirrors, and other components. LIGOwhich consists of twin detectors located in Washington and Louisiananow has a combined increase in sensitivity of about 40 percent over its last run, which means that it can survey an even larger volume of space than before for powerful, wave-making events, such as the collisions of black holes.

Joining the search will be Virgo, the European-based gravitational-wave detector, located at the European Gravitational Observatory (EGO) in Italy, which has almost doubled its sensitivity since its last run and is also starting up April 1.

"For this third observational run, we achieved significantly greater improvements to the detectors' sensitivity than we did for the last run," says Peter Fritschel, LIGO's chief detector scientist at MIT. "And with LIGO and Virgo observing together for the next year, we will surely detect many more gravitational waves from the types of sources we've seen so far. We're eager to see new events too, such as a merger of a black hole and a neutron star."

In 2015, after LIGO began observing for the first time in an upgraded program called Advanced LIGO, it soon made history by making the first direct detection of gravitational waves. The ripples traveled to Earth from a pair of colliding black holes located 1.3 billion light-years away. For this discovery, three of LIGO's key playersCaltech's Barry C. Barish, the Ronald and Maxine Linde Professor of Physics, Emeritus, and Kip S. Thorne, the Richard P. Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics, Emeritus, along with MIT's Rainer Weiss, professor of physics, emerituswere awarded the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics.

Since then, the LIGO-Virgo detector network has uncovered nine additional black hole mergers and one explosive smashup of two neutron stars. That event, dubbed GW170817, generated not just gravitational waves but light, which was observed by dozens of telescopes in space and on the ground.

"With our three detectors now operational at a significantly improved sensitivity, the global LIGO-Virgo detector network will allow more precise triangulation of the sources of gravitational waves," says Jo van den Brand of Nikhef (the Dutch National Institute for Subatomic Physics) and VU University Amsterdam, who is the spokesperson for the Virgo collaboration. "This will be an important step toward our quest for multi-messenger astronomy."

LIGO team member Alena Ananyeva is seen at LIGO Livingston Observatory installing new baffles on part of the LIGO instrument that controls stray light. These upgrades were made in preparation for Advanced LIGO's third observing run. Credit: LIGO/Caltech/MIT/Matt Heintze

Now, with the start of the next joint LIGO-Virgo run, the observatories are poised to detect an even greater number of black hole mergers and other extreme events, such as additional neutron-neutron star mergers or a yet-to-be-seen black hole-neutron star merger. One of the metrics the team uses for measuring increases in sensitivity is to calculate how far out they can detect neutron-neutron star mergers. In the next run, LIGO will be able to see those events out to an average of 550 million light-years away, or more than 190 million light-years farther out than before.

A key to achieving this sensitivity involves lasers. Each LIGO installation consists of two long arms that form an L shaped interferometer. Laser beams are shot from the corner of the "L" and bounced off mirrors before traveling back down the arms and recombining. When gravitational waves pass by, they stretch and squeeze space itself, making imperceptibly tiny changes to the distance the laser beams travel and thereby affecting how they recombine. For this next run, the laser power has been doubled to more precisely measure these distance changes, thereby increasing the detectors' sensitivity to gravitational waves.

Other upgrades were made to LIGO's mirrors at both locations, with a total of five of eight mirrors being swapped out for better-performing versions.

"We had to break the fibers holding the mirrors and very carefully take out the optics and replace them," says Calum Torrie, LIGO's mechanical-optical engineering head at Caltech. "It was an enormous engineering undertaking."

This next run also includes upgrades designed to reduce levels of quantum noise. Quantum noise occurs due to random fluctuations of photons, which can lead to uncertainty in the measurements and can mask faint gravitational-wave signals. By employing a technique called "squeezing," initially developed for gravitational-wave detectors at the Australian National University, and matured and routinely used since 2010 at the GEO600 detector, researchers can shift the uncertainty in the photons around, making their amplitudes less certain and their phases, or timing, more certain. The timing of photons is what is crucial for LIGO's ability to detect gravitational waves.

Torrie says that the LIGO team has spent months commissioning all of these new systems, making sure everything is aligned and working correctly. "One of the things that is satisfying to us engineers is knowing that all of our upgrades mean that LIGO can now see farther into space to find the most extreme events in our universe."

Explore further Scientists detect biggest known black-hole collision
Linguistics is the science of language, "the field that tries to figure out how human language works, says Professor David Pesetsky. How is it possible that simple acoustic vibrations, hand gestures, and even ink patterns can give one person access to the thoughts of someone else? This is the central question of linguistics. Credit: Allegra Boverman

For decades, MIT has been widely held to have one of the best linguistics programs in the world. But what is linguistics and what does it teach us about human language? To learn more about the ways linguists help make a better world, SHASS Communications recently spoke with David Pesetsky, the Ferrari P. Ward Professor of Modern Languages and Linguistics at MIT. A Margaret MacVicar Faculty Fellow (MIT's highest undergraduate teaching award), Pesetsky focuses his research on syntax and the implications of syntactic theory to language acquisition, semantics, phonology, and morphology (word-structure). He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a fellow of the Linguistic Society of America.

In collaboration with Pesetsky, SHASS Communications also developed a companion piece to his interview, titled "The Building Blocks of Linguistics." This brisk overview of basic information about the field includes entries such as: "Make Your Own Personal Dialect Map," "Know Your Linguistics Subfields," and "Top 10 Ways Linguists Help Make a Better World."

Q: Linguistics, the science of language, is often a challenging discipline for those outside the field to understand. Can you comment on why that might be?

A: Linguistics is the field that tries to figure out how human language worksfor example: how the languages of the world differ, how they are the same, and why; how children acquire language; how languages change over time and why; how we produce and understand language in real time; and how language is processed by the brain.

These are all very challenging questions, and the linguistic ideas and hypotheses about them are sometimes intricate and highly structured. Still, I doubt that linguistics is intrinsically more daunting than other fields explored at MITthough it is certainly just as exciting.

The problems that linguists face in communicating about our discipline mostly arise, I think, from the absence of any foundational teaching about linguistics in our elementary and middle schools. This means that the most basic facts about languageincluding the building blocks of language and how they combineremain unknown, even to most well-educated people.

While it's a challenge for scholars in other major fields to explain cutting-edge discoveries to others, they don't typically have to start by explaining first principles. A biologist or astronomer speaking to educated adults, for example, can assume they know that the heart pumps blood and that the Earth goes around the sun.

Linguistics has equivalent facts to those examples, among them: how speech sounds are produced by the vocal tract, and the hierarchical organization of words in a sentence. Our research builds on these fundamentals when phonologists study the complex ways in which languages organize their speech sounds, for example; or when semanticists and syntacticians (like me) study how the structure of a sentence constrains its meaning.

Unlike our physicist or biologist colleagues, however, we really have to start from scratch each time we discuss our work. That is a challenge that we will continue to face for a while yet, I fear. But there is one silver lining: watching the eyes of our students and colleagues grow wide with excitement when they do learn what's been going on in their own use of languagein their own linguistic headsall these years. This reliable phenomenon makes 24.900, MIT's very popular introductory linguistics undergraduate class, one of my favorite classes to teach. (24.900 is also available via MIT OpenCourseWare.)

Q: Can you describe the kinds of questions linguistic scholars explore and why they are important?

A: Linguists study the puzzles of human language from just about every possible angleits form, its meanings, sound, gesture, change over time, acquisition by children, processing by the brain, role in social interaction, and much more. Here at MIT Linguistics, our research tends to focus on the structural aspects of language, the logic by which its inner workings are organized.

Our methodologies are diverse. Many of us work closely with speakers of other languages not only to learn about the languages themselves, but also to test hypotheses about language in general. There are also active programs of laboratory research in our department, on language acquisition in children, the online processing of semantics and syntax, phonetics, and more.

My own current work focuses on a fact about language that looks like the most minor of detailsuntil you learn that more or less the same very fact shows up in language after language, all around the globe!

The fact is the strange, obligatory shrinkage in the size of a clause when its subject is extracted to another position in the sentence. In English, for example, the subordinating conjunction "that"which is normally used to introduce a sentence embedded in a larger sentence (linguists call it a "complementizer")is omitted when the subject is questioned.

For example, we say "Who are you sure will smile?" not "Who are you sure that will smile?"

Something very similar happens in languages all over the globe. We find it in Buli, for example, a language of Ghana; and in dialects of Arabic; and in the Mayan language Kaqchikel. Adding to the significance of this finding: MIT alumnus Colin Phillips Ph.D. '96 has shown that, in English at least, this language protocol is acquired by children without any statistically usable evidence for it from the speech they hear around them.

A phenomenon like this one, found all over the globe and clearly not directly learned from experience, cannot be an accidentbut must be a by-product of some deeper general property of the human language faculty, and of the human mind. I am now developing and testing a hypothesis about what this deeper property might be.

This example also points to one reason linguistics research is exciting. Language is the defining property of our species and to understand how language works is to better understand ourselves. Linguistic research sheds light on many dimensions of the human experience.

And yet, for all the great advances that my field has made, there are so many fundamental aspects of the human language capacity that we do not properly understand yet. I do not believe that genuine progress can be made on a whole host of language-related problems until we broaden and deepen our understanding of how language workswhether the problem is teaching computers to understand us, teaching children to read, or figuring out the most effective way to learn a second language.

Q: What is the historical relationship between research in linguistics and artificial intelligence (AI), and what roles might linguistics scholarship play in the next era of AI research?

A: The relation between linguistic research and language-related research on AI has been less close than one might expect. One reason might be the different goals of the scholars involved. Historically, the questions about language viewed as most urgent by linguists and AI researchers have not been the same. Consequently, language-related AI has tended to favor end-runs around the findings of linguistics concerning how human language works.

In recent years, however, the tide has been turning, and one sees more and more interaction and collaboration between the two domains of research, including here at MIT. Under the aegis of the MIT Quest for Intelligence, for example, I've been meeting regularly with a colleague from Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and a colleague from Brain and Cognitive Sciences to explore ways in which research on syntax can inform machine learning for languages that lack extensive bodies of textual materiala precondition for training existing kinds of systems.

A child acquiring language does this without the aid of the thousands of annotated sentences that machine systems require. An intriguing question, then, is, can we build machines with some of the capabilities of human children, that might not need such aids?

I am looking forward to seeing what progress we can make together.

Explore further A revolution in cross-linguistic research

This story is republished courtesy of MIT News (web.mit.edu/newsoffice/), a popular site that covers news about MIT research, innovation and teaching.
Helena's marsupial frog, Gastrotheca helenae. An adult and juveniles of the same species. Credit: Aldemar Acevedo Rincon

An international study led by The Australian National University (ANU) has found a fungal disease has caused dramatic population declines in more than 500 amphibian species, including 90 extinctions, over the past 50 years.

The disease, which eats away at the skin of amphibians, has completely wiped out some species, while causing more sporadic deaths among other species. Amphibians, which live part of their life in water and the other part on land, mainly consist of frogs, toads and salamanders.

The deadly disease, chytridiomycosis, is present in more than 60 countriesthe worst affected parts of the world are Australia, Central America and South America.

Lead researcher Dr. Ben Scheele said the team found that chytridiomycosis is responsible for the greatest loss of biodiversity due to a disease.

"The disease is caused by chytrid fungus, which likely originated in Asia where local amphibians appear to have resistance to the disease," said Dr. Scheele from the Fenner School of Environment and Society at ANU.

He said the unprecedented number of declines places chytrid fungus among the most damaging of invasive species worldwidesimilar to rats and cats in terms of the number of species each of them endangers.

"Highly virulent wildlife diseases, including chytridiomycosis, are contributing to the Earth's sixth mass extinction," Dr. Scheele said.

"The disease we studied has caused mass amphibian extinctions worldwide. We've lost some really amazing species."

Dr. Scheele said more than 40 frog species in Australia had declined due to the fungal disease during the past 30 years, including seven species that had become extinct.

"Globalisation and wildlife trade are the main causes of this global pandemic and are enabling the spread of disease to continue," he said.

Dr. Ben Scheele and Dr. Claire Foster from ANU Fenner School of Environment & Society. Credit: The Australian National University

"Humans are moving plants and animals around the world at an increasingly rapid rate, introducing pathogens into new areas."

Dr. Scheele said improved biosecurity and wildlife trade regulation were urgently needed to prevent any more extinctions around the world.

"We've got to do everything possible to stop future pandemics, by having better control over wildlife trade around the world."

Dr. Scheele said the team's work identified that many species were still at high risk of extinction over the next 10-20 years from chytridiomycosis due to ongoing declines.

"Knowing what species are at risk can help target future research to develop conservation actions to prevent extinctions."

Dr. Scheele said conservation programs in Australia had prevented the extinction of frog species and developed new reintroduction techniques to save some amphibian species.

"It's really hard to remove chytrid fungus from an ecosystemif it is in an ecosystem, it's pretty much there to stay unfortunately. This is partly because some species aren't killed by the disease," he said.

"On the one hand, it's lucky that some species are resistant to chytrid fungus; but on the other hand, it means that these species carry the fungus and act as a reservoir for it so there's a constant source of the fungus in the environment.

Co-researcher Dr. Claire Foster, who is also from the Fenner School of Environment and Society, said the ANU-led study involved close collaboration with Professor Frank Pasmans and Dr. Stefano Canessa at the University of Ghent, Belgium, alongside 38 different amphibian and wildlife disease experts from around the world.

"These collaborators enabled us to get first-hand insight into what has been happening on the ground in those countries," she said.

The study is published in Science and was supported by the Threatened Species Recovery Hub of the Australian Government's National Environmental Science Program.

Explore further Fungal infection affecting frogs' future

More information: B.C. Scheele el al., "Amphibian fungal panzootic causes catastrophic and ongoing loss of biodiversity," Science (2019). B.C. Scheele el al., "Amphibian fungal panzootic causes catastrophic and ongoing loss of biodiversity,"(2019). science.sciencemag.org/cgi/doi  1126/science.aav0379 D.A. Greenberg el al., "A deadly amphibian disease goes global," Science (2019). science.sciencemag.org/cgi/doi  1126/science.aax0002 Journal information: Science
Professor Florian Kraus and his colleague Dr. Sergei Ivlev at the powder diffractometer SPODI in the research-neutronsource Heinz Maier-Leibnitz (FRM II) at the Technical University of Munich. Credit: Markus Hoelzel / TUM

In toothpaste, Teflon, LEDs and medications, elemental fluorine shows its value, but it is highly toxic. Attempts to determine the crystal structure of solid fluorine using X-rays ended with explosions 50 years ago. A research team has now clarified the actual structure of the fluorine using neutrons from the Heinz Maier Leibnitz Research Neutron Source (FRM II).

In the first attempt to determine the atomic distances of solid fluorine in 1968, a research team in the United States used X-rays. A difficult task, because fluorine only becomes solid at about minus 220 C. And cooling down the aggressive element resulted in explosions. Nobel laureate Linus Pauling was sceptical about the results, and in 1970, proposed an alternative structural model without delivering the experimental proof. For 50 years, no other chemist ventured to take on the delicate task.

Using neutrons from the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Research Neutron Source in Garching, scientists from the University of Marburg, the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the Aalto University in Finland have now finally elucidated the structure.

Neutronsthe ideal probes

Neutrons are particularly well suited for localizing fluorine atoms with high precision. Since they can penetrate even thick-walled sample containers, neutrons provided the method of choice for Professor Florian Kraus and his team in Marburg. They used the powder diffractometer SPODI at the FRM II with TUM scientist Dr. Markus Holzel and his colleagues.

For their investigations, the researchers implemented a special measuring setup to study fluorine at very low temperatures. To this end, they deployed materials that are particularly resistant to fluorine and ensure safe handling.

"Extremely precise measurements with neutrons are important to facilitate calculations for a wide variety of applications," says Florian Kraus. "For other elements, high-precision crystal structures have been available for years. The crystal structure of oxygen, for example, has been investigated 35 times and carbon 108 times."

But fluorine is also an essential part of everyday life. Among other things, fluorides are used as additives to toothpaste. They are used in LED bulbs to turn the cold LED light into a warm white. Fluorine compounds are also added to many pharmaceuticals to increase their effectiveness.

Neutron measurements confirm the suspicions of the Nobel Prize winner

Even though the results of the measurements from the 1960s were not precise, Florian Kraus was nonetheless quite surprised by the great difference: "Using neutron measurements, we were able to resolve the atomic distance 70 percent more accurately," says the chemist. "And the crystal structure shows that Nobel laureate Linus Pauling was spot on with his doubts."

Explore further New neutron holography technique opens a window for obtaining clear 3-D atomic images

More information: Sergei I. Ivlev et al. The Crystal Structures of - and -F2 revisited. Chemistry - A European Journal, DOI: 10.1002/chem.201805298 Journal information: Chemistry  A European Journal Sergei I. Ivlev et al. The Crystal Structures of - and -F2 revisited.
A screenshot of Googles explanation of how PigeonRank supposedly worked. Credit: Google

Google's 2002 April Fools' Day joke purportedly disclosed that its popular search engine was not actually powered by artificial intelligence, but instead by biological intelligence. Google had deployed bunches of birds, dubbed pigeon clusters, to calculate the relative value of web pages because they proved to be faster and more reliable than either human editors or digital computers.

The joke hinged on the silliness of the premise  but the scenario does have more than a bit of the factual mixed in with the fanciful.

The prank had taken a page out of 20th-century behaviorist B. F. Skinner's operant conditioning playbook by allegedly teaching pigeons to peck for a food reward whenever the birds detected a relevant search result.

It also adapted Victorian polymath Francis Galton's vox populi  or the voice of the people  principle by purportedly putting the web search task to something of a vote. The more the flocks of pigeons pecked at a particular website, the higher it rose on the user's results page. This so-called PigeonRank system thus rank-ordered a user's search results in accord with the pecking order of Google's suitably schooled birds.

More than a decade later, we integrated elements of this spoof into our own serious research project using a real mini-flock of four pigeons. Our research team included a pathologist, a radiologist and two experimental psychologists.

Exploiting the well-established visual and cognitive prowess of pigeons, we taught our birds to peck either a blue or a yellow button on a computerized touchscreen in order to categorize pathology slides that depicted either benign or cancerous human breast tissue samples.

The test chamber provided pigeons with an image to classify for the reward of a food pellet. Credit: PLoS ONE 10(11): e0141357, CC BY

In each training session, we showed pigeons several slides of each type in random order on the touchscreen. Pigeons first had to peck the pathology slide multiple times  this step encouraged the birds to study them. Then the two report buttons popped up on each side of the tissue sample. If the tissue sample looked benign and the pigeons pecked the "benign" report button or if the presented tissue sample looked malignant and the pigeons pecked the "malignant" report button, then they received a food reward. However, if the pigeons chose the incorrect report button, then no food was given.

After two weeks of training, the pigeons attained accuracy levels ranging between 85 and 90 percent correct. Granted, this accomplishment falls short of their reading human text  although time will tell if that too is within the ken of pigeons  but the pigeons were quite able to make such highly accurate reports despite considerable variations in the magnification of the slide images.

We went on to test the pigeons with brand-new images to see if the birds could reliably transfer what they had learned; this is the key criterion for claiming that they'd learned a generalized concept of "benign/malignant tissue samples." Accuracy to the familiar training samples averaged around 85 percent correct, and accuracy to the novel testing samples was nearly as high, averaging around 80 percent correct. This high level of transfer indicates that rote memorization alone cannot explain the pigeon's categorization proficiency.

Finally, we put Google's PigeonRank proposal to the test. With an expanded set of breast tissue samples, we assessed the accuracy of each of four pigeons against the "wisdom of the flock," a technique we termed "flock-sourcing." To calculate these "flock" scores, we assigned each trial a score of 100 percent if three or four pigeons correctly responded, and we assigned a score of 50 percent if two pigeons correctly responded. Three or four pigeons never incorrectly responded.

Pigeons were able to generalize the skill of classifying tissue samples. Credit: PLoS ONE 10(11): e0141357, CC BY

The accuracy scores of the four individual pigeons were 73, 79, 81 and 85 percent correct. However, the accuracy score of the "flock" was 93 percent, thereby exceeding that of every individual bird. Pigeons thus join people in evidencing better wisdom from crowds. Playing on Galton's original term, you might call this vox columbae  or the voice-of-the-pigeons principle.

Although all of this may seem to be a bit of feathery fluff, over the past several years our report has resonated across several fields, going beyond pathology and radiology to include the burgeoning realm of artificial intelligence. It has been recognized in several articles including one quoting Geoff Hinton, a key figure behind modern AI: "The role of radiologists will evolve from doing perceptual things that could probably be done by a highly trained pigeon to doing far more cognitive things." In other words, machines may eventually be programmed to match what pigeons can do, leaving the more interesting and challenging tasks to humans.

What began as an elaborate April Fools' prank has thus proved to be more than a joke. Never underestimate the brains of birds. They're really brainy beasts.

Explore further Belgian pigeon flies high in record 1.25 million euros auction

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

A slightly elevated level of radioactive contamination connected to the Fukushima nuclear disaster has been detected in the northern Bering Sea. The level of cesium-137, a radioactive isotope, is extremely low and not considered a health concern, according to state epidemiologists.

The sampling, conducted by residents of St. Lawrence Island, documents the Fukushima plume's northern edge arriving in the Bering Sea for the first time, and shows levels of cesium-137 higher than they were before the 2011 nuclear power plant accident in Japan, Alaska Sea Grant agent Gay Sheffield said.

Cesium-137 is one of the byproducts of nuclear fission and is traceable in the environment. Measurable amounts of radioactive substances have been present in the ocean, including the Bering Sea, for a long time. These come from both naturally occurring and man-made sources, such as nuclear weapons tests and accidental releases from nuclear reactors.

In March 2011, a tsunami damaged Japan's Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, sending unprecedented levels of radioactive materials into the Pacific Ocean. St. Lawrence Island residents anticipated that Fukushima-related contamination would eventually reach the Bering Sea based on their knowledge of ocean currents.

"I knew that those Japanese currents would come to our waters and so that's why I volunteered to do the testing," said Eddie Ungott, a resident of Gambell.

Ungott has been collecting seawater samples for several years off the coast of Gambell. He sends them to Sheffield in Nome who then ships them to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts for analysis. During 2014, 2015 and 2017, the lab found very low levels of cesium-137, similar to those prior to the Fukushima nuclear accident. No testing was done in 2016 due to lack of funding.

The 2018 results, however, showed the presence of cesium-137 at levels slightly higher than before accident.

"It's a small uptick but it's enough to confirm it is Fukushima-related, and what the island residents have anticipated since 2011," said Sheffield.

The level of cesium-137 measured in the 2018 seawater sample was found to be 2.4 becquerels per cubic meter (Bq/m3). That's above pre-accident levels, but still thousands of times lower than what the EPA considers unsafe for drinking.

Historically, cesium-137 levels in the Pacific Ocean were below 2.0 Bq/m3. The EPA considers drinking water containing levels of cesium-137 up to 7,400 Bq/m3 to be safe for human consumption.

While the Bering Sea test results are not indicating a health concern, Ungott said he hopes more testing will be carried out.

"We need to know if our marine mammals that we hunt are catching some of this stuff or not," he said.

Explore further Scientists find new source of radioactivity from Fukushima disaster

Provided by Alaska Sea Grant
Noted Professor of Economics at MIT Abhijit Banerjee who was consulted by Congress Party on the NYAY programme had suggested a minimum income guarantee of Rs 2,500 per month, keeping in mind the fiscal discipline. The scheme would have cost the exchequer Rs 1.50 lakh crore. Congress, however, announced a more expansive Rs 6,000 crore a month with an outlay of Rs 3.60 lakh crore.

"Going with Rs 2,500 or Rs 3,000 (per month) would have been a good start. I was a bit more conscious of the fiscal constraints in saying that," says Banerjee who's in India to launch his new book "What the Economy Needs Now' which is being co-authored with 13 economists, including Raghuram Rajan and Gita Gopinath, Pranjul Bhandari, Sajjid Chenoy, among others.

The fallout would be that the Centre will have to generate additional resources to fund NYAY through higher taxes. Banerjee believes income tax rates will have to go up, wealth tax will need to be re-introduced and GST rates will have to rise. "Even without this, we're in a fiscally unsustainable state. Some major tax reform has to happen. Whichever government wins, they'll have to do. There's no fiscal space for this. You have to create tax buoyancy," says Banerjee.

India, after all, does not have the fiscal leeway to afford the NYAY programme just yet. India had already projected a subsidy outlay of Rs 3.34 lakh crore for fiscal 2019-20. With NYAY's additional Rs 3.60 lakh crore, it more than doubles to Rs 6.94 lakh crore annually, provided Congress comes to power and implements the scheme. "My view was that they should have gone slower. That it would have been easier to create the fiscal space if they went slower. I see the compulsion of going faster which is that you want to make a mark. It's an election coming up," says Banerjee.

"I do think that either way we have a fiscal challenge. A high level of deficit at the state and federal level plus hidden or off-budget borrowings of all kinds of government organisations are unsustainable whether or not this scheme was proposed," says Banerjee.

Banerjee also believes that effective and efficient implementation of NYAY could bring credibility which, in turn, could help remove at least some of the existing subsidies in future. "Once you implement this, the credibility of implementing a very large scheme to a very large population is the first step in withdrawing some subsidies. The reason we can't withdraw is because nobody believes us. You say that we will give you cash but why would I believe you? What have you done efficiently? It will be very important for whoever comes to power. And this is equally true for the BJP Rs 6,000 as well. If they actually manage to do that efficiently and is credible, the next step in reducing water, electricity and fertiliser subsidies might be feasible. Then you can start to replace those and the efficiency gains there are large. That's where there is real waste going on," says Banerjee.

Also read: Rahul Gandhi's Rs 72,000 per annum promise to the poor is doable; here's how

Also read: Priyanka Gandhi lauds Rahul Gandhi for keeping women at the heart of minimum income scheme
Credit: Morgan Loor

The perfect poolside vacation selfie. A braggy snap of the spread at your #friendsgiving dinner. That classic gag shot of the Eiffel Towerwith the top pinched between thumb and forefinger just so.

If the challenge of nailing these social media photo-ops makes your heart race a little, you're not alone, according to new research by Stern professor Alixandra Barasch that reveals that taking pictures for the purpose of sharing can detract from the enjoyment of an experience.

While other studies have focused on the emotionsoften of pride and joythat result when we see likes and comments on our Facebook or Instagram posts, a study published by Barasch and colleagues in the Journal of Consumer Research is the first to explore how the presence of the "sharing goal" can trigger anxiety at the moment the photos are taken, even if that's long before actual sharing occurs.

In a series of experiments both in the fieldincluding among tourists waiting in line to take photos of the "Rocky" statue on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Artand in lab setups that mimicked first-hand travel experiences such as city bus tours or safaris, Barasch, an assistant professor of marketing, found that participants who took photos primarily for the purpose of sharing experienced greater "self-presentational concern" than those who took photos as personal keepsakes instead. This worry about how the photos would be perceived by others dampened the participants' enjoyment of the experience both directly and indirectly, by making them feel less immersed and engaged.

"Any time you're trying to manage your impression, you're going to get in between yourself and the experience," Barasch explains.

In one experiment, the researchers assigned students who were about to celebrate Christmas one of two tasks: either to take photos for a personal album they would keep for themselves to remember and look back on the holiday, or to take photos for an album to post on Facebook or other social media.

Illustration by Morgan Loor. Credit: Steinhardt '20

The participants who took photos to share reported that they enjoyed the experience less than those who took them for a personal albumand were more likely to describe their memory of the celebration as though it were from the perspective of an outsider observing the scene.

Even more telling were differences in the content of the photos themselves: Those snapping away for social media included a higher proportion of photos of themselves, posed shots, photos of people smiling, and photos of itemslike ornaments and stockingstypically associated with Christmas.

"When you take pictures for yourself, you don't need little cues to signal that it was Christmas, because you were there," Barasch says. "But when people are taking photos to share on social media, they're actually trying to put themselves into a third-person perspectivenot the lens through which they originally saw the experience."

Barasch is currently exploring a related phenomenonthe tendency among social media users to choose between experiences based on how "share-worthy" they arethat is reflected in phrases like "doing it for the 'gram."

Not all of this is new, of course. Psychologists have known for decades that people care about impression management and may become anxious or alter their behavior when thinking about how they'll be perceived by others. And almost as long as there have been cameras, there have been tourists taking pictures to show off when they get home.

So why blame Facebook for increased anxiety about how we appear? One reason, Barasch suggests, is that whereas a vacation slideshow in the past might have been viewed by just a handful of family members and neighbors, social media posts are often broadcast to hundreds or even thousands of friends and acquaintances with varying levels of closeness.

Credit: Morgan Loor

A lab experiment from her study tested the effect of widening that network by asking participants viewing a virtual London bus tour to take photos in three scenarios: simply for themselves, to share with a GooglePlus circle of 10 close friends, or to share with a GooglePlus circle of 10 acquaintances. Those tasked with capturing images to share with acquaintances felt more self-presentational concern, and enjoyed the experience less than the other two groups. However, those documenting it for close friends felt more engaged with the experience than those sharing with acquaintances, and just as engaged as those only taking photos for themselves.

It may be the ability to broadcast so widely, Barasch's research shows, that's changing the photo-taking process. "It's making it so that we feel like we have to be curators of our identities on these platforms," she says. For people under 40including Barasch's own studentsthe pressure can feel especially acute. "When I talk to younger people about my research, it really resonates," she adds.

As a marketing researcher, Barasch is particularly interested in the way these shifting attitudes could shape business strategies for engaging with consumers on social media. Whereas many restaurants, hotels, and museums prominently display hashtags urging visitors to capture images to share, her research shows that this approach can actually backfire, by making customers nervous and less likely to have a good time.

"I really try to push companies to think about the ways that they can wait to activate the sharing goal until after the experience is over," she says, noting that people who have had fun are more likely to spread the word on their own. "Maybe on the way out is the time to remind people to post the dozens of photos that they may have taken anyway, when the sharing goal won't undermine enjoyment of the experience itself."

As for her own habits, Barasch says that her professional work on the topic hasn't diminished her personal appetite for taking photosa process that her other research suggests can boost memory of visual details. That said, she usually keeps them to herself rather than broadcasting on a public profile, relying instead on apps that periodically surface old snapshots that she then texts to particular friends as a way to reminisce or share a laugh.

"Sharing can be enjoyable," says Barasch, "but if we can separate it and also have moments to ourselves and for our own memories, we can get the best of both worlds."

More information: Alixandra Barasch et al. How the Intention to Share Can Undermine Enjoyment: Photo-Taking Goals and Evaluation of Experiences, Journal of Consumer Research (2017). Journal information: Journal of Consumer Research Alixandra Barasch et al. How the Intention to Share Can Undermine Enjoyment: Photo-Taking Goals and Evaluation of Experiences,(2017). DOI: 10.1093/jcr/ucx112
Migrating wildebeest. Credit: James Probert

The Serengeti-Mara ecosystem is one of the largest and most protected ecosystems on Earth, spanning 40,000 square kilometres and taking in the Serengeti National Park and Maasai Mara National Reserve in East Africa.

Every year a million wildebeest, half a million gazelle and 200,000 zebra make the perilous trek from the Serengeti national park in Tanzania to the Maasai Mara reserve in Kenya in their search for water and grazing land.

Now, an international team of scientists have discovered that increased human activity along the boundaries is having a detrimental impact on plants, animals, and soils.

The findings are published in the journal Science.

The study looked at 40 years of data, and revealed that some boundary areas have seen a 400 per cent increase in human population over the past decade, while larger wildlife species in key areas in Kenya have declined by more than 75 per cent.

The study reveals how population growth and an influx of livestock in the buffer zones of the parks has squeezed the area available for migration of wildebeest, zebra and gazelles, causing them to spend more time grazing less nutritious grasses than they did in the past. This has reduced the frequency of natural fires, changing the vegetation and altering grazing opportunities for other wildlife in the core areas.

The migration of wildebeest is being disrupted. Credit: Thomas Morrison

The study shows that the impacts are cascading down the food chain, favouring less palatable plants and altering the beneficial interactions between plants and microorganisms that enable the ecosystem to capture and utilize essential nutrients.

The effects could potentially make the ecosystem less resilient to future shocks such as drought or further climate change, the scientists warn.

The authors conclude that, even for reasonably well-protected areas like the Serengeti and Mara, alternative strategies may be needed that sustain the coexistence and livelihood of local people and wildlife in the landscapes surrounding protected areas. The current strategy of increasingly hard boundaries may be a major risk to both people and wildlife.

The study was led by the University of Groningen with collaborators at 11 institutions around the world, including the universities of York, Glasgow and Liverpool.

Dr. Colin Beale, from the University of York's Department of Biology, said: "Protected areas across East Africa are under pressure from a wide range of threats. Our work shows that encroachment by people should be considered just as serious a challenge as better known issues such as poaching and climate change."

Livestock path. Credit: Michiel Veldhuis

Dr. Michiel Veldhuis, lead author of the study from the University of Groningen, said: "There is an urgent need to rethink how we manage the boundaries of protected areas to be able to conserve biodiversity. The future of the world's most iconic protected area and their associated human population may depend on it."

Dr. Simon Mduma, Director of the Tanzanian Government's Wildlife Research Institute added: "These results come at the right time, as the Tanzanian government is now taking important steps to address these issues on a national level."

"This paper provides important scientific evidence of the far ranging consequences of the increased human pressures around the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem, information that is now urgently needed by policy makers and politicians."

Explore further Human and lion conflict in the Serengeti

More information: M.P. Veldhuis el al., "Cross-boundary human impacts compromise the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem," Science (2019). Journal information: Science M.P. Veldhuis el al., "Cross-boundary human impacts compromise the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem,"(2019). science.sciencemag.org/cgi/doi  1126/science.aav0564
Kazuo Hirai spent 35 years at Sony

Sony chairman Kazuo Hirai, who led a major and successful overhaul at the Japanese electronics giant, announced Thursday he would be leaving the firm after 35 years.

The company said that Hirai would retire as chairman but would continue to provide "counsel as requested by Sony's management team."

The 58-year-old had already stepped down from the key chief executive role last April after spending the previous six years pulling the firm out of deep financial trouble.

The company veteran was tapped in April 2012 to revive the once-iconic manufacturer of the Walkman, which was then suffering from huge losses largely tied to a hard-hit consumer electronics business.

Hirai led an aggressive restructuring drive at Sony, cutting thousands of jobs while selling business units and assets.

"I have decided to depart from Sony, which has been a part of my life for the past 35 years," said Hirai.

He had handed over last year as CEO to Kenichiro Yoshida, whom he praised for his "strong leadership" that was to lead to an "even brighter future for Sony".

Last month, Sony reported that its nine-month net profits had jumped 63 percent year-on-year, led by its games and music divisions.

However, it lowered its annual sales forecast, citing slower-than-expected sales in a range of fields including the key semiconductor unit.

In recent years, smartphone components and the top-selling PlayStation 4 games console have boosted its bottom line.

During his tenure, Hirai repeatedly shrugged off pleas to abandon Sony's television unit, which he insisted was central to the firm's core business.

He also tried to capture the youth market, notably with moves such as reviving the firm's robot dog "Aibo", to great fanfare.

Explore further Sony CEO Hirai to step down

 2019 AFP
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

When sea-faring nations began to explore new regions of the world, one of their biggest concerns in making the journey safely was how to cope with weather. They could harness the wind for power. They could rely on the Sun and the stars for navigation. They could build sturdy ships. But if a storm rose suddenly, they were at nature's mercy.

More than five centuries later, our nation is once again on the cusp of exploring new worlds. And once again, one of our concerns about traveling long distances is the weather. Space weather.

While space is a vacuum, it's not 100 percent empty. Particles, energy and magnetic fields travel through the void. Much of these emanate from the Sun's corona, as part of a constant outward flow known as the solar windwhich stretches well beyond the orbit of Neptune. There are also high energy particles or cosmic rays in the mix, which travel vast distances from dying stars or supernovae. Earth's magnetic field and relatively thick atmosphere act as a shield against the most harmful forms of this radiation, but in space there is no such deterrent.

If we want to travel though this space, we need ways to protect our astronauts. These particles can affect our technology, tripping onboard electronics.

Dr. Yari Collado-Vega, Space Weather Scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center notes, "We are working hard to forecast when these particles will be at their peak, such as during solar flares or coronal mass ejections."

Credit: NASA

Acute exposure to these solar energetic particles is a serious concern for astronauts and instruments. Therefore, having a better understanding of when to expect solar activity is important for safely sending our astronauts and spacecraft through space. Ironically, such space weather activity can actually protect against another threat to astronauts: The Sun's activity can block dangerous cosmic rays coming from other stars, which are constantly present  illustrating the complexity of the system NASA tries to understand and mitigate for our space travelers.

Over time, sea captains learned when to sail their ships and when to stay in harbor, based on their accumulated knowledge of the weather. It's more risky to be on the water in the Caribbean during hurricane season, and you'd want to consider avoiding the Northeast coast of America during the height of winter.

Dr. Collado-Vega says, "It's very similar to what we're doing today. We're constantly developing and testing new models to predict space weather. And we're constantly seeking new data to refine those models."

A host of heliophysics missions observe space from a variety of vantage points, not unlike terrestrial weather sensors, which work in tandem to paint a bigger picture of our space environment. In August 2018, NASA launched the Parker Solar Probe to help us better understand the Sun's activity, especially what drives the solar wind, and how energetic particles get accelerated. This data could be used to improve models of space weather forecasting  ultimately helping us find new and better ways to shield our spacecraft and protect our astronauts.

Whether it was the oceans ancient ships traveled through or the space we will one day travel through, we know this: Keeping a watchful eye on the environment around us is key to ensuring safe passage.

Explore further Space weather 'piggyback'
The EXPOSE-R2 experiment system with BIOMEX on the ISS. Credit: German Aerospace Center

Earth is a very special planet. It is the only celestial body in the solar system on which we know life exists. Could there be life on other planets or moons? Mars is always the first mentioned in this context; it has many properties in common with Earth, and in its geological past water also flowed over its surface. Today, however, conditions on Mars are so extreme that it is hard to imagine that organisms like those found on Earth could survive on that cold and arid desert planet. One of the aims of the DLR-coordinated experiment BIOMEX (BIOlogy and Mars EXperiment) on the International Space Station (ISS) was to find out if this is indeed possible. The results are now available.

One key result is that, in fact, several terrestrial biological substances and structures are very tough. They survived very challenging environmental conditions during an 18-month stress test in space. The tests involved samples of different organisms such as bacteria, algae, lichens and fungi being exposed to vacuum, intense ultraviolet radiation and extreme temperature variations on the exterior of the ISS for a total of 533 days. Astrobiologist Jean-Pierre Paul de Vera from the DLR Institute of Planetary Research in Berlin-Adlershof, the person responsible for the scientific management of BIOMEX, was impressed. "Some of the organisms and biomolecules showed tremendous resistance to radiation in outer space and actually returned to Earth as 'survivors' from space," he noted. "Among other things, we studied archaea, which are unicellular microorganisms that have existed on Earth for over three-and-a-half billion years, living in salty seawater. Our 'test subjects' are relatives of theirs that have been isolated in the Arctic permafrost. They have survived in space conditions and are also detectable with our instruments. Such single-celled organisms could be candidates for life forms that might be found on Mars."

Life on Mars does not seem impossible

With this result, the main goal of the experiment was achieved; in principle, living things that exist on Earth under extreme environmental conditions  so-called 'extremophiles'  also appear to be able to exist on Mars. "Of course, this does not mean that life actually exists on Mars," de Vera is quick to note. "But the search for life is more than ever the strongest driving force for the next generation of missions to Mars."

The existence of at least very simple life forms on Mars  either in the past four-and-a-half billion years of the planet's history or even now  is in principle conceivable for DLR astrobiologist de Vera and his colleagues. However, up until now, no evidence for life on Mars has been found. Orbiting spacecraft and mobile laboratories on the Martian surface have showed that important prerequisites for life still exist today  an atmosphere, elements such as carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulphur and phosphorus, and even water, at least in the form of ice. But the Mars researchers' detectors have not yet registered life itself or its metabolic products.

Return of BIOMEX samples with ISS Expedition 47 on 18 June 2016. Credit: German Aerospace Center

The BIOMEX results also reinforce a hypothesis that has been intensively debated among scientists for decades and is relevant to the question of how life came to Earth 3.8 billion years ago. The panspermia theory suggests that organisms existed on Mars early in its history, and were thrown from the planet by an asteroid impact in or on ejected rocks and transported into the inner solar system. There, some of the rocks collided with Earth as meteorites, where the organisms they contained continued to evolve.

Vacuum, ultraviolet radiation, heat, cold  BIOMEX as a stress test for microorganisms

For the BIOMEX experiment, on 18 August 2014, Russian cosmonauts Alexander Skvortsov and Oleg Artemyev placed several hundred samples in an experiment container on the exterior of the 'Zvezda' Russian ISS module. The containers, open to the surrounding space environment, held primitive terrestrial organisms such as mosses, lichens, fungi, bacteria, archaea ('primeval bacteria') and algae, as well as cell membranes and pigments. Some were embedded in, among other things, simulated Martian soils with an artificial Mars atmosphere. On 22 October 2014, cosmonauts Maxim Suraev and Aleksandr Samokutyayev removed the protective cover. From then on, the samples were permanently exposed to the harsh conditions of space  a vacuum with large temperature variations and intense ultraviolet radiation. "Once again, the ISS provided ideal conditions for an experiment that could only be carried out under space conditions," de Vera explained.

On 3 February 2016, the cover was put back on the container by cosmonauts Yuri Malenchenko and Sergei Volkov during a third spacewalk, and the samples were brought back into the space station. On 18 June 2016, they were returned to Earth with ESA astronaut Tim Peake on board a Soyuz spacecraft. Subsequently, the experiment was transferred from Baikonur (Kazakhstan) to the DLR site in Cologne, and BIOMEX scientists at 30 research institutions in 12 countries across three continents examined the individual samples. From 27-29 March 2019, DLR in Berlin will be presenting the BIOMEX final report with all the results at a scientific conference. To date, 42 peer-reviewed articles have been published in specialist journals. The renowned journal Astrobiology dedicated a special issue to BIOMEX in February (Vol. 19, Issue 2, 2019).

New sensors could discover the metabolic products of organisms

Simulation of the planet Mars on Earth. Credit: German Aerospace Center

The instruments on future missions to the Martian surface could measure the metabolic products or cell constituents produced by microorganisms such as archaea. This represents the achievement of another goal of the BIOMEX experiment. The Berlin-based DLR Institute of Optical Sensor Systems, in collaboration with the Institute of Planetary Research, uses detection methods that require no sample preparation to identify the above-mentioned materials. One of these methods is Raman spectroscopy. "With Raman spectroscopy, we can examine samples on the Martian surface from a rover both non-destructively and without having to make contact with them," explains Ute Bottger from the DLR Institute of Optical Sensor Systems. "Laser beams (high-energy, concentrated light) cause molecules to vibrate. Different molecules have different vibrational patterns that can be used as a distinctive fingerprint to identify molecules and crystal structures."

The results of BIOMEX are not only a step forward in the search for life on Mars. They also serve to define 'biosignatures' in space and expand the foundations of a database to serve as the basis for the search for life in the solar system. Future missions, such as the ExoMars mission planned by the European Space Agency (ESA) for 2020, will benefit significantly from these data. They will be an important aid in the identification and classification of signals observed by ExoMars 2020, or those obtained by spacecraft from other celestial bodies. For example, traces of methane have been detected in the icy fountains of Saturn's moon Enceladus. Here, as well as under the icy crusts of Jupiter's moons Europa and Ganymede, there are likely to be considerable amounts of water in which primitive, single-celled organisms may have originated.

The BIOMEX experiment

BIOMEX was one of four experiments of EXPOSE-R2 (the R stands for the Russian version of the exposure platform, the 2 for the second experiment of its kind). The others were the BOSS, PSS and IBMP experiments. BIOMEX was carried out jointly by ESA and the Russian space agency Roscosmos. "The ISS offered ideal conditions for an experiment that was to be carried out under space conditions," de Vera noted. In parallel to the BIOMEX experiment in its 400-kilometre high orbit, selected experiments were carried out, using identical experimental setups to those in space, in the Mars simulation chamber at the DLR Institute of Planetary Research and in a space simulation chamber at the DLR Institute of Aerospace Medicine in Cologne. Thus, 'control samples' were created for the experiment and its scientific evaluation.

BIOMEX  the ESA/Roscosmos 'Biology and Mars Experiment'  took place on the ISS from 2014-2016. The experiment was coordinated and directed by the DLR Institute of Planetary Research. The DLR Institutes of Aerospace Medicine and Optical Sensor Systems were also involved. In Germany, the Robert Koch Institute, the Technical University and the Museum of Natural History in Berlin, the University of Applied Sciences in Wildau, the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences in Potsdam and the Heinrich-Heine University of Dusseldorf were also involved in implementation and assessment.

Explore further Exploring Mars in low Earth orbit

Provided by German Aerospace Center
Researchers determined the structures that sometimes form where water (blue) and glass (gray) meet. These water-filled cavities can cause the glass to corrode suddenly. Credit: US Department of Energy

Browsing the Gilcrease Museum's collection of pre-Columbian American art and tools in Tulsa, OK, one keeps coming back to the obsidian knives, arrowheads (or "projectile points," to anthropologists), and even ear ornamentsglossy black, smooth, and glassy. For tens of thousands of years, indigenous peoples fashioned these items out of cooled lava, beautiful but also able to hold a keen edge for millennia. The same museum collection also features metal knives, some only a few centuries old, already pitted and rusted, and a range of ceramic items in varying stages of deterioration from surprisingly pristine to faded and cracked. Clearly, these different materialsglassy obsidian, earthy ceramic, and metallichave properties that influence how they stand the test of time.

"There are difficult issues in understanding how materials corrode over really long time spans," said Gerald Frankel, director of the Center for Performance and Design of Nuclear Waste Forms and Containers (WastePD). "These are scientific issues," he continued. "That's why we need fundamental science."

Frankel, an Ohio State University professor, focuses that scientific lens on glass, ceramics, and metals used to trap Cold War leftovers, including ~90 million gallons of radioactive liquid and sludge (like wet beach sand). Solidifying the waste as glass or ceramics keeps it from leaking into soil and groundwater. The solid form holds the waste in for thousands of years, giving the radioactive matter time to decay to safer levels.

To solidify the waste, it's prepared and mixed into the recipes for glass or ceramics. The solidified waste, a.k.a. waste form, is then set in specially designed metal canisters and stored. Defense-related waste in South Carolina is already being glassified. Another such plant is under construction in Washington State.

Although glass, ceramics, and metal forms have been around for ages, researchers don't yet know key details about how materials crumble, dissolve, or otherwise come undone. "Right now, we don't understand waste form corrosion enough to come up with a good model," said Frankel.

You can't just go off and do your thing alone. To develop the underlying science necessary to model waste form corrosion, Frankel brought together materials scientists, engineers, computer modelers, and theorists as WastePD, an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the Department of Energy's (DOE's) Office of Science.

The different perspectives give the team a broad view of scientific questions. Even better, they offer more techniques, tools, and know-how to get answers. But collaborating, especially across nine time zones, has its challenges. "We spend a lot of time interacting," said Frankel. "You can't just go off and do your thing alone."

An early win for the team was solving a particularly vexing problem involving water on glass waste forms.

Time and tide wait for no waste. Researchers assume that during the thousands of years that the waste rests in storage, rainwater or groundwater will get in.

When glass is covered in water, either a protective or an unstable layer forms. The unstable film speeds glass corrosion, causing the glass to crumble far faster than if it had a protecting film.

"To determine what drives the formation, we have to look at it in detail," said John Vienna, who leads WastePD's glass thrust area and works at DOE's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

But the reactions occur underwater. While you could see the surface easily, conventional techniques aren't designed to get accurate data on an underwater surface. "It's been a Holy Grail of chemistry," said Vienna.

The team found a way by collaborating. Each team member brought in ideas and applied them. It's like bringing together a dozen internationally renowned chefs and asking them to cook a fish, and then combining all that knowledge and techniques to do something nobody's seen before.

They started by flash freezing pristine water on glass. It's like a frozen, frosted chocolate sheet cake with glass as the cake and water as the icing. They sliced a thin piece, like cutting a tiny serving, and analyzed it. They repeated the experiment every few seconds as the water caused an unstable porous layer to form on the glass, essentially creating a sophisticated flipbook.

The troubling layer formed by the water and glass reacting scoops out tiny bits of glass from the surface and lets water get in, just as it could at a storage site. The film's structurehow many pores form, how deep, and how far apartdetermines how fast the glass crumbles.

"Our collaboration was something of a shotgun wedding at the start," said Vienna. The study of the glass corrosion in water is just one example of how bringing together different people, different instruments, and different ideas can lead a solution. "Now, we're making real progress by using techniques that were only used in one area and ways of looking at the problems."

Explore further Researchers develop sharp solution for waste glass
A dam near Gemtree, Northern Territory. Credit: Shutterstock

A federal parliamentary inquiry into stopping cane toads' relentless march across Australia has proposed creating "waterless barriers" in the semi-arid land between Western Australia's Kimberley and Pilbara regions.

Because cane toads need regular access to water to survive, the plan is to fence off man-made watering points like dams and tanks, creating the equivalent of a firebreak the toads cannot cross.

My colleagues and I have been working with the federal inquiry to create this proposal. Here are the facts.

What is a waterless barrier?

There are large areas of Australia that are naturally dry. Except after big rains, there's very little above-ground water. When people began farming sheep and cattle out in the western ranges, they created artificial water points with the help of dams, tanks and bores.

These water points are refuges for cane toads during droughts and act as stepping-stones when it rains, because the toads can move safely from point to point. This is how they are colonising large areas of Australia.

But if the toads can't reach open water they cannot live through a dry season. The proposal aims to restrict the toads' access to the water, but still let the cattle drink.

What kind of fences are we talking about?

The poisonous cane toads are considered non-native pests in Australia. Credit: Shutterstock

Many water sources are actually already inaccessible to cane toads. Steel or plastic tanks filled from pipelines or underground dams cannot be reached. Troughs give a very limited supply.

The main problem comes from turkeynest dams (these are classic dams: pools of water in the ground with a mounded earth edge). My colleagues and I did research years ago that found a simple 60cm fence is enough to keep cane toads out.

This doesn't mean fencing dams is easy: the stations where this would be most helpful are very remote and have plenty of water sources, so fencing (and maintaining) them all presents a logistical hurdle. However many stations are increasingly replacing dams with tanks, which serve the same purpose (and lose far less water to leakage and evaporation).

Another promising development is the number of farmers installing "cut-off switches" for the pumps that fill dams. This is a move away from the older system of turning on a pump and leaving it on until the generator ran out of fuel  perhaps days later. This meant considerable overflow, and created ideal conditions for cane toads. Tanks with solar panels and a cut-off switch that senses when a trough is full can save farms water, power and money, as well as stranding cane toads.

Would it affect native animals?

It's true some of these dams are now part of the landscape  they've been there for a long time. On the other hand, we're talking about areas that did not originally have much above-ground water before people showed up, and most animals native to the area don't really need the water (of course, they will drink it if it's there).

Cane toads need moisture to survive. Credit: Shutterstock

The other part of the equation is the presence of cane toads seriously threatens native wildlife. Cane toads are poisonous and kill native predators, with devastating effects to the environment.

How big does the barrier need to be, and won't the rains let the toads cross anyway?

The cattle stations in northern Australia are hugeoften 5,000ha. On this scale, just a handful of stations could make a huge difference.

Research suggests a barrier of 50km across could stop toads in their tracks.

The distance a toad can travel in a day varies highly with the environment and weather. In a hot, humid environment a toad might be able to travel roughly 20-30km during a wet season; during cold or dry weather they're stuck where they are.

Therefore even after heavy rains there won't be enough water in standing puddles or river beds to let the toads cross the waterless barrier. The puddles would dry out, leaving the toads stranded and without access to dams they would quickly die.

Herd cows drinking water from a Northern Territory dam. Credit: Shutterstock

Why should we do it?

Cane toads haven't been found in this part of Australia, but we believe they will be soon. By creating waterless barriers we can cut them off.

Excitingly, this strategy also has potential to be used in other parts of the country to push cane toads back, reclaiming invaded areas.

Most of the pests Australia has really gone to war against affect agriculture. Cane toads, on the other hand, are an environmental pest: they wreak havoc on native fauna, but have comparatively little impact on cash crops.

Eradication of environmental pests receives comparatively little resources. This proposal would be both a win against a devastating invader, and also a symbol of how much we care for our natural environment, and how important it is to protect it.

Explore further First study to demonstrate long-term control of cane toads

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Dr. Ada Nifosi Credit: University of Kent

Women's rights in ancient Egypt were better before the 4th century BC than during the Greco-Roman period that followed, according to a new book by a University of Kent expert.

Dr. Ada Nifosi, a lecturer in Ancient History in the University's School of European Culture and Languages, found that the status of women in ancient Egypt was higher and had more autonomy than generations to come, including over issues that remain contested today.

For Becoming a Woman and Mother in Greco-Roman Egypt (Routledge 2019), Dr. Nifosi carried out a detailed study of women's everyday lives.

She focused on three key phasescoming of age at puberty, menstruation and childbirthand found that the status of women and children started changing when Egypt became subject to Greek and Roman rule.

She said: 'Women enjoyed a much better social status in ancient Egypt and the cultural, moral and legal changes that came with Greco-Roman rule were not for the better. For instance, before the Greeks ruled Egypt, Egyptian women could exercise their legal rights freely and independently.

'However, after the Greeks introduced their laws into Egypt, most women living there needed a male guardian for legal acts such as marriage. Egyptian women also gradually lost control over their bodies and their offspring. For instance, the power to recognise children was entirely in the fathers' hands and mothers had little or no say in this choice. Sometimes children were even abandoned and left to die or be raised as slaves. This doesn't seem to have happened before in ancient Egypt.'

Dr. Nifosi's studies used a large number of personal objects from private houses in the Greco-Roman Egyptian village of Bakchias (Fayyum, Egypt). By combining groups of artefacts from these houses with information from papyri and ostraca (pottery sherds inscribed with writing), she could establish details about how women and girls lived their lives.

Dr. Nifosi's research touches on many issues, such as the status of unborn children, the medical role of midwives and beliefs about menstruation, which are still relevant today. She is planning to carry out further research on menstruation in order to raise more awareness about ancient and modern social stigmas.

Becoming a Woman and Mother in Greco-Roman Egypt is the first interdisciplinary study of women in Hellenistic and Roman Egypt from the 3rd century BC to the 3rd century AD.

Explore further Archaeologists discover ancient workshop in Egypt's Sinai
The Sensex and Nifty extended gains in afternoon trade powered by a record rally in banking stocks. While the Sensex closed 412 points higher at 38,545, Nifty closed 124 points higher at 11,570. HCL Tech (3.84%) , SBI (3.36%) and YES Bank (2.71%) were the top Sensex gainers.

Of 30 Sensex stocks, 23 ended in the green. Tata Steel (1.73%), ONGC (1.65%) and Bajaj Auto (1.53%) were the top Sensex losers.

On Wednesday, the Sensex fell 100 points to 38,132 level, the Nifty lost 38 points to 11,445.

Here's a look at live updates for the Indian share market today.

5:10 pm: Rupee ends at 69.34 per dollar against previous close of 68.87 per dollar.

3:30 pm: Sensex closes 412 points higher at 38,545, Nifty ends at 11,570.

3:07 pm: YES Bank share price rises 2.61% to 275. The share price has risen 8.69% during the last two sessions.

3:06 PM: State-owned Power Finance Corporation (PFC) completed the acquisition of majority stake in REC Ltd by transferring Rs 14,500 crore to the government, an official said. The transaction has helped the government meet its disinvestment target of Rs 80,000 crore for the current financial year. "The entire consideration of Rs 14,500 crore for acquiring 52.63 per cent equity of the Government in REC is paid by PFC through RTGS (real-time gross settlement) mode this morning," the official said.

2:12 pm: Bank Nifty hits all-time high of 30,426.

2:06 pm: BSE bankex too hit a record high of 34,053.

2:05 pm: SBI (3.20%), HCL Tech (3.14%), Sun Pharma (2.90%) are the top Sensex gainers.

2:00 pm: PowerGrid (1.82%), ONGC (1.78%), and Bajaj Auto (1.45%) were top Semsex losers.

1:55 pm: Of 30 Sensex stocks, 20 were trading in the green.

1:50 pm: Gruh Finance, YES Bank, Dewan Housing are the top volume gainers

1:35 pm: 33 Sectors are advancing (Top gainer: Nifty Media 2.44%) while 10 Sectors are declining (Top loser: Nifty CPSE -0.45%)

1:25 pm:Sensex up 205.11 points, Nifty up 64.60 points.

1:05 pm: HCL Tech rallied 3% as BofAML revised its rating on the stock to 'buy' from 'neutral' and hiked its target price from Rs 1,060 to Rs 1,250 with expectations of nearly 20 percent upside from current levels.

12:30 pm: Mahindra & Mahindra plunged down 1.2 per cent to intraday low fo Rs. 653.60, as the company today announced price hike of 0.5-2.7%, resulting in an increase of Rs 5,000-73,000 across its models effective April 1.

12:15 pm: Infosys grew 2.14 per cent intraday high of Rs. 744.70 today as the company announced that it will acquire 75% in Stater N.V., a subsidiary of ABN AMRO Bank.

12:03 pm:"We are expecting a rate cut from the next policy meet. If it is a 50 bps cut then we may see a quantum jump in the market and as we get closer to the polls, markets will remain in a range, we may not see any adverse effect," said RK Gupta, managing director at Taurus Asset Management. "We are waiting for cues from the next corporate earnings. If the results don't support high expectations, then we may see a correction before the polls."

11: 56 am: Bank of Baroda share price rises 4.40% to 129.60 on BSE. The government will infuse Rs 5,042 crore into the state-owned lender Bank of Baroda (BoB) ahead of merger of two other public sector lenders Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank with BoB. The merger of Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank with BoB would be effective from April 1.

11:40 am: Hemang Jani, Head - Advisory, Sharekhan by BNP Paribas expects Indian market to remain volatile for the day ahead of March series futures and options (F&O) expiry.

"2019 general election continues to be the immediate key event to watch out for. Till then one can expect the markets to be range bound. Most market participants have factored in a second term for the current government," he said, adding that overall Indian market continues to be a favoured destination for foreign funds.

11:30 am: Meanwhile, Asian shares were mostly lower, following a slip on Wall Street, as investors watched the continuing trade talks between the US and China. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 lost 1.5 percent in early trading to 21,049.94, while Australia's S&P/ASX 200 recouped earlier losses to be up 0.3 percent at 6,154.50. South Korea's Kospi fell nearly 0.7 percent to 2,131.67. Hong Kong's Hang Seng was little changed but slightly lower at 28,709.14, while the Shanghai Composite was also down less than 0.1 percent at 3,021.62.

11:17 am: HCL Tech (3%), Sun Pharma (1.60%) and YES Bank (1.83%) were the top Sensex gainers.

11: 15 am: ONGC (2.06%), Bajaj Auto (1.23%) and PowerGrid (1.15%) were the top Sensex losers.

11: 10 am: Of 30 Sensex stocks, 20 were trading in the green.

10:55 am: Maruti Suzuki appoints Kenichi Ayukawa as CEO for a 3rd straight term.

10:45 am: 38 Sectors advanced (Top gainer: BSE Realty 2.02 per cent) while 5 Sectors declined (Top loser: BSE Telecom -0.13 per cent).

10:30 am: Market has gained 0.50 per cent while volumes have increased by 7.70 per cent.

10:20 am: Jet Airways stock has fallen after 4 days of consecutive gain, charting top loser at 2.39 per cent downfall to Rs.269.

10:15 am: HCL Technologies rallied about 3 percent on Thursday morning after global investment firm BofAML revised its rating on the stock to 'buy' from 'neutral' and hiked its target price from Rs 1,060 to Rs 1,250.

10:00 am: L&T annouced the exchnages about winning signficant valued contract for Smart World and Communication (SWC) ,Buildings and Factories, and for Power Transmission and Distribution business verticals. The stock is trading 0.49 per cent up at Rs. 1374.45.

9:55 am: Vedanta Limited informed the exchanges on Wednesday that it has made an oil discovery in Krishna-Godavari Basin located in Andhra Pradesh.Vedanta Ltd. holds 100 per cent participating interest in the block.It is trading at Rs.177, up 0.83 per cent.

9:45 am: The BSE mid cap and small cap indices were trading 67 points and 87 points higher in early trade.

9:30 am: IT and consumer durables stocks led the gains with their indices rising 263 points and 117 points, respectively.

9: 25 am: On a net basis, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth a net of Rs 1481 crore on Wednesday, and domestic institutional investors (DIIs) were net buyers to the tune of Rs 134 crore, provisional data available with BSE showed.

9:20 am: HCL Technologies (2.77%), Vedanta (1.28%) and TCS (1.08%) were the top Sensex gainers.

9:16 am: Top Sensex losers were ONGC (1.53%), Tata Motors (0.65%) and IndusInd Bank (0.63%).

9:15 am: Market breadth was positive with 790 stocks trading higher compared to 296 falling on the BSE.

9:00 am: Rupee opens at 69.10 per dollar from its last close of 68.88.
On a sultry day somewhere in rural India, three individuals are hard at work. A field salesperson employed by a Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) major is on her smartphone - checking promotional offers, scanning sales tips, reviewing inventory and planning her day. The ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) worker fills her diary to enter data from her daily household visits where she meets and counsels village women. A teacher in the local Government school reconciles attendance information in her register and mobile application, as it is due for submission the same day.

Data pervades our society. In May 2017, The Economist did a much-discussed cover story on how 'data is the new oil'. Are public services like health, nutrition and education in rural India geared up to use this resource to optimise service delivery?

Let's start with health and nutrition. In our villages, these services are primarily delivered by the three Government frontline workers - ASHA, Anganwadi Worker (AWW) and Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM). They collect and store a lot of data in multiple, voluminous registers and in some cases on mobile applications - surveys of households and residents, health status, antenatal care services, rations, attendance at the Anganwadi, immunisation details, child growth over time and more.

Consider education. Teachers in Government-run schools maintain records related to demographic information, attendance, lesson plans, mid-day meals. Student marks and progress are also collected, recorded and forwarded to the relevant authorities. Again, some mobile-application solutions have begun to facilitate this process.

In both cases, one notices that data is viewed from a collection lens. Ultimate service providers (frontline health workers, teachers etc.) see data as something to be obtained simply to meet reporting requirements. It is not unusual for data collection to be prioritised over service provision. They also tell you that the data collected is used by senior officials. However, there is hardly any conversation on data usage by the frontline workers themselves at the village-level, where services are delivered. While data collected flows upwards through the system, it seldom returns to the grassroots in the form of information or market intelligence that will enable providers to better serve their constituents.

Now, consider the FMCG sector. Customer satisfaction is all-important, competition is high, and organisations need routine feedback to get a competitive advantage. Field salespersons play a key role in obtaining data and feedback from retailers and consumers. However, their role goes beyond collection. Data reported by them is analysed and returned to them as insights that enable them to better target and serve potential geographies and channels. They are routinely fed information on promotional offers, target geographies and partners, inventories, competition's moves and the like. Thus, data flow here is two-way: salespeople report data and receive insights to do their jobs better.

Field data informs decision making in business and Government services. However, there is a key difference. In business, it takes place through the system. For instance, field salespeople are usually assigned a beat plan - a route map of stores that they must visit - by their local managers. Data collected by sales people is thus helping them plan their day better. In Government, data analysis is largely at the senior levels. Supervisors from various departments could be fed in insights to explore the possibility of creating data-driven dynamic beat plans for themselves and their teams. Frontline workers could be fed insights to prioritise services on high risk beneficiaries.

"Can village-level service providers really understand and work with data? Several of them are not even well-educated!" - one often encounters such scepticism. My experience has been different. In Rajasthan, The Antara Foundation (TAF) works with ASHAs - community mobilisers in each village (serving 1000 people) responsible for mobilising the community to the Government health system. ASHAs are expected to visit ten houses each day to counsel beneficiaries and families on health needs and events - they typically visit houses in a serial order: 1-10 on first day of a month, 11-20 on the second day and so on. In this system, it is quite likely that someone in say, house 136, wouldn't be visited for two weeks even if they needed it more than someone in say, house 27. We worked with ASHAs to create an algorithm representing a hierarchy of services in order of criticality using data from their diaries - for instance, houses of new born children (first six weeks), malnourished children, pregnant women at high risk would be visited on priority and more frequently. This algorithm feeds into a monthly household visit scheduler for the ASHA. While ASHAs initially required handholding for a few months to grasp the new system, many are now adept at preparing and working by micro-plans they create using the data they collect.

Success of Government programs and schemes is contingent on frontline service providers at the village level. Across departments, India has an enlightened structure with service providers in practically every village. Training apparatus also exists. It is time for the Government to take a leaf out of the FMCG sector's book and upskill frontline workers to use data. Let data collected from the field go back to the field as insight. Go back to the three women mentioned in the first paragraph - why should the ASHA and teacher be mere data collectors when they can be users like their FMCG field salesperson friend?

(The writer is the CEO, Antara Foundation. He has worked in management consulting with Arthur D Little and KPMG)
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
Boeing rolls out software fix to defend 737 MAX aircraft after crashes

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India tests anti-satellite missile: Rahul Gandhi mocks PM Modi by wishing him 'Happy World Theatre Day'



Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India successfully tested an Anti-Satellite (ASAT) Missile, Congress President Rahul Gandhi criticised Modi for taking the credit of the achievement of space scientists.The Congress chief congratulated DRDO and wished PM Modi a "Happy World Theatre Day". His statement came after the Prime Minister, in his address to the nation, said that India had successfully shot down a low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellite 300 kilometres from the planet. After successfully completing the operation, India has become an elite space power.



US cautions nations on ASAT tests; warns of space debris



Acting U.S. Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan warned any nations contemplating anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons tests like the one India carried out on Wednesday risk making a "mess" in space because of debris fields they can leave behind. Speaking to reporters in Florida during a visit to the U.S. military's Southern Command, Shanahan said the United States was still studying the outcome of a missile India said it launched as one of its own satellites.



India tests ASAT: China calls for peace, Pakistan urges international community to condemn



Hours after India successfully tested an Anti-Satellite (ASAT) Missile against a live satellite in low-Earth orbit, its neighbours Pakistan and China reacted to India's successful space mission. In a written statement to a question on India successfully test-firing an anti-satellite missile, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said: "We have noticed reports and hope that each country will uphold peace and tranquillity in outer space". Meanwhile, India's arch-rival Pakistan has reportedly said space is the "common heritage of mankind and every nation has the responsibility to avoid actions which can lead to the militarisation of this arena"



NYAY scheme will be rolled out in phases; India has capacity to implement it, says Chidambaram



Two days after Congress chief Rahul Gandhi announced the ambitious NYAY scheme, which will be a part of the party's Lok Sabha election manifesto, senior leader P Chidambaram took on doubters and naysayers at his press conference today. According to the former finance minister, the minimum income support scheme - which will give 20% families in poorest of the poor category Rs 72,000 each annually, benefiting around 25 crore people - will be "rolled out in phases".



Nirav Modi case: Delhi Court summons 11 top PNB officials on RBI's complaint



A Delhi court has summoned as accused 11 top officials of the Punjab National Bank (PNB), including former and current executive officials and the current managing director, for alleged violation of banking regulations and criminal conspiracy. In its complaint, the RBI has alleged non-compliance of its 2016 order directing commercial banks, including the PNB, to integrate their core banking system with various critical applications to reduce online fraud.



Boeing rolls out software fix to defend 737 MAX aircraft after deadly crashes



Boeing Co on Wednesday took its most aggressive moves yet to defend its core 737 airliner franchise, saying it had developed software fixes to prevent failures of an automated flight control system that is being scrutinized after two deadly crashes in the past five months.



Radio is the preferred advertising media for political parties for the 2019 General Elections



Radio has emerged as the most preferred medium for political parties for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. According to a report by Tam Axis, a division of Tam Media Research, ad insertion on the radio by political parties has increased by 14 per cent this election year, while ad insertion in print has decreased by 9 per cent and by 83 per cent on TV. In the 2014 elections, print and TV had a clear advantage over the radio










Japanese automakers Honda and Hino are joining a partnership between SoftBank and Toyota for mobility service innovation such as self-driving cars.

Japanese technology company SoftBank Corp. and Toyota Motor Corp., the nation's top automaker, announced late last year a joint venture for mobility services, in what they called a "united Japan" effort to face global competition.

Honda Motor Co., Toyota's rival, and Hino Motors, Toyota's truck division, said Thursday each company will acquire a 9.9 per cent stake in the USD 20 million Toyota-SoftBank venture Monet Technologies Corp.

Each company invests USD 2.3 million, according to the companies.

Toyota and SoftBank also announced Thursday a Monet Consortium, which includes partnerships with 88 other companies, including Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan and East Japan Railway Co., to enhance mobility services.

Philips Japan, a health technology company, developer Mitsubishi Estate and Yahoo Japan Corp. have also agreed to join the consortium.

Technology experts say advances in artificial intelligence and sensors are opening up potential for autonomous driving and other mobility services, although safety concerns remain a major hurdle.

Honda President Takahiro Hachigo said collaborating with Monet will include efforts to realize regulatory changes.

"Honda wants to contribute to the revitalization of the mobility service industry in Japan and solve traffic-related problems facing Japanese society," he said.

Yoshio Shimo, Hino president, said the move was part of the truckmaker's ongoing efforts to transport goods and people.

"Through this partnership, we will strive to achieve our vision of creating a world where people and goods move freely, safely and efficiently," said Shimo.

SoftBank owns 40.2 percent in Monet Technologies; Toyota owns 39.8 percent.

In announcing the partnership in October, Toyota President Akio Toyoda said the move reflected the company's desire to change and keep up with global competition in autonomous vehicles and other technology.

Toyota is widely seen as a traditional Japan Inc. company, while SoftBank, led by Masayoshi Son, has a reputation for aggressively investing in less traditional brands, such as car-sharing companies Uber, Didi and Grab, as well as Arm, a leader in the internet of things, or IoT.
Multinational auto company, Tata Motors, has become the first Indian automaker to cross the 1 million annual sales mark, surpassing Chinese giants SAIC and Changan.

The automation giant sold a total of 1.049 million units in 2018 against 0.986 million units sold in the year 2017, as per a report in The Times of India. Light vehicle sales include cars, utility vehicles, vans and small pickup trucks of up to 3.5 tonnes.

According to JATO Dynamics, which is a global supplier of automotive business intelligence, covering 54 key markets which makes up for 90% of light vehicle sales, Tata Motors is the 3rd fastest-growing brand among the top 20 automobile companies of the world.

"It was the 16th largest car maker last year, getting close to Subaru and outselling some Chinese brands, but is not enough to become a key player in the industry. JLR has done a very good job by enlarging its line-up, launching modern cars, new tech, and gaining a decent part of the premium market (5.5% market share). But the Tata brand needs to address more markets", the daily quoted Felipe Munoz, JATO's global analyst, as saying.

He further said that, "There are still dark spots in this story. Growth was driven by the Tata brand, which sold 99% of its cars in India. JLR (-2%) struggled as they compete in the profitable but highly competitive premium segment".

(Edited by: Nehal Solanki)

Also read: The Indian user base has grown nearly 20% last year: Sarabjeet Singh of SwiftKey

Also read: Maruti Suzuki board re-appoints Kenichi Ayukawa as MD and CEO for 3 years
Foreign Secretary praised Russia for de-escalating Pak-India crisis

Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua and Russian envoy Alexey Dedov, on Wednesday, presented a united front for cordial ties between their countries.



They expressed this optimism while speaking at an international conference, titled, Pakistan  Russia Strategic Relations: Prospects for Cooperation, held under the auspices of an Islamabad-based think tank, Strategic Vision Institute (SVI). The convention was also addressed by a number of local and Russian speakers.



SVI took this initiative to explore the prospects of expansion in Pak-Russia ties in view of the changing regional and international geopolitical environment; warming economic bilateral ties and their growing military cooperation.



Foreign Secretary Janjua hailed Pakistan and Russia for enjoying an emerging partnership with tremendous scope.



She noted that the growth in ties was underpinned by progressive institutional relations, summit-level exchanges, military-to-military linkages and their strategic cooperation for peace in Afghanistan.



She praised Russia for the role played in de-escalation of the recent Pak-India crisis as it offered to mediate between the two neighbours.



Janjua believed a change in the configuration of Pak-Russia relations had ensued from Moscows nuanced policy towards South Asia. Russias policy for peace and stability in the region was said to be quite balanced.



Ambassador Dedov joined her in mentioning the upcoming high-level bilateral engagement in Kyrgyzstan in June, to be held on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit. Dedov noted that Pakistans membership to SCO had advanced the potential of cooperation between the two countries.



Mentioning the institutional processes between the two countries, he said the high-level political dialogue was leading to deeper ties. Meanwhile, the economic cooperation was said to be driven by the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation. A meeting of the commission had been planned for the last quarter of this year, he maintained.



The envoy said that energy formed the core of Pak-Russias economic collaboration while giving an overview of the developments related to the North-South gas pipeline. He said that Russia had completed its internal procedures in the wake of the inter-governmental agreement signed in 2015 and was now waiting for Pakistani partners to complete similar measures on their side. We are now at the stage of agreement from the implementing agency, he added.
Imran Khan chaired security meeting

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday chaired a high-level meeting at the Prime Ministers Office to discuss matters of security, a statement issued by the PM Office said.



According to the statement, Finance Minister Asad Umar, Minister for Education Shafqat Mehmood, Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Khan Afridi, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, the DG Inter Services Intelligence, Secretary Foreign Affairs, Secretary Interior, the DG Inter Services Public Relations and senior officials were in attendance.



Security matters were discussed during the meeting, the statement said without further elaboration.



However, sources within the PM Office said that a discussion on matters of internal security was the focus of the meeting, with progress on the implementation of the Finance Action Task Force (FATF) action plan, the National Action Plan, and the ongoing crackdown on banned organisations also coming into discussion.



During the last such meeting chaired by the premier, held two weeks ago, money laundering had been the point of focus. The government had decided to make significant amendments in money laundering and foreign exchange laws and enhance the maximum imprisonment to 10 years and the fine to Rs5 million for convicts.



The country has taken several steps since the February 18-22 meetings with FATF functionaries to comply with latest instructions to meet various deadlines in order to avoid being included in a money laundering and counter terrorism financing blacklist.



It has declared as high risk all the eight entities and related elements specifically named by FATF as threats to the global financial system. Achieving 27 targets under a 10-point action plan has now become a top priority for the government. As the FATF meetings were still in progress in February, the government had announced a ban on Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) and Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation (FiF) and declared them as high risk. Under the high risk category, the government is required to start monitoring and re-examining the groups activities and profiles under heightened security checks at all layers of legal, administrative, investigative and financial regimes.
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China is a highly ambitious nation. Beijing unabashedly harbors dreams of world domination, first in the technology arena before eventually become a leading military power. The poster child of President Xi Jinpings grandest ambitions, Made in China 2025 and the trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), aka the Silk Road project, have faced a considerable political and geopolitical backlash in the past chiefly due to Beijings maverick and highly controversial style of doing business. It, therefore, comes as little surprise that Italy is now having to contend with an angry EU after the nation became the latest to join 1BRI network.

On Saturday, Italy became the first G7 nation to cozy up to China and its hyperscale infrastructural project after signing a 7 billion ($7.9 billion) deal that will see Beijing invest in the strategic Italian ports of Trieste and Genoa.

The two nations also signed a memorandum of understanding that will see an additional 10 deals worth up to 20 billion ($22.6 billion) consummated between Chinese and Italian firms in the steel, energy and gas pipeline sectors.

The European Union, however, is far from happy with the turn of events and wants the body to have the final say in such matters.

(Click to enlarge)

EU Veto right

EU budget commissioner, Gunther Oettinger, has proposed giving the EU veto powers to scuttle any Chinese-funded infrastructure deals in Europe if the organization deems they do not serve its common interests.

Specifically, Oettinger is alarmed that the control of critical infrastructure of strategic importance including power networks and rapid rail lines and harbors could eventually end up in the hands of the Chinese.

But an even more interesting take came from German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas:

"Countries that believe they can do clever business with the Chinese will wonder when they suddenly wake up in dependency.

Although the spotlight is on Italy, its interesting to note that its by no means the first European nation to do business with China with Greece, Portugal, Poland and Hungary all having signed bilateral deals with the Asian nation.

Related: Gates And Bezos Back Artificial Intelligence Exploration Startup

Whether those deals qualify as clever business as Maas puts it is for readers to judge.



Nevertheless, Maass clever business remark really hits the nail on the head. China does receive a lot of flak for mega projects like BRI, both at home and abroad. Some of it is simply as a result of countries becoming wary of the rapid rise of the economic superpower.

A lot of it is well deserved though.

China has been using BRI to establish soft power through methods that would qualify as bribery and helps promote corruption and financial impropriety. Unlike most Western lenders who place stringent conditions on lending partners related to human rights, corruption, or financial sustainability, China is far more libertarian and not keen on wielding the usual Rules of the Road.

This easy-going no-strings approach to investments has not only been fueling corruption but also saddling poor nations with massive debts.

Italy is one of Europes most indebted nations with its debt-to-GDP ratio of 124 percent being only second to Greeces. Although the country narrowly avoided EU sanctions for its 2019 budget, its massive public debt pile of 2.3tn (2tn) remains a major overhang and a big risk factor not only for the country but the region, too.

Last year, an independent report by US-based nonprofit think tank, Center for Global Development, revealed that no less than 8 of 68 BRI beneficiaries were at high risk of defaulting on their loans from China. Beijing has lately become much less tolerant with deadbeat debtors and is no longer keen on being seen as a lender or last resort as Venezuela, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan and Latin American have learned in recent years.

A recalcitrant Italy firmly resisted entreaties and warnings by the EU and American allies before putting pen on paper. While the move by the populist government crystallized shifting geopolitical balances, the country should carefully weigh its options so that lucrative offers in the short term dont leave a bitter aftertaste.

As for China, its soft power strategy appears to be backfiring. Citizens of some BRI countries, including China itself, are accusing their governments of wasteful spending and pointing the finger at Beijing.

One such country is Malaysia where Mahathir Mohamad openly campaigned against BRI and Chinese influence to defeat the incumbent Prime Minister, Najib Razak. Far from establishing Chinese soft power, BRI could end up achieving the exact opposite.

By Alex Kimani for Safehaven.com

More Top Reads From Safehaven.com:
" " marcward_stocktrekimages_gettyimages Marc Ward/Stocktrek Images/Getty Images

Almost 56 million years ago, a mysterious release of carbon into our atmosphere caused temperatures on Earth to rise between 5 and 9 degrees Centigrade over the course of a few thousand years. This super-accelerated warming event, called the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), is generally considered the fastest global heat-up in the geological record  with the exception, of course, of the one we're cooking up right now.

Humans are currently unleashing 10 times the amount of carbon that caused the PETM to melt all the Earth's ice, driving some organisms to the poles and others to extinction, just 10 million years after the dinosaurs bought the farm. But if we want to put our current climate-changing predicament into historical perspective, the PETM is the most relevant example we've got to compare our situation to. As a result, scientists are interested in what caused this warming event. A paper published today in the journal Science contributes evidence to the building case that the origins of the PETM might have been extraterrestrial. After all, it was a meteor that triggered the climate disruption that killed off the dinosaurs.

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" " Researchers have found apparent remnants of an extraterrestrial impact some 55 million years ago, in cores from three locations in southern New Jersey, and in a deep-seabed core off Bermuda. Schaller et al., Science, 2016

The most commonly accepted current theory about the genesis of the PETM involves a sudden increase in volcanism spewing out tons of carbon over thousands of years. But the researchers say they've discovered some unusual geology in New Jersey that could provide evidence the sudden warming was precipitated by a comet colliding with the Earth.

"This could be ground zero," says coauthor Dennis Kent, a researcher at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and Rutgers University, in a press release. "It got warm in a hurry. This suggests where it came from."

In suburban New Jersey, in a layer of clay deposited around the beginning of the PETM, the researchers found microtektites  glassy beads that form from terrestrial material when an extraterrestrial object hits the Earth. Similar tektites were found in deep-sea beds near Bermuda. Depending on the size of the object, these little glass droplets can spray out many thousands of miles in every direction from the impact point. The researchers hypothesize that a comet hit our planet at the beginning of the PETM, bringing with it its own supply of carbon  and vaporizing carbon-containing sediment here on Earth upon impact.

Although these two carbon sources alone wouldn't have accounted for the dramatic warming event that followed, once a bunch of greenhouse gas is released into the atmosphere, as we modern earthlings have been observing in real time lately, it destabilizes and releases other greenhouse gases like methane locked up in permafrost or under the seafloor.

"It's an event with a lot of consequences that would have unfolded in various aspects over seconds, minutes, hours, months and years," says Kent.

The research team has not yet found the comet's crater  the microtektites are not densely distributed in the clay layer, which means the comet could have been fairly small, or might have struck far from modern New Jersey. In addition, these findings don't explain much about how the carbon was released during the PETM or how long it took, but the research team hopes the find will prove helpful in ultimately solving the PETM puzzle.

And solving that puzzle may shed light on our current situation. The only other time we've seen a warming climate spike like the PETM? Right now, friends. And if you look around, there's been neither massive volcanic activity nor catastrophic comet strike  just you and me and everyone we know operating cars, building factories, mining the Earth and flying in planes.

Now That's Interesting The PETM was a golden age for mammals. Many modern mammal groups showed up during this time, including our primate ancestors.
" " Karen Uhlenbeck was the first woman to win the Abel Prize, the "Nobel Prize" of mathematics. Andrea Kane/Institute for Advanced Study

In 2019, Karen Uhlenbeck became the first female recipient of the Abel Prize, the highest prize in mathematics (there is no Nobel category for math). The award was in recognition of Uhlenbeck's pioneering work in geometric partial differential equations and gauge theory, known as the mathematical language of theoretical physics.

Uhlenbeck's groundbreaking insights have applications in particle physics, string theory and general relativity. But she's not the only famous female mathematician out there. Let's meet some others, in order of chronology.

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1. Emmy Noether (1882-1935): Her Theorem Changed the Scientific World

Mathematician and cosmologist Ruth Gregory once said, "It is hard to overstate the importance of Noether's work in modern physics." Indeed, while it's tough for us laypeople to wrap our heads around it, "Noether's theorem" is one of the great scientific insights of the past century and laid the groundwork for abstract algebra and theoretical physics.

Born in Germany in the late 19th century to a mathematician father, Emmy Noether wasn't allowed to officially enroll in university, which was male-only. So she audited classes, passed all her exams and earned her undergraduate degree. She later earned a Ph.D. at another university that finally accepted women but wasn't allowed to hold a teaching position.

In 1915, a year after Albert Einstein published his general theory of relativity, the young Noether, then an unpaid lecturer at the University of Gottingen was summoned by a group of the world's leading mathematicians to help solve a problem with Einstein's revolutionary take on gravity. Unfazed, she proved why general relativity doesn't go against the established law of conservation of energy.

Three years later, she published her own groundbreaking theorem establishing the mathematical relationship between laws of conservation and something called symmetry. Noether's theorem  which isn't a theory, but a mathematical proof  proved that every law of conservation (energy, momentum, angular momentum, etc.) was bound to an associated symmetry in nature. Before this, scientists had not realized these were related.

With Noether's mathematical tool, physicists developed the Standard Model, which describes the interactions of weak, strong and electromagnetic forces. And Noether's theorem is now helping to explain the behavior of black holes and the existence of dark matter.

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2. Katherine Johnson (1918- ): NASA's 'Human Computer'

Immortalized by actress Taraji P. Henson in the 2016 movie "Hidden Figures," Katherine Johnson was a trailblazer in more ways than one. As a black woman growing up in segregated West Virginia, she broke through entrenched racial barriers in both education and employment to become a key figure in the success of America's early space program, including John Glenn's 1962 orbital mission.

Recognized for her mathematical brilliance at an early age, Johnson sped through school and graduated early at the historically black West Virginia State College. After teaching at black public schools for a few years, she was asked to be one of three students to integrate the graduate programs at West Virginia University in 1939. She accepted the challenge, but ended up leaving the program when she and her husband decided to start a family.

Johnson stayed home, like most women of her generation, to raise her three young daughters for the next decade, eventually returning to teaching in local schools. But her life changed forever when a relative told her about an all-black computing department at what was known in 1952 as the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). Johnson and her family moved to Virginia to be close to the Langley research facility, where she quickly impressed her bosses with her fast and accurate calculations.

" " NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson (C) and Ezra Edelman (R) and Caroline Waterlow (L), winners of Best Documentary Feature for "O.J.: Made in America" pose in the press room during the 2017 Academy Awards in Hollywood, California. The movie "Hidden Figures," partly based on Johnson's life, was being honored at the ceremony. Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Johnson, known as one of NASA's "human computers," ran key computations for calculating trajectory analysis and the orbital paths of near-earth satellites. Her shining moment came during last-minute preparations for Glenn's Friendship 7 mission, the first to send an American astronaut into orbit. Anxious about leaving his fate in the hands of primitive computers, Glenn ordered his flight engineers to "get the girl" to run the calculations by hand. "If she says they're good," Johnson remembers Glenn saying, "then I'm ready to go."

In 2015, Barack Obama awarded 97-year-old Johnson the Presidential Medal of Freedom and NASA celebrated her 100th birthday in 2018.

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3. Cathleen Morawetz (1923-2017): Ingenious Problem-Solver

Some brilliant mathematicians prefer to dive deep into abstract ideas and theoretical principles, but not Cathleen Morawetz, a Canadian mathematician who applied her skills to solving some of the most complex real-world problems in physics.

Like Noether, Morawetz's father was an accomplished mathematician and physicist. And in a striking parallel, Morawetz was mentored as a doctoral student at New York University (NYU) by Richard Courant, one of Noether's mentors back in Gottingen. After earning her Ph.D., Morawetz spent the rest of her research and teaching career at NYU, where she eventually became the first female director of the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences.

Morawetz is best-known for her mathematical techniques related to wave propagation known as the "Morawetz inequality" and the "Morawetz estimate." In 1956, she was the first to prove that no aircraft airfoil design could completely eliminate shock waves at supersonic speed. This allowed engineers to design wings that would minimize the shocks rather than attempting to eliminate them. She would go on to conduct mathematical research in nonlinear wave scattering by obstacles. Her work is central to the fields of hyberbolic and mixed-type partial differential equations, advanced math used by engineers to model real-world interactions with different types of waveforms.

Morawetz was not only a certified genius, but also a dedicated mentor for female mathematicians at NYU. Among her many awards and recognitions was the National Medal of Science in 1998, the first female mathematician to receive it.

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4. Karen Uhlenbeck (1942- ): First Woman to Win the 'Nobel' of Math

As a child, Karen Uhlenbeck loved reading, which led her to become interested in science. She studied at NYU's Courant Institute and got her Ph.D. from Brandeis in 1968. When she went job-hunting, she remembers, "The places interested in my husband  MIT, Stanford, and Princeton  were not interested in hiring me." Though the universities phrased it as due to "nepotism rules," she believed it was because she was a woman.

She eventually received a MacArthur Prize Fellowship in 1983 and was appointed a professor at the University of Texas at Austin in 1987, where she remained for three decades. Her research focused on geometric partial differential equations and gauge theory and helped to advance string theory and particle physics. Her work at the intersection of math and physics caused her to receive the Abel Prize for mathematics in 2019, the first time it had gone to a woman.

In addition to being lauded as one of the most important mathematicians of the 20th century, Uhlenbeck is a passionate advocate for increasing the number of women in mathematics, launching several programs to encourage women, as well as children, to become more involved in math.

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5. Maryam Mirzakhani (1977-2017): Math Star Extinguished Too Soon

In 2014, at 37 years old, Maryam Mirzakhani became the first woman and the first Iranian to win the Fields Medal, a top mathematics prize awarded every four years to outstanding scholars under 40. Tragically, Mirzakhani passed away in 2017 after a long battle with breast cancer.

Born and raised in Tehran during the Iran-Iraq war, Mirzakhani graduated from Sharif University and earned her Ph.D. at Harvard, where she studied the geometry of hyperbolic surfaces like theoretical donut-shaped objects and other equally inscrutable topics.

When asked to describe her research in "accessible terms," Mirzakhani told The Guardian, "Most problems I work on are related to geometric structures on surfaces and their deformations. In particular, I am interested in understanding hyperbolic surfaces. Sometimes properties of a fixed hyperbolic surface can be better understood by studying the moduli space that parameterises all hyperbolic structures on a given topological surface."

Got all that?

Known for her patient and methodical approach to solving complex theoretical problems, Mirzakhani was blazing exciting new trails when her journey was cut short. Hopefully her barrier-busting win of the Fields Medal inspires the next generation of young female mathematicians.

"I don't think that everyone should become a mathematician, but I do believe that many students don't give mathematics a real chance," Mirzakhani said in the same interview. "I did poorly in math for a couple of years in middle school; I was just not interested in thinking about it. I can see that without being excited mathematics can look pointless and cold. The beauty of mathematics only shows itself to more patient followers."

Learn more about women in mathematics in "Power in Numbers: The Rebel Women of Mathematics" by Talithia Williams. HowStuffWorks picks related titles based on books we think you'll like. Should you choose to buy one, we'll receive a portion of the sale.

Now That's Interesting The first female mathematician may have been Hypatia, who died around 415 C.E. She worked with her father on translating and creating commentaries of classical math concepts as well as producing her own on geometry and number theory. A pagan, Hypatia was popular with most Christians and pagans, who attended the classes she taught at her home. But she was murdered by an angry mob of Christians who were incensed at her lectures on Neoplatonism.

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Originally Published: Mar 28, 2019
Pakistan shared Pulwama dossier with Indian govt

The government on Wednesday shared with the Indian government its initial findings on the dossier handed over by Delhi on the Pulwama incident, a statement issued by the Foreign Office said.



According to the statement: The Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad was called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by the Foreign Secretary and the findings on the Pulwama incident were shared with him.



The prime minister had earlier offered cooperation in an investigation into the incident if Delhi shared any actionable evidence concerning the suicide bombing in occupied Kashmirs Pulwama area, which had targeted Indian paramilitary soldiers.



In response to the premiers offer, India had handed over documents to Pakistan on February 27 amidst soaring tensions.



Pakistan has acted with a high sense of responsibility and extended full cooperation. We do so in the interest of regional peace and security, the Foreign Office said in its statement. We have sought further information/evidence from India to take the process forward, it added.
North Korea-linked Lazarus group made the headlines again, it has been leveraging PowerShell to target both Windows and macOS machines.

The North Korea-linked Lazarus APT group made has been leveraging PowerShell to target both Windows and macOS machines in a new wave of attacks.

The discovery was made by experts at Kaspersky Lab, the campaign has been ongoing since at least November 2018, Kaspersky Lab reports.

The activity of the Lazarus Group surged in 2014 and 2015, its members used mostly custom-tailored malware in their attacks and experts that investigated on the crew consider it highly sophisticated.

This threat actor has been active since at least 2009, possibly as early as 2007, and it was involved in both cyber espionage campaigns and sabotage activities aimed to destroy data and disrupt systems.

The group is considered responsible for the massive WannaCry ransomware attack, a string of SWIFTattacks in 2016, and the Sony Pictures hack.

In 2018, the Lazarus APT group targeted several cryptocurrency exchanges, including the campaign tracked as Operation AppleJeus discovered in August 2018. At the time, North Korea-linked Lazarus APT group leveraged for the first time on a MacOS variant of the Fallchill malware.

Experts at Kaspersky believe the threat actors continued to work on MacOS malware to expand their operations.

The APT group leveraged custom PowerShell scripts to control Mac malware.

They have developed custom PowerShell scripts that communicate with malicious C2 servers and execute commands from the operator. The C2 server script names are disguised as WordPress (popular blog engine) files as well as those of other popular open source projects. reads the analysis published by Kaspersky Lab. After establishing the malware control session with the server, the functionality provided by the malware includes set sleep time (delay between C2 interactions), exit malware, collect basic host information, check malware status, show current, malware configuration, update malware configuration, execute system shell command, and download & upload files

Lazarus hackers leveraged both compromised and purchased servers to arrange their campaign, experts discovered servers from China and the European Union that were hosting the macOS and Windows payloads. Threat actors seem to use rented servers to host malware, while they hosted the C&C scripts on compromised servers.

The malware was distributed through documents that were crafted to attract the attention of cryptocurrency professionals, the APT group appears to be focused on organizations in South Korea.

According to Kaspersky Lab, the development team behind the macOS malware is the same that created other malicious codes used in other campaigns associated with Lazarus.

Wed therefore like to ask Windows and macOS users to be more cautious and not fall victim to Lazarus. If youre part of the booming cryptocurrency or technological startup industry, exercise extra caution when dealing with new third parties or installing software on your systems. Kaspersky says.

Its best to check new software with an antivirus or at least use popular free virus-scanning services,

Further technical details, including Indicators of Compromise, are reported in the analysis published by Kaspersky Lab.

Pierluigi Paganini

( SecurityAffairs  Lazarus, cryptocurrency)

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 Noticing a shrinking (but still functioning) death penalty in Georgia | Main | Prison Policy Initiative reports on "States of Incarceration: The Global Context 2018" and "States of Womens Incarceration: The Global Context 2018" 

June 5, 2018

Is all the recent Trump clemency action creating (unhealthy?) excitement among federal prisoners?

The question in the title of this post is prompted by this lengthy Washington Examiner article headlined "Alan Dershowitz says anyone can get clemency from Trump, as buzz builds behind bars." Here are excerpts:

President Trump issued his first prison commutation after lunch with Alan Dershowitz. The men talked about Mideast politics before Trump "asked me what else was on my mind, and I told him. I took advantage of the moment, the longtime Harvard law professor recalled. Dershowitz told the president about Sholom Rubashkin, a kosher meatpacking executive who was seven years into a 27-year prison sentence for financial crimes. Not long after, Rubashkin in December became the first  and so far only  person Trump released from prison. "You have to appeal to his sense of injustice," said Dershowitz, who often says on TV that Trump is treated unfairly in special counsel Robert Muellers Russia probe. "He feels he is now being subject to injustice, and so he's very sensitive to injustices." Trump's approach to clemency, exhibited with a flurry of recent statements and official actions, is markedly different from his recent predecessors, generating enormous excitement among inmates. Dershowitz believes just about anyone has a shot at bending Trump's ear, even though most successful cases have been pushed by well-connected advocates. "I think if you write a letter to the president and you set down the case in a compassionate way, I think his staff knows that he's looking for cases of injustice. But you have to write it in a compelling way, he said. They have to write something that will catch the attention of someone on the president's staff." So far, Trump has issued one prison commutation and five pardons. But the pace is quickening. Last week, he posthumously pardoned boxer Jack Johnson at the behest of Rocky actor Sylvester Stallone, saying Johnsons early 1900s conviction was a race-motivated injustice. On Wednesday, Trump met in the Oval Office with celebrity Kim Kardashian, who lobbied him to release Alice Johnson, a grandmother jailed for life since 1996 on drug-dealing charges. Early on Thursday, Trump tweeted that he would pardon conservative author Dinesh D'Souza, who pleaded guilty in 2014 to a campaign-finance felony. Hours later, Trump told reporters he was considering pardoning celebrity chef Martha Stewart and former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, the Illinois Democrat who allegedly tried to sell President Barack Obama's Senate seat. Although Johnson has not been given clemency, she remains optimistic. I'm feeling very hopeful after speaking with Kim about how well the meeting went with President Trump, Johnson said in an email from prison Friday, facilitated by her longtime supporter Amy Povah, who leads the CAN-DO Foundation.... I have strong reason to believe that President Trump is going to surprise many people, said Povah... Dershowitz said there's a method to the apparent madness of Trumps clemency grants, which are a sharp break from the early-term stinginess of his recent predecessors. "You have to make him say to himself, 'There but for the grace of God go I, or other people I identify with.' He has to feel the injustice. It's not enough to get online with hundreds of other people showing a law was misapplied. There has to be a sense of gut injustice, he said.... If theres anyone who would know Trumps thinking on clemency, its Dershowitz. In addition to pushing Rubashkins release, he was consulted by Trump in advance of the recent pardons of D'Souza and I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, a former aide to Vice President Dick Cheney who was convicted in 2007 but never imprisoned for making false statements. I said I thought they were both injustices, that there was a whiff of politics around the decision to prosecute DSouza, and that I did not think Scooter Libby had committed perjury  I thought there was just a difference in recollection, Dershowitz said. "When I made the appeal on behalf of Rubashkin, I said, 'You are a businessman, you understand what happens when the government and prosecutors manipulate the system and lower the value of your company in order to increase the value of losses and increase the sentence.' As soon as I said that, he said, 'I get that. I get that. I've been there, Dershowitz said. "He immediately glommed onto it because he understood the business implications of it ... there wouldn't have been any losses, or minor losses, but because the government drove the price down, it drove the sentencing guidelines way up."... I've always thought President Trump would step up and finish the job that President Obama started but never completed, said Michelle West, a clemency aspirant in prison for drug-related crimes since 1994. My daughter, Miquelle West, went to the Obama White House for a clemency summit. In our wildest dreams we never thought that I would be passed over considering she was invited to attend. West said in an email relayed by Povah that my daughter was 10 when I went to prison and I pray President Trump will consider me worthy of a second chance. Crystal Munoz, 11 years into a 20-year sentence for dealing marijuana, said that she, too, was hopeful, sending Povah the draft of a letter for Trump. Munoz, 38, gave birth to her youngest child in prison. Connie Farris, a 73-year-old inmate jailed for mail fraud, said "I will never, never give up hope that our president will start releasing women such as myself and others. Please President Trump hear our cry." Farris, seven years into a 12-year sentence, said her husband of 53 years suffers from muscular dystrophy and needs her support. Although theres significant hope stemming from Trumps unconventional approach, theres also some skepticism that everyday inmates can win a presidential reprieve. The problem is, the presidents process is a little haphazard, it seems, and a little ad hoc. And then you have this completely Byzantine dead-end of a process at the Justice Department, said Kevin Ring, president of Families Against Mandatory Minimums. I think people are encouraged that hes going around the Justice Department to look at deserving cases, but its not clear that anybody has the ability to get in front of him  so sort of good news, bad news, he said. Ring said Dershowitzs contention that anyone can win clemency with a letter is a little naive. There are people who buy lottery tickets every Friday and theyre optimistic because they dont know the odds. And when people see a winner, that gives them hope, he said.

Like Kevin Ring, I am a bit concerned to hear that there may be "enormous excitement among inmates" given Prez Trump's clemency record to date. He has only commuted a single sentence so far, and I have no reason to believe he has plans to start issuing dozens (let along hundreds) of additional commutations anytime soon. Political realities has seemed to be influencing all of Prez Trump's clemency work to date, and precious few federal prisoner have political forces in their favor. I sure hope Prez Trump will, as Amy Povah put it, "surprise many people," but I think hopes ought to be tempered for now.

Prior recent related posts about Trumpian clemency activity:

June 5, 2018 at 12:36 AM | Permalink

Comments

I think we have gotten so used to criticizing Trump at every turn that we've become desensitized to the notion of giving him credit for anything positive. I have immense respect for your brilliant analyses of all things political, but assuming the worst, ..."given Trump's clemency record to date." How come, as Dershowitz points out, we don't give Trump credit for being one of the few Presidents that granted a commutation in his 1st year of presidency? Conversely, Pres. Obama, only granted 1 in his first term at the end of his 3rd year in office and didn't grant any more until his second term. Heavens, what if Obama had not been re-elected - he might have gone down in history, a Democrat and first African American president as the stingiest president ever, especially since he didn't show an interest in clemency until Russell Simmons published an open letter with over 200 celebs, athletes and prominent supporters signed on. In it, he suggested that Obama create a clemency panel due to problems at OPA and within a few months, that's precisely what happened. Coincidence? I had a chance to talk to Russell about it and I don't think so.

Kim Kardashian's attorney, Shawn Holley contacted me in an effort to connect with Alice and this momentum has been building for quite some time. I have had to listen to so many people tell me that Trump will not grant any clemencies - after he granted one -it didn't count because Rabashkin was wealthy with connections. Everyone said there would be no CJ reform of any kind with Trump yet many of us formerly incarcerated people were invited to the White House to champion prison reform in Trump's second year. We were attacked by some of our own allies and friends. There is always a reason to find the down-side at each and every turn. Now, people are bashing Kim Kardashian, so I wonder what will happen after Alice receives clemency. I sure hope people will finally give Trump some credit and maybe, just maybe, praise him for it.

Posted by: Amy Povah | Jun 5, 2018 1:51:39 AM

Amy: I have given Trump lots of credit for being willing to use his clemency power early, and been criticized here for it. But we are still yet to see Trump use this power often. Five grants over 17 months is still a stingy record, and you know I criticized Obama for not doing a lot more in both his first and second terms.

If/when Alice Johnson gets clemency, Trump will get plenty of credit in this space from me. If (and I hope when) he grants many more clemencies, he will get even more credit. But given that, as you know, there are many tens of thousands of over-sentenced persons in federal prisons, and thousands more getting over-sentenced in the federal system every year, he has a lot of work to do before we get to #MAGA in this arena.

Meanwhile, though, I give you soooo much credit for both your energy and optimism. People like you help ensure that these issues stay at the forefront of our public dialogue. And I hope you get a chance to tell Trump that the definition of #MAGA is to beat Obama's records (by a wide margin)!

Posted by: Doug B | Jun 5, 2018 9:01:08 AM

Trump is fulfilling my law of political irony. George Bush in 2000 debate: there will be no nation building. Went on orgy of nation building.

Trump: don't be gentle on criminals. Duterte is a great guy. He will empty the prisons.

Posted by: David Behar | Jun 5, 2018 11:41:46 AM

Berman: If/when Alice Johnson gets clemency, Trump will get plenty of credit in this space from me.

This is a drug kingpin. Grandma likely serially killed dozens of competitors, and caused the over dose deaths of hundreds of customers. Not a good choice for advocacy of decarceration. She is a frickin' natural disaster, like Hurricane frickin' Maria. She likely also brought in 10 times Berman's salary. Perhaps, she can be rehabilitated to work as a nanny or hotel maid. I do know any kids left in her care will be well behaved.

Posted by: David Behar | Jun 5, 2018 11:52:39 AM

David, I though you were going to try to stick to citing data/studies and try to keep the tiresome repetitive rhetoric to a minimum. Please try harder.

Posted by: Doug B | Jun 5, 2018 12:14:54 PM

David,

How can you make such outlandish statements about a case you clearly know nothing about! Alice had to borrow money to put up bail, so no, she wasn't making 10 times Berman's salary. In most the cases I profile on the CANDO site, there were literally no fruits/assets symbolic of the so-called massive drug dealing alleged. Often, a handful of people at the top will have assets, but the majority tossed into the indictment were small spokes in the big wheel living in poverty, and sadly, the most culpable cut deals because #1 many have no scruples and would send their mother to prison for a sent reduction #2, the main leaders have the bulk of intel and are more appealing to the prosecution that can rack up big numbers of minions in the indictment and #3 it's easier to convince a major drug dealer that they deserve 20-LIFE than someone like myself who merely collected bail money but was also looking at 20-life because conspiracy transfer guilt from one person to the next.

And Doug, you can say and do no wrong as far as I'm concerned. I believe Trump granted a commutation in his firs year for a reason. It signals that he is an outsider, once again, and has an unorthodox approach. That's refreshing, because so many have suffered from the bureaucratic nightmare of seeking justice through clemency the conventional way through a broken mechanism that desperately needs repair. Obama tried another approach and while many were saved, it was, as Holder stated, "a logistics nightmare." Over 10,000 should have received clemency - I don't see that happening under Trump, but I DO think anything is possible. He's a wild card.

Posted by: Amy Povah | Jun 5, 2018 3:52:59 PM

@Amy writes, "He's a wild card."

In other words, a criminal justice trump card.

Posted by: Daniel | Jun 5, 2018 4:12:57 PM

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 Noticing Gov Newsom's not-so-progressive approach to parole so far | Main | After state jury recommended 419 years plus life, feds allow Charlottesville killer to plead guilty to take capital charge off table 

March 27, 2019

"Regulating Mass Prosecution"

The title of this post is the title of this new paper authored by Irene Joe now available via SSRN. Here is its abstract:

Efforts to address our nations criminal justice crisis have hit a standstill; legislative solutions have proven inadequate and increased funding for public defenders is politically impractical. Virtually everyone agrees that there is a problem: we incarcerate more people than any other developed nation and that imposes a significant cost on society. The conventional solutions to this crisis focus on the legislative or public defense side of the equation  urging decriminalization of certain behaviors by state legislatures and increased funding for indigent defenders. These proposed solutions are important but, alone, insufficient, for reasons that are all too predictable: a lack of political will to do right by indigent defendants. In this paper, I advance a solution that is at the same time novel and achievable. My proposed solution is novel because it focuses on an institutional actor that has, to this point, received comparatively little attention in the debates over mass incarceration  the prosecutor. It is achievable because it does not require new legislation that would, in turn, depend upon political support that is unlikely to materialize. Instead, the solution is already a part of our legal backdrop: prosecutors should be required to comply with the same ethical rules that govern all other lawyers. And those rules, I argue, are violated when prosecutors exercise their charging discretion in ways that contribute to massive public defender caseloads. Prosecutorial discretion allows the prosecutor, with few limitations, to choose which of many potential criminal charges she will pursue. This means that prosecutorial discretion gives prosecutors a degree of control over the size and scope of the criminal court docket that other criminal court actors do not possess. If we seek a solution to our nations problem of mass incarceration, then we must recognize that public defenders with massive caseloads compromise that goal. This Article conveys that public defender overload, and the mass incarceration to which it contributes, is not simply a constitutional crisis limited to individual rights for individual defendants. Instead, it defines the problem as an ethical one, with central concerns about how the legal profession is situated in the criminal justice domain.

March 27, 2019 at 02:46 PM | Permalink

Comments

My proposed solution is novel because it focuses on an institutional actor that has, to this point, received comparatively little attention in the debates over mass incarceration  the prosecutor

This is plainly untrue in academic circles. Perhaps with the fudge word of comparatively, she has an argument to defend the statement, but frankly there is a large amount of scholarship in this area. It is not implemented because the academic world is largely removed from the reality of criminal justice.

The California Legislature is as receptive audience as one will find in the United States for these issues. Few to none of these initiatives are gaining any traction here. Why is that? Because most of these policy proposals are rooted in grave misunderstandings, or written without any knowledge as to their externalities.

Posted by: David | Mar 29, 2019 10:15:50 AM

The solution proposed is absurd. The author proposes to require prosecutors to seek alternate crime reduction strategies IF the public defender caseloads become excessive. The author proposes that the state bar, unelected and not accountable to the voters, have regulatory authority over this issue. Im sorry, but this is not academic inquiry, it is foolishness. It starts from the tired trope that public defenders offices are woefully underfunded. That may be true some places, but that is simply not true in the backyard in which the professor operates (UC Davis).

Regardless, what would stop public defenders from intentionally under staffing in order to achieve the goal of fewer prosecutions (which is Professor Joes goal as well). A review of many public defender budgets reveals that they already have lawyers who are not defending current cases. In my county, the PDs office is funding community outreach. Also, they have assigned lawyers to long final cases were the inmate already has lawyer assigned by the state in the prison system because they dont like those lawyers and dont think they do a very good job. Because these PDs are doing these things they are not representing defendants in current cases, thus raising caseloads for the others.

Instead of writing 65 single spaced journal articles about ideas that will never be implemented, I suggest Professor Joe help reduce those caseloads. Dust off her trial skills and get back into the courtroom on a case or two. The PD will be appreciative and apparently she has the free time.

Posted by: David | Mar 30, 2019 9:48:36 AM

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FILE PHOTO: FILE PHOTO: FILE PHOTO: An aerial photo shows Boeing 737 MAX airplanes parked on the tarmac at the Boeing Factory in Renton, Washington, U.S. March 21, 2019. REUTERS/Lindsey Wasson/File Photo/File Photo

By Eric M. Johnson and David Shepardson

SEATTLE/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Boeing Co on Wednesday took its most aggressive moves yet to defend its core 737 airliner franchise, saying it had developed software fixes to prevent failures of an automated flight control system that is being scrutinized after two deadly crashes in the past five months.

Boeing, in the midst of one its worst crises in years, is under pressure from crash victims' families, airlines, lawmakers in Washington and regulators around the world to prove that the automated flight control systems aboard its 737 MAX aircraft are safe, and that pilots have the training required to override the system in an emergency.

A Boeing official in Seattle said on Wednesday the timing of the software upgrade was "100 percent independent of the timing of the Ethiopian accident," and the company was taking steps to make the anti-stall system "more robust."

There was no need to overhaul Boeing's regulatory relationship with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) now, the company said.

"We are going to do everything that we can do to ensure that accidents like these never happen again," Mike Sinnett, Vice President for Product Strategy and Future Airplane Development told reporters.

The FAA said it had not reviewed or certified the software upgrade yet.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and some lawmakers on Wednesday questioned why Boeing did not require safety features on its top-selling plane that might have prevented the crashes.

"It is very questionable if these were safety-oriented additions, why they were not part of the required template of measures that should go into an airplane," she said, adding she was not ready to require that all safety options be retrofitted on existing airplane.

A spokesman for the FAA said the agency had not reviewed or certified the software upgrade yet.

Executives with U.S. airlines welcomed Boeing's moves, but want U.S. regulators to sign off on the upgrade.

Story continues

Southwest Airlines Co, which on Wednesday became the first major airline to formally cut its financial outlook for the year after being forced to pull its MAX fleet of 34 jets out of service, supported Boeing's decision.

"Boeing's software update appears to add yet another layer of safety to the operation of the MAX aircraft," Southwest's certificate chief pilot Bob Waltz said.

Allied Pilots Association, which represents American Airlines Group Inc pilots, said it was pleased with Boeing's progress but warned the certification process should not be rushed. The fix should be fully vetted and take into account any further information from an investigation into an Ethiopian Airlines crash on March 10, the association said in a statement.

United Airlines vice president Michael Quiello said the airline was optimistic about the software update, but was counting on the FAA to certify the change.

Airline stocks turned positive after Boeing unveiled the software fix. CFRA analyst Jim Corridore, who has a "buy" rating on Boeing, said news from the company and the Washington hearing were positive steps toward getting the MAX jets airborne again.

EXTRA COMPUTER TRAINING

The world's largest planemaker said the anti-stall system, which is believed to have repeatedly forced the nose lower in at least one of the accidents, in Indonesia last October, would only do so one time after sensing a problem, giving pilots more control.

It will also be disabled if two airflow sensors that measure the "angle of attack," or angle of the wing to the airflow, a fundamental parameter of flight, offer widely different readings, Boeing said. Reuters reported those details earlier this week.

The anti-stall system - known as MCAS, or Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System - has been pinpointed by investigators as a possible cause in a fatal Lion Air crash in Indonesia and the one in Ethiopia.

Existing 737 pilots will also have extra computer-based training following criticism that MCAS was not described in the aircraft manual.

Boeing has previously said existing cockpit procedures would cover any example of runaway controls caused by MCAS.

The changes were drawn up in response to the Lion Air crash but are seen as crucial to regaining the trust of pilots, passengers and regulators after the Ethiopia crash prompted a worldwide grounding of Boeing 737 MAX planes.

Ethiopian officials and some analysts have said the Ethiopian Airlines jet behaved in a similar pattern before crashing shortly after take-off from Addis Ababa, but that investigation is still at an early stage.

Boeing's Sinnett said the software had been through extensive testing, including flights with the FAA. However, he said he could provide no timeframe for when the 737 MAX jets would return to service.

Boeing said it would change the design of the system so that it no longer relied on a single sensor. The changes also would make standard visual warnings to the pilots if the system had stopped working. Previously, those warning messages and displays had been optional.

Reuters reported in November after the Lion Air disaster that some aviation experts believed the optional alert could have alerted engineers about mechanical faults, leading to an industry debate over whether the system should be mandatory.

Current 737 MAX pilots have criticized Boeing for not disclosing more details about MCAS initially. Sinnett said the company has added details on MCAS to its flight crew operations manual. All pilots will need to complete this training before returning to the skies, he said.

John Hamilton, chief engineer for 737 Max flight displays, said in a statement that "all primary flight information required to safely and efficiently operate the 737 MAX" was already included without the features that would now be offered.

(Reporting by Eric M. Johnson in Seattle, David Shepardson in Washington, Tim Hepher in Paris, Tracy Rucinski in Chicago and Allison Lampert in New York; writing by Ben Klayman; editing by Grant McCool)
(Getty Images file photo)

Additional measures to help mitigate the risk of pilots operating under the influence of alcohol will take effect this Sunday (31 March), said the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) on Thursday.

Among them is the random alcohol testing of pilots at Changi and Seletar airports under the Airport Alcohol Testing Programme (AATP).

All five Singapore Air Operator Certificate holders  Singapore Airlines (SIA), Jetstar Asia Airways, Scoot Tigerair, SilkAir (Singapore) and ST Aerospace Engineering  will also have to implement a programme to manage pilots with problematic use of alcohol by 1 May.

The Airline Alcohol Management Programme (AAMP) must include an alcohol rehabilitation programme for pilots. All foreign airlines are strongly encouraged to implement programmes like the AAMP, said the CAAS.

The introduction of these measures comes after an SIA pilot failed an alcohol test in Australia before his flight in September last year, leading to the cancellation of a Melbourne-Wellington (New Zealand) service. The pilot has since been fired.

Following the incident, Senior Minister of State for Transport Lam Pin Min said in Parliament last October that the CAAS would review regulations and procedures to more strongly deter such behaviour.

Under the AATP, randomly selected pilots will be subjected to an initial test using a portable breathalyser by a qualified testing officer in a non-public area.

A confirmation test will be performed using a forensic-standard breathalyser if the pilot fails the initial one.

Pilots found to exceed the alcohol abstinence standard of 0.02 grams per 210 litres of breath will be immediately removed from flight duties, with the airline concerned notified.

This limit has been determined based on international best practices. It is equivalent to a zero tolerance standard, with a small allowance for the potential presence of alcohol in the breath due to other factors such as medication or mouthwash, said the CAAS.

Story continues

Under the Air Navigation Act, pilots who fly under the influence of alcohol could face a jail term of up to two years and a maximum fine of $50,000, or both, for the first offence. Repeat offenders could face a jail term of up to five years, a maximum fine of $100,000 or both.

Pilots who refuse to provide a breath alcohol sample will face similar punishments.

The safety of aircraft operations, passengers and crew on board is paramount. The CAAS and the aviation community take a serious view of pilots operating aircraft under the influence of alcohol, said CAAS director-general Kevin Shum. The new alcohol testing and management programmes will help ensure that pilots ability to operate aircraft is not impaired by alcohol.

There is currently no standardised limit around the world on how much alcohol pilots can consume before they fly.

For instance, the SIA Group and Jetstar Asia currently require their pilots to abstain from alcohol 10 hours before a flight.

Last November, Japan Airlines lengthened the period of a drinking ban for pilots before a flight to 24 hours, following media reports that its pilots had failed breathalyser tests 19 times since August 2017.

In the US, pilots must have eight hours between bottle to throttle.

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FILE PHOTO: Roslan Rahman/AFP/Getty Images

Singapores Changi Airport has been named the worlds best airport for the seventh straight year, becoming the first airport in the world to do so.

It was announced as the award winner during the World Airport Awards at the Passenger Terminal Expo in London on Wednesday (27 March), after a global survey done by London-based research firm Skytrax, which involved more than 13 million travellers.

Coming in second was Tokyo International Airport (Haneda), while Incheon International Airport in South Korea was third. The top six airports in the world are all in Asia, with seventh-placed Munich Airport being the best among the rest of the world.

Two more honours at World Airport Awards

Besides the Worlds Best Airport award, Changi Airport also garnered two other honours  Best Airport in Asia and Worlds Best Airport Leisure Amenities. Meanwhile, Crowne Plaza Changi Airport was also named Worlds Best Airport Hotel, as well as Best Airport Hotel in Asia.

In the 20-year history of the World Airport Awards, Changi Airport has been named the Worlds Best Airport 10 times.

Changi Airport Groups chief executive officer Lee Seow Hiang said in a media release: Changi Airport is honoured to again be named Worlds Best Airport. This achievement was made possible by the strong support from our airport partners.

At Changi, we are fortunate to have a large community of immensely dedicated and passionate airport workers who strive to deliver the best experiences to our passengers every single day. We thank our passengers for their continued support.

Next major project: Upgrading Terminal 2

Even as Changi Airport is preparing to open Jewel  a mixed-use complex featuring more than 280 shops and restaurants as well as leisure facilities  it is already planning its next major project, the upgrading of Terminal 2, which was first opened in 1990.

According to The Straits Times, the planned upgrades include more automated check-in kiosks, bag-drop machines, immigration gates and facial recognition technology. The upgrading of Terminal 2 is expected to take about five years.

Story continues

On Changi Airport winning the top award, Skytrax chief executive officer Edward Plaisted said, This award continues to underline the airports popularity with international air travellers. Changi Airport is very focused on continually improving the customers airport experience and innovating with new product and service features.

The full list of award winners can be found on the World Airport Awards website.



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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.
The Philippines first ever typhoon-resilient monolithic dome | Courtesy : Manny Pinol Facebook page

CAGAYAN, Philippines  The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Wednesday (March 27) inaugurated and commissioned the first ever typhoon-resilient monolithic dome in the country.

Agriculture Secretary Manny Pinol, in his social media account, explained that the dome will serve as a grains warehouse in the agencys experimental station in the town of Iguig in Cagayan province.

The dome was designed by German engineers and constructed by a Filipino company with the help of Polish consultants, Pinol said.

The official added that the monolithic dome could withstand tropical cyclone warning signal number 5.

The dome has insulators that deflect the heat of the sun and keeps the interior temperature at a level that is ideal for grain storage.

Each unit costs P10 million and according to the DA, the agency will establish a total of eight in Cagayan Region which suffers devastation from at least 10 typhoons every year.

Pinol added that the seven smaller units costing P5 million each are now being constructed for the use of farmers group in Cagayan Valley Region.

The Secretary said the agency is planning to build similar structures in areas located on the typhoon track such as Eastern and Western Visayas, Bicol, Southern Tagalog including Mindoro, Central Luzon, Ilocos and Cordillera Regions.  Marje Pelayo

The post DA commissions PHs first signal 5 typhoon-resilient monolithic dome appeared first on UNTV News.
New domestic helpers coming to Hong Kong should be made to prove they are vaccinated against measles, health experts say

New domestic helpers coming to Hong Kong should be required to prove they have been vaccinated against measles, two infectious disease experts said on Thursday.

Dr Ho Pak-leung, a top microbiologist from the University of Hong Kong, said the government must do more to make new arrivals prove immunity to the highly infectious disease, as efforts are made to prevent a wider outbreak. The number of cases reported in Hong Kong jumped to 30 on Wednesday  already double the total number for the whole of 2018.

Secretary for Labour and Welfare Dr Law Chi-kwong said the Labour Department would contact helper hiring agencies, as well as the citys Philippine and Indonesian consuls, to promote vaccination among new arrivals.

We hope to try our best to provide assistance and particularly encourage domestic helpers to get vaccinated before coming to Hong Kong, Law said.

But Ho called for tougher measures.

The government will send letters to agencies [calling for vaccination proof] but it will not be mandatory, he said. The government should think about how to strengthen and include mandatory elements in this measure.

Concerns have been raised that new arrivals could bring the disease from their home countries.

Figures from overseas health authorities show that so far this year, more than 23,000 measles cases have been recorded in the Philippines  home for about half of Hong Kongs 385,000 migrant domestic workers.

A measles vaccine in the private market costs HK$300 to HK$600. Its impossible for [helpers] to afford

Dr Ho Pak-leung, HKU microbiologist

Ho said domestic helpers only earned about HK$4,000 per month and the government should help arrange vaccinations.

A measles vaccine in the private market costs HK$300 to HK$600. Its impossible for them to afford, he said. From a public health perspective, the government has a certain responsibility.

But Law said the government would not consider subsidising helper vaccinations at this stage.

Story continues

Dr Joseph Tsang Kay-yan, a specialist in infectious diseases, agreed the government should require people coming to Hong Kong for work or study to provide proof they were protected against measles. This proof could be in the form of a vaccination record or evidence showing protective antibodies against the disease.

As we know the situation this time is linked to imported cases, the government should set up screening to require [foreigners] to provide proof, Tsang said.

The authorities had not been vigilant enough, he added, as measles outbreaks had already been reported last year in countries including the Philippines.

Instead of coordinating vaccinations for domestic workers, Tsang said the government should urge employers themselves to ensure their helpers were protected against the disease.

Employers are responsible for taking their helper to a family doctor for check-ups, Tsang said.

He said the government should also ensure there was a sufficient supply of vaccines in the city.

But Eman Villanueva, a spokesman for the Asian Migrants Coordinating Body, worried workers would risk losing their jobs if the medical experts proposals were introduced.

He said some helpers might not be able to get proof and agencies might take advantage by demanding large sums of money to help.

If the vaccination is to be given to workers in the Philippines, it should be free. The Hong Kong government should work with their Philippine counterparts on this, Villanueva said.

It will be even safer if they are given the vaccination upon arrival in Hong Kong.

Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee will hold a press conference at 5pm on Thursday.

More from South China Morning Post:

This article New domestic helpers coming to Hong Kong should be made to prove they are vaccinated against measles, health experts say first appeared on South China Morning Post

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Malaysia's ousted prime minister is scheduled to go on trial next week over a massive financial scandal that helped topple his government, a prosecutor said Thursday. Najib Razak had originally been due to stand trial in February over allegations linked to his involvement in the looting of Malaysian sovereign wealth fund 1MDB. He and his cronies are accused of plundering billions of dollars from the investment vehicle and spending it on everything from high-end real estate to artworks in a fraud that stretched around the world. An 11th-hour appeal by his legal team succeeded in getting the case postponed, a hold-up that sparked fresh criticism of the new government's failure to swiftly bring him to justice. But a judge reportedly ruled that the trial -- related to just a small amount of the total sum allegedly looted -- should now proceed, and a prosecutor confirmed it would start on Wednesday. "Prosecutors are ready and we will call the witnesses on Wednesday to provide the evidence," V. Sithambaram, a criminal lawyer on the prosecution team, told AFP. The 1MDB scandal played a major part in persuading voters to oust Najib's coalition after six decades in power at elections in May last year, and he has been hit with dozens of charges over the controversy. He denies wrongdoing. In next week's trial, Najib faces seven charges and is accused of pocketing 42 million ringgit ($10.3 million) from SRC International, a former unit of 1MDB. It is just one of several trials Najib, who is free on bail, is expected to face over 1MDB. Cynthia Gabriel, head of the non-profit group The Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism, welcomed the news but said that Malaysians had been "kept waiting for too long". "Malaysia's have not forgotten Najib's crimes of theft amounting to billions," she told AFP. jsm/sr/fox
After a New York county declared a state of emergency to prevent the spread of a measles outbreak, why is the once-eliminated disease on the rise again? - Health alert - Measles is an airborne infection causing fever, coughing and rashes that can be deadly in rare cases. It is more contagious than tuberculosis or Ebola, yet is easily preventable with a vaccine that costs pennies. The UN says worldwide cases of measles jumped by more than 30 percent in 2017, and infections continued to rise last year. Just 10 countries were responsible for the surge in cases in 2018, according to the UN children's agency. While most of the countries that experienced large spikes in cases are beset by unrest or conflict, several wealthier nations also saw their caseloads soar. - No, MMR doesn't cause autism - In all, 98 countries reported more measles cases in 2018 compared with 2017. But the causes varied wildly. The World Health Organization has warned that the growing anti-vaccine movement in richer nations constitutes a top-10 global health threat. The phenomenon has adherents in several Western nations, including Britain and France, but is arguably most high profile in the US, where measles cases leapt 559 percent between 2017 and 2018. "Anti-vaxxers" have for years cited a fraudulent 1998 study by discredited British researcher Andrew Wakefield that suggested a link between the MMR vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella, and a risk of autism and bowel disease in children. Repeated studies -- the most recent involving more than 650,000 children monitored for more than a decade -- have shown that there is no such link. The UN children's fund has warned that complacency and misinformation were driving the resurgence of measles among richer nations. "Measles may be the disease, but all too often the real infection is misinformation, mistrust and complacency," UNICEF head Henrietta Fore said this month. Measles cases more than tripled across Europe in 2018, according to the WHO, with notable outbreaks in Romania, Italy and France. - Lack of access - In other parts of the world, many people lack access to the vaccines and clean sanitation needed to keep measles at bay. The WHO recommends a 95-percent vaccination rate to prevent mass hospitalisations and fatalities. At least 800 children have died from measles since September in Madagascar, where rampant malnutrition and a historically poor vaccine rate are driving the world's worse current outbreak. Yemen also figures on UNICEF's "top 10" list of countries showing the largest increases in measles cases last year with a 316 percent hike, from 2,101 cases in 2017 to 8,742 cases in 2018. Crisis-hit Venezuela, as well as areas of Brazil, have seen tens of thousands of confirmed measles cases since last year. In the Philippines, where vaccine rates have been declining for years, measles cases jumped from 791 in 2017 to 5,120 last year. Twenty-five people died from measles in January alone. And in Ukraine, which has experienced five years of simmering conflict with Russia on its eastern border region, more than 30,000 people have caught measles alone this year. At least 11 have died from the illness.
Ghana has placed fourth in the top 10 trending summer destinations for 2019.



The worlds leading search engine for holiday homes, HomeToGo made this known in its latest publication.



The publication contains recommendations for British travellers on where to visit for summer.



According to the publication sighted by DGN Online, many Brits are heading off the beaten track for beach holidays this year, and Ghanas stunning, unspoiled tropical beaches make it a top choice.



It added that near the coast, the bustling capital city of Accra has a thriving art, dance and theatre scene. Street food is a huge part of Ghanaian cuisine, so exploring Accras food stalls and markets is a cant-miss experience! Head inland, and youll find even more beautiful natural scenery, including the Kakum National Park, home to hundreds of species of butterflies and birds.



Occupying the number one spot on the list is Bora Bora, followed by Maldives and Madagascar.



West Cork sits fifth on the list, with impoverished Zimbabwe taking the sixth slot and Miami Beach taking hold of the seventh position.



Toronto, Slovakia and Belize were localized in the bottom three.

Source: Daily Guide









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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North Korean tourism officials on Thursday urged Vietnamese travellers to seize a "golden" opportunity to visit the country following a summit between Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump in Hanoi last month. With an economy crippled by international sanctions, isolated North Korea is keen to boost its nascent tourism sector by attracting more foreign visitors, the bulk of whom currently come from China. A North Korean tourism official said it is prime time for Vietnamese visitors to travel to the country after Hanoi hosted Trump and Kim for a second round of nuclear talks in February. "We had a very successful summit in Hanoi... this is the right chance, the golden chance for us to generate a tourist market of Vietnam to DPRK," Ham Jin of the official Korea International Travel Company (KITC) told AFP Thursday. His company hosted a booth at a tourism fair in Hanoi this week -- with brochures advertising a dolphinarium, a science and technology complex and the Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum in "ever-changing" Pyongyang -- while others urged skiers to pay a visit to the Masikryong mountain resort. Kim paid an official visit to Hanoi after his meeting with Trump, piquing curiosity among some Vietnamese eager to know more about the reclusive leader and his country. "I want to discover this mysterious country because there are many things to see," said Do Thi Phuong Thuy, who signed up for a tour after Kim's trip. - Safety concerns - North Korea receives an estimated 100,000 foreign tourists a year, according to industry insiders, though Pyongyang does not publish visitor data. Ham put the number at double that and said visitor numbers grew by as much as 50 percent last year, though his figures could not be verified. "We (use) tourism to contribute to economic development," he told AFP. A Vietnamese tour operator at the fair said his client numbers have surged this year, but that some travellers remain wary. "People are concerned North Korea isn't safe or is closed to the world... there are the difficulties for us when we promote tours to North Korea," Nguyen Cong Hoan, director of Hanoi Red Tours, told AFP. The United States has banned Americans from travelling to North Korea after the death of student Otto Warmbier, who was jailed after allegedly stealing a poster from a hotel. He was released in a vegetative state and later died on US soil. Once-popular tours from South Korea to Mount Kumgang near the border came to an abrupt end in 2008 when a North Korean soldier shot dead a tourist from the South who strayed off the approved path. Trump has heralded North Korea's economic potential, praising its "great beaches" that he said would make ideal locations for condos. North Korea is currently building a sprawling seaside resort known as the Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourist Area in a zone that has previously been used for artillery drills and ballistic missile launches.
Prince Charles, the heir to the British crown, prepared a mojito and ground sugarcane on the last day of his historic visit to Havana, which boosted tourism on the island at a time of tensions between Cuba and the nearby United States. The Prince of Wales and his wife Camilla left Cuba after 4:00 pm (20:00 GMT) bound for the Cayman Islands. On the last of their four days in the Cuban capital, they visited a "paladar" private restaurant where they tasted local delicacies and Charles prepared the Cuban cocktail of lemon, rum, peppermint and ice known as a mojito. He also helped grind sugarcane, a major expert product for the communist island, using a "trapiche" artisanal device from which a sweet liquid known as "guarapo" is extracted.
Time travel aint possible just yet (or is it?), so the next best thing a 79-year-old man could do to relive his past is by getting photoshopped into his old pictures.

Clement Tan, a retired policeman who first joined the force in 1959 when he was 19, misses the time when he was in his prime. Having rosed through the ranks to become a police inspector before joining the volunteer police force as deputy superintendent, Tan has a lot of fascinating stories to tell about Singapore in the old days. Where he went, he didnt need a Delorean  active aging movement I Feel Young SG simply utilized the powers of photoshop.

From getting inspired to join the force after getting punched by her ex-girlfriends brother to helping clear snakes from the forests when Singapore started building HDB flats, the septuagenarian gamely participated and posed alongside himself in his images of yore. This was the time when police officers were wearing shorts, mind you.

I Feel Young SG via Facebook

This article, Retired police inspector gamely gets photoshopped into old pictures of himself in the force, originally appeared on Coconuts, Asia's leading alternative media company. Want more Coconuts? Sign up for our newsletters!
By Suleiman Al-Khalidi

(Reuters) - The Syrian military said Israel on Wednesday launched raids on an industrial zone in the northern city of Aleppo, causing damage only to materials, while opposition sources said the strikes hit Iranian ammunitions stores and a military airport used by Tehran's forces.

"The Israeli aggression targeted some positions in Sheikh Najjar industrial zone and a number of enemy missiles were brought down," an army statement said.

There was no immediate comment from Israel.

The blasts caused an electrical blackout in Aleppo, the country's second largest city and a major industrial hub that bore the brunt of years of fighting and heavy Russian and Syrian aerial bombardment on its former rebel-held areas.

Military experts say Aleppo is one of the main areas where Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards have a strong military presence supporting local militias that have for years been fighting alongside the Syrian army to defeat insurgents.

Two opposition sources familiar with Tehran's military presence in the area said large ammunitions depot and a logistics hub that belonged to Iranian-backed militias inside the industrial zone received direct hits.

Other strikes hit the vicinity of Nairab military airport on the outskirts of Aleppo in the second such strike on the installation used by Iranian troops in less than a year, they added.

Iranian-backed Shiite militias have expanded their control over mainly Sunni areas around Damascus, southern and eastern Syria that bore the brunt of the heaviest bombardment and led to mass displacement or emigration to neighbouring countries.

Irans growing influence in Syria, where it has struck economic and trade deals, has raised the prospect of a military confrontation with its arch-enemy Israel

Israel, which considers Iran its biggest threat, has repeatedly attacked Iranian targets in Syria and those of allied militia, including Lebanons Hezbollah.

Story continues

Earlier this year Israeli military said they had attacked Iranian targets that included munitions stores in Damascus International Airport.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel had carried out "hundreds" of attacks over the past few years of Syrias war to curtail Iran and its ally Hezbollah.

Israel has said it was crucial to block growing Iranian military influence in Syria and has vowed it would push its troops out of the country.

With an election approaching, Israels government has increased its attacks in Syria and has taken a tougher stance towards Hezbollah on the border with Lebanon.

Iran has warned Israel it would respond if it continued attacking targets in Syria and repeatedly said its military presence in Syria is at the invitation of the Assad government and it has no immediate plans to withdraw.

The strike coincided with an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council that was held at Syria's request over U.S. President Donald Trumps decision to recognise Israels sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

(Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi; Editing by James Dalgleish, Grant McCool and Leslie Adler)
President Donald Trump announced Thursday that the FBI and Justice Department will review Illinois prosecutors' decision to drop all charges against a US television actor accused of fabricating a hate crime. Calling the Chicago case involving "Empire" star Jussie Smollett "outrageous," Trump said: "It is an embarrassment to our Nation!" Prosecutors said they had shelved all 16 felony charges against Smollett in exchange for an agreement that he carry out community service and forfeit a $10,000 bond payment. But Smollett's lawyers claimed there was no such agreement, saying the state simply "dismissed the charges," and that the actor was the victim of a rush to judgment. The 36-year-old, one of the main cast members on Fox musical drama "Empire" alongside Taraji P. Henson, was accused of masterminding a hoax attack in downtown Chicago to gain publicity and secure a bigger paycheck. He reported to police that he was attacked in the middle of the night in January by two masked men while walking near his home. Smollett, who is gay and African American, maintained his innocence in the face of a damning public account from authorities' of their case against him. They accused him of sending himself a threatening letter and hiring two acquaintances to stage the attack, complete with homophobic and racial slurs, while invoking Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan.
Remains discovered during a recent recovery mission in Myanmar and believed to belong to U.S. service members missing from World War Two are prepared to be transported back to the Defence POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) Laboratory in Hawaii, U.S., in Mandalay, Myanmar, March 12, 2019. REUTERS/Shoon Naing

By Shoon Naing

MANDALAY (Reuters) - The United States on Tuesday retrieved the possible remains of service members who went missing in Myanmar during the Second World War, marking the first such mission to Myanmar carried out by U.S. military aircraft, American officials said.

After a brief ceremony, the remains were taken from Myanmar's second-largest city, Mandalay, to a laboratory in the United States for further analysis and identification.

"We remember. You are not forgotten," said the U.S. ambassador to Myanmar, Scot Marciel, at the ceremony. He said the mission was meant to honor the memory of the fallen service members and to show appreciation for their service.

From 1942 to 1945, the airspace over Myanmar, then called Burma, served as an important supply corridor from India to China after the Japanese captured the northern town of Lashio, severing the last major Allied supply route over land into China.

During the period, American transport planes made daily flights over the eastern Himalayas, a perilous route called the Hump, according to the website of the U.S. embassy in China.

The remains are believed to be from a B-25G aircraft with seven crew members onboard that crashed in February 1944 in Myanmar's northwestern Sagain region, U.S. officials said.

More than 82,000 Americans remain missing from past conflicts, and 632 U.S. service members, mostly air crews, disappeared in Myanmar during World War Two, U.S. government data show.

Relations between the two countries have chilled after Washington last year sanctioned some Myanmar military and police commanders and army units, accusing them of ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya Muslim minority.

Myanmar has rejected the charges, saying it was fighting Rohingya "terrorists".

About 730,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar after August 2017 following what a U.S. government investigation described as a "well-planned and coordinated" campaign of mass killings, gang rapes and other atrocities against the Rohingya by the Myanmar military.

(Editing by Antoni Slodkowski, editing by Larry King)
The United States faced sharp criticism Wednesday at the UN Security Council over its decision to recognize the Golan Heights as Israeli territory, which big powers denounced as a violation of UN resolutions. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation Monday in which the United States recognized Israel's annexation of the strategic plateau that it seized in 1967 and annexed in 1981. Britain, Washington's closest ally, said the decision was in violation of Resolution 497 that declared Israel's annexation of the Golan as "null and void." France warned that any attempt to turn away from international law was "doomed to fail" as the United States prepares to unveil its Middle East peace proposals. Russia appealed to governments to reject the US decision and to continue to view the Golan as Israeli-occupied territory. "If anybody feels any temptation to follow this poor example, we would urge them to refrain from this aggressive revision of international law," said Russian Deputy Ambassador Vladimir Safronkov. The council was meeting at the request of Syria, which in a letter to the council called the US decision a "flagrant violation" of UN resolutions. Three Security Council resolutions call on Israel to withdraw from the Golan, which it seized from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War and annexed, in a move that was not recognized internationally. The United States defended its decision, arguing it bolstered Israel's security and could contribute to the stability of the entire Middle East by keeping Syria and its Iranian ally in check. To allow the Golan to be controlled by Syria "would turn a blind eye to the threats emanating" from Damascus and from Iran and its Hezbollah allies that want to use the Golan to attack Israel, said US diplomat Rodney Hunter. - US backs UN mission in the Golan - Despite its decision to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan, the United States called for a UN peacekeeping mission deployed in a buffer zone there to remain in place. The 1,000-strong UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) was dispatched to a buffer zone between Israel and Syria in the Golan in 1974, tasked with monitoring a ceasefire. Trump's decision prompted speculation that Washington would seek to end the UNDOF mission when its mandate comes up for renewal in June. "This announcement does not affect the 1974 Disengagement Agreement, nor do we believe it undermines UNDOF's mandate in any way," said Hunter, adding that UNDOF "continues to have a vital role to play in preserving stability between Israel and Syria." China recalled that UN resolutions declare the Golan as a territory occupied by Israel, with Deputy Ambassador Wu Haitao adding that "China is opposed to any unilateral action that attempts to alter that fact." "China does not want to see tensions in the region to escalate," he added. Germany took a swipe at Syria for invoking international law, accusing it of blatantly disregarding UN resolutions by attacking schools and hospitals during eight years of war. After Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital, a group of Arab countries presented a resolution condemning the decision to the General Assembly, which won overwhelming support. UN diplomats were awaiting the outcome of an Arab League summit in Tunis on Sunday that could lead to action at the United Nations to counter the US decision on the Golan.
Monday's 2020 edition of the Michelin restaurant guide for France reveals the winners and losers of its coveted ratings stars

Chef Juan Amador has received three stars in the new "Main Cities of Europe" Michelin guide for his eponymous restaurant located in Vienna.

Located just a stone's throw from the historical center of Vienna, Juan Amador receives guests into its wine cellar surroundings. The German-Spanish chef previously received two stars in 2017 for his refined cuisine served in the brick-vaulted chamber. A member of Relais & Chateaux, the network of prestigious hotel establishments describes Amador as the most avant-garde eatery in the Austrian capital. For Michelin, the chef's cooking is "intense and full of contrasts."

Vienna makes its mark in the new "Main Cities of Europe" guide, published on March 27, with another restaurant that opened less than a year ago, Aend, awarded one star for its "bold and punchy flavors." The capital also features plenty of accessible dining spots serving reasonably-priced food. Two, DiningRhum and Gasthaus Seidl, have received Michelin "Bib Gourmand" awards.

Eastern Europe also makes an appearance with the Hungarian gastronomy scene. Located in Budapest, the Stand and Babel restaurants are also each awarded a star.

As featured in the Croatian press at the beginning of February, Croatia makes its debut in this comprehensive guide to touring the best restaurants in Europe. Zagreb is the perfect example of the culinary destination the country is becoming, thanks to a star awarded to restaurant Noel and a Bib Gourmand to Agava and Tac.

Reykjavik is also included in this European publication for the first time. A Bib Gourmand was awarded to the food at the Skal! Kiosk, which receives guests in the very first food hall in Iceland.

In total, the "Main Cities of Europe" Michelin guide presents restaurants in 38 cities in 22 countries. Among the almost 1,900 locations, it features 23 three-star restaurants, 92 two-star, and 382 one-star restaurants.
Photo credit: Ivar Kvaal

From ELLE Decor

In Dr. Seusss classic childrens book Green Eggs and Ham, Sam-I-Am suggests a number of preposterous locations to dine: Could you, would you, on a train? Would you, could you, in the rain? With a goat? On a boat? Norwegian architecture firm-and ED A-Listers-Snhetta are proposing another, arguably more thrilling, location: Could you, would you, underwater?

Photo credit: Inger Marie Grini/Bo Bedre Norge

At the southernmost point of the Norwegian coastline, in Lindesnes, Norway, is now Europes first underwater restaurant, designed by Snhetta and aptly called Under. The partially submerged 110-foot-long tubular building with 20-inch-thick concrete walls was designed not only to withstand the area's harsh, stormy weather conditions, but also to integrate it into the environment-in fact, the concrete facade will function as an artificial reef over time.

Photo credit: Ivar Kvaal

As much as the exterior is functional, the restaurants interior is a beauty to behold. Imagine descending a staircase on the shore, and finding yourself in an underwater oasis-18-feet below the waters surface-that rivals Ariels grotto in The Little Mermaid. The walls and ceiling are paneled in locally-harvested Norwegian oak, and an expansive window, which functions as a habitat for starfish and other small creatures, provides a table-side view of the seabed.

Photo credit: Ivar Kvaal

Although head chef Nicolai Ellitsgaard veers away from green eggs and ham, his culinary focus is on sustainable wildlife capture, locally-sourced seasonal produce, and seafood, of course. So, the only question is: Could you, would you?

Photo credit: Stian Broch

Immersion menu starts at $265.

('You Might Also Like',)
Photography by Zachary Tang.

As spaces go, the atrium of Lucky Plaza is not a particularly welcoming one. The mall lighting is harsh, its tiles and pillars starkly white, making the overall effect one of aggressive brightness. There are no benches; its a space meant to discourage lingering, a place that people already on their way to someplace else pass through. But Bhing is telling me about the first time she stood waiting in this very spot, on a Sunday morning in December 1995.

I stood by the information counter to wait for my friend because I didnt know where to go, she says.

I even remember what I was wearing that day: shorts, which I had cut from a pair of pants, a t-shirt, and slippers. I had borrowed all of these from my sister.

It was Bhings first day off in the eight months since she arrived in Singapore. Like thousands of her fellow countrywomen, she had come to seek employment here as a domestic worker, leaving her three young childrenaged one, two, and four at the timein the care of her family back in Manila. When she was finally able to afford a day off (many domestic workers go with little or no pay for the first few months of their employment, so as to pay off thousands of dollars in agents fees), she went to the one place she knew all the Filipinos go.

But that was over two decades ago, and the woman standing in front of me is a far cry from the nervous 22-year-old in hand-me-downs, waiting for a friend to come get her. In fact, this Saturday afternoon, our positions are reversed: Im the newcomer, and shes here to take me around Lucky Plaza.

The very notion of needing someone to show you around a mall sounds absurd, but to enter Lucky Plaza is to enter a different world. For most, the name alone is inseparable from its association with the local Filipino community; to say the words Lucky Plaza is to mean Little Manila. Its a place most Singaporeans would rarely think to visit, other than as another place to eat at when in Orchard Road (and even then, this is limited to either the ayam penyet restaurants or the famous yong tau foo joint on the sixth floor).

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Its not the first time Ive been to the mall. I even worked in an office here very briefly, after my A Levels, but its the first time Ill be going around with a guide. This, as I will learn, makes all the difference.

The mall opened in 1981, just as Orchard Road was beginning its transformation into Singapores iconic shopping belt. Like its sister malls from that decade, Far East Plaza and Far East Shopping Centre, Lucky Plaza looks its age, from its matte grey-beige facade with the iconic yellow lettering to the cacophony of mismatched shopfronts: 7-11, Baleno, a sex shop. Next to newer, glossier neighbours like ION Orchard or Mandarin Gallery, with their sheen of dark glass and developer money, it is almost defiantly unlovely.

At its opening, however, the mall was among the first of its kind heremulti-storey and fully air-conditioned. When the Foreign Maid Scheme was introduced in 1978, there were around 5,000 foreign domestic workers in Singapore; by 1988, this number had swelled to 40,000.

Over the years, as more Filipino migrants of all ages and professionsmusicians and waiters, marketers and hotel concierges, nurses and Pilates instructorscame to make a living in Singapore, the malls money-changers and souvenir shops were replaced by outfits catering to the needs of the burgeoning community. In time, it became that communitys epicentre.

We start off with lunch at Mamitas Kitchen, a small restaurant tucked away in a corner of the second floor. Although its nearly 2:00 PM, all but one of the tables are taken.

The mall has several other Filipino eateries; the oldest, Kabayan Restaurant, has been open for decades, and has probably served every Pinoy on the island and then some, but Bhing insists this is the best. According to her, the food here tastes like home, like something my grandmother would cook. (Mamita is Tagalog for grandmother.)

$6 gets you rice with two dishes and a drink, so we order several plates to share. We get adobo, the vinegar-soy sauce concoction which is the Philippines unofficial national dish; menudo, a slightly sweet pork and tomato stew; monggo, a thick, savoury green bean soup that reminds me of porridge, and my personal favourite, kare-kare, a meat and vegetable stew thats been richly flavoured with peanuts. None of it is Instagrammable, but all of it is warming and delicious.

Over lunch, Bhing tells me a bit about her memories of the mall from the last two decades: singing in karaoke bars (now closed) with her friends, buying snacks in the shops. She doesnt come here as often now, finding it too crowded for her liking. But when she misses her father, its Mamitas menudo she turns to.

This is my fathers dish. Im not a very good cook, there are a lot of dishes I dont know how to make, she says, gesturing towards the kare-kare. But menudo is from my childhood. It reminds me of him.

Comfortably stuffed, we decide to walk off the impending food coma. As we wander, Bhing pointing out shops along the way, it becomes apparent that theres some kind of method to the madness. More than any other mall I can think of, theres a pattern to how the shops in Lucky Plaza are clustered, to the extent that the mall can be broken up into several zones.

The lower floors, which draw more tourist traffic, cater to this demographic. Most shops here sell souvenirs, clothes, and cheap electronics, and have a somewhat different feel from the rest of the mall. A corner of the first and second floors, however, is dominated by jewellers, selling mainly gold jewelry. Ive always found this strange, considering domestic worker salaries arent exactly high, so I ask Bhing about it.

Many Filipinos see gold as an investment, she explains. We keep it for our children or to pawn it if we need money.

In this vein, the jewelers have developed payment systems to cater to their customers limited means, with deposits starting from as low as $20, and the option of paying in instalments over several months, without interest. The customer gets their gold when everything is fully paid up.

The second and third floors have a more varied mix of tenants, but are also where most of the remittance agencies are located. Its a Saturday afternoon, so its fairly quiet, but Bhing tells me that the queues on Sundays can run for up to two hours.

Even with the advent of mobile bankingostensibly cheaper and more convenientmany women still prefer to come down to remit money at the agencies in person. Part of this is down to the latters large network of collection locations (so their families can access their cash within minutes of it being wired over), though to many women, its merely part of their regular Sunday routine. Going to remit money is an excuse to visit Lucky Plaza, not the other way around.

The fourth floor, meanwhile, is where most of the action seems to be at. Most of the shops on this floor are small businesses which cater specifically to Filipinos: a mix of hair and beauty salons, and mini-marts.

Prices at the salons are relatively affordable, with the bonus assurance of a stylist who shares your native language. Bhing tells me shes been coming to one particular salon for years to get her hair done, explaining that beauty standards in the Philippines favour straight hair and fair skin. Ive never gotten a manicure before, so I have no basis for comparison, but she recommends that I give Filipino manicurists a try.

Theyre very particular and will do a good job, she says.

Im more interested in the mini-marts, which sell all kinds of Filipino snacks and sundries, from papaya soap to salted tamarind candy. The spontaneous non-purposeful supermarket shopper in me could spend all day looking at snacks, and the aisles are piled high with interesting foreign foodsfrom chicharones and corn puffs to caramelly turon (spring roll skins filled with banana and fried) and kutsinta (steamed, lightly sweetened rice cakes). We even come across salted duck eggs, albeit dyed a deep fuschia.

Most, if not all, of these have a homesickness premium on them, costing two to three times what they normally would in the Philippines. Bhings favourite, a jar of Cheez-Wiz, is around $7; it would cost about $3 back in Manila. Having paid a truly embarrassing amount for roti prata in London, however, I know thats not always a successful disincentive. When the stomach aches for home, the wallet will obey.

To write about Lucky Plaza without talking about the place on a Sunday, however, would be to miss the point. When we come back the following afternoon, it is to a building transformed: the shops are the same, but the Saturday stillness has been replaced by chaos.

There are people everywhere you turn: sitting on the first-floor balcony, in the corridors, in the stairwells. Every available inch of floor space has been turned into a picnic spot, with women eating, tapping away at their phones, or just hanging out. There are barriers set up by the escalators to help manage the human traffic.

As I fight my way over to the lifts, I narrowly miss stepping on somebodys speakers (or lunch) several times. Im on my way up to meet Gilda, Ellen, Maribel, and Rufie, who have kindly agreed to take me around the mall on a Sunday, so I can get a sense of the place on the one day a week it really comes alive.

We start at the sixth floor and work our way down. The group catches me eyeing the bright red Jollibee storefrontthe famous fried chicken chain has two outlets in the building, one on this floor and the other in the basementand explains that they always celebrate birthdays there.

KFC and Popeyes and all are nice, but theyre just not the same, they tell me.

From there, we drop in at Sunshines Salon, run by Susan, a friend of the group. The hole-in-the-wall space can seat just one client at a timeSusan is the only employee and does everything herself, from perms to manicuresbut the battered black sofa at the front of the salon is open to anyone passing by.

Shes not strict, so she lets us bring food in, hang out here, chit-chat, says Gilda. A similar policy seems to apply to the tattoo parlour next door: the owner, Saldy, is busy working on a customer, but people are flitting in and out, talking and laughing. Everyone seems to know each other.

As we walk, Gilda and Ellenwho have been in Singapore for 26 and 30 years respectivelytalk me through changes in the mall over the decades. How the fourth floor used to be occupied by a hypermart called G.P, which contained everything from remittance services to a restaurant until it closed in the early 2000s. How Kabayan (the old restaurant) used to be favoured by seamen on their days off. How visitor numbers swelled after the mandatory day off legislation was passed in 2012.

How the ukay-ukay (secondhand clothes) shops sprang up over the last few years, as though transplanted straight from the malls in Manila, and how the queue when Jollibee first opened snaked all along the corridor into the vacant unit next door. How the Internet cafes bloomed with the dot-com bubble and disappeared as the world discovered smartphones and Wi-Fi. How that shop in the corner used to be called Ilo Ilo. How that old cafe is now gone.

The shops change, the tenants come and go, says Ellen. But the people who come here dont.

More than once, we find ourselves stopping randomly in the middle of the corridors to chat. At one point, we spend nearly 20 minutes talking in front of Leonardos, a bag shop on the third floor, prompting the owner, Ida, to come out and say hello. Although the group has never met her before, they gamely strike up conversation.

How long have you had your shop here? I ask.

Oh, about 30 years.

By 6:00 PM, we find ourselves standing outside a random mini-mart, munching on Boy Bawang corn puffs (chilli cheese flavour, Gildas favourite) and PeeWee BBQ crackers (Rufies recommendation). The group has been joined by another friend, Jo-Ann. As they discuss their dinner plans and we prepare to take a few last photos, I find myself thinking about Idas answer.

In the same place for 30 years.

How many shopkeepers can say the same today? How many buildings can we say the same of, for that matter?

The Orchard Road of today looks almost nothing like the one of my childhood. The old Borders at Wheelock Place is gone, as is the Planet Hollywood at Liat Towers, and the John Little somewhere on the Somerset stretch. I barely recall what used to sit on the sites of ION Orchard or 313 or the Apple store, though these are all less than 10 years old.

That I cant remember these bothers me, as though I, too, suffer from the amnesia that drives so much of our countrys development ethos. Nor is the irony lost on me: that a migrant community, which in law and practice is regarded as fundamentally transient, has nonetheless built something so enduring in a city addicted to making itself over.

When I first pitched this story, I thought Id be writing about the significance of Lucky Plaza to the local Filipino community. I realise now that that wasnt quite right: Lucky Plaza is the local Filipino community. Its woven into who they are and how they live here, in the way the spaces we inhabit make us, too.

Ray Oldernburg, the American sociologist, has written about how informal public gathering spaces are vital to community life. Our homes and workplaces, the private spaces where we spend most of our time, are what he calls first and second places. The third place, by contrast, hosts the regular, voluntary, informal, and happily anticipated gatherings of individuals beyond the realms of home and work  it promotes social equity by leveling the status of guests, provid[es] a setting for grassroots politics, creat[es] habits of public association, and offer[s] psychological support to individuals and communities.

Lucky Plaza is such a third place to the local Filipino community. Its the core from which all activity spirals out; its where you go whether youre 23 and newly arrived and desperately homesick, or 61 and thinking of retiring soon, and just want some really good fried chicken. Its where youll find people who know where you come from, whose lilting accent is your own; the bridge between the home you chose and the one you left behind, the space you might find yourself loving less over time (the noise, the crowds) but cant help but be drawn back to anyway.

In a place where migrant workers are so often invisible, in which they are often excluded from public spaces and reminded daily of their otherness, this shabby, noisy, homely mall is theirs.

By late evening, the mall has the atmosphere of a party winding down. The floor is sticky with black footprints, discarded napkins, and other detritus from the corridor picnics. The crowds have largely thinned out save for a few stragglers, not ready to leave just yet. (The Jollibee outlet in the basement, however, is still packed to the brim. There isnt a free seat in sight.)

Im standing at the first-floor balcony, watching the crowds beneath me make their way to dinner. From my vantage point, everyone else looks to be on their way to someplace else; in a few minutes Ill be along too, pulled along reluctantly into the next week.

For now, though, Im here, on the border of the world Ive just spent the last few hours in, looking out at the one Ill be walking back to. The lights behind me are still on.

Did you enjoy this story? Tell us at community@ricemedia.co.

The post Lucky Plaza, Through the Eyes of Filipinos Who Know It Best appeared first on RICE.
Luxury watchmakers have joined the list of businesses implementing Brexit contingency plans by stockpiling inventory in Britain before it leaves the EU, industry leaders said.

Brands are seeking to guard against "practical problems" that may emerge, including new customs procedures or import backlogs following Brexit, the head of the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry, Jean-Daniel Pasche, told AFP at the Baselworld watch fair, which wrapped up this week.

Statistics released by the federation this month showed that imports to Britain were up 58 percent in February, on top of a 24 percent increase in January.

Oris, a luxury watchmaker that opened a store in London's Mayfair area last year, said it does not normally keep inventory in Britain, preferring to ship pieces to retailers to fill specific orders.

But Oris chief executive Rolf Studer said the company had boosted its British stocks.

"Nobody really knows what will happen, so we took precautions," he told AFP.

Non-EU member Switzerland and Britain have already signed a pact to preserve future trade relations, including provisions to ensure trade continuity if the UK leaves the bloc without a divorce deal.

That bilateral agreement should ensure that watches imported directly to Britain by plane face no new restrictions, Pasche noted.

But any goods travelling by road will have to pass through the EU and could therefore be held up by long queues at the British border, he said.

Aside from possible import delays, Pasche highlighted another reason why watchmakers want to ensure that London retailers are well-stocked.

If the British pound loses value, that could trigger a post-Brexit buying spree, with high-end shoppers notably in London seeking to benefit from favourable exchange rates, he said.

When the pound's value fell after Britons voted to leave the European Union in 2016, luxury watch retailers saw a surge in sales among tourists, especially from Asia.

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The chief executive of iconic watchmaker Hublot, Ricardo Guadalupe, told AFP that his company has also increased its British-based inventory, describing London as "the locomotive" for the watch business.

- Yellow vest effect -

Watch firms said the importance of limiting disruptions in London has become all the more vital because of setbacks in Paris caused by the "yellow vest" protesters who have staged weekly demonstrations around France since mid-November.

Hublot's shop at Place Vendome in central Paris has remained closed on Saturdays as demonstrators have taken to the streets over the falling spending-power of the working poor.

Guadalupe noted that traffic in Paris shops has "fallen drastically" amid the demonstrations.

Earlier this month, 91 shops including luxury outlets Bulgari were damaged, burned or looted on the famed Champs-Elysees avenue.

Bulgari's managing director Jean-Christophe Babin said in Basel that the company's employees on the Champs-Elysees had faced "permanent insecurity."

"For our teams, it is extremely stressful," he said.

There are concerns that tourism numbers to France could fall because of the protests, which began over fuel taxes but then snowballed into a revolt against the governing style and policies of President Emmanuel Macron.

Because luxury watch sales are heavily dependent on tourist traffic, most analysts expect watch imports to France to fall sharply over the course of the year.
Photo credit: Universal Pictures

From Esquire

At it's heart Us is a treasure trove for fans of horror, of movies, and of pop culture in general. Nearly every scene is filled with Easter Eggs for fans to discover. Hell, before the movie even came out someone noticed that Jordan Peele was actually dressing like Jack Torrance from The Shining during interviews.

Nearly a week after its release, fans are still coming up with some pretty interesting theories about Peele's dense horror film. Now that we've unpacked Hands Across America, and the rabbits, and Jeremiah 11:11, and "I Got Five On It" we can move into some more out there theories like this one: Michael Myers is a Tethered.

It's crazy, but it's a pretty fun connection, when you look at some of the details. Let's first look at some of the direct references to Halloween in Us. The two most obvious references are the red coveralls worn by the Tethered, which mirrors what Myers wears in the film. Plus, all the creepy masks in Us do recall the iconic mask worn by the Halloween murderer.



But Peele has also referenced Halloween a few times while talking about his movie. For example, in his Anatomy of a Scene breakdown of when the Tethered first arrive, Peele says: "One of the things that really inspired me was one of the scenes in Halloween when Michael Myers has the ghost sheet over him and no matter how many questions he's asked he just doesn't respond. The less response you get the more impending the threat gets."

In another instance, when talking about the rabbits, he explains them as: "Rabbits they're supposed to be cute. On paper they're adorable, lovable rabbits," Peele said in a red carpet interview. "Have you ever gotten close to a rabbit? You can tell in their eyes that they have a sociopath. If you put a rabbit brain in a human body, you have Michael Myers. They have no empathy."

In other words, Peele absolutely had Halloween on the brain when making this movie. Now, let's get into this theory, as posed by one Reddit user:

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In 1963, Michael Myers came home from trick r treating, went into the kitchen grabbed a huge butcher knife and then proceeded upstairs to stab his older sister Judith to death...During the kill, he made sure to put on a mask (as he would later in life as an escape mental patient/serial killer) and did not speak a word...In fact, Michael never speaks...the most we get from him are grunts, but no discernible language...Much like the the Tethered.

Okay, that's all accurate. One of the brilliant things about Myers as a character was that his motives were unclear-much like the attack on the Tyler family in Us.

The theory continues:

Well, my theory is that if one were to interlink the plots of the two films, Michael got replaced by his clone at some point in the night just before the prologue of Halloween... The murderous tendencies, the silence, and the random "evilness" of it all fits the bill...Even better, the introduction to US mentions thousands and thousands of miles of unused tunnels with no known purpose...Well, in Halloween Resurrection, it is revealed that there is a huge catacomb-like tunnel system running directly underneath the Myers house and that it links to the home's basement... That means, that the real Michael Myers got swapped like Adelaide and has been trapped for almost 60 years among people he can't communicate with and who are envious of the former life he used to have...

Again, likely another coincidence, but a really fun way to think about how these two movies are connected. This theory also requires you to suspend disbelief and not think too hard about the 2018 Halloween, which erases all the original sequels from canon.

The theory also notes a few smaller, but cool, connections. For example, Dr. Loomis tracks Myers using a box of matches from a company called "Rabbit in Red." Also, "Dr. Loomis describes Michael as having a blank, pale emotionless face...It's as though he doesn't have a soul...Just like the tethered.."

Obviously, I'm not taking this as fact, but it is an interesting way to think about the movie and connect Peele's film with the greater history of the horror genre. It's also a testament to the elasticity of Peele's filmmaking that fans can really dig in and draw such strong connections with his art. And it's only been one week. Certainly more insane theories are yet to be discovered.

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This week, Slate published a special five-episode mini-season of the Working podcast about second actorspeople who have made a dramatic career pivot at some point in their work lives. Patty Stonesifer talked with June Thomas about her career path from senior vice president at Microsoft, to running the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to serving as president and CEO of Marthas Table, a small D.C. nonprofit.

Their conversation, which is excerpted below, has been lightly edited for clarity.

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Listen to the whole conversation below or get the show via Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, Stitcher, or Google Play.

June Thomas: Youve had many more than two acts. Could you outline the various stages of your career?

Patty Stonesifer: I zigzagged quite a bit in my career, or multiple careers. I started out dropping out of college and needed to find work that would allow me to put my husband, who I met in college, through school. I became a technical writer at that time. The technical writing was always about this new computing that was going on, and it turned out that I had a real flair for it, and I moved from technical writing to training right away and spent the next 20 years riding the line between those who are creating new technologies and those who are consuming new technologies. I spent almost a decade at Microsoft. That was the last stop on my 20-year career in technology.

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At the end of that time, I was 40, I had had more success than I ever thought, and I knew it was time to rethink what I wanted to do next. At my going-away party, Bill Gates mentioned that he wanted to talk about this philanthropy that he and Melinda were beginning to expand. They had been doing it with their dad out of his house and their kitchen table, and so a few months later, I started the Gates Library Foundation. A year after that, we created the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, with Bills dad and myself partnered as the day-to-day leadership of this wonderful new philanthropic endeavor. I did that for another decade plus, and then as Bill Gates exited Microsoft, I exited the foundation, which I had loved and built. It was a logical time for me to transition, and I came to the nonprofit world, which is where I am today finishing my third career, which Ill retire from later this year.

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When you first went to Microsoft, you were working as the editor in chief of a computer book publisher in Indianapolis. Do you ever think how different your life had been if you hadnt applied for or hadnt gotten that job at Microsoft?

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As of yet, there have been very few jobs Ive ever applied for. They were on a hunt for grown-ups, and at 30 years old, I was considered a grown-up in the technology field.

Microsoft had a book publishing one called Microsoft Press, and so they called and asked whether I would consider joining them. Id been writing books and editing books about Microsoft products. I had two young children, and Seattle looked fantastic. (They must have caught me on a wintry day in Indianapolis.) It seemed like it would be a place to continue my belief that this new microcomputer technology could expand access to technology for so many people. It was also a company that was willing to take risks and try new thingsit really fit the entrepreneurial spirit that Id developed at this small book publisher. It seems like a big leap, but it looked to me like a great family choice and a great career choice. I had no idea that Microsoft would end up being the No. 1 player in all of these categories. I dont think that any of us really understood how rapidly that would happen at that point.

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What kind of work did you do at Microsoft?

I did so many different jobs, and that was one reason that it was such a wonderful experience and that I extended it for a whole decade. I came in to run Microsoft Press, so I did pretty much the job Id been doing in Indianapolis: identifying opportunities for books, finding writers, reviewing manuscripts, and working with the publishing sector to make sure those books got out and got sold. It was very typical of a computer book publisher, which is the organization Id left in Indianapolis. But very shortly after I got there, within the first year, I went to a Microsoft leadership retreat, where they would pick young leaders from across the company and take them on a retreat with the top honchos, which were, of course, at that moment all men and all very technical.

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At that retreat they would take on three or four big questions that were similar to three or four big questions the executives themselves were grappling with. They identified that they should grab me out of book publishing and start moving me around the company. Within a few weeks, I was in Microsoft International Division, and within a month, I was running Microsoft Canada and moved to Canada to run the subsidiary there. I learned about all aspects of Microsoft, having been very focused on the computer book business, learning all of it very rapidly as well as all the customers and just continued from there. My very last job was as the senior vice president of what was then called the Interactive Media Division, and the shorthand I tell people is that if you had a lot of fun using a Microsoft product, that was one of mine.

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It was the internet products, the mouse and the keyboard and the joystick, and it was also Publisher and Expedia and other products that were designed to be used by the consumer to further enhance their livesnot necessarily their business, but their lives. I got to be there at the launch of Encarta, at the beginning of a whole range of new businesses, some of which made it and some of which are in very different forms. The one that Im most excited about was Slate, because not only was that part of the portfolio of products that was in my division, but thats where I met my husband, Mike Kinsley, who came to Microsoft with this idea that political and cultural commentary could be taken to a new level online. I met him in his interview loop, and the rest is our personal history.

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Do you remember what it was that you said at that retreat that got everyones attention?

I do. One of the scenarios was: Theres a great recession and suddenly people are spending less, and our retailers dont have the cash to buy more software and are in an unbelievable pinch. What do we do in this recession? Most of the people said, we hunker down, we cut costs, we do X and Y. We had a good cash balance, and my belief was that if you look at history, recessions dont last forever. We should extend credit to the retailers. We should make sure to push forward with the developments that we were on. Basically, I said we could hold our breath longer than anyone else. Holding your breath during a period of want, of recession, and doing the work you were focused on doingat the end of the recession, you could come out much, much stronger. Just the idea that I was both a risk-taker but had a plan behind it got a lot of attention that I guess it was unusual. But coming from a more entrepreneurial background, it was logical to me that you would say, Were already a risk business, you take this risk.

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Thats a useful reminder never to get too hungover at a retreat, to bring your A-game.

Well, I was going to stand out anyway because there were only two women at the whole retreat. You go into that knowing theyre going to notice, but its a matter of what they notice.

Im very curious what kind of hours you were working by the end of your first career as it were at Microsoft? We tend to think of tech companies being places that demand very long hours, obviously, being in the executive team is also incredibly demanding. As you said, you had two kids at this time. How was the workload? And Im curious how that has evolved over the course of your careers.

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Ive always been somebody with a very strong inclination to work. I love work, I love being productive, I love making a contribution. I also love my family, and at that time, there was a lot of discussion about life balance, and there were these pictures of this wonderful array of life balance things. I always said I didnt have a wheel, I had a teeter totter, I had family and work. So I concentrated heavily on both of those, family and work, and it was a very rich experience. I didnt develop much in my other areas, I wasnt out pursuing music or theater or spiritual life or many of the other things I neglected during that period, but I had a very rich work life and a very rich family life.

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Thankfully, I was not carrying an email device on my hip at that time, that wasnt yet a factor. We all logged in at night and did a lot of work after the kids were in bed, but I worked a fairly reasonable schedule. I had to travel a bit because, of course, I was selling products as well as building products, and I had to represent the work around the country and around the world. But for the most part, I would work a good nine- or 10-hour day, go home, have the evening with the family, and then log back on to the clunky computers of the day in the evening. Today, I think, young family leaders have it more difficult, and that the presumption of being always on is very real. There really was a bloc in the evening where I knew things might be piling up, but I could get to them later and they werent beeping or chirping on my hip.

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OK, so it was time to leave Microsoft. As you mentioned earlier, you were approached by Bill Gates, but didnt this seem like this was just going to be a continuation of Microsoft? What was different about the foundation that made you think that this was the change that you wanted to make?

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Well, I always saw the work that we were doing at Microsoft as this liberation of technology, access to knowledge for all, especially the work we were able to do in the Interactive Media Division. You didnt have to buy the Economist to get the quality of writing of the Economist, you could log on to Slate. You didnt have to afford Encyclopedia Britannica, you could afford Encarta. Eventually, of course, you didnt have to pay anything for Wikipedia. I believe this liberation of the knowledge that we were holding, and the technology that we were holding, was very important. The day that I announced my departure, my colleagues from DreamWorks called and asked me to join them. We had done a joint venture with DreamWorks, and when Jeffrey Katzenberg and Steven Spielberg and David Geffen are on the phone and say, Look, you want to come work with us, you say yes.

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So on the very day that it became public that I was leaving Microsoft, I said yes to DreamWorks to go and help them with an interesting new animated film venture that they were investing in and building up. It was at my going-away party, which was some weeks afterward, that I first began the discussion with Bill and Melinda that caused me to pull away from DreamWorks very shortly after I started there. What I heard from Bill and from Melinda was they were committed to those same reasons that I was so excited about the work of Microsoft and the work of technology, which is that they had seen that public libraries could be a bridge to access to all of this knowledge for all. But the public libraries were behind, they didnt have the technology, they didnt have the connections, they didnt have the resources, and they certainly didnt have the technical expertise to join the internet era.

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When I asked Bill, Well, how many do you want to do? He said, Well, I dont know, maybe 5,000. I said, What if we did all of the public libraries? He said, In the United States or around the world? That answer drew me to them, because I realized that the scale of their resources, their values were aligned with mine, but the scale of their resources allowed him to say just in the United States or around the entire world. That is a beautiful, beautiful asset they bring to their work, which is they can think very big in the box or out of the box, and that opportunity to help them script that, to design that, to bring the talent together, to do that. Whether it was with attaching computers and access to the internet to rural libraries in Alabama, or ultimately, if it was bringing much needed vaccines to rural areas in India and Africa and beyond. That was appealing to me, that alignment of social justice and increased knowledge, and combined with their resources that could really be transformative. Who wouldnt say yes?

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I signed on as a volunteer because I wanted to help them realize their vision, but I didnt want to go back to the same relationship that I had reporting to Bill in the traditional fashion that I had at Microsoft. Luckily, my time at Microsoft had given me enough personal resources that I could design a job that had no income and do that with no regrets.

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Was taking the money (or not) really that significant? Did it really change the nature of the relationship with your employers?

Well, well go backward and say with Microsoft, I dont think it made any difference at all, I made my money there. At Marthas Table, I am a donor to Marthas Table. Thats how I knew about Marthas Table, I had been giving money to Marthas Table, and it didnt make a lot of sense to take money from Marthas Table and turn around and give it back to Marthas Table. Because then the government got part of the money in the process, and it just wasnt necessary. At the foundation, it was really quite different, I wanted it to be a very, very clear signal that I was doing this for my friends Bill and Melinda Gates and that I was doing it as a friend and a colleague, not as a paid CEO. Did it change the dynamic? Maybe only in my head, but we were partners.

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Of course, the resources came from Bills founding of Microsoft, but in the day-to-day leadership that I was doing, I really felt like I was a part of a family foundation structure with Bill Gates Sr. sitting 10 feet from meand Melinda and Bill weighing in constantly on our priorities and our activities. It was a family foundation from the start, and I chose to more closely become part of that family for a period than a traditional leadership role.

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In having conversations with second actors, in many cases, the challenges of making a switch revolve around losing an income. It puts stress on the family or even just on the person making the career switch. If you take money away from the challenges, what was your pain point in these transformations?

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I dont know if youd call it pain point, but one of the disciplines I needed to employ was trying to figure out what was my own ambition for the use of this biggest gift I had, which was the time that I remained on this earth. That was always this teeter-totter between family and the priorities of family and being a productive member of society through work, through both pursuit of social justice and education priorities. The discipline for me was dont take the job that people will think of as cool, as sexy, as wonderful, take the job that you get up in the morning and you can bounce into work because youre so pleased with your ability to utilize that time. It is absolutely the case that if you take a look at how to plan out the best career, it is what can you be really great at? What are you really passionate about, and what drives your resource engine?

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I steal that a bit from Jim Collin in Good to Greatthats how he thinks corporations and nonprofits should design their own corporate strategy. But I believe thats how you should design your personal strategy. What can you be really great at, maybe even the best in the world at? What really drives your passions? And then what do you need as a resource engine? If the answer to the first two lands you with kindergarten children, then your resource engine needs to be appropriately designed to where that constant misalignment of resources, where youre not going to get paid very much as a kindergarten teacher, is not going to get in the way and cause that flywheel to go clump, clump, clump. Youre going to have to organize your life around that size of a resource engine. Well, that issue was taken away from me, so I really got to say what can I be best in the world at? What drives my passion? Not, say, what job would it be really cool to call my mother and tell her I got?

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There were quite a few job offers and inquiries that came through that were very, very cool jobs to have on your Wikipedia page, to call your mother and tell her about. But I constantly put myself in the situation of saying: Its 8 oclock, youre walking out the door to work, are you skipping? Is it the work you really want to spend the rest of the day on? Ive been very, very lucky that my time at the foundation, at my time at Marthas Table, in my work with the Smithsonian, and at my time at Microsoft to love the days that I had. I think thats the most important question of all: Do you feel like that you are utilizing what you have in a way that makes you happy, as well as delivers the productivity that all of us want to see in our efforts?
Broad Citys perpetual summer ended last season with an episode called Witches, in which Abbi (Abbi Jacobson) found her first gray hair and Ilana (Ilana Glazer) discovered that Donald Trump and her seasonal depression had conspired to secure an inescapable black cloud over her head. One of the best installments the Comedy Central series has ever produced, Witches heralded a new chapter for the best friends, who found themselves nearing 30 and ready to trade some of their carefreeness and spontaneity for a greater sense of authority and purpose. In other words, Abbi and Ilana started getting older. No one flails with more charm and cheer than this twosome, but the shows recent explorations of aging, political despair, and the unexpected complications within Abbi and Ilanas friendship have merged into a lovely farewell for this groundbreaking comedy.

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When it premiered in 2014, Broad City was notable for its agreeably low stakes. Episodes revolved around picking up a package at a shipping warehouse or sucking at being a dog walker, and Abbi and Ilana treated New York like kids playing conquerors. As Glazer and Jacobson noted, each half-hour took place within a day; for their characters, tomorrow was a foreign concept. That emphasis on good times and awesome experiences offered a different model of feminist possibility, one in which young (white, middle-class) womanhood could be as adventurous, ebullient, and consequence-free as male existence.

But wheres the line between being carefree and being a loser? Abbi cant see it, and the fear that she may have already crossed it haunts her in Broad Citys current season. Many of us who graduated from college with vague artistic aspirations can probably sympathize, rather painfully, with her delusional hope that working occasionally on ones craft can turn into a full-time career, as well as with her justified anxiety that her creative self might gradually fade away to nothingness. After watching her peers find success and being dumped for not being enough of an adult by a new love interest (Clea DuVall), Abbi, now 30, applies to an artists residency in Colorado, a decision that affirms the lesson of Witches: Growing older can mean coming into your power. And while Abbi, three years older, is the more drastic-minded of the two friends, Ilana also finally channels her ambitious side by launching her own business (for phone wigs, as in a matching do for ones cell) and embarking on a grad program in clinical psychology after struggling with her own mental health since Trumps inauguration.

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Broad City has never been apolitical, but Season 5 has neatly plaited its characters newfound dissatisfactions with their 20s lifestyle with subtle social critique. The current season has landed punches on targets as diverse as Bitcoin, WeWork, social media, and the condo-ification of New Yorkthe agglomeration of which explains, indirectly, the mass exodus of Ilanas brother, boyfriend, roommate, and now best friend. Theres little of the New Yorks over now hipster elitism that so many farewells to the metropolis invoke; any young people who want to treat it like their playground are welcome to do so. But for a show so obsessed with bodily fluids and excretions, it feels honest to acknowledge that, at a certain point, you cant view playgrounds as anything but a cesspool of germs and questionable substances.

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Abbi and Ilanas friendship has remained the gooey core of Broad City, its tenderness contrasting deliciously with the shows waist-deep dives into the grotesque. But their friendship has always felt realer when its darker undertones are allowed to emerge, as when Abbi plays up her most obnoxious qualities when posing as Ilana at a food co-op in Season 3, or when Ilana thinks Abbis lying about training Shania Twain in Season 4. Ilanas unrequited horniness for her bestie, in particular, has proved a signature accomplishment for the seriesa candid observation of how platonic love sometimes transmutes into erotic desire, and how friendships can feel restrictive when theres no established physical custom through which to demonstrate affection. The latter half of the final season fortunately leans hard into exposing how codependence has limited the friends, even while celebrating their bond. I could do this with you forever, Abbi tells Ilana, genuinely and heartbreakingly, in the excellent Sleep No More, in which the wannabe artist reluctantly breaks the news of her imminent move to Colorado. But to stay unchanged would mean missing out on a lot of other things she wants to dothings she cant do with even her best friend.

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Seasons 4 and 5 admittedly havent been Broad Citys funniest; the show, still one of the wittiest and most inventive on TV, no longer seems to defy gravity. (Theres a reason most comedies peak by Season 3 and rarely retain their freshness thereafter.) But watching Abbi and Ilana grow up has been a moving and surprising treatand in retrospect, a necessary chapter that made the characters more relatable and fully fleshed-out. It was their itchy youths that made us fall in love with Broad City, but its also been a bittersweet delight watching Abbi and Ilana evolve.
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The sponge sitting right by your kitchen sink is its very own ecosystem filled with bacteria, some good and some less-good, especially for people with weaker immune systems. And a study that went viral after being published earlier this month says theres pretty much nothing you can do about it. The old stick your sponge in the microwave trick doesnt work. Cleaning it in bleach and soap has to happen every three (!) days to be beneficial. At the end of it all, the studys writers recommended the not-quite-helpful tip to just cut your losses and throw out your sponges once a week. But there must be some better long-lasting alternatives, we thought. So we reached out to Solveig Langsrud, a senior scientist at Nofima in Norway who studies microbial communities in food production and preparation to improve food quality and safety. Shes also coordinating a project called SafeConsume with partners from 14 countries across Europe, with the goal of helping consumers prepare food safer. Below, Langsruds tips on the tools to use and practices to follow to mitigate the bacteria in your kitchen.

Brushes

Before giving the full breakdown on brushes, Langsrud makes sure to mention that no one has actually compared brushes to sponges in a peer-reviewed scientific study, so its hard to give science-backed advice here. But, we have only to use common sense, she says. The advantage with brushes is that you dont need to have your hands in warm water, so we can use higher temperatures than we can with sponges. You dont get bacteria from the brush onto your hands. Its also easier to clean afterward. You can just throw it into the dishwashing machine. She adds that the disadvantage is that the food debris can be harder to remove from bristles, which is necessary before you put it in the dishwasher, and theyre also a bit more expensive. Still, everyone in Norway uses them, whereas sponges are much less common.

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Casabella Loop 3-Piece Dish Brush Set

Heres a three-piece set for all different kinds of kitchen items and surfaces.

Ikea Plastis Dishwashing Brush

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A highly rated Ikea version of a similar three-piece set.

OXO Good Grips Soap Dispensing Palm Brush

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A small OXO brush with an easy grip.

Caldrea Dishwashing Brush

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Or a more handsome wood option (but as youll see below, make sure to not dip the wood part into any meat juices).

Dish Towels

For wiping tables, use a cloth instead of a sponge, Langsrud recommends. But how to pick a cloth? You want to chose one that will dry fast, so not a thick cotton one. As a general note, she adds that its always better to choose kitchen products that dry fast because most bacteria cant tolerate drying. They die during the drying process, so if you dont want to use disinfectants, we think that drying can be just as effective. About 99 percent of bacteria can be killed simply by hanging anything out to dry. To clean these dish rags, Langsrud recommends use a washing machine set at least to 140 degrees with a cleaning agent that contains bleach.

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Real Simple Microfiber Kitchen Towels

Thin, microfiber, waffle-weave dishcloths like these dry quickly. This particular style also doesnt create lint, making it great for wiping down glassware.

Super Absorbent, Quick-Drying Kitchen Dish Cloths

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Another quick-drying, gridded option loved by Amazon reviewers.

Bondre Non-Stick Oil Lightweight Bamboo Fiber Wash Towels

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Or try bamboo.

Zwipes 735 Microfiber Towel Cleaning Cloths

For countertops, these microfiber towels barely need any water or wetting agent to pick up lots of dust and dirt. Ideal.

Disposable Paper Towels and Wipes

Specifically, when it comes to cleaning up fresh meat and poultry juices, dirt from vegetables, pet bowls, and vomit, Langsrud says to use paper or wipes that youll throw out right after use (you could, in theory, also use a sponge as long as you throw it out right after, though its very wasteful, obviously). She says, Cloth or sponge and detergent will remove bacteria equally as well as spray and paper or wipes. However, using paper or wipes will not contaminate the surfaces as a cloth or sponge may do, and are safer choices.

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Bounty Select-a-Size Paper Towels, White

A whole bunch of thick, absorbent paper towels.

Clorox Disinfecting Wipes Value Pack

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Use these disinfecting wipes on countertops and anywhere else meat juices might spill.

Sponges

If sponges are still your preferred method, there are still ways to make it work. Sponges are very low-cost, Langsrud says. If its cheap, you can throw it away and just use another. You wouldnt do that with brushes. Another preventative measure is to designate your sponges for different items or purposes, so youll have one for meat, one for dishes, and one for countertops. That way, the bacteria isnt being transferred across every surface the sponge touches. As for cleaning sponges, she recommends removing all visible dirt before either washing them in the dishwasher or soaking them in a bleach solution (a teaspoon of bleach per quart of water should work) and doing this every third day. Otherwise, you can just throw them out and replace them every week.

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Mr. Siga Heavy Duty Scrub Sponge

A lot of sponges for just 50 cents each, so you wont feel bad for throwing them away.

Scrub Daddy 3-Count Scrub Mommy Sponges

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If youre designating your sponges for different tasks, we recommend the Scrub Mommy, which works for both fragile glass and caked-on grease, thanks to a technology that allows it to get soft in warm water and hard like steel wool in cold water.

Drying Rack

It is perhaps most important to make sure to dry dishes, towels, and every other thing in your kitchen after using and washing it. As mentioned above, this goes further than just rinsing and wiping away bacteria, to actually killing it, Someone has studied this, and air-drying on racks will kill more bacteria than using a cloth to wipe away the water, Langsrud says. She recommends something like a metal drying rack.

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Deluxe Chrome-Plated Steel 2-Tier Dish Rack With Drainboard and Cutlery Cup

If you have the counter space, this drying rack carries everything youll need in one place.

Bonus Tip

Ive also read articles where they compared wood chopping boards with plastic or stainless-steel ones, and they had a lot of problems with removing bacteria from wood, Langsrud says. Not just for chopping, but kitchen surfaces in general. Steel, plastic, or marble will always be better than wood.

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Bellissima Kitchen 3-Piece Plastic Cutting Board Set

A plastic cutting board.

16-Inch x 20-Inch Glass Cutting Board

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An easy-to-clean glass board to put over any other harder-to-clean surfaces.

Marble 16-Inch x 20-Inch Pastry Board

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Marble: trendy and functional.

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The ritual was customary: Pope Francis visited an Italian shrine on Monday, and afterward greeted worshippers who waited in line to meet him. This time, however, the reception went viral. A 30-second clip captured the pope cheerfully flicking his right hand away as some supplicants attempted to kneel and kiss the ring there.

To the untrained eye, this behavior was at worst gently strange, and at best illustrated Francis unfussy approach to his office. This is a man who seems much more comfortable kissing other peoples feet (including inmates and refugees) than receiving their supplication. The Daily Show set the clip to a bleep-bloopy soundtrack, turning it into a video game call Kiss the Ring:

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Pope Francis wants to stay humble, but can you *KISS THE RING*? pic.twitter.com/LcgsmlTQau  The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) March 27, 2019

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Everyone was having fun! Everyone, that is, except some traditionalist Catholics. Francis critics saw the gesture as a symbol of disrespect toward the office he holds. Matthew Schmitz, a columnist at the Catholic Herald, lamented that Francis was embarrass[ing] the faithful in the name of humility. Others took it as a rejection or rudeness. The conservative LifeSite called the clip disturbing, noting that the pope seems perfectly comfortable with expressions of personal devotion like selfies and hugs.

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When a two-hour-long video capturing the popes full visit to the shrine emergedand showed the pope had allowed some visitors to kiss the ringit was analyzed like a Vatican version of the Zapruder film. At the 50:50 mark, Pope Francis can be seen greeting priests and men and women religious, whom he allows to kiss his papal ring, LifeSite wrote in an addendum to its initial post. The Holy Father then begins to greet Catholic laity and begins pulling his hand away at 1:00:57.

The pope received his visitors warmly even if he seemed to reject this particular small gesture. Why did this tiny change in protocol read so offensively to people already skeptical of his orthodoxy? For one, because they took it as another example in what they view as a long line of attempts to discard tradition. Kissing a bishops ring was a commonplace sign of reverence until the mid-20th century, according to this explainer from America magazine. A bishops ring symbolizes his marriage to the diocese he oversees; as bishop of Rome, the pope wears a ring representing both his leadership and service of the church as a whole.

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The video has been analyzed like a Vatican version of the Zapruder film.

But the gesture has origins in medieval European monarchies and over time has come to seem uncomfortably  royal. Pope Benedict XVIrevered by the same crowd that detests Francistried to end the practice of kissing the popes hand, though no one followed the new protocol, he lamented to journalist Peter Seewald in his 2010 book Light of the World.

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Francis, meanwhile, has blamed the Catholic Churchs ongoing sex-abuse crisis in part on an inappropriate deference to hierarchical authority. To say no to abuse is to say an emphatic no to all forms of clericalism, as he put it last summer. He has also promoted a culture of encounter whose emphasis on dialogue and equality is at odds with the kind of one-way reverence suggested by the ritual ring-kiss. This is the same pope, after all, who chose to live in a guesthouse rather than in the formal Apostolic Palace.

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As is so often the case, those hoping for clarity from Francis were left waiting. But the clip portended neither the destruction of Catholic tradition nor the announcement of a radically egalitarian future. The Vatican first told journalists that the pope sometimes accedes to the custom, and sometimes does not. On Wednesday, he was photographed allowing nuns and priests to kiss his ring at a smaller reception in St. Peters Square. And on Thursday, a spokesman offered an even simpler explanation: The Holy Father told me that the motivation was very simple: hygiene, Alessandro Gisotti said. He wants to avoid the risk of contagion for the people, not for him. It may have worked to stop the spread of actual germs. But the moment itself was too viral to contain.
Karin Immergut, Donald Trumps nominee to the federal district court in Oregon, is popular among Democrats and Republicans. Oregons two Democratic senators strongly endorsed her, and the Senate Judiciary Committee approved her nomination unanimously in February. The Senate will likely confirm her in the coming weeks without objection. This widespread support for Immergut makes sense given her obvious qualifications and well-regarded service as a circuit court judge in Oregon. But it is surprising that no senator has expressed concern over her involvement in Kenneth Starrs investigation into Bill Clintons affair with Monica Lewinsky. As a prosecutor with the special counsel, Immergut asked Lewinsky notoriously invasive questions about her sexual encounters with the presidentthen, according to Starr, insisted that the explicit answers be included in the Starr report.

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In 1998, Immergut took leave from the Multnomah County District Attorneys Office, where shed worked for two years, to join Starrs probe. On Aug. 26, Immergut and her colleague Mary Anne Wirth conducted a now-notorious deposition of Lewinsky, whom Starr had threatened with 27 years in prison if she failed to cooperate. Immergut and Wirth explained that she would ask about private encounters with Clinton because she was eager to get into some more detail about their physical intimacy. They then interrogated Lewinsky about their sexual dalliances. This is embarrassing, Lewinsky said early on, but Immergut and Wirth pressed forward. Here is one of the most infamous portions of the transcript:

Q: Did he touch your genital area at all that day? A: Yes. We movedI believe he took a phone call in his office, and so we moved from the hallway into the back office, and the lights were off. And at that point, he, he put his hand down my pants and stimulated me manually in the genital area. Q: And did he bring you to orgasm? A: Yes, he did. Q: Back to the touching of your breasts for a minute, was that then through clothing or actually directly onto your skin? A: He touched my breasts through clothing, being my bra, and then also without my bra on. Q: On that occasion, did you perform oral sex on the President? A: Yes. Q: Who actually initiated your performing oral sex? A: I did. Q: Was the President wearing pants? A: Yes, he was. Q: Who unzipped his pants? A: I believe I went to go unbutton his pants and I had trouble. So, he did that. So, but Q: So, you started it? A: If I remember correctly. Q: And he helped complete opening his pants? A: Yes.

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Starr, Immergut, and their colleagues have since defended these questions by noting that the perjury charge against Clinton rested on the definition of sexual relations. Clinton took a very narrow view of that concept, and Starrs team hoped to prove that, no matter how sexual relations are defined, Clinton and Lewinsky engaged in them. But that theory does not justify Immerguts most graphic questionsfor instance, her query about Lewinskys orgasm. Nor does it explain why this humiliating deposition was included in the report. In his 2018 book Contempt, Starr asserted that Immergut and Wirth insisted upon the depositions inclusion. Immergut disputed that allegation in her Senate Judiciary Committee questionnaire, writing:

I do not recall that I personally insisted on including the explicit detail about the Presidents sexual contacts with Ms. Lewinsky in the referral. I do recall there were group discussions about whether to do so, and ultimately it was Ken Starrs decision to make. I did feel it was important during the course of the investigation to ask Ms. Lewinsky very detailed information about those contacts because the perjury allegation was dependent on the details of the Presidents testimony.

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Oddly, no senator asked Immergut about her investigation of Clinton and Lewinsky during her brief testimony before the committee.

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In his book A Vast Conspiracy, legal journalist Jeffrey Toobin describes Immerguts Aug. 26 deposition of Clinton as the low point of the Starr probe, a disgrace to the prosecutors themselves. The New Yorkers Rebecca Mead described the investigation as an assault on Lewinsky, who promptly became the subject of mockery and scorn. Lewinsky herself has written of the trauma that she endured during this period. In her authorized biography, she accuses Starr of attempting to strip away every last vestige of her dignity and her humanity through zealous malevolence.

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Lewinsky clearly still feels strongly today that the Starr report went overboard. In response to Attorney General William Barrs four-page summary of special counsel Robert Muellers report, Lewinsky tweeted just this week:

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She is right to remain angry.

Immergut played a key role in Starrs crusade. She is now on the verge of receiving a lifetime appointment to the federal bench. There is no reason to doubt her sterling qualifications for the position. But it is curious that no senator appears perturbed by her highly controversial work with Starr.
The first time Florida prosecutors tried Paul Hildwin for murder, in 1986, they got a conviction and a death sentence following an epically flawed trial. But, like many dubious convictions tainted by claims of poor defense work and prosecutorial misconduct, it didnt stick. In 1995, the Florida Supreme Court tossed Hildwins death sentence after finding that his trial lawyer inadequately represented him during the penalty phase of the case. And in 2014, the Florida Supreme Court overturned Hildwins capital conviction itself based on the discovery of DNA evidence that linked key physical evidence from the crime scene to another person.

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At that point, prosecutors should have allowed Hildwin, now 59 and a three-time cancer survivor, to spend the rest of his life in peace. Prosecutors could have exercised their vast discretion in this way even though it is clear from his own testimony that Hildwin had some connection to the victim in the case, Vronzettie Cox, a 42-year-old woman found slain in Hernando County in 1985. Hildwin testified at his chaotic trial that he had been picked up by Cox and her boyfriend, William Haverty, while he was hitchhiking and that he had stolen her radio and her checkbook when Cox and Haverty started violently arguing.

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Soon after, Cox turned up dead in the trunk of a car. Haverty told the police at the time that he and Cox frequently argued and were planning to split up. Police and prosecutors turned their gaze toward Hildwin. They did so even after they talked to Coxs nephew, who reportedly told them that he and his aunt were out drinking together in a bar 12 hours after the police said Hildwin had raped and murdered her. Thats why prosecutors in 1986 relied so heavily on an FBI forensic expert who testified that it was Hildwins blood typing found in semen and saliva on Coxs washcloth and underwear.

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Hildwins jurors heard nothing about the nephews statement to the police. And they could not have knownas the state learned when it tested the forensic evidence decades laterthat it was actually Havertys DNA on those items. In the ensuing years, meanwhile, Haverty served nearly two decades in prison after later being convicted of serious sexual offenses, including attempted sexual battery of a child. What jurors heard instead of the truth about that DNA was a series of hazy stories incriminating Hildwin from police and other witnesses who were not fulsomely questioned by Hildwins attorney.

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You would think that someone with charging authority in Hernando County would evaluate the evidence against Hildwin as it stands today, the way the story of that 1985 crime has been transformed by subsequent developments, and conclude that justice cannot be achieved by pressing forward with the case against Hildwin.

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Yet here we are on the eve of another capital trial. State attorneys plan to retry Hildwin beginning on Monday even though many of the key witnesses from the first trial are dead or unavailable. They plan to retry him even though Hildwins new attorneys cannot use some of the exculpatory testimony that was improperly suppressed from the first trial because the people who would have testified about it are gone. And prosecutors plan to accomplish all this largely by rereading into the new record the old, outdated, and now inaccurate testimony from the first trial.

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There is no reason to rely today on the accuracy and reliability of that old testimony and no other way for prosecutors to resuscitate their case in a way that honors the defendants constitutional rights. Hildwins lawyers have filed a motion with Hernando County Circuit Judge Stephen Toner seeking to dismiss the indictment against their client, and state attorneys have opposed that motion. The state attorneys say that Hildwin has already made and lost in his previous trial many of the same arguments about the evidence that he is making now. Its a poor argument and Toner should reject it. There should be no second trial.

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Its worth reviewing some of the ways in which Hildwins first trial was tainted from its inception. Lets start with a trial judge who failed in 1985 and 1986 to ensure that the capital defendant received adequate legal representation. Hildwins first public defender eventually resigned and so the trial judge appointed a young attorney, in private practice, with about four years of experience, who had never tried a murder case before. Its hard not to view his handling of the casefrom the questioning of witnesses and to the other phases of pretrial discoveryas having been significantly affected by his inexperience. He at least saw fit to argue that he wasnt getting from prosecutors all the material he was required to get under the so-called Brady rule.

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The first trial judge, however, consistently rejected these discovery challenges. One instructive example involved the surprise introduction at trial of blood evidence prosecutors told jurors during opening statements would link Hildwin to the crime. When Hildwins lawyer said, at a sidebar conference with the judge, that he had never before heard of that evidence, prosecutors blamed him for not doing his job in finding out about it. The judge allowed the evidence to be introduced. And it was that evidence that we now know was false based on the subsequent DNA testing that overturned Hildwins conviction.

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Everything about this case has changed since the new testing of that DNA evidence.

On and on this pattern unfolded during Hildwins trial and on appeal. For Hildwin it amounted to a perfect storm that has kept him imprisoned for more than a third of a century. His attorneys would complain about the prosecutorial misconduct that infected his trial and prosecutors would quickly respond by blaming the trial attorney for failing to discover the information in the first place. The defense would complain about incomplete or false testimony, and prosecutors would respond by blaming the trial attorney for not asking the right questions at or before trial.

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The reviewing courts in Florida, for years, looked at this paradoxheads I win, tails you loseand consistently concluded there was enough evidence of Hildwins guilt that he should not be granted relief. None of the cases problems mattered. Not the mistakes his trial lawyer made. Not the way prosecutors appeared to take advantage of the young attorney. Not the way key questions were never asked or answered. Not the way the initial trial judge inaptly handled the evidentiary issues. Even when the state Supreme Court struck down Hildwins death penalty in 1995, it diminished the legal significance of these other problems in deciding not to free him.

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But everything about this case has changed since the new testing of that DNA evidence. This renders the states technical arguments weaker than usual in these retrial scenarios. No one can reasonably say the states evidence against Hildwin is so strong that it would be OK to allow a new generation of capital jurors to hear the flawed testimony from the first trial. No one can reasonably argue, as the state now does, that Hildwins current claims have been litigated in the context of his new DNA finding.

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If Toner accepts the premise of all these old appellate decisions, he will be incorporating into a second trial all of the constitutional flaws and failings of the first trial. And he will be ignoring all of the facts and evidence we have learned about the crime since that first trial. The easy out here for the judge would be to allow the case to go to trial and then blame or credit the result on jurors. But no jury should ever be allowed to hear a capital case so disabled as this one has become over time. The right call here for Toner, even if it is the difficult call, is to dismiss the indictment and bring an end to this sorry story once and for all.
Now the Pentagon is going rogue.

On Monday, the Defense Department notified the relevant congressional committees that it was transferring $1 billion from its own budget to the Department of Homeland Security in order to pay for a chunk of President Donald Trumps wall on the southern border.

Democratic Reps. Pete Visclosky, chair of the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, and Adam Smith, chair of the House Armed Services Committee, both disapproved of the move, but acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan said he was going to move the money anyway.

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This $1 billion is in additionand unrelatedto Trumps executive order allocating $8 billion in emergency funds to the wall, over the objections of both the Democratic-controlled House and the Republican-controlled Senate.

Transferring money within the Pentagon budget (known as reprogramming) is not illegal. The budget usually includes a general transfer authorizationthis year amounting to $4 billionto let officials adjust for shortfalls and surpluses or to funnel funds quickly if needed.

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Technically, Congress does not have to approve of these transfers, having authorized them in advance. However, by traditional practice, the secretary of defense informally notifies the chairs of the armed services committees and defense appropriations subcommittee that he is about to make a transferand, if they disapprove, he doesnt go through with it.

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On March 25, the Defense Department announced the transfer without prior consent. At a hearing that day, Smith asked Shanahan if hed considered following the traditional process before making the decision. Shanahan said that he had but decided not tothus acknowledging that such a tradition exists and that he was aware of it.

The $1 billion is coming from the Pentagons personnel account, which is running a surplus for two reasons, according to the official document detailing the Reprogramming Action. First, the Army recruited 9,500 fewer soldiers than it had anticipated last year. Second, fewer service members signed up for a savings plan that includes matching payments from the department.

It is unusual for the Pentagon to transfer unused money to other federal departments, rather than moving it from one of its own programs to another. It is particularly unusual given that the Air Force needs $4.9 billion over the next two and a half years to cover the costs of rebuilding two bases recently hit by hurricanes and floods. One of these, Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, is the home of the command controlling U.S. nuclear bombs and missiles.

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The Air Force has asked for $1.2 billion in supplemental funds this year to cover the initial repair costs. It would have been easyand normalto cover most of those costs by reprogramming the unused $1 billion from the personnel account. Doing so would also have saved money, since the Pentagon wouldnt have to ask for the supplemental funds.

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In other words, whats going on here is a shell game. The Pentagon is requesting additional money to pay for something that would ordinarily have been covered by reprogramming. And its labeling funds for the walla brand new line item in a different departments budgetas reprogramming.

The defense budget is jammed with waste and cost overruns, but the green-eyeshade types who work for the Pentagons comptroller usually do an honest job at labeling the costs properly. It now seems that they are departing from standard practice, on orders from the acting secretary, in order to pump up Trumps most cherished project.
Its been two months since South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg announced the formation of his presidential exploratory committee, and the national profile of his fledgling candidacy has steadily risen. In the crowded Democratic field, the gay 37-year-old who entered the race with pretty much no name recognition claimed third place in a new Emerson poll of Iowa voters, behind Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders. The poll puts Buttigieg in the same class as candidates who trailed him by only a few points, including Sens. Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, and Cory Bookerall of whom, unlike Buttigieg, have held federal office and benefit from years of national press coverage.

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Buttigiegs surprisingly strong performance in this poll and a recent flurry of flattering pieces on his Episcopalian faith, political philosophy, and potential electability have combined to create a real sense of momentum for the man now known as Mayor Pete. But with momentum comes backlash, currently in the form of frustration that the well-qualified female and black candidates in the race are getting shoved aside for another white guy. When, for instance, economist Alan Cole tweeted on Sunday that Buttigieg seems head-and-shoulders smarter than the other candidates running, a characteristic response, this one from writer Jill Filipovic, was: Warren, who taught at Harvard, was one of the most well-regarded law professors in the country and one of the most intelligent people to serve in the senate, but we dont politically reward, let alone even identify, that kind of fierce intelligence in women.

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But Buttigieg faces his own structural disadvantages in the race. Buttigieg is the first gay candidate in history, film journalist Mark Harris tweeted on Monday. So no, you dont get to use him, of all candidates, as the typical white guy the media always falls for. He doesnt deserve a free ride, but let me assure you: Gay people in America arent given free rides.

Would a win for him be as historically significant and culturally meaningful as a win for a member of an underrepresented race or gender?

These arent just random tweets; the conversation is at the heart of a broader debate on the left about identity and representation. After Democrats failed to win what looked like an easy general election for the countrys first major-party female presidential nominee in 2016, some progressives worried that Democratic voters would be too spookedor too sexistto nominate a woman again. Maybe Dems would be safer, some wondered, with a nice progressive white guy. But for many liberals, a return to the old pattern of putting forward white men in the mold of the disproportionate majority of American politicians would be a capitulation to American voters worst biases. In an era of rising white nationalism, escalating attacks on immigrants and reproductive justice, and a surge of women running for political office, a run-of-the-mill white male candidate doesnt seem like the right face for the future of the Democratic Party.

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So, is Buttigieg a run-of-the-mill white male candidate, or does his sexuality set him apart? That mammoth question can be broken down into smaller ones that get at why diversity matters: Has Buttigieg faced setbacks or barriers to success because hes gay? Does he have an identity-specific worldview that would inform his work as much as, say, Harris experience as a black woman would inform hers? Would a win for Buttigieg be as historically significant and culturally meaningful as a win for a member of an underrepresented race or gender?

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None of these questions have definitive, satisfying answers. For one thing, its fruitless to argue over which marginalized identities are more or less marginalized. (This kind of reductive, zero-sum appraisal of structural inequity is often, and correctly, derided as oppression Olympics.) More importantly, no one identity ever stands on its own. Buttigieg isnt just gayhes also white, male, upper-class, Midwestern, married, Ivy Leagueeducated, and a man of faith. These other elements of Buttigiegs identity all contribute to the image voters are being asked to evaluate, and theyve each shaped Buttigiegs life just as much asif not more thanhis sexuality.

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That wouldnt necessarily be the case for a different gay candidate. All people get to choose, to some extent, how much or how little they embrace the cultural codes and paradigms of each facet of their identity. This is especially true for politicians, who take great pains to massage their lives into electorate-pleasing personas. But some components of identity are immediately, immutably visible; in a society built on exploitable hierarchies of race and gender, these features announce themselves before their bearer speaks a single word, permanently influencing public perception.

A marginalized sexual orientation can remain unspoken and unnoticed for as long as a queer person desires. A gay man who conforms to a critical mass of gendered expectations can move through life without his sexuality attending every interaction, even after he comes out. Buttigieg, for instance, would register on only the most finely tuned gaydar. Most people who are aware of his candidacy probably know hes gay, but his every appearance doesnt activate the hey, thats that homosexual gentleman response in the average brain. That doesnt mean hes not gay enoughtheres really no such measure. It just means that he might not be up against quite the same hurdles that a gay candidate without such sturdy ties to straight culture would be.

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From what Ive seen, Buttigieg doesnt seem terribly sold on the idea of gayness as a cultural framework, formative identity, or anything more than a category of sexual and romantic behavior. When he came out in a 2015 essay four years into his tenure as mayor, it was with some reluctance. Im not used to viewing this as anyone elses business, he wrote. Being gay has had no bearing on my job performance in business, in the military, or in my current role as mayor. According to the essay, Buttigieg only decided to reveal his sexual orientation to the world because he wanted to start dating. Like most people, I would like to get married one day and eventually raise a family.  I came out because I had to, he wrote. He hoped his coming out would help destigmatize homosexuality in Indiana but expressed excitement for an inevitable future in which children will be puzzled that someone like me revealing he is gay was ever considered to be newsworthy.

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Buttigieg isnt just gayhes also white, male, upper-class, Midwestern, married, Ivy Leagueeducated, and a man of faith.

These are the remarks of someone whose affiliation with the gay community only goes so far as his own gay relationships, who can seemingly only conceive of homosexuality as a value-neutral or negativecertainly not positiveaside in a persons biography. (Its also possible that Buttigieg, as a politician, believes this is the safest way to characterize his homosexuality.) Another queer politician might have explained how being a member of a marginalized group has informed his understanding of political and structural discrimination, or how conservative politicians contributed to the long struggle that preceded his acceptance of his own sexuality, or how witnessing homophobia in the military (something Buttigieg has obliquely mentioned) affected his self-image and performance in the Navy. But Buttigieg suggests that being gay has had no bearing at all on anything else hes done in his life. Theres nothing objectively wrong with such an assimilationist perspective, especially for a newly out man who seems ready to lead on trans rights and other LGBTQ political issues. But it does makes him less exciting as the supposed gay trailblazer some on the left desperately want him to be.

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To me, a queer woman, it seems hard to argue that the presidential run of this apotheosis of respectability politics is a major win for diversity. Buttigiegs perception of queer sexuality as a not-sinful but ultimately unimportant distinctionlike having brown hair, his coming-out essay saiddoesnt make him less gay. It does, however, put some distance between him and the queer communities hes getting credit for being the first to represent. And if Im being cynical (or just honest), it probably makes him more electable.

Straight white male voters will likely find it easier to see themselves in Buttigieg than in the women or people of color in the 2020 field. Theyll be right to do so: Buttigiegs life experienceshow hes been perceived, how hes gotten paid, what hes believed himself capable of, what opportunities have been available to himalmost certainly have far more in common with those of Sanders and Biden than those of Harris, Booker, and Warren. Thats not to say he wont face challenges and stereotypes specific to his sexuality, or that he hasnt overcome obstacles hes chosen not to share. Homophobia still exists. As Buttigieg has correctly pointed out in town halls and interviews, LGBTQ people can still legally be fired for the mere fact of their identity in most U.S. states. But in a primary for the overwhelmingly pro-gay Democratic Party, Buttigieg can be more accurately lumped in with his white male peers than with anyone else.
The neo-Nazi who drove into a crowd in the chaos surrounding the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville pleaded guilty to 29 federal hate crime charges Wednesday. The guilty pleas come as part of a plea deal that means prosecutors will not seek the death penalty for 21-year-old James Fields, who rammed his car into a crowd protesting the white supremacist rally. Each hate crime count carries with it a maximum sentence of life in prison, though Fields is already facing life in prison for killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer that day.

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In December, a Virginia jury found Fields guilty of first-degree murder for his role in Heyers death, as well as nine other crimes, and recommended he serve life in prison, plus 419 years. Fields is scheduled to be sentenced in that case in July. Previously, Fields had pleaded not guilty to the hate crimes charges, but agreed to a deal that dropped a 30th charge that carried with it the possibility of the death penalty.

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Fields was only one part of the gruesome events in Charlottesville on Aug.

12, 2017, where a group of loosely aligned white supremacist groups staged a march in the college town that is home to the University of Virginia. The march, ostensibly to protest the planned removal of a statue of Civil War Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. The provocative rally drew counterprotesters and the scene quickly devolved into violence. Videos were taken of Fields accelerating his Dodge Charger into a group of protesters, an act the Ohio natives lawyers didnt contest. Instead, his legal team argued the self-described neo-Nazi was acting in self-defense after feeling intimidated by the crowd.
Wow Air, the Icelandic budget airline known for remarkably cheap trans-Atlantic flights, suddenly announced early Thursday morning that it was canceling all of its planned flights, leaving passengers on both sides of the Atlantic stranded after it failed to find funding to keep the company running, according to an announcement from the airline.

This is probably the hardest thing I have ever done, but the reality is that we have run out of time and have unfortunately not been able to secure the funding of the company, Wow CEO and founder Skuli Mogensen wrote in a letter to the companys 1,000 employees, according to Reuters. I will never be able to forgive myself for not taking action sooner.

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The airline advised stranded passengers to look to other airlines for rescue fares, but it did not offer to help those passengers find those flights. The Icelandic Transport Authority told Reuters that Icelandair, EasyJet, and Norwegian have all offered rescue fares to help those passengers.

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The airline also did not promise to reimburse customers for their already purchased flights. Those who bought their tickets from European travel agents as part of a package tour would be protected, and those who bought travel protection may be entitled to claim compensation. However, such compensation is often limited, according to the statement. It may also compensate ticket buyers in accordance with European regulation on Air Passenger Rights, and passengers will be able to make claims if the airline declares bankruptcy.

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Hours before the announcement that it was shutting down its operations, Wow had postponed Thursday flights while seeking what it described as the final stages of fundraising from a group of investors. Over the past few months, the airline had struggled to stay afloat, and at one point it had neared a deal to be bought by its rival, Icelandair, only to have that deal fall apart last Sunday, according to the Financial Times.

According to Reuters, 3.5 million passengers flew with Wow last year, and the airline shuttled more than 30 percent of tourists to Iceland. Research from Icelandic bank Arion showed that the airlines collapse could mean 16 percent fewer tourists next year.
Anna Hovland isnt sure how shes going to get back from her vacation in Europe. The airline that brought her and her boyfriend to Prague on Tuesdayand had been set to bring them back homesuddenly no longer exists. The plan had been to take the train to Berlin and then fly back to the U.S. from there next week. But that was before the Iceland-based discount airline Wow Air announced on Thursday that it was canceling all of its flights and ceasing operations. Wow indeed! Now Hovland, like the hundreds of other travelers whove been affected by Wows abrupt demise, is stuck trying to figure out new arrangements. When shes not stranded in Europe, Hovland just so happens to be a project manager at Slate, so we called her quickly to get a sense of how the closure went down. Our lightly edited conversation is below.

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Heather Schwedel: Why did you fly with Wow Air?

Anna Hovland: It was half the cost of other airlines, which is why Ive been using Wow Air for so long. Its such a good, well-priced economy flight. I remember when they first came to the D.C. area, it felt like a big deal because it meant that I could go to Europe more inexpensively. You dont really get any amenities on the flights. You have to buy everything, including [the ability to bring] a carry-on bag. They are very cheap.

What did it cost exactly?

I think our round-trip ticket from Berlin to Baltimore was $500. It was a good deal.

How did you find out that the airline is closing?

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My boyfriends colleague Slacked him about it. He said, Did you hear Wow Air shut down?

They didnt alert you in any way?

They didnt. Actually, earlier today, we got an email from them that asked if we wanted to upgrade our flight. Going to their site, theres no real information about what customers can do other than request their credit card companies refund them or find another airline.

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To me the funniest thing about it is that Wow Air didnt communicate anything to us. My partner and I even went to their site to see if we could try to book a flight, and thats even not taken down. If you go to Wow and try to input dates and hit search, its like Something went wrong, or like, Wow Air will be back with you shortly. When we saw that, we were both like, No, it wont.

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So you have to go through the credit card company to get your money back?

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Yeah, youre supposed to dispute your card charges.

Were there any signs on your flight that made it seem like the company was in bad shape?

I dont think so. Nothing about it felt particularly out of the ordinary.

When were you supposed to go back?

Next Tuesday, so thankfully we have time to figure our shit out.

How much time has this taken out of your vacation?

So far, only a few hours, but we literally just heard of it from my boyfriends colleague.

What do you think your best prospect is for getting home?

Maybe Icelandair or Norwegian Air. Ive heard both of them offer stranded travelers discounted airfare. [Ed. note: For now, anyway.]
This piece originally appeared in the Conversation.

Should researchers put the brakes on genetically engineering babies? Leading scientists and ethicists recently called for a moratorium on clinical applications of germline gene editing: inheritable alterations to the DNA of embryos to improve kids health or other features, or just gene editing for short.

This declaration was prompted in part by the birth last year of the first gene-edited babies in China. The birth was roundly condemned by experts and may result in charges against He Jiankui, the lead scientist involved.

The call for a moratorium is grounded in two main concerns. Its supporters assert, first, that the risks of gene editing are simply too uncertain and potentially large to proceed. Second, the deeply controversial nature and potential social impact of altering human DNA means researchers need broad societal consensus before proceeding.

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The authors suggest a five-year pause to wait for more scientific progress and public dialogue. At that point, the authors propose, societies may choose to begin a path forward for gene editing, if risks are deemed acceptable and the process is fully transparent.

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However, several scientists have pushed back against the call for a moratorium, including gene-editing pioneer Jennifer Doudna and geneticist George Church. As a biomedical ethicist, I believe the objectors raise valid concerns about the relevance and usefulness of a moratorium that are worth reflecting upon.

To be sure, those for and against a moratorium actually agree on some key points.

Almost no one thinks the world is ready for clinical trials today, as more basic science is needed to minimize risks like editing the wrong bits of DNA or mosaicism, where some but not all DNA in an embryo is altered. He Jiankuis rogue science was clearly unethical for this and other reasons, including a lack of transparency and flaws in informed consent.

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There is also no pushback against the idea that the world needs to have a public conversation about gene editing. Do you want to live in a society where embryos DNA is edited in order to improve the lives of the next generation? Are the risks of gene editing worth the benefits? Can and should we draw a bright line between editing for disease prevention and editing for enhancement? These questions cannot be answered only by experts and require substantial public engagement.

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Nevertheless, a divide over other issues remains.

Already, more than 30 countries prohibit this sort of gene editing either by law, regulation, or enforceable guidelines. For this reason, it was quite easy for the director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health to endorse the proposed moratoriumthe NIH, the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world, is already prohibited by law from funding clinical applications of gene editing. So a moratorium is at best redundant in those nations, perpetuating the status quo.

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It is also liable to cause confusion. If a country or scientific body announces a moratorium as recommended, this could misleadingly imply that germline editing was previously permitted and unregulated. It could also suggest that some countries bans will expire in five years, when currently none have a time-limited prohibition.

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At the same time, I believe a moratorium could work in countries that currently lack prohibitions on gene editing. It could help prevent rogue scientists from seeking environments that are relatively unregulated to pursue dubious experiments. This is what happened with the first births using mitochondrial replacement (also known as three-parent IVF): An American fertility doctor carried out part of the procedure in Mexico because he perceived the rules as laxer there.

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Additionally, the call can be heard as an argument for reform of current laws and regulations. Society should revisit prohibitions anddepending on the evidence and popular opinionconsider rescinding them in five years time.

But some researchers remain concerned that a moratorium is an overly crude and arbitrary means of regulating a controversial new technology. While the technology is currently not fit for clinical use, are scientists so certain that it still wont be within five years time? More flexible regulatory frameworks that do not include arbitrary timelines could better adapt to rapid scientific developments and shifts in public perceptions.

Finally, its unclear whether a moratorium is consistent with the democratic norms that the proponents of a moratorium espouse. In particular, they reiterate the idea that researchers should only proceed with germline gene editing if there is broad societal consensus on how to proceed.

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But shouldnt a moratorium itself be subject to the requirement of broad societal consensus? Blanket prohibitions will have a substantial impact not just on the scientific community but on access for the rest of society to the potential fruits of researcha potential infringement of the human right to benefit from science. Whether that infringement is justified is an important question that cannot be answered by experts alone.

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To some extent, democratic countries that ban gene editing will have already undergone typical (if flawed) democratic processes to come to that decision. But in places where the moratorium is not redundant, it is reasonable to demand broad societal consensus before proceeding with a moratorium that even leading scientists dont all agree on.

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The cautious may argue that a presumption against gene editing is warranted before consensus can be established, because of the substantial individual risks and societal impact of proceeding to alter the human genome for future generations. However, those societal risks are very substantial only if gene editing quickly becomes widespread. That is something careful regulation, rather than a blanket prohibition, might be well-suited to address.

In addition, I see it as somewhat problematic for experts to impose their own personal assessment of whether the risks outweigh the benefits of gene editing on the rest of society. Weighing risks and benefits is a fundamentally ethical issue, not one where scientific expertise can resolve the matter.

In the end, though, there seems to be broad agreement on the need for greater public deliberation over the questions related to germline gene editing: on whether gene editing is permissible, on whether a moratorium is appropriateand more fundamentally, on what sort of a society we all want to live in.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
After a shooter livestreamed himself killing 50 Muslim worshippers in New Zealand earlier this month, one of the places where footage of his broadcast lived on was 8chanthe same shadowy message board where he posted a manifesto and chillingly called his actions a real life effort post. While mainstream platforms like Facebook and YouTube mobilized to take down uploads of the video as they proliferated thousands, even millions, of times, 8chan left it up. So did its cousin 4chan (whose /pol/ board is a similar magnet for far-right trolls) as well as sites like the social network Voat, the video-hosting site LiveLeak, and the blog Zero Hedge. Because these places were not willing to remove the videos, New Zealand and Australias major internet service providers decided to take action: They blocked access to any website continuing to host the video. As of this week, 8chan appeared to still be blocked in New Zealand, but 4chan and Voat were again accessible, meaning user access to those sites had likely been restored.

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It might seem obvious that these companies ought to block access to a video containing an act of horrific violence by whatever means possible. But the way it happened marks an unusual and worrisome moment. As a general principle, internet service providers arent supposed to erect barriers between the users they serve and the websites those users want to visit. They tend to observe this rule even in places like Australia and New Zealand that dont have net neutrality policies that prevent ISPs from blocking access to websites. An exception tends to be when those takedowns come at the behest of law enforcement, perhaps out of concern for public safety. But the telecoms companies in New Zealand and Australia didnt decide to kick these websites offline in collaboration with law enforcement. Rather, they felt that the blockages were simply the responsible thing to do. We must find the right balance between internet freedom and the need to protect New Zealanders, especially the young and vulnerable, from harmful content, executives from Vodafone NZ, Spark, and 2degrees wrote in a joint statement.

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Dont confuse ISP blocks with other kinds of deplatforming.

What should be done about 4chan, 8chan, and other awful internet places whose ugliness spills into public view? Its a question Americans have confronted as recently as last week, when public schools in Charlottesville, Virginia, shut down in response to an anonymous, invective-filled post on 4chan that threatened ethnic cleansing at a local high school. Other 4chan users encouraged the action, taunting, School shooting tomorrow. Police eventually found a 17-year-old whom they say wrote the post. On Gab, another social media site that attracts racist free speech enthusiasts, there is a policy against explicit calls for violence but no rules against hate speech, and so it flourished there. The Pittsburgh synagogue shooter was active on Gab, where he posted anti-Semitic missives and announced, Im going in before killing 11 people during Saturday morning services in October.

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A loose movement to push back against these spaces of hate has emerged since the 2016 election. Users of Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube have demanded the companies actually enforce their policies against hate speechwhich they have tried to do, with varying degrees of enthusiasm and success. Elsewhere, some online services have deplatformed places that explicitly welcome hate speech (such as neo-Nazi havens the Daily Stormer and Stormfront), refusing to continue providing web hosting and security services. These are private firms, and few would ask governments to crack down on 8chan or its ilkmost of the time, governments should stay away from policing speech at all. But the example of New Zealand and Australia may offer a tempting place to turn instead. Internet providers appear to be one group that has the power to make these sites inaccessible. That doesnt mean they should.

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While its refreshing to see technology companies act swiftly to protect their users, in this case its also unsettling. Internet providers operate at a layer above websites, users, and even many infrastructural parts of the web. Many may argue that Facebook shouldnt referee speech at all, but its clear to everyone that Facebook is within its rights to decide what conversations happen there. Thats why so many now make the persuasive case that it can do a better job moderating those conversationswhich isnt censorship. But it is censorship when ISPs, which are merely gateways to those conversations, try to take on hate speech or other content themselves. We dont want ISPs making those calls.

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Dont confuse ISP blocks with other kinds of deplatforming. After the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, internet service companies like Cloudflare, Google, and GoDaddy stopped providing hosting and security to the Daily Stormer, a prominent neo-Nazi website where the event was organized. In this version of deplatforming, one or multiple companies decide to terminate their business relationship with another company, often resulting in an effective removal from the mainstream internet. This may happen because one firms terms of service were violated, like when a hosting company prohibits hate speech or when Facebook and YouTube removed Alex Jones channels last year. Or in the case of Cloudflare refusing service to the Daily Stormer, it was because, as CEO Matthew Prince put it, I woke up this morning in a bad mood and decided to kick them off the Internet.  It was a decision I could make because Im the CEO of a major Internet infrastructure company. But even this capricious-sound case is less a problem than an ISP taking action. The Daily Stormer was a Cloudflare customer and Prince decided to stop working with it. And while hes right that Cloudflare provides infrastructural services for websites, its not an internet provider. It doesnt run the tubes that the internet travels on.

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Its troubling when a company with concentrated power decides to stop doing business with a website, thereby curbing its reach. But its still that companys choice to decide whom it does business with and how. The situation is different when that company doesnt have a direct business relationship with websites but rather controls the lanes that deliver those websites to consumers.

It also might not work. [An ISP] blocking 4chan or 8chan ignores the fact that many of the users of these sites are sophisticated enough to have access to VPNs and other ways of evading this censorship, said Ethan Zuckerman, director of the Center for Civic Media at MIT. Its possible, for example, to access content blocked in your country by using a virtual private network, which allows users to route their internet access through servers in other locations. Communities like 4chan and 8chan include many people interested in accessing forbidden content, violating national copyright restrictions, Zuckerman said. Its hard to think of a community where a technical means of blocking access is less likely to work.

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Censorship also calls attention to whats being censored, since people will probably be curious about what was blockedbut in this case without a good reason steeped in company policy. And when an internet provider blocks a website full of hate, users of that site can cry censorship, politicizing and potentially strengthening their community. Blocking like this allows people to say, Our speech is being censored, and therefore you are riling up a community who can go elsewhere on the web, and then theyre connecting and congregating around a Weve had our voices silenced line. And then there becomes kind of a victim narrative here that can act as a recruiting mechanism, said Claire Wardle, a TED fellow and executive director of First Draft, an organization that helps journalists and researchers find and study disinformation. These users would have a point. As disturbing as parts of 4chan and 8chan are, plenty of corners on those sites arent used for hate. 4chan has thriving message boards of anime fans, video gamers, pornography, and advice topics. Blocking an entire website silences those groups, too, that may not agree with the hate groups on 4chan but would oppose blocking of the site. This is the case with any kind of blunt blockingmore people will be affected than are at fault.

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The internet service providers blocking appears to have gone down outside of a specific policy around these kinds of crisis situations. Vodafone told me that it was unblocking websites once content from the Christchurch shooting had been removed, but it wouldnt say which sites were blocked so as not to call further attention to those websites. The whole situation appears to be slightly, if not largely, ad hoc, said Rebecca MacKinnon, director of Ranking Digital Rights, a project that tracks how internet companies around the world protect freedom of expression and user privacy. Theres no transparency about their policy for this kind of emergency situation, MacKinnon told me. They just kind of ad hoc decided this and didnt appear to have a prior policy for what they might do in serious emergency and exceptional situations. To block parts of the web so opaquely sets a troubling precedent. We may agree with what internet providers are blocking now, since we all agree a shooters footage of his violent attack shouldnt spread. But in the future, the lines might not be as clear. In 2005, for example, the Canadian telecom Telus blocked access to a communication workers union website that promoted a labor strike against the internet provider. This is why net neutrality has become such an important principle: Internet providers shouldnt be able to decide what users can and cannot see without oversight.

The Christchurch video is horrific. Platformsespecially massive, popular ones that attract hundreds of millions of usersshould do everything they can to keep their communities safe. But the overly broad blocking of entire websites by internet providers, which operate at several layers above the platforms, isnt going to make the horror disappear. It could strengthen these communitiesand assign unnecessary powers to companies that no one asked to do the dirty work.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
Two weeks ago, thousands of Russians took to the streets to protest the passage of a law that puts in motion an earlier plan to build an isolated, domestic internet. Moscow police reported 6,500 protesters in attendance, but other estimates put the count at more than 15,000. This makes it one of the largest protests in recent Russian history.

Under President Vladimir Putin and the current Kremlin, politically, the Russian internetsometimes called the Runetis a lost cause. The Runet consistently rates poorly on metrics of freedom and openness, thanks to a combination of self-censorship and intimidation underpinned by highly restrictive speech and expression laws as well as pervasive and overt telecommunications surveillance.

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But the internet in Russia will outlast the Putin regime. So what happens to the Russian internet after Putin? If the character of governance in Russia were to undergo a massive shift, could new leadership just remove draconian policies and return the internet to its intended stateglobal, interoperable, and free? If Putin and his associates were pushed out of office right now, that could happen. Today, the actual construction of the Runetits architecturelargely resembles that of the global internet. But the next few months and years could radically change the backbone of the Runet. Going back would be a huge technical challenge. It also may hasten the fragmentation of the global internet.

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Internet fragmentation is already occurring in many places and ways. Certain websites, like those depicting President Xi Jinping as Winnie the Pooh, are inaccessible in China. The U.K. has set up a system to block malicious traffic coming into the country. South Korea has taken steps to filter out or remove harmful content like revenge porn. But these sorts of policies tinker with the fringes of the internet and dont alter its underlying functionality. The fragmentation is superficial, not fundamental.

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What Russia is trying to do is different. Where others have made alterations that fragment the content layer of the internet, Russia is attempting to push fragmentation into the network layer, the set of processes and protocols that help move internet traffic from its origin to its intended destination. Creating a parallel network infrastructure will be a challenge, but it is not impossible. And once it happens, keeping the internet local becomes a relatively simple matter of instructing internet service providers and exchange point operators to alter routing protocols.

The open question is just how much progress Russia has made on implementing the meat of those proposals.

Since 2014, the Kremlin has considered configuring the Runet in a way that would enable the government to unplug it from the global internet. It said that it wanted the ability in the event of an emergency, like a major cyberattack from a foreign power. But the steps Russia has taken suggest that it isnt only interested in building up its cybersecurity. It wants broader control of the internet and what its people do online. The past few years have seen steady passage and implementation of laws toward that end. In July 2014, the Russian parliament passed a law requiring websites with data on Russian citizens to store it within the country. In 2016, a new law required telecommunications and internet companies to keep all communications for six months, and another banned virtual private networks. In late 2017, the Kremlin announced that it would attempt to create a national domain name system, which would require that content be hosted on servers located in Russia. In December, in response to an aggressive U.S. cybersecurity strategy, the lower chamber of the Russian legislature passed a law that authorizes Rozkomandzor, the Russian internet regulator, to consolidate control over key internet infrastructure, like IXPs and ISPs, in the case of an emergency. Just this month, the Kremlin announced plans to restrict who can own and control satellite ground stations in Russia.

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Together, these actions localize internet content and internet routing, with a view toward enabling the Russian government to disconnect the Runet from the global internet entirely.

Despite the Kremlins claims that it just wants to protect the country, the likelihood of the U.S. knocking all of Russia offline via a cyberattack is low. Even if it were doable, its unlikely it would be in the interest of the U.S. to do so, especially given the U.S. Cyber Commands capacity to target and disconnect specific entities. But the narrative about needing an isolated, domestic internet fits with Putins claims that the internet is a CIA project and the Kremlins broader view of the internet as a threat to state security that must be controlled.

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Hence the plans to route up to 95 percent of Russian internet traffic domestically by 2020. That would be an enormous increase: In 2017, foreign servers reportedly handled 60 percent of Russian internet traffic. In order to do so, Russian policymakers have had to figure out ways to store all the internet content Russians would try to access within the country and ensure that all of the requests to access that content are routed via infrastructure in Russia. Early steps, like restrictive freedom of expression and data storage laws, enacted largely superficial changes to the internet. But to really achieve the dual goals of local routing and storage, Russian policymakers would have to force changes on the internets infrastructure, which, once enacted, would be difficult to reverse. The combination of the national DNS, the December law, and the policy directive around satellite ground stations is setting the wheels in motion to do just that.

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The open question is just how much progress Russia has made on implementing the meat of those proposals. It reportedly plans to test full disconnection in an exercise scheduled for April 1. Should that experiment fail, it will underscore the difficulty of near-total isolation from the global internet. If it succeeds, it will show that the Russians have taken the technical steps to back up their policy rhetoric. It will codify changes to the Russian internet at a level that is difficult to quickly reverse. And it will also prove the feasibility of a technical concept that despots around the world may desire to emulate.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
Robert Gilpin, R.I.P. - The Washington Post : His greatest book was written in 1981, but the main theory in it is perhaps more trenchant now...
Many see their return as an opportunity to make an impact.

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In the interview, you can read about:

What motivates Slovaks who are returning home from abroad to work in state administration

How much the money matters to home comers

What are the three main points when expats think about returning

Whether the state does enough to lure expats home

Viktoria Skrivankova is a Slovak who decided to return home after several years living and working abroad. She now runs the Slovak Professional Abroad programme of the non-governmental organisation LEAF, aiming to inform Slovaks living abroad about career opportunities back home, network people and create contacts.

The Slovak Spectator (TSS): Does it make sense for Slovak expats to return to Slovakia?

Viktoria Skrivankova (VS): I think it makes sense, especially for a person who is able to find professional employment and so it makes sense in professional terms. There are many opportunities when even a young person gets the chance to grow professionally and work on interesting topics and spheres.

TSS: Can you be more specific about the opportunities?

Read also:

Read also: Slovak and Czech students in London urge their peers to care about issues in their homelands Read more

VS: Of course. I see it in LEAFs Slovak Professionals Abroad programme. Through the programme we also inform Slovaks abroad about interesting opportunities back home. The state administration is a great example. We see a huge interest not only from university students, but also senior professionals who often work in interesting positions, for example in Silicon Valley or London.

They see that in this sphere they can have an impact, that they can influence what is happening in the country. In state administration, they prefer analytical sections that deliver material when making important decisions. The digital transformation of the country is an interesting topic, many people see room for self-realisation there. In the private sphere, it is digital business again, start-ups, as well as corporations working on innovations and bringing novelties to the market.

TSS: The private and public sector cannot be compared in Slovakia when it comes to salaries. Do Slovak returnees mind the gap?
The production cycle expires in three years. The Bratislava car plant must prove to the German concern it deserves to produce e-cars.

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Igor Misik has been working at the Volkswagen car plant in Bratislava for a year and half. In the last seven months, he has controlled the quality of the new SUV Volkswagen Touareg and Porsche Cayenne.

He is now one of the agency workers, who will lose their jobs this year. Misik learned of this a few weeks ago.

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Read also: Volkswagen will scrap 3,000 jobs by June Read more

The plant is to lose 3,000 jobs in the next few months. Volkswagen's decision will impact not only agency workers but also people working on fixed-term employment contracts. At the same time, the firm will not be recruiting new workers.

This seems to be the first negative information coming from the Slovak plant of the German concern in a decade. In recent years, the plant has begun to manufacture three new models and the number of employees has risen by a few thousand.

Because of this, Volkswagen is immensely important for the Slovak economy. It makes up one percent of Slovakia's GDP with the car industry as a whole making up 13 percent.

Volkswagen organises job fair

Volkswagen itself organised a job fair in the Auto Forum building to help its dismissed workers find a new job. Ten different companies set up recruitment stands in the building just a few metres away from the main gate to Volkswagen.

Lukas Uram, who assembles chassis for SUV vehicles, was looking for a job there. He went to Volkswagen through an agency three months ago.

"I learned that I would be laid off about three weeks ago," claimed Uram, who has been content with his job at Volkswagen. "I want to go through the offers gradually, but I would want to stay in Bratislava or its surroundings."

The companies which offered jobs in the Auto Forum building are mostly involved in the car industry. Hence, other car manufacturers, namely KIA, PSA Group and Jaguar Land Rover, as well as their suppliers such as Slovnaft and other companies like the Penam Bakery attended.

Volkswagen Slovakia decided to organise a job affair for employees, who will lose their jobs at the Bratislava car plant this year. (Source: Sme)

For instance, the Penam Bakery was looking for roughly 30 people, including drivers, expeditionists, electricians and locksmiths.

"We run permanently on a three-shift plan, and people from Volkswagen know what that is about," said Tunde Kaiserova, the bakery's personal manager. "Today, there are no trained bakers as they also work as machine operators."

Bad news from the start of 2019

Negative news from Volkswagen in Bratislava started coming early this year. At that time, the plant announced it would reduce the number of shifts. As of March, Volkswagen no longer produces SUVs over the weekend as the four-shift operation was reduced to three.

From June, the plant will also reduce shifts from two to one for the production of small vehicles, such as the Skoda Citigo and the Seat Mia.

Read also:

Read also: Volkswagen will scrap 3,000 jobs by June Read more

At the end of 2017, Volkswagen employed 13,700 people. The company also recruited more employees last year, increasing the figure to roughly 14,000 people. In addition to the 3,000 people to be laid off, the plant announced that it would return around 500 workers borrowed from Audi Hungaria. What is more Volkswagen also wants to lend its employees to other companies.

"We expect to deploy employees to Volkswagen's sister plants in the neighbouring countries," said Eric Reuting, member of the Board of Directors of Volkswagen Slovakia, in January.

Volkswagen has to pay more

These measures may be coming into force at this time because the plant has to pay more money to its employees. The average wage at Volkswagen is more than 1,800 and negotiations on a new collective agreement are presently being held.

Since last May, surcharges for night and weekend work have increased. The minimum wage has risen, too. It could reach 600 from next year, the Labour Ministry claims. Moreover, from 2019, the company has to pay a proportion of the new holiday vouchers.

Investment in e-cars through efficiency

In doing so, Volkswagen set a target to increase productivity by 30 percent by 2025 compared to 2018. The goal is to save costs.

The production of SUVs, which are the most important model to the Bratislava plant as it makes up the vast majority of production there, is, in particular, to be made more efficient. The concern has invested more than two billion euros in the Slovak car plant in recent years. The Bratislava plant will now help return this money to the parent company.

By 2023, the concern is to save about six billion euros thanks to similar measures across all its plants. The savings are then to be invested in e-mobility. Volkswagen has already announced that it will manufacture almost 70 new electric models instead of the planned 50.

The concern expects to produce 22 million electric vehicles in total by 2028.

Uncertain future

The Bratislava plant does not know what it will be producing when the cycle of current models, which lasts between five and seven years, is over. The production of small city vehicles in Bratislava will probably end in 2022.

Whether the Bratislava plant is to manufacture some of Volkswagen's electric vehicles is not certain at this point, either. It is currently thought that the vehicles are to be manufactured in only five plants in Europe, two of which are confirmed, namely the plants in Zwickau and Emden.

Volkswagen Slovakia employs 14,000 people

revenues (2017): 7.5 billion

profit (2017): 177 million

production of seven models (Porsche Cayenne, Touareg, Seat Mii, etc.)

"This year's planning board will decide on further plans," said Andreas Tostmann, member of Volkswagen's production and logistics board, as quoted by the Trend weekly.

There are no concrete plans for the local Volkswagen plant, the management of the group claimed last autumn in Bratislava. The year 2019 will thus be crucial for the Bratislava plant.

"After the successful launch of the production of a new generation of premium SUVs, they must prove to the group through effective manufacturing that they are ready to take on the production of new models," said Martin Jesny, analyst of the Revue priemyslu magazine.

In fact, when the Volkswagen Group chooses where to place the production of new models, it looks at the success of each plant in different countries.

"Competition is really tough," added Jesny.

The later the Bratislava plant gets a new model, the worse it will be, not only for the plant itself but also for the Slovak economy. For example, layoffs could result.

Sme
The process should help solve problems with land ownership fragmentation, experts say.

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The Agriculture Ministry is launching land adjustments worth almost 45 million. They will be implemented in 168 land registers in western, central and eastern Slovakia, said the Agricultural Minister Gabriela Matecna (Slovak National Party).

The decision follows the approval of the Public Procurement Office (UVO) of the public tender to carry out land adjustments.

We can announce nearly a year after the procurement was declared that were launching land adjustments, said Matecna, as quoted in a press release. The process will concern 168 cadastral areas. It is a breakthrough moment, since it will be the first land adjustment since 2010.

Fragmentation of lands is a problem

The areas in question had to meet several criteria, including the finished preparation phase. Moreover, municipalities had to issue consent to the adjustments, and all plot owners had to show their interest in the adjustment.

In order to finish the projects to be financed from the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, the size of the cadastral areas could not exceed 2,000 hectares, said Jaroslav Puskac of the ministry.

Land adjustments are one of the basic solutions of ownership rights to agricultural and forest lands. One of the outcomes will be the new settlement of ownership relations to the plots, their registration in the land register, new tenant relations, as well as information about technical and ecological measures carried out on facilities, the ministry stated.

The problems with the fragmentation of land ownership have roots in the Hungarian inheritance rights and collectivisation. As a result, there are often unclear and unbalanced relations between the owners and users. Currently, there are 8.4 million property parcels, 4.4 million registered owners, and 100.7 million co-owners. An average number of co-owners per one plot is 11.93, while one owner has 22.74 plots on average, according to the ministry.

Experts respond

The ministrys announcement will start state-financed processes after 10 years of inactivity, said organisations uniting experts in land adjustments.

Its good news for all end beneficiaries, first of all owners, but also farmers, municipalities, self-governing regions and the whole state, they said, as quoted by the TASR newswire. Land adjustments is the only efficient tool in solving the catastrophic fragmentation of Slovak land ownership and also a key tool in solving the problems of the Slovak agriculture sector.

They also praise the fact that the ministry is working on the document that should ensure that the land adjustments will continue in the following years, TASR reported.
Raid concerns the suspicion of contaminated soil use.

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The police launched a raid in Bratislava and its surroundings in the early hours of March 28. It is linked to suspicions that contaminated soil is being used for the construction of the Bratislava ring road, the private broadcaster TV Markiza reported.

The police raided a house owned by a representative of the Spanish consortium responsible for the construction of the ring road, as well as several companies suspected of corruption. The raid has also been carried out in the headquarters of the D4/R7 company and at the artificial hill used as a landfill in the Petrzalka borough, TV Markiza informed.

An impact on construction

The police have allegedly detained several people, including drivers active in waste management. The police also came to the house of Javier Hidalgo, who represents the Spanish consortium responsible for building the ring road, and took him in for an interrogation, TV Markiza reported.

Read also:

Read also: Leak of dangerous substances on R7 construction site reported but not confirmed Read more

Moreover, the police officers detailed Michal Grebeci, an authorised representative of the company NDD. They had detained him last year, but he was released after the interrogation. Grebeci is a former colleague of Michal Kovac, from the company Vassal EKO. Both firms are suspected of illegal waste management, most specifically with disposing waste in an illegal landfill, TV Markiza reported.

There is a possibility that the raid will have an impact on the construction of the ring road. The reason is the suspicion that the materials may threaten the operation of both the D4 highway and R7 dual-carriageway in the future, according to the broadcaster.

Minister praises police work

Environment Minister Laszlo Solymos (Most-Hid) appreciated the cooperation of police and the ministry inspectors during the raid.

We take the fight against environmental criminality seriously, Solymos said, as quoted by the TASR newswire.

Read also:

Read also: NAKA makes a raid near Bratislava Read more

Alongside the police the Environment Ministry has been dealing with suspicions surrounding the construction of the ring road for several months.

This is the right way, and we support and contribute to the creation of the environmental police in Slovakia, the minister added, as quoted by TASR.
Exciting news coming out of San Francisco as Linea Caffe has announced a new location opening in the Potrero Hill neighborhood. According to a press release, the 5,000-square-foot cafe/roastery is expected to open June 1st.

For Linea Caffe owner Andrew Barnett, the recently announced Mariposa Street location is a homecoming of sorts. Back in 2009, Barnett had just sold his previous business, Ecco Caffe, to Chicagos Intelligentisa, who at the time were trying to break into the Bay Area. The plan was to for Intelli to open a shop in this exact same location, which Barnett would use to roast The Ecco Project, designed to showcase the rare varietal, the auction lot, or the result of an experiment hatched between producers who met at our Extraordinary Coffee Workshop, as Intelligentsias then-Director of Marketing Stephen Morrissey told Sprudge at the time.

That cafe never fully came to fruition. Instead, in 2017 Intelli turned it into a roasting space and training lab for their wholesale clients. A year later, the roasting facility shuttered.

The space has now come full circle, with Barnett nearly a decade later finally getting to open the roasting space he had wanted. From the press release:

Its always been my dream to roast coffee in San Francisco, and to have a place where we could create an experience where our guests can see and smell beautiful coffees being roasted, and appreciate the finished product all at the same time.

The new Linea Caffe will be home to a vintage German Probat UG-22 as well as the brand new, ergonomics-forward La Marzocco KB90 espresso machine. The space wont stray too far from its past life as a training facility, with Barnett planning to continue to offer educational opportunities for wholesale clients and retail customers alike. According to the press release, the new cafe will offer pastries from Dogpatch baker, Neighbor Bakehouse, whole leaf teas from Song Tea and matcha from Mizuba, and organic milk and alternative milk options from Straus Family Creamery and Oatly.

It appears that good things do come to those who wait, even if sometimes, the good thing was what you thought you had 10 years ago. For more information, visit Linea Caffes official website.

Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.

Top image via Better Together: San Franciscos Linea Caffe And La Boulangerie Team Up

Disclosure: Linea Caffe is an advertising partner with the Sprudge Media Network
Residents in Suweida were angered by the lack of respect and recognition that was given by the regime to the revolutionary leader writes Al-Modon.

Intentionally coinciding with the 37th anniversary of the death of the major Syrian revolutionary leader, Sultan Basha al-Atrash, the regime held a massive march with children, students and civil servants, at the invitation of the Baath Party, to reject the American presidents recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan, according to Al-Modons correspondent, Zein al-Halabi.

While the regime chose to ignore this significant day, the Social Authority for National Action and other opposition movements, revived Atrashs memory in his hometown of al-Qurayya. They issued a statement in which they called for prisoners of conscience to be released and for political arrests to be stopped. The statement said that a political solution was the only way to escape from the current ordeal. Local factions headed to Atrashs monument, including the Sheikh al-Karama Forces, and raised their banners, and said in a joint statement that the Baath Party was trying to obliterate the anniversary and obscure history through oppression and the silencing of voices.

The regime had prohibited celebrating the anniversary of Sultan al-Atrashs death from 1982, the year he died, until 2011. Activists and protesters were subjected to arrest and intimidation. The Hafez al-Assad regime had marginalized Atrashs role and the Great Syrian Revolt, even in school history books, and had fought against any commemoration of the anniversary or any symbols of the Great Syrian Revolt in Suweida. When matters began to slip out of their control with the outbreak of the Syrian revolution, the regime tried to obscure the anniversary, which people had restored as a national holiday, by sending shabiha to attack protesters, or holding loyalist rallies.

When the factions visited the monument, they were overcome with a sense of disappointment when they discovered the neglected state of the monument and that rainwater had leaked into the rooms where archeological artifacts from the Great Syrian Revolt were collected. This pushed some to insult Bashar al-Assad and to smash one of his pictures inside the monument, and then go out and chant for Sultan Basha al-Atrash and Sheikh Waheed al-Blaous.

Over the decades, the monument had been intentionally neglected, to insult the memory of the Great Syrian Revolt. After the monument was established, Atrashs body was moved there, along with artifacts from the events of the fighting against the French.

For the recent march, the Baath Party forced primary school and secondary school students, as well as employees in government departments, under threat of expulsion or dismissal, to attend a march against the American decision regarding the Golan. The march, which was attended by members of the Baath Party and regime officials and members of religious and social agencies, headed through the streets of Suweida and stopped in front of the governorate building. The children and students chanted for Assad and the Golan, while no mention of the anniversary of the death of Sultan Basha al-Atrash was made.

In light of the prevailing split between the three Sheyikh al-Aql, separate statements were issued to criticize Trump regarding the Golan and calling on the United Nations and Security Council to implement a decision in this regard.

This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
The location of the mass grave containing the remains of regime soldiers was revealed, when the regime agreed to free a number of prisoners reports Zaman Al Wasl.

On Tuesday, the Syrian regime freed three detainees, two men and a woman, after the former-al-Qaeda group agreed to reveal the location of a mass grave in Idleb province, containing the remains of regime troops, local activists said.

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham gave the regime the coordinates of mass graves of regime soldiers who had been killed during the Abou al-Duhur Airbase battles in September 2015, east of Idleb city.

Tahrir al-Sham and other hardline groups have refused to pull out their fighters from Idleb, despite the de-militarized zone which was announced by rebel backer Ankara and regime supporter Moscow last September, and which was designed to separate regime troops from rebel fighters in Idleb and adjacent areas.

This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
The tortured civilian was accused of collaborating with the Islamic State, whose defeat was announced at the end of last week writes Zaman Al Wasl.

A civilian was tortured to death by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), after being accused of collaborating with the Islamic State (ISIS) in Deir ez-Zor province, local activists said Tuesday.

The man was subjected to electric shock and brutal torture along with another ISIS fighter in the town of al-Basria.

Also, five family members (a father, mother and three sons) were killed in a land mine explosion in al-Basria town.

On Saturday, the SDF declared the capture of Baghouz, the Islamic States last piece of territory in Deir ez-Zor province, eliminating its rule over a self-proclaimed caliphate, but the jihadists remain a threat, with followers around the world.

Meanwhile, ISIS said that overnight on Tuesday it had launched a deadly attack on Kurdish forces in northern Syria, the first such claim by the group since US-backed forces proclaimed the capture of its last territory in Syria last week.

A spokesman for the US-backed militia that controls Manbij said a terrorist attack on a checkpoint at the citys entrance killed seven fighters on duty. A US official said all the casualties were members of the SDF.

An ISIS statement said that, caliphate soldiers attacked a checkpoint of the apostate PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party) west of Manbij using machine guns and killed nine fighters.

Some 30 km (20 miles) from the Turkish border, Manbij has been a flashpoint in the Syrian conflict and occupies a critical spot, near the junction of three separate blocks of territory that form the spheres of Russian, Turkish and US influence.

It was seized in 2016 from ISIS by Syrian militias allied to the SDF, a militia force spearheaded by the Kurdish YPG and which controls roughly a quarter of Syria.

We cannot blame a specific side for this attack, but it is definitely linked to the declared victory over ISIS, Manbij Military Council spokesman Sharfan Darwish said.

The purpose of these attacks is to incite sedition. Also the parties troubled by the defeat of ISIS are trying to threaten stability in the area, he told Reuters.

This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
As well as the US President, Nasrallah also lashed out at international institutions that have failed to protect people's rights reports SANA.

Hezbollah Secretary General, Hassan Nasrallah, said that the proclamation by US President Donald Trump regarding the occupied Syrian Golan represents a scorn and contempt for the Arab and Islamic world and all international resolutions, which affirm that Golan is a Syrian territory occupied by the Israeli enemy.

Trump continues to show contempt for international law and the resolutions of the international community in service to the interests of the Israeli occupation entity, Nasrallah added in a speech on Tuesday.

He stressed that the proclamation indicates the inability of international institutions to protect the rights of people, including the restoration of an occupied land.

Nasrallah went on to say that the silence of the international community, particularly the Arab and Islamic worlds, following Trumps announcement that Jerusalem is the capital for the occupation entity, emboldened him take the risk regarding the Golan.

This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
Within hours, the wines were sold out 

The Israel-hating BDS  Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions  crowd want us to believe it is a legitimate means to help Palestinians in their fight for justice.

But it is really an attempt at demonization and delegitimization of Israel.

They will fail.

Via Haaretz.

As a supporter of boycotting Israel, Mieke Zagt had no intention of boosting the sales of an Israeli wine when she posted on Twitter a picture of the wine on sale at the Hema Dutch supermarket chain.

But her tweet protesting the sale prompted Israel supporters here to mount a social media reaction so successful that the wines sold out at the Hema stores and the campaign became the No. 1 trending topic Tuesday on Dutch Twitter.

Gideon van der Sluis, a Dutch-born Israeli business consultant, and several other pro-Israel advocates began engaging on Twitter with like-minded users about Zagts tweet, labeling it with a hashtag meaning TipFromMieke. Within 24 hours it became the top-trending item on Dutch Twitter, with people posting pictures of freshly bought bottles.

Within hours, the wines were sold out from the online store of Hema  a huge chain with 525 outlet in the Netherlands alone.

The social network campaign seems to have originated with the hard core of Dutch Israel supporters,,But it seems to have reached far beyond the Netherlands Jewish community of about 40,000 people.

They began selling even faster after Christians for Israel, an international group whose headquarters is just outside Amsterdam, posted an article on its website and Facebook page encouraging its many thousands of readers and supporters to buy Efrat Wines.
Dedicated to the Restoration of Progressive Democracy
Janakpur, Nepal, March 28, 2019: The District Court of Dhanusha has slapped a life term on former parliamentarian Sanjay Sah Takala for his involvement in 2012 Janakpur blast that had claimed the lives of five people and left about three dozen injured.





With the landmark verdict of the District Court of Dhanusha, two senior leaders of the Rastrya Janata Party Nepal (RJPN) faced life term on the charge of murder of the innocent people. Eelier, court had issued similar life term against lawmaker Resham Chaudhary.





Responding to the writ petition filed in the court on the charge of blast and murdering the innocent people, a bench of District Court Justice Rajesh Kumar Katuwal made the verdict of life term on Thursday against seven persons including Takla.





The deadly bomb blast had taken place at Ramanand Chowk of Janakpur on April 30, 2012 in the midst a peaceful hunger strike launched by the locals demanding Mithila state. In the blast, Ranju Jha, Bimal Upadhyay, Suresh Upadhyay, Jhagaru Das and Dipendra Das had lost lives.




The Undead Archives

I have finally salvaged my pre-Blogger TDR archives and added them into Blogger. They are almost totally in the form of one giant post for each month. And the formatting strayed from the originals. Sorry. But historians everywhere can rejoice that this treasure trove of my thoughts is restored to the world.
4 hours ago

Inflation is painfully high, but some relief may be coming

NEW YORK (AP)  Inflation is painfully high, but this hopefully is close to as bad as it gets. Consumer prices rose 6.8% for the 12 months ending in November, a 39-year high. Many economists expect inflation to remain near this level a few more months but to then moderate through 2022 for a variety of reasons.

Read Article
Kathmandu, Nepal, March 28, 2019: Indian delegates led by Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale have arrived here in Kathmandu in a two day office visit to Nepal.





The purpose of the visit is said to review all aspect of wide-ranging bilateral partnership and exchanged views on regional and other issues of mutual interest.





In the mean time , the Indian Foreign Secretary Gokhale led delegation called on Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali and Foreign Secretary Shankar Das Bairagi separately at latters office at Singhdurbar.





It is said that ranges of issues related to the strengthening of bilateral relations and deepening mutual co-operation between the two neighboring countries were discussed during the meeting.




"Some of these U.S. organizations may have been targeted by Elfin for the purpose of mounting supply chain attacks," Symantec said in its blog post. "In one instance, a large U.S. company was attacked in the same month a Middle Eastern company it co-owns was also compromised."

Hackers Still Exploiting Recently Discovered WinRAR Flaw

APT33/Elfin Links to Shamoon Attacks

"One Shamoon victim in Saudi Arabia had recently also been attacked by Elfin and had been infected with the Stonedrill malware used by Elfin. Because the Elfin and the Shamoon attacks against this organization occurred so close together, there has been speculation that the two groups may be linked," Symantec said.



"However, Symantec has found no further evidence to suggest Elfin was responsible for these Shamoon attacks to date. We continue to monitor the activities of both groups closely."

An Iran-linked cyber-espionage group that has been found targeting critical infrastructure , energy and military sectors in Saudi Arabia and the United States two years ago continues targeting organizations in the two nations, Symantec reported on Wednesday.Widely known as, which Symantec calls, the cyber-espionage group has been active since as early as late 2015 and targeted a wide range of organizations, including government, research, chemical, engineering, manufacturing, consulting, finance, and telecommunications in the Middle East and other parts of the world.Symantec started monitoring Elfin's attacks since the beginning of 2016 and found that the group has launched a heavily targeted campaign against multiple organizations with 42% most recent attacks observed against Saudi Arabia and 34% against the United States.Elfin targeted a total of 18 American organizations in the engineering, chemical, research, energy consultancy, finance, IT and healthcare sectors over the past three years, including a number of Fortune 500 companies.The APT33 group has also been exploiting a recently disclosed, critical vulnerability ( CVE-2018-20250 ) in the widely used WinRAR file compression application that lets attackers silently extract malicious files from a harmless archive file to a Windows Startup folder, eventually allowing them to execute arbitrary code on the targeted computer.The vulnerability was already patched by the WinRAR team last month but was found actively exploited by various hacking groups and individual hackers immediately after its details and proof-of-concept (PoC) exploit code went public In the APT33 campaign, the WinRAR exploit was used against a targeted organization in the chemical sector in Saudi Arabia, where two of its users received a file via a spear-phishing email that attempted to exploit the WinRAR vulnerability.Though Symantec is not the only firm that spotted attacks exploiting the WinRAR flaw, security firm FireEye also identified four separate campaigns that have been found exploiting the WinRAR vulnerability to install password stealers, trojans and other malicious software.APT33 has deployed a wide range of tools in its custom malware toolkit including the Notestuk backdoor (aka TURNEDUP), the Stonedrill Trojan and a malware backdoor written in AutoIt.Besides its custom malware, APT33 also used several commodity malware tools, including Remcos, DarkComet, Quasar RAT, Pupy RAT, NanoCore, and NetWeird, along with many publicly available hacking tools, like Mimikatz, SniffPass, LaZagne, and Gpppassword.In December 2018, the APT33 group was linked to a wave of Shamoon attacks targeting the energy sector, one of which infected a company in Saudi Arabia with the Stonedrill malware used by Elfin.In late 2017, cybersecurity company FireEye said it found evidence that APT33 works on behalf of the Iranian government , and that the group has successfully targeted aviation sector both military and commercialalong with organizations in the energy sector.Symantec described APT33 as "one of the most active groups currently operating in the Middle East" targeting a diverse range of sectors, with "willingness to continually revise its tactics and find whatever tools it takes to compromise its next set of victims."




Kathmandu, Nepal, March 28, 2019: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has urged the Nepal government to be a part of the Indo-Pacific strategy unveiled by the US to ensure free and open Indo-Pacific region claiming that the strategy is in the interest of Nepal.





The US has made such an urge while sending a congratulatory message to the Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on the completion of the first anniversary of assuming office as prime minister. In the message US Secretary of State Pompeo has also urged Nepal to uphold the rights of Tibetan refugees in Nepal.





Nepal would continue to protect the rights of Tibetans in Nepal to ensure that individuals will not be returned to a country where they face serious threats to their life or their religious, cultural, and linguistic freedoms, reads the message sent by the Pompeo.





As sending congratulatory message to Nepali prime minister on the anniversary of the assumption of office by the US with suggestions is rare incident, some critics have describe this as an indication of the US attaching further importance to its relations with Nepal.





As Nepal strives to realize the fruits of peace and political stability, I believe it will become increasingly apparent that the US emphasis on a free and open Indo-Pacific region, providing for the prosperity, sovereignty, and security of every country, is very much in Nepals own interest, he further states in the message.




Issues of concern to people who live in the west: property rights, water rights, endangered species, livestock grazing, energy production, wilderness and western agriculture. Plus a few items on western history, western literature and the sport of rodeo... Frank DuBois served as the NM Secretary of Agriculture from 1988 to 2003. DuBois is a former legislative assistant to a U.S. Senator, a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Interior, and is the founder of the DuBois Rodeo Scholarship.




PHOENIX: An Arizona woman who used to operate a popular YouTube channel featuring children has been indicted on charges that she kidnapped five of her seven adopted children and abused them by pepper-spraying them, forcing them to take ice baths and striking them with clothes hangers.





The indictment filed Monday mirrors some charges brought last week against Machelle Hobson. Christy Wilcox, a spokeswoman for the Pinal County Attorneys Office, said prosecutors didnt have direct evidence that Hobson was abusing two of the adopted children, both of whom are aged 3.





Hobson is accused of using pepper spray on a childs genitals, applying a lighter or stun gun to a victims genitals, arm or other body parts, and causing them to suffer malnourishment.





Authorities have previously said Hobson locked up the children in a closet for days at a time without food, water or access to a bathroom.





Hobson attorney Richard Scherb didnt immediately return a call Tuesday afternoon seeking comment on his clients behalf.





Hobson, who remained jail Tuesday on a $200,000 bond, is scheduled to enter a plea on 24 counts of child abuse, five counts of kidnapping and one count of aggravated assault at an arraignment hearing on Friday.





YouTube has since terminated Hobsons channel, which featured skits about such things as children stealing cookies or a boy with superpowers, after determining the channel violated its guidelines.





Investigators had said they found two cans of pepper spray in Hobsons bedroom.





Police had said the children were malnourished, noting that one hungry child was fearful to eat a bag of chips that police had given her because she didnt want Hobson to smell them on her breath. They also said the children were taken out of school so they could keep filming the video series and hadnt been back in school for years.





Hobsons biological daughter, who is an adult, alerted police of the abuse nearly two weeks ago, prompting officers to visit Hobsons home in the city of Maricopa, located 35 miles (56 kilometres) south of Phoenix.





The Arizona Department of Child Safety later removed the children from the home, and Hobson and her two of her adult sons were arrested.





The sons, Logan and Ryan Hackney, are accused of failing to report abuse of a minor.





The child safety agency declined to say whether it had any prior contacts or complaints related to Hobson, citing confidentiality laws.





In a statement Tuesday, Child Safety Director Gregory McKay said Hobsons case brings pain to those who work for the agency and pointed out the difficulty in detecting abuse by people who have no criminal records.





McKay said at least 20 systems or agencies were involved with Hobson and the adopted children, including two police departments and a foster care review board.




During the Chamber of Deputies's topical questions hour, CSV faction head Martine Hansen brought up the issue of Google.

Stressing that the CSV has neither a Google euphoria nor a Google phobia, she explained that her party is calling for a clear Google strategy. The opposition parties criticised the lack of transparency concerning the Google dossier, with Hansen raising the issue of energy use.

In her questions, she specifically asked how large the electricity use of such a data centre would be, given that Etienne Schneider described the use of a data centre as "impressive." Asking for clarification on what "impressive" refers to, she explained that she had read in the press that it meant 2,500 gigawatt hours per year. This figure is twice as much as all Luxembourg's private households put together and a third of Luxembourg's current electricity usage. As a consequence, Hansen asked where that electricity would come from.

In response, Minister of the Economy Etienne Schneider affirmed that the government is discussing the data centre's energy use as well as its land and water use. However, he specified that at the current time, there were no specific plans for a "Google" project and MPs must be patient, whether they want to or not, and wait until the land has been reclassified and until Google presents a tangible project.

He admitted that he finds the manner of Google's communications timid and perhaps a bit too timid. He believed the project to be good and that they would be better off in telling those involved what exactly they expect.

After Schneider spoke, the Minister for Energy explained that the government will only know how much energy and water Google will use up when the company submits their file. He also expressed his surprise that politicians who had previously been in power were acting as if the country lacked procedures for these types of files.

The ADR also prepared a motion calling for the government to start an impact study on the data centre. Minister for the Environment Carole Dieschbourg responded by explaining that the government's procedures include receiving an environmental impact study, making the motion void. The government will receive this study at the moment when it has all the data concerning the technology and when it is able to examine the project as a whole.

Globally, the government's position was that the project can only be valued when it has all the required information.
LUXEMBOURG-VILLE  Explaining that she wanted to see a dear friend and ask for a little favour, on Wednesday Queen Elizabeth II paid an impromptu visit to Grand Duke Henri and off-handedly asked him to grant her Luxembourgish citizenship.

This has nothing to do with that Brexit thing, or those little uncertainties about trade and travel, she said. Its just that my whole life Ive only had one passport, and I think having a second one would be fun.

The queen then admitted that a European passport might also come in handy.

What if I want to pop over to France for wine and cigarettes, and the immigration people say, excusez-nous Your Majesty, but youve got to join the other queue, she said. With my luck, Ill get get stuck behind a bunch of lorry drivers and Ill spend five hours in the car with the Duke of Edinburgh while he talks about horses.

Its not that I want to give up being British, and on the contrary Id prefer to have both nationalities, she said. One has grown fond of sitting on a throne and waving a sceptre around.

But what if I want to participate in a year-long monarch exchange program with the Queen of Sweden? What if I decide to retire on the Costa del Sol in Spain? she continued. There would be so much paperwork, visas and all that.

Still insisting that she had only just thought up the idea, the queen then submitted to Grand Duke Henri a completed application form sealed in wax. Although she claimed that being Luxembourgish is her top pick, sources indicate she has made similar unannounced visits to the monarchs of Belgium, Denmark, and Lichtenstein.

Read more at wurst.lu

Photo credit: Pixabay and Wikimedia Commons / Cayambe
The EU announced Wednesday it will suspend ship patrols that have rescued tens of thousands of migrants since 2015 in the Mediterranean and brought them to Italy, after deep resistance by populist-led Rome.

European Union diplomats agreed that the operation would be officially extended six months beyond its March 31 expiry date, but no longer deploy ships and instead rely on air missions and coordination with Libya.

"Member States have decided to extend the mandate of Operation Sophia for six months with a temporary suspension of its naval assets while member states continue working on a solution related to disembarkation," an EU official said in a statement.

The EU has credited the mission with having stopped smugglers taking migrants on dangerous sea crossings, but anger in Italy effectively put an end to rescue operations through Sophia a year ago.

The anti-migration government that took power in Rome last year has insisted it should not have to carry the burden of dealing with migrants rescued at sea.

In demanding other EU states take in more, Rome has also blocked non-government organisations from disembarking migrants rescued at sea in Italian ports.

Efforts to adjust Operation Sophia in the long term have beached on the broader question of how to reform the EU's so-called Dublin asylum rules, which stipulate that the country of first arrival must process asylum seekers.

EU cooperation with Libya has been credited with sharply reducing the number of migrants arriving in Europe from a 2015 peak when the continent faced its worst migration crisis since World War II.

Activists however decry rampant human rights abuses against migrants in Libya as they await passage to Europe and urge the EU to not outsource the problem to Tripoli.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has called on all member states to support the efforts of the UN and his personal envoy for the Sahara, Horst Kohler, aimed at reaching a final solution to the Sahara issue.

We hope that all Member States support the UNs effort, Spokesperson for the UN Secretary General, Stephane Dujarric, said Tuesday in his daily press briefing in New York.

Responding to a question on the African ministerial conference convened in Marrakech on the African Unions support to the UN political process on the Sahara, Stephane Dujarric, stressed that the Secretary-Generals response lies in the work and efforts of his Personal Envoy, Mr. Kohler, who has just convened in Geneva another round of talks with the parties to the conflict. He noted that these efforts are mandated by the Security Council.

The 37 African delegations that made the trip to Marrakech, last Monday, adopted a final declaration in which these countries of the five sub-regions of the continent, reiterate their support for the UN leadership and their unanimous support for the UN process, as the exclusive framework for handling the regional dispute over the Moroccan Sahara.

According to some Western journalists, it is rather an encrypted message that the UN addresses indirectly to South Africa that held Monday in Pretoria, a meeting of support of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to the Polisario Front, in the presence of a handful of African and Latin American countries.

The theme of the Pretoria meeting, of course, is a blatant violation of decision 693, adopted at the 31st AU Summit held July 1-2 2018 in Nouakchott. Under the decision, the pan-African organization steps aside, recognizing the UN as the only authority to address the Moroccan Sahara issue.

Yet, South Africa, in complicity with Algeria, which are still struggling to support the Polisarios chimerical claims of independence, brought to Pretoria twelve small states of southern Africa and Latin America in a vain attempt to challenge the UN and resuscitate the debate within the African Union around the Sahara issue.
A grocers in Ho Chi Minh City has garnered extremely positive feedback from customers by ditching the common plastic wrap to switch to the more traditional banana leaves, in a bid to protect the environment.

The owner of Tiem Rau Cua Ba, literally Dads Vegeteble Store, in Binh Thanh District wraps his vegetables all in banana leaves, just like what sellers would do at conventional markets in the countryside.

Many customers have greatly appreciated this wrapping, Nguyen Anh Thao, a 28-year-old from Quang Nam Province, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

Quitting a good job at a big company, Thao built his own business by sourcing clean vegetables from Da Lat, known for its cool climate, and other Central Highlands provinces to sell in Ho Chi Minh City.

Green cauliflowers are wrapped in banana leaves at Nguyen Anh Thaos store in Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Ngoc Hien / Tuoi Tre

Most of his groceries come from organic farms that have secured quality certification.

At first he had to throw away half of the stock over poor sales.

Gradually, his business has been thriving as more and more clients have known of his store and its clean vegetables. He replenishes his inventory every day, a difference from three or four days in the past.

Banana leaves are traditional packaging that has been used for a long time in rural Vietnam so he wants to bring such wrappings to the city, the man said.

Cucumbers are seen being wrapped in banana leaves at Nguyen Anh Thaos store in Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Ngoc Hien / Tuoi Tre

The banana leaf packaging looks nice and pleasant so my customers are really fond of them, Thao said.

They are meant to protect the environment as well.

He also wraps other aquatic products in banana leaves or biodegradable paper bags.

Nguyen Anh Thao arranges vegetables at his store in Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Ngoc Hien / Tuoi Tre

Some buyers found it inconvenient to carry such packages home on their motorbikes, as they could not hang them on the hooks like they would with the plastic wrap and bags, according to the store owner.

What is more, the store boasts wooden shelves and basket plaited with bamboo, conjuring up the vibes of the countryside.

Im happy to see foreigners and Vietnamese housewives welcome the banana leave wrappings, Thao said.

The more often they visit my store, the more products farmers are able to sell.

I feel so satisfied doing business without damaging the environment.

The man plans to use more banana leaves and offer discounts to encourage customers to buy eco-friendly products.

Vegetables wrapped in banana leaves are on sale at Nguyen Anh Thaos store in Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Ngoc Hien / Tuoi Tre

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A 76-year-old man who has spent his entire life living in the Sa Dec Flour Village, a famous craft neighborhood in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap, sat down with Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper to discuss the reasons behind his devotion to bringing prosperity to the village.

Nguyen Van Nuong, aka Tu Nuong, credits his success to his stubborn nature  a trait which he says has given him the confidence and fearlessness to weather the challenges life has thrown at him over the years.

Tough times

When the American war ended in 1975, thousands of small businesses were forced to close as part of the new governments efforts to control the economy  and Tu Nuongs flour-making business was no exception.

The governments decree was a heavy blow to Tu Nuongs family.

They had spent generations producing flour and it was their only source of income.

While Tu Nuong understood clearly what the new policies were and the risks coming with breaking the rules, he never ceased his business, out of what he describes as stubborn thinking that it is no wrong using your own intelligence, understanding, and skills to make a living.

Because he was operating outside the law, Tu Nuong often found himself face-to-face with government officials who would seize his flour-milling machine. Still, he refused to give in and would scrape the money together for a new one by borrowing from friends and family.

Aside from the legal dangers, producing flour also posed several health risks for Tu Nuong.

Rotten finger nails from constantly working with water, back pain, and accidents involving the milling machine are just a few of the common risks associated with milling flour.

These are also the main reasons why the number of local flour producers has dramatically dropped over the years, Tu Nuong said.

One of the most time-consuming and physically-demanding aspects of flour production used to be beating the mixture of milled rice and water in order to dehydrate the mixture and create flour.

However, Tu Nuong was able to invent a machine to help with the dewatering process and increase his productivity by two to three times.

The Sa Dec Flour Village is currently the main supplier for a huge chunk of Vietnams food industry, especially the rice noodle sector. The village also exports rice flour to many countries around the world, including Japan, South Korea, and several in Europe.

Now, hoping to jump on the zero-waste bandwagon, Tu Nuong hopes to follow in the footsteps of another local company which produces straws made of rice flour so as to erase the need for plastic straws.

Tu Nuong is still active in doing business and helping other local manufacturers despite being 76 years old. Photo: Ngoc Tai / Tuoi Tre

Helping others

Though Sa Dec is a city historically known for flour-making, today there are only a few hundred households left who are still involved in the profession.

Keeping the flour-making tradition alive is particularly important to Tu Nuong, as he believes Sa Dec flour has a unique taste.

With flour producing traditionally being passed on to both daughters and sons for many generations, Tu Nuong inherited his skills and milling tools when he got married and started his own family.

The flour business has been in his family ever since.

Over the course of his career, he has managed to gain the trust of local business families throughout the Sa Dec Flour Village and currently serves as the head of the Sa Dec Flour Club, with 63 local producers as members.

According to Tu Nuong, the club helps members, most of whom are also neighbors, build better business relationships with one another, centered on honesty and the desire to share experiences and help themselves improve productivity.

Thanks to the club, the business families stopped thinking only about themselves and the village was able to avoid individuals that constantly cut prices, forcing others to do so as well.

Tu Nuong instructed many members of the club to make flour good enough for export while also providing suggestions on developing other flour products, Le Nhut Truong, one of the Sa Dec Flour Club members, said.

The 76-year-old businessman even suggested going a step further by creating a fund that allows local businesses to take interest-free loans in order to branch out.

To attract tourists, Tu Nuong has established a food corner which sells various traditional dishes cooked by the local families.

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Vietnam and South Korea have signed a pact this week to jointly produce TV programs and see them as local products in each country, with a view to exporting them to other nations.

The Vietnamese and South Korean governments inked such a deal in Hanoi on Tuesday.

Vietnamese Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung and Chairman of the Korea Communications Commission Hyo Seong Lee signed the pact on joint TV program production, with the participation of many representatives from the two countries TV stations.

Vietnamese and South Korean TV program producers will get approval for their joint programs within 50 days from their registration at relevant agencies in each country, according to the agreement.

Such agencies are required to give a written explanation when they turn down any registration.

The broadcasting of such programs will have to follow local rules and regulations.

Each of the producers will contribute at least 10 percent of the finance and content of the programs, with their production teams consisting of Vietnamese and South Korean staff.

The two nations will allow entry to their each others citizens who can stay to produce and promote their joint TV programs.

The agreement also stipulates that Vietnam and South Korea will grant import tax exemption to equipment brought in for joint TV program production.

The governments of both countries will provide funds for such programs and recognize them as local products.

The joint producers will decide on their copyright and how to share revenue.

This agreement signature is a step forward in the cooperation between Vietnam and South Korea in information and communications, Minister Hung said.

The Vietnamese official advised that a team be put together to promote this pact and work out annual action plans for specific activities.

Chairman Hyo concurred with Minister Hung, this is a basis and an opportunity for deepening the two countries ties.

Such TV programs would be able to be exported to other countries, for example those in Central Asia or South America, he said.

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Here are what you need to know to start your day!

Politics

-- Vietnamese Party chief and State President Nguyen Phu Trong and Sultan of Brunei Haji Hassanal Bolkiah agreed to upgrade their two countries bilateral relations to a comprehensive partnership during the latters visit to Vietnam starting on Wednesday.

Society

-- Around 150 Asian openbill storks, which Vietnam lists as endangered, were spotted for the first time in the southern province of Bac Lieu earlier this week.

-- The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment asserted on Wednesday that the appointment of the ministers younger brother as head of a general department under the ministry properly followed procedures, following media reports suggesting nepotism was involved in the appointment.

-- A man died as a wartime bomb exploded while he was cutting it to get scrap metal on Wednesday in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong.

-- Military officers in the southern province of Ben Tre on Wednesday started bringing onshore the wreckage of a wartime military plane that a local farmer had found in his shrimp growing pond seven years earlier. The discovery had not been made known to authorities until earlier this week.

-- A woman in the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong was fined VND10 million ($430) for posting fake Facebook news saying 800 local pigs had died from African swine fever.

-- Hanoi was shrouded in smog on Wednesday, with the air pollution in a number of its districts reaching serious levels while experts have warned of health risks from the phenomenon.

Business

-- Vietnams finance ministry on Wednesday suggested imposing 15-17 percent corporate income taxes on small and super-small enterprises, instead of the current 20 percent rate, in order to encourage their growth.

-- Major Vietnamese dairy manufacturer Vinamilk inaugurated a 685-hectare cow farm, which is the largest of its kind in Vietnam, in Tay Ninh Province, near Ho Chi Minh City, on Wednesday.

-- The 2019 Vietnam International Travel Mart, an annual international event showcasing tourism products and services, opened on Wednesday in Hanoi. It is joined by over 500 companies and scheduled to end on Saturday.

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Police in Ho Chi Minh City discovered two Taiwanese people and a Vietnamese allegedly transporting a large amount of drugs on Wednesday night, but one of the two foreign suspects managed to flee the scene.

Anti-drug and traffic police officers in the southern hub pulled over an automobile and a pickup truck with suspicious signs for a check near the An Suong Overpass in Hoc Mon District at around 8:30 pm.

As soon as the vehicles stopped, the two drivers, along with a man on the pickup truck, quickly got out and fled the scene.

Law enforcement officers chased them down and were able to capture both drivers, while the third man absconded, police confirmed on Thursday.

An inspection later revealed that the two vehicles were carrying nearly 900 packs of white powder appearing to be heroin.

The packs were estimated to weigh hundreds of kilograms.

Two suspects have been arrested so far. Photo: Ngoc Phu / Tuoi Tre

The driver of the car was identified as a Vietnamese man from the north-central province of Thanh Hoa, while the pickup truck driver was a Taiwanese man.

The man on the run is also from Taiwan, according to initial information.

As of Thursday afternoon, officers were still hunting for the third suspect.

On Wednesday last week, Ho Chi Minh City police arrested eight Chinese and three Vietnamese members of an illicit drug ring, confiscating 300 kilograms of crystal meth in Binh Tan District.

Officers later coordinated with their Filipino counterparts to seize another 270 kilograms of drugs in Manila, which the ring had previously shipped from Cat Lai Port in the southern Vietnamese metropolis.

In Vietnam, trading, trafficking, or storing over 100 grams of heroin is punishable with up to 20 years imprisonment, life imprisonment or capital punishment.

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A flock of Asian openbill storks, a species Vietnam classifies as rare, has been under strict protection by local authorities since it landed in the southern province of Bac Lieu several days ago.

The flock, consisting of nearly 150 storks, is staying at the local nature reserve, said Tran Binh Loc, head of the wetlands management.

Each of the birds is about 50 centimeters tall, weighs one to 1.6 kilograms, and has a wingspan of over one meter, Loc said.

He attributed the birds arrival to efforts by the local government to deter residents living near the reserve from illegal hunting and damaging the local ecosystem.

Loc also pointed out that the large available number of fish, shrimp, crabs, frogs, and snails in the wetland likely played a significant part in the storks decision to stop in Bac Lieu.

An aerial view of the nature reserve in Bac Lieu Province, Vietnams Mekong Delta in late March 2019. Photo: Phan Thanh Cuong / Tuoi Tre

Local authorities have stepped up their patrol around the reserve and asked local people not to cause any harm to the visiting creatures.

Asian openbill storks, which have a characteristic greyish body and black wings, have been found in Asian countries such as India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Thailand.

In Vietnam, they have been sighted in southwestern areas and Ho Chi Minh Citys neighbor Tay Ninh Province, but only in modest numbers.

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A three-year-old Vietnamese girl was hospitalized for severe injuries after she was brutally mauled by a pit bull near her home in Hanoi last week, doctors said on Wednesday.

The toddler was admitted to the Xanh Pon Hospital in Hanoi on March 21 with multiple flesh wounds and a broken left thigh, said Nguyen Nam Giang, a doctor at Xanh Pon.

She was in a state of trauma at the time of hospitalization, Giang said.

According to her mother, the girl was riding a training bicycle near her home in Phu Xuyen District on March 21 when a pit bull from a neighbors house freed itself from its chains and attacked the toddler.

The dog, which weighed around 25 kilograms, grabbed her by the leg and did not let go until local residents threatened it with knives and hoes.

Dog bites left on the girls thigh measured up to ten centimeters deep, Giang said.

Doctors performed surgical excision to affix the broken thigh bone.

She was also vaccinated against rabies.

Pit bulls are the common name for a breed of dog descended from bulldogs and terriers.

Earlier this month, a nine-year-old boy from the northern province of Yen Bai had his genitals bitten off by a family dog.

Vietnam reported two deaths from dog attacks in 2018.

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WASHINGTON, March 26 (Reuters) - A Russian military contingent that arrived in Venezuela over the weekend, drawing U.S. condemnation, is believed by the U.S. government to be made up of special forces including "cybersecurity personnel," a U.S. official told Reuters on Tuesday. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the United States was still assessing the Russian deployment, which Washington has called a "reckless escalation" of the situation in Venezuela.

Two Russian air force planes landed outside Caracas on Saturday carrying nearly 100 Russian troops, according to local media reports, two months after the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump disavowed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Venezuela's government has confirmed two planes landed from Russia at the weekend and were authorized by Maduro but has given no more details.

The Trump administration has recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as the country's legitimate president and demands that Maduro step down. Russia has described this as a U.S.-backed coup against the socialist government.

The U.S. determination that the Russian contingent includes cybersecurity specialists suggests that part of their mission could be helping Maduro's loyalists with surveillance as well as protection of the government's cyber infrastructure. (Reuters)



The Antonov-124 transport and Ilyushin-62 passenger jet landed in Caracas with 100 Russian troops and technical specialists and 35 tons of equipment. The group was led by General Vasily Tonkoshkurov, the Chief of Staff of the Russian ground forces. I would imagine the Russian troops include a contingent of the polite green men to advise Maduros security forces and perhaps assist in conducting counterterrorist operations as needed against any mercenaries in country associated with Guaido and the US-backed coup attempt. The Russians may also include specialists to train and assist the recent Venezuelan S-300 deployments at an airbase just south of Caracas.

Naturally Pompeo and Bonkers Bolton are raising holy hell about the Russian presence and making all manner of bombastic threats. It doesnt appear they are doing this on their own. You will find no safe harbor, no easy exit and no way out. You will lose everything, Trump said in a speech at Florida International University in Miami on 18 February. We seek a peaceful transition of power, but all options are open. On the same day he tweeted I ask every member of the Maduro regime: End this nightmare of poverty, hunger and death. LET YOUR PEOPLE GO. Set your country free! Now is the time for all Venezuelan Patriots to act together, as one united people. Nothing could be better for the future of Venezuela! At a White House photo op with Guaidos wife today, Trump said Russia has to get out. He continued If Russia doesn't leave Venezuela, we'll see. We'll see. All options are open ... all options are open." Trump appears to be all in on this one.

I doubt the tough talk from Washington is going to sway Putin. Moscow has decided that Venezuela and Maduros government are important and is acting accordingly. Lavrov has scheduled coordination meetings in Moscow on 3 April to sign some 20 accords in the fields of defense, energy, the economy, trade and education. They are not about to let things fester as they did in Ukraine and Syria. This Guaido thing is going to be nipped in the bud.

TTG

http://news.trust.org/item/20190326190043-kd9u0
Prolific US producer Brad Falchuk has signed a major deal with Netflix.

The deal with his company Teley-Vision is for four years and worth eight figures.

So far he has collaborated with Ryan Murphy on 9-1-1, Pose, American Horror Story and American Crime Story. His other credits include Glee, Nip / Tuck, and Scream Queens.

Both are also working together on the upcoming Netflix series The Politician.

His deal with FOX expires in June.

Source: Variety
Al Jazeera documentary How To Sell A Massacre concludes tonight on ABC with more revelations on the National Rifle Association of America and One Nation.

Pauline Hansons One Nation party workshopped plans with the National Rifle Association of America (NRA) to target women and vulnerable people in its pitch to undermine Australias gun control laws.

The second instalment of Al Jazeera documentary How To Sell A Massacre, to be broadcast on ABC TV at 8pm tonight, shows One Nation Chief of Staff James Ashby discussing how to sell a pro-gun message to Australians.

Its like Vegemite. You dont put a f***ing bundle of the s*** on your toast. A light smear at first, get them used to the flavour, he said. Part of it will be lets start looking at womens shooting range programs, self-defence programs, whatever those things might be. Start re-empowering women or vulnerable people.

It follows revelations in part one of the undercover investigation that One Nation planned to lobby the NRA and other pro-gun groups for millions of dollars to help it win the balance of power in parliament, promising to roll back Australias gun control laws. There is no evidence to suggest it received any such donations.

Tonights footage also reveals that One Nations Queensland leader Steve Dickson likened winning the balance of power in parliament to holding a gun to the governments head.

The thing you need to understand about the balance of power is the headlock and the 9mm [handgun] to the back of the head, thats where it sits, Mr Dickson said. Once you say We want something, we will get it. Without it, they dont get any legislation through.

Tonights program shows NRA officials advising One Nation how to undermine Australias National Firearms Agreement, including co-opting journalists to write pro-gun stories and targeting sections of the population with messages that will get people outraged about gun controls.

Responding to part one of How To Sell A Massacre, One Nation said its members have always complied with the law and it had referred the matter to ASIO and Australian Federal Police.

8pm tonight on ABC.
Jo not asseptable Frost is headed back to the naughty step in a revival of Supernanny in the US.

When the UK show screened on Nine, originally in 2004, it was a big hit. Frost, dressed in suit and spectacles, dished out her unique brand of parenting techniques to British families struggling with brats.

It ran until 2012, with a 2 year break, even spawning a US adaptation.

Now a more demure Jo Frost will return to the role for Lifetime in the US, sans the original costuming.

Frost has previously hosted Family SOS on TLC and also produced Nanny on Tour through her own Nanny Jo Productions for Up TV in 2016.

In 2017 Warner Bros were also casting for an Australian Supernanny but nothing was announced.

The new series will be produced by Warner Bros-owned Shed Media, which produced the original. No word if this will air in Australia or remain unaaseptable.

Source: Deadline
US President Donald Trump says he will have the FBI and the Justice Department review Empire actor Jussie Smolletts case.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1111214993293357056

While it isnt clear what can be done about the dropping of charges, the FBI has already been investigating whether he had any role in sending a threatening letter that was mailed to the studio where Empire is filmed, a week before the alleged assault.

The letter contained a white substance that was later determined to be acetaminophen, or Tylenol.

Police and prosecutors say Smollett paid two brothers, Abel and Ola Osundairo, $3,500 to stage an attack on Smollett near his apartment building in Chicago, which he was made to look like the victim of a vicious hate crime.

Meanwhile Smolletts attorney Patrica Brown Holmes has issued a statement condemning the local authorities in Chicago for continued criticisms.

We are disappointed the local authorities have continued their campaign against Jussie Smollett after the charges against him have been dropped. The facts are clear. The Assistant States Attorney appeared in court and dismissed the charges. Mr. Smollett forfeited his bond. The case is closed. No public official has the right to violate Mr. Smolletts due process rights.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel described the dropping of charges as a whitewash of justice.

Its Mr. Smollett who committed this hoax. Hes still saying hes innocent, still running down the Chicago Police Department. How dare he? How dare he?

Source: USA Today
ANNAPOLIS

(March 28, 2019)After the End-of-Life Option Act failed to pass the Maryland Senate in a tie 23-23 vote after an intense hour-long discussion Wednesday, retired state Senator John Astle said those tough debates "are the closest to being in combat without bullets."The former Marine was eating lunch Wednesday at Harry Browne's in Annapolis during the vote and afterward, on a bench at the State House campus, recalled a similarly difficult debate about abortion funding that took place in the first of his three terms in the House of Delegates. He served in the Senate for 24 years.Astle let his own value system guide his vote on controversial issues, he said"but you've got to be ready to explain yourself."SB311 would have allowed terminally ill adults in Maryland to receive a prescription that would enable them to end their own lives. In one of the most significant votes the Senate has taken this session, the electronic tally board showed as many red votes as green: 23 to 23, with Sen. Obie Patterson, D-Prince George's, listed as "not voting." Here is a copy of the roll call.Bills in the Senate need 24 votes to proceed. Although the House version of the bill, HB399, sponsored by Del. Shane Pendergrass, D-Howard, passed by a vote of 74 to 66 on March 7, a bill has to pass both chambers before it can become law.Sen. Bobby Zirkin, D-Baltimore County, who as committee chair presided over a voting session on amendments that dragged late into the night, said "it was very challenging, very emotional, very complicated," to bring to the floor.Ten of the 47 senators got up to speak during bill debate Wednesday. Many shared personal stories of losing friends or loved ones, or stories about people who were considered terminally ill who recovered. At several points the chamber grew uncharacteristically quiet as senators absorbed the messages of their colleagues.After the vote, Sen. Cheryl Kagan, D-Montgomery, tweeted: "Dreadfully disappointed by the 23-23-1 vote on the Senate floor re: #EndOfLife Options Act. Votes crossed party and racial lines. The debate honored the significance of the issue."Some senators who spoke noted moral or religious objections to the bill. Others stood up for personal autonomy in supporting the bill. Sen. Robert Cassilly, R-Harford, thought the bill itself was flawed.The bill's sponsor and vice chairman of the Judicial Proceedings Committee, Sen. Will Smith, will deploy to Afghanistan this week with the Navy Reserve. After the vote, he thanked the committee for working on the bill."At the end of the day, this was about giving folks a modicum of autonomy when they're facing their end of life," he said. "I think the exercise has made all of us a little bit more well informed."Sen. Michael Hough, R-Frederick and Carroll, who opposed the bill, shared his concern that the legislation would be broadened beyond the terminally ill in the future. "Where do you stop once you open this door?" Hough asked.Sen. Bryan Simonaire, R-Anne Arundel, said in opposing the bill that doctors can make mistakes in diagnoses. He said he watched his father overcome cancer and go on to live many more years. "There are no do-overs in this type of law," he said.Sen. Delores Kelley, D-Baltimore County, who supported the bill, spoke of the difficulty of her daughter's death. "We should respect the autonomy of that human being who says 'I've had it, I need relief from what I'm going through,'" she said."It's an individual choice," echoed Sen. Ron Young, D-Frederick, who said physician-assisted suicide is a more humane alternative than other suicide methods.In explaining his vote against the bill, Sen. Justin Ready, R-Carroll, said he was concerned about pressure that could be exerted on vulnerable people at the end of life. "There's nothing in this bill that can have us be assured that the person is doing this free of any kind of coercion," he said.Sen. Robert Cassilly, R-Harford, objected to the bill itself, which he termed "deeply flawed.""We wanted a school bus and we've got the chassis of a Honda Civic," he said. After the Senate adjourned, he said in an interview that if the legislature takes the measure up again it should "start from scratch."He said by making death "cheap, fast and easy," it can become "a duty to die," a position echoed by Sen. Mary Beth Carozza, a Republican representing the Eastern Shore. "We have to be careful in these things. There are unintended consequences," he said.Proponents argued that the bill actually made the process difficult, demanding two different doctors be involved, a mental health professional and verbal and written requests from the patient.Sen. Ed Reilly, R-Anne Arundel, explained he was voting against the bill to be consistent with voting to repeal the death penalty several years ago. He said he recognized the significance of his vote on a highly-charged issue."This could be our legacy. I'm in my 10th year. This could be the most important vote I have," he said.Some version of death with dignity legislation has come before the legislature in 2015, 2016 and 2017. Maryland also considered physician-assisted death measures in 1995 and 1996, according to the web site www.deathwithdignity.org.
German, British, and EU flags in front of the Reichstag in Berlin, Germany. Photo: Reuters/Fabrizio Bensch

A new survey released Thursday by KPMG and the British Chamber of Commerce in Germany revealed that 47% of companies in Germany have not yet conducted a Brexit risk assessment nor made preparations for Brexit as of the start of this year.

The German British Business Outlook 2019 surveyed 101 firms, which included both German companies with subsidiaries in the UK and UK subsidiaries in Germany. Germany is the UKs second-largest trading partner  bilateral trade was 180bn (156bn, $202bn) in 2017. Of the companies who have made Brexit preparations, around 60% have adapted their admin processes and over half have set up a special Brexit task force.

KPMGs Andreas Glunz told journalists in Berlin on Thursday that companies were not able to get prepared for Brexit primarily because of the impossibility of knowing exactly how Brexit was going to play out. Companies considered a Brexit delay with a second referendum or a hard Brexit to be the most likely scenarios, according to the survey.

When all scenarios seem possible, businesses cannot prepare for all of them simultaneously, Glunz said. Thats nigh on impossible, especially for small-to-medium sized entities.

He pointed out that there was no clarity about what Britains EU exit deal might look like when the referendum first passed two years ago, and it was exactly the same two months ago. The main difference is that companies are now threatened with a cliff edge situation.

The survey found that 40% of business owners expect Brexit to have a big or very big negative effect on their businesses, and over half expect a moderate-to-small impact. KPMG pointed out that these statistics are pretty much the same as a year ago.

READ MORE: A nightmare for companies: President of British Chamber of Commerce in Germany discusses Brexit

The main areas where the firms expect to feel the pain from Brexit are in administrative burdens, as well as sales and services volumes. They also expect to see a negative impact from supply chain disruption, customs and trade costs, and exchange rates.

Other findings included that 84% of companies expect the British economy to decline. More than one-third of the respondents said they will revise their investment plans if it comes to a hard Brexit.
Armed forces stand onboard the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1, which was hijacked by migrants, in Valletta, Malta (AP).

A special forces team boarded a tanker hijacked by migrants rescued at sea, and returned it to a Maltese port.

Armed troops stood guard on the ships deck, and a dozen or so migrants were also visible, as the vessel docked in the city of Senglea.

Several police vans were lined up on shore to take custody of the migrants for investigation, and four were led off the ship in handcuffs.

Authorities in Italy and Malta on Wednesday said that the group had hijacked the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1 after it rescued them in the Mediterranean Sea, and forced the crew to put the Libya-bound vessel on a course north towards Europe.

A migrant is arrested after the hijacking (AP)

Italian interior minister Matteo Salvini said the ship had rescued about 120 people and described what happened as the first act of piracy on the high seas with migrants as the alleged hijackers.

The ship had been heading towards Italys southernmost island of Lampedusa and the island of Malta when Maltese forces intercepted it.

Read more from Yahoo News UK:

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Troops established communications with the captain while the ship was still 30 nautical miles off shore. The captain told them he was not in control of the vessel and that he and his crew were being forced and threatened by a number of migrants to proceed to Malta.

The special forces team that restored control to the captain was backed by a patrol vessel, two fast interceptor craft and a helicopter.

Italys controversial interior minister, Matteo Salvini said it was the first act of piracy on the high seas with migrants (AP)

Humanitarian organisations say migrants are mistreated and even tortured in Libya, and have protested over protocols to return migrants rescued offshore to the lawless northern African nation.

Italy and Malta have refused to open their ports to humanitarian ships that rescue migrants at sea, which has created numerous standoffs as European governments haggle over which will take them in.

Story continues

Mass migration to Europe has dropped sharply since 2015, when the continent received a million refugees and migrants from countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa.

The surge created a humanitarian crisis in which desperate travellers frequently drowned and leading arrival spots such as Italy and Greece struggled to house large numbers of asylum-seekers.

Along with the dangerous sea journey itself, those who attempt to cross the Mediterranean risk being stopped by Libyas coastguard and held in Libyan detention centres that human rights groups have described as bleak places where migrants allegedly suffer routine abuse.

EU members alert the Libyan coastguard when refugees and migrants are spotted at sea so they can be taken back to Libya, despite knowing that people there are arbitrarily detained and exposed to widespread torture, rape, killings and exploitation, said Matteo de Bellis, an international migration researcher for Amnesty International.
The BBC has agreed to pay substantial damages to the president of Ukraine over false allegations that he procured or authorised a corrupt payment to arrange talks with Donald Trump.

Petro Poroshenko took legal action over reports by the broadcaster that Michael Cohen, the US presidents former personal lawyer, received a payment of 400,000 dollars (300,000) to extend an already arranged meeting in June 2017 into more substantial talks.

The BBC made the false claim in an article on its website and as a headline news item on the News At Ten on May 23 2018, a judge at the High Court in London heard on Thursday.

Mr Justice Julian Knowles was told that Mr Poroshenko has accepted an apology and a substantial sum by way of compensation from the BBC, which has agreed to pay his legal costs and publish a correction.

BBC pays damages to Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko over report https://t.co/rETJzfkeuc  BBC North America (@BBCNorthAmerica) March 28, 2019

Mr Poroshenkos solicitor Graham Atkins told the judge the allegation that Mr Poroshenko procured or authorised a corrupt payment was seriously defamatory.

Mr Atkins added: Put simply, this allegation and the facts on which it purported to be based are simply false.

Mr Poroshenko did not authorise or procure any payment to Mr Cohen of any kind, nor was any such payment ever made to Mr Cohen or any other individuals for that purpose.

Mr Poroshenko did not instruct close associates to open up any back channel with Mr Trump in order to secure substantial talks with him, far less did he do so through Mr Cohen.

Mr Atkins told the court Mr Poroshenko deeply regrets that it took the BBC so long to accept liability and to remove the article from its website, adding: He believes that the resulting delay will inevitably have increased the damage caused to his reputation by the publication of this allegation.

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It has certainly added to the distress and embarrassment that he has felt since the story was first published.

Michael Cohen (J Scott Applewhite/AP)

Mr Atkins added: The allegation that Mr Poroshenko was guilty of serious corruption is self-evidently an extremely grave and damaging one especially so given the emphasis which he has chosen to place during his presidency on the promotion of a number of anti-corruption measures.

He said the BBCs reports were clearly likely to undermine the hard work undertaken by the president during his time in office, and to cause him very considerable political embarrassment not only in Ukraine, but in the United Kingdom and across the global stage.

In this connection it is relevant that inevitably, given the serious and sensational nature of the allegation (especially as it also related to the US president, Mr Trump), and the prominence given to it by the BBC, the allegation was picked up and republished in other media publications.

Jane Phillips, counsel for the BBC, said: The BBC is happy to acknowledge that these claims about the claimant are completely untrue, and it is here, through me, to apologise to the claimant for any distress and embarrassment caused to him by the article and the broadcast.

The figure to be paid by the BBC was not disclosed in court.

A BBC spokesman said later in a statement: In our News At Ten bulletin and in an online article published on 23 May 2018 we incorrectly reported that Petro Poroshenko, the president of the Ukraine, had procured or authorised a corrupt payment of 400,000 dollars to be made to Michael Cohen, the personal lawyer of Donald Trump, to extend a brief meeting between Mr Poroshenko and President Trump, that had already been agreed, into more substantial talks.

We believed that the publications made a less serious allegation against Mr Poroshenko, but in the light of a finding by the High Court that the allegation was as set out above, we are happy to accept that this allegation was untrue.

We apologise to Mr Poroshenko for any distress caused and have agreed to pay him damages, legal costs and have participated in a joint statement in open court.
Amid the ongoing Brexit standoff, one proposal that has been gaining traction and which MPs will now vote on in a series of indicative votes in parliament, has been the cross-party plan for a Common Market 2.0.

Superficially, the plan resolves a number of the challenges posed by Brexit, including the thorny issue of the Irish border and the UKs future trading relationship with the EU. But the plan  also known as Norway+ because it has similarities with the EUs relationship with Norway  involves the UK compromising on a number of its current red lines, while at the same time requiring a fundamental revision of one of the EUs existing free trade agreements.

One way to understand how a Common Market 2.0 might work  and how it would differ to other options on the table  is to look at one type of good that might move between countries. Say, cheese.

First, its important to establish the difference between a free trade agreement and a customs union. As a rule, tariffs are applied on the basis of where goods originate from. The EUs free trade agreement with Canada, for example, means that you can import Canadian Avonlea cheese into the EU free from tariffs. However, the EUs lack of an free trade agreement with the US means that American Monterey Jack cheese is charged at 221.20/100kg. If you first export Monterey Jack to Canada, and then from Canada to the EU it will still be chargeable, as the goods originated in the US. Under a free trade agreement, checks on where good originated  known as rules of origin checks  are still required.

A customs union is a more advanced form of trading relationship, where you agree not only to remove any tariffs on each others goods, but also to apply the same tariffs on goods originating from third countries. This means, for the purposes of the EU customs union, that Monterey Jack will be treated the same whether it is imported to Belgium or Bulgaria. Within a customs union its unnecessary to check from where goods originate when they cross a border as they will already have received the appropriate customs treatment.

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Back to the 1990s

The Common Market 2.0 idea is an attempt to reverse engineer the previous 25 years of EU integration, reverting the UKs participation in the EU to the position before the Maastricht Treaty was agreed in 1992.

Under the plan, the UK would rejoin the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) of which it was a founding member prior to joining the European Economic Community. The UK would also accede to the European Economic Area (EEA) agreement with the EU. This is a two-pillared agreement between the EU, as well as three of the four EFTA members: Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, but not Switzerland. This is often known as the Norway model.

Such an approach would result in the UK adopting EU-EEA measures relating to the internal market, including the free movement of goods and services, and competition law. But the UK would no longer be subject to the direct jurisdiction of the Court of Justice of the EU, which would be replaced by the jurisdiction of the EFTA Court.

Under this approach, regulatory alignment is all but guaranteed, as standards would ultimately be agreed by the EU and EEA (of which the UK would be a member)  meaning that all cheese capable of being sold in the EU, be that French brie or Dutch edam, ought to be capable of being sold in the UK and vice versa.

What moves the Common Market 2.0 proposal beyond simply replicating the Norway model, however, is that it also involves the UK entering a customs union directly with the EU, thereby removing the need for rules of origin checks on the Irish border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Checks on cheese moving between Norway and Sweden are rare  but they do happen. By entering into a customs union with the EU such checks along the Northern Irish border would never be necessary.

Read more: Brexit: why was the Irish border 'backstop' so crucial to Brexit deal defeat?

The major stumbling block with Common Market 2.0, however, is that under the EFTA agreement its not currently possible for member states to enter into a customs union with other states  whether the EU or otherwise. So Norway cannot enter into a customs union directly with the EU, or the US, for example. If the UK were to seek this, it would require special treatment not only by the EU, but by EFTA as well  the political difficulties of which have been largely overlooked.

Free movement question

The Common Market 2.0 arrangement would also, controversially for many, involve the UK continuing with the free movement of persons. The key piece of legislation providing free movement rights for EU and EEA citizens  directive 2004/38  was incorporated into EEA law in 2007.

One saving grace for the UK might be the joint declaration attached to that 2007 EEA decision that it cannot be the basis for the creation of political rights, and that the directive does not impinge upon immigration policy. This reflects the fact that the primary focus of EEA law is on economically active migrants, rather than EU citizens.

Read more: Brexit: a Norwegian view on the Norway-plus model and why it wouldn't be easy for the UK

The Common Market 2.0 approach is therefore unlikely to be viable. Not only would it enrage the right wing of the Conservative Party, it would require agreement from the EU, the EEA and Switzerland. Given the difficulties the UK has had agreeing a deal with one trading bloc, trying to win over three  the EU, the EEA, and EFTA, as well a domestic audience  looks near-impossible.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

The Conversation

Stuart MacLennan is a member of the Labour Party.
Family of late Avicii to launch foundation in his memory

Los Angeles  The family of the Grammy-nominated Swedish electronic dance DJ Avicii is launching a foundation in his memory.

The international pop star, whose name was Tim Bergling, died in Muscat, Oman, on 20 April, 2018. He was 28 years old. Police said there was no evidence of foul play.

His family announced Tuesday that the Tim Bergling Foundation will initially focus on supporting people and organisations in the field of mental illness and suicide prevention. It also will be active in climate change, nature conservation and endangered species.

The foundation's objectives may be pursued in Sweden and abroad.

The international pop star performed his electronic dance songs at music festivals around the world and landed on U.S. radio with his country-dance mashup Wake Me Up.

He retired from touring in 2016.
Italys hardline interior minister has branded the migrants who hijacked a tanker as pirates while aid groups blamed European Union policy for the incident which was ended by the intervention of a Maltese special operations team.

Armed military personnel stood guard on the ships deck, and a dozen or so migrants were also visible, as the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1 docked safely on Thursday at the Maltese port of Senglea.

Five suspected ringleaders were led off in handcuffs.

In all, the Turkish tanker had rescued 77 men, 19 women and 12 minors, including toddlers, at sea, Malta officials said.

One pregnant woman and one child were being treated at a hospital as a precaution.

Matteo Salvini (Alessandra Tarantino/AP)

Authorities in Italy and Malta said the group had hijacked the vessel after it rescued them in the Mediterranean Sea off Libya, and forced the crew to put the Libya-bound vessel on a course north toward Europe.

Maltese armed forces said the captain told them, when the ship was still 30 nautical miles offshore, that he was not in control of the vessel and that he and his crew were being forced and threatened by a number of migrants to proceed to Malta.

No details were given of what force or threats were used, and there was no immediate word on the condition of El Hiblu 1s crew.

During the night @Armed_Forces_Malta conducted sensitive operation on high seas, boarding a ship allegedly captured by #migrants off #Libya and diverted to #Malta. We do not shirk responsibility despite our size. We will now follow all international rules accordingly -JM  Joseph Muscat (@JosephMuscat_JM) March 28, 2019

But a military official said the migrants did not have weapons but that the captain and crew were outnumbered and forced to surrender.

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Italys interior minister Matteo Salvini described the takeover as the first act of piracy on the high seas with migrants as the alleged hijackers.

Mr Salvini, who insisted the ship would not be allowed to dock in Italy, praised Maltas interception.

Immigration is managed by criminals and should be blocked by any legal means necessary, Mr Salvini was quoted as saying by the Italian news agency Ansa.

Humanitarian organisations rejected Mr Salvinis characterisation of piracy, saying that migrants have been repeatedly mistreated, raped and tortured in Libya.

Armed forces stand onboard the tanker (Rene Rossignaud/AP)

They have long protested against EU protocols to return migrants rescued offshore to the lawless northern African nation.

The aid group Sea Watch said the migrants actions were in self-defence against the deadly consequences forced upon them by Europes inhumane border policy.

German humanitarian group Sea-Eye said it heard a European naval aircraft ask the tanker to respond to two rubber boats, which reported that the people on board were in mortal danger and that the Libyan Coast Guard was out of service.

Last year, 2,299 migrants died at sea while trying to reach Europe, according to the International Organisation for Migration.

So far this year, 289 have died.

The ship had been heading toward Italys southernmost island of Lampedusa and the island nation of Malta when Maltese forces intercepted it.

The special team that restored control to the captain was backed by a patrol vessel, two fast interceptor craft and a helicopter.

Migrants leave the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1 (Rene Rossignaud/AP)

Maltese prime minister Joseph Muscat said on Twitter that the nations armed forces had conducted a sensitive operation on high seas.

We do not shirk responsibility despite our size, he said, pledging to follow international rules.

Still, both Italy and Malta have refused to open their ports to humanitarian ships that rescue migrants at sea, which has created numerous stand-offs as European governments haggle over who will take them in.

A private group that operates a rescue ship and monitors how governments treat migrants, Mediterranea, urged compassion for the group on the hijacked vessel in Malta.

It said it hoped European countries would act in the name of fundamental rights, remembering that we are dealing with human beings fleeing hell.

A migrant, suspected to be involved in the hijack of the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1, is taken into custody (Rene Rossignaud/AP)

Mass migration to Europe has dropped sharply since 2015, when the continent received one million refugees and migrants from countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa.

The surge created a humanitarian and political crisis in which desperate migrants frequently drowned at sea when overloaded smuggling boats capsized.

Key arrival spots such as Italy and Greece have then struggled to house large numbers of asylum-seekers.

Along with the dangerous sea journey itself, those who attempt to cross the Mediterranean risk being stopped by Libyas coast guard and held in Libyan detention centres where human rights groups say beatings, rapes, abuse and torture are routine.

A view of Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1 (Rene Rossignaud/AP)

EU members alert the Libyan coast guard when refugees and migrants are spotted at sea so they can be taken back to Libya, despite knowing that people there are arbitrarily detained and exposed to widespread torture, rape, killings and exploitation, said Matteo de Bellis, an expert on migrants for Amnesty International.

European Union countries, facing some domestic opposition to welcoming immigrants, have decided to significantly downscale an EU rescue operation in the Mediterranean and have decided in principle to withdraw their ships, which would mean continuing the mission with air surveillance only.

A formal decision has to be made by Sunday, when the missions mandate expires.

This shameful decision has nothing to do with the needs of people who risk their lives at sea, but everything to do with the inability of European governments to agree on a way to share responsibility for them, Mr de Bellis said.

PRESS RELEASE: #Malta  @Armed_Forces_MT Special Operations Unit boarded Tanker #ELHIBRU1. Captain and crew were being forced and threatened by a number of migrants to proceed to Malta. Tanker, crew & migrants escorted to Malta by @Armed_Forces_MT to be handed over to Police. pic.twitter.com/6BVFnb7uPB  Government of Malta  (@MaltaGov) March 28, 2019

Commercial ships have been increasingly caught between European governments hostile to taking in new migrants and the international maritime laws obligation to save people needing help at sea.

Last November, dozens of migrants seized control of a container ship that had picked them up in the Mediterranean, barricading themselves inside and refusing to disembark in the Libyan port of Misrata.

After 10 days, Libyan authorities forcibly removed them from the ship and brought them to a detention centre.

During the standoff, several migrants on the vessel said six commercial ships had seen their rickety boat foundering but passed them by before they were picked up by the seventh.
By Elizabeth Piper, Kylie MacLellan and Andrew MacAskill

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May failed to sway hardline opponents of her European Union divorce deal on Wednesday with an offer to quit, but parliament's bid to agree an alternative fell short, leaving the Brexit process as deadlocked as ever.

May told her Conservative lawmakers she would step down if her Brexit deal was finally passed by parliament at the third attempt, in a last-ditch bid to win over many of her party's eurosceptic rebels.

But some were unmoved and the Northern Irish party crucial to getting the agreement through said it would reject the deal again.

Britain was supposed to leave the bloc on Friday but Brussels agreed last week to put back the divorce date until April 12 to give it a chance to resolve a three-year crisis that has split the country down the middle.

However, it still remains uncertain how, when or even whether the United Kingdom, the world's fifth-biggest economy, will leave the EU. The possibilities that it will leave with no deal to soften the shock to its economy, or delay the departure date to hold a general election, have increased as other options fade.

While May's deal continued to stumble, an attempt by parliament to take control of the process by holding a series of indicative votes on other options produced no immediate way through the impasse.

None of the proposals, many of which involved closer alignment with the EU than May envisages, won the support of a majority of lawmakers.

"In a spectacular display of indecision, the House of Commons has voted against remaining in the EU and every version of leaving the EU," tweeted James Cleverly, the Conservative Party's deputy chairman.

Nevertheless, some proposals fared better than May's deal had done two weeks ago, and parliament was due to hold more indicative votes on Monday after refining the options most likely to secure a majority.

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DESIRE FOR NEW APPROACH

Many Conservative eurosceptics had made clear they would only consider supporting May's deal if she gave a firm commitment to resign, hoping a new leader would be more sympathetic to their views when negotiating the terms of Britain's future relationship with the EU.

"I have heard very clearly the mood of the parliamentary party," May told a meeting of Conservative lawmakers (MPs).

"I know there is a desire for a new approach  and new leadership  in the second phase of the Brexit negotiations  and I won't stand in the way of that."

But within hours of May's offer, the Democratic Unionist Party, which props up her minority government, said it would vote against the deal if May brought it back a third time.

"We're in a situation where we cannot sign up to the Withdrawal Agreement," DUP leader Arlene Foster said.

The government gave itself the option of bringing May's deal back to parliament on Friday, although speaker John Bercow repeated his warning that he would not allow a third vote unless the motion had changed substantially since its last defeat.

May, who voted to remain in the EU in the 2016 referendum, had already promised to step down before the next election, due in 2022.

Her deal, defeated in parliament by 149 votes on March 12 and by 230 votes on Jan. 15, means Britain would leave the EU single market and customs union as well as EU political bodies.

But it requires some EU rules to apply unless ways can be found in the future to ensure no border posts need to be rebuilt between British-ruled Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland.

Many Conservative rebels and the DUP object to this "Irish backstop", saying it risks binding Britain to the EU for years.

To succeed, May needs at least 75 lawmakers to come over to her side.

After the ERG met, a spokesman said: "There is no way enough votes are coming out of that room to put the (Withdrawal Agreement) through."

'IT WAS INEVITABLE'

While May was addressing her lawmakers, MPs in the main chamber debated eight other Brexit options, ranging from leaving abruptly with no deal to revoking the divorce altogether.

While there was no majority support for any, the option calling for a referendum on any departure deal, and another suggesting a UK-wide customs union with the EU, won more votes than May's deal did two weeks ago.

Oliver Letwin, a Conservative former cabinet minister who led parliament's unusual power grab, said it had been expected that none would immediately win a majority, and lawmakers would have another chance on Monday.

The uncertainty around Britain's most significant political and economic change since World War Two has left allies and investors aghast. Sterling dipped after Wednesday's events. [GBP/]

If May's deal were to pass, her office said there would be a contest to replace her after May 22, when Britain would leave the EU.

She would also become the fourth Conservative prime minister in a row to have fallen foul of divisions over Europe within her centuries-old party, following David Cameron, John Major and Margaret Thatcher.

Most voters think the Brexit negotiation has been handled badly and there may now be a slight majority for staying in the EU, recent polls suggest. Many Conservative MPs say May herself has caused the chaos by not negotiating harder with the EU.

"It was inevitable and I just feel she's made the right decision. She has actually read the mood of the party, which was a surprise," said Conservative lawmaker Pauline Latham.

(Writing by Guy Faulconbridge and Michael Holden; additional reporting by Paul Sandle, Kate Holton, William Schomberg, Elisabeth O'Leary, Costas Pitas, Alistair Smout, Andy Bruce, David Milliken and James Davey; Editing by David Clarke and Kevin Liffey)
Russia said on Thursday that "specialists" it sent to Venezuela under a military cooperation deal posed no threat to regional stability, brushing aside a call from US President Donald Trump to remove all military personnel from the country. Trump said on Wednesday that "all options" were open to make Russia pull troops out of Venezuela after two Russian air force planes landed outside Caracas on Saturday carrying nearly 100 Russian military personnel, according to media reports.As Venezuela has descended into political turmoil this year, Russia has emerged as a staunch backer of President Nicolas Maduro while the United States backs the country's opposition and has imposed sanctions.Venezuela's military attache in Moscow said on Thursday Russia had sent "servicemen" to Venezuela, but that they would not take part in military operations, Interfax news agency reported."The presence of Russian servicemen in Venezuela is linked to the discussion of cooperation in the military-technical sphere," Jose Rafael Torrealba Perez was quoted as saying.Speaking at a weekly news briefing on Thursday, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described the arrivals only as "Russian specialists"."Russia is not changing the balance of power in the region, Russia is not threatening anyone, unlike (officials) in Washington," she told a weekly news briefing.Im not sure I always believe what they sayKremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia's specialists were in Venezuela to service pre-existing contracts for the supply of Russian arms.He told reporters on a conference call that Russia was not interfering in Venezuela's internal affairs and that the Kremlin hoped other countries would also allow Venezuelans to decide their own fate."We don't think that third countries should worry about our bilateral ties," Peskov added.Dismissing the Russian assurances, Patrick Shanahan, the acting US defence secretary, later commented: Im not sure I always believe what they say."Russia and China have backed Maduro, while the United States and most other Western countries support opposition leader Juan Guaido.In January, Guaido invoked the constitution to assume Venezuela's interim presidency, arguing that Maduro's 2018 re-election was illegitimate.Maduro, who retains control of state functions and the country's military, has said Guaido is a puppet of the United States. (FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)

Russia said on Thursday that "specialists" it sent to Venezuela under a military cooperation deal posed no threat to regional stability, brushing aside a call from US President Donald Trump to remove all military personnel from the country.

Trump said on Wednesday that "all options" were open to make Russia pull troops out of Venezuela after two Russian air force planes landed outside Caracas on Saturday carrying nearly 100 Russian military personnel, according to media reports.

As Venezuela has descended into political turmoil this year, Russia has emerged as a staunch backer of President Nicolas Maduro while the United States backs the country's opposition and has imposed sanctions.

Venezuela's military attache in Moscow said on Thursday Russia had sent "servicemen" to Venezuela, but that they would not take part in military operations, Interfax news agency reported.

"The presence of Russian servicemen in Venezuela is linked to the discussion of cooperation in the military-technical sphere," Jose Rafael Torrealba Perez was quoted as saying.

Speaking at a weekly news briefing on Thursday, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described the arrivals only as "Russian specialists".

"Russia is not changing the balance of power in the region, Russia is not threatening anyone, unlike (officials) in Washington," she told a weekly news briefing.

Im not sure I always believe what they say

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia's specialists were in Venezuela to service pre-existing contracts for the supply of Russian arms.

He told reporters on a conference call that Russia was not interfering in Venezuela's internal affairs and that the Kremlin hoped other countries would also allow Venezuelans to decide their own fate.

"We don't think that third countries should worry about our bilateral ties," Peskov added.

Dismissing the Russian assurances, Patrick Shanahan, the acting US defence secretary, later commented: Im not sure I always believe what they say."

Story continues

Russia and China have backed Maduro, while the United States and most other Western countries support opposition leader Juan Guaido.

In January, Guaido invoked the constitution to assume Venezuela's interim presidency, arguing that Maduro's 2018 re-election was illegitimate.

Maduro, who retains control of state functions and the country's military, has said Guaido is a puppet of the United States.

(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
Stacey Dooley and Sam Tucknott (Credit: Instagram)

Stacey Dooley has split from her boyfriend of three years Sam Tucknott, following her series-winning turn on Strictly Come Dancing.

According to reports, Dooleys touring schedule with the Strictly live show, coupled with the increase in her workload, has spelled the end of their relationship.

Dooley and Tucknott are the 14th couple to split after appearing on the show, once again ushering in talk of the infamous Strictly curse.

Read more: Backlash to make-up show is predictable, says Dooley

A source told The Sun: Stacey confided in her friends that she was struggling to hold down her romance with Sam because her life has been a whirlwind after Strictly.

She barely saw him during the month-long tour and has gone straight back into filming documentaries and has been travelling all over the world.

Their lives have just gone in different directions.

Strictly Come Dancing 2018 winners Kevin Clifton and Stacey Dooley (Credit: Guy Levy/BBC)

They have a close circle of friends who hope things might yet work out but its not looking likely. It was very emotional and has been tough on them both.

The source added that Dooleys on-screen partnership with Strictly pro-dancer Kevin Clifton also caused issues.

Stacey and Kevin were never anything more than pals but Sam found it quite hard to watch at times.

Read more: Dooley not ok with people telling what decisions to make

There was this attractive, single man spending so much time with his girlfriend. Watching them doing those sensual, sexy routines was tough for him.

When Stacey left the show he thought things would improve but hes struggled to keep up with her as shes so focused on her career at the moment.

As well as the Strictly tour, Dooley is also busy with new BBC make-up artist show Glow Up, and has recently made a documentary film about arms dealers.

But she recently came under fire for perpetuating white saviour tropes with her work for Comic Relief.

MP David Lammy criticised her over footage of a trip to Uganda.




WASHINGTON

(March 27, 2019)The U.S. Department of Defense recently announced the following contract awards that pertain to local Navy activities., is awarded afirm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to design, procure, integrate, test, train, deliver, and support command, control, communications, computers and intelligence (C4I) systems, information and computer systems, and sensor systems for various platforms, including ships, unmanned aerial systems (UAS), shore installations and ground based systems. Services are in support of Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships, the Naval Sea Systems Command, Naval Air Systems Command, PEO C4I, and other federal agencies. Work will be performed in St. Inigoes, Maryland (35 percent); and various locations throughout the continental U.S. (65 percent), and is expected to be completed in March 2025. No funds will be obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposals; two offers were received. The, is the contracting activity (N00019-19-D-0047)., is awarded acost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide engineering services in support of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Human Systems Department. The Human Systems Department identifies, develops, and implements Human Engineering and Human Systems Integration analysis and design solutions for various Navy and Marine Corps aviation flight and weapon systems, and their associated maintenance and training elements. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland, and is expected to be completed in March 2022. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposal; two offers were received. The, is the contracting activity (N00421-19-D-0042)., is awardedfor modification P00003 to a previously issued firm-fixed-price delivery order (N0001918F2048) placed against basic ordering agreement N00019-14-G-0020. This order procures 62 low-rate initial production Organic Light Emitting Diode Helmet Display Units and spares in support of the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Aircraft for the Navy and Marine Corps. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to be completed in February 2020. Fiscal 2017 and 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy and Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $14,587,657 will be obligated at time of award, $11,764,239 of which will expire at the end of the fiscal year. This order combines purchases for the Navy ($7,293,829; 50 percent) and Marine Corps ($7,293,828; 50 percent). The, is the contracting activity., is awardedfor cost-plus-fixed-fee Delivery Order 2005 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-16-G-0001) to develop, integrate and test Increment 3 Block capabilities into the P-8A aircraft for the Navy and the government of Australia. Work will be performed in Puget Sound, Washington (86.9 percent); Greenlawn, New York (6.7 percent); Rockford, Illinois (2.6 percent); Rancho Santa Margarita, California (1.6 percent); Patuxent River, Maryland (1 percent); Mesa, Arizona (0.8 percent); St. Louis, Missouri (0.3 percent); and Jacksonville, Florida (0.1 percent), and is expected to be completed in March 2024. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $14,442,320; and Cooperative Engagement Agreement funds in the amount of $19,200,000 are being obligated on this award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity., is awarded amodification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-15-C-0003). This modification provides for additional operation and technical services in support of the government of Korea's F-35 Lightning II program. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to be completed in June 2020. Foreign military sales funds in the amount of $264,655,025 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity., is awarded a ceiling pricedmodification to convert a previously awarded advanced acquisition contract (N00019-18-C-1046) to a fixed-price-incentive-firm-target multi-year contract. The target price for this multi-year contract is $4,001,410,000. This modification provides for the full-rate production and delivery of 78 F/A-18 aircraft, specifically 61 F/A-18E and 17 F/A-18F aircraft for fiscal years 2018 through 2021. Work will be performed in El Segundo, California (61 percent); Hazelwood, Missouri (9 percent); Longueuil, Quebec, Canada (2 percent); Torrance, California (2 percent); Bloomington, Minnesota (2 percent); Ajax, Ontario, Canada (2 percent); Vandalia, Ohio (1 percent); Fort Worth, Texas (1 percent); Irvine, California (1 percent); Palm Bay, Florida (1 percent); Santa Clarita, California (1 percent); Grand Rapids, Michigan (1 percent); Greenlawn, New York (1 percent); Endicott, New York (1 percent); Marion, Virginia (1 percent); and various locations within the continental U.S. (13 percent). Work is expected to be completed in April 2024. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,557,334,000 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity., is awardedfor modification P00002 to firm-fixed-price delivery order N0001918F0478 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-15-G-0026). This modification provides for the procurement and delivery of seven MR-TCDL B-Kits, one Mission Avionics Systems Trainer B-Kit, and associated A- and B-Kit spares for the MR-TCDL upgrade to the E-6B Mercury aircraft. Work will be performed in Salt Lake City, Utah (73 percent); San Diego, California (25 percent); and Boston, Massachusetts (2 percent), and is expected to be completed in October 2021. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $37,496,252 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity., is awardedfor modification P00003 to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-firm contract (N00019-18-C-1021). This modification provides additional funding for F-135 long lead items in support of non-U.S. Department of Defense (U.S. DoD) participants. Work will be performed in East Hartford, Connecticut (67 percent); Indianapolis, Indiana (26.5 percent); and Bristol, United Kingdom (6.5 percent), and is expected to be completed in March 2022. Non-U.S. DoD participant funds in the amount of $18,434,122 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity., is being awarded anmodification (P00003) to a firm-fixed-price delivery order (N0001919F0305) against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-17-G-0002). This modification exercises an option to procure 60 MV-22 Proprotor Hub spring and drive link kits for the Marine Corps; and 10 CV-22 Proprotor Hub spring and drive link kits and six CV-22 Hub Spring Mod spare kits for the Air Force. Additionally, this modification provides for the procurement of 12 interim spare drive links, three interim spare hub springs and nine proprotor hub spring and drive link kits in support of the government of Japan. Work will be performed in Amarillo, Texas, and is expected to be completed in March 2021. Fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy and Air Force); and Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $18,663,905 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This modification combines purchases for the Marine Corps ($13,355,718; 72 percent), the Air Force ($2,891,600; 15 percent); and the government of Japan ($2,416,587; 13 percent). The, is the contracting activity.No applicable data., is awardedfor modification P00036 to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00019-15-C-0116). This modification exercises an option for the procurement of three APY-10 Radar System production kits for the Navy, four for the government of the United Kingdom, and five for the government of Norway, as well as related services in support of P-8A Poseidon Lot 10 production aircraft. Work will be performed in McKinney, Texas (77.1 percent); Andover, Massachusetts (7.2 percent); Chelmsford, Massachusetts (3.4 percent); Woodland Park, New Jersey (3.3 percent); Black Mountain, North Carolina (1.8 percent); San Carlos, California (1.7 percent); Ashburn, Virginia (1.6 percent); Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada (1.4 percent); Simsbury, Connecticut (1.3 percent); and Clearwater, Florida (1.2 percent), and is expected to be completed in September 2022. Fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy); and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) funds in the amount of $39,718,809 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This modification combines purchases for the Navy ($9,168,076; 23 percent); and FMS ($30,550,733; 77 percent). The, is the contracting activity., is being awarded anfirm-fixed-price contract for the procurement of nine OE-120B/UPX Identification Friend or Foe antenna groups and one retrofit kit for the Navy. Work will be performed in Nashua, New Hampshire, and is expected to be completed in May 2022. Fiscal 2017, 2018, and 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy); and fiscal 2019 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $18,184,174 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. The, is the contracting activity (N00019-19-C-0052)., is awarded anfirm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously-awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract N00174-11-D-0002 to extend the ordering period and exercise Option Year VIII for the procurement and support of the Transmitting Set, Countermeasures AN/PLT-4 to support explosive ordnance disposal personnel. The AN/PLT-4 is a man-portable system in support of the Joint Service Explosive Ordnance Disposal (JSEOD) Counter-Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare program. Work will be performed in Annapolis, Maryland, and is expected to be completed by March 2020. No funds are being obligated at the time of this action. The, is the contracting activity.
A woman reacts over the coffin of a relative, who died during an accident where a truck crashed into a crowd of people, in Nahuala, Guatemala March 28, 2019. REUTERS/Josue Decavele

GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - A truck crashed into a crowd of people in western Guatemala on Wednesday evening, killing 18 people, authorities said early on Thursday, correcting downward their initial assessment.

The truck struck a group of people who had gone onto the road to inspect another person who had been hit by a car, Cecilio Chacaj, a spokesman for the local fire department, told Reuters.

The crash killed 18 people, including an eight-year-old girl, the Attorney General's office said. Nineteen people were admitted to hospitals with injuries, the ministry of health said in a statement.

The accident took place in the municipality of Nahuala, west of Guatemala City.

"At this time we are coordinating our response to bring full support to the relatives of the victims," President Jimmy Morales wrote in a post on Twitter. "My heartfelt condolences."

The crash marked one of the country's worst traffic accidents in recent years. In 2013, a bus plunged off a cliff in rural Guatemala, killing at least 43 people and injuring dozens.

Government officials on Thursday said they corrected down their initial assessment of at least 32 dead after firefighters and other officials at the crash scene took more time to examine the wounded in the pile-up of bodies.

(Reporting by Sofia Menchu; writing by Julia Love; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore and Meredith Mazzilli)
We didn't think anyone could top the flawless style of Queen Letizia of Spain  until we saw the First Lady of Argentina, that was. It seems the lovely Letizia has met her match with the equally fashionable Juliana Awada, who has been photographed beside the monarch in a series of gorgeous ensembles during the past week. Just look at the pair in their stunning dresses from a reception at the Four Seasons Hotel in Buenos Aires on Tuesday evening. Letizia wows yet again in a strapless red number, while statuesque Juliana brings all the glamour in a shimmering silver frock perfect for a regal night out on the town. Amazing.

argentina

Juliana Awada and Queen Letizia

And that's not the only elegant outfit Juliana has stepped out in during Queen Letizia and King Felipe's visit to Argentina. Mother-of-two Juliana has showcased a series of chic looks, from a beautiful silk patterned blouse and skirt (just how she made those two patterns work we have no idea, but she did) to a divine long pleated red dress with matching red heels and clutch.

MORE: These Marks & Spencer leather sandals are VERY similar to the 500 Hermes ones

red-dress=z

MORE: Queen Letizia changes from Zara co-ord to striking cocktail dress for final Argentina event

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The First Lady also wore a chic navy dress with white polka dots, adding that extra sass with a mini-beehive hairstyle.

blue-dress

So who exactly is Juliana Awada? Her husband Mauricio Macri is the President of Argentina and she has been First Lady since 2015 when he came to power. According to Harpers Bazaar, Juliana is known for her business mind, helping her husband win the election and formerly working for her family's textile firm, Awada. Her eldest daughter, Valentina, is from her previous marriage, while her younger daughter, Antonia, is from her current marriage to Mauricio, writes the publication.

first-lady

This isn't the first time Juliana and Letitia have been spotted out together. The ladies appeared side by side back in 2017 wearing the most sophisticated baby pink outfits during the President and First Lady's visit to Madrid.

We expect to see a lot more of the stylish Juliana from now on

Make sure you never miss a ROYAL story! Sign up to our newsletter to get all of our celebrity, royal and lifestyle news delivered directly to your inbox.
French yellow vest demonstrations have hit its economy. Photo: Reuters/Christian Hartmann

Consumer confidence is at a seven-month high in France in the latest sign its economy has begun to rebound as the yellow vest movement loses steam.

Households are increasingly optimistic about their personal finances and spending power, according to official data from French statistics body INSEE.

INSEE also predicted earlier this month that the Eurozones second largest economy would record stronger growth in the first half the year, thanks to higher incomes and a gradual rise in business confidence.

The figures suggest French business is beginning to recover from the huge unrest that has gripped the country since last November, when the yellow vest protests began.

READ MORE: No-deal Brexit could wipe 70% off Irish growth

Some stores in central Paris are still putting up wooden boards to prevent their windows from being smashed. More than 40,000 protestors took part in the 19th week of nationwide demonstrations in a row last weekend.

Retail was hit badly in what should have been peak season in the run-up to Christmas, with many protests turning violent, as well as significant vandalism and looting.

Protesters first took to the streets in November 2018 wearing gilets jaunes or high-visibility jackets to protests against fuel tax rises. The movement quickly grew and has even spread across the world, becoming a wider backlash against president Emmanuel Macrons government.

But the movement has begun to flag this year, with numbers falling at protests, controversy over anti-Semitism, and the president caving in to some of their demands.

Macron announced plans in December for more than 10bn (8.5bn) of funding to improve the incomes of Frances lowest-paid workers and pensioners. A payroll tax for unemployment insurance was scrapped, leaving workers with more money in their pockets.

Violence linked to the protests also appears to have dropped, despite a flare-up earlier this month in Paris.

READ MORE: Inside Argentinas yellow vest movement as French protests spread

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INSEEs measure of consumer confidence rose one point to 96 in February, its highest since last August and up significantly from 87 last December, shortly after the anti-government protests began.

The figures are based on a monthly survey of 2000 households, analysing opinions on their personal finances, work, savings, and spending power.

Frances economy may be showing signs of recovery, but official figures suggest the protests have still taken a heavy toll.

INSEE estimated that the economy would have grown 0.4% in the last three months of 2018 without the demonstrations, rather than the near-flatlining it actually recorded of 0.1%.

It has also lowered its most recent growth forecast for this year to 1.4%, down from 1.7%.




Photo credit: Belmond

From Good Housekeeping

This autumn, we're inviting you to join us on one of the most incredible train journeys in the world before climbing aboard a luxury cruise on the ultimate rail and sail holiday.

TAKE ME TO ON THIS RAIL JOURNEY OF A LIFETIME

Good Housekeeping readers will be able to transport themselves back to the golden age of rail travel aboard the beautiful art deco Belmond British Pullman and the iconic Venice Simplon-Orient-Express on the first leg of our exclusive trip through Europe, ending with a 10-night cruise around its southern shores.

Photo credit: FRANCOIS GUILLOT - Getty Images

With polished marquetry wood engravings, sumptuous upholstery and antique Rene Lalique glass fixtures, youll feel immersed in the glamour and elegance of Agatha Christies famous novels, while rekindling the romance of rail travel as you enjoy dinner in one of the Orient-Expresss magnificent dining cars, listening to the resident pianist play the baby grand in Bar Car 3674.

What to expect from the trip

Youll first glide through the Kent countryside, before travelling overnight through pretty French fields, eating breakfast in your 1920s cabin against the backdrop of the majestic Swiss Alps, and arriving in Venice by the afternoon. Here, you'll have four days to explore the Italian city at your leisure, as well as taking advantage of two included excursions and skip the queues to its most iconic sights  the Doges Palace and St Marks Basilica.

Photo credit: Pinghung Chen / EyeEm - Getty Images

During your time in Venice, youll stay in the five-star Grand Hotel Dei Dogi, a Venetian palace retreat just 20 minutes from St Marks Square. On a Best of Venice walking tour, an expert guide will show you the Rialto Bridge, Bridge of Sighs and St Marks Square, once pronounced the 'finest drawing room in all of Europe' by Napoleon.



Youll also visit Marco Polos house and the Doges Palace, once home to the Duke of Venice and the centre of Venetian history.

Having taken in Venices famous sights and explored the city independently to your hearts content with all its quiet piazzas, buzzing bars and outstanding restaurants, youll board the Celebrity Constellation for a 10-night cruise along the Dalmatian coast.

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This luxury, all-inclusive ship will keep you accommodated in fine style as you explore southern Europes most magnificent cities, with a host of fantastic facilities, including its own Gelateria, a Tuscan grill, fresh sushi bar, seaside cafe and five other restaurants. Theres also the Canyon Ranch Spa on board, a swimming pool and solarium, plus a theatre showing Broadway musicals.

Photo credit: Celebrity Cruises

With so much to do on the ship, its easy to forget that youll also be visiting some of southern Europes most magnificent cities. Stopping at Split and Dubrovnik in Croatia, Valletta in Malta, Catania in Sicily and then Rome in Italy, this trip-of-a-lifetime allows you to tick a whole host of experiences and places off your travel bucket list.

Book your place on this wonderful trip, taking you by classic train to Venice for four nights, before cruising the Dalmatian coast.

('You Might Also Like',)
The Duke of Cambridge will visit New Zealand next month [Photo: PA]

Prince William will fly to New Zealand next month to honour the victims of the Christchurch mosque shootings.

The Duke of Cambridge will be representing his grandmother the Queen, with the visit coming at New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arderns request.

The Prince visited Christchurch and the surrounding Canterbury region in the wake of the devastating 2011 earthquake that killed 185 people. He and wife Kate returned for a two-day stay in 2014 with young Prince George.

The visit will be another sign that this nation will always stand with those affected by the terror attacks, and the people of Christchurch, the Prime Minister said.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in New Zealand in 2014 [Photo: PA]

Kensington Palace added: The Duke will meet with those affected by the attack and will pay tribute to the extraordinary compassion and solidarity that the people of New Zealand have displayed in recent weeks.

After the mosque attacks which killed 50 people, William, Kate, Prince Harry and wife Meghan sent a message that ended in Kia kaha, meaning be strong in Maori.

No person should ever have to fear attending a sacred place of worship, they said.

READ MORE: How Britain fell in love with the Duchess of Cambridge

This senseless attack is an affront to the people of Christchurch and New Zealand, and the broader Muslim community. It is a horrifying assault on a way of life that embodies decency, community, and friendship.

Ardern has led efforts to support New Zealands small, tightly-knit Muslim community in the wake of the attack.

As well as symbolic gestures such as donning a headscarf while comforting survivors, she has also moved to tighten gun laws and called for social media giants to do more to combat hate speech.

She will attend a remembrance service on Friday which she has described as a chance for New Zealanders to again show their inclusive values.
Queen Letizia of Spain made sure she finalised her royal visit to Argentina with a fashion showstopper  how gorgeous is her strapless cocktail dress? Letizia and her husband King Felipe hosted a reception at the Four Seasons Hotel for the final night of their tour, in order to thank their hosts, so of course the occasion called for an incredible outfit. The designer of the dress is unknown, though some royal fans believe it to be Spanish fashion house Delpozo, since it has a similar aesthetic to a dress Letizia wore from the designer in 2017. It would certainly make sense, since Her Majesty has been wearing all her favourite Spanish and South American brands during the trip.

queen-letizia-argentina

Letizia's stunning strapless cocktail dress

Letizia teamed her fitted dress with some enviable designer accessories, too, with a Bottega Veneta 'Knot' clutch bag, 1260, and Manolo Blahnik 'Gotrianc' slingback heels, 625. She wore her hair in a sleek low chignon and kept her makeup glowy as ever  we reckon she's even added a little gleam to her collarbones and shoulders.

Queen Letizia has totally floored us with her latest royal gown

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Earlier that day, the Spanish royal proved she can nail daytime dressing as easily as eveningwear  opting for a bold Zara co-ord set with quirky asymmetric hems. The chic tangerine outfit consisted of a long asymmetric top, 69.99, and matching 'side vent' trousers, 39.99. In fact, the pair actually look very similar to Victoria Beckham's split hem trousers, which cost upwards of 575.

letizia-zara

We'll race you to Zara for this regal co-ord!

Letizia is a big fan of Zara, like the rest of us, and has often championed the Spanish high street brand during official appearances. She unsurprisingly caused a sell out in January after she wore a snake-print midi skirt from the store, worn with chic knee-high boots and a roll neck jumper. Better hurry if you fancy stealing her regal style once more, then  we'll race you to the tills

Queen Letizia stuns in Spring-ready mint green in Argentina
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) says the Federal Aviation Administration should have acted faster to ground Boeings 737 Max jets after a fatal crash in Ethiopia.

The FAA was one of the last regulatory bodies across the world to ground this fleet. I think that raises concerns, Cruz told Yahoo Finance in an interview ahead of a Senate subcommittee hearing on Wednesday examining the crash in Ethiopia and one in Indonesia last October.

Acting FAA Administrator Daniel Elwell, National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Robert Sumwalt, and the Department of Transportation Inspector General Calvin Scovel will testify before the aviation subcommittee, which Cruz chairs.

Lawmakers will likely ask the witnesses about the decision to ground the 737 Max jets. Cruz said his goal is to find out what caused the crashes and determine how future crashes can be prevented. He also wants to examine the regulatory process that led to the FAAs approval of the 737 Max jets.

There have been multiple reports about how Boeing was intimately involved in the approval of the 737 Maxes. And I expect the committee to be asking the FAA about is it ceding too much responsibility to a private party with financial interest rather than carrying out its own responsibility to ensure the safety of the flying public, said Cruz.

UNITED STATES - MARCH 26: Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao arrives for the Senate Appropriations Committee Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing on the proposed Transportation Department budget for FY2020 on Wednesday, March 27, 2019. (Photo By Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Lawmakers and Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao have asked the DOT inspector general to audit the approval process for the 737 Max jets.

The Department of Transportation has also announced a special committee to review the FAAs aircraft approval process.

Cronyism in Washington

Boeing and the FAA have come under scrutiny in the aftermath of the two deadly 737 Max crashes  and critics have raised concerns about the relationship between Boeing and Washington. Cruz told Yahoo Finance the thinks there is some validity to those concerns.

I have long been concerned about cronyism in Washington, said Cruz. Both parties have a tendency to get in bed with lobbyists and big business. I hope that's not what happened here. This hearing is designed to really learn the facts. To find out what occurred here. But the interest and incentives of Boeing are different than the interest incentives of the flying public.

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Cruz told Yahoo Finance he also wants to know why more training was not required and why manuals may not have had the necessary information for pilots.

I understand the financial incentive of Boeing not to want to require more training. That makes it more expensive. They're trying to sell a product, but at the end of the day, those financial incentives should not be enough to satisfy regulators who have a responsibility that if you're changing fundamentally the way the plane flies, then you need to have the proper training and equipment, Cruz said.

Cruz said he expects the next step will be hearing from industry stakeholders. He wants to address indications that airlines in the U.S. may have been providing more rigorous pilot training than airlines in other countries  potentially including Ethiopia and Indonesia.

The Senator from Texas told Yahoo Finance he thinks the Boeing CEO, Dennis Muilenburg, should be called in to testify before Congress.

I'm certainly going to urge that we do that, said Cruz.

Jessica Smith is a reporter for Yahoo Finance based in Washington, D.C. Follow her on Twitter at @JessicaASmith8.

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Faculty members in three colleges at the University of North Georgia (UNG) are collaborating on a two-week residential summer camp, set for July 7-20 on UNG's Dahlonega Campus, to teach 24 high school students astronomy and the Chinese language.

An $80,538 STARTALK grant from the National Security Agency (NSA) administered by the National Foreign Language Center (NFLC) at the University of Maryland is making the rare combination of instruction possible. Faculty members in the College of Arts and Letters, the College of Science and Mathematics, and the College of Education are putting together the event.

The application deadline has been extended to May 1.

Dr. Yunjuan He, associate professor of Chinese at UNG, is the principal investigator on the grant for the UNG STARTALK Chinese and Astronomy Summer Academy. She said Stanford University and the University of Washington are the only two other STARTALK academies pairing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) topics with languages.

"This is a very innovative approach to have the STEM theme embedded with language teaching," He said. "It's an interesting idea to have students learning both concepts."

The associate professor hopes to hire four UNG students who are studying Chinese as camp counselors.

The residential camp targets students who will be ninth- through 12th-graders in fall 2019 who have no prior knowledge of the Chinese language. Students from Dawson, Forsyth, Hall, Lumpkin and White counties, which have limited resources for Chinese language learning, can attend the camp. The recruitment efforts will focus on minority and/or low-income high school youth in rural areas.

The content will focus on teaching literacy of Chinese myths about the night sky and the Chinese language to introduce basic knowledge of astronomy. It will be integrated with topics of astronomy selected from the Georgia Performance Standards.

Dr. D. Brian Mann, head of UNG's Department of Modern and Classical Languages, said the camp will open students' eyes to the value of learning a critical language. Critical languages are non-Western-European languages viewed by the U.S. government as critical to national security.

"It shows them that there is a way to use this language to do anything they want," Mann said. "They see the utility of learning the language and learning it to a very high level."

STARTALK's mission is to increase the number of U.S. citizens learning, speaking and teaching critical languages, with programs for teachers and students from kindergarten through college, according to its website.

"We have such a shortage of speakers of those critical languages," Mann said.

Heading into the camp, He expects students to reach a novice mid or high level on the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages' Oral Proficiency Interview scale.

Dr. Donna Governor, assistant professor of teacher education, will develop a curriculum of astronomy classes and activities for the summer camp, with He translating it into Chinese. Governor previously asked He to translate her remarks for a STEM demonstration Governor was making on a trip to Shanghai, China. When He was applying for the STARTALK grant, she reached back out to Governor, who jumped at the chance to collaborate.

"This is so up my alley," Governor said. "I love cultural astronomy and mythology. Those are the stories of science."

In a world where different subjects usually stay in their separate areas, Dr. Gregory Feiden, assistant professor of astronomy, said UNG's STARTALK camp is refreshing.

"It's something that I feel like we need to do more of is start to find the links between these different subject areas to provide students a more authentic experience in terms of what the real world is like," Feiden said.
"90 Day Fiance" couple, Jay Smith and Ashey Martson, brought controversy and accusations of fraud during season 6 of the TLC show. Nevertheless, they continue to garner fans who stand loyally by the couple. In fact, a recent post on Instagram by Jay Smith reveals a lot of goodwill exists ahead of "90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After?" The Reality TV spinoff arrives on our screens in spring this year.

Ashley Martson and Jay accused of fraud by angry fans

During the "90 Day Fiance" season, the spin by TLC on the couple ended up with Ashley saying the producers made them pretend to split up.

Incensed fans slammed them for faking their split, and accused them of fraud for raising money on GoFundMe. It all came out of the wash that they never split. Facing huge backlash from the fans, Ashley struggled with trolling on her Instagram. Recently, fans heard that TLC showed the couple returning to the spinoff, "90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After?" The TLC show that arrives this spring so far revealed on Facebook that Ashley and Jay join Elizabeth Potthast, Andrei Castravet, Nicole Nafziger and Azan Tefou.

Of course, critical fans grew angry with Ashley and Jay and many of them say they don't want them back at all. Mind you, in the wake of the Colt Johnson and Larissa Dos Santos Lima arrest scandal, much of that anger diverted to their going's on.

In the meantime, loyal and faithful fans stayed with Jay and Ashley, and Jay's fans stand by him to this day. In fact, many of them admire him as he stays by the side of Ashley even through her bouts with Lupus.

Fans of '90 Day Fiance' react to Jay Smith's recent Instagram post

In a post on his Instagram on March 27, Jay shared a nice picture of the couple.

Discuss this news on Eunomia

With both of them wearing flowers in their hair, and Ashley looking well, they looked quite adorable. In fact, fans were not slow in commenting on how cute the couple looks. Jay captioned it with "Keep on shining and doing what you do best and just always remember how much I love  you and how I appreciate you making me into a better person."

Here's what some loyal "90 Day Fiance" fans of Jay Smith and Ashley Martson said about it:

@Eli**: "Such a cute couple."

@Lif**: " Aww. You both are amazing people! Love you guys ."

@Stu**: "Happy for the two of you ."

@Nvd**: "you still handsome love yall @ashleye_90enjoy stay strong ."

@Iam**: "@jay_smith_ja Well said, I just love to see people happy. You both keep loving each other."



Ahead of '90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After?' fans still enjoy the couple

As you can see from those types of comments above, some followers of the TLC show still enjoy the couple.

In fact, many of them blame TLC for handling their scenes poorly. These fans love the idea that they get another shot at seeing them in the "Happily Ever After?" spin-off.

As Matt Roloff of "Little people Big World" said this week on the "First Class Fatherhood" podcast, most people are really nice at heart. The trolls only account for a small percentage on social media. In fact, they relegate those trolls to the title of "one percenters." It looks like this holds true for Ashley and Jay as well.

What do you think about Ashley Martson and Jay Smith garnering loyal fans despite allegations of fraudulent behavior? Are you waiting to see more of them in the upcoming "90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After?" Sound off your thoughts in the comments below.

Remember to follow the Reality TV Channel on Blasting Pop for more news about "90 Day Fiance."
ANNAPOLIS (March 28, 2019)One day after Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, R, vetoed three bills on $15 minimum wage, school districts setting their own calendars and stripping alcohol and tobacco regulation from the state comptroller, the Maryland General Assembly fought back to override him Thursday.



Both the House and Senate voted to override two of three vetoes, including measures that would gradually raise the minimum wage to $15, and to strip the comptroller of some regulatory powers. The Senate voted to override Hogan's veto of a bill giving county school boards power to decide when the school year starts, while the House had not taken up the measure by press time Thursday.



Senate bill 280 and House bill 166, also known together as the "Fight for Fifteen," sponsored by Sen. Cory McCray, D-Baltimore and Delegate Diana Fennell, D-Prince George's, aim to increase the state minimum wage to $15 by 2025, with a longer phase-in for employers with fewer than 14 employees.



Although the two bills passed in both House and Senate chambers, Gov. Larry Hogan, R, vetoed them both, saying they "could cost us jobs, negatively impact our economic competitiveness, and devastate our state's economy."



The House voted 96-43 and the Senate voted 32-15 to override the veto of the "Fight for Fifteen" bill.



Another bill Hogan vetoed was House bill 1052, sponsored by Delegate Warren Miller, R-Howard and Carroll, which would shift regulation for alcohol and tobacco from state Comptroller Peter Franchot, D, to a newly created alcohol and tobacco commission.



The governor vetoed the bill, arguing that the bill is a solution to a problem that doesn't exist, adding that the legislation "is not necessary, serves no purpose, will waste taxpayers' money, and disrupts a well-ordered and completely functional regulatory system."



Franchot echoed Hogan's concerns in a statement, saying that it was "especially brazen and irresponsible" for legislators to use the process to carry out laws that lessen oversight and allow them to "handpick their regulators."



The House of Delegates, missing a few representatives, voted 98-39, and the Senate voted 30-16. excusing Sen. Craig Zucker, D-Montgomery, to override the alcohol and tobacco regulation bill.



Hogan also vetoed Senate bill 128, which would give county school boards control of setting start and end dates for the school year in their own districts.



Sponsored by Sen. Paul Pinsky, D-Prince George's, the bill was written to overturn the governor's executive order to start schools after Labor Day.



In a letter explaining his veto, Hogan called the legislation "unfortunate," saying that it unravels years of bipartisan work and study andciting pollsruns directly against what's favored by a majority of Marylanders.



The Senate voted 32-15 along party lines to override Hogan's veto, effectively undoing his executive order.



The override of Hogan's veto of Senate bill 128, also known as the Community Control of School Calendars Act, was sent on Thursday to the House of Delegates for consideration.
Colton will jump the fence on tonight's episode of 'The Bachelor' originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com

It's the episode fans of "The Bachelor" have been waiting for! Colton Underwood will finally jump the fence on Monday night's episode.

Three women remain in the fight to win his heart, and this week's episode is expected to be as dramatic as ever.

In this sneak peek, fans receive a clue as to why Underwood breaks down and does the infamous fence jump that fans have been anticipating all season.

Cassie's father travels to Portugal to surprise her and have a serious conversation about her doubts about Colton.

"It's great to see my daughter, but I came here because I have a concern with the potential engagement that might be around the corner," Cassie's father says in the clip.

"When I saw Cassie at our house last week, I can't say that I was convinced that she was in love, so I want to make sure that she's seeing with both eyes open," he adds.

(MORE: 'The Bachelor' sneak peek: Cassie's father questions her relationship with Colton)

In an emotional exchange, the father and daughter discussed her feelings regarding Colton's potential proposal.

When her father suggests that she might be conflicted, Cassie responds, "I wish I could just have more time. I don't want it to be over with him, but then it scares me getting to the end and accepting a proposal."

"There shouldn't be any hesitation in your mind when you meet somebody that you want to spend the rest of your life with," her father responds. "If you're not feeling it, the longer you let it go on is not doing you any service, not doing him any service."

(MORE: 'The Bachelor' sneak peek: Contestant faces bullying accusation)

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"You just need to be honest with yourself and with him," he adds. "Don't hesitate to follow where your heart is."

Could this be what sends Underwood over the edge?

In an interview with "Good Morning America," Chris Harrison spoke about the highly anticipated fence jump.

"I will reveal this: One, he was not happy. Two, I was about 10 yards behind trying to get him to stop and have a conversation. Three, he clearly didn't want to have that conversation to the point he was willing to launch himself over that wall," he shared.

Check out the clip above and an all-new episode of "The Bachelor" tonight at 8 p.m. on ABC.

Join the the Official Bachelor Fantasy League to compete with family, friends and the rest of #BachelorNation for a chance to win a Grand Prize trip. Set your own weekly lineup of Bachelorettes based on weekly categories ranging from who will get a rose to who kisses Colton. Click here to learn more.
Lamarr was never stupid. She was inspired to become an actress by seeing Hansel and Gretel performed on the stage and Fritz Langs Metropolis in a movie theater. She married an Austrian arms dealer in 1933 and absorbed knowledge sitting through meetings with his customers. When Adolf Hitler began his rise to power in neighboring Germany, Lamarr, who hid her Jewish heritage, escaped by impersonating her maid and traveling to Paris and then London.

In London, she met Hollywood mogul Louis B. Mayer of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), turned down his first offer, bought a ticket on the same U.S.-bound ship as he, and by the end of the voyage had negotiated a much more lucrative contract. The film Algiers launched her as a major movie star, as well as launching Take Me to the Casbah as a popular song and sparking a hair-parting craze as women tried to emulate Lamarrs look.

But Lamarr still felt constrained by Mayers limited vision for what she could be.

He is yet another mogul who has captured me and does not quite know what to do with me, complains Massie-as-Lamarr during the show.

In HEDY! The Life & Inventions of Hedy Lamarr, Massie re-created the stars life and gave her a much-desired gift of agency by having her tell her own story. Massie also plays 33 other supporting characters, including Mayer, Bette Davis, and Jimmy Stewart. Each supporting character can be distinguished not just by accent and speaking tone, but also body language.

The story intensifies as World War II explodes into the United States. Lamarr urgently wanted to contribute. She served and danced with soldiers at Davis Hollywood Canteen, where grunts could rub shoulders with stars. Lamarr traveled around the country and sold $25 million in war bonds, including $7 million raised at one event.

Her most lasting contribution to the world came during this era, yet it was ignored. Lamarr collaborated with George Antheil, a composer, magazine writer, and expert on hormonal therapies, to develop a technology intended to make torpedoes more accurate. Known as the secret communication system, or frequency hopping, the patent they developed used the concept employed in paper rolls from player pianos  an early form of binary coding  to allow radio communication between torpedoes and their guidance systems that could not be jammed by enemy interference.

Lamarr and Antheil turned their 1942 patent over to the U.S. Navy, which ignored it, whether because of its source, because of its origins in player piano tech, or some other reason. Navy officials re-discovered it in the late '50s and quickly implemented it. The patent gave rise to spread spectrum technology, which is now used commercially in a variety of applications that include cell phones, WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth, and other wireless systems.

Massie dramatized this contribution in an ad-libbed portion of her performance at Moss, which surely has occurred on a regular basis. Despite a pre-show admonition by staff to turn off cell phones, an audience member near the front row received a call shortly after the performance began. Massie-as-Lamarr became excited and asked if she could answer it. The person on the other end of the line apparently became confused and hung up, but Lamarr told the audience, "I am in that trusted device that no one today is ever without, your trusted cellular phone. I am also in your WiFi, your GPS, and many other things.

HEDY! The Life & Inventions of Hedy Lamarr ends with Lamarr talking about the end of her life: how she has been recognized for her groundbreaking invention but not financially compensated. She responds to the criticisms that besieged her in later life  that she shoplifted (she was acquitted of the charges), that she filed frivolous lawsuits (she wanted to protect her image), and that she had plastic surgery (she did, including a number of procedures that she herself had invented).

Lamarr set a goal to live into the 21st century, and she did for 19 days.

Massie-as-Lamarr summed up her life: I really am a very simple, complicated person. And always a person who works to make things better. I charge all of you to do the same, find ways to make the world a better place.

Massie said that Lamarrs story is only one of many examples of women who have changed the world but didnt receive credit for it at the time. Too often, the men who worked with or around these groundbreaking women have taken credit for their discoveries.

For these stories that we discover, holding them up and celebrating them is an important thing to do, Massie said.

HEDY! The Life & Inventions of Hedy Lamarr stands as her attempt to establish Lamarr as a role model for young women in science  something she wishes shed have had as an 8-year-old.

Ive sort of come full circle now, Massie said. I was in science and then switched to art and now Im marrying the two loves in this piece. It makes my life relevant to my work, and my work relevant to my life.

The mission of the piece really is to inspire audiences to find ways to make the world a better place. Also to encourage young women in science and technology. And to establish Hedy Lamarr as a role model for intelligence, ingenuity, and invention. Young women dont have as many role models to look to as young men.

HEDY! The Life & Inventions of Hedy Lamarr takes a big step toward rectifying that, as will Massies next planned project, a solo show titled, Flying with Sally Ride: Americas First Woman in Space.

As Lamarr says herself, at the beginning and again at the end of Massies show, Its about time!

Written by Mason Adams
Many United States manufactures are in no better position than Americas farmers. The U.S. - China trade war is strangling businesses while companies around the world search out new supply chain solutions to reduce costs to save their businesses.

By James DiGeorgia

While Trump rages about no Russian collusion while hiding Special Counselor Muellers report. U.S. officials continue to try to negotiate with their Chinese counterparts in the latest round of trade talks. At the center of their negotiations are enforcement mechanisms and the timeline for tariff rollbacks by both countries when the two countries arrive at a deal.

While the Trump team negotiates, tremendous damage is being done to red-state farmers, many of them in the Midwest have now also been hit with devastating flooding that has wiped them out financially. Farm bankruptcies are now tallying higher than they did during the great recession of 2008-2011.

The picture isnt any brighter for tens of thousands of manufacturers who rely on a supply chain thats China dependent.

Consider Seattle-based electronics manufacturer Audio Control. The firm has been forced to begin shifting its supply chain away from China. To wait to do so in hopes of President Trump getting a deal hes willing to accept with Beijing would mean bankruptcy for the firm. The firms CEO Alex Camara recently said

Weve started. We have plans in place; were working through that with two or three Chinese companies that supply product because we cant wait to suddenly find out, by the way, the tariffs are now 25% or something.

Camaras Audio Control sources 70% of his components from U.S. suppliers. However, when the Trump administration implemented a 10% tariff on $200 billion in Chinese goods last fall, Audio Control costs soared on everything from resistors to the diodes that his firm imports. The firm was hit with a $200,000 tariff bill, a devastating amount for a small business. According to Camara

Thats a lot of money thats not being invested in our company, thats not being invested in growth, not invested in trying to improve efficiencies and employ more people as we grow in size. Its not Chinese people that are paying tariffs. People need to realize that.

The sudden explosion in parts acquisition costs has forced Audio Tools to become creative in sourcing parts. In some cases, its meant working with Chinese suppliers to find creative alternative ways to buy their products by going through countries not on sanctions or tariff list to get the parts they need while avoiding the Trump imposed tariffs

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Many of the manufactures Audio Control relied on in China are now shifting both production and shipping facilities (way stations) to countries like Thailand and Vietnam. Many wont be able to resume shipping to Audio Control and other American companys dependent on their products for at least six months  and still will increase prices  although nowhere near the potential 25% tariffs Trump intends to impose on Chinese imports.

The number of companies facing this supply chain nightmare in the United States is growing rapidly. The vice president of international trade for the Consumer Technology Association Sage Chandler says Audio Control is just one of the thousands of member companies that have merely accepted tariffs as the new normal of doing business, and are being faced with bankruptcy or adjusting their supply chains because they cant wait for a political solution.

Surprisingly the firms facing the most significant challenges is U.S. companies that have manufacturing hubs outside of our country. According to Sage Chandler

We have heard, on the very conservative side, that it takes at least two years to get a new operations manufacturing up and running someplace else, but more like closer to five, Thats five years out of financial planning for something they already had. Theyre not getting anything new or better.

The companies most hurt by the supply chain dislocation are high technology companies like Apple that sources parts from 43 different countries to assemble its iPhones. One of its essential Chinese component suppliers and key assemblers Hon Hai Precision, known as Foxconn, announced it would invest roughly $230 million combined in factories in India and Vietnam dramatically increase its facilities outside of China to avoid the fall out of the U.S. - China trade war.

According to a recent report published by McKinsey and Company, 33% of U.S. companies surveyed said uncertainty over the U.S.  China trade policy was a top concern. Nearly half indicated their firms would move their global supply chains in response, and hoped to invest more in local supply chains.

The moving of manufacturing and assembly facilities out of China will only serve to impair the second largest economy in the world further.

Nathan Resnick, the founder of Sourcify, a manufacturing platform that connects entrepreneurs with overseas factories, says trade uncertainty will accelerate the move of factories outside of China. According to Resnick

Chinese factories used to source 90% of his clients. Today, that number has dropped to nearly 60%, with Vietnam and the Philippines among the biggest beneficiaries. Moreover, those numbers arent likely to reverse, regardless of what President Trump and Xi Jinping agree to.

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This supply chain shift threatens Chinese economic security and a risk creating as Sage Chandler says

This broad shift out of China has raises another big threat: the vacuum created by hollowed-out factories. Chandler and other analysts and trade experts say

The mass exit taking place in China is going to be a steady and huge hit on its domestic economy. Factory production is already shrinking rapidly hitting a 3-year low in February with Chinese exports slumping to their lowest in a decade. Despite President Trumps promises, to bring jobs back to the United States by waging his trade war against China. The China slump hasnt led to a significant creation of new manufacturing coming to the U.S.

As Chandler cautions

Precious few companies have said that their solution to this is bringing jobs back to the United States. In fact, weve seen several that say were leaving the United States.








Nikki Fried, Floridas commissioner of agriculture, announced in a press release the appointment of Nik Harris as the departments first LGBTQ consumer advocate.

Historically, the State of Florida has turned a blind eye to discrimination against our LGBTQ community  but today is a new day in our state, said in a statement. re building a Department that represents all Floridians, and its paramount that LGBTQ Floridians have a voice in defending their safety, economic security, and well-being.

Fried is Floridas only statewide elected democrat, who was elected this past November.

The new position will raise awareness of opportunities within the agriculture industry, and help address discrimination and fraud targeted at the LGBT community.

Commissioner Fried has made history and sent a strong message that Florida is open to all  that every consumer, resident, and visitor should be treated fairly, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, said Nadine Smith, executive director of Equality Florida in a statement. While Tony Lima, executive director of SAVE, added, I am thrilled that we now have an LGBTQ consumer advocate that will look out for our communitys best interests.

Harris has been a licensed Florida attorney since 2004. She has worked at the Florida Department of Transportation for over a decade and most recently served as senior attorney, where she provided legal counsel including negotiation, drafting, and review of contracts, and intergovernmental agreements.

Harris has also served as a member of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee of the Florida Bar Association, and has been involved with the Human Rights Campaign as a member of the Board of Governors, as chair of the Steering Committee in South Florida, as co-chair of National Community Engagement, and as a fellow for Women & Leadership.

Additionally she has been a member of the Dolphin Democrats Board of Directors and the LGBTA Democratic Caucus.

For Rand Hoch, president and founder of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, Fried has already gone above and beyond in her support of the LGBT community.

When we interviewed her during our endorsement process she discussed how she was going to put an emphasis on consumer rights. But this wasnt even on our map, Hoch told SFGN. This is a historic first for Florida, and its really exciting.

Hoch said its important to have people who are openly LGBT working in government.

People in our community will be more likely to use these services knowing they will be treated with dignity and respect, he said.

Fried recently made headlines when she added sexual orientation and gender identity to her department's list of workplace protections against discrimination.

We are pledgingthat ourDepartment is committed to an inclusive culture of equality, in which every employee is hired, promoted, and respected on the basis of their merit. This is a common-sense, long-overdue measure that the majority of Fortune 500 companies have implemented, and the majority of Floridians agree with, she said at the time in a press release. I encourage my fellow Cabinet officials to enact similar policies within their agencies and throughout our government.
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Its hard to talk about Scott Wymans South Florida experience without mentioning Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis. And hes OK with that. Because its also true that Wyman should be mentioned in the conversation of Trantalis recent successes.

But first things first.

Wyman is the assistant to the citys first openly gay mayor. His life and career have been forever shaped by the relationship.

Trantalis was elected March 18, 2018. There is currently no city in the southern U.S. larger than Fort Lauderdale with an LGBT-elected official. Annise Parker, the former mayor of Houston who campaigned for Trantalis, previously held the title.

Via Scott Wyman

The election was also significant because City Commissioner Steve Glassman, also a gay man, replaced Trantalis in District 2. The two have been friends for many years.

As agay man himself Wyman is proud to be a part of the LGBT history.

Its kind of incredible, Wyman said in a recent interview. It was also great to be at the federal courthouse and have a rally with [Trantalis] when the Windsor decision came down.

On June 26, 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the Windsor case that the federal government could not discriminate against married lesbian and gay couples for federal benefits and other protections.

Wyman said the mayor has a history of LGBT advocacy.

He was the chair of the group that pushed for the nondiscrimination ordinance in [Broward County] and the domestic partnership law, Wyman said. He pushed the commission to pass a resolution supporting marriage equality.

South Florida Bound

Wyman is far, far from home. He grew up near the Yellowstone River in the southern Montana city of Billings with his parents and two older sisters.

Billings is the big city of Montana with a population of 90,000, he said with a chuckle.

Like many have, he yearned to get away and see more of the country.

Off to the University of Missouri he went, earning degrees in journalism and political science in 1989. With a talent for writing and journalism, he went on to work for three newspapers in both Missouri and South Carolina.

Wyman, 51 and single, has lived in Fort Lauderdale since 2000.

Scott Wyman, Dean Trantalis, and Friend

Via Facebook

He lives in the South Middle River neighborhood and in his spare time does the normal South Florida stuff.

When hes not running a meeting or tackling an issue for Trantalis, you can find him at the theater, movies, pool, beach, or on Wilton Drive with friends.

His first job here was at the Sun Sentinel covering Broward County and the city of Fort Lauderdale as a senior political writer. Hed stay at the publication for more than a decade.

But even in the midst of a good run, Wyman said it was time to change careers in 2011.

Bring On The Politics

With a feel for South Florida politics, hed land a job as the assistant to Charlotte Rodstrom, whod been a city commissioner since 2006.

He would end up running in a special election in the spring of 2013, losing to Trantalis.

Which puts me in an awkward position because youre an at-will employee, Wyman said. And most of the time people want to bring in their own person.

But Wyman said hed formed a relationship with Trantalis over the years because he had written numerous stories about both the LGBT community and the political issues that involved him.

Trantalis would bring Wyman on as his assistant. He was the District 2 commissioner from 2013 until 2018 when he became mayor.

Historic Run

Wyman said it would be a mistake to conclude that Trantalis was a shoo-in for mayor. He said the race was a tough one.

There were three prominent people running in the election  Rodstrom in the primary and then Bruce Roberts, former vice mayor and police chief, running against Trantalis in the general election.

Wyman said former Fort Lauderdale mayor Jack Siler and several members of the citys business leadership were supporting Roberts, too.

Dean got in [the race] late and so we had to raise money very fast, Wyman said. He had to campaign very fast. Bruce had been out there over a year, as had Charlotte, and so Dean had a lot of ground to make up in a short period of time, Wyman said.

The final results, however, proved that the residents of Fort Lauderdale were ready for a change in direction. Trantalis won 64 percent of the vote.

Early Successes

Wyman said he thinks most residents are happy with the mayor so far.

Hes brought an end to the WAVE streetcar project and has proposed alternatives, hes promised to make changes in city leadership (theres now a new manager and attorney), theres been infrastructure repair and an initiative was launched to help close down a homeless encampment.

The prior administration had gone in and arrested people for feeding the homeless and had bulldozed the encampment and the city was in lawsuits, Wyman said. Deans approach was: lets go in with more compassion  so we joined with the county and other stakeholders [to] come up with the Housing First plan.

The plan offered housing, wrap around social services and a community court option instead of jail time for minor misdemeanors like panhandling and public intoxication. The camp has since closed.

Voters had also been concerned about the pace of development and growth in Fort Lauderdale and Wyman said in the months since the election the commission has taken more of an analytical and skeptical approach.

Thats not to say they havent approved projects, because they have, but theyve also rejected some and toned others down, Wyman said.

The top issues on residents minds right now, Wyman said, are traffic, scooters, and code enforcement, such as building permits and construction-related issues.

Why Wymans Important

The mayor of Fort Lauderdale essentially serves as one of five city commissioners. The mayor is elected citywide, but he doesnt have any special powers when it comes to running the city.

We arent New York City or Chicago where the mayor runs the city, Wyman said. However, he has a bully pulpit and is the only person representing the entire city. And he has the gavel at the meetings.

Scott Wyman @ the 2019 Pride Fort Lauderdale Fashion Show

The mayor and city commissioner positions are not meant to be full-time, either, even if in reality they are.

For Dean, how do you run a successful law practice and still do what you need to do as mayor? Thats where having somebody behind you is important, and so my job basically covers everything you can think of because Im the only staff person, Wyman said.

He controls the mayors calendar. He controls his meetings.

Everybody wants to talk to the mayor, everybody wants a moment and I end up being the gatekeeper to that, he said.

Wyman also does issue and policy research and produces a popular newsletter.

Im a liaison to staff, because theres so many people wanting his attention. Sometimes its easier for him to say: You go deal with staff on this issue and report back to me, Wyman said.

Day In The Life

On one particular Thursday, Wyman and Trantalis were in an all-day goal setting workshop with city commissioners. Trantalis would go on to have a meeting at the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, attend a benefit for Joe DiMaggio Childrens Hospital and speak at an economic development summit. He ended the day by stopping by a neighborhood association dinner.

He never lets up. Hell do three, four events a night, Wyman said.

So with all of his political experience, does Wyman have his own political aspirations?

I really enjoy what Im doing right now; I think Dean and I make a great team, Wyman said. To me, this is the best job you can have. I love writing. I love researching. And I love the politics and the governance of it. So I think its worked out well.




Emily Witt at the LRB:

The horror of a video showing a toddler tugging at her mothers unconscious form in a supermarket conveys more easily the horror of the corruption, avarice, poverty and stupidity that created the problem in the first place. How this happened  how the number of deaths from opiate overdoses increased by a factor of six in the US between 1999 and 2017  is the subject of several recent books. Dopesick, by Beth Macy, describes the effects of opiate use in Appalachia, where she worked as a newspaper reporter. Dreamland, by Sam Quinones, describes the rise of a super-efficient network of dealers of Mexican black tar heroin in the US and its effects on one particular town in Ohio. American Overdose, by Chris McGreal, a correspondent for the Guardian, offers a more detailed view of the corruption that enabled the spread of opiates to go unchecked by the healthcare industry, government or law enforcement.

more here.
Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor in the Boston Review:

In Becoming, Obama describes the value of telling ones story this way: Even when its not pretty or perfect. Even when its more real than you want it to be. Your story is what you have, what you will always have. It is something to own. For Obama, a persons story is an affirmation of their space in the world, the right to be and belong. In sharing my story, she says, I hope to help create space for other stories and other voices, to widen the pathway for who belongs and why. . . . Lets invite one another in. Maybe then we can begin to fear less, to make fewer wrong assumptions, to let go of biases and stereotypes that unnecessarily divide us. The root of discrimination, Obama implies, including the ugly discrimination she faced as first lady, is misunderstanding. Sharing personal narratives, then, offers a way for people to fully see each other and to overcome our differences.

More here.
Stuart Newman in CounterPunch:

The Mueller investigation was fully worth it, despite its conclusions. In early 2017, with a clearly corrupt president in place, but both houses of Congress dominated by the Republicans, there would have been no way to launch a legislative-branch inquiry into his misdeeds. The Special Prosecutors probe served as a fortuitous substitute. Even though it was implausible from the start that collusion with Russia by Trump and his team swung the election, there were enough signs of deals with Russian political operatives and business figures to justify a probe. The appointment of a Department of Justice Special Prosecutor, though not initiated by the Democrats, was a gift to them.

During the administrations initial two-year period, although the Democrats were out of power, Trump was under a cloud. The Special Prosecutors appointment was not based on a phony pretext  Russians had been involved in the election and Trump and his cohorts had encouraged them, although the Americans efforts were eventually judged by Mueller not to be criminal. In the course of the investigation, all manner of gangsterish tactics, sleazy cover-ups, and actual crimes were disclosed by Mueller and his counterparts in the Southern District of New York. Though almost none of them directly related to the ostensible subject of the probe, they compromised and unsettled Trump.

More here.
San Francisco has always attracted the creative, the driven, and the quirky. These same attributes have helped burnish San Francisco's credentials as one of the great beer cities of the world. Like the city itself, the beer here evolves to include both timeless classics and innovative originals.

We surveyed the boozy spectrum to compile this list of our favorite places in SF to enjoy a proper pint. It illustrates the breadth of what's available, but isn't comprehensive. Feel free to share your suggestions with us on Facebook!

San Francisco's Best Breweries and Brewpubs See on Instagram Beer begins at a brewery, so it seems fitting that any beer guide to San Francisco would start there. The following is a list of a few of our most notable, but there are more than 30 breweries in SFcheck out the San Francisco Brewers Guild for information on the rest. Anchor Brewing Co. Founded around 1896, Anchor is San Francisco's only remaining brewer from the 19th century. After years of struggling to stay solvent, Anchor was on the verge of bankruptcy when it was rescued in 1965 by Fritz Maytag, a recent Stanford grad and heir to the Maytag washing machine company. By the 1970s, while most brewers were pumping out homogenized lagers, Maytag brought back beer styles such as steam beer, porter, barley wine, Christmas ale, and, perhaps most importantly, a hoppy little brew called Liberty Ale, arguably the first American brewed IPA. Anchor bought the current brewery building in 1977 and offers the best brewery tour in the city. You can also check out Anchor's new brews at the Public Taps and Pilot Brewery across the street from the main brewery, where you can bring the dog and catch various pop-up events, yoga classes, live music, and more. // Main Brewery: 1705 Mariposa St. anchorbrewing.com; Public Taps: 495 De Haro St., (Potrero Hill), anchorbrewing.com/publictaps. Barebottle Brewing Co. Known as a go-to brewery for crisp hazy IPAs and fruited kettle sours, Barebottle also supports the local homebrewing community. After the co-founders at Barebottle realized that some of the best and most innovative beers in America were being developed by homebrewers they decided to host homebrew competitions and put the winning entries on tap. To help initiate next generation homebrewers, they also teach classes in their cavernous yet comfortable space. // 1525 Cortland Ave, (Bernal Heights), barebottle.com Cellarmaker Brewing Co. When Cellarmaker's brewery and cozy tap house opened in 2013, founders Connor Casey and Tim Sciascia set a high bar for themselves: no 'flagship' beers. "We find that constantly making new flavors is more exciting for us, and hopefully people will respond well to that." Their fans, both nearby and far-flung, have responded enthusiastically: RateBeer recognized them them in 2018 as the 49th best brewer in the world among the 36,000 breweries they track. Cellarmaker's new Detroit-style House of Pizza (3193 Mission St.) is also getting a lot of buzz. // 1150 Howard St., (SoMa), cellarmaker.com Social Kitchen and Brewery Brewmaster Kim Sturdavant has been all over the news recently for his innovative Brut IPA, a bone-dry beer style that melds the light mouthfeel of champagne with the floral hop aromas of an IPA. The stylish brewpub keeps a few of these obsessively well crafted experiments on tap as well as Social's other stable of beers, such as the beer-wine hybrid Cabernet Sauvignon Saison. The full kitchen serves up comfort food that pairs well with the beers, as well as a full cocktail menu. // 1326 9th Ave (Sunset), socialkitchenandbrewery.com 21st Amendment Brewery 21A's spacious San Francisco brewpub not only pours fresh versions of their year-round brews, like El Sully and Blah, Blah, Blah IPA, but also keeps chilled experimental beers, seasonal drafts and collaboration brews on tap. The kitchen cooks up superior pub grub and gut-busting brunches. East Bay residents can visit the huge San Leandro Brewery & Tap Room and outdoor beer garden. Check the Facebook events page for specials at both locations including beer dinners, live music and more. // Brewpub: 563 2nd St (South Beach); taproom: 2010 Williams St, (San Leandro), 21st-amendment.com Bartlett Hall Known for elevated pub fare and cocktails, this Union Square small-batch brewery takes beer seriously. Bartlett Hall was awarded three gold medals in 2019 for their contemporary West Coast brewsmost recently, a silver medal at Great American Beer Festival for their Powell St Porter. The historic brewpub is decked out with dark wood and leather and features a large projector screen for a killer beer-drinking and game-watching experience. On top of all of that, they feature one of the best happy hour deals in townthink $5 house-brewed beer, pizza, wings and more. // 242 O'Farrell St. (TenderNob), bartletthall.com *Thank you to our partners at Bartlett Hall.

San Francisco Bars and Restaurants for Beer Lovers See on Instagram As of the last census, San Francisco had more restaurants per household than any other U.S. city, and we came in #8 for bars. If you're more into beer flights than wine pairings, check out some of these only-in-San-Francisco gastropubs, old school dives, and sports bars. The Beer Hall This snug, upscale Civic Center taproom has 20 rotating beers on draft, all Californians, and mostly from the Bay Area. Beer drinkers wanting more variety can select from 200+ bottled beers, which can either be consumed on-site or as takeout. Bonus: small bar bites are available. // 1 Polk St, (Civic Center) thebeerhall.com Black Horse London Pub More public hallway than public house, the Black Horse packs acres of fun into its 136 square feet of floor space. The bar boasts only nine stools; the food menu consists of a cheese plate; there is sometimes one cask beer; and the remaining bottled and canned stock is iced in a claw-foot bathtub behind the bar. What more could you want? Whether it's the pint-sized space or the winning choreography of James and Cassandra, who work the bar, the place fosters conviviality, conversation, and the inevitable 1-4-24 dice game. Other items to note before visiting: Cell phone use is forbidden, men are expected to give up their seats to women, and the bar is cash only. // 1514 Union St, (Cow Hollow) blackhorselondon.com Brew Coop If you know your way around a beer menu and just feel like taking matters into your own hands, pop into the Brew Coop tap room. After the host checks your ID and associates a credit card to an RFID (radio frequency identification) card, head over to the wall of taps, slide the card into a slot and pour away. The PourMyBeer system charges you by the ounce, so you can sample or get full pours of any selection. There's seldom a wait at any of the 20+ taps pouring mostly west coast suds such as Harmonic Brewing's Home-Press Stout and Seven Stills Brewing's Rhuberry Ginsburg Sour. There's also a menu of bar bites available, like bacon-spiked Brussels sprout chips, adobo chicken wings and carne asada fries. // 819 Valencia St., (Mission), thebrewcoop.com Dobbs Ferry Bar and Restaurant Named after the New York hometown of owners Scott Broccoli and Danny Sterling, this bright and spacious area feels like a slice of Hudson Valley was dropped onto Hayes Valley. The tap menu enhances the east coast ambiance with cult favorites like Brooklyn Brewery's flagship lager and Magic Hat's No. 9 Pale Ale, and the food menu includes Manhattan clam chowder and some insanely addictive arancini. With a full bar, ample wine list, weekday happy hour, trivia, and half a dozen TVs showing sports, it's a great place to have a serious feed or knock back a few brews with friends. // (Bar) 406 Hayes St., (Restaurant) 409 Gough St., (Hayes Valley), dobbsferrysf.com Fermentation Lab This modern but comfortable gastropub slips into this mid-Market Twitter-hood like a Kia into a Carmatrix. In addition to offering a rotating selection of 25 California beers on tap, the kitchen cranks out a wide selection of pickled veggies, deviled eggs, cheese and charcuterie plates, Impossible Burgers, and duck fat fries. // 1230 Market St (Civic Center), fermlabsf.com Hopwater Distribution Hopwater expertly matches creative high-end pub food (Dungeness Crab tater tots!) with the 31 west coast craft brews they have on tap that range from Drake's fluffy Hefeweizen to Green Flash's searing Palate Wrecker. Comfortable yet modern, efficient yet relaxed, Hopwater excels at everything. It's a perfect place to bring out-of-town beer fans who want to sample a variety of California brews. // 850 Bush St. (Nob Hill), hopwaterdistribution.com The Kezar Pub Hands down the best pub in the city for watching international sports, Kezar sometimes opens as early as 5:00 am on weekdays for important matches and records off-hours major European sporting events to show later during regular hours. This pub has an extensive beer selection and excellent wings. // 770 Stanyan St, (Cole Valley) kezar.pub Mikkeller Bar The acclaimed Danish brewer's sleek 80-seat beerhall serves a wide selection of their own innovative beers, like the Double Blush Imperial Berliner Weisse, and Big Sky Lullaby-- a hazy imperial IPA--as well as an astonishing collection of foreign and domestic brews. The 42 kegs are stored in perfectly chilled coolers and are dispensed precisely using the Flux Capacitor, which infuses each beer with the optimum level of either carbon dioxide or nitrogen. Mikkeller also stocks more than 100 bottled gems. The food menu is meat- and sausage-heavy, all selected to pair with the beers, and the kitchen serves food until 11pm. Sour fans should head downstairs and check out the Tivoli Sour Room. // 34 Mason St. (Union Square), mikkellerbar.com The Monk's Kettle Ranked as one of the Best Beer Bars in America, Monk's expertly-curated beer selection matches their savory cuisine and the knowledgeable staff can help you navigate both the extensive beer and food menus. Monk's tap list focuses on local favorites such as Russian River's Pliny the Elder and Moonlight's Death and Taxes. Seating at this gastropub is limited, so do yourself a favor: leave work early to arrive for the start of happy hour at 4:00. // 3141 16th St. (Mission), themonkskettle.com Toronado Pub This renowned Haight Street Mecca for craft beer has great prices, 47 beers on draft--including Pliny the Elder--four on cask, and is topped off by an insane bottle selection. Although the bartenders have a reputation for surliness, feel free to ask your neighbors for recommendations, as you can't swing an empty firkin without hitting a beer expert. The Toronado also hosts the small but infamous Barley Wine festival in November. // 547 Haight Street, (Lower Haight), toronado.com Zeitgeist Forty taps of West Coast craft beer, pitchers, a full bar, classic pub grub, and a sunny backyard with communal tables and bike racks make this cash-only Mission dive one of the best day drinking venues in the City. Note that the bouncers will readily 86 patrons who do something stupid, illegal, or annoying, which is all the more reason to hang out there. // 99 Valencia St (Mission), facebook.com/zeitgeistsf



San Francisco's Go-To Beer Stores See on Instagram Sure, you can buy beer pretty much anywhere. But these stores not only have an extensive selection of craft brews, but equally important, they also employ passionate, knowledgeable, and patient staff who listen to what you want and help steer you appropriately. City Beer Store

It's nearly impossible to imagine a more extensive craft beer selection than what's on the shelves in this well-laid-out store. In addition, you can pull up a stool at the tasting bar and select from more than twenty rotating taps offering an eclectic selection of domestic craft beers and a few wines. Anything in the store can also be purchased for drinking onsite. The full kitchen kicks out dishes such as Tomato & Black Truffle Bisque, Chicory Caesar, and Winter Squash Gnocchi. City Beer is also San Francisco's most sought after venue for craft brewers to showcase new beers, so sign up for their newsletter to stay current on what's coming soon to a glass near you. // 1148 Mission St, (SoMa), citybeerstore.com

Healthy Spirits Finely curated selections of craft beer are available at all four stores in the City. Store personnel are extremely knowledgeable and helpful. Healthy Spirits also has a beer of the month club that selects rare and limited release beers. Club members also receive a 10 percent discount on all purchases and priority access to cellar sales and special offerings. The stores also stock a stellar whiskey and agave spirit collection. // 2299 15th St. (Duboce Triangle), 1042 Clement St. (Richmond District), 249 Cortland Ave. (Bernal Heights), 300 Valencia St. (Mission), healthyspiritssf.com The Jug Shop The Jug Shop, family-owned since 1965, stocks a warehouse-sized selection of domestic and international craft brews. The shop frequently runs specials and hosts occasional tasting events. Use the helpful website to order party-sized quantities for delivery. The shop also has dedicated catering/event staff headed by a Certified Sommelier and includes a Certified Cicerone and a WSET Advanced/Cordon Bleu trained chef. // 1590 Pacific Ave., (Nob Hill), thejugshop.com BevMo When you want a chilled keg of Drake's IPA for a picnic, you aren't likely to find it in your Polk Gulch bodega, but you can pop online and order one from the closest BevMo. With three locations in San Francisco you may not find any cicerones working the floor, but you will find good selections at great prices. // 201 Bayshore Blvd. (Bayview); 3455 Geary Blvd. (Lone Mountain); 1301 Van Ness Ave. (Pacific Heights), bevmo.com
In a press conference with President Trump at the White House last Tuesday, Jair Bolsonaro, Brazils proudly homophobic president, said both the U.S. and Brazil are against LGBT people.

Bolsonaro visited Trump to show he isnt anti-U.S. like presidents before him, according to a press release. But he also said that both the U.S. and Brazil are on board with ending gender ideology, a catch all term for expanding the rights of women and LGBT people, according to Slate.

Brazil and the United States stand side by side in their efforts to share liberties and respect to traditional and family lifestyles, respect to God, our creator, against the gender ideology of the politically correct attitudes, and fake news, Bolsonaro said in the press conference.

Bolsonaro has said in the past he would rather have a dead son then a gay one, and his anti-LGBT platform was a selling point in his election.
Northern State wrestling off to undefeated dual season

The Northern State wrestling team is off to a hot start and has won three straight duals to open the season.
The release of Robert Muellers finding that Donald Trump didnt collude with Russia should settle a question his critics  and, quietly, some of his allies  have asked repeatedly over the past two years: Why was he acting so guilty?

It turns out that he was acting innocent, only in a typically combative, over-the-top Trump fashion. The left and the media were never willing to credit the idea that Trump sincerely believed that he was being treated unfairly  because he was. When Trump said in his infamous Lester Holt interview that the Trump-Russia thing is a made-up story, he wasnt confessing to obstruction of justice; he was stating a fact that the Mueller probe would establish 2,800 subpoenas and nearly 500 search warrants later.

The prudent thing for Trump to do once the Mueller probe got going would have been to cooperate without complaint and bide his time awaiting his eventual vindication. Instead, Trump fought like a caged animal while actually cooperating with the probe.

Trump is a creature of the media and cares a lot about what is said of him. So imagine him sitting in the White House and watching the media constantly suggest that a smoking-gun Russia-collusion revelation is just over the horizon, that the walls are closing in, that he might be guilty of one of the worst political crimes committed in the history of the republic  and all the while knowing that it wasnt true.

Its very easy to be relaxed about someone elses reputation. We saw this during the Kavanaugh controversy when progressives were outraged that Brett Kavanaugh got emotional about being falsely accused of gang rape. Trump, apparently, was supposed to be cool and nonplussed about being accused of treason. Of course, he wasnt, and got caught in an endless feedback loop with the press. Hed be presumed guilty in the coverage, hed lash out, and then commentators would take his reaction as further evidence he was guilty. For two long years.

As recently as a couple of weekends ago, an epic Trump tweet-storm was taken as a sign that he was completely panicked over the impending Mueller report. It didnt occur to anyone that he might be acting out of a sense of aggrieved  although often self-defeating  innocence. This is what got the Mueller probe rolling in the first place. Trump fired James Comey because the FBI director refused to state publicly what he told Trump privately  that the president himself wasnt under investigation. The fallback position of Democrats now is that they can get Trump for obstruction for all his impure thoughts about a probe that reached its conclusion unimpeded and found no underlying Russian collusion to cover up.

This was Watergate without the break-in and the Lewinsky affair without, well, the Lewinsky affair. You dont have to endorse Trumps attacks on the integrity of Robert Mueller, his mockery of his former Attorney General Jeff Sessions or his distorted view of the Justice Department to find the dynamic here unsettling. Trump was basically told that hed be investigated and smeared for years over Russia collusion that didnt happen, and if he objected and wanted to make it stop, theyd investigate him for that, too.

The ultimate weapon he had was, funnily enough, the truth. As he said again and again, there was no Russia collusion. Every time he repeated the phrase, the press rolled its eyes and opined about how it showed an untoward defensiveness. Then it dug into another news cycle devoted to Trumps impending doom.

A news industry that should have a healthy skepticism could never apply any skepticism to its own narrative and assumptions. And so, on the question of Russia collusion that put a cloud over the White House and dominated the past two years of our public life, Donald Trump was a more reliable narrator than the media that so self-righteously scorns him.

 2019 by King Features Syndicate.
In the saga of former teacher and now convicted child molester Gary Gregors unfortunate glide through various New Mexico education bureaucracies  as chronicled in a series of investigative news stories by Journal North staff over the past two months  there were several points in time where Gregors path could have been blocked.

Gregor, as of December, stands convicted of molesting two fourth-grade students at an Espanola elementary school back in the 2007-08 school year after Attorney General Hector Balderas  unlike previous prosecutors who found reasons not to pursue charges against Gregor  finally took on the case.

 Before Gregor ever got a license to teach in New Mexico in the late 1990s, hed already been charged with sexually abusing students in Utah, although a judge dismissed the case. Its unclear if Public Education Department officials ever knew of this or checked criminal and court records databases.

While a dismissed case could not have been used in a subsequent criminal prosecution, this one certainly should have been a red flag for licensure officials in New Mexico. Gregor himself had informed PED hed been fired from his Utah district for insubordination: violating a direct order not to associate with students after school hours. Another red flag  did anyone at PED wonder why a district would fire a teacher for leading a 4-H club without something else going on?

 After he was licensed in New Mexico, Gregor took a job at the Santa Fe schools. In 2004, docents at the International Folk Art Museum reported he acted inappropriately with girl students during a field trip. This spurred a serious investigation by Santa Fe Public Schools. Some of Gregors students alleged he would become aroused when they sat on his lap. But those accounts were challenged as tainted by Gregors lawyer because the girls were allowed to talk among themselves amid sessions with a Rape Crisis Center representative.

In the end, SFPS came up with a lawyerly resolution  Gregor would voluntarily resign and get a neutral recommendation for potential future employers, with no mention of the allegations by the docents, the student accounts of what had happened in the classroom or a principals concern he had been displaying grooming behavior toward the girls.

Bottom line, hes gone, an attorney for the district wrote.

 Gone, yes, but not far, soon taking a job in the Espanola district. Meanwhile, PED reviewed what happened in Santa Fe. A PED lawyer raised the idea of calling law enforcement, but again the most serious evidence  accounts of what happened when Gregor had girls on his lap  was discounted as legally suspect. In another deal brokered by lawyers, Gregor got a reprimand rather than suspension or loss of his license.

 Meanwhile in Espanola, Gregor soon faced a fresh set of allegations about improperly touching girls. His principal, whose own teacher husband faced criminal charges of improper contact with female students that were downgraded in a plea deal, told students to stop spreading false stories.

Its stunning that no one from any educational institution  state or local  ever called in police to take a good look at what Gregor was up to or properly gather evidence.

Finally, a parent did call the cops, which helped lead to a PED decision in 2010 against renewing Gregors teaching license. Gregor was never charged by the Santa Fe District Attorneys Office. Available records appear to say the case was dropped because an alleged victim changed her story. Records also indicate the DA provided information to PED as it took action against Gregors license in 2010. But prosecutors apparently either werent told about or didnt care to pursue the fact two other girls also described abuse by Gregor in formal depositions during the PED hearings.

Some accountability was enforced via a series of civil lawsuits against Espanola schools; more than $9 million in settlements was paid out to Gregors alleged victims. Theres a pending civil suit against the Santa Fe schools. And because Balderas brought criminal charges against Gregor in 2017, he faces up to 168 years in prison for his December convictions for the molestation of two Espanola girls over a decade ago.

At too many crucial points in this story, people in charge found ways to let Gregor off easy. Lawyers and administrators did their jobs of protecting or making things easier for their institutions without any obvious concern about what Gregor might do at his next teaching stop. Cops werent called, but evidence was being ruled in or out as if in a court proceeding.

Gregor probably wouldnt be treated the same in this #MeToo, Catholic Church pedophilia scandal world. But thats too late for Gregors victims.

This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers.
A new report from Britains House of Commons has set protections for LGBT people seeking asylum in the U.K. It says that in some detention centers, they are at risk of the same persecution theyre trying to flee.

The report says LGBT people should be recognized as particularly at risk, and shouldnt be put in detention centers where they could be abused by staff or other detainees. The report comes after staff at one center abused LGBT detainees, which may have caused suicide and self-harm, according to Openly News.

"The Government should recognise that LGBTQI people are vulnerable in immigration detention, thereby extending the recognition that it already affords to trans and intersex people," the reportsaid.

LGBT asylum seekers are often required to prove their sexuality or gender, but struggle to find evidence, and are denied asylum as a result.
SANTA FE  A bill on Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams desk is needed to protect offshoots of New Mexicos historic community land grants by allowing them to become state political subdivisions, eligible for state funding and with legal protections against encroaching on their territory, supporters say.

But opponents say the bill, if signed into law by the governor, would violate the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the Mexican-American War, made New Mexico into American territory and guaranteed land grants from the Spanish crown and Mexico would remain common lands.

The backers of House Bill 94, sponsored by Rep. Tomas Salazar, D-Las Vegas, say it is intended to apply to six hijuelas, tracts that over the years became separated from original land grants for various reasons, in the Las Vegas-Mora area and near Taos. Some hijuelas now are bigger or are all that remain of the land grants that they came. Land grants have diminished over the decades due to sell-offs, swindle and other factors.

Arturo Archuleta, program manager for the New Mexico Land Grant Council, a state agency, said the hijuelas have never been granted patents as separate land grants by the federal government but now have separate boards that continue to manage their territory as common land for traditional uses such as grazing and firewood or herbs gathering.

What HB 94 does is recognize them, said Archuleta, who said the Land Grant Council supports the bill.

The bill would put the hijuelas on equal footing with mother land grants they were separated from. If they were to become political subdivisions of the state  as are the original land grants, cities, counties, and water districts  they could receive state infrastructure funding and be protected from loss of territory via quiet title or adverse possession attacks amid pressures from developers.

But opponents from the Las Vegas and Mora Land Grants see HB 94  similar to prior bills considered in previous years  as destructive. You eliminate the common lands of the original land grant, said Lorenzo Flores, an heir of both the Mora and Las Vegas grants. It basically stops other heirs from going in there (the hijuelas), he said.

It would destroy land grants and illegally goes against the 1848 treaty, said Gilbert Quintana, president of the Mora Land Grant. The bill would open up a pandoras box of other groups wanting their own land grant section, said Quintana.

Sen. Pete Campos, D-Las Vegas, was the only legislator to vote against the bill when it passed the House and Senate. He said constituents are concerned HB 94 would change land grants from common use to individual uses. It would further divide the land and create complications for the heirs of the land grants, he said.

Archuleta, of the Land Grant Council, said it is totally within the rights of the state to recognize political subdivisions.
Prosecutors have identified a second suspect in the double homicide of two teenage boys who were kidnapped, tortured and buried outside Rio Rancho late last year.

According to court records, 23-year-old Jimmie Atkins III had a hand in the slaying of Ahmed Lateef, 14, and Collin Romero, 15.

Atkins was booked into jail and released in less than an hour on Wednesday in connection with an unrelated armed robbery. He has not been charged in the double homicide.

The revelations about his involvement in the murder case came out in a pretrial detention motion filed against Atkins in the robbery he is accused of.

Additionally, the defendant is a suspect in a double homicide in which two juveniles were kidnapped, tortured and murder(ed). Their bodies were found buried in Sandoval County, the motion says.

A cadaver dog and Sandoval County deputies found the bodies of Lateef and Romero on Dec. 29 in a shallow grave on the mesa west of Rio Rancho. The boys had been reported missing two weeks earlier, and police say they were kidnapped from a Northeast Albuquerque home. According to autopsy reports, the boys had been stabbed, beaten and shot dozens of times.

During a hearing earlier this month, an Albuquerque police detective testified that 19-year-old Stephen Goldman, also known as Calypso, played a direct role in the slayings.

Goldman has not been charged in the deaths, but is behind bars in two unrelated shootings, including the armed robbery that Atkins, also known as Flex, is charged in.

Atkins faces a long list of felonies, including armed robbery, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, shooting at or from a motor vehicle and shooting at a dwelling or occupied building.

Police say Atkins and Goldman robbed three teenage boys at gunpoint during a house party in Northeast Albuquerque in November.

The teenage boys told police they were at a house party near Wyoming and Interstate 40 on Nov. 3 when several men approached them.

According to the complaint, Atkins forcibly pushed the boys into the backyard before Goldman pulled a gun out and demanded their wallets.

Police say Atkins knocked one of the boys to the ground and began beating him. Another teen ran away, and Goldman shot at him more than a dozen times, but missed.

Detectives found multiple casings in the backyard, and several bullets lodged in cars and homes nearby.
Weve learned a lot about our justice system lately, havent we?

Weve been bombarded with endless explanation and speculation over the Mueller report, the whiplash victim/perp/victim whirl of the Jussie Smollett case, the wild reversal of fortune of firebrand attorney Michael Avenatti.

Locally, weve contemplated the wisdom of releasing suspected child molesters and serial rapists before trial or of newly passed legislation that could lead to the release of convicted killers.

Which is to say that much of what we have learned is a bit unnerving.

Allan Snyder knows this.

For nearly eight years, hes had to learn the law to represent himself in a New Mexico case that began as a simple dispute over a cheap piece of property near Portales and blew up into a wily war of wills with no end in sight  and now involves a prominent attorney, possibly in violation of state law.

Its a head-spinner, Snyder said from his home in Greeley, Colo., where he and his wife, Sherry, moved after the legal battle began over the Portales property. The courts are either corrupt, incompetent or flat-out stupid, or any combination of the three in all three of our hearings in its chambers. And the Supreme Court, which has charge of the administration of justice in the state, has pointedly ignored the situation. If this is normal, the citizens of New Mexico deserve better.

Its hard to say that much in this case is normal.

Weve discussed the case in this column three times since that fateful day in 2011 when the Snyders paid just $215 at a state tax auction for a nearly 4-acre tract in the Sandhill subdivision near Portales, a community they had come to know and love, and had hoped to retire to.

Former landowners Rachel and Francisco Valenzuela, who lost the property after failing to pay property taxes for four years, filed a complaint, alleging that selling the property for $215  the amount of unpaid taxes  was unconscionable, because the property was worth at least $25,000.

In November 2012, a judge sided with the Valenzuelas.

But unconscionable was a fighting word. To Snyder, it wasnt just property; it was personal.

If somebody comes after me and attacks both myself and my wife, it gets my blood boiling, he said.

Snyder is no lawyer, but he acted as one, learning what he could by reading statutes. He filed an appeal in 2013  and he won in 2014.

The state Supreme Court declined to hear the Valenzuelas appeal, leaving the lower courts ruling in place and the property in the hands of the Snyders.

But Eric Dixon, the Portales attorney for the Valenzuelas, argued that the state Property Tax Division had not sufficiently notified the Valenzuelas about the delinquent taxes. A state district judge agreed and handed back the property to the Valenzuelas in 2015.

Snyder appealed, but this time he lost. In 2017, Dixon filed a quiet title complaint that required the Snyders to sign away the land for good  Dixon called it cleaning up loose ends.

Once again, Snyder appealed, arguing that the statute of limitations for such a proceeding had run and that anything in the service of a frivolous lawsuit is, by its nature, also frivolous.

A suit for quiet title to property owned by someone else, with no statutory, case law or issue of equity substance to it, is by nature frivolous, Snyder said.

His appeal was denied March 11. He filed for a rehearing. That, too, was denied March 20.

Snyder is now working on a motion he plans to present to the state Supreme Court.

And on it goes.

Meanwhile, Dixon is out, indefinitely suspended from practicing law for at least nine months since last December after the state Supreme Court excoriated him for violating rules of competence, candor and conduct in some messy legal dealings involving a client named Jessica Aguilar and a man named Jessie Aguilar, who does not exist.

Dixon, you may recall, was censured in 2011 for trying to run over a judge with his vehicle.

During the disciplinary matters, Dixon was represented by Gary Mitchell, one of the highest-profile attorneys in the state, best-known for defending notorious murder suspects.

Days after Dixons suspension went into effect, the Valenzuelas hired Mitchell, whose practice is in Ruidoso, about 165 miles from Portales, as their attorney.

Perhaps thats just coincidence, but its worth noting that under state law a suspended attorney cannot recommend another lawyer to represent his clients.

Mitchell  in trial as defense attorney for Davon Lymon, accused of the 2015 first-degree murder of Albuquerque police officer Daniel Webster  did not return a call.

To Snyder, though, its all part of an unjust justice system.

Weve been described by a New Mexico court as people of moral turpitude. Weve had our arguments and our existence repeatedly, consistently ignored by the courts. Weve had our property plundered three times, he said. Lurking behind all this is our right to equal protection under the law. Slice it anyway possible; we have been on the receiving end of a bludgeon throughout.

That, he said, hes learned the hard way.

UpFront is a front-page news and opinion column. Comment directly to Joline at 823-3603, jkrueger@abqjournal.com or follow her on Twitter @jolinegkg.
A nonprofit that pushes for gun control laws nationwide sent letters Wednesday to numerous New Mexico sheriffs, asking them to provide records related to their coordinated stance against gun control laws that they do not plan to enforce.

The Brady Center, a Washington, D.C.-based organization, said it requested emails from the sheriffs under the states Inspection of Public Records Act, with demands for emailed communication among sheriffs and gun lobby representatives.

Attorney Jonathan Lowy of the Brady Center said his group is seeking the emails to learn what possible basis the sheriffs have for declaring they wont enforce the laws. The center also wants to obtain any communication the law enforcement officials had with the National Rifle Association and other gun rights groups.

A law requiring mandatory background checks on nearly all firearms sales in New Mexico, including those between private individuals, has been signed into law by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. A bill that would keep people under permanent protective orders for domestic violence from possessing firearms awaits her signature.

Despite those legislative victories for gun control advocates, Lowy said, concern remains that sheriffs have declared they will not enforce the laws. Twenty-five out of 33 New Mexico sheriffs who argue the laws are unenforceable and threaten their constituents gun ownership rights have won support from their county commissioners with resolutions saying they will not be required to enforce the laws.

It is outrageous sheriffs could simply refuse to enforce important public safety laws that were enacted to protect people from gun violence, Lowy said.

Cibola County Sheriff Tony Mace, president of the New Mexico Sheriffs Association, said he had not seen Bradys public records request, but he said he would comply with it.

He told The Associated Press that he expected the emails that become public would likely include correspondence among sheriffs and a National Rifle Association lobbyist in the state, as well as gun control advocates representing Everytown for Gun Safety.

He said sheriffs maintained a consistent message throughout the debate over the laws, and that the emails would reflect that.

The concerns we put before constituents and lawmakers are the same concerns we take to the NRA, he said.

Mace said the NRA lobbyist had sent the Sheriffs Association talking points that sheriffs could refer to as they testified in hearings. Meanwhile, sheriffs expressed their concerns over measures they hoped the lobbyist would share in meetings with lawmakers.

Gun control advocates exchanged emails with the sheriffs association seeking to discuss possible amendments to the legislation.

In the end, the laws to expand background checks and to restrict gun access among domestic violence offenders passed through the Legislature with the Sheriffs Associations opposition. Two other heavily debated measures did not win final approval from lawmakers before legislators ended their session this month.

The legislation that did not win final approval included a proposal to expand child neglect laws to encompass the secure storage of household firearms, and a bill to remove firearms from the hands of people who may be suicidal or seen as dangerous to others.

Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, has dismissed opposition to this years gun reforms as being part of a national misinformation campaign. She said the laws will enhance public safety.

Mace, who describes himself as a conservative Democrat, rejected both assertions. He has said sheriffs stance to not enforce the laws and declare their jurisdictions Second Amendment counties with their commissions support was inspired by Washington state sheriffs resistance to new laws.

In recent weeks, several sheriffs in Nevada and Colorado also have won support in their counties for similar resolutions in protest of legislation in their states.

Lowy, the attorney for Brady, said Wednesday that the center has requested records from only the 25 New Mexico sheriffs. They represent the most rural counties in the state.

Attorney Jonathan Lowy of the Brady Center

Cibola County Sheriff Tony Mace, president of the New Mexico Sheriffs Association
SOCORRO  A three-mill levy mail-in bond issue that would have funded technology and security upgrades for the Socorro Consolidated School District was voted down by 1,123 to 834 votes earlier this month.

There were 7,864 registered voters in the district for the March 5 election.

In February 2018, the same bond issue question was posed to voters and also defeated, but by much a much narrower margin, 784 to 749 votes.

The 2019 levy proposal would have raised $400,000 for each of the next six years to support technology needs to Socorros public schools, including Cottonwood Valley Charter School. The levy would have been required to sunset after six years.

Superintendent Ron Hendrix, in a written statement, said, We are incredibly disappointed that a majority of those voting chose to not support the mill levy. The monies would have been used to help keep students safe at school and to provide opportunities to the students of this community which would have affected their futures and the future of Socorro, he said. Many in the community are quick to complain about problems in the schools. When a solution is offered, it is shoved to the side because it isnt the way its always been done.

There is a saying that the definition of insanity is to keep doing things the same and expecting different results, Hendrix said. We are attempting to fix the problems which are right in front of our faces and we were told no. Our plan is to keep fixing the things we can and keep fighting hard for the students of Socorro.

We greatly appreciate all who supported the mill levy and the education and safety of the children of Socorro, he said, concluding his statement.

The Socorro County Board of Commissioners officially canvassed the results on March 12.
Detectives have arrested a man accused of running over his ex-girlfriend and leaving her to die outside an elementary school in Northeast Albuquerque on Wednesday morning.

Albuquerque Police Department spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said Joseph Zamora, 32, is charged with leaving the scene of an accident involving death in the incident that took the life of 40-year-old Rosie Bowers.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court, officers responded to Indian School and Pennsylvania NE around 7:15 a.m. and found Bowers dead in the street. She had tire marks across her body.

Witnesses told police they saw Bowers fall out of the passenger side of a white truck before the driver took off and ran over her. Detectives found a daily planner on Bowers with a note in it that read, No more Joseph he is no good 4 you Rosie stay away from him.

When police broke the news to Bowers daughter, she immediately said Zamora had killed her. The daughter told detectives that Zamora and her mother started dating several years ago and had recently broken up but continued to see each other.

Police say Bowers left her daughters house to talk with Zamora late Tuesday and she did not see her mother again.

The daughter told police where Zamora lived, and he showed up around 4 p.m. Wednesday in the white truck with two others. They were all detained for questioning.

Zamora told police he and Bowers had been arguing on and off Wednesday morning and it escalated until she jumped out of his truck.

According to the complaint, Zamora said Bowers was standing next to the truck when he drove off.

He thought he ran over (her) backpack as he left, a detective wrote. He never looked back to see what he ran over and never returned to the intersection to check on (Bowers).
WASHINGTON  Democrats say they want all of the underlying evidence in special counsel Robert Muellers investigation . But what is all of that evidence?

Muellers team issued more than 2,800 subpoenas, executed nearly 500 search warrants and interviewed more than 500 witnesses. That means the special counsel likely compiled thousands, if not millions, of documents and pieces of evidence. Material collected ranges from a $15,000 ostrich jacket worn by President Donald Trumps former campaign chairman to emails and encrypted text messages to hard drives and laptops. It could even include tax returns, if Mueller sought them.

In one Mueller case, that of longtime Trump confidant Roger Stone , the government said it had turned over 9 terabytes of discovery, an amount so large that Stones lawyers said if it were on paper it would pile as high as the Washington Monument, twice.

If all of that was delivered to Congress, the House Judiciary Committee might need to invest in a larger office space. But lawmakers say what they really want is documentation of everything  and an idea of how that evidence guided Muellers conclusions.

We dont need to see Paul Manaforts ostrich jacket, but we do need to know that its there, says Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Democratic member of the Judiciary panel.

The requests for underlying evidence are central to Democrats demands for Muellers full report. They say that they need all that information to make their own conclusions, and to ensure that Muellers findings are not filtered by Attorney General William Barr , whom Trump picked for the job. While they may not need every personal item seized by Mueller  like Manaforts jacket, meant to show his lavish lifestyle, or the contents of Stones hard drive  they do want as much information as possible that is relevant to his decisions.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., one of several committee chairmen asking for the full report and underlying evidence, says what he is principally interested in is documentation that supports the report. He says the committees will fight for grand jury material, including witness interviews, that is normally off limits but can be obtained in court.

Schiff said he expects negotiations with the Justice Department over the scope and breadth of what is turned over to Congress.

It will be a product of negotiation, Schiff said. What we wont accept is, No, were not going to give you anything.'

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., has also said Democrats will fight for grand jury material. He said he talked to Barr on Wednesday and Barr wouldnt commit to releasing it.

A judge would have to release those and we would hope a judge would, Nadler said.

As part of his investigation, Mueller charged 34 people, including Manafort, former national security adviser Michael Flynn and three Russian companies. Manafort was convicted in Washington and Virginia of crimes related to years of Ukrainian political consulting work, and Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI. In total, five Trump aides pleaded guilty and a sixth, Stone, is awaiting trial on charges that he lied to Congress and engaged in witness tampering.

In a four-page summary of Muellers report released Sunday, Barr said the special counsel did not find that Trumps campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government to influence the 2016 presidential election. It also said that Mueller reached no conclusion on whether Trump obstructed the federal investigation, instead setting out evidence on both sides of the question. Democrats say they want to know much more about both conclusions.

Its not clear what evidence the Justice Department might be prepared to release, but documents of enormous public interest would be summaries of FBI interviews with witnesses in the case. The FBI released similar records following the conclusion of an investigation into Hillary Clintons emails, including a write-up of the interview agents did with Clinton herself.

In Muellers case, disclosure of witness interviews would almost certainly yield vivid, firsthand accounts from some of Trumps closest aides and advisers  among them former White House officials Hope Hicks and Don McGahn  of the many episodes Mueller and his team scrutinized for potential obstruction of justice. Those include the firing of James Comey as FBI director and the constant browbeating of Jeff Sessions, Trumps first attorney general.

There are whole other categories of information that less likely to be released. Those include grand jury testimony; negative information about people who were investigated but not charged; and details about ongoing investigations. Though grand jury testimony is historically not released, those records were made public after the Whitewater investigation into former President Bill Clinton and during an investigation into President Richard Nixon before he resigned.

Schiff and other Democrats are leaning heavily on those precedents, along with the Justice Departments recent release of hundreds of thousands of documents last year relating to the Hillary Clinton investigation and also the origins of the Russia investigation, which was ongoing at the time. Republicans sought those documents when they were in the majority; Democrats say the department cant possibly deny them similar information now that they control the House.

Republicans, meanwhile, have been deferential to Barr. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., on Tuesday urged caution so as not to throw innocent people whove not been charged under the bus. He didnt elaborate.

Barr appears to be moving forward on sending Congress an additional, redacted report. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Wednesday that Barr told him he was combing through Muellers report and removing classified, grand jury and other information in hopes of releasing it in April.

Democrats say that wont be enough. Were not happy about it, to put it mildly, Nadler said after his own call with Barr.

___

Associated Press writer Chad Day contributed to this report.
CLOVIS, N.M.  Felony charges against a bounty hunter accused of kidnapping a subject from Clovis in 2017 have been dropped.

The Eastern New Mexico News reports Bradley Smith, of Lubbock, Texas, was scheduled for a jury trial on Wednesday, but court records show that was canceled after prosecutors dismissed the case without prejudice Friday citing insufficient evidence.

Smith was among three bondsmen charged last year with kidnapping, aggravated burglary and extortion in connection with what authorities say was the unlawful extradition in April 2017 of Jared Baca, a man allegedly wanted then on misdemeanor charges in Kansas.

District Attorney Andrea Reeb says she believes a pending civil case involving the bondsmen was influencing the proceeding of criminal charges.

An affidavit Baca signed March 14 stated he did not want the state to pursue Smith for criminal liability.

___

Information from: The Eastern New Mexico News, http://www.easternnewmexiconews.com
AZTEC  Aztec police officers cut off the Aztec City Commission meeting Tuesday night and ushered commissioners into a side room after some audience members became unruly and began hurling insults and demanding a recall election.

Aztec Police Captain Troy Morris announced that the meeting was over and asked the crowd of more than 100 people to clear the building.

Many audience members became upset and angry when the City Commission voted 3-2 against a Second Amendment Preservation City resolution. The resolution would have forbidden the use of city resources to enforce certain gun related laws that many residents say violate their constitutional rights.

Commissioner Mark Lewis cast the tie-breaking vote. When reached by phone, he said he was concerned about the city being exposed to liability, including lawsuits, if it passed a Second Amendment Preservation City resolution. An amended resolution had been drafted prior to the meeting and was also presented. The amended resolution expressed support for the Second Amendment and reaffirmed the commissioners oath of office to uphold the constitutions of the United States and New Mexico. However, it did not prohibit the use of city resources to uphold state gun laws.

I was very much in support of the amended resolution, Lewis said.

Many audience members vocally expressed opposition to the amended resolution and said the city should take the chance of being sued.

Commissioner Sherri Sipe said she was about to make a motion to adopt the amended resolution when the police department shut down the meeting. While she had voted in favor of the Second Amendment Preservation City resolution, she did have some reservations about it.

When reached by phone, Sipe said she had met with City Attorney Nicci Unsicker the day before and Unsicker expressed concern about the resolution creating a liability for the city. Sipe said that led to the amended resolution being drafted.

Sipe said she was hoping the residents would be satisfied with a resolution expressing support for the right to bear arms, but she realized they wanted more than that.

Commissioner Austin Randall made the motion to adopt the Second Amendment Preservation City resolution. Randall and Sipe voted in favor of the resolution while Lewis, Commissioner Rosalyn Fry and Mayor Victor Snover voted against it.

Community members voice support, opposition for resolution

Prior to the vote, the commission listened to public comments on both sides of the issue for about an hour.

Mary LaRue Hunter read from the New Mexico constitution prior to making a statement.

Our rights as American citizens are not given to us by the government, she said. Theyre given to us by God.

Most people who spoke did not address specific gun legislation they opposed.

Several people, including Darci Moss of Cedar Hill, expressed opposition to a bill that did not pass this legislative session. That bill would have allowed guns to temporarily be removed from people deemed a threat to themselves or others.

Moss said that bill should be called the vindictive bill. She said it would have taken away from due process.

A gun is an inanimate object, like a car, she said. If somebody injures or kills someone with a car, who do you blame, the car or the person that killed someone? If a person is bent on harming someone, taking their gun away is not going to deter them. They will have a knife, they will have a hammer, a rock or their fists. They will find a way. Just taking their gun away is not going to do the job.

Two controversial firearm-related bills passed during the legislative session. Neither bill would take guns away from law-abiding citizens.

Senate Bill 8, which has been signed by the governor and becomes law on July 1, will require a federal background check on almost every firearm sale.

Senate Bill 328 passed but has not yet been signed by the governor. It would result in guns being removed from people convicted of domestic violence.

One of the community members at the meeting addressed Senate Bill 328 and said it takes away due process.

The non-partisan organization New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence pushed for the legislation for more than five years before it passed. Co-president Miranda Viscoli said the law requires a judge to determine if abuse has taken place before the guns can be removed from the abuser.

Bullying is not democracy and last night was a tragic example of what happens when armed bullies at a city commission meeting overturn the Democratic process that we hold so dear, Viscoli said during a meeting with The Daily Times.

Viscoli attended the Aztec meeting to caution the commissioners against passing a Second Amendment Preservation City resolution. She warned that the resolution could get the city sued.

The question at the center of this issue is who has the power to establish, interpret and enforce laws, Viscoli said. The answer has already been decided by the United States constitution. The power lies within the people to elect officials, including Sheriffs, to petition the government to change laws and to expect law enforcement to enforce laws set forth by our state and federal legislators.

Two residents hint they will run for city commission

During the comment section, Brice Current, a San Juan County Sheriffs Office captain and the son of a former commissioner, and former Aztec mayor Mike Padilla hinted that they may be running for a seat on the city commission.

Current told commissioners to vote based on what the majority of community members present at that meeting and previous meetings were saying.

If you dont vote that way, Ill be sitting in your seat, Current said.

Unfinished business will be rescheduled

The commission meeting ended prior to two land use hearings that were on the agenda. At least one person in the audience had attended to express concern about one of the applications for a variance.

Im sorry this other business interrupted their ability to address the commission, Lewis said.

Sipe said those hearings will be rescheduled.

I feel its unfortunate that we were not able to continue the meeting, she said.

Hannah Grover covers government for The Daily Times. She can be reached at 505-564-4652 or via email at hgrover@daily-times.com.



2019 The Daily Times (Farmington, N.M.)

Visit The Daily Times (Farmington, N.M.) at www.daily-times.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
WASHINGTON  Democrats intensified their demands for Robert Muellers full report Thursday after learning the special counsels findings from his Trump-Russia investigation run to more than 300 pages, while President Donald Trump boasted of total exoneration based on a four-page summary by his attorney general.

House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler was told by Attorney General William Barr that theres no intention of giving the confidential report to Congress immediately as he redacts grand jury testimony and other elements.

Democrats say they may subpoena the report if its not forthcoming by their Tuesday deadline, which Barr has said will not be met.

Through the day, tempers were rising on Capitol Hill.

Shaking her fist for emphasis, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Barrs summary, which cleared Trump of campaign collusion with Russia and criminal obstruction of Muellers federal probe, was condescending and arrogant.

Mr. Attorney General, she said, show us the report and well come to our own conclusions. She asked what Trump and the Republicans were afraid of and mocked them as scaredy-cats.

Trump himself headed to Grand Rapids, Michigan, for a campaign rally, where he deemed the probe the greatest hoax in the history of our country and warned that those behind it would be held accountable.

After three years of lies and smears and slander, the Russia hoax is dead, Trump told a packed house of roaring supporters. This was nothing more than a sinister effort to undermine our historic election victory and to sabotage the will of the American people.

The length of Muellers still-confidential report makes clear that there are substantially more details that he and his team have documented in their investigation than Barr disclosed to Congress and the public. The volume of pages was described Thursday by a Justice Department official and another person familiar with the document.

The Justice Department official said Barr discussed the length of the report during a phone call Wednesday with Nadler, who would only indicate it was less than 1,000 pages.

Both the department official and the other person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the document.

Barr would not commit to providing the full report with its underlying evidence, according to a House Democratic aide granted anonymity Thursday to brief reporters.

The attorney general has been going through the report amid Democratic concerns that what has been made public so far was tilted in Trumps favor. Its unclear whether whatever Barr might release next will be Muellers own words or another summary. Nadler offered to join Barr to seek a judges approval to unseal grand jury testimony, the aide said.

Barr has said hell provide Congress with at least a partial version in April and told Nadler he would agree to testify before his committee.

As that battle brews, House Democrats barreled ahead with their own investigation of the Trump administration, and Trump resumed his attack on Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., just as the chairman of the intelligence committee was about to gavel his panel into session.

Congressman Adam Schiff, who spent two years knowingly and unlawfully lying and leaking, should be forced to resign from Congress! Trump tweeted early Thursday.

Republicans picking up on Trumps complaints formalized their demand that Schiff resign as chairman of the intelligence panel over his comments that there was significant evidence the president and his associates conspired with Russia.

We have no faith in your ability to discharge your responsibilities in line with the Constitution, the Republicans wrote to Schiff in a missive they read aloud at the hearing.

Republicans pointed to Barrs synopsis, released Sunday, that said Muellers probe didnt find that Trumps campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government to influence the 2016 presidential election.

Schiff stood by his remarks, listing the meetings that people in Trumps circle had with Russians. He noted Trumps pursuit of a deal to build a Trump Tower in Moscow.

There is a different word for that than collusion, and its called compromise, Schiff said, as he opened the session. The hearing was called to provide an overview on how Russia in the past has blackmailed Americans.

Since Barrs findings were released, Schiff this week has repeated his assertion that evidence of collusion is in plain sight. He says Muellers failure to find a criminal conspiracy with Russia does not absolve the Trump campaign.

Pelosi stood by Schiff, saying she was proud of him and taunting Republicans  including Trump  for fearing the chairman, whom she called a patriotic leader.

What is the president afraid of, Is he afraid of the truth? she said. Theyre just scaredy-cats.

Democrats complain that Barr overstepped by making the determination, with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, that Trump did not obstruct the investigation.

While Barrs summary Sunday said Mueller did not find that the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government to influence the 2016 presidential election, it also said Mueller reached no conclusion on whether Trump obstructed the federal investigation, instead setting out evidence on both sides of the question.

I would hope the attorney general would not be acting as a political operative for the president, said Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., a member of the Judiciary Committee. The Department of Justice should not be involved in a cover-up of whats actually in the report.

Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said Wednesday he was disappointed Barr would take weeks, not days, to release the report.

The president has now an opportunity for weeks, it sounds like, to do these victory laps, said Cummings, noting that Trumps lawyer, Michael Cohen, is among those headed to jail as a result of the probe. Cohen goes to jail, the president runs a victory lap.

Barr told the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., that hes combing through Muellers report and removing classified, grand jury and other information in hopes of releasing the rest to Congress.

Trump has said hes fine with releasing the findings. The president said, Just let it go, and thats whats going to happen, Graham said.

___

Associated Press writers Eric Tucker, Kevin Freking, Andrew Taylor, Catherine Lucey, Jill Colvin, Alan Fram, Mike Balsamo and Padmananda Rama contributed to this report.

___

Follow all of APs Trump Investigations coverage at https://apnews.com/TrumpInvestigations .
The annual King Harbor Holiday Boat Parade returned on Saturday evening, Dec. 11, with an armada of sailing vessels glowing with Christmas lights. This year, the popular tradition had as its theme "Into the Lights," honoring first responders and health...
Copyright  2019 Albuquerque Journal

Jurors on Thursday watched the heartbreaking moment when an Albuquerque police officer pulled up to a Walgreens on East Central to find his friend and colleague Daniel Webster bleeding on the pavement.

Come on, Dan, come on, Dan! Douglas Moore shouted as fellow Albuquerque police officers cut off Websters uniform and set to work applying chest seals to wounds on his torso.

In the background, sirens blared and dispatchers spoke matter-of-factly.

Stay strong. Stay strong, Dan, Moore said before asking other officers to find more chest seals.

Websters wife, Michelle Carlino-Webster, watched the chaotic lapel camera footage from a courtroom bench, former Chief Gorden Edens arm around her and APD detective Katherine Wrights hand on her shoulder.

Davon Lymon, the man accused of fatally shooting Webster on that night in October 2015, is on trial over the next few weeks on first-degree murder and lesser charges.

Moores voice broke as he told jurors he was finishing up at another call when he heard commotion on his radio and panic in Websters voice. He said that he knew something was off and headed to the scene, careful not to interrupt radio traffic as he made what he estimated was a 90-second trip to the drugstore parking lot.

Jurors also listened to the radio communications that accompanied the traffic stop, which showed how quickly the events unfolded.

The tape begins with Webster telling dispatchers about the motorcycle he was pulling over, and it ends less than four minutes later when another voice interrupts the silence. Officer down, he shouts. Officer down.

Testimony in the case before state District Judge Neil Candelaria is scheduled to resume at 9 a.m. today.
TEHAMA COUNTY, Calif. - Five people were arrested at a Red Bluff home on Wednesday after authorities found narcotics and firearms that were easily accessible to minors.

Authorities served the search warrant at the home on Little Avenue in Red Bluff on Wednesday.

They found narcotics, replica firearms and drug paraphernalia which authorities said were all easily accessible to juveniles living at the home.

Several arrests were made due to the living conditions at the residence.

Salvador Rabago, 39, was arrested and booked for an outstanding arrest warrant.

Savanna Rabago, 34, and Rosa Robago, 59, were both arrested and booked on child endangerment charges.

Kary Stowe, 33, was arrested and released by citation for possession of heroin and an outstanding arrest warrant.

A 17-year-old juvenile was arrested and booked for domestic violence and possession of methamphetamine.

Five juveniles ranging in age from 3- to 12-years-old were taken into protective custody and released to the Tehama County Child Protective Services.
SONOMA COUNTY, Calif. - People are traveling to Guerneville to dump unwanted trash, which has complicated cleanup from Russian River flooding in Sonoma County.

Government officials said that people are taking advantage of the debris removal process and making matters worse for those trying to recover from Februarys flooding.

It could absolutely threaten our reimbursement, said Lynda Hopkins, Sonoma County 5th District supervisor. You have folks who just lost everything, and you have folks who are taking advantage of an opportunity to get rid of their stuff for free.

Neither the county nor the state reimburses illegally dumped debris.
Consumer electronics major Sony India has announced the appointment of The PRactice as its PR & Communications partner starting April 1, 2019. The mandate has been awarded after a competitive, multi-agency pitching process and covers multiple product categories.

Confirming the association, Yoichiro Hotta, Brand Activation Head, Sony India, said, Sony is at an exciting juncture of its journey in India. As we get ready to set new benchmarks for ourselves, we are delighted to welcome on board The PRactice. During the evaluation process, we felt that The PRactice had designed the most robust strategy based on their in-depth understanding of the market. This combined with novel creative ideas, unique in-house proprietary tools and a strong servicing team that understood what we needed, made the decision easier for us.

Speaking on this win, Nandita Lakshmanan, Founder & Chairperson at The Practice, said, The consumer electronics market is at a tipping point and we are thrilled to have been chosen by Sony India as their PR & Communications partner. We hope to be able to add fresh perspectives and new dimensions to Sonys storytelling in the country. We look forward to a long-standing association to deliver tangible results that are tied into business objectives.
Tripoto, the global travel community, has partnered with the Singapore Tourism Board, to create an innovative, fun and exciting travel web series Trails 2 Passion  Singapore Redefined. The seven-episode, web-series which showcases the experiential exploration of Singapore by Naveen Kasturia and Veer Rajwant Singh, well known faces of internet web series scenario will be aired on April 1, 2019.

'Trails 2 Passion  Singapore Redefined' will take you along the journey of these two actors in Singapore, where they plan their own trails in order to ensure the deep exploration of their true passions, fulfilled to their hearts content through this journey. Naveen Kasturia, a creative guy who is extremely busy in life and ruled by stress will indulge in well curated, local experiences, whereas Veer Rajwant Singh, a happy go lucky guy, will have ultra-luxe experiences.

Speaking about the experiences Naveen Kasturia, says, "When Tripoto approached me for this project, I didnt give it a second thought. I said yes as I knew I had to do it. It is for the 1st time that I have done an experiential travel show and it has been quite an experience. As an actor, I had my moment of truth and got a chance to improvise and be spontaneous in front of the camera. Travel puts a lot of things into perspective and shooting for this show made me explore Singapore by breaking off the monotonous planned schedules I am used to following. Veer and I had a blast traveling through Singapore, reveling in the culture and the offbeat experiences this place had to offer. I am sure our audience too will be left awestruck following our travel trails through Singapore."

Adding to his experience Veer Rajwant Singh, says, " I have been wanting to do a travel show for some time. It is because you are not merely acting, you are living your passion and enacting as is. I explored a whole new side of me in Singapore in an entirely different light. Most of my shots were the real-time reactions to the experiences curated. Not only did I try some cool adventure activities, but I also came in touch with glocal experiences, more of which you will see in Trails 2 Passion  Singapore Redefined.

The 6-7 minutes, 7-episode web-series will have upbeat and catchy content on Singapore, with extra worthy information and illustrated trail map of the theme at the end of each episode. Speaking on the association with Singapore Tourism Board and coming with such fun series, Michael Lyngdoh, Co-Founder, Tripoto, says, Tripoto and STB are collaborating to showcase a different side to Singapore. It is an amalgam of exciting culinary experiences, adrenaline pumping adventures and beautifully diverse cultures packed into one city. Singapore now appeals to the global experiential traveler. Our new web series Trails 2 Passion is the story of two friends traveling through Singapore and discovering their passions along the way. Its entertaining, fun and informative; just as great immersive travel content should be.

The series will be around themes such as food, exploration, adventure, culture etc., to showcase Singapore as not only a fun and adventurous destination but also high on art and culture. The episodes intend to spark the interest in the viewer to see Singapore in a new light and to introduce them to the 6 passion tribes under the Passion Made Possible brand i.e. Foodie, Explorer, Collector, Culture Shaper, Action Seeker or Socialiser. Speaking on their association with Tripoto, Mr GB Srithar, Regional Director (South Asia Middle East and Africa), Singapore Tourism Board, says, With a high penetration of smart phones and growing number of digital native young consuming content online, there are new, exciting opportunities to connect with them. Our partnership with Tripoto is a creative way of telling Singapore tourism stories. We are happy to have two cool millennials - Naveen and Veer showcase their recent trip. "Trails 2 Passion - Singapore Redefined" tells their stories, in their own voices. Their escapades will entice Indian travellers to enjoy our diverse offerings and live up their own passions

The Screening of Trails 2 Passion  Singapore Redefined will be held on 30th March with Actor Veer Rajwant Singh at DLF Promenade 5pm onwards, where he will be sharing anecdotes from his Singapore travel. He will also be engaging with the audience for a travel quiz at the event, where one winner rewarded with couple tickets to Singapore and runner ups will go home with Tripoto goodies.
"Non Solus" except "Scholar" has been replaced by "Pharma."

Thank you Celeste McGovern for allowing us to excerpt and link her article. I took Latin in high school, and am always interested in mottoes. Non Solus as the motto for publisher Elsevier described the symbiotic relationship between publisher and scholar. Alas, scholar has been replaced by pharma.



###

Elseviers withdrawal of a small veterinary study breaks all the rules of scientific publishing. The biggest name in scientific literature has produced fake medical journals for Mercks advertisers before, so yanking a study that doesnt pass the vaccine industrys sniff test would be nothing. Celeste McGovern looks at a case study of how Pharma is killing science.

Its not often that veterinary research is so controversial that it falls into the jaws of censorship zealots. That is exactly what happened recently, however, when editors at a science journal suddenly turned on a small Spanish sheep study which they had already peer-reviewed and published and stamped it: WITHDRAWN  the equivalent of a scarlet letter A in the science publishing world. This was not about shoddy science or ethical breaches; an editor tried to soothe the outraged veterinary professor at the head of the research. But the focus was delicate and controversial and someone  some anonymous letter-writer  had wanted the study removed, and the journal acquiesced.

Dear Dr. Lujan,

I wanted to step in here to say that your manuscript is not being retracted  which implies wrongdoing and could damage your professional reputation, Anne-Marie Pordon, publisher of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences titles for Elsevier journals interjected in a heated e-mail exchange between the lead researcher and various editors. We are withdrawing the paper, which does not imply misconduct in any way. There will be simply a statement that says This paper has been withdrawn at the request of the _____ (Authors or Editors in the blank.) Pick your poison. You remove it, or we remove it.

Mercky past

Elsevier journals are described as one of the worlds major providers of science, technical and medical information. They also have a skeleton or two in the closet. A decade ago, they were exposed in a private injury case for being paid by Merck to manufacture and distribute two completely fake journals to market Mercks drugs. They looked like authentic, peer-reviewed science journals, but they contained only favourable studies about the use of Mercks deadly Vioxx and another drug with potentially fatal side effects. Nowhere did they disclose that they were paid advertising for Merck. Four more fake Elsevier journals were sponsored by unnamed pharmaceutical companies.
The Face of Pharma in Maine

Maine is small. It is really hard to get away with stuff here without anyone noticing. And our legislators don't have offices, so you can just walk up to them while they are milling around in the hallways. (No one can accomplish a #PanRan here.) So news travels fast, and it didn't take long for everyone to hear that lobbyist Peter Michaud wrote LD 798, the single worst vaccine exemption removal bill ever introduced in the US.

I have been super busy fighting this bill, so apologies that I have not gotten around to telling non-Mainers about it.

Right now Maine has all three exemptions, but our medical exemption is severely restricted as of 2016. It is near impossible to get one now, but no need, right? We have both religious and philosophical.



Enter LD 798, sponsored by democratic representative Ryan "Every Child In Maine Should Have The Opportunity To Receive An Excellent Education" Tipping of Orno, Maine, which removes the religious and philosophical vaccine exemptions from all Maine education and health care law. Throwing thousands of Mainers out of daycare, preschool, k-12 (public and private, kids with 504s, all incoming kids with IEPs), colleges and universities, and all medical professions. Also any new groups, such as EVERY ADULT IN MAINE, for whom they decide to issue new mandates. (No I don't know how they plan to violate federal law and keep 504 and IEP kids out of school. They don't either. But apparently it MUST be done for the good of society.)

It is a complete eradication of 1st Amendment vaccine rights in the state of Maine if you want to fully participate in society.



And it was written by Peter Michaud, Esq. RN, lawyer and lobbyist for the Maine Medical Association (MMA) which is the Maine branch of the American Medical Association (AMA.)

Peter is trying a Reverse Pan here in Maine. California first ditched their Personal Belief Exemptions in 2015, and is now going for restricting medical. Poor Pete had to wait on messing with the PBEs in Maine because we had a Governor who vetoed it in 2015, so he and his hit squad first restricted the medical exemption by fiat (because the law allows the Maine DHHS to do it with the wave of a pen,) and had to wait for new Governor that would allow this. He got one in Janet Mills. Sister to Dora Mills, pediatrician and primary vaccine PR Queen in Maine for as long as I can remember.

Regular AoA readers will remember Pete. He is the guy who testified against our bill to educate health care providers on the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, while testifying that he didn't know anything about the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program? Did I mention that he is also an RN? Which is a health care provider?

He is the guy same guy who offered the the super scientific and legally air tight case for coerced vaccination to our Health and Human Services Committee because, sure there might be some risk, but, At some point you have to trust somebody.



Additionally, and I have never highlighted this before, Michaud testified, speaking on behalf of the MMA no less, that he didn't believe the women telling the Committee about the poor treatment they were receiving in pediatricians offices.

"As you know I represent the Maine Medical Association. I have heard a lot of horrible things about doctors today. And you'll believe what you believe based on what you've heard. I refuse to believe that so many doctors in this state are unfeeling, are horribly rude, are bullies, don't have the best interests of their patients in mind.

The MMA officially not believing women would explain a lot.

But Peter Michaud has topped himself this year.

When I heard that he had actually written the bill, I, as I am want to do, flipped out and made a loud video announcing it. Me and all my friends then wrote to and called the MMA and pretty much demanded confirmation from them. No such confirmation or denial was forthcoming.

But we did ask our legislators to ask good ol' Pete what the deal was. And we mentioned in a flier distributed on the floor of the Maine House of Representatives that, LD 798 is a vaccine sales bill sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry.



Apparently that was enough to get him to respond. And his response was stunning.

Peter Michaud is General Counsel and a registered Lobbyist for the Maine Medical Association. On March 13, 2019, in his testimony in support of LD 798, and in opposition to LD 987 to expand medical exemptions, before the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs, made the admission that he is the co author of LD 798, and then made the bizarre claim that he is not sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry:

There was a claim made in a floor sheet that was distributed in the house... That, LD 798 is a vaccine sales bill sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry. I can assure you, that is not the case. The the bill was written in part by Representative Tipping, and in part by me. My authorship was pretty simple. X Y Z is repealed, but neither one of us is sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry.

(Wait... isn't that "X Y Z is repealed" the important bit?)

Except that he IS sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry. Very, very sponsored. Not by pejorative Big Pharma, in some roundabout way, but by actual PhRMA. The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, who proudly represents the countrys leading biopharmaceutical researchers and biotechnology companies.

Also Merck.

Merck as in MMR II Merck.



BCG Vaccine, Gardasil, Gardasil 9, MMR II, PedvaxHIB, Pneumovax 23, ProQuad, Recombivax HB, RotaTeq, Vaqta, Varivax, and Zostavax Merck.

As in #CDCWhistleblower in that Vaxxed movie with William Thompson and Frank DeStefano, Merck.

Merck as in US v. Merck, and Chatom v. Merck, and Robi v. Merck, and Everyone Who Took Zostavax v. Merck.

Vaccine encephalopathy inducing Merck.



Vioxx Merck.

Actual friggin' Merck & Co., Incorporated.



(Begging the question... should he now be PhRMA Pete or Merck Michaud? Vote in the comments.)



The following are entities listed as "Corporate Affiliates on the Maine Medical Association's website:

MERCK & CO., INC.

NOVO NORDISK

JOHNSON & JOHNSON

PhRMA:

ABBVIE

ALEXION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

ALKERMES PLC.

ALLERGAN PLC

AMGEN INC.

ASTELLAS AMERICAS

ASTRAZENECA PHARMACEUTICALS LP

BAYER CORPORATION

BIOGEN

BIOMARIN PHARMACEUTICAL INC.

BOEHRINGER INGELHEIM PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB COMPANY

CELGENE CORPORATION

DAIICHI SANKYO, INC.

EISAI INC.

ELI LILLY AND COMPANY

EMD SERONO

GENENTECH

GILEAD SCIENCES, INC.

GLAXOSMITHKLINE

IPSEN BIOPHARMACEUTICALS, INC.

LUNDBECK INC.

NOVARTIS PHARMACEUTICALS CORPORATION

OTSUKA AMERICA PHARMACEUTICAL, INC. (OAPI)

OTSUKA PHARMACEUTICAL DEVELOPMENT & COMMERCIALIZATION, INC. (OPDC)

PFIZER INC.

PURDUE PHARMA L.P.

SANOFI

SANOFI PASTEUR

SUNOVION PHARMACEUTICALS INC.

TEVA US SPECIALTY MEDICINES

UCB

I am exceedingly proud to report that I sat perfectly still and quiet as Pharma Pete said these words to the committee not 30 feet away from me. I didn't even jump up, point at him and yell, ARE YOU SERIOUSLY KIDDING ME! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!

For this act of restraint I expect your high praise. (Leave in the comments.)

No one on the committee seemed to notice or question the claim, but why would they really. They have probably never visited the MMA website, and they assume that of course, the MMA represents doctors, not pharmaceutical companies. Why wouldn't they?



But one dad did notice. He was sitting in the overflow room listening to Michaud's testimony in the afternoon and was all, That doesn't sound right. And he checked the MMA website.



His daughter is vaccinated, but he cares about choice, so he put him self on the list to speak and waited until 2:10am, testifying very last from his hand written notes. He asked the most important question of the day:

How is this just not disclosed?






This article originally appeared here



Photographer and scholar Lewis Bush has written a must-read and timely article for Witness from World Press Photo on the first century of photojournalism, and whether it can survive a second.

Estimates vary on when photojournalism began, but Bush uses 1919 as proximate start, citing the concurrent rise of European press after World War I, the arrival of 35mm Kodak panchromatic film, and the development of Leica cameras and soon-to-arrive wireless transmission systems.

His focus, and ours, is not so much on what has happened, but what happens now.

Bush discusses how photojournalism has changed the world in the past century, but not in ways we might think, or in ways its promoters hope. It is hard to claim, for example, that photojournalistic images have ended wars. This despite endless claims by aspiring young (always young) conflict photographers that somehow their photographs will finally reveal wars insanity and that my important work will stop the perpetual cycle of self-destruction. Wash, rinse, repeat.

Appropriately Bush argues that the primary effect of photojournalism has been to incrementally, bit by bit develop an audiences perception of the world, its complexities and contradictions, that this work can by accumulation and over time subtly shift peoples attitudes and perceptions on issues like child labor, HIV/AIDS, and migration.

But we live in a changed world from a time when a person began standing in front of a scene with a film-loaded camera photographing frame-by-frame what transpires.

This simple concept now seems quaint, as billions of people can now stand in front of anything they desire, capture digital images of the scene before them, and of themselves, and transmit un-distilled or toned impressions immediately, if not live, across the planet via a web of cellular and social networks. This seismic shift occurred in just the past decade when the iPhone and other smartphones arrived, essentially giving us camera-enabled network-connected pocket supercomputers.

Darkrooms for developing film and making prints have almost vanished with the rise of digital, yet photojournalism is still ruled by ideas that came from film photography: one frame, no panoramas, for example. What is a darkroom? is best left to history of photography discussions, yet darkroom rituals and rules still dominate the field.

Bush says that after a century of observing others, its time for photojournalism to perform some self-assessment. He asks three questions about photojournalism now: Who are we photographing and why? How are we photographing these things, and why? And, who are we photographing for?

This prompted conversations at EyesOn.Earth, since both of us have spent our working lives as photojournalists. Jim as a newspaper and magazine photographer, and Dennis as a photo editor focused on environmental issues, who also was newspaper photojournalist.

Jim prompted our conversation with a series of Twitter responses quoting from Bushs questions, which follow here. Dennis has added comments, and thus this conversation evolved.

Who are we photographing, and why?

 Lewis Bush

First, who are we photographing and why. "Photojournalism abounds with images of the victims of late capitalism. Where, though, are the corresponding images of the perpetrators of our era?"



Dennis: A more relevant question for me now is what are we photographing and why? as I assume the who is embedded in the what.

Jim: Agreed. Here I think Bush is mistaken in the framing of the question. Hes accepting the unquestioned assumption that photojournalism is about photographing people. Actually I think photojournalism is wrong to define the field of photographic vision so narrowly on social justice and the plight of victims. Without looking for root causes (which are often much more difficult to find and photograph) photojournalism tends to make everything everywhere look the same.

Young cigar makers in Englahardt & Co., Tampa 1909 By Lewis W. Hine.

Dennis: Indeed, revealing cause can offer insight otherwise lacking. My own inspirations were photographers like Jacob Riis and Lewis W. Hine who documented poverty and child labor, and Farm Security Administration photographers who documented lifeways and poverty in rural America, and ecological and social impact of long-term drought on the U.S. Great Plains.

Riis photographed impoverished people, immigrants mostly, stuffed in New York tenements. Hine focused on children working in hazardous coal operations, and children who labored in textile mills. FSA photographers like Dorothea Lange photographed people after they lost their crops and their soil blew away during the 1930s Dust Bowl.

Pictures of victims, yes, but its a photography rooted in social issues, seeking to point out issues of inequality and social concern, and their causes where possible, like the rampant plow down of perennial grasslands for wheat, that set the stage for wind-blown soil erosion.

Jim: The two cases you mention are really relevant here. In the case of Hines child workers, the problem was embodied in the subject: The problem was children working and the pictures show just that. The problem and the victims are one and the same. In the case of the FSA I would argue that while we, today, focus on the images showing the victims of the Dust Bowl and Depression, thats not all that the FSA photographers were shooting. They were also documenting basic conditions of rural life and how farming was done so that it could be improved. We neglect those pictures of farm methods (and to be fair, many of them are rather pedestrian) while focusing almost entirely on the human anguish. But Roy Stryker, who directed the FSA effort, was under no illusion that photos of the anguish itself could bring about change. He knew they had to show Congress pictures of what could be done.

Dennis: For me now, photojournalism as practiced today - and I mean photography produced and presented in the news  generally has insufficient context. As Bush points out, pictures of victims, but little or nothing of the perpetrators. Pictures of the war and its victims but little or nothing of the causes, the decadal droughts, for example, in Syria and other parts of the Middle East, that drive social disruption and migration. Pictures of flood victims in eastern North Carolina after a hurricane, but little that addresses the economic drivers that put people in vulnerable floodplains in the first place, or allowed siting of nearby industrial-scale hog waste ponds that rupture from heavy rain rendering water undrinkable and land uninhabitable. You would never see these industrial operations located where societys decision makers and well-heeled live.

As you say Jim in a recent posting here, too much of the rapids, and too little of the river.

Jim: Thanks for remembering! Yeah, by that I mean we spend too much time photographing the really exciting stuff (rapids) and too little time photographing the fundamentally important conditions that drive the great trends of human life. (The river.)

And yes, Dennis, your comment about flood plains is right on target. While covering the Mississippi River flood of 93 I could see that much of the personal property damage was the result of just plain old bad zoning. Why were people allowed to build houses on a flood plain? Mostly because weak or corrupt zoning commissions didnt stop it. But heroic people sandbagging almost always makes good news pictures.

Dennis: I loved Bushs line: More than ever, photojournalists have a responsibility to expose power, to lend visual weight to Honore de Balzacs observation that behind every great fortune there lies a great crime.

Jim: And by the way, Im no innocent here. My career as a newspaper photographer followed these familiar paths and I was a master at rationalizing what I photographed. For instance, I spent hours listening to the police radio in our offices, sprinting into action when a 10-48 (an injury auto accident) came over the airwaves. I took it as my duty to photograph the carnage, arguing that powerful images of the horror would persuade drivers to slow down -- and save lives. Nothing of the sort actually happened. Pictures of car accidents dont save lives. (Seatbelts and airbags do save lives.) I felt very righteous about it at the time. (And I won some contests doing it.) But I was wrong. Very, very wrong. Im sorry I did it.



How are we photographing these things, and why?

 Lewis Bush

How are we photographing these things, and why. "How does photojournalism meaningfully address rampant ecological collapse, cyber warfare, the rise of populism or networks of offshore wealth?"

Dennis: Photojournalism by my mind, has been seen as a practice where an individual goes to a place or event, takes a picture, or series of pictures, to render or record what was seen or witnessed - typically seen as some newsworthy event, or orchestrated moment - in order to then publish this work somewhere, a newspaper, a magazine, more recently online. The goal being to show the public  or at least a publications readers  someone or something that is interesting or they need to know about. What is deemed worthy of publication is another matter, as the agenda of the publisher determines what gets commissioned and eventually seen.

Cost considerations, political and economic agendas, and increasingly audience response determine what gets published. In the new digital world of likes and shares on social media, page views on websites, and trending searches on Google, all provide metrics of success and immediate feedback. This so publishers can produce less unpopular content and more popular content  surrounded by profit-generating ads  that people want to see. This places a premium on what people want and not what they might need to know. Yet a key role for journalism is to shine a light on what people arent aware of and to enlighten them on issues of societal concern. Otherwise its just publicity.

A quote attributed to George Orwell and others says approximately that news is what somebody doesnt want you to print, and all the rest is advertising or public relations.

Consequently reportage on subjects like ecological decline, climate disruption, and economic inequality fall away in favor of lighter fare that supports what people like to see, audience growth, and advertising revenue.

Jim: Its not just lighter fare, its easier fare. Not that war photography is easy, but at least the photographer knows where the war is and knows what a war photograph looks like. But what does a photograph of ecological decline look like? How about cyber warfare? Where can you go to photograph networks of offshore wealth? Thats really tough. But does anyone doubt these are some of the really important issues of our day? These issues will influence life on earth for decades or centuries, long after the picture of one more street demonstration in this mornings paper is forgotten.

Dennis: Well, ecological decline looks like air and water pollution and rampant deforestation, climatic disruption can mean droughts and heat waves that cause crop failures, famine and exodus. Beyond this, given that these issues are increasingly epic in scale, I have an issue with the original concept of a single frame photojournalism, especially now in the digital era, with strict adherence to single frame sanctity, inspired by the film era, even though our tools allow for more expanded and insightful perspective. While useful in the time of film, its an outmoded attitude.

Jim: I think you mean the photographer (probably with a Leica and a 35mm lens?) taking a supremely crafted compositions that captures a decisive moment. Yes?

Dennis: Exactly, but now we have digital cameras that lets us break the frame by shooting and assembling multi-image panoramas that offer a broader, more contextual view and perspective in time and space. We can create time-lapses from image sequences that can offer more insight than single images taken at 1/125th of a second, and we can merge several frames into large scale panoramic views of scenes.

Yet reward systems such as photojournalism contests do not recognize these applications. Multi-image stitched panoramas are not eligible in photojournalism contests, and as a result images like these will never be acknowledged within the photojournalism reward structure. So, photographers using these techniques to document massive landscape transformations such as urbanization, surface mining, dams and water projects, and industrial agriculture for example, are excluded from photojournalism as has been defined for a century, even though work like this is explanatory, insightful, and relevant for this era when human domination of the planet has become so profound.

Jim: These rules that define (and constrict) photojournalism have the effect of subverting the basic goal of photography: to give us a true picture of the world. Instead of the pictures being made to fit the problem, the reverse happens. Photographers go out looking for problems that fit their photographic genre. They sift and sort the world into categories that make good photographs  and those that dont.

We all know what documentary photography looks like and what kind of subjects look good in documentary photographs. Those subjects get photographed over and over and seen ad infinitum in all the worlds major photo contests. At its most perverse this dynamic finds street photographers shopping for cities where the streets make good photographs, Havana, Cuba being the most notable. (Better buff out your portfolio there soon, who knows how long that is going to last.) The actual news or information value is secondary to the desire to create classic photographs within well-established heritage genres.

Dennis: Yet, visual reports that take an expansive definition of frame, or redefine what is a moment, by building time-lapses or merging images taken over a second or two into one panoramic image are able to offer greater context and insight. An example is the time-lapse sequences by James Balog at Extreme Ice Survey that cumulatively record glacial melt over months and years. These sequences provide more insight about change in the world than another set of still images just showing glaciers or another set of images from a moment of social convulsion.

Jim: Another issue is implied in Bushs question: Who is the we hes referring to when he writes who we are photographing? This question is rightfully getting a lot of attention, as critics raise the question of how a photographers background and identity affects the resulting coverage. For much of its history photojournalism has been about the outsider looking in. Is that still valid or justifiable? How much better can photojournalism become when we fully embrace differing backgrounds and viewpoints from photographers who have lived the experience? How much can photojournalism right the wrongs of its past which too often turned photographic subjects into cultural objects, and thus exploited the relationship? (And, yes, Im certain that this collective we includes me.)



From Signs of Your Identity, Daniella Zalcman



Since we started talking about this last week Ive been thinking about a couple of remarkable (and heartening) examples of photographers breaking the mold. One is the the remarkable work of Daniella Zalcman in her series Signs of Your Identity, wherein she has created these beautifully moving portraits of Indigenous people that get at their profound social and psychic trauma suffered at the hands of governments that took children away from families to send them to government schools.

Daniella explains her technique this way: "Signs of Your Identity consists of double exposure portraits of Indian Boarding School survivors, superimposed with the sites and memories of their childhood experiences. The technique is an attempt to explore the ideas of intergenerational trauma and cultural genocide." She uses a mobile phone camera combined with the Hipstamatic app to create nuanced images that, for me, are revelations.

The other is Nigerian photographer Etinosa Osayimwen who did those wonderful images for her project Its All In My Head of the survivors of terrorism and violent conflict in her country. She also does layered portraits. Working in real time she engages with her subjects, does a portrait of them, then goes out and does a double exposure of something in the landscape. When seen the images have the quality of revealing the inner landscape of fear and sadness that trauma has brought to their lives. Rather amazing, really. Etinosa described to me thus: "So the major work is in interpreting their feelings. What is sadness? How can you convey the emotion? So it takes time to interpret each individuals emotion visually." No "decisive moment." Just the decent hard work of understanding someone else and trying to tell their story honestly  and fully.

For many this doesnt sound like photojournalism. Daniella put it thus: I have often been told that my work is not journalism, and that's the prerogative of others, but I maintain that as long as I'm being fully transparent around my process, I'm still telling stories in effective and innovative and, most importantly, honest ways. I have to agree. If this doesnt fit into the definition of photojournalism today then I think photojournalism needs to reconsider what it is and what it stands for.

For the subjects that Daniela and Entinosa are addressing, these images reach a level of understanding that straight documentary never could have attained. The active cooperation of the subjects is crucial. The concerned interpretation of the photographer is clear and evident. The result is striking.



Who are we photographing for?

 Lewis Bush

"What we have seldom asked is whether we are reaching the right audiences, and whether in a time of democratic crisis, large audiences still even make sense."



Dennis: As a photographer you better be photographing for yourself first. Of course this calls into question the economics of photojournalism, which theoretically pays the bills for the photojournalist. But most of the newspaper business is collapsing, as are circulations of most print magazines, and the financial formula for the digital news world is no panacea. Layoffs are rampant, budgets are continually slashed.

Jim: Yeah, a lot of my fellow old fogey photographer friends spend a lot of time bitching and moaning about the world that was and is no more.

But that was an era in which the basic model (alluded to by Bush) was publishing to the masses. (LIFE Magazine had 12 million subscribers at one point.) The hope was that somewhere among that great teeming mass audience was someone who would get the message and make a difference. That model is dead  or close to dead. Now photographers are their own publishers through online platforms and their intended audience can be precisely targeted. Sometimes audience numbers are just a few hundred people or maybe just a handful, but people who can make something happen.

Dennis: What would that look like in todays world?

Church forest in Ethiopia, Kieran Dodds



Jim: Well, just last week I was talking with Kieran Dodds, the Scottish photographer who has been photographing the sacred church forests of Ethiopia, telling the story of how faith and religion intersect with nature to save biodiversity. Its out in the current issue of Nature.

Dodds told me, I am wanting to raise $234,000 to protect the most diverse forests this year (plus pay my rent). Not easy but a good aim and achievable if I can find the right people. The scientist is on the ground and the local people are motivated to conserve, when the money comes it will happen

Kieran doesnt need twelve million viewers. He needs to find the precious few who can fund this work. Hes not seeking photographic validation, hes seeking to preserve botany and landscapes.

Dennis: So if you seek validation for your work by the whims of a financially straitened news business, look elsewhere. Find other ways if possible to support yourself, and do work that you care about first even if it takes longer and is slower. Be true to yourself, stay whole, photograph subjects and ideas that you find important.

Jim: I would truncate that last statement even further: If you want to make important photographs, photograph important stuff.

Dennis: Right. If you are able to generate revenue from photography, dont let only publishers or clients determine what is worth pursuing. While its important to pay the bills, it is also essential for your creative life to do work that rewards you personally. Pursue a long-term personal project that you control, that can be your haven of photographic sanity.

In a world awash with images and photographers, find ways to be distinctive. Become an expert in something, someone who knows more than anyone else on a subject or topic. For example, become the worlds foremost forest ecology photographer, or range and grassland photographer, or native corn photographer. Ive never met anyone whos become the leading mathematics photographer. (Imagine images that make vivid and visible the golden mean, as seen in the natural and man-made world for example.)

Develop a visual style, an approach, or point of view in how you see the world. Study the history of art, and of photography, study the work of those who have come before you. To photograph without learning the language of photography is like trying to speak French without studying it.

Tools are overrated, simplify. Photographers like David Guttenfelder shoot great work with a phone. Zoom lenses, while allowing flexibility, also produce pictures that look the same as everyone elses because everyone else uses zooms. Prime lenses, underused, can create a distinctive look, and allow lower light work. Once upon a time cameras came with a 50mm lens, the 50 is a neglected gem. Get a 50, learn to manage depth of field at low apertures. Zoom with your feet. Your photography will improve.

At heart you must enjoy the act of photographing, taking pictures. A photographer is who you are, not what you do. To survive in this crushing business climate you must be obsessed, pursuing this work as a calling. If you just see photojournalism as a lifestyle or business opportunity so you can travel or profit, dont bother.

Dennis, all of this leads me to a more fundamental question: Does photojournalism still work? Id suggest we should explore that further, perhaps in the next installment of this ongoing discussion.

_______________________

Dennis Dimick served as National Geographics environment editor for more than a decade, and was an NGS picture editor for more than 35 years. He is a 21-time Missouri Photo Workshop faculty member, and received the Charles M. Sprague Memorial Award in 2013 from the National Press Photographers Association for service to photojournalism.

Jim Richardson has been a National Geographic photographer for 35 years where his colleagues named him their Photographers Photographer. His documentary photography received three Special Recognition awards from the World Understanding contest. He was named a Dark Sky Defender for his work on light pollution, named Kansan of the Year for his coverage of the Tallgrass Prairie, and received an honorary doctorate for his work in environmental and cultural photography. He lectures internationally on Feeding the Planet.
New anti-distracted-driving legislation has hit the S.C. Senate.

Senate Bill 723, the South Carolina Hands-Free Act, was introduced on Thursday and was handed off to the Transportation Committee.

State Sen. Tom Young, R-Aiken, is the bill's primary sponsor.

The South Carolina Hands-Free Act, if signed into law, would create a distracted-driving offense and make it illegal to, among other things, hold a phone, call, text, watch a video, email or use the internet while driving.

Exemptions are made for first responders, utility workers and those reporting a traffic hazard, crime, fire or any other sort of emergency. Phones and electronics could also be used by those legally stopped on the side of the road, parked or using voice commands and dictation.

Violators would be on first offense fined $100; subsequent violations would carry a $300 fine and two points. A portion of each fine would go to the state Department of Public Safety to help fund public awareness campaigns and hands-free education.

Police, according to the bill, would not be allowed to search a person's phone or vehicle based solely on a distracted-driving violation.

The South Carolina Hands-Free Act is effectively the sister of state Rep. Bill Taylor's Driving Under the Influence of an Electronic Device  DUI-E for short  legislation.

Taylor's attempt to curb distracted driving, what he calls an epidemic, last legislative session did not make much headway. His attempt this legislative session was referred back to a committee after debate on the S.C. House floor.

Taylor, an Aiken Republican, last week said "legislative trial lawyers" and the ultimate referal likely killed his bill.

"You can never predict the legislative process, but I'm not encouraged," he said at the time.

Taylor said he connected with Young shortly after. Both are members of the Aiken County Legislative Delegation.

A texting-and-driving ban went into effect in South Carolina several years ago.
The U.S. Department of Energy is expecting to have the Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility fully terminated and closed out by fiscal year 2021, according to newly released budget justification documents.

A local National Nuclear Security Administration spokesperson confirmed the timeframe to the Aiken Standard on Wednesday.

Complete termination includes "demolition and disposition of property," securing important materials and documents, laying off workers and stewarding the facility for future use, according to the budget documents.

A NNSA statement of work for MOX closure, obtained by the Aiken Standard in October 2018, laid out roughly one year of tasks.

"The government requires termination activities to be completed in the shortest timeframe and at minimal cost in alignment with budget availability," the extensive, and finely tuned, statement of work reads.

The NNSA canceled the MOX project contract in full on Oct. 10, 2018. MOX workers began getting layoff notices  affording a 60-day heads up  in November 2018. More than 1,000 MOX workers have since received their notices.

Budget report: Plutonium pit production could cost $9B over next 10 years Fully satisfying the U.S. energy and defense departments' fiscal year 2019 nuclear-related requests would cost $494 billion over the next deca

The layoff waves, at least four, were aligned with the approved project termination scope, according to the budget documents.

MOX, located at the Savannah River Site, was designed to turn 34 metric tons of defense plutonium into fuel for commercial reactors. The project was more than a decade in the making and is, at this point, understood to be dead.

On May 10, 2018, the NNSA and the U.S. Department of Defense jointly recommended repurposing MOX infrastructure for an enduring plutonium pit production mission.

Plutonium pits are nuclear weapon cores; 80 per year are needed by 2030, according to the 2018 Nuclear Posture Review. The NNSA and the DOD recommended producing 50 per year at SRS  via a renovated MOX  and the remaining 30 per year at Los Alamos National Laboratory, which has been recognized as the nation's plutonium science and production center of excellence.

U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry on March 22 described Los Alamos as the pit production "capital."

President Donald Trump's FY20 budget request includes $220 million for MOX shutdown.
Successfully building out the nation's plutonium pit production capabilities  against a looming deadline, nonetheless  will be quite the challenge, according to the National Nuclear Security Administration's first in command.

NNSA chief Lisa Gordon-Hagerty on Thursday, testifying before the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, told Sen. Jack Reed one of the "biggest" risks the agency is facing is the pit production expansion.

"But we have our eye on that," Gordon-Hagerty continued, "and we are focused specifically on plutonium pit production."

Another top-tier risk is "sustained and supported" funding for infrastructure modernization, Gordon-Hagerty told Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat.

Responding to Sen. Jim Inhofe  the Oklahoma Republican who leads the Senate Armed Services Committee  Gordon-Hagerty said pit production "is going to be a challenging undertaking for the NNSA and for our entire nuclear security enterprise."

No less than 80 plutonium pits per year are needed by 2030, according to the 2018 Nuclear Posture Review. The demanded pits  nuclear weapon cores  are part of a grander weapon-refreshing effort.

"And again, that's not less than 80 pits," Gordon-Hagerty said to Inhofe. "So we have a lot of challenges ahead of us."

To satisfy the production requirement, the NNSA and the U.S. Department of Defense last year suggested producing 50 pits per year at the Savannah River Site and another 30 per year at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.

The pit mission at SRS would be done at a revamped Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility, according to the 2018 joint recommendation. The proposed SRS pit factory is now known as the Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility, according to the president's fiscal year 2020 budget request.

The 2030 deadline affords 11 years to get things up and running  a point Gordon-Hagerty explicitly made on Thursday.

NNSA Chief of Staff William "Ike" White, speaking at the annual Nuclear Deterrence Summit in February, described the MOX-to-pits transformation as a "major" nuclear recapitalization effort. White also used the word "ambitious."

The president's budget pitch, details of which are rolling out, includes $410 million for SRPPF design activities, among other things. Gordon-Hagerty made mention of that requested sum on Thursday.

U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry testified alongside Gordon-Hagerty.

Perry on March 22, answering a question posed by the Aiken Standard, said SRS was the right place to produce 50 pits per year by 2030.
Turkeys Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov are due to meet in Turkeys southern Mediterranean resort city of Antalya tomorrow amid escalating tensions with Washington over Ankaras determined plans to purchase Russian S-400 missiles.

The meeting has been billed as the Seventh Turkish Russian Joint Strategic Planning Group Meeting being held under the aegis of the Turkish Russian High-Level Cooperation Council.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry said that a 2019-2020 Plan for Consultations between the Foreign Ministries of the Republic of Turkey and the Russian Federation would be signed at the conclusion of the talks. The verbose labelling that would have warmed Lenins heart is intended to signal deepening ties between the historical rivals just as Turkeys links to its traditional NATO ally the United States grow brittler by the day.

Cavusoglu and Lavrov are scheduled to tackle a wide range of issues including passport-free travel for Russian citizens who flock to Antalya every year and most critically Syria.

The two countries are working together to rein in al-Qaeda-linked jihadis in the rebel-held province of Idlib who remain the biggest challenge to Syrian President Bashar al-Assads efforts to regain full control over the western part of the country. Russia perceives the Russian jihadis among their ranks as a threat.

Similarly, Turkey views the Syrian Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG) as its top enemy. Russia has eased Turkish operations against the group, most recently by letting the Turkish army invade the Kurdish-majority Afrin enclave in January 2018, in sharp contrast with the United States, which continues to defend the YPG in the areas under its protection in northeast Syria.

It's not been all smooth sailing, however, with Russia repeatedly rebuking Turkey for failing to defang the group known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which further consolidated its grip over Idlib after routing rival rebel factions including Turkish-backed groups earlier this year.

But on March 26, Turkish and Russian forces conducted independent but coordinated patrols along a demarcation line separating Tell Rifaat in Aleppo governorate and Marea in the Turkish-controlled Euphrates Shield zone. The move mirrors joint Turkish and US patrols further east near Manbij, also meant to appease Turkish worries over the YPG and its Arab allies who run the Arab-majority town.

An official from the YPG-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) confirmed that synchronized Russian-Turkish patrols had taken place around Tell Rifaat. Speaking on condition that he not be identified, the official said, The patrols are meant to telegraph the positive relationship between Turkey and Russia and dont have much impact in the field per se.

Tell Rifaat is a strategic gateway to Aleppo, much like Manbij, and was ceded by the SDF to Russian and Syrian regime forces in March 2018 to pre-empt any Turkish moves on the town.

Lavrovs visit comes amid louder warnings from Washington over Turkeys refusal to scotch the S-400 deal. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who will make his fourth trip to Russia this year on April 8, reaffirmed that Turkey would buy the Russian missiles no matter what Washington had to say.

In response, US officials quoted by Reuters today said the United States would likely freeze deliveries of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey if it proceeds with the Russian missile purchase and that Turkeys participation in the F-35 consortium was not necessary for the production to proceed. An unnamed source with direct knowledge of the United States position told Reuters, There are about 800 parts that Turkey makes for the F-35, and of them, very few are sole," adding that single-source parts from Turkey could be replaced by contractors who had previously bid to make them. Turkey is not too big to fail, the source said.

In a further blow to Turkish-US ties, an Istanbul court ruled today that a Turkish employee of the US Consulate being tried on thinly supported espionage charges should remain in custody pending the outcome of his trial. Metin Topuz, a veteran consulate employee who served as a translator and assistant for the US Drug Enforcement Agency, has been held since October 2017 over his alleged connections to Fethullah Gulen, the Pennsylvania-based Turkish cleric who is accused of masterminding the failed 2016 coup to overthrow Erdogan.

Evidence against Topuz in the 78-page indictment, a copy of which was obtained by Al-Monitor, is largely based on his contacts with Turkish security officials who helped spearhead a quashed corruption probe against Erdogan and his inner circle in December 2017. Most of them are in jail for their alleged role in a conspiracy to topple Erdogan. Topuz protests his innocence, saying he communicated with the officials as part of his routine duties. That view is echoed by US State Department officials, who are demanding his immediate release along with that of fellow consulate employee Mete Canturk, who is under house arrest on similar charges.
CAIRO  Egypts top media regulator has wasted no time in using newly enacted bylaws to impose sanctions on a news site, yet critics claim the body is overstepping its role and limiting freedom of the press.

Egypt's Supreme Council for Media Regulation issued March 21 a decision to block El-Mashhad news site for six months and impose a fine of 50,000 Egyptian pounds (nearly $2,900) for the insult and defamation of women involved in sex cases with a well-known director. The decision was based on regulations the council established in new bylaws approved March 18 concerning sanctions that may be imposed on entities subject to law No. 180 of 2018 that regulates the press, media and the Supreme Council for Media Regulation.

The regulation ignited controversy in the press and media circles, particularly since the council is entitled under Article 5 of the regulation to ban the publication of media material if it violates said law and regulation. In addition, Article 6 of the regulation gives the council the right to block a website and revoke the satellite broadcast license from a media outlet in case of a broadcast of banned media materials. The regulation makes applicable a fine of up to 250,000 Egyptian pounds (roughly $14,500) for media violations. Also, a penalty of up to 5 million pounds ($298,000) is imposed in the event of intellectual property infringement, according to Article 26 of the regulation.

Diaa Rashwan, chairman of the Syndicate of Journalists, said in a March 19 press statement that the syndicates board will discuss the regulation. He added that the syndicate will resort to all of the legal tools to safeguard the journalists rights in accordance with the following articles of the constitution: Article 70 on the freedom of the press and printing; Article 71 that prohibits censorship, suspension and closure of Egyptian media outlets; Article 72 that sets forth that the state guarantees the independence of press institutions; and Article 77 on the establishment of syndicates.

Rashwan indicated that the discussion  the date of which is yet to be determined  will take place in light of the observations that the previous board of the syndicate approved in its Jan. 8 session and submitted to the Supreme Council for Media Regulation. The observations consisted of taking away some imprecise terms as they could result in broad accusations, decreasing fines to no more than 100,000 pounds (roughly $5,800), referring the cases against journalists to the syndicate in case of accusations against them and banning the media material instead of blocking the media outlet.

Mohamed Saad Abdel Hafiz, a member of the syndicates board, told Al-Monitor over the phone that the regulation contradicts the constitutional texts and turns the Supreme Council for Media Regulation into a censor of freedom of expression and opinion. He added that Article 71 prohibits any censorship on newspapers and media outlets.

Abdel Hafiz criticized the regulation for the imposition of fines on media outlets in case of a violation, and for turning a blind eye to the syndicates observations. He explained that there is a general tendency at the syndicates board to challenge this regulation before the administrative judiciary, and added that such a measure will be discussed at the next meeting of the syndicates board.

Hafez Abu Saada, a member of the National Council for Human Rights, a government institution, told Al-Monitor over the phone that Article 211 of the constitution stipulates that the Supreme Council for Media Regulation shall ensure and safeguard freedom of the press, and did not grant the council any punitive power. Thus, he said, the disciplinary role falls within the syndicates competence, and the suspension of newspapers and channels is within the purview of the judiciary.

He added that the fine of up to 250,000 pounds on media outlets does not commensurate with the violations listed in the regulation. Their goal is to restrict the freedom of expression that is an infringement of the constitution, as Article 65 stipulates that freedom of opinion is guaranteed.

Under Article 211, the Supreme Council for Media Regulation regulates the affairs of radio, television, and printed and digital press, among others. The council is responsible for guaranteeing and protecting the freedom of press and media stipulated in the constitution; safeguarding its independence, neutrality, plurality and diversity, preventing monopolistic practices; monitoring the legality of the sources of funding of press and media institutions; and establishing the controls and regulations necessary to ensure the commitment of press and media outlets to adhere to professional and ethical standards, and national security needs 

Mahgoub Seada, general secretary of the Media Syndicate, said in a March 19 statement that Article 8 of the regulation  which provides for the councils right to prevent the violator from appearing in newspapers, media outlets and websites before the relevant syndicate completes the disciplinary accountability  is a violation of Article 94 of law No. 180 of 2018, which stipulates that the relevant syndicate shall be notified to take the necessary measures on the violations by its members  the relevant syndicate shall be committed to taking disciplinary actions on the person who commits the violation in accordance with the relevant syndicates law.

Speaking to Masrawy news portal March 19, head of the council Makram Mohammed Ahmed criticized the syndicate's members for lambasting the regulation after its official approval. He noted, The State Council approved the regulation that was discussed after obtaining observations made by both the syndicates of journalists and media figures as well as those made by the jurists in this regard.

In response to the syndicates criticism, the council explained March 19 that the syndicates are going between the right of the Syndicate of Journalists to hold journalists accountable and the investigation that falls within the councils purview. It noted that the media outlets, not the journalists, are the ones to be sanctioned under the regulation, and added that the council shall inquire into the complaint brought against the journalists before referring it to the syndicate.

The Supreme Council for Media Regulation refused to include in the regulation a ban of the media material instead of blocking the media outlet, and justified that the council would then turn into a censorship tool that goes against the constitution. Commenting on the observation that the crimes listed in the regulation are already available in the Penal Code, the council indicated that the sanctions under this law failed to prevent the media chaos that has prevailed in the past years.

The council emphasized that sanctions are being gradually implemented, starting with a notice before the issuing of warnings. It further said that as for the temporary block, this sanction is only applicable in extreme cases once all other sanctions have been exhausted, and indicated that under the regulation, no sanction shall be imposed unless a thorough investigation was conducted.
When the Israeli prime minister met with the US president earlier this week, each had a gift for the other. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister fighting for his political life amid charges of corruption and bribery, gave Donald Trump wine made by illegal Jewish settlers in the Golan Heights. Many people around the world and even in Israel itself boycott Golan wine because it is produced on stolen lands.

In return, Trump had prepared a much nicer gift. The US president, reportedly without the knowledge of some of his own senior staff, decided to unilaterally recognize Israels 1981 annexation of the Golan Heights  a decision that the entire world community has rejected and issued United Nations Security Council resolutions to that effect.

The US decision came one week after the US State Department reversed five decades of US policy by changing the term it uses to refer to the status of the Golan Heights from occupied territory to Israeli-controlled territory.

Demonstrations spread across Syria March 26 opposing the US recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan in a rare show of unity in the war-torn country.

A more interesting reaction, however, took place in the occupied Golan Heights itself, where demonstrations were staged March 23 on both sides of the fence separating the areas under Israeli occupation and the rest of Syrian territory. Residents of the Golan Heights town of Majdal Shams protested the US decision along with their counterparts on the Quneitra side.

But demonstrations aside, the US decision was no great surprise for the 20,000 Syrian residents that remain in five villages in the occupied Golan.

Nehad Rada, an actor who runs a nongovernmental theater organization called Golan Heights Artistic Production, told Al-Monitor that nothing will change as a result of the US decision. In general, our opinions are the same. This land is Syrian and this will not change.

Rada mocked the US president for giving away land that is not his own simply on his own whims, saying, If someone is interested in one of the 50 states of America, please let me know and we will hold a rally to call for that person getting, say, California or Florida.

Thaer Abu Saleh, one of the leading local community leaders among Syrian residents of the occupied Golan Heights, told a Haifa-based website that Trumps decision was no surprise to those following events in the region.

Since 2011, Israel has been trying to enforce a new reality in the region using the internal war in Syria. In 2016, Netanyahu held a Cabinet meeting on the Golan Heights and called on the world to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the area, Abu Saleh told the Arab48 news site. He noted that Israel is also promoting settlement activities and goading the young generation to accept Israeli citizenship. These attempts have failed. Less than 6.5% of the residents of the Golan Heights have applied for and carry Israeli citizenship.

Israeli law considers the Golan Heights, much like East Jerusalem, part of the state, but the people living in it are considered permanent residents, not citizens. They are allowed to apply for citizenship, but the state doesnt guarantee it will be granted. In East Jerusalem, a city of 330,000, only 6,000 have been granted citizenship  less than 2% of the population.

Samih Ayoub, a Syrian activist in the Golan Heights, also expressed little surprise. This is nothing more than an electoral gift to Netanyahu that will fail to materialize as a result of the steadfastness of the Syrian people and rejection by the international community, Ayoub told Palestinian outlet Al-Hadath March 26. He added that the Israelis will leave the Golan as they left Lebanon and the Sinai Peninsula. The Syrians will stay on the land, defending its national identity, rejecting collective punishment and attempts at normalization.

Ayoub, along with the majority of the Golan residents, belongs to the Druze community  though they disagree politically with the Israeli Druze, who are conscripted and serve in Israel's military. He explained that his local community will use social and religious tools like shunning to punish anyone who participates in Israeli schemes on the Golan Heights.

The Golan residents are farmers with strong survival skills. As a community, they have used nonviolent methods to ensure compliance with issues of national consensus. They see the US decision as another blip in their long struggle to preserve their way of life and their patriotic connection to their Syrian motherland, even through difficult times.
Iran has welcomed a decision by a Luxembourg court rejecting a US court ruling in a case involving American plaintiffs' attempts to gain access to $1.6 billion in frozen Iranian assets stemming from the September 11 al-Qaeda attacks. The Foreign Ministry hailed the decision as a new era in which the United States cannot will its way in the world.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahman Ghassemi, speaking to reporters about the ruling that prevented the assets' seizure, said, This success was the result of a complaint filed by the Central Bank of Iran and cooperation between the Central Bank, the Foreign Ministry and legal advisers of the president to realize the rights of the Iranian people.

Ghassemi continued, Undoubtedly, the era of American totalitarian and forceful behavior toward other countries for various reasons and with baseless accusations has come to an end, and this ruling at this time shows that in the international community, courts that have an independent approach still exist. He added, The United States has paid exorbitant costs to incite world public opinion against an independent country like Iran.

Regarding the 2001 hijackings and attacks on New York and Washington by the Sunni extremists of al-Qaeda, Ghassemi said, There is solid evidence and documents about the attacks and attackers. He accused the United States of exonerating the original attackers and deviating public opinion away from them in order to confiscate Irans wealth. Fifteen of the 19 hijackers were Saudi nationals. None of the attackers were citizens of Iran, which has an overwhelmingly Shiite population.

In a dig at American allies in the region who rely on the United States for their security, Ghassemi said, Mr. Trump should learn that Iranians and their great and wise people are completely different from other countries  that rent [US] security and support. Ghassemi said that with various Iranian organizations working together, the United States has faced numerous failures in its approach toward Iran and that it would continue to do so.

While Ghassemi tried to link the court ruling to President Donald Trump, who has been publicly confrontational toward Iran since taking office in 2017, the case involved dates to 2011, when US District Court Judge George Daniels held that Iran and the Lebanese group Hezbollah had supported al-Qaeda and therefore owed damages to the hundreds of family members of the victims of the attacks.

The case, Havlish et al. v. bin Laden et al., was brought to court in Manhattan by attorneys for the families. Fiona Havlishs husband had died in the attack in New York, when hijackers guided two passenger planes into the World Trade Center towers. Further south, another set of hijackers crashed a plane into the Pentagon, in Virginia. A fourth plane, United Airlines Flight 93, crashed in a field in Pennsylvania when the passengers, having learned about the attacks in New York and outside Washington, decided to launch an assault against the hijackers.

The Manhattan court had relied on the testimony of a number of individuals who worked on the 9/11 Commission, former CIA officers, journalists and alleged defectors from Irans Ministry of Intelligence and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The court awarded the families $7 billion in damages. As part of the sanctions stemming from Irans nuclear program, $1.6 billion of it was frozen in Luxembourg. It was the latter amount that the families had sought. The Luxembourg court ruled, however, that no provisions of international law required Luxembourg to uphold the US court decision.
US President Donald Trumps March 21 decision to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights has sparked widespread international reaction. While European countries announced that they would not follow suit, Russia expressed concern over the negative repercussions of the move. Turkey adopted a more active stance, calling for an emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Trumps announcement was also met with negative reactions from Arab allies of the United States.

Irans adoption of a low-profile position on Trumps recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights appears to be a calculated move to maximize its regional interests. However, despite being the Syrian governments main ally, Irans initial reaction to the American move has been rather mild  and in fact not much different from the positions of other nations. While strongly condemning Trumps decision, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghassemi said March 22, According to the resolutions of the United Nations and the Security Council, the Golan Heights is an occupied part of the Syrian territories and no solution for this [issue] is conceivable except for ending the occupation.

Meanwhile, attending the OIC summit in Istanbul, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on March 22 took to Twitter to express "shock" over Trumps attempts to give what is not his to racist Israel.

But the Islamic Republics first major reaction came only several days later, on March 26, when President Hassan Rouhani compared the US move with the behavior of colonial powers in the past and called for closer regional cooperation to counter the United States and Israel. As such, for almost a week after Trumps announcement  and with the exception of Zarifs tweet  no high-ranking Iranian political or military official took a stance on this issue. This can be confounding since, to reiterate, Iran is the Syrian governments main ally  and because the US move to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights has been broadly condemned internationally.

However, this does not mean that after eight years of supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assads government against domestic and foreign opponents, Iran has decided to adopt a low-profile position on this very important issue  nor does it mean that Tehran lacks a strategy for how to make use of the contention to maximize its regional interests. In fact, both internal and external factors have been at play in Irans mild and delayed reaction to the American move on the Golan Heights.

First and foremost, Trumps tweet on recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights on March 21 and his official presidential order four days later came in the middle of the Iranian New Year holidays, when most governmental bodies do not operate at full capacity. At the same time, the catastrophic floods that have hit many areas in northern and western Iran have absorbed almost all of the capacities of the Iranian authorities. Even the Iranian military was ordered by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to mobilize forces to help normalize the situation in flood-hit areas. In other words, there has been little time for the government to focus on external issues. As such, when the holidays end and the floods subside, more concrete reactions over the Golan Heights issue are to be expected from the Islamic Republic.

But this has not been the only reason for Irans moderate approach so far. In a situation where even the closest Arab allies of the United States are widely condemning Trumps move, any harsh or threatening reaction from Tehran could change the overwhelmingly Arab/Muslim-Israeli dichotomy over the Golan Heights to an Iranian-Israeli one. As such, a forceful and immediate Iranian entry into the matter would not only induce reservation among Irans Arab rivals about appearing on the same side as the Islamic Republic, but could also be seized on by Washington and Tel Aviv to justify their move by resorting to rhetoric on the need to counter the Iranian threat.

Thus, Tehran may now be in wait-and-see mode to examine whether  and how  Arab resentment over Trumps move could potentially pause the push by Arab allies of the United States to warm relations with Israel with the aim of countering Iran. United Arab Emirates Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash has already expressed concern about such a possibility, saying March 28 that it is necessary for the Arabs to dissect and divide between having a political issue and keeping your lines of communication [with Israel] open. Therefore, Tehran is in no hurry to provide any pretexts for its Arab rivals  and their American and Israeli interlocutors  to exit a situation in which coordinated maneuvering against Iran has become more complex.

As for Turkey having been the most outspoken regional state so far, Iran not only feels comfortable with Ankara taking the lead in calling for international and intra-Muslim action on the Golan but in fact welcomes such a stance. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans first reaction to Trumps decision contained a strong warning that his country can never allow legitimization of occupation. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu had adopted a similar position earlier, saying, Turkey supports Syria's territorial integrity.

These statements notably come at a time when Turkey itself has effectively seized control over vast areas in northern Syria, while threatening to advance farther toward the east to counter Syrian Kurdish armed groups. As Ankara's plans for northern Syria have been a major concern for Turkeys two partners within the Astana framework  Iran and Russia  the recent strong anti-occupation stance of the Turkish officials can be used by Tehran to pressure Ankara to return territories to the Syrian government and respect Syrias territorial integrity.

Finally, its worth mentioning that the US attempt to legitimize the Israeli occupation of the Golan Heights could provide Iran with another reason to maintain its military presence in Syria. Iranian officials have always said their presence in the Arab country is at the request of Damascus and with the primary aim of combating terrorism. Now that the Syrian government vows to confront the Israeli occupation of its soil, it will most likely further extend Irans mandate to stay in Syria  even in a scenario in which all terrorist groups have been defeated. After all, the Islamic Republic is the only ally of Damascus with a real aim of helping it confront Israel.

This, of course, does not mean that a joint Iranian-Syrian military response to Israel is on the horizon. Rather, Iran will most probably encourage the so-called resistance movements around the region to act against the Israeli occupation so that Tel Aviv will be faced with simultaneous pressures from various fronts, which will be hard for Tel Aviv to effectively deal with. In this vein, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallahs March 26 speech in which he declared resistance as the only way to take back occupied lands in Syria, Lebanon and Palestine is a sign indicating that such a development is already underway. As such, while Trumps decision to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights might have been a political victory for the Israeli prime minister, it may come back to haunt him on the ground down the road.
Managing and controlling the governments cash resources has long been a major challenge to the implementation of budget laws and oversight of the governments receipts and payments from and to a diverse number of state and nonstate agencies and entities in Iran. Fragmented government banking arrangements, coupled with various loopholes in the relevant laws, have prevented the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance of Irans Treasury Unit from improving budget control and the quality of fiscal information.

The International Monetary Fund has advised a Treasury Single Account (TSA) as a prerequisite for modern cash management. The TSA is a process and tool that unifies all government accounts for the effective management of its finances, bank and cash position. It is an objective that the Treasury Unit has sought to fulfill for years, without much success.

Despite President Hassan Rouhanis unequivocal decree to all state-owned enterprises to block their accounts in financial institutions and transfer them to the Central Bank of Iran, reports indicate that they are still evading the law. Although the violation of the law is regarded as unlawful seizure of public property, many of them are unwilling to shift their accounts, particularly their earnings accounts, into Treasury accounts with the central bank. Of note, there were about 220,000 government accounts before Rouhanis first term in office (2013-2017). Currently the number has dropped to 70,000, meaning there is a long way to go for the government to fully manage its cash resources and execute fiscal policies properly.

In the fourth Five-Year Development Plan Law (2005-2009), the state agencies, institutions, para-governmental organizations and municipalities were authorized to select which banks would operate their banking transactions. The purpose behind this erroneous decision at the time was to provide a healthy, competitive environment in the banking system of the country to undermine monopoly and help economize the activities of newly established banks. This authorization was a major breakpoint in the maintenance of government accounts, as it made the Treasury's job quite difficult. The Treasury needed to pool together the positions of different state agencies to help it gain an overall picture of the governments cash flow. Interestingly, this law was approved in the two years since the establishment of the country's first private bank.

According to experts, one of the most important reasons many para-governmental institutions have been able to own private banks is due to the public funds they received, thanks to allotments granted to them in their annual budgets. This is why maintenance of such an immense amount of cash should legally be under sole supervision of the central bank. Furthermore, the maintenance method of para-governmental entities accounts does not meet any clear criteria. Information concerning their accounts is based firstly on the self-declaration report of the banks. Secondly, the chances are high that many banks could fail to accurately calculate the accounts of these institutions due to the lack of a clear definition of such entities.

Also, the removal of a few big companies' accounts from being included in the TSA is another grave mistake in this regard, since those the excluded are among the most revenue-generating state-owned enterprises. This unjustifiable exception is apparently in breach of the purpose of such an immense national scheme. The National Iranian Oil Company, National Iranian Gas Company, National Oil Refining and Distribution Company of Iran and National Petrochemical Company are among such state-owned enterprises being exempted.

According to a report by Iran's Parliament Research Center in 2015, statistics over the past several years indicate that the ratio of the government's general budget to the liquidity had been almost 50%. Thus, it is natural that the circulation of such a huge amount of money in the banking network  in the absence of effective central bank supervision  would bring significant benefits to the financial institutions, ruining the future outlook for the real economy. Nonetheless, this has exacerbated banks' rent-seeking behavior as well as those of the government agencies. The provision of special privileges and services as the issuance of credit documents and bank guarantees by the banks to their own affiliated firms, in exchange for granting large loans to state entities executives, are among instances of such unlawful demands in this regard.

In compliance with the public funds concentration bylaw, the balance on the accounts should be transferred to the TSA in the time periods determined by the Treasury depending on the amount of the account balance, the Treasury's need and other factors. But such delay in the transfer would reduce government access to its required cash resources and slow down performing its obligations in the economy. In the era where e-banking technology has been highly developed and many core banking operations can be carried out at a rapid pace, such delays are out of place.

For various reasons, including online monitoring, operational and transparent budgeting, preventing budget deficits, halting delay in servicing state obligations, and undercutting the rentier system, all public revenues should be deposited in the TSA. This is so important that Article 53 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran has also highlighted it. Having access to timely information on government revenues plus their optimal allocation to relevant infrastructure projects and current expenditure could help the Rouhani government administer its executive duties appropriately.

Nevertheless, it seems that the implementation of this initiative will continue to prove difficult. Since it is common practice for some managers of state agencies to abuse government accounts for personal advantage, the transfer of para-governmental entities accounts to the TSA seems to be a tall order. Thus, there needs to be a strong political will to secure such a grandiose project. But should the fourth phase of the plan to concentrate all fragmented accounts be fully implemented, the bankruptcy or merger of a number of private banks connected with these bodies will not be beyond the realm of possibility.

In sum, the TSA is a tool to combat corrupt practices, eliminate a lack of discipline in public finance and ensure adequate fund flow that will be channeled to critical sectors of the economy to catalyze development. Additionally, its implementation appears to induce better governance in addition to having other financial benefits for the government.
In a sign that Israels electoral system has gone off the rails, the Likud's newest campaign hints that Blue and White Party head Benny Gantz is insane. Netanyahu and senior Likud members dont say so expressly, but the internet is full of video clips, hints, text messages and tweets questioning Gantzs emotional state. The meaning is clear to all: Netanyahu is trying to paint Gantz as a weak individual with an unstable personality.

There were those in Blue and White who considered answering Netanyahu with his own language  hinting that the prime minister learned to identify unstable personalities through personal experience in his own home  but no one seriously planned on using this doomsday weapon.

Blue and White (the generals party"), which is challenging Netanyahus never-ending reign, views the Likuds new campaign as a desperate gamble. Netanyahu is firing in all directions, his campaign plagued by strategic mishaps. Even Netanyahus most diligent campaigner and fan President Donald Trump was not able to steal the show. Netanyahus dream week, which was supposed to climax with his ecstatic speech to AIPAC a day after receiving US recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, fell flat. The prime minister was forced to cancel his appearance and rush back to Israel immediately after the White House meeting to put out the fires that are wreaking havoc on his most vulnerable, hot-button site: the Gaza Strip.

Despite everything, preliminary polls in the middle of the week showed two encouraging points for Netanyahu. The anti-Gantz campaign has had results: The Blue and White leader fell in polls over the critical question regarding his suitability to head the government. Netanyahu also seems to not be paying a significant electoral price for his hesitancy regarding the situation in the Gaza Strip. Likud members and his right-wing base are kvetching and criticizing him in talkbacks and on the social networks, but still support him. Netanyahu receives low scores on everything regarding the security situation, but the right-wing block still leads with a clear advantage.

The missile fired from the Gaza Strip in the early morning of March 25 caused considerable damage in Israel. It destroyed a private home, wounded its inhabitants and killed their pets in the peaceful Israeli moshav of Mishmeret close to Tel Aviv. But the missile also inflicted great damage on the Likuds election campaign and hurt the Mr. Security image that Netanyahu has cultivated for generations.

Netanyahus doomsday scenarios included the resurgence of the submarine affair or an escalation in Gaza, and both catastrophes happened almost simultaneously. The fact that he is still on his feet combined with the right-wing bloc's ongoing lead in the polls signal a severe failure for his rivals and a significant achievement for Netanyahu.

Netanyahu is especially vulnerable with regard to security in Israels south. He is exposed to devastating criticism from the New Rights Naftali Bennett, Yisrael Beitenus Avigdor Liberman, HaBayit HaYehudis Bezalel Smotrich and other right-wing hotheads. He has no real answer to give his Likud constituents, nor to the other right-wing voters he needs to switch parties and vote for him, as happened in the 2015 elections. Only two weeks ago, Tel Aviv was shaken by two missiles that were fired  allegedly by mistake  by Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and exploded in the heavens. It was a traumatic event that happened without intelligence warnings and without interception by the Iron Dome missile-defense system. The right also saw the Israeli response to the missile as feeble.

In October 2018, the Israel Defense Forces explained another round of rockets from the Strip with a natural cause: A bolt of lightning had released the launching apparatus. With the lone missile on Mishmeret, a critical mass of rockets is accumulating and making Israel Hamas' hostage, and Netanyahu the hostage of Hamas Gaza chief Yahya Sinwar. Netanyahu found himself in this position this week  in Washington, no less.

Netanyahu was dealt a bad hand: A country under missile fire during elections is very dangerous, even for Netanyahu. One option is to initiate a real military operation in the Strip, with no guarantee how it would turn out. The other option, to retaliate but not be dragged into war, is equally bad. The right would make mincemeat out of him. His supporters and opponents would remind him of his promises to bring down the Hamas regime and not be weak like his predecessor Ehud Olmert.

As of this writing, Netanyahu seems to have chosen nonviolent appeasement. He is paying a price for it, but his security reputation in Israel is still playing to his favor in the polls. The voters have not yet punished him over his alleged hesitation on Gaza.

There is no small number of cabinet members in Netanyahus own party that are frustrated as well. How can it be, one of them commented to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, that we are abandoning an entire section in the south of the country to the whims of an ephemeral terror organization? Why are we allowing the Islamic Jihad, a tiny organization in military terms, to make life crazy for hundreds of thousands of Israeli citizens who cannot enjoy a calm lifestyle and raise their children in peace and quiet?

At this moment, these questions remain without answers. Netanyahus rivals  three former chiefs of staff and one Yair Lapid  have not succeeded in creating a convincing alternative. They, too, have no clear solution to the Gaza conundrum. They also know that anyone who invaded and conquered Gaza would quickly regret doing so. They hold out hope that Netanyahu will lose the election over many other factors: because Israelis have had enough of him over these many years, because of the corruption, because of new publicity regarding the submarine affair and because an investigation will evidently begin immediately after the elections.

As of now, anything and everything can happen on April 9.
Hamas needs to know that we will not hesitate to move in and take all the necessary steps, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on March 26, responding to the rocket fired from Gaza on March 25 that destroyed a home in Mishmeret and injured seven Israelis. In an unmistakable reference to the April 9 elections, Netanyahu added, This is not connected to anything, to any date, only to the needs of Israels security.

Really, sir? You want us to believe that there is not an opinion poll on your desk measuring public support for a military ground operation in Gaza? Are you not taking into consideration that photos of dozens of soldiers funerals and hundreds of thousands of civilians cowering in shelters might cost you your comfortable leather armchair in the Prime Ministers Office and send you in the direction of the defendants bench in district court?

Netanyahu promised that Israel would retaliate forcefully for the rockets fired from Gaza at the Israeli heartland in recent weeks. His rival for the premiership in the April 9 elections, Lt. Gen. (res.) Benny Gantz of the Blue and White party, had called for a significant tough response after the March 14 launch of two rockets toward Tel Aviv. One of the Blue and Whites campaign videos features footage of explosions and Israelis fleeing to shelters as sirens wail and captioning that reads, We will not pay protection money to Hamas, a reference to the Qatari aid money entering Gaza under Israeli auspices. We will not abandon residents of the south.

What, then, do Netanyahu and Gantz propose that Israel has not done to date in its war against Hamas, which already includes aerial bombardments of residential neighborhoods, siege, naval blockade, ground incursions, assassinations of Hamas leaders, cash infusions, deadly sniper fire at children, journalists and paramedics.

The conflict on the Gaza border over the past year has already generated a United Nations commission of inquiry that last month recommended that the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights send the material it had compiled to the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Panel members also recommended imposing sanctions on Israelis who fired at protesters who were not involved in any hostile activity toward Israel, including the arrest and extradition of Israelis suspected of complicity in war crimes.

A July 2017 report by the UN Conference on Trade and Development warned that Gaza might not be fit for human habitation by 2020, meaning next year. According to data issued this month by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, unemployment in the coastal enclave reached 52% in 2018  an 8% increase since 2017 and a 20% increase since 2007  when Israel imposed its siege after Hamas took control of Gaza. When babies in Gaza die of hunger and lack of medicine, Israel will not be able to absolve itself of blame with the familiar excuse But we pulled out of Gaza.

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven, according to Ecclesiastes (3:1-2). A time to be born, a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted. Apparently, the coming days are a time for combative campaign slogans and a time for producing attention-grabbing campaign videos.

At another point in time, in October 2014, a month after the 50-day war with Gaza ended, Amos Harel, military affairs analyst for Haaretz, reported the following statement: We also need to conduct ourselves rationally. We need to permit the opening of the Strip to goods. In the end, there are 1.8 million people there. These people need to live. He was quoting the military chief of staff, one Benny Gantz. One can but hope that Israels next government will take Gantzs recommendations under advisement.

The latest attacks from Gaza on population centers in the Israeli heartland and the warning sirens that constantly blare in border communities prove that Israels blockade strategy is bankrupt. Recent protests in Gaza reflect residents dire economic straits, but they are a long way from auguring a popular uprising against the armed Hamas thugs who lord over them. The key lies in the meeting room of Israels Security Cabinet.

As Gantz said in the 2014 Haaretz interview, another element is required in addition to military results  an economic anchor that will consolidate the military achievements. Maintaining quiet, he added, will also depend on the carrots Hamas is extended after the fighting, meaning an easing of economic restrictions against Gaza. Success, he said, lies in creating the right balance of hope over despair. Will he remember all of this if an election victory paves his way to the Prime Ministers Office?

The key to hope lies in a diplomatic arrangement ending Israels policy of differentiation between Gaza and the West Bank. Perpetuating the occupation of the West Bank and the continued siege of Gaza is creating hotbeds of despair and a recipe for continued violence.

Any remaining hope of President Donald Trumps deal of the century extricating the peace process from the dead end where it has stalled during the Netanyahu decade was lost when Trump, on March 25, signed a proclamation recognizing Israels sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

Could it be that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo did not realize that US recognition of Israels unilateral annexation of the Golan contradicts the most important clause in Israels peace agreement with Egypt, whose 40th anniversary fell the day after Trump's proclamation? Did no one bother to inform the top American diplomat about the contents of the treaty, which he himself hailed on March 26 as the foundation for a new chapter in the Middle East [that] set the stage for a safer, more stable, better integrated region, ending a long period of armed conflict? Does he not know that this landmark document states repeatedly that UN Security Council Resolution 242, on Israels withdrawal from the territories it occupied in 1967, is the agreed basis for peace not only between Egypt and Israel but also between Israel and each of its other Arab neighbors? That clearly includes Israels Syrian and Palestinian neighbors.

The day after hailing the Israeli-Egyptian accord on land for peace, Pompeo asserted at a congressional hearing that the recognition of Israels sovereignty over the Golan Heights increases the likelihood that we get resolution of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. This is reminiscent of Netanyahu's bizarre proclamation at the inauguration of the US Embassy in Jerusalem that its also a great day for peace. According to this logic, the next step should be American recognition of the annexation of the West Bank, as the Israeli right has been pushing.

So on the 40th anniversary of the Israeli-Egyptian peace accord, the United States decided to pull the rug out from under this precedent-setting agreement. The world will not save Israel from itself. Trump has not missed a single opportunity to strengthen the right-wing settlement movement, so one can assume that as the 2020 elections draw near, he will not do anything that provokes his political base. What about Netanyahus base? They will invariably keep chanting Only Bibi all the way to the air raid shelters. In two weeks time, we will know the winner  whether hope or, heaven forbid, despair.
The idea that the Gaza Strip will eventually erupt is entirely predictable.

It should be obvious to everyone that 2 million people living in such dire humanitarian circumstances and controlled by a terrorist organization is the kind of explosive material that will inevitably blow up sooner or later.

On the other hand, the explosion that is unpredictable is the one in the West Bank. There are two main reasons for the sense of relative stability that permeates that region. The first is the constant, stubborn effort by the Shin Bet, with military backing from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), to thwart terrorism. The second is security cooperation with the Palestinian Authority (PA) and its security forces.

They are under orders from President Mahmoud Abbas, first and foremost, to prevent terrorist attacks, even though he is subjected to profound and widespread public criticism because of this. The contribution of the Palestinian security cooperation to preventing terrorism is enormous.

But the current state of stability is threatened by a series of recent developments. Should these coincide, they could cause everything to blow up and result in a major conflagration. These developments are:

Incessant efforts by Hamas to instigate terrorist attacks in the West Bank. In 2018 alone, the Shin Bet prevented 480 attempts to launch attacks in the West Bank, 219 Hamas terrorist cells were arrested and, most tellingly, 560 attempts by individual assailants were stopped.

An increasing sense that there is no diplomatic way out of the situation. The Arab world is busy with its own troubles, and the hills of the West Bank are being covered by settler homes. Meanwhile, the establishment of a Palestinian state  the national aspiration of the Palestinian people  seems more remote than ever, if not completely impossible. Twice in the past, this sense of isolation and hopelessness resulted in an intifada: in December 1987 and in September 2000. I was head of the Civil Administration in the West Bank in 1987 and deputy defense minister in 2000, so when I look at the current situation, I cant help but say to myself, How similar they are!

The absence of any positive diplomatic developments on the horizon and the lack of achievements resulting from the Abbas policy  of rejecting terror and insisting on continued security cooperation with Israel  weaken the authority of the West Bank political leadership. At the same time, Hamas and other extremist factors have grown stronger.

The economic situation in the West Bank, which is significantly better than that of Gaza, has nevertheless been getting worse. This can be attributed to two significant cuts to the budget of the Palestinian Authority. The first is the confiscation of half a billion shekels from tax money ($138 million) that the Israeli government collected on behalf of the PA. The second is the result of US budget cuts to various Palestinian institutions, including the security forces that operate alongside us. The financial duress facing the PA could lead to its paralysis and even its collapse, which would certainly expedite any volatile development.

The US administration has changed its historic role. For the past five decades, every American administration, regardless of whether it was Republican or Democrat, attempted to serve as a calming, moderating influence, intent on bringing the two sides in the conflict closer together. The Trump administration abandoned the traditional, moderating attitude of his predecessors and became a provocateur instead, fanning the flames of the conflict, even if indirectly, rather than extinguishing them. The damage the Trump administration caused to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, the weakening of the PA through financial cuts and its hindering of security collaboration between Israel and the Palestinians were not intended to better the security situation in Israel. They were designed to appease Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his inner circle politically. If US President Donald Trumps deal of the century would blatantly reflect this stance, the deal on its own could trigger the next explosion.

The Palestinian West Bank population is keeping close watch on Israels actions in the Gaza Strip. Qatari money given to Hamas in a kind of protection racket supports the predominant assumption among Palestinians that Israel only understands force, and that the only way to get anything from Israel is by firing a rocket at it, not by extending a hand.

The last development is potentially the most dangerous. It involves the sharp rise in violence among the radical settlers known as the Hilltop Youth. According to Palestinian figures, while there were 284 cases of attacks on Palestinians in 2017, the number ballooned to 614 in 2018. In the first quarter of 2019, which is not yet over, there have been at least 125 incidents. One such incident alone is enough to ignite a major conflagration.

When I say a major conflagration in the West Bank, I mean that the Palestinian-Israeli conflict will once again become violent and encompass a geographic area that includes all the cities, villages and refugee camps throughout the entire West Bank. In military terms, this is an intercommunal conflict, or rather a civil war between those who are citizens and those who are not. There is no set mechanism to end such a conflict. It lasts a long time, has numerous casualties and leaves hundreds of thousands of people uprooted. One terrifying example of this is Syria.

Intercommunal conflict in the West Bank will impact all areas of life in Israel. The economy, exports and tourism will all suffer. Israels diplomatic isolation will intensify. The IDF will return to policing duties, impacting its readiness for war, as happened on the eve of the Second Lebanon War in 2006.

Decision-makers are well aware of the scenario I presented and its serious consequences. Just last year, the heads of the Shin Bet and the IDF presented it to the Cabinet, as well as to the Knessets Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. But no one jumped up to prevent it or at the very least, to prepare for it.

The reason is that some of the more extreme leaders of the right want precisely this scenario to happen. As far as they are concerned, it is the only way to obtain 100% control over the Greater Land of Israel  the land between the Mediterranean and the Jordan River  without bearing the burden of controlling a population over half of which is Palestinian. They hope that the steps taken to impose collective punishment, which will become necessary due to the scope of the violence, will result in the mass emigration of Palestinians eastward, across the Jordan River. They will legitimize maintaining the occupation of the West Bank by force and keeping it under military rule. Supporters of this scenario believe that it is the best and only way to ensure that Arabs do not become the majority population in the land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean. The more centrist group of right-wing leaders is aware of the risks inherent in an ethnic war in the West Bank but is not willing to come into conflict with a significant part of their voter base in order to give up control of about one-fifth of Israels total territory, just to establish a Palestinian state.

Unfortunately, even most of Israels center-left leadership has accepted the false premise that there is no partner for peace. And yet, the Palestinian leader who always wanted negotiations with Israel is none other than Abbas. He has the receipts to prove it too, just as he does for his active opposition to violence and terrorism and his insistence on continuing security collaboration with Israel. All members of the Cabinet, and all those who served in a senior official position and are now political leaders, know this to be true. They were exposed to it in the briefings they heard and in the intelligence reports they read. They know that the statement, Abbas is not a partner for peace, is a lie.

It is true that Abbas is not a partner for continuing the status quo, nor is he a partner for expanding the settlements. He is, however, a partner for serious, in-depth negotiations and has already proved as much. Toward the end of Ehud Olmerts time as prime minister, the two men engaged in many extensive discussions, which resulted in a series of understandings, not bridging all the differences. All that was left were a few minor differences, which any fair and authoritative mediator can resolve.

When they engaged in these negotiations, Abbas was president of Palestine (he still is) and Olmert was the elected prime minister of Israel. If a new Israeli government does not want to see the current situation deteriorate into intercommunal conflict in the West Bank between the settlers and the Palestinians, it will have to revisit the Olmert-Abbas understandings and simply use them as the basis for negotiations.
The top Democrat on the Senates powerful spending panel wants the Donald Trump administration to hold up a billion-dollar Apache helicopter sale to Egypt until it pays the bills of an American citizen wounded in a 2015 attack by the same US-made aircraft.

Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., who froze $300 million in US military aid to Egypt last year over alleged human rights abuses, has told the State Department that he wants Cairo to pay the medical bills of April Corley.

"We dont know if the sale is going to happen, but we have made clear that the Egyptian government first needs to resolve April Corleys case, said an aide to Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.

In November, the State Department announced its decision to approve the sale of 10 new Apache helicopters to Egypt to address US-Egyptian interest in countering terrorist activities emanating from the Sinai Peninsula that undermine regional stability.

The proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a strategic partner in the Middle East region, the Pentagon wrote in a press release on the proposed sale. This sale will contribute to Egypt's military goal to update its capability while further enhancing greater interoperability between Egypt, the US and other allies.

More: Congress withholds Egypt aid over injured American

Egypt also used US-made Apache helicopters in the botched 2015 raid that left Corley severely wounded. The attack mistakenly struck Corleys tour group traveling in Egypts Western Desert, killing her boyfriend and 11 other tourists, mistaking them for militants. Corley is set to visit Washington next week for her first public appearance since the attack.

The Barack Obama administration approved Apache sales to Egypt after the United States re-established security assistance ties in 2015 after a nearly two-year suspension following Cairo's violent crackdown on protesters. But Andrew Miller, a former National Security Council director for Egypt, told Al-Monitor that the Obama administration also raised concerns about Egyptian troops misusing the helicopters, by firing inaccurately, wasting munitions and failing to meet US standards for correctly identifying targets.

The way theyve used it [military aid] raises questions about whether they can use it responsibly and consistent with US law, said Miller, now deputy policy director at the Project on Middle East Democracy. The UK-based rights group Amnesty International also reported that the Egyptian military used Apache helicopters to surveil protests in Cairo during the 2011 Arab Spring.

The Leahy aide told Al-Monitor that the Egyptian government offered Corley $150,000 for her medical bills, calling it woefully inadequate as the amount would not even cover the cost of her medical evacuation. Leahy is seeking support from other Democratic leaders in Congress for the move. House Appropriations Chairwoman Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., long reluctant to cut aid to Egypt due to its security cooperation with Israel, signed on to a letter in November calling on Cairo to pay Corleys medical bills.

A former professional roller skater who once appeared in Madonna and Chet Faker videos, Corley now suffers from debilitating physical and psychological injuries and will require extensive medical care for the rest of her life, according a press release announcing her April 2 visit to Washington. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters that he had raised Corleys case with Egyptian officials during a January visit.

The Leahy aide said the Egyptian government had claimed the group was at fault but the tour group had been granted access to the Western Desert by passing through multiple official checkpoints. The Egyptian Embassy in Washington did not respond to Al-Monitors request for comment in time for publication.

More: Egypt parts ways with top lobbyist days after "60 Minutes" debacle

Despite Leahys decision to publicize Corleys injuries from the attack, Pompeo opted in August to release $195 million in foreign military financing to Egypt, overruling the Vermont senators hold. Leahy is still holding up $105 million in the financing over Cairos detention of former New York taxi driver Mustafa Kassem as well as Corleys medical bills.

The move comes amid reports in Arab media that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will visit Washington and meet with President Donald Trump in early April. Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry was in town this week and met with Pompeo on Wednesday, presumably to prepare for the presidents visit.

Former US officials expect Sisi to use the visit to boost his image weeks before a referendum on whether to extend his rule until 2034.

Egypt, however, will have to contend with Corleys visit without US-hired public relations help. In January, the Egyptian Embassy in Washington cut ties with the Glover Park Group, ending a $2 million annual contract dating to October 2013, soon after Sisi ousted President Mohammed Morsi.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip  The Hebron Rehabilitation Committee announced March 12 that it had won an Israeli Magistrates Court decision to evict settlers from the al-Bakri family's house in Tel Rumeida neighborhood in the Old City of Hebron.

This case, presented by the committee before Israeli courts in 2005, took the longest time ever to be settled, after a 14-year legal dispute across different Israeli courts. The importance of the case lies in the location of the house that is situated inside a closed military zone in the Old City.

Settlers have tended to seize Palestinian citizens houses coercively, with the support of the Israeli Civil Administration, and they take advantage of citizens leaving their houses due to harassment. The al-Bakri family, which resided in the three-story house in question, was forced to leave in 2000 due to ongoing harassment from the settlers who later moved into the house.

Israel controls 20% of Hebron, as per the 1997 Hebron Protocol. Since that year, Israeli authorities have imposed practices and policies in the area for what it said were security reasons, which include imposing curfew, turning the roofs of houses into military barricades, closing shops and installing checkpoints across town to limit the entry of citizens from outside. As a result, hundreds of Palestinians were displaced from their houses. The numbers of Palestinians in the Old City are estimated at 40,000, while settlers amount to 800 distributed over five settlement complexes.

The lawyer for the Hebron Rehabilitation Committee, Tawfiq Jahchan, told Al-Monitor that the legal unit of the committee adopted the case against the settlers seizure of the Bakri familys house. The legal proceedings against the settlers seizure of the home have been ongoing since 2005; settlers occupied it in 2000 after the family had left.

Jahchan said the Israeli courts have in effect been stalling judicial proceedings by accepting settlers lawsuits that are devoid of legal form and content, allowing the prolongation of the settlers stay in the house and impeding the Hebron Rehabilitation Committee from recovering the home.

Jahchan talked about the impediments that the committee faced before receiving the verdict. He said, At the beginning, it was hard to discover the names of settlers controlling the house, as it is located in a closed military zone. We could not file a lawsuit without knowing the identities of our rivals.

He added that the committee appointed a special investigator who found out the names and filed a lawsuit. After several sessions at the Israeli Magistrates Court, the settlers said they indeed had been in the house when they seized it in 2000, but later vacated it after an Israeli real estate company bought it in 2006 and occupied it. Therefore, the parties in the litigation changed.

In 2006, a lawsuit was filed against the company, which claimed it had bought the house, and the lawsuit was referred to the competent Supreme Court panel.

Jahchan said the lawsuit included eight cases that moved between the Israeli Magistrates Courts, Supreme Court panels and the Israeli Military Objections Committee.

After legal disputes that lasted for 14 years, the committee succeeded in obtaining a decision from the Jerusalem Magistrates Court to evacuate settlers from the house. The decision is subject to appeal within 45 days from its issuance. Additionally, a financial fee estimated at tens of thousands of dollars was imposed on settlers.

Jahchan said, The home is located in a critical area, adjacent to Arab houses. Our success in getting to this decision protects these houses and keeps settlers from expanding their presence in this direction.

He said there were many cases in Israeli courts against military orders and settlers seizing Palestinian homes. He added that the committee is defending the town and its cultural and civilizational heritage and deterring all Israeli attempts to confiscate Palestinian property.

Political analyst and lecturer at Palestine Technical College Nidal Abu Ayyash told Al-Monitor that Israel is a state based on settlement expansion and seizing the property of Palestinians. He praised the committees success in extracting the decision, amid the settlement expansion in the city.

Ayyash said Hebron is facing the biggest Judaization operation in its history, with support from the Israeli government, which is allocating lump sums and security assistance to settlers.

He said that on Oct. 14, the Israeli government approved a plan to build a complete settlement neighborhood, including 31 settlement units in the Old City in Hebron. This would be the first project in the heart of the town since 1997 and would separate its northern and southern parts. The government allocated $6 million to build this neighborhood.

He said, The Palestinian Authority must back the citizens of the Old City and offer them financial and moral support. Civil and international parties must unite their efforts to protect citizens and launch media campaigns exposing the Israeli armys practices.

Khaled al-Amairam an expert on settlement affairs and a lecturer at Hebron University, told Al-Monitor that the decision is positive and pushes Palestinians to file more cases against settlers who took over their houses. He said Israeli authorities create unthinkable ways to legitimize seizure of Palestinian lands and property, using tyranny and violence to push Palestinians to leave.

He said, Life in this area is dangerous, and Palestinians have to leave because of their fear for their lives from settlers' abuses and harassment.

Asaad al-Ouweiyi, a political analyst and lecturer at Jerusalem Open University, told Al-Monitor that Palestinian civil associations are closely following up to annul Israeli claims that their seizure of Palestinian property is rightful. Settlers first make peoples lives hell, then they push them to leave to seize their land, he added.

Ouweiyi said the competent authorities should encourage citizens resilience, grant them privileges and tax exemptions, improve their economic and social situation and build low-priced trade centers. The living situation is tough due to the tight Israeli control and the many checkpoints.

He said, Settlers are taking over houses whose inhabitants have left. The concerned parties should house Palestinians in those vacant houses in coordination with the landlords to prevent settlers from taking over.
RAMALLAH, West Bank  Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails stand ready to wage an open battle with prison guards amid escalating tensions with the Israel Prison Service (IPS), which has again toughened conditions on prisoners.

On March 24, violent skirmishes flared up between prisoners and guards in Negev prison's Section 4. The Metzada unit  the IPS hostage rescue and special operations unit  raided the section, fought with prisoners and fired tear gas.

The prisoners stabbed two jailers with sharp objects. Dozens of prisoners were wounded. Seven of them were transferred to Soroka Hospital for treatment, including two who were seriously injured.

The next day, the Metzada unit raided the prisons of Ramon, Nafha, Eshel and Gilboa. This prompted the Palestinian prisoner leaders, elected by the prison population, to announce March 25 that they were dissolving all prisoners regulatory committees and canceling prisoners representation inside Israeli jails. These committees negotiate and communicate with the IPS on behalf of the prisoners and represent prisoners' decision-making authority. This lack of leadership will make it more difficult to control prisoners and places them in direct confrontation with IPS forces. The leadership also said it held the prison administration fully responsible for the situation as of March 26.

The leadership had made a similar move Feb. 28 to confront IPS measures by announcing the temporary dissolution of the regulatory committees inside the Negev, Nafha, Ramon and Eshel prisons.

On March 22, the leadership issued a statement calling on prisoners to be alert and ready for a new phase of confrontation against the measures the prison administration is trying to impose.

On March 24, the leadership said in a statement that it is planning an open hunger strike in Israeli jails. The statement did not set a specific date for the strike. But the Hurryyat Center for Defense of Liberties and Civil Rights said in a press statement March 25 that prisoners would start a hunger strike April 7.

Palestinian prisoners had upped the level of confrontation with the administration since the beginning of this year, following a string of repressive measures. On Feb. 13, the Negev prison administration set up jamming devices in a number of prison wings to block the use of smuggled cellphones by prisoners. This measure has been applied in other Israeli prisons.

Palestinian prisoners say they fear the radiation emitted by these devices can lead to genetic cell deformities and cancer. They have complained of headaches and fainting.

Installing the jammers was one recommendation issued by the so-called Erdan Committee. On Jan. 2, Israeli Minister of Public Security Gilad Erdan set up this committee to put forward measures Israel could take to crack down on prisoners. The committee recommended, among other things, depriving prisoners of their autonomy in prisons, housing rival Fatah and Hamas prisoners in the same areas and not allowing prisoners to communally prepare their own food.

On March 19, 90 prisoners affiliated with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas factions in Ramon prison were moved from Section 7 to Section 1, which was fitted with the jamming devices. To protest, prisoners set fires in 10 cells in Section 1. The IPS resorted to the Metzada unit, which reportedly assaulted the prisoners and injured 40 of them.

Following the fires, a Ramon Prison spokesperson told Israel media, "The prison was ready for the fire and it was therefore quickly extinguished," adding, "The innmates were informed that such actions would not be tolerated. We will continue to maintain our control over our prisons and disrupt any threat to Israel's security."

Haaretz, quoting security officials, reported that while the Israeli army supported IPS plans to move Hamas prisoners, "They warned that this was a sensitive time and that the move could lead to escalated tensions and violence."

In January, Ofer prison witnessed a fierce crackdown. Israeli special units raided several sections and reportedly severely assaulted prisoners, who rebelled. Israeli soldiers fired tear gas, sound bombs and rubber bullets, and used batons. Prisoner leadership estimated that more than 150 prisoners were injured in the clashes.

The Negev prison also witnessed tension previously. On Feb. 19, Palestinian prisoner Ibrahim Natsha attempted to torch himself during a confrontation with guards over repressive measures. He sustained slight injuries.

The PLO's Commission on Detainees' Affairs said in a March 19 statement that the prisoners were setting up a strategy to counter repressive measures. The statement denounced the prison administrations continued installation of carcinogenic jammers in a number of detention centers; repression; inspection and isolation measures; deliberate medical negligence; mass detentions; abuse of female prisoners and children; and issuance of racist laws against detainees.

Qadura Fares, head of the nongovernmental organization Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS), spoke with Al-Monitor about an apparent Israeli inclination toward greater militancy in its legislative, political and security establishment, mainly against Palestinian prisoners.

The Israeli political parties are escalating their rhetoric and competing to enact oppressive racist laws toward prisoners. This is an internal Israeli policy maneuver aimed to attract voters, he said. He affirmed, however, that the measures Israel intends to impose on Palestinian prisoners must be approved by the PPS. Prisoners have some cards they can play to confront the measures and policies that harm them, most notably declaring an open hunger strike.

Fares went on, The situation in the prisons is tense and there are no solutions in sight, especially since the IPS is acting under the instructions of the Israeli Ministry of Public Security and political parties. The IPS is bound by these instructions.

He also pointed to major changes in the offing if the IPS does not reconsider measures of isolating and moving inmates and installing carcinogenic jamming devices."

"The prisoners will make a series of security disobedience decisions," he said. "If the IPS doesn't renounce its measures, Palestinian prisoners from all factions will go on strike.

Ali al-Maghrabi, spokesman for Hamas Office of Prisoners Affairs, told Al-Monitor that the dissolution of all regulatory committees would escalate the situation to a point of no return. We currently stand at a crossroads. Either IPS offers solutions to this crisis, or things are heading toward escalation.

Maghrabi said, Prisoners are expected to stage a hunger strike. The heads of factions and regulatory committees would begin first for three days. If no solutions are offered, the strike will be extended to more than 1,500 prisoners and will continue until the prison administration meets the inmates demands.

He pointed out that prisoners as a group could refuse water. This would set a precedent in prisoners collective action. Some prisoners had individually refused water. A collective decision may also be made, among others, to refuse breaks in open air.

Maghrabi also commented on the jamming devices being used to disrupt communications. IPS reduced visits, prohibited entry of clothing items, and cut back the monthly amount that family members can deposit so prisoners can purchase products in the canteen  from 1,200 shekels [$332] to 400 shekels [$110]. This is in addition to other measures implemented on Erdan Committee recommendations."

He added, An open hunger strike in prisons is sure to start any time, from now until April 17, which marks the Day of the Palestinian Prisoner."
On March 26-27, Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted Lebanese President Michel Aoun in Moscow. It was the Lebanese president's first trip to Russia as a national leader, and only the third visit of a Lebanese president to Moscow in the history of bilateral relations.

During the two-day visit, Aoun met with, among others, Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of the State Duma, Metropolitan Hilarion, the chairman of the Department of External Church Relations of the Patriarchate of Moscow, and Igor Sechin, the chairman of Rosneft Corp. At the meeting with Putin, attended on the Russian side by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, presidential aide Yuri Ushakov and Economy Minister Maxim Oreshkin, the Lebanese president was accompanied by his son-in-law, Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, and daughter, Mireille Aoun al-Hashem, who works as a senior presidential adviser.

Aouns trip was timed with the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Moscow and Beirut. Despite dynamic political contacts, trade and economic cooperation between Russia and Lebanon remains underdeveloped. Trade flow between the two sides in 2018 amounted to $470 million, decreasing by about 26% compared with the previous year, when it stood at $634 million.

At the same time, Russia and Lebanon have expanded their partnership in the oil and gas industry. In December 2017, Novatek, a Russian gas corporation taking part in a consortium with the French multinational Total and and the Italian multinational Eni, won a tender for exploitation of gas fields 4 and 9 situated on the Lebanese shelf. In January 2019, Rosneft and the Lebanese Ministry of Energy and Water Resources signed an agreement according to which the Russian company will take up operational management of an oil storage terminal in the Lebanese port of Tripoli for the next 20 years.

However, military-technical cooperation between the countries has lagged  quite understandably, considering longstanding US-Lebanon military ties. Certain small-scale contracts in this domain are, however, being discussed. In an interview with the Russian TV network RT on the topic of aid for the Lebanese army from Russia, Bassil said that while Lebanon is not able to buy weapons, if Russia is willing to provide aid like we receive from the US, we will not object  as long as it is unconditional.

The message was read in Moscow that Beirut does not want progress in bilateral ties with Moscow to come at the expense of relations with Washington.

Issues involving Christianity were particularly important on the agenda of the talks.

We maintain relations with the leaders of your country and representatives of different political forces and religions. We are happy to see you in Moscow both as the president of the country and a representative of the Christian community, Putin said in his opening remarks.

Aoun, in turn, commended Russias efforts to protect religious minorities of the Middle East.

We highly value the position of Russia, [regarding] your stance in defense of religious minorities in the East. It goes without saying that we are living through hard times now and would therefore like to have your support, he said.

Shortly before the visit, Aoun told Russian reporters that he had been looking forward to the trip and hoped to receive support for his idea to create a World Center for Inter-Civilization Dialogue in Lebanon under UNESCOs patronage.

Although the politicians requests were not addressed in public, it seems likely that Moscow appreciated this idea, considering the issues popularity among Russian elites.

Aoun arrived in Moscow less than one week after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Beirut. Pompeo arrived in the Lebanese capital just one day after the public declaration of President Donald Trumps intent to acknowledge Israels sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Pompeos asks on Hezbollah, as well as the statement on the Golan, were not well received by Lebanons political leaders. A discussion of the repatriation of Syrian refugees did not appear to gain traction.

The joint statement of the Russian and Lebanese leaders reflects areas of agreement by the two presidents on many of the regional issues. From the situation in Syria and Iraq, to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to the Iranian nuclear problem  both Russia and Lebanon sought to emphasize adherence to international law and respect for the territorial integrity of any nation.

A separate paragraph of the statement was dedicated to the refugee problem. Prior to the Moscow visit, it was believed that the issue would dominate the agenda of the two presidents: Concrete proposals on the timeline and procedure for the return of Syrian refugees from Lebanon to their homes in Syria were expected to be discussed. Interestingly, Putin did not raise the Golan issue, and it was not part of the statement.

According to the final communique, Russia and Lebanon agreed to support the efforts to repatriate Syrian refugees and the internally displaced, made within the framework of Russian initiatives," and the solution to this problem is directly linked to the creation of beneficial conditions, including social and economic ones, in Syria itself, achieved by the post-conflict reconstruction process." To reach this goal, the presidents asked the international community, the UN and and humanitarian structures for further cooperation.

The main issue here is that even the part of Lebanese society that believes most firmly in immediate repatriation and revival of contacts with Damascus understands that the Russian plan to return the refugees, even with Beirut's support, cannot be implemented without outside assistance and financial aid  such as from Europe and the Gulf, if not the United States. The authorities in Moscow also acknowledge this fact; hence the pledge to the international community was included in the final statement for a solid reason.

Another challenge in implementing the Russian refugee plan is the position of Damascus. In the wake of Aouns visit to Moscow, Lebanese media outlets reprinted excerpts from a story first published by Al-Hayat arguing that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad may be stalling on the Russian initiative. According to Al-Monitors own sources, refugees and internally displaced people, including those living in the Rukban camp, indeed suffer from common problems with regard to their refugee living conditions and complications for their return to Syria. The Russian side has already encountered the Syrian governments resistance to some of Moscows large-scale projects. For Damascus, the repatriation of such an enormous number of people will cause the Syrian government a wide range of challenges  legal, financial and security-related. It is not only about the refugees being afraid to return home due to the threat of repression  it is also about the Syrian governments fear of the influx of large numbers of people, as it faces many challenges to deliver needed services to those already in the country. As a result, Syria's neighbors that have accepted the largest number of refugees are concerned that the Syrians will continue to stay in their countries. Moscow, for its part, will likely lack resources to implement its plan on its own. In this context, the only opportunity to solve the problem is to find some allies.

For instance, during the talks with Aoun, Volodin suggested holding a conference in Beirut aimed at bringing together members of parliaments from Russia, Europe, Turkey, Iran, Syria and other interested countries to discuss the problem of refugees and the resolution of the Syrian conflict.

In general, the statements both Aoun and Bassil made in Moscow reflected an awareness that progress in relations with Moscow, with which here there are many areas of agreement, should not come at the expense of ties with the United States, with which it also maintains a strong and vital relationship. Moreover, the fact that Moscow avoided publicly discussing the American views on the Golan Heights dispute in the presence of Aoun and refrained from criticizing the West openly perhaps made Beirut more certain that Russia would not seek to put Lebanon on the spot, thus allowing continuing cooperation with Moscow on many issues well worth pursuing.
Weather forecasting is fundamentally uncertain.

Experts can predict the trajectory of climate change and its global effects. Local weather, on the other hand, is sporadic. Were never 100 percent sure if and when it will rain. So we rely on meteorologists to help us out.

Thats the focus of Invisibilia, the NPR podcast devoted to unseeable forces and the science of uncertainty.

The podcasts most recent episode, which debuted on March 22, examines our relationship with weather through the eyes of ABC 33/40 chief meteorologist James Spann.

Meteorologists understand a lot about weather forecasting, but there's even more they don't.

The standard person on the street thinks weather people get paid for getting it wrong 90 percent of the time, Spann told NPR producer Abby Wendle.

They dont know what its like to be standing on that wall when youve got lives on the line on a day like that. Nobody gets it.

The nearly 24-minute long segment takes listeners on a journey from Spanns early life though his career in Dixie Alley, zeroing in on a pivotal moment-- the violent tornado outbreak on April 27, 2011 where 253 people died and thousands were injured as more than 60 tornadoes touched down in Alabama.

He recounted the moment during his report when a tornado touched down live.

You were looking at pure, raw, graphic violence, said Spann during the segment. I would say in my 40 years, that was my scariest moment.

Spann still struggles with the death toll. For the 62-year-old meteorologist, no one was supposed to die on his watch. The reports. The advanced technology. The weather enterprises. To Spann, all had failed that day.

We have to find out what happened. We have to find out why so many people died and fix it.

In 2016, he told Al.coms Ben Flanagan that he was still trying to process the deaths.

My main concern, every time we have a severe weather threat, everybody asks the same question. They say, Will this be like April 27? And of course, the right answer is no. If you do a study of climatology here, we had a day like that in April of 1974 and in March of 1932. They seem to happen about every 40 years, and thats why I call it generational. But all it takes is one, and if it comes down your street, thats your April 27. And I hope people dont get hung up in this thing where if we dont have 62 tornadoes, its not a big deal and they dont pay attention."

Listen to the episode The Weatherman below:

For a look back at Al.coms coverage of the 2011 tornadoes, go here.
Hoovers new artisan coffee company is set to have its grand opening this weekend.

Baba Java Roaster & Cafe, located in the Chace Lake shopping center, will serve specialty coffees sourced from around the world, including Yemen, Africa, and Central and South America.

The cafe will host a grand opening celebration this weekend, complete with a traditional Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony hosted by Kedija Teyeb, co-owner of Red Sea Ethiopian and Mediterranean Restaurant.

Helmed by Wendi and Nathan Parvin, Baba Java is the husband and wife teams first venture into the food and beverage industry. Wendy says the pair was inspired to start the cafe after their son spent a summer overseas learning about coffee distribution. Initially, the idea was to start a subscription-based coffee service. The Parvins decided to expand the idea into a brick and mortar location when they realized that there werent a lot of speciality coffee shops on the side of Hoover near the Shelby County line.

Baba Java will offer espresso-based drinks, pour over and drip coffee, and Turkish coffee. It will also offer specialty tea by Birmingham-based Sachai Tea Company . All of of Baba Javas specialty coffees are single sourced from locales including Honduras and Guatemala. The cafe will also feature a high-end specialty coffee from Yemen, as well as coffee from Chinas Yunan Province, which has a fledgling culture of cultivated coffee.

The menu at Baba Java Roaster & Cafe (credit: Shauna Stuart for al.com)

And two of Baba Javas coffees, says Wendy, are directly sourced from farmers. Baba Java roasts their beans on the premises.

We really want to focus on having a good cup of coffee from the farm, all the way here, said Wendi Parvin.

Those interested in world coffee culture had the opportunity to have a first taste of Baba Javas specialty roasts in February at the Alabama Coffee Festival, the Alabama Multicultural Organizations annual immersive coffee experience.

The Parvins and Brad Haynes, Baba Javas vice president of operations, want to keep that momentum of sharing the origins and cultures of the coffee they source, including ensuring that the growers are getting a fair price for the beans that they farm.

Coffee is a global product, said Haynes. So because its a global product, we should know about where these products come from.

Thats where experiences like Kedija Teyebs Ethiopian coffee ceremony come into play. Teyeb, a native of Ethiopia and a good friend of Haynes wife, also hosts the ceremonies at her restaurant.

Haynes says in the future, they plan to hold public cuppings, formal tastings to examine the coffees tastes and aromas, to teach patrons about how factors such as the growing region, soil and elevation affect coffee beans.

We want to invite people in to taste coffees and lean how to train their palates to pick up certain flavors.

The educational component is incorporated into Baba Javas minimalist design. On one wall is a map with countries marked in green.

The countries in green are where our coffee comes from. Were just trying use this as an opportunity to explain more, said Parvin.

On another wall is a photo of a coffee farm in Yemen. In the midst of civil unrest, the Middle Eastern country is quickly on its way to reclaiming its title one of the worlds coffee titans.

This photo just shows the terrain and how difficult it is to farm there. So (the farmers) work very hard. The coffee beans from there also are really unique and have really unique flavors. So thats what makes it more of a specialty coffee, explained Wendy. When we roast it, we take our time to figure out the best roast for each bean that we have. And then from there, we make the espresso or drip coffee. We want to do it in the best way that brings out the best flavors.

A selection of coffee from Baba Java Roaster & Cafe (credit: Shauna Stuart for AL.com)

The cafes curved bar is designed for customers to engage in conversation with the baristas. Patrons also have an unobstructed view of the Baba Javas coffee roaster.

So its kind of cool, because people will come in and see them roasting and talk, said Parvin. Again, we want it to be where they could come up here and ask questions about how it all works. Just to kind help with the education and the competency.

Baba Java also has an assortment of baked goods from neighboring shops, including Hoovers Forest Bear Bakery, Pelhams Highland Gourmet Scones, and strudels from Customs Cafe. The cafe also features truffles from Michelles Chocolate Lab and pound cake from Heirloom Pound Cakes in Birmingham.

A selection of cookies from Baba Java Roaster & Cafe (credit: Shauna Stuart for AL.com)

Parvin says the shop will eventually offer karaoke and live music on the weekends. While the shop is closed on Sundays, it will be available for special events.

This week, the cafe is doing a soft opening from 7a.m. to 7 p.m. When the normal hours start next week, Baba Java will be open from 6:30am to 9:00pm during the week. It will be open until 10:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Parvin says she is open to extending those weekend hours if there is enough interest.

We want it to be about the community. So if theres a need for us to stay open later, we would be willing to do that.

Baba Javas grand opening is March 30, 2019 at 8 a.m, with face-painting children from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony will begin at 11 a.m.

Starting next week, business hours are:

6:30 a.m. until 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday,

6:30 until 10 on Fridays

8 a.m. until 10 p.m. on Saturdays.

Baba Java Roaster and Cafe is located at 4730 Chace Circle #124, Hoover, AL 35244
Alabamas congressional districts will remain intact for the 2020 elections, a Birmingham federal judge ruled Wednesday  delivering a blow to a lawsuit arguing for two black-majority districts in the state.

Karon Bowdre, chief judge for the Northern District of Alabama, said the plaintiffs had eight years to file their suit after redistricting went into effect in 2011 and only did so last year. It would be unfair to have the state redraw its lines twice in as many years following the 2020 Census, she ruled.

The court finds that to force the state of Alabama to redistrict twice in two yearsonce based on nine-year-old census datawould result in prejudice, Bowdre wrote in her order. This prejudice was caused by plaintiffs inexcusable delay in waiting until 2018 to file suit.

The lawsuit filed by 10 plaintiffs contends that the state Legislatures redistricting plan in 2010 packed black voters into the single black-majority district represented by U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Birmingham, while a second black-majority could have been drawn. The suit claims the redrawn lines dilutes black representation statewide.

Bowdres decision was welcomed by Attorney General Steve Marshall, whose office is representing John Merrill in the case in his capacity as secretary of state.

I am pleased that U.S. District Judge Bowdre agreed with the attorney generals argument that the plaintiffs in the voting rights lawsuit against the state of Alabamas congressional districting plan waited too long to file their legal challenge, Marshall said. Any attempt by the plaintiffs to alter Alabamas congressional map, should they ultimately prevail in their lawsuit, would not occur until after the upcoming 2020 congressional elections. The bottom line is the upcoming 2020 congressional elections in Alabama will not be affected by the lawsuit as it progresses in court.
A suspect was charged with capital murder in the fatal shooting of a teenager at a Huntsville apartment complex.

Demorris Senyon Lauderdale, 28, was charged in the March 20 killing of 19-year-old Austin Dmar Rich, according to Huntsville police.

Update: Mans capital murder case dismissed after showing of alibi evidence

The deadly shooting happened during a drug-related robbery at Brixworth at Bridge Street apartments early that morning, said Lt. Michael Johnson. The apartments are just east of Bridge Street Town Centre, near El Coyote Mexican Restaurant.

Johnson said Lauderdale was captured outside a restaurant in Clayton County, Georgia. Jail records in Georgia show Lauderdale is from Harvest, Alabama. He was booked into the Clayton County jail just before 5 p.m. today. Lauderdale is expected to be transferred back to Alabama to face the capital murder charge soon.

Capital murder is punishable by either the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole.

When the shooting happened, Lauderdale was out of jail on bail in connection with an arrest on charges of marijuana possession, possession of drug paraphernalia and a pistol possession charge, records show. Those charges are pending indictment in Madison County court.

Rich is one of at least six people killed by gunfire in Huntsville so far this year. Of those killings, police have deemed one to be a justifiable homicide.

Updated Thursday March 28, 2019 at 11:20 a.m. to correct the number of homicides in Huntsville so far this year. Huntsville police initially considered a seventh case to be within their jurisdiction. Police now say that killing happened in neighboring Madison.

Updated April 27, 2019 to show the case against Lauderdale has been dismissed.
During a lengthy and contentious court hearing in Mobile Thursday, attorneys representing a 16-year-old Guatemalan undocumented immigrant accused in a traffic homicide case said the incident was a tragic accident and spoke of the political agenda against their client.

Francisco Marcos Domingo Diego, who came to the United States to claim political asylum, is accused of killing 49-year-old Sonya Jones after allegedly driving into oncoming traffic at speed and then fleeing the scene.

Diego pleaded not guilty Thursday to homicide by vehicle and to leaving the scene of an accident where a death or injury occurred. He is currently being held in Mobile Metro Jail and is being tried as an adult.

During a hearing in front of Mobile District Judge George N. Hardesty, Jr., Diegos attorney said that on the morning of March 21 his client was driving on U.S. 98 when a driver to the right came into his lane and hit his vehicle, which subsequently forced his vehicle across the yellow lines and in to oncoming traffic. The head-on collision with another vehicle killed Jones.

He was in a horrible wreck, said attorney Michael Kaoui. This was not a purposeful act.

Kaoui, who has represented many undocumented immigrants in the past, added that Diego then fled the scene fearing the vehicle would explode or catch fire. After making it about 75 yards, Diego collapsed and passed out, said Kaoui. He had broken his foot and shoulder in the collision.

Assistant District Attorney Keith Blackwood contended that no such evidence existed to support the claim that Diegos vehicle was hit, but offered no further explanation as to why Diego would drive into oncoming traffic while also breaking the speed limit.

The actual evidence we have is totally inconsistent with that theory, said Blackwood. I think they probably got that from speaking with their client. Its way too early to be getting into the evidence at this stage, but at the hearing on April 15th there will be evidence available.

There is no accusation or evidence at this stage to suggest Diego was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, according to court records. Blackwood said that speeding charges would likely be added as the case moved forward.

Kaoui said that his client has never been in trouble with the law and contested the prosecutions suggestion that Diego had ever applied for asylum, which the Mobile District Attorneys Office noted in a media press release in the aftermath of the incident last week.

He said that Diego had originally come to the United States to escape gang violence in Guatemala, where teenagers his age are either required to pay a gang opt-out tax or join a gang. Those that do neither can be tortured or killed, as can their families, according to Kaoui.

He has come to escape that life, for a better life," he said.

While Diegos status as an undocumented immigrant has no criminal relevance on the charges against him, it does affect his ability to make bond and can complicate the trial going forward.

If my client has a bond set today, ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) will not come and pick him up unless and until the bond is executed, said Kaoui. ICE will then pick him up within 72 hours. From there he is transported to Oakdale, Louisiana. Thats where everyone is transported to for immigration court. Hell be held in Pinecreek Correctional Facility until he applies for an immigration bond. From there he can apply for political asylum.

However, Blackwood said that he had spoken to ICE agents and immigration attorneys on the issue and contested Kaouis telling of the procedure. Blackwood said that if Diego was to make bond and was then picked up by ICE agents he would be deported back to Guatemala within two to four weeks and would not face the charges against him.

Kaoui said this was not possible since an immigration court would ordinarily wait until the outcome of the trial against Diego before making its decision on any asylum application and then a deportation order.

Judge Hardesty said that he found it hard to believe a federal agent would go against the orders of a state court by taking Diego to a different jurisdiction and deporting him before he could face trial. He said that would amount to contempt of court, but admitted he wasnt aware of any new policy that allowed such an action to happen.

Blackwood said that undocumented immigrants being deported before trial was more common under the Donald Trump presidency than the previous administration.

Hardesty did not grant Diego bond and his next hearing is scheduled for April 15.

But while Diego awaits the outcome of his trial, the two attorneys that have represented him so far have balked at how the charges have been widely politicized.

Mobile-based attorney Ginger Poynter, who represented Diego briefly before making way for Kaoui, said that the political agenda against him was frustrating.

It does really bother me when politicians and district attorneys, who are politicians too, politicize tragedy, said Poynter in an interview with AL.com. I know Bradley Byrne is using this to make political hay and its very frustrating. Its a tragic situation. A woman has lost her life and we have a 16-year-old kid who from what Ive been able to find out fled Guatemala and came to the U.S. seeking asylum and now here he is charged with a crime. Its not like he took a gun and went out and committed a crime.

"This was a terrible accident, she added.

Poynter also said in her interview that the press release issued to media by the Mobile District Attorneys Office unnecessarily referred to Diego as an illegal alien and mentioned his immigration status. She said the release was political.

Kaoui questioned whether any charges would have been filed at all had Diego been an American. If this had been an American citizen we all wouldnt be here today, he said to media outside the courtroom in Mobiles Government Plaza. Its awful. If he was an American citizen the same thing would have happened. Being here without legal status doesnt cause death. An intentional act by an illegal immigrant  robbery, murder, rape, drug trafficking  those are intentional illegal acts. A car wreck is an accident.

Poynter was referring to comments by U.S. House Representative Bradley Byrne, who last week said the tragedy could have been avoided with stricter immigration laws. Byrnes colleague in the House, Mo Brooks of Alabamas 5th congressional district, said that the democrats have blood on their hands.

Both men have taken a hard line stance on illegal immigration and have in the past referred to crimes committed by supposed undocumented immigrants.

In separate emails to AL.com responding to the criticism leveled by Poynter, the Congressman defended their respective words.

Congressman Byrne will always speak out in support of policies that help keep Alabamians safe, including ending catch and release, said a representative from Byrnes office. This is a tragic incident that underscores just how broken our immigration system is, and Bradley will continue to fight for changes to the law that secure the border and make our country safer.

Brooks largely echoed Byrne.

I will not be muzzled by illegal aliens who should not even be here, said Brooks. I will not wait for an illegal aliens trial verdict before I work to secure Americas southern border. I refuse to sit idly by as another 30,000 Americans die each year. My duty is to the Constitution and American citizens. I have no duty to illegal aliens whose first act on American soil was to spit on our Constitution and thumb their noses at American law.

However, the homicide by vehicle law isnt clear cut and formed another clear disagreement between Kaoui and Blackwood during the hearing.

Homicide by vehicle is a relatively new law, coming in to force in September 2017 to replace the Vehicular Homicide statute, according to Alabama statutes.

While there is no suggestion that Diego purposefully killed Jones, as the term homicide would suggest, the new statute says the standard to be met is if the accused knowingly engaged in the illegal operation of a motor vehicle that then resulted in the death of another person.

The idea of the law is to allow prosecutors to convict non-DUI drivers of crimes that fall below the standard of reckless driving but for an act that is more than accidental conduct, according to an essay on the issue by Montgomery-based attorney Patrick Mahaney.

Mahaney said in his essay on the new statute that the words knowingly engaged will make it much more difficult for prosecutors to prove that, in the case of Diego, he deliberately crossed into oncoming traffic that he knew would cause Jones death.

The great majority of traffic collisions - with or without injury resulting in death - are the result of unintentional human error - careless operation, negligent operation, even heedless operation, or simply not paying attention - but can hardly be held to the standard of knowingly engaged which, according to Black's Law Dictionary, denotes the terms purposeful or deliberate, wrote Mahaney.

He added: It seems like a perfectly valid defense to say if your client is facing prosecution under the new Act: I didnt realize I was speeding or I didnt see the stop sign or I thought it was safe to pass .... any logical excuse will work and render the knowingly engaged standard as unproveable, or so it seems.

In a phone interview with Mahaney, he said the law was poorly thought out.
A north Alabama man is jailed with bail set at more than $14 million on 2,794 child sex crimes charges, authorities said.

Jonathan Paul Romine, a 45-year-old from Rogersville, is held in the Lauderdale County jail, records show. Hes charged with numerous child sex crimes, including producing pornography with minors, sexual abuse of a child younger than 12, enticing a child and distribution of harmful materials, court records show.

Romine came under investigation after a child reported being sexually abused by him, said Lauderdale County Sgt. Matt Horton. When investigators served a search warrant, they found pornographic images on Romines electronic devices, Horton said.

A Lauderdale County grand jury issued indictments after determining prosecutors have enough evidence to take Romine to trial, records show. Romine was arrested Wednesday. Bail is set at $14,000,080.

Defense attorney Ralph Holt said the bail amount constitutes clearly excessive bond that doesnt meet constitutional muster. He said a judge will consider a defense request to reduce bond at a hearing next month.

At arraignment, Romine will plead not guilty and not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect, Holt said, noting his client has been under psychiatric care.

Holt declined further comment.

If convicted, Romine faces up to life in prison for each count of producing pornography with minors.

Updated at 10:47 a.m. with comments from an investigator and defense attorney.
Six Alabama school districts were among 623 across the country recognized as the best for music education, according to the National Association of Music Merchants Foundation.

The Best Communities for Music Education program evaluates districts based on four criteria: funding; staffing of highly qualified teachers; commitment to standards; and access to music instruction.

The six Alabama districts to receive the designation were:

 Albertville City School System

 Birmingham City Schools

 Gadsden City Schools

 Homewood City Schools

 Trussville City Schools

 Vestavia Hills City Schools

We have some school communities that have received this recognition year after year. A few have been there for 20 years, said Mary Luehrsen of the NAMM Foundation. But every year, new schools and districts are upping their game when it comes to music and the arts, often despite intense budget pressures.
Birmingham police are holding a 5k Run-Walk to raise money for two officers seriously injured in recent months.

Members of the law enforcement community face countless forms of danger as daily task are performed in the line of duty, said spokesman Sgt. Johnny Williams. The effects of the injuries are not only physical but financial, he said. Because of these officers injuries, they now face numerous challenges associated with daily living.

East Precinct Officer Tekulve Bowden, 39, was severely injured in November 2018. Bowden was dispatched to investigate a traffic accident on I-59 Southbound near the Roebuck exit.

While outside his patrol vehicle investigating the accident, he was struck by a vehicle passing the accident scene. Bowden sustained multiple injuries including serious injuries to his legs. Bowden has undergone 13 surgical procedures, Williams said, and is a battle to prevent amputation of one of his injured legs.

Bowden has served with the Birmingham Police Department since 2002.

Jeremy Elwin Owens, 31, is charged with capital murder in the slaying of Birmingham police Sgt. Wytasha Carter. He is also charged with attempted murder in the wounding of Officer Lucas Allums.

North Precinct Officer Lucas Allums, 27, was wounded Sunday, Jan. 13, 2019, in a shooting that left Sgt. Wytasha Carter dead. Allums, who joined the force in 2016, was assisting in the arrest of two vehicle burglary suspects in the 900 block of Fifth Avenue North.

As they tried to arrest 31-year-old Jeremy Owens, police say, gunfire erupted. Carter died from a gunshot wound to the head. Allums was also shot and spent nine days at UAB Hospital. He is now recovering at home.

The 5k Run  Walk is scheduled for Saturday, April 20, 2019. There will be a balloon release at 8:30 a.m. at Birmingham Police Headquarters  1710 First Avenue North  and the Run-Walk will begin at 9 a.m. There will also be vendors, inflatables, a silent auction and games.

Registration for the event is $30 in advance and $40 on the day of the event. The Children of Slain Police Officers (COSPO) representative, Birmingham police Officer Coleecia Cainion, is organizing the event. Cainon can be reached at 205-254-2059 or 205-734-7071.
The gun that discharged inside the pocket of a substitute teacher in an Alabama first-grade classroom did so after it came in contact with a knife in his same pocket.

Im so sorry it happened, and I hope those kids have no memory of it after time passes, the 74-year-old teacher, Henry Rex Weaver, told AL.com on Thursday.

The incident happened midday Friday, March 22, at Blountsville Elementary School. Authorities at the time said only that the gun discharged in Weavers pocket and that a fragment injured one student.

Through court records made public Thursday and the interview with Weaver, a clearer picture emerged.

According to an affidavit in the misdemeanor criminal cases against Weaver  reckless endangerment, third-degree aggravated assault and possession of a firearm on school grounds  this is what happened inside the elementary school classroom: Weaver had a Taurus .380 pistol and a knife in his front right pocket. He bent over to pick up an item off the floor and when he straightened back up, the knife, a clip-on, entered the trigger guard of the pistol and caused it to discharge into the floor.

A fragment struck a 7-year-old girl in the leg. There was a welt on the girls leg, records state, but the fragment did not penetrate the skin.

Weaver was taken into custody at the scene, interviewed and then booked into the Blount County Jail. He was released the same day on $3,000 bond and has a court date set for May.

Weaver said he had put his pistol up for several days because his permit had expired. He renewed his permit on Thursday and left for school Friday morning with the intention of storing the gun under the armrest of his locked vehicle.

He took a quick phone call as he was about to go into the school  he had to be there at 7:20 a.m.  and was running slightly behind schedule when he got out of the car. I completely forgot about the pistol being in my pocket, Weaver said.

Weaver is obviously upset over the incident and said he knows he will never again be back inside a classroom. Oh, I could never substitute again, Weaver said. The parents are upset, and I understand that.

He said he plans to stand before his fellow church members Sunday and explain what happened. Time is a healer, he said, and hopefully that will happen here.
Richwood, TX (77531)

Today

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 51F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 51F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.
Citizens and politicians say Croatian intelligence label Bosnians who do not collaborate as national security threats.

Dozens of Bosnian citizens have claimed that Croatia has revoked their working permits, deported them and labelled them as national security threats after they refused to work as spies and provide information on Muslims in Bosnia.

Their testimonies were published this month in Zurnal, an independent Bosnian news website.

Zurnal claimed that Croatian intelligence officials have been trying to recruit Bosnian collaborators, specifically members of the Muslim Salafi group, to plant weapons and explosives in mosques, according to documents provided by Bosnias security agency.

In one case, it is claimed that Croatian intelligence requested a Bosnian Salafi known as HC to transfer a bag full of weapons to a mosque in central Bosnia in April 2018.

Prior to that, a Croatian official had reportedly ordered him to create a fake Facebook profile praising the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS), and use it to spy on Muslims in Bosnia.

Because he worked in Slovenia, he often travelled through Croatia, making him a target for blackmail and recruitment, HC told Zurnal.

Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovics office dismissed Mektics allegation as malicious, completely unfounded

Dragan Mektic, Bosnias security minister, told local media following the news that the false flag operation was intended to prove allegations made by Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic that Bosnia and Herzegovina is a terrorism haven.

He said that for the past two years, Croatian agencies have tried to exhort Bosnian citizens connected with Salafis to transport weapons to mosques in Bosnia, where they would later be discovered.

As reported by Croatian media, Grabar-Kitarovic said in 2017 that in Bosnia, there are currently 5,000 Salafists, who along with their supporters make up 10,000 people with very radical rhetoric and intentions.

Bosnian officials, including Mektic, denied the charges at the time, saying they were politically motivated.

A special type of warfare against Bosnia

The director of Croatias security and intelligence agency has admitted that they have had conversations with Salafis from Bosnia, but that they did not request to smuggle weapons.

181218142705856

Goran Kovacevic, professor at the University of Sarajevos criminology and security studies faculty, said Croatia is certainly leading a special type of warfare against Bosnia.

Weve seen this with their propaganda directed against Bosnia by way of Croatian politicians, other officials and media, Kovacevic told Al Jazeera.

Damir Becirevic, a former member of the monitoring committee for Bosnias security agency, told Al Jazeera that the case exemplifies Croatias years-long attempt to discredit Bosnia.

Outside [the region], Croatia pretends to be a friend to [Bosnia], he said. But with concrete moves, it attempts to do everything it can to bring about Bosnias destabilisation.

Three Bosnians told Al Jazeera that Croatian intelligence had summoned them for several interrogations over the past two years in an attempt to recruit them as collaborators.

The individuals were working in Croatia at the time, since the EU-member country often provides better job opportunities than in Bosnia.

While the exact number of Bosnians working in Croatia is not known, 6,733 people were registered in Croatia as having only Bosnian citizenship, according to Croatias 2011 census.

Croatias security and intelligence agency did not respond to Al Jazeeras request for comment.

A threat to national security

Semir Aganovic, a 50-year-old carpenter from Travnik, Bosnia was banned from Croatia for three years, after he received a deportation notice on November 16 and was labelled a threat to national security.

He told Al Jazeera that Croatia had issued him a working permit valid for a year on October 22. But two weeks later, Croatian intelligence called him in for an hour-long interrogation.

[They asked me]: Do you go to the mosque? Are there bearded men [where you live]?'

180816192109428

He responded: Yes there are, and I can see that there are men with beards here [in Croatia] as well.

The officer asked whether he knew certain individuals and if he had seen certain Arabs during the war in Bosnia.

Approximately 2,000 Arabs joined Bosnian government forces in defence of the country during the three-year conflict, which ended in 1995.

While Aganovic had served in the Bosnian army, he did not know the individuals named by the Croatian officials, and told them as much.

Following the interrogation, he received a deportation notice, which was later published in Zurnals report.

I didnt violate any law  I know that I have never wronged anyone. If I was guilty of anything, I wouldnt go [to Croatia], Aganovic said.

Banned from Croatia for 10 years

Nermin Spahic, 47, worked as a carpenter in Croatia for 17 years, but his troubles began when he received an official work permit.





He says he was called in for interrogation six or seven times in 2018, with each session lasting around two hours.

One officer asked whether he attends a mosque, where he was at certain times during the war  such as in June 1993, whether he knew of any Wahhabis in his hometown and demanded to know his opinion on ISIL.

I dont even know where I was last year in June, let alone in 1993, Spahic told Al Jazeera.

Im not someone who goes to the mosque but when he began with this sort of talk, I told him I go to the mosque five times a day [on purpose].

I told him what I think about ISIL  that theyre s***, Spahic said.

An officer said he was failing to cooperate.

In late 2018, he received a deportation order saying that as a national security threat, he was banned from entering Croatia for 10 years.

Banned from the EU for five years

Alen* (name changed to protect identity), a father of two, is still trying to find work in Bosnia after being deported from Croatia in June last year  having lived there for 14 years.

In 2014, he received permanent residency and a working contract. He had been working as a welder.

In January 2018, Croatian authorities summoned him for his first two-hour interrogation.

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He claimed he was asked about individuals with Muslim names, who he did not know.

Because he had served in the Bosnian army during the war, they asked whether he knew of certain generals.

Theyre simply forcing you [to talk about] something that you have no clue about, Alen told Al Jazeera.

They asked me to start talking [and said] If you want to stay here and to continue working, you have to start collaborating with us.

I told them, Im not involved in this. I have no clue [about the names youve mentioned]. I dont follow these people. I am only here to work like before.

A month later, Alen says they called him in again and the same scenario played out.

He received a deportation order in June, and was issued a ban from the EU for five years having been labelled a threat to national security.

They are presenting us [to the EU] as if were ISIL members, as if were terrorists, Alen said.

Hybrid war

Analysts told Al Jazeera that Croatias intention is to destabilise Bosnia, in order to eventually create a third, Croat entity in the country.

Why does the state president [Grabar-Kitarovic] talk about a third entity in Bosnia? Why did she come out with false information that there are 10,000 terrorists in Bosnia, when the director of Croatias security and intelligence agency confirmed at a meeting in Sarajevo that its incorrect? said journalist Avdo Avdic, who broke the news of the affair.





This is their motive: political destabilisation of Bosnia and it is happening continually.

According to Emir Suljagic, professor of international relations at the International University of Sarajevo and former deputy minister of defence, Croatias goals havent changed since the war  either formally divide Bosnia or create a proxy entity which would allow it a stake in running the country.

[Croatias] policies have roots in the ideology of [first Croatian President] Franjo Tudjman, himself found to be the leading member of a joint criminal enterprise [during the war in Bosnia] aimed at destroying Bosnia and Herzegovina [as ruled] by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), Suljagic said.

Equally important is the deep-seated belief in both political and Church corners that Bosniak-Muslims represent the Asian Other  that they are successors of the Ottoman invader and as such barbaric and in need of emancipation.

It is high time NATO and the EU paid attention to the hybrid war one of their member-states is conducting in Bosnia.
Armenia has a complicated history with womens rights. The country boasts one of the first female diplomats in the modern world, dating back to 1918, and was one of the first states globally to give women the right to vote.

However, since then, domestic violence, gender-selective abortion rights and a distinct lack of women in Nikol Pashinyans government have seemingly set Armenian women back several decades  in spite of their highly visible role in the protests that unseated Serzh Sargsyan in 2018.

Al Jazeera spoke to three Armenian artists using social media  Instagram in this instance  and digital art to bring attention to a movement of women and youth looking to move forward as part of the political process, with input into the cultural and, inherently, social development of the country.

The We Move Mountains graphic created in collaboration with OneArmenia and celebrating Armenian women, with profits from print sales geared towards helping clear a minefield in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) [Karine Eurdekian/@kooyrigs/@onearmenia]





Al Jazeera: Women in Armenia were given voting rights before many other countries in the region. However, in spite of their important role in local politics, there seems to be a distinct lack of women representing their peers in the Pashinyan government. How do you assess the role of women in Armenia?

Karine Eurdekian: Pashinyans promise to deliver more women in government resulted in two female ministers to his 17-member cabinet. Though women are being recognised to an extent, the impact of their voices is still to be determined as they proceed to work in an environment that fosters male ideologies.

The unimpactful history of gender quotas in the region is perpetuated by cultural barriers that prevent women from being taken seriously in Armenias governmental boys club. Cultural grooming, deliberate or not, engrains gender stereotypes within Armenian society. There needs to be an active effort made against such ideologies in order to educate the youth in progressing towards a gender-equal future.

Cassandra Tavukciyan: From humanitarian relief efforts during and after the Armenian genocide to serving as ambassadors to foreign countries, there are endless examples in Armenian history that demonstrate womens contributions to national progress as full-fledged members of society.

Ida Kar (1907-1974) was a photographer instrumental in encouraging the recognition of photography as a form of fine art. Armenian Women Artists curates images bringing awareness to contributions made by Armenian women in the field of art history [Cassandra Tavukciyan/@armenian_women_artists]





Al Jazeera: Do you think that Anna Hakobyans Women for Peace initiative can activate womens participation in Armenian politics? How do you feel about the current lack of representation in the government?

Tavukciyan: Just because women are underrepresented at the state level does not mean that women are not participating at the local level. Indeed, Armenian women were the driving force behind the recent Velvet Revolutions protests and their active engagement in the process played a critical role. Anna Hakobyans Women for Peace initiative, rooted in promoting and establishing the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, is a further example of this kind of participation. While much is still needed to be done, Hakobyans initiative is a positive step in the right direction.

Women for Peace | On July 24, 2018, First Lady Anna Hakobyan announced the launch of an initiative to promote the involvement of women on all sides of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in the peaceful and non-violent settlement of the dispute [Anais Chagankerian/@anahitoferebuni]

Chagankerian: Anna Hakobyan is definitely already taking a much more active role in politics than the preceding first ladies and, with her Women for Peace initiative, she is shifting the narrative around womens participation in peace and conflict from birthing and raising soldiers to actually playing an active role in conflict resolution.

Prior to the revolution, women politicians would often play a decorative role and highlight their conservatism, attachment to traditions and their roles as wives and mothers to be accepted as politicians, and gain the populations trust. And even though today the lack of representation of women in government is disappointing, the women who are actually part of it seem less afraid to promote change, to be openly feminists and, to a certain extent, I believe this is a great beginning for a change of era for women in the country.

Al Jazeera: International Womens Day is a national holiday in Armenia. Do you think this symbolism is reflected in everyday life for women in Armenia? What does feminism mean to you as an Armenian woman?

Chagankerian: The day to a certain extent has been stripped of its political nature to become a day where we celebrate the existence and beauty of women, without challenging prejudices and their traditionally assigned role.

Long Live Sisters! | On 18 April 2018, Maria Karapetyan took the microphone on Republic Square, putting special emphasis on womens double fight during the Velvet Revolution: one for a change in power and one for equality [Anais Chagankerian/ @anahitoferebuni]

Eurdekian: Receiving flowers and chocolate one day of the year does not excuse the gender-based violence many Armenian women face on a daily basis. Understandably, statistics on death caused by domestic abuse in Armenia do not make for lovely quotes on cards. However, while novelty is pleasant, the nature of this national holiday tends to omit the blatant and gruesome presence of crime that is aimed at the very women the champagne is being poured for on March 8. Recently, many prominent Armenian women have decided to change this narrative and are using this day to bring attention to critical issues impacting the women of Armenia.

As an Armenian woman, feminism means working towards guaranteeing that my sisters are provided with equal opportunity to their male peers. Feminism means spreading education and repairing a broken criminal justice system that favours a manly voice. Feminism means eliminating the male gaze and not being catcalled in the streets. It means that Armenian men lacking a unibrow and chest hair are no longer automatically considered gay for grooming themselves. Feminism also means that gay is ok, and works to guarantee that LGBTQ individuals will not be beaten in the streets because of who they love. We are a movement that prioritises respect, and our aim is to share this sense of respect through sparking conversation and tackling controversial topics without excluding the critical aspects of unconditional love and acceptance.

Armine Galentz (1920-2007) was born in Syria into a family of teachers who had escaped the Armenian genocide. A member of the Artists Union of Soviet Armenia, Galentz had a successful artistic career, exhibiting her works internationally [Cassandra Tavukciyan/@armenian_women_artists]

Al Jazeera: Why have you chosen this particular medium to express your views? What is some of the feedback youve received about the content you choose to create?

Chagankerian: Social media has great potential for social change. It enables like-minded people to share their views and connect to one another, and consequently, it enables them to strengthen their network, knowledge and visibility in their societies. This contributes to challenging our perceptions regarding the real distribution of opinions in our communities because if we only rely on traditional means of communication, we would mostly only have access to more conservative views and wrongly assume that the whole of society just agrees with them.

Tavukciyan: Because Armenian Women Artists (AWA) focuses primarily on artists and artworks, Instagram is an obvious and practical platform for sharing such visual material. So far, Ive received positive feedback regarding the works and lives of Armenian women artists that AWA chooses to research and promote and most people are pleasantly surprised by just how many artists were present, especially during the Soviet era. Armenian culture is rich and expressive, and AWA tries to bring awareness to the contributions made by Armenian women, which are still relatively unrecognised in the field of Armenian art history.

Stronger Together | A print from @kooyrigs in collaboration with Armenian illustrator Sona Avedikian [Karine Eurdekian/@kooyrigs]





Eurdekian: Our digital medium is extremely productive because it allows us to share education in a simplified and extremely accessible manner. Access to technology is crucial to our movement, and Armenians are generally active on a variety of social media platforms. Even those living in the most remote villages can connect to resources and build friendships with others going through the very same tribulations. This sense of community builds trust, solidarity, and increases awareness through a single click of the follow button.

Members of the Kooyrigs family are extremely passionate about spreading education and expanding our network. Their avid participation has allowed us to further our mission while also building a sense of community that is accessible at all hours of the day, every day of the week. The feedback we receive includes heartfelt messages of gratitude and acceptance. It is truly moving as supporting our community is the primary source of motivation behind the movement.

Editors note: You can access more artwork on Instagram via @kooyrigs, @anahitoferebuni, @armenian_women_artists
Istanbul, Turkey  Voters in Turkey are heading to polls on Sunday to elect mayors, members of city and district councils and village heads, or mukhtars.

The local elections are seen as a test for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans Justice and Development Party (AK Party), coming at a tough time for the countrys economy in the wake of a major currency crisis last year.

More than 57 million voters are eligible to cast ballots, with unofficial results expected to be announced late on Sunday and on the following day.

The race is expected to be particularly intense in Istanbul, Turkeys largest city and economic centre, and the capital, Ankara.
Earlier this month, the acquittal of the four main suspects in the 2007 Samjhauta Express blast case has once again brought the Indian governments commitment to fighting Hindu terror groups into question.

The attack on the train also known as the friendship express, which links India to Pakistan, left 68 persons dead. The majority of the victims were Pakistani citizens. The blast caused major embarrassment for Indias intelligence and security services  it took place only 70km away from the capital New Delhi and in a train that was supposedly guarded by the Indian security services  and threatened to wreck ongoing efforts to build a sustainable peace between India and Pakistan.

While the then-opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as well as some Indian media organisations, tried to blame Pakistan-based terror groups for the attack, the Congress government classified the incident as an an attempt to derail the improving relationship between India and Pakistan and vowed that culprits  whoever they may be  would be caught.

An investigation by Indias National Investigation Agency (NIA) eventually concluded that the attack was carried out by four men  Swami Aseemanand, Kamal Chauhan, Rajinder Chaudhary and Lokesh Sharma  linked to the Hindu far-right group Abhinav Bharat. All four suspects were charged by the NIA, making many believe justice would soon be delivered for the victims.

However, on March 20 this year, a special court in the northern state of Haryana acquitted all four suspects, citing lack of evidence. Following the shock decision, the NIA did not declare an intention to appeal to a higher court or initiate a new probe to find and punish the culprits behind the deadly attack. The Indian home minister, Rajnath Singh, also made it clear the government will not pursue an appeal; instead, he said that it is his personal stand that Pakistan is always responsible for such terrorist attacks.

In other words, for all intents and purposes, the case is now closed.

The unsatisfactory ending to the Samjhauta Express investigation is only the latest in a line of judicial and political decisions which reflect a failure to pursue justice for Muslim victims of attacks.

In April last year, for example, a court acquitted all 11 men charged by the NIA in the 2007 Mecca Masjid blast case where six people, all Muslims, were killed in the southern city of Hyderabad. The NIA had in its probe found that members of the Abhinav Bharat, including Samjhauta Express blast suspect Swami Aseemanand, were responsible for the blast. But eventually, the court deemed the strong body of evidence previously presented by the investigating agency insufficient to declare the accused guilty. The NIA did not attempt to appeal the decision or continue the investigation.

In December 2010  January 2011, Aseemanand made a series of confessions to the courts admitting his role in the blasts targetting Muslims. A few months later, he retracted these confessions, claiming that they had been extracted under torture.

In 2014, however, speaking to a journalist for the news magazine Caravan, he denied being tortured and once again admitted to various acts of violence targetting Muslims. In the same interview, he also claimed that the plot to bomb Muslim targets across the country was blessed by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leaders Mohan Bhagwat and Indresh Kumar.

Despite contradictory testimonies by leading suspects like Aseemanand, as well as a large body of evidence presented to the courts by the NIA demonstrating the Hindu far-rights role in several terror attacks targeting Muslims, the people responsible have been let off the hook.

This travesty of justice is the result of not only years-long efforts by far-right groups to avoid taking responsibility for their actions, but also the current Indian governments inclination to shield groups sympathetic to its Hindu-nationalist agenda from scrutiny at all costs.

Of course, even before the start of BJPs tenure, the Indian state had been somewhat reluctant to identify Hindutva organisations as being responsible for terror in the country. Actually, the only reason why Indian security services pointed their finger at the Indian far-right in relation to attacks on Muslims was the work of the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) under the leadership of Hemant Karkare.

Following a September 2008 bomb blast near a mosque in Malegaon, which killed six Muslims and injured over 100, Karkares team arrested 11 Hindu suspects with links to the Abhinav Bharat, establishing the radical Hindu-fringe as a possible source of terrorism in India for the first time. The arrests helped carry expressions like Hindutva terror or saffron terror to everyday political discussions in India, and turned Karkare into a target for Hindu-nationalists.

Mainstream right-wing groups like Shiv Sena started accusing the anti-terror chief of being anti-Hindu for investigating the activities of groups like Abhinav Bharat and even organised protests against him and his squad. Despite their efforts, for a short while, it seemed the era of the Indian state and security services blaming outlawed Muslim organisations for all terror attacks on Muslims in India was coming to an end.

Unfortunately, Karkare was killed on duty during the 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai in 2008. Following his death, the investigations into the links between the Hindu far-right and terror acts targeting Muslims did not continue with the same zeal. The Hindu nationalist clout over the security services and the political establishment increased further, and even the NIA started to distance itself from the claims made by the ATS under Karkare.

But the biggest blow to the investigations into Hindutva terror in India came in 2014, when the BJP won a landslide victory in general elections. In October 2015, Rohini Salian, public prosecutor in the 2008 Malegaon case, claimed that since the Hindu nationalist party came to power, members of the NIA had told her to go soft on cases of saffron terror. Over the last few years, Salians accusations were all but confirmed as one case after another resulted in the acquittal of all suspects with links to Hindu far-right groups.

In light of all this, the acquittal of the four suspects in the Samjhauta Express blast case only confirmed what many in India already knew: Muslim victims of terror should not expect to find justice in BJPs India.

Besides making the Indian governments anti-Muslim attitudes even more obvious than before, the courts decision to acquit all accused in the Samjhaute Express blast case also turned Indias accusing finger towards Pakistan inwards.

For more than 10 years, New Delhi has been accusing Islamabad of not doing enough to punish Pakistani citizens alleged to have committed deadly terror attacks against Indians. As journalist Jyoti Malhotra has written in a recent article for the Print, after the Samjhauta acquittal, it will be difficult for Indians to look Pakistanis in the eye and ask them tough questions about terrorism.

Just like the Indian victims of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, Pakistani victims of the Samjhauta blast want and deserve justice. By acquitting all the accused, and refusing to continue with the investigation into the incident, the Indian government practically said, in front of the entire international community, that it is not interested in finding and punishing terrorists who kill Pakistanis and Indian Muslims.

If it wants to hold its head high in the international arena, and avoid facing the very same accusations it long directed at Pakistan regarding terror, India needs to take swift action and deliver justice to Muslim victims of the Hindu far-right.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance.
Explosion in busy area of Somali capital also wounds 17 people, rescue services say.

At least 15 people have killed in a car bomb explosion near a hotel and restaurants in Somalias capital, Mogadishu, according to rescue services.

The blast on Thursday afternoon in the busy Maka Al-Mukarama road sent a huge cloud of smoke into the sky, causing destruction in nearby buildings and parked cars.

So far 15 people died including five women. Seventeen others were injured in the blast, Abdikadir Abdirahman, the director of Amin Ambulance service, told the Reuters news agency.

A witness at the scene said she had seen 18 bodies.

As a mother, it is shocking for me and I request those behind the explosions to stop. We are crying every day over dead bodies, and it is very hard for us to talk about, the resident, who did not wish to be named, told Reuters.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Mogadishu is regularly targeted by al-Shabab, an al-Qaeda-affiliated group that has has been fighting to topple the countrys government.

In 2011, al-Shabab fighters fled fixed positions they once held in Mogadishu, and have since lost many of their strongholds.

But they retain control of large rural swaths of the country, and continue to wage a guerrilla war against the authorities.

On Saturday, 15 people were killed in two explosions and a gun battle between al-Shabab fighters and security personnel in central Mogadishu.
The US administration has reportedly authorized US companies to sell nuclear power technology to Saudi Arabia.

US Energy Secretary Rick Perry has approved six secret authorisations for companies to sell nuclear power technology and assistance to Saudi Arabia, according to a copy of a document seen by the Reuters news agency.

The Trump administration has quietly pursued a wider deal on sharing US nuclear power technology with Saudi Arabia, which aims to build at least two nuclear power plants.

Perrys approvals, known as Part 810 authorisations, allow companies to do preliminary work on nuclear power in advance of any deal but not ship equipment that would go into a plant, a source with knowledge of the agreements told Reuters news agency on condition of anonymity.

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The approvals were first reported by the Daily Beast.

The Department of Energys National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) said in the document that the companies had requested that the Trump administration keep the approvals secret.

In this case, each of the companies which received a specific authorization for (Saudi Arabia) have provided us written request that their authorization be withheld from public release, the NNSA said in the document.

In the past, the Energy Department made previous Part 810 authorisations available to the public at its headquarters.

Nuclear arms race

A Department of Energy official said the requests contained proprietary information and that the authorisations went through a multi-agency approval process.

Many US legislators are concerned that sharing nuclear technology with Saudi Arabia could eventually lead to a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told US broadcaster CBS last year that the kingdom would develop nuclear weapons if its rival Iran did.

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There is a big difference between the Iran nuclear deal and the Trump administrations attempts to sell nuclear technology to Saudi Arabians, Will Saetren, a nuclear security specialist, told Al Jazeera.

The nuclear technology that we want to sell to Saudi Arabia is civilian, its for their civilian energy programme, which is a big difference in what we suspected that Iran was trying to do.

Ironically the equipment they were using for the pursuit for their nuclear weapons programme had originated from the US. We sold it to the shah of Iran back in the 70s, the regime is now quite different, the story is quite different. However, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) effectively cut their pathway off to ever developing a nuclear weapon and Iran willingly did this.

So the concern now is that Saudia Arabia might go down the same path  that they might use this technology that they would be acquiring for their civilian nuclear energy programme for development of a weapons programme down the line, Saetren said.

In addition, the kingdom has occasionally pushed back against agreeing to US standards that would block two paths to potentially making fissile material for nuclear weapons clandestinely: enriching uranium and reprocessing spent fuel.

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Concern in Congress about sharing nuclear technology and knowledge with Saudi Arabia rose after US-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed last October in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

The Part 810 authorizations were made after November 2017, but it was not clear from the document whether any of them were made after Khashoggis killing.

Representative Brad Sherman, a Democrat, called on Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during a congressional hearing on Wednesday to release the names of the companies that got the approvals by the middle of April, and Pompeo said he would look into it.

Ignored warnings

Sherman also said the Trump administration had attempted to evade Congress on sharing nuclear power with the kingdom.

Pompeo said the administration was working to ensure any shared nuclear power technology would not present proliferation risks.

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Last month, Democratic House members alleged in a report that top White House aides ignored warnings they could be breaking the law as they worked with former US officials in a group called IP3 International to advance a multibillion-dollar plan to build nuclear reactors in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia.

IP3 did not immediately respond to a request for comment about whether it was one of the companies that got a Part 810 authorization.

Separately, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the investigative arm of Congress, accepted a request by Senators Marco Rubio, a Republican, and Bob Menendez, a Democrat, to probe the administrations talks on a nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia, the GAO said on Wednesday
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has denounced Australias far-right One Nation party after Al Jazeera aired secretly filmed footage in which its leader suggested that the countrys worst mass shooting was a conspiracy.

Morrison on Thursday called Senator Pauline Hansons comments appalling and said his ruling Liberal Party would advise voters, on his recommendation, to rank One Nation below the opposition Labor Party on voting cards in an upcoming federal election, set to take place in May.

The prime minister, whose conservative party has been courting One Nation supporters, said his decision on preference rankings was based on his strong view about the sanctity of Australias gun laws.

Al Jazeeras investigation titled, How to sell a massacre, shows Hanson claiming the 1996 mass shooting in the Tasmanian town of Port Arthur, which left 35 people dead, was carried out to change Australian gun laws.

An MP said it would actually take a massacre in Tasmania to change the gun laws in Australia, she told Al Jazeeras undercover journalist, Rodger Muller, who was posing as a gun rights campaigner.

Those shots, they were precision shots. Ive read a lot, and Ive read the book on it  Port Arthur. A lot of questions there, she said.

Morrison said he was shocked by Hansons comments.

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He added: These gun laws have kept Australia safe for 20 years and have led the world. They are one of the Liberal Partys proudest achievements.

Stupid, inappropriate

Later on Thursday, Hanson, who made global headlines in 2017 after wearing a burqa to the Australian parliament to protest against Muslim immigration, called Al Jazeeras investigation a political attack and a ploy to destroy One Nation heading into the election.

She told reporters in Brisbane that her comments had been completely taken out of context and heavily edited.

The senator also defended two One Nation officials  James Ashby and Peter Dickson  who were filmed by Muller seeking up to $20m in political funding from powerful gun lobby groups in the United States while offering to weaken Australias strict firearms legislation.

In a meeting with the USs National Rifle Association in Washington, DC, Dickson, a candidate in the federal election, liked Australian restrictions on guns as poison and vowed to kill them.

Ashby, in conversations with Muller, proposed a gradual approach to relaxing Australias gun laws, saying: Its like Vegemite. You dont put a f***ing bundle of the s*** on the toast. A light smear first. Get them used to the flavour.

He also told Muller, in advance of a meeting with the energy giant Koch Industries, that he wanted to obtain up to $20m from the group. There is no evidence the One Nation was successful in obtaining the money.

In her comments on Thursday, Hanson said One Nation would never accept a foreign donation.

Flanked by Ashby and Dickson, she said the pair had made stupid and inappropriate remarks, but Ashby would retain his post as One Nations chief of staff and Dickson would remain on the partys Queensland Senate ticket in the upcoming poll.

She went on to brand Morrison a fool for the move against One Nation, saying he had handed election victory to the centre-left parties.
Pauline Hanson floats the idea the 1996 Port Arthur shooting, which left 35 people dead, was a false flag operation.

Australias hard-right One Nation Party faced a barrage of outrage on Thursday after its leader Pauline Hanson was captured on camera suggesting the countys worst gun massacre was a government conspiracy.

In footage from an Al Jazeera undercover investigation, Hanson floats the idea that the 1996 Port Arthur shooting, which left 35 people dead, was a false flag operation.

An MP said it would actually take a massacre in Tasmania to change the gun laws in Australia, she told an undercover journalist posing as a gun lobbyist.

Those shots, they were precision shots, she continued. Ive read a lot and Ive read the book on it  Port Arthur. A lot of questions there, Hanson added.

Australia was rocked in 1996 when gunman Martin Bryant went on a rampage with semi-automatic weapons at the historical Tasmanian colonial convict site of Port Arthur.

After the attack, centre-right Liberal Prime Minister John Howard swiftly enacted tougher gun laws.

Hundreds of thousands of weapons were destroyed in a nation-wide amnesty, marking a turning point for a country that had a traditionally high rate of gun ownership.





The reforms made Australia the gold standard for gun control advocates and the laws retain overwhelming public support.

Hammer blow

Hanson made global headlines in 2017 when she wore a veil that covered her face at the countrys parliament to protest against Muslim immigration into Australia.

The footage of her comments was a second hammer blow to Hanson ahead of elections expected in May.

The same Al Jazeera investigation earlier this week revealed senior members of her party travelled to the United States late last year to solicit millions in donations from gun lobby group the National Rifle Association.

Hanson was condemned by all political quarters on Thursday.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison, whose conservative Liberal Party has for years courted One Nation voters, slammed the far-right partys officials as appalling.

The comments particularly last night and the linkages to Port Arthur, Im sure all Australians would be shocked about, he told reporters.

Gun laws have kept Australia safe for 20 years, Morrison said.

When it comes to this issue, we cannot allow it to be compromised or sliced away, he added.

In meetings with powerful gun lobby groups, the Al Jazeera investigation filmed One Nation officials vowing to soften Australias strict gun laws imposed following the Port Arthur massacre.
US widely denounced at UN Security Council after Trump signed off on Israels 1981 annexation of Syrias Golan Heights.

The United States came under sharp criticism from 14 other United Nations Security Council nations for its decision to recognise Israels sovereignty over the Golan Heights in violation of international law.

The Security Council met on Wednesday at the request of Syria, which in a letter to the council called the US move a flagrant violation of UN resolutions.

President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Monday in which the US recognised Israels annexation of the strategic plateau that it seized in 1967 and annexed in 1981.

Speaker after speaker at the council session supported Syrias sovereignty over the Golan Heights and opposed Israels annexation after Trumps proclamation.

This unilateral action does nothing to assist in finding a long-term peaceful solution to the conflict in the Middle East, South Africas UN Ambassador Jerry Matjila said.

Syrias closest ally, Russia, urged governments to continue to view the Golan Heights as Israeli-occupied territory.





If anybody feels any temptation to follow this poor example, we would urge them to refrain from this aggressive revision of international law, Russias Deputy Ambassador Vladimir Safronkov said.

France warned any attempt to turn from international law was doomed to fail, as the US prepares to unveil its Middle East peace proposals.

Israels security

Three Security Council resolutions call on Israel to withdraw from the Golan Heights, which it seized from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War and annexed  a move not recognised internationally.

The US defended its decision, arguing the recognition bolstered Israels security and could contribute to the stability of the entire Middle East by keeping Syria and its Iranian ally in check.

President Donald Trump smiles at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday [Susan Walsh/AP]

To allow the Golan to be controlled by Syria would turn a blind eye to the threats emanating from Damascus and from Iran and its Hezbollah allies, which want to use the territory to attack Israel, said US diplomat Rodney Hunter.

China, meanwhile, recalled that UN resolutions had declared the Golan as a territory occupied by Israel. Said Deputy Ambassador Wu Haitao: China is opposed to any unilateral action that attempts to alter that fact.

While Syria got support for its sovereignty over the Golan Heights, German Ambassador Christoph Heusgen and Britains Ambassador Karen Pierce also used the meeting to criticise President Bashar al-Assads government for bombing civilians, using chemical weapons and violating human rights violations during the ongoing eight-year civil war.

UN peacekeepers?

Trumps proclamation that the Golan Heights was part of Israel, raised questions about the future of a UN peacekeeping force after its mandate expires on June 30.

The 1,000-strong UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) was dispatched to a buffer zone between Israel and Syria in the Golan in 1974, tasked with monitoring a ceasefire.





Hunter told the council the UN force has a vital role to play in preserving stability between Israel and Syria  an assurance the Trump administrations recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the strategic plateau wont affect its operation.

He also criticised the daily presence of the Syrian armed forces in the area of separation, where UN troops are the only military force allowed, calling it a violation of the 1974 ceasefire.

The US called on Russia to use its influence with President Assad to compel the Syrian forces to uphold their commitment to the ceasefire and immediately withdraw from the area of separation, Hunter said.

UN Undersecretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo expressed hope that the recent developments will not be used as an excuse by anyone to pursue actions that could undermine the relative stability of the situation on Golan and beyond.
Embattled aviation giant Boeing pledged to do all it could to prevent crashes such as the two that killed nearly 350 people in recent months as it unveiled a fix to the flight software of its grounded 737 Max aircraft.

Boeing gathered hundreds of pilots and reporters to unveil the changes to a stall-prevention system, which has been implicated in the crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia, as part of a charm offensive to restore the companys reputation.

We are going to do everything to make sure that accidents like this dont happen again, Mike Sinnett, Boeings vice president of product strategy, told reporters at a factory in Washington state.

Meanwhile, in the nations capital, the head of the United Statess air safety agency faced harsh questions from senators over its relationship with and oversight of Boeing.

Senator Richard Blumenthal said at a Senate subcommittee hearing the Federal Aviation Administrations (FAA) delegating safety work to aviation companies puts the fox in charge of the henhouse.

The fact is that the FAA decided to do safety on the cheap, which is neither safe nor cheap, Blumenthal said. He vowed to introduce legislation to change the system.

Dan Elwell, the acting head of the FAA, defended his agency but acknowledged that, as systems become more complex, its oversight approach needs to evolve.





Ahead of the tough questioning, Boeing launched a campaign to convince the flying public that it is addressing the issues with the 737 Max, including a fix to the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) implicated in the deadly crashes.

Boeing unveiled the software changes  which Sinnett said were developed after months of testing and hundreds of hours  at the companys massive factory in Renton, Washington, and offered reassurances.

Authorisation pending

The MCAS, which lowers the aircrafts nose if it detects a stall or loss of airspeed, was developed specifically for the 737 Max, which has heavier engines than its predecessor.

Among the changes, the MCAS will no longer repeatedly make corrections when the pilot tries to regain control, and will automatically disconnect in the event of disagreements between the two angle-of-attack (AOA) sensors, the company said.

The initial investigation into the October Lion Air crash in Indonesia, which killed all 189 people on board, found one of the AOA sensors failed but continued to transmit erroneous information to the MCAS.

Boeing also will install a warning feature  at no cost  called a disagree light to indicate to the pilot when the left and right AOA sensors are out of sync.

The company also is revising pilot training, including for those already certified on the 737, to provide enhanced understanding of the 737 Max flight system and crew procedures.

US pilots complained after the Lion Air crash that they had not been fully briefed on the system.

Members of the Allied Pilots Association were among the 200 airline customers and others who spent the day at Boeing getting details.

With the software enhancements, we now have several layers of protection, American Airlines Captain Roddy Guthrie told reporters.

T he gold standard 

But despite the revisions, in Washington, DC, Elwell seemed to cast doubt on the MCAS as the culprit, saying data collected from 57,000 flights in the US since the Max was introduced in 2017 showed not a single report of an MCAS malfunction.





And the kind of flaw it could create is something pilots are trained from day one how to handle, he said.

Elwell faced questions about how certification for the Max was handled and why he did not immediately ground the aircraft after an Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max 8 crashed shortly after takeoff near Addis Ababa on March 10, killing all 157 people onboard.

The delay has given rise to suspicions of an excessively cosy relationship between regulators and the US aircraft manufacturer.

Elwell said the FAA is the gold standard for aviation safety around the globe, and denied the agency was lax in reviews of the new systems in the Max, even though certification of some elements, including the MCAS, were eventually delegated to Boeing.
British MPs reject all alternatives to Mays Brexit deal, as the UK prime minister indicates she plans to step down.

The British Parliament has failed to agree on an alternative to Prime Minister Theresa Mays Brexit plan.

MPs have rejected eight different options for the countrys withdrawal from the European Union.

Earlier, May had promised she would step down if the deal she agreed with the EU last November was passed by Parliament. But its already failed twice.

Al Jazeeras Neave Barker reports from Westminster in London.
Group says security forces used indiscriminate force against civilians, torched hundreds of homes between October-March.

Government forces in Cameroons restive Anglophone regions killed at least 170 civilians over the past six months, according to a new report by Human Rights Watch (HRW).

Civilians in the region were also attacked by armed separatists during the same period, with at least two men being executed, the US-based rights groups researchers said on Thursday.

Armed conflict erupted in 2017 in the countrys Anglophone Northwest and Southwest regions after the government violently repressed peaceful protests that begun the year before against perceived marginalisation of English speakers.

Cameroons English speakers have long complained of being treated like second-class citizens and receiving less government funding.

In its report, HRW said soldiers, special army units and gendarmes used indiscriminate force and torched hundreds of homes and public buildings in the Northwest and Southwest regions between October and March.

HRW researchers said they had interviewed 140 assault victims, family members and witnesses to support their claims.

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One witness told researchers that security forces attacked the village of Abuh in the Northwest region in November, burning down an entire neighbourhood.

When I came back to the village, my house was gone, with everything inside. I am left with nothing but my clothes, a mother of five told researchers after hiding for three days in the bush after the attack.

Satellite images and photographs seen by HRW show the destruction of about 60 structures.





Due to the ongoing violence and difficulty accessing remote areas, the number of civilian deaths is likely to be much higher than 170, according to Lewis Mudge, HRW Central Africa director.

Cameroons authorities have an obligation to respond lawfully and to protect peoples rights during periods of violence, said Mudge.

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The rights group also said separatists kidnapped more than 300 pupils since October. However, all of them were released, most of them after a ransom was paid, it added.

The HRW said it had received a response by Cameroons government, which denied state security forces carried out abuse documented in the groups report.

The government added that its security forces all undergo human rights training prior to deployment and that about 30 cases are pending before the Military Courts in Bamenda and Buea for crimes including torture, destruction of property, violation of orders, and theft, HRW added.

The ongoing unrest has displaced more than a half-million people, according to HRW.
Rescue workers warn death toll could rise as firefighters search the charred building in Bangladeshi capital.

At least 19 people have been confirmed dead and scores more injured after a fire broke out in a high-rise office building in Dhaka, rescue officials have said.

Many people were trapped inside the building when the fire broke out in the Bangladeshi capital on Thursday and rescue workers warned that the death toll could rise as firefighters search the charred structure.

More than 100 people had been rescued from the building through helicpoters and ladders, said Julfikar Rahman, director of the Fire Service and Civil Defence.

Our firefighters are searching for bodies on every floor, Rahman told Reuters news agency.

The blaze at the FR tower, located on a busy avenue in Dhakas Banani commercial district, was the latest in a city where flouted building regulations and safety norms have made deadly blazes common.

Witnesses described seeing people shouting for help from windows on the upper floors of the building. Some workers slid down a television cable on the side of the building, while others grabbed ropes that were lowered by emergency service helicopters which pulled them out of the blaze.

Many of my colleagues are still trapped in the office

When I heard a fire broke out in the building, I quickly rushed out of the building, Shoikot Rahman told AFP news agency.

Many of my colleagues are still trapped in the office, said Rahman who ran to safety after hearing colleagues raise the alarm.

A military spokesman, Abdullah Ibne Zaid, said the body of a Sri Lankan man was brought to the armys Kurmitola Hospital and another 45 people were being treated there. Another fatality was reported at the Dhaka Medical College hospital.

At least six people died after jumping from the 22-floor building, AFP news agency reported, citing officials.

Helicopters drop water on the burning building [Mahmud Hossain Opu/Al Jazeera]

Helicopters dropped water on the blaze as flames and thick black smoke poured out of the windows.

Scores of firefighters were backed by navy and air force specialists, authorities said.

Al Jazeeras Tanveer Chaudhry, reporting from Dhaka, said that the death toll was expected to rise as the rescue workers moved through the office building.

It is an ongoing, active situation, he said. There is smoke inside and the rescue operation is still on. The fire department told me they face severe difficulties in the operation because there are so many high-rise buildings close to each other and the streets are narrow.

What made it twice as difficult was the number of people, onlookers, which made it difficult for the rescue workers mobility. Thousands of people are onlooking here.

Safety standards

Fire disasters regularly hit Bangladeshs major cities where safety standards are notoriously lax.

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A massive blaze in Dhakas old quarter on February 21 killed at least 70 people and injured 50 others.

Fire service officials said chemicals illegally stored in an apartment building exploded and set alight five buildings and nearby streets. That blaze took more than 12 hours to control.

A June 2010 fire in the nearby neighbourhood of Nimtoli, one of the most densely populated districts of the capital, killed 123 people.

In November 2012, a fire swept through a nine-story garment factory near Dhaka killing 111 workers. An investigation found it was caused by sabotage and that managers at the plant had prevented victims from escaping.

Authorities are still carrying out a drive to close down illegal chemical stores and warehouses in apartment buildings, launched after last months disaster in the old city.
The fate of 40,000 Syrians trapped in Rukban camp to be discussed by the UN, Russia and Syria

Meetings are taking place to decide the fate of 40,000 Syrians trapped in a remote camp.

The United Nations is taking part in discussions with the Russian military, the Syrian government and representatives of those at the Rukban camp  near the borders with Jordan and Iraq.

The UN told Al Jazeera that the majority want to leave but they have not been given any security guarantees.

Al Jazeeras Zeina Khodr reports from Beirut.
The deal is aimed at speeding up connectivity to help bring communications on the island into the 21st century.

US tech giant Google has signed a deal with Cuban operator ETECSA to explore ways of boosting internet service on the island, despite diplomatic tensions between Washington and Havana.

The companies on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding in Havana aimed at speeding up connectivity to help bring communications on the island into the 21st century, a key policy of President Miguel Diaz-Canel.

Cubas internet provider is currently dependent on a submarine fibre-optic cable link to Venezuela, but service is often overloaded and slow.

Engineers from the two companies will now work together towards achieving a faster, direct internet connection. The island would benefit from connecting to submarine cables between the US and Latin America.

We are creating a working group which is comprised of engineers from Google and ETECSA who would work together to analyse ways to implement the direct internet connection, said Googles chief in Cuba, Brett Perlmutter.

ETECSA vice president of investments Luis Adolfo Iglesias told reporters the companies would work towards better connectivity when technical conditions allow.

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Mobile internet has been available on the island since December and nearly two million of ETECSAs five million-plus customers have already subscribed to the 3G service.

For most Cubans, however, internet access is still only available in internet cafes or outdoor wifi hotspots.

Former Google chief executive Eric Schmidt met Diaz-Canel last year to discuss improving Cubas connectivity.

Relations between Havana and Washington have cooled under US President Donald Trump after a diplomatic thaw under his predecessor Barack Obama briefly raised hopes of a lifting of a trade embargo in place since 1962.

Trump has instead blasted Cuba as part of a Troika of Tyranny along with the leftist governments in Venezuela and Bolivia, over its support for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

He has worked to tighten the six-decade embargo, threatening to extend it to apply to foreign companies trading with Cuba.
Palestinians to mark a year of Great March of Return protests after UN found Israel may have committed war crimes.

Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are set to mark the one-year anniversary of the Great March of Return protests, anticipating more of the same lethal violence that has characterised Israels approach since the demonstrations began.

Last month, the United Nations Commission of Inquiry (COI) published a damning indictment of Israeli forces conduct in suppressing the protests.

According to the COI, Israeli soldiers have been deliberately shooting civilians, killing and maiming protesters  including children, as well as journalists and medics.

The COIs findings were welcomed by human rights groups who last year unsuccessfully challenged the armys rules of engagement and its shooting policy in Israels Supreme Court.

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Those rules permit soldiers to target so-called main inciters  civilians deemed to be encouraging protesters to approach the fence.

Israel has simply invented the concept of main inciters,' Professor Kevin Jon Heller, associate professor of public international law at the University of Amsterdam, told Al Jazeera.

No such status exists under international humanitarian law (IHL) or international human rights law (IHRL). Under IHL, you are either a combatant or a civilian. Under IHRL, force of any kind requires the target to pose some kind of actual threat, Heller continued.

You cant simply shoot someone in the leg because you think they are leading a demonstration. And lethal force requires the target to post an imminent threat to life.

Legal rights centre Adalah was one of the groups which challenged Israels response to the protests in the courts. Israel  including the army, the government, and the Supreme Court  is recreating international law to fit its practices, said Suhad Bishara, a lawyer at Adalah who petitioned against the use of sniper fire.

In a combat situation, IHL applies and civilians should be protected. In a law enforcement paradigm under IHRL, civilians are protected. So, what Israel has done is create new concepts that do not exist under international law to justify the killing of civilian protesters, Bishara told Al Jazeera.

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As two Israeli legal experts wrote in an assessment of the Supreme Courts ruling, the governments position conflates and obfuscates the international legal frameworks at play, creating an extremely pliable set of rules that can be manipulated depending on the exigencies of the moment.

A key part of Israels approach to the protests is the designation of Gaza as an enemy entity, which dates back to a September 2007 security cabinet decision.

It is this definition which gives the green light to many illegal practices, said Bishara, whose colleagues at Adalah are currently challenging in the courts a decision to prevent any Palestinian in Gaza from seeking compensation on the basis they live in an enemy entity.

For the sniper, everyone on the other side of the fence is seen de facto as a threat; either you are officially affiliated to Hamas, or you are protecting them somehow. The Israeli Supreme Court categorised the demonstrators as participating in hostilities and determined that, as such, they lose their protection. This is how you criminalise everyone as a potential threat  according to these broad, arbitrary, and inaccurate definitions, Israel is saying there is almost no civilian society in Gaza.

Hundreds killed, thousands wounded

According to Palestinian health officials, more than 250 Palestinians have been killed since the protests began and thousands more have been injured.

In its report, the UN found that 189 Palestinians were killed between March 30 and December 31 last year.

Israels response to the Great March of Return protests is only the latest in a series of actions in Gaza that have drawn international condemnation.

During the 50-day offensive in 2014, for example, Israeli officials were slammed for a policy that saw Palestinian family homes repeatedly targeted over supposed links to armed faction members.

Haydee Dijkstal, an international criminal and human rights lawyer from 33 Bedford Row, told Al Jazeera that the steps taken by Israel with respect to Gaza since the 2005 withdrawal of settlers signify a trend away from the concept of proportionality, and a retreat from protections that civilians are guaranteed under international humanitarian law.

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To categorise a whole family, groups of protesters or an entire residential area in such a way that innocent civilians could be targeted or designated as acceptable collateral damage suggests an attempt to create a justification for indiscriminate attacks and collective punishment which does not exist under international law, she added.

Israel has responded to the COI and other criticism from local and international human rights groups with the same basic message: the Great Return March protests are organised by terrorists, and the overwhelming majority of those shot have been terrorists.

A key part of Israels public relations campaign has been figures disseminated by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Centre, once described by an Israeli security journalist as a pipeline for assessments that the Military Intelligence research division does not want directly associated with it.

Meir Amits analyses of Great Return March casualties is  by its own admission  reliant on circumstantial evidence, with a mere affiliation or link to any Palestinian political faction enough to classify a protester as a terrorist. Meir Amit has categorised children as young as 13 as terrorists, as well as slain journalist Yaser Murtaja.

The centres statistics are cited by Israeli diplomats, as well as pro-Israel publications with headlines like: Firm Proof That Most Palestinians Killed in Gaza Protests Had Terrorist Ties.

By contrast, Israeli human rights group BTselem has concluded that, out of 190 identified fatalities among demonstrators, only 53  or 28 percent  were confirmed as participating in hostilities, a designation the NGO assigns based solely on an individuals active membership in an armed faction.

The UN COI, meanwhile, stated that at least 29 of those killed at the demonstration sites were members of Palestinian organized armed groups.

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For international law experts like Dijkstal, Israels ongoing approach to Gaza risks providing an example whereby creating overly broad policies and categorisations could be used to suppress opposition or protest, and individuals exercising their fundamental human rights to free expression and peaceful assembly are unlawfully targeted under the guise of being a threat.

Israel constantly stretches the limits of IHL and IHRL to justify its use of force against Palestinians, said Heller.

Instead of using international law as a minimal standard designed to protect civilians, Israel uses it as a war manual  looking for loopholes and basing its actions on unreasonable and legally flawed interpretation, founded on a morally repugnant world view, a BTselem spokesperson told Al Jazeera.

This is not a legalistic or theoretical issue: this guise of legality legitimizes Israels immoral, lethal policies in the eyes of both the Israeli public and the international community, which allows Israel to persist in its action with their fatal outcomes.
Agnes Callamard calls on kingdom to reveal the defendants names and the fate of 10 others initially arrested.

Saudi Arabias secretive hearings for 11 suspects accused in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi fall short of international standards and should be open to the public and trial observers, a United Nations human rights expert has said.

Agnes Callamard who leads an international inquiry into the killing at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last October, called on the kingdom to reveal the defendants names and the fate of 10 others initially arrested.

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The Government of Saudi Arabia is grievously mistaken if it believes that these proceedings, as currently constituted, will satisfy the international community, either in terms of procedural fairness under international standards or in terms of the validity of their conclusions, Callamard, the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, said in a statement on Thursday.

The Saudi public prosecutor indicted 11 unnamed suspects in November, including five who could face the death penalty on charges of ordering and committing the crime.

The CIA has reportedly concluded that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the killing, which officials in Riyadh deny.

Saud al-Qahtani, a top aide to Crown Prince Mohammed and fired over the killing, is not among the 11 suspects on trial at secretive hearings in Riyadh, despite Saudi pledges to bring those responsible to justice, sources familiar with the matter told the Reuters news agency on Sunday.

Callamard, referring to diplomats from world powers on the UN Security Council who have attended some of the four hearings thus far, warned: They risk being participants in a potential miscarriage of justice, possibly complicit should it be shown that the trials are marred by violations of human rights law.

Abysmal record

Khashoggi, a Washington Post contributor who was living in the United States, was killed on October 2, 2018, at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, where he had gone to collect documents for his planned wedding.

A critic of the Saudi government and the crown prince, Khashoggi had resisted pressure from Riyadh to return home.

His body is yet to be found.

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Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeeras senior political analyst, played down any expectations that an open trial would actually take place.

An open, serious trial, rather than a show trial, would definitely lead to some of those who are truly responsible for the crime, he said.

And as weve heard from so many  including CIA directors and various Western intelligence agencies and others, that this couldnt have been done without the clear involvement of the crown prince  and I cant see the crown prince being called as a witness, Bishara added.

At the end of the day, Saudi Arabia is going to have to continue to make this as a show trial in order to gain some sort of good PR.

Louis Charbonneau, UN director at Human Rights Watch, said the Saudi criminal justice system has an abysmal record, marked by defendants being held for long periods without charge or trial and often denied lawyers.

Charbonneau added that Saudi authorities should open the Khashoggi murder trial to UN observers, international activists and media, and countries whose diplomats observe the trial should speak out publicly.

We cant enable the Saudi government to turn it into a kangaroo court that conveniently finds a bunch of people guilty while whitewashing the possible responsibility of top Saudi officials, he said.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has meanwhile told a congressional hearing that Washington is still working all across the government to identify and hold accountable anyone responsible for Khashoggis murder.
Amid pressure, White House announces it is extending temporary protections for some 4,000 Liberians in US for a year.

Washington, DC  When Rose Knuckles Bull came to the United States in 1999, her home country of Liberia was beginning to experience its second civil war.

The first, which lasted from 1989 through 1996, killed some 200,000 people and displaced about half the population. The second war ended in 2003, but both conflicts created a devastating humanitarian situation that further complicated matters when Ebola broke out in 2014.

After coming to the US on a visitors visa, Knuckles Bull was given Temporary Protective Status (TPS) under a programme that provides protections to individuals unable to return to their home countries usually due to wars or natural disasters. She was later given Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) protections, which gave Liberians the right to work and live in the US, but no path to citizenship.

In March 2018, US President Donald Trump said he was ending DED, giving an estimated 4,000 Liberians in the US a year  until March 31, 2019  to either leave the US on their own and or risk deportation.

On Thursday, as the deadline loomed, and amid increased pressure by politicians, lawyers and the Liberian community, the White House announced it was extending the wind-down period for the expiration of DED for another year.

Upon further reflection and review, I have decided that is is in the foreign policy interest of the United States to extend the wind-down period for an additional 12 months  The overall situation in West Africa remains concerning and Liberia is an important regional partner for the United States, Trump said in a statement announcing the extension.

The reintegration of DED beneficiaries into Liberian civil and political life will be a complex task, and an unsuccessful transition could strain United States-Liberia relations and undermine Liberias post-civil war strides toward democracy and political stability, the president added.

Knuckles Bull, who lives in New York, expressed cautious optimism upon hearing about the extension. She told Al Jazeera the rollercoaster of emotions and the financial strain of having to reapply several times for work authorisation has created repeated stress over the last 20 years.

[Trump] is just giving us time to be here, hes not absorbing us into the system, she said by telephone.

Other individuals and groups that have been organising over the past year to pressure the Trump administration to extend the deadline declared victory, but said a permanent solution needed to be found.

Yatta Kiazolu, a Liberian DED recipient who recently testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in a statement that we are still in the fight for a permanent solution because we still have lives after March 31st, 2020.

We know when we fight we win! We are proud of our community and advocates for pushing for this extension. Yatta, Liberian DED holder. Read the rest of our statement below. #BeyondLiberianDEDhttps://t.co/0W9vEF0wEa  UndocuBlack Network (@UndocuBlack) March 28, 2019

Were still in fight for permanent solution

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison led a coalition of state lawyers in filing a brief on Monday supporting DED recipients.

Liberians are people who have been here since the war, they have grown up here, grown old here, had children here. To rip them apart [from their families] is not only immoral, but also illegal, Ellison told Al Jazeera.

After the announcement, Ellison tweeted that Trumps decision was good news, but only comprehensive immigration reform will fix this for folks long-term.

I repeat: this is good news for our Liberian brothers and sisters today, but only comprehensive immigration reform will fix this for folks long-term. Peoples lives are riding on congressional inaction and thats wrong. https://t.co/mp9SdQ1DVn  Keith Ellison (@keithellison) March 28, 2019

Ellison blamed Congress for the looming deportation order by failing to pass comprehensive immigration reforms.

In reality a lot of these folks in a functioning Congress would be citizens right now or on a path to citizenship, he told Al Jazeera. Now we have to fight in the courts.

Hannah Graf Evans, a legislative representative for immigration and refugee policy at Friends Committee on National Legislation, agreed, saying the problem with DED was that it locked Liberians under its protection from getting other visa statuses or citizenship, she said.

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If they have this (DED) they cannot have pathway to other statuses, she told Al Jazeera.

Therefore its up to Congress to address this through legislation, she said, adding that her organisation has been advocating to Congress to help those on DED status.

Earlier this month, the House Democrats introduced the American Dream and Promise Act of 2019 that if passed, could help those receiving temporary protections in the US, including DED holders, and give them an avenue for permanent legal status.

Structured plan to remove folks from US

Patrice Lawrence, national policy and advocacy coordinator at UndocuBlack Network, which jointly filed the lawsuit to block the deportation, along with African Communities Together (ACT) and 15 DED holders, told Al Jazeera that she saw the Trump administrations approach to DED and immigration as a whole as part of a very calculated plan rooted in racism.

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Since coming to office, Trump has cut refugee quotas, banned visitors from several Muslim-majority countries, implemented a zero-tolerance policy at the US southern border and ordered an end TPS for individuals from several countries. That order for TPS holders form Sudan, Nicaragua, Haiti and El Salvador was blocked in the courts last year.

I see this as a very structured plan to remove folks from this country in terms of the motive on every level, she told Al Jazeera.

It cannot be economic based on the way we show up, she added. It cannot be because folks dont assimilate. We have folks who are members of Congress who are immigrants themselves  so the only thing we can touch on then is that it must be racism and the presidents own words have been a testament to that, she added.

This is such great news! So many of us have been living in fear for our relatives and our community. The fight continues #BeyondLiberianDED https://t.co/F1QXhUr5Ob  Serena F. Crain (@serenafcrain) March 28, 2019

Knuckles Bull said that prior to Thursdays announcement many in her community were petrified at the thought of having to leave or stay in the US undocumented.

For her part, Knuckles Bull hopes to stay in the US long enough to save enough money to go back to Liberia to take care of her 94-year-old mother, who she hasnt seen in 20 years.

She said she was out of work for many months over the last year due to the amount of time it took her to get her work authorisation papers. She hopes now with the extension, she can make enough money to leave the US in the coming months to go back and take care of her mother and other elderly relatives in Liberia.

I have done what I needed to do here, she said. I have contributed to raising my grandchildren who are doing very well. And its America thats going to benefit from them.
Malta special operations team took control of the vessel from migrants who were trying to steer it towards Europe.

A Maltese special operations team boarded a tanker that had been hijacked by migrants rescued at sea and returned control to the captain before escorting it to a Maltese port.

Five men suspected of being the leaders of the hiijacking were arrested and taken away in a prison van while others disembarked from the vessel that arrived in Valletta on Thursday.

The Palau-flagged tanker Elhiblu I had picked up the migrants on Tuesday evening in waters under Libyan coastguard jurisdiction and headed for Tripoli.

Al Jazeeras Mahmoud Abdelwahed, reporting from Tripoli, said the vessel changed course when it was about six nautical miles (11.1km) from the Libyan coast.

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We have been told the migrants on board the vessel were fearful of being returned to Libyan detention centres where they could face violations at the hands of people smugglers, Abdelwahed said.

Authorities in Italy and Malta on Wednesday said that the group had hijacked the Turkish oil tanker and forced the crew to put the Libya-bound vessel on a course towards Europe.

Italys far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini on Wednesday described what happened as the first act of piracy on the high seas with migrants and vowed that the migrants would not be allowed to disembark in Italy.

Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat commented that his country does not shirk responsibility.

We will now follow all international rules accordingly, he added.

Not in control of the vessel

The tanker was about 30 nautical miles (55.5km) from Malta when the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) established communications with the captain.

The captain repeatedly stated that he was not in control of the vessel and that he and his crew were being forced and threatened by a number of migrants to proceed to Malta, the AFM said in a statement.

AFM Patrol Vessel P21 stopped the tanker from entering the Maltese territorial waters.

An AFM Special Operations Unit team was dispatched to board and secure the vessel in order to hand over control of the ship to the captain.

It said the team was backed up by several naval vessels and a helicopter.

The German charity Sea-Eye, whose ship Alan Kurdi was in the rescue zone off Libya and which overheard radio messages between a European military aircraft and the tanker, said the ship had picked up 108 migrants including women and children.





Migrants in chaos-wracked Libya face trafficking, kidnap, torture and rape, according to the United Nations and aid groups.

Following Romes increasingly tough anti-migrant stance, boats that pick up migrants making the perilous journey across the Mediterranean increasingly return them to Libya.

Boatloads of rescued migrants have in recent months refused to disembark in Libya, prompting the authorities there to use force.

The European Union announced on Wednesday it will suspend ship patrols, which have rescued tens of thousands of migrants in the Mediterranean and brought them to Italy, in the face of deep resistance from Romes populist government.

Migrant arrivals from North Africa and the Middle East have sharply reduced since a 2015 peak when Europe faced its worst migration crisis since World War II.
Indias Narendra Modis chances of re-election have been boosted by recent tensions with Pakistan, pollsters say.

Riding a wave of popularity from a recent face-off with Pakistan, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched his partys general election campaign with the promise of a new India.

The 68-year-old pledged economic growth and a prosperous society for all at three rallies in northern India, attended by tens of thousands of supporters, on Thursday.

This country has seen governments that only made slogans, but for the first time, they are seeing a decisive government that knows how to demonstrate its resolve, Modi said at one event in Meerut City, Uttar Pradesh state.

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Our vision is of a new India that will be in tune with its glorious past  Indias 1.3 billion people have already made up their minds. Once again, a Modi government is going to be formed in this country, he told the crowd, who, cheering and waving BJP flags, chanted for another term for Modi.

The ruling coalition led by Modis Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is widely expected to retain power in the staggered election beginning on April 11.

Some 900 million people are eligible to vote in the ballot, which is considered the worlds biggest democratic exercise. The vote will be held in phases ending on May 19 and ballots will be counted on May 23.

One of Modis rallies was held in Akhnoor, part of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir state [Channi Anand/AP Photo]

Boost in popular support

A recent escalation in tensions between India and its neighbour and rival Pakistan is expected to boost the BJPs chances of re-election.

A February poll by the Times of India said that 83 percent of more than 2,000 respondents said they would want the coalition to choose Modi as prime minister if they maintain a majority.

Tensions soared last month after a suicide attack in Indian-administered Kashmir killed more than 40 members of Indias security forces. Shortly after the attack, a video of the bomber emerged in which he swore allegiance to Pakistan-based armed group Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM).

India retaliated with an air raid against a suspected training camp in northern Pakistan. A village in Akhnoor, part of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir state, was the site of one of Thursdays rallies.

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The rallies come a day after India destroyed a low-orbiting satellite using a ballistic missile, a military feat only equalled by China, Russia and the United States, which Modi said puts India in the space super league.

[Be it] land, sky or space, my government has shown courage to conduct surgical strikes in all spheres, he said.

Supporters of Modi took to social media to congratulate the government on the latest feat, but his opponents criticised the timing of the announcement in the middle of election campaigning. Powerful opposition leader, Mamata Banerjee, called it a gross violation of the electoral code of conduct.

Resurgent opposition

Gandhi is the son, grandson and great-grandson of three former Indian prime ministers [File: Amit Dave/Reuters]

Modis economic record has also come under steady attack from a resurgent opposition, while the BJPs main rival, the Congress party, which had dominated Indian politics for decades, has accused the prime minister of stoking nationalist fervour to curry votes.

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Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi  the scion of Indias unofficial First Family  has relentlessly attacked Modi for failing to fulfil his 2014 election promises, pointing to rising unemployment and farmer suicides.

Gandhi has offered 50 million of Indias poorest families  an estimated 250 million people  a guaranteed basic income of $1,000 a year, if he wins power on May 23.

The BJP dismissed the plan as unrealistic, but some pollsters say the handouts could win votes.

Bhawesh Jha, founder of CNX, one of Indias largest polling companies, estimated that many voters in relatively poor and populous states  Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh  where Congress won power in local elections late last year, could be swayed by the handouts.

Even if 4-5 percent of voters go in favour of the Congress, it will be a big disaster for the BJP, Jha told the Reuters news agency, adding that it would particularly help Congress where it is in a direct contest with the ruling party. I think this could be a game changer.
Islamabad says the allegation that Pakistani groups were involved in Kashmir suicide attack was unsubstantiated.

Islamabad, Pakistan  Pakistan says it has conducted initial investigations into a dossier provided by neighbouring India on the Pulwama suicide attack in Kashmir, concluding that so far no links can be drawn between Pakistan and the bombing, the foreign office said.

At least 54 individuals had been arrested, 22 locations investigated and a number of phone numbers tracked as part of the investigation, said a Pakistani foreign office statement released on Thursday.

Pakistan said it had shared its findings with India a day earlier, while also briefing top diplomats in the capital Islamabad.

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Tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours spiked last month after a suicide bombing in the Indian-administered Kashmir town of Pulwama killed at least 40 Indian security forces personnel.

India blamed Pakistan for controlling the attack and launched punitive air raids on what it termed a training camp on Pakistani soil shortly thereafter.

Pakistan said the air attacks hit an uninhabited forest, and launched its own air attacks adjacent to Indian military targets, causing no casualties.

Both sides deployed fighter jets and in an aerial dogfight, an Indian aircraft was shot down, resulting in the capture of its pilot.

With his return two days later, tensions began to subside, although both countries militaries remain on high alert.

On Wednesday, Pakistan fully reopened its airspace for flights originating or departing from the country for the first time in a month. Transit flights over Pakistani airspace remain suspended.

Crackdown on dissent

Shortly after the attack, a video emerged of alleged suicide bomber Adil Dar, a native of Indian-administered Kashmir, claiming responsibility for the attack and swearing allegiance to Pakistan-based armed group Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM).

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Dars family told Al Jazeera he took up arms after seeing the extent of a sustained Indian security forces crackdown on dissent in the disputed Kashmir region, one that particularly targets young men.

India and Pakistan have fought two of their three wars over the Himalayan territory of Kashmir, which both claim in full but administer separate portions of.

Following the Pulwama attack, India blamed Pakistan for allowing JeM and other armed groups to operate freely on it soil, with one top Indian general going so far as to say Pakistani intelligence controlled the attack.

On February 27, India shared a dossier of evidence with Pakistan linked to the attack, days after Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan had invited Indian authorities to share actionable intelligence on the attack.

On Thursday, Pakistan said it had examined the evidence and had found no evidence of links to Pakistan.

While 54 detained individuals are being investigated, no details linking them to Pulwama have been found so far, said the Foreign Office statement.

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Similarly, the 22 pin locations shared by India have been examined. No such camps exist. Pakistan is willing to allow visits, on request, to these locations.

Pakistan said it remained committed to investigating the attack, and requested additional information and documents to continue the process.

Earlier this month, the country launched a crackdown on Kashmir-focused armed groups such as JeM and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operating on its soil, arresting dozens and taking over schools, mosques and other facilities run by those groups.

It also added LeT affiliates to its list of banned terrorist organisations, a long-standing demand by India and others in the international community.

Asad Hashim is Al Jazeeras digital correspondent in Pakistan. He tweets @AsadHashim.
After months in detention, some of the the activists jailed for their human rights campaigns granted temporary release.

Saudi Arabia has temporarily released three of the womens rights activists held in custody for almost a year, state media has said, following a court hearing in which the detainees alleged torture and sexual harassment during interrogation.

The announcement by the SPA news agency on Thursday did not identify the three women but several reports named them as blogger Eman al-Nafjan, Aziza al-Youssef, a retired lecturer at King Saud University, and academic Rokaya al-Mohareb.

They were freed following the second hearing on Wednesday of their high-profile trial that foreign reporters and diplomats were barred from attending. The women face charges that rights organisations say relate to contact with international media and human rights groups.

In its report, SPA said Riyadhs criminal court indicated that the temporary release was decided after it studied their requests submitted during the trial sessions.

It added that the court would continue to look into their cases and that the release was conditional on their attendance at their trials until a final decision is reached.

A relative of one of the women told the AFP news agency that the women will still have to appear in court when the trial resumes on April 3.

More than 11 activists were arrested last May and those on trial include rights campaigner Loujain al-Hathloul and university professor Hatoon al-Fassi.

Breaking: News of the release of Dr. Rokaya Mohareb and activists Aziza al-Youssef and Eman al-Nafjan. And promises that the others will be released on Sunday 31 March.     (@ALQST_ORG) March 28, 2019

On Wednesday, the women offered their defence at the hearing, alleging torture and sexual harassment during interrogation, according to reports citing courtroom sources.

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Some of the women wept and consoled each other, while they and their family members gathered before a three-judge panel as they accused interrogators of subjecting them to electric shocks, as well as flogging and groping them in detention, two people with access to the trial told the AFP.

At least one of the women tried to commit suicide following her alleged mistreatment, a close relative said.

Lynn Maalouf, Amnesty Internationals Middle East research director, said the women had had only two hours to prepare a defence with lawyers and their families before appearing in court.

What we know is that they [the women] have court-appointed defence lawyers, we dont know that all the women have accepted these lawyers but it is absolutely their right to be appointing their own lawyers in this defence, Maalouf told Al Jazeera on Thursday.

The Saudi government is facing intense international scrutiny over the countrys human rights record. It denies the women were tortured or harassed.

Sweeping crackdown

The women were arrested last year in a sweeping crackdown on campaigners just before the historic lifting of a decades-long ban on female motorists.

They had long campaigned for the right to drive and abolish the conservative kingdoms male guardianship system.

Some of the charges against the women fell under a section of Saudi Arabias sweeping cybercrime law, which carries prison sentences of up to five years.

Loujain al-Hathloul campaigned for womens right to drive [Marieke Wijntjes/Handout via Reuters]

The overseas-based brother of al-Hathloul has alleged that Saud al-Qahtani, a top adviser to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman who was fired over the October 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, oversaw the torture of his sister.

Crown Prince Mohammed has courted the West to support ambitious economic and social reforms, but his reputation was tarnished following Khashoggis murder, which sparked an international furore.

The United Nations as well as three dozen countries  including all 28 European Union member states, Canada and Australia  have called on Saudi Arabia to free the activists.

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo both raised the issue during recent visits to Riyadh.
28 countries sign up to ban on developing robots that could kill humans but some states are choosing to opt out.

Scientists and activists are calling for a ban on making robots that could kill humans, which some tech companies are racing to develop.

But that call hasnt been met with a blanket yes, especially from some players in the Artificial Intelligence industry.

So far, the United States and Russia have resisted signing up to the ban.

Al Jazeeras Mereana Hond reports.
Far-right party sought up to $20m from pro-gun groups in the United States, undercover Al Jazeera investigation reveals.

An official from Australias far-right One Nation party offered to influence the countrys democracy as part of a bid to secure political funding from Koch Industries, a US energy giant, an Al Jazeera investigation has found.

The offer was revealed in the second episode of Al Jazeeras three-year investigation into the US and Australian gun lobbies, titled: How to sell a massacre.

Secretly filmed footage, obtained by Al Jazeera, shows Steve Dickson, One Nations leader in the Australian state of Queensland, meeting with Catherine Haggett, director of Federal Affairs at Koch Industries, in Washington, DC, the US capital, in September last year.

Dickson told Haggett: What you can do to help us and its going to get down to money at the end of the day  we can change the voting system in our country, the way people operate, if weve got the money to do it.
Afghanistan will remain dependent on foreign donors and international help even after a peace deal with the Taliban is reached, a watchdog in the United States has said, warning that the prospect of a potential end to fighting raises its own risks to rebuilding efforts.

The comments on Thursday by the Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction, or SIGAR, which monitors billions of dollars in US aid to the country, came in a new report identifying main high-risk areas for Afghanistan.

A peace agreement would be welcomed by the long-suffering Afghan people, John Sopko, the head of SIGAR, said in Washington, DC.

But it could bring its own challenges to sustaining what the United States, coalition partners and the Afghan government have achieved.

Reintegration of Taliban

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Washingtons nearly two-decade involvement in Afghanistan is the longest war in US history, with tens of thousands of civilians killed since 2001.

In recent months, US and Taliban officials have held several rounds of peace talks, raising hopes for an end to the long-running war.

The latest ended earlier this month in Qatars capital, Doha, with both sides citing progress.

If a peace deal is struck, SIGAR said a concern would be the reintegration of as many as 60,000 heavily armed Taliban fighters and their families back into Afghan society.

The report said other points of concern include widespread insecurity, underdeveloped civil policing capability, endemic corruption, sluggish economy, a burgeoning illicit opium trade and threats to womens rights.

More of the US reconstruction effort has gone into the Afghan National Army than to its national police, and a strategy for a competent police force, sustained by foreign assistance, would also be required, SIGAR wrote. Corruption has hampered reconstruction and remains the top strategic threat to the governments legitimacy, it said.

Intizar Khadim, a political analyst and lecturer at Moraa University, said Afghans, especially the youth, hope peace talks will lead to economic development.

If the Afghan government and the international community, including the Taliban, will take the responsibility to institutionalise the economic development of the country, I think that is possible, he told Al Jazeera from Afghanistans capital, Kabul.

But at least for five years after the peace deal with the Taliban, we all  that means the international community, the US and the Afghan government  should be ensuring that at least for the next five years there should be international donations.





US-led forces deposed the Taliban in 2001 after the September 11, 2011, attacks in the US but the fighters regrouped and have steadily extended their influence.

A study last year by the Brown Universitys Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs said some 38,480 civilians have been killed in Afghanistan due to the USs so-called war on terror.

Donor countries are expected to finance approximately 51 percent of Afghanistans 2019 government spending of five billion dollars. Yet the Afghan governments capabilities are generally weak and it often lacks the capacity to manage and account for donor funds, the report said.

The US has spent $132bn since 2002 on training Afghan forces, strengthening institutions and other initiatives.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly voiced his eagerness to end his countrys involvement in Afghanistan, where 14,000 US troops are still deployed.

Afghanistan has been enmeshed in nearly constant conflict since the Soviet invasion of 1979, which was followed by civil war, the Taliban 1996-2001 rule and the US invasion in late 2001.
Mexicos president says Spain, pope must apologise for 500-year-old killings amid warm ties between two countries.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has asked Spain to apologise for the past killing of millions of its people  but thats been firmly rejected by its former colonial master.

Despite Spains refusal, the two countries have enjoyed close ties, with some analysts saying thats likely to continue.

Al Jazeeras John Holman reports from Mexico City.
Flagship annual report raises urgent new concern about the threat global warming is posing to marine life.

The United Nations has warned that ocean heat hit a record high last year, raising urgent new worries about the threat global warming is posing to marine life.

In its latest State of the Climate overview, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reaffirmed on Thursday that the last four years had been the hottest on record  figures previously announced in provisional drafts of the flagship report.

But the final version of the report highlighted concerning developments in other climate indicators beyond surface temperature.

2018 saw new records for ocean heat content in the upper 700 metres, a WMO statement said.

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The agency said the UN had data for heat content in the upper 700 metres of the ocean dating back to 1955.

Last year also saw new heat records for the oceans upper 2,000 metres, but data for that range only goes back to 2005.

The previous records for both ranges were set in 2017.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the latest findings as another strong wake-up call for governments, cities and businesses to take action.

It proves what we have been saying that climate change is moving faster than our efforts to address it, he said at UN headquarters in New York.

The UN is hosting a major summit on September 23 that is billed as a last-chance opportunity for leaders to tackle climate change, which Guterres has described as the defining issue of our time.

The UN chief has urged world leaders to come to the summit with concrete plans, instead of speeches, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45 percent over the next decade and to net zero by 2050.





Warming oceans

About 93 percent of excess heat  trapped around the Earth by greenhouse gases that come from the burning of fossil fuels  accumulates in the worlds oceans.

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Research published earlier this year in the US journal Science showed that warming in the oceans is on pace with measurements of rising air temperature.

Some models predict the temperature of the top 2,000 metres of the worlds oceans will rise nearly 0.8 degrees Celsius by the end of the century if nothing is done to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to Science.

Oceans are also not warming evenly across the planet.

The WMO report said the highest rates of ocean warming are occurring in the southern ocean, where warming has also reached the deepest layers.

This could result in sea levels being substantially different in different places, experts have previously said.

The thermal expansion  water swelling as it warms  is expected to raise sea levels 30 centimetres, above any sea-level rise from melting glaciers and ice sheets, according to the research published in Science.
The Syrian military said Israel on Wednesday launched raids on an industrial zone in the northern city of Aleppo, causing damage only to materials, while opposition sources said the attack hit Iranian ammunitions stores and a military airport used by Tehrans forces.

The Israeli aggression targeted some positions in Sheikh Najjar industrial zone and a number of enemy missiles were brought down, an army statement said.

There was no immediate comment from Israel.

The blasts caused an electrical blackout in Aleppo, the countrys second-largest city and a major industrial hub that bore the brunt of years of fighting and heavy Russian and Syrian aerial bombardment on its former rebel-held areas.





Experts say Aleppo is one of the main areas where Irans elite Revolutionary Guards have a strong military presence supporting local militias that have for years been fighting alongside the Syrian army to defeat armed fighters.

Two opposition sources familiar with Tehrans military presence in the area said the large ammunition depot and a logistics hub that belonged to Iranian-backed militias inside the industrial zone received direct hits.

Other attacks hit the vicinity of al-Nairab military airport on the outskirts of Aleppo in the second such attack on the installation used by Iranian troops in less than a year, they added.

Iranian-backed Shia militias have expanded their control over mainly Sunni areas around Damascus, southern and eastern Syria that bore the brunt of the heaviest bombardment and led to mass displacement or emigration to neighbouring countries.

Israeli-Iranian proxy war

Irans growing influence in Syria, where it has struck economic and trade deals, has raised the prospect of a military confrontation with its arch-enemy Israel.

Earlier this year Israeli military said they had attacked Iranian targets that included munitions stores in Damascus International Airport.

Iran is a major supporter of President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian civil war. It has offered military advisers, sent allied militia and material support to help the Syrian government in the civil war, now in its ninth year.

Israel, which considers Iran a national security threat, said it would not tolerate an Iranian presence on its borders and expanding its influence in Syria.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel had carried out hundreds of attacks over the past few years of Syrias war to curtail Iran and its ally Hezbollah.

With an election approaching, Israels government has increased its attacks in Syria and has taken a tougher stance towards Hezbollah on the border with Lebanon.

Last January Israel hit a number of Iranian installations in the country, hours after intercepting a rocket fired from Syrian territory.

In May 2018, Israeli strikes killed 27 pro-government fighters including 11 Iranians in attacks on dozens of Iranian targets inside Syria.

Iran has warned Israel it would respond if it continued attacking targets in Syria and repeatedly said its military presence in Syria is at the invitation of the Assad government and it has no immediate plans to withdraw.

The attack coincided with an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council that was held at Syrias request over US President Donald Trumps decision to recognise Israels sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

The decision sparked worldwide condemnation and protests in Syria.
The government will ask MPs to approve only part of the deal that Prime Minister Theresa May negotiated with the EU.

London, United Kingdom  Members of parliament in the United Kingdom will on Friday vote on part of embattled Prime Minister Theresa Mays Brexit deal with the European Union.

Under terms set out by EU leaders after a summit last week, Britain would be granted an extension until May 22 if Parliament passes the withdrawal agreement  one of two separate documents that make up the prime ministers deal  by March 29, the date theUK was originally scheduled to leave the bloc, or Brexit.

In a move that caused a stir in the House of Commons, the government announced on Thursday that MPs would be asked to only approve the 585 page-long withdrawal agreement, agreed by negotiators from the UK and the EU last year.

Along with the withdrawal agreement, which sets out the terms of departure, the Brexit deal also includes a 26 page-long political declaration, a non-legally binding text that sets out the terms of the future relationship between the EU and the UK.

MPs on Friday, however, will not be asked to vote on the political declaration.

Why have a meaningless vote?

According to Section 13 of the EU Withdrawal Act, the government cannot ratify any deal until Parliament has approved it. This process has become known as a meaningful vote, which requires the House of Commons to approve both the withdrawal agreement and the framework for the future relationship.

However, House Speaker John Bercow has ruled that asking MPs to vote twice on the same motion would breach parliamentary procedures.

Mays deal has already been twice rejected in meaningful votes.

Andrea Leadsom, leader of the House of Commons, told MPs on Thursday the governments move to split the deal aims at meeting the EU deadline for the UK to be granted an extension until May 22, just before European Parliament elections.

Should the UK extend beyond that date, it would be required to elect representatives in the EU Parliament, something the government wants to avoid.

What you could do is use the withdrawal agreement bill, the legislation needed to implement the deal in domestic law, to amend the withdrawal act to say that you no longer need to approve the political declaration, Maddy Thimont Jack, a researcher at the London-based Institute for Government, said.

But youd need a majority in the House of Commons to do that.

If the deal is not passed, the EU wants Britain to set out an alternative path by April 12. As a no-deal Brexit remains the default option under Article 50, the part of the EU treaty that allows member states to leave the bloc, the UK could still crash out on that date.

Is May going to resign?

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On Wednesday, May told members of her own Conservative party that she was willing to resign if MPs backed her deal, in a last-ditch bid to win the support of hardline Eurosceptic rebels, who prefer a no-deal Brexit.

I know there is a desire for a new approach  and new leadership  in the second phase of the Brexit negotiations, and I wont stand in the way of that, May told her fellow party members.

The prime minister has not specified what she would do if the deal was to be defeated a third time.

Crucially, her statement does not appear to have won the support she needs for her deal either.

Is the deal likely to pass tomorrow?

Its very unlikely.

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), Mays ally in Northern Ireland, holds many of the cards for the approval of the deal.

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With 10 MPs in the House of Commons, the DUP is the only Northern Irish party represented in Westminster.

The party has opposed the backstop protocol of the withdrawal agreement, an insurance mechanism that aims at keeping an open border on the island of Ireland, for fear that it would lead to a breakup of the UK as Northern Ireland would be treated differently from the rest of the country.

Hardline Brexiteer MPs have rejected the withdrawal agreement, but in the wake of Mays offer to resign, some influential Brexiteers have said they would support the prime ministers deal.

Jacob Rees-Mogg, the chair of the European Research Group (ERG) and Boris Johnson both said they would back the deal.

The main opposition Labour party, which has advocated for a closer future relationship with the EU than that which May has negotiated, also appears unlikely to give its support to the withdrawal agreement on Friday.

Keir Starmer, Labour MP and shadow Brexit secretary, said his party would not support this latest desperate attempt by the prime minister.

To now split the withdrawal agreement and political declaration would leave us with the blindest of blindfold Brexits, Starmer said during a speech at a British Chambers of Commerce conference on Thursday.

What happens next then?

If the withdrawal agreement does not pass on Friday, the UK will have to request a longer extension from the EU in order to avoid a no-deal Brexit on April 12, which could be granted on the condition it takes part in the upcoming European Parliament elections.

On Monday, Parliament will hold another series of so-called indicative votes to find out if it can produce a majority for alternative Brexit options.

The first round of votes on Wednesday ended with all eight options put to a vote being rejected. The top two were a customs union with the EU, which received 264 votes in favour and 272 against, and holding a second referendum, which lost 268 to 295.

However, the non-binding votes were never meant to be decisive, but the beginning of a process for Parliament to find a way out of the impasse.
Milove village is a good visualisation of Ukraines current situation  torn into two pieces by the weight of its past.

Milove, Ukraine  A smartly-dressed young man walks down a footbridge over a village high street clutching a black laptop bag. Just several steps earlier, above the ground, Maxym Brus  a 20-year-old Ukrainian student  was in a different country, Russia.

The soft-spoken mechanical engineering student struggles to explain the paradox of his village.

Milove is a good visualisation of Ukraines current situation. Just like Ukraine, it is torn into two pieces by the weight of its historical past.

Following years of animosity between Moscow and Kiev, in August 2018, Russia  Ukraines historical master  erected a border fence along Miloves high street that ironically still carries its Soviet name: Friendship of Nations Road.

During the Soviet Union, Ukraine and Russia were part of the same country. There were no borders between the Soviet states, and the administrative-dividing line that Milove sat on did not matter at the time.

Even after Ukraine became independent, Milove residents continued their intertwined borderless lives. But the situation changed drastically because of the conflict that erupted between Kiev and Moscow following the removal of Ukraines Russia-backed leader, Viktor Yanukovich, in 2014.





Russia annexed Ukraines Crimean Peninsula and backed armed separatists in the countrys southeastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. The ongoing conflict has killed more than 13,000 people.

Nothing special here

Russias move in Milove split families and friends.

Before the fence, our village shops had everything. The population was bigger. Since the fence, people started to close up shops and move away, Brus tells Al Jazeera.

We used to go over there [on the Russian side] to the shops, and they used to come here. Everything was alive. Now, even on the market day, there is nothing special here.

Brus, who is studying in Russia at the Road Institute of Shakhty, a branch of the South-Russian State Polytechnic University, just like each Milove resident Al Jazeera spoke, to blames politicians for the situation.

Nobody [on the Russian side] knows why this [the fence] came. My friends cant tell why this happened. If the Russian public had a vote on the fence, they would have rejected the project, he says.

Lyudmyla Oleksiivna, 64, a vendor that sells various knick-knacks at a street market in Milove, misses the time when both sides of the borderline used to enjoy festivities together.

Everything was well before [the fence]. We used to live in friendship. There were concerts and musicians used to come from all over. We used to have joint festivities in October. Nobody cared you were Russian or not, she says.

We [Ukrainians with Milove residency] are so far being allowed to cross over. But our friends and family from the Russian side need a travel passport and an invitation to visit.

Liudmyla Oleksiivna, 64, in Milove [Oksana Parafeniuk/Al Jazeera]

She says the village people find it hard to afford a passport.

Each visit must be marked in the passport. How many pages the passport has? Soon you run out of them and you need a new one. And how much does it cost? Is it normal to need an invitation to visit a sister?

Paying the price

Andrii Petrovych, a street vendor selling animal feed just across the fence, does not shy away from blaming Kiev for Miloves woes.

According to him, the village is paying the price for Ukraines aspiration to forge closer ties with the European Union and the rejection of Russia.

We lived together before, it was better. And then they wanted to go to Europe, damn it, he says angrily and starts to pace around in the muddy path that is supposed to be pavement.

Gas got more expensive, other amenities got more expensive. There is no work, there is no perspective for improvement and probably there will be none with our president, Petro Poroshenko. Maybe if they choose a different one [president], the militarisation will stop.

Ukraines presidential elections are scheduled for March 31 with a record number of candidates vying to become the war-torn countrys sixth president.

According to opinion polls, President Petro Poroshenko is trailing in third behind opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko and the frontrunner, a comedian, Volodymyr Zelensky.

Political novice Zelenskys stronghold is Ukraines Russian-speaking areas such as Milove.

After Ukraine became independent, Milove residents continued their intertwined borderless lives until Crimea was annexed [Oksana Parafeniuk/Al Jazeera]

Messed up Milove

Many residents of Milove are wary of naming the candidate they intend to vote for, but all of those who choose to share the information with Al Jazeera support Zelensky.

Even Oleksandr Tsygalo, who works in a campaign booth for Poroshenko distributing election material every day, says he will not vote for the current president.

Look at the [pot-holed] roads in Milove. Does it seem like something was done for the town over the last five years? he says.

Inna Soboleva, a 50-year-old shop assistant, says: I am not sure who to vote for but I will for sure not give my support to Poroshenko. He messed up Milove enough. For him, Milove does not exist.

Brus, who might have to commute back from Russia especially to cast his ballot on Sunday, says he will also risk giving power to the inexperienced candidate rather than support the top two corruption-tainted political heavyweights.

Its my first time so I guess I will go and vote. I think I will vote for Zelensky, since I dont even want to think about Poroshenko. We are fed up with Tymoshenko as well.

Follow Al Jazeeras Tamila Varshalomidze on Twitter: @tamila87v
With the rise of anti-Muslim sentiment in the West, there is a growing trend in conflating Islamophobia with antisemitism. After the New Zealand mosque attack, the journalist Mehdi Hassan claimed that antisemitism has been stigmatized in a way that Islamophobia has not. Hassan also muses:

Imagine if a BBC presenter asked a Jewish guest after the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, Do you thank your community does enough to condemn Israels occupation?

Unwittingly, Mehdi Hassan is revealing an antisemitic line of thought which he assumes will get a free pass because it is dressed up in antizionist or anti-Israel garb; Jews are to the Israeli occupation what Muslims are to extremist Islam. Many Muslims claim to be anti-Zionist but not antisemitic. In truth, this is little more than a deceptive ruse designed to garner support in the Western world under the guise of human rights, where calling for the destruction of Israel (as is common in Muslim countries) would not be tolerated.

The conflation of antisemitism with Islamophobia can be vigorously challenged on a number of counts:

1. The logical conflation would be to compare Jews to extremist Judaism. But of course, Judaism is not seen as a threat in the West the way Islam is. Even the far-left antisemitism popularised under Jeremy Corbyns Labour Party in Britain is rooted in the Marxist belief that Jews are rich capitalists.

2. Muslims, like Christians, are a religious group, whereas Jews define themselves as an ethno-religious group: Jewishness is matrilineal. Islamophobia is a hatred directed at the religion of Islam. Hatred towards Muslims should perhaps be called Muslim-phobia so that violence towards Muslims can be fought without stifling criticism of Islam. Islam should not to be shielded from the same level of criticism that other religions endure under freedom of speech laws.

3. Islamophobia is often used as a tool by Muslims to prevent legitimate discourse about Islam. Shariah law as endorsed by the mainstream branches of Islam is incompatible with western democracies, not least because Islam has not had a reformation. Witness the failed attempts by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to get blasphemy laws implemented in the West.

4. Muslims themselves are one of the biggest purveyors of antisemitism. Muslim opposition to Israel is rooted in Islamic supremacist teachings, a replacement theology which itself is a is a form of antisemitism. Few Muslims will assert that Pakistan is a British colonial endeavour the way they falsely claim that Israel is. I grew up hearing how one day Islam would defeat Israel in the same way the Crusaders were centuries earlier. It is hypocritical for Muslims to oppose Zionism then lump themselves with Jews and claim they face the same enemy and pretend that Zionism has nothing to do with Judaism. For if that were true, over 700,000 Middle Eastern Jews would not have been expelled or forced to leave behind their property and wealth when they fled Arab violence and persecution prior to and after the creation of Israel in 1948. This pretense is a ruse to mobilise the more established Jewish organisations to fight Islamophobia on behalf of Muslims.

5. A lot of the anti-Muslim sentiment in the West is due the illiberal and extremist beliefs and practices of Muslims. As an example, the New Zealand mosque attacker claimed that he was taking revenge for the Rotherham sex grooming gang rapes committed by men of mainly Muslim Pakistani Mirpur descent in England. By comparison, the Orthodox strands of Judaism are liberal and well-integrated and compatible with western democracies. In Britain, the strictly Orthodox actually have the lowest crime rates in the country, whereas prison statistics show that demographically the Muslims have a higher crime rate per capita than the general population.

6. The far-right white nationalist ideology is a racist one, but that does not necessarily mean that every opponent of Islam is a racist. Many who view Shariah to be incompatible with liberal Western values equally reject the far-right ideology. Other minorities who are often from the same countries as Muslim immigrants do not face the same level of hostility. Why do we not hear of Buddhist-phobia? Hindu-phobia? Sikh-phobia?

7. The growth of Islamophobia in the West is a response to the type of Islamic extremism unleashed by Al Qaeda and ISIS. Cultural practices found in some Muslim communities like female genital mutilation and honor killings are another driving factor. Yet another reason is the disproportionate number of Muslim men involved in child sex grooming scandals in England. It does not help that the politically correct culture prevents an honest discussion of religious and cultural practices common in many parts of the Islamic world. There are Muslim men who believe that women who do not veil and who believe in sexual liberation have no grounds of complaint if men rape them. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, the onus of controlling sexuality is on the man, but in the Islamic culture a woman has to take care not to arouse a man. In Muslim countries, a woman who is raped is often blamed for the crime for inciting the man. Social norms dictate that issues like sexual abuse (whether of women or children) is swept under the carpet to preserve family honor. When men from such cultures move to West and bring these practices with them, they can expect to face a backlash.

For Muslims, it would perhaps be more productive to challenge or reform these views and practices and not pretend that Islamophobia and antisemitism are two sides of the same coin. The ISIS caliphate's practices of sexual slavery and rape of Yazidi women are sanctioned in the Quran. Historically, one can see that the Ottoman caliphate practice of enslaving Christian women for sex slavery was rooted in these same teachings.

Not all Muslims support such views of course, and many others think they are outdated. But unfortunately, there has not the been the same zeal by Muslim leaders and clerics to agitate for reform as there has been to causes such as seeking the destruction of Israel. On the contrary, one can see concerted efforts to deflect attention away from traditional Islamic teachings and instead play the race card to claim victimhood. Muslim rights groups like the Hamas -- linked CAIR in the USA and the Muslim Council of Britain in the UK -- will expend an inordinate amount of energy undermining liberal Muslims and promoting Islamism whilst claiming to be victims of racism and Islamophobia.

Islamophobia and antisemitism are two different issues which should not be conflated.

Image credit: Beny Schlevich

Zeyba Nur writes about issues concerning Muslim antisemitism. She can be contacted on zeybanur@outlook.com
Peace. We hear the word every day on film, TV, our place of employment, in politics and religion. Peace is defined as "Freedom from disturbance; quiet and tranquility." Almost everything in life is in search of this elusive treasure, police carry guns for peace, we work 40 hours a week for 40 or more years so that we may have enough money to retire and find relaxation and peace. Our government sends our nation's military into enemy nations to fight and die so that we may experience peace at some point in the future. For example, many in Israel say they hope that the violence of today will result in peace for future generations. We as a society are willing to and go about our lives sacrificing peace in the present for peace in the future (abet non-guaranteed peace) There is a fascinating scene that plays out in the 2016 film Risen, which sees a Roman Centurion being tasked to find the body of Jesus Christ which has gone missing. In one scene we see the Centurion named Clavius sitting in a Roman bath with governor Pilate. they are taking over the job and the conversation turns to ambition and what both men seek in life. Clavius is shown as a violent man who ruthlessly puts down rebellions and does not question the rule of Rome or what he is commanded to do. Pilate states his efforts have seen noticed and asks what Clavius hopes his career and violent exploits will lead to, after a few moments Clavius states "An end of a trail. A day without death. Peace." to which Pilate replies "All that for peace?

Are all of our efforts to get peace at any cost worth the price we have to pay? Does our soul suffer in the long run? I am haunted by stories of peace never achieved, of those who sought and put aside present peace, only for it to be snatched from their hands, the police officer who never took vacations, put everything towards retirement and peace, only to be killed the week of retirement. The corporate lawyer who spent life putting aside what was right in the effort to build of the life he wanted at the end, only to die of a heart attack a few months after he retires. Compromise is a dangerous thing. It is an easy path to travel down when one justifies ethically grey decisions for "the greater good." Its easy to live a life of violence (violence comes in many forms not just physical) and justify that life because it will all be worth it in the end. The past is gone, the future is not guaranteed, only the present can be controlled.

In the seminal graphic novel by DC comics titled "Superman: Red Son," we are introduced to an alternate history Superman who is raised in Russia as a communist. He rules the world with an iron fist and justifies it as being needed to bring peace and prosperity to everyone, however as the story progressives it is shown that Superman is, in fact, becoming the villain he seeks to eliminate in his search for peace. In the end, he was no better than Brainiac (The book's villain), seeking to bring utopia and perfection to humanity. That in his quest to do good he had in fact been doing evil, that he was the villain of the story, not its hero, and thus peace remained elusive.

This is a sobering thought. How often do we as humans seek to do good but in the end do just the opposite? How often do we by shining a light actually plunge into darkness? Peace is a good thing, something that should be sought, however, what are we willing to sacrifice to achieve it? So many parents work long hours and sacrifice time and energy to send their children to good schools and provide them with the best life can offer, but at the end find out the children they sacrificed so much for, are now strangers to them because they sacrificed the good of the present for the elusive good of the future.

In the popular spy television program Burn Notice, we see the hero Michael Weston is seeking to clear his name and find the people who ruined his life so he can be at peace. In a heart-wrenching scene in the final season, an antagonist tells Weston he must be willing to sacrifice if he wants to achieve what he wishes. Weston in a fit of anguish yells I have given everything, my friends and family have moved on, and when I look in their eyes all I see is pity in the end he saw his search for peace and justice had, in the end, destroyed that peace and made him lose everything that gave him peace.

We as humans are in a constant battle to be the best version of ourselves we can be, we are always trying to make the world a better place, we are always trying to find that elusive pot of gold, that mythical place of tranquility that has evaded us. Yet it may not exist, we may not find that peace we are seeking. The only peace we can truly have is doing the right thing in the present. Dont put off the good and best parts of life now in an effort to get peace later, that peace is not guaranteed and you may get to the end of the road and find as you reach out it will vanish like a mist at the end of dawn.

Author Wayne W. Dyer said Peace is the result of retraining your mind to process life as it is, rather than as you think it should be.

So focus on the now, don't take ethical shortcuts to find peace, take life as it is, enjoy it, and then you can experience the peace you seek at the end of the road in the here and now.

Byron Lafayette is a journalist and author. He writes for Fansided and currently serves as Editor in Chief for Viralhare.com.
In the field of competitors in the global NewSpace economy, American companies appear to be maintaining a capability and technology development advantage over both European and foreign entities. The latest Buy America White House Executive Order issued January 31st, 2019 will strengthen this lead, likely bringing procurement, additional manufacturing, new research and innovation, and space launch missions all home to the United States.

However, even before the crafting and release of President Trumps latest Buy America Executive Order, the tables were turning in favor of Americas competitive space advantage.

Late last year, Popular Mechanics published an interesting article entitled How American Space Launch Left Europe in the Dust. Among other things regarding the future of space, the article noted that our space industry is booming, and not everyone is excited about it, especially Europeans and those using foreign space ports. The article continues that, The Europeans, who dominated commercial spaceflight before the rise of American upstarts are suddenly worried that cheaper American launch options are proliferating. The article observes that European space launch experts are concerned, recently issuing a report on a further strong challenge to European competitiveness and freedom to act in space  from the United States.

These foreign launch experts worry that Americas procurement is shifting toward American space launch providers, and that U.S. incentives are creating an industry that could swallow the comparatively moribund European effort.

Truth is, they are right to worry. The U.S. space launch sector is taking off  a critical part of a booming and dynamic American space technology industry that is often referred to as the NewSpace economy  and the U.S. government is reinforcing the launch renaissance. As the article acutely noted, This represents a stunning turnaround for the U.S.

True enough. But that is just the start of this renaissance. Over the past decade, the U.S. Congress and successive administrations have pressed for more and varied private sector options for both heavy and light lift to orbit. The incentives have worked  and the most recognizable companies in the NewSpace commercial space industry  like SpaceX and Blue Origin  have been making continued strides in technological accomplishment as a result. In fact, the 2017 relaunch and landing of the Falcon 9 rocket by SpaceX exemplifies the paradigm-shifting moves that U.S. companies are making in space. But other innovative domestic space companies like those in the small satellite and cube-sat industry are cranking out capable, cost-effective, and game-changing capabilities at a blindingly fast pace as well. As the U.S. imperative to maintain commercial and national security advantages in space grows in the years ahead -- and as space-based capabilities need to be cheaper, more resilient, more quickly replaced, more capable and more swiftly launched -- this NewSpace industry promises a significant area of economic growth and opportunity for America.

When outside observers ask why and how this has happened, many political, policy, and procurement experts can take pieces of the credit. Two administrations and multiple Congresses have tried to make up for lost ground over the past decade, with the result that more options are appearing. Of course, these new launch options are key to both U.S. commercial interests, as well as for U.S. government missions and priorities. For numerous elements of the U.S. government, being able to tap into this new space economy and the innovation and speed-to-market that it offers, not only makes sense, but is critical if the U.S. is to be able to maintain pace with peer competitor nations that are rapidly developing key capabilities in space.

But perhaps the most poignant observation by Europeans  and others who have relied on foreign launch sites, subsidies and companies  is nested in the Popular Mechanics article. International space launch experts note that, in response to new U.S. spaceports and companies, Europe has slowed.

Most notably, however, there has been no Buy European policy to match strong U.S. pressure -- ramped up again in February by President Trump -- to Buy American. As a result, while Europeans claim market distortions, asymmetries, and U.S. federal procurement overtly favoring U.S. companies -- which manufacture, hire and launch from America -- that is exactly what President Trump and others tied to U.S. space launch desire and expect.

Looking ahead, as Europe and other foreign launchers grapple with resurgent U.S. space leadership, the focus by American procurement officials and agencies will likely stay on how to reinforce American launch, American manufacturing, American job creation and doing more to Buy American.

In this NewSpace economy, America is back. With efforts like the Trump Administrations single license for all types of commercial space flight, launch, and re-entry operations, national security provisions tied to bringing launch home, and Buy America Executive Orders, the path to orbit for American payloads -- human and material -- seems increasingly to start from the United States.

Of course, Europe does not like that -- but many on this side of the water seem to think thats just fine.

John Cody Mosbey is a retired Air Force colonel and current university instructor. He is a former executive director of the Center for Homeland Defense and Security of the Naval Postgraduate School. He is a researcher and writer on Russian geopolitics and holds graduate degrees from the University of Alabama in Birmingham and Trinity College, Dublin in addition to a graduate degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College.
Former vice president Joe Biden went in full pander mode on Tuesday night, telling his audience he regretted the impact of "white man's culture" and said it must change.

Biden made the remarks while apologizing for his role in the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearing in 1991, where Anita Hill accused the justice of sexual harassment.

Fox News:

The former vice president and potential 2020 Democratic candidate said Hill, who is black, should not have been forced to face a panel of "a bunch of white guys" about her sexual harassment allegations against Clarence Thomas. "To this day I regret I couldn't come up with a way to give her the kind of hearing she deserved," he said Tuesday night, echoing comments he delivered last fall amid debates about sexual misconduct allegations against Brett Kavanaugh during his Supreme Court confirmation process. "I wish I could have done something."

Social media exploded at that comment, with several commentators pointing out that Biden was the chairman of the committee at the time:

It literally does not matter what else Biden says about sexual assault if he cannot acknowledge his own culpability in putting a sexual assaulter on the Supereme Court and then pretending for years like he was powerless to stop it. #BelieveSurvivors #IBelieveAnita  Jess Morales Rocketto (@JessLivMo) March 27, 2019

Hill's allegations were believed by some, but when several other female staffers for Thomas stepped forward saying he never laid a hand on them or harassed them, the matter was left hanging, and Thomas was confirmed.

Biden blamed "white culture" for violence against women:

Biden called on Americans to "change the culture" that dates back centuries and allows pervasive violence against women. "It's an English jurisprudential culture, a white man's culture. It's got to change," he said. The former vice president also repeatedly denounced violence against women during his remarks, which spanned more than a half-hour. It's a topic he knows well. As a senator from Delaware, he introduced the Violence Against Women Act in 1990. "No man has a right to lay a hand on a woman, no matter what she's wearing, she does, who she is, unless it's in self-defense. Never," he said Tuesday.

This is one of the silliest things Biden has ever said. White man's culture "allows" pervasive violence against women? First of all, what the hell is "white culture" anyway? If Biden means our English judicial system, what exactly does he want to change? Trial by jury? Should a defendant be guilty until proven innocent?

Few cultures "allow" violence against women, and "white culture" isn't one of them. Biden is right that it's never appropriate to hit a woman for any reason, just as it's inappropriate for a woman to hit a man  a far more common occurrence than most groups advocating to stop violence against women ever acknowledge.

But what makes Biden's apology for white culture so ridiculous is his call for "change"  as if culture changes because of an election or demonstration, or by "heightening awareness." "Culture" is always changing, the result of tens of millions of individual decisions made by human beings in their daily lives. To believe that this process can be controlled simply by announcing change is worse than delusional; it's nuts.

No doubt, Biden impressed the racialists who hate whites as much as white supremacists hate blacks. But he may have damaged his standing with white working-class voters who have no intention of apologizing to anyone about anything, much less "white culture." Biden is the Democrats' "Great White Hope" to win those voters back in Midwest battleground states like Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.

He's certainly not helping his cause any.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection commissioner Kevin K. McAleenan told an audience in El Paso that our immigration system has reached a "breaking point" due to the "unprecedented humanitarian and border security crisis all along our Southwest Border."

He wasn't telling his audience anything they didn't know already. El Paso is ground zero for the crisis, with border apprehensions skyrocketing and immigration facilities overwhelmed.

El Paso Times:

More than 36,000 migrant families have arrived in the El Paso border region in fiscal year 2019 compared with about 2,000 at the same time last year, according to CBP data. Statistics show that the number of unaccompanied children jumped from more than 1,300 last year to more than 5,000 this fiscal year. The federal fiscal year begins in October. About 1,000 migrants were taken into custody in El Paso in one day on March 6 with large groups walking across the Rio Grande to turn themselves in.

The Washington Post reports that the total number of border apprehensions will easily top 1 million this year, with most border-crossers seeking asylum.

The number of migrant families coming to the border has reached new highs month after month, a trend that dramatically accelerated after President Trump announced parents and children would no longer be separated, reversing course on his "zero tolerance" crackdown. McAleenan said the agency detained more than 4,100 migrants Tuesday, the highest one-day total at the border in more than a decade, and agency projections have border apprehensions on pace to exceed 100,000 this month  an increase of more than 30 percent. By comparison, at the height of the last border crisis, in May 2014, agents apprehended more than 68,800 migrants that month. The massive influx of families seeking asylum has strained almost every aspect of U.S. operations on the border, McAleenan said, nowhere more evident than here, along the Rio Grande. Crossings have been overwhelmed with hundreds of migrants seeking asylum daily; Border Patrol stations are crammed and have no space for detainees; the immigration court system is backed up with hundreds of thousands of cases; and health services are having to triage batches of patients who have a variety of ailments and communicable diseases.

Most of the border-crossers are families seeking asylum. By law, those families are given a slip of paper with their court hearing date and then allowed to go free. It will be years before their asylum claims are adjudicated.

Meanwhile, Commissioner McAleenan is warning that the situation is so bad that a tragedy may be unavoidable:

Some of the migrants have been seriously ill, including infants with 105-degree fevers, a 2-year-old suffering seizures in the desert, a 19-year-old woman with a congenital heart defect who needs emergency surgery and a 40-year-old man suffering from multiple-organ failure. Others have lice, the flu and chickenpox. "We are doing everything we can to simply avoid a tragedy in a CBP facility," McAleenan said. "But with these numbers, with the types of illnesses we're seeing at the border, I fear that it's just a matter of time." He blamed the surge on smugglers and U.S. laws that he said encourage illegal migration because migrants are virtually guaranteed to be released in the United States. "There's no questioning why this is happening," he said.

One of the biggest reasons this is happening is denial by Trump opponents that there's even a crisis at the border. Those who voted not to give the president emergency powers to deal with the crisis should be taken on a little tour of some border stations so they can see for themselves.

For those advocating for illegal aliens entering the U.S., this situation is a dream come true. The worse it gets, the more people will be released instead of being detained. Asylum-seekers are supposed to be sent back across the border to wait in Mexico. But Mexico can take only a limited number of applicants, and the numbers are simply overwhelming.

The situation is not expected to improve any time soon.
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See also: Kim Foxx, Jussie Smollett, and the Democrats belief in narrative-based politics

The fate of the higher-ups who pulled the strings to get Jussie Smollett off the hook is now in the hands of a dummy who is panicking.

The venerable political machine that runs the most corrupt big city in America, the very city who gave us the presidency of Barack Obama, is erupting in a political civil war over a case that has riveted the attention of the public. What makes this story a beacon of hope for reform-minded populists is that the fate of the rascals is now in the hands of an incompetent public official who has outraged the public with obvious corruption of justice, and who is now panicking and making huge mistakes because the walls are starting to close in on her.

President Trump this morning confirmed an earlier report by ABC Chicago and promised that the FBI and DoJ will review the Smollett case:

FBI & DOJ to review the outrageous Jussie Smollett case in Chicago. It is an embarrassment to our Nation!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 28, 2019

For people who have spent the last few days on the dark side of the moon, prosecution of Jussie Smollett for falsely reporting a fake hate crime that he personally staged with the help of two associates (who have confessed and who are on surveillance tape purchasing the items used in the fake attack) was dropped by the state's attorney's office of Cook County and the record expunged with evidence in the case sealed.

As Judge Andrew Napolitano noted on Fox, expunging the records means that Smollett can truthfully testify under oath that he was never arrested, despite the fact that the entire world knows he was. The obvious stupidity is not lost on anyone  least of all the producers of Empire, who now have no legal grounds for terminating his contract.

Kim Foxx probably would not be the state's attorney for Cook County without the financial support of George Soros. The $330,000 he personally contributed to her super-PAC for her primary election was followed by another $75,000 after she defeated the incumbent, in the wake of public outrage over suppression of police video of the shooting of Laquan McDonald. Mr. Soros may have wanted a dummy in the office to assure that instructions would be obeyed, but Foxx now has dug herself a hole and doesn't understand the need to stop digging. She is changing her story  always a mistake because it proves she was lying, an absolute no-no for prosecutor.

Now Foxx is claiming that sealing the court files was an accident:

BREAKING: States Atrorney Kim Foxx says her office did not ask that the court file be sealed, says it was done inadvertently and she believes it is in the process of being unsealed @ABC7Chicago pic.twitter.com/ECrI70JAdG  Craig Wall ABC 7 (@craigrwall) March 27, 2019

Foxx also had claimed that she had recused herself but evidently did not bother with the paperwork necessary for such a recusal. Now that an FBI and DoJ investigation is in prospect, she and her underlings are scrambling to explain away the lie.

Megan Crepeau of the Chicago Tribune explains the mess Foxx has created for herself:

Illinois law allows for a state's attorney to "file a petition to recuse himself or herself from a cause or proceeding for any other reason he or she deems appropriate." If the petition is granted, the law calls for the judge to appoint a special prosecutor either through the attorney general's office, another county prosecutor's office or a private attorney. But Foxx, who stepped away from the Smollett case before charges were ever filed, didn't file a recusal petition or remove her office from the investigation. Instead, she handed the responsibility for the case to her first assistant, Joseph Magats, a 29-year veteran of the office. After questions arose this week whether she had followed state law, Foxx's office appeared to back off whether she ever officially recused herself in the first place. While the term "recusal" was used when it was announced she was stepping away from the Smollett case, a Foxx spokeswoman said, "it was a colloquial use of the term rather than in its legal sense." "The state's attorney did not formally recuse herself or the office based on any actual conflict of interest," Tandra Simonton said in a statement. "As a result, she did not have to seek the appointment of a special prosecutor under (state law)." An internal memo sent on Feb. 13 by Foxx's chief ethics officer, April Perry, however, did not describe the move as colloquial at all. Instead, Perry sent a two-sentence email informing staff that Foxx "is recused" from the Smollett investigation. It did not say why.

Foxx has now made the entire Chicago Police Department, from the superintendent on down, her avowed enemy, out to retaliate, because she has made their job impossible from now on. Does anyone think the operations of Foxx's office have been above reproach, and there is nothing for them to find? And nothing for them to turn over to the FBI as it investigates? Keep in mind that the CPD has been working closely with Foxx's office for years and often has been frustrated with low bail, declination of prosecution, and other moves she has led.

Foxx also is antagonizing the public by posing as an expert and telling the public that they are too dumb to understand the technicalities of her work. Speaking to reporters for Chicago's public radio station WBEZ, she said:

I think the confusion for people who don't understand the intricacies of the justice system, who don't understand alternative prosecution or diversion or alternate outcomes outside of prison or lengthy probation, it's a hard thing for people to process.

She made the false claim that the treatment of Smollett is customary:

But every single day on cases that law enforcement partners work diligently on, there are people who get similar arrangements, people who get diversion, people who get sentences that are probably not what some people would want. Every single day.

Unfortunately for her, Fox News obtained a copy of an internal memo in which staffers were frantically asked to come up with examples that could back up her reckless and false assertion:

An internal email from the office of Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx, obtained by Fox News on Wednesday, asked assistant state's attorneys to dig for any examples to bolster Foxx's claim that the dropped charges in the Jussie Smollett case weren't as uncommon or shocking as they seemed. The email read in part, "We are looking for examples of cases, felony preferable, where we, in (exercising) our discretion, have entered into verbal agreements with defense attorneys to dismiss charges against an offender if certain conditions were met..." The email added, "Nobody is in trouble, we are just looking for further examples of how we, as prosecutors, use our discretion in a way that restores the victim..."

It was not clear who sent it, and exactly when it was sent.

Here is a copy of the memo:



Via Fox News.

District attorneys are in an uproar over the case. Fox News reports:

The National District Attorneys Association, which claims to represent roughly 2,700 prosecutors' offices around the country, heavily criticized Foxx in a statement to Fox News. "First, when a chief prosecutor recuses him or herself, the recusal must apply to the entire office, not just the elected or appointed prosecutor. This is consistent with best practices for prosecutors' offices around the country," the statement began. It added, "Second, prosecutors should not take advice from politically connected friends of the accused. Each case should be approached with the goal of justice for victims while protecting the rights of the defendant. Third, when a prosecutor seeks to resolve a case through diversion or some other alternative to prosecution, it should be done so with an acknowledgement of culpability on the part of the defendant. A case with the consequential effects of Mr. Smollett's should not be resolved without a finding of guilt or innocence." The statement concluded: "Fourth, expunging Mr. Smollett's record at this immediate stage is counter to transparency. Law enforcement will now not be able to acknowledge that Mr. Smollett was indicted and charged with these horrible crimes and the full record of what occurred will be forever hidden from public view. Finally, we believe strongly that hate crimes should be prosecuted vigorously but the burden of proof should not be artificially increased due to the misguided decisions of others."

So Kim Foxx, with many enemies, a changing story, and an FBI investigation pending with the local cops anxious to help pin misdeeds  preferably with criminal penalties attached  on her, now faces some serious problems. We still don't know why her office pulled the sudden switcheroo on Smollett, but there is plenty of reason to suspect that Tina Tchen, a former "assistant to the president" and chief of staff for Michelle Obama, had something to do with it.



Hat tip: Conservative Tree House.

Ive never met Foxx, so I can't make an informed prediction, but I have to suspect that when she is panicked, and starts to realize she is in deep, deep trouble, she might respond positively to the offer of a deal in return for implicating the higher-ups who induced her to make the Great Switcheroo.

I hope so, at least.
The media had to come up with someone to trash President Trump, to replace their former hero, attorney Michael Avenatti. They have their man with attorney George Conway, who Politico pretends is a conservative in order to give credibility when he is attacking Trump. The Washington Post has given him exposure and has a new opinion piece saying Trump is "guilty beyond a reasonable doubt" of being unfit for office.

I can't find any specific examples in his piece, but the closest thing is this: Trump "lied, to the point that his own lawyers wouldn't dare let him speak to Mueller, lest he commit a crime[.]"



George Conway Twitter icon.

I believe that Conway is the one who has lost his mind because he is mixed up on who lied. Trump continually told the truth the last two years that there was never any collusion and never an attempt to obstruct justice on a non-crime. It is the media and other Democrats who were the congenital liars the last two years as they stated that there was evidence of collusion.

I believe that Conway is also confused as to what makes a president unfit for office, because I don't recall him saying Obama was unfit, no matter what he did. Most of the media just supported Obama with no questions asked:

Obama and others continually lied to the public, through the media, to get Obamacare passed  and Trump is unfit?

Obama used the IRS to stifle the free speech and freedom of association rights of political opponents  and Trump is unfit?

Obama and his Justice Department, EPA, and CFPB shook down corporations and set up slush funds for political purposes and supporters  and Trump is unfit?

Obama and Hillary left people to die in Benghazi while concocting a lie that they told to the public and the families of those who died  and Trump is unfit?

Obama dictatorially and unconstitutionally implemented DACA when he couldn't get it through Congress  and Trump is unfit?

Obama sent Ben Rhodes and others out to the media with lies to get the Iran deal done  and Trump is unfit?

Obama dictatorially stooped the Justice Department from continuing an investigation into drug running by terrorists to appease Iran  and Trump is unfit?

Obama unconstitutionally stole taxpayer funds from other sources to cover up shortfalls in Obamacare  and Trump is unfit?

Obama abused his power tremendously to protect Hillary, her aides, and others, including himself, from prosecution while targeting Trump with massive taxpayer resources  and Trump is unfit?

I'll tell you who is unfit to judge others as unfit: all those in the media who:

Repeated the continuous lies about Russian collusion and obstruction with no evidence, especially the ones at CNN, the WaPo, the NYT, NBC, and MSNBC.

Set out to destroy Judge Kavanaugh with no evidence.

Gin up racial hate against Trump, to this day, for his comments in Charlottesville, Va. that were clearly talking about the statue issue.

Ginned up racial hate using white Christian boys. It is truly a shame how many people the media are willing to destroy using fake news.

Ginned up racial hate with a fake hate crime hoax in Chicago.

Ginned up racial hate with the fake "hands up, don't shoot" narrative.

Ginned up racial hate against Trump for saying exactly the same things Obama and others said about illegal aliens and supporting a wall that Democrats previously supported.

Cheered as Mueller and his cabal set out to destroy people surrounding Trump even when there was never any evidence of collusion.

Other people who are not fit to shine Trump's shoes because they continually lied through the media about Trump: Adam Schiff, Maxine Waters, James Comey, Andrew McCabe, James Clapper, John Brennan, and all the others who went on with the complicit media as they set out to destroy Trump despite having no evidence.
On Wednesday, March 27, Sean Hannity devoted three quarters  45 minutes  of his prime-time Fox News channel program which was commercial-free to an exclusive telephone interview with President Donald Trump. It was the president's first interview since the completion of the Mueller Report and its delivery to the Department of Justice last Friday.

The major points arising from the interview included:

President Trump vowing to release the FISA documents

The president accusing FBI officials of committing "treason" and describing former FBI director James Comey as a "terrible guy" and former CIA director John Brennan as "sick"

Mr. Trump raising doubts about the secretive airport tarmac meeting between then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch and former President Bill Clinton on June 27, 2016

The president commenting on the Democrats' push for a Green New Deal

When President Trump mentioned Jeanine Pirro, who has been absent from her top-rated Fox News channel Saturday evening program for the past two weeks, Sean Hannity made news by confirming that she would be back on her show, Justice with Judge Jeanine, next Saturday, March 30 at 9 P.M. E.T./P.T. In response to comments Pirro made about Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) on March 9, Fox News criticized and distanced itself from Pirro, and she has not appeared on the channel since then.

Below is a transcript of the highlights of the interview  approximately 30% of the total  between Hannity and the president, with minor editing by the author from a "rushed transcript" provided by Fox News Media Relations.

Video of part 1 of the interview can be watched here.

Video of part 2 of the interview can be watched here.

HANNITY, Fox News Channel Wednesday March 27, 2019 Live 9:15-10 PM EDT SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS HOST: All right. Joining us now exclusively on the phone, is the president of United States. Mr. President, thank you for taking time for being with us tonight. DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES (via telephone): Well, thank you, Sean, very much. It's an honor. HANNITY: I appreciate you being here. You really have not had an opportunity to react, to respond to the Mueller report, the A.G.'s letter, that summarized the report that exonerated you. No collusion after all these years, as you have been claiming. He left the decision as it relates to obstruction to the attorney general and deputy attorney general. They quickly said, no, that does not rise to the level. And I wanted to get your reaction. TRUMP: Well, we are very happy about it. It's gone on for a long time, almost since the beginning of my term, and you know, if you look at it, we've done so much despite that. But it was a cloud. It was a cloud that most people didn't believe, fortunately. They spent more than $30 million, hundreds of interviews of people, in some cases very innocent people that were put through the ringer. Millions of document pages, millions and millions of document pages, and after that, there was no collusion, there was no obstruction. It was such a ridiculous thing that happened. On the other hand, you know, you look at, how did this start? How did it start? You had dirty cops. You had people that are about FBI folks. I know so many. They are incredible people. But at the top, they were not clean, to put it mildly. And what they did to our country was a terrible, terrible thing. HANNITY: Mr. President, we talked a lot on this program about the FISA abuse scandal. And this is what we know, that in August of 2016, we know Bruce Ohr warned everybody at the DOJ and the FBI that Christopher Steele hated you, that Hillary Clinton paid for the dossier, that it was not verified. But still in October, and then three renewal application warrants approved, they were told by the Grassley-Graham memo, the bulk of information came from that phony dossier. Andrew McCabe said, no dossier, no FISA warrant. There were Russian lies disseminated to the American people before the election, but it also violated the rights of Carter Page and gave a backdoor into your campaign for spying, which I know the media made fun of at the time, when you said it happened. TRUMP: Well, when I said there could be somebody spying on my campaign, a lot of things happened. It was like  it went wild out there. They couldnt believe that I could say such a thing. And as it turned out, that was small potatoes compared to what went on. When you look at what happened, and when it happened, and the money that was spent, the millions and millions on the phony dossier, and then they used the dossier to start things, and there was no truth whatsoever. It was a fraud and paid for by Hillary Clinton and paid for by the Democrats and the DNC. It's hard to believe. If you wrote this as a novel, no one would buy it. It would be a failure because it will be too unbelievable. Nobody would believe its possible, the things that went on. And were getting to the bottom of it, and it's got to be  I mean, you can never allow this to happen to another president. This can never, ever happen to a president again, Sean. That was a disgrace and an embarrassment our country, that they were allowed to get away with this. Hopefully, they won't get away with it. HANNITY: Do you now feel vindicated? Was there anything that the attorney general's report  I know you have called for obviously the whole Mueller memo to be released, did anything surprise you? And what about the people that were collateral damage in all of this? TRUMP: Well, people were hurt so badly, so badly. Their lives have been ruined and over  you know, over something that should have never taken place, an investigation that should have never happened. There was no crime, as you know. Youre only allowed to do this legally if there is a crime. There was no crime. They've all admitted it. Comey, who is a terrible guy, Comey and McCabe and Strzok and Page, the lover, Page, and all of these people, they've admitted in testimony that there was no crime. So they'd started an investigation based on no crime. I will say this, our new attorney general, Bill Barr, is a great gentleman. Ive heard about him for years. He's a great man. Had he been there initially, this all would not have happened because what has gone on there is just a disgrace to our country. . . The insurance policy  just in case Hillary Clinton lost, they wanted an insurance policy against me. And what we were playing out until just recently was the insurance policy. They wanted to do a subversion. It was treason. It was really treason. If the Republican Party had done this to the Democrats, if we had done this to President Obama, you'd have 100 people in jail right now and it would be treason. It would be considered treason and theyd be in jail for the rest of their lives. . . But I will say this, I said, you know, let's get back on, let's not think about the past, let's think about the future. But now, I think thinking about the past is just OK because we can never let this happen again in our country or to another president. Im not talking about me. Im talking into the future. We can never allow this treasonous  these treasonous acts to happen to another president. This was an attempted takeover of our government, of our country, an illegal takeover. If it were the other way around, where I was doing it to President Obama or a Democrat, it would be virtually the maximum sentence that you can find no matter where you look in whatever legal book. . .



Screen shot from Hannity, Fox News Channel March 27, 2019.

HANNITY: Mr. President, you have the ability to release the FISA applications. There was the original applications, the three subsequent renewal applications. We are told, Andrew McCabe said, no dossier, no FISA warrant. That was a backdoor to your campaign before the election. The dossier also was leaked to The Washington Post, parts of it, and Isikoff and David Corn, to the American people, and, of course, never verified. Do you have plans to release those FISA applications, Gang of Eight information, the 302s of Bruce Ohr and others, and the five buckets are [sic] John Solomon and Sara Carter, as they call it? TRUMP: I do, I have plans to declassify and release. I have plans to absolutely release. But I have some very talented people working for me, lawyers. And they really didn't want me to do it early on. Devin Nunes, by the way, and [Mark] Meadows, you look at Jim Jordan, and all of the people, they worked so hard. And a lot of people wanted me to do it a long time ago. Im glad I didn't do it. We got a great result without having to do it but we will. One of the reasons that my lawyers didn't want me to do it is they said, if I do it, they [my opponents] will call it a form of obstruction, so they will say, oh, you released these documents so we would make all of this information transparent. You know, and politics you always hear transparency. It would make it transparent. And then they call it obstruction, knowing the people we are dealing with. So, frankly, I thought it would be better if we held it to the end. No, but at the right time, we will be absolutely releasing it. I did the right thing by not doing it so far. . . HANNITY: I want to ask you about substantive issues. A couple of big things happened in immigration and health care this week. The last two, we know that [James] Clapper lied under oath. I believe the statute of limitations, though, has passed. In the case of [John] Brennan, we know that there was surveillance, unmasking, leaking raw intelligence, an increase of 350 percent of unmasking. Samantha Powers, who was working for the U.N., asking for 300 cases unmasked. She denies it. TRUMP: Right. HANNITY: But in that particular case of Brennan and Clapper, and Brennan in particular, multiple times accused you of treason. TRUMP: Yes. HANNITY: Your reaction? TRUMP: Well, I think Brennan is a sick person. I think there's something wrong for him. And I watch  for him to come out of the CIA and act that way was so disrespectful to the country and to the CIA and to the position he held. And he was not considered good at what he did. He was never a respected guy. Tough guy but not a respected guy. But he lied to Congress. And the other night before the report came out, he predicted horrible things. Things he said were horrible. Then today, I guess he said something  I didn't see it but I heard he said, well, I must have bad sources or bad information. I mean, this is a man who really is either sick or there is some other problem. But the way he spoke  and as you know, Clapper lied, and perhaps the statute of limitations ran out on that one but it didn't run out on Comey, it didn't run out on Brennan or Strzok or Page or McCabe. I mean, McCabe  his wife got hundreds of thousands of dollars. He was running the FBI and running all sorts of cases, and his wife got hundreds of thousands of dollars from essentially the Clintons, from the Clintons closest friend. Then he ruled so favorably. I mean, he tried to say he was not involved, I don't think too many people believe that, I did not believe that. But she got all those good rulings. It's really a scandalous situation. It is so badly that it reflects it so horribly, a guy like Ohr with his wife, Nellie Ohr, and GPS Fusion. She wrote the report, and she goes, gives it to her husband who is at the DOJ, and then he goes and brings it to the FBI, and she's getting paid for doing it. It's incredible. HANNITY: Yes. TRUMP: The things that happened are incredible, and very, very bad for our country. . . HANNITY: Let me ask you, many presidents have promised Israel that they would move the capital from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. You made a tough position, you got that done. I have known the prime minister of Israel personally for well over 20 years, like I have known you for well over 20 years. Ive always viewed Prime Minister Netanyahu as a Churchillian figure with moral clarity, that few people had on the world stage, standing alone often. And I saw that you  I thought it was a very big announcement about the Golan Heights being Israel's territory. As you see the rise of anti-Semitism, not just  we have members of Congress that have said horrible things, but in Europe, and elsewhere, and the dangers of that small country, radical Islam, I just wanted to get your reaction to the importance of Israel as our close ally. TRUMP: Well, you don't have to go to other countries when you see what is going on in this country  yesterday, I was very honored to do the Golan Heights. That was something that was promised by many, many presidents over many, many years, and I got it done. Then you look at also Jerusalem, moving the embassy to Jerusalem. For years, many presidents for many decades campaigned on it. They were going to do it and they never did it because frankly, it was much tougher to do than people whatever ever understand. It was very tough. I understand why they ultimately didn't do it, they didn't get it done, but I got it done. Not only did I get it done, I got the embassy built for a fraction, a tiny, tiny fraction of the cost of what it was supposed to cost. And now, as you know, the embassy is open. Its not just designated, it's open in Jerusalem. So, look, Im very proud of what we have done for Israel. Im very proud of my relationship with Israel, and what is going on with the Democrats, and with Jewish people and the Democrats and Israel is shocking to me. You know, I grew up in a world where people really and Democrats, they loved Israel. And now, Im looking at a world where many Democrats seem to hate Israel. They seem to despise Israel. It is a tremendous surprise to me. What's going on with Israel and the Democrat Party is absolutely horrific. Terrible. . . HANNITY: Mr. President, thank you so much for your time tonight. We appreciate you staying so long and answering so many questions. We appreciate it. TRUMP: Thank you very much, Sean.

Peter Barry Chowka writes about politics, media, popular culture, and health care for American Thinker and other publications. Peter's new website is http://peter.media. Follow him on Twitter at @pchowka.
A couple of weeks ago, the liberal blog BuzzFeed "broke" a "story" about President Trump supposedly ordering his former attorney, Michael Cohen, to lie to Congress on his behalf, citing an unnamed "source" within the Robert Mueller investigation.

But the "news" was so fake that Mueller's office publicly disavowed it almost immediately after it appeared.

And re-appeared...practically everywhere.

Other media outlets picked up the BuzzFeed "story"  creating the false impression of smoke where there was no fire.

This has become the modus operandi of what Rush Limbaugh perceptively calls the drive-by media. Picture a Model A Ford full of Al Capone's hit men screeching around the corner, raking their enemy's hideout with machine gun fire.

A similar fact-free fusillade has been directed at Iraqi war veteran and triple amputee Brian Kolfage, the man who dared to try to fund The Wall  and is doing so.

The story began when Kolfage created a GoFundMe page back in mid-December of 2018 called We The People Will Build The Wall. His concept was to get the American people to voluntarily finance what Congress seems congenitally unable to: a southern border wall, to get a handle not just on the immigration problem, but also the equally serious problems of no-good-niks and cartel drugs flooding across the border.

It's something President Trump promised to deliver  but which the private contributions of ordinary citizens may ultimately pay for, at least partially.

Initially, Kolfage's concept was to transfer whatever came in directly to the federal government. He probably never imagined that within two weeks, millions of people would have donated almost $20 million to the cause.

This is a measure of the depth of grassroots support for building the wall  and, possibly, the trigger for the fake news fusillade claiming he'd been forced to refund all of it for some (sotto voce) unspecified violation of GoFundMe's terms of service. The obvious implication is that Kolfage had done something shady, that he was perhaps pocketing the proceeds, and that GoFundMe had stepped in to save the day.

"People donated money to a GoFundMe page to build a wall on the southern border, and now they're getting refunds," ululated one TV teleprompter queen.

"Now GoFundMe is refunding all that money," said another, in his best Serious Voice. "And he has to start again."

Literally dozens if not scores of others were just the same. But these stories  like BuzzFeed's piece about Cohen  have proved to be as accurate as the Hitler Diaries. In fact, Kolfage was not forced to return any contributor's money. The fact is, he had set up his page so that refunds would issue automatically in the event that the target  $1 billion  was not met by the original GoFundMe deadline.

When it wasn't, the refunds.

Those who sent in a contribution would have it returned after 90 days  if they didn't request a refund.

That is a very different thing from Kolfage being forced to return the money  or being ordered to do so by GoFundMe. It's just one of several critical parts of the story that was not reported. Another is that the vast majority have not so requested.

Here's the real story:

After the fake news fusillade, Kolfage  with GoFundMe's cooperation  reorganized his effort as a 501(c)(4) called WeBuildTheWall, with an advisory board that includes the president's former campaign adviser Steve Bannon, retired brigadier general Rob Spalding, and former Reagan administration official and congressman Tom Tancredo.

They and other heavy hitters in the public policy arena were brought on board to deal with the unexpected success of the project  which raised so much money, so fast, that actual construction of the wall became a real possibility. It was urgently necessary to begin the process of hiring contractors, arranging permits, and working with the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol to identify where to start work.

None of that got "covered," either.

Once WeBuildTheWall was up and running, people who had contributed to the original project were asked whether they'd like their contributions to transfer over.

It turns out more than two thirds of the people who originally contributed to "We The People Will Build The Wall" have opted in to WeBuildTheWall, which has raised almost $22 million so far over the course of the past two months. That sum includes about $15 million of the original contributions. They are still diligently reaching the other donors to get them to opt in as well and inform them of the campaign's progress. Currently, of those contacted, 94% are choosing to opt in, which is amazing.

Kolfage wasn't forced to return a penny of it. Most of the people explicitly rejected the refund offer that came along with their original donation.

GoFundMe hasn't blackballed Kolfage. It is actively helping him to undo the damage unfairly done to him by lazy, irresponsible, or simply malicious media organs.

None of the stories about this business got it right  and that kind of unanimity rarely happens by accident.

The good news, if you support the wall, is that at the rate donations are pouring in, it won't be necessary for Congress to authorize the funds  or for the president, who has openly blessed the work of WeBuildTheWall, to resort to exigencies.

The wall may get built despite Congress  and probably for less. Certainly sooner.

Eric Peters is a former editorial writer and columnist for The Washington Times who has written for numerous print and online media, including The Detroit News, Chicago Tribune, Investor's Business Daily, and National Review. His weekly automotive columns are published by Creators Syndicate.
The FTC is using its consumer protection and anti-trust regulatory powers to begin a series of investigations against tech giants for selling users' personal data to third parties.

Donald Trump's transition team made clear that big changes are coming to the Federal Trade Commission, which, under Pres. Obama's control of four of the five seats, gave Silicon Valley a pass on selling users' personal data and ability to operate as monopolies and had the FTC sue Qualcomm to get lower chip prices for Apple iPhones.

President Trump informed Silicon Valley tech giants that there was a new sheriff in town when he engineered the April 2017 repeal of Net Neutrality broadband regulations adopted during Obama Federal Communications Commission control. The blatantly biased rules were best described as follows: "Everybody equal, but Google much more equal."

With Trump successfully confirming all five members of the powerful regulatory agency to seven-year terms, conservatives now hold Section 5(a) of the FTC Act (5) enforcement authority to "prevent persons, partnerships, or corporations ... from using ... unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce."

The FTC sent letters on March 26 to AT&T, Comcast, Google Fiber, T-Mobile, and Verizon demanding that the internet service-providers (ISPs) disclose in granular detail any and all home and mobile data they provided to or received from third parties at any time.

All the major ISPs have denied selling or even sharing their users' browsing histories and other sensitive information, but Ars Technica reported that T-Mobile, Sprint, and AT&T were selling their mobile users' location data to third-party advertising brokers.

Chairman Joe Simons emphasized in limiting the ISPs to just 45 days to comply:

The FTC is initiating this study to better understand Internet service providers' privacy practices in light of the evolution of telecommunications companies into vertically integrated platforms that also provide advertising-supported content[.]

The order mandates that each ISP will 1) provide detailed descriptions of the personal information they collect about consumers; 2) explain how the ISP integrates personal data acquired through different channels; 3) explain how data are stored to protect personal privacy; 4) what personal information is used for; 5) whether such information is disclosed to any third party; 6) identify each and every third party that has received personal information; 7) describe in detail the types of information disclosed to each third party; and 8) disclose if the ISP obtained personal information about users or consumers from third parties.

The FTC also wants to know if ISP customers were allowed a choice to opt in or opt out of having their personal information collected. The FTC wants to know if users were "ever offered different levels of service, quality of service, rates, pricing, rewards, or other incentives for consumers who opt-in to the collection of information about themselves, their devices, their communications, their viewing history, or their online activities."

Simons gave notice that the initiative will be followed by hearings, workshops, and potential investigations. He warned that the FTC is exercising its power to "enforce against unfair and deceptive practices involving Internet service providers."

Under the Obama administration, Silicon Valley tech giants prospered, and the annual "Reputation Quotient" review of the top 100 most admired U.S. corporations found tech achieving premier rankings in 2016. But after bankrolling the Trump "resistance" and numerous privacy scandals, the 2019 Reputational Quotient study revealed Facebook plunging 43 positions from number 51 to 94 and Google diving 13 spots from 28 to 41, as Americans now view Silicon Valley tech giants as untrustworthy monopolies.

The brilliant strategy of the FTC investigation appears to be quickly gathering huge numbers of ISP data, which could be effective to pursue anti-trust actions against Google and Facebook, which, according to eMarketer.com, control two thirds of online advertising, as the sector is set to grab 54.5 percent of U.S. advertising spending in 2019.
In the middle of a quiet residential neighborhood in the suburb of Kyoto, Japan, is a 30-foot-high, grass-covered hillock within which are buried an estimated 38,000 noses of men, women and children slaughtered during the Japanese invasion of Korea during the late 16th century.

Led by the warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Japan invaded Korea in 1592 with the intention of conquering the Korean Peninsula and China, which was then under the Ming dynasty. Japanese forces were largely successful in capturing the Korean Peninsula but were unable to push forward into China. Hideyoshi retreated his troops, but returned the next year, in 1597, with a second offensive. But once again, a strong defense from the combined forces of Ming and the Joseon of Korea forced Japan to withdraw to the southern peninsula, where the two opposing armies became locked in a ten-month long military stalemate. The hostilities came to an end only after the sudden death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1598.

Mimizuka Mound in Kyoto. Photo credit: twoKim images / Shutterstock.com

In those times, warriors often cut off the heads of enemies they killed as proof of their kill. The heads were salted, packed in barrels and sent back to Japan, where they were counted and the generals rewarded according to the number of enemy their troops had killed. As the invasion progressed, the sheer number of heads the troops sent back from the battlefield became impossible to manage. Eventually, it was decided that only noses would be collected. Enemy troops were still beheaded, but only the noses were cut off and shipped back to Japan.

Hideyoshis orders during the invasion were explicit: Mow down everyone universally, without discriminating between young and old, men and women, clergy and the laityhigh ranking soldiers on the battlefield, that goes without saying, but also the hill folk, down to the poorest and meanest

Stephen R. Turnbull in his book Samurai Invasion recounts the account of one Japanese monk describing the horrific atrocities inflicted upon the civilian population:

From early dawn of the following morning we gave chase and hunted them in the mountains and scoured the villages for the distance of one day's travel. When they were cornered we made a wholesale slaughter of them. During a period of ten days we seized 10,000 of the enemy, but we did not cut off their heads. We cut off their noses, which told us how many heads there were. By this time Yasuharu's total of heads was over 2,000.

According to Stephen R. Turnbull, Hideyoshis troops collected 185,738 Korean heads and 29,014 Chinese ones. We know the exact figures because the units responsible for recording them, kept meticulous records and receipts, some of which have survived to this day. It is impossible to figure out the actual number of casualties because many heads might have been discarded. On the other hand, not all noses were cut off corpses. In order to inflate the body count, many soldiers hacked the noses of living people. These Koreans reportedly survived for many years without noses or ears.

Statue of Toyotomi Hideyoshi at Hokoku shrine, Osaka. Photo credit: Pumidol / Shutterstock.com

The noses sent to Japan were buried mainly at two placesKyoto and Okayama. In Kyoto, Hideyoshi ordered the sliced noses to be buried on the grounds of the Hokoji Temple and a shrine to be built on top of the burial moundan unusual gesture which the chief priest of the temple claimed that it reflected Hideyoshi's great mercy and compassion. It is not known precisely why Hideyoshi chose to honor his victims with Buddhist burials, but he did, and for centuries the Mimizuka Mound has been a site of pilgrimage for Koreans travelling to Japan. The shrine was initially known as hanazuka, or mound of noses, but several decades later some thought it sounded too cruel, and changed the name to mimizuka, which means mound of ears. The new name does little to lessen the brutality, but at least, it sounds more pleasant in the local language.

Mimizuka Mound was relatively unknown among the Japanese until recent decadesJapan has the habit of suppressing history that puts the country in poor light. Since the 1980s, a sanitized version is being taught in schools. In the 1970s, South Koreas then president, Park Chung Hee, expressed his desire to level the mound. Some suggested that the mound should be relocated to Korea to appease the spirits of the dead, others feel it should stay in Japan as a reminder of Japans past savagery. For many Koreans, the mound is nothing more than a victory monument to Hideyoshi's feats of arms.

Photo credit: twoKim images / Shutterstock.com
If you are unsure of the direction Android TV is moving in then you only have to look at the growth of adoption within the pay-TV operator sector.

New details on the expansion of Android TV are now starting to emerge from the Connected TV World Summit, currently ongoing in London and as part of the event, Google has confirmed the Android TV platform is now seeing 2x year-over year growth. Although Google has still yet to provide firm numbers on exactly how many devices are out there, or shipping each year.

More revealingly, Google has provided some information on the growth of the platform at the pay-TV operator level.

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For example, Google notes the platform had only eight pay-TV operator partners in 2016. This number grew to 24 in 2017, and to 50 in 2018.

Now in 2019, however, the number of pay-TV partners is up to 140.

For reference, the last officially confirmed update on this (around 100 operators) came at the very end of last year. This latest number further highlights how the rate of adoption is now starting to accelerate even more than ever before, and its aspects like this that seems to paint the clearest of pictures on where the real momentum is for Android TV.

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In contrast, Google also highlighted the various smart TV and STB makers who support the platform. Not only is there number far less than the number of pay-TV operators overall, but the number hasnt massively changed over the last year  unlike in the pay-TV category.

Of course, pay-TV support is something that more often happens behind the scenes and so the visibility of support often takes longer to become evident at the consumer level  compared to device-makers who are usually quickly to announce the x amount of devices they plan to release supporting the platform during the year ahead.

In spite of the seemingly quiet rolling out, this is an element that is likely to affect the deployment of Android TV in most parts of the world, including the US.

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Theres already evidence of how the landscape will change in the US once pay-TV device deployment becomes more commonplace.

For example, AT&T is already investing in the platform. At present, this can only be seen in limited terms with a device thats set to arrive soon. However, with companies like AT&T embracing Android TV as a means to convert its significant subscriber base over to a streaming platform, the levels of adoption for the platform could spike very quickly once the rollout momentum picks up.

One of the reasons so many pay-TV operators seem to be so keen on Android TV is the cost-saving benefits the platform offers. Android TV, in principle, is a white label solution which the operator can brand, and to a degree customize, to their own liking. This is all while offering the option of bringing devices to market with a familiar ecosystem more easily, quickly and cheaply.

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Adding to that, this is typically a platform that also works reasonably well with the wider Android ecosystem, making Android TV an ideal tool for those companies that are looking for a greater and more unified cross-platform and device experience.

The latter of which is something that also greatly benefits users in general.

Update 4/16: Edited to omit Comcast who was previously listed as one of the U.S. companies looking at adopting Android TV. Comcast has confirmed it has no plans to utilize the Android TV platform.
Huawei is getting into the audio AR game with a new series of smart glasses made in collaboration with popular Korean eyewear company Gentle Monster, announced and reported alongside its latest flagship. As that might imply, these wont be a typical AR wearable and not just because the partnership is focused on Gentle Monsters fashion sense as much as on functionality.

To begin with, the Huawei X Gentle Monster smart glasses wont feature a camera or any kind of heads up display at all. The design will be centered around Gentle Monsters unique styling and augmenting access to audio-based smartphone interactions. The frame will be designed to allow taps for actions such as answering calls or accessing an AI assistant via built-in mics and speakers placed on the arms of the sunglasses.

That means that the only indication these arent ordinarily fashion accessories will likely be in the USB Type-C port thats included for charging when the wireless charging carrying case isnt immediately available. The case itself will pack a 2,200mAh capacity battery.

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Wearers wont need to worry about damaging the glasses while out at the beach either since theyll be rated at IP67 for dust and water resistance.

Not completely unique but thats not a bad thing

The full suite of functionality for Huaweis newest creation as well as specs and other features will become clearer as the smart glasses are nearer to being available since details are relatively slim for now. At first glance, they dont appear to be completely unique.

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While Huawei and Gentle Monsters smart glasses arent at all like Snap Inc.s Spectacles, a close approximation to the new design may be found in Bose AR.

Launched at SXSW last year, the Bose AR platform followed a similar theme, focusing on fashion and usable audio-based augmentation rather than the more commonly seen visual AR. The platform highlighted similar features to those revealed by Huawei such as a tap or touch interactions used to answer a phone call alongside other features such as the ability to have automated guided tours delivered directly to the wearers ear. The latter of those would be based on location data and happen automatically, in Boses showcased example.

It wouldnt be entirely surprising to see Huaweis wearable pick up similar features via its link to a smartphone or similarly-connected wearable either and there are probably plenty of other features that havent been revealed too. So the new glasses could ultimately represent a more minimalistic but still highly functional entry into the fashion-conscious side of the wearable market.

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Pricing and availability

Information regarding pricing and availability for Huaweis new wearable have not been made public just yet. True to the nature of their design, however, they are expected to hit the market just in time for the summer season of this year. If Huawei opts to sell the gadget through the existing Gentle Monster locations and outlets, the new glasses could be available in the US in addition to other world regions the company does business in.
T-Mobile and Sprint executives have persuaded DOJs Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division, Makan Delrahim, to hear the argument that the two wireless carriers need to merge in order to help the US compete in the 5G race.

This has been T-Mobile and Sprints argument since announcing the merger last year. Essentially saying that the two carriers could create a 5G network by themselves, but it wont be robust enough to compete with Verizon or AT&T. But together, they would be able to compete, and utilize Sprints 2.5GHz spectrum.

The fact that Delrahim is open to hearing the central argument from both companys executives, means that it is a positive development for the merger. Despite being announced almost a year ago, the merger has not received the necessary approval from the Department of Justice nor the FCC. And now the Democrats are asking T-Mobiles CEO, John Legere and Sprints Chairman and former CEO, Marcelo Claure to testify before Congress in regards to the merger.

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What makes Delrahims openness to hear the argument about 5G so important, is the fact that the FCC will generally follow the Justice Departments lead when it comes to mergers. So as long as it passes the Antitrust arm of the Justice Department, the merger will more than likely be approved.

Recently, President Trump and officials within the administration have been pushing for the US to be first in the world of 5G. It is worried that if it falls behind the likes of China that it could cost the US economy billions. There is also the security fears, in regards to Chinese companies like Huawei, who is heavily invested in 5G. The last thing the US wants is for a foreign country to build its 5G networks, especially one that it believes is being used by the Chinese government to spy on users.

Currently, Sprint and T-Mobile are at the bottom of the pack, when it comes to 5G networks in the US. Verizon and AT&T have already launched different forms of 5G networks in the US. Largely using millimeter wave or mmWave, which is not going to be feasible in the coming years, as the cost to cover the entire US with mmWave would be in the tens of billions. Both T-Mobile and Sprint are working on 5G, but have not officially rolled out their networks, since they dont have any 5G capable devices on sale just yet  meaning that customers wouldnt be able to connect to that network.

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Executives at both T-Mobile and Sprint are still fairly certain that the merger will get approved, eventually. They have been spending plenty of time in DC lately, pleading their case to lawmakers. T-Mobile has also been touting that it will become an ISP with its 5G network. In fact, it already announced its first pilot program for its Internet service. Which is first going to be available in underserved parts of the country, on its 4G LTE with speeds of around 50Mbps for $50 per month.

If this merger does get approved, it would take the nationwide wireless carriers from four to three. Something that previous FCC and DOJ officials were not too keen on having happen. Lawmakers, particularly Democrats, want more competition in the wireless space, not less. Though, T-Mobile and Sprint are so far behind both AT&T and Verizon, that even as a combined company, they are still a distant third. However it would allow the New T-Mobile to compete better with the duopoly as Legere calls them.
Posted on: March 28, 2019 12:27 PM

The House of Bishops of the Anglican Church of Canada has nominated five of its number for the election of a new Primate and Archbishop. The current Primate of Canada, Archbishop Fred Hiltz, will retire on 16 July at the end of the provinces triennial General Synod meeting, after serving as leader of the Church since 2007. His successor will be elected by deacon- priest- and lay-members of the General Synod on 13 July. The new Archbishop will be officially installed on 16 July.

The Churchs canons for dealing with Primatial vacancies require the House of Bishops to nominate at least three and no more than five candidates at their last meeting prior to a General Synod. The recently retired Primate of the Church of the Province of the West Indies, Archbishop John Holder, led the bishops in a prayerful and grace-filled retreat ahead of the nomination process, the Church of Canada said in a statement. The Bishops are meeting in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

The candidates nominated for the election to serve as the 14th Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada are:

Jane Alexander ,

Bishop of Edmonton;





, Bishop of Edmonton; Ron Cutler ,

Bishop of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island,

and Archbishop of the internal province of Canada;





, Bishop of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, and Archbishop of the internal province of Canada; Gregory Kerr-Wilson ,

Bishop of Calgary,

and Archbishop of the internal province of Ruperts Land;





, Bishop of Calgary, and Archbishop of the internal province of Ruperts Land; Linda Nicholls ,

Bishop of Huron; and





, Bishop of Huron; and Michael Oulton,

Bishop of Ontario.

More than 250 delegates are members of the Anglican Church of Canadas General Synod. It includes lay people, youth delegates, deacons, priests and bishops from across the church. Bishops will gather in prayer while the other members of Synod vote for their next Primate in Christ Church Cathedral, Vancouver.
Following the tragic Mosque massacres in New Zealand, the views of the perpetrator, a right wing white supremacist terrorist, that there is too much immigration, have found support in surprising quarters. I hate to say it, but he might have had a point  not one worth killing fifty innocent people, to be sure, but a point nonetheless, Maori elder Heke Ngata told The Sleaze. The fact is that we never had any trouble here before those white Europeans started coming here. It was bad enough when they were just tourists, then they started settling here  taking our land, our women, not to mention our jobs. Ngata bemoans the rate at which the whites started reproducing once they had settled in New Zealand. Theyre like bloody rabbits, completely out breeding us, he says. They just bloody swamped the place  before we knew it, us Maoris were in the minority and our culture reduced to a tourist attraction! Ill tell you the worst thing  that bloody heathen religion of theirs that they are always trying to indoctrinate people into. Not to mention those churches of their going up everywhere with their ugky great spires and towers blighting the landscape. Ngata is currently considering launching a new political campaign, calling for white people to be repatriated from New Zealand to their countries of origin. Its time they went home, says the elder, who also rejects allegations of hypocrisy, with critics pointing out that the Maori people originally came to New Zealand from Polynesia. Look, we didnt displace anybody else, just those giant bloody birds. I dont see anyone campaigning for them to come back.

Ngatas putative campaign has already inspired some of Australias Aboriginal population to start a similar movement, calling for them to take back their country from the invading white settlers. Its time to throw off the Imperial yoke of white domination and take back what is rightfully ours, declares Toby Panaka. These white bastards came here from Europe, invaded our lands and forced us to live in the absolutely shittiest bits: all deserts and furnace-like temperatures with nothing to live on. According to Panaka, most of the ills currently besetting Australian Aboriginal society are the result of the white invasion. We used to live peacefully here before the white man turned up with his drugs and alcohol, he claims. Now half of us are boozed up wrecks coughing our lungs up after smoking a hundred cigarettes a day. Our culture has been reduced to drunken bar room brawls and doing dances for tourists. His biggest complaint against the European immigrants, though, is that of cultural appropriation. Nothing is sacred to them, theyve appropriated our traditional musical instruments like the didgeridoo to play abominable songs about tying kangaroos up, or some such nonsense, Panaka laments. Worst of all, thanks to Rolf Harris, the instrument is now forever associated with rampant child molestation. Another part of our heritage debased by these immigrants. It really is time they went home  and took their undrinkable lagers with them.

Not surprisingly, the greatest enthusiasm for Ngatas proposed campaign has emanated from the US, where Native Americans claim to have been shabbily treated by successive waves of European immigrants. Its always the same  they start of by saying that they are escaping religious discrimination or something and that they are only a small group wanting only a tiny bit of land to settle on, next thing you know, theyre everywhere, opines Native American activist Johnny Bald Eagle. At first it is just the one family of Puritans, then before you know it theyve started bringing their cousins and their wives and their sisters over and it all gets out of hand. Bald Eagle is currently in the forefront of the Pale Faces Go Home movement which seeks to persuade the immigrants to go back to Europe. Weve had to endure wave after wave of them: Portuguese, Spaniards, English, French, Germans, Swedes, even the Russians, he points out. Not only did they wipe out our buffalo, expose us to new diseases and steal our women, not to mention our land, but theyve essentially trashed the place, ransacking the continents natural resources and poisoning the land with industrial pollution. Surely its time for them to go back to their own countries?

Bald Eagle is proposing radical solutions to the US immigration problems. Frankly, I think that Pale Face in Washington, you know, the one who speaks with forked tongue, might have a point with all his talk of walls, he says. He just wants to build one in the wrong place. Instead of the Mexican border we need to build walls down both coasts to try and stop any more of these white criminals from getting in. One of Bald Eagles biggest complaints about the European immigrants is their failure to integrate themselves into pre-existing cultures in the Americas. They made no attempt to adopt local cultures and customs, let alone the language, he asserts. They didnt even try to change their names to sound more like locals: nobody went from Dick Scratcher to Little Scratching Cock upon arriving in America, for instance.

The refusal of immigrants to change their names to something more in keeping with local traditions has also become an issue in the UK. Youd have thought the likes of Nigel Farage and Mark Francois, rabid Brexiteers both, would have had the decency to Anglicise their surnames, if they really are as patriotic as they claim, says pro-Remain Labour MP Fred Clinch. Especially that Farage. Surely thats a Huguenot name, marking him out as the descendant of refugees. Well, his ancestors might well have been able to claim asylum from religious persecution, but the Huguenots arent being persecuted in France any more, so its time, surely, for him to go home. Either that, or change his offensively foreign name! Clinch also believes that Mark Francois, right-wing Tory MP and deputy leader of the pro-Brexit Tory party faction the European Research Group, should change his name to something more appropriate. There he is, constantly blustering away about how we need to leave Europe, but he wont even give up his European name, he says. I mean, not only id Francois a French name, but it actually means French! Why doesnt he just change his name to French, an accepted English name? The hypocritical traitorous bastard!
Marysville, CA (95901)

Today

Rain. Becoming windy overnight. Low 46F. Winds SSE at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch. Locally heavy rainfall possible..

Tonight

Rain. Becoming windy overnight. Low 46F. Winds SSE at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch. Locally heavy rainfall possible.
MadridThe 23rd session of the trial of the Catalan pro-independence leaders brought the first appearances that required translation by an interpreter, those of the German politician Bernhard von Grunberg and of New Zealander Helena Catt, the spokeswoman and person in charge of a research team hired by the Public Diplomacy Council of Catalonia (Diplocat) from July to October 2017 to analyze the situation in Catalonia. The latter testified in English at the request of the plaintiffs. Both denied that they did any work as election observers during the October 1st (1-O) vote, although they did admit to having visited several polling stations that day and also to meeting with several pro-independence politicians. Regarding the referendum, they emphasized the peaceful nature of the voters that day. Von Grunberg had requested to visit Catalonia himself and paid all his own expenses. Catt confirmed that she received a salary of about 8,000 from Diplocat, as already confirmed by Albert Royo, former secretary general of the organization, when he declared as a witness.

Von Grunberg, a former German regional representative of the German Social Democratic Party (SPD) for the land of North Rhine-Westphalia, said that he was present in Catalonia on October 1st for his "personal and private interest" in the referendum. In fact, he also witnessed the consultation of November 9, 2014, the elections of September 27, 2015 and the elections of December 21, 2017. At all times he made it clear that he personally covered the expenses connected to the stay, and he avoided mentioning the political party he is affiliated with in Germany.

"I want to maintain my independence," said Von Grunberg to questions from Benet Salellas, Cuixart's lawyer, and said that regarding this question he could speak for himself and for the rest of the observers. However, he dismissed the significance of the possibility that Diplocat would have paid his expenses, because it would be "normal" in German political and institutional foundations. It was he who initially asked the secretary general of Diplocat, Albert Royo, to be in Catalonia on 1-O out of "personal interest", but pointed out that "in no case was it a priority to observe or validate elements of the vote". The witness explained that a joint report was written by all the participants in the program, although he did not specify who it was sent to.

Von Grunberg explained that he saw how "the police burst into the premises by breaking doors after removing the barriers". "They dispersed the people who were there," he pointed out. He explained that he then went to the polling station located in the Ramon Llull School in Barcelona city and witnessed "people injured by rubber bullets who were taken to hospital this is the case of Roger Espanol." When asked why he travelled to this specific school in the center of Barcelona, he pointed out that it was part of "the most convenient itinerary", but he later revealed that the group of visitors accompanied by a member of Diplocat received a call from a person, whom he did not name, who told them about what was happening at the Ramon Llull School.

One month in Catalonia

In the case of Catt, she did invoice Diplocat for her fees for the research work and the agency paid, as she explained, the housing expenses in Barcelona from September 4 to October 6, the time she was there. Specifically, she said she received a salary of 8,000. Former Secretary General Albert Royo had already stated that this team had invoiced its study, and the Prosecutor's Office in its indictment document identifies 114,592 in total fees plus 62,712 in accommodation and travel expenses. To inquiries from prosecutor Consuelo Madrigal, Catt admitted that the report they wrote included a chapter on the referendum, but that the rest was more about the "context" of the situation. However, she said she did not know what happened on 20-S and said she had "poor memory" for remembering important events in September in Catalonia.

Initially, Catt could not remember any of the government officials with whom she met and just said that she attended the meetings that they ordered her to go to, an instruction that was sent from an email address that was not connected to any particular name. "We were introduced to these people as being able to give us information about the referendum; they did not tell me what they did, she noted.

I do not support independence"

In turn, Von Grunberg defined himself as someone who doesnt support Catalan independence and pointed out that none of the political organizations for which he has worked do even though he did not want to mention the SPD at any time. On police violence at the polling places, he praised the "steely discipline of voters" after making long queues and "being subjected to a situation of intimidation", a circumstance added to the fact that "they did not exercise violence at all, although they were in a situation where that could easily happen; and yet despite this, it did not arise."

On the attitude of these citizens, Von Grunberg assured that he was "very surprised at the tranquility and self-control" of the voters. "I did not perceive a violent or aggressive attitude, but rather an admirable situation of tranquility and restraint," he insisted. The witness made it clear that in no polling station did he see the arrival of the Spanish police and security forces, so he could not answer as to whether or not the officers warned the public that they would use force before taking action.
Performing arts exports to Europe  are worth 360 million to the UK, but that and numerous jobs are under threat from a disorderly departure from the EU. Mark Shenton talks to senior theatremakers and festival organisers about what happens next for an industry they fear may become isolated and insular.  The Stage
The value of exports through Abu Dhabi ports increased by 36.6 per cent from Dh12.6 billion ($3.4 billion) in Q4 2017 to Dh17.2 billion ($4.7 billion) in the same period of 2018, a media report said.



The business sector increased by Dh4.0 billion (32.6 per cent), the government sector by Dh518.4 million (726.1 per cent), and the individual sector by 43.3 per cent compared with the same period of 2017, reported Emirates news agency Wam, citing figures released by Statistics Centre - Abu Dhabi.



Exports values increased by Dh3.8 billion (28.7 per cent) during Q4 2018 compared with Q3 2018. This was as a result of increases in the value of the business sector and government by 25.6 per cent and 1,297.7 per cent respectively, while the value of the individual sector decreased by 19.2 per cent over the same period.



The value of imports decreased by 0.3 per cent from Dh27.5 billion in Q4 2017 to Dh27.4 billion in Q4 2018. The business sector decreased by Dh840.4 million (3.3 per cent), and the individual sector decreased by 207.9 billion (53.1 per cent), while the government sector increased by Dh957.3 million (61.2 per cent) during the same period.



Imports values decreased by Dh1.4 billion (4.8 per cent) during Q4 2018 compared with Q3 2018. This was the result of decreases in the value of the business sector by 11.0 per cent, while the government sector and individual sector increased by 187.6 per cent, and 35.8 per cent respectively at the same time.



Pearls, precious or semi-precious stones, imitation jewellery, Vehicles, aircraft and associated transport equipment and Live Animals; Animal Products were the most significant export products of the individual sector, and represented 91.9 per cent of the total. Goods of Vehicles, aircraft and associated transport equipment, Live Animals; Animal Products and Textiles and textile articles represented 69.6 per cent of the total imports for the same sector.



The three highest contributing goods in the total value of exports of the business sector were Vehicles, aircraft and associated transport equipment, Base metals and articles of base metal, and Plastics and articles thereof, rubber and articles thereof, which contributed 62.0 per cent of the total.



Goods of Vehicles, aircraft and associated transport equipment, Machinery, recorders, sound and picture broadcasting and accessories, and Base metals and articles thereof represented 61.3 per cent of total imports for the same sector.



Works of art, collectors pieces and antiques, Vehicles, aircraft and associated transport equipment, and Articles of wood, articles of cork, basket ware and wickerwork contributed most to the exports of the government sector, and represented 98.3 per cent of the total.



Goods of Works of art, collectors pieces and antiques, Vehicles, aircraft and associated transport equipment, and Machinery equipment, sound and television recorders and reproducers, and parts thereof accounted for 95.1 per cent of total imports for the same sector.
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.
Supreme Court dismissed the applications filed by several bank officers' associations for staying the merger, effective April 1.

A bench of Justices R F Nariman and Vineet Sharan said, "All interlocutory applications seeking stay are dismissed". (Photo: File | ANI)

New Delhi: Clearing decks for the scheduled merger of three public sector lenders -- Vijaya Bank, Dena Bank and Bank of Baroda -- the Supreme Court on Thursday refused to stay the amalgamation.

The top court dismissed the applications filed by several bank officers' associations for staying the merger, effective April 1.

The proposed amalgamation will make Bank of Baroda, which will merge the other two lenders with itself, the second largest public sector bank after State Bank of India in place of Punjab National Bank.

A bench of Justices R F Nariman and Vineet Sharan said, "All interlocutory applications seeking stay are dismissed".

At the outset, senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for bank officers associations, said that there were several flaws in the decision taken for merger of three banks as there was no effective consultation or concurrence with the Reserve Bank of India on the issue.

He said that even the board of directors of the banks were not adequately constituted to take a decision of merger like this.

"The Board of Directors should have been informed and given time to contemplate on the proposed merger of the banks but every thing happened on January 2," Divan said.

He said that the board of directors passed a resolution on January 2, cabinet approved the decision on the same date and even the gazette notification was issued on the same day.

The bench asked Divan as how is he affected by the decision of merger of the banks.

He said that employees will suffer due to the merger as there will be an aspect of redundancy.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Bank of Baroda, said the merger was done within the statutory framework and all requisite procedure was duly followed.

"All the banks in question are public sector banks and as far as employees are concerned, under the scheme their terms and conditions of employment will remain the same. They are not affected at all. It was a policy decision that two weaker banks join one stronger bank," he said.

He said that as far as effective consultation with RBI is concerned, the process had started way back in September 17, 2018.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Union of India also opposed the plea of bank officers and said it was a purely an economic policy decision taken by the government for which detailed consultation has taken place.

He said three committees were constituted, Parliament was informed and the RBI was consulted after which in principle consent was given.

"Everything was done in a purely transparent manner and this is an economic policy decision taken by the government," he said.

The bench then said it is rejecting all the applications seeking immediate stay of the decision to merge the three banks.
Listed companies are required to have at least 25 per cent public shareholding.

Against this backdrop, the bank sought Sebi's exemption from the open offer requirement for the government.

New Delhi: Sebi on Wednesday exempted the government from making an open offer for the shareholders of Punjab National Bank but directed reduction in non-public shareholding in the lender post capital infusion.

In February, Punjab National Bank filed an application on behalf of the central government seeking exemption from open offer requirement under takeover regulations.

After capital infusion in lieu of preferential allotment of over 80.2 crore shares, the government's stake in the bank would rise by 5.19 per cent to 75.41 per cent.

Under the Sebi norms, entities are required to make an open offer in case their shareholding goes beyond a certain threshold.

Against this backdrop, the bank sought Sebi's exemption from the open offer requirement for the government.

According to Sebi, there would be no change in control of the bank pursuant to the proposed acquisition as the change would only be in the quantum of shares held by the government.

"The infusion of additional capital by the proposed acquirer/ Government of India is stated to enable the target company (Punjab National Bank) to meet the stipulated capital adequacy norms. "Accordingly, I am of the considered view that exemption as sought for in the application made by the target company, be granted to the proposed acquirer/ GOI...," Sebi Whole Time Member G Mahalingam said in an order on Wednesday.

The exemption has been given subject to certain conditions, including that the bank reduces the non-public shareholding from 75.41 per cent after the capital infusion.

Listed companies are required to have at least 25 per cent public shareholding.

Hence, the regulator has directed reducing the non-public shareholding to the within a specified time.
Globally, gold was trading at USD 1,310.78 an ounce and silver at USD 15.32 an ounce in New York.

Bullion traders attributed the bounce back in gold prices to rise in domestic demand but a weak trend in the international market restricted the gains.

New Delhi: Gold prices gained Rs 35 to Rs 33,095 per 10 gram on Thursday, breaking its two-day fall, on account of increased domestic demand, shrugging off a weak global trend, according to the All India Sarafa Association.

Silver, however, dropped Rs 270 to Rs 38,850 per kg amid lower demand from industrial units and coin makers.

Bullion traders attributed the bounce back in gold prices to rise in domestic demand but a weak trend in the international market restricted the gains.

Globally, gold was trading at USD 1,310.78 an ounce and silver at USD 15.32 an ounce in New York. The yellow metal was lower by about 0.15 per cent, while silver fell 0.16 per cent.

In the national capital, gold of 99.9 per cent and 99.5 per cent purities rose by Rs 35 each to Rs 33,095 and Rs 32,925 per 10 gram, respectively.

In the past two days, gold prices had fallen by Rs 160. Sovereign gold, however, remained unaltered at Rs 26,400 per piece of eight gram.

The price of silver ready went lower by Rs 270 to Rs 38,850 per kg and weekly-based delivery fell by Rs 281 to Rs 38,002 per kg. Silver coins remained unchanged at Rs 80,000 for buying and Rs 81,000 for selling of 100 pieces.
Even if there is a drop in the ratings, it will mean that some films will be affected.

Even as the IPL 2019 has begun in a big manner with the broadcasters registering a 29 per cent jump in ratings, the film industry business could come in for a bit of a dent. The numbers on TV is very good. Even if there is a drop in the ratings, it will mean that some films will be affected. First off the blocks will be this Fridays release Junglee, starring Vidyut Jammwal, which could bear the first brunt of the IPL. Friday is still looking fine but the weekend has some big matches, says a trade source.

John Abrahams RAW, the Modi biopic, Kalank, Student Of the Year 2, Mental Hai Kya are some of the big films expected during the IPL. Arjun Patiala, which was earlier slated to come in May, has now been shifted to July. The Hollywood big ticket Avengers is also slated to release during the IPL.

However, Atul Mohan, editor of Complete Cinema, opines that the IPL will not really affect. Last year, we saw content driven films like Raazi as well as 102 Not Out do well. So, it should not really disturb (films) this year as well. Elections are coming up as well, which will be held at different times in different states. This means that on a voting day, most people would be going and watching films after casting their vote as has been observed in earlier elections as well. The films that will now be affected more are the ones that will come during the last stages of the IPL, he opines.

Interestingly Salman Khans Bharat releases on Eid which will come at the far end of the IPL. The films run of two weeks will be facing the brunt of the IPL playoffs as well as the finals.

Sanskriti Media
Naidu wrote a seven-page strongly worded letter to the ECI protesting the manner in which three IPS officers were transferred.

Vijayawada: After barring the Central Bureau of Investigation CBI) from entering AP, N. Chandrababu Naidus government appears to have decided to take on another autonomous institution, the Election Commission of India (ECI).

The state government overnight changed its stance on the transfer of intelligence chief A.B. Venkateswar Rao. However, there was no proper explanation in the overnment Order (GO) that revoked Venkateswar Raos transfer.

The state government had rejected the orders of the ECI and issued a GO revoking the transfer orders of Venkateshwara Rao. Amidst high drama, the government on Wednesday issued two GOs one bringing all police officials from top to bottom level into the purview of the Election Commission, and another revoking the transfer orders of Venkateswar Rao.

Mr Naidu wrote a seven-page strongly worded letter to the Election Commission of India protesting the manner in which three IPS officers were transferred.

Mr Naidu said he is shocked to see the communication from the EC on the transfers without even conducting preliminary inquiry into the complaint lodged by the YSR Congress party.

He also said that the Director General, Intelligence, does not come under the purview of the EC and he cant be transferred. He urged the EC to cancel the transfer orders. Unfortunately, the conduct of the EC has now become highly questionable and it is joining the list of Constitutional Bodies which are no longer independent, said Mr Naidu in his letter.

Referring to cases pending against YSRC chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, Mr Naidu said such persons who have committed heinous crimes are beingwelcomed by the EC.

They are being treated as the most trustworthy persons to make false and baseless allegations against honest public servants. It conveys the message that the honest public servants have to bow before such persons who have no scruples. Thus the action of the EC is prima facie hasty, biased, undemocratic, and suffers from the principles of natural justice.

The transfer orders would adversely affect the morale of the honest, judicious and upright police officials of Andhra Pradesh who have the reputation for their efficiency and professionalism, Mr Naidu wrote in the letter.

He added that the ECs conduct has become questionable due to this coloured decision which is deliberately aimed at benefitting the YSRC under the influence of Narendra Modi aided by K. Chandrasekhar Rao.

He also said that while the EC has shown extraordinary interest in responding to the complaint of the YSRC, it has blissfully ignored the representations of the Telugu Desam party against the malicious actions of the YSRC. The Telugu Desam party has complained to the ECI about the illegal and criminal intentions of YSRC which arranged for filing Form-7 applications online for deletion of 5.4 lakh voters who are TD supporters.

Director General, Intelligence is not a designated officer under Section 28A of the Representation of Police Act, 1951, consequently the ECI does not have any authority/ jurisdiction to transfer the Director General, Intelligence in the purported exercise of the powers conferred on it under Article 324 of the Constitution of India read with Section 28A of the Representation of People Act, 1951, Mr Naidu wrote.
The leader said that Modi gives great importance to Jammu is borne by the fact that he would be beginning his campaign from the region on March 28.

Srinagar: BJP leader Ram Madhav said on Wednesday that his party would perform better in the Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir this time than it did in 2014. He also said that the BJP has urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to hold the state Assembly elections at the earliest.

Mr Madhav, while addressing press conferences in Srinagar and Jammu, said that he was quite confident about the BJPs retaining both Jammu and Udhampur seats of Jam-mu region and also that of Ladakh. He exuded confidence that the party would perform well in the three constituencies of the Kashmir Valley as well.

Were hopeful of retaining the two Jammu seats and also that of Ladakh and getting a result better than what the BJP got in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections in J&K. As for the Valley, we are trying to augment our strength and perform in a better way there as well, he said.

He was hopeful also of the NDA being voted to power again in the upcoming elections by the people on the basis of the report card of the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. The elections will be held between April 11 and May 19 and results declared on May 23 but everyone in the country knows what would be the outcome of these polls. There is agreement even in the Opposition on the BJPs winning these elections hands down, he claimed.

The leader said that Mr Modi gives great importance to Jammu is borne by the fact that he would be beginning his campaign from the region on March 28.

The BJP national general secretary who earlier held a series of meetings with senior party leaders in the twin capitals during which election preparations were reviewed hit out at the Congress over its entering into an alliance with the National Conference (NC) for a friendly contest.

This drama that is going on that they are in alliance in Jammu, but fighting in Kashmir. They are trying various types of exercises against Modiji and the BJP, let them do it. We will win two seats in Jammu and one in Ladakh and will try our best in Kashmir so that our candidates go forward, he said.

He said that the NC and also the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had boycotted the recently held panchayat and urban bodies elections on the pretext that Article 35A and Article 370 were facing a threat but decided to join the fray in the Lok Sabha polls because we have to go to the Parliament. He termed it as an attempt by these parties to serve their own vested interests.

Accusing both the NC and the PDP of shielding and sympathising with separatists and militants, Mr Madhav said that the BJP wants that all the three Lok Sabha seats in the Kashmir Valley should go to those who stand for unity of the country.

He said, The politicians who indulge in doublespeak should be kept away. People have seen what statements are being given by these politicians. The whole country knows which party has what agenda. The people of Kashmir know as well and they will understand it.

He said that though the condition of the Congress party in Jammu was already dardnakh (miserable), the patriotic people of the region will not tolerate its closeness with the forces inimical to the interests of the country and teach it a lesson in the elections. He

said, This party has entered into an alliance with NC one of whose leaders and candidates for Baramulla seat Akbar Lone has publicly chanted Pakistan zindabad slogan. We demand that an FIR should be lodged against him forthwith.

Mr Madhav said that the BJP has demanded to the ECI to hold the state Assembly elections at the earliest. Both NC and PDP are happy in contesting the general elections while we have asked Election Commission to hold Assembly elections in the state as early as possible.

Earlier the J&K BJP president Ravinder Raina likened the NC-PDP-Congress Lok Sabha tie up for two Lok Sabha seats in Jammu to an alliance of three militant outfits  Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Muhammed.

Mr Raina while briefing reporters on the Prime Ministers scheduled rally at Akhnoor near Jammu on March 28, called the NC-PDP-Congress alliance as mahamilavati alliance (greatly contaminated alliance).

He said, I would say this alliance is not different from separatists and militants because the alliance leaders cry over militants deaths and wail at their houses and work in tandem with anti-national forces. I will rather compare this alliance with Hizb, Jaish and Lashkar.
Farooq Abdullah said that Modi government presents a tale of failures and misgovernance.

Srinagar: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday said that the BJP government at the Centre has miserably failed in delivering on the promises it made during the 2014 elections and, therefore a failed government and a failed Prime Minister needs to be shown the door. Mr Abdullah who is re-seeking election from Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency said that the democracy is a humbling experience and that people of the country are seeking answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on issues of price rise and unemployment. During Modijis stint as chief minister of Gujarat he used to mock the previous government on these issues but now what has he done? The people of the country especially our mothers and sisters are finding it very difficult to run their households in view of soaring prices, he said. He added, Modiji had promised to deliver on various issues concerning the nation during his 2014 election campaign but he has aggravated the problems to an extent that will take decades to solve.

The NC leader while addressing a party election rally in the town of Budgam near here alleged, Modi government presents a tale of failures and misgovernance and said that the people have now made it a point to give befitting reply to Modi for his failures and lies in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. 

Accusing the Prime Minister of squandering the mandate of the people by imprudent policies of his government, he said, We in Parliament knew that the government has failed to deliver on key issues that the country is facing, so they would create a war like situation in the country to divert the attention of people from the real issues affecting the poor particularly farmers and the labour class. The NC leader while flaying the Prime Minister for creating war hysteria in the country to divert the attention of people from farm distress, price rise and foreign policy failures said, War is no solution. It brings with it innumerable miseries. He said that former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had once said that friends can be changed, but not neighbours and added However, Modi failed to carry forward the legacy of Vajpayeeji.

He alleged that the agenda of BJP-RSS is divisive and said, We saw how they are contriving to vitiate the atmosphere of our state. But we as peace loving people should never allow ourselves to fall prey into the hands of their shenanigans. We should strike unity and work for a country where in all of us live amicably and derive our share from the development and prosperity.

He also said that the RSS-BJP combine and their cronies and henchmen are bent upon to cause division among the people of Jammu and Kashmir and harm the special status the State enjoys within the Indian Union.

He said, These forces are inimical to the identity and integrity of State. They will try their level best to use men, money to impede elections, but we have to put up a strong front and work tirelessly to ensure that all the candidates of NC win by resounding margins. Only then we can work for a tolerant and secular India. Our vote will make a difference.
More than 3,200 technology enthusiasts from across the Middle East and Africa are participating at the Microsofts Ignite Conference, being held in Dubai, UAE.



The event, which opened yesterday (March 27), will conclude later today (March 28) at the Dubai World Trade Centre.



More than 100 workshops and over 350 globally renowned experts and delegates looking to expand their skillsets or discuss important issues facing the technology industry are attending the event, said a statement.



The Microsoft Ignite Tour is focused on assembling developers and IT professionals to learn, explore and connect with the community and gain practical insights into the future of areas in technology such as cloud, data, the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence, it said.



Sayed Hashish, regional general manager, Microsoft Gulf, said: Our mission is to help every individual and organisation on the planet to achieve more.



Microsoft Ignite  The Tour Dubai, is a platform for the regions innovators to grow their skill-bases as they continue to use digital transformation to engage customers, empower employees, optimise operations and reinvent products, services and business models, he said,



It has always been a pleasure to hear from a wide array of technology professionals on the challenges they face, and to help them overcome those obstacles by evolving their skills and deepening their expertise, he added.



Microsoft has long dedicated itself to the upskilling of the regions students and professionals. Last year the companys Cloud Society programme partnered with the One Million Arab Coders initiative launched by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to prepare young Arabs for the worlds digital future.



Microsofts training track went live at the beginning of this month, resulting in 18,000 new Cloud Society members from the GCC, 89,000 course enrolments and 4,400 new certified professionals.



Learning paths open to Microsoft Ignite | The Tour - Dubai delegates include: Azure fundamentals; building and maintaining Azure hybrid environments; developing Microsoft 365 applications and integrations; building and migrating applications to the cloud; and securing digital estates. Attendees can also schedule one-to-one meetings with Microsoft engineers, regional developers, entrepreneurs and tech professionals.



Another focus of the Ignite Tours Dubai stopover is the Diversity and Technology track, which explores how diverse and inclusive workplaces can be a springboard, not only for corporate success, but for job creation and GDP growth. Ignite attendees will get the chance to unlock their own potential for promoting diversity-and-inclusion initiatives within their own organisations when they hear from industry specialists with track records on making a difference.



Hashish continued: When employees know that their contributions will be recognised and appreciated regardless of their background or circumstances, they are more likely to become innovators, which can only be good news for their employers and society at large.



Diversity and inclusion are a key part of our evolving culture at our company and we are keenly focused on attracting, recruiting, and retaining diverse talent in the tech space, he added.  TradeArabia News Service
The PM addressed the nation after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security which was apparently apprised of the development.

An Election Commission spokesperson said the poll panel has directed a committee of officers to examine the matter immediately in the light of the model code of conduct. (Photo: File

New Delhi: The Election Commission Wednesday set up a committee under a deputy election commissioner to examine the matter related to Prime Minister Narendra Modis address to the nation in the light of the model code of conduct which is in force for Lok Sabha polls.

An Election Commission spokesperson said the poll panel has directed a committee of officers to examine the matter immediately in the light of the model code of conduct.

However, sources in the poll panel said issues related to national security and disaster management do not fall under the ambit of the model code which came into force on March 10 when the ok Sabha election schedule was announced. The seven-phased polls will begin on April 11 and end on May 19.

The sources said the decision was taken after the Opposition claimed that the PMs address violated the model code as he highlighted an achievement of the government and the issue was not necessarily related to national security.

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) had met. Decisions taken by it and issues such as disaster management do not fall under the (ambit of)model code of conduct and require no prior nod, a functionary had said earlier in the day.

Though there was no official word on the deadline given to the committee to submit its report, sources said the task will be completed at the earliest. The panel would go through the video and the transcript of the address.

The PM addressed the nation after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security which was apparently apprised of the development.

The commission has directed a committee of officers to examine the matter immediately in the light of model code of conduct, the EC spokesperson tweeted Wednesday night.
Ruling BJP calling Congress slogan of Garibi Hatao 2.0 as bluff is true, says Mayawati.

Lucknow: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Wednesday said the BJP terming the Congress Nyunatam Aay Yojana (Nyay) scheme a bluff is true but added that the two parties are birds of the same feather.

Ms Mayati tweeted, Ruling BJP calling Congress slogan of Garibi Hatao 2.0 as bluff is true. But is poll bluff & reneging of poll promises the sole domain of the BJP? In fact BJP & Congress party are both birds of the same feather in betraying the interests of the poor, labourers, farmers & others (sic).

This comes two days after finance minister Arun Jaitley claimed Congress president Rahul Gandhis Nyaya scheme, which provided income support of `72,000 per annum to the poorest 20 per cent families of the country, was a bluff announcement.

The amount promised by the Congress is less than two-thirds of the existing Direct Benefit Transfer under Modi government, which averages `1.068 lakh annually. So what is being claimed by the Congress Party  a bluff announcement (sic), Mr Jaitley said in a Facebook post.

Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav launched a scathing attack at the BJP for sidelining its two veteran leaders L.K. Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi from the ensuing the Lok Sabha polls.

Development is asking: Those who have shown doors to Margdarshan Mandal are talking of what culture, trick and character. The fake morality of the BJP has been busted. Already, the youth were not voting for the BJP, now the elderly will also not vote for the party. The BJP is broken from inside, he wrote on Twitter.

Mr Advani was replaced by BJP president Amit Shah from the Gandhi-nagar Lok Sabha constituency while Mr Joshi was replaced by Satyadev Pachauri from Kanpur parliamentary constituency. The Lok Sabha polls are scheduled to be held from April 11 and will go on till May 19 in seven phases. The polls in UP will be held in all seven phases starting from April 11 to May 19. The counting of votes will take place on May 23.
Gandhi said the Prime Minister has realised that the Congress will now give justice to the poor.

New Delhi: Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress President Rahul Gandhi Wednesday said his expression during his address to the nation betrayed his anxiety that his time to go has come.

Addressing a convention of the partys Other Backward Classes (OBC) department, Mr Gandhi said the Prime Minister has realised that the Congress will now give justice to the poor.

He (PM) made the country wait for 45 minutes for his announcement, did you look at his face? He has realised that the Congress will now give justice...Modi is now afraid that his time to go has come, he told the gathering at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium here, ahead of the April-May parliamentary election. In an unprecedented broadcast to the nation on television, radio and social media, Modi on Wednesday announced that India had demonstrated anti-satellite missile capability by shooting down a live satellite, describing it as a rare achievement that puts the country in an exclusive club of space superpowers.

The newly-announced NYAY (minimum income guarantee scheme) whereby the party promised to give Rs 72,000 per year to five crore poor families in the country to bring them out of poverty, was justice, the Congress chief said and asserted that Modis promises were lies and thus injustice.

The Congress president also assured the OBC community that they would see many more MPs and MLAs from among them as the Congress had earlier given two OBC chief ministers to the country.

I am guaranteeing the OBC community that soon they will be given more space in the Congress party. In the coming days there will more CMs, more MLAs...This is my guarantee. I am not Narendra Modi, I dont lie. I have taken this challenge to give space to the OBC, dalit, farmers, poor...In Congress, he said.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) advocate and spokesperson Ashwini Kumar Upadhyaya had challenged this provision as unconstitutional.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to examine whether a candidate can be allowed to contest from two Assembly or Lok Sabha constituencies during the elections.

A bench headed by Justice S.A. Bobde told advocate and petitioner Ashwini Kumar Upadhyaya, who mentioned the issue for urgent listing, that the matter would be listed for hearing after two weeks.

The Election Commission has said that it favoured the proposal to bar a candidate from contesting in two Assembly or parliamentary constituencies during elections but the Centre has justified such a provision of law.

Section 33(7) of the Representation of the People Act (RPA), 1951, allows a person to contest a general election or a group of byelections or biennial elections from two constituencies, wher-eas Section 70 of the RPA specifies that if a person is elected to more than one seat in either House of the Parliament or in either House of the state Legislature, then he/she can only hold on to one of the seats that he/she won in the election.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) advocate and spokesperson Ashwini Kumar Upadhyaya had challenged this provision as unconstitutional.

The Election Commission, however, in its response said it had made a proposal to the government in 2004 and 2016 to amend the provisions of Representation of the People Act to restrict the contest from only one constituency. It was for the Centre to act on the proposal.

Rejecting the Election Commissions proposal, the Centre in its affidavit said the provision was intended to strike a reasonable balance for candidates who wanted to contest in two constituencies and the rights of voters. Such a provision provides wider choice to the polity as well as the candidate and is in line with the democratic set up in the country, the Centre stated.

The affidavit also said the petitioner had failed to demonstrate the injustice it may cause to the voters at large and could not ask the court to legislate and that said every individual has a right to contest elections.

The petitioner said one Person One Vote and One Candidate One Constituency is the dictum of democracy. However, as per the law, as it stands today, a person can contest the election for the same office from two constituencies simultaneously.

He said when a candidate contests from two seats, it is imperative that he/she has to vacate one of the two seats if he/she wins both. This, apart from the consequent unavoidable financial burden on the public exchequer, government manpower and other resources for holding bye-election against the resultant vacancy is also an injustice to the voters of the constituency, which the candidate is quitting from where he/she was elected.

The EC said on 05.07.2004, the Chief Election Commissioner urged the Prime Minister for amendment of Section 33(7) RP Act to provide that a person cannot contest from more than one constituency for the same office simultaneously. The ECI alternatively suggested that if existing provisions are retained then the candidate contesting from two seats should bear the cost of the bye-election to the seat that the contestant decides to vacate in the event of his/her winning both seats.
Sources said Tej Pratap was upset after party leadership rejected his demand to accommodate two candidates in Bihar.

Patna: RJD Chief Lalu Yadavs elder son Tej Pratap created a flutter by resigning as Chief of partys student wing.

More than the political temperature it was a wave of shock and surprise for the RJD and entire Lalu clan when he announced his decision through a tweet on Thursday.

I am resigning from the post of partys student wing. Those who think that I am a fool are foolish. I know their reality, Tej Pratap said in a tweet.

Sources said Tej Pratap was upset after party leadership rejected his demand to accommodate two candidates in Bihar for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Earlier in the day, Tej Pratap had announced candidature of Angesh Singh from Sheohar and Chandra Prakash for Jehanabad seats.

I just wanted the party to accommodate these two leaders who have worked hard to strengthen RJD at the ground level. But the party is planning to include those workers who are less deserving and cannot ensure victory in the Lok Sabha elections, Tej Pratap Yadav said.

Adding further he said that Lalu Yadav is not being informed about day to day development of the party. But I am aware of all these things and they cannot fool me.

RJD insiders, however, downplayed the statement by Tej Pratap and said that he has been creating trouble for Tejashwi Yadav who is trying to run the party smoothly in the absence of his father Lalu Yadav.

Political observers see Tej Pratap Yadavs latest move as a tactic to build pressure on the RJD ahead of candidate announcement for 2019 general elections.

The dissent in the RJD has been brewing since Lalu Yadav handed over reins of the party to his younger son Tejashwi Yadav after he was convicted and sent to jail in the fodder scam case.

Sources said that fresh speculation of a rift between Tej Pratap and other leaders including his brother Tejashwi Yadav has confused party workers.

His statement also gave fuel to NDA leaders in Bihar who said that the rift within Lalu Yadavs family will create a conflict in the party as well as in the grand alliance.

This is not his first controversial tweet. Last year he created a buzz with a tweet signalling his retirement from politics. In a social media post, he had used references from Mahabharata and said that he wishes to hand over the throne to Arjun (Tejashwi Yadav) and leave for Dwarika.
The state is now under Presidents Rule after the BJP cut off ties with the Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP, which was heading the coalition govt in the state.

New Delhi: Blaming Article 35A for blocking the development of Jammu and Kashmir and its use as a tool by the state government to discriminate between citizens of its own state, finance minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday said the article was surreptitiously included in the Constitution and was guided by an erroneous vision of the then government. The ministers remarks could set off a fresh controversy in Kashmir and elsewhere.

Noting how the state had lost development initiatives because of the article, Mr Jaitley said the Narendra Modi government wants the rule of law in the interest of the people of the Kashmir Valley and the larger interest of India, must equally apply to the entire Jammu and Kashmir.

The state is now under Presidents Rule after the BJP cut off ties with the Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP, which was heading the coalition government in the state.

In a blog post titled The Rule of Law and the State of Jammu & Kashmir, the BJP leader said Article 35A was constitutionally vulnerable and was used as a political shield by many but hurt the common citizen of the state the most.

Was the Nehruvian course, which the state had embarked, a historical blunder or was it the correct course to follow? Most Indians today believe it is the former. Does our policy today have to be guided by that erroneous vision or an out of box thinking which is in consonance with ground reality? questioned Mr Jaitley.

Without naming the Congress, National Confenernce and the PDP, Mr Jaitley said regrettably, they let down the people of the state for not distancing from separatism, violence and terrorism absolutely.

Article 35A was neither a part of the original Constitution framed by the Constituent Assembly nor did it come as a constitutional amendment under Article 368 which requires approval by a two-thirds majority of both Houses of Parliament, wrote the Union minister.

It came as a presidential notification and is a surreptitious executive insertion in the Constitution, said Mr Jaitley, adding that the article gives the right to the state government to discriminate between two state citizens living in the state on the basis of declaring some as permanent residents while leaving out others. It also discriminates between permanent residents of the state and all other Indian citizens living elsewhere, he wrote.

Lakhs of Indian citizens in J&K vote in the Lok Sabha elections but not in the Assembly, municipal or panchayat polls. Their children cant get government jobs. They cannot own property and their children cannot get admitted to government institutions... The same applies to those who live elsewhere in the country. The heirs of ladies marrying outside the state are disinherited from owing or inheriting property, the minister said. He said the state does not have adequate financial resources and its ability to raise more has been crippled by Article 35A.

No investor is willing to set up an industry, hotel, private educational institution or private hospital as he can neither buy land or property, and nor can his executives do so, he added.
The Prime Minister will address a rally at Koraput in Odisha and another in Mahbubnagar in Telangana on Friday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is garlanded by party leaders and workers during Vijay Sankalp Rally in Meerut on Thursday. UP CM Yogi Adityanath is also seen. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi/Meerut /Rudrapur/Akhnoor: Sounding the poll bugle for the coming Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday addressed three rallies in three states  Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir  and affirmed the BJP-led NDAs pledge to safeguard the nations security and its fight against terrorism while asking people to chose between a decisive government and a one with an indecisive past.

Continuing his attack on the Congress, the Prime Minister also took on the SP-BSP-RLD alliance in Uttar Pradesh, calling it mahamilavat (adulterated), and coined an acronym SARAB (alcohol) from the initial letters of the three regional outfits, urging the people to stay away from SARAB in the polls for the good health of UP. All the three parliamentary seats of Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, Rudrapur in Uttarakhand and Akhnoor in Jammu and Kashmir  where Mr Modi addressed rallies on Thursday will go to the polls in the first of seven phases on April 11.

The Prime Minister will address a rally at Koraput in Odisha and another in Mahbubnagar in Telangana on Friday.

Mr Modis SARAB remarks drew a sharp reaction from the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, with the Congress demanding an apology from him while SP chief Akhilesh Yadav accused him of spreading the intoxication of hatred, saying the Prime Minister didnt know the difference between sharab and sarab (mirage).

Continuing his attack on the Congress, Mr Modi accused it of raising questions on the valour of the armed forces after the post-Uri surgical strikes in 2016 in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and later the airstrikes in Balakot inside Pakistan in February.

The contest is between a a decisive government and an indecisive past, Mr Modi said at the BJPs Vijay Sankalp rally in the western UP town of Meerut, a day after announcing that India had demonstrated the anti-satellite missile capability by shooting down a live satellite to join an elite club of space superpowers. He had also launched his 2014 campaign from Meerut.

Calling himself the nations chowkidar, Mr Modi said: It was this chowkidars government that had the courage to conduct surgical strikes on land, sky and space. India should develop, India should be secure from enemies. He added that the country was, for the first time, seeing a government that knows how to deliver. He said the battle was between the dumdaar BJP and the daagdaar Opposition.

In his third rally of the day at Akhnoor in the Jammu region near the India-Pakistan border, Mr Modi said the terrorists across the border were living in a state of fear. In an apparent reference to the Balakot airstrikes, Mr Modi said those running the terrorist factory across the border were living under constant fear and the terrorists have been forced to think 100 times before sneaking over into this side.

Those running the terrorist factory across the border are afraid and are living under constant fear. This had happened for the first time that the terrorists are forced to think 100 times to intrude into this side to rattle India, said the PM.

Mr Modi, who spoke in Dogri first and then switched over to Hindi, said when voters press the button of the EVM on April 11 and choose the lotus, it will not only unnerve the terrorists and their friends within the country but its bang would be heard across the border as well. Attacking Congress president Rahul Gandhi for his happy World Theatre Day tweet after the PMs address to the nation announcing the success of the anti-satellite missile, Mr Modi said: You all saw how India created history yesterday by achieving a feat in space to ensure we emerge stronger globally and to ensure our safety. But see the kind of funny things people in the Opposition have been saying.

It is both worrying and funny... What do you say about someone who does not even know the difference between a theatre set and ASAT (anti-satellite)? he said.

Playing on the words saboot and sapoot, the Hindi words for proof and good son, Mr Modi attacked the Opposition for seeking evidence of the surgical strikes. Do we need saboot or sapoot... Those who seek evidence are challenging the sapoot.

Alleging that the Congress blood did not boil even after terrorists struck in the heart of Mumbai in 2008, Mr Modi told a rally in Rudrapur that fear was something unknown to the chowkidar.

It is the Congress job to cower in fear. The chowkidar knows no fear. All he knows is to put up a dour fight, he said. In a blistering attack on the Congress for offering dole to people for votes, he said the party gave the call of garibi hatao decades ago and in this election it had nothing new to offer.

Alleging the Congress was the very cause of poverty, he asked people to eliminate the party. Remove the Congress and poverty will go away automatically, he said, and asked: Will you send a party like this back to power?
Political observers see Tej Pratap Yadavs latest move as a tactic to build pressure on the RJD ahead of the candidate announcement for 2019 LS polls.

Patna: Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadavs elder son Tej Pratap created a flutter by resigning as head of the partys student wing.

A wave of shock and surprise hit RJD circles and the entire Lalu clan as Tej Pratap announced his decision through a tweet on Thursday. I am resigning from the post in the partys student wing. Those who think I am a fool are foolish. I know their reality, he said in a tweet.

Sources said Tej Pratap was upset after the party leadership rejected his demand to accommodate two candidates in Bihar for the coming Lok Sabha polls. Earlier in the day, Tej Pratap had announced the candidature of Angesh Singh from Sheohar and Chandra Prakash for Jehanabad seats. I just wanted the party to accommodate these two leaders who have worked hard to strengthen the RJD at the ground level. But the party plans to include workers who are less deserving and cannot ensure victory in the Lok Sabha polls, Tej Pratap said.

He added: Lalu Yadav is not being informed about the day-to-day developments in the party. But I am aware of all these things and they cannot fool me.

RJD insiders, however, downplayed the statement and said he has been creating trouble for Tejashwi Yadav, who is trying to run the party smoothly in the absence of his father Lalu Yadav.

Political observers see Tej Pratap Yadavs latest move as a tactic to build pressure on the RJD ahead of the candidate announcement for 2019 general election.

Dissent has been brewing in the RJD after Lalu Yadav handed over the partys reins to his younger son Tejashwi Yadav after he was convicted and sent to jail in the fodder scam case.

Sources said fresh speculation of a rift between Tej Pratap and other leaders, including brother Tejashwi Yadav, has confused party workers. His statement also gave fuel to NDA leaders in Bihar who said the rift within Lalu Yadavs family will create a conflict in the party as well as in the Grand Alliance.

This is not Tej Prataps first controversial tweet. Last year he created a buzz with a tweet signalling his retirement from politics. In a social media post, he used references from the Mahabharata and said he wishes to hand over the throne to Arjun (Tejashwi Yadav) and leave for Dwarka.
K'taka CM said he would use 'Mamata Banerjees tactics' against any move by Centre to use govt organisations for political vendetta.

The Karnataka government alleged that Centre was using the income tax department to harass lawmakers. (Photo: File)

Bengaluru: As Income tax officers are searching the premises of politicians of JD(S)-Congress coalition and their associates across Karnataka, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy said he would use Mamata Banerjees tactics against any move by the Centre to use government organisations for political vendetta, reported NDTV.

Chief Minister Kumaraswamy tweeted:

PM @narendramodi's real surgical strike is out in the open through IT dept raids. The constitutional post offer for IT officer Balakrishna helped the PM in his revenge game. Highly deplorable to use govt machinery, corrupt officials to harrass opponents during election time.  H D Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) March 28, 2019

Hon'ble PM @NarendraModi is misusing the IncomeTax Dept to threaten the political leaders of Karnataka from JDS and Congress during election time



They have planned to conduct IT raids on our important leaders.This is nothing but revenge politics.We will not be cowed down by this  H D Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) March 27, 2019

The raids are being carried out by I-T officials and Central Personal Force (CRPF) personnel.

Currently, raids are underway at multiple locations in Bengaluru, Hassan, Mandya and, Mysuru, sources revealed.

In addition to this, JD(S) leader Madhu Bangarappa claimed that the BJP is trying to "play political games" ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

"The Chief Minister of Karnataka has already cleared why raids are taking place as he got inputs from the intelligence department. The BJP is trying to play political games before elections. Why are there no raids at BJP leaders' houses? IT raids are common but I am questioning their timing," he told ANI.

The Karnataka government alleged that Centre was using the income tax department to harass lawmakers. On Thursday, I-T officials along with CRPF raided residences of Karnataka Minor Irrigation Minister CS Puttaraju in Mandya district and his nephews in Mysuru, reported news agency PTI.

"I'm not deterred by the raids, which are election related. I would like to know which BJP leader's house in Karnataka has been raided?" said Puttaraju.

The raids are also reportedly going on in houses of associates of Public Works Department Minister HD Revanna. Revanna is brother of the Chief Minister and son of former prime minister HD Deve Gowda.

The Congress had made similar allegations when the premises of DK Shivakumar were raided.

In February, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee staged a sit-in protest after a CBI team wanted to question former Kolkata Polcie Rajeev Kumar in chit fund scam cases.

The people of Karnataka will vote in the Lok Sabha elections on April 18 and 23. Results will be out on May 23.

Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analyses et all. Happy reading.
Singh, here to participate in a condolence meeting held in the memory of Parrikar.

Singh recalled Parrikar's contribution to the One Rank One Pension scheme, induction of Light Combat Aircraft Tejas in the Indian Air Force and getting on track the Rafale fighter jet deal with France. (Image: ANI)

Panaji: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh Thursday said the then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar was extremely upset and angry after the 2016 Uri terror attack that had claimed the lives of 17 jawans. Singh, here to participate in a condolence meeting held in the memory of Parrikar, who died on March 17, narrated his experience about working with his former Cabinet colleague and shared anecdotes. "After the Uri terror attack (on September 18, 2016), we were called by PM. I was with Parrikar in that meeting. Parrikar was extremely upset and angry over the incident," Singh said. "He had also played a major role in the air strike.

He monitored the operation throughout night. He played an important role in two air strikes," the Union minister said. Paying glowing tributes to Parrikar, he said the late Goa Chief Minister had sensed the mood of the country before recommending Narendra Modi's name as the BJP's prime ministerial candidate during the party's National Executive meeting here in 2013. "When the National Executive took place in 2013, I was president of the party (BJP). After receiving me at the airport in Goa, when we sat over tea, he told me that mood of the country was in favour of Narendra Modi becoming the next Prime Minister," Singh said.

Singh recalled Parrikar's contribution to the One Rank One Pension scheme, induction of Light Combat Aircraft Tejas in the Indian Air Force and getting on track the Rafale fighter jet deal with France. "I still remember that Rafale was not coming to India. We were concerned that we didn't have next generation fighter plane. The PM gave him the responsibility.

"In 2015, an agreement was signed with the French Defence Minister. Parrikar played a role in getting the Rafale deal back on track," Singh added. Speaking on the occasion, Goa's Deputy Chief Minister Vijai Sardesai said running the BJP-led government in the state without Parrikar is going to be a challenge for the ruling coalition. However, the ruling coalition will face this challenge together, said Sardesai, who heads the Goa Forward Party (GFP), a BJP ally in the state. Sardesai said his party had resolved to support the BJP in government formation after the 2017 Assembly polls only if Parrikar, then the Defence Minister, was made the chief minister.

"We have to try to create more Parrikars and to do so we need more foresight. He was the one who had foresight. He was the one who proposed the name of Narendra Modi as Prime Ministerial candidate," the Deputy Chief Minister said. Sardesai said giving a stable government to Goa will be a fitting tribute to Parrikar. "I am sure the government has gone into another phase after the demise of Parrikar. It is not going to be easy without Parrikar.

"It is going to be a challenge and we are going to face it together. Giving a good and stable government is the biggest tribute we can give to Parrikar," he said. Sardesai said even before the 2017 elections, he had decided to support a BJP-led government only if it is headed by Parrikar.

"We had decided even before elections and had given him assurance that we will form the government if he returns to state politics and heads the coalition," Sardesai said. The BJP had won 13 assembly seats and it formed the government under Parrikar with support from the GFP, MGP and Independents. Sardesai said he had given word to Parrikar to continue in the government. "I have kept my word," he added. Goa Governor Mridula Sinha and senior RSS leader Bhaiyyaji Joshi, among others, were present at the condolence meeting.

Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analyses et all. Happy reading.
Best Western Hotels & Resorts said a huge thank you to its partners and associates in Asia by hosting a glittering party in Bangkok.



The Best Western Thank You Party 2019 was held at Cocoona Lounge, on the 19th floor of the Gaysorn Urban Resort in Bangkok on March 21.



The event gathered approximately 70 of the companys closest partners, including travel agents, corporate clients, marketing partners and members of the media, for a fun-filled evening of networking, live music, fine food and cool drinks.



A prize draw was also held during the night, with fantastic prizes including stays at Best Western branded hotels and resorts across Asia



Piyada Jakkham of Krungthai Card (KTC) was the lucky winner of the first prize - a two-night stay at Best Western Plus Hotel Fino Osaka Kitahama, Japan, including daily breakfast for two guests and a pair of return flights between Bangkok and Osaka!



Kevin Ng of Travel Weekly Asia won the second prize, a two-night stay at Best Western Premier Sonasea Phu Quoc, Vietnam, including breakfast for two; while Evan Crosby of Travco was the lucky winner of the third prize, a two-night stay at Best Western Plus The Beachfront Phuket, Thailand, inclusive of breakfast for two. Finally, Patchrakorn Parnthong of HotelBeds won a Travel Card worth $100, which can be redeemed at any Best Western branded hotel worldwide.



We were honoured to host the Best Western Thank You Party 2019, which allowed us to express our deep gratitude to all of our esteemed partners and clients, said Olivier Berrivin, Best Westerns managing director of International Operations - Asia. Best Western is undergoing one of the most impressive periods of growth in our 73-year history, with a series of new brands, hotels and innovations all across the world. We understand, however, that none of this could be possible without the enduring support of our partners.



This event was our way of saying thank you - a small gesture of our appreciation for the amazing hard work and dedication of all of our partners. We look forward to building even stronger and deeper relationships with our partners in future, Berrivin added.



The Best Western Thank You Party 2019 also allowed the company to update its guests on Best Westerns latest news and exciting developments. This included the recent acquisition of WorldHotels, the renowned global collection of approximately 300 luxury hotels and resorts. As a result of this acquisition, Best Western now operates 16 distinct hotel brands in all sectors of the market, from economy to luxury.



Moving forward, Best Western will continue to develop its portfolio of hotels and resorts across Asia, whilst working with its trade, corporate, marketing and media partners to create world-class guest experiences for the benefit of the entire industry. - TradeArabia News Service
A former Uttarakhand CM, who is also a candidate from here this time had only one job, to mark attendance in Delhi Durbar, said Modi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his second public rally in Uttarakhands Rudrapur on Thursday lashed out at the previous UPA-led government. (Photo: Twitter/ANI)

Uttarakhand: Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his second public rally in Uttarakhands Rudrapur on Thursday lashed out at the previous UPA-led government.

Addressing the public, Modi said, A former Uttarakhand CM, Congress Harish Rawat, who is also a candidate from here this time had only one job, to mark attendance in Delhi Durbar. He did not care about unemployment or other issues facing the youth in the state which forced people to migrate outside the state.

Answering the opposition's attack on Modi governments surgical strike, he replied, When we entered the homes of the terrorists and killed them then is it right to question valour of our jawans? Is it right to abuse our Army Chief? Will people forgive those who give anti-national statements just to become a hero in Pakistan?

PM Modi also blamed the previous Congress-led governments for the delays in acquiring military hardware, claiming that the party was more focused on commissions from defence deals.

In his speech, he alleged that the Congress sat on the deal for the Rafale fighter jet as it was eyeing the malai (commission, kickbacks) from it. He said the Congress focus has been was on malai, not on national security. Earlier in the day, Modi addressed a rally in Meerut, kicking off his election campaign in Uttar Pradesh.

Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analyses et all. Happy reading.
Saffron party dares him to support Ram temple construction.

Bhopal: Veteran Congress leader Digvijay Singh, who has been fielded by Congress in Bhopal Lok Sabha seat, has taken the Hindutva route to wrest the saffron bastion from BJP in the upcoming elections by paying visits to temples and seers.

Mr Singh has so far visited half-a-dozen temples besides seeking blessings of Hindu and Jain seers in the last couple of days before holding a meeting of senior Congress leaders here on Thursday to firm up the strategy to win the crucial election of his political career.

The leader has visited ashrams of Sharad Peeth Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati and Jain seer Acharya Vidya Sagar Maharaj in Madhya Pradesh to seek their blessings besides paying darshan of presiding deities in famed shrines of Gufa, Nebri, Kal Bharavi, and Nandiswar in different parts of the state during the period. I am a Hindu. But, I dont flaunt being a Hindu, he told reporters.

Talking to reporters, Mr Singh attacked the RSS saying that the Sangh was working for the cause of Hindus, but it has reservations about supporting him despite the fact that he too is a Hindu.

Incidentally, Mr Singh attracted criticism from senior BJP leader Babulal Gaur for his actions.

Referring to a statement by senior Congress leader Arif Akeel who called Mr Singh a sachha (true) Hindu, Mr Gaur quipped, Then why Mr Singh was not supporting the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
The three seats were left out by the EC citing pendency of cases in the Madras high court.

New Delhi: In a huge setback to the DMK, the Election Commission (EC) on Thursday informed the Supreme Court that it was ready to hold bypolls in Aravakurichi, Ottapidaram and Tirupparankundram Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu, within a reasonable period of time but not on April 18, when the state goes to the polls.

The counsel for the EC told a bench of Justices S.A. Bobde and Abdul Nazeer that the commission would hold the bypolls to three constituencies within a reasonable time, without specifying any time limit. This would mean that the commission would not hold the polls within the present election schedule up to May 19. Earlier, senior counsel A.M. Singhvi and C.U. Singh, appearing for DMK member of Parliament R.S. Bharathy, submitted that the EC should be directed to hold the polls for the three seats along with the scheduled dates of polls to Lok Sabha and other bypoll Assembly constituencies.

The bench, while taking on record the submissions of the ECs counsel, disposed of the petition and observed that the court cannot determine the timing of elections and it was for the poll panel to decide.

The petitioner had sought court intervention for holding the bypolls to the three constituencies, which were left out citing pendency of cases in the Madras high court.

He submitted that the EC had announced bypolls to 18 constituencies on April 18 along with the Lok Sabha polls. However, it had not announced polls for the Aravakurichi, Ottapidaram and Tirupparankundram constituencies though they also remain vacant for a long time.
Paris celebrates 30 years of the Louvre's glass pyramid, which was once considered to be a brazen addition to the museum.

Paris: It was once decried as an architectural "obscenity", but as the Louvre's glass pyramid turns 30 on Friday, it has become a cherished icon of the French capital. One eminent writer called for revolt in the streets when French president Francois Mitterrand's flamboyant culture minister Jack Lang first unveiled the plans for what is now regarded as Chinese-American architect I M Pei's masterpiece.

Plonking a modernist pyramid into the centre of a Renaissance palace was considered sacrilege, with one satirical magazine calling it a tomb and joking that Mitterrand, who was suffering from cancer, "wants to be the first pharaoh in our history".

Pei, who will be 102 next month, remembers "receiving many angry glances in the streets", with up to 90 per cent of Parisians said to be against the project at one point. Yet in the end, even that stern critic of modernist "carbuncles", Britain's Prince Charles, pronounced it "marvellous".

Over the next few days, JR, one of the world's most famous street artists, will create a huge collage with the help of 400 volunteers to celebrate its 30th birthday by revealing "the secret of the Grand Pyramid". The sphinx-like Mitterrand, who had embarked on a string of grand projects to transform the French capital, hedged his bets from the start. "It's a good idea, but like all good ideas it is difficult to do," the wily old Socialist leader had warned Lang.

The museum's huge "Napoleon Courtyard was an appalling car park," Lang told AFP. "The museum was handicapped by the lack of a central entrance." Pei's masterstroke was to link the three wings of the world's most visited museum with vast underground galleries bathed in light from his glass and steel pyramid.

Such was his success that the conservative French daily Le Figaro, which had led the campaign against his "atrocious" design for years, celebrated his genius with a supplement on the 10th anniversary of the pyramid's opening in 1999. Pei, who grew up in Hong Kong and Shanghai, was not the obvious choice for the job, having never worked on a historic building before.

But Mitterrand was so impressed with his modernist extension to the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC that he insisted he was the man for the Louvre. Already in his mid-60s when the project began, nothing had prepared Pei for the hostility his plans would receive. He needed all his tact and dry humour to survive a series of encounters with planning officials and historians.

The present incumbent, however, is in no doubt that the pyramid helped turn the museum around. Jean-Luc Martinez is all the more convinced having worked with Pei in recent years to adapt his plans to cope with the museum's growing popularity. Pei's original design was for up to two million visitors a year. Last year the Louvre welcomed more than 10 million.

"The Louvre is the only museum in the world whose entrance is a work of art," Martinez insisted. The pyramid is "the modern symbol of the museum", he said, "an icon on the same level" as the Louvre's most revered artworks such as the "Mona Lisa" or the "Venus de Milo".

Pei is not alone in being savaged for changing the cherished landscape of Paris. In 1887, a group of intellectuals that included Emile Zola and Guy de Maupassant published a letter in the newspaper Le Temps to protest the building of the "useless and monstrous Eiffel Tower", an "odious column of sheet metal with bolts."
Turkish President Erdogan says time has come for Hagia Sophia to be a mosque as a part of his election campaign.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the Hagia Sophia will "be taken out of" its museum status and called a mosque. (Photo: AFP)

Istanbul: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday it was time to rename Istanbul's landmark Hagia Sophia as a mosque, saying that it had been a "very big mistake" to convert it into a museum. "Hagia Sophia will not be called a museum. It will be taken out of that status. We will call Hagia Sophia a mosque," Erdogan told A Haber television during an interview.

Those who come to Hagia Sophia will visit Hagia Sophia mosque," he said. The former church and mosque, now a museum, often sparks tensions between Christians and Muslims over Islamic activities held there, including the reading of verses from the Koran or collective prayers.

Its secular status allows believers of all faiths to meditate, reflect or simply enjoy the astonishing architecture of a building dating back to the sixth century. Erdogan is campaigning for votes for his Justice and Development Party (AKP) ahead of municipal elections on March 31.

The Turkish leader said the plan would be discussed after the elections. "We think the time has come to take such a step given there is a demand" from the Turkish people, he said. Such a move is likely to cause anger among Christians and raise tensions between historic foes Turkey and Greece, both NATO members.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras visited the Hagia Sophia in February. Asked about the criticism, Erdogan said: "There are attacks targeting Al-Aqsa mosque," referring to the compound in Jerusalem known to Jews as the Temple Mount. "Those who remain silent on this cannot dare to give advice to us on Hagia Sophia," he added.
Heres how parents can deal with internet content unsuitable for children, including harmful internet challenges and hoaxes.

The most important thing parents should do is have an open communication with their children regarding the content they are consuming online and their social media related experiences. (Photo: Representational/Pixabay)

New York: The latest parental panic on social media over a purported challenge for kids to complete harmful tasks, elevates the importance of establishing an open dialogue with children and taking advantage of online parental controls.

Warnings about the Momo challenge swept Facebook and other social media in recent days, as parents worried about purported videos that encourage children to hurt themselves or do other harmful tasks such as turning on stoves without telling their parents. The parental warnings were accompanied by a disturbing image of a grinning creature with matted hair and bulging eyes.

But the challenge is believed to be a hoax. It's unclear how many videos exist or to what extent they have circulated, among children or elsewhere. Some of the videos might have been made in response to media attention surrounding the challenge. Meanwhile, the image of the grinning creature is reportedly from a Japanese sculpture.

Fact-checking site Snopes said the challenge first appeared in mid-2018 linked to suicide reports without actual evidence. YouTube said it hasn't received "any recent evidence of videos showing or promoting the Momo challenge" on its service.

So why the panic? Experts say internet hoaxes focused on children tap into fears that parents have about protecting their children online and elsewhere. In addition to anxiety about "screen time" in general, there is certainly plenty of problematic videos that children shouldn't watch.

It's hard for parents to police everything children do online. Fears were compounded when some school systems, local media and even police sent out their own warnings, accompanied by fuzzy facts. "All moral panics feed on some degree of reality, but then they get blown out of proportion," said Steve Jones, a professor of communications at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

These hoaxes echo panics from decades past, like the false belief in the 1980s that teenagers could listen to Satanic messages in rock song lyrics, he said. "Once the internet is involved in the mix, things get speeded up and they get more widespread," Jones said.

The most important thing parents can do is to establish an open dialogue with their children about what they're seeing online and hearing from other children, said Jill Murphy, editor-in-chief at Common Sense Media, a San Francisco-based non-profit group focused on kids' use of media and technology.

"Parents are increasingly frustrated with feeling surprised or caught off guard by what is being put in front of their kids," she said. Whether the "challenges" are real or not, she said, "they elevate the idea that they may or may not know exactly what their kids are absorbing through these platforms."

That's why talking to children is important, she said. "Take the right time to have an age-appropriate conversation, and help your kids understand not everything on the internet is real." She said parents should also take advantage of parental settings built into many products and services.

Most web browsers can block certain websites, limit what children can see and provide a report about what sites a child visited. Smartphones and tablets can limit screen time and access to apps. YouTube Kids lets parents disable search and turn off "autoplay." Murphy said these free tools are good enough; no need to pay for third-party parental apps.

Another option is to download apps from shows or channels directly rather than going through streaming services such as YouTube. PBS, Peppa Pig, Nick Jr. and other popular services for kids have their own apps, with pre-screened videos deemed appropriate for kids. And though it may seem contradictory, going online to research the hoaxes could also help. The Momo hoax was debunked fairly quickly after people questioned it, Jones said.

Give weight to trusted news sources and fact-checking sites like Snopes.com. "Take a deep breath and go online as strange as that may seem in some sense," he said. "Do some research and try to figure it out for yourself."
Gay and transgender Nepalis still confronting obstacles to jobs and schools, and marriage equality a distant prospect.

More than 900,000 of Nepal's roughly 26-million population identify as a sexual minority, according to LGBT rights group Blue Diamond Society. (Photo: AP)

Kathmandu: Nepal was hailed a leader in LGBT rights when it became the first country in conservative South Asia to recognise a third gender and assure equality for its sexual minorities.

But more than a decade later, that trailblazing reputation has lost its lustre, with gay and transgender Nepalis still confronting obstacles to jobs and schools, and marriage equality a distant prospect.

More than 900,000 of Nepal's roughly 26-million population identify as a sexual minority, according to LGBT rights group Blue Diamond Society.

On paper, they enjoy some of the most-progressive protections and rights guaranteed by law in the immediate region.

Landmark reforms in 2007 prohibited discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and recognised gay Nepalis at a time when homosexuality was still illegal in neighbouring India.

Transgender Nepalis identifying as neither male nor female were also granted the right to tick "other" when voting or applying for a passport or other official documents.

But gay and transgender Nepalis and rights activists say action has not matched rhetoric, and more than a decade on, the community still faces discrimination.

"The government recognised our identity but has not been able to put forward a concrete policy or plan to give us rights that all citizens enjoy," said Blue Diamond Society president Pinky Gurung.

"It is heartbreaking that to enjoy one right (citizenship), we have to be deprived of other opportunities." Rukshana Kapali, a transgender woman, has been allowed to study at university but not formally register as a student because her high school transcript identifies her as male under a former name.

The bureaucratic glitch means she may not be able to graduate. "I feel like I am in limbo," the 19-year-old told AFP.

"I want to be a linguist, but right now I am worried I won't be able to study here at all." Tribhuvan University, Nepal's oldest, says it hopes to find a solution but until then, Kapali is off the books.

"We are optimistic, but it is not possible to register her under the current regulations," said Pushpa Raj Joshi, the university's exam controller.

Every year, Nepal's LGBT community take to the dusty streets of the capital Kathmandu for a vibrant gay pride parade to demand an end to all forms of discrimination.

Despite much-celebrated gains, there is still plenty to shout about. Nepal in August adopted a new civil code defining marriage as between a man and a woman, dashing hopes for same-sex unions to be legally recognised any time soon.

Other laws in the new statute have also been criticised for narrowly defining core rights in terms of male and female -- leaving no room for people of the "other" gender.

"We were hoping for change so we could marry and maybe even start a family. But we've been disappointed so far," said Armand Rana, 23, a gay man who lives with his partner of six years.

Rana's family has accepted his partner but many in conservative and patriarchal Nepal still hide their sexuality and gender identity.

"The amount of progress Nepal has experienced... is enormous, and yet implementation of the various pledges from government entities over the years continues to lag," said Kyle Knight of Human Rights Watch.

The government says it is working to make laws more inclusive. "If any law discriminates, people can point it out so we can seek ways to improve," said Bharat Raj Sharma, who oversees LGBT issues at the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens.

But for transgender citizens like Kapali, the wheels of Nepal's bureaucracy are turning too slowly. "Being recognised as a third gender is important and I am proud of my identity," she said. "But I don't want it to limit what I can do in my life."
The Delhi BJP has sent a request to the national leadership demanding four rallies.

New Delhi: If things go the Delhi BJP way, then Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to address four rallies in the national capital ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. The state unit has already urged the Prime Minister to spare time to address these four rallies.

The Delhi BJP believes that four rallies of Mr Modi will boost its campaign to repeat the 2014 performance in which it swept all the seven Lok Sabha seats. The Delhi BJP has sent a request to the national leadership demanding four rallies.

The state leadership has already identified the venue for the Prime Ministers rallies. Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari said that five locations have been shortlisted as venues for the rallies for which permission has been sought from the central leadership. We have requested for four public rallies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi. I believe, we will get nod for at least two of them, Mr Tiwari added.

The possible venues which have been shortlisted for the Prime Ministers rallies are Sant Nirankari ground in Burari, Shastri Park, Dwarka and Mehrauli. The list of candidates for the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi, currently held by the party, is expected to be released in the first week of April.

Several senior leaders, union minister and other star campaigner including celebrities will also address rallies in all the seven parliamentary constituencies.
The 67-page manifesto has been published in Bengali, English, Hindi, Nepali, and Ol Chiki, the tribal Santhali language.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee interacts with the media after the release of party manifesto ahead of Lok Sabha Election in Kolkata. (Photo: PTI)

Kolkata: The Trinamul Congress (TMC) will work for the revival of the Planning Commission, institution of a judicial inquiry into demonetisation and a review of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) if the opposition alliance is voted to power in the Lok Sabha polls, its manifesto released by party supremo Mamata Banerjee said Wednesday.

Ms Banerjee, a prime mover behind the efforts to cobble together an anti-BJP alliance of Opposition parties, said she is not fighting for chair and that her aim is to rid the country of the reign of fear. The West Bengal chief minister also said the 100-day work provision under MNREGA, the government's flagship employment scheme for the rural poor, will be extended to 200 days a year and the wages doubled. Why was demonetization carried out? We want a judicial probe monitored by a former Supreme Court judge...We will bring back the Planning Commission and ensure that it strengthens the federal structure, she told a press conference after releasing the manifesto.

The 67-page manifesto has been published in Bengali, English, Hindi, Nepali, and Ol Chiki, the tribal Santhali language.

We want the GST to be reviewed by an expert committee. If it is really helping people, we would keep it or else we would review it, she said, but went on to add that both GST and demonetisation have destroyed the Indian economy.

Targeting the Modi government over its alleged failure to keep its promise of creating two crore jobs every year, Ms Banerjee said the new government will lay special stress on employment generation and filling up the vacancies meant for Schedule Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Other Backward Classes candidates, including those from the minorities.

Ms Banerjee said womens empowerment and bringing workers in unorganised sectors under social security cover will be priority areas for the new dispensation.
The court has granted time till April 26 to both the agencies for further probe in the two cases.

Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Thursday expressed its displeasure over the pace of the probe into the killings of rationalists Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare, asking whether the chief minister did not have time to take stock of the cases. It is shameful that almost every investigation requires the courts intervention, it stated.

A division bench of Justice S.C. Dharmadhikari and Justice B.P. Colabawala was hearing a petition filed by the family of Dabholkar and Pansare to trace the accused and monitor the probe being conducted by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and state Special Investigation Team (SIT).

The court on Thursday said, What is the chief minister doing? In spite of holding 11 portfolios, including home, couldnt he find time to take stock of the cases? Do his deputies not have time to remove obstacles in the probe? Noting that a political leader belongs to the state and not just any party, it said, It is a sovereign function and cannot be outsourced.

The court made the remarks after the SITs lawyer, Ashok Mundargi, submitted that the agency had doubled its strength and now had 35 officers in the team probing the Pansare case.

About five meetings have been conducted in the past few months and the reward announced for any information on the absconding accused has been increased from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 50 lakh, he said.

The court, however, dismissed the submissions, saying these were knee-jerk reactions introduced after the courts adverse remarks in the previous hearing.

We are not impressed. These are knee-jerk reactions. You think people will come forward to help you for money? All of you know that they might earn more for keeping quiet, the bench said.

It is shameful. If that unfortunate incident in Karnataka (killing of journalist-turned-activist Gauri Lankesh) had not happened and you (authorities in Maharashtra) had not coordinated with the Karnataka police, you would have remained clueless, the court said.

CBI counsel Anil Singh told the court that the agency required some time to work on additional information received from the Karnataka police.

The court has granted time till April 26 to both the agencies for further.
New Delhi, (IANS) Muslim women from different parts of the country on Wednesday gathered in the national capital urging the secular political parties in the country to add in their manifesto the need to have a law against mob lynching.

The women, who launched a detailed 39-point manifesto also demanded that Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Ordinance, 2019 must be scrapped.

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They also asked for 33 per cent reservations for women to increase their political representation in the Parliament. They also wanted an increase budgetary allocations for girls and women-related interventions.

The women from at least 10 states, under the banner of Bebaak Collective (voice of Fearless) came together to release the manifesto listing their demands related to gender equality, minority safeguard and citizenship rights.

Among the women was also Khalida, wife of Umar Khan, who was allegedly lynched in 2017 in Alwar, months after dairy farmer Pehlu Khan was lynched in the area.

The manifesto demanded formulation of a diversity index across public and private sectors to determine the extent of under-representation of Muslims, 10 per cent reservation to Muslims in higher education and government jobs and a gender-just law in Muslim Personal Law.

They also demanded monetary benefits for single women, introduction of a communal violence bill to bring perpetrators to justice and redrafting of Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2016.

All anti-conversion laws should be scrapped, it added.
Deora said that the Congress party's aggressive stand over the past four years had been due to Nirupam.

Mumbai: Outgoing Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam said that he was handing over the crown of thorns of the Mumbai Congress to Milind Deora.

As he made this statement before party workers in the Mumbai Regional Congress Committee (MRCC) Thursday, the party workers replied that it was a crown of flowers and not one of thorns. Mr Nirupam said, Ishwar karen ki phulon ka ho jaaye (May God convert it into a crown of flowers). I pray to God that all the thorns will be removed from the crown. May all the flowers remain for him.

While addressing party workers and rebutting Mr Nirupam, newly-appointed Mumbai Congress chief Milind Deora said, As Mr Nirupam has said that a crown of thorns was given to him, I too believe that accepting any post is a double-edged sword. Although I have accepted this position whole-heartedly, one day, I will have to give this post to someone else.

However, he also applauded Mr Nirupam for his contribution. Mr Deora said that the Congress party's aggressive stand over the past four years had been due to Mr Nirupam.

The 42-year-old Cong-ress leader also said that he would not tolerate indiscipline in the party, and that josh should be maintained till the election.

The Mumbai Congress chief said that they had requested party president Rahul Gandhi to give a ticket to Urmila Mato-ndkar from the north Mumbai seat. Mr Gandhi would take a decision in this regard soon. He also attacked the Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party in his speech.
Mission Shaktis success is a big deal no matter what the governments critics might feel.

While the timing of Indias anti-satellite test on March 27, just a fortnight before voting begins in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, has for obvious reasons become a focal point of public debate, the bigger issue of the tests implications for the countrys defence has in the process been somewhat obscured.

What does the test named Mission Shakti really imply? Is it the prelude to Star Wars over South Asia? A major achievement or just carefully orchestrated hype for electoral consumption? To make sense of it all, sans politics, we need to get into a little rocket science. To begin with, Star Wars has long been a reality. Whether we like it or not, space is militarised and a nation like India, confronted by adversaries on both its flanks, has no option but to develop credible deterrence against the use of space weapons. This essentially requires an offensive capability to take out critical space-based assets. India has been quietly but steadily acquiring such a capability for several years now.There are two related aspects of the military use of space  the first has to do with ballistic missiles and the second with satellites. While the development of ballistic missiles is an old story, the means to knock them down is more recent. Most countries with missile capabilities, including the United States, Russia, China, Israel and India, have been developing anti-ballistic capabilities for some years now.

The ASAT programme is a spin-off from the much larger anti-ballistic missile (ABM) programme. The missile used in this case was similar to those used in our ongoing ballistic missile defence programme, except that it was of much longer range. The ABMs are shorter range weapons designed to take out incoming ballistic missiles during the last stage of their re-entry into the atmosphere. The anti-satellite (ASAT) missile was launched at 11.26 in the morning from the Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Island, formerly known as Wheeler Island, which is just off the coast of Odisha at Chandipur, and within three minutes hit a low-altitude decommissioned satellite orbiting at a height of about 300 km.

It was a single-stage solid fuel propelled missile light in weight as it did not have any payload and used its momentum or kinetic force to destroy the target satellite. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has apparently been developing these missiles, both with and without warheads, which can be deployed and launched very quickly in response to an incoming threat.

More complex than the missile itself is the associated radar target acquisition, tracking and missile guidance systems required to steer the ASAT or ABM towards a target. Once close to the target, the onboard target acquisition system takes over and guides the missile right on it (or near it as would be the case of a missile fitted with an explosive warhead).

Mission Shaktis success is a big deal no matter what the governments critics might feel. It suggests India can do serious damage to an adversarys space assets. More important, perhaps, the test demonstrates New Delhis determination to press on with the development of key military technologies for the defence of its aerospace.

Recessed deterrence as practised in the past by successive Indian governments lacked credibility and was ultimately shelved by the Atal Behari Vajpayee government that conducted full-blown nuclear weapons tests in 1998. Then, as now, it was clear that military capability of any sort needs to be demonstrated and not kept under wraps.

This is why nations have military parades, military exercises and weapons testing that are advertised to deter potential enemies. Whether India had the capability or potential to destroy satellites in the past is immaterial as it was not credible.

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, never a great proponent of the military, is said to have denied any public testing of the countrys anti-satellite capabilities. The March 27 test, in contrast, laid to rest any speculation about Indian capabilities, although the foreign media as always managed to dredge up some expert or the other to belittle the achievement. Having said this, have we, as our Prime Minister said, really become a space superpower? The clear answer is not yet.

Most military satellites used for mapping and sensing operate in the low-orbit range, that is between 160 km and 2,000 km above the earth. The lower these satellites orbit the better imagery they can collect and a large number of them are found moving at about 400-900 km above the earth.

India now can hit most satellites flying up to an altitude of 1,000 km, according to DRDO scientists. However, our ASAT cannot yet reach either the medium orbit or very high satellites that are found beyond the atmosphere.

Medium earth satellites such as those responsible for GPS systems orbit at an altitude of about 22,000 km while geostationary satellites, most suited for telecommunications, meteorology and so on, operate well outside the atmosphere at altitudes of 36,000 km. Military communications satellites too orbit at the higher altitudes.

China, on the other hand, has demonstrated it can destroy space objects at very high altitudes. In January 2007, China became the third country, after the United States and Russia, to conduct a successful anti-satellite test by launching a ballistic missile to destroy an inactive weather satellite at an altitude of 865 km. Since then it has launched a number of missiles which are reported to be capable of destroying both satellites and missiles in the exosphere.

Indias anti-satellite capabilities in comparison are still modest and there is clearly a need to expand them further. The same is true of our more critical anti-ballistic missile defence programme. While the Prime Minister deserves praise for prioritising these areas of national security, he and his predecessors are equally to blame for the large gaps that have persisted in Indias overall aerospace defence capabilities.

The aerospace realm today is an integrated arena requiring a combination of both air and space weapons systems. While the success of an anti-satellite weapon is a major milestone worthy of celebration, it cannot compensate for the persisting and alarming gaps in our radar, early warning, electronic warfare, communications or air defence and offence systems.

It would have been commendable if the Prime Minister in his five-year tenure had been as generous regarding the countrys overall military aerospace needs as he has been with sops, subsidies and loan waivers for his electoral constituency.
TikTok also launches resource pages tackling Anti-Bullying as well as an advisory for the upcoming General Elections.

. Ensuring TikTok users feels safe and comfortable within the TikTok community, the Anti-Bullying resource page empowers them to take control of their TikTok experience by placing further restrictions on content and community interactions.

TikTok, the world's leading short video platform, today launches the localised version of its Safety Center, a local website that consists of safety policies, tools and resources to equip users with product education and protection measures when using TikTok. The Safety Center is available in ten major Indian languages and apart from guidelines, it also links out to two resource pages tackling Anti-Bullying as well as an advisory for the upcoming General Elections.

Safety Center launched in major Indian languages

To ensure that TikToks growing community, in a diverse country such as India, can read its policies and access tools and resources in its own language, TikTok has launched the Safety Center in ten major local languages - Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, Bengali, Punjabi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Oriya.

With the launch of this localised website, users across India can better understand various online safety settings and features to keep their accounts safe in their own language. They can also learn how to choose to keep their accounts private, as the website emphasises the need to use strong passwords and avoid the use of personal information. Additionally, users can learn how to enable the Restricted Mode that allows users to restrict content that might not be age-appropriate or even enable the Digital Wellness feature which limits the number of screen hours. To ensure they enjoy their TikTok experience, users can also read up on how to report, flag, block and delete comments.

Anti-Bullying resource page  a proactive step in TikToks ongoing commitment to safety

In todays online world, bullying takes place in multiple forms, from a trolling video to an unwanted comment. Ensuring TikTok users feel safe and comfortable within the TikTok community, the Anti-Bullying resource page empowers them to take control of their TikTok experience by placing further restrictions on content and community interactions. Besides settings such as making the account private, users can decide with whom a user can make duets with, delete comments or control who can comment on a video. Users can also report a bully, delete a fan or permanently block another user.

The page also encourages users to support anyone being bullied by reporting it on TikTok, as the platform can further address these cases, coordinating with the authorities where needed.

General Elections resource page  TikTok encourages users to be a better online citizen

In the run-up to the upcoming General Elections, TikTok encourages its users to use the TikTok and any social media platform in a respectful and responsible manner by not uploading or sharing any illegal content on all social media platforms, including TikTok.

The General Elections resource page guides users to visit eci.gov.in to read the Model Code of Conduct by the Election Commission of India (ECI) along with other resources. It also encourages users to be responsible citizens during this time by reporting any objectionable content through ECIs cVIGIL app, allowing for appropriate action to be taken.

TikToks continued safety efforts in India

TikTok, as a platform celebrates trends and embraces diversity, it has become the preferred platform for expression, given its lowered boundaries for sharing, creating, discovering  all made easy on the mobile.

As it fosters a global community that thrives on creativity and expression, TikTok is committed to helping make its millions of users feel safe and comfortable within the community, which is why it is continuously enhancing and updating its policies, tools and resources to promote a positive and safe app environment. With the launch of the Safety Center and resource pages tackling Anti-Bullying and the upcoming General Elections, TikTok takes another step towards making users safe on the platform.

The launch of the Safety Center in India comes after TikToks #SafeHumSafeInternet campaign in partnership with the Cyber Peace Foundation, which saw the launch of educational posters on online safety distributed amongst schools and colleges nationwide.

TikTok also recently launched its comments filter feature to helps users prevent predatory, hateful, and obscene comments from appearing on their videos. The feature lets users self-define keywords in English and Hindi that they would like to automatically filter out of unwelcome wording from their comment section. Users can add as many as 30 words and change the words according to their preference or when they feel necessary.

Promoting a safe and positive app environment is TikToks top priority, and it has a number of measures in place today to protect against misuse. These include privacy settings, filters, in-app reporting, and moderation. For more information about TikToks safety efforts, please visit https://www.TikTok.com/safety/.
'China must release all those arbitrarily detained and end its repression,' Pompeo tweeted.

Pompeo was referring to China's efforts at the United Nations to prevent the blacklisting of Islamist extremist Masood Azhar, based in Beijing ally Pakistan. (Photo: File)

Washington: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday denounced China's "shameful hypocrisy" over its treatment of Muslims as he met a former prisoner and relatives who recounted abuses as part of Beijing's widespread detention of its Uighur minority.

"China must release all those arbitrarily detained and end its repression," Pompeo tweeted.

"The world cannot afford China's shameful hypocrisy toward Muslims. On one hand, China abuses more than a million Muslims at home, but on the other it protects violent Islamic terrorist groups from sanctions at the UN," he said.

Pompeo was referring to China's efforts at the United Nations to prevent the blacklisting of Islamist extremist Masood Azhar, based in Beijing ally Pakistan. Azhar's group Jaish-e-Mohammad claimed responsibility over a deadly attack last month on Indian troops in Kashmir that triggered military skirmishes.

The top US diplomat met Tuesday with Mihrigul Tursun, a Uighur who has spoken publicly in the United States about what she said was widespread torture in China's prisons for the minority group.

She has said she was separated from her children and detained in a cramped cell with 60 other women, suffering electrocution and beatings during round-the-clock interrogations.

The State Department said that Pompeo also met with three other Uighurs whose relatives are held by China, which according to a UN report has detained a massive one million Uighurs as it seeks forcibly to integrate the minority group.

Pompeo, speaking to reporters on Tuesday, said that "certainly" at least hundreds of thousands of Uighurs had been detained.

"We're working to convince the Chinese that this practice is abhorrent and ought to be stopped," Pompeo said.

According to the State Department as well as international human rights groups, China has confiscated Korans from Uighurs and forced them to drink alcohol and eat pork, which are forbidden by Islam.

"It's one of the most serious human rights problems in the world today," State Department official Michael Kozak said of the Uighurs' detention as he presented the latest annual human rights report.

China denies the accounts of mass detention, saying it is running educational training centres as part of a fight against Islamic extremism in the northwestern region of Xinjiang.
Instead of consensus, a resolution only needs nine votes in favour and no vetoes by China, Russia, US, France or Britain to pass.

The United States circulated a resolution - drafted with British and French support - to the 15-member council that would designate JeM leader Masood Azhar, subjecting him to an arms embargo, travel ban and asset freeze, diplomats said. (Photo: File)

United Nations: The United States, Britain and France stepped up a push for the United Nations Security Council to blacklist the head of Pakistan-based terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) on Wednesday after China prevented an earlier move two weeks ago.

China on Thursday accused the US of undermining the authority of the UN anti-terrorism committee by forcefully moving a resolution in the UNSC to list Pakistan-based JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, saying Americas move only complicates the issue.

Asked about the development, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a media briefing that Washington move only complicates the issue.

This is not in line with resolution of the issue through dialogue and negotiations. This has reduced the authority of the Committee as a main anti-terrorism body of the UNSC and this is not conducive to the solidarity and only complicates the issue.

We urge the US to act cautiously and avoid forcefully moving forward this resolution draft, Geng said.

The United States circulated a resolution - drafted with British and French support - to the 15-member council that would designate JeM leader Masood Azhar, subjecting him to an arms embargo, travel ban and asset freeze, diplomats said.

JeM has claimed responsibility for a February 14 attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama that killed at least 40 CRPF personnel, making it the deadliest in Kashmir during a 30-year-long insurgency.

The United States, Britain and France initially asked the Security Council's ISIS and al Qaeda sanctions committee, which operates by consensus, to blacklist Azhar. However, China prevented the move.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said that China had conducted a "comprehensive and thorough evaluation" but still needed more time to consider the proposal. China had previously prevented the committee from sanctioning Azhar in 2016 and 2017.

Instead of consensus, a resolution only needs nine votes in favour and no vetoes by China, Russia, the United States, France or Britain to pass. It was not immediately clear when the draft resolution to designate Azhar could be put to a vote.

The Chinese mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the draft text.

JeM was blacklisted by the UN Security Council in 2001. In December 2001, Jaish fighters, along with members of another Pakistan-based terrorist group, Lashkar-e-Taiba, attacked India's parliament, which almost led to a fourth war between the two countries.
20-yr-old Arifa Sultana gave birth to a baby boy last month through normal delivery, but doctors missed the presence of a second uterus.

Podder carried out an emergency caesarean section to deliver the twins - one boy and one girl - last Friday. (Representational Image)

Dhaka: A Bangladeshi mother has stunned doctors by giving birth to healthy twins 26 days after a first child was born prematurely.

Arifa Sultana, 20, gave birth to a baby boy last month through normal delivery, but doctors missed the presence of a second uterus.

"She didn't realise she was still pregnant with the twins. Her waters broke again 26 days after the first baby was born and she rushed to us," Sheila Poddar, a gynaecologist who treated the woman, told news agency AFP.

Podder carried out an emergency caesarean section to deliver the twins - one boy and one girl - last Friday.

The young woman from Jessore district in southwest Bangladesh was allowed to go home with her three healthy babies on Tuesday. Podder said there were no complications.

"I haven't seen any case like this in my 30-year plus medical career," Dilip Roy, chief government doctor in Jessore, said.

Roy questioned the actions of Khulna Medical College Hospital doctors for not detecting the second pregnancy.

Hailing from a poor family, Sultana said she was happy with the three children but felt concerned how she would bring them up.

She told news agency AFP her husband earns barely 6,000 taka (USD 70) a month as a labourer. "I don't know how we will manage such a huge responsibility with this little amount."

Her husband Sumon Biswas put on a brave face. "It was a miracle from Allah that all of my children are healthy. I will try my best to keep them happy," he said.
The property owner at 119 Neale Ave. will get to sell two transferable development rights according to the terms of a lawsuit settlement approved by Aspen City Council. The council in 2016 denied the same owners request to create three TDRs.
There are two days left before Ukraine will hold presidential elections (on March 31). Latest polls show unexpected result - current president, Petro Poroshenko, will lose to any opponent in the second round. This data was revealed by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology (KIIS). At the same time, second round is inevitable and, according to an informed source in Kiev, authorities thought this scenario through, so there's huge probability that Petro Poroshenko will succeed.

Since victory in the first round is seen as unachievable task under more or less normal election conditions, the main task of the current president is to reach second round. In other to achieve this, it's necessary to ensure Poroshenko gets more votes than leader of Batkivshchyna, Yulia Tymoshenko, especially since showman Vladimir Zelensky already has 23-25% rating (according to polls), so he's ahead of all other candidates and definitely reaches the second round

By the second round, Poroshenkos team plans to pass a law on the necessity of live TV debates through the Verkhovna Rada. According to today's law, live TV debates between presidential candidates are not obligatory. Most politicians prefer not to take any risks so that they don't look stupid in front of the entire country, that's why they refuse to participate in debates under various pretexts. Instead, they go to various talk shows, where there are no difficult questions.

Poroshenko's team idea is that live TV debates will finally give Poroshenko advantage over Zelensky, who, as it became clear by the end of election campaign, doesn't know much about political matters and knows even less about economic matters. During televised debates, that's exactly where Poroshenko can take Zelensky down, even if Poroshenko himself is not the brightest person.

It's a pretty good plan, so Poroshenko just has to reach the second round. In other words, he has to defeat Yulia Tymoshenko.

I wouldn't disregard Tymoshenko in any way. She has structure, has dedicated electorate, even fanatical in some ways, famous expert from Kiev, who is also a member of one of the monitoring groups, told Vestnik Kavkaza. He said that there's something in scenario mentioned above. Zelensky is completely unprepared for debates on serious level. His headquarters avoids any live contacts. And if he appears on live TV, it only happens on channels controlled by oligarch Igor Kolomoisky, who supports him. And if Zelensky knows certain things about politics, he definitely doesnt understand economy at all. His anecdotal meeting with representatives of business associations can be easily found on the internet. It was an absolute fail. But the catch is - will Poroshenkos team be able to force parliament to adopt the law on obligatory TV debates? There's no much time," expert believes. According to him, if they'll manage to do that, it may instead hurt Poroshenko, if he and Yulia Tymoshenko, not Vladimir Zelensky, reach the second round. "The polls show us how overall situation looks. But the fact is that Zelensky's electorate consists of those who got tired of current authorities and youth. This category of electorate may not vote at all, and there will be nothing left of showman's current rating. It's certainly possible that Zelensky's high rating is a reflection of Ukrainian society's attitude towards current authorities. They may think: "Screw this, we're fed up with them, it's better to vote for a real clown." But that's how voters answered the question of opinion poll, how will they actually vote is a completely different matter, source told Vestnik Kavkaza.

He also said that it's possible that Zelenskys participation in the elections may be a project of current authorities, because he took many voters from from the Regions Party - former ruling party, headed by pro-Russian politician Yuriy Boyko. If this is really the project of authorities, then there's nothing to talk about, expert believes. At the same time, he still finds it difficult to say who exactly will reach the second round, except for Petro Poroshenko, "who will definitely reach it at least thanks to administrative resource."

KIIS's survey shows the following picture: if Poroshenko and Tymoshenko reach the second round, Tymoshenko is going to win. Zelensky will defeat both in the second round. Overall, Poroshenko loses to any opponent in the second round, even to Boyko and Gritsenko, who are in fourth and fifth places in opinion polls. At the same time, his supporters look more confident compared to supporters of other candidates. About 80% of those who are going to vote for Poroshenko are confident in his victory. Only 70% of Tymoshenkos voters have no doubt that she will become president of Ukraine. Approximately same situation can be seen in Zelensky's camp.

Finally, according to the KIIS, if voting took place today, then Vladimir Zelensky would get 32% of the vote, Petro Poroshenko - 17%, Yulia Tymoshenko - 12-13% percent. Other candidates would get just below 5%.
The "Universities, Society and Future of Mankind" international forum was held yesterday at the Moscow State University. Half thousand participants and guests attended it, and about a hundred of them were from foreign countries and international organizations. Organizers positioned the event as contribution of the MSU to understanding of phenomenon of higher education in the global world.

Three plenary reports were delivered during the forum by vice-president of the Russian Union of Rectors, chairman of the Council of Rectors of the Volga Federal District, and president of the Nizhny Novgorod State University, Roman Strongin; head of the Moscow State University's branch in Baku, professor of the Moscow State University, academician of the Russian Academy of Education, Nargiz Pashayeva; rector of the Sofia University (1973-1979), chairman of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (1988-1991), honorary doctor of the Moscow State University (1977), Blagovest Sendov; There was also a video presentation prepared by Japanese politician Yukio Hatoyama (Japan).

Rector of the MSU, Academician, President of the Russian Union of Rectors, President of the Eurasian Association of Universities, Viktor Sadovnichy, opened forum with a report on past, present and future of global intellectual traditions that gave rise to classical science, systems and institutions for accumulation and transfer of knowledge. Viktor Sadovnichy analyzed global trends in the development of higher education, outlined the role and place of Russian higher education in the world educational process. He stressed that history of the MSU as a cradle of national university community is extremely rich and includes stories of many people and their accomplishments.

Rector of the MSU spoke about challenges facing humanity and highlighted readiness of universities, which have best intellectual forces, to respond to those challenges. According to Sadovnichy, the first global challenge is that due to increase in number of Internet users and other informational and communicational technologies, universities are now required to fully master digital space and fill it with reliable information.

The second global challenge is associated with environmental issues. Citing the words of Academician Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadsky, Viktor Sadovnichy noted that people are directly responsibile for common future of all the Earths ecosystems. Science and education also face serious task, since they have to study brain and nervous system in order to search for ways to create artificial intelligence systems.

Victor Sadovnichy outlined space as the third global challenge. According to him, development of astrophysics has already led mankind to realization that only 4% of the world around us is relatively well-studied - baryonic matter. According to academician, the rest of the universe known to us consists of dark energy and matter, and this situation creates fundamentally new problems for humanity, requiring search for new ways to resolve them.

Viktor Sadovnichy quoted the poet Andrei Voznesenskys lines on fundamental anthropocentricity of scientific search: All progress is inhuman if man collapses, calling for development of university humanitarian education that can balance inevitable moral and spiritual imbalances through attention to art, culture, history and language.

Rector of the Moscow State University also spoke about mission of universities in society, stressing that they are pushing boundaries of knowledge, bring joy to human communication, change the world and us in this world.

Nargiz Pashayeva's report was dedicated to educational tasks of harmonious development of students' personality. "Thank you for invitation. Educational issues have many aspects. At first it may seem like all recipes of management of educational process have been created long time ago, but it's not true. While it may seem like everything is clear and simple - we must accumulate knowledge, pass it on and evaluate - but how to achieve the main result, the point when acquired knowledge enriches and enlightens the minds of people? In other words, how to learn, to prepare not just specific specialist, but a person with moral principles?" Nargiz Pashayeva said.

"If we look at this issue in historic context, we will clearly see processes where not just knowledge became the first impulse and basis for future work, but also strong conscience, strength of reason and morality. In Soviet times, philologists used artificial methodology of social realism for years. Soviet literature's optimism principle hid not only fake scientific formulas, but also a doctrine, which distorted young minds and made old thinking uncompromising. There were still many obstacles for those who thought and wrote differently, because the world that was created by distorted theoretical knowledge didn't affect just literature. This distorted knowledge influenced consciousness of millions, and only decisive influence of travelers, scientists free from ideological dogmas and methodologies have created balance that no one could break," she stressed.

Will we be able to correctly manage consciousness of the masses through knowledge and education? It's a difficult question, and the answer to it must certainly be positive, otherwise knowledge will lose its main meaning - the power that should provide peace, dignity, well-being and faith to society. Skeptics may call these higher principles naive and inefficient. It's no secret that sometimes thoughts like this attract an army of like-minded people. The most difficult thing in the educational process is to prevent modern education from becoming cynical. Pragmatism, human nature, personality are the main factors affecting the quality, reliability and functionality of in educational process," Nargiz Pashayeva said.

Roman Strongin noted in his speech: The world won't become simpler, and it will grow faster. In this new world, the importance of universities increases significantly. At the same time, the need for adaptation to new needs, including significant development of cooperation networks, is also growing.

Blagovest Sendov spoke about the issue of ecology: "At the beginning of the last century, artists depicted smoke in their pictures. At that time, smoke was a symbol of progress. Some time had to pass to realize that pollution that follows this progress threatens human existence."

First president of Kyrgyzstan, Askar Akayev, rector of the University of Valencia, Maria Vicenta Mestre Escriva, rector of the Tehran University, Nili Mahmoud Ahadabadi, secretary general of the Association of Arab Universities, Amr Ezzat Salama, rector of the Freiberg Mining Academy, Klaus-Dieter Barbkneht, and heads of universities of the world also participated in the event.

During the forum, academician Viktor Sadovnichy announced creation of nine scientific consortia under the Vernadsky program, which envisages creation of scientific and educational associations focused on development of scientific schools, applied research, development and implementation of comprehensive programs for development of mineral reserves in the regions. Memorandums on this program were signed with the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Region, the Moscow Region, the Republic of Tatarstan, the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic and other regions.

Acting head of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic Kazbek Kokov said that "signing of these memorandums will serve as powerful basis for development of scientific potential of the whole country and, of course, our republic in particular, which will later benefit the people and the regions socio-economic development."

After panel discussions on the topics Historical Role of Universities in Scientific, Educational and Cultural Development and University and Global Challenges of the Modern World, Congress of the Russian Union of Rectors was held, at which Viktor Sadovnichy, rector of the Financial University under the government of the Russian Federation Muhadin Eskindarov, rector of the Pacific State University Sergey Ivanchenko, rector of the Voronezh State University Dmitry Endovitsky and rector of the Ulyanovsk State University Boris Kostishko gave their presentations.

Then the Congress of the Eurasian Association of Universities was held with participation of Viktor Sadovnichy, rector of the Eurasian National University Yerlan Sydykov, rector of the Belarusian State University Andrey Korol, rector of the National University of Uzbekistan Avazzhon Marakhimov and rector of the St. Petersburg State Economic University Igor Maximtsev.

In the evening, participants of this forum saw performance of orchestra and soloists of the State Academic Mariinsky Theater under direction of Valery Gergiev.
DLA Piper New Zealand funds partner Tracey Cross is also acting on the deal, as the offer is also being across the Tasman.

We are delighted to once again partner with our client Pengana on this significant transaction, which will see them offer investors unique exposure to a globally diversified portfolio of private equity through a listed vehicle, which is a first for the Australian market, Jamieson said.

The trusts IPO also entails the issue to the LIT of alignment shares in the Pengana Capital Group. The trust will be the first LIT/LIC that will have an initial net tangible assets per unit higher than the IPO subscription price paid by investors. This is achieved by Pengana Capital, the trustee and manager of Pengana Private Equity Trust, by issuing equity in itself to the new LIT equal to the value of 5% of the subscription monies to the offer, DLA Piper said.

The premium is expected to encourage investors to heavily support the IPO rather than waiting to invest in the secondary market, thereby boosting the fund raise from the start.

Pengana Private Equity is also proposed to distribute the equity in Pengana it initially acquires to unitholders within two years. The move is expected to encourage investors to back future Pengana products.
The city-states effort to be the leading IP dispute resolution hub in the region continues while Asia has stronger growth in IP filings compared to the rest of the world in the decade up to 2017. Filings in the region grew 12.7% in the period, almost double the 7.4% rate worldwide. Singapores Mediation Act came into force in November 2017, and while the Singapore Convention on Mediation is expected to be signed this August.

Innovation is becoming globalised, and increasingly, parties from across different regions have to work together to commercialise their IP. In such an environment, disputes will invariably arise, said Daren Tang, IPOS chief executive.

Singapore is already a hub for alternate dispute resolution and this scheme will position us more strongly to be a hub for the mediation of cross-border IP disputes. Local entrepreneurs and enterprises can also tap on this scheme to have a fair and cost-effective avenue for resolving their domestic IP disputes, he said.

The funding offered by IPOS allows parties to claim for official administration fees of the mediation institution, mediators fees, or up to 50% of the parties mediation-related agent or lawyer fees.
The marriage certificate is not considered sufficient proof of the relationship.



I would urge you to engage a registered Migration agent ($4,000) and even then there is no guarantee but you stand a better chance.

As I said we used and agest but had the Visa refused.



Because of the workload a lot of applications are now being outsourced overseas. Ours was done in Cairo Egypt



Yes. They are becoming more demanding. We applied in 2016 for an 820. Took 8 months to prepare the documents and we were advised by the agent that our presentation was perfect. After 2 years our visa was refused.

Now we have to appeal the decision and that will take up to 2 years more as there is a 44,000 case backlog.



They require the most intimate details about the financial status, Joint bank accounts, wills, leases in joint names, all utility bills with both names and also the degree of commitment to each other. Diagrams of the bedroom and cupboards with contents in the drawers.



They want to be satisfied that there is a mutual commitment to a shared life together, that the relationship is genuine and continuing, that you live together or do not live separately and apart on a permanent basis. They will look at the Financial aspect (we had to produce all bank and credit card statements for 3 years), Nature of the household - living arrangements, distribution of housework, social aspects of the relationship and the nature of the commitment to each other. Proof of ongoing contact over the period of the relationship like emails, phone calls, messenger, Facebook, video conferencing - up to 50 pages long.



Evidence that you present yourself as a couple socially like joint invitations to social activities accompanied by photos of you at the venues with other people.



Information from other people who can verify the relationship. Form 888.



Just to name a few requirements.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Thats right! Nissan chose Ft. Lauderdale in Florida for the world premiere, and thats bold. The festival in question has a country theme of all possible genres out there, with headliners such as Kenny Chesney and Jason Aldean. On the other hand, the choice in music shouldnt come as a surprise because Nissan and Tennessee are joined at the hip thanks to Smyrna Vehicle Assembly.Smyrna is where the U.S. division of Nissan builds the Altima, Leaf, Maxima, Pathfinder, Rogue, and Infiniti QX60. Production started there on June 16th, 1983, and the annual capacity according to the latest report from Nissan is 640,000 vehicles.Except the date and location, the Japanese automaker doesnt mention anything else about the Versa Sedan for the 2020 model year . The carparazzi did give us a glimpse of whats what, and the angular headlamps got us impressed. The rakish windshield, door-mounted side mirrors, lower roofline, and slender taillamps are other highlights, and as expected, the steel wheels soldier on with four lug nuts for every corner of the car.On the suck-squeeze-bang-blow front, its likely the 1.6-liter engine will soldier on with minimal changes. From 122 horsepower and 144 pound-feet of torque, Nissan is expected to bump these numbers by 13 horsepower and 7 pound-feet. The five-speed manual should come standard, joined by a continuously variable transmission developed in-house by Nissan-owned JATCO Ltd. (short for Japanese Automatic Transmission COmpany).The Xtronic CVT from JATCO has a tendency to break down even at low mileage, and the problems are all too apparent with a simple search on thes website. Owners of the current generation are complaining about jerking and slipping, bucking and shuddering, and loud noises.
Our very own @SCKeithSmith has just had a vehicle FTS for him in Benfleet. Despite being 74yrs old he engaged in not only the pursuit but a foot chase detaining the suspect in the gardens of a nearby house. @EssexSpecials @EssexPoliceUK @EP_RPU_South @EP_RPU_North @DCCPippaMills pic.twitter.com/HuSYrMCnGd  Essex Roads Policing (@EPRoadsPolicing) March 26, 2019 A 29-year-old man is due to appear in court tomorrow, after being arrested yesterday in #Benfleet by long-serving #volunteer @EssexSpecials, @SCKeithSmith, aged 74. He was charged with driving while disqualified, driving without insurance, failing to stop and harassment. pic.twitter.com/koTMY7mRul  Essex Police (@EssexPoliceUK) March 27, 2019

The cop is now being hailed a hero on social media , after his extraordinary deed was made public by his mates from Essex Police. His name is Keith Smith and hes been with the unit for 2 decades, during which time hes also put in thousands of hours of volunteer work. The suspect is Paul Tait and he has been hit with a string of driving-related offenses.Special Constable Keith Smith was on out traffic duty when he attempted to stop a driver for a routine traffic stop. The man failed to pull over and a high-speed chase followed. After many miles, the driver jumped out of the car and tried to make his escape on foot, which is when PC Smith did the same.Youd think being this old would have given the suspect the edge, but youd be wrong. After chasing the dude through several gardens, PC Smith managed to put him in cuffs and take him downtown. Tait was charged with driving while disqualified, driving without insurance, failure to stop and harassment, according to a tweet on the PDs official Twitter Our very own @SCKeithSmith has just had a vehicle FTS for him in Benfleet. Despite being 74yrs old he engaged in not only the pursuit but a foot chase detaining the suspect in the gardens of a nearby house, the roads policing unit writes , praising the hard work of PC Smith.Public response to these messages ranges from legend and top work to a more lukewarm nice job, but theyre all positive. As they should be.
SUV

Michelle Richan tells Deseret News she likes to drive to isolated locations. She always knew shed get stranded one day, so she always made sure to be prepared. For her, that meant having considerable rations of food and water packed in the trunk of her, for a worst case scenario.The worst case scenario came to happen on March 19, as she was traveling from Eureka, Nevada, to her home in Heber City. She got stuck in snow and mud, in an area that had no cellphone coverage. Despite her many attempts, all the cars passing near her and the planes above her missed her signals.She was lucky that she had a trunk full of survival gear, including an electric blanket and knife. She survived for a full week before she was rescued and she reckons she could have easily gone for another 7seven days on the food and water she had.Richan spent the time out of her SUV, cutting wood and making fires. She also shot her gun a few times, thinking the sound might alert someone about her presence, but she had no such luck.She was rescued by a snowplow driver, who was alerted by the pilot of a small plane that had been actively looking for her.[The area] almost as dangerous in the summer as in winter when the temperatures go over 100 degrees and you run out of water, pilot Ivo Zdarsky tells the publication. I spotted something orange, so I just went really low to look at it and saw her actually running out of the car.For her part, Richan was glad to be helped home, but shes also astounded that no one came to her aid faster. Not even the officer shed passed on the way there reported to have seen her heading in that direction, after she was reported missing.The experience is unlikely to have quenched her thirst for adventure. I like going out in the middle of nowhere. Its just, you know if youre going to be out there, you need to be able to survive out there, she says.Had not help arrived, Richan was planning to burn the spare tire for signal and leave the car to find shelter. I figured I had enough food left to at least last a week, so I figured I probably had enough to at least walk out if I had to, she says.Take that, Bear Grylls!
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The chief executive officer of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles confirmed the news as part of the Grip 2025+ strategy, which starts with 1.8-billion investments in 2019 for new products, the conversion of plants, and new business models. If you were wondering, Ford has almost finished the exterior design of the 2021 Ranger Ford also plans to take up Volkswagen on their offer to sell a stake in Argo, the German automakers autonomous driving division. An electro-mobility service could also happen as part of the partnership, and according to higher-ups from Wolfsburg, the Germans are open to sharing the MEB vehicle architecture with the Ford Motor Company.Can you imagine Ford coming up with a Focus-sized alternative to the ID. Neo hatchback that Volkswagen will start manufacturing in November 2019? Its not impossible, but on the other hand, the talks are ongoing. Having said these, lets turn our attention back to the Amarok.Announced in 2005 and previewed by the Robust Pick-Up Concept in 2008, the Amarok was presented in Pacheco, Argentina in January 2010. Little changed since then, but nevertheless, the 3.0-liter V6and ZF 8HP automatic transmission complement thefour-wheel drive like a hand in glove. Even when compared to the Mercedes-Benz X 350d 4Matic , the Volkswagen is an interesting alternative in the mid-size segment.Volkswagen is testing 4.0-liter V8 TDI in the Amarok, but we wouldnt hold our breath for this engine in the next generation. There are plans to discontinue the eight-cylinder option in the nearest of futures, and given the partnership with Ford, chances are the two parties are willing to share the suck-squeeze-bang-blow to cut development costs as much as possible.
Vestnik Kavkaza continues a series of interviews with the president of the Russian State University for the Humanities, member of the Council of the Russian Historical Society Yefim Pivovar. The topic of the last interview was the RHS projects, and this interview is about the preparation of a post-Soviet countries history teaching guide.

- The preparation of a CIS countries history teaching guide is nearing completion. Please tell us about this project. What difficulties did you face?

- Nearing completion is the right phrase. Events in Kazakhstan, which occurred last week, require that this work should continue [This refers to the resignation of the republic's first president Nursultan Nazarbayev, - VK]. The post-Soviet space is a young participant in international politics, although the history of the peoples living in this territory goes back thousands of years. Developments in all the post-Soviet republics are swift, so it will be difficult for us, the teaching guide's authors, to stop our work.

We have been teaching the course in the near abroad history at the history department of the Moscow State University and the course in post-Soviet near abroad history at the RSUH for quite a long time, not only to historians, but also to international affairs students. We have accumulated the material. When we've been working on the concept, we understood that it should have at least two parts: the chapters devoted to individual countries, as well as chapters about the processes taking place within the whole space. So far, we have chosen two key points from the second section.

The first section is devoted to integration processes in the post-Soviet space. These are both integration processes within the space, as well as those involving individual countries or groups of countries. These integration associations are wider than the post-Soviet space. And even those associations, which to some extent were intended as opposition from the post-Soviet space, it should also not be forgotten. The tangle of these organizations, their formation, development, trends are considered in this section. The second section is devoted to the economic interaction between these countries.

In addition, we want to prepare chapters on all post-Soviet countries. They have completely different fates, they represent different civilization models, they have different histories of entering separate empires, separate states. But then why should they be viewed as a communion? Because at certain stages all of them were part of a single state entity - either the Russian Empire or the USSR. That is why they have a common past, which allows us to consider these states as a whole.

- Who is engaged in preparing the teaching guide?

- The authors are, first of all, the staff of the Department of History of the CIS countries of the Faculty of History of the Moscow State University and the staff of the Institute of Post-Soviet Studies of RSUH. We have been working long enough and hard on it. When I started to re-read the teaching guide, I realized that it needs additions. The difficulty is also that there are no analogues against which it could be compared. Perhaps someday it will become a textbook, but in a different composition, in a different capacity. And in the meantime, this is a manual useful for both students and those who deal with these problems during scientific studies.

- Do you have an approximate time frame?

- The countries' history from ancient times to the present day. We want to show the cultural achievements of peoples, geographical factors, as well as such things as diasporas, foreign policy, domestic policy. It is clear that one cannot seize the unseizable. We know examples of multi-volumes in each country, but these are almost encyclopedias. Of course, it's a very difficult issue of what should be included in the manual and what should not be, since there is much more material than we may use in it.

- In your opinion, what is the significance of this manual for historical studies?

- Its not for me to judge its meaning. We carry out the obligatory task, since the course is already being taught. The manual will be useful for both teachers to prepare lectures and students to prepare for exams. We wanted to create a base to start with. It is clear that it's not the end of the process, it is just beginning. Our field does not have a long classical period of research, it is young, like the object itself. Practically up to the 2000s there were no such studies at all, as well as personnel to address them. And now there are dozens of candidates of science, there are doctors of science which defended a thesis on this topic. Thus, this process is on the rise. Nevertheless, almost any topic - Kazakh studies, Azerbaijan studies, Ukrainian studies, Belarusian studies - is not a completely understood and studied direction.

- If we talk about Russian society, how popular is the CIS topic now?

- Its value increases. First, we increasingly understand that in a multipolar world, value is not determined by the size of a country, not by just economic indicators or achievements in science or culture, but also by the place and geographical position in which a particular country develops. Second, relationships with neighbors are becoming increasingly important. Geography can not be changed. Of course, one can have a spat with neighbors, but nothing good will come of it. Neighbors can not be changed, things like that do not happen in history. It seems to me that society increasingly understands the value of Russia's fruitful mutually beneficial relations with its neighbors: both for the formation of markets, the formation of labor and the formation of cultural exchanges considering the common past, which is manifested in the present and will be manifested in the future. We are destined, in a good sense, to pay increasing attention to neighbors and those with whom we have a common past. Everything is interconnected, all countries, all nations, but relations with neighbors are especially important.
Former FBI Director James Comey told NBC "Nightly News" anchor Lester Holt in an interview that aired on Wednesday that he thought President Trump may have obstructed justice after his abrupt dismissal in 2017.

Details: In his first television interview since Attorney General William Barr released a 4-page summary of Robert Muellers report, Comey told Holt that he believed his firing was partly because of the Russia investigation. Barr has concluded that he will not pursue obstruction charges against Trump, saying that Mueller cleared him of collusion with Russia but made no further statements about obstruction. Comey did say: "It'll be important to read the entire report."

At the time of his firing, Comey was leading the FBI's investigation of alleged links between Trump's presidential campaign and Russia. Comey was fired 8 days after Mueller's appointment.

When Holt asked if he sees the Mueller report as a rebuke of his leadership at the FBI, Comey responded:

"No, I actually see it the other way. It establishes to all people, I hope no matter where they are on the spectrum, that the FBI is not corrupt, not a nest of vipers and spies, but an honest group of people trying to find out what is true. And that's what you see here."

On Tuesday, Comey pushed back against Barr's decision not to pursue obstruction charges, saying: "The notion that obstruction cases are somehow undermined by the absence of proof of an underlying crime, that is not my experience in 40 years of doing this nor is it the Department of Justice's tradition. Obstruction crimes matter without regard to what you prove about the underlying crime."
After making landfall earlier this month, Cyclone Idai caused devastating flooding and destruction throughout Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe, leaving up to 1,000 people feared dead and hundreds of thousands displaced.

The big picture: The UN called Idai "one of the worst natural disasters to hit southern Africa in living memory." Shortages of food and clean water and the risk of contracting fatal diseases like cholera or malaria only make the situation worse.

Details: Like the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the post-Idai emergency didn't initially receive the attention crises of this scale often do, though the international humanitarian system has begun to respond.

Farmers have lost crops and livestock in the floods, and many impacted areas were already facing food insecurity. In response, the UN's World Food Programme has sent 20 tons of high-energy food, but more supplements will be needed.

Regional communications and transportation remain major challenges. Local officials are rushing to restore power while government workers slowly repair and reopen roads that were washed away.

Experts have warned of a "ticking time bomb" of disease as survivors are exposed to bacteria-infested flood waters. The World Health Organization has sent 900,000 oral cholera vaccines to the region (at least 5 cases of cholera have already been reported) and is preparing to send 900,000 bed nets in anticipation of a spike in malaria.

Where it stands:

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has authorized $700,000 in emergency assistance  an amount likely to climb  and deployed a response team to Mozambique to determine the extent of the damage. Personnel from U.S. Africa Command have also been dispatched.

Nonprofit groups from Save the Children to the International Committee of the Red Cross have stepped up to deliver supplies, provide health services and help reunite families.

The bottom line: Even the smallest shocks to regions like southern Africa can trigger vicious cycles of poverty, violence and conflict  and the devastation caused by Cyclone Idai was anything but small. Hundreds of thousands of people now depend on a robust international response that will need to be sustained from emergency management through to rebuilding.

Gayle E. Smith is the president and CEO of the ONE Campaign and a former administrator of USAID.
Europe's new copyright bill  the one many of the internet's inventors argue will jeopardize the network's future  is almost certainly destined to become law in each of the EU member countries, after an EU Parliament vote earlier this week. But some procedural hiccups left a sliver of doubt about the outcome, raising a glimmer of hope among the bill's ardent detractors.

Why it matters: The copyright bill has two controversial provisions that could fundamentally change how links and user-created content work online.

Background: The controversy stems from two sections:

The first, widely known as Article 11. would charge tech companies like Google to run services like Google News. It's been called a link tax because it would charge sites when they provide links and summaries of stories, and it's controversial because, while Google may be able to front that cost, an average blogger wouldn't be.

widely known as Article 11. would charge tech companies like Google to run services like Google News. It's been called a link tax because it would charge sites when they provide links and summaries of stories, and it's controversial because, while Google may be able to front that cost, an average blogger wouldn't be. The second, widely known as Article 13, would require tech companies to pre-scan user uploads for copyrighted material, which could be extremely difficult to do at a YouTube or Facebook scale.

But, but, but: In the final draft of the legislation, well after people started debating Article 11 and Article 13 under those names, the official name of Article 11 became Article 15 and Article 13 became Article 17.

If that confuses you, it apparently confused many members of the European Parliament as well.

The catch: Those provisions may have passed by accident.

An amendment that would have put these two controversial parts of the bill on hold failed by 5 votes, but 13 voters claim they didn't mean to vote the way they did. If the lawmakers had voted as they say they wanted rather than as their votes were recorded, that amendment would have passed.

Even if the amendment had passed, there would have been another vote on the controversial provisions, which could still have OK'd them.

The botched votes are official and indelible.

MEP Marietje Schaake, who first noticed the glitch, told The Verge that the voting confusion "could make a little bit of a difference" in the next stages of the copyright law process, but was unlikely to change its eventual enactment.

Where it stands: In the EU, after Parliament passes a bill, the Council of the European Union votes on it. This vote is expected on April 9.

Observers expect the copyright bill to pass the Council. But all that's needed to alter the outcome is for a single country to flip its vote.

Opponents of the bill believe Germany is a good target to make that change. The country's privacy commissioner has come out against the bill.

Meanwhile, the U.K.  which as of this writing is still in the EU  presents a stranger situation.

It could be a prospect for changing its vote if Prime Minister Theresa May steps down.

Boris Johnson, who could be next in line to form a Tory-led government, has come out against the copyright rules as an example of why the U.K. needs to leave the EU.

But right now, it's Johnson's Tory party that has positioned the U.K. behind the bill.

Once the bill passes, each member country of the EU will be required to pass a domestic version of the law. That could take years more.
Google is launching the Local Experiments Project, an effort to fund dozens of new local news websites around the country and eventually around the world. The tech giant says it will have no editorial control over the sites, which will be built by partners it selects with local news expertise.

Why it matters: Big tech companies like Google and Facebook are often blamed for the demise of the local news business model. Now, both are trying to fix the broken local news ecosystem for the sake of their audiences, which they say crave more local news.

"Everything we do in this space tends to be open-sourced learnings. Our business models are not attached to these efforts. There's no requirement in any of these experiments that the partners use Google advertising tools."

 Richard Gingras, VP of news, Google

Details: The first effort within the new Local Experiments Project will be The Compass Experiment," which is a partnership between Google and McClatchy to launch three new, digital-only local news operations on multiple platforms.

McClatchy will maintain sole editorial control and ownership of the sites and Google will have no input or involvement in any editorial efforts or decision making.

and ownership of the sites and Google will have no input or involvement in any editorial efforts or decision making. Google says the investments will be significant. "We will be spending many millions of dollars on this overall," says Richard Gingras, Google's VP of news.

"We will be spending many millions of dollars on this overall," says Richard Gingras, Google's VP of news. McClatchy will choose 3 cities that are less than a half million people for the site launches. It hasn't announced any hiring plans, but people familiar with the efforts say there will eventually be people on the ground in those cities.

that are less than a half million people for the site launches. It hasn't announced any hiring plans, but people familiar with the efforts say there will eventually be people on the ground in those cities. Smaller cities will be the focus. McClatchy CEO Craig Forman says it's targeting cities with less than a half million people because that's where local news decay is worst. Gingras says those cities are important because people there have a strong sense of community, which can harder to tap into at the metro and national levels.

Between the lines: McClatchy will be the first of many "experiments" within the Local Experiment Project. The goal is to use the lessons from McClatchy's efforts, and others in the future, to create a network of shared insights that can be leveraged by everyone in the local news business.

"This allows us to move beyond some of the incrementalism that seems like it's the core of our day-in and day-out job, but can hold us back from pursuing things related to a long-term vision," says Forman.

some of the incrementalism that seems like it's the core of our day-in and day-out job, but can hold us back from pursuing things related to a long-term vision," says Forman. Google says it chose to partner with McClatchy to launch the project because it's a local news company with an existing relationship with Google and a strong technology background. McClatchy CEO Craig Forman is a former newsman and tech executive.

with McClatchy to launch the project because it's a local news company with an existing relationship with Google and a strong technology background. McClatchy CEO Craig Forman is a former newsman and tech executive. Googles objective is to test the business models and operational aspects necessary to succeed in local news.

Be smart: Google has rolled out several local news efforts in the past few weeks, around the first anniversary of its Google News Initiative  a pledge to invest $300 million in news media transition to digital over three years. The Local Experiments Project will use funds from the broader Google News Initiative to fund the new sites.

What's next: If successful, Google may expand its tools and services to enable others to launch similar sites in other places in the U.S. and around the world. Gingras points to examples of news sites in Canada, France and the U.S. as examples of local news businesses that can thrive with the right strategies and investments.

Go deeper:
The House Foreign Affairs Committee is requesting a briefing from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Jared Kushner's trip to Saudi Arabia last month over concerns that embassy staff was "sidelined" from meetings between Kushner and members of the Saudi royal family, including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Daily Beast reports.

Details: House Foreign Committee Chair Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) and ranking member Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) said the briefing should include all emails, receipts, clearance records and any other records on file regarding all trips overseas involving Middle Eastern leaders.

The big picture: The trip to Riyadh was part of a larger Middle East trip in which Kushner and other advisers planned to discuss President Trump's highly anticipated plan for peace in the region. Kushner's close relationship with Mohammed bin Salman has come under heightened scrutiny following the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, which the U.S. intelligence community has assessed was likely ordered by the crown prince.

Go deeper: Saudi prince authorized secret crackdowns carried out by Khashoggi killers
Venezuela's Maduro regime announced on Thursday that it is barring opposition leader and National Assembly leader Juan Guaido from holding public office for 15 years, AP reports.

The state of play: Per AP, the Venezuelan government cited alleged irregularities in Guaido's financial records as a reason for his removal from office. Guaido was reportedly under investigation by the government earlier this month for an alleged attack on Venezuela's power grid.

The big picture: The Trump administration has repeatedly called the physical safety of Guaido, who has yet to respond to Maduro's announcement, a "red line."

National Security Adviser John Bolton said in January that any violence against the National Assembly or Guaido "would signify a grave assault on the rule of law and will be met with a significant response.

Sen. Lindsey Graham told Axios in January that Trump mused to him about the possibility of using military force in Venezuela.

Go deeper: Inside Trump's Venezuela policy pivot
A dissident group accused of a commando-style break-in at the North Korean Embassy in Madrid said Thursday it had suspended operations after a judge issued arrest warrants for 2 suspects believed to be in the U.S.

Details: Cheollima Civil Defense, which wants to overthrow North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, said it took the temporary action because of speculative media reports. A Spanish judge issued international warrants for the suspected gang leader, Mexico-born U.S. resident Adrian Hong Chang, and U.S. citizen Sam Ryu, El Pais first reported.

The backdrop: The investigating judge said the group contacted the FBI days after the raid to offer stolen data. The U.S. says it had "nothing to do" with the break-in.

Go deeper: North Korean Embassy raiders contacted FBI, Spanish judge says
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told me today in an interview in Jerusalem that the Trump administration's Middle East peace plan will be good for the Palestinians and that they should give it serious consideration.

Why it matters: The Trump administration's peace team, led by Jared Kushner and Jason Greenblatt, has been working on the peace plan for two years. U.S officials told me there is no set date yet for the release of the plan, but that it would be sometime between the Israeli elections on April 9 and mid-June.

Pompeo stressed during the interview: "We want to make sure we have the vision as right as we can make it. We want to make sure that when we unveil it, it's good enough that it will be considered by all parties, especially the Palestinians and the Israelis."

Pompeo rejected the claim that because the Palestinians have refused to negotiate with the U.S. for more than a year, the Trump peace plan will be dead on arrival

"I hope the Palestinians give it due consideration. The U.S. wants good things for the Palestinians and our plan will show that. When you see the plan, you will see the evidence for that. I hope the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank will provide their feedback. There will be things that they like and things they don't like."
We can expect the most provocative behavior from Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at the upcoming meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev tomorrow, the associate professor of the Department of International Security of the Faculty of World Politics of Moscow State University, Alexey Fenenko, told the correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza, speaking of his expectations from Fridays meeting of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Vienna.

"I think that the only thing can be expected now - clarifying the situation with the St. Petersburg plan of the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement, worked out in June 2016. After the talks, it will be clear if it can be reanimated or the parties will look for some other scenario. In the second case, it will be a blow to Russian diplomacy, since Moscow acted as the guarantor of a constructive peace process after the April clashes in 2016," he said.

"Pashinyans task is to cancel Russia's efforts, so I think he will use the most provocative tactics at the talks with Aliyev, judging by what he has been doing for the past year. Those forces that put Pashinyan in power are very dissatisfied with the results of St. Petersburg plan, because it implies the demilitarization of the occupied Azerbaijani regions adjacent to Karabakh," Alexey Fenenko explained.

The political scientist noted that Aliyev and Pashinyan will meet in Vienna against the background of a very alarming state of affairs in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone. "The fact is that the Armenian leadership, refusing the Russian plan worked out in 2016, offers nothing new. We even see an attempt of holding talks at the level of the Armenian Security Council and the 'Karabakh representatives'. That is, Pashinyan hopes that, in exchange for his anti-Russian policy, the Americans and French will help him develop a new plan for Karabakh, but this is not yet visible," the associate professor of the Department of International Security of the Faculty of World Politics of Moscow State University concluded.
President Trump told Fox News' "Hannity" Wednesday FBI officials investigating possible Russia links to his campaign had "committed treason."

What he's saying: "They wanted an insurance policy against me, he told Fox News host Sean Hannity, referring to former FBI officials Lisa Page and Peter Strzok, who upset him previously over anti-Trump campaign texts. And what we were playing out until just recently was the insurance policy. They wanted to do a subversion. It was treason ... We can never allow these treasonous acts happen to another president."

The big picture: Strzok was fired from the FBI in 2018 because of his anti-Trump texts with his then-colleague Page in the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election. He had worked on the Hillary Clinton email server investigation and joined Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation but was kicked off the team and demoted when the texts surfaced.

Why it matters: This is Trump's first interview since Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation concluded, and he didn't hold back in the wide-ranging phone interview.

On the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act: Trump said he would release the FISA warrants and related documents used by the FBI to investigate his campaign in full and unredacted. He told Hannity he wanted to "get to the bottom" of how the long-running Russia collusion narrative began.

On the Mueller investigation: Trump called it "an attempted takeover of our government, of our country, an illegal takeover."

On William Barr: Trump said it would never have happened were Attorney General William Barr in the position from the start of his presidency. Barr said in a summary of the Mueller report Sunday that the investigation did not establish that members of the Trump campaign engaged in a conspiracy with Russia. On obstruction of justice, Barr said the report "does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him."

On Russia: Trump said Russia wouldve "much rather" had Hillary Clinton as president than himself. "I will tell you this about Russia; if they had anything on me, it would have come out a long time ago," he said. "You look at all of the different things."

On the Green New Deal, spearheaded by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: "I really do want to campaign against it," Trump said. "It's ridiculous. The new green deal is going nowhere."

Editor's note: The section on William Barr has been corrected to show Barr said the Mueller investigation did not establish that members of the Trump campaign conspired with Russia.
Turkey has essentially imposed currency controls ahead of upcoming local elections in which candidates supporting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are facing tough challenges.

What's happening: Foreign banks and investors looking to trade the Turkish lira are being turned away by local banks, reportedly at the government's behest, with the goal of preventing a fall in the lira's value.

One London-based analyst told FT that Turkish banks said they had been ordered "not to lend even a single lira to foreign counterparties."

Unable to find a counterparty for trades, bankers are finding available swap rates rising to 1,200%.

Rates were just 22.6% at the end of last week.

Turkeys benchmark ISE National 100 index fell 5% Wednesday, its worst day since July 18, when it fell more than 7%.

The big picture: In addition to the currency controls, Erdogan is manipulating credit markets and the country is in recession. Further chaos could impact global financial markets because of Turkey's high level of dollar-denominated debt and the exposure some of Europe's largest banks have to Turkish bonds.

The European Central Bank's monitor reported concern during last year's lira meltdown about the exposure of some of the eurozone's biggest lenders to Turkey, including BBVA, UniCredit and BNP Paribas.

Catch up quick: Turkey's currency sold off last summer, falling as much as 40% and touching its weakest level in history.

Investors initially sold the currency because Erdogan had won re-election and reconfigured the cabinet to make his son-in-law the finance and treasury minister, replacing 2 officials seen as competent and largely independent.

Turkey also was mired in a debt and banking crisis, and Erdogan was seen manipulating the central bank and fiscal policy to improve the economy.

Then President Trump's threatened to put additional tariffs on Turkish goods exported to the U.S. in a spat over a detained American pastor.

Why you'll hear about this again: "I've never seen a move like this in the 21 years I've been watching this market," Julian Rimmer, a trader at Investec Bank, told Bloomberg. "This amounts to sacrificing long-term pragmatism for a short-term political expedient. Such tactics will make many traders question the investability of the lira."

Flashback: Turkish currency crisis stokes fear in world markets
Chinese telecom giant Huawei is poised to claim close to half of the 5G market, nudging the technological center of gravity away from western telecom vendors and sounding alarms about China's ability to spy on Americans.

Why it matters: 5G has one global standard that makes networks interoperable regardless of the equipment vendor. The security risk posed by Huawei is debated but if it ends up dominating 5G networks, authority to set standards for future network technologies  such as 6G, which is already under development  will shift toward China.

"Commercial power almost directly translates to standard setting power ... and if you dominate the standards, you dominate the products. Your early developments will be faster and work better than others," said Henning Schulzrinne, computer science professor at Columbia University.

"This is a fundamental strategic competition for who builds the platform for the next round of the internet. That is just as important  if not more  than who builds the state-of-the-art harbors, railways and highways over the next 20 years."

 Janice Stein, political science professor at the University of Toronto

Where things stand: The U.S. and China are locked in a race over whose technology will underly 5G networks that will connect devices and machines at lightning speed. The U.S. prefers European equipment makers Nokia and Ericsson, and it has shunned Chinese telecom giant Huawei due to fears of espionage.

The U.S. doesn't make its own 5G equipment but is using its military, security and intelligence heft to pressure allies not to use China's technology.

its own 5G equipment but is using its military, security and intelligence heft to pressure allies not to use China's technology. "We cannot ensure the defense of the West if our allies grow dependent on the East," Vice President Mike Pence said at the Munich Security Conference last month.

the defense of the West if our allies grow dependent on the East," Vice President Mike Pence said at the Munich Security Conference last month. The UK and Germany, however, haven't outright rejected Huawei in hopes of tapping the growing Chinese market and preserving their relationships with the U.S.

however, haven't outright rejected Huawei in hopes of tapping the growing Chinese market and preserving their relationships with the U.S. Huawei already has contracts to install its 5G equipment, which tends to be cheaper than its rivals, in dozens of countries.

Huawei claims nearly a third of the global 4G market, and it may get closer to half the market in a 5G world, said Andrew Entwistle, an analyst with New Street Research in London.

Crossing that threshold of market share makes it harder for other equipment vendors to catch up, wireless industry sources say.

Threat level: Fears are mounting that a 5G equipment market dominated by China will give the authoritarian regime greater access to the explosion of data that will flow across 5G networks.

"Its going to be far more pervasive in terms of what data aggregators know about you and how they can influence your lives," said Rob Spalding, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute. "Today its Amazon, Google, Facebook. Tomorrow its Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, and the Chinese communist party."

in terms of what data aggregators know about you and how they can influence your lives," said Rob Spalding, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute. "Today its Amazon, Google, Facebook. Tomorrow its Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, and the Chinese communist party." "This isnt about virtue. For most of the world, the question is who do you want to spy on you?" says Stein.

Flashback: Spalding, former senior director for Strategic Planning for the National Security Council, advocated for a national U.S. 5G network to stave off China's advances and concerns over espionage.

That plan proved unpopular, but the idea of a national network got support from Trump's re-election campaign (which then walked it back).

AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson said at the Fintech Ideas Festival on Wednesday that concerns are valid about Chinese suppliers underpinning crucial infrastructure. Huawei's "impressive" global market share hurts the companies on which the U.S. relies.

"You cant separate national security from competitiveness and innovation," he said. "They go hand in hand."

The other side: While many countries are nervous about China's growth, not everyone is convinced Chinese vendors are using their telecom gear to spy. (Huawei denies it, too.)

"There's no evidence at all that Huawei has put anything inappropriately in its equipment," said Entwistle. "If they did and it was discovered, it would be game over for them."

at all that Huawei has put anything inappropriately in its equipment," said Entwistle. "If they did and it was discovered, it would be game over for them." Western vendors are still strong, he said, just not as strong as they were in the 3G era.

are still strong, he said, just not as strong as they were in the 3G era. "The anxiety here in a sense is a loss of prominence for western technology rather than demise of western technology," he said. "This is more of a shift in balance rather than an apocalyptic situation."

The bottom line: China's lead in building the next-generation network is seen as a sign of a decline of U.S. tech leadership in the mobile internet, and as a symbolic point of no return for Chinese economic supremacy.

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The president of the Council of Europes Parliamentary Assembly (PACE), Liliane Maury Pasquier, praised Armenias democratic institutions and inaugurated a square in Yerevan named after Europe during a three-day visit to the country which ended on Thursday.

Pasquier met with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian, parliament speaker Ararat Mirzoyan and other senior Armenian lawmakers. She also delivered a speech in the Armenian parliament on Wednesday.

Armenian institutions have recently undergone a major transformation thanks to a profound constitutional reform, she said referring to the transition to a parliamentary system of government initiated by the countrys former leadership. This reform, welcomed by the Council of Europe, was prepared and carried out in close collaboration with the Venice Commission.

I want to commend the people of Armenia and the Armenian political class for using the new constitutional and political mechanisms in the context of a major political change that has taken place peacefully and within the constitutional, legal and democratic framework. This testifies to the solidity of the democratic institutions and the high quality of the political class, all parties combined, Pasquier added in her speech.

She referred to the generally smooth political transition that followed last springs velvet revolution in the South Caucasus state. It ended with the holding on December 9 of snap parliamentary elections won by Pashinians My Step alliance. The PACE and other pan-European organizations recognized the vote as democratic.

Pasquier joined deputy parliament speaker Alen Simonian and Yerevans Mayor Hayk Marutian in inaugurating on Thursday Europe Square located on the citys main pedestrian avenue.

The ceremony was timed to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the creation of the Council of Europe. Armenia joined the Strasbourg-based organization promoting human rights and democracy in 2001.

Europe Square in Yerevan is a reminder of the fact that Europe is not a geographic area but a set of our freedoms and rights, and we must all be steadfast in defending our freedoms and rights, Pasquier said at the ceremony.
Representatives of the two opposition parties represented in Armenias parliament on Thursday renewed their criticism of the governments economic record and policies strongly defended by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian.

Pashinian presented lawmakers on Wednesday with a report on the implementation of his governments first policy program which was approved by the previous National Assembly one month after he took office in May last year. He insisted that the government is already making good on his repeated pledges to carry out an economic revolution in the country.

We never got answers to several questions, said Naira Zohrabian, a senior lawmaker from the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK). In particular, she said, Pashinian failed to elaborate on his claims that hundreds of millions of dollars worth of investments are about to be made in the Armenian economy.

Its been almost one year since the [2018] revolution but there has been no change in the living standards of Armenias citizens, claimed Zohrabian. The government has yet to embark on very serious economic reforms, she said.

Gevorg Gorgisian of the Bright Armenia Party (LHK) complained Pashinian focused on official statistics for the first two months of this year and his plans for the coming months, rather than the governments 2018 track record.

We didnt expect such a speech from the prime minister. We expected a report on 2018, said Gorgisian. Pashinian should have discussed real economic figures and his governments failings, he said.

Alen Simonian, a deputy parliament speaker representing Pashinians My Step alliance, dismissed the criticism, saying that the government should be given more time to deliver on its promises.

Its wrong to say that one year [has passed since the change of government] and criticize us because we were busy forming the government up until the December 9 parliamentary elections, argued Simonian.

Both the BHK and the LHK criticized another, five-year policy program which was drawn up by Pashinians cabinet shortly after those snap elections. They said that it is short on specifics.

The program says, among other things, that the government will ensure that the Armenian economy will grow by at least 5 percent annually.
By Trend

A favorable business environment has been created in Azerbaijan and it is easy to invest in the country, Azerbaijani Minister of Taxes Mikayil Jabbarov said on the John Batchelor Show of the famous American host John Batchelor.

The minister noted that Azerbaijan significantly improved its position in the latest Doing Business 2019 report and ranked 25th, entering the top ten major reformers.

Jabbarov spoke about the tax reforms carried out in late 2018. In particular, it was decided to reduce the tax burden on small and medium-sized businesses and, thus, to ensure the development of the non-oil economy, he said.

During the interview, the minister stressed that agriculture as a whole is exempt from taxes, which also helps to ensure the competitiveness of agricultural products when exported.

"We try to support economic growth through tax policy, because just like tax policy ensures economic development, the level of a country's economic development has an important influence on tax policy," Jabbarov said.

Speaking about the economy of Azerbaijan, the minister noted that development is observed not only in the capital, but also in the regions of the republic.

"Since 2004, under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, the State Program on the socio-economic development of regions has been implemented in the country. Because one of the main challenges we face is to ensure equal growth, so that it is not limited to the capital only," the tax minister said.

Noting that the implementation of the fourth State Program on the Socio-Economic Development of Regions has recently begun, the minister added that over the years of implementation of these programs, tens of billions of manats have been invested in the country's regions, over 3,000 schools, more than 600 hospitals and tens of thousands of kilometers of roads have been built.

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By Leman Mammadova

The presentation of Azerbaijan's national satellite operator Azercosmos and tourism potential of Azerbaijan was held in Paris as part of the International Astronautical Federation's (IAF) Spring Meetings.

Chairman of Azercosmos OJSC Rashad Nabiyev spoke about the role of our country in the cosmic sphere, noting that Baku hosted the 24th International Astronautical Congress in 1973, AZERTAC reports.

He noted that Azerbaijan, having a rich experience in hosting international events, can also organize the events of the IAF at a high level. Nabiyev suggested to hold the Federation's major events in Azerbaijan, a member of the cosmic family. The video about the activity of Azercosmos was presented.

Sevda Aliyeva representing the Azerbaijan Tourism Board provided information on the history, culture and tourism opportunities of our country during Spring Meetings. Videomaterials has been shown about our tourist sightseeings. Participants of the meeting were invited to get acquainted with the tourism opportunities of our country.

Spring Meetings, traditionally held annually, are considered to be the most important events of the Federation.

Within the framework of the events, a series of meetings were organized with the participation of the IAF, as well as the President of the French National Centre for Space Studies (CNES) Jean-Yves Le Gall, the Office of Vice-Presidents and relevant committees.

Wide-ranging discussions were held among federation members on the work done in the field of astronautics during the year, the role of the new space industry in global space arena and trends in the field. In addition, the wide-ranging propaganda campaign was held at the Spring Meetings to hold the Federation's prestigious events in Baku in the future and to introduce Azerbaijan as a cosmic country.

Azerbaijans Azercosmos OJSC operates satellites and other devices used at different heights in order to support the countrys socio-economic development, commercial, scientific activities and for state purposes.

Azercosmos OJSC was established in May 2010 with the purpose of implementing the launch, operation, and exploitation of telecommunication satellites for Azerbaijan. This is the first Caucasian satellite operator.

Azercosmos OJSC operates geostationary satellites Azerspace 1, Azerspace 2 and low-altitude satellite AzerSky.

Azercosmos provided 24 countries with its services. The bulk of the services accounted for France ($11.8 million), Malaysia ($8.4 million), the UAE ($1.5 million), Germany ($941,000) and Georgia ($537,000).

The revenues of Azercosmos OJSC from the export of satellite and telecommunication services amounted to $25.6 million in 2018.

National satellites offer high-quality services for telecommunications in Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, Europe and the Caucasus region. The launch of satellites in space ensures the formation of a reliable information security system in Azerbaijan and, in general, boosts telecommunications system development, and further enhances the quality of internet, international telephone calls, television broadcasting and satellite services throughout the country. At the same time, satellite mapping, hydrometeorology, study of the Earth's surface, geodetic works will be possible at a high level.

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Leman Mammadova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @leman_888

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By Leman Mammadova

The next shop "Azerbaijani gifts", which is aimed at promotion of "Made in Azerbaijan" products, was opened in Russian Yaroslavl.

The first presentation of the regional presentation of the project "Network of Azerbaijani stores" of the Azerbaijan's Trade Representative in Russia was held for local entrepreneurs in the Yaroslavl Region of Russia on March 27 in the framework of the project "Azerbaijan Trade House".

The project is an integral part of the concept developed by the trade mission to form an integrated system to support Azerbaijani exporters and promote Azerbaijani products on the Russian market.

This system will include a permanent exhibition of Azerbaijan's export, investment and tourism potential, a specialized company for Azerbaijan's imports to Russia, and a network of stores "Azerbaijani gifts".

The shops "Azerbaijani gifts" will be opened by the local entrepreneurs, while the Azerbaijan Trade House will help to provide them with a wide range of Azerbaijani products.

It should be noted that the first shop Azerbaijani gifts was opened in the territory of "DEPO" grocery store in Moscow with the support of Azerbaijan's Trade Representative in Russia and the Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation (AZPROMO). The shop contains more than 200 items of goods from 15 manufacturers.

Azerbaijan's Trade Representative aims to form a system of distribution of Azerbaijani products in the Russian market for stimulation of export. The shops "Azerbaijani gifts" will carry out activities with the involvement of local entrepreneurs, the Trade House of Azerbaijan will also help in supplying the stores with a wide assortment of Azerbaijani goods.

It is planned to open several more Azerbaijani gifts shops in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Krasnoyarsk and Yaroslavl this year.

The Trade Houses engaged in the activities carried out within the expansion of the export of Azerbaijani products and promotion of the Made in Azerbaijan brand.

Launched in 2016, the Made in Azerbaijan brand envisages a large-scale promotion of local non-oil products in foreign markets.

At present, Azerbaijani trade houses are operating in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Latvia, Poland and China. It is planned to open up to 10 Trade Houses in 2019.

Promotion of export-oriented local products under the Made in Azerbaijan brand in a wider geographic area also helps to attract foreign investment. The export of non-oil products will stimulate the expansion of the production of these products and will further strengthen the non-oil sector's share in the structure of the GDP.

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Leman Mammadova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @leman_888

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By Trend

The First Illinois-Azerbaijan Agriculture Forum will be held in Chicago April 3-5, Trend reports.

The forum, organized under the program of the US-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce to expand trade and business relations of Azerbaijan with US states, will bring together representatives of the agribusiness of Azerbaijan and Illinois, one of the leading US agricultural states.

The purpose of the forum is to establish cooperation between the parties in the agricultural sector, acquaintance with US technologies, which allow increasing yields, as well as new methods used in various fields of agriculture.

Azerbaijans Agriculture Minister Inam Karimov, Chairman of the US-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce (USACC) Reza Vaziri, Azerbaijani Ambassador to the US Elin Suleymanov, Assistant Administrator of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) Brock Bierman, WB Senior Agriculture Economist for the Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region Bekzod Shamsiev, Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Azerbaijan (AmCham) Natavan Mammadova and other participants are planned to deliver speeches as part of the forum.

The forum participants will also discuss education and vocational training in the field of agriculture, successful cooperation mechanisms in the field of introducing innovations and increasing agricultural productivity, introducing modern technologies for the development of smart farming.

Representatives of Azerbaijani companies are expected to visit the leading manufacturing enterprises of Illinois, farms and research centers, as well as sites for the production of fertilizers and protein as part of the three-day forum.

Illinois is one of the 10 leading agricultural states of the US. Sown areas account for 75 percent of the states territory. The states annual profit from the sale of agricultural products alone amounts to $19 billion.

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By Abdul Kerimkhanov

The new leadership of Armenia continues to artificially delay negotiations on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict against the interests of their country.

The statements of the Prime Minister of Armenia urging that the proposal to return Nagorno-Karabakh to the negotiating table is not a proposal to change the format, but to restore the negotiation format is another verbal bravado, devoid of any logic and validity, said diplomat Fikret Sadikhov on March 22.

The latest statement of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs regarding the unchanged format of the negotiation process, as well as statements of similar content of high-ranking EU officials are a serious message to the Armenian side.

"The unequivocal position of the world community on this issue is aimed at supporting the grounded position of Azerbaijan on the solution of the Karabakh problem. Meanwhile, the actions and steps of the Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan show that he is not only an amateur in politics, but also lacks any understanding of the essence of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, is engaged in the most common provocations in the form of trips to the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh," said diplomat.

Sadikhov considers, Pashinyans controversial statements related to the settlement of the Karabakh conflict are irritating the Armenian society.

He suggested that the speech of Pashinyan, which did not correspond to the level of the Armenian governments head, was due to his understanding of the inevitability of the return of the occupied Azerbaijani territories.

He recalled that the resolutions of the UN Security Council constitute the legal basis for resolving the conflict, and unequivocally confirm the sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of the international borders of Azerbaijan, and require the immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of the Armenian occupying forces from the territories of Azerbaijan.

Pashinyan continues to do what he likes - cheap populism and demagogy, MP Rasim Musabayov believes.

Musabayov noted Azerbaijan and the world are not expecting demagogy from Pashinyan, but concrete words and actions on those proposals that have long been on the table of negotiations.

He said that before the relevant decisions are taken on the liberation of the occupied Azerbaijani territories and the beginning of the withdrawal of Armenian forces, Pashinyan will be heard in Azerbaijan.

"The time for cheap propaganda and idle talk has long been over. It's time to make decisions and take responsibility for them," the Azerbaijani MP concluded.

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Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94

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The Vagabov crime gangs member detained in Dagestan will be hit with criminal charges over the terror attacks at Moscows Lubyanka and Park Kultury subway stations in 2010, Russian Investigative Committee Spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko said.

"In close cooperation with FSB and Interior Ministry personnel, detectives identified and detained on March 27 another member of this crime gang in the Russian Republic of Dagestan. The suspect was taken to Moscow. Today, he is scheduled to be charged with carrying out terrorist attacks as part of the organized gang. A motion to select detention as a measure of restriction has been filed with the court," TASS cited Petrenko as saying.

The Center for Public Relations of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) earlier reported that a member of the Vagabov crime gang involved in organizing the terror attacks by female suicide bombers on March 29, 2010, in Moscow at the Lubyanka and Park Kultury subway stations in Moscow was apprehended in the Khasavyurtovsky district, in the Dagestan Region. The FSB released video footage of the militants detention in a special operation.

On March 9, 2010, female suicide bombers carried out terror blasts at the Lubyanka and Park Kultury metro stations in Moscow, killing 39 people and injuring 128 others.
By Trend

The third regional forum with the participation of entrepreneurs from Azerbaijan's Tovuz, Gazakh and Aghstafa regions will be held in Aghstafa city with the organizational support of the National Confederation of Entrepreneurs (Employers') Organizations of Azerbaijan (NCEOA) in early April, Acting Secretary General of the NCEOA Kristina Mammadova told Trend.

She noted that a presentation for entrepreneurs will be demonstrated at the event, within which they will receive extensive information on the results of the reforms carried out, on the upcoming innovations reflected in the legislation, etc.

"Networking between entrepreneurs representing these three regions will be held simultaneously," she said.

The National Confederation of Entrepreneurs (Employers') Organizations of Azerbaijan was established on March 5, 1999 in Baku and passed the official state registration.

The NCEOA unites over 1000 business entities, including 35 associations and unions of socio-economic profile.

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U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Earle Lee Litzenberger has hosted a reception at his residence to showcase the examples of American fine art presented under the U.S. State Department's 'Art in Embassies' program (AIE), which has been operating since 1963.
By Trend

There are no unresolved issues in the Azerbaijani army, deputy defense minister, head of the Main Department on Personnel, Lieutenant General Karim Valiyev said when commenting on the slanderous information spread that there were negative phenomena in the Azerbaijani army, Trend reports.

The deputy minister noted that, despite the specificity of the service, the army is open to the public: "We work closely with other government agencies, international, humanitarian, public, non-governmental and other organizations."

Valiyev stressed that there are no unresolved issues in the Azerbaijani army, but some people are haunted by its success. They see only negative everywhere: Exaggerated losses, facts of betrayal, allegations of the acquisition of old military equipment, false information about corruption schemes, insults to the army leadership, etc. are nothing more than an attempt to undermine the image of one of the main structures responsible for defense and security of the country."

"Those who live abroad through grants, including the Armenian lobby, are deliberately slandering the army and the reforms carried out in the country. They use the misinformation of the Armenian special services, openly carry out enemy propaganda," said Valiyev.

He stressed that he unequivocally condemned all the discussions that are conducted in social networks in connection with the military theme, and called on these individuals to stop such provocative activities.

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By Trend

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on March 28 on the creation of a commission in connection with the fire that occurred in the Diglas shopping center in Nizami district of Baku.

The entrepreneurs suffered great damage as a result of the fire that occurred in Diglas shopping center in Nizami district of Baku on March 26, 2019.

The president instructed the Cabinet of Ministers to set up a commission and regularly inform him about the conducted work to investigate the causes and consequences of the incident.

The decree comes into force from the date of signing.

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By Leman Mammadova

Turkey imported more than 808 million cubic meters of natural gas from Azerbaijan in January 2019.

According to Turkeys Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA) report, Turkey's gas imports from Azerbaijan increased by more than 214 million cubic meters (36 percent) compared to the same month of the previous year.

In January, Turkeys natural gas imports decreased by 6.54 percent to 5.810 billion cubic meters. The volume of natural gas supplies through pipelines amounted to 3.470 billion cubic meters, LNG - 2.340 billion cubic meters.

During the reporting period, Azerbaijani gas accounted for 13.91 percent of total imports of Turkey. Azerbaijan was the third largest gas supplier to Turkey, being only behind Russia (1.83 billion cubic meters) and Iran (824 million cubic meters).

The remaining volumes are accounted for Algeria, Nigeria, U.S., Qatar, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea.

Turkey imports natural gas from Azerbaijan via the South Caucasus Pipeline (Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum) and Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP). The South Caucasus Pipeline commissioned at the end of 2006 is currently supplying Shahdeniz gas to Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey.

Azerbaijani gas exports to Turkey reached 7.5 billion cubic meters last year.

TANAP, along with TAP, is a part of Southern Gas Corridor project that envisages transportation of gas from Azerbaijani Shah Deniz-2 gas field to European markets. TANAP gas pipeline was put into operation on June 12 2018 in Eskisehir, Turkey. The first gas transportation to Turkey started on 30 June. So far, TANAP has transported about 800 million cubic meters of Shah Deniz gas to Turkey. TANAP will transport 2 billion cubic meters in 2019 to Turkey, 4 billion cubic meters in 2020, and 6 billion cubic meters of natural gas will be transported in 2021.

Since Turkey's energy security is dependent on foreign energy resources, Turkey has been continuously exploring new hydrocarbon reserves offshore and onshore.

Turkey is a partner in many strategic projects of Azerbaijan. Turkey was the first state to recognize Azerbaijan's independence in 1991 and has been a staunch supporter of Azerbaijan in its efforts to consolidate its independence, preserve its territorial integrity and realize its economic potential arising from the rich natural resources of the Caspian Sea.

Every year, trade and economic cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkey diversifies and covers new areas. Both countries are interested in the maximum expansion of relations.

Two countries have gained good experience in the implementation of large-scale projects of international importance, which are well known in the region and the world such as Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline, TANAP, the Southern Gas Corridor and the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway.

Turkey and Azerbaijan, both effectively use their economic and energy capabilities, as well as the geopolitical position to expand bilateral and regional cooperation.

All projects initiated by Azerbaijan and Turkey are implemented successfully and serve further development and well-being of two nations.

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Leman Mammadova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @leman_888

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By Leman Mammadova

Canadian company Zenith Energy will launch the BD-260 drilling rig at the C-37 well of the Jafarli onshore field within the next 48 hours.

According to the information, the market participants will be informed about this as soon as the BD-260 drilling rig will be fully equipped, Report informs citing the company.

Andrea Cattaneo, CEO of Canadas Zenith Energy, noted that the start of potentially transformational well deepening program in the Jafarli Field in Azerbaijan is inevitable.

We are extremely excited by the current progress and look forward to seeing the rig will be fully prepared, he said.

BD-260 drilling rig was imported from the factory in Italy.

The drilling will take maximum three weeks.Then the company will proceed with deepening of C-40 well. Thus, the results of two well deepening will allow to decide on where to make the first fully new well.

Zenith Energy is an international oil and gas production company operating the largest onshore block of oil fields Muradkhanli-Jafarli-Zardab in Azerbaijan.

Zenith Energy Company has recently attracted funds of 607,000 pounds from shares in Canada and the UK to increase investment and general business operations in Azerbaijan.

The company plans to increase the production directly through drilling campaign.

Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR and Zenith Aran Oil Company signed a Rehabilitation, Exploration, Development and Production Sharing Agreement (REDPSA) in March 2016 for a block that includes the Muradkhanli, Jafarli and Zardab oil fields. Zenith Energy Ltd established its subsidiary company Zenith Aran Oil Company Ltd for production operations in these three fields.

The agreement was ratified by the Azerbaijani Parliament on June 14 and the production under the agreement began in August of 2016.

Zenith holds a 80-percent participating interest in the three fields within the contract area, while SOCAR retains the remaining 20 percent. The duration of the agreement is 25 years, with a potential extension of 5 additional years.

The Muradkhanli-Jafarli-Zardab block is located in the Yevlakh-Agjabadi oil and gas region of Imishli district of Azerbaijan. The Muradkhanli field was discovered in 1971, Jafarli - in 1984, and Zardab - in 1981.

The total area of the Muradkhanli, Jafarli and Zardab fields is 642.4 square kilometers, and according to the contract, it is divided into rehabilitation and exploration territories.

In general, it is expected to produce 7.399 million barrels of oil from the onshore fields in Azerbaijan. While, production at Muradkhanli-Jafarli-Zardab block is expected to increase by 1.67 percent to 0.122 million barrels.

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Leman Mammadova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @leman_888

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By Abdul Kerimkhanov

In "post-revolutionary" Armenia anarchy and legal uncertainty triumph today.

Recently, riots occurred in one of the military units stationed in the Armenian Meghri region. About 600 soldiers attempted to leave the location of the military unit.

Commenting on this shameful incident for the army, Spokesman for the Ministry of Defense of Armenia Artsrun Hovhannisyan said the matter is "some soldiers-offenders".

"Several soldiers violating discipline tried to impose their own rules on a military unit in the spirit of the manners of the 1990s, to be guided by special conditions, serve in separate clothes, eat a separate menu, shield and officers. They tried to involve other soldiers, inciting them," said Hovhannisyan.

He denied reports of mass breaches of discipline and an attempt by 600 soldiers to leave the unit.

Hovhannisyan noted that misconduct and disobedience in the Armenian Armed Forces are impermissible and will be punished with the utmost rigor of the law.

Hovhannisyan added that the high command of the unit conducted an internal investigation and decided to punish the rank-and-file servicemen and the commanding personnel, sending several officers to resign.

However, everything seems to be not as simple as Hovhannisyan wanted to present. The reason is not in the "criminal order" at all but in the uprising of soldiers against officer tyranny.

Relatives of military personnel, serving in Meghri came to the building of the Armenian government on March 23. One of the mothers said for several days she had not heard from her son, whom she then found in the "military police" in the occupied Khankendi.

Earlier, a woman met her son and found out that several hundred soldiers had rebelled because of the behavior of one of the officers, had left the military unit, but returned, listening to the calls of the commander. At midnight, a company was built, 20 soldiers were chosen, they were torn off their uniforms and sent by bus to the Kapan military police, from where some were transported to occupied Karabakh.

She told that those who stayed in Kapan are threatened with court, the rest are going to be distributed as a punishment among military units on the front line.

The difficult socio-economic situation of Armenia also affected its armed forces, said Azerbaijani MP Parliament Elman Nasirov.

He noted that after the April battles, it may be the first time when reports are being spread that the Armenian army is experiencing a deep crisis.

"In particular, a riot of Armenian soldiers against officers caused a big resonance in Armenia. The soldiers left the military unit without permission, it became the most discussed topic in the local media and social networks, and it came to the point that, like under the Sargsyan regime, the mother of the soldiers again began to protest," stressed Nasirov.

The fact that the Armenian press writes as a punishment to the frontline zone in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh is particularly noteworthy, he noted.

"The place to punish the rebellious soldiers is occupied Nagorno-Karabakh. Thus, the Armenian media once again mention the participation of Armenia in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and provide evidence that Armenian soldiers serve in Nagorno-Karabakh," said Nasirov.

Nasirov noted that there is arbitrariness in the Armenian armed forces and a big gap between soldiers and officers, adding that today, the Armenian soldier does not trust and does not believe his officer.

"What kind of fighting spirit can have such a soldier? This is a very serious signal for Armenian leadership. If the situation does not change, and the leadership of Armenia will not soon demonstrate a constructive position on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement, it is possible that in a near perspective, the supreme commander-in-chief of Armenia may be left without armed forces at all, or their existence will be nominal," he believes.

Nasirov stressed that the army, which has no fighting spirit, in which the soldier does not trust and does not believe his officer, cannot be considered a real army.

The criminal order from which the Armenian society suffers was projected onto the armed forces and manifested itself in a high level of crime, hazing, violations of subordination and military discipline.

After the velvet revolution, Armenia is experiencing anarchy and legal uncertainty. Therefore, such a massive violation of discipline involving an unprecedented number of military personnel is also a projection of what is happening in the civilian world.

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Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94

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By Abdul Kerimkhanov

Some Armenian officials making frivolous economic decisions aggravate the already degrading economy of Armenia.

Armenian Minister of Transport, Communications and Information Technologies Hakob Arshakyan vetoed a major investment project, according to Armenian media.

Entrepreneur Arthur Yerznkyan, who lives in Russia, planned to invest $ 200 million in the telecommunications sector of Armenia. The entrepreneur's plans included the creation of a new mobile operator (currently there are three in total).

Moreover, the entrepreneur was ready to make a commitment to make communication very affordable for subscribers, and almost free for residents of border areas.

However, according to media, Minister Arshakyan did not give permission for the project, stating that it would interfere with the existing three operators and would be unprofitable for the investor himself.

"That is why Armenia remains the last in the region in terms of investment and for this indicator, it is significantly inferior to Azerbaijan and Georgia," reports Armenian media.

The fact that in Armenia the level of corruption exceeds the limit is a well-known fact, and this is one of the key reasons for the extremely depressing socio-economic situation in the country, said independent economist Sergei Volodin.

The expert noted that as long as there are government officials like Hakob Arshakyan in the Armenian government, the country will continue to be in a deplorable state in the coming decades.

"Ever since the Sargsyan regime, corruption has been an integral part of the socio-economic life in Armenia, and with the advent of the new government, nothing has changed. Therefore, it is meaningless to talk about some kind of well-being in a country where the main corrupt officials rule the state. The situation is quite satisfactory, as he gathered around himself corrupt officials, so its not surprising that Arshakyan was allowed to veto a major investment project, which shakes up Armenian media," said Volodin.

According to expert estimates, it is not at all surprising that Armenia occupies the last place in the region in terms of investment and is significantly lower than Azerbaijan and Georgia in this indicator.

This fact indicates that the society has an understanding that under the current government, it will be difficult for Armenia to get out of the socio-economic crisis, Volodin said.

The expert concluded that at such a pace Pashinyan and his entourage will soon lead the Armenian economy to a dead end.

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Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94

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By Abdul Kerimkhanov

Belarus is an important partner for Iran, because of its geopolitical location. In turn, Iran plays an important role in the Gulf region. This can explain the mutual interest in the development of bilateral relations.

Iranian Ambassador to Belarus Mustafa Oveysi said that Tehran and Minsk experienced a year of growing relations in the last 1397 Persian year (March 21, 2018 - March 20, 2019), stressing that the volume of bilateral trade increased four times compared with the corresponding period last year.

Oveysi noted that relations between the two countries are improving in all areas, adding that the volume of trade between Iran and Belarus in the last 1397 Iranian calendar year (ending March 20, 2019) was four times more than the previous year, reports Fars News.

He said that the trade turnover of Iran and Belarus in the past Iranian calendar year amounted to $154.1 million, which is an unprecedented phenomenon over the past 25 years.

The ambassador said Iran and Belarus are negotiating bilateral agreements that will pave the way for a turnover of $ 1 billion.

He said that Iran and Belarus have the potential for cooperation in the fields of industry, commerce, oil, agriculture, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment.

Iran is interested in supplying Belarusian electric buses to Iran. In the context of modern environmental requirements and reducing environmental pollution, this is especially true for cities, like Tehran, Mashhad, Isfahan, Tabriz.

At the first stage of cooperation, 100 Belarusian electric buses will be supplied to Iran under a turnkey contract, and then the creation of their assembly production in Iranian territory is not excluded.

Diplomatic relations between Belarus and Iran were established on March 18, 1993.

The legal base of bilateral cooperation covers more than 30 interstate and interdepartmental treaties.

Belarus and Iran closely cooperate at international sites, providing mutual support in international organizations such as ECOSOC, UNESCO, the UNHRC, the Universal Postal Union, etc.

The 14th meeting of the Mixed Belarusian-Iranian Commission on Economic Cooperation was held On January 22-23, 2018, which resulted in the signing of the Roadmap for the development of cooperation between the two countries for 2018-2020.

Belarus views Iran as a key partner in the region and highly appreciates the ties that have developed with this country. It is very important that the interaction between the two countries is based on mutual trust and respect. This contributes to the strengthening of friendship between nations and creates a good basis for increasing interaction.

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Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94

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By Abdul Kerimkhanov

The socio-economic situation in Armenia is worsening every day. The velvet revolution was supposed to lead to economic development and growth, prosperity, an increase in wages and pensions in the country, and a solution to geopolitical and regional problems. However, in reality, none of the above happens.

According to the statistics of the National Statistical Service of Armenia, construction increased by about 21 percent, with the same decrease in the production of electricity.

However, the leaders of construction companies claim that this is a complete fiction, since after the velvet revolution construction has become almost impossible.

"Yerevan Municipality refuses to issue building permits, each time referring to different reasons. Now only those construction projects started under the previous authorities are in the process, although some of them are suspended based on various complaints. So the growth in the construction sector is drawn only to conceal the real picture of the economic downturn," Jamanak newspaper notes.

Foreign trade turnover also experiencing a serious recession. In February 2019, compared with the same month of 2018, foreign trade volumes decreased by 4.6 percent. The data for January to February 2019 is 7.7 percent lower than last years figures, Armenian media reported.

In addition, Armenia is losing foreign markets, as evidenced by export figures. Armenia saw a decrease in exports by 8.2 percent in this February compared to the same month of 2018 and by 11.6 percent in January to February compared to the first two months of 2018.

Nevertheless, speaking in the parliament with a report on the activities of the government in 2018, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that everything was going fine.

As Pashinyan noted, it is impossible to find the second such country in world history, where such serious changes have occurred, and after that, there would not be a deep economic recession. We managed to maintain macroeconomic stability, NEWS.am quotes pAshinyan as saying.

Moreover, small HPPs in Armenia are in a difficult financial situation and most of them are on the verge of closure, said the chairman of the Association of Renewable Energy Producers public organization Roman Melikyan.

He noted that HPPs cannot produce electricity in the planned amount and find themselves in a difficult financial situation, adding that since water management is poorly managed - HPPs do not receive the prescribed amount of water and, naturally, cannot generate the necessary electricity.

If such a policy does not change and certain stimulating mechanisms are not applied, we will face serious danger, said Melikyan.

In short, the new authorities of Armenia are involved in drawing indicators in the way like the previous ones. Apparently, the new government discovered even great talents for drawing.

The prospect of economic development of Armenia is rather uncertain, as it depends on too many external and internal factors.

One of the obstacles to the economic development of Armenia is its geopolitical isolation from the outside world, which is fraught with significant risks and an increase in transportation costs.

In this regard, Armenian-Iranian cooperation in the field of transport communications and energy could be breath of air for the Armenian economy. But Iran prefers to cooperate with stable Azerbaijan, an example of which is the North-South project.

For Armenia, the time has come for such pragmatism, which seeks sensible solutions. In particular, Yerevan should refuse to continue the occupation policy and withdraw its armed forces from the occupied regions of Azerbaijan. Only in this case, it is possible to fully restore Armenias relations with its neighbors, which will later lead its economy out of stagnation.

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Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Georgian Foreign Minister Davit Zalkaliani met with the NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller at the NATO headquarters.

During his visit, Zalkaliani addressed the meeting of the NATO-Georgia Commission as well.

At the meeting the participants discussed Georgias role and practical engagement in ensuring the Black Sea security.

The parties agree that the NATO-Georgia relations this week have yet again proved that Georgia has a special place in the political agenda of the Alliance, the Georgian Foreign Ministry said.

The ongoing NATO-Georgia Exercise were also highly assessed at the meeting, Agenda.ge reported.
By Trend

Gaddam Dharmendra, new ambassador of India to Iran has stressed the necessity to facilitate the establishment of a branch of an Iranian private bank in India.

Speaking in a meeting with the governor of Central Bank of Iran, Dharmendra expressed hope that deep historical ties between two countries and their good relations would go ouver the limits and the US pressure, Trend reports citing IRNA.

He noted, India intends to move toward Iran's development and expanding ties though diplomacy.

Iranian Central Bank Governor Abdolnasser Hemmati said during the meeting that the US is "running propaganda to create psychological atmosphere to affect Iran's economy."

Hemmati insisted on expanding economic relations between Iran and India and expressed Iran's readiness to develop economic ties.

Iran's crude oil exports to India reached $8 billion, while the country has exported $2.6 billion worth of tea and rice to Iran, the bilateral economic ties have made the total trade volume of $10.6 billion.

India's exports level to Iran in January have increased by 109 percent. The two countries have agreed to trade in rupees and rials, which has raised the volume of trade by over 100 percent.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Trend

The water levels in Lake Urmia, located between Irans East Azerbaijan and West Azerbaijan provinces, have increased by 31 centimeters during the current water year, compared to the levels from the previous year, Farhad Sarkhosh, head of West Azerbaijans Lake Urmia Restoration Committee, told ILNA, Trend reports.

According to Sarkhosh, the current water level of the lake is 1,271.1 meters, when compared to the water levels of international waters.

Sarkhosh also said that the water surface area in Lake Urmia is 2,583 square kilometers, adding that there was an increase of 352 square kilometers compared to the previous water year.

"The water of Lake Urmia has increased by 740 million cubic meters, and has now reached 2,000,000,640 cubic meters," he said.

Sarkhosh said that the provision of water to the lake from the Ajabshir Ghaleh Chay dam in East Azerbaijan Province has commenced.

He added that precipitation from the beginning of the year was 334/5 millimeters, and that there was an 82 percent increase compared to the previous water year.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Abdul Kerimkhanov

Intergovernmental relations between Turkmenistan and Russia can be characterized as an open, confidential dialogue of long-time friends and reliable, time-tested partners.

Representatives of the Russian state-owned concern Gazprom headed by the companys board chairman, Alexey Miller, made a working visit to Turkmenistan on March 27. In Ashgabat, Miller was received by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, Turkmen media reports.

During the talks, the sides discussed issues of cooperation in the energy sector, according to Gazprom press release.

It is underlined that in cooperation in the gas sector Russia and Turkmenistan are based on the agreement of 2003. Turkmen publications did not report on the upcoming visit.

In October 2018, the head of Gazprom announced that from January 1, 2019, the concern would resume purchases of Turkmen gas.

With regard to the volume of gas supplies and other issues of contractual relations, today negotiations will be held at a technical level. We expect that in the very near future these agreements will be reached, Miller said at the time.

However, gas supplies to Russia have not begun.

Russia has long been the main buyer of Turkmen gas. In 2009, the parties began to argue about the price, and at the same time, an explosion occurred on the gas pipeline.

As a result, deliveries for several months were interrupted. Iran became the main buyer first, and at the end of 2009 became China, after the opening of the new pipeline. When Russia returned to the number of buyers, it seriously reduced the volume of supplies, being in third place after China and Iran.

In 2015, representatives of Turkmengas announced that Gazprom did not pay bills and declared the Russian concern insolvent. In response, Gazprom filed a lawsuit demanding a review of prices for gas purchased in Turkmenistan and a return of $ 5 billion for overpayment.

In 2016, Russia stopped buying gas from Turkmenistan, which was preceded by a long conflict between Gazprom and Turkmengas. Later, Gazprom demanded compensation for damage under a broken contract.

The negotiations, which have continued since autumn 2018, were preceded by a conflict between Gazprom and Turkmengaz. For several years, the parties threatened each other with proceedings in international arbitration.

The Iranian side stated that it is developing domestic production and no longer needs Turkmen gas in 2014. It was announced that deliveries continue only to maintain relations between countries.

In January 2017, Turkmenistan demanded that Iran pay off debts and cut off supplies. In response, Iran completely refused to purchase. China has been and still is the only buyer of Turkmen gas.

Diplomatic relations between Turkmenistan and Russia established on April 8, 1992.

Gazprom is a global energy company focused on geological exploration, production, transportation, storage, processing and sales of gas, gas condensate and oil, sales of gas as a vehicle fuel, as well as generation and marketing of heat and electric power.

Gazprom holds the worlds largest natural gas reserves. The Company owns the worlds largest gas transmission system with a total length of 172,100 kilometers. Gazprom sells more than half of its gas to Russian consumers and exports gas to more than 30 countries.

About 190 companies with Russian capital operate in Turkmenistan. The ARETI International Croup holding (formerly ITERA) has been operating since 2009 in the Turkmen sector of the Caspian Sea on the basis of the production sharing agreement.

At the same time, Russia's Gazprom, a traditional trade partner, completely stopped purchasing Turkmen gas in 2016.

The strategic partnership agreement between Turkmenistan and Russia was signed in Ashgabat on October 2, 2017.

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Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Abdul Kerimkhanov

Tatneft is negotiating to participate in joint projects in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Iraq, Interfax reports.

Tatneft is one of the largest Russian oil companies today and is an internationally recognized vertically integrated holding. The industrial complex of the company includes steadily developing enterprises of crude oil and gas production, petroleum refining, petrochemicals production, the tire-manufacturing complex, network of filling stations and services.

The company's board of directors discussed the company's development strategy outside Tatarstan. Tatneft reported that in 2019, work was resumed to increase oil recovery and repair of wells in the Goturdepe field in Turkmenistan.

In Russia outside Tatarstan, Tatneft this year has planned trial operation of 11 wells in the Nenets Autonomous Area and notes the prospects of work in this region. In 2025, the expected annual volume of oil production in the district should be 1.5 million tons.

"Work continues on the preparation for exploration and development of the Domanik deposits in the license areas of Savitsky and Zhuravlevsky in the Orenburg region. Significant investments are planned for further exploration drilling, seismic exploration at the sites of OOO Tatneft-Samara, OAO Kalmneftegaz, ZAO KalmTatneft," says a press release.

In general, this year Tatneft expects to receive an increase in reserves outside of Tatarstan in the amount of 3.8 million tons of oil and 35.8 million tons of resources.

The Board of Directors noted the important role of geological exploration in external projects, including the stabilization of oil production until 2050.

In addition, the board of directors discussed the implementation of goals and projects of the innovation and technology strategy. According to expectations, the introduction of innovations will provide an increase in EBITDA by 2030 in the amount of 34.6 billion rubles ($533.1 million) in the "Exploration and Production" business area, 21.5 billion rubles ($331.3 million) in "Neftegazpererabotka", 6.5 billion rubles ($100.1 million) in "Tire Business", 700 million rubles ($10.8 million) - "Energy", 600 million rubles ($9.2 million) - "Retail and Retail Network" and 500 million rubles ($7.7 million) - in the direction of "Mechanical Engineering".

Most of Tatnefts reserves are located in Tatarstan. The company has licenses in Tatarstan, Kalmykia, Orenburg, Samara, Ulyanovsk regions and the Nenets Autonomous District. The execution of the exploration program at the company's contract areas in Libya and Syria is suspended until the situation stabilizes in these regions.

Tatneft and Uzbekneftegaz are discussing joint development of fields, including the Pritashkent investment block, as well as the creation of a joint venture in Uzbekistan in the future. In addition, Uzbekneftegaz invited Tatneft to participate in the operation of the Fergana refinery.

In Kazakhstan, Tatneft cooperates with Ozenmunaygas (a subsidiary of Exploration Production KazMunaiGas JSC) in introducing new oil production technologies into production.

In 2015, the Board of Directors of Tatneft considered the issue of opening a representative office in Iraq, in the same year the management of Tatneft met with a delegation from the Kurdish Autonomous Region of Iraq.

In September 2018, the Tatneft Board of Directors approved the development strategy for the period up to 2030. By 2030, Tatneft intends to increase oil production to 38.4 million tons per year with 100 percent replenishment of reserves.

It is assumed that the main part of the extracted oil - 31.4 million tons, will be accounted for traditional oil produced in Tatarstan, another 2.1 million tons - for super-viscous oil, also produced in the republic.

In addition, 3.5 million tons will ensure the development of exploration and the use of innovative mining methods. In addition, 1.5 million tons will be produced outside the republic, including 1.4 million tons - from fields in the Nenets Autonomous Area. The company noted that the targets for oil production do not take into account possible limitations within OPEC +.

Earlier it was reported that Tatneft Group in 2019 in connection with the OPEC + transaction plans to keep production at the level of 2018 - in the amount of 29.5 million tons, PJSC Tatneft - 29.2 million tons. The subsidiaries of the company outside Tatarstan are expected to produce 300,000 tons of oil - also at the 2018 level.

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Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
By Abdul Kerimkhanov

Over the past 26 years, Uzbekistan and Belarus have built close cooperation on a bilateral and multilateral basis.

The growing interest of Belarusian companies in expanding trade and economic cooperation with Uzbekistan is due to deep reforms in the business sphere, the introduction of free currency conversion and a significant reduction in customs duties.

Belarus plans to seriously increase the export of pharmaceutical products to the Uzbek market, Minister of Health Valery Malashko told reporters after a meeting with a delegation of the Ministry of Health of this country, BelTA informs.

"If last year we delivered pharmaceutical products for $ 2.6 million, then I think that we will receive about $ 4.7 million by the results of this visit in 2019. It is very important that we have entered into the practice of creating joint ventures - this makes it possible to supply semi-products not only to Uzbekistan, but also to third countries, and this is an expansion of the sales market for our enterprises," said Malashko.

The Uzbek Minister of Health Alisher Shadmanov noted that the meeting discussed ways of joint partnership in the pharmaceutical industry. He said the Belarusian pharmaceutical products have a large share in the Uzbek market.

The purpose of the visit of the Uzbek delegation set to study the experience of the Belarusian health care. In particular, it is of interest how the process of healthcare management is improved, the provision of primary and specialized high-tech medical aid, how the work on training, retraining and advanced training of personnel is structured.

Belarus is indeed the leader in the region for the protection of motherhood and childhood. Such indicators have been observed for many years, added Shadmanov.

The visit of the delegation of the Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan to Minsk on March 25-28 takes place in continuation of the agreement between the relevant departments of the two countries. It was signed in Tashkent in September 2018 following the talks of President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko and President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

It is planned to visit the leading Republican Practical Scientific and Practical Center, pharmaceutical enterprises, as well as the Belarusian State Medical University.

Diplomatic relations between Belarus and Uzbekistan were established on January 21, 1993.

Countries celebrated the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations by the joint issue of a post stamp.

The trade turnover between Uzbekistan and Belarus in January-November 2018 amounted to $ 145.2 million, which is 28.5 percent more compared to the same period in 2017.

The Uzbek exports to Belarus mainly consist of vegetables and fruits, dried fruits, cotton, cars and clothing. Belarus supplies the Central Asian republic with tractors, road and construction equipment, medicines, epoxy resins, chassis with engines for cars, oil products and meat.

Both countries planned to increase trade to $ 500 million by 2020. Given the current growth rate, the goal looks quite feasible. This task is planned to be solved thanks to the development of cooperation in such areas as mechanical engineering, the agro-industrial complex, construction and health care.

In addition, in September 2018 Belarus and Uzbekistan launched a joint production of medical drugs. In addition, last year was marked by a number of new bilateral projects. Belarusian holdings Amkodor and Bobruiskagromash created joint ventures for the production of road-building and agricultural equipment in the Central Asian republic. The famous Minsk Tractor Works launched a joint tractor production in Tashkent.

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Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
The European Union parliament has overwhelmingly voted to ban single-use plastics such as straws, forks and knives by 2021.

The ban was backed in a 560-35 vote yesterday, and will affect a range of plastic products including plates, balloon sticks and earbuds.

It will also include food and beverage containers made of expanded polystyrene and all products made of oxo-degradable plastic.

Growing concerns over plastic pollution in oceans and stories of dead whales with plastic in their stomachs prompted the EU to take more drastic steps to tackle the issue. Marine litter has come under the spotlight because 85% of it is plastic, the Independent reported.

While EU member states have given their support, they will need to vote on the measure for it to go info effect.
Russian President Vladimir Putins visit to Kyrgyzstan started with the official meeting ceremony in the Ala Archa State Residence.

Putins meeting with Kyrgyz President Sooronbay Jeenbekov was carried out under the new rules of the republics state protocol. A marble building had been constructed for official meetings with state leaders in front of the congress hall of the state residence. The Kyrgyz president arrived first to the congress hall, and then Putin arrived in an Aurus, TASS reported.

The Russian and Kyrgyz leaders were welcomed by the guard of honor of the Kyrgyz National Guard and the hymns of the two states. Putin welcomed the guardsmen in Kyrgyz. After the ceremony the state leaders went to carry out face-to-face negotiations.

It is the first visit of a foreign state leader to Kyrgyzstan in the last few years.
LEIDEN, the Netherlands, March 28, 2019 / B3C newswire / -- ProteoNic Biotechnology BV today announced that it has licensed its 2G UNic technology for boosting recombinant protein production to the pharmaceutical company Bayer.

Under the agreement, Bayer gains non-exclusive, worldwide commercial rights for application of the technology to the development of its proprietary products. Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.

The companies reached agreement following evaluation of the technology by Bayer regarding levels of recombinant protein production as well as product characteristics. Bayer will present the data at the Conference Cell Line Development and Engineering Europe 2019, held in Vienna April 2-4, by Dr. Anke Mayer-Bartschmid.

ProteoNics protein expression technology is designed to improve cell line production levels across a range of host cells, selection systems and protein targets. This is achieved via the combined effect of novel genetic elements, which synergistically exert a positive effect on recombinant protein production levels.

ProteoNics 2G UNic can be combined with other expression-enhancing technologies to improve their performance.

Frank Pieper, CEO of ProteoNic commented: ProteoNics clients consistently observe commercially relevant improvement of cell line productivity by adding 2G UNic to their best expression system or by applying 2G UNic in a stand-alone fashion. We believe that current expression systems have much room for improvement, and that 2G UNic technology can make an important contribution to the economically viable production of both innovator and biosimilar products. We will continue our work to reach maximum potential of the production of biologicals for current and future clients.

About ProteoNic Biotechnology BV

ProteoNic is a privately held company with offices in Leiden, the Netherlands and Boston, USA. The company offers technology and services for the generation of cell lines with greatly improved biologics production characteristics, including production levels and stability. The company commercializes its proprietary 2G UNic technology through licensing and partnership arrangements.

Contact

ProteoNic Biotechnology BV

Mark Posno, PhD

VP Business Development

+1 617 480 8016

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Published by B3C newswire and shared through Newronic


Delano, CA (93215)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 38F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 38F. Winds light and variable.
A criminal investigation was initiated into the crash of the Kazakh Defense Ministrys helicopter in the Kyzylorda Region yesterday, Kazakh Deputy Prosecutor General Andrey Lukin said.

All 13 servicemen who were onboard the Kazakh Defense Ministrys helicopter have been killed, TASS reported.

The Mi-8 helicopter crashed in the Zhalagash district in the Kyzylorda Region in southern Kazakhstan on March 27. The helicopter crashed and was totally burnt. The incident occurred when it was performing drills in the dark time and in difficult meteorological conditions.




South Sudan: windows of prayer





The peace deal signed by warring parties went unheeded. Hoping for harmony can feel naive. But BMS World Missions supporters are armed with the power to pray





Annet gave birth on the road. She was heavily pregnant when she was forced to flee from her home in South Sudan. Our health facilities were closed. I didnt have any tests, she explained. Her mother boiled some water for her in a jug  that was all the help she had. With a newborn baby, she then faced the impossible task of finding enough food. If the war had not broken out, I would not have gone through this, said Annet. Giving birth on the way. Not being able to feed my baby.



Tens of thousands of people have been killed in the worlds youngest nation, and the conflict rages on. South Sudan celebrated independence just seven years ago, but a political dispute between the countrys President and his former deputy quickly developed into a broader conflict between ethnic groups. Since war broke out at the end of 2013, over one third of the population has been displaced.







South Sudanese people are having to rebuild their lives in refugee camps, like this one in Uganda.





Scrolling through the figures in endless news cycles is dispiriting. It seems impossible to help when thousands of miles separate you from those in need. And when the news seems oblivious to the suffering, it can even be hard to know how to pray. Thankfully, BMS local workers are in the refugee camps. Theyre sharing stories of the individuals behind the overwhelming statistics, so that we can pray for people by name.



We can pray for mothers like Annet. Annet doesnt want any mother to experience the trauma she did. Lets pray that BMS workers can get healthy, sustaining food to babies at risk of malnourishment. These workers are providing health checks to pregnant women  the kind of prenatal tests that Annet desperately needed. We need to pray that these checks can reach every woman who needs them.





Annet gave birth to her baby on the road. BMS-funded projects will mean that pregnant women can access vital health checks.



We can pray for people with disabilities, like Abbe Rose. She escaped, along with her husband and children, after some of their family members were killed. The journey they made is unimaginable: Abbe Rose wasnt even able to bring her wheelchair. But, Abbe was given a wheelchair by her new church  South Sudanese Christians living in the camps and helping themselves  as well as each other. Abbe Rose can now get to church meetings and medical appointments and meet with friends  things that were previously impossible. If Im sick or my child is sick, she can push me, Abbe explains. We can go together. Please pray for more people like Abbe to be given the mobility they have been denied.







Abbe Roses wheelchair means she can get to medical appointments and church meetings.



These stories are windows into a conflict that is overwhelming in its severity and scope. We can be overwhelmed by them, or we can use them both to pray for the challenges ahead and to thank God for the blessings BMS workers have seen. I had no choice but to leave it to God, says Annet of her struggles. It is a privilege to bring her situation, and that of others too, to God in prayer. Please pray right now with us:

Please pray that malnourished babies get the nourishing food they desperately need. Please pray for people with disabilities, that their needs would not be overlooked. Pray for wheelchairs and other liberating blessings for those who need them. Many South Sudanese parents are concerned for their childrens education  the key to a secure future. Pray that families would be able to continue their childrens schooling. Pray for our BMS workers, that they are encouraged as they continue to deliver projects and interventions for those in need. Pray for peace between warring factions in South Sudan, that all fighting would come to an end.





This story was originally published on the BMS World Mission website and is used with permission

BMS World Mission, 28/03/2019
Russia's Gazprom plans to resume purchases of natural gas from Turkmenistan very soon, CEO Alexei Miller said in an interview to the Turkmen television broadcast.

Following his meeting with Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov in Ashakhabad, Miller said that the company and the country see great prospects for bilateral cooperation.

"The most important thing is that we will continue our work in the framework of a contract for the purchase of Turkmen gas in the nearest future," he stressed.

"Cooperation in the purchases of Turkmen gas is the major direction in which we have been always working, we have an intergovernmental accord and we have a deal we are trying to restart now," the Prime news agency cited the Gazprom CEO as saying.
NATO has extended the mandate of its top civilian official, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, for two years, making the former Norwegian premier one of the longest-serving heads of the military alliance, Washington Post reports.

Stoltenberg said Thursday he is honored by the decision made by the 29 allies and I thank them for putting their trust in me.

He said: We face the biggest security challenges in a generation and I look forward to continue working with all allies to adapt and modernize NATO.

Stoltenberg, who assumed office in 2014, will now hold the post until Sept. 30, 2022.
Former Orange County Judge Carl Thibodeaux will once again take the countys highest seat.

County Commissioners on Wednesday unanimously appointed Thibodeaux to fill the county judge seat left open by the resignation of Judge Dean Crooks.

Crooks resigned in mid-March, citing an inability to keep debate about a possible second Chevron Phillips plant in the county  and its potential for creating as many as 500 full-time jobs  from turning argumentative and ugly.

Crooks advocated taking a critical look at just how much return the county would get from offering Chevron Phillips tax abatements to build locally. Several residents and members of the court, however, argued that the breaks were necessary to bring business to the area.

>> Related: Orange Co. judge announces resignation

Thibodeaux made his opinion on the issue clear when he addressed the crowd following Wednesdays appointment.

To make everyone at ease, I am tax abatement friendly, he said.

Thibodeaux served as county judge from 1995 to 2014. He currently works as a municipal court judge for the city of West Orange.

>> Related: A new era for politics in Orange County?

He said the commissioners first asked him to fill a vacancy in the county judges seat last year, when then-Judge Brint Carlton resigned. He declined at that point because Crooks had already won his March primary, but felt this time he needed to take the job.

If I can be of any help to those men and ladies, thats what I want to do, Thibodeaux said.

Orange County Commissioner Theresa Beauchamp said the commissioners chose Thibodeaux because he already has experience on the court and knows county laws, procedures and staff.

All of that will give the court stability, she said. We need to be perceived by the county that way.

Thibodeaux was appointed to serve until Dec. 31, 2020. He said he doesnt plan to run for election after the term expires.

Among the issues the court will face with Thibodeaux at the helm is what he described as a challenging budget cycle. But hes not worried.

Ive dealt with 20 of them, some good and some bad, he said.

In the end  you do what needs to be done to keep the county afloat to the next budget year.
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Kyrgyzstan for a state visit today. He is due to hold talks in Bishkek with his Kyrgyz counterpart Sooronbay Jeenbekov.

The Kremlin press service said that during the talks the heads of state will discuss the current state and prospects of developing Russian-Kyrgyz relations of strategic partnership and alliance. An exchange of views will also be held on the issues of deepening cooperation in regional associations, including taking into account Kyrgyzstans presidency this year in the SCO and the CSTO.

Kremlin Aide Yuri Ushakov earlier said that the leaders are expected to sign a joint statement. Besides, a solid package of intergovernmental, inter-agency, regional and commercial documents will be signed in the presence of the leaders that cover cooperation in various areas.

Putin and will Jeenbekov take part in the Russian-Kyrgyz international conference and visit the museum of Soviet and Kyrgyz writer Chyngyz Aitmatov, TASS reported.

After the talks the two presidents will attend a plenary session of the Russian-Kyrgyz Regional Conference. At the end of Putins visit to Bishkek the two leaders will also lay wreaths to the eternal flame.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is holding the talks with Kyrgyz President Sooronbay Jeenbekov in Bishkek. During the talks Putin expressed confidence in the further development of military-technical cooperation with Kyrgyzstan.

Putin noted that they established a "very close, ally cooperation between the defense agencies." "I am confident that this cooperation will continue both in the multilateral format in the CSTO and bilaterally," TASS cited him as saying. "It will also concern deliveries of military equipment and arms," the Russian leader specified.

The Russian president noted a positive trend in the growth of trade turnover of the two countries. Kyrgyzstans accession to the Eurasian Economic Union had good results, he said. He also noted the positive development of educational and social contacts.

"We agree with your proposal to declare the next year the Year of Russian-Kyrgyz Cooperation and we will continue to pay much attention to it," Putin stressed.
The petrochemical business is not for the faint-hearted. You are going to be working with flammable materials and dangerous chemicals all the time, and usually in staggering quantities. Its just not the safest way to make a living, or make a profit. Last weeks fire in Deer Park proved that, yet again.

That blaze at a chemical plant was nasty by any standard. For three days a plume of toxic smoke hung over the facility. Everybody driving by on I-10 or flying into Houston saw it. At the worst point, eight tanks with gasoline components were on fire. Then some of the chemicals and suppression compounds leaked into the Houston ship channel, adding water pollution to the list of problems.

Fortunately, no one was hurt seriously, though whoever breathed in some of that black air, at the site or downwind, could have some unpleasant surprises later on. But anytime something like this happens in a petrochemical facility, here or in Houston or Louisiana, you have to wonder if it could have been prevented.

Houston has had its share of these incidents in recent years, but Southeast Texas has been more fortunate. In fact, the safety record of this region is pretty good, considering how much product is being handled at so many places.

The Deer Park facility, Intercontinental Terminals Co., stores petrochemicals for big companies like Chevron and Phillips 66. Records show that it has been cited numerous times by federal, state and county regulators since 2009 for violating clean air and clean water regulations. Yet it has been fined only $65,000 for these violations. For a company like ITC, $65,000 is pocket change. It is less than the salary and benefits for one plant worker in one year.

Company officials might say that those violations werent that serious, and perhaps they werent. But then a blaze like this erupts, and people who live nearby will start to wonder if too many rules were being bent, or broken. Government officials will study this fire and eventually have a good idea of why it happened. They may already know. Taxpayers need to know too, ASAP.

Many regulations overlay risky industries like petrochemicals, and company officials invariably complain that they are too burdensome. Some are, and the Trump administration has been pushing across-the-board rollbacks in red tape more than any regime in U.S. history. Invariably, that leads to fears that too many regulations are being cut to undermine safety and environmental protection.

One thing the petrochemical business has going for it is its great profitability. Its blue-collar workers are some of the highest paid in the country, often making high five-figures or even going over the $100,000 threshold. The plants themselves make millions, or billions. Our roaring high-tech economy needs their products in larger quantities every year.

With a profit level like that, these plants dont have to cut corners on safety. They shouldnt want to, given the constant danger of fire and explosion. But if theres a borderline call, their response should be, Do it, and send me the bill. Again, giving the overall safety record in Southeast Texas, thats probably being done. But many workers and environmentalist also say that decision-makers in the industry sometimes consider minor fines a cost of doing business, just parking tickets to be paid and forgotten in on the path to profits.

More Information Safety training One of the best places in Southeast Texas to avoid something like the Deer Park blaze is the Industrial Safety Training Council on U.S. 69 between Nederland and Beaumont. It's a non-profit facility that provides safety training and site-specific programs to employees of more than 40 local refining and chemical plants, as well as contractors. The ISTC conducts industrial fire and rescue training events and offers courses on topics such as "abandonment of facilities, installation of anodes, atmospheric corrosion, fundamentals of electricity, electrofusion, mechanical fittings and leak investigation," according to its MapQuest summary. It also provides courses related to "pipeline purging, reciprocating compressor units, valve maintenance, pipeline shutdown and startup planning, and installation of steel mains and services." In addition, ISTC offers supervisor training in: Barriers to listening Effective listening skills Communication Conflict management Counseling Delegation Diversity Harassment in the workplace Making the transition Evaluations See More Collapse

As with so many issues, some kind of rational balance is needed. Every rule should have a reason, and silly ones should be dropped. But plants should err on the side of safety, because they work in an industry where catastrophic accidents could happen at any time.

While the ITC facility in Deer Park was still smoldering, a massive explosion at a chemical plant in eastern China killed nearly a hundred people and injured hundreds of other. Chinas regulations are looser than ours, and this plant was described as one with a long record of safety violations. Thats not a good combination.

The Associated Press said of the accident: The blast in an industrial park in the city of Yancheng, north of Shanghai, was one of Chinas worst industrial accidents in recent years. State-run television showed crushed cars, blown-out windows and workers leaving the factory with bloodied heads.

Thats the nightmare scenario for every major petrochemical facility, in China or Texas. Thats why safety can never be an afterthought, or an annoying thing you have to do because some bureaucrat wants you to do it. It must be something you want to do, because you know what might happen if you dont.

TTaschinger@BeaumontEnteprise.com
MedPAC's 2019 report to Congress included quality information from Medicare Hospital Compare data for ASCs for 2013 through 2016.

Data reported by ASCs from 2013 to 2016 suggest ASCs improved quality of care. Measures covering the surveillance and follow up for patients treated for cataracts or those undergoing gastroenterology procedures also improved, as shown below.

Estimated number of patient events in 2016:

ASC-1 Patient burns: 11,500

ASC-2 Patient falls: 4,000

ASC-3: Wrong side, implant, procedure, patient: 1,400

ASC-4: Patients transferred to a hospital: 21,000

Mean percent among ASCs

ASC-9: Share of average risk patients with appropriate endoscopy/polyp surveillance

2014: 77 percent

2015: 80 percent

2016: 81 percent

ASC-10: Share of patients with polyp history with appropriate endoscopy/polyp surveillance

2014: 79 percent

2015: 79 percent

2016: 80 percent

ASC-11: Share of patients with vision improvement 90 days after cataract surgery

2014: N/A

2015: 96 percent

2016: 96 percent

MedPAC asserted that ASC quality measures should continue to be refined, stressing the ASC quality reporting program does not include enough claims-based measures assessing clinical outcomes for the bevy of procedures performed at ASCs. MedPAC also suggested measures for surgical site infections, and measures for procedure "appropriateness," like patients over the age of 85 receiving colonoscopies.
Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare plans to convert Houston-based Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center into a freestanding emergency room by April 18, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Four insights:

1. The conversion is part of a larger facility realignment strategy, HCA officials told the Houston Chronicle.

"The realignment of select service lines at our northwest Houston hospitals we believe will help us better serve the communities in the northwest region, said HCA Houston Healthcare's Sean Burnett, vice president of strategic communications.

2. The 181-bed Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center will lay off 586 workers starting May 17. About 300 have accepted or received job offers, and some will remain at the new ER, which is yet to be named. HCA plans to offer similar positions to remaining employees who haven't chosen to leave.

3. Many healthcare systems are transitioning services to outpatient centers, retail locations and telemedicine in an effort to cut costs. HCA's conversion plan is perplexing because emergency rooms are often an expensive care site, according to Vivian Ho, a health economist interviewed by the Houston Chronicle.

4. HCA Houston Healthcare owns 15 hospitals, nine outpatient surgery centers, eight freestanding emergency centers and 12 standalone diagnostic imaging facilities.
Ophthalmologist Ben Cohen, MD, founded New York City-based Retinal Ambulatory Surgery Center of New York in 2010, growing the surgery center into an independent force with more than 30 physicians performing more than 4,000 procedures annually.

Here, Dr. Cohen speaks about the ophthalmology ASC market and private equity investment.

Note: Responses were edited for style and clarity.

Question: What is the state of the ophthalmology surgery center market?

Ben Cohen: Despite the fact the government pays hospitals about 2.4 times more than independent ASCs for the same cases (and even then covers some of the hospital's associated case expenses) hospitals are doing fewer eye surgery cases, opting to focus their attention on big cases requiring extended stays in hospital beds.

Whereas, hospitals today are sending ophthalmology cases to hospital-owned ASCs, both hospital administrators and physicians know the limitations multispecialty ASCs face for ophthalmology. Ophthalmologists frequently state that working in a multispecialty ASC resembles working in a hospital, in that there's less time efficiency and greater paperwork.

With the government desperate to reduce the cost of healthcare, there is some indication that, within the next few years, what for-profit hospitals and hospital-owned ASCs can charge will be decreased to the level of independent ASCs. If this happens, one can only expect hospitals will send as many ophthalmology cases as possible to independent ASCs, which understand how to control costs in ways which do not affect care quality.

Q: What are your thoughts on the recent boom of PE activity in the market?

BC: Whereas there is interest from private equity-backed healthcare firms in ophthalmology-specialized ASCs [in the U.S.], there are only a handful of potential acquisition targets in New York. There have been some interesting acquisitions over the past few years, but the degree to which these acquisitions will be accretive to the physician-owners is unclear.

Q: Five years from now, what does the ophthalmology market look like?

BC: Based on the current trajectory, five years from now most private physicians in the New York City area will be performing ophthalmic surgery out of ASCs. Consolidation will continue with most physicians joining hospitals or private equity-backed healthcare companies. Despite their inability to control costs, hospitals will continue spending big money on multispecialty ASCs. Even though the independent ASCs will remain the most efficient and most innovative players, the New York market is unlikely to see any new ophthalmology-focused ASCs built due to the excessive costs of operating in this market and the regulatory environment.

Q: Could you elaborate on the importance of staying independent in this day and age?

BC: Private equity-backed healthcare companies will have made progress with their acquisitions of smaller independent ASCs, but will have a hard time convincing the physician-owners of more successful ASCs on the benefits of partnering with them. With current demographic trends and changes to the healthcare system, if physicians are able to remain independent, they will be well positioned to capitalize on the increase in demand for their services.
Four of the top vendors hospitals used to participate in the Medicare EHR Incentive Program are Allscripts, Cerner, Epic and Meditech, according to 2018 ONC data.

Sixteen hospitals and health systems posted job listings seeking EHR and IT expertise during the past two weeks:

Editor's note: This is not an exhaustive list. Job listings were compiled from job seeker websites.

Allscripts:



1. Sharp Healthcare (San Diego): Seeks an inpatient case manager



2. Steward Health Care (Richardson, Texas): Seeks a revenue integrity analyst



3. Carolina Digestive Health Associates (Charlotte, N.C.): Seeks a computer network support specialist



4. Memorial Sloan Kettering (New York City): Seeks a case management analyst



Cerner:



1. USC Keck Medical Center (Los Angeles): Seeks a physician documentation application analyst



2. Maury Regional Health (Columbia, Tenn.): Seeks a director of clinical informatics



3. Chinese Hospital (San Francisco, Calif.): Seeks an EHR application analyst



4. Virginia Mason Medical Center (Seattle): Seeks a capacity management analyst



Epic:



1. NorthShore University Health System (Skokie, Ill.): Seeks an applications manager



2. Hospital for Special Surgery (New York City): Seeks an applications analyst



3. UW Health (Middleton, Wis.): Seeks a MyChart clinical systems analyst



4. Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center (Winston-Salem, N.C.): Seeks an applications analyst



Meditech:

1. Willamette Valley Medical Center (McMinnville, Ore.): Seeks an information systems manager



2. Medical City Healthcare (Fort Worth, Texas): Seeks a clinical informatics director



3. Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Plymouth (Mass.): Seeks a clinical information analyst



4. Methodist Stone Oak Hospital (San Antonio): Seeks a clinical analyst
California hospitals face a potential cost totaling tens of billions of dollars to comply with state seismic safety standards by 2030, according to a new Rand Corp. report.

The 1994 Northridge earthquake led to California adopting Senate Bill 1953, which, according to the report, requires hospitals to upgrade buildings to reduce their risk of collapse during earthquakes by 2020 and to remain operational after an earthquake occurs by 2030.

Researchers at the nonprofit think tank focused on the 2030 deadline as they assessed the costs of upgrading or rebuilding noncompliant buildings for 418 California general acute care hospitals. They also examined the affordability of compliance based on recent hospital financial data.

Overall, quantitative and qualitative analyses found that hospitals would need $34 billion to $143 billion statewide to meet 2030 California seismic safety standards.

Per state law, hospitals are responsible for the cost of the upgrades, which is likely to exacerbate financial stress that many hospitals are already seeing, researchers said. They estimate that 34 percent of all California hospitals are already experiencing some form of financial distress and that the number could reach more than 50 percent as organizations comply with the law. The study says public healthcare district hospitals, independent private hospitals, critical access hospitals and hospitals that serve a large share of Medicaid patients are likely to be most financially stressed.

The report, funded by the California Hospital Association, outlines recommendations that could help hospitals hit the earthquake standards. These include more-detailed reporting by hospitals to the state's Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development regarding seismic projects, combined with independent validation of project costs, which would give OSHPD and others more authority to estimate costs and monitor capital investments in seismic construction projects over time.

Editor's note: This story was updated on March 29 to distinguish the 2020 and 2030 deadlines.

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CMS notified Detroit Medical Center's Harper University Hospital that its participation in the Medicare program would end April 15 unless infection control issues are corrected, according to The Detroit News.

CMS sent the hospital a letter in January about the possible Medicare termination after the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs inspected the facility in December. Inspectors found flying insects in the hospital's intensive care unit and lapses in sterile processing of surgical instruments, according to The Detroit News.

The hospital was inspected after four physicians claimed they were terminated from management positions at Harper University Hospital and DMC Heart Hospital in Detroit for raising concerns about quality of care.

Two of those physicians  Amir Kaki, MD, and Mahir Elder, MD  filed a lawsuit March 25 against DMC and its parent company, Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare, alleging retaliation. DMC said the allegations are false.

"As we've said previously, we asked Drs. Elder and Kaki to step down from their administrative leadership roles in the DMC cardiovascular service line in October 2018 due to violations of our standards of conduct," DMC said in a statement to the Detroit Free Press. "Any suggestion that these leadership transitions were made for reasons other than violations of our standards of conduct is false."

Most hospitals take necessary steps to correct deficiencies before Medicare funding is cut off. According to The Detroit News, only two hospitals were terminated from the Medicare program in 2018.

DMC did not respond to The Detroit News' request for comment.

Access the full Detroit News article here.

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Renton, Wash.-based Providence St. Joseph Health representatives confirmed layoffs of its digital unit staff following the health system's Chief Digital Officer Aaron Martin's March 15 "Ask Me Anything" session on Reddit, an online discussion board, GeekWire reports.

Health system representatives told GeekWire that 12 Providence digital innovation group employees were let go last November and an additional nine employees were laid off in January. DIG is a 200-person unit which designs technology to improve patient access and care at the health system. Sarah Vaezy, Providence St. Joseph Health's chief digital strategy and business development officer, told GeekWire the layoffs were a result of business reasons.

Mr. Martin, a former Amazon executive, initiated the AMA session on Reddit to engage with health IT personnel and entrepreneurs and said he was surprised by users' questions of layoffs, according to the report. Reddit users on the discussion thread also drew attention to rumors of sexism and bullying of the digital unit's female employees.

"Women were not valued. Their opinions were not valued," a former DIG employee, who asked to remain anonymous, told GeekWire. The individual said the culture described on Reddit was unique to DIG and not related to Providence St. Joseph Health as a whole, which the former employee said is "a wonderful company."

Work culture issues at DIG were intensified by the stress of healthcare innovation and adversity that can come about when employees from different backgrounds and teams begin working together, Mr. Martin said, according to the report. He also attributed high regulations within the healthcare industry as an added stressor to the tech innovation jobs.

One anonymous Reddit user wrote on the discussion thread about her experience working at DIG as a female engineer: "I had an extraordinarily hard time at DIG; it was absolutely miserable. When I told my manager that having such a confrontational environment was counterproductive, I was told I was too sensitive. After several attempts to surface the issues, I gave up and found another job. High turnover isn't just caused by market forces."

Providence's human resources team investigated complaints within DIG a year ago and found no evidence of discrimination. However, the investigation cited problems within the work culture. Mr. Martin told GeekWire DIG has taken actions to combat these issues, including forming a half-female senior leadership team, instituting a diversity and inclusion plan for hiring practices and implementing a compensation review process.

To access the full report, click here.
Migrants have hijacked a merchant vessel that rescued them off Libya's coast, ordering the crew to head towards Malta, according to reports.

More than 100 migrants aboard the cargo ship are said to have acted after being told they would be taken back to Libya.

Malta's military said the ship would not be allowed into its waters. Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini described the hijackers as "pirates".

"They are not shipwrecked but pirates, they will only see Italy through a telescope," BBC cited Salvini as saying.

The EU says the decision to suspend Operation Sophia in September follows a request by Italy.

A spokesperson for the Maltese armed forces said attempts to contact the ship's captain had been unsuccessful, adding that Maltese officials were monitoring the situation and were prepared for any eventuality.
House Democrats have revealed a plan aimed at strengthening the ACA and expanding healthcare, according to a Vox report.

Eight things to know:

1. House Democrats released the bill on March 26, the day after the U.S. Justice Department said it supports a Texas judge's ruling that the entire federal health law be invalidated.

2. The bill is designed to protect people with preexisting conditions and lower Americans' health costs, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., stated.

3. It expands federal insurance subsidies available under the ACA to everyone and caps payments on insurance premiums at 8.5 percent of their income, according to Vox.

4. The legislation also reportedly establishes a federal reinsurance program to offset costs for insurers.

5. Additionally, the legislation ends the federal government's decision to expand availability of short-term health plans, which have skimpier health benefits and do not have to meet the ACA's requirements for coverage of preexisting conditions.

6. Under the bill, President Donald Trump's administration would be required to spend federal dollars on ACA enrollment outreach, according to Vox. In 2018, the administration cut the ACA's advertising budget by 90 percent.

7. The bill does not include a "Medicare for All" plan or restore cost-sharing payments to insurers.

8. A senior Democrat aide told Vox that House Democrats will try to pass provisions of the bill individually rather than the whole bill at once.

Read the full report here.
Milford (Conn.) Hospital entered merger talks with Bridgeport (Conn.) Hospital, part of Yale New Haven Health, last year. This week, state lawmakers said the future of Milford Hospital depends on the deal closing, according to Patch.

On March 27, Reps. Kim Rose, Charles Ferraro and Kathy Kennedy joined Sen. James Maroney to give public testimony in favor of the merger to the Connecticut Office of Health Strategy.

During their remarks, the lawmakers emphasized the importance of keeping Milford Hospital open and how the merger would help ensure its long-term financial stability.

"Milford Hospital is an important asset for area residents," Mr. Ferraro said, according to the report. "Losing Milford Hospital would have a significant impact on our communities. The transfer of ownership will save hundreds of jobs, protect the retirements of former employees, and means area residents can get quality healthcare right in our backyards. I hope this transfer is approved."

The merger agreement, which is undergoing regulatory review, calls for all current Milford Hospital employees to become Bridgeport Hospital employees.

"For almost a century, Milford Hospital has been a pillar in our community, caring for us and our neighbors, and employing our friends and family," Mr. Maroney said, according to the report. "This partnership is necessary to save Milford Hospital and the jobs of its hard-working staff, who work tirelessly to save the lives of individuals in our community every day."

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Minneapolis-based Allina Health is scheduled to start contract discussions with the Minnesota Nurses Association on March 27, three years after the union called two strikes, according to the Star Tribune.

Allina nurses went on strike in June 2016 for seven days and again in September and October 2016, primarily over health benefits.

This year, Allina wants to eliminate "clunky" contract language to make it easier for nurses to transfer to other hospitals or pick up extra shifts, said Mandy Richards, RN, MSN, the health system's CNO.

"For patients, they just want to make sure their care needs are being met and are being met with the right staff at the right time," Ms. Richards told the paper.

The nurses union also is starting negotiations this week with Fairview Health Services, Children's and HealthEast hospital systems, all based in the Twin Cities area, as well as Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park, Minn. It also is scheduled to start talks with Robbinsdale, Minn.-based North Memorial Health on March 29.

Allina Health and the nurses union both said they are optimistic they can reach an agreement without the contentious battle that took place previously, the report states.

"Nurses are united in putting forth proposals that recognize the value of their care and their professional judgment to protect patients," Jordan Foerster, a negotiations team member and a registered nurse at Fairview, said in a news release.

Current contracts at all organizations are set to expire May 31.

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Worcester, Mass.-based UMass Memorial Health Care has reached an agreement with the union representing 2,600 of its workers, according to the Telegram & Gazette.

Details of the four-year deal with State Healthcare and Research Employees Union, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3900 were not disclosed. But union organizer Janet Wilder told the Telegram & Gazette the agreement "delivers good solid raises to our members, plus strengthens our work with the hospital to involve every SHARE member in improving how the work gets done."

In a news release quoted by the Telegram & Gazette, UMass Memorial said that union members will vote on the deal at a later date.

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Hospitals in Pennsylvania filed a motion to join a UPMC lawsuit that accuses the state's attorney general of unlawfully interfering with the health system's Highmark Health dispute.

The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania filed its motion March 25 in the Middle District Federal Court. In its filing, HAP said Democratic Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro's move to require Pittsburgh-based UPMC to partake in binding arbitration if an impasse is reached with an insurer will have "significant policy consequences."



"The Office of Attorney General has proposed a plan that would potentially force all nonprofit hospitals to do business with any insurer regardless of that insurer's offered payment terms, procedures for assuring high-quality care, or the strength of its provider network," HAP said in a news release. "Hospitals would have their hands tied, keeping them from standing up for their patients and communities."



In the wake of the filing, Pittsburgh-based Allegheny Health Network, a subsidiary of Pittsburgh-based Highmark, terminated its membership with HAP, a spokesperson with the organization confirmed with Becker's Hospital Review. HAP represents more than 240 hospitals and health system members.



In late February, UPMC sued the attorney general's office over its attempt to compel the health system to work with Highmark. After a 2014 consent decree with Highmark expires June 30, roughly 175,000 Highmark Medicare Advantage plan members will lose in-network access to 11 UPMC hospitals and most UPMC physicians. In his lawsuit, Mr. Shapiro claims UPMC has violated state law by restricting access to its network of hospitals and physicians.



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An East St. Louis, Ill., woman filed a class-action lawsuit March 4 against healthcare information management company Ciox Health, claiming the company overcharged her and others for medical records, according to the Madison Record.

Alice Best is accusing Ciox Health of common law fraud and violation of the Illinois Consumer Fraud Act.

In the lawsuit, Ms. Best states she was one of many individuals overcharged for her health records. In September 2018, she was charged $33.04 for her records when the fee should have been $6.50, according to the lawsuit.

Ms. Best, represented by a Chicago law firm, is seeking a trial by jury and more than $50,000 in compensation.
Here are six recent articles posted by Becker's Hospital Review that concern payer-provider relationships:

1. Stanford Health Care joins Sutter Health | Aetna

Sutter Health | Aetna, the joint health plan launched by Sacramento, Calif.-based Sutter Health and Aetna, added Stanford (Calif.) Health Care to its provider network.



2. BJC HealthCare joins Anthem's Medicare Advantage network

St. Louis-based BJC HealthCare became a part of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Missouri's Medicare Advantage provider network March 25.



3. UnitedHealth launches national vision lab network

UnitedHealth Group debuted a national vision laboratory network March 22.



4. Sutter Health, Anthem sign new contract

Sutter Health reached a new agreement with Anthem Blue Cross of California, the companies said March 20.



5. Humana to expand primary care network

Humana plans to extend its senior-focused primary care network to more cities.

6. Christus hospitals out of network with Cigna

Christus Health hospitals in Texas and Louisiana are no longer in Cigna's provider network, the Irving, Texas-based health system said on its website.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said March 26 he supports eliminating private health insurance companies, according to The Hill.

The 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful responded, "You're damn right" to a tweet from the Republican National Committee Research that stated Mr. Sanders wants to get rid of private health insurers.



The RNC's tweet referenced an earlier interview Mr. Sanders did with MSNBC, during which he said the "current system is incredibly dysfunctional and wasteful," and that universal healthcare won't work "unless you get rid of the insurance companies."



Mr. Sanders has previously said private health insurance companies should be eliminated, according to The Hill. Officials with the Trump administration oppose "Medicare for All," with CMS Administrator Seema Verma writing in a March 27 op-ed for The Wall Street Journal that the proposals would harm seniors' access to care by bringing all Americans into a system created to support older individuals.



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After a string of recalls linked to impurities or other contaminants in medications, the FDA plans to change the rules governing how drugs are manufactured to boost safety, according to Bloomberg.

"We've seen a lot of instances of adulterated products  contamination, impurities  recently," FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, told Bloomberg. "The underlying causes have been traced back to manufacturing, inadequate quality controls and generally poor management oversight."

The FDA mainly relies on drug manufacturers to police themselves and issue voluntary recalls when an impurity is discovered.

The proposed rule changes, which may take several years to implement, will focus on ensuring the raw materials and active ingredients used to produce drugs are effective and safe. The agency plans to force drugmakers to do more rigorous testing of their materials before a product is sold to consumers. In addition, the agency plans to increase oversight and monitoring of drug manufacturing problems.

The increased safety regulation was prompted by more than a dozen drugmakers recalling different versions of generic blood pressure medications with potential carcinogens in the last eight months.
Eighty percent of Americans view the HIV epidemic as a serious national issue, according to a recent poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

For the poll, KFF surveyed a nationally representative group of 1,211 U.S. adults via phone between March 13 and March 18.

Four poll findings:

1. Forty-one percent of black adults and 51 percent of Hispanic adults said they were concerned about contracting HIV. Three in 10 said they were "very concerned."

2. About half of Americans (52 percent) agreed "the U.S. is making progress" in the fight against HIV. This trend was consistent across party lines, race/ethnicity and whether respondents knew someone living with HIV.

3. Americans' awareness of pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, has increased from 14 percent in 2014 to 42 percent in 2019. However, KFF noted most Americans are still unaware of the medication that helps lower the risk of getting an HIV infection.

4. Sixty percent of Republicans and 59 percent of Democrats said they were confident the Trump administration can achieve its goal to eliminate the HIV epidemic by 2030. Forty-nine percent of independents shared the same confidence.

To view the full survey, click here.
Russian Central bank's first deputy chairperson Ksenia Yudayeva said that the Russian currency market demonstrated the most calm reaction compared to all others emerging markets.

"There was a rather strong movement yesterday on the developing markets," he noted at the forum. "But the ruble was the least affected by the movement," TASS cited Yudayeva as saying.

Russian Central bank's first deputy chairperson noted that "some events happened in Turkey yesterday that could have an impact on the general mood." But the Russian market demonstrated the most calm reaction compared to all others," Yudayeva concluded.

Professor of the RANEPA faculty of Finance, Money Circulation and Credit, Yuri Yudenkov, speaking to Vestnik Kavkaza, noted that this is only related to external stability associated with the low activity of the Russian financial market. "In fact, we have not been particularly active now. Payments for our supplies to Southeast Asia and Venezuela are blocked by U.S. banks," the economist stressed.

"In general, while U.S. sanctions are in force and there is a threat of blocking our banks' accounts in U.S. banks, its impossible to talk about the foreign exchange market's stability. Our country is still being paid in dollars, we cannot receive dollars for energy supplies to Southeast Asia, the Americans are blocking settlements. A similar example is blocking Visa at Eurofinance bank a week ago. Therefore, the foreign exchange market is calm, but it is not a thing to rejoice at," Yuri Yudenkov stressed.

The professor at the department of the stock market and investments at the Higher School of Economics, Alexander Abramov, didn't agree with Yudenkov. "Unlike many emerging markets, Russia is characterized by a more or less high level of financial stability due to significant gold and foreign exchange reserves, budget surplus and a positive trade balance," he said.

"In this regard, there are all opportunities to maintain the stability of the foreign exchange market in the future. But in the medium term, much will depend on how much Russia succeeds in solving the problem of economic growth. Strengthening economic growth will require a looser monetary policy, which would pose a certain risk for the exchange rate. Nevertheless, I think that there are no longer any serious challenges, in particular, sanctions, which would seriously threaten the ruble," Alexander Abramov concluded.
Rockland County, N.Y., issued a 30-day emergency declaration over an ongoing measles outbreak March 26, which includes plans to ban unvaccinated children from enclosed public places, reports STAT.

Four things to know:

1. Rockland County has a large Orthodox Jewish population, and many choose not to vaccinate their children. Therefore, the county's efforts to increase vaccination rates have been met with community resistance.

2. The ban will apply to schools, shopping malls and places of worship across the county.

3. Rockland County Executive Ed Day said the county hopes the ban will mark a turning point for the worsening measles outbreak, which started in October 2018 and has caused 153 infections.

4. The decision is seen as an untraditional move by many public health experts, some of whom question how county officials will enforce the ban.

"My hunch  is that they're assuming it's primarily going to work by fear. That they're kind of upping the deterrence ante by putting parents in fear of having some significant consequences if their kids are seen outside," Wendy Parmet, a professor of public health law at Northeastern University in Boston, told STAT. "And that what they're hoping it will do is be primarily self-enforcing."
The state of a nurse's work environment can affect nursing care quality, job satisfaction and patient outcomes, according to a study published in Medical Care.

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing's Center for Health Outcomes & Policy Research in Philadelphia conducted the study. They reviewed 16 years' worth of studies to investigate the relationship between nurse work environment and the following factors: nurse job outcomes, nurse assessments of quality and safety, patient health outcomes, and patient satisfaction.

After reviewing 309 research articles, researchers narrowed their analysis down to 17 articles reporting data from 2,677 hospitals, 141 nursing units, 165,024 nurses and 1,368,420 patients across 22 countries.

Researchers found better work environments were linked to lower odds of negative nurse outcomes, poor safety or quality ratings, and negative patient outcomes. A positive work environment was also linked to higher odds of patient satisfaction.

"Our results support the unique status of the nurse work environment as a foundation for both patient and provider well-being that warrants the resources and attention of health care administrators," lead author Eileen Lake, PhD, MSN, a professor of nursing at Penn and associate director of CHOPR, said in a press release.
Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center Hospital's conversion to a freestanding emergency room will affect hundreds of jobs.

The Houston hospital, owned by Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare, will lay off 586 employees May 17, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act notice filed with the state. However, some of the affected employees have been offered similar positions within the health system.

"Our human resources department is currently working directly with the 586 employees at Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center Hospital affected by this realignment," a spokesperson for HCA Houston Healthcare told the Houston Business Journal. "At this point, about 200 employees have been offered opportunities at other facilities within HCA Houston Healthcare. Another approximately 100 employees are in the process of being tendered offers, while others are in different stages of the recruiting process within HCA Houston Healthcare. Of the remaining employees, many have either accepted voluntary severance or are retiring."

HCA Houston Healthcare is transitioning Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center Hospital to a freestanding ER as part of a broader realignment of services in the area. After the change is made, HCA will continue to operate several full-service hospitals in the region, including 163-bed HCA Houston Healthcare North Cypress.

As a freestanding ER, Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center Hospital will become a campus of HCA Houston Healthcare Tomball (Texas).

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Illinois lawmakers have proposed legislation that would set a maximum number of patients that may be assigned to registered nurses in hospitals, according to dual ABC/MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station WQAD.

The Safe Patient Limits Act was introduced in the state General Assembly and is backed by the National Nurses United union in Illinois as well as the Illinois Nurses Association.

The act stipulates that a nurse cannot be assigned more than a certain number of patients at one time, depending on the nurse's floor and unit, according to the report.

"It'll give them that opportunity to slow down, pay closer attention, make sure that things aren't being missed," Dawn Boettcher, Eastern Iowa Community College's associate dean of health programs and a nurse, told WQAD.

The Illinois Health and Hospital Association opposes the bill, arguing that mandated nurse staffing ratios will "create real barriers to hospitals and health systems" and "threaten financially struggling hospitals."

The bill is currently in committee.

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Cumming, Ga.-based Northside Hospital Orthopedic Institute has a new spine surgeon in Keith Osborn, MD, Patch reports.

What you should know:

1. Dr. Osborn specializes in spinal reconstruction.

2. He joined the hospital after 32 years in private practice at Resurgens Orthopedics in Atlanta.

3. Dr. Osborn earned his medical degree from Baltimore-based University of Maryland. He completed a residency in general surgery at Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins Hospital and a residency and fellowship in orthopedic surgery at Boston-based Harvard Hospitals.

4. He is an American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery fellow.
Dmitry Peskov, spokesman of the Russian presidency, yesterday denied that Israel had handed over a plan regarding the resolution of the Syrian conflict to President Vladimir Putin, Middle East Monitor reported citing TASS.

Speaking to journalists, Peskov said: I cannot confirm this information. In this case, details must be apparently clarified to establish what plan we are talking about here and what Netanyahu meant when he spoke about it.

He denied all reports stating that Israel had handed over a plan to Putin during the formers official visit to Russia last month.
Royal Ulster Agricultural Society (RUAS) boss Alan Crowe has said the body is eager to increase its footprint at the Maze.

Joining Ulster Bank to launch this year's Balmoral Show, the chief executive said the event, which runs from May 15 to May 18 at Balmoral Park outside Lisburn, would be more important than ever in light of Brexit.

Mr Crowe, who took over at the RUAS last year, also revealed the organisation was in talks with the Maze Long Kesh Development Corporation (MLKDC) over extending its reach on the land.

The RUAS is currently a tenant on the land, which is managed by MLKDC.

Mr Crowe said: "We have a footprint of 55 acres at Maze with a further option of 10 acres, but we would like to take that up to 100 acres and are in negotiations with MLKDC.

"That is a plan for the next three to five years, which will also bring further investment of infrastructure on the site."

Nigel Walsh, director of corporate and commercial banking at chief sponsor Ulster Bank, said: "The Balmoral Show encapsulates everything that is great about our local food and agriculture industries.

"After 10 years as the show's principal sponsor, we believe this partnership brings Ulster Bank even closer to our customers operating in these sectors and makes it easier for us to show how we can meet their needs.

"Throughout the last decade, the show has significantly broadened its appeal without losing its roots in agriculture.

"It showcases Northern Ireland's farm-to-fork processes really well, along with being a fantastic family day out. Ulster Bank is proud to be associated with an event of this calibre."

The RUAS last year finished work on a second exhibition centre at Balmoral Park, Logan Hall.

It is also currently working on a mechanised linkage tunnel which would connect Logan Hall with the site's main exhibition centre, Eikon.

Mr Crowe said extending the space was necessary to ensure the future growth of the Balmoral Show and other RUAS events. "We are oversubscribed every year and have a waiting list of exhibitors," he explained.

He said he hoped this year's event would match last year's, which attracted 15,000 visitors.

"We would like to expand the urban turnout and we have a new marketing campaign to deliver the message of agriculture to people who wouldn't normally come to the show," he said.

He also said the "show must go on" regardless of Brexit.

The event, regarded as "when the country comes to the city", opens on Wednesday, May 15, just one week before the UK is scheduled to leave the EU, provided the Prime Minister's withdrawal agreement is passed by the House of Commons.

Theresa May, who visited the show two years ago, has indicated that she will step down if the deal is passed.

Mr Crowe said: "Our role is not only to champion and promote agri-business, but it's also an educational role. At the end of the day, farming is a staple part of the economy and we'll need it, whatever way Brexit goes.

"I am very optimistic about the future because there's a resilience in the agriculture world, in Northern Ireland people and culture, and I'm very optimistic that we'll expand and still do our bit to champion produce and agri-food.

"The show goes on. It's available for everyone.

"It promotes everything that's good across all cultures and creeds. It is our bread and butter industry.

"We have to be confident and support it whatever way Brexit looks."
Nigel Walsh (left) of Ulster Bank presents Fane Valley chief executive Trevor Lockhart with his award for outstanding contribution to the industry

The head of one of Northern Ireland's top agri-food firms has been given an award for his contribution to the industry.

Fane Valley chief executive Trevor Lockhart received the accolade at the Northern Ireland Food and Drink Awards held in Belfast's Crowne Plaza Hotel.

Held by the Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association (NIFDA) and supported by Ulster Bank, the awards are a measure of commercial success for food and drink manufacturers and processors.

NIFDA said that this year's awards, taking place against the backdrop of Brexit, reflected the resilience of the food industry.

The night brought joint winners in one category. Linden Foods - owned by Fane Valley - joined Finnebrogue Artisan to share the Ulster Bank best new product in a large company category.

Linden Foods won for its lamb loin with honey-roasted parsnips while Finnebrogue was praised for its Naked unsmoked back bacon.

Mash Direct picked up an award for its beer-battered onion rings while Cloughbane Farm Foods won the small company category with its lentil and vegetable casserole.

Michael Bell, executive director of NIFDA, said: "When it comes to innovation, quality and commercial success, Northern Ireland's food and drink industry is truly world-leading.

"This is the 15th time NIFDA has held these awards, and in the history of the event we have never held it during such tumultuous times. However, this event is proof, if it were needed, of how resilient our industry is."
Revenues at cross-border dairy firm Lakeland, which collects milk from around 750 Northern Ireland farmers, climbed by 5.3% to 733.6m last year.

The Cavan-based business, which will increase its reach in the province to 1,300 farmers after a merger with LacPatrick, said that the results had been helped by relative stability in global dairy markets.

Group chief executive Michael Hanley said the revenues growth had yielded an operating profit of 15.8m.

"This was driven by strong returns from our three main business divisions, where we were also able to capitalise on our significant economies of scale, benefiting from the significant investments of recent years in technology, automation and lean operation across our processing footprint," he added.

Mr Hanley accepted conditions this year would be affected by "the still uncertain impacts of Brexit and the overall balance of global supply and demand across our product portfolio".

But he stressed: "We will meet any potential headwinds by continuing to ensure complete efficiency and flexibility across all of our operations while at all times paying the highest possible milk price in line with market conditions.

"We will always support milk producers to the maximum possible extent. This will continue to be our commitment in the months and years ahead.

"Let us re-energise behind the enlarged enterprise of Lakeland Dairies where, based on the collective achievements of co-operation, we will look forward with confidence to the future."

Lakeland owns the Pritchitts dairy processing site in Newtownards, Co Down.

It is merging with LacPatrick, which is based in Monaghan and collects milk from around 600 suppliers in Northern Ireland.

The merger has been approved by shareholder farmers in the two businesses and has also been given the green light by competition authorities in the UK and in the Republic.
A no-deal Brexit will have disastrous consequences for the Northern Ireland economy, it has been predicted.

Declan Billington, chair of the Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association, made the damning assessment after attending a four-hour briefing by government officials on the consequences of an exit without agreement in Belfast yesterday.

The event was organised by HMRC and was aimed at informing businesspeople in Northern Ireland of the possible consequences of the UK crashing out of the EU without a deal.

"You can't make good regulation out of bad policy and the desire to keep the border open, which we understand, is having an unintentional consequence in that it will damage the Northern Ireland economy," said Mr Billington, who is also chief executive of leading animal feed manufacturer Thompsons.

"Unfortunately, there are no positives coming out of this."

Dr Andrew McCormick, who is director general of international relations for Brexit and whose role has been to oversee the Northern Ireland Civil Service preparations for EU exit, was also present at the event at the Stormont Hotel in east Belfast.

The event kicked off hours after Environment Secretary Michael Gove said no-deal plans could place Northern Ireland's agri-food industry at a "significant disadvantage".

The media was barred from the briefing, but attendees were told that the UK would not introduce any new checks or controls on commodities at the Irish border.

Instead, officials stressed that they would implement controls on limited goods from third-origin countries. This means they will largely rely upon intelligence to identify when goods are being brought across the border into Northern Ireland in order to avoid tariffs on goods delivered directly to mainland UK.

There are fears that the Northern Ireland market could be flooded with goods coming from the Republic, which will, in turn, drive down prices here.

Wesley Aston, chief executive of the Ulster Farmers' Union, who was at yesterday's event, said: "Our position is very clear. We cannot have a no-deal Brexit. It cannot be tolerated.

"We have real concerns that Northern Ireland would be used as a back door into the GB market and we have real concerns about tariffs and about the standards of imported products.

"We have concerns about cashflow if processors can't export products, for example liquid milk, because currently 30% goes from Northern Ireland to the Republic and it can't just sit on a farm waiting to be delivered.

"We could be facing a major crisis and there could be a catastrophic effect on some individual farms.

"We're trying to have no-deal removed once and for all."

Meanwhile, James Allen, managing director of Allen Logistics in Moira, said the haulage industry in Northern Ireland would be set back by 40 years if the UK crashed out of the EU without a deal without a deal in place.

"We can't have a no-deal Brexit - we have to have a deal," he explained. "If there is a no-deal, there will be additional costs for our customers.

"If there is a no-deal, it is going to push us back 30 or 40 years.

"We will just have to be positive and learn to adapt, like we always do."
A new micro-brewery is in the works for east Belfast, it can be revealed.

The Bullhouse Brewing Company, which is currently based in Newtownards, wants to turn a former menswear store on the Newtownards Road into its new brewhouse.

The planning application has been made by Landmark East - a company owned by the East Belfast Partnership.

It was submitted to Belfast City Council for a change of use from retail to a micro-brewery.

Plans show the building, which is around 3,000 sq ft, would include a brewing area, storage and a "gallery/display" section at the front.

It is understood the expansion of Bullhouse would see the east Belfast site becoming its new home.

The application includes a change of use from "retail unit (class A1) to micro-brewery (class B3) with gallery/display space and provision of new external doors, roller shutter in yard wall and forming ramp in yard".

The building at 442-446 Newtownards Road had been placed on the market by property firm OKT.

It sits close to a range of shopping areas, including Connswater Shopping Centre and Retail Park, whose occupants include Argos, B&M Bargains, Lidl and McDonald's.

Bullhouse began when owner William Mayne became interested in beer during a trip to the US in 2011. Following that, he began home-brewing, before setting up Bullhouse in 2016.

It produces a variety of beers, including a core range of a pale ale and IPA, but has also produced brews such as an imperial milk stout and a double IPA called Big Axe.

It began in a former bull pen on a family farm near Newtownards, and in September 2017 Mr Mayne gave up his day job to concentrate on the brewery full-time, celebrating the occasion by brewing a pale ale called P45.

The move to east Belfast would expand the area's craft beer credentials.

Not far from the proposed Bullhouse site is Boundary Brewing, at Portview Trade Centre.

The co-operative brewery, founded by Belfast man Matthew Dick, sells a core range of beers and a wide-range of one-offs, such as barrel-aged stouts, sour beers and double IPAs, and also hosts a regular taproom.

Mr Dick set the brewery up after raising more than a 100,000 in just a few days through crowd-funding.
Titanic Belfast staff (back, from left) Liam Higgins, Heather Graham, Eve Buchannan-Graham, Laura Cowan, Eimear Lewis and Lloyd Jackson. Front, from left, Michele Scott, Judith Owens and Siobhan Lynch

Titanic Belfast has won a European award for organisational excellence.

The honour from the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) is given to organisations with the highest operational standards across all aspects of their business.

Three assessors from the EFQM visited Titanic Belfast to review its procedures and practices.

Titanic Belfast chief executive Judith Owens said: "In seven years, Titanic Belfast has welcomed over five million visitors from over 145 countries, including Her Majesty, The Queen.

"This award is very special to us as it recognises the company, and our practices - internally and externally, across all areas of our business - as best practice nationally and internationally.

"Therefore, we are extremely proud."
Plans for a third runway at Heathrow were given the go-ahead last year. (Hannah McKay/PA)

Two sites in Northern Ireland have been shortlisted as potential off-site construction centres for the 16bn Heathrow expansion.

When the third runway at the airport was given the green light last year, it was announced that 'logistics hubs' would be set up across the UK to help spread the economic benefits of the project.

The hubs will be involved in constructing components for the runway, which will then be transported to the airport for installation.

Expand Close A total of 18 sites across the UK have been shortlisted for potential logistics hubs / Facebook

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John Graham Construction's Michelin site in Ballymena and MJM Marine's former Shackleton Barracks military base in Ballykelly have been selected as potential hubs for Northern Ireland.

A longlist of 65 locations across the UK have been whittled down to 18 for the shortlist, however only four sites will make the final cut. They are set to be announced later this year, with construction beginning in 2021.

In the autumn, the two shortlisted sites will have the chance to pitch their ideas to the airports bosses in a bid to reach the final selection.

DUP leader Arlene Foster said, if either of the sites are successful, the project will bring "huge benefits to industry and business" in Northern Ireland.

"Having a centrally located hub will open up new markets and reduce transportation costs, which is good news for business," she added.

"I want to congratulate both GRAHAM at the Michelin Site and MJM Marine at Ballykelly on being shortlisted for this pioneering infrastructure project.

"I look forward to seeing the delivery of Heathrow's expansion plans so that Northern Ireland can boast of increased connectivity as a result of further, forward thinking investment."

Emma Gilthorpe, Heathrow's Executive Director for Expansion, said logistics hubs are key to ensuring the project "delivers for every corner of the UK".

"This innovative approach will be more cost effective, efficient and sustainable, helping to unlock much needed capacity quickly and responsibly," she said.

Logistics hubs are also integral to harnessing the skills the UK needs post-Brexit. We are working with other major infrastructure projects to see if they might also benefit from these hubs, creating a bright, new future for the UKs construction sector.

"One in which were better utilising new technology and off-site techniques to spread the benefits of major projects like expansion nationwide.
The DUP last night dealt an apparently fatal blow to Theresa May's Brexit agreement by saying it couldn't support a deal which endangered the Union.

Despite the Prime Minister's pledge that she would stand down if her deal was passed, Arlene Foster said her party's 10 MPs couldn't back it.

"What we can't agree to is something that threatens the Union, that has a strategic risk to the Union," Mrs Foster told Sky News.

"For us in the DUP, the Union will always come first and that has been the issue right from the beginning of all of this."

Sinn Fein accused the DUP of being detached from reality on the ground in Northern Ireland.

In an emotional address to the Tories' 1922 Committee, Mrs May promised to stand down before the next phase of Brexit negotiations in order to get her deal through.

"I am prepared to leave this job earlier than I intended in order to do what is right for our country and our party," she said.

But the DUP was unmoved and Mrs Foster's declaration seems to have sealed the fate of the withdrawal agreement, with European Research Group (ERG) chair Jacob Rees Mogg saying that he would follow whatever decision made by the DUP as "guardians of the union of the United Kingdom".

The party's verdict came as all eight of the Brexit alternatives proposed by MPs were rejected in the House of Commons last night.

There were calls for a general election to end the political paralysis in Parliament, but Tory sources ruled that out.

Significantly, the closest result was on Ken Clarke's motion for a customs union with the EU, which was rejected by 272 to 264 votes. A softer Brexit remains the alternative most likely to gain a parliamentary majority.

Brexit Secretary Steven Barclay said the results strengthened the Government's belief that its deal was "the best option".

He said a "wide variety of options" had now been considered and it was clear there was no simple way forward.

Tory backbencher Sir Oliver Letwin, who oversaw the process of indicative votes, described the lack of a majority for any option as "disappointing" but said MPs should be allowed to have a second go at reaching a consensus on Monday.

With the Prime Minister keen to bring her Brexit plan back to the Commons today or tomorrow, the DUP said it would vote against the deal rather than abstain.

The withdrawal agreement must be passed by the end of the week if the UK is to benefit from the EU's offer of an automatic delay to Brexit until May.

If her deal isn't supported this week, she must return to Brussels before April 12 to set out her plans and to potentially request a longer Brexit extension.

The DUP statement said: "Given the fact that the necessary changes we seek to the backstop have not been secured between the Government and the EU, and the remaining and ongoing strategic risk that Northern Ireland would be trapped in backstop arrangements at the end of the implementation period, we will not be supporting the Government if they table a fresh meaningful vote."

Mrs Foster blamed the Prime Minister for supporting the backstop. She said while Brexit was "incredibly important" to her, it didn't trump everything else. "The most important issue for me, for the DUP, for our 10 MPs, is the preservation of the Union," she added.

Speaking from Westminster, Sinn Fein MP Chris Hazzard said: "Amid all the chaos in the British parliament with the British Prime Minister announcing her intention to resign, the DUP once again showed just how detached from reality they actually are.

"The DUP are continuing to ignore the voices of the business sector, farmers, community organisations and a multitude of others who are raising genuine fears about the impact of a crash-out Brexit.

"They are now even ignoring their hardline Brexiteers friends in the Tory Party in their pursuit of a delusional, reckless Brexit.

"They need to stop, take stock, get a grip on reality and accept the fact that the withdrawal agreement is the only way to avoid a catastrophic crash-out."

Sources said the Prime Minister was close to tears as she addressed backbenchers.

"I have heard very clearly the mood of the parliamentary party. I know there is a desire for a new approach - and new leadership - in the second phase of the Brexit negotiations and I won't stand in the way of that," she said.

"I know some people are worried that if you vote for the withdrawal agreement, I will take that as a mandate to rush on into phase two without the debate we need to have. I won't - I hear what you are saying.

"But we need to get the deal through and deliver Brexit."

Mrs May did not name a departure date. However, if her deal is passed she would resign as Tory leader on May 22 but stay on as Prime Minister until her successor was chosen - likely in July.

A range of ministers would be expected to put their names forward for her job.

Former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson signalled he was now likely to support the Prime Minister's deal - a move which hardline Brexiteer Tories said had damaged his chances of succeeding Mrs May.
A diplomatic representation of Serbia will be opened in Tbilisi, according to the Georgian Parliament.

The Speaker of the Parliament Irakli Kobakhidze met the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic in Serbia yesterday to discuss opening a diplomatic representation in Georgia. The two officials also discussed direct flights between the countries.

Kobakhidze said that the opening of diplomatic representation and direct flights will significantly facilitate bilateral relations.

"The President of Serbia made the decision to open the diplomatic representation of Serbia in Georgia. He also assigned respective agencies to start working on direct flights," Agenda.ge cited the speaker as saying.

He noted that the diplomatic representation of Serbia will be opened in Georgia "in the coming months."
For men, drinking a bottle of wine a week increases the absolute lifetime risk of cancer equivalent to smoking five cigarettes (stock photo)

Drinking a bottle of wine per week increases the lifetime risk of cancer by the equivalent of smoking five to 10 cigarettes, research suggests.

For women, drinking one bottle of wine per week increases the absolute lifetime risk of cancer to the same extent as smoking 10 cigarettes a week, mostly due to an increased risk of breast cancer caused by drinking, according to the study.

For men, drinking a bottle of wine a week increases the absolute lifetime risk of cancer equivalent to smoking five cigarettes.

This is due to the risk of cancer in parts of the body such as the bowel, liver and oesophagus, according to the team of researchers from the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Bangor University and University of Southampton. The team estimated that if 1,000 non-smoking men and 1,000 non-smoking women each drank one bottle of wine per week across their lifetime, around 10 men and 14 women would develop cancer as a result.

And if 1,000 men and 1,000 women drank three bottles of wine per week throughout their lives, around 19 men and 36 women could develop cancer.

The team said three bottles a week is equivalent to smoking roughly eight cigarettes per week for men and 23 cigarettes per week for women.

Writing in the journal BMC Public Health, the team said alcohol is generally perceived by the public as being far less harmful than smoking, despite being directly linked to several types of cancer. The researchers said one bottle of wine per week is associated with an increased absolute lifetime cancer risk for non-smokers of 1% (men) and 1.4% (women).

They concluded: "One bottle of wine per week is associated with an increased absolute lifetime risk of alcohol-related cancers in women, driven by breast cancer, equivalent to the increased absolute cancer risk associated with 10 cigarettes per week."

The risks for men were equivalent to five cigarettes per week.

Dr Theresa Hydes, who worked on the study, said: "It is well established that heavy drinking is linked to cancer of the mouth, throat, voice box, gullet, bowel, liver and breast.

"Yet, in contrast to smoking, this is not widely understood by the public. We hope that by using cigarettes as the comparator we can communicate this message more effectively."
Police have issued an appeal after around 35k worth of distinctive Indian jewellery was stolen during a burglary in south Belfast.

The pieces were stolen from a property in the Hampton Drive area on Wednesday between 6.55pm and 9pm.

"Were appealing for the public to be vigilant and contact us if you see these items posted for sale," a PSNI spokesperson said.

"If anyone has information it can be provided to police by calling 101 and quoting reference 1316 of 27/03/2019 or alternatively by contacting CrimeStoppers on 0800 555111."
The assault happened in the University Road area of Belfast on Sunday morning

Police are appealing for information after the report of a sexual assault in south Belfast.

Detective Sergeant Richard Hughes said police received a report that a woman with dark hair wearing a red jacket was assaulted by a man in an alleyway near Lower Crescent in the University Road area between 2am and 2.40am on Sunday.

He added. "Our enquiries into this incident are ongoing and I would appeal to anyone who was in the area at the time of the incident and who noticed a woman matching this description, or any suspicious activity, to contact detectives at Strandtown on 101 quoting reference number 307 24/03/19."

Information can also be provided anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Stweart Lundy was granted bail at Belfast High Court on Thursday

A man allegedly head-butted his partner during a violent row days before her suspected drug-related death, the High Court has heard.

Stewart Lundy is also accused of punching the 23-year-old woman about the head and grabbing her by the throat until she blacked out.

The alleged assault occurred at a property in the Belfast area last Friday.

During a bail application it was disclosed that the woman then tragically passed away on Sunday.

With a post mortem indicating a link to drugs, Crown lawyer Kate McKay stressed the earlier alleged attack played no part in her death.

However, she confirmed the prosecution intends to relay on a statement of complaint she made while still alive.

Lundy, 26, of Fitzroy Avenue in Belfast, faces a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm to his late partner.

According to her account a row had flared where she had slapped him once and asked him to leave.

Mrs McKay told the court: "At that stage he head-butted her, causing her nose to bleed, and punched her four or five times to the face.

"She said she fought back and he grabbed her by the throat, causing her to lose consciousness."

The woman claimed that she started to fight back after coming round, kicking and punching Lundy until police arrived and separated them.

Another witness at the scene has also provided a statement.

During interviews Lundy denied the assault and indicated he intended to make a counter allegation that his partner had bitten him.

He claimed she attacked him on a sofa while they were at a friend's house drinking and taking drugs, the court heard.

"He said he tried to stop her by giving her a hug, but she bit him on the stomach," Mrs McKay continued.

According to Lundy's version of events he may have punched her once to get her to release the bite.

Contending that there is enough evidence to pursue the charge, counsel added: "The applicant should take notice it's currently the prosecution's view this case can continue."

Defence barrister Rchard McConkey said: "The very tragic circumstances, which one has to remember were not directly linked to this incident, have changed the parameters of this case."

Granting bail, Judge Stephen Fowler QC imposed a curfew and ordered Lundy to report to police twice a week.
A campaign has been launched to scrap Northern Ireland's "ancient" blasphemy laws.

Northern Ireland Humanists said the existing legislation, under which 'blasphemous libel' is a crime, was outdated.

Chairman Iain Deboys added: "It is appalling that we still have blasphemy laws here."

His organisation is urging the public to write to their MLAs, calling on them to follow in the footsteps of other countries that have abolished blasphemy laws.

Mr Deboys said: "They (blasphemy laws) are used by some of the world's most horrific regimes to justify the killings of people for exercising their fundamental right to freedom of expression.

"These archaic laws are damaging and they have no place in a democratic society like ours that values both freedom of religion or belief and freedom of expression.

"Maintaining them legitimises their use in countries where people face the death penalty."

Blasphemy laws were repealed in England and Wales in 2008. The Republic removed references from its constitution last year.

Critics of the campaign have said the blasphemy laws enshrine respect for religion.

Retired Free Presbyterian minister Rev David McIlveen said the current law was "to do with respect".

"I believe the law on blasphemy acknowledges that people should accept those who believe in the existence of a true and living God," he stressed.

The Catholic Church and the Irish Council of Churches referred to a joint statement submitted to the Constitutional Convention in Dublin in 2013.

"As churches in Ireland, we acknowledge that the current reference to blasphemy is largely obsolete," they said.

"It is vital to ensure that rights to practice faith openly are protected by law.

"These guarantees may be better achieved through established or new constitutional and legislative provisions, as well as legislation against discrimination and hate crimes."
MPs are to vote on Theresa May's withdrawal agreement for a third time it has been confirmed.

Speaker of the Commons John Bercow confirmed the motion tabled by the Government was new and changed from the previous meaningful vote.

The motion deals solely with the withdrawal agreement and not the political declaration. Labour has said it will not support the motion. MPs

As I set out to the House today, the European Union will only agree an extension until 22 May if the Withdrawal Agreement is approved this week. Tomorrows motion gives Parliament the opportunity to secure that extension. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/L7KIGQMB2I  Leader of the House of Commons (@CommonsLeader) March 28, 2019

MPs vented their anger and frustration with come questioning the legality of the Government's action. Labour has said it is impossible to separate the withdrawal agreement, which deals with the terms of the departure, and the political declaration which concerns the future relationship.

Commons leader Andrea Leadsom told MPs "every effort" must be taken to ensure the UK leaves the EU with a deal on May 22. Should MPs fail to reach agreement the UK would leave the EU on April 12 without a deal.

She said: "Tomorrow's motion gives Parliament the opportunity to secure that extension.

"I think we can all agree that we don't want to be in the situation of asking for another extension and facing the potential requirement of participating in European Parliament elections.

The motion is not a full so-called "meaningful vote". If the withdrawal agreement is passed on Friday, the Commons would have to have another vote on the political declaration at a later date.

If the vote was defeated the UK could crash out of the EU without a deal, Mrs Leadsom suggested.

"In agreeing tomorrow's motion we will trigger the automatic extension of Article 50 to May 22," she said.

"If we don't agree the Withdrawal Agreement tomorrow then we will not, so that leaves in doubt the future for the arrangements with the European Council."

Downing Street has said that Mrs May will not move to a third meaningful vote - known in Westminster as MV3 - unless she believes she has a realistic chance of success, having seen it defeated by 230 votes in January and 149 in March.

But it is understood that Number 10 believes that passing the Withdrawal Agreement alone would allow the UK to guarantee its departure date and avoid the need for Britain to take part in European Parliament elections on May 23-26.

This would buy time to seek wider agreement among MPs on the shape of the UK's future relationship with the EU, in the hope of passing MV3 in April and leaving with a deal on May 22.

Significant doubts remain over whether Mrs May can secure a majority for the Withdrawal Agreement alone on Friday.

Commons Speaker John Bercow, who had said the Government could not table the same motion twice, said the latest motion the Government has tabled "complies with the test" because it is "new and substantially different".

He indicated amendments tabled which could change the motion in a way that made it more like what had been voted on before in the house would be rejected.

Attorney General Geoffrey Cox said the Government could not allow the 11pm deadline on Friday to pass without allowing MPs to have their say on the withdrawal agreement. The EU's terms agreed at last week's summit meant the deal had to be passed in the Commons by the end of this week.

He said: "When the House listens to the rationale behind it, when it hears the full context of it, I'm sure the House will accept it is not only perfectly lawful, perfectly sensible and is designed to give this House an opportunity of availing itself of a right the European Union has given to us to avail ourselves of an extension until May 22.

"The view of the Government is simply we could not let the time limit expire at 11pm tomorrow, of allowing this House the opportunity of availing itself of that right.

"It is perfectly reasonable and it is perfectly lawful."

There are four key reasons why you cannot separate the Withdrawal Agreement from the Political Declaration. 1/  Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) March 28, 2019

In a series of tweets, shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer said: "There are four key reasons why you cannot separate the Withdrawal Agreement from the Political Declaration.

"First, the Article 50 process explicitly states that the EU and member state must negotiate an agreement 'setting out the arrangements for its withdrawal, taking account of the framework for its future relationship with the Union'.

"Second, in their letter of 14 January Presidents Tusk and Juncker said: 'As for the link between the Withdrawal Agreement and the Political Declaration....it can be made clear that these two documents, while being of a different nature, are part of the same negotiated package'.

"Third, the PM has said the two documents should be treated as one. On 14 January she said "the link between [the two documents] means that the commitments of one cannot be banked without the commitments of the other. The EU has been clear that they come as a package.

"Fourth, following the PM's commitment yesterday to resign before the next phase of negotiations begin, if the withdrawal agreement passes without a credible plan for what happens next then Brexit is going to be determined by the outcome of the next Tory leadership contest.

"What the Government is doing is not in the national interest and that's why we will not support it tomorrow."
Police have identified more than 600 people who were outside a Co Tyrone hotel when three teenagers died in a crush at a St Patrick's Night disco.

Lauren Bullock and Morgan Barnard, both 17, and 16-year-old Connor Currie died outside the Greenvale Hotel in Cookstown.

Last night Detective Chief Superintendent Raymond Murray said that by Tuesday evening detectives had identified 619 people who were in the queue or car park on the evening of March 17.

He added that 267 of those have now been fully interviewed using appropriately trained detectives.

"We will be continuing to interview others over the next few days," the officer added.

"We are very aware that this continues to be an extremely traumatic time for all of those who were at the Greenvale Hotel and witnessed the terrible events of that night.

"We have taken considerable steps to make it as easy as possible for them to provide their statements to police.

"Over 100 people attended the dedicated room at Burnavon Arts Centre and spoke to officers who are specially trained in interviewing young people. This facility has now closed and instead we are speaking to students at their respective schools. We are working closely with the local principals to accommodate this."

Mr Murray said that as part of the investigation the PSNI had made us of the Major Incident Public Portal to allow people to upload mobile phone footage and images of the evening.

"We have been downloading mobile phone footage from people at the scene by using one of our cyber support vehicles in Cookstown," he said.

"It is still really important for anyone who has not yet contacted us to please come forward and work with police to help build an accurate picture of what happened that night.

"I would again reassure anyone with concerns, the focus of our investigation is not the age of people who were at the event - it is about trying to find answers for the families of the three teenagers who tragically died."

The Greenvale Hotel has begun the slow process of reopening to the public this week.

It had been closed until further notice following the tragedy.

It is understood relatives of the victims were invited to a private facility at the Greenvale Hotel where they visited the scene of the tragedy and said prayers.

And ahead of reopening, members of staff at the hotel, accompanied by family, were led in prayers on Monday morning at a service of healing.

A hotel spokesman said it was led by Cookstown parish priest Fr Laurence Boyle and Rev Canon Norman Porteus, rector at Derryloran Parish Church in the town.

More than 50 people, mainly from the wider Cookstown area, are employed by the hotel in full and part-time roles and many were working at the premises when the events of St Patrick's night unfolded.

It is also understood the hotel has made trauma counselling facilities available to members of staff ahead of any potential return to work at the scene.

"A phased reopening of a limited number of facilities at the hotel has been under way since Monday with accommodation and some restaurant services being provided," the spokesman said.

The Greenvale Hotel has been a focal point of the community in Cookstown for generations and is renowned as a venue for weddings and functions.

"The hotel is meeting commitments to wedding bookings. Where it has been unable to honour bookings staff have helped with alternative arrangements," he added.

Owner Michael McElhatton has been a prominent and respected businessman in the town during his tenure at the hotel.

In a short statement the day after the tragedy Mr McElhatton said management and staff were assisting the police with their investigation.

Mr McElhatton is currently on police bail on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter as the PSNI investigation into the deaths continues.

Last Wednesday afternoon police issued a statement to the media saying they'd also arrested him on suspicion of possessing class A drugs with intent to supply following a search by officers at his home in nearby Moneymore.

Mr McElhatton, while under arrest, spoke out rubbishing the police claims and accusing them of blackening his name.

He was de-arrested just two hours after his arrest when the substance inside a bag found in a laundry room was ascertained to be washing powder.

He has declined to comment further given the ongoing nature of the investigation and out of respect to the families of the victims.

A 40-year-old doorman working on the night, who has been granted anonymity, has also been released on police bail on suspicion of manslaughter.

Both are due to be questioned again in the coming weeks.

This week it emerged that police who responded to the incident are to face investigation after it appeared they initially withdrew from the scene.

Chief Constable George Hamilton has referred their actions to the Police Ombudsman, who will examine how police responded when the first emergency call was made at around 9.30pm and will determine whether the response was appropriate.
Anthony Corley was refused bail at Belfast Magistrates' Court on Thursday

A heroin addict allegedly threatened to throw acid over a shop assistant during a series of robberies across Belfast, a court has heard.

Anthony Corley is accused of having a corrosive liquid at one of seven convenience stores targeted over a three-month period.

Police claimed the 38-year-old Dubliner, of no fixed address, brandished scissors and a knife on other occasions.

Corley appeared before Belfast Magistrates' Court charged with five cash robberies and two attempted robberies.

He also faces seven counts of possessing an offensive weapon with intent to commit and indictable offence.

The charges relate to incidents at retail outlets in the city between January 5 and March 20 this year.

Corley is accused of taking 350 from a Mace on High Street, as well as carrying out further robberies at convenience stores on the Dublin Road and other locations.

An investigating detective claimed one incident involved CCTV footage of the suspect being tracked to a bar where he changes clothes and gets into a taxi.

When Corley was arrested at his hostel accommodation police recovered a large pair of scissors, scarves and gloves allegedly used in some of the robberies, the court heard.

Referring to one of the charges, the detective said: "An unknown male entered the shop, pulled a plastic bottle containing a clear liquid out of his jacket and demanded (the assistant) open the till or he would throw acid over her."

Corley is allegedly linked to that incident by clothing and his southern accent, according to police.

It was also claimed that Corley poses a danger to the public.

Opposing bail, the detective added: "He's a self-confessed heroin addict, and police believe he would fund his addiction to heroin by committing further robberies."

Defence barrister Garrett O'Kane argued that the evidence to connect his client to the charges is "tenuous".

Mr O'Kane disclosed that Corley moved to Belfast from Dublin last July, but insisted he is now settled in Northern Ireland with his pregnant partner.

But refusing bail, Deputy District Judge Chris Holmes cited concerns the accused could re-offend or flee.

Corley was remanded in custody to appear again by video-link in four weeks time.
Deputy leader of the DUP Nigel Dodds arrives at the Houses of Parliament on March 28, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

The DUP's Nigel Dodds has said his party has secured a pledge from Government to "strengthened domestic legislation" which would see Stormont have a say over the operation of any backstop should it come into force.

However, he said his party still needed legally-binding change to the withdrawal agreement at treaty level in order to support the prime minister.

Mr Dodds also confirmed his party will vote against the withdrawal agreement once again when it comes before parliament on Friday.

After Theresa May's vow to quit as prime minister should her deal get the support needed to pass, the DUP said it could not support the government. In a statement on Wednesday evening the party mentioned getting "progress" on domestic legislation.

Speaking to the BBC North Belfast MP Dodds confirmed his party had secured "strengthened domestic legislation" from the government which would see Stormont playing a role in any backstop.

"If we are going to have a backstop then there should be a role for Stormont in line with paragraph 50 of the original report which means a lock on any future regulations that would be coming from Brussels.

"But the balance is we don't have sufficient progress and we will continue to use our votes, our voices, our role here at Westminster to always work in the best interests of Northern Ireland."

Will it be third time unlucky for Theresa May? The Prime Minister is set to bring her Brexit deal back to the House of Commons for another vote tomorrow. That's the deal which has been already rejected twice by heavy margins. But no fresh negotiations have taken place with the DUP and the party is poised to reject the Agreement once again . Our political editor, Mark Devenport, was joined by the DUP's Nigel Dodds in Westminster a little earlier: Posted by BBC Newsline on Thursday, March 28, 2019

Mr Dodds said his party did not want a no-deal Brexit but instead a "sensible deal" and they would continue to work with the government on securing that. He said the DUP would be "crucial" in getting any agreement passed.

"We will not be on the sidelines because in this parliament our role remains crucial come what may. Even if this meaningful vote goes through the withdrawal bill still has to go through all its stages in intricate detail and our votes will be crucial. Over 50% of all Brexit votes have been dependent on the DUP.

"We are sticking to our vote on principle."

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MPs are to debate and vote on the the withdrawal agreement but not the linked political declaration in a move the Commons speaker deemed enough of a change to allow the motion to be tabled for a special sitting on Friday.

"The concerns that we have about a trade border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK and what that would mean in terms of who makes our laws - not Stormont or Westminster - those concerns remain," Nigel Dodds said.

"Things change by the hour in [Westminster] but I am not expecting any rabbits out of the hat. You never know what happens here."

He added: "Nothing will surprise me in this place, it is very unpredictable but the one thing that can be sure is that we will continue to do what we can to get the best deal for Northern Ireland."
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will try to get any possible economic benefits at the upcoming meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Vienna, since it's necessary for internal political course of the new Yerevan, director of the Political Studies Institute Sergey Markov said in an interview with Vestnik Kavkaza, speaking about his expectations from the first round of negotiations on the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement at the highest level in a year and a half.

"There can be very serious expectations, since they have an opportunity to achieve serious breakthrough. Nikol Pashinyan is full of energy and hopes for economic breakthrough in the development of Armenia, he stated that there's a need for economic revolution in the country. However, under existing blockade, they can only achieve some kind of tranformation, rather than effective growth. Now Armenian economy is cornered, and it can't escape without the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement. That's why Pashinyan set such an ambitious goal - escape from blockade and get access to global economy," he said.

"As for the economy, Armenia such significant sources of investments since Armenian diaspora is very influential and rich, but it will help the republic only if it has any profitable projects that have no significant risks. But in order for this to happen, they have to get rid of the blockade on Azerbaijani and Turkish borders. That's why Nikol Pashinyan desires to achieve progress. This can be done based on the Kazan formula, which was developed at the initiative of Russian President on the basis of Madrid Principles: economic blockade is removed in exchange for deoccupation of Azerbaijani regions around Nagorno-Karabakh and demilitarization of the border regions," Sergey Markov noted.
A gospel hall has become the latest target in a recent spate of sectarian attacks in Claudy which police are treating as hate crimes.

Overnight, pro-IRA and anti-British graffiti was daubed on the walls of Straid Gospel Hall and on the lampposts and road leading into the building.

This comes days after eggs were thrown at the local Presbyterian church and less than a fortnight after similar graffiti appeared on the walls of the local Orange hall.

Derry and Strabane District UUP councillor Mary Hamilton lives in the village and is a member of the Presbyterian church. She described the attacks as "sickening".

"It was very disturbing to arrive at church last Sunday and see that someone had thrown eggs at the building," she said.

"The very shells were stuck to the wall and it was sickening for everyone to think that there are people who have so little respect for places of worship.

"This latest attack on the Straid Gospel Hall must be condemned in the strongest possible terms too.

"I do not believe the people in Claudy want to see these sectarian attacks.

"Our village is a fine example of how people of both faiths live side by side and get on well with each other so the last thing anyone wants is someone trying to stir up trouble where there isn't any or trying to divide the two communities."

She added: "Claudy has suffered more than its fair share during the Troubles but we came through that together so I would say to whoever is carrying out these attacks to go away, you are not wanted here."

Sinn Fein councillor Paul Fleming condemned the attack.

He said: "Sectarian graffiti of any kind has no place in our society and on behalf of our party Sinn Fein, I would call on whoever is responsible to stop and anyone with information should report it to the PSNI."

Claudy Orange Hall on the Main Street was also sprayed with graffiti two weeks ago which police are treating as a hate crime.

DUP councillor Graham Warke said the appearance of republican graffiti has unsettled the local Protestant community.

He said: "Everyone has the right to live where they want but more importantly people have the right to worship where they want without being exposed to this kind of hatred.

"The IRA tried to divide the two communities during the Troubles but they failed then so I do not think that whoever is trying to stir up tensions now will succeed.

"There are really good community relations in Claudy but someone is trying to make the local Protestant community feel unwanted."
A 43-year-old man has died in hospital after being found in a house in Londonderry with unexplained head and face injuries.

At 6.35am on Tuesday, March 26, police were informed that the man had been discovered at house in Grafton Street on Monday and hospitalised for treatment to head and face injuries.

Police confirmed that the man passed away on Thursday. A post mortem will take place in due course to establish the cause of death.

"Our enquiries are continuing to establish how and where the man sustained his injuries, and I want to issue a further appeal today to anyone who has information which may assist our investigation to pick up the phone and call detectives at Strand Road on the non emergency number 101, quoting reference number 175 of 26/03/19," a PSNI spokesperson said.

"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."
File photo dated 15/01/19 of anti-Brexit and Pro-Brexit protesters flying flags outside the Houses of Parliament, London. (Yui Mok/PA)

MPs are to vote again on Brexit on Friday, but the debate will not amount to a third attempt to pass a meaningful vote on Theresa Mays EU withdrawal package.

Leader of the House Andrea Leadsom told MPs that the House of Commons will hold an unscheduled sitting on March 29  originally slated to be Brexit Day  to consider a motion on EU withdrawal.

Ms Leadsom appeared to indicate that MPs could be asked to approve the Withdrawal Agreement reached last November, but not the Political Declaration setting out plans for a future trade and security relationship with the EU.

Passing the Withdrawal Agreement alone would allow the UK to qualify for an extension in Brexit talks to May 22 under the terms set down by the European Council last week.

But it would not fulfil the requirements of last years EU Withdrawal Act, which stipulates that both elements must be approved by MPs to pass the meaningful vote allowing the deal to be ratified.

Asked by Labour MP Chris Bryant whether the two parts of the Brexit package were being separated in this way, Ms Leadsom replied: What a motion that comes forward tomorrow must do is is it must enable us to meet the Council conclusions which say that any unilateral commitment, statement or other act should be compatible with the letter and the spirit of the Withdrawal Agreement.

No information was being made available on the wording of the motion to be tabled later on Thursday, but a Downing Street source said it would not be the third meaningful vote under the terms of the Act  known in Westminster as MV3.

We would be leaving the EU, but with absolutely no idea where we are heading. That cannot be acceptable and Labour will not vote for itSir Keir Starmer

The Prime Minister must secure Commons approval for her deal by 11pm on Friday for the UK to be granted an automatic delay to May 22 of the date on which it leaves the EU.

Fridays debate is dependent on a business motion being moved and passed by the House later on Thursday, and on Speaker John Bercow deeming that the Governments proposal is in line with parliamentary rules which ban the same motion being repeatedly tabled.

Downing Street has previously indicated that a third meaningful vote would only be attempted if the Prime Minister felt there was a credible chance of success, after its defeat by 230 votes in January and 149 in March.

The Democratic Unionist Party said on Thursday that its opposition to the Withdrawal Agreement remained unchanged.

Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer said Labour would not accept any attempt to separate the Withdrawal Agreement from the Political Declaration, which he warned would result in the blindest of blindfold Brexits.

Following Mrs Mays announcement on Wednesday that she will stand down before negotiations on the future relationship begin, a failure to seal the Political Declaration could leave the UK facing a Boris Johnson Brexit, a Jacob Rees-Mogg Brexit or a Michael Gove Brexit, he warned.

We would be leaving the EU, but with absolutely no idea where we are heading, Sir Keir told a conference of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC). That cannot be acceptable and Labour will not vote for it.

Ms Leadsom told MPs that talks were ongoing to ensure Fridays motion complies with Mr Bercows ruling that MPs must be offered a proposal which is substantially different from earlier versions.

Expand Close Andrea Leadsom (Aaron Chown/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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She said: The European Council has agreed to an extension until May 22 provided the Withdrawal Agreement is approved by the House of Commons this week.

Its crucial we make every effort to give effect to that and to allow the House to debate this important issue.

We do not want to be in a situation of asking for another extension and, of course, for the requirement to undertake European Parliament elections.

Talks were continuing on Thursday to try to win round the Conservatives DUP allies, who indicated on Wednesday that they were not willing to back the deal because of its controversial backstop provisions for the Irish border. However, the PMs spokesman had no information about Mrs May getting personally involved in meetings with the Northern Irish party.

The Prime Ministers dramatic promise to resign if her deal goes through has convinced some key Tory Brexiteers finally to back her, raising hopes in Downing Street of a breakthrough.

But with the DUP and a hardcore of Tory Eurosceptics holding out against the deal, the Government appears not to have the numbers in the Commons to be sure of victory.

The support of the DUP had been seen as crucial, both in making up the numbers for the vote and in winning over Tory waverers.

Mr Rees-Mogg, leader of the pro-Brexit European Research Group (ERG) who is now supporting the deal, suggested a way could still be found to get the DUP on board.

Im in favour of the deal and I hope the DUP will come over to the deal but well have to wait and see what they do, he said.

Mrs Mays effective deputy David Lidington pleaded with MPs to back the Brexit deal.

Speaking at the BCC conference, he recognised real frustration in the business community over the uncertainty caused by Brexit.

From the Prime Minister down, the Government is doing all it can to secure a Brexit that does follow the result of the 2016 referendum but does so in a way that protects jobs and economic growth, he said.

Mr Lidington acknowledged that a chaotic, disorganised Brexit without an agreed deal is something we should not be seeking to have.
A 45-year-old Ballymena woman has been given 120 hours community service after causing unnecessary suffering to her elderly dog.

Amanda Kernohan, of Orkney Drive, pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to her German Shepherd dog contrary to section 4 of the Welfare of Animals Act (NI) 2011.

The charge was brought against Kernohan by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council related to findings following an investigation by Animal Welfare Officers regarding concerns over the welfare of the dog, known as Bruno.

Councils Animal Welfare Officers, found Bruno in an emaciated, dehydrated state, suffering from a large untreated cancerous tumour, and was unable to stand.

After a guilty plea by the defendant was entered, District Judge Broderick imposed 120 hours community service, and ordered to pay costs of 268.

A Mid and East Antrim Borough Council spokesperson said that the council gives a high priority to the welfare of domestic pets and operates a rigorous enforcement policy to ensure full compliance of regulatory requirements.

"Officers have a number of enforcement options available to them and will try to work with those responsible for animals," the spokesperson said.

"However where there is unsatisfactory improvement, such as in this case significant enforcement powers are available to Council Officers to ensure matters are fully investigated and anyone who does not take appropriate care of animals will be brought before the courts.
Belfast Telegraph readers have voted overwhelmingly in favour of the Orange Order relaxing rules on its members entering Catholic churches.

In a Facebook poll of over 6.7k readers, 76% voted in favour of the organisation making the move, with 24% against.

The poll came after the Scottish branch of the Orange Order voted to allow its members to attend Catholic services.

It is understood that the rules of the Orange Order state that a member must "avoid countenancing (by his presence or otherwise) any act or ceremony of Roman Catholic or other non-Reformed Worship".

The Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland said it had "no comment" to make on the issue.

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In response to our poll Gareth McBride said that he was "from a family of Orangemen" and thought the ban should be lifted.

"If I had to attend the wedding or funeral of a friend I would and no one would tell me otherwise," he wrote.

Expand Close Tom Elliott with Tyrone GAA manager Mickey Harte (left) at the funeral of murdered police officer Ronan Kerr / Facebook

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Whatsapp Tom Elliott with Tyrone GAA manager Mickey Harte (left) at the funeral of murdered police officer Ronan Kerr

Darrin Thompson said that he felt "of course" members should be able to enter churches and claimed that the issue caused him to resign from the order "a couple of years ago".

John Reeves also claimed the issue caused him to leave the organisation, saying "you dont need to be anti-Catholic to be a good Protestant", while John Flanders said the rule was "antiquated and should be formally dropped".

Sylvia Lakemacher said that if everyone "switched churches on Sunday maybe you would all understand each other better".

"They are just not that different. We all pray to the same God and want the same things for our children", she wrote.

John Kerr said that he had been in "many" Catholic churches "from Ireland to Italy, Spain, France and Austria" and "dare say thousands of other members have".

Should the Orange Order in Ireland follow Scotland's example and lift ban on members entering Catholic churches? Posted by Belfast Telegraph on Tuesday, March 26, 2019

However June Gamble said the matter was "for the Orange Order to decide" within the organisation, while Muriel Quinn said "a true Orangeman/woman would never want to enter a Roman Catholic Church in the first place".

In 2011 then UUP leader Tom Elliot and MLA Danny Kennedy, both Orangemen, underwent disciplinary proceedings for attending the funeral of murdered PSNI officer Ronan Kerr.

However DUP MLA Simon Hamilton faced no sanction for attending the funeral of Martin McGuinness alongside Arlene Foster in 2017.
More than a quarter of students at universities or colleges in Northern Ireland have experienced unwanted sexual behaviour, a survey has revealed.

Over 2,200 students took part in the survey on consent and unwanted sexual behaviour, conducted by the National Union of Students-Union of Students in Ireland (NUS-USI).

The study is the first of its kind to include students as young as 16 and all 11 further education institutions here.

It found that 28% of respondents had experienced unwanted sexual behaviour during their studies.

Just over three-quarters (76%) did not believe it was serious enough to report and 41% believed it wasn't a crime.

A quarter of those surveyed had experienced unwanted touching or body exposure.

Over 100 students (5%) said they had been raped, while double that number had experienced a fellow student confide in them about being raped.

NUS-USI is calling for additional resources to be made available to increase awareness around the issue of consent on local campuses.

Its president, Olivia Potter-Hughes, described the findings as "absolutely appalling" and "deeply troubling".

"Only 5% of students who had experienced unwanted sexual behaviour, who had told someone about their experiences, had formally reported it," she said.

Describing the statistics as "staggering", the student body leader warned that victims do not always believe what they have experienced constitutes a criminal offence or sexual harassment.

She pointed to results that showed only 45% of students in this position believed they had been subjected to sexual harassment when the incident involved photographs or videos.

Ms Potter-Hughes added: "Among those who had not experienced unwanted touching of a sexual nature, the majority (87%) considered this type of behaviour to be sexual assault.

"However, under half (45%) of those who had experienced unwanted touching of a sexual nature thought they had been sexually assaulted."

Ms Potter-Hughes said these "troubling disparities" highlight the need for better support to victims as well as improved training for education staff.

"We believe that this report and the shocking findings contained within it provide a clear evidence base for the need for government to act immediately to tackle unwanted sexual behaviour," she said.

She said NUS-USI wants educational institutions to work together with the government to review their relationship and sex education (RSE) programmes so they are "inclusive and comprehensive".

"Sixty-two percent of survey respondents want to see better RSE to help create a safer environment," she said.

"We want existing support services to be better promoted by government and education institutions, and 54% of survey respondents wished to see improved awareness of support services available."

Ms Potter-Hughes also said the current legal definition of rape under the NI Sexual Offences Order 2008 is not wide ranging enough.

"Not only does this facilitate rapists being tried for lesser sentences, retraumatising victims/survivors in the process, it is also not inclusive of gender or sexual orientation," she claimed.

"These statistics are not just numbers. They are people's lives, their experiences and they must not be ignored."

Green Party NI leader Clare Bailey said the statistics came as no surprise.

"One in four people across the UK will experience sexual abuse in their lifetime. There is correlation between that fact and the findings of this report," she said.
Margaret McGuckin (centre) with Survivors and Victims of Institutional Abuse lobby group members outside Belfast High Court

A legal challenge to the ongoing failure to compensate survivors of historical institutional abuse in Northern Ireland will be determined within weeks, a High Court judge has pledged.

Mr Justice McCloskey indicated there can be no further delays in proceedings aimed to compel the Secretary of State to implement a major inquiry's recommendations.

He confirmed that a two-day hearing will go ahead next week, with a verdict to be delivered immediately after the Easter recess.

"The time has come to bite the bullet and hear the case," he said.

The challenge has been brought by one victim, referred to as JR80, on behalf of those molested in children's homes.

In 2017 the Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) inquiry concluded there should be a public apology to all who suffered physical, emotional and sexual abuse between 1922 and 1995, and compensation ranging from 7,500 to 100,000.

Inquiry chairman Sir Anthony Hart has since made repeated pleas to politicians to act on his recommendations and provide the financial, social and educational support as a matter of urgency.

With no functioning Assembly at Stormont, legal action is being taken in a bid to have the Secretary of State and Executive Office ordered to take immediate steps to implement the redress scheme.

The HIA recommendations have also been the subject of a consultation process, and draft legislation drawn up.

Amid the ongoing uncertainty Dr Andrew Murrison MP, chair of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, has written to Secretary of State Karen Bradley suggesting laws necessary to implement those recommended should be brought through Westminster.

In court yesterday Mr Justice McCloskey acknowledged the possibility of future developments. However, he pointed out that the case was now a year old.

The judge also noted the HIA redress scheme had proposed financially compensating victims before the end of 2017.

"That recommendation was made over two years ago and those recommendations have not been activated," he said.

After listing the case for hearing he added: "The court will be giving judgment immediately following the Easter vacation."

Outside court Margaret McGuckin of Survivors and Victims of Institutional Abuse (SAVIA) claimed: "The government still believes that we are second class citizens.

"Survivors and victims are not a priority in their eyes."

Solicitor Claire McKeegan, representing JR80, stressed the urgency of the case.

"Everyone is aware that victims and survivors still suffer and cannot move on in their life until this matter is properly resolved," she said. "Some will never get to see a resolution, therefore the urgency is palpable."

Ms McKeegan said the lack of government in Northern Ireland is not a justification for delay.
Colette Matthews from Belfast, who was diagnosed with MS six years ago

Patients in Northern Ireland are being offered the chance to take part in the biggest ever medical trial aimed at finding a treatment for a form of multiple sclerosis.

Currently there is no effective treatment for secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), meaning tens of thousands of people around the world are forced to endure the condition without relief.

Symptoms of MS include loss of balance, difficulties with speech, extreme fatigue, tremor, incontinence and vision problems.

Scientists have now launched a phase three study, co-funded by the MS Society, to establish whether a drug that is currently used to treat high cholesterol could also slow or stop disability progression in SPMS.

The MS-STAT2 trial will involve 1,180 people with SPMS at 30 sites across the UK, including 36 patients in Northern Ireland.

Colette Matthews (58) from south Belfast is hoping she will be selected to take part.

Colette - who is married to Charlie (62) - spent almost two decades experiencing spells of dizziness, double vision and difficulty walking before she was diagnosed.

"I did go to the doctor but it wasn't exceptionally significant, it wasn't dramatic enough for me to be overly worried about it," she said.

"I had a herniated disc, so I told myself all the symptoms were down to that, the doctor thought it was pressing on the nerve and that was affecting my ability to walk.

"The doctors were planning on doing surgery on the disc and they sent me for a scan beforehand and that showed lesions on my spine.

"They said there was a possibility of MS.

"My husband was devastated, although I really felt a bit of relief.

"I suppose the devastation for me set in afterwards."

MS affects over more than 4,500 people in Northern Ireland and most expect to develop a progressive form of the condition at some point.

SPMS is a stage of MS which comes after relapsing remitting MS, where patients suffer sudden attacks of symptoms and periods of stability.

When a person is diagnosed with SPMS, their condition gets progressively worse and they do not experience the periods of recovery seen in relapsing remitting MS.

Scientists and clinicians hope the MS-STAT2 trial will result in the first proper treatment for people with SPMS.

Positive results from a smaller trial showed simvastatin - currently used to treat high cholesterol - could improve levels of disability and slow disease progression.

"It also reduced the rate of brain atrophy, or shrinkage.

Dr Gavin McDonnell, consultant neurologist from the Belfast Trust, said: "We now have more than a dozen approved disease modifying therapies, some of these are highly effective at preventing relapses and are of particular value to patients with relapsing-remitting MS.

"Unfortunately, the landscape for patients with progressive MS has not been so favourable with no approved treatments in the UK for primary or secondary progressive MS.

"Patients can deteriorate even in the absence of relapses.

"To slow and stop progression we need interventions that target the neurodegenerative process."

Dr McDonnell said that clinicians here are delighted to be participating in the trial and hope to recruit 36 patients with SPMS who are not already on statins or an existing modifying therapy.

The study will last for three years. Patients will receive either a placebo or high dose simvastatin and will be carefully followed up with regular visits to collect data about their progress.

David Galloway, director of MS Society NI, said: "We are incredibly proud to be co-funding MS-STAT2, because we know what it could mean for people living with progressive MS."

If you have secondary progressive MS and would like to be considered to participate in MS-STAT2, register your interest at www.ms-stat2.info
Enniskillen Royal Grammar School said yesterday: "The school does not comment on individual cases"

A former teacher has been awarded over 3,000 in compensation after a tribunal ruled she was unfairly dismissed from a top Northern Ireland grammar school.

Ciara Hambly took the case against Enniskillen Royal Grammar School, where she worked as a teacher in modern languages from February 22, 2016 to June 30, 2018.

A two-day hearing in Belfast was told that Ms Hambly had accumulated continuous service during that period of more than two complete years and that her dismissal had been automatically unfair.

In that time she had covered maternity and unpaid leave for three female teachers at the Co Fermanagh voluntary grammar school.

The school, which has around 900 students, was formed in 2016 by the merging of Collegiate Grammar and Portora Royal.

The tribunal heard that the teacher for whom Ms Hambly had been covering during the latter period of her employment was made redundant by the school following an application for voluntary redundancy.

That redundancy took effect from August 31, 2018.

Ms Hambly was given notice of termination in a letter dated May 29, 2018 and received the next day.

That letter pointed out that the post she had been covering was being suppressed and that there was to be a reduction in the number of full-time equivalent teachers in the school.

The termination of Ms Hambly's employment was with effect from June 30, 2018.

The claimant's services were not required in July and August; the school holidays when no teaching duties were to be performed.

The tribunal was told that the claimant, Ms Hambly, accepted that she knew her employment would end in any event in June 2018.

"The reality is that the claimant's termination in June 2018 had been expected by both the claimant and the respondent from the start of the employment," the tribunal stated.

"It had terminated when teaching duties were no longer required. That had been the basis of the claimant's employment."

Ms Hambly stated that there had been no vacancy within her area since this dismissal nor had she been offered substitute work. However the tribunal said there is absolutely no evidence that any of this had been related to her dismissal in relation to her latest employment.

However, the tribunal found that the school as respondent had failed to fulfil the statutory three step procedure as required by the Employment Rights (Northern Ireland) Order 1996.

In particular, there had been no interview, no decision and no appeal.

It added: "The respondent had committed a serious procedural error. It had failed to follow the statutory three step procedure which has been in place within this jurisdiction for some 15 years.

"It is extremely regrettable that the respondent failed to follow a widely known and obvious procedure."

The tribunal ruled that Ms Hambly's dismissal had been automatically unfair and that she was entitled to a minimum of four weeks wages gross pay as basic award.

It concluded: "The unanimous decision of the tribunal is that the claimant was automatically unfairly dismissed by the respondent on 30 June 2018 and compensation of 3,160.88 as calculated in this decision is awarded to the claimant".

Enniskillen Royal Grammar School said yesterday: "The school does not comment on individual cases."
Excluding Turkey from the F-35 fighter jet program would be challenging due to Ankaras integral role in the stealthy jets production process, but not impossible, U.S. sources familiar with the situation said.

Two U.S. sources familiar with the F-35s intricate, worldwide production process and U.S. thinking on the issue say Turkey can be replaced.

"There are about 800 parts that Turkey makes for the F-35, and of them, very few are sole source," said a person with direct knowledge of the U.S. position, explaining that single source parts from Turkey can be replaced by contractors who had previously bid to make them.

"Turkey is not too big to fail," Reuters cited the person as saying.

Replacing or finding substitutes for the Turkish components would slow production for a three-month period at the Lockheed Martin facility that builds the jets, the person said.

Officials with the Pentagon and the Turkish embassy declined to comment.

It was reported last week that the U.S. could soon freeze preparations for delivering F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, a move that would widen the rift between Ankara and Washington.
The House of Commons will sit on Friday  originally scheduled to be Brexit Day  to consider a motion on EU withdrawal (Isabel Infantes/PA)

Theresa May is set to make a third attempt to force her EU Withdrawal Agreement through the House of Commons on Friday.

Leader of the House Andrea Leadsom told MPs that the House will sit on March 29  originally scheduled to be Brexit Day  to consider a motion on EU withdrawal.

The Prime Minister must secure Commons approval for her deal by 11pm on Friday if the UK is to be given an automatic delay to May 22 of the date on which it leaves the EU.

Fridays debate, on a day when the Commons was not due to be sitting, is dependent on a business motion being moved and passed by the House later on Thursday, and on Speaker John Bercow deeming that the Governments proposal is in line with parliamentary rules which ban the same motion being repeatedly tabled.

Ms Leadsom also signalled that all or part of the Commons Easter recess  due to start on April 4  may be cancelled.

She told MPs that talks were ongoing to ensure compliance with the Speakers ruling that any new motion must be substantially different from the Brexit packages rejected by 230 votes in January and 149 in March.

She said: The only way we ensure we leave in good time on May 22 is by approving the Withdrawal Agreement by 11pm on March 29, which is tomorrow.

The European Council has agreed to an extension until May 22 provided the Withdrawal Agreement is approved by the House of Commons this week.

Its crucial we make every effort to give effect to that and to allow the House to debate this important issue.

We do not want to be in a situation of asking for another extension and of course for the requirement to undertake European Parliament elections.

If the deal is again voted down on Friday, the UK will have until April 12 to make its case to Brussels for a further extension or leave without a deal.

Downing Street has previously indicated that a third meaningful vote would only be attempted if the Prime Minister felt there was a credible chance of success.

Talks were continuing on Thursday to try to win round the Conservatives DUP allies, who indicated on Wednesday that they were not willing to back the deal because of its controversial backstop provisions for the Irish border.

However, Mrs Mays spokesman had no information about the Prime Minister herself getting involved in meetings with the Northern Irish party.

The PMs dramatic promise on Wednesday evening to stand down if the deal goes through convinced some key Tory Brexiteers finally to back her, raising hopes in Downing Street of a breakthrough.

But with the DUP and a hardcore of Tory Eurosceptics holding out against the deal, the Government appears not to have the numbers in the Commons to be sure of victory.

The support of the unionist partys 10 MPs had been seen as crucial, both in making up the numbers for the vote and in winning over Tory waverers.

Jacob Rees-Mogg, leader of the pro-Brexit European Research Group (ERG), who is now supporting the deal, suggested a way could still be found to get the DUP on board.

Im in favour of the deal and I hope the DUP will come over to the deal but well have to wait and see what they do, he said.

Mrs Mays effective deputy, David Lidington, pleaded with MPs to back the Brexit deal.

Speaking at the British Chambers of Commerce conference in London, he said: I recognise the real frustration that uncertainty around this process has caused in the business community.

He added: From the Prime Minister down, the Government is doing all it can to secure a Brexit that does follow the result of the 2016 referendum but does so in a way that protects jobs and economic growth.

Mr Lidington acknowledged that a chaotic, disorganised Brexit without an agreed deal is something we should not be seeking to have.

It is, unavoidably, the legal default position, he said, but it was not Government policy.

Such a no-deal exit would undoubtedly mean disruption to businesses and I believe would also be a threat to the integrity of the union of the UK itself, he warned.
The director of a transgender rights group has said that every school in Northern Ireland should review its school uniform policy after Methodist College launched a consultation.

Methodist College principal Scott Naismith told the Belfast Telegraph that there are a "number of pupils who identify as transgender at the college" after the grammar school announced a review of its school uniform policy to include issues such as gender dysphoria.

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The last review of the school uniform policy occurred five years ago.

In a notice sent to parents, the school states that it has "identified a number of factors requiring consideration".

It adds: "The policy should be flexible enough to ensure that recognised minorities are able to feel comfortable, e.g. religious groups, ethnic minorities, pupils with gender dysphoria."

Other factors due to be examined include affordability and the history and traditions of the college.

TransgenderNI director Alexa Moore (18) described the move by the school as a "really big step forward".

"I absolutely do think that every school in Northern Ireland should be undertaking a uniform review to become more inclusive for trans pupils," she said.

"As long as we want to ensure that pupils stay in education for as long as possible and get the most out of their education, we need to make sure they're comfortable in that space and they're comfortable in their own clothes as well.

"We see a really high number of trans people self-excluding from education for a number of reasons - for bullying and transphobic harassment, going to single-gender schools and being forced to wear a uniform they don't feel comfortable with.

"All of that contributes to people's dysphoria and to people not wanting to continue in education."

Alexa suggested that schools should adopt a "gender neutral" uniform list from which all pupils could choose.

"What we see currently is young trans people not feeling comfortable in school, not feeling able to fully engage in school because their uniform makes them feel uncomfortable or in some cases dysphoric," she added.

"Gender dysphoria is a discomfort that some, but not all, trans people feel around their bodies or around society's perception of their bodies.

"Allowing trans people to wear clothes that make them feel comfortable in their educational environment makes sure that they can get everything possible out of education.

"What we support is just one list of uniforms that pupils are free to pick and choose from as they wish, so rather than having a boys' uniform list and a girls' uniform list, it would be one gender neutral list that allows anyone, not just trans people, to wear whatever makes them feel comfortable.

"It respects everyone's right to their freedom of identity and makes sure everyone is comfortable in their educational environment."

Alexa said there is "no real accurate data" on how many trans pupils are in Northern Ireland.

She added: "Regardless of the number of trans people in schools, their experiences are often very negative, and anything that can make that more positive is definitely a step forward.

"I really look forward to more schools putting measures in place to make sure their trans pupils feel valued and supported."

Mr Naismith said the school uniform policy of Methodist College was "due for review" after five years.

He said there were "a number of pupils who identify as transgender" at the school, but declined to give a number for privacy reasons.

"As our diverse and inclusive college community changes, so too our practices and procedures evolve to reflect these changes and our policies have to be updated," he said.

"The communication issued to parents and staff, and previously communicated to pupils through the school council, is the first step in a process of ensuring that we have identified the appropriate factors to consider in our review.

"The responses from all of the groups will be considered and that information will inform the next steps to be taken."

At the request of schools, the Education Authority (EA) appointed a steering group which is drawing up guidance on supporting transgender pupils.

The EA said the guidance is due to be finalised and published in line with the new academic year in September 2019.

The EA said it was "developing written guidance in line with our statutory obligations as the managing authority for all controlled schools".

It said that this would cover practical issues including school uniforms.

The EA added: "The wearing of a school uniform is not governed by legislation but falls to schools to determine.

"The day-to-day management of schools, including school uniform policy, is a matter for school principals, subject to any directions that might be given by the board of governors.

"The guidance is non-statutory and does not constitute legal advice or impose any new legal obligations or requirements.

"Schools and youth services are advised, but not required, to follow it."

The EA added that it "is not possible to reliably estimate the number of transgender pupils" here.

The Department of Education said it "does not does not currently record any information on transgender pupils".
An expensive fiddle has been reunited with it's owners. Stock image by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.

An expensive fiddle has been reunited with it's owners after being located by police after it was stolen from a motor home.

The fiddle was stolen from musicians who were vising Belfast from England. They had intended to play it at local music venues while visiting the city.

Their motor home was broken into while parked in the North Street area of north Belfast.

Police described the five-string fiddle as "very expensive" and "irreplaceable".

The fiddle was found after some detective work by the local policing team officers from Tennent Street.

"We got in touch with a local shop which often sells goods for members of the public, we were able to ascertain that a customer had recognised a fiddle for sale in the shop as very rare and expensive, and the shop then contacted police," a PSNI spokesperson said.

"It was confirmed this was the stolen fiddle and we were able to reunite it with the owners who are delighted to have it back, and very grateful for the Good Samaritan in the shop who identified it shop staff.

"We dont know who this was, but the owners want to pass on their thanks to him. The investigation is ongoing into this theft and handling stolen goods."
Prosecutors claimed nine men are involved in an illicit drug supply targeted by police

A UVF crime gang is allegedly linked to the "wholesale" distribution of drugs across parts of Belfast and north Down, the High Court has heard.

Prosecutors claimed nine men are involved in an illicit supply targeted by police who seized up to 15,000 worth of cocaine in raids last week.

Details emerged as bail was granted 29-year-old Darren Baine on a charge of being concerned in supply of the Class A drug.

Co-defendant Andrew Crawford, 27, who is accused of the same offence, was ordered to remain in custody.

Baine, from Cheviot Avenue in Belfast, and Crawford, of Cairndore Grange in Newtownards, were arrested with other suspects last Friday as part of a PSNI operation.

A Crown lawyer said: "Police believe they are all connected to a drug dealing crime gang, east Belfast UVF."

Suspected cocaine with a street value of between 10,000-15,000, paramilitary-style flags and drug-dealing paraphernalia was discovered at Crawford's home, the court heard.

According to the prosecutor phone messages connect him to another man "who acted as a drugs wholesaler across east Belfast and Newtownards".

She claimed Baine is linked through his name appearing among the contacts on that man's mobile.

During the hearing Judge Stephen Fowler QC was told told "large amounts of unexplained wealth" were found at the home of another accused not before the court.

Three Rolex watches valued at 20,000 were said to have been seized from that property.

Baine's barrister, Richard McConkey, argued that the prosecution had presented a weak case against his client, based on his name featuring on a co-accused's phone.

His home was searched and there was nothing found linking him to drugs or any association with any proscribed organisation whatsoever," Mr McConkey stressed.

Counsel for Crawford insisted no large sums of cash or trappings of wealth were found at his home.

Stressing that he has not been charged with any paramilitary activity, Mark Farrell added: "The prosecution are not supplying intelligence to suggest my client is some sort of terrorist godfather."

Refusing bail to Crawford, Judge Fowler cited the risk of further offences based on the consignment of drugs seized.

However, he ruled that Baine can be released from custody on conditions including a ban on using mobile phones, curfew and electronic monitoring.
Journalist Helen Greenaway, who worked in Bangor and Larne's weekly papers and then the Belfast Telegraph and News Letter, has died aged 73 after a lengthy illness.

Helen (nee Russell) was brought up in Bangor and completed her early training as a reporter with the Bangor Spectator and the East Antrim Times.

She continued her career in Belfast from the late 1960s onwards, first with the Belfast Telegraph and then with the News Letter.

Helen is recalled fondly at this newspaper as a very competent journalist who had a bright and positive personality.

Former editor Edmund Curran said: "She excelled with her warm personality and page production and reporting skills, making her mark in local journalism at a time when newspapers were dominated by men.

"I recall Helen as an extremely popular and talented journalist, particularly in editorial production in the Belfast Telegraph and later the News Letter. In her unassuming and modest manner, she made a considerable contribution to both papers."

In 1990, Helen moved to the News Letter under the distinguished editorship of Geoff Martin, where she rose from the role of chief sub-editor to become assistant editor.

Current editor Alistair Bushe said: "Helen brought a mixture of straight-talking, humour and real editorial expertise to the News Letter. She was never fazed by even the biggest breaking news story or the tightest deadline. We are all with her daughters Heather and Emma."

Former News Letter editor Rankin Armstrong said: "Helen was a pleasure to work with and she was an old-school journalist and a real professional.

"She had the skills to get to the heart of a story quickly, checking for accuracy, getting the best headline possible and always mindful of the clock winding down to a deadline."

Another senior colleague Billy Kennedy described Helen as "one of the best journalists I worked with in my 50 years in journalism. She led by example, and was a superb taster of news".

Helen is survived by her daughters Heather, a journalist with the Sunday Mail, and Emma, as well as four grandchildren. Her funeral will take place tomorrow at Lambeg Parish Church at 12.30pm.
A former DUP Lord Mayor of Belfast is making a political comeback and running for the TUV in May's council elections.

Eric Smyth, who represented the greater Shankill area in City Hall for 20 years, is hoping to win back a seat for the TUV in the Court ward.

Jolene Bunting took the seat for Jim Allister's party in 2014 but later resigned from the TUV and now sits as an independent.

Mr Smyth (70) was one of the DUP's most high-profile and at times controversial councillors.

As Lord Mayor, he welcomed Bill Clinton to Belfast in 1995, where he turned on the Christmas tree lights, but later denounced the US President.

The firebrand preacher left the party in 2005 over proposals to sit in government with Sinn Fein at Stormont.

"I am delighted to be returning to front-line politics," he told the Belfast Telegraph last night.

"I've long identified with the TUV. They talk straight like I do and you know where you stand with them. The Good Friday Agreement is finished unless it's renegotiated and Stormont is finished. Some of my old DUP colleagues will be surprised to see me back. I left the party because I thought it wasn't what it used to be and had abandoned its principles."

Mr Smyth said while he had been "fed up with so many Ulster Unionists taking up leading roles in the DUP", his split from the party had not been personal.

"I consider Nigel Dodds and Sammy Wilson good friends and, although we took different political paths, there wouldn't be much that separates us on some things," he said.

The father of 10 is the founder of and minister at the Jesus Saves Bible Church on Limestone Road, which is aligned with the Free Presbyterian Church.

He said he would be standing on a staunch pro-Brexit ticket and it was "disgraceful that the democratic referendum result is being ignored".

In 1996, Mr Smyth was widely condemned for saying he would no longer shop in Catholic stores. He reversed his boycott a week later. He told the Belfast Telegraph last night he had "made that stupid statement in haste" and that when he shopped he did not know or care about the religion of the business owner.

Although he opposed any move to include Sinn Fein in government, while a councillor Mr Smyth ignored the DUP's then policy of having no communication with the party's representatives. "I always believed in treating people as I found them. Our Lord Jesus would not turn his face against anyone," he said.

He joined the TUV earlier this year and was one of three people who put their names forward to be its Court candidate.

He said: "I'm hoping to win the seat, but if I don't get in, I don't get in. There are new faces in City Hall, but there are some old ones there too and it will be good seeing them again if I am elected."

TUV leader Jim Allister said: "I am delighted that a candidate of Eric's calibre with his long record of distinguished service has agreed to be the TUV standard bearer in this election.

"I've no doubt he will prove to be a strong voice for the people of Court. People know where they stand with the TUV and where they stand with Eric Smyth. I look forward to joining him on the campaign trail."

Court currently has two Sinn Fein and two DUP councillors, along with Ms Bunting and PUP leader Billy Hutchison.
A worker with an Irish aid charity has described scenes of desolation in southern Africa in the wake of recent floods.

Gavin Douglas, from Concern Worldwide, has visited towns and villages cut off by high waters along the Malawi/Mozambique border.

Communities are trying to piece their lives back together following the disaster triggered by Cyclone Idai.

We passed endless abandoned villages, said Mr Douglas.

The scale of the devastation in the wake of #CycloneIdai.



Support those affected by the worst weather disaster to hit the southern hemisphere. Donate today: https://t.co/WcWKOLpwwE pic.twitter.com/lBXdrCSE0S  Concern Worldwide (@Concern) March 21, 2019

Only the skeletal remains of wood houses remained, some still sitting in four or five feet of water.

It was complete desolation. Whole villages have just been swept away.

During his trip to an area south of Nsanje on the southern tip of Malawi, Mr Douglas said he met local people who had returned to fish for food and to start repairing their homes.

They were too frightened to bring their families back with them in case the floods would return, he said.

The floods came so fast, they left with only the clothes on their backs and a few bits and pieces. They have lost everything. The strength of the floods took everything with it. There is nothing left on the ground, only soaked earth. They have lost vast amounts of crops they were relying on.

It was very hard to process the sheer scale of the destruction.

Concern said more than 800,000 people have been affected by the flooding in Malawi, with 87,000 displaced, 59 dead and 672 injured.

The charity is working in displacement camps to construct latrines and bathrooms and to provide safe water supplies.

Mr Douglas described the dire situation in one of the camps.

Expand Close Patrick Ghembo, of Monyo village, Malawi, standing in his field, destroyed by the floods (Gavin Douglas/Concern Worldwide) Gavin Douglas / Facebook

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Aid is slow in coming to the camp, he said.

The people have not received a food delivery in six days.

There are more than 11,000 people staying there  mainly women and children. The camp, in the grounds of a school, has less than 20 toilets for the entire camp population.

There is a real threat of cholera and other water-borne diseases. It is very apparent a bigger crisis is looming.

This week, Concern plans to distribute emergency kits containing essential items such as plastic sheeting, cooking utensils, mosquito nets and soap to those who are displaced.

Concern is aiming to provide relief support to tens of thousands of people in the coming days and weeks.

Concern Worldwide chief executive Dominic MacSorley said: Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world, with very little capacity to respond to a natural disaster of this scale.

Concerns team on the ground in Malawi are responding but support from the public and the international community is desperately needed to raise five million euros to fund this work.

For more information about Concerns Malawi flood appeal visit www.concern.net
Minister for Health Simon Harris speaks at the publication of a report on strengthening care for sexual assault victims (Brian Lawless/PA)

A number of measures to improve services for victims of sexual assault will be introduced in a bid to meet rising demand.

Irelands Minister for Health Simon Harris said that investment in Sexual Assault Treatment Unit (SATU) services will increase by 500,000 euro this year.

Following a policy review of the SATU services, a decision was taken to increase the number of forensic nurse examiners from six to 15 while the number of forensic medical examiners will also rise by funding two additional training programmes.

For the first time rapid responder forensic examiners will travel to patients in their local unit if there are staff shortages after some victims were forced to travel for a number of hours to the next unit.

10 actions, aimed to strengthen the health service provided to victims of sexual assault, will be implemented over the next 2 years.



Minister @SimonHarrisTD has committed an additional 0.5m to fund these actions. #SATU pic.twitter.com/JQj6DkmQet  Department of Health (@roinnslainte) March 28, 2019

Changes will also be made to units to make them look and feel brighter and friendlier.

These changes will be made over the next two years.

SATUs support adults and adolescents who are victims of rape or sexual assault.

Last year, around 1,000 patients used SATU services around the country, with units located in Cork, Dublin, Galway, Mullingar, Letterkenny and Waterford.

Mr Harris said that Ireland needs to do more to stamp out sexual violence which includes societal action.

We all want to live in a country where rape and sexual assault is very rare.Simon Harris

In terms of how we raise our kids, in terms of how we teach people about respect and consent as well, he added.

We all want to live in a country where rape and sexual assault is very rare, ideally where it doesnt happen at all.

We will all have opportunities in our different walks of life to help take action to pursue that. I want anyone affected by these issues to know that we are all going to take action to try and reduce the level of sexual violence in our country.

Sadly today, the reality in Ireland is that we know the rate of sexual violence is far too high and we also know the demand for our health services to support victims has never been higher.

He said that through the policy review he has learned about challenges facing staff including delays in training nurse and medical professionals to carry out forensic exams.

He also admitted that the funding available is not sufficient for the type of services needed in Ireland.

Dr Maeve Eogan, the national medical director at SATU, said these changes will lead to a more networked approach to the units.

She said: It means if there is a problem in a SATU, there will be a national team they can go to to get something done in a prompt fashion.

We hope by putting this on a national footing it will make a difference because the patients we care for are a really important group of patients.

It is really important that this care is provided within defined units because its really important that DNA evidence is collected with integrity and that the environments are forensically clean.

Minister of State at the Department of Education Mary Mitchell OConnor said that the issue of sexual assault causes her a lot of concern.

I am determined that our students and our campuses are kept safe, she added.

The figures are alarming. A survey found that 16% of respondents had experienced unwanted sexual contact and we know that statistics also show that people who are LGBT or people with a disability are specifically targeted for sexual harassment and violence.
Larry and Bernadette Brennan arrive for a mass of remembrance and celebration of the life of their daughter Laura

Many people across Ireland owe a "huge debt of gratitude" to cervical cancer campaigner Laura Brennan, mourners have been told.

The 26-year-old died at the University of Limerick last Wednesday.

Hundreds attended the Cathedral of St Peter and Paul in Ennis, Co Clare, to say farewell to Ms Brennan, who was diagnosed with cervical cancer at the age of 24.

The mass, which was described as a celebration of her life, was held after her burial yesterday morning. Among the congregation were Health Minister Simon Harris and RTE broadcaster Ryan Tubridy.

Fr Pat Malone, co-parish priest of the Abbey Pastoral Area, said: "Laura spoke often in the midst of her personal illness about being in control of her personal freedom to act. How true that was of her.

"That freedom was facilitated by (her) parents and siblings, by the manner in which you allowed and helped her organise her schedule while adapting your own schedules so that she could do the things she wanted to do, in the middle of her personal illness.

"We, and so many people in our country, and those in the health services, owe a huge debt of gratitude to you, for the manner in which Laura promoted so passionately the call for women's healthcare in our country and indeed abroad. And we sincerely thank you for that."

Ms Brennan was given an honorary doctorate by UCD in acknowledgement of her advocacy work.
Tragic Limerick mother-of-three Marie Downey was "a gorgeous girl" with a "heart of gold", a close family friend has said.

They said news of her and her four-day-old son Darragh's death at Cork University Maternity Hospital was "unbelievable".

The tragic mother is expected to be buried with the little boy in her arms.

Mrs Downey was hailed as a wonderful mother and a valued work colleague, employed as a laboratory technician with pharmaceutical giant Novartis in Cork.

A post-mortem examination on Mrs Downey was carried out yesterday, but the results will take time to compile.

The infant's post-mortem is scheduled to take place today.

Mrs Downey lived with her husband, Kieran, and two sons on the Cork-Limerick border at Knockanevin outside Kildorrery.

She was originally from Ballyagran in Co Limerick.

Cork coroner Philip Comyn has requested the services of a specialist neo-natal pathologist to determine the infant boy's cause of death.

It is believed Mrs Downey fell ill and tumbled unconscious out of her hospital bed onto the floor.

She was discovered by staff shortly before 8am last Monday and was pronounced dead at the scene despite desperate efforts to revive her.

Her baby son was critically ill and lost his 36-hour battle for life on Tuesday evening.

Councillor Jerome Scanlan, a friend of Mrs Downey's family, said the entire community was shocked by what had happened. "They are a hugely respected family here and everyone in the community is heartbroken for them. Everyone is shocked by the scale of the tragedy," Mr Scanlan explained.

A friend said: "It's unbelievable - she was a gorgeous girl. She had a heart of gold and she was very caring."

Novartis said in a statement: "Marie Downey was a valued member of our team. Our thoughts and prayers are with Marie's family and friends during this very difficult time. Marie will be fondly remembered here at Novartis Ringaskiddy."

In Kildorrery, not far from the Downey's home in Knockanevin, parish priest Fr Eamon Kelleher said everyone was shocked.

"They are a very close community and take great care of each other. Everyone feels the tragedy. They are gathering here every morning to pray for the Downeys and to pray for Marie and the little boy, Darragh," he said

"They (the family) are being surrounded by support, but at the same time the whole community feels helpless."
Armed police officers inside London Central Mosque, near Regents Park, London after a man was found with stab injuries in a nearby street (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Armed police have sealed off a mosque in London after a man was fatally stabbed in a nearby street.

The Metropolitan Police said the victim, who was believed to be in his early twenties, was found with stab wounds in Elmton Court, Cunningham Place, Westminster, at about 6.15pm on Thursday.

He was treated at the scene with help from London Ambulance Service paramedics but later died in hospital, the force said.

A Met Police spokeswoman confirmed a search at a nearby mosque was linked to the stabbing.

We do have officers searching the area for the suspects, she said.

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Witnesses have also claimed they saw two men being detained in handcuffs but the Met said no arrests have been made and officers continue to hunt the suspects.

The force tweeted that the attack was not terror-related.

It said: Officers continue to deal with a stabbing at Cunningham Place/Park Road, Westminster. We can confirm that this incident is not terror related. Searches for suspects are ongoing.

Video from outside the mosque shared on social media showed armed police at the gates to the London Central Mosque, near Regents Park, as a helicopter circled overhead.

All staff and attendees to the Mosque are safe our prayers are with the victim and his family. we look forward to seeing you all at Friday prayers tomorrow In Sha Allah  LondonCentral Mosque (@iccukorg) March 28, 2019

A statement from the London Central Mosque Twitter account shortly before 10.30pm said nobody there was hurt.

All staff and attendees to the Mosque are safe our prayers are with the victim and his family. We look forward to seeing you all at Friday prayers tomorrow In Sha Allah, it said.

Another added: An incident occurred this evening near Lords Cricket Ground where a victim of knife crime was sadly murdered.

Suspects were seen running towards the London Central Mosque and Regents Park area.

The police cordoned off the surroundings near the Mosque in order to conduct a search.

Witness Bahir Moulana told the Press Association that as he was walking towards the mosque, the police were pushing people back before they closed the main gate.

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With a number of armed officers at the scene, the 39-year-old said it gave him the jitters, especially following the recent attack at two mosques in New Zealand.

I saw all the blue lights and my heart was in my mouth, Mr Moulana said.

With worshippers eventually let out of the building, he added: There was one girl who said she saw two guys run in. Someone else told me the police were chasing them.

Mr Moulana said he saw two people being detained and put in handcuffs by police at the mosque.

The police just surrounded them. I saw that at around 7pm, he added.

A police cordon was in place at the mosque following the incident, with officers flanking parts of the buildings perimeter, as a helicopter methodically circled overhead.

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A section of the A41 Park Road was also closed off by police.

At the scene in Cunningham Place, a large collection of used and discarded medical equipment, bloodied bandages, bags, and other items could be seen in the middle of the road.

One neighbour, who did not want to be named, told the Press Association: I looked out of the window at around 6.30pm and I saw him on the floor he was already getting CPR.

She added that before the incident she heard someone saying What happened? What have you done? before she then went to see what was going on.

The Labour MP for Westminster North, Karen Buck, said on Twitter: Deeply saddened to hear this awful news. Police have been in contact with me and we await further details.
Under-pressure Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley is to face a vote of no confidence from her local party over her Brexit voting record.

Conservatives in Mrs Bradley's Staffordshire Moorlands constituency are angry about her support for a delay to Brexit.

The embattled Cabinet minister has already faced calls to resign this month for stating in the House of Commons that killings carried out by the security forces during the Troubles were "not crimes".

She later apologised to the families of victims in a highly public and humiliating U-turn.

Mrs Bradley was also criticised in September for admitting she did not know that nationalists did not vote for unionists and vice versa when she took charge of Northern Ireland.

The Stoke Sentinel reported that Mike Howson, of the Moorlands Conservative Association, wants a vote of no confidence in her at organisation's annual general meeting this Friday, or as soon as possible.

"There are a lot of people angry at how our MP has voted, especially to extend Article 50, over the Brexit debate," he said.

Another member, Ross Ward, said any such vote would have to be taken in a separate session after the meeting.

The criticism comes as Prime Minister Theresa May, who counts Mrs Bradley among her dwindling number of supporters, confirmed she would step down if her Brexit deal was approved by Parliament.

Mrs Bradley said: "I have received many emails from constituents concerning my voting record and would like to clarify the situation.

"I recognise votes in Parliament can be complicated, and it has been extremely difficult to follow. My objective throughout the Brexit process has been to respect the result of the referendum and see the UK leave the EU."

She said she voted to leave the EU on March 29 with the Government's deal, which was rejected by the House of Commons.

"The Commons then held votes to determine whether we were prepared to leave without a deal," Mrs Bradley added.

"Some MPs want to take no-deal off the table altogether and, while I think we should leave with a deal, I recognise that keeping no-deal on the table helps our negotiating position, so I voted against taking no-deal off the table."

The Northern Ireland Secretary said she opposed a second referendum but "it has become clear" there will be no Brexit at all unless there is a delay.

"This time I voted for a motion that asks the EU for a short extension to Article 50. This is not to keep the UK in, but to make sure we can leave with a deal," she said. "If we don't get this deal through, it is not the case that we will leave without a deal - we won't leave at all.

"This vote gives time to get agreement and ensure Brexit happens."

She said all her votes were consistent with the Conservative Party's manifesto and her focus was to get a majority of MPs to back the deal to let the UK leave "as soon as possible".
Theresa May has promised to fall on her sword if Tory rebels back her deal  but will they take her up on the offer?

And after MPs failed to find a majority for alternatives to her plan, what next for Brexit?

 The Prime Ministers deal could return

The UK was due to leave the European Union on Friday, but instead it could be the day Mrs May tries to make it third time lucky for her Brexit deal.

The Commons was not expected to sit on March 29, but Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay said plans were being made for that to happen because its better to have it and to not need it, than to need it and not have it.

But Commons Speaker John Bercow could throw a spanner in the works after he again stressed that there would have to be substantial changes before he would allow another vote on an issue that had already been considered.

 Resistance to the deal has weakened, but is it enough?

Brexit standard-bearer Boris Johnson, who once compared Mrs Mays deal to a suicide vest wrapped around the British constitution, told the European Research Group of Tory MPs he will now back it.

Other Eurosceptics previously opposed to the deal have also reluctantly swung behind it because they fear the alternatives are now softer forms of Brexit or the possibility of not leaving the EU at all.

But the Democratic Unionist Party remain opposed, with leader Arlene Foster saying she could not sign up to a deal that threatens the union of the United Kingdom.

The DUPs continued opposition means that some Tories, including Jacob Rees-Mogg, will also refuse to back the deal.

 What about the Prime Minister?

Mrs May told MPs: I know there is a desire for a new approach  and new leadership  in the second phase of the Brexit negotiations  and I wont stand in the way of that.

But in order to get to that second phase, her deal would have to pass. It remains to be seen whether her commitment to leave office is enough to win over wavering rebels.

Mr Rees-Mogg acknowledged that if her deal did not get through then she would have every right to carry on.

But a third defeat  or ducking another vote entirely  would surely cause further damage to her crumbling authority.

 So when will the UK leave the European Union?



Unless the Withdrawal Agreement is passed by MPs by the end of the week, Brexit day is set for April 12. This is the final day on which the UK can set out its next steps to the European Council, if it wishes to be granted a longer extension. If it does not do so, the UK would crash out without a deal.

If Mrs May finally gets her deal through Parliament the UK will leave on May 22.

 And when will Mrs May leave Number 10?

Once the Withdrawal Agreement is passed, the Government needs to rush an implementation bill through Parliament, along with other legislation needed to ensure a smooth departure. It is unclear whether Mrs May would delay her resignation until this process is complete and the UK formally leaves on May 22.

It would be possible for her to declare she is stepping down, but to remain in post during the contest to select a successor.

If she remains in office until May 25, she will overtake Gordon Browns tenure of two years and 319 days in office to become the 35th longest-serving PM in British history. If she lasts until May 26, she outstrips the Duke of Wellington and another 28 days to June 23 will take her past Neville Chamberlain.

She is due to represent the UK at the annual G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, on June 28-29, which could be her last outing on the international stage before stepping down.

 Will there be more indicative votes?





After Wednesdays votes failed to produce a majority for any of the eight options under consideration, more time has been set aside on Monday, April 1.

Sir Oliver Letwin, architect of the plan to seize control of the Commons timetable, said: If on Monday the House is able to reach a majority view, I think that would be in the interests of our constituents.
Police are investigating after three cyclists were pushed into the Union Canal (David Cheskin/PA)

Police are hunting a group of youths who pushed three cyclists into a canal in Edinburgh.

The men were targeted in separate incidents as they cycled along the Union Canal between 5pm and 9.15pm on Wednesday.

They were confronted by a group of youths on the path near Murrayburn and Wester Hailes and were pushed into the water.

The three cyclists all managed to get out of the canal themselves but suffered minor injuries.

https://t.co/Byd6OLmYAw



Last night three cyclists were pushed into the Union Canal as they cycled near to Murrayburn and Wester Hailes.



We're looking to trace the group of youths responsible and would ask anyone with information to come forward via 101.  EdinburghPolice (@EdinburghPolice) March 28, 2019

Police said investigations are under way to trace the youths and urged anyone with information to contact them.

Sergeant Alex Dickson from the south-west community policing team, said: The youths may have thought this was a bit of fun but it could have resulted in serious injury or worse and we are treating these incidents very seriously.

In response, we are going to deploy high-visibility patrols in the area to engage with cyclists and members of the public and deter any further incidents.

If you witnessed anything suspicious on the Union Canal cycle path on Wednesday evening, or if you believe you can provide us with a description of the suspects, then please contact police immediately.

In addition, we are also eager to hear from anyone else with any other information relevant to this investigation.

Anyone with information can contact Wester Hailes Police Station via 101 and quote incident numbers 3223, 3469 or 4077 of March 27 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where anonymity can be maintained.
Cabinet minister David Lidington has denied the DUP's continued opposition to Theresa May's withdrawal agreement has "fatally undermined" the confidence and supply deal the party has with the government.

As support for Theresa May's withdrawal agreement grows and ahead of yet another crucial vote in the Commons in a special Friday Commons sitting pressure has been growing on the DUP to support the deal, something it says it can't do.

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The Conservatives and the DUP have in place a confidence and supply agreement in order to allow Theresa May to operate a minority government.

In it the DUP pledged to support the government on passing legislation on leaving the EU.

Asked if the DUP's continued refusal to support the withdrawal agreement undermined the confidence and supply deal, Mr Lidington said it did not.

The minister - who chairs the co-ordination committee set up by the deal - added: "It was very disappointing what the DUP said last night about the EU exit deal.

"They coupled that with saying there has been constructive discussions on domestic policies. So ironically there has been some very cordial negotiations, conversations with them in the last few weeks about other matters and they haven't, at least not yet been persuaded to, back the EU deal."

In a business conference address in London on Thursday the defacto deputy prime minister raised concern about what a no-deal Brexit might mean for the integrity of the UK.

He said more moderate nationalists who had been content to live in Northern Ireland had grown "unsettled" due to both the referendum result and the continued absence of local government.

"I do always bear in mind that Northern Ireland's place in union rests on consent," he added.

"We need to make sure we give everybody confidence that the union is going to work for everyone."
Job applications have surged in Edinburgh according to new research (Jane Barlow/PA)

The number of jobs advertised in Edinburgh has surged 80% in two years, according to new analysis.

There has also been a rise in the number of people applying for jobs in Scotlands capital, increasing around 36% from 178,584 in 2016 to 242,089 in 2018.

Figures from job platform Totaljobs showed that the number of posts advertised rose 80% from 13,304 in 2016 to 23,943 in 2018.

Roles in the transport and logistics sector were most in demand, followed by sales and IT.

Business growth has meant the rise in vacancies outpaces applications, so theres a wide range of roles available for talent in EdinburghMartin Talbot, Totaljobs

Totaljobs said the new figures show the city is a growing employment hotspot, competing with London.

Martin Talbot, director at Totaljobs, said: There is a thriving jobs market in Edinburgh with a huge number of opportunities not only for jobseekers in the area but also those considering relocating for work.

It has been great to see the impact of big investment in the area, like the transformational development of Edinburgh St James, helping to spur on the jobs market in the city.

Business growth has meant the rise in vacancies outpaces applications, so theres a wide range of roles available for talent in Edinburgh, meaning employers need to ensure they stand out from the crowd when it comes to recruitment.

Totaljobs research also found that 53% of Londoners would accept a lower salary to relocate to a new city if it meant a better quality of life, compared to only 33% of those in Edinburgh.

Business Minister Jamie Hepburn MSP said: The increase in employment opportunities in Edinburgh is a welcome statistic.

With sustained investment in the city, cross-sector opportunities and combined with Scotlands overall strong labour market, which has now seen a lower unemployment rate than the UK for the sixth month in a row, Edinburgh is well-placed to continue to attract new talent.
The Queen is to carry out a series of engagements in Somerset today.

She will visit Manor Farm Stables, Kings Bruton School, and Hauser & Wirth Somerset after arriving in the county by Royal Train.

It is her first visit to Somerset since the 2012 Jubilee tour of the UK.

Expand Close The Queen meets well wishers during a visit to Yeovil in 2012 (Chris Jackson/PA). PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp The Queen meets well wishers during a visit to Yeovil in 2012 (Chris Jackson/PA).

At the stables in Ditcheat The Queen will meet champion trainer Paul Nicholls before touring the yard and viewing the horses on parade.

The Queen will also hear from representatives from the University of Bath working on research projects on equestrian sport spinal injuries and racehorse welfare.

She will then visit Kings Bruton, a co-educational school founded in 1519. To mark 500 years of the school, the Queen will officially open the schools new music centre.

Before departing, the Queen will also officially name a new Avon and Somerset Police horse.

She will also meet police horse Jubilee  the horse that she named during her last visit to Somerset.

Expand Close The Queen meets a Police Horse called Harry Patch during her last visit to Somerset (Chris Jackson/PA). PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp The Queen meets a Police Horse called Harry Patch during her last visit to Somerset (Chris Jackson/PA).

Avon and Somerset Polices Chief Constable Andy Marsh and Police and Crime Commissioner Sue Mountstevens will be among a number of guests who will meet the Queen.

Finally, she will visit Hauser & Wirth Somerset, a gallery and multi-purpose arts centre located at Durslade Farm.

Somerset County Council will be putting some crowd pedestrian barriers and coning in place for the visit.

Superintendent Rhys Hughes, police commander for the visit, said: This is an opportunity for the people of Somerset to see Her Majesty for the second time in seven years.

We have to be mindful of the safety of both the royal visitors and the public on such occasions, while minimising the amount of disruption for those wishing to go about their normal daily business.

Our operation for the visit will follow well-rehearsed plans, which have involved several weeks of planning, working with partner organisations including Buckingham Palace, local agency partners and the Metropolitan Police.

This is likely to be one of the biggest events in the Somerset area for some time and we are sure the people of Somerset will give Her Majesty a warm welcome.
Five people have been charged as part of an investigation into money laundering and VAT fraud (Joe Giddens/PA)

Police have arrested and charged five people as part of a probe into alleged money laundering and VAT fraud worth 12 million.

They were arrested between March 21 and 25 as part of an ongoing joint investigation by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and Police Scotland.

Those arrested were a 56-year-old man, 54-year-old woman and 34-year-old man, all from Bathgate, West Lothian, a 61-year-old man from Cambuslang, South Lanarkshire, and a 47-year-old man from Giffnock, East Renfrewshire.

VAT fraud is not a victimless crime - it deprives us all of money that should be funding our public servicesJoe Hendry, HMRC

All five were also charged with allegedly directing or being involved with serious organised crime and a report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal.

Detective Inspector Gordon Burns, of Police Scotlands Economic Crime and Financial Investigation Unit, said: Money laundering and associated criminality has a damaging effect on the UK economy and impacts on organisations, communities and individuals.

Police Scotland will robustly investigate any allegations of unlawful financial conduct and will use all available resources, working with our colleagues in HMRC, to proactively target those who seek to profit from criminality.

HMRC urged anyone with information about suspected fraud to report it to HMRC online or call its fraud hotline on 0800 788 887.

Joe Hendry, assistant director of HMRCs Fraud Investigation Service, said: VAT fraud is not a victimless crime  it deprives us all of money that should be funding our public services.
One DUP MP appeared to go on a solo run in Wednesday night's voting on finding Brexit alternatives.

According to parliament's official division lists - which records how each MP voted - Strangford MP Jim Shannon voted against leaving the EU with no deal on April 12, while the rest of the party abstained. In the rest of the votes the DUP voted, or abstained as one.

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All 10 MPs abstained on the Common Market 2.0 option. It proposed UK membership of the European Free Trade Association and European Economic Area. It would have allowed continued participation in the single market and a comprehensive customs arrangement with the EU after Brexit, which would remain in place until the agreement of a wider trade deal which guaranteed frictionless movement of goods and an open border in Ireland.

On motion H, which proposed remaining within the EEA and rejoining EFTA, but remaining outside a customs union with the EU again all the party abstained.

All 10 MPs voted against a motion in favour of a commitment to negotiate a permanent and comprehensive UK-wide customs union with the EU in any Brexit deal. That was the closest vote on the night with a majority of just eight.

On Labour's alternative plan for a close economic relationship with the EU - all 10 MPs voted against.

They all again voted against a motion on revoking Article 50 if there was no agreement on leaving without a deal if the withdrawal agreement did not pass in the Commons.

In Margaret Beckett's motion on a public vote to confirm any Brexit deal all 10 of the DUP MPs voted against it.

And on a motion on seeking to get preferential trade agreements with the EU if the withdrawal agreement is not passed - the DUP voted in favour of the motion. However, that was defeated by 139 votes to 422.

The DUP need to stop, take stock, get a grip on reality. Sinn Fein

Separately the DUP also voted against amending the date of Brexit. That amendment was passed by 441 voted to 105 and postponed the exit date from Friday, March 29 at 11pm until at least April 12. Or if Theresa May secures backing for her withdrawal agreement until May 22.

Meanwhile Lady Sylvia Hermon voted in favour of two motions. Those of revoking article 50 if no agreement is reached in parliament and on having a public voted on any Brexit deal. She voted against the other six.

Sinn Fein abstained on each vote as they do not take their seats. The party accused the DUP of being detached from reality on Brexit.

"The DUP are continuing to ignore the voices of the business sector, farmers, community organisations and a multitude of others who are raising genuine fears about the impact of a crash-out Brexit," said MP Chris Hazzard.

"They are now even ignoring their hardline Brexiteers friends in the Tory party in their pursuit of a delusional, reckless Brexit.

"They need to stop, take stock, get a grip on reality and accept the fact that the Withdrawal Agreement is the only way to avoid a catastrophic crash-out."

In reaction to the result Sir Oliver Letwin said it was to be expected. MPs will again attempt to bring forward a new set of options on Monday to find a consensus on the way forward.

Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay said the result strengthened the argument for voting in favour of the Prime Minister's deal.
Rhoda Grant spoke out in support of her constituent in the Scottish Parliament (Mark Runnacles/PA)

An MSP has called for a truly independent inquiry into the treatment of a Scottish Government agency employee who was pictured taped to a chair at work.

Scottish Labours Rhoda Grant made the call as she claimed DeeAnn Fitzpatrick suffered institutional racism, sexism, harassment and abuse at the hands of Marine Scotland.

The Highlands MSP described her constituent as a brave, courageous woman and said she has endured oppressive behaviour over years.

Equalities Minister Christina McKelvie said the case is the subject of an ongoing internal process, making it inappropriate for her to comment at this stage.

Ms Fitzpatrick previously claimed she experienced bullying and harassment while employed as a fisheries officer at Marine Scotlands Scrabster office in the Highlands.

The Canadian national lost a case at an employment tribunal in June last year, which did not consider the restraint incident alleged to have occurred in 2010.

Expand Close Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Government Leslie Evans alongside First Minister Nicola Sturgeon (Andrew Milligan/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Government Leslie Evans alongside First Minister Nicola Sturgeon (Andrew Milligan/PA)

In 2018, Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Government Leslie Evans was asked to review the case of Ms Fitzpatrick by the First Minister and concluded the chair incident was completely unacceptable, whatever the circumstances.

Ms Grant used a members debate on condemning misogyny and harassment to raise the whistleblowers case in a speech she described as probably the most difficult one she has made.

She claimed a manager referred to women in extremely derogatory terms.

I cannot repeat the language used here in the chamber, but it was racist, sexist, vicious and degrading, Ms Grant told MSPs.

DeeAnn has been subject to institutional racism, sexism, harassment and abuse at the hands of Marine Scotland, a Scottish Government directorate.

Ms Grant said the abuse continues, despite her raising the matter at senior levels in Government.

Over years the oppressive behaviour is constant and undermining, Ms Grant said, adding her constituent was constantly being held to a different standard than others.

Im told by a colleague that this was deliberate and systematic conduct by others in the office and in the line of command in Marine Scotland, designed to wear her down and force her out, she said.

On the photograph, she said: Officers photographed her to humiliate and degrade her because she spoke out about inappropriate behaviour in the workplace.

I hope that this goes some way to ensuring that DeeAnn gets the independent inquiry that she absolutely, desperately deservesAnnie Wells MSP

The MSP claimed Ms Fitzpatrick has not been suspended but has been given no reason why she is not allowed to return to work and is being pursued by Marine Scotland with further disciplinary action.

She told the chamber: The First Ministers investigation only looked at the incident with the photograph, neither was it independent.

She demanded a truly independent inquiry into Ms Fitzpatricks treatment, saying: It cannot be put off any longer.

SNP MSP Rona Mackay described the case as extremely shocking, while Green co-convener Patrick Harvie said it was an experience which I hope all of us across the chamber would find utterly intolerable.

Conservative MSP Annie Wells said: I hope that this goes some way to ensuring that DeeAnn gets the independent inquiry that she absolutely, desperately deserves.

Ms McKelvie told MSPs that misogyny, racism, harassment and sexism have no place in todays society, or in our working environment.

On the case in question, she said: I appreciate and I know how strongly Rhoda Grant and many others feel about the issues that DeeAnn has faced.

I know that it is still subject to an ongoing process, an internal process, that really I shouldnt be getting involved in.

It would be completely inappropriate for me to comment on (it) at this time.

I know that Rhoda Grant has been offered a meeting with Scottish Government officials to discuss this and I would urge her to take up that offer if she can.

A Scottish Government spokesman later added: Harassment or abuse of any form is completely unacceptable, and will not be tolerated in the Scottish Government.

We have robust policies and procedures in place to deal with instances where behaviour falls below the standard expected.

This matter is the subject of an ongoing internal process. We do not discuss internal staffing matters.
Tory Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg caused much head scratching and some raised eyebrows in using what he termed "deeply Catholic" terminology in referring to the DUP.

The MP - chair of the influential ERG Conservative grouping of Brexiteers - has said he would back Theresa May, although would take his guidance from the DUP on how it moved.

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On Wednesday evening moments after the Prime Minister's vow to quit but before the DUP came out saying it remained firm on not backing the withdrawal agreement he told Sky News he thought the chances of it getting agreed were much higher than they had previously been.

Scores of MPs - including Boris Johnson - who had been against the deal were reported throwing their weight behind it.

Mr Rees Mogg said the ERG were considering very carefully what was happening.

"I think if the DUP were to signal at least a nihil obstat if not an imprimatur then it would probably get through."

He was asked to translate for those that didn't speak Latin what he just said.

"I've suddenly realised when referring to the DUP I have used deeply Catholic terminology.

" A nihil obstat is for a book that doesn't offend, and an imprimatur is one that is approved of.

"So basically if they abstain it would be fine."

He added: "I am not going to abandon the DUP and we visited the Irish border. I think the United Kingdom, the union is crucially important. Therefore I would not want to do anything that would weaken the United Kingdom."

Later the DUP said it could not support Theresa May's withdrawal agreement.
A Latvian housekeeper who thought her four-year-old daughter would have a better life in Britain must return home, a judge in London has ruled.

She left Latvia with the youngster during the summer of 2018 and had found a job in England, Mr Justice Williams heard.

But her estranged Latvian partner took legal action and claimed that his daughter had wrongly been taken abroad.

Mr Justice Williams, who is based in the Family Division of the High Court, has concluded that mother and child should return to Latvia.

He says Latvian judges should make decisions about the childs future.

The woman made a series of allegations against the childs father.

She said she had been subjected to domestic abuse which included violence and controlling behaviour.

The woman also said she had relatives in England and thought her daughter would be much better off in Britain.

He estranged partner had denied allegations made against him and said the woman had not fled because of domestic abuse.

Mr Justice Williams has outlined detail of the case in a written ruling following a private hearing.

He has not identified the family involved.
Ryan Richardson, 28, was found dead at his home in Shettleston, Glasgow (Police Scotland/PA)

A man has been arrested and charged in connection with the death of a 28-year-old who was found dead at his home in Glasgow.

The body of Ryan Richardson was found by police at his flat in Kilmany Drive in the Shettleston area on Friday March 15.

Officers went to the property after being told by his family that Mr Richardson had not been in contact for more than a week.

Police said a 25-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with the death.

He is due to appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Friday.

A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.
Protesters calling for a Birmingham primary school to suspend lessons teaching respect for same-sex relationships have staged a ninth day of demonstrations.

Around 50 adults gathered at Anderton Park Primary School on Thursday as children finished classes  with many holding banners and chanting let kids be kids.

The protests come after the citys Parkfield Community School announced it would be suspending its diversity and inclusivity programme  No Outsiders  until a resolution can be reached with parents.

Although Anderton Park does not teach the No Outsiders programme, some parents have claimed that not enough information has been given out by the school regarding its efforts to teach tolerance and respect of minorities.

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Speaking before the latest protest, some of the demonstrators accused the school of preaching not teaching and claimed many Muslim parents were concerned at the content of the teaching of LGBT issues.

Urging the head to meet parents collectively, organiser Shakeel Afsar said: We are very reasonable people. We co-exist on the basis that we must respect everyone regardless of their sexual orientation.

The school has not co-operated and communicated with the parents, 98% of whom are from a religious background. We are just parents concerned for our children.

Local Labour councillor Kerry Jenkins, who has supported the school during the demonstrations, said its headteacher had sent several newsletters to parents in recent days.

Ms Jenkins said the school was doing nothing wrong and was fulfilling its duties under the Equality Act.

Parents have got the right to air genuine concerns but its hard to find a genuine concern in this protest because the school is not doing anything out of the ordinary. Everybody should be treated equallyCouncillor Kerry Jenkins

Asked what she believed the protesters were demanding, she added: Its difficult to understand because its fluid. It changes all the time.

Originally it was against No Outsiders but when they realised that wasnt being taught (at Anderton Park) it changed.

Ms Jenkins said of the schools headteacher: Her door has been open to all parents who have any concerns. She has met with over 40 parents and had discussions with them.

A group meeting with the protesters was not the way forward and the protests were doing nothing to help community cohesion, Ms Jenkins added.

Parents have got the right to air genuine concerns but its hard to find a genuine concern in this protest because the school is not doing anything out of the ordinary. Everybody should be treated equally.

Expand Close Anderton Park Primary does not teach the No Outsiders programme (Aaron Chown/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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Commenting on pupils being invited to join the protest, Ms Jenkins said: Children at this age do not understand what all the commotion is about.

I find it really disappointing that children are being pulled into this protest.

The Department for Education has said Parkfield is an outstanding school and it is working with staff and parents to find a solution to the ongoing dispute.

Anderton Parks headteacher, Sarah Hewitt-Clarkson, has said the school does not have a specific programme about any aspect of the Equality Act because it wants to weave it in to usualise the language of equality for all aspects of schooling.

A national petition calling for parents to have the right to opt their child out of relationship and sex education has gathered more than 115,00 signatures, forcing the matter to be debated in Parliament.
The Queen fed carrots to racehorses at trainer Paul Nicholls Manor Farm Stables in Ditcheat, Somerset (Andrew Matthews/PA)

The Queen fed carrots to racehorses at the stables of champion trainer Paul Nicholls during a visit to Somerset.

She travelled on the Royal Train to Castle Cary station, where she was presented with a posy.

Her first engagement was at Manor Farm Stables in Ditcheat, where she met Mr Nicholls and six of his National Hunt horses.

The Queen wore an Angela Kelly lime green and ivory summer tweed dress with coat and matching hat.

Expand Close The Lord Lieutenant of Somerset, Annie Maw, greets the Queen as she arrives at Castle Cary station on the Royal Train (Ben Birchall/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp The Lord Lieutenant of Somerset, Annie Maw, greets the Queen as she arrives at Castle Cary station on the Royal Train (Ben Birchall/PA)

The six horses  including Frodon and Clan Des Obeaux, which is co-owned by Sir Alex Ferguson  were paraded before her.

She fed them carrots before hearing from researchers from the University of Bath who are working on projects on equestrian sport spinal injuries and racehorse welfare.

Before leaving the stables, the Queen was presented with a posy by Mr Nicholls eight-year-old daughter Zara, and a hamper from local cheesemaker Barbers.

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Whatsapp The Queen is presented by trainer Paul Nicholls with a photograph of himself and the Queen Mother (Andrew Matthews/PA)

Mr Nicholls also gave the Queen a framed black and white photograph of the Queen Mother presenting him with the Hennessy Gold Cup in 1987.

Speaking after the visit, he described the occasion as amazing.

It was a fantastic experience to bring Her Majesty to the yard and meet the superstar horses. I was more nervous about today then I was about the Cheltenham Festival, he said.

She loved seeing the horses and gave them all a carrot, and she knew as much about them as we do.

She saw them run at Cheltenham and she knows what she is talking about and loved feeding them.

I have been lucky enough to meet the Queen several times and she is obviously a racing enthusiast.

Expand Close There was a warm welcome for the Queen when she arrived at Kings Bruton School to mark its 500th anniversary and open the new Music Centre (Ben Birchall/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp There was a warm welcome for the Queen when she arrived at Kings Bruton School to mark its 500th anniversary and open the new Music Centre (Ben Birchall/PA)

Mr Nicholls added: I jokingly said to the Queen that box one is currently empty and we have space for one of her horses.

Professor Keith Stokes and Dr Dario Cazzola, from the University of Baths Department for Health, presented their new project with the British Horseracing Authority to the Queen.

Their research, building on previous injury prevention work within rugby unions, focuses on spinal injury reduction for jockeys.

It will be combined with research carried out at the British Racing School in Newmarket to highlight links between certain types of falls and increased chances of spinal injury.

Expand Close The Queen later visited the Hauser and Wirth Somerset gallery (Toby Melville/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp The Queen later visited the Hauser and Wirth Somerset gallery (Toby Melville/PA)

Prof Stokes said: Spinal injuries can have a dramatic impact on peoples lives and using the digital archive to inform strategies that have the potential to reduce the risk of these injuries is extremely valuable.

Today was an exciting opportunity to showcase to Her Majesty the important impact we hope to make with these projects in improving safety in horse racing.

The Queen was also told about the work of Dr Ben Metcalfe, who is developing a sensor platform for race horses to give trainers and veterinary professionals real-time data on horse fitness and well-being.

His device, the EquiVi, is a non-invasive wearable device  similar to fitness and activity trackers used by humans.

Annie Maw, the Lord-Lieutenant of Somerset, met the Queen when she arrived at the railway station.

As a paraplegic  the result of falling from a horse  I take a particular interest in these issues, said Ms Maw.

I sincerely hope that this work could help reduce incidence of what is a truly devastating injury.

I am delighted we have been able to showcase this important work to Her Majesty during the recent royal visit to Somerset.

New police horse Windsor wins Royal seal of approval 



Windsor was formally named by Her Majesty The Queen during her visit to @KingsBruton this afternoon 



#RoyalVisitSomerset pic.twitter.com/fYONzdLfzp  Avon and Somerset Police (@ASPolice) March 28, 2019

After her visit to the stables, the Queen visited Kings Bruton, a co-educational school founded in 1519, to mark 500 years of the school.

Avon and Somerset Police said around 400 well-wishers were at the school to give the Queen a right royal welcome.

Later, the Queen was due to name a police horse during the visit, her first to the county since the 2012 Jubilee tour of the UK.

On that tour, she named a police horse Jubilee, and was expected to meet it again on Thursday.
Police have been investigating claims of anti-Semitism in the Labour party (Sean Dempsey/PA)

Three people have been arrested in a police investigation into alleged anti-Semitism among Labour Party members.

A man in his 50s was arrested in Birmingham on March 7, a second man in his 50s in Tunbridge Wells on March 14 and a woman in her 70s in Wandsworth, south London, on March 21, on suspicion of publishing or distributing material likely to stir up racial hatred.

All three have been released pending further inquiries.

The investigation was prompted by an internal Labour dossier detailing anti-Semitic social media messages allegedly posted by party members, which was obtained by LBC radio.

Anti-Semitism has no place in our society and we are committed to challenging and campaigning against it in all its forms.Labour spokesman

Reports at the time suggested that the documents included details of 45 cases, including one which allegedly read: We shall rid the Jews who are a cancer on us all.

The radio station handed the dossier to Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick following an interview last September, and a formal inquiry was announced in November.

It is understood that disciplinary action was taken by Labour against the three individuals believed to be under investigation, and none of them are members of the party any longer.

In a statement, Scotland Yard said the contents of the dossier had been examined by specialist officers and the three individuals arrested were interviewed under caution before being released under investigation.

A Labour Party spokesman said: We welcome the police investigating these individuals alleged crimes.

Anti-Semitism has no place in our society and we are committed to challenging and campaigning against it in all its forms.

The arrests mark the latest stage in a long-running controversy over anti-Semitism among Labour supporters.

Expand Close Members of the Jewish community took part in a protest against anti-Semitism in the Labour party in Parliament Square last year (Yui Mok/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp Members of the Jewish community took part in a protest against anti-Semitism in the Labour party in Parliament Square last year (Yui Mok/PA)

Leader Jeremy Corbyn has told general secretary Jennie Formby to make rooting the prejudice out her number one priority. However, Jewish groups have accused the party of failing to take action quickly enough.

In a joint statement, the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the Community Security Trust and the Jewish Leadership Council said: It is highly significant that the Metropolitan Police have now made three arrests in connection with Labours anti-Semitism problem.

We await the outcome of the investigations, but ask why Labour had not itself alerted the police.

We are also concerned as to how many more cases remain unknown and repeat our request, made one year ago to Mr Corbyn, that the party urgently appoint an independent ombudsman on such matters.
MPs are to vote again on Brexit on Friday, but the debate will not amount to a third attempt to pass a "meaningful vote" on Theresa May's EU withdrawal package.

Leader of the House Andrea Leadsom told MPs that the House of Commons will hold an unscheduled sitting to consider a motion on EU withdrawal.

She appeared to indicate that MPs could be asked to approve the Withdrawal Agreement reached last November, but not the Political Declaration setting out plans for a future trade and security relationship with the EU.

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Passing the Withdrawal Agreement alone would allow the UK to qualify for an extension in Brexit talks to May 22 under the terms set down by the European Council last week.

But it would not fulfil the requirements of last year's EU Withdrawal Act, which stipulates that both elements must be approved by MPs to pass the "meaningful vote" allowing the deal to be ratified.

Asked by Labour MP Chris Bryant whether the two parts of the Brexit package were being separated in this way, Ms Leadsom replied: "What motion that comes forward tomorrow must do is is it must enable us to meet the Council conclusions which say that any unilateral commitment, statement or other act should be compatible with the letter and the spirit of the Withdrawal Agreement."

No information was being made available on the wording of the motion to be tabled later on Thursday, but a Downing Street source said it would not be the third "meaningful vote" under the terms of the Act - known in Westminster as MV3.

The Prime Minister must secure Commons approval for her deal by 11pm on Friday for the UK to be granted an automatic delay to May 22 of the date on which it leaves the EU.

Friday's debate is dependent on a business motion being moved and passed by the House later on Thursday, and on Speaker John Bercow deeming that the Government's proposal is in line with parliamentary rules which ban the same motion being repeatedly tabled.

Downing Street has previously indicated that a third "meaningful vote" would only be attempted if the Prime Minister felt there was a credible chance of success, after its defeat by 230 votes in January and 149 in March.

The Democratic Unionist Party said on Thursday that its opposition to the Withdrawal Agreement remained unchanged.

Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer said Labour would not accept any attempt to separate the Withdrawal Agreement from the Political Declaration, which he warned would result in "the blindest of blindfold Brexits".

Following Mrs May's announcement on Wednesday that she will stand down before negotiations on the future relationship begin, a failure to seal the Political Declaration could leave the UK facing "a Boris Johnson Brexit, a Jacob Rees-Mogg Brexit or a Michael Gove Brexit", he warned.

"We would be leaving the EU, but with absolutely no idea where we are heading," Sir Keir told a conference of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC). "That cannot be acceptable and Labour will not vote for it."

Ms Leadsom told MPs that talks were ongoing to ensure Friday's motion complies with Mr Bercow's ruling that MPs must be offered a proposal which is substantially different from earlier versions.

She said: "The European Council has agreed to an extension until May 22 provided the Withdrawal Agreement is approved by the House of Commons this week.

"It's crucial we make every effort to give effect to that and to allow the House to debate this important issue.

"We do not want to be in a situation of asking for another extension and, of course, for the requirement to undertake European Parliament elections."

Talks were continuing on Thursday to try to win round the Conservatives' DUP allies, who indicated on Wednesday that they were not willing to back the deal because of its controversial "backstop" provisions for the Irish border. However, the PM's spokesman had no information about Mrs May getting personally involved in meetings with the Northern Irish party.

The Prime Minister's dramatic promise to resign if her deal goes through has convinced some key Tory Brexiteers finally to back her, raising hopes in Downing Street of a breakthrough.

But with the DUP and a hardcore of Tory Eurosceptics holding out against the deal, the Government appears not to have the numbers in the Commons to be sure of victory.

The support of the DUP had been seen as crucial, both in making up the numbers for the vote and in winning over Tory waverers.

Mr Rees-Mogg, leader of the pro-Brexit European Research Group (ERG) who is now supporting the deal, suggested a way could still be found to get the DUP on board.

"I'm in favour of the deal and I hope the DUP will come over to the deal but we'll have to wait and see what they do," he said.

Mrs May's effective deputy David Lidington pleaded with MPs to back the Brexit deal.

Speaking at the BCC conference, he recognised "real frustration" in the business community over the uncertainty caused by Brexit.

"From the Prime Minister down, the Government is doing all it can to secure a Brexit that does follow the result of the 2016 referendum but does so in a way that protects jobs and economic growth," he said.

Mr Lidington acknowledged that a "chaotic, disorganised Brexit without an agreed deal is something we should not be seeking to have".
The Prince of Wales during his visit to Little Cayman highlighting marine conservation as part of his tour of the Cayman Islands (Phil Noble/PA)

The premier of the Cayman Islands has declared that Caymanians remain staunchly British as he joined the Prince of Wales on a tour of the Caribbean outcrops.

As Charles began his first full day in the British Overseas Territory, Premier Alden McLaughlin described the trip as reaffirming ties between the UK and the Cayman Islands.

The heir to the throne flew to Cayman Brac to open a much needed open-air public pool on a picturesque island.

The Prince of Wales cuts a ribbon to open the new swimming pool in Cayman Brac, which will be used by the local schools for training and competitions, and by members of the public. #RoyalVisitCayman pic.twitter.com/EqcFXmFqJL  The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall (@ClarenceHouse) March 28, 2019

He was joined by Mr McLaughlin, who said: We are staunchly British.

I dont think a lot of people in the UK realise how long weve actually been British. Weve been a British possession since the Treaty of Madrid (signed in 1670).

The Prince of Wales has a meeting at Government House with the Premier and Governor of the Cayman Islands. #RoyalVisitCayman pic.twitter.com/qrjHbMCUuz  The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall (@ClarenceHouse) March 28, 2019

And the Cayman Islands were first settled by the British around the 1700s, so weve gone more than 300 years of being British.

Notwithstanding the fact that many former British colonies including Jamaica, of which we were a dependency for a long time, have moved on to independence, the Cayman Islands have remained staunchly British.

And there really are no serious moves or movement to change that status, we have a very high degree of self-government and were quite happy with our status.

Expand Close Charles strokes a blue iguana called Peter at the Queen Elizabeth II Royal Botanic Park (Chris Jackson/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp Charles strokes a blue iguana called Peter at the Queen Elizabeth II Royal Botanic Park (Chris Jackson/PA)

The Cayman Islands is well known for being a tax haven for the wealthy, famous and big business and has been criticised for providing a financial bolthole for those who want to pay less tax.

The Cayman Islands are also known for their stunning beaches, marine life and coral reefs that attract tourists and amateur divers from across the world.

But climate change is threatening life in the waters around the islands and Charles learnt about the work of the Central Caribbean Marine Institute (CCMI) when he travelled on to Little Cayman where the organisation is based.

HIs Royal Highness Prince Charles learned about the critical work CCMI does to understand resiliency to changing conditions and how we can aid the recovery of coral reefs. #RoyalVisitCayman pic.twitter.com/0VwKGmvXSR  CCMI (@reefresearch) March 28, 2019

Dr Carrie Manfrino, president and founder of the CMMI, gave a presentation about the Institutes work collecting data on the surrounding corals since 1999 and went further to highlight the plight of the seas around the world.

Before the prince and a group of Year 6 schoolchildren took part in a Reefs go Live event  a live link-up to a dive team on the reef  she said: Theres a global problem, in the past 40 years half of the known marine organisms have disappeared and the UN reports 70% of the earths coral reefs are threatened.

Our message today, we need to act urgently and act now to protect the coral reefs.

In the link-up Charles and the students saw and heard a diver for a few minutes on a large screen who explained what a reef was before the connection was lost.

Expand Close Charles during his visit to Little Cayman (Phil Noble/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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The event was held on the beachfront and Charles went outside and used a telescope to try to spot local turtles who were in the waters earlier in the day but could not be seen.
Chuck Cravens recently submitted a fascinating retrospective featuring the recent restoration at AirCorps Aviation in Bemidji, Minnesota of the Dakota Territory Air Museums P-51C Mustang Lopes Hope 3rd, dedicated to the life of the legendary Don Lopez, who flew an aircraft just like this in the CBI during WWII. The restoration went on to win the biggest of awards at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018, and we thought our readers might enjoy learning a little more about that experience

DAKOTA TERRITORY AIR MUSEUMS LOPES HOPE 3RD, WARBIRD GRAND CHAMPION 2018

by Chuck Cravens

Don Lopez the inspiration for this restoration

As far as is known, Lopes Hope 3rd is the first P-51C restored to honor Mustangs serving in China. Donald and Lopes Hope 3rd served in the China-Burma-India theater with the 14th Air Force, 23rd Fighter Group, 75th Squadron. The 75ths mission throughout its service in China was to establish air superiority and strafe airfields, supplies, and Japanese troop concentrations.

The squadron flew from several airfields in China and moved from base to base, depending on the position of the front lines separating the Chinese army and the invaders from Japan. The 75th and sister squadrons, the 74th and 76th, were able to command the airspace and prevent the Japanese from developing a consistently effective bombing campaign in China during the final three years of the war.

Lt. Lopez flew 101 combat missions and had 5 victories in China.

Don Lopezs contributions to aviation didnt stop with World War II. He went on to serve as a test pilot when the Air Force became a separate branch and transitioned to the early jets. At the close of World War II, Donald was assigned to the elite Proof Test Group of the Air Proving Ground Command at Eglin Field in Florida. There he test flew the P-59, P-80, and P-84, testing weapons systems, suitability for operational status, and developing tactics in the new jets.

Don also flew a tour in Korea, and spent five years helping establish the aeronautics department and teaching at the Air Force Academy.

In 1972, Lopez joined the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum as assistant director of aeronautics. He served as the deputy director and historical architect from 1972 until his death in 2008.

Donald was instrumental in the planning and administration of both the museum on the Mall, which opened in 1976, and the Udvar-Hazy Center at near Dulles International Airport, which opened in 2003. Today, visitors to Hazy are greeted by a snarling P-40 with Lopes Hope on the cowling and 194 on the tail. Dons resting place is marked by a simple soldiers headstone at Arlington National Cemetery.

Leaving for Oshkosh

Preparation

Any time AirCorps presents a restored warbird for judging at Oshkosh, a great deal of preparation occurs to be certain that the airplane is presented at its best.

Before the trip, a 44 page judging book was prepared, to highlight details of the restoration that demonstrate craftsmanship, and both historical and technical accuracy.

Display Boards

Display boards were an important part of the Lopes Hope 3rd presentation. AirCorps historian composed, titled and obtained photo permissions. Then the material created was used by Evolve Creative to design attractive display boards. These were mounted on sandwich board stands for easy set up and take down.

Great air to air photography by Brent Clark, Scott Slocum, William Morgan and Matt McVicker made the boards eye-catching for Oshkosh attendees.

Visitors & Special Guests

The best reason to display a warbird at AirVenture is to share it with the people who attend. The history of the warbirds, the great men who flew them, and the sacrifices and effort that united America and allowed us to emerge victorious are preserved in a dramatically visual way by flying warbirds. Talking to people who stop by the display of a warbird allows that same history to be told in detail specific to a single plane like P-51C Lopes Hope 3rd.

We spoke with thousands of visitors and had some very special people stop by.

Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum

Kent Voight

Lt. Lopez had a pet parrot in China, and Ken Voight brought the parrot and a bit of interesting history:

My father-in-law was in China and flew some missions with Lopez. It always cracked him up when he talked about Lopes parrot and if the parrot started drooping his head, Lopez would give it oxygen.  Kent Voight

Harry Theobold

A woman wheeled an elderly man up to Lopes Hope 3rd in a wheelchair and introduced herself as Cythia Blisard and her father as Harry Theobold.

Harry came to Oshkosh specifically to see B-17s, B-24s, and P-51s. While he didnt get to see a B-24, he was more than happy with the Mustang turnout. The bombers were important to Harry because he was a tailgunner, with 15 missions in B-24s, and 19 missions in B-17s. When I asked him about his interest in the Mustang he replied Once the Mustangs arrived and could escort us all the way to the target, we didnt see German fighters anymore. Those P-51 pilots saved my life. Later on, EAA Warbirds, Dakota Territory Air Museum, and AirCorps folks helped make sure that Harry met a current B-17 crew and two WWII veteran pilots, Dick Cole and P-51 pilot Bud Anderson.

Meeting members of the greatest generation, and doing everything we can to honor them and helping them enjoy their airshow time is the best part of the Oshkosh experience!

Heather Penney

Warbirds Banquet

After 6 days of displaying Lopes Hope 3rd and sharing Don Lopez and his P-51Cs history, it was time to attend the EAA Warbirds banquet.

We hope that you have enjoyed reading through this fascinating piece. If you would like to learn more about the restoration of this magnificent aircraft, please be sure to check out the back issue of Warbird Digest Magazine (Issue #76) in which we describe the restoration process in minute detail, and feature some fabulous air-to-air images of this beautiful fighter taken by the inimitable Scott Slocum.
Chicago city officials on Thursday ordered Empire actor Jussie Smollett to pay 130,000 dollars (99,500) to cover the cost of the investigation into his report of a street attack that police say was staged to promote his career.

A letter from the citys legal department to Smollett and his lawyers said the figure covers overtime worked by more than two dozen detectives and officers who spent weeks looking into Smolletts claim, including reviewing video and physical evidence and conducting interviews.

Those resources, the letter said, could have been used for other investigations.

Hours earlier, President Donald Trump tweeted that the FBI and the Department of Justice would review the outrageous case, calling it an embarrassment to the country.

Prosecutors infuriated the mayor, Rahm Emanuel, and the police chief this week when they abruptly dropped 16 felony counts that accused Smollett of making a false police report about being the target of a racist, anti-gay attack in January.

Smollett has maintained his innocence and insisted that the attack was real.

The prosecution sealed the case, but authorities still say the actor concocted the assault.

Prosecutors offered no additional information Thursday during a court hearing where media attorneys argued that the public has a right to know what happened.

If Smollett fails to pay, city officials could take him to court to seek the reimbursement, as well as fines and court costs, the letter said.

In the past, city officials have sought restitution from other people who made false reports and from businesses that pursued city contracts by seeking disadvantaged business status.

Expand Close Rahm Emanuel, right, and Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson appeared at a news conference after prosecutors abruptly dropped all charges against Jussie Smollett (Mitch Armentrout/Chicago Sun-Times/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp Rahm Emanuel, right, and Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson appeared at a news conference after prosecutors abruptly dropped all charges against Jussie Smollett (Mitch Armentrout/Chicago Sun-Times/AP)

Investigators believe Smollett, who is black and gay, hired two brothers to stage the January 29 attack in central Chicago and that Smollett hoped the attention would help advance his career.

Police also allege that before the attack, Smollett sent a letter threatening himself to the Chicago television studio where Empire is shot.

The FBI, which is investigating that letter, has declined to comment.

Smollett attorney Tina Glandian said the two brothers are lying. She said Smollett had hired one brother as a personal trainer but had no idea who attacked him along a Chicago street until the brothers were later identified by police.

Smollett has repeatedly said the two masked men shouted slurs, wrapped a rope around his neck and poured a substance on him.

He also told detectives that the attackers yelled that he was in MAGA country, an apparent reference to Mr Trumps Make America Great Again campaign slogan, police said.

Prosecutors initially charged Smollett with one felony count in February. A grand jury indicted him on 15 more counts earlier this month.

But in a stunning reversal Tuesday, prosecutors abruptly dropped all charges, just five weeks after the allegations were filed.

In return, prosecutors said, the actor agreed to let the city keep his 10,000 dollars (7,600) in bail.

Also among those sure to keep pressing for answers is Mr Emanuel. He appeared blindsided by the decision to drop the charges and visibly angry during a Tuesday news conference where he called the decision a whitewash of justice.
Italys hardline interior minister has branded the migrants who hijacked a tanker as pirates while aid groups blamed European Union policy for the incident which was ended by the intervention of a Maltese special operations team.

Armed military personnel stood guard on the ships deck, and a dozen or so migrants were also visible, as the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1 docked safely on Thursday at the Maltese port of Senglea.

Five suspected ringleaders were led off in handcuffs.

In all, the Turkish tanker had rescued 77 men, 19 women and 12 minors, including toddlers, at sea, Malta officials said.

One pregnant woman and one child were being treated at a hospital as a precaution.

Expand Close Matteo Salvini (Alessandra Tarantino/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

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Authorities in Italy and Malta said the group had hijacked the vessel after it rescued them in the Mediterranean Sea off Libya, and forced the crew to put the Libya-bound vessel on a course north toward Europe.

Maltese armed forces said the captain told them, when the ship was still 30 nautical miles offshore, that he was not in control of the vessel and that he and his crew were being forced and threatened by a number of migrants to proceed to Malta.

No details were given of what force or threats were used, and there was no immediate word on the condition of El Hiblu 1s crew.

During the night @Armed_Forces_Malta conducted sensitive operation on high seas, boarding a ship allegedly captured by #migrants off #Libya and diverted to #Malta. We do not shirk responsibility despite our size. We will now follow all international rules accordingly -JM  Joseph Muscat (@JosephMuscat_JM) March 28, 2019

But a military official said the migrants did not have weapons but that the captain and crew were outnumbered and forced to surrender.

Italys interior minister Matteo Salvini described the takeover as the first act of piracy on the high seas with migrants as the alleged hijackers.

Mr Salvini, who insisted the ship would not be allowed to dock in Italy, praised Maltas interception.

Immigration is managed by criminals and should be blocked by any legal means necessary, Mr Salvini was quoted as saying by the Italian news agency Ansa.

Humanitarian organisations rejected Mr Salvinis characterisation of piracy, saying that migrants have been repeatedly mistreated, raped and tortured in Libya.

Expand Close Armed forces stand onboard the tanker (Rene Rossignaud/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

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They have long protested against EU protocols to return migrants rescued offshore to the lawless northern African nation.

The aid group Sea Watch said the migrants actions were in self-defence against the deadly consequences forced upon them by Europes inhumane border policy.

German humanitarian group Sea-Eye said it heard a European naval aircraft ask the tanker to respond to two rubber boats, which reported that the people on board were in mortal danger and that the Libyan Coast Guard was out of service.

Last year, 2,299 migrants died at sea while trying to reach Europe, according to the International Organisation for Migration.

So far this year, 289 have died.

The ship had been heading toward Italys southernmost island of Lampedusa and the island nation of Malta when Maltese forces intercepted it.

The special team that restored control to the captain was backed by a patrol vessel, two fast interceptor craft and a helicopter.

Expand Close Migrants leave the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1 (Rene Rossignaud/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

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Maltese prime minister Joseph Muscat said on Twitter that the nations armed forces had conducted a sensitive operation on high seas.

We do not shirk responsibility despite our size, he said, pledging to follow international rules.

Still, both Italy and Malta have refused to open their ports to humanitarian ships that rescue migrants at sea, which has created numerous stand-offs as European governments haggle over who will take them in.

A private group that operates a rescue ship and monitors how governments treat migrants, Mediterranea, urged compassion for the group on the hijacked vessel in Malta.

It said it hoped European countries would act in the name of fundamental rights, remembering that we are dealing with human beings fleeing hell.

Expand Close A migrant, suspected to be involved in the hijack of the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1, is taken into custody (Rene Rossignaud/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp A migrant, suspected to be involved in the hijack of the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1, is taken into custody (Rene Rossignaud/AP)

Mass migration to Europe has dropped sharply since 2015, when the continent received one million refugees and migrants from countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa.

The surge created a humanitarian and political crisis in which desperate migrants frequently drowned at sea when overloaded smuggling boats capsized.

Key arrival spots such as Italy and Greece have then struggled to house large numbers of asylum-seekers.

Along with the dangerous sea journey itself, those who attempt to cross the Mediterranean risk being stopped by Libyas coast guard and held in Libyan detention centres where human rights groups say beatings, rapes, abuse and torture are routine.

Expand Close A view of Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1 (Rene Rossignaud/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp A view of Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1 (Rene Rossignaud/AP)

EU members alert the Libyan coast guard when refugees and migrants are spotted at sea so they can be taken back to Libya, despite knowing that people there are arbitrarily detained and exposed to widespread torture, rape, killings and exploitation, said Matteo de Bellis, an expert on migrants for Amnesty International.

European Union countries, facing some domestic opposition to welcoming immigrants, have decided to significantly downscale an EU rescue operation in the Mediterranean and have decided in principle to withdraw their ships, which would mean continuing the mission with air surveillance only.

A formal decision has to be made by Sunday, when the missions mandate expires.

This shameful decision has nothing to do with the needs of people who risk their lives at sea, but everything to do with the inability of European governments to agree on a way to share responsibility for them, Mr de Bellis said.

PRESS RELEASE: #Malta  @Armed_Forces_MT Special Operations Unit boarded Tanker #ELHIBRU1. Captain and crew were being forced and threatened by a number of migrants to proceed to Malta. Tanker, crew & migrants escorted to Malta by @Armed_Forces_MT to be handed over to Police. pic.twitter.com/6BVFnb7uPB  Government of Malta  (@MaltaGov) March 28, 2019

Commercial ships have been increasingly caught between European governments hostile to taking in new migrants and the international maritime laws obligation to save people needing help at sea.

Last November, dozens of migrants seized control of a container ship that had picked them up in the Mediterranean, barricading themselves inside and refusing to disembark in the Libyan port of Misrata.

After 10 days, Libyan authorities forcibly removed them from the ship and brought them to a detention centre.

During the standoff, several migrants on the vessel said six commercial ships had seen their rickety boat foundering but passed them by before they were picked up by the seventh.
Nato has extended the mandate of its top civilian official, secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg, for two years, making the former Norwegian premier one of the longest-serving heads of the military alliance.

Mr Stoltenberg said on Thursday he is honoured by the decision made by the 29 allies and I thank them for putting their trust in me.

Honoured by the decision by the #NATO Allies to extend my term as Secretary General until 30 September 2022. Together we will continue to adapt & modernise our Alliance to keep it fit for the future: https://t.co/ybBwSDOy6z pic.twitter.com/K5CIiqRYjl  Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) March 28, 2019

He said: We face the biggest security challenges in a generation and I look forward to continue working with all allies to adapt and modernise Nato.

Mr Stoltenberg, who assumed office in 2014, will now hold the post until September 30 2022.

Only former Dutch foreign minister Joseph Luns, who spent 13 years in office from 1971, will have served in the post longer if Mr Stoltenberg sees out his term.
This image taken from TVM video on Thursday March 28, 2019 shows armed forces onboard the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1 in Valletta, Malta, which was hijacked by migrants. A Maltese special operations team on Thursday boarded a tanker that had been hijacked by migrants rescued at sea, and returned control to the captain, before escorting it to a Maltese port. (TVM via AP)

A Maltese special forces team has boarded a tanker that had been hijacked by migrants rescued at sea, and returned control to the captain, before escorting it to a Maltese port.

Armed troops stood guard on the ships deck, and a dozen or so migrants were also visible, as the vessel docked at Boiler Wharf in the city of Senglea.

Several police vans were lined up on shore to take custody of the migrants for investigation, and four were led off the ship in handcuffs.

PRESS RELEASE: #Malta  @Armed_Forces_MT Special Operations Unit boarded Tanker #ELHIBRU1. Captain and crew were being forced and threatened by a number of migrants to proceed to Malta. Tanker, crew & migrants escorted to Malta by @Armed_Forces_MT to be handed over to Police. pic.twitter.com/6BVFnb7uPB  Government of Malta  (@MaltaGov) March 28, 2019

Authorities in Italy and Malta on Wednesday said that the group had hijacked the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1 after it rescued them in the Mediterranean Sea, and forced the crew to put the Libya-bound vessel on a course north towards Europe.

Italian interior minister Matteo Salvini said the ship had rescued about 120 people and described what happened as the first act of piracy on the high seas with migrants as the alleged hijackers.

Malta put the number of migrants rescued at 108.

Expand Close Matteo Salvini (Alessandra Tarantino/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

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The ship had been heading towards Italys southernmost island of Lampedusa and the island of Malta when Maltese forces intercepted it.

Troops established communications with the captain while the ship was still 30 nautical miles off shore. The captain told them he was not in control of the vessel and that he and his crew were being forced and threatened by a number of migrants to proceed to Malta.

A patrol vessel stopped the tanker from entering Maltese waters, they said.

The special forces team that restored control to the captain was backed by a patrol vessel, two fast interceptor craft and a helicopter.

Humanitarian organisations say migrants are mistreated and even tortured in Libya, and have protested over protocols to return migrants rescued offshore to the lawless northern African nation.

Italy and Malta have refused to open their ports to humanitarian ships that rescue migrants at sea, which has created numerous standoffs as European governments haggle over which will take them in.

Mediterranea, a private group that operates a rescue ship and monitors how governments treat migrants, urged compassion for the group on the hijacked vessel and said it hoped European countries would act in the name of fundamental rights, remembering that we are dealing with human beings fleeing hell.

Mass migration to Europe has dropped sharply since 2015, when the continent received a million refugees and migrants from countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa.

The surge created a humanitarian crisis in which desperate travellers frequently drowned and leading arrival spots such as Italy and Greece struggled to house large numbers of asylum-seekers.

Along with the dangerous sea journey itself, those who attempt to cross the Mediterranean risk being stopped by Libyas coastguard and held in Libyan detention centres that human rights groups have described as bleak places where migrants allegedly suffer routine abuse.

EU members alert the Libyan coastguard when refugees and migrants are spotted at sea so they can be taken back to Libya, despite knowing that people there are arbitrarily detained and exposed to widespread torture, rape, killings and exploitation, said Matteo de Bellis, an international migration researcher for Amnesty International.

EU countries, responding to domestic opposition to welcoming immigrants, have decided to significantly downscale an operation in the Mediterranean, withdrawing ships and continuing the mission with air surveillance only.

This shameful decision has nothing to do with the needs of people who risk their lives at sea, but everything to do with the inability of European governments to agree on a way to share responsibility for them, Mr de Bellis said.
People queue to get water from a truck in Caracas (Natacha Pisarenko/AP)

More power outages have hit Venezuela after the nations worst blackouts earlier this month, knocking out water pumps and forcing some Caracas residents to spend hours searching for bottled water or to fill up containers at springs in the citys hills.

Frustrated Venezuelans wondered how long they would have to endure the new outages, which started on Monday and again shut down schools, offices and factories.

The power crisis has sharpened a political struggle between President Nicolas Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaido, who urged supporters to protest as a response to Venezuelas deteriorating infrastructure.

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We cant be passive, said Mr Guaido, who announced a protest campaign titled Operation Liberty that includes planned demonstrations on Saturday and on April 6.

On Wednesday morning, a new disruption to the power grid left 91% of the country offline, reversing a partial recovery since the start of the latest nationwide blackouts, according to Netblocks, a group that monitors internet censorship.

By afternoon, the flow of power remained erratic, returning in some areas only to go off again in a pattern that is now familiar.

It comes and goes. Last night it came back at 10 oclock at night and at five oclock in the morning it left again. It hasnt come back since, said Luis Jose Vargas, a 48-year-old baker carrying a container of water filled from a brook.

With water, Mr Vargas said, its the same.

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As the outage stretched into evening, people howled with anger in the street and from apartment windows in one neighbourhood where the power, which had returned for some hours, went out yet again. Some cursed Mr Maduro.

Nancy Villasinda said she spent more than four hours trying in vain to find a shop selling water. The government had said city water pumps were starting to work again, but then another power cut hit, Ms Villasinda said.

I suppose thats why we still dont have water, she said.

Mr Maduros government said schools and state offices and industries were closed on Wednesday as workers tried to restore electricity.

Few shops in Caracas, the capital, were open and many streets were clear of the usual weekday traffic. The government ordered schools and businesses to remain closed on Thursday.

Mr Maduro said the outage was caused by a sniper attack on the nations electrical system using a long-range gun in a telephone call broadcast on Venezuelas state television Wednesday.

He said the damage was worse than any Venezuelan could have imagined but that he hoped to have good news about the restoration of power in the coming hours.

He also announced a march Saturday to rival Mr Guaidos, dubbed the Operation in Defence of Liberty, and urged pro-government groups, some of which are armed, to ensure there is zero guarimba, a reference to opposition protests.

Were never going to give up, he vowed.

What's happening there should not be happeningDonald Trump

After the last blackouts started on March 7, the situation became increasingly desperate for many Venezuelans when water pumps stopped working without power.

Looters ransacked hundreds of businesses in the city of Maracaibo. The blackouts eased nearly a week later, but many areas only had intermittent power even after the government said the problem was solved.

Mr Maduro, who is backed by Russia, says he is the target of a US-led coup plot and accuses the US and the Venezuelan opposition of sabotaging the countrys decrepit power system.

US officials and Mr Guaido say the accusation is an attempt to divert attention away from years of government mismanagement.

The United States was the first nation to recognise Mr Guaido as interim president, asserting that Mr Maduros re-election last year was illegitimate, and has stepped up sanctions and other diplomatic measures in hopes of forcing him to give up power.

On Wednesday, Mr Guaidos wife was welcomed at the White House as part of a tour to rally international support for the Venezuelan opposition.

We are with Venezuela, President Donald Trump said at the start of a meeting with Fabiana Rosales, the wife of opposition leader Mr Guaido, and other opposition figures.

Whats happening there should not be happening.
Theresa May is proof of the often repeated quote from Enoch Powell: "All political lives, unless they are cut off in midstream at a happy juncture, end in failure, because that is the nature of politics and of human affairs."

She has had to promise her party the equivalent of her political suicide in order to stand any chance of delivering Brexit. But even this pledge to stand down in the immediate future is not guaranteed to get her withdrawal agreement through the House of Commons.

She also added her own twist to Powell's quote by beginning her term as Prime Minister with failure. Having been handed the poisoned chalice of Brexit, she miscalculated the mood of the country and called a general election which saw her majority wiped out and left her totally reliant on the votes of the DUP to remain in office.

Given that the House of Commons was packed with Remainers and her own party was riven by more splits than the Arctic ice-cap with supposed colleagues all wanting different types of Brexit or no Brexit at all, no one envied her job in trying to find a consensus which could get the backing of Parliament.

But even with those handicaps she proved herself an inept negotiator against the might of the other 27 EU leaders. She allowed herself to be outmanoeuvred on the backstop which drew the ire of the DUP.

Her alliance with the DUP was a totally pragmatic one from her point of view.

She never seemed particularly interested in Northern Ireland and her inability to grasp the fundamentals of what made politics here tick - a trait surpassed by her latest Secretary of State - contributed in no small part to the chaos of the Brexit negotiations and the continuing stasis in politics in the province.

Mrs May repeatedly stressed her desire to keep the "precious Union" intact.

However, her continuing efforts to force through the one agreement that the DUP could not stomach - and the willingness of other Brexiteers to now throw their weight behind her deal - shows again that when push comes to shove, Northern Ireland is not the overriding priority of the Conservative Party.

But whatever Mrs May's failings and lack of imagination in negotiations, her tenacity in fighting to fulfil her promise to deliver Brexit - despite it being a concept she always seems ambivalent about - has to be admired.

She is sacrificing her political career by agreeing to stand down if MPs pass her deal and Britain would then leave the EU on May 22.

Another Tory leader would then be in charge of the substantive negotiations on what sort of comprehensive deal the UK can then agree.

Of course there is always the chance that her deal will fail for a third time to gain the backing of MPs and that would be a recipe for more chaos.

Mrs May's resignation pledge could then be rescinded and who knows what will happen next.

The DUP may be becoming more isolated but are not friendless and are still steadfastly opposed to Mrs May's deal. For them the "precious" Union trumps all other considerations.

This newspaper has consistently taken a pragmatic view on Brexit. We have argued for the best possible deal for Northern Ireland and the Prime Minister's deal - of those currently on the table - offers that in economic and trade terms. It is time for our politicians to assert what they want, not what they are opposed to.
I know it's a cliche, but we are now swimming in well and truly uncharted waters. Monday evening's vote in the House of Commons, enabling MPs to seek a majority on a Brexit deal other than the Prime Minister's, is both constitutionally and politically unprecedented.

Though there have been indicative votes in the past - notably in 2003 on prospective reform of the House of Lords - this time MPs have themselves wrested control from Government, rather than being enabled by Government to freely express their preferences.

On Monday, Conservative MPs were whipped to vote against the amendment tabled by Oliver Letwin (himself a Tory MP) providing for indicative votes, but 30 of them - including three now-former junior ministers, plus former Cabinet members - supported it. Its outcome represented another humiliating defeat for Theresa May.

The Prime Minister's days are surely numbered - or are they? It is not inconceivable that MPs fail to coalesce around an alternative to Mrs May's deal. Paradoxically, this could create the opportunity for her to table a third meaningful vote (perhaps today) on the withdrawal agreement and to win it.

While the most ardent, die-in-a-ditch Brexiteers will never vote for her deal, faced with the prospect of either supporting the withdrawal agreement, or anticipating a protracted delay during which a "softer" Brexit could secure majority support, others may hold their noses and back her proposal - including some within the European Research Group, chaired by Jacob Rees-Mogg.

Mr Rees-Mogg has himself recognised that it's either the PM's deal or a long delay and may yet swing behind her, which would be a startling volte face. He no longer seems to cleave to the view that he would dutifully vote with the DUP, whose opposition to the withdrawal agreement remains undiminished.

To that extent, Nigel Dodds and co may find themselves pushed to the margins of Parliament once more, a casualty of the Conservative Party's determination to maintain internal unity. In the current context, they will, I suspect, be prepared to risk a long delay rather than endorse the withdrawal agreement.

So, yes, Mr May's days are numbered: she will go, though whether on her terms (securing a majority for her deal), or whether she will be unceremoniously defenestrated, no longer able to cling to the window ledge by her fingertips, we shall see.

Given Monday evening's vote, there is now a multitude of moving parts in the Commons. The menu of options available to MPs may be lengthy and will certainly be mutually contradictory. They range from 'no-deal', currently the legal default, to the revocation of Article 50 (ie remaining in the EU).

In between these poles there is a variety of alternatives: remaining in either or both the customs union and the single market, a free trade agreement and a referendum on the withdrawal agreement - either vote for it or for staying in the EU.

Life is full of surprises, so there may well be other alternatives dreamed up by imaginative MPs, but notwithstanding its legal status, I think we can safely rule out 'no-deal', ie. departing on World Trade Organisation rules, given that MPs have twice rejected that option.

The clock, though, continues to tick. While the departure date of March 29 has vanished, courtesy of the European Council of Ministers, there are new deadlines.

The most immediate is April 12. If, by then, MPs have both reached agreement on an alternative to the withdrawal agreement and persuaded - or even mandated - the Government to embark on a fresh round of negotiations, the EU will, no doubt reluctantly, assent to a new end-date to search for a new agreement (assuming that MPs choose to vote against revoking Article 50).

If the Commons votes for a second referendum, then the EU would also delay departure day: it would take around six months to make the necessary provisions for such a vote to be held (September at the earliest). In either scenario, Brexit will be postponed and will be rejected if, at the referendum, a majority of voters chose to remain.

The other EU-determined date is May 22. Last week, Mrs May tried, unsuccessfully, to persuade EU leaders to give her until the end of June to secure Parliament's consent for the withdrawal agreement, but after considerable wrangling, they chose to bring the date forward.

This foreshortens the period during which the necessary pieces of legislation will need to complete their passages through parliament - and that may well be a fractious process.

Pro tem, political and economic uncertainty prevails. Whatever the outcome of the Brexit process, it will not be a universally happy one. The UK remains deeply divided, as does parliament. The Government is rudderless, the PM is clinging to the wreckage of her premiership, the Cabinet is openly split, leaks of ministerial divisions abound and the Conservative Party could be torn asunder. Meanwhile, the Labour Party is not in a much healthier condition.

Jeremy Corbyn has been anything but decisive throughout his tenure, especially on Brexit and, remarkably, according to the polls, is even less-popular than Theresa May. If there is to be an early general election, which is not at all improbable, it will not be a shoo-in for the Labour Party.

The Conservatives, under a new leader, may be able to shore-up a semblance of unity, but what would its manifesto and that of Labour have to say about Brexit? The very real prospect of another hung Parliament would loom large on the horizon.

If, as I suspect, Labour tables another vote of confidence in the Government, some on the Conservative side may be tempted to support it if only to usher Mrs May unceremoniously out of Number 10. What a pretty pass.

I have no clear idea of what may transpire, not least because we've never been here before. What was it Sherlock Holmes said, "Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth"?

Today in the Commons the improbable may emerge.
Hong Kong: Arts fund set for applications

The Arts Development Fund for Persons with Disabilities will open for applications from eligible organisations tomorrow.

The Government has earmarked $250 million to the arts fund to provide funding support to arts programmes and activities.

The aim is to enhance the arts knowledge of people with disabilities, foster their interest in arts and help those have artistic potential to develop careers in performing, visual or creative arts.

Non-governmental organisations granted tax exemption status under section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance and with at least two years experience in organising structured arts activities or training programmes for the disabled may apply.

The application deadline is May 28.

Click here for details.

This story has been published on: 2019-03-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Oxford, Conn.  March 28th, 2019  The D-Day Squadron, part of the Tunison Foundation, announced today that the organization will be hosting a press conference during SUN n FUN, one of the nations premier airshows, aircraft exposition, and fly-in. The press conference will take place on April 2nd, 2019 at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time and will provide members of the media and general public a chance to connect with some of the pilots and crews that will be crossing the North Atlantic in 70+ year old aircraft to participate in the 75th anniversary of the invasion of Normandy. Click HERE to register for the press conference and media flight.

This was one of the pivotal momentsa turning point in the history of the Second World War, stated Moreno Aguiari, Director of Marketing and Public Relations for the D-Day Squadron. With the core of our mission focused on flying historic aircraft along the original route used to ferry these same aircraft during the war, we couldnt think of a better place that SUN n FUN to share the details of this mission. Its also our opportunity to share living history and honor the veterans of D-Day with both the public and the aviation community.

The C-47 and DC-3 aircraft of the D-Day Squadron that will be participating in SUN n FUN in include C-47s Placid Lassie, Thats All, Brother and Tico Belle, as well as the DC-3 Flabob Express. Flabob Express will be making a flight from California to attend this event. There will be plenty of opportunities to see the aircraft in action, as they will be practicing formation flying during the week of April 2nd-7th 2019 and participating in the airshows of SUN n FUN on April 6th-7th, 2019.

The D-Day Squadron is a great addition to our exciting SUN n FUN lineup, said SUN n FUN Director of Business Development Greg Gibson. We offer an array of warbird activities, and the D-Day Squadrons goodwill-oriented program honoring the veterans of D-Day brings value and interest to both aviation and history enthusiasts at our event.

This spring, the D-Day Squadron will fly the original Blue Spruce route, with C-47s departing from Oxford, Connecticut (KOXC); stopping to refuel in Goose Bay Airport (CYYR) in Newfoundland, Canada, Narsarsuaq Airport (BGBW) in southern Greenland, Reykjavik Airport (BIRK) in Iceland and refueling a final time at Prestwick Airport (EPIK) on the Western coast of Scotland before making the final leg to Duxford Airfield (EGSU) north of London.

Once arriving in Duxford Airfield, the D-Day Squadron will join with its European counterpart, Daks over Normandy, to participate in multiple events on June 2nd-5th, 2019. The combined fleet of historic aircraft will cross the English Channel on June 5th, fly over Normandy, France, and participate in multiple events at Caen-Carpiquet Airport from June 5th-9th, 2019.

Be sure to keep up with the latest news and events as the D-Day Squadron will be making the final push to Normandy this spring.

About the D-Day Squadron

The D-Day Squadron is the part of the Tunison Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization. In June 2019, the D-Day Squadron will lead an American fleet of historic, restored C-47 World War II military aircraft in Daks Over Normandy, a flyover of more than 30 international aircraft to drop 250 paratroopers over the original 1944 drop zones in Normandy commemorating the 75th anniversary of D-Day. The event will honor the citizen soldiers of the War, whose bravery led the Allies to the liberation of France, and then to an end of the devastating War in Europe. The Squadrons education program takes the compelling story of the citizen soldier to audiences at airshows and events off the flight line to honor these brave Americans and ensure their memory and significance is appreciated for generations to come. The groups efforts are funded through the generous tax-deductible contribution of their supporters. Learn more at DDaySquadron.org.
Malaysian forensic team members excavate an unmarked grave in the jungle outside Wang Kelian, Malaysia, May 26, 2015.

Updated at 5:17 p.m. ET on 2019-03-27

A decision to destroy a human trafficking camp soon after its discovery in the jungle near Malaysias border with Thailand and to delay for months the removal of corpses of Rohingya and Bangladeshis from mass graves hindered proper investigations, an independent inquiry alleged Wednesday.

The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) and legal activist group Fortify Rights questioned why authorities let four months pass after finding the camp in Wang Kelian on Jan. 19, 2015, before allowing forensics teams to remove scores of corpses. The groups released a joint 121-page report, Sold Like Fish, based on a multi-year investigation and more than 270 interviews.

Malaysian authorities destroyed the human-trafficking campsite in Wang Kelian the day after it was discovered, potentially diminishing evidence that could have aided a police investigation. Malaysian authorities ordered a forensic team to exhume bodies in May 2015, more than four months after the gravesite was first discovered, without accounting for the delay, the groups said in releasing their report at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur.

Many of the trafficking victims linked to the camp near the Thai border were Rohingya from Myanmar and Bangladeshi nationals. They had been smuggled in overland across the Thai border after travelling by boat from Bangladesh and Myanmar.

The four-month delay in exhuming bodies delayed post-mortem examinations and, in turn, hampered forensic specialists from identifying the cause of death of exhumed remains, the groups said.

A forensic pathologist stated that investigators could determine the cause of death for only three of 150 bodies examined, according to the report.

These factors were among those that could constitute obstruction of justice, the groups alleged in their report without elaborating.

Malaysias Home Ministry office, former Police Inspector-General Khalid Abu Bakar and the Royal Malaysian Police did not respond Wednesday to requests for comment.

The official Malaysian announcement of the discovery of the graves came days after authorities in Thailand said they had found dozens of graves of Rohingya and Bangladeshi human trafficking victims at an abandoned camp along the frontier with Malaysia.

The discovery of the graves and camps on both sides of the border in May 2015 led to a humanitarian crisis in Southeast Asia. Thailand launched a crackdown on human-smuggling syndicates and prevented boatloads of illegal migrants from landing on its southwestern shores.

As a result, as many as 3,000 Rohingya and Bangladeshi nationals, who were abandoned by their handlers in smuggling boats at sea, landed or were rescued in neighboring Malaysia and Indonesia.

Police justification for destruction

Malaysian government information about the number of corpses discovered in Wang Kelian was different. Based on information released from the Malaysian Home Ministry, 147 gravesites containing 130 human remains were found in Wang Kelian.

A senior police official assigned to the region in January 2015 told investigators he was contacted by two others who had discovered the camp on Jan. 19, 2015, the report claimed, adding that many people tried to escape when officers raided the camp hours later.

Authorities detained 38 men whom they suspected of being undocumented foreign migrants but were not linked to human traffickers.

Police ordered the camp destroyed the next day and the first forensic examination of the site occurred in March 2015, according to the report.

The Royal Malaysian Police justified the destruction of the camp on Wang Burma hill in January 2015 as reasonable on the grounds that if it were not destroyed, foreigners or subversive agents may have misused it. The Royal Malaysian Police says it recorded photos of the camp and its tents, the report stated.

Fortify Rights and Suhakam members display their report, Sold Like Fish, based on a multi-year investigation of human trafficking camps and mass graves along the Malaysia-Thai border, on the sidelines of a press conference in Kuala Lumpur, March 27, 2019. [S. Mahfuz/BenarNews]

The trafficking continues

The discovery of similar camps and mass graves in Thailand led to a crackdown on human trafficking by the military government, as well as the arrests, prosecution of 102 suspected members of a transnational human smuggling ring. A three-star Thai general was among 62 who were convicted on trafficking-related crimes.

Despite some measure of justice served through Thailands mass human-trafficking trial, many who were reportedly involved in the trafficking of Rohingya and Bangladeshis remain free or at large in the region and protections for survivors of human trafficking remain limited, the report said.

Fortify Rights Chief Executive Officer Matthew Smith said human trafficking was allowed to continue because traffickers in many cases did not face meaningful legal consequences.

As long as impunity continues, the trafficking continues. It is the same as the impunity in Myanmar for genocide, so thats why the refugee crisis continues, Smith said.

In Malaysia, 12 police officers and several foreign nationals were arrested shortly after the news of the camps went public.

In 2017, then-Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi told reporters that the police were released from custody because of a lack of evidence. Four foreigners  two Myanmar nationals, a Bangladeshi and a Thai  were convicted on human trafficking charges and sentenced to prison.

Government inquiry

The report by Suhakam and Fortify Rights came just weeks after the Malaysian government appointed a commission to examine the Wang Kelian camps. The Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI), launched on March 5, has a six-month deadline to investigate the camps through inquires of relevant investigators, witnesses and individuals.

The government has set the task and responsibility of the RCI which among other things will cover the aspect of previous investigations into the incident through a reexamination of documents and evidence pertaining to the discovery of the makeshift migrant camp and gravesite in Wang Kelian, Perlis, Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said at the time of the launch.

Through interviews with survivors of the camp in Wang Kelian, Fortify Rights officials could determine that traffickers knew that some of their victims would die because of torture, attorney Roger Polack said.

Survivors reported to us that if they were not able to pay they would be beaten, he said. They poured boiling water on the survivors who could not pay and would call their relatives and ask for more money.

Suhakam commissioner Jerald Joseph said his group aligned with Fortify Rights because of concerns regarding previous investigations.

Regulatory bodies like us only come in when there is a gap, Joseph said during the press conference launching the report. The fact that we had to do our own investigation and interview all these people means that the gap is very wide.
President Rodrigo Duterte told Chinese officials the Philippine government had nothing to do with a complaint filed with the International Criminal Court (ICC) over the Asian giants buildup in the South China Sea, a presidential spokesman said Thursday.

This came as Philippine officials announced that China had agreed to a 1 billion peso ($19 million) military assistance package for Manila in an effort to boost bilateral cooperation with the Duterte administration.

Duterte conveyed the assurance to Song Tao, the minister of the International Department of the Chinese communist partys central committee, who visited the president during in his southern hometown of Davao on Wednesday.

Duterte told Song that his government had no participation in the case recently filed by two former Philippine officials against Chinese leader Xi Jinping before the ICC, according to a statement released by the presidential palace in Manila. He noted that the Philippines was a democratic country, and therefore, we cannot stop people from just filing cases.

Duterte said he was pleased by minister Songs visit, adding it would strengthen ties that for years had been soured by territorial disputes over the South China Sea.

Both men discussed matters of mutual interest, especially on the subject of the South China Sea/ West Philippine Sea, according to the statement. The West Philippine Sea is the official Filipino name for the South China Sea.

Former Philippine foreign minister Albert del Rosario and ex-ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales filed the complaint before The Hague-based ICC. In it, they accused Xi of implementing a system to control the strategic sea region that endangered thousands of fishermen in the process.

The complaint included an outline of how Xi and other officials in Beijing had allegedly committed crimes against humanity by restricting access to the South China Sea. Morales and del Rosario argued that this undermined food security of coastal states, which depend on the South China Sea.

Duterte sought to downplay the complaint, saying the Philippines had recently left the ICC, which had received complaints against him related to thousands of deaths tied to his drug war.

China, meanwhile, is not an ICC member.

To underscore the Philippine governments commitment to China, Duterte noted the vibrant trade relations between the two countries and underscored Beijings assistance in his nations infrastructure development program.

If there will be a need of assistance in improving peoples lives, China is willing to help, Song replied, according to the statement.

Song said officials were looking forward to welcoming Duterte to China during his visit there next month.

Military aid

Dutertes assurance came as the defense department announced it had secured a deal that would see more Chinese aid to Philippine forces.

Defense Undersecretary Cardozo Luna said that he and Maj. Gen. Ci Guowei, chief of office for International Military Cooperation of the Chinese defense ministry, had signed a deal in January calling for China to provide assistance to the Philippine military.

Some of the assistance he requested included a deployable bridge, water desalination and water purifying equipment, and ground radar penetrating equipment, Luna said.

After the signing, I requested that the 1 billion pesos be in the form of a deployable bridge. I said our problem in the Philippines is when theres a typhoon, many of our bridges are destroyed, Luna said.

He made the announcement Wednesday during a handover ceremony of engineering equipment from the Chinese government.

Jeoffrey Maitem in Cotabato, Philippines contributed to this report.
Police and local officials meet outside the municipal police station in the central Philippine town of Victoria after a raid launched by suspected communist insurgents, March 28, 2009.

Security forces killed three suspected communist insurgents and captured three others Thursday when guerrillas raided a municipal police station in the central Philippines on the eve of the rebel movements 50th anniversary.

Two police officers were wounded when officers manning the police station in Victoria township in Northern Samar province fought back and foiled the raid, Maj. Patrick Martinez said.

Four civilians were wounded when the guerrillas opened fire at a car, which they apparently thought carried police reinforcements, officials said.

The three rebels who were captured were trying to recover their dead comrades, Martinez said, adding that the firefight occurred before dawn Thursday and lasted for about two hours.

Four high-powered firearms, including a machine gun, were recovered from the slain guerrillas.

Brig. Gen. Ramil Bitong, commander of the 803rd Infantry Brigade, said the successful defense of the police station was a result of contingency planning that began last year to thwart major attacks anticipated to occur on or before the New Peoples Army (NPA) marks its 50th founding anniversary on Friday.

Troops and members of the Northern Samar Provincial Police Office have launched hot-pursuit operations against the other rebels involved in the raid, Bitong said.

The NPA is the armed wing of the underground Communist Party of the Philippines, which has been waging one of Asias longest-running insurgencies since 1969. Peace talks with the CPP-NPA were suspended in 2017, barely a year after it began after President Rodrigo Duterte accused the gunmen of continuing the attacks despite his governments efforts.

Backdoor negotiations were carried out in an attempt to start the talks, but Duterte last week announced a permanent termination of the peace process with the rebels until his term ends in 2022.

Last year, the government accused the CPP-NPA of plotting with opposition politicians to unseat Duterte. The plot was to have been carried out in November, but never occurred because it was uncovered, military officials said. Rebel leaders denied the allegations.

In Manila, Col. Noel Detoyato, the militarys public affairs chief, said the NPAs half-century rebellion is an utter failure that only resulted to thousands of lives lost and many properties destroyed over the years.

They continuously hinder peace and development in some areas of our country. The leaders, members, and supporters of the communist terrorist group should be ashamed of themselves for bringing years of hardships and misery to our people, Detoyato said in a statement.

He called on the CPP-NPA guerrillas to abandon their struggle, and rejoin the society.

But in a statement from the Netherlands, self-exiled communist party leader Jose Maria Sison said Dutertes withdrawal from the peace talks was nothing new and that it was merely driving more nails into the coffin of the peace negotiations.

He accused Duterte of wanting localized peace negotiations to be allegedly staged and controlled by the military, which he said was unacceptable.

The negotiations can be resurrected in the future by a new administration, Sison said.

Nonoy Espina in Bacolod city and Richel V. Umel in Iligan City contributed to this report.
Members of the U.S.-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) carry a man suspected of being an Islamic State (IS) fighter after leaving the extremist groups last holdout in eastern Syria, March 5, 2019.

As Muslim-majority regions of Southeast Asia grapple with how to deal with extremists returning home from the Islamic State (IS) groups fallen caliphate in the Middle East, southern Thailand has largely been spared the dilemma as it is believed that none of its citizens went to fight in Syria and Iraq.

According to Muslim activists from Thailands mainly Islamic southern border region, an on-going armed insurgency by ethnic Malays who are fighting the Buddhist-majority government for greater autonomy has acted as a bulwark against the influence of IS.

No one from southern Thailand has joined the Islamic State, Suhaimee Dulasa of The Pattani, a social activist group based in Pattani, one of the provinces of the troubled Thai Deep South, told BenarNews during a visit to Kuala Lumpur this week.

There is no need for anyone to join IS to wage jihad. Anyone who wants to wage jihad for Islam sees themselves fulfilling that calling by joining Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), Suhaimee said.

BRN is the largest of the rebel groups in the Deep South. It has the strongest military capacity and controls nearly all of the combatants in the field. Since 2004, insurgency-related violence in Thailands far south has claimed almost 7,000 lives.

BRN has been a bulwark against IS in southern Thailand, Suhaimee added.

On March 23, the Kurdish-led and U.S-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) declared that IS five-year caliphate had ended after the militants defeat in Syria.

Thousands of foreign fighters surrendered to the SDF as some governments considered stripping them of their citizenship, according to news reports from the Middle East and elsewhere.

Southeast Asians from Malaysia, Indonesia and the southern Philippines were among hundreds of foreign fighters who made their way to Syria and Iraq to fight for IS, officials said.

We in Pattani do not adhere to Salafi jihadi. We are Muslims who follow the Syafii school of thought. We believe in Wasatiyah, the Middle Path, Asmadee Bueheng, also of The Pattani, told BenarNews.

Analysts and Thai officials, meanwhile, have said before that there is no evidence of IS existing in the Deep South, but this was not for a lack of trying.

In December 2015, supporters of Islamic State in Thailand posted online IS propaganda videos that contained Thai-language subtitles. It was the first such effort to recruit local fighters to its violent cause, a senior Thai security official said.

There are links between IS sympathizers inside and out of Thailand, the source told BenarNews at the time.

But Lt. Gen. Nakrob Boonbuathong, a top army official who used another acronym for IS, said then there was no report of Deep South natives joining ISIS.

And in November 2017, the Brussels-based International Crisis Group published a study concluding that the Mid-East terror group had made no inroads into the Deep South. The Malay-Muslim armed separatist movement there, ICG said, was very different in nature than the extremist cause espoused by IS.

Not an international jihadist movement

Unlike the southern Philippines where several separatist insurgent groups pledged allegiance to IS during the reign of its so-called caliphate, southern Thailands largest insurgent group, BRN, bucked the trend.

This is an ethno-nationalistic movement, not an international jihadist movement. They do not believe in a global caliphate. Their struggle is local, said Don Pathan, an independent Thai analyst and columnist for BenarNews.

Apart from BRNs struggle and the moderate brand of Islam practiced by Muslims in southern Thailand, the cultural narrative was also an important factor, he pointed out.

I will place equal importance to the cultural and historical narrative of the Pattani people that served as a natural barrier against extremist ideas or Salafi-leaning extremist ideas from coming in, Pathan told BenarNews.

Basically that narrative is  Pattani is a land of the Malay people, they have their own history, myths, fairy tales, which separate them from the Thai states constructed narrative, Pathan said.

Past attempts by other extremist groups including Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), the al-Qaeda affiliate in Southeast Asia, to recruit Pattani Malays had also failed, he noted.

When JI was really hot In Southeast Asia after the Bali bombing in 2002, they (Pattani Malays) could have joined JI but they didnt, he said.

Wanted in Malaysia

While no Pattani Malay is known to have traveled to Syria, at least one is believed to have been influenced by IS, according to officials in Malaysia, which shares a border with the Thai Deep South.

In April last year, Malaysian police placed a southern Thai national, Awae Wae-Eya, 37, on the wanted list for allegedly planning terror attacks in Malaysias Johor state. He is believed to have had contacts with IS in Syria back then.

Malaysian police said Awae and three other IS-linked suspects were involved in a plot to kidnap and murder police officers, as well as attack on non-Muslim places of worship.

Thai authorities, who briefly detained and released Awae after questioning him in April 2018, dismissed the Malaysian allegations that he had ties to IS.
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For Immediate Release, March 28, 2019 Contact: Robin Silver, Center for Biological Diversity, (602) 799-3275, rsilver@biologicaldiversity.org

Mark Larson, Maricopa Audubon, (480) 310-3261, larsonwarren@gmail.com Lawsuit Launched Over Trump Administration's Failure to Protect Imperiled Arizona Plant TUCSON, Ariz. The Center for Biological Diversity and Maricopa Audubon today filed a notice of intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Service for failing to protect a critically imperiled San Pedro River plant called Arizona eryngo under the Endangered Species Act. The Center petitioned to protect the plant as an endangered species in April 2018. By law the agency should have made an initial decision on the petition within 90 days, but still has not done so. While the Trump administration twiddles its thumbs, local groundwater pumping that threatens this magnificent plant with extinction has only increased, said Robin Silver, Center cofounder and board member. Adding insult to injury, the Bureau of Land Management has proposed reintroducing cattle to one of the only two places the plant still survives. Arizona eryngo, also called ribbonleaf button snakeroot or Eryngium sparganophyllum, is an extremely rare plant in the carrot family that can grow to more than 5 feet tall. It is now found only in two cienegas, or desert spring habitats, in the United States. One is in Tucson, and the other is in the BLMs San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area near Sierra Vista. Arizona eryngo is under severe threat of imminent extinction. Threats include habitat degradation from groundwater pumping and a resulting decline in groundwater levels, as well as drought, climate change and BLMs chronic failure to control trespass cattle along the San Pedro River. This plant and the San Pedro River need help, said Maricopa Audubon President Mark Larson. Excessive groundwater pumping is killing the river, the eryngo and many other endangered species.
For Immediate Release, March 28, 2019 Contact: Jenny Loda, Center for Biological Diversity, (510) 844-7100 x336, jloda@biologicaldiversity.org

Talasi Brooks, Western Watersheds Project, (208) 336-9077, tbrooks@westernwatersheds.org Court Upholds Habitat Protection of 1.8 Million Acres for Endangered California Frogs WASHINGTON A federal judge has upheld critical habitat protection for Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frogs , the northern population of mountain yellow-legged frogs and Yosemite toads in Californias Sierra Nevada mountains. The ruling, issued late Wednesday, came from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Pacific Legal Foundation, an extreme private-property-rights group, filed a lawsuit challenging habitat protections on behalf of the California Cattlemens Association and others. The court dismissed the livestock groups lawsuit because it failed to show that critical habitat protections affected any of their members. This is a huge victory for these incredible, highly imperiled frogs, said Jenny Loda, a biologist and attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity working to protect rare amphibians and reptiles. Now the Pacific Legal Foundation and the livestock industry wont be robbing them of habitat protection they desperately need. This win gives them a fighting chance at recovery. Sierra Nevada and mountain yellow-legged frogs have declined by about 90 percent throughout the mountain range due to habitat destruction and degradation, disease, predation by nonnative trout, livestock grazing, pesticides and climate change. More than half of the Yosemite toads populations are now gone, including in Yosemite National Park, where they were first discovered and given their name. Yosemite toads are threatened primarily by livestock grazing, climate change and pesticides. The courts ruling maintains approximately 1.8 million acres of critical habitat across 16 counties the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined were essential to the conservation and recovery of these imperiled amphibians. The overwhelming majority of the critical habitat is on federal public lands. Studies show that species with critical habitat are twice as likely to be recovering as those without it. Public-lands ranchers private interests should not dictate critical habitat designation these sensitive amphibians need to survive, said Talasi Brooks, staff attorney for Western Watersheds Project. The ranchers did not show how the critical habitat designation here has any effect on their grazing operations, and the district court got it right when it dismissed the lawsuit. The conservation groups that intervened in the lawsuit to defend the habitat protections include the Center for Biological Diversity, Central Sierra Environmental Resource Center and Western Watersheds Project. The groups were represented by attorneys at the Center for Biological Diversity, Western Watersheds Project and the Western Environmental Law Center. Background

The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned to protect mountain yellow-legged frogs in the Sierra Nevada under the Endangered Species Act in 2000. A recent taxonomic split of the species separated the Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog and the northern population of the mountain yellow-legged frog. Both yellow-legged frog species were protected as endangered in 2014. The Center for Biological Diversity and Pacific Rivers Council petitioned to protect the Yosemite toad in 2000. The toad was protected as a threatened species in 2014. Critical habitat for all three species was designated in 2016. The critical habitat designation includes habitat in 16 California counties: Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Fresno, Inyo, Lassen, Madera, Mariposa, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sierra, Tulare and Tuolumne. For more information about the Centers campaign to stop the amphibian and reptile extinction crisis, please visit https://BiologicalDiversity.org/herps.
For Immediate Release, March 28, 2019



Contacts: Jean Su, Center for Biological Diversity, (415) 770-3187, jsu@biologicaldiversity.org

Jim Warren, NC WARN, (919) 416-5077, jim@ncwarn.org

Richard Fireman, Alliance for Energy Democracy, (828) 645-0469, richard.fireman1@gmail.com

North Carolina Governor Urged to Appoint Utility Commissioners That Will Promote Clean Energy, Protect Public Health RALEIGH, N.C. A coalition of 14 environmental justice groups today called on North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper to appoint members to the North Carolina Utilities Commission that do not have ties to the fossil fuel industry and will protect public health and promote clean energy.



Todays letter from the groups, which form the Energy Justice NC Coalition, was hand-delivered in a meeting at the governors office. It urged Cooper to select three new commission members who will move the states fossil fuel-dominated electricity system to clean energy. The new commissioners, the letters says, shouldnt have ties to polluters and should help fight climate change and ensure economic and environmental justice for all North Carolinians. The Energy Justice NC Coalition formed to bring an end to the Duke Energy monopoly because the electric utility continues to burn dirty energy, build new dirty energy plants and hinder the widespread adoption of clean energy  all actions that work against the public interest. Because Duke Energy is a monopoly energy provider in North Carolina, it is vital that we hold it accountable, said Catherine Trusky, a fellow at the Alliance for Climate Education. If we want a green future  a just future where all have access to safe environmental conditions  we cannot remain stuck in the status quo. We must appoint utilities commissioners who will stand up for a sustainable North Carolina when making decisions that will affect our energy sector and climate for years to come.



In the letter, the groups outlined six recommended characteristics for the governor to use in selecting commissioners:

Proven commitment to protecting and promoting North Carolinians interests;

Legal and technical expertise;

Experience in holistic risk evaluation;

Medical or public health expertise;

Strong public values and independent thinkers; and

No conflicts of interest with fossil fuel money. Governor Cooper should appoint three new commissioners who have the ability to make decisions that are fair and the courage to hold the utilities accountable, said Richard Fireman, co-founder of Alliance for Energy Democracy. They should ensure economic and environmental justice for all."



The utility commission is responsible for regulating rates and services of investor-owned utilities that provide electricity, natural gas and water in North Carolina. The commission is required to provide fair regulation within the publics interest, promote least-cost energy planning, provide just and reasonable rates and promote conservation of energy and the development of renewable energy and energy efficiency.



The letter states, Now more than ever, we are in a moment that requires swift and bold action. It is critical that we have regulators and decision-makers who are informed of the latest climate science, as well as knowledgeable about innovative solutions. The decisions and action taken now and in the coming years will surely have repercussions for decades to come.



Local groups from communities heavily affected by pollution and the harms of the existing utility system are joined in the coalition by state and national organizations focusing on climate and environmental justice.



North Carolinians need energy commissioners who will fight for communities, not corporations, said Jean Su, energy director at the Center for Biological Diversity. The climate crisis demands we ditch fossil fuels as fast as possible, but polluting monopoly utilities in North Carolina are stopping the clean energy transition in its tracks. Its time for the utility commission to break the dirty energy stranglehold in the state and regulate in the public interest.



The Energy Justice NC Coalition:



350 Triangle

Alliance for Climate Education

Alliance for Energy Democracy

Appalachian Voices

Center for Biological Diversity

Concerned Citizens of Maxton

Down East Coal Ash Coalition

Friends of the Earth

RedTailed Hawk Collective

NC Climate Justice Collective

NC Environmental Justice Network

NC WARN

Protecting Progress in Durham

Rachel Carson Council
Cancers that display a specific combination of sugars, called T-antigen, are more likely to spread through the body and kill a patient. However, what regulates the appearance of T-antigen in cancer cells, the set of proteins modified with T-antigen, and the roles the T-antigen and the modified proteins play during metastasis, is not yet understood. A new study by Daria Siekhaus and her group at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria), including first authors Katarina Valoskova and Julia Biebl, identified a new gene in the fruit fly Drosophila that is required for regulating the addition of T-antigen onto a subset of proteins in immune cells. As the gene mutation causes immune cells to get stuck in the flys head, the team called the new gene Minerva, after the Roman goddess of wisdom who burst from her father Jupiters head. The study, published in eLife, is a first step towards understanding new ways in which sugar modifications may be involved in metastasis.

The fruit fly as an engine for discovery

Cancer cells metastasize by leaving their initial tumor site and squeezing between other cells to enter blood vessels, which they use as highways to zoom through the body. The metastasizing cells again squeeze between other cells to leave the blood vessels and enter tissues to form metastases. T-antigen, a combination of specific sugars, is detected on proteins on metastasizing human cancer cells, but is not normally found in most adult tissues. As immune cells in the fly, called macrophages, also carry T-antigens and squeeze through other cells to enter tissues, Daria Siekhaus and her group decided to use the fly and its immune cells as a model to study how the appearance of T-antigen on proteins is regulated and which proteins are affected by this. The fruit fly is the best place to identify new pathways, as it is fast to do complex genetic experiments in the fly. Here again, we used the fly as an initial discovery engine for a problem that is also pertinent to us humans, Daria Siekhaus explains.

Initially, the team cast a wide net to identify potential genes. We looked through the gene database for flies to find a gene that is active at the right time and in the right place: a gene that is active in macrophages when T-antigen is added, and that works in the Golgi apparatus, where sugars like the T-antigen are added to proteins before they get transported to the cell surface. Once the group had found such a candidate gene, known then only by the placeholder CG8602, they tested its role in the appearance of the T-antigen. When CG8602 is mutated, the researchers found that the level of T-antigen on the macrophages is reduced. The macrophages also do not, as they usually do, exit the head region of the fly embryo and enter other tissues. In keeping with the traditions of the Drosophila field in which genes are named in some evocative way that refers to the changes seen when the gene is mutated, the group called the gene Minerva, after the Roman goddess of wisdom. According to Ancient Roman myths, Minervas pregnant mother turned into a fly and was swallowed by her father Jupiter. After her birth, Minerva was initially trapped in Jupiters head until she burst out in full battle armor.

Vertebrate orthologs relevant for cancer

The researchers investigated which proteins Minerva affects T-antigen on. By collaborating with Sergey Vakhrushev and Henrik Clausen at the University of Copenhagen, the group had access to a mass-spectrometry technique that let them find which proteins carry the T-antigen sugars when Minerva is present but show reduced levels when Minerva is mutated. They thus identified a set of proteins which need Minerva to display T-antigen. The large majority of the proteins identified that have a version in vertebrates, a so-called ortholog, are involved in cancer. Nine of the proteins we found have an ortholog in humans, six of these are linked to cancer in some way. This is intriguing!, Siekhaus says.

When the scientists put back the vertebrate ortholog of Minerva, MFSD1, into flies that did not have Minerva anymore, the otherwise stuck macrophages left the head and showed restored levels of T-antigen. This suggests an exciting possibility, Siekhaus adds: This argues that the function of Minerva is maintained in vertebrates, and that the ortholog of Minerva in vertebrates, MFSD1, could be involved in regulating sugars and metastasis. We are now looking at vertebrate cancer models to see whether and how MFSD1 regulates the migration and invasion of cancer cells.
This centre for Digestive Care excellence will offer holistic solutions with an amalgamation of scientific integration with traditional sciences

Aiming to provide comprehensive Digestive Care services to patients who are faced with gastrointestinal problems, Institute of Digestive and Liver Care (IDL Care) has been launched at SL Raheja Hospital, Mahim-A Fortis Associate. A multidisciplinary team of specialists at this center of excellence for Digestive Care will help tackle all gastrointestinal issues, which do not appear life-threatening but hamper ones quality of life tremendously.

Spearheaded by Dr NH Banka, Chairman & Dr Vinay Dhir, Executive Director, Institute of Digestive & Liver Care, SL Raheja Hospital Mahim-A Fortis Associate, the clinical team comprises of distinguished Gastroenterologists, Hepatologists, Endoscopists, Surgeons, Intensivists, Pathologists and Radiologists. Inaugurated by the hands of Padma Bhushan Dr D. Nageshwar Reddy, IDL Care will also host dedicated centers for treating diseases related to Pancreato-Biliary, Inflammatory Bowel, Liver, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) & GI Motility, Cancer detection, Nutrition & Obesity, etc. Prof Pierre Deprez, St Luke University, Brussels, Prof. Ho Khek Yu Lawrence, Vice Dean, National University Health Science, Singapore & Prof. Nonthalee Pausawasdi, Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok and other eminent dignitaries joined in at the inauguration.

At the launch, Dr NH Banka, Chairman, Institute of Digestive & Liver Care, SL Raheja Hospital Mahim-A Fortis Associate, said, This is the fruition of our efforts to offer composite treatment to all patients with GI issues. We are delighted that some of our esteemed peers were able to join us for the inauguration, it is indeed a proud moment for us.

Speaking about the launch, Dr Vinay Dhir, Executive Director, Institute of Digestive & Liver Care, SL Raheja Hospital Mahim-A Fortis Associate, said, At IDL Care, we adopt a holistic approach to treat our patients so we dont just tackle the symptoms but tackle the disease as a whole. We also hope to bring focus to the fact that early detection can help combat a host of life-threatening diseases, including Cancer. Research wing at IDL Care ensures that our learnings are made accessible to our peers and to-be Digestive Care specialists; so they benefit the fraternity and therefore the patients.

Speaking at the inauguration at the hospital, Dr Hiren Ambegaokar, CEO, SL Raheja Hospital, Mahim-A Fortis Associate, said, With the launch of IDL Care at the hospital, we have brought together medical experts and latest technology under one roof, to help us tackle all diseases in the broad-spectrum of Digestive System. We understand that patients consult at least two non-specialists before that meet a specialist, this leads to delay in receiving targeted treatment to tackle the disease, till such time, they have only received symptomatic treatment. This initiative will help shorten the patient to specialist time, so the treatment is immediately initiated and does not alter the life patterns of the patients.

While the team comprising of Dr Tariq Patel, Dr Rahul Shah, Dr Suryaprakash Bhandari, Dr Rajesh Sainani & Dr Priyanka Udawat have been addressing GI concerns at IDL Care, under the able guidance of Dr NH Banka, Chairman & Dr Vinay Dhir, Executive Director, are now se to address the concerns of increasing number patients coming in from across Maharashtra & Gujarat.
UPDATE MARCH 27: In the Grand Forks Herald article, Increased gas tax could place strain on rural Minnesotans, Republican legislators say, Emily Allen reports:

"It really seems like it's 'One Minnesota' being dictated from St. Paul and telling us how we need to operate in rural Minnesota," said Sen. Mark Johnson, R-East Grand Forks. Johnson was joined by Reps. Deb Kiel, R-Crookston, and Dan Fabian, R-Roseau, for a Facebook live event Wednesday afternoon to discuss their concerns with Walz's budget and various bills in the Minnesota Legislature. . . .

As Dorothy said in the Wizard of Oz, people come and go so quickly here. We're curious why the two state legislators decided to return to the original plan. [END UPDATE]

Posted Monday on the online version of the Crookston Times we read in Minnesota Legislature - Facebook town hall will feature only District 1 State Sen. Johnson:

Kiel and Fabian will not participate District 1 State Senator Mark Johnson (R-East Grand Forks) will host a Facebook town hall on Wednesday, March 27 from 12:10 to 1 p.m. The Senate Republican Caucus initially announced last week that District 1B State Rep. Deb Kiel (R-Crookston) and District 1A State Rep. Dan Fabian (R-Roseau) would participate in the event as well, but they will not be. Johnson will open the Facebook town hall meeting with a brief presentation on the current legislative session, followed by a time for audience comments and questions. Participants need to do is click the link to watch: https://www.facebook.com/Senator.Mark.Johnson/ Constituents who cant watch live can view it on Johnsons page after the event. Questions can be directed to Ryan Johnson, legislative assistant to Johnson at (651) 296-8660 or at Ryan.Johnson@senate.mn, or submitted live in the Facebook feed.

The original story, Minnesota Legislature - Kiel, Johnson, Fabian will host Facebook town hall March 27, ran online on March 22.

However, constituents wanting to get a glimpse of Fabian and Kiel online need not be disappointed. According to the latest Minnesota House Television Webcast and Mobile Streaming Schedule, the lower chamber will convene at 12 noon to watch House District 11B Rep.-Elect Nathan Nelson, R-Hinckley, get sworn into office.

The House often convenes briefly on Wednesdays at noon, so Bluestem has no idea what the Senate schedulers were thinking.

Photo: Johnson, Kiel and Fabian, via the Minnesota Senate Republicans.

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Sepsis: Causes, Symptoms, Effects, Diagnosis And Treatment Disorders Cure lekhaka-Padmapreetham mahalingam

The first origin of the term Sepsis appeared in Egyptian papyri which was 3500 years ago. The origin of the term Sepsis [] was first attributed by the Greek for decomposition of animal. It was used in this context before Hippocrates around 400 BC. [1] The Greek referred the term to describe putrefaction. The word sepsis has been used for more than 2500 years. Several centuries later, the signs of inflammation and organ dysfunction were referred by the term sepsis.

What Is Sepsis

Sepsis is a life-threatening complication that occurs when the bacteria from another infection enters the blood and spreads throughout the body, especially the bloodstream. This would lead to organ dysfunction, which is caused by the dysregulated host response to infection. Sepsis develops when the body releases chemicals into the bloodstream in order to fight infection; however, this process fails and generates widespread inflammation. [1] .

Timely diagnosis and therapy are imperative in order to prevent the patient from morbidity and mortality. Sepsis usually occurs when the body's response to the chemicals goes out of balance, which then can damage multiple organ systems. [2]

Sepsis is encompassed of three stages, which begins with sepsis and then develops into severe sepsis and septic shock.

Severe sepsis: It is associated with organ dysfunction, hypoperfusion abnormality (acute alteration of mental status) or sepsis-induced hypotension or organ dysfunction.

Septic shock: It is a subset of severe sepsis. The term is defined as sepsis-induced hypotension, persisting despite adequate fluid resuscitation along with the presence of hypoperfusion abnormalities [3]

Symptoms Of Sepsis

Sepsis syndrome generated by pathogens can be the primary cause of death due to infection. [4] Without a periodic treatment, sepsis can lead to multiple organ failure and death.

The early symptoms of sepsis may include:

high or low body temperature,

fast breathing,

vomiting, diarrhoea,

rapid heartbeats,

chills and shivering and

drop in blood pressure.

There are several symptoms of sepsis that are also associated with meningitis which includes

fever,

headache and

vomiting.

Symptoms Of Severe Sepsis

Dizziness

Rapid breathing

Discolouration of lips (lips turn bluish)

Symptoms of septic shock

Low blood pressure

Internal organs receive less blood and eventually malfunction [5]

Dizziness

Low/absent urine output

rapid heart rate

shortness of breathing

low or high body temperature [5]

[4] . Septic shock is severe sepsis complicated by stern circulatory failure which is characterised by constant arterial hypotension. Sepsis would progress to septic shock when there are changes happening in the circulatory system. The underlying circulatory and cellular metabolism abnormalities are strong enough to raise mortality

Causes Of Sepsis

One-third of patients diagnosed with septic shock usually die. Sepsis can become complicated when it is a result of an infection [7] . The common symptoms include anxiety, confusion and difficulty in breathing, unusual skin colour, low urine output and feeling severe lethargy [7] .

Sepsis is usually caused by bacterial infections yet it does occur due to other pathogens like viruses, parasites and fungi. Infections that most often lead to septic shock are UTI, pneumonia, bone infections and heart infections.

Pneumonia

The most common types of infections that can cause sepsis in adults and senior are pneumonia or genitourinary infections. Usually, one-third of people die of sepsis. Mostly the common source of infection that the seniors get affected is the lungs [8] . If the person is suffering from pneumonia, oxygen will have trouble in reaching the blood.

Moreover, if there is less oxygen in your blood there is the possibility of your body cells not working properly. Sepsis happens when the immune system's inflammatory response is dysregulated in reaction to an infection which eventually leads to pneumonia or meningitis [8] .

UTI

A urinary tract infection is an infection in the urinary tract which then moves from your kidney, through the ureters, urinary bladder and then out through the urethra. When you have UTI, your body would be working really hard to battle the infection. If there is an infection it would generally cascade into a case of sepsis [9] .

Skin infections

Sepsis will occur when an invading organism enters the bloodstream and tries to cause a devastating reaction from the immune system [9] . There are several cases of sepsis that often result from the infection spreading throughout the bloodstream (due to medical procedures after inserting a tube into a vein sometimes the bacteria try to invade the bloodstream and be the cause of this condition).

Sepsis can also be an infection that is confined to certain parts of the body like lungs, urinary tract, skin or abdomen (which includes the appendix) [10] .

Effects Of Sepsis

Sepsis can exacerbate the blood flow to the vital organs. The brain, heart and kidney can become impaired. Sepsis has the possibility to cause blood clots in certain organs as well as in the legs, arms, fingers and even toes. It is easier to recover from mild sepsis; on the other hand, average mortality rate for septic shock is around 50% [5] .

People with sepsis will have complications when they have a weakened immune system, chronic illness such as diabetes, kidney or liver disease or cancer. Even having several wounds or burns can be taken as a risk factor. Seniors are more at risk because of the effects of immunity. Medical research proves that fungal infection induced sepsis is on the rise [5] .

Those having septic shock will have small blood clots throughout the body. Some of the blood clots can block the flow of blood and oxygen to other parts of the body [6] . Having high levels of lactic acid can be a cause of concern especially when the blood shows that your cells aren't using the required oxygen properly.

Complications Of Sepsis

Tachypnea (abnormally rapid breathing)

Elevated cardiac output, low systematic vascular resistance

Increased cellular metabolism, elevated oxygen consumption

Increased insulin requirements

Respiratory alkalosis

Oedema

Increased WBC (certain times decreased)

Elevated C-Reactive Protein (CRP)

Raised procalcitonin

Hypoxemia

Hyperglycemia

Thrombocytopenia (severe sepsis and septic shock)

Disseminated intravascular coagulation (severe sepsis and septic shock)

Acute respiratory failure

Acute renal failure

Patients having a fever with or without hypotension or with the kinds of infections limited to certain organ systems are more likely to get sepsis. The infections include the gastrointestinal tract, hepatobiliary system, pelvis and genitourinary tract.

Risk Factors Of Sepsis

The people most at risk of sepsis are the young and old. In addition to this, people with the following are at an increased risk of suffering from sepsis:

Weak immune system

Chronic illness (such as diabetes, liver disease, AIDS or cancer)

Wounds that are severe in nature (severe burns)

People are becoming more vulnerable to sepsis because of the following:

Infections turning complicated as more people opt for invasive procedures and organ transplants.

Infections becoming complicated when more people take immunosuppressive drugs and chemotherapies.

A rise in antibiotic resistance (microbes are turning immune to drugs)

Diagnosis Of Sepsis

A sepsis patient must be treated without delay. Traditional methods for diagnosis will be employed [11] , which is based on the clinical finding, epidemiological history and predisposing conditions. Doctors usually run tests to find out if it was due to bacteria in the blood or other body fluids and to check for high or low white blood cell count, low blood pressure or to check the liver function.

The physician would examine the test through X-ray, CT scan or magnetic resonance imaging or ultrasound. If you have sepsis you would be put in an intensive care unit to stop the infection and to regulate the blood pressure [11] [12] [13] .

Treatment Of Sepsis

Those having sepsis would be closely monitored and are treated in an intensive care unit. There are a number of medications prescribed for treating sepsis, which includes broad-spectrum antibiotics. The medication is administered intravenously.

If your blood pressure is abnormally low even after intravenous fluids then you would be administered vasopressor medication which constricts blood vessels and would increase blood pressure. If the kidneys are affected then you need to undergo dialysis [14] . Other treatments include corticosteroids and mechanical ventilation, to help the patient to breathe [15] .

Prevention Of Sepsis

People should get regular vaccinations against flu, pneumonia, chickenpox and HIV as they can lead to sepsis [14] . It is necessary to practice basic hygiene which includes, everyday bathing and changing clothes after you come back from work. Those having pets need to wash their hands frequently to keep the infection at bay.

If you are regularly suffering from bacterial infection then take prescribed antibiotics. It is essential to treat certain parasitic infections with the help of medications, which will stump their growth.

View Article References [1] Stevenson, M., Pandor, A., Martyn-St James, M., Rafia, R., Uttley, L., Stevens, J., ... & Dark, P. (2016). Background and definition of the decision problem. [2] NIfHaC, E. (2016). Sepsis: recognition, assessment and early management.sepsis: recognition, Assessment and early management. London. [3] Stevenson, M., Pandor, A., James, M. S., Rafia, R., Uttley, L., Stevens, J., ... & Dark, P. (2016). Sepsis: the LightCycler SeptiFast Test MGRADE, SepsiTest and IRIDICA BAC BSI assay for rapidly identifying bloodstream bacteria and fungi-a systematic review and economic evaluation.Health Technology Assessment,20(46), 1-246. [4] NIfHaC, E. (2016). Sepsis: recognition, assessment and early management.sepsis: recognition, Assessment and early management. London. [5] Gordon, A. C., Santhakumaran, S., Al-Beidh, F., Orme, R. M., Perkins, G. D., Singer, M., ... & Felton, T. (2018). Levosimendan to prevent acute organ dysfunction in sepsis: the LeoPARDS RCT. [6] NIfHaC, E. (2016). Sepsis: recognition, assessment and early management.sepsis: recognition, Assessment and early management. London. Institute for Health and Care Excellence (UK); 2016 Jul. (NICE Guideline, No. 51.) 4, Methods. [7] Gordon, A. C., Santhakumaran, S., Al-Beidh, F., Orme, R. M., Perkins, G. D., Singer, M., ... & Felton, T. (2018). Levosimendan to prevent acute organ dysfunction in sepsis: the LeoPARDS RCT. [8] Westwood, M., Ramaekers, B., Lang, S., Armstrong, N., Noake, C., de Kock, S., ... & Kleijnen, J. (2016). Background and definition of the decision problem (s). InImmunoCAP ISAC and Microtest for multiplex allergen testing in people with difficult to manage allergic disease: a systematic review and cost analysis. NIHR Journals Library. [9] NIfHaC, E. (2016). Sepsis: recognition, assessment and early management.sepsis: recognition, Assessment and early management. London. [10] NIfHaC, E. (2016). Sepsis: recognition, assessment and early management.sepsis: recognition, Assessment and early management. London. [11] Soong, J., & Soni, N. (2012). Sepsis: recognition and treatment.Clinical medicine,12(3), 276-280. [12] NIfHaC, E. (2016). Sepsis: recognition, assessment and early management.sepsis: recognition, Assessment and early management. London.National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (UK); 2016 Jul. (NICE Guideline, No. 51.) Appendix G, Literature search strategies. [13] NIfHaC, E. (2016). Sepsis: recognition, assessment and early management.sepsis: recognition, Assessment and early management. London. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (UK); 2016 Jul. (NICE Guideline, No. 51.) 12, Early goal-directed therapy (EGDT) [14] NIfHaC, E. (2016). Sepsis: recognition, assessment and early management.sepsis: recognition, Assessment and early management. London.National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (UK); 2016 Jul. (NICE Guideline, No. 51.) 2, Introduction. [15] National, C. G. C. U. (2013). Intravenous Fluid Therapy: Intravenous Fluid Therapy in Adults in Hospital.
PR Newswire

WUZHEN, China, March 28, 2019

WUZHEN, China, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- With the unique ecological environment of Wuzhen Water town serving as the stage, Now is the Time  2019 Wuzhen Contemporary Art Exhibition, gathering 60 leading artists and artist teams from 23 countries and regions, will hold its grand opening in Wuzhen, China on March 30, 2019. This art festival will bring together the works of a number of heavyweight artists, including the winners of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, the Venice Biennale Golden Lion, the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival Awards, the Turner Prize, and the Hasselblad Award. The unparalleled whirlwind of contemporary art will go a long way in making Wuzhen known worldwide as the go-to venue for similar and like-minded events.

More than one third of the works will be shown for the first time

This exhibition will showcase 90 works of art from the 60 artists and artist teams, 35 of which are being shown for the first time anywhere worldwide. Thirty of the works were specially created for this event. Both in terms of the number and scale, this exhibition is a significant expansion when compared to the previous edition. A stylish exhibition, leading the trend of contemporary art, will be present in China's Wuzhen.

Both masters and new artists are invited to attend the exhibition

Forty-eight artists are invited to attend the themed shows at the 2019 Wuzhen Contemporary Art Exhibition, at which, various forms of contemporary works will connect regional cultures while creating new possibilities in art. Venice Biennale Golden Lion winner Gregor Schneider's White Torture focuses on dialogue with space, triggering claustrophobic feelings among visitors. Yang Jiahui's unique sound device creates an impossible musical instrument to transcend reality. Wang Luyan takes the green brick on the square of the open-air cinema in Wuzhen and applies artistic creation to achieve the interaction between the environment and the local ecology. With the aim of exploring the artistic creativity of the new generation, this exhibition has brought together a team of young art critics  "How Far Off Is the Future" for the first time. As an integral part of the exhibition, the team will select 12 of the new artists as "finalists", then, in a second round, pick three among the final 12 as recipients of the prize, following each step of the traditional process, including nomination, exhibition and award, and, by doing so, mark the creation of an exhibition and communication platform that will make it easier for young and upcoming artists to get a toehold and become recognized in China.

Exhibition spaces, each with their own unique characteristics

The event will bring the theme of "Now is the Time" to life through a unique link with exhibits across three exhibition spaces, North Silk Factory, Rice Barn and West Scenic zone. The contemporary artistic works to be displayed at Wuzhen West Scenic zone, where crisscrossing waterways and stone bridges present a unique watery landscape, will help create a fantastic environment where the old and the new co-exist. North Silk Factory, a witness to the evolving legacy of China's Industrial Age, has been renovated and transformed into a fully equipped art exhibition space. This year's event includes a new space, the Rice Barn, which was once used for grain storage and has since been renovated into a comprehensive modern art exhibition venue that continues to build a reputation as a desirable locale for exposing one's work.

An artistic and cultural tourism destination

As the human, natural and architectural co-exist harmoniously in one environment, the unrivalled Wuzhen Contemporary Art Exhibition combines history and culture with modern elements to create a new artistic life experience. During the event, Pritzker Architecture Prize winner and artist master Kazuyo Sejima will create a new outdoor installation Another Layer of Surface Water on the southern side of the Dockside Boutique Hotel, reflecting the cultural and regional characteristics of Wuzhen. The new installation uses mirror materials to create a water surface-like effect, which is integrated into the surrounding landscape and reminds the town's denizens and visitors alike that life and art have been an essential part of everyday life in Wuzhen for centuries. Wuzhen, a modern hideaway as well as an artistic and cultural destination, is creating infinite possibilities for life.

The "Now is the Time" themed 2019 Wuzhen Contemporary Art Exhibition is hosted by Culture Wuzhen Co., Ltd, sponsored and chaired by Chen Xianghong, and curated by Feng Boyi in partnership with Wang Xiaosong and Liu Gang. The event welcomes art lovers and life visionaries from around the world the opportunity to set sail on an aesthetic journey in Wuzhen from March 31 to June 30.

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SOURCE Culture Wuzhen Co., Ltd
By West Kentucky Star Staff Mar. 27, 2019 | 01:03 PM | PADUCAH

At Tuesday's Paducah City Commission meeting, Mayor Brandi Harless had to briefly give up leadership of the meeting so she and her husband could ask the city for an extension on the rehabilitation project for their Lower Town property.Mayor Pro-Tem Richard Abraham presided over part of the meeting so a municipal order could be discussed related to the home Harless and her husband, Adam Moyers, own at 421 North 5th Street. They purchased the home for $1 in 2015 - before Harless was elected Mayor - as part of the Lower Town Revitalization Project, and they have spent $30,000 so far on the home. The estimated rehab cost for the building in 2015 was $175,984.The purchase required rehabilitation to be done by 2017, but the couple asked for a one-year extension. They came Tuesday to ask for another extension, which would give them until July 31, 2020 to complete the work, and they included a timeline for remaining improvements.Abraham requested data from the city planning department about previous extensions that have been granted in the Lower Town and Fountain Avenue projects, and he learned that several previous participants had received multiple extensions."A lot of times we have individuals who take on a project - no one takes on a project to fail - and they need extra time. We haven't been deadlocked on that time, we want the property developed, we want the neighborhood enhanced, and so, with good intentions we have allowed that," Abraham said.Other commissioners voiced similar opinions, with Sandra Wilson recalling that Harless and Moyers had been simultaneously working on other downtown properties, which are now completed and occupied by renters. Their comments indicated they concurred that since this has been done before on multiple occasions, the mayor was not getting special treatment.The commission voted 4-0 (with Harless abstaining) to approve the order and extend the deadline.The McCracken County Sheriff's Department confirmed that property taxes on the building were paid this week and are up-to-date. While property taxes are due by December 31, they are not delinquent until April 15, at which point they are turned over to the County Clerk.If you wish to watch this discussion, click the link below. This topic is around 7:20 after the meeting begins.

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Throwing his support behind Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Waywayseecappo First Nation Chief Murray Clearsky released a written statement on Wednesday critical of former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould.

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Throwing his support behind Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Waywayseecappo First Nation Chief Murray Clearsky released a written statement on Wednesday critical of former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould.

Her declining a role as Indigenous Services minister "may be seen as an insult to all those people who have been fighting the Indian Act from within and have made a career doing so," Clearsky wrote.

Murray Clearsky

"I have been the chief of my community for over 30 years and it is my personal opinion that Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party of Canada has done more for First Nation people than any other previous prime minister or government of Canada. Further, that the Liberal Party of Canada has taken a stance for the greater good of the country by continuing to reconcile with the First Nation people."

The Waywayseecappo chief is a longtime opponent of the Indian Act, which he has considers a "racist legislation."

In Wednesdays statement, Clearsky wrote that those who want to make change must do so from within.

"There was a time when there were no First Nation people working for the Department of Indigenous Services, and now we see our people at many different levels," he wrote, adding that they are all "working and applying themselves to make change for the betterment of all First Nation people."

 The Brandon Sun
Months after announcing she would seek the NDP nomination in Brandon East, Lonnie Patterson has made it official.

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Manitoba NDP Leader Wab Kinew, right, congratulates former city councillor Lonnie Patterson after she received the NDP nomination for Brandon East during a meeting at the Central Community Centre on Wednesday evening. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)

Months after announcing she would seek the NDP nomination in Brandon East, Lonnie Patterson has made it official.

The former city councillor will become the partys candidate in what used to be an NDP stronghold, after receiving the nod from the local constituency at the Central Community Centre on Wednesday.

Both Manitoba NDP Leader Wab Kinew and Concordia NDP MLA Matt Wiebe attended the nomination meeting, which was the first that the party has held outside of Winnipeg.

"Its been a lot of work to get here," Patterson said, "a lot of patience."

Patterson served as the councillor for South Centre ward from 2014 to 2018, but announced in May of last year that she would not run for re-election and would vie for the NDP nomination in Brandon East instead.

Supporter Arwen Smith takes a selfie with former city councillor Lonnie Patterson after she received the NDP nomination for Brandon East during a meeting at the Central Community Centre on Wednesday evening. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)

Held by the NDP since 1968, the Tories won the seat in 2016 after Progressive Conservative Len Isleifson defeated incumbent Drew Caldwell, who had served as the MLA for Brandon East since 1999.

"I think we have a lot of work to do," Patterson said. "I think that any election is about building trust and respect with the electorate and so its about me and my team getting out and making sure the people get a chance to meet me, get a chance to ask me questions, but also that I get a chance to learn what challenges are facing people and propose them solutions as part of our campaign."

Patterson previously ran for the NDP in the 2003 provincial election in the former constituency of Turtle Mountain, but lost to Merv Tweed who was the MLA from 1995 to 2004.

For more on this story, see Thursdays edition of the newspaper.

 The Brandon Sun
CALGARY - Two former Calgary police officers found guilty of misusing department computers and harassing a woman in a custody battle have filed appeals.

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CALGARY - Two former Calgary police officers found guilty of misusing department computers and harassing a woman in a custody battle have filed appeals.

Court documents say Bradford McNish and Bryan Morton are appealing both their convictions and sentences.

The Calgary Courts Centre in Calgary, Alta., Monday, March 11, 2019. Former Calgary police officers Bryan Morton and Bradford McNish have filed notices of appeal, which are both attached, in connection with their recent corruption-related convictions. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

The two were convicted last year  along with former officer Anthony Braille  of corruption-related crimes.

Last week, a judge sentenced Morton to 30 months in jail, McNish to six months and Braille to three months.

Morton and McNish cite a number of alleged errors by the trial judge as grounds for their appeals.

Court heard the three officers were paid thousands of dollars to monitor the movements of Akele Taylor, the ex-wife of Calgary businessman Ken Carter.

The three were approached by the owner of a private investigation firm to help dig up information about Taylor.

They were charged in 2016 after Calgary police documents revealed that the officers had used the force's computers and conducted surveillance while on duty.

Morton's appeal notice asks that his conviction be set aside or that he be granted a new trial. Failing that, he wants his jail time reduced or changed to a conditional sentence.

McNish is asking for a new trial.

Braille was dismissed by the service shortly before the charges were laid because of his role in an unrelated high-speed chase.

Morton and McNish were put on leave without pay.
WINDSOR, Ont. - Fiat Chrysler Automobiles says it plans to cut the third shift at its Windsor, Ont., assembly plant later this year at a cost of about 1,500 jobs.

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Workers arrive for their shift at the Chrysler (FCA) assembly Plant in Windsor, Ont., on Tuesday, June 12, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Geoff Robins

WINDSOR, Ont. - Fiat Chrysler Automobiles says it plans to cut the third shift at its Windsor, Ont., assembly plant later this year at a cost of about 1,500 jobs.

The move to end the shift starting Sept. 30 is to "better align production with global demand," said company spokeswoman LouAnn Gosselin.

She said retirement packages will be offered to eligible employees and would work to find positions for others.

"The company will make every effort to place indefinitely laid off hourly employees in open full-time positions as they become available based on seniority," she wrote in an email.

Unifor Local 444 president Dave Cassidy said in a statement that the decision was unexpected.

"I was shocked and disappointed that FCA has announced today the elimination of the third shift," he wrote.

"We will continue to meet with the company on alternatives of new products. We will need the support of all levels of government as we move forward."

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said his government will "fight tooth and nail" to protect the jobs in Windsor.

"In the face of this extremely disappointing announcement from Fiat Chrysler, our government will not waver in our support for the thousands of men and women that go to work in Ontarios auto sector every day," Ford said in a news release.

Ford said Fiat Chrysler shouldn't make its decision based on what he called the anti-business policies of the former Liberal government.

"Our government is lowering taxes, lowering electricity rates, and slashing red tape. There has never been a better time for auto-manufacturers to invest in the province of Ontario."

The plant, which produces the Chrysler Pacifica and its hybrid version, as well as the Dodge Grand Caravan, has about 6,100 employees.

FCA announced in late February that it would invest US$4.5 billion in Michigan to build a new assembly plant and upgrade other operations and create 6,500 jobs in the process.

The planned cut in Windsor comes as Ontario's auto sector is already reeling from General Motors' plans to end production at its assembly plant in Oshawa, Ont., by the end of the year at a loss of about 2,600 unionized workers.
WINDSOR, N.S. - A Nova Scotia couple was forced to drop their baby and toddler from the second floor of their fast-burning house into the waiting arms of a firefighter early Thursday.

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WINDSOR, N.S. - A Nova Scotia couple was forced to drop their baby and toddler from the second floor of their fast-burning house into the waiting arms of a firefighter early Thursday.

Windsor, N.S., fire Chief Jamie Juteau spoke to The Canadian Press about the dramatic rescue, which saw volunteer firefighters, police, neighbours and bystanders work together to save the family of four from the blaze.

A firefighter surveys the damage following a house fire in Windsor, N.S., in this handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - Windsor Fire Department

Here's his account of what happened, as told to reporter Brett Bundale:

---

We're volunteer firefighters here in Windsor, so we were at our residences. At roughly 2:15 in the morning, a call came in from our dispatcher that a vehicle was on fire and it was spreading to a house. As I was leaving my residence, the dispatcher said we were getting multiple calls and the house is now on fire.

When I arrived on the scene, there were two vehicles on fire in the front of the building, and the whole front of the building was also on fire and you could tell it was into the attic. You can read the smoke, so you could tell that. As I got out of my vehicle, I was met by a firefighter from another department who happens to live in the area, who advised me that they had people out of the building on one side of the duplex, but that there could be issues on the opposite side.

I went around the side of the house and I could hear people yelling.

They were on a second floor balcony out back, like the deck. They couldn't get out the front, the whole front was on fire.

One guy was holding a toddler like, over the deck's privacy wall. It was about four feet tall. They couldn't get down off of there, so I just told him, 'Drop him,' and I got him. I ran and took him over to a civilian who took him to the ambulance. I went back and they dropped another one, a baby, who was in a car seat.

Then the other firefighter who was there from the other department was helping the gentleman and the lady. He told them to kick the wall down and gentlemen jumped off one side, and we helped him out of the bushes. And then the firefighter and the Mountie helped the mom step across the void and onto the baby barn and then they got her down. So it really went well. They were fine.

It was actually the neighbour (living on the other side of the duplex) who made a big difference. The neighbour noticed the fire in the first place, came out the front door, went up and actually roused the neighbours on one side and woke them up and got them to get out. It was a very brave thing to do, and had she not done that I would be fearful of what the outcome would be today.

Then she let her neighbours (on the other side of the duplex) know, but by that point they couldn't get out the front because the whole front was on fire. I feel that the neighbour really made a difference here.

Then we turned our concern to the burning building, as it was in very close proximity to other buildings on that street. We have to contain the fire at that point from spreading up to the street. And luckily we did that. There was some minor melted siding on a neighbouring building, but otherwise it didn't spread. My crews are very efficient. They know their job. They did exactly what they're trained to do.

It is nice to see something work out.
MONTREAL - The Quebec government's secularism legislation threatens to stall promising careers, embolden intolerant segments of society and turn religious minorities into second-class citizens, two teachers who stand to be affected by the bill said Thursday.

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B.Ed. student Amrit Kaur poses for a portrait at a school in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que., Friday, Oct. 5, 2018. Advocacy organizations and citizens are denouncing the Quebec government's proposed secularism legislation, saying it turns religious minorities into second-class citizens. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

MONTREAL - The Quebec government's secularism legislation threatens to stall promising careers, embolden intolerant segments of society and turn religious minorities into second-class citizens, two teachers who stand to be affected by the bill said Thursday.

The bill tabled by Francois Legault's Coalition Avenir Quebec government on Thursday would ban the wearing of religious symbols by many public sector employees, including teachers, prosecutors, judges, and police officers.

Amrit Kaur, a teaching student who wears a Sikh turban, says the bill could ruin her chances of teaching in Quebec's public school system and force her to look for work in one of Quebec's private schools, which are not covered by the bill.

The Montreal-area resident said the proposed legislation is "highly discriminatory" and implies people who wear religious symbols don't have the same rights as others. "This just sends the message to people who wears religious symbols that we are secondary citizens," she said in a phone interview.

"If you have a dream to be a teacher in high school or university, sorry, you have to find another dream, because teaching is not inclusive in Quebec."

Furheen Ahmed, a teacher at a local high school, is seen in her home Thursday, March 28, 2019 in Montreal. Ahmed worries that Quebec's new legislation regarding religious symbols will encourage those who are racist or islamophobic to become more vocal about their beliefs. While her own job would likely be protected under a grandfather clause, she says sheOs ready to fight a bill she believes infringes on people's rights.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

Kaur, 28, expects to graduate with a teaching degree from the University of Ottawa in a few months. She says she would never allow her religious beliefs to affect her teaching, any more than she would consider removing the turban that never leaves her body.

"It's something I wear all the time. It's not something I wear just inside," she said. "It's an exercise of my human right to practice my faith."

Furheen Ahmed, a Montreal high school teacher who wears a hijab, said she has dreamed of being a teacher since she was a little girl.

"I never in my journey thought I couldn't," she said. "It's unnerving to say, 'Is this going to be taken away from me, or will it not be available to my children?' "

Ahmed worries that the legislation will encourage those who are racist or Islamophobic to become more vocal about their beliefs. "This is giving people permission to say, 'You're not really a Quebecer. You're not really part of this society,' " she said.

As someone already in the education system, she is protected by a grandfather clause in the bill as long as she keeps teaching within the same school board. But she says she wouldn't be able to advance her career by becoming a school principal or moving to a different school board.

Ahmed's employer, the English Montreal School Board, has already said it will refuse to comply with any legislation restricting the wearing of religious symbols, and Ahmed said she's ready to speak out and support them in their fight.

"It's not a role I saw myself in, but when certain things happen, you have to step up, and you have to speak out against what's wrong," she said.

Jewish and Muslim advocacy groups also spoke out against the legislation on Thursday, saying it targets visible minorities and runs counter to fundamental Quebec and Canadian values.

Harvey Levine, Quebec regional director of the Jewish advocacy group B'nai Brith, described it as "an assault on the fundamental rights and freedoms of Quebecers."

Ihsaan Gardee, the executive director of the National Council of Canadian Muslims, said the legislation is effectively a prohibition on wearing the hijab, given that most of those impacted would be Muslim women.

The president of the biggest union of elementary and high school teachers likened the bill to "using a cannon to kill a fly," given the small number of public servants who wear religious symbols. Sonia Ethier said her union supports state secularism but doesn't believe teachers have the same "coercive authority" as judges and police officers.

Not every group representing public sector employees objected to the bill. Yves Francoeur, the president of Montreal's police brotherhood, said his group believes it's important for police officers to project an image of neutrality. Currently, there are no Montreal police officers who wear religious symbols targeted by the bill.

-- With files from Pierre Saint-Arnaud
OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who typically takes a more deferential, let's-talk approach when protesters get in his face, found himself delivering a rare and rapid apology Thursday for his sarcastic retort to an Indigenous heckler who interrupted his remarks during a high-end fundraising event.

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OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who typically takes a more deferential, let's-talk approach when protesters get in his face, found himself delivering a rare and rapid apology Thursday for his sarcastic retort to an Indigenous heckler who interrupted his remarks during a high-end fundraising event.

Trudeau said he's sorry for how he responded to the previous night's protester, who unfurled a banner at the foot of the stage during a $1,500-a-ticket fundraiser in Toronto in an effort to draw attention to the impact of mercury poisoning in the northern Ontario community of Grassy Narrows First Nation.

"Thank you for your donation," Trudeau told the woman as she was escorted out by security. "I really appreciate your donation to the Liberal Party of Canada."

Others in the audience cheered the prime minister's dismissive remark, which was captured by cellphone cameras and quickly circulated on social media Wednesday night.

Less than 24 hours later, Trudeau sounded considerably more contrite.

"As I think you all know, from time to time I'm in situations where people are expressing concerns or protesting a particular thing, and I always try to be respectful and always try to engage with them in a positive way," he said following an announcement in Halifax.

"That's how I believe democracy should function, and I didn't do that last night. Last night I lacked respect towards them and I apologize for that."

Prime Minster Justin Trudeau delivers remarks to supporters at a Liberal donor appreciation event in Toronto on Wednesday, March 27, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Tijana Martin

Any funds that the protesters contributed in order to gain access to the event will be refunded, he added.

"They wanted to express their concerns about an issue and I do take that seriously and I apologize to them."

Afterward, Trudeau bypassed his motorcade and walked directly into the midst of a fresh group of protesters gathered outside the venue in Halifax, acknowledging their complaints and thanking them for sharing their concerns.

Indigenous people in Grassy Narrows, about 90 kilometres north of Kenora, Ont., have been contending for decades with chemical-waste mercury dumped into the English-Wabigoon river system throughout the 1960s and 1970s, poisoning fish and locals who rely on the river as a source of water and food.

The community hopes to build a world-class mercury treatment facility to help deal with the fallout from the poisoning, which causes often irreparable damage, including impaired vision, muscle weakness, speech, hearing and cognitive problems and numbness or stinging pain in the extremities and mouth.

Grassy Narrows staff met with former Indigenous Services Minister Jane Philpott in December to discuss progress on the facility, shortly after giving the government a feasibility study for the project. At that time Philpott said the government was actively working to get it built.

Trudeau should go to Grassy Narrows to apologize to the people there directly and in person, suggested Assembly of First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegarde.

"This incident highlights the need for action now," said Bellegarde. "There have been numerous commitments from different governments for action yet the people of Grassy Narrows First Nation and Wabaseemoong are still waiting while they face serious dangers to their health. It's time for action."

Grassy Narrows Chief Rudy Turtle acknowledged the prime minister's apology but said Trudeau had to be reminded of the "urgency" of the situation.

"People are dying from mercury contamination and nothing is being done. Enough is enough," Turtle said in a statement Thursday evening.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh called Trudeau's comments to the protester offensive and "callous."

Trudeau said he plans to follow up with Seamus O'Regan, who replaced Philpott on the Indigenous Services file in January, to "make sure we are looking at exactly everything we can do to continue to work hard in resolving this situation."

"It is something that is of real concern and a real piece of the path of reconciliation that we must walk on."

A spokeswoman for Trudeau said the government is actively working on the file at the ministerial and official level, but would not say whether Trudeau would plan to meet with members of the community or travel there.

Charles Bird, managing principal at the Toronto office of Earnscliffe Strategy Group and a former federal Liberal cabinet aide, said he wasn't at the Toronto event but having organized many similar appearances for provincial and federal politicians, he knows such intrusions can be very chaotic.

As such, Bird said he doesn't believe it's a sign Trudeau is feeling the heat from the political crisis engulfing the Liberal government over allegations he tried to interfere in the case of Quebec engineering giant SNC-Lavalin.

"His style is very much that when he's under pressure, he tends to be calmer."

Even so, Trudeau has been known to flash his temper. In 2016, during a raucous vote in the House of Commons, he was accused of elbowing an NDP MP in the chest while trying to expedite the proceedings.

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. An earlier version misspelled Seamus O'Regan's surname.
Coca-Cola has confirmed it is in "regular discussions" about enhancing its presence in Ireland but remained tight-lipped about reports it is looking to create a dairy plant in Cork.

A report in the Irish Farmers Journal said the drinks giant had visited Teagasc in Moorepark near Fermoy and the University of Limerick (UL) in recent times, while also engaging with the IDA, with the view to establishing a dairy processing facility in Cork.

When contacted, Coca-Cola did not confirm or deny the report.

As a long-standing and significant investor in Ireland, Coca-Cola has regular discussions with state agencies and partners to discuss different areas of our business including our ongoing evolution to become a total beverage company.

"The media reports regarding future investments in Ireland are purely speculative," the company said in a statement.

The maker of the iconic and ubiquitous soft drink has been looking to diversify its offering in recent years, launching a flavoured milk drink called Fairlife five years ago.

Coca-Cola has been looking to capitalise on so-called healthier drinks as sugar taxes are introduced in more and more countries throughout the world. President and chief executive James Quincey has made it a strategic priority for Coca-Cola to move beyond being a total beverage company, with signs it had been paying off last year.

However, in February, a lacklustre forecast jolted investors as the firm warned of currency pressures and weakening consumer appetite, as well as trade and geopolitical upheaval. Fairlife has not been introduced in Europe.

The Irish Farmers Associations (IFA) national liquid milk chairman John Finn said any development which can add extra value to more fresh milk and grow the market has to be welcomed.

It would have to ensure a fair share of this value is passed back to farmers, rather than create further competition that adds to downward pressure for the primary producer, Mr Finn said.

However, he cautioned: Farmers would have to think long and hard about making a direct supply commitment to a private milk purchaser in which, unlike their co-ops, they have neither a stake, nor any control.
The Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection simply "lashed out summonses" when bringing prosecutions over redundancies at the former Clerys department store in Dublin, the High Court has heard.

There was a failure to apply the necessary criteria for bringing what was a criminal prosecution against parties which had been involved in the ownership of the now closed store, Remy Farrell SC said.

He was making arguments on behalf of businesswoman Deirdre Foley and her co-defendant Mark Redmond who, along with OCS Operations, the previous owners of Clerys, were summonsed under employment legislation over redundancies at the store which had employed 460. OCS, now in liquidation, employed 134 of them.

The charges related to allegedly failing to initiate consultations with representatives of employees, failing to supply them with all relevant information relating to the redundancies and not notifying the Minister in writing of this.

However, in March 2018, the District Court struck out the case after lawyers for the three defendants argued they could not get a fair trial without being provided with certain material from inspectors appointed by the Labour Court to look into the redundancies at the store.

District Judge John Brennan struck the case on the grounds that the prosecution had failed to comply with an order for disclosure of documentation.

The case against them was brought under the 1977-2014 Protection of Employment Act.

Judge Brennan also ruled that any further adjournment would encroach on the defendants' rights to fair procedures and an expeditious trial.

The Minister brought High Court judicial review proceedings seeking to have Judge Brennan's decision quashed. The defendants opposed the application.

Padraig Dwyer, for the minister, argued the District Judge failed to strike a balance between the public interest in the prosecution of the offences and any risk of an unfair trial. There had been no breach of fair procedures because there had been "constant engagement" with the defendants before the hearing.

Counsel said it was "unfair, disproportionate and unreasonable" for the District Judge to strike out this case.

Remy Farrell SC, for Ms Foley and Mr Redmond, said this prosecution did not meet the stringent criteria for bringing criminal cases against people.
Pensions firm Irish Life topped the list of complaints made to the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman last year, while the main banks were also the target of grievances from customers.

Of the 5,588 complaints made against firms overall, 19 complaints were made against Irish Life Assurance, with six fully upheld, three substantially upheld and 10 partially upheld, the Ombudsmans annual report said.

Second on the list was Irish Life Health which had seven complaints made against it, with two fully upheld, one substantially upheld and four partially upheld.

Permanent TSB had six complaints upheld against it, including one fully and three substantially.

AIB had five upheld, including one fully and one substantially, the Ombudsman said.

Insurance firm Aviva Group had five complaints upheld, including one fully and one substantially.

Bank of Ireland Group also had five, but all five were only partially upheld, according to the report.

However, Bank of Ireland Mortgage Bank had three complaints upheld, including one fully and one substantially.

Ombudsman Ger Deering criticised some insurance firms for unreasonable and disproportionate actions in relation to customer policies.

He said:

Some insurance companies continue to void policies in a manner which I consider to be unreasonable and disproportionate. Where a person has an insurance policy cancelled by an insurance company due to alleged non-disclosure, or for whatever reason, this can have serious implications and render it very difficult, and in some instances almost impossible, for that person to get any sort of insurance cover subsequently.

Life insurance firm Zurich Ireland and insurance company AA Ireland rounded out the Ombudsmans list of firms that had at least three complaints fully, substantially or partially upheld.

Of the total 5,588 complaints made against firms, 3,104 or 56% related to banking products, the report said.

Mortgage complaints accounted for a third of all complaints received, while insurance products accounted for another third.

Some 6% of complaints received related to pension schemes, and 5% related to investment products, the watchdogs report said.

Motor insurance was the main product type complained about, representing 29% of insurance complaints.

Mr Deering said he firmly believed the voiding of an insurance policy is something should not be done lightly.

To avoid the risk of non-disclosure and the potential voiding of policies, I hold the view that insurance companies and insurance intermediaries should ask questions prior to the inception of a policy in a clear manner and ensure that customers are clear on what they are being asked and the potential consequences of answering incorrectly.

Furthermore, insurance companies should exercise caution and prudence when considering cancelling an insurance policy and should not take steps which might reasonably be considered disproportionate, Mr Deering said.

Some 4,443 complaints were closed in 2018, the report said, with 2,331 complaints closed using mediation.

Mr Deering said complaints in relation trackers comprised a large element of the more than 1,700 mortgage-related complaints.

The 1bn tracker mortgage scandal, which happened when customers were wrongly put on more expensive loans over a number of years by more than a dozen lenders, has affected 40,000 customers, according to the Central Bank.
The record number of 10,000 people now in homelessness is a national scandal, the Dail heard as Tanaiste Simon Coveney came under attack for wrecking children's lives.

Opposition TDs have rounded on the government's record, calling for May's local elections to be a de-facto referendum on failed housing policies.

Fianna Fail's Dara Calleary said there had been attempts to massage and keep the figures as low as possible but it was clear the Rebuilding Ireland plan was not working.

Dara Calleary

The United Nations has raised concerns about Ireland's housing crisis, local authorities are still required to build large estates for social housing and people had to be evicted before they could go on housing lists, according to the Fianna Fail deputy leader.

Mr Coveney defended the government's record, insisting that 50,000 new social homes will be built under Rebuilding Ireland.

Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy will bring more plans to Cabinet next week to protect tenants, the Dail also heard.

Mr Coveney insisted that more social and private housing was being built but that the problem was that these numbers were not overtaking the pace at which people were coming into homelessness.

Sinn Fein's Pearse Doherty also said that the new figures, which show 10,264 in homelessness including almost 4,000 children, were an absolute and utter disgrace and that they represent a national scandal.

"Maybe there is not enough emotion in this debate, we talking about real people, added the Donegal TD.

With the latest homeless figures showing 10,264 people are now homeless across the state it is essential that @FineGael and @fiannafailparty support our legislation in the #Dail this evening to stop landlords evicting tenants into homelessness. #housingcrisis pic.twitter.com/rTY5dv5DV0  Sinn Fein (@sinnfeinireland) March 28, 2019

Those children's lives had been "wrecked even before they had begun," he told Mr Coveney.

Solidarity-PBP TD Richard Boyd Barrett called for tenants, those on housing lists, with mortgage problems and in emergency accommodation to join a national demonstration on housing on May 18.

He also called for people to show their opinions in May's local elections and to use their vote as a referendum on the government's failed housing policies.
Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern says that the British people did not vote for the out, out, out position adopted by British Prime Minister Theresa May.

While he has personal sympathy for her, he feels she has gotten it wrong on many levels, he told RTE radios Today with Sean ORourke show.

She got it wrong with her red lines Lancaster House speech, when she called the election, when she triggered Article 50 when she didnt have to before she had worked out a strategy.

However, he said he was delighted to see people stand by what they had said in their manifestoes.

He predicted that the next Prime Minister will be middle of the road rather than a hard Brexiteer.

Mr Ahern warned that the next phase is going to be very difficult for the British government as they attempt to establish relationships with the rest of the world.

Its going to be a nightmare for them. This is going to roll on and continue to damage British politics.

Meanwhile, the Tanaiste has suggested Ireland needs to show patience with the Brexit process.

"We're going to have another round of indicative votes on Monday, I suspect the choice will be much narrower," Simon Coveney said.

"In the meantime, the Prime Minister and government need to decide whether they put a Meaningful Vote back to parliament or not, whether they think they can get support for it.

"This is a very complex and difficult political process and I think we need to let it take its course.

"I don't think Irish input is helpful to anybody," he added.
Cystic Fibrosis Ireland is calling on the government to confirm funding for a new CF in-patient unit at Beaumont Hospital.

Dublin City Council has given full planning permission for the three-storey unit that aims to provide 20 patient rooms for 160 adults.

CFI says uncertainty about when funding will be granted, caused by the overrun in the cost of the National Children's Hospital, continues to create much anxiety in the CF community.

We welcome the fact that there is now planning permission in place and detailed plans are available for the long-promised 20-room CF in-patient unit at Beaumont Hospital," said Philip Watt, Chief Executive Officer, Cystic Fibrosis Ireland.

"We would now fully expect a swift Government statement that funding has been allocated to build this unit, along with a clear commencement and completion date.

"Anything less than such a statement will not be acceptable to the 160 CF patients attending the hospital. Cystic Fibrosis Ireland has committed to raise 1 million towards the cost of this 12 million unit, working closely with North Dublin charity, CF Hopesource."

Mr Watt added that any further delays would result in an increase in the cost of the unit.
A teenager who suffered a head injury after she was knocked down as she crossed a road near her home has settled her High Court action for 1.5m.

Mr Justice Kevin Cross was told the young girl, who was 14 years old at the time, had allegedly walked out on to the road without looking. She had emerged, it was claimed, from the front of a bus which was stopped.

The judge was told that Lorna Dawson who spent 18 days in intensive care and had to have a craniotomy, has been left with a weakness in the left side of her body.

Lorna Dawson, Carnaross, Kells, Co Meath, had, through her father Gerard Dawson, sued the owners of the vehicle involved, Principal Construction Ltd, with offices at Arran Street East, Smithfield, Dublin, and the driver, Cormac Hughes, Canterbrook, Trim Road, Navan, Co Meath, as a result of the accident on July 16, 2015.

It was claimed the driver allegedly failed to keep an adequate or proper lookout.

The defendants denied all the claims and contended the teenager had allegedly attempted to cross the road from in front of a bus when her view was entirely obstructed to her right and allegedly attempted to cross the road without first ascertaining that it was safe to do so.

Approving the settlement, Mr Justice Cross said it was a case that had many difficulties and even if Ms Dawson had been successful in the action, there would have to be a finding of contributory negligence on her part.

The judge said Ms Dawson's friends did not really witness the accident, adding that it was a good settlement.
Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy has been slammed for doing a U-turn on measures to sell properties with tenants in situ to protect wealthy landlords and investors.

Mr Murphy was accused of behaving as though "preserving the wealth of some is more important than keeping a roof over the heads of others" after he rowed back on previous commitments, stating he cannot do anything to tackle vacant possession orders.

As the numbers of people in emergency accommodation breached the 10,000 mark for the first time, Mr Murphy said selling properties with tenants still living in them could bankrupt landlords as it would significantly devalue homes.

"We cant just say, unfortunately, that if someone is going to sell their home, they have to keep a tenant in place.

The fact they would be selling with tenants in situ would mean the property would devalue by between 20-30% potentially, so you could actually be putting them in a very difficult financial position or even into bankruptcy, Mr Murphy said.

This is at odds with commitments he gave in January of 2018, when he said he was in discussions with Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe about the selling of properties with tenants in situ rather than vacant possession. He said last year:

It does happen on the commercial side, we know that commercial properties would be sold with a tenant in situ, why cant we have more of it happening on the private side and on the residential side as well?

Focus Ireland spokesperson Roughan McNamara said the Government is "lacking creativity and ambition" and said tax-breaks or other measures could easily be used to incentivise landlords to sell houses with tenants in situ.

Mr McNamara said his organisation does not believe a measure to sell properties which are still rented would be unconstitutional as has been indicated by the Government.

Sinn Fein housing spokesperson Eoin O Broin claimed Mr Murphy is protecting international investors and not those in rented accommodation.

We need real rent certainty for tenants. The single biggest cause of homelessness is landlords selling properties and seeking vacant possession," he said.

Green Party Dublin MEP candidate Ciaran Cuffe said Mr Murphy's claims that he cannot stop evictions by requiring landlords to keep tenants when they sell a house are "not credible".

"What he is saying here is that preserving the wealth of some is more important than keeping a roof over the heads of others. This is appalling."
The Irish Wildlife Trust is objecting to a wind farm in Co Longford.

They have submitted an objection to An Bord Pleanala against the proposed Derryadd 24-turbine wind farm in the Shannon Wilderness Park.

The organisation insists it is not opposed to wind energy generation but is increasingly concerned they are being inappropriately located, especially on peatland habitats.

"Were very disappointed that the hard work and hopes of local communities for the Shannon Wilderness Park are being swept aside by Bord na Mona in their pursuit of this wind energy project," IWT Campaigns Officer, Padraic Fogarty said.

"Theres a huge opportunity in creating a distinct and unique identity for this part of Longford, something people would travel from far and wide to experience.

"Bord na Mona should be working with local people and ecologists in trying to deliver this, rather than working against them to impose an unwanted wind farm. We hope An Bord Pleanala can refuse permission.
It has cost the State over an estimated 220,000 (incl Vat) in lawyers' fees from the collapsed trial of Patrick Hutch for the murder of David Byrne.

Last month, Mr Hutch (26) of Champions Avenue, Dublin 1, walked free from the Special Criminal Court after charges against Mr Hutch for the murder of Mr Byrne at the Regency Hotel in February 2016 were dropped.

The case was before the non-jury Special Criminal Court for more than a year but had been halted for an inquiry to be carried out into the tragic death of senior investigating garda, Det Supt Colm Fox.

The Regency Hotel in February 2016

There were repeated adjournments since February 2018 in the trial, when notes authored by the late Det Supt Fox were handed in to court.

In response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, the DPP has confirmed that it paid two counsel 111,674 to prosecute Mr Hutch on behalf of the State in the trial.

Sean Gillane SC led the two member barrister team for the DPP and the DPP doesnt identify the barristers who acted for the office but does confirm that one barrister received 67,996 in fees with a colleague receiving 43,677.

The two were assisted by a salaried solicitor from the Chief State Solicitors Office.

Defence lawyers are paid the same rate as prosecuting lawyers by the State through the Criminal Legal Aid scheme resulting in a doubling of the 110,674 cost to pay for barristers in the case.

The bill for the defence will be even higher as the payments to the solicitor for Mr Hutch would also be funded from the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme.

Along with the estimated 220,000 lawyer bill, the State has also spent large amounts on Garda man-hours investigating the murder of David Byrne.

The killing sparked a murderous feud between the Kinahan-Hutch gangs and the Garda spend on overtime in the Dublin Metropolitan Regional North Central alone since the start of 2016 in seeking to minimise the murder rate from the feud totals 36m.

Last year, the Garda over-time bill for the area totalled 12.39m and this followed a spend of 13.75m in 2017 and 10m in 2016.

Prior to the Regency murder of Mr Byrne in February 2016, the overtime spend by the gardai in the North Central area totalled 5.24m for 2015.

In separate figures released through the FOI Act, the DPP has confirmed that payments to barristers to prosecute cases in the criminal courts last year totalled 17.39 million - an increase of 1 million or 6% on the 16.4 million paid out in 2017.

The top paid senior counsel was paid 524,649 (incl VAT) with four others receiving payments over 300,000. Ten other un-named senior counsel received fees between 200,000 and 300,000 with eight junior counsel receiving fees between 200,000 and 300,000.

However, the DPPs FOI unit has decided not to name the barristers and refers to the barristers as Senior Counsel 1, Senior Counsel 2 etc as a result of the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) directive.
There are no plans to increase the number of sexual assault treatment units across the country, Health Minister, Simon Harris has said.

Mr Harris said the three-hour target was not met for 10% of the 941 people who had to travel to one of the six units last year. We need to fix that, he said.

A Department of Health report recommends providing rapid responders to deal with cases like that of rape victim, Dominique Meehan, from Co Donegal.

She had to travel 80km to the unit in Mullingar because the unit in Dublin's Rotunda Hospital was closed. Mr Harris said there would be 500,000 in extra funding for the six units this year  a 25% increase.

He said the number of forensic nurse examiners would increase this year from six to 15 and the number of forensic medical examiners would also increase from six to 15.

Funding for two additional training programmes would also ensure that they could continue to provide more forensic medical examiners.

And, for the first time, rapid responder forensic examiners would be able to travel to patients in their local unit if there are staff shortages.

The minister referred to Ms Meehan, who was unable to change her clothes or have a drink for hours because the Dublin unit was closed. Mr Harris said the rapid responder forensic examiner would be able to respond to cases like Ms Meehan's.

He said:

It was a clever and sensible recommendation that the review group came up with. It shows that we want to be a victim-centred service.

However, it was later put to Mr Harris that while Ms Meehan welcomed the news about the extra funding, she believed more units were needed around the country. Mr Harris said the review group decided to resource the existing six units that work in close collaboration with the Rape Crisis Centres and An Garda Siochana.

Many of those who present at the units are young people: 50% are under 25 years of age. The executive director of Rape Crisis Network Ireland, Cliona Saidlear, welcomed the report because it underlined the importance of ensuring the sustainability of the service.
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has said it is "deeply disappointed" following a meeting with University Hospital Limerick (UHL) management where it was confirmed the 17-bed-ward would close tomorrow.

Ward 1A opened as an additional hospital capacity in September 2017 as an acute short stay unit for medical patients.

Management asked nurses to "take a leap of faith" in their plans to reduce overcrowding in the hospital. UHL is the most overcrowded hospital in Ireland, with 11,400 patients on trolleys in 2018.

INMO Industrial Relations Officer for Limerick Mary Fogarty said: This is a bad decision for patients and hospital staff alike. Limerick is already the most overcrowded hospital in the country. It simply does not make sense to close further beds when faced with this appalling problem.

Closing beds will only worsen Limericks overcrowding crisis, with longer waits and more patients stuck on trolleys in public corridors.

Our members are understandably sceptical when asked to take a leap of faith, given that previous management plans to cut overcrowding have not worked.

Sadly, even our compromise proposals to close the beds on a phased basis were rejected by management.

We have asked management for further engagement with the INMO over their next steps, to identify ways to improve systems in UHL before a new 60-bed block comes onstream.
A public grilling of the officials in charge of the crisis-hit national children's hospital project will be delayed until mid-May because an independent review of what happened will not be completed on time.

The Dail's Public Accounts Committee confirmed this morning that it has been forced to push back its planned meeting with the national paediatric hospital development board until May 16 - months after the spending crisis first emerged.

The PAC was due to meet the NPHDB - including public interest representative, Paul Quinn, whose evidence is crucial to uncovering when exactly the Government was first told of the spending overruns - on April 18.

However, in the latest delay to hit the PAC's investigation, a letter from the NPHDB published on Thursday morning said the planned meeting will have to be delayed.

In a letter to the PAC, the NPHDB said: "We understand that PwC are currently targeting to complete their review on April 5 and their report will subsequently be issued to the HSE and other relevant stakeholders for consideration. The NPHBD has not been informed when it will receive a copy of the PwC report. However, it is likely to be some time after April 5.

The PwC report will have to be reviewed and considered in detail by the NPHDB to formulate the board's response. With the Easter break, a meeting of the board will not take place until the May board meeting, on Wednesday, May 1.

"Accordingly, we believe it would be premature to attend on April 18 and respectfully request that the invitation to attend is re-scheduled for a suitable date in May."

PAC chairman and Fianna Fail TD, Sean Fleming, said the committee "accepts" the need to delay the meeting, and said a new date of May 16 will now be pencilled in.

However, while agreeing with the practical need for the delay, a number of PAC members have raised concerns over the dragging out of its questioning of key hospital board personnel.

The PwC report noted by the NPHDB was sought by the Government as an independent review of the hospital costs issue earlier this year.

While it was originally due to be completed tomorrow, it will now not be concluded until April 5.
Fine Gael TDs have been given a telling off by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar for being absent for a Dail vote yesterday.

A number of TDs were absent because they were attending the Ireland v Georgia soccer match at Lansdowne Road.
Three men have been arrested for conspiracy to murder in Dublin.

Gardai investigating serious feud-related organised crime in the capital made the arrests in the north inner-city and Finglas yesterday.
Two men remain in custody by gardai investigating the murder of John Gibson in West Dublin.

It comes after a 23-year-old woman who was being questioned was released without charge last night.
The High Court has set bail terms for two former US servicemen charged over an alleged security breach at Shannon Airport on St Patricks Day.

Ken Mayers (82), Monte Alto Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Tarak Kauff (77), of Arnold Drive, Woodstock, New York, had been refused bail at Ennis District Court on March 18 following Garda objections.

They were charged with causing 2,500 worth of criminal damage to the airport perimeter fence at Shannon Airport and trespassing into a taxi-way at Shannon Airport on March 17 last.

Their solicitor, Daragh Hassett, had submitted that his clients would return to Ireland for their cases.

Bail was refused by the district court judge and the pair, dressed in Veterans for Peace tops, were remanded in custody.

However, they brought a fresh application for bail before Mr Justice Robert Eagar at the High Court sitting in Cloverhill, Dublin, today.

Bail in each case was set at 2,000.

They were ordered to reside at an address to be approved by gardai and to stay away from all airports. Their passports have already been surrendered.

The pair are due to face their next appearance at Ennis District Court at 10am on April 3.
Brunei Darussalam will bring into effect a new law next week which will punish homosexual intercourse and adultery with death by stoning.

As of April 3, the new penal law means that any individuals found guilty of homosexual acts will be stoned to death. It also means that anyone found guilty of theft will be subject to amputation.

Under international human rights law, corporal punishment in all forms, such as stoning, amputation, or whipping constitutes torture which is prohibited in all circumstances.

However, Brunei Darussalam, a country with a population of over 428,000, has rejected all recommendations in its human rights review at the United Nations in 2015 after it voiced deep concern about the revised penal code.

A notice was discreetly published on the Attorney General's website on January 29.

Amnesty International Brunei Researcher Rachel Chhoa-Howard condemned the inhumane punishment:

"Pending provisions in Brunei's Penal Code would allow stoning and amputation as punishments- including for children, to name only their most heinous aspects.

"Brunei must immediately halt its plans to implement these vicious punishments, and revise its Penal Code in compliance with its human rights obligations. The international community must urgently condemn Bruneis move to put these cruel penalties into practice.

In 2013, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah announced the country would be imposing Penal Code from Sharia Law on the country's Muslims, making it the first East-Asian country to do so. The death penalty is currently stipulated for a number of offences, including insult or defamation of Mohammed.

Ms Chhoa-Hoawrd added:

To legalize such cruel and inhuman penalties is appalling of itself. Some of the potential offences should not even be deemed crimes at all, including consensual sex between adults of the same gender

These abusive provisions received widespread condemnation when plans were first discussed five years ago.

Bruneis Penal Code is a deeply flawed piece of legislation containing a range of provisions that violate human rights.

As well as imposing cruel, inhuman and degrading punishments, it blatantly restricts the rights to freedom of expression, religion, and belief, and codifies discrimination against women and girls.
UK Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has said his party will oppose the government's Withdrawal Agreement if it is put to a parliamentary vote tomorrow.

House of Commons Speaker John Becrow has given permission for the Brexit debate to take place tomorrow because it is different to the previous "meaningful votes" which were rejected twice by MPs.
Sayona Pushing Forward with New Lithium Mine for Quebec



Authier Project Update

Brisbane, Mar 28, 2019 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Emerging lithium miner Sayona Mining Limited ( ASX:SYA ) ( OTCMKTS:DMNXF ) today reaffirmed its commitment to developing its Authier Lithium Project in Quebec, Canada into a sustainable and profitable new lithium mine, supporting the province's ambitions to be at the forefront of the global lithium-ion battery revolution.Highlights- Sayona pressing ahead with development plans for Authier Lithium Project, Quebec, Canada amid growing global lithium demand, supporting Quebec's battery revolution- Engagement efforts continuing in Quebec under required permitting pathway- Production rate to be reviewed based on a balanced approach fostering a profitable and sustainable new mine- Project pipeline strong, with drilling results due from Tansim Prospect in Canada and recent addition to portfolio in world-class Pilgangoora lithium district of Western Australia.The move follows the recent announcement by the Quebec Environment Minister that the Authier project would be subject to environmental impact assessment and review procedures under the BAPE (bureau d'audiences publiques en environnement) (refer ASX announcement March 6, 2019).Under the BAPE process, Sayona will be undertaking further community engagement and environmental studies, including an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) as per Article 31.1 of the Environment Quality Act. Sayona has already completed an Environmental Assessment Study for the project, which showed it would have no impact on the water quality of the Esker Saint-Mathieu-Berry.Community consultation and engagement efforts have included information sessions and consultations with the local municipalities, landowners, First Nation communities, non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders, supported by Sayona's manager, sustainable development, Mr Serge Rouillier, based in La Motte near the project.Sayona's Managing Director, Dan O'Neill, said the Company would now be seeking support from the Quebec community, government and other stakeholders for a revised mining lease application compared to the original submission lodged in December 2018."We will now be seeking approval based on a sustainable development approach processing in the order of 2,600 tonnes per day, providing for an approximate mine life of 14 years and estimated annual average spodumene concentrate production of around 115,000 tonnes (at 6% Li2O). The final production level will be optimised as part of the revised definitive feasibility study."Pending the necessary approvals, the new mine is expected to deliver some 150 new jobs in construction and up to 160 jobs in operation, while also generating valuable tax revenues and investment dollars for Quebec."He added: "Sayona wishes to be part of Quebec and its ambitions to become part of the clean energy revolution in lithium-ion battery technology. We are committed to Canada and will continue working to secure a social licence to operate in this world-class mining province."Sayona will now undertake a review of its definitive feasibility study (refer ASX announcement 24 September 2018) under the new parameters and update the market accordingly. The previous DFS showed the potential for a sustainable and profitable new mine, with an estimated pre-tax net present value of C$184.8 million and initial capital expenditure of C$89.9 million.The Company is also contributing to a joint study by Quebec's Ministry of Economy and Innovation on the development of a lithium-ion battery industry for the province (refer ASX announcement 3 December 2018), amid growing global demand for lithium, including from the fast-growing electric vehicle (EV) industry and battery storage.The global lithium battery market is seen growing to US$67.7 billion by the end of 2022, more than double its 2016 value, with more than 60 battery 'mega factories' already built or in the pipeline, up from just three in 2015. This follows announcements by global automakers of multi-billion dollar investments in EVs.Strong project pipelineMeanwhile, Sayona's strong project pipeline in Canada and Western Australia is also expected to deliver increased value for shareholders.In Quebec, drilling results are expected soon for the Company's Tansim Prospect located 82 km south-west of Authier. Drilling has targeted the Viau-Dallaire prospect, where historic channel samples include 10.3m @ 1.40% Li2O, 11.15m @ 0.84% Li2O and 18.95m @ 0.94% Li2O (including 7.3m at 1.77% Li2O) (refer ASX announcement 12 July 2018).In Western Australia, currently the world's largest lithium exporter, Sayona recently extended its holdings to comprise 100% ownership of some 1,898 square kilometres of tenements in the world-class Pilgangoora lithium district (refer ASX announcement 29 January 2019)."Sayona's flagship Authier project continues to advance, while our project pipeline offers the potential for increased value amid the growing global demand for lithium. The future is bright for Sayona and we are determined to deliver for shareholders and all other stakeholders, unlocking value from the metal of the 21st century," Mr O'Neill said.About Sayona Mining Ltd

Sayona Mining Limited (ASX:SYA) (OTCMKTS:SYAXF) is an Australian, ASX-listed (SYA) company focused on sourcing and developing the raw materials required to construct lithium-ion batteries for use in the rapidly growing new and green technology sectors. The Company has lithium projects in Quebec, Canada and in Western Australia.

Please visit us as at www.sayonamining.com.au
The banking watchdog's plan to overhaul how senior bank executives' bonuses are set has prompted calls for boards to use greater discretion when determining pay.

And amid disagreement between investors over how best to structure executive pay packets, company directors say the regulator may need to help boards withstand short-term pressure from investors by encouraging a more "holistic" view of pay and performance.

The banking regulator wants to overhaul how senior bank executives' pay packets are set. Credit:Jessica Shaprio

The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority this week signalled it would force boards to place less emphasis on shareholder returns when setting bank executive pay packets, with more weight to be put on non-financial targets.

In response, industry players made it clear there was no single formula for getting banker pay right.
Australian cosmetics brand Napoleon Perdis is set to survive after the company's administrators negotiated terms with an investment vehicle run by a group of Australian entrepreneurs.

The company collapsed in late January with millions in debt but has been thrown a lifeline by KUBA, a company led by former Witchery and Marcs executive Henry Lee and Livia Wang, best known for her consultancy that helps daigou (Australia-based personal shoppers for Chinese consumers).

Napoleon Perdis will retain a role at his eponymous company after it emerges from administration. Credit:Dean Sewell

If KUBA's proposal to take the company out of bankruptcy is successful, a KUBA spokesman said, no further store closures were planned.

Perdis' administrator, Worrells, closed 28 of the brand's 56 stores after taking over the management of the company when it entered voluntary administration.
They made the first chocolate nougat, setting the foundation for Milky Way Bars and Snickers. However, Forrest snr fell out with his father and in 1932, he was given the recipe for the Milky Way Bar to start his own business. The 106-year-old company has helped the family build a $127b fortune. Credit:Shutterstock Since then, the company has become known for the eponymous Mars Bar, 3 Musketeers, Twix and M&Ms. More than 400 million M&Ms are produced in the US every day. The companys secrecy dates back to when Forrest snr patented the method for Uncle Bens rice and American military chiefs tried to overturn the patent to supply troops. Forrest snr reportedly avoided photographers and interviews alike. Unlike his parents, Forrest snr was relatively frugal. He raised his children the same way  while they attended exclusive boarding schools, they did chores at home to earn an allowance. However, he did buy a 740-acre farm in Virginia in the 1940s. He and his wife, Audrey, lived apart for a lot of their marriage  she kept a penthouse apartment at The Watergate.

Forrest snr has been described as having an extreme temper, but was separately praised as one of this centurys most brilliant and successful entrepreneurs by Fortune magazine in 1984. I didnt feel different to anybody else. We did chores around the house, we went to school. We didnt live a different lifestyle to any of my friends. Pamela Mars He was an iconic leader  dedicated and highly respected, a Mars spokesperson told Business Insider. When Forrest snr died in 1999, his children  Jacqueline, John, and Forrest jnr Mars  inherited a stake in the company. Forrest jnr passed away in 2016. Currently, Jacqueline and John co-own, but dont actively manage, Mars Inc. They have the biggest share of the family fortune, with $US24 billion each. They rank on the Forbes 400 along with Forrest jnrs four daughters, who have $US6 billion each after each inheriting an 8 per cent stake. The collective fortune of all six is $US72 billion, making them the third-richest family dynasty in the US, according to the Billionaire Bonanza report.

Jacqueline is the only sibling with a lifestyle close to reflecting her billionaire status, wrote Jan Pottker for The Washingtonian in 2008. She reportedly listed her estate in New Jersey for $US2 million, has a place called Stonehall Farm in Virginia, and maintains her mothers Watergate penthouse. Like her family, Jacqueline maintains privacy. In 2013, Jacqueline was involved in a car crash in Loudon County. She was driving her Porsche SUV when her vehicle crossed the centre line and hit an eastbound minivan, according to authorities. According to authorities, Mars told a witness who went to the scene of the accident that she had fallen asleep while driving, wrote Caitlin Gibson of The Washington Post. Tests revealed no trace of drugs, alcohol or medications that could have caused a blackout  Witnesses said that Mars was not speeding or driving erratically before the accident. The accident occurred in Loudon County; the driver of the other car lost her unborn son, a passenger died, and other passengers were injured. The victims urged the court not to seek jail time for Jacqueline, who pleaded guilty. She was ordered to pay a $US2500 fine. I cant go back in time. I cant change what happened, Mars, who planned to help the family, said in a statement. I will always live with the grief and loss caused by this tragedy.

Forrest Mars jnr. Credit:AP Jacqueline and her ex-husband David Badger have three children. Their son, Stephen Badger, is the chairman of Mars Inc. Recently, the company has started to open up about its business to be transparent to consumers and attract talent, Badger told Business Insider. For most of our history, in fact  for 99 per cent of our history, weve chosen not to be in the public eye and weve really wanted our brands to engage consumers. And yet times have changed, Badger said. Not much is known about Jacquelines brother John, but in March 2015, he was made an honorary knight by Queen Elizabeth II. Both he and Jacqueline run the Mars Foundation, which donates to educational, environmental, cultural, and health-related causes. The company also has a volunteer program. Both John and Forrest jnr inherited their fathers tendency to avoid the spotlight. And their fathers frugal ways stuck with them: both brothers reportedly lived in relatively affordable condos.

When I was growing up it felt very normal, Forrest jnrs daughter, Pamela Mars, told Campden FB. I didnt feel different to anybody else. We did chores around the house, we went to school. We didnt live a different lifestyle to any of my friends. When Forrest jnr passed away, his four daughters  Victoria, Valerie, Pamela, and Marijke  inherited an equal stake. Victoria is the former the chair of the board of directors of Mars Inc. A spokesperson for Mars told Business Insider that there are six rotating positions on the board. Growing up, Pamela lived in Holland and France for several years before moving back to the US for her fathers various Mars Inc jobs. After graduating from Vassar and a stint working in advertising, Pamela joined the family business as an operations supervisor. She moved up the ranks, and after a sabbatical, became chairman of the board, a position from which she later stepped down. According to Forbes, Valerie and Marijke both work at Mars and serve on the companys board of directors.

For years, the family was known for being notoriously private, keeping their personal lives and Mars Inc out of the public eye. In recent years, the company has branched out into pet care. Credit:Michele Mossop The Mars company and the family that owns the confectionery giant have turned secrecy into a way of life, wrote Pottker. Morningstar food analyst Mitchell Howard called Mars a very, very quiet company. Nicknamed the Kremlin, the Mars Inc headquarters are based in the Virginia suburbs and have been described as secretive and anonymous. Today, four business segments comprise Mars Inc: petcare, Mars Wrigley Confectionery, food and edge.

In 2008, Mars Inc branched out from chocolate to gum when it acquired the Wrigley Jr Company for $US23 billion, and it bought Iams and two other pet food brands in 2014 from Procter & Gamble for close to $US2.9 billion. Now a $US35 billion firm, Mars is the fifth-largest private business in the United States, and it was previously ranked as a best place to work by Fortune magazine. Mars Inc says it can attribute its success to the five principles that Pamela Mars called the bedrock of the company: quality, responsibility, mutuality, efficiency and freedom. Jacqueline also supports the US Olympic Equestrian Team and is a trustee of the US Equestrian Team Foundation. She sits on several boards, including the National Sporting Library and Fine Art Museum, the Smithsonian and the American Prairie Reserve. According to a Mars spokesperson, she received the first-ever Foundation for the National Archives Heritage Award, for her support of the National Archives and other arts and cultural institutions in Washington, DC. She also played a role merging the Opera with John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and made a multi-year commitment to support the Washington Performing Arts programs.

The family has always believed that the biggest contribution toward the world we want tomorrow is through the good that Mars Inc can do every day, and the family reinvests the vast majority of any profit made back into the company, a company spokesperson told Business Insider. As well as its eponymous Mars bar, the company makes Snickers, Milky Way and M&Ms. Credit:Ben Rushton And in 2017, the company made a $US1 billion investment in a sustainability program that will contribute to the UNs Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement. While the Mars family has remained private over the years, its helped them keep their anonymity, Joseph Astrachan, an expert in family enterprises, told The Guardian. But one thing will always remain private: the company itself. The philosophy of the family and the philosophy of the business is that its a family business, Pamela told Campden FB. More importantly, its a privately held business and thats the way that wed like to keep it.
Construction has begun on what will be Australia's biggest lithium processing plant in WA's South West region.

US lithium giant Albemarle's $1 billion Kemerton plant, 17 kilometres north of the port town of Bunbury, was expected to create 500 construction jobs and another 500 jobs in the south-west once operational.

The Greenbushes hard-rock lithium mine will feed the Kemerton plant.

It will initially comprise of three production trains that will use spodumene ore sourced from nearby Greenbushes lithium mine.

Each train will produce 20,000 tonnes per annum of lithium hydroxide, an essential component in modern batteries, with a further expansion to five trains meaning the site could produce up to 100,000 tpa by 2025.


Prepares Exploration Campaign at Estelle Gold Project

Melbourne, Mar 28, 2019 AEST (ABN Newswire) - The directors of Nova Minerals Limited (Nova or Company) ( ASX:NVA ) ( FRA:QM3 ) are pleased to provide an update that current works are fast progressing for the forthcoming exploration program at the company's district scale Estelle Gold Project and provide a project schedule of works.Planning is fully underway for the proposed 2019 Exploration Campaign at the Estelle Gold Camp with contractor procurement in its advanced stages. Following the awarding of contracts, the focus will be on mobilising the Induced Polarzation suvey (IP) crew onsite with potentially diamond drill mobilisation to follow thirty days later. The diamond drill is to test the total depth of mineralisation as outlined in figure 2(see link below).The 112km2 Estelle landholding sits adjacent to the 9.5M oz AuEq Whistler project (held by Gold Mining Inc.) and in the same assemblage of rocks that hosts The Pebble Partnership owned by Northern Dynasty Minerals' giant Pebble deposit (105 Moz Au). A direct correlation between gold grade and vein density is similarly reported at the Fort Knox (+ 4 Moz) and Dublin Gulch (+ 6 Moz) RIRGS deposits (Hart, 2007). Study results suggest that the 1) association of Au with Bi-Te, 2) association of Au with sheeted veins containing arsenopyrite, and 3) restriction of alteration to narrow selvages adjacent to veins at the Estelle Property are consistent with the genetic deposit model for RIRGS deposits(see Note 1 below).NVA Managing Director, Mr. Avi Kimelman said:"We are excited about the high quality of the prospects contained within the claim group and the large scale of the Estelle gold project with a clear leverage to the gold price. This is very large project and we anticipate to aggressively explore the property with new work programs consisting of mapping, IP, and potential diamond drilling that has the opportunity to discover large scale resource blocks within last years focus area and outside at the RPM and Shoeshine occurrences.""As announced on 14 February 2019, Dale Schultz and Brian Youngs will lead our Estelle Project exploration and logistics efforts and between the two of them have in excess of 60 years in project managing large exploration campaigns and projects which include time spent at Lupin Mine NWT, Hemlo Camp N. Ontario, Kori Kollo Mine Bolivia and the Condor Project in Ecuador (host of the Fruta del Norte Gold Project). With lots of preparation underway, they have done fantastic work to date in pre-planning to streamline the project and moving into the next stage of exploration.""Estelle is uniquely positioned and we haven't yet scratched the surface, with positive early signs we are particularly excited with the potential opportunity to uncover another giant deposit in Alaska. The project sits amongst some of the largest gold deposits on the planet with very large and exciting prospects, and Nova is ready to meet the challenge of exploring each of them."Primary focus will be given to the Oxide occurrences, which were last drilled by Millrock Resources Inc. in 2010. During last years field season Tom Bundtzen of Pacific Rim Geological Consulting Inc. completed a first pass geological mapping of the Oxide occurrences and identified two high quality targets (ASX Announcement 3 December 2018). These targets were given the designation of Oxide North and Oxide south. The key feature of these targets is that they consist of broad envelopes containing argillic-phyllic to propylitic hydrothermal alteration.A group of chip samples taken by Mr Bundtzen from these alteration envelopes contains moderate (~1%) arsenopyrite mineralization (+/- pyrite, pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite and tetrahedrite) that returned moderate grades of up to 1.04 g/t Au having an average grade 0.183 g/t Au. Oxide North and Oxide South alteration envelopes measures 1300 to 1600 metres along strike and have widths of between 550 to 600 metres. Total depth extents of these alteration envelopes are unknown at this time.First phase will be Oxide North (see Figure 2 in link below). IP Survey will be run to site the drill platforms with more certainty. The plan is to drill 2,500 in this zone having drill holes reaching up to 600m with the aim of completing two holes per platform (collars marked in red). Upon conclusion of phase one, a follow up round of 2,500 metres will be initiated if positive results are obtained. Subject to phase two drilling the scout RC drilling will be used to infill shallow in pit mineralisation for early pit optimisation models. Once both phases of core drilling are completed an analysis will then be undertaken to determine if there is adequate data to support a maiden JORC Inferred Resources.Note the red box (see Figure 2 in link below) is the 2.2 - 5.3 million ounce gold exploration target released late last year. (Refer: ASX Announcement 6 December 2018)Third phase will target the Oxide South occurrence. Some of the best chips from Tom Bundtzen sampling came from this target. The description of the alteration is the same as the Oxide North target. Once again the IP survey will be utilized to more accurately locate the drill platforms with respect to the stronger chargeability anomalies in the subsurface. The goal is to have two holes per set up (collars marked in blue). The company aims to also establish JORC Resource estimate if sufficient data permits at Oxide South.During the 2019 field season Tom Bundtzen of Pacific Rim Geological Consulting Inc. will again be engaged to complete additional field mapping and prospecting in the Estelle claim group (see Figure 3 in link below). The focus this field season will be on the RPM and Shoeshine occurrence. The RPM occurrence will be of particular interest as Millrock reported in September of 2012 a drill hole intercept of 102.11 metres grading 1.04 g/t gold which contained a high grade intercept of 2.07 g/t gold over 21.94 metres (see Note 2 below). They described the geology as a broad zone of alteration in a high-level intrusive magmatic contact zone. No additional follow up exploration was ever completed by Millrock at this occurance. After the completion of the mapping at RPM and Shoeshine, Pacific Rim will be engaged to complete follow up prospecting on the 15 plus additional showings that Nova controls as part of the Estellle claim group.Notes:1 Source: Ore Characterization of the Estelle Property in the South-~Central Alaska Range, Ember Flagg, University of Nevada, Las VegasTo view tables and figures, please visit:About Nova Minerals Limited

Nova Minerals Limited (ASX:NVA) (FRA:QM3) (OTCMKTS:NVAAF) is a dynamic explorer and developer of its flagship Estelle Gold district in the Tintina gold belt. Nova's strategy is to substantially increase the current 4.7Moz resource on the Korbel prospect. Subsequently to continue to lock in value through moving Korbel towards production whilst increasing the resource base across the pipeline of targets within the Estelle gold district. Nova Minerals also holds strategic investments in Snow Lake Resources Ltd (Thompson Brothers Lithium Project), Torian Resources Ltd (ASX:TNR) and RotorX Aircraft Manufacturing Co.
Boao, China: Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has shifted tack and talked up Chinas economy, saying recent growth had been higher than expected which showed government tax cuts were working.

In a shift in tone from his gloomier speech to National Peoples Congress last month, Mr Li told an international business audience at the Boao Forum for Asia there had been rapid growth in March in imports and exports and freight volumes.

Upbeat: Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. Credit:AP

Major economic indicators such as employment and prices had been steady.

The growth of Chinas economy is higher than expected, he said.
Staff at popular public schools are turning sleuth to catch parents who try to cheat out-of-area enrolment rules.

One school caught seven families using the same enrolment address. Another uncovered a forged signature. And one found out that a student's family was sharing their address with friends after spotting a fake tenancy agreement.

Schools are spending precious time catching out parents that try to cheat the enrolment rules. Credit:Tamara Voninski

Public schools prioritise students in their catchment zone, but some are so popular due to strong results or good reputations that there are few places left for out-of-area applicants, prompting some parents to go to drastic lengths to pretend they are local.

In one case at highly sought-after Strathfield Girls' High, senior staff door-knocked a home to check a prospective student's address, only to find the people who lived there didn't know the applicant and had been there for years.
It's no surprise, then, that a niche publishing wave is underway, from a slew of books released worldwide to magazines such as the three-year-old online site, Anxy. Sarah Wilson's 2017 book, First, We Make the Beast Beautiful, is a harrowing memoir of life-long anxiety by the successful journalist turned bestselling author and entrepreneur, who recently turned her sights towards encouraging greater philanthropy. Jill Stark's Happy Never After, out last July, is less gut-wrenching but equally exploratory and explanatory. Loading There are even events covering the topic, such as the Big Anxiety festival, billed as the country's largest mental health gathering. Hosted by the University of NSW and the Black Dog Institute, it's intended to create "opportunities for meaningful encounters that increase curiosity and empathy, decrease stigma, support neurodiversity and promote psychological and emotional well-being in our society". More than 160,000 people attended the inaugural event in 2017, which was successful enough to be repeated later this year. Director Jill Bennett's essay, Are we all anxious now?, was published as far afield as the Tate museum's magazine in the UK. All this interest raises the question: is the type of anxiety that's serious enough to be medically diagnosed on the rise, or are we just renaming aspects of the human condition and talking about them more? The figures, as is often the case, are unclear. Many medical researchers suggest the diagnosis of anxiety is fairly static, although the Australian Bureau of Statistics says the proportion of the population reporting anxiety-related problems has risen sharply over recent years to 11.2 per cent in 2014-15. Indeed, it's thought that one in three women and one in five men in Australia will experience anxiety at some point in their lives.

Clinicians on the front line tell Good Weekend theyve seen a clear increase over the past decade. Lisa Lampe is a psychiatrist and assistant professor at the University of Newcastle whose book, Take Control of Your Worry: Managing Generalised Anxiety Disorder, was published in 2004. She believes interest in anxiety is part of a long, slow coming out of mental disorders. Sufferers are owning up to the condition, which encourages others to admit their prob- lems or even realise that those problems are not just the way they are, but treatable. "I agree that the stats are pretty stable," says Lampe. "My theory is that awareness of mental health generally is growing. I think it developed for the more obvious disorders, like schizophrenia, first. Then, remember, there was a great rash of publicity around bipolar disorder in the 1990s, and a lot of people came out saying they had it. Then there was a focus on depression, which was around the time Beyondblue got up. Then other people put their hands up and said, 'I have terrible trouble with anxiety,' and the focus switched to that. I think it's anxiety's time and it's well overdue." A lively conversationalist who has specialised in treating anxiety since leaving university, Lampe finds this a positive development. "I fell in love with treating anxiety disorders because people get better," she says. She emphasises the strength, rather than the weakness, of sufferers. "The thing that always strikes me about my anxious patients is that they've got this debilitative condition and yet they soldier on. The sad thing is, they often think they're weak because they get anxious, but I always tell them it's the complete reverse. Imagine if other people felt they had to cross a 12-lane freeway, with no help, to start every day, and then carry on. The strength that requires is actually amazing." Imagine feeling you had to cross a 12-lane freeway, with no help, to start every day, then carry on. The strength that requires is amazing. Psychiatrist Richard Wu, who is as considered as Lampe is vivacious, works in the calm of a Sydney CBD heritage-listed building. He also believes anxiety is increasing; it's certainly showing up more and more in his practice. Wu notes the academic truism that quantitative research lags behind qualitative experience. And why wouldn't anxiety be increasing, he points out  society puts people in an impossible bind these days, increasing pressure in tandem with isolation. He believes a diagnostic bias in favour of depression has eclipsed anxiety when patients like Steve present with symptoms that could fall into either category.

"There has always been an under-recognition of anxiety disorders and it's really hard to find true statistics on them," he says. "The commonly accepted figure is about 33 per cent of the population will fit the diagnostic criteria at some time in their lives for anxiety disorders. That's already very high. But what I'm seeing is something we could call a hidden, or an elusive, epidemic." Not everyone who experiences anxiety consults a doctor, of course. Paul*, who lives in Canberra, has experienced the full blast of anxiety in the form of panic attacks. When his daughter was little, he took the morning preschool run, while his wife did afternoons. At the time, he was uncomfortably overweight, and he still remembers the sense of rising fear as he got out of breath trying to fit his daughter's shoes on, organise her lunch and pack her schoolbag. The thought that ricocheted around his brain as it was happening was, "Please don't let me die of a heart attack now, when she's alone with me and it will be hours until anyone finds us." Like Steve, Paul woke every morning in a high state of anxiety, which would wear off as the day progressed. Unlike Steve, he never sought help, never received treatment; taking instead the old-school approach of self-medicating with alcohol. Eventually, as he lost weight, became fitter and drank less, and his daughter became less dependent, the intensity of his anxiety receded So, what exactly is anxiety? The most authoritative medical definition, from the American Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V), is a six-month period of uncontrollable worry accompanied by three or more persistent problems such as restlessness, fatigue, concentration issues, irritability, muscle tension or sleep disturbance. Anxiety disorders were only officially defined in 1980's DSM-III, but the most recent edition  the DSM-V, published in 2013  already has a dozen sub-categories, from phobias to social anxiety to generalised anxiety disorder, with many refinements within each. As The New York Times reviewer, Nathan Heller, remarked in his review of Scott Stossel's 2014 bestseller, My Age of Anxiety, "Clusters of these symptoms probably describe the entire city of New York." One could say the same for Melbourne, Sydney, Hong Kong, London and other world cities. Clusters of anxiety symptoms probably describe the entire city of New York.

Anxiety occurs on a long continuum, from horror stories to the butterfly flutter we've all experienced when checking exam results or struggling to meet difficult deadlines. David H. Barlow, founder of Boston University's Centre for Anxiety and Related Disorders, calls it "the common cold of mental disorders". Its most severe form has been recognised for millennia, if not isolated. In 1621, Robert Burton described a patient of the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates  the "father" of Western medicine  in this way: "He dare not come into company for fear he should be misused, disgraced, overshoot himself in gestures or speeches, or be sick; he thinks every man observeth him." Burton described these symptoms: "Many lamentable effects this fear causeth in man, as to be red, pale, tremble, sweat; it makes sudden cold and heat come over all the body, palpitation of the heart, syncope, etc. It amazeth many men that are to speak or show themselves in public." One of the poet W.H. Auden's greatest works, published in 1947 in the aftermath of World War II, was called The Age of Anxiety. As Stossel puts it in My Age of Anxiety, "Every generation, going back to Periclean Greece, to second-century Rome, to the Enlightenment, to the Georgians and to the Victorians, believed itself to be the most anxious age ever." Every generation, going back to Periclean Greece  believed itself to be the most anxious age ever. Kate* has been anxious since childhood. At school, she says, tougher children often took her under their wing and looked after her, but that wasn't an option when she reached adulthood. (And anyway, she points out, such relationships are emotionally unbalanced, with the stronger person dominating.) Kate took a science degree at university, with her curiosity about her own experience leading her to major in psychology. Now a mother of three, she tries to help herself, but has also been formally diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder by a psychiatrist. She has used Xanax and beta-blockers, the side effects of which she found to be worse than the original problem. "The worst part for me is social phobia," she says. Painfully shy as a child, she still can't control her sweating and blushing and stammering when she finds herself in public. Parties are generally not on. The night before we speak, she'd been to an 18th birthday party and got through it in a haze. She couldn't speak at her own wedding.

"As I'm talking, I'm watching myself talk and judging whether that is going well or not, and how it might be judged from the other person's point of view," she explains. "An incredible amount of effort goes into trying to make sure I'm coming across okay, and it just ends up being this spiral. The more you are judging yourself, the worse it will become. And you're quite aware that it's visible, especially when you start blushing. I know it's impossible to work out what another person is thinking, but that doesn't stop me trying." Loading Her only reliable solution is to withdraw. "Immediately there's a sense of relief," she says. "You're out of it, you're away, and it's fine. And that effectively reinforces withdrawal. I've got years' worth of withdrawal behind me." The nature-versus-nurture debate colours research into anxiety. Yes, it runs in families, but is that due to genetic inheritance or the anxious environment in which the children are raised, becoming their own anxious parents? The influential Harvard professor of psychology Jerome Kagan spent two decades studying more than 450 healthy children, born without medical complications, to assess what combination of temperament and life history produces an "excessively fearful or anxious adolescent or adult". He reported that most babies with "high reactive" symptoms of anxiety  responding to external stimuli with agitated limb movement, muscle spasticity, and an occasional arching of the back, accompanied by fretting and crying  had become less fearful, and begun to resemble typical children, by the time they were four-and-a-half years old. None, however, became "consistently extroverted", he wrote. "The temperament of the high reactive infants constrained their development of an extremely extroverted personality rather than causing a fearful, anxious personality in most of these children."

By the time they were seven, half the high reactive had a serious fear of kidnapping and other dangers, compared with only 10 per cent of the low reactive kids. Interestingly, Kagan found guilt to play a large part in the most inhibited children. They "also displayed extreme sensitivity to criticism over violation of standards they believed were appropriate. That is, they seemed as prone to guilt as to fear and anxiety." So what level of anxiety is an inevitable product of the times we live in, and when does that become a medical issue? A UN study of 15 different countries in 2017, looking at teleworking, found that 41 per cent of "highly mobile" employees (those who more often work from home) considered themselves highly stressed, compared to only 25 per cent of those who worked only on-site. The home workers' higher reliance on smartphones and laptops, as well as their comparative social isolation, contributed to higher stress levels and insomnia. Mark Ryan, head psychiatrist at the Sydney neuroCare clinic, specialises in sleep disorders and the link between sleep and physical and psychological well-being. "The elephant in the room is sleep," he says simply. "Anything less than six hours a night is going to lead to significant cognitive impairment." And that, he says, bumps up a range of symptoms, including anxiety. He quotes Jerome Kagan on the nature/ nurture debate, pointing out that even if childhood testing suggests you're the kind of person who's more likely to react to things, it doesn't mean you're doomed to high anxiety if you can arrange your environment, or life, well. We don't have psychological problems, we have problems in living. As a psychotherapist, what I do is help people have a life that will work. "We use drugs and cognitive behaviour therapy to treat anxiety, but when you carve it all up, there's still a missing link," he says. "With a top-down approach, we're only treating the shadows. We only see one thing at a time and people end up taking a lot of drugs." He maintains there's a huge placebo effect in many patients relieved by taking medication, refers glancingly to the commercial interests of big pharmaceutical companies in treating anxiety, and says much of the anxiety he sees is learned.

Canadian academic Jordan Peterson was a psychology lecturer with a large student following before his recent notoriety. In one of his earlier online lectures, he quotes the Austrian psychiatrist Thomas Szazs on "the myth of mental illness". "We don't have psychological problems, we have problems in living," Peterson says, "and often what I'm doing as a psychotherapist is helping people have a life that will work." In Sydney, Richard Wu emphasises life skills, too. "You know, if you put a bunch of rats together, their stress levels will go up," he says. "Well, we're living in increasingly dense urban areas ... and people are worried about retrenchment and mortgages. There are things happening at a philosophical level as well. Nietzsche talks about "moral chaos": without the institutions and the beliefs we once had, we are chasing mediocrity in increasingly narcissistic ways." Steve the lawyer knows his anxiety was heightened by a stressful period at work, though he emphasises how kind his firm was when the crunch came. "When I joined the firm in the mid-1980s, it was the tail-end of what I would call the 'golden era' of the law as a profession, where the lawyer's role was to give advice and his expertise was respected for that," he says. "Now law firms, for a start, are global conglomerates. In a sense, I was unlucky that the world was changing around me. All of a sudden, far from just being a lawyer, you're expected to be a businessman, with these targets for billing that were increasingly onerous.Although I more or less managed to do it, increasingly I realised it was too much pressure. I just didn't want to do it; it wasn't really where my talents lay." He is happy with his current lot as a freelance writer. "I'm much poorer, but happier and considerably healthier." * Names have been changed.
A Melbourne father is accused of threatening to kill a young man unless he married his teenage daughter, and then after the wedding having the groom pledge $450,000 as surety in case he fled.

A County Court jury was on Thursday shown footage from a 2015 wedding in which the groom in a black dinner suit smiled, hugged and kissed a bride wearing a yellow dress. The girl was at the time 15 and the man 22.

The video features footage of the couple smiling at the camera and at each other, and among the phrases interspersed are the lines "We'll be forever", "Life is wonderful" and "Feel your love".

But prosecutors allege that despite his smile, the groom was forced into marrying the girl, by the teenager's father, Majed Mamosi.
William Tyrrell's biological mother was desperately trying to get back custody of her son at the time he disappeared, a coronial inquest has heard.

Aged just 3, William, wearing a Spider-Man suit, vanished without a trace as he and his sister played in his foster-grandmother's front yard in Kendall on the NSW Mid North Coast.

The inquest into William Tyrrell's disappearance will return to the Coroner's Court in August.

An exhaustive search for the little boy and a comprehensive criminal investigation have failed to turn up any trace of William.

While officers have pursued about 600 persons of interest, no arrests have been made in relation to his disappearance and no charges have been laid.
Commercial fishing boats must have better safety gear to prevent more deaths at sea, an inquest into the loss of eight trawler men has been told.

Six men died in 2017 when the FV Dianne rolled off the Town of 1770, a coastal town about 500km north of Brisbane, in 2017. Two others perished when the FV Cassandra went down near Fraser Island the previous year.

Families and friends of the sunken trawler FV Dianne's crew at the memorial service in Cairns. Credit:Darren England/AAP

At an inquest into their deaths, coroner David O'Connell was urged on Thursday to recommend better safety measures for commercial fishing vessels.

Barrister Matthew Holmes, acting for lost Dianne crewman Adam Hoffman, said life jackets with personal locator beacons, survival equipment and lighting that would activate in an emergency should be considered.
The federal government commissioned extra groundwater research from CSIRO and Geoscience Australia late last year. The Queensland government was last month accused of delaying the project because it commissioned a group of bird experts to evaluate Adanis plans to protect the threatened black-throated finch. The federal Environment Department said on Thursday the CSIRO groundwater study would first be given to federal Environment Minister Melissa Price.* Queensland needs to approve how Adani plans to manage the impact of its proposed coal mine on the Great Artesian Basin, described as the companys Groundwater Dependent Ecosystem Management Plan. The CSIRO and Geoscience Australia advice was commissioned as part of the Department of the Environment and Energys assessment of Adanis draft groundwater plans, a spokeswoman said.

The departments assessment will first be provided to the Minister for her determination. The spokeswoman said the federal government would give the data to Queensland, but did not say when. Despite a major public relations campaign, Adani Mining still needs approval in three areas before its Carmichael Coal Mine, about160 kilometres north-west of Clermont, can begin. The proposed mine includes six open-cut mines and five underground mines over 44,700 hectares, producing 60 million tonnes of coal a year. Firstly, Adani must identify the source of groundwater from the Great Artesian Basin coming up to a network of endangered springs eight kilometres to the west of the mine, known as the Doongmabulla Springs.

Eco Logicals November 2018 study for Adani says: Studies undertaken during  and post  the environmental impact studies indicate that the source aquifer is discharge from the artesian Clematis sandstone, through the weathered Moolayember formation. It says since 2014 it has dug 10 extra bore holes and shallow spear-point wells to determine that: An alternative groundwater (source) concept for the Doongmabulla springs complex is that the source of the mound springs is a result of the presence of faults, which facilitate groundwater flow from a deeper source aquifer below the Clematis Sandstone and the Rewan formation. Hydrogeology and geochemistry expert, Associate Professor Matt Currell from Melbournes RMIT University, said Eco Logicals study was not complete. I think that is still inconclusive based on the data they have included in the report, Dr Currell said. He said Adani should complete seismic studies near the Doongmabulla Springs to test exactly where the springs begin.

They havent actually done that work anywhere near the springs to see if you do have deep faults that may be causing flow to be coming up from deeper through to the springs, he said. Secondly, Adani must also satisfy the state and federal governments that its coal mine will not negatively impact the flow of groundwater from the Great Artesian Basin to six endangered species around the Doongmabulla springs. Their updated November 2018 groundwater study  seen by Brisbane Times  reviews the impact on groundwater from the Great Artesian Basin from the proposed mine in three areas; near the Carmichael Mine, near the Doongmabulla Springs and at the Mellaluka Springs. Eco Logical finds the Carmichael Mines groundwater draw down would be: At the Carmichael River

Four metres in an 800-metre section near the mine;

About 1000 cubic metres per day from Year 20 on the eastern boundary; and

Less than two metres on the western boundary, but zero flow days would increase from zero per cent to 5 per cent At the Doongmabulla Springs Eco Logical predicts falls in bore water levels of between five centimetres and 19 centimetres

It finds: The levels of reductions ... are within the range of natural seasonal fluctuations are likely to have negligible adverse impacts at Moses Springs and, at most, negligible adverse impacts to Joshua and Little Moses Springs

The threatened species found at the Joshua Spring wetland are unlikely to be impacted, as the water supply to the wetland in which they occur is not likely to be reduced to an extent that will affect these species

It also says cattle will have a big impact on the springs Dr Currell said Adani was relying on data originally gathered in 2014 by consultants GHD. He said recent research by hydro-geologists (including himself) at RMIT, and colleagues at Flinders University and La Trobe University raised questions about Eco Logicals estimates.

I feel it is misleading. It should be saying that this is our best potential guesses, but there is a significant range of uncertainty on that, he said. Adani's proposed Carmichael coal mine. Credit:Tony Moore The mine will also dry up the Mellaluka Springs, further south of the proposed Carmichael mine on private land, as has been previously reported. Eco Logicals November 2018 study predicts the mine will slowly dry up these springs over 60 years. (It) will have significant impacts on the ecological function for all the springs in the Mellaluka springs group, and their capacity to supply domestic and agricultural water, with the springs essentially drying up at the surface.
Meet Frankie, a photogenic pug who was snatched off the street by a thief after the canine escaped from his home in north Queensland last week.

Frankie's owner spent the night searching and just when it seemed hope was lost, the people of Cairns banded together to crack the case and rescue the smiley pug.

Meet Frankie, the photogenic dog who was pug-napped in Cairns, and rescuer Constable Gabby Walter. Credit:Queensland Police Service

Frankie's owner returned home from work last Wednesday, March 20, and when they opened the garage door, Frankie and another pug ran underneath and took off.

Their owner chased the canines and grabbed Frankie's friend but Frankie got away.
Domestic violence campaigner Rosie Batty has intervened in the federal election campaign, backing a Bill Shorten Labor government.

Ms Batty said on Thursday morning that the federal governments spending on family violence was "paltry" and suggested Prime Minister Scott Morrison was less focused on the issue than his predecessor Malcolm Turnbull.

Bill Shorten with Rosie Batty in Canberra in 2015. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

But the Prime Minister said the issue of family violence should remain bi-partisan and that it should not be a matter for "politicking".

Ms Batty, a former Australian of the Year, made her comments while appearing with Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews in Melbourne, talking about the state governments response to its Royal Commission into Family Violence.
William O'Meally, one of the escapees. He tried to intercept them, but was knocked down and was shot in the thigh. OMeally and Taylor then scrambled out of the small gate, ran to the main gate and opened it and escaped into Champ Street. Before they could be intercepted they stole a utility truck from outside a garage opposite the prison and sped off. Penal Officer John Edward Davies rushed into Sydney Road, commandeered a State Electricity Commission truck, and gave chase.

Hanging on to the side of the truck with one hand and with a rifle in the other, Penal Officer Davies fired several shots at the fugitives. OMeally and Taylor took it in turns to fire back through the rear windscreen which they had broken. Soon after the chase began the bonnet catch on the fugitives car became undone and the bonnet sprang up into the air, partially obscuring their vision. This combined with a fault clutch, allowed Prison Officer Davies car and another car from the prison, which had joined the chase, to close in. When the prison officials had closed to a distance of 100 yards, OMeally and Taylor swerved into Sussex Street and their car crashed into the curb.

O'Meally in 1956. Credit:The Age Archives Before they could get away the warders closed in on them and, at gunpoint, bound them securely and returned them to Pentridge  just 13 minutes after the break out. Daring, High-Speed Convict Chase Screeching Tyres, Shots Draw Crowds Screeching tyres caused people to rush into the streets during yesterdays daring, high-speed chase to recapture escaped convicts William OMeally and John Henry Taylor.

Eye witnesses told graphic stories of both of the prisoners break from the prison and of the subsequent chase. Kenneth McLeod, mechanic at the Northern Service Station opposite the prison, said he was working on a car when two men in convicts dress rushed him. One was brandishing a pistol, the other a knife and a pair of scissors. One of them pointed to a Vauxhall utility truck in for repairs, and asked whose car it was, McLeod said. I told him I did not know. I had recognized them as convicts, but it wasnt until I saw the pistol that I realised they were escapees.

John Henry Taylor, one of the escapees. Then before we could do anything, they slammed down the bonnet, jumped in, reversed and sped off. Brian Smith, a carpenter, who was working on the construction of another service station on the corner of OHeas Road, said the car screeched around the corner at about 50 m.p.h. People rushed out into the street when they heard the squeal of the tyres, he said. At the same time I saw one of the warders armed with a gun rush out into Sydney Road.

He hails an S.E.C. utility truck which was passing, and hanging onto the side with one hand and with the rifle in the other, gave chase. When the first car reached the railway line about 700 yards down the road, there was a terrific bump. I could see that the bonnet catch had undone and sprung into the air. OMeally and Taylor tried desperately to push the bonnet down while travelling, but without success, Smith said. Second Bid for Freedom

John Henry Taylor in 1955. Yesterday was the second occasion on which OMeally and Taylor had escaped from Pentridge together. The other occasion was on August 27 last year. OMeally was recaptured the same day in long grass less than 200 yards from the prison. Taylor was not recaptured until more than a week later. OMeally is serving a life sentence for the murder of Constable George Howell at Caulfield on January 20, 1952. Taylor is serving a 10-year sentence for three armed robberies in Melbourne in 1954.

No Number Police said after the recapture that the number had been filed off the pistol the convicts had used. The Acting Chief Secretary (Mr. Porter) said last night, OMeally and Taylor had both asked to be paraded to the visiting justice of the peace yesterday morning. Both Taylor and OMeally had been in possession of the pistol during the escape bid. They had also been armed with a pair of scissors taken from the prison boot repair shop.

Loading Both men had been searched before the escape bid. Warders Praised Mr. Porter and the Director of Penal Establishments (Mr. A. R. Whatmore) last night praised the courage and initiative of the prison officials throughout the whole of the escape bid. They singled out for special commendation Penal Officer John Davies, who led the chase.
Lawyer Xs police handlers say senior officers "threw them under the bus" when the force's use of their high-level informer began to seep out, the royal commission has heard.

The role that Nicola Gobbo, a former gangland barrister turned police source, played and the police that used her is at the centre of the public inquiry in Melbourne.

Divisions began to emerge on Thursday between the officers that handled Ms Gobbo  dubbed Lawyer X or Informer 3838  and those in force command that knew about her.

Police informer and former barrister Nicola Gobbo. Credit:Joe Armao

Current Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton and then deputy commissioner Simon Overland were on steering committees that oversaw two taskforces that used or tried to use Ms Gobbo. Mr Ashton is expected to give evidence at the hearings about his knowledge of her use.
We wanted more for their kids. We ended up with a common language. "We said to them your child can obtain something that you perhaps didnt have the privilege to. Westbourne Grammar students (left to right) Shakeel Manuel, Tasha Gacutan, Divine Emezie, Ruby Tripodi and Will Stomann. Credit:Justin McManus Many of the schools crowned Schools that Excel winners have rolled out student voice initiatives. Students are listened to and have a say in their learning.

For instance, at Westbourne Grammar, students resolve disputes through restorative practice, which aim to mend relationships instead of handing out punishments. Students also run assemblies and are involved in a proposed overhaul of the school uniform. At Elwood College, year seven students sit down with a teacher to discuss their learning likes and dislikes before they start school. Type in the name of your school to find out how it has fared over the past decade, what its graduates do after finishing school, and more:

2 High expectations A culture of high expectations permeates these schools, regardless of whether they are public or private or serve disadvantaged or advantaged communities. Teachers dont have assumptions about what certain students are capable of achieving and set high standards for all students. The same amount of work and effort is expected from all students. Students are given the confidence to achieve their dreams and are exposed to a variety of careers and further education opportunities. Murrayville Year 12 student Tom Wurfel tends to a Barramundi in the school's aquaponics tank. Credit:Justin McManus This is particularly apparent at Murrayville Community College, where students are bused out of remote farming communities in north-western Victoria to universities in Adelaide and Melbourne. They are told that they can achieve anything, as long as they work hard.

Professor John Hattie, who leads the Melbourne Education Research Institute at the University of Melbourne, said the best schools dont stream students according to their ability. A lot of schools have structures in place that tell the kids where they perform and how they are going to perform, he said. You can assume that kids in the third, fourth or fifth stream are not going to do well and they get that message loud and clear. 3 Flexibility These schools dont promote one, narrow idea of success. They encourage students to pursue their interests, and tailor their education accordingly.

Loading Eltham College principal Simon Le Plastrier speaks proudly about a high-achieving former school captain who completed VCE French, literature, extended investigations and hospitality. Other independent schools I have worked at would find that ... it may not be a good look for them to do hospitality because it is not physics or literature, he said. What I am really trying to do is to give the kids as much flexibility to extend their intellect within the VCE. Mentone Grammar School principal Mal Cater said schools should not assume that all students want to attend university.

"I was speaking to one of our very intelligent year 11 students the other day who told me he has no intention of going onto university," he told The Age event. "We have to be accommodating for a generation that may not choose that pathway." Schools that offer this flexibility let students enrol in rigorous VCAL programs as a vocational alternative to the VCE. Students are exposed to excellent programs at TAFEs and might begin apprenticeships in their chosen field while still at school. 4 Clear instructions and goals Students have a clear idea of what is expected of them in every class and work towards goals. During structured lessons, teacher demonstrates the skills that students need to learn and constantly check their understanding of key concepts. In education circles, this is called explicit instruction.

Its a model that has been adopted at Sunbury Downs College, where teachers write out learning outcomes on a whiteboard at the start of every class. They spell out what students should be able to achieve. Every student knows what they have to learn, year 12 student Amber Carras said. Its a really good map, you know where the journey of your class is going. Sunbury Downs College students (L-R) Amber Karras , Jemma Denman, Adam Lacy and Kristina Zboril with past student Rory Healy (centre) at the college campus in Sunbury. Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui The Grattan Institute's school education director Peter Goss said the schools that have won awards have done it the hard way by improving their teaching, conversations with the school community and boosting students' confidence. "That's a sign that something is real, something is different, and that something is important," he said.
A lack of local support has been cited in the state government's rejection of an application to use public land on the Alfred Cove foreshore for a controversial 'wave park' project.

Lands Minister Ben Wyatt on Thursday notified developer Urbnsurf, which had proposed the $25 million wave park at Tompkins Park in the City of Melville.

An artist's impression of the proposed wave park. Credit:Urbnsurf

The proposal was for a park where machinery would create 1000 waves per hour (17 per minute), with peak zones providing up to 2-metre high, 18-second long steep waves enabling performance-level surfing.

Mr Wyatt said in a statement that despite the parcel of Crown land being only a small part of the overall land required for the development, he had previously been made aware by the developers that it was necessary for the project to proceed.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has set up a high-risk clash with One Nation leader Pauline Hanson over preferences at the upcoming election which threatens a number of marginal Coalition-held seats in the important state of Queensland.

Mr Morrison bowed to weeks of pressure on Thursday and promised the Liberal Party will recommend voters place One Nation below Labor at the ballot box, after strongly rebuking Senator Hanson's comments about the Port Arthur massacre.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, flanked by party officials James Ashby (left) and Steve Dickson. Credit:AAP

While Liberal preferences rarely come into play because the party finishes first or second in almost every seat, One Nation's preferences can decide the outcome in close contests.

One Queensland MP whose seat is at risk said bluntly: "If One Nation puts Labor above me, Im f---ed."
Queensland adults and children who have links to terrorism will find it harder to get released on bail or parole under laws passed on Thursday.

In July 2017, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) agreed there would be a presumption that bail and parole would not be granted to people who had demonstrated support for, or had links to, terrorist activity, with states and territories required to enact their own legislation.

Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath introduced the Justice Legislation (Links to Terrorist Activity) Amendment Bill. Credit:AAP Image/ Dan Peled

Promoting terrorism would include making a statement in support of carrying out a terrorist attack.

Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath said in order to uphold community safety, it was sometimes necessary to take extraordinary measures that may impact adversely on the rights and liberties that underpinned our free and democratic society.
A senior Queensland surgeon suspended over sexual harassment, bullying and incompetence allegations was the subject of a complaint to the national surgical training body more than a decade ago.

Allegations about bariatric surgeon Dr William Braun were aired publicly last month when LNP health spokeswoman Ros Bates tabled explosive allegations, and he was suspended.

LNP Health spokeswoman Ros Bates has tabled another document about Queensland senior surgeon Dr William Braun. Credit:Nicolas Walker

Just one day after tabling further allegations under the shield of parliamentary privilege, Ms Bates on Thursday tabled a letter from the clinical superintendent at the Royal Darwin Hospital to the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, dated July 22, 2006, which raised concerns about Dr Braun.

According to the letter, the supervisor of surgical training recommended after an end-of-term training assessment that Dr Braun should not proceed to advanced surgical training.
"India stands tall as a space power!" Modi tweeted after his announcement. He added that the entire effort had been "indigenous," accomplished entirely by Indians. When China first successfully tested such an anti-satellite missile in 2007, it set off global concern over the growing weaponisation of space. Many analysts now worry that the regional rivalry between India and China, the two most-populated countries in the world, has moved into space. NASA chief Jim Bridenstine said in testimony before the House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday that the consequences of anti-satellite weapons tests could be long-lasting.

"If we wreck space, we're not getting it back," he said, without mentioning India by name. India's test was a "demonstration against China," said Kazuto Suzuki, an international relations professor at Hokkaido University in Japan and an expert on space security. "The proliferation of this technology and capability would make the space order very unstable," he said. In Washington, Air Force Lieutenant General David D. Thompson told a Senate hearing on Wednesday that India's test did occur, and that the Pentagon was aware beforehand because India had announced flight bans.

Thompson, the vice commander of the Air Force Space Command, said the launch occurred at 1.39 am US Eastern Time, and that the explosion was detected at Buckley Air Force Base in Colorado. He said the test "struck the target vehicle" and created 270 pieces of debris that will likely increase as the debris field expands. He added that, "At this point in time, the International Space Station is not at risk." Loading Modi broke the news in a rare televised address to the nation, and many Indians immediately suspected that his primary objective was more political than technological. In a little more than two weeks, India will begin holding an election  the biggest in history, with nearly 900 million registered voters  and Modi is up for re-election. Leaders in his political party have recently been heckled in public and attendance has been poor at rallies for some of his party's candidates.

Though Modi enjoyed a burst of popular support after India conducted airstrikes last month in Balakot, Pakistan, in retaliation for a deadly suicide bombing by militants against Indian forces, that news has mostly subsided. The announcement "shows a poll-eve desperation we hadn't yet detected/suspected," tweeted Shekhar Gupta, one of India's best known political commentators. "It's just a frantic new national security headline as Balakot has faded in a month." On Wednesday morning, Modi posted a message on Twitter, which he uses frequently, telling Indians to tune in because he was about to make a major announcement. Many people believed the speech would be related to Pakistan; tensions had risen fast and high last month after Indian warplanes dropped several bombs on the site in Balakot where Indian authorities said anti-India militants were hiding. It is not clear what if anything the Indian air force hit. But the next day Pakistan shot down an Indian fighter jet and captured the pilot, pushing the two nuclear-equipped nations dangerously close to a major conflict. Pakistan quickly defused the situation by releasing the pilot.

The whole episode brought Modi a crest of support. The old, thorny issues that had been dogging him  such as rising unemployment, poor drinking water and widespread distress among farmers  disappeared for a moment. India's anti-satellite missile launch. Credit:DRDO/Twitter Flags came out across the country. Even Indians who disagreed with the Hindu nationalist flavour of Modi's party still cheered him. But in the past few days, the electoral mood seems to have changed once again. Complaints about jobs, health care and farm subsidies have been rising. Around noon, when Modi was set to address the nation, the streets of New Delhi, the capital, grew uncharacteristically quiet. Many people ducked inside shops to watch TV.

Saurav Jha, the editor-in-chief of Delhi Defence Review, an online military-related magazine, said that successfully shooting down a satellite was a major achievement. "It's as significant as India's first nuclear blast," he said. India has been steadily advancing its space program since its first satellite launch in 1975. It joined a manned space mission with Russia in 1984 and launched a Mars orbiter in 2013. This December, India sent its heaviest communication satellite so far, weighing nearly 5000 pounds (2260 kg), into space. Loading A big motivation clearly is China. As China has stepped up its satellite launches and space probes, India has been trying to catch up.

The test, Jha said, was "very much the part of the India-China rivalry." Another factor may have been arch-rival Pakistan. Last year, China helped Pakistan launch a remote sensing satellite. India's test showed it could blast apart the Pakistani eye in the sky, turning it into space garbage. This could make the bitter regional contest between India and Pakistan even more dangerous. Before this test, the two militaries were widely viewed as comparable. Each side has been reluctant to start a major conflict, fearing that the other could stage a devastating counterattack. But some analysts said that India might now be able to stage a pre-emptive attack on Pakistan's satellites. That could unsettle the long-standing doctrine of mutually assured destruction that both countries have followed, and put Pakistan even more on edge. It also could presage a change in Indian nuclear strategy. The country has always promised it would make no first use of nuclear weapons  a limitation that means it might lose one or more major cities in a nuclear exchange before striking back. But if it can leverage its new anti-satellite technology to move ahead with basic anti-missile defences, which require hitting an incoming warhead in space, it could change the strategic balance.

"The militarisation of space is underway, whether anybody likes it or not," Jha added. Part of the reason, he said, was that satellite technology had become "the backbone of global communication." Jha and other analysts said that China, the United States and Russia had been discussing a space nonproliferation treaty, and that with this test India's position must now be considered as well. The Indian government did not reveal what kind of satellite it had destroyed; the Ministry of External Affairs described it as "one of India's existing satellites operating in a lower orbit." Modi has revived the notion that he is India's "chowkidar," or watchman, and looking tough in space seemed to fit nicely with that image. "Today's success, in the coming days, will be seen as India's forward march toward a secure nation, a rich nation and a peaceful nation," he said.

The test was conducted within three minutes Wednesday morning, he said, and the satellite was flying about 186 miles 300 km above Earth. It was low enough, Indian officials said, that its debris will decay and fall back to Earth. In 2012, Indian scientists announced they had the capability to shoot down a satellite but that it would take 24 months to prepare for such a test. Some analysts wondered if Modi, known as a cunning political strategist, planned as early as two years ago to conduct this test right before this year's election, to give him a late-in-the-game boost. "The timing indicates that there is politics around this," said N.K. Singh, a political analyst. "The issues of food, clothing, housing and employment are emerging on the surface in bigger way." He added: "Nobody can say for sure but the perception of politicisation is there."
Rome: Maltese armed forces say a special operations team has seized a tanker that was hijacked by migrants and it is now heading to a Maltese port with the migrants and crew.

Maltese armed forces said on Thursday that control of the vessel was returned to the captain and it was being escorted and monitored to Malta, where the migrants will be handed over to police for investigation.

Authorities in Malta and Italy said the migrants had earlier hijacked the cargo ship after it rescued them in the Mediterranean Sea and forced the crew to put the Libya-bound vessel on a course north toward Europe. The tanker had rescued about 120 people before it was taken over in what Italy's interior minister described as "the first piracy on the high seas with migrants."

Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini. Credit:AP

The 108 migrants were picked up by the Turkish cargo ship Elhiblu 1 and they hijacked the vessel when it became clear that it planned to take them back to Libya, according to the website of Italian daily Corriere della Sera and Italian news agencies.
Charlottesville, Virginia: An avowed neo-Nazi who killed one woman and injured 35 other people when he ploughed his car into a group of counterprotesters at an infamous rally here pleaded guilty to hate crimes in federal court on Wednesday.

James Alex Fields Jr, 21, of Ohio admitted guilt to 29 of 30 counts in a federal indictment as part of a deal with prosecutors, who agreed they would not seek the death penalty in a case that has come to symbolise the violent resurgence of white supremacism in the United States. Fields is set to be sentenced on July 3.

'Face of hatred': James Alex Fields jnr. Credit:Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail via AP

Late last year, Fields was convicted in state court of first-degree murder and other charges for killing Heather Heyer, 32, and injuring dozens at the chaotic Unite the Right rally on August 12, 2017. The jury in that case recommended a life sentence, and a state judge is scheduled to formally impose it in mid-July.

Admitting guilt to hate crimes marks a dramatic shift for Fields, whose attorneys argued during his trial in state court that he sped toward the crowd out of confusion and fear for his safety. They said he immediately regretted his actions.
Washington: A grand jury that was involved in special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation is "continuing robustly," a federal prosecutor said on Wednesday.

The prosecutor, David Goodhand, made the revelation during a hearing over whether court filings in the Mueller probe should be unsealed related to an unidentified foreign corporation that had refused to turn over documents to the special counsel.

US Attorney-General William Barr. Credit:AP

Attorneys for the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, seeking the filings, also sought to unmask the corporation and country behind it.

Mueller officially completed his investigation when he turned over his report to Attorney-General William Barr on Friday. He found no evidence that President Donald Trump's campaign "conspired or coordinated" with Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election but reached no conclusion on whether Trump obstructed justice, according to a letter Barr sent to Congress summarising the special counsel's findings.
Washington: Special counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russia's interference in the 2016 election spans more than 300 pages, a Justice Department official said Thursday.

Attorney-General William Barr confirmed the report's length during a Wednesday phone call with Congressman Jerrold Nadler, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.

During that conversation, Barr said the Justice Department would miss House Democrats April 2 deadline to provide Congress with Muellers complete findings, nor would Barr commit to making public an unredacted copy of the report and the evidence that informed it, Nadler said.

Any delay would be unacceptable, Nadler added, raising the prospect legislators will issue a subpoena for Muellers full report.
Brasilia: The Russian troops sent to Venezuela should leave if their purpose is to maintain the country's leftist government in power, Brazilian Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo said on Thursday.

Ernesto Araujo, Brazil's foreign minister. Credit:Bloomberg

In an interview with Reuters, Araujo said he hoped Russia would recognise that propping up President Nicolas Maduro would only deepen the collapse of Venezuela's economy and society, and that the only way out of the crisis was to hold elections under an interim government led by opposition leader Juan Guaido.

"If their idea is to keep Maduro in power for longer that means more people starving and fleeing the country, more human tragedy in Venezuela," the minister said.

"Anything that contributes to the continuation of the suffering of the Venezuelan people should be removed," he said in a telephone interview.
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Ive said it before: You dont need an Ivy League degree to figure out that if criminals dont face threats of serious consequences for their bad deeds, more of them will feel emboldened.

Still, earlier this month, District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced his so-called Justice 2020 initiative to reform the boroughs criminal-justice system, which calls for non-jail resolutions at every juncture of a case. This should alarm every law-abiding Brooklynite and New Yorker.

To be fair, Gonzalez did say that, most often, prison time will still be sought for murderers and rapists. Thats great, but other lawbreakers  including those that break into cars and homes, violate restraining orders, menace straphangers on the subways, and commit many other crimes  now dont have to fear time in prison. To hell with the victims.

Truth be told, Gonzalezs new policy of coddling criminals is just a continuation of the softer approach to crime already adopted by city

leaders.

Remember, it was just last year that his Manhattan counterpart, District Attorney Cy Vance, instituted his lunatic policy of not criminally prosecuting fare beaters. And at City Hall, Mayor DeBlasio continues to push his scheme to close the jails on Rikers Island, which will all but certainly result in less scofflaws behind bars, because there will be fewer cells to lock them up in.

Sure, the bad old days of decades past may seem like a distant memory, but we must remember that the prosecution of fare-beating and other crimes was a key factor in transforming the five boroughs into the safest big city in America. Many credit this change to the Police Departments and local district attorneys offices joint effort to prosecute those that threatened New Yorkers and their quality of life  an approach that struck fear into all criminals, not just aspiring rapists and murderers.

Indeed, some statistics already show that would-be lawbreakers are taking note of the let most everyone walk mentality adopted by many law-enforcement

officials.

The New York Post, for example, recently reported how repeat sexual offenders continue to return to subway cars to harass innocent riders. One such baddie, who allegedly has a habit of touching himself while sucking his thumb in view of commuters, still walks free, despite his 78 arrests  32 of which were for transit-related sex crimes, reported the Post, which identified dozens more sleazeballs with similar records.

I ride the subway to work almost every day and, in my own experience, aggressive panhandling  while technically not a crime  has become the norm rather than the exception. (To his credit, Hizzoner did suggest banning such begging back in 2017, before admitting hed face legal obstacles to doing so.) And the panhandling, coupled with sexual predators apparent feeling that they have free license to roam subway cars, is enough to confirm some locals worst fears that the city is sliding backwards when it comes to crime.

Police can only do so much to stop quality-of-life and other crimes if prosecutors give would-be scofflaws a free pass and dont seek prison time for them. Sooner or later, cops will not be able to keep up with criminals let back on the streets  and the new baddies that join their ranks because they fear no time behind bars.

Gonzalez  and other city leaders  must not show lawbreakers more empathy than law-abiding New Yorkers  and crime victims  as they seek to reform criminal justice in the city.

Bob Capano is a professor of political science of more than 15 years, who has previously worked for local Democratic and Republican pols, and as the chairman of the Brooklyn Reform Party.
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Theyre not high on the idea.

Marine Park civic leaders blasted state officials push to legalize and tax the sale of recreational marijuana, which would bring in revenue at the expense of citizens well being, said one local pol at a rally on March 23.

While the need for revenue is obvious for our state, it can never come at the expense of our citizens and constituency, and certainly not through the use of a known vice and narcotics, said Assemblywoman Jaime Williams (DMarine Park).

Williams hosted the rally outside of her district office at 5318 Avenue N along with state Sen. Roxanne Persaud and Marine Park Civic Association President Robert Tracey.

The anti-weed rally comes after talks in Albany have stalled over Gov. Andrew Cuomos push to include legalization in the state budget, which is due April 1.

In recent years, New Yorkers have seen an increase in backing for loosening pot laws, as 65 percent of state residents and 69 percent of city dwellers support decriminalization efforts, according to a recent Quinnipiac poll.

Williams has been supportive of those measures, including voting for a 2017 bill to seal conviction records for low-level marijuana offenses.

But Williams has stopped short of full legalization, which is supported by 62 percent of city residents, suggesting a link between the drug and mental health issues.

Although the use of marijuana may not have had deaths occurring from it, there have been several studies that have linked marijuana as to long term effects and possible adverse changes to the brain, and an increased risk of psychiatric disorders, she said during a March 13 speech on the assembly floor.

Her fears about the sticky-green substance are overblown, according to the Drug Policy Alliance, a nonprofit aimed at reforming drug laws.

There is no compelling evidence that marijuana causes some psychiatric disorders in otherwise healthy individuals, says the group. Most tellingly, rates of schizophrenia and other psychiatric illnesses have remained flat even during periods of time when marijuana use rates have increased.

State lawmakers will continue to debate the governors legalization scheme as part of the annual budget until the April 1 deadline. If the measure fails to gain enough support, they could continue to debate the matter as a standalone issue through the legislative session ending in June.

Cuomo estimated in his January State of the State address that legal weed-related revenue would secure the state $300 million a year, which Williams dismissed as a rotten bargain.

This is a prime example of a slippery slope measure, she said. Yes, it could bring revenue to this state, and yes it does have pain relieving effects. But, is this all at the expense of our children?

Reach reporter Aidan Graham at agrah am@sc hneps media.com or by calling (718) 2604577.
Aditya Khaitan, the younger son of Brij Mohan Khaitan, has taken over as chairman of McLeod Russel. BM Khaitan tendered his resignation from the post, citing old age. B.

M. Khaitan, the patriarch, will, however, continue to be on the companys Board as chairman emeritus. The scion, before this elevation, was the vice chairman of the worlds largest bulk tea producer. At the Group level, the focus will continue to be deleveraging to reduce the debt level. At this juncture, we are headed towards the closure of the current fiscal year and it would be too early to say ...
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The government on Thursday relaxed the norms for e-way bills. Rules regarding validity have been changed, while a facility has been provided for auto-calculating the route distance. Under the goods and services tax (GST) regime, an e-way bill has to be generated if goods worth over Rs 50,000 are transported.

Currently, an e-way bill is valid for up to 24 hours for a distance of 100 km, depending on the size of the vehicle. However, if the vehicle does not cover 100 km within 24 hours, another bill has to be generated. For every 100 km travelled, the bill is valid for one additional ...
There is a wide monetary gap between the elected representative and the voter.

The average asset of a Lok Sabha MP is worth Rs 14.7 crore. The average rural household asset is worth Rs 10 lakh. This means that an MP on average has 147 times the of the average rural household.

NGOs Association for Democratic Reforms and National Election Watch on Thursday released a report analysing the affidavits of 521 submitted before to the 2014 elections. The asset details are based on their disclosures. Seats are vacant in 22 out of the 543 constituencies.

This was compared with the data on household assets, based on the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) survey. The NSSO noted that the average rural household had worth around Rs 10 lakh. It was around Rs 23 lakh for the average urban household, according to the 2013 Household and Liabilities report.

The NSSO report mentions that the poorest one-tenth of rural and urban had assets in a few thousand and a few hundred rupees, respectively.

The lowest 10 per cent of Indias rural (in terms of total assets) had an average asset value of Rs 25,071. The lowest 10 per cent of the urban had an average asset value of Rs 291, implying that poorest (in terms of assets) urban population is owning very little assets (as durables were not considered as physical assets in this round), said the NSSO report.





There is a wide variation between richer and poorer MPs, too. The wealthiest have assets running into hundreds of crores. The poor have a few thousand.

The top three wealthiest are politicians from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana - Jayadev Galla, Konda Vishweshwar Reddy and Gokaraju Ganga Raju. They have declared assets of between Rs 200 crore and Rs 700 crore.

The poorest is Sumedha Nand Saraswati (Rs 34,311), followed by Uma Saren (Rs 4 lakh) and Mohammed Faizal P P (Rs 5 lakh).

As many as 24 sitting MPs, with assets worth more than Rs 1 crore, havent disclosed details, according to the report.

The report also had data on criminal cases. At least 33 per cent sitting have declared criminal cases against them in their affidavits -- 106 are named in serious criminal cases including those related to murder, attempt to murder, communal disharmony, kidnapping and crimes against women.
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday triggered speculation that she might contest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat. Congress leaders, however, said they were uncertain if she really meant it or the remark was a joke.

Varanasi goes to polls in the last phase of the elections on May 19, and the Election Commission is yet to notify the dates for filing of nominations. With nearly two weeks to go before the notification for the last phase, the Congress hopes it will get enough time to gauge the public mood and take a decision, ...
Bandhan Bank will soon finalise the long-pending plan to reduce its promoters stake to 40 per cent as required by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). C S Ghosh, managing director and chief executive, said an Offer for Sale was among the measures being considered.

In January, it announced the merger of Gruh Finance with itself, which reduced the promoters stake to about 61 per cent, from the earlier 82.3 per cent. The RBI says promoter stake in the new private banks is not to exceed 40 per cent. We have a plan... We will shortly close it, said Ghosh, while ruling out ...
Fairfax-backed Catholic Syrian Bank (CSB) is gearing up for a listing in order to meet RBI requirements. The bank, which has enough capital for the next three years, says it is looking at two routes - direct listing, or through an IPO. The latter may involve the sale of both new and existing shares.

Last year, Fairfax got all the approvals to acquire a 51 per cent stake in CSB for around Rs 1200 crore. This is the first stake sale of an Indian bank to a foreign non-banking entity since the RBI tweaked ownership norms in May 2017. One of the conditions imposed by the RBI required that ...
Boeing Co was agonisingly close to a software fix for its 737 Max jetliner when an Ethiopian Airlines jet plunged to the ground March 10, the second deadly crash in less than five months. The US planemaker, working with regulators, has spent months refining the feature since flight data from the October crash of a Lion Air jet in Indonesia indicated that the flight-control system had repeatedly tipped the nose down before pilots lost control.

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The oldest mutual fund in the country is also the only one to figure in the list of institutions who have filed cases against wilful defaulters. UTI mutual fund has 27 cases with an amount of Rs 252.6 crore outstanding, according to data from TransUnion Cibil, which maintains a database of such cases. This is based on accounts where defaults are of one crore rupees or more.

The cases show a significant decline from five years ago. There were 90 cases worth Rs 848.8 crore at the end of 2014. This has come down by around a third as of December 2018. The cases were the outcome of ...
Cambodia is one of the most remarkable and popular destinations among tourists not only for sightseeing but also for discovering its delicious local dishes.

Traditional Khmer cuisine consists of a variety of food that can be seen in the market. An umami seasoning "Ajinomoto" - produced by a leading food company - is contributing to the delicious cuisine in Cambodia.

Since Ajinomoto Cambodia was established in 2009, it has been producing pure, high-quality umami seasoning products all by themselves, cementing their place as the "number one deliciousness for Cambodian's everyday meals." The logistics base of Ajinomoto products is the Ajinomoto Cambodia Sales Depot here.

The products from the factory are carefully managed as all the employees work hard to deliver deliciousness to the families in Cambodia.

Delivery destinations of food seasoning products cover a wide range of places from small local retail shops to huge shopping centres. However, local markets are still the main places to get food seasoning in Cambodia.

"I would like to try our best to ensure that all of our products exist in the outlets. And our customers can have the opportunity to see and buy our products," Khuon Sonsintha from Ajinomoto Cambodia said.

"I often receive good feedback about Ajinomoto from our customers and they said that umami seasoning well-matched with Khmer cuisine," a retail shop owner here added.

Umami seasoning "Ajinomoto" is not only used in home cooking but also used widely by the food industry in Cambodia. Regardless of the generation, Ajinomoto products have been supporting various food industries by improving the taste and quality. It also promotes a healthier lifestyle among people. Using Ajinomoto seasoning in most of the dishes is one of the basic steps undertaken by many chefs.

"I serve many kinds of dishes for customers such as soup, stir-fried, and grill. I hear feedback from our customers that all the dishes, such as soup, are full of umami," a restaurant owner said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the successful test of India's first Anti-Satellite (A-SAT) missile. While speaking at a rally here he said, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi India has become a superpower in space technology with the success of Mission Shakti.

"India has become the world's sixth largest economy and under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India will be among the top three economies of the world," Adityanath added.

Speaking at a political rally in Meerut, the UP chief minister tried to underline the good work done by the NDA government in Centre and the state as he sought vote for the BJP candidate Rajendra Aggarwal. The rally was also attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

BJP's Rajendra Aggarwal is pitted against BSP's Haji Mohammad Yakub and Congress' Harendra Aggarwal from Meerut.

Adityanath also praised Prime Minister for surgical strikes and air strikes against terrorist camps in Pakistan. He praised Prime Minister for avenging Pulwama terror attack through air strikes on Pakistan's Balakot.

"Every section of society understands that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership India will lead towards the path of development and the country will become a superpower...For the first time in India, the benefits of schemes reach all sections of society, irrespective of caste, region and language. And the poor have benefited from schemes like housing, sanitation, and electricity," he said.

Attacking political rivals Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Congress, the UP Chief Minister said that under their dispensation no benefits were given to the poor and farmers.

Speaking about Western Uttar Pradesh, he said: "Under BJP government both urban and rural areas get electricity. Under BJP the issue of security of women and children is taken care of", he added.

He also listed schemes like Rs 5 Lakh health insurance benefits under Ayushman Bharat and Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojna in which farmers will get Rs 6000 per year.

Adityanath further said that in UP faith of people is respected and cited the example of successful implementation 'Kaanvad Yatra' in Western UP and Kumbh in Prayagraj.

He also talked about BJP's success in stopping illegal slaughterhouses and said, "in Uttar Pradesh either the criminals are in jail or they are dead.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Actor-turned-politician and rebel BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha on Thursday met Congress President Rahul Gandhi here and said he will join the Congress during the auspicious period of Navaratri that begins on April 6.

The development came after the actor, a vocal critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was denied party ticket from Patna Sahib parliamentary constituency in Bihar. He is currently the sitting Member of Parliament from the seat.

"Democracy within the BJP does not exist any longer. Dictatorship prevails instead. That's why I have decided to join the Congress Party during the auspicious period of Navaratri," Sinha, who described himself as a great admirer of Nehru-Gandhi family, told reporters here.

Sinha also said he would contest from the same seat. "In every situation, the location will be the same Patna".

Bihar Congress in-charge Shakti Singh Gohil said that Sinha would work as the 'star leader and star campaigner' of the party.

Sinha was elected twice, in 2009 and 2014, from Patna Sahib Lok Sabha seat.

Bihar will vote in seven phases from April 11 to May 19. Counting of votes will take place on May 23.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Even after hours of debate, the British Parliament on Thursday failed to give an outright majority to any of the eight alternative Brexit options including no deal and Labour's alternative deal.

According to the CNN, calling for a second referendum received the highest numbers of votes.

Along with that, an instrument was also passed with 441 votes in favour to change the date of Brexit from March 29 to May 22, or if possible, April 12.

Earlier today, UK PM Theresa May told that she will step down as the prime minister if her deal gets passed.

The further course of actions is uncertain. Some MPs are proposing another round of indicative votes. However, several claiming that another round would be a sheer waste of time.

While Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay said tonight's results prove that lawmakers should back Prime Minister Theresa May's deal as it was "in the national interest."

"The results of the process this House has gone through today strengthens our view that the deal the Government has negotiated is the best option," Barclay told Parliament.

British MPs on Monday defied Prime Minister Theresa May's government and voted in the favour of an amendment that gives them the power to control the country's Parliament.

As many as 30 Conservative MPs have voted against Theresa May. Letwin Amendment has allowed the lawmakers to make a series of indicative votes on various alternative options-including Norway-style deal with the EU and no Brexit.

Last week, at least one million people protested against May's handling of the Brexit process, demanding for a second referendum to be held.

In 2016, over 50 per cent of the UK electorate voted to leave the EU, following which the British government triggered Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, beginning the country's process of its exit from the European bloc. The then-Prime Minister David Cameron, who supported continued membership to the EU, resigned, making way for May to take charge.

The bloc agreed to extend Article 50 till May 22, provided the British Parliament supports the Withdrawal Deal next week when May holds a meaningful vote. If the Parliament rejects the deal again, the UK will be given an extension only till April 12, according to Donald Tusk, the President of the European Council.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The British Parliament is set to debate on a motion related to Brexit on Friday, according to the Leader of the House of Commons, Andrea Leadsom.

While it has not been confirmed, this suggests that a meaningful vote - for the third time - on UK Prime Minister Theresa May's Withdrawal Agreement may take place tomorrow, according to CNN.

This comes after May announced that she would step down from her post if the deal negotiated by the Prime Minister with the European Union was passed by the Parliament. This announcement has been met with mixed reactions across political lines, with many still not ready to back the deal.

The British Parliament, on Thursday, also rejected all eight Brexit options, adding to the ongoing Brexit impasse.

On the one hand, May has called for the Parliament to back her deal. While on the other, calls for a second referendum are gaining momentum. The British Prime Minister has previously quashed calls for a second public vote, showing her resolve to honour the 2016 referendum where more than 50 per cent of the British electorate voted to leave the EU.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 25-year-old civilian was shot at by terrorists in Tral's Midoora area in Jammu and Kashmir, police said.

Following the stack, the civilian identified as Muzafar Ahmad Hajam was rushed to the hospital.

More details are awaited.

On March 27, a 24-year old man was killed by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian. The body of the deceased, identified as Tanveer Ahmed from Bemnipora, was found in Kachdoora.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday held Congress, Conference (NC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) responsible for the problems faced by people in Jammu and Kashmir.

"Congress, NC and PDP are responsible for the problems Jammu and Kashmir faces today. It is because of them that Kashmiri Pandits faced so much trouble. Sadly, security is not a priority for them, they only care about power," Modi said while addressing a rally in Akhnoor, along the International Border.

Highlighting India's surgical strike and an airstrike in Pakistan, Prime Minister Modi said, "Those who run 'aatank ki factory' across the border are scared today. This has happened for the first time when terrorists are thinking 100 times before planning an attack in India."

He added, "What is beyond comprehension is Congress' attitude (towards the stand India took against Pakistan). Is it the same Congress that Sardar Patel was part of? Is it the same Congress that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was part of, and fought for India's independence?"

He added, "While the entire country is talking in one voice and the Congress is speaking in a different voice. After India attacked terrorists in Balakot, Congress leaders made statements which are not in favour of the nation. Do you accept this language of the Congress, or PDP or of the NC? How can an Indian citizen accept such language which is applauded in Pakistan?"

The Prime Minister went on to add that "terrorists are pledging to get rid of the 'Chowkidar' and get these 'mahamilawati' come to power in Delhi."

"Congress leaders are giving a clean chit to terrorists and Pakistan. They don't have the strength to take strong and big decisions... Those favouring terrorism in India or across the border, listen carefully, you will have to pay a heavy price if you take any step against India's interest and security... If people have trust in 'Chowkidar', then 'mahagirawat' of these 'mahamilawati' people is confirmed," he said.

"The security forces are today doing their jobs and investigating terror funding and its links. Those organisations which are promoting terrorism are being banned. Today when I am changing old policies, the leaders of Congress, PDP and NC can't sleep. They are feeling the pain. Every day they are busy abusing the 'Chowkidar'," he added.

Prime Minister Modi further assured people that the ceasefire violation from across the border won't last long.

"People residing near the LoC and international border are facing problems due to mischievous activities of Pakistan. I am fully aware of this. In frustration, Pakistan is targeting our villages and animals. But people should be assured that this won't go on for long. They won't last long in front of the strength and potential of our armed forces," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Democrat presented a resolution on Wednesday (local time) to initiate an investigation to find out whether President Donald Trump has committed any impeachable offences.

US Representative for Michigan's 13, Rashida Tlaib introduced her resolution despite receiving a cool reception from fellow Democrats, reported The Hill.

"Doing nothing when we are seeing blatant disregard of the United States Constitution, to our ethical norms, is dangerous. No one, including the president of the United States, is above the law," she said.

This comes days after Attorney General William Barr on Sunday submitted his principal conclusions from Mueller's 22-month long investigation. He announced that Trump and his associate did not conspire with Russians, he has not completely exonerated the US President.

Tlaib made headlines, during her first day in office in January, she was heard saying "impeach the motherf***r" in a reference to Trump.

Only Democrats who supported Tlaib was another Democrats Al Green.

"There will be another vote on impeachment in the House of Representatives. I will do it," Green said in a House floor speech following Tlaib's.

Apart from Tlaib, Democrats Brad Sherman had so far filed two articles of impeachment against the President since January.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India has achieved the second spot globally with largest number of financial technology (fintech) startups, according to a report.

The first spot was booked by the United States leading the list.

With a total of over 2,000 fintech startups, 42 per cent of them are concentrated in Bengaluru and Mumbai followed by New Delhi, Gurugram and Hyderabad.

Among all fintech startups, the ones who had maximum share were payment companies, lending, insurance and personal finance management startups. Some significant names that have made an impact include Paytm, MobiKwik, Policy Bazaar, PhonePe, PayU, Kissht, Shubh Loans, Lending Kart and Faircent.

According to the report on Indian fintech ecosystem, there has been three-fold growth in the number of fintech startups during 2015-2018. Over 1,300 new startups were added to the base number of over 730 already in practice.

Shubh Loans, a mobile money lending startup, is making loans accessible to the underserved and unserved.

Monish Anand, Founder and CEO of the company, said: "Indian digital lending industry is poised to grow dramatically with a potential market size of 100 billion dollars by 2023, according to a BCG report. The advancements in technology and data science are further fueling fintechs to serve the credit deprived."

The credit behind this achievement should also be given to some of the innovative programmes launched by state governments. Founding of Mumbai Fintech Hub by the Maharashtra government and FintechVizag Valley by the Andhra Pradesh government is a testimony to the fact.

SVR Srinivas, Principal Secretary at Maharashtra's Directorate of Information Technology, said:"In one year, immense progress has been made by Mumbai Fintech Hub in catalysing the growth of fintech startups. Zone startups has been one of our accelerator partners from the beginning and events like Fintegrate has deepened our partnership in this journey."

The sector has attracted the attention of investors significantly. Ajay Ramasubramaniam, Director of Zone Startups India, said in a recent interview: "It is an interesting area for investors to look at as the insurance-tech startups are bringing the underserved population into the insurance fold through the digital channel."

"Existing companies are attracting customers by doing product bundling with successful categories that have a strong online presence in healthcare, travel, logistics and automobiles. Hence, the share of the insurance market has increased in the past three to five years."

Fintech startups have recently started taping the unmet demand from smaller cities and industries in terms of credit and financial guidance. These areas have humongous growth prospects, especially looking at the deep smartphone penetration and information access.

Shubh Loans too is joining the bandwagon realising the potential in these cities. Monish says: "Shubh Loans is focused on serving the upwardly mobile workforce of SME clusters in India. Due to the limited reach of conventional lenders, Shubh Loans through its end-to-end digitisation and nimble setup is able to fulfill this credit supply crunch. We are projected to operate in SME clusters with a coverage potential of at least two crore employees by 2020."

According to NASSCOM, things will continue to look up with Indian fintech market potentially touching 2.4 billion dollars by 2020. To add to the ongoing momentum and scale heights, fintech ecosystem will have to innovate and specialise in key sectors. That seems most plausible and promising with intelligent automation, artificial intelligence and blockchain.

Co-existing and partnering with different sectors may also help create new possibilities for companies and customers.

The story is provided by Shubh Loans. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article.

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Syria strongly criticised the United States' decision to recognise Israel's sovereignty over Golan Heights at a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting here on Wednesday (local time).

"You can give them North and South Carolina, for example, why not? South Carolina is a great piece of land...So, give Israel a couple of states if this administration really wants to have Israeli support," Sputnik quoted Syria's UN Ambassador Bashar Jaafari as saying at the meeting.

He further accused the United States of trying to increase the chances of current Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu coming back to power following the upcoming elections, despite charges of bribery and fraud against him as well as trying to appease the Israeli lobby.

Claiming that Golan Heights would eventually "come back" to Syria, Jaafari said: "Don't be misguided by thinking that one day this land will be yours due to hypocrisy or due to being a pawn in the electoral game where you bring each other support, so the Israeli can succeed in their elections and the Americans can also get support from Israeli lobbying groups in the US."

The United States was widely criticised for its move at the meeting by countries like the United Kingdom and Russia.

They claimed that Washington's decision violated international law and previously US-supported UNSC resolutions.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Conference leader Javed Ahmed Rana has stoked controversy by saying that if given the chance, he would get Prime Minister Narendra Modi "jailed" on charges of murder.

Addressing a gathering here on Wednesday, Rana said he would want to frame the Prime Minister in all murder cases, including those which have taken place in Jammu and Kashmir.

"I swear to God, if it is in my hands, I will file a case against the Prime Minister of this country in connection with all the murders that have taken place in Jammu and Kashmir and elsewhere in the country. I will get him jailed for murder," he said. (Khuda ki kasam, agar mera bas chale, to mai is desh ke pradhanmantri ke khilaf, jitne bhi qatl hue hain Jammu and Kashmir mein aur desh mein, isko qatl ke case mein andar thok dunga)

Rana also claimed that Prime Minister Modi is a "murderer of humanity," while the second murderer, he said, is the media.

"The second murderer is media. If I have the power, then I will send the Prime Minister and the media, who are spreading hatred, behind bars," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
New Delhi [India], March 28 (ANI): Allaying concerns in India over the increasing Chinese presence in Bangladesh, Speaker of Bangladesh Parliament Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury said that this should be the least cause of worry as both India and Bangladesh share a special and unparalleled relationship.

"Bangladesh and India are neighbours and friends and we believe that discussions, negotiations, dialogue are the ways through which any issue can be resolved. We enjoy a very good relationship, very good friendship and we think it will grow stronger in the coming days," Chaudhury told ANI during her one-day visit to New Delhi.

"We just celebrated our Independence Day on March 26 and we very fondly remembered and recognised the support that India, its people and its government gave to us. This friendship is from the days of the Liberation War so it has grown from strength to strength. And the regional cooperation aspect is very much in the forefront now. There are many issues in the that one country cannot meet. So we can come in together in different sectors like trade, commerce, power generation, energy and see what the prospects are and how we can link more with the stronger points of both countries. This constructive and fruitful partnership is the dimension of relationship that is gaining a lot of importance. We are already reaping benefit of it. So we want this to be a win-win situation for the people of both the countries," she said.

Chaudhury hoped for more support from India as Bangladesh works towards achieving the status of a 'Developing Country' by 2024.

"The economy of Bangladesh is moving ahead in an indomitable pace. We have now attained 8 per cent GDP growth and it has been a continuous 7 per cent over the last decade and we have been able to half the poverty from 40 per cent to 22 per cent. We have ensured food security, woman empowerment and all these issues. The economic and social indicators are very positive. The agenda is of course the vision 2021 given by our Prime Minister Sheikh Haseena in 2008. Now 2021 is very close. We are aspiring to become a middle-income economy by 2021," she said.

Talking about the challenges before the government of Bangladesh following the elections, Chaudhury said that the Sheikh Haseena dispensation is working hard to meet the aspirations of the people and take the nation to a 'Developed Country' status by 2041.

"This time we had an inclusive election and there was active participation from the people of Bangladesh. The 11th Parliament started its journey from 30th January and it is landmark in the continuity of functioning of parliamentary democracy in Bangladesh. The 9th, 10th and 11th Parliaments coming through the elections and no interruptions in between is a great achievement. Bangladesh has already graduated out of its Least Developed Country status and we are now moving towards the Developing Country status by 2024 and by 2041 a Developed Country," she said.

"2020 is also special time for us as that is the celeberation of 100th birth anniversary year of Father of the Nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. We have declared 2020 as Mujib varsho (year of Mujib) and throughout this year we will have many different celebrations to mark his 100th birthday. 2021 is of course our 50th year of Independence so that is also landmark year for us. So the whole programme is to reduce poverty, inequality, ensure the quality of life of the poor and Bangladesh Awami League gave an election manifesto where the demographic dividend of the young generation is an important priority. Creating more employment opportunities, allowing the young force to have different kind of skill development training, improving education, health systems -- all these are priority areas," Chaudhury added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale arrived in Kathmandu on Thursday for a two-day state visit, aimed at reviewing the progress made in the ongoing India-aided projects in Nepal.

Gokhale's visit to Nepal comes a day before the Nepal Investment Summit 2019 is set to commence.

During the visit, the Foreign Secretary is scheduled to meet Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali and other political leaders from the Himalayan nation.

As per information from the Nepal Investment Board, a total of 602 participants from 38 different nations have confirmed participation.

A total of 110 officials and investors from India and 209 from China will also attend the summit.

In 2017, Nepal had organised the International Investment Summit on March 2 and 3, where India had committed USD 31700 million for the reconstruction bid of Nepal.

This year, Nepal expects participation of about 1,000 officials and investors from various nations.

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Mumbai Indians cruised to a 6-run victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore to open its account in the 12th edition of the IPL at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Thursday.

Chasing 188, Bangalore got off to a brilliant start as openers Parthiv Patel and Moeen Ali charged their side with back to back boundaries before Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma threw a direct hit ball to run-out Ali for 13.

Bangalore captain Virat Kohli along with Patel (31) and Ab de Villiers hammered Mumbai to pull his side closer to victory.

Just after registering his 5000 runs in the IPL history, Kohli top-edged a Jasprit Bumrah bouncer and Hardik Pandya completed the catch to dismiss Kohli for 46.

An in-form de Villiers, who brought up his 25th half-century in the tournament, recorded his 4000 IPL runs along the way. De Villiers and Shivam Dube tried to take Bangalore over the line but were left stranded on 70 and nine respectively and ended their side's innings on 181 for the loss of five in their 20 over quota.

Quick-fire innings from all-rounder Hardik powered Mumbai to set 187 for the loss of eight after sent in by Bangalore.

Mumbai openers Quinton de Kock and Rohit were in punishing form, hitting regular boundaries in the power play overs. The duo combined to form a 54-run stand before leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal bowled round the legs to dismiss de Knock for 23.

Rohit then anchored the innings for his side with the support of Suryakumar Yadav as both the batsmen stitched 33 runs together before Mohammed Siraj cupped an extraordinary catch off pacer Umesh Yadav's delivery to dismiss Rohit for 48.

Suryakumar (38) and Yuvraj Singh (23) in the middle did not let go off the momentum as they added brisk 37 runs. As Yuvraj's cameo, which saw three sixes, ended off Chahal, Mumbai lost its lower middle-order in quick succession.

Making the most of his opportunity, Hardik's unbeaten 14-ball 32 blitz took Mumbai to post a competitive target.

Mumbai will visit Mohali to play against Kings Xi Punjab on March 30, while Bangalore will travel to meet Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 31.

Brief scores: Mumbai Indians 187/8 (RG Sharma 48, SA Yadav 38, YS Chahal 4-38) beat Royal Challengers Bangalore 181/5 (de Villiers 70*, V Kohli 48, JJ Bumrah 3-20) by 6 runs.

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Officials from the Income Tax department are conducting raids at the Chinnakurli residence of Janata Dal (Secular) leader and Karnataka Minor Irrigation Minister CS Puttaraju in Mandya, sources said on Thursday.

The raids are being carried out by I-T officials and Central Personal Force (CRPF) personnel.

Currently, raids are underway at multiple locations in Bengaluru, Hassan, Mandya and, Mysuru, sources revealed.

Raids are also taking place at locations of 17 contractors and seven officers from the Public Works Department (PWD) and Irrigation Department.

Hitting out at Narendra Modi, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy called these raids the Prime Minister's "real surgical strike."

"PM @narendramodi's real surgical strike is out in the open through IT dept raids. The constitutional post offer for IT officer Balakrishna helped the PM in his revenge game. Highly deplorable to use govt machinery, corrupt officials to harrass opponents during election time" he tweeted.

Further details are awaited.

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The Counter Intelligence Wing and Commissionerate Police Jalandhar on Thursday arrested a wanted extremist, named Amrik Singh, belonging to Khalistan Commando Force (KCF) and Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF).

Amrik Singh alias Manga belongs to Sarih Jalandhar and is now a Uganda citizen. He had entered India through Nepal and was living illegally for the last two years in his village. He has been arrested following an intelligence input from Adda Jandiala, according to a statement.

AIG Counter Intelligence, Harkamalpreet Singh Khakh said that the accused was wanted in twin blasts case at Jalandhar Bus Stand carried out by Satnam Singh alias Satta Lasuri on April 28, 2006 and May 24, 2006. Two cases were registered at Police Station Division number 6, Jalandhar in this regard.

Khakh said that Pakistan-based KZF Commander Ranjeet Singh Neeta and USA based Balwinder Singh Posi had masterminded the blasts along with Amrik Singh. Three persons were killed in the first blast, while the accused failed to execute the second bomb properly, he said.

"During preliminary interrogation of the arrested accused revealed that he was involved in the extremist activities from 1992 to 1995. Amrik had a close association with infamous terrorists Gurdeep Singh alias Deepa Heran wala of KCF who provided him one revolver and one Pistol, which he had used for some dacoity incidents in the year 1995", added Khakh.

He further said that in 1998, Amrik and his six associates killed one person Harwinder Singh Bhola at Guru Nagar of Jalandhar due to latter's affair with the sister of his friend.

In this case, they were sentenced to life imprisonment and a fine of Rs 2000 imposed by the court of additional district and sessions Judge GK Roy. Later, Amrik jumped his parole and managed to fly to Uganda from India.

Khakh stated that in 2003, Amrik's Indian passport expired but he managed to get a new passport with his father's name Harmail Singh and by mentioning wrong birth date May 15, 1975, from the Republic of Uganda.

He said that Amrik Singh has been in close association with Pakistan based Ranjit Singh Neeta, US Based Paramjit Singh alias Baba Gaddri and Balwinder Singh Possi alias Happy who belongs to KZF.

"In 2003, on the instructions of Balwinder Possi and Ranjeet Neeta, he called Satta Lasuri and Nirmal Singh for Uganda on sponsorship and managed their stay in Uganda. Further, Amrik arranged a passport for Satta and sent him to Pakistan for getting training in making homemade bombs and other weapon training," the officer said.

Amrik was declared as a proclaimed offender in 2007.

Khakh also said that in 2012, Amrik was arrested by Uganda police for indulging in illegal human trafficking and was lodged in Uganda Jail for four years. Due to this case, the Indian embassy in Uganda refused him Indian visa three times.

He added that in January 2017, Amrik reached India via Nepal after staying for two weeks at Kathmandu in Nepal and arrived Delhi from Nepal border via train and moved to his village by bus where he has been living by changing his identity.

Khakh said that Amrik will be produced in the court and will be taken on police remand to quiz him further about the cases and what he has been doing for the past two years here.

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Reiterating his promise, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday (local time) said that US will hold the Washington Post Journalist Jamal Khashoggi's murderers "accountable."

"President Trump has made it very clear. We will continue to work to identify those responsible for Mr Khashoggi's murder and hold them accountable. I stand by that today," Al Jazeera quoted Pompeo as saying.

Pompeo made the comment during the congressional hearing.

Pompeo also informed that Trump administration has already sanctioned 17 Saudis in connection with Khashoggi's murder.

Khashoggi, a vocal critic of the Saudi regime, was killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2 last year, where he had gone to obtain paperwork certifying his divorce with his former wife Alaa Nassif in order to be able to re-marry his Turkish fiancee Hatice Cengiz.

After presenting several contradictory theories, Saudi Arabia acknowledged that Khashoggi was killed in the consulate premises in what the country's then Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir had described as a "rogue operation".

According to the US intelligence agencies, the murder of Khashoggi was enacted upon orders by the Saudi Crown Prince.However, Saudi Arabia has repeatedly rejected all the allegations against its Crown Prince, adding that it is committed to bringing the perpetrators to justice.

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BSP supremo Mayawati on Thursday charged Prime Minister Narendra Modi with violating the Model Code of Conduct by addressing the nation after the successful testing of A-SAT missile on Wednesday, and hoped that the Election Commission will act promptly.

"Previous experience proves that like law & order, BJP leaders are habitual offenders in violating Model Code of Conduct. And PM Mr Modi again flouted poll norms by addressing the country without prior permission of EC though there was no such emergency. Hope the EC acts promptly," she tweeted.

After receiving complaints from political parties, the poll body on Wednesday formed a panel to examine the matter immediately in the light of the Model Code of Conduct.

"The EC has formed a committee to examine the content of PM's address yesterday but the real issue is why & how the PM addressed the country without its prior permission. It is the gross misuse of power & machinery for the electoral benefits. EC must act in an exemplary manner," she said in another tweet.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Wednesday morning successfully tested India's first anti-satellite weapon --A-SAT-- from Balasore in Odisha.

Anti-satellite weapons or A-SAT are space weapons designed to incapacitate or destroy satellites for strategic military purposes.

Although no A-SAT system has yet been utilised in warfare, a few nations have shot down their defunct satellites to demonstrate A-SAT capability in a show of force.

Before India's A-SAT missile test, the US, Russia, and China had demonstrated this capability.

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Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Thursdat announced it will contest on all 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat.

NCP is contesting 22 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra out of 48.

For Maharashtra, the Congress and the NCP on Saturday announced their seat-sharing pact for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls with the two parties agreeing to contest 26 and 22 seats respectively.

All the 26 constituencies of Gujarat will go for polling during the 3rd phase of elections on April 23.

While Maharashtra will vote for Lok Sabha Elections 2019 in four phases. The polling dates for Maharashtra will be on April 11, 18, 23 and 29. The votes will be counted for all the constituencies on May 23. The results of the Lok Sabha Elections 2019 will be announced on the same day.

The 17th Lok Sabha election to be held in seven phases beginning April 11. The final phase of voting will take place on May 19. The counting of votes will be done on May 23.

The last date for withdrawal of candidature for the first phase is March 28 while the first phase polling will take place on April 11.

The phase two polling will be on April 18, third phase on April 23, fourth phase on April 29, fifth phase on May 6, sixth phase on May 12, and the phase seven polling will take place on May 19.

The tenure of the 16th Lok Sabha expires on June 3.

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Former vice chairman of Niti Aayog Arvind Panagariya has asserted that Congress President Rahul Gandhi's proposed minimum income guarantee initiative NYAY scheme (Nyuntam Aay Yojana) will not be able to provide RS 12000 per month to all needy families.

Taking to Twitter, Panagariya said, "Going by 2011-12 expenditure survey, even assuming that incomes of poorest households rose as fast as average, 40% rural and 10% urban families remained below Rs. 12,000 per month in 2018-19. So NYAY will not bring all families above 12000."

However, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said that the party had consulted eminent economists including former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan before it came up with the minimum guaranteed income scheme, which ensures that nobody in the country remains below the benchmark of Rs 12,000 per month.

The Congress clarified that its minimum income guarantee initiative, NYAY (Nyuntam Aay Yojana), is not a "top-up scheme" but assures Rs 72,000 to 20 per cent of India's poorest families.

This came after Rahul Gandhi had announced that if his party comes to power, it will implement a "ground-breaking" NYAY under which 20 per cent of the poorest families of the country will be entitled to up to Rs 72,000 per year.

Describing the scheme as unique in the entire world, he told media here that the minimum income guarantee scheme will be implemented in a phased manner as part of the "final assault on poverty".

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Summer programs provide high school students with opportunities to explore their academic interests and spark new passions. Oakridge International School in association with Columbia School is organizing a five-day summer course entailing concepts of entrepreneurship and innovation.

This elite university-level program will be taught by Prof. Daniel McQuade, a faculty at Columbia School. At Columbia Global Entrepreneurship & Innovation Program, students will be exposed to the theory and practice of venture creation process and will be assigned projects where they implement the learnings to test and develop their ideas. Students will then showcase their projects to the panel of entrepreneurial tutors, for constructive feedback and reviews. Everyday sessions will also include guest lectures from entrepreneurs and industry experts. This certification program will be conducted from 27th to 31st May.

Anchored by a global theme to instil leadership skills in students, Student Global Leadership Institute (SGLI) is another summer program hosted by Oakridge International School in association with Punahou School, Hawaii, USA. This two-week residential program gives an opportunity for students to work on projects in a dynamic group of international students from 10 different countries. SGLI entails several real-time experiences such as field trips across the city to niche organizations and activities, session reflection through cyanotyping, extempore, socratic dialogue case studies, and much more. It gets them attuned to the nuances of a global world that will reflect an emerging community of dynamic leaders. This program will be conducted from 17thto 26th June.

"Our children are growing up in a volatile and uncertain world. As we speak, careers in areas like accounting, law, medicine etc. are being disrupted by artificial intelligence. In such a world, the skills that children need to grow up with are things like entrepreneurial mindset, empathy, and the ability to have that human connection. It is very important, therefore, for parents and teachers to have a conscious effort towards strengthening the exposure of children to educational initiatives that allow children to develop these critical skills," said DeviDutta, Vice President - for Oakridge.

This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article.

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Telangana Police on Wednesday recovered a total of Rs 2.8 crores cash while frisking vehicles ahead of the elections in the state.

The state police made the recovery after intercepting two vehicles near a check post in Ranga Reddy district here.

According to Chaitanyapuri police, Rs one crore was recovered from a car and Rs 1.8 crores from an auto.

Police also apprehended a person, Maheshwar, who is said to be the main person responsible for circulating illegal money in the state.

The accused and seized cash will be handed over to IT officials.

In another incident, Hyderabad police nabbed four persons with Rs 14.60 lakhs and 286 grams gold from a vehicle at Alaska Junction and Old police station Begum Bazar.

The probe in both cases is underway.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hit out at the Congress again for demanding proof of surgical strikes and suggested the demand was unnecessary and appeared to bring forth the rival party's distrust of the Indian Army.

"When we entered the homes of the terrorists and killed them then is it right to question the valour of our jawans? Is it right to abuse our Army Chief? Will people forgive those who give anti- statements just to become a hero in Pakistan?" Modi said addressing a public rally in Rudrapur.

"Will people forgive those leaders who have made anti-India statements in order to become hero in Pakistan," asked Prime Minister to the people attending his rally.

The Prime Minister also accused the Congress party for not having regard for defence forces by saying that political party while in power sat back on Rafale deal because they were not getting any 'malai'.

"The Indian Armed forces had asked the previous government to provide them with modernised weapons, Rafale fighter jets, bulletproof jackets, One Rank One Pension, but nothing was given to them. Instead of providing them with modern weapons, the Congress party used to file cases against the Army chiefs," he added.

During his speech, the Prime Minister also lauded Atal Bihari Vajpayee's government for starting the process to buy Rafale jets and added that the Congress government had for ten years did not do anything.

"The culture of fear is not the culture of this Chowkidar. The Opposition and the enemies of the nation should listen carefully, we are not going to fear anything. We are going to combat terrorism, no matter what," he added.

He further took a jibe at the rival Congress saying, "Congress can never understand the sentiments of people. The way Congress behaved with the Armed Forces, it repeated that behaviour with farmers and the poor as well... Congress is repeating its promise of 'Garibi hatao', which it had promised four decades ago. This is the biggest proof of Congress' lie."

The Prime Minister also alleged: "Rahul Gandhi-led Congress has cheated the people of India for 72 years, it is the reason behind the prevalent poverty in the country.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be addressing two public meetings here at Mahbubnagar and Hyderabad on March 29 and April 1 respectively, said BJP's state unit president Dr K Laxman.

Speaking to ANI about the Prime Minister's visit, Laxman said: "Ahead of the ensuing Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a public meeting at Mahbubnagar tomorrow and Hyderabad LB Stadium on April 1."

"People of Telangana are eagerly waiting for Narendra Modi's visit, especially after witnessing the recent air strikes on Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad terror camp and development of the country under his leadership. People are happy with corruption free government, demonetization, GST, 10 per cent reservation to Economic Backward Class," he added.

Stressing on the party's plan for election campaigning, Laxman said: "BJP president Amit Shah will also address public meetings in Telangana starting from April 4. He will address people of Warangal and Karimnagar and conduct road shows at Nalagonda and Hyderabad on April 6. Various Union Ministers will also take part in the election campaign."

All 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana will go to polls in a single phase on April 11.

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Sajjan Kumar was leading the mob and provoking them, eyewitness Joginder Singh told the Patiala House Court while recording his statement in connection with a case relating to the Sultanpuri incident during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

"When I went to lodge an FIR, the police denied naming Sajjan Kumar in the complaint. Kumar was the person leading the mob and provoking them," Singh told a single judge bench presided by District Judge Poonam Bamba.

Singh, who had lost his brother during the riots, was being represented by advocate Tarannum Cheema. After recording Singh's statement, Judge Bamba posted the matter for hearing on April 9 and fixed April 11 as the date for cross-examination.

Earlier, witness Cham Kaur was cross-examined by Sajjan Kumar's lawyer on the last date of hearing on March 7 based on her statement.

Riots took place in 1984 riots targetting Sikhs in Sultanpuri area of Delhi, which, witnesses have claimed, was instigated by Sajjan Kumar.

The former Congress leader is serving a life term in the case relating to the death of five members of a family in Raj Nagar and the torching of a gurdwara in Delhi on November 1, 1984.

On December 17 last year, the Delhi court had convicted Kumar in this case and awarded him a life term.

Two weeks after Kumar was awarded life sentence by the court in connection with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, the Congress leader surrendered at the Karkardooma District Court.

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The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to halt the release of Director Sanoj Mishra's film 'Ram Ki Janmabhoomi' which is slated to be released on Friday.

The litigant's plea claimed that the release of the movie will prejudice the ongoing mediation process in Ram Mandir-Babri Masjid case.

While hearing the plea, a bench comprising Justices S A Bobde and S Abdul Nazeer, said: "What's the relation between movie and mediation. The parties want to settle it. We are not so pessimistic. No film can come in the way of mediation."

The court has listed the plea for hearing after two weeks.

Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court heard a similar case, where a person claiming to be a descendant of the Mughal rulers sought a stay on the release of the film.

The petitioner Yakub Tucey alleged that the movie is "derogatory" towards his ancestors and "defames" his family.

Tucey in his petition claimed that the movie projects "false information" about Shias and Sunni relationship in the period of Mughal rule.

Central Board Of Film Certification (CBFC) had cleared the film for release with an 'A' (restricted to adults) certificate.

On March 8, the Supreme Court referred the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case for court-appointed and monitored medication.

Following the order, the top court appointed a mediation committee for resolution of the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute which includes Justice Kalifulla, the other members of the committee are Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and senior Madras High Court advocate Sriram Panchu.

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Launching a veiled attack at Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Thursday, said some people cannot differentiate between a theatre set and the word 'SAT' used in space science.

"Some people cannot even differentiate between the word 'set' used in theatre and 'sat' a term popular in space science," he said addressing a public rally here.

The Prime Minister's statement comes a day after Gandhi wished Modi a happy World Theatre Day.

"Well done DRDO, extremely proud of your work. I would also like to wish the PM a very happy World Theatre Day," the Congress chief wrote on his twitter handle on the World Theatre Day on Wednesday.

Gandhi's tweet came hours after PM Narendra Modi made a televised announcement about the successful test-launching of an anti-satellite missile on .

Attacking the Congress for its failure in eradicating poverty, the PM said at the rally, "Since I was eight years old, I have been listening to governments talking about 'Gareebi hatao'. Decades have passed but poverty has not been eradicated."

"Remove the Congress from everywhere in the country and poverty will banish automatically," he told the gathering.

Modi apparently took a jibe at Congress's recently announced poll promise of minimum income guarantee scheme 'Nyay'. "Those who could not even get bank accounts opened for the poor in all these years are talking of depositing money into their accounts," Modi said.

The Congress on Monday announced what it called as the final assault on poverty to give poor families Rs 72,000 in a year as basic income.

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Former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Babulal Gaur has urged his predecessor Digvijaya Singh to support the construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya if Singh is a "staunch Hindu."

Speaking to media on Wednesday, Gaur said, "If Digvijaya Singh is a Hindu, he must come forward to support the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya."

He further claimed that the Congress leader only visits temples when elections are approaching.

"Whenever elections come, Digvijaya starts visiting temples. If he is a Hindu and calls himself a member of Raghuvanshi dynasty, then he must support the construction of the shrine in Ayodhya," Gaur reiterated.

Gaur's remark comes a day after Digvijaya visited religious shrines and sought blessings from seers such as Digambar monk Acharya Vidyasagar in Bhopal.

Digvijaya, while speaking to media here yesterday, had called himself a "staunch believer" of Hinduism and asked why the RSS treated him as an enemy if it espouses the cause of Hindus.

Madhya Pradesh, which has 29 parliamentary seats, will go polls in four phases - April 29, May 6, May 12 and May 19. Counting of votes for all the constituencies will be held on May 23.

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Suspended Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Harinder Singh Khalsa formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) here on Thursday.

Khalsa joined the party in the presence of Union Ministers Arun Jaitley and Hardeep Singh Puri.

Khalsa, who belongs to the SC community, had won the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Fatehgarh Sahib seat on AAP's ticket. However, he was suspended from the party in 2015.

Before joining AAP in 2014, Khalsa was a part of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).

Heaping praises on Khalsa for his contribution to the society, Jaitley said that Khalsa's father Gopal Singh Khalsa was long associated with Dalit icon BR Ambedkar.

"He has played a key role in raising issues concerning the lower-class people in both and international platforms," Jaitley said.

The Union Minister informed that Khalsa will not contest the impending Lok Sabha elections and will only contribute to the party.

Meanwhile, Khalsa said: "I would like to express my gratitude to Arun Jaitley and Hardeep Singh Puri for accepting my request to join the party as a 'karyakarta' (worker). I have been influenced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for what he did in the last five years."

He opined that the BJP was the only party who can take the country forward.

Speaking to ANI after his induction into the BJP, Khalsa said he is a "free bird" and a "fan" of the Prime Minister.

"I am a free bird. I joined BJP because of one reason. This party can take our nation forward. I am a fan of Narendra Modi sahab," Khalsa said. "There was no intra-party democracy and transparency in AAP. There was dictatorship in the party," he added.

Khalsa was the Indian ambassador to Norway when Operation Bluestar took place in 1984. He had resigned from his post as a mark of protest.

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BJP president on Thursday accused former Chief Minister of being hand-in-glove with the All United Democratic Front chief

" and fight against each other in the day and get cosy with each other by night but do ILU-ILU at night (Din mein to party ke Gogoi ji aur Ajmal (AIUDF Cheif Badruddin Ajmal) aamne saamne chunaav ladte hain. Magar jab raat hoti hai, dono ke beech mein ilu-ilu chalu ho jata hai)," he said addressing a public meeting here.

ILU seems to be an apparent reference to the abbreviation 'I Love You' taken from a song from 90s Bollywood flick.

Shah alleged that the former Chief Minister has sought refuge from Badruddin for the sake of his son.

"Gogoi has gone to the refuge of Ajmalji because he (Tarun Gogoi) wants his son (Gaurav Gogoi) to win. kept saying who is Badrudding for so many years but today he does not feel ashamed of hugging him (Badruddin)," he said.

The BJP president further alleged that the two leaders were coming together to fill with immigrants. "They want to fill with immigrants? Do you want that to happen?," the BJP president questioned.

Shah lauded the Prime Minister led for being able to stop infiltration.

"Four generation of ruled but immigration did not stop. Modi brought NRC and stopped immigration," Shah claimed while asserting that cannot protect Assamese culture.

Shah also lashed out at former Prime Minister for "doing nothing" for the development of Assam.

" was an MP from Assam for 20 years and Prime Minister for 10 years. I want to ask what UPA did for Assam in 10 years?" questioned Shah. He also termed the former Prime Minister as "Mauni Baba" (One who remains silent).

The BJP president listed out the various schemes and policies launched by the for the benefit of the common man.

Slamming the Congress party for its reaction on the airstrikes, the BJP president alleged, "When government was there, terrorists chopped off the head of our soldiers. After Pulwama attack, PM conducted air-strikes. Rahul (Gandhi) Baba's party is crying why were they killed? They (Congress leaders) are crying as if those killed (in the air-strike) were their cousins."

"Tell me if Pakistani terrorists come here and kill our security forces, should that be retaliated or not? is advising us that we should talk to terrorists. If someone fires a bullet at our border, we will reply with shells," he added.

He also claimed that the areas plagued by terrorism in India's North-East were prospering due to the efforts of urging the people to stand with the Prime Minister like a rock.

"Rahul Baba and company, those who are aligning with Badruddin (Ajmal) cannot ensure the security of our country. Only BJP and Prime Minister can do that," he said.

Shah further claimed that only Prime Minister can give a befitting reply to and terrorists. He also praised the Prime Minister for thinking about the poor people.

"Wherever I go, I listen to only one slogan, fir ek bar Modi Sarkar ( once again)," he claimed.

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The popular American sitcom 'The Big Bang Theory' has scripted history with its 12th and final season, and is now the longest-running TV series.

With episode 276, the CBS comedy is now officially the longest-running American multi-camera sitcom. It broke the record of another American sitcom titled 'Cheers' which previously held that title with 275 episodes reported E! News.

Celebrating the milestone, actor Kunal Nayyar, who plays the role of Raj Koothrappali on the show, shared a picture of his script on Instagram along with a heartfelt caption.

He wrote, "And there you have it... this script officially makes us the longest running sitcom in the history of television, just surpassing the show "Cheers." So cheers to that:) lil Delhi boy, making history. What a dream come true. Thank you for your kindness over these past 12 years, there are no words in any language that could ever express the love I have for all of you... so, from my heart to yours, I love you. #tbbt."

American actor Kaley Cuoco, who also features on the show, posted a group photo with the cast and crew and said she was "blessed, humbled, amazed, grateful." She also thanked the audience who supported the show over the last 12 seasons.

"@bigbangtheory_cbs is officially the longest running multi cam show in history surpassing the great show Cheers. blessed, humbled, amazed, grateful. Thank you to everyone who has supported us the last 12 years. THANK YOU," she wrote.

Ahead of the series finale, Cuoco had told E! News that the show is "going out with a bang."

"I'm glad we're going out with a bang. I hate saying that, but it's kinda true. We wanted to go out on top," she said.

The Big Bang Theory airs on Thursdays, 8 p.m. on CBS. The one-hour finale will premiere on May 16.

Created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, the show premiered on CBS on September 24, 2007. In March 2017, the series was renewed for two additional seasons, bringing its total to twelve.

The show originally centred on the lives of socially awkward physicists Leonard Hofstadter and Sheldon Cooper, who take a wild turn when the beautiful and free-spirited Penny moves in next door.

The series stars Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar, Mayim Bialik, and Melissa Rauch. It has earned 52 Emmy nominations and 10 wins during its run.

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Congress General Secretary of Uttar Pradesh East, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra urged her party workers in the state to commence preparations for Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections scheduled to take place in 2022.

Priyanka, who has been rigorously campaigning in Uttar Pradesh since her formal induction in the party last month, on Wednesday met workers in her brother and Congress President Rahul Gandhi's parliamentary constituency - Amethi.

Encouraging party workers to ensure Congress' victory in the state, Priyanka, said, "You (workers) need to work hard for elections. Are you preparing for elections? Not for this (general elections), for 2022 (UP Assembly elections)? Are you doing? You have to work."

Priyanka is on a two-day trip to Amethi and Rae Bareli. She has been given the task of reviving the party in Uttar Pradesh.

Priyanka made the statement while attending a program organised by local party workers here.

Interestingly, the workers had arranged a weighing scale decorated with flowers to weigh Priyanka with laddoo's (sweets). However, she politely denied to sit on the scales saying "do you think I weigh one quintal." Later, she asked the son of ex MLA Noor Mohammad to honour the ceremony.

She is scheduled to visit Ayodhya on Friday.

Priyanka was appointed AICC General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh East on January 23.

During earlier elections, Priyanka had kept herself limited to campaigning for Rahul and Sonia Gandhi in Amethi and Raebareli parliamentary constituencies only. Both constituencies are considered as strongholds for Gandhi family.

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The US will consider "all options" in order to make Russian troops leave Venezuela said, President Donald Trump on Wednesday.

According to TASS, Trump made these remarks during the meeting with the Venezuelan self-proclaimed interim President Juan Guaido's wife at the White House.

"Russia has to get out," Trump stated. In response to a question about how Washington aims to accomplish this, the US leader said: "We'll see. All options are open."

Trump made these comment after foreign media reported that two Russian military jets with 100 soldiers on board reached Caracas.

Last week, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said that Russia would send medicine "next week" to Venezuela, amid reports of strengthening ties between Caracas and Moscow.

According to Al Jazeera, the Maduro regime in February had blocked a convoy carrying humanitarian aid from entering into Venezuela via the border with Colombia. He also ordered the closure of Venezuela's border with Brazil "until further notice" amid a tense standoff with the US-backed Opposition leader, Juan Guaido, over allowing in humanitarian aid.

The South American nation is crippled with a political and economic crisis since January after Guaido proclaimed himself as the President of the nation in January. While most European countries have recognised Guaido as the interim President, countries like Russia, China, Turkey, amongst others, have slammed foreign interference in Venezuela and shown support for Maduro.

Maduro, who is the elected President of the nation, decried the events and accused the US of plotting a coup to overthrow him by supporting Guaido. He continues to hold on to his post despite calls by the international community for fresh elections.

Amongst other sanctions, the US has previously proscribed Venezuela's state-owned oil and natural gas company PDVSA in a bid to stifle funding to the Maduro regime.

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Amid speculations of being fielded from North Mumbai constituency in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, actress Urmila Matondkar, who joined the Congress party on Wednesday, said is not sure if she will contest the impending polls or not.

"I have joined Congress because I adhere to its ideology. If I get the ticket to fight polls then I will work for the people of Mumbai," Matondkar told media here on Thursday.

Responding to a question on the issues she will raise as a politician, the 'Rangeela' star said she will raise the issues of rights given under democracy.

"Democracy belongs to people and they are its rule makers", she added.

Matondkar also accused the BJP of spreading " of hate," and urged those being branded as "anti-nationals" to raise questions against those questioning their patriotism.

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As the US administration ups its scrutiny regarding the use of its capital market to fund the mass detention of Uighurs in China's Xinjiang, large US investment funds have sold their equity stakes in Chinese surveillance company Hikvision.

The Chinese company, along with Dahua, has allegedly won contracts to the tune of USD 1.2 billion in surveillance project contracts in Xinjiang since 2016, according to the Financial Times.

Quoting Copley Fund Research, Financial Times reports that Fidelity Emerging Markets Fund, Goldman Sachs EM Equity Fund, Fullerton Global Emerging Markets Equities Fund, RWC Global Emerging Equity Fund and three other US funds have all closed their positions in recent months.

However, despite the US government's heightened scrutiny, two public pension funds for teachers - the California State Teachers' Retirement System (Calstrs) and the New York State Teachers' Retirement System (NYSTRS) - still have shares in Hikvision.

Meanwhile, senior Republican Marco Rubio is spearheading efforts to get members of the US Congress to sign a letter expressing concerns about "problematic" Chinese companies, whose connection to the situation in Xinjiang has been ascertained.

"The US government should require Chinese companies operating in America's capital markets to disclose their ties to the Chinese government's security apparatus and human rights abuses," Rubio told Financial Times. "American investors and pensioners have a right to know this information given it poses material, asymmetric risks to the reputations and valuations of Chinese companies," he added.

"A lot of investors talk about ethical investing but when it comes to Hikvision and Xinjiang they are happy to fill their boots. It is pretty hypocritical," a fund manager who sold out of Hikvision told Financial Times.

Meanwhile, human rights groups estimate that about one million Uighurs are being held in facilities at China's Xinjiang.

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Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale, who is on a two-day state visit to Nepal, met his counterpart Shanker Das Bairagi and held bilateral talks here on Thursday.

Gokhale also called on Foreign Minister of Nepal, Pradeep Kumar Gyawali on the first day of his visit.

The foreign secretary is in the Himalayan nation to review the progress made in the ongoing India-aided projects in Nepal.

Gokhale's visit to Nepal comes a day before the Nepal Investment Summit 2019 is set to commence.

During the visit, the Foreign Secretary is scheduled to meet Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.

As per information from the Nepal Investment Board, a total of 602 participants from 38 different nations have confirmed participation. A total of 110 officials and investors will be from India.

In 2017, Nepal had organised the International Investment Summit on March 2 and 3, where India had committed USD 31700 million for the reconstruction bid of Nepal.

This year, Nepal expects participation of about 1,000 officials and investors from various nations.

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After Election Commission of issued a show cause notice to the producers of 'PM Modi' biopic, Actor Vivek along with his lawyer, Hitesh Jain, appeared before the election commission on Thursday.

Speaking to ANI, Jain, said, "We have submitted a detailed response to the notice issued by the election commission for violating the model code of conduct. In our response, we have explained that the movie does not violate the model code of conduct."

Oberoi, who essays Modi's character in the film, and producer Sandip Ssingh met the EC officials on Thursday.

"The complaint was filed by party, seeking the ban on the film during the period of the election on the ground of violation of model code of conduct," Jain said.

Asked whether the film would be released as on its scheduled date, he said, "We have already announced the release date. However, we will wait and watch."

The biopic came under the scanner of the ECI after and left parties complained to the electoral body saying that it violates the model code of the conduct.

The film is based on the life of Prime Minister titled 'PM Modi'. Vivek is essaying the role of The film is scheduled to release on April 05.

(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.)
When Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress general secretary and incharge of eastern Uttar Pradesh, was urged by her party supporters on Thursday to contest from Rae Bareilly or Amethi, she apparently responded in a lighter vein 'why not Varanasi!'.

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the sitting MP from Varanasi, Priyanka's mother and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi represents Rae Bareli in Lok Sabha.

Priyanka was interacting with Congress workers when they requested her to contest from Varanasi. They said that if she contests from Rae Bareilly or Amethi, the BJP will be finished, sources said.

Immediately, Priyanka quipped jokingly, "why not Varanasi", sources added.

The Congress general secretary, who is currently on a three-day tour to Amethi, Rae Bareilly and Ayodhya, on Wednesday said that she would contest the ensuing Lok Sabha elections if the party wanted her to do so.

Meanwhile, posters slamming Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka were spotted outside the party office here today.

Posters with photos of Sonia and Priyanka have sprung up in the constituency, stating that the mother-daughter duo was never seen when people of Rae Bareilly were hassled.

Referring to Priyanka as the granddaughter of Firoz (Gandhi) and mother of Rehan, another poster stated: "She (Priyanka) is seen in temples during the course of election."

"Votes were given so that they could serve (us) but Sonia-Priyanka disappointed us," stated another poster.

Uttar Pradesh will go to polls in seven phases, from April 11 to May 19. Counting of votes will take place on May 23.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Key indices nudged higher in early trade on buying demand in index pivotals. At 9:30 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 119.66 points or 0.31% at 38,252.54. The Nifty 50 index was up 37.50 points or 0.33% at 11,482.55.

Trading could be volatile as traders roll over positions in the F&O segment from the near month March 2019 series to April 2019 series. The March 2019 F&O contracts expire today, 28 March 2019.

The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index was up 0.48%. The S&P BSE Small-Cap index was up 0.55%. Both these indices outperformed the Sensex.

The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was strong. On the BSE, 868 shares rose and 317 shares fell. A total of 58 shares were unchanged.

Overseas, shares in Asia declined on Thursday following an overnight slip on Wall Street after the closely-watched 10-year Treasury yield touched its lowest in more than a year. U.S. stocks on Wednesday bounced off session lows but finished in the red as sentiment remained sensitive to mounting signs of slowing global growth, reflected in falling bond yields on the heels of increasingly dovish central banks.

On the U.S.-China trade front, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin are set to resume negotiations with their Chinese counterparts in Beijing on Thursday, in a bid to strike a deal on trade.

In economic data, the U.S. trade deficit narrowed in January to a five-month low of $51.1 billion versus $59.9 billion in December. Data from China's National Bureau of Statistics, meanwhile, showed that profits at industrial firms fell by 14% in January and February, the largest decline since 2011.

Back home, NBCC (India) gained 2.12%. NBCC (India) has secured new orders for five infrastructure projects. The total estimated costs of these projects is approximately Rs 1003 crore. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 27 March 2019.

Dabur India shed 0.65%. Dabur India said that the dissolution of step down wholly owned subsidiary, Dabur Tunisie, is likely to be completed by 31 December 2019, instead of March 2019, due to certain legal and regulatory compliances under the law of Tunisia. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 27 March 2019.

Nelco gained 2.23%. Nelco said its board has granted in principle approval for sale of the company's entire investment of 2.53 lakh equity shares, or 12.30% equity, of Nelito Systems at a consideration of Rs 6.77 crore to DTS Corporation, Japan. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 27 March 2019.

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Trading of Nifty 50 index futures on the Singapore stock exchange indicates that the Nifty could rise 77 points at the opening bell. Trading could be volatile as traders roll over positions in the F&O segment from the near month March 2019 series to April 2019 series. The March 2019 F&O contracts expire today, 28 March 2019.

Overseas, shares in Asia declined on Thursday following an overnight slip on Wall Street after the closely-watched 10-year Treasury yield touched its lowest in more than a year. U.S. stocks on Wednesday bounced off session lows but finished in the red as sentiment remained sensitive to mounting signs of slowing global growth, reflected in falling bond yields on the heels of increasingly dovish central banks.

On the U.S.-China trade front, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin are set to resume negotiations with their Chinese counterparts in Beijing on Thursday, in a bid to strike a deal on trade.

In economic data, the U.S. trade deficit narrowed in January to a five-month low of $51.1 billion versus $59.9 billion in December. Data from China's National Bureau of Statistics, meanwhile, showed that profits at industrial firms fell by 14% in January and February, the largest decline since 2011.

Back home,key equity benchmarks ended with modest losses after a volatile session yesterday, 27 March 2019. Investors booked profits amid mixed cues from other Asian shares and negative cues from European market. The Nifty retracted after crossing 10,500 mark in morning trade. The Sensex fell 100.53 points or 0.26% to settle at 38,132.88. The Nifty 50 index fell 38.20 points or 0.33% to settle at 11,445.05.

The trading activity on that day showed that the foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth a net Rs 1,481.11 crore yesterday, 27 March 2019, as per provisional data released by the stock exchanges. Domestic institutional investors (DIIs) bought shares worth a net Rs 134.92 crore yesterday, 27 March 2019, as per provisional data.

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Mcleod Russel India announced that the transaction for sale of the equity stake held by Borelli Tea Holdings, UK, the Wholly Owned Subsidiary of the company in Gisovu Tea Co., Rwanda being 60% of the Paid up Capital of Gisovu, in terms of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between Borelli and Rwanda Tea Co., UK has been completed on 26 March, 2019 by virtue of completion of the Share Transfer Process.

In view of the above, Gisovu has ceased to be a Subsidiary of Borelli and Step-Down Subsidiary of the company.

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NBCC (India) has secured new orders for five infrastructure projects. The total estimated costs of these projects is approximately Rs 1003 crore. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 27 March 2019.

Dabur India said that the dissolution of step down wholly owned subsidiary, Dabur Tunisie, is likely to be completed by 31 December 2019, instead of March 2019, due to certain legal and regulatory compliances under the law of Tunisia. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 27 March 2019.

Strides Pharma Science said its shareholders approved divestment of Australian business. The shareholders also approved transactions/contracts/arrangements with Solara Active Pharma Sciences upto Rs 500 crore in each financial year, commencing from FY 2018-2019. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 27 March 2019.

Mcleod Russel India announced that the transaction for sale of the equity stake held by Borelli Tea Holdings, UK ('Borelli'), a wholly-owned subsidiary, in Gisovu Tea Co., Rwanda (Gisovu), being 60% of the paid up capital of Gisovu, in terms of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between Borelli and Rwanda Tea Co., UK completed on 26 March 2019 by virtue of completion of the share transfer process. In view of the above, Gisovu has ceased to be a subsidiary of Borelli and step-down subsidiary of the company. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 27 March 2019.

Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services said that its board, pursuant to the offer made by National Housing Bank (NHB) vide their letter dated 11 March 2019, approved the acquisition of 1,18,91,511 equity shares of Rs 10 each of Mahindra Rural Housing Finance (MRHFL), a subsidiary of the company, at a premium of Rs 231.16, aggregating to Rs 286.78 crores from NHB. Consequently, the shareholding of the company in MRHFL will increase from 88.75% to 98.43% as and when the shares are acquired. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 27 March 2019.

Nelco said its board has granted in principle approval for sale of the company's entire investment of 2.53 lakh equity shares, or 12.30% equity, of Nelito Systems at a consideration of Rs 6.77 crore to DTS Corporation, Japan. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 27 March 2019.

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Vedanta Ltd is quoting at Rs 177.65, up 1.25% on the day as on 12:54 IST on the NSE. The stock is down 37.07% in last one year as compared to a 12.69% spurt in NIFTY and a 15.73% spurt in the Nifty Metal index.

Vedanta Ltd gained for a third straight session today. The stock is quoting at Rs 177.65, up 1.25% on the day as on 12:54 IST on the NSE. The benchmark NIFTY is up around 0.55% on the day, quoting at 11508.05. The Sensex is at 38338.47, up 0.54%. Vedanta Ltd has risen around 2.42% in last one month.

Meanwhile, Nifty Metal index of which Vedanta Ltd is a constituent, has risen around 2.06% in last one month and is currently quoting at 2982.1, up 0.03% on the day. The volume in the stock stood at 50.42 lakh shares today, compared to the daily average of 89.13 lakh shares in last one month.

The benchmark March futures contract for the stock is quoting at Rs 177.45, up 0.88% on the day. Vedanta Ltd is down 37.07% in last one year as compared to a 12.69% spurt in NIFTY and a 15.73% spurt in the Nifty Metal index.

The PE of the stock is 9.23 based on TTM earnings ending December 18.

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A city court on Thursday sentenced 10 people, including 8 women, to jail in the 2009 Ahmedabad hooch tragedy, which claimed more than 125 lives.

The Ahmedabad sessions court has sentenced ten of the 22 accused to prison. Additional Sessions Judge D.P. Mahida slapped 10-year jail on the prime accused Vinod alias Dark along with a Rs 50,000 fine. Another accused Arvind sentenced to seven years in jail and Rs 10,000 fine.

Of the eight women convicts, Somiben Thakur was sentenced to jail for two years and fined Rs 500. Seven other women were handed six months' jail and Rs 500 fine.

Most victims belonging to low income families came from the Majoorgam, Odhav and Amraiwadi areas of city.

Spurious liquor also affected 200 others, with many losing their vision.

The Gujarat government raided and shut over 1,200 illegal liquor dens and around 800 brewers following the tragedy.

--IANS

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With a second prominent Muslim leader - Naveed A. Antulay of Raigad - quitting the Congress in four days, the grand old party's minority-friendly image suffered another dent here on Thursday.

Naveed Antulay, son of the late Abdul Rehman Antulay, former union Minister and Maharashtra's first Muslim Chief Minister, met Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray and tied a 'Shiv-Bandhan' with the party on Wednesday.

This is the second big jolt to the Congress this week after Sillod MLA Abdul Sattar A. Nabi from Aurangabad district quit the party on Monday after he was denied a Lok Sabha nomination.

Though Sattar has not joined any party, Sattar will announce his future political plans on Friday after a meeting with his supporters.

Naveed Antulay's entry would be a boon to the Shiv Sena candidate from Raigad, union Minister Anant Geete, but could prove to be bane for Nationalist Congress Party's Sunil Tatkare, contesting in alliance with the Congress.

Welcoming the Antulay kin, Thackeray said that Naveed Antulay's entry to the party would strengthen and carry forward the old personal friendship enjoyed by Antulay and the Sena founder-patriarch Bal Thackeray for decades.

"They had a unique friendship independent of politics, though they did not belong to one party. Their gen-next will carry forward the old friendship and the legacy of their work in the state," Thackeray said.

The late Antulay still commands respect in the sprawling region, earlier known as Kulaba Lok Sabha constituency, (later renamed as Raigad) in the coastal Konkan, adjacent to Mumbai on the mainland.

Interestingly, the late Antulay was vanquished by Geete, who is now fighting the election from Raigad and Naveed Antulay's support base could help boost his prospects.

In the absence of any political wave this time, the going may not be easy for Geete, who craped through in 2014 with a wafer thin margin of 2,000 votes against Tatkare, who happens to be the late Antulay's protege.

--IANS

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Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday said the "surreptitiously included" Article 35A of the Constitution had given the Jammu and Kashmir government the right not just to discriminate between residents of the state and other Indian citizens but also between two state citizens on the basis of declaring some as permanent residents while leaving out others.

Calling it "Constitutionally vulnerable", Jaitley said the provision surreptitiously included by a Presidential notification was neither a part of the original Constitution framed by the Constituent Assembly, nor did it come as a Constitutional amendment, which requires an approval by two-thirds majority of both houses of Parliament.

In a Facebook post, Jaitley asked why the rule of law that applied to the rest of the country should not apply to the state.

"Should violence, separatism, mass stone throwing, vicious ideological indoctrination be allowed on the plea that if we check it, it will have a negative effect. It is this misconceived policy that has proved to be counter-productive," he wrote, adding the present government had decided that the rule of law must equally apply to the state.

Calling the Article 35A discriminatory, he said: "Lakhs of Indian citizens in J&K vote in Lok Sabha elections but not in Assembly, municipal or panchayat polls. Their children cannot get government jobs. They cannot own property and their children cannot get admitted to governmental institutions. The same applies to those who live elsewhere in the country. The heirs of ladies marrying outside the state are disinherited from owning or inheriting property."

The BJP leader said the Article 35A had also hurt the people of the state by preventing investment and dismantling the state's economy. He said Jammu and Kashmir did not have adequate financial resources and its ability to raise more had been crippled by the said provision.

"No investor is willing to set up industry, hotel, private educational institutions or private hospitals since he can neither buy land or property nor can his executives do so. Their ward cannot get government jobs or admission in colleges.

"Today, there are no major national or international chains which have set up hotel in a tourism-centric state. This prevents enrichment, resource generation and job creation," he added.

Jaitley said that engineering colleges and hospitals were lying under-utilised or unutilised since professors and doctors from outside were unwilling to go there.

"Article 35A, which is Constitutionally vulnerable, is used as a political shield by many but it hurts the common citizen of the state the most. It denied them a booming economy, economic activity and jobs," he said.

The Minister added that the Central government had always desired to allow more space to the mainstream parties in the Valley so that the separatist space is shrunk but was let down by the two mainstream parties of the state.

"The two major mainstream parties, even when they condemned terrorism, it was always with 'ifs' and 'buts'. It is only their absolute distancing from separatism, violence and terrorism that can create an alternative space. Being soft in criticising separatism does no good. It is for this reason that their own space has shrunk. This is the country's disappointment with them," he said in an apparent reference to National Conference and People's Democratic Party.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Ahead of its merged entity operation, Bank of Baroda will receive Rs 5,042 crore fund infusion from the government.

The Ministry of Finance has conveyed its decision to infuse the capital in Bank of Baroda. The infusion will be by way of preferential allotment of equity shares (special securities/bonds) of the bank during FY 2018-19 as government's investment, the bank said on Thursday.

Officials said this will help the bank meet credit and contingency needs.

The merged entity also involving Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank will start operation from April 1.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court refused to stay the amalgamation of Vijaya Bank, Dena Bank and Bank of Baroda, rejecting a plea from the Bank Officers Association.

The stock hit an intraday high of Rs 123.45 and intraday low of Rs 120.4. The net turnover during the day was Rs 11.64 crore.

In February, the government approved Rs 48,239 crore recap bonds in 12 public sector banks. The merger will create India's third largest bank with a total business of over Rs 14.82 lakh crore.

When the three banks are merged, the combined entity's capital adequacy ratio will be at 12.25 per cent, with tier-1 capital at 9.32 per cent and net non-performing assets at 5.71 per cent. The merged entity will have nearly 9,500 branches.

Informed sources said the capital may be infused as Dena Bank is a weak prompt corrective action bank and it should not drag down the overall balance sheet of Vijaya Bank and Bank of Baroda on regulatory capital breach when they start operations and also for lending.

The MD and CEO of Bank of Baroda, P.S. Jaykumar, may head the merged entity, the sources said.

--IANS

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BJP MP Dharambir Singh from Bhiwani-Mahendragarh is the only MP in Haryana who utilised his 100 per cent funds under the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) in the past five years.

According to official figures, his fund utilization over the allocated amount in the past five years was the highest at 102.16 per cent in Haryana among 10 Lok Sabha lawmakers.

Singh has allocated Rs 27.71 crore, while the unspent balance with the district authorities is Rs 2.28 crore, the lowest among his contemporaries.

Despite the optimum utilization of his discretionary funds, voters paint a dark picture of his constituency.

Under the MPLADS, each MP has the choice to suggest to the District Collector for works to the tune of Rs 5 crore per annum to be taken up in his/her constituency.

Rural road networks in Bhiwani and Mahendragarh districts are dotted with large potholes.

Rebel Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Kurukshetra, Raj Kumar Saini, who has not only been critical of the party's central and state leadership for over four years but has also floated a new Loktantra Suraksha Party, came second in sanctioning funds.

His allocation of funds was to the tune of Rs 20.33 crore and his fund utilisation over the allocated amount was 91.07 per cent.

The unspent balance with the district authorities is Rs 2.19 crore.

BJP MP Ashwani Kumar has allocated Rs 18.66 crore in his Karnal constituency with the unspent balance with the government being Rs 4.50 crore.

He was the lowest among the MPs with regard to allocation of his discretionary funds.

Congress young turk Deepender Singh Hooda allocated Rs 22.87 crore for his Rohtak constituency.

His fund utilization over the allocated amount was 82.72 per cent. The unspent balance with the district authorities is Rs 3.70 crore, the sixth lowest among the lawmakers.

Dushyant Chautala, the young MP from Hisar, who was elected in 2014 on an Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) ticket and has since floated the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), has allocated Rs 24.64 crore during his stint.

The fund utilization in Hisar over the allocated amount was 83.04 per cent while the unspent balance with the district authorities is Rs 3.56 crore.

The government released Rs 201.47 crore of the Rs 230.01 crore from 2014 to 2019 and the unspent amount with the district authorities stood at Rs 37.83.54 crore.

Elections for the 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana are due on May 12.

(Vishal Gulati can be reached at vishal.g@ians.in)

--IANS

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Boeing unveiled an overhaul to a software system and the pilot training of its signature 737 MAX plane, marking its most direct attempt to fix an element of the plane's original design that investigators believe led to two recent crashes.

At the company's plant in Renton, Washington, where the plane is assembled, Boeing pilots ran through scenarios on a flight simulator that was transmitted live into a conference room on Wednesday where regulators and some 200 pilots from client airlines were gathered, Mike Sinnett, Boeing's vice president for product strategy, told the media.

The guests were able to request test simulations, CNN reported.

"We're working with customers and regulators around the world to restore faith in our industry and also to reaffirm our commitment to safety and to earning the trust of the flying public," Sinnett said.

"The rigor and thoroughness in the design and testing that went into the MAX gives us complete confidence that the changes we're making will address any of these accidents."

At back-to-back hearings in Washington on Wednesday, President Donald Trump's administration officials were grilled about the decision to defer large parts of the 737's safety certification to Boeing.

Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said that she found it "very questionable" that safety systems were not part of the standard package offered by Boeing on its 737 Max jets.

Aviation authorities have fingered the software as a leading factor in the Lion Air crash last October that killed 180 people. Investigators have drawn similarities between the flight data from that crash and the March 10 Ethiopian Airlines accident that killed 157 people.

The software update will affect software known as the Manoeuvring Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), which is designed to automatically command a plane down if it senses an imminent stall.

The software has also been changed so that it does not repeat the downward pushing cycle in the event of an abnormal Angle of Attack (AOA) censor reading, and will no longer produce an angle that can not be counteracted manually by a pilot.

Boeing is expected to submit the final compliance documents for the update to regulators later this week.

--IANS

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None of the eight Brexit options proposed by British lawmakers have secured clear backing in a series of votes in the House of Commons after Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit plans failed to win the House.

Speaker John Bercow on Wednesday had hoped the process agreed by the House would allow for a second stage of debate and "there was no reason it should not work out," he had wished.

However, none of the options appealed to the majority.

Wednesday's objective was to "shortlist" a number of options before moving on to consider the "most popular". Barclay appealed to MPs to back the May's deal "in the national interest" when it returns to the House for a third time - which could happen as soon as Friday.

Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay said the results strengthened ministers' view that their deal was "the best option", as the eight other options laid down before the House, including a customs union with the EU and a referendum on any deal failed to garner majority votes.

The alternatives were supposed to help find a consensus over how to leave the EU, the BBC reported.

The proposal which came closest to commanding majority support was a cross-party plan -- tabled by former Conservative chancellor Ken Clarke -- for the whole of the UK to join a new customs union with the EU to ensure tariff-free trade after the UK's exit.

Eight Conservatives voted for a referendum to endorse the deal, the proposal which secured the most affirmative votes. Labour controversially whipped its MPs to back the proposal but 10 shadow ministers abstained and Melanie Onn quit her job to vote against.

The results capped a day of drama in which Theresa May promised to stand down as Prime Minister if her deal was passed.

May told a meeting of Tory MPs she would leave office earlier than planned if it guaranteed Parliament's backing for her withdrawal agreement with the EU.

She was ready to pay the ultimate price, and leave office. For a moment it seemed it might work and line up the support she so desperately needed.

But within a couple of hours her allies in Northern Ireland were refusing to unblock the progress of Theresa May's main mission, the BBC said.

However, analysts still belive there might yet be another option for May to push her deal through Parliament against the odds on Friday.

But if Plan A fails, Parliament is not ready with a clear Plan B that could yet succeed.

"The House has considered a wide variety of options as a way forward," Barclay said. "And it demonstrates there are no easy options here. There is no simple way forward.

"The deal the government has negotiated is a compromise...That is the nature of complex negotiations."

"The results of the process this House has gone through today strengthens our view that the deal the government has negotiated is the best option," the Brexit Secretary added.

How MPs voted:

Confirmatory referendum -- For: 268 Against: 295

Customs union -- For: 264 Against: 272

Labour's Brexit plan -- For: 237 Against: 307

Common Market 2.0 -- For: 188 Against: 283

Revoking Article to avoid no deal -- For: 184 Against: 293

No-deal exit on 12 April -- For: 160 Against: 400

Malthouse Plan B -- For: 139 Against: 422

EFTA and EEA membership -- For: 65 Against: 377

As reactions started coming in, the BBC quoted Brexiteer Mark Francois as saying: "This attempt to seize the order paper" by MPs had failed and the public would be looking on "with amazement".

But Conservative MP Sir Oliver Letwin, who oversaw the unprecedented process of indicative votes, said the lack of a majority for any proposition was "disappointing".

While he said he believed the British lawmakers should be allowed to have another go at reaching a consensus on April 1, he said this would not be needed if the PM's deal was approved before then.

Independent Group MP Anna Soubry said more people have voted for the idea of another referendum than for May's deal on the two times it had been put to Parliament.

Labour MP Dame Margaret Beckett, who put forward the motion for a confirmatory referendum, said the objective had not been to identify a single proposition but to get a sense of where a compromise may lie "letting a thousand flowers bloom".

--IANS

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(ANSA) - Rome, March 28 - Matteo Garrone's Dogman was the big winner at the 64th David di Donatello awards on Wednesday, picking up nine gongs, including best film, best direction and best original screenplay.

The film is inspired by the story of Pietro De Negri, a dog groomer in Rome's Magliana neighbourhood who tortured and killed boxer Giancarlo Ricci after locking him up in a small cage in a case that shocked Italy 30 years ago.

Marcello Fonte won the best actor prize at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival for his performance in Dogman.

Garrone, 50, is best known for his hit 2008 movie Gomorrah about the Neapolitan movie based on the book of the same name by Roberto Saviano.

Alessio Cremonini's Sulla Mia Pelle also did well, picking up four awards at Italy's version of the Oscars.


British lawmakers have overwhelmingly voted to change original Brexit departure date in law to April 12 or May 22 as British Prime Minister Theresa May was in an 11-hour appeal to Tory MPs to back her Withdrawal Agreement.

MPs voted 441 to 105 in the House of Commons on Wednesday to bring the new Brexit date into law and remove the original plan for Britain to leave the European Union (EU) on March 29, Xinhua news agency reported.

MPs voted Wednesday night on eight Brexit alternatives as the British government fails in last-ditch bid to halt the process. The voting came after MPs voted to take control of Wednesday's parliamentary business in order to break the current Brexit deadlock.

Brexit chaos continued in the country as MPs fail to find a majority for an alternative to May's Brexit deal.

MPs also voted 160 to 400 to reject to leave the EU with no deal on April 12, and voted 264-272 to reject the proposal that Britain stays permanently in the customs union after Brexit.

Meanwhile, the lawmakers also voted 268-295 to reject the proposal to hold a fresh referendum on Brexit.

Earlier Wednesday, May told MPs that she will quit as prime minister if the British parliament backs her Brexit plan, which was rejected twice by MPs since January.

In appealing to Tory MPs to support her Brexit deal, the prime minister said that she will step down earlier than planned.

Her offer to stand down came in response to calls from a number of her backbenchers for her to name the date of her departure in return for their help in pushing the deal through the parliament.

At least 30 Tory hardline Eurosceptics were later said to still be opposed to May's deal, according to news reports here. If true, it would still appear difficult for Mrs May to get her deal across the line.

The Democratic Unionist Party, which props up May's minority government, still showed no sign of falling in line to support her.

The prime minister did not set a firm date for her departure from the post, but her announcement sets the stage for a Conservative leadership election within the coming weeks or months.

--IANS

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China on Thursday indicated that it won't support the unilateral draft resolution circulated by the US to the UN Security Council (UNSC) to declare Masood Azhar, chief of the Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), as an international terrorist and slammed Washington for its move.

Beijing also accused Washington of "bypassing" the UN 1267 Committee and eroding its authority.

Last month, China for the fourth time put on hold the resolution seeking a UN ban on Azhar, a terrorist wanted in India for plotting several deadly attacks including the February 14 Pulwama suicide bombing that killed 40 CRPF troopers in Kashmir.

China's repeated blocking of such requests by India, the US and the UK and others have frustrated these countries.

The latest technical hold on the resolution by Beijing prompted the US to turn directly to the Security Council and unilaterally circulate a draft of such a request to declare Azhar an international terrorist.

"The US has bypassed the 1267 Committee and directly filed the draft of the resolution to the Security Council. This is not in line with the resolution of the issue through dialogue and negotiations," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said.

He was responding to a question about the US circulating a draft banning Azhar in the UNSC outside the 1267 committee framework.

"This has reduced the authority of the committee as the main anti-terrorism body of the Security Council. This is not conducive to the solidarity and will only complicate the issue. We urge the US to act cautiously and avoid forcefully moving forward this resolution draft," Geng added.

"I shall say that China has never denied such a draft... We just put a technical hold."

While putting a hold on the resolution, which was proposed by the UK, US, and France, China sought time to explain the rationale behind the move. Its time runs out this week.

Beijing shields its ally Pakistan where it has billions of dollars of investments as part of its massive Belt and Road project.

"The relevant country filed an application to list Masood at the committee 1267. Since China needs more time to conduct an in-depth and comprehensive review, we put forward a technical hold on the listing on March 13. This is in line with the rule of procedure of the committee and there are some precedent cases of such technical holds," Geng said.

"The listing of Masood involves a series of complex factors and China has also been working seek a proper solution through dialogue.

"Under the current circumstances, the Security Council should act in a prudential way to play a constructive role and create necessary time and space for the relevant parties to conduct dialogue and negotiations," Geng added.

--IANS

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When Prakash Ambedkar filed his nomination papers from the Solapur and Akola Lok Sabha constituencies as a Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) nominee this week, more than 200,000 supporters followed him in each town, sending shivers down the political parties, especially the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena and the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party alliances.

Prakash Ambedkar is the grandson of Babasaheb Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian constitution, and the VBA is the political baby of his Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh (BBM) and the Owaisi brothers' All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM).

This formidable Dalit-Muslim brotherhood, virtually untested in state politics, though tried out marginally in Uttar Pradesh between the Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Mulayam Singh Yadav's Samajwadi Party (SP), poses an unprecedented challenge in Maharashtra this time.

Turning the screws on both the opposing alliances by targeting their support among Dalits and Muslims, the unprecedented VBA experiment could probably change the attitude of the major mainstream parties vis-a-vis the two sections.

Until now, the major Dalit and Muslim groups/parties had to be content to be in alliance with the other major groupings, but not anymore as the VBA offers a clear-cut option to both sections, inclusive of others like tribals, Dhangars, Kolis and several fringe or deprived sections.

The huge turnout in Solapur and Akola has started giving nightmares to the BJP-Sena and Congress-NCP on what it could spell in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) vote-catch.

The show of strength comes barely a month after Ambedkar and Owaisi addressed a mammoth public rally in Mumbai and earlier in Aurangabad, which had sent alarm bells clanging in political circles.

Ambedkar, 64, a three-time parliamentarian, including one term in the Rajya Sabha, has also decided to field VBA candidates in 47 Lok Sabha constituencies, leaving Aurangabad for the AIMIM, which has nominated its high-profile legislator Imtiyaz Jaleel, a TV journalist-turned politician.

In Solapur, Ambedkar will lock horns with Congress strongman Sushilkumar Shinde, a former Union Home Minister and state Chief Minister, while the BJP has nominated well-known spiritual leader Jaysiddheshwar Shivacharya Swami.

In Akola, won by Ambedkar twice in 1998 and 1999, the challenge will be against three-time BJP MP Sanjay S. Dhotre and Congress' Hidayatullah B. Patel, who finished second in the 2009 and 2014 general elections.

Interestingly, earlier this week, Shinde - who has won from Solapur thrice in 1998, 1999 and 2009 - created a political stir by claiming he and his legislator daughter Praniti were lured by the BJP. The BJP retorted that Shinde was making such claims as he sensed defeat in Solapur.

Though the Congress-NCP has dismissed the VBA as the BJP's "Team B", Ambedkar hit back, saying his main fight is with the BJP-Sena combine as the Congress-NCP is a weakened force in the state.

His grouse stems from the fact that the Congress-NCP unceremoniously spurned his offer for a Grand Alliance which included the VBA. The Congress-NCP found his demand for contesting nearly half the 48 seats in Maharashtra too pricey.

In the minority-dominated Aurangabad constituency, Jaleel will challenge the might of Shiv Sena stalwart Chandrakant Khaire and Congress' Subhash Zhambad, amidst speculation that the party may drop Zhambad and opt for rebel MLA Abdul Sattar A. Nabi.

With the BSP-SP alliance also fielding Dalit and Muslim candidates in Maharashtra, political pundits forecast a tough time for the BJP-Sena and Congress-NCP alliances in the Lok Sabha polls.

However, the BSP elephant has barely impressed Maharashtra voters in the past few Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, though the SP has cycled its way through in Mumbai and surroundings with a legislator and some municipal corporators.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at q.najmi@ians.in)

--IANS

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Former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chauhan, here on Thursday, took a pot shot at Digvijaya Singh, the Congress candidate for the Bhopal Lok Sabha seat, saying he made Congress President Rahul Gandhi a "misleader".

Chauhan said he (Digvijaya) was not that great that one should say something about him everyday. "However, I have heard he used to give advice to Rahul Gandhi," Chauhan said.

"Earlier he used to mislead Rahul Gandhi, now he has made him a misleader," the BJP leader said and added, "now Rahul is misleading the country". "Rahul Gandhi earlier misled over farm loan waiver, before that he misled the country over Rafale, and recently he misled people in the name of poor," said Chauhan.

Targeting the Congress government in the state, Chauhan said, "it has deprived the poor of benefits under the Sambal Scheme, failed to waive farm loans, hiked electricity rates and stopped various facilities to the poor women."

Moreover, compensation to the poor, aged below 60, in accidents or in case of death had also been stopped, he said. "The government even blocked the beneficiary amount to the poor for the last rites," Chauhan said.

--IANS

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Noted economist Jean Dreze was detained in Jharkhand's Garwah district on Thursday for allegedly holding a public meeting without permission, an official said. He was later released.

The Belgian-born Indian economist and activist, and two others, were taken into custody when they were holding a public meeting in Vishunpur market of Garwah.

According to police, holding any public meeting without permission is violation of the Model Code of Conduct in place after the Lok Sabha elections were announced.

The meeting, in which Dreze was invited as the main speaker, was organised by a social organisation.

"The organisers had sought permission but they did not provide the name of the main speaker. The district administration did not give permission for the public meeting for this reason," Sub Divisional Officer Kamleshwar Narayan told reporters.

According to reports, Dreze was in the police custody for two hours before being released.

Terming the event a "peaceful and non-political meeting", Dreze said: "Understanding of democracy is shrinking. Gradually, all freedom being curbed."

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi expressed concern over Dreze's detention and alleged that the BJP was in a "state of war" with everybody who works for the poor and the downtrodden. He made the remarks in a Facebook post.

--IANS

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Rome, March 27 (IANS/AKI) Tensions within the European Union are a worry for the world, but none of its 28 member states or parties have called the bloc into question, Italy's Foreign Minister Enzo Moavero Milanesi said on Wednesday.

"The European Union is currently a cause for global concern, but none of its current political forces contests its very concept," he said.

Moavero admitted, however, that there existed "very different visions" of the EU, as is shown by the "incredible" case of Brexit.

The minister was speaking at a seminar on Italian economy and geo-economic scenarios organised by Italy's main business lobby Confindustria.

--IANS/AKI

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A former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor accused of the largest security breach in US intelligence history is expected to plead guilty on Thursday, his lawyer told CNN.

Harold "Hal" Martin, 54, had worked for 23 years as a contractor for companies that contracted with various intelligence agencies and maintained a government clearance throughout his career.

Prosecutors described him as a hoarder who took home a whopping 50 terabytes of files, including a number of classified ones he stored on drives in his home and car. They have not publicly accused him of trying to leak that information.

Martin's lawyer, Jim Wyda, had previously argued in court that his client "isn't Edward Snowden" and followed "no system" or "spycraft" in taking home those files.

Martin's arraignment is scheduled for Thursday afternoon in Baltimore, where he will enter a guilty plea, Wyda told CNN on Wednesday.

The details of his plea deal weren't immediately made clear.

In 2017, Martin was arrested at his Maryland home and charged with 20 counts of stealing a host of classified files for years and across various jobs.

The files he stole, according to charging documents, included a number of NSA files, including reports on future plans, spy tools, and technical descriptions of an NSA communications programme.

While Martin is accused of being the most prolific of them, the NSA has experienced a number "insider threats" in recent years, in which agency employees and contractors have violated classification laws to remove agency files.

In 2014, Edward Snowden, who like Martin did NSA work through consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton, famously stole more than a million pages of NSA documents which he gave to a handful of journalists in the name of exposing programs that exploited privacy. He has been charged with a violation of the Espionage Act and currently resides in Moscow.

In 2017, Nghia Pho, an employee with NSA's Tailored Access Operations, pleaded guilty to taking home classified work files for five years.

Also in 2017, Reality Winner, an analyst upset about scepticism that Russia had attempted to interfere with the 2016 US election, leaked raw NSA intelligence to the Intercept that showed an apparent effort by Russian military intelligence to hack US election systems.

Both Pho and Winner accepted a plea deals and are serving a five-year sentences.

--IANS

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"Fast and Furious" actor Tyrese Gibson is a huge fan of Amitabh Bachchan and says he wants to meet the Indian megastar one day.

Gibson, who was in India last week, took to Instagram to praise the Indian cine star.

Calling Amitabh a legend, Gibson wrote: "I hope and pray that I get to meet and greet and shake his hand... Yes, ladies and gentlemen he is legend. (He has done) over 190 Bollywood movies."

He expressed his admiration for Big B by appreciating his contribution to Indian cinema.

"He (Amitabh) first gained popularity in the early 1970s for films such as 'Zanjeer', 'Deewaar' and 'Sholay', and was dubbed as India's 'Angry Young Man' for his on-screen roles in Bollywood. Referred to as the Shahenshah of Bollywood, 'Sadi ka Mahanayak' (Hindi for 'greatest actor of the century'), Star of the Millennium, or Big B, he has since appeared in over 190 Indian films in a career spanning almost five decades."

The "Transformers" actor added: "Bachchan is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential actors in the history of Indian cinema as well as world cinema. So total was his dominance on the Indian movie scene in the 1970s and 1980s that the French director Francois Truffaut called him a 'one-man industry'.

"I would be honoured to meet you Sir."

It is still not known what brought the American actor to India. He shared glimpses of his visit to the country on his social media account. According to his Instagram update, the actor is in London currently.

--IANS

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As many as 23 fighters from the Taliban and the Islamic State (IS) were killed and over a dozen injured in Chapa Dara district of Afghanistan in the past couple of days, the Army said on Thursday.

According to a statement, the IS attacked the Taliban couple of days ago triggering heavy fighting in the eastern province of Kunar leading to the death of 18 IS fighters and five Taliban insurgents. Eighteen people, including 15 IS militants, sustained injuries.

No civilian and security personnel were hurt in the fighting, it said.

While neither Taliban nor IS has made any comment, media reports suggest the clashes forced hundreds of families to flee their houses for safer places.

Militants affiliated with the IS, according to locals, have been operating in the Kunar and the neighbouring Nangarhar provinces over the past couple of years.

The government forces after a series of bloody operations over the past couple of years were able to shrink the influence of IS in Nangarhar province.

--IANS

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The Mumbai-based company Linkus Infratech has launched a hyper-local connectivity app called "Bhonga" to connect users to people in their neighbourhood in the city even without an Internet connection.

"Bhonga" is a word in Marathi language that translates to meaning megaphone or loudspeaker.

Anyone can open their phone and send a message that is delivered to other users in the neighbourhood, wherever they are, the company said on Wednesday.

Focusing on security and anonymity, the app only shares location coordinates from where a post originates and it supports voice notes as well as photos. Once the app is downloaded, it automatically lists the user as part of the locality within the radius of one kilometre.

"We think people will like it, we are really excited about it, the app can open up a new channel of communication which can improve the lives of people. It is a digital loudspeaker," said Radhika Agarwal, Director, Linkus Infratech.

The app is in the process of collaborating with several non-profit partners like blood-banks, ambulances and other services that could help people in emergency situations.

Using Machine Learning, in some time, the app would be able to suggest whether a particular text should be posted in the emergency, offers, queries or other categories, the company added.

The app is available for Android as well as iOS users and supports Hindi and English languages.

--IANS

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(ANSA) - Rome, March 28 - The migrants who hijacked a merchant ship and forced it to go to Malta instead of taking them back to Libya did so out of necessity, Vatican daily L'Osservatore Romano said Thursday.

'Hijackers Out Of Need' was the front-page headline over a report into the hijacking of the El Hiblu I on Wednesday.

"The night was one of strong tension after the withdrawal of the Sophia operation ships," the daily said.

It said "it all happened while traffickers resumed putting to sea, thanks to good weather conditions, one dinghy after another".


Setting aside speculations, ruling BJP's junior ally IPFT in Tripura on Thursday remained firm on contesting the Lok Sabha polls "to achieve a separate state for tribals".

According to political analysts, the electoral contest between alliance partners -- the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) -- is a part of latter's political strategy.

Besides the BJP, the Congress and it's partner INPT (Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura), which is the state's oldest tribal party, have also urged the IPFT to withdraw candidates from the Tripura West and Tripura East Lok Sabha seats.

"We, at an emergency meeting this morning (Thursday), reaffirmed our decision to contest both the seats," IPFT President and Revenue Minister Narendra Chandra Debbarma said.

He said Tripura Congress President Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarman and INPT President Bijoy Kumar Hrangkhawl on Wednesday met us and requested us to withdraw candidates in support of the Congress. The BJP had earlier made a similar demand, he added.

Debbarma, a former All India Radio station Director, is contesting the Tripura East seat (reserve) and young party leader Brishaketu Debbarma the Tripura West seat as IPFT nominees.

"We requested the BJP many times to leave the Tripura East seat to us, but they rejected our appeal," he said and added the IPFT was contesting the seats as part of the plan to raise the party's statehood and other demands in Parliament.

Since 2009 the IPFT has been agitating for upgrade of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) to a separate tribal state. The TTAADC has jurisdiction over two-thirds of Tripura's 10,491 sq. km area that is home to over 12,16,000 people, mostly tribals.

All political parties, including the BJP, the Communist Party of India-Marxist and the Congress are opposed to the IPFT's statehood demand.

BJP spokesman Ashok Sinha said the IPFT has violated and dishonoured "raj dharma" (duty of governance) and "coalition etiquette". Tripura Chief Minister and BJP state President Biplab Kumar Deb has also urged the IPFT to uphold the "raj dharma".

BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav, Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Verma and Education & Law Minister Ratan Lal Nath held separate meetings with the IPFT leaders here earlier this month. But the issue remained unresolved as both the parties stayed firm on fielding candidates in the two Lok Sabha seats.

The BJP and the IPFT fought the February 18, 2018, Assembly polls together and won 44 seats in the 60-member House. Of this, the BJP tally was 36. The IPFT has two ministers in the nine-member BJP-IPFT ministry.

There are 13 candidates in the Tripura West Lok Sabha seat and 10 in the Tripura East constituency.

Tripura West goes to polls in the first phase on April 11 and Tripura East in the second phase on April 18.

Thursday was the last date for withdrawal of candidature in Tripura West Lok Sabha seat.

--IANS

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Kerala Governor P. Sathasivam on Thursday urged the US envoy to India to be more liberal in issuing H1B visas to engineers and IT professionals from the state.

Sathasivam discussed the subject with Kenneth Ian Juster during a 20-minute interaction at the Raj Bhavan.

A Raj Bhavan statement said the Governor sought more avenues for higher in the US for students from Kerala.

--IANS

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With 18 Assembly constituencies falling under 13 Lok Sabha constituencies set to go for bypolls, local issues will have an impact on the voting pattern in electing the parliamentarians in Tamil Nadu, said political leaders.

There is also a contrary view: this time around the elections in Tamil Nadu is distinctive, materialistic and will not be dominated by issues while perception may play an important part.

The polls for 39 Lok Sabha seats and Assembly byelections are slated to be held together on April 18 in the state.

"While holding elections for both Lok Sabha and Assembly together saves cost, majority of the people do not distinguish between the two polls while voting. So the local issues will play a major part in their voting pattern," C. Ponniayan, spokesperson for AIADMK and former Finance Minister told IANS.

According to Ponnaiyan, the state government has taken several proactive steps in managing the drinking water problem that may arise by repairing the borewells motors, deepening the borewells and other steps.

He also said the issues raised by the DMK have also been addressed by the government.

"There is no anti-incumbency sentiment against the AIADMK government in the state," Ponnaiyan claimed.

Refuting him was DMK's former Member of Parliament R. Thamaraiselvan. He told IANS: "There is dual anti-incumbency factor at play-one against AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu and one against the BJP-led government in New Delhi."

According to Thamaraiselvan, lots of state-centric issues are being raised by the DMK and it will echo in the voting for both Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.

Thamaraiselvan said: "People have expectations from DMK and the sentiments are in our favour.

"The GST and demonetisation has affected common man very much. The state is facing a severe drought situation. The voters will look at the issues that affect them and vote."

According to him, the AIADMK alliance is banking on electoral arithmetic, which will not work in their favour this time. The AIADMK has split and the breakaway group led by T.T.V. Dhinakaran is expected to garner sizeable chunk of the ruling party votes.

"In respect of the Vanniar party PMK, even the Vanniars themselves are disappointed with the party's decision to align with AIADMK. So, the five per cent vote share of PMK may not actually be there now," Thamaraiselvan added.

The ruling party may try to purchase votes but loyalty factor to vote for the party that is giving money is no more there in the people.

"'It is our money coming back to us' is the view that people now hold," Thamaraiselvan added.

In his campaign, DMK President M.K. Stalin spends good number of minutes in criticising the PMK and its leadership for aligning with the AIADMK.

"The vote share arithmetic is in favour of AIADMK-led alliance even in the constituencies where by-elections are slated for Assembly. Even if it is true that the sentiment is in favour of DMK, only a small percentage of votes may switch leaving the arithmetical advantage for our alliance," PMK spokesperson Vinoba Bhoopathy told IANS.

Bhoopathy said several other parties like Samathuva Makkal Katchi and others have extended support to the AIADMK alliance and they will also contribute good number of votes.

He said the AIADMK and others are seriously working to capture the Assembly and Lok Sabha seats.

"While campaigning, Chief Minister K. Palaniswami is focusing on the issues faced by people in each constituency and the government's plans. He also touches upon the national security and how Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a strong person to lead the nation," Bhoopathy remarked.

Both Thamaraiselvan and Bhoopathy said it will take some more time to judge the people's mood.

"There is a likelihood of a BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government also influencing the voting pattern. Whether this election is issue-based or money-based is not known now. This time the elections in Tamil Nadu is extremely unpredictable," Jhon Arokiasamy, a political strategist, told IANS.

Arokiasamy is of the view that the voters, instead of looking at issues raised by the parties or the poll symbols, may even compare and contrast the candidates and vote for one whom they think is better.

"People have lost faith in the causes raised by AIADMK and DMK as both have contributed to the emergence of the issues at one point or other," Arokiasamy said.

"They repeat the same things in the manifestos. All things being the same, majority of the voters will look at 'what is in it for me' and cast vote to a party they perceive that would fulfil that promise. The election will be driven by materialism and money," he concluded.

(Venkatachari Jagannathan can be reached at v.jagannathan@ians.in)

--IANS

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Armed Maoists destroyed a former Bihar Legislative Council member's house in Gaya district. No one hurt was hurt, police on Thursday said.

The Maoist attack on Anuj Kumar Singh's Bodhibigha residence came late on Wednesday. The insurgents used dynamite for the explosion.

According to a police official, the banned Left wing activists had beaten up a close relative of Singh before ordering him to vacate the house.

"The house was badly damaged," Dharmendra Kumar, police official at Dumaria police station said.

Gaya Senior Superintendent of Police Rajeev Mishra also confirmed the incident and said a search operation has been launched.

The attack comes days ahead of the Lok Sabha poll in which Bihar will vote in all the seven phases, starting April 11 to May 19.

--IANS

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The Kochi Biennale Foundation on Thursday dropped its enquiry of alleged sexual harassment against artist and Kochi Biennale co-founder Riyas Komu, who had reportedly resigned recently after stepping down from all managerial position in October last year following the allegations, a statement said.

The statement from the KBF board of trustees said that after anonymous allegations in the media, Komu had stepped down from all management positions at the Kochi Biennale Foundation on October 19, 2018.

"In the trustee meeting convened soon after, it was decided that Lizzie Jacob, trustee and former Chief Secretary of Kerala, and Chair of the Internal Complaints Committee, would proactively seek the complaint and authorise an inquiry.

"Since no complaint was forthcoming after pursuing the matter for several weeks, the ICC recommended the dropping of the inquiry suggested by the Foundation. This recommendation has been examined and has been accepted by the board of trustees at its meeting today," it said.

The Foundation also said that it looks forward to "Riyas Komu resuming his roles at the Kochi Biennale Foundation".

Anonymous allegations against Komu had surfaced last year on Instagram account 'Scene and Here's, prompting him to step down "till the matter is resolved". As per the allegation, the artist had forcibly kissed a woman in a hotel room.

In October, the Kerala-born artist had shared on Instagram that he was "deeply upset that this incident has been understood and presented in this manner".

"However, as the person has expressed hurt, I would like here to offer my apologies and I am opening myself to the possibility of a conversation."

The fourth edition of the renowned art Biennale closed on Thursday after opening in December.

--IANS

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Warning employees against corporate pranks ahead of April Fools' Day, Microsoft issued an internal memo asking workers to refrain from participating in practical jokes and annoying hoaxes.

"Considering the headwinds the tech industry is facing today, I'm asking all teams at Microsoft to not do any public-facing April Fools' Day stunts," The Verge quoted Chris Capossela, Marketing Chief, Microsoft as saying in the memo on Wednesday.

The software giant's April Fools' Day ban comes just as the company resurrected its old office assistant Clippy for a day as an animated pack of stickers and later killed it because the "brand police" inside the company did not approve of it.

Microsoft's concerns seem legit based on the April Fools' Day pranks that have backfired on major companies in the past.

In 2013, Google and Microsoft poked fun at each other on this day and traded uncalled insults.

In 2016, Google was forced to apologise for muting email threads and adding Despicable Me minions into emails, causing email havoc for Gmail users.

"I appreciate that people may have devoted time and resources to these activities, but I believe we have more to lose than gain by attempting to be funny on this one day," Capossela added.

--IANS

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As the Congress criticised the biopic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as propaganda and termed its impending release during the poll process as violation of the model code of conduct, film's producer Sandeep Ssingh said, here on Thursday, there was no political agenda behind the movie.

After the Election Commission (EC) issued a show cause notice to producers of "PM Narendra Modi", Ssingh, Vivek Oberoi along with his lawyer Hitesh Jain appeared before the poll panel.

"We are in Delhi. We got the notice yesterday (Wednesday). Vivek and I came to Delhi and as asked by the EC met a team. We have submitted the papers as asked by it and are waiting for the reply," Ssingh told IANS.

"Political parties wanted us to postpone or should not release the film either. We have submitted papers with the proof and documents that it's nothing like that. There should not be a political agenda behind this. There should be a reason if the movie's release has to be shifted from April 5 to any other date. Now they will get back to us," he said.

On the film, he said: "We have made a film. We are living in a democratic country where everybody has the freedom of speech. It's very simple. We are here to follow law, rules and regulations as citizens of the country."

On the Congress labelling the biopic as a propaganda, Ssingh said, "Allegations are there. Everybody is talking without seeing the film and they should have a reason for that. Be it RPI, MNS, DMK, CPI or Congress, they all are raising objections only because of the release date," he said.

"PM Narendra Modi" depicts the journey of Modi from his humble beginnings to becoming the Prime Minister of India.

It also stars Boman Irani, Zarina Wahab, Darshan Kumaar and Manoj Joshi.

--IANS

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday attacked the opposition parties for raising questions over India's air strikes against Pakistan and its capabilities in the space.

"The country has seen many governments which believed in sloganeering but for the first time it has seen a decisive government which knows how to fulfil its commitments," Modi said as he launched his campaign for the Lok Sabha elections.

"Be it land or sky or space, the government of your 'chowkidar' has shown courage to conduct surgical strikes," he added.

Modi's reference was to the bombing by the Indian Air Force of a terrorist camp in Pakistan on February 26 and Wednesday's launch of an Anti-Satellite (A-SAT) missile that destroyed a satellite orbiting 268 km above the earth.

The Prime Minister said that by raising questions over the government's actions, some opposition leaders had become a "hero" in Pakistan.

"People have to decide whether they need a hero of India or a hero of Pakistan. They have to decide whether they need 'saboot' (proof) or 'sapoot' (hero). Those seeking 'saboot' are challenging the 'sapoot'," he said.

Taking potshots at Congress President Rahul Gandhi over his 'theatre jibe' at the Prime Minister after the Anti-Satellite missile launch, Modi said some opposition leaders didn't even know the difference between a theatre set and A-SAT.

"Yesterday when I was speaking about A-SAT, he got confused. In theatre you see sets being shifted... He thought I was talking about that set... What do you say about someone who does not even know the difference between a theatre set and an A-SAT?"

Modi said scientists wanted a test to shoot down a satellite in space, but the previous Congress government postponed that decision also.

"To make the India of 21st century strong and for its security, this decision should have been taken a long ago. But it kept getting delayed," he said.

Slamming the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party alliance in Uttar Pradesh as political opportunism, Modi said to defeat the BJP, the old enemies have now become friends.

"From '2 ladke' its now 'bua-bhatija'. This just shows that for these people there is no bigger target than power," he said, adding that crime will again go up if people voted for the two parties.

The Prime Minister said the 2019 election was a fight between "dumdaar" BJP and a "daagdaar" opposition.

"Under these 'mahamilaavati' (adulterated) group of leaders, did you see how terrorists flourished? Did you not see incidents of terror from across the country under their rule? So, tell me, can you trust such people?"

Modi said the country had decided to again vote for a BJP government "because here is a decisive government which has delivered on every front".

This is Modi's first election rally for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) since the announcement of the April-May Lok Sabha polls by the Election Commission.

--IANS

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) poll campaign for the coming Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday.

BJP sources said the grand start of the party's election campaign in the region will take place from Modi's 'Vijay Sankalp rally' scheduled to be held in the outskirts of Jammu city at the Doomi panchayat in Bhalwal.

The Prime Minister is slated to to arrive here at around 4.30 p.m. and will address the rally half an hour later, after which he will return to New Delhi.

During the rally, Modi will seek votes for the two BJP candidates -- Jugal Kishore Sharma from Jammu and Jitendra Singh from Udhampur -- who are seeking re-election, the sources said.

Elections to the Jammu seat is scheduled on April 11 while voting for Udhampur will be held on April 18.

Meanwhile, elaborate security arrangements have been made at the venue.

An advance security liaison (ASL) team that protects the Prime Minister had already arrived here three days ago.

--IANS

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(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.)
A special court on Thursday summoned former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf on May 2 in a case pertaining to charges of high treason against him.

Musharraf's lawyer, Salman Safdar, said that the former President wishes to appear before the court on May 13. However, the three-member bench headed by Justice Tahira Safdar directed Musharraf to appear in court before Ramzan, the Dawn reported.

"If he can come to court on May 13, Musharraf can also appear before the court on May 2. If he doesn't, the court will pass an appropriate order regarding recording his statement," Justice Safdar said.

The special court had indicted Musharraf for high treason in March 2014.

Musharraf left for Dubai in 2016 to "seek medical treatment" and has not returned since. Earlier in March, he was admitted to a hospital in Dubai after suffering a reaction from a rare disease for which he is already under treatment.

His lawyer was also handed a questionnaire that the former President is expected to answer under Section 342 of the Code of Criminal Procedures (CrPC).

Earlier in the hearing, Salman Safdar had submitted an application in court asking for the case to be quashed on the basis of CrPC's Section 265 (language of record and judgment).

He argued that Musharraf's case should be treated like any other case. "You cannot record a statement under Section 342 in Musharraf's absence. If the suspect is to be punished, his presence in court is necessary."

To this, Justice Safdar said: "First, tell us whether your arguments regarding Musharraf's appearance in court have been completed."

She also asked the prosecution lawyer what options the court had if a suspect does not appear in court in such a case.

Again touching upon Musharraf's health issues, the lawyer said the former President is suffering from heart issues and is also undergoing chemo therapy, which requires him to remain at the hospital for eight hours every day.

He also said that Musharraf had recently taken a fall and hurt his back.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
(ANSA) - Rome, March 28 - The Senate on Thursday gave final approval to the government's law expanding the right to legitimate self defence. It was approved by the Upper House on its third reading with 201 votes in favour, 38 against and six abstentions.

The lawmakers from the parties supporting Premier Giuseppe Conte's government, the League and the 5-Star Movement (M5S), applauded as the legislation got the definitive green light. The bill expanding the right to self-defence from intruders, fashioned by Interior Minister and League leader Matteo Salvini, introduces norms similar to US 'stand your ground' laws.

"This is a great day for Italians," said Salvini, who recently courted controversy by visiting in jail a businessman who made a would-be thief kneel and shot and injured him in the chest.

"After years of chatter and polemics we have enshrined the sacrosanct right of legitimate self defence for those who are attacked in their homes, in their bars, and in their restaurants," he said.

"The Wild West is not being legitimised, but we are on the side of decent and respectable citizens".

Salvini has long campaigned for a law allowing self-defence in all cases and has repeatedly sided with business people and other citizens who have been prosecuted for excessive self defence under the previous law.

But the new law may face legal hurdles, according to magistrates union ANM.

"There are numerous doubts that the law may be unconstitutional in many aspects," ANM President Francesco Minisci told reporters.

He also said the change in legislation was not needed, in his view.

"The new law...will not safeguard citizens any more than they were safeguarded up till today; on the contrary is introduces concepts that have little to do with law, it foresees dangerous automatism and restricts the range of evaluation by magistrates, as well as bringing with it great difficulties in interpretation," he said.

Among the new factors to be weighed in self-defence cases there is the concept of "serious emotional disturbance" in the face of intruders, which would legitimise even deadly self defence. Italy's association of penal lawyers also came out against the new law, calling it "useless and dangerous". They said it "intervenes on a virtual, non-existent emergency, seeing that the cases of (excessive) legitimate self defence at home are two a year, and they end up in acquittals".

It is dangerous, the criminal lawyers said, because "it spreads the conviction in people that they can act in conditions of impunity at home. And that's not so".


A 21-year-old Indian Navy sailor Mohan Raj died after he suffered grievous injuries during a firing drill onboard INS Gomati, a government statement said on Thursday. A Board of Inquiry has been ordered.

Mohan Raj, Seaman - First Class, suffered injuries "whilst carrying out combat weapon firing drills at sea".

"The sailor was airlifted from the ship to the nearest naval hospital INHS Asvini, Mumbai by a Sea King helicopter, however, he succumbed to his injuries," said the statement issued by the Defence Wing.

A Board of Inquiry has been ordered to determine the cause of the incident, added the statement.

Mohan Raj, who hailed from Katpudi in Tamil Nadu, is survived by his parents and two siblings.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Rajasthan police on Thursday arrested a man on charges of demanding 'supari' (ransom) to kill Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

According to Bajaj Nagar Police station sub-inspector Ramkripal Yadav, the accused on March 26 night posted on his Facebook wall saying, 'Kya koi hai jo mujhe Modi ko marne ki supari de sake, mere pass foolproof plan hai" (is there someone who can pay me ransom for killing PM Modi, I have foolproof plan).

On Thursday morning, the police after receiving the information arrested the accused, said a police officer.

The accused has been identified as Naveen Yadav, who has been staying in Jaipur for the last 10 years.

During interrogation, the accused told the police that he had been posting on his facebook wall against politicians for years. "He said he was feeling sorry now for posting against the PM," said a police officer, adding the accused had posted the content from his fake account.

The accused is a graduate and his father is a CRPF retiree. Yadav has been working in a bookshop which also provides printouts to school students.

His family members have been informed, police said, adding further investigation is on.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Election Commission on Thursday said it is examining and will decide on Friday if Prime Minister Narendra Modi violated the model code of conduct (MCC) when he announced the successful test of anti-satellite missile (A-SAT) in his address to the nation on Wednesday.

Deputy Election Commissioner Sandeep Saxena, who heads the committee to look into the issue, told a press conference that the poll panel is examining three aspects of the matter -- MCC, law and media. He said the committee had written to Doordarshan and All India Radio seeking details of the source of the video feed.

"The committee of officers set up yesterday (Wednesday) to examine the issue has had two meetings -- one yesterday and one today... We are going into the entirety of the matter essentially to see if there was a violation of the MCC. It is being inquired. We are quite hopeful that we should be able to complete it very soon. We are trying by tomorrow we should be able to complete our inquiry," he said.

He added that Doordarshan and All India Radio have submitted their replies and the panel is examining them.

To a question, the poll officer said that the Prime Minister had neither sought permission, nor informed the Election Commission about his address.

Saxena added that the Election Commission had also sent notices to four producers of "PM Narendra Modi", a biopic based on the life of the Prime Minister that is scheduled to be released on April 5.

A Congress delegation had met the poll panel on Wednesday requesting it to stop the release of the film, saying it is a violation of the model code of conduct.

"The Commission sent notice to the four producers of the film. Comments from the political party concerned have also been sought," Saxena said.

Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi, who plays Modi in the biopic, also appeared before the panel on Thursday, along with his lawyer.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a snub to Congress President Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has called him a "kid" while responding to his blistering attack on her government.

On March 23, at an election rally in Chanchal town in Malda district, Gandhi attacked Banerjee over issues like "atrocities" on Congress workers, farmers' problems and unemployment and alleged that she had done nothing for the people except delivering speeches.

When journalists on Wednesday sought Banerjee's reaction, the Trinamool leader was dismissive of his comments.

"He has said whatever he felt like. I don't want to comment... He is just a kid. What will I say about it?" said Banerjee.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Private Power producers have pleaded with the Supreme Court that the February 12 circular of the RBI will further accentuate the already existing grave problems afflicting the health of the sector while challenging the validity of the central bank's order.

Several power companies, Association of Power Producers (APP), Independent Power Producers Association of India (IIPAI) had challenged the validity of the Reserve Bank of India's February circular in various high courts seeking a stay on insolvency proceedings.

Power companies have argued that the circular would push even those power assets that were close to achieving loan restructuring in to insolvency.

In their arguments while challenging the circular, the APP said: "Ministry of Power's admission that Non-payment of dues (Rs 40,846 crores) and delay in recovery of amounts from Discoms, majority of which are government-owned impairs the ability of Independent Power Producers (IPPs) to service debt in timely manner.

"HLEC (The High-Level Empowered Committee of the Power Ministry) Report also notes that delay in payments by Discoms is a major stress factor."

The APP states this to force its stand against the RBI circular that mandates a strict 180-day timeline over which the banks are required to unanimously agree on the resolution plan, failing which the stressed account would have to be referred to for resolution under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC).

Under the RBI framework, if a borrower defaults on repayment of interest with any one of the banks, all lenders are required to put together a resolution plan.

The APP in its petition is making a case as to why power producers fail to meet the loan repayment timeline and how the RBI circular would further push them into bankruptcy rather than help them repay the loans to the banks.

But RBI has said 180 days is a reasonable period for achieving implementation of Resolution plan.

The spokesperson of APP stated that if these dues are liquidated, not only will it enable power companies to service their debt on time but also enable smooth and efficient operation.

The 40th Production Sharing Contract (PSC) Report notes that there is a time lag of 12-18 months between escalation in the prices of coal and subsequent revision of tariff leading to delayed recovery and adjustment of tariff.

The APP is reasoning with the RBI why it is not possible for the power companies to adhere to the central bank's circular.

The power companies have argued that there are many features in the RBI circular which hinder any resolutions to be approved/implemented.

These features are -- threshold of "all" (100 per cent) lenders to approve, approval and implementation of Resolution Plan within 180 days of first default and removal of all earlier circulars and mechanisms for debt resolution.

The petitioner also said that mandatory reference to NCLT after 180 days from first default and absence of any sector-specific stresses and governmental role in resolving the stresses make it difficult to reach any solutions.

The RBI has responded to all these arguments in its submission.

The APP submitted there are multiple committees including HLEC, set up by the government to study the specific stresses of Power sector, most of these committees' recommendations are yet to be implemented which could ledd the Power Companies to come out of their stresses.

The position of the RBI here is that the circular is Generic and Sector Agnostic. And the 180 days window is provided only to find a financial resolution plan for the stress faced by the borrowers and not for resolution of sectoral issues.

Further, the Spokesperson added "there is a distinct Preferential treatment to Public Sector Unit (PSU) power generating companies.

"In fact, the RBI has acknowledged that preferential treatment to central power companies is causing stress in the private sector. This is further exacerbated by delay in adjudication and payment of claims by Discoms taking anywhere between two to five years for disposal."

A two-judge apex court bench of Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman and Justice Vineet Saran is hearing a bunch of petitions moved by power, sugar, and shipping companies challenging the RBI circular.

On February 12, 2018, the RBI had asked banks and other lenders to either execute a resolution plan for big stressed accounts or file insolvency petitions against them in the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).

Essar Power, GMR Energy, KSK Energy, and Rattan India Power, as well as the APP and IPPAI, had in August moved the top court after the Allahabad High Court had rejected their plea.

The Power Ministry is also against the February circular, and sought some relaxation in norms, especially with respect to the one-day default rule, attributing the stress in the sector to delayed payments by electricity distribution companies of India (Discoms), lack of power purchase agreements and irregular coal supply.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Police in Coimbatore on Thursday announced a reward for persons who provide information about the killer(s) of a seven-year-old girl.

The police said the identify of the informants will be kept confidential.

Police said five persons had been taken into custody. Post mortem of the girl's body done on Wednesday revealed she was raped.

Her body was found on Tuesday in a narrow lane near her home with her hands and legs tied.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Income Tax (I-T) officials have unearthed about Rs 18.78 crore of unaccounted cash, jewellery and bullion from a privately-run vault housed in the basement of a bustling shopping complex in Kolkata after an almost two-month-long search operation, an official said on Thursday.

Acting on a tip-off, the I-T sleuths started conducting the search operation in the vault, operated by the Shree Vardaan Safe Deposit Vaults in Vardhan Market in Camac Street, from February 1. There were about 649 lockers allotted to different individuals.

"In this operation, we have so far seized Rs 5.16 crore of unaccounted cash and jewelleries and bullion worth Rs 13.62 crore from the lockers at the Vardaan Market," said the I-T investigation wing's Principal Director Ashish Verma.

The I-T sleuths had come to know that the private vault was running without following any KYC (know your customer) norms or the guidelines issued by the Reserve bank of India, Verma said, adding that the vault was being run on an informal basis.

"After we contacted the users of the lockers, many locker owners came forward and explained the account of their wealth. We only seized the unaccounted cash and jewellery," Verma said.

According to the I-T probe team, the seizures were done only when the vault owners failed to furnish supporting documents, be it I-T returns, wealth tax returns or the actual bills.

"There were no claimants for as many as 200 lockers. We broke these lockers and found unlawful cash and bullion stashed in them," Verma said, adding that the vault has been operational since 1980s.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Income Tax (I-T) Department and other agencies have so far seized over Rs 21.11 crore of unaccounted cash, jewellery and bullion from West Bengal after the announcement of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, an official said here on Thursday.

Of the total seizure so far, about Rs 10 crore in unlawful cash has been recovered in this year's drive in the state, which is higher that the around Rs 8 crore cash seized during the two-month effort before the 2014 general elections, I-T sleuths said.

"Our drive aimed to curb black money flow during elections. I-T officials and other agencies have so far recovered over Rs 21.11 crore of unaccounted cash, jewellery and bullion after the declaration of the elections. The seizures were done mostly in Kolkata and also in Siliguri and Balurghat," said I-T investigation wing's Principal Director Ashish Verma.

The seizures were made from businesses, cash handlers and hawala operators, he said.

"With our intensifying efforts, we have unearthed nearly Rs 10 crore in cash in just 15 days of operation after the announcement of polls. Last time, we had recovered around about Rs 8 crore in cash," Verma added.

He also said the I-T officials have been conducting a search operation for over two months at a private vault having about 649 lockers at central Kolkata's Vardaan Market basement and that the operation will get over on Thursday.

"In this operation, we have so far seized Rs 5.16 crore of unaccounted cash and jewellery and bullion worth Rs 13.62 crore," he said.

"Of the about Rs 12 crore worth of jewellery and bullion seized so far after the announcement of elections, around Rs 8-9 crore worth of specious metals were recovered from the Vardhan market operation," Verma told IANS.

The I-T Department has deployed over 200 of its officers and employees across West Bengal, Sikkim and Andaman & Nicobar Island to monitor election expenditure and flow of black money.

The department will also have dedicated teams for each of the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal which will have staggered seven-phase polling in the upcoming elections.

Following directions from the Election Commission (EC) of India, the directorate got 94 additional officers for the duration of Lok Sabha polls in a bid to throttle the flow of black money during elections.

Five Special Task Forces (STFs) have already been formed to take prompt action on the information received as well as the suo-moto intelligence gathered.

The I-T Department has also asked the banks to give them information of cash transactions of Rs 10 lakh, Verma said, adding that the state and the city police have been roped in for surveillance of cash movement.

Cash will be seized if the holder failed to tender satisfactory explanation or provide evidences such as ATM withdrawal receipts, the official added.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Details of expenditure of MPLADS funds by Rajya Sabha members show the lowest unspent funds are from some north-eastern states like Tripura, Sikkim, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh -- though this need not necessarily mean that they are good performers because the funds available with them are small compared to some of the big states.

However, Rajya Sabha MPs from these states also show the highest utilisation over released funds -- those from Arunachal Pradesh showed 95.28 per cent utilisation over released funds; from Assam registered 92.6 per cent of utlization over released funds and projects cited by MPs from Tripura utilized 92.66 per cent of released funds.

The figures available in the summary details of expenditure as on March 28 put out by the Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation show that at Rs 402 crore, the Union Government released the highest amount to Tamil Nadu and had an 89.21 per cent utilisation.

Uttar Pradesh, for which the government released Rs 368.13 crore, had an unspent balance of Rs 109.36 crore, the highest in absolute terms among all states and 73.01 per cent utilisation over funds released.

At 58.03 per cent of utilisation over released funds, Uttarakhand performed the worst in this category.

In terms of utilisation of funds, even Odisha performed poorly. It received Rs 110 crore from the government for development projects but could utilise only 71.28 per cent; as a result Rs 33.28 crore went unutilized.

Apart from the north-eastern states mentioned above and Goa, states that registered generally high per cent of utilisation over released funds are Chhattisgarh (89.90 per cent), Maharashtra (89.33), Kerala (88.86), Andhra Pradesh (88.77) and Karnataka (85.73 per cent).

For the record, and as clarified by the Ministry, under MPLADS, the role of MPs is limited only up to recommendation of works. Thereafter, it is the responsibility of the district authority concerned to sanction, execute and complete the works recommended by MPs within the stipulated time period. Besides, the exact figure for expenditure is available only with the district authorities.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A witness in a case of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots on Thursday told a court that former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar was leading and instigating a mob in one of the incidents in the city.

Testifying as a prosecution witness in the case, Joginder Singh told District Judge Poonam Bamba that Sajjan Kumar was the person leading the mob which went on to kill Sikhs in Sultanpuri area of north Delhi.

The court has posted the matter for further hearing on April 9.

Sajjan Kumar, along with Brahmanand Gupta and Ved Prakash, are facing trial in connection with killings of Sikhs in Sultanpuri during the riots that erupted after the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by two of her Sikh security guards.

The court has framed various charges, including those of murder and rioting, against the three accused.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed two charge sheets against Sajjan Kumar and others in January 2010 in cases registered in 2005 on the recommendation of the Justice G.T. Nanavati Commission that probed the sequence of events leading to riots.

In December 2018, the Delhi High Court convicted Sajjan Kumar in an anti-Sikh riot case of 1984 related to the Raj Nagar area of Delhi cantonment and sentenced him to imprisonment for the remainder of his natural life.

Sajjan Kumar, who has also quit as a Congress member, has moved the Supreme Court challenging his conviction and sentencing.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
(ANSA) - Milan, March 28 - Five Greek anarchists were acquitted Thursday of causing "devastation" during a protest against the Milan Expo on its inaugural day on May 1, 2015.

A Milan court upheld their lawyers' appeal, and a plea from the prosecutor.

The appeals were based on the fact that the five have already been convcicted of the same crimes in Greece.


The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed petitions seeking stay on the merger of three public sector banks -- Dena Bank, Vijaya Bank and Bank of Baroda. The merger is set to take effect on April 1.

Rejecting the plea by the staff and officers of two merging banks and their associations, the bench of Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman and Justice Vineet Saran in its order said: "No case for grant of stay."

Appearing for the petitioner staff and officers' associations, senior counsel Shyam Divan questioned the merger decision saying that it happened on the instruction of the government as all the decisions including swap ratio, fairness scrutiny, cabinet decision, impugned notification and the decision by the respective board of directors of the three PSU banks happened on January 2.

Referring to the statutory provisions mandating consultation with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Divan asserted that consultation with the apex bank effectively meant its concurrence.

Divan contended that the manner in which merger was pushed was "complete circumvention of the statutory scheme and safeguard". The merger, slated to take place on April 1, would adversely impact the staff and officers of two merging banks and would result in redundancy, he said.

Both senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said that the absence of workmen and officers' representation in the board of directors in no way impeded the process of merger.

If one post in the board of the merging banks remained vacant that would not invalidate the merger process, Rohatgi told the court.

Mehta said that the service conditions of the staff of the Dena Bank and the Vijaya Bank would continue to be the same and would not be altered.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Security forces on Thursday shot dead three militants in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district and battled rebels in Kupwara district, triggering street protests and a spontaneous shutdown in both places, authorities said.

The militants were killed in a gun battle that erupted when they opened fire at the security forces in Yarwan village during a cordon and search operation, a police officer said.

The other battle raged in Yaroo village in Kupwara. Two of the slain militants belonged to Pulwama and one to Shopian.

Immediately after the gunfight, civilians engaged security forces in clashes in Shopian and Pulwama towns. Security forces used tear smoke and pellets to quell the mobs, official sources said.

A spontaneous shutdown was observed in both towns, with markets getting shut and transport going off the roads.

As a precaution, authorities suspended mobile Internet services in the affected areas.

Another operation against militants was going on in Yaroo village in Kupwara district where reports said two militants were trapped inside a cordon laid by the security forces.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An Uttarakhand government body on Thursday asked the police to arrest the owner of a boarding school where a student was bludgeoned to death for stealing biscuits and his body buried in the school premises.

The directive came after the police on Tuesday arrested the five people -- the school manager, warden, physical training teacher and two students -- for the grisly murder of 12-year-old Vasu Yadav, a Class 7 student, of Hapur area in Uttar Pradesh this month.

The incident came to light after Usha Negi, Chairperson of the Uttarakhand State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights, visited the the Ranipokhri-based boarding school and ordered an inquiry into the death of Yadav.

"The police has failed to arrest the owner of the school who is still at large. We have directed the police to arrest him," said Negi.

A group of students were taken on an outing when Yadav allegedly stole biscuits from a shop. The management cancelled the trip and brought the students back to the school. Angry over this, some senior students started hitting Yadav with bats and then poured cold water on him.

The boy was later taken to the hospital where he was declared dead.

Instead of reporting the matter to the police, the management buried his body in the school premises to hush up the matter, a police official said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Software major Tech Mahindra on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) to train, support academic research and create solutions leveraging next-generation technologies.

Through the partnership, Tech Mahindra said it will help arm UNO students and faculty with the latest digital capabilities through regular speaker events, webinars and hackathons and in-demand skills needed to join the workforce.

Tech Mahindra will also work closely with the students and faculty on proof-of-concepts, white papers and research projects. In addition, Tech Mahindra will offer workshops and industry visits to allow students to experience the practical side of working in Information Technology and digital industry.

"We are excited to work with the students and faculty not only to help support their research projects, but also to train them in practical, cutting-edge digital skills in order to help create a future-ready technology workforce," Sandeep Khajuria, Senior VP, Tech Mahindra, said in a statement.

Tech Mahindra aims to attract a diverse range of individuals and competencies from the local Omaha area in Nebraska and equip them with digital skills required for working with cyber security, data analytics, and Artificial Intelligence, the statement said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Chandrapur in Maharashtra may not be considered very significant in national but it has become a matter of pride for outgoing MP and Union Minister Hansraj Ahir as it is the hometown of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat and a part of the BJP's Vidarbha stronghold.

Ahir had played a major role in unearthing the coal scam during the UPA-II regime, a major campaign issue in the 2014 general elections that swept the BJP to power. The scam also led to the Supreme Court cancelling the licenses granted to 214 coal blocks.

His image as a clean and accessible leader can help him to get voters but his re-election may not be smooth-sailing. But he can be sure that RSS cadres would be working for him.

Unlike the previous few elections, there will a direct contest between the BJP and Congress in Chandrapur, which means the majority of votes - up to 85-90 per cent - will go to candidates of these two parties.

This spells trouble for Ahir, a four-term MP (1996, 2004, 2009, 2014). He managed to pull off a victory the last time around when the anti-BJP votes were split between the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

In 2014, Ahir secured 45.77 per cent of the vote against Congress candidate Sanjay Deotale's 24.49 per cent and 18.42 per cent of the AAP's Wamanrao Chatap.

In 2009, Ahir defeated the Congress' Naresh Puglia but the margin was thin - 33.59 per cent to Ahir and 29.97 per cent to Puglia. Chatap, who had contested on the Swatantra Bharat Paksh ticket, got 18.84 per cent of the votes.

Had Chatap not been in the poll fray, Ahir would not have won in 2009 while it could have been a neck-and-neck fight in 2014, political observers say.

This time, the Minister faces an aggressive Suresh Dhanorkar, who defected from the Shiv Sena to the Congress days ago.

Earlier, the Congress had declared Vinayak Bangade's name from Chandrapur but he was considered a weak candidate and would have paved the way for Ahir's return to the Lok Sabha.

The Congress replaced Bangade with Dhanorkar at the last moment, following protests by local party workers and threat by state Congress President Ashok Chavanto resign.

While Ahir, who originally belongs to Uttar Pradesh, enjoys goodwill among the local population, the sentiment for a candidate with Maharashtrian roots can work against him.

Chandrapur, where teli (oil presses) and kunbi (farmer) communities are in sizable numbers, the voting is based on caste calculations if past elections are seen.

However, Ahir might play up Prime Minister Narendra Modi's caste to consolidate teli votes.

Despite having served as Minister of State for Home Affairs, Ahir does not seem to have struck a cord with people when it comes to development works.

Political observers say BJP supporters are more inclined towards another powerful leader of the city and Maharashtra Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar.

Being close to Modi, a clean image and accessibility are some of Ahir's advantages.

However, he will have to sweat it out to turn voters away from Dhanorkar, who is said to have got traction among the electorate, particularly the youth.

(Saurabh Katkurwar can be contacted at saurabh.k@ians.in)

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Popular Bengali actress Nusrat Jahan, fielded by West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress from Basirhat for the Lok Sabha polls, is drawing huge crowds during her election campaign.

She seems to be in an advantageous position over her rivals but could face a close call if local developments in the Muslim-dominated constituency cast a shadow.

The Tollywood heartthrob, who is pitted against seasoned politicians like BJP's Sayantan Basu, CPI's Pallab Sengupta and Congress contender Qazi Abdur Rahim, has put her best foot forward since the first day of her campaign, mingling with party workers, interacting with her fans and even singing popular numbers from her movies for them.

"Tell me who will win this time? Can we be rest assured that it will be victory for Didi and Trinamool Congress," she asked a jam-packed crowd at Basirhat's Sarberia during a party workers' meeting.

"Till now you have seen me on the silver screen. Now I have come to be with you and fight together," the filmstar said.

During her rally in Minakha, Nusrat, clad in cotton sari and sans any make-up, asked people what would be the margin of her victory.

"Three lakhs," shouted the crowd, many of whom were busy clicking pictures of their favourite star on their cellphones.

When they asked her to sing from her films, the actress obliged by humming a few lines from "Love Express" 2016, where she was cast opposite Tollywood superstar Dev (Deepak Adhikari), another Trinamool candidate in the 2019 polls.

Basirhat Lok Sabha constituency was a stronghold of the Communist Party of India (CPI) for three decades during Left Front rule. The legendary CPI leader Indrajit Gupta was among the party candidates who tasted victory from the seat in North 24 Parganas district.

Political observers believe the huge Muslim population - anywhere between 47.8 and 62 per cent - has given an initial advantage to Nusrat with the contest becoming a virtual duel between the Trinamool and the BJP.

"The Muslim votes could go en bloc to her, though a section of the rural Muslim society, very conservative in nature, is not very happy with Trinamool's choice of candidate," said political analyst Udayan Bandopadhyay, an Associate Professor of Bangabasi College.

However, another political scientist, Bimal Shankar Nanda, feels the going could get somewhat tough for the 28 year old actress if the scars of the communal violence in the area in 2017 still continue to fester.

"As per the arithmetic, she may be ahead. But if a good percentage of the Hindu votes gravitate to the BJP, and the Congress and the BJP - both of whom have their sphere of influence in the constituency - are able to clutch on to some section of Muslim votes," said Nanda.

In the Lok Sabha elections five years ago, the Trinamool had secured 38.65 per cent, the CPI 30.04 per cent, while the BJP bagged 18.36 per cent votes. The Congress had to be satisfied with around eight per cent of the popular mandate, even though it translated to one lakh plus votes.

The BJP has a strong base in Basirhat North, Basirhat South and Hingalganj assembly segments, and could also do well in the mixed areas of Baduria, where the actual communal disturbances had taken place.

"The Congress also has some traditional votes in some pockets of the constituency. It will be interesting to see how much of that it can retain, though I have a gut feeling that its votes may drop to half or even one-third of the numbers it got in 2014," he said.

Nanda also pointed out that some sections of the Hindu population had also expressed their resentment with the Trinamool after the communal incidents.

"I don't think it will be a cakewalk for Nusrat Jahan, though she could be a few notches ahead of her rivals now," he said.

(Milinda Ghosh Roy can be contacted at milinda.r@ians.in)

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Abu Dhabi-headquartered Lulu Group has confirmed plans to build shopping malls in Bengaluru and Chennai as part of a major expansion of its interests in India.

This is on top of the mall projects the Group had announced for three other Indian cities - Lucknow, Vishakapatanam and Thiruvananthapuram, Gulf News reported.

It currently operates a mall in Kochi in Kerala, rated as the biggest in southern India.

"We have acquired an ongoing mall development in Bengaluru and will build our own in Chennai," said the company's Indian Chairman and Managing Director, M.A. Yusuff Ali.

Ali also featured in the 2019 Forbes billionaire list as the richest expat in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The retail king is worth over $4.7 billion. He ranked 394 on the list.

"Mall projects give us the best platform to keep expanding our India portfolio - there's so much still to do in India's retail space.

"It was easier to acquire an ongoing project in Bengaluru than go searching for a wide expanse of land. The price was right and that's why we closed it at the first opportunity," Ali said.

The Bengaluru and Chennai projects are expected to be operational by end of this year.

The Group generated revenues of $7 billion last year, of which nearly 60 per cent came from its diverse operations in the UAE.

--IANS

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British lawmakers will hold a vote on the withdrawal agreement on Friday in a fresh effort to break the current Brexit deadlock.

The British House of Commons will hold the vote on Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal, which has been voted down twice by the UK Parliament since January, Xinhua news agency reported on Thursday.

The British government is seeking to hold the vote on Brexit on Friday.

The speaker of the House of Commons, John Bescow, said Thursday in the parliament that the motion is "new and substantially" different while he was clearing the motion for debate and vote on Friday.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Ulfa faction negotiating peace with the central government will refrain from voting in the Lok Sabha polls, said Ulfa general secretary Anup Chetia on Thursday.

However, the outfit will not boycott the polls as reported in a section of media. "There is no question of boycotting the Lok Sabha polls," he said.

The members of the outfit had not participated in electoral process since the inception of the outfit and they would not participate in the electoral process this time too, he added.

"We have never cast our votes and never took part in electoral process ever since the inception of Ulfa. Keeping with the tradition, we are going to refrain from voting this time as well," said Chetia.

The pro-talk Ulfa faction, which has been negotiating peace with the government, has about 2,500 cadres in their designated camps as of now.

"We are only going to refrain from the polls until the talks process is over and our demands are fulfilled," said Chetia.

Asked about the talks, Chetia said the ball was in the central government's court.

"We have held several rounds of discussion and submitted our charter of demands," he said adding they were waiting for the central government's response.

Majority of Ulfa leaders, including its chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa who had been holed up in Bangladesh were arrested by the Dhaka authorities in 2010 and handed over to Indian authorities in 2010.

Subsequently, they agreed to sit for talks and were released on bail.

However, Ulfa commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah had remained in Maynmar with a few of his comrades. They are yet to respond to the peace initiative of the government.

Chetia was arrested in Bangladesh on December 21, 1997 and was extradited to India in November 2015. After he was released on bail, Chetia also decided to join the peace talks.

--IANS

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Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi on Thursday sent ripples across the political spectrum after her swift riposte "Why not Varanasi" (the Lok Sabha seat of Prime Minister Narendra Modi) to the party workers' request to contest elections from her mother Sonia Gandhi's parliamentary constituency Rae Bareli.

Her remark came at an interactive meeting with party booth workers, block presidents, gram panchayat and nagar panchayat heads at a guest house here, about six km from the district headquarters.

As Gandhi, the party in charge for eastern Uttar Pradesh, told the gathering that her mother was tense as she could not come among them, some workers asked her to contest from Rae Bareli instead.

At this, she smilingly said: "Why not Varanasi?"

Priyanka Gandhi also said that she had told her mother not to worry as she would look at the work of her constituency.

If the younger Gandhi sibling jumps into the fray against Modi, then it would be the most high-profile contest of the current Lok Sabha polls. But for now, it seems to be only a quick retort made by her.

Earlier in the day, the Congress leader said that she has been given the key task of strengthening her party in the Uttar Pradesh - even beyond the Lok Sabha elections - and ensure it comes back to power in the 2022 Assembly polls.

(Anand Singh can be contacted at anand.s@ians.in)

--IANS

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(ANSA) - Rome, March 28 - Italy is sixth in the European Union for research funding by Brussels, with 14 projects financed, EU sources said Thursday.

It is fourth for the number of researchers who have been awarded grants, including 23 who work abroad, they said.

The UK is top followed by Germany and France.

The 22 research projects funded to the tune of 540 million euros by the European Research Council range from renewable energy to how to protect one's biological clock, the ERC said.

photo: CERN chief Fabiola Gianotti
It was in 2004 that Nara Chandrababu Naidu met his nemesis in Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy in the then undivided Andhra Pradesh. Fifteen years later he faces a similar threat from his son Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy in the now truncated state.

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief is perhaps facing the biggest challenge of his four-decade-long political career in the fierce battle for power against Jagan, as the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) chief is popularly known.

If surveys by different media organisations are any indication, Jagan seems to be edging ahead of Naidu in what was earlier expected to be a neck-and-neck race for the 175-member Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats going to polls on April 11.

Buoyed by series of defections from the ruling party and the tremendous public response to his election rallies, Jagan is confident of achieving his long-cherished goal of becoming the Chief Minister.

Political analysts say Naidu's flip-flop on the issue of Special Category Status (SCS) to the state, on ties with the BJP and his sudden friendship with the Congress, his bitter enemy of over 35 years, may prove him dear.

In the 2014 elections held in the aftermath of the state's bifurcation, the people reposed faith in Chandrababu Naidu. As the state was making a beginning without even a capital, people preferred Naidu for his vast political and administrative experience and as someone seen by many as the architect of the modern Hyderabad.

As the campaigning gathered momentum, Naidu, who will turn 69 next month, is harping on the 'conspiracy' jointly hatched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Jagan and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao.

On the other hand, 46-year-old Jagan is urging people to give him a chance to usher in 'Rajanna rajyam' , a reference to the rule of his late father YSR, who was credited with introducing many path-breaking welfare schemes for poor and weaker sections of the society.

Naidu fought the previous elections in alliance with the BJP and was a partner in BJP-led NDA government at the Centre. He had accepted a special package offered by the Centre in lieu of SCS and had even defended himself with the argument that SCS was not a panacea.

It was last year that Naidu took a U-turn, apparently after he came under flak from opposition especially the YSRCP, which tried to capitalise on the TDP's failure to achieve SCS and other commitments made by the Centre at the time of the state's bifurcation.

In an attempt to compete with YSRCP as the vanguard of the state's interests, Naidu pulled out of NDA and even moved a no-confidence motion against the Modi government. With the Congress coming out in support of the motion and promising to confer SCS if it came to power at the Centre, Naidu joined hands with the party in a total reversal of TDP's policy since its inception in the early 1980s. He even initiated efforts to cobble up a Congress-led front at the national level to take on BJP.

With Jagan undertaking a state-wide 'padyatra' and making several promises, Naidu announced series of sops for various sections of the people.

With every passing day, Naidu sharpened his attack on Modi and accused Jagan of being hand-in-glove with the Prime Minister to protect himself in corruption cases.

His relations with Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao strained further as he joined the Congress-led front to contest Assembly elections in that state and even campaigned aggressively in and around Hyderabad. However, this experiment of a grand alliance ended in a disaster as the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) retained power with a landslide majority.

The Congress, which was Naidu's ally in Telangana, is contesting the elections in Andhra Pradesh on its own. The BJP is also fighting the solo battle. While both the national parties are not expected to have any major impact, the entry of actor Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena spiced up the election scene. Fighting the elections in alliance with the Left parties and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Jana Sena could upset YSRCP's applecart.

A slight swing may alter the fortunes and this can't be ruled out considering the statistics of 2014. The difference of votes polled by TDP-BJP alliance and YSRCP was a mere 1.6 per cent in Assembly elections and 2.34 per cent in the Lok Sabha polls. The TDP-BJP had won 106 Assembly seats while YSRCP bagged 67. The opposition party later lost 24 MLAs to TDP.

The TDP had bagged 15 Lok Sabha seats while BJP got two seats. YSRCP got eight seats but three of the MPs later defected to the TDP.

(Mohammed Shafeeq can be contacted at m.shafeeq@ians.in)

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Actor Yash is looking forward to the second chapter of upcoming Kannada action-drama "KGF", and says the scale of presentation of the sequel will be higher with "a couple of very complex action scenes".

Following the runaway success of "KGF", which emerged as the first Kannada film to breach the Rs 200 crore club worldwide, the hype for "KGF: Chapter 2" has reached unprecedented heights. And Yash feels there are "huge expectations to live up to".

Excerpts from the interview:

Q. Months after its release, "KGF" continues to run in many centres?

A. We've been tracking its course through the weeks and frankly, though we expected the film to succeed, the level of success has left us quite dazed.

Q. So "KGF" part two?

A. We will go on the floors at the end of April or the beginning of May. We've locked in the script and it's now in pre-production. The scale of presentation this time would be much higher. Now that "KGF" is a recognisable brand, we have huge expectations to live up to. Not that, we were any less careful in the first part. Only technically this time we need to be a little more sophisticated. There are a couple of very complex action scenes in the sequel. For this, we may get help from foreign technicians.

Q. Do you feel Indian technicians lag behind in action scenes?

A. Not at all! In fact, I believe Indian technicians are the best in the world. In the first chapter, we achieved everything with Indian technicians and most of them were from Karnataka. This time again, we will be using the same team. Only if foreign technicians are required would we consider them. Only because they've the resources that we perhaps don't. Otherwise, we don't lag behind in talent.

Q. Are you looking at penetrating the international market with part two?

A. The first part too penetrated the international market, though not as much as we would have liked. This time, we hope to be better equipped to make inroads abroad. Lots of foreigners have watched "KGF". This time we hope to make a world-class film.

Q. You did consider doing something else before doing "KGF" again. I remember you told me that the last time we spoke?

A. I did. But then audiences expectations are so high we don't want to disappoint them by breaking their concentration from the first part to the second. If the second part comes later, it would be of no use. People really want to watch it now. The most important factor for doing "KGF 2" right after the first chapter is my look.

Q. How is your recently-born daughter doing? What have you named her?

A. We can only name her after five or nine months. We will have a big ceremony after five months where her name will be officially announced. She will be named after a Hindu goddess.

Q. Success hasn't changed you at all?

A. I am no stranger to success. What this film did was to broaden my fan base many times over. If I was a newcomer in "KGF", you may have found me walking with my head in the clouds.

Q. Your message to fans?

A. Please give the second chapter of "KGF" even more love than you gave the first chapter.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
This refers to Airlines in India may skip Jet takeover deal by Arindam Majumder, Shally Seth Mohile and Nivedita Mookerji (March 28). It is quite clear that selling Jet Airways is not going to be an easy task. The State Bank of Indias (SBI) expectations to find a buyer and its assertion that the banks hope to conclude the deal by May is just a pipe dream.

The consortium, especially SBI, should be more pragmatic. Having been witness to the Air India sale saga for years, one would've thought, we had learnt some lessons. The real reasons  as indeed your ...
A sessions court in Ahmedabad Thursday sentenced 10 people to jail terms ranging from two to 10 years in a 2009 hooch tragedy in which 23 people had died.

Additional sessions judge D P Mahida acquitted 12 others in the case.

The case, registered at Kagdapith police station, was part of larger tragedy which unfolded between July 5 and July 7, 2009 and claimed lives of 148 people in total.

Cases were registered in this connection at 19 police stations.

It is considered to be one of the worst hooch tragedies in Gujarat, a state where liquor is prohibited.

The court Thursday awarded 10 years' imprisonment to main accused Vinod alias Dagri, while his aide Arvind Solanki was sentenced to seven years in jail.

Eight women, accused of distributing the spurious and toxic liquor, were sentenced to two years in jail under the Prohibition Act.

Special prosecutor Amit Patel said the accused were convicted under various charges including "culpable homicide not amounting to murder" under section 304 of the IPC.

Two absconding accused were held only two weeks ago, and they would be tried separately, he said.

Dagri manufactured spurious liquor in Kheda district and sold it with the help of Solanki, the prosecution said.

Two policemen were among the 12 accused who were acquitted for lack of evidence.

There were a total of 26 accused in the present case, of which two died after drinking the same toxic brew which they had helped make and distribute.

In all, 148 people lost their lives and 249 were adversely affected between July 5 and July 7, 2009 after drinking spurious liquor. The largest number of deaths -- 33 -- were reported under the Odhav police station limits.

The trials of cases registered at other police stations are at advanced stages of hearing.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A massive fire engulfed a 22-storey building in Dhaka's posh Banani area on Thursday, killing at least 19 people, including a Sri Lankan national, and injuring 70 others, in the second major blaze to hit the Bangladeshi capital since last month.

The incident, which happened on Thursday afternoon in a building that houses several garment shops and internet service providers, left several people trapped inside as the blaze spread to two adjacent buildings.

Until now we can tell you that the inferno killed 19 people, one of them being a Sri Lankan national. Seventy others are wounded," a senior fire official told PTI.

At least six of the killed, including the Sri Lankan national, died after they jumped off from various floors of the high-rise building for safety.

"A Sri Lankan citizen identified as Niras Chandra, was declared dead at Kurmitola General Hospital. He fell off the building while trying to escape the fire," Kazi Shahan Haque, officer-in-charge (OC) of Cantonment police station, was quoted as saying by the Dhaka Tribune.

Another person, who was yet to be identified by the authorities, was declared dead at Kurmitola General Hospital after he fell off the building while trying to escape the fire.

"Similarly, three more male victims were declared dead on arrival by the doctors of United Hospital," officials were quoted as saying.

A 35-year-old student at Dhaka University died due to the effects of the blaze.

A woman identified as Amina Yeasmin died of her injuries at Apollo Hospital.

Several other injured people were rushed to the nearby hospitals.

"Over 30 people are being treated at different government and private health facilities, some of them with critical wounds caused by the blaze in the building," officials said.

Apart from 21 fire tenders, Bangladesh Air Force helicopters and Navy commandos teamed together to douse the blaze.

The fire is now extinguished, a fire service official told reporters.

Fire officials said the blaze erupted on the eighth floor of the building and gradually went upward engulfing ninth, 10th and 11th floors, but could not immediately say what sparked the inferno.

Five military and air force helicopters were deployed to drop water on the blaze as flames and thick black smoke poured out of the windows.

Firefighters broke open the building's glass walls to free toxic gas while over a dozen were rescued or they managed get themselves out from the burning building.

A 20-member military team has entered the building with necessary equipment to salvage the trapped people, a military officer at the spot said.

On February 20, at least 70 people were killed and over 50 injured when a fast-moving fire swept through an apartment buildings and chemical warehouses in Dhaka's congested Chawkbazar area.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
/ -- The Industrial Development Bureau (IDB) of the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) of Taiwan organized the 2019 World System Integrator Conference to be held before the opening of the 2019 Smart City Summit and Expo at Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center on March 25 (Monday), marked the first time for Taiwan to hold a conference on the theme of systems integration (SI).

The strategic aim of the event is to, under the direction of the government, lead in international cooperation orders for high quality smart city systems integrators, which is intended to establish in Taiwan an international platform for connecting system integrators. The event gathered 300 participants from over 20 countries, including industry, government, academia, and research institutions and systems integrators, who attended the event to engage in exchange of experiences in smart city development.

The conference held keynotes on specific topics: Stan Schneider, Vice Chair of Industrial Internet Consortium, spoke on the System Integration for Industrial IoT Systems with Use Case Examples. And system integrators, including MiTAC Information Technology Corp. and Advantech Co., Ltd., spoke on their experiences and actual cases. Specifically, MiTAC Information Technology Corp. shared its experiences in the development of smart city applications, as well as the successful case of implementing automatic customs clearance systems in Philippines.

Looking to realize a worldwide consensus on systems integration and understand each country's perspective and needs for systems integration, the conference also invited representatives from Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, and Laos to a forum on the trends in the newest systems integration applications and smart city development.In the end, the main points of the conference centered on consensus on future collaboration: building collaborative mechanisms for multiple participants, industry exchange and matchmaking, and smart database research cooperation.

The System Integration Promotion Alliance (SIPA), the agency responsible for planning the World System Integrator Conference, has received substantial results from the conference. Even more so, the SIPA vowed that the current conference is a starting point to intensifying the promotion of Taiwan as an international systems integration solution provider and establishing a diverse platform for collaboration. This will, in turn, bring Taiwan's quality smart city solutions and systems integrators to the international market and earn international cooperation orders.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 23-year-old man was arrested for allegedly stealing mobile phones from trains in the national capital, police said Thursday.

The accused was identified as Sonu, a resident of Alwar district in Rajasthan, they said.

Based on complaints of mobile phones and baggage theft from the Himalayan Queen Express, investigation was initiated, a senior police officer said.

Surveilling the Sarai Rohilla Railway Station from where the Himalayan Queen was to depart, the police noticed one Sonu and apprehended him based on suspicion, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Railways) Dinesh Kumar Gupta said.

Three mobile phones were recovered from his possession, they said.

During interrogation, Sonu said he had stolen two mobile phones from the passengers of Himalyan Queen Express and one mobile was stolen by him in the same train around one year back.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least 30 indigenous Guatemalans were killed on Wednesday night when they were struck on a highway by a semi-trailer truck in the town of Nahuala in the country's west, rescue workers said.

"Personnel from the Departmental Municipal Firefighters have counted at least 30 dead people at this point," spokesman Cecilio Chacaj told reporters.

The group had congregated at the site of a hit-and-run accident that had killed a resident of their neighborhood when they in turn were hit by the truck, Chacaj added.

Guatemala, a Central American country of some 16.5 million people, has a poor road safety record and traffic rules are frequently ignored.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Four call centres operating at various locations in the city were raided and 34 people arrested for allegedly duping foreign nationals, mostly in the US, on the pretext of increasing their credit limits, police said Thursday.

The call centres also had their network in Gujarat, Meghalaya and Tripura, they said.

The police were tipped off about the call centres tricking foreigners by impersonating as agents of investment agencies, DCP (South) Yogesh Dadich said.

He said computers, laptops, mobile phones, routers, modem, dialler and networking equipment were recovered.

The DCP said 34 people, including two women, were arrested including kingpin Hardik Patel, Rahul Badal, Bhopa Bhai, Vikesh Rana of Gujarat and Gaurav Jangid of Jaipur.

The gang used to contact foreign nationals in the US by securing phone, address and bank data illegally from another gang operating in that country.

The call centre employees would target people, mostly the poor, saying their credit score was low because of which they could not avail the company's lucrative easy loan schemes, the official said.

The gang members would then present a marginal amount cheque in the targets' bank account following which they received a message on their phones that their credit limit was enhanced.

The gang members then asked their targets to return the money in form of I-Tune gift cards, bitcoins or wallmart cards.

"The cheques were actually bogus and by the time the targets realised that it was a fraud, they had paid from their pockets. The scammers got the money transferred into their offshore accounts in China and Hongkong and then the money was routed to India through Hawala trading," Additional DCP Avnish Sharma said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Five arrested from hijacked merchant ship El Hiblu 1 - media Sources say weapons weren't used during hijacking

(ANSAmed) - VALLETTA, MARCH 28 - The online edition of the Times of Malta said five people were arrested on Thursday aboard the merchant ship El Hiblu 1, which was hijacked on Wednesday. The ship arrived Thursday morning in the port of Valletta, after Maltese special forces retook control of the ship when it was still outside the island's territorial waters.



The Times of Malta said the five arrested will likely be charged with using force to illegally take command of a ship and hijack it.



The newspapers's sources said weapons were not used during the hijacking, but the crew, being fewer in number, felt they had no other choice than to accept orders.(ANSAmed).




Around 40 children have been killed and many injured in one year of demonstrations along the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, the UN said Thursday, calling for an "urgent de-escalation".

Thousands of Palestinians have gathered at least weekly along the border in protests that have led to deadly clashes with the Israeli military.

Demonstrators are calling for Israel to lift its crippling decade-long blockade of Gaza, while also demanding refugees be allowed to return to homes their families fled in the late 1940s during the creation of the Jewish state.

Around 40 children have been killed in the protests and "nearly 3,000 others have been hospitalised with injuries, many leading to life-long disabilities," the UN children's agency (UNICEF) said.

"UNICEF reiterates its outrage at the very high numbers of children who have been killed and injured as a result of armed conflict 2018," said UNICEF's Middle East director Geert Cappelaere.

He called on both sides to "ensure children are not targeted".

"Exploiting children's lack of sense of purpose and vulnerabilities or enlisting them into violence are violations of children's rights."



In total, 258 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in Gaza since the protests began, most during border clashes.

Two Israeli soldiers have also been killed over the same period. Israel says its response is necessary to defend the border and accuses Hamas, with whom it has fought three wars, of orchestrating violence there.

The UNICEF statement follows another severe flare-up this week between Hamas and Israel, with a rocket attack from the Gaza Strip that sparked retaliatory air strikes.

A mass border protest planned for Saturday to mark the first anniversary of the demonstrations has raised fears of further tensions.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Aam Aadmi Party Thursday launched a weekly social media interaction campaign with people as it seeks to reach out to voters directly on the issue of full statehood for Delhi.

The party has also formed a research team to connect with the public and dispel social media "rumours".

The first interaction session was held by senior party leader Gopal Rai. His colleagues would hold sessions in subsequent weeks.

Rai stressed on the need for full statehood for Delhi, saying the city's development projects are getting impacted because of its half-state status.

Answering a question on whether the AAP is talking about statehood to hide its alleged failure, Rai said both the BJP and the Congress had raised the demand for full statehood.

The ruling party is fighting the Lok Sabha elections on the agenda of granting full statehood to Delhi.

Raising the slogan of 'Poorna Rajya Banao Jhadu ka Button Dabao', (vote for AAP to get full statehood for Delhi), the party is busy convincing people to support it.

The election to the seven Lok Sabha seats in the national capital will be held on May 12.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Aam Aadmi Party candidate from north-east Delhi Dilip Pandey Thursday met a delegation of teachers and students from Stanford University and discussed the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and the current political scenario in the country.

The interactive session was also attended by Durgesh Pathak, organisation building in-charge of AAP and member of the party's Political Affairs Committee (PAC).

The 20-member delegation comprised of students and teachers of the Law department of the University.

The discussions were held on the upcoming general elections, current scenario of the country, Delhi's governance model and AAP, a statement from the party said.

"Delhi is facing a ridiculous situation, the powers of the elected Delhi government are limited and has been curtailed by the Modi-led Union Government.

"We are fighting these elections on the plank of full statehood to Delhi. Once Delhi gets full statehood, most of the problems Delhi faces due to multiplicity of agencies would be solved," Pandey told the delegation.

The delegation wanted to know about the works of the Delhi Government.

On a query from the delegation, AAP leader Durgesh Pathak explained how his was different and has an edge over its political rivals.

"We are a bunch of people with good intention and we have shown it through the Delhi Model of governance. We care for the people. AAP is a fresh breeze of air in the politically vitiated atmosphere of the country.

"We are fighting against divisive forces who are out to damage the social fabric of the nation. We are here to stop them from ruining the country. I am confident that they will be thwarted in their attempt, he told the delegation.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
After the successful anti-satellite missile test by India, concerns are being raised from some quarters, including the United States and the UN Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), over creation of space debris.

The United States on Thursday said it will continue to pursue its shared interests with India in space and technical cooperation, but expressed concern over the issue of space debris.

"The issue of space debris is an important concern for the US government. We took note of Indian government statements that the test was designed to address space debris issues," a State Department spokesperson said.

After the missile test on Wednesday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) here had sought to assuage such concerns stating that the test was done in the lower atmosphere to ensure there is no space debris.

Incidentally, the United States was the first country to test ASAT.

In September 1959, a High Virgo missile was launched by the US from B-58 aircraft targeting an Explorer satellite. However, it was unsuccessful, according to a paper presented by Anatoly Zak at the UNIDIR.

A month later, a Bold Orion missile launched from a B-47 aircraft at an 11-kilometer altitude passed within four kilometers from the Explorer-6 satellite at an altitude of 251 kilometres.

Further as latest as 2008, during Operation Burnt Frost, the US destroyed its own satellite, USA-193, with an SM-3 interceptor creating 174 pieces of trackable debris, plus non-trackable shards.

In 2007, China destroyed its FengYun 1C weather satellite with an SC-19 missile, leaving behind space debris consisting of 3,280 pieces of trackable debris, as well as up to 32,000 pieces that are non-trackable.

The UNIDIR too raised concern over the space debris.

"Testing anti-satellite weapons in space can create damaging debris. Guidelines on testing these systems can prevent collateral damage and the escalation of tensions in outer space," the UNIDIR tweeted with a video on the subject.

Matthias Maurer, a European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut, said shooting down a satellite and voluntarily creating space debris is not a sign of being a responsible space power.

"Shooting down a satellite to prove you're a space power only shows that you're not. No responsible space power contributes to creating voluntarily space debris! Space belongs to all mankind. Let's use it for peaceful purposes and for the benefit of the people. @esa @dlr," Maurer tweeted.

On Wednesday, Daniel Porras, Space Security Fellow, UNIDIR, said conducting the tests at an altitude of 300 km does not augur well for satellites in the Low Earth Orbit.

"It was not a good sign for LEO (low earth orbit)... which has telecommunication and earth observation satellites and also the International Space Station," which cruises at a height of 400 km, he said.

"The test was done at 300 km, so pretty low, meaning most of the debris will slowly come down. However, lots of objects near that altitude.... Not a good sign for all those LEO constellations. Also, if any debris damages other objects, India will be liable under the Liability Convention (if attribution is established)," Porras had tweeted.

The MEA, in Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) released on Wednesday, said "whatever debris that is generated will decay and fall back onto the earth within weeks".

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Angelina Jolie is in negotiations to make a foray into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with "The Eternals".

Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter, the actor eyeing Marvel Studio's superhero team adventure feature being directed by award-winning indie director Chloe Zhao.

Though Jolie is no stranger to fantasy films, "Maleficient" being case in point, this would be her first stint in a superhero film.

The Oscar-winning actor has chosen the project based on the Jack Kirby-created title about superpowered and near-immortal beings known as Eternals and a more monstrous offshoot known as the Deviants that were created by the cosmic beings called Celestials.

The details about the movie are being kept under wraps but one of the insiders has revealed one aspect to the story involves the love story between Ikaris, a man fuelled by cosmic energy, and Sersi, who relishes moving amongst humans.

It is unclear what character Jolie will play.

Marvel had no comment.

Zhao, a name behind the critical hits "The Rider" and "Songs My Brothers Taught Me", will direct from a script by Matthew and Ryan Firpo.

Jolie is currently working with Marvel's parent company Disney on two films - "Maleficient" sequel, "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil", which will release later this year and animation/live-action hybrid project "The One and Only Ivan", which she is also producing.

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Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Thursday said Article 35A, which restricts non-permanent residents to buy property in Jammu and Kashmir, is "constitutionally vulnerable" and also hampering economic development of the state.

The statement comes amidst the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) pressing for early elections to the state assembly in the state.

The state is under President's rule and the Union Cabinet takes all policy decisions related to the militancy-hit state.

In a blog, Jaitley said the seven-decade history of the state of Jammu and Kashmir confronts changing India with several questions.

"Was the Nehruvian course, which the state had embarked, a historical blunder or was it the correct course to follow? Most Indians today believe that it is the former.

"Does our policy today have to be guided by that erroneous vision or an out of box thinking which is in consonance with ground reality?" Jaitley questioned.

The senior BJP leader and in-charge of the party's campaign committee for general elections said Article 35A was "surreptitiously" included by a presidential notification in the Constitution in 1954.

Artcle 35A, he said, was neither a part of the original Constitution framed by the Constituent Assembly, nor did it come as a Constitutional Amendment under Article 368 of the Constitution which requires an approval by two-third majority of both Houses of Parliament. "It came as a presidential notification and is a surreptitious executive insertion in the Constitution."



Jaitley further said the Article gives the right to the state government to discriminate between two state citizens living in the state on the basis of declaring some as permanent residents while leaving out the others.

It also discriminates between permanent residents of the state and all other Indian citizens living elsewhere, he added.

"Lakhs of Indian citizens in J&K vote in Lok Sabha elections but not in Assembly, municipal or Panchayat polls. Their children cannot get government jobs. They cannot own property and their children cannot get admitted to governmental institutions.

"The same applies to those who live elsewhere in the country. The heirs of ladies marrying outside the state are disinherited from owing or inheriting property," the minister added.

He said the state does not have adequate financial resources and its ability to raise more has been crippled by Article 35A.

No investor is willing to set up an industry, hotel, private educational institutions or private hospitals since he can neither buy land or property nor can his executives do so, he said.

"Article 35A, which is constitutionally vulnerable, is used as a political shield by many but it hurt the common citizen of the state the most. It denied them a booming economy, economic activity and jobs," Jaitley said.

The minister added that the present government has decided that the rule of law in the interest of the people of Kashmir valley and the larger interest of India must equally apply to Jammu & Kashmir. He also listed out development works taken up in the state.

Jaitley also informed that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has launched a crack-down on terrorist funding. The Income-tax Department has swung into action after 17 years and discovered several sources of anti-national funding.

The CBI is looking into 80,000 gun licences given in recent years, he added.

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The Election Commission (EC) on Thursday gave an undertaking in the Delhi High Court that an advance notice will be given to Arvind Kejriwal before taking any action, including derecognition of his Aam Aadmi Party, for his alleged bribery remarks during Goa Assembly election campaign in 2017.

Justice Yogesh Khanna took on record the statement by the poll panel and disposed of Kejriwal's application seeking directions to the EC not to take any action against him or his party based on its January 21, 2017 censure order.

In its January 2017 order, the EC had said that if he, in future, repeated such remarks, it would take action against him and his party.

On Thursday, the EC's lawyer said a notice would be sent in advance to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor before taking any action against the party under para 16A of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order.

Under the Symbols order, the EC has the power to suspend or withdraw recognition of a recognised political party for its failure to observe the Model Code of Conduct or follow lawful directions and instructions of the poll panel.

The court made it clear the order for advance notice was applicable to any action in connection with the utterances made during the January 2017 poll campaign in Goa and not with regard to any remarks made in future.

The poll panel, during the proceedings, has taken the stand that the Model Code of Conduct was violated by Kejriwal when he made the remarks and hence, an order of censure and later a direction for lodging an FIR was issued against him in January 2017.

Kejriwal, in his plea, has contended that the EC's order amounts to "curtailing" his freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under the Constitution of India.

The application was moved in his main petition seeking quashing of the poll panel's decisions and which will be heard on April 26.

The poll panel had earlier orally told the high court that only a complaint case against Kejriwal was pending in a Goa court for his alleged bribery remarks at election rallies in the state on January 7-8, 2017 and no FIR was lodged as directed by the EC.

During a series of rallies in Goa on January 7-8, 2017, Kejriwal had asked voters to "accept money from the Congress and BJP candidates but vote for the AAP".

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had filed two complaints against the AAP supremo, seeking his prosecution under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for asking voters to accept money. The Congress too had condemned the Delhi chief minister's statement.

The poll panel had, thereafter, directed that a complaint be lodged against Kejriwal under the provisions of the Representation of the People Act dealing with bribing voters and the relevant sections of the IPC.

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After a run across 20 Indian cities since September 2018, Australia Fest highlighting the country's indigenous culture and history will come to an end with performances by song composer Deborah Cheetham in Mumbai and New Delhi, according to the Australian High Commission in India.

Cheetham will share her unique life story and the journey she has taken to discover her belonging. She will present 'Songs of Belonging' featuring Australian and Indian performers -- pianist Toni Lalich, tabla master Pandit Ashis Sengupta and the members of Rubiks Collective, one of Australia's most dynamic contemporary art music ensembles, the Australian High Commission, in a statement, said.

"Over the past six months, we have presented over 100 events across 20 Indian cities to showcase many elements of Australian culture and creativity, including visual and performing arts, food, sport, science, film, design and literature," said Australia's High Commissioner to India Harinder Sidhu.

"Throughout Australia Fest, we have highlighted Australia's indigenous culture and history. I am delighted that Deborah Cheetham...will be able to share the ancient song-line of Australia's indigenous people with Indian audiences. It is a fitting close to Australia Fest to have a performance that focuses on such important themes as nation, people, and place of belonging," Sidhu added.

Deborah will perform in the Royal Opera House in Mumbai on Thursday and in New Delhi on Saturday. Deborah also conducted a music workshop with 50 students aged between 10-14 years in collaboration with the Enabling Leadership Foundation as part of its Music Basti initiative in Dharavi, Mumbai, the statement said.

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AIUDF chief on Thursday filed his nomination papers for the Dhubri seat, officials said.

Polling for the Dhubri, Kokrajhar, Barpeta and Guwahati seats will be held in the third phase on April 23.

Leading a procession of his supporters, Ajmal went to the Returning Officer's office and filed his application to contest in the Dhubri seat. In 2014, Ajmal had won from the seat with a margin of 3.63 lakh votes.

Meanwhile, two candidates in the first phase of polling have withdrawn their nomination, leaving 41 aspirants in the fray in Tezpur, Kaliabor, Jorhat, Dibrugarh and Lakhimpur constituencies.

Independent candidates Iqbal Ansari in Tezpur and Purnakanta Deuri in Lakhimpur have withdrawn their papers.

A total of 56 nominations for the second phase of polling in five seats in were found to be valid after scrutiny on Wednesday.

Karimganj (SC), Silchar, Autonomous District (ST), Mangaldoi and Nawgong will go for polling in the second phase.

The three-phase voting in will take place on April 11, 18 and 23.

For the first phase, the ECI fixed March 28 for last date of withdrawal, while it is March 29 for the second phase.

As per the last summary revision, over 2.17 crore voters, including at least 7.06 lakh first timers, will exercise their franchise in the elections to elect 14 members to the Lok Sabha from

In 2014, the BJP won seven out of 14 Lok Sabha seats in Assam, the and the AIUDF had three each and one member was an Independent.

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At least five people were killed while



several others still feared trapped in a huge fire that broke out in a 22-storey building in Dhaka's Banani area on Thursday, in the latest blaze to hit the Bangladeshi capital.

The incident happened on Thursday afternoon in the building that houses several garment shops and internet service providers.

Four people died when they jumped off from different floors of the building while a student of the Dhaka University died due to the effects of the blaze, the Dhaka Tribune reported.

"A 35-year-old man, identified as Abdullah Al Faruk, an MBA student at Dhaka University, was declared dead after he was rushed to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital," the paper reported.

Another person, who was yet to be identified by the authorities, was declared dead at Kurmitola General Hospital after he fell off the building while trying to escape the fire.

"Similarly, three more male victims were declared dead on arrival by the doctors of United Hospital," officials were quoted as saying.

The people who lost their lives were among half a dozen people who jumped off from various floors of the high-rise building, resulting in grave injuries, senior officials said.

Apart from 21 fire tenders, Bangladesh Air Force helicopters and Navy commandos have been sent to the spot to douse the blaze.

While the actual reason behind the blaze was not known, eye witnesses and a government officer at the spot said that the fire broke out on the eight floor of the building and later spread to the other floors.

However, fire service did not comment on what caused the fire.

They, however, said that around 35 people have been rescued from the building while the operation to save others was on.

"Three units of Bangladesh Navy are working to tame the blaze. We have brought around 50 per cent of the fire under control," Siraj, a Navy officer, said.

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director, Abdullah Ibn Zaid, said that three Bangladesh Air Force helicopters are aiding the search and rescue operations, along with teams from the Bangladesh Army and Navy.

Last month at least 70 people were killed and over 50 injured when a fast-moving fire swept through an apartment buildings and chemical warehouses in Dhaka's congested Chawkbazar area.

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TIRANA - Tensions are running high in front of the Albanian Parliament on Thursday, where a regular session is underway and opposition protests are taking place outside.

Protesters have launched firecrackers and smoke bombs, and groups of demonstrators have tried multiple times to break through the security cordon at the main entrance, where police are lined up.

The opposition in Albania has been protesting since February, calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama, who is accused of corruption and collusion with organised crime.

Protesters are calling for a transition government and early elections.

In February, a group of opposition MPs resigned en masse, giving up their terms.

At least 17 of them, however, have been substituted by other opposition candidates who were on the lists in the 2017 elections.


A Bangladesh court sentenced five men to death in absentia for atrocities perpetrated during the country's war of independence in 1971, prosecutors said Thursday.

A special court said the fugitives were found guilty of serial abuses during the war, which saw Bangladesh gain independence from Pakistan. Critics say the so-called International Crimes Tribunal, which has no international oversight, is politically motivated and used to target the opposition.

"They were charged with murder, abduction, looting, arson and rape in Netrokona in 1971," prosecutor M.R. Badol told AFP, referring to a northern district some 170 kilometres from Dhaka.

Prosecutors said the four accused were connected to Jamaat-e-Islami, the largest Islamist party in Bangladesh and one allied to the country's main opposition party.

The government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina accuses Jamaat of collaborating with Pakistani forces during the war and has banned it as a political outfit.

Bangladesh says Pakistani troops, aided by local militias, killed three million people and raped 200,000 women during the nine-month war. Independent researchers put the figures much lowers.

Hasina, whose father was Bangladesh's first post independence prime minister, created the war crimes tribunal in 2010.

So far, six key opposition leaders have been executed by the tribunal The government insists the trials have been fair and meet international standards, despite strident criticism from rights groups.

Hasina won a fourth term in office in December in a landslide victory for her ruling Awami League party. The poll was marred by widespread allegations of graft, and most of Hasina's opponents were jailed and unable to contest.

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A 22-year-old Bangladeshi national has been arrested here for allegedly staying illegally and procuring Indian documents fraudulently, police said.

Sagar Ali Rafiq Ali, a resident of Jhenaidah district of Bangladesh, was arrested Wednesday from Chakan, an industrial town in Pune district, they said.

He used to work at a construction site, a police officer said.

Acting on a tip-off, officials from the Chakan police station arrested Ali and found he had entered into India illegally and procured PAN and Aadhaar cards using forged documents, he said.

"He has been arrested under relevant sections of the Passport Act, Foreigners Act and IPC," said the officer.

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Shares of Bank of Baroda jumped nearly 7 per cent Thursday after the government decided to infuse Rs 5,042 crore into state-owned lender.

The stock climbed 6.62 per cent to close at Rs 129.60 on the BSE. During the day, it gained 7.28 per cent to Rs 130.40.

On the National Stock Exchange (NSE), shares jumped 6.74 per cent to close at Rs 129.75 apiece.

On the traded volume front, 23.05 lakh shares were traded on the BSE and over 4 crore shares on the NSE during the day.

The government has decided to infuse Rs 5,042 crore into Bank of Baroda ahead of merger of two other public sector lenders Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank with BoB.

The merger of Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank with BoB would be effective from April 1.

The finance ministry through its notification on Wednesday conveyed its decision to infuse capital of Rs 5,042 crore into BoB, the bank said in a regulatory filing.

The government in September last year had announced merger of Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank with Bank of Baroda, aiming to create the third-largest lender after SBI and ICICI Bank.

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The BBC on Thursday said it had agreed to pay damages to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko over an article that incorrectly claimed Kiev paid USD 400,000 to secure a meeting with US leader Donald Trump.

Poroshenko, who is seeking re-election in weekend polls, sued the broadcaster over the report from May last year.

The article on the BBC website claimed that Kiev gave Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen a "secret payment of at least USD 400,000" to "fix talks" at the White House in June 2017.

"We apologise to Mr Poroshenko for any distress caused and have agreed to pay him damages, legal costs and have participated in a joint statement in open court," the BBC said in a statement on its site.

It did not give any indication of the size of the payment.

Poroshenko had said via lawyers that the article harmed his "political and business" reputation and caused him "substantial distress and embarrassment".

Allegations of "serious corruption" were especially damaging because of Poroshenko's "promotion of a number of anti-corruption measures in Ukraine", a claim said.

Poroshenko was elected in 2014 after Ukrainians took to the streets to oust his Kremlin-backed, graft-tainted predecessor.

But Ukrainian and Western observers have repeatedly questioned pro-Western Poroshenko's resolve to reform the country's kleptocratic system.

There was speculation ahead of the June 2017 talks that Trump would refuse to meet the Ukrainian leader.

Washington did not announce the sit-down in advance -- as is customary -- and when it was described, the White House called it as a "drop-in" with the US president.

Cohen has since been sentenced to three years in prison for election finance fraud, bank fraud, tax avoidance and lying to Congress, after implicating Trump in some of those crimes.

Poroshenko is trailing comedian Volodymyr Zelensky in polls as Ukrainians prepare to vote in the first round of a presidential election at the weekend.

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Veteran leader Bijoy Mohapatra, who had resigned from the BJP four months ago, returned to the saffron party on Thursday.

The 68-year-old stalwart said his move to come back to the BJP followed a detailed discussion with the party's national vice-president Baijayant Panda and Odisha in-charge Arun Singh, who met Mohapatra at his residence here.

Mohapatra, who had resigned from the party on November 30 last year, said he also had telephonic conversation with other senior leaders, including BJP president Amit Shah.

The development comes ahead of the simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Odisha.

"As elections are approaching, we have decided to intensify our campaign and fight unitedly to bring about a change in Odisha by defeating the BJD and to build a new India," Mohapatra said.

Asked whether he would contest the polls, Mohapatra said the the party will take a decision on the matter.

"The priority at present is to further strengthen the organisation to oust the BJD from power in the state," he said.

Expressing happiness over Mohapatra staging a comeback to the BJP, Arun Singh said the aim of the party was to "remove" the Naveen Patnaik government in Odisha and ensure another term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Centre.

Describing Mohapatra as a "seasoned politician", Baijayant Panda said the senior leader's re-entry into the BJP fold would boost the saffron party's fight against the BJD in Odisha.

Mohapatra along with another BJP national executive member and former Union minister Dilip Ray had resigned from the BJP on November 30 last claiming that they had been "sidelined" within the party.

Though Ray is yet to join any party, he had met BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik recently.

The resignation of the two leaders from the BJP had sparked speculation that they might stage a comeback to the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD), of which both were founding members. While Mohapatra was expelled from the BJD in 2000, Roy was thrown out from the ruling party two years later.

In the 2014 elections, Mohapatra had contested from Mahakalapada Assembly seat in Kendrapara district on a BJP ticket and lost to BJDs Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak.

The simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Odisha are scheduled to be held in four phases on April 11, 18, 23 and 29.

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Congress president Rahul Gandhi Thursday expressed concern over noted economist Jean Dreze's detention in BJP-ruled Jharkhand, alleging the party was in a "state of war" with everybody who works for the poor and the downtrodden.

Dreze and another person were Thursday taken into preventive custody for violating the model code of conduct by organising a meeting without permission in Jharkhand's Garhwa district, police said.

Dreze, who was a member of the National Advisory Council headed by Sonia Gandhi during the erstwhile UPA government, and Vivek Gupta, an activist, were eventually released.

"I am extremely concerned about Mr. Dreze's detention. The BJP is in a state of war with everybody who works for the poor & the downtrodden," Gandhi said in a Facebook post.

Dreze is a specialist in Development Economics and had helped draft the food law.

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The Congress is blinded by its "anti-Modi approach" and has stopped thinking in the nation's interest, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said here Thursday, raising issues of national security and terrorism and questioning the party's statements following the Balakot strike.

Addressing a rally in Akhnoor on the outskirts of Jammu, his first in the state after national elections were announced on March 10, Modi claimed the speeches of Congress leaders receive applause in Pakistan.

The prime minister began his speech by greeting people in the local Dogri language and went to exhort them to vote for his party's Jammu-Poonch candidate Jugal Kishore.

Modi said he was surprised at the Congress' reaction to his government's endeavour to teach a lesson to the enemies of the country.

"What has happened to the Congress party....the anti-Modi approach adopted by them has blinded them to the extent that they have stopped thinking in the interest of the nation," Modi said.

When India conducted the air strike in Balakot on February 27, Congress leaders came out with statements which were not in favour of the country, he said.

"Is it the same Sardar Patel's Congress who spent day and night for the unity and integrity of the country? I fail to understand if this is the Congress party of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose who saw the dream of an independent India," the PM said. "My soul is saying it is not."



"What do you think?" he asked the people, who replied saying they agreed with the PM's view.

"The entire country and its citizen are speaking in one voice but the Congressmen are speaking a different language," Modi said.

The prime minister also questioned the Congress' silence on National Conference's Baramulla candidate Akbar Lone's reported remarks purportedly in favour of Pakistan.

"I am surprised that they are aligning with such people who are against the interests of the nation," Modi told the gathering.

He told them if they press the 'lotus' (BJP's poll symbol) button on the EVM on April 11, it will not only unnerve terrorists and their sympathisers within the country, but its bang would be heard across the border as well.

He also asked people of the state to remain vigilant against the policies of the National Conference and the PDP, a former ally of the BJP, for their alleged pro-separatist agendas.

"We imposed ban on groups involved in secession of the state from India, but these political parties opposed it," the prime minister said.

Referring to the strike on a JeM camp in Balakot, the prime minister said the nation has shown its resolve to fight terrorism.

"Those running terrorist factory across the border are afraid and are living under a constant fear. This has happened for the first time that terrorists are forced to think 100 times before intruding into this side," he told the rally at the border town.

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Prime Minister Theresa May will put her twice-rejected Brexit divorce deal to a third parliamentary vote on Friday in a renewed bid to avoid a chaotic split from the European Union in two weeks.

May's throw of the dice comes a day after her dramatic pledge to resign in order to persuade her rivals to finally back her vision for breaking Britain's 46-year membership of the bloc.

The prime minister's back is against the wall as she tries to keeping Britain's economy from imploding and the pound from plunging when a post-Brexit border splits the two tight trading partners.

Andrea Leadsom, the government's representative in parliament, said Thursday that the new vote gave recalcitrant lawmakers the chance to secure Britain's delayed departure from the EU on May 22.

"I encourage all MPs to support it and ensure that we leave the EU... giving people and businesses the certainty they need," she told MPs.

The government is hoping that holding the vote on the day when Britain was meant to leave the bloc could win over some still sceptical MPs.

House of Commons Speaker John Bercow gave his approval to hold the vote after he had rejected a similar attempt last week, ruling then that May's text was essentially the same one that lawmakers had voted down.

"(It) is new, substantially different and in conformity," he said of the deal to be put to MPs on Friday's vote, which will only cover the main withdrawal agreement in May's plan and not an accompanying political declaration for future EU relations.

Another parliamentary vote would be required before Brexit can actually go ahead. Any failure by lawmakers to pass the pact that was signed off last year by May and the 27 EU leaders could result in a feared "no-deal Brexit" scenario on April 12.

Britain might then try to avoid crashing out by seeking a much longer extension that would force it to take part in European Parliament elections in May.

The prime minister's handling of Brexit has provoked anger, frustration and ridicule at home and abroad.

She played what may have been her last political card on Wednesday by promising to quit once the first stage of the messy divorce process is complete.

"I know there is a desire for a new approach -- and new leadership -- in the second phase of the Brexit negotiations and I won't stand in the way of that," May told a packed meeting of party members.

Her promise won over some likely contenders for her job.

Former foreign minister Boris Johnson said he would now back the premier "on behalf of the 17.4 million people who voted for Brexit" in the deeply divisive 2016 referendum.

But the opposition Labour party said May's pledge only created more uncertainties by leaving open the question of who would lead the trade talks that will define EU-UK relations for decades to come.

"It's even more of a blindfold Brexit," Labour's Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer said. "We now know that the outcome of our future relationship with the EU is not going to be determined by her."



May's position was undermined further when her allies in Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) said they would continue to oppose the deal.

The tiny group props up May's minority government and is playing a decisive role in the political saga that has consumed Britain and left its EU partners increasingly perplexed.

The DUP fears provisions in May's deal aimed at keeping a free-flowing border between Britain's Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland.

The group worries that this would give Northern Ireland a different economic status from Britain and separate it from rest of the country.

Parliament's own attempt on Wednesday to find a new last-minute Brexit fix ended in failure.

None of the eight options drawn up by various MPs secured a majority and another vote has been set for Monday on the more popular option.

The one that came closest to winning provided for a much closer economic union with the EU after Brexit than what the Conservative party platform allows.

A proposal to hold a second referendum -- a popular idea with EU supporters -- came second while those promoting a cleaner break finished near the bottom.

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Five films on the lives and issues of people from the LGBTQ+ community will be available for the Indian audience as part of a digital campaign by the British Council.

The 5th season of #FiveFilms4Freedom, the "world's widest-reaching LGBTQ+ digital campaign", is being organised by British Council in partnership with BFI Flare: London LGBTQ+ Film Festival.

"Running since 2015 with over 10 million viewers in more than 200 countries, the programme holds even greater significance this year as it is also part of 'Anyone//Anywhere: the web at 30', British Council's global campaign acknowledging and celebrating the impact of the world wide web on every aspect of our lives over the past 30 years," the organisers said in a statement.

The organisation will also host physical screenings in Delhi, Goa, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chandigarh on March 29.

This year's #FiveFilms4Freedom collection presents a range of compelling and thought-provoking stories, including "Carlito Se Va Para Siempre", directed by Quentin Lazzarotto under the guidance of legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog.

The film tells the story of a man who is forced to choose between his lover and his community in rural Peru.

"Cinema is a powerful medium, and perfect artistic format for the internet age. #FiveFilms4Freedom shows the power of human connection and reminds us all the love is a human right," Tom Birtwistle, Director North India, British Council, said.

Two UK films -- "Ladies Day" and "Crashing Waves" -- have been included in the digital film festival.

While "Ladies Day", directed by Abena Taylor-Smith, focuses on a young lesbian trying to navigate uncomfortable conversations in a Sheffield hair salon, "Crashing Waves", from director Emma Gilbertson, is an experimental dance piece depicting the tenderness and brutality of a complicated relationship.

Intersex rights activist Pidgeon Pagonis is the star of "A Normal Girl", by award-winning director Aubree Bernier-Clarke.

In this film Pagonis discusses the discovery in their late teens that their intersex condition had been hidden from them.

From Iceland, "G", is a moving yet exhilarating drama by Vala marsdttir and Hallfrur Tryggvadttir, which follows a teen breaking away from societal expectations after a visit to a gender identity clinic.

All five films will be available to view till March 31 on the British Council Arts YouTube channel.

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on Thursday accused the US of undermining the authority of the UN anti-terrorism committee by "forcefully moving" a resolution in the UNSC to list Pakistan-based JeM chief as a global terrorist, saying America's move only "complicates" the issue.

The US, supported by and the UK, has moved a draft resolution in the to blacklist the Pakistan-based terror group's chief, two weeks after put a hold on a proposal to list Azhar under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the Council.

Asked about the development, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a media briefing that move only complicates the issue.

"This is not in line with resolution of the issue through dialogue and negotiations. This has reduced the authority of the Committee as a main anti-terrorism body of the UNSC and this is not conducive to the solidarity and only complicates the issue.

"We urge the US to act cautiously and avoid forcefully moving forward this resolution draft," Geng said.

(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.)
VALLETTA - The merchant ship El Hiblu1, which was hijacked by rescued migrants on Wednesday, is in the port of Malta on Thursday after armed forces gave control of the ship back to its captain.

The Times of Malta said Maltese authorities established contact with the ship's captain when the ship was 30 km off the coast.

The army said the captain repeatedly confirmed that he did not have control of the ship and that he and his crew were forced and threatened by a certain number of migrants to proceed towards Malta.

A special ops unit, supported by patrol boats and a helicopter, went aboard the ship and secured it, giving control back to the captain.

The ship, its crew, and all the migrants were then escorted to Malta to be turned over to police for an investigation.

Disembarkation began at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday.

The first to disembark the ship was a woman holding a months-old baby.

According to information obtained on board, there were 19 women and 12 children on the ship.

The majority of those on board disembarked freely and then boarded small police buses.

The migrants were accompanied to the Initial Reception centre in the port city of Marsa.

The online edition of the Times of Malta said five people were arrested on Thursday aboard the merchant ship. The newspaper said the five arrested will likely be charged with using force to illegally take command of a ship and hijack it. The newspapers's sources said weapons were not used during the hijacking, but the crew, being fewer in number, felt they had no other choice than to accept orders.

The ship, owned by a Turkish company but flying a flag of the Republic of Palau, had departed Turkey with a mainly Turkish crew and rescued 108 migrants in front of Turkish territorial waters.

Sea-Watch says ship hijacking was act of self-defence, normal to refuse return to Libya

Johannes Bayer, president of the NGO Sea-Watch, on Thursday called for a humane perspective regarding the case of the merchant ship El Hiblu.1, which was hijacked by rescued migrants on Wednesday after the migrants were told they would be taken back to Libya. "We have to look at these 108 people with a gaze of humanity and understand that any action taken yesterday was in self-defence against the deadly consequences that would have been imposed with force by the inhumane European policy on borders," Bayer said. He said the closure of Italian ports is another cause of the current situation.

Bayer said migrants in Libya are "systematically subject to arbitrary arrest, torture, sexual violence, kidnapping, extortion, slavery, and even murder". "It's absolutely legitimate that people rescued while in danger of losing their lives in the Mediterranean refuse to be taken back to Libya, the same place in which they know they could have only continued to be victims of the most serious possible violations of their rights and the most degrading treatment," Bayer said.
China on Thursday urged the US not to complicate the listing of Pakistan-based JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by "forcefully moving" a resolution directly in the UNSC, undermining the authority of the UN's main anti-terrorism body.

The US, supported by France and the UK, has moved a draft resolution in the UN Security Council to blacklist the Pakistan-based terror group's chief, two weeks after China put a hold on a proposal to list Azhar under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the Council.

Asked about the development, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a media briefing that Washington move only complicates the issue.

"This is not in line with resolution of the issue through dialogue and negotiations. This has reduced the authority of the Committee as a main anti-terrorism body of the UNSC and this is not conducive to the solidarity and only complicates the issue.

"We urge the US to act cautiously and avoid forcefully moving forward this draft resolution," Geng said.

"Since China needs more time to conduct in-depth and comprehensive review, we put a technical hold to the relevant listing on March 13," he said, referring to the previous move by France, the US and the UK.

This is in line with the rules and procedure of the committee and there are some precedents of such "technical holds", he said.

The listing of Masood involves a series of complex factors and China has also been working to seek a proper solution through dialogue and consensus, Geng said.

"Under the current circumstances, the Security Council should act in a prudent way to play a constructive role and create the necessary time and space for the relevant parties to conduct dialogue and negotiations," he said referring to China's hold on the proposal.

The US has bypassed the 1267 Committee and directly filed the draft resolution to the Security Council. This is not in line with the resolution of the issue through dialogue and negotiations, Geng added.

UN sources in New York told PTI that this is the "first time" the US, the UK and France have moved a draft resolution directly in the Security Council to designate Azhar. The previous have been listing proposals in the Sanctions Committee of the Council to designate Azhar.

Unlike a listing proposal, which is generally under a 10- day no objection period, the draft resolution is not under any no-objection provision.

A UNSC designation will subject Azhar to an assets freeze, travel ban and an arms embargo. An assets freeze under the Sanctions Committee requires that all states freeze without delay the funds and other financial assets or economic resources of designated individuals and entities.

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The number of confirmed cholera cases in cyclone-ravaged Mozambique climbed sharply to 139 Thursday as authorities prepared to roll out a mass vaccination campaign to stem the spread of the deadly disease.

"The total number of cholera cases is now 139," government health officer Ussein Isse told AFP.

President Filipe Nyusi on Thursday told a conference authorities had called off rescue operations for victims of the deadly cyclone which tore through the central parts of the country on March 15.

He described it as the "worst humanitarian disaster in Mozambique".

The storm killed at least 468 people and affected 1.85 million.

He said 945 rescuers had taken part in the two-week long search and rescue operation.

"We thank all of them. They are heroes," he said.

World Health Organization official David Wightwick said mass cholera vaccinations would start next week.

The country is awaiting the delivery of 900,000 doses of vaccines expected in the country on Monday.

Officials said the vaccination campaign will be launched from Wednesday to stem the spread of the disease, which thrives in conditions of poor hygiene and causes acute diarrhoea that can be fatal if untreated.

Wightwick told reporters in Beira that nine cholera treatment centres were being set up around the central Sofala province, which bore the brunt of the cyclone.

The UN said in a statement that authorities have already reported "some 2,500 cases of acute watery diarrhoea".

Experts have warned that the destruction of drinking water sources and lack of sanitation in overcrowded shelters in Mozambique could create breeding grounds for waterborne diseases such as cholera.

The vaccinations will protect the tens of thousands of survivors for around three months, he said.

"It buys us some time and it means we will probably have to do a further vaccination," Wightwick said.

"The first objective is to control the outbreak," he said, warning that "there are other places that remain cut off".

A cholera prevention publicity campaign has also been launched with messages via radio and loudhailers across affected towns and villages.

Cyclone Idai smashed into Mozambique nearly two weeks ago, unleashing hurricane-force winds and heavy rains.

It flooded much of the centre of the poor southern African country and then battered eastern Zimbabwe and Malawi.

UNICEF warned that there is "very little time to prevent the spread of opportunistic diseases".

It warned in a statement that current conditions of "stagnant waters, lack of hygiene, decomposing bodies (and) overcrowding in temporary shelters" could lead to outbreaks of diarrhoea, malaria and cholera, "to which children are especially vulnerable".

"The lives of millions of children and families are on the line, and we urgently need to mount a rapid and effective humanitarian response," said UNICEF chief Henrietta Fore.

She launched a $122 million (108 million euro) appeal for the three affected neighbouring countries.

"The massive scale of the devastation wrought by Cyclone Idai is becoming clearer by the day," she said.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday blamed the previous Congress-led governments for the delays in acquiring military hardware, claiming that the party was more focused on commissions from defence deals.

Addressing a rally in Uttarakhand's Rudrapur, he alleged that the Congress sat on the deal for the Rafale fighter jet as it was eyeing the malai (commission, kickbacks) from it.

He said the Congress focus has been was on malai, not on national security.

Earlier in the day, Modi addressed a rally in Meerut, kicking off his election campaign in Uttar Pradesh.

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The Congress and NCP Thursday demanded ouster of Maharashtra Minister of State for Social Justice and Excise Dilip Kamble, accusing him of taking bribe for a wine shop permit, an allegation he denied.

The opposition parties said the Aurangabad bench of Bombay High Court had directed that an FIR be registered against the minister in this matter.

Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Dhananjay Munde of the NCP, and Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant demanded that the minister be sacked.

Vilas Chavan, the complainant, moved the court as the police did not register a case, they said.

A bribe of Rs 2.15 crore was sought for transfer of a wine shop permit in Chavan's name, they alleged.

NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik demanded that Kamble be arrested in the case.

Denying the allegations, Kamble said he had never met the complainant, and it was an attempt to malign him and the BJP.

"I had exposed corruption in the Annabhau Sathe Financial Development Corporation and this is why the opposition wants to defame me.

"The opposition moved the court to get a complaint registered against me. This conspiracy against me will be duly probed," the minister said.

"The complainant had contested 2014 assembly election from Gangapur on NCP ticket," Kamble added.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday blamed the previous Congress-led governments for the delay in getting the Rafale military aircraft, saying the party sat on the deal as it was eyeing kickbacks.

Launching the BJP's poll campaign in Uttarakhand from Rudrapur, the prime minister said the Congress cared more for malai (commission) than national security.

He pitched the BJP as the party that stood for the armed forces, saying the Congress governments cared little for what they sought modern weapons, bullet-proof jackets and the one rank, one pension scheme that his own government has implemented.

He said the deal for the French military aircraft was mooted during the term of Atal Bihari Vajpayee government but the following Congress-led governments of delayed the acquisition.

They sat on it for 10 years because they were not getting the malai, he charged at the Rudrapur rally.

The Congress has criticised the new Rafale deal signed by the Modi government, claiming it is costlier and there is corruption involved.

The Bharatiya Janata Party and the government have repeatedly rejected the charge.

Modi also referred to the AgustaWestland VVIP helicopter deal signed by the Congress government, saying alleged middleman Christian Michel is now spilling the beans in court.

The prime minister did not directly refer to the recent Congress promise to implement an income guarantee scheme for the poorest 20 per cent of the population. But he said the party had given the 'Garibi Hatao' (eliminate poverty) slogan generations back and has nothing new to offer in these elections.

The Congress was the very cause of poverty, he said.

"Remove the Congress and poverty will go away automatically," he said.

Modi accused the Congress of casting doubts on the valour of the armed forces after the surgical strike across the Line of Control in 2016, and not acting even after the Mumbai terror attack in 2008.

When we destroyed terror targets in Pakistan they began crying over it. Do you think the counter terror offensive was not right and I should have kept quiet," he said, in an apparent reference to the Indian retaliation in 2016 and the recent air strike in Pakistan.

"It is the job of the Congress to cower in fear. The chowkidar (watchman) knows no fear, Modi said in a reference to himself.

He said Uttarakhand had climbed up the development index after the BJP government took over at the Centre.

"Before 2014, all we heard of in Uttarakhand were the scams -- relief scam, excise scam and several others. Another thing we heard of was the horrible condition of its roads, with its highways broken and the roads strewn with potholes, he said.

"Now you can see what is happening in Uttarakhand on the development front, he added.

"Thousands of kilometres of roads are being built under the Bharatmala project; work on the Rishikesh-Karnaprayag rail line is also in full swing, besides the all weather roads project. A new Kedarpuri is being built. New investments has started coming to Rudrapur in Udham Singh Nagar district, which is the hub of industry in the state," he said.

He accused former chief minister Harish Rawat, who is contesting against state BJP president Ajay Bhatt in Nainital, of having done nothing to stop the migration from the hills.

"Remember, each vote you cast in favour of the BJP will strengthen Modi and determine the future of a new India," he said.

He said he could not reach Rudrapur to address a rally last month and had promised to come back.

"I kept my promise, didn't I? It is Modi who knows how to keep promises," he said.

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A construction site worker in Maharashtra's Pune district was arrested Thursday by Anti- Terrorism Squad (ATS) for alleged terror links, police said.

Bihar ATS, in a joint operation with Maharashtra ATS, arrested Shariyat Mandal (19), a labourer at a construction site near Chakan, 40 km from Pune, police said.

The teenager's arrest came two days after two Bangladeshi nationals with alleged links to terror outfits were arrested in Patna, police said.

Bihar ATS had seized documents related to deputation of central forces in Jammu and Kashmir from the Bangladeshis, allegedly associated with terror outfit Jamiat-Ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh and Islamic State Bangladesh, police said.

Mandal hails from West Bengal and was in "constant touch" with the two terror suspects held in Patna.

Meanwhile, an ATS officer from Bihar, who was part of the team which arrested Mandal in Chakan, said they recovered a mobile phone and some personal items from the terror suspect.

"We have taken his transit remand from a court in Pune and now he will be taken to Patna, where he will be produced in a court," he said.

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The Communist Party of India-Marxist has decided its candidates on two of the three seats that it would contest in Rajasthan.

The CPM's central election committee, which had announced Wednesday that the party would contest three seats in Rajasthan, has fielded Sheopat Ram from the reserved seat of Bikaner and Amra Ram from Sikar.

It is yet to decide its candidate for Churu Lok Sabha constituency.

"We will contest election from three parliamentary seats in the state. I have been given the chance from Bikaner seat whereas Amra Ram will contest the election from Sikar. The party is yet to name its candidate for Churu, said Sheopat Ram, who had fought the state assembly elections unsuccessfully from Raisinghnagar seat last year.

Sheopat Ram would face BJP leader and Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal who is contesting for the third time from Bikaner. The Congress is yet to name its candidate for Bikaner.

Amra Ram is a four-time former MLA and has led farmer agitations. The BJP has already announced the nomination of its sitting MP Sumedhanand Saraswati for Sikar seat.

In the state assembly elections, CPM had won two seats, including Bhadra and Dungargarh.

The Lok Sabha polls in the state are due in two phases - on April 29 and May 6.

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Public broadcasters Doordarshan and Ali India Radio have responded to the Election Commission which had asked them about the source of feed of the prime minister's address to the nation on Wednesday, a senior poll panel functionary said.

He also said that the prime minister's office had neither informed nor sought the EC's permission on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address in which he informed people about the successful test of an anti-satellite missile.

Deputy Election Commissioner Sandeep Saxena, in charge of the Model Code division, told a media briefing here that the poll watchdog had sought details from DD and AIR about the source of feed of the PM's address. The two broadcasters have responded and the EC is examining their response "in the light of what we want to know".

Saxena is heading the committee of officers set up on Wednesday to examine the matter related to Modi's address to the nation "in the light of the Model Code of Conduct" which is in force for Lok Sabha polls.

Responding to a question on whether the EC would seek the response of YouTube as it was the 'platform for the feed', he said the committee is examining all aspects.

The committee, which has met twice since Wednesday evening, is likely to finalise its report by Friday evening. It would then be placed before the commission for a final call.

Meanwhile, responding to a query, a source in the EC said no response has been sought from from the PMO.

The panel would go through the video and the transcript of the address.

The PM addressed the nation after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security Wednesday morning which was apparently apprised of the development.

In his address, Prime Minister Modi announced that India had demonstrated anti-satellite missile capability by shooting down a live satellite, describing it as a rare achievement that puts the country in an exclusive club of space superpowers.

Opposition parties alleged that the PM's address was a violation of the model code of conduct and demanded that EC take action in this regard.

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The Delhi High Court Thursday declined to interfere with the release of the film 'Ram Ki Janmabhoomi', which is to hit theatres on Friday.

Justice Vibhu Bakhru directed the movie's producer to hold a private screening of the film for the petitioner Prince Yakub Habeebuddin Tucy, who claims to be a descendant of the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar.

With these directions the court disposed of the petition.

The high court, however, gave the petitioner liberty to approach it again if he found any objectionable dialogue or scene in the movie.

Earlier Thursday, the Supreme Court too had refused to stall the release of the film.

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The Delhi High Court Thursday declined to interfere with the release of the film 'Ram Ki Janmabhoomi', which is to hit theatres on Friday, saying it has "not found anything objectionable" in it.

Justice Vibhu Bakhru however directed the movie's producer to hold private screening of the film for the petitioner, Prince Yakub Habeebuddin Tucy who claims to be a descendant of the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar.

The court directed the producer, Waseem Rizvi, to hold private screening in the national capital on Thursday evening for Tucy who has contended that the movie contains personal attacks against him and his family.

The petitioner had also contended that film was inflammatory and had the potential to promote communal disharmony.

However, the court did not agree with the contentions, saying "there was no material on record to support the allegations. This court has not found anything objectionable in it".

The judge also said that Tucy's objections against the movie's title "were not persuasive enough" to interfere with release of the film.

The court told the film's producer to hold a private screening of the film for the petitioner so that his apprehensions regarding the movie's content can be addressed.

It also told the petitioner that the allegedly objectionable dialogues in the film's trailers have been removed by the censor board and as the movie too would have undergone the same cuts, therefore, there was no cause for Tucy to be apprehensive about its release.

The high court, however, gave the petitioner liberty to approach it again if he found any objectionable dialogue or scene in the movie after the private screening.

With these directions the court disposed of the petition.

The film, directed by Sanoj Mishra, is scheduled to hit the screens across the country on March 29.

The high court, while hearing Tucy's petition on Wednesday had said that people will have to be tolerant if freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under the Constitution has to survive.

"This court is of the view that whether right or not, people have to be tolerant if Article 19 (freedom of speech and expression) of the Constitution has to survive," Justice Bakhru had said.

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TUNIS - Mahmoud Khemiri, the spokesperson for the 30th Arab League Summit to be held in Tunis on Sunday, said a support fund for Palestine would be implemented at the summit and that during the summit, delegates would determine the amount to be given to the Palestinian Authority.



Khemiri spoke at a press conference Thursday at the City of Culture in the Tunisian capital, on the second day of preparatory work for the summit, which will address the Palestinian cause and the legitimate rights of the country's people.



"Unilateral decisions by US President Donald Trump on the occupied territories (in Syria and Palestine), including the US recognition of Jerusalem (Al Qods) as the capital of Israel, will be addressed in the preparatory meeting of Arab-country foreign ministers planned on Friday," Khemiri said.



He said there was Arab consensus "on the refusal of the American president's decision to recognise the sovereignty of Israel in the Golan Heights, because it violates the UN Charter, international laws and resolutions, including UN Security Council resolutions 242 and 497".



He said other items on the agenda at the summit would include "recent developments in Syria, but not, for now, the question of its return to the Arab League, even though its natural place is within the Arab League".



"All Arab delegations in Tunis have paid tribute to the European Union and the European countries that have opposed the US decision on Golan and supported the organisation of an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Syria's request (under the current presidency of France), Khemiri said.



Kuwait, which currently has a place on the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member, will be invited to express the refusal of Arab countries to adopt Trump's decision on Golan.



In response to a question on the request by Human Rights Watch to ban Sudanese President Omar El-Bashir from entering Tunisia, Khemiri said Tunisia still doesn't know if the Sudanese president will attend the summit or if he will send a representative.
Prabhatsinh Chauhan, BJP MP from Panchmahal in Gujarat who has been denied ticket by the party this time, announced Thursday that he would contest the Lok Sabha election nonetheless.

Asked if he will join another party or fight as an independent, 77-year-old Chauhan, a two-time MP since 2009, refused to reveal his plans.

"I will fight this election from Panchmahal. I will fight and win. I will file my nomination papers on April 1. I can not reveal more at present," Chauhan told PTI.

Earlier during the day, Gujarat NCP chief Jayant Patel had claimed that Chauhan was in touch with his party.

The BJP has dropped Chauhan and chosen independent MLA Ratansinh Rathod as candidate from Panchmahal.

Soon after winning in the 2017 assembly polls, Rathod extended support to the ruling BJP.

He said he was confident that Chauhan would not leave the party.

"Prabhatsinh is a two-time MP. He is like a mentor to me. Though he is upset, we are trying to mollify him. We all are confident that he will not leave BJP," said Rathod.

Parakramsinh Jadeja, BJP leader in-charge of Panchmahal district, also expressed confidence that Chauhan will be pacified.

"BJP has a rule that those who have crossed the age of 75 would not be given ticket. This was the only reason to drop him. He will always remain a respected figure....we are sure he will work to ensure BJP's victory," Jadeja said.

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Actor Madhuri Dixit, who turned producer with Marathi film "15 August" with husband Dr Sriram Nene, says they decided to release the film on the digital platform to attract a larger audience.

Set in a Mumbai chawl, the film follows the course of a series of zany mishaps that occur on a single day as its residents prepare for the Independence Day flag-hoisting ceremony.

The film will start streaming on Netflix from March 29. Madhuri made her Marathi film debut with "Bucket List" last year.

"First we thought let's make the movie then we will see. We could have gone to theatres but Marathi films don't get that many theatres and they are competing with other Marathi and Hindi films.

"With Netflix, it goes to 190 countries so you get wider audience. I remember 'Bucket List' was released in America and when my mother-in-law wanted to see it they had to sit in front row and see it because the release is very small. It gets released in two to three cities so we thought releasing it digitally would be a great platform for his film," Madhuri told PTI.

The actor said producing the film was not difficult for her as it took her back to her roots as a Maharashtrian.

"We heard many scripts but we kept going to this story. It took me back to my roots, I am a Maharashtrian and I have had relatives living in chawl and I have lived there. I felt I know every member of this chawl that we created for this film," Madhuri said.

Asked how Dr Nene came to be a part of the film, Madhuri said he always had a creative gene.

"The creative gene was always in him. I think he didn't get the opportunity to actually exercise it."



Dr Nene said he felt it was a "cool way" to release the film on a streaming platform.

"This will give us bigger canvas to showcase in India. We just thought it's a cool way to put it out. The content will dictate the absorbtion," he said.

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Realty major DLF Thursday fixed an issue price of Rs 183.4 per share under its QIP programme that closed Thursday.

On Monday, DLF, the country's largest real estate firm in market value, had launched its qualified institutional placement (QIP) offering up to 17.3 crore shares to investors.

In a regulatory filing, DLF said the Securities Issuance Committee has declared the closure of the QIP on Thursday.

The panel also approved the issue price of Rs 183.40 per equity share, which is at a discount of 4.98 per cent (i.e. Rs 9.61 per share) to the floor price of Rs 193.01 per share.

At Rs 183.4 per share, the company would raise Rs 3,172 crore.

According to sources, DLF's QIP issue was oversubscribed by two times, enabling the company to raise around Rs 3,200 crore.

Major institutional investors who participated in QIP offer include Oppenheimer, UBS, HSBC, Marshall & Wace, Myriad, Key Square, Goldman Sachs, Indus, Eastbridge, Tata Mutual Fund and HDFC Mutual Fund, sources had said.

With an aim to become a debt-free company, DLF had last year announced plans to issue shares through QIP to raise funds and pre-pay loans.

This is the third major fund raising from DLF. In 2007, DLF had raised about Rs 9,200 crore through an initial public offering (IPO). In 2013, the company had raised nearly Rs 1,900 crore through an institutional placement programme.

DLF's group Chief Financial Officer Ashok Tyagi recently said the QIP proceeds and further infusion of Rs 2,500 crore from promoters against the issue of warrants would help the company significantly reduce the debt that stood at around Rs 7,200 crore as on December 31, 2018.

DLF promoters K P Singh and family have already infused Rs 9,000 crore in the company and would pump in Rs 2,250 crore more.

The company made a preferential allotment of compulsorily convertible debentures (CCDs) and warrants to the promoters against the infusion of funds.

As infusion of the fund by promoters will lead to an increase in their shareholdings beyond permissible limit of 75 per cent, the company planned QIP to maintain minimum public shareholding of 25 per cent in a listed entity.

In August 2017, the promoters had sold the entire 40 per cent stake in rental arm DLF Cyber City Developers Ltd (DCCDL) for Rs 11,900 crore and infused bulk of this amount in the company to cut net debt.

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The Election Commission Thursday instructed the Mizoram government not to notify the Act imposing total prohibition of liquor in the state till the Lok Sabha election process is over.

The Mizoram Liquor (Prohibition) Act, 2019, would bring back total prohibition of liquor in the northeastern state after four years, and the government had planned to impose it from April 1.

Mizoram Additional Chief Electoral Officer Krishna Mohan Uppu forwarded the EC's letter in this regard to the Commissioner and Secretary of the state excise and narcotics department.

The letter asked the government not to notify the Act till the poll process is officially over on May 27.

The Mizo National Front (MNF) government decided to prohibit manufacture, import, sale and consumption of liquor for the common people and the Mizoram Liquor (Prohibition) Bill, 2019 was passed in the assembly on March 20.

The governor also gave his nod to the bill.

State Excise and Narcotics Minister Dr K Beichhua had announced that the new Act would be notified and in force from April one.

The MNF had promised during the assembly election in November last year that if voted to power, it would ensure total prohibition in the state.

Total prohibition was in force in Mizoram from 1997 to 2015. The previous Congress government led by Lal Thanhawla allowed opening of wine shops in the state from March, 2015.

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The Election Commission Thursday said that retired BSF director general K K Sharma had been replaced by 1981 batch IPS officer Vivek Dubey as central police observer for West Bengal.

Additional CEO Sanjay Basu told reporters here "K K Sharma has been replaced by Vivek Dubey as central police observer for West Bengal".

Sharma's appointment as central police observer for West Bengal had been objected to by Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee and CPI(M) on grounds of neutrality.

Basu said 24 police observers had been appointed for West Bengal and 47 general observers for all the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state.

The EC had also appointed 44 expenditure observers for the state, besides an awareness observer, he said.

Regarding complaints received through National Grievance Services, he said a total 798 had been received in the state out of which 281 were resolved.

On complaints received through the cVIGIL app, Basu said the EC had received 1814 so far in West Bengal, out of which action had been taken against 1151 of them.

He said total liquor seized so far was 5.05 lakh litres, while cash seizures was to the tune of Rs 10.42 crore in the state ahead of the seven-phase Lok Sabha polls.

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Noted economist Jean Dreze was taken into "preventive custody" on Thursday for allegedly organising a meeting without permission, police said.

A senior police officer told PTI that the Belgian-born economist, now an Indian citizen, was addressing a meeting in Garhwa district in violation of the Model Code of Conduct.

"Dreze was taken into preventive custody for addressing a meeting at Bishanpura in Garwha district, about which the local administration had no information," he said.

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The Enforcement Directorate Thursday sought custodial interrogation of Robert Vadra in a money laundering case.

The agency sought the custodial interrogation of Vadra, brother-in-law of Congress President Rahul Gandhi, before Special Judge Arvind Kumar.

Vadra, facing allegations of money laundering in purchase of a London-based property at 12, Bryanston Square worth 1.9 million pounds, was granted interim protection from arrest by a Delhi court till March 27.

Senior advocate K T S Tulsi, appearing for Vadra, had denied all allegations against him and said that he has not misused the liberty granted to him by the court.

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The Council of Europe rights group said Thursday that it had formulated the first internationally agreed definition of sexism, in a bid to help governments put an end to discrimination and violence against women.

In recommendations to its 47 member states, the council made a specific link between prejudice and violence against women, and urged governments to criminalise "sexist hate speech".

The call for more intense actions comes in the wake of the #MeToo movement against sexist assault which emerged in the wake of the slew of allegations against Hollywood titan Harvey Weinstein in 2017.

"Acts of 'everyday' sexism are part of a continuum of violence creating a climate of intimidation, fear, discrimination, exclusion and insecurity which limits opportunities and freedom," the council said.

It called on government leaders and other public figures to promptly denounce discriminatory speech or acts in order to combat longstanding gender stereotypes.

The text defines sexism as acts, speech or imagery which are "based on the idea that a person or a group of persons is inferior because of their sex."



Such behaviours expose women to hostile or humiliating environments as well as physical and psychological suffering, the council said.

Governments are also urged to ensure "non-stereotypical communication" that would raise public awareness against the "hegemony of the masculine model." It emphasised a particular effort in the digital domain, warning that anonymity on the internet and social media can foster the spread of "abusive thoughts" that can encourage sexist behaviour.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A district court of has sentenced a former editor of a Guwahati-based English daily to simple imprisonment of one month in a defamation case filed by state minister nine years ago.

Judicial Magistrate 1st class of Kamrup district, U Borh, also imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on Bikash Sarma, the then editor of 'The Sentinel' newspaper.

Upon failing to pay the fine, the would undergo another month of imprisonment, the court noted.

However, in the event of realising the fine amount, it would be given to Himanta Biswa Sarma, the complainant, as compensation.

The defamation case was filed in 2010 by Himanta Biswa Sarma, who was then a minister in the Tarun Gogoi government, against The Sentinel's editor, associate editor, and publisher, and Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) leader

Barring the editor, others were acquitted as the prosecution failed to prove their role in the case.

The case was filed after the newspaper published a item saying Gogoi alleged in a press conference that the minister had taken bribe from a person.

During the course of the trial, Gogoi denied making such an allegation.

Though the judgement was delivered on March 20, certified copy of it was made available to the media on Thursday at a press conference by former additional advocate general of the state, Devajit Saikia, on behalf of the minister.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday blamed the previous Congress-led governments for the delay in getting the Rafale military aircraft, saying the party sat on the deal as it was eyeing kickbacks.

Launching the BJP's poll campaign in Uttarakhand from Rudrapur, Modi said the Congress cared more for the malai (commission) than national security.

He pitched the BJP as the party that stood for the armed forces, saying the Congress governments cared little for what they sought modern weapons, bullet-proof jackets and the one rank, one pension scheme that his own government has implemented.

He said the deal for the French military aircraft was mooted during the term of Atal Bihari Vajpayee government but the following Congress-led governments delayed the acquisition.

They sat on it for 10 years because they were not getting the malai, he charged at the Rudrapur rally.

We proceeded with the Rafale deal after taking over, and in the next few months we will have the fighter aircraft to augment India's military strength," he said.

The Congress has criticised the new Rafale deal signed by the Modi government, claiming it is costlier and there is corruption involved. The Bharatiya Janata Party and the government have repeatedly rejected the charge.

Modi suggested there was scam in the AgustaWestland VVIP helicopter deal signed by the Congress government and revelations by Christian Michel, the alleged middleman, were now making the opposition party uncomfortable.

"Michel mama is telling it all in court, making them sweat," the prime minister said.

Modi did not directly refer to the recent Congress promise to implement an income guarantee scheme for the poorest 20 per cent of the population, if it is elected to power.

But he said the party had given the 'Garibi Hatao' (eliminate poverty) slogan generations back and has nothing new to offer in these elections.

The Congress was the very cause of poverty, he said.

"Remove the Congress and poverty will go away automatically," he said.

Modi accused the Congress of casting doubts on the valour of the armed forces after the surgical strike across the Line of Control in 2016, and not acting even after the Mumbai terror attack in 2008.

When we destroyed terror targets in Pakistan they began crying over it. Do you think the counter terror offensive was not right and I should have kept quiet," he said, in an apparent reference to the Indian retaliation in 2016 and the recent air strike in Pakistan.

"It is the job of the Congress to cower in fear. The chowkidar (watchman) knows no fear, Modi said in a reference to himself.

He said Uttarakhand had climbed up the development index after the BJP government took over at the Centre.

"Before 2014, all we heard of in Uttarakhand were the scams -- relief scam, excise scam and several others. Another thing we heard of was the horrible condition of its roads, with its highways broken and the roads strewn with potholes, he said.

"Now you can see what is happening in Uttarakhand on the development front, he added.

"Thousands of kilometres of roads are being built under the Bharatmala project. Work on the Rishikesh-Karnaprayag rail line is also in full swing, besides the all weather roads project. A new Kedarpuri is being built. New investments have started coming to Rudrapur in Udham Singh Nagar district, which is the hub of industry in the state," he said.

He accused former chief minister Harish Rawat, who is contesting against state BJP president Ajay Bhatt in Nainital, of having done nothing to stop the migration from the hills.

"Remember, each vote you cast in favour of the BJP will strengthen Modi and determine the future of a new India," he said.

He said he could not reach Rudrapur to address a rally last month and had promised to come back.

"I kept my promise, didn't I? It is Modi who knows how to keep promises," he said.

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ROME - King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan are expected to arrive in Assisi on Thursday on the eve of the awards ceremony for the "Lamp of Peace", which will be given to the king on Friday in the presence of Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.



The Custos of the Sacred Convent of Assisi, Fr Mauro Gambetti, will present the award in the Basilica of St. Francis.



Security preparations began on Thursday to allow pilgrims and tourists to access the basilicas and watch the event along the established route.



Following Nobel Peace prize winner Juan Manuel Santos and Chancellor Merkel, who both received the Lamp of Peace, King Abdullah II will be given the award in recognition of "his action and effort in promoting human rights, harmony between different faiths, and the welcoming of refugees". European Parliament President Antonio Tajani and Italian Bishops Conference (CEI) President Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti are also scheduled to attend the awards ceremony.



The press director for the Sacred Convent of Assisi, Fr Enzo Fortunato, said the event is a "historic moment that the Franciscan community of Assisi is preparing for".



"Tomorrow from the Basilica of St. Francis, a message of peace, dialogue and inclusion will be imparted, in a period of history marked by the rebuilding of walls and hate among civilisations," Fortunato said.



He said the awards ceremony will take place "exactly 800 years from the meeting between St. Francis and the Sultan, highlighting that dialogue between faiths and cultures has to be eternal. This is an important year for the Franciscan family and now, as then, the Middle East is a protagonist," he said.



On Thursday evening at 21:00 at the Serafico Institute of Assisi, journalist Fausto Belia will moderate a seminar titled "Europe: Continent or Community?", where scheduled speakers include Tajani and Umbria Governor Catiuscia Marini.
The federal government charged Facebookwith high-tech housing discrimination Thursday for allegedly allowing landlords and real estate brokers to systematically exclude groups such as non-Christians, immigrants and minorities from seeing ads for houses and apartments.

The civil charges filed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development could cost the social network millions of dollars in penalties. But more than that, they strike at the heart of Facebook's business model its vaunted ability to deliver ads with surgical precision to certain groups of people and not others.

"Facebook is discriminating against people based upon who they are and where they live," HUD Secretary Ben Carson said.

"Using a computer to limit a person's housing choices can be just as discriminatory as slamming a door in someone's face."



In a statement, Facebook expressed surprise over the charges, saying it has been working with HUD to address its concerns and has taken steps to prevent discrimination, including eliminating thousands of targeting options last year that could be misused by advertisers.

Just last week , Facebook agreed to overhaul its ad-targeting system and abandon some of the practices singled out by HUD to prevent discrimination not just in housing listings but in credit and employment ads as well, as part of a settlement with the American Civil Liberties Union and other activists.

"We're disappointed by today's developments, but we'll continue working with civil rights experts on these issues," the company said.

The charges were seen as more evidence that Facebook is in the crosshairs of lawmakers, regulators and activists. It is already wrestling with several government investigations in the U.S. and Europe over its data and privacy practices.

The technology at the center of the clash with HUD has helped turned Facebook into a giant with annual revenue of close to $56 billion. It enables advertisers and various groups to direct messages to exactly the crowd they want to reach.

HUD said Facebook is allowing advertisers to practice a sort of high-tech form of red-lining by excluding people from certain neighborhoods or ZIP codes from seeing their ads. The company was also accused of giving advertisers the option of showing ads only to men or only to women.

Facebook also allegedly allowed advertisers to exclude parents; those who are non-American-born; non-Christians; and those interested in Hispanic culture, "deaf culture," accessibility for the disabled, countries like Honduras or Somalia, or a variety of other topics.

The case will be heard by an administration law judge unless HUD or Facebook decides to move it to federal court.

"The nature of their business model is advertising and targeted advertising, so that is a slippery slope. That is their business model," said Dan Ives, an industry analyst with Wedbush Securities.

"The government launched this missile and caught many in the industry by surprise."



Ives said the move may mean US regulators are taking broader aim at the digital advertising market, not just Facebook.

"This is a clear shot across the bow for Facebook and others," he said.

"There is potentially more regulatory worries than maybe investors were fearing." Facebook is already under fire for allowing fake Russian accounts to buy ads targeting US users to sow political discord during the 2016 presidential election. The company has also been criticized for allowing organizations to target groups of people identified as "Jew-haters" and Nazi sympathizers.

HUD brought an initial complaint against Facebook in August. Facebook said in its statement that it was "eager to find a solution" but that HUD "insisted on access to sensitive information like user data without adequate safeguards."



In its settlement with the ACLU, Facebook said it will no longer allow housing, employment or credit ads that target people by age, gender or ZIP code.

It said it will also limit other targeting options so that these ads don't exclude people on the basis of race, ethnicity and other legally protected categories, including sexual orientation. ___ Ortutay reported from San Francisco. AP Business Writer Michelle Chapman in Newark, New Jersey, contributed to this report.

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The Centre on Thursday told the Supreme Court that Finance Bill of 2017 was certified as a Money Bill by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha and judicial review of that decision cannot be done.

The government said the court cannot question the speaker's decision of certifying a bill as a Money Bill and it is a well settled law.

A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi was told by Attorney General K K Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, that petitioners' contention that certification of Finance Bill of 2017 as Money Bill was not right cannot be a ground for a challenge to the Bill.

"The Act of 2017 deals with various aspects of finance. Speaker of the House gave the certification that Finance Act was a Money Bill. Finance Act of 2017 was passed by the Parliament as a Money Bill irrespective of the objections in Rajya Sabha," Venugopal said.

The Attorney General told the bench also comprising Justices N V Ramana, DY Chandrachud, Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna that apex court has repeatedly held in its verdicts that certification cannot be questioned and courts cannot inquire into the decision taken by Parliament.

"This aspect is consistent with the broad parameters of separation of powers given in the Constitution. Similarly, Parliament cannot interfere with the affairs of judiciary," he said.

The Attorney General countered the contention of petitioners that Finance Act of 2017 cannot be certified as a Money Bill saying, "Certification of a particular Act as a Money Bill is an internal functions of the Parliament. If there is any dispute, the Speaker can applies his mind and takes a decision. No one can questions the bonafide of the Speaker and all members abide by the decision."



He said Finance Bill comprises of amendments to several Acts and statutes and the petitioners have challenged only one particular aspect saying it cannot be termed as Money Bill.

"The certification of Money Bill is for the whole Finance Bill and saying that a part of the Bill does not qualify for the Money Bill cannot be held to be correct," the Attorney General said.

The top court is hearing a batch of petitions challenging the Constitutional validity of the Finance Bill of 2017.

During the hearing, senior advocate Arvind Datar, appearing for the petitioners said that the Finance Bill cannot be held as a Money Bill.

The hearing remained inconclusive and would continue on April 2.

On March 27, the apex court had sought centre's view on bringing all the tribunals under one central umbrella body for ensuring "efficient functioning" and "streamlining the working" of quasi-judicial bodies.

The top court had said it would not like to be bogged down with what is right or wrong and all it wants was that "the tribunals work efficiently and independently".

The court had said it is tentatively of the view that directions given by the apex court in its two verdicts of 1997 and 2010 for bringing all the tribunals of the country under one nodal agency should have been "implemented long back".

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Several people were feared trapped in a 22-storey building which caught fire in Bangladeshi capital's Banani area on Thursday, according to media reports.

The incident happened on Thursday afternoon in the building that houses several garment shops and internet service providers. Several people are feared trapped inside the building.

"The fire broke out at FR Tower around 12:52 pm on Thursday,"Ataur Rahman, an officer of the Dhaka Fire Service Central Control Room, was quoted as saying by the Dhaka Tribune.

He said that 17 fire tenders have been sent to the spot to douse the blaze.

"Seventeen firefighting units of the Dhaka Fire Service and Civil Defence are trying to douse the fire," he said.

Last month at least 70 people were killed and over 50 injured when a fast-moving fire swept through an apartment buildings and chemical warehouses in Dhaka's congested Chawkbazar area.

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Several people were feared trapped in a 22-storey building which caught fire in Dhaka's Banani area on Thursday in the latest blaze to hit the Bangladeshi capital.

The incident happened on Thursday afternoon in the building that houses several garment shops and internet service providers.

The actual number of people inside the building when the fire broke out was not known.

"The fire broke out at FR Tower around 12:52 pm on Thursday,"Ataur Rahman, an officer of the Dhaka Fire Service Central Control Room, was quoted as saying by the Dhaka Tribune.

"Twenty one firefighting units of the Dhaka Fire Service and Civil Defence are trying to douse the fire," he said.

Apart from the fire tenders, Bangladesh Air force helicopters and Navy commandos have been sent to the spot to douse the blaze.

The blaze was such that over half a dozen people jumped off from various floors of the high-rise, while the ambulances on the ground immediately rushed them to the hospital, other senior officials at the spot said.

While the actual reason behind the blaze was not known, eye witnesses and a government officer at the spot said that the fire broke out on the eight floor of the building and later spread to the other parts.

However, fire service did not comment on what caused the fire.

"Three units of Bangladesh Navy are working to tame the blaze. We have brought around 50 per cent of the fire under control,"Siraj, a Navy officer, said.

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director Abdullah Ibn Zaid said that three Bangladesh Air Force helicopters are aiding the search and rescue operations, along with teams from the Bangladesh Army and Navy.

"Many have taken shelter on the roof, and some are asking for rescue through windows, the paper quoted him as saying.

The officials concerned have reported that several groups of people have already been rescued from the burning building.

Last month at least 70 people were killed and over 50 injured when a fast-moving fire swept through an apartment buildings and chemical warehouses in Dhaka's congested Chawkbazar area.

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Five state-owned banks, including PNB, Bank of Baroda and Union Bank, Thursday received shareholders' approval for capital infusion to the tune of Rs 21,428 crore in lieu of preferential allotment of shares to the government.

This capital infusion is for the current fiscal ending March 31, 2019.

Punjab National Bank (PNB) in a regulatory filing said that an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders was held on March 28 for obtaining shareholders' approval to issue and allot 80,20,63,535 equity shares at a premium of Rs 71.66 per share amounting up to Rs 5,908 crore on preferential basis to the government.

Bank of Baroda said the finance ministry informed about its decision to infuse capital of Rs 5,042 crore in the bank.

"The capital infusion will be by way of preferential allotment of equity shares (special securities/bonds) of the bank during 2018-19, as government's investment," Bank of Baroda said.

Union Bank said: "The Committee of Directors for Raising of Capital Funds (CDRCF) of the bank at its meeting held on Thursday considered and approved the allotment of 52,15,62,658 equity shares at an issue price of Rs 78.84 aggregating to Rs 4,111.99 to government in accordance with the applicable provisions."



The board of the Chennai-headquartered Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) in an extraordinary general meeting decided to to allot preferential shares to government to get capital infusion of Rs 3,806 crore.

"The Board for Issue of Equity Share Capital at its meeting held today has issued and allotted 269,54,67,422 equity shares at an issue price of Rs 14.12 per equity share (including premium of Rs 4.12 per equity share) to government by way of preferential allotment," IOB said.

With this allotment, the government holding has increased from 89.39 per cent to 92.52 per cent in the bank, it added.

"This capital infusion will help the bank to shore up its capital adequacy requirements and enable the bank to build a robust loan book," R Subramaniakumar, MD & CEO, Indian Overseas Bank told PTI.

He also said that various initiatives have been taken by the bank for turnaround and there was a visible improvement in the bank's performance as seen in the third quarter results.

Subramaniakumar hoped that the bank will be able to return to the black in the next fiscal year beginning April 1, 2019.

Earlier, the bank raised Rs 261 crore to its share capital in January under Employee Stock Purchase Scheme (ESPS) in which as much as 92 per cent of the employees participated which resulted into over-subscription of bank stock.

"With this capital infusion and taking into account the capital raised through ESPS as well as sale of non core assets, CRAR (capital to risky asset ratio) will improve considerably," he said.

Central Bank of India allotted 68,72,48,322 equity shares at Rs 37.25 aggregating upto Rs 2,560 crore.

With this allotment, shareholding of government has increased from 89.40 per cent to 91.20, Central Bank of India said.

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A group of activists from Nalgonda in Telangana and Prakasam in Andhra Pradesh are planning to contest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha elections with a view to highlighting issues of fluoride-hit areas in these regions.

Jalagam Sudheer, a US-returned software professional and native of Nalgonda district, said they have decided to file nominations from Varanasi and Amethi from where Modi and Gandhi are contesting.

"This is to highlight the plight of fluorosis victims and the unfulfilled promises announced by different governments for fluoride-hit Nalgonda and Prakasam districts,"Sudheer told PTI.

He said he along with Vadde Srinivas, a native of Prakasam, along with two more activists, working in flouride-hit areas and also fluorosis victims, will file the nominations from Varanasi and Amethi.

"We need local proposers for filing nomination papers and we are in talks with local Telugu organisations there (Varanasi and Amethi). We need 10 proposers for each candidate from the local constituencies," he said.

Sudheer returned to India in 2016 after working in the US for 15 years "to serve society."



He has been taking up problems in flouride-hit Nalgonda, affected by high groundwater fluoride concentration and also problems faced by people suffering from fluorosis, a crippling disease which affects bones and teeth due to excessive intake of fluorine-heavy water.

"Along with some of my friends I visited fluoride-hit places and interacted withfluorosis victims.There is no special corporation for fluorosis victims," he said.

He said the Central government in 2007 had announced a Regional Fluorosis Research and Mitigation Centre for Nalgonda and a Detailed Project Report was also submitted.

"The state government, too, allocated eight acres of land. However, after initiating the process no one is taking responsibility to set up the centre and it continues to be neglected," he claimed.

They had submitted a representation to Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on the matter.

"We requested TRS, BJP and Congress leaders and public representatives but they are not aware about the Research Centre.

I have also visited government offices in Delhi, but there is no progress and hence, we have decided to contest the Lok Sabha elections to highlight the issues," he said.

Sudheer further said they were finalising their plans on filing nominations.

"As per reports Rahul Gandhi is planning to contest from Kerala also, and once it is finalised we will go to Kerala and file nominations from there also," Sudheer added.

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Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale on Thursday held wide-ranging bilateral talks with his Nepali counterpart Shankar Das Bairagi and called on Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli during his two-day visit here.

Gokhale, who arrived in Kathmandu on Thursday, also met Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, External Affairs Ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

During the talks, the two sides reviewed the past commitments that were made during the visit of Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli to India and return visits of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Nepal last year.

As India is gearing up for general elections, the meeting of the Joint Commission at foreign ministers' level was postponed. That's why a meeting at the foreign secretary level is taking place to ensure smooth execution of old and new agreements and understandings reached with India, Gyawali was quoted as saying by the Kathmandu Post newspaper.

The minister said that some projects and bilateral issues have been resolved or making good progress and some are facing some bottlenecks.

It is also expected that the Nepali officials might also try to push the report of the Eminent Persons' Group on Nepal-India Relations in the wake of New Delhi's reluctance to accept it before the general elections, the report said.

The two sides are also expected to discuss issues, including cross-border rail projects and construction of the integrated check posts, it said.

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All foreigners visiting Nagaland will have to register online on Foreigner Regional Registration Offices (FRRO) e-portal, a top police officer said Thursday.

Commissioner of Police and Foreigners Registration Officer, Dimapur said following the directive received from Foreigners Regional Registration Officer Kolkata, Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card holders and tourist visiting Nagaland on short or long term visa will have to register online at FFRO e-portal.

They can also contact the Commissioner of Police cum FRRO office, Dimapur, he added.

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Four Burkina Faso paramilitary police died Thursday in an attack on a base near the border with Mali, a region that sees frequent attacks by jihadists, security sources said.

The base in Barani "was the target of a terrorist attack led by an unidentified armed group at around five am (0500 GMT)," the source told AFP.

Another security source reported four gendarmes dead and "major material damage including a burnt vehicle".

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The election to the lone Lok Sabha seat in Nagaland will be a four cornered contest while the by-poll to the Aonglenden Assembly constituency will witness a straight fight between the ruling NDDP and Congress candidates, an Election official said Thursday.

None of the four candidates have withdrawn their nomination for the Lok Sabha election on Thursday, the last date for withdrawal of candidature while two candidates have withdrawn their candidature for the by-poll to state Assembly seat, the official said.

The candidates in the fray for the Lok Sabha seat are



INC nominee K L Chishi, PDA consensus candidate and NDPP nominee Tokheho Yepthomi, NPPs Hayithung Tungoe and Independent Dr M M Thromwa Konyak, he said.

Four candidates Alemjongshi Longkumer of Congress, Sharingain Longkumer of ruling NDPP, Toshipokba Longkumer of NPF and O Tinu Longkumer of NPP had filed nominations for the bypoll to the Aonglendem seat.

District Election Officer and Deputy Commissioner of Mokokchung, Rajesh Soundararajan said NPF candidate Toshipokba and NPP candidate Tinu withdrew their candidature Thursday.

Both Tinu and Toshipokba in separate press statements have said "the PDA government under the leadership of Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and Deputy Chief Minister Y Patton has brought progressive change and development, good governance and stability to the state of Nagaland.

Election to the Lok Sabha seat and also for the Aonglenden Assembly constituency will be held simultaneously on April 11.

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Four militants were Thursday killed in two encounters with security forces in Shopian and Kupwara districts of Jammu and Kashmir, police said.

Security forces launched an anti-militancy operation in Yawran forests in Shopian following information about the presence of militants there, a police spokesman said.

He said in the ensuing gunfight, three ultras were killed.

"The slain terrorists have been identified as Sajad Khanday, Aqib Ahmad Dar and Basharat Ahmad Mir, all residents of Pulwama," the spokesman said.

According to the police records, it was a combined group of proscribed terror outfits Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Taiba, the spokesman said.

"They were wanted by law for their complicity in a series of terror crimes, including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities," he said.

The spokesman said Dar was involved in conspiring and executing many terror attacks in the area.

Several terror crime cases were registered against him, he added.

Similarly, Khanday and Mir were also involved in many terror attacks and several terror crime cases were registered against them, the spokesman said.

"Incriminating materials, including three AK rifles, were recovered from the site of the encounter. All these materials have been taken in the case records for further investigation and to probe the trio's complicity in other terror cases," he said.

In another encounter, an unidentified militant was killed in the Handwara area of Kupwara district in north Kashmir, the spokesman said.

"One terrorist has been killed in the operation in Handwara. Some arms and ammunition have been recovered from the site," he added.

He said the identity and group affiliation of the slain militant is being ascertained.

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The adventures and antics of fictional French heroes Asterix and Obelix will now be available in Hindi to comics lovers in the country.

The Ambassador of France to India, Alexandre Ziegler, on Wednesday released the first four albums of the Asterix comics series in Hindi at the Residence of France here.

Talking about the comics book series published by Om Books International, the ambassador said that the characters embodying the French spirit are timeless and a part of the French heritage.

"It's an immense pleasure to release the first four Asterix albums in Hindi. Their stories are an opportunity for readers to get a glimpse of the history of the figures' country of origin.

"Making the humour and stories accessible in another language and culture is no mean feat, so I warmly congratulate the translators for taking up this challenge," Ziegler said.

The comics series tell the story of a French village in 50 BC with two of the main characters -- Asterix and Obelix -- using their brain and brawn to keep the Roman Republic from taking the village.

The first four albums - 'Asterix: Gaulwasi Asterix'; 'Asterix: Sone ki Darati'; 'Asterix: Asterix aur Gawthwasi'; 'Asterix: Asterix Talwarbaz' have been co-translated by Dipa Chaudhuri and Puneet Gupta.

"I have grown up devouring Asterix comics. In fact, I would wait with bated breath for the subsequent album to be released. And I was amazed at the amount of cultural history that these apparent comics are replete with. Every character has been so carefully crafted. Every dialogue has layers of meanings.

"I was in touch with Hachette Livre for over 7 years before they were convinced that we were the right team of professionals to tie up with for the Hindi edition. So I am really delighted that the albums in Hindi are a reality today," Ajay Mago, Publisher, Om Books International, said.

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BJP leader Giriraj Singh, who apparently went into a sulk upon being asked to contest from a Lok Sabha seat other than the one he held and fell in line after a meeting with party chief Amit Shah, will call on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Thursday evening.

The meeting will be followed by his visit to Begusarai on Friday where he will take on former JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar.

"Appointment has been fixed with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar at 5 P.M. Many thanks to the honourable chief minister for sparing his time," Singh tweeted.

The meeting with Kumar, of whom he had been a fierce critic since the days he served as a minister in the state cabinet, assumes significance as return of the chief ministers JD(U) to the BJP-led coalition had led to circumstances which made Singh forgo his Nawada seat.

The JD(U), which is contesting on 17 seats, the same number as the BJP, had insisted on having the Munger seat from where it is fielding Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan a close aide of Kumar, who had won the seat in 2009 and was the runner-up five years later.

Ram Vilas Paswans LJP, which held Munger, agreed to give up the seat in exchange for Nawada. Mafia don-turned-politician Suraj Bhan Singhs wife was the MP from Munger and the party has now fielded his brother from Nawada.

Singh was given Begusarai which has a large population of Bhumihars, the community to which he belongs. He also wanted to contest the seat in 2014 but moved to Nawada upon the partys direction and achieved victory in his first Lok Sabha election.

Begusarai fell vacant a few months ago following the death of the incumbent Bhola Singh. However, Giriraj Singh felt slighted as he happened to be the only BJP Union minister from Bihar, who has been made to give up his sitting seat.

Others Ashwini Kumar Choubey, R K Singh and Radha Mohan Singh are seeking re-election from their respective seats.

The JD(U)s support would be crucial for Singh in Begusarai as the party had won the seat in 2004 and 2009. The CPI, which had finished third in 2014 and yet managed to secure close to two lakh votes, has this time fielded Kanhaiya Kumar who belongs to the same caste as Singh.

Lalu Prasads RJD, which had said before the elections that it would support Kanhaiya Kumar if fielded from Begusarai, has now changed its stance and is likely to field Tanveer Hassan, the runner-up of 2014, who may benefit from a division of Bhumihar votes between Kumar and Singh.

Meanwhile, Singh is also set to begin his campaign in Begusarai from Friday where polling is scheduled in the fourth phase of elections and the filing of nominations will commence on April 2 while voting will take place on April 29.

"All patriots are welcome to Begusarai. I will depart from Patna for my karmabhoomi Begusarai Friday," Singh said in another tweet.

In yet another tweet he announced "I will file my nomination from Begusarai on April 06.

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Thursday hit out at the saying the former chief minister has reached an understanding with AIUDF chief to ensure his son Gaurav Gogoi's victory in the coming elections in the state.

Addressing his second rally of the day in here, Shah said Gogoi and Ajmal fights during the day to show people that they are opponents "but do 'ILU-ILU' at night".

'ILU' was used as abbreviation for I love you in a song of the blockbuster flick 'Saudagar' in the early 1990s by director Subhash Ghai.

Continuing his tirade against Congress, Shah said "What does this mean? It means that they ( and Badruddin Ajmal) plan to fill with illegal migrants for the win of Gogoi's son Gaurav.

"That is why Gogoi has gone to Ajmal," he claimd at an election rally here.

has launched a blitzkrieg against in Assam alleging a secret understanding with AUIDF. Ajmal's party had announced that it would contest only three seats out of the total 14 in Assam.

Gaurav is the sitting MP from Kaliabor seat and is seeking a re-election for the second term from the same constituency.

"If we want to develop Assam, then infiltration has to stop. cannot do that. Only Narendra Modi, Sarbananda Sonowal and Himanta Biswa Sarma can do.

"If you make Modi the PM again, then forget about people, even birds will not be able to enter Assam," Shah said while campaigning for BJP's Topon Kumar Gogoi, who is contesting in Jorhat seat.

(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.)
Police seized gutkha worth Rs 1.77 crore from three trucks near here in Maharashtra and arrested their drivers, an official said Thursday.

The trucks were on their way to Pune from Gujarat when they were intercepted near Charoti check post in Dahanu at around midnight Wednesday by a police team, Palghar police PRO Hemant Katkar stated in an official release.

Personnel of the team, who were patrolling the Mumbai- Ahmedabad highway, grew suspicious about the consignments being transported in the trucks, the release said.

They thoroughly checked the vehicles and found they were carrying gutkha worth Rs 1.77 crore, it said.

Sale, consumption and manufacture of gutkha, a tobacco -based product, is banned in Maharashtra.

The police arrested eight drivers who were in the trucks, which were also seized, the release said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Mumbai Congress chief Milind Deora said Thursday that the city unit of the party has requested the high command to give a Lok Sabha ticket to actor Urmila Matondkar.

Matondkar joined the Congress Wednesday after meeting party president Rahul Gandhi.

It is likely that she would be nominated from Mumbai North, as the party has already announced candidates from other four seats in Mumbai which it would be contesting.

Deora, who took charge as the new Mumbai Congress chief, replacing Sanjay Nirupam, said, "We have requested party chief Rahul Gandhi to nominate Matondkar as a candidate."



Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan also said that Matondkar's candidature will be declared soon.

Speaking to reporters later, Matondkar said she wanted the of hatred which has grown by "leaps and bounds" in the last five years, to end.

The money spent on "trolling and hatred" should have gone into development, she added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Lamenting corruption involving public servants, the Madras High Court Thursday came down on "vote for cash" describing it as "a slam on democracy" and said even the judiciary was not immune to the evil practice.

Justice S M Subramaniam said just as the terrorists were declared as anti-social elements, the corrupt who act against development of "our great nation are also to be declared anti-nationals".

The judge made the stinging observations while dismissing a petition by a government employee, suspended on graft charges, seeking his re-instatement.

Lambasting the government staff who indulge in corruption, he said bribing of public authorities starts right from the birth of a child and continues till the cemeteries where bribes are given to get favourable burial slots.

Of late, "popular corruption" was "vote for cash", the judge said.

"Our great nation had large number of statesmen. However, now, the concept of vote for cash was being developed by many political parties," he said.

"An ambitious citizen, who would like to become a member of parliament or a member of legislative assembly, in order to contribute his knowledge, experience for enacting good laws for the development of the society and to our great nation are indulging in illegal activities of vote for cash. It is undoubtedly a slam on democracy," the Judge said.

If these activities were allowed, the very expectation of development among the people would be demolished and they would be left frustrated, he said.

Equally, a few voters were not realising the sanctity and the value of the right to vote, he noted.

Turning to the judiciary, Justice Subramaniam said: "Corruption in judiciary is the greatest enemy to the Constitution."



"Judiciary must also initiate drastic measures in order to control corruption in various forms," he added.

Referring to various other fields, including the vigilance department, affected by the menace of graft, he said though, cases were registered and corrupt officials prosecuted under the Prevention of Corruption Act, "such actions are a mole in the mountain".

"Large scale corruptions are, though noticed, not prosecuted. For that also, bribes are offered," he said, adding that the worst form of corruption was happening at the burial grounds.

"We the people are able to tolerate even corruption in the burial ground. Unless the public servant in the burial ground maintained by the state or local bodies, are bribed, the dead body will not get appropriate timings for burial. The right of decent burial is also denied," the Judge said in his order.

Noting that only a non-corrupt public administration can help preserve values of Constitutional rights of the citizen, Justice Subramaniam said providing a non-corrupt administration by the State/Union was also an integral part of the Constitutional mandate.

If the situation was allowed to continue, undoubtedly it would worsen and the next generation would face the evil consequences of corruption in its advanced form, which will shaken the pillars of the democratic country, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Calcutta High Court Thursday stayed criminal proceedings against BJP president Amit Shah in connection with an FIR that accused him of provoking violence in his speech in January.

Questioning how Shah's claim that the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal would fall on the day of counting of votes of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections could possibly incite violence, Justice Jay Sengupta stayed proceedings against him for four weeks.

Shah moved the high court praying for quashing of the FIR against him, claiming that the charges against him were frivolous and concocted.

During the hearing, the court observed that the real perpetrators of the violence in Contai in East Midnapore district were not booked, but the person giving the speech was booked.

Appearing for the state, public prosecutor Saswata Mukherjee said two other cases were also lodged at Contai police station naming some accused persons for allegedly injuring a few people and indulging in violence and arson.

He admitted that the name of Shah does not appear in those complaints.

Staying the criminal proceedings against Shah at the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) court in Contai on the basis of the FIR, Justice Sengupta directed that the matter would appear for hearing again after two weeks.

Justice Sengupta had on Wednesday directed the West Bengal Police to produce the case diary in connection with the FIR lodged against the BJP president for allegedly making defamatory and provocative statements.

The FIR was lodged by Atanu Giri claiming that Shah had made the defamatory and provocative statements at a public meeting on January 29.

The complainant said Shah's speech provoked BJP workers who vandalised a Trinamool Congress party office besides setting afire several motorcycles at Contai town, around 170 kilometres from here.

According to Giri's complaint, Shah in his speech said, "The government of West Bengal will fall when counting process of the parliamentary election will be on."



It was also alleged that Shah's speech "provoked religious sentiments of the people of the state".

Seeking quashing of the FIR, Shah's lawyers Y J Dastur and Firoze Edulji Wednesday submitted that no case was made out in the FIR and the charges are frivolous and concocted.

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A day after the SBI-led bankers consortium raised Rs 1,008 crore by selling 7.4 million pledged shares of United Breweries, their bid to recover more money by liquidating shares of United Spirits faced opposition from HDFC Bank which moved the special PMLA court here against it.

The special PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) court did not take up the petition and fixed April 2 for the next date of hearing.

At Thursday's closing price of Rs 532.20 on the BSE, these 6.6 million shares could fetch the banks over Rs 350 crore.

Banks are seeking court permission to liquidate 65.85 lakh shares of United Spirits which were pledged by two Vijay Mallya companies -- United Breweries Holdings (UBHL) and Kingfisher Finvest, the holding company of the defunct Kingfisher Airlines -- as collateral for loans from HDFC Bank.

The banks are trying to part-recover the Rs 6,203.35 crore of dues along with annualized interest of 11.5 per cent payable since 2013, by liquidating the confiscated assets of Mallya, who is awaiting an extradition case at the London High Court now.

In its application moved before MS Azmi, the judge of the PMLA court, HDFC Bank said as part of its business operations it's been extending loans to United Breweries since 1980. Similarly, in 2010 various loans were given and these were secured by shares and various immovable properties.

United Spirits (USL) is majority owned by British spirits major Diageo since 2013 after Mallya sold controlling stake in the country's largest spirits maker.

Under the share pledge agreement for the loan from HDFC Bank, UBHL and Kingfisher Finvest had pledged a total of 65.85 lakh shares of United Spirits in favour of HDFC Bank, the application noted.

HDFC Bank further claimed that the exclusive charge over the attached shares, especially USL shares, was disclosed in the 2011-12 annual report of UBHL.

The application states that it is not the case of consortium of banks that UBHL or Kingfisher Finvest had created a pledge in their favour, prior to creation of pledge in favour HDFC Bank.

The contention that dues of HDFC Bank are not adjudicated and hence they cannot claim right over the pledged share of USL is 'baseless' and 'unfounded', the HDFC Bank said.

Earlier, a 12-bank consortium led by State Bank had moved the PMLA court seeking release of Mallya's assets that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had attached.

The banks claimed "legitimate interests" in all the properties belonging to Mallya, Kingfisher Airlines, UBHL and Kingfisher Finvest including movable and immovable properties.

The ED told the special court that it had no objection to allowing banks to sell Mallya properties provided they gave an undertaking that they would return the money later. But this was opposed by the official liquidator appointed by the Karnataka High Court.

Later in January this year, Mallya, who owes over Rs 9,900 crore to banks, was declared as an fugitive economic offender under the provisions of the new Fugitive Economic Offenders Act which came into existence last August. This facilitated the PMLA court to allow banks to sell the stocks.

It can be noted that the official liquidator of the Bengaluru Debt Recovery Tribunal had Wednesday sold 74 million pledged shares of United Breweries, currently owned by beer major Heineken, for Rs 1,008 crore on behalf of the ED.

The proceeds would go to the banks. This is among the big recovery action taken by the authorities since Mallya left the country in March 2016.

These shares, which were pledged with Yes Bank, were attached by the ED in connection with money laundering probe involving Mallya and debt-laden Kingfisher Airlines.

The sale could go on after the PMLA court had last month directed Yes Bank to surrender these in favour of the recovery officer in Bengaluru within three weeks.

Mallya personally held 7.91 per cent in UBHL as of December 2016, while total promoter holdings stood at 52 per cent. UBHL is now facing liquidation. The ED attachment included 41.3 million UB shares or almost 15 per cent held by Mallya and his group companies.

Currently Heineken holds about 44 per cent in UB, once controlled by Mallya, while 23 per cent with UB promoters and promoter groups are pledged.

So far, the ED has attached assets of Mallya worth Rs 9,700 crore in connection with an alleged IDBI Bank loan fraud case registered by the CBI.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A court in Porbandar in Gujarat Thursday remanded eight of the nine Iranian nationalsm, held from a boat in mid-sea while carrying 100 kg of heroin, in a fourteen-day police custody.

The ninth accused was hospitalised, so the state Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) did not seek his remand.

The ATS told chief judicial magistrate C R Patel that it needed to interrogate the accused to find out if they were part of any terrorist group or the international drug mafia.

It also wanted to probe the source of the consignment, estimated to be worth a whopping Rs 500 crore, seized from the boat.

The crew members were also needed to be interrogated so that two other accused in the case, Mohammad from Delhi and Badruddin Sheikh from Mumbai, could be apprehended, the ATS told the court.

The nine men were arrested Wednesday in a joint operation by the ATS, Coast Guard and Marine Task Force when they tried to set the vessel afire and destroy the drugs.

As per the ATS, the Iranian boat was loaded off the Gwadar port in Pakistan.

Preliminary questioning revealed that a Pakistani national named Hamid Malek had dispatched the consignment.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Security forces Thursday arrested a Hizbul Mujahideen militant in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said.

Acting on a credible input, security forces arrested Rameez Ahmad Dar, a resident of Kulgam, from the Bijbehara area of Anantnag district, a police spokesman said.

He said Dar was an active militant for the past one-and-half years and affiliated with the Hizbul Mujahideen.

"Arms and ammunition were recovered from his possession," the spokesman said.

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The Chinese military on Thursday said it hopes all countries can take "real actions" to maintain lasting peace and stability in the outer space, a day after India successfully test-fired an anti-satellite missile by shooting down a live satellite.

The test made India the fourth country in the world after the US, Russia and China to acquire the strategic capability to shoot down enemy satellites.

Commenting on the development, Chinese Defence Ministry Spokesman Sr. Col Wu Qian told a media briefing: "We have read the related reports".

"We hope all the countries can take real actions to protect lasting peace and stability in the outer space," he said without referring to India.

Soon after the test, China reacted guardedly and expressed hope that all countries will uphold peace and tranquillity in the outer space.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry, in a written response to a question from PTI, said: "We have noticed reports and hope that each country will uphold peace and tranquillity in outer space".

China conducted such a test in January 2007 when its anti-satellite missile destroyed a defunct weather satellite.

Prime Minister said in New Delhi that the action was not directed against any country and the satellite was a pre-determined target orbiting at an altitude of 300 km.

He said India did not breach any laws or treaties by testing the anti-satellite missile.

Mission Shakti, which was led by the Defence Research and Development Organisation, was aimed at strengthening India's overall security, said in his address that comes a fortnight before the start of the general election.

In New Delhi, the (MEA) said in a statement that India has no intention of entering into an arms race in outer space.

"We have always maintained that space must be used only for peaceful purposes. We are against the weaponisation of Outer Space and support efforts to reinforce the safety and security of space based assets," the MEA said.
Chicago-headquartered Hyatt Hotels Corporation Thursday announced plans to open more than 14 new properties in India over the next 24 months.

The new properties will include hotels and resorts in Bengaluru, Dehradun, Udaipur, Gurgaon, Jaipur, and Trivandrum.

In a statement, Hyatt Hotels said 2019 would mark record growth for Hyatt in India.

"Expansion plans foresee the addition of over 2,100 guest rooms through the opening of more than 14 new properties over the next 24 months," it said.

Aside from growth in the larger capital cities, the emphasis will be on leisure and cultural destinations, with a focus on emerging cities within India.

This expansion includes hotels in eight new markets in the country which will establish Hyatt brand presence across 27 cities in India.

"As a result of an increasingly favourable business climate and heightened tourism spend, encouraged by relaxed visa rules and a growing upper middle class, there is a general demand for growth in the hospitality industry in India," the statement said.

This year's expansion began with the introduction of the Hyatt Centric brand through the opening of Hyatt Centric Candolim Goa.

New to the Hyatt portfolio as part of the Two Roads Hospitality acquisition in November 2018, the Alila brand also added two new properties in India, located in Diwa Goa and Fort Bishangarh.

Later in 2019, Hyatt plans to expand its brand footprint in Kerala with the opening of Hyatt Regency Kochi Malayattoor, a resort property on the banks of the Periyar river, and Hyatt Regency Thrissur, providing travellers with the first premium hotel in Thrissur.

Hyatt also plans to add its first resort in the foothills of the Himalayas with the anticipated opening of Hyatt Regency Dharamshala Resort in the second half of 2019.

Gurgaon will also be in focus later in 2019, with the scheduled opening of Grand Hyatt Gurgaon.

"These hotels will add over 1,000 guest rooms to Hyatt's existing offering in India and will establish its brand presence in four new markets," it said.

In the next year, Hyatt Place Bangalore Urbana, Hyatt Regency Jaipur Mansarovar, Hyatt Regency Dehradun, Hyatt Place Vadodara, Hyatt Regency Trivandrum, Hyatt Place Jaipur Malviya Nagar and Hyatt Regency Udaipur will be opened.

"Hyatt is one of the longest-running international hotel management brands in India, the first Hyatt hotels in India opened over 30 years ago," said Dhruva Rathore, vice-president development (India), Hyatt. "Our heritage and experience in this complex market, paired with the strong relationships we hold with local developers and owners has helped make India one of the top-three growth markets for Hyatt globally."



India has high growth potential and remains a market where Hyatt can expand its brand representation, said Sunjae Sharma, vice-president operations (India), Hyatt. "Being focused on intentional growth gives us a unique edge as Hyatt can differentiate by having the right assets in its portfolio."



Hyatt, he said, would collaborate with owners who want personal, flexible relationships and to stand out in a slightly overcrowded market.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh asked Thursday why the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) was hostile to him, a Hindu.

Singh, who is the Congress candidate from Bhopal, said he was a disciple of Shankaracharya, but he did not show off his faith.

"I have no dispute with the RSS. If the RSS is an organisation of Hindus, Digvijaya Singh too is a Hindu. Then why this hostility," he said, when asked by reporters why the BJP dubs him as anti-RSS and anti-Hindu.

"I am an anointed disciple of Dwarka and Jyotish PeethShankaracharya Swami SwaroopanandaSaraswati since 1983. Neither I tom-tom my faith from the rooftop nor do I exploit it during elections," the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister said.

" divides, it divides even families. Therefore religion should not be connected to politics," the Congress leader said.

To a question about BJP's slogan of "Congress-Mukt Bharat" (Congress-free India), he said, "This was the mindset of Hitler...this mean no opposition. We are fighting this mindset."



Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised two crore jobs, but after note-ban, 27,000 jobs were lost every day, he claimed.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a pre-dawn swoop Thursday, Income Tax officials along with CRPF personnel carried out raids at the residences of Karnataka Minor Irrigation minister C S Puttaraju and his nephew.

The raids were also carried out at the residences of PWD minister H D Revanna's close associates Narayana Reddy, Ashwath Gowda and Raya Gowda in Hassan, sources said.

Revanna's son and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda's grandson Prajjwal is contesting from the Hassan Lok Sabha seat.

Condemning the raids, Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy tweeted, "PM @narendramodi's real surgical strike is out in the open through IT dept raids. The constitutional post offer for IT officer Balakrishna helped the PM in his revenge game. Highly deplorable to use govt machinery, corrupt officials to harass opponents during election time."



Speaking to a private channel, JD(S) leader Puttaraju said three teams of Income Tax officials and Central Reserve Police Force personnel carried out raids at his Chinnakurli residence in Mandya and his nephew's house in Mysuru.

The development came a day after Kumaraswamy raised fear about possible raids on Congress and JD(S) functionaries in the state.

He claimed that CRPF personnel were brought from various parts of the country to carry out the raids.

The raids on the Congress and the JD(S) leaders can take place early Thursday morning using CRPF jawans instead of taking Karnataka Police' help in order to maintain secrecy, Kumaraswamy claimed on Wednesday.

"Three teams of I-T officials and CRPF soldiers comprising eight soldiers carried out raids at my Chinnakurli residence in Mandya and my nephew's residence in Mysuru," Puttaraju told the channel.

The minister said he was not afraid of the raids and instead, it had instilled confidence in him.

"I am not deterred by the raids, which are election related. I would like to know which BJP leader's house in Karnataka has been raided," Puttaraju, who is Mandya district's in-charge minister, said.

The JD(S) has assigned him to oversee the electioneering of H D Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil Kumaraswamy, who is fighting his maiden election from the Mandya Lok Sabha seat.

The chief minister had Wednesday warned that he would follow what his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Bannerjee did to counter the 'misuse' of central agencies.

Banerjee had staged a 'Save the Constitution' dharna from February 3-5 in Kolkata after the CBI's failed bid to question Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar in connection with chit fund cases.

Puttaraju said a meeting will be convened soon where mode of protest against these raids will be decided.

Sources in the Congress said the raids have been carried out at least 10 to 15 places in the city and elsewhere without giving details.

Income Tax officials were not available for comment.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In the wake of Statewide I-T raids on JDS partymen, former Prime Minister and JDS supremo H D Deve Gowda Thursday alleged that the BJP had tried to persuade his son H D Kumaraswamy to form a government in Karnataka with their help before the assembly elections.

"The BJP had requested Kumaraswamy to come to Mumbai before the election and promised to give big money for JDS electoral expenses. I was aware of this.

Knowing fully well about my stand, Kumaraswamy took a hard decision. He rejected the offer by saying he would not go against the wishes of his father to join hands with the BJP," Gowda told PTI here.

The JDS supremo's statement comes in the wake of a statewide pre-dawn IT crackdown on his partymen and others.

The Congress and JDS leaders have alleged that the raids were politically motivated.

The former prime minister alleged that the BJP was taking revenge against JDS leaders because they failed to form the government with the help of Kumaraswamy.

"The IT officials have been targeting D K Shivakumar. Now, they have targeted two parliamentary constituencies. PWD office is being searched. They have stooped too such a low level," he said.

Gowda also alleged that BJP president Amit Shah wanted to meet him two years back, but refused.

"He (Amit Shah) had sought an appointment to meet me at my residence two years back. I said nothing doing," he said.

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As the battle for the high-profile Chandigarh constituency gathers steam amid intense lobbying for tickets within parties, its coffee versus tea inside the BJP with hopefuls using the humble beverages to mobilise support in a bid to put forward their case.

While the party's sitting MP, actor-turned-politician Kirron Kher, is on her "coffee with Kirron" drive, city BJP chief Sanjay Tandon, who hopes to be fielded this time, has been holding "chai pe charcha" to connect with people.

Over coffee, Kher has been talking to voters from different walks of life -- from techies to senior citizens, banking on the work she has done in the last five years.

She is credited with getting the Centre's nod for changes in the Union territory's employees' housing scheme, which was pending since 2008, the approval for need-based changes in houses of the Chandigarh Housing Board and in the industrial areas. Besides, the conversion of leasehold to freehold residential properties has also been allowed during her tenure.

She is also credited with the increase in the upper age limit for entry into government service in the UT from 18-25 to 18-37 years and construction of five new sport complexes, among others.

Inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "chai" sessions, Tandon, who has been in the saddle as the BJP's city unit chief for over eight years, is gathering support over tea, discussing issues that the city faces.

The Chandigarh unit of the BJP is faction ridden and Kher and Tandon are known detractors. The two often hold parallel events and rarely attend each other's programmes.

The core committee of the party's city unit, which met here recently, has shortlisted three names for the seat -- the other one being that of former MP Satya Pal Jain.

On who could be the party's choice for Chandigarh this time, Tandon said it was up to the central leadership to decide.

In the rival Congress camp, Pawan Bansal, the former railway minister, is facing a tough challenge from former Union minister Manish Tewari and Navjot Kaur Sidhu, wife of Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu.

Manish Tewari, a former MP from Ludhiana, has been holding public meetings on a regular basis over the past few months here.

Bansal, on the other hand, exudes confidence that the party would repose faith in him by giving another chance from Chandigarh.

"I have been living here for 54 years. I have been the secretary of the University of Panjab and University Students' Council, secretary of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association, then got into the Youth Congress," he said.

"After having worked all these years, I know the people here. I know the geography and history of Chandigarh. I enjoy very good rapport with people in the party and outside," he added.

On Bansal and Tewari also vying for the seat, Navjot Kaur, the former MLA from the Amritsar-East seat said, "It is for the party to decide (on giving ticket). If Pawan Bansal gets it, I will be the first person to help him out."



Chandigarh usually goes with the trend at the national level, with voters electing candidate of the party that comes to power at the Centre, a feat recorded 11 times.

Despite facing fierce contest from Bansal and Aam Aadmi Party's Gul Panag in the last Lok Sabha polls, Kher won the seat by nearly 70,000 votes.

This time, the AAP has decided to field former Union minister Harmohan Dhawan, who recently switched over from the BJP.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
For Haryana's 10 Lok Sabha seats, the Congress is considering names of its senior state leaders, including that of former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, to take on the BJP which swept the last elections by winning nine seats in the state, party insiders have said.

In the national polls of 2014, Congress won only the Rohtak seat with Deepinder Singh Hooda holding on to his family stronghold.

According to sources within the party, Kumari Selja's name is being considered for the Ambala seat and state unit chief Ashok Tanwar is likely to fight from Sirsa. Both of them have been MPs from these seats in the past.

Capt Ajay Singh Yadav is frontrunner for the Gurgaon seat and industrialist Naveen Jindal may fight the polls from Kurukshetra, they said.

Karan Singh Dalal's name is being considered for Faridabad, however he faces a tough fight from former party MP from the seat Avtar Singh Bhadana, who recently returned to the Congress after quitting the BJP.

Sources said the Congress might spring a surprise by fielding Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who is currently an MLA from Garhi Sampla Kiloi, from the Sonepat Lok Sabha constituency.

Like Rohtak, the adjoining Sonepat parliamentary constituency, which has a sizeable number of Jat votes, is considered to be a bastion of the Hoodas.

If Hooda senior, who was recently made the chairman of the Haryana Congress Coordination Committee, wins the Sonepat seat and his son Deepinder manages to seal another victory from Rohtak, it could make the former a strong contender for the chief ministerial post ahead of the state polls due in October this year, party insiders said.

Among the kin of senior leaders being considered for party tickets is Shruti Choudhary, daughter of Congress Legislature Party leader Kiran Choudhary, from the Bhiwani-Mahendergarh seat, the sources said.

Kuldeep Bishnoi, senior Congress MLA, has been camping for his son Bhavya for the Hisar seat, according to party insiders.

Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, Congress leaders led by party's state in-charge Ghulam Nabi Azad are travelling on a bus across the state to gather support for the party.

The former chief minister claimed that the Congress in Haryana was fully united and would register a comfortable win in the general elections.

"The entire Congress is one and united under the leadership of our party president Rahul Gandhi," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
President Rahul Gandhi's minimum income support scheme for the poor can be implemented by curtailing other doles and allowing fiscal deficit to widen, former RBI Governor said.

However, it would be difficult for state governments to implement a similar scheme as they largely depend on the Centre for finance and borrowing limit, he told PTI in an interview.

"I talk only in terms of central-state fiscal relations. The state governments have budget constraints that means state governments can't spend more money because borrowing requires permission of the Government of India. So, there is a limit (for state borrowing). If they implement some schemes like this (minimum income support scheme) that has to be within their own budget limit," he said.

However, he said, the Centre has some liberty to increase fiscal deficit and there is no such hard fiscal constraints.

"So, such programmes are implemented better if the Centre takes over. If the Centre is able to accommodate it within the budget, FRBM (Fiscal Responsibility And Budget Management Act) target, then you can't object...if Government of India says they will cut other expenditures based on their relative priorities, it can do it," he said.

In a big bang election promise, the earlier this week announced that 20 per cent families belonging to the poorest category will be given Rs 72,000 each annually as minimum income if his party comes to power.

"Final assault on poverty has begun. We will wipe out poverty from the country," Gandhi had said, adding the has studied the fiscal implications of the scheme and consulted renowned economists and experts before finalising the scheme.

Asked if there can be sharing of the Centre and states for implementation of such scheme, Reddy said it could lead to complication.

Reddy has co-authored with IES officer G R Reddy a book titled 'Indian Fiscal Federalism'.

According to this book, several developments in recent years point to the emergence of a new era in fiscal federalism, the contours are still unfolding.

The book highlighted some of the developments like setting up of the GST Council, reduction of flexibility for states in revenue generation along with an increased burden of expenditure and contentious Terms of Reference of Fifteenth Finance Commission.

"The GST Council is a shining example of cooperative fiscal federalism at its best," it said.

While the arrangement is yet to stand the test of time, the functioning so far gives rise to hope that it will be a pillar of strength on the indirect revenue side, just as the Finance Commission is on the revenue expenditure side of the centre-state fiscal relations, the book said.
Prominent American experts have said that India has a long way to go when it comes to ensuring space security after it successfully test-fired an anti-satellite missile by shooting down a live satellite.

The test made India the fourth country in the world after the US, Russia and China to acquire the strategic capability to shoot down enemy satellites.

Ashley J Tellis, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace who holds the Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs, said ever since China's A-SAT missile test of 2007, India had been contemplating its own A-SAT test primarily to deter potential Chinese attacks on Indian space assets in the future.

"That aim arguably has been satisfied today, but India still has a long way to go where ensuring space security is concerned.

"China has formidable counterspace capabilities and Indian space systems are still highly vulnerable both in peacetime and in conflict. Yesterday's A-SAT test does not alter this basic reality," Tellis told PTI.

Vipin Narang, an associate professor of political science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said that the test is unlikely to make any changes to the balance of power in the region. And as such it is more of a demonstration.

"If Pakistan starts hitting Indian satellites, India can knock out Pakistan's very few satellites. China can knock out all of India's satellites whereas India cannot do the same to China. So it's kind of a weird balance for India if it's interested in getting into the anti-satellite deterrence game (because) it doesn't really have an advantage in either of its dyads," Narang told Wired Magazine.

Daryl G Kimball of the Arms Control Association think-tank in a tweet described this as a dangerous and destabilising move.

"A dangerous & destabilizing move. Underscores need for a global A-SAT ban. US gov't silence is deafening, given its negative reaction to China's '07 test," he said.

Daniel Porras, Space Security Fellow at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), said that there is a need to have A-SAT guidelines, in particular about the debris.

"A strong Indian military is an important American interest and space is increasingly a contested arena for political-military competition," Benjamin Schwartz from USIBC told PTI.

In New Delhi, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the test was done in the lower atmosphere to ensure there is no space debris.

"Whatever debris that is generated will decay and fall back onto the earth within weeks," it said.

The MEA came out with a 10-point explainer to say the anti-satellite missile test was carried out to verify India's capability to safeguard space assets and that it was not directed against any country.

It also said in a statement that India has no intention of entering into an arms race in outer space.

"We have always maintained that space must be used only for peaceful purposes. We are against the weaponisation of Outer Space and support international efforts to reinforce the safety and security of space based assets," the MEA added.

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An Indian-American professor will share his views on religion on Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman's 'The Story of God'.

The National Geographic documentary series, now in its third season, explores how religions around the world have shaped society.

Pankaj Jain an associate professor at the University of North Texas had travelled to Nepal last year where he joined Freeman to participate in rituals at a Jain temple in Kathmandu.

Originally from Rajasthan, Jain is a professor with university's department of philosophy and religion.

Their trip and discussion about Jainism will feature in the series' April 9 episode.

Jain holds a PhD from the University of Iowa and an MA from Columbia University. He studied computer science in India and has worked as a software engineer in India and New Jersey.

The professor is an active member of several academic and community organisations and has published poems in Hindi.

Jain has been consulted widely by the media around the world for his expertise in ancient religions such as Jainism and Hinduism and their connections to contemporary issues.

He also created University of North Texas's first course on Jainism and has helped organise Jain education events at the university.

Jain recently published Science and Socio-Religious Revolution in India: Moving the Mountains, and is also the author of Dharma and Ecology of Hindu Communities: Sustenance and Sustainability," which has won two awards.

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A 31-year-old man was arrested under sedition charges here on Thursday for uploading a post on social media seeking a contract to kill Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"We had received a complaint about the objectionable social media post on police control room, following which the accused was traced and arrested with the help of cyber cell," said DCP East Rahul Jain.

The accused Naveen Kumar Yadav, a resident of Rewari in Haryana presently living in Triveni Nagar here, had demanded a contract to kill the prime minister, saying he had a full-proof plan.

"Is there anyone who can give me a contract to murder Modi? I have a foolproof plan," Yadav's March 26 post read on Facebook.

The DCP said the accused during interrogation accepted that he had posted the message on his Facebook wall and also withdrew it after several people raised objection to it.

The accused revealed he was unhappy with the work done by the prime minister and the central government and has ideological differences with the PM, the officer said.

Bajaj Nagar Police Station In-charge Manvendra Singh said Yadav had previously posted negative content against the PM and the Union government.

He was arrested under IPC section 124A (sedition), 505B (disturbing public peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation), he said.

Yadav runs a book store here.

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Japanese automakers Honda and Hino are joining a partnership between SoftBank and Toyota for mobility service innovation such as self-driving cars.

Japanese technology company SoftBank Corp. and Toyota Motor Corp., the nation's top automaker, announced late last year a joint venture for mobility services, in what they called a "united Japan" effort to face global competition.

Honda Motor Co., Toyota's rival, and Hino Motors, Toyota's truck division, said Thursday each company will acquire a 9.9 per cent stake in the USD 20 million Toyota-SoftBank venture Monet Technologies Corp.

Each company invests USD 2.3 million, according to the companies.

Toyota and SoftBank also announced Thursday a Monet Consortium, which includes partnerships with 88 other companies, including Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan and East Japan Railway Co., to enhance mobility services.

Philips Japan, a health technology company, developer Mitsubishi Estate and Yahoo Japan Corp. have also agreed to join the consortium.

Technology experts say advances in artificial intelligence and sensors are opening up potential for autonomous driving and other mobility services, although safety concerns remain a major hurdle.

Honda President Takahiro Hachigo said collaborating with Monet will include efforts to realize regulatory changes.

"Honda wants to contribute to the revitalization of the mobility service industry in Japan and solve traffic-related problems facing Japanese society," he said.

Yoshio Shimo, Hino president, said the move was part of the truckmaker's ongoing efforts to transport goods and people.

"Through this partnership, we will strive to achieve our vision of creating a world where people and goods move freely, safely and efficiently," said Shimo.

SoftBank owns 40.2 percent in Monet Technologies; Toyota owns 39.8 percent.

In announcing the partnership in October, Toyota President Akio Toyoda said the move reflected the company's desire to change and keep up with global competition in autonomous vehicles and other technology.

Toyota is widely seen as a traditional Japan Inc. company, while SoftBank, led by Masayoshi Son, has a reputation for aggressively investing in less traditional brands, such as car-sharing companies Uber, Didi and Grab, as well as Arm, a leader in the internet of things, or IoT.

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Kazakhstan's new president will visit ally Russia on his first foreign visit, his office said Thursday, days after predecessor Nursultan Nazarbayev suddenly quit the post he held for three decades.

Nazarbayev, who had ruled the energy-rich Central Asian nation since before it gained independence with the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, announced his shock resignation in a televised address last week.

Career diplomat and political loyalist Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, 65, took over from Nazarbayev but signalled in his first speech after inauguration that his predecessor would retain a decisive role in decision-making.

The 78-year-old, who has the constitutional status of "Leader of the Nation" as well as a life-time position as chief of the security council, is known for careful diplomacy that privileges key partners Russia and China while maintaining cordial ties with the West.

The announcement of Tokayev's forthcoming visit to Russia on April 3 will therefore be viewed as a continuation of that policy.

Tokayev's former position in the senate was taken up by Nazarbayev's 55-year-old daughter, Dariga Nazarbayeva, triggering talk of an eventual dynastic succession.

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Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said on Thursday that the income tax raid on JD(S) leaders overseeing the electioneering of his son Nikhil Kumaraswamy in Mandya and nephew Prajwal Revanna in Hassan was "politically motivated" and he would stage a demonstration against it in Bengaluru along with Congress leaders.

"I am going to stage a demonstration in Bengaluru. Let the whole nation see how the income tax department is being misused. These raids are politically motivated," a visibly upset Kumaraswamy told reporters in Mysuru.

The pre-dawn raids at 15 to 20 places triggered an angry backlash from Congress as well as JD(S) leaders.

More importantly, the raids were on people who were monitoring the electioneering of the two belonging to the Gowda family, including state minor irrigation minister C S Puttaraju and his nephew Ashok, who is a district Panchayat member in Mysuru.

Nikhil Kumaraswamy and Prajwal Revanna are testing political waters for the first time under the tutelage of Kumaraswamy and PWD minister H D Revanna.

Asserting that he had predicted the raids Wednesday night itself, Kumaraswamy said for the first time the I-T officials raided government offices too, such as PWD office in Hassan and Tahsildar office in Kanakapura.

Accusing the principal chief commissioner of income tax department (Karnataka-Goa region) B R Balakrishnan of acting as a "political agent", the chief minister said he was eyeing on a gubernatorial position post retirement.

"A BJP leader sends list of people to Amit Shah, who eventually forwards it to Balakrishnan to carry out raids. Balakrishnan is acting as an agent of BJP. It seems that he wants a post retirement position such as governor of some state," he added.

Kumaraswamy questioned BJP state chief B S Yeddyurappa as to whether he could win elections without money.

"Note counting machine was found during raids at BJP leaders' houses. They are now teaching us about honesty. Did the I-T officials find note counting machine at Puttaraju's house? They are out to frighten us but the fact is the BJP is shaken and wants to win election by intimidating us. We are not the ones who get scared," said the chief minister.

The raids did not perturb Revanna. Speaking to reporters in Hassan, he said, "So long as I have the blessings of Sringeri Sharadamba and Shankaracharya, nothing will happen...Anybody conspiring against me or trying black magic will be destroyed. I am so well protected."



Former chief minister and Congress strongman Siddaramaiah said if the BJP thought that these intimidation tactics would win them the election, then they are wrong in their assumption.

Yeddyurappa rubbished the charges, saying the Income Tax department was doing its duty and it should not be linked with

Meanwhile, the income tax department in a press release in the wake of the chief minister's statements to the press, said no MP, MLA or minister had been covered in the searches and they were being carried out on the basis of credible information received.

"Certain searches are being carried out by the income tax department in Karnataka Goa on contractors and connected persons. No MP, MLA or minister have so far been covered in the searches. These searches are being carried out on the basis of credible information received," it said.

The searches were carried out on a wide range of professions and businesses including bureaucrats, breweries, MNCs, mining barons, diagnostic centres, trusts, educational institutions, medical colleges, real estate, fisheries, and film industry and including politically exposed persons, said the release.

It also said these searches have resulted in collecting credible evidence on tax evasion. The searches on politically exposed persons have covered their entire range of the political spectrum.

The I-T department also said CRPF personnel being used for the searches had not been flown from outside the state.

"While it is true that CRPF is being used for providing security, the said central armed police personnel were requisitioned from the State Police (ADGP Law and Order) following normal protocol and have not been flown in outside the state," the release said.

The department also said its activities should not be politicised, personalised or trivialised.

"We also request that the activities of the income tax department should not be politicised, personalised or trivialised. In particular statements which sound like an incitement to physical violence issued by persons holding very responsible posts are deeply deplorable," it added.

The Income Tax department is committed to carrying out its functions in a professional and fearless manner. The Department will act on credible information regardless of political affiliations, the release said.

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A delegation led by the Chief Executive Councillor of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, Thursday called upon Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik here and demanded industry status to the tourism sector in the region, officials said.

The delegation, comprising members of the All Ladakh Hotel and Guest House Association and the All Ladakh Tour Operators Association met Malik at the Raj Bhavan and apprised him about the impact of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on the tourism and hospitality sector in Ladakh, an official spokesperson said.

He said the delegation requested the governor to amend the "original SRO 63" (government order) to give the status of industry to the tourism sector so that it could avail the benefit of reimbursement of the state component of GST and to forward the case of the sector to the Centre for exemption or reimbursement of the central component of GST and to refund all uncollected GST, interests and penalties.

Meanwhile, Abdul Rashid, Secretary, Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, and K S Risam, Director Extension, who is holding charge of the Vice-Chancellor of the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences-Jammu, separately met the governor here, the official added.

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Former CPI(M) MP Laxman Seth Thursday joined the Congress along with his supporters,



WBPCC President Somen Mitra said.

He told PTI that Seth has been nominated by the Congress to contest the Lok Sabha election from his home turf of Tamluk constituency.

Seth had won thrice from Tamluk when he was in the CPI-M but was expelled from the party in March 2014 for anti party activities. He had then floated his own outfit - the Bharat Nirman Party and had joined the BJP in 2016. The saffron party expelled him in 2018.

"I had discussion with Congress high command about Seth's joining the party and being nominated for Tamluk seat for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Rahul Gandhi has cleared Seth's candidature from Tamluk seat," Mitra said.

Seth had initially wanted to join TMC, which was not granted by chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

He had then requested to join Congress, which allowed him.

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The assured minimum facilities' (AMF) at the polling centres in Maharashtra have been doubled for the next month's Lok Sabha election, an official said on Thursday.

This year, medical kits will be made available at the polling centres in case a voter suffers a health problem. Besides, there will be sheds at polling centres, volunteers to help 'divyang' and pregnant women, crche for children, transportation for visually-impaired and divyang voters and queue management, the election official said.

"The Election Commission (EC) implements various measures for the voters to facilitate easy and hassle-free voting. In the last general election, it had provided seven types of facilities, including ramp, drinking water, electricity, help desk and toilets," he said.

"This year, these facilities have been doubled with 15 various types of AMF being put in place as per the directives of the ECI issued to the state electoral officer.

"The new facilities will include a medical kit containing pain killer medicines, bandages, ORS powder, band-aid, plasters, etc. A medical assistant will be made available at every polling centre," he said.

In view of the summer season and scorching sun, directions have been given to set up pandals for women, senior citizens, divyang voters and children accompanying their mothers, the official said.

Volunteers will be appointed to assist the voters. They will be drawn from NCC, NSS, and Scouts and Guides. These student volunteers will manage the queues and help divyang voters to reach the polling centres.

Directions have been issued to provide food and water to these volunteers, the official said.

Arrangement of crche for the children accompanying their mothers will be made at each polling centre and a trained assistant will be appointed to take care of the children, he said.

Transport arrangement will be made for those visually impaired and divyang voters, who demand this facility. They will be ferried from their houses to the polling centres and back.

In case of non-availability of public transport, private vehicles should be hired to ferry such voters.

There will be three queues at each polling centre



one for men, another for women and third for senior citizens and divyang voters.

"Preference will be given to senior citizens and divyang voters. One male voter will be given entry after every two women voters cast their votes," the official said.

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The nomination of over 900 candidates for the April 18 Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu have been accepted, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Satyabrata Sahoo said Thursday.

Karur, where senior AIADMK leader and Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai is facing Congress candidate S Jothimani, has the highest number of accepted nominations at 43, Sahoo said.

Further, over Rs 50 crore in cash and gold and silver jewels valued around Rs 69 crore have been seized since the model code of conduct (MCC) came into force, he said.

"A total of 1,587 nominations were filed for the (39) Parliamentary constituencies.. 655 of them were rejected following scrutiny and 932 were found to be valid," Sahoo told reporters here.

While Karur has the maximum valid nominations at 43 it was the lowest in the Nilgiris reserved constituency at 10.

Elections to 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu are scheduled in a single phase polling on April 18.

The AIADMK-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), Kamal Haasan's Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) and Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam floated by T T V Dhinakaran are the main contenders.

Sahoo further said that cash Rs 50.70 crore and 223 kg of gold and silver, valued around Rs 69 crore, have been seized so far by officials.

To a question on the allocation of symbol to AMMK, he said the Election Commission of India will decide on the matter since it has been given directions by the Supreme Court in this connection.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court had refused to acknowledge the claim of the AMMK over 'pressure cooker' as a common election symbol.

The apex court, however, had directed the EC to consider granting common free election symbol to the AMMK candidates for the April 18 polls and assembly by-elections in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

Dhinakaran had won the December 2017 RK Nagar by-poll, necessitated by the death of then sitting MLA and late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, on the 'pressure cooker' symbol.

On the by-polls to 18 Assembly seats, Sahoo said a total of 518 nominations have been received, with 213 of them being rejected, leaving 305 candidates in the fray.

The by-polls are also scheduled on April 18.

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The Bombay High Court Thursday expressed displeasure over the pace of probe into the killing of rationalists Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare, asking whether the chief minister did not have time to take stock of the cases.

It is "shameful" that almost every investigation requires the court's intervention, a bench of Justices S C Dharmadhikari and B P Colabawala said.

The CBI is probing the Dabholkar killing case, while the state CID is probing the Pansare case.

"What is the CM doing? He holds 11 portfolios, including Home, but does not find the time to take stock of the case. His deputies do not have the time to remove obstacles in the probe?" the court said.

Noting that a political leader belonged to the state and not just any party, it said, "It is a sovereign function and cannot be outsourced."



The court made the remarks after CID lawyer Ashok Mundargi submitted that the agency had doubled the strength of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Pansare case.

He said there were now 35 officers in the team.

"Top officers have reviewed the case thoroughly recently. Five meetings have been conducted in the past few months, and the reward announced for any information on the absconding accused has been increased from Rs 10 lakh to



Rs 50 lakh," Mundargi said.

The HC, however, dismissed the submissions, saying these were "knee-jerk reactions" introduced only after the court made some adverse remarks on the previous hearing.

It said the authorities could not just rely on vigilant citizens for help.

"We are not impressed. These are knee-jerk reactions. You think people will come forward to help you for money? Of all you know, they might be earning more for keeping quiet," the bench said.

It also expressed displeasure over nearly every case requiring the court's intervention.

"It is shameful and we should not be saying this but, if that unfortunate incident in Karnataka (killing of activist-journalist Gauri Lankesh) had not happened and you (authorities in Maharashtra) had not coordinated with Karnataka police, you would have remained clueless," the court said.

It said in a democracy, everyone had the right to express oneself and that the perpetrators of such crimes must remember that "violence breeds violence".

"Those who are perpetrators of a crime today can become the victims of such crime tomorrow," the bench said.

CBI counsel Anil Singh told the court that the agency had already identified shooters in the Dabholkar case and filed charge sheets.

He said the probe agency required some time to work on "additional information" received from Karnataka police.

The court has now granted time to both the agencies till April 26 for further probe in the two cases.

Dabholkar was shot dead on August 20, 2013 in Pune while out on morning walk.

Pansare was shot at on February 16, 2015 in Kolhapur and succumbed to injuries on February 20.

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The stage is set for a busy period of Indian extradition-related activity in the UK courts as liquor baron Vijay Mallya's High Court appeal moves forward for a judge's verdict on paperwork and fugitive diamond merchant returns to Westminster Magistrates' Court here for a second bail hearing on Friday.

"All the papers have been received and are now awaiting allocation to a single judge who will decide, on the basis of those papers, if permission is given to go to a full hearing," said a spokesperson for the UK judiciary, in reference to Mallya's application seeking an appeal against his extradition ordered by the magistrates' court and then signed off by UK home secretary Sajid Javid last month.

While there is no set timescale for the judge to pronounce a decision on whether Mallya will be granted an appeal in the UK High Court, a decision is likely within the next few weeks.

The 62-year-old former Kingfisher Airlines boss, wanted in India on alleged fraud and money laundering charges amounting to about Rs 9,000 crore, took to social media yet again to claim unfair treatment in the context of struggling Indian airlines Jet Airways being thrown a lifeline by public sector banks.

In her ruling at the end of his extradition trial in December last year, Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot had concluded that Mallya has a case to answer in the Indian courts over substantial "misrepresentations" of his financial dealings.

"There is clear evidence of dispersal and misapplication of the loan funds and I find a prima facie case that Dr Mallya was involved in a conspiracy to launder money," she noted.

Now, the same judge is expected to preside over the next major Indian extradition trial to come before the Westminster Magistrates' Court, that of diamantaire Modi wanted for alleged "high value and sophisticated" fraud and money laundering amounting to $2 billion.

"He is expected to be produced before the court for a second bail application hearing on March 29," a court official said.

Meanwhile, the 48-year-old has been lodged in HMP Wandsworth prison in south-west London since last Wednesday, when a judge had declined his request for bail on the grounds that he posed a flight risk.

Describing him as the "opposite of a flight risk" during the first bail application hearing last week, Modi's defence team had offered 500,000 pounds as security and also submitted to any stringent conditions that may be imposed upon their client.

It remains to be seen how they would further bolster that offer in order to convince the judge to grant bail during the second hearing, following which the case will proceed to a series of case management hearings and setting of a trial date.

Modi was arrested by the Scotland Yard officers from a bank in central London as he attempted to open a new bank account on March 19.

During his first court appearance a day after, it emerged that the diamantaire accused of defrauding India's state-owned Punjab Bank (PNB) via fraudulent Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) had been in possession of multiple passports, since revoked by the Indian authorities.

While one passport is now in possession of the Metropolitan Police, a second expired passport is lying with the UK Home Office and a third with the UK's Driving and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) for a driver's licence.

Besides the passports, Modi also possesses multiple residency cards, some of them expired, but covering countries such as the UAE, Singapore and Hong Kong.

His defence team tried to establish his very "visible" and "lawful" residence at his luxury Centre Point apartment in London's West End, paying his local council tax and also using a Insurance number, allocated to legal UK residents for purposes of work.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), arguing on behalf of the Indian authorities, had challenged all claims to counter the first bail plea and pointed out that Modi had "deliberately evaded justice" and not returned to India despite a series of criminal summons issued by Indian courts.

The CPS will now be joined by a joint Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) team that has arrived from India to assist with Modi's extradition case.
Malta's armed forces said Thursday they had taken control of a tanker that was hijacked by migrants it had rescued off Libya.

It said a special operations team is escorting the vessel to Malta where it was expected to arrive Thursday morning, to "be handed over to the police for further investigations".

The Palau-flagged tanker Elhiblu I picked up the migrants on Tuesday evening in waters where Libyan coastguards are responsible, and then headed back to Tripoli.

But six nautical miles from port the ship suddenly changed course and headed north toward Europe.

Italy's far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said Wednesday the vessel had been hijacked, and vowed that the migrants would not be allowed to disembark in Italy.

The tanker was about 30 nautical miles from Malta when the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) established communications with the captain.

"The captain repeatedly stated that he was not in control of the vessel and that he and his crew were being forced and threatened by a number of migrants to proceed to Malta," the AFM said in a statement.

"AFM Patrol Vessel P21 stopped the tanker from entering the Maltese territorial waters.

"An AFM Special Operations Unit team was dispatched to board and secure the vessel in order to hand over control of the ship to the captain." It said the team was backed up by several naval vessels and a helicopter.

The German charity Sea-Eye, whose ship Alan Kurdi was in the rescue zone off Libya and which overheard radio messages between a European military aircraft and the tanker, said the ship picked up 108 migrants including women and children.

Migrants in chaos-wracked Libya face trafficking, kidnap, torture and rape, according to the United Nations and aid groups.

Following Rome's increasingly tough anti-migrant stance, boats that pick up migrants making the perilous journey across the Mediterranean increasingly return them to Libya.

Boatloads of rescued migrants have in recent months refused to disembark in Libya, prompting the authorities there to use force.

The European Union announced on Wednesday it will suspend ship patrols that have rescued tens of thousands of migrants in the Mediterranean and brought them to Italy, in the face of deep resistance from Rome's populist government.

Migrant arrivals from North Africa and the Middle East have been sharply reduced since a 2015 peak when Europe faced its worst migration crisis since World War II.

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Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari Thursday interacted with people through social media which he named "Twitter Chaupal" and answered questions on a range of issues, including full statehood and the Centre's welfare schemes.

During his "Chaupal", Tiwari hit out at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for his government's "failure" in fulfilling pre-poll promises.

The BJP MP said under the Swachh Bharat Mission, 9.5 crores toilets have been constructed to ensure respectable life of the country's women.

He said under the 'Ujjwala' scheme, 6.5 crore gas connections have been provided to empower the women and the works done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is being talked about in every 'chaupal' of the country.

Replying to a question on pollution levels in Delhi, Tiwari said there is such a "negative government" ruling Delhi which is not ready to admit its mistakes, according to a statement.

He alleged that the AAP government has "no will power" to take steps to control pollution. Environment cess of Rs 9,000 has been collected from the people of Delhi but it has not been utilised, he said.

Responding to a question on full statehood for Delhi, Tiwari said the matter should be examined but by trying to disturb the Republic Day Parade, Kejriwal has put a question mark on the demand.

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An alleged member of Neeraj Bawana gang carrying a reward of Rs one lakh was arrested from Sector-16 in Rohini, police said on Thursday.

The accused - Dushyant alias Monu Bajitpur (35), a resident of Bajitpur Thakran village was wanted in several cases and also involved in recent killings during gang wars in outer Delhi.

Acting on a tip-off that the accused will meet a person named Sonu, the police laid a trap at sector 16 in Rohini on Tuesday. Bajitpur was spotted at the area around 5.15 PM and was nabbed after a while when his associated failed to turn up, PS Kushwah, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell), said.

"During interrogation, Bajitpur revealed that he used to call builders, businessmen and bookies to threaten and extort from them on behalf of the Neeraj Bawana gang," Kushwah said.

The DCP said Bajitpur was planning to kill three people - Hitesh, Sanam and Rahul belonging to the rival Ashok Pradhan gang and was making arrangements for that.

The associates of the accused - Sunil, Sukhwinder and Ravinder were recently arrested after which, he went into hiding, Kushwah said.

Bajitpur went to jail in 2010 over a trivial issue.

After coming out of jail, he came in contact with Kala Asodiya and Neeraj Bawana through his maternal uncle Krishan, he said.

His association with Asodiya and Bawana resulted in his rivalry with the dreaded gangs of Neetu Dabodia and Ashok Pradhan.

Neetu Dabodia gang was subsequently taken over by Ashok Pardhan and Rajesh Bawana after Dabodia died in an exchange fire with police, the officer said.

There had been three attempts to kill Bajitpur in the past by rival gangs.

One semi-automatic loaded pistol and six live cartridges were recovered from his possession, they added.

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- Mexico has not proposed offering asylum to President Nicolas Maduro as part of talks with the United States aimed at resolving Venezuela's political crisis, the foreign ministry said Thursday.

The denial came after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States was in contact with Mexico and Norway about Maduro's future, appearing to confirm that Washington was seeking a country where the embattled president could be sent into exile.

Mexico City confirmed the talks, but said that "as of today, those conversations have not mentioned any possibility that Mexico could grant asylum to any member of the Venezuelan government," foreign ministry spokesman Roberto Velasco said in a statement.

"There have been conversations with the secretary of state and his team to try to facilitate a dialogue in Venezuela," he said.

Testifying before Congress Wednesday, Pompeo was asked by Representative Albio Sires whether Mexico and Norway, which have both offered to broker an end to the crisis, could find a way to move Maduro out of Venezuela.

"Yes, I've personally been in conversations with each of those two governments," Pompeo said.

Maduro, the political heir to late leftist firebrand Hugo Chavez, is facing mounting pressure to quit amid a disastrous recession and a leadership challenge by Juan Guaido, the head of the opposition-controlled legislature, who declared himself acting president on January 23.

The United States has led more than 50 countries in recognizing Guaido as Venezuelan leader, calling Maduro's May re-election illegitimate.

Mexico has taken a hands-off stance to the crisis under leftist President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who has not switched recognition to Guaido, instead calling for talks between the two sides.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Launching his party's Lok Sabha poll campaign in three states, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday kept the focus on national security, terrorism and how his "decisive" government showed the courage to conduct a surgical strike in all spheres -- land, sky and space.

Modi addressed rallies in Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, Rudrapur in Uttarakhand and Akhnoor in Jammu and Kashmir--all part of Lok Sabha constituencies figuring in the first phase of the polls on April 11.

Modi also tore into the opposition parties by coining an acronym SARAB (alcohol') from the initial letters of the Samajwadi Party(SP), Rashtriya Lok Dal(RLD) and Bahujan Samaj Party(BSP) alliance and urged people to stay away from SARAB' in the polls for the good health of Uttar Pradesh. The Hindi word for liquor is 'sharab'.

The remarks by Modi, who also termed the SP-RLD-BSP alliance in UP 'mahamilavat' (adulterated), drew a furious reaction from the Congress and the SP. Congress demanded an apology from Modi while SP chief Akhilesh Yadav accused him of spreading the "intoxication of hatred", saying the prime minister didn't know the difference between 'sharab' and 'sarab' (mirage).

Continuing his attack on the Congress, Modi accused it of raising questions on the valour of the armed forces after the post-Uri surgical strikes in 2016 in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir(PoK) and later the air strikes in Balakot inside Pakistan in February.

The contest is between a "a decisive government and an indecisive past", Modi said at the BJP's Vijay Sankalp rally in the western UP town of Meerut, a day after announcing that India had demonstrated the anti-satellite missile capability by shooting down a live satellite to join an elite club of space super powers.

Calling himself the nation's 'chowkidar', Modi said, "It was this chowkidar's government that had the courage to conduct surgical strikes on land, sky and space. India should develop, India should be secure from enemies."



The country is, for the first time, witnessing a government that knows how to deliver, he said.

The prime minister, who launched the BJP's campaign from Meerut in 2014 too, said he will bring justice to all.

The contest this time will be between "dumdaar BJP and daagdaar opposition", he said, driving home his point that his party is strong but opposition parties are tainted.

In his third rally of the day at Akhnoor in Jammu region near the Indo-Pak border, Modi said terrorists across the border are living in a state of fear.

In an apparent reference to the Balakot air strikes, Modi said those running the terrorist factory across the border are living under constant fear and the terrorists have been forced to think 100 times before sneaking into this side.

"Those running the terrorist factory across the border are afraid and are living under constant fear. This had happened for the first time that the terrorists are forced to think 100 times to intrude into this side to rattle India," Modi said at his first poll rally in J and K.

Modi, who spoke in Dogri first and then switched over to Hindi, said when voters press the button of the EVM on April 11 and choose the lotus, it will not only unnerve the terrorists and their friends within the country but its bang would be heard across the border as well.

The prime minister also attacked Congress president Rahul Gandhi on his mocking tweet Wednesday wishing him "happy World Theatre Day" after his address to the nation announcing the success of the anti-satellite missile.

"You all saw how India created history yesterday by achieving a feat in space to ensure we emerge stronger globally and to ensure our safety. But see the kind of funny things people in the opposition have been saying."



"It is both worrying and funny... what do you say about someone who does not even know the difference between a theatre set and ASAT (anti-satellite)?" he said.

Playing on the words 'saboot' and 'sapoot', the Hindi words for proof and good son, Modi attacked the opposition for seeking evidence of the surgical strikes. "Do we need 'saboot' or sapoot... those who seek evidence are challenging the sapoot."



Alleging that the Congress's blood did not boil even after terrorists struck in the heart of Mumbai in 2008, Modi told a rally in Rudrapur that fear is something unknown to the 'chowkidar'.

"It is the Congress' job to cower in fear. The 'chowkidar' knows no fear. All he knows is put up a dour fight," he said.

In a blistering attack on the Congress for offering 'dole' to people for votes, he said the party gave the slogan of 'garibi hatao' decades ago and in this elections also it had nothing new to offer.

Alleging that the Congress was the very cause of poverty, he asked people to eliminate the party. "Remove the Congress and poverty will go away automatically."



"Will you send a party like this back to power?" he asked.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister on Wednesday launched the BJP's campaign from with a blistering attack on the opposition while keeping the focus on a strong government, saying his administration had shown the courage to conduct a surgical strike in all spheres -- land, sky and space.

The contest is between a "a decisive government and an indecisive past", said at a rally in this western town a day after announcing that had demonstrated anti-satellite missile capability by shooting down a live satellite.

He said the country's 130 crore people had made up their minds that the NDA would return to power.

"... has made up its mind who to vote for... For proof, see the large number of people attending this rally," he said amid loud applause from the gathering.

Calling himself the nation's 'chowkidar', said, "It was this chowkidar's government that had the courage to conduct surgical strikes on land, sky and space. should develop, India should be secure from enemies."



The country is, for the first time, witnessing a government that knows how to deliver, he said.

The prime minister, who launched the BJP's campaign blitz from in 2014 too, said he will bring justice to all.

The contest this time will be between "dumdaar BJP and daagdaar opposition", he said, driving home his point that his party is strong but opposition parties are tainted.

"In the days to come, I'll not only put forward NDA's report card, but also ask the Opposition why they had failed earlier. On the one hand, there is strong development. On the other, there is lack of vision," he said.

Modi told the gathering that he would give an account of the work done by his government and of what others had done, or didn't.

"When I sought your blessings five years ago, I had said I'll return it with interest and I will present a report card of my work. I also said I'll seek a report card of what work was done in the 60 years before that," Modi said.

Taking a swipe at the Congress' minimum income scheme, NYAY, Modi said, "People who couldn't open are now saying that they will directly transfer money to the poor. What will they possibly do?"



He also paid tribute to Choudhary Charan Singh, former prime minister and father of RLD leader who has aligned with the BSP and the SP in this election.

"There is a specific reason behind kicking off my election campaign from I salute our respected Chaudhary Charan Singhji. Chaudhary Saheb is among the great sons of the country who forced the country's government to pay more attention to the farm cells and farmers," he said.

"In 1857, it was here in that the revolt against the British had begun. Chaudhury Charan Singh is a true son of the soil. He worked all his life for the betterment of the people," he added.

The prime minister began his address saying the upcoming general elections are about the people's dreams, aspirations and expectations.

Chief Minister also addressed the rally.

Meerut is among the seven Lok Sabha constituencies in Uttar Pradesh that will head for voting in the first phase on April 11.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched the BJP's campaign from Uttar Pradesh with a blistering attack on the opposition while keeping the focus on a strong government, saying his administration had shown the courage to conduct a surgical strike in all spheres -- land, sky and space.

The contest is between a "a decisive government and an indecisive past", Modi said at the BJP's Vijay Sankalp rally in this western Uttar Pradesh town a day after announcing that India had demonstrated anti-satellite missile capability by shooting down a live satellite.

He said the country's 130 crore people had made up their mind that the NDA would return to power.

"...India has made up its mind who to vote for...For proof, see the large number of people attending this rally," he said amid loud applause from the gathering.

Calling himself the nation's 'chowkidar', Modi said, "It was this chowkidar's government that had the courage to conduct surgical strikes on land, sky and space. India should develop, India should be secure from enemies."



The country is, for the first time, witnessing a government that knows how to deliver, he said.

The prime minister, who launched the BJP's campaign from Meerut in 2014 too, said he will bring justice to all.

The contest this time will be between "dumdaar BJP and daagdaar opposition", he said, driving home his point that his party is strong but opposition parties are tainted.

"In the days to come, I'll not only put forward NDA's report card, but also ask the Opposition why they had failed earlier. On the one hand, there is strong development. On the other, there is lack of vision," he said.

Modi told the gathering that he would give an account of the work done by his government and of what others had done, or didn't.

"When I had sought your blessings five years ago, I had said I'll return it with interest and I will present a report card of my work. I also said I'll seek a report card of what work was done in the 60 years before that," Modi said.

Taking a swipe at the Congress' minimum income scheme, 'Nyay', Modi said, "People who couldn't open bank accounts are now saying that they will directly transfer money to the poor. What will they possibly do?"



He also hit out at the party for 'garibi hatao' (abolish poverty), a slogan popularised by the late Indira Gandhi in 1971.

"I have been hearing about 'garibi hatao' since I was a child...generations have passed... they kept progressing but the poor became poorer...seeing that the Congress has betrayed the poor, the poor of the country have already resolved that remove Congess and poverty will itself be removed," the prime minister said.

Modi paid tribute to Choudhary Charan Singh, former prime minister and father of RLD leader Ajit Singh who has aligned with the BSP and the SP in this election.

"In 1857, it was here in Meerut that the revolt against the British had begun. Chaudhury Charan Singh is a true son of the soil. He worked all his life for the betterment of the people," he said.

He also hit out at the Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Lok Dal and Bahujan Samaj Party alliance, calling it 'mahamilawat' (adulterated). The first letters of the three parties stand for 'sarab' (the Hindi word for liquor is 'sharab'), which is bad for health, he said.

"Under these 'mahamilawati' group of leaders, did you see how terrorists flourished...Did you not see incidents of terror from across the country under their rule?" he asked



The BSP and the SP had now shaken hands, he said, adding that the 'bua-bhatija' (aunt-nephew) team of Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav had showed the voters that their slogan for the elections is, "UP ko looto bari bari (rob UP turn by turn)".

Modi also attacked Congress president Rahul Gandhi on his mocking tweet congratulating him on World Theatre Day on Wednesday and said, "You all saw how India created history yesterday by achieving a feat in space to ensure we emerge stronger globally and to ensure our safety. But see the kind of funny things people in the opposition have been saying."



"It is both worrying and funny... what do you say about someone who does not even know the difference between a theatre set and ASAT (anti-satellite)?" he said.

Playing on the words 'saboot' and 'sapoot', the Hindi words for proof and good son, he attacked the opposition for seeking evidence of the surgical strike. "Do we need 'saboot' or sapoot... those who seek evidence are challenging the sapoot."



The prime minister began his address saying the upcoming general elections are about the people's dreams, aspirations and expectations.

Meerut is among the seven Lok Sabha constituencies in Uttar Pradesh that will head for voting in the first phase on April 11.

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Amid uncertainty over the candidature of sitting BJP MP Kirit Somaiya from Mumbai North East Lok Sabha seat, Shiv Sena MLA Sunil Raut Thursday said he was ready to contest the election from the constituency if there was a need.

The Shiv Sena has been vehemently opposing the candidature of Somaiya, as it is miffed with his consistent criticism of party chief Uddhav Thackeray.

There are reports that Somaiya had recently sought time for a meeting with Thackeray and Sena MP Sanjay Raut. However, both of them had reportedly refused to meet him.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Sunil Raut, brother of Sanjay Raut, said there will be no opposition to any candidate, apart from Somaiya.

"Due to the allegations levelled by Somaiya against Thackeray in the last 3-4 years, not only Shiv Sena, but the people of the constituency and all Marathi-speaking people are opposing him. Even if he is given a ticket by mistake, I assure you that the BJP will lose the seat," he said.

He added that except Somaiya, if any other candidate, either belonging to the BJP or the Sena, will win the seat as there is tremendous anger against him even within his own party.

"Somaiya has not maintained any ties with the people of his constituency...We see 'Matoshree' (Thackeray's residence) as a temple. But if he makes allegations against it and calls (Thackeray) a mafia don, there cannot even be an attempt to give him a ticket," Raut, who represents Vikhroli Assembly constituency, said.

When asked whether he himself would contest the election if Somaiya was given a ticket, he said he had faith in Thackeray that he would take a decision that will benefit the Sena and the Marathi-speaking people.

"A time will not come wherein I need to contest. However, if there is a need, I am ready," Raut said.

In 2014, Somaiya had defeated Sanjay Dina Patil of the NCP. While the Sharad Pawar-led party has fielded him again, the BJP is yet to announce its candidate.

Polling for Lok Sabha election in Mumbai North East seat will be held on April 29 in the fourth phase of general elections. The last day of filing of nominations is April 9.

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: In spite of the remarkable progress achieved in various fields from space to agriculture, the country has many challenges, Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu Thursday said there was a need for the government and civil society to come together for addressing the challenges.

The Vice-President said this while delivering a memorial lecture organised by Badrivishal Pannalal Pitti Trust here.

He said every citizen must become an agent of change and contribute to the building of a more empathetic, caring and harmonious society.

"Ours is a rich, ancient civilisation and from time immemorial we believed in the philosophy of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,' he said.

"At one time, India was called 'Vishwaguru' and we contributed upto 27 per cent of the world GDP. Following waves of foreign invasions and colonisation, we lost our pre-eminent position," he said.

"Today, India is on the rise again. Worldover, the country is respected for its economic growth, democratic values and for practising Gandhian principle of non-violence," he said.

About 20 per cent of Indian population still lives in poverty and an equal percentage continues to be illiterate, Naidu said.

The growing urban-rural divide with lack of adequate education and health facilities in villages, gender discrimination, caste barriers, communalism, religious extremism, regionalism and atrocities on women were some of the challenges that need to be collectively addressed by every citizen, a press release quoted the vice-president as saying.

He further said Badrivishal Pannalal Pitti was a great philanthropist, educationist, socialist and a great connoisseur of art, music and literature, who had also played an important role in the founding of the Socialist Party in 1955.

Badrivishal exemplified the role of a socially conscientious citizen, who had practised to the hilt Indias age-old philosophy of Share and Care', he said.

There was a need to draw inspiration from such people and bring about a change in the attitude of people in the increasingly materialistic world, he said.

Naidu called upon NGOs like Badrivishal Pitti Trust to make every effort in eradicating social evils and building a new and prosperous India, which shall be free of narrow prejudices, corruption, illiteracy and poverty.

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday Israel is prepared for a widespread military campaign in Gaza as tensions simmered following the latest flare-up -- but only after all other options were exhausted.

Netanyahu has been seeking to head off political pressure over Gaza ahead of April 9 elections, in which he faces a strong challenge from former military chief Benny Gantz.

"In recent days I gave instructions to fortify forces, to add vehicles, to be prepared for a comprehensive campaign," he said during the inauguration of a new road in northern Israel.

The premier, who was speaking after visiting military forces on the Gaza border, noted however that a war would be the last option.

"All Israelis should know that if a comprehensive campaign is required, we will enter it strong and safe, after we have exhausted all other possibilities," said Netanyahu, who also serves as defence minister.

Palestinian militants had on Monday fired a long-distance rocket from the Gaza Strip, hitting a house north of Tel Aviv and wounding seven Israelis, triggering Israeli air strikes and further Palestinian fire at southern Israel.

Netanyahu beefed up the military presence near Gaza, but by Wednesday the fighting had abated after Hamas announced a ceasefire brokered by Egypt.

Israel has been carefully monitoring the situation on the Gaza border ahead of Saturday, which will mark a year since mass protests and deadly clashes began there.

A demonstration on the day of the anniversary is expected to draw thousands of Palestinians.

A Hamas official said an Egyptian delegation met with the Islamist movement's leader Ismail Haniya in Gaza City on Wednesday night in further efforts to calm tensions.

The official said the delegation informed Hamas and its allies in Gaza that Israel had agreed to measures such as improving the electricity supply in the strip, which suffers from severe power shortages.

In exchange, Hamas would be expected to maintain calm at the weekly protests along the Gaza border, including during Saturday's anniversary.

It was unclear whether any progress had been made, and an Egyptian official said they would continue to mediate between the sides to try and maintain calm.

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A 6-foot-10 (208 centimeters) New York City councilman from Brooklyn has been named tallest politician in the world.

Robert Cornegy Jr. was honored for that distinction at a City Hall ceremony on Wednesday after being officially certified by Guinness World Records as world's tallest male politician on January 14.

Cornegy says he went for the title two years ago after a constituent jokingly told him "you have to be the tallest politician ever." Cornegy says being tall has its challenges, especially shopping for shoes and clothes.

The previous record holder was a British member of Parliament named Sir Louis Gluckstein, who measured 6-foot-7-1/2 inches (202 centimeters). He died in 1979 and was succeeded by another British politician who stood at 6-foot-6 inches (198 centimeters).

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Kensington Palace says Britain's Prince William will visit New Zealand to honor the victims of the Christchurch mosque attacks.

The palace said Wednesday that William will make the trip in late April at the request of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and on behalf of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.

The palace says he will meet with survivors and others affected by the attacks. It says more details will be released before the trip begins.

A white supremacist shot and killed 50 worshippers at two Christchurch mosques on March 15.

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The National Green Tribunal on Thursday refused to review its order slapping a fine of Rs 5 lakh each on schools and colleges which have failed to install rain water harvesting systems on their premises.

A bench headed by Justice Raghuvendra S Rathore said the execution of the order of the tribunal had not been made by the parties during the entire 2018.

"Therefore, a detail order was passed by the tribunal on January 30 after taking into consideration all the facts and circumstances. By the said order, directions were issued to all the educational institutions in NCT Delhi, including South Delhi Municipal Corporation who were also party in the original application. Thereafter, another order was passed on February 22," it noted.

The green panel said that despite the specific order passed by the larger bench of the tribunal on November 16 with the specific time frame, the same was not implemented within the period of two months.

It said that a review plea cannot be accepted for the reason that had the parties started the work in execution of the order since November, 2017, the work would have been completed much earlier.

It is only after passing of the order in the execution application that the respondent authorities have come into action, it said.

"In this execution application the tribunal has only imposed the environmental compensation which was ordered on November 16, 2017. In fact the defaulting persons are liable for further compensation/cost for not completing the rainwater harvesting system within the time schedule. During the intervening period one monsoon season has already lapsed," the tribunal said.

"In the aforesaid facts and circumstances and the specific order passed on November 16 as well as the fact that in case of default environmental compensation was already fixed by the tribunal in its order while deciding the original application, we do not find any error apparent on the face of the record in the orders dated January 30 and February 22.

The tribunal had earlier directed the Ministry of Human Resource Development to inform it within a week about the status of installation of rainwater harvesting systems in Kendriya and Navodaya Vidyalayas here.

The NGT had earlier imposed a penalty of Rs 5 lakh each on educational institutions in the national capital for failing to install rainwater harvesting systems.

The tribunal's direction had come on a plea filed by city resident Mahesh Chandra Saxena.

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A 35-year-old Nigerian man has been arrested for allegedly cheating a man of Rs 5.9 lakh, posing as a woman on social media, police said Thursday.

The accused has been identified as Ogbodo Ifeanyi Henrey, who was residing in Devli Khanpur here, they said.

Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) AK Singla said one Sanjay Banerjee, resident of Patparganj, filed a complaint based on which investigation was started.

Banerjee came in contact with a lady named Holly David on Facebook in January 2017, according to the police complaint



.

The woman claimed to be a UK resident and told Banerjee that she would come to India on February 6, 2017 on a British Airways flight.

On February 6, 2017, Banerjee received a call wherein the caller claimed to be a customs officer from Mumbai and told him that "Holly David" was at the Mumbai Airport and she had to pay Rs 55,000 as customs clearance to travel in India, Singla said.

Similarly, Banerjee was asked to pay more money at a regular intervals. In total, Banerjee transferred Rs 5.90 lakh from his bank account to the account of the alleged persons in three installments in the name of customs clearance and anti-terrorist certificate, he said.

When the accused persons demanded more money, Banerjee sensed that he was being duped and refused to pay.

During investigation, a team headed by Inspector Sandeep Malhotra found the accused persons were changing their mobile numbers frequently, the officer said.

After working for almost six months on the case, Henrey was nabbed from his house at Jawahar Park, Devli Khanpur, Delhi.

During interrogation, it was revealed that he has cheated many other through Facebook in connivance with one Viveinlly with whom he was living, he said.

He had created many identities with fake names of females and started sending friend requests to random male persons, Singla said.

The bank account allegedly used by Henrey was found to be opened on forged documents, police said.

Sixteen mobile phones, 21 SIM cards, two laptops, two routers and five debit cards were recovered from his possession, they added.

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The 'Ram Ki Janmabhoomi' film, which revolves around the Ayodhya controversy, is set for the scheduled release on Friday with the Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court refusing to interfere with its screening.

There is "no connection" between the mediation proceedings in the Ayodhya land dispute matter and the release of the film, the Supreme Court said when the matter was mentioned before it for urgent listing.

Hours later, the Delhi High Court hearing a separate petition on the issue also decided not to come in the way of the release of the film saying there was no material on record to support the allegations that the movie has the potential to promote communal disharmony.

"This court has not found anything objectionable in it," the high court said.

In the Supreme Court, a bench comprising Justices S A Bobde and S A Nazeer, said no film can come in the way of mediation proceedings and if the parties want to settle the issue, they will do it.

"There is no connection between the mediation proceeding and the release of movie. If the parties want to settle it, they will. They will not be affected by the film. We are not so pessimistic about it. No film can come in the way of mediation," the bench said.

It said that the plea against the movie would be heard after two weeks.

The counsel, who mentioned the plea for urgent listing, said the exhibition of the film should be stayed as it would affect the ongoing mediation proceedings in the Ayodhya matter which have commenced following the apex court's order.

The lawyer said that release of the film would vitiate the mediation proceedings in the case.

A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi had on March 8 referred the Ayodhya's Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case for mediation by a panel headed by former apex court judge F M I Kalifulla for exploring the possibility of an amicable settlement.

The apex court had said that spiritual guru and founder of Art of Living foundation Sri Sri Ravishankar and senior advocate Sriram Panchu, a renowned mediator, will be the other two members of the panel of mediators and the proceedings will be held at Faizabad in Uttar Pradesh.

The high court, however, directed the movie's producer to hold private screening of the film for the petitioner, Prince Yakub Habeebuddin Tucy who claims to be a descendant of the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar.

It also gave liberty to the petitioner to approach it again if he found any objectionable dialogue or scene in the movie.

In his petition before the high court, Tucy had alleged that the movie contained a "personal attack" on him and his "royal" family and would also affect the sovereignty and integrity of the country.

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The Delhi High Court on Thursday said Air India pilot Arvind Kathpalia's laxity in taking a breath analyser test would not lead to the assumption that he was under the influence of alcohol when he operated a flight between New Delhi and Bengaluru in January 2017.

Kathpalia has been accused of violating aircraft rules, including evading breath analyser test, and forgery in 2017. Subsequently, he was suspended last year by Air India for three years after he tested positive for blood alcohol during a routine pre-flight breath analyser test before flying an aircraft to the US.

The court on Thursday reserved its judgement on the pilot's plea seeking anticipatory bail as he apprehends arrest in the case lodged against him on the direction of a lower court in which he has been accused of tampering with evidence, criminal conspiracy and intimidating a doctor working with the airline in January 2017.

During the day's hearing, Justice Mukta Gupta, said, "Merely not taking the test would not lead to the assumption that he was under the influence of alcohol. It only shows dereliction of the rules."



The court, however, did not agree with the pilot's contention that he was in a hurry to take the flight and due to shortage of time, he could not take the pre-flight breath analyser test.

"You were getting late, but the flight was also late due to some other reasons. Therefore, you did have time to take the test," it said.

On the other hand, an association representing commercial pilots, which has intervened in the matter, told the court that under the Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) if a pilot does not take the test it is deemed that his blood alcohol level is positive.

The association said that Kathpalia's plea for bail be rejected considering the seriousness of the offence, his propensity to commit it again, the number of persons who could be affected and as he allegedly tried to destroy evidence which showed he had not taken the test.

The police, on its part, told the court that Kathpalia had enough time to take the test but he did not and after returning from Bengaluru he modified the test records, so forgery of documents was done.

After hearing all the sides, the court reserved its judgement on the pilot's plea.

Kathpalia had earlier submitted before the court that it cannot be presumed that just because he missed the breath analyser test, he was intoxicated. He had claimed he could not take the test as he was at work the whole day and was getting late for the flight.

He maintained that he voluntarily went for the post-flight breath analyser test after returning from Bengaluru, in good faith, but the doctor on duty refused to administer the test and only asked him to sign on a register.

According to the police, Kathpalia operated a flight from New Delhi to Bengaluru without undergoing the mandatory pre-flight breath analyser test on January 19, 2017. Further, even at Bengaluru he refused to undergo a similar test.

Later, on his arrival in New Delhi, he allegedly went to Pre-Flight Medical Examination Room and made a false entry in the Pre-Flight Breath Analyzer Examination Register for the flight he had operated.

Police had alleged that Kathpalia has also issued threats and intimidated Nitin Seth, doctor on duty, with a view to coerce him to retract his statement given in inquiry conducted by aviation regulator DGCA, where he had alleged that the Captain had manipulated the record in the register.

It was also alleged that there was violation of aircraft rules apart from tampering of evidence, coercive intimidation.

The high court had by an interim order protected him from any coercive steps while the matter was pending before it. The interim protection was extended by it from time to time.

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Hours ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first election campaign rally here, the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), the student wing of the Congress, Thursday wrote anti-Modi slogans on the main road outside a college here.

However, another student of the same college came out with a brush and white paint and erased the graffiti, saying "we should respect the post of the prime minister and I would have done the same if the slogans were directed against (Congress president) Rahul Gandhi".

"Go Back Modi and Chowkidar Chor Hai" were found written on the main road leading to the main entrance of M A M PG College on Canal Road here.

The prime minister will address the first election campaign rally in the Akhnoor area on the outskirts of the city.

"We have written the slogans to lodge our protest against the prime minister who had failed to fulfil his 2014 election promises to the country. He had talked about empowerment of women by giving 33 per cent reservation, raised the slogan of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, improving the condition of farmers and the border residents but did nothing," Ritika Sharma, a student who claims to be affiliated with the NSUI, said.

She said Modi had also failed to provide two crore jobs every year to the youth of the country.

"We want change and the people need to give a chance to the Congress which has served the country for the last 70 years," Sharma said.

However, the slogans were painted white by a student of the same college.

"Modi is the prime minister of the country and we should not do such things to dishonour the post of the prime minister. I felt pained by the writing and decided to erase these," said Veer Choudhary.

He said he would have done the same had the slogans targeted the Congress president.

"Modi had done a lot to uplift the country and ensure development," he said, adding nobody has written such slogans to protest the killing of soldiers.

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Former NITI Aayog vice chairman Arvind Panagariya has said the implementation of the Congress Party's ambitious 'Nyay' scheme not only poses a "fiscal challenge" to India's economy but also has a "serious incentive problem".

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said that its minimum income guarantee scheme, Nyuntam Aay Yojana (Nyay) assures up to Rs 72,000 a year or Rs 6,000 a month income to 20 per cent of India's poorest families if the party is voted back to power in the Lok Sabha elections next month.

Panagariya, who served as the first vice chairman of NITI Aayog for two years from 2015 to 2017, told PTI that 'Nyay' is difficult to implement and unlikely to achieve its intended objective.

"It raises three major questions - the incentive compatibility issue, the fairness issue and fiscal challenge," Panagariya, an eminent Indian-American economist, said.

But Gandhi said the 'Nyay' scheme has the twin objectives of giving money to the 20 per cent poorest families and remonetising the economy damaged by the demonetisation in 2016.

Its aim is two-fold. First is to guarantee a minimum income to the bottom 20 per cent families. The second is to remonetise the economy that has been demonetised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gandhi told PTI.

Senior Congress leader and former finance minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday said 'enough' economists and experts had been consulted and they broadly agreed that India has the capacity to implement the scheme.

Former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan has said the implementation of the scheme is possible, Chidambaram said.

"Our calculation shows that it will not cross 2 per cent of the GDP, it will be 1.8 per cent of the GDP at any given point of time," he said.

Commenting on the scheme, Panagariya said the transfer is meant to be Rs 6,000 per month per family to 50 million families and at the same time, it also guarantees an income of Rs 12,000 per month to these families.

"What happens if one family has an income of only Rs 4,000 and another Rs 8,000 per month? Will the former then receive Rs 8,000 and the latter Rs 4,000 per month? If so, why should anyone with income below 12,000 do any work at all since their incomes will be Rs 12,000 regardless of what they earn?" he asked.

Interpreted this way, "there is a serious incentive problem with the scheme", Panagariya asserted.

"If the scheme is meant to transfer flat Rs 6,000 per month to identified families regardless of the family's earned income, you cannot deliver Rs 12,000 per month to families earning less than Rs 6,000," he asserted.

The programme, as announced by the Congress, guarantees Rs 12,000 per month in income to the poor, which is Rs 144,000 per year, he said, explaining the fairness issue.

Add to it all other in-kind transfers: subsidised food, NREGA wages, free house, free toilet, free education and Rs 500,000 free health insurance coverage. The gross sum will be close to Rs 200,000 per year, Panagariya observed.

"Now think of someone not covered by the scheme and earning Rs 300,000 per year. This family will have to pay Rs 2,500 in taxes (currently covered by a tax credit but in principle taxable). How fair is this to those working?



"Moreover, taxpayers are all in urban areas and dole recipients all in rural areas. Will this not open a serious rural-urban schism? No one questions helping the destitute on the margin but when help is given to give all comforts of life free, those paying for those comforts will become intensely unhappy," he said.

Then there is the question of fiscal challenge, he said.

If Rs 12,000 per month per household is to be guaranteed to bottom 20 per cent of the population, even the average Rs 6,000 per family will be insufficient, he argued.

"But let us set that problem aside. Can we scrape Rs 3.6 trillion per year (calculated at Rs 6,000 per family for 50 million households)? There is no chance.

"It is 13 per cent of the proposed total central government expenditure in budget 2019-20," Panagariya said.

Anit Mukherjee, a policy fellow at the Center for Global Development where he works on issues of governance, public finance and service delivery in developing countries, said how to identify the target beneficiaries and how to absorb the fiscal impact are two major problems.

The amount is substantial, more than the current government has proposed (Rs 6,000 per year), and to a general definition of the poorest of the poor (and not just farmers), he said.

"However, it is about half of what a similar scheme in Kenya through a US-based charity GiveDirectly provides to over 20,000 adults purely on a universal basic income criteria," Mukherjee said, adding the results of the scheme are still awaited, so there is no firm global evidence on whether Universal Basic Income works or not at the scale which the programme in India would operate on.

According to Mukherjee, to address the problem of fiscal impact, there has to be "cutbacks" in other subsidies, principally food, fuel, electricity and fertiliser.

"Some transfers to the poorest of the poor, such as MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) and social pensions, would probably have to be absorbed into NYAY," Mukherjee told PTI.

Schemes such as Public Distribution System and MGNREGA are constitutionally mandated and it would be hard to remove them altogether, he said.

The Centre, which has struggled to contain the fiscal deficit, will have to foot the entire bill so the fiscal concern is justified, Mukherjee said.

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Ola Fleet Technologies, an arm of cab-hailing major Ola, will get about USD 500 million funding over the next two years as it looks to launch self-drive service, according to sources.

According to the sources, Ola Fleet Technologies will get about USD 500 million through a mix of equity and debt to offer self-drive services in the country.

This service, which is in a small-scale pilot in Bengaluru currently, is expected to be launched over the next few weeks.

The launch of self-drive service will pit Ola against the likes of Sequoia Capital-backed Zoomcar and Y Combinator-backed Drivezy.

They added that the Bengaluru-based company could deploy about 10,000 vehicles for the self-drive service.

When contacted, an Ola spokesperson said that "basis market feedback, we are piloting our Ola Self-Drive offering in various formats like rentals, subscription and corporate leasing in select cities in the coming weeks".

"This space is currently under-served and there exists a tremendous opportunity to build a superior experience through an integrated mobility platform like Ola," the spokesperson added.

According to one of the sources, Ola is looking at building a subscription model for consumers and later extending leasing services for corporate clients through the new service.

This will also help the company further strengthen its portfolio of transportation solutions.

Ola, which competes with US-based Uber in India and international markets like Australia, has been aggressively ramping up its rides business as well as food delivery operations (through Foodpanda).

It had recently announced that Hyundai and Kia are investing USD 300 million in the company. Ola, which counts names like SoftBank Group and China's Tencent Holdings among its investors, had received Rs 650 crore funding from Flipkart co-founder Sachin Bansal in February this year.

Also, Ola's electric mobility arm Ola Electric Mobility has raised Rs 400 crore from Tiger Global and Matrix India and others.

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One person was arrested Thursday from Maharashtra by Anti-Terrorism Squad for alleged terror links, police said.

The arrest came two days after two Bangladeshi nationals with alleged links to terror outfits were arrested in Patna, police said.

Bihar ATS, in a joint operation with Maharashtra ATS Thursday, arrested Shariyat Mandal (19), a labourer at a construction site near Chakan, 40 km from Pune, police said.

A Maharashtra ATS official said the Mandal is being taken to Patna after securing a transit bail in a Pune court.

Bihar ATS had seized documents related to deputation of central forces in Jammu and Kashmir from the two Bangladeshi suspects - Khairul Mandal and Abu Sultan from Jhenaidah district of Bangladesh.

Both are associated with the terror outfit Jamiat-Ul- Mujahideen Bangladesh and Islamic State Bangladesh (ISBD).

Mandal hails from West Bengal and was in constant touch with the two terror suspects held in Patna.

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BJP president Amit Shah Thursday said only Prime Minister Narendra Modi can protect the borders of the country, not the Congress party and its chief Rahul Gandhi.

He also criticised the Congress for asking proof of the casualty in the air strike at Balakot in Pakistan and claimed that India under Modi has become the third country in the world after the US and Israel to take revenge of its soldiers' blood.

"Should we not take revenge of our soldiers' blood? The Congress cannot protect the country's border. Only Narendra Modi and BJP can do that," Shah told an election rally here.

India under the leadership of Modi took revenge of the blood of the soldiers after the Uri and Pulwama attacks by Pakistan-based terror elements, the BJP president said.

"In 10 years of Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh government, our soldiers' heads were chopped off. But there was no reply from India side," he alleged while campaigning for BJPs ally AGP's Monimadhab Mahanta who is contesting from Kaliabor Lok Sabha seat.

Shah also slammed the erstwhile Tarun Gogoi-led Congress government in the state for allegedly settling illegal immigrants inside the Kaziranga National Park.

"It was Sarbananda Sonowal and Himanta Biswa Sarma's BJP government which dared to evict all the immigrants from Kaziranga. Make Narendra Modi the PM again and I assure you that we will detect and deport every single illegal immigrant out of Assam," he added.

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Pakistan will not to allow any militant group to operate in the country or use its territory for any militant activity within or outside the country, Prime Minister Imran Khan asserted Thursday, amidst mounting international pressure to rein-in terror outfits like the JeM.

Chairing the first meeting of the National Internal Security Committee here at the Prime Minister Office, Khan said the implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP) to combat terrorism and extremism was the foremost priority of his government.

The meeting took place on a day when a delegation of the Asia-Pacific Group (APG) on money laundering, a regional affiliate of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), was in Islamabad to assess if Pakistan has made enough progress on global standards against financial crimes to warrant its exclusion from the watchdog's grey list.

Prime Minister Khan said the formulation of the NAP was reflection of the will of the nation and a consensus document agreed upon by all political parties of the country.

The NAP was formulated after the 2014 terror attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar that killed nearly 150 people, mostly students.

He said the government was committed to remove all impediments towards implementation of the plan in letter and spirit.

"Pakistan is firmly committed to not allow any militant group to operate in the country or use its territory for any militant activity within or outside Pakistan," he told the meeting.

Khan's government is under immense international pressure to rein-in militant groups like the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), responsible for the Pulwama terror attack on CRPF personnel. The attack led to spiralling tensions between India and Pakistan.

The prime minister said Pakistan had suffered immensely, both in terms of human lives as well as material losses, due to the menace of terrorism.

"Pakistan had made significant progress towards combating terrorism and ensuring peace," Khan was quoted as saying by Geo

The meeting was attended by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Finance Minister Asad Umar, Minister for Education Shafqat Mehmood, Minister for Religious Affairs Noor-ul-Haq Qadri, director generals of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Intelligence Bureau (IB) and senior officials.

Recounting various legislative and administrative measures taken by the government in dealing with militancy, combating terror-financing, money laundering, Khan stressed the need for continued and sustained on-ground efforts towards taking this struggle to a conclusive end.

Finance minister Umar gave the meeting an update about the Financial Action Task Force related matters and meetings held with the Asia Pacific Group.

Secretary of Interior Maj (retd) Azam Suleman Khan apprised the meeting about the progress of implementation of the NAP and highlighted the efforts being made in dealing with the issues of cybersecurity, money laundering, madrassa reforms, and addressing various challenges in the way of successful implementation of the plan.

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A special court hearing a treason case against Pakistan's former military ruler Pervez Musharraf on Thursday ordered him to appear before it on May 2 and asked him to reply to a questionnaire.

The previous Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government had filed the treason case against the ex-Army chief in 2013 over the imposition of extra-constitutional emergency in November 2007, which led to the confinement of a number of superior court judges in their houses and sacking of over 100 judges.

The trial has not seen much progress since Musharraf, 75, left for Dubai in March 2016 after his name was removed from the Exit Control List.

He has not returned since, and is said to be suffering from Amyloidosis, a rare condition for which he has been admitted to a hospital.

The special court has declared him a proclaimed offender and ordered the confiscation of his property owing to his no-show.

The case has not progressed as Musharraf is required to record a statement under law for which his presence is necessary.

Musharraf's lawyer Salman Safdar informed the court that the former Pakistan president wished to appear before it on May 13, the Dawn reported.

Upon hearing this, the three-member bench, headed by Justice Tahira Safdar, directed Musharraf to appear in the court before Ramzan.

"If he can come to court on May 13, Musharraf can also appear before the court on May 2. If he doesn't, the court will pass an appropriate order regarding recording his statement," Justice Tahira was quoted as saying by the report.

The defence lawyer was also handed a questionnaire that Musharraf is expected to answer. The court, while hearing the case on March 19, had ordered to prepare the questionnaire for the former military ruler.

Musharraf's lawyer also submitted an application to the court seeking dismissal of the case and argued that it should be treated like any other case.

"You cannot record a statement (under Section 342) in Musharraf's absence. If the suspect is to be punished, his presence in the court is necessary," he said.

A conviction for high treason carries the death penalty or life imprisonment.

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Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh Thursday said the then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar was extremely upset and angry after the 2016 Uri terror attack that had claimed the lives of 17 jawans.

Singh, here to participate in a condolence meeting held in the memory of Parrikar, who died on March 17, narrated his experience about working with his former Cabinet colleague and shared anecdotes.

"After the Uri terror attack (on September 18, 2016), we were called by PM. I was with Parrikar in that meeting. Parrikar was extremely upset and angry over the incident," Singh said.

"He had also played a major role in the air strike. He monitored the operation throughout night. He played an important role in two air strikes," the Union minister said.

Paying glowing tributes to Parrikar, he said the late Goa Chief Minister had sensed the mood of the country before recommending Narendra Modi's name as the BJP's prime ministerial candidate during the party's National Executive meeting here in 2013.

"When the National Executive took place in 2013, I was president of the party (BJP). After receiving me at the airport in Goa, when we sat over tea, he told me that mood of the country was in favour of Narendra Modi becoming the next Prime Minister," Singh said.

Singh recalled Parrikar's contribution to the One Rank One Pension scheme, induction of Light Combat Aircraft Tejas in the Indian Air Force and getting on track the Rafale fighter jet deal with France.

"I still remember that Rafale was not coming to India. We were concerned that we didn't have next generation fighter plane. The PM gave him the responsibility.

"In 2015, an agreement was signed with the French Defence Minister. Parrikar played a role in getting the Rafale deal back on track," Singh added.

Speaking on the occasion, Goa's Deputy Chief Minister Vijai Sardesai said running the BJP-led government in the state without Parrikar is going to be a challenge for the ruling coalition.

However, the ruling coalition will face this challenge together, said Sardesai, who heads the Goa Forward Party (GFP), a BJP ally in the state.

Sardesai said his party had resolved to support the BJP in government formation after the 2017 Assembly polls only if Parrikar, then the Defence Minister, was made the chief minister.

"We have to try to create more Parrikars and to do so we need more foresight. He was the one who had foresight. He was the one who proposed the name of Narendra Modi as Prime Ministerial candidate," the Deputy Chief Minister said.

Sardesai said giving a stable government to Goa will be a fitting tribute to Parrikar.

"I am sure the government has gone into another phase after the demise of Parrikar. It is not going to be easy without Parrikar.

"It is going to be a challenge and we are going to face it together. Giving a good and stable government is the biggest tribute we can give to Parrikar," he said.

Sardesai said even before the 2017 elections, he had decided to support a BJP-led government only if it is headed by Parrikar.

"We had decided even before elections and had given him assurance that we will form the government if he returns to state and heads the coalition," Sardesai said.

The BJP had won 13 assembly seats and it formed the government under Parrikar with support from the GFP, MGP and Independents.

Sardesai said he had given word to Parrikar to continue in the government. "I have kept my word," he added.

Goa Governor Mridula Sinha and senior RSS leader Bhaiyyaji Joshi, among others, were present at the condolence meeting.

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State-owned Power Finance Corporation (PFC) on Thursday completed acquisition of majority stake in REC Ltd by transferring Rs 14,500 crore to the government and is hopeful of merger of the two firms in 2019-20.

The transaction assumed significance because it helped the government meet its disinvestment target of Rs 80,000 crore for the current financial year.

"We are hopeful about merger of the two firms (PFC and REC) during 2019-20. We have to get direction from the government in this regard and then we would appoint consultant for the purpose," PFC Chairman and Managing Director Rajeev Sharma told reporters in a press conference on the deal.

This stake acquisition was in pursuance to the in-principle approval from the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs for strategic sale of 52.63 per cent of paid-up equity shareholding of REC held by the government to PFC, along with the transfer of management control.

Sharma further said, "In line with the agreement, REC acquisition transaction by PFC got concluded today (Thursday) with release of payment to the government and transfer of REC shares to PFC. Now, PFC will be the holding company of REC and also its promoter."



PFC has acquired 103.94 crore shares constituting 52.63 per cent equity stake held by the government in REC along with the management control at a cash purchase consideration of Rs 14,500 crore. The acquisition price of REC per equity share worked out to Rs 139.50 per piece.

PFC has financed 70 per cent of the deal from the cash inflows from the business and the balance 30 per cent is through debt.

PFC Director (Finance) N B Gupta said the company was in discussion with Bank of Baroda, Life Insurance Corporation and State Bank of India, among others, to raise money for the deal.

Gupta said, "It would be difficult to tell who have financed this deal. We had a pool of funds raised through different modes and investors. There was a lot of funds availability in the market at competitive rates."



PFC borrowed around Rs 88,000 crore at competitive rates this fiscal and out of this, 50 per cent borrowing has been through term loans. The loans availed from banks are mostly based on marginal cost of funds-based lending rate (MCLR).

Sharma said all domestic rating agencies have assigned PFC the highest safety rating of AAA after this transaction.

He further said, "The acquisition of REC by PFC has presented PFC with a significant inorganic growth opportunity, whereby on a consolidated basis, PFC's asset book, income, profit etc. would be almost doubled."



After this deal, as on December 2018, PFC's loan assets would be around Rs 6 lakh crore and on the basis of 2017-18 financials, the consolidated annual income would be about Rs 50,000 crore and annual profit about Rs 11,000 crore.

Considering the significant increase in size and profitability, it is expected that PFC would have higher strategic importance in financing of the power sector. PFC, therefore, will be a dominant player not only in the power sector but also in the entire financial market space, Sharma added.

PFC will be the second-largest government-owned financial player in the country based on the current market capital after State Bank of India (SBI). Besides, PFC will be third-highest profit making financial player in India after HDFC Bank and HDFC - based on profit data of 2017-18.

PFC on a consolidated basis is the third-highest profit making public sector undertaking in India after Indian Oil and ONGC based on the Department of Public Enterprise survey profit data for 2017-18.

It will be fourth-largest financial player in the country based on interest income after SBI, HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank based on income data of 2017-18, Sharma said.

Both PFC and REC are navratna central public sector enterprises with a combined annual revenue of about Rs 50,000 crore and this acquisition is a step towards consolidation of companies operating in the same space.

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NCP general secretary D P Tripathi Thursday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the nation on India's successful test of the Anti-Satellite (ASAT) missile was a "violation" of the model code of conduct that came into force from March 10.

He said it would have been more appropriate had the scientists spoken about this mission.

"They (scientists) had the right to speak about the achievements. But for the prime minister to address the nation amid poll time, in my view, is violation of code of conduct," the NCP leader told reporters here.

When a journalist asked him about Modi's allegation that the UPA had postponed a decision on the anti-satellite mission, Tripathi said it did not behove the prime minister "to create controversy on the issue of national security".

"All the previous governments had a consensus on issues of foreign policy and national security. Modi ji is the first prime minister who is violating that common consensus," he alleged.

"It is wrong to link the achievements of the DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) to an individual or a party, particularly amid the poll season. It is the achievement of the country and its scientists," Tripathi told reporters here.

Tripathi said he had been the chairman of a parliamentary committee that had once asked the DRDO about its various programmes. The DRDO, he added, had told the committee that it had the capability to shoot down satellite.

However, he did not specify the year when the panel had asked about the programme.

Talking about the Lok Sabha elections, Tripathi said he would campaign in Rae Bareli and Amethi constituencies, from where UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi are contesting the polls respectively.

According to him, the NCP would support CPI candidate from Begusarai constituency in Bihar and former JNU Students' Union president, Kanhaiya Kumar, in the general election.

The NCP leader made a pitch for fielding a consensus candidate of the opposition parties against Modi in Varanasi constituency in Uttar Pradesh.

He said that the NCP has asked its workers to support "wholeheartedly" those candidates who are fighting against the BJP and its allies and "are likely to win" in areas where the Sharad Pawar-led party has not fielded its candidates.

Meanwhile, NCP national spokesperson Nawab Malik, who accompanied Tripathi during the briefing, hit out at Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Vinod Tawde after the latter trashed the opposition party's poll manifesto.

Malik said Tawde's remark showed that he cannot read papers and once again alleged that the BJP leader had not even passed Class XII exam.

"He (Tawde) is a minister with a bogus degree. It has been proved. His statement (on NCP manifesto) shows he cannot read papers.

"He should first show his Class XII passing certificate and only then should comment about our manifesto," Malik said.

Tawde had dismissed the charges regarding his degree in the past.

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In a popular on-screen persona, he loves calling himself 'lion' while in another the actor boasts that his opponents are scared of him.

After five years in politics, it remains to be seen if Andhra Pradesh's top star Pawan Kalyan can pose a challenge to the TDP and the YSR Congress as his party Jana Sena fights the assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh in alliance with the CPI, CPI(M) and BSP.

His supporters say Kalyan, whom they call "Power Star", would outwit his political rivals and recreate the spectacular 1983 victory of N T Rama Rao, though both the TDP and the YSR Congress dismiss such claims saying that his party has little connect with the electorate.

Making his debut in electoral politics this year after launching the party in 2014, Pawan Kalyan has made a slew of catchy promises like 33 per cent quota for women, creation of 10 lakh jobs and Rs 10 lakh worth health insurance, but not all are convinced that it is enough.

The 47-year-old actor, who is all set to contest from Gaujwaka and Bhimavaram constituencies, "is followed by a section of youths but it might not be comparable to the mass support that was enjoyed by NTR," G Haragopal, a retired professor of University of Hyderabad and political analyst, said.

However, his supporters argue that Kalyan is "down to earth and accessible to all which" which has endeared him to the masses and it would translate into votes for the Jana Sena-led alliance.

"Our nayakadu (leader) has been raising issues and pressured the government to address them. He enjoys support of all sections of the people," said a die-hard supporter Yugandhar, based in Tirupathi.

Pointing to his speeches in public meetings and rallies, the supporters of the actor, who called himself 'lion' in film 'Attarintiki Daaredhi', said that he has been a major crowdpuller.

However, Haragopal wondered if the star's on-screen popularity would translate into votes.

"The enthusiastic youths are not the kind who will carry on Kalyan's philosophy or ideology. They are all fans. But political cadre are different," he said.

The actor's support for the TDP-BJP combine in 2014 "helped" the alliance, claim his supporters.

Pawan Kalyan enjoys a large number of youth fan following, inspite of acting in just over 25 films since his debut in 1996.

Pawan Kalyan's task appears herculean given the well entrenched TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu on one side and a raging YSR Congress chief Jaganmohan Reddy on the other. Kalyan is a sibling of actor-politician K Chiranjeevi, who unsuccessfully launched Praja Rajyam Party and later merged it with the Congress.

"Jana Sena is not even a full fledged party. I don't think they will make any impact. The fight is only between the TDP and the YSR Congress," said Lanka Dhinakar, TDP's spokesperson.

YSR Congress leader Karunakar Reddy too said that people were not even aware of who was contesting from the Jana Sena combine.

However, CPI state secretary K Ramakrishna is hopeful that he will be able to get votes of youths and people of his Kapu caste.

He said, "The actual fight would be among TDP, YSRCP and Jana Sena-led alliance. Pawan's major strength is the support of the youth and natural admiration his caste people have for him."



He feels national parties -- the Congress and BJP -- would not be considered seriously because of backlash they face. While the Congress is blamed for bifurcating the state, the BJP is targeted for denying the state Special Category Status, he said.

CPI(M) state secretary P Madhu said their alliance is going to pose a serious threat to both the TDP and YSR Congress party.

Kalyan belongs to influential Kapu caste, which has dominant presence in regions including Godavari belt.

Though Kalyan himself tried to reach out to all sections of voters transcending the confines of his Kapu caste, observers say the actor cannot hope to even get full share of his own community votes.

"The Kapus votes would be divided between JSP and TDP. JSP has pitched for reservation to the community, while the TDP has already brought in 5 per cent quota for the community within the 10 per cent under the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) reservations, introduced by the BJP-led Centre," said an analyst.

Drawing parallels between Kapus and other intermediary castes in the country, professor of political science in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Ajay Gudavarthy said they would go with anyone who protects their interests.

Politically, Kalyan made several right moves like backing the victims of water pollution in West Godavari and by working on solving the issue of kidney ailments in Srikakulam by roping in Harvard University researches.

Jana Sena is also enthused as many prominent persons including former Speaker Nadendla Manohar and former IPS officer V V Lakshminarayana joined the party. Kalyan has also organised 'Praja Porata Yatra' - a combination of walkathon, rallies and public meetings.

NTR, after a spectacular career in the filmdom founded the Telugu Desam Party in 1982, and became the first actor from the undivided Telugu speaking state to become the chief minister in 1983 within nine months of forming the party.

The TDP and the YSR Congress will be going alone in the 2019 polls. In 2014, the TDP allotted 15 assembly and four Lok Sabha seats to its ally BJP, while its arch-rival YSR Congress contested on its own.

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Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday accused Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of suppressing facts in his nomination for the coming Assembly polls in the state.

There are reports that Patnaik was interrogated by CBI in November 2017 in connection with the allotment of a coal block to a "ghost company" when he was in charge of the coal ministry at the Centre, but the BJD president did not mention it in his nominations for both Hinjili and Bijepur assembly seats, Pradhan alleged.

Hitting out at Patnaik over his role in the coal block allocation during his tenure as union minister for steel and mines, Pradhan said a Nagpur-based company which was registered in January, 1999 was allotted a coal block on April 3, 1998.

People should know as to what interest the chief minister had in alloting a coal block to a company when it was yet to be registered, Pradhan told newsmen.

A case was registered in March, 2014 and it has come to light that CBI had interrogated Patnaik on November 25, 2017. "But the BJD president is trying to hide it," he said.

"The chief minister must tell the 4.5 crore people of Odisha whether the CBI had interrogated him ... And why he failed to mention it in the nomination papers he filed for the assembly polls," Pradhan said.

Patnaik, who is seeking re-election for the fifth consecutive term, is contesting from two assembly seats for the first time. He will be a candiadte from his home turf of Hinjili in Ganjam district and Bijepur in Bargarh district.

Election to the Odisha assembly will be held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls in the state.

Strongly reacting to the allegation, a BJD spokesperson said Pradhan is raking up the 21-year-old coal block allocation issue before the elections in a desperate bid to deflect public opinion which is against him and his party and from the fact that the BJP is falling apart all around him.

"The speed and intensity with which the BJP is breaking and getting decimated in Odisha has led Pradhan to become anxious," he said.

Claiming that BJP leaders who have worked for the party for 30-40 years are leaving the party and personally attacking Pradhan, the BJD spokesperson said Pradhan is ndulging in lies in a bid to save his face".

Moreover Pradhan should remember that Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the prime minister when Patnaik held charge of the coal ministry. "By his insinuations does he want to say that Atalji was corrupt or he tolerated corruption in his cabinet," the spokesperson said and urged the union minister to refrain from attempts to tarnish the image of the chief minister.

Pradhan further alleged that the state police, chief minister's grievance cell and special task force are being engaged by the ruling BJD in political works in gross violation of model code of conduct.

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Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra wriggled herself out of her party workers demand to get herself weighed in 'laddoos', making the local leader who had planned the event to sit on the scales instead.

After day-long meetings with partymen in her brother Rahul Gandhi's Parliamentary constituency Wednesday, Priyanka Gandhi arrived at the residence of local leader Fateh Bahadur around midnight, where the host had the weighing scales ready.

She, however, turned down the request by her party workers to sit on them against 'laddoos' and instead got the host to sit on them, much to the amusement of onlookers.

She also got a promise from the partymen to work harder not just for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections but also for the 2022 assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh.

The Congress general secretary is on a three-day visit to the state and will visit to Ayodhya Friday.

District Magistrate Ram Manohar Misra, meanwhile, said a complaint has been received against Fateh Bahadur and others for violation of the model code of conduct by breaching the time limit for electioneering.

Orders have been issued to lodge a case in the matter, he added.

Another case was filed against 15 Congress workers, including former minister Nadeem Ashraf Jaisi who were waiting late at night to welcome Priyanka Gandhi near Hunuman temple at Dargah turn in Amethi, when the Congress general secretary was on her way to Rae Bareli from Amethi, said police.

The second case too was lodged on charges of violating the poll code for breaching the campaign time limit, they added.

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Pakistan on Thursday said it examined the 22 "pin locations" shared by India but found no terror camps there and also claimed that it could not establish any links between the 54 people detained by authorities here and the Pulwama attack.

Making public more details of Pakistan's "preliminary findings" after India submitted a dossier to Islamabad after the Pulwama terror attack carried out by Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) suicide bomber on February 14, Pakistan's Foreign Office said it was willing to allow visits, on request, to the 22 locations.

"While 54 detained individuals are being investigated, no details linking them to Pulwama have been found so far," it said in a statement, a day after asking India to provide "more information/evidence" on the involvement of the JeM in the deadly Pulwama terror attack and the presence of camps of the UN-proscribed terror outfit in the country.

Amidst intense international pressure on Islamabad after the Pulwama terror attack, authorities here announced the preventive detention of over 120 members of banned militant outfits in the country.

Pakistan-based JeM chief Masood Azhar's son and brother were among 44 members of the banned militant outfits arrested by authorities in Pakistan," Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Khan Afridi said on March 5.

Ministry of Interior Secretary Azam Suleman Khan said Hammad Azhar and Mufti Abdur Rauf were among those arrested on Tuesday. Hammad is the son of Masood Azhar while Rauf is his brother.

The Pakistan Foreign Office said, "Similarly, the 22 pin locations shared by India have been examined. No such camps exist. Pakistan is willing to allow visits, on request, to these locations."



It said that in consistent with its commitment to cooperate, Pakistan on Wednesday shared "preliminary findings" of its investigations with India along with a set of questions.

"Subsequently, the diplomatic corps in Islamabad was briefed as well," the FO said.

India handed over the dossier to the Acting High Commissioner of Pakistan in New Delhi on February 27 with specific details of JeM's complicity in the Pulwama attack that killed 40 CRPF personnel on February 14 and the presence of JeM terror camps and its leadership in Pakistan.

The FO said soon after receiving the dossier, Pakistan constituted an investigation team, detained a number of people for investigation and initiated work on the technical aspects of social media content, a main basis of the Indian documents.

The Indian dossier contains 91 pages and six parts, out of which only part two and three pertain to the Pulwama attack, it said.

"Other parts are generalised allegations. Pakistan is focusing on those parts which relate to Pulwama incident," it said.

The FO claimed that during the course of investigations, all aspects of the information provided by India have been thoroughly examined including the "confessional" video of Adil Dar, "claim" of responsibility for the attack, WhatsApp and Telegram numbers used to share videos and messages in support of the Pulwama attack, list of 90 individuals suspected of belonging to a proscribed organisation and 22 pin locations of alleged training camps.

Service Providers have been requested for data including relevant details of activities and contacts of the GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) number provided by India, it said.

A request for assistance from WhatsApp has also been made to the US government, it said, adding that the said additional information and documents from India would be essential to continue the process of investigations.

"Pakistan remains committed to taking this process to its logical conclusion," the FO added.

Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after the suicide bomber of JeM killed 40 CRPF personnel.

India launched a counter-terror operation against a JeM training camp in Balakot. The next day, Pakistan Air Force retaliated and downed a MiG-21 in an aerial combat and captured its pilot, who was handed over to India on March 1.

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Congress President Rahul Gandhi would hit the campaign trail in Andhra Pradesh on March 31, addressing two election rallies, a senior AICC functionary said Thursday.

He would address meetings in Vijayawada and Kalyanadurg in Anantapur district in the state, where the Congress is contesting the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections on its own, AICC Secretary In-Charge of party affairs in Andhra Pradesh C D Meyyappan told PTI.

The Congress chief would arrive in Vijayawada from New Delhi in the forenoon on March 31 and address the rally at Makineni Basavapunnaiah Stadium there.

He would then fly to Bengaluru for an election meeting in the Karnataka capital and return to Andra Pradesh to address the rally in Kalyandurg, from where state Congress chief N Raghuveera Reddy is seeking election to the assembly, Meyyappan said.

The state would have simultaneous single phase polling to the 175-member assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats on April 11 with a multi-cornered contest involving the ruling TDP, main opposition YSR Congress Party, the Congress, the Jana Sena headed by Pawan Kalyan and the BJP.

Gandhi had visited Andhra Pradesh on February 22 when he trekked the 10 km-long stairway to the famous hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara at nearby Tirumala and offered prayers.

Later, he had addressed a rally here and promised to accord special category status to Andhra Pradesh if the Congress was voted to power, an issue over which the TDP had snapped its ties with BJP in March last year.

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The Enforcement Directorate Thursday sought dismissal of Robert Vadra's anticipatory bail application in a money laundering case and told a Delhi court that he is required for custodial interrogation.

Special Judge Arvind Kumar, who extended his interim protection from arrest till April 1, said he will pronounce order on Vadra's application on Monday.

ED said Vadra, brother-in-law of Congress President Rahul Gandhi, "needed to be dealt with custodial interrogation and that there was a risk of tampering with the investigation".

Vadra, facing allegations of money laundering in purchase of a London-based property at 12, Bryanston Square worth 1.9 million pounds, was earlier granted interim protection from arrest by the court till March 27.

ED told the court that there was fresh evidence in the case, including the e-mail trail in which the purchase and renovation of the London-based property was discussed.

"The anticipatory bail needs to be dismissed. Robert Vadra needs to be dealt with custodial interrogation," ED's special public prosecutor D P Singh and Nitesh Rana told the court.

Rana also accused Vadra of politicising the matter.

"We (ED) did not summon him because we did not want to make it political. He (Vadra) himself came forward that he wanted to join the probe. He came to our office with a lot of people, with his wife escorting him.

"We faced almost a mob like situation. Now he says ED is politicising the matter. He goes to the press, goes to social media. His activities, business, investments, all are suspicious," the agency said.

Senior advocate A M Singhvi, appearing for Vadra, told the court there was no need of custodial interrogation.

"There is no allegation to tempering, fleeing or that he (Vadra) is not cooperating. There is no ground of noncooperation rather it's a case of over cooperation," he said.

He further said, "ED is saying I (Vadra) was close to power and misused my position. If that was the case, then I was certainly more influential from 2009 to 2014 than I am now, as ED keep on saying this that I am influential. What more damage I can do now."



In his anticipatory bail plea, Vadra has alleged that he was being subjected to "unwarranted, unjustified and malicious criminal prosecution which on the face of it is completely politically motivated and is being carried out for reasons other than those prescribed under law".

The ED had also alleged that Manoj Arora, an employee of Vadra's Skylight Hospitality LLP, was a key person in the case and he was aware of the latter's overseas undeclared assets and was instrumental in arranging funds.

The court will also pronounce order on Arora's anticipatory bail application on April 1.

According to ED, it lodged the money laundering case against Arora after his role came up during the probe of another case by the Income Tax Department under the newly enacted Black Money Act and tax law against absconding arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari.

It alleged that the London-based property was bought by Bhandari for GBP 1.9 million and sold in 2010 for the same amount despite incurring additional expenses of approximately GBP 65,900 on its renovation.

"This gives credence to the fact that Bhandari was not the actual owner of the property but it was beneficially owned by Vadra who was incurring expenditure on the renovation of this property," the ED had told the court.

ED said it has received information about various new properties in London which allegedly belong to Vadra, including two houses of five and four million pounds each and six other flats.

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: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan Thursday asked Union Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu to roll back the steep hike in air fares from the state to West Asia.

The fares should be brought back to the level it prevailed in February this year, Vijayan said in a letter to Prabhu.

During April-May, schools in Kerala have summer vacation and a lot of non-resident Keralites come to the state and return to the Gulf region.

Therefore, there is an additional demand for flight tickets and the airlines were cashing in on this demand despite the director general of civil aviation advising them not to raise fares, he said.

Not paying heed to this, the airlines have hiked the one- way fares from Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode airports to various destinations in the Gulf sector by 200 to 400 per cent, he said



Besides, there was no availability of seats in the economy class, he said.

Grounding of a few Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft following safety precautions should not be the reason for raising the air fares, he further said.

Most of the non-resident Keralites earn meagre salary and the 'unjustified' steep hike in air fares would affect them badly, he added.

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The presence of Russian troops in Venezuela does not present a threat to anyone, the foreign ministry said Thursday after US President Donald Trump demanded that Russia remove its troops from the crisis-stricken country.

The United States and more than 50 other countries recognise Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim president while Russia, along with China, backs beleaguered socialist leader Nicolas Maduro.

Russia's deployment of troops and equipment to bolster Maduro has ratcheted up already high international tensions as the Trump administration is pushing hard for regime change amid mounting chaos in the once-rich country.

"Russia is not changing the balance of power in the region, Russia is not threatening anyone unlike citizens in Washington whom I have just quoted," foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told journalists.

She referred to Trump's comments on Wednesday that "Russia has to get out" of Venezuela as well as to statements by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that Washington does not plan to negotiate with Maduro and wants to end Russia and Cuba's influence on Caracas.

"Neither Russia nor Venezuela are provinces of the United States," Zakharova said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has accused Washington of attempts to "organise a coup d'etat" in the oil-producing nation while Pompeo warned that the US would not "stand idly by as Russia exacerbates tensions".

Earlier Thursday in Moscow, Venezuela's military attache said that Russian troops were in Venezuela under an agreement on military and technical cooperation and not to carry out a military operation.

A Russian air force Antonov-124 cargo plane and a smaller Ilyushin Il-62, landed at the main airport outside Caracas on Saturday and offloaded around 100 troops and tons of equipment.

"As for the presence of Russian specialists, we are talking about cooperation, military and technical cooperation," Jose Rafael Torrealba Perez was quoted as saying in translated comments by RIA Novosti state agency.

"We are absolutely not talking about Russia's military presence to carry out military operations," he added.

Venezuela's defence minister is expected to visit Moscow in April as part of the countries' cooperation, the military attache said.

On Tuesday, Zakharova also insisted that Russia is "developing cooperation with Venezuela in strict accordance with the constitution of that country and with full respect for its legal norms."



"The presence of Russian specialists on Venezuelan territory is regulated by an agreement between the Russian and Venezuelan governments on military and technical cooperation that was signed in May 2001," she said.

In 2011, Russia gave Venezuela a $4 billion loan to buy Russian armaments.

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Russia said Thursday its troops will stay in Venezuela "for as long as needed", rejecting US President Donald Trump's demand that Russia remove its military from the crisis-stricken country.

Russia's weekend deployment of troops and equipment to bolster President Nicolas Maduro has ratcheted up already high international tensions over Venezuela where the Trump administration is pushing for regime change.

The Russian foreign ministry insisted Thursday the presence of its troops there did not pose a threat to anyone.

"They are involved in the implementation of agreements in the sphere of military and technical cooperation," said ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, adding they would remain in the country "for as long as needed."



"Russia is not changing the balance of power in the region, Russia is not threatening anyone unlike citizens in Washington whom I have just quoted," she told reporters.

She was referring to Trump's comments that "Russia has to get out" of Venezuela as well as to statements by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that Washington does not plan to negotiate with Maduro and wants to end Russia and Cuba's influence on Caracas.

The United States and more than 50 other countries recognise Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim president while Russia, along with China, backs Maduro.

"Neither Russia nor Venezuela are provinces of the United States," Zakharova said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has accused Washington of trying to "organise a coup d'etat" in the oil-producing nation.

Venezuela's military attache in Moscow also said Thursday that Russian troops were in the country under an agreement on military and technical cooperation and not to carry out a military operation.

A Russian air force Antonov-124 cargo plane and a smaller Ilyushin Il-62 landed at the main airport outside Caracas on Saturday and offloaded around 100 troops and tonnes of equipment.

"As for the presence of Russian specialists, we are talking about cooperation, military and technical cooperation," the attache, Jose Rafael Torrealba Perez, was quoted as saying in translated comments by RIA Novosti state agency.

"We are absolutely not talking about Russia's military presence to carry out military operations," he added.

Venezuela's Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez is expected to visit Moscow in April as part of the cooperation between the two countries, the attache said.

On Tuesday, Zakharova declared that Russia was "developing cooperation with Venezuela in strict accordance with the constitution of that country and with full respect for its legal norms".

"The presence of Russian specialists on Venezuelan territory is regulated by an agreement between the Russian and Venezuelan governments on military and technical cooperation that was signed in May, 2001," she said.

In 2011, Russia gave Venezuela a USD 4 billion loan to buy Russian armaments.

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A key prosecution witness in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case told a Delhi court Thursday that Sajjan Kumar had instigated the mob to kill Sikhs.

The witness, Joginder Singh, also identified Kumar, who was present before District Judge Poonam A Bamba, as the person who instigated the mob.

"When I went to lodge FIR, the police had denied to name Sajjan Kumar in the FIR. Sajjan Kumar the person who leading the mob and provoking them," the witness said in his statement while being examined by advocate Tarannum Cheema, appearing for the prosecution.

Singh had lost his brother in the riots.

The court has now posted the matter for April 9 for further proceedings in the case.

Earlier, two other key prosecution witnesses -- Cham Kaur and Sheela Kaur -- had identified Kumar as the one who had instigated the mob in Sultanpuri.

The case was transferred from Karkardooma court to Patiala House court here by the Delhi High Court, which directed the district judge to video record the proceedings at the cost of the accused.

Kumar and two other accused, Brahmanand Gupta and Ved Prakash, had said that they were ready to bear the expenses of the videography of proceedings.

The three accused are facing trial on charges of murder and rioting in the case pertaining to killing of Surjit Singh in Sultanpuri.

The proceedings in the case were earlier stayed after Singh approached the high court seeking transfer of the case while alleging that evidence was not being properly recorded.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday used wordplay to attack the Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Lok Dal and Bahujan Samaj Party alliance, saying the first letters of the three parties spell 'sarab', prompting a furious reaction from the opposition at the comparison with alcohol.

Terming the SP-RLD-BSP alliance in Uttar Pradesh 'mahamilavat' (adulterated), Modi compared the opposition parties to 'sarab' -- the Hindi word for liquor is 'sharab'.

"The first letters of these three parties stand for 'sarab' which is bad for health," Modi said while launching the BJP's rally from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh and called upon people to be wary of the "concoction".

But between 'sarab' and 'sharab' is a world of nuance.

While the Congress asked Modi to apologise for comparing the parties to liquor, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav accused him of spreading the "intoxication of hatred", saying he didn't know the difference between 'sharab' and 'sarab' (mirage).

Alleging that Modi had lowered political discourse, Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, "You should apologise to the country as you have insulted the poor by comparing opposition political parties to liquor. You should either take back your words or apologise." Yadav added that those who spread the "intoxication of hatred" do not know the difference between "sharab and sarab".

"Today the tele-prompter exposed that those who spread the intoxication of hatred do not know the difference between 'sharab' and 'sarab'.

"Sarab means mirage, which is a blurred dream which the BJP is showing for the past five years but never fulfilled. It is once against showing 'sarab' to people during elections," Akhilesh said in a tweet.

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A day after getting assurance from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, around 200 aspiring school teachers Thursday withdrew their 29-day long relay hunger strike with the hope that something positive will happen by first week of June.

They lifted the stir after holding a meeting during the day with a five-member committee appointed by state Minister Partha Chatterjee to resolve the impasse.

"Following the chief minister's assurance and the development of today's meeting, we are withdrawing our agitation till the first week of June. We have trust on the chief minister," the agitators said.

They were claiming that a large number of teachers' posts were lying vacant but the authorities were not calling them for interview though they have the requisite qualifications.

"We will resume our agitation if the demands are not met by first week of June as assured by the chief minister," they said after the meeting.

The meeting took place a day after Banerjee dropped in at their dharna venue on Wednesday and assured them to look into their demands after the Lok Sabha poll process is over.

"I am helpless at the moment and cannot do anything right now as the election model code of conduct is in force. We have to frame a policy to resolve the demands. Please give me time," Banerjee had told the agitating aspiring teachers.

She had said she would ask the minister to look into their demands after the elections.

The seven-phase Lok Sabha polls in the state will begin on April 11 and results will be announced on May 23.

Around 200 aspiring school teachers were on relay hunger strike and dharna from February 28 demanding recruitment to vacant posts in state-run institutes.

Minister Partha Chatterjee last Friday met representatives of the aspiring teachers and formed a five-member committee to look into their demands.

The agitators were on dharna and relay fast since February 28 under the banner of the SSC Yuva-Chhatra Adhikar Manch.

The CPI(M) and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the students' wing of the RSS, have backed their demands.

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The Supreme Court Thursday said it is for the legislature to take a call on providing the right to appeal to people for challenging the decisions of Assam's foreigners tribunal which are in the nature of the executive order.

"You go to legislature. Let them make any number of laws (on the issue). We agree that foreigners tribunals have quasi judicial determination which authorises them for executive determination," a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi observed orally.

The Bench, also comprising Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna, reserved its order on the plea which contended that absence of right to appeal was violative of fundamental rights under the Constitution.

The apex court will deliver the verdict whether a person who has been declared a foreigner by a judicial tribunal has the right to appeal his exclusion or dropping of name from the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

"The foreigners tribunal's decisions may be quasi judicial. Persons declared foreigners by them can seek relief under Article 226 or file suits for declaration of Indian citizenship. You cannot ask the Supreme Court to make an appellate forum for them. That's the legislature's job," the bench told senior advocate Sanjay Hegde, who was arguing for some of the petitioners.

The bench said any remedy like right to appeal against foreigners tribunals, which have executive determination, cannot be agitated in the apex court.

"If you tell us something relevant, we will hear. You cannot take judges here and there. For judicial determination file a suit for declaration," the bench said.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal asked the bench that the apex court can exercise its jurisdiction under Article 142 of the constitution for complete justice.

He submitted that the process followed in the foreigners tribunal was inconsistent with Article 21 of the Constitution and it is difficult for poor people to complete the entire procedure in 60 days.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the law and the proposition on the issue is fully settled and even Article 142 cannot supplant the provisions of foreigners tribunal.

"It is essentially a legislative question and cannot be touched," he submitted.

While hearing the issue on March 26, the bench was told by the Centre that the tribunal's verdict, declaring a person a foreigner, would always prevail over the NRC and such foreigners or illegal migrants cannot be included in the NRC in Assam.

The bench was hearing as many as 16 pleas on the issue.

Sibal, appearing for the 16 petitioners including Abdul Kuddus, had said that a person, whose name has been dropped from the NRC on the ground that he is a foreigner, should have the right to appeal.

"This is the basic due process of law and fair play. Even if the right to appeal is not there, it can be created by the Supreme Court under Article 142 of the Constitution," he said.

One of the questions, the bench had said was "whether a judicial determination of a person being a foreigner would stand superseded if the name of same person is included in the draft or final NRC.

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The Supreme Court Thursday said it would hear on April 1 a plea filed by disqualified Congress MLA B D Barad who has challenged the Gujarat High Court's verdict dismissing his petition against the disqualification.

The Gujarat High Court on March 27 had dismissed Barad's plea in which he had sought quashing of the assembly Speaker's March 5 decision to disqualify him as an MLA following his conviction in a case and also notifying the Talala constituency seat as vacant.

He had also challenged the March 10 decision of Election Commission of India declaring by-polls on the vacant assembly seat along with the upcoming Lok Sabha election. He had sought a stay on the by-election.

On Thursday, Barad's plea against the high court's order was mentioned for urgent hearing before a bench comprising Justices S A Bobde and S A Nazeer.

"List the matter on April 1 before an appropriate bench," the apex court said.

Barad was convicted by a magisterial court on March 1 in a case for offence under section 379 (punishment for theft) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and was sentenced to two years and nine month jail along with a fine of Rs 2,500.

On the same day, the magistrate had suspended the sentence and released him on bail.

Later, he challenged the order before a Sessions court which stayed his conviction on March 7.

However, on March 5, the Speaker disqualified Barad and also notified the assembly seat as vacant.

On March 15, the high court had quashed the Sessions court's March 7 order staying his conviction in the case.

In its March 27 order, a division bench of the high court had said that it would not interfere with the notification of Election Commission as Barad's conviction was not stayed and therefore, his disqualification remains.

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Online retailer Amazon is investing in technology, logistics and infrastructure to provide better services to its customers, and has also set up a fulfillment centre in Jaipur for timely delivery, a company official said here Thursday.

Over 20,000 sellers from Rajasthan are selling their products globally through the company, Amazon India Director Operation Karuna Pande told reporters at a press conference.

The compnay has set up a 1.30 lakh cubic feet fulfillment centre in Jaipur to ensure timely delivery and drive customer value, Pande said.

She said the company has more than 50 fulfillment centres across 13 states with a storage capacity of 20 million cubic feet.

The storage capacity has increased by about 1.5 times in the last one year, she said.

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BJP chief Amit Shah Thursday accused the previous Congress government in Assam of settling illegal immigrants in the state, as he applauded the Narendra Modi government for securing the country's frontiers and avenging Indian soldiers killed by Pakistan-backed terror groups.

Addressing two election rallies in the northeastern state, Shah asserted, let alone infiltrators "not even a bird" will be allowed to enter Assam illegally if the BJP secures a second term at the Centre.

He said only Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP can ensure security of the country and not the Congress or its president Rahul Gandhi.

"In his five years in office, Modi brought in a lot of development. But most of all he ensured the security of the country and its borders. Under his leadership, India avenged the blood of our soldiers killed in Uri and Pulwama attacks by Pakistan-based terror elements," Shah told election rallies in Kaliabor and Teok.

The BJP president claimed the way the world viewed India underwent a drastic change under Modi.

Shah insisted that India under Modi was only the third nation after the US and Israel to take swift revenge for the spilling of their soldiers' blood by enemies.

He criticised the Congress party for demanding proof of the damage caused by the Indian Air Force's Balakot air strike inside Pakistan in the wake of the killing of 40 CRPF personnel in Kashmir's Pulwama.

"Should we avenge our fallen soldiers or not? The Congress party cannot protect the country's borders. If we want to protect India's borders, then only Narendra Modi and BJP can do that.

"Rahul and Congress say hold talks (with Pakistan). Tell me, should we? We will respond bullet for bullet. During the 10 years of Sonia Gandhi-Manmohan Singh rule, heads of our soldiers were chopped off but there was no reply from the Indian side," he told the Kaliabor rally where he canvassed support for ally AGP candidate Monimadhab Mahanta.

Shah alleged the Congress government under Tarun Gogoi settled illegal immigrants inside the Kaziranga National Park and 16th century Vaishnavite monasteries in Assam.

"It was (Assam CM) Sarbananda Sonowal and Himanta Biswa Sarma's BJP government, which dared to evict all the immigrants out of Kaziranga. Rhinos were being killed. Now the BJP government here has sent the poachers to jail. No one dared to do that earlier," he asserted and claimed 200 acres of land occupied by "infiltrators" were recovered.

"Make Narendra Modi the prime minister again and I assure you that we will detect and deport every single illegal immigrant out of Assam. Let alone infiltrators, not even a bird will be allowed to enter Assam illegally," he asserted.

Shah said though it was under "Rahul baba's father" (Rajiv Gandhi) as the prime minister that the Assam Accord was signed in 1985, the Congress governments did little for its implementation.

He said when the Modi government came to power it set up a committee to save the culture, language and heritage of the indigenous people.

Addressing another rally at Teok in Jorhat for BJP candidate and state minister Topon Kumar, Shah accused Tarun Gogoi of entering into a tacit understanding with Badruddin Ajmal's AIDUF to ensure his son's victory in Kaliabor Lok Sabha seat.

"Gogoi and Ajmal plan to fill Assam with illegal immigrants. The man who once asked who is Badruddin is hugging Ajmal only for the victory of his son (sitting MP Gaurav Gogoi)," he said.

"Gogoi and Ajmal fight during the day but sing ILU-ILU at night," Shah said, recalling the "I love you" song from Hindi film Saudagar.

The BJP has been accusing Congress of having a covert understanding with the AIDUF of Lok Sabha MP Badruddin Ajmal after the latter decided to contest only three seats this time. The party led by perfume baron Ajmal had fielded its candidates in 10 of the 14 Lok Sabha seats in Assam in 2014 and won three.

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The Shiv Sena, a constituent of the BJP-led NDA, Thursday announced that it would contest 15 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal and claimed that the saffron party is now an extended part of the Trinamool Congress (TMC).

The Shiv Sena is contesting Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal for the first time.

"Today we announced candidates for 11 seats. Within a few days we will declare candidates in four more seats. The BJP leadership in Bengal can never fight the TMC. That is why Shiv Sena has entered the fray," said the party's state general secretary Ashok Sarkar.

"All the tainted leaders of the TMC have joined the BJP making it an extended part of the ruling party," he claimed.

Several sitting MPs and an MLA of the TMC have joined the BJP in recent times.

Shiv Sena announced candidates from Tamluk, Contai, Midnapur, North Kolkata, Purulia, Barrackpore, Bankura, Barasat, Bishnupur, North Malda, Jadavpur.

The BJP has made inroads in some of these seats in the past few years.

Sarkar said he would be contesting Midnapur Lok Sabha seat against the BJP state president Dilip Ghosh and the TMC's Manas Bhunia.

In 2016 state assembly election, the Shiv Sena had contested 18 seats but failed to make an impact.

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Sir Ganga Ram Hospital Thursday became the first 700 bed high capacity multi-speciality hospital from the national capital to join the Centre's Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).

The hospital signed a pact with the National Health Authority (NHA) under the Union Health Ministry for empanelment in the Ayushman Bharat scheme.

The agreement was signed by NHA CEO Dr Indu Bhushan and additional director (medical) of the hospital Dr Satendra Katoch here.

"Sir Ganga Ram Hospital has become the first 700-bed high capacity multi-speciality tertiary care hospital from Delhi to join Ayushman Bharat . Many more will follow soon," Bhushan said.

He said this is the first big hospital in Delhi to get empanelled into the scheme.

The AB-PMJAY provides healthcare benefits worth Rs five lakh to each eligible family per year in government and empanelled private hospitals.

According to Dr D S Rana, Chairman (BOM), Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, "We deeply value the ethos of Ayushman Bharat Prime Minister Jan Arogya Yojna . Our hospital will contribute towards the vision of Prime Minister to provide health for all Indians.

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Assam Chief Election Officer (CEO) Mukesh Sahu launched the special 'Enajori' intitative here on Thursday to make the Lok Sabha elections accessible to Persons with Disability (PwD) voters.

CEO Sahu launched the initiative through a video-conference in the presence of all Additional Deputy Commissioners, district officials of the Social Welfare Department, District Managers of Common Service Centres (CSCs) and officers of Systematic Voters' Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP).

It is a joint initiative of CEO Assam and Social Welfare Department with an objective to make Lok Sabha Election 2019 accessible for PwD voters, the spirit of which finds an encouraging place in the Constitution of India under Article 326, a government release said.

Section 11 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 states that Election Commission of India and State Election Commissions shall ensure that all polling stations are accessible to persons with disabilities and all materials related to the electoral process are easily understandable by and accessible to them.

In the light of the these provisions and guidelines, Enajori has been brought out by CEO Assam to facilitate PwD voters catering to their special needs which is in congruence with the motto of election 'No voter to be left behind', the release said.

Under this initiative, the Social Welfare Department will entrust field officials under the leadership of District Disability Coordinator and District Social Welfare Officer to conduct comprehensive mapping of PwDs in consultation with Booth Level Officers, Chandraprabha Baideus, Divyang Sarothis schemes to facilitate these voters for a barrier-free and inclusive accessible election. Mapping includes moral boost, escort during poll day, counselling, ethical and informed voting, it said



Under Enajori, sensitization programmes will be conducted by Social Welfare Department to make aware the PwD voters about Braille system.

A special initiative will be undertaken to make Braille voter slips and Braille ballot paper to facilitate blind voters.

The District Transport Nodal Officer will be notified for a better conveyance of PwD voters to the polling station, the release added.

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Syria on Thursday described US President Donald Trump's proclamation recognising Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights as a "dirty deal" between him and Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu which will "not change anything on the ground".

Syria's Ambassador to India Riad Kamel Abbas also said his country would welcome if India wants to play a more pro-active role in Syria or in the Middle East peace process.

"This dirty deal which happened between Trump and Netanyahu, happened for their personal benefit. Mr Trump got clearance from his department on the Russian issue and Prime Minister Netanyahu got guarantee to win elections," Abbas said at a press conference here.

He said the Syrian government condemns this "dirty declaration" and it "will not change anything on the ground".

Abbas said Syria condemns the declaration and will make "all efforts -- political or in any other way -- to turn back this territory to itself".

Asked what these measures could be, the Syrian envoy said they were already taking up the matter aggressively, diplomatically and if all else fails they will be forced to take military action as they have done in the past.

Golan is part of Syria and Trump has no right to give the territory to Israel, he said, alleging that America was "behind all the terror groups" and unrest in the region.

Abbas praised India for its position on the Middle East and asserted that it trusts India's stance on key issues concerning Syria.

"We highly trust the Indian position in this regard and especially if they want to play a proactive role in Syria or in the Middle east peace process. We will be happy to see an Indian role in that," the envoy said, when asked what role it expects India to play on the issue.

India has been a unique country in the world which has never had a colonisation policy and has always been a victim of colonisation and never interfered with anybody's internal affairs, Abbas said.

"If India wants to play a role we welcome it," he said.

"The declaration by Mr Trump is proof about who creates unrest in the Middle East. It proves America is behind the Arab Spring, it was not the Arab Spring but 'Arab fire' created to destroy Arab countries to control our natural resources," he alleged.

US President Trump on Monday signed a proclamation recognising Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights and told the visiting Israeli Prime Minister, Netanyahu, that his country has "absolute right" to self defence.

Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war but its sovereignty over the territory is not recognised by the international community. Trump's proclamation reversed more than a half-century of the US policy over the issue.

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RJD leader Tej Pratap Yadav, the elder son of party president Lalu Prasad, Thursday resigned as the 'sanrakshak' (patron) of the party's students wing,



signalling all was not well within the family.

"I am resigning from the post of Chhatra Rashtriya Janata Dal Sanrakshak. Those who think I am ignorant are ignorant themselves. I am well aware of who is worth what," he tweeted.

The sudden development comes as a major embarrassment to the party which has been beset by speculations of fierce rivalry between Tej Pratap and his younger brother Tejashwi Yadav.

The announcement also comes amid rumours that Tej Pratap would be causing a split in the party.

However, later talking to a couple of regional channels, the RJD supremo's elder son denied speculations of him planning a drastic step on account of perceived rivalry with Tejashwi Yadav, who has been declared as the political heir apparent of Lalu Prasad.

Speaking at a conference, Tej Pratap noted that he wanted to press for the candidature of his confidants Angesh Kumar and Chandra Prakash from Sheohar and Jehanabad, respectively.

"I would like my father, the national president, and Tejashwi who is managing the affairs of the party in his absence to give a thought to my proposal," he said.

The presser was, however, called off reportedly at the insistence of his mother Rabri Devi and father, who is in Ranchi serving sentences in the fodder scam.

RJD leaders were also tight-lipped about the entire episode.

The 'Mahagathbandhan' in Bihar, of which RJD is the largest constituent, is yet to take a call on which party would contest the aforementioned seats.

Tej Pratap is known to have thrown a fit on many occasions for being 'sidelined' in the party.

Notably, his Twitter announcement of resigning from the party's students wing came less than 24 hours after he put out another tweet congratulating Patna University student leader Gagan Yadav for being appointed the state president of Chhatra Janata Dal.

Said to be enjoying the support of eldest sister Misa Bharti, the RJD leader caused a flutter a few months ago when he pushed for her candidature from Pataliputra seat and went on to launch a campaign in her support.

The did not go down well with party MLA and an aspirant for the seat Bhai Virendra, who was said to have the backing of Tejashwi Yadav.

Recently, Tejashwi too had indicated that he was not averse to Misa, a Rajya Sabha member, contesting the Lok Sabha polls.

When asked why was his sister's name missing from the party's list of star campaigners, he replied that 'didi' (elder sister) was likely to contest the polls.

"That is why she may not be burdened with campaigns in other parts of the state," Tejashwi said.

Speculations are rife that Tej Pratap's recent outburst may have stemmed from reports that Tejashwi was backing the candidature of MLA Chandrika Prasad Rai from Lalu Prasad's pocket borough Saran.

Tej Pratap had married Rai's daughter in May last, but sought to divorce her five months later, much to the chagrin of his family.

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Thailand has expressed its interest to join the consultations sought by Guatemala under the aegis of the World Trade Organization's (WTO) dispute settlement mechanism against India's sugar subsidies.

On March 25, after Brazil and Australia, Guatemala dragged India to the WTO alleging that New Delhi's sugar subsidies to farmers are inconsistent with global trade rules.

In a communication to the WTO, Thailand said it wants to join "in the consultations requested by Guatemala in a communication circulated to WTO Members on 25 March 2019, in document entitled 'India - Measures Concerning Sugar and Sugarcane'".

Thailand has substantial trade interest in these consultations, it said, adding that in 2018 it was the world's second largest exporter of sugar with export value of USD 2,596.78 million.

"As a result of this substantial trade interest, Thailand respectfully requests that it be permitted to join the consultations in this dispute. Thailand looks forward to acceptance of this request and advice regarding the date and venue of the consultations," it added.

Seeking consultation is the first step of dispute settlement process. If the two nations are not able to reach a mutually agreed solution through consultation, India may request for a WTO dispute settlement panel to review the matter.

Guatemala has sought consultations with India under the rules and procedures governing the settlement of disputes of the Geneva-based 164-member WTO.

It has filed dispute under certain articles of WTO's Agreement on Agriculture, Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 with respect to domestic support measures maintained by India in favour of producers of sugarcane and sugar, and export subsidies for sugarcane and sugar.

The Central American country has said that India maintains various domestic support measures in favour of sugarcane and sugar producers, such as a system of administered prices for sugar cane which operates at the federal level through the Fair and Remunerative Price; a minimum selling price for sugar; and additional measures that provide financial assistance to sugarcane producers which include production subsidies to mills to offset sugarcane price arrears, and subsidies to maintain buffer stocks.

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/ -- The Trust increases the total Grants corpus and also introduces a fourth grant category: The Conservation Hero Grant



The Habitats Trust, which works towards the protection and conservation of natural habitats and their indigenous species, today announced that its application portal for The Habitats Trust Grants 2019 will open on April 1st, 2019. The Habitats Trust Grants was established in 2018 to recognize and support individuals and organizations doing seminal work in the field of conservation. Any organization working to conserve India's biodiversity can apply for the Grants in their specific categories, which will include the Strategic Partnership Grant; the Lesser-known Habitats Grant and the Lesser-known Species Grant. The Habitats Trust Grants has also increased the grant amount by Rs. 5 Lakhs each, for two categories - the 'Lesser-known Habitats' and 'Lesser-known Species' grants.

This year, the Habitats Trust Grants has introduced a new category specifically for individuals - The Conservation Hero Grant - to identify and support grassroots conservationists who protect India's endangered and fragile biodiversity and natural habitats. The work these unsung heroes do has a significant impact on the conservation efforts being made in the country, and the Grant seeks to provide them with a platform of recognition that they can leverage to expand their work.

The four grant categories include:



Strategic Partnership Grant (Rs. 25 lakhs)This flagship grant will primarily reach out to mid to large sized field work oriented organisations to create a two-way partnership for our common cause of conservation. This grant is directed towards the running costs of on-ground projects. The grant is aimed at enabling the creation of a sustainable and replicable conservation model to address some of the key conservation issues in India.

Lesser-known Habitats Grant (Rs. 20 lakhs)



This first of its kind initiative aims to secure and regenerate the overlooked and unaddressed habitats of the country that are in urgent need of conservation attention. These lesser-known habitats are home to an array of biodiversity and serve as important connections between key wildlife landscapes and as havens for dispersal populations from the 'celebrity' parks. Through the Lesser-known Habitats Grant, we hope to secure and bring into the limelight these vital habitats.

Lesser-known Species Grant (Rs. 15 lakhs)



In recent years, a great deal of attention has been given to the 'glamour' species of the country such as tigers, leopards, elephants and rhinos. Unfortunately, several of these equally endangered species have not received the same level of conservation support. This unique grant aims to support organizations working to secure a future for the lesser-known endangered species.

Conservation Hero Grant (Rs. 10 lakhs) Across the country there are grassroots conservationists working dedicatedly, with little to no support, to protect the biodiversity. The work they do in their individual capacity has a huge positive impact on conservation in the country. This grant aims to recognize these conservation heroes and provide them a platform to expand their activities and garner further support for their work.

Along with awarding the Grants to the winners across the four categories, The Habitats Trust will also give 10 percent of the Grant amount in each category to the other finalists to ensure that their efforts and work is recognized. With this, the Trust will award a total of Rs 84 lakhs as Grants in 2019 for projects with a duration of approximately one year.

Talking about the call for applications for the 2019 edition of the Grants, Roshni Nadar Malhotra, CEO, HCL Corporation and Founder & Trustee, The Habitats Trust said, "Our natural resources are precious and as we battle an era where several species are on the brink of extinction we need focused efforts to ensure sustainability and continued ecological balance. The Habitats Trust Grants was established to help individuals and organizations working in this field with financial and organizational support. To further this objective, we are introducing the new 'Conservation Hero Grant' this year and have increased the overall grant amount. I'm looking forward to a great response to our call for applications for the 2019 edition."



Like last year, every application will be evaluated through a multi-level screening process by sector specialists, external auditors, The Habitats Team and a Jury of eminent conservationists from India and abroad. The parameters which will be measured include but are not limited to - relevance, expected impact, stakeholder engagement, scalability, replicability and sustainability of the proposed project. Post first-level screening and shortlisting, 24 applicants, six in each category, will move to the field verification round, and applicants clearing this round will face the final jury round. The four winners, one in each category, of The Habitats Trust Grants 2019 will be announced at a Felicitation Ceremony in November 2019.

To ensure that the Trust is able to share the knowledge and insights collected during the evaluation process of the Grants with the larger community, the Habitats Trust plans to create an annual compendium starting this year, detailing out the work of the finalists and past winners. This compendium can then become a point of reference for other organizations or individuals looking to support conservationists across India.

About The Habitat Trust



Founded in 2018 by Roshni Nadar Malhotra, the CEO of HCL Corporation and Trustee of the Shiv Nadar Foundation, and Shikhar Malhotra, the Vice Chairman of HCL Healthcare and Trustee, Shiv Nadar Foundation, The Habitat Trust will work towards protecting natural habitats and their indigenous species through strategic partnerships, focused on-ground efforts, engaging technology for conservation and conservation awareness generation. The Trust envisions a world where our natural habitats are secured for future generations, and humans live in harmony with the wildlife that share our planet.

About the Habitats Trust Grants



India is a megadiverse country, with only 2.4% of the world's land area, it accounts for 7-8% of all recorded species, including over 45,000 species of plants and 91,000 species of animals. Four of the 34 globally identified biodiversity hotspots: The Himalayas, the Western Ghats, the North-East, and the Nicobar Islands, are found in India. However, rampant habitat loss and fragmentation, increasing biotic pressures on forests, and poaching and the illegal wildlife trade in species, pose a grave threat to India's biodiversity. Committed conservationists have dedicated their lives to securing the country's vibrant flora and fauna, and The Habitats Trust Grants seeks to support their efforts.

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British Prime Minister Theresa May was on Thursday struggling to keep her European Union (EU) divorce bill alive for another parliamentary vote, a day after she offered to step down if her Conservative Party MPs agreed to back it.

A number of her Tory MPs are believed to have been swayed by that offer but with Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) determined against it, May still lacks the crucial numbers that would be needed for her twice-defeated withdrawal agreement to be voted through in the House of Commons.

Then there is also Commons Speaker John Bercow's diktat in the way that the UK government cannot bring back the same proposal for yet another vote unless it is substantially different from the two previous ones on Britain's exit strategy from the EU, defeated twice by an enormous majority earlier this year.

"The motion tabled will comply with the Speaker's ruling but the only way we ensure we leave in good time on May 22 is by approving the Withdrawal Agreement by 11pm on the March 29 which is tomorrow (Friday)," said Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom on Thursday.

After agreeing to an extension to the March 29 Brexit deadline, the EU had offered May 22 as the outer limit for the UK to finalise Brexit if Theresa May's withdrawal agreement is voted through by Parliament by this week. If she fails a third time, the British PM must come up with alternatives by April 12 or risk Britain crashing out of the economic bloc without any deal in place.

There is speculation that MPs might be asked to vote on the withdrawal agreement but not the linked "political declaration" on the future of the UK-EU relationship to be finalised over a transition period, to make Friday's motion substantially different from the twice-defeated motion.

The Opposition Labour Party branded the move to meet the Speaker's ruling as the "blindest of blind Brexits".

Meanwhile, the Commons failed to find a majority for a way forward after voting for eight different options, including revoking Brexit, leaving without a deal, creating a customs union and backing a confirmatory referendum on any deal, on Wednesday.

After several hours of debate, none of the eight options emerged as a front-runner among MPs.

Conservative MP Oliver Letwin, dubbed "Prime Minister for the day" as he oversaw the unprecedented process of "indicative votes", said the lack of a majority for any proposition was "disappointing".

Alongside the unprecedented takeover by MPs of the business of the House, May told a meeting of Conservative MPs that she would not lead the talks with Brussels over the future relationship between the UK and the EU.

She indicated that she would resign as party leader after May 22 the new Brexit date if her deal was passed, but stay on as PM until a new leader is elected.

"I am prepared to leave this job earlier than I intended in order to do what is right for our country and our party," she told the party's 1922 Committee.

It meant she won some support for her plan but is continuing discussions to try and win over the remaining hard Brexiteers as well as crucially the DUP.

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The BJP in Arunachal Pradesh opened its account with three candidates declared elected unopposed in the 60-member Assembly, after the final date of withdrawal of candidature on Thursday.

The state is going to simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly polls on April 11.

While BJP nominee Kento Jini won from Aalo East assembly constituency after the nomination papers of his lone rival Minkir Lollen of the Congress was found invalid during scrutiny on Tuesday, another BJP candidate was elected unopposed from Yachuli seat.

BJP candidate from Dirang seat Phurpa Tsering emerged victorious without a contest after Congress nominee Tsering Gyurme and Independent candidate Gombu Tsering withdrew their papers on Thursday, Additional Chief Electoral Officer Kangki Darang told reporters here.

With the withdrawal of nominations by 20 candidates till Thursday, a total of 191 candidates remained in the fray to contest in 57 assembly constituencies of the state.

The ruling BJP has now 57 candidates while opposition Congress would contest on 47 seats, National Peoples Party (NPP) on 30 constituencies, Janata Dal Secular (13), Janata Dal United (17) and the Al India Party (AIP) has fielded a single candidate.

There are also 17 independents in the fray in the assembly polls.

Altogether 10 female candidates are in the fight in the assembly polls with Congress fielding the highest number of four, followed by BJP in three constituencies, one each by JD(U) and Peoples Party of Arunachal (PPA) and a lone Independent, Darang said.

Unreserved seat Bordumsa-Diyun has the highest record of 10 candidates locking horns to win the battle of ballots.

A total of 12 candidates, including one female, are in the fray for the two Lok Sabha seats in the state.

In the Western Parliamentary seat there are seven candidates while in the Eastern seat there are a total of five nominees.

A total of 7,94,162 voters, including 4,01,601 women, would exercise their franchise in the April 11 simultaneous polls in 2,202 polling stations spread across the state.

There are also 3000 odd physically challenged voters in the state.

This time, there are also 11 polling stations in the state that will exclusively be for women.

There are 518 remote polling stations in the state where polling parties would travel by foot. In 14 polling stations spread across Kra Daadi, Upper Subansiri and Anjaw districts, chopper will be pressed to ferry men and materials for conducting polling, Darang said.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has appointed 26 General Observers, 20 Expenditure Observers and two police observers to oversee the poll process.

So far police along with Static Surveillance Team and Flying squads appointed by the ECI, so far has seized cash amounting to two crore 73 lakhs with highest amount of 74 lakhs in Papum Pare district along with 89,798 bottles of liquor, Darang added.

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The Madras High Court Thursday expressed its dismay over the continuing menace of illegal digital banners and placards despite a blanket ban on erecting such hoardings by political parties.

A bench of Justices M Sathyanarayanan and Justice M Nirmal Kumar pointed to banners put up recently in a stretch of an arterial road in the city and said it looked as if the stretch was leased out to a particular political party.

The bench also pointed to its earlier specific order asking the government to come up with a plan for disposal of such banners to prevent possible environmental degradation and said so far no report had been filed.

The observations were made on a contempt petition by activist 'Traffic' K R Ramaswamy seeking action against officials for wilful disobedience of court orders on banners.

State Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan in an affidavit submitted that all the district collectors have been instructed to give top priority to check erection of unauthorised banners and ensure their removal.

The affidavit said all the collectors had been instructed last month to convene a meeting with all political parties jointly with the head of police and issue a detailed circular informing them about relevant rules regarding digital banners and to highlight the orders passed by the court.

The printers of such banners were also strictly informed they should not print banners without details of permission and themselves.

The chief secretary also undertook that she would closely monitor the issue and ensure collectors take all out efforts to prevent erection of such unauthorised banners.

Recording the submissions, the bench directed her to file necessary additional affidavit on disposal of banners and posted the plea to June 13 for further hearing.

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President Donald Trump says he is backing off a budget request to cut funding for the Special Olympics, after days of criticism.

Trump told reporters at the White House Thursday, "I've overridden my people for funding the Special Olympics."



The Trump administration's education budget proposal calls for the elimination of $17.6 million in funding for the Special Olympics, roughly 10 percent of the group's overall revenue.

Democrats pressed Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on the topic during a Senate budget hearing Thursday, just days after House Democrats grilled her on the proposal and sparked criticism online.

DeVos said she "wasn't personally involved" in pushing for elimination of the funding, but she defended it as her agency seeks to cut $7 billion from the 2020 budget.

Education Secretary Betsy Devos is facing a new round of scrutiny over a proposal to eliminate funding for the Special Olympics, a cut that lawmakers say is unlikely to be approved.

Senate Democrats are pressing DeVos on the topic during a budget hearing, just after House Democrats grilled her on the proposal and sparked a wave of criticism online.

DeVos says she "wasn't personally involved" in pushing for elimination of the funding, but she is defending it as her agency seeks to cut $7 billion for the 2020 budget.

Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin says "someone has to accept responsibility for a bad decision.

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US President Donald Trump on Thursday called on OPEC to boost oil output following a fairly steady rise in crude prices in 2019.

"Very important that OPEC increase the flow of Oil. World Markets are fragile, price of Oil getting too high. Thank you!" Trump said on Twitter at around 1230 GMT.

Oil prices took a brief, sharp turn downward after the statement before recovering somewhat.

Near 1300 GMT, US oil benchmark West Texas Intermediate for May delivery was down 88 cents at $58.53 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Since becoming president, Trump has periodically put pressure the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to open the taps to add more supply to the market and lower prices.

OPEC in December reached a deal to with Russia and some other producers to limit output to shore up prices.

Since January, US oil futures have risen 28.6 per cent while oil futures in London have gained 23.9 per cent.

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President said Wednesday that CEO Sundar Pichai, whom he'd previously accused of indirectly boosting China's military, has reassured him that he is "totally committed" to US security.

"Just met with @sundarpichai, President of @Google, who is obviously doing quite well," Trump tweeted after a White House meeting. "He stated strongly that he is totally committed to the US Military, not the Chinese Military."



Earlier this month Trump complained that Google's business activities in China were "helping China and their military.

" There was also criticism from General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who told Congress "the work that is doing in China is indirectly benefiting" China's armed forces.

America's top military officer has also urged US tech giants to step up work on next generation 5G wireless technology so that US markets are not reliant on Chinese innovators, like leading telecom firm Huawei.

Dominating 5G is "in our national interest," the general said.

The US government though has deep suspicions that Huawei's technology would potentially open the doors to Chinese government penetration of US communications.

A spokesperson said Pichai had "productive conversations" with Trump about "investing in the future of the American workforce, the growth of emerging technologies and our ongoing commitment to working with the U.S. government.
President Donald Trump renewed Thursday his threat to close the vital US-Mexico border, claiming America's southern neighbour was doing "NOTHING" to slow the flow of illegal immigrants to the United States.

In a flurry of early morning tweets, Trump warned: "May close the Southern Border!"



"Mexico is doing NOTHING to help stop the flow of illegal immigrants to our Country. They are all talk and no action," he added.

"Likewise, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador have taken our money for years, and do Nothing. The Dems don't care, such BAD laws." Trump has previously made similar threats, including in December in the early days of America's longest ever federal government shutdown, when he vowed to seal the frontier "entirely" if Congress does not approve billions of dollars in funding for a wall.

Lawmakers demurred and Trump declared a national emergency instead to bypass Congress and unlock the money to fulfill his 2016 campaign promise to build a border wall.

The move drew condemnation from both the president's rival Democrats and fellow Republicans, who warned it was an abuse of presidential powers and created a dangerous precedent.

Although there has been a surge in arrivals of families and children at the border, overall apprehensions there are down substantially from a decade or more ago.

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President Donald Trump should delay his decision to terminate the preferential trade status granted to India till the general elections in the country are over, several influential US lawmakers, including Democratic presidential aspirant Tulsi Gabbard, said on Wednesday.

Trump this month informed the US Congress about his intent to terminate the designation of India as a beneficiary developing country under Generalized System of Preferences(GSP) programme that facilitates duty free import of certain products from underdeveloped countries to help grow their economies.

Under the United States GSP programme, nearly 2,000 products including auto components and textile materials can enter the US duty-free if the beneficiary developing countries meet the eligibility criteria established by the Congress.

India was the largest beneficiary of the programme in 2017 with $5.7 billion in imports to the US given duty-free status, according to a Congressional Research Service report in January.

My hope is that we can delay, the termination of these GSP preferences until after the elections in India so that we can have a non-political conversation that is very focused on how we collectively can move forward together, Gabbard, the first Hindu US lawmaker, said at a conference on The US-India Partnership: Economic, Immigration & Strategic Issues.

Speaking at the conference organised by the US-India Friendship Council, Gabbard acknowledged that bilateral relationship was facing a challenge in the field of trade.

We have some trade challenges that we need to resolve as well as trade opportunities. I think that we have to make sure that cooler heads prevail as we deal with some of the differences that exist, she said.

Obviously each country (is) advocating for what is in their interest, but recognising that we have great potential and opportunity in many different areas, the announcement to terminate the GSP preferences for India, I think speak to some of those differences, Gabbard said.

Republican Congressman George Holding, who is Co-Chair of the Congressional India Caucus, agreed with Gabbard, saying that India has been in the generalized system of preferences for three decades and it's just not the right time to address that.

India, he said, is no longer that underdeveloped country when GSP was first granted. There has been a lot of changes in the country since then.

We do probably need to revisit that. But we don't need to revisit it right before a general election, he said.

Swadesh Chatterjee, chair of US-India Friendship Council, said that Trump's decision to terminate GSP for India would impact the country's export of about USD 5.6 billion. This is more than 10 percent of the total goods and services between the US and India and this suspension of GSP will definitely create some issues between the two countries.

Senator Thom Tellis from North Carolina, praised the contribution of Indian Americans in the economy and development of the United States.

I developed a greater appreciation for their culture, their dedication to education and their dedication to excellence, he said.

Referring to the growing defense ties between India and the United States, Indian-American Congressmen Ami Bera underscored the need of the two countries to work in areas like artificial intelligence.

We'd like to authorize the Department of Defense (DoD) to assist India in reducing purchases from countries that we may mutually view as adversaries and certainly that we may view as adversaries, Bera said.

He said that Indo-US partnership in the area of defense is critical and the two countries have been conducting major defense and naval exercises together.

We would like to require the DoD to conduct regular military engagements and dialogue with India, particularly in the Western Indian Ocean region. We recognize that India strategically has a vital role in protecting the Indian Ocean region and in keeping those lanes of commerce open, he said.

We'd like to require the State Department to advance India's membership into the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum or APEC, because we think this is an important vehicle by which India can continue to seek it's free and open trade across the Asia, Bera said.
Turkey on Wednesday accused US President Donald Trump of resorting to "bully boy" tactics over a disputed move to proclaim that the Golan Heights -- captured from Syria in 1967 -- belong to Israel.

"Unfortunately, Trump is behaving like a bully boy," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told A Haber television during an interview. "He did the same on Jerusalem."



On Monday, Trump signed a proclamation recognising Israel's 1981 annexation of the strategic plateau, which it seized from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War.

Israel's move has not been recognised internationally, and three UN Security Council resolutions have called for it to withdraw from the territory.

"How can you do this despite the United Nations?" Erdogan said. "What are you doing? Being at the helm of a state like the US does not give you such a right."



The Turkish leader added: "America has preferred to escalate tensions ... rather than contribute to peace." Last December, Trump went against decades of practice by formally recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

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Two boys, reported missing from their homes in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir, have been traced in Delhi, a police spokesman said on Thursday.

"Chandussa police station received a missing complaint that two minor boys -- Mohsin Manzoor Najar, student of Class 8, and Suhail Ahmad Lone, student of Class 10, both residents of Bandi Payeen in Baramulla -- were missing from their homes," he said.

During the course of investigation, the spokesman said, it was revealed that the boys were heading towards Jammu.

"After strenuous efforts and with assistance of technical support, they were traced near Paharganj, Delhi. Subsequently, the state police contacted local police in Delhi and the missing boys were recovered," he said.

The spokesman said the boys are presently staying at a juvenile home in the national capital.

"A team from Baramulla police is on way to Delhi to facilitate safe return of boys to home," he added.

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The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) Thursday called for the attention of United Nations human rights body UNHRC on the alleged kidnapping of Hindu girls in Pakistan and forcible conversion into Islam, and said they should be handed back to their families.

The three Hindu girls, who were kidnapped and forcibly converted to Islam, should be released and handed over to their families immediately, VHP's secretary general Milind Parande said in a statement.

Raising the issue of persistent civil rights violations of Hindus in Pakistan, the "VHP called for the attention of the neighbouring country's government, its judiciary and the world community including UNHRC, to stop them forthwith".

Many NGO's and national and international rights groups have estimated that more than 1,000 Hindu girls and women are kidnapped and forced to convert to Islam annually in Pakistan, the VHP claimed.

Underlining that Hindus have been and are still being persecuted in Pakistan, the outfit said when Pakistan came into existence in 1947, Hindus were 16 per cent of their population, but by 2011, it drastically reduced to only 1.6 per cent.

Lauding the efforts of the Indian government, Parande said the organisation is thankful to the Centre for its regular efforts in relaxing citizenship rules, granting long term visas, citizenship rights and facilitating rehabilitation of 'victim immigrants' from Pakistan.

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: US Ambassador to India, Kenneth Ian Juster, Thursday called on the Kerala Governor P Sathasivam at the Raj Bhavan here.

During the interaction which lasted 20 minutes, the Governor sought the possibility of being more liberal in issuing H1B Visas to engineers and IT professionals from Kerala, a Raj Bhavan release said.

Strengthening cooperation in tourism and creating more avenues for higher education in the US for students from the state also figured in the discussion.

Juster expressed keen interest in Kerala inviting more investors from the United States.

The Ambassador was accompanied by Robert Burgess, US Consul General in Chennai.

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: US Ambassador toIndia Kenneth Ian Juster Thursday called on KeralaGovernor P Sathasivam and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayanhere and discussed possibilities of cooperation in various areas.

During the meeting with Vijayan at his office, Justersaid the US was interested in investing more in the southern state in various fields, including information technology, and extend more cooperation in the tourism sector, an official statement said here.

The US envoy further said the suggestions of the Chief Minister regarding the possible cooperation in the business, health and technical sectors were worth considering.

He showered praises on Kerala for the steps it had taken to contain the Nipah virus, which had claimed 17 lives in the state last year, and the deadly floods which had hit the state last August, claiming hundreds of lives and leaving a trail of destruction, it said.

Vijayan sought technical cooperation of the US in setting up the the River Basin Management Authority, proposed by the state to contain floods, and in developing a better system to predict natural disasters.

The state also was keen to get technical support in the ongoing post-flood rebuilding initiatives, the Chief Minister said adding that Kerala was interested in cooperation with the US in high-level research.

The Ambassador was accompanied by US Consul General in Chennai Robert Burgess, the statement added.

Earlier, Juster called on P Sathasivam at the Raj Bhavan here.

During the interaction which lasted 20 minutes, the Governor sought the possibility of being more liberal in issuing H1B visas to engineers and IT professionals from Kerala.

Strengthening cooperation in tourism and creating more avenues for higher education in the US for students from the state also figured in the discussion.

Juster expressed keen interest in Kerala inviting more investors from the United States, a Raj Bhavan release added.

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A resolution demanding action by Pakistan on eliminating safe haven for terrorists was introduced in the US Congress on Thursday by a lawmaker.

Introduced by Congressman Scott Perry in the US House of Representatives, the resolution also condemned the Pulwama attack carried out by Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) suicide bomber on February 14 that killed 40 Indian paramilitary jawans.

"Enough is enough. Now is the time to hold the Pakistani government accountable," Perry, a Republican Congressman from Pennsylvania, said after introducing the resolution.

"Pakistan has a long history of harbouring terrorists and terrorist sympathisers, despite continued American efforts to root out bad actors in the region," he said.

The resolution also calls for the US States to recognise the threat of JeM, reaffirm America's commitment to end Pakistani-based terror and acknowledge India's continued commitment to prevent terrorism in the region.

"Actively choosing lax enforcement has cost innocent lives and emboldens radicals to perpetuate similar attacks," Perry said.

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Stepping up the international pressure to designate Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, the US, supported by France and the UK, has moved a draft resolution in the UN Security Council to blacklist the Pakistan-based terror group's chief.

Two weeks after China put a hold on a proposal to list Azhar under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the Council, the US on Wednesday circulated the draft resolution to the powerful 15-nation Council to blacklist the leader of the Pakistan-based terror group and subject him to a travel ban, an assets freeze and an arms embargo.

UN sources told PTI that this is the "first time" the US, the UK and France have moved a draft resolution directly in the Security Council to designate Azhar. The previous have been listing proposals in the Sanctions Committee of the Council to designate Azhar.

Unlike a listing proposal, which is generally under a 10- day no objection period, the draft resolution is not under any no-objection provision.

Sources said that the draft resolution will be discussed informally and then it goes to the Council.

However, it's not yet decided by when a vote would be held on the draft resolution, during when it could again face a veto by China, which has in the past blocked bids to blacklist Azhar.

Sources said the draft resolution would condemn "in the strongest terms the heinous and cowardly suicide bombing" on February 14 in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district that killed 40 CRPF personnel.

An annex to the draft resolution says Azhar is associated with the Islamic State terror group, Al-Qaida for "participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing, or perpetrating" or "supplying, selling or transferring arms and related material" or supporting acts of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).

It says that Azhar founded JeM after his release from prison in India in 1999 in exchange for 155 hostages held on an Indian Airlines flight that had been hijacked to Kandahar, Afghanistan.

It adds that Azhar was previously the leader of the terrorist group Harakat al Mujahadin, also known as Harakat ul-Ansar, and that most of these groups' members subsequently joined Jaish under Azhar's leadership.

In 2008, JeM recruitment posters contained a call from Azhar for volunteers to join the fight in Afghanistan against Western forces.

The Sanctions Committee makes its decisions by consensus of its members. However, for a resolution in the Security Council to pass, it needs nine votes in favour and no vetoes from any of its five permanent members - China, Russia, the United States, France and the UK.

France, the UK and the US on February 27 moved a proposal to designate Azhar under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee.

It was under the no-objection period and Committee members had a period of 10 working days to raise any objections to the proposal.

More than a dozen member states had co-sponsored the proposal. About an hour before the no-objection deadline was to expire on March 13 at 3 PM, China blocked the proposal by putting a hold on it.

India expressed disappointment by the outcome, saying in a statement "this has prevented action by the international community to designate the leader of JeM, a proscribed and active terrorist organisation which has claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir on 14 February 2019".

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made an apparent reference to China blocking the proposal to designate Azhar as a global terrorist at the UN Security Council when he said Wednesday that China abuses over a million Muslims at home, but "protects" violent Islamic terror groups from UN sanctions.

"The world cannot afford China's shameful hypocrisy toward Muslims. On one hand, China abuses more than a million Muslims at home, but on the other it protects violent Islamic terrorist groups from sanctions at the UN," Pompeo said in a tweet, without mentioning the JeM or the outfit's chief.

The February proposal was the fourth such bid at the UN in the last 10 years to list Azhar as a global terrorist.

In 2009, India moved a proposal by itself to designate Azhar. In 2016 again India moved the proposal with the P3 - the US, the UK and France in the UN's 1267 Sanctions Committee to ban Azhar, also the mastermind of the attack on the air base in Pathankot in January, 2016.

In 2017, the P3 nations moved a similar proposal again. However, on all occasions China, a veto-wielding permanent member of the Security Council, blocked the proposals from being adopted by the Sanctions Committee.

A UNSC designation will subject Azhar to an assets freeze, travel ban and an arms embargo. An assets freeze under the Sanctions Committee requires that all states freeze without delay the funds and other financial assets or economic resources of designated individuals and entities.

The travel ban entails preventing the entry into or transit by all states through their territories by designated individuals.

Under the arms embargo, all states are required to prevent the direct or indirect supply, sale and transfer from their territories or by their nationals outside their territories, or using their flag vessels or aircraft, of arms and related materiel of all types, spare parts and technical advice, assistance or training related to military activities, to designated individuals and entities.

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A US Air Force's reconnaissance aircraft went on a mission from Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean to monitor India's first test-fire of an anti-satellite missile, according to Aircraft Spots, which tracks movements of military aircraft.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday announced that India successfully test-fired an anti-satellite missile by shooting down a live satellite, describing it as a rare achievement that puts the country in an exclusive club of space super powers.

The test made India the fourth country in the world after the US, Russia and China to acquire the strategic capability to shoot down enemy satellites.

"USAF RC-135S 62-4128 CHAOS45 departed Diego Garcia at 2330Z for a mission in the Bay of Bengal to monitor #India's ASAT anti-satellite missile test," Aircraft Spots, a plane spotter based in California, said in a tweet.

It also said that a UN aircraft was also involved in refuelling the spy plane.

"USAF KC-135Rs FRESH53 & 54 provided tanker support and returned to Diego Garcia," it added.

RC-135 is a reconnaissance aircraft with the US Air Force to gather near real-time on-scene intelligence collection, analysis and dissemination.

The US has a strategic military facility in Diego Garca, an atoll in the central Indian Ocean. The 12-square-mile Diego Garcia lies nearly equidistant from Australia, India, the Saudi peninsula and Africa's east coast.

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Taking note of India's first anti-satellite missile test, the US has said that it will continue to pursue its shared interests with New Delhi in space and technical cooperation, even as it expressed concern over the issue of space debris.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday announced that India successfully test-fired an anti-satellite missile by shooting down a live satellite.

The test makes India the fourth country in the world after the US, Russia and China to acquire the strategic capability to shoot down enemy satellites.

Commenting on the development, a State Department spokesperson on Wednesday told PTI: "The state department saw PM Modi's statement that announced India's anti-satellite test".

To a question, the spokesperson said that as part of "our strong strategic partnership with India, we will continue to pursue shared interests in space and scientific and technical cooperation, including collaboration on safety and security in space".

However, he expressed concern over the issue of space debris.

"The issue of space debris is an important concern for the US government. We took note of Indian government statements that the test was designed to address space debris issues," the spokesperson said.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the test was done in the lower atmosphere to ensure there is no space debris.

"Whatever debris that is generated will decay and fall back onto the earth within weeks," it said.

The MEA has also come out with a 10-point explainer to say the anti-satellite missile test was carried out to verify India's capability to safeguard space assets and that it was not directed against any country.

It also said in a statement that India has no intention of entering into an arms race in outer space.

"We have always maintained that space must be used only for peaceful purposes. We are against the weaponisation of Outer Space and support international efforts to reinforce the safety and security of space based assets," the MEA added.

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US trade negotiators arrived in Beijing on Thursday to start a new round of talks aimed at ending a tariff war over China's technology ambitions as officials hint they might be making progress.

The meetings are the latest in a rapid-fire series of exchanges seeking to end the conflict that is disrupting trade in goods from soybeans to medical equipment.

The talks were to begin with a working dinner Thursday and last the entire day Friday, Chinese commerce ministry spokesman Gao Feng said during a regular briefing.

"Both teams are currently sparing no effort" on the negotiations, Gao said.

President Donald Trump expressed optimism last week, saying, "we're getting very close." The chief American envoy, Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, said this week that questions about details and enforcement remain to be answered.

The US delegation to the talks is led by Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who arrived at a Beijing hotel on Thursday afternoon.

Speaking briefly to reporters, Mnuchin said he and Lighthizer were pleased to be back and looked forward to productive meetings.

The chief Chinese envoy, Vice Premier Liu He, is due to visit Washington in early April for more talks.

The two sides have not announced agreements yet but trade analysts expect at least a preliminary accord in coming weeks or months.

Still, they say the negotiations are unlikely to resolve conflicts that have bedeviled US-Chinese relations for two decades.

The latest dispute erupted after Trump raised duties last year on Chinese imports in response to complaints Beijing steals or pressures companies to hand over technology. It has disrupted trade in goods from soybeans to medical equipment.

That is fueling fears the battle between the two biggest economies will chill global growth that already shows signs of slowing.

Neither side has indicated they are making progress on the core of the dispute: US pressure on Beijing to drop industrial strategies its trading partners say violate its market-opening obligations and might be based on stealing technology.

That includes plans for government-led creation of Chinese global competitors in robotics and other technology.

A stumbling block appears to be Washington's insistence on an enforcement mechanism with penalties if Beijing fails to follow through on commitments.

Trump also raised another potential obstacle last week, saying he wants to keep in place 25 percent taxes on $50 billion of Chinese goods. The president said, "we need that."



Beijing is not "in the biggest hurry" so long as Washington delays imposing additional tariffs, said Bryan Mercurio, a trade law specialist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Chinese negotiators want to avoid giving too much before they figure out what Washington will settle for, said Mercurio, a former Canadian trade negotiator.

"You never really know what the Trump administration wants," said Mercurio.

Separately, Premier Li Keqiang, China's No. 2 leader and economic czar, told a conference in southern China that Beijing plans to open its financial sector further and beef up its rules on foreign companies' mergers and acquisitions within China.

Li was speaking at the Boao Forum for Asia, an annual meeting in the coastal town of Boao.

The official Xinhua agency cited Li as promising to improve access to China's bond, banking, securities and insurance markets.

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Diversified natural resources firm Vedanta Group Thursday announced the setting up of its 500th 'Nand Ghar' -- a community resource centre for underprivileged children and women.

The Nand Ghar project focusses on issues relating to pre-primary education, healthcare, nutrition for children and economic empowerment for women in rural India and has been designed in partnership with the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

Under this project, a flagship initiative of Anil Agarwal-led Vedanta Group, the company plans to set up 4,000 such centres across the country. It has earmarked an outlay of Rs 800 crore for setting up the said number of Nand Ghar across India.

"500th Nand Ghar was inaugurated at Chaksu Block in Jaipur and with this the initiative has reached out to more than 17,000 children and 15,000 women..." Vedanta said in a statement.

Anil Agarwal, Founder and Chairman, Vedanta Group, had earlier said Vedanta will build 4,000 'Nand Ghar' as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative, a majority of which would be in Bihar.

Each Nand Ghar has clean toilets, safe drinking water and electricity through solar panels and various education and recreation facilities.

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Venezuela's auditor general's office announced Thursday it has stripped opposition leader and speaker of congress Juan Guaido of the right to hold public office for 15 years.

The move, announced by Auditor General Elvis Amoroso on state television, marked another effort by President Nicolas Maduro's regime to politically sideline Guaido, who is recognized by the US and 50 other countries as Venezuela's interim president.

Amoroso said his office decided "to ban this citizen (Juan Guaido) from all elected public office for the maximum duration under the law." Venezuela's single-chamber congress, called the National Assembly, is in opposition hands and stands as the sole institution not under the control of Maduro.

The country's supreme court and a parallel legislature set up by Maduro in 2017 regularly adopt decisions scrapping National Assembly motions against the regime.

The National Assembly, for its part, often ignores or passes laws annulling decisions by what it regards as an "illegitimate" regime, asserting that Guaido is in charge of the country constitutionally.

Although Maduro's government has heeded warnings from the United States to not arrest Guaido or face unspecified repercussions, the opposition leader's chief of staff was taken into custody last week and charged with "terrorism."



Maduro has also accused Guaido and the opposition of "terrorist acts" that caused a massive nationwide blackout for three days this week that authorities appeared to have repaired by Thursday.

The socialist president has been bolstered by the arrival last weekend of 100 Russian troops and Moscow's vow to stand up against what it said was a "coup" being fomented by Washington.

However, internationally, Maduro has been weakened by Guaido's rise to lead the previously fractured opposition and his endorsement as interim leader by most Western countries and big Latin American nations.

The United States has handed diplomatic missions and seats on some international organizations to Guaido's representatives, booting out Maduro's envoys.

In a month, Washington is set to greatly ratchet up its sanctions on Venezuela by banning crude imports from the country, yanking a top revenue-earner for Caracas's already badly depleted coffers.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday told Russia to "get out" of Venezuela. Moscow responded by saying its troops will stay "for as long as necessary.

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The Southern Naval Command of the Indian Navy Thursday handed over the keys of newly constructed houses to three families living in a village near here that was hit by last years devastating floods.

"As part of the rehabilitation activities being undertaken by the Southern Naval Command after the devastating floods of August 2018, Vice Admiral Anil Kumar Chawla, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (C-in-C), Southern Naval Command, handed over the keys of newly constructed houses to three families of Cheriya Kadmakkudi," a Defence release said here Thursday.

The houses that were sponsored by the Indian Navy belong to Binu PP of Puliyal Parambil House, Mariyamma of Pashni Parambil House, and Joseph Antony of Madathil Parambil House, and have been constructed at a total cost of Rs 28 lakh, the release said.

The project was being steered by INS Venduruthy and has been completed in five-and-a-half months.

In addition, the Navy is installing solar power equipment in all the 55 houses of Cheriya Kadmakkudi, of which 30 have been completed, including the three newly constructed houses. Cheriya Kadamakudi would, therefore, be a fully green village in the next few weeks," it said.

The residents of the village were in for a big surprise, when the C-in-C announced construction of a steel arch bridge connecting Cheriya Kadamakudi with Pizhala Island and laid the foundation stone for the infrastructure facility.

The residents have been requesting for a new bridge since the floods receded, as the existing concrete walkway bridge has been in a dilapidated condition for long, and it was recently declared unsafe even for pedestrian traffic by the PWD.

The new bridge would be constructed adjacent to the existing bridge and would be 50 metres long and 3.5 metres wide.

Vehicles upto 4 tonne would be able to ply on this bridge, thus providing the much-needed connectivity to the villagers, it said.

The C-in-C was accompanied by president of Navy Wives Welfare Association (Southern Region) Sapana Chawla and a few other senior officers.

The rehabilitation package was earlier announced by Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba during his visit to Muttinakam in August last, and has been funded by the Indian Navy, which includes contributions from service personnel of Southern Naval Command.

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Consecutive fifties in different batting positions ought to be a confidence-builder but batsman Nitish Rana says he is occupied by the concern of maintaining his form that usually "fizzles" out early in the IPL.

As a makeshift opener in the absence of Sunil Narine, Rana struck a fine 68 in KKR's first match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday.

Back at No.4 in their second match, Rana scored a 34-ball 63 against on Wednesday to overtake Delhi Capitals' Rishabh Pant (103 runs in two matches) in the early Orange Cap race.

"I haven't thought too far ahead. But for the last couple of seasons, I start well but my form fizzles out towards the later half of the tournament," Rana said after KKR's 28-run win here on Wednesday night.

"So this time around, I want to work on this. I want to continue the kind of form I have started in till the end of the tournament."



Rana did not have a good season with Delhi in the domestic circuit, managing just 147 runs form 10 matches in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 and 191 runs from six matches in the

Disturbed by his poor form, the top order KKR batsman spent some time at the Mumbai-based KKR Academy speaking to Abhishek Nayar and

"I did not work on batting as such but I worked on the mental toughness. KKR academy was quite helpful in that sense because I got one-on-one time with Abhishek bhaiya and DK bhaiya. They helped me clear self doubts. Now, I feel, I've become a better player."



Having impressed at different batting positions, Rana said, "That's the sign of a good team. My plan was clear -- to hit a loose ball and then, let DK (Dinesh Karthik) or (Andre) Russell take over for the last four-five overs."



Four of his seven sixes came against India's top off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin but Rana said the attack was not pre-planned.

"I was just trying to build my innings. I was taking it ball by ball at the start and then when I thought I could charge, I did that.

"It doesn't matter for me who the bowler is. My game plan was simple. I thought that was the time to attack and I did. That was the plan for the two overs -- of Ashiwn and South African pacer (Hardus Viljoen)."



Rana also hailed Andre Russell's 17-ball 48 and said the lifeline, when the Jamaican survived owing to a no ball, gave them 20-25 runs extra.

"Having 218/4 definitely worked in our favour, how Russell got a lifeline and that probably gave us those 20-25 runs extra.

"But even if we had 180 or 200, we would have fought this hard. It wasn't very easy (to chase) because the ball started seaming in the second innings.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said the 'Nyay' scheme will remonetise what Prime Minister Narendra Modi demonetised and asserted that his party's anti-poverty programme has thrown the BJP into total disarray



In an exclusive interview to PTI ahead of the 17th general election beginning April 11, Gandhi said the 'Nyay' scheme has the twin objectives of giving money to the 20 per cent poorest families in India and remonetising the economy "damaged" by demonetisation.

"What the PM has done over the past five years is to remove all money from the economy with failed policies like demonetisation and a poorly executed Gabbar Singh Tax (GST). Informal sectors have been badly hit.

"The aim of the 'Nyay' scheme is two-fold. First is to guarantee a minimum income to the bottom 20 per cent families. The second is to remonetise the economy that has been demonetised by Modiji," Gandhi said.

The Congress chief said there is a reason why the party christened the scheme 'Nyay', which translates to justice in Hindi.

"There is another aspect to calling the scheme 'Nyay'. Why have we chosen to call this scheme 'Justice'? Because over the last five years, Mr Narendra Modi has simply snatched from poor and given nothing back.

"He has taken away from the farmers, he has snatched from the small and medium businesses, he's taken away from the unemployed youth, he has extinguished the savings of mothers and sisters of this country. We want to return to India's deprived sections what Modiji has snatched from them, Gandhi said.

Terming 'Nyay' (Nyuntam Aay Yojana) a "game changer" and a "final assault" on poverty, Gandhi said the scheme is "fiscally perfectly doable and will not be implemented "rashly like demonetization and GST of the BJP".

Asked about apprehensions of some economists that 'Nyay', which entails an expenditure of Rs 3.6 lakh crore annually, could aggravate India's fiscal deficit position, Gandhi said, "No, that's not right."



He said the party consulted a large number of economists and experts, studied numerous papers and other research material on this subject and run an extensive financial modelling exercise before deciding to include the plan in its Lok Sabha manifesto.

To a question on the scheme being prima facie populist, Gandhi said "it is not a populist measure as projected by some critics".

"If giving out Rs 3.5 lakh crore to 15 people by Narendra Modi is not considered populist, why should this be as it is aimed at benefitting the poor," he said.

"Is it only the crony capitalist friends of Mr Modi who are to benefit from government schemes? I'm only asking for fairness, for justice, or 'nyay' for India's poor. There's nothing populist about that," he countered.

Taking a swipe at Modi, who announced the demonetisation of high value currency notes in a surprise move in November 2016, Gandhi said, "We're not rash. We don't take steps like demonetisation and GST without consultations, without conferring with the experts. We have vetted this, tested this, and fiscally 'Nyay' as a scheme is completely doable."



The Congress president did not give a time line on when the party planned to make India poverty free and said 'Nyay' will first be tested through a pilot to "smoothen out any flaws".

"We're not going to do it the way GST was done. We are first going to run a short pilot project to smoothen out any flaws in the implementation process and then roll it out nationwide. We're also going to set down a robust way of identifying the beneficiaries, so that no deserving family is left out," he said.

Asked if the pilot will be run in Congress-ruled states, Gandhi said experts will decide on that.

"This is for the experts to decide. In the 10 years of the Congress-UPA government, we took 14 crore people out of poverty net. Our goal now is to finish the job," he said.

Gandhi added that 20 per cent to 22 per cent families are living in poverty even today. Many of them have been pushed into this cycle by the prime minister's demonetisation scheme and 'Gabbar Singh Tax' (GST), he noted.

"Our goal is to completely eliminate poverty from India," he said, describing 'Nyay' as the final assault on poverty.

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With the arrest of a man from Mumbra near here, the Thane police claimed Thursday to have solved the murder of a bar girl in Dombivali in the district.

The police had found the body of an unidentified woman in a chawl in Golivali area of Dombivali on May 1, 2018. The woman, around 20-25 years old, was found to have been strangulated by a dupatta.

DCP (crime) Deepak Deoraj said Thursday that the police got a tip-off that the accused, Mazidul Jalaluddin Mandal (28), hailed from Hilla tehsil of South Dinajpur district in West Bengal, and was going to come to Mumbra Thursday in the early hours.

The police kept vigil and nabbed him, he said.

Mandal allegedly confessed to the crime and revealed that the deceased woman's name was Futuli alias Faridakhatun alias Mim, who hailed from the same village as him.

Mazidul, a married man with children, had an affair with the victim and the two were living together in Golivali area, he told police.

Mazidul's wife often fought with him over his relationship with the Faridakhatun. Faridakhatun, who worked as a waitress in a bar, too was pestering him with the demand that he should marry her, he told police.

On April 28, 2018, they had a quarrel, following which he strangulated her and fled to West Bengal, he allegedly told the police. Further probe is on.

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The Congress in Madhya Pradesh Thursday said party chief Rahul Gandhi's minimum income scheme was the final assault on poverty and wondered why the BJP was opposing it.

Talking to reporters here, state Congress spokesman Pankaj Chaturvedi said the poor were suffering under the NDA government.

"Rahul ji has said if the Congress was voted to power, its government would roll out a minimum income scheme guaranteeing Rs 72,000 a year to poorest 20 per cent of the households in the country," he said.

The scheme will benefit 25 crore people," he claimed.

"I wonder why the BJP and the Prime Minister have got into the habit of opposing the Congress's schemes for public welfare," he added.

Earlier, they had opposed our public welfare schemes like the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) and the National Food Security Act," Chaturvedi added.

The poor were facing a tough time ever since the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi came into power at the Centre, he alleged.

Unemployment, too, had risen manifold under the Modi government, the Congress spokesman claimed.

Besides, the NDA government's decisions like the 2016 note-ban and implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) had ruined the economy and also the poor, he said.

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The Election Commission of India (ECI) Thursday told the Supreme Court that it will hold by-elections on vacant assembly seats of Tiruparankundram, Ottapidaram and Aravakurichi in Tamil Nadu within a reasonable time.

The counsel appearing for the ECI told this to a bench of Justices S A Bobde and S A Nazeer which was hearing a plea filed by the DMK seeking a direction to the poll panel for holding the by-elections on these three vacant assembly seats.

The bench, while taking on record the submissions of the ECI's counsel, disposed of the petition and observed that the court cannot determine the timing of elections and it was for the poll panel to decide.

The counsel appearing for the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) had earlier told the apex court that there are 21 vacant assembly seats in Tamil Nadu but the poll panel has notified by-polls for only 18 seats.

The DMK's counsel had said that by-polls on 18 vacant seats are scheduled to be held on April 18 along with the Lok Sabha polls in the state.

He had said that the ECI should be asked to hold the by-elections on the remaining three assembly seats along with the general elections.

On March 15, the apex court had asked the ECI to respond to the DMK's plea seeking by-polls for Tiruparankundram, Ottapidaram and Aravakurichi assembly constituencies.

The poll panel had earlier told the court that the by-polls for three assembly seats were not announced as some election petitions were pending in the Madras High Court.

The Ottapidaram constituency is represented by disqualified AIADMK MLA Sundararaj, while Aravakurichi is represented by Senthil Balaji, an AIADMK legislator who is now with the DMK.

Thiruparankundram legislator A K Bose died last year.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
People's Conference chairman Sajad Gani Lone Thursday said his party will seek a judicial commission, which has punitive powers, to probe and punish the perpetrators of "rigging" in 1987 assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

He also hit out at the National Conference leadership, saying Abdullahs were the "real architects" of erosion of special status to Jammu and Kashmir and they can no longer befool people.

"The blatant rigging of 1987 resulted in eruption of militancy and the subsequent bloodshed in Kashmir. For things to change and peace to return to valley, the culprits of 1987 must be held accountable for murdering democracy in the Valley," Lone said at a party convention at Tangdhar in Kupwara district.

He said accountability must start from 1975 Accord when National Conference founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah ratified previous erosion of the special status in "lieu of power".

"Why is Omar Abdullah pained when anyone gets killed in rest of the country while he preferred to remain mum when more than 120 young Kashmiris were killed under his watch as chief minister in 2010?" Lone asked.

The People's Conference chairman also asked why Omar Abdullah was not vocal about the human rights violations that took place between 1996 and 2002 when his father, Farooq Abdullah, was the chief minister.

"If he is genuinely concerned about the state of human rights across the world, he should question himself on NC's role in 1975, 1987 rigging, unleashing Ikhwan, and killings between 2008-2014.

"It was all done under the patronage of Abdullahs and they should be held accountable for these heinous crimes," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The World Trade Organisation confirmed Thursday that Washington failed to fully comply with a 2012 order to halt subsidies to Boeing, marking a partial victory for rival aircraft maker Airbus and the EU.

The ruling from the WTO appeals body was the latest blow in the decade-long clash between the titans of the civil aircraft industry, which has seen both Airbus and Boeing score points along the way.

The WTO ruled in March 2012 that billions of dollars of subsidies to Boeing were illegal and notified the United States to bring them to an end.

But just a few months later, the European Union filed a new complaint with the global trade body, alleging that Washington was not complying with that order.

In a ruling published in June 2017, the WTO said the US had brought 28 of 29 programmes into compliance, but agreed with Brussels that Washington had not taken "appropriate steps to remove the adverse effects or... withdraw the subsidy" in the case of Washington State.

Both the EU and the US appealed that finding to the WTO Appellate Body, which on Thursday basically toed the same line as the 2017 panel, although it appeared to take a harsher line against the American-side.

It found there were other subsidy programmes, including in South Carolina, which did not conform with the 2012 ruling, but in several of them it said it had been unable to complete the legal analysis to determine if the subsidies had an adverse effect on competitors' sales.

Both the EU and the US claimed victory after the ruling landed.

In its own statement, Airbus described the ruling as a "major win" and warned that if without a settlement, the US "will face billions in countermeasures."



Boeing, meanwhile, maintained that the WTO appeals body had "rejected every allegation of unlawful subsidies to Boeing with the single exception of one measure," referring to Washington State.

"Boeing will support the United States and Washington State as they take steps necessary to fully comply with today's ruling," the company said.

"We trust that our example will prompt Airbus and the European Union to immediately bring themselves into full compliance with the substantial rulings against these parties by the WTO," it added.

The EU has also been reprimanded by the WTO during the tit-for-tat conflict between Airbus and Boeing, and the US aircraft maker suggested last year that billions in sanctions might also be applied against the bloc.

The WTO, which aims to create a level playing field in global trade, does not have the ability to force compliance with its rulings, but can approve retaliatory measures which in theory can pressure trade manipulators to fall into line.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Filmmaker Robby Grewal says his upcoming espionage thriller "Romeo Akbar Walter (RAW)", starring John Abraham in the role of a spy, will not resort to jingoism to drive its point across.

The director said the film does not portray Pakistani officers as "bad people", a stereotype often used in Hindi films made on the theme of patriotism.

"Jingoism and patriotism are two different things. It's not a jingoistic film at all. You can be very patriotic without beating your chest. My attempt with the film is to make you feel proud to be an Indian, proud of the man who's done what he's done in the film," the director told PTI in an interview.

Robby said one does not need to "scream" to make people realise their love for the country and filmmakers should be able to capture that element in their cinema.

"In today's time, a good filmmaker is probably the one who doesn't need to scream and shout to get this emotion out. You can do it without that. The resonance of what the characters are going through is loud, not in terms of pitch but emotions. I'm saying the same thing without any chest thumping," he said.

The director, who has previously made romantic films such as "MP3: Mera Pehla Pehla Pyaar" and "Aloo Chaat", spent six years researching and writing the film, which is set against the backdrop of 1971 war.

"A Pakistan Army officer is as pious as an Indian Army officer. What we have in our films, mostly, is that we tend to trivialise the other side, make them caricatures, 'bad people', which they aren't. They are doing exactly what we are doing. Circumstances put us against each other. They are not the bad people," he said.

Citing the example of Meghna Gulzar's "Raazi", which also featured an Indian spy sent to Pakistan but did not trivialise the Pakistani side, Robby said his is also not a good versus evil narrative.

"Jingoism comes when you project someone as bad. 'Raazi' didn't have a good versus bad story. My story too isn't about 'we are good and they are bad.' I don't enjoy that.

"I like to keep things real. The drama should come through the narrative, not through over-dramatising the performances. As a filmmaker, I don't like pitching it too loud. Now real is commercial."



"Romeo Akbar Walter" is scheduled to be released on April 5.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A day after addressing the nation on Mission Shakti, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sounded the poll bugle for Lok Sabha Elections 2019 today.

Modi kickstarted the election campaign for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by addressing two rallies in Meerut (UP) and Rudrapur (Uttarakhand). He is scheduled to address a rally in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K).

Meanwhile, Congress General Secretary of UP East, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra visited her mother Sonia Gandhi's pocket borough Rae Bareli as a part of her second leg of her campaign. Actor and former BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha has joined Congress and will be contesting from Bihar's Patna Sahib constituency.

In Karnataka, following an income tax raid in minister Puttaraju's residence, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and other senior leaders of JDS are staging a protest outside the I-T Department office. The CM had tweeted on Wednesday that the Prime Minister is misusing the I-T Department to take on the Karnataka leaders.

Follow the latest developments on the BusinessToday.In live blog:

7:32 PM: Congress president Rahul Gandhi has promised start-ups to make bank credit easier, remove angel tax and do away with the need for regulatory permissions for three years if Congress is voted to power.

6:35 PM: HD Deve Gowda has alleged that the BJP tried to offer huge sums of money to his son and Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy in order to convince him to form an alliance. The offer was turned down by Kumaraswamy, he said.

H D Deve Gowda, JD(S): They (BJP) tried to persuade Kumaraswamy to form govt with the support of BJP. Before the election they extended huge money for the expenditure of JD(S), they tried to persuade him to meet them in Mumbai where money was kept but Kumaraswamy refused to budge pic.twitter.com/nsHIOrOixJ ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2019

6:19 PM: "The NC and the PDP have betrayed the people of Jammu and Kashmir. They have stalled the projects for development and steering the youth of the course.", says PM Modi.

6:17 PM: "BJP hopes that the state gets an impetus in education with more number of AIIMS, IITs and IIMs. We hope that the Ring road becomes the heart of road transport in state. We have created 42,000 government posts in J&K.": PM Modi

6:06 PM: PM Modi: Congress, NC & PDP are responsible for the problems Jammu & Kashmir faces today. It is because of them that Kashmiri Pandits faced so much trouble. Sadly, national security is not a priority for them, they only care about power.

5:58 PM: Addressing a rally at Akhnor, Jammu & Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "What is beyond comprehension is Congress' attitude. Is it the same Congress that Sardar Patel was a part of? Is it the same Congress that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was a part of, and fought for India's independence?"

5:48 PM: Congress was giving out statements against India during the Balakot air strike, when we attaced terrorists: PM Modi @ Akhnoor rally, J&K.

5:46 PM: Meanwhile, Tej Pratap Yadav resigns as Chief of RJD's Student Wing.

Bihar: Tej Pratap Yadav tweets that he has resigned as Chief of RJD's Student Wing pic.twitter.com/rNN6mvrf0p - ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2019

5:44 PM: I salute the place where the Dogra community has given the country many brave jawans. We are still inspired by Prem Nath Dogra. I am happy that when I have set out to reach out to the people of this country ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, I came to Jammy first: PM Modi.

5:35 PM: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a public rally in Akhnoor, Jammu & Kashmir (J&K)

#WATCH: PM Narendra Modi speaking at a rally in Akhnoor, J&K. https://t.co/SCxukNGJ3K - ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2019

5:20 PM: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has released its Manifesto for the Lok Sabha Elections 2019. Read it in full here: https://elections.cpim.org/page/manifesto

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has released its Manifesto for the Lok Sabha Elections 2019. Read it in full here: https://t.co/puFlWQx0Xohttps://t.co/fwgtYeYDbY - CPI (M) (@cpimspeak) March 28, 2019

5:14 PM: Reacting to West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress Supremo Mamata Banerjee's claim that she can solve the Kashmir problem expeditiously, former Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti has said that her party would welcome Banerjee with open arms as the Chief Minister has the "conviction, authority & respect to understand the aspirations of our people".

We would welcome @MamataOfficial didi with open arms. She has the conviction, authority & respect to understand the aspirations of our people https://t.co/vyGcqI7Lt3 - Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) March 28, 2019

5:01 PM: Samajwadi Party releases another list of candidates to contest from various seats in Uttar Pradesh (UP). Nasir Qureshi to contest from Moradabad, Bhagwat Sharan Gangwar from Bareily,Pooja Pal from Unnao, Shyam Sunder Yadav from Jhansi and Nathuni Prasad Kushwaha from Kushinagar. #LokSabhaElections2019

Samajwadi Party releases another list of candidates. Nasir Qureshi to contest from Moradabad, Bhagwat Sharan Gangwar from Bareily,Pooja Pal from Unnao, Shyam Sunder Yadav from Jhansi and Nathuni Prasad Kushwaha from Kushinagar. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/OJNTRjtMA4 - ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 28, 2019

4:57 PM: 'Under Congress led UPA, Assam was given only Rs 50,000 crore. It was increased to Rs 3 lakh crore under the BJP led NDA govt': BJP President Amit Shah.

Under Congress led UPA, Assam was given only Rs 50,000 crore. It was increased to Rs 3 lakh crore under the BJP led NDA govt : Shri @AmitShah #IndiaWithNaMo - BJP (@BJP4India) March 28, 2019

4:49 PM: As a part of its #NYAYForIndia logo contest, Congress tweeted a couple of designs on its official twitter handle and invited more entries before the competition deadline ends on 30th March.

We've had an incredible response to our #NYAYForIndia logo contest, hundreds of designs have come in & we're sifting through them all to pick the best ones. Keep sending us more before the 30th March deadline & you could meet CP @RahulGandhi.

Here are some samples we loved: pic.twitter.com/L47mv9IS0J

4:40 PM: Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy has blamed the Income Tax department for working on the instructions of Modi and Amit Shah alleging a dictatorship like scenario after the BJP came to power.

Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy in Bengaluru: IT Dept has to work independently but it's working on the instructions of Modi & Amit Shah. After BJP came to power, it has become like a dictatorship. Do you think the IT Director in Bengaluru is innocent? I also have lot of records. pic.twitter.com/AbZZw68xli - ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2019

4:16 PM: RJD minister Girinath Singh joins BJP in the presence of Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

RJD leader Girinath Singh joins BJP in presence of Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/LMD8rbKPdK - ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2019

4:15 PM: National Commission for Women has issued a notice to SP leader Firoz Khan over his remark on BJP Rampur candidate Jaya Prada. He had said, "Rampur ki shaamein rangeen ho jaayengi ab jab chunavi mahual chalega." Referring to BJP's Sanghamitra Maurya, he said, "Ab koi apne ko gundi batade koi naachne ka kaam kare woh unka apna pesha hai."

4:00 PM: "Naveen babu (Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik) has filed a wrong election affidavit, that's what we have come to know. When he was Coal Minister in 1998 he allotted coal block to a ghost company. How are you connected to the company? You didn't give info in affidavit that CBI questioned you?," says Dharmendra Pradhan.

3:50 PM: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) writes to Chief Electoral Officer of Bhubaneswar demanding action against BJP for alleged violation of Model Code of Conduct 'for surrogate advertising through a TV serial broadcast on a TV channel in which the characters talk about 'Atal Pension Yojana': ANI.

3:40 PM: Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy, Dy CM G Parameshwara and other senior leaders are protesting outside the I-T office, against income tax raids at the residence of Karnataka Minor Irrigation Minister CS Puttaraju in Mandya.

3:31 PM: BJP president Amit Shah addresses a rally in Kaliabor, Assam.

3:25 PM: Shatrughan Sinha is set to join Congress on April 6, India Tv reported. Will contest elections from Patna Sahib constituency in Bihar. Sinha met Congress President Rahul Gandhi in Delhi.

Shatrughan Sinha meets Congress President Rahul Gandhi in Delhi. pic.twitter.com/UXAChtZHfR - ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2019

3:19 PM: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in a tweet said that the Nehruvian vision on Jammu & Kashmir was not correct and it's time now that the journey from separate status to separatism be stopped.

Nehruvian vision on Jammu & Kashmir was not correct. It's time now that the journey from separate status to separatism be stopped. pic.twitter.com/n4AxetCa9A - Chowkidar Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) March 28, 2019

3:13 PM: Launching a scathing attack on Congress, PM Modi said that the party can never understand the sentiments of people reiterating that the way Congress has behaved with the Armed Forces, it repeated the same behaviour with farmers and the poor as well. He also said that Congress is repeating its promise of 'Garibi Hatao', it had promised four decades ago which is the biggest proof of the party's lie.

3:08 PM: PM Modi blamed Congress for poverty in the country and said that Modi does everything with a mission and the proof is for the people of the country to see.

3:05 PM: In 2022, no family in this nation will be without a pucca house: PM Modi

3:00 PM: Meanwhile, Congress In-Charge of Bihar Shakti Singh Gohil has announced Shatrughan Sinha's induction in the party. He also said that Sinha will work as Congress' star leader and campaigner.

Shakti Singh Gohil, Congress In-charge of Bihar: Shatrughan Sinha ji has decided that he will join Congress party and will work as our star leader and star campaigner. #LokSabhaElection2019 pic.twitter.com/hEX848aXhY - ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2019

2:45 PM: Addressing the rally in Rudrapur, Uttarakhand PM Modi in a veiled attack on congress said that that it has insulted the soldiers by giving anti-national statements to please Pakistanis. "When we entered the homes of the terrorists and killed them then is it right to question valour of our jawans? Is it right to abuse our Army Chief? Will people forgive those who give anti-national statements just to become a hero in Pakistan?" Modi said.

2:38 PM: PM Modi begins his address at a public rally in Rudrapur, Uttarakhand.

2:25 PM: Congress and JDS workers protest against Income-Tax raids at residence of JD(S) leader & Karnataka Minor Irrigation Minister CS Puttaraju in Mandya, Bengaluru

Bengaluru: Congress and JDS workers protest against Income-Tax raids at residence of JD(S) leader & Karnataka Minor Irrigation Minister CS Puttaraju in Mandya pic.twitter.com/73pqk8oqcq - ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2019

2:10 PM: 'Everything is fine, there is no confusion', says Shatrughan Sinha after meeting Congress President Rahul Gandhi, according to media reports. Sinha who was denied party ticket from Patna Sahib constituency in Bihar by BJP, is likely to join Congress today. The rebel BJP leader is expcted to contest from the same constituency on Congress ticket taking on Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. Sinha has held the seat since 2009 for the BJP.

1:45: Congress reacted sharply to PM Modi's jibe at 'NYAY' and said that the Prime Minister has mocked at the poor of the the country.

It is unfortunate that when we speak of 'NYAY', Mr. Modi mocks the poor of the country. Previously he had mocked the poor of the country during demonetisation, this shows his true character: @rssurjewala - Congress Live (@INCIndiaLive) March 28, 2019

1:27 PM: Aam Aadmi Party leader from Punjab, Harinder Singh Khalsa joins Bharatiya Janata Party in the presence of Union Minister Arun Jaitley in Delhi today.

Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party leader from Punjab, Harinder Singh Khalsa joins Bharatiya Janata Party in the presence of Union Minister Arun Jaitley. pic.twitter.com/wyVoNDqzTD - ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2019

1:14 PM: "PM hurls abuses, that is his character." Randeep Surjewala

1:07 PM: Responding to PM Modi's attack at a public rally in Meerut, UP, Randeep Surjewala, Congress Spokesperson said that sugarcane farmers have been duped by the Modi government saying that "Drama is PM's character."

12:55 PM: "Will continue to work towards new India," says PM Modi

12:54 PM: PM Modi: Congress hatao, poverty will also be eradicated.

12:52 PM: For dynasts gareebi hatao is a mere slogan: PM Modi

12:46 PM: "Farmers, youth all have been betrayed by the previous governments," says PM Modi

12:44 PM: "Dont let go of your right to vote," says PM Modi

12:43 PM: PM Modi said, "Everyone remembers goondaraj under SP, BSP's rule."

12:41 PM: "Last Elections were about UP ke Ladke." Modi

12:35 PM: 2019 "UP Pools about Bua-Babua", says PM Modi

12:34 PM: Addressing a public rally at Meerut, UP Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed his critics for maligning his announcement on Mission Shakti yesterday saying the previous governments did not take steps on military equipment.
Last August, Pune-based Cosmos Bank was hit by a cyber-attack in which miscreants hacked the server and transferred over Rs 94 crore to overseas accounts in just two days.

According a recent report by a United Nations Security Council panel of experts, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) was behind the attack. This is reportedly the first such study by any agency confirming this linkage.

Also Read: Pune's Cosmos Bank ATM server hacked, Rs 94 crore transferred to overseas accounts

"The Panel notes a trend in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's evasion of financial sanctions of using cyberattacks to illegally force the transfer of funds from financial institutions and cryptocurrency exchanges," read the report. Talking about the Cosmos Bank attack, in which crores were withdrawn in more than 14,000 simultaneous ATM withdrawals in 28 countries as well as in additional transfers to an account belonging to a Hong Kong-based company using SWIFT, it added that on October 2, 2018, "the United States responded to these attacks by issuing a 'FASTCash Campaign' alert" for North Korea.

The report broadly examined and analysed information regarding the implementation of the UN sanctions imposed on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) for its nuclear weapons programme, focussing particularly on incidents of non-compliance. It also offers a series of recommendations to assist Member States and the Security Council in addressing implementation challenges and shortcomings of the sanctions.

According to the panel, since 2016, the country has become an increasingly sophisticated actor in cyberattacks for financial gain, with tools and tactics steadily improving. According to them, the Cosmos attack was "a more advanced, well-planned and highly coordinated operation that bypassed three main layers of defence contained in International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) banking/ATM attack mitigation guidance". Not only were the actors able to compromise the SWIFT network in the Cosmos case to transfer the funds to other accounts, but they simultaneously compromised internal bank processes to bypass transaction verification procedures and order worldwide transfers.

"It is absolutely possible that the attacks originated from North Korea and withdrawals happened elsewhere across 31 countries. It is a well-oiled syndicate," Milind Kale, chairman, Cosmos Bank, told The Times of India. Established in 1906, the Cosmos Bank is one of the oldest cooperative banks in India. Kale added that investigations by the cyber cell in Pune were at advanced stages and that they were very close to getting to the mastermind.

The Pune police to date has recovered about Rs 8 lakh from people who withdrew money from the ATMs and has reportedly arrested 12 persons - mostly money mules - from various cities. The department also claimed to have received positive response from 18 of the 28 countries it wrote to concerning the heist. "We shall take cognisance of the report once we access it from the appropriate authorities," Deputy Commissioner of Police (EOW), Sambhaji Kadam, told the daily.

Significantly, the 378-page report also noted that in addition to attacks on fiat currency North Korea has also carried out cyber-attacks involving cryptocurrencies since the latter made it easier for the country to evade sanctions.

After all, Bitcoins and its brethren are not only harder to trace but can also be laundered many times and are independent from government regulation. "According to one estimate, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea carried out at least five successful attacks against cryptocurrency exchanges in Asia between January 2017 and September 2018, resulting in a total loss of $571 million," it added.

Read More: Cosmos Bank ATM hack: NPCI says cyber fraud due to malware attack on bank's IT system

Data fudging: Dressing up GDP and budget numbers does no good to economy
Share price of Vedanta Ltd. rose 1.8 per cent in the early trading session on Thursday, as the company has notified the Management Committee, Directorate General of Hydrocarbons and Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas of an oil discovery in the second exploratory well H2, located in the block KG-OSN-2009/3, Krishna-Godavari Basin, East Coast of India.

Vedanta Ltd. holds 100 per cent participating interest in the block.

Against the previous close of Rs. 175.55, the share price of Vedanta Ltd opened at Rs. 177.80 and hiked 1.8 per cent to touch the days' high of Rs. 178.70. The stock has been consecutively rising for 3 days and has attained 5.71 per cent growth in the period. It also outperformed the sector by 1.26 per cent today.

At 12:10 pm, the stock quoted 1.22 per cent growth or 2.15 points up at Rs. 177.70 on BSE and Rs. 177.80 on NSE.

As per the filing, multiple reservoir zones have been encountered by the firm in the well H2 within the mesozoic sequence between the depths of 3310m to 4026m with hydrocarbon indications during drilling and downhole logging.

The zone from 3403m to 3431m was tested through a conventional well testing method called drill stem test, after which flowed oil to the surface.

The first exploration well A3-2 drilled in the block was a gas discovery.

The company also says further appraisal will be required to establish the size and commerciality of the oil discovery.

Following rising investor's participation, 3.3 lakh and 47.7 lakh shares have changed hands in BSE and NSE, respectively. Vedanta Ltd's share price moved above its 50-day simple moving average yesterday, however, was already above 5 and 20-day average.

Although the stock has given negative returns yearly and half-yearly on both the trading platforms, it has positively traded at 8 per cent and 2 per cent for the period of one month and one week, respectively.

On Wednesday , with a volume of 4.8 lakh shares traded on BSE and 84.8 lakh traded on NSE, Vedanta's stock closed at a 1.12 per cent rise of Rs. 175.55.

Vedanta's oil and gas operations comprise the assets of Cairn India, which is India's largest private sector crude oil producer. Cairn India had won the KG-OSN-2009/3 block in June 2010 during the edition of the New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP).

Cairn Oil & Gas-the subsidiary of Vedanta Resources--contributes over 26% of India's annual production, as India's largest private sector crude oil producer.

The oil and gas vertical of Vedanta Limited contributed 25 per cent to India's domestic crude oil production in FY 2017-18. It has been operating for over 2 decades and is well positioned to reduce the country's energy import burden.

(Edited by Rupa Burman Roy)

Also Read: Share Market Live: Sensex rises over 200 points, Nifty crosses 11,500; Bank of Baroda rises 4%

Also Read: Vedanta announces oil discovery in Krishna-Godavari basin, to augment domestic crude output
Go Air recently announced a limited-period, low fare offer in which passengers would be able to travel domestically for flight tickets starting at an all-inclusive price of Rs 1,415. The flyers can travel between April 1, 2019, and April 30, 2019, under this offer. However, the tickets can be booked until April 1, 2019. This comes after various airlines announced discount offers on flight tickets. Meanwhile, the aviation sector has seen a high passenger registration in the last few months.

Under this travel deal, the lowest domestic air travel is priced (inclusive of all taxes) at Rs 1,415 which will operate from Bengaluru to Kannur whereas the highest price (including taxes) for a domestic destination is Rs 3,057, which will be operating from Hyderabad to Kannur.

The prices vary destination-wise. If you are travelling from Ahmedabad to Hyderabad, the ticket will cost you Rs 1,666. However, if you are planning to travel to Kochi from Ahmedabad, it would cost you Rs 2,300, according to the Go Air website.

Meanwhile, Jet Airways, is also offering discounts on domestic flights, with the lowest air travel ticket (inclusive of all taxes) priced at Rs 1,165, according to the airline's website. The airline is also offering a 10% discount on flight bookings for more than 4 passengers travelling together.

(Edited by: Nehal Solanki)

Also read: Airfares may dip 15-20% from April as domestic airlines rectify supply constraints

Also read: Mumbai-Delhi world's third busiest domestic air route: Report
Global drinks giant Coca-Cola is considering establishing a dairy processing plant in Cork, the Irish Farmers Journal has reported.

According to the report, senior executives in Coca-Cola have held a number of meetings in Ireland in recent months to learn about the Irish dairy industry. It has a particular interest around the research and development (R&D) capabilities within the dairy sector. Coca-Cola has visited Teagasc Moorepark in Cork and the Dairy Processing Technology Centre (DPTC) at the University of Limerick to get a better understanding of the R&D work ongoing in the Irish dairy sector.

The company is increasingly looking to diversify away from sugary drinks and has been working closely with the IDA in Ireland to potentially establish a dairy facility in this country.

Coca-Cola launched its own milk brand in the US in 2014 called Fairlife. It costs twice the price of regular liquid milk and is marketed as a healthy drink containing 50% more protein and 30% less sugar than standard milk. In recent years, countries such as Ireland, the UK and Mexico have introduced sugar taxes in a bid to curb obesity levels. This is a driver in Coca- Colas strategy to diversify.

The company recently invested 75m to build a new production facility for Fairlife milk in Ontario, Canada. To date, Coca-Cola has not brought its Fairlife brand to consumers in Europe. It is not clear yet if Coca-Cola plans to buy milk direct from Irish farmers. In the US, the company sources milk direct from Fair Oaks Farms, a 30,000-cow dairy farm in Indiana.

Source: www.businessworld.ie
Irish businesses need more help in order to become more environmentally sustainable and energy efficient, according to a new survey by business group Dublin Chamber.

A poll carried out by Dublin Chamber, the representative voice for businesses in the Dublin region, found that less than 1 in 10 companies (7%) believe that the Government is currently doing enough to help businesses become more sustainable.

More than two-thirds (69%) said that the State must do more to aid companies looking to become more sustainable and more efficient. The remaining 24% of respondents answered 'don't know'.

More than half of respondents to the Chamber's survey (56%) said they were aware of the potential savings/profits that could be achieved from a more environmentally sustainable approach to doing business. A further 23% of firms said they were aware that savings could be made but that they did not have the necessary tools, knowledge or framework in place in order to capitalise. Almost 1 in 10 firms (7%) said they didn't believe there are any savings to be made from making changes.

The results of the survey, carried out by the Chamber amongst 215 companies in February this year, were announced this morning at the launch of Dublin Chamber's new 'Sustainable Dublin 2050' events series in Croke Park.

This morning's Sustainable Dublin 2050 event, sponsored by Pinergy, KBC Bank, Matheson and Transdev Ireland, featured a keynote from the Minister for Communications, Climate Action & Environment, Richard Bruton.

Dublin Chamber is calling on the Government to ensure full engagement with the business community as Ireland seeks to transition to a low carbon economy. The Chamber believes that the business community can play a key role in meeting the targets of any Government plan by changing work practices and influencing employees to adopt more environmentally sustainable behaviours.

Speaking today, Dublin Chamber Chief Executive, Mary Rose Burke said, "We've seen an increased demand from companies in Dublin that are looking for more help and information when it comes to becoming more environmentally sustainable. Businesses are once again focused on the need to become more sustainable. They realise that making changes will not only benefit the environment, but also their bottom line."

Source: www.businessworld.ie
Adidas Opens Mega Asia Headquarters in Shanghai, Determined to Win China

By Zhao Runhua and Zhang Erchi / Mar 28, 2019 03:07 PM / Business & Tech

Adidas wants to win the Asia-Pacific, and its new home court is in Shanghai.

The sportswear giant opened an official new regional headquarters in the Chinese city on Wednesday, hoping to consolidate its leading position in greater Chinas sporting goods markets.

The 21-floor mega-office in central Shanghai will house more than 1,500 staff overseeing projects in China, Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific.

Prior to the opening of the physical building, an internal integration of its markets was completed earlier this year, according to Adidas official 2018 fiscal report. Last year, Adidas also opened its largest Asia-Pacific Brand Center in Shanghai, as a milestone in the companys planned expansion in the Asia-Pacific and China markets," the report said.

Adidas CEO Kasper Rorsted told Caixin that the North America, China, and online markets enjoy priority in the companys global business agenda, adding that failure in North America and China would mean a losing long-term strategy.

In 2018, net sales in the Asia-Pacific made up 33% of Adidas total global net sales  its largest regional market. Growth in greater China topped the companys regional market performance at an impressive 23%, the report said.

Adidas is optimistic about its potential in China, despite local rivals aggressive moves, including global mergers and acquisitions. Rorsted believes the moves could affect the China markets, but will have limited global impact and are unlikely to offset massive new opportunities Adidas sees in China.

Related: Sportswear Giant Anta To Chalk Up Another Foreign Acquisition
Hong Kongs Richest Man Opens $400 Million Buddhist Art Museum

By Liu Yanfei, Zhou Wenmin and Zhao Runhua / Mar 28, 2019 06:05 PM / Society & Culture

Many have wondered what Hong Kongs richest man would do once he retired from running his global empire and handing the reins to his son.

Well for one, hes opened a nearly $400-million Buddhist art museum.

Li Ka-shing, the Hong Kong tycoon who built a $100 billion network of companies, including CK Hutchison Holdings, attended the inauguration Wednesday with his two sons.

The 90-year-old retired last March, and hasnt made many public appearances, let alone with his successors.

The 2,230-square-meter Tsz Shan Monastery Buddhist Art Museum, inside the Tsz Shan Monastery in north Hong Kong, cost the Li Ka Shing Foundation over HK$3 billion ($382.18 million), including the land purchase and operation expenses.

The museum's collection includes 100 Buddhist statues and 43 handwritten scriptures.

The artifacts are mostly items donated by Li personally or purchased for the museum by the Foundation. The museum will open to the public on May 1, with free admission.

Related: Opinion: Hong Kongs Richest Man Should Give More Back
GATINEAU, March 28, 2019

The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism, announced today the appointments of Glenn Sakaki as vice-chair and Allan Adam as trustee of the Canadian Museum of Natures Board of Trustees.

Mr. Sakaki, a professional engineer in the metallurgical field in Ontario, is an experienced global leader in the renewable energy, information technology, marketing and communications. Since 2001, he has held various senior management positions with Hatch, a Canadian consulting firm in the mining, energy and infrastructure sectors. He has worked abroad in the United Kingdom, Mexico and the Netherlands.

Mr. Sakaki is a member of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum and a member of the Royal Ontario Museum. He also conceived and created the Hatch Gallery of Contemporary Art, housed in Hatchs global delivery centre in Mississauga, Ontario, which features specimens from the Douglas Kirwin collection and sculptures from Abraham Anghik Ruben. Mr. Sakaki holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of British Columbia and has completed the Marketing Management Executive Program at the Western Universitys Richard Ivey School of Business.

As a new trustee, Mr. Adam, from Saskatchewan, has experience encouraging relations between First Nations, Metis and the three levels of government. He has significant communications experience as a broadcaster, media spokesperson, translator, writer, negotiator and facilitator. He has extensive translation experience with governments and mining companies on environmental review processes. Mr. Adam is currently the CEO of Dene Hha Communications and is an Elder Spiritual Advisor and Counsellor with the Prince Albert Penitentiary. Previously, he worked as a university lecturer of the Dene Language at Northern Teacher Education Program. He also served as an Aboriginal Relationship Specialist at Saskatchewan Environment, as the CEO of the Dene National Office, and as Chief of Fond du Lac Denesuline First Nation.

The Canadian Museum of Nature is Canada's national museum of natural history and sciences. The museum provides evidence-based insights, inspiring experiences and meaningful engagement with nature's past, present and future.

These appointments were made under the Government of Canada's new approach to Governor in Council appointments. This approach supports open, transparent and merit-based selection processes that strive for gender parity, reflect Canada's diversity and support ministers in making appointment recommendations for positions within their portfolio by providing them with information and referrals.
March 17, 2019  Ottawa, ON  The Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction, concluded his trip to the United States. Minister Blair spoke with members of Congress and government officials about issues of border security, including the shared goal of modernizing the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA).

While in New York City, Minister Blair met with Representatives Hakeem Jeffries and Jerry Nadler, and senior officials in Governor Andrew Cuomos administration to discuss opportunities for joint collaboration to address irregular migration. The Minister also met with U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials, which included a tour of John F. Kennedy International Airport, where many of the irregular asylum claimants who have travelled to Canada have initially landed upon reaching North America.

Canada and the United States have the most open, secure and efficient border in the world. They benefit from a long history of mutual cooperation on issues related to border integrity. Minister Blair saw how the two countries continue to cooperatively address the challenges of global migration through information sharing and technological opportunities.

Similar to his trip to Washington the week before, these meetings provided Minister Blair with an opportunity to discuss STCA modernization to the mutual benefit of both countries.

The Minister thanked American authorities for their collaboration to date, including reducing abuse of U.S. visas for the purpose of claiming asylum and data analysis efforts. This is directly reflected in the decreased number of irregular crossings. He also noted he looks forward to discussing options to modernize the STCA.
news, latest-news

As Molonglo continues to grow, so too do efforts to encourage community spirit. The latest tangible example of this is a beautiful mosaic mural unveiled at the Stromlo Cottage in Coombs. The mural, displayed over two large, recycled pot plants, is a collaboration between Mingle, the community development arm of the Suburban Land Agency, and the Charles Weston School at Coombs. Ten metres of mosaic were wrapped around the pots, at the 1926-built cottage, originally the home of the caretaker of the then Weston Creek sewerage works, Charles Gibbs, and now a community hub for the burgeoning suburbs. Senior community development manager Lisa Planiac, from the agency, said the school community became involved in the project across generations, not only students and parents but grandparents as well. "It was really about having the sense of putting an asset back into the community which hopefully will be there for many, many years for them to enjoy and have something to be proud of," Mrs Planiac said. The agency's community development director Jody Gleeson said the former residents of the cottage were at the launch of the murals, which included their names embedded in the tiles. The Gibbs family lived in the cottage on Cotter Road from 1927 to 1940, followed by the Vest family (1941 to 1975) and the Farrell family from 1982 to 2008. "They were really moved to know [their names were there]," she said. Mrs Gleeson said the pots were recycled from the Moncrieff display village and many of the tiles for the mosaic were donated by the community. The mural was put together by participants meeting every Friday at the school to arrange the tiles on mesh in images evoking the history of the cottage, from the pet cow to the old wooden clothesline to the original Metters Canberra stove. There was now a push to continue creating community art on the site, including possibly decorating a shipping container used for storage with Indigenous art. An online survey had also been launched to get more community input for creative projects at the cottage.

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news, latest-news

Fires that destroyed one Greek restaurant and significantly damaged another will not stop the family-run businesses, with the owners reaffirming they are determined to reopen as quickly as possible. Fences have been put up around the burnt-out shell of the Olive restaurant at the Mawson Southlands shopping centre, and insurance and building inspectors have gone through the site. Early on Wednesday morning, fires that appear to have been deliberately lit were extinguished at two restaurants owned by the Yianoulakis family in Mawson and Hawker. The Mawson fire destroyed the restaurant, and a costume-hire business that shared the building also sustained significant damage. Staff at surrounding businesses in Mawson were able to return to work on Thursday, but it could be months before the Yianoulakis family's restaurants reopen. Owner Dimitri Yianoulakis said the Hawker restaurant could be fixed but structural engineers had determined Mawson was a total loss. "In all honesty, I think we're four to five months at least closed," he said. "We're still reeling from the devastation." Mr Yianoulakis said the two sites had been handed back by police after forensic analysis and he was working with building inspectors, insurers and the owner of the Mawson site, who would look to rebuild. He said the family was keen to get the restaurant up and running as quickly as possible and would look for another location if the reconstruction process was set to take too long. "We need a building that would suit our needs, so we're obviously not ruling out staying with our current landlord," Mr Yianoulakis said. The Mawson building is owned by Michael Kouper, who could not be reached for comment. Mr Kouper owns a significant Canberra property portfolio, including the Kingston Hotel. Costume-hire business Just Clowning Around co-owner Brendan Lee said on Thursday he hoped the business would be back up and running quickly after talking to his insurance providers. "It's looking like it's possibly a total write-off and we won't be operating out of [Mawson] for a while," he said. Mr Lee said he hoped the business would be operating again in four or five weeks, either in another shop in Mawson or at another site. ACT Policing was not aware of any further risks to the public apart from damage to the building, a spokesman said.

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news, crime

Brother John "Kostka" Chute was too sick and so excused from hearing his six victims describe the abuse he subjected them to. He was not present when the judge delivered his verdicts on Thursday in a hearing that took less than a minute, and he will not fully comprehend what has happened. He is elderly, stricken by dementia and Parkinson's disease, and unable to control his bowels nor maintain a meaningful conversation. He was a passive participant in the justice process. The notorious paedophiles mind will likely not see significance in the vulnerable position he now finds himself, and how he over and over again took advantage of power over powerlessness when it came to his victims. Powerless and extremely vulnerable was how one victim described feeling as a result of Kostka's abuse. Santa Claus without the beard shamelessly and repeatedly molested his victims for years. A 12-year-old boy went alone to Woden police station where police dismissed what was then the apparently fanciful idea that a brother would molest children. It was like Kostka had gone to school to "learn this crap", one man said. The brother would wear a cassock without underwear or pants underneath. He told them God would approve this behaviour. He was helping them grow into men. Kostka kept a pet golden Labrador named Jason in an unusual practice for the brothers but one that prosecutors said facilitated the grooming process. One boy trapped next to Kostka in a movie theatre resorted to banging his head against the wall and repeating the words "leave me alone". The school didn't believe him when he said Kostka had touched him. The brother dished out punishment by way of a thick leather strap or a belting from a big purple bible. The victims were left broken and afraid to speak out. "But he never won, because I'm still alive, one man said. Given his health, the 86-year-old had been found unfit to plead or be tried, triggering the process for the special hearing eventually heard by a judge. One by one the men's stories were revealed in the ACT Supreme Court, their evidence unchallenged by the defence as they made their abuse a matter of public record. Chute faced 16 charges as against six victims between 1979 and 1986. There were 14 counts of indecent assault of a minor, one charge of buggery without consent and one charge of an act of indecency with a minor. Justice David Mossop returned not guilty verdicts on the count of buggery and a count of indecent assault. All other abuse had been perpetrated as alleged, the judge found. But there will be no finding of guilt. Instead the law provides for the somewhat awkward concept of non acquittal. The events happened but Kostka cannot be found guilty because of his decrepit mental and physical health. It is likely orders will be made that will mean Kostka will remain in his nursing home, though the next steps are yet to be decided. Kostka is one of NSW and the ACTs most notorious paedophiles. He pleaded guilty in 2008 to a large number of historical sex abuse charges as against 19 children and was jailed for at least two years. His case was the subject of hearings at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses into Child Sexual Abuse. Those hearings were told the Marist Brothers had received at least 48 complaints from as early as 1959, and from six different schools, before Kostka was finally jailed. By 2014, the Marist Brothers had paid out $6.84 million in compensation to 38 former students in connection to Kostka. He was one of four Canberra men charged in the wake of the royal commission. And it was only because in 2013 the ACT changed the statute of limitations in what now seems archaic child abuse laws that had required child victims in the late last century to report abuse within 12 months of it happening. Outside court on Thursday Kostka's lawyer Greg Walsh apologised to the victims. It was very important for the victims to have the opportunity to be vindicated, and this is a very important procedure for them, he said. I know the learned Crown prosecutor and myself and the learned judge Justice Mossop certainly afforded them every understanding with respect to the conduct of the proceedings. Mr Walsh said the hearing was difficult and stressful, and it was evident from the men how Kostkas abuse had impacted them. He said he wanted to sincerely apologise to the victims. They should never ever have gone through that, they were entitled to be treated fairly, justly and humanely, and not in such a way involving such a gross breach of trust. Its just wrong and should never have happened.

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comment

With the pending 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing in July, it is fitting to consider the risk-management measures applied by NASA to the venture. A Saturn V rocket compromised 4 million parts. NASA applied a 1 per cent failure rate with every launch, which translates to 40,000 parts potentially failing at the moment of each launch. As President Kennedy stated, "we do these things and the other ones not because they are easy but because they are hard". They went to the moon even knowing the considerable number of potential risks. This is one of humanity's greatest traits. It should serve as a trigger for reflection of what humanity is capable of. Rohan Goyne, Evatt Your reporting on Department of Human Services compliance activities ("Centrelink threatens hard line with Robo-debts scheme", March 25, p3) contains confusing information which requires clarification for your readers. People have 28 days to either pay outstanding debt amounts or enter into a repayment plan, not 14 days as inferred by the story. We have a dedicated team ready to help people set up suitable payment plans and refer them to extra support if needed. We write to people giving 28 days' notice and follow up with a reminder letter 14 days later if we haven't heard from them. We make every attempt to engage directly with people to arrange a payment option that suits them. General interest charges, applied since April last year to former welfare recipients, are not limited to debts identified through online income checks. Interest charges are not applied to people who are currently receiving a welfare payment, have debts that are currently under review, or people who are actively paying the money they owe. Welfare income payment checks identify discrepancies between income reported to Centrelink and the Australian Taxation Office. Income averaging is used to calculate earnings for particular periods. Averaging may be used in various circumstances including when someone fails to engage with us. This process is not new or specific to the online compliance system. Importantly, no debt notice is issued until people have the opportunity to assist with resolving the discrepancy. Even after a debt has been raised, people can update their details or provide more information to have the debt reassessed. The Commonwealth Ombudsman reviewed the online compliance system, and confirmed that the system of calculation being used is comprehensive and accurately captures the legislative and policy requirements. Hank Jongen, general manager, Department of Human Services As a rusted on Coalition supporter, reading about Penny Wong being acclaimed as the 2018 McKinnon Political Leader of the year left me disappointed that she was with the wrong mob. She has Ardernesque qualities and is the type of person the Coalition is urgently in need of to get it back on track. As a leader, she would not have put up with the bickering that has done so much damage to the party both internally and among its supporter base. Again, Ms Wong, a well-deserved accolade. Alex Wallensky, Broulee, NSW Rex Williams (Letters, March 26) has again demonstrated his apparent omnipotent knowledge of America's influence on our foreign policy, as well as the alleged missile count for both Iran and Israel. Furthermore, he alleges that Israel controls "both houses of US government". This myth about a world Israeli/Jewish conspiracy whereby the media, economy, government, etc are controlled, is straight out anti-semitism. So that those of us concerned with the truth can be assured of the veracity of these assertions, can Mr Williams please provide us with all relevant and documented evidence? In a world where hate speech can lead to murder, surely it is time for a better way of making our voices heard. Yvette Goode, Yarralumla Voluntary drunkenness is not a defence in Australian law so why should we allow James Ashby and Steve Dickson to explain their appalling behaviour as the result of having "had a few drinks"? Alcohol induced or not, their recorded conversations indicate a complete disregard for the ethics and morals that our society aspires to. All they demonstrated was a venal monomania that suggests they are only focused on themselves and also that they may possibly be in politics for personal profit, not the benefit of our society. They want to be respected as political staffers but then expect to be excused for a level of behaviour that would not be tolerated even if it was perpetrated by a teenager. When someone in a position of responsibility stuffs up they should admit their mistake, not try to blame someone or something else for their own poor choices. Maybe a resignation from their positions would be a good start followed by action against One Nation, since the pair were representing the party? Other politicians and their staffers have lost their jobs for less. Dave McLachlan, Kambah Roughly 40 per cent of all OECD countries currently levy inheritance taxes, including the very prosperous economies of Japan, South Korea, France and the US and UK. But in the strange, gas-lit corner of alternative reality inhabited by Scott Morrison, the Greens proposal to reintroduce an inheritance tax in Australia is as radical and dangerous as attempts to weaken our vital, world-leading gun control laws. Felix MacNeill, Dickson Re: "Morrison chases Hanson voters" (March 27, p4 and p5). Ashby and Dickson wanted a $10 million donation from the NRA to fund a campaign to water down Australia's gun laws. The NRA is worried John Howard's gun laws could undermine its pro-gun strategies. Ashby and Dickson approached Koch Industries, a well-known supporter of right-wing causes, for a donation of $20 million. Ashby and Dickson may protest that Rodger Muller  who secretly filmed these events while posing as the head of the fictional lobby group Gun Rights Australia  was a "spy" working for "a Middle Eastern country", but they have been caught red handed. One Nation does not deserve Australians' votes. Mr Morrison and Mr Shorten should preference it last in the May election. Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin The Kippax Master Plan, which allows shopping centre expansion into land zoned as public land urban open space in the territory plan, is the thin edge of the wedge. If it happens there, it could happen in any suburb. The public land overlay was a part of the zoning of ACT land and establishment of the territory plan that took place at self government. Land identified as such included our nature reserves, including Tidbinbilla and Namadgi, urban parks, ovals, unleased pools and the Albert Hall. This was done to recognise and protect the public interest in these facilities or land, and to prevent them from being sold off and developed without the consent of the majority of the assembly. It was one of the reasons the proposed sale of the Albert Hall was stopped. A whole chapter of the ACT Land and Development Act is devoted to dealing with, and the management of, public land. The act requires that public land have a land-management plan approved by the Legislative Assembly. The assembly must agree to any change of land use or the land-management plan of an area of public land. When it was first elected in 2001, ACT Labor's platform stated: "Labor will not support development on areas designated as urban open space". The then Liberal government had been assessing the potential of some parks for development. Labor seems to have changed its position since then. While recognising the needs of people for shopping areas, we need to ensure, with increasing urban densification, open space land remains available for future generations. If it was important to conserve this in the public interest in 1988, it is even more important now. If this sale is allowed to go ahead, your park could be next. Gina Pinkas, Aranda The Master Plan for Kippax in Holt will allow vibrant apartments and a vibrant shopping hub to be built on 16,000 square metres of playing fields. The government will then grow grass in Higgins to compensate. I suspect the grass in Higgins will soon be covered by vibrant structures as well. Then more grass will be grown elsewhere. We will eventually have a very lush paddock somewhere outside Canberra. John Simsons, Holt For those interested in what is about to happen at West Basin, time is running out to protest about why one of our city parks is being turned over to apartments. It is time to protest loud and clear that we don't want a private apartment development on West Basin like Kingston foreshore. We are told it won't be like Kingston foreshore but, once private apartments are built, there is no going back. The little bit of public space promised is a concrete boardwalk that will be formed by filling in 2.8 hectares of the lake. The government wants to have vibrancy but this will not be created by building more apartment blocks. Surely creative landscaping can also achieve vibrancy. The Lake Burley Griffin Guardians have been asking for a review with community consultation of this lake area for four years now. It is time the ACT government listened to the people it represents. It is time to ring or write to our ACT and federal MPs to let them know our dismay with their plans to infill the lake and put apartments on our park. Penny Moyes, Hughes The ACT Planning and Land Authority has approved Wing's plans for a household delivery drone hangar in Mitchell, and the authority has reaffirmed drones are exempt from local noise regulations under the ACT's Environment Protection Act ("Ready for takeoff: Canberra drone base gets the green light", canberratimes.com.au, March26). This confirms once again that no one is taking responsibility for the invasive noise from delivery drones, identified as a major issue with the residents of Bonython. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority's concern is safety rather than noise, and Airservices Australia has no apparent interest in monitoring or regulating drone noise. At the ACT Legislative Assembly inquiry on delivery drones, Wing's CEO stated that the so-called quieter drones they have developed have been measured at 55 decibels at 20 to 25 metres. This is an unacceptable noise burden invading airspace over Gungahlin residents, not to mention for dogs and horses that have an increased sensitivity to such noise, as flagged at the assembly inquiry. The ACT government on the one hand claims no responsibility for the degradation of residents' quality of life, but on the other hand aids and abets Wing's expansion plans. Murray May, Cook The police have warned legalising cannabis in Canberra would put more smokers behind bars. I am more worried about more smokers behind the wheel. We already have to deal with people driving under the influence of alcohol. Now we may also have to deal with people driving while high on dope. God, or somebody, help us. Anne Willenborg, Royalla, NSW As one of the organisers of the open letter against the War Memorial extensions and of the current petition, I was puzzled by the letter from Owen Reid (letters March 27). I thought that dog-whistling about "the left" might have died out about 30 years ago but Mr Reid is still in there pitching. Our campaign is evidence-based; it would be instructive to see Mr Reid's evidence that the letter signatories are "of the left". Does he mean all of them or just some of them? How many have to be "left" on the basis of evidence for the whole group to be "of the left?" Is "left" just a term for people whose views Mr Reid dislikes? David Stephens, Heritage Guardians, Bruce POLITICAL DONATIONS Your editorial (March 27) rightly condemns One Nation for soliciting funds from the National Rifle Association in the US, claiming this "marks a new low". But there has been no criticism by the Canberra Times about the National Party still receiving donations from the tobacco industry. Tobacco-related diseases are responsible for the deaths of 30 Australians every day, many more than die from guns. Dr Alan Shroot, president, Canberra ASH, Forrest RIGHT-WING PERVERSITY If it's true that One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has suggested the Port Arthur massacre was a conspiracy then it's a case of right-wing perversity reaching a new and shameful low. Rajend Naidu, Glenfield, NSW GUN LAW DEBATE One Nation's Steve Dickson says more people are killed by trucks than by guns. In the United States in 2017, nearly 40,000 people were killed by guns. How many were killed by trucks? Not that many surely. Many white Americans are wedded to guns because of their visceral fear of their black neighbours. They believe unconsciously they will not get away with a couple of centuries of treating fellow human beings as sub-human. Michael McCarthy, Deakin WHITE BEGINNINGS Apparently Scott Morrison, as immigration minister, wanted $10billion to build concentration camps on shore, and round up all the refugees and imprison them. It seems he wanted to return Australia to its white beginnings as a penal colony. Richard Keys, Ainslie BONDS BEST FOR BABIES Why are people dressing their babies in highly flammable clothing and why are manufacturers producing highly flammable clothing for babies? Bonds make low-fire-danger babies clothing. I suggest people dress their children and babies in these. Margot Sirr, Gowrie BE ALERT FOR ONE NATION It wasn't entrapment, it was a genuine "gotcha". The two One Nation "representatives" have been exposed as naive, dumb and contemptible NRA supplicants. We need to throw the switch from dark vaudeville to maximum alertness in ensuring the One Nation rabble do not impose on us, our children and grandchildren the grim, ignorant, obstinate and uncompromising armed state that is the US. A. Whiddett, Forrest ANXIETY AND TERROR Howard may have got rid of guns, but all people missing critical appointments and flights following the Melbourne railway gun scare on Thursday have to thank him for are those precious fridge magnets. I am always relieved at how thoroughly, as the propaganda goes, terrorists won't change our way of life. Alex Mattea, Sydney 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 the date and page number. Letters may be edited. Provide phone number and full home address (suburb only published).

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Our Promise: Welcome to Care2, the world's largest community for good. Here, you'll find over 45 million like-minded people working towards progress, kindness, and lasting impact.

Care2 Stands Against: bigots, racists, bullies, science deniers, misogynists, gun lobbyists, xenophobes, the willfully ignorant, animal abusers, frackers, and other mean people. If you find yourself aligning with any of those folks, you can move along, nothing to see here.

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The Hartford is debuting a technology platform designed to help cover U.S. companies in more than 200 countries through local and regional partners. Coface is launching new credit insurance coverage in Greece, following regulatory approval there.

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The Hartford said it is launching a network of insurer partners via a global technology platform.

Through The Hartford Global Insurer Network, the insurer plans to offer coverage for U.S. companies in more than 200 countries through local and regional partners.

More than 80 local and regional carriers are joining the Global Insurer Network. Among the new partners: Aviva, which will service the needs of The Hartfords customers operating in the U.K. and Ireland. Beyond offering U.S.-based customers local policies in foreign countries, The Hartford will service local U.S. policies for clients of its strategic partners.

To facilitate this initiative, The Hartford has developed a cutting-edge, cloud-based network management and engagement platform, which will allow for a real-time collaboration among local partner offices in the network to track and service policies. The platform will provide a view into the underwriting, instruction issuance, claims information, account information, as well as tracking of key performance indicators by program, country and partner.

The platform will be available for network partners on April 1 and will be available for customers and brokers later this year.

***

Coface, a global trade credit insurer, is launching new coverage in Greece, following regulatory approval there.

Coface said it is now able to strengthen its support to Greek businesses, by providing them with its recognized expertise in monitoring the credit-worthiness of millions of companies all over the world, and by protecting their commercial transactions.

The company said it has entered the market in Greece due, in part, to regulatory reforms which pave the way for a promising credit insurance market.

Because of the consolidation of public accounts and reinforced fiscal credibility, the country has been able to return to international markets and to partially lift controls on capital, Coface said. Greek companies have become more competitive, have reduced their debt and are now more export-oriented. This has fostered development of new sectors and allowed the productive fabric to evolve, according to the company.

Source: The Hartford, Coface
Johnson & Johnson reached a confidential settlement resolving an Oklahoma lawsuit alleging its iconic baby powder caused a 77-year-old woman to develop a rare cancer connected to asbestos exposure.

The accord comes the same day the company was cleared by a New Jersey jury of a similar claim and two weeks after a jury in Oakland, California, awarded $29 million to a dying woman who blamed asbestos in J&J talc for causing her cancer.

Its unusual for J&J, which is facing thousands of talc-related damage lawsuits, to resolve them during or before trial. The company in December reached a confidential settlement in a New York case headed for trial.

The Oklahoma City plaintiff, Sharon Pipes, was diagnosed in 2017 with peritoneal mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the abdomen, an illness generally connected to asbestos exposure. She used Johnson & Johnsons talc products for 50 years, her attorneys said at trial.

Oklahoma District Judge Susan Stallings announced the settlement to the courtroom Wednesday after jurors had been deliberating for more than three hours. When one juror asked what the settlement was, the judge answered, Its confidential.

Litigation Tourism Suffers Blow as J&J Dodges Trial in St. Louis

Plaintiffs attorney Jessica Dean said she couldnt comment on the settlement. A J&J spokeswoman didnt immediately comment.

J&J has denied that its talc products are laced with asbestos and disputed any responsibility for Pipess cancer.

J&J is facing more than 13,000 lawsuits linking baby powder and another talc product, Shower to Shower, to ovarian cancer or mesothelioma. More than two dozen trials have been scheduled in U.S. courts in 2019.

The companys record at trial has been mixed so far. Several of the first trials resulted in plaintiffs verdicts, including one for more than $4 billion in St. Louis in 2018 to 22 women with ovarian cancer. But J&J has been able to win reversals of three of the first five jury awards.

The company has also won recent defense verdicts in cases alleging links between baby powder and mesothelioma, including one Wednesday in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Some of the verdicts include awards against J&Js talc supplier, Imerys America, which filed for bankruptcy protection in February.

In the New Jersey case, the jury unanimously found that J&Js talc didnt contain asbestos and wasnt responsible for plaintiff Ricardo Rimondi developing mesothelioma.

This is the third verdict in favor of Johnson & Johnson in recent months, said company spokeswoman Kim Montagnino. All of the talc-related verdicts against Johnson & Johnson that have been through the appeals process, every one has been overturned.

Rimondi was disappointed with the jurys decision, particularly in light of the overwhelming scientific and documentary evidence supporting the claims of the Rimondi family that J&Js talcum-powder is laced with asbestos, Monica Cooper, his attorney, said in an emailed message.

The Oklahoma case is Pipes v. Johnson & Johnson, CJ-2017-3487, District Court, Oklahoma Co., Oklahoma (Oklahoma City). The New Jersey case is Rimondi v. BASF Catalysts, L-002912-17, Superior Court, Middlesex Co., New Jersey.
As in the past, the faithful are called upon during this years Lent to "think with greater intensity of our brothers and sisters who live the faith and [bear] witness to Christ who died and rose in the Holy Land. And for this reason, we express our solidarity with them through acts of charity.

Vatican City (AsiaNews)  The Congregation for Oriental Churches issued a letter today exhorting the faithful to contribute to the Holy Land 2019 Communion and solidarity with the Church of Jerusalem collection.

The letter notes that Lent is a liturgical time in which the mysteries of our salvation are relived, a time to "think with greater intensity of our brothers and sisters who live the faith and [bear] witness to Christ who died and rose in the Holy Land. And for this reason, we express our solidarity with them through acts of charity.

The Middle East is witnessing a process that has torn apart the relations between the peoples of the region, creating a situation of such injustice that hoping for peace seems almost rash, reads the letter signed by Card Leonardo Sandri and Mgr Cyril Vasil, SI, respectively prefect and secretary of the Congregation.

The Church, as St. Paul VI recalled in Nobis in Animo, has long done more than simply watch: From the second half of the last century there was an important increase in pastoral, social, charitable and cultural works, for the benefit of the local population without distinction and of the ecclesial communities in the Holy Land [...].

We notice, with hope, a certain recent resumption of pilgrimages, palpably sensing the joy of the faith in so many faithful who come to the Holy Land in ever-greater numbers from China, India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Sri Lanka.

A financial report is attached to the letter detailing the spending items and initiatives undertaken with 8,633,099.88 euros collected last year and largely destined for the Custody of the Holy Land.
by Wang Zhicheng

The Disciplinary Committee accuses him of abusing power for personal gains and for having used state money for his family. The hopeless requests of Grace, Meng's wife, from Interpol and President Emmanuel Macron.

Beijing (AsiaNews) - Meng Hongwei, former head of Interpol, has been expelled from the Chinese Communist Party for "serious violations of the law and discipline".

Meng, 65, had been a member of the Central Committee and deputy minister for public security. Today the Disciplinary Inspection Commission announced his removal from all charges and the blocking of his assets related to corruption charges and the opening of an investigation against him.

He is accused of abusing his position of power for personal advantages and for having financed an "extravagant" lifestyle of his family with public money.

Meng disappeared last October during a trip to China. His wife Grace, who lives in Lyon (France), where interpol is based, had appealed for news, but received no help. She had also appealed to French President Emmanuel Macron, fearing for her husband's life.

Just two days ago Macron met with Xi Jinping, with whom he signed contracts worth 40 billion euros. Although he told the media that he had talked to Xi about some human rights situations, there is no evidence that he talked about Meng to Xi.

Meng worked for 40 years in Public Security, until the post of deputy minister. He is one of the "tigers" that Xi Jinping wanted to target in his campaign against corruption. Before him, six years ago another leading figure in security was hit, Zhou Yongkang.

Meng had become vice-minister of security and head of Interpol in China in 2004. In November 2016 he was appointed president of Interpol, the first Chinese to hold this position in an international police body.
by Peter Jacob

The latest episode of violence saw an English professor murdered by a student who accused of blasphemy for organising a mixed party with males and females. The executive director of the Centre for Social Justice cites the names of educators who paid a heavy price  death or exile  to exercise their creativity.

Lahore (AsiaNews)  Pakistans education system is filled with hate, this according to Peter Jacob, executive director of the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) in Lahore and former executive secretary of the National Justice and Peace Commission of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Pakistan. The latest example of this tragedy is the murder of an English professor stabbed to death by a student who accused him of blasphemy for organising a mixed party of males and females.

In detailing the long list of murders in schools of people with liberal ideas, Jacob notes more than anything else that the violence is aimed at educators, which goes to show how the "propaganda of hatred" finds fertile ground in young minds, spread through textbooks full of religious biases and discriminations. His thoughts follow.

On March 20, Khalid Hameed, a professor at Sadiq Egerton College Bahawalpur was stabbed to death by his student Khateeb Hussain, who suspected his teachers religious credentials. Later, the student  while in custody of Rescue 1122 staff, who bandaged his hands that were wounded during the attack  stated that his act was justified.

This cold-blooded murder reflects the pervasive mindset in our society, espousing extreme intolerance towards anything that is seen as digression from a specific interpretation of religiously appropriate conduct. Unfortunately, this trend has prevailed over the past 30 years and is reinforced after every such incident.

There is a long list of teachers who have faced similar consequences as Khalid  and many teachers continue to risk their life, liberty and wellbeing as they continue with their professional responsibilities. It would suffice to look at some incidents to understand the gravity of this problem.

In 1992, Naimat Ahmer, an Adamjee-award winning poet and a teacher in Faisalabad, smelled danger when a handwritten note misinterpreting his statement during a class was circulated. He applied for a transfer from the school. However, he was killed by his student brainwashed by a colleague jealous of Ahmers promotion as headmaster.

Professor Itrat Kazmi was jailed after he was accused of blasphemy under Section 295-C PPC in 1993 in Rahim Yar Khan. Professor Allah Bux of Shujaabad was charged of committing blasphemy the same year after he tried to interpret a Quranic verse in the course book, something a student of his disagreed with. Bux escaped detention and trial due to his strong connections with a religio-political party though he had to go into hiding for several months.

Some female teachers were also accused of blasphemy while teaching. This includes Catherine Shaheen and Bushra Taseer in 1995 and 1996 respectively. The former had to leave the country along with her family to avoid circumstances that could be far graver than displacement.

Zahid Hussain Mirza, former principal of Government Degree College Azad Jammu and Kashmir, was charged under Section 295-B PPC, allegedly for insulting the Quran. He was kept in detention for years. He had written a book that the followers of another sect considered blasphemous, though the book had drawn admiration including that of the Imam of Kaaba. Apparently, the police had to register a case to save his life from a mob that had gathered near his house in 2000.

Dr Farooq Khan, a religious scholar and the founder-vice chancellor of Swat University was assassinated in his clinic in Mardan in 2010 for his courageous opposition to violence in the name of religion. Master Abdul Qudoos Ahmad was murdered in Rabwa in 2012.

Junaid Hafeez, a university teacher in Multan has been languishing in jail under blasphemy charges since 2013. His lawyer Rashid Rehman was assassinated in 2014 for pleading his case. Professor Shakeel Auj of Karachi University was assassinated while travelling in his car in 2014. Though the responsibility of his killing is yet to be ascertained, it is very well known that his jealous colleagues had falsely accused Auj of committing blasphemy before he was killed.

Dr Bernadette Dean, a senior educationist and member of the government-appointed advisory committee for curriculum and textbooks reforms, had to leave the country fearing for life after receiving threatening calls and facing hate propaganda in 2015.

Many students have also fallen victim to the intolerant environment in our educational institutions. The lynching of Mashal Khan of the Abdul Wali Khan University in Mardan by fellow students and university employees in 2017 is an example of how hostile things can get for any student exercising the freedom to learn.

In 2018, a grade-12 student, Faheem shot dead Hafiz Sareer Ahmed, his college principal in Shabqadar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, when reprimanded for skipping classes to attend a dharna in Islamabad.

These and many such cases hardly received any justice, something that only ends up perpetuating a climate of fear and intimidation in the centres of learning in the country. Some members of the academia, aligned with the infrastructure of hate and intolerance in society, actively conspire against those professors and teachers who dare to exercise their creativity and academic freedom.

The religious biases and discriminations accumulated in our textbooks and education system contribute immensely to nurturing a violent behaviour among students. The decisions-makers in the education system, who have failed to respond to this alarming situation, need to come out of denial mode now.

A new education policy is being contemplated by the provincial and federal governments. The policy must include provisions and steps to help our youth and our teachers stay safe and away from the currently suffocating religion-based hatred on our campuses.
On March 30 and 31, Francis will visit the North African country at the invitation of King Mohammad VI. Great expectations among Catholics, many of them immigrants from the sub-Saharan area. A young and living community. Father Davide, missionary in Algeria: "Unique opportunity" to give visibility to the local Church.

Rabat (AsiaNews) - The apostolic journey of Pope Francis to Morocco, as happened recently in the United Arab Emirates, can give "a new impetus to the level of interreligious dialogue". And it can contribute to "giving greater visibility to the local Church".

This is what Fr. Davide Carraro, a 38-year-old PIME priest, tells AsiaNews. He has been on a mission in Algeria after spending two years in Egypt to learn Arabic. "The local Christian community in Morocco - he explains - but even more in Algeria struggles to make its presence visible, certainly not because of the desire to hide, but because the numbers that are still small".

The priest of Venetian origins explains, that among the regional countries there is the hope that "the presence of a pope in the area can contribute to strengthening a path of dialogue and true collaboration" between the two great monotheistic faiths.

Added to this is the wish for greater mutual knowledge, because the pontiffs every movement is carefully followed and is a source of visibility. It can highlight the positive involvement of the local Christian community, within the society in which it finds itself "to live and profess faith in conditions that are not always favorable.

The Algerian Church, continues Fr. Davide, will be present with a delegation of bishops and some faithful on a personal basis. This is not due to lack of attention, indeed, but to logistical and resource problems ". It remains to be seen, he adds, "if and how the local press will talk about it. It will be interesting to see if it can have a wide echo and positive connotations as happened in the Emirates .

Pope Francis will go to Morocco at the invitation of King Mohammad VI, with the common goal of "developing interreligious dialogue" between Islam and Christianity as stated in the official note. For the archbishop of Rabat, Msgr. Cristobal Lopez Romero it is a "unique opportunity" to show "what matters most is what unites us, compared to what divides us".

In the capital there is a climate of great expectation among Catholics, a cosmopolitan reality made up of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa, locals and (few) Europeans. The hunt is on among the faithful for tickets to attend mass. Most immigrants from other African nations have chosen Morocco as a destination for study, work or as a basis in an attempt to one day reach Europe. "Their presence - explains Fr. Daniel, a priest in Rabat - brings a new breath, I have never seen so young a church, with an average age of 30-35 years ".

In Morocco there are about 35 thousand Catholics, a number ten times lower than in the times before independence in 1956. At the time of French colonialism there were about 200 churches, while today there are 44 scattered among the archdiocese of Rabat and that of Tangier. Sub-Saharan immigration largely contributed to saving Christian places of worship, in two waves: students in the early 1990s and economic migrants of the last decade.

The Pope's visit could give new impetus to the encounter and dialogue with Muslims, as the 24-year-old Congolese student Cyrvine hopes: "Some Muslims think that we do not have the same God and that we will end up in hell, but the Pope's visit will be opportunity to bring communities and religions together. The girl is a member of the choir and is impatient to meet Francis.

The local constitution establishes that Islam is the state religion, but at the same time guarantees "freedom of worship for all". It should also be emphasized that the Criminal Code punishes "proselytism" with penalties from six months to three years in prison; and, in many cases, parishes prefer to "avoid" putting the Moroccan faithful in the front rows because "it is a sensitive issue".

In terms of legislation, in Tunisia and Morocco there is greater freedom of worship than in Algeria. "Our reality - the PIME missionary continues - would need a greater presence of local faithful, but this will still require time and it is all in Gods hands". Our task, he concludes, "as priests but above all as missionaries is to be present on a social and pastoral level in a context that is almost entirely Muslim. Being a visible presence and demonstrating that we can be together .
by Thanh Thao

A thousand workers protest in Gia Tan after discovering rotten seasonings and cooking oil in their canteens kitchen. Workers at the Tnhh Tm-Dv-Sx plant in in ong Nai province complain of headache, blurred vision, abdominal pain and fainting. In Binh Duong, the authorities seize and destroy five tonnes of rotten pig.

Hanoi (AsiaNews)  The number of poisoning cases in workplace canteens is increasing in Vietnam with rotten rice and chicken topping the menu.

Despite proclamations by the countrys communist regime about greater controls and safety measures, Vietnamese workers continue to be worried about what they are served during their lunch break.

One of the latest episodes took place Tuesday in Gia Tan, a municipality in Gia Vien District (Ninh Binh province), when about a thousand workers were served unappetising chicken with rice.

As they do every day, the employees of the Great Global International Limited Company went to the canteen at 11.30 am for their lunch. However, according to reports, no one had the stomach to try what was dished out as it gave off a pungent odour.

When some went into the kitchen to complain to the staff and check the food, they found that the cooks had used dirty seasoning and cooking oil.

The workers also caught some cooking staff secretly and hurriedly trying to load six sacks of frozen pork meat into the lorry carrying frozen chicken in an attempt to dispose of it outside the plant. "Most chickens had no wings, no legs or head, some witnesses said.

Given the situation, We held the kitchen staff, whilst we called the authorities and asked them not to work with these people anymore."

Binh, 26, works at the Tnhh Tm-Dv-Sx plant in the southern province of ong Nai. He cannot forget the day he was poisoned by the food served in the canteen.

"The meal of that day, he lamented. The rice smelled bad but we all tried to eat it. We had to regain strength to work in the afternoon! After about an hour, however, we began to experience headaches, blurred vision, abdominal pain and fainting.

Recently, provincial authorities in Binh Duong, southern Vietnam, found and destroyed five tonnes of rotten pig.

Now tens of thousands of local workers have become nervous, wondering how much rotten, infected and contaminated meat they might have eaten in the past.
The law professor questioned the abolition of the two-term limit for the presidency and vice-presidency of the Chinese Communist Party as well as the development of a cult of personality around Xi. For intellectuals and friends, the university's decision is a clear form of punishment. Restrictions have been taken against "unpatriotic" scholars since a new ideological campaign was launched last August.

Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies)  Tsinghua University, one of Beijings most prestigious universities, has suspended Prof Xu Zhangrun, 56, a renowned liberal law professor, after he openly criticised Chinese President Xi Jinping, his colleague Guo Yuhua, who teaches sociology at the same university, told the South China Morning Post.

In some articles widely circulated online, Prof Xu criticised the decision to change the Constitution to grant Xi the lifetime presidency of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as well as the development of a cult of personality around him.

Xus suspension occurred this month. He was excluded from all teaching and research activities related to his profession.

Prof Guo also reports that her dissident colleague was placed under investigation by the university, which has refused to take any questions from the media.

Experts believe that Xu was suspended as part of a new ideological campaign against "unpatriotic" intellectuals, which the Chinese government launched last August.

As a result of this campaign, all those deemed unwilling to carry forward the spirit of patriotic struggle were placed under restrictions.

Xus friends and colleagues came to his defence, believing that the university was out to punish the scholar.

Well-known writer Zhang Yihe was one of the first to speak out in support of Xu, saying on social network WeChat Zhang that she stood by him not because of politics or conscience but out of friendship.

According to Guo, Xu was being penalised because of his critical articles. Maybe they didnt like what he wrote, Guo said. But its against the law and an unreasonable thing to do.

For Zhang Qianfan, a constitutional law professor at Peking University, Xu was penalised by Tsinghua not because he said something radical or inappropriate, but because he made some just and honest comments that others dared not make  because free speech is in a difficult situation in China.
The County Commission on Wednesday failed to approve a resolution sought by Commissioner David Sharpe condemning the state voucher bill. Several commissioners said they needed more time to study the issue.

The bill provides vouchers for use by families to send their children to non-public schools if they are not satisfied with the public school system.

Commissioner Sharpe said quick action was needed because he said the legislation on education savings accounts is moving quickly through the Legislature.

When a vote was called, Commissioners Chip Baker, Tim Boyd, Greg Martin, Randy Fairbanks and Sabrena Smedley abstained.

Commissioner Sharpe said afterward he would likely revive the resolution at the time the bill is headed for the state Senate.

Commissioner Baker, a former county school board member, said he wanted to hear from county school officials, including Supt. Bryan Johnson.

The school board earlier voted 7-1 to oppose the bill that was part of the legislative package of Governor Bill Lee.

Commissioner Boyd said he heard Governor Lee discussing the bill at a recent local luncheon "and what he was saying sounded pretty good. But when I read the bill it sounded different." He said the bill may have been amended during the legislative process.

Commissioner Sharpe said he believed allowing such vouchers would be harmful to public education and also lead to possible misuse of the money. He said the local elected school board would have no sayso over the program.

The bill passed another committee hurdle in Nashville on Wednesday despite county school board member Jenny Hill testifying against it. She said the bill as written helps middle class families more so than the low income. She said it allows families of four who make $66,000 a year to utilize a voucher. She said the median income in Hamilton County is $45,000.

Officials of the Professional Educators of Tennessee said, "Professional Educators of Tennessee remain opposed to Education Savings Accounts (ESAs). We know litigation awaits on the constitutionality of the legislation, should it ultimately pass into law. However, it is an opportunity for us to reaffirm our commitment to public education.

"We believe that the historic accomplishments of public schools in Tennessee demonstrate the incredible job our educators are doing across the state. We acknowledge there are small pockets where success has not been as fully realized. That makes us even more determined to prove Tennessee public schools can meet any challenge and help prepare the necessary workforce to keep up with Tennessee's growing economy.

"Professional Educators of Tennessee believes public education will continue to be the best choice for parents and students in our state."


In an effort to make technology more accessible to individuals of all ages, Chattanooga State Community College hosted a Cyber Seniors computer skills workshop, which paired seniors with student mentors well-versed in all things digital, sponsored in part by Morning Pointe Senior Living. A group of residents from Morning Pointe of Hixson attended the free workshop and said they were very pleased with the entire experience.The residents were very impressed with the students knowledge and professionalism.They appreciated the one-on-one training with a college student mentor and really liked that they could ask questions at their own convenience. The student mentors were able to provide customized skills training for each participant based on their needs, says Christine Rivers, the life enrichment director at the assisted living and Alzheimers memory care community. Understanding technology is such a crucial skill in this day and age, and we are so grateful to Chattanooga State for helping guide our seniors through cyberspace. If the college ever hosts a similar workshop, you can bet that we will be back.
East Ridge officials, in a letter to County Commissioner Tim Boyd, cited multiple reasons they said the idea of reopening an old sewage treatment plant in East Ridge is unworkable.

Reopening the decommissioned plant behind a hospital on Spring Creek Road was the second recommendation of a citizens committee that County Mayor Jim Coppinger asked to come up with an acceptable sewage treatment site in the Ooltewah area.

The panel, headed by Dean Moorhouse, said there should not be any sewage treatment plant built in Ooltewah, but the area should rely on the city's Moccasin Bend plant with the old East Ridge plant as a second option.

Officials of the Hamilton County Water and Wastewater Treatment Authority (WWTA) continue to maintain that a new plant is needed to serve the growing Ooltewah area. They said sewage is having to be piped up to 30 miles and there are escalating charges to WWTA customers by the city.

The letter from East Ridge Mayor Brian Williams and the assistant city manager said the plant was closed because flow levels were varying from two million gallons per day to 22 million gallons per day in rainy weather. It says treated sewage could not go into nearby creeks and it would have to be pumped over five miles through heavily built up areas and across a rail yard to the Tennessee River.

The letter says TDEC would likely not allow sewage discharge just above the current water intake at Citico Creek and the Tennessee American Water Company would likely sue if that was attempted. It says that "even if all the other considerations above could be overcome," the old plant would have to be completely rebuilt.

Here is the letter:

In a recent Chattanoogan article a statement was made about the rehabilitation or replacement of the East Ridge Sewer Treatment Plant. This came out of recent discussions with a group of Ooltewah residents that oppose the construction of a New WWTP in the Mahan Gap Road area.

The committee of Ooltewah area residents strongly feel sending all wastewater to Moccasin Bend is the optimal option but building a new plant or rehabilitation of the East Ridge WWTP ranked second using their panel on site selection.

Below is why East Ridge is not a viable location nor would this plant aid in any growth of North Hamilton County.

1. Dry weather flows are 2 million gallons per day now, when it rains this flow goes to 22 million gallons per day. This is why the old plant was decommissioned; there was no way for that plant to operate effectively with these wide flow swings. No new technology will be any more effective in treating these large flows which are mainly infiltration and inflow. Infiltration and inflow need to be addressed first in East Ridge before a WWTP can even be considered. Fixing I/I is the first priority in East Ridge.

2. TDEC and EPA will not issue a permit for a discharge to West Chickamauga Creek or South Chickamauga Creek. The only discharge point for treated water would be the Tennessee River. There is no direct access to the Tennessee River without going through heavily built up areas with a discharge pipeline. The costs of this, even if it could be permitted, are prohibitive as the most direct route to the Tennessee River is over five miles through Brainerd and then having to cross the Debutts Railyard or multiple railroad tracks of Norfolk Southern.

3. It is not likely that TDEC will permit a discharge into the river upstream of the Tennessee American Water intake. Even if they did permit, it is likely to end up in a legal challenge by Tennessee American.

4. Even if all the other considerations above could be overcome, it is likely that the existing site of the old decommissioned WWTP would require complete razing and replacing all the structures. Very little, if any, of the existing structures are suitable for a new facility, possibly the screw pumps, but that is about it. If a new plant is built, it is likely that a significant storage tank would be required (8 million gallons) in order to handle the wide swings in flow related to wet weather, even with significant I/I reduction.

In closing, the East Ridge Mayor, Council and City Administration should have been contacted and involved to provide input and facts concerning any recommendation that included WWTP within East Ridge.
FreightWaves and CO.LAB have announced the selected teams that will participate in the upcoming FreightTech Innovation Challenge, hosted in Chattanooga, on Friday and Saturday. After receiving 141 individual applications from students representing 24 schools, 51 students from 15 schools were selected.



We are thrilled by the staggering amount of interest in pushing the boundaries of freight technology here in Freight Alley, said Craig Fuller, CEO and founder of FreightWaves. This event will celebrate the culture of innovation, transparency and disruption that fuels freight's growth engine.



Students from across the country will represent top supply chain and business programs, including Michigan State University, Purdue University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Iowa State University, University of Georgia, Georgia Southern University, Emory University and University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez.



Regional schools will also be represented, including University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Middle Tennessee State University, Tennessee State University, Dalton State College, Covenant College and Lee University.



The FreightTech Innovation Challenge will be a powerhouse event of innovative thought in our industry that hosts the brightest young minds from across the nations most prestigious schools to drive the future of freight, said Sahej Singh, Business Intelligence & Strategy manager at Reliance Partners, who is one of the sponsors for the event.



The FreightTech Innovation Challengeorganized by FreightWaves and CO.LAB and sponsored by Reliance Partners and U.S. Xpressis a 24-Hour Transportation and Logistics Use Case Competition. College students from across the U.S. will spend two days working to solve challenges facing the transportation and logistics industries with the chance to win cash prizes and find potential employers. The team that places first in the competition will receive $5,000, followed by $3,000 for second place and $1,000 for third place.
Southern Adventist Universitys automotive staff and students will be providing free vehicle inspections for the community on Sunday, April 7, from 1-4 p.m. in the Samaritan Center parking lot in Ooltewah. They will check fluids, belts, hoses and other maintenance items on the vehicles.

While the team will not be doing any repairs on site, following each inspection they will explain to the owner anything that should be fixed.

Donations will be accepted on behalf of the Samaritan Center to go toward its programs and services.

For more information, contact Southerns Technology program at 423-236-2863 or technology@southern.edu.


Creative Discovery Museum is hosting five regional Native American Artists in Residence in conjunction with its current traveling exhibit, Native Voices: Northeastern Tribal Families. The Native Voices Artists in Residence series, sponsored by The Lyndhurst Foundation, will allow Museum guests to interact with and work alongside a variety of artists in the Museums Art Studio.Mary Smith, a tribal member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation of Oklahoma, is the second artist featured in the series.Ms. Smith will be demonstrating the art of basket weaving, while inviting Museum guests to participate in the craft. Her residency runs from Thursday, March 28 through Sunday, March 31 from noon-5 p.m.Ms. Smith began weaving in 2001. She weaves with river canes that she gathers and processes, and also weaves honeysuckle, yucca, palmetto, binder cane and various other natural materials. She revived the Creek Double False Braid Rim in 2005, which is unique only to Creek basketry. Before that time, it had not been done for 100 to 150 years.Native Voices was produced by Boston Children's Museum. All underlying materials, including all artwork and the use of Native Voices characters, are used with permission of Boston Children's Museum. It is sponsored nationally by the National Endowment for the Humanities and OceanSpray. Local sponsorship for Native Voices provided by The Lyndhurst Foundation and Novatech.
Police said after a woman decided to "take a break" from her boyfriend, he broke into her home and damaged her TVs and air conditioning unit.

Rodney Eric Paris, 29, is also accused of taking the woman's bank card along with the children's iPads they got for Christmas.

Police said Paris "had not been happy with the current state of their relationship."

The incident happened four days before Christmas and Paris was taken into custody this week.

The girlfriend said she arrived home to find Paris running out of the back door. She said he got in by pushing in the AC unit.
So now over 100 pro-LGBT members of the clergy signed a statement affirming their opposition to legislation (e.g., H.B. 563) which would protect decent moral people in Tennessee from discrimination. Hello! What twisted thinking is going on in their heads?

Some conservative lawmakers are thankfully pushing bills that would prohibit, for example, discrimination against, legal persecution of, and making criminals out of decent moral businesspeople who merely don't want to cater to heterophobic homosexuals or accommodate transgenders. What kind of hateful people would oppose that?

And what kind of people put the disordered feelings of transgenders above the feelings of decent moral normal people who don't want to share their restrooms and showers with people who are physiologically of the opposite sex? Is the answer people whose values are upside-down and backward?

Thinking people have known for centuries that homosexual activity is clearly immoral (Plato, for example, perceptively taught that over 2,000 years ago) and a bad legal precedent. Many other intellectuals over the years have also deprecated homosexual activity. Too, thinking people have known for centuries that homosexuality and transgenderism are obviously objective disorders, and that it makes no sense to treat disorders as if they are not disorders. Doing so is flat-out malpractice.

But for the extremist pro-LGBT crowd, disordered feelings trump science, logic, natural law, and morality. They actually want to force psychologists and psychiatrists to malpractice by treating obvious disorders as if they are not disorders. Surreal. Beam me up, Scotty! The inmates are taking over the asylum.

Wayne Lela

* * *

On Dec. 15, 1973, the American Psychiatric Association, the largest psychiatric organization in the world, made history by issuing a resolution stating that homosexuality was not a mental illness or sickness. This declaration helped shift public opinion, marking a major milestone for LGBTQ equality.

The resolution stated, We will no longer insist on a label of sickness for individuals who insist that they are well and demonstrate no generalized impairment in social effectiveness. The statement continued to say the APA supports civil rights legislation at local, state, and federal levels that would insure homosexual citizens the same protections now guaranteed to others.

I have not read an opinion so utterly misinformed, bigoted, and close-minded in a long time. I had to read it a few times to dissect the backwards, archaic, insulting, and vile rhetoric that flew from your keyboard. Its sad that they feel the way they do. Its sad that someone you love cant be themselves, or feel safe to express who they truly are due to ignorance and hate. Remember, those thinking they have moral superiority is laughable. They need educated in kindness, empathy, and acceptance. Or, are they so jaded and bitter by being so far in the closet that they are this self-loathing and fueled by hate? Which verse is it that says: Judge not, lest ye be judged. What I would like to know from people that feel this way, is what makes you the authority on morality? Last time I checked, nobody but God had that distinction.

How is equality for everyone, even though you dont agree with it or are totally misled in your thoughts, going to hurt you, personally? What does equality have to do with you? How does it affect you if LGBTQ+ individuals find their truth? How does it affect you that we are a married couple in the laws of this country? Ill answer that for you: It doesnt. Not one bit.

Richard and Thomas Hendricks-Smith
Lee University Chamber Strings will perform its spring concert, Mostly Broadway, on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in Pangle Hall.

A stellar and talented group of Lees string students will set off an exhilarating blast in the Mostly Broadway concert, said Xiaoqing Yu, associate professor of violin and director of Chamber Strings.

The program will feature a variety of works, including The Greatest Showman, Suddenly, How Does a Moment Last Forever, Inspector Clouseau Theme, Uptown Funk, and Shut Up and Dance.

Mostly Broadway will present familiar and catchy tunes, continued Professor Yu. It certainly will bring back fond memories.

Chamber Strings is a dynamic ensemble composed of the universitys finest violinists, violists, cellists, and bassists that provides innovative programming for venues on and off campus.

Professor Yu joined Lees School of Music in 2004. He has performed in venues throughout the world, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and various concert halls throughout Europe and Asia. After serving as concertmaster of Greenville Symphony for 24 seasons, Mr. Yu resigned and formed Lee Trio, an ensemble that toured Asia in the summer of 2018 and performed for thousands of music enthusiasts and students in 10 concerts in 10 cities. Mr. Yu earned degrees from University of South Carolina, the Manhattan School of Music, and the Beijing Central Conservatory of Music.

The concert is free, non-ticketed, and open to the public.

For more information about the concert, contact Lees School of Music at 614-8240 or music@leeuniversity.edu.
The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Retired Teachers Association is issuing a reminder notice that the deadline to apply for scholarships is Friday, April 5, at 5 p.m. Several scholarships are established for future teachers.

First, the CHCRTA Mary and Paul Starnes Scholarship memorializes the lives of two outstanding leaders who left a lasting legacy on the profession of teaching and service to their community. The award provides financial support for an applicant enrolling in a graduate level course furthering their leadership skills in education. This scholarship is valued at $2,000.

The CHCRTA Scholarship for Aspiring Educators at UTC is awarded to an undergraduate student who will complete a minimum of 90 credit hours by the end of the current semester with a minimum GPA of 3.00. This scholarship is valued at $2,000.

Applicants for the CHCRTA AALANA Scholarships include African-American, Latino / Hispanic, Asian, and Native Americans = AALANA. Applicants are high school seniors attending a Hamilton County School with plans to become a classroom teacher. Award: $1,500.

The Margaret Ferger Scholarship will be awarded to three graduating high school students currently attending a public high school in Hamilton County. The applicant will be preparing to enter the teaching profession. Award: $1,500 each.

In 2019, a total of $10,000 will be awarded to recipients preparing to enter the teaching profession or to further their graduate studies. Applicants for each scholarship must match the qualifying criteria and other requirements.

Students may receive information from Hamilton County School Counselors and College Access Advisors on the high school level; on the college level, see Dr. Renee Murley, director School of Education at UTC. Scholarship applications are also available online from the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga. http://www.cfgc.org/scholarship. Non-Community Foundation Scholarships.

The CHCRTA scholarship deadline is Friday, April 5. For additional information, contact Dr. Margaret Smith at mmsmith27@epbfi.com Subject: CHCRTA.
The Urban League of Greater Chattanooga announced on Thursday the keynote speakers and event chairwoman of the 6th Annual Entrepreneur Power Luncheon on Tuesday, May 28, at the Chattanooga Convention Center.

The entrepreneurs at the helm of Slim & Huskys Pizza Beeria, a Nashville minority-owned business, will deliver the keynote address. Clinton Gray, Derrick Moore and Emanuel Reed were recently featured on CBS Evening News for their dedication to improving the community through their neighborhood pizzeria.

"We are honored to share our experience with Chattanooga and attendees of the Urban League's Entrepreneur Power Luncheon, said Mr. Moore, chief development officer and co-founder of Slim & Huskys. All business owners have the opportunity to contribute to the wellbeing of the community. Were grateful for this opportunity to show entrepreneurs how to reach their goals while meeting the needs of those around them.

Last year, the trio opened their third and newest location in Antioch, an area categorized as a food desert. Food deserts are characterized by a lack of supermarkets which decreases residents access to fresh foods. The Antioch location provides nutritious foods to nearby residents while also ministering to their needs. The first Atlanta location will open next month, followed by Memphis and Birmingham later this year. The Urban League of Greater Chattanooga says Slim & Huskys success story will resonate with and inspire attendees of the luncheon.

Together, these men have proved how perseverance and purpose can build a business from the ground up, said Warren E. Logan, Jr., president and CEO of Urban League of Greater Chattanooga. Our attendees will have the opportunity to hear how these young entrepreneurs transformed an idea into a multi-million dollar enterprise.

The organizations annual luncheon will be led by event chairwoman, Kim White of River City Company.

"It is a privilege to serve as event chair of the Urban League of Greater Chattanoogas Entrepreneur Power Luncheon, said Ms. White. I am grateful for this opportunity to lend my passion to a program that honors individuals and companies for their exceptional contributions to the community. In addition, this event encourages business development and innovation that empower our growing community of entrepreneurs.

The event is sponsored by BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. For more information about sponsorships and purchasing company tables, please visit www.ulchatt.net or call the sales department at 756-1762.
Blue Bloods is a popular crime drama television series that revolves around a family of New York City cops, the Reagans. The family is headed by family patriarch and New York City commissioner, Frank Reagan (played by Tom Selleck). The rest of the family is spread out through different departments and consists mostly of Franks children.

Since Frank himself is a second-generation police officer, this makes the Reagan family a three-generation cop family  with promise of future generations to follow.

The show, which debuted in 2010, was created as a joint venture between Mitchell Burgess and Robin Green. Besides Blue Bloods, what else have they worked on? We have the answers.

Gabriel Rush and Vanessa Ray on the set of Blue Bloods | Bobby Bank/GC Images

Who are Mitchell Burgess and Robin Green?

Mitchell Burgess is an American writer and producer from Rhode Island. For his efforts in the film industry, Burgess has been awarded three Primetime Emmy Awards, as well as awards from the PGA, Writers Guild of America, and the Online Film and Television Association.

Robin Green is the wife of Mitchell Burgess, and is also a writer and producer from Rhode Island. She often works with her husband, although the two have also worked on some separate projects during their careers. Greens writing and production pursuits have also earned her several accolades. These include four Primetime Emmy Awards, as well as recognition from the Online Film and Television association, PGA, and Writers Guild of America.

Not much is known about their private relationship, except that the two met while attending the University of Iowa. While uncertain how long the two have been married, it is known that their relationship has been a long-lasting one.

What else has Mitchell Burgess worked on?

Although Mitchell Burgess primarily works on projects with his wife, he did write the film Critical Choices as an independent project. The made-for-television movie is a dramatic telling of the evaporation of our rights in America.

The story centers around an abortion clinic worker named Margaret, and a right wing abolitionist named Arlene.

What else has Robin Green worked on?

Robin Green has also done some independent writing projects apart from her extensive work with her husband.

This includes writing one episode for each Almost Grown and Capital News. Green also wrote three episodes for the popular television series, A Year in The Life.

What else have Burgess and Green worked on together?

The husband/wife team both worked as writers for the incredibly popular HBO television series, The Sopranos, under head creator, David Chase. Debuting on the air in 1999, The Sopranos took a very different approach to the typical mobster movies seen previously. In it, a mob boss from New Jersey named Tony Soprano seeks the help of a therapist when dealing with both personal and professional issues. When the show finally ended in 2007, fans everywhere grieved the loss of one of their favorite television series.

A significantly earlier project that Burgess and Green worked on together was the 1990s television series, Northern Exposure. Both worked as writers, with Green doing the teleplay for one episode and Burgess controlling the story for another. The series focused around a doctor who was fresh out of medical school and is forced to set up practice in a very small, very eccentric town in Alaska.

The writing couple also worked together on an episode of American Gothic, a single episode of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, a episode of Southland, and four episodes of the popular television series, Party of Five. Burgess and Green also co-wrote the film Skip Tracer together.

Skip Tracer is a made-for-television movie that focuses around a skip tracer who finds missing people for his clients. The film aired on television in 2008, and was set in Los Angeles, California.
Meghan Markle is currently on maternity leave anxiously awaiting the birth of her first child Baby Sussex. Though the former actress has stopped making public appearances, she still has a few private meetings on her schedule. Additionally, Markle and Prince Harry are still figuring out logistics for their delayed move from their 2-bedroom apartment at Kensington Palace to their 10-bedroom home Frogmore Cottage in Windsor.

The Duchess of Sussex is undoubtedly enjoying her time away from the frenzy of the public, but she certainly hasnt put her feet up just yet. The former actress is used to a packed scheduled, so shes already planning her calendar for Fall 2019 when she returns to her royal duties full time.

This is the first major royal event Meghan Markle will attend post-maternity leave

According to Vanity Fair Markle is already looking forward to getting back to work. An insider revealed that the Duchess of Sussex has already marked off her calendar for Oct. 2019 to attend the annual summit for One Young World in London.

The insider revealed, Harry is keen to support Meghan in developing her own role, and the opportunity to partner with a cause so close to her heart is an ideal stepping stone. All being well with the baby, the timing is perfect for her to expand her Commonwealth work through this new One Young World partnership with the Queens Commonwealth Trust.

How is Meghan Markle spending her maternity leave?

For now, before Baby Sussex makes his or her grand debut, Markle will be taking the time to put the final touches on her new home which she and Prince Harry will move into just days before their bundle of joy arrives. The duchess will also use this time to rest and bond with her mom, Doria Ragland who is rumored to be flying to the U.K. soon so that she can be on hand to help the duchess with Baby Sussex. Mostly, Markle will be enjoying some much-needed peace and quiet.

A source told HELLO!, Harry and Meghan will have plenty of privacy as Frogmore Cottage is located in the Home Park, which is off limits to the public. This means they can enjoy country walks, with Meghan able to push her buggy around the park without being snapped by photographers or members of the public.

Are Meghan Markle and Prince Harry planning a royal tour to America?

In addition to royal events in the fall, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are already planning an American royal tour. The royal newlyweds had planned on visiting the States in the Spring of 2019, but since Markle is expecting their first child, theyve had to alter their plans a bit. Vanity Fairs royal correspondent Katie Nicholl shared that the tour is definitely on for the fall and the duke and duchess are set to visit the U.S. and Markles adopted home, Canada. Though the exact locations of the royal tour have yet to be announced, an insider told US Weekly, They are thinking [about visiting] New York, Washington, D.C., and California. Theyre working to finalize locations and venues.

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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are approaching their first year of marriage, and it has certainly been a whirlwind. Since they announced their engagement in Nov. 2017 all eyes have been on the royal couple. Before they even reach their one year mark they will have had their first child, traveled the world together, moved into their own estate, and separated their household from Prince William and Duchess Kate Middletons.

Despite the chaos of their lives and the prying eyes of the public  its been clear all along that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are absolutely head over heels for one another, so why was their first few months of marriage so tough?

Why were the first few months of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle marriage so difficult?

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry began their marriage amid, The Markle Debacle. The duchess father, Thomas Markle, and sister, Samantha Markle, were relentless with their tabloid talks and rumors about her life. Their antics were not only humiliating for Markle, but they also opened the doors for racist and sexist trolls to begin harassing the former actress.

Additionally, Markle had to deal with a slew of rumors regarding her difficulty and attitude even though she was simply trying to adjust to a new life, new rules, and new regulations as a member of the British Royal Family. All of that and the added stress of pregnancy certainly did not make the first few months of the prince and the duchess  marriage easy.

Prince Charles marriage advice to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry

Prince Charles might be the future King of England, but hes also a dad, and hes been a tumultuous marriage and a successful one. Therefore, Prince Charles was the perfect person to give his son and daughter-in-law marriage advice.

In the documentary film, Prince Charles at 70  filmmaker John Bridcut claims that the prince reflected on his experience of his troubled marriage to Princess Diana, to become a solid supporter of the Duke and Duchess Of Sussex. Bridcut revealed the princes marital advice to his son and his new bride. He explained,

His approach would be that you just carry on doing the job. He wouldnt have added to that. His attitude would be that some of the attacks he would feel were unfair. He would apply himself and just carry on doing the job and soldier on and thats what hes done and its borne fruit. Charles is being completely supportive  and could be seen in the very touching way in which he was involved in the wedding ceremony itself, which was sort of all quite understated. He doesnt advertise this but he is a very sensitive man and Ive seen that myself a lot.

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Rosie ODonnell is best known as the former host of The View. Heres Rosie ODonnells net worth and how much she earned each year on The View.

Early years and rise to fame

Rosie ODonnell| Bruce Glikas/Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic

Before becoming a television show host, Rosie ODonnell was an actress. She made her acting debut in the television series Gimme a Break! ODonnell played the role of Maggie OBrien from 1986 to 1987. After that, she played the character Lorraine Popowski in the 1992 television series Stand by Your Man. ODonnell got her big break in film when she appeared in the 1992 movie A League of Their Own. Her next big films were the 1993 movie Sleepless in Seattle and the 1994 movie The Flintstones.

Rosie ODonnells fight with Elisabeth Hasselbeck on The View

ODonnell made headlines when she revealed she had a crush on former The View host Elisabeth Hasselbeck. Although many thought ODonnell didnt like Hasselbeck when they worked together, this wasnt the case. Viewers assumed the former host had something against Hasselbeck after they argued for roughly 10 minutes on the show about the Iraq war. In Ladies Who Punch: The Explosive Inside Story of The View by Varietys Ramin Setoodeh, ODonnell gives her account of what happened when the show aired in May 2007.

According to Variety, ODonnell loved Hasselbeck and wanted the best for her. I loved her, said ODonnell in the book. The talk show host said her intentions from the beginning were to mentor Hasselbeck and offer advice on how to debate on TV. Heres what I said, Im the senior. Shes the freshman. Ive got a really good player on the freshman team, but I have to teach her how to loosen up. However, ODonnell said she later felt betrayed by Hasselback after their fight.

How Rosie ODonnell makes money

Rosie ODonnell|Bruce Glikas/Bruce Glikas/WireImage

In addition to hosting, ODonnell makes money as an actress, writer, and producer. She was the executive producer of The Rosie ODonnell Show, The Big Gay Sketch Show, and the TV movie Riding the Bus with My Sister. ODonnell also produced the Tony Awards program in 1998 and 2000. As far as writing credits, she has written for the TV movie America, one episode of The Rosie Show, and Rosie ODonnell: A Heartfelt Standup.

Back in the early 2000s, ODonnell had a magazine called Rosie, which was published by Gruner & Jahr USA. The publisher released the magazines last issue in December 2002, which featured Richard Gere on the cover.

How much Rosie ODonnell was paid for The View

ODonnell made a nice amount of money for her hosting duties. She earned an annual salary of roughly $5 million per year. Whoopi Goldberg was also reportedly paid the same amount.

Rosie ODonnells net worth

Rosie ODonnell has an estimated net worth of $120 million.

Read more: The Bachelorette: When Will Season 15 Premiere with Hannah Brown?

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Growing up in the public eye can make it difficult to get real one-on-one time with the people that matter most. The royal family, with their busy schedule of engagements and political events, surely struggles with this as well.

However, in advance of the arrival of Prince Harrys new baby, the father-to-be is preparing to enjoy a night out with those closest to him.

What event will the royal men be attending?

In The Duke of Cambridges work His Royal Highness supports communities in protecting the natural environment.

HRH also founded United for Wildlife which is a collaboration between seven of the worlds most influential conservation organisations. pic.twitter.com/rJLeqhCWrK  Clarence House (@ClarenceHouse) March 22, 2019

Earlier this week, it was announced that Prince Charles, along with his sons Prince William and Prince Harry, is set to attend the premiere of the all-new Netflix documentary Our Planet. The highly-anticipated documentary will examine the effects of climate change on different parts of the world, and what people everywhere can do to help support and protect the ever-changing planet.

The event is set to take place on April 4th in London. The announcement also made a point to note that the princes will be attending the event without their wives. Prince Charles rarely steps out with his sons on solo trips, especially these days, with Prince William so occupied with raising his family with his wife Kate Middleton.

Of course, Prince Harry has also been exceptionally busy lately, what with his recent marriage to Meghan Markle, and all the preparations that they have been making for their baby, due in late April or early May. The documentary premiere is sure to be a grand affair, with numerous other celebrities in attendance. Plus, the fact that three members of the royal family are going to the premiere to lend their support for the film will help to raise awareness of the Netflix special, and of climate change in general.

What charitable causes do they support?

The Duke of Sussex has long championed conservation work, especially in Africa as President of African Parks and Patron of Rhino Conservation Botswana. In recent Royal visits across the Commonwealth HRH has also supported The Queens Commonwealth Canopy project @QueensCanopy pic.twitter.com/z7mIPvvcON  Clarence House (@ClarenceHouse) March 22, 2019

The climate change documentary is hardly the first social or political cause that the royal family has supported. Prince Charles bonded with his boys when they were younger by having them pick up litter while on vacation. According to Prince Harry, the habit became second-nature, and he frequently picks up litter when he is bored or when he needs to focus his thoughts. Although Princess Diana often gets the credit for helping to shape the way her boys think about the world, it seems that Prince Charles made a sizable impact as well.

Prince Harry, in particular, is passionate about philanthropy. Although he was a notorious party animal in his younger days, and frequently made headlines for his wild nights out and raucous partying, these days, Prince Harry is thinking more to the future, and to the kind of world he wants to create for his child.

He works with numerous charities, including Walking With the Wounded, The National AIDS Trust, and Help for Heroes. Since marrying Meghan Markle in May 2018, he has found a partner in his efforts, and the two have spent the past year traveling the world to raise awareness for the causes that they care the most about.

Will they have more nights out in the future?

His Royal Highness has been President of WWF UK since 2011 and has long warned of the irreversible effects of climate change. Find out more about HRHs work here: https://t.co/uknCIxzLbo pic.twitter.com/qk0usq4MT0  Clarence House (@ClarenceHouse) March 22, 2019

Since their wives will not be joining them for the premiere on April 4th, fans have been wondering if the royal ladies will have their own evening out. While Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle, and Camilla Parker Bowles could get together for dinner or a film, it is more likely that they will take the opportunity to relax at home.

The royal family keeps a very busy schedule, but hopefully, Prince Charles and his sons will find the time for even more boys nights out in the future. After all, a night out with family, even if its only for a few hours, helps to clear the mind and soothe the soul. Prince Harry and Prince William are family men now and have even more to learn from their father, Prince Charles.
Chick-fil-A requests dialogue after city votes to ban restaurant from airport over 'anti-LGBT behavior' 28 March, 2019 by Michael Gryboski , |

Chick-fil-A has reached out to the San Antonio leadership after the Texas city's council narrowly voted to ban the popular chicken sandwich chain from the local airport over what they called "anti-LGBT behavior."

The Christian Post was provided a statement by Chick-fil-A via email on Tuesday, in which the company explained that it welcomed "the opportunity to have a thoughtful dialogue with the city council."

"We hope they will experience for themselves that Chick-fil-A embraces all people, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity," stated Chick-fil-A.

"We are proud of the positive impact we are making in communities across America, and specifically in San Antonio, and have been transparent about our giving on our web site."

Last week, the San Antonio City Council voted 6-4 to remove Chick-fil-A from a concession agreement with San Antonio International Airport.

At issue was Chick-fil-A's connections to socially conservative nonprofits and its owner's stated opposition to same-sex marriage.

The company, which has several restaurants operating in the San Antonio area, explained that it was unaware of the vote until after it happened, expressing regret that it was unable to "clarify misperceptions about our company prior to the vote."

Chick-fil-A also took issue with the allegation that it supports political causes, labeling such allegations "misleading."

The City Council's decision garnered much negative feedback, with the Houston Chronicle describing the social media backlash as a "national firestorm on Twitter."

Councilman Roberto Trevino, who championed the removal of Chick-fil-A from the agreement, celebrated the vote result as an example of San Antonio becoming "a champion of equality and inclusion."

"San Antonio is a city full of compassion, and we do not have room in our public facilities for a business with a legacy of anti-LGBTQ behavior," said Trevino, as reported by NBC News.

However, Councilman and mayoral candidate Greg Brockhouse penned an open letter of apology to Chick-fil-A owner Dan Cathy over the vote result.

"The recent actions of our City Council do not reflect the overwhelming belief in our City that you are a valued business and community partner," wrote Brockhouse.

"In spite of the appearance of this decision, San Antonio is a welcoming City that values diversity, faith and inclusivity."

The Christian Post reached out to the San Antonio City Council, specifically any members who voted in favor of banning Chick-fil-A from the airport. A response was not provided by press time.

Continue reading about Chick-fil-A on The Christian Post.
Nudity in the Public Domain Christian Examiner Contributor | 28 March, 2019 by Dr. Carla Cornelius

The American actress, Jessica Biel, recently gave voice to a view which many women probably wish they had the courage to share. Speaking of her fashion choices when she was younger, she stated, "I wish I would've explored some different shapes, and not gone sexy all the time... I think if you look at some of my earlier choices, maybe it didn't need to be always about the body. I know it's a vibe you feel when you're young, but still that's what I would have done a little differently." (Foxnews.com, "Jessica Biel wishes she didn't dress 'so sexy all the time' when she was young," by Jessica Sager, January 24, 2019). She previously expressed her regret at posing for topless photographs for "Gear" magazine at the age of 17.

How are we to deal with the massive, constant assault on the eyes ever-present in today's world? Men must struggle with the command not to look lustfully on a woman, which Jesus warned is the equivalent of committing adultery with her (Matthew 5:28). With females, it's more insidious. Nudity does not appeal, but we want to look trendy and fashionable. We're seduced more by the aesthetically pleasing way the clothes are presented on the female body on catwalks and in fashion magazines than by the clothes themselves. This allows us to imagine ourselves wearing these clothes, and how they will make us feel.

For the closing show of the "Maison Valentino" collection at Paris Fashion Week 2019, Naomi Campbell stole the show as she led the models down the runway. But it was not for the breath-taking elegance of the Valentino attire, but for the fact that the body-skimming see-through organza blouse showed her bare breasts (#Being Naomi, accessed March 16, 2019). There was no tangible reaction from the crowd other than rapturous applause at the end. Yet, would this be considered an acceptable way of dressing for a woman on the street?

Women in the west are particularly vulnerable to the influence of the more liberal fashion industry which does not think twice about exposing parts of the female anatomy which were once considered off-limits such as the breasts, the waist and the buttocks. It begs the question  does this truly liberate women? Or does this stereotype them as "sex objects" and "eye candy"? Also, does this not encourage women to trade on their erotic capital rather than on their brains, wisdom, personality and other substantial qualities?

Impressionable young women may conclude that what's acceptable for the catwalk or red carpet is acceptable in everyday life. The popular ethos is that "if you've got it, flaunt it!" Many may still remember the Versace "safety pin dress" which Liz Hurley wore on the red carpet in 1994. It caused quite a stir at the time, but helped to normalise the trend in body-baring fashion which started in the freewheeling sixties and continues to push the envelope  including with hot pants, bare midriffs, "distressed" and "destroyed" Jeans and micro-minis. As if decollete blouses were not revealing enough, we now have butt cleavage. Now these peek-a-boo ensembles seem tame by comparison with today's overt and unashamed immodesty.

The culture norms of appropriate dressing have shifted so seismically that Thomas Cook recently felt the need to apologize to a 21-year-old woman who had been asked by flight crew on an airplane to cover up her bralette.

Post the #MeToo and TimesUp movements, women are at a crossroads in how they will both stand up for themselves and one another as well as how they will relate to men. How they choose to present themselves physically must also figure in their future re-calibrations. Since the sixties, the culture has bombarded us with the message that if women are feminists who therefore have the well-being of their gender at heart, they should have the right to dress as they choose. Yet, the fact remains that most top fashion designers are men. Would most women choose to dress in revealing attire if the fashion was not foisted upon them as trendy and for the "fashion-conscious." These are words which fuel peer-pressure and our need to conform in order to fit into our social circles and be deemed acceptable. But, this has clearly not helped women to be perceived as equals in the eyes of so many men, especially those in positions of power.

The Apostle Paul's injunction to Timothy was for "women to be modest in their appearance... wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes" (1 Timothy 2:9, NLT). It may be argued that this represents the other extreme of men in authority setting the standard of how women should dress. Two caveats must of necessity be mentioned. Under no circumstances should anyone feel justified in harassing or assaulting a woman based on how she's dressed. Secondly, there is nothing wrong with admiring the way a woman presents herself. Admiration and lust are polar opposites.

Ultimately, women must make their own wardrobe choices. Although many might like to believe it doesn't matter, and that they have the right to wear whatever they choose, the reality is that these choices may have undesirable repercussions. Their empowerment lies in not letting fashion make these choices for them.

Dr. Carla Cornelius aims to shine a light on contemporary trends with Biblical wisdom and good old-fashioned common sense. Her heart's desire is to empower women in the truest sense of the word so that they understand who God desires them to be rather than simply riding the tide of popular culture and aspiring to cookie-cutter stereotypes of how they should look and behave. She is the author of five books including Culture Detox: Cleansing our minds from toxic thinking, Captive Daughters: Breaking the chains and No Way Out: Keys to avoiding suicide.
The United Nations Security Council met Wednesday in an emergency meeting to discuss and to condemn the U.S. for recently recognizing Israels sovereignty in Golan.

According to CBN News, Syrias mission to the U.N. called President Donald Trumps decision a flagrant violation of the relevant Security Council's resolutions."

Fourteen states at the meeting condemned the U.S. decision.

In 1967, Israel took Golan Heights from Syria. It was annexed in 1981, but soon after the U.N. Security Council voted, saying in a resolution that Israels claim of sovereignty over the area was null and void and without international legal effect."

Then last week, President Trump declared that the area was under Israels sovereignty.

Russia also criticized the decision Wednesday evening.

"If anybody feels any temptation to follow this poor example, we would urge them to refrain from this aggressive revision of international law," Russia's deputy ambassador Vladimir Safronkov said.

South Africa's U.N. Ambassador Jerry Matjila said, "this unilateral action does nothing to assist in finding a long-term peaceful solution to the conflict in the Middle East."

Israel's ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon, however, said the U.S. was right in its decision.

"It's been a month since the #UN discussed Assad's war crimes against the #Syrian people. Yet, it took less than 24 hours for the #UNSC to call a meeting on #US recognizing Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Syria's war can end, Israeli sovereignty will remain forever!" Danon tweeted.

It's been a month since the #UN discussed Assad's war crimes against the #Syrian people. Yet, it took less than 24 hours for the #UNSC to call a meeting on #US recognizing Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

Syria's war can end, Israeli sovereignty will remain forever! https://t.co/JpGMLtd8Eb March 27, 2019

No nation in the world would give up strategic land to its most dangerous enemy. Without the Golan Heights, #Israel will find Iranian soldiers on the tip of the Sea of Galilee. We will never let that happen! #UNSC," he added.

1/2 No nation in the world would give up strategic land to its most dangerous enemy. Without the Golan Heights, #Israel will find Iranian soldiers on the tip of the Sea of Galilee. We will never let that happen! #UNSC  Ambassador Danny Danon |   (@dannydanon) March 28, 2019

Photo courtesy: Getty Images/Spencer Platt/Staff
An award-winning scientist recently told the world that science and religion are not incompatible.

The Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports (3/19/19), The annual Templeton Prize, which recognizes outstanding contributions to affirming life's spiritual dimension, was awarded Tuesday to Brazilian Marcelo Gleiser  a theoretical physicist dedicated to demonstrating science and religion are not enemies.

Gleiser, a professor at Dartmouth College since 1991, said, Science does not kill God.

Although he is described as an agnostic, the AFP reports that Gleiser refuses to write off the possibility of God's existence completely. He said, "Atheism is inconsistent with the scientific methodAtheism is a belief in non-belief. So you categorically deny something you have no evidence againstI'll keep an open mind because I understand that human knowledge is limited."

I agree with this mans sentiments. How is it that science and God are somehow viewed as enemies?

The great British jurist, Sir William Blackstone, whose four-volume set of Commentaries on the Laws of England were of great value to our founding fathers, put it this way: Thus, when the Supreme Being formed the universe, and created matter out of nothing, He impressed certain principles upon that matter, from which it can never depart, and without which it would cease to be. When He put that matter into motion, He established certain laws of motion, to which all moveable bodies must conform.

I think it is fascinating that virtually all the early scientists historically were professing Christians. They were, in the words of Johannes Kepler, thinking Gods thoughts after Him in their scientific explorations. Modern science arose near the end of the medieval period. The early scientists believed that a rational God had made a rational universe, and it was their job  using the words of Kepler, as priests of the highest God  to try and catalogue what laws of the universe He had created.

Consider some of the thoughts of scientists who were Christians through the ages.

Blaise Pascal was a brilliant mathematician in 17th century France. He is credited with discovering principles that would ultimately lead to the creation of the computer.

Pascal said, Faith tells us what senses cannot, but it is not contrary to their findings. It simply transcends, without contradicting them. Pascal also said, Jesus Christ is the only proof of the living God. We only know God through Jesus Christ.

Isaac Newton, the discoverer of gravity and one of the greatest scientists who ever lived, wrote more about the Bible and about Christian theology than he did science. Said the great Newton: I have a foundational belief in the Bible as the Word of God, written by men who were inspired. I study the Bible daily.

The father of modern chemistry was Oxford professor Robert Boyle, born in 1627. Boyle was not only a diligent student of chemistry, but a diligent student of the Bible. In his will he left a large sum of money to found the "Boyle lectures" for proving the Christian religion.

19th century American Matthew Fontaine Maury is credited as the father of oceanography. He got his idea that the sea has lanes and currents from a verse in the Bible. Psalm 8:8 speaks of the fish of the sea that pass through the paths of the seas.

One time Maury gave a speech at the inauguration for a college in which he said, I have been blamed by men of science, both in this country and in England, for quoting the Bible in confirmation of the doctrines of physical geography. The Bible, they say, was not written for scientific purposes, and is therefore of no authority in matters of science. I beg your pardon: the Bible is authority for everything it touches. That includes, he said, physical geography, the earth, the sea and the air.

Maury added, [W]hen, after patient research, I am led to the discovery of any one of [the physical laws the Creator has built into His creation], I feel with the astronomer of old [i.e., Kepler], as though I had 'thought one of God's thoughts,' and tremble. Thus as we progress with our science we are permitted now and then to point out here and there in the physical machinery of the earth a design of the Great Architect when He planned it all.

Indeed, as science professor Marcelo Gleiser points out, science does not kill God. Far from it.

The late Dr. Robert Jastrow was an astronomer and a planetary physicist with NASA, and he wrote a book called, God and the Astronomers.

Jastrow noted, The scientist has scaled the mountains of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak; and as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries.

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Jerry Newcombe, D.Min., is an on-air host/senior producer for D. James Kennedy Ministries. He has written/co-written 31 books, e.g., The Unstoppable Jesus Christ, American Amnesia: Is American Paying the Price for Forgetting God?,What If Jesus Had Never Been Born?(w/ D. James Kennedy) & the bestseller, George Washington's Sacred Fire (w/ Peter Lillback) djkm.org @newcombejerry www.jerrynewcombe.com

Photo courtesy: Greg Rakozy/Unsplash
Why Trump's recognition of the Golan Heights as Israeli territory matters

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, center, Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, left, and U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, right, in the Israeli-held Golan Heights on March 11, 2019. Ronen Zvulun/Pool via AP

Dina Badie, Centre College

Responding to pressure from the Israeli government, President Donald Trump has signaled via Twitter that his administration is poised to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

This change of posture over a highly disputed and strategically valuable territory between Israel and Syria is being met with delight, disapproval and indifference by various sides in the broader Arab-Israeli conflict, echoing reactions to an earlier U.S. move  to treat Jerusalem as Israels capital.

As a scholar who teaches and writes about the Middle East and is currently writing a book about the Arab-Israeli conflict, I can put the Trump administrations controversial decision in historical and legal context.

The Arab-Israeli conflict

Israel seized five territories from three countries during the 1967 War: the Gaza Strip and Sinai Peninsula from Egypt, East Jerusalem and the West Bank from Jordan, and the Golan Heights from Syria. The UN Security Council responded by passing the so-called land for peace resolution, or Resolution 242, which envisioned Israel exchanging the occupied territories for peace and recognition from surrounding Arab states. All members of the UN Security Council approved the resolution, including the United States.

Prior to the 1967 War, about 150,000 Syrians lived in the Golan Heights, but many were displaced by the conflict. Today, the territory is home to about 25,000 Druze Arabs who overwhelmingly see themselves as Syrian citizens and roughly 20,000 Jewish settlers who identify as Israelis. The status of the territorys residents, all of whom have been eligible for citizenship since 1981, is not subject change at this point.

At the end of the war, the two sides of the conflict disagreed on who should act first. The Arab states refused to negotiate until Israel withdrew from the occupied territories, while Israel refused to withdraw until the Arab states negotiated a peace deal. As a result, Israel continued to occupy the five territories and constructed settlements on them shortly after the war concluded.

In 1973, Egypt and Syria launched a war against Israel, advancing into the Sinai Peninsula and Golan Heights in an effort to recapture the occupied territories. With American help, Israel succeeded at retaining control over the territory.

At the end of the conflict, the U.S. mediated talks between Israel, Egypt and Syria in an effort to resolve the continued territorial disputes. Later, the Camp David Accords formally returned the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt in exchange for peace, in accordance with Resolution 242. But the remaining four territories, including the Golan Heights, remained under Israeli control.

In 1981, the Israeli government declared it was annexing East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, permanently extending its own boundaries to cover the two captured territories. In response, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 497, which condemned the annexation of Syrian territory, declaring it a violation of international law.

Israel and Syria have engaged in several rounds of negotiations over the Golan Heights, including secret talks as recently as 2010 that would have resulted in full Israeli withdrawal. The start of the Syrian civil war in 2011 cut those negotiations short.

Nonetheless, Syria continues to demand a full return of the Golan Heights. No other country has recognized Israeli claims to the territory until now.

A strategic asset

The whole territory is about 40 miles from north to south, and an average of 12 miles from east to west. Despite being roughly the same size as Jacksonville, Florida, the Golan Heights is a strategically valuable high-altitude plateau that overlooks Syria and the Jordan Valley. It is considered militarily significant for both Syria and Israel, and Israel also considers the territory a buffer-zone that contributes to its self-defense.

In addition to its military value, the Golan Heights is also a strategic asset due to its water resources and fertile land. The area houses the Jordan Rivers drainage basin, Lake Tiberias, the Yarmuk River and underground aquifers. Israel extracts a third of its water from the Golan Heights. In a relatively parched region of the world, control over the Golans water supplies is invaluable.

The Golan Heights may also have oil. Exploratory drilling suggests that the territorys reservoirs could potentially yield billions of barrels.

Map of Israel and its neighbors, including occupied territories. Wikimedia

Political Calculations

Trump is popular in Israel, particularly after recognizing Jerusalem as Israels capital and relocating the American embassy there from Tel Aviv. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently using the American presidents photos in his re-election campaign posters to take advantage of this.

In fact, some analysts and reporters have suggested that the timing of this announcement was politically calculated to bolster Netanyahus campaign in the upcoming Israeli elections on April 9.

I expect that the decision to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights will run into the same difficulties that afflicted the Trump administrations change in policy with regards to Jerusalem for two reasons.

First, it reverses decades of consistent U.S. policy that demanded any territorial recognition come as a result of direct negotiations, rather than unilateral declarations. Second, it runs counter to international law, which does not recognize Israeli sovereignty over territories occupied during the 1967 War.

To be sure, Trumps move is a symbolic, rather than legal, gesture. But given the dimensions of Americas global influence, U.S. recognition could lend some legitimacy to Israels controversial annexation policy.

And I believe Trumps approach to contentious issues in the Arab-Israeli conflict will further undermine the U.S. governments claim to be an honest broker. In my view, it makes peace in the Middle East less likely.

Dina Badie, Associate Professor of Politics and International Studies, Centre College

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Article Distributed by Religion News Service. Used with permission.

Photo courtesy: RNS/Ronen Zvulun/Pool/AP
Abortions in Utah will be banned after 18 weeks thanks to legislation signed into law March 25 by Gov. Gary Herbert. Utah is one of a growing number of states to increase limits on abortion.

Other new restrictions in Utah include a 72-hour waiting period and an informed consent educational session. The 18-week ban  which includes exceptions for rape, fetal deformity, or serious threats to the mother's health  takes effect in May.

Republican Rep. Cheryl Acton, who introduced HB136, told CBN News she sponsored the bill to decrease the amount of second-trimester abortions that "shock the conscience."

"Utah is known as a pro-family state. We have the nation's highest birth rate," Acton said at a hearing last month. "So we should be the safest place in the nation, born and unborn."

Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union have vowed to challenge the measure in court.

"These medically unnecessary restrictions can cause delays that force abortion later into pregnancy and disproportionately impact women who live in rural areas of our state and families who are economically disadvantaged," a joint statement read.

The likely court action is part of a trend as more states seek to limit abortions. Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a Republican, signed a similar bill on March 15, which opponents have also vowed to fight. Mississippi, Iowa, and Kentucky have moved to ban abortions as soon as the unborn baby's heartbeat is detected.

While pro-life advocates are celebrating wins in state houses, they suffered a loss on March 25 when a federal judge rendered North Carolina's 20-week abortion ban unconstitutional. That states ban went on the books the same year as the Roe v. Wade ruling was handed down, LifeSite News reported, in the latest ruling District Court Judge William Osteen determined the state cannot limit abortions before a child can survive outside the womb.

Photo courtesy: Pixabay
The filmmaking brothers who directed I Can Only Imagine, Woodlawn and Moms Night Out helped launch a new faith-based movie studio Wednesday with the goal of putting more high-quality Christian films in theaters.

Jon and Andrew Erwin and their partners Kevin Downes and Tony Young launched Kingdom Studios, which will bring together Christian filmmakers under one banner to produce two faith-based theatrical films a year.

The new studios goal, Jon Erwin said in a statement, is to produce more films than he and his brother could make alone.

Weve been dreaming of this for a long time, Jon Erwin said. ... We believe that we have only scratched the surface of what can be achieved and what can be done [in faith-based films].

The studios first four movies will be:

I Still Believe , which will release in March 2020 and tell the true-life story of Christian musician Jeremy Camp and his first wife, Melissa, who died of cancer.

, which will release in March 2020 and tell the true-life story of Christian musician Jeremy Camp and his first wife, Melissa, who died of cancer. Jesus Revolution , which will release in late 2020 and chronicle the spiritual awakening among young people in the 1970s. Greg Laurie will help produce it. It can happen again, Laurie told the audience.

, which will release in late 2020 and chronicle the spiritual awakening among young people in the 1970s. Greg Laurie will help produce it. It can happen again, Laurie told the audience. Apostles: Resurrection of Christ , which is slated for a 2021 release and will follow the lives of the disciples. The best-selling book of all time is the perfect source material for the most gripping character-driven cinematic universe ever undertaken, Downes said.

, which is slated for a 2021 release and will follow the lives of the disciples. The best-selling book of all time is the perfect source material for the most gripping character-driven cinematic universe ever undertaken, Downes said. The Drummer Boy, a musical set for a 2021 release. Its being developed in association with the Christian group for King & Country.

Christian films, Jon Erwin said, are an opportunity to take the gospel around the world to locations that otherwise would reject it. China showed I Can Only Imagine, he said, even though the country places restrictions on Christianity. China wanted the film because it was a hit.

They paid for the right to translate it and distribute it to their people, he said.

Lionsgates Joe Drake said his company is fully behind Kingdom Studios.

Our unprecedented partnership will ensure these films have the full resources, strength and support of our studio to amplify Kingdoms existing vision while reaching the widest possible audience globally, Drake said.

Michael Foust is a freelance writer. Visit his blog, MichaelFoust.com

Photo courtesy: Getty Images/Angela Weiss
I am both black and evangelical.

Two years ago I was challenged on these dual allegiances because they have been deemed mutually exclusive. It was during the 2016 presidential campaign and I was online registering for the annual conference of the Evangelical Theological Society. A friend was nearby and, upon noticing what I was doing, exclaimed, Youre an evangelical?!

It was a challenging question. For some it would seem odd. My friend is seminary-trained, robustly academic, and his theology abides squarely within the pale of historic Christian orthodoxy. He would seem to be the quintessential evangelical. In spite of this, he has chosen to cast off the label.

Why? Because he is African American and acutely aware of the intricacies associated with being both black and evangelical. He is unsettled by the bifurcation of the gospel and social ethics. In his estimation, the division is the byproduct of privilege and is a reductionistic understanding of the churchs mission. While he concedes that evangelicalism is a theological movement, he contends that it has been shaped by the dominant culture. The movement has a cultural identity that debases him based on his ethnicity. Consequently, he has chosen to uphold his theological identity while eschewing the term evangelical and its baggage. In contrast, I have concluded that preserving my theological identity obliges me to redeem the term and unpack the movements baggage.

In my opinion, my friend deserved a response. His confusion is understandable because he knows that I affirm his assessment. I too have been wounded by evangelicalisms posture toward social ethics. But I have concluded that an exodus of ethnic minorities amounts to segregation of the movement and only contributes to the problem. So I remain. This assertion intrigued him. He leaned forward, knuckle-tapped the table between us, and said, Tell me your story.

My Journey: Understanding the Roots of Evangelicalism

My opinion is informed by a consideration of evangelicalisms history and theological methodhow one does theology. At first glance, evangelicalism seems exclusively theological, but this overlooks the movements cultural modifications. Historian David Bebbington highlights four marks that distinguish evangelicalism. He contends that evangelicals prioritize conversionism (the conversion experience), activism (evangelism and good works), biblicism (the authority of the Bible), and crucicentrism (the power of Christ and his work on the cross). This is known as Bebbingtons Quadrilateral and, in my estimation, it is a commendable summary of evangelicalisms defining attributes.

However, it does not give much attention to the manner in which historical and cultural contexts informed the theological method of nascent evangelicalism. For example, the understanding of activism may vary according to cultural identity and values. Diverse cultural contexts contributed to varied ethical priorities and a consequent rift between black and white churches in America.

The divergence is not theological. Based solely on the standards set by Bebbingtons Quadrilateral, both camps are indisputably evangelical. However, they diverge in regard to applied theology. I contend that this is the reason my friend cannot reconcile his blackness and his evangelical theology. While he can affirm the movements doctrine he is troubled by the movements culturally-informed theological method.

Cultural presuppositions are inherent to a theologians method. Intellectual integrity compels us to recognize that theologians do not do theology in a contextual vacuum. This is not necessarily bad. Personal and cultural experiences create lenses that are essential to the discovery of objective truths. However, to disregard this reality is detrimental. One must be mindful of how cultural contexts contribute to todays ethnic rift.

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This is relevant because historians identify the sixteenth-century Reformation and the eighteenth-century Great Awakenings as essential to the formation of modern-day evangelicalism. Both eras were informed by culturally dominant (e.g., Western, white, male) characters who ignored subdominant theological lenses. Modern evangelicalism was shaped during eras that avowed a hierarchical distinction among ethnic groups. Inevitably, prominent theologians of these eras incorporated these presuppositions into their theological methods.

Martin Luther, the most renowned Reformer, was a brazen anti-Semite. The Southern Baptist Convention, todays largest evangelical denomination, had a pro-slavery platform as part of its founding. Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield, stalwarts of the Great Awakenings, owned black slaves. Their contextual presuppositions directly informed their orthodoxy and, consequently, their orthopraxy. In fact, Whitefield presumed that slaves were essential to his divine mission! It is irresponsible to ignore the manner in which these besetting sins have mixed with evangelicalism in the form of cultural norms.

Ironically, it was the racism of men like Whitefield who prompted the experiential formation of African American theological method. Black theologians recognized social ethics as essential to the message of the cross. That idea was not their invention; their experience as marginalized human beings allowed them to see the objective truth. They recognize that crucicentrism is truncated if it is not applied to social ethics. In America, this divergence in theological method has produced co-existing, overlapping, yet quietly distinct evangelical movementsone white, the other black.

By and large, black and white evangelicals share orthodoxy. However, their cultural and experiential differences resulted in divergent theological methods, which explains the disagreements regarding orthopraxy. Marginalization highlights ethical values that may be overlooked by a privileged group. Consequently, the two groups do not apply the gospel in precisely the same manner. Historically, the black church has espoused social ethics as inextricably linked to the gospels message. Their ethical contentions were derived from their evangelical orthodoxy after being legitimately filtered through the experience of marginalization.

Redeeming the Term

For me, knowing the theological history of evangelicalism served only to give it credence. In its unamended form, the movement is temporally and eternally effectual. It hinges upon the gospel (Gk. euangelion) from which its name is derived. Therefore, treating the ethnic rift as insurmountable would be inappropriate. If the gospel is central to evangelicalism, then crucicentrism is the foundation upon which it is built. Unmodified evangelicalism fixates on the cross. Conversionism, activism, and biblicism are glorious byproducts of Christ and his work. All that was shattered by Adams fall can now be made whole! This applies to social ethics. Justice is intrinsic to evangelicalism because of the gospel. The gospel changes how we live and justice is the result; how could I dare eschew it?

At this point my friend stopped me, leaned across the table and asked, Since there are black evangelicals, then why would the rift persist?

A good question. The persistence of the rift is nuanced; there is more than one cause. However, the poor perception of the twentieth-century Civil Rights Movement has contributed to the problem. Erroneously, we speak of the Civil Rights era in secular terms. In actuality, the prominent leaders of the Civil Rights era depended heavily upon the cross as the authority behind their efforts.

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The Civil Rights Movement is a third, and sadly snubbed, era of evangelicalisms formation. While sixteenth-century Reformers attended to orthodoxy and eighteenth-century Great Awakeners reformed evangelistic mission, twentieth-century Civil Righters like Adam Clayton Powell Sr. and John M. Perkins sought to reform orthopraxyspecifically, the gospels implications on social reform.

The African American church of the twentieth century added her voice to her evangelical predecessors. Those who recognize this are able to relish in a theological movement that is mindful of the marginalized. The black evangelicals of the Civil Rights era are my role models. By adding my voice to evangelicalism, I am helping to highlight its commendable and comprehensive message. So when my friend exclaimed, Youre an evangelical?! my reply was an unabashed, Yes. I joyfully add my voice to the movements identity and boast of the incomparable gospel. I will remain.

Upon hearing my assertions my friend leaned back in his chair and said, You have given me much to consider. If you knew him, you would hear his words as high praise. As is his way, he sought to affirm me while forcing humility upon me. I call that a win.

Tell Me Your Story

I genuinely pray that what I have written will be transformative for all who read it. But I would be remiss if I did not point out the wisdom of my friend. He is an anonymous star in the story. My ideas would have remained cloistered if they had not been exposed through genuine discourse. Instead of launching into a monologue seeking to rebuke me, my friend initiated a dialogue, hoping to understand me. While his mind was not wholly changed, he did budge. How did that happen?

While his initial assessment of me was based solely on his perspective, our dialogue allowed him to gain an additional perspective. I provided no new details, but I introduced him to my understanding of their relevance. If the rift that exists between black and white evangelicals derives from a lack of mutual understanding, then perhaps dialogue is the initial step toward reconciliation. My friends willingness to hear me out and his genuine curiosity made it possible for understandingif not agreementto occur.

I fear that the division between white and black evangelicals is such a weighty problem that it has resulted in our rejection of this initial step toward a solution because it seems too simple. Evangelicalisms ethnic rift will be narrowed when each side crosses to the other and initiates genuine dialogue. Rebuking has become our default strategy and it is widening the gap.

Imagine a world in which black and white evangelicals sit consciously over a meal and ask hard questions.

My hope is that you will cross the rift, meet over a cup of coffee, and say, Tell me your story. Then, sit quietly and attentively and listen in an effort to see through the lenses of someone with experiences that are foreign to you. Though seemingly small, I believe conversations like these can bear fruit toward putting evangelicalisms house in order.

Brandon Washington is pastor of preaching and vision at The Embassy Church in Denver, CO.
Yes, its beginning to look a lot like Christmaswhich, for many of us, feels like a rush into chaos. Celebrating Advent during this season slows us down and helps our hearts and minds be reoriented around the coming of Christ.Yes, its beginning to look a lot like Christmaswhich, for many of us, feels like a rush into chaos. Celebrating Advent during this season slows us down and helps our hearts and minds be reoriented around the coming of Christ.
Celebrated Ohio pastor Charles Booth dies of cancer

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The Rev. Charles E. Booth, a celebrated Ohio pastor and civil rights activist who preached the power of prayer, died Saturday after a protracted battle with cancer. He was 72.

Booth was the senior pastor at Mount Olivet Baptist Church in Columbus where he preached for more than 40 years. He died while in hospice care, Tamara Hartley, a former executive assistant and office manager at the church, told NBC4i.

He was a profound preacher, the Rev. Timothy Clarke told The Philadelphia Tribune. He was one of the great preachers of his generation, hands down.

On Monday, as local and national leaders remembered him, Booths church shared a clip of their late pastor preaching about the importance of prayer for Christian leaders shared at the 49th pastoral anniversary of Bishop Jerome H. Ross.

Your power is not in your ability to use cute and tricky phrases. Your power is in your prayer life. ... And Im not just talking to preachers, Im talking to deacons and anybody else who is really serious about your spiritual power. If you want power, examine your prayer life. If you aint got a prayer life you aint got much power, he said in the clip from the 2015 sermon.

He was a true gentleman and a great friend, Clarke, who is pastor of the First Church of God, told The Philadelphia Tribune. Preachers all over the country are mourning him because of his friendship.

Preachers like Kelvin J. Anthony, senior pastor at Solid Rock Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, recalled the impact Booths ministry made on his life as news of his death spread over the weekend.

Charles E Booth, thank you for the impact that you had on my preaching and I won't forget the encouraging words that you said to me when you came to the lecture series in January. I wished that this news wasn't true, but my prayers are with your family and the Mt. Olivet Church of Columbus. Rest in peace, he wrote in a statement on Facebook.

The Columbus City Council also recognized Booths passing in a statement on Twitter.

Columbus City Council offers our deepest condolences to the family, faith community and the members of Mt. Olivet Baptist Church on the passing of Reverend Dr. Charles E. Booth. pic.twitter.com/XsrnsIA4Ak  Columbus Council (@ColumbusCouncil) March 24, 2019

Columbus City Council offers our deepest condolences to the family, faith community and the members of Mt. Olivet Baptist Church on the passing of Reverend Charles E. Booth, officials noted on Sunday.

Nana Watson, president of the Columbus Chapter of the NAACP, noted that along with his faith values, Booth was also a tireless champion of civil rights.

Not only was he a spiritual leader, but he was a civil rights advocate who fought against social injustices from his pulpit and in the community, Watson said in a statement.

Booth who leaves behind his wife and a daughter will lie in state at Mt. Olivet Baptist Church from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday. His family will receive visitors between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Additional visitation hours will run from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Thursday followed by a memorial service.
85-y-o-man attacked, beaten while praying outside Planned Parenthood abortion clinic

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An 85-year-old man was violently attacked as he prayed outside a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic in San Francisco, California, last week and it was captured on video.

The Life Legal Defense Foundation posted the video earlier this week to YouTube showing the elderly prayer warrior, named Ron, trying to stop the theft of a pro-life banner.

In the 23-second clip, Ron tries to stop the theft, but the attacker lunges toward him with his bicycle and then says, Old man, stay on the ground, before he repeatedly kicks him all over his body.

"San Francisco police are investigating the matter as an assault. Ron said its the third time the same man harassed or tried to steal the sign in a week," NBC's Bay Area affiliate reported.

On March 19, the assailant attacked a pair of pro-life activists and also threw their sign and literature into the streets.

The pro-lifer was taking part in a peaceful 40 Days for Life campaign when the perpetrator stole the victims banner and viciously beat him. The same assailant had attacked the victim and another man just two days prior, the Life Legal Defense Foundation added.

Life Legal represents the elderly victim, who is afraid for his safety. We are working closely with 40 Days for Life to make sure pro-life advocates in San Francisco and across the nation are protected and perpetrators are brought to justice.

The Planned Parenthood clinic where Ron was attacked has its own footage of the incident but has refused to release the video, Life Legal said.

Shawn Carney, president of 40 Days for Life, said in a statement released Monday that he considered the attack evidence that the idea that San Francisco is tolerant is a joke.

We believe every person should be treated with kindness, love and respect, even those with whom we may disagree, said Carney.

That said, over the past few months, we have seen an increase in violence from abortion supporters in an effort to instill fear and deter our law-abiding volunteers.

Last October, a 65-year-old pro-life activist named Joe Alger was physically assaulted while praying outside of a Planned Parenthood clinic in Naples, Florida, and had to be taken to a hospital.

While a man suspected of committing the assault was taken into custody, Alger declined to press charges, stating at the time that it was a painful situation, and I'm not going to make it any worse.
Colorado man who murdered wife, 2 daughters says hes found God

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A Colorado man who gained national headlines for being found guilty of murdering his pregnant wife and two daughters says he's found God while serving his life sentence.

Christopher Watts was found guilty last year of strangling his wife, Shanann, and smothering his two daughters, Bella and Celeste. He was sentenced to life without parole.

Watts subsequently had 48 years added to his life sentence for terminating his wifes pregnancy, as well as 36 years for other criminal activities connected to the murders, according to the Coloradoan.

Recently, Watts was interviewed by investigators at a federal prison where he's serving his sentence. Content from that interview was published by the Insider earlier this month.

I never knew I could have a relationship with God like I do now ... it's like the amazing grace with all of this, but I just wish nobody had to pay any kind of price for this, explained Watts, as reported by the Insider.

There was this one church service  the only one I've gone to in here  and [the pastor] said you're not defined by one moment in your life. And I think people are defining me by one moment in my life. They don't know what happened before and what can happen later.

Watts explained that he reads his Bible frequently. He also keeps a photo of his wife and daughters, which he reads scripture to. He also copies passages and sends them to his parents.

Pastor John Piper of DesiringGod.org was asked by a listener named Stephanie  who identified herself as a mother and elementary school teacher  to comment on Watts' reported transformation in prison.

After following the news closely, back when he was originally suspected of this heinous crime, my reaction to his so-called finding God was anger, she said.

Is it wrong for me to not want this man, who committed unspeakable acts, to know my Jesus? Do you believe someone like him can truly repent and enter the Kingdom of God?

In a response posted to DesiringGods website on Wednesday, Piper said he considered it a weighty issue because it deals not only with the moral reality of whether someone who has done something so horrific can ever be forgiven, but also deals with how we should feel about it.

The Lord also says, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord (Romans 12:19). You dont need to take it up and bear that burden, said Piper.

Its right for Stephanie to care about justice being done in this universe. It is right that she doesnt want anything being swept under the rug and people getting away with murder, as we might say.

But Piper further explained that God is free to be gracious to whom he will be gracious, and to give them anything he chooses, referencing Luke 23 when Jesus told the thief on the cross that he would be with him in Paradise.

This means that an entire lifetime of sinning and stealing from others, and probably worse, can be forgiven one hour before you die, continued Piper.

So heres the key question: Am I more indignant that a murderer may be saved and go to Heaven than I am amazed that I might be saved and go to Heaven?
Joni Eareckson Tada hospitalized following cancer treatment

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Joni Eareckson Tada, an evangelical author, speaker, and advocate for people with disabilities, was hospitalized due to complications stemming from her recent cancer treatments.

Last November, it was announced that Tada had a new cancer diagnosis, having beaten stage 3 breast cancer three years earlier.

Joni and Friends, a Christian ministry focused on helping the disability community that Tada founded, made the announcement about the hospitalization on Wednesday.

Tada recently completed a series of radiation treatments for a recurrence of cancer. In the weeks following, Joni has been challenged with significant pain issues, including most recently, difficulty with breathing, stated Joni and Friends.

With these concerns escalating, and Jonis inability to get the sleep needed for recovery, she has been hospitalized for observation and medical oversight.

The ministry went on to note that Joni and her husband, Ken, called upon supporters to pray for her recovery, adding that it would be deeply appreciated.

Joni and Friends posted the announcement to Facebook on Wednesday, with the posted update getting as of Thursday morning more than 2,500 likes, around 1,500 loves, and over 3,200 shares.

An author and quadriplegic, Tada has been active in advocacy for people with disabilities. In addition to founding Joni and Friends in 1979, Tada has also served as a senior associate for disability concerns for the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization, an adviser to the American Leprosy Mission, and also the National Institute on Learning Disabilities.

Tada has battled cancer in the past. In the summer of 2010, she underwent a mastectomy and chemotherapy treatment, which was declared successful. By 2015, she was declared cancer-free.

Last November, doctors discovered a small cancerous tumor within a small nodule which had developed over the site of her mastectomy.

When I received the unexpected news of cancer from my oncological surgeon, I relaxed and smiled, knowing that my sovereign God loves me dearly and holds me tightly in His hands, Tada said at the time.

What good is it if we only trust the Lord when we understand His ways? That only guarantees a life filled with doubts.

In February, Tada provided an update explaining that she was nearly done with radiation treatments and that her doctor told her to breathe deeply, drink plenty of water, and use exercise to keep her cardiovascular rate up.

All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize, Tada said last month, adding that she wants to honor Christ as best I can through this ordeal.
Minnesota sues school district for making trans student use 'enhanced' locker room

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The Minnesota Department of Human Rights is suing a school district that built an enhanced locker room to accommodate the privacy needs of a biologically female trans-identified student who's competing on the boys swim team.

According to the litigation against the Anoka-Hennepin School District and school board, the student in question joined the boys swim team at Coon Rapids High School in the 2015-2016 school year and was allowed to use the boys locker room without any issue.

But over the summer of 2016, the district built an enhanced privacy boys locker room at Coon Rapids that the student was required to use. The enhanced locker room is an entirely separate facility from the main boys locker room and the lawsuit alleges that the student was threatened with discipline for not using the locker room.

The lawsuit was filed last month in state court against the school district by the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota and Gender Justice, accusing the school district of violating the Minnesota constitutions right to due process and equal protection as well as the Minnesota Human Rights Act, which bans discrimination on the basis of gender identity.

On Tuesday, the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, represented by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, filed to join the lawsuit, claiming that the school districts actions stigmatized the student and created a hostile education environment.

We filed to join this lawsuit because equal access to public schools for all students, including transgender and gender nonconforming students, is a civil right protected by the Minnesota Human Rights Act, Minnesota Department of Human Rights Deputy Commissioner Irina Vaynerman said in a statement. School districts should have policies and procedures that enable all students to thrive, free from discrimination. We stand proudly with transgender and gender nonconforming students across the state.

The Department of Human Rights reports that students have filed multiple claims of discrimination against the Anoka-Hennepin School District related to their sexual orientation and gender identity. The school district was sued in 2011 following a string of LGBT student suicides. It was claimed that the district perpetuated a harmful and toxic environment for LGBT students.

The school district maintains that it acted within the law by providing a safe and respectful learning environment.

"The use of restrooms and locker rooms are determined on a case-by-case basis. The goal is to ensure that all students feel safe and comfortable, the statement reads. Plans for accommodation for restroom and locker room use are made in consultation with school building administrators, the Title IX coordinator, and superintendent in compliance with state and federal law."

The school district asserts that its approach is consistent with guidance from the National School Boards Association and the Minnesota School Boards Association.

"The Minnesota Supreme Court held in Goins v. West Group that the Minnesota Human Rights Act neither requires nor prohibits restroom designation according to self-image of gender or according to biological gender, the statement argues. In permitting the student to use the boys' restrooms and locker room consistent with his gender identity, the district surpassed what Minnesota law prescribes. The courts decision in Goins is consistent with the Minnesota Human Rights Acts provisions governing discriminatory practices in places of public accommodation.

Under the Act, it is an unfair discriminatory practice to deny any person the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, and accommodations of a place of public accommodation because of, among other things, sexual orientation or sex, the statement continues. This provision does not apply, however, to such facilities as restrooms, locker rooms, and other similar places.

The Anoka-Hennepin School District case is the second transgender-related discrimination lawsuit that the state has filed this month. A lawsuit was filed against CSL Plasma, a collection center, for denying a biologically male trans-identified woman the right to donate his plasma because of his gender identity.

However, the company maintains that it acted lawfully.

CSL Plasma policies have evolved since the FDA updated its guidance on donor suitability in December 2015. Since that time, CSL Plasma has put in place policies that support self-identification based on gender preference, a statement from the company reads in part. The state has made no efforts to discuss this matter with us in advance of filing its complaint.

Earlier this year, U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., called for Ellison, the former deputy chair of the Democratic National Committee, to investigate USA Powerlifting over its policy barring biologically male transgender athletes from competing in women's sports.

USA Powerlifting defended its policies.

Men naturally have a larger bone structure, higher bone density, stronger connective tissue and higher muscle density than women, an online statement from the organization reads. These traits, even with reduced levels of testosterone do not go away. While [male-to-female] may be weaker and [have] less muscle than they once were, the biological benefits given them at birth still remain over than of a female.
For the women who escape the clutches of Boko Haram, stigma and heartache awaits them back home

Militant group Boko Haram is responsible for thousands of deaths in Nigeria. But there is a different kind of suffering that has been inflicted upon countless women and their families.

When the gunmen attack towns and villages that do not conform to their radical views, they leave a trail of bloodshed in their wake - at least 20,000 people are believed to have died at their hands.

But for the women they abduct and force into marriage, it is the beginning of a nightmare that doesn't end even if they have been lucky enough to escape the terrorist group's clutches.

Open Doors UK is working with women who were abducted or widowed by Boko Haram, many of whom have been left with no income or home after managing to escape.

Financial help is just one of their needs. To help them recover from the trauma, Open Doors is providing counselling to help the women know that God loves them no matter what they have been through.

The message is an important one because it's not always one that they hear from the people around them.

Charity is one of the women being helped by Open Doors. When Boko Haram attacked her village, her husband managed to flee but she was taken captive and held for three years.

Deemed an "infidel", she was forced to marry one of the militants and after some time became pregnant with a baby girl called Rahila.

When the military freed her, she was able to return home, but tragically, she was beaten by her husband who also could not accept baby Rahila.

As a result of this rejection, Charity had no choice but to seek shelter in a camp for internally displaced people.

But there too, there was little sympathy for what she had been through. Instead of offering a shoulder to lean on, Charity says the people in the camp "despise" her because she lost her husband and now has a child to a different man.

"They keep mocking me saying, why didn't I run together with my husband, why did I allow my husband to run away? And now, see, I have come back with a child that is not of my husband, and they keep making fun of me," she shares.

As a displaced person, Charity is dependent on aid but even in the camp, it is a constant struggle to find food, clean drinking water and clothes.

According to Open Doors, the camps are incredibly overcrowded with up to 10 people sharing one room. With things being so desperate and many people dealing with pain of their own, there is little strength or ability to help others, explains Rebecca, an Open Doors worker in the camp.

"In times of crisis, people take care of themselves first. Life becomes so difficult that it's very hard to help others. It is almost impossible for widows to feed themselves and their children," she says.

Many of the women being helped by Open Doors do not have husbands and have never been to school, so they cannot read or write. They cannot help themselves and there is no one to assist them either, says Rebecca.

"When they came out with their babies it is not an easy thing. Even for me to help them. They came out with dirty clothes, no food, no anything, no assistance," she said.

"We invited them to where I work in the church. First of all we pray with them. We show them love and that we are not going to hurt them. We become close with them."

A trauma healing workshop run by Open Doors has offered a glimmer of hope to Charity's situation. There, she has learned the techniques she needs to live with what she has experienced as the forced bride of a Boko Haram terrorist.

She has been able to study the Bible alongside other women in the camp who have suffered similar ordeals, and in addition to praying for them and providing counselling, Open Doors is distributing food, clothes and detergent.

"I want to say thank you for everybody who has been praying for me and for those who have sent support to help us. Thank you," says Charity.

There has even been a small change in her relationship with her husband, who has visited her in the camp.

"There's a change in my husband. He has started liking my daughter and has even carried her," she said.

With many of the women abducted by Boko Haram experiencing stigma when they return home, working with the wider community is an important part of Open Doors' ongoing work in Nigeria.

"We are also teaching people how to love them. A person should not hate them," says Rebecca.

This Mother's Day, Open Doors UK is asking people to donate donate 42, which is enough to feed and house a woman and her child for two months, as well as provide education for the child.

Zoe Smith, Head of Advocacy at Open Doors UK and Ireland said: "This Mother's Day we are asking everyone to pray for and support persecuted women who are doubly vulnerable to help restore their hope, dignity and identity."
Joni Eareckson Tada asks for prayers as cancer treatment causes 'significant pain'

Joni Eareckson Tada, an evangelical author, speaker, and advocate for people with disabilities, was hospitalized due to complications stemming from her recent cancer treatments.

Last November, it was announced that Tada had a new cancer diagnosis, having beaten stage 3 breast cancer three years earlier.

Joni and Friends, a Christian ministry focused on helping the disability community that Tada founded, made the announcement about the hospitalization on Wednesday.

"Tada recently completed a series of radiation treatments for a recurrence of cancer. In the weeks following, Joni has been challenged with significant pain issues, including most recently, difficulty with breathing," stated Joni and Friends.

"With these concerns escalating, and Joni's inability to get the sleep needed for recovery, she has been hospitalized for observation and medical oversight."

The ministry went on to note that Joni and her husband, Ken, called upon supporters to pray for her recovery, adding that it would be "deeply appreciated."

Joni and Friends posted the announcement to Facebook on Wednesday, with the posted update getting as of Thursday morning more than 2,500 likes, around 1,500 loves, and over 3,200 shares.

An author and quadriplegic, Tada has been active in advocacy for people with disabilities. In addition to founding Joni and Friends in 1979, Tada has also served as a senior associate for disability concerns for the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization, an adviser to the American Leprosy Mission, and also the National Institute on Learning Disabilities.

Tada has battled cancer in the past. In the summer of 2010, she underwent a mastectomy and chemotherapy treatment, which was declared "successful." By 2015, she was declared cancer-free.

Last November, doctors discovered a small cancerous tumor within a small nodule which had developed over the site of her mastectomy.

"When I received the unexpected news of cancer from my oncological surgeon, I relaxed and smiled, knowing that my sovereign God loves me dearly and holds me tightly in His hands," Tada said at the time.

"What good is it if we only trust the Lord when we understand His ways? That only guarantees a life filled with doubts."

In February, Tada provided an update explaining that she was nearly done with radiation treatments and that her doctor told her to breathe deeply, drink plenty of water, and use exercise to keep her cardiovascular rate up.

"All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize," Tada said last month, adding that she wants to "honor Christ as best I can through this ordeal."

Courtesy of The Christian Post
Art Basel Hong Kong 2019: The insiders guide

Ahead of Asias most important annual art fair (29-31 March), art-world insiders reveal the gallery shows to look out for, the restaurants to reserve now and their favourite spots to relax

Hong Kong has become a fundamental hub for the Asian market, says Christies Elaine Kwok

Lorenzo Fiaschi, Co-Founder, Galleria Continua: I simply love Hong Kong. For me, its one of the most exciting places to be. In recent years, it has definitely become a fundamental hub for the Asian market, and, in particular, for collectors from the Philippines, Korea and Indonesia. Nazy Vassegh, Founder, Business of Art: Hong Kong is incredibly energising  its always buzzing, which inspires me enormously. Apart from the great food and shopping, you also have fabulous centres for art and culture, such as H. Queens and the Pedder Building.



Whitney Ferrare, Senior Director, Pace Gallery, Hong Kong: My hometown is one of the most welcoming cities in the world. I think this is definitely one of the reasons why the art world has grown so much here. You can be anyone from anywhere and find your groove in Hong Kong. What exhibitions, events, and trends should we be looking out for during Art Basel Hong Kong? Elaine Kwok: Beyond Art Basel, I am really looking forward to seeing Cezanne, Morandi, and Sanyu, the Zeng Fanzhi-curated exhibition at Gagosian; the inaugural exhibition at the new Levy Gorvy gallery; and Convergence, a show co-organised by Maria Kiang, a dealer who specialises in Chinese antique scholars objects, Chelsea Art and 88 Gallery. They have teamed up to present a show on the 6th floor of Pedder Building, which mixes Chinese contemporary and classical, fine and decorative arts.

Elaine Kwok looks forward to the inaugural exhibition at the new Levy Gorvy gallery.  Kitmin Lee

Im also looking forward to our popular First Open| Hong Kong sale, which Christies has offered alongside Art Basel Hong Kong for the past few years; and the Christies-hosted selling exhibition of blue-chip international artists  including Bacon, Calder and Kusama  in our space at Alexandra House and the atrium of the Mandarin Oriental. Lorenzo Fiaschi: We have been working with Antony Gormley since 2009 and are very proud to have a special presentation of three Gormley works at Art Basel Hong Kong this year.

Lorenzo Fiaschi of Galleria Continua looks forward to a presentation of three works by Antony Gormley, including WAIT, 2015. 2 mm square section stainless steel bar 240 x 65 x 50 cm. Courtesy the artist and Galleria Continua, San Gimignano / Beijing / Les Moulins / Habana. Photo by Stephen White, London

Were also really looking forward to the panel discussion at our booth (29 March, 5-6pm) between the director of The Uffizi Gallery, Eike Schmidt, and art critic and curator Shen Qilan. They will discuss the Antony Gormley exhibition ESSERE, currently on view at the Uffizi, which we were involved in. Nazy Vassegh: Hauser & Wirth Hong Kong is presenting the first solo exhibition in the city of works by French-American artist Louise Bourgeois. Its curated by Jerry Gorovoy, who worked closely with the artist in the last two decades of her artistic output, so it should be a fantastic show.

Nazy Vassegh, founder of Business Art, looks forward to the first solo exhibition in Hong Kong of works by Louise Bourgeois, My Own Voice Wakes Me Up, at Hauser & Wirth Hong Kong.  The Easton Foundation/VAGA at ARS, NY Courtesy The Easton Foundation and Hauser & Wirth. Photo: JJYPHOTO

Whitney Ferrare: The brilliant thing about Art Basel is that the whole city comes alive with a breadth of transformative shows and experiences. Were honoured to present a solo show of works by Mary Corse, the artists inaugural exhibition with Pace Gallery since her Whitney Museum retrospective in 2018.

Whitney Ferrare of Pace Gallery is pleased to be presenting a solo show of Mary Corse, including Untitled (White Multiband, Beveled), 2019. Glass microspheres in acrylic on canvas. 78 x 120 in (198.1 x 304.8 cm).  Mary Corse, courtesy Kayne Griffin Corcoran, Pace Gallery, Lisson. Photo credit: Flying Studio

Hart Haus in Kennedy Town is inviting artists to work and share their practice in a Social Studio; and K11 is taking art outdoors in a major way. Were also seeing an embrace of digital and tech-based-medium artists: Studio Drift and Studio Swine, for example, are in Hong Kong for the fair, both speaking on panel discussions around the city. Id also recommend checking out Nova Contemporary, Silverlens, and Gallery Exit, all of which have fantastic regional programmes. What advice would you give to first-time visitors to the fair? Elaine Kwok: Visit multiple times, for no more than two hours each time. Fatigue often sets in after a couple of hours, so thats your cue to go and take advantage of some of Hong Kongs other offerings. Nazy Vassegh: Do research online first to identify areas of interest and talk to people, otherwise it can be overwhelming. Art Basel Hong Kong week is the art week in the Hong Kong calendar: there is so much to see and do, so its important to plan your itinerary to get the most out of it.

Visitors to Art Basel Hong Kong in 2018. Copyright  Art Basel

Lorenzo Fiaschi: I would suggest, as always, to follow your own passion and to look for things that are surprising. Whitney Ferrare: My partner and I usually make a last-minute loop around the fair to see what hidden gems have been left unsold. Buy with your eyes, and not your ears. And what about your tips for relaxation and downtime? Elaine Kwok: I love Repulse Bay, and would recommend afternoon tea at The Verandah  the colonialist decor and ocean views evoke the slower pace of a bygone era, while the food and service by the legendary Peninsula are just brilliant. Id also suggest checking out the brand new Rosewood Hotel; its a bit of a trek to get to, but the views are magnificent, and I have heard great things about the food. For art lovers, Old Bailey and Madame Fu at Tai Kwun are great for food, too. Lorenzo Fiaschi: I would recommend a trip to see the grand Buddha on Lantau Island, as well as taking a ride on the ferry from Victoria Peak. Visit all the fantastic galleries in the city, too. Nazy Vassegh: The most surprising and relaxing place Ive been to near Hong Kong is Shek O Beach, which is just 20 minutes outside the city. When youre in this gorgeous beachside village, its hard to believe that youre still on Hong Kong Island. The food in Hong Kong is amazing. I love going to Mott32, which is inspired by Mott32 Street in New York, and the al fresco terrace at Sevva. I also really love the bar at Upper House  its a great place to catch up with people.

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The Public Utility Commission asked the Texas Legislature earlier this year to expand the agency's oversight to include electricity brokers, companies that represent consumers and businesses shopping for power plans. Brokers, including on-line websites that sell residential power plans, are compensated by power companies for generating business but are not currently subject to consumer protection rules.

A bill filed by Democrat Sen. Judith Zaffirini of Laredo to require brokers to register with the commission and comply with consumer protection rules cleared the Business and Commerce Committee this week and was recommended for the local and uncontested calendar, the place where local issues and non-controversial bills are typically approved, according to legislative records. A companion bill was filed by Republican Rep. Tan Parker of Flower Mound in the Texas House.
Commissioners with the Port of Corpus Christi Authority have approved a 50-year lease for a project that will support a crude oil export terminal capable of serving some of the largest tankers in the world.

During a special Thursday afternoon meeting, commissioners voted to approve a 50-year lease for Lone Star Ports LLC to develop a crude oil export terminal on Harbor Island near Port Aransas.

Headquartered in Corpus Christi, the company is owned by the Washington, D.C.-based private investment firm The Carlyle Group, the port's partner in developing a crude oil export terminal capable of support Very Large Crude Carriers, or VLCCs.

Among the largest ships in the world, VLCCs can carry up to million barrels of crude oil in a single shipment. Lone Star Ports is expected to pay more than $2 billion dollars over the life of the lease, Port of Corpus Christi CEO Sean Strawbridge told the Houston Chronicle.

"This facility, in our opinion, is the best situated for safe loading of VLCCs," Strawbridge said. "We're very excited and well positioned as we become the preferred gateway for exporting crude oil to our allies and trading partners around the world."

Midstream Moves: $400M investment to help Corpus Christi become top U.S. crude oil exporter

Corpus Christi became an early leader of U.S. crude oil exporter after federal officials lifted a 40-year-old ban on such shipments in December 2015.

Since that time, the Port of Houston has become the top exporter but the Port of Corpus Christi is making hundreds of million of dollars of investments. The South Texas waterway plans to deepen the Corpus Christi Ship Channel to 54 feet deep and widen it to 520 feet wide.

But because a fully-loaded VLCC requires 75 feet of water, the Carlyle Group is providing $400 million to further deepen the waterway to 75 feet along a three-mile stretch from the mouth of the ship channel to Harbor Island.

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The Harbor Island project requires a state permit but faces opposition from many Port Aransas residents citing safety and environmental concerns.

One opponent of the project filed a lawsuit and injunction to stop the Thursday vote but the 13th Court of Appeals in Corpus Christi issued a ruling on Monday allowing the commissioners meeting and vote to go forward.
Since selling the Rockets to Tilman Fertitta in 2017, Leslie Alexander doesn't have much use for his 5,000-square-foot French-inspired estate near the West Loop.

The Florida-based billionaire recently listed the 4-bedroom, 5-bath home on a double lot in the exclusive Stablewood neighborhood within steps of The Houstonian and Memorial Park.
NEW YORK (AP)  The federal government charged Facebook with high-tech housing discrimination Thursday for allegedly allowing landlords and real estate brokers to systematically exclude groups such as non-Christians, immigrants and minorities from seeing ads for houses and apartments.

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The civil charges filed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development could cost the social network millions of dollars in penalties. But more than that, they strike at the heart of Facebook's business model  its vaunted ability to deliver ads with surgical precision to certain groups of people and not others.

"Facebook is discriminating against people based upon who they are and where they live," HUD Secretary Ben Carson said. "Using a computer to limit a person's housing choices can be just as discriminatory as slamming a door in someone's face."

In a statement, Facebook expressed surprise over the charges, saying it has been working with HUD to address its concerns and has taken steps to prevent discrimination, including eliminating thousands of targeting options last year that could be misused by advertisers.

Just last week , Facebook agreed to overhaul its ad-targeting system and abandon some of the practices singled out by HUD to prevent discrimination not just in housing listings but in credit and employment ads as well, as part of a settlement with the American Civil Liberties Union and other activists.

RELATED: Trump's Interior pick grilled on ties to oil and gas

"We're disappointed by today's developments, but we'll continue working with civil rights experts on these issues," the company said.

The charges were seen as more evidence that Facebook is in the crosshairs of lawmakers, regulators and activists. It is already wrestling with several government investigations in the U.S. and Europe over its data and privacy practices.

The technology at the center of the clash with HUD has helped turned Facebook into a giant with annual revenue of close to $56 billion. It enables advertisers and various groups to direct messages to exactly the crowd they want to reach.

HUD said Facebook is allowing advertisers to practice a sort of high-tech form of red-lining by excluding people from certain neighborhoods or ZIP codes from seeing their ads. The company was also accused of giving advertisers the option of showing ads only to men or only to women.

Facebook also allegedly allowed advertisers to exclude parents; those who are non-American-born; non-Christians; and those interested in Hispanic culture, "deaf culture," accessibility for the disabled, countries like Honduras or Somalia, or a variety of other topics.

The case will be heard by an administration law judge unless HUD or Facebook decides to move it to federal court.

"The nature of their business model is advertising and targeted advertising, so that is a slippery slope. That is their business model," said Dan Ives, an industry analyst with Wedbush Securities. "The government launched this missile and caught many in the industry by surprise."

Ives said the move may mean U.S. regulators are taking broader aim at the digital advertising market, not just Facebook.

"This is a clear shot across the bow for Facebook and others," he said. "There is potentially more regulatory worries than maybe investors were fearing."

Facebook is already under fire for allowing fake Russian accounts to buy ads targeting U.S. users to sow political discord during the 2016 presidential election. The company has also been criticized for allowing organizations to target groups of people identified as "Jew-haters" and Nazi sympathizers.

HUD brought an initial complaint against Facebook in August. Facebook said in its statement that it was "eager to find a solution" but that HUD "insisted on access to sensitive information  like user data  without adequate safeguards."

In its settlement with the ACLU, Facebook said it will no longer allow housing, employment or credit ads that target people by age, gender or ZIP code. It said it will also limit other targeting options so that these ads don't exclude people on the basis of race, ethnicity and other legally protected categories, including sexual orientation.

___

Ortutay reported from San Francisco. AP Business Writer Michelle Chapman in Newark, New Jersey, contributed to this report.

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Eleven days after Intercontinental Terminals Co.s chemical tanks erupted in flames near Houston and spread panic across the fourth-biggest U.S. city, the companys top executive made his first public appearance.

Until Wednesday afternoon, a sales and marketing executive was tasked with explaining and defending ITCs handling of the worst Gulf Coast chemical disaster in 14 years. The lack of visibility of more senior executives during the crisis is "cowardly, Harris County Commissioner Adrian Garcia said in an interview.

Less than three hours after Garcias comments were published by Bloomberg, ITC Chief Executive Officer Bernt Netland posted an 88-second YouTube video in which he thanked firefighters and apologized to residents of Houstons eastern suburbs whose lives have been disrupted by the calamity.

All of us are profoundly upset the incident happened and very sorry for the impact on the surrounding communities, Netland said in the video against a backdrop of computer screens. I pledge to you that we are making available all necessary resources to resolve this.

AFTERMATH: ITC chemical fire site still 'a hot zone' to county investigators

Netlands absence from the public eye irked Garcia, a former sheriff whos now in charge of the precinct where the disaster zone is located. Ill give you a Texas term for what I think that is, and that Texas term is chickens---," he said.

Answering Questions

Garcia said hed been involved in two closed-door meetings with ITCs CEO and spoken via phone once. But invitations to Netland to appear at town hall meetings with residents were ignored, he said.

While I have shown up at these town hall meetings, I feel like Ive been having to provide answers for ITC that they should have been present to answer themselves, said Garcia, a former sheriff of the third-largest U.S. county.

DEER PARK DISASTER: Ship channel restrictions mean hustle for its traffic cops

ITC is a unit of Japanese conglomerate Mitsui & Co. Prior to the March 17 fire and subsequent benzene plumes that shut down entire towns, ITC had ambitions to expand its chemical storage capacity to 17.6 million barrels, according to Mistuis March 2018 annual report, the most recent available.

DIRTY BUSINESS: Deer Park fire a 'blemish' for the petrochemical industry's image

I can assure you that our executives are very, very involved, working very, very hard with this incident, ITC spokeswoman Alice Richardson said on Tuesday. They will guide us in the right direction and make sure we have the resources to ensure that we get back to where we were.

Garcia said his top concern is that toxic fumes from the incident will create the next generation of cancer patients.

More Demanding

A CEO whos busy directing a disaster response behind the scenes also needs to make time to publicly assure neighbors and the broader community, said Lan Ni, an associate professor at the University of Houstons Valenti School of Communication.

This may have worked in the past but nowadays people are more demanding, Ni said. People are looking not only for what has been done but also how the CEO or other executives are actually feeling towards the residents and community affected by the crisis.

--With assistance from Ramsey Al-Rikabi.

2019 Bloomberg L.P.

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Houston lost the most technology sector jobs of any major metropolitan area in 2018, according to a new report, highlighting the region' struggle for relevance in technology while other Texas cities gain national prominence.

The Houston metro area lost more than 2,300 industry jobs between 2017 and 2018, even as tech jobs grew nationally and in Texas, according to a report of technology employment by CompTIA, a leading technology trade association. The 1 percent decrease in Houston's in tech employment was the steepest decline among 46 metropolitan areas included in the report.

The report, based on Labor Department data covering both occupations and employment, took a broad look at the technology workforce, defining it as technology professionals working in technical professions such as information technology support, network engineering and software development across different industries. More than half the technology professionals captured in the data worked outside of technology companies.

Patrick Jankowski, an economist and senior vice president for research at the Greater Houston Partnership, said he wasn't surprised that technology jobs decreased here. During mid-2017, the time some of the data was collected, Houston's energy sector was recovering from an oil downturn, meaning companies that provide tech support to the energy industry were also cutting jobs.

And, the majority of Houston's technology jobs are in sectors such as energy and health care, which aren't always counted in studies of the tech employment. The CompTIA did not necessarily capture industries such as these that are primary users of technology.

"People are dismissive of Houston (technology) because we're not designing a Candy Crush app," Jankowski said. "But the sort of stuff we do here helps the energy industry solve problems and better improve outcomes for health care. They're important to the economy."

Houston was ranked No. 12 in overall tech employment among major U.S. cities, employing 227,788 people in 2018, according to the report.

New efforts made

Still, the report Thursday cast a shadow on city leaders' recent efforts to build a bigger and more vibrant technology and innovation sector. At the end of January, the city detailed two separate initiatives that seek to attract and develop tech startups in what the Mayor Sylvester Turner's office is calling the "innovation corridor," a 4-mile stretch of Main Street that the city hopes will create a "robust ecosystem" for technology companies.

"Houston is charting a course to become a leading digital tech hub," Mayor Turner said in a statement.

Silicon Bayou?: Houston makes a tech pitch

Jump-starting Houston's tech sector has thus far proven easier said than done. When cities were bidding to be chosen for Amazon's second headquarters, Houston ranked No. 52 on a list of major U.S. cities that met Amazon's criteria and was the only one of the nation's four biggest cities cut out of the running in the early rounds of the selection process.

But Jankowski said he expects the trend to reverse for Houston in the coming years, as initiatives by the city and business community to grow the sector advance.

"I fully expect in the next year or two years, the numbers will look a lot stronger than what is reflected right now," Jankowski said. "The whole community has made a push to be more innovative."

Grass is greener in Austin, Dallas

Despite these efforts, Houston has struggled to keep pace with other Texas cities. Dallas ranked No. 6 in the nation for net technology sector job gains, adding more than 9,000 jobs in 2018. Austin's technology sector made up 23.5 percent of the local economy in 2018, the fourth-highest share of a metro area in the nation, trailing only San Jose, San Francisco and Seattle, according to the report.

Houston's technology sector contributed less than 6 percent to the city's economy in 2018.

Statewide, Texas added 17,855 technology jobs in 2018, according to the report. The state ranked third in innovation, based on the venture capital flowing to tech investments.

Austin's technology sector has continued to expand in recent years as companies such as Apple, Google and Facebook have brought jobs to the city, attracted by Austin's large pool of tech talent. Technology jobs in Austin grew 3.5 percent in 2018.

erin.douglas@chron.com

Twitter.com/erinmdouglas23
Three months ago, after two misdiagnoses from two doctors, Prairie View A&M student DyAnna Tucker, 19, was rushed to the emergency room only to discover the cause of the massive headaches that had plagued her for so long.

DyAnnas mother, Rosemary Tucker, said her daughter reached a point at which she would barely get out of bed, even when she came home for two weeks during Christmas vacation.

She said she was going to faint, that she thought she was going to fall out, Rosemary Tucker said. I rushed home and we rushed her to Memorial Hermann and 10 hours later, they found the cyst sitting just in the center of her brain.

A surgery to remove the cyst is scheduled for May 29 at Memorial Hermann Hospital, but Rosemary Tucker explained that she is unable to cover the cost of her daughters surgery and associated medical bills.

DyAnna Tucker and her mother, Rosemary Tucker, are looking to raise more than $60,000 through GoFundMe, as well as a campaign started by Rosemary called Hoodies for Healing.

Rosemary Tucker owns a Christian apparel store established in 2015  Blessties Boutique  that sells hoodies, T-shirts, candles and other products featuring positive, Christianity-inspired phrases.

HOSPITAL CHANGES: Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center to layoff or reassign hundreds

Now, patrons entering her shop will see the message I Am Healed written across hoodies and other items, which she sells to raise money for medical expenses. She chose the phrase to give her daughter positive energy and motivation in the months leading up to her surgery.

I was already going to the printers; I already work with a graphic designer; I already put strong, spiritual quotes on apparel, Rosemary Tucker said. I just woke up one day and said, Im going to do Hoodies for Healing to raise the funds for my daughters medical expenses, and it just took off.

The cyst in her daughters brain causes blackouts and DyAnna can no longer drive. Chronic pain makes daily functions difficult, she said, but DyAnna Tucker has not missed a single day of classes since her diagnosis. DyAnna opted against medical leave and is currently finishing her second semester. She hopes to become a neonatal nurse.

I dont want to fail classes because of this situation, DyAnna Tucker said.

Her condition has added difficulty to her coursework. One of her courses this semester she said is especially difficult, requiring a lot of memorization.

If I have a test coming up I get nervous because I was already bad at remembering stuff and then this adds onto it, DyAnna Tucker said.

ROAD WORK: Multiple road projects in northwest Houston are wrapping up

Chief Keith Jemison with the Prairie View A&M University Police Department read about the Tucker familys situation and asked his staff to pool money together. The university president also contributed to the donation, he said, which was then presented to the Tuckers.

Jemison said hes been encouraging his staff to give back to the community more often, and that DyAnna was the perfect recipient of their gift.

I was reading an article about her situation and I realized she was one of our own students, he said. Im trying to get (the PVAMU PD) to change the publics opinion on police officers.

The Tucker family continues to raise money for the surgery and said they are grateful to Prairie View A&M and the Houston community, including local rapper Trae Tha Truth, for help as they work toward their goal.

At first, I didnt want to even want to tell anyone about it, DyAnna Tucker said. I just wanted to just go back to school, finish the year and then get the surgery and come back next year like nothing happened. A lot of people are actually helping me raise the money, so Im glad that that got out.

Hoodies for Healing merchandise is available at Blessties Boutique, 18039 FM 529 D in Cypress, or online at www.blesstiesboutique.com. Proceeds from the Hoodies for Healing campaign go toward DyAnna Tuckers medical expenses and surgery in May.

chevall.pryce@chron.com
Oil pockets are threatening one of the only native salt marshes left in the Galveston Bay system after a fire at the upriver Deer Park plant caused chemicals to spill into the Houston Ship Channel.

Traces of the oil  believed to be linked to the upstream Intercontinental Terminals Co. petrochemical fire  was found along the marshy shoreline near the San Jacinto Monument, ITC officials said. But oil booms have been placed around the sensitive wetland which contains the Santa Anna Bayou and where a menagerie of marine and bird species breed.

"Early on during this incident, hard boom was placed there in order to protect it, so we continue to assess it and evaluate it," U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Kevin Oditt said. "I understand that there is some oil along there."

EXPERTS WARN: Don't eat fish caught in Houston Ship Channel

The at-risk bayou begins at a levee across from the historic USS Texas battleship and meanders through the coastal marsh before merging with Boggy Bayou.

"Coastal marsh is a unique and constantly in-danger land form in the Houston area," said Bill Irwin, superintendent of the San Jacinto State Historic Site Complex, which houses the protected wetland.

The blaze and petrochemical spill have left Irwin concerned for the marsh.

"A lot of marshes have disappeared over the years because of development but this is one of the few areas in the whole Galveston Bay system that is a native marsh," Irwin said. "You can almost call it a remnant of a previous much larger system."

The oil was spied along the shore of the 1,200-acre battleground site during a Coast Guard flight Thursday morning, said Irwin, who has not been allowed to return to the facilities to assess possible contamination since the start of the March 17 fire.

"We know that there is material in the ship channel and we've been told there is material that is potentially affecting the shoreline," Irwin said. "We don't know the extent."

ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: ITC chemical fire site still a hot zone to county investigators

Since the brunt of the chemical spill March 22, the areas of concern were expanded to Tucker Bayou, Carpenters Bayou, the northeast San Jacinto River, Old River and water adjacent to the ITC pier, according to ITC officials. An oily sheen has been found near the Lynchburg Ferry and the San Jacinto Port, as well as an area from the Boggy Bayou Basin to Peggy Lake.

More than 25,500 barrels of an oily water mixture were removed from the waterways by Thursday morning, ITC officials said.

The fire erupted at the chemical storage facility March 17 and burned for three consecutive days, with flare-ups erupting as recently as Friday. A wall that surrounded 15 storage tanks containing mostly gasoline components breached and sent the chemicals into the Houston Ship Channel.

Water testing continues

Nearly 100,000 feet of containment boom has been deployed in the affected areas, including an oyster bed in Burnet Bay as a precaution, ITC officials said later Thursday.

Some pockets of oil escaped the booms Wednesday, moving west to the Beltway 8 bridge, Oditt said. Those pockets are contained.

Researchers from Texas A&M found possible signs of chemicals from the ITC incident far beyond the Ship Channel area Saturday.

The A&M team has collected air and water samples from Galveston Bay since June 2017. When the team pulled water samples south of Atkinson Island in the bay Saturday, the water left a waxy residue on the hands of researchers.

"Since this is our eighth time sampling here in two years, we know that the water in Galveston Bay doesn't usually leave a waxy residue," said Jessica Fitzsimmons, lead scientist on the team and professor of chemical oceanography.

The chemicals seen by the researchers were also beyond the boundaries of the fish and shellfish consumption advisory issued by the Texas Department of State Health Services.

In two weeks, results of water testing will reveal if the chemicals seen by team came from the ITC incident.

NOT HAPPENING: San Jacinto Day Festival and re-enactment canceled as ITC fire investigation continues

Regardless of those tests, there should be limited long-term impact from the ITC incident on Galveston Bay waterways, Fitzsimmons said.

Wind, the tides and river discharges regularly force water out of the bay and into the Gulf of Mexico, and that should hold true for the discharge from ITC.

"The lifetime of water near the ship channel can be between 10 to 40 days," Fitzsimmons said.

The EPA is also monitoring wildlife impacts. One frog, one small bird, one red-eared slider turtle and 13 dead fish have been found, and a large bird, possibly a cormorant, was found injured. The cause of those deaths is under investigation.

Steady progress

Vessel traffic through the Houston Ship Channel has increased over the past several days, Oditt said. The waterway, which was closed from about Friday afternoon to Tuesday night, is open during daylight hours.

Eleven ships moved through the impacted area of the channel Tuesday, which was about 25 percent of usual traffic, Oditt said.

Wednesday, the number increased to 15 ships, or 35 percent of traffic. An additional 102 barges or tows moved through, and one ship and two tows required decontamination, Oditt said. Thursday morning, 55 ships were awaiting orders to cross to facilities above the area with oil pockets, and 19 ships were waiting to move outbound.

ITC officials are additionally continuing to secure the plant where 11 tanks of chemicals caught fire. About 70,000 barrels of chemicals have yet to be removed, ITC incident commander Brent Weber said Thursday. Most of those barrels are base oils, which aren't a major emissions concern, he said. The barrels containing gasoline blend stocks, some of which have a base of naphtha, are a priority, he said.

ITC is working to drain chemicals from the ditches, one of which caught fire when tanks reignited last week.

"Progress continues to be steady," Weber said. "And once again, I'll stress, we aim and strive to do all these objectives without impacting our community, without impacting our responders involved."

samantha.ketterer@chron.com

matt.dempsey@chron.com

nicole.hensley@chron.com
The Richmond Police Department last month launched an internal investigation into a woman's allegations that an officer "brutally attacked" her during a January traffic stop, according to a news release from the department.

The agency received the civil rights complaint on March 20. The officer involved in the incident, Bradley McNeal, has been placed on administrative leave with pay pending completion of the review, police said.

The complaint stems from a Jan. 31 traffic stop that occurred around 10:40 p.m. in the 100 block of South Second St. Police said McNeal, who has been with the police department since June 2017, pulled over a vehicle driven by 22-year-old Isaura Cecilia Moreno for a defective passenger side brake lamp.

In the video released to the public, Moreno can be heard saying to the officer, "Why are you hurting me?" and "What did I do?" as the officer pulls her out of the vehicle.

Moreno was arrested and charged with assaulting a peace officer, a third-degree felony; and resisting arrest, search and seizure and interfering with public duties, both misdemeanors, according to the news release. She was placed in the Fort Bend County jail.

The case against Moreno was originally taken to a grand jury and she was indicted on Feb. 18 for assault on a peace officer/harassment of public servant, according to a statement from the Fort Bend County district attorney's office.

As the case unfolded, Moreno's attorney "presented his concerns" about the video to county prosecutors on March 18, according to the office of Middleton, a Democrat who was elected last November.

"Consequently, an internal investigation was conducted and the determination was made to dismiss the charges of assault on a peace office and harassment of public servant," the statement said.

Moreno's attorney did not respond to multiple calls seeking comment.

The Fort Bend County DA's office declined to release additional information about the incident, citing the criminal investigation. The Richmond Police Department has also asked the Texas Rangers to conduct its own investigation into the incident. Officials say the internal review and Texas Ramgers probe are ongoing.

Richmond, a city in central Fort Bend County, has more than 12,000 residents, the Census Bureau estimates.

The complaint comes nearly four years after a national uproar was triggered by the arrest of an African-American woman, Sandra Bland, following a traffic stop in neighboring Waller County. Bland was pulled over for failing to signal a lane change, became involved in a heated confrontation with a state trooper, and then was arrested and jailed. She died of an apparent suicide in the jail days later. The trooper was later fired and the jail was found to be out of compliance with state standards.

Lt. Lowell Neinast, a spokesman for the Richmond police, stressed that the agency has long had a good relationship with the community. He noted that Moreno's is the first civil rights complaint filed in his 16 years with the department.

"We have a great relationship with our community," Neinast said. "There's people that understand that there's two sides to every story. We are very proactive and very community-oriented."

brooke.lewis@chron.com
As part of the Spring Break DWI Initiative, Friendswood police arrested seven allegedly intoxicated drivers March 12-18.

The initiative involved 18 area law enforcement agencies working to raise community awareness about the risks of drinking and driving, the Friendswood Police Department noted in a press release.

The release urged those planning to drink to get a ride from a designated driver, cab or rideshare or to call a sober friend for a lift.

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Those arrested were:

An Alvin woman, 21, who was charged with DWI with a child under 15 after a traffic stop for no tail lights March 12 in the 3600 block of FM 528. She reportedly failed a field sobriety test and consented to a blood test. During a vehicle inventory, the officer found a vape pen containing a THC oil cartridge, police said.

A Santa Fe woman, 34, charged with DWI after allegedly abruptly crossing three lanes of FM 529, driving in the turn lane for several blocks and following too closely behind another vehicle March 16 in the 3100 block of Bay Park Drive, police said. She failed a field sobriety test and refused breath and blood tests, according to the report.

SPRING BREAK ARRESTS: Nearly 70 arrested on DWI charges over spring break in Galveston

A Pasadena man, 38, who was charged with DWI after a traffic stop for failure to maintain a single lane and speeding March 16 in the 1500 block of South Friendswood Drive. The officer reported observing an open can of beer on the passenger floorboard during the stop. The driver failed a field sobriety test and refused breath and blood tests, police said.

A 55-year-old Alvin man, who was charged with DWI after a traffic stop for speeding March 17 in the 2100 block of West Parkwood Avenue, police said. He reportedly failed a field sobriety test and provided a blood specimen.

A Friendswood woman, 50, with DWI after she allegedly stopped in an intersection March 17 in the 2900 block of West Bay Area Boulevard. She did not immediately stop for the officers red lights and pulled over only after the officer turned on the siren, police said. Then, instead of pulling over to the right, she stopped to the left in a gap in the median, according to the report. After the officer instructed her to pull into a nearby parking lot, she reportedly struck a curb. She failed a field sobriety test and refused breath and blood tests, police said.

A Friendswood man, 44, charged with DWI after a traffic stop for failure to drive in a single lane and almost striking another vehicle March 17 in the 200 block of Edgewood Drive, police said. He reportedly failed a field sobriety test and agreed to provide a breath specimen.

A Friendswood man, 47, who with DWI after a traffic stop for an improper lane change and failure to maintain a single lane March 18 in the 1100 block of West Parkwood Avenue. He reportedly failed a field sobriety test and refused a breath or blood test.

Theft

Police charged a Houston man, 29, with theft and public intoxication after a disturbance March 12 at Kroger, 3135 FM 528. Officers arrived to find the man fighting with store employees, police said. He had a bottle of vodka and refused to speak with officers, according to the report. Employees told officers the man entered the store just before closing time and rolled out a grocery cart full of merchandise without paying. The merchandise totaled $87.79, police said.

RECORDS: Brazoria County officials net 34 felony DWI arrests

A man described as in his late 20s, slightly overweight and wearing a green hat, green shirt and blue jeans stole a package from the front porch of a residence in the 1700 block of East Winding Way, according to a March 12 police report. He drove up in a white, single-cab Ford F-150 and took the package about 20 minutes after the UPS driver left it, police said. The truck reportedly had a white Costa sticker on the bottom left of the back windshield as well as some damage to the rear bumper.

A 62-year-old Hitchcock man left H-E-B, 701 W. Parkwood Ave., without paying for meat he had placed in his walker, according to a March 13 police report. When an employee asked the man if he had forgotten to pay for something, the suspect took off without the meat, police said. Officers reportedly found him at Subway, 101 W. Parkwood Ave., and charged him with theft. He has prior theft convictions, and bond was set at $60,000, according to the report.

Narcotics

Police charged a Friendswood man, 23, with possession of a controlled substance after a traffic stop for a license plate violation March 12 in the 3700 block of FM 528. Asked if he had marijuana inside the vehicle, the man allegedly told the officer he had 4 grams in his drivers-side door. The officer found the marijuana, a glass pipe, a grinder and some cocaine during a vehicle search, police said.

A Houston man, 46, was charged with possession of a controlled substance after an officer found him drinking alcohol inside a parked vehicle March 12 in the 100 block of Imperial Drive, police said. The man appeared to be living inside the vehicle, according to the report. The officer reportedly found marijuana, psilocybin mushrooms, methamphetamine and unknown pills during a vehicle search. Bond was set at $10,000.

A routine license plate check led to the arrest of a Webster man, 37, for a felony Galveston County narcotics warrant March 14 in the 2300 block of Heritage Bend Court, police said. During the stop, the man reportedly refused to put his car in park, rolled up the window and tried to drive away. An officer opened the drivers-side door, removed the man from the vehicle and detained him in handcuffs, according to the report. The passenger, a 28-year-old Bacliff woman, had an active Friendswood warrant and faces charges for possession of a controlled substance after an officer found a methamphetamine pipe, two syringes of methampetamine and crystal methamphetamine in her possession, police said.

FEB 2019: Nearly 2 dozen arrested on felony drunken driving charges

A Pasadena woman, 46, was charged with possession of a controlled substance after a traffic stop March 15 in the 3200 block of West Parkwood Avenue, police said. The stop began when a routine license plate check showed the vehicles registered owner had outstanding warrants, according to the report. The woman reportedly declined consent to search, and a police dog provided an alert to the drivers-side and front passenger doors. The officer found crystal methamphetamine in a purse and a scale with residue under the front passenger seat during a vehicle search, police said. At the jail, the woman allegedly was found in possession of a glass pipe and methamphetamine. The passenger, a 38-year-old Webster man, had an active parole violation warrant, police said.

Police charged a Houston woman, 25, with possession of drug paraphernalia after a traffic stop for expired registration March 17 in the 2400 block of West Parkwood Avenue. She had a suspended drivers license, police said, and the officer reportedly found a one-hitter pipe, rolling papers and a grinder during a vehicle search. The passenger, a 25-year-old Missouri City woman, allegedly had marijuana under the passenger seat and was charged with marijuana possession.

Weapons

Police charged a Friendswood man, 22, with possession of drug paraphernalia after a traffic stop for defective brake lights March 14 in the 200 block of East Parkwood Avenue. The passenger, also a 22-year-old Friendswood man, was charged with unlawfully carrying a weapon after he reportedly confessed to having marijuana in the passenger-side door along with a firearm in the glovebox. The officer found marijuana residue, two grinders, two marijuana cigarettes and a handgun during a vehicle search, police said.

Traffic

Police charged a Pasadena woman, 38, with driving while license invalid after an officer reportedly observed her passenger not wearing a seatbelt March 11 in the 3000 block of West Bay Area Boulevard. The woman allegedly had a suspended drivers license. Her passenger, a 40-year-old Webster man, was arrested for outstanding Friendswood warrants, police said.

A San Leon man, 23, was charged with driving while license invalid March 15 in the 1000 block of West Parkwood Avenue, police said.

Police charged a Dickinson man, 24, with disregarding a traffic control device and possession of drug paraphernalia after a traffic stop March 16 in the 2900 block of FM 528. The officer found two BB guns, two marijuana cigarettes, a starter pistol and marijuana residue during a vehicle search, police said.

A Pearland woman, 33, was charged with failure to stop at a designated point and possession of drug paraphernalia after a traffic stop March 17 in the 2700 block of Friendswood Link Road, police said. A K-9 provided a positive alert for narcotics in the vehicle, and an officer found a vape pen and a cartridge containing THC oil during a search, according to the report.

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Platinum-recording country musician Jerrod Niemann will be but the latest crowd-pleaser at the League City Music Festival and Bar-B-Q Cook Off when the event marks its 65th year in May.

Past performers have included Clay Walker, Clint Black, Kevin Fowler, Pat Green, Jerry Jeff Walker and Tracy Byrd. Pretty good for an event once known as the Village Fair that has progressed from small wooden platform stages to a flatbed trailer to now a 25-foot stage with all of the bells and whistles, festival chairman Melaine Sweeney said.

Presented by the League City Lions Club, the event is scheduled May 2-5 at Walter Hall Park.

The nostalgia of the festival is what makes it so exciting for the community, said Sweeney, who is the clubs secretary. Many of our residents have grown up with our event and have fond memories.

Now they are able to bring their children and, for some, their grandchildren.

Niemann, a Kansas native, is riding high with the ballad Old Glory, which he wrote in honor of U.S. troops following a 2017 ambush in Niger that killed four American soldiers.

We also have community performances with several dance troupes and music performances from some of Bay Area's most talented youth musicians, Sweeney said. School of Rock will be in attendance as well as Haze, Paper Wolf, Below Skies and Nick and the Groove.

The cook-out brings in over 100 barbecue teams from all over the world, according to Sweeney.

On Friday, May 3, the festival will hosts Kids Day, a private event for local special-needs students.

On the final day, the festival is co-hosting a pet festival with League Citys Pets Alive No-Kill Animal Shelter.

Vendors and sponsors are still needed for the festival. So far, there are about 20 sponsors and 50 vendors, including artisans, commercial businesses, nonprofit organizations and food booths and trucks.

We would love to be able to double those numbers, Sweeney said. We really have plenty of room and love to provide a variety.

Tickets can be bought online for $15 per night or $25 per weekend pass.

At the gate, tickets will cost $20 per night.

For the VIP Experience, tickets cost $50 on Friday, May 3 and $75 on Saturday, May 4.

The VIP Experience upgrade includes access to the private VIP tent with catered food and private bar with four drink tickets and private access to the front of the stage.

Festival officials are also seeking volunteers to help before, during and after the event.

tyler.johnson@chron.com
Retiring Conroe Symphony Orchestra maestro Don Hutson promises youll be emotionally drained after the April 13 farewell concert.

The music that we picked will touch almost every emotion that you have, said Hutson.

After approximately 13 years as the music director and conductor for the CSO, Hutson will be handing over his baton to Jacob Sustaita, the current associate conductor, at the close of this concert at Conroe High School.

This event will feature some favorites and some sentimental ones of Hutson, as he conducts his last CSO concert.

Following the traditional Star Spangled Banner, the evening will feature Out of Africa by John Berry, Typewriter by Leroy Anderson, Gabriels Oboe by Ennio Morricone, Dances with Wolves by John Berry, Watch Me Burn by Charles Blake (Hutsons nephew), Pines of the Appian Way by Ottorino Respighi and Danzon No 2 by Arturo Marquez.

Itll be a walk down memory lane, Hutson said. Each one of the pieces has a special meaning and theres a story behind each piece.

All of these pieces have been previously played by the CSO during Hutsons tenure as conductor and they have all impacted the audience in completely different ways he said.

The Conroe Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1997. Since its inception, the symphony has continued under the baton of several fine musicians including Robert Zwick, and most recently, Hutson. The Conroe Symphony Orchestra was created to add to the cultural enrichment of the community, assuring a better quality of life for the Conroe area.

In reflection on his time with the symphony, Hutson said working with these musicians has made his life much, much better and he has an appreciation for all of them.

Hutson grew up in Luftin in East Texas where his first musical influences came from a little Baptist church.

Farewell Concert - A Walk Down Memory Lane Honoring Dr. Don Hutson Date: Saturday, April 13, 7 p.m. Time: 7 p.m., note this is an earlier start time than most CSO concerts Location: Conroe High School, 3200 W. Davis Tickets: Call 936-760-2144 for tickets. See More Collapse

His intention was to go to college at Stephen F. Austin University to go into church music as his career.

As I started studying classical music, I began to understand that there was so much more, even to religious music and the works of the great masters, that had a higher spiritual meaning and higher spiritual influence that the music of the church. I liked the spirituality of art and what art was trying to do. Music just happened to be the vehicle for the art and I really appreciated that. That got me to see things Id never seen before.

This revelation lead him to become a teacher after obtaining a bachelor of arts and master of arts from SFA. He obtained a doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Oklahoma. He taught in several universities before coming to a conclusion that lead him down a different path.

I realized I could not see the education of music really educating people to be musicians, he said. I didnt feel like the school was about music and creating art.

He moved to Longview in East Texas where he owned and operated a textile manufacturing business for 16 years. At the time, he was not involved in music.

What I kept looking for in business, I couldnt find to fill the void of creativity and art, he said.

A series of personal tragedies eventually lead him to the Conroe area.

His son passed away at the age of 12. He also lost all the business assets hed acquired after a business that bought his business went bankrupt.

Here I was, 50 years of age, starting over with nothing, he said.

He came to work as a ranch hand on his sisters ranch near Montgomery.

There he began working with horses again, a hobby he had in his youth.

I realized I was trying to make these horses get better, but Id done it the wrong way for so many years. I had broke them, not trained them, he said. The idea was not to make the horse do something, but to encourage it to do something.

His methods were successful and he realized that maybe he could approach human leadership this way.

His business, The Cowboy Solution, which uses horses for leadership and team development, was born.

The Houston Chronicle wrote a piece on his new business and the article caught the eye of then CSO Executive Director Aline Arnold.

The intention was for him to fill in for a few concerts.

Id just come to help out, he said. But I realized in helping out how much I enjoyed making music again. Maybe I finally understood myself enough.

In taking on the conductors role, he wanted to get the musicians to stop merely playing the notes and to realize that they were a part of the music, recreating higher works of art for a higher purpose.

One of his proudest accomplishments is the musical growth of this group.

Were playing to get art to move you to a place where you want to dance in the aisle. And these musicians, they are the ones to do it, he said. All of what weve been able to accomplish is due to them, not me. I give them the credit.

As his leadership business continues to expand, he realized hed accomplished all of his goals for the CSO.

But he needed the right person to understand that making music was at the heart of the CSO musicians - all volunteer musicians who are also moms, dads, lawyers, bankers, etc.

He found that in Jacob Sustaita.

Sustaita is currently the director of orchestral studies at Sam Houston State University. He has also served as the music director of the Akron Symphony Youth Orchestra and the Minnesota Philharmonic.

Twenty minutes into the interview, I knew he was it, Hutson said.

Then when Sustaita conducted in his first show with CSO, Hutson said the people here fell in love with him.

What hes bringing to the table are the elements that will take the symphony to the next level, Hutson said.

Tickets for individual concerts are $20 for adults and $5 for children ages 12 and under, with special rates available for groups of 10 or more purchased in advance. Tickets may be purchased at the Conroe Symphony Centre, 1500 N Frazier in Conroe (please call for hours) or may be ordered by calling the Symphony Centre at 936-760-2144 or 888-823-6610. Tickets for all performances will also be available at the door prior to each concert. For more information about the Conroe Symphony Orchestra, please visit www.conroesymphony.org.
The Montgomery Independent School District is keeping a close eye on the 86th Legislative session, which includes a school finance reform bill that could significantly reduce recapture payments for the school district.

Montgomery ISD has been subject to recapture payments at least 12 times since 2004, with payments ranging from $53,000 to $2.69 million, totaling more than $9.8 million over that time and $2.7 million in the past five years. The Texas Education Agency estimates the district's 2018-19 recapture amount to be around $5 million, which the district hopes will be reduced.

Theres some talk about recapture which could be a big impact for a district like ours, MISDs Executive Director of Finance Kristy Conrad said during a budget discussion at the school board meeting on Tuesday. Recapture is on the table for the first time really in several years where it has a lot of play behind it. If there is a change in the recapture formula that could make a huge difference for our district

Under the state's complex public school funding system, the district's high property wealth per student actually created a budget shortfall, leaving the district so cash-strapped that it forced a delay in opening a planned elementary school for the 2017-18 school year and a freeze on hiring and raises to avoid layoffs.

A $265.75 million bond referendum passed by voters in May 2015 and although the districts projected 2 percent enrollment growth did not materialize, the district's property appraisals continued to rise, reaching 11 percent in 2016. That resulted in an estimated property wealth per student of $551,250 in 2017-18  well above the state's threshold of $515,000 per student. Montgomery ISD was required to pay $3.7 million back to the state in 2018 in recapture payments, which falls under the Chapter 41 Robin Hood state funding plan. Districts subject to Chapter 41 of the Texas Education Commissioner are required to share their wealth with other property poor school districts.

House Bill 21, which was proposed during the previous legislative session and failed, would have lowered the districts recapture payment to $1.3 million.

But during this years session, House Bill 3, which is co-authored by several state representatives, including Will Metcalf, R-Conroe; and Cecil Bell Jr.-R, Magnolia; could provide some relief by lowering school property tax rates by four cents and reducing recapture payments by more than 38 percent.

We must reform our school finance system by reducing recapture payments, which will help our local schools," Metcalf said in a previous article. "I voted in favor of House Bill 21 this session, which would provide for a new school finance system across our state and would have provided an additional $2 million for Montgomery ISD. I will continue working towards these reforms to our school finance system to support our public school system in House District 16."

Dubbed the Texas Plan, Montgomery ISD Superintendent Dr. Beau Rees said House Bill 3 is incomplete, but is also provides a boost for state education funding of about $9 billion.

"We are in a battle of three systems," Rees said. noting he has met with Metcalf, Bell, state Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, and state Sen. Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville, who are aware of the district's financial situation and supportive. "We have the current system that we have, we have a proposed plan that has been approved by the House that has some holes in it but it is looking promising, the Senate has approved teacher raises but has not approved the finance plan and it's the middle of March."

In the meantime, the district plans to send out legislative updates over the next three months and will gauge how the bill would impact the districts budget and personnel requests, in mid-April before the legislative session ends in May.

mellsworth@hcnonline.com
The Richmond Police Department is investigating one of its own after a civil rights violation complaint.

According to a news release from the department, the complaint was received on Friday, March 22, from the attorney of an individual who was pulled over for a traffic violation on Jan. 31, 2019. The complaint claims that the officer brutally attacked the individual during the stop.

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Prior to receiving the complaint, the Fort Bend County District Attorneys Office notified Richmond Police Chief Gary W. Adams on March 20 of the incident.

The Richmond Police Department immediately began an internal investigation regarding the alleged violation of the officer, the department reported. The officer, Bradley McNeal was placed on administrative leave at that time and will remain on administrative leave until the investigation is complete. Officer McNeal has been with the department since June of 2017.

When the official complaint from the complainants attorney arrived on March 22, Adams asked the Texas Rangers to conduct a separate investigation regarding the incident. Both the internal investigation and the investigation conducted by the Texas Rangers are ongoing.

According to the department, the initial traffic stop which led to the complaint occurred at 10:41 p.m. Jan. 31 in the 100 block of South Second Street in Richmond. McNeal stopped the individual, identified as Isaura Cecilia Moreno, 22, of Richmond for a defective passenger side brake lamp.

Moreno was arrested for the following at the time of the stop on three charges:

Assault on a peace officer - a third-degree felony.

Resisting arrest, search and seizure - Class A misdemeanor

Interfering with public duties - Class B misdemeanor

She was placed in the Fort Bend County Jail at the time of arrest.

The news release indicates Morenos felony case went before the Fort Bend County Grand Jury on Feb. 18. The Grand Jury true billed Moreno on the charge of assault on a peace officer/harassment of a public servant. A true bill means a grand jury supported the hearing of a case.

This charge was dismissed on Monday, March 25.

Moreno has a currently active but unrelated felony possession case in Fort Bend County. It is alleged she carried between one and four ounces of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in December of 2017. A plea disposition hearing is scheduled for June 10, 2019.

While the investigations are ongoing, the Richmond Police Department plans to release no further information.

rkent@hcnonline.com
Warning: Details in this article are disturbing and may be upsetting to readers

An Ohio couple was sentenced to a combined 307 years in prison on Monday for raping and abusing their three daughters for over 14 years.

A judge sentenced Herman See, 49, from Norwood, to more than 221 years in prison plus four life sentences on 22 counts of rape, five counts of sexual battery, two counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and one count of gross sexual imposition.

His significant other, Angela Stites, 43, was sentenced to 86 years on seven counts of rape and other charges including endangering children and complicity.

After a weeklong trial, a jury found the couple guilty two weeks ago of abusing the girls starting in 2001 and continuing until 2015.

They are both required to register as tier III (the highest level) sex offenders.

See lashed out at one of the prosecutors who helped convict him.

"Good Hollywood show," See said to Hamilton County Assistant Prosecutor Christina Dattilo. "You did a good job."

He also insulted Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Patrick Dinkelacker.

"Come on with the sentences. Don't think too hard. You might blow your little brain up," See said.

"Shame on you," Dinkelacker said.

"Shame on you," See said. "I'm a dirty man. Yes, I am."

Victims spoke out during the sentencing, with one saying she is finally starting to forget the nightmare she suffered.

"I thought all families did what we did," said one of See's victims. "I thought all little girls and their fathers were supposed to have the relationship that me and you had. That's what happens when you brainwash a 5-year-old little girl."

"What made you do this to not only to me but your other two daughters, as well? You took all of our lives away," another one of See's victims said. "In the Bible, you're supposed to wait for marriage for something like that. I got two horrible parents. I lost so many good memories about my childhood because of the things you did to me."

The abuse happened over the course of 14 years in Norwood and Colerain Township.

Assistant prosecutors Christina Dattilo and Mike Peck, who tried the case, commented, Like any child, these three women were entitled to a safe and nurturing upbringing. Instead they were raised in a persistent environment of sexual abuse. Unfortunately, they will live with that for the rest of their lives. We hope that it will provide some comfort that See and Stites will spend the rest of their lives in prison. These women were victims for their entire childhoods, but today they are strong women and survivors.

Prosecutor Joe Deters commented, I want to thank my assistants who tried this case, Christina Dattilo and Mike Peck. They worked incredibly hard to convict See and Stites and make sure that these sexual predators never see the light of day. Our hope is that todays sentencing will provide the victims of this horrific abuse with some comfort and strength to move forward with their recovery.
Alex Jones surfaced again in Austin, where he regularly films his show Infowars.

This time, the right-wing commentator and conspiracy theorist stirred up patrons at one of his favorite local restaurants, Lucy's Fried Chicken, where he was filmed calling them various names such as wimps, cowards, traitors and idiots.

"You're not an American," he said in the video, which was sent to EchoplexMedia.com. "You're a slob."

Throughout the video, Jones aggressively engaged with individual customers and spoke with employees trying to control the situation. At one point, he appeared to be coaxing a man to fight, but Jones claims the video doesn't show the whole story.

Addressing the incident in a recent Infowars episode, Jones said he had been eating at a local steakhouse with his wife and Joe Rogan, an MMA color commentator and comedian.

JONES AT TRUMP RALLY: Video shows InfoWars host Alex Jones screaming at pile of poop at Trump rally

Jones said his wife wasn't satisfied with dinner, so they ended up stopping at Lucy's.

"We've been going for many years," he said. "It's a great place."

He said they sat at a table inside when several people from the outside dining area approached him. He claimed they told him to "eat sh--" and that "we're going to get you."

Jones said he tried to get a manager to stop them, but things eventually calmed down.

Later, Jones said customers were staring at him as he walked out to leave. In a video Jones took on his cellphone, the patrons can be heard chanting, "This is class war. Eat the rich and feed the poor."

The video sent to EchoplexMedia.com appears to start moments after that chant. That's when Jones started yelling.

"You're the one telling people to eat sh--," he tells one man. "You ain't nothing boy."

He later shouted: "You guys are all pi--ed because you got extra chromosomes."

Regardless of who started the confrontation, some customers were simply trying to eat dinner. Instead, they watched a four-minute live Infowars episode.

"Can we just eat some fried [expletive] chicken?" one customer said in the video. "Can we do that?"

Julian Gill is a digital reporter in Houston. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, houstonchronicle.com. | julian.gill@chron.com | NEWS WHEN YOU NEED IT: Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message | Sign up for breaking news alerts delivered to your email here.
A woman and a 8-year-old boy are dead after a single-car crash in the Cloverleaf area, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office.

The crash was reported around 9:10 p.m. Wednesday near the intersection of Alderson and Nancy Rose. Initial reports indicated the boy was 10 years old.
The Harris County Attorney is investigating a report alleging that a Harris County Department of Education Trustee Michael Wolfe sexually harassed a job applicant and retaliated against her when she refused to date him.

In a letter dated March 5, Vince Ryan asked Harris County Department of Education Superintendent James Colbert Jr. and Board President Josh Flynn to preserve documents related to the allegations and subsequent third-party investigation against Wolfe. Ryan wrote that the review would be completed within a few weeks.

Robert Soard, first assistant attorney for the Harris County Attorneys Office, said Thursday that two senior attorneys are handling the inquiry, which could take several more weeks. He said their work includes reviewing an already published third-party investigation into the allegations, double-checking some points in that report and taking action they deem appropriate. If warranted, Soard said, they could have the authority to remove Wolfe from office.

I cant say this would qualify, Soard said. But certainly the report raises questions that need to be reviewed.

Meanwhile, an attorney representing Wolfe sent a letter to HCDE trustees and Colbert on Wednesday informing them Wolfe would sue if they moved forward with a vote to censure the longtime Republican operative.

Attorney Jared Woodfill said Thursday that attempting to brand Wolfe as a sexual harasser without sworn affidavits or depositions, and only relying on a 15-page third-party investigation that lacked official documentation, would unfairly damage his clients reputation.

Its outrageous to me they would make these types of allegations and not do more to dive into what the truth is before brand someone with this label, Woodfill said.

Allegations that Wolfe sexually harassed and retaliated against a job applicant who interviewed to become an HCDE board secretary first arose in January, after Trustee Eric Dick brought a womans allegations to the attention of Colbert and HCDE Director of Human Relations Natasha Truitt.

He made the report soon after a new majority of HCDE skeptics took them helm of the districts board, a bloc that includes Wolfe and Flynn. Their four members voted to scrap a $220,000 annual contract with the HillCo Partners lobbying firm on Jan. 16 and named Flynn as president during his first regular meeting. The report said those votes frustrated Dick, who confirmed his grievances to the Chronicle a week after the votes.

After learning of the allegations, Colbert hired Harry Jones, a Dallas-based labor attorney, to investigate. In a report presented to the board during a Feb. 27 meeting, Jones wrote that Dick, Wolfe and former Trustee Louis Evans hand-picked their favorite candidates for the board secretary job out of 17, casting aside information compiled by human resources ranking the applicants on experience and skill. One of the women Dick selected was in her early 30's, referred to on the report as Jane Doe.

Doe and Wolfe had met each other several times before she applied, and when she saw him at the Harris County Courthouse on June 28, the report said Wolfe asked her to join him in his office.

When she walked inside, he closed the door.

It was all really, really bad, the woman told Jones, then he asked me to dinner and then I said Uh sure so I could get out of the room.

Soon after, the woman texted Wolfe and said she had forgotten about other plans and could not go to dinner. At this point, she was a finalist for the secretarial position. Jones wrote Wolfe then worked to blackball the candidate, an allegation confirmed by Jeff Yates, former executive director of the Harris County Republican Party. She did not get the job with HCDE.

Wolfe has denied the allegations through his attorney, but the board voted 6-0, with Wolfe abstaining, to accept the investigation. In a letter sent to other trustees, Woodfill wrote Jones report was fundamentally flawed and amounted to hearsay on top of hearsay. He threatened legal action if they moved forward with plans to vote on whether to censure Wolfe.

Because the Jones Report is filled with inaccuracies, inconsistencies, and bias, at a minimum, Mr. Wolfe should have a chance to rebut Mr. Jones Report, Woodfill wrote. Clearly HCDEs counsel and Mr. Jones recommendation are an effort to forever destroy Mr. Wolfes reputation publicly.

shelby.webb@chron.com

twitter.com/shelbywebb
Detectives are searching for a masked robber who puzzled his victim before stealing cash.

The man walked into the Subway location in the 14000 block of the Northwest Freeway shortly before 9 p.m. on Jan. 14. He walked up to the employee behind the counter and asked if the employee liked his mask, according to the Houston Police Department.

BREAKING NEWS UPDATES: Get your Houston breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox

The man then placed his hand in his pocket, making the employee believe he had a gun, and demanded money from the cash register, HPD said.

The employee gave up the cash, and the robber fled on foot, police said.

RELATED: Off-duty HPD officer fires pistol at suspect who was rummaging through her car

He's described as a Hispanic or white male, between 5 feet, 8 inches and 5 feet, 10 inches tall. He weighs somewhere between 120 and 130 pounds and was wearing a black shirt and black pants during the robbery, police said.

Anyone with information is urged to call Houston Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS (8477).

Jay R. Jordan covers breaking news in the Houston area. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com | Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan | Email him at jay.jordan@chron.com | Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message
A Houston police investigator probing a deadly botched drug raid in January was quietly relieved of duty earlier this month, law enforcement officials confirmed.

Angel August was taken off duty with pay on March 13, according to a Houston Police Department spokesman. Officials have not yet publicly divulged the reason for their decision to bench August, who joined the department in 2011.

August was the officer who filed the initial report a day after the Jan. 28 shooting at 7815 Harding Street that left two residents dead and five police officers injured, according to a police report obtained by the Houston Chronicle under the state open records law.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Scrutiny into ex-cop's past cases likely to expand

The botched raid has since blossomed into a major scandal that officials are still struggling to contain amid allegations that the case agent, Officer Gerald Goines, lied about a drug buy that served as justification for the raid. Goines, the case agent, and Officer Steven Bryant were also relieved of pay following the raid, and both have since retired from the department.

The Harris County District Attorneys Office and the FBI have launched investigations into the incident, and Chief Art Acevedo said last week he expects more than one officer to be criminally charged in connection with the failed raid.

Acevedo has described two avenues of inquiry  one into the fatal shooting and a second into the possibility of corruption.

On HoustonChronicle.com: HPD Chief Acevedo says narcotics cop committed likely crime by lying in affidavit for deadly raid

Department spokesman John Cannon confirmed August was relieved of duty but declined to elaborate. On Thursday, Acevedo did not return a request for comment, but last week briefly fielded one question about the removal.

A person has been placed on administrative leave, he said, but it has nothing to do with the corruption investigation.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Number of cases handled by Gerald Goines could be higher than initial estimate

August joined HPD in 2011 and quickly made her way onto the homicide division and Acevedos elite Special Investigations Unit after stints working patrol in Northeast Houston and Clear Lake. She also served in the now-defunct Investigative First Responders Division, where one supervisor noted she worked 50 cases in six months, producing 24 arrests, according to internal police records.

While a homicide detective, she routinely received high praise from supervisors for her work output and productivity, records show.

Detective August is very thorough with the cases she is assigned to investigate, one supervisor wrote last fall, checking off the highest possible score in each evaluation criteria. Detective August completes her assignments in a timely manner  with minimal supervision and is constantly seeking to learn new investigative skills.

On HoustonChronicle.com: FBI opens civil rights investigation into botched Houston drug bust, police chief says

A 2016 employee evaluation noted that August worked as an Internal Affairs assistant who prepares all pertinent data, documents, and evidence for divisional investigations.

Augusts personnel records do not show any significant previous disciplinary actions by HPD. Department brass issued several commendations in her file, including one incident in 2015 in which she helped capture a dangerous suspect, another for helping rescue stranded citizens during Hurricane Harvey, and in November 2014 for helping calm a mentally ill person who was threatening suicide.

Union officials said they would be representing August if the department hands down any disciplinary action.

st.john.smith@chron.com

keri.blakinger@chron.com
An off-duty police officer fired her pistol at a man who was burglarizing her car at her south Houston home Thursday morning, police said.

Police don't believe the burglar was shot, but he remains at large. The burglar reportedly "turned toward her in a threatening manner" before she fired her weapon, HPD Lt. Larry Crowson said.

Crowson said she was shaken up after the ordeal.

"It's a frightening experience for not only an officer, but any citizen in the house," he said.

"So she is a little shaken up, but I think she'll be OK."

BREAKING NEWS UPDATES: Get your Houston breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox

It's not known if anyone else was home at the time.

The officer said she was inside her home near the intersection of Flamingo and Sharondale around 2 a.m. when she saw the burglar inside her car on surveillance cameras. The man appeared to be rummaging through her glove box looking for things to steal.

RELATED: Woman, 10-year-old boy killed in crash in east Houston

The officer then grabbed her pistol and confronted the burglar, whose movements caused the officer to fear for her safety.

She fired one round toward the man, and he ran south into the neighborhood. Police couldn't find blood on the scene, and they weren't able to locate the man overnight.

The officer said she didn't get a clear look at the man. Investigators are working on enhancing the video surveillance footage to get a clearer description of the suspect.

At least one other resident said her car was burglarized that night.

Julian Gill is a digital reporter in Houston. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, houstonchronicle.com. | julian.gill@chron.com | NEWS WHEN YOU NEED IT: Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message | Sign up for breaking news alerts delivered to your email here.
Two men man pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiring to transport illegal aliens through a Border Patrol checkpoint, according to U.S. Attorney Ryan Patrick.

Cody Michael Matousek, 33, of Texas City, who previously was investigated for involvement with a human smuggling organization with ties to the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas, and Guadalupe Levario, 38, of Galveston, face up to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, according to authorities.
AUSTIN  A coalition of businesses, including Apple, Facebook, Google and Pepsi, are criticizing bills in the Texas Legislature that they say would lead to discrimination against lesbian, gay and transgender people.

At a news conference Wednesday, business leaders took exception to Senate Bill 15, a measure that would block paid-sick leave policies enacted by San Antonio and other Texas cities, and would also undermine their anti-discrimination ordinances, advocates for LGBTQ Texans have warned. The change, advocates have said, could gut the ability of cities to enforce anti-discrimination ordinances that regulate employee benefits, leave and scheduling.

"Legislation explicitly or implicitly targeting LGBTQ people is an economic liability for the state and it negatively impacts our ability to recruit and retain employees," said David Edmonson of TechNet, which represents technology company CEOs and executives.

The warning shot echoes a contentious fight that erupted two years ago over the so-called bathroom bill, which was defeated after dozens of influential companies and trade groups campaigned to oppose the measure that would have restricted the public restrooms transgender people can use.

We will continue to oppose any unnecessary, discriminatory, and divisive measures that would damage Texas reputation and create problems for our employees and their families, said an open letter posted Wednesday by Texas Welcomes All, a coalition of businesses, organizations and tourism industry leaders. These include policies that explicitly or implicitly allow for the exclusion of LGBTQ people, or anyone else, as well as the preemption of municipal nondiscrimination laws, in whole or in part.

Texas Take: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox

Conroe Sen. Brandon Creighton, a Republican who authored the bill, has disputed that characterization, saying the measure wouldnt prevent cities from enacting non-discrimination policies.

The Welcome Texas group also took aim at Senate Bill 17, which would give protections to licensed professionals such as social workers or plumbers who deny services to clients based on their religious beliefs. Critics warn it would lead to discrimination against LGBTQ Texans  for example, a counselor who declines to work with the child of a same-sex couple.

Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has named both bills a priority and defended them Wednesday.

Senate Bill 15 will protect Texas' businesses from local officials who want to tell business owners how to run their companies. Senate Bill 17 will ensure that anyone can practice their profession in Texas without being forced to compromise their religious faith, his spokesman Alejandro Garcia said in a statement. The vast majority of business leaders in Texas know they have no greater ally than Lt. Gov. Patrick who is helping lead the fight to ensure the Texas economy remains number one in the nation and among the strongest in the world.

Senate Bill 15 would likely undo San Antonios ordinance that requires private employers to provide paid sick leave to workers. But city officials have said it wouldnt affect the citys non-discrimination policy.

Leaders of Visit San Antonio and the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce werent at the news conference, but signed onto the letter.

We're going to pay very close attention to any bill that would make people feel unwelcome coming to Texas and San Antonio, said Richard Oliver, Director of Partner and Community Relations at the citys tourism bureau, Visit San Antonio.

The San Antonio City Council adopted the paid sick leave policy last summer after a petition drive, but it has since drawn pushback from local business groups.

The San Antonio Chamber of Commerce backed Senate Bill 15 when it first came out, though the new additions that could threaten non-discrimination ordinances around the state mean the group is starting to rethink our support, said CEO and President Richard Perez. Theres a similar bill in the House that would undo city paid sick leave ordinances, but not touch non-discrimination provisions. I think that is much more in keeping with us, because it preempts local sick leave ordinances, he said.
More than 4,000 people have signed a petition calling on NASA to reschedule the first, all-female spacewalk after it was canceled earlier this week because there weren't enough available suits that fit.

"People around the world were ready to witness history. Unfortunately, NASA wasn't ready to make it," stated the online petition, which was posted Tuesday evening by Care2's advocacy and engagement team.

On Monday, NASA decided to cancel the spacewalk, which would have been conducted by American astronauts Anne McClain and Christina Koch, after McClain said she would feel more comfortable in a smaller suit.

HISTORY NOT MADE: NASA canceled its first all-female spacewalk. Why? It didn't have anything that fit



The spacewalk was scheduled for Friday morning to replace old batteries on the International Space Station's solar arrays with more powerful, lithium-ion ones.

MISSION MOON: How 50 years of space exploration defined Houston

Initially, McClain thought she would be able to wear a large-sized hard upper torso -- the spacesuit's shirt. Turns out, she was more comfortable in a medium and only one medium-sized torso could be made ready by Friday.

So, Koch will wear the medium this week, walking instead with NASA astronaut Nick Hague. McClain will wear the medium again on April 8, when she walks with Canada's David Saint-Jacques.

The announcement brought a major backlash on social media, eliciting shock, disappointment and, in some cases, anger from the scientific community.

In response, McClain tweeted Wednesday that NASA's decision to bump her from the walk "was based on my recommendation."

"Leaders must make tough calls, and I am fortunate to work with a team who trusts my judgement," she wrote. "We must never accept a risk that can instead be mitigated. Safety of the crew and execution of the mission come first."

She continued to tweet about the change throughout the day, telling followers to "Tune in - history is made every day up here!"

There currently are two medium, two large and two extra large spacesuits on the station. However, the other medium is a spare and could not be configured quickly enough for the Friday walk.

"To stay on schedule with @Space_Station upgrades, it's safer & faster to change spacewalker assignments than reconfigure spacesuits," NASA tweeted in response Tuesday.

But the petition writers called it "disappointing," adding that NASA should have enough suits to fit women on the space station.

"Canceling a spacewalk because there weren't enough suits to fit male astronauts is almost unheard of, probably because there are ample suits ready to go that fit the men of the ISS," the petition stated. "Women astronauts deserve to have the same courtesy."

NASA officials said in a statement Thursday that spacewalks are scheduled when important operations and maintenance need to be done on the station.

Though there currently aren't any spacewalks scheduled after April 8, the statement added, there are "multiple women assigned to upcoming missions to the space station, and we would not hesitate to assign two women to perform a spacewalk."

"We believe an all-female spacewalk is inevitable," the statement continued.

The all-female spacewalk would have drawn accolades for an agency that has been slow to make historic strides with women and minorities.

For example, the first female Mission Control chief flight director was only picked last year and the United States was 20 years behind the Soviet Union in putting a woman into space.

The U.S. also was behind in allowing women to conduct spacewalks. The first woman to do so was the Soviet Union's Svetlana Savitskaya in 1984. Only 13 women have conducted spacewalks since; Koch will be the 14th. Crewmembers aboard the space station have conducted 214 spacewalks since 1998, when construction of the orbiting laboratory first began.

Alex Stuckey writes about NASA and the environment for the Houston Chronicle. You can reach her alex.stuckey@chron.com or Twitter.com/alexdstuckey.

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Independently certified, owned, managed, and operated in Australia by Australian citizens, AUCloud is the nations sovereign cloud Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) provider. It services the countrys government agencies as well as enterprises that must maintain and protect sensitive information. The company operates from datacenters in Canberra and Eastern Creek (Sydney) that are independently accredited to host highly classified data for the Australian government.

We connected with Brad Bastow, AUClouds first CTO and former CTO of Australias Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, to learn what organizations must keep in mind when considering the public cloud and the evolving data sovereignty landscape.

Q: What is the importance behind having access to a sovereign IaaS provider?

We believe it is vital that consumers of our services be assured that we are a safe haven for critically sensitive data. Protection underpins the smooth and safe operation of our economy and is crucial to ensure the wellbeing and safety of our citizens.

Australia has specific guidelines related to the consumption of cloud services by federal government agencies. AUClouds services are built from the ground up with compliance requirements incorporated into our technical and operational controls from the outset. This can be demonstrated by our Australian Sovereignty  our guarantee that data hosted in our cloud never leaves Australia . All of our operational staff are also Australian security cleared.

Q: What are the most pressing risks when it comes to the cloud and the sovereignty of data?

Having led major adoptions of public clouds for several government departments, my advice is to be wary of the controls you must implement to secure data hosted in a public cloud in order to meet demanding security requirements.

Many cloud providers typically offer their services to everyone  from online dating sites to healthcare services and fashion retailers. While security is a necessary burden, or sometimes an afterthought for some of these entities, for government agencies, data security is paramount.

When using some of these services you will invariably need to wrap additional security services around your public cloud deployment to meet the regulatory and security requirements of your jurisdiction. This may include encryption at-rest, multifactor authentication, and network traffic protection. These additional services are not free and require a significant administrative burden to manage and maintain.

For many public cloud services, it is also difficult to know where services are hosted, as well as if and what metadata leaves the local datacenter. It is precisely for this reason that the sovereignty of services should be a fundamental consideration for any cloud project. It is also why AUCloud services are built to comply with government security requirements without the need for additional controls.

Q: Why is it important that AUCloud be VMware Cloud Verified?

There are three reasons. First, because the majority of on-premises workloads in our federal government are already hosted on vSphere, vCloud Director enables us to provide a seamless path to hybrid cloud, test/dev deployments, disaster recovery, and backup. Agencies are working with products they are familiar with and comfortable using.

Second, by employing the rich API library provided by vCloud Director, we can expose these APIs and enable our customers to deploy true infrastructure as code.

Finally, we value the extensibility of vCloud Director. Our soon-to-be deployed second iteration of Container Service Extensions for vCloud will allow our customers to consume and manage Kubernetes clusters on AUCloud. Using vCloud Director we help our customers manage the risks associated with transitioning to the cloud, without compromising the future proofing of their transition approach.

Learn more about AUCloud and its partnership with VMware here.
OHCHR Moldova: Apel deschis pentru aplicatii din partea OSC-urilor pentru a beneficia de suport in desfasurarea activitatilor de advocacy la nivel international in contextul celui de-al treilea ciclu de EPU a R. Moldova
The Correspondent is one of the most successful crowdfunded journalism startups of all time: it raised $2.6 million in just 30 days, in a campaign that ended in December, and drew in a number of high-profile supporters, including activist DeRay Mckesson, musician Roseanne Cash, and Jordan Hewson, daughter of U2 frontman Bono. The campaigns success mirrored that of its parent company, De Correspondent, which also set a record for journalism crowdfunding when it launched in 2013, after co-founders Ernst Pfauth and Rob Wijnberg raised $1.7 million in just 30 days (it also gets support from a Dutch investment fund). The launch of The Correspondent last year was welcomed by journalists who were happy to see the companys successful reader-funded, public-service model expand to the United States and the rest of the English-speaking world.

Those plans came under fire this week, however, when a number of prominent journalistsincluding many who said they donated to the campaigncriticized the companys plans to shut its US office, as described in a blog post by Pfauth. The Correspondent CEO said the New York office was only set up for the crowdfunding campaign, and that the new, English-language operation would be managed from De Correspondents existing office in Amsterdam. Critics of the move said the impression given by the companys promotional materialincluding interviews with New York University journalism professor Jay Rosen, an advisor to the companyas well as a number of news stories written about it (including one in CJR, based on interviews with Pfauth and Wijnberg) was that the new venture would include a US office and/or newsroom.

ICYMI: Newspaper upgrades CEOs housing stipend to $35K a month amid buyouts

In public statements on Twitter in response to the criticism, both Pfauth and Wijnberg said that they were originally planning to have a US office, and admitted that this was mentioned in news stories and interviews (as well as in job openings for editors and other staff) but maintained that having a US office or newsroom was not specifically mentioned as part of the crowdfunding campaign. Both of the co-founders said their plan was still to have at least half a dozen US-based journalists reporting on and writing about topics and issues of interest to the US, but that they believe it is possible to manage them from the companys office in Amsterdam. Both also said the intention behind the new venture was always to serve the needs of the English-speaking world, not just the United States (a point also made by Rosen).

Some of the companys supporters point out that the new venture might actually be better off not having an expensive New York office sucking up resources that could be better used for journalism. Its an interesting question: does a digital-only media outlet, especially one serving the entire English-speaking world, need to have a costly US newsroom in order to do its job properly, and if so why? The backlash seemed to some to be evidence of a pervasive US-centricand New York-centricview of what a media company should be. Much of The Correspondents campaign was aimed at portraying itself as not being a traditional media company, but instead being one that focused on only the important issues, without all the daily noise, and also one that was based on cultivating a deep relationship with its readers.

Is the response to The Correspondents latest move evidence of a misunderstanding, or a sign that the company didnt communicate its plans properly? It feels as though its a little of both. Even some supporters of The Correspondent and its goals said they felt misled by the shift away from having a US presence, since it was initially part of the way even the company itself talked about the project. Others suggested the option of getting a refund. A number of critics of the moveincluding Emily Bell, director of the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbiasuggested that even if the backlash was a result of a misunderstanding, it wasnt a great way to start a project designed in part to help restore public trust in journalism. What remains to be seen is whether The Correspondent can find a way to put this controversy behind it and move on with its plans to reinvent journalism.

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Heres more on The Correspondent and its plans:

No coffee machine : Co-founder Rob Wijnberg spoke to NiemanLabs Laura Owen about the confusion over the companys plans, and said he wants everyone to know The Correspondent is committed to the US. Were going to have journalists covering important developments in the US, he said. The only thing were not having is a coffee machine and a desk in the United States.

Built on trust : In an essay written in 2017, NYU professor Jay Rosen wrote about what attracted him to The Correspondent and why he decided to act as an advisor to the company for its English-language launch. He said it was because the companys Dutch version was what a news organization built on reader trust would look like.

No more fast food : In one of the manifestos written about The Correspondents plan to unbreak the news, Wijnberg wrote that too much of the news we consume is like fast food, in that it briefly satisfies our appetite for spectacle and diversion, but ultimately leaves us unsatisfied and uninformed.

Dutch and American : At the end of the crowdfunding campaign, Ernst Pfauth said The Correspondent raised money from more than 45,000 members in about 130 countries. According to his co-founders interview with Nieman Lab, about 40 percent of the donors came from the US and about the same proportion from the Netherlands.

Other notable stories:

Emily Bell, director of Columbias Tow Center, writes for CJR about the tensions inherent in deals like McClatchys arrangement with Google, in which the tech giant is funding local journalism experiments run by McClatchy. Bell points out that while Google says it wont interfere, tools, software, and analytics applied to journalism inevitably end up shaping aspects of editorial content.

Bryan Goldberg, the entrepreneur behind a suite of sites including Bustle and Elite Daily, is acquiring The Outline , a startup run by veteran tech journalist Joshua Topolsky, for an undisclosed sum. Last year, Goldberg bought the remaining assets of Mic.com and his company also acquired Gawker after its parent company went bankrupt.

The New York Times described in a recent story how it went through more than 900 pages of material related to the Michael Cohen case in just 10 minutes, using a tool that the newspapers developers built called Document Helper. A reporter said it served as equal parts power drill, spotlight, microscope and jackhammer.

The BBC is blocking Google from indexing its podcasts, which means users wont be able to find them either in the Google Podcasts app, Google search, or through Google Assistant. The British public broadcaster said that Google was directing people to its own podcasting app, instead of directing them to the BBCs podcasting app.

Some of the members of the European Parliament who recently voted to impose controversial new copyright lawswhich require aggregators to pay for even short excerpts of text, and also require tech companies to filter content before it is uploadedsay they mistakenly voted against amendments that would have altered those laws, but chose the wrong option because the voting order was changed.

After pressure to change the way it handles racism, Facebook says it will now treat white nationalism and white separatism the same as it does white supremacy that is, it will block and remove those posts. Those who search for associated phrases will be shown a pop-up promoting the work of Life After Hate, a group run by former white supremacists.

A new report on local journalism from the Pew Center shows that many newspapers and other outlets may have some work to do in order to convince readers to sign up for a paywall or membership: more than 70 percent of those surveyed said they think their local media outlets are doing well financially.

The founder of a Vatican womens magazine has quit, along with her entire all-female editorial team, over what they described as an orchestrated campaign designed to discredit them because they reported on the widespread abuse of nuns.

ICYMI: The FBIs secret investigation of a journalist

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Mathew Ingram is CJRs chief digital writer. Previously, he was a senior writer with Fortune magazine. He has written about the intersection between media and technology since the earliest days of the commercial internet. His writing has been published in the Washington Post and the Financial Times as well as by Reuters and Bloomberg.
The cardinal led a prayer at St Pauls Church at a service attended by the nuncio and many Christian and Muslim leaders. The Chaldean Church donated US$ 20,000 to the victims families. The prelate called for joint efforts achieve "security" and undertake the "process of reconstruction". He backs the creation of government task force.

Mosul (AsiaNews)  Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako spoke this morning during a prayer service for the people who lost their lives on 21 March when a boat sank in the Tigris River.

In his address, the Chaldean Patriarch shared "the deep sorrow" for the "huge loss" in Mosul and its residents. "We are here to reiterate our love, closeness and solidarity" to the families of the victims and the whole city.

Almost a hundred people died in the accident, which sparked widespread outrage. Iraqs Parliament voted to oust the governor and his two deputies following a request from the prime minister.

The service was held this morning in Mosuls St Pauls Church amid flowers and lit candles. The Apostolic Nuncio to Iraq Mgr Alberto Ortega Martin attended the prayer service and read a personal message from Pope Francis.

Along with the prelate there were numerous Chaldean bishops and priests, as well as Muslim leaders and the three members of the crisis unit set up by Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi.

The participants joined in a common prayer for the dead, asking for peace, security and stability in Iraqs largest northern city, which is struggling to recover after it was held for years by the Islamic State group.

At the end of the service, the cardinal donated US$ 20,000 on behalf of the Chaldean Church to the government fund prepared for the victims and their families.

The passenger boat, which was packed with families and tourists celebrating Nowruz, the Kurdish New Year, was on its way to Umm Rabaen Island, a tourist location about 4 km north of Mosul.

Some videos show the boat suddenly tilting to the right, taking on water, and then capsizing before being dragged downstream by the rushing waters of the river. At least 97 people died with dozens more still missing.

The incident has sparked outrage against the country's highest office-holders. The government responded by sacking local officials to stem popular anger and avoid the rise of new jihadi groups.

In his message to AsiaNews, Card Sako appeals to political, social and religious leaders in Nineveh province to show "unity" for the "good" of Mosul and its people.

In such a time of tragedy, everyone hopes for peace, security and stability " and for new impetus for the "process of reconstruction, away from political disputes, revenge and the politicisation of the incident, writes the prelate.

For this reason, The establishment of a Task Force by the Iraqi prime minister is a positive sign. Therefore, we must cooperate.

At the same, he hopes to see everyone in Iraq and abroad working together to rebuild what was destroyed by ISIS, especially the right side of the city that is characterised by its historical features and encourage the return of displaced families.
For American farmers already struggling to navigate the U.S.-China trade war, optimism for the spring planting season is washing away.

Floods from the Mississippi Delta to the Dakotas have inundated roads and submerged fields just as Midwestern farmers should be preparing the soil to sow this years seeds. If land is inaccessible much longer, growers will be forced to shift their planting decisions  likely leading to more soybeans, the crop hit hardest by a drop in Chinese demand.

Its causing a lot of stress, said Dan Nerud, who farms 2,600 acres of corn and soybeans in Nebraska with his son. Some of his land was under as much as four feet of water, while other areas are so saturated that walking or towing a planter with a tractor would mean sinking deep into mud.

The timing could hardly be worse for farmers who had been trying to figure out which mix of crops would yield the most profit as trade tensions drag on. President Donald Trumps tit-for-tat tariffs with China, historically one of the biggest customers for U.S. agricultural goods, has roiled a market already depressed by years of ballooning supplies. Growers, waiting for sales to recover, are sitting on record inventories of soybeans packed away in silos and grain bags.

The storm deluge means that at least some of those oilseeds and stored grains may have been destroyed. Crops have flowed out of busted containers, but another concern is what cant be seen, said Kelly Brunkhorst, executive director of the Nebraska Corn Growers Association. Damage from moisture thats seeped into bins may not be evident for weeks and leave supplies that farmers have to discard.

Huge Impact

Nebraska, among the hardest-hit states, is estimating $440 million in crop losses from flooding. That includes transportation costs, grain ruined in storage and planting delays, according to Governor Pete Ricketts. Another $400 million in livestock is expected to be lost from the recent rains and a blizzard earlier this month, he said.

It has had a huge impact on agriculture, Ricketts said in an interview. It is definitely going to hurt farm incomes, and thats ultimately going to be reflected in our states economy as well.

After a long, cold winter, planting preparations were already behind schedule, Ricketts said. Now, many farmers have to deal with sand and even blocks of ice that may delay the growing season even more.

Thats limiting the options farmers have in choosing between corn or soybeans, the nations two largest crops. They are often planted on side-by-side fields and compete for acreage.

Despite the trade tensions, soybeans may win some acres that werent expected just months ago. The short fall season robbed farmers of enough time to apply nitrogen-based fertilizer thats necessary for corn, and the storms have narrowed the application window this spring, said Alexis Maxwell, research director of Green Markets, a fertilizer research firm owned by Bloomberg LP.

As of last week, soybean acres were expected to fall by about 3 percent to 86.2 million this year, while corn acres would rise 2.4 percent to 91.3 million acres, according to a Bloomberg survey of analysts. The U.S. Department of Agriculture will release an updated forecast based on farmer surveys on March 29.

Changing Expectations

Nerud, president of the Nebraska Corn Growers Association, had planned to have corn on 60 percent of his acres and soybeans on 40 percent. The moisture left behind by snow this winter and more recent storms may lead him to flip those plans. If fields dont dry out fast enough to apply fertilizer for corn, even the varieties that can grow in as few as a 100 days, hes going to have to turn to beans.

During the winter, the market assumed farmers would plant about 95 million acres of corn this year, said Ed Prosser, vice president of commodity risk management at grain handler Scoular Co. He estimates it will now be closer to 90 million to 91 million.

The floods are absolutely devastating for those affected but likely wont have a significant impact on overall market prices, Prosser said. More important will be timing of when producers can get their fall crops planted. Fast means more corn, slow means more soybeans.

Nebraska farmer Brandon Hunnicutt had planned to sow about 5 percent more corn this year at the expense of soybeans in his fields near the village of Giltner. His farm was largely spared from damaging floodwaters, but with fields still saturated, he doesnt know if he will be able to plant all of his seeds this spring. He hasnt gotten all the necessary chemicals ready in the soil for corn.

Even before the flooding happened, there was a lot of fieldwork that didnt get done last fall, Hunnicutt said. Its a weird situation. Things are wide open this year.

Narrowed Gap

The math may not be too bad for soybean planters, regardless of the weather. Even as tariffs have walloped exports of the oilseed, the price ratio between the two commodities only slightly favors corn, said Corey Jorgenson, president of The Andersons Inc.s grain unit. Soybeans have rebounded somewhat as China made goodwill purchases during the trade talks.

How U.S.-China Trade War Has Reached a Turning Point: QuickTake

Plus, the cost of planting corn is much higher than for soybeans since the grain needs more fertilizer and chemicals, so profits may not be big enough to squeeze out the oilseed.

For some farmers, the issue may not come down to what to plant, but whether they can get into fields at all. Iowa State Representative David Sieck, who farms 1,200 acres with his brother and son, has lost 6,000 bushels of corn in bins due to rising water over the last week. About 200 acres of soybeans that were left unharvested from the fall have also been destroyed. With the possibility of even more flooding to come, hes worried that nothing may be planted on part of his land this season.

Its terrible in my district, Sieck said. They are showing so much water coming at us.
Photo courtesy of Robert A. Ball

The mother of a Texas man who was killed when his vehicle collided with an SUV driven by a storm-chasing television crew has filed a $125 million lawsuit against The Weather Channel.

The suit by Karen Di Piazza of Glendale, Ariz. says her son 25-year-old son Corbin Lee Jaeger had the right of way on March 28, 2017 when a Chevrolet Suburban driving for The Weather Channels Storm Wranglers program ran a stop sign at 70 mph into the path of his Jeep. Weather Channel personalities Kelley Williamson and Randy Yarnall routinely ran stop signs and drove recklessly, according to the lawsuit.

Jaeger was a storm spotter for the National Weather Service. He was driving away from a tornado reported near Spur, Texas while Williamson and Yarnall were headed into the storm while live-streaming for their television audience, according to the suit. All three men died in the crash.

The Weather Channel had been warned by other storm chasers that it should pull their stars off the road before they killed themselves or someone else, according to a press release from Di Piazzas attorney, Robert A. Ball in San Diego.

The suit says that the windshield of the Suburban that Yarnell was driving was seriously obstructed by equipment, including a radar screen, cell phone, video camera and computer.

The men were live-streaming at the time of the accident. A 2 1/2-hour video of their travels shows their vehicle running four stop signs before it was struck by Jaegers Jeep. The collision propelled the Suburban over a five-foot tall fence 150 feet from the point of impact, Ball said.

The suit charges that the very theme of the Storm Wranglers program made it a dangerous enterprise. The producers story board is intended to portray Williams and Yarnall as heroes, according to the suit. The logo for the program depicted Williamson and Yarnall roping a tornado. Neither of the men had any emergency training, the suit alleges.

Unfortunately, Williamson and Yarnall, who were chicken farmers and cattle ranchers by trade, became the story, taking the life of Corbin Jaeger with them, Ball said.

Jaeger had intended to attend college in Arizona with hopes of becoming a meteorologist, Ball said.

A spokeswoman for The Weather Channel said the company cannot comment on pending litigation. We are saddened by the loss of Corbin Jaeger, Kelley Williamson, and Randy Yarnall, The Weather Channel said in a statement. They were beloved members of the weather community and our deepest sympathies go out to the families and loved ones of all involved.
Johnson & Johnson took the unusual step of settling two womens claims that its talc-based products caused their asbestos-linked cancers rather than let juries decide the cases, opening a new front in the growing litigation against the worlds largest maker of health-care products.

Jurors in state court in Oklahoma City Wednesday had spent about three hours weighing whether J&Js baby powder was a factor in a 77-year-olds peritoneal mesothelioma when a judge announced the two sides had cut a deal. Details of the accord werent made public.

On the same day, J&J also reached a confidential settlement that cut short a trial in Los Angeles over a 36-year-olds claims that products shed used since childhood led to her mesothelioma, an asbestos-linked cancer.

Unlike some pharma companies, J&J isnt known for quickly settling cases, so resolving two in close proximity may indicate executives and lawyers are looking at the talc cases differently, said Jean Eggen, a Widener University law professor who teaches about mass-tort cases.

It looks like they have decided to cut their losses in some cases and move on, she said. Often times, that kind of individual scrutiny will produce settlements.

Litigation Tourism Suffers Blow as J&J Dodges Trial in St. Louis

J&J denied any shift in its litigation strategy, standing by its position that theres no asbestos in its talc-based products and that it hasnt concealed from consumers the health risks of using baby powder.

In litigation of every nature there are one-off situations where settlement is a reasonable alternative, Kim Montagnino, a J&J spokeswoman, said in an emailed statement. We do not have any organized program to settle Johnsons Baby Powder cases, nor are we planning a settlement program.

The settlements add another layer of complexity to the companys mixed record in the talc-cancer cases it has fought across the U.S. On Wednesday, J&J prevailed in a New Jersey trial two weeks after a jury in Oakland, California, hit it with $29 million in damages. The company still faces more than 13,000 suits blaming its talc-based products for causing mesothelioma and ovarian cancer. More than two-dozen trials have been scheduled in U.S. courts this year.

Several of the early trials resulted in plaintiffs verdicts, including a $4.69 billion victory in St. Louis in 2018 for 22 women with ovarian cancer. But J&J has been able to win reversals of three of the first five jury awards.

The cases that have settled so far all involve mesothelioma. Patients generally dont live long after a diagnosis. The death rate and the ties to prior asbestos litigation also means these claims get quicker trial dates. Nearly all the talc trials set for 2019 involve mesothelioma victims.

Sharon Pipes, the Oklahoma plaintiff, was diagnosed in 2017 with peritoneal mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the abdomen. Experts have linked that illness to asbestos exposure. She used Johnson & Johnsons talc products for 50 years, her attorneys said at trial.

One juror said outside court that the 11-woman, one-man panel was leaning toward finding J&J liable for its powders helping to cause Pipes cancer.

We were one or two short, of getting the nine votes needed for a verdict, said juror Frances Harris, 65, a speech pathologist from Edmond, Oklahoma.

Harris said she was among those who thought J&J should be held accountable for not warning about the presence of asbestos in some of its talc powders.

What convinced me were all of the internal Johnson & Johnson documents, she said. They said in their own words that they knew there was asbestos but they kept saying, Zero tolerance for asbestos.

In the Los Angeles case, lawyers for Gail Koretoff told a state-court jury in Santa Monica Monday she developed mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos particles in the companys baby powder and other talc products. J&Js lawyers disputed that claim, saying years of tests found none of the carcinogen in the products.

The company has also won recent defense verdicts in cases alleging links between baby powder and mesothelioma, including the one Wednesday in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Some of the verdicts include awards against J&Js talc supplier, Imerys America, which filed for bankruptcy protection in February.

In the New Jersey case, the jury unanimously found that J&Js talc didnt contain asbestos and wasnt responsible for plaintiff Ricardo Rimondi developing mesothelioma. Rimondi was disappointed with the jurys decision, particularly in light of the overwhelming scientific and documentary evidence supporting allegations that J&Js talc products are tainted with asbestos, Monica Cooper, one of his attorneys, said in an emailed message.

The Oklahoma case is Pipes v. Johnson & Johnson, CJ-2017-3487, District Court, Oklahoma Co., Oklahoma (Oklahoma City). The California case is Koretoff v. Arkema Inc., No. BC656506, Superior Court of California for the County of Los Angeles (Santa Monica) The New Jersey case is Rimondi v. BASF Catalysts, L-002912-17, Superior Court, Middlesex Co., New Jersey.

Copyright 2021 Bloomberg.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- When two Iceland-based airlines announced they would start flying from Cleveland in 2018, there were many people who werent sure they could both succeed.

But I was confident that at least one would.

What a disappointing few months its been for Cleveland fans of international air travel. First Wow Air, in October, announces it wont return to Cleveland. Then this week, Icelandair pulls the plug, citing an aircraft shortage with the Boeing 737 Max 8 out of commission.

Im beginning to think we have terrible luck when it comes to transatlantic service.

Before this recent Iceland experiment, the last time Cleveland Hopkins scored a new transatlantic route was 2008, when Continental Airlines started service to Paris. That route lasted just four months, doomed by the Great Recession and skyrocketing gas prices.

Related: Icelandair cancels service from Cleveland, cites Boeing 737 Max 8 woes

This time, Cleveland gets caught in the middle of two battling Icelandic competitors, each made weaker because of the war. (Wow Air, in fact, announced it was shutting down on Thursday, leaving thousands of travelers in Europe and the U.S. stranded.)

The final blow: Icelandairs reliance on the Boeing 737 Max 8 plane, which has been indefinitely grounded after two catastrophic crashes in recent months. A spokesman for Icelandair said issues related to the Max were the main reason for canceling the Cleveland route.

I have no doubt that another airline will step up, eventually. Aer Lingus, the Ireland-based airline, was in town earlier this month talking to airport officials and business leaders about the possibility of Cleveland service.

In the meantime, expect airfares to Europe to increase dramatically this summer, thanks to the decrease in competition.

Last summer, the two Iceland carriers transported more than 55,000 people to and from Cleveland -- thats a lot of demand for service to Europe.

True, many Clevelanders, business travelers especially, I suspect, are still too tied to United Airlines, thanks to mileage programs and other perks, to make the switch. But I think there are enough of us willing to try these new options, especially at the right price.

I flew both Iceland carriers during their first month of operation here, and had positive experiences on each.

I do wish Icelandair, especially, could have figured out a way to stick it out in Cleveland -- by shuffling planes around, renting equipment, something. (Maybe its not so easy to shuffle planes around?)

An industry consultant I talked with this week speculated that Icelandair might be using the Max 8s problems as a reason to get rid of an underperforming Cleveland route. But I dont think so. A day after the Cleveland announcement, the carrier canceled service to Halifax, Canada, also flown on a Max 8.

And Icelandair is keeping service in Kansas City (at least as of this writing), which didnt perform as well as the Cleveland route (according to its load factor -- the percentage of available seats that it filled). That route is served by a different airplane, the Boeing 757, which has not been pulled from the skies.

Besides, if Icelandairs Cleveland route was underperforming -- and Icelandair officials never said that it was -- it might be partially because the carrier initially promised year-round service, then cut it back to summer-only, thus ticking off thousands of travelers who had to be rebooked.

In any case, the route was certain to get stronger in 2019, with Wow out of the way.

The competition between Icelandair and Wow last year in Cleveland absolutely kept airfares artificially low. (And if you didnt take advantage of those great fares, figuring theyd be around for a little longer, then Im truly sorry.)

Icelandair should have reasonably expected a boost in both seats sold and fares this summer.

Will Icelandair be back in Cleveland? I dont know -- indeed, I dont know if they know. That might depend on whether another carrier steps up in Cleveland.

The same market forces that attracted both Icelandair and Wow to Cleveland are still at play. During the first nine months of 2018, an average of 280 people a day traveled from Cleveland Hopkins to Europe, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. That seems like more than enough to fill up one 160-passenger plane.

Icelandair, financially bruised from its battle with Wow, appears to be scaling back from its recent period of heady growth. A new chief executive officer, Bogi Nils Bogason, the airlines former chief financial officer, took over in late 2018. He seems to be taking a more conservative approach to expansion.

In the meantime, this is what I hope: that another carrier takes a chance on Cleveland, that the business community steps up with increased financial support, and, most of all, that Clevelands lousy luck with transatlantic service finally comes to an end.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  A new City Council panel will examine how Cleveland can protect Lake Erie, the citys water source, gathering information on issues such as toxic algal blooms and underwater dead zones.

Council President Kevin Kelley announced formation of the subcommittee Wednesday, saying Cleveland needs to be ready as the problems often associated with the lakes Western Basin move east.

A large algal bloom put Toledos water supply in jeopardy in 2014, prompting warnings to residents to not drink, bathe or brush their teeth with tap water for three days.
COLUMBIA TOWNSHIP, Ohio -- Carmelita and I met when I walked into a pet store in June 2012 and saw the little guinea pig sitting in a cage looking terrified. I picked her up and she shyly buried her head under my collar, trembling. It was love at first sight, and I knew that this frightened, tri-colored beauty needed to come home with me.

She has had an interesting life, including giving birth to three sons, then being paired with different female friends whose company she always enjoyed. Now, she is paired with her remaining son, Carmine, with only a clear plastic divider separating them.

They watch each other all day and eat at the same time, snooze at the same time and often lie nose to nose against the divider.

Its dinnertime for Carmine, left, and his mom, Carmelita. (Photo Courtesy of Karen Siiman)

Carmelita is a happy-go-lucky guinea pig. She is nearly 7 years old; that would convert to over 100 human years, but she still acts like a 3-year-old.

She chatters and purrs when I pick her up and cant wait for couch/TV time every night for a snuggle, followed by exercise time. She is mischievous and always looks for a chance to run somewhere that she knows she shouldnt be.

She has battled some chronic health issues, and takes medications every day, but is a plucky pig that perseveres. She is a joy, and Im so glad she and Carmine are a part of my life.

Carmelita never has a bad day, no matter what, and can teach all of us a lesson about cherishing every moment.

Karen L. Siiman,

Columbia Township
BAINBRIDGE TOWNSHIP, Ohio -- Vandalism, Bainbrook Drive: A man reported on March 24 that his neighbors kids had egged his house.

Suspicious, Market Place Drive: Police arrested a woman wanted by Garfield Heights police at 4 p.m. March 24 after a caller reported an older woman and a child stopping traffic in the shopping center parking lot to beg for money. The caller was concerned for the girl, because the woman called her by different names and the child seemed upset. The girls father was found inside the store.

Theft, Market Place Drive: A man attempted to steal a TV at 6:19 p.m. March 23 from Walmart. He left it and fled the store when confronted by an employee. Police were unable to find him.

Suspicious, Giles Road: A motorist was followed at 8:41 p.m. March 21 and the offending vehicle pulled next to hers and threw garbage at her before flashing headlights and attempting to cut her off in traffic. She described the vehicle as being covered in Cleveland Cavaliers logos. Police were unable to locate the vehicle.

Trespassing, Aurora Road: Three people were reported on March 17 to be living in the woods near the shopping center. Officers found a hut and clothing, but no people.

Suspicious, Spring Valley Park Drive: Police received multiple calls at 10:16 p.m. March 18 about a white pickup truck doing burn-outs in a residential development and driving fast up and down the road.

A responding officer arrested the male driver. The driver was charged with underage consumption of alcohol, operating a vehicle while intoxicated and marijuana possession.
SOLON, Ohio -- Its been a big month of setting the table for restaurants and retail at the Planning Commission and City Council, which could have a full plate for Mondays meeting (April 1).

First reading was already given on March 18 to two Growth and Revitalization Incentive Program (GRIP) grants:

 Yours Truly of Solon Inc. for build-out of the former Donatos Pizza and Daves Cosmic Subs on Kruse Drive

 Solon Ohio Retail LLC and TLM Realty Holdings, as the owners of the Sears Grand property on SOM Center Road, to help make improvements to the site for Aldi Foods and Hobby Lobby.

The Planning Commission on Tuesday (March 26) also recommended a series of variances for the new Aldi store, Yours Truly and a new Wendys in the old Pizza Hut on Aurora Road.

All of these items may be on City Councils Monday (April 1) agenda, when the GRIP grants could be considered, as well.

Planning Commission Chairman E. Macke Bentley IV said he was impressed with the Western Reserve architecture that is prevalent in all of the plans.

Earth Day, Drug Take-Back Day

Meanwhile, the Solon Service Department will host its annual Earth Day celebration on April 28, with paper shredding, E-scrap disposal and discounts on bagged mulch.

The observance is actually closer to Arbor Day on April 26, part of the reason for an additional tree seedling giveaway -- while supplies last, City Service Director Tom Bandiera noted.

For residents only, the event will be held from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Service Garage, 6600 Cochran Road, with a limit of 10 bags of mulch, due to high demand, to be sold on a first-come, first-served basis.

The discounted prices of $2 a bag -- $1 for Solon seniors -- will only be in effect on April 28, when service department staff will load the bagged mulch into customers cars.

For the Earth Day Community Paper Shred, there will be a limit of three banker's boxes.

The service department helps keep Solon sustainable and on the cutting edge of new programs, the citys website states.

Meanwhile, the city will also host its Dont Be the Dealer Drug Take-Back Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 27 at the Solon Senior Center, 35000 Portz Parkway.

This will give people the opportunity to drop off their unwanted prescription drugs so they can be properly and safely disposed of.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  A Cleveland man is accused of setting fire to a womans sweatshirt and threatening to ignite her TV and car if she did not give him money.

Blake B. Davis, 30, is charged with aggravated arson in the incident at a home on Cleveland Avenue near St. Clair Avenue, according to court records.

He waived his right to a preliminary hearing during his arraignment Saturday in Cleveland Municipal Court. The case was bound over to a Cuyahoga County grand jury.

Davis remains in custody at the Cuyahoga County Jail on $50,000 bond, court records say.

A 35-year-old woman reported March 21 that Davis threatened to destroy her property if she did not give him money. She said Davis was at her home with her two children, and she was concerned for their safety, according to a police report.

Davis answered the door when Cleveland police officers went to the home just before 6 p.m. Officers detained him while they checked on the children, who were unharmed and watching TV, the police report says.

Davis told the officers he was destroying his own property because it had been infested with bed bugs. He said he set fire to a sweatshirt in a bathtub, then threw the remnants away in a trash bag, police reports say.

The woman arrived home and showed the officers the threatening text messages and videos. Davis threatened in the text messages to set fire to the womans clothes, TV and car if she did not give him money, court records say.

He also sent the woman a video showing the sweatshirt on fire in the bathtub, court records say.

The officers found the burnt sweatshirt and seized it as evidence. They took photographs of the sweatshirt and the bathtub.

Investigators also notified the Cuyahoga County Department of Children and Family Services about the incident.

To comment on this story, visit Thursdays crime and courts comments page.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  A 55-year-old man died early Wednesday after being shot in Clevelands Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood, police said.

No arrests have been made in connection with the shooting, which occurred just after 3:30 a.m. on Colgate Avenue near West 73rd Street, police said.

A witness called 911 to report a man lying on the sidewalk. Cleveland police officers found him with a gunshot wound to the abdomen, police reports say.

The man died after an ambulance took him to MetroHealth. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiners Office has not yet released his name.

The witness who called 911 said he saw the shooter run from the scene. Officers searched the area but could not find the shooter.

Investigators learned the man was shot outside a home that was abandoned, police said.

Homicide detectives are investigating the shooting.

To comment on this story, visit Wednesdays crime and courts comments page.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  You know those political rallies packed with cheering fans supporting politicians and candidates? Or those protests to express outrage?

Few people actually attend, at least lately, according to new statewide polling in Ohio.

Only 1-in-20 Ohioans report having attended a political event, rally or organized protest since the 2016 presidential election, Baldwin Wallace University found in polling adults across Ohio.

Among the 1,361 Ohioans surveyed, 90.7 percent said they have not attended such an event since the last presidential election versus 5.4 percent who said they have done so.

For some reason, 3.8 percent said they were unsure if they had gone to one of these events.

Among the few people surveyed who attended rallies or protests, about twice as many said the events were in opposition to President Trump or his policies than in support. But so few people were in this sample that it is difficult to draw a conclusion form the polling.

But most people surveyed did say they are paying attention to politics. Asked how much they are paying attention since Trumps election:

43.6 percent said more so.

41.3 percent said about the same.

10.7 percent said less so.

The margin of error is plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.

This is the last of a series of stories about questions asked in a poll designed by Baldwin Wallace political science students. The poll was conducted in conjunction with BWs Community Research Institute, which has extensive experience in scientific public opinion polling.

Read about other findings published at this link
BARBERTON, Ohio  A missing 3-year-old girl was found unharmed Wednesday night in Akron after police say she was taken earlier in the evening by her biological mother, who does not have legal custody.

Police did not say where Ellie May Ludwig and her mother, Melissa Ludwig, 38, were found in Akron.

Barberton police had been concerned Ellie May could be in jeopardy, saying her mother has substantial issues.

Ellie May reportedly was taken around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday from a resident on 7th Street N.W. in Barberton.

Police the mother was seen at a Barberton Save-A-Lot store shortly after Ellie May was reported missing, but the child was not seen.

The incident remains under investigation.

To comment on this story, visit Wednesdays crime and courts comments page.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  The Cleveland Foundation this month pledged to give $17 million to support educational, environmental, community and economic development efforts in Northeast Ohio.

Winners include Cleveland Neighborhood Progress, which will receive a $5 million three-year grant to implement its strategic plan. NewBridge, which provides workforce training, will receive $800,000.

The grant recipients also include:

College Now Greater Cleveland Inc. $600,000

Manufacturing Advocacy & Growth Network $415,000

LAND studio Inc. $408,500

Youth Opportunities Unlimited $400,000

Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland $400,000

Ohio Environmental Council $371,600

Cleveland State University Foundation $250,247

Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry $250,000

United Black Fund of Greater Cleveland, Inc. $200,000

Care Alliance Health Center $200,000

Greater Cleveland Volunteers $180,000

Cuyahoga Community College Foundation $172,107

TECH CORPS Ohio $125,000

Building Hope In The City $75,000

The new money brings the Cleveland Foundations total investment in Cuyahoga, Lake and Geauga counties to $31 million this year. Last year, the foundation gave out a record $100.2 million to non-profits serving those counties.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  A social worker with The Centers for Families and Children raped a client after he told the mentally ill woman that she needed to perform a sex act on him as part of her treatment, according to court records.

Gamalier Felicie, 44, is charged with rape, sexual battery and lesser offenses. A Cuyahoga County grand jury handed up the indictment on Wednesday.

Felicie was released from the Cuyahoga County Jail after posting 10 percent of a $75,000 bond. He is scheduled for arraignment on April 10.

No attorney is listed for Felicie in court records and he did not return a message left at his home.

The incident happened Jan. 25 at The Centers for Families and Children on Detroit Avenue and West 59th Street. The organization provides a number of social services, including mental-health counselling, according to its website.

Elizabeth Newman, the president and CEO of Circle Health Serives and The Centers for Families and Children, said in a statement that officials with the organization were first made aware of the incident on Feb. 1.

Felicie was placed on leave that day. Newman said he has no more interactions with clients and, if convicted, the accusations would be grounds for his firing.

Newman said her organization reported the incident to Cleveland police, the Ohio Department of Mental Health, the Ohio Counselor Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board and Addiction Services and the Alcohol, Drug Addiction, Mental Health Services Board of Cuyahoga County.

The safety and well-being of our clients is always our highest priority, she said in a statement.

Felicie about 10:45 a.m. that day met with a 37-year-old client with mental-health issues, according to court records.

Felicie during the meeting told the woman that sexual conduct was necessary for mental-health treatment purposes, according to the indictment.
WOODVILLE TOWNSHIP, Ohio  A man and woman from Vermilion have died and another man was seriously injured after their vehicle was struck by a tractor-trailer, the State Highway Patrol reports.

Dorothy Carpenter, 81, died of her injuries Wednesday at Toledo Hospital, troopers say. Golden Carpenter, 71, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash Sunday morning in Woodville Township in Sandusky County.

According to troopers, a 2017 Ford Fusion driven by Golden Carpenter pulled into the path of a westbound semi at the intersection of U.S. 20 and Ohio 51 at 9:54 a.m. Sunday.

The semi, a 2104 Kenworth tractor-trailer driven by a 42-year-old Toledo man, hit the drivers side of the Fusion, with both vehicles ending up in the turn lanes of U.S. 20 west of the intersection.

A third person in the Fusion, Richard Carpenter, was flown to UTMC Hospital in Toledo with serious injuries, troopers say.

The driver of the Kenworth was treated at Bay Park Hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.

Troopers say alcohol is not considered a factor in the crash and that everyone involved was wearing seatbelts.

The crash remains under investigation.

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CLEVELAND, Ohio  Cuyahoga County Councilman Dale Miller said he will announce his 2020 re-election bid on Thursday night at the Lakewood Democratic Club.

Miller, a Democrat, represents County Council District 2, which encompasses most of Cleveland Ward 16, all of Ward 17 and the cities of Brook Park and Lakewood. Hes served in that role since 2011, when he was elected to the inaugural County Council following the voter-approved switch to a charter form of county government.

Five of the 11 County Council members will be up for re-election next year. All council members serve four-year terms. No one has publicly announced a challenge to his bid, Miller said Thursday.

Miller, 70, is chair of the Finance and Budgeting Committee, vice chair of the Public Works, Procurement and Contracting Committee, and a member of the committees overseeing human resources, heath, human services and aging, and council operations, intergovernmental relations and public transportation.

In a news release announcing his candidacy, Miller touted his role as prime sponsor in the charter amendment, passed by voters last fall, that grants subpoena power to the inspector general and cementing the offices authority in the county charter.

He also noted his authorship of financial-reporting legislation that helped reveal that missing paperwork prevented the county from accurately accounting for millions of dollars in economic development loans.

I have played a leading role in creating the tools that county government is using to find and correct ethical problems but there is a lot more to be done and I wish to continue this work, Miller said in the release.

Millers career began in 1979 on Cleveland City Council, where he served until 1997. He then served in Ohio House from 1997 to 2006, and in the Ohio Senate from 2006-2010.

Miller said his campaign will reflect positive post-Trump American politics. He supports bail reform, treatment rather than jail for those who are mentally ill and addicted, local action on climate change, expansion of early childhood education, improved strategies for workforce development and curtailing single-use plastic bags, Miller said.
WALTERBORO, South Carolina  A fifth-grader who got into a fight with a classmate at an elementary school has died from her injuries, according to reports.

RaNiya Wright, 10, was flown to a hospital in Charleston, S.C., after she was injured in the fight Monday at Forest Hills Elementary School, Fox Carolina reports.

She will be missed greatly by her family, friends, and the entire school community, says a statement from Colleton County School District, USA Today reports. Our entire school district is saddened by this event. It is very difficult to experience the death of a young person.

Wright reportedly collapsed after the fight at the school. She was unconscious but breathing when EMS workers arrived at the school.

The other student involved in the fight has been suspended as the district investigates the incident, ABC News reports.

An autopsy on Wright is scheduled for Friday.

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CLEVELAND, Ohio  The audience in a small theater of the St. Vincent Charity Medical Center Monday evening may have been a diverse assortment of races, ages and lifestyles, but they shared one thing in common.

Addiction, or substance use disorder.

Some were clients of Rosary Hall, the hospitals addiction treatment center. Some were caretakers, family or friends of recovering addicts.

And in the right hands, addiction can be funny  at least when it comes to misplaced stereotypes. And painful. Sad. Frightening. And sobering in so many senses of the word.

Those right hands belong to the Improbable Players, a theatrical troupe of actors recovering from substance use disorder, be it alcohol or drugs, who employ humor, drama and honesty to present programs of education and support.

The group was founded 35 years ago in Boston and now consists of touring troupes in New England, New York, New Jersey and Cleveland  a seven-member ensemble that just started last year and staged its debut performance at St. Vincent.

The Improbable Players mission statement is: To set the stage for prevention by educating the public about addiction and recovery through dramatic performances and theater workshops  presented by actors who are in long-term recovery from addictions  that help people recognize situations in their own lives and seek the help they need.

Performances of four plays are held in schools (from sixth grade up), treatment centers, conferences and community events. The nonprofit group charges a fee based on the type of program presented.

The plays have a common theme, according to Karen Snyder, a Wooster native and Ohio regional director of the Improbable Players, who performed with the Boston troupe and brought the concept to Northeast Ohio when she moved back here.

The common theme is substance use disorder and reaching out for help when you know that you cant do it anymore, she said.

Also prevention education, she added. These stories are about people who have gone down the road of addiction and alcoholism, and we want people to know that they dont have to do this.

The group is called the Improbable Players because its unlikely wed be here today, given where we came from a few short years ago, according to Snyder.

A theatrical presentation is an effective way of getting their message across, Snyder said.

Theater really engages audiences, especially the way in which we have written the plays, she explained. We start off a little bit lighthearted, using satire to show the misconceptions of substance use disorder, and then we delve into the real honest, really painful elements of substance use disorder.

Mondays play, Ill Never Do That, told the story of a family coping with a mothers descent into alcoholism and eventual recovery.

Murmurs of recognition and nods of remembrance swept through the audience at certain scenes or lines such as, I can quit anytime. I just. Dont. Want. To.

Or, shes not an alcoholic, she just drinks too much, drew a sad chuckle.

A knowing mmmmmmm arose when the son in the play accidentally dropped a pack of drugs, exposing his addiction.

During a question-and-answer session following the performance, one woman in recovery asked how she should handle family members who were still using drugs.

Cast member Christina Strong, in advising the woman to keep her distance, offered a familiar adage, you hang around the barber shop long enough . . .

You get a haircut, the audience chimed in.

Each cast member told their personal story of addiction and recovery.

Snyder recalled hitting bottom with her drinking addiction in Boston. I knew I couldnt keep living the way I was living. I knew I was going to die," she said. "I had two family members that were in recovery, so I reached out to them, and getting sober has been a real blessing for me.

Actor Connor Drake also noted, Sobriety has just been asking for help, over and over and over again, and it could be really annoying, but its incredibly rewarding.

The fact that the actors shared a bond with recovering members of the audience was one of the characteristics of the Improbable Players that prompted Orlando Howard, Rosary Hall director of outpatient treatment services, to invite the troupe to perform.

Also the fact that they are very interested in reducing the stigma associated with alcoholism and drug addiction, he said. I thought this would be a wonderful idea for not just our clients here at St. Vincent Charity Medical Center, but also our caregivers here.

Howard said their clients could benefit from that nights play in gaining a better understanding that theyre not alone when it comes to how alcoholism affects the family, because thats what this play is about.

Two of those clients, who preferred using only their first names, also believed the performance could help people in recovery.

They were awesome, Pamela said regarding the Improbable Players. They brought back a lot of memories when I was using, and some of the things that I went through.

Its very emotional, and at the end it was very happy, she added. I was very happy at the end because everybody had found recovery and theyre doing great, and thats where I am at in my recovery.

She also liked how the play showed the way other family members, they suffer and go through the hurt and the pain as well.

And she thought the performance would encourage people who know someone with a substance use disorder to reach out to them, and let them know that theres help out there.

Marnette said, I thought it was beautiful. It hit a lot of feelings, you know, when I was growing up, the confusion in the home, the alcoholic parents. I can identify with it all.

Orlando Howard was pleased with the results.

What I learned from this play were a lot of people that became friends through their substance abuse disorder, he said. And when I think of the word friends and Improbable Players, I think of this  friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.

(A link to future public performances of the Cleveland Improbable Players has been set up at www.improbableplayers.or/calendar. Additional information can be made by contacting the Cleveland Improbable Players, P.O. Box 175, North Olmsted, OH 44070, or karen@improbableplayers.org.)
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland State University has a new partnership with a recruiter to bring more international students to Cleveland and provide job opportunities after graduation.

Shorelight Education connects international students seeking an American education with universities. Cleveland State University will join more than 15 universities already working with Shorelight, including the University of Dayton, the University of Mississippi, the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Massachusetts.

CSU hopes for more than 300 students when the program reaches full capacity. The university and Shorelight will split tuition for the students first year, minus recruiting costs Shorelight charges. As the student progresses, Shorelight will receive a much smaller percentage of the tuition, though officials did not specify how much.

The 2018-19 tuition for international students at CSU -- without fees and at 12 credit hours per semester -- is about $15,627.

Thats more expensive than both out-of-state students and in-state students. In-state tuition at the same credit hour level without fees comes out to about $10,387, according to an online fee schedule.

CSU will keep money from fees and housing.

At the University of Illinois at Chicago, a partnership with Shorelight helped bolster the university to its fourth-straight year of record international student enrollment, reported Crains Chicago Business.

"Cleveland State has long been an anchor for the city of Cleveland, helping to promote educational and economic growth for our community, CSU President Harlan Sands said in a press release.

(This partnership will) establish CSU as a beacon institution for students from around the world, bringing an even richer diversity of viewpoints and experiences into our classrooms, communities and places of work.

Shorelight recruits international students, but also guides them through application and enrollment. The company offers continued support so that universities can retain these students through graduation. At UIC, Shorelight students have a 90-percent first-year retention rate, according to Crains.

Theres an additional factor to the CSU-Shorelight partnership in Cleveland. The Cleveland Partnership is working with local companies to connect Shorelight graduates with jobs.

Programs begin in the fall of 2019.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  The National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus will offer a National Vietnam War Veterans Day ceremony on March 29 at 9:30 a.m.

The day honors the 9 million Americans who served during that conflict.

The free program, held in the Great Hall of the museum, 300 West Broad Street, will feature remarks by retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Ferriter, museum president and CEO.

A color guard, playing of taps and brief reception also will be included.

Registration for the event can be made through: https://www.showclix.com/event/vietnam-veterans
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Last year, Cuyahoga County saw a decrease in drug overdose deaths for the first time in nearly a decade, creating a sense of cautious optimism among authorities working to curtail the opioid epidemic.

Deaths attributed to fentanyl, the opioid that served as the primary driver of fatal overdoses, declined by 18 percent. Heroin-related deaths dropped even more significantly, by 36 percent, officials said earlier this year. But last years total 560 overdose deaths still notably outpaced the years preceding the current opioid epidemic.

Fentanyl remains the focal point of the opioid epidemic, but another drug has emerged as a factor in an increasing number of overdose deaths: cocaine.

Statistics from the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiners Office show the drug was a factor in 45 percent of all fatal overdoses last year, the highest percentage in more than a decade.

Experts believe drug dealers mix fentanyl and cocaine to expand the fentanyl market beyond opioid users. Cocaine users, though, are at a substantial risk for overdose death if theyre unaware the drug is being mixed with the powerful opioid, U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said.

I cant say this enough: You think youre buying cocaine, but youre not. Youre buying fentanyl, Herdman said in a meeting with cleveland.com editors and reporters. You dont know what youre getting, and thats the point. When you talk about hundreds of people dying from cocaine thats mixed with fentanyl, theres clearly a problem thats not just traced to one particular supplier. Its across the board.

Most heroin users assume that some amount of fentanyl has been mixed with their drugs to make it seem more potent, but that level of awareness doesnt exist among cocaine users, Herdman added.

Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner Thomas Gilson said drug mixtures, such as a fentanyl-cocaine combination, are more common than they were 10 years ago. He also attributed their pervasiveness to drug dealers trying to increase their customer base.

Its a mistake to think that people who distribute drugs are dumb people. Theyre very much attuned to business. Its just a bad business, Gilson said. But theyre very much aware of trends.

Fentanyl is now being added to everything, said Carole Negus, the nursing director at Stella Maris, a Cleveland mental health and addiction treatment center. She said drug mixtures increase the level of danger for the average drug user buying on the street.

Its really kind of a crapshoot when theyre out there, what theyre getting, she said.

The combining of fentanyl and cocaine has shifted the demographics of cocaine-related overdose deaths in Cuyahoga County, statistics show.

Cocaine becoming more prevalent in Cuyahoga County overdose deaths

In the five-year period from 2011 to 2015, cocaine was a factor in 30 to 35 percent of Cuyahoga Countys drug overdose deaths. But its prevalence grew to 39 percent in 2016, 41 percent in 2017 and 45 percent last year, according to statistics from the medical examiners office.

This is a trend that is starting to get more play nationally, but weve seen this in our county for a couple of years, Gilson said.

Preliminary 2018 statistics from other Northern Ohio counties with large cities show a wide range in the percentage of overdose deaths involving cocaine.

In Mahoning County, which includes Youngstown, the drug was a factor in half of all fatal overdoses in 2018. That represented an increase over 2017, when cocaine was a factor in 44 percent of Mahoning Countys overdose deaths.

But deaths attributed to cocaine or a mixture of cocaine and fentanyl were not as prevalent elsewhere. In Stark County, which includes Canton, it factored into 21 percent of overdose deaths last year; in Summit County, which includes Akron, it was a factor in 19 percent.

In Lorain County, which has been described as an epicenter for Northeast Ohios opioid epidemic, cocaine was detected in 54 percent of overdose deaths in 2018, preliminary statistics show. Cocaine was detected in half of Lorain Countys overdose deaths in 2017.

The state isnt homogenous, Gilson said. The southern part of the state has had different phases of things, and in some ways, their [drug] trends have set the precedent for what weve seen. They saw fentanyl before we did.

In fact, Columbus Franklin County and Cincinnatis Hamilton County have struggled more with methamphetamine than cocaine in recent years, said Beth Zietlow-DeJesus, the director of external affairs for the Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board of Cuyahoga County.

Cocaine-fentanyl mixtures killed more people last year in Cuyahoga County than heroin-fentanyl mixtures, statistics show.

Fentanyl mixtures are changing the demographics of overdose deaths

Historically in Cuyahoga County, opioid deaths have had the most severe impact among white people, and in suburban communities, Gilson said. Cocaine, on the other hand, has largely been linked to overdose deaths among African-Americans, and in urban communities.

But cocaine-fentanyl mixtures have caused a massive shift in the demographic data, the medical examiners office statistics show.

Were starting to see a rise in fentanyl deaths among African-Americans, but were also seeing more cocaine in the fentanyl deaths among the white, suburban residents, Gilson said. Now, as those two interface, we start to see more deaths, period.

In each year from 2006 to 2012, African-Americans accounted for more than half of all cocaine-related overdose deaths, including a peak of 66 percent in 2007. That percentage has dropped precipitously in the years since, falling to just 30 percent last year.

African-Americans accounted for 21 percent of all fentanyl deaths last year; the percentage had ranged from 15 percent to 27 percent in the four prior years. Even so, Gilson said he thinks the drugs impact on the African-American community is the most significant demographic shift in recent years, because fentanyl is more lethal than cocaine.

Fentanyl test strips, like the one shown here, have helped people identify if heroin is being mixed with fentanyl. Cuyahoga County officials are hopeful they can also be used to identify fentanyl mixed with cocaine. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)AP

Detecting cocaine-fentanyl mixtures before they kill

Officials said there are two major components to preventing more cocaine-related deaths: Informing people of the risk, and giving them the means of detecting fentanyl.

Were at least trying to make people aware that the fentanyl could be in the cocaine, so they can test it, ADAMHS Board CEO Scott Osiecki said.

The ADAMHS Boards 2019 budget included $15,000 for the Care Alliance Health Center to buy and distribute fentanyl test strips, which can be used to detect the drug when it is mixed with cocaine, heroin and other substances. Care Alliance, a nonprofit community health center, has four locations in Cleveland.

The agency is also planning a grassroots effort to get the fentanyl test strips into the community. Details of the plan have not been released, but officials will likely try to get the strips into places like bus stations, public libraries, recreation centers and bar bathrooms, Zietlow-DeJesus said.

Herdman said his office is also on board with the effort to get the fentanyl test strips into the community. But getting people to test their cocaine could be a challenge, because the strips are designed to test liquids; a person would need to add water to their cocaine to test it.

Its easier for someone to use a fentanyl test strip if theyre going to shoot something in a syringe, because its already liquified, Herdman said. We have a harder sales job to do with a powdered cocaine user.

Officials are optimistic that public awareness campaigns, fentanyl test strips, and other initiatives will make a difference, similar to the way they helped to decrease heroin overdose deaths in 2018. But Negus said there could be another deterrent: the carnage dangerous drug mixtures are causing every day on the streets.

I have people that come into my unit and say I had to come in. All my friends have died, she said. I think thats probably the biggest deterrent.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday voted to reject President Donald Trumps ban on transgender troops and urge the Defense Department to allow qualified transgender Americans to serve in the armed forces.

The resolution to oppose the policy Trump announced via Twitter in July 2017 passed by a 238 to 185 vote, with support from all the legislative bodys Democrats and five Republicans. All Ohios Republicans voted to support the ban.

Niles Democrat Tim Ryan was among eight Congress members who didnt vote. A Ryan spokesman said he supported the resolution and missed the vote because of miscommunication over its timing.

The resolutions backers said Trumps prohibition of transgender military service is based on ignorance and bigotry and would harm national security by preventing otherwise qualified Americans from serving. They noted that all five military Chiefs of Staff have publicly testified that allowing transgender troops didnt hurt military readiness and that organizations like the American Medical Association and the American Psychological Association oppose the ban. They likened Trumps stance to past claims that African Americans should not be allowed to serve in military units alongside Caucasians.

Prejudice, not patriotism, guides his decisions, said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow......  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2017

Republicans noted that many Americans cant serve in the armed forces for reasons including bunions and asthma, and argued the medical care transgender people require would interfere with their military jobs. The top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, Texan Mac Thornberry, said the measure is a messaging bill rather than legislation that actually does something on a substantive issue.

Military service is a privilege, not a right, said GOP Rep. Vicky Hartzler of Missouri.

The transgender troop ban is scheduled to go into effect on April 12, after a federal appeals court struck struck down an injunction that blocked it. Trump announced the policy in July 2017, citing tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail.

....Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military. Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming.....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2017
COLUMBUS, Ohio  The Ohio Department of Health is investigating a suspicious letter sent to Gov. Mike DeWines office, according to the Ohio Highway Patrol.

Around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, a letter in the mailroom of the Vern Riffe Center, the downtown Columbus high rise where DeWines offices are located, was determined to be suspicious, Ohio Highway Patrol Lt. Robert Sellers said.

Sellers said he didnt know what exactly was inside the letter to make someone determine it was suspicious.

The state health department wouldnt take the letter unless it was cleared by a hazardous materials team. Columbus Fire Departments hazmat team was called to Capitol Square.

There was no hazmat incident, Sellers said.

The letter is now with the health department, which will determine its contents, he said.
COLUMBUS, Ohio  Ohio Gov. Mike DeWines administration is reviewing whether a Wednesday federal court decision, which struck down efforts to impose work requirements on Medicaid patients in Arkansas and Kentucky, will affect their own plans to impose similar requirements here, a spokesman said Thursday.

The spokesman, Dan Tierney, said the governors office and the state Department of Medicaid are reviewing the twin rulings from Judge James Boasberg of the U.S. District Court for Washington, D.C.

Its too early to make any determinations given that the decision came out yesterday, Tierney said. The rulings, he pointed out, deal with those states work requirements, not those that are being developed here.

The judges decision doesnt directly affect or put a halt to Ohios efforts to set up its program, which the state aims to do by 2021. President Donald Trumps administration on March 15 gave Ohio written permission  referred to as waivers  to impose the work requirements. State officials have said the change is needed to encourage people toward greater self sufficiency and to control the expensive programs growing costs.

But Graham Bowman, an attorney with the Ohio Poverty Law Center, which advocates for the poor and opposes Medicaid work requirements, said the decision could be a preview of what a judge may say if Ohios program ends up in court someday.

The central component of Boasbergs rulings  that the coverage losses resulting from work requirements in Arkansas and Kentucky run counter to the legal purpose of Medicaid, which is to provide health-care coverage to the poor  could apply to anything Ohio attempts, Bowman said.

This isnt really the last word on work requirements, but based on the decision yesterday, Ohio should be nervous whether its even possible for the waiver to be approved, because of the core issue of it leading to coverage losses, Bowman said.

Ohio is seeking to require those who got health coverage under Medicaid expansion to work at least 20 hours a week, or to perform community service, job training, or other work-related activities.

There would be exceptions, including for those who are 50 or older, who are active caregivers or who are enrolled in other programs like SNAP (food stamps.)

Medicaid expansion refers to a portion of Obamacare that in 2011 extended eligibility for Medicaid, the state and federally run health insurance program for the poor and disabled, for people making up to 138 percent of federal poverty guidelines, or $25,100 for a family of four.

About 613,000 Ohioans were enrolled under Medicaid expansion in February, of which the state estimates around 109,000 may be subject to work requirements, according to testimony state Medicaid Director Maureen Corcoran gave to the state House Finance Committee this month. Medicaid enrollment numbers are trending down overall in Ohio, which officials credit to an improving economy. Under the DeWine administrations proposed upcoming two-year budget, Medicaid would account for nearly half of the states $69 billion in spending.

Similar to what Ohios discussed, Arkansas, with permission from the Trump administration, in March 2018 required their Medicaid expansion enrollees to perform 80 hours of work or work-related activities per month, with certain exemptions. The move resulted in around 17,000 people losing health care coverage for some period of time after failing to comply with the new requirements. Kentucky since last year has been trying to set up applying work requirements on all its Medicaid enrollees.

But in the pair of rulings on Wednesday, Boasberg, a 2011 appointee of President Barack Obama, struck down Arkansas program, as well as Kentuckys efforts to set one up.

The Trump administration and the states had argued that encouraging poor enrollees to seek work would help them improve their economic conditions, which would also improve their health.

But in both cases, the judge wrote the work requirements were arbitrary and capricious and resulted in tens of thousands of people losing coverage, running counter to the Medicaid programs legally stated main goal, which is to provide health-care coverage to the needy.

Boasberg made a similar ruling last June, which he wrote the states failed to adequately address.

The Trump administration has said it plans to continue to try to impose Medicaid work requirements across the country. Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchison said Thursday that he will seek an expedited appeal of the decision, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

We will continue to defend our efforts to give states greater flexibility to help low-income Americans rise out of poverty, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma said in a statement. We believe, as have numerous past administrations, that states are the laboratories of democracy and we will vigorously support their innovative, state-driven efforts to develop and test reforms that will advance the objectives of the Medicaid program.

In an email, Daniel Dew, a legal fellow with the conservative Buckeye Institute of Columbus, said the main argument against Boasbergs ruling was that the judge substituted his own judgment for that of the federal agency tasked with overseeing Medicaid, and that the fiscal sustainability of Medicaid is consistent with the purposes of Medicaid.

Ohio plans to set up its plan to impose work requirements within the next 90 days. But it doesnt expect for its program to actually be launched until 2021.

Besides Ohio, Arizona, Indiana, Michigan, New Hampshire and Wisconsin all were given permission by the Trump administration earlier this year to add work requirements to their Medicaid programs, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
The raft of investment deals that Italy's leadership has just signed with Beijing as part of its massive Belt and Road program is "nothing to worry about," Italian Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio told CNBC. "We are maximizing all precautionary measures, and I want to tell the U.S., and I will tell them as well in next week's visit, that they are our allies, and that we understand their concerns. But the contents of the MOU (memorandum of understanding) that we are signing tomorrow contains nothing for them to worry about, nothing relating to 5G or any agreement on strategic telecommunications," Di Maio told CNBC's Joumanna Bercetche on Friday just before the signing. Italy on Saturday became the first Group of 7 country to join China's expansive Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), drawing concern from the U.S. and European allies. Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Rome saw a total of 29 deals signed, altogether worth 2.5 billion euros ($2.8 billion). They were focused on agricultural, finance and energy sectors, and opened up new access to the Chinese market for major Italian energy and engineering firms. Western critics warn of Chinese debt traps and describe the initiative as a ploy to expand geopolitical and strategic influence, while Beijing pursues links to Europe and Africa via South Asia and the Middle East to expedite and increase the export of Chinese goods. China and the U.S. are in the process of negotiations to end their protracted trade war, while Washington tries to combat what it sees as a security threat posed by Chinese telecommunications companies, particularly its largest, Huawei. The U.S. says Huawei's role in building 5G internet infrastructure around the world could allow the Chinese government to spy on users, a claim Beijing rejects.

Di Maio, who also serves as minister of economic development and leader of the populist Five Star Movement, stressed that none of the deals discussed over the weekend involved 5G or telecommunications. "On the doubts of the U.S.  who remain our allies, and with whom we remain aligned in the West, in NATO and in the EU  these doubts are more than understandable, and were part of the discussions we have had with the U.S. government, in relation to their 5G concerns," he said. "5G is a strategic infrastructure that we are developing in our country. There are some concerns over the security of these telecommunications  and these are concerns that we share, and which we are addressing with new regulations on the 'golden power'. These are more restrictive and allow us to control the players that will enter the 5G telecommunications market in the coming years."

Protecting strategic industries

Italy's 'golden power' legislation refers to government powers designed to protect strategic industries, which it says it plans to extend to 5G technologies. This would entail requiring Italian companies in both the private and public sectors to declare to the government any 5G technology purchased from non-European countries. Italy's economy fell into recession at the end of 2018, and the collapse of its Genoa Bridge last August drew attention to the dire state of its infrastructure. It has one of the highest levels of debt in the EU, and the audacious spending plans announced by its right-wing government after last year's elections were pared back after disputes with the rest of the EU. Still, the deputy prime minister dismissed notions that his government was aiming for greater Chinese purchases of Italian bonds, and focused on the benefits the deals would bring for Italian businesses. "All the agreements that we are about to sign are based on the possibility of 'Made in Italy' to go to China, for our companies to export to China, after many years where 'Made in China' had been coming to Italy," he said. "We are reversing the trend and rebalancing our trade flows  but there isn't any intent on making any pacts on financial support relating to goods, to the Treasury, or to government bonds." "We are not looking to ask China for help with our government bonds," he added. "Instead, we are looking to advance our own agenda and create more jobs in Italy by increasing our exports to China."
Members of a rescue team search for victims after a tailings dam owned by Brazilian mining company Vale SA collapsed, in Brumadinho, Brazil January 28, 2019.

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazilian iron ore miner Vale on Wednesday announced a series of write downs and provisions related to the Brumadinho tailings dam collapse that killed some 300 people two months ago, saying there would be an affect on future results.

The write downs include $124 million related to the Corrego de Feijao mine where the dam was located, as well Vale's wider array of upstream tailings dams, considered the most vulnerable to collapse and slated for shutdown in the coming years.

Vale, which said its fourth-quarter profits jumped nearly five-fold to $3.786 billion, said emergency indemnification deals struck with local authorities were expected to result in provisions of $260 million to $520 million.

Overall, the company's quarterly results provided little information about the ultimate cost of its second deadly dam disaster in less than four years or about the contours of an expected eventual global settlement between Vale and Brazilian authorities.

"It was a good result, exactly in line with our expectations, but the company didn't disclose any further details related to the accident in terms of the costs and provisions," said Santander analyst Gustavo Allevato. He said he was hoping for more information during the company's two conference calls scheduled for Thursday.

Vale's shares are down about 12 percent since the accident in January, up from a drop of as much as 26 percent in early February as surging global iron ore prices partially offset concerns over potential lawsuits and fines as well as possible management turmoil.

Vale Chief Executive Fabio Schvartsman temporarily stepped down this month under pressure from prosecutors and was replaced by Eduardo Bartolomeu, previously the company's director of base metals.

For all of 2018, Vale reported $6.86 billion in net profit, missing the $7.2 billion mean of estimates by analysts polled by Refinitiv.
Clover Health, an Alphabet-backed health insurer, has long emphasized its commitment to technology to help predict when its members are likely to get sick so the company can intervene before that happens.

But as Clover grows to serve more people, the company is realizing it needs a different kind of expertise, and is focused on people with a background in health insurance and clinical care.

Clover, which has offices in New Jersey and Silicon Valley, is slashing a quarter of its workforce, representing about 140 employees, according to a spokesperson. The job cuts were originally reported by the Wall Street Journal. Clover serves the Medicare Advantage market, providing insurance to seniors across seven states, including South Carolina, New Jersey and Tennessee.

"As Clover enters this new era of growth, we are restructuring some teams in recognition of our need for deep Medicare Advantage skill sets to continue propelling us forward to fully achieve our mission of improving every life," the company said.

Clover said that it's opening an office in Nashville, Tennessee, to recruit health talent from the many health-care companies in the area. San Francisco, where Clover has historically focused its hiring alongside New Jersey, is primarily a hotbed of product managers and software engineers.

"We need to ensure that our focus, the skills of our teams and our cost structure match our mission," it added.

Clover, which was started in 2012 and has raised just shy of $1 billion, previously struggled to meet its customer needs, prompting the company to hire a number of new executives last year. It's since staffed up more in health care, with hires like Shea Helmle, formerly of the health insurer Florida Blue, and Kim Mullins, a longtime health consultant.

"These venture-backed health insurance start-ups are realizing that they do need health-care experience, as it's one of the most complicated, regulated, nuanced parts of the economy," said Ari Gottlieb, a principal at A2 Strategy Group, which specializes in health insurance. "They're competing with the established health plans, which can also invest in tech."

Other venture-backed health plans include Oscar Health, also backed by Alphabet, as well as Devoted Health and Bright Health, which are run by veteran health care executives. Anthem, meanwhile, just hired the former head of Google search to help run its artificial intelligence team.

Here's the full statement from Clover:

Clover Health is in an incredibly strong position, having gone through a recent fundraise as well as adding 35% more members to our popular Medicare Advantage plans in the last 12 months. We have made enormous strides in the last year, leveraging our data platform to drive improved clinical decision making at the point of care for our members. As Clover enters this new era of growth, we are restructuring some teams in recognition of our need for deep Medicare Advantage skill sets to continue propelling us forward to fully achieve our mission of improving every life. To add increasing value to our members' lives and continue building a sustainable business, we need to ensure that our focus, the skills of our teams and our cost structure match our mission. Around 140 current employees will be laid off as part of this process. We are immensely grateful for their contributions  we couldn't have gotten this far without them. But to get Clover to the next level, we need a team that includes new staff with different skills and experience. Clover continues hiring top talent to help fuel our growth and will be opening a new office in Nashville to better tap into the pool of healthcare expertise located in the area.

WATCH: The CEO of Oscar Health is disrupting the health-care system
Former FBI Director James Comey speaks to members of the media at the Rayburn House Office Building after testifying to the House Judiciary and Oversight and Government Reform committees on Capitol Hill December 07, 2018.

Former FBI Director James Comey told NBC News on Wednesday that his 2017 firing by President Donald Trump was "potentially obstruction of justice."

In an exclusive interview on "Nightly News," Lester Holt asked Comey about his reaction to Trump telling the news anchor in May 2017 that he fired the FBI chief at least partly because of the Russia investigation.

"I thought that's potentially obstruction of justice and I hope somebody is gonna look at that," Comey said. "Again the president appears to be saying, I don't know what's in his head  which is why I can't reach the conclusion, what he appears to be saying is, I got rid of this guy to shut down an investigation that threatened me."

At the time he was dismissed, Comey was leading the FBI's investigation of alleged links between Trump's presidential campaign and Russia. Comey's firing led to Robert Mueller's appointment as special counsel of the Russia investigation.

The White House claimed at the time of Comey's firing that it was initiated by the DOJ and as result of his handling of the Hillary Clinton investigation. Two days after Comey's ouster, though, Trump appeared in an interview on NBC News and told Holt he was considering "this Russia thing" when he axed the FBI chief.

On Sunday, Attorney General William Barr disclosed in a letter to Congress that the special counsel didn't make a determination whether the president criminally obstructed justice. The attorney general quoted Mueller's report, which stated that "while this report does not conclude that the president committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him."

Comey said he was surprised that Mueller didn't come to a conclusion on obstruction of justice and left it to the attorney general. He said one of the purposes of a special counsel is to make the tough call and not pass it to political appointees such as the attorney general.

"So the idea that a special counsel wouldn't reach the question and hand it to the political leadership doesn't make sense," he said.

Comey was asked by Holt if he sees the Mueller report as a rebuke of his leadership at the FBI.

"No, I actually see it the other way," Comey said. "It establishes to all people I hope, no matter where they are in the spectrum, that the FBI is not corrupt, not a nest of vipers and spies, but an honest group of people trying to find out what is true."

The fired FBI director also said the probe "had to happen."

"It would have been irresponsible not to investigate. And we don't investigate, despite what the partisans say, to find a particular result. We investigate to find out what's true. And best I can tell, it looks like Bob Mueller was allowed to do that  and that's a great thing," Comey said.

Also, Comey said he didn't know what the special counsel report would reveal when the investigation ended since he was axed while the probe was ongoing.

But Comey said it was a good thing Mueller was able to finish the probe and conclude that "the Russia thing wasn't a hoax" and also that the Russians had "interfered in the election in a huge way. And another piece of good news: the evidence didn't establish that any Americans conspired as part of that effort."
U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry has approved six secret authorizations by companies to sell nuclear power technology and assistance to Saudi Arabia, according to a copy of a document seen by Reuters on Wednesday.

The Trump administration has quietly pursued a wider deal on sharing U.S. nuclear power technology with Saudi Arabia, which aims to build at least two nuclear power plants. Several countries including the United States, South Korea and Russia are in competition for that deal, and the winners are expected to be announced later this year by Saudi Arabia.

Perry's approvals, known as Part 810 authorizations, allow companies to do preliminary work on nuclear power ahead of the deal, but not ship equipment that would go into a plant, a source with knowledge of the agreements said on condition of anonymity. The approvals were first reported by the Daily Beast.

The Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) said in the document that the companies had requested that the Trump administration keep the approvals secret. "In this case, each of the companies which received a specific authorization for (Saudi Arabia) have provided us written request that their authorization be withheld from public release," the NNSA said in the document.

The NNSA and the Department of Energy did not immediately respond to requests for comments.

Many U.S. lawmakers are concerned that sharing nuclear technology with Saudi Arabia could eventually lead to a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told CBS last year that the kingdom would develop nuclear weapons if its rival Iran did. In addition, the kingdom has occasionally pushed back against agreeing to U.S. standards that would block two paths to potentially making fissile material for nuclear weapons clandestinely: enriching uranium and reprocessing spent fuel.

Concern in Congress about sharing nuclear technology and knowledge with Saudi Arabia rose after Oct. 2, 2018 when U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. The Part 810 authorizations were made after November 2017, but it was not clear from the document whether any of them were made after Khashoggi's killing.

Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif., called on Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during a congressional hearing on Wednesday to release the names of the companies that got the approvals by the middle of April, and Pompeo said he would look into it. Sherman also said the Trump administration has attempted to evade Congress on sharing nuclear power with the kingdom. Pompeo said the administration was working to ensure any shared technology nuclear power would not present proliferation risks.

Last month, Democratic House members alleged in a report that top White House aides ignored warnings they could be breaking the law as they worked with former U.S. officials in a group called IP3 International to advance a multibillion-dollar plan to build nuclear reactors in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia.

IP3 did not immediately respond to a request for comment about whether it was one of the companies that got a Part 810 authorization.

Separately, the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, has accepted a request by Senators Marco Rubio, a Republican and Bob Menendez, a Democrat, to probe the administration's talks on a nuclear deal with Saudi, a GAO official who spoke on condition of anonymity, said on Wednesday.
Democratic 2020 U.S. presidential candidate and U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) speaks at the Center for American Progress (CAP) Action Fund forum on March 5, 2019.

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Amy Klobuchar unveiled a $1 trillion plan to overhaul American infrastructure Thursday in a direct challenge to two of President Donald Trump's biggest priorities  his tax cuts, which became law, and his infrastructure plan, which has not come to fruition.

The Minnesota Democrat wants to combine $650 billion in federal funding with loan guarantees and tax subsidies to upgrade U.S. infrastructure, her campaign announced. She aims not only to repair roads, bridges, airports, railroads and schools, but also ensure "every household in America" has an internet connection by 2022. The senator's plan also calls for encouraging renewable energy and protecting U.S. infrastructure from climate change threats such as rising sea levels.

Klobuchar hopes to give an alternative to a $1 trillion infrastructure proposal put forward by Trump, who has not yet made progress on his pledge to overhaul U.S. infrastructure ahead of his 2020 re-election bid. Her campaign called Trump's proposal a "mirage" because it hopes to spur $1 trillion in public and private spending with $200 billion in federal money, less than a third of what she's proposing.

To fund her proposal, Klobuchar would reverse part of Trump's signature achievement in the White House: tax cuts.

She would raise the corporate tax rate to 25 percent from the current 21 percent, while "closing loopholes that encourage U.S. companies to move jobs and operations overseas, establishing a financial risk fee on our largest banks, and increasing efforts for tax enforcement." The 25 percent corporate tax rate would still be lower than the 35 percent that was in effect before Trump signed the Republican overhaul in December 2017.

Calls for infrastructure investment have increased from both major parties as concerns grow about disrepair and inefficiencies hamstringing the U.S. economy and costing lives. In April 2017, 76 percent of Americans said they support Trump's $1 trillion infrastructure plan, versus 12 percent who responded that they did not, according to a Gallup poll.

Still, infrastructure does not rank as high as other issues on voters' priority list. Asked late last year what the top priority should be for the new Congress, infrastructure tied for sixth after immigration, health care, the economy, the environment and impeachment of Trump, according to a Quinnipiac University poll.

During her campaign, Klobuchar has cited her own experience with crumbling infrastructure: the collapse of a Minneapolis bridge in 2007 that killed 13 people and injured 145.

Members of both major parties see infrastructure as an area of universal political appeal. Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have both cited it as a subject where they could cooperate in the current Congress, though they have not made significant progress toward passing a bill.

Klobuchar appears to be the first 2020 Democratic presidential candidate to propose a specific infrastructure plan. Former Vice President Joe Biden, who is considering a presidential bid, has started to craft an infrastructure plan that he could make part of his campaign.

Biden, who has long criticized the state of U.S. airports, would join Klobuchar as one of the more centrist Democratic candidates if he entered the race.

Klobuchar has trailed multiple rivals in every early Democratic primary poll. Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders-I-Vt., Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and former Rep. Beto O'Rourke have led the pack in most surveys so far.

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Major Asian stock markets closed lower on Thursday following an overnight slip on Wall Street after the closely-watched 10-year Treasury yield touched its lowest in more than a year.

The Nikkei 225 in Japan dropped 1.61 percent to close at 21,033.76 as index heavyweight Fanuc saw its shares slipping 1.32 percent. The Topix index also fell 1.59 percent.

Mainland Chinese stocks were also lower on the day, as the Shanghai composite fell 0.92 percent to 2,994.94 and the Shenzhen component declined 0.65 percent to 9,546.51. The Shenzhen composite also shed 0.905 percent to 1,639.72.

Over in Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index was about 0.2 percent higher in its final hour of trading. Hong Kong-listed shares of China Construction Bank declined around 1 percent after the company posted its first quarterly profit drop since 2015.

Chinese telecommunications equipment maker ZTE, on the other hand, saw its Hong Kong-listed stock surge 10.05 percent after the company forecast a jump in its first quarter profit. ZTE, the world's fourth-largest telecommunications equipment maker by market share, was forced to stop most business between April and July last year due to U.S. sanctions.

South Korea's Kospi shed 0.82 percent to close at 2,128.10 as shares of industry heavyweight Samsung Electronics declined 1.1 percent. Australia's , on the other hand, rose 0.65 percent to close at 6,167.10.

The broader MSCI Asia-ex Japan index rose 0.15 percent to 523.86, as of 3:28 p.m. HK/SIN.
Employees work on Boeing 737 MAX airplanes at the Boeing Renton Factory in Renton, Washington on March 27, 2019.

The grounding of Boeing's best-selling plane following two fatal crashes won't "change the industry," Berkshire Hathaway Chairman and CEO Warren Buffett said Thursday.

Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway is among the largest shareholders in the four largest U.S. carriers, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines and American Airlines.

The U.S. on March 13 joined dozens of other nations in grounding the popular Boeing aircraft following the crash of a months-old Boeing 737 Max 8 operated by Ethiopian Airlines shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa. Investigators have said they found "clear similarities" between that crash and another of the same type of plane in Indonesia in October.

Boeing on Wednesday unveiled a series of updates to an anti-stall system that is a focus of investigations about the aircraft and recent crashes. The manufacturer did not tell pilots about the system before it flew.

"Obviously, Boeing has a lot of work to do very promptly," Buffett said in an interview with CNBC's Becky Quick. "That won't change the industry over time or anything."

Buffett said the airline industry's safety record (there hasn't been a fatal crash of a U.S. commercial passenger plane in more than a decade) has been so strong that it has pushed insurance rates lower.

"We happen to sell insurance also and the rates went down so far because the industry has been so safe," he said.

Southwest has 34 of the 737 Max planes in its fleet of some 750 aircraft while American has 24 in its fleet of more than 950 planes. Both have warned travelers of cancellations due to the federally mandated grounding of the aircraft.

Correction: Warren Buffett is chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. An earlier version misstated his titles.
China will sharply expand market access for foreign banks and securities and insurance companies, especially in its financial services sector, Premier Li Keqiang said on Thursday, as senior U.S. officials arrived in Beijing for more trade talks. The government will also work on more favorable policies for foreign investors to trade Chinese bonds, Li said in a speech at the annual Boao forum held on China's southern island of Hainan. "We are quickening the full opening of market access for foreign investors in banking, securities and insurance sectors," he said. Li's remarks add to speculation that China may soon announce new rules that will allow foreign banks and insurance firms to increase their presence in China. China has pledged to further open its massive financial markets to foreign investors since last year amid a trade war with the United States. Foreign businesses have long complained that liberalization has been too narrow and implementation spotty.

Sources told Reuters on Wednesday that the United States and China have made progress in all areas under discussion in trade talks, with unprecedented movement on the touchy issue of forced technology transfers as China had put proposals on the table that went further than in the past, but sticking points remain. Li said the business scope of foreign banks, as well as market access for credit rating companies, bank card settlements and non-bank card payments, will all be "expanded sharply," with restrictions on the scope of foreign securities companies and insurance brokers expected to be removed. "Such measures will be implemented this year in a relatively forceful way," he said. Li said China will also announce policies to help foreign investors to invest in and trade China's bonds, just before Chinese bonds' inclusion in the Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate Index, one of the most widely tracked in the world, scheduled to start on Monday. But global investors' access to hedging instruments continues to be restricted, and clarification on tax collection policy is needed, ASIFMA, a financial industry lobby, noted in a report last week. Li said China will also issue more favorable rules for foreign acquisitions of Chinese listed firms. Beijing is drafting rules related to a new foreign investment law that was passed earlier this month. The rules are expected to be completed this year. Beijing will revise and shorten a "negative" list of areas where foreign investment is restricted, and will publish it before the end of June, Li said.

No trust deficit with the US

In a meeting with foreign and Chinese business executives on Thursday afternoon, the premier said he doesn't think there is a deficit of trust between China and the United States. "We need to prevent a trust deficit from occurring - otherwise the damage it could do to U.S.-China relations is incalculable," said Li, adding that trade frictions remain a sticky point. China must protect intellectual property, otherwise there is no hope for the nation's transformation, Li said. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin arrived in Beijing on Thursday and are scheduled to have a working dinner with Vice Premier Liu He. Talks are expected to last for a full day on Friday.
U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) speaks at his 'Conversation with Cory' campaign event at the Nevada Partners Event Center on February 24, 2019 in North Las Vegas, Nevada. Booker is campaigning for the 2020 Democratic nomination for president.

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., is dipping into his pool of financial industry donors as he looks for a fundraising edge in the early goings of the 2020 presidential race.

Investment executive Marc Spilker and businessman George Tsunis are among the growing number of financiers looking to help Booker at the start of the primary campaign, according to people with direct knowledge of the efforts.

Booker's connections to wealthy and influential donors could give his campaign an advantage over Democratic primary rivals who don't have similar relationships with players in the business world. Other candidates in the race, such as Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, have distanced themselves from big-money backers and groups while focusing on appealing to grassroots and small-dollar donors.

New Jersey rock legend Jon Bon Jovi and the state's governor, Phil Murphy, are also helping Booker raise funds. The pair hosted a fundraiser for Booker this past weekend. Murphy, who served as U.S. ambassador to Germany under President Barack Obama, is a former Goldman Sachs executive.

During the 2014 midterms, Booker received the most money from donors in the securities and investment industry, racking up a total of $2.2 million, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.

Booker is one of the few candidates who has not released fundraising data after he announced his run for president. He is known to be a prolific fundraiser and an appealing candidate for financial executives. He is one of the few Democratic 2020 candidates receiving support from a super PAC.

A spokeswoman for Booker declined to comment on his recent efforts to appeal to top party donors.

Spilker, a former 20-year veteran at Goldman Sachs who is now a founding member at private investment firm GPS Investment Partners, has indicated to friends that he's likely going to finance Booker's campaign during the primary, according to people familiar with the discussions. Spilker previously donated to Booker's Senate campaigns.

Between his tenure at Goldman and GPS Investment, Spilker was president of private equity firm Apollo Global Management, where he made $48 million in compensation his first year with the firm, a Securities and Exchange Commission filing shows.

Spilker did not return requests for comment.

Tsunis, a hotel magnate, has been reaching out to donors to set up a Booker fundraiser that will be hosted by fellow New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez, a person familiar with the outreach explained on the condition of anonymity. Tsunis was once a top bundler for President Barack Obama and was later nominated to be the U.S. ambassador to Norway, although he eventually withdrew. In 2012, he helped raise at least $500,000 for Obama's re-election efforts, data from CRP shows.

"As I have been acting as a finance chair for Menendez's campaigns, it's not a far leap to say I'm behind this. I love Cory and happy to help Sen. Menendez help Cory. This is George helping Sen. Menendez help Cory Booker," Tsunis said in an interview with CNBC. "With me I'm trying to help every candidate at the beginning and eventually I am going to help the nominee," he added.

The Booker fundraiser, a lunch, is set for April 5 in New York, with tickets ranging from $1,000 to $2,800, according to an invitation first obtained by CNBC.

Tsunis supported Booker's Senate campaign in 2016, even though the lawmaker wasn't up for re-election. Tsunis has spent thousands of dollars to support the campaigns of other 2020 candidates and would-be candidates, including Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's re-election and former Vice President Joe Biden's 2008 attempt at the White House.

Biden has not announced his candidacy, but people close to him say he's leaning toward a run. Tsunis later added in the interview that he will also back Biden if he gets into the race.

Another billionaire hedge-fund executive, who also raised funds for Obama but declined to be named for this article, told CNBC he gave $2,700 to Booker's 2020 campaign.

Meanwhile, Booker has the support of about 4 percent of Democratic primary voters, according to a survey done by Morning Consult. Ahead of him are Biden, Sanders, Warren, Sen. Kamala Harris and former Rep. Beto O'Rourke of Texas.

The interviews for the poll were collected from March 18, 2019, through March 24, 2019, and have a margin of error of plus or minus 1 percent.
Countries should not be "duped" into borrowing from China through the Belt and Road Initiative, and should be looking for opportunities in India instead, says one firm critic of Beijing's flagship infrastructure project.

"(The BRI is) all about Chinese strategic objectives; it's not about the host countries," said Karim Raslan, founder of political risk consultancy, KRA Group.

"We are being duped, and we have to negotiate better for our own interests," he told CNBC's Nancy Hungerford at the Credit Suisse Asian Investment Conference in Hong Kong on Tuesday.

Sometimes referred to as "One Belt, One Road," the mega-project is a Chinese investment scheme which aims to create a vast global infrastructure network connecting China to more than 60 countries across Asia, Europe and Africa.

Controversy surrounding the strategy was highlighted in 2017 when Sri Lanka handed over its Hambantota port to Beijing for 99 years after the South Asian nation failed to pay back the money it owed Chinese firms.

The BRI is a "debt trap," said Raslan. China is "not investing  they're lending us money, for projects which have very little economic value to the host countries," he added.

Borrowing nations need to "look more to India," Raslan said. "We have got to focus there."

He explained that "India, at the end of the day, (has)1.3 billion people. It's growing very fast  they will be sucking in imports."

India's economy is poised to grow at 7 percent in 2019, expanding more than China's projected growth of 6 to 6.5 percent the same year.
Pro-Brexit protesters demonstrate outside the Houses of Parliament on March 13, 2019 in London, England.

With the rising wave of protectionism, there are more and more "angry societies" as countries increasingly look inward.

Therefore investors need to consider such major trends when making long term decisions, said Michael Strobaek, global chief investment officer at Credit Suisse.

Otherwise, they might be spending too much time focusing on the daily grind  technicalities such as the ups and downs of the S&P 500 stock index, bond yield curves, and what the Fed thinks, he said.

"I do believe that you need to think  certainly if you are a long term buy and hold investor  you need to think long term and try and turn off the screens ... watch what's going to happen in this world," Strobaek said Wednesday at the Credit Suisse Asian Investment Conference in Hong Kong. It's crucial that investors think hard about broader developments he called "super trends."

Among those "super trends" that the investment bank has identified are increasingly "angry societies" illustrated by phenomena such as the rise of U.S. President Donald Trump's "America First" thinking and Brexit in Britain.

"For us, angry societies means there are ruptures in the liberal democratic model that we all have grown up to believe is the only real surviving model of all," Strobaek said.

"We are living through a time and period whereby democracies are undergoing fundamental challenges and changes," he added. "And what it means is that ... countries will begin focusing themselves on themselves."

While Strobaek was quick to stress that he does not advocate any investments that "have a bad or mean purpose for people and societies," it's undeniable that countries will be looking to protect themselves, he said.

That means companies involved in security, defense and cyber security are likely set to grow, he said.

Citing terrorist attacks in Europe as one factor, Strobaek said "there is a substantial need for further spending on defense and security."

"Investment opportunities in this space, I think, for the next five to 10 years are going to explode in potential," he concluded.
Protesters hold signs as they stage a demonstration inside the lobby of the Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) headquarters on December 11, 2018 in San Francisco, California.

Creditors of PG&E, including Elliott Management and Pacific Investment Management Co. (Pimco), are proposing a $35 billion plan for the California power utility to emerge from bankruptcy within a year, Bloomberg reported late on Wednesday.

Pimco, Elliott and David Kempner Capital Management have discussed the proposal with California lawmakers and other stakeholders, Bloomberg reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.

The plan would form a $14 billion cash trust to pay for the claims linked to the wildfires in 2017 and 2018, it said, citing the proposal seen by the news outlet.

Neither of the parties responded to requests for comment outside regular U.S. business hours.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren cheered Tim Sloan's resignation from scandal-plagued Wells Fargo Thursday and called for the Justice Department and SEC to investigate his alleged role in the bank's "scams."



The Massachusetts senator and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate said Sloan should go to jail if found guilty of any crimes.

Warren tweet 2: By the way, getting fired shouldn't be the end of the story for Tim Sloan. He shouldn't get a golden parachute. He should be investigated by the SEC and the DOJ for his role in all the Wells Fargo scams. And if he's guilty of any crimes, he should be put in jail like anyone else.



Wells Fargo announced late Thursday afternoon that Sloan had informed the board of directors that he will step down as chief executive, president and board member effective immediately.



The board selected Allen Parker, previously the bank's general counsel, to serve as interim CEO.

Warren has repeatedly called for Sloan's ouster. During a Senate Banking Committee hearing in 2017, Warren told Sloan point blank that he was either incompetent or complicit in the 2016 fake account scandal and should be fired.

Regulators have cracked down on Wells Fargo since widespread issues with sales practices have been uncovered across multiple divisions. The Federal Reserve even put a cap on how much the bank can grow.



In a letter to Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell last October, Warren called for the central bank to maintain that growth cap on Wells until Sloan is replaced.






For decades, climate change has been a political hot potato. Its very existence has become a red line between some factions. But because of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's polarizing Green New Deal, climate change could become a big issue in the 2020 presidential elections.

It's dividing Democrats, and it's become a punchline among conservatives.

Senate Republicans just forced a procedural vote on the long-shot Green New Deal resolution.

The measure failed.

The vast majority of Democrats voted "present" to avoid going on record on something that couldn't pass in a GOP-controlled Senate. That would have left them open to attacks on the 2020 campaign trail.

But the Green New Deal has already affected the political landscape in a big way. Here's how.








Couple on the Southbank of the Thames with the Houses of Parliament in the background

Dreaming of strolling along the wide avenues in Paris or eating pastas in Rome? Now is the time to make those daydreams of traveling to Europe a reality. That's because flights to Europe are the cheapest they've been in three years, according to travel app Hopper. Prices on flights from the U.S. are currently averaging $637 roundtrip, which is down 15 percent from this time last year. That price, however, is an average across all European cities, so you may find the more popular cities have higher airfares. Additionally, if you travel in March, April or May, fares to Europe are 20 percent cheaper on average, compared to the summer months of June, July and August. Traveling in late spring will not only save you money on flights, but on lodging and other travel costs as well. In fact, May is the best time of year to go if you want to spend less on your trip than you would during the summer high season, Liana Corwin, Hopper's consumer travel expert, tells CNBC Make It. "Early May is still considered 'low season' in many destinations, which means you'll also be able to scoop up hotel rooms and attractions at a fraction of the high season cost through most of the spring," Corwin says.

Where to travel in Europe to get the most for your money

Europe tops the list for many travelers. Last year, 51 percent of all tourists took a vacation in Europe, according to the World Tourism Organization. Among millennials, London is the No. 1 destination in Europe, followed by Paris and Rome, Hopper finds. And Brexit is certainly making London more affordable. With the United Kingdom set to leave the European Union, the country's currency has been trending down against the dollar. That means you can get more for your money right now. The British pound is currently around $1.31, which is the lowest it's been in 30 years. Plus, "with Brexit set to happen this spring, it's likely the pound will see a further drop in value, making travel to the U.K. even more attractive," Patrick Surrey, Hopper's chief data scientist, says. Currently, the average cost of a roundtrip flight from the U.S. in spring is $960, Hopper says. For a cheaper long weekend flight in May, consider Lisbon, Portugal, Corwin says. During spring, the average cost of a roundtrip flight from the U.S. is just $648, Hopper reports. The overall costs of a trip to Lisbon are relatively low, especially if you save on your hotel by staying slightly outside of the main downtown area. And Lisbon's location means it will be one of the warmest options this time of year. Other budget-friendly cities include Prague, Czech Republic; Krakow, Poland and Budapest, Hungary. Airfares to Budapest are the cheapest of the three for spring trips, costing $751 for a roundtrip ticket from the U.S. But keep in mind, these cities will not offer particularly balmy weather this time of year unless you're heading there toward the end of spring, Corwin says. "One of the great things about planning a European vacation is how many wallet-friendly cities there are to explore, which can be surprising given the continent's popularity," Corwin says. Note: The "deal price" listed is the cost consumers should expect to pay with flexibility and advanced planning for economy-based tickets.

How to book the best flight deals

Don't be afraid to book trips around weekends, Hopper says. The company finds that, with the exception of flights to the Caribbean, trips with a Saturday-night stay get a discount. For example, flights for a five-day vacation that runs Thursday through Monday may be cheaper than flights for a trip that goes Monday through Friday. If you're heading to Europe, for example, Hopper finds staying through a Saturday can net you a 40 percent discount off the flight, compared to airfares for trips without a Saturday-night stay. That's an average savings of $206 off average spring airfare prices. Of course, the hotel price may be more expensive for a weekend stay, so make sure to factor that in before you finalize your plans. When it comes to booking your trip, it can be tricky to find the best time to buy. Hopper finds that flight deals don't really start popping up until five months before the flight is set to depart, so if you're booking a year in advance, you're likely paying more. Hopper recommends tracking flight prices three to four months in advance. You can use Hopper, but you can also sign up for flight alerts from Kayak and Google Flights as well. Don't miss: The easy trick that could save you $100 on your holiday flights  plus the best days to book Like this story? Subscribe to CNBC Make It on YouTube!
The House Intelligence Committee's Republican minority demanded Thursday that Rep. Adam Schiff, the panel's Democratic chairman, resign from that role over his handling of Russia investigations involving President Donald Trump.

Schiff, who has been one of special counsel Robert Mueller's leading advocates, laid out what called the "evidence of collusion" in a fiery response.

The call for Schiff to step down, submitted during a hearing in a letter signed by all nine of the committee's Republican members, came hours after Trump tweeted Thursday morning that Schiff "should be forced to resign from Congress!"

Trump TWEET

The letter states that Attorney General William Barr's summary of special counsel Robert Mueller's recently delivered Russia report, which says Mueller did not find sufficient evidence to establish that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to influence the 2016 election, "conclusively" refutes Schiff's past and present claims.

Barr also said that Mueller did not conclude whether Trump obstructed justice, another facet of the probe. Barr and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein determined that the evidence was "not sufficient to establish" that Trump committed an obstruction-of-justice offense.
A man walks past a Huawei shop in Beijing, China, March 7, 2019. Thomas Peter | Reuters

The U.K. government warned on Thursday Huawei's telecommunications equipment raises "significant" security issues, posing a possible setback to the Chinese tech firm as it looks to build out 5G networks. In 46-page report evaluating Huawei's security risks, British officials stopped short of calling for a ban of Huawei's 5G telecommunications equipment. But the assessment cited "underlying defects" in the company's software engineering and cybersecurity processes, citing "significantly increased risk to U.K. operators." The findings give weight to warnings from U.S. officials who have argued Huawei's networking equipment could be used for espionage by the Chinese government. Huawei has repeatedly said it does not pose any risk and insists it would not share customer data with Beijing. In a statement Thursday, Huawei said it takes the U.K. government's findings "very seriously." "The issues identified in the OB (oversight board) report provide vital input for the ongoing transformation of our software engineering capabilities," a Huawei spokesperson said.
Iceland's low cost carrier Wow Air has canceled all flights and told passengers to book with other airlines.

Its website has a travel alert that begins: "Wow Air has ceased operation. All Wow Air flights have been canceled."

The alert said people who wanted to travel should now look for "so-called rescue fares" which may now be offered by rival airlines.

Wow added that those who made bookings by credit card or via a European travel agent should try to get their money back through those businesses. It said some passengers may be entitled to compensation from the airline itself.

In November, it was announced that Icelandair Group, the holding company of rival carrier Icelandair, would acquire the entire share capital of Wow Air but that proposal fell apart within weeks.

Further talks between the two airlines ended Sunday.

Founded by chief executive Skuli Mogensen, Wow Air took off for the first time in 2012.

The carrier employed more than 1,000 people by 2018 and in the same year carried around 3.5 million passengers in its 11 aircraft.
A women holding a bag poses for a photograph at J. Crew Group Inc.'s new women's store inside the International Finance Centre (IFC) mall in Hong Kong, China, on Thursday, May 22, 2014.

J. Crew has tapped restructuring lawyers for the second time in as many years to explore options for reworking its debt, as the U.S. clothing chain struggles with falling sales and a dwindling cash pile, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

The company's decision to seek help with its debt once again underscores the persistent business challenges J. Crew faces despite recent turnaround and financial restructuring efforts. A shift to pricier apparel turned off some shoppers, and J. Crew faces competition from e-commerce firms such as Amazon that have squeezed an array of traditional retailers.

The preppy fashion retailer in recent weeks enlisted restructuring attorneys at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, the law firm that helped negotiate a previous debt workout for the company and most recently steered department store operator Sears through bankruptcy proceedings, the sources said.

Weil lawyers with capital markets and mergers and acquisitions expertise are also involved in the discussions with J. Crew, one of the sources said.

J. Crew, which was taken private in 2011 by TPG Capital and Leonard Green & Partners in a roughly $3 billion leveraged buyout, is also interviewing restructuring specialists at investment banks, the sources said.

In a statement to Reuters on Thursday, the company did not directly address whether it has approached restructuring lawyers, but said it has "been evaluating and executing on opportunities to strengthen J. Crew's balance sheet" and that its top priority this year is to return its flagship brand to profitability and sustain momentum for its quickly growing Madewell apparel business.

A TPG spokesman declined to comment. Representatives for Leonard Green and Weil did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

A bankruptcy filing is not currently on the horizon for J. Crew, which carries a debt load exceeding $1.7 billion, according to the sources, who spoke on the condition they will not be identified because the deliberations are confidential.

The New York-based retailer is in the early stages of exploring options for its debt that could include a refinancing, the sources said. The discussions are aimed at addressing looming debt maturities in 2021, one of the sources added.

The company has not yet approached creditors about a restructuring, though it could eventually do so, one of the sources said. J. Crew has previously mulled hiving off Madewell through a sale or public offering, Reuters has reported.

J. Crew in 2017 reached a deal with creditors, including Blackstone's GSO Capital Partners and Anchorage Capital Group, on a debt exchange that roughly cut in half nearly $567 million in bond obligations, and extended their due date by two years.

J. Crew, which has sold clothes once donned by former first lady Michelle Obama, had about $25.7 million in cash as of the beginning of February, down from roughly $107 million a year earlier, and the company has booked financial losses in seven of the last eight quarters, according to securities filings.
White House advisor Jared Kushner listens as US President Donald Trump hosts a roundtable with Hispanic pastors in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washingto, DC, January 25, 2019.

President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, reportedly met in private with the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday, NBC News and other outlets reported.

The senior White House advisor met with senators just days after special counsel Robert Mueller provided the Department of Justice with his report on Russian interference in the 2016 election, and as the committee continues to investigate the matter.

It's not clear what Kushner discussed with lawmakers, and spokespeople for senators on the committee and Kushner either declined to comment or did not immediately respond on Thursday.

The committee's security director told NBC News that Kushner will not return to the committee Thursday.

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Mueller's report did not find evidence of collusion between Trump's campaign and the Russian government, according to a summary provided by Attorney General William Barr on Sunday. The report also did not find sufficient evidence to bring a case against the president on obstruction charges, Barr wrote, though Mueller did not exonerate him.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

 CNBC's Christina Wilkie contributed to this report.
Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand speaks during a rally in front of Trump International Hotel & Tower on March 24, 2019 in New York City.

Democratic presidential contender Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's husband has for more than a decade held a financial stake in an obscure medical device company, even as the New York lawmaker voted in favor of legislation that expedited the approval process for such devices.

Gillibrand's husband Jonathan is an investor in WindCrest LLC, which in 2012 filed patent applications for its flagship invention, a tiny device designed to help guide wires in delicate surgeries. The company's business partners were still seeking to commercialize it as recently as this week, they told CNBC.

The couple, married nearly two decades ago, does not appear to have made any money from the stake in the company. Gillibrand has said in financial disclosures that the investment is worth less than $50,000. She has disclosed the stake every year she has been in office.

But what those disclosures don't reveal is that the money-losing venture could one day turn a profit, thanks to its invention. That payday, however, will require securing a deal with a device manufacturer, according to the Cleveland Clinic, which partnered with WindCrest on the invention.

The investment, though legal, raises questions about whether Gillibrand will profit from an industry she has played a role in regulating as a senator, and which she could influence as president.

And Gillibrand's reluctance to discuss it could weaken one of her chief arguments against President Donald Trump, whose opaque business dealings have earned scrutiny from Democrats and good government groups, and who has declined to release his tax returns.

Gillibrand has made financial transparency a key element of her campaign, and just this week made a splash by releasing her 2018 tax returns and calling on her 2020 rivals to do the same.

While Gillibrand's husband's stake in the WindCrest is mentioned in their joint tax filing released Wednesday, the senator does not appear to have publicly discussed the nature of its work. Gillibrand was the first declared presidential candidate to release last year's tax returns. When she did so, she urged her fellow Democratic contenders to do the same in the interest of transparency.

The senator's campaign declined to comment on the record for this story. An aide told CNBC that the investment was made by Jonathan Gillibrand in 2005, that the couple has not made a profit on it, and that Jonathan has only ever had a "small minority share in the company."

"To Jonathan's understanding, the investment is of little to no value," the aide said. "Senator Gillibrand was proud to release her tax returns first, and believes that radical transparency is important as an elected official."

Little has been reported about WindCrest, which claims to work "to advance the medical device industry and the care of patients" on its website. An email sent to the company bounced back, and a phone call went straight to the voicemail inbox of a separate company called Whittaker Solutions.

Allison Marshall Whittaker, listed as the owner of Whittaker Solutions and a member of WindCrest LLC on her LinkedIn page, declined to comment.

Whittaker provides "design, business, medical & equine info," according to its Delaware corporate charter, as well as "strategic analysis consulting services to businesses and individuals."
Capability takes a long time to put in place. Intent can change in a heartbeat, so, you have got to hedge and take into account the risk that intent can change in the years ahead Malcolm Turnbull Former Prime Minister of Australia

In 5G networks, the emphasis is more on software instead of hardware. That means an equipment provider, or even a malicious third party that is able to gain access, can potentially have a much clearer view of what goes on inside the network  such as monitoring data transfers, tracking locations of cell phone users or eavesdropping on conversations. "Now, the company, the entity that provides that, that maintains it, that has constant access to it, has enormous capability, if it chose to do so, to act adversely to your interest," Turnbull said, about firms that sell 5G equipment needed to build the ultra fast mobile network. "No one is suggesting that Huawei would do that, certainly not me. I have great admiration for the company," he said. "But, capability takes a long time to put in place. Intent can change in a heartbeat, so, you have got to hedge and take into account the risk that intent can change in the years ahead," Turnbull added. Though Huawei has had tremendous success getting ahead in the 5G race  still at its nascent stage  the firm is facing mounting fears that its technology will enable Chinese espionage through the high-speed mobile networks. Apart from Australia, other countries including the United States, New Zealand and Japan have blocked the company from participating in 5G development within their borders.

The European Union so far has shunned U.S. calls to ban Huawei across the bloc. Instead, the European Commission said members will be required to share data on 5G cybersecurity risks and produce measures to tackle them, Reuters reported. Telecommunications companies that see the moneymaking potential in 5G have spoken out against the Huawei ban, with some of them warning it would slow down the rollout of the technology. Huawei, for its part, has said the security concerns were unfounded.

How did we get to the point that in this area of critical importance, this critical, enabling technology, there is not one Western European ... vendor of 5G technology? Malcolm Turnbull Former Prime Minister of Australia

Turnbull said the current situation signals a significant failure among Western countries. "How did we get to the point that in this area of critical importance, this critical, enabling technology, there is not one Western European  in the sense of Five Eyes or close allies  vendor of 5G technology?" he asked, referring to the intelligence alliance made up of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, U.S. and U.K. "If you're AT&T and Verizon, you've got four potential vendors: Two Chinese and two Scandinavian. That is crazy," he said. Competing with Huawei and ZTE in the 5G space are Finnish giant Nokia, Sweden's Ericsson and South Korean heavyweight Samsung. "So, what the U.S. and its close allies need to do is to make sure that we have vendor alternatives, the security of which we can absolutely 100 percent rely on," Turnbull said.

WATCH: What is 5G?
Carlos Ghosn, former chairman of Nissan Motor Co., center, sits in a taxi as he leaves his lawyer's office in Tokyo, Japan, on Wednesday, March 6, 2018.

Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa, who had in the past been close with Ghosn, said at a Jan. 31 meeting that he believed Nissan executives had gone digging for evidence and presented their findings to Japanese authorities with the purpose of removing Ghosn from power, the paper reported. Ghosn had reportedly been trying to merge the two automakers, who had formed an alliance in 1999.

Nissan executives took steps to have former Chairman Carlos Ghosn jailed in the hopes the arrest would stall or kill any attempts to merge the Japanese automaker with its French counterpart Renault , The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter.

Theories that Nissan executives might have had a role in Ghosn's arrest have abounded in the automotive world. Ghosn had become something of a national hero in Japan for his role in helping to turn around Nissan, but many who follow the industry say the Japanese would have balked at the idea of a foreign automaker such as Renault owning such an important company in Japan.

Ghosn spent more than 100 days in jail in Japan for an array of alleged financial misdeeds before he was released on bail. He has been stripped of his roles at the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance, which he had formerly chaired. If found guilty he could face up to 15 years in prison. He has denied the accusations.

Nissan was not immediately available for comment to CNBC, but company spokesman Nicholas Maxfield told the Journal that the motives of company executives is not relevant, and that Nissan found "substantial evidence of blatantly unethical conduct. The sole cause of this chain of events is the misconduct led by Ghosn."

Read the full story in The Wall Street Journal.
Two straight months of contractions in Japan's manufacturing activity have raised concerns of an impending recession in the Asian economic powerhouse.

But Hiro Shirakawa, Credit Suisse's chief economist for Japan, played down fears, saying that the slowdown might be cyclical rather than a more permanent, structural one.

Japanese manufacturing activity contracted in March at the same pace as in February and output shrank the most in almost three years, a private business survey showed last week.

"Our biggest headache ... is a sharp decrease in exports to China, but namely relating to high tech or IT industry related demand weakness," Shirakawa told CNBC at the Credit Suisse Asian Investment Conference in Hong Kong.

He added that even though "U.S.-China trade dispute could come to an end (with) possibly some agreement, but still our biggest focus is whether or not the global demand for mobile phones, PCs is really picking up."

But, despite that weakness in demand, there are signs that stocks of electronics parts are still being snapped up, suggesting that the manufacturing slowdown is merely a cyclical adjustment, he said.

The overall economy also doesn't appear overly gloomy, with domestic consumption and the services sector "still doing quite steady," said Shirakawa.

All signs therefore point to the country not yet facing a recession, he concluded.

 Reuters contributed to this report.
BONN, Germany, March 28 (Reuters) - Deutsche Telekom is still confident of winning the approval of U.S. regulators for U.S. unit T-Mobile's $26 billion deal to take over Sprint, CEO Tim Hoettges said on Thursday.

"I think this deal is good for America and that we, at the end of the day, will win approval for the transaction," Hoettges told the German company's annual general meeting.

Updating shareholders, Hoettges said the clock on a 180-day review of the deal was currently stopped with 58 days to go. The clock would be started again on April 4.

In other comments, Hoettges said he was confident that a turnaround at Deutsche Telekom's troubled IT services arm T-Systems was on track.

Deutsche Telekom had no plans, meanwhile, to remove a minority stake in Britain's BT from its pension fund, CFO Christian Illek told shareholders. Deutsche Telekom has said in the past that the 12 percent stake in BT is a passive holding.

(Reporting by Nadine Schimroszik Writing by Douglas Busvine Editing by Thomas Seythal)
* Swedbank dismisses CEO Bonnesen ahead of AGM

* Investors were increasingly unhappy with CEO

* Swedbank shares hit by growing money laundering scandal

* Swedish crime authority raided Swedbank HQ (Adds investor, background, shares)

STOCKHOLM, March 28 (Reuters) - Swedbank sacked Birgitte Bonnesen as chief executive only an hour before its annual meeting on Thursday after disgruntled shareholders criticised her handling of a rapidly-growing money laundering scandal.

Sweden's biggest bank has been trying to calm investor concerns since allegations were first reported by Swedish TV last month, but a raid on Swedbank's headquarters on Wednesday by Sweden's Economic Crime Authority proved the final straw for the board of the country's oldest savings bank.

Investors had criticised Bonnesen for her communication and the way she has handled the allegations of money laundering involving Swedbank accounts in the Baltics, which have sparked investigations by regulators and wiped a fifth off its market value as it battles a growing crisis.

"Bonnesen's dismissal was what we wanted and was the only solution that is viable," Ossian Ekdahl, chief active ownership officer at The First Swedish National Pension Fund, told Reuters from the annual general meeting.

He was among Swedbank investors who, in a rare public expression of discontent, voted against granting Bonnesen freedom from liability for the 2018 fiscal year, leaving her position all but untenable.

Reuters was not immediately able to reach Bonnesen for comment. Prior to becoming CEO, Bonnesen worked as Swedbank's chief audit executive between 2009 and 2011, which included overseeing the bank's anti-money laundering policy. She then moved on to running its Baltic operations until 2014.

Bonnesen denial of any links to the Danske Bank scandal as late as Jan. 29 and her subsequent backtracking after the allegations went public sowed confusion and damaged confidence in Swedbank as an institution, investors said.

DANSKE BANK LINKS

The allegations against Swedbank have linked it to Danske Bank which is facing potential lawsuits, fines and sanctions over allegations its Estonian branch allowed 200 billion euros of suspicious transactions to flow through it between 2007 and 2015.

"Self-evidently support had ebbed and recent CEO comments have not helped confidence during the recent crisis, however management turnover at this time is unlikely to help near term share price performance," KBW analysts said in a note.

Swedbank shares remained halted, having fallen 3.7 percent earlier. Rival SEB was down 5.0 percent at 1154 GMT with analysts pointing to concerns money laundering issues might also crop up in its sizable Baltic business.

The scandal has gripped Sweden, dominating business headlines and sparked parliamentary debates as it has tarnished the reputation Nordic banks have held of being among the most trustworthy and least risky in the sector.

The news has also stunned many Swedes, who take pride in the fact that their country is routinely ranked as one of the least corrupt in the world and boasts a level of transparency that leaves even individual tax returns in the public domain.

Swedbank has so far said banking secrecy law prevents it from answering the main question on the minds of investors, regulators and the public, namely whether it knew and failed to prevent large-scale money laundering through its accounts.

Chairman Lars Idermark said Swedbank had been honest with authorities looking into allegations as both he and acting CEO Anders Karlsson expressed regret over its communications.

"We will do everything we can to be as transparent as possible," Idermark promised investors at the meeting. (Additional reporting by Johannes Hellstrom, Anna Ringstrom, Simon Johnson and Helena Soderpalm editing by Keith Weir/Jane Merriman/Alexander Smith)
Pelosi said Barr had effectively auditioned for the post of attorney general by writing a memo to the Justice Department last year criticizing Mueller's investigation, when it was well-known that President Donald Trump opposed the inquiry.

On Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Barr's decision to summarize the report's findings in a four-page letter to Congress on Sunday was "condescending" and "arrogant."

Special counsel Robert Mueller 's final report, which has yet to be made public after being submitted to Attorney General William Barr last Friday, is more than 300 pages long, a Justice Department official told NBC News.

"Mr. Attorney General, we don't need your interpretation," of the Mueller report, said Pelosi, D-Calif.

The speaker echoed calls by other leading Democrats for the report to be given to Congress soon.

The report details Mueller's findings from a two-year investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, possible coordination by the campaign of Trump in that meddling, and possible obstruction of justice by the president.

Mueller found no evidence of collusion by the Trump campaign, Barr told Congress in his brief letter.

The special counsel did not reach a conclusion on whether Trump obstructed justice. But Barr in his letter said that he and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein had concluded that the probe did not find sufficient evidence to establish that the president had obstructed justice.

Trump, who long had argued that Mueller's investigation was a "witch hunt," this week has claimed that the special counsel's report fully exonerated him.

But in fact, Mueller wrote that "while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him," according to Barr's letter summarizing the special counsel's key findings.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., on Wednesday said Barr had told him that an April 2 deadline set by Democrats for turning over the report to Congress was not going to be met, but also told him that a fuller report would be submitted "in weeks, not months."

Justice Department officials have told NBC News that it will take some time to remove classified information from the report before it can be turned over.

Democrats are considering whether to issue a subpoena to Mueller himself if they do not receive the full report.

The Justice Department had no immediate comment on Pelosi's remarks about Barr.

WATCH: Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) says entire Mueller report should be released
President Donald Trump speaks to the media prior to departing on Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, March 28, 2019, as he travels to Michigan to hold a campaign rally before spending the weekend in Florida.

President Donald Trump heads to swing state Michigan on Thursday to buoy his 2020 re-election bid, basking in perhaps the best political news of his presidency but facing fresh risk after reopening his fight to scrap Obamacare.

The president has gloated at political rivals and news media outlets ever since Attorney General William Barr released a summary Sunday of special counsel Robert Mueller's nearly two-year probe into Russian efforts to influence the 2016 election.

The Justice Department concluded not only that the Trump campaign was not guilty of colluding with Russia but also that Mueller did not find sufficient evidence to charge Trump with obstructing the investigation. Mueller himself did not draw a conclusion on obstruction and, the summary noted, the report did not "exonerate" Trump.

The Trump administration quickly trampled on the good feelings. The Justice Department said Monday that it agrees with a federal judge's determination that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional  a move that reportedly divided the White House and confused congressional GOP leaders. Members of both major parties largely see the GOP's attempts to repeal the health-care law as the main reason Democrats flipped 40 House seats and control of the chamber in November's midterm elections.

For better or worse, the president will likely drill into both themes at his Grand Rapids, Michigan, rally on Thursday night. Michigan helped to send Trump to the White House in 2016, handing him a razor-thin, roughly 12,000-vote win over Democrat Hillary Clinton. Before Trump's election, Michigan had last voted for a Republican presidential candidate in 1988.

But Trump had a net -15 approval rating in Michigan in February, according to Morning Consult. He had a +8 approval rating in the state in January 2017, just before he took office.

Trump won key Rust Belt states Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania  which delivered enough electoral votes to swing the election on their own  by pledging to revive their manufacturing and auto industries. But all three states drifted away from the president in last year's midterm elections, in no small part because of the GOP attempts to repeal Obamacare.

A strong economy gives Trump solid footing in his bid for re-election, despite a relatively low approval rating. However, a new push to toss out Obamacare without a viable replacement threatens to put the focus back on one of Trump's more damaging policy plans and overshadow the good news around the Mueller report.
President Donald Trump's presumptive nominee for the Federal Reserve, Stephen Moore, owes more than $75,000 in unpaid federal income taxes and related penalties, court records reveal.

Maryland court records show that on Jan. 29, 2018, the U.S. government obtained a lien against Moore in the amount of $75,328.80.

The lien is for unpaid income taxes and related penalties and interest from the 2014 filing year. The lien was filed in Circuit Court in Montgomery County. Moore lives in Potomac, Maryland, which is located in that county.

President Donald Trump said last week that he intends to nominate Moore for a Fed governorship.

Moore did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CNBC.
The U.S. and China have no choice but to conclude ongoing trade negotiations, most likely in the next month or so, former U.S. ambassador to China Max Baucus said Thursday.

"The talks will conclude. They have to," Baucus told CNBC's Martin Soong at the Boao Forum for Asia in the Hainan province of China. "U.S, China, we're so closely joined at the hip economically, we got to get this thing done."

"There's some feeling here maybe  by the end of April, maybe a little longer  but we'll get it done," Baucus said, noting that otherwise, U.S. stock markets and China's already slowing economy would be negatively impacted.

President Donald Trump has often compared his political success with the U.S. stock market, which has pushed higher over the last 10 years in the longest bull market in history. Meanwhile, official figures showed China's economy grew at its slowest pace last year since 1990, and authorities expect the rate to slow further this year.
Developed countries like the U.S. should take care of those in desperate need, said Warren Buffett, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway.

"In a country with $65,000 in GDP per capita ... you do take care of the people that for one reason or another ... have become roadkill," Buffett told CNBC's Becky Quick at The Gatehouse's Hands Up for Success luncheon in Grapevine, Texas. "We are prosperity. We should take care of people who've become roadkill because of something beyond their control ... I think that's the obligation of a rich country," he said.

Buffett said the benefit of free trade is rather "invisible," and in fact the policy has done damage to some workers.

"I'm 100 percent for free trade. I think it has benefited the country enormously and will continue to benefit it. But the benefit of free trade is invisible. ... There's nothing in Walmart that says you saved 8 percent because we bought this somewhere other than American manufacturers," Buffett said.

"You have this huge national benefit unseen but you ruined the economic lives of people who are 50 or 55. They are not going to be retrained and relocated ... they became uneconomic in the world of economy. Rich countries can take care of those people to follow policies which benefit all of us to take care of the relative few who are dislocated," he added.

Buffett also said Thursday that economic growth has lost some steam recently.

Fourth-quarter GDP rose 2.2 percent, in line with expectations, but it was down from the previous estimate of 2.6 percent and leaves full-year growth at 2.9 percent.

J.P. Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon has also voiced concerns about the economic benefits that are leaving the poor behind, while benefiting big corporations.
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Warren Buffett, the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, is speaking with CNBC's Becky Quick at The Gatehouse's Hands Up for Success luncheon in Grapevine, Texas.

Buffett said in his annual letter to shareholders that he wants to make an "elephant-sized" purchase, but noted that prices were were too high.

"In the years ahead, we hope to move much of our excess liquidity into businesses that Berkshire will permanently own. The immediate prospects for that, however, are not good: Prices are sky-high for businesses possessing decent long-term prospects," Buffett said in the letter, which was released Feb. 23.

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by Sumon Corraya

A solemn mass was held in the parish of Tejgaon, attended by former freedom fighters and Catholics who sheltered thousands of Hindus. "We fought for the values of democracy, secularism, socialism, nationalism," a Catholic said. Four Catholic martyrs were remembered.

Dhaka (AsiaNews)  Dhaka Catholics yesterday celebrated a solemn Mass in Holy Rosary Church in Tejgaon to mark Bangladeshs Independence Day. Some 300 people attended the service.

Various groups marked the solemn occasion laying wreaths of flowers at the national mausoleum in Savar.

In addition to sheltering thousands of Hindus during the struggle for national liberation, Christians also paid with their lives their support for the values of freedom and democracy, values which, some Catholics complain, are still unheeded in many parts of the country. Those martyrs were remembered in yesterday's ceremonies.

Born 48 years ago out of a bloody civil war, Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan) today is home to more 160 million people. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, father of current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, proclaimed the countrys independence on 26 March 1971, which was finally secured on 16 December 1971.

Reacting to the proclamation, Pakistani forces engaged in genocide against the local population, in an apparent religious fight between Pakistani Muslims and Bangladeshi Hindus. An estimated three million people were killed, at least 200,000 women were raped and thousands of homes set on fire.

The Christian community suffered too during the violent war of liberation waged. About a thousand Christians joined the armed struggle.

Yesterday during Mass Fr Kamal Corraya, pastor of the church in Tejgaon, mentioned the fighters who died for the country, including 15 Christian freedom fighters and 150 civilians.

During the war hundreds of Hindu temples were torched and dozens of priests, intellectuals and leaders massacred. The dead include two Catholic missionaries  Fr William Evans, a Holy Cross missionary from the United States, and Fr Mario Veronesi, a Xaverian clergyman from Italy, as well as a local priest, Fr Lucas Marandi of the diocese of Dinajpur, and a nun.

Sister Mary Nibedita, who was a teacher during the war, attended the service. "At that time, we sheltered many Hindus in our church, she said. We saved the lives of thousands of people, cared for wounded fighters, fed the hungry."

Today the nun works as a nurse. "Catholics have played a fundamental role in building a peaceful country. However, we see that conflict is still within us. This is not the country that our founders wanted."

William Atul Kuluntunu is catholic and a former freedom fighter. "We fought for clear goals: democracy, secularism, socialism, nationalism. Today all these values are absent. Secularism does not exist, and nobody talks about socialism. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. We dreamt of a peaceful country, but our dream has not yet come true."

Still, "since the War of Independence, the country has improved a lot, notes Fr Corraya. Even Biharis (Pakistanis) live among us as Bengalis and there are no conflicts.

"The people of Bangladesh have a big heart. Whilst rich countries do not welcome migrants, in Bangladesh we welcome refugees. In this country, people live in harmony.
Two CEOs whose companies are experimenting with blockchain say the technology's reality has yet to catch up to its hype.

The chief executives of Wells Fargo and Mastercard told CNBC's Andrew Ross Sorkin at the Fintech Ideas Festival on Wednesday that they see potential long term, but that blockchain's business use-case is still unclear.

"Blockchain has been way oversold," Wells Fargo CEO Tim Sloan said on stage at the conference in San Francisco. "I think the fundamental technology is very interesting, but it's been very slow to roll out."

Sloan pointed to a pilot the U.S. bank did with Commonwealth Bank in Australia, using blockchain for trade transactions. That and other blockchain "consortiums and pilots" within the bank have yet gain real adoption, he said, adding that the Australia pilot resulted in just one transaction.

"If you turned the clock back a few years ago, it should have completely changed the industry  that's just not the way it works," Sloan said. "Over time, I think it'll have an impact."

Blockchain is also known as a distributed ledger, essentially a database that can't be altered or changed, and can be seen by all participants using it. Its use cases range from tracking lettuce on a supply chain to storing health records. The technology also underpins cryptocurrencies like bitcoin.

Around the time bitcoin was climbing to nearly $20,000, blockchain was also becoming a corporate buzz word. In one case, a public company saw its stock soar 200 percent after announcing it was pivoting to blockchain. Executives have largely embraced blockchain, while very few have openly backed bitcoin.

Mastercard CEO Ajaypal Banga also had reservations about the technology, even though it has the third most blockchain patents.

"I think blockchain could be interesting, but the business model is not proven," Banga said on stage with Sloan. "A lot of this has to improve and change over time."

Still, Mastercard is "deeply invested" in a few blockchain ideas, he said, pointing to its potential to improve supply chains and problems with counterfeit goods.

"There are interesting possibilities with blockchain and to ignore that would be a bad idea," he said. "We're just saying we don't know the business model yet."

The sentiment echoes comments from a top executive at Bank of America, which has the most blockchain patents. The bank's tech and operations chief, Cathy Bessant, told CNBC she was "open-minded" but on her "private scoreboard, in the closet," she is "bearish."




Bazaar Corporate Radar | Feb 22, 2021, 12:00 AM IST

Bazaar Corporate Radar

Bazaar Corporate Radar is your window into the minds of top CEOs, Boardrooms, global economists, fund managers and sector analysts. If it?s making news, you?ll find it on Bazaar Corporate Radar.
Prairie Canyon Ranch is one of the ranches in the Interstate 25 corridor in Douglas County protected by a conservation easement. More than 35,000 acres have been protected between Castle Rock and the El Paso County line. (Ford McClave for The Gazette)
Colorado Politics is published both in print and online. Our website features subscriber-only news stories daily, designed for public policy arena professionals. Member subscribers also receive the weekly print edition of our award-winning newspaper, containing outstanding features and news stories, in their mailboxes every Saturday.
Chris Kelly at a glance

PERSONAL: Age 72. Married to Nanette Laughrey. They have two grown children and two grandchildren.

OCCUPATION: Retired. Former lobbyist, judge, state representative and Boone County Clerk.

EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree from Marist College, law degree from MU.

CAMPAIGN WEBSITE: kelly4como

TWITTER HANDLE: @repckelly

FACEBOOK PAGE: www.facebook.com/kelly4como/

BACKGROUND: Member of American Whitewater and the Missouri Whitewater Association, won the Mizzou Alumni Association's Geyer Award for contributions to higher education in 1998 and 2011, Lifetime Achievement Award from the Missouri Association of Social Welfare, American Legion Representative of the Year for 2011, twice named Legislator of the Year by the Conservation Federation of Missouri.
By this point, it's no secret that Android upgrades are a mess  but this was supposed to be the cycle where everything got better.

Google's Android 9 Pie release was the first Android version to feature the full benefits of Project Treble, a complex effort to make it easier for manufacturers to update their devices with new operating system versions. And lemme tell ya: Such a solution has never been more desperately needed.

Last year's Oreo upgrade marked the worst performance by device-makers we've ever seen on Android  and when you consider the already-rock-bottom starting point, combined with the sharp downward slope in upgrade delivery times over the past several years, well, that's really saying something.

[Get fresh tips and insight in your inbox every Friday with JR's Android Intelligence newsletter. Exclusive extras await!]

With Pie, the story is a mix of good and bad news: On the positive side, there's definitely been some progress this year  and parts of the picture are a bit less bleak than they were with Oreo. At the same time, the overall picture is pretty darn depressing, especially when it comes to Android's most powerful and relevant hardware-making companies. Improvement is all relative, and these results really speak for themselves. (And if you think Android upgrades don't really matter, do me a favor and go read this.)

Now that we're six full months past the launch of Android 9 Pie, it's time to step back and look at who's making upgrades a priority and who's treating them as an afterthought. Get ready for some raw, honest, data-driven truths  and for a more detailed look at what these results tell us about Treble, see my separate analysis: "Android Pie and Project Treble: Did Google's upgrade fix work?"

(Want the full nitty-gritty on how these grades were calculated? You can find a detailed breakdown of the formula and every element taken into account at the very end of this article.)

Google

Length of time for upgrade to reach current flagship: 0 days (60/60 points)

Length of time for upgrade to reach previous-gen flagship: 0 days (30/30 points)

Communication: Excellent (10/10 points)

It's no surprise to see Google leading the pack with a solid "A" score in this latest Report Card  but it is worth noting that Google has actually earned its highest grade ever with its first 100% mark this go-round. In past analyses, Google has either faltered  slightly  with its previous-gen flagship, or at the very least lost some points for leaving certain models of its phones hanging longer than others and then failing to communicate anything about its progress to the people who own said products.

This year, the big G started rolling out Pie to both its then-current-gen Pixel 2 phone and its then-previous-gen original Pixel model on the same day the software was announced. (For the purposes of this analysis, it's the start of a rollout  to a flagship phone model in the U.S.  that counts.) And while the usual "rolling out in waves" asterisk applied, Pie made its way to all Pixel owners within a reasonable amount of time, without the need for any extra communication beyond the company's initial announcement.

Pixel upgrades may not always be immediate, given the staged rollout process Google likes to use, but they are always quite speedy  and consistently in a league of their own. Sure, we could argue that Google has a unique advantage in that it's both the manufacturer of the devices and the maker of the software, but guess what? That's part of the package.

And the results tell you all there is to know: Google's phones are without question the most reliable way to receive ongoing updates in a timely manner on Android. It's the only company that overtly makes a guarantee about that, let alone delivers on it  and it's the only company that now offers such support for a full three years from a phone's launch date, compared to the typical two-year window, thereby giving its devices even greater long-term value.

OnePlus

Length of time for upgrade to reach current flagship: 47 days (53/60 points)

Length of time for upgrade to reach previous-gen flagship: 142 days (21/30 points)

Communication: Poor (0/10 points)

Coming into second place for its second straight year, OnePlus did reasonably well with getting Pie onto all of its recent devices. The then-current-flagship, the OnePlus 6, saw its upgrade in late September  a respectable if not exemplary month and a half after the software's release. (The OnePlus 6T didn't come out until November, after Pie's release, so it isn't relevant to this analysis.) The dual second-gen flagships, meanwhile  the OnePlus 5 and 5T  both received their upgrades just under five months after Pie's arrival, right before the end of 2018.

As has been the case in the past, OnePlus didn't do much in the way of communication with customers  no official estimates, no promises, no meaningful updates or ETAs along the way. The only real communication was an announcement in the company's forums that a rollout was beginning. So if you owned a OnePlus device, all you could do was wait blindly and hope the upgrade might show up on your phone soon.

All in all, it's a decent performance, and it's heartening to see OnePlus steadily improving with each passing year. (Last year, while it still rather astonishingly held the second place position, the company came in with a pretty poor 65% "D" score.) So there's plenty of good stuff to be said for its efforts.

Even so, a 74% "C" grade shouldn't be the second best upgrade delivery performance by any Android manufacturer. And, just like last year, things get way, way worse from here.

Samsung

Length of time for upgrade to reach current flagship: 177 days (37/60 points)

Length of time for upgrade to reach previous-gen flagship: Still waiting (0/30 points)

Communication: Poor (0/10 points)

Credit where credit's due: Samsung actually got Pie onto some U.S. flagships within the first six months of the software's release. That's more than we can say for the company's efforts last year, with Oreo, when it had accomplished absolutely nothing by this point and consequently received a big fat zero in this assessment.

But, c'mon: Taking just shy of six months to get a major operating system update onto your current-gen flagship is not cause for celebration. When you set the bar embarrassingly low the previous year, with a nearly seven-month wait time for your highest-priority customers, sure: There's (hopefully) only room for improvement from there. But this is hardly a respectable result, and we still haven't heard a peep about when Pie will make its way to owners of Samsung's previous-gen flagship products.

In the bigger picture, all Samsung has really done here is return to its minimal-effort level from two years earlier, with the Android 7.0 Nougat rollout. That rollout was a big step backwards from Samsung's performance with Marshmallow, which itself was a big step backwards from its results with Lollipop. (And, you guessed it: That result was nothing to write home about, either.) Adding insult to injury, Samsung never makes any effort to communicate with customers about the process or what can be expected.

Samsung can  and should  do better. As I've said more times than I can count, particularly for a company of its size and with its immense financial and engineering-related resources, not being able to deliver updates to people after all those months (with the benefits of Treble in place, no less) comes down to one thing and one thing only: priorities.

Motorola (Lenovo)

Length of time for upgrade to reach current flagship: Still waiting (0/60 points)

Length of time for upgrade to reach previous-gen flagship: Still waiting (0/30 points)

Communication: Poor (3/10 points)

Man, I miss the days when Motorola was a shining high point on these reports. This year, the now-Lenovo-owned company has yet to deliver a taste of Pie to any flagship-owning customer  including those who bought its current-gen flagship, the Moto Z3, and those who paid good money for its previous-gen top-of-the-line phone, the Moto Z2 Force. (Some reports last month suggested the rollout for the Z3 was beginning, but those were based solely on the presence of a support page on Motorola's website that has since been taken offline. I've seen zero indication that any rollout ever actually began.)

There is one interesting asterisk to this: Motorola did deliver Pie to its midrange Moto X4 phone in the middle of December. My guess is that that's because the X4 is also available as an Android One phone, which means it has a model that ships with "stock" Google software and is part of a contractual agreement with Google that requires Motorola to deliver OS updates within a certain window. This pretty clearly suggests that when Moto has the motivation and has to make an upgrade happen in a semi-reasonable amount of time, it can do it. But when it doesn't have the motivation? The data says it all.

Regardless, for the sake of consistency and establishing a metric for comparison, this analysis focuses solely on regular flagship phones that are readily available in the U.S. (you can read more about my methodology here)  and that means, unfortunately for Moto, its midrange phone upgrade doesn't factor into this result.

The company does get a few points for putting in a minimal amount of effort on the communication front and at least releasing a list of which devices would be updated shortly after Pie's release. Motorola also still maintains a database where you can search for info about the upgrade status of any particular device model. But the initial announcement contained no specific timing info  not even vague estimations  and the database, a leftover from the company's Google-owned era, is barely even updated anymore and doesn't seem to contain any specific info about the progress or likely launch window for any phone's upgrade.

It's a token effort, basically  a relatively empty one  and so a few points are all it can earn.

NEXT PAGE: More shameful single-digit scores  including a big, fat zero  and a few glimmers of hope
DBS partners SIA to provide seamless banking and travel experience

DBS Bank and Singapore Airlines (SIA) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to enhance digital capabilities across various digital platforms, the national carrier said in a press release.

The partnership aims to enable a seamless banking and travel customer experience for travellers.

Under the MOU, the two companies will introduce flight booking and merchandising capabilities on DBS platforms, as well as a DBS-SIA Rewards Programme on KrisPay. Payment options for SIA customers will be expanded to include PayNow, via Application Program Interfaces (API) technology.

Under the DBS-SIA Rewards Programme, KrisFlyer members can instantly convert DBS points into KrisPay miles via the KrisPay app. Miles can subsequently be used for retail purchases at KrisPay partners island-wide. Alternatively, the KrisPay miles can be converted into KrisFlyer miles instantly within seven days of accrual.

Photo: Connected to India

We are excited to be teaming up with DBS. The partnership will provide great benefits to both our companies, given our shared aim to be a digital leader in our respective industries, with enhanced customer benefits through new flight booking, merchandising and reward programme ties, said Singapore Airlines Executive Vice President Commercial, Mr Mak Swee Wah.

DBS customers can now look forward to booking their holidays on the soon-to-be-launched DBS Travel Marketplace. They will be able purchase flights, book hotels and buy travel insurance on a single integrated platform.

Singaporeans are among the most well-travelled in the world with over 10.3 million overseas trips made in 2018 alone said Mr Shee Tse Koon, DBS Singapore Country Manager. "Through this partnership, we would be able to elevate the consumer travel experience by offering extensive travel and retail options for travellers to choose from and customise their journeys right at the start.

The initiatives will be gradually rolled out this year, beginning with the DBS Travel Marketplace. The full suite of updates will be made available by end of 2019.
National Museum of Qatar opens in Doha

Art lovers in the Middle East now have a brand-new beautiful museum to visit as the National Museum of Qatar has been opened for the public in Doha from today. The museum boasts of providing an unparalleled immersive experience housed in a new architectural masterpiece inspired by Desert Rose.

The museums most impressive features include the restored palace of Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani as well as the Pearl Carpet of Baroda, which is embroidered with more than 1.5 million Gulf pearls and adorned with emeralds, diamonds and sapphires,

National Museum of Qatar is organised in three chaptersBeginnings, Life in Qatar, and The Modern History of Qatar presented in eleven galleries. Photo courtesy: National Museum of Qatar

The Museums winding, 1.5-kilometre gallery path is a journey through a series of unique, encompassing environments, each of which tells its part of the story of Qatar through a special combination of architectural space, music, poetry, oral histories, evocative aromas, archaeological and heritage objects, commissioned artworks, monumentally-scaled art films, and more.

National Museum of Qatar is organised in three chaptersBeginnings, Life in Qatar, and The Modern History of Qatar presented in eleven galleries, which take visitors from the geological period long before the peninsula was inhabited through to the present day. Passing through the galleries, visitors are caught up in the experience of the formation of the Qatar peninsula and its natural habitat, the heritage of life in Al Barr (the desert) and on the coast, the political development of modern Qatar, the discovery of oil, and Qatars multifaceted relationships today with the larger world.

The USD434 million (SGD588.55 million) building was designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Jean Nouvel, who also designed the Louvre of Abu Dhabi. While designing the attractive building, he drew inspiration from the desert rose, a flower-like formation that occurs naturally in the Gulf region when minerals crystallize in the crumbly soil just below the surface of a shallow salt basin.

National Museum of Qatar has been designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Jean Nouvel. He drew inspiration from 'Desert Rose' while designing the architecture of the building. Photo courtesy: National Museum of Qatar

Described by Nouvel as the first architectural structure that nature itself creates, the desert rose became the model for the Museums complex structure of large interlocking disks of different diameters and curvaturessome vertical and constituting supports, others horizontal and resting on other diskswhich surround the historic Palace like a necklace. A central court, the Baraha, sits within the ring of galleries and serves as a gathering space for outdoor cultural events. On the outside, the Museums sand-colored concrete harmonizes with the desert environment, so that the building appears to grow out of the ground and be one with it. Inside, the structure of interlocking disks continues, creating an extraordinary variety of irregularly shaped volumes.

To imagine a desert rose as a basis for design was a very advanced idea, even a utopian one. To construct a building with great curved disks, intersections, and cantilevered anglesthe kind of shapes made by a desert rosewe had to meet enormous technical challenges. This building is at the cutting edge of technology, like Qatar itself. As a result, it is a total object: an experience that is at once architectural, spatial, and sensory, with spaces inside that exist nowhere else, said Jean Nouvel.

Museums complex structure comprises of large interlocking disks of different diameters and curvatures. Photo courtesy: National Museum of Qatar

The spectacular 52,000-square-meter (560,000-square-foot) National Museum of Qatar embraces as its centrepiece the restored historic Palace of Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani (1880-1957), son of the founder of modern Qatar. A building that in former times was both the home of the Royal Family and the seat of government and was subsequently the site of the original National Museum, the historic Palace is now the culminating exhibit in the sweeping succession of gallery experiences.

The opening of the National Museum of Qatar is a source of immense pride for our country and an exceptional moment for engaging with people from around the world. The extraordinary schedule of inaugural activities draws together outstanding artists, architects, thinkers, and cultural leaders from Qatar and the international community, vividly demonstrating how the National Museum of Qatar will always be a dynamic resource in its programs as well as its exhibitions. Culture connects people, and with this new museum we believe we have created an exceptional platform for dialogue, said Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums.

National Museum of Qatar embraces as its centrepiece the restored historic Palace of Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani, son of the founder of modern Qatar. Photo courtesy: National Museum of Qatar

After more than a decade of planning, we are deeply gratified to welcome the people of Qatar and our international visitors to this exciting, multi-layered, experiential museum. From the start, Qatar Museums and the National Museum team knew that we wanted to create a living experience for our peoplea museum with a heart. We have created galleries full of movement, sound, and colour in order to engage our public fully, with their senses and emotions as well as their intellects, and have assembled creative and authentic content that is so rich that people will discover something new with each visit. It is now time for the discoveries to begin, said Sheikha Amna bint Abdulaziz bin Jassim Al Thani, Director of the National Museum of Qatar.

The National Museum of Qatar was officially inaugurated yesterday by His Highness the Amir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, in an opening celebration attended by heads of state, dignitaries, and museum leaders from around the world.
Huw Merriman is MP for Bexhill and Battle.

Last week, the TaxPayers Alliance published a report on aid spending. While I disagree with a number of its conclusions, it contained some constructive ideas for reforming the aid budget. Coming from an organisation that has steadfastly opposed the UKs aid commitment, this partial conversion is noteworthy and welcome  and shows that the argument for the UK maintaining its role in the world, and our commitment to the worlds poorest people, is beginning to cut through.

All Conservatives would support the reports basic premise  that every pound of British taxpayers money that is spent on aid should be accounted for and serve a worthwhile purpose. Given that, for less than a penny in every pound, it is estimated that UK aid saves a life every two minutes, money wasted is a life wasted.

Thats why I am especially supportive of the TPAs proposal that the Secretary of State for International Development should personally sign off on all development spending  as opposed to just the spending that comes from DFID. This is something I previously raised with Foreign Office Ministers back in 2017.

Some of the biggest own goals in aid spending come from outside DFID spending. From speaking to my constituents in Bexhill and Battle, I am acutely aware of the damage that these episodes have on public confidence in the aid system. It is so vital that every penny we spend overseas is justified.

The expertise, transparency and rigorous external scrutiny of DFID means it takes very good care of our cash. The Transparency Index, which measures the effectiveness of aid spending across the globe, places DFID in the top three of the worlds aid departments and rates its performance as very good. The Foreign Office is virtually at the bottom of the league, with its performance rated as poor. Thats why I oppose measures to transfer more aid spending from DFID to the Foreign Office. As a Conservative, why would I want taxpayers money to be spent by a department which spends it poorly?

The TPA report also calls for unilateral changes to international aid rules, which I cannot support. As a Conservative, I am driven by doing what works. By seeking to alter the rules which the rest of the world abides by, the credibility we have achieved through our aid spending risks being lost. I am proud of the UKs work overseas  it is an area in which we truly are a world leader. And to stay in that leadership position the TPA is right that we need to continue to re-assess, reform and improve. But we also need to celebrate the work that we are already doing and recognise the gains that we have made.

I have seen this first hand. In 2016, I travelled to Jordan with Save the Children with an open mind as to whether our aid was being spent well. I was incredibly impressed. Whilst I witnessed the unimaginable hardship facing Syrian refugees in Jordan, having lost their homes and livelihoods, I also saw UK aid jumping into action.

I also saw how smart our aid is, and that far from giving a hand out as is so often claimed, UK Aid was clearly acting as a hand up. Whether it was innovative cash transfers in Zaatari refugee camp  helping refugees plan their own family budgets and buy what they needed  or training young people to access gainful employment and keep learning, UK Aid was making a real difference. I was surprised that everyone I spoke to there did not want to migrate to Europe, but wanted to return home and rebuild their country when it is safe to do so. It is UK Aid that is helping them to do just this.

At this critical moment, we cannot afford to step aside and pull back from the world order. Now is the time for us to be out there, leading from the front and showing the best of Britain. By spending our aid money so effectively, and by championing the international rules that ensure others do the same, we can make the world a better place and keep Britain safe.
Contractors Question: I am a UK tax resident individual in receipt of an exciting offer. Ive been offered employment through the UK subsidiary of a Swiss technology company, and the employment will involve spending time in France and Switzerland. Im further thrilled to have also been offered shares in the Swiss parent as part of my employment contract, so I would like to understand the tax implications associated with the receipt of the shares.

Experts Answer: The receipt of your shares arises in connection with your (future) employment and, to the extent that you are receiving shares for less than their market value, there will be a charge to UK income tax.

As the Swiss company is not a quoted vehicle, the issue is reported through your self-assessment tax return. While there is no mechanism for agreeing the value to be reported in advance with HMRC, there is a fairly established methodology for determining value in these circumstances. The most important principle in relation to a small percentage shareholding is that a heavy discount is applied to the fractional value of the shares.

For example, if you hold a 5% share and the company is worth 100, the valuation is not 5 but something more akin to 1.25, applying a rule of thumb 75% discount. Assuming the Swiss company has restrictions on the transferability of its shares (like most private companies), there is also a difference between the actual market value of the shares at the time of issue and their unrestricted market value. It is generally advisable, where the values are not too steep, to make an election to be taxed on the basis of the higher unrestricted market value as this avoids complications further down the line. Note; there is a tight 14-day deadline to make this election.

On a future sale, and assuming you are still UK tax resident, any gain will simply be charged to UK Capital Gains Tax where you made the election mentioned above and any reliefs, such as Entrepreneurs Relief, will apply in the normal way. If you dont make the election, it is possible that some of the gain could be charged to income tax.

Perhaps counter-intuitively given that the shares are in a Swiss company, it is unlikely that you will be taxed in either France or Switzerland. Under Article 15 of our Double Tax Agreement with both countries, the UK has sole taxing rights in relation to your employment as long as three conditions are met: (i) you dont spend more than 183 days in either France or Switzerland in any given year (the basis period for measurement varies between the Treaties) (ii) your remuneration is paid by your UK employer and (iii) it is not re-charged to a taxable presence the UK company has established in either State. Likewise, neither country would seek to charge you on a future disposal of the shares. Best of luck.

The expert was David Simpson, international tax partner at chartered accountancy firm BKL.
80%

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This CoolSocial report was updated on 2021-08-17, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.
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At the origin of the Internet links were basically a signal of "likes". In a way, so likes, tweets and shares have now the natural explicit meaning of links. CoolSocial is an analyzer you can use to improve your site social media impact. You can also check for your competitors.
Some interpretations are even more out there, such as the theory that Us takes place in the Get Out universe, albeit inside the Sunken Place -- meaning that the events of the film are "a metaphysical war within the subconscious." Which is interesting, but also as nuts as suggesting that the entirety of Jurassic Park takes place in Quint's imagination as he's eaten alive at the end of Jaws. Another fan argues that Adelaide/Red is basically Satan, cast out of paradise to become the leader of a literal underworld.

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As for the film's political messages, people seem to hold a whole host of opinions. One critic suggested that the Tethered are a stand-in for the modern Republican Party, albeit with a less nightmarish leader. For starters, they love the color red. Secondly, the Tethered saw themselves as disenfranchised, so they hatched an insane plan to achieve power. And in the end, they form a human wall across America. On the flip side, conservative website Breitbart sees the film as a warning of the "horrors of socialism." Again, because of the color red. Stellar semiotics at work there.

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As the situation at Uljanik shipyard continues to deteriorate, Scenic chairman and founder Glen Moroney arrived at the facility in Pula, Croatia, earlier this week after work once again stopped on the new 228-guest Scenic ship last Friday, according to Croatian news sources.

Striking shipyard workers, said to be unpaid for seven months, also put a temporary stop to progress being done by contractors on the Scenic Eclipse.

Following the yard situation, Scenic issued a statement earlier this year delaying the ships delivery to August and noting that they had directly hired their own labor to finish the ship.

Moroneys arrival quickly followed the work stoppage last Friday, as did a legal letter from Scenics legal team advising the administration and so-called strike committee at Uljanik that Scenic would file criminal charges if they could not continue work on their ship.

Work has thus restarted on the Eclipse, according to Croatian news reports.

Samir Hadzic, part of the Uljanik Supervisory Board, was quoted as saying that the yard needs a solution and at least temporary funding. He said Scenic was an unfortunate collateral victim of the entire situation.

The yard workers continue to be on strike, but so far let outside contractors in to work on the Scenic Eclipse according to news reports.
Carnival Cruise Line announced today that Kelly Arison, daughter of Carnival Corporation Chairman Micky Arison and his wife Madeleine, will serve as godmother for the ship at an invitation-only ceremony in New York on May 23.

Kelly will step into the godmother role previously held by her mother when the ship first entered service as Carnival Triumph, in 1999.

In an added stroke of family ties, Kellys grandmother Lin Arison served as godmother to Carnival Sunrises sister ship, Carnival Sunshine, in 2013.

Carnival Sunrises naming ceremony will take place aboard the ship at the Manhattan Cruise Passenger Terminal and will serve as a platform to heighten awareness of the work of the Ehlers-Danlos Society, an organization dedicated to serving those with joint hypermobility spectrum disorders, of which Kelly is a strong advocate. Carnival will be making a donation to the Ehlers-Danlos Society during the ceremony.

It is truly an honor to carry on my familys cherished tradition and join the esteemed women who have so admirably carried out their role as a Carnival godmother over the years, said Kelly. This ceremony will not only serve as an exciting and memorable way to officially introduce the spectacular Carnival Sunrise to the Carnival fleet but also raise awareness of an organization very near and dear to my heart, the Ehlers-Danlos Society.

Carnival Cruise Line is proud and delighted that Kelly will serve in this role as she officially names Carnival Sunrise, said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. And given the family ties to this ship in particular, we are planning to include some special guests that mean a lot to the Arison family and have played an important part in the history of Carnival Cruise Line.

Carnival Sunrises inaugural season includes four- to 14-day voyages from Norfolk, Va., and New York to Bermuda, Canada and the Caribbean through September. The ship will then reposition to Fort Lauderdale for a winter season of Caribbean and Bahamian voyages beginning in October 2019 before heading back to New York in spring 2020.
Spyware definition

Spyware is a broad category of malware designed to secretly observe activity on a device and send those observations to a snooper. That data can be used to track your activity online and that information can be sold to marketers. Spyware can also be used to steal personal information, such as account passwords and credit card numbers, which can result in identity theft and fraud.

"Spyware is really anything that's collectingand possibly disseminatinginformation about the user without the consumer's consent," explains Josh Zelonis, a senior analyst with market research company Forrester Research. "Spyware is and will always be a popular method of collecting private information. We see it in banking Trojans, ad networks, jealous spouses, and companies crossing ethical boundaries by installing keystroke loggers as part of their 'insider threat programs. It's an incredibly broad problem that impacts everyone potentially."

Use of the malware seems to be on the rise. According to a recent report from security software maker Malwarebytes, consumer spyware detections increased 27 percent from 2017 to 2018. Business detections increased even more: 142 percent over the same period.

"It's a part of a trend back to traditional threats," says Jerome Segura, head of threat intelligence for Malwarebytes. It shows that criminals are interested in stealing data from users," he adds. "Once they have the data, they can deploy additional malware on the system and create an additional vector for monetization."

Types of spyware

Spyware can take a number of forms. They include:

Adware: It eyes your online activity and displays ads it thinks you'll be interested in based on that information. Although benign compared to some other forms of spyware, adware can have an impact on the performance of a device, as well as just being annoying.

Tracking cookies: They're similar to adware, although they tend to be less intrusive.

Trojans: After landing on a device, they look for sensitive information, such as bank account information, and send it to a seedy third-party who will use it to steal money, compromise accounts or make fraudulent purchases. They can also be used to gain control of a computer through the installation of a backdoor or a remote access Trojan (RAT).

Keyloggers: They allow a miscreant to capture every keystroke from your keyboard, including the keystrokes you use when you log into your online accounts.

Stalkerware: It's typically installed on a mobile phone so the owner of the phone can be tracked by a third party. For example, during the trial of Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, it was revealed the drug kingpin installed spyware on the phones of his wife, associates and female friends so he could read their text messages, listen to their conversations and follow their movements.

Stealware: It's crafted to take advantage of online shopping sites awarding credits to websites that send traffic to their product pages. When a user goes to one of those sites, stealware intercepts the request and takes credit for sending the user there.

System monitors: They record everything that's happening on a devicefrom keystrokes, emails and chat room dialogs to websites visited, programs launched, and phone calls madeand send it to a snoop or cyber criminal. They can also monitor a system's processes and identify any vulnerabilities on it.

How does spyware work?

Spyware is distributed in a number of ways. One of the most common is getting users to click on a link that leads to a malicious website. Those links can be in emails, text messages, pop-up windows in a browser, and ads on web pages. Poisoned links have also been known to appear in Google search results.

Sometimes you don't need to click on a malicious link to get to an infected website. This is most commonly done through an infected ad delivered to legitimate websites through legitimate ad networksalso known as malvertising. On occasion, threat actors embed malicious code on legitimate websites that can infect a visitor just by landing on a page.

Such "drive by" infections are popular in so-called watering hole attacks. Those attacksnamed for a hunting technique used by predators who wait for their prey to gather around a watering hole before assaulting themusually target a specific group of users. For example, a high-profile watering hole attack took place in 2013 when a malicious script was discovered at a popular site for iOS developers, PhoneDevSDK. The script redirected visitors from PhoneDevSDK, which included developers from Apple and Facebook, to a drive-by site.

Opening infected files is another method of distributing spyware. Such files are typically attached to email messages disguised as originating with a trusted source, such as a bank or the U.S. Post Office.

Users, too, can be enticed to download spyware. A developer might tout their program as a useful addition to a software library, but it can contain spyware. In some cases, deleting the software from your computer will get rid of the application, but the spyware will be left behind and continue snooping on you.

Mobile phones can also be a target of spyware. Although both Google and Apple do a decent job of catching malicious apps distributed through their online stores, they're not perfect. In the fall of 2018, for instance, four programs in the Google Play storeincluding one to find embassies abroadwere removed after discovering they were infected with the Overseer spyware. Users should be especially wary of programs distributed outside of the Google and Apple stores.

Sometimes malicious apps can appear to be original programs, or they might masquerade as an existing program. For example, an outside-the-apps-stores version of Psiphon, a program designed to give people in countries with repressive regimes unrestricted access to the internet, was infected with Triout, spyware that reads text messages, takes screenshots, copies photos and records phone calls, videos and the GPS location of the phones it infects.

"A couple years ago, the prime distribution channel for spyware was still through watering hole attacks and the use of exploit kits," explains Mounir Hahad, head of the threat lab for Juniper Networks, a network security and performance company. "These days, it has become mostly via email and SMS messages, followed by secondary downloads from compromised websites."

Social engineering remains the number one way to spread malware infections, maintains Jon Amato, a senior director analyst in the Atlanta offices of research and advisory company Gartner. "Tricking someone to go to a web page that exploits a browser vulnerability or exploits the user's gullibility is going to be the main way any malware gets distributed, including spyware," he says.

How to prevent spyware

Many spyware infections can be averted by users, maintains Tanner Johnson, a senior analyst with IHS Markit, a London-based research, analysis and advisory firm. "Spyware infections take place because individuals go to nefarious websites without knowledge," he says. "They click a random link. They open an attachment they shouldn't. They engage in poor cybersecurity practices."

Care should also be taken when downloading files. Files should only be downloaded from trusted sites. If you have a good antivirus or antimalware program, it will, in many cases, flag downloads that are infected. Make sure your security software comes from a reputable vendor. Malware authors have been known to bury their wares in bogus antivirus apps.

For mobile phones, it's best to download apps from Google Play for Android phones and the App Store for iOS mobiles. "Rooting" an Android handset or "jailbreaking" an iPhone should also be avoided if you're concerned about spyware. In an enterprise environment, its wise to make this a policy. Using mobile device management (MDM) software that limits the download to approved apps only is also a good option.

In addition, although it's unlikely that someone is going to physically access your phone to install spyware on it, always create a lock codefor your phone that only you know. This is a requirement in many corporate environments.

Even if you're careful about the links you click, the attachments you open, and the files you download, you still may be targeted by drive-by infections. Since drive-by attacks often depend on browser vulnerabilities to infect their victims, the risk of drive-by infections can be reduced by keeping your browser version up to date.

Since spyware is frequently connected to pop-up windows and advertising, there are several steps you can take address those malware conduits. Both the Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome have built-in pop-up window blockers. They can be configured to block all pop-up windows or alert you when a website wants to launch a pop-up so you can decide whether you want to see it. You can also allow pop-ups automatically from trusted sites.

Malvertising threats can be addressed by installing an ad-blocker in your browser, if it doesn't already have that feature. AdBlock Plus is one of the most popular programs for blocking ads. Anti-tracking software, like Ghostery, can also be a valuable browser addition to reduce the risk of spyware infections.

In a corporate environment, a good endpoint protection solution will detect most adware. What likely to be most effective, though, is a strong security awareness program that teaches employees how to avoid adware and other types of malware infections.

How to remove spyware

If your computer appears unusually sluggish or crashes a lot, your browser becomes overpopulated with pop-up windows, or you begin to observe suspicious hard drive activity, your efforts to avoid spyware might have failed. That means you'll need to remove the infection.

Removing any kind of malware manually is difficult, but it can be even more so with spyware. The malware is designed to be clandestine. That means it will hide telltale signs of its presence, like icons. Checking system resources can be a dead end, too. Spyware authors often name their files to mimic the names of real system files to hide their identity.

A number of programssome of them freecan detect and remove spyware. They include SUPERAntiSpyware, Malwarebytes, Avast Free Antivirus, AVG AntiVirus, Adaware, Trend Micro HouseCall, SpywareBlaster and SpyBot Search & Destroy. In addition, Actiance Security Labs maintains Spyware Guide, which lists thousands of spyware programs with links to tools for removing them from systems.

Spyware on smartphones can cause symptoms similar to computers, such as frequent system crashes and performance hits, but there are other signs, too. For example, the phone may start turning itself off and not responding immediately when you try to turn it back on. Other signs include faster battery depletion than normal, surges in data usage and unusual text messages in your inbox.

Another tipoff is modifications to your phone that allow it to download apps outside Google's and Apple's app stores. In Android, that's typically done by changing a phone's security settings to allow downloads from unknown sources. In iOS, it's sometimes done by planting on a phone an app called Cydia, which is used to download software on a jailbroken iPhone.

If you suspect you have spyware on your phone, you can back up your data and reset it to its factory settings. You'll also want to make sure you're running the latest version of its operating system.

As with computers, there are also security programs that can be used to scan a phone for spyware and remove it, although that solution may not be effective in every case. For Android phones, there's also a "nuclear option" called dr.phone. It will totally and permanently wipe everything on your phonephotos, apps, contacts, messages, call logs and all private data. It's not to be used lightly.
Democrats are busy finding new ways to tax the rich. The most straightforward way to do that -- an annual tax on household wealth -- is an idea with deep roots in Europe that several 2020 hopefuls are hoping to import to the U.S.

Yet of the 15 European countries that tried a wealth tax in recent years, only four still employ it. Most of those governments ultimately were underwhelmed by the amount of revenue raised and overwhelmed by the difficulty in collecting an accurate tax.

Nevertheless, the idea is gaining steam among Democrats trying to unseat President Donald Trump in 2020. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts was the first to come out with a detailed wealth tax proposal, and former Texas congressman Beto O'Rourke has expressed support for the concept.

Warren wants to impose a 2 percent annual tax on a family's wealth over $50 million, with an additional surcharge of 1 percent on wealth above $1 billion. She says her plan would raise $2.75 trillion over 10 years.

"As long as there is a desire to tax, there's a chance a wealth tax could happen here," said Veronique de Rugy, a senior fellow at the conservative Mercatus Center. But "we can't assume we can do things better than other countries who have tried."

Democrats, seizing on the argument that the 2017 Republican tax overhaul favored the wealthy, are staking out positions that will require upper-income filers to pay more. In addition to wealth tax proposals, several contenders have floated ideas to increase the number of filers eligible for the estate tax.

Some 15 countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a group of economically advanced nations, had wealth taxes in 1995. Now, only four do: Switzerland, Belgium, Norway and Spain.

Of the wealth taxes that remain, Switzerland's is the most prominent. Its tax is levied by the canton, or state government, and at the city level. Each local government sets is own rates and includes most assets -- property, securities, vehicles, and valuables, such as jewelry.

Others are less vigorous.

Spain briefly halted the tax during the financial crisis in 2008, then reinstated it in 2011, and increased the thresholds at which it applies. Similarly, Norway increased taxes elsewhere to generate more revenue and its wealth tax now only comprises 0.8 percent of its tax base.

Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Austria have all abandoned the policy, citing the high cost of implementation and the small revenue it generated.

In France, the most recent country to back away from the idea, the wealth tax was estimated to bring in about 3.6 billion euros annually and cost the country about 7 billion euros annually from fraud as well as an eroded tax base caused by taxpayers leaving the country, according to research by Eric Pichet, a professor at the Kedge business school in France.

In the first 10 years the tax was in effect, Pichet estimates that about 200 billion euros of capital left France or was never invested because entrepreneurs opted to put their money in lower-tax jurisdictions.

Wealth taxes have also faced problems when they don't tax all assets equally. In Germany, the wealthy shifted their investments out of stocks and bonds and pumped more money into property, which is taxed based on official values that are far below market rate. Once the wealth tax was repealed, investments moved back into securities.

Both Spain's and Norway's taxes have some exemptions for the value of primary homes, which gave wealthy taxpayers a way around part of the wealth tax, according to Greg Leiserson, director of tax policy at the left-leaning Washington Center for Equitable Growth. That can artificially inflate the prices of the housing market, as well as make markets less liquid.

Belgium could soon find that their citizens also prefer prefer pricey houses over investing in marketable securities. It became the lone European country to implement a wealth tax last year -- a 0.15 percent levy on financial accounts above 500,000 euros (about $563,000) for Belgian taxpayers living domestically and abroad.

Because it relies on assets that are easy to value, Belgium's plan will be much easier to police than one that includes all assets, but it will also generate much less revenue. Belgians could choose to hold their wealth in real estate or diamonds, rather than in stocks or bonds, legally reducing their tax liability.

But none of the existing European plans would go as far as Warren's proposal.

If she is right that her tax would raise $2.75 trillion over a decade, that would mean it would account for about 8 percent of U.S. tax revenue. Comparatively, the Swiss wealth tax generates 3.3 percent of that country's tax revenue.

Tax administration experts say the only way to make a wealth tax work well is to have it apply to all assets. Otherwise, as many European countries have found, it's too easy for rich individuals to organize their assets in a way that they minimize their taxes or escape the levy entirely.

"It doesn't make sense to put in the administrative structure" for a small wealth tax, Dean Baker, Center for Economic and Policy Research said. "This isn't something that can be done halfway."

A wealth tax would require scores of new auditors and valuation experts at the U.S. Internal Revenue Service to ensure compliance, similar to how other countries have had to step up collection and enforcement efforts after enacting a wealth levy. The IRS already processes about 4,000 estate tax returns annually, which require the agency to verify the worth of lots of hard-to-value assets, including closely held businesses, art work and land.

This would require the IRS to hire hundreds of new employees who would be responsible for processing and auditing about 75,000 wealth tax returns a year, according to estimates from Warren's plan, an increase of 1,775 percent from the current work load.

Implementing this tax would be a "big deal," for the IRS, Leiserson said. It can be hard to put a firm value on rare art -- even harder if it's stored offshore.

In Switzerland, where the tax relies heavily on self-reporting, researchers have found that a 1 percent wealth tax lowers reported assets by 23 percent to 34 percent.

A comprehensive tax will also face a fight from the housing, retirement, financial services and art industries. Warren's plan relies on no class of assets getting exemptions to raise the promised $2.75 trillion. Yet groups representing home buyers, investors and collectors will push to have those assets excluded.

A wealth tax could also be mired in legal battles. The central question would be whether it's even constitutional. The Constitution prohibits federal taxes on assets. Several Democratic presidential candidates, including Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and California Senator Kamala Harris favor an expansion of the estate tax.

Critics say it will also push people to give up their U.S. citizenship in an attempt to avoid the tax, one problem that prompted France to repeal its wealth tax. But those fears could be slightly overblown, said David Shakow, a tax law professor emeritus at the University of Pennsylvania.

"It's a threat people make and it's possible that people leave," Shakow said, but not many end up doing so purely for tax reasons.

But something as big as a Warren-style wealth tax could be the thing to convince the mega-billionaires to find a new country to call home, Baker said.

"Clearly, this would be be a big debate before Congress," he said. "Wealthy people would see that happening, and before the tax becomes law say, 'I'm outta here'."

Foreseeing that possibility, Warren's plan would place a 40 percent exit tax on any U.S. taxpayer worth at least $50 million who renounces their citizenship.

The growth of wealth inequality in the developed world has led to talk about wealth taxes, but few countries are implementing them, researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and two Swiss Universities found in a 2016 paper.

"In fact, OECD nations have been moving in the opposite direction over the past decade, with most nations abandoning annual wealth taxation," the paper said.
BRIDGEPORT  Almost everyone gathered by the police substation in the citys East End on Thursday morning agreed that reopening it would help stem violent crime.

How and when that might happen, elected officials cant say. And as many noted afterward, staffing the facility would be only a first step in building trust between the community and law enforcement.

If its a one-sided thing, it wont work, East End resident Gloria Brown said. The new police department kids dont know anything about this community. So why would you bring them in here and turn them loose when they dont know what theyre doing; only that theyve got a badge  thats their authority, their power  and their gun?

State Sen. Dennis Bradley, D-Bridgeport, organized a press conference in front of the substation at 1149 Stratford Ave. to discuss ways to end violence in the city, where there have been seven homicides so far in 2019. There were 11 in all of last year.

The most recent killing happened this month on Hollister Avenue, when 20 shots were fired into a parked car, killing 21-year-old Tyron Heard and wounding two others.

Bradley began the press conference by noting a number of revitalization projects in the works in the neighborhood, saying Bridgeport is city on the move.

At the same time, he said, Our community isnt safe right now.

Reopening the substation, which was last open briefly in 2017, would help, he said. But Bradley and others said police need to do more to reach out to the community.

It isnt a secret how we stop crime. Weve done it in the past and we know we can do it in the future, Bradley said. We need people here who not only look like us, but understand us, who are organically from the community, who know who each and every single one of us are, so we can effectively work with law enforcement.

We always need to do more

Mayor Joe Ganim said the substation is and will continue to be a priority for the city.

Ganim, Bradley and City Councilman Ernie Newton said they would work with police to see where things stand, but they didnt know how much funding would be needed to reopen the substation, or where the money would come from.

It might be too ambitious, because it requires a lot of moving pieces to come together, but before the summer starts, I want to see this substation open, I want to see it active, Bradley said.

We always need to do more, and more, and more, Ganim said. Weve been in and out of here, its been opened and closed, weve made commitments, lets follow up on that.

Newton said Police Capt. Lonnie Blackwell is working to bring back foot patrols to the area. Newton vowed to walk the beat with officers, to introduce them to residents.

Tony Barr  a community activist whose stated plans to run for mayor have not yet been formalized  said, The police have to come in our community and make sure that they understand the people theyre dealing with on a daily basis and build a relationship.

East End political leader Ralph Ford said officials need to demonstrate a long-term commitment to community policing, not just a one-time thing.

Weve had these openings, weve had these press releases before, Ford said. Weve had police out here for a few weeks and then its over.

Calls for outreach

Afterward, Barr said the police department should do more to hire officers from the community. Beyond that, he said, the city needs to provide more opportunities to young people.

Bridgeport has nothing to offer but sadness, he said. Theres nothing here for our kids.

City residents Clive Walters and Paul Williams, who happened upon Thursdays press conference while walking around the neighborhood, agreed.

Walters said leaders need to reach out to the community more.

First of all, you need to find out what they want. Get a summit with the kids to find out what they really want, he said.

Williams said systemic change is needed, and that the community is still reeling from the effects of decades of the war on drugs.

The reason why there are a lot of drugs being sold in this area is because theres nothing for anybody to do, Williams said. If the cops stopped enforcing the tactics of (the war on) drugs, everybody would feel more free and thered be less tension and less violence.

After the press conference, Williams spoke with Ganim briefly, and the mayor said hed reach out to discuss the issues more.

Others who live in the area said bringing back the substation isnt a fix-all, but a good first step.

We need it open and we need foot patrols, a whole lot of them, Ann Barnes said.

Its not going to be enough, but its a start, Deborah Caviness said. And we have to start somewhere.

ethan.fry@hearstmediact.com
It was motor vehicle violations that got him stopped.

It was the guns and heroin that got him arrested.

On Thursday Ismael Mangual, 43, of Bridgeport pleaded guilty to the drug and gun charges during his appearance before Senior U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in U.S. District Court,in New Haven.

Mangual pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute 100 grams of heroin and a count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

He faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years and a maximum of 40 years when he sentenced June 20 by Arterton.

Milford police stopped the car Mangual was driving near the former Howard Johnsons motel on the Boston Post Road just before 11:30 p.m. on Aug. 31, 2017. At the time he was driving an unregistered, uninsured car with improper plates.

Inside they found a loaded Glock 27 .40 caliber handgun and a Glock 30 .45 caliber handgun. The latter gun was determined to be stolen. The loaded .40 caliber gun was found near the foot of a six-year-old boy.

A further search turned up the heroin and a digital scale.

Mangual was arrested on state charges of weapons in a motor vehicle, theft of a firearm, criminal possession of a firearm, risk of injury to a minor and violation of protection order. He also was charged with the following motor vehicle offenses: failure to insure a motor vehicle, failure to renew registration, operating a motor vehicle without a license, improper use of license plates, and transporting a child without a child seat.

Those charges as well as kidnapping, burglary and home invasion charges from an earlier incident are pending in Milford Superior Court. He is scheduled to appear there on April 4.

Mangual has prior narcotics convictions in Fairfield and Waterbury Superior Court.

The federal case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Kale and was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administrations Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force.
A former nurse charged with sexually assaulting an incapacitated woman who later gave birth at a long-term care facility in Phoenix will appeal a court order requiring a test to determine if he has HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases.

Court Commissioner Roger Hartsell issued a Feb. 27 order requiring Nathan Sutherland to take the test and rejected a request Tuesday to reconsider the requirement.

Sutherland attorney Edwin Molina argued the test would violate his clients protections against unreasonable searches and seizures.

Molina says authorities have no probable cause to believe Sutherland has a sexually transmitted disease and questioned why the alleged victim wasn't tested, as she's currently in a round-the-clock care facility.

"At this point, it's a fishing expedition with nothing to support it," he said, according to AZ Family. "...Not even a scintilla of evidence."

The state argued any symptoms of HIV or other STDs might not manifest for months and that testing is crucial to detection and treatment.

Authorities say Sutherland was working as a nurse at Hacienda HealthCare when he raped the 29-year-old victim.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges. Sutherland has since given up his nursing license.

Hacienda HealthCare staff said they didn't know the female patient was pregnant until she gave birth on Dec. 29. Court records describe the woman as "not alert" and needing a "maximum level of care."
In this series, Instagram Icon, Entrepreneur speaks with the individuals behind popular Instagram accounts to find out the secrets of their success.

For most of her career, Zoe Foster Blake was on a mission to find the best beauty products, first as beauty director at legacy media titles such as Cosmopolitan and Harpers Bazaar Australia, and then through her own sites: a blog called fruitybeauty in 2006 and Primped in 2008. In 2014, after years of reviewing and recommending, she wanted to create something of her own and launched skincare line Go-To.

I knew which ingredients worked, and which didnt, and I knew that Australian women generally found skin care to be wildly confusing and very frustrating, Foster Blake recalled. The result was Go-To, a meaningful [collection] of effective, clean skin care essentials to make women enjoy and feel confident about looking after their skin.

Five years later, Go-To has grown to offer 15 different products and gone international. In 2018, Go-To launched in all 400 of Sephoras U.S. storefronts. Foster Blake said that seeing her work on store shelves has been a thrill.

I still take selfies with them in store, like a real dork. Sephora is a huge, world-class beauty retailer, so for a small indie brand from Australia, it was a huge honor to be chosen to be part of their family of clean skin care, Foster Blake said. We have our work cut out for us in the U.S. Its an enormous market with a lot of very good, very established players, but I passionately believe we offer something different, and were here to play ball.

Foster Blake isnt just a beauty entrepreneur. The married mom of two has more than 660,000 followers on Instagram and is the bestselling author of eight books, including a break-up guide called Break Up Boss, and a novel called The Wrong Girl, which was adapted into an acclaimed TV series in Australia.

We caught up with Foster Blake to talk about how she uses social media to connect with her customers.

How did you get started with Instagram? Why do you think your brands lend themselves well to the platform?

I joined in 2012 because everyone else had, and my lazy side saw that I could use it as a micro-blogging platform, rather than do whole blog posts. Go-To joined Instagram in April 2014, and the two make such a gorgeous couple. We have a strong personality and clear vision about who we are, why we are, what we make and who are customers are. Instagram is a brilliant mouthpiece for this narrative, and a great forum to bring the customer into our world and make them feel confident and even a bit excited about looking after their skin.

Instagram makes it so easy for women to share products they do and dont like. Its their digital back fence, and beauty brands like us are at their mercy. This is a positive thing. It keeps us accountable and helps us grow. Beauty is democratic now, there is a dialogue and people want to be able to ask questions about usage or ingredients and feel heard very quickly, and Instagram allows us to cater to that in real time.

What have you learned about growing a following and creating content that resonates with people as youve transitioned from more traditional journalism to books and blogging to creating your own brands in Go-To Skincare and Break Up Boss?

The channel matters less than whether youre enjoying your work, and ideally, the audience is too. In truth, I care less about the content, and more about the delivery. Writing is a huge joy for me, its so fun to play with my readers, and make them feel part of the conversation. I joke that I only started Go-To to be the copywriter I always dreamed of being. I love subverting a format, and skin care is traditionally pretty dry, and earnest, so theres a lot of room to have fun.

I find that if you can keep the tone light as youre lecturing people about SPF, or advising them not to text back someone they really like, they might hate you a little less, or hang in until the end of the book. I love and respect my audience, and I feel responsible when I give them advice, but I also need them to understand were not gonna take things too seriously here.

What have been some of the challenges of developing Go-To Skincare over the past few years? What do you think sets it apart?

Weve spent the past five years working on completely clean SPF products. Two launched in Australia in 2018. Creating clean zinc oxide SPF products that are cosmetically elegant is near impossible. More broadly, there's so much fortune-telling involved in business and I'm garbage at it. I prefer to focus on doing good work this hour, this day. I think the future takes care of itself if you ensure what you do today is of high quality.

However, since business is about logistics and manufacturing and forecasting and giant, risky decisions, I have a team of excellent people who are very good at what they do in those areas, so that I can be good at what I do. Everyone needs to know their superpower, and do all they can to create an environment where it can thrive.

How would you describe your approach to social media? How has that changed over time?

I started blogging in 2006 because I wanted to recommend beauty stuff that I swore by, and save women time and money by giving them a useful edit. Instagram has made that process so much easier, and as someone whos ravenous for recommendations, I look to my feed for travel, food, fashion, design, gadgets, books and Netflix shortcuts. In turn, I try to serve us as many useful ones as I can, wholeheartedly and honestly.

I probably rely on Instagram more as a professional tool than as personal outlet these days. I still jam my life, kids, cat and breakfast into peoples feed occasionally, but there is only so much of my life I expect people to care about, and I generally aim for quality over quantity. The exception is my IG Stories. I post anything there. Its a complete stream of consciousness pigsty.

With all the different projects you work on, how do you organize your time?

Im easily distracted, so I rely on a crude system of rules and rewards. I compartmentalize two weekdays for business and comms, one day for deep work and writing, and two for my kids. I also create boundaries, such as having a permanent email auto reply and limiting my Instagram time to help keep me on task. I wholly subscribe to the "if its not a hell yes, its a no" philosophy with regards to any speaking gigs, events or collaborations. My kids are fun and young and still want to hang with me, so anything that takes me away from them or Go-To, to a lesser extent, has to really be worth it.

What advice do you have for other people who want to build brands and businesses in the beauty and lifestyle space?

Do what you want. I mean this in a literal sense: make or do a thing that you personally believe is missing from the world or market, but which you would like to exist, and which you believe other people will see value in. Also dont get caught up in the keeping-up-with game. Newness is nice, but not at the cost of your product quality or company values. Finally, honor your customer. She is trusting you with her face and with her money. Take that responsibility seriously.

Read on for Foster Blakes top five favorite Instagram posts.

"I mean, its a plump baby, in a bunny suit, on Easter Sunday."

"Seeing Go-To in Sephora when I am in the U.S. is never not an exciting moment. I like sharing that truth, because Im never going to be too cool not to be proud."

"Its very important to let your followers know you arent perfect and beautiful 100 percent of the time."

"Id seen this Puglian beach in my feed so many dang times, it was only fair I repaid the favor once I got there."

"I live for recommendations, and try to offer as many useful ones as I can. This post linked to a blog on useful stuff no one tells you about giving birth, newborns and the hospital bag."

Related:

How This Writer-Turned-Entrepreneur Leveraged Her Experience to Create a Beauty Line That's Sold at Sephora

Busy Philipps Shares the Mindset That Pushed Her to Success

Katie Sturino Has Built a Business Promoting Positive Self-Image and Fashion for Plus-Size Women Like Her



Copyright 2019 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
In the months after Hurricane Maria, which killed an estimated 2,975 people in Puerto Rico, the island's Democratic governor abstained from joining the local chorus lashing President Donald Trump over what they see as a botched federal response. But that fragile alliance has disintegrated, as Trump increasingly insists that aid to the island be cut off, a demand he reiterated to Senate Republicans on Tuesday.

In his strongest rebuke yet of the president, Gov. Ricardo Rossello late on Tuesday called Trump's comments "below the dignity of a sitting President" and "irresponsible, regrettable and, above all, unjustified," while suggesting Trump has dodged meeting him.

"I invite the President to stop listening to ignorant and completely wrong advice," Rossello said in a statement. "Instead he should come to Puerto Rico to hear firsthand from the people on the ground. I invite him to put all of the resources at his disposal to help Americans in Puerto Rico, like he did for Texas and Alabama. No more, no less."

Rossello's stinging commentary is likely to exacerbate deep-seated arguments about who deserves federal aid in an administration that has turned disaster relief into red-meat political fodder.

While FEMA admitted to widespread failures after Maria ravaged Puerto Rico in September 2017, Trump has insisted his administration "did a fantastic job" and criticized the island's requests for billions to rebuild.

In January, he said he would reject $600 million in food stamps for Puerto Ricans and asked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to look into diverting some of its $13.9 billion in emergency funds for the island to pay for his border wall. One senior administration official recently told The Post that Trump's stance is that "he doesn't want another single dollar going to the island."

In a closed-door lunch with Senate Republicans on Tuesday, Trump complained that Puerto Rico was getting $91 billion in aid, which dwarfed the disaster relief budgeted for red states like Texas and South Carolina. But that figure is far more than Puerto Rico has actually received, The Washington Post's Philip Bump reported, and it's not clear where Trump got the number.

Rossello suggested that Trump was getting bad data and urged him to meet in person to talk.

"I can only assume that Trump is receiving misleading information from his own staff," the governor said. "I have now made several requests to meet with the President to discuss Puerto Rico's recovery and reconstruction, but up to this day we haven't received a confirmation or a date, even though Trump told me we would meet after his visit to Vietnam earlier this year."

The White House didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on Rossello's claims. On Tuesday, a White House spokesman, Judd Deere, insisted Trump was committed to helping Puerto Rico, but also noted that "the Trump Administration will not put taxpayers on the hook to correct a decades-old spending crisis that has left the island with deep-rooted economic problems."

Rossello also took issue with allegations that disaster relief has been diverted to help pay off the island's crippling debt.

"I want to be very clear: Not a single federal dollar has been used to make debt payments," he said. "This has been the most transparent recovery in the history of the United States, providing unprecedented access and collaboration with federal agencies."

The governor has used FEMA's shaky response to Maria to make a renewed push for Puerto Rican statehood, a theme he struck again in his response to Trump. Without a full say in American politics, Puerto Ricans will always get short shrift in disaster response, he argued.

"The world knows the unpleasant truth that Puerto Rico is a colonial territory of the United States and are well aware of the democratic deficiencies we endure: We are not allowed to vote for our President nor have voting representation in Congress," he said. "The federal response and its treatment during these past months in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria is clear evidence of our second-class citizenship."

Trump's public reluctance to send more money to the island has now launched an official probe. On Tuesday, the Department of Housing and Urban Development told Congress that its inspector general is investigating whether the Trump administration has actively interfered with disaster aid to Puerto Rico.

Rossello closed his statement by insisting that his only request to Trump was equal treatment.

"We are not your political adversaries; we are your citizens," he said. "We are not asking for anything more than any other U.S. state has received. We are merely asking for equality."
Prosecutors in Wisconsin have charged a 31-year-old man with fatally shooting his ex-wife who was a prosecutor in Illinois.

Cash bail was set at $2 million Tuesday for Ulisses Medina Espinosa of Beaver Dam. The prosecution had requested bail of $5 million.

Espinosa is charged with first-degree intentional homicide in the death of 30-year-old Stacia Hollinshead, of Sycamore, Illinois.

Hollinshead was shot inside a duplex where Espinosas parents live in Beaver Dam on Saturday.

"The defendant's mother exclaimed, 'He killed her, he killed her, he killed her,'" Assistant District Attorney Jim Sempf said.

Hollinshead's 5-year-old daughter was reportedly in the room next door during the slaying and reportedly later told police that her father "kept shooting mommy," Sempf said.

"The child heard multiple boom boom booms and that daddy was shooting mommy," Sempf said.

WITI-TV reports prosecutors say the domestic violence was spurred by a child custody dispute. Hollinshead had full custody of the child and previously had a restraining order against Espinosa.

Hollinshead was an assistant states attorney in DeKalb County, west of Chicago. She graduated from Northern Illinois University law school in May 2018 and began working for DeKalb County last November.

County States Attorney Rick Amato issued a statement expressing condolences to Hollinsheads family.

"Although Stacia had been with our office only a few months, we quickly came to know her as a dedicated mother and prosecutor with a bright future in the practice of law," the message read, in part.

Amato said everyone at the DeKalb County States Attorneys Office had been "stunned" and "deeply saddened" and left wondering how they could have helped.

"We who work in public safety talk frequently about the risks associated with domestic violence. As prosecutors, we intervene in domestic violence cases in court to prevent the nightmare outcome that were all now living through," the post continued. "Domestic violence is about power and control, it is learned behavior, it is present in all communities, it crosses all social and economic barriers, and it is preventable. No faction of society is immune from it, not even those who work in the public safety arena, fiercely dedicated to stopping it. Stacias death is the worst possible outcome of domestic violence, and it will strengthen us as we continue to work to stop abusers who terrorize their partners and rip apart their families."

Hollinshead was a U.S. Army intelligence analyst for 11 years.

A GoFundMe titled "In Loving Memory of Stacia Hollinshead" had raised more than $4,000.

"All proceeds will be going to Stacias family to help them with the financial burden of losing their daughter," the page reads.


A new state economic czar has won official approval, and a Bridgeport man is set to square off against police in a legal battle  these stories and more are the top headlines in Connecticut. Read on for more.

David Lehman of Greenwich has won approval to head the state's Department of Economic and Community Development.

He's been in the post for a while in an acting capacity, but Lehman faced opposition because of his history as a Goldman Sachs banker, and his role in the failed bets on  and against  the nation's mortgage industry that led to the Great Recession of 2008.

Three Democrats and two Republicans voted against the appointment.

Dan Tepfer / Hearst Connecticut Media

A Bridgeport man arrested in October 2017 after police busted up a Halloween party at his sister's home said he is suing police on behalf of his young son and niece, who he said watched officers beat him up.

A report by the city's Office of Internal Affairs found that 17 officers involved in the case violated police rules and regulations including using excessive force on Carmelo Mendez.

The report said Mendez was hit in the face with the butt of a flashlight while other officers held him down.

Jessica Hill / AP Photo/Jessica Hill

And the state medical examiner has confirmed that Sandy Hook father Jeremy Richman died by suicide. Richman's daughter, Avielle, was one of 20 children and six adults killed in 2012 at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

A statement issued by the Avielle Foundation, which Richman started in memory of his daughter said quote "Our hearts are shattered, and our heads are struggling to comprehend.

Get top headline local news when you enable the Connecticut Post skill and ask for a news briefing on your Amazon Alexa device.
Should I quit my job or stay where I am? Should I have cereal for dinner, or is it really only for breakfast? Should I put my bonus check in the bank or reward myself for a job well done? We are regularly faced with choices. For the more significant decisions, we may carefully consider the possibilities. Yet some decisions seem so easy we wonder if there could be a catch, so we analyze those as well. We probably all have experienced times of complete mental overwhelm, when it feels as if we cannot possibly make one more decision in that moment.

When my daughter was out on her own and would be in town on business, she would ask me on occasion where I wanted to meet her for dinner, I would automatically say, It doesnt matter. Whatever restaurant you want to go to is fine with me. There were some problems with that reply.

First, I am a vegetarian so it actually did matter. Second, not any place is fine with me because I do not enjoy over-the-top restaurants or ones with a two-hour wait. I found that I was conveying that my opinion didnt matter to me when, in fact, it did.

I rationalized that it wasnt worth risking having an argument about dinner. After all, I love my daughter so much, dont see her that often, and was taught to pick my battles. Of course, not making a decision is also a choice. Occasionally my choice to avoid choosing led to the disagreement I was trying to avoid.

I began considering other situations where I took a back seat by not expressing my preference or making a decision. Just because the matter at hand wasnt earth shattering, did that mean I shouldnt express myself? How might others view my indecisiveness?

I know I am not alone in my now former habit of disregarding my interests and avoiding making a decision. Many women do this throughout their personal and professional lives. Sure, it can be satisfying to collaborate, solicit opinions, and receive support from others, but as a leader you have to take a stand and make decisions even when it is uncomfortable.

Being decisive does not mean you are a control freak or that everything must go your way or the highway. It simply means you make a decision. You may not end up loving all your decisions. Mistakes or missteps are inevitable, but the people that work with and for you likely will appreciate a leader who creates opportunities by being decisive.

While great decisions can lead to terrific results, decisions that are less than great can create opportunities for valuable lessons learned. Some people refer to this as course correcting. When this happens to me, I like to have a little fun with it by declaring, Plot twist!

In an article in the New York Times, Therese Huston reviews studies that answer the question, Are Women Better Decision Makers? The studies show that, under stress, there are gender differences and women tend to perform better. In stressful situations, women typically take smaller, measured risks and are more able to consider another persons perspective. Men tend to take bigger risks for bigger wins, even when they are more costly and unlikely. She concludes with a study that revealed large-cap companies with at least one woman on their boards significantly outperformed comparable companies with all-male boards. There you have it.

Here are some ideas about making those difficult decisions for yourself:

First, listen to your gut. Many of us refer to this as our sixth sense. When you are meeting someone or trying to make a serious decision, your gut can be a valuable barometer  if you listen to it. Unfortunately, I learned the hard way that choosing to disregard or go against my gut wreaks havoc, or at a minimum, causes considerable stress.

Once when I was offered a contract to provide training for a company, I was initially super excited about it and too hastily agreed to do it. After I sat down and more fully considered the opportunity (that I had already said yes to), I had to admit it had nothing to do with my Selling In A Skirt brand or my material.

Even though the terms of the contract were great on paper, my gut was yelling at me to step away from the assignment. At first I tried to ignore my gut and rationalize I could make the assignment work. But I couldnt overlook the back pains, stomachaches, and the feeling I can only describe as an alien screaming inside me. When I decided to go back to the company and respectfully explain why I needed to decline the contract, my gut was happy again and so was I.

Now its time to gather all the facts. To make an informed decision, learn as much as you can. I am not talking about running a background check on a potential date. Rather, I am referring to big decisions like changing careers or investigating medical treatment options. Being informed is being responsible.

Next, use the trusty method of writing down a list of pros and cons. Not only can this help clarify factors in the decision you are facing, it may also uncover additional possibilities.

After I make my lists, I check back in with my gut. Then I take full responsibility for my decision.

I encourage you to do the same. Especially as a leader, it is imperative that you take responsibility for your decisions. While you may want to talk things over with trusted colleagues or friends during your decision-making process, remember that ultimately the choice you make is your own. Make sure you are making the best decision you can with the information you have and not taking an easy way out to avoid leaving your comfort zone.

Finally, give yourself permission to make mistakes. No one is perfect. Attempting to be is impossible and exhausting. If you make a mistake, make a change. I always say that every mistake I have made has been a lesson learned. I bet you will not make the same mistake twice, and if you do, perhaps there was another lesson embedded in it. I have developed my own system to check-in, check-up and check-out. Its my 3Rs Review, Readjust, and Release. Im sure you will realize that the Release portion is the hardest and that goes right back to where we startedmaking those tough decisions.

Remember, when you need to make a hard decision flip a coin. Why? Because when the coin is in the air, you suddenly know what you are hoping for.
STORY LINK US Dollar Pound (USD/GBP) Exchange Rate Steadies on Second Round of US-China Trade Talks

USD/GBP Exchange Rate Flat as Trumps Political Tensions Flare Up

USD/GBP Exchange Rate Rangebound as US Dollar Traders Await US Jobs Figures

GBP/USD Exchange Rate Steadies as MPs Reject All Brexit Proposals

USD/GBP Forecast: Sterling Could Rise if Mays Brexit Deal Gains Support

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The US Dollar Pound (USD/GBP) exchange rate is steady today and is currently trading around 0.7606 on the inter-bank market.The Greenback stabilised against Sterling today despite political tensions once again heating up between President Donald Trump and the former FBI Director James Comey, following the effective ending of the Russian collusion claims held against Trumps 2016 election campaign.Comey criticised the report into the allegations, saying:I'm not prejudging it  I'm just saying it doesn't make sense on its face, and so I have a lot of questions.US-China trade talks, meanwhile, are going ahead today as US negotiators head back to Beijing for another round. Any signs of a consensus emerging between the two superpowers could see the US Dollar rise.Many USD traders, however, are remaining sceptical as the lawsuit over Chinas tech giant, Huawei, has driven a wedge between the two nations.Robert Atkinson, the US President of Information Technology, commented:I don't think you're ever going to level [the differences] ... the distorted playing field is just so entrenched, in all that China does. It would be a long, long time before it would be completely level.US Dollar traders will, however, be awaiting the publication of the US jobs figures today, and with any signs of improvement this could see the USD/GBP exchange rate edge higher.Today will also see the release of the US GDP figures for the fourth-quarter, which are expected to decrease.These will be followed by the US Personal Consumption expenditure prices figures for the fourth-quarter.Richard Clairida, the Vice Chairman of the Board of Governors at the Federal Reserve, is due to deliver a speech today, and any further signs of dovishness from the Fed could see the Greenback weaken.The Pound (GBP) steadied against the US Dollar (USD) today following last nights parliamentary indicative votes in which MPs rejected all 8 proposals on the UKs withdrawal from the EU.This has put increasing pressure on Prime Minister Theresa May to push forward with her Brexit deal, and after last nights grand gesture in which she said she would step down if it was passed, the DUP have still remained resilient to changing its position.Boris Johnson, the ex-Foreign Secretary, however, said he would back Mays deal.Johnson said:Sometimes you just have to make a judgement. We have got to get this thing over the line. I genuinely think that unless this thing gets through, the House of Commons is going to steal Brexit.Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg has also signalled his support for Mays Brexit deal, saying that the choices is either Mrs Mays deal or no Brexit.Doubts, however, are setting in over the possibility of a third meaningful vote at all, with the House of Commons speaker, John Bercow, saying that it would only go ahead if there were significant changes.Tomorrow will see a raft of US economic data releases, with many Greenback investors focusing on the publication of the US homes figures and the Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index figures for March.Any signs of improvement could see the USD rise against the Sterling.The Pound US Dollar exchange rate, however, will remain dictated by Brexit developments for the rest of this week, with any indications of more MPs backing Theresa Mays Brexit deal potentially proving Pound-positive.

International Money Transfer? Ask our resident FX expert a money transfer question or try John's new, free, no-obligation personal service! ,where he helps every step of the way, ensuring you get the best exchange rates on your currency requirements.

TAGS: American Dollar Forecasts Currency Predictions Daily Currency Updates Dollar Pound Forecasts Pound Dollar Forecasts
Several member states of the Council speak of a decision that violates all past resolutions. Saudi Arabia and Iran are also opposed. For the United Nations the status of the Heights "has not changed". Protests against Trump's unilateral move in various cities of Syria.

Damascus (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Syria asked yesterday for an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council to discuss the decision by US President Donald Trump to recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Now the word passes to France, the current president, who will have to decide a date when this meeting will be held even if the opposition of a single nation among the 15 that make up the meeting could actually prevent the meeting from taking place.

Yesterday morning, in a monthly meeting dedicated to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the context of renewed violence in the region, several Council members leaked their impatience with the unilateral move of the White House. A decision that violates all previous United Nations resolutions on the subject that speak of "occupied territory".

Several states have condemned the choice of the US government, following on from its highly criticized move last year to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Among the most critical voices are the five European nations belonging to the Council, including Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Belgium and Poland. In these hours they have signed a solemn declaration that "does not recognise the sovereignty of Israel over the territories occupied since June 1967, including the Golan Heights".

"The forcible annexation of a territory - underlined the five - is prohibited by international law". And any declaration "on a unilateral change" of a border is "contrary" to international law and to the United Nations charter. Among the most critical voices is that of the French ambassador, who underlined that the Security Council has the task of overseeing international laws and principles, which is why its possible "silence" on Trump's decision is "unacceptable".

Yesterday in a rare union of intent between the two rival powers in the Middle Eastern region and within the Islamic religion both Iran and Saudi Arabia (along with three other Sunni Gulf nations) condemned the move. Tehran by the mouth of President Hassan Rouhani called Trump a "colonialist" who acts in violation of "international laws and regulations".

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric, speaking on behalf of Secretary General Antonio Guterres, stresses that "the status of the Golan Heights has not changed" and the resolutions adopted in the past are still valid. Meanwhile in Syria protests are multiplying in various cities against the US administration's move: citizens took to the streets in Homs (center), Qamichli and Hassake (Kurdish areas in the north-east), Aleppo, Deir ez-Zor ( est), in the capital Damascus and Lattakia and Tartous, fiefdoms of President Bashar al-Assad.

Finally, Russia warns of the specter of a "new wave of tension" in the Middle East and the secretary of the Arab League Ahmad Aboul Gheit speaks of "a null decision, which did not take place in form or in substance". For Riyadh the Golan Heights remains "an occupied Syrian Arab land".
Pine Grill Classic title could springboard Somerset's season

The Pine Grill Roundball Classic is in its 10th edition after a year hiatus because of COVID. A great local tournament opens the HS basketball season.
After two years of rampant speculation and overheated rhetoric, special counsel Robert Muellers investigation has come to a close, with President Trump vindicated of allegations he colluded with the Russian government during the 2016 election.

Last Friday, Mueller submitted his long anticipated results, entitled Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, to Attorney General William Barr, who in turn submitted a summary of the report to Congress over the weekend.

Barr advised Congress of his intent to release as much of the Special Counsels report as I can consistent with applicable law, regulations, and Departmental policies.

For now, we have only Barrs summary of the Mueller report available, though no one has credibly doubted its accuracy.

According to a quotation from the report by Barr, the special counsel concluded that the investigation did not find that the Trump campaign or anyone associated with it conspired or coordinated with Russia in its efforts to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

With that finding, the exhaustive effort of Muellers investigation  which cost millions of dollars, employed 19 lawyers supported by 40 FBI agents, involved 2,800 subpoenas, required 500 search warrants and required the interview of 500 witnesses  should exorcise from American political discourse the fantasies of those who hoped for the most salacious outcome possible.

While there are sure to be ongoing spats over other matters surrounding the president, Americans of any political persuasion or feelings toward Trump should be satisfied to know that on the question of whether or not the president of the United States conspired with the Russian government, an independent special prosecutor with vast resources and tools could sustain no such claim.

One doesnt have to like President Trump or his policy agenda to come to terms with this.

With that off the table, perhaps the focus of American politics can finally return to some of the countless, far more pressing problems the nation faces.

While congressional Democrats are expected to continue investigations of their own into Trump and Russia, we hope that more energy can put into finding common ground on matters of more pressing importance.

But of course, to do that, its important for the sake of an honest and functional political system that people in positions of power and influence actually learn from the Trump-Russia conspiracy saga.

For too long, mainstream media outlets and pundits indulged in and gave undue credence to claims that President Trump was a traitor, that the walls are closing in on Trump and that the noose is tightening on Trump. Turns out, based on everything we know now, none of that was true.

Elected officials, media outlets and pundits who facilitated in the mainstreaming of such narratives should be expected to understand and acknowledge their failings in judgment, and learn to stick to the facts.

If they cant do that, theres little reason for the public to trust them as good-faith actors moving forward.

 Orange County Register, MediaNews Group
Theresa May left Room 14 at Portcullis House yesterday with, to borrow one of her predecessors well-rehearsed soundbites, the hand of history on her shoulder.

This was not a warm, welcoming hand, the sort of reassuring grip that a national leader might welcome during these moments of profound constitutional significance.

This was a bony, spectral mitt, there to guide her from the unforgiving political stage.

Just under three years since she first stood on the Downing Street steps, confidently promising a new, bold, positive role for Britain in the world, her premiership is now in its final days, having finally collapsed under the heaving weight of delivering Brexit.

Theresa May left Room 14 at Portcullis House yesterday with, to borrow one of her predecessors well-rehearsed soundbites, the hand of history on her shoulder, writes Henry Deedes

It is hard not to feel for Mrs May. Years of work have gone into trying to extract us from the EU.

All those trying trips to Brussels, those rictus-smile photocalls, those late-night phone conversations with bibulous Eurocrats.

These are not things we would wish even on our in-laws. Now it must fall on someone else to finish the job.

Mrs May delivered the news to her backbenchers at precisely eight minutes after five, closely followed by her political adviser Stephen Parkinson and her Parliamentary Private Secretary, Seema Kennedy (Con, South Ribble). The PM looked relaxed, mildly chirpy even, her navy suit neatly pressed, her hair and maquillage immaculately arranged as ever.

Watching her ruby red heels gently click-clack down the corridor, her noble frame exuded the quiet composure of someone who had made her peace with her maker on the way to face the guillotine.

Say what you like about this awkward, unclubbable and often maddening woman  and, of course, there will be plenty wholl be doing just that over the breakfast table this morning  no matter how grim the predicament, she has always kept it classy.

Theresa May pictured arriving in parliament yesterday. She told Conservative MPs she would step down before the 'next phase' of negotiations if her deal gets through

Shortly after saying this, Boris Johnson announced he would support May's Brexit deal. 'Nothing like the dangling of the keys to Downing Street in front of the old sheepdogs snout to focus his mind', writes Henry Deedes

As she entered the meeting room, latecomers had to shoehorn their way through the door. Prisons Minister Rory Stewart was among those struggling to find a vantage point. Whichever lackey organised this pokey room for such an occasion really needs to be taken out and shot. Moments later, as the cramped cubby-hole shook with the fortissimo banging of desks, Mrs Mays fate became brutally clear. She had accepted her premiership was over.

Those present say the PM spoke in cracked tones over pin-drop silence. Her dicky throat is still in recovery mode but her message could not have been any sharper. Help me get this wretched deal over the line and youll be shot of me.

Afterwards, there were claims it was one of the most emotive, well-judged speeches shes given as a Prime Minister. Oh, but isnt that so often the way? No sooner had members begun to disperse, phones glued to their ears, Prince oer the water Boris Johnson performed a dramatic volte face by announcing he would back Mrs Mays Deal.

Ping! Nothing like the dangling of the keys to Downing Street in front of the old sheepdogs snout to focus his mind.

Then, just before 9pm, came the sucker punch. Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster announced she still couldnt support Mrs Mays deal.

All the PMs efforts for nothing. Game over, surely.

Amid much constitutional chicanery, Remainers in awe to the EU had seized control of the apparatus of government and were laying out their own plans for the countrys future, writes Henry Deedes

If that wasnt enough drama for one day, across in the Commons, an attempted coup was already under way. Amid much constitutional chicanery, Remainers in awe to the EU had seized control of the apparatus of government and were laying out their own plans for the countrys future.

Not for the first time in recent weeks, it was Speaker Bercow, the power-sozzled Commandant of the Remainer faction, who was barking the orders.

After news spread that the Prime Minister was preparing to gazump their plans by bringing her deal back to the House tomorrow, the Speaker once again warned he would use his authority to block any vote unless it had been substantially changed.

The Commandant issued this news with low, sharp jabs as though thumping someone in the solar plexus, his gluey eyes glowing with customary menace. Mrs Mays attempts to yank back control of Brexit clearly riled him. Bercows defiant message was greeted by the Remain princelings around the House with much flashing of gums and slapping of femurs.

Perhaps, if their putsch is successful, theyll commission a statue of Bercow and plonk it in Parliament Square.

Earlier, we had witnessed the even more baffling sight of Sir Oliver Letwin (Con, West Dorset) commanding the House as he laid out his plans for the afternoons indicative votes.

British politics has witnessed some surreal scenes in recent years, but this was positively barmy.

How on earth had Sir Oliver, a fuschia-cheeked Tory grandee responsible for more cock-ups than Blackadders bungling sidekick Baldrick, come to be in charge of Brexit and grandstanding as democracys saviour.

For us observers, it was like watching a particularly eerie episode of Twilight Zone. As it was, the afternoons debate proved a futile exercise.

All of the indicative votes offered in front of the House were voted down anyway.

The Prime Minister, understandably, was absent.

These past few months, her career has hinged on selling her Brexit deal but shes been treated by hard-Brexiteers within her own party with as much affection as an unwanted stepchild.

Tragically, and despite all her very best efforts, her best simply hasnt been good enough.
Once more unto the breach Stiffen the sinews Disguise fair nature  oh heck, you get the gist.

And so back to the battlefield the Government trudges today for a third crack at the Prime Ministers Brexit deal.

Could Mrs May yet crawl out of here victorious? Lets face it, the form book is hardly on her side. The splattered bloodstains on the green benches are barely dry from her last defeat.

But the Europhiles are close now. Grieve; Cooper; Boles  they sense that their chance to block Brexit is nigh. As such, Mrs Mays deal is worth a final shot.

Leader of the House of Commons Andrea Leadsom making a business statement in the House of Commons in London on Thursday

It was left to Leader of the House Andrea Leadsom to break the news yesterday that the House would stage a special sitting this morning so that the deal could be debated yet again.

Fridays are usually when MPs have their tootsies up  sorry, carrying out urgent constituency work. Their reaction to the announcement? Peeved.

By the time Mrs Leadsom added that Easter recess was also looking dicey, they were positively mutinous. Andy McDonald (Lab, Middlesbrough) looked like he was chewing a wasp.

Mrs Leadsom has had a decent Brexit. More pertinently, she has been a robust Leader of the House. She did not disguise her displeasure that her masters had sent her out to engage with the enemy half-cocked.

While she was able to announce the debate would take place, she was unable to confirm what the final motion would be. That man Bercow, you see. The Government will still be trying to circumvent his ruling that a vote could take place only if the deal was significantly different from the last one.

No sooner had Mrs Leadsom spoken, than Chief Whip Julian Smith appeared beside her to whisper something in her ear. What he wanted she didnt say. Worryingly, the whips office appeared to be making this up as they went along.

Members, not entirely without justification, were spitting. A waste of time, said Chris Bryant (Lab, Rhondda) who accused the Government of shenanigating. Disgraceful, said Valerie Vaz (Lab, Walsall South).

Iain Duncan Smith (Con, Chingford and Woodford Green)  last seen arriving at Chequers in a Mr Toad motorcar and leather gilet  leaned louchely against a pillar, eyebrows arched, like a 70s lounge lizard. How long before he starts dyeing his hair?

Mouthy Pete Wishart (SNP, Perth and North Perthshire) wasnae happy either. Beyond a shambles was his verdict. There, there, soothed the matronly Leadsom. She eventually calmed Wishart down by referring to his recent birthday and inviting him to her office for a slice of Colin the Caterpillar cake. Later that afternoon, Mrs Leadsom returned to the House, accompanied by Attorney General Geoffrey Cox, who had endured three meetings with the Speaker that day, poor wretch.

She announced members will vote only on the deals withdrawal agreement, but not the political declaration setting out plans for our future trade relationship with the EU. The Speaker grudgingly accepted the ruse.

If only Mrs May possessed just a smidgen of Michael Goves easygoing charm earlier in the day, we might today be celebrating our departure from the European Union. At Environment questions yesterday, puffy-eyed Govester didnt look like hed slept much, what with all thats been going on lately.

Bercow adress the MPs during a debate on the following day's debate in the Commons

But as ever, he was his usual zestful self, answering queries with zingy enthusiasm.

When Gove paid tribute to ex-minister George Eustice (Con, Camborne and Redruth) the Speaker sourly suggested he was kicking off his leadership campaign.

Briefing note: Whenever Bercow starts mocking a minister thats usually proof theyre putting in a good performance.

Questions ranged from livestock welfare, waste incineration to puppy farming. There was even a query about the population of seahorses in our waters. Frivolous stuff amid the current Brexit drama? Absolutely not. Such matters are the meat and mashed potatoes of government.

Witnessing such matters being brought before the chamber and treated by ministers with the seriousness they deserve can actually be strangely humbling, reassuring even.

It is proof, if needed, that whatever constitutional chaos engulfs the United Kingdom, the rusty axles of this greatest of Parliaments continue to turn.
Yes, Theresa Mays deal is very flawed. But after much reflection, I have reluctantly reached the conclusion that when we MPs debate it again today, I should support it. I urge my fellow members of the European Research Group to do so, too.

Previously, I voted against the deal because I have passionately wanted Britain to get better terms, particularly on the Backstop.

However, as a result of some inept negotiation, that has sadly not been the case. We have therefore been left with a difficult choice.

Yes, Theresa Mays deal is very flawed. But after much reflection, I have reluctantly reached the conclusion that when we MPs debate it again today, I should support it, writes Iain Duncan Smith

I urge my fellow members of the European Research Group to do so, too, writes Iain Duncan Smith

My concern is that if we dont approve the Prime Ministers EU withdrawal deal, Brussels will have Britain over a barrel. Westminster would be obliged to come up with an alternative exit proposal by April 12.

If that happens, I am convinced that the overwhelmingly Remainer majority in the Commons would try to force through a much softer Brexit, and possibly no Brexit at all.

Not only that. The other 27 national EU leaders now have the power to respond by making it tougher for Britain by demanding an extension to Article 50. This could mean us staying in the EU for another two years and British voters taking part in the European Parliament elections in May.

If I believed there was a scintilla of a chance that we could leave the EU with no deal, then I would not vote for Mrs Mays deal today. But the brutal fact is that there isnt.

There are those who argue that the EU wont offer us an extension to Article 50 because they just want us out. But I dont agree.

My concern is that if we dont approve the Prime Ministers EU withdrawal deal, Brussels will have Britain over a barrel, writes Iain Duncan Smith

As Donald Tusk and Angela Merkel have made clear, they want Britain to stay and they do not want a No Deal exit.

You only have to look at who, in this country, is arguing for an extension to Article 50 to understand the true threat. They include Tony Blair, who, in recent weeks, has reportedly been briefing Frances president, Emmanuel Macron, on how to force Britain to stay in the EU.

Blair has made it clear that he wants a long extension, for one simple reason: He knows its a means of stopping Brexit.

While there is much wrong with the Governments deal, it will allow Britain to leave the EU  even if we voluntarily accept the EUs rules and regulations during an implementation period.

Repealing the 1972 European Community Act at least means, too, that under a new Conservative leader, we would be able to enter trade talks, which are the next stage of the process, with renewed vigour and confidence as a nation. We would be a sovereign nation again.

Above all, we would be able to achieve the kind of settlement that could lead our country out of the mire of protracted Brexit negotiations, which have meant paralysis at Westminster, and towards a bright and prosperous future.
The heart-stopping moments before the Yorkshire Ripper struck for the first time are pieced together in a book that aims to give a voice to the killer's victims.

Woolworths worker Anna Rogulskyj, then 42, was beaten and left for dead as she made her way home in Keighley, West Yorkshire, on the night of Friday 4 July 1975, in what became the first known attack by serial killer Peter Sutcliffe.

Anna, dubbed 'Irish Annie' at the time, survived thanks to being discovered by a passing youth, who found her bleeding on the ground in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The attack on Anna, who died in 2008 aged 75, was the first in a string of seven attempted murders and 13 murders committed by Sutcliffe between 1975 and 1980.

In her new book Somebody's Mother, Somebody's Daughter, author and journalist Carol Ann Lee attempts to shift the narrative and media focus away from Sutcliffe and onto his victims - both those who survived, and those who did not.

'Too often Sutcliffe, who to this day revels in his notoriety, has been at the forefront of the headlines,' Lee writes. 'Now it is time to remember and honour the women who were all too often simply a list of names and photographs. There stories, their dreams and their lives are what should be remembered. And those they left behind.'

Each victim is given her own dedicated chapter. Here, we extract the chapter on Anna's story.

Woolworths worker Anna Rogulskyj, then 42, was beaten and left for dead as she made her way home in Keighley, West Yorkshire, on the night of Friday 4 July 1975, in what became the first known attack by serial killer Peter Sutcliffe. Pictured, Anna attends the Old Bailey in London during Sutcliffe's trial in April 1981

Tralee, the capital town of County Kerry in the south-west of Ireland, is situated on the Dingle Peninsula, famed for its wild Atlantic scenery. Anna Patricia Brosnan was born there on 21 March 1933, to Roman Catholic farmer Michael Brosnan and his wife. All the Brosnan children  nine girls and three boys  were brought up in Tralee but keen to explore beyond it.

Fifteen-year-old Anna left home in 1948, joining her eldest sister, Helen, who had settled in the Yorkshire town of Keighley after the Second World War. Eleven miles north-west of Bradford, Keighley had a rich seam of Irish Roman Catholic immigration; those fleeing the Great Famine of the 1840s found work in the wool and cotton mills, and factories producing machinery.

Anna was employed as a playing-cards sorter in Waddingtons factory when she met textiles-accessories maker Roman Rogulskyj, six years her senior. They shared a background of farming and Roman Catholicism, coupled with new lives in a different country; the Rogulskyjs were part of Keighleys large Ukranian community who had mostly arrived from Displaced Persons camps in Germany and Italy.

Anna and Roman were married on 19 February 1955 at St Annes Church in Keighley, with Romans father, Mychalo, as a witness. Anna was twenty-one. The marriage lasted eighteen years, ending in divorce in July 1973; there were no children. Roman swiftly wed again, remaining in Keighley with his second wife until his death in 1989.

The attack on Anna, who died in 2008 aged 75, was the first in a string of seven attempted murders and 13 murders committed by Sutcliffe, pictured, between 1975 and 1980

Despite her ash-blonde good looks and open, warm, almost childlike manner Anna lost some of her confidence after the divorce. Known as Irish Annie in the towns pubs and cafes, she enjoyed working in Woolworths near her home on the sloping thoroughfare of Highfield Lane. Keighley was then in sharp economic decline: derelict mills and factories crumbled beside the River Worth, while brutal town planning swept away fine buildings, leaving boarded-up terraces and lacklustre pubs.

It was in one of these bars that Anna caught the eye of Geoffrey Hughes, who had recently moved into a terraced house on North Queen Street. Much later, Anna learned that he had been discharged from a psychiatric hospital with a recommendation to keep away from women for five years. Geoff spent more time at Annas home than his own, taking out his unpredictable temper on her. On one occasion he grasped her by the hair and plunged her head into a bucket of cold water. Still vulnerable after the failure of her marriage, she remained in the relationship.

Two incidents in early summer 1975 further convinced Anna to stick with Geoff. Walking through Town Hall Square one afternoon, she was approached by a man near the Cenotaph, who pestered her to have a cup of tea with him. Anna refused and quickened her step. He stayed close behind as she crossed the road, and was a short distance away when she reached Highfield Lane. Resisting the urge to run home, Anna took different routes until she managed to shake him off.

But he appeared again a few weeks later, in Wilds Coffee Bar where she used to work, and sat down opposite her. Anna recalled that he had racing eyes and dainty hands, thick dark hair and a springy beard. She declined his offer of a drink and grew angry at his persistence. It was only when she warned him that the whole cafe would know what a creep he was unless he left her alone that he finally walked out.

A composite of 12 of the 13 victims murdered by Sutcliffe. Victims are: (top row, left to right) Wilma McCann, Emily Jackson, Irene Richardson, Patricia Atkinson; (middle row, left to right) Jayne McDonald, Jean Jordan, Yvonne Pearson, Helen Rytka; (bottom row, left to right) Vera Millward, Josephine Whitaker, Barbara Leach, Jacqueline Hill

Shortly afterwards, in one of his more generous moods, Geoff presented Anna with a colour television. She was delighted, but their incessant rows made her feel claustrophobic. On Friday 4 July 1975, Anna told Geoff she wanted to go out alone. His temper snapped and she ran crying into another room. He collected every pair of shoes she owned and hid them, before leaving the house himself.

It didnt take Anna long to find her footwear, jumbled together under the kitchen table. Still weeping, she pulled on a pair of green slingbacks and reached for her handbag, then stepped out into the warm evening air.

Intending to visit her sister, Anna stopped at a telephone box to let Geoff know she had outwitted him, but there was no reply from his home. Helen was not in either, so Anna headed for the bar of the Victoria Hotel. After a couple of drinks she caught the bus to Bradford, making her way to Bibbys, a lively West Indian club on Cornwall Terrace. She spent the evening with a couple of friends, telling them her troubles. They gave her a lift back to Keighley at midnight.

Preparing for a confrontation with Geoff, Anna was startled when a mans voice called to her from a doorway, asking if she fancied it

When Anna let herself into the house, she realized that Geoff had moved out. Feeling maudlin, she switched on the record player, singing along to her favourite Elvis Presley song, Crying in the Chapel as she folded bed sheets left out to dry. Then she saw that Dumdum, her adored stray kitten, was missing. Convinced that Geoff had taken him, she grabbed her handbag again.

It was a ten-minute walk from Highfield Lane to North Queen Street. Anna cut through onto Mornington Street, crossed the main road and headed into Alice Street. The old Ritz cinema loomed on her right. North Queen Street was a row of mostly derelict houses with the odd ginnel. Preparing for a confrontation with Geoff, Anna was startled when a mans voice called to her from a doorway, asking if she fancied it.

Not on your life! she retorted and hurried towards Geoffs home, where she banged her fist repeatedly on the door, waking an elderly neighbour. Frustrated, Anna pulled off a shoe and struck the front room window. The glass shattered; she put her shoe back on and walked away.

A wide alleyway ran between the end of the terrace and the back of the cinema. As Anna passed it, the man who had propositioned her before emerged from the shadows, asking her to have sex with him. This time, she emphasized her refusal with an elbow to his ribs. A few more steps would have brought her to the open stretch of Alice Street, but Anna didnt make it. An unendurable pain burst into her skull and the world slipped into darkness.

At 2.20 a.m., a youth taking a short cut through the alley found Anna lying unconscious, face upwards in a pool of blood. Her clothing had been disturbed and the green slingbacks lay a short distance from her untouched handbag.

Shards of bone were removed from Annas brain during a twelve-hour operation at Leeds General Infirmary. Although given the last rites, within hours she was recovering on a ward, head swathed in heavy bandages.

Forensic pathologist Dr Michael Green of St James University Hospital examined Annas injuries. He found three crescent-shaped lacerations to her skull and fractures caused by a heavy object. There was defensive bruising to her hands and right forearm and peculiar marks on her abdomen: a graze about seven inches long with six or seven deep scratches above it, inflicted by her attacker before he had pulled her blouse back into position. There was no evidence of sexual interference.

In her new book Somebody's Mother, Somebody's Daughter, author Carol Ann Lee attempts to shift the narrative and media focus away from Sutcliffe and onto his victims

Woman in Hospital After Alley Attack read Mondays report in the Yorkshire Post. Policewomen were waiting at the bedside of an injured woman in Leeds General Infirmary at the weekend. Mrs Anna Patricia Rogulskyj  has regained consciousness but is still very ill and the policewomen will remain at her bedside until she can give an account of what happened.

West Yorkshire Detective Superintendent Peter Perry headed the investigation, but there were few lines of enquiry. Anna was unable to remember anything after breaking the window, but was convinced that her attacker was local. Both Geoff and the youth who had found her were questioned and eliminated from the inquiry. Geoffs neighbour told detectives that Anna had broken the window between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m., and he had seen a man in his twenties or thirties, about five feet eight inches tall and wearing a checked jacket, around the time of the attack. But this information led nowhere.

Annas relationship with Geoff was over. Men would not feature in her life again, except for trusted friends and family, and those who could be admired from a safe distance; in her home, Anna displayed photographs of actor David Soul and BBC North television presenter Khalid Aziz alongside religious imagery.

Having always taken pride in her appearance, Anna was distressed when her hair grew back steel grey. She stopped visiting her regular salon when a stylist was unable to hide her shock at the injuries to her skull. Leaving home became a challenge in itself; Anna kept to the edge of the pavement, panicking if anyone walked behind her. She fought hard not to lose sight of the woman she had been before the attack.

But then her assailant struck again.

Somebodys Mother, Somebodys Daughter: True Stories from Victims and Survivors of the Yorkshire Ripper by Carol Ann Lee is published by Michael OMara Books (hardback, 18.99)
A former shop assistant has revealed how she turned 100 into 100,000 in just six months after launching her own swimwear range.

Briony Gorton, 23, from Burnley, who used to work part time in Pandora, was just 21- years-old when she decided to embark on her own fashion venture.

After investing 100 into fabrics, she turned her bikini designs into real-life products, before launching an online range of clothes under the brand name Talliah Rose.

Now, the young businesswoman is reaping the financial benefits of her success - and not only owns a Range Rover, but has bought her mum a car and is set to build her own dream house later this year.

'I was working part time at Pandora and was at university when I realised that one day I wanted to become my own boss,' explained Briony. 'I used to sit in lectures thinking I was being taught how to work for somebody else - and that wasn't what I wanted.'

Briony Gorton, 23, from Burnley (above), turned 100 to 100,000 in just six months by launching a swimwear range. She built a website under the brand name Talliah Rose and eventually started selling clothes and accessories, too

Businesswoman Briony models a pale pink bikini from her Talliah Rose label on Instagram

The entrepreneur strikes a pose in a 26 swimsuit from her brand on Instagram

The young entrepreneur was working part time at Pandora when she realised that she wanted to become her own boss

Briony, who was studying fashion, buying and merchandising, was sat in her lecture hall when she had the light bulb moment about starting her own brand. Pictured, in an Instagram snap

Briony, who was studying fashion, buying and merchandising, was sat in her lecture hall when she had the light bulb moment.

'I decided I wanted to set up a small swimwear brand designing my own pieces, so I took the 100 I had in my account and bought some fabrics from a local shop in Burnley,' she explained.

'I then took my ideas to a seamstress who was family friend and she made my designs come to life.'

Hoping to gain further interest in her products, Briony started fashioning her own designs, before uploading them to her social media pages.

Briony (pictured) is now reaping the financial benefits of her success. She owns a Range Rover, has bought her mum a car and is due to build her dream house this summer

Deciding to set up a small swimwear range, Briony bought some fabrics from a local fabric shop in Burnley and asked a seamstress to bring her ideas to life. She then fashioned them on Instagram to try and gain further interest (above)

The 23-year-old now lives the high life after raking in 500, 000 in just six months after launching her official website - talliahroseuk.com

'I then decided to create a Depop account - a new selling platform similar to eBay but targeted at a younger generation,' she explained.

'I modelled the samples made and posted them on Instagram, where I had about 4,000 followers at the time, and the reaction was incredible.'

It wasn't long before the orders came rolling in - but her first sale was a particularly memorable one for Briony.

'I started taking orders from my samples and had them made up, packaged and distributed from my mum's kitchen at home,' said the full-time influencer.

'I'll never forget my first sale. It was the day after I listed my first design. I couldn't believe that not only did other people like what I'd designed, but that they actually wanted to wear them on their holidays.'

Briony's first design (pictured) which was mass produced. Speaking of the hurdles she's encountered along the way, she said: 'My images had been taken from my Instagram account and my designs had been replicated, and mass produced by a factory in China, and were being sold on eBay for a fraction of the price'

But the success of Briony's swimwear range wasn't without its problems.

'Everything was amazing for the first year or so until I hit my first hurdle,' she said. 'My images had been taken from my Instagram account and my designs had been replicated, and mass produced by a factory in China, and were being sold on eBay for a fraction of the price.'

She continued: 'I was devastated and had no idea what to do or how to protect my brand. I turned to legal advice but was told as I hadn't patented my designs that I didn't have a leg to stand on - basically I could do nothing.'

'I was new to this and it was my own fault but also a huge learning curve which I will never forget.'

With summer coming to an end, Briony then started looking for factories and suppliers for clothing and footwear - and she hasn't looked back since.

Within six months, she had launched her official website - talliahroseuk.com - and turned her 100 investment into 100,000.

'Last month we hit a milestone of 20,000 orders since our official website launch in February 2017,' she said. 'I knew I could make this bigger and bigger and that is exactly what I've been doing over the last three years.'

The full-time social media influencer uses her Instagram page to promote 'girl boss vibes' and hopes to encourage young girls to chase their dreams

Briony (above) is on track to make her first million by the time she hits 25 in 2020 and even has her own management

To date, Briony has made over 500,000 and is on track to make her first million by the time she hits 25.

'Along the way when I was promoting my own brand, I was spotted and picked up by some big clothing companies who asked me to do some paid promotions, which I quickly turned into another business,' she said.

'I have now grown a following of over 150,000 followers on my personal Instagram account and am a full-time social media influencer with personal management - alongside running Talliah Rose.

'I have the perfect platform to advertise my brand and boost my sales, but I also try my best to promote girl boss vibes on my Instagram and encourage people, especially young girls, to chase their dreams. There is no limit to success!'
The CEO of a parenting company has issued a stark warning to pregnant royal Meghan Markle about the toll that pregnancy and birth take on your body, while calling for the duchess to skip the traditional postpartum 'parade' and photo shoot outside of the hospital.

Chelsea Hirschhorn, who is a mother-of-three and the founder of baby brand Fridababy, published an open letter to the 'Royal Mom-To-Be' as a full-page ad in the New York Times on Tuesday, in which she candidly shared what Meghan, 37, can expect to feel and experience after giving birth.

'Bringing a new life into the world usually starts with your vagina, and the aftermath is a mess,' the 35-year-old Florida resident wrote to Meghan, who is due to give birth in a matter of weeks. 'The bleeding and swelling will linger, peeing will burn, and sitting like your old self will feel like a herculean feat.'

Sharing: Fridababy CEO and mother-of-three Chelsea Hirschhorn wrote an open letter to pregnant Meghan Markle about the painful realities of postpartum life

Public: The 35-year-old businesswoman, who is based in Florida, published the letter as a full-page ad in the New York Times on Tuesday

Chelsea went on to note that even if Meghan gives birth via a C-section, there will be 'a whole host of other issues to tend to'.

'Either way, women are expected to just throw on their new mom hat - and while some of us have the chicest milliner on speed dial, I promise you still won't feel like yourself,' she warned.

The businesswoman, whose company creates and sells 'smart parenting tools', from a 'snotsucker' for blocked-up babies to a 'buttwasher' for potty-training toddlers, insists that more needs to be done to raise awareness about the realities of postpartum care and healing.

Last year the company also saw its billboards banned across the country when it tried to advertise its 'MomWasher' - a tool to help women clean their vaginas after giving birth - and used the word 'vagina' in the campaign.

At the time, Chelsea spoke out about the 'taboo' surrounding 'perineal healing', urging women to break down barriers and be more open about the realities of birth and the impact that it has on the body, particularly the vagina.

Decision: She asked Meghan, who is pictured on March 11, to skip the traditional royal shoot outside of the hospital, insisting that she will not 'feel like herself' after the birth

'We have to do our part to prepare women for that part of the experience - knowledge equals confidence, and if we're responsible enough to care for another human, we're more than equipped to talk honestly about the realities of caring for your own after birth,' Chelsea said at the time.

In that same vein, Chelsea is now calling for Meghan to put a stop to the traditional postpartum 'parade' that sees royal mothers bringing their newborn children out to greet photographers and supports who have been waiting outside of the hospital in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the newborn prince or princess.

The tradition has become something of a ritual that accompanies the arrival of a newborn member of the royal family; Kate Middleton, who has three young children, has brought all of her babies out of the Lindo Wing in London just hours after their birth in order to pose for photographers alongside her husband Prince William.

However Chelsea insists that Meghan should give the somewhat ceremonial moment a miss, writing: 'I assume that, like your princess predecessors, you'll be expected to parade outside of the hospital in front of throngs of photographers to show off your new bundle of joy shortly after giving birth.

'You'll smile, you'll wave, you'll be radiant, but between your legs will be a whole different story.

'Sure your blowout will be perfect for your hospital step photo-op, but people will be opining on all the wrong things - like how soon you will fit into your pre-baby wardrobe - instead of having an honest conversation about what women go through during birth and immediately thereafter.

'But us moms will know that while you wave from that step you'll be one pair of mesh underwear away form your first post-baby poop (brace yourself)!'

Chelsea then called on Meghan to use her public platform as an opportunity to 'keep it real' and to show solidarity with her fellow new mothers who are about to 'embark on their first "fourth trimester"'.

Candid: Chelsea, who is pictured left with her husband, warned Meghan that after giving birth to her first child with Prince Harry, she will experience 'lingering bleeding and swelling'

Tradition: Many royal mothers bring their newborn to greet photographers outside the hospital just hours after the birth, as Kate Middleton did with all three of her children

'So when the "big reveal" day arrives but you're feeling like all the King's horses and all the King's men couldn't put your vagina back together again - use this stage to do your part for all women,' she continued, before adding: 'Skip the pomp and circumstance of the baby parade.'

She concludes her letter with one final request, asking that if Meghan 'really can't skip' the postpartum photoshoot that she 'flash a glimpse of the mesh underwear underneath to keep it real'.

'They'll all just blame it on a gust of wind, but with your help we'll have made some real progress,' she urged.

Chelsea's letter sparked a fierce debate on Twitter, with opinion split on whether the letter should be viewed as a positive attempt to flip the narrative on an incredibly taboo - or an attempt to 'exploit' the unborn Baby Sussex.

Some people praised CEO for sharing such a candid and open thoughts, with one labeling the letter 'cute', while others threw their support behind Chelsea, urging Meghan to avoid the hospital step shoot and share images of her child in her own time, when she is ready.

After sharing the letter on her Instagram account, Chelsea received a slew of positive comments from followers and fans of the brand, with one writing: 'This is amazing.'

Another chimed in: 'Love this!! Thank you for saying what we moms have been thinking/feeling about pregnancy birth and after.

'This is so raw and real. Having a baby is not all rainbows and butterflies I hope [Meghan] reads this.'

However others spoke out to accuse Chelsea of 'trying to use an unborn baby for publicity', with one writing: 'I will never purchase your products again. Exploitative and ridiculous.'

A number of Twitter users also pointed out that the same letter should have been written to Kate, rather than letting the burden fall on Meghan.
Jenna Bush Hager is enjoying a spring break vacation with her daughters before taking over for Kathie Lee Gifford on the Today show next month, but her getaway caused her to miss out on her co-worker's going away party.

The 37-year-old, who will be co-hosting the fourth hour of the morning show, took to Instagram on Wednesday to share a sweet photo of herself cuddling her eldest daughter, Mila.

'A little time away with my little!' she captioned the image, which was taken somewhere a lot warmer than New York City in March.

Love: Jenna Bush Hager, 37, shared a photo of herself with her daughter Mila on Wednesday. She is enjoying a spring break trip with Mila, five, and her younger daughter Poppy, three

It's likely that Jenna and her family are enjoying some fun in the sun in Florida. A few years ago, the mother-of-two enjoyed a similar spring break trip with her little ones Mila and Poppy, three, in Boca Grande, a village on Gasparilla Island in Florida.

While you were gone: Jenna missed her Today co-star Kathie Lee Gifford's farewell party in New York City on Tuesday evening

In the snapshot, Jenna is wearing a sleeveless checkered dress and is sitting with her legs crossed beneath her while relaxing in an outdoor chair.

Little Mila is nestled in her mom's lap, and they are both smiling as Jenna squeezes her close. Like her mom, the five-year-old is also dressed for warm weather in a sleeveless dress featuring a koala bear pattern.

Jenna's snapshot was liked by her Today co-star Savannah Guthrie and received a comment from her twin sister, Barbara Bush, who wrote: 'Love that little!'

Many fans wrote that they can't wait for her to start co-hosting the fourth hour of the Today show full time.

'Good for you! Enjoy your time off before your big moment with Hoda,' one person commented. 'Can't wait to watch!'

While Jenna was soaking up the sun in Florida, she missed out on her Today show predecessor's farewell bash at the Times Square Edition Hotel in New York City on Tuesday.

So sweet: Kathie Lee, 65, celebrated 11 years with the Today show with a farewell bash at the Times Square Edition Hotel. She and her longtime co-star Hoda Kotb, 54, wore matching white

Today show stars: Savannah Guthrie wore an edgy black dress to the event, while Al Roker was all smiles in a gray suit

Gang's (almost) all here! Dylan Dreyer, Carson Daley, and Lester Holt (left to right) were also at the bash

Kathie Lee, 65, will officially be leaving the fourth hour of Today when her contract ends in April after 11 years on the show.

In spite of the emotional departure, she managed to keep her spirits lifted as she celebrated her time on the popular morning show alongside her longtime co-host Hoda Kotb.

The soon-to-be former colleagues were even wearing matching all-white for the special event.

Many of Kathie Lee's Today co-stars were in attendance, including Savannah, Dylan Dreyer, Al Roker, Carson Daley, and Lester Holt.

Kathie Lee revealed in December she would be leaving the fourth hour of the show, after joining the segment in September 2007.

Old friends: Hoda and Kathie Lee couldn't help but get emotional during their toast

Moving on: The longtime host revealed she was leaving the show in December, and a few months later it was announced that Jenna will serve as her replacement

It was announced last month that Jenna would be the one taking over for Kathie Lee following her retirement.

It is a big promotion for the former first daughter, who frequently filled in for both Kathie Lee and Hoda on the fourth hour.

Jenna had some kind words to say about her predecessor after the announcement.

'You have been such a role model and so generous with your time,' she told Kathie Lee. 'You are beloved here in so many ways and if I can use some of your grace and have a half of what youve done, my life will be a very happy one.'

Kathie Lee then praised Jenna, who joined the show back in 2009, just one year after her father left office.

Another trip: Last week, Jenna and her daughters were enjoying a snowy mountain getaway

Too cute: The mom posted pictures of her girls having fun inside a ski lodge with their cousins

'You keep trusting your instincts and youre going to sit next to the best person in the whole world because she has your back, because she has your heart,' she said. 'Its going to be fun. You guys are going to have a ball.'

Jenna missing Kathie Lee's goodbye bash was likely the result of bad timing. The on-air personality is known to fly south in March, and she appeared to be enjoying a few trips with her kids before starting her new job.

Just last week, the mom shared photos of herself sledding with her daughters during a snowy mountain getaway. She also posted snapshots of her girls having fun inside a ski lodge with their cousins.

'A quick girls trip with my babes to the [mountain emoji,' Jenna captioned the images.

All smiles: 'A quick girls trip with my babes to the [mountain emoji,' she captioned the photos

Big news: Jenna's vacation has also coincided with Wednesday's release of excerpts from her late grandmother Barbara Bush's upcoming biography, 'The Matriarch'

Jenna's latest vacation has also coincided with Wednesday's release of excerpts from her late grandmother Barbara Bush's upcoming biography, 'The Matriarch.'

In the excerpts, the former first lady's thoughts about Donald Trump were revealed.

She said he caused her 'angst' during the 2016 election and led her to question whether she was still a Republican in the months before she died.

In a February 2018 interview, she was asked if she still considered herself a Republican. She replied, 'I'd probably say "no" today.'

Barbara also recalled drafting a funny letter to mail after the election congratulating Bill Clinton on becoming a presidential spouse. But she said when she woke up, she realized 'to my horror that Trump had won.'

A friend even gave Barbara a clock that counted down the time remaining in Trump's first term that she kept at her bedside.
Lorraine Kelly has defended her habit of wearing a bra in bed, saying it's kept her breasts perky, a day after after surprising fans with her confession that she never takes it off.

Viewers branded the habit 'odd' and 'unhealthy' but today, speaking on her namesake ITV chat show, the presenter defended her practice, saying: 'I just don't like being all loose.'

Referring to her breasts, she said: 'For a lady of my age, mine are not bad. And I just think wearing my bra has kept them perky.'

'For a lady of my age, mine are not bad': Lorraine credited the habit with keeping her breasts perky

She went on to reveal that she doesn't wear her bra 24/7 and does naturally remove her underwear for showers and 'whatnot'.

And after sleeping in her bra at night, she makes sure she puts on a fresh one.

'I do change my bra every single day,' she said.

Appearing on the show, Dr. Hilary Jones admitted that there is no medical disadvantage to wearing your bra permanently, although there's no particular upside either.

Lorraine defended her habit of sleeping in her bra, and told viewers that she believed the practice kept her breasts perky

He went on: 'There's nothing to suggest there's any medical benefit or disadvantage.

'I can imagine why some woman would keep a bra on at night for comfort, with breast tenderness or breast feeding mums.'

He suggested: 'When you are standing, there is a gravitational pull and things can go south..but when you are in bed, you are horizontal and nothing should be happening.'

Fashion expert Mark Heyes then weighed in, confessing: I dont wear anything in bed.'

The 59 year old set the record straight, admitting that she does change her underwear everyday, and take her bra off for 'whatnot' and in the shower

Dr Hilary agreed: Marks right, I dont understand people who get dressed to go to bed...pyjamas...what is that all about?

Laughing, Lorraine remarked: Boys are funny like that. Boys like being naked. I like to have my nightie on!

Despite the health assurances, social media users were still not convinced on the habit though, with one claiming that not wearing a bra has helped her keep her breasts pert.

'Free yourself from the bra. I am 65 next month I wear a bra only when I have to wear one. And the Beverly Hills are no different from when I was 25,' one wrote.

Viewers questioned Lorraine's decision, with one claiming not wearing a bra at all kept their breasts pert

Another commented: 'Oh no I can't sleep with my bra, it's uncomfortable', while others called the whole conversation a 'storm in a bra cup.'

The panel went on to discuss the different t-shirt bras available for sale on the high street, with Lorraine admitting that she wears a t-shirt bra to bed, before changing into something more supportive in the morning.

Yesterday, Lorraine said that she didn't 'feel right' when she took her bra off, but admitted the habit was 'weird'.

'I even sleep in it. I dont feel right when I take my bra off.

Lorraine Kelly admits to Loose Women panelist Coleen Nolan she doesn't like to take off her bra and will wear it to bed as well

'I take my make-up off and scrape my hair up but my bra remains.'

Viewers tweeted: 'Lorraine Kelly sleeps with her on?! God the thought of that makes me feel discomfort. I could never. I mean, honey forget the bed, as soon as I walk through the front door the bra is slid out through the sides in two seconds.'

Lorraine's celebrity guest and Loose Women panellist, Coleen Nolan, was also surprised by the confession.

'The girls have never been free?' she asked.

Social media users took to Twitter to share their concern for Lorraine Kelly's health after she admitted to sleeping with her bra on

Another Twitter user was baffled by Lorraine's confession after Lorraine revealed to guest Coleen Nolan she never takes off her underwear

Lorraine laughed, saying: 'It's a revelation.'

Another guest, Scarlett Moffatt, was also left baffled by Lorraine's confession.

She said: 'Off! You have just got to take it off and let loose in your own home. It's the best feeling.'

Lorraine replied: 'I like to be held.'

Lorraine admitted she likes to feel 'held' and secure at all times, although she has acknowledged some may think her habit is 'weird'

Other viewers felt uncomfortable just at the thought of keeping their bra on all day and sleeping with it on

But Lorraine's secret sparked concern among viewers, who questioned whether it was 'healthy' to not take off your bra.

One tweeted: '@reallorraine @lorraine that cant be healthy never taking your bra off!? X #lorraine.'

Another questioned: 'So, she NEVER takes off her bra, EVER?'

Coleen Nolan is the opposite to Lorraine, and will take her bra off as soon as she gets home after wearing the underwear item all day because she finds it more comfortable

Another Twitter user branded Lorraine 'odd' for keeping her bra on, as they believe 'all women' take off their underwear and breathe a sigh of relief when they do so

Scarlett Moffatt sided with Coleen as she also disagreed with Lorraine and her habit of leaving her bra on all day and to sleep

Another supported Coleen and Scarlett's beliefs and wrote: 'No! It comes straight off when I get home.'

With another tweeting: 'As soon as I step in the house everything is off and PJs on. #lorraine.'

However, Lorraine did have some supporters, who also feel much better keeping their bra on.

A separate person tweeted: 'Bra on at all times hate the feeling of it being off.'

A second added: 'I do. I only take mine off when I'm in the bath', while another wrote: 'I'm with you Lorraine .....sleep in mine too!!'
London commuters are exposing their skin to harmful pollution on the Tube, research shows.

Air quality throughout the capital is high but is particularly poor on Underground lines, where there is a higher concentration of particulate matter - a term used to describe the mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets in the air.

Particulate matter, known as PM, includes toxic compounds that have been linked to visible signs of ageing like premature wrinkles and age spots.

1. Victoria Line: London commuters are exposing their skin to pollution on the Tube. The Victoria line, pictured in a file image, is the worst offender as the air contains the highest concentration of particulate matter - a term to describe the mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets in the air

2. Northern Line: Lines with lots of underground stops, like the Northern Line (pictured in file image) fared worst in the study

3. Bakerloo Line: Passengers on the Bakerloo Line are putting themselves at risk of premature ageing by exposing themselves to the third highest concentration of particulate matter

Research commissioned by Swedish beauty and wellness brand Foreo revealed the Victoria line is the worst offender, with the concentration of PM particularly high on the line between Pimlico and Brixton.

It was followed by the Northern, Bakerloo and Central lines.

4. Central Line: Central Line came in fourth in the study into pollution on the Underground

5. Jubilee Line: The Jubilee Line was fifth and still had high levels of air pollution

Revealed: Most polluted Tube lines 1. Victoria Line 2. Northern Line 3. Bakerloo Line 4. Central Line 5. Jubilee Line 6. Piccadilly Line 7. District Line 8. Metropolitan Line 9. Circle Line 10. Hammersmith & City Line 11. DLR Advertisement

The Jubilee, Piccadilly and District lines took fifth, sixth and seventh places, respectively, while the Metropolitan, Circle and Hammersmith & City lines rounded out the top 10.

What is particulate matter (PM)? Particulate matter (PM) is a term used to describe the mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets in the air. It can be either human-made or naturally occurring. Some examples include dust, ash and sea-spray. Particulate matter - including soot- is emitted during the combustion of solid and liquid fuels, such as for power generation, domestic heating and in vehicle engines. Advertisement

The DLR was in eleventh place, with just a fraction of the concentration of PM as the Victoria line.

Meanwhile lines with fewer stops underground, such as the Docklands Light Railway, reported the lowest PM levels.

But while 67 per cent of people admit to actively worrying about their wrinkles, just 30 per cent said they would change their mode of transport to try and tackle the effects of ageing.

Instead commuters should consider adapting their beauty routine to clean their faces once they have reached their destination.

Boris Raspudic of Foreo said: 'People should be looking at how they can minimise the damage caused, which includes washing thoroughly after travelling on the Tube to remove all pollutants.'
The Queen enjoyed the warmest of welcomes this morning as she arrived in Somerset to indulge her first love - horses - on an equine-related engagement in the West Country.

Her Majesty, 92, looked the epitome of spring as she arrived at Castle Cary station wearing a matching lime green coat and dress, with a co-ordinated hat featuring freshly-picked daffodils.

Eschewing local commuter services in favour of a ride on the Royal Train, the Queen beamed as she was met at the platform by local school-children waving Union Jack flags and Annie Maw, the Lord Lieutenant of Somerset.

The short trip will see the Queen learn more about injury prevention for jockeys in race-horsing, a sport Her Majesty remains passionate about, as well as a visit to a local art gallery and secondary school.

Day-tripping in Somerset: The Queen, 92, arrived by train this morning at Castle Cary station ahead of a busy day learning about fall-prevention for racehorse jockeys, and opening a brand new music centre at the King's Bruton School in Bruton (Pictured: the Queen smiles as she greets teenage pupils at the King's Bruton School)

Beaming! The Queen was all smiles as she arrived at the local school in Bruton, Somerset, Her Majesty wore lime green, coordinating her hat, dress and coat

The short visit will see the Queen indulge her first love - horses - on a short visit to the West Country. After arriving by train at Castle Cary station, she met trainer Paul Nicholls at Manor Farm Stables in Ditcheat - and offered a carrot to a chocolate-coloured racehorse known as McFabulous

The 92-year-old looked delighted as she dressed ready for spring, accessorising her lime ensemble with a floral headpiece, pearls and a broach

Grey-nosed race horse Politologue gets a treat from a famous visitor as champion trainer Paul Nicholls looks on during the Queen's visit to the stables in Ditcheat

Delicious: Politologue chomps away as the Queen patiently feeds the racehorse chopped up carrots

He is McFabulous! The Queen seemed utterly smitten by the equine beauties on display at the stables, which is working with the University of Bath on further research into equestrian sport spinal injuries and racehorse welfare

The Queen looked delighted to meet a steady procession of thoroughbred racehorses, with glossy coats and lean physiques, in the stables' yard

There was an emotional moment for the Queen too, when trainer Paul Nicholls presented her with a black-and-white photograph of himself with the Queen Mother

The monochrome image shows the Paul Nicholls and the Queen Mother when he was a successful jump jockey. He's since gone on to be one of the most famous trainers in the business

The short trip west on the Royal Train saw Her Majesty chat with those who'd waited to greet her on the platform as she was joined by Annie Maw, the Lord Lieutenant of Somerset (pictured centre)

The Queen, 92, travelled to Castle Cary station by Royal Train this morning eschewing local commuter services in favour of a more private journey

The Queen wore a beautiful lime green coat, with matching dress and a hat decorated with fresh daffodils as she strolled across platform one. She finished the look with her faithful black patent loafers

Hundreds of local school pupils including from Lovington C of E Primary School and nearby Castle Cary primary school waited patiently for their brush with royalty and waved flags as the Royal Train finally pulled into platform one.

After joining Annie Maw, the Lord Lieutenant of Somerset, to chat with many of the gathered children, including one who presented her with a small posy, the Queen made the short journey by car to Manor Farm Stables in Ditcheat, where trainer Paul Nicholls was on hand to greet her.

There was an emotional moment, when Nicholls presented the Queen with a black-and-white photograph of himself with the Queen Mother.

The monochrome image shows Paul Nicholls and the Queen Mother when he was a successful jump jockey. He's since gone on to be one of the most famous trainers in the business.

There were more horses this afternoon, as the Queen stopped at the King's Bruton School in Bruton, Somerset to officially open the school's new music centre

Imagine playing to the Queen: A pupil at King's Bruton shows off his keyboard skills in the educational establishment's new music centre

Never work with children or animals...unless you're the Queen. After meeting the racehorses, the next stop for Her Majesty was a visit to King's Bruton School in Bruton where she officially unveiled a plaque celebrating the school's 500th anniversary

The visit also marked the opening of the school's new music centre, named The Queen Elizabeth Music School

Helping the school celebrate a very big birthday, Hey Majesty wanders past pupils in bright red robes as she prepares to unveil the new plaque

Staff at the school line-up to shake the hand of the visiting royal, led by headmaster Ian Wilmshurst

As the Queen made her way to the new music venue, staff and teenage well-wishers gathered to clap in her arrival

Annie Maw, the Lord Lieutenant of Somerset, greeted the Queen as she stepped on to platform one at Castle Cary station

The Queen cradles a sweet posy of spring flowers presented to her on the platform as she chats with local Somerset school pupils

An array of local dignitaries were also on hand to greet the Queen as Annie Maw, Lord Lieutenant of Somerset, made the introductions - and appeared to enjoy a joke

Welcome to Somerset! Her Majesty receives a warm handshake from a local dignitary

The champion trainer wasn't the only one, a chocolate-coloured horse named McFabulous - with an appetite for carrots - nuzzled up to the Queen after she offered up the healthy snack. Later, the Queen met grey-nosed racehorse Politologue.

The steed was one of several horses in the stables, which is working with the University of Bath on further research into equestrian sport spinal injuries and racehorse welfare.

Annie Maw, the Lord-Lieutenant of Somerset, who is paraplegic after a riding accident, said of the project: 'I was extremely impressed by the success of research at the University of Bath to reduce the incidence of high spinal injuries for rugby union.

'A while back I was fortunate enough to see this demonstrated to Prince Harry, when we all discussed the possibility of applying the same science to safety of riders in equine sport.

She's here! The Queen makes her way through a small sea of youngsters after disembarking

A loud cheer erupted as the Queen made her way through the crowds; the equine-themed public engagement is thought to be a day-trip for Her Majesty

Exciting day! Earlier children from Lovington C of E Primary School anticipated the arrival of the Queen by waving their Union Jack flags

One young pupil, Heidi (centre), aged five, from Castle Cary Primary school seen standing patiently for their encounter with royalty

The yellow and black royal train carrying Queen Elizabeth II arrives in Castle Cary Station at the start of her visit to Somerset

'As a paraplegic - the result of falling from a horse - I take a particular interest in these issues. I sincerely hope that this work could help reduce incidence of what is a truly devastating injury.

She added: 'I am delighted we have been able to showcase this important work to Her Majesty during the recent royal visit to Somerset.'

The Queen also learned about the work of Dr Ben Metcalfe, who is developing a sensor platform for race horses that would give trainers and veterinary professionals more accurate, reliable, real-time data on horse fitness and wellbeing.

The EquiVi platform is currently in prototype and is a non-invasive wearable device - similar to a fitness and activity tracker used by humans - that can provide real-time measurement of a horse's vital signs, including cardiovascular health.

Dr Metcalfe said: 'I have grown up riding and caring for horses since I was a young boy and their welfare and wellbeing is something that really matters to me.

'Horses are complex living organisms and their health, wellbeing, and performance on the racetrack are all of significant interest to a wide range of stakeholders.

'The development of clinically validated sensors that can provide real-time data from ambulatory animals to their owners, trainers, and veterinarians represents a major step forwards and has the potential to drastically improve the well-being of the animals.'

Any tips? The Queen, who is passionate about horses and racing, with trainer Paul Nicholls at the Manor Farm Stables on Thursday

History: Nicholls has been a friend of the royals since his own career as a jockey and now trains some of the most successful racehorses in the sport

Admiring the art: The Queen also paid a visit to Hauser & Wirth where she had a look at the artwork

During the visit Her Majesty heard from Professor Keith Stokes and Dr Dario Cazzola, from the University of Bath's Department for Health, who presented their new project with the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) focusing on spinal injury reduction for jockeys.

This research builds on previous injury prevention work within rugby union.

They will use the BHA's digital archive of race footage to map and digitally re-construct the detail of how jockeys fall.

Combined with research to be conducted at the British Racing School in Newmarket, the project will highlight the links between certain types of falls and increased chances of spinal injury.

Prof Stokes said: 'Spinal injuries can have a dramatic impact on peoples' lives and using the digital archive to inform strategies that have the potential to reduce the risk of these injuries is extremely valuable.

'Today was an exciting opportunity to showcase to Her Majesty the important impact we hope to make with these projects in improving safety in horse racing.'

It's expected that The Queen, who was travelling along this morning, will make the return journey back to Windsor later this afternoon.
The Queen's former aide Dickie Arbiter has claimed the Duchess of Sussex should 'stop trying to do things herself' and listen to royal aides.

Appearing on Nine News Australia, the former spokesperson advised Meghan, 37, to leave behind her old red carpet habits and adjust to her new duty playing a 'supporting role' to Harry and the Queen.

Dickie, who worked as the Queen's aide for 12 years and reportedly infuriated Charles when he released a 'tell-all' book on the family in 2014, also claimed Meghan should 'stop trying to be clever'.

However he did question recent reports by Tatler, which claimed that the pregnant duchess had been given the cruel name 'Me-gain' by her staff.

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The Queen's former aide Dickie Arbiter has claimed the Duchess of Sussex, seen with Prince Harry at Westminster Abbey this month, should 'stop trying to do things herself' and listen to royal aides, and leave behind her red carpet habits

Dickie said: 'What Meghan has got to do is forget she is on the red carpet of show business  she is now on the crimson carpet of monarchy.

'She plays a supporting role, not just to Harry but to the Queen as well.'

'She has got to think about how she is going to operate. And the way she is going to operate is to listen to the officials.'

Addressing her directly, he added: 'Listen to the communication secretary and operate under their advice. Don't try and be clever. Don't try and do things yourself.'

However he questioned recent reports in Tatler which claim that she has been cruelly nicknamed 'Me-gain', he said: 'I put a big question mark over it.'

The former spokesperson advised Meghan, 37, to leave behind her old red carpet habits and adjust to her new duty playing a 'supporting role' to Harry and the Queen, seen in Somerset this month

Appearing on Today's Nine News Australia, the former spokesperson who worked as the Queen's aide for 12 years and reportedly infuriated Charles when he released a 'tell-all' book on the family in 2014, also claimed Meghan should 'stop trying to be clever'. He is pictured on Daybreak in 2013

A new report published in the May edition of Tatler, has claimed yet another unflattering nickname has been used for the Duchess: 'Me-gain'.

Recalling the vicious attacks Sarah Ferguson was subject to after marrying into the Royal Family, the article reads: 'Meghan has seen nothing like that  even though staff at Kensington Palace are now calling her "Me-Gain".'

Kensington Palace has disputed similar reports surrounding the Duchess' relationship with her staff on a number of previous occasions.

The Duchess of Sussex, who is due to give birth to her first child in the coming weeks, has been dogged by reports that her relentless work ethic that has proved problematic for aides.

There have been a number of personnel resignations over the past year, including personal assistant Melissa Toubati, who is said to have handed in her notice last year because the work had become 'too much'.

And earlier this month it was announced Amy Pickerill, who was appointed as Meghans assistant private secretary just last year, is to leave her post after the couple move to Frogmore Cottage in Windsor this month.

It is understood that Amy will be leaving the Royal Household altogether and moving overseas.

She has played an important role in introducing Meghan to royal life, organising charity projects such as the cookbook the Duchess published to help families affected by the Grenfell Tower disaster.
When a Maryland high school didn't do enough to punish male students who circulated a list ranking the attractiveness of their female classmates, the young women targeted took matters into their own hands.

Earlier this month, female students at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School in Bethesda, Maryland were shocked and appalled to discover that boys with whom they thought they were their friends had been assigning them numbers to rate how good-looking they were  and then passing that list around in a group text.

Yet after reporting the list to the principal, they were disheartened that only one boy received punishment  and a minimal one at that. So several of the young women banded together and demanded more action, and are now working to educate their classmates about sexual harassment.

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Drama: Earlier this month, 18 female seniors at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School in Bethesda, Maryland learned they were being rated on attractiveness by male classmates

Discipline: They were upset and notified the school that a list was circulating among 50 boys, after which the administration gave the 'ring leader' detention but did not punish the others

Bethesda Magazine first reported the existence of the list, which about 50 male students at the school were circulating.

The list, sent around in a group chat, rated 18 female students based on their physical appearance, with numbers ranging from 5.5 to 9.4.

This list was actually over a year old by the time one of the young women on it learned of its existence. Nicky Schmidt, 17, had been notified by a close male friend who had seen her name on it, and she told others.

The girls were all upset. Lee Schwartz, another senior on the list, told the Washington Post that they felt violated and objectified, and worried that the boys might be 'editing their decimal points' any time they got up to go to the bathroom.

'Knowing that my closest friends were talking to me and hanging out with me but under that, silently numbering me, it definitely felt like a betrayal,' Schwartz, 18, said.

'I was their friend, but I guess also a number.'

'Seeing that was kind of seeing all of your insecurities put together, put into a number,' 17-year-old Jane Corcoran, another student on the list, told Good Morning America.

Not enough: The principal (right) sent a letter home to parents about the list and school's investigation into it

Taking action: About 40 female students then met at the school's main office at lunch to take up their concerns with the administration

'It was like a knot formed in my stomach, and then I started to obviously question my self worth and my self esteem,' another student named Yasmin Behbehani, added.

Angered, dozens of female seniors reported the list to the school.

'It was the last straw, for us girls, of this "boys will be boys" culture,' Behbehani told the Washington Post. 'Were the generation that is going to make a change.'

Shortly after the students reported the list, Principal Donna Redmond Jones sent a letter home to parents, notifying them of the situation. The letter said that the list had been investigated, and that the boys who were found to be involved were disciplined.

'This incident has been very upsetting for students, staff and families,' she wrote. 'B-CC High School has no tolerance for bullying. Our school strives to create a sense of belonging and respect for all students. This incident does not reflect those values.

'The administrative team investigated the matter, and assigned consequences based on the MCPS Student Code of Conduct.'

She reiterated that punishment was doled out while speaking to Bethesda magazine: 'There's always discipline. There are always consequences.'

'It was the last straw, for us girls, of this "boys will be boys" culture,' Yasmin Behbehani told the Washington Post. 'Were the generation that is going to make a change.'

Upsetting: Lee Schwartz (pictured) said they worried that the boys might be 'editing their decimal points' any time they got up to go to the bathroom

But it wasn't long before the female students learned that only one student, the alleged 'ring leader,' had been disciplined  and he only received a single day of in-school detention.

They were not satisfied.

'I dont think [the administration] handled it well at all,' Corcoran, one of the seniors on the list, said.

'Basically what admin did, in my honest opinion, by dismissing it and not giving the boys a strong punishment is saying "Boys will be boys and that's OK. We can't get them in trouble for something immature boys do."'

Some students have defended the list as falling within the boys' right to 'freedom of speech' (a right under the US Constitution that does not, in fact, prevent people from facing non-legal consequences for their words)  yet the school's student code dictates that bullying will result in discipline ranging from community service to expulsion.

'We understand people were offended and have concerns, but we have a student code of conduct to distribute punishments fairly based on what has happened, rather than based on the community reaction,' a spokesperson for the district, Derek Turner, said.

'Seeing that was kind of seeing all of your insecurities put together, put into a number,' 17-year-old Jane Corcoran (pictured) said

'I don't know what it was inside of us that made us decide to take stand, but I think now that we have, there's no turning back' said another student, Virginia Brown (pictured)

But the young women refused to let is slide. Schmidt, the senior girl who first learned of the list, texted her female classmates to plan a protest.

'We feel unsafe in this environment and we are tired of this toxicity,' the text read, according to Insider.

The next day, about 40 senior girls went to the assistant principal's office demanding more action.

'We want to know what the school is doing to ensure our safety and security, Schmidt told the Washington Post. 'We should be able to learn in an environment without the constant presence of objectification and misogyny.'

They got more action. While the boys involved don't appear to have faced more detention or suspension, they were called to meet with their female classmates during fifth period on International Women's Day.

Around 80 students gathered, including the male student who first created the list.

The meeting was initially supposed to last just 45 minutes, but went on for two and a half hours while the girls spoke about sexual abuse, harassment, and objectification.

Some read letters about their own experiences, with several targeted the ring leader in particular.

Serious: After, the girls had a chance to speak with the boys for several hours, addressing issues like sexual harassment and objectification

Teenage girls are taking on sexism after a hot or not list is circulated at their high school. @ErielleReshef spoke with the girls about their inspiring movement. https://t.co/fL6Pv1TBxh pic.twitter.com/5z84oG65Vp  Good Morning America (@GMA) March 28, 2019

At the end, he got up and apologized. he told the Washington Post that it was 'quite intense' to be 'so directly confronted in front of so many people for so long.'

He also told the paper that he had first started the list with just one friend, and never actually distributed it. He insisted he wasn't sure how it had spread around.

'When you have a culture where its just normal to talk about that, I guess making a list about it doesnt seem like such a terrible thing to do, because you're just used to discussing it,' he said.

'I recognize that I'm in a position in this world generally where I have privilege. I'm a white guy at a very rich high school. Its easy for me to lose sight of the consequences of my actions and kind of feel like Im above something.'

Since then, several of the students have been meeting regularly at lunch time to talk more about how they can stop things like this from happening again.

They have also worked with the school on a month of programming to educate students about issues like sexual harassment, which will include lectures and movies.

'This culture [of toxic masculinity] itself is something that's far bigger than our high school,' Schwartz told GMA. 'But you know it starts with our generation, it starts with presentations to underclassmen.'

'I don't know what it was inside of us that made us decide to take stand, but I think now that we have, there's no turning back and we're starting a movement. This isn't a moment,' said another student, Virginia Brown.
She's always dressed to the nines in elegant outfits that are impeccably colour co-ordinated.

But Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, 47, isn't afraid to show her fun and playful side, as she proved on a visit to a brewery today.

The wife of King Willem-Alexander eagerly drank beer from a tankard as she attended the 300th anniversary of the Brewery Bavaria in Lieshout, Netherlands.

Known for her sartorial prowess, the mother-of-three wrapped up warm in a navy coat which she matched to her dress.

Her stunning knee-length shift dress was ablaze with floral embellishments as she paired nude heels and a clutch bag with the navy number.

Queen Maxima of the Netherlands showed she wasn't afraid to show her fun and playful side, as she she chugged down beer during a visit to a Brewery today

Known for her sartorial prowess, the mother-of-three wrapped up warm in a navy coat which she matched to her dress as she smiled and greeted well-wishers

Maxima - who has daughters Princess Catharina-Amalia, 15, Princess Alexia, 13, and Princess Ariane, 11, with husband King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands - added a touch of extra glamour with jewellery.

She opted for a simple make-up look, wearing a smokey eye shadow, and deep burgundy matte lipstick with a touch of mascara.

Later, Maxima donned a hairnet, bright orange overcoat and safety goggles as she went into the brewery to discover how beer is made.

A world away from her usual glamour, the Queen slipped on white laceless trainers as she looked at ease in the factory.

Later, Maxima donned a hairnet, bright orange overcoat and safety goggles as she went into the brewery to discover how beer is made

A world away from her usual glamour, the Queen slipped on white laceless trainers as she looked at ease on her tour of the factory

The royal's day out comes after she travelled to Germany with her husband earlier this month with her family

The royal's day out comes after she travelled to Germany with her husband earlier this month.

King Willem-Alexander and Maxima visited Bremen, the country's smallest state, for the first time.

Accessorising with deep purple earrings, Maxima was all smiles as she met well-wishers and shook hands with children in the crowd.

Maxima wore her hair tied back in her signature up-do, plating her curled tresses underneath her statement hat.

Maxima opted for a simple make-up look, wearing a smokey eye shadow, and deep burgundy matte lipstick with a touch of mascara

While there, they were given a tour of the city by the Mayor Sieling and his wife Alexa Sieling - which included a stop off at the Rathaus.

During their time in the country, they also visited a statue of a horse, which is thought to bring good luck.

Each year the King and Queen visit one or more German federal states, which always devote special attention to Dutch-German economic relations.

Maxima's stunning knee-length shift dress was ablaze with floral embellishments as she paired nude heels and a clutch bag with the navy number

The aim of the visit to Bremen is to enhance opportunities for economic cooperation, including at international level.

During their visit, the royal pair visited the Airbus Space Center, where they watched the subscription of a Memorandum of Understanding to extend the collaboration between Dutch and German Space organisations.

They were also welcomed for lunch at the city hall, where crowds of well-wishers gathered to greet them.

The town is famous for its association with the fairy tale 'The Town Musicians of Bremen,' which tells the story of four aging domestic animals who trick a band of robbers and steal their home while on the way to Bremen.
A student who felt a connection with a mystery man during a ten hour flight is now desperately trying to track him down in the hope he could be 'the one.'

Jomaica Alfiler, 21, from Seattle, sat in window seat 43A on flight LH490 from Frankfurt to Seattle on Tuesday 26 March when she was joined by the 'good looking man in his twenties', who sat alongside her in seat 43B.

The pair spoke briefly during the long haul flight and the 'lovely gentleman' even helped Jomaica, who is originally from the Philippines, with her luggage.

However, the business student, who first posted about her search for the man on her Facebook page, forgot to ask for his full name and number and is now sharing her story in the hope he will get in touch.

'He was a good looking young man and was clean cut, had dark hair, and was around 5'8 - 5'9,' she said of her in-flight friend. 'He was probably in his twenties. I believe he was wearing black Adidas NMD shoes and a silver/grey back pack, with an orange shirt and jeans.'

Jomaica Alfiler, 21, from Seattle, pictured, sat in window seat 43A on flight LH490 from Frankfurt on March 26 and met a 'lovely gentleman' who she is hoping to track down

Jomaica, pictured, said she 'hasn't stopped thinking about him' since landing back in America and hopes she hasn't missed her chance

Jomaica was on the way home from a six-day holiday in Portugal and her connecting flight to Seattle was from Frankfurt.

After running late for take off and being held up in security, she finally boarded the plane and was the last person on.

'I was walking down the aisle and looking for my seat and there he was sitting and looking,' she said. 'We exchanged smiles. I had small luggage with me that I had to put above the compartment before I sat down.'

She continued: 'He offered to help me out but I insisted on trying to do it myself because I'm a strong independent woman. In the end he helped me anyway because I was too short to even reach it - I'm 5'1.'

Jomaica slept for the first few hours and didn't eat but he ordered a 'Korean flavored chicken with a gin and tonic drink.'

Although they didn't make lots of conversation, she said there was 'small talk here and there.'

'He asked me if I was cold since he wasn't using his blanket so he could give it to me,' explained Jomaica. 'He also tried to help me recline my seat back but we both failed. However, I still thanked him.'

He responded: 'There was no help but you're welcome and smiled.'

Jomaica was flying back home to Seattle, when she met the 'kind stranger' who helped her with her luggage. Pictured, the view from the plane

Despite sending airline Lufthansa a message, they couldn't help Jomaica, pictured, due to data protection. Still, she hasn't given up hope

She added: 'I also purposely didn't use my headphones while I was watching a movie and just turned on the subtitles in the hope he would talk to me, but he didn't. Maybe he was shy, too.'

Jomaica wore a white sweater and sneakers, black Nike shorts and carried a black backpack on the flight.

'Perhaps he was a college student?,' she said. 'I remember that he had a little bit of an accent -maybe British - and was on his phone a lot as well.'

Desperate to find the kind stranger, Jomaica even messaged airline Lufthansa to see if they would be able to help and share the man's information.

In a Facebook message she wrote: 'I sat in 43A next to the window and there was a lovely gentleman sitting right next to me in 43B aisle.

Despite sitting next to each other for 10 hours, Jomaica forgot to get the man's details so she messaged Lufthansa asking for some help in tracking him down. Pictured, the message she sent the airline

'He was so kind to me and he helped me with my luggage and also he kept ordering gin and tonic - about six times during the whole flight.

'We were sitting next to each other for the 10-hour flight however, I didn't get his full name and contact.

'This is why I'm reaching out to you because I haven't stopped thinking about him since the plane landed. Please hear me out and reach out to him for me please. I don't know when will I ever see him again or did I miss my chance?'

Although Lufthansa loved hearing about Jomaica's enjoyable and 'sweet' flight, there was nothing they could do to track the man down due to data protection issues.

However, Jomaica hasn't given up and is hoping the mystery man can still be found.

'I would like to find him, wherever he is and at least try my chances, get to know him and see where it goes, at least I tried and I won't have any regrets,' she said.
Selfridges has raised eyebrows after advertising a pair of camel toe heels which retail at an eye-watering 740.

The high end department store shared a picture of the shoes - a nude pair of block heels with a wooden platform and separate 'toe' to the front - on their Facebook page, encouraging shoppers to share their thoughts.

And bemused consumers were quick to comment on the bizarre designer footwear, with one shopper even dubbing them 'pig's trotters'.

Complete with a red painted toe, the beige leather heels appear to be shaped like camel's feet.

The outlandish footwear - which was designed by British fashion designer John Galliano for Maison Margiela - has attracted a flurry of hilarious comments on social media.

British high end department store Selfridges has raised eyebrows after advertising a pair of camel toe heels which retail at an eye-watering 740, pictured

One follower wrote underneath the Facebook post: '740 for one of the ugliest pair of shoes ever conceived, bargain!'.

Renaming them, another replied: 'Haute couture pigs trotters', and one added: 'Bloody camel toes. I'd rather wear Crocs.'

Elsewhere one unimpressed shopper commented: 'Nowt like a good hoof to complete any outfit' (sic).

Agreeing, another fashion fan added: 'It's a hard no from me. No to the camel toe'.

Bemused consumers were quick to comment on the bizarre designer footwear, with one shopper even dubbing them 'pig's trotters' and others asking if it was an April's Fools joke

The shoes were created by Maison Margiela, a luxury French brand which is famed for its outlandish designs.

Its current creative director is John Galliano - who was sacked by fashion giant Christian Dior following anti-Semitic rants in a Paris bar.

And many confused shoppers speculated whether the offending camel-toe shoes were a practical joke from the designer.

One asked: 'Is it April Fool's!?' while one added: 'Did I sleep through March and it's April 1st?'

One unimpressed shopper commented: 'Nowt like a good hoof to complete any outfit' (sic)

However others weren't as critical, with one follower debating whether she should buy them for a trip to Dubai.

Tagging a friend, she wrote: pick some up in Dubai? Designer AND practical footwear for desert climates as modelled by camels'.

The shoes have since been removed from Selfridges website.

Selfridges told FEMAIL: 'These shoes are an expression of their designer's artistic vision.' FEMAIL have contacted Margiela for comment.
The Duchess of Cornwall visited Jasmine Villa Hospice in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands on Thursday.

Keeping her cool in a coordinated white outfit, Camilla, 71, arrived solo as she officially opened the not-for-profit organisation.

The hospice is dedicated to providing professional, free of charge care to anyone in the community living with debilitating long-term or end-stage conditions.

Embarking on the next step of their Caribbean tour, Her Royal Highness received a warm welcome from the community and looked delighted as she was handed a bouquet of brightly-coloured flowers by a well-wisher.

Meanwhile, the Prince of Wales arrived on the island of Cayman Brac to visit a swimming pool and attend a reception.

The Duchess of Cornwall, 71, posed with a young well-wisher as she officially opened the Jasmine Villa Hospice in Grand Cayman on Thursday

Camilla was more than happy to engage in conversation with well-wishers who lined the streets to greet her. She shielded her head from the sun with a chic white parasol

The Prince of Wales arrived on the island of Cayman Brac to visit a swimming pool and attend a reception during his visit to the Cayman Islands

Jasmine relies entirely on donations from the Cayman community and the hospice is the first of its kind in the Cayman Islands.

Camilla, who was accompanied by the Governors Wife, Lissie Roper, was met by Chris Duggan, Chair of the Board before she unveiled a plaque and cut a ribbon.

During her visit, Camilla learned about the newly installed artwork in the central hall, before having a short tour of the building.

Shielding the sun from beating down on her head, the Duchess could be seen holding a chic white parasol as she engaged in conversation with fans that lined the streets, before meeting the staff that worked there.

It was a busy day for the Duchess of Cornwall who also met school children during her visit to Georgetown Primary School - one of the central, public schools in Grand Cayman

Donning an all white coordinated outfit, Camilla (above) was pictured holding a pair of gigantic scissors before cutting the ribbon to officially open Jasmine Villa Hospice. She was met by Chris Duggan, Chair of the Board

The royal received a warm welcome from the Cayman community and was handed a bouquet of brightly-coloured flowers

The Prince of Wales (pictured) with Deputy Premier Moses Kirkconnell (second left) opened Cayman Brac swimming pool and attended a reception during his visit to the Cayman Islands

The Duchess, who arrived at her busy day of engagements without her husband, was all smiles as she continued the next leg of her Caribbean tour. She was pictured clutching a colourful bouquet of flowers

The Duchess of Cornwall visited The Cayman Islands Crisis Centre and was greeted by Chief Executive Ania Milanowska. There, she learned about the work of the Teens and Young Adults (TAYA) lounge

'Having Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Cornwall, open Jasmine Villa is an honour,' Felicia McLean, director of operations and nursing at Jasmine, told CNS.

Cayman Islands Crisis Centre - The Teens and Young Adults Lounge provides ongoing therapeutic intervention for youth and young adults, and serves as a safe place for the youth to come and talk to a qualified counselor if needed - It provides a meeting place for them to congregate with peers in a safe, comfortable and non-judgmental environment - Following the push on child safeguarding in the Overseas Territories in 2012 the UK National Crime Agency and the FCOs Child Safeguarding Unit funded a National Crime Agency officer to lead on work in this area in the Cayman Islands - One of the successes of that role was the launch of the Kids Helpline in November 2018 - This is a free to phone helpline for children up to the age of 18 years old, which is the first of its type in the Caribbean Overseas Territories. Advertisement

'This facility is the first of its kind in the Cayman Islands and having it opened by (her) is the icing on the cake. She will see firsthand what our community can do when it comes together for a good cause.'

The Duchess of Cornwall then visited The Cayman Islands Crisis Centre (CICC) - a non-governmental, charitable organisation established in 2003/

It is the islands first and only organisation that provides emergency shelter and support services for victims of domestic abuse.

Their programmes and services are available to people from all three islands.

It offers a number of programmes including the Teens and Young Adults (TAYA) Lounge, which is a place where at-risk youth can build and strengthen relationships with their peers, families and other support systems.

During her visit, Camilla met with Chief Executive Ania Milanowska, before being introduced to Natalie Baldwin, TAYA lounge lead.

She sat at a table with a small group of teenagers to hear about what the lounge means to them and was then treated to a musical performance.

Following this, she met with a former shelter client who baked a birthday cake to celebrate TAYA lounge's second birthday.

Her Royal Highness, accompanied by the Governors Wife, Lissie Roper, was met by Chris Duggan, Chair of the Board when she arrived at Jasmine villa hospice earlier today

While Camilla attended her own engagements, Prince Charles paid a visit to Little Cayman, highlighting marine conservation as part of his tour of the Cayman Islands

Camilla was more than happy to pose for pictures as she officially opened the not-for-profit organisation. The Jasmine Hospice is dedicated to providing professional, dignified and compassionate care, free of charge, to anyone in the Cayman Islands living with debilitating long-term or end-stage conditions

As their Caribbean tour continues, Prince Charles visited a marine conservation programme on Little Cayman (pictured)

After officially opening the hospice, Camilla learned about the newly installed artwork in the central hall, before having a short tour of the building

Camilla visited Jasmine Villa Hospice as part of her tour of the Cayman Islands (pictured above)

Shielding the sun from her eyes with a chic white parasol, Camilla shook the hands of well-wishers who lined the streets to greet her

The royal looked delighted as she met staff during her visit to Jasmine Villa Hospice in Grand Cayman today

The Duchess also met with school children during her visit to Georgetown Primary School - one of the central, public schools in Grand Cayman.

Donning a smart blue and beige uniform, they lined the streets and waved flags ahead of the royal arrival.

Camilla was greeted by the Minister of Education, Juliana OConnor-Connolly, before being presented with a posy by a student.

She then visited the schools Performance Hall where the school choir performed, before meeting a number of faculty members and being escorted to the stage.

There was also a short prayer and remarks from the Minister, after which some pupils presented some poetry pieces and being gifted a pile of books.

The Duchess was introduced to Natalie Baldwin, TAYA lounge lead and sat at a table with a small group of teenagers to hear about what the lounge means to them

Her Royal Highness watched a musical performance before being introduced to a former shelter client who baked a birthday cake to celebrate TAYA lounge's second birthday (pictured)

Meanwhile, Prince Charles visited a marine conservation programme on Little Cayman, where he was welcomed by Dr Carrie Manfrino, President of the Central Caribbean Marine Institute (CCMI), and John Clamp, Director of Operations.

He joined Year 6 schoolchildren from Cayman International School in a classroom for Reefs go Live, a live link-up to a dive team on the reef, before greeting children from schools on Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Bermuda who were watching live on the internet.

During his visit, The Prince of Wales also went to the outside deck where Dr. Manfrino demonstrated a short experiment and had the opportunity for turtle spotting.

The children looked smart in a blue and beige uniform as they waved flags for the royal arrival

The Duchess of Cornwall visited Georgetown Primary schools performance hall where the school choir performed, before meeting a number of faculty members and being escorted to the stage

Her Royal Highness appeared to be delighted as she was presented with books during her visit to Georgetown Primary School

During his visit to the marine conservation, Prince Charles joined Year 6 schoolchildren from Cayman International School in a classroom for Reefs go Live, a live link-up to a dive team on the reef. Pictured at the conservation centre

Prince Charles (pictured) joined a Roundtable on sustainability and opened a children's pavillion at the Queen Elizabeth II Royal Botanic park in the Cayman Islands

Queen Elizabeth II opened Grand Caymans Botanic Park in 1994, making Prince Charles' visit a momentous occassion

The Royal had the opportunity to see an iguana during the Roundtable on sustainability at the Queen Elizabeth II Royal Botanic park

Prince Charles beamed as he engaged with guests who came to witness the children's pavilion at the Botanic park being opened

The Prince of Wales spoke with staff responsible for the Iguana Recovery Programme at the Queen Elizabeth II Royal Botanic park

Prince Charles met with deputy premier Moses Kirkconnell during the opening of Cayman Brac swimming pool in the Cayman Islands

The Royal appeared in good spirits as he opened Cayman Brac swimming pool and attended a reception during his visit to the island

Prince Charles took time to speak with a swimmer during the opening of the Cayman Brac swimming pool

The Prince of Wales met with a number of school children during the reception for the swimming pool opening

A number of people who proudly displayed Canadian flags took the opportunity to speak with Prince Charles during his visit to Cayman Brac swimming pool

The Prince of Wales spoke with eager families during his visit to Little Cayman highlighting marine conservation as part of his tour of the Cayman Islands

It comes after a busy few weeks for the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, who left Cuba yesterday following a historic visit to the country.

They ended their stay with a glass of rum, audiences with the ambassador and a horse called Diane.

Both got behind the bar at private restaurant Havana and made a couple of the country's famous rum-based mojitos for themselves, with Charles even helping press the sugar cane and produce the juice needed to make the drink.

Later Camilla met a horse as she visited an equine project, feeding the animal sugar after hearing how the mare's calm temperament had resulted in her name being shortened from Dynamite to Diane.
Senator and presidential hopeful Cory Booker shared details this week of how he met his girlfriend Rosario Dawson  and admitted that even successful, famous politicians feel a bit nervous about asking beautiful women out on dates.

Speaking at a CNN town hall in Orangeburg, South Carolina on Wednesday, the 49-year-old said they ran into each other for the first time at a political fundraiser for former NAACP leader Ben Jealous.

'I was trying to help him out, but she didn't give me the time of day,' he said of the 39-year-old actress.

Ont he road: Senator and presidential hopeful Cory Booker shared details this week of how he met his girlfriend Rosario Dawson at a campaign stop in South Carolina this week

Working up the nerve: He said he was nervous to ask for her phone number (pictured backstage at the play Dear Evan Hansen in January)

Luckily, it wasn't his only chance. He explained: 'So we met again, and I had one of those really awkward experiences.

'I'm a United States senator, and I had to get up the courage to walk up to her and ask her for her phone number. And this doesn't make me nervous, but that made me nervous.'

Unintentional matchmaker: They ran into each other for the first time at a political fundraiser for former NAACP leader Ben Jealous (pictured)

'She gave me the phone number,' he added.

Booker also gushed about her at the appearance, saying, 'I'm very lucky to be in a relationship with someone who is just so incredibly special, but more importantly has taught me so much in a very short period of time.'

And he even hinted that things are getting serious.

'I have an incredible girlfriend,' he said, according to the Baltimore Sun. 'She is just simply amazing and I am hopeful, as is my mother.'

The two had been rumored to be seeing each other for some time, but only confirmed that they are dating this month  and since then, they've been asked about their relationship nonstop.

On March 22, Booker was caught leaving NBC's offices in New York City by paparazzi who pepper him with questions.

Surprise! Rosario, 39, confirmed that she was dating Booker, 49, when she was bombarded by paparazzi at Reagan International Airport in Washington, D.C. on March 14

Used to it: Though she has not yet campaigned for Booker, she has experience at similar events, having supported Bernie Sanders in 2016

He told them Rosario is 'one of the most amazing people in my life' and added that 'the future is bright.'

'I think she would make an incredible, incredible first lady. Think about this  the first Latina first lady. She is a first lady,' he said.

'She is love knowledgeable, she loves people, she's justice knowledgeable, she's been fighting for justice her whole life.'

'I think what helped me fall in love with her is that she's just such a good human being. She's such a decent soul. She has this capacity for warmth and goodness. The way she makes herself vulnerable and finds a strength in that,' he went on.

'No matter what happens in the future she's always going to be about serving people and that's what makes her special.'

Rosario is political as well, and supported Bernie Sanders during his unsuccessful 2016 campaign.

The Senator, who announced his bid for the White House on February 1, said his girlfriend is 'somebody that I look up to.'

Sweet: Booker gushed over his girlfriend during an appearance on Ellen last week, describing her as an 'incredible human being'

Rosario, meanwhile, is the one who first broke the news to the press. She was followed by TMZ's cameras at Reagan International Airport in Washington, D.C. on March 14 and confirmed that she and Booker are 'very much' in a relationship.

'So far, so wonderful. He's a wonderful human being. It's good to spend some time together when we can. We're very busy,' she said.

Booker didn't appear to be too upset that she spilled the beans, and told Ellen DeGeneres last week that she was 'ambushed.'

'She was TMZ'd. She was visiting me in DC and she left to the airport and she got ambushed at the airport. I got a little video of her at the airport saying "I got TMZ'd. I don't have make-up on, this and this and that,"' he said.

'She was wonderful, she's just an incredible human being,' he went on, adding that she is a 'deeply soulful person' who has 'taught him a lot of lessons about love.'

'Sometimes you show your greatest strength when you make yourself vulnerable.

'She really has this nurturing spirit that's made me more courageous, not just in the love that I project and want to see in our country but even in our personal relationship, just to love more fearlessly. I am really, really blessed,' he said.

Family: Rosario has never been married, but adopted her 15-year-old daughter Lola four years ago (pictured in 2017)

Past loves: Dawson has dated 62-year-old film director Danny Boyle (seen together left in 2017) and several actors including Jason Lewis (together right in 2006)

Romances: Dawson has also dated actor Eli Roth (left in 2007) and DJ Mathieu Schreyer (right in 2009)

Ellen joked that if the pair intended to get married, they should wait until after the election.

'You're saying if Rosario and I get there, wait. Don't do the marriage before? In January 2021?' he asked her. 'Would you help preside over the wedding? Is that a promise?'

Neither Booker nor Dawson has been married. She has a daughter named Lola whom she adopted five years ago, when the child was 11, while Booker does not have any children.

As a famous actress, Rosario's dating history has been much more well documented than Booker's, although there has been a fair amount of speculation surrounding his romantic life in the past.

In recent years, he is reported to have dated poet Cleo Wade, and former campaign worker Chanda Gibson, although neither alleged relationship has been confirmed.

Meanwhile Dawson has previously been linked to Joshua Jackson, Colin Farrell, Jason Lewis, Eli Roth, DJ Mathieu Schreyer, and film director Danny Boyle.

She was also rumored to have dated Jay Z, Gerard Butler, and Quentin Tarantino, but never confirmed any of those relationships.
Princess Eugenie put on a floral display as she attended the screening of Sharkwater Extinction - Let's Save the Sharks in Hong Kong on Thursday.

The royal, 29, posed alongside Sandy and Brian Stewart, parents of the drowned filmmaker, Canadian Rob Stewart, to help highlight the effects of the illegal fishing industry on the environment.

Eugenie is an ambassador for ocean charity Project Zero, and previously praised Stewart's efforts to raise awareness of illegal shark fishing when she met his parents at the London premiere of the documentary in December.

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Princess Eugenie put on a floral display as she attended the screening of Sharkwater Extinction - Let's Save the Sharks in Hong Kong on Thursday

And today Eugenie opted for a blue and white high neck dress adorned with a floral pattern which fell just above the knee for the occasion.

Teaming it with black court shoes,the royal kept her hair in an elegant side parting and opted for minimal make-up.

She was seen speaking to local TV crews before posing alongside Rob Stewart's parents.

'Sharkwater Extinction' exposes the illegal shark fishing industry, and highlights how up to 150 million sharks are killed for each year.

The royal, 29, posed alongside Sandy and Brian Stewart, seen above, parents of the drowned filmmaker, Canadian Rob Stewart, to help highlight the effects of the illegal fishing industry on the environment

Rob believed if everyone knew what was going on, our morals would kick in and wed use our power to do the right thing.  He was right.



We ARE the most powerful thing on this planet. And what we choose to do with that power affects all of our futures. pic.twitter.com/TPamx2R9fN  Sharkwater Extinction (@teamsharkwater) December 15, 2018

Filmmaker Rob Stewart tragically died during the filming of the project aged just 37, in an oxygen- related dive accident.

Beatrice previously met the filmmaker's mother Sandy, who finished the documentary with Brian after their son's death, at the London screening at the end of last year.

Speaking at the time, she said: 'I think it's going to be amazing. It's such a wonderful cause and Rob is such a hero and inspiration.

'So any way we can share his message and the story of these sharks and what the world can do to be a part of it is amazing.'

Eugenie is an ambassador for ocean charity Project Zero, and previously praised Stewart's efforts to raise awareness of illegal shark fishing when she met his parents at the London premiere of the documentary in December

Eugenie was seen speaking to local TV crews before posing alongside Rob Stewart's parents after praising their son's efforts to help raise awareness of illegal shark fishing

At the time Mrs Stewart told Press Association that she was 'really, really proud' of her son, who always had a passion for the ocean since he was a boy, convincing his entire family to take up diving by the age of 13.

'Rob did so much for sharks and the oceans. He changed people's perceptions of sharks around the world,' she said.

'He was the first person to alert the world about shark finning. So he's changed so much. His films are action-adventure and fun to watch. He really made an impact.'

Eugenie opted for a blue and white high neck dress adorned with a floral pattern which fell just above the knee for the occasion

Mrs Stewart, who travelled from Toronto for the premiere, said she and her husband went through 400 hours of their son's footage to piece the film together.

'Then we hacked into Rob's iPad, which Apple said you couldn't do, but we had a clever IT guy,' she added.

'Inside there were scenes, graphics, the exact cinematography he wanted for each scene, the exact messaging he wanted each scene to convey.

'So it was kind of a roadmap. But nevertheless he left 400 hours of footage so it was a big job.'

'Conservation is really the preservation of human life on earth,' Mrs Stewart added of her son's message.

Shark Extinction is Stewart's third film, following his award-winning Sharkwater (2006) and Revolution (2012), and it recounts his crusade across four continents to investigate pirate fishing and the illegal shark finning industry.
The Countess of Wessex joined blindness prevention charity Orbis UK to mark the launch of the See My Future Appeal today.

Looking stylish in a blue patterned dress which fell below her knees, Sophie, 54, could be seen testing out the virtual reality headset.

Until the 23rd of June, all public donations to the appeal will be doubled by the UK government and will help save the sight of thousands of children and adults around the world.

The royal is an avid sight-loss campaigner as Lady Louise Windsor, 15, her daughter with Prince Edward, was born with a severe squint that affected her vision.

Her appearance comes just hours after Gill Walker, 59, from Birmingham, revealed she is locked in a legal fight over a repair bill of several hundred pounds after her car was hit by a police driver chauffeuring who she believes was Sophie, back on November 13.

The Countess of Wessex, 54, (pictured) joined blindness prevention charity Orbis UK to mark the launch of the See My Future Appeal today

Donning a blue patterned tea dress and nude heels, the avid sight-loss campaigner appeared to test out the virtual reality gadget as she offered her full support to the charity

During her charity appearance, the Countess wore her hair scraped back and accessorised with a pair of sophisticated dangly earrings and some classic patent nude heels.

Writing on their website, Orbis Uk said: 'In many parts of the world, avoidable sight loss means children are dropping out of school  either because their own eye health is poor, or in order to care for an adult with sight loss.

'Our See My Future appeal aims to raise 850,000 to help these children, with the UK government matching every pound up to 2 million.'

All of the money matched by the UK government will go directly towards expanding Orbiss project in Nepal which screens and treats children with sight loss, enabling them to attend school and face a brighter future.

Until the 23rd of June, all public donations to the appeal will be doubled by the UK government and will help save the sight of 1000's of children and adults around the world. Pictured, the royal at the event

Meanwhile, all individual donations will support the charity's vital sight saving work across the world, wherever it is needed most.

The Countess of Wessex has previously told how she was moved by her daughter's vision problems to campaign on behalf of blind and visually impaired people around the world.

Sophie's daughter Louise was born prematurely in 2003, causing a condition called strabismus, which left her with what the countess described as a 'profound' squint.

She has since had the problem corrected because cosmetically it was awkward for her, Sophie said, and she can now see properly.

Explaining Lady Louise's condition, the countess - wife of Edward, Earl of Wessex, the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh's youngest son - told the Sunday Express: 'Premature babies can often have squints because the eyes are the last thing in the baby package to really be finalised.'

Sophie, Countess of Wessex, wore protective shoe covers in the operating theatre at Susrut Eye Foundation and Hospital on day 3 of her visit to India back in 2013

Lady Louise, 14 (left) was born prematurely in 2003, causing a condition called strabismus, which left her with what the countess described as a 'profound' squint. Pictured with Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during Trooping The Colour 2018 on June 9, 2018 in London

'Her squint was quite profound when she was tiny and it takes time to correct it. You've got to make sure one eye doesn't become more dominant than the other but she's fine now - her eyesight is perfect.'

As Patron of Vision 2020: The Right to Sight and Global Ambassador for the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, the Countess has seen first-hand the difference organisations with the right knowledge, experience and funding can make on a global scale.

She has been a Global Ambassador for the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) since 2003.

In 2013, she visited the Orbis flying hospital programme in India and Qatar to highlight global issues around preventable childhood blindness and the need for funding for eye health programmes.
A St. Louis' man's unique way of eating bagels has left Twitter users outraged and horrified.

Alek Krautmann, an employee of the National Weather Service currently based in Washington, D.C., proudly showed off his bagel 'secret' on the social media platform on Monday.

Rather than serving bagels sliced down the middle, Krautmann likes to get the bagels 'bread sliced' into several thin pieces  and he has been almost unanimously attacked for it.

WHAT DID YOU DO, SIR? Alek Krautmann , an employee of the National Weather Service currently based in Washington, D.C., proudly showed off his bagel 'secret' on Twitter

Don't believe you: He said the 'bread sliced' bagels are a local favorite in St. Louis, and were a hit in his office

'Today I introduced my coworkers to the St Louis secret of ordering bagels bread sliced. It was a hit!' he wrote.

He included a picture of two boxes of Panera bagels. Each bagel has been sliced vertically multiple times, creating eight to ten slivers of bagel rather than two round halves.

The slicing method actually seems to be unique to Panera, which advertises that it offers this service online.

Though Alek insists that his coworkers liked the bread sliced bagels, most of Twitter was horrified.

'This feels like something that should get a person sent to Gitmo,' wrote one woman.

Criminal: Twitter users came out in the thousands to express horror

How rude! This bakery worker would refuse service to anyone who showed this lack of 'respect' for bagels

Cruel: Alek has been called a 'monster' by disbelieving bagel fans

Take their knives away! One person joked that people in St. Louis don't know how to cut anything properly

Get outta here! Sen. Chuck Schumer tweeted: 'On behalf of the New York Delegation: St. Louis, fuhgeddaboudit'

Charge this guy! NYC Councilman Justin Brannan joked that this is a 'Class A felony' in New York

Not here! NYPD Chief of Detectives Dermot F. Shea noted that Alek is lucky he wasn't in New York, where he'd be arrested

'I work in a bakery that makes bread & bagels every morning.... If someone asked me to "bread slice" bagels I'd refuse service. I have standards and a healthy respect for bagels,' said someone else.

'You should be ashamed of yourself,' lectured another person.

'This isnt a hit. This is Hey let me find the worst and cheapest way to feed 25 people with 12 bagels!' said another.

People also got incredibly territorial, with both New Yorkers and Jews taking particular offense.

Some joked that it was hateful to Jews, who originated bagels, writing 'this is anti-Semitism' and 'THIS is the most anti-Semitic thing I've ever seen!'

Others said that Alek should stay far away from New York, and that if he bought the bagels from Panera they aren't real bagels, anyway.

Calling BS: This man expressed doubt that anyone in Alek's office actually liked the bread sliced bagels and said it's really a ploy to save money

The worst! Others told him that he should be 'ashamed' of himself and was committing blasphemy

Anti: Tweets like 'delete this' were liked thousands of times by disgusted Twitter users

Tragic: Some left GIFs to express their feelings about the sliced bagels

Oy vey! A few joked that slicing bagels this way is anti-Semitic

This is meshuga! Olympic freestyle skier Gus Kenworthy also cracked the joke; bagels originated in Jewish communities in Poland

Not the real deal! This woman noted that bagels not bought in New York or New Jersey aren't real, anyway

Doesn't meet the definition! Even Dictionary.com chimed in to point out that bagel comes from a word meaning 'a ring'

Here for it: Panera, though, was thrilled and offered Alek free bagels

'On behalf of the New York Delegation: St. Louis, fuhgeddaboudit,' tweeted New York Senator Chuck Schumer.

'I believe this is a Class A felony in New York City. And if its not, it should be,' wrote NYC Councilman Justin Brannan.

'Thank you for reporting this crime, but we only serve New York City, where this would NEVER happen,' wrote NYPD Chief of Detectives Dermot F. Shea.

Luckily for Alek, at least Panera had his back. They retweeted him with the message, 'Our team is divided over here. Do other people slice their bagel Bread Co style?'

They also commented on his post, offering him free bagels the next time he visited.
Having one bottle of wine each week raises the risk of cancer by the same amount as smoking up to 10 cigarettes, scientists claim.

In the first study of its kind, academics managed to compare the known dangers of smoking to that of drinking too much.

They found the 'cigarette equivalent' of one bottle of wine  roughly 10 units  is five cigarettes for men or ten for women each week.

And the risk of cancer from downing three bottles of red or white wine each week, or 10 large glasses, is much higher.

In the first study of its kind, academics managed to compare the known dangers of smoking to that of drinking too much

Researchers at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Bangor University and University of Southampton carried out the study.

Dr Theresa Hydes and team estimated 10 in 1,000 men would develop cancer at some point in their lives from drinking one bottle of wine each week.

However, for women this figure was 14 out of 1,000, according to the study published in the journal BioMedCentral Public Health.

Men were more likely to get gastrointestinal cancers from drinking, while the risk of breast cancer was greatest for women.

The risk was much higher for both men and women who drink three bottles of wine per week  more than double the recommended amount.

The study found 19 out of 1,000 men and 36 out of 1,000 women would eventually develop cancer if they drank this amount.

And the risk of cancer from downing three bottles of red or white wine each week, or 10 large glasses, is much higher

The NHS recommends that adults drink no more than 14 units each week  that's 14 single shots of spirit or six pints of beer or a bottle and a half of wine

BEER BEFORE WINE IS NOT FINE, SCIENTISTS FIND Beer before wine and you'll feel fine, is how the tactical tippler thinks - but the old adage appears to be a myth. In a less than surprising revelation, researchers last month found hangovers are just as bad, regardless of what order you drink your drinks. Scientists gave alcoholic drinks to 90 volunteers in different combinations in a laboratory experiment on two separate nights. Some were asked to drink two and a half pints of Carlsberg, followed by four large glasses of white wine. A second group started with wine before beer. Researchers had to control the drunk participants, who were singing and dancing, with a megaphone. They were sent to bed in the lab at 1am. Participants were asked about their hangover the following day and gave a score on a so-called Acute Hangover Scale. The findings, led by a team at Cambridge University, indicated that no matter how you order your drinks, if you drink too much you are still likely to be ill. Dr Kai Hensel, one of the researchers, said: 'The vomiting rate was a little higher than Id have thought. But they enjoyed it.' Advertisement

This carries the same risk as smoking eight cigarettes a week for men, or 23 a week for women, Dr Hydes and colleagues estimated.

The researchers did not estimate the risk of cancer from drinking beer because they went on units, not type of beverage.

Dr Hydes said: 'We must be absolutely clear that this study is not saying that drinking alcohol in moderation is in any way equivalent to smoking.

'Our finds relate to lifetime risk across the population. At an individual level, cancer risk represented by drinking or smoking will vary.

'And for many individuals, the impact of ten units of alcohol (one bottle of wine) or five to ten cigarettes may be very different.'

Dr Hydes said comparing the risks of alcohol to smoking could encourage adults to cut down on booze.

She said: 'It is well established that heavy drinking is linked to cancer of the mouth, throat, voice box, gullet, bowel, liver and breast.

'Yet, in contrast to smoking, this is not widely understood by the public.

'We hope by using cigarettes as the comparator we could communicate this message more effectively to help individuals make more informed lifestyle choices.'

The researchers used data available from Cancer Research UK and official statistic bodies used by nations in the UK, including ONS.

They were able to analyse what proportion of deaths can be attributed to smoking and alcohol, and then estimate the risk of cancer they both cause.

The NHS advise men and women not to drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis - such as weekly.

Regularly consuming more than the recommended amount is known to raise the risk of cancer, liver disease and heart disease.

A large glass of wine contains around three units, while a bottle is closer to the 10 mark. A pint of beer is around 2.3.
A grandmother-of-one has led a virtually pain-free life due to a rare genetic mutation that is thought to affect just one in several million.

Jo Cameron, 71, of Whitebridge in Inverness-shire, first caught the attention of scientists when medics had to coax her into taking paracetamol following a hip replacement for severe arthritis.

Mrs Cameron even claims she only notices she is burning herself when she smells scorching flesh.

She also went days without realising her arm was broken, found childbirth painless and says eating Scotch bonnet chillies leaves a 'pleasant glow' in her mouth.

A genetic test by UK researchers revealed the pensioner has two DNA mutations that stop her feeling physical discomfort, one of which had never been discovered before.

The scientists hope Mrs Cameron - who also experiences fast wound healing and remarkably low anxiety - will lead to the development of new painkillers.

Jo Cameron (left) has led a virtually pain-free life due to a rare genetic mutation that affects just one in several million. Mrs Cameron - pictured right with her children and husband Jim on her daughter's Graduation Day - did not realise her case was unusual until she was 65

The genetic analysis was carried out by researchers at University College London and led by Dr James Cox, a senior lecturer in mammalian sensory genetics.

'We found this woman has a particular genotype that reduces activity of a gene already considered to be a possible target for pain and anxiety treatments,' Dr Cox said.

'Now that we are uncovering how this newly-identified gene works, we hope to make further progress on new treatment targets.'

Speaking of her condition, Mrs Cameron said: When I was eight, I broke my arm roller-skating and didnt realise.

'It was three days later that my mother noticed it was hanging strangely and realised.

HOW DOES JO CAMERON NOT FEEL PAIN? People who do not feel pain are extremely rare, although cases have been reported. Jo Cameron is the first known case of someone with mutations in both the FAAH gene, which picks up pain signals from injury, and a newly-discovered sister gene now called FAAH-OUT. The FAAH-OUT gene, previously thought to be useless junk DNA, is now believed by experts to help switch on the FAAH gene. When it is partially deleted, as in Mrs Camerons case, that does not happen and pain signals are not picked up. It gives the Scots pensioner double protection from pain, so she feels less pain than those with just the one mutation in the FAAH gene, which is more common. It also raises hopes of a drug that might help with pain by blocking both genes. Clinical trials of a drug blocking the FAAH gene alone have not worked. The side effect is mutations in the genes, which control the brain and spinal nerve, also cause forgetfulness, which Mrs Cameron has suffered throughout her life, often losing keys or struggling with words. But the genetic mutations also give her almost double the normal level of a soothing natural chemical called anandamide, which she says keeps her on a permanent high and extremely cheerful. She is rarely anxious, even in a car accident two years ago in which her car flipped over and went into a ditch. The genetic mutations also cause wounds to heal more quickly, and people to forget pain fast, which could lead to a drug treatment for PTSD. Researchers believe more people share Mrs Camerons genetic quirks, having found one in Colombia already, and have appealed for them to come forward. Her son has the deletion in the FAAH-OUT gene but not the mutation in the FAAH gene. Advertisement

I am forever burning myself on our oven but only notice when I smell the burning flesh.

'I cut myself and dont realise until I see the blood.'

Her case - reported in the British Journal of Anaesthesia - explains Mrs Cameron only realised her pain-free life was unusual at 65 years old when she sought treatment after her hip kept giving way.

After being sent home three times due to her lack of pain, an X-ray eventually revealed her hip had 'almost disintegrated'.

It turned out she was suffering from severe osteoarthritis, which lists stiff, painful joints as its main symptom.

A year later, Mrs Cameron underwent a trapeziectomy on her right thumb at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness.

The surgery involves removing a small bone in the wrist at the base of the thumb, which is commonly affected by arthritis.

Mrs Cameron complained of 'deformity and deterioration' in the digit but reported no pain.

After being treated with just paracetamol, she rated her discomfort as zero out of ten the day after going under the knife.

Mrs Cameron was later diagnosed with pain insensitivity by Dr Devjit Srivastava, a consultant in anaesthesia and pain medicine at Raigmore Hospital.

'I had no idea until a few years ago there was anything that unusual about how little pain I feel  I just thought it was normal,' she said.

When asked about her pain history, Mrs Cameron reported having multiple varicose vein and dental procedures without any analgesia.

She also claimed to have had medical stitches and broken her wrist without any discomfort, and felt nothing while giving birth to her two children.

'My advice to other women was childbirth is not as bad as you think it is, it just feels strange but does not really hurt,' Mrs Cameron said.

I didnt realise that would not be the case and for me it was not the wrong advice, because that was my experience.

Alongside her immunity to pain, Mrs Cameron also claims she never panics.

She even managed to stay calm when her car flipped over into a ditch two years ago.

Mrs Cameron's mother (pictured centre with Jim) noticed her daughter had broken her arm as a child when she saw it hanging strangely. Mrs Cameron had been in a roller-skating accident three days earlier. She also only realises she is burning herself when she smells scorched flesh

To determine what is behind Mrs Cameron's desensitisation to pain, the researchers analysed her DNA, as well as that of her relatives.

Mrs Cameron's mother and daughter claim to feel pain as normal, while her son reports some insensitivity.

Her father Joseph, who has died, allegedly had 'little requirement for painkillers'.

My father was a captain in the tank regiment in World War I and had shrapnel left in his leg but never felt pain,' Mrs Cameron said.

I feel sure he was the same as me.

'To me, it never seemed odd - I was just my fathers daughter.

Scars on Mrs Cameron's hands after operations healed very quickly and left her with very little scar tissue

Results of the genetic analysis revealed Mrs Cameron's son carries one of the same mutations as her.

The first, which had never been identified before, was found in a section of one of her chromosomes and was dubbed FAAH-OUT.

Her second mutation is in a neighbouring gene that controls the FAAH enzyme.

FAAH is involved in pain signalling, with mutations in mice resulting in them having reduced pain, enhanced wound healing and low anxiety, as well as poor memories.

Mrs Cameron reports always having had memory lapses, including forgetting words mid-sentence and misplacing her keys.

The key FAAH-OUT gene Jo Cameron is the first known case of someone with mutations in both the FAAH gene, which picks up pain signals from injury, and a newly-discovered sister gene called FAAH-OUT. FAAH-OUT  previously thought to be junk DNA  is now believed by experts to help switch on the FAAH gene. When it is partially deleted, as in Mrs Camerons case, that does not happen and pain signals are not picked up. It gives the pensioner double protection from pain  so she feels less than those people with just the one mutation in the FAAH gene, which is more common. It also raises hopes of a drug that might help with pain by blocking both genes. Clinical trials of a drug blocking the FAAH gene alone have not worked. The side-effect is that mutations in the genes, which control the brain and spinal nerve, also cause forgetfulness, which Mrs Cameron has suffered throughout her life. She confesses that she often loses her keys and struggles with words. But the mutations also give her almost double the normal level of soothing natural chemical anandamide. The 71-year-old says that keeps her on a permanent high and extremely cheerful. The mutations also cause wounds to heal more quickly, and people to forget pain fast, which could lead to a drug treatment for post traumatic stress disorder. Mrs Camerons son has the deletion in the FAAH-OUT gene but not the mutation in FAAH. However, experts believe others have both her genetic quirks, with one example found in Colombia. They have appealed for any others to come forward. Advertisement

FAAH-OUT was assumed to be non-functional, however, the researchers now believe it may play a role in FAAH's expression.

These genetic mutations have led to Mrs Cameron having higher levels of the natural, soothing chemical anandamide, which may give the grandmother her sunny disposition.

The researchers believe that due to Mrs Cameron not being diagnosed until she was in her mid-sixties, there are likely many more people out there with her same mutations.

'People with rare insensitivity to pain can be valuable to medical research as we learn how their genetic mutations impact how they experience pain, so we would encourage anyone who does not experience pain to come forward,' Dr Cox said.

Mrs Cameron will continue to work with the scientists to help them better understand her mutations.

'We hope that with time, our findings might contribute to clinical research for post-operative pain and anxiety, and potentially chronic pain, PTSD and wound healing, perhaps involving gene therapy techniques,' Dr Cox said.

Dr Srivastava added: 'The implications for these findings are immense.'

'One out of two patients after surgery today still experiences moderate to severe pain, despite all advances in painkiller medications and techniques since the use of ether in 1846 to first "annul" the pain of surgery.

'The findings point towards a novel painkiller discovery that could potentially offer post-surgical pain relief and also accelerate wound healing.

'We hope this could help the 330 million patients who undergo surgery globally every year.'

Mrs Cameron said: 'I would be elated if any research into my own genetics could help other people who are suffering.

'Learning about it fascinates me as much as it does anyone else.'
A fifth of NHS bodies are not revealing how much they're being paid by private drug companies, an investigation has found.

Researchers discovered 35 hospital trusts in England would not give details of joint working arrangements they had formed.

These relationships are trials or schemes in which the health service works alongside private pharmaceutical companies, which help to fund them in return.

Private firms paid more than 7.5million to the NHS through these projects in 2016 and 2017, the investigation found.

And experts warn the agreements are being used by companies to 'buy goodwill' and position themselves as potential suppliers.

Some 18 per cent of NHS hospital trusts made deals with private drug companies in 2016 or 2017 but refused to release details of the agreement through Freedom of Information requests

The investigation by the British Medical Journal revealed 18 per cent of the total number of trusts are hiding details of the arrangements.

The journal got details of 93 such projects, many of which, it said, were focused on getting the NHS to use more products being sold by the firm it worked with.

Examples included projects to reconsider ADHD patients' medications and treatment of age-related macular degeneration, a common eye condition.

BMJ investigators, alongide a team of university researchers, sent Freedom of Information requests to all 194 acute hospital trusts in England.

But 13 (seven per cent) of them said they didn't keep a record of any financial benefits from the arrangements, and two said the information was confidential.

Another 39 of them denied being involved in any joint working arrangements even though they had been connected by drug companies' records or other official sources.

NHS GP SHORTAGE IS A 'DESPERATE SITUATION' Official figures showed in 2018 that 41 per cent of GPs  around 10,000 doctors  are 50 or over and are expected to quit within the next five to ten years. And 2.5 million patients are at risk of their local GP surgery closing because so many are relying on doctors who are close to retirement. At the same time, fewer young doctors are choosing to specialise as GPs and are opting for other career paths as surgeons or specialists. Many GPs are retiring in their 50s, moving abroad or leaving to work in the private sector, increasing the pressure on those who still work in the sector. Appointment waiting times are getting longer and more people are going to A&E for minor illnesses because they can't see a doctor. Despite an NHS a plan to recruit 5,000 extra GPs by 2021, numbers of family doctors are falling. And 762 GP practices across the UK could close within the next five years, according to the Royal College of Nursing. Rachel Power, chief executive of the Patients Association, told The Times: 'This is a desperate situation with potentially serious consequences for patients.' Advertisement

The lack of transparency was branded 'truly shocking' by Robert Morley, the executive secretary of Birmingham Local Medical Committee.

And secretary of campaign group Keep Our NHS Public, John Puntis, said: 'What's in it for the private sector?

'They never do these things purely for the benefit of the NHS and the benefit of the patients. They're often buying goodwill as well.

'Doctors say, "Well we're not influenced by the drug companies," but they clearly are, because otherwise the industry wouldn't be pouring all the money into it.'

Mr Morley added he was concerned the projects were being 'designed around the interests of pharmaceutical companies'.

And he said NHS trusts not publishing details of them is a 'blatant neglect of their obligations'.

He said: 'The extent to which trusts appear to be increasingly willing to be led by the nose by drug companies to work on projects that will boost their profits rather than benefit their patients is of massive concern.'

Cathy Augustine, another member of Keep Our NHS Public, said allowing private the projects hide the damage done by funding shortages.

'Services should be fully funded by the NHS,' she said.

'This approach not only opens the door wider to private interference and privatisation of our national health service, but it also draws a veil over the underfunding that is in placeit camouflages the underfunding.'

Although the NHS is supposed to be 'open and transparent' about its agreements, there are concerns the problem could worsen in future.

The amount given to the NHS through such schemes rose from 3million in 2016 to 4.7m in 2017.

And the NHS Long Term plan, released in January, revealed plans to treble the number of private contracts and research collaborations over the next 10 years.
The legal smoking age should be increased from 18 to 21 to help create a 'smoke-free generation', a leading lung doctor has said.

Dr Nicholas Hopkinson, a respiratory specialist at Imperial College London, said such a move would have a major health impact and would be popular with the public.

Writing in the British Medical Journal, Dr Hopkinson said young children are being influenced by older teenagers.

'Smoking is a contagious habit, transmitted by peers,' he said.

Dr Nicholas Hopkinson, a respiratory specialist at Imperial College London, said such a move would have a major health impact and would be popular with the public

'The higher the proportion of a child's friends who smoke, the more likely they are themselves to smoke.

'The age increase will protect younger children from exposure to older pupils in school who smoke and whose behaviour they may want to imitate.

'The gap will also remove a potential source of supply within schools.'

The smoking rate in the UK has fallen to second-lowest in Europe in recent years but experts are keen to reduce the toll of smoking further.

Dr Hopkinson added: 'When the UK increased the legal age for tobacco purchase from 16 to 18 in 2007, this was associated with a fall in youth smoking rates, an effect which a further increase would be expected to replicate.'

IS THE END OF SMOKING 'IN SIGHT' IN THE UK? The end of smoking is finally 'in sight', officials claimed in June 2017 following figures that suggested another drop in rates across the UK. Just one in six adults now regularly light up cigarettes - with 680,000 having given up the habit completely in 2016. The numbers of smokers dropped from 19.9 per cent in 2010 to just 15.5 per cent in 2016 in England alone, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. Across all ages smoking prevalence is in decline, with the largest fall in 18-to-24 year olds, while e-cigarette use is on the rise in this age group. Duncan Selbie, chief executive of Public Health England, said the UK has the second lowest smoking rate in Europe after Sweden, which proves that the Government's tobacco-control policies are effective. Advertisement

Increasing the age limit on smoking was among the measures proposed by All Party Parliamentary Group on Smoking and Health earlier this month.

The influential cross-party group also proposed introducing a levy on big tobacco companies to fund stop-smoking services.

The proposals are backed by 17 health organisations including the British Medical Association, Royal College of Physicians and charities such as Cancer Research UK and the British Heart Foundation.

Smoking contributes to four per cent of hospital admissions in England each year and costs the NHS around 2.5bn annually.

Despite being the leading cause of preventable death in the UK, around six million people still light up.

But Simon Clark, director of the smokers' group Forest, says 18 is old enough for people to make an informed choice.

He said earlier this month: 'These proposals infantilise young adults.

'If you're 18 and old enough to vote, drive a car and join the army you're old enough to make an informed decision to smoke.'
Robert F Kennedy Jr is fanning the flames of the anti-vaxxer movement with a recent tweet suggesting 'neurotoxins' in the HPV vaccine are making American teens mentally ill.

Kennedy, an environmental attorney, author, and self-styled activist retweeted a CBS article about rising rates of teen depression and anxiety in the US.

In last week's tweet, Kennedy - who holds two law degrees, but none in science - asked, 'what are we doing to our children?

'Shouldn't we ask whether these [mental health] trends are associated with the neurotoxic aluminum we are giving young teens in Gardasil #vaccine?'

The answer to his question is 'no,' according to science, but the tweet has generated ire from the medical community and support from anti-vaxxers.

In a bizarre response to data on the rise of teen depression and anxiety in the US, Robert F Kennedy Jr called on scientists to investigate the HPV vaccine as the cause of mental illness - despite next to no scientific evidence to suggest it could cause mood disorders

Anxiety and depression - especially among teenagers - are on the rise in the US, without a doubt.

Since 2005, the number of adolescents that have recently had symptoms of major depression has shot up from 8.7 percent to 13.2 percent, according to a recent study.

Meanwhile, 13.2 percent of young adults reported depression in 2017, up from 8.1 in 2009 and 10.3 percent of young adults experience suicidal thoughts, as of 2017.

Most experts suggest that these surges in mental health issues are driven by changes in the the stressors and social environments that teenagers and young adults live in today.

Young people are constantly confronted by idealized images of life through social media platforms, yet they spend less time face-to-face with their peers.

Changes in the US economy may also be burdening young Americans, who feel extra pressure to succeed.

And other psychologists suggest that the cultural landscape is changing faster than parents can prepare their children for, and yet parents can be overprotective, leaving their children with insufficient coping skills.

The bottom line is that we don't know why, exactly, young people are more distressed than they once were, but experts widely agree that it has more to do with cultural and societal changes than side effects of medical interventions.

Gardasil is given in two doses and can protect people from the common sexually transmitted HPV virus that can cause several forms of cancers. It uses aluminum to boost the immune response

Kennedy, who is not an expert on vaccines, thinks scientists need to investigate the Gardasil vaccine against the sexually-transmissible human papillomavirus (HPV), which can to cancers of the head, neck, reproductive organs, anus and rectum.

A veteran anti-vaxxer, noted for comparing vaccines to the Holocaust - even from the heart of the measles outbreaks gripping parts of the US - Kennedy believes that aluminum in the vaccine is to blame for mental health declines.

Aluminum is used in Gardasil (and other vaccines) as an adjuvant, an ingredient that helps to supercharge the immune response to optimize protection against a disease.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that aluminum may have some possible negative effects - but only in high doses, and evidence is tenuous at best.

Some studies have suggested that very high lead exposures may be linked to a higher incidence of Alzheimer's, but other experiments on the same subject have dismissed this possibility.

In a very narrow category, children with kidney disease have exhibited high levels of aluminum, sometimes linked to medicines they were taking (though not vaccines).

A 2011 study reviewed the effects of lead exposure on the very most vulnerable children - infants, who would be most affected by aluminum.

Robert F Kennedy Jr is an environmental attorney who holds several degrees, but none of them in medicine or science - yet he's become a vocal anti-vaccine advocate

This was done by US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials explicitly 'because concerns have been expressed by the public that aluminum in vaccines may pose a risk to infants.'

The researchers compared aluminum levels for children's respective sizes at birth, to aluminum levels for the first 60 months of their lives, including after getting injections.

Aluminum levels remained well below the minimum safety level established by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

For scale, the DTaP vaccine that babies get in the first few months of their lives have 0.17 mg of an aluminum adjuvant in them.

Gardasil, given to adults who may be 10 times the size of an infant, contains 500 mcg of aluminum adjuvant - the equivalent of 0.5 mg.

And the scientists found that infants tolerated the vaccines well going forward, so mathematically speaking, it's unlikely that aluminum in Gardasil is causing any surge, since we have long used other vaccines that contain trace amounts of the element too.

So the only explanation for Kennedy's theory is his own conspiracy.
A man died after eating under-cooked pork caused parasitic larvae to invade his brain.

The 18-year-old, who has not been named but is known to be from India, was rushed to a hospital after he lost consciousness following a seizure.

An MRI brain scan revealed the patient had cysts throughout his brain, with the damage being consistent with the life-threatening condition neurocysticercosis.

Neurocysticercosis occurs when parasitic larvae found in under-cooked pork build-up in the body until they invade the central nervous system, triggering seizures.

Despite doctors' best efforts to save him, the man died two weeks later.

Results of an MRI scan revealed the man had numerous cysts in his cerebral cortex (pictured left as white dots). Lesions were also found in his brain stem and cerebellum (seen right)

The case report was written up in The New England Journal of Medicine by Dr Nishanth Dev, of ESIC Medical College, Faridabad, in the north Indian state of Haryana. Dr Dev treated the patient.

The man was rushed to ESIC Medical College after he endured tonic-clonic seizures.

These occur when an electrical discharge affects the entire brain and cause a patient to lose consciousness immediately.

Tonic-clonic seizures usually last one-to-three minutes.

If they continue for more than five minutes or in quick succession, the patient may require life-saving treatment.

Once at hospital, doctors noted the man seemed confused.

This is common of tonic-clonic seizures, with most patients feeling tired and disorientated for up to several days or even weeks after.

The man's parents reported he had been complaining of pain in his groin for the past week.

A physical examination also revealed he had swelling in his right eye, as well as tenderness in his right testicle.

An MRI scan showed the patient had numerous cysts in his cerebral cortex - the outermost layer of the brain, which is responsible for thinking and processing information collected via our five senses.

Lesions were also in his brain stem, which is at the base of the vital organ, and sends messages between the brain and the rest of the body.

And cysts were found in his cerebellum - the area at the back of the brain that coordinates voluntary movements, like posture, speech and coordination.

Doctors noted the extent of the man's brain damage was consistent with that of neurocysticercosis.

Neurocysticercosis occurs when the parasitic larvae Taenia solium invades bodily tissue from the intestine, and build ups in the central nervous system, muscles, skin and eyes.

Serum tests confirmed the man was infected with T. solium.

Doctors decided against treating him with antiparasitic drugs due to them typically worsening inflammation in those who have cysts in their brain.

These medications can also cause cerebral edema - excessive accumulation of water in the brain - and vision loss.

The man was therefore treated with the anti-inflammatory steroid dexamethasone, which is more commonly used to relieve conditions like allergies, arthritis and psoriasis.

He was also given anti-epilepsy drugs.

Sadly, however, it was not enough to save him.
An eczema sufferer fell into a deep depression after ditching her steroid creams left her battling severe withdrawal symptoms.

Danica Jaldbert, 24, of British Columbia, first developed eczema on the creases of her arms and legs when she was just five years old.

Although her condition was mild, her doctor prescribed topical steroid creams, which Miss Jaldbert used every day for more than a decade.

But when she turned 16, Miss Jaldbert's itchy, flaking skin worsened and spread to her face.

Deciding to take matters into her own hands, Miss Jaldbert came across topical steroid addiction online, which prompted her to ditch the creams for good on November 13 2016.

After battling cold sweats, shakes and a severe rash that nearly cost Miss Jaldbert her relationship, her skin is finally clear.

Danica Jaldbert fell into a deep depression after ditching her steroid creams left her battling severe withdrawal symptoms. She is pictured left with clear skin after coming through two years later and right in the midst of her withdrawal, with dry, flaking skin all over her face

Miss Jaldbert's severe skin reaction caused her and her boyfriend to hit a 'rough patch', which nearly made them call it a day on their relationship. After deciding to stick it out, the pair are stronger than ever and are pictured together after Miss Jaldbert overcame her symptoms

Speaking of when her flaky skin started, Miss Jaldbert said: 'I was five and had eczema on the creases in my arms and behind my legs; it was mild.

'The mild eczema wasn't really a problem to me, but the doctor prescribed me topical steroids.'

Although the treatment helped for the first ten years, things took a turn for the worse in Miss Jaldbert's late teens.

'From the age of 16, I noticed the rash started to spread, mostly on my face; it looked like chronic eczema,' she said.

'It affected my quality of life; I found it hard to swim in the ocean because of the way it was stinging.

'Going out downtown or anywhere I always carried moisturiser.'

As well as being painful, Miss Jaldbert's skin also affected her self-esteem.

'I thought about my bad skin 24-7 and it made me exhausted,' she said.

'I wore make-up every single day between the ages of 16 to 23. I always had to cover it up or sneak around so nobody would see how bad my skin was.

'I felt like I missed out on many things because I was always trying to hide my skin - mostly on my face.

'It also affected my relationship because when I was sad and depressed about myself, those vibes were passed onto him too.'

'I couldn't go to the pool or never wanted to go out and party. Alcohol made my skin look very dry and red.'

Miss Jaldbert is pictured left showing off her clearer skin, which took two years to achieve. Seen while withdrawing from steroid creams on the right, the red scabs covered her face

With her skin now clear, Miss Jaldbert (pictured after the ordeal) claims she feels 'amazing'

Deciding enough was enough, Miss Jaldbert began researching what may be causing her skin's extreme reaction.

'I found out I had topical steroid addiction after doing my research, I realised a lot of people in the world have this problem,' she said.

'I had to do a lot of research to find out that this was a condition.'

Miss Jaldbert decided there and then to stop using steroid creams, but suffered the consequences.

'The withdrawal was crazy; I had cold sweats, shakes,' she said.

This left Miss Jaldbert so depressed that she nearly broke up with her boyfriend, however, the couple managed to stick it out.

'He understands that it's out of my control, but when the addiction got bad last year, we hit a rough patch,' she said.

'I fell into a bad depression.'

After getting through the tough times, Miss Jaldbert is convinced her steroid creams were responsible for her extreme skin reaction.

'As soon as a went through my withdrawal and finished, what looked like eczema, went away too,' she said.

'So, who knows? If I never took the topical cortisone cream, maybe I would have been eczema-free years ago.'

As well as the rash on her face (left), Miss Jaldbert also endured cold sweats and shaking. She was determined to lay off steroid creams and eventually saw her skin improve (seen right)

After years of avoiding the sea due to it making her skin sting, Miss Jaldbert is now making the most of life, and enjoys swimming, hiking, travelling, snowboarding and being with friends

With her skin now clear, Miss Jaldbert is speaking out to raise awareness of topical steroid addiction.

'A lot of people come up to me asking how to cure eczema, but I think in my case it was more like a drug addiction,' she said.

Now 'sober', Miss Jaldbert enjoys snowboarding, hiking and trips to the beach.

'I feel amazing now - it feels like I have my life back,' she said.

'I'm traveling, going out with friends.

'I feel more adventurous and more social, like a better version of me and I'm definitely more outgoing.

'Going through what I've been through has made me who I am today. I never take anything for granted.'

Miss Jaldbert also hopes to inspire people who are going through a time difficult phase in their life.

'Bad times don't last forever,' she said.

'A year or two may seem like a long time, but once it's over you will barely remember it and you will just keep moving on with your life.

'For months I thought my nightmare would never end and I wasn't sure if I would make it out.

'Today I am just so happy I stuck through it.'

The ordeal has strengthened her relationship, with the couple enjoying swimming together

Miss Jaldbert (pictured after) hopes to inspire people who are going through a difficult time
The surgeons aspiring to perform the world's first human head transplant claim they have made indisputable progress towards their controversial goal.

Sergio Canavero, of Italy, and Xiaoping Ren, of China, published two studies on Wednesday in which they claim to cure 'irreversible' spinal cord injuries in monkeys and dogs.

According to the papers, published in the peer-reviewed US journal Surgical Neurology International, the animals were able to walk again after their spinal cords were severed then successfully repaired.

Describing their findings as 'unprecedented', Canavero and Ren say this shows they are ready to conduct human trials.

Sergio Canavero, widely seen as a rogue in the West, claims China is giving him space to innovate

Canavero, based in Turin, told USA Today, his studies 'completely reject' the view that 'a severed spinal cord cannot be mended in any way, a mantra uncritically repeated over and over.'

It's not clear where the trials would be conducted.

Their recent animal studies were done in China, at Harbin Medical University, where researchers across the country have been pushing the envelope scientifically and ethically, sending pulses racing across the world.

Until 2018, they had a candidate - 33-year-old Russian computer science student Valery Spiridonov, who has a fatal muscle-wasting disease.

But Spiridonov dropped out because his new wife gave birth to their 'miracle son', which gave him pause.

That does not mean their aspirations are hampered - a lesson the medical community learned from China in November, when geneticist Dr He Jiankui revealed he had genetically edited twin girls, despite widespread global agreement that the technology and its implications were too risky to use on humans.

Reports later claimed the Chinese government funded Dr He's work, sparking more ire and concern among Western biomedical ethicists.

Canavero, widely regarded as a rogue in the Western medical community, has accused his European and US peers of 'patronizing' China.

'Western bioethicists needed to stop patronizing the world,' he told the South China Morning Post. 'Chinese President Xi Jinping wants to restore China to greatness.'

Biomedical ethicists point out that there are 'a number of problems' with their venture.

One pertinent one: they will likely need to obtain the patient's consent to be killed, which could be drafted in a similar way as 'patient assisted death' (PAD), or euthanasia - though that is illegal in China.

But researchers are concerned that the law won't get in the way. There is strong evidence that Chinese prisoners have been forced to donate organs.

Writing for the British Medical Journal, bioethicist Michael S Dauber said: 'While these are certainly serious issues, the real problem with this picture is with international regulations: none of the laws and policies designed to protect patients and human research subjects have been able to stop them Canavero and Ren, nor are they likely to do so.'
An Oregon mother has slammed the hospital that discharged her infant daughter hours before she fell into a coma and later died of strep-related meningitis.

Ginger McCall said she took her seven-week old daughter, Evianna Rose, to Salem Health Hospital in mid-March.

The first-time mother told hospital staff that she had tested positive for a strep infection when she was pregnant and believed the little girl may have contracted it.

However, nurses gave Evianna a saline drip and Tylenol and sent her home, reported the Salem Statesman Journal.

As her condition deteriorated, McCall took her daughter back to the ER, where she was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis that she had, indeed, developed from strep bacteria.

Evianna was transferred to a hospital in Portland, but it was too late. Just 48 hours after the first symptoms began, she passed away.

McCall said she wants to turn the tragedy into a lesson for health professionals to be educated on the signs of meningitis and for parents to recognize them as well so they can make sure their child is treated in time.

Ginger McCall's seven-week-old daughter, Evianna, had a fever and heavy breathing on March 15. Nurses in the ER at Salem Health said she had a viral infection, gave her fluids and Tylenol, and discharged her. Pictured: McCall with Evianna

McCall took her daughter to the pediatrician in Salem, Oregon, that same day, who told her to go back to the ER. That's when doctors finally recognized that Evianna (pictured) had bacterial meningitis

'I will never forget the nurse saying to me: "This is her immune system getting stronger. This is her getting stronger",' McCall told KPTV.

'And it wasn't. It was her dying. Every minute that they delayed, every minute that they didn't conduct the tests that they should've conducted, every minute that we spent driving between places - that mattered.'

McCall told the Statesman Journal that she was ecstatic when she discovered that she and her husband, Omar Quintero, were expecting their first child.

While she was pregnant, she developed Group B streptococcus, a bacterial infection that can be found in a pregnant woman's vagina or rectum.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it's found in 25 percent of expectant mothers.

Not every baby born to a woman with Group B strep will become ill, but the infection can be passed to the infant during delivery.

Evianna was born on January 24 and, for her first few weeks of life, neither her mother nor father noticed anything was wrong.

But, on the morning of March 15, McCall said her daughter was running a fever of 101.9F, so she and her mother-in-law rushed Evianna to the emergency room at Salem Health Hospital.

McCall had developed Group B streptococcus, a bacterial infection that is found in 25 percent of pregnant women's vaginas or rectums. Pictured, left to right: McCall, Evianna and her husband Omar Quintero

The infection had been passed during delivery and Evianna developed late-onset Group B strep disease, which had made her appear healthy at birth and during her first few weeks of life

She told staff about her Group B strep diagnosis, but claims doctors dismissed her concerns.

Nurses said she had a simple viral infection, gave her fluids and Tylenol, and discharged her, even though she still had a fever.

They went back home, but Evianna was making a noise that McCall likened to a 'terrible mewing/crying'.

She called the pediatrician who, after seeing the infant, told McCall to go back to the emergency room immediately.

'I figured the doctors would be able to fix it,' McCall told the Statesman Journal. 'I remember thinking: "We don't live in the 1800s. Surely someone will save my child".'

It was then that hospital staff performed a spinal tap and diagnosed Evianna with bacterial meningitis.

Meningitis occurs when the protective membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord become inflamed.

Evianna had developed the disease due to late-onset Group B strep disease, which had made her appear healthy at birth and during her first few weeks of life.

However, once the disease presents itself, symptoms include fever, lethargy, difficulty feeding and difficulty breathing.

About four to six percent of all babies who develop Group B strep disease will die, according to the CDC.

Evianna (pictured) was transferred to Oregon Health & Science University Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland, where her vital signs dropped and she was put on life support

On March 17, doctors told McCall and her husband that their daughter was brain dead. Her parents elected to withdraw life support. Pictured: Evianna with her father

At this point, Evianna's health was deteriorating rapidly and she was nearly comatose by the time the ER stabilized her enough to have her transferred to Oregon Health & Science University Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland.

'They did their very best, but, by the time she got there, it was just too late,' McCall said.

Evianna's vital signs began dropping and the next day, March 17, doctors told McCall and her husband that their daughter was brain dead.

Her parents elected to withdraw life support.

Around 4,100 cases of bacterial meningitis are reported every year, causing 500 deaths, according to the CDC.

'I will never get to know what color her eyes would've been or what her voice would've sounded like or who she would've grown up to be,' McCall told the Statesman Journal. 'That just kills me.'

Looking back, she said she wishes staff at Salem Health had paid closer attention to the cry Evianna was making - a tell-tale sign of meningitis in a baby.

She said she doesn't have any plans to sue the hospital, and just wants to make sure other parents know the symptoms so they can make sure their children get proper treatment.

'I hope they will strongly advocate for themselves and their children,' McCall said. 'I hope they will appreciate every moment they have with their children.'

McCall's sister has set up a GoFundMe page to help cover funeral and living expenses.

So far, more than $11,300 has been raised out of a $12,000 goal.
You've probably heard of bird flu, swine flu and even camel flu.

But fears are growing that you could catch influenza from somewhere else  your pet dog.

A study has found types of flu which spread between animals may actually be able to mutate and jump from canines or cats to people.

And because the strains are different to others, they could potentially spread quickly and uncontrollably among humans, scientists fear.

Researchers have warned people should keep a closer eye on dogs and other mammals we live close to in case of 'interspecies transmission' and even warned of a 'pandemic'.

Strains of already-existing dog flu could combine with swine or bird flu to create a more contagious virus which could spread to humans, researchers said (stock image)

Researchers at Korea University in South Korea conducted a 10-year study to watch for strains of flu jumping between animals.

What they found adds to other research by scientists at Mount Sinai University in New York, published last year.

They discovered swine flu, which is currently ravaging pig farms in China and leaving huge amounts of meat unusable, and bird flu could spread to dogs.

And, in the dogs, it could mix with another strain of the viral illness which would make it much more likely to spread to people, who would be defenceless against it because it's so new.

'Until now, dogs were considered neglected hosts in the field of flu research,' said Dr Daesub Song, one of the researchers.

'However, after the first report of interspecies transmission, surveillance of flu viruses from companion animals should be further strengthened.'

Dr Song and his team found bird flu or swine flu could be caught by dogs and mix together to mutate into a new strain of canine influenza called CIVmv.

CIVmv was found to be highly infectious to ferrets when passed on by dogs, the scientists found, suggesting it is more likely to be contagious for humans.

The parts of cells which viruses bind to are similar in ferrets and humans, so they are considered the best way of testing how the pathogens will affect people.

Cats can already catch canine flu, despite its name, and both animals spend huge amounts of time in close contact with humans, particularly in the Western world.

When infected with the new strain, animals suffered from congested airways, coughing, runny eyes, sneezing, tiredness and reduced appetite.

Canine flu can be deadly  it only kills a small percentage of dogs which catch it, but Dr Song said an outbreak he studied at an animal shelter killed 40 per cent of cats.

This strain of dog flu is expected to be more contagious but it isn't clear whether it will be more deadly for the animals.

Dr Song added: 'Pre-existing CIV may recombine or reassort with human influenza viruses and give rise to novel viruses that could in turn lead to unique pandemics.'

Immune resistance to flu, and the ability to get over it quickly, is based on exposure to the virus or similar strains in the past.

For example, if someone catches a strain of the flu they've already had there is a good chance they won't become ill from it.

And because of the way viruses mutate over time, even exposure to an earlier version of a different virus could make someone more resistant to it.

Because of this, if people caught a combination of dog and bird or swine flu like nothing they had ever encountered before, they could be particularly vulnerable, the researchers said.

Dr Song will reveal his research at the Microbiology Societys Annual Conference in Belfast in April.

The team are working on a vaccine but the virus is fast-mutating, making this a difficult task.
A mother with terminal brain cancer is writing her two-year-old son birthday cards so he does not forget her.

Tyla Livingstone, 22, of Fife, is expected to live no more than five years, after being diagnosed with a tumour dubbed 'The Terminator' in February 2018.

The tumour - initially thought to be benign - was discovered to be fatal after Ms Livingstone woke one morning with paralysis on her right side.

Gruelling surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy destroyed some of the cancer but the mass continued to grow.

Ms Livingstone has also collected locks of her hair to give to her son, Preston, and feels 'guilty' she is leaving him without a mother.

Tyla Livingstone (pictured), 22, of Fife, is expected to live no more than five years after being diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in February 2018

Ms Livingstone is writing her two-year-old son, Preston, birthday cards so he doesn't forget her. She is pictured in hospital, possibly during treatment to try and shrink the tumour

Ms Livingstone's tumour is often dubbed 'The Terminator' due to its low survival rate. She is pictured in the December before Preston was born

Ms Livingstone, pictured recently, is trying to stay positive knowing her days are limited

Ms Livingstone told The Sun: 'It's heartbreaking.

'I feel so guilty over something I cannot control.

'But I will fight to see as much as I can.

'My main aim is to see him go to school and for him to remember who I am and my voice.

'But I'll always be with him in his heart.'

WHAT IS A GLIOBLASTOMA? Glioblastomas are the most common cancerous brain tumours in adults. They are fast growing and likely to spread. Glioblastomas' cause is unknown but may be related to a sufferer's genes if mutations result in cells growing uncontrollably, forming a tumour. Treatment is usually surgery to remove as much of the tumour as possible, followed by a combination of radio- and chemotherapy (chemoradiation). It can be difficult to remove all of the growth as glioblastomas have tendrils that extend to other regions of the brain. These are targeted via chemoradiation. Glioblastomas are often resistant to treatment as they are usually made up of different types of cells. Therefore, medication will kill off some cells and not others. The average survival time is between 12 and 18 months. Only 20 per cent of patients live longer than a year and just three per cent survive over three years. Source: The Brain Tumour Charity Advertisement

Ms Livingstone has a grade-four glioblastoma - an aggressive but relatively common cancerous primary brain tumour that affects adults.

It all began when she unexpectedly became pregnant at 20 years old with her partner, Mark, 29.

At 31 weeks, she suddenly started having abdominal pains and took baths to relieve them.

While in the tub, her hand seized up and a strange sensation travelled up her arm, causing her to jump out and scream for her grandmother.

She then blacked out and awoke to her grandmother calling an ambulance.

'She was telling them I had suffered a seizure and was jerking about,' Ms Livingstone said.

'I was so stressed about my baby, I didn't even think of myself.

'On the way [to hospital] I felt my baby, who I knew was a boy, kick.

'I was so relieved.'

When a test for pre-eclampsia came back negative, doctors sent Ms Livingstone for an MRI scan the next day.

The results showed Ms Livingstone had a 2cm mass growing on the left frontal lobe of her brain.

She had experienced none of the tell-tale symptoms, such as dizziness or headaches, up to that day.

Although she was gobsmacked, Ms Livingstone claims her doctor reassured her it was likely to be benign.

And if it was cancer, it was likely to be a mild form that she could recover from.

Preston was born at the Royal Victoria Hospital a week early on January 12 weighing 5lbs 14oz.

A month into motherhood, Ms Livingstone woke the morning after going out for a drink with paralysis on the right side.

Ms Livingstone woke up with paralysis the morning after drinking alcohol, but wasn't too concerned. A mass had recently been found on her brain, but she was told it was benign

Ms Livingstone first experienced symptoms of her brain tumour while she was 31 weeks pregnant with her Preston two years ago

Blaming alcohol, she ignored her symptoms for two days.

But she was eventually persuaded to see her GP, who she claims told her off for not coming in straight away.

The doctor chased the results of an MRI that had been carried out after Ms Livingstone gave birth, but had not yet been investigated.

The scans showed the tumour had grown massively and was pressing on Ms Livingstone's nerves, causing the paralysis.

Ms Livingstone was taken to hospital immediately where she was put on steroids to try and reduce the swelling that surrounded the tumour.

She was allowed home but could barely walk, while her family cared for Preston.

On February 26, she had emergency brain surgery that lasted nearly six hours.

Ms Livingstone was awake for some of the procedure to preserve her senses, in an operation called an awake craniotomy.

Two weeks later, it was revealed Ms Livingstone had a grade-four glioblastoma, which begins in the brain and is terminal.

Ms Livingstone said she feels 'guilty' she is leaving her son without a mother

On February 26, Ms Livingstone had emergency brain surgery that lasted nearly six hours, followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy - but nothing has shrunk the tumour

Ms Livingstone said she is glad her son does not understand that she is ill

Around 23,900 brain and other nervous system cancers are diagnosed in US adults a year, according to The National Cancer Institute.

GBMs account for 52 per cent of all primary brain tumors.

In the UK, around 4,500 primary brain tumours are diagnosed every year.

Only 20 per cent of GMB patients live longer than a year and just three per cent survive over three years.

Ms Livingstone said: 'So few people survive longer than five years, it's nicknamed "The Terminator".

'Learning the news was horrific.

'At that moment I died inside.'

Chemotherapy, brain surgery and radiotherapy destroyed some of the cancerous cells, however, the tumour will continue to grow.

'I know my time is running out now,' Ms Livingstone said.

'It's like I've won the lottery, but a terrible lottery with no money involved.'

Ms Livingstone is trying to remain positive for her 'mischievous and funny' son, knowing every minute is precious.

'I used to feel awful at school for people who had lost their mum and dad, and it's so upsetting it's going to be my son, but in a way I'm glad it's happening now because at least he doesn't understand,' Ms Livingstone said.

'I need him to know his mummy fought desperately hard to be with him, that she loved him so, so much and didn't choose to leave him.'
UNMASKED: A MEMOIR

UNMASKED: A MEMOIR by Andrew Lloyd Webber (Harper Collins 10.99, 544 pp)

by Andrew Lloyd Webber (Harper Collins 10.99, 544 pp)

Lord Lloyd Webber insists that he never meant to write an autobiography, but, once he started, found he couldnt stop.

This medium-sized doorstop tells only half the story, finishing at the first night of The Phantom Of The Opera: Quite how I have been able to be so verbose about the most boring person I have ever written about eludes me.

But enough humble-bragging. His precocious talent gained him his first hit aged 11, when musical caricatures of his schoolmasters were greeted with uproarious applause.

It was a reaction that would be repeated many times for the composer of Jesus Christ Superstar, Cats, The Phantom Of The Opera and other landmarks of musical theatre.

Witty, gossipy and relentlessly entertaining, the memoir ends with the promise (or is it a threat?) of a second volume.

GIBRALTAR: THE GREATEST SIEGE IN BRITISH HISTORY by Roy and Lesley Adkins (Abacus 12.99, 480 pp)

GIBRALTAR: THE GREATEST SIEGE IN BRITISH HISTORY

by Roy and Lesley Adkins (Abacus 12.99, 480 pp)

Spain desperately wanted Gibraltar. This strange rocky peninsula fortress . . . had proved a constant source of irritation ever since its capture by the British in 1704.

Little has changed in the intervening centuries, but the story of Gibraltar might have been different had it not been for the courage and dogged determination of British forces in withstanding a three-year siege, from 1779 to 1783.

Historians Roy and Lesley Adkins give a vivid account of the privations endured by the garrison, as a mere 5,000 soldiers defied vastly superior Spanish and French forces.

Despite hunger, disease and relentless assaults, the British emerged triumphant, their victory celebrated by Mozart, who composed a song to mark the lifting of the siege.

LET ME BE LIKE WATER by S.K. Perry (Melville House 8.99, 224 pp)

LET ME BE LIKE WATER

by S.K. Perry (Melville House 8.99, 224 pp)

Perrys debut novel is a minutely detailed account of the stages of grief and the possibility of hope.

Holly may only be in her 20s, but she has endured as much emotional drama as most people encounter in a lifetime.

She has loved and lost in the most poignant of ways and, having moved to Brighton from London, the scene of her tragedy, she is trying to rebuild her life, spending hours on the beach in the consoling presence of the sea.

Here, she has a chance meeting with Frank, host of a book club for waifs and strays, who has his own sad story of lost love.

He gently persuades Holly that she still has everything to live for, with a magical combination of friendship, fiction and ginger biscuits.

Hollys broken heart begins to heal, until she can imagine living and loving again.
THE LANGUAGE OF BIRDS

THE LANGUAGE OF BIRDS by Jill Dawson (Sceptre 18.99, 272 pp)

by Jill Dawson (Sceptre 18.99, 272 pp)

This isnt the first novel to have drawn inspiration from the Lord Lucan case  Flynn Berrys A Double Life appeared only last year  but this book is in a class of its own.

The focus is divided between best friends Mandy and Rosemary: country girls newly arrived in vibrant Seventies London to work as nannies for nobs.

But, in the freesia-scented townhouse of spacey Lady Katherine Morven, all is far from well nuisance calls shatter the peace and quiet and private detectives employed by her charismatic, Lucan-like ex-husband, Dickie, watch the front door.

We may know the terrible ending, but Dawson is always a pleasure to read, and theres still a skin-crawling sense of dread. This is much more than a psycho-thriller, though.

A glimmeringly intelligent, vital and compassionate exploration of nature, nurture and female desire, it also taps a deep vein of anger and sorrow at the fate of innumerable abused and murdered women. Timely, devastating and superbly realised.

THINGS IN JARS

THINGS IN JARS by Jess Kidd (Canongate 14.99, 416pp)

by Jess Kidd (Canongate 14.99, 416pp)

Readers of Kidds previous novels  Himself and The Hoarder  will know her flair for wildly inventive, blackly comic yarns, in which the dead loom as large as the living (and have just as much to say).

Things In Jars delivers more of the same, and enjoyably so, although theres rather less in the way of substance.

Our heroine is Victorian amateur detective Bridie Devine. Raised by a resurrection man, shes au fait with the macabre, which is just as well . . .

Her latest task is to track down an aristocrats missing daughter, a girl with pike-sharp teeth, corpse-damp skin and an insatiable appetite for snails.

Aided and abetted by a spectral prize-fighter, Bridie is soon on the case, but matters are complicated by the reappearance of her evil nemesis.

Propelled by Kidds trademark, gleefully tongue-twisting lyrical prose, this is a high-spirited, freewheeling tale of eccentric goodies versus villainous rum uns.

The padding is a tad obvious at times, but the energy rarely flags.

THE DOLLMAKER

THE DOLLMAKER by Nina Allan (Riverrun 12.99, 416 pp)

by Nina Allan (Riverrun 12.99, 416 pp)

Andrew Garvie is a dollmaker with restricted growth; Bramber Winters is the doll-loving inmate of an institution on Bodmin Moor.

After the two begin to correspond, united by an interest in Polish emigree author Ewa Chaplin, a Harold Fry-like pilgrimage seems on the cards  and Andrew is soon on his way west.

But there the resemblance ends: this is a very singular book indeed, one punctuated by Chaplins dark, strikingly densely imagined fairytales, which share disturbing parallels with Andrews own life.

Blurred boundaries are, in part, what this unsettling, intricately constructed and teasingly elliptical tale of misfits, outcasts and outsiders is about: we fear difference, Bramber reflects, because we fear losing our place in things.

While the award-winning sci-fi writers talents are evident, this is a hard novel to get a purchase on and, despite a deftly executed denouement, felt unsatisfactorily inconclusive.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL

REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL by Nina Stibbe (Viking 12.99, 288 pp)

by Nina Stibbe (Viking 12.99, 288 pp)

Misfit lit is the new big thing. Following Gail Honeymans Eleanor Oliphant, books about offbeat types in unpromising locations abound.

Here, we are in Eighties Leicester and heroine Lizzie Vogel is training to be a dental nurse. The surgerys full of crazy, often delusional, characters and theres a strong Sue Townsend/Alan Bennett flavour to it all.

Meet JP, the dentist whos desperate to be a Freemason, Tammy, his broody assistant, and Andy, the lab technician and unlikely Romeo. At home is Lizzies mother, a budding writer a la Adrian Mole.

While I enjoyed it, I found it slightly overpowering. But it is funny and sweet, and there are many touching moments.

If you love the Eighties (who doesnt?), youll enjoy all the carefully observed music and clothes references, too.

THE ROSIE RESULT

THE ROSIE RESULT by Graeme Simsion (Michael Joseph 14.99, 384 pp)

by Graeme Simsion (Michael Joseph 14.99, 384 pp)

Fans of The Rosie Project will love this third novel in the series, in which Rosie and Don tackle son Hudsons struggles at school.

Hes socially hopeless, rubbish at sport and his grades are tanking.

The headmistress thinks hes autistic, but his parents are resisting the analysis. Don, whos got time on his hands after losing his professorship, applies his boffin-esque logic to sorting out his son.

He outsources Hudsons various problems to experts in the field, with impressive results. But there are some dark elements out there  especially the horrible father of Hudsons only friend.

Its heart-warming and clever, but Don and Rosies chilled parenting style is hard to take.

BOWLAWAY by Elizabeth McCracken (Cape 16.99, 384 pp)

BOWLAWAY

by Elizabeth McCracken (Cape 16.99, 384 pp)

McCrackens book is a little McCrackers  a woman falls from the sky, lands in a graveyard and survives to open a bowling alley.

Were in the New England of the early 20th century and theres a strong American Gothic, magical realism feel. The characters are all misfits and are not just colourful, but positively psychedelic.

Heroine Bertha Truitt is the most appealing, striding through the story in her divided skirt, drawing the lonely, bereaved and damaged into her unconventional, friendly orbit.

But who is she really? Or any of us, come to that? As we follow Bertha and her family down the generations, the answer seems to be that people are strange, life is random and what matters is love.
DEATH HAS DEEP ROOTS by Michael Gilbert (British Library 8.99, 288 pp)

DEATH HAS DEEP ROOTS

by Michael Gilbert (British Library 8.99, 288 pp)

The late Michael Gilbert knew his stuff. A practising solicitor with a parallel career as a mystery writer, he was a master of courtroom drama.

Here, a murder trial takes on an added dimension when the defendant, a French heroine of the Resistance, gives grounds for believing she is the victim of a conspiracy.

Her young lawyer, trying to discover who wants her convicted for the death of a British agent, is sent on a hazardous mission into France, at a time when the struggle to recover from Nazi occupation has thrown up moral and political ambiguities.

Meanwhile, back in London, a defence counsel chips away at the easy assumptions of a police prosecution while waiting on news from France that can save his client.

This spellbinder is one of three recent Gilbert reissues. All are wholeheartedly recommended.

DANGEROUS DAYS by Leo Kanaris (Dedalus 9.99, 297 pp)

DANGEROUS DAYS

by Leo Kanaris (Dedalus 9.99, 297 pp)

This book has all the ingredients of hard-boiled classic crime: the mean streets, poverty and corruption and an upright private eye challenging the iniquities of a broken society.

Except that this is not the California of the Thirties, but modern-day Greece.

Reduced to pushing leaflets through letterboxes to drum up business for his detective agency, George Zakiris reluctantly takes on a family-connected job to recover a stolen necklace.

But other problems close to home soon crowd in to threaten his marriage.

Were this not enough to occupy him, a senior policeman hires him to track down the files of a murdered lawyer, while seeking those responsible for the death of an illegal immigrant.

It all adds up to a fast-moving thriller played out against a backdrop of political bedlam  an exciting, provocative read.

MURDER OF LYDIA by Joan A. Cowdroy (Dean Street Press 9.99, 243 pp)

MURDER OF LYDIA

by Joan A. Cowdroy (Dean Street Press 9.99, 243 pp)

Thankfully, we do not have to like a writer as a person to enjoy their work.

By all accounts, Cowdroy was mean-minded and bigoted. But she could certainly turn out an inventive story.

Here, a small seaside town has its veneer of respectability torn apart with the drowning of one of its most eligible young ladies.

When it becomes clear that this is no accident, the case is taken on by Scotland Yard.

Chief Inspector Gorham, a dogged and decent policeman, is supported by Mr Moh, the first Asian detective in British fiction, along with an eager young constable disconcertingly named James Bond.

After a bungled inquest points to the victims sister as the murderer, the trio embark on a painstaking reconstruction of the crime to identify the true culprit.

Allowing for the prejudices of the author, this is a well-constructed plot, with a sharp twist in the tail.
THE COW: A TRIBUTE

by Werner Lampert (teNeues 45, 480pp)

THE COW: A TRIBUTE by Werner Lampert (teNeues 45, 480pp)

Most glossy coffee-table books feature subjects such as naked models or luxurious home interiors, so this book on cows is a welcome  and surprising  alternative.

Sustainability expert Werner Lampert and his team tracked down the most beautiful and rare cattle and captured them in their natural habitats, from Austria to India, and have displayed the pictures alongside quotes and poetry.

A wonderful book.
SCIENCE

ASK AN OCEAN EXPLORER

by Dr Jon Copley (Hodder 8.99, 224 pp)

In 1930, the U.S. ocean explorers Otis Barton and William Beebe entered the sea off Bermuda in their Bathysphere.

Bathy is Greek for deep, and the pair were aiming to take the submersible further down than anyone had ever been before.

As they reached a depth of 100 metres, water began trickling in through the hatch. If you or I had been in that position, we would have screamed: Get this thing back to the surface NOW!, with one or two other words thrown in there as well.

But not Beebe. He decided to speed up the descent.

Marine biologist Dr Jon Copley who as a child was fascinated with National Geographic magazine, shares his exploration of the ocean in a new book. Pictured: Baywatch star, David Hasselhoff

Was he mad? No  he reasoned that the increased water pressure would seal the hatch more tightly and stop the leak. He was right.

Dr Jon Copley is very much of the Beebe mindset. As a schoolboy, he pored over maps of the ocean floor in National Geographic magazine. But he also knew that those charts were incomplete  we have more detailed maps of Mars than we do of the deep ocean floor. Copley wanted to explore the depths for himself.

One career as a marine biologist later, this charming book is the result.

In 1521, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan tried to discover the oceans depth by lowering a cannonball-weighted line from his ship. But, after 700 metres of rope had disappeared without the cannonball touching the seabed, Magellan gave up. We now know that the deepest point  at 35,814 ft  is the Challenger Deep in the Pacifics Mariana Trench. Thats nearly seven miles, enough to bury Mount Everest with more than a mile to spare.

Only three people have visited the Challenger Deep, the most recent being James Cameron, director of the film Titanic. His own purpose-built vehicle took him there in 2012. Three years later, the sub was irreparably damaged by fire while being transported on a lorry.

On Copleys own first dive, the pilot in charge of the vessel let it reach the seabed more than a mile down, then began unlocking the hatch.

Its a classic joke played on newbies, to see if they panic. Copley didnt. He knew (like Beebe in 1930) that the pressure would hold the hatch in place.

The oceans deepest layer is known as the hadal zone, from the Greek word for hell. There are underwater springs in the Caribbean that discharge water measuring 401c  thats hotter than molten lead.

ASK AN OCEAN EXPLORER by Dr Jon Copley (Hodder 8.99, 224 pp)

Life beneath the ocean waves is certainly strange. The darkness makes it hard for fish to spot mates, so some species of anglerfish engage in kisses that last for life.

The male hooks up to the females blood supply through her lips, then she carries him around as essentially a parasitic bag of sperm.

There is a worm known as Yoda purpurata (purple Yoda), because bits of its head stick up like Yodas ears in the Star Wars films.

Theres a crustacean called the Hoff crab, because its hairy underside resembles the chest of Baywatch star David Hasselhoff. And the next time you eat ice cream, say thank you to the pout fish. This creature produces an anti-freeze protein that stops ice crystals forming in its blood. A replicated version of the protein is now used during the manufacture of ice cream: it stops crystals growing, making for a smoother product.

The deepest-ever scuba dive was 1,090 ft. It took Ahmed Gabr just 15 minutes to reach that depth off the coast of Egypt in 2014, but he had to stagger his ascent over 13 hours, to avoid the famous bends  the pains caused by nitrogen bubbles forming in your body fluids.

The gas can make you feel drunk. Jacques Cousteau called it the rapture of the great depths.

Of course, you could just stay on dry land, reading this book. Other sources of drunkenness are available.
Catastrophe

Tuesday, Channel 4

Rating:

Vera

Sunday, ITV

Rating:

Cold Feet

Monday, ITV

Rating:

Sometimes I think broadcasters have it in for me. Why do they pull the shows I really love  most heinous of all, BBC3 cancelling Sharon Horgans Pulling (they clearly took pulling literally)? First broadcast in 2006, it was one of the funniest sitcoms in years (it still feels original and fresh), and Horgan has again excelled herself in the multi-award-winning Catastrophe.

I recommend binge-watching the first three series before hitting the fourth (now two episodes in). Co-written by co-star Rob Delaney, there is a rhythm to the show that is unlike anything else in comedy: a natural, leisurely pace punctured with brilliant, hysterical one-liners but also dark moments that really have the ouch! factor. Sharon and Rob (the characters have the actors first names) feel like a married couple we are watching in real time, with only the incidental music there to remind us that this is TV.

Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney in Catastrophe. There is a rhythm to the show that is unlike anything else in comedy

In series three, Rob (Delaney) lapsed back into alcoholism and managed to keep it secret until he crashed his car; Sharon (Horgan) drunkenly fondled a student when the couple had temporarily separated. Robs ongoing internal battles, and Sharon trying to keep up with them, in addition to being a mother of two and a teacher, are central to the drama of the pairs relationship. Initially thrown together following a one-night stand, the learning curve is ongoing, in no small part helped by the fact that she is Irish and he American.

Hes working on himself  which is great, Sharon explained to Robs Quaker sister (Michaela Watkins), visiting from the States, but also selfish. Sharon was unimpressed by Robs latest foray into self-development when he attended a Quaker meeting. And what about me? Will I have to wear a bonnet? Sharon, too, seeks self-improvement, and the humour lies in it nearly always being misconstrued or misdirected. Dealing with a boy in her class who wet himself, she tried to turn it to her advantage: I hate that hes wetting himself, but at the same time this is where I can really I dont know shine.

The power of ellipsis in speech is all part of Horgans exquisite comic timing: words, like the actions, feel as if they are operating in real time. Sentences are left hanging as the character struggles to find the right word  and when the perfect one lands, its so satisfying; you wait for it, knowing that when it comes it will not disappoint. Its truly great. If you watch nothing else this week, enjoy Catastrophe.

Anyone in TV murder mysteries wishing to avoid stumbling on a corpse knows there are places to avoid at all costs: taking your dog for a walk by a river, stopping at a telephone box and taking a job at a landfill site. As Vera returned for its ninth series, you knew when the camera zoomed in on the whirring metal claws of a machine at a tip, a dead body would not be far behind. Sure enough, there she was: a young stab victim called Joanne who, it transpired, had been making enemies by trying to clear the name of a suicide victim wrongly jailed for murder.

Joannes mother took the news rather well and within minutes was chatting with Vera and not a tear in sight. This was surprising, given Veras rather indelicate way of breaking bad news. Im afraid shes dead, love. Blimey. She could have softened the blow with a doughnut or something. Brenda Blethyn is magnificent as the macintosh-and-hat-clad detective, and the character manages to stay on top of the plots better than I ever manage. So many names, so many spurious connections  and a lot of accents that really should not be consuming the airwaves without subtitles. I have nothing against Geordies but there were times when I thought Id dropped in on Cheryl Tweedys Christmas party.

Cold Feet (series eight) returned with Adam (James Nesbitt) bemoaning his love life (again), and his son Matt (Cel Spellman) getting it on with a barista Adam was chasing  well, until Adam revealed that Matt was 17, not 22 as hed claimed. To me he looked about 12, so the woman was either deranged or shouldve gone to Specsavers.

Pete (John Thomson) saved a young man who was trying to commit suicide; Karen (Hermione Norris) and David (Robert Bathurst) were handling their university dropout son; and Jen (Fay Ripley) was dealing with the possibility that she might have breast cancer. It wasnt what youd call a happy week.

The mission for the series was spelled out at the end, as Karen admonished Adam for chasing younger women: Find someone you can grow old with thats your quest. Mission impossible, if past experience is anything to go by. Catastrophe would be my bet.
Million of employees with long-term health conditions and disabilities will be able to benefit from up to 59,200 a year to assist them at work, with the grant increasing next month.

From 1 April 2019, those who qualify will be able to claim up to 59,200 annually from the Government's Access to Work benefit to help pay for additional support that they may need in the workplace.

Access to Work provides financial support to ensure someone's disability or health condition doesn't hold them back at work.

This includes providing adjustable desks, special IT equipment and voice-recognition software.

From 1 April 2019, workers can claim up to 59,200 annually from the Government to help support them in the workplace

A spokesperson for the Department for Work and Pensions, said: 'Access to Work provides tailored support to thousands across the country, ensuring a disability or health condition is not a barrier to achieve someone's career aspirations.

'By extending this grant even more people can benefit from this personalised scheme, and more disabled people can thrive in the workplace.'

The Government will increase the upper limit by 2,000 from 57,200 to 59,200 next week.

A spokesperson from the DWP said: 'The cap has been uprated in line with the annual survey of hours and earnings published by the Office for National Statistics.

'The cap is set at two times the median gross annual earnings for full-time employees.'

Disability facts and figures  There are over 11 million people with long term illnesses, impairment or disability in the UK  Impairments that affect mobility, lifting or carrying are the most common.  Prevalence of disability rises with age. Around six per cent of children are disabled compared to 16 per cent of working age adults and 45 per cent of adults over State Pension Age (66).

It's claimed that now even more people will be able to benefit, especially those from the deaf community who can get British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters through the scheme.

According to a survey conducted by Labour Force, disabled people are now more likely to be employed than they were in 2002.

Most recent figures, from 2012, show that 46.3 per cent of working-age disabled people were at work compared to 76.4 per cent of working-age non-disabled people.

That means a 30.1 percentage point difference between the number of disabled people and non-disabled people in the work force.

Last year, more than 27,000 people received support from Access to Work, while in the previous year that figures stood at 24,940 claimants.

The grant is paid either to the employer or the individual and this differs on a case-by-case basis.

A DWP spokesperson explains: 'For example, if the employer has purchased special equipment for their employee, then the grant is paid directly to the employer.'

She adds: 'Once awarded grants are usually paid on a monthly basis in arrears.

'Once the grant has been approved the Access to Work customer will need to complete the appropriate claim form and return this to Access to Work for payment.'

Latest figures show that last year Access to Work provision for people with mental health conditions increased by 34 per cent compared to the previous year, and for people with a learning disability it increased by 22 per cent.

Access to Work is part of a range of support available which includes Disability Confident, the Work and Health Programme and disability employment advisers based at Jobcentres.
Investment bank Goldman Sachs International has been fined over 34million by City watchdog the Financial Conduct Authority.

The investment banking giant has been slapped with the fine for 'failing to provide accurate and timely' reporting for over 220million transaction reports between November 2007 and March 2017.

Mark Steward, the FCA's executive director of enforcement and market oversight, said: 'The failings in this case demonstrate a failure over an extended period to manage and test controls that are vitally important to the integrity of our markets.

Fined: US investment bank Goldman Sachs International has been fined over 34million by the UK's Financial Conduct Authority

'These were serious and prolonged failures.

'We expect all firms will take this opportunity to ensure they can fully detail their activity and are regularly checking their systems so any problems are detected and remedied promptly, unlike in this case.'

Accurate and timely transaction reports help the FCA identify cases of market abuse and combat financial crime.

The FCA said Goldman Sachs failed to submit accurate transaction reports on time for 213.6million reportable transactions. Worse still, the investment bank 'erroneously' reported 6.6million transactions to the FCA which were not even reportable.

In a statement, the FCA said: 'The FCA also found that GSI failed to take reasonable care to organise and control its affairs responsibly and effectively in respect of its transaction reporting.

'These failings related to aspects of GSI's change management processes, its maintenance of the counterparty reference data used in its reporting and how it tested whether all the transactions it reported to the FCA were accurate and complete.'

As Goldman Sachs co-operated with the case, it received a 30 per cent reduction to its penalty. Without this discount, the firm would have been hit with a fine of 49,063,900.

In a statement, Goldman Sachs said: 'We are pleased to have resolved this legacy matter. We dealt with the issues proactively at the time and have made significant investments across the period to develop and enhance our reporting procedures.'

Earlier this year, Goldman Sachs extended its push into Britain's retail finance sector by taking a stake in digital wealth management firm Nutmeg, following on from the launch of savings offering Marcus.

The US investment bank co-led a 45million funding round with existing Nutmeg investor Convoy, a Hong Kong-based financial advisory firm.

Nutmeg is now gearing up for a crowdfunding campaign via Crowdcube, aimed at raising up to 10million.
Sir Philip Green is preparing to shut as many as 200 stores over the next two years amid signs his Arcadia retail empire is beginning to crumble.

The Mail understands that leases on around 200 shops are coming up for review over the next two years which Green, 67, may not renew.

Arcadia employs 22,000 staff in 570 stores, with brands including Topshop, Burton, Dorothy Perkins, Evans, Miss Selfridge and Wallis, as well as hundreds of concessions.

Sir Philip Green's (with wife Tina and daughter Chloe) Arcadia retail empire - which includes Topshop, Burton, Dorothy Perkins, Evans, Miss Selfridge and Wallis - is beginning to crumble

The billionaire is planning to close its worst-performing outlets and slash rent costs.

On Thursday, it was revealed that a list of 67 of the more desirable stores is currently being offered to rival chains to take over the leases.

Included in the document, seen by the Financial Times, were branches of Topshop, Dorothy Perkins and Miss Selfridge.

Some of the at-risk stores  which also include Burton, Evans and Wallis - were located in well-known shopping centres, such as Meadowhall in Sheffield, the MetroCentre in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, and the Merry Hill Centre near Dudley in the West Midlands as well as on provincial high streets.

The plans are the latest sign that Green's empire is struggling to fight back against an onslaught from online-only firms such as Asos and Boohoo, which have become hugely popular with younger shoppers.

The news comes after a spate of sexual harassment and racial misconduct allegations against the tycoon (pictured with Kate Moss) were made public

If the stores close, Arcadia will join a raft of retailers which are shutting shops.

More than 175,000 jobs are predicted to disappear from the High Street this year as retailers struggle with fierce competition and soaring costs such as business rates.

According to most recent figures published for Taveta, the holding company for Arcadia, profits at the group almost halved to 124million in the year in August 2017.

Topshop and Topman, once the jewel in Arcadia's crown, racked up losses of almost 10.9million from a profit of 59million a year earlier. Arcadia declined to comment. Green was unavailable for comment.

The news comes after a spate of sexual harassment and racial misconduct allegations against the tycoon were made public.

Some of the at-risk stores were located in well-known shopping centres, such as the MetroCentre in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear

Shops at the Merry Hill Centre near Dudley in the West Midlands (left) and Meadowhall in Sheffield (right) could also be affected

Green allegedly groped a female executive mocked a male employee's dreadlocks and dragged woman around in a headlock - and silenced them with settlements and non disclosure agreements.

Details of the allegations against Sir Philip involving five employees were revealed by The Telegraph after his legal action against the paper ended at the High Court.

It was reported that the Arcadia boss paid out millions in settlements with staff members, who include a senior female executive who was allegedly called a 'naughty girl' by Sir Philip.

He allegedly kissed her face on a number of occasions, slapped her bottom and made comments about her weight.

Sir Philip also allegedly drew attention to the dreadlocks of a senior male executive in front of other staff, and referred to him 'throwing spears in the jungle'.

Sir Philip was accused of groping a female member of staff and silencing her with an NDA

And it was reported he was told not to come any closer by a woman whose face he is said to have grabbed, allegedly dragged another senior female staff member around in a headlock and allegedly smashed a male staff member's mobile phone in an aggressive dressing down.

In all five cases, the employees had agreed to keep the details of their complaints confidential under NDAs.

Sir Philip obtained the injunction, but he dropped it because it was 'pointless' after he was named in Parliament as the businessman behind an injunction against the newspaper.

Lawyers representing the Topshop owner said the decision was prompted by Lord Hain's identification of Sir Philip in the House of Lords in October last year, a day after the Telegraph ran a front-page story saying it was prevented from naming a 'mystery businessman'.

Earlier this month, the body in charge of removing honours has said for the first time that it was examining a request to strip Sir Philip Green of his knighthood.

Frank Field, chairman of the work and pensions select committee, wrote to the Honours Forfeiture Committee in February to make the request.

Earlier this month, the body in charge of removing honours has said for the first time that it was examining a request to strip Sir Philip Green of his knighthood

He received a reply saying the committee has had sight of his letter, a response it had not given previously.

Mr Field said: Theyre getting closer. Ive never had this kind of response before. I wrote to the chair and it looks as though the whole committee has had sight of the letter.

The MP also helped to hold Sir Philip to account after the collapse of BHS. Sir Philip eventually agreed to pay 363million towards filling the pension deficit.

Sir Philip's reputation was left in tatters by the collapse of former high-street staple BHS in 2016, after being considered the king of retail for years.

Brought up in south London, Sir Philip was sent to a private school in Berkshire and went straight into wholesaling shoes and selling jeans.

A bold, brash wheeler-dealer, he made his name when buying and carving up the Sears empire in the late 1990s.

In 2002, he bought Arcadia, the parent company that controls Topshop, Topman, Burton, Dorothy Perkins and Miss Selfridge.

Other notable events in his career include a failed 9 billion bid to buy iconic high street chain Marks and Spencer in 2004.

Sir Philip was awarded the knighthood in 2006 for services to the retail industry.

But he is perhaps best-known for his role in the demise of BHS.

The collapse of the retailer in April 2016 left 11,000 people out of work and a 571 million black hole in its pensions fund.
The US Census Bureau has enlisted the help of Facebook, Google and Twitter to defend it from a 'fake news' offensive they think could stop immigrants taking part.

The agency worries that right-wingers and foreign actors may copy from the 'playbook' of the last presidential election to dissuade immigrants from taking part in the crucial decennial count in 2020.

They believe they could be targeted because the census shapes U.S. election districts and the allocation of more than $800 billion a year in federal spending.

Sources close to the bureau said evidence included increasing chatter on platforms like 4chan - a hotbed of far-right thinkers - by domestic and foreign networks keen to undermine the survey.

The US Census Bureau believe they could be targeted by the sorts of nefarious groups who spread fake news during the 2016 general election

Senator Dianne Feinstein and Senator Pat Leahy show a fake news post as representatives of Twitter, Facebook and Google testify at Capitol Hill in 2017, over alleged Russian interference

Ron Jarmin, the Deputy Director of the Census Bureau, confirmed the bureau was anticipating disinformation campaigns, and was enlisting the help of big tech companies to fend off the threat.

'We expect that (the census) will be a target for those sorts of efforts in 2020,' he said.

Census Bureau officials have held multiple meetings with tech companies since 2017 to discuss ways they could help, including as recently as last week, Jarmin said.

So far, the bureau has gotten initial commitments from Alphabet Inc's Google, Twitter Inc and Facebook Inc to help quash disinformation campaigns online, according to documents summarizing some of those meetings reviewed by Reuters.

But neither Census nor the companies have said how advanced any of the efforts are.

Facebook spokesman Andy Stone confirmed the meetings with Census, but did not provide details of any agreed action. Twitter and Google declined to comment.

The bureau has also embarked on an online landgrab to control census look-alike websites, according to Census officials. These sites could end up in the hands of people who want to dissuade some portions of the population from responding to the survey.

'We came up with a list of 20 to 30 URLs that we wanted to make sure we owned,' said Census spokesman Stephen Buckner, adding the bureau had done the same before the 2010 count 'to mitigate confusion about where to go.'

Census controls at least two non-government websites with 'census' in the name - 2020census.com and 2020census.org - through marketing firm Reingold, Buckner said.

The Census Bureau, until now, has kept mostly mum about how it plans to counter disinformation.

The efforts highlight the challenges posed by the internet age to the decennial gathering of data on Americas population.

So-called 'fake news' strategies can take myriad forms, according to cyber experts: posing as a demographic group to convey false information under the guise of advocacy; spreading false data by doctoring ads and news stories; or circulating bogus information to drum up fear and opposition.

Google Inc. signage is displayed on an office building inside the Googleplex headquarters in Mountain View, California

Facebook have been contacted by the US Census Bureau, sources at the agency claim

Jarmin said activists could target the census 'mostly through attempts to get them to not participate, either by scaring them or telling them its not important, or that something they had already done - like paying their taxes - had completed the census.'

Former Census Director John Thompson, who left the bureau in 2017, remembers his first briefing about the disinformation threat - shortly after the 2016 presidential election - and said it was the bureaus catalyst to act.

Thompson said he had invited data expert Danah Boyd to speak to top officials in 2016.

Boyd, who stylizes her name lowercase, said she was seeing chatter on the dark web in white supremacist and other communities about wanting to disrupt the count, according to Thompson and two other people in the room, who declined to be named.

Boyd declined to be interviewed about her presentation.

Thompson declined to provide details of threats outlined at the meeting, but called them 'chilling.'

One of the sources present said Boyd discussed efforts by 'far-right actors and foreign governments' to use disinformation campaigns to discourage minorities from participating.

A year later, the Census Bureau organized a forum in Silicon Valley, partly about the 2020 disinformation threat, which was attended by Boyd, locally elected officials and representatives from tech companies including Twitter, Uber Technologies and Microsoft Corp.

During that gathering, Census officials also visited Facebook and Google campuses to meet with executives.

Twitter are among the three tech giants Census officials say they have recruited to help them fight a 2016-style fake news campaign

According to notes from the 2017 meetings reviewed by Reuters, Google told Census it would consider creating a bespoke census-related search project. Twitter also agreed to help mitigate misinformation, according to the notes.

At a meeting with Facebook, Census officials discussed allowing the company to join conversations between Census and the U.S. Department of Defense about security; creating Facebook groups on census topics; and training Census workers through Facebook technology, according to the notes.

Census has held subsequent meetings with these companies, including as recently as this month, according to Census officials.

It remains unclear how many of these ideas Census and tech companies have put into action.

Census' Jarmin said: 'There were some hits from those meetings, and some things that didn't pan out.'
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Residents in north-west London are furious after a site earmarked for development has been left filled with a sea of rubbish for nearly a month after travellers set up camp in a car park.

Among the items abandoned on the land, just behind the library in Stanmore, were gas canisters and builders' waste, according to locals.

The travellers broke into the site on March 2 after removing a concrete bollard from an adjoining Lidl supermarket car park.

Harrow Council confirmed they are aware of the illegally dumped waste in Stanmore, north-west London, but said it is not responsible for its removal

Several tonnes of rubbish have been dumped by travellers who broke into a car park on March 2

The massive pile of waste was dumped on a site next to former council-run care home, Anmer Lodge

The travellers parked on the site for eight days but left behind a large amount of contaminated waste, pictured

Local MP Bob Blackman has expressed his outrage at the illegal dumping which is covering a site planned for housing

They remained there in eight caravans for eight days before being removed.

An image posted on Inside Edgware's Facebook page shows around 15 tonnes of waste on the site.

The posting was titled, 'The Stanmore encampment has now been removed however, the owner has unfortunately been left with all this flytipping!!'

One commenter wrote: 'Soon be a rat town. Yuck.' Another simply said: 'Tsunami?' - while others have labelled the scene 'disgraceful'.

A planning application was lodged with Harrow Council five years ago to turn the 2.65acre site - including the since-demolished council-owned care home Anmer Lodge - into around 120 housing units and a Marks & Spencer Simply Food store.

However, the regeneration site, owned by Notting Hill Genesis (formerly Notting Hill Housing) has been slow to move the project forward, much to the frustration of residents and shop owners.

The latest development involving the flytipping has exacerbated the situation, with one poster on Facebook remarking, 'About time something is built on that land... no sympathy for the owner'.

One local, who wished to remain anonymous (and speaks Romanian), said that a burly Romanian man had been standing guard at the site with a dog to prevent anyone from entering. He also claimed four puppies were found in a cardboard box on the site.

The council is unable to remove the waste as it is on private land.

A Harrow Council spokesperson told MailOnline: 'We hate fly-tips just as much as our residents do. We aim to clear up fly-tips on public land within 48 hours at the latest, and we do everything we can to catch and punish those who criminally blight our beautiful borough.

'Unfortunately, we are powerless for both legal and financial reasons to take action by ourselves when the fly-tipping is on private land, such as this.

A planning application was lodged with Harrow Council five years ago to turn the 2.65acre site - including the since-demolished council-owned care home Anmer Lodge - into around 120 housing units and a Marks & Spencer Simply Food store

A large concrete barrier has been placed at the entrance to the site to prevent the travellers from returning to the area

Notting Hill Genesis, which owns the site, said it is in the process of finding a contractor who can clear the rubbish

'However, we do stand ready to assist any Harrow landowner who wants our help, either cleaning up fly-tipping, or taking action to prevent it happening in the future.

'While we do what we can to fight back against fly-tippers  residents can help us. Please make sure you aren't giving your waste to a rogue who's going to dump it round the corner.

'Always check ask to see a Waste Carriers Licence  you can also find details of who's registered on the Environment Agency website. And remember - if someone from the council visits you, they will never ask for cash and will always present an ID.'

A spokesperson for Notting Hill Genesis told MailOnline: 'We have not yet been able to have the site cleared. We are in the process of procuring a contractor to carry out the work.

'We liaised with the police on the matter. We then sought a possession order from the court, as is standard practice in these cases, which was enforced on March 8.

Residents have complained that the developer is taking too long to proceed with the home building plans

The site's owners went to court after the travellers moved to secure a court order to force the trespassers to leave

'We were notified of the trespassing on Monday, March 4, but we understand they had gained access on Saturday March 2. Approximately six vehicles were on site, but we do not know how many people were in each vehicle.'

Since the planning application, the development has been mired in controversy, with some neighbours claiming not to have been consulted, and calling the entire project a 'nightmare' in terms of traffic congestion.

Councillor Marilyn Ashton said that although she welcomes an M&S store in the area, she too is concerned about the impact on traffic - and said that the Notting Hill group has taken far too long to move the project forwards.

Earlier this week, shoppers were left stunned after a group of travellers took over the car park of a Tesco store in Wembley, also in north-west London.

At least 12 caravans, mobile homes and vans were left over scores of parking spaces meant for customers at the store, which is less than a mile from the famous Wembley Stadium.

Women from the group were seen pushing babies around in shopping trolleys on Monday after appearing from their homes in dressing gowns.

Photos from the scene showed mobile homes parked across multiple parking spaces while vans blocked the routes around the car park.

A worker at the retail park said the group packed up and left the same afternoon, after their appearance at the site was reported on MailOnline.
James Alex Fields Jr, 21, pleaded guilty to 29 of 30 federal charges, relating to the 'Unite the Right' rally in Charlottesville, in 2017

A self-proclaimed white supremacist and Hitler admirer who murdered a woman when he intentionally drove his car into a crowd of anti-racism protesters in Virginia escaped the death penalty Wednesday by admitting hate crime charges.

James Alex Fields Jr, 21, pleaded guilty to 29 of 30 federal charges, relating to the 'Unite the Right' rally in Charlottesville on August 12, 2017.

Striking a plea agreement, prosecutors agreed to cease their pursuit of the death penalty, dismissing the one charge that carried the punishment as a possibility.

An emotionless Fields sat with his hands folded in front of him for much of the hearing, virtually remaining silent, except for repeatedly responding 'yes, sir,' when US District Judge Michael Urbanski asked him if he was pleading guilty knowingly and voluntarily.

He also admitted he 'expressed and promoted' white supremacist ideology online and engaged in pro-Neo Nazi chanting at the Charlottesville rally.

Fields additionally confirmed he intentionally drove his car into a crowd of protesters, because of their ethnically diverse mixture of race, religion and national origin.

The charges for which Fields pleaded guilty to carry the possibility of life in prison. He is set to re-appear in court for sentencing in July.

Fields was convicted in December of first-degree murder and other state charges after he drove his car into counter-demonstrators gathered near the rally in 2017 (pictured)

Heather Heyer, 32, was killed in the vicious attack

The 'Unite the Right' rally drew hundreds of white nationalists to Charlottesville to protest the planned removal of a statue of Confederate Gen Robert E Lee.

Hundreds more turned out to protest against the white nationalists.

Fields was convicted in December of first-degree murder and other state charges for killing anti-racism activist Heather Heyer, 32, and injuring dozens of others when he drove his car into counter-demonstrators gathered near the rally.

A jury found that Fields intentionally plowed his car into a crowd of people protesting against the white nationalists.

President Trump sparked a national uproar when he blamed the violence at the rally on 'both sides', and insisted there were 'fine people' protesting against the statue's removal too.

Critics saw the president's statement as a refusal to publicly condemn racism.

'I think there is blame on both sides,' Trump said to reporters in New York, shortly after the chaos ensued.

'What about the 'alt-left' that came charging at, as you say, the 'alt-right,' do they have any semblance of guilt?" Trump asked. 'You had a group on one side that was bad and you had a group on the other side that was also very violent. nobody wants to say it, but I will say it right now.'

The 'Unite the Right' rally drew hundreds of white nationalists to Charlottesville to protest the planned removal of a statue of Confederate Gen Robert E Lee

Fields' car in the aftermath of the deadly ramming-raid

In a private message to a friend on Instagram, Fields gloated about the attack in a meme

The car attack by Fields came after violent brawling between the two sides prompted police to disband the crowds.

During his state trial, prosecutors said Fields  who described himself on social media as an admirer of Adolf Hitler  drove his car directly into a crowd of counter-protesters because he was angry after witnessing earlier clashes between the two groups.

The jury rejected a claim by Fields lawyers that he acted in self-defense because he feared for his life after witnessing the earlier violence.

More than 30 people were hurt in the car attack. Some who received life-altering injuries described them in anguished detail during the state trial.

After Fields' admission of guilt, US Attorney Thomas Cullen said he hoped the moment will now help the victims move on with their lives.

'The defendant's hate-inspired act of domestic terrorism not only devastated Heather Heyer's wonderful family and the 28 peaceful protesters ... but it also left an indelible mark on the city of Charlottesville, our state and our country,' he said on Tuesday.

In his plea hearing on March 27, Fields responded to the Judges' questions to confirm he has been treated for a series of mental illnesses since he was six.

He said he's currently being medicated for bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, schizophrenia and ADHD.

Jurors in Fields state trial recommended a life sentence plus 419 years, although a judge still has to decide on the punishment. Sentencing is scheduled for July 15.

When asked if he daughter's death held significance, Heather's mother, Susan Bro, told CBS News: 'Sadly, it took a white girl dying before anyone paid attention to civil rights around here ... Heather's death is at least a catalyst for change.'

'I wish we would have woken up sooner,' she added.
A girl celebrating her 18th birthday plunged to her death along with her skydiving instructor after their parachute failed to deploy properly.

Vanessa Ivonne Melendez Cardenas had just turned 18 and on Sunday decided to celebrate with the 1,300-feet parachute jump over Tequesquitengo, in Morelos, Mexico.

Shocking video filmed from the ground shows the moment the high school student and her instructor, Mauricio Gutierrez Castillo, 34, rapidly descend from the sky.

The footage shows at least four skydivers descending from the sky.

Vanessa Ivonne Melendez Cardenas had just turned 18 and decided to celebrate it by going skydiving in the Mexican state of Morelos

A man at the campsite filmed the moment Melendez Cardenas and her skydiving instructor (pictured inside the red circle) plummeted from the sky

Family members look over the bodies of Vanessa Ivonne Melendez Cardenas and her instructor Mauricio Gutierrez Castillo moments after the pair crashed to the ground while skydiving

The man then asks a girl that is accompanying if 'Liz' is about to land, perhaps referring to Melendez Cardenas.

'My God, I hope that's Liz come this way,' he says after another person is close to landing.

A short while later, the man notices that 'Liz' is not among the group of skydivers.

It's unknown if the male was related to Melendez Cardenas.

The bodies of Melendez Cardenas and Gutierrez Castillo were found in a grass field

Authorities found the bodies of Melendez Cardenas and Gutierrez Castillo in a grass field.

The Mexican skydiving company who organised the jump insists that the fatal fall was not an accident caused by malfunctioning equipment.

Jorge Gaitan, the director of Albatros Parachuting instead said it was caused by one of the two victims.

'It wasn't equipment failure or anything like that,' he said. 'It surely had to do with someone who was on that flight, who manipulated and activated the release mechanism.'

The skydiving company, which doesn't offer insurance to the skydivers because it is considered an extreme sport, said the parachute's release was activated at an altitude where 'it was impossible for the parachute to respond.'

Gutierrez Castillo was an experienced instructor with over 4,500 parachute jumps.

'That doesn't end up happening by accident: it is caused by a human. We are in those investigations. We still do not know what happened,' Gaitan added.
There must be something in the water at a North Carolina fire department where the wives of seven firefighters are expecting babies.

Photographer Brianna Mitschele said she learned of the baby boom at the Salisbury Fire Department after investigating an influx of pregnancy announcements on Facebook.

'I had to snatch up this opportunity to capture such a special time in this departments history,' she wrote on her website.

'I asked all of the lovely ladies if this is something they would be interested in and they were all for it, so we planned a date and made some magic happen!'

The wives of seven firefighters with the Salisbury Fire Department in North Carolina who are expecting babies through the fall posed for an adorable maternity shoot at the station

The mothers-to-be stepped into their husband's fire gear for the creative shoot as the department prepares to add seven little recruits to its ranks from now through September

Photographer Brianna Mitschele made a onesie for each mother with their baby's name and the number of the station where their dad works

Mitschele made a onesie for each mother with their baby's name and the number of the station where their dad works. She also asked the moms to bring their own props.

Adorable photos show the seven expecting moms dressed in firefighter gear proudly cradling their bumps.

'We took a bunch of fun group shots during the session,' Mitschele wrote, 'and right when we were finishing up, the rescue truck received a medical call and left with their lights flashing and blaring the air horn.'

She said two firefighters at the station recently welcomed little ones in December and February, and that the next 'little recruit' is expected within the week.

The remaining babies are due in April, May, June, August and September. Mitschele said six of the seven women are first-time moms.

One mom is due next week, followed by the others in April, May, June, August and September

The personalized onesies are seen laying on top of each baby's dad's firefighting gear

Mitschele shared the story behind the maternity shoot on her website last weekend

A hospital in Maine is currently gearing up for an even bigger baby bonanza as nine of its nurses in the labor and delivery unit are expecting babies in the next few months.

Maine Medical Center announced the exciting news in a Facebook post on Monday featuring eight of the nine nurses and their respective bumps.

The army of infants is expected to arrive throughout April and July.
A man serving a life sentence for fatally shooting seven people at a small Northern California vocational college has died in prison.

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said Wednesday that 50-year-old One Goh died at California State Prison-Sacramento on March 20.

CDCR spokeswoman Vicky Waters said a cause of death hasn't been determined.

She did not respond to requests for more details.

Goh was also convicted of injuring three people during the April 2012 shooting at the Christian-affiliated Oikos University in Oakland.

One Goh died at California State Prison-Sacramento on March 20, it was announced on Wednesday

Police said Goh was angry with school administrators for expelling him and refusing to refund his tuition.

Goh pleaded no contest to murder charges in 2017 after a judge declared him mentally competent to stand trial after previously finding him unfit in 2013 and 2015.

Doctors had previously determined that he suffered from paranoid schizophrenia.

A Presbyterian minister from South Korea founded Oikos University as a vocational school in 2004.

Goh walked onto the school campus April 2, 2012, with a .45-caliber handgun and took the school receptionist hostage.

He took her to a classroom where he fatally shot her and six students and wounded three others.

He then stole a car belonging to one of his victims and drove to a nearby grocery store and surrendered to employees, who called police.

Investigators say Goh plotted to kill an administrator who refused to refund Goh's tuition after he quit the Christian college.

Oakland Police officers are seen above covering bodies of victims of the April 2012 shooting at Oikos University in Oakland, California

Unbeknownst to Goh, that administrator had resigned shortly after he dropped out.

Doctors testified that Goh falsely believed administrators and teachers were conspiring against him.

The victims were identified as Grace Kim, 23, of Union City; Doris Chibuko, 40, of San Leandr; Tshering Rinzing Bhutia, 38, of San Francisco; Judith Seymour, 53, of San Jose; Lydia Sim, 21, of Hayward; and 33-year-old Sonam Chodon of El Cerrito.

School secretary Katleen Ping, 24, was also shot dead at the Oakland school.
The National Rifle Association's propaganda campaign against Australia's gun laws has resurfaced in the wake of the One Nation hidden camera scandal.

The 2015 report by the American gun lobby group, titled 'Australia: There Will Be Blood', argued Australia's gun control advocates were 'fanatics' campaigning for the 'destruction of personal freedom'.

It comes after Al Jazeera broadcast its undercover investigation exposing recordings of One Nation officials asking American pro-gun groups for millions of dollars to help the party relax gun control in Australia.

The party's Queensland leader Steve Dickson and chief-of-staff James Ashby travelled to the U.S. on a fundraising mission in September last year, when Dickson was filmed saying his party could 'change Australia' if it were given money.

Undercover recordings by Al Jazeera were leaked this week, showing Steven Dickson (left) and James Ashby (right) meeting senior NRA officials seeking their help to soften Australia's gun control laws

But Ashby and Dickson have since come out claiming they were drunk when the conversations took place, saying they were 'on the sauce'.

The bizarre propaganda article published on the NRA website in 2015 refers heavily to the Australian government's response to the Port Arthur Massacre, claiming that John Howard's gun control buyback was actually 'a mass confiscation.'

The piece is even illustrated with a bandage in the shape of Australia soaked in blood.

It slams then-Prime Minister John Howard's swift action on gun control, saying the Australian government 'seized firearms from law-abiding citizens - leaving them helpless against the attentions of armed criminals.'

It also takes aim at then-president Barrack Obama's admiration for Australia's gun control after he cited the success of Australian gun laws, and said the US would follow in our foot steps.

It quotes him as saying: '[Australia] said well, were going to completely change our gun laws; and they did. And it hasnt happened since'.

But the NRA article claims his reasoning was a 'naive portrayal', and 'disingenuous'.

It goes on to point out the few Australians who were against gun reform post-Port Arthur, 'to paint it as the product of a national consensus is an insult to those Australians who were furiously opposed to being disarmed by their government.'

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson with Gun Rights Australia president and Al Jazeera undercover reporter Rodger Muller in May 2018

The 2015 piece also cites the findings of 'investigative reporter' Ginny Simone, although it should be noted that Simone was hardly working independently, and her work was written for the NRA's own news outlets.

The report puts a heavy focus on Simone's investigation into into the Australians who were inconvenienced by our government's gun control reforms, but fails to mention the positive effects on any of the families of the victims of the 35 people killed in Port Arthur.

The report attempts to reflect the feelings of the Australian population by citing Ms Simone's investigation into an Australian man who was 'unhappy his 40 years of gun collecting' was threatened.

A separate but similar report also posted by the NRA quotes Griffith University researcher Samara McPhedran as saying 'mass shootings have been such a rare event historically' and that 'its incredibly difficult to perform a reliable statistical test on such rare event'

A 2015 propaganda report by the NRA has been dug up online, describing Australians as 'fanatics' and 'zealots', while rubbishing our gun control laws

The NRA report insinuates there was no correlation between Australia's low levels of gun crime and stricter laws following Port Arthur.

However, a report made in 2016 by Sydney University researchers found that firearms deaths were declining at around 3 per cent annually in the 18 years up to 1996 - and this actually wen up to 5 per cent annually after stricter laws were put in place.

Meanwhile, One Nation leader Pauline Hanson is also facing serious questions of her own after appearing to insinuate the 1996 Port Arthur massacre was a government conspiracy.

Among the hidden camera footage released by Al Jazeera, Senator Hanson can be heard saying she had 'a lot of questions' about Port Arthur.

'An MP said it would actually take a massacre in Tasmania to change the gun laws in Australia,' Senator Hanson told Al Jazeera reporter Rodger Muller.

Senator Hanson broke her silence on Wednesday, saying she was shocked and disgusted with the 'hit piece' by Qatari TV network Al Jazeera.

The One Nation leader has been suffering from a tick bite on her face for the past week, but is expected to go public on Thursday.

In a chat with the One Nation team in their hotel lobby, Mr Ashby (pictured) is thought to be heard saying that US$20 million in donations to One Nation from US pro-gun lobbyists would give them parliamentary influence in Australia

The scandal comes two days after footage was released by Al Jazeera, showing One Nations' Steven Dickson and James Ashby meeting with the NRA.

Before that meeting, Mr Ashby was recorded saying he was going to ask for $20million.

One Nation wanted their overseas mission to be kept secret and Mr Ashby said if people found out 'it'll f*****g rock the boat.'

The secret recordings suggested Senator Hanson was aware of the visit but decided not to go herself, saying she was focused on campaigning in Australia.

But the party was exposed by undercover reporter Rodger Muller working for Qatari news network Al-Jazeera.

Over the course of three years, Mr Muller posed as the founder of a fake lobby group called Gun Rights Australia.

He became friendly with NRA and One Nation officials, arranged meetings between them and secretly filmed them.
Piers Morgan has lashed out at Australian senator Fraser Anning over comments he made following the Christchurch mosque massacre.

Appearing on the Today show on Thursday, the MailOnline columnist and editor-at-large said he was disgusted by Mr Anning, who blamed Muslims for the New Zealand terror attack in which 50 people lost their lives.

'I think I would struggle not to punch him in the face,' Piers said when asked what his first question would be if Mr Anning appeared on his own breakfast show, Good Morning Britain.

Piers Morgan (pictured) said he was shocked that someone with Mr Annings' mentality was able to get elected

'I know it's something he likes to do to young teenagers when they confront him about his disgusting racism.'

Piers said he was shocked that someone with Mr Annings' mentality was able to get elected.

'What he did - in basically blaming Muslims in what happened to them that day - was a monstrosity,' he said.

Politics was a hot topic throughout the fiery morning interview, as Piers also slammed Australia's hard-right One Nation party, which is accused of seeking donations from US gun lobby group the National Rifle Association ahead of the upcoming general election.

Piers said he welcomed the furore which has erupted following the release of Al Jazeera's hidden camera documentary 'How To Sell A Massacre', which showed One Nation chief of staff James Ashby discussing how to promote guns to Australians.

Mr Anning (left) infamously punched teenager Will Connolly (right) in the head after he smashed an egg over the senator's head during a press conference

Mr Anning was widely criticised following the release of his statement after the Christchurch attack.

'The real cause of the bloodshed on New Zealand streets today is the immigration program which allowed Muslim fanatics to migrate to New Zealand in the first place, Mr Anning wrote.

Mr Anning then punched teenager Will Connolly after the teenager smashed an egg over the senator's head during a press conference.
An Australian former student who fled the country to join Islamic State has been captured by Kurdish forces in Syria.

Mahir Absar Alam, from Melbourne, was caught just outside Baghouz in eastern Syria, the last piece of territory held by the terrorist group.

The 26-year-old is being detained by US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces and is now the first Australian man caught during ISIS' last military stand, The Australian reported.

Mahir Absar Alam (pictured), from Melbourne, was caught just outside Baghouz in eastern Syria - a squalid, makeshift camp and the last piece of territory held by the terrorist group

A former Australian university student who fled the country to join Islamic State has been captured by Kurdish forces in Syria (Pictured: Syrian Democratic Forces)

Alam posted a message to Facebook as recently as March 6.

'New journey,' he wrote.

It is believed Alam has married since fleeing Australia, but his wife isn't an Australian citizen.

The former university student left the country to join ISIS in 2014 with three other Melbourne men, just four weeks after the terrorist group launched its caliphate.

The Australian-born grew up in Loxton, in South Australia, and does not hold citizenship in any other country.

After graduation high school he moved to Melbourne to study and was an aspiring DJ.

A source told The Australian that Alam had expressed regret over joining ISIS.

The 26-year-old (pictured) is being detained by US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces and is now the first Australian man caught during ISIS' last military stand

Alam reportedly travelled to Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, Greece and Turkey before he entered ISIS territory and forfeited his passport.

He now faces spending time in a prison camp in Syria, and could be taken to Iraq for trial or possibly be deported back to Australia where he could be prosecuted.

The 26-year-old entered the Islamic State with Suhan Rahman, Mahmoud Abdullatif. Both are now believed to be dead.

Abdullatif left behind wife Zehra Duman, who has since begged to return to Australia, claiming her two children have the right to be treated like 'normal kids'.

US-born Hoda Muthana was married to Rahman until his death in 2015. She is also in a camp but cannot return to America because she is not a citizen.
The Greens have unveiled their radical plan to ban coal despite it bringing Australia more than $66billion every year.

The party on Thursday released a new climate plan, which sets 2030 as the target year for the nation to be running on 100 per cent renewable energy.

The policy - which comes with a call to arms from Swedish school student Greta Thunberg - shows how the Greens would push a Labor government if elected in May.

Leader Richard Di Natale on Thursday unveiled the Greens' radical plan to stop the coal industry despite it bringing Australia more than $25billion every year

Greens leader Richard Di Natale described coal as 'the new asbestos', saying the party wants to shut down every coal power plant in New South Wales, The Daily Telegraph reported.

'We once used asbestos in our buildings because we thought it was safe. But we now know better, so we have banned it. Now it is coal's turn,' the Greens' policy stated.

The party wants to put an end to thermal coal burning by setting a yearly limit on coal exports from 2020 and reducing it every year until it hits zero in 2030.

At the same time, the party is pushing for the nation to be running on 100 per cent renewable energy by the time the coal industry ceases trading.

The plan would include a $65billion carbon tax, and an immediate ban on new coal mines, fracking and conventional onshore and offshore gas and oilfields.

Industry experts said the economy will suffer under the plan.

Coal was the highest earning export commodity in Australia last year, accounting for $66million in revenue, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics figures.

Last financial year, coals exports brought the NSW economy about $17billion, with thermal coal exports reaching 164.6million tonnes.

NSW Mining CEO Stephen Galilee told Daily Mail Australia the overall economic cost of banning coal would send the state into a deep economic recession.

The minor party on Thursday released a new climate policy, which sets to ban coal burning and move toward becoming a nation that uses 100 per cent renewable energy

Greens leader Richard Di Natale (pictured) has denied his party's plan to shut down all coal-fired power stations and phase out thermal coal exports will cost Australians jobs

'The Greens policy would cost NSW its most valuable export industry and over $17billion in export income, as well as over $2billion a year in mining royalties, which help pay for schools and hospitals.

'Over 20,000 NSW coal miners would lose their jobs, devastating mining families and communities, and over 130,000 more jobs across NSW would also be potentially affected,' Mr Galilee said.

The CEO said more than 7,000 businesses currently part of the mining supply chain would also be hit, threatening even more jobs.

'Electricity supply to families and businesses across NSW would also be at risk of price rises and blackouts which would affect a range of energy-intensive industries including manufacturing, transport and construction,' he said.

Mr Di Natale has denied his party's plan to shut down all coal-fired power stations and phase out thermal coal exports will cost Australians jobs.

The plan - which comes with a call to arms from Swedish school student Greta Thunberg (pictured) - shows how the Greens would push a Labor government if elected in May

As part of the Greens' plan, the party wants the nation to invest in renewable energy sources

The Greens want a $1billion transition plan for workers affected by banning coal, which Mr Di Natale believes will create more than 170,000 new jobs.

'We will lose no jobs because under our plan we will have a national authority, a publicly-owned authority, with express intent to manage this transition,' he told ABC Radio National on Thursday.

'The reality is this is happening already, people are going to lose their jobs because the economics are making it so.'

Mr Di Natale said unlike the major parties, the Greens planned to create a jobs boom in the renewable energy export industry.

Senator Di Natale said the mining and burning of coal remained the single biggest cause of climate change in Australia and around the world

As part of the plan, the Greens want the nation to stop using gas - despite experts saying the energy source is an essential part of future energy sources.

Phasing out petrol cars and moving to electric vehicles was another key objective mentioned in the Greens idealistic plan.

Luxury fossil fuel cars would be hit with a 17 per cent tax to help pay for scrapping registration fees, import tariffs, GST and stamp duty on electric vehicles.

The Greens have also proposed establishing a new public energy retailer and re-regulating electricity prices to address price gouging following the coal ban.

Mr Di Natale said the mining and burning of coal remained the single biggest cause of climate change in Australia and around the world.

'You need the Greens in the Senate to push Labor to make sure we do what needs to be done,' he said.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mr Di Natale's office for comment.
The public are at risk because of major flaws in a flagship scheme to tackle re-offending, a watchdog warned yesterday.

Supervision of freed criminals who pose a threat is sub-standard, and much of it poor, according to the damning report. It said 80 per cent of the part-private community rehabilitation companies that monitor 200,000 medium and low-risk offenders were inadequate.

Dame Glenys Stacey, the chief inspector of probation, said there were too few officers, over-reliance on unqualified staff, flawed IT systems and judges had lost confidence in community sentences.

Dame Glenys Stacey also said there were too few officers, over-reliance on unqualified staff, flawed IT systems and judges had lost confidence in community sentences

The report also found that 80 per cent of companies that monitor the 200,000 medium- and low-risk offenders were inadequate

The withering annual report from Dame Glenys is her last before stepping down in May. She said: If probation services are delivered well, there would be less reoffending, fewer people living on the streets, and fewer confused and lonely children, with a smaller number taken into care.

Men, women and children currently afraid of assault could lead happier, safer lives.

The scathing criticisms will make embarrassing reading for the Ministry of Justice, which shook up the regime for managing criminals in the community in 2014.

Under the flagship 3.7billion Transforming Rehabilitation programme, then justice secretary Chris Grayling created a National Probation Service to deal with high-risk offenders, while the remaining work went to 21 CRCs.

Under a payment-by-results scheme, the companies check whether criminals are meeting court requirements as well as helping rehabilitate them.

Chris Grayling created a National Probation Service in a 3.7billion 'Transformation Rehabilitation' programme to deal with high-risk offenders

Dame Glenys said while probation is a professional, complex service, contracts 'treat it largely as a transactional business'

But the firms claim they were given fewer offenders to supervise than they were promised, making the deals unviable. The cost of reoffending to society is 15billion a year.

Dame Glenys said: Probation is a complex social service, with professional judgement at its heart, but probation contracts treat it largely as a transactional business.

Consequently, there has been a deplorable diminution of the probation profession and a widespread move away from good practice.

Prisons and probation minister Rory Stewart said: I am grateful for this incisive report, which redoubles my determination to continue working towards a probation service that puts public protection first, commands the confidence of the courts and breaks the cycle of reoffending.

But Liberal Democrat justice spokesman Wera Hobhouse said last night: Weve seen many damning reports about Chris Graylings probation reforms, but none as excoriating as this.

The chief inspector is absolutely right to say that we need a whole new approach to rehabilitation.
A woman who pleaded guilty to pushing her 16-year-old friend from a bridge at a popular swimming area near Vancouver broke down in tears after she was sentenced on Wednesday to two days in jail and 38 days on a county work crew.

Clark County District Court Judge Darvin Zimmerman sentenced 19-year-old Tay'lor Smith on Wednesday, saying she should do some jail time in light of Jordan Holgerson's serious injuries.

Smith pleaded guilty earlier this month to misdemeanor reckless endangerment as part of a plea agreement.

Smith pushed Holgerson off the bridge Aug. 7 at Moulton Falls northeast of Vancouver.

Tay'lor Smith, 19, fights back tears as she is escorted out of the courtroom in handcuffs after being sentenced at the Clark County Courthouse in Vancouver, Washington on Wednesday

Judge Darvin Zimmerman (left) listens to comments from survivor Jordan Holgerson (center) as Smith (right) looks on during Smith's sentencing

Jordan Holgerson is seen above at the hearing on Wednesday. She is flanked by her grandfather, Richard Doran (far left); her friend, Ryan Anderson (second from right); and her mother, Genelle Holgerson

Video posted on YouTube that was widely viewed shows Holgerson being pushed.

The 50-foot fall broke Holgerson's ribs, caused severe bruising and punctured her lungs.

Footage of the ordeal, which quickly went viral, showed Jordan standing on top of the bridge with a group of friends gathered behind her

One man can be heard on camera asking 'Ready?' before a female friend is seen shoving Jordan off the bridge

In court Wednesday she said she's still dealing with physical therapy, pain, anxiety and panic attacks.

Holgerson started to cry during her statement to the judge and an advocate then read it for her, saying Holgerson was terrified when she was pushed and when she was in the water thought she was going to die.

'We feel lucky today that she is alive,' Genelle Holgerson told the judge of the incident involving her daughter, adding that she'd like to see some jail time.

'It has cost me and my family lost wages not to mention stress and heartache.'

Smith apologized to Holgerson in court saying Holgerson has been in her thoughts and that she has and will continue to do her best to right her wrongs.

She broke down in tears when a deputy handcuffed her and led her out of the courtroom.


A painting thought for decades to have been a later copy of a Sandro Botticelli 15th-century masterpiece was actually created in the Italian Renaissance artists own studio, it was revealed last night.

English Heritage made the startling discovery about the picture in its collection after a painstaking two-year restoration of the work, Madonna of the Pomegranate.

The charity has yet to value the picture, a tondo or circular work. But it could now be worth millions were it ever to be put up for auction.

Rachel Turnbull of English Heritage pictured as she completes the conservation of Botticelli's famous painting

The oil painting Madonna of the Pomegranate, originally created in Botticelli's studio in Italy, was bought by millionaire Sir Julius Wernher in 1897

The oil painting, bought by millionaire Sir Julius Wernher in 1897, was on display at the Rangers House, a Georgian villa in Greenwich, south-east London, which houses his collection.

The picture was renovated because it started to flake  it was most recently restored in the mid-1800s  and was thick with varnish and surface dirt.

The most famous version of the Madonna of the Pomegranate was painted around 1497 and hangs in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy.

A detail of the painting which was cleaned and restored by the charity English Heritage

The one in the Wernher collection is smaller and features four angels rather than six. It was assumed to have been a later imitation. But X-ray testing, infrared studies and pigment analysis revealed that the painting is from the very workshop in Florence where Botticelli created his work.

Rachel Turnbull, of English Heritage, who spent 500 hours restoring the painting, said: Stylistically it was too similar to be an imitation, it was of the right period, it was technically correct and it was painted on poplar, a material commonly used.

Paintings viewed as solely the work of Botticelli surface rarely. His Madonna and Child with Young Saint John the Baptist sold for 7.9million  a record price for the artist  at a Christies auction in New York in 2013.
Woolworths have been forced to cancel orders and give customers refunds after a 50-per-cent-off freezer sale proved too popular.

Frozen food was slashed by half price in a 24-hour sale on March 14 but the Australian supermarket giant was unable to cope with such high demand.

Orders were cancelled because of the 'unprecedented number' of purchases, the supermarket said in an email from the customer service team.

Mother-of-two Kristy Rodgers is yet to receive a refund for her two cancelled orders after two weeks. Nappies for her six-month-old baby boy were part of her orders

Customers who haven't received their orders or refunds are encouraged to contact Woolworths to chase it up (stock image)

Mother-of-two Kristy Rodgers, from Lismore, northern New South Wales, made two orders totaling $97 including nappies for her six-month-old baby boy.

Woolworths was unable to complete her order and she is yet to be refunded two weeks later.

'I asked them if they could supply the non sale items and refund the rest but they said it had already been processed which it actually hadn't been,' she said.

'I just keep being told different things about when my money will be back.

'One hundred per cent they didn't know how many people were going to order and they didn't have stock to supply.'

She said the customer service team told her the refund would take 'three to five days' on March 22 but the items were still not refunded as of Thursday morning.

Mother-of-five Samantha Playford promised her kids treats that she couldn't deliver because Woolworths cancelled her order. She spent $60 which is half of her weekly grocery shop

Mother-of-five Samantha Playford, from Glendale, north of Newcastle, said Woolworths was 'blind if they didnt expect a big response'.

'It was just more frustrating that Id promised my kids treats that I couldnt deliver,' she said.

'$60 is about half my weekly shop so it was quite frustrating that the money just got taken and I had nothing to show for it.

'The worst part was the online team constantly telling me that my refund would be in three-five days.'

'Frustrating': Ms Playford said she was ignored by the Woolworths communication team and was left out of pocket with no groceries to show for it for two weeks

Ms Playford picked up her order two weeks after ordering them on Thursday with the half-price discount applied for selected items and a $25 gift card.

She said although she was frustrated by the communications team she can't fault her local store.

'Di from Glendale was amazing and very apologetic. She has also given me a gift card,' she said.

A Woolworths spokesman said 'demand for our freezer sale was unprecedented'.

'We have apologised to affected customers and refunded money back to their financial institutions in full,' he said.

'We would encourage customers who have yet to receive a refund or their order to call Woolworths.'
Bill Shorten has promised a Labor government led by him would make it easier for Chinese immigrants to bring their family to Australia.

The Opposition Leader made the pledge as he delivered an address to 500 Chinese-speaking voters on a WeChat live online forum.

If enacted, his social media promise could mark the biggest change to Australia's immigration system since 1996, when former Liberal prime minister John Howard changed the balance from family reunion to skilled migrants.

Bill Shorten (pictured with Labor candidate Jennifer Yang) has promised a Labor government led by him would make it easier for Chinese immigrants to bring their family to Australia

In a Wednesday WeChat audio message, seen by The Australian, Mr Shorten vowed to make it easier for immigrants to obtain visas for their ageing parents.

Under this new temporary sponsored visa, immigrants would be allowed to bring one set of parent to Australia.

'Labor wants to make sure you never have to pick which parents you want to bring to Australia,' Mr Shorten said on WeChat, in a forum where he gave one-minute audio answers to questions submitted and translated from Chinese.

A spokeswoman for Mr Shorten stressed a Labor government would not be returning to the immigration balance under former Labor prime minister Paul Keating, which favoured family reunion over skilled migration.

The Opposition Leader made the pledge as he delivered an address to 500 Chinese-speaking voters on the WeChat live streaming service (Chinese New Year in Sydney pictured)

'A temporary sponsored parent visa is a temporary visa and does not impact the permanent migration program,' she told Daily Mail Australia on Thursday.

'Labor has no plans to change the balance of the permanent migration program.'

Mr Shorten's bid for the Chinese vote was made just days after Labor lost the New South Wales election, following revelations the party's former state leader Michael Daley had told a politics in the pub forum at the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, that Asians were taking the jobs of young Australians.

'Our young children will flee and who are they being replaced with? They are being replaced by young people from typically Asia with PhDs,' the then-deputy Labor leader said in September last year.

'So there's a transformation happening in Sydney now where our kids are moving out and foreigners are moving in and taking their jobs.'

Mr Shorten gave answers on WeChat to Chinese voters

In the state election, Labor went backwards in the Liberal Party's most marginal seat of East Hills, in south-west Sydney, and also had a swing against it in nearby Oatley.

Both seats, with a high Asian population, overlap with the marginal federal Liberal electorate of Banks, which Immigration Minister David Coleman holds by a slender 1.4 per cent margin.

Mr Shorten has this week condemned Mr Daley's comments, after reportedly putting pressure on NSW Labor to stand down their former leader so his controversy wouldn't overshadow the ALP's federal campaign.

'I did make it clear, though, that those comments shouldn't have been said,' he said.

The federal Labor leader, who has a WeChat account, took questions from Chinese voters about Mr Daley, refugee policy and China's rise as a global superpower.
The widow of a Brooklyn millionaire landlord whose charred body was found in a Long Island dumpster reacted with shock and anger on Wednesday after a man convicted for his role in the killing received a relatively light sentence.

I will forever be haunted by the image of my husbands end, a tearful Bashie Stark, 44, said in Brooklyn Superior Court on Wednesday.

Our lives will never be the same.

Shortly after Stark spoke, Kings County Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun sentenced Kendall Felix to between two-and-one-thirds and seven years in prison.

Bashie Stark, 44, cries as she delivers an impact statement in Brooklyn Supreme Court on Wednesday

Stark is the widow of Menachem Stark, the 39-year-old father of seven children who died in a botched kidnap-and-extortion plot in January 2014

Yenti Hershkovitz, 40, Menachem Stark's sister-in-law, also addressed the court on Wednesday

They spoke during the sentencing hearing for Kendall Felix (above), who pleaded guilty to second-degree conspiracy and first-degree hindering prosecution

Felix bought the gasoline and burned Starks body after the Hasidic businessman had been kidnapped and killed by cousins Kendel Felix and Erskine Felix.

Kendall Felix pleaded guilty to second-degree conspiracy and first-degree hindering prosecution, according to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.

In exchange for his guilty plea, he was given a relatively lenient sentence.

I feel that its way too little, said Menachem Starks sister-in-law, Yenti Hershkovitz.

The man ruined a living familys life. No one asked him to burn the body.

Cruel beyond words. I believe he deserves a lot more.

Chun said he decided on the lenient sentence because of Kendall Felixs age and his college degree.

I was also convinced that this defendant was not the mastermind for many, many reasons, the judge said.

Felix (left) admitted to authorities that he bought gasoline and then used it to incinerate the body of Menachem Stark (right)

This defendant is not the mastermind behind the planning to kidnap Mr. Stark in this case.

In January 2014, Menachem Stark, a 39-year-old married father of seven children, was abducted outside of his office in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

The landlord's body was found partially burned in a dumpster near a gas station in Great Neck, Long Island, two days after he went missing.

Erskine, 40, and Kendall Felix, 30, who are brothers, were arrested in 2016.

Erskine Felix, who once did construction work for Stark, allegedly grabbed Stark during the January 2, 2014 blizzard and dragged him into the back seat of his fathers van.

Kendall Felix is the younger brother of Erskine Felix (seen above during his arrest in October 2016)

The Felix brothers' cousin, Kendel Felix (seen above in court in 2014), and Erskine Felix were indicted for allegedly abducting Menachem Stark in January 2014 outside of his office in Williamsburg

He was charged with first-degree kidnapping and second-degree murder. He faces between 25 years and life in prison if convicted.

Authorities believe the Felix cousins planned to kidnap Stark and extort money from him, but the plan went awry when Stark tried to get away.

As he was transported in a van, one of the cousins sat on his chest in an attempt to keep him from trying to escape, causing Stark to die.

After Stark suffocated to death, the two cousins met up with Erskines brother, Kendall Felix, and a fourth man, Irvine Henry.

Henry has been charged with tampering with evidence and conspiracy.

Kendel Felix, 30, a former employee of Starks, was convicted of second degree murder, according to the New York Post.

After Stark died, Kendall Felix bought the gasoline and drove with it to a dumpster in Great Neck.

Erskine Felix, who once did construction work for Stark, allegedly grabbed Stark during the January 2, 2014 blizzard and dragged him into the back seat of his fathers van (circled)

He lit a piece of paper on fire and then set Menachem Starks body on fire, said Assistant District Attorney Howard Jackson at sentencing.

'This defendant went to help purchase the gasoline,' Jackson told Chun.

'This defendant specifically poured the gasoline on the victim, lit a piece of paper towel on fire, and lit Menachem Starks body on fire.

'For his role in this crime, hes extremely fortunate to have this offer.'

Stark, 39, has been described as an honest family man eager to help his neighbors and friends, a man who had no enemies.

But hes also been called a slumlord. Some of his buildings were in disrepair, and he owed millions of dollars to creditors and had declared bankruptcy in 2009.

He lived in a stately brick building in Williamsburg, a neighborhood where hipsters in skinny jeans live alongside ultra-Orthodox men with ear locks and fur hats and women in modest dresses.

Brooklyn is home to the largest group of ultra-Orthodox Jews outside Israel, more than 250,000.

Scene: Stark was grabbed from outside his office on Rutledge Street in South Williamsburg, seen in this file photo. After he was abducted, Stark was found dead in a trash bin at a Long Island gas station in January 2014

Stark came from a large family, and his funeral was flooded with mourners.

'His generosity knew no bounds, not only with money but with his kindness, his patience, his legendary smile,' Bashie Stark said of her husband.

'The trauma from that night will never leave us.'

She said she was particularly aghast at the manner in which the suspects tried to dispose of her husband's body.

'I will be haunted by the image of my husbands end,' Bashie Stark said.

Kendall Felix declined to give a statement to the court on Wednesday.
A manhunt is underway for a Fijian aged in his 30s accused of raping his 80-year old mother-in-law last week.

The alleged incident is being investigated after it was reported by the victim to Nausori Police in the country's Central Division on Tuesday.

'It is alleged the incident occurred inside the victim's home last Friday morning when the two were alone,' Fijian Police said.

'Since the alleged incident, the suspect has been missing and investigators are pursuing information on his whereabouts.'

Fijian Police are hunting for a man who allegedly raped his mother-in-law (stock image)

No charges have been laid.

The alleged incident is one of several being investigated by Fijian Police.

A 14-year-old teen was questioned and released in relation to the alleged rape of an eight-year-old boy, which was reported to Labasa Police in January.

Police said the case will now be referred to the Divisional Crime Officer to decide the next course of action.

Meanwhile, the alleged sexual assaults of two teens are also being investigated.

Seaqaqa Police are investigating an alleged incident involving a 14-year-old student and a bus driver last July after it was reported this week.

Totogo Police are also investigating a separate alleged incident involving a 16-year-old girl by a 22-year-old bus driver during a 'drinking party' at a unit complex in Suva on Sunday.

Fijian Police said investigations into both incidents continue and that the young victims will undergo medical examinations.
Wildlife officials have been left outraged after an impertinent couple landed their helicopter in middle of the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve to catch an up-close - and illegal - glimpse of the flowers in super bloom.

Workers at the southern California park say they've been working desperately to protect the delicate flowers from being destroyed by the hoards of people descending on the park during the its peak season of serenity.

With wait times to enter the reserve sometimes exceeding an hour during their busiest periods, park workers have reportedly been telling visitors to stay on the designated trails and to stop picking or walking over the flowers.

But there's one thing they say they didn't think they needed to warn visitors against: jumping the line in their helicopter and landing it in the middle of the poppy field.

According to a Facebook post published by the park, the unidentified couple landed their aircraft in the center of a field and began hiking off a nearby trial in the reserve

With the bright orange poppies now in full bloom, officials have urged the public not to 'Doom the bloom' and refrain from walking over plants in search of the perfect Instagram photo

'We never thought it would be explicitly necessary to state that it is illegal to land a helicopter in the middle of the fields,' the reserve said in a Facebook post. 'We were wrong.'

According to the post, the unidentified couple landed their aircraft in the center of a field and began hiking off a nearby trial in the reserve.

However, the illegal jaunt was short-lived, as, when authorities began approaching the couple, they fled back to their helicopter and flew away, according to KTLA.

The Park post and photograph of the vessel in question, which elicited a host of incensed comments arguing the couple clearly had more money than sense or empathy.

'Money buys arrogance and sense of entitlement and privilege,' one user responded. 'What it apparently doesnt buy is common sense and decency.'

'They were probably celebrating bribing their way into USC,' another Facebook user commented in response.

Park workers have reportedly been telling visitors to stay on the designated trails and to stop picking or walking over the flowers during the peak season

Antelope Valley has experienced a number of other truants illegally gaining access to the reserve by breaking through barbed-wire fencing and trampling over the poppies in the process

Picking or destroying the park's wildflowers is also a violation of the law

The Antelope Valley reserve, like many of the other national parks in California, is currently experiencing a super bloom following the state's rainy winter.

With the bright orange poppies now in full bloom, officials have urged the public to stay on the path and refrain from walking over plants in search of the perfect Instagram photo, with their hashtag #DontDoomTheBloom.

Similar to the helicopter couple, Antelope Valley has experienced a number of other truants illegally gaining access to the reserve by breaking through barbed-wire fencing and trampling over the poppies in the process.

'It only takes a few to wreck the habitat for years to come,' the park said on Twitter.

'There are areas in the Reserve that haven't recovered from trampling in 2017.'

Picking or destroying the park's wildflowers is also a violation of the law, the park reminded.

It's not yet clear whether the couple in the helicopter will face charges. A spokesperson for the park said the matter was 'still under investigation'.
Channel 4 viewers have blasted a Mums Make Porn star for dropping out despite knowing what the show was about from the start.

Devout Christian Jane Chelliah decided against helping the other four mothers produce a porn film which they would be happy to show their children during the show's second episode.

After feeling 'troubled' by their x-rated movie, Jane felt compelled to visit her church for 'spiritual insight'.

In the end, the concept proved too much for Jane, who called up fellow cast member Sarah Louise to say she was dropping out from the show altogether.

She was derided by viewers on Twitter who argued she knew what she was signing up for.

Devout Christian Jane Chelliah was blasted by Channel 4 viewers after dropping out of the show Mums Make Porn last night - because she didn't want to make an x-rated movie

Twitter users questioned why she would drop out if she already knew what the show was about

Brad Clough wrote: 'Why sign up to a documentary when you know what it entails especially if it troubles your moral and "spiritual" compass.

'Times have changed since the dinosaur age Jane.'

Another user added: 'If Jane thought it was wrong and immoral, why the F*** did she sign up for it???'

Edward Coppck said: 'If they don't want to do it why are they a part of it.'

Others questioned her decision to visit her church over the situation.

Sam Sochi said: 'I can't watch anymore of this, talking in the church about porn [facepalm emoji].'

In the show, Jane rang fellow cast member Sarah Louise (pictured) to tell her that she was dropping out

Others questioned her decision to visit her church over the situation

Later on in the show the group watched a feminist porn being directed in Barcelona (pictured)

Jack Hardwick added: 'WTF this woman has gone to church to pray to find a way to make "nice" porn [laughing emoji].'

Jane addressed her decision to leave the show in an article for HuffPost.

She wrote: 'I left the show mid-way through, as was shown in Wednesdays second episode, because I didnt want to make a porn film.

'Much as I approve of the film the other four mothers went on to produce, I didnt want to, in any way, condone the industry. I did not want to be known as a porn producer.'

The three-part series will see the rest of the mothers direct and produce a video to create porn that is realistic and promotes positive attitudes towards sex.

The mothers, who do not feature in the film, visited a feminist porn director in Barcelona and watched her produce a six-strong female orgy in tonight's episode.

They also attended the UK's annual adult performers awards where they chatted to pornstars.
A doctor had to be operated on by a group of tradesmen after she broke her hand in a car accident at a remote Australian Antarctica base.

Dr Cathryn O'Sullivan, placed at the Casey Station in Antarctica as part of the Australian Antarctica Division (AAD), was the sole generalist doctor on site.

She found herself in a precarious position after the accident when she was told she couldn't be evacuated due to the severe winter conditions - and the nearest hospital was over 3,400 kilometres away.

Using a 'tele-health hook-up', Dr O'Sullivan communicated with a Hobart hand surgeon via video-link - who said she needed surgery which would have to be performed in Antarctica.

Regular tradies - a plumber and an electrician that worked at the base - had to step in and operate on the doctor's hand, which was severely out of place.

A tradesman is seen plastering Dr Cathryn O'Sullivan's hand after the hand surgery in Antarctica

The full surgery was streamed live to doctors back in Hobart who also assessed her vitals including blood pressure and heart beat

'In the real world, it wouldn't have been a drama, but I broke a bone in my hand, and unfortunately the type of fracture it was, it was quite out of place and it needed to be put back into place,' she told ABC News.

Under the guidance of an anaesthetist and the hand surgeon in Hobart, the tradies injected her wrist with anesthetic to bathe the two nerves so that she became numb in her hand, snapped the bone back into place, plastered it up and took an X-ray.

The experts back in Hobart were also able to watch the full surgery live via video-link all while assessing her vitals such as blood pressure and heart beat.

Dr Cathryn O'Sullivan, the sole generalist doctor placed in the Casey Station in Antarctica as part of the Australian Antarctica Division

The doctor had previously carried out the training sessions herself on the tradesman, showing them how to apply plasters and how to navigate the X-ray machines.

'In Antarctica, we have what are called lay surgical assistants, and these are four usually tradesmen or technicians who are down in Antarctica doing other jobs, the plumber, the electrician and so on,' Dr O'Sullivan revealed.

'They are given two weeks of training at the Royal Hobart Hospital on how to be lay surgical assistants, so how to assist the doctor in a surgery, or if someone was unwell and needed medical care.'

Dr O'Sullivan (pictured) recalled that she felt fortunate as all skills taught to the tradesman during her surgery, were covered in her training sessions - her hand fully recovered and was able to serve out the remainder of her term at the base

Dr O'Sullivan recalled that she felt fortunate as all skills taught to the tradesman during her surgery, were covered in her training sessions.

Since the success of the training, the AAD hopes to roll out the system in order to better strengthen health care to people in remote areas.

'What tele-health has told us is that you don't need the expert laying on of hands or being there to deliver the care if you can have someone who can remotely communicate with the expert,' the AAD chief medical officer Jeff Ayton told ABC News.
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Theresa May has been Prime Minister for 988 days, although her premiership may soon come to an end after she vowed to step down if her Brexit deal gets through parliament.

She got off to a flying start (There are pictures of her smiling outside number 10), before she invoked Article 50, beginning the UK's formal exit from the EU, and decided to call a snap election while on holiday in Snowdonia.

From there her fortunes quickly tumbled as she lost her parliamentary majority and was forced to seek a 'confidence-and-supply' deal with the DUP.

Then, after the Grenfell fire that killed 72 people, she visited the site to meet firemen, but not survivors, and spluttered her way through a Conservative party Conference speech where the letter's fell off the wall behind her.

Her luck didn't get much better in July where she faced Trump's visit to the UK and Cabinet resignations, but Theresa still came back dancing - onto stage for the October party conference.

She then vented her anger at Jean- Claude Juncker in the EU parliament when he said her Brexit position was 'nebulous and imprecise', and suffered the worst defeat in parliamentary history for a sitting government with her Brexit deal.

She came back to try again and suffered another defeat, before offering to resign when her Brexit deal gets through.

Triumphant in tartan: On June 30, 2016, Theresa May launches her bid to replace David Cameron as Conservative party leader. Michael Gove, Andrea Leadsom and Liam Fox also announce their candidacy. Surprisingly, Boris Johnson does not

Hour of victory: With husband Philip  always her most trusted adviser  beside her, Mrs May becomes the United Kingdoms second female PM on July 13, 2016

Royal assent: Earlier that day, the Queen invited Theresa May to form a government. Boris Johnson is made Foreign Secretary

Hands across the sea: The PM is the first world leader to meet President Donald Trump at the White House in January 2017

Brexit means Brexit: Mrs May signs the letter invoking Article 50 on March 28, 2017, triggering the UKs intention to leave the EU

Taking a hike: During a walking holiday in Snowdonia, the PM decides to hold a snap General Election on June 8, 2017

Disaster: Seeking a mandate to deliver Brexit, the PM is faced with a hung Parliament after her snap general election

Failure: After the Grenfell Tower blaze kills 72 in June, 2017, Mrs May meets fire service staff, but not residents

Conference of calamities: During her 2017 speech to the Tory Party, the sign loses a letter, the PM loses her voice and accepts a cough sweet from Philip Hammond before being handed her P45  prematurely  by a hoaxer

The Prime Minister is given a P45 by a comedian during her speech at the party conference in Manchester Central

Break point: With Prince William at the Wimbledon mens final last July. That week includes Trumps UK visit and Cabinet resignations

The Maybot's back: The PM mocks her robotic dancing skills - revealed during an African trade trip - at last October's Tory Party Conference

Theresa May arrives for a family photo during the European Union leaders informal summit in Salzburg, Austria
ISIS sympathiser Saeed Noori - who mowed down pedestrians in Melbourne in 2017 while shouting 'Allahu Akbar' - has been sentenced to life behind bars.

Saeed Noori, 37, had previously pleaded guilty to one count of murder, 11 counts of recklessly causing injury and five counts of reckless conduct endangering life.

Noori was sentenced in the Supreme Court of Victoria on Thursday, and will spend 30 years behind bears before being eligible for release on parole.

Saeed Noori is seen exiting the Supreme Court of Victoria on Thursday, after being sentenced to life in prison with a non parole period of 30 years for the Flinders street attack

Saeed Noori was sentenced to life behind bars after killing an elderly man and mowing down pedestrians in Melbourne in 2017

The Afghanistan immigrant will be 60 by the time he's eligible for parole, after killing a grandfather and mowing down 15 pedestrians outside Flinders Street Station in December 2017.

Grandfather of three Antonio Crocaris, 83, suffered fatal injuries when he was hit and died eight days later.

Justice Elizabeth Hollingworth said it was 'sheer good fortune' that more people weren't killed or injured, Nine News reported.

'Some victims have likened the scene to a horror movie - one which keeps replaying in nightmares and flashbacks', the judge told the court.

He was arrested by off-duty police officer Francis Adams, who had just gotten off a tram nearby, with Noori allegedly calling out 'Allahu Akbar'

'Most of them either dread, or avoid, going back into the CBD, or to that particular intersection.'

Noori came to Australia from Afghanistan as a refugee in 2004 and is now an Australian citizen.

His lawyers previously claimed he suffered from schizophrenia and had fasted for seven days before the attack.

Police said Noori's computer and a USB stick contained a number of images from international terrorist attacks, videos about ISIS and other material that an expert said showed he had a 'degree of radicalisation'.

Noori was driven out of court in handcuffs, with his head in his hands.
South Africa: Keeping SA clean

South Africans have been actively working around the clock to ensure that they keep the country clean as part of the Good Green Deeds programme.

The Good Green Deeds programme was recently launched by President Cyril Ramaphosa with an objective of mobilising all sectors of South Africa to become more environmentally conscious.

The programme seeks to promote behavioural change towards littering, illegal dumping and waste in general.

Since the launch of the programme tons of waste has been collected in different communities, Environmental Affairs Minister Nomvula Mokonyane said on Thursday.

The Minister was recently in Pietermaritzburg where she participated during the Good Green Deeds chapter of KwaZulu-Natal.

Other activities took place in Pretoria, Mbombela, Tembisa, Moletsi village, Galeshewe, Sterkspruit, Colesburg, among other places.

We are truly encouraged by the efforts of different stakeholders towards the implementation of the clarion call to individuals, private sector, labour, NGOs, interfaith formations and society at large to clean South Africa, making our cities, towns and rural areas places where it is safe and healthy for all to live, said Mokonyane.

The initial stage of the programme focuses on cleaning of litter and eradication of illegal dumping across South Africa.

Cleaning of water bodies  rivers, dams and lakes will lead to an ocean space free of litter that is otherwise deadly to the marine species.

Mokonyane urged South Africans to continue to participate in various Good Green Deeds activities in their communities.

In the coming week, a number of clean-up activities will take place in Olievenhoutbosch in Pretoria, Westernburg Hall Polokwane in Limpopo, Mthatha, Eastern Cape, Walmer in Port Elizabeth and in Mothibistad in Kuruman. SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2019-03-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Huawei, a Chinese multinational leading provider of ICT infrastructures and smart devices, has reportedly bought a 500-square-meter booth at the upcoming Auto Shanghai 2019 to showcase its tech fruits as a tier 1 automotive supplier for the first time, according to a person with direct knowledge.

Huawei is dedicated to bringing digital world to every person, every family and every organization, and building a fully interconnected intelligent world. With the development of automotive intelligence, connectivity, electrification and sharing, automobile industry is being deeply integrated with ICT industry. Now, Huawei is ambitious to bring the digital world to every vehicle, an invitation letter offered by Huawei to media said.

Besides, the invitation letter also revealed that Huawei will hold a global media conference about automotive business at the auto show. Xu Zhijun, rotating CEO of Huawei, will share Huawei's insight and attitude about automotive industry, and elucidate its business contents and business edge in this domain.

Huawei's automotive business contents and edge can be summarized as five terms, namely, Internet of Vehicles (IoV) platform, data center, C-V2X vehicle-infrastructure synergy solution, automobile communications and EV-related battery storage, an industry source said.

The tech giant is getting an increasingly stronger presence in automotive industry by forming partnerships with a number of automakers. Gasgoo reported a few days ago that BYD signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Huawei on March 25 to co-boost the innovation of automobile and rail transit, and digital transformation of automotive industry.

Under the agreement, both parties are ready to carry out in-depth exchange and cooperation in such areas as automobile intelligent connectivity, autonomous driving, smart monorail and smart industrial park. Huawei will exercise its technology advantages in AI, 5G, Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing and big data to intelligentize and upgrade the mobility service industry and promote companies digital transformation by teaming up with BYD, who boasts rich technical resources of NEV and rail transit.

On January 28, BAIC BJEV, a new energy vehicle business arm of BAIC Group, inked an agreement with the ICT tech provider to conduct a well-rounded business cooperation focusing on intelligent-connected vehicle (ICV) based on the intention to improve the ecosystem of automotive industry and eventually realize smart traffic and smart mobility.

Meanwhile, both companies jointly announced the establishment of the 1873 Davidson Innovation Laboratory to implement cooperation over technology R&D and product innovation, covering such fields as cloud computing, Internet of Vehicles (IoV) and energy networks. Besides, they would use the newly-built laboratory to study on the in-depth integration of ICT technologies and ICVs, which involves cloud computing, big data, industrial Internet of Things (IoT) as well as cybersecurity, and explore the collaboration over users, ecosystem and supply chain fusion.

In the same January, Huawei agreed an agreement with Chongqing Sokon Industry Group Stock Co.,Ltd (Sokon) to extend cooperation in new energy vehicle (NEV) area. This collaboration, aiming to power the development of intelligent-connected vehicles (ICV) for Sokon, embraces such fields as industrial Internet, ICT infrastructure as well as intelligentization and connectivity of NEVs.

Beside, Changan Automobile and Huawei held an unveiling ceremony for their joint innovation center on January 15. In the meantime, the ceremony was also held to celebrate the implementation of the all-around step-up strategic cooperation between two parties, who were ready to deepen the collaboration in vehicle intelligentization, IoV (Internet of Vehicles) and new energy from 2019. Actually, they had already inked a strategic cooperation agreement on July 4, 2018 to set up the joint innovation center focusing on an IoV platform.

On October 11 at HUAWEI CONNECT 2018, Huawei and the global premium car maker Audi announced their future cooperative plan to conduct joint innovation in L4 autonomous driving area and showcased the all-new Audi Q7 as the embodiment of both parties state-of-the-art technologies.

On July 10 last year, Huawei and Audi signed a strategic memorandum of understanding in Berlin to jointly develop ICVs. This newly-formed cooperation will further promote the comprehensive strategy between two parties. Huawei's Mobile Data Center (MDC) has been integrated into the Audi Q7 for autonomous cars driving in urban environments. The prototype was exhibited to the public at the HUAWEI CONNECT 2018.

Dongfeng Motor Corporation (Dongfeng) signed in last August a strategic agreement with Huawei to cement their partnership which has been formed in 2014. Under the agreement, both parties would deepen their collaboration in such areas as vehicle intelligentization, connectivity, electrification, sharing as well as informatization and jointly promote the innovation of cutting-edge technologies.

Two companies would join forces to develop next-generation electric-powered ICVs (Intelligent-connected vehicle) by making full use of Dongfeng's profound resources in automobile industry and Huawei's advantages in ICT, with the ultimate goal of providing users with superior ICV products and services.
Unruly 'gypsy' tourists that made international headlines for wreaking havoc in New Zealand spoke a mysterious language and used their children as 'tools' to get free food, according to their deportation documents.

The British group outraged locals after dumping rubbish on Takapuna Beach in Auckland before threatening to 'mow down' a bystander in January.

They were served with deportation notices after a petty crime spree which saw them stealing from restaurants and shoplifting from a servo.

Now official documents detail exactly why authorities tried to remove the family from the country.

They state that a Burger King complained about a 'Scottish family' who were rude to customers and deliberately spilled drinks on their food before asking for a refund.

The children also shouted swear words through the speaker box at the drive-thru.

The British group were first noticed when they allegedly dumped rubbish on Takapuna Beach in Auckland and threatened to 'mow down' a witness in January

The unruly 'gypsy' British tourists that made international headlines for terrorising New Zealand spoke a 'mysterious language' and used their children as 'tools' to get free things (family spokesman Joe Moran left)

They were also banned from all Burger Kings across the country after they allegedly schemed to get free meals by taking other people's leftovers back and claiming they were served cold food

The Immigration NZ (INZ) papers, obtained by Stuff under the Official Information Act, also states the family used the children as 'tools' to get free food.

'The family would take a few bites from ordered food then wait about 30 mins and try to return it saying that it was cold,' INZ documents say.

'The family appear to use the children as tools in assisting with this and getting them to take old food from deserted tables then trying to demand a refund with the cold food.'

The deportation documents stated that the family was 'uncooperative' and wouldn't disclose any information.

Deportation documents released detailed how the family used an unrecognisable language and used their young children as pawns in their alleged scams (pictured the travellers loading into their car in Levin January 19)

The deportation documents stated that the family was 'uncooperative' and wouldn't disclose any information (pictured at Takapuna beach)

They also told police they didn't have any phones, but were seen using them to contact other members of the family in a vehicle nearby.

'An unknown language was spoken (thought to be Shelta - a language used by Irish travellers) when the family was speaking amongst themselves and on the phone,' the documents say.

Previous incidents were also detailed in the INZ notes, including the incident at Takapuna Beach.

The tourists were also accused of leaving a cafe without paying, damaging their rented apartment and stealing a journalist's phone.

The tourists were faced with claims that they left a cafe without paying, damaged their rented apartment and stole a journalist's phone

The establishments where the group of British tourists have reportedly had complaints about their behaviour during their stay in New Zealand

The British family arrived in New Zealand before Christmas.

Five members of the group were issued deportation notices but say they left the country 'of their own accord' in late January, including Barbara Doran, 53, Barbara Doran Junior, 17, Miley Doran, 18, Eileen Doran, 19, and Tina Cash, 26.

Landing back in the UK on January 27 at Heathrow Airport, they complained they had the 'holiday from hell' and had been 'tortured and condemned'.

Their stint of mayhem across New Zealand led to the group being labelled 'a*******' and 'trash' by Auckland Mayor Phil Goff.

There was even a petition calling for their deportation which amassed thousands of signatures.

In a radio interview, Goff said: 'I've asked the council to follow up because I want to see them loaded with an infringement fine for trashing our country. They shouldn't even be here.'
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has emerged in public for the first time since suffering facial paralysis from a tick bite - and an outcry over her suggestion the Port Arthur massacre was a government conspiracy.

The Queensland senator and party founder was pictured by Daily Mail Australia leaving her hobby farm near Ipswich, in southern Queensland, on Thursday morning.

A stern-looking MP was seen driving her white Toyota LandCruiser Prado four-wheel drive down her driveway as she prepared to front a media conference in Brisbane to answer questions about her suggestion the killing of 35 people at Port Arthur, in April 1996, was a government conspiracy to justify gun control.

The One Nation founder left her rural home as Prime Minister Scott Morrison vowed to put her party behind Labor on how-to-vote cards, claiming her stance on Australia's worst ever gun massacre in Tasmania was the last straw.

'The comments, particularly last night, and the linkages to Port Arthur, I'm sure all Australians would be shocked about. I was shocked by them,' he told reporters on Thursday.

Senator Hanson cancelled her public appearances on Wednesday after a tick bit her face, causing it to swell and make her look 'unrecognisable'.

Her sister Judy Smith had told Daily Mail Australia the senator was unwell.

'No, she's not okay,' she said early on Wednesday afternoon.

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One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has emerged in public for the first time since a tick bit her face

Senator Hanson is furious at the Qatar-government owned Al Jazeera network going under cover for three years to film herself, her chief-of-staff James Ashby and her party's Queensland leader Steve Dickson.

Mr Ashby and Mr Dickson were secretly videoed talking about the potential of receiving $20 million from the American National Rifle Association, as part of a documentary How To Sell A Massacre which the ABC has aired this week.

Hidden camera footage, released by Al Jazeera as part of an undercover operation, showed Senator Hanson saying she had 'a lot of questions' about the 1996 Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania.

'An MP said it would actually take a massacre in Tasmania to change the gun laws in Australia,' Senator Hanson told Al Jazeera reporter Rodger Muller, who had posed as the founder of the non-existent Gun Rights Australia lobby group.

The Queensland senator and party founder was photographed by Daily Mail Australia leaving her farm, southwest of Ipswich Queensland, on Thursday morning

'Haven't you heard that? Have a look at it. It was said on the floor of parliament.

'I've read a lot and I have read the book on it, Port Arthur. A lot of questions there.'

In 1987, months before losing an election, former New South Wales Labor premier Barrie Unsworth prophetically predicted it would take carnage in Tasmania before Australia had national gun laws.

'It will take a massacre in Tasmania before we get gun law reform in Australia,' he told a national gun summit in Canberra, after Tasmania and Queensland rejected his policy idea.

Addressing the media on Thursday afternoon, Senator Hanson claimed the 'Islamist' Al Jazeera network had 'heavily edited' her comments on Port Arthur which 'do not reflect how I feel about those tragedies'.

'There is no question in my mind that Martin Bryant was the only person responsible for the murders of 35 innocent lives and my belief stands today that he should have faced the death penalty,' she said.

One Nation's New South Wales leader Mark Latham said Senator Hanson's comments didn't match up with his exchanges with the party's founder, who previously ran a fish-and-chips shop in Ipswich.

She was seen driving her Toyota LandCruiser Prado four-wheel drive down her driveway as she prepared to front a media conference in Brisbane to answer questions about the One Nation gun scandal

'I had a discussion with her about the making of the Howard gun laws and she didn't raise any doubts about the veracity of the truth of what happened at Port Arthur,' he told Seven's Sunrise on Thursday.

Another of Al Jazeera's videos showed Mr Dickson and Mr Ashby speaking to the undercover reporter about potential donations.

The men claim they were 'on the sauce' when the conversation took place.

Mr Morrison said being drunk was no excuse and has urged Australians to abandon the conservative minor party.

In the Al Jazeera footage, Mr Dickson says One Nation could get the government 'by the balls' through holding the balance of power in both houses if they could get millions in funding.

Hidden camera footage, released by Al Jazeera as part of an undercover operation, showed Senator Hanson saying she had 'a lot of questions' about the 1996 Port Arthur, which saw 35 people shot dead

That would allow them to weaken Australia's gun laws, a point they raised with powerful lobby groups in Washington DC, including the National Rifle Association.

Senator Hanson broke her silence on Wednesday, saying she was shocked and disgusted with the 'hit piece' by Qatari TV network Al Jazeera.

'A Qatari government organisation should not be targeting Australian political parties. This has been referred to ASIO,' she tweeted.

Labor leader Bill Shorten had repeatedly called for the Prime Minister to back up his condemnation of One Nation by putting them last on Liberal Party how-to-vote cards.

Mr Morrison has consistently said his party would wait until final nominations before deciding on its preferences.

Mr Ashby said the pair spoke only with undercover Al Jazeera reporter Rodger Muller about the potential $US20 million in donations.

Mr Ashby accused Mr Muller, who is Australian, of being a 'Middle Eastern spy'.
A former soldier has called for change after being rejected by the Western Australian police force for a small neck tattoo commemorating fallen soldiers.

Ryan Banting, who has a girlfriend and three young children, said he had never considered that his neck ink would shatter his chances of joining the police force.

Mr Banting, who served ten years in the Australian Defence Force, has a small 'Lest We Forget' tattoo on the right side of his neck to honour Australian soldiers who have lost their lives serving their country.

Banting (pictured) has a small 'Lest We Forget' tattoo on the right side of his neck in respect of the Anzacs

Banting has been left dumbfounded by the WA Police's justification of his rejection

'If you go to the [WA Police] website to apply there's nothing on there that states if you have tattoos, don't apply,' he told The West Australian.

'It's only small black letters. I've also got a tattoo on each forearm with the names of my daughter and my son and their birth dates and there's nothing offensive about them,' said the family man, who claimed he's wanted to join the force for years.

The proud veteran said he would refuse to get the tattoo removed because of the significant personal reasons behind it.

Adding to his frustration, Mr Banting said it was difficult applying in the first place.

Mr Banting has been left dumbfounded by the WA Police's justification of his rejection.

He said that the letter of rejection he received from the WA Police stated that they were unable to provide him with any further assistance or advice.

Banting (centre left), who served a total of ten years in the Australian Defence Force, has a small 'Lest We Forget' tattoo on the right side of his neck in respect of the Anzacs

Ryan Banting who has a girlfriend and three young children, said he had never considered his neck piece would shatter his opportunities with the police force

A WA Police spokesman said the code of conduct required all employees to 'maintain a professional image.'

They added: 'This also applies to standards in relation to dress and appearance.

'The latest iteration of the WA Police Body Art and Modifications policy was introduced in April of 2015 as a result of the increasing prevalence of tattoos and other body modifications in the community.

'The policy specifies prohibited forms of visible body art for all employees, and includes the location, the nature and meaning of the tattoo, and the extent of the visible body art.

'Broadly, body art should not be offensive, culturally insensitive or otherwise inappropriate, and should not detract from the professional image of the employee.

'The policy includes existing employees and reinforces their responsibility to ensure their current or future visible body art complies with the policy.'

Mr Banting told Daily Mail that he is disappointed with the decision but wishes to move forward with his life and 'lay low.'
A series of startling booms are simultaneously baffling and terrifying residents of a tranquil Sacramento town as they sleep in their beds.

For a number of months, dwellers in Fair Oaks have been terrorized by mysterious explosions that are rattling their windows and setting off their car alarms in the dead of night.

Determined to find the source of the sonic booms, the local community have mobilized together on Facebook, creating a forum to track the times, directions, and size of the sounds, hoping to catch the culprits in action.

Conspiracy theories of alien invasions and secret military operations have been regularly touted among the group's - called 'Fair Oaks Bangs' - 800 members, but still the phenomenon remains a mystery.

One resident's doorbell camera caught an explosion in motion on Sunday night, but the footage wasn't able to show what - or who - was causing the noise.

One resident's doorbell camera caught an explosion in motion on Sunday night, but the footage wasn't able to show what - or who - was causing the noise

Dwellers in Fair Oaks have been terrorized by mysterious explosions that are rattling their windows and setting off their car alarms in the dead of night

'It rattles the windows, it sounds like a firework going off in my backyard,' resident Dallis Stumpf to CBS Local.

Stumpf added that the noises regularly startle her children.

'Shes two-years-old and she comes out, "mommy what is that?" and she freaks out,' Stumpf said.

After receiving several calls last weekend, the Fair Oaks Sheriff's Department sent out a helicopter and a squadron of deputies to investigate the reports, but even they came up empty.

'Nobody has actually seen them,' said another resident. 'Like, who they are, hold old they are, vehicle description, license plate number.

'Nothing; they're like ghosts,' she concluded.

Conspiracy theories of alien invasions and secret military operations have been regularly touted among the 800 members of the 'Fair Oaks Bangs' Facebook group

Neighbors are now said to be keeping a close eye out of their windows in the hope of catching the elusive culprits red-handed

Contrary to the various conspiracy theories, police say they're confident the sounds are being caused by powerful illegal fireworks

Neighbors are now said to be keeping a close eye out of their windows in the hope of catching the elusive culprits red-handed.

'A woman observed four people in a white sedan thrown something out of a window,' Kat Mountjoy, a resident of Fair Oaks, said in the group

Contrary to the various conspiracy theories, police say they're confident the sounds are being caused by powerful illegal fireworks, which posses the same power as half a stick of dynamite.

They aren't thought to have any leads in their investigation at this stage, but local residents are hoping the mystery reaches a speedy conclusion.

'If it's just kids having fun,' one resident urged to CBS, 'then just stop, because someone is going to get hurt.'
Infowars founder Alex Jones has been caught on camera berating patrons at a Texas restaurant where he blasted diners as cowards, idiots, and wimps when they tried to 'kick him out'.

Jones was dining at Lucys Fried Chicken in Austin, one of his favorite local restaurants, when he says he was attacked by liberal customers who wanted to kick him out of the restaurant on Saturday evening.

Jones was with his wife and comedian Joe Rogan when a group of people from the outside dining area approached and told him to 'eat sh*t' saying 'we're going to get you' and began chanting 'This is class war. Eat the rich and feed the poor'.

Infowars founder Alex Jones was caught on camera berating patrons at a Texas restaurant on Saturday after they verbally attacked him and tried to kick him out

On Saturday evening Jones went to Lucy's Fried Chicken in Austin with his wife and a friend when he got into the fight with patrons and tried to film the confrontation

'You're a bunch of wimps. You're cowards and idiots. You think getting in my face makes me feel better? These people are all sick of your sh*t,' he fired at them

'The diners laughed in his face and egged him on, chanting 'Alex Jones go home!'

Video footage taken from other customers and sent to EchoplexMedia shows him firing back saying: 'Youre not an American. Youre a slob.'

As Jones launched his scathing tirade, the unperturbed diners laughed, insulted his appearance, and egged the right-wing conspiracy theorist on.

'You're a bunch of wimps. You're cowards and idiots. You think getting in my face makes me feel better? These people are all sick of your sh*t,' he fired at them.

'They're all Americans. They're not traitors and scum like you,' he said pointing around the room filled with patrons. 'See that big fat, stupid slob? You think youre ridicule matters to me? Youre a follower youre not a leader.'

'You guys are all pi**ed because you got extra chromosomes,' he adds in his rant.

'See that big fat, stupid slob? You think youre ridicule matters to me? Youre a follower youre not a leader,' he said attacking one patron who howled with laughter in response

Jones even begged a manager at the restaurant to intervene all the while the patrons continue to howl with laughter and taunt him, getting in his face with their phones as they record the confrontation

Finally after the diners pushed him out he huffed saying 'I was already leaving cowards'

At one point he says 'Come on! Big man, arent ya?' as if inviting the man to physically fight.

'Youre the one acting all powerful, huh? You ain't nothing boy. You dont know jack sh*t,' he added.

Jones even begged a manager at the restaurant to intervene all the while the patrons continue to howl with laughter and taunt him, getting in his face with their phones as they record the confrontation.

One patron notably annoyed with the brawl is heard shouting: 'Can we just eat some fried f***ing chicken? Can we do that?'

At the end the riotous group chants 'Alex Jones go home!' to which Jones replies 'I was already leaving cowards'.

Jones addressed the incident in a recent Infowars episode explaining that he had been eating at a local steakhouse with his wife and Joe Rogan, an MMA color commentator and comedian, and they went to Lucy's afterwards.

'We've been going for many years. It's a great place,' Jones said.
The Reserve Bank has warned people to be vigilant and avoid being duped by counterfeit bank notes.

Tens of thousands of fake notes are removed from circulation each year, and a sophisticated security system helps identify illegitimate currency.

University of Technology Sydney professor Dr Claude Roux said genuine banknotes are made using materials that are difficult to obtain, and using advanced technology.

'As a result, in most cases, an attentive look at the note will spot a counterfeit,' Dr Roux told Daily Mail Australia.

The number of counterfeit notes identified increased each year from 2011 to 2016, with New South Wales and Victoria having the highest rates of fake money in Australia.

Tens of thousands of fake notes are removed from circulation each year, and a sophisticated security system helps identify illegitimate currency. Pictured: A real $50 note (top) and a counterfeit banknote (bottom)

The number of counterfeit notes identified increased each year from 2011 to 2016, with New South Wales and Victoria having the highest rates of fake money in Australia. Pictured: Two counterfeit notes (top) and a real one (bottom)

A new $5 banknote was introduced in 2016 and a redesigned $10 note was brought into circulation in 2017.

A new $50 note was unveiled six months ago to combat counterfeiters, who commonly used the $50.

The new Australian banknotes are printed on polymer, a type of plastic, and have a distinctive feel.

'Anomalies with the substrate, colour and printing quality and the absence of some of the security features are usually easily detected,' Dr Roux said.

'Common security devices include microprinting, luminescent inks, see-through and optically variable devices that are visible when we hold the note up to the light or tilt it.'

COUNTERFEIT DETECTION GUIDE Hold notes up to the light to see a seven-pointed star and the Australian Coat of Arms. Check a clear window is part of the banknote. Use a UV light to see features on the note become fluorescent. Tilt the note to see bird's wings move and change colour, and see the numbers on the note change direction. Tilt the note to see a rolling colour effect on part of it. Source: Reserve Bank of Australia Advertisement

Dr Roux said people who fell victim to counterfeit banknotes did not handle them enough, as at a glance they appeared to be real.

'The first thing to do is to know how a genuine banknote actually looks like, know its main security devices and above all dont put notes in you wallet without actually looking at them,' he said.

'Many years ago in Europe, I saw a counterfeit note that was a coloured in black and white photocopy and it had been accepted in a bar.'

Dr Roux advised those who were duped by fake banknotes to follow the Reserve Bank's advice, which states to hand them in to the police.

'It is important to note that counterfeits have no value - you will not be reimbursed,' the advice states.

'You are well within your rights to refuse to accept a banknote if you have concerns about it.'

The Reserve Bank's counterfeit detection guide details features in the notes that can identify them as genuine.

The new notes feature birds that move and change colour when the notes are tilted.

The Reserve Bank's counterfeit detection guide (pictured) details features in the notes that can identify them as genuine

Ultraviolet light also shows fluorescent details on the plastic.

Holding the notes up to the light shows a seven-pointed star and the Australian Coat of Arms.

In February, the Reserve Bank unveiled the new $20 note.

The note will still feature Mary Reibey and Reverend John Flynn, but will have a distinct clear window running down the center.

The new $20 note (pictured) expected to go into circulation in Australia in October

Unlike the current version, the new note will have a more vibrant colour scheme and even a colour-changing kookaburra that flaps its wings when the note is tilted.

In a nod to the famous Australians, excerpts of Reverend Flynn's The Bushman's Companion and the name of Reiby's ships will also be printed on the note.

Other new additions include a box-leaf wattle and three raised bumps as a 'tactile' feature to make it easier to identify the note from others.

The new $50 banknote (pictured) was unveiled to the public in October 2018
Nicola Gobbo was recruited as Victoria police informer 'Lawyer X' despite a detective years earlier labelling her a 'loose cannon'.

A report compiled years after her deregistration as a police source found failures in how the force managed risks associated with her, amounting to 'negligence of a high order'.

Ms Gobbo, a criminal barrister who represented some of the best-known characters in Melbourne's gangland wars, acted as a police informer on and off between 1995 and 2009.

Nicola Gobbo (pictured) was recruited as Victoria police informer 'Lawyer X' despite a detective years earlier labelling her a 'loose cannon'

Carlton Crew boss Mick Gatto (left) was once a client of lawyer Nicola Gobbo (right). Gatto shot dead Carl Williams' hitman Andrew 'Benji' Veniamin in self-defence at the height of the gangland war

But she continued to give police information until August 2010, a royal commission into the police use of informers has revealed.

'It was left to Ms Gobbo to self-regulate her legal and ethical responsibilities,' corruption watchdog representative Murray Kellam said in a 2015 report.

This analysis was revealed in a statement by police Assistant Commissioner Neil Paterson tendered to the commission.

He is returning to the witness box on Thursday.

Police are still identifying other informants who may have breached confidentiality and privilege rules.

The Independent Broad-Based Anti-Corruption Commission was notified about Ms Gobbo in March 2018, and of another six possible problematic sources in December.

Criminal lawyer Nicola Gobbo has gone into hiding after being outed as the notorious Informer 3838 who allegedly snitched on her clients to police

Carl Williams was right when he wrote from jail that his lawyer had turned rogue. He was murdered in jail the day information was splashed across a newspaper calling him a snitch

Drug Lord Tony Mokbel, who is recovering in jail from stab wounds, believes he has a chance of getting out of jail because of Gobbo's snitching against him while employed as his lawyer

'Since that time, and very recently, other human sources who may have owed a legal duty of confidentiality and privilege have been identified and IBAC has been informed of those sources,' Mr Paterson said.

Eight people have been identified publicly by job description only - Ms Gobbo and murdered lawyer Joe Acquaro among them.

Nicola Gobbo's greatest snitch jobs 1. Rob Karam, John Higgs, Pasquale Barbaro and 33 co-accused for the largest ever seizure of ecstasy in the world. The drugs came into Australia in tomato tins. 2. Tony Mokbel's brothers Horty Mokbel and Milad Mokbel. 3. David Ilic was arrested in 2013 after police raided a Port Melbourne Kennards storage facility and discovered $3,735,890 in cash as well as kilograms of cocaine, methmphetamines and ecstasy. 4. Joe Mannella (and Karam) for the multiple seizures of hundreds of kilos of cocaine and other drugs that were not the subject of charges, but were intercepted and seized by Australian Customs. 5. Faruk Orman (for the murder of Victor Pierce) 6. Mick Gatto and the infamous Carlton crew. The crew consisted of convicted criminals including Alphonse Gangitano, Mario Condello and Graham Kinniburgh - all whom were killed during Melbourne's gangland war. Advertisement

During his evidence on Wednesday Mr Paterson said Ms Gobbo was first registered 18 months after she was charged with possession of cannabis and amphetamine, after a drug sting targeting her boyfriend Brian Wilson.

Sergeant Trevor Ashton was involved in the bust and later, in 1995, recruited Ms Gobbo as an informer, calling her 'reliable' and noting she genuinely wanted to help police.

A year later, she turned on her boyfriend, introducing Wilson to an undercover officer shortly before being labelled a 'loose cannon' in a report by then-detective Jack Blayney, who went on to become an assistant commissioner.

She was dropped as a source but a two years later, another future assistant commissioner, Jeff Pope, re-registered her and became her handler in a money-laundering and fraud investigation into her former employer.

That too was short-lived and Ms Gobbo's career as a criminal barrister took off.

She went on to represent clients including underworld figures Carl Williams and Lewis Moran, and drug lord Tony Mokbel.

Ms Gobbo was again a registered informant from 2004 until 2009, but gave police information until August 2010 when then-chief commissioner Simon Overland issued a directive that nothing more be accepted from her.

Mokbel is now reportedly among 35 people who have made submissions to the commission, arguing criminal proceedings against them are tainted by Ms Gobbo's informing.

Mr Paterson said in his statement that the failures identified around Ms Gobbo could not occur under current police policies.
One officer was shot in the hand, and the other was shot in the arm, officials said

Police approached the man, who was wearing a hoodie and wielding a sword

Gunfire erupted around 3.30pm near front entrance of Church of Scientology

The suspect was shot in the head and died at a local hospital a short time later

Two officers were wounded and a suspect was killed during a shootout after police responded Wednesday to reports of a man with a sword entering the Church of Scientology in Inglewood, California, authorities said.

The suspect was shot in the head at the church located at 315 Market St.

He was taken to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, Inglewood police Lt Oscar Mejia told reporters at the scene.

The man was not immediately identified and described only as being an Asian male.

Two California officers were wounded and a suspect was killed during a shootout after police responded Wednesday to reports of a man with a sword entering the Church of Scientology (pictured)

The suspect was shot in the head at the church located at 315 Market St. He was taken to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, Inglewood police Lt Oscar Mejia told reporters at the scene

Gunfire erupted around 3.30pm inside the front entrance of the church after police approached the man, who was wearing a hooded sweat shirt and wielding the sword, officials said.

One officer was shot in the hand, and the other was shot in the arm, officials said.

They were hospitalized at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in good condition with non-life-threatening injuries, police Chief Mark Fronterotta said.

Both officers are in their late 20s, the chief said. Officials didn't say who fired or whether the officers may have mistakenly shot one another.

As well as the large blade, Fox News reported the swordman was carrying a handgun.

Detectives are trying to determine a motive for the incident and are speaking with around five witnesses who were in the lobby area when the suspect entered.

The suspects white-colored Bentley (pictured) was found parked near the church. Police searched it for more evidence but no further details were released

Detectives are trying to determine a motive for the incident and are speaking with several witnesses. At this time, it's unclear why he went to the church and whether he knew anyone there

At this time, it's unclear why he went to the Scientology building, and whether he knew anyone there.

The suspects white-colored Bentley was found parked nearby.

Police searched it for more evidence but no further details were released.

Inglewood is a city of about 100,000 residents about 10 miles southwest of downtown Los Angeles.
A measles warning has been issued after a passenger travelling through Sydney Airport on their way from Thailand to New Zealand was diagnosed with the disease.

The traveller was infectious while travelling on Jetstar flight JQ28 from Thailand to Sydney on on March 18.

The next day, they flew on Jetstar flight JQ517 from Sydney to Melbourne and Virgin Australia flight VA99 from Melbourne to New Zealand.

NSW Health has urged anyone who was on the same flights or in Sydney's international and domestic airports on March 19 to check for symptoms until April 6.

Measles alert after diagnosed passenger flew between Thailand, Australia and New Zealand

NSW Health received the information from New Zealand health authorities. The age, gender and nationality of the traveller was not disclosed.

It can take up to 18 days for symptoms to develop after a person comes into contact with an infectious person.

People are susceptible to measles if they have never had the disease and haven't received two doses of the measles vaccine.

'If you're unsure whether you've had two doses, it's safe to have another,' NSW Health's Vicky Sheppeard said in a statement on Thursday.

It can take up to 18 days for symptoms to develop after contact with an infectious person

Symptoms include fever, sore eyes and a cough, followed by a red, blotchy rash spreading from the head and neck to the rest of the body.

Outbreaks of measles in popular tourist destinations in Southeast Asia make the risk for measles being imported into Australia at the moment is high, the department said.

There has been 26 measles case in NSW since Christmas.

We've contacted the two airlines for comment.
A self-described gangster has spoken in gory detail about the moment he claims he stabbed a rival the day he got out of jail in a ranting video posted online.

The Sydney-based rapper - who goes by the name Spanian Syd - sat down with Youtube channel Bull Pro Media to talk of his crimes, jail time and foray into rapping.

The 20 minute short-documentary-style video goes briefly into the rapper's early life, before settling in Woolloomooloo in Sydney's inner-east.

'I've represented this suburb through the system. Boys' homes, jail, I'm synonymous with Woolloomooloo,' he said.

The rapper claims at one stage he was making up to $25,000 a night from drug dealing, 'I was a rich motherfu**er back then.'

The self-confessed drug lord talks of his celebrity within the prison system.

'You know any career criminals in your hood who've done 10 years jail, you ask them about me, [they'll say] 'of course I know Spanian,' he said.

The gang member and rapper then takes the cameraman to the scene of his crime in Sydney to walk through what he claims happened.

'This c**t was talking s**t while I was locked up and I wasn't getting out for eight months,' the Sydney-based rapper tells the camera.

'I told him ''when I get out I'm gonna kill you''.

Spanian says the day he got out of jail he waited in the bushes for his rival to walk past, before stabbing him with a box cutter in the neck - he then went to jail for three and a half years over the attack

Spanian then claims the day he got out of jail eight months later, he got a box cutter and hid in bushes, waiting for hours for his victim to come along.

'He rode his pushbike up the street here, I jumped out I f*****g yanked him, stabbed him in the neck.'

The gang member describes how the knife broke off in the man's neck.

'You know how the box cutter breaks in segments? Well two of the pieces broke in his neck', he says.

Spanian then claims the man gave him up to police, and says he was charged with attempted murder.

The Sydney-based rapper tells the camera stories from his colourful life- from going to jail as a teenager to making up to $25,000 a night from drug dealing

The rapper claims after a hung jury, he took a plea for grievous bodily harm and spent three and a half years behind bars.

'I thought I was gonna do eight or 12 [years in jail],' he said.

Spanian warns 'I will catch you, if you talk s**t I will get you,' while pointing and looking into the camera.

Spanian - who's now been off drugs for 12 years then tells other stories from his colourful life - from getting locked up when he was just 15 years old, to dabbling in heroin at 18, and having his older brother die of an overdose while he was in jail.
Australian comedy and media troupe The Chaser have released a hilarious 'tourism ad' for Sydney after the city was ranked the 10th worst in the world by the Time out Index.

The tongue-in-cheek video taking aim at some of the common complaints from Sydney residents and tourists alike quickly garnered 20,000 views after it was released it on Monday.

The footage was uploaded under the guise of being Tourism NSW's latest commercial.

Australian comedy and media troupe The Chaser have released a hilarious 'tourism ad' for Sydney after the city was ranked the 10th worst in the world by the Time out Index

'Sydney, it may be ranked 10th worst but we like to think of it as 39th best,' the ad begins.

'Come for the harbour views, stay because the congestion around the airport means you'll miss your flight.'

'You'll love every part of Sydney that you manage to get to, head down to Circular Quay and enjoy the sweeping harbour views (blocked by 'the toaster'),' the video continues.

'Or head around to The Rocks to get a glimpse of the harbour views, (blocked by a cruise liner).'

The remainder of the video takes aim at Westfield's food court, claiming the shopping centre offers a multicultural dining experience.

It also highlighted the recent tragic deaths atop the Centrepoint Tower.

'We're now almost certain nobody else will be able to jump off - safe!' the video quips.

But, the 'promotional ad' saves its best jibe for last.

'If it's live music you're after why not get an early night's sleep and hop on the first flight to Melbourne,' the video jokes.

Hundreds of social media users echoed the sentiments of the parody online.

'I had a horrible dream that I lived in Sydney once. I woke up in cold sweat fearing the worst... Then I relaxed when I remembered I was safe and sound in Melbourne,' one user wrote.

'Damn! That's a little bit...accurate,' another added.

'Best road in Sydney is the one leading out,' another added.

The video takes aim at some of the common complaints from Sydney residents and tourists alike

Despite the well-documented problems, last year NSW recorded record tourism numbers.

'A record 31.6 million Aussie tourists travelled across the State in 2017, staying over 100 million nights in total, making NSW the first in Australia to reach these incredible results,' a NSW Government statement read.

NSW Minister for Tourism and Major Events Adam Marshall said that the latest record-breaking National Visitor Survey results also show that more interstate visitors and more NSW residents are choosing to travel within our own State.

'Head around to The Rocks to get a glimpse of the harbour views, (blocked by a cruise liner),' the parody advertisement took aim at the busy Sydney Harbour

'NSW continues to set the bar for domestic overnight visitor numbers, with the State welcoming 31.6 million visitors in the year ended December 2017, which is nearly 10 million more than Queensland and 7.1 million more than Victoria,' Mr Marshall said.

'This exceptional growth was evenly spread, with both Sydney and rural and regional NSW visitation growing by eight per cent.

'Australians are also spending more than ever before when travelling in NSW, with expenditure growth up 11.6 per cent; double the national growth percentage.

'NSW is $5 billion ahead of Victoria, its highest expenditure lead over the State since year-end March 2014, and notched its highest lead on record over Queensland of $2.8 billion.'
Idaho Power says renewable energy sources of hydroelectric, solar, and wind will generate all of its electricity by 2045

The state utility already plans to shut down two coal plants by 2025 and is working to shutter its third and last

Idaho joins California and Hawaii as states who have ambitious goal of switching to 100 per cent renewables by 2045

Coal has been the primary source of fuel for U.S. power plants for the last century, but its use has been declining since peaking in 2007

Idaho is ditching coal in favor of renewable energy, the state's public utility company says.

Idaho Power says that it plans to have 100 per cent of its energy come from hydroelectric, solar, and wind by the year 2045.

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The company says that its goal is to no longer rely on sources of energy that produce carbon dioxide, National Public Radio reported.

'We believe this goal is attainable,' Idaho Power President and CEO Darrel Anderson said in announcing the plan.

The public company says it will stop using two coal power plants by 2025.

It is also considering ways to shut down its third - and last - coal plant.

The image above shows the Swan Falls Dam on the Snake River just south of Boise, Idaho. The dam generates electricity for Idaho Power and hosts recreation access for boating, fishing, birding, hunting, and camping

Idaho Power currently gets about 20 per cent of its energy from coal sources. Almost half of the electricity generated is from hydro power.

To continue with its transition away from fossil fuel-sourced energy, Idaho Power announced a deal to buy electricity from a 120-megawatt solar farm.

The farm will be built near the town of Twin Falls. The deal is still subject to approval from regulators.

Idaho is the latest state to commit to using 100 per cent clean energy within the coming decades.

In September, California's then-governor, Jerry Brown, signed a bill requiring the state to source electricity from exclusively carbon-free sources by 2045, a move aimed at combating climate change that clashes with President Trump's pro-fossil fuel policies.

The law makes California the largest global economy to commit to 100 percent clean energy.

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Hawaii, which relies heavily on fossil fuels because of its dependence on jet fuel necessary to sustain its tourism industry, set a similar goal.

Coal has been the primary source of fuel for U.S. power plants for the last century, but its use has been declining since peaking in 2007, which is expected to continue as the federal government imposes rules to limit carbon emissions.

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Senate Republicans on Tuesday defeated the 'Green New Deal' resolution that called for tackling climate change by moving the United States off fossil fuels, while Democrats said the vote was a political stunt on an issue that will not die.

The above image shows a wind park in Idaho. To continue with its transition away from fossil fuel-sourced energy, Idaho Power announced a deal to buy electricity from a 120-megawatt solar farm

The vote was 57 against the resolution in the 100-member chamber, with 43 Democrats voting 'present,' avoiding an up-or-down vote.

Republicans won over Democratic Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema and one independent senator, Angus King, who usually votes with that party.

The Green New Deal, introduced last month by Democrats, marked an initial attempt to define legislation to create government-led investments in clean energy like wind and solar power, infrastructure and social programs.

Democrats have said the plan, which is backed by most of the party's presidential candidates, was designed to spur debate during the 2020 campaign on the intricate problem of how to tackle climate change while boosting the economy, not to force the party to take sides in a quick vote.

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But Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell forced a vote before the plan had the chance for a national debate or hearings in Congress.
The Duke of Cambridge has written to the family of schoolgirl Molly Russell after her father said Instagram was partly responsible for her suicide.

Prince William wrote a private letter to the 14-year-old's relatives after speaking out himself about the responsibility of social media firms to tackle harmful content.

Molly, from Harrow, north-west London, took her own life in 2017 after viewing content online which promoted self-harm.

Her father, Ian Russell, said Instagram 'helped kill my daughter'.

Molly Russell, 14, from Harrow in north-west London, took her own life in 2017 after viewing content on social media platforms that promoted self-harm

Prince William has written to her family and relatives after speaking out himself about social media platform's responsibility to tackle harmful content

Kensington Palace confirmed the duke had contacted her family on Wednesday.

During a speech in November at the BBC's Broadcasting House, London, the duke accused tech giants of being 'on the back foot' in tackling cyber bullying, hate speech and fake news online.

'The noise of shareholders, bottom lines, and profits is distracting them from the values that made them so successful in the first place,' he said.

'The journey from a student dormitory to the leaders of some of the most valuable companies on earth has been so fast, they may struggle to understand that their incentives have changed,' said the Prince.

There was also a thinly-veiled criticism of Facebook and Instagram's Mark Zuckerberg, two platforms it is believed Molly used.

Molly's father, Ian, said Instagram had 'helped kill my daughter'. He said at an NSPCC event that technology giants had been allowed to regulate themselves for far too long

Speaking in a speech at BBC Broadcasting House in November, Prince William said 'The noise of shareholders, bottom lines, and profits is distracting them from the values that made technology companies so successful in the first place'

Mr Russell's comments after his daughter's death sparked a nationwide debate about how platforms including Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, deal with the issues.

Molly took her own life in November 2017 after viewing content on social media linked to anxiety, depression, self-harm and suicide.



Speaking at an event in Parliament for the NSPCC and its Wild West Web campaign, which is calling for regulation of social networks, on March 11, Mr Russell said technology giants had been allowed to self-regulate for too long.

Ian Russel has said that the UK government should bring in 'effective' internet regulation, with 'strong sanctions' as back-up

Ian Russell speaks at the NSPCCs Wild West Web event inside the Palace of Westminster

'The tech captains still seem to be heading in the wrong direction, driving ever deeper into Silicon Valley,' he said.

'Up until now they have chosen their own course. Governments have allowed social media platforms to be self-regulated, but remember this really is a matter of life and death and its getting worse.

'Now is the time for the UK Government to bring effective internet regulation, with strong sanctions as back-up.

'Now is the time for the UK to lead the world in making the online world a safer place, especially for the young.'
GUILTY: MICHAEL FLYNN

Pleaded guilty to making false statements in December 2017. Awaiting sentence

Flynn was President Trump's former National Security Advisor and Robert Mueller's most senior scalp to date. He previously served when he was a three star general as President Obama's director of the Defense Intelligence Agency but was fired.

He admitted to lying to special counsel investigators about his conversations with a Russian ambassador in December 2016. He has agreed to cooperate with the special counsel investigation.

GUILTY AND JAILED: MICHAEL COHEN

Pleaded guilty to eight counts including fraud and two campaign finance violations in August 2018. Pleaded guilty to further count of lying to Congress in November 2018. Sentenced to three years in prison and $2 million in fines and forfeitures in December 2018

Cohen was investigated by Mueller but the case was handed off to the Southern District of New York,leaving Manhattan's ferocious and fiercely independent federal prosecutors to run his case.

Cohen was Trump's longtime personal attorney, starting working for him and the Trump Organization in 2007. He is the longest-serving member of Trump's inner circle to be implicated by Mueller. Cohen professed unswerving devotion to Trump - and organized payments to silence two women who alleged they had sex with the-then candidate: porn star Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal. He admitted that payments to both women were felony campaign finance violations - and admitted that he acted at the 'direction' of 'Candidate-1': Donald Trump.

He also admitted tax fraud by lying about his income from loans he made, money from taxi medallions he owned, and other sources of income, at a cost to the Treasury of $1.3 million.

And he admitted lying to Congress in a rare use of the offense. The judge in his case let him report for prison on March 6 and recommended he serve it in a medium-security facility close to New York City.

GUILTY AND JAILED: PAUL MANAFORT

Found guilty of eight charges of bank and tax fraud in August 2018. Sentenced to 47 months in March 2019. Pleaded guilty to two further charges - witness tampering and conspiracy against the United States. Jailed for total of seven and a half years in two separate sentences. Additionally indicted for mortgage fraud by Manhattan District Attorney, using evidence previously presented by Mueller

Manafort worked for Trump's campaign from March 2016 and chaired it from June to August 2016, overseeing Trump being adopted as Republican candidate at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. He is the most senior campaign official to be implicated by Mueller. Manafort was one of Washington D.C.'s longest-term and most influential lobbyists but in 2015, his money dried up and the next year he turned to Trump for help, offering to be his campaign chairman for free - in the hope of making more money afterwards. But Mueller unwound his previous finances and discovered years of tax and bank fraud as he coined in cash from pro-Russia political parties and oligarchs in Ukraine.

Manafort pleaded not guilty to 18 charges of tax and bank fraud but was convicted of eight counts in August 2018. The jury was deadlocked on the other 10 charges. A second trial on charges of failing to register as a foreign agent due in September did not happen when he pleaded guilty to conspiracy against the United States and witness tampering in a plea bargain. He was supposed to co-operate with Mueller but failed to.

Minutes after his second sentencing hearing in March 2019, he was indicted on 16 counts of fraud and conspiracy by the Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., using evidence which included documents previously presented at his first federal trial. The president has no pardon power over charges by district and state attorneys.

GUILTY AND GOING TO WEEKEND JAIL: RICK GATES

Pleaded guilty to conspiracy against the United States and making false statements in February 2018. Sentenced to 45 days weekend jail and three years probation, December 17, 2018

Gates was Manafort's former deputy at political consulting firm DMP International. He admitted to conspiring to defraud the U.S. government on financial activity, and to lying to investigators about a meeting Manafort had with a member of congress in 2013. As a result of his guilty plea and promise of cooperation, prosecutors vacated charges against Gates on bank fraud, bank fraud conspiracy, failure to disclose foreign bank accounts, filing false tax returns, helping prepare false tax filings, and falsely amending tax returns.

GUILTY AND JAILED: GEORGE PAPADOPOLOUS

Pleaded guilty to making false statements in October 2017. Sentenced to 14 days in September 2018, and reported to prison in November. Served 12 days and released on December 7, 2018

Papadopoulos was a member of Donald Trump's campaign foreign policy advisory committee. He admitted to lying to special counsel investigators about his contacts with London professor Josef Mifsud and Ivan Timofeev, the director of a Russian government-funded think tank.

GUILTY AND JAILED: RICHARD PINEDO

Pleaded guilty to identity fraud in February 2018. Sentenced to a year in prison

Pinedo is a 28-year-old computer specialist from Santa Paula, California. He admitted to selling bank account numbers to Russian nationals over the internet that he had obtained using stolen identities.

GUILTY AND JAILED: ALEX VAN DER ZWAAN

Pleaded guilty to making false statements in February 2018. He served a 30-day prison sentence and was deported to the Netherlands on his release

Van der Zwaan was a Dutch attorney for Skadden Arps who worked on a Ukrainian political analysis report for Paul Manafort in 2012.

He admitted to lying to special counsel investigators about when he last spoke with Rick Gates and Konstantin Kilimnik. His law firm say he was fired.

GUILTY: W. SAMUEL PATTEN

Pleaded guilty in August 2018 to failing to register as a lobbyist while doing work for a Ukrainian political party. Sentenced to three years probation April 2019

Patten, a long-time D.C. lobbyist was a business partner of Paul Manafort. He pleaded guilty to admitting to arranging an illegal $50,000 donation to Trump's inauguration.

He arranged for an American 'straw donor' to pay $50,000 to the inaugural committee, knowing that it was actually for a Ukrainian businessman.

Neither the American or the Ukrainian have been named.

CHARGED: KONSTANTIN KILIMNIK

Indicted for obstruction of justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice. At large, probably in Russia

Kilimnik is a former employee of Manafort's political consulting firm and helped him with lobbying work in Ukraine. He is accused of witness tampering, after he allegedly contacted individuals who had worked with Manafort to remind them that Manafort only performed lobbying work for them outside of the U.S.

He has been linked to Russian intelligence and is currently thought to be in Russia - effectively beyond the reach of extradition by Mueller's team.

INDICTED: THE RUSSIANS

Twenty-five Russian nationals and three Russian entities have been indicted for conspiracy to defraud the United States. They remain at large in Russia

Two of these Russian nationals were also indicted for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and 11 were indicted for conspiracy to launder money. Fifteen of them were also indicted for identity fraud.

Vladimir Putin has ridiculed the charges. Russia effectively bars extradition of its nationals. The only prospect Mueller has of bringing any in front of a U.S. jury is if Interpol has their names on an international stop list - which is not made public - and they set foot in a territory which extradites to the U.S.

INDICTED: MICHAEL FLYNN'S BUSINESS PARTNERS

Bijan Kian (left), number two in now disgraced former national security adviser Mike Flynn's lobbying company, and the two's business partner Ekim Alptekin (right) were indicted for conspiracy to lobby illegally.

Kian, an Iranian-American was arrested and appeared in court charged with a conspiracy to illegally lobby the U.S government without registering as a foreign agent. Their co-conspirator was Flynn, who is called 'Person A' in the indictment and is not charged, offering some insight into what charges he escaped with his plea deal.

Kian, vice-president of Flynn's former lobbying firm, is alleged to have plotted with Alptekin to try to change U.S. policy on an exiled Turkish cleric, Fethullah Gulen, who lives in Pennsylvania and who is accused by Turkey's strongman president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, of trying to depose him.

Erdogan's government wanted him extradited from the U.S. and paid Flynn's firm through Alptekin for lobbying, including an op-ed in The Hill calling for Gulen to be ejected. Flynn and Kian both lied that the op-ed was not paid for by the Turkish government.

The indictment is a sign of how Mueller is taking an interest in more than just Russian involvement in the 2016 election.

GUILTY AND AWAITING SENTENCE: ROGER STONE

Roger Stone, a former Trump campaign official and longtime informal advisor to Trump, was indited on seven counts including obstruction of justice, witness tampering, and lying to Congress about his communications with WikiLeaks in January 2019. Convicted on all counts November 15, 2019, awaiting sentence

Stone was a person of interest to Mueller's investigators long before his January indictment, thanks in part due to his public pronouncements as well as internal emails about his contacts with WikiLeks.

In campaign texts and emails, many of which had already been publicly revealed before showing up in Mueller's indictment, Stone communicated with associates about WikiLeaks following reports the organization had obtained a cache of Clinton-related emails.

Stone, a former Nixon campaign adviser who has the disgraced former president's face permanently tattooed on his back, has long been portrayed as a central figure in the election interference scandal.

'They got nothing,' he said of the special counsel's investigation.

Stone gave 'false and misleading' testimony about his requests for information from WikiLeaks. He then pressured a witness, comedian Randy Credico, to take the Fifth Amendment rather than testify, and pressured him in a series of emails. Following a prolonged dispute over testimony, he called him a 'rat' and threatened to 'take that dog away from you', in reference to Credico's pet, Bianca. Stone warned him: 'Let's get it on. Prepare to die.'

CLEARED: GREG CRAIG

Greg Craig, President Barack Obama's White House counsel, was indicted for failing to register as a foreign agent. Mueller's investigators uncovered Craig's work on behalf the government of Ukraine while probing Manafort, who did business with Craig.

Prosecutors released a grand jury indictment of Craig in April 2019, after Craig's law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP agreed to pay more than $4.6 million as part of a settlement. The prominent firm also acknowledged it had failed to register, and placed much of the blame on Craig, a senior partner there.

Craig's lawyer blasted the decision as an abuse of prosecutorial discretion, and prepared to argue that omission of information during an interview is not tantamount to making false statements.

The charges stem from a 2012 report Craig and the firm produced on behalf of the Ukrainian government on opposition figure and former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko. She was an opponent of Manafort's client , former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.

Craig was cleared on September 9 2019.
A teacher who consumed at least six energy drinks per day has shared a shocking image of his blistered and peeling tongue.

Dan Royals posted the picture of his damaged mouth to warn people about the dangers of energy drinks which contain up to 58 grams of sugar per can.

He said he used to drink at least five or six per day until his doctor told him excessive sugar and chemicals - including amino acids, B vitamins and herbal substances - were eating away at his flesh.

A teacher who consumes six energy drinks per day has shared a shocking image of his damaged tongue (pictured) on social media

In his post on Facebook group Get It Off Your Chest, he wrote: 'Who drinks energy drinks? Addicted to them? You may want to think again.

'Have a look at the second pic... That's what that s*** does to your tongue, imagine what's it like on your internals?

'Up until recently when this started to occur I was drinking at least 5-6 a day (lack of energy teaching kids usually) and I brush daily, went to the doctor and boom! Found out it's the chemicals in these drinks that are causing it... It literally eats away at your tongue.

Stock image of a man drinking a canned drink

'So be wary guys.'

Mr Royals, an Australian who lives in Asia, admitted he smokes cigarettes but insisted the damage to his tongue was from the drinks.

'Just to make it clear, I actually do care for my oral health but this is purely from these drinks... I do smoke but has nothing to do with the eating away of my tongue,' he said.

Mr Royals did not specify how the drinks caused damage to his tongue.

But dentists have issued warnings that the high content of sugar and acid in energy drinks can be harmful to oral health if consumed in excess.

A study by world health organisation researchers states: 'A study in the US showed that dental cavities can result from the acidic pH and high-sugar content of products such as energy drinks.

'Another study showed that consumption of energy drinks can cause erosion and smear layer removal in the teeth, leading to cervical dentin hypersensitivity.'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mr Royals and the Australian Dental Association for comment.
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Boris Johnson today pronounced Theresa May's Brexit deal 'dead' - less than 24 hours after he sensationally backed it in return for her leadership sacrifice - and will now urge the Prime Minister to quit rather than fight on.

Mrs May is fighting to pass her Brexit deal by the end of the week and must win a vote tomorrow if Britain is to leave the EU by May 22.

She yesterday offered to stand down if her deal passes in return for the backing of Johnson and his fellow Brexiteer rebels. After that offer, the former Foreign Secretary swung behind the PM after months of criticising her deal as 'an appalling humiliation' and a 'historic mistake'.

Now he appears to be turning on the PM by calling the deal 'dead' and insisting May steps down even if her deal fails, according to allies who spoke to the Evening Standard.

His U-turn comes after the DUP and up to 25 hardcore Tory rebels said they would still oppose the deal, seemingly sinking any chance of it passing this week.

The government will hold a debate vote on its deal tomorrow but has not finalised if it will be a full force endorsement of May's deal or a lesser motion  and if the PM cannot force the plan through the country faces further chaos.

Downing Street said the Government was awaiting a judgment from Speaker John Bercow on whether Friday's proposed motion is compliant with parliamentary convention before pressing ahead with the formal procedure to stage the debate.

The business motion enabling the House to sit on Friday must be passed before the Commons rises at around 5pm today.

Boris Johnson today branded Theresa May's Brexit deal 'dead' - less than 24 hours after he sensationally backed it - and will call on Mrs May to quit even if she doesn't deliver Brexit

On Monday, MPs will continue their attempts to force a soft Brexit such as a Customs Union on Mrs May before April 12  and her ministers have threatened to call a general election rather than be railroaded into breaking her manifesto promises.

May WILL hold a vote on her Brexit deal tomorrow in Bercow showdown Theresa May's deputy and Attorney General Geoffrey Cox confronted John Bercow this morning to establish whether he would allow a new vote on the Brexit deal. David Lidington and Mr Cox met with the Speaker shortly before Commons leader Andrea Leadsom made a cryptic announcement about a debate and vote tomorrow. MPs have been ordered to attend Parliament tomorrow, cancelling what was supposed to be a day in their constituencies. In the weekly business statement, Mrs Leadsom said it would be used for a debate on Brexit - but admitted the final motion has not been decided. Speculation has been rife all week that Mrs May would try to bring back her deal for a third 'meaningful vote' if she had any hope of winning. The DUP's continued refusal to back the deal makes it appear an impossible mission - but passing the divorce deal this week is the only way to leave the EU by May 22. Speaker Bercow threw a further spanner in the plans by insisting any new vote must be on a 'substantially' different question to the last one. Following Mrs Leadsom's announcement this morning there are two main possibilities. The first is a full-blown 'meaningful vote' of the kind the Government has lost twice  if the Speaker is persuaded the question is 'substantially different'. The second is to hold a vote only on the divorce agreement  the legally binding treaty  and not the political declaration. This would swerve the Speaker's ruling and keep alive May 22 but would not amount to approving the deal in UK law. Advertisement

If the government does call an election, it is likely to ask for another delay to Brexit from the EU so May can step down and a new Tory leader can be selected. The PM's would-be successors including favourites Michael Gove and Boris are already circling, the latter after finally supporting her deal despite months of trashing it.

The PM also faces opposition to her deal from up to 25 hardcore Brexiteer Spartans who still refuse to back her deal, leaving her needing to win over up to 30 Tory rebels.

Tory rebel Mark Francois said today: 'I wouldn't vote for it if they put a shotgun in my mouth. I am not voting for the deal on the basis of who is or is not the Prime Minister. I am not voting for the deal because I have read it. Nothing has changed - so I'm still happy to vote it down. The British people voted to leave the European Union - let's just leave'.

Yesterday, in an emotional speech, Mrs May told Tory MPs she would quit 'earlier than intended' if Parliament backed her withdrawal agreement.

There were initial signs that her gamble might pay off when a string of Eurosceptic MPs, led by Boris Johnson and Iain Duncan Smith, said they would now swing behind her.

But, in a bombshell announcement shortly before 9pm, the DUP's said it would not support the agreement because it posed 'an unacceptable risk to the integrity of the UK'.

The party's deputy leader Nigel Dodds indicated it would vote against the plan, saying: 'We don't abstain when it comes to the Union.'

The DUP's support is seen as critical to unlocking the backing of dozens of Eurosceptic MPs and Mrs May's close friend Damian Green, a former minister, says the PM will not give up trying today.

If her deal fails then Parliament is likely to demand she asks the EU for a softer Brexit or draw up a second referendum - and the PM would then be expected to call a general election because it would tear up the Tory manifesto.

She has not ruled out staying to lead the party in a snap election but allies said that they hoped she will because she is seen as one of the few 'adults in the room', one source told The Times.

Tory leadership candidate Michael Gove leaves home for a run today today as the Prime Minister fights to save her deal. Jacob Rees-Mogg (pictured today) has urged hardline Eurosceptics to back Theresa May or face losing Brexit

Jacob Rees-Mogg has said he still backs the PM's deal and is hoping the DUP 'come over' to it.

He also praised Mrs May's behaviour yesterday and said she 'deserves support'.

Speaking to reporters in London, he said: 'I'm in favour of the deal and I hope the DUP will come over to the deal but we'll have to wait and see what they do.'

Asked if he would be speaking to the DUP's leader after she again ruled out backing the deal on Wednesday night, he said: 'I have no plans to speak to Arlene Foster but I do have conversations with the DUP from time to time in the ordinary course of events.'

Tory Mark Francois said today he wouldn't vote for the PM's deal even with a gun in his mouth

He added: 'The Prime Minister behaved very nobly yesterday and I think she does deserve support at this stage.

'I don't like her deal. I make no bones about this. I don't think the deal's suddenly got better, simply that the alternative is now worse. It's not having any Brexit at all and it's letting down the 17.4 million people who voted to leave.'

Damian Green, Theresa May's former de facto deputy, has said she will carry on working to get a Brexit deal.

'She will take the path of soldiering on because she sees the great duty of her and her Government is to get a Brexit deal. She will carry on for as long as she is Prime Minister doing that,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

'Absolutely the last thing the country would need now would be a prime minister who walked away and said 'OK, choose someone else'. This is very serious. The next few days are really the crunch.'

Mr Green said the choice for MPs now lay between Mrs May's deal and a customs union - the option which came closest to winning a majority in Wednesday's indicative votes.

'If you want a deal, the choice is now between the Government's deal or a customs union. The customs union was only eight votes off winning yesterday,' he said.

'That's a slightly softer Brexit than the Government's deal. So that's the choice that faces MPs, even the most hard Brexit MPs.'

David Lidington, effectively Theresa May's deputy prime minister, pleaded with MPs to back the Brexit deal.

At the British Chambers of Commerce conference he said: 'I recognise the real frustration that uncertainty around this process has caused in the business community.'

He added: 'From the Prime Minister down, the Government is doing all it can to secure a Brexit that does follow the result of the 2016 referendum but does so in a way that protects jobs and economic growth.'

Mr Lidington acknowledged that a 'chaotic, disorganised Brexit without an agreed deal is something we should not be seeking to have'.

Downing Street was last night locked in frantic talks with the party in the hope of persuading the DUP's ten MPs to support the deal.

'They are tough negotiators,' one source said. 'It's not over yet.'

But one Cabinet minister said: 'If they don't move, then we don't have the votes.'

In a huge blow for the Prime Minister, DUP leader Arlene Foster (pictured last night on Sky News) said her party still could not support the deal because it 'poses a threat to the integrity of the UK'. Deputy leader of the DUP Nigel Dodds also ruled out abstaining

Cabinet minister Liz Truss said she wanted a Canada-style trade deal with the EU after Brexit as she urged Tory and DUP MPs to back Theresa May's Withdrawal Agreement.

David Cameron refuses to say who he thinks should replace Theresa May Former prime minister David Cameron today urged warring MPs to 'compromise' to get some sort of Brexit deal through the 'stuck' Parliament. The ex-Tory leader, who quit after leaving the failed Remain campaign in the 2016 election said two of four main factions in the Commons - spanning all opinions on Brexit - would have to 'compromise'. But he declined to say who he would back to replace Theresa May when she stands down, telling ITV News: 'It's not for me to say.' He said: 'The basic problem is that Parliament is stuck. 'There are four groups in Parliament; people who want the PM's deal, people who want no deal, people who want a second referendum and people who want a softer Brexit. 'We - the Government - has to try and find a way of getting at least two of those groups to work together, to combine their options, to compromise to find that partnership agreement and I hope that is what will happen.' Advertisement

Addressing the British Chambers of Commerce conference, the Treasury Chief Secretary said there was a 'dawning realisation that the deal the Prime Minister has set out is the deal that will allow us to move forward as a country'.

'The alternatives that have been proposed by Parliament, and we saw that in the House yesterday, do not command support, some of them aren't negotiable.

'What I want to do today is strongly encourage colleagues of mine from the Conservative Party and other parties to back the Prime Minister's deal so we can get on with the next stage of negotiations which is the really important part of us being able to secure a good trade deal with the EU.'

She added: 'I'm a free trader, I believe that we need to open our economy to the rest of the world, I would like to see us do a Canada-style free trade deal once we have left the EU.

Former Tory education secretary Justine Greening, who resigned from Mrs May's Cabinet during a reshuffle last year, said agreeing to hold a second referendum could solve the stalemate.

The Remain backing MP for Putney told PA: 'I wasn't surprised that last night there wasn't a majority for anything. It's been clear to me for months that Parliament is gridlocked.

'There was more support for a second referendum as a route through. It was clear to me if the PM wants her deal to pass she can just allow people to have a say on it and I think it would get through.

'That's something for her to consider, particularly if the DUP themselves say they can't support the deal. She's going to have to find votes from other places.

'The bottom line is: Britain has got to now take some decisions and if Parliament can't, then I think we should allow the public to do it.'

MPs last night rejected every Brexit option in a series of 'indicative votes', with a customs union, second referendum, Norway-style option and No Deal all failing to get a majority.

But the two options with the closest votes were for any Brexit deal to put put to the people for a 'confirmatory vote' (268 for and 295 against) and to leave the EU with a customs union (264 for and 272 against).

These options are set to be further debated on Monday in the Commons and will be put to another vote if Mrs May fails to convince enough MPs to get her withdrawal agreement passed before then.

Mrs May is hoping the threat of a 'confirmatory vote' from the electorate or 'soft' Brexit by leaving the EU with a customs union will cajole further hardline Brexiteers to support her deal.

This, and the PM's 'Back me, then sack me' plea, sets the scene for a third attempt to pass her Brexit plan tomorrow  the day Britain was due to leave the EU.

Mrs May becomes the fourth consecutive Tory prime minister to have their career wrecked by the issue of Europe.

Pressure on her to quit had been building in recent weeks, with Eurosceptic MPs unhappy with her deal, warning that they wanted a new leader to take forward the next stage of Brexit negotiations.

A senior Tory said party whips believed up to 30 Eurosceptic MPs would back Mrs May's deal only if she agreed to go.

Chancellor Philip Hammond and Transport Secretary Chris Grayling were pictured leaving Parliament last tonight following the PM's shock announcement

What PM needs to edge to victory... by just 2 votes. There are 235 Tory loyalists, 10 switchers, 30 who with back the deal if May quits, 10 DUP supporters and 24 Labour

Addressing the 1922 Committee of Tory MPs last night, an emotional Mrs May acknowledged that Brexit turmoil had been 'a testing time for our country and our party'. She called on MPs to do their 'historic duty' and back her plan.

Brexit 'black hole' caused by MPs 'chasing rainbows' is costing jobs, say business leaders Jobs are being lost and firms are going to the wall because of the 'Brexit black hole' of uncertainty over the British economy, a business leader said. In an angry tirade at Westminster's politicians, British Chambers of Commerce director general Adam Marshall hit out at the 'political turmoil' caused by Brexit and warned that the country was not ready for a 'messy' no-deal scenario. There was already a 'growing list of business casualties' and 'in many parts of our economy, real world damage is happening right now'. Dr Marshall said firms faced: 'Increased costs. Orders lost to competitors elsewhere. Contracts unrenewed or put on hold. 'Investments postponed, cancelled or diverted elsewhere. Queries from customers that simply can't be answered.' He added: 'Business want to get on and escape from the gravitational pull of the Brexit black hole that has sapped energy, investment and business confidence for far too long. 'But uncertainty is generating a growing list of business casualties and a litany of rising costs. That damage is happening right now.' In a stark message to MPs he said: 'To Westminster we say - we are frustrated, we are angry, you have let British business down. 'You have focused on soundbites not substance, tactics not strategy and politics not prosperity. 'Listening without hearing.' MPs could back Theresa May's Withdrawal Agreement, agree to a long extension to the Brexit process in order to work out a fresh plan or revoke Article 50 altogether and commit to EU membership for the immediate future, he said. He acknowledged the options were all controversial but MPs could not carry on 'chasing rainbows'. 'Like all of us in business, they need to start making tough decisions, however personally or politically difficult they might be,' Dr Marshall said. Advertisement

But she acknowledged concerns about her own leadership, saying: 'I have heard very clearly the mood of the parliamentary party.

'I know there is a desire for a new approach  and new leadership  in the second phase of the Brexit negotiations  and I won't stand in the way of that.'

Her dramatic move fired the starting gun on what promises to be a bruising Tory leadership contest this summer that will choose the next prime minister.

Tory sources said that if Mrs May's plan passes, a leadership contest will start shortly after May 22, when the UK finally leaves the EU.

However, No 10 refused to say whether she would still depart on the same timetable if her plan is blocked or defeated.

One source said it would be 'a different scenario', adding: 'It's hard to see how we could have time for a leadership contest in quite the same way if we're still in the middle of trying to take us out.'

Shadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey has said Labour is ready to work with other parties to resolve the Brexit deadlock.

'What is imperative now is that parties across the House - and certainly Jeremy (Corbyn) is going to be doing that before Monday - work with each other to find reasonable compromises to try to navigate a way out of this,' she told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.

'If the Government can't find a majority - and there isn't a majority for anything in Parliament - the only option to take things forward is a general election.

'I know there are many MPs who don't agree with that synopsis so in order to overcome this impasse we have got to reach a compromise.'

Labour former foreign secretary Dame Margaret Beckett, who tabled a motion calling for any Brexit deal to be put to a 'confirmatory' referendum, said MPs now need to be prepared to compromise.

'They are going to have to look over the abyss,' she told Today.

'For some of them, they were so wedded to particular proposals, and they so passionately believed that those were right, that they didn't want anything get in the way.'

She added: 'The reason there is all this fuss about how terrible it was is because the people who want no-deal want it to look as if everything has failed so we have to go their way.'

Jubilant anti-Brexit MPs started singing the EU anthem Beethoven's 9th symphony, Ode to Joy, in the Commons chamber last night as Mrs May's hopes of getting her deal through faded.

In a fresh twist before Mrs May's announcement, John Bercow yesterday afternoon threatened new Brexit chaos by throwing doubts over Mrs May's efforts to get her deal through the Commons by Friday

Remainer ex-Tory MP Anna Soubry, a member of the breakaway TIG independent group, conducted a mock choir of MPs. Then she tried to get fellow pro-Europeans to join her in a Mexican wave; several other TIG, Scots Nat and Labour MPs joined in.

'I know there is a desire for new leadership': May's promise to QUIT if MPs vote for the deal 'This has been a testing time for our country and our party. We're nearly there. We're almost ready to start a new chapter and build that brighter future. 'But before we can do that, we have to finish the job in hand. As I say, I don't tour the bars and engage in the gossip  but I do make time to speak to colleagues, and I have a great team in the Whips' Office. I also have two excellent PPSs. 'And I have heard very clearly the mood of the parliamentary party. I know there is a desire for a new approach  and new leadership  in the second phase of the Brexit negotiations  and I won't stand in the way of that. 'I know some people are worried that if you vote for the Withdrawal Agreement, I will take that as a mandate to rush on into phase two without the debate we need to have. I won't  I hear what you are saying. 'But we need to get the deal through and deliver Brexit. She addded: 'I am prepared to leave this job earlier than I intended in order to do what is right for our country and our party. 'I ask everyone in this room to back the deal so we can complete our historic duty  to deliver on the decision of the British people and leave the European Union with a smooth and orderly exit.' Advertisement

The riotous scenes came during the wait for the result of the votes on the alternative Brexit options shortly after 9pm.

The antics appeared to have been triggered when news of the DUP's latest rejection of Mrs May's plan reached MPs, dramatically reducing her hopes of getting the withdrawal agreement through.

It was followed by a row as Tory loyalists tried to stop the 'soft Brexit' motions that won most votes in the Commons last night being voted on again on Monday.

Former Tory chairman Sir Patrick McLoughlin accused Mr Bercow of double standards by allowing a second vote when he had ruled against a third vote on Mrs May's deal earlier yesterday.

The Speaker rejected his demand. Allies of the PM said she had reluctantly made the decision to quit over the past fortnight, following conversations with close political friends and her husband Philip.

Mr May stood by her side as she made a 'moving' speech to tearful staff in No 10 after making her announcement to MPs last night. Allies said the decision reflected her determination to push through a plan she believes is 'firmly in the national interest'.

One said: 'She had other options but she has put her country first. It is typically selfless.'

Justice Secretary David Gauke described her address to MPs as a 'very touching, moving speech'.

Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd said: 'There was a sadness in the room when she said she was going to go and a feeling that she has done what she promised. She has fulfilled her commitment to putting the country first.'

Mr Rees-Mogg said: 'There was a great deal of sympathy for the Prime Minister in the room and a recognition that she is both brave and dutiful and that there was a nobility in her statement that she was putting the interests as she sees them of the country and the party first and sacrificing herself.'

Her former policy adviser George Freeman said that the PM had 'tears not far from her eyes' as she admitted: 'I have made many mistakes. I am only human. I beg you, colleagues, vote for the withdrawal agreement and I will go.'

Scottish Secretary David Mundell said: 'She is doing what she thinks is in the national interest.

'I have utmost respect for her. She has an incredible sense of duty. She sees her duty to deliver Brexit and she put that ahead of her own personal interest. It's another day in which she has put the national interest before her personal interest.'

But Labour MP Wes Streeting said the prospect of Mrs May being replaced by a Brexiteer prime minister would make it even harder to secure Labour support.

Mr Streeting said: 'Any commitments or guarantees made by Theresa May to the House of Commons are meaningless. A hard Brexiteer will be leading the country to a harder Brexit.'

What sort of Brexit DO MPs want? Commons shows support for a second referendum, a customs union and Labour's plan for a soft Brexit but with no clear majority for any option

The backbench plot to snatch control of Brexit hit a wall last night as none of the alternatives to Theresa May's deal secured a majority - but MPs still showed Britain they favour a softer Brexit or a second referendum - and will never deliver No Deal.

Last night, in an unprecedented move, politicians seized control of the Commons timetable from Theresa May to hold so-called indicative votes.

The poll showed Parliament is close to agreeing on a soft Brexit with a plan for the UK remaining in a customs union with the EU defeated by 272 votes to 264, while a second referendum was rejected by 295 votes to 268.

MPs were handed green ballot papers on which they voted Yes or No to eight options, ranging from No Deal to cancelling Brexit altogether. However, the votes descended into shambles as MPs rejected each and every one of the proposals - although its architect Sir Oliver Letwin always warned there wouldn't be a winner first time.

Ten Tories  including ministers Sir Alan Duncan, Mark Field and Stephen Hammond  supported an SNP plan to give MPs the chance to revoke Article 50 if a deal has not been agreed two days before Brexit. Some 60 Tory MPs backed the option of remaining in the single market.

These are the results of last night's indicative votes on Brexit, in order of preference. It shows that while MPs can't find a consensus they lean heavily towards a softer Brexit or second referendum

Tory MP Oliver Letwin (pictured in the Commons today) began today's proceedings after his amendment on Monday night tore up the usual Commons agenda to allow last night's votes

The results of Wednesday's votes, in order of preference, were:

Confirmatory public vote (second referendum) - defeated by 295 voted to 268, majority 27.

Customs union - defeated by 272 votes to 264, majority eight.

Labour's alternative plan - defeated by 307 votes to 237, majority 70.

Revocation to avoid no-deal - defeated by 293 votes to 184, majority 109.

Common market 2.0: defeated by 283 votes to 188, majority 95.

No Deal: defeated by 400 votes to 160, majority 240.

Contingent preferential arrangements - defeated by 422 votes to 139, majority 283.

Efta and EEA: defeated by 377 votes to 65, majority 312.

Shadow housing minister Melanie Onn resigned after Jeremy Corbyn ordered his MPs to back a raft of soft Brexit plans, as well as a second referendum.

Some 27 Labour MPs defied the whip to reject a so-called 'confirmatory vote' on any Brexit deal. The party had instructed them to support the plan just hours after one of its senior frontbenchers publicly warned that it would be a mistake.

Sir Oliver Letwin, the architect of the Commons move, today insisted the indicative votes were not intended to give a precise answer right away - and will hold another round of votes on Monday.

MPs are due to hold a second round of votes - unless Mrs May can get her deal through first - after none of the eight options debated on Wednesday was able to command a majority. It could be that the eight options are cut down to the most popular.

Sir Oliver told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: 'At some point or other we either have to get her deal across the line or accept that we have to find some alternative if we want to avoid no deal on the 12th, which I think at the moment is the most likely thing to happen.

'At the moment we are heading for a situation where, under the law, we leave without a deal on the 12th, which many of us think is not a good solution, and the question is 'Is Parliament on Monday willing to come to any view in the majority about that way forward that doesn't involve that result?''

MPs will take control of the Commons order paper again on Monday, so they can narrow down the options if Mrs May's deal has not been agreed by then  or pass legislation to try and impose their choice on her. Speaking in the Commons after the results, Sir Oliver said: 'It is of course a great disappointment that the House has not chosen to find a majority for any proposition.

'However, those of us who put this proposal forward as a way of proceeding predicted that we would not even reach a majority and for that very reason put forward a ... motion designed to reconsider these matters on Monday.'

Theresa May (pictured returning to Parliament) sensationally promised to quit Downing Street in return for Tory Brexiteer rebels passing her deal as she admitted her time as Prime Minister was almost over

The Prime Minister allowed her MPs to vote however they wanted on the choices after she was warned around ten junior ministers would quit if they were whipped against backing a soft Brexit.

The eight Brexit options that MPs couldn't back: Revoke Article 50 - 273 to 184 AGAINST Put forward by SNP's Joanna Cherry and backed by 33 MPs including Conservative former attorney general Dominic Grieve, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable, Labour's Ben Bradshaw and all 11 members of The Independent Group. It demands that if no deal has been agreed on the day before Brexit that MPs will get the chance to cancel the UK's notice to Brussels it would leave the EU. Britain is allowed to unilaterally cancel Article 50 and stay a member on its current terms, according to a ruling of the European Court. It would bring an end to the existing negotiations - but would not legally rule them being restarted. Second referendum - 295 to 268 AGAINST Tabled by Labour ex-foreign secretary Margaret Beckett to build on proposals from Labour MPs Peter Kyle and Phil Wilson. It states that MPs will not sanction leaving the EU unless it has been put to the electorate for a 'confirmatory vote'. A significant evolution of the plan is it would put any deal agreed by the Government to a public vote and not just Mrs May's plan. Customs union - 272 to 264 AGAINST Tabled by veteran Conservative Europhile Ken Clarke, backed by Labour's Yvette Cooper, Helen Goodman and chair of the Commons Exiting the EU Committee Hilary Benn and Tory former ministers Sir Oliver Letwin and Sarah Newton. It demands that ministers negotiate a new 'permanent and comprehensive UK-wide customs union with the EU' which would prevent the country being able to strike its own trade deals but make it easier for goods to move between the UK and Europe. Labour's plan - 307 to 237 AGAINST Proposed by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn It includes a comprehensive customs union but with a UK say on future trade deals and close alignment with the single market. The plan also demands matching new EU rights and protections; participation in EU agencies and funding programmes; and agreement on future security arrangements, including access to the European Arrest Warrant. No deal - 400 to 160 AGAINST Proposed by Eurosceptic Tory MP John Baron. Tabled a motion demanding 'the UK will leave the EU on 12 April 2019' without a deal. However, a No Deal Brexit has already been rejected twice by MPs. It would instruct the Government to abandon efforts to secure its deal and inform the EU it did not want a long extension to Article 50 either, in line with last week's EU Council. Both sides would then have a fortnight to make final preparations. Common Market 2.0 283 to 188 AGAINST Tabled by Conservatives Nick Boles, Robert Halfon and Andrew Percy and Labour's Stephen Kinnock, Lucy Powell and Diana Johnson. The motion proposes UK membership of the European Free Trade Association and European Economic Area. It allows continued participation in the single market and a 'comprehensive customs arrangement' with the EU after Brexit. It would be very similar to current membership. The idea is this would remain in place until the agreement of a wider trade deal which guarantees frictionless movement of goods and an open border in Ireland. Single Market - 377 to 65 AGAINST Tory former minister George Eustice - who quit as agriculture minister this month to fight for Brexit - proposes remaining within the EEA and rejoining EFTA, but remaining outside a customs union with the EU. The motion was also signed by Conservative MPs including former minister Nicky Morgan and head of the Brexit Delivery Group Simon Hart. The idea would keep the UK in the European Economic Area (EEA), but unlike the Common Market 2.0 plan would not involve a customs arrangement. It is similar to Norway's deal. Standstill with the EU - 422 to 139 AGAINST Backed by senior Brexiteers in the ERG including Steve Baker and Priti Patel, this would tell the Government to seek a tariff-free trading arrangement with the EU> It would be based on a 'standstill' agreement saying all regulations in the UK would continue to match EU ones for up to two years. Advertisement

She and the Cabinet abstained on the indicative votes, helping her to mask the wide gaping divisions among her senior ministers on the way forward.

Commons Speaker John Bercow selected eight out of the 16 Brexit options tabled by MPs for a vote, turning down proposals to demand a unilateral right to leave the Northern Irish 'backstop ' or to require automatic revocation of Article 50 if No Deal is reached. He also rejected the so-called Malthouse Compromise Plan A  drawn up by backbenchers from Leave and Remain wings of the Tory Party  which would have implemented Mrs May's deal with the backstop replaced by 'alternative arrangements'.

Ahead of the votes, Mrs May warned she would not regard the results as binding. But former Tory chancellor Ken Clarke yesterday told BBC Radio 5 Live the Prime Minister 'would obviously have to be removed' if she ignored a consensus emerging from the indicative votes process.

Labour ordered its MPs to back a motion, tabled by former foreign secretary Dame Margaret Beckett, requiring any Brexit deal passed during this Parliament to be confirmed in a public referendum before ratification. The party also whipped its MPs to back its own alternative Brexit plan  but four Labour backbenchers voted against it. Three others  including party chairman Ian Lavery  voted for a 'managed' No Deal. Mr Corbyn had also encouraged his MPs to back the so-called Common Market 2.0 plan tabled by Mr Clarke  which would keep the country in the single market as well as a customs arrangement  but did not whip them to do so.

At Prime Minister's Questions, Mrs May criticised the Labour leader over his support for a customs union and a second referendum. She said: 'Whatever happened to straight-talking honest politics?' In a tweet, the Department for Exiting the European Union warned that the Common Market 2.0 plan 'would not respect the referendum result'.

'[It] would not end free movement of people, would not let us set our own trade policy, would not stop us sending money to the EU, [and] would make us a rule taker,' the message added.

A number of Tory MPs refused to take part in the votes. Aldershot MP Leo Docherty said none of the options presented a 'coherent path towards Brexit'. He tweeted: 'This is an exercise in Parliamentary navel-gazing and I will be abstaining.' Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom earlier warned that MPs had turned the normal 'precedent on its head' by taking control of the order paper, which sets out the parliamentary timetable for the day. She said: 'Those who are not in government are deciding the business, and there are inevitable ramifications to that.'

But former Tory chief whip Andrew Mitchell said Sir Oliver had played 'an absolute blinder' by making clear to Brexiteers the consequences of continuing to oppose the PM's deal. He said: 'I think Sir Oliver Letwin has laid out for all my friends and colleagues in the ERG the instruments of torture, of what awaits them if they do not support Mrs May's deal the next time it comes to a vote.'

Allies of PM said she had reluctantly made the decision to quit over the past fortnight, following conversations with close political friends and her husband Philip.

Mr May stood by her side as she made a 'moving' speech to tearful staff in No 10 after making her announcement to MPs last night. Allies said the decision reflected her determination to push through a plan she believes is 'firmly in the national interest'.

One said: 'She had other options but she has put her country first. It is typically selfless' - but it is unclear if it can save her deal.

The DUP's support is seen as critical to unlocking the backing of dozens of Eurosceptic MPs.

Downing Street was last night locked in frantic talks with the party in the hope of persuading its ten MPs to support the deal.

'They are tough negotiators,' one source said. 'It's not over yet.'

But one Cabinet minister said: 'If they don't move, then we don't have the votes.'

MPs last night rejected every Brexit option in a series of 'indicative votes', with a customs union, second referendum, Norway-style option and No Deal all failing to get a majority.

That, and the PM's 'Back me, then sack me' plea, sets the scene for a third attempt to pass her Brexit plan tomorrow  the day Britain was due to leave the EU.

Mrs May becomes the fourth consecutive Tory prime minister to have their career wrecked by the issue of Europe.

Pressure on her to quit had been building in recent weeks, with Eurosceptic MPs unhappy with her deal, warning that they wanted a new leader to take forward the next stage of Brexit negotiations.

A senior Tory said party whips believed up to 30 Eurosceptic MPs would back Mrs May's deal only if she agreed to go.

Addressing the 1922 Committee of Tory MPs last night, an emotional Mrs May acknowledged that Brexit turmoil had been 'a testing time for our country and our party'. She called on MPs to do their 'historic duty' and back her plan.

But she acknowledged concerns about her own leadership, saying: 'I have heard very clearly the mood of the parliamentary party.

'I know there is a desire for a new approach  and new leadership  in the second phase of the Brexit negotiations  and I won't stand in the way of that.'

Her dramatic move fired the starting gun on what promises to be a bruising Tory leadership contest this summer that will choose the next prime minister.

Tory sources said that if Mrs May's plan passes, a leadership contest will start shortly after May 22, when the UK finally leaves the EU. However, No 10 refused to say whether she would still depart on the same timetable if her plan is blocked or defeated.

One source said it would be 'a different scenario', adding: 'It's hard to see how we could have time for a leadership contest in quite the same way if we're still in the middle of trying to take us out.'

The 'Stop Boris' Tory leadership 'dream ticket'? Sajid Javid's team are trying to convince Michael Gove to stand aside and accept being Chancellor to install 'The Saj' in No 10 to sabotage Johnson

As Tory leadership jockeying gathers pace, MailOnline understands allies of Sajid Javid are contemplating a 'dream ticket' with Michael Gove that could see the pair move into No10 and No11 respectively.

They are mulling whether Jeremy Hunt could be offered Home Secretary to drop his candidacy as part of the pact, while Penny Mordaunt and Andrea Leadsom could also be handed promotions to fall into line.

There are fears that unless the main Cabinet contenders come to an arrangement between themselves their support could splinter, opening the door for Boris Johnson.

Many believe that if he gets enough endorsements from MPs to be in the final two voted on by Tory activists he will win, but his support on the backbenches is limited.

A senior Tory source described Javid as PM and Gove as Chancellor as a 'grown up and sensible solution' that would match the current Environment Secretary's strategic thinking with the Home Secretary's public appeal and bring 'stability' at the top of the party.

'We know Michael Gove's limitations in terms of public appeal, Lynton Crosby made that very clear in 2014. He has some clear challenges to get over the line without many of the Brexit supporters who will never forgive what happened with Boris Johnson in 2016.

'Sajid Javid has broad support around the country, the polling evidence proves that. And the fact that he has a back story that no one else in the party has.'

More than a dozen Tory MPs are poised to launch bids for the leadership after Theresa May announced she will quit if her Brexit deal is voted through.

Another MP said today: 'It's like the start line of the Grand National, but in the end Becher's Brook finds many out.'

Sajid Javid in Downing Street yesterday. Rmours are growing of a joint ticket that would see him enter Number 10 with Michael Gove as Chancellor

The betting favourite to take over the mantle at the moment is ardent Brexiteer Michael Gove (pictured right), with Boris Johnson (pictured left) a close second

As many as eight Cabinet ministers are expected to put their names forward, with Hunt, Gove and Javid among the frontrunners.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock is seen as a strong outside bet, along with Chief Secretary to the Treasury Liz Truss and Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson.

Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd is weighing up whether to run.

Among the Cabinet outsiders are Leader of the Commons Andrea Leadsom, who finished second in the 2016 leadership contest that Mrs May won, but is expected to have another tilt, along with Brexiteer International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt.

Outside the Cabinet, the leading contenders are former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and former Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab, both of whom quit Government posts over Mrs May's Brexit plans and will be vying for votes among Eurosceptic MPs.

Other MPs attempting to garner support for a run include former Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey, Tory party vice-chairman James Cleverly, foreign affairs select committee chairman Tom Tugendhat, justice minister Rory Stewart and backbench MP Johnny Mercer.

Last night one MP said: 'It's going to be like Ben Hur  there'll be a cast of thousands.'

Dominic Raab (pictured left) and foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt (pictured right) are also strong betting favourites

Sajid Javid (pictured left) and Andrea Leadsom (pictured right) are also possible future leaders

Amber Rudd, the work and pensions secretary, and ardent Remainer, and Chief Secretary to the treasury Liz Truss might also fancy a run at the leadership

Nigel Evans, joint-secretary of the backbench 1922 Committee, said: 'There's going to be more runners and riders than the Grand National.'

How successor will be chosen If Mrs May's deal goes through, the UK is likely to leave the EU on May 22 and she would resign as Tory leader that day but stay on as interim PM while the contest to replace her begins. Any Tory MP can stand but they need two nominations from colleagues. A series of secret votes would be held every Tuesday and Thursday among the 314 members of the Conservative Parliamentary Party. The last-placed candidate is eliminated at every stage and once it is clear who the front-runners are the back-markers usually drop out and support someone else. After David Cameron stood down following the referendum in 2016 there were five candidates in the first round, who were whittled down to two: Theresa May and Andrea Leadsom. The final two candidates then move on to the second phase, when party members vote by postal ballot. Candidates will be expected to make speeches to members and tour the country to try to win support. This second phase is likely to last for up to a month. Only members who have been in the party for three months or more can vote in a leadership contest, so joining now would not entitle you to a say. Conservative sources say the whole process could be completed within a month to six weeks. Advertisement

Last night, bookmakers Ladbrokes installed Mr Gove and Mr Johnson as early joint favourites at 4/1 and Mr Hunt at 8/1, with Mr Raab and Mr Javid at 10/1. Not all the likely runners are serious about winning the top job, but hope to secure a better job in Cabinet by increasing their profile.

Several of the leading candidates have had 'shadow' campaign operations running for months in anticipation of Mrs May going, with supporters discreetly sounding out MPs.

The first phase of the contest will see all Tory MPs vote in a series of rounds to whittle down the candidates to the final two. Party members across the country then vote in a postal ballot to decide the winner.

Last night, No 10 officials said that if Mrs May's deal goes through in the coming days and the UK leaves the EU on May 22, she will resign as Tory leader but stay on as caretaker until the contest is finished. She would go to Japan for the G20 at the end of June, meaning the contest would last about six weeks.

Mr Hunt has long been seen as a frontrunner because of his seniority and experience, but could suffer from the 'favourite' tag. His opponents have labelled him 'Continuity May'.

Mr Javid's hopes have taken a series of blows in recent months over his handling of the case of teenager Shamima Begum who ran off from her home in east London to join Isis, and for his claim to be taking control of a migration crisis while on holiday in South Africa.

Allies of Mr Johnson believe if he gets to the final round he is likely to win because of his huge popularity among grassroots Tories.

There is also speculation about Mr Johnson and Miss Rudd forming a powerful joint ticket, which would bring together a leading Brexiteer and a leading Remainer and could help reunite the party.

Mr Gove's prospects have sky-rocketed in recent weeks after several barnstorming performances at the despatch box, including his closing speech in the no confidence debate in January when he savaged Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
The husband of a pregnant nurse who was kidnapped and killed in India has been charged with her murder.

Ravneet Kaur went missing from the village of Bagge Ke Pipal on the Pakistan-India border on March 14.

Her body was found 200km away in a canal in Lehragaga.

Her husband Gold Coast businessman Jaspreet Singh was in Australia at the time but local police allege he was having an affair and arranged the murder with his mistress.

Ravneet Kaur (pictured with her husband and their daughter), who lives on the Gold Coast, went missing from the village of Bagge Ke Pipal on the Pakistan-India border on 14 March

Police believe Kaur, 29, was sedated, driven away and killed before her body was dumped

Indian police have confirmed Mr Singh and four others have been charged with conspiracy and murder, ABC reported.

Mr Singh, who is understood to still be in the Gold Coast, will face extradition to India.

Ms Kaur, 29, who was pregnant, arrived in India on February 27 to visit her friends and family with her four-year-old daughter.

The Indian-born woman was meant to return on March 22.

Ms Kaur had been employed at Tricare in the Gold Coast and was described as a devoted worker and mother and was reportedly expecting a son.

Ms Kaur (pictured with her husband) arrived in India, where she was born, on February 27 to visit her friends and family with her four-year-old daughter

Ravneet Kaur went missing from the village of Bagge Ke Pipal on the Pakistan-India border on 14 March. Her body was found on Monday night in a canal 200km away in Lehragaga

Police allege Mr Singh was wanting to move to Canada with his mistress, who is also an Australian citizen.

Mr Singh denied the allegations in an interview with SBS Punjabi.

'I don't know what the basis of all these allegations is,' he said.

'I can't say anything. I will have to go to India and find out what happened. I have no role in this whatsoever.'

Indian authorities have been working with the Australian High Commission in New Dehli, police said.
Two people have been killed and two more have been left in a critical condition in an apparent random shooting attack in North Seattle, on Wednesday afternoon.

According to eyewitnesses, the male suspect, who lives in the area, emerged from his home with a gun and attempted to car-jack a driver.

During the attempted robbery in the Lake City neighborhood, the driver, a 57-year-old woman, was shot and critically injured.

The suspect is then said to have opened fire at an oncoming King County Metro bus, striking the driver.

Having been shot in the chest, the bus driver is said to have put his vehicle into reverse and driven for a few blocks. before pressing an emergency button and alerting police to the scene at 4:05 pm.

Dramatic helicopter footage documented the moment Seattle police apprehended the suspect

In total, authorities say four people were shot by the assailant, including one fatality (pictured: Paramedics and police officers remove a man from where two vehicles collided on Sand Point Way Northeast in Seattle, Wednesday)

Images of the green and yellow Metro vehicle show multiple rounds were fired through the windshield of the bus, but remarkably none of the other 12 passengers onboard were harmed.

'My understanding is, even after he had been struck by gunfire, he was able to maneuver the bus, to back out, and get his passengers to safety, before hitting the emergency alarm button,' said Metro spokesman Jeff Switzer.

As police rushed to the scene, the gunman then carjacked another vehicle, shooting and killing the driver before driving away.

A high-speed pursuit then ensued between the suspect and police. During the chase, a 70-year-old driver collided with the suspect's vehicle head-on and suffered fatal injuries, dying at the scene.

Police say they were eventually able to persuade the suspect to surrender his weapon and exit the immobilized vehicle.

Images of the green and yellow Metro vehicle show multiple rounds were fired through the windshield of the bus - remarkably none of the other 12 passengers on-board were harmed

During a high-speed chase between the suspect and police, a 70-year-old driver collided with the suspect's vehicle head-on and suffered fatal injuries

According to eyewitnesses, the male suspect, who lives in the area, emerged from his home with a gun and attempted to car-jack a female driver

Dramatic helicopter footage documented the moment Seattle police apprehended the suspect, who could be seen writhing around in pain on the floor, next to the open door of a severely damaged red car.

In total, authorities say four people were shot by the assailant, including one fatality.

A 50-year-old man was shot and killed at the scene and a 70-year-old male died in a collision with the suspect's car.

Two other victims, a 57-year-old woman, and a man, whose age is not yet know, were taken to the Harborview Medical Center where they remain in a critical condition.

The driver of the bus is said to be in stable condition. Eyewitnesses say he was able to walk from the bus and onto a gurney where paramedics began attending to him, the Seattle Times reported.

The suspect is currently being treated for non-life threatening injuries at Harborview.

He will later be taken into police custody and will likely charged.

Police say they don't believe the believed suspect had a motive for the chain of crimes, calling his actions 'random and senseless'.
Australias most iconic native animals are being traded in huge numbers by US breeders who are selling them as pets and curiosities for thousands of dollars.

The scale of the native animal trade has emerged after Australians were shocked by a kookaburra called Thunder being sold in a cage at a Virginia Beach pet store for $1200.

The story prompted demands for the bird, which was bizarrely dressed in a collar and tie, to be immediately rescued and dozens of angry calls from outraged Australians to the pet store owners.

But Thunders plight is just the tip of a booming trade in Australian native animals across the US.

A quick search through pet websites in the US reveals kangaroos, wallabies, sugar gliders and emus are all available  for a price.

News of a kookaburra living in a pet store in Virginia Beach in the United States shocked Australians - but nobody in America was surprised

One breeder advertised online a mob of six albino kangaroos for $45,000 US dollars.

Jeff, who lives in upstate New York and breeds emus, told Daily Mail Australia on Thursday he completely understood the popularity of Australia's native animals - especially kangaroos.

'Who wouldn't want one?' he said.

'They're cute and cuddly when they're babies - there's nothing like having a little kangaroo, people go nuts when they see it.'

Advertisements online show Americans can get all sorts of Australian native animals as pets

Thunder the kookaburra, who is on sale for $1200, will never be able to return to Australia, the Department of Agriculture confirmed, as nobody would be able to prove its health history

He said he'd seen a person pushing their pet kangaroo around a store in a shopping trolley on at least one occasion, to the delight of other shoppers.

Chris, who breeds lorikeets, told Daily Mail Australia she was also confused as to why Australians were so outraged to learn a kookaburra was up for sale.

She claims native Aussie animals were legally sent to zoos in the United States in the 1970s, and those zoos passed on any surplus to breeders - meaning it is not illegal for US breeders to sell on the animals.

Under Australian law, native animals cannot be taken out of the country.

Chris said she does not believe the kookaburra, who is named Thunder, could have been obtained illegally as she knows his breeder - an elderly man who has been in business for decades.

The pet store has also denied Thunder was smuggled into the country.

Advertisements in online pet stores show Australian animals are for sale all around the US, with prices reaching well over a few thousand dollars.

One kangaroo was seen on sale for $5,000, while a mob of about six was up for $45,000

Sugar gliders were another popular pet with Americans, who can purchase the marsupials online

A five-year-old wallaby previously used for 'hands-on shows' was going for $1,500, while a baby from Texas was on sale for $2,500 - cash only

A mob of albino kangaroos was up for sale for $45,000, with seller Bob King from Florida explaining they were the 'perfect starter mob for anyone looking to get into kangaroos'.

In New York, baby 'bottle raised' kangaroos were being sold online

A male and female pair of baby emus will sell online from $500-$979, with one site even offering to ship the native Australian birds anywhere in the US via airplane.

Sugar gliders were another hit with Americans, with the marsupials being bred for domestic use for more than a decade in the United States.

The creatures retail from about $230-500, but are understood to live in distress as captive animals.

If Chris's account of how the native Australian animals came to be in the United States is true, nobody has broken the law.

But, multiple calls to the pet store housing Thunder have received no response, with a staff member telling Daily Mail Australia managers were not available to speak, or that they were too busy because it was 'feeding time'.

Bottle fed kangaroos were sold for $1800 each in upstate New York (pictured)

A pair of two baby emus, born for breeding, was on sale for $980 - but similar pairs could be found cheaper online

A statement posted to their Facebook account on Friday morning denied any wrongdoing on their part, but the owners have not been very forthcoming with details as to where the kookaburra came from.

Attempts to contact many of the sellers on exoticanimalsforsale.net also went unanswered.

Thunder the kookaburra was bought from a local breeder, the pet store has claimed

But Jeff, who once posted an advertisement for baby kangaroos on the site for a friend, was happy to chat about the differences in laws surrounding the animals, and his personal love for emus.

Jeff breeds emus and currently has about 30 living on his property.

Last month, he said he was able to sell 15 of the birds for about $300-400 each.

'We raise them from babies,' he said. 'They're pretty popular anyway because they can handle the weather, they can handle about -10 Fahrenheit.'

He said with the assistance of an incubator, the birds could 'multiply really quickly', though their egg-laying habits could pose a challenge to breeders.

'They lay their eggs in the middle of the winter, you've gotta run out and get 'em before they freeze,' he said.

Jeff said it was 'not common' to keep emus, but he personally knew 'a lot' of people who did.

'Anyone can have them here, there's no laws against it or anything,' he said.

The New York man said he had bought his first emus as babies, but was unable to recall exactly where they had come from.

In Australia, it is illegal to kill, harm or take an emu from the wild without a licence or authorisation.
An American pet store that has caged a kookaburra for four years has been bombarded with threats and angry messages from furious Australians.

The Virginia Beach pet store confirmed to Daily Mail Australia they have been receiving threatening phone calls from people concerned about the bird's welfare.

The kookaburra, named Thunder, is for sale at the pet store for almost $1,200USD and is kept in a small cage among the store shelves.

A pet store in the US has been receiving abusive phone calls about a kookaburra (pictured) it has kept caged for four years

Thunder made headlines on Wednesday after an Australian woman, Wendy Davidson, who lives in Virginia, stumbled upon the bird while visiting the shop.

She explained she has been going back to the pet store to check on the bird this week and on her last visit they were getting phone calls.

'Their phone was already ringing off the hook. Unfortunately it appears that well intended Australians are actually ringing the pet store and giving them a piece of their mind,' Ms Davidson told the Today on Thursday.

Thunder made headlines earlier this week after an Australian woman, Wendy Davidson, who lives in Virginia stumbled upon the bird while visiting the shop

'They were in the middle of phone call when I got there. They're like, oh my gosh we're getting these calls since yesterday.'

The manager of the store confirmed to Daily Mail Australia they have been receiving angry calls about the bird.

'All I can say is that the bird was bred here and we got him from a reputable breeder,' the store manager said.

The store made the same claim on its bird-themed Facebook on Friday morning, but by the afternoon, the account had been deleted.

Ms Davidson said she has been told the bird cannot be brought back into Australia due to quarantine issues.

She believes the best course of action is the bird being donated to a wildlife sanctuary in the US.

'His social and emotional needs are not being taken care of as all. They're social birds,' she said.

Ms Davidson - who has been living in the US state of Virginia since 2015 - said she heard about the bird and decided to visit the local pet store to see for herself.

'I was deeply saddened to see one of our native protected species in a small cage alone and so far from home,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

'I couldn't stop thinking about him being a prisoner in solitary confinement.'

The next day, Ms Davidson contacted several different US authorities to find out what she could do to rescue the bird, which the shop had named Thunder.

She reached out to zoos both back in Australia and in Virginia, as well as the wildlife trafficking alliance, the Australian Consulate General in New York, and the US Department of Agriculture and Animal Care.

'Those that did reply basically fobbed me off or claimed that they didn't have jurisdiction of the issue,' Ms Davidson said.

The kookaburra is for sale for $1200USD and must remain in the US due to quarantine

Feeling frustrated about the lack of care and concern, she contacted Australian authorities and zoos, who shared her shock and sadness over the captivity of the iconic Australian bird - who usually live for around 15 years.

The Australian Wildlife and Protection Council were worried if they bought the kookaburra it would start a supply and demand for the native animal, and said Ms Davidson should simply leave the bird in the store.

Live native birds cannot be exported from Australia for primarily commercial purposes, under Australian environmental law.

Australian woman Wendy Davidson - who lives in the US state of Virginia - found the kookaburra for sale and tried desperately to have Australian authorities intervene

WHY DO AUSTRALIANS LOVE KOOKABURRAS? Kookaburras are a bird native to Australia, and are as a result subject to strict laws. In many states, they are a protected species, meaning it is illegal to remove them from the country. The birds are referred to the 'king of the bush', and a song praising their unique laugh and cheerful nature is taught to children across the country. Advertisement

According to the NSW Native Animal Keepers' Species List, a permit is required and they aren't allowed to be kept as a companion pet.

Only Australian native birds that are bred in captivity can be exported, not wild birds.

However in Virginia, there aren't laws or regulations stopping people from owning exotic birds such as kookaburras.

Social media images and video of the animal show it playing with a ball in its cage, making kookaburra noises, and in one case, wearing a collar and tie.

Symbio Wildlife Park, from south of Sydney, told her the bird may simply be a 10th-generation captive-bred bird, whose ancestors were exported to the US years ago before the laws were tightened.

Melbourne-born Ms Davidson received an online response from Sydney's Taronga Zoo, advising her to download the Wildlife Witness app, which allows people to report suspicious trade or trafficking of wildlife.

Thunder the kookaburra now lives in a pet store in Virginia Beach and is for sale for $1200USD
A schizophrenic man who killed his friend by slitting his throat to 'stop aliens from blowing up his town' has been found not guilty on the basis of mental illness.

Andrew John Osmand on Wednesday avoided conviction over the death of Kevin Hodges, 49, who was killed while the pair were watching the 2017 State of Origin series, The Daily Telegraph reported.

The 48-year-old slashed Mr Hodges' carotid artery, jugular, trachea and oesophagus, but Supreme Court judge Stephen Campbell said his mental illness was to blame.

Andrew John Osmand (pictured) was on Wednesday found not guilty of murdering Kevin Hodges, 49, while the pair were watching the 2017 State of Origin series

Police arrested Osmand at the rural property he and the victim were staying at in Dangarsleigh, south of Armidale, in New South Wales on the morning of June 22.

Prior to killing his friend, Osmand allegedly told his mother aliens had delivered an ultimatum, which meant he needed to do something.

'Mum, I've been telling you this for years. Let me finish. The aliens are here and they are going to cook the earth unless I do something,' Osmand said.

'They have delivered their ultimatum.'

Osmand also confessed to psychologist Dr Olav Nielssen that a voice had told him to 'kill Kenny or we will bomb the town'.

Mr Hodges (pictured right) was stabbed in the carotid artery, jugular, trachea and oesophagus, but Supreme Court judge Stephen Campbell said his attacker's mental illness led him to do it

Forensic evidence tendered to the court showed the knife Osmand used to stab Mr Hodges (pictured) on the morning of June 22 had a blade that was greater than 10cm in length

'He said he thought he was in a war, hearing firearms discharging and he thought he heard his neighbour screaming ... he thought the neighbours and the people in the town were going to die,' the decision reads.

Forensic evidence tendered to the court showed the knife Osmand used to stab the victim on the morning of June 22 had a blade that was greater than 10cm in length.

Despite the evidence, Judge Campbell said he believed Osmand was doing what he though was the right thing - a decision based on two psychological assessments.

Osmand will remain in a mental health wing of a correctional facility until his potential release is assessed by the Mental Heath Review Tribunal.
Steve Bannon boasts that no Democratic candidate has the prowess to beat Trump in the 2020 presidential election.

Trump's former White House counselor previously predicted that 2019 would be the most 'vitriolic year since the Civil War in politics' and says now that the Mueller report is out and found no evidence of collusion between the President and Russia, Trump will go 'full animal' into the 2020 race.

'I don't really see a real challenge right now. ... In the field I've seen so far, I don't know anybody that can hit a fastball like Donald Trump can throw,' Bannon said from Rome during a lengthy interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper on Wednesday evening.

Steve Bannon boasted that Trump will win the 2020 presidential during a lengthy interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper on Wednesday evening

Trump's former White House counselor said now that Trump's name was cleared by the Mueller report, he'll be more aggressive than ever in his politics and battle with the media

Steve Bannon say he sees no candidate in the Democratic field capable of beating Trump in 2020: "I don't really see a real challenge right now. ... In the field I've seen so far, I don't know anybody that can hit a fastball like Donald Trump can throw." https://t.co/IA2LvGwUbm pic.twitter.com/706NOsrUwY  CNN (@CNN) March 28, 2019

He went on to say hes sure Trump has the upcoming election in the bag.

Bannon dismissed the frenzy around former Vice President Joe Biden who's been toying with a White House bid but is yet to announce one, saying the day Biden announces a campaign will be his highest peak in the presidential race.

He also added that Hillary Clinton will be 'in the bullpen waiting' and ready to run if there's not a star candidate in the Democratic pack by autumn.

Trump's former chief strategist went on to say that now that the president's name is more or less cleared following the Special Counsel investigation - Trump will be more aggressive than ever in his political agenda and battle with the media.

'I think the presidents going to be very aggressive I think the work of the country, particularly the work he had, particularly internationally, was kind of slowed down because of some of the hysteria around this investigation, not the investigation,' Bannon said.

'I do think the year is going to be very vitriolic and I think were going to have to just work through this but I think the President of the United States, and I think rightfully so, that Donald Trump is going to be very aggressive in pushing back in what I think he believes is media hysteria around the investigation,' Bannon added.

He went on to slam the controversy, allegations, and investigations into the president  urging opponents to try and beat him in the ballot in 2020 instead of slandering his name.

'I just think its time  all these other investigations about his finances and stuff, I think the American people are eventually gonna say hey look you're grasping the straws here,' he said.

'I think Nancy Pelosi said this the other day: Go beat him at the ballot box in 2020. If you think "Orange Man, Bad " then get organized, get out there and do the kind of effort you did in 2018 and defeat him the way we have it in the United States.

'If you want to win, win at the ballot box, dont use some form of investigative apparatus to do that,' he added.

Bannon believes Trump will win in 2020, saying the day Joe Biden announces his presidential run will be his 'peak' in the race and Hillary Clinton will be waiting in the 'bull pen'

"If you think 'Orange Man, Bad'... get organized, get out there and do the kind of effort you did in 2018."

Calling the Mueller probe "kind of a hoax," former WH Chief Strategist Steve Bannon exhorts Democrats to fight Trump on the issues and "in the ballot box." pic.twitter.com/9CLnKJW5rs  Anderson Cooper 360 (@AC360) March 28, 2019

Finally addressing the Russia controversy, Bannon swatted away the election meddling allegations as 'total marginalia'.

He went on to commend Trump for being cooperative in Mueller's investigation and promptly handing over the required documents and information.

When Cooper asked Trump's former chief strategist, 'You dont believed Russians interfered in the election?' he replied, 'No. it was complete, total marginalia. Its another over-hyped part of what I call the hoax.'

He clarified saying there may have been some emails on the margins of the election and some deals with Facebook ads, but nothing more.

'I dont think Trump is trying to undermine any American institutions,' Bannon echoed, adding that the report's lack of an exoneration line was a 'cheap shot'.

Following the probes into the president, Bannon is now calling for a 'Church Commission' like investigation to be made to look into the FBI and CIAs actions that led to Muellers appointment and scrutiny of Trump.

'We have some big problems. I think we have to, in a bipartisan way, look at what the start of these investigations, particularly the start of the Trump thing and I think really seriously question some of the FBI counter intelligence, some of the CIA, and maybe even some of foreign intelligence services and I think this is for the good of the country,' he said.
A British fugitive who tried to flee Australia on a jet ski while armed with a crossbow, left a farewell note on his car before ditching it on a beach.

David Jackson, 57, who was wanted for drug-offences in Western Australia, was arrested on Saibai Island, just five kilometres from Papua New Guinea, on Wednesday.

The handwritten note was found on his abandoned Subaru Outback at a beach in Cape York read: 'If I'm not back by Wednesday, I'm not dead,' The Courier Mail reported.

'But I'm not coming back.'

The man, 57, was arrested and taken to Thursday Island, where he was detained by police

Jackson, who had previously pleaded guilty to possessing and supplying meth, had managed to avoid authorities for a month after being issued with an arrest warrant on February 26.

Jackson will front Cairns Magistrate Court on Friday where Western Australia police are expected to apply for his extradition.

On Wednesday the fugitive was escorted by police and flown from Horn Island to Cairns.

Eyewitnesses told the Courier Mail that Jackson had been spotted trying to buy a compass and map of the Torres Strait days before he attempted to flee the country.

Border police said they received a tip-off that a man, who was 'possibly armed with a crossbow and carrying additional fuel', had been seen launching the jet ski at Pundsand Bay on Cape York on Monday about 7am.

Australian Border Force (ABF) officers identified the man's travel path and uncovered his plans to flee Australia for Papua New Guinea.

Eyewitnesses said the 57-year-old 'stuck out like dog's balls' and looked 'suspicious from 'the get-go'.

'He was just gonna leave his car in the water, and make a dash for it.'

The alleged fugitive was caught eight kilometres from the Papua New Guinea mainland

He travelled roughly 150km (90 miles) across the often treacherous waters of the Torres Strait before his arrest at Saibai Island, where he went to refuel.

The man was transported to Thursday Island, where he was detained by Queensland Police pending extradition to Western Australia.

The jetski was towed to Saibai island.

One Cape York man told police he had spoken to Jackson in WA, who told him he had bought a jet-ski in Cairns, Queensland.

During a two-day fishing trip, Jackson asked the man how far it was to the tip of Cape York and that he only needed a one-way trip.

'So that rang alarm bells in my head so we got his number plate checked and it came up clear by local police so I thought this is a man that either is running or just had enough and was going to commit suicide when he ran out of money,' he said.

The UK fugitive allegedly tried to flee Australia on a jet ski (pictured)

'We have the ability to detect a range of border threats, including suspicious movements through the region,' the Australian Border Force's Jo Crooks said.

'Anyone who thinks they can either enter or leave Australia through the region without detection should think again.

'This is a perfect example of local intelligence sharing, community support, ABOC coordination and our maritime capability, all working together to enable a quick and effective multi-agency response to a situation.

'Through our posture in the Torres Strait and working closely with our AFP and Queensland Police partners, we have the ability to detect a range of border threats, including suspicious movements through the region.'
A Melbourne high school was placed in lockdown amid reports of a 'suspicious person' lurking in the playground.

Police were searching Thomastown Secondary College about 20km north of the CBD.

Pictures showed officers combing the school buildings and playground, while others showed terrified students hiding under tables.

A Melbourne high school (pictured) was placed in lockdown amid reports of a 'suspicious person' lurking in the playground

Police were searching Thomastown Secondary College (pictured) around 20km north of the city

A Victoria Police spokesman told Daily Mail Australia at the time: 'Police are currently at a Thomastown secondary school following reports of a suspicious person on the school grounds.

However, they have since discontinued the search - no suspicious person was found.

The school has since been declared safe and the lockdown has been lifted.
Judge Jeanine Pirro will make her return to Fox News on Saturday, according to Sean Hannity.

Pirro's show, Justice with Jeanine, had been bumped for two weeks after she made remarks suggesting that Rep Ilhan Omar's hijab meant that she subscribes to Sharia law.

Her program did not air on March 16 or March 23. The March 16th show was replaced by the documentary Scandalous: The Trial of William Kennedy Smith.

But on Wednesday, during an interview with President Donald Trump, Hannity said that Pirro will be returning to her normally scheduled time slot at 9pm on Saturday.

Her return was revealed after Trump told Hannity that he hoped Pirro would be 'back soon'.

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Judge Jeanine Pirro (pictured)

During the opening monologue of her show (pictured) on March 9, Pirro claimed that Omar's hijab was a sign that she was committed to the religious law which originates from the Quran, adding that it was 'antithetical' to the constitution

Fox did not confirm a suspension ahead of the first swap, with a spokesperson, telling The Hollywood Reporter: 'We are not commenting on internal scheduling matters.'

Pirro's show being sidelined came after she suggested that Omar's hijab meant that she subscribes to Sharia law.

During the opening monologue of her show on March 9, Pirro claimed that Omar's hijab was a sign that she was committed to the religious law which originates from the Quran, adding that it was 'antithetical' to the constitution.

The former district attorney from New York's Westchester County said: 'Is her adherence to this Islamic doctrine indicative of her adherence to Sharia law which in itself is antithetical to the United States Constitution?'

Omar has been embroiled in an antisemitism scandal in recent weeks after making a number of controversial comments about Israel.

The Minnesota member of congress previously said that she wanted to discuss 'the political influence in this country that says it is okay to push for allegiance to a foreign country'.

Omar also drew ire from both sides of the political spectrum after claiming that Israel's relationship with the US was 'all about the Benjamins' last month, before later apologizing.

In the segment which landed Pirro in hot water, she suggested that the Omar was not getting her 'anti-Israel sentiment doctrine' from the Democratic party.

She said: 'Think about this. She's not getting this anti-Israel sentiment doctrine from the Democrat party So if it's not rooted in the party, where is she getting it from?

'Think about it. Omar wears a hijab, which according to the Quran 33:59, tells women to cover so they won't get molested.'

Fox News 'strongly' condemned the views expressed by Pirro, saying: 'They do not reflect those of the network and we have addressed the matter with her directly.'

Despite the rebuke, Pirro released her own statement, in which she refused to apologize

In a tweet, Omar thanked Fox for the statement, saying: 'No ones commitment to our constitution should be questioned because of their faith or country of birth.'

Despite the rebuke, Pirro released her own statement, in which she refused to apologize.

She said: 'I've seen a lot of comments about my opening statement from Saturday night's 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 don't support the Constitution.

'I invite Rep Omar to come on my show any time to discuss all of the important issues facing America today.'

Pirro was called out on Twitter by a fellow Fox News Channel employee who is Muslim.

The employee, Hufia Kumal, works on Bret Baier's news show.

She wrote: 'Can you stop spreading this false narrative that somehow Muslims hate America or women who wear a hijab aren't American enough? You have Muslims working at the same network you do, including myself.'

At the time, Trump called on Fox News to 'bring back' Pirro.

Trump tweeted on March 17 that the 'Radical Left Democrats, working closely with their beloved partner, the Fake News Media, is using every trick in the book to SILENCE a majority of our Country'.

At the time, Trump called on Fox News to 'bring back' Pirro after her weekly show was replaced by a documentary

In a second tweet, the president said that 'Fox must stay strong and fight back with vigor'

And in a third tweet, Trump called on Fox News to 'stay true to the people that got you there. Keep fighting for Tucker, and fight hard for @JudgeJeanine'

'They have all out campaigns against @FoxNews hosts who are doing too well,' he added.

In a second tweet, the president said that 'Fox must stay strong and fight back with vigor'.

'Stop working soooo hard on being politically correct, which will only bring you down, and continue to fight for our Country. The losers all want what you have, dont give it to them. Be strong & prosper, be weak & die!' Trump said.

In a third tweet, Trump referenced Tucker Carlson, and called on Fox News to 'stay true to the people that got you there. Keep fighting for Tucker, and fight hard for @JudgeJeanine'.

'Your competitors are jealous - they all want what youve got - NUMBER ONE. Dont hand it to them on a silver platter. They cant beat you, you can only beat yourselves!' Trump tweeted.
A former state premier who in 1987 prophetically predicted there would be a massacre in Tasmania - almost nine years before the Port Arthur carnage - has spoken out against One Nation leader Pauline Hanson.

Barrie Unsworth was in his final months as the New South Wales Labor premier, more than 31 years ago, when a gun summit was called in Canberra, with representatives from every state. In less than a year, five mass shootings had occurred, in Sydney, Melbourne and the Northern Territory.

This was an era when gun shops across Australia sold powerful semi-automatic weapons for just $295.

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Former New South Wales premier Barrie Unsworth (pictured) in 1987 prophetically predicted there would be a massacre in Tasmania nine years before the Port Arthur carnage

Then Prime Minister Bob Hawke had called state premiers and senior ministers to Old Parliament House in December 1987, four months after seven people were shot dead in Melbourne's Hoddle Street massacre.

Less than a fortnight earlier, Melbourne was again home to another massacre, with a man killing eight people on Queen Street.

Two months earlier, a man at Canley Vale, in Sydney's south-west, had killed five members of one family.

Angered by the spate of gun massacres in their states, Victoria's Labor premier John Cain and Mr Unsworth pushed for national gun laws banning self-loading rifles.

After hours of talks, Queensland's National Party government and Tasmania's Liberal attorney-general John Bennett remained opposed to any kind of national consensus to ban semi-automatic and automatic weapons.

In frustration, Mr Unsworth agreed to Mr Hawke's suggestion he front the media on the steps of Old Parliament House.

'It will take a massacre in Tasmania before we get gun law reform in Australia,' he told reporters.

Eight years and four months later, in April 1996, Martin Bryant gunned down 35 people at Port Arthur, a former penal colony turned popular tourist attraction in southern Tasmania on a Sunday afternoon.

Little more than eight years later, in April 1996, Martin Bryant gunned down 35 people at Port Arthur in southern Tasmania (Broad Arrow Cafe car park pictured after the carnage)

Mr Unsworth, who turns 85 next month, told Daily Mail Australia in a rare media interview he regretted saying it.

'I said that. I regret having said it and certainly some years later, of course, we had Port Arthur,' he said.

'You could see that Bryant would have had some psychiatric problem to go around and kill all those people.

Australian gun massacres in 1987 December 8: Eight people killed on Queen Street in Melbourne October 10: Five people killed at Canley Vale, in Sydney's south-west August 9: Seven people killed at Hoddle Street at Clifton Hill, in Melbourne's inner north June: Five people shot dead during a five-day killing spree across the Top End of the Northern Territory January 23: A man shot dead his former girlfriend and three others at Pymble, on Sydney's North Shore Advertisement

'I just regret that I said that but you've got to understand the history of the movement against the proliferation of guns.'

The former premier also revealed a friend of his had hidden under a table during the Port Arthur massacre.

'Port Arthur was horrific,' he said.

'A friend of mine's wife was hiding under a table and was wounded at Port Arthur but there were 35 people killed.'

The morning after that massacre, this reporter witnessed Mr Unsworth looking ashen-faced as he bought petrol from his local BP service station at South Turramurra, on Sydney's Upper North Shore.

Mr Unsworth recalled why he had expressed his frustration in December 1987, after he had lobbied Mr Hawke for a national gun summit.

'We argued all day - this is in the Old Parliament House - that there should be a national approach banning and removing from sale military-style weapons and self-loading rifles,' he said.

'That's what people were doing, they were killing people with rapid-fire weapons.

'We couldn't get agreement and the Tasmanian was particularly obstinate.

Mr Unsworth, who turns 85 next month, told Daily Mail Australia in a rare media interview he regretted saying in 1987 there would be a massacre in Tasmania (Seascape Guesthouse near Port Arthur where two people were killed before the main carnage at the tourist site)

'And Hawke said to me, "We're not getting anywhere. Go out and speak to the media".

'I stood on the front steps of Old Parliament House in Canberra and I said, "We're just not getting anywhere" and I was mindful of the fact the main objector was the Tasmanian.

'I just said, "We certainly won't get anywhere with a national approach to this and unless there's a shooting in some small place in Tasmania".'

Mr Unsworth, who now lives on Sydney's northern beaches, has spoken out against One Nation leader Pauline Hanson for wrongly claiming, in an Al Jazeera hidden-camera documentary, his words had been said in Parliament.

'Nobody seems to be able to research it, particularly Pauline Hanson,' he said.

'What was said was not said in Parliament. There's other people who have misquoted the situation.'

As Prime Minister Bob Hawke (pictured right with wife Hazel and his treasurer Paul Keating) in 1987 had called state premiers and senior ministers to Old Parliament House for a national gun summit

Mr Unsworth said One Nation appealed to voters who were 'alienated from the major parties'.

'We've now got to deal with the attitude of the constituency and that's where One Nation appeals to some people,' he said.

'Not everybody takes the trouble to study what One Nation's all about.'

Mr Unsworth said his 1987 comments were made during an era when automatic and semi-automatic machine guns were selling in gun shops for $295.

'It was possible to buy a Chinese-made AK47. An AK47 is a Russian military weapon,' he said.

'You could buy them in gun shops for $295, probably all over Australia.

'It's a rapid-fire weapon which the Russians developed to defeat the Germans.

'I had served in the citizens' military forces and I had fired .303 rifles, I knew a little bit about guns, and I agreed wholeheartedly that military weapons should be banned.'

Mr Unsworth has spoken out against One Nation leader Pauline Hanson (pictured with her chief-of-staff James Ashby) for wrongly claiming, in an Al Jazeera hidden-camera documentary (pictured), his words had been said in Parliament

The former Labor leader went on to lose the March 1988 election, months after banning self-loading rifles in the wake of massacres in Sydney and Melbourne.

Cessnock in the Hunter Valley voted Liberal for the first time in its 68-year history as a Labor electorate as the Unsworth government lost a swathe of country seats.

Mr Unsworth maintains he lost the election honourably to Liberal leader Nick Greiner, who undid his Labor government's ban on semi-automatic weapons.

Gunman Martin Bryant (pictured) went on a rampage at Port Arthur, eight years and four months after Barrie Unsworth predicted there would be a massacre in Tasmania before Australia had national gun laws

He is particularly incensed at the American National Rifle Association for using his prophetic 1987 quotes in propaganda material to suggest the Port Arthur massacre was a conspiracy.

'If you look at the National Rifle Association's website, they quote me, they name me, and it's the NRA that said it was a conspiracy, Port Arthur, "You've only got to look at what was said in 1987",' he said.

'You've seen the NRA up on Tuesday night. They're evil.'

On Tuesday, the ABC aired the Al Jazeera documentary showing Senator Hanson's chief-of-staff James Ashby and One Nation's Queensland leader Steve Dickson talking about the possibility of accepting $20 million from the NRA.

Additional footage from How To Sell A Massacre is airing tonight, featuring Senator Hanson suggesting the Port Arthur massacre was a government conspiracy to take away guns.

'An MP said it would actually take a massacre in Tasmania to change the gun laws in Australia,' Senator Hanson told Al Jazeera reporter Rodger Muller, who had posed as the founder of the non-existent Gun Rights Australia lobby group.

Addressing the media on Thursday afternoon, Senator Hanson claimed the 'Islamist' Al Jazeera network had 'heavily edited' her comments on Port Arthur which 'do not reflect how I feel about those tragedies'.

'There is no question in my mind that Martin Bryant was the only person responsible for the murders of 35 innocent lives and my belief stands today that he should have faced the death penalty,' she said.

Addressing the media on Thursday afternoon, Senator Hanson claimed the 'Islamist' Al Jazeera network (footage of her with undercover journalist Rodger Muller) had 'heavily edited' her comments on Port Arthur which 'do not reflect how I feel about those tragedies'

While Australia hadn't until 2018 had a gun massacre since Port Arthur, it had suffered a series of shootings after that 1987 gun summit in Canberra.

This included the Strathfield massacre, in Sydney's inner-west, in August 1991 when seven people were shot in a plaza.

It was one of eight gun massacres, defined as the death of four or more people, that had occurred after Mr Unsworth had called in vain for national gun laws.

The 1996 Port Arthur massacre led to national gun laws banning semi-automatic and automatic weapons, which were spearheaded by a newly-elected Liberal Prime Minister John Howard.

Mr Unsworth, who has been a Labor Party member for 63 years, now prefers to hand out how-to-vote cards rather than speak with the media.

'I've seen a fair bit but the good old days are over,' he said.

'I'm 85 years old, I am not getting involved in front line politics.'
The Long Island woman who was nearly killed by a frozen turkey which was flung through her windshield in 2004 has died.

Victoria Ruvolo, 59, made national headlines when she forgave Ryan Cushing, who was 18 years old at the time he flung a 20-pound turkey out of a moving car on a Long Island highway in November 2004.

On November 12, 2004, Cushing was with a group of friends when they purchased a turkey with a stolen credit card.

They were taking a joyride on Sunrise Highway in Ronkonkoma when Cushing threw the turkey out of the car.

Victoria Ruvolo, 59, who made headlines when she was nearly killed by a turkey that smashed through her windshield in 2004, has died

Ruvolo needed 10 hours of emergency surgery, weeks in a coma, and months of rehabilitation, though doctors said she was lucky to be alive

The bird smashed through Ruvolos windshield and into her face, according to News 12 Long Island.

Every bone in Ruvolos face was broken, and doctors needed to perform life-saving surgery for 10 hours.

Surgeons put in three titanium plates as well as a wire mesh for her left eye socket.

She then spent weeks in a medically induced coma, according to the New York Post.

Ryan Cushing (left) was 18 years old at the time he flung a 20-pound turkey out of a moving car on a Long Island highway in November 2004. Ruvolo convinced the judge to give Cushing a reduced sentence of six months in prison. He could have received a maximum of 25 years

Ruvolo's car is seen above after the windshield was smashed while driving along Sunrise Highway in Ronkonkoma, New York in November 2004

Ruvolo, who miraculously survived, needed months of rehabilitation.

Cushing and his friends were arrested.

As part of a plea agreement, the friends agreed to testify against Cushing.

If convicted, Cushing could have gone to prison for 25 years.

But Ruvolo intervened on his behalf and worked with his lawyer to try to get a reduced sentence.

Because Id experienced the death of two brothers when I was much younger, I felt strongly that I didnt want to be responsible for taking this other young persons life, Ruvolo told The Forgiveness Project.

I didnt want Ryan to rot in jail.

It was later learned that Cushing and a group of friends bought the 20-pound frozen turkey (above) with a stolen credit card

The judge took Ruvolos plea for mercy into account and sentenced Cushing to six months in prison followed by five years of probation.

Ruvolo spent the rest of her life as a motivational speaker who preached forgiveness to inmates and troubled youth.

The cause of her death is not known at this time.
The devastated father whose wife and two little girls were killed in the Port Arthur massacre has condemned Pauline Hanson's comments on the shootings.

In a hidden camera investigation into One Nation carried out by journalists from Al Jazeera, party leader Senator Hanson was recorded suggesting the 1996 killings were a government conspiracy designed to encourage stricter gun control.

Walter Mikac's wife Nanette and his daughters Alannah, 6, and Madeline, 3, were shot dead by Martin Bryant during the the massacre in Tasmania.

Mr Mikac said Senator Hanson's comments were 'like a dagger in the heart'.

Walter Mikac's wife Nanette and his daughters Alannah, 6, and Madeline, 3 (pictured) were shot dead by Martin Bryant during the the massacre in Tasmania

Mr Mikac (pictured with his family) said Senator Hanson should apologise and retract her comments

'We have really reached a low in political life in Australia,' he told 3AW.

'When you have people supposedly representing the population saying things like that... it's just expediency that if it suits their purpose and they can get funds and get more power, they'll do it.'

Mr Mikac said Senator Hanson should apologise and retract her comments.

'I'd just say to Pauline Hanson, come and walk in my shoes. I've been without Nanette and Alannah and Madeline for nearly 23 years. I haven't seen the school graduations, I haven't seen the 18ths or 21sts and I'm not going to see the weddings,' he said.

'It doesn't get much realer than that.'

During the 'How To Sell A Massacre' documentary, Senator Hanson insinuated the 1996 shooting was orchestrated as a plot to change the gun laws in the country.

'An MP said, "It would actually take a massacre in Tasmania to change the gun laws in Australia." Have you heard that? Have a look at it. It was said on the floor of Parliament,' she said.

During the 'How To Sell A Massacre' documentary (pictured), Senator Hanson insinuated the 1996 shooting was orchestrated as a plot to change the gun laws in the country

In 1987, months before losing an election, former New South Wales Labor premier Barrie Unsworth prophetically predicted 'It will take a massacre in Tasmania before we get gun law reform in Australia' after state politicians from Tasmanian and Queensland rejected his policy idea.

The senator (pictured) later called the documentary a 'hit piece'

'Those shots, they were precision shots,' Ms Hanson said of the Port Arthur killings.

'Check the number out. I've read a lot and I've read the book on it, Port Arthur. I read a book on it, on Port Arthur. A lot of questions there.'

The Port Arthur massacre, which killed 35 people and left 24 injured, is Australia's deadliest ever mass shooting.

The incident led to the introduction of the National Firearms Agreement in 1996 which restricted the ownership of semi-automatic weapons and automatic weapons.

The senator later called the documentary a 'hit piece'.

'I was shocked & disgusted with the Al Jazeera hit piece. A Qatari government organisation should not be targeting Australian political parties. This has been referred to ASIO. After the full hit piece has been released I'll make a full statement & take all appropriate action,' she tweeted.
China will launch a month-long, nationwide inspection campaign into hazardous chemicals, mines, transportation and fire safety, the country's safety watchdog said, following a deadly pesticide plant blast that killed 78 people last week.

The Ministry of Emergency Management said in a notice late on Wednesday authorities needed to 'deeply absorb' the lessons of the explosion at the chemical park in the city of Yancheng in eastern China's Jiangsu province.

The blast a week ago occurred at a plant owned by the Tianjiayi Chemical Co, which produces more than 30 organic chemical compounds. State media said the company had a history of safety violations and had been punished repeatedly.

Aerial view of the core area of Tianjiayi chemical plant at an industrial park of Xiangshui county after an explosion on March 22 in Yancheng, Jiangsu Province of China. The Ministry of Emergency Management said in a notice late on Wednesday authorities needed to 'deeply absorb' the lessons of the explosion at the chemical park

The blast a week ago occurred at a plant owned by the Tianjiayi Chemical Co, which produces more than 30 organic chemical compounds

State media said the company had a history of safety violations and had been punished before

Rescue efforts at the blast site were officially completed on Monday. A total of 164 people were caught up in the explosion, with 86 survivors, the local government said.

More than 600 people have received medical treatment and about 4,000 people have been evacuated following the blast, according to officials.

In a new round of inspections, safety departments had been told to investigate 'poor, chaotic and small' enterprises and to ensure that unqualified companies are shut down.

They are also under pressure to crack down on other violations, including the illegal or excess storage of dangerous chemical materials.

Smoke billows from fire following an explosion at the pesticide plant last Thursday

Environment minister Li Ganjie also visited the site this week and urged workers to ensure that polluted wastewater does not overflow as a result of heavy rain

Desperate relatives were seen searching for missing workers in the rubble

They have also been urged to make use of big data and other technological methods to strengthen real-time monitoring of hazardous chemical producers.

Environmental authorities have been at pains to show the incident was under control and continue to seal off rivers in order to prevent water contaminated with toxic chemicals from posing health risks to residents.

The environmental protection bureau in the area said an emergency plan to remove and treat toxic wastewater from a river close to the blast site was underway, with surface water concentrations of dangerous chemicals such as benzene exceeding standards.

Environment minister Li Ganjie also visited the site this week and urged workers to ensure that polluted wastewater does not overflow as a result of heavy rain.

The environmental protection bureau in the area said an emergency plan to remove and treat toxic wastewater from a river close to the blast site was underway

A worker, surnamed Hu, is seen bandaged at a hospital following the blast last Thursday

More than 600 people have received medical treatment and about 4,000 people have been evacuated following the blast, according to officials

He also visited the nearby Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant and urged officials there to learn lessons from the accident, the ministry said on Thursday.

'In the next stage, we will tighten environmental impact assessment approvals for chemical plants and enhance daily inspections,' environment ministry spokesman Liu Youbin told Reuters on the sidelines of a briefing on Thursday.

China has a history of major work safety accidents and each one normally triggers a nationwide inspection campaign aimed at rooting out violations and punishing officials for cutting corners or shirking their supervisory duties.

After a pipeline explosion killed 62 people in Qingdao in 2013, a nationwide safety inspection revealed nearly 20,000 potential disaster risks in China's oil and gas sector.
China's Public Security Ministry said it would conduct further investigations into its own senior ranks late on Wednesday after a decision to prosecute former Interpol chief Meng Hongwei, and warned that disloyalty to the Communist Party would not be tolerated.

China had announced earlier on Wednesday that an investigation had found Meng spent 'lavish' amounts of state funds, abused his power and refused to follow party decisions, and that he had been expelled from the party and sacked as deputy public security minister.

In statement late on Wednesday following an internal meeting, the public security ministry said Meng was 'totally to blame' for the decision to expel him from the party and sack him.

China had announced on Wednesday an investigation had found ex-Interpol chief Meng Hongwei spent state funds, abused his power and refused to follow party decisions

'When it comes to party loyalty and sincerity, it is absolutely not allowed to be duplicitous, to agree overtly but oppose in secret, or to be a two-face person, or lead a double life, or engage in political social climbing,' it said.

'It is absolutely not allowed to make decisions without authorisation, to do or say as you wish.'

While the statement gave no details, the party's ongoing anti-corruption campaign, championed by President Xi Jinping, has increasingly been focused on those it judges are disloyal to the party or question the decision of the top leadership.

China has persistently denied its war on graft is about political manoeuvring or Xi taking down his enemies. Xi told an audience in Seattle in 2015 that the anti-graft fight was no 'House of Cards'-style power play, in a reference to the Netflix U.S. political drama.

President Xi has carried out a wide-ranging crackdown on corruption, including targeting former president of Interpol, Meng Hongwei (pictured), whose whereabouts remain unknown

The ministry said there needed to be a 'thorough rooting out of Meng Hongwei's pernicious influence', and that there would be further probes on others.

'For those in leadership positions in the Public Security Ministry connected with Meng Hongwei's case, no matter how high or low, no matter who is involved, no matter their position, all must be seriously handled in accordance with the law and discipline.'

Last October, Interpol, the global police coordination agency based in France, said Meng had resigned as its president, days after his wife reported him missing after he travelled back to China.

The Chinese government announced its plans to prosecute Meng after Xi returned from a state visit to France, where Emmanuel Macron raised the issue of human rights in China and certain specific cases, a French presidency official said.

The Chinese government announced its plans to prosecute Meng after Chinese President Xi Jinping returned from a state visit to France, where Emmanuel Macron raised the issue of human rights in China and certain specific cases, a French presidency official said

It has not been possible to reach Meng for comment since he was detained, and unclear if he has been allowed a lawyer.

Meng's wife, Grace Meng, told French television on Sunday that she had written to Macron ahead of Xi's trip seeking his help protecting their 'fundamental human rights'.

Meng is certain to be found guilty when his case eventually comes to trial as the courts are controlled by the party and will not challenge its accusations.

Meng became president of the global police cooperation agency in late 2016 as China widened its bid to secure leadership posts in international organisations.

His appointment prompted concern at the time from rights groups that Beijing might try to leverage his position to pursue dissidents abroad.
A hobby farmer who kidnapped and raped a European backpacker will likely be deported to the United Kingdom on completion of his sentence, an Adelaide court has heard.

Gene Charles Bristow, 54, appeared in the South Australian District Court on Thursday, after a jury delivered guilty verdicts against him earlier this month.

Chris Weir, representing Bristow, said his client does not accept the findings, which have put his family relationships under strain.

Gene Charles Bristow, 54, was found guilty of six charges on Monday, including aggravated kidnapping and indecent assault and rape, after he held a 26-year-old woman captive in his home for two days in February 2017

'He is likely to have lost his marriage. He is estranged from all of his children and, unless his wife is able to manage the mortgage, it's very likely that the family will lose the property,' he said.

Mr Weir said Bristow's marriage was 'never really quite the same' after the death of his stepson in a road crash in about 2010.

He told the court Bristow, a father of four, was born and raised in the UK and moved to Australia in the early 2000s.

'What is likely to happen at the end of his non-parole period is that he will be taken into immigration custody and then... deported back to the United Kingdom,' he said.

At the end of his non-parole period it is likely that he will be taken into immigration custody and then deported back to the United Kingdom, a court has heard

Bristow was found guilty of one count of aggravated kidnapping, two counts of rape, two counts of indecent assault and one count of attempted rape.

The charges stemmed from a Gumtree advertisement the 24-year-old backpacker posted in search of temporary farm work in February 2017.

Bristow took her to his hobby farm at Meningie, 150km southeast of Adelaide where things quickly turned.

As she showed her inside an old pig shed he pressed what turned out to be a fake gun against her back.

He then bound her hands and feet and chained her to the ground, raping her repeatedly and threatening to shoot her is she tried to escape.

He released her the following day, after police swarmed the area in search of the missing woman.

Prosecutor Michael Foundas said the crime was particularly serious because it was premeditated, and Bristow held the woman for two days.

He said Bristow made repeated threats of violence and led her to believe he was involved in a kidnapping and human trafficking operation.

Bristow, 54, had lured the young woman to the property (pictured) with the promise of farm work when he kidnapped her and kept her captive before raping her repeatedly

These images were shown to the court before Bristow was found guilty of six charges, including aggravated kidnapping, indecent assault and rape (pictured is the couch)

'The fear and apprehension he must have invoked in the victim was no doubt significant and adds to the severity of the circumstances of the offending,' he said.

The woman came face-to-face with Bristow when her victim impact statement was read out in court days after the verdict was handed down.

She said she felt like an animal or slave throughout the ordeal, which left her terrified, miserable and feeling powerless.

The horrific scene where a Belgian backpacker was held captive with shackles and raped by a farmer who lured her with the promise of work have been revealed (pictured)

'I was locked in chains, held against my will and had to endure things that nobody should have to endure,' she said.

'He took everything from me. Not only did he take my clothes and belongings, but also my freedom, my mind, my family and my friends.'

Judge Geraldine Davison remanded Bristow in custody for sentencing in May.

The 26-year-old was seen weeping when evidence, including the ties she was shackled with, were tendered to the court (pictured are chains used to detain the woman in the shed)

Bristow used a toy gun (pictured) to contain the backpacker while he shackled her to the bed in the run down pig shed on his family's farm
A teenager has dodged a conviction after supplying MDMA capsules she hid in a box of condoms at the FOMO music festival where Alex Ross-King overdosed.

Maddison Croxon, from Mallabula, NSW, was sentenced for supplying and possessing a prohibited drug on Wednesday.

The 18-year-old was handed a conditional release order for 18 months without conviction at Parramatta Local Court, in Sydney.

Mallabula girl Maddison Croxon, 18, was sentenced without conviction for supplying and possessing a prohibited drug at Parramatta Local Court in Sydney on Wednesday

A conditional release order is 'a warning and provides the option to divert less serious offenders out of the criminal justice system,' according to the NSW Correctional Services website.

Ms Croxon had 13 MDMA capsules hidden inside a box of condoms at FOMO music festival at Parramatta Park on January 12.

Police saw Ms Croxon hand an object to another female who swallowed the object near toilets at 2pm.

Plain-clothed police were patrolling the front entrance of FOMO festival, which attracted 15,000 revellers.

Ms Croxon is pictured at another festival Groovin' The Moo in 2017. FOMO Festival in 2019 brought in 15,000 revelers including Alex Ross-King who overdosed and died in hospital

Central Coast girl Alex Ross-King, 19, suffered a drug overdose at the same festival.

She died in hospital later that evening.

Daily Mail Australia does not suggest that Ms Croxon supplied drugs to Ms Ross-King.

Ms Ross-King's death was the fifth drug overdose death in four months over the summer from 2018 to 2019.

Alex Ross-King (pictured), 19, suffered a drug overdose at FOMO music festival. She was rushed to hospital where she later passed away
Ivanka Trumps lawyer asked for changes to be made to Michael Cohens 2017 testimony before Congress in order to distance her from the Trump Tower project in Moscow.

Before President Donald Trumps former lawyer Michael Cohen spoke before Congress, his attorney Stephen Ryan had an e-mail exchange with Abbe Lowell, an attorney for Ivanka and Jared Kusher, Vanity Fair revealed late Wednesday.

In the e-mail exchange Lowell asked for Cohen to include statements that cleared Ivanka's name from any deals with Russia.

'Abbe asks for us to affirmatively address in our statement on the 25th,' Ryans message to Cohen reportedly said including a list of lines to state in the hearing such as '[Ivanka] was not involved in the backs and forths with FS [Felix Sater] and MC [Michael Cohen]'.

Felix Slater is a Russian-born real estate developer who allegedly helped Trump pursue the tower project in Moscow.

Ivanka Trump's lawyer Abbe Lowell made edits to Michael Cohen's testimony before Congress in 2017 to distance her from Trump Tower project in Moscow. Ivanka pictured Thursday in the White House with Vice President Mike Pence

In 2017 Cohen testified before Congress. Then in February he confessed he had lied in that hearing, saying his statements had been reviewed and edited by Trump's attorneys in advance

Other statements included: 'she did not know FS was involved in the possible project in that country', 'she was not in any meetings or calls with people putting it together (esp. from that country),' and 'and maybe that, by then, MC knew she was at least skeptical about him.'

In response Ryan wrote that Cohen would 'do anything your client asks that is accurate, which is not really an issuebut it may be perceived as awkward to go as specific as your requests.'

Later in the e-mail chain, Ryan attached a document that he said Lowell's edits were included.

Despite these requests, Cohen's false testimony before Congress in 2017 didnt include all these caveats as they determined Cohen speaking so specifically about Ivanka would have come off as suspicious.

In that 2017 testimony Cohen lied about the extent of a Trump Tower Moscow project. Just last month he testified saying his initial 2017 testimony was false and his statements had been reviewed and edited by Trump's attorneys in advance.

'Trumps personal lawyers reviewed and edited my statement to Congress about the timing of the Moscow Tower negotiations before I gave it,' he said during the hearing.

He also testified under oath that he had briefed members of Trumps family, including Ivanka, about the Moscow project on 'approximately ten' occasions.

After Cohen revealed his prior testimony was false, lawmakers requested a closed-door hearing with the House Intelligence Committee the following week to review these alleged edits. One of those documents revealed the email exchange between Ryan and Lowell that was seen by Vanity Fair.

Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison following that hearing for crimes including campaign finance violations including paying off women who alleged affairs with Trump.

Trump attorney Jay Sekulow who was responsible for reviewing Cohens statements denied vetting any false claims.

Never-before-seen e-mail exchanges between Cohen's attorney Stephen Ryan (together above) and Ivanka's attorney Abbe Lowell show that they had made edits to save Ivanka's name from the Russia scandal in Cohen's 2017 Congressional testimony

Ivanka and Jared Kushner's attorney Abbe Lowell pictured above

'Todays testimony by Michael Cohen that attorneys for the president edited or changed his statement to Congress to alter the duration of the Trump Tower Moscow negotiations is completely false,' Sekulow said following Cohen's testimony in February.

Ivanka served as the executive vice president of development and acquisition at the Trump Organization and would've been involved in any real estate developments with Russia.

But in an interview earlier this year she claimed she knew 'literally almost nothing' about the plans for a Trump tower in Moscow and negotiations surrounding it that coincided with the Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.

Initial documents suggest the Moscow edifice would have included a 'Spa by Ivanka Trump'. Ivanka would have also been given the power to approve of 'all interior design elements of the spa or fitness facilities'.

In November 2015, Ivanka forwarded an e-mail from a Russian weightlifter to Cohen, saying he could help arrange a meeting between Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin to discuss real-estate opportunities in Russia.

Also in 2015 she e-mailed Cohen suggesting an architect who could work on Moscow tower.

A spokesperson for Lowell dismissed those e-mails, saying she was simply passing on an 'unsolicited e-mail' from the weightlifter's wife and she was 'reminding Mr. Cohen that, should an actual deal come to fruition . . . the project, like any other with the Trump name, conform with the highest design and architectural standards.'
A passenger has tried to bring a rifle on board a Christchurch-bound plane less than two weeks after the mosque massacre that killed 50.

The pilot informed the rest of the passengers on the flight that someone had tried to bring a gun on to the plane.

The passengers involved were then escorted off the plane by security and engineering staff.

Passenger tries to board plan with a firearm but was refused to fly by Air New Zealand

The pilot also announced, 'given the situation in Christchurch we are obviously taking no chances'.

The pilot's announcement was met with shock by other passengers on board the Air New Zealand flight.

One woman reportedly was heard to say, 'Seriously? That is just unbelievable.'

Also on board where government personnel heading to Christchurch, which included some officials from the department of internal affairs. They were travelling to attend tomorrow's memorial service for the victims of the mosque massacre.

The passenger told the NZ Herald that the doors had just closed and the passengers who tried to bring the gun on board did not return onto the plane.

Aviation security has been on high alert since the mosque attacks on March 15 where 50 people were killed on a Facebook live stream by a gunman after he stormed two mosques.

Christchurch has put security screening measures in place on all domestic flights departing New Zealand that have 30 passenger seats or more. Before the terror attack, screening was only implemented on jet flights, such as the one subject to the scare in Auckland today.

Virgin Australia admits they where aware of the measles alert by the Department of Health and said, "If passengers are showing signs and symptoms of measles, we recommend they contact their local GP."

"The safety and well-being of our passengers and crew is always our highest priority."

The Aviation Security Service says it was an important risk management procedure which could also be applied in other airports.

The flight was due to depart at 2pm from Auckland to Christchurch has been delayed by 40 minutes.
A two-year-old autistic girl has defied all odds and taken her first steps - despite doctors warning she would likely never be able to walk.

Keira Hockley, from the Sunshine Coast, was born with a rare and incurable viral infection called Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV).

The young girl is profoundly deaf, has a development delay and non-verbal autism, and was told she might never walk unaided as a result of the virus.

But last week her mother Danielle Hockley, who also acts as Keira's full-time carer, shared a video of her daughter taking her first ever unassisted steps.

Scroll down for video

Keira Hockley (pictured), from the Sunshine Coast, was born with an incurable viral infection Congenital cytomegalovirus

In a heart-warming social media post Danielle expressed her utter joy at her daughter's amazing achievement.

'So proud right now of our daughter's achievements. We never knew if Keira would be able to walk or talk and this video alone is proving them wrong. Keira WILL walk, she WILL run and cause havoc,' she wrote.

'We love you Keira! Keep up the good work baby girl,' she added.

Describing the miraculous moment Keira took her first steps, Danielle said she was 'over the moon'.

Danielle (pictured left) said they hoped to teach her to balance and to teach Keira (pictured right) to communicate

In a heart-warming social media post Danielle (pictured right) expressed her utter joy at her daughter's (pictured left) amazing achievements

'I ran outside and asked someone to film it for me, without her physio she wouldn't have been able to do it,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

Despite the uncertainty of whether or not Keira would be able to walk, Danielle persevered and took Keira to see a physiotherapist twice a week for over two years.

'We'd been trying to get her to walk... that moment, we'd been waiting for such a long time, and we didn't know if it was going to happen,' Danielle explained.

And now little Keira won't stop walking.

'We took her to a shopping centre last night and we just let her run free. She was so happy and laughing,' Danielle said.

'She's so happy and proud of herself, you can see it in her eyes,' she added.

Danielle has also set-up a GoFundMe page which will help to raise funds for Hydrotherapy (Keira pictured in the water)

Keira's first steps were even more of a miracle as doctors had previously said they didn't know if she would have the ability to walk.

'They said they didn't know [if she would ever walk unaided], and they had no idea what she would be capable of.

'It's different with every child,' Danielle said.

The family have been taking every day as it comes since they first found out about the infection.

'We found out [Keira had CMV] when I was pregnant at 37 weeks, and I had to be induced,' Danielle said.

'As soon as she was born she had a blood test which confirmed she had the infection, and she was put on anti-viral medication for six months.

'I was absolutely devastated when I found out. It's been never ending hurdles ever since.

Danielle (pictured left), who also has a five-year-old boy and a six-year-old boy, said Keira's (pictured centre) older brothers were 'amazing' with her

'But we had to come together as a family and pull together,' she said.

Danielle said she had 'absolutely no idea what CMV was' before she was informed by doctor's.

She said despite the infection actually being 'quite common' it's not normally tested for during pregnancy unless something is wrong.

Danielle has set-up a Facebook page which documents Keira's brave journey and raises awareness for CMV.

'We've had so many parents contact us. It's a good way to bounce questions off each other and have someone else to speak to,' she said.

Danielle preserved and took Keira (pictured) to see a physio therapist twice a week for over two years

Danielle said she was 'over the moon' when Keira (pictured left) first walked, but the family had faced 'never-ending hurdles' since they discovered her diagnosis

Danielle also has two sons, who are five and six years old, and said Keira's older brothers are 'amazing' with her.

'They're both amazing. They understand she needs help and they know they need to concentrate on the noises she makes so work out what she needs.

'It's great, they explain about Keira to their friends and they really do look after her,' she said.

Danielle said in the future they hope to teach Keira how to balance and to teach her how to communicate.

Danielle has also set-up a GoFundMe page which will help to raise funds for Hydrotherapy sessions for Keira.

Hydrotherapy is a part of alternative medicine, occupational therapy, and physiotherapy which involves the use of water for pain relief and treatment.
A festival-goer whose car ran over a fellow reveller and left him with tyre marks on his back has been charged with drug driving.

The Terang man, in his 20s, allegedly ran over Andrew Pepper, 24, while he was asleep in a tent at the Falls Festival at Lorne in regional Victoria on New Year's Day.

Mr Pepper suffered a fractured vertebra after he woke up on his stomach and felt trapped but was unaware of what had happened to him.

The man has been charged with careless driving and drug driving and is due to appear in Warrnambool Magistrates Court in July, the ABC reported.

The Terang man, in his 20s, allegedly ran over Andrew Pepper (pictured), 24, while he was sleep in a tent at the Falls Festival at Lorne in regional Victoria on New Year's Day

Mr Pepper suffered a fractured vertebra after he woke up on his stomach and felt trapped but was unaware of what had happened to him

The 24-year-old plumber attended the festival with 20 friends, who watched in horror as the car slid down the hill with Mr Pepper still in the tent trapped underneath

The 24-year-old plumber attended the festival with 20 friends, who watched in horror as the car slid down the hill with Mr Pepper still in the tent trapped underneath.

His friends initially thought he was dead after seeing his legs sticking out under the vehicle but Mr Pepper was falling in and out of consciousness.

Paramedics, who took Mr Pepper to a hospital in Geelong, told him he could have died if the car had run over his chest

He was told he was lucky to have been sleeping on his stomach.

Mr Pepper previously told Daily Mail Australia he and his friends had repeatedly voiced safety concerns to festival organisers about cars parked near tents on a steep hill.

He and his friends had attended the Falls Festival for the past four years but are unsure whether they would attend in the future.

Andrew Pepper (pictured bottom left) had a great time at the music festival with friends

Festival organisers released a statement saying they were 'saddened' to hear a festival goer had been injured in Lorne.

'We have multiple levels of safety checks that go into the planning of the event site,' the statement read.

'We have experienced event staff who park cars on site, to ensure they are parked on safe angles and for risk mitigation purposes we park cars nose to tail to prevent movement.

'Due to the nature of police matters, and the privacy laws, we are not privy to information regarding the patron's well-being post-incident unless they contact us directly.'
Police are on the hunt for a rogue tradie who is accused of leaning out his car window in an attempt to slap a cyclist's head.

The bizarre incident happened on January 8 at 6pm, during peak-hour traffic on Burpengary Road, Narangba, 34km north of Brisbane.

It is alleged that the cyclist was travelling south on Burpengary Road when a male person, who appears to be aged in his 30s, leaned out of his car window and extended his arm towards the bike rider.

Queensland police are on the hunt for a rogue tradie who deliberately leaned out his car window to attempt to slap a cyclist's head

Queensland Police claim the cyclist would have 'suffered serious injury,' if the man had been successful with his slap.

Unknown to the alleged perpetrator, he was captured on the bike rider's helmet-cam and is now being searched by QLD Police.

Police would like to speak to the man, as they believe he may be able to assist them in their investigation.

He was last seen wearing a hi-vis shirt and was wearing a bracelet on his right hand.
Democrats say they want 'all of the underlying evidence' in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation  and they want to get their hands on the more than 300-page long report he submitted to the Department of Justice.

Mueller's team issued more than 2,800 subpoenas, executed nearly 500 search warrants and interviewed more than 500 witnesses.

That means the special counsel likely compiled thousands, if not millions, of documents and pieces of evidence.

Material collected ranges from a $15,000 ostrich jacket worn by President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman to emails and encrypted text messages to hard drives and laptops. It could even include tax returns, if Mueller sought them.

Justice released a four-page summary of Mueller's report over the weekend that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi slammed as 'condescending' on the grounds that elected leaders don't need political appointees 'interpreting for us' what the documents says.

Democrats say they want 'all of the underlying evidence' in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation  and they want to get their hands o 300 pages of documents

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, one of several committee chairmen asking for the full report and underlying evidence, says what he is principally interested in is documentation that supports the report

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi heaps scorn on Attorney General William Barr, saying his letter about special counsel Robert Mueller's report was 'condescending' to lawmakers

In one Mueller case, that of longtime Trump confidant Roger Stone, the government said it had turned over 9 terabytes of discovery, an amount so large that Stone's lawyers said if it were on paper it would pile as high as the Washington Monument, twice.

If all of that was delivered to Congress, the House Judiciary Committee might need to invest in a larger office space. But lawmakers say what they really want is documentation of everything  and an idea of how that evidence guided Mueller's conclusions.

'We don't need to see Paul Manafort's ostrich jacket, but we do need to know that it's there,' says Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Democratic member of the Judiciary panel.

The requests for underlying evidence are central to Democrats' demands for Mueller's full report. They say that they need all that information to make their own conclusions, and to ensure that Mueller's findings are not filtered by Attorney General William Barr, whom Trump picked for the job.

Mueller's report is at least 300 pages long, the Department of Justice has said.

That puts it on par with report that Kenneth Starr, the independent counsel who oversaw the investigation into Bill Clinton, filed in 1998 - it was 445 pages - and the one the 9/11 commission submitted after the mass causality terror attack. It ran 567 pages.

While lawmakers may not need every personal item seized by Mueller - like Manafort's jacket, meant to show his lavish lifestyle, or the contents of Stone's hard drive - they do want as much information as possible that is relevant to his decisions.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, one of several committee chairmen asking for the full report and underlying evidence, says what he is principally interested in is documentation that supports the report.

He says the committees will fight for grand jury material, including witness interviews, that is normally off limits but can be obtained in court.

Schiff said he expects negotiations with the Justice Department over the scope and breadth of what is turned over to Congress.

'It will be a product of negotiation,' Schiff said. 'What we won't accept is, "No, we're not going to give you anything." '

Special Counsel Robert Mueller walks past the White House, after attending St. John's Episcopal Church for morning services, in Washington on Sunday, two days after he turned in his report

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler has also said Democrats will fight for grand jury material. He said he talked to Barr on Wednesday, and Barr wouldn't commit to releasing it.

'A judge would have to release those, and we would hope a judge would,' Nadler said.

Pelosi griped Thursday that Barr's summary of the report is 'condescending' at her weekly news conference on Capitol Hill.

'We don't need you interpreting for us,' the California Democrat said. 'It was condescending. It was arrogant. And it wasn't the right thing to do.'

As part of his investigation, Mueller charged 34 people, including Manafort, former national security adviser Michael Flynn and three Russian companies. Manafort was convicted in Washington and Virginia of crimes related to years of Ukrainian political consulting work, and Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI.

In total, five Trump aides pleaded guilty and a sixth, Stone, is awaiting trial on charges that he lied to Congress and engaged in witness tampering.

In the four-page summary of Mueller's report released Sunday, Barr said the special counsel did not find that Trump's campaign 'conspired or coordinated' with the Russian government to influence the 2016 presidential election.

It also said that Mueller reached no conclusion on whether Trump obstructed the federal investigation, instead setting out 'evidence on both sides' of the question. Democrats say they want to know much more about both conclusions.

It's not clear what evidence the Justice Department might be prepared to release, but documents of enormous public interest would be summaries of FBI interviews with witnesses in the case.

The FBI released similar records following the conclusion of an investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails, including a write-up of the interview agents did with Clinton herself.

In Mueller's case, disclosure of witness interviews would almost certainly yield vivid, firsthand accounts from some of Trump's closest aides and advisers - among them former White House officials Hope Hicks and Don McGahn - of the many episodes Mueller and his team scrutinized for potential obstruction of justice.

Those include the firing of James Comey as FBI director and the constant browbeating of Jeff Sessions, Trump's first attorney general.

There are whole other categories of information that less likely to be released. Those include grand jury testimony; negative information about people who were investigated but not charged; and details about ongoing investigations.

Though grand jury testimony is historically not released, those records were made public after the Whitewater investigation into former President Bill Clinton and during an investigation into President Richard Nixon before he resigned.

Schiff and other Democrats are leaning heavily on those precedents, along with the Justice Department's recent release of hundreds of thousands of documents last year relating to the Hillary Clinton investigation and also the origins of the Russia investigation, which was ongoing at the time.

Republicans sought those documents when they were in the majority; Democrats say the department can't possibly deny them similar information now that they control the House.

Republicans, meanwhile, have been deferential to Barr. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday urged caution so as not to 'throw innocent people who've not been charged under the bus.' He didn't elaborate.

Barr appears to be moving forward on sending Congress an additional, redacted report.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham said Wednesday that Barr told him he was combing through Mueller's report and removing classified, grand jury and other information in hopes of releasing it in April.

Democrats say that won't be enough. 'We're not happy about it, to put it mildly,' Nadler said after his own call with Barr.
Residents of outback Queensland are rejoicing as ex-cyclone Trevor brings hundreds of millimetres of much-needed rain to the drought-ravaged region.

For some areas in the central-west and south-west, it's the first decent downpour in more than a year, with more predicted to come over the coming days.

As of 9am on Thursday, the Bureau of Meteorology registered more than 200mm of rainfall at Cloncurry, in the state's north west, over a 48-hour period.

Residents of outback Queensland are rejoicing as ex-cyclone Trevor brings hundreds of millimetres of much-needed rain to the drought-ravaged region

While the unexpected downfall has been a welcomed relief for many of the region's battling graziers, the sight was also a first for some of the younger residents.

Tara Rule from Tyrone Station - near Charleville in the state's south west - told ABC News the 80mm downpour has been the best the town has seen in 12 months.

'It's been very dry ... there was no water in the dams and definitely no grass left,' Ms Rule said.

She said the rain was especially welcomed by her two-year-old son Cody, who hadn't seen it before due to them living at Tambo prior to moving to Tyrone Station.

In the state's central west, Blackall residents recorded an average of 180mm of rainfall during the same period, and some locals registered more than 200mm.

Weatherzone stated the rainfall in Blackall was five times the monthly average, which is the heaviest rain in 25 years and heaviest in March since 1963.

Blackall IGA manager Zoe Johnson told the Brisbane Times she couldn't remember the last time the region had a similar rainfall and guessed it could be up to nine years.

'It's nice to be reminded it can rain,' Ms Johnson said.

While the unexpected downfall has been a welcomed relief for many of the region's battling graziers, the sight was also a first for some of the younger residents

Blackall IGA manager Zoe Johnson (pictured) said she couldn't remember the last time the region had a similar rainfall and guessed it could be up to nine years

She said the rain was a welcomed relief for local farmers, who have suffered the most and had been battling during the drier months.

'It's been extremely tough, you'd just be wishing there was something you could do. It's not rocket science, it just has to rain,' she said.

Before tropical cyclone Trevor hit the region, sheep farmer Rick Keogh said he was down to his last two weeks' worth of water.

Ms Johnson said the sudden downpour meant those living in drought-stricken areas - with limited water supplies - had a bit more time up their sleeves.

Nearby, the small town of Isisford recorded 146mm of rain - the heaviest record for March since the late 1800s, 9News reported.

For some areas in the central-west and south-west, it's the first decent downpour in more than a year, with more predicted to come over the coming days

Further south, at Mount Calder, as much as 214mm of rainfall was recorded over the last 48 hours, while Brisbane has only recorded about 20mm during the same time.

While locals haven't considered the sudden rainfall drought-breaking, more wet weather is expected to come over the next few days and into the weekend.

The Bureau of Meteorology has predicted a new system could bring a further 15-30mm across the interior late Friday into the weekend.

Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Gabriel Branescu told ABC News southeast Queensland should expect more rain, as the system moved towards the coast.

He said the upper trough should move to the south east, and therefore the heavy rain will spread into the Central Highlands and Coalfields.

'The rainfall won't be as heavy as it is in the central interior, but there's still potential for 20 to 40mm of rainfall more towards the coast on the weekend.'
A little boy who is unaware his sister was murdered by his ex step-dad is 'lost, confused and so very sad', a court has been told.

A victim impact statement was read by the boy's foster mother to the Supreme Court on Thursday, saying the young boy will be profoundly affected when he learns of the 'horrifying details' surrounding his sister's 2016 death.

The woman said 'this loss has not been fully realised' by the sweet, sensitive and heartbroken boy.

His foster mother said the four-year-old boy once told her he'd been talking to his sister, saying 'I told her I learned how to swim and I'm going to teach her.'

Mohammed Khazma, 25, had his sentence hearing at the Supreme Court on Thursday, where the prosecutor called for him to to be jailed for life

The statement was read at the sentence hearing of 25-year-old Mohammed Khazma, who was found guilty in March of murdering the two-year-old girl, who was his ex-girlfriend's daughter.

Thursday's hearing was temporarily adjourned after Khazma stormed out of the court's dock as Prosecutor Philip Hogan called for him to be jailed for life.

The 25-year-old, who blames the mother for the girl's injuries and death, yelled out to the court that he didn't have to 'hear this' and that he 'didn't do it'.

Khazma pleaded not guilty in February to murdering the girl in December 2016 in the Sydney granny flat the couple had just moved into.

When the trio moved in together, the four-year-old brother was sent to live with his biological father until he was placed with the foster mother soon after his sister's death.

Thursday's hearing was temporarily adjourned after Khazma stormed out of the court's dock as Prosecutor Philip Hogan called for him to be jailed for life

The foster mother told the court that after the little boy was told the devastating news, he ran to her crying saying 'my sister got sick and went to the hospital and now she is in the sky. I miss my sister and I love her.'

Khazma was also found guilty of two counts of assault causing actual bodily harm by burning the toddler with a cigarette lighter and slamming her head into a wall in the lead-up to her death, which he denied.

Mr Hogan called for a victim impact statement from the girl's mother - who served jail time after admitting to manslaughter for failing to remove the girl from Khazma's abuse.



Khazma was found guilty of murdering the two-year-old girl at a Sydney granny flat (pictured) in 2016, after weeks of physical abuse

But, Prosecutor Hogan withdrew his bid after the judge questioned why the statement should be before the court when the mother had admitted criminal responsibility for her daughter's death.

It would be 'a very unusual circumstance' that a person who admitted failing to intervene when she knew her child was being repeatedly abused could provide a statement in related proceedings about the impact on her.

Khazma is due to be sentenced on April 12.
A furious Pauline Hanson has hit back at Al Jazeera after a hidden camera investigation recorded her hinting the Port Arthur massacre was a government conspiracy.

Senator Hanson, who had not appeared in public since the documentary aired due to suffering facial paralysis from a tick bite, spoke for the first time about 'How To Sell A Massacre' alongside chief of staff James Ashby and One Nation Queensland leader Steve Dickson.

She said her comments on Port Arthur were 'heavily edited' and 'do not reflect how I feel about those tragedies'.

'There are no questions in my mind that Martin Bryant is the only person responsible... my belief stands today that he should've faced the death penalty,' she said.

Senator Hanson said her comments had been 'taken out of context' and that without the 'Islamist Al Jazeera' she would have had no contact with the National Rifle Association or the wealthy political donor Koch brothers.

Senator Hanson, who had not appeared in public since the documentary aired due to suffering facial paralysis from a tick bite, spoke for the first time about 'How To Sell A Massacre'

She spoke to media on Thursday alongside chief of staff James Ashby (left) and One Nation Queensland leader Steve Dickson (right)

'This is Australia's first case of severe political interference from a foreign government,' she said.

Al Jazeera is a news organisation based in Qatar and owned by the Qatari government.

Senator Hanson said her party would never accept money from foreign donors.

'In relation to the discussion of donations from America, I did not give my consent for those conversations to be had,' she said.

'One Nation's firearms policy is one of the strongest and most widely accepted policy in the country.

'It is stronger than the new laws put forward by the New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern because One Nation wants to take guns off criminals and those on terror watchlists.

'One Nation will never sell its vote to donors and I make that very clear to those who have given money to this party.'

Senator Hanson said Prime Minister Scott Morrison was a 'fool' for preferencing Labor ahead of One Nation.

'You, Prime Minister, have just handed the keys to the lodge to Bill Shorten, Di Natale and the CFMEU,' she said.

'To the media here today you have come here baying for my blood and I will not give it to you.

'I am answerable to the Australian people only. And they will have their say at the ballot box.'

She said Mr Ashby and Mr Dickson will remain with the party.

Senator Hanson (pictured) said her party would never accept money from foreign donors

'These are two very good men who want nothing but the best for this country and the people of Australia,' she said.

'There has been a deliberate and intent effort for years to destroy James Ashby's credibility since he came to work for me.

'He has made some stupid remarks, as we all have, but I have worked so closely with this man for years to know his integrity is unquestionable and he will not be given a trial by media in an effort to have him sacked.

'I have no problem sacking people... that brings me to Steve Dickson.

'When I first saw the initial hit piece and Steve Dickson's comments I was disgusted. But having watched my own comments, knowing how out of context they were portrayed to the Australian people I knew he was stitched up.

'I have worked closely with this man for at least two-and-a-half years. I know his family, and I have stayed at his home. He is a friend.

'I acknowledge that Steve made some inappropriate comments, however, let's not forget he was set up.

'This is all a ploy to destroy One Nation. However, it has backfired. Instead we stand here today united, even stronger.'

She questioned the involvement of the ABC in the documentary. They have broadcast the programme this week.

'If the ABC had any ethical bone in their body they would refuse to put this unfair and unbalanced story to air tonight,' she said.

'Ita Buttrose, you need to ask the question of your organisation as the chairwoman, is this the unethical behaviour you support?

'Journalism ethics are on the line today. And Australian voters are asking if the Australian media are complicit in airing this false story.'

Earlier, Senator Hanson has emerged in public for the first time since suffering facial paralysis from a tick bite - and an outcry over her suggestion the Port Arthur massacre was a government conspiracy.

The Queensland senator and party founder was pictured by Daily Mail Australia leaving her hobby farm near Ipswich, in southern Queensland, on Thursday morning.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has emerged in public for the first time since a tick bit her face

A stern-looking MP was seen driving her white Toyota LandCruiser Prado four-wheel drive down her driveway as she prepared to front a media conference in Brisbane to answer questions about her suggestion the killing of 35 people at Port Arthur, in April 1996, was a government conspiracy to justify gun control.

The One Nation founder left her rural home as Prime Minister Scott Morrison vowed to put her party behind Labor on how-to-vote cards, claiming her stance on Australia's worst ever gun massacre in Tasmania was the last straw.

'The comments, particularly last night, and the linkages to Port Arthur, I'm sure all Australians would be shocked about. I was shocked by them,' he told reporters on Thursday.

Senator Hanson cancelled her public appearances on Wednesday after a tick bit her face, causing it to swell and make her look 'unrecognisable'.

Her sister Judy Smith had told Daily Mail Australia the senator was unwell.

'No, she's not okay,' she said early on Wednesday afternoon.

Senator Hanson is furious at the Qatar-government owned Al Jazeera network going under cover for three years to film herself, her chief-of-staff James Ashby and her party's Queensland leader Steve Dickson.

Mr Ashby and Mr Dickson were secretly videoed talking about the potential of receiving $20 million from the American National Rifle Association, as part of a documentary How To Sell A Massacre which the ABC has aired this week.

Hidden camera footage, released by Al Jazeera as part of an undercover operation, showed Senator Hanson saying she had 'a lot of questions' about the 1996 Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania.

'An MP said it would actually take a massacre in Tasmania to change the gun laws in Australia,' Senator Hanson told Al Jazeera reporter Rodger Muller, who had posed as the founder of the non-existent Gun Rights Australia lobby group.

The Queensland senator and party founder was photographed by Daily Mail Australia leaving her farm, southwest of Ipswich Queensland, on Thursday morning

'Haven't you heard that? Have a look at it. It was said on the floor of parliament.

'I've read a lot and I have read the book on it, Port Arthur. A lot of questions there.'

In 1987, months before losing an election, former New South Wales Labor premier Barrie Unsworth prophetically predicted it would take carnage in Tasmania before Australia had national gun laws.

'It will take a massacre in Tasmania before we get gun law reform in Australia,' he told a national gun summit in Canberra, after Tasmania and Queensland rejected his policy idea.

One Nation's New South Wales leader Mark Latham said Senator Hanson's comments didn't match up with his exchanges with the party's founder, who previously ran a fish-and-chips shop in Ipswich.

She was seen driving her Toyota LandCruiser Prado four-wheel drive down her driveway as she prepared to front a media conference in Brisbane to answer questions about the One Nation gun scandal

'I had a discussion with her about the making of the Howard gun laws and she didn't raise any doubts about the veracity of the truth of what happened at Port Arthur,' he told Seven's Sunrise on Thursday.

Another of Al Jazeera's videos showed Mr Dickson and Mr Ashby speaking to the undercover reporter about potential donations.

The men claim they were 'on the sauce' when the conversation took place.

Mr Morrison said being drunk was no excuse and has urged Australians to abandon the conservative minor party.

In the Al Jazeera footage, Mr Dickson says One Nation could get the government 'by the balls' through holding the balance of power in both houses if they could get millions in funding.

Hidden camera footage, released by Al Jazeera as part of an undercover operation, showed Senator Hanson saying she had 'a lot of questions' about the 1996 Port Arthur, which saw 35 people shot dead

That would allow them to weaken Australia's gun laws, a point they raised with powerful lobby groups in Washington DC, including the National Rifle Association.

Senator Hanson broke her silence on Wednesday, saying she was shocked and disgusted with the 'hit piece' by Qatari TV network Al Jazeera.

'A Qatari government organisation should not be targeting Australian political parties. This has been referred to ASIO,' she tweeted.

Labor leader Bill Shorten had repeatedly called for the Prime Minister to back up his condemnation of One Nation by putting them last on Liberal Party how-to-vote cards.

Mr Morrison has consistently said his party would wait until final nominations before deciding on its preferences.

Mr Ashby said the pair spoke only with undercover Al Jazeera reporter Rodger Muller about the potential $US20 million in donations.

Mr Ashby accused Mr Muller, who is Australian, of being a 'Middle Eastern spy'.
Pioneering Soviet-era cosmonaut Valery Bykovsky, who made the first of his three flights to space in 1963, has died at age 84, Russias space agency said.

Roscosmos said Mr Bykovsky died on Wednesday, but a cause of death wasn't specified.

Mr Bykovsky was one of 20 Soviet military pilots in the first group selected to voyage into space. He first blasted into outer space in June 1963 as the pilot of the Vostok-5 crew.

Once in orbit, he radioed to ground control that he was 'feeling fine'.

He underwent training for a moon mission before the United States won the race to the moon and the Soviet Union cancelled its plans to go there.

Mr Bykovsky was one of 20 Soviet military pilots in the first group selected to voyage into space. He first blasted into outer space in June 1963 as the pilot of the Vostok-5 crew

Soviet cosmonaut Valery Bykovsky (left) prior to a space trip aboard Soviet rocket Soyuz 31 to the Salyut 6 space station in 1978

'Bykovsky belonged to the first generation of Soviet cosmonauts, who wrote many bright pages in the glorious history of Russian manned cosmonauts,' officials at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City said in a statement.

Bykovsky spent his time in space conducting scientific experiments, and even recorded himself exercising in zero-gravity, studying his body's reaction to the environment.

During his first mission, Bykovsky planned to stay in orbit of the Earth for eight days, but increased solar flare activity brought his voyage to an end after four days, 23 hours and 17 minutes.

The mission remains the longest solo spaceflight in history.

He landed back down to Earth on June 19, 1963, three hours after Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space.

Bykovsky spent his time in space conducting scientific experiments, and even recording himself exercising in zero-gravity

Born in Pavlovsky Posad, in August 1934, Bykovsky spent 20 days, 17 hours and 47 minutes in Earth's orbit

Bykovsky's solo voyage of four days, 23 hours and 17 minutes, remains the longest solo spaceflight in history.

Mr Bykovsky made his second space flight 14 years later, in 1976.

Flying as the commander of Soyuz 22, Bykovsky spent a nearly seven days taking more than 2,400 photographs of Earth's horizon, and images of the moon rising and setting through the planet's atmosphere.

Bykovsky's third and final trip came in 1978, with Germany's first citizen in space, Sigmund Jahn.

Born in Pavlovsky Posad, in August 1934, Bykovsky spent 20 days, 17 hours and 47 minutes in Earth's orbit.

He also served as a backup to the Vostok 3 and Soyuz 37 missions. Bykovsky was primed to enter orbit with the Soyuz 2 crew, but the mission was cancelled after its predecessor, Soyuz 1, ended in tragedy.

27   85     -,    ,     https://t.co/MVhoiXN1hF



      ... pic.twitter.com/bIkHmALyUB   (@roscosmos) March 27, 2019

For his service to his Russia's space program, Bykovsky was named a Hero of the Soviet Union and awarded the Order of Lenin and the Order of the Red Star, am amassing numerous other Russian and international accolades along the way.

Bykovsky was married to Valentina Sukhova, with whom he had two children.

He is survived by his son Sergei. His daughter Valery died in 1986.

'The leadership of the Cosmonaut Training Center, pilot-cosmonauts of the USSR and Russia and the whole team offer their condolences to the families and friends of Valery Fyodorovich,' Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center said in a statement.
A crash at Glebe has sparked peak-hour chaos with all westbound lanes along Parramatta Road closed in the area.

A truck and cyclist were involved in a crash at the intersection of Ross Street and Parramatta Road at 4.35pm on Thursday.

The cyclist - a woman aged in her 30s - has been left in a critical condition and will be transported to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital for treatment.

NSW Police told Daily Mail Australia the truck driver will undergo mandatory blood and urine tests.

One city bound lane is closed and westbound traffic is being diverted into Ross Street.

Motorists have been advised to avoid the area and to use Victoria Road and City Westlink instead.

More to come

A crash at Glebe has brought peak-hour chaos with all westbound lanes along Parramatta Road closed
Chemist Warehouse workers have won their battle for better pay after a two-week strike that saw shortages of goods at the discount chain.

The National Union of Workers announced on Thursday that employees have been granted an immediate raise of 8.75 per cent and will see an increase of 18.75 and 22.5 per cent in wages over the next four years.

Casual workers who went on strike will also be hired as permanent staff and that clause will ensure other casuals will get the option to become permanent workers after six months.

The agreement also includes training in gendered violence, severance pay on redundancy, and a 16 per cent labour hire increase.

The NUW had demanded a pay rise of between 25 and 30 per cent and higher levels of job security, aiming for 70 per cent of workers to be full time as opposed to the current 25 per cent.

The National Union of Workers announced employees have been granted a raise of 8.75 per cent and will see an increase of 18.75 and 22.5 per cent in wages over the next four years

The deal has been considered a victory by both parties after the strike had targeted the company's major distribution centres in Preston and Somerton in Victoria.

'At a time of serious wage stagnation, it's great to see workers in their union collectively bargain for wage increases, secure jobs, and respect at work,' NUW National Secretary Tim Kennedy said.

Chemist Warehouse director Damien Gance said the deal was a 'great outcome.'

'Our people are critical to our success, and we have been able to achieve a balance between rewarding our current team and being able to continue to grow and offer more job opportunities,' he said in a join statement.

Workers at the Chemist Warehouse distribution centres had been paid $24 an hour, which was far less than the company's competitors, according to the NUW.

The pay rise reflects an amount that's three times more than the growth of wages in Australia in 2018.

NUW was successful in its efforts for Chemist Warehouse but now reportedly faces another strike over wages for courier service DHL, according to the Brisbane Times.

The strike caused shortages at stores as photos from The Sunday Age revealed empty shelves and low stock of goods last week.

Mr Gance, however, claimed the stock of good had not been affected.

The National Union of Workers had said the chain would struggle to meet the weight of customer demand were workers to go through with the strike.

'Our members at Chemist Warehouse are paid 25 per cent less than industry competitors and yet the owners are worth over a billion dollars,' union national secretary Tim Kennedy said.

The deal has been considered a victory by both parties after the strike had targeted the company's major distribution centres in Preston and Somerton in Victoria

He said the union's members were responsible for the distribution of more than a million items every week.

Union delegate Husain Alqatari, who is also a worker at one of the warehouses, had said casual workers had to 'fight like animals' to earn shifts with the company.

'You have to work fast - if you don't reach your target you don't get your shift,' he said.

The strike followed Chemist Warehouse being ordered to back-pay more than $3.5million to its workers in 2016 after the Fair Work Ombudsman uncovered it had not paid its workers for compulsory online training they did in their own time.

As many as 5976 employees, making up around two-thirds of their were force, were given $600 each on average following the ombudsman audit.
Tests conducted around Grenfell Tower have uncovered evidence of toxins that could pose serious health risks for residents and survivors of the inferno, it has been revealed.

'Huge concentrations' of carcinogens in the soil and dust around the west London tower block which experts warn could put the community at risk of long-term health problems including asthma, cancer and other respiratory problems.

Oily deposits have been collected nearly 18 months after the blaze from a flat 160 metres from the site.

Some 72 people perished in the inferno which ripped through Grenfell Tower in June, 2017

This map points out locations where samples were taken from, alongside the wind speed and direction at the time of the blaze

Reference soil samples were collected over one mile away from the site, and the results were compared to published baseline levels for Hyde Park, London and a typical UK urban soil.

Professor Anna Stec, who conducted the study, has now warned senior health officials, the police and Kensington and Chelsea Council (RBKC) of the need for further tests.

Researchers at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) found samples from balconies 50-100m from the Tower were contaminated with cancer-causing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

Six months after the blaze they analysed soil, fire debris and char samples, taken from six locations up to 1.2km from the Tower.

Based on the level of chemicals discovered, they concluded there was 'an increased risk of a number of health problems to those in the area, from asthma to cancer.'

Soil samples collected within 50m of the Tower also contained phosphorous flame retardants - materials commonly used in insulation foams and upholstered furniture - that are potentially toxic to the nervous system.

Elevated concentrations of benzene, a proven carcinogen, were discovered up to 140m away from the Tower in quantities 25-40 times higher than those typically found in urban soils.

Dust and a yellow oily deposit from a window blind inside a flat 160m from the Tower, collected 17 months after the fire, were also found to contain isocyanates  which can lead to asthma after a single exposure.

Researchers at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) found samples from balconies 50-100m from the Tower were contaminated with cancer-causing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Oily deposits have been collected nearly 18 months after the blaze from a flat 160 metres from the site

Prof Stec, who is professor in fire chemistry and toxicity at the University of Central Lancashire said she also found high levels of hydrogen cyanide in the soil she analysed.

She said: 'There is undoubtedly evidence of contamination in the area surrounding the Tower, which highlights the need for further in-depth, independent analysis to quantify any risks to residents.

'It is now crucial to put in place long-term health screening to assess any long-term adverse health effects of the fire on local residents, emergency responders and clean-up workers.

'This will also provide a framework for dealing with any similar disasters in the future.'

Seventy one people died in the blaze on June 14 last year, with a 72nd victim dying months later in hospital.

Seventy one people died in the blaze on June 14 last year, with a 72nd victim dying months later in hospital

Last month, Professor Stec was instructed by the public inquiry into the tragedy to act as an expert witness.

NHS England said it would provide up to 50 million to fund long-term screening and treatment for those affected by the Grenfell Tower fire.

A Government spokesperson said: 'We take Professor Stec's findings extremely seriously, and fully appreciate the ongoing health concerns. 'We have established a comprehensive programme of environmental checks to fully assess the risks and take appropriate action.

'Professor Stec is part of an independent group of scientists overseeing this work and her findings will inform the checks we are conducting. We are committed to keeping the community safe and safeguarding their long-term health.

'Anyone living near Grenfell Tower who is concerned as a result of this news should speak to their GP, who will arrange for additional health checks to be carried out.'
The chairman of New Zealand's biggest mosque has been widely condemned after accusing Israel of being behind the Christchurch shooting which left 50 dead.

Ahmed Bhamji, who leads the Mt Roskill Masjid E Umar mosque in Auckland, made the remarks at a rally organised by Love New Zealand Hate Racism on Saturday.

During a speech, he said Israeli intelligence agency Mossad was behind the attack and accused suspect Brenton Tarrant of getting funding from 'Zionist business'.

New Zealand mosque chairman: I am not afraid to say I feel Mossad is behind [the mass murder of Muslims in Christchurch] pic.twitter.com/IZis0Tf4u7  John-Paul Pagano (@johnpaulpagano) March 26, 2019

Ahmed Bhamji, the leader of New Zealand's biggest mosque, has been condemned after blaming Israel's Mossad and 'Zionist business' for being behind the Christchurch massacre

Bhamji told a crowd of thousands at a rally against racism that 'I am not afraid to say I feel Mossad is behind...' the shooting which left 50 people dead (file image)

In a video posted on Twitter, he can be heard saying: 'I stand here and I say I have a very, very strong suspicion that there's some group behind him and I am not afraid to say I feel Mossad is behind this.'

While the majority of the crowd is silent, one person can be heard yelling: 'It's the truth. Israel is behind this. That's right!'

The embassy of Israel in Wellington subsequently condemned his remarks, saying: 'All the Israeli people, along with the people of New Zealand, mourned the horrendous terror massacre against Muslim worshippers in Christchurch.

'The absurd accusation made by Bhamji is a regrettable expression of the basest anti-Semitic prejudice and we are confident that it is utterly rejected by the Muslim community leadership and by all New Zealanders.

'At this time we want to convey again the deepest sympathy of the Israeli embassy and the state of Israel to the victims and families of the Masjid Al Noor and Linwood mosque attacks.'

Israel's embassy in New Zealand described the claims as 'absurd' and said the Jewish community 'mourned the horrendous terror massacre' at two mosques (Al Noor mosque, pictured) earlier this month

Terror suspect Brenton Tarrant posted a manifesto online before the killings identifying himself as a racist white supremacist, but did not mention any links to Israel (file image)

The Human Rights Commission also took a stand against the remarks, saying they had 'no place in New Zealand'.

'We must condemn racism, hate and anti-Semitism whenever we see it', the organisation said on Twitter.

When confronted with his remarks by Newshub, Bhamji stood by them, demanding an investigation into where the mosque shooter received funding from.

'Mossad is up to all these things,' he said. 'When I talk about Mossad, why should the Jews be upset about it? Give me an answer?'

Bhamji did not provide any evidence to support his claims.

A manifesto posted online ahead of the shooting outlines the shooter's racist, white supremacist views which he used to justify the killings.

Names and dates scrawled across the guns used during the massacre also reveal a fascination with medieval history, particularly those who fought against the Ottoman empire - the Islamic superpower of its day.

Neither the weapons nor the manifesto display any overt links to Mossad or Israel.
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Maltese special forces have seized a tanker that was hijacked by migrants 'in an act of priacy' in the Mediterranean after the captain stopped to rescue them.

Armed forces handed control of the vessel back to the captain who sailed it towards Malta's Grand Port, in the capital Valletta, along with the migrants and crew.

When the boat arrived this morning, the migrants were escorted off under armed guard before being handed over to waiting police officers.

Several police vans and a bus were waiting in the harbour for the migrants, four of whom were taken away in handcuffs. The captain and his crew were also seen being escorted off the ship.

Maltese special forces have seized control of a tanker that had been hijacked by migrants in the Mediterranean after it stopped to rescue them near the Libyan coast

The soldiers handed control of the vessel back to its captain who sailed it to the Grand Harbour in Valletta, Malta, where the migrants were due to be handed to police

Police officers were waiting in the harbour to handcuff the migrants and lead them away as soon as the boat reached dry land

It is not clear whether the migrants will now be prosecuted for the hijacking, or taken to a detention centre to be held while they apply for asylum

Migrants sit on a bus belonging to the Maltese police before being taken away from the port

El Hiblu 1 arrives in Senglea, in Valletta's Grand Harbour, in the early hours of Thursday after being seized by Maltese troops

Officers said an investigation has been launched, but it is unclear whether the migrants will now be prosecuted for the hijacking or sent to a detention centre while they apply for asylum.

Italian interior minister Matteo Salvini had earlier said the ship, an 846-ton tanker named El Hiblu 1, had been bound for Libya after picking up the migrants but had been taken over and turned towards Europe.

El Hiblu 1 is registered in the Republic of Palau, an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean.

The ship was on its way to Tripoli, the capital of Lybia, from Turkey, on Tuesday but six nautical miles from port it diverted, heading north to rescue some migrants off the coast of Libya.

Salvini, a hardliner who has repeatedly refused entry to Mediterranean migrants, claimed the ship with 108 migrants on board was now heading for Malta or the Italian island of Lampedusa.

Both countries said El Hiblu 1 would not be allowed to enter their national waters.

'We received reports of a pirated ship heading towards Malta or Lampedusa (off Sicily) and we're monitoring the situation,' a Maltese coastguard spokesman told AFP.

Migrants in chaos-wracked Libya face trafficking, kidnap, torture and rape, according to the United Nations and aid groups.

A Maltese police officer carries a migrant child off the boat after it had docked in Valletta

Several young children were pictured being carried off the boat, though it was not immediately clear how many people were actually on board

Women and children were pictured being led off the boat after it arrived in Malta on Thursday morning

Police officers escorted several families off the boat and will now launch an investigation

The captain of the boat (pictured centre, wearing glasses) was also seen disembarking from the vessel along with members of his crew

At 4pm, there had been no communication from the tanker for 16 hours, Maritime and Crimean Shipping News reported.

Refusing to let the migrants into Italy, Salvini tweeted: 'They're not shipwrecked, they're pirates. They should know that they will only see Italy with a telescope.'

The Italian news agency ANSA reported that Salvini said: 'It would be the first act of piracy on the high seas, with migrants who have hijacked a ship that had reached six nautical miles [seven miles] off the Libyan coast.'

The agency reports that the migrants had realised they were returning towards Tripoli and had threatened the freighter's commander and crew.

The reported line echoes Salvini's language last year when he said migrants would only see the country 'on a postcard'.

The 46-year-old has spearheaded the migration crackdown since he became interior minister and deputy PM last year.

The ship was on its way to Tripoli, the capital of Lybia, from Turkey, but it changed its direction and started heading north

Members of the Maltese special forces team which seized the boat guard the migrant arrivals

A female migrant waits to be allowed off the boat after it was diverted from Libya back to Europe by hijackers who took control

A Maltese special forces soldier guards a group of migrants on the merchant ship El Hiblu 1

Male migrants wait to be escorted off the tanker after it docked in Valletta under armed guard

It is thought there were 108 migrants on board the vessel when it was hijacked on Wednesday during a trip from Turkey to Libya

A Maltese special forces soldier guards a group of migrants on the merchant ship El Hiblu 1 after it arrived in Senglea, Valletta

Details of the special forces operation remained a mystery Thursday morning, but there were no reports of casualties or injuries

The ultimate fate of the migrants, who were attempting to cross from Africa into Europe, was also not clear early on Thursday

He has turned away rescue ships operated by foreign NGOs, such as the Aquarius, which was left stranded with 630 migrants last June after being refused entry to Italy.

Following Rome's increasingly tough anti-migrant stance, boats that pick up migrants making the perilous journey across the Mediterranean increasingly return them to Libya.

Several boatloads of migrants rescued in recent months have refused to disembark in Libya, prompting the authorities there to use force.

Migrant arrivals from North Africa and the Middle East have been sharply reduced since a 2015 peak when Europe faced its worst migration crisis since World War II.

Salvini has accused the rescue missions of playing into the hands of people smugglers.

He was sworn in after striking deal to form a government with the Five Star Movement, an agreement that brought Italy a populist government after three months of post-election deadlock.

On Monday Salvini vowed to 'change Europe' after his League party - which he transformed into a national force - won a regional election.

Spain's socialist PM Pedro Sanchez, who also came to power last year, has taken a more liberal approach.

A woman and her son are seen aboard tanker El Hiblu as they wait to disembark

A group of migrants is seen on the merchant ship El Hiblu 1 after it arrived in Senglea, in Valletta's Grand Harbour

Migrants were seen lined up along the deck of the El Hiblu after it was seized by special forces

A Maltese special forces soldier guards a group of migrants on the merchant ship El Hiblu 1

It is thought the vessel was either heading towards the Italian island of Lampedusa or Malta before it was seized by troops

A military boat (left) escorts the El Hiblu into Malta's Grand Port after it was seized
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Labour has been left bitterly divided over a second referendum after a major rebellion by 45 of its MPs killed off a plan that could have see it take place.

Some 27 politicians from mainly northern Leave-backing areas refused to follow orders to back a motion by Dame Margaret Beckett calling for any Brexit deal to be put to a 'confirmatory' referendum.

The motion was defeated by 27 votes, meaning their support would have seen it pass.

Shadow housing minister Melanie Onn was among those who refused to back the plan, which lost by 295 votes to 268.

A further 18 Labour MPs abstained, including shadow cabinet ministers Jon Trickett, Ian Lavery and Andrew Gwynne, bringing the total number of rebels to 45.

The backbench plot to snatch control of Brexit hit a wall last night as none of the alternatives to Theresa May's deal secured a majority - but MPs still showed Britain they favour a softer Brexit or a second referendum - and will never deliver No Deal.

Party MPs from the north are worried about a voter backlash in Brexit-backing seats if they support a new public vote and it succeeded in preventing or softening Brexit.

Grimsby MP Ms Onn tweeted today: 'Im against 2nd Ref becoz I think 1st ref & all thats flowed from it has been divisive, dont want 2 put the country through it all over again.

'2nd Ref wont resolve Parliamentary party differences & no guarantee change result. 2 reffers shld admit they want 2 revoke Article 50.'

Grimsby MP Melanie Onn quite as a shadow housing minister to vote against a second referendum last night. The motion was defeated by 27 votes - exactly the number of Labour MPs who voted against it

Ms Onn defended her voting decision in a tweet to her followers today, suggesting that a new referendum would not do any good

Labour Party chairman Ian Lavery (right) was among those who abstained in last night's vote on a second referendum, without sanction from Jeremy Corbyn (pictured last night)

Labour former foreign secretary Dame Margaret said MPs now needed to be prepared to compromise.

'They are going to have to look over the abyss,' she told the BBC's Today programme.

'For some of them, they were so wedded to particular proposals, and they so passionately believed that those were right, that they didn't want anything get in the way.'

She added: 'The reason there is all this fuss about how terrible it was is because the people who want no-deal want it to look as if everything has failed so we have to go their way.'

Last night, in an unprecedented move, politicians seized control of the Commons timetable from Theresa May to hold so-called indicative votes.

The poll showed Parliament is close to agreeing on a soft Brexit with a plan for the UK remaining in a customs union with the EU defeated by 272 votes to 264, while a second referendum was rejected by 295 votes to 268.

MPs were handed green ballot papers on which they voted Yes or No to eight options, ranging from No Deal to cancelling Brexit altogether. However, the votes descended into shambles as MPs rejected each and every one of the proposals - although its architect Sir Oliver Letwin always warned there wouldn't be a winner first time.

Ten Tories  including ministers Sir Alan Duncan, Mark Field and Stephen Hammond  supported an SNP plan to give MPs the chance to revoke Article 50 if a deal has not been agreed two days before Brexit. Some 60 Tory MPs backed the option of remaining in the single market.

These are the results of last night's indicative votes on Brexit, in order of preference. It shows that while MPs can't find a consensus they lean heavily towards a softer Brexit or second referendum

This graphic shows how ministers voted on the idea of No Deal. The Cabinet abstained, but junior ministers were largely split between those who back No Deal or oppose it. Overall MPs showed it was unlikely they would ever agree to it

Tory MP Oliver Letwin (pictured in the Commons today) began today's proceedings after his amendment on Monday night tore up the usual Commons agenda to allow last night's votes

The results of Wednesday's votes, in order of preference, were:

Confirmatory public vote (second referendum) - defeated by 295 voted to 268, majority 27.

Customs union - defeated by 272 votes to 264, majority eight.

Labour's alternative plan - defeated by 307 votes to 237, majority 70.

Revocation to avoid no-deal - defeated by 293 votes to 184, majority 109.

Common market 2.0: defeated by 283 votes to 188, majority 95.

No Deal: defeated by 400 votes to 160, majority 240.

Contingent preferential arrangements - defeated by 422 votes to 139, majority 283.

Efta and EEA: defeated by 377 votes to 65, majority 312.

Shadow housing minister Melanie Onn resigned after Jeremy Corbyn ordered his MPs to back a raft of soft Brexit plans, as well as a second referendum.

Some 27 Labour MPs defied the whip to reject a so-called 'confirmatory vote' on any Brexit deal. The party had instructed them to support the plan just hours after one of its senior frontbenchers publicly warned that it would be a mistake.

Sir Oliver Letwin, the architect of the Commons move, today insisted the indicative votes were not intended to give a precise answer right away - and will hold another round of votes on Monday.

MPs are due to hold a second round of votes - unless Mrs May can get her deal through first - after none of the eight options debated on Wednesday was able to command a majority. It could be that the eight options are cut down to the most popular.

Sir Oliver told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: 'At some point or other we either have to get her deal across the line or accept that we have to find some alternative if we want to avoid no deal on the 12th, which I think at the moment is the most likely thing to happen.

'At the moment we are heading for a situation where, under the law, we leave without a deal on the 12th, which many of us think is not a good solution, and the question is 'Is Parliament on Monday willing to come to any view in the majority about that way forward that doesn't involve that result?''

MPs will take control of the Commons order paper again on Monday, so they can narrow down the options if Mrs May's deal has not been agreed by then  or pass legislation to try and impose their choice on her. Speaking in the Commons after the results, Sir Oliver said: 'It is of course a great disappointment that the House has not chosen to find a majority for any proposition.

'However, those of us who put this proposal forward as a way of proceeding predicted that we would not even reach a majority and for that very reason put forward a ... motion designed to reconsider these matters on Monday.'

Theresa May (pictured returning to Parliament) sensationally promised to quit Downing Street in return for Tory Brexiteer rebels passing her deal as she admitted her time as Prime Minister was almost over

What PM needs to edge to victory... by just 2 votes. There are 235 Tory loyalists, 10 switchers, 30 who with back the deal if May quits, 10 DUP supporters and 24 Labour

The Prime Minister allowed her MPs to vote however they wanted on the choices after she was warned around ten junior ministers would quit if they were whipped against backing a soft Brexit.

The eight Brexit options that MPs couldn't back: Revoke Article 50 - 273 to 184 AGAINST Put forward by SNP's Joanna Cherry and backed by 33 MPs including Conservative former attorney general Dominic Grieve, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable, Labour's Ben Bradshaw and all 11 members of The Independent Group. It demands that if no deal has been agreed on the day before Brexit that MPs will get the chance to cancel the UK's notice to Brussels it would leave the EU. Britain is allowed to unilaterally cancel Article 50 and stay a member on its current terms, according to a ruling of the European Court. It would bring an end to the existing negotiations - but would not legally rule them being restarted. Second referendum - 295 to 268 AGAINST Tabled by Labour ex-foreign secretary Margaret Beckett to build on proposals from Labour MPs Peter Kyle and Phil Wilson. It states that MPs will not sanction leaving the EU unless it has been put to the electorate for a 'confirmatory vote'. A significant evolution of the plan is it would put any deal agreed by the Government to a public vote and not just Mrs May's plan. Customs union - 272 to 264 AGAINST Tabled by veteran Conservative Europhile Ken Clarke, backed by Labour's Yvette Cooper, Helen Goodman and chair of the Commons Exiting the EU Committee Hilary Benn and Tory former ministers Sir Oliver Letwin and Sarah Newton. It demands that ministers negotiate a new 'permanent and comprehensive UK-wide customs union with the EU' which would prevent the country being able to strike its own trade deals but make it easier for goods to move between the UK and Europe. Labour's plan - 307 to 237 AGAINST Proposed by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn It includes a comprehensive customs union but with a UK say on future trade deals and close alignment with the single market. The plan also demands matching new EU rights and protections; participation in EU agencies and funding programmes; and agreement on future security arrangements, including access to the European Arrest Warrant. No deal - 400 to 160 AGAINST Proposed by Eurosceptic Tory MP John Baron. Tabled a motion demanding 'the UK will leave the EU on 12 April 2019' without a deal. However, a No Deal Brexit has already been rejected twice by MPs. It would instruct the Government to abandon efforts to secure its deal and inform the EU it did not want a long extension to Article 50 either, in line with last week's EU Council. Both sides would then have a fortnight to make final preparations. Common Market 2.0 283 to 188 AGAINST Tabled by Conservatives Nick Boles, Robert Halfon and Andrew Percy and Labour's Stephen Kinnock, Lucy Powell and Diana Johnson. The motion proposes UK membership of the European Free Trade Association and European Economic Area. It allows continued participation in the single market and a 'comprehensive customs arrangement' with the EU after Brexit. It would be very similar to current membership. The idea is this would remain in place until the agreement of a wider trade deal which guarantees frictionless movement of goods and an open border in Ireland. Single Market - 377 to 65 AGAINST Tory former minister George Eustice - who quit as agriculture minister this month to fight for Brexit - proposes remaining within the EEA and rejoining EFTA, but remaining outside a customs union with the EU. The motion was also signed by Conservative MPs including former minister Nicky Morgan and head of the Brexit Delivery Group Simon Hart. The idea would keep the UK in the European Economic Area (EEA), but unlike the Common Market 2.0 plan would not involve a customs arrangement. It is similar to Norway's deal. Standstill with the EU - 422 to 139 AGAINST Backed by senior Brexiteers in the ERG including Steve Baker and Priti Patel, this would tell the Government to seek a tariff-free trading arrangement with the EU> It would be based on a 'standstill' agreement saying all regulations in the UK would continue to match EU ones for up to two years. Advertisement

She and the Cabinet abstained on the indicative votes, helping her to mask the wide gaping divisions among her senior ministers on the way forward.

Commons Speaker John Bercow selected eight out of the 16 Brexit options tabled by MPs for a vote, turning down proposals to demand a unilateral right to leave the Northern Irish 'backstop ' or to require automatic revocation of Article 50 if No Deal is reached. He also rejected the so-called Malthouse Compromise Plan A  drawn up by backbenchers from Leave and Remain wings of the Tory Party  which would have implemented Mrs May's deal with the backstop replaced by 'alternative arrangements'.

Ahead of the votes, Mrs May warned she would not regard the results as binding. But former Tory chancellor Ken Clarke yesterday told BBC Radio 5 Live the Prime Minister 'would obviously have to be removed' if she ignored a consensus emerging from the indicative votes process.

Labour ordered its MPs to back a motion, tabled by former foreign secretary Dame Margaret Beckett, requiring any Brexit deal passed during this Parliament to be confirmed in a public referendum before ratification. The party also whipped its MPs to back its own alternative Brexit plan  but four Labour backbenchers voted against it. Three others  including party chairman Ian Lavery  voted for a 'managed' No Deal. Mr Corbyn had also encouraged his MPs to back the so-called Common Market 2.0 plan tabled by Mr Clarke  which would keep the country in the single market as well as a customs arrangement  but did not whip them to do so.

At Prime Minister's Questions, Mrs May criticised the Labour leader over his support for a customs union and a second referendum. She said: 'Whatever happened to straight-talking honest politics?' In a tweet, the Department for Exiting the European Union warned that the Common Market 2.0 plan 'would not respect the referendum result'.

'[It] would not end free movement of people, would not let us set our own trade policy, would not stop us sending money to the EU, [and] would make us a rule taker,' the message added.

A number of Tory MPs refused to take part in the votes. Aldershot MP Leo Docherty said none of the options presented a 'coherent path towards Brexit'. He tweeted: 'This is an exercise in Parliamentary navel-gazing and I will be abstaining.' Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom earlier warned that MPs had turned the normal 'precedent on its head' by taking control of the order paper, which sets out the parliamentary timetable for the day. She said: 'Those who are not in government are deciding the business, and there are inevitable ramifications to that.'

But former Tory chief whip Andrew Mitchell said Sir Oliver had played 'an absolute blinder' by making clear to Brexiteers the consequences of continuing to oppose the PM's deal. He said: 'I think Sir Oliver Letwin has laid out for all my friends and colleagues in the ERG the instruments of torture, of what awaits them if they do not support Mrs May's deal the next time it comes to a vote.'

Allies of PM said she had reluctantly made the decision to quit over the past fortnight, following conversations with close political friends and her husband Philip.

Mr May stood by her side as she made a 'moving' speech to tearful staff in No 10 after making her announcement to MPs last night. Allies said the decision reflected her determination to push through a plan she believes is 'firmly in the national interest'.

One said: 'She had other options but she has put her country first. It is typically selfless' - but it is unclear if it can save her deal.

The DUP's support is seen as critical to unlocking the backing of dozens of Eurosceptic MPs.

Downing Street was last night locked in frantic talks with the party in the hope of persuading its ten MPs to support the deal.

'They are tough negotiators,' one source said. 'It's not over yet.'

But one Cabinet minister said: 'If they don't move, then we don't have the votes.'

MPs last night rejected every Brexit option in a series of 'indicative votes', with a customs union, second referendum, Norway-style option and No Deal all failing to get a majority.

That, and the PM's 'Back me, then sack me' plea, sets the scene for a third attempt to pass her Brexit plan tomorrow  the day Britain was due to leave the EU.

Mrs May becomes the fourth consecutive Tory prime minister to have their career wrecked by the issue of Europe.

Pressure on her to quit had been building in recent weeks, with Eurosceptic MPs unhappy with her deal, warning that they wanted a new leader to take forward the next stage of Brexit negotiations.

A senior Tory said party whips believed up to 30 Eurosceptic MPs would back Mrs May's deal only if she agreed to go.

Addressing the 1922 Committee of Tory MPs last night, an emotional Mrs May acknowledged that Brexit turmoil had been 'a testing time for our country and our party'. She called on MPs to do their 'historic duty' and back her plan.

But she acknowledged concerns about her own leadership, saying: 'I have heard very clearly the mood of the parliamentary party.

'I know there is a desire for a new approach  and new leadership  in the second phase of the Brexit negotiations  and I won't stand in the way of that.'

Her dramatic move fired the starting gun on what promises to be a bruising Tory leadership contest this summer that will choose the next prime minister.

Tory sources said that if Mrs May's plan passes, a leadership contest will start shortly after May 22, when the UK finally leaves the EU. However, No 10 refused to say whether she would still depart on the same timetable if her plan is blocked or defeated.

One source said it would be 'a different scenario', adding: 'It's hard to see how we could have time for a leadership contest in quite the same way if we're still in the middle of trying to take us out.'
DPhil student Ania Kordala was asked to leave a talk at the University of Oxford

A PhD student at the University of Oxford was told to leave a women's rights talk because she had taken her toddler along.

Ania Kordala claims she emailed ahead and asked permission to take her daughter Pola along to a talk by Julia Gillard, former prime minister of Australia on 'Women and Leadership  Fighting for an equal world'.

Ms Kordala, who is studying for a DPhil at the university, claims that after taking her seat, she was approached and asked to leave, and told to leave her belongings behind.

Ms Kordala had taken her seat in the Sheldonian Theatre on the university campus when she was swiftly told to leave the premises.

Writing on Facebook, she said she and her daughter 'had lots of space' and were sitting quietly waiting for the speaker to arrive when Pola 'babbled'.

Ms Kordala had taken her seat in the Sheldonian Theatre on the university campus when she was swiftly told to leave the premises

The talk at the university (pictured) was given by Julia Gillard, former prime minister of Australia on 'Women and Leadership  Fighting for an equal world'

She added: 'The event begins. A few minutes in a lady from technical crew approaches me and says with a dead serious face: "You need to leave. You need to leave now.

"You are right next to the video camera man, you need to leave now."

Ms Kordala claims she offered to move to the other side of the room but was told to leave the theatre.

She said when she tried to take her bags, she was told a friend would have to bring them out for her.

Ms Kordala has hit out at the university for claiming to be at the forefront of a fight for equality'

Writing on Facebook, she said she and her daughter 'had lots of space' and were sitting quietly waiting for the speaker to arrive when Pola 'babbled'

She added: 'I hear the room filling with applause as Julia Gillard enters the stage and starts talking. About women in leadership. About equal rights and opportunities.

'Later on University of Oxford and Nuffield Department of Population Health will congratulate themselves on organizing such an event and being at the forefront of a fight for equality.

'The talk will be watched many times and probably also receive media coverage. But this is just one side of the story.

'The other side of the story is a student parent who wanted to be a part of the talk. Who literally fought her way into the building despite being told 'no'.

'Who made it inside and got kicked out almost immediately after. Who is outside the building when everybody else is inside.'

A spokesman for University of Oxford said: 'This appears to have been a regrettable miscommunication between the event organisers and the external team filming the event. Generally, the Sheldonian welcomes children and families at events.'
Four Manly Sea Eagles players have struggled to describe their feelings after visiting one of the mosques which was the scene of a mass shooting in Christchurch.

Jorge Taufua, Curtis Sironen, Toafofoa Sipley and Corey Waddell were shown through the Al Noor Mosque on Thursday, two days out from their NRL match against the Warriors.

The visit formed part of the club's objective to immerse themselves in the Christchurch community, which is still recovering form the March 15 terrorist attack in which 50 lives were lost.

Jorge Taufua, Curtis Sironen, Toafofoa Sipley and Corey Waddell were shown through the Al Noor Mosque on Thursday

Al Noor Mosque was subject to terrorist attack which saw 50 people killed (flowers outside the Mosque, photo taken by Manly player Curtis Sironen)

The Al Noor Mosque was the scene of 50 deaths, leaving second-rower Sironen unsure of what to say to members of the Muslim community who were on hand.

'It's hard to deal with those sort of things, the shock and awe of it all,' Sironen told Newshub.

'We've just got to be as respectful as we can of the situation.'

Auckland-born prop Sipley said all Kiwis could play a part in the healing process by visiting a mosque or offering support to those most deeply affected by the shootings.

'It doesn't matter what race, what religion or what culture you come from, when you're a Kiwi there's an expectation that you're all a family,' he said.

'It doesn't matter what race, what religion or what culture you come from, when you're a Kiwi there's an expectation that you're all a family,' Toafofoa Sipley said

Other members of the Manly team were involved in community activity as they prepare to 'host' the Warriors in Christchurch for a second straight season.

The Warriors were to arrive in Christchurch on Friday, with some team members also planning to visit the Al Noor Mosque.

Some Sea Eagles squad members will attend a National Remembrance Service on Friday, followed by a wreath-laying ceremony.
A British backpacker has been acquitted at a retrial of the rape of an American woman in Australia after DNA of a second man was found.

Scott Harry Richardson spent nearly two years in prison after being convicted of the alleged attack at a house party in 2015.

The 27-year-old had his conviction quashed last year after an appeal court heard new DNA evidence had come to light.

He denied the allegations but was found guilty on December 13, 2016, and was ordered to serve at least two years and three months in prison.

A jury at Sydney's Downing Centre court on Thursday returned verdicts of not guilty on two counts of sexual intercourse without consent following the retrial.

Scott Harry Richardson (pictured) has been acquitted of sexually assaulting a 23-year-old American woman at a house party in Redfern in 2015

Mr Richardson, from Bristol, had been accused of attacking a 23-year-old woman as she slept at a property in the Redfern suburb of Sydney on December 12, 2015.

After spending more than 21 months in jail, his conviction was overturned by appeal judges at the New South Wales Supreme Court in July last year.

Judges heard that DNA tests using a more advanced method than those used during his trial found profiles of two men, rather than one.

The 'Y-filler Plus' test, which was not available at the time of the trial, is said to be a more effective way of analysing complicated evidence and sexual assault samples that contain small amounts of male DNA in large quantities of female DNA.

During the original two-week trial, the court heard the alleged attack occurred while the woman was sleeping under a blanket on a couch in the early hours of the morning, following an 'impromptu' party at Mr Richardson's apartment.

Mr Richardson met the 23-year-old woman at a house party in Redfern in December 2015

The woman claimed she woke up to find her assailant on top of her, and when she told him to stop, she said he replied with 'This is what you want, isn't it? This is what you want?'.

At the time, Mr Richardson told the court he did not rape the woman, but rather it was a case of mistaken identity.

He claimed he jumped onto her thinking she was his friend. But after realising his mistake, he got off and said 'sorry' before leaving the room.

A crucial piece of evidence relied upon by the prosecution was a sample collected from the woman's vagina, which was found to include Mr Richardson's DNA as a result of 'Y-filler' testing.

Mr Richardson's lawyers argued the DNA was due to 'secondary transfer', which suggests DNA can be transferred as a result of simple skin to skin contact, such as a handshake. But the New South Wales district court rejected this claim.

The 'Y-filler Plus' test, which was carried out by Forensic Science SA, maps 27 markers on the Y chromosomes unlike the 'Y-filler' test used by Forensic Analytical Science Services (NSW), which only maps 17 markers

As a result of the findings, Mr Richardson was found guilty of two counts of sexual intercourse without consent and was serving a minimum two year and three month jail sentence.

The Court of Criminal Appeal quashed his conviction after hearing that the DNA sample has undergone more rigorous 'Y-filler Plus' testing, which revealed there were two male DNA profiles compared to the original test that showed one.

Unlike the 'Y-filler' test used by Forensic Analytical Science Services in New South Wales, which only maps 17 markers, the superior 'Y-filler Plus' test, which was carried out by Forensic Science SA, maps 27 markers on the Y chromosomes.
Two officers and one civilian were injured after an individual attacked a police station in north-east China with a home-made bomb today.

The suspect first launched an arson attack before detonating the bomb at the Shenyang Public Security Bureau's traffic police department in Heping district in Liaoning province at about 1:50pm local time (0550 GMT), according to police.

The suspect died at the scene, Shenyang police said.

The suspect first launched an arson attack before detonating the bomb at the Heping district police department in Shenyang, Liaoning province. Video footage filmed by witnesses shows smoke rising from a fire at a building and people running away from the crime scene to safety

Crowds gather near the crime scene where fire trucks are parked. The suspect died on scene

The traffic police building's windows were left shattered after the explosion

Video footage filmed by witnesses and shared on social media shows smoke rising from a fire at a building and people running away from the crime scene to safety.

Other clips show several of the building's first-floor windows shattered and the windshields of cars parked outside damaged.

The suspect had set off an explosive device made with 'black gunpowder' at the station's lobby on the ground floor, Shenyang police said in their statement on Weibo shortly after the incident.

'The suspect died on the spot,' the bureau said, adding that those hurt had suffered minor injuries.

The incident is under investigation.

Smoke is seen rising from the building of the Heping police department in Shenyang

People are seen running to safety after the suspect detonated a home-made bomb

The suspect first launched an arson attack before detonating the bomb at the Shenyang Public Security Bureau's traffic police department in Heping district in Liaoning province

The incident came two months after twin blasts in the neighbouring city of Changchun rocked a high-rise building, killing one and injuring another.

Bomb explosions have occurred elsewhere in China in recent years.

Last July, a 26-year-old man set off a small explosive outside the United States embassy in Beijing, injuring his hand and sending smoke into the air.

Police said he was from the northern region of Inner Mongolia but did not reveal any motive.
Eddie Brinsmead-Stockham, 65, was told to remove his anti-Brexit badge at Gatwick

A pensioner wearing a 'b******s to Brexit' badge at London Gatwick Airport has claimed a Home Office official removed his passport and put him in a holding area for ten minutes.

Eddie Brinsmead-Stockham, 65, of Kingston-Upon-Thames, Surrey, was at the front of the immigration queue in the arrivals hall when the official allegedly told him to remove his badge.

When the semi-retired facilities manager refused, the official is said to have walked off with his passport and took him into secure holding area.

Mr Brinsmead-Stockham claims he asked the official for his name and ID number, but he refused, and it took up to ten minutes until another official returned his passport and said he could go.

He admitted he 'felt very frightened' while he was detained. The Home Office confirmed it was investigating.

Mr Brinsmead-Stockham, who had been returning from Faro in Portugal on Monday, told Surrey Live: 'There was a guy sitting there and he said 'Take that badge off'.

Mr Brinsmead-Stockham posted on Facebook about his experiences at Gatwick on Monday

A file picture of passengers arriving at Gatwick Airport immigration control in May 2014

'I said 'I beg your pardon' and he repeated it, saying 'It's offensive, take it off'. I said 'You can't make me take it off' and he said 'Follow me'. And then he walked off with my passport in his hand.'

He added: 'It's an abuse of power. It's not acceptable for officials to use their power to intimidate people.'

Mr Brinsmead-Stockham also told the BBC: 'I had never encountered that sort of belligerence at passport control before. I felt very frightened.'

His wife Adriana, 58, said: 'What would have happened if it had been my father wearing the badge? Would he have been denied re-entry? Speechless and shocked.'

A Home Office spokesman said: 'We are aware of claims made by a member of the public regarding an incident at Gatwick Airport. We are taking this matter seriously and are investigating.'

Gatwick declined to comment, saying it was a Home Office matter.
A mother who pushed to criminalise revenge porn after naked pictures of her friends were circulated online has revealed she was targeted with death threats.

Brisbane hairdresser Tiffany Barlow said she received a string of rape and death threats, while other trolls even said they would harm her children.

'I had one person tell me that if I was raped, it would have been because I deserved it,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

'I know they were trying to intimidate me and make me feel like crap. You just have to tell yourself, it's all talk. But there's still the thought at the back of your mind, what if it's not?'

Brisbane hairdresser Tiffany Barlow said she received a string of rape and death threats, while other trolls even said they would harm her children

Ms Barlow had started an online petition back in 2015, urging for legislation to protect victims of revenge porn after her friends were caught up in a sickening scam

Ms Barlow had started an online petition back in 2015, urging for legislation to protect victims of revenge porn after her friends were caught up in a sickening scam known as Brisbane Nudes.

'You could click on a suburb and it would have names of different women, where they studied, worked and even what highschool they went to,' Ms Barlow said.

There was no specific offence for revenge porn in Queensland prior to February this year - now, anyone who is convicted of distributing naked material without consent could be slapped with three years imprisonment.

That meant the men behind the Brisbane Nudes were able to share naked photos of their ex-girlfriends or flings without the threat of an offence.

The folder that was being circulated online even included the names, addresses and workplaces of the naked women.

In some cases, strange men would turn up to the women's workplace while other victims had been blackmailed, humiliated or even lost their jobs.

'It seems like an urban legend when you hear of this thing happening, but then you see it and you know it's real,' Ms Barlow said.

On why the victims didn't speak out, Ms Barlow said they feared the repercussions of what the men would do to them. She herself copped enough threats just for trying to do the right thing.

'It's real sinister when someone tries to use another person's body as a weapon against them. They're real sick, twisted and disgusting.'

Ms Barlow said part of the reason why she felt confident to speak up was because she didn't have any nude photos posted online.

Though Ms Barlow found it was more difficult than she initially thought to find a listening ear.

'I had friends ringing everywhere to all the people who were in positions to help like the police, but they weren't doing anything. They were turning them away. They were saying it wasn't a crime. The common response was that the woman shouldn't have taken the photo to begin with.'

After she took the issue to the Department of Justice, Ms Barlow had a series of conversations with Queensland Police inspector Corey Allen - who also wanted to see offences rolled out.

Ms Barlow kick-started the change.org petition and collected more than 4,000 signatures from people who wanted to see changes to the law.

'Jilted ex-lovers and potential suitors that women have entrusted with explicit photos are free to post the images for malicious reasons onto websites and into public forums  and they can do so without breaking the law,' she wrote in 2015.

Ms Barlow said part of the reason why she felt confident to speak up was because she didn't have any nude photos posted online

Ms Barlow kick-started the change.org petition and collected more than 4,000 signatures from people who wanted to see changes to the law

'Women are not giving their consent to appear on these websites and file swapping systems yet there is no law or act in place to protect them or to make the perpetrators stop. Australia needs to step up and protect their women from these awful malicious acts and recognise revenge porn as what it is  a sex crime.'

Inspector Allen described the difficult of helping victims when no law was in place to protect them, partly because the law could not keep up with the fast-moving and always changing digital world.

Despite their constant chats, Inspector Allen and Ms Barlow had never met in person.

But her campaign made an ever-lasting impact on the community.

Ms Barlow said after the petition was started, she received messages from complete strangers asking for help and advice.

And even though the petition was started four years ago, Ms Barlow said some of the victims are still suffering the repercussions.

Many have deleted their social media accounts for good, while others can no longer keep up a normal relationship as they are too traumatised.

'Once the pictures are out there, they're out there and the images are still online,' Ms Barlow said.

While she noted that revenge porn had been mostly focused on women, that didn't mean there weren't men out there who also had compromising photos online.

'I think that a lot of men who are victims of revenge porn haven't come out because of stigma and fear they wouldn't be taken seriously,' Ms Barlow said.

Ms Barlow said after the petition was started, she received messages from complete strangers asking for help and advice
Taiwan plans to ramp up punishments for those who cause a fatal accident while drunk driving, including the death penalty for the most egregious cases, sparking an outcry from abolition and rights groups.

The cabinet on Thursday approved a draft amendment to the Criminal Code that would make death by drunk driving an indictable murder offence, potentially punishable by death if the deed is deemed 'intentional', officials said.

The proposal needs parliamentary approval but comes after a spate of high profile deaths that have generated widespread outrage.

Taiwan plans to ramp up punishments for those who cause a fatal accident while drunk driving, including the death penalty for the most egregious cases, sparking an outcry from abolition and rights groups

Currently the maximum sentence in Taiwan for causing a death while drunk behind the wheel is 10 years.

The new proposal would increase jail sentences for repeat offenders who commit a new offence within five years of their first conviction.

They face up to a life sentence for causing a death and 12 years for grave injuries.

'Cases of drunk driving leading to death are rampant... drink drivers recklessly caused accidents that took lives and destroyed families to result in irreparable regret,' the Justice Ministry said in a statement.

In one notorious case in January, a 40-year-old man crashed his van into a taxi while driving intoxicated, killing three people and injuring three others including himself.

Very few countries employ the death penalty for drunk driving cases.

China has previously vowed to execute those who have killed behind the wheel and some states in the United States retain capital punishment for such cases.

In 2014 a Texas man was indicted on 'capital murder' after he ploughed his car into a crowd killing four people.

But in the end prosecutors did not seek the death penalty and he was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Several rights groups on Thursday, including the Taiwan Association for Human Rights, issued a joint statement criticising the proposed amendment and calling for 'rational legislation for irrational drunk driving'.

'There is a lack of evidence and research that seeking grave penalties and legislation would truly prevent drunk driving,' the statement said.

Taiwan resumed capital punishment in 2010 after a five-year hiatus, despite ongoing calls from local and international rights groups for its abolition.

Various surveys over the years have shown support from the public for keeping the death penalty.

Taiwan executed a man who murdered his ex-wife and their daughter last September, the first execution carried out under President Tsai Ing-wen's government that took office in 2016.
Mr Dixon has been suspended from performing certain procedures by the GMC

More than 50 patients who were given a controversial type of bowel surgery should not have been operated on, a hospital trust has admitted.

Dozens of women say they were left in severe pain after pelvic floor surgery using artificial mesh at Southmead Hospital in Bristol.

Colorectal surgeon Tony Dixon was suspended in 2017 after concerns were first raised and an inquiry examined 143 cases.

Dr Dixon, who also worked at the private Spire Hospital in Bristol, pioneered the use of artificial mesh to lift prolapsed bowels - a technique known as laparoscopic ventral mesh rectopexy (LVMR) - often caused by childbirth.

But he is currently suspended by the General Medical Council from performing certain forms of corrective surgery, and the NHS has referred him to the GMC over mesh procedures.

One of his patients hanged herself after suffering inescapable post-operative pain, after he operated on her and removed her ovaries without her consent.

North Bristol NHS Trust has now told 57 patients they should have been offered alternative treatment first, prior to surgery, following an investigation into their care.

It found that although the operations on 57 people were carried out 'satisfactorily' they 'should have been offered alternative treatments before proceeding to surgery.'

Another 73 patients considered by the review have been told the surgery they received was appropriate.

A further 13 patients have been told that investigations into their cases remain ongoing and will be completed as soon as possible.

One of Tony Dixon's patients, Lucinda Methuen-Campbell, killed herself after suffering terirble post-operative pain after she went in for surgery on a bowel but he removed her ovaries with permission 'because they were in the way', an inquest heard

The Trust admitted that it was 'unacceptable' that patients who did not require surgery were operated on and have apologised.

After concerns were raised about pelvic floor surgery, the trust began a review of the cases of women and men who underwent the procedure between 2007 and 2017.

WHAT ARE VAGINAL MESH IMPLANTS? Vaginal mesh implants are devices used by surgeons to treat pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence in women which are often caused by childbirth. Usually made from synthetic polypropylene, a type of plastic, the implants are intended to repair damaged or weakened tissue in the vagina wall. Other fabrics include polyester, human tissue and absorbable synthetic materials. Some women report severe and constant abdominal and vaginal pain after the surgery. In some, the pain is so severe they are unable to have sex. Infections, bleeding and even organ erosion has also been reported. Advertisement

Now, 18 months on, the Trust has written to Mr Dixon's patients at Southmead Hospital in Bristol, apologising that the women were given this procedure at all.

The letter begins: 'I am very sorry to tell you that in the opinion of the clinical advisory group, you should have been offered alternative treaments before proceeding to surgery.'

One patient whose life has been damaged by the mesh surgery is Paula Goss, 49, from South Gloucestershire - who says she is 'disgusted' and 'fuming' over the outcome.

Speaking to the BBC, Paula, said that she was told the surgery 'would change her life and would make everything better'.

But she told the BBC: 'I'm disabled in many ways because of it. After five years, I'm still having all the issues. It's not good enough.

'I'm disgusted, I'm fuming. I feel very angry, very let down, not just physically but emotionally.

'It's not just the physical pain that you have, it's your mental pain, because you're living with it daily.

'You're having to try and get through each day thinking that you're okay. It's a struggle,' she added.

One of Mr Dixon's patients, Paula Goss, said she felt let down emotionally and physically

The vast majority of the operations were carried out by Mr Dixon, but some were performed by a further three surgeons.

Ms Goss is just one of more than 90 patients being represented by Medical negligence specialists from Thompsons Solicitors - looking into the surgery at Southmead Hospital and the Spire.

Madeleine Pinschof, senior solicitor at the firm and its national coordinator for mesh, added: This is another example of the dangerous complications associated with surgical mesh procedures.

This recall is about one or more surgeons at one Trust but it isnt an isolated issue and needs to be seen as part of a pattern repeated across the UK.

Dr Chris Burton, medical director of the North Bristol NHS Trust, said: 'I want to apologise to all patients who have received surgery unnecessarily - it is unacceptable and we are taking it extremely seriously.

'We took immediate action to ensure this couldn't happen again and have been supporting patients where they need it.

'We will keep investigating to ensure we have identified those patients affected by these issues, and to find out what happened to learn lessons for future care.'

Mr Dixon, who also performed operations at Spire Hospital in Bristol, said he was 'unable to comment on specific allegations... due to patient confidentiality and while relevant investigations are on-going'.

'There is a need for caution in comparing the use of mesh in different procedures with very different risks and outcomes,' he added.

Southmead Hospital in Bristol where the surgeries by Mr Dixon and three other surgeons took place

Dr Chris Burton, medical director of the North Bristol NHS Trust, apologised saying 'it is unacceptable and we are taking it extremely seriously'

Spire Healthcare said it was carrying out a similar review which it hoped would be complete in May.

Mesh implants are medical devices used by surgeons to treat pelvic organ prolapse and incontinence in women, conditions that can commonly occur after childbirth.

Law firm Irwin Mitchell represents 49 people who underwent surgery at Southmead and Spire hospitals and called on the trust to 'openly publish its findings'.

Solicitor Sallie Booth said: 'Many patients, including our clients, have had a number of concerns about whether procedures they underwent were appropriate.

'Today's announcement by North Bristol NHS Trust is extremely concerning and understandably has caused a great deal of distress to our clients.

'The trust should now openly publish its findings to the patients concerned - rather than force them to get to the truth only through a stressful litigation process.

'It is welcome that the trust has now made public that 57 needlessly underwent surgery. It is vital that reasons why this was allowed to happen are established.'

Irwin Mitchell has already agreed terms with North Bristol NHS Trust for a scheme to consider compensation.

Ms Booth added: 'From speaking to clients, and through our initial investigations, the use of mesh in this type of surgery potentially has long term adverse consequences and so it is imperative that issues are fully investigated and a clear process established so patient safety is at the forefront at all times.

'It is also vital that those who think that they might have been affected by this issue contact us promptly so that their concerns can be fully investigated before the cases become time barred.'

Pioneering surgeon Tony Dixon, pictured, performed surgery on patients who should have been given other options first

Mr Dixon built up an international reputation for using mesh rectopexy to fix bowel problems, often caused by childbirth, but is currently suspended from performing this surgery at two hospitals in Bristol.

The General Medical Council (GMC) has stopped him from performing another form of corrective surgery, known as a Starr procedure (stapled transanal resection of the rectum), until November 2019.

The NHS has now also referred him to the GMC over mesh procedures.

A GMC spokeswoman said: 'We are aware of the outcome of North Bristol NHS Trust's investigation and the concerns that patients will be experiencing.

'While our own investigation is ongoing, Dr Dixon has had interim conditions placed on his practice by an interim orders tribunal at the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service.'

Many clients have advised Irwin Mitchell that they have suffered complications following surgery, while others say that the procedure actually carried out were not what they were expecting, or was undertaken without their knowledge or consent.

The Spire private hospital, where Mr Dixon worked alongside his duties at North Bristol NHS Trust, has also said it is carrying out a review

THE HIDDEN COST OF CHILDBIRTH Many women 'tear to some extent during childbirth', according to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Childbirth tears are categorised by degree. Most common are first and second-degree tears. First-degree ones are small, skin-deep tears in the perineum (the area behind the genitals). These usually heal naturally. Second-degree ones are deeper and affect the muscle of the perineum as well as the skin. These usually need stitches. Third-degree tears involve the muscular ring (anal sphincter) that helps to control bowel movement. With fourth-degree tears, the perineal muscle, the anal sphincter and/or rectum is also damaged. These more severe third and fourth-degree tears are referred to as obstetric anal sphincter injuries (OASI). The number of these more serious tears is at an all-time high. It's estimated that up to 10 per cent of mothers will develop some form of incontinence as a result of these kinds of anal tissue injuries. Advertisement

One of Mr Dixon's patients killed herself after he removed her ovaries without her knowing during an operation, an inquest heard.

Lucinda Methuen-Campbell, from the village of Three Crosses, near Swansea, went in for surgery on a bowel disorder - but came out without her ovaries.

An inquest heard Mr Dixon told her later that her ovaries were taken out 'because they were in the way.'

Mrs Methuen-Campbell chose surgery at a private hospital performed by pioneering surgeon Tony Dixon in September 2016 after suffering years of pain.

She had a vaginal mesh inserted to help with the bowel disorder but it left her in agony.

The 58-year-old was later found hanged in her attic telling her ex-partner: 'There didn't seem to be a way out of the pain.'

Mrs Methuen-Campbell's ex-partner Philip Chatfield, a sculptor, said: 'The pain continued to get worse and nobody seemed able to solve the problem.

'Mr Dixon performed the operation in 2016 with the mesh but it was unsuccessful and caused her to be in agony. She had a follow-up operation which made things even worse.'
Thousands of Wow Air passengers have been stranded at airports across the world after the budget airline collapsed and ceased operating immediately this morning.

All flights have been cancelled by the carrier, who had previously said it was in the final stages of completing an agreement to raise new funds with a group of investors.

The Icelandic budget airline, whose collapse has sparked fury among thousands of passengers, was also slammed for still selling flights up until 7am this morning, mere hours before it ceased operations.

The airline was plagued by debts and needed a 32 million cash injection to survive, which it failed to secure.

The carrier connected Europe and North America via Reykjavik, with UK flights serving London Gatwick, London Stansted and Edinburgh.

Hundreds of Britons are thought to have been caught up in the chaos, which has left passengers clamoring for refunds. Four Wow Air flights were due to travel from Iceland's Reykjavik Airport to London Gatwick today.

Budget airline Wow Air has ceased all operations, leaving thousands of passengers stranded, including these passengers at Toronto airport

According to Icelandic newspaper Frettabladid, Wow Air was in need of 32 million to save the company.

It originally struck a deal to be bought by rival Icelandair in November, but this was called off weeks later over fears it would not win shareholder support.

US private equity company Indigo Partners then made an offer for Wow Air but this too fell through.

It then went back to Icelandair this week but that bid has now failed as well.

Wow Air said in a statement: 'Wow Air has ceased operation. All Wow Air flights have been cancelled.

'Passengers are advised to check available flights with other airlines.

'Some airlines may offer flights at a reduced rate, so-called rescue fares, in light of the circumstances.'

The Icelandic carrier, which has been plagued by financial issues, has also cancelled all flights

The budget airline shared this message on its website this morning, informing passengers of its collapse

Wow Air has been struggling financially for months and has repeatedly tried to find a buyer or investors.

Last year the airline was forced to sell four A320 jets and return four A330s, reducing its fleet to just 11 planes.

The airline, founded by entrepreneur Skuli Mogensen, began operations in 2012 and expanded quickly.

It specialized in ultra-cheap flights between North America and Europe, with flights from 27 airports, including Washington, D.C, New York, Paris, London and its Reykjavik hub.

This passenger revealed how she saw police officers boarding a Wow Air flight just as she got off, suggesting it might have been seized

Angry customers took to social media to criticise the company, with several saying they had been left stranded

Mogensen, 51, said in a letter to employees after the news broke: 'We have run out of time and have unfortunately not been able to secure the funding of the company.

'I will never be able to forgive myself for not taking action sooner.'

Several customers took to Twitter to slam the airline and reveal that they were stranded.

One wrote: 'You should be ashamed! My sister is stranded in a country thats not her home with no way of getting home. What are you doing about this?'

Another said: 'My girlfriend is going to miss her grandfather's funeral because of this, I have nothing but deep hate and disrespect for this company.'

How Wow Air is the latest in a string of airlines to fail over the past two years in a competitively-priced market It was announced this morning that Wow Air was the latest budget airline to cease all operations following financial issues. British firm Monarch Airlines went bust in October 2017, leaving thousands of passengers stranded and more than 1,000 workers redundant. In October 2018, Danish firm Primera Air collapsed, with directors saying that they could not get financing from the bank and had spent more than 26 million leasing planes and rebuilding one with severe corrosion. British airline Flybmi went into administration in February of this year, blaming rising fuel costs and Britain's uncertain future after Brexit for its money woes. Air Berlin also ceased operations in October 2017, with a debt of 700million. Cypriot firm Cobalt, which operated flights to and from Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Stansted airport, went bust in October 2018. In January, Flybe narrowly avoided a similar fate after it was bought by a consortium including Virgin. Advertisement

A third added: 'Wow Air cancels flight to Dublin from Detroit at the last minute, looks like the company has gone bust. Any chance you can accommodate a family of four on @AerLingus out of Chicago or Tornado tomorrow the 28th? You would make this little girl Maeve very happy to see her cousins.'

Rory Boland, Travel Editor of Which?, said: 'Passengers will quite rightly be appalled that Wow Air, was still selling tickets right up to the moment it collapsed knowing full well that any tickets sold would likely not be worth the paper they are printed on.

'You will need to check if you booked your flights as part of a package as this will mean you are ATOL protected and will be entitled to your money back.

'If not, you may still be able to claim through your travel insurance or card issuer but it will depend on your circumstances. You can visit which.co.uk for more advice on your rights.'

He added on Twitter: 'A family of four travelling over the bank holiday could have paid over a thousand pounds this morning to book flights the airline knew would never take off (or refund). It went out of business just two hours later. Complete and utter irresponsibility.'

The now-collapsed airline wrote on its website: 'Passengers whose ticket was paid with a credit card are advised to contact their credit card company to check whether a refund of the ticket cost will be issued.

'Passengers may also be entitled to compensation from WOW AIR, including in accordance with European regulation on Air Passenger Rights.'

A report by an Icelandic government work group had previously warned that a Wow Air bankruptcy would lead to a drop in Iceland's gross domestic product, a drop in the value of the krona and rising inflation.

Wow Air is the latest in a string of disasters and collapses to have hit the aviation industry recently.

Monarch Airlines, Primera Air, Flybmi and Air Berlin have all collapsed recently, while struggling Flybe was bought by a consortium including Virgin in January.
A beggar has revealed he dupes unsuspecting passersby into giving him money by ditching his designer clothes and dressing 'trampish'.

The man, known only as Deryck, usually wears 200 boots and a 250 jacket and has his own flat in Glasgow.

He made the shock admission in a TV documentary during an interview with ex-soldier Ed Stafford, who spent 60 days on the streets investigating homelessness.

Mr Stafford previously told how one homeless man in Glasgow complained the public 'overfeed' him.

Ed Stafford (pictured), a former captain in the British army, lived on the streets for two months for the documentary. He met a homeless man named only as Deryck

In the programme, Mr Stafford first encountered Deryck at his begging spot near the city's busy Royal Exchange Square.

Deryck told the presenter that Glasgow is dangerous for the homeless and that he has been stabbed and robbed.

Two days later, the pair met up in a cafe away from Deryck's usual pitch and former Army captain Mr Stafford, 43, could not believe how smartly dressed he was.

Mr Stafford, an explorer who became the first person to walk the length of the Amazon, barely recognised him.

Deryck, who claims to be battling an addiction to so-called street valium, confessed that he had a flat.

The beggar boasted: 'I dress down for the day to come in to make money. Today I'm not doing that so I just dress normal  as I normally would.

'People don't give you money when you are dressed in expensive clothing  200 boots, 250 jacket and 100 jeans. They just don't do it.

The former army captain has done several other survival series including 'Walking the Amazon'

'It's hard enough to get money off people as it is.

'You come in and dress down or 'trampish' as I would call it.'

A bemused Mr Stafford told him he thought he was sleeping rough.

Deryck said he has had a 'wee flat for six, seven months, maybe longer'.

Last night, politicians said the revelation could stop people giving money to those really in need.

Conservative MSP Annie Wells said: 'The majority of homelessness cases in Glasgow are genuine, but this example only harms the cause.

'There's clearly no real reason why this individual, with the benefit of having accommodation, can't get a normal job. Instead, it seems he wants to trick the kind-hearted people of Glasgow into parting with their well-earned cash.'

He spent two months living on the streets for the documentary and spoke to beggars who make as much as 600 per day

Mr Stafford, 43, slept rough in London, Manchester and Glasgow for the documentary series, called 60 Days on the Streets.

Tonight's show charts how Scottish authorities are making more inroads into tackling rough sleeping than those in England.

Only 30 homeless people are estimated to brave Glasgow's streets every night, according to the documentary, compared with more than 1,000 in London.

Previous episodes of 60 Days on the Streets showed how fake rough sleepers in London made up to 600 a day begging.

Mr Stafford said he gained 11lb because passers-by kept giving him food and that he could also make up to 200 a night.

He said: 'I think I was shocked by the amount of food that was available.

'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 even met one homeless man who complained the public 'overfeed' him.'

60 Days on the Streets, 9pm tonight on Channel 4
Italy's interior minister and leader of the right-wing League, Matteo Salvini, has called for three young men who allegedly gang-raped a 19-year-old American au pair to be chemically castrated if convicted.

The victim accused Roberto Mirabella, 20, Salvatore Castrogiovanni, 19, and Agatino Spampinato, 19, of luring her from a bar in Catania, on the east coast of Sicily, before raping her in a car park and filming the attack.

Following the three men's arrest, Mr Salvini tweeted on Wednesday: 'No leniency for the molesting worms who raped a tourist. Guaranteed jail time and chemical castration!'

Italy's interior minister, Matteo Salvini (pictured), has called for three young men who allegedly gang-raped a 19-year-old American au pair to be chemically castrated if convicted

In a tweet on Wednesday, Mr Salvini said: 'No leniency for the molesting worms who raped a tourist. Guaranteed jail time and chemical castration!'

On March 15, the three men offered the babysitter drinks before convincing her to go with them to another bar.

But instead they forced her into their car, and then raped her in turn, police said on Tuesday.

The victim tried to secretly call the emergency services but the group stopped her, the Italian Insider reported.

Roberto Mirabella (left), 20, Salvatore Castrogiovanni (right), 19, and Agatino Spampinato, 19, have been accused of raping the American teenager and filming the attack

Mirabella, Castrogiovanni, and Spampinato (pictured) were arrested on suspicion of rape on March 21

Police identified the three suspects after one of the men sent the victim a video of the alleged abuse via social media and invited her out again the following evening.

The American woman - who was an au pair in the city for three months - also showed officers footage of the suspects that she filmed while in the club.

Mirabella, Castrogiovanni, and Spampinato, were arrested on suspicion of rape on March 21 and taken to the Catania Piazza Lanza prison.

All three men deny the charges.

The victim has now returned to the United States, according to her lawyer, Mirella Viscuso, The Telegraph reported.
The Australian Tax Office has issued an urgent warning after a convincing scam email told workers they were eligible for money back.

The circulating email, from a fake myGov address, directs recipients to fill out an application for a tax refund.

The ATO warns receivers not to click anywhere in the email as it contains a malicious link which redirects to a fake form to steal personal information.

The Australian Tax Office has issued an urgent warning after a convincing scam email told workers they were eligible for money back (stock image)

An example of one of the scam emails tells the receiver they have $80.93 to claim

An example of one of the scam emails, fitted with a myGov logo, tells the receiver they have $80.93 to claim.

'After the last annual calculation, we noticed that you are eligible to receive $80.93 AUD,' the scam email reads.

'To submit the application electronically, please fill out the form. Once the form is completed, you will be asked to confirm that the information in the document is correct.

'Please click on the link below to submit and eForm for refund.'

The ATO admitted the email was misleading as it included the myGov logo.

However, the link that appears to be the myGov website does not lead to a my.gov.au address when hovered over.

The circulating email, from a fake myGov address, directs recipients to fill out an application for a tax refund (stock image)

The ATO warns receivers not to click anywhere in the email as it contains a malicious link which redirects to a fake form to steal personal information (stock image)

The scam also fails to include a name and contains contains poor grammar and spelling.

There is no ATO online 'tax refund' form and all online management of tax affairs is carried out through genuine myGov accounts.

The ATO warns to exercise caution when clicking links or opening attachments in emails.
Australians looking to escape the rainy autumn weather can head for a tropical holiday in Bali for as little as $171 return.

AirAsia and Malindo Air have launched an incredible deal offering cheap flights to the island from Australia between April and December.

Direct flights from Perth to Bali are lowest in September at $171 with AirAsia, while direct flights out of Brisbane are $179 starting in November with Malindo Air.

Brisbane flights appear to peak at $209 in December.

Australians looking to escape the rainy autumn weather can head for a tropical holiday in Bali for as little as $171 return

Travellers who are seeking an earlier trip can fly out of Melbourne at the end of April for as little as $188.

Flights out of Adelaide are higher at $337 on select dates between May and September.

The affordable flights were spotted by tracking service, I Want That Flight, which lists the cheapest available dates.

However, since the Malaysian airlines are budget carriers, the price does not include fees for baggage and fees.

Sydney, does not seem to be included in the promotion as flights remain in the $1,000-upward range.
A diver had a playful encounter with a sea lion after it started biting on his fins.

Pall Sigurdsson, a Google employee from Switzerland, was swimming among a sea lion colony in La Paz, Mexico when the tug-of-war started.

In the clip, entitled, 'RIP fins', the animal makes several attempts at chomping through the rubbery gear.

Each time it loses its grip, the curious creature tries again, experimenting with different parts of the aquatic footwear. It even turns upside down at one point.

The cheeky sea lion bites on diver Pall Sigurdsson's fins as he swims with the colony in La Paz, Mexico

The Google employee, from Switzerland, can only watch as the animal continues to nibble on his footwear in the clip he calls 'RIP fins'

At one point, the sea lion turns upside down in an attempt to nibble on the rubber. The animals are playful by nature and use their mouths to investigate foreign objects

Towards the end of the footage, it focuses its attention on Mr Sigurdsson' heel before swimming away.

The diver reckons the sea lion didn't want to actually eat the fin - rather, it was the animal's version of playing.

He said: 'They behave similarly to each other. Also, they probably love the awkwardness of a diver when the fin comes off.'

A separate video of Mr Sigurdsson with sea lions that day links through to the footage seen here, with the message, 'A pair of fins died during the making of this video'.

Sea lions, which are playful by nature, use their mouths to investigate - and do have a fondness for nibbling flippers and other items of snorkelling gear.
A British man is seriously ill in a Nepalese hospital after being discovered by charity workers at the side of the road.

Phillip Bradley, 64, was found alone and in a 'critical condition' by a roadside near Kathmandu.

Local charity workers took him to a nearby hospital where he was pictured on a hospital bed looking extremely thin and unwell this week.

A relative told MailOnline she has not spoken to him for 20 years but claims he entered into a relationship with a Nepalese woman and moved there to be with her around two years ago.

Foreign Office officials have confirmed they have visited him in hospital and are helping trace his next of kin.

Phillip Bradley, 64, was found alone and in a 'critical condition' by the side of a road near Kathmandu. He is pictured in a Nepalese hospital where he is currently receiving treatment

An image of Mr Bradley posted on Facebook earlier this week showed him lying on a hospital bed attached to a drip with a knee injury.

Another posted by police in south London today show him with his eyes barely open and a distinctive tattoo on one arm.

The relative, who did not want to be named, told MailOnline: 'He's lived out there for a couple of years.

'His previous wife died of cancer so he met a Nepalese woman and followed her out there around two years ago.

'I haven't spoken to him in 19 years. I spoke to him on a video call yesterday and he barely recognised me. He can't talk.

'She is nowhere to be seen. He has two sisters but I haven't heard from them. He has nothing.

'They've moved him to a better hospital now. Those pictures of him on the trolley were awful'.

An appeal to help find him was posted on Facebook earlier this week with a picture of Mr Bradley's passport

The Facebook appeal posted with the picture of Mr Bradley and his passport read: 'A British citizen named Phillip Bradley from Bromley has been found in Nepal in a very critical condition.

'He is currently admitted to Bir Hospital in Kathmandu due to several infections and has no relatives to look after him. He is repeatedly requesting to send him back to his homeland (United Kingdom).'

'Please help Phillip to find his relatives and support him to return to his country.'

Mr Bradley's relative said because he has lost his speech he is unable to give consent over his treatment, so the Foreign Office has been left to find his next of kin.

Mountains towering over Kathmandu, Nepal are pictured covered in snow last month

A Foreign Office spokesman told MailOnline: 'Our consular staff are providing ongoing assistance to a British man who has been hospitalised in Kathmandu.

'They have visited the hospital, and are in regular contact with the Nepalese medical professionals who are caring for him.'

Bromley Police posted on Twitter this morning: 'Phillip Bradley is receiving treatment in Nepal.

'Any genuine close family or friends that need to contact him should call the Foreign Office on 020 7008 1500 who are aware and dealing.'
Alexandra McDonald (pictured) has taken a lie detector test in a bid to prove her innocence after being excluded from school

A grammar school pupil accused of sprinkling nuts on her allergic teacher's desk has been excluded despite passing a 600 lie detector test her father paid for.

Alexandra McDonald, 16, was suspended for 20 days alongside Maddie Colley, 17, after they were accused of targeting a teacher with a severe nut allergy at Rochester Grammar School in Kent.

Both pupils maintain their innocence and Alexandra's father, Peter McDonald, paid for a lie detector test that found she was telling the truth.

The two-hour polygraph test he hired claims to be 98 per cent accurate.

Mr McDonald, 64, said: 'The school said it was a serious health and safety offence and the teacher could have died.

'They said there was a witness who saw the girls giggling in the hallway close to the classroom during the time period they think it happened.

'The teacher apparently looked up because they heard the giggling - but that isn't evidence that they did it.

'The school said they excluded the girls based on the probability that they did it - there is no evidence. It's ridiculous.'

Alexandra says she was simply searching for her blazer with Maddie in a free period.

But teachers refused to believe her and she will now have to sit her A-level mock exams at a different school and in isolation.

Her outraged company director father decided to pay for a professional lie detector company to question his daughter.

'It was one of my friends who suggested Alex take a lie detector test,' the father-of-three said.

'I did a bit of research and found a reputable company. The woman who came around has been doing it all over the world for 15 years. It wasn't a Mickey Mouse one.

'She said the results were very precise and they are more accurate when tested on young people. There were three rounds altogether including practise questions and Alex passed all of them.

'A pad was put on the chair and there were blood pressure gauge, a strap that went across the chest and wires that connected to the fingers. They filmed the whole thing and we had to leave the room.

Peter McDonald (pictured with his daughter) is furious that the 16-year-old has been excluded from the school

The girls claim that they were framed and Alexandra's father made her take a lie detector test after she was excluded from Rochester Grammar School in Kent

'Alex was asked questions which covered Maddie too - whether they did it and if they knew who did it.'

He said he and wife Sharon had to take Alexandra, who has a twin brother and older sister, to the doctor because of the stress caused by the accusation.

He added: 'She is usually bubbly but she has drawn into herself now and hardly leaves her room.

'We took her to the doctors because she is so stressed. She will be sitting her first A level mock exam at another school.

'We don't know if this accusation will have bigger consequences down the line.'

Alexandra's father is now demanding that the school overturns the 20-day exclusion that followed last week's incident.

The school (pictured) in Kent excluded two pupils after it accused them of sprinkling nuts on a severely allergic teacher's desk

'The exclusion will be appealed to the school governors, so I got the lie detector done to prove her innocence.

'I told the school about the lie detector and they weren't interested, it's so frustrating.'

WHAT IS ANAPHYLACTIC SHOCK? Anaphylaxis, also known as anaphylactic shock, can kill within minutes. It is a severe and potentially life-threatening reaction to a trigger, such as an allergy. The reaction can often be triggered by certain foods, including peanuts and shellfish. However, some medicines, bee stings, and even latex used in condoms can also cause the life-threatening reaction. According to the NHS, it occurs when the immune system overreacts to a trigger. Symptoms include: feeling lightheaded or faint; breathing difficulties  such as fast, shallow breathing; wheezing; a fast heartbeat; clammy skin; confusion and anxiety and collapsing or losing consciousness. It is considered a medical emergency and requires immediate treatment. Insect stings are not dangerous for most victims but a person does not necessarily have to have a pre-existing condition to be in danger. An incremental build-up of stings can cause a person to develop an allergy, with a subsequent sting triggering the anaphylactic reaction. Advertisement

Alexandra, who plans to study at the University of Kent to become a teacher, said 'I'm gutted.'

'When I was told I was going to be excluded I was shocked, I couldn't speak.

'I've always wanted to be a teacher but this makes me think it's not something I want to do, if this can happen to an innocent person. It definitely was not me.

'I loved school and the environment, I thought all the teachers were really friendly, understanding and there to help.'

People who are allergic to nuts can go into anaphylactic shock and in the most serious cases, their throats can swell and they can choke to death if they don't get urgent treatment.

Alexandra claims she was 'searching for her blazer' during a free period with Maddie when a teacher ordered them downstairs to another classroom.

On their return, they saw the crushed food on the floor but thought nothing of it as break time had just finished.

Maddie is preparing to sit mock exams in PE, geography and psychology.

Her mother Michelle Colley said: 'It's just really disappointing. It was Maddie's 17th birthday on her first day of being excluded so that put a dampener on things.

'We have tried to convince the school but they have made their decision based on probability and they won't listen to any other argument.

'I am hoping they will reconsider on the new evidence. I don't think we would go down the lie detector route but Maddie says she would take a test too.

'This will go on her permanent record if it doesn't get sorted. I fully believe her - if it was a practical joke she would have admitted it by now.

'I was actually very relieved when Peter told me he hired a lie detector test. I was really impressed, it's imaginative.'

But the girls-only school defended the decision, saying that parents are aware of a 'no nuts policy', which has been in place for 20 years.

A spokeswoman for the trust that runs the school said: 'Following an internal investigation, we took the decision to temporarily exclude two students for their part in an extremely dangerous incident that could have had fatal consequences.

'We make no apologies and are surprised a parent of one of the students does not see the seriousness of their actions and is contesting the decision to exclude.

'This is subject to the process on exclusion which is being followed in accordance with the guidance from the Department for Education.

'The school has been nut free for over 20 years, and information is sent to every parent on their child starting at the school to confirm this.

'In addition, students are reminded of this at the beginning of each academic year, and it is written in their starter booklets.'
European Council chief Donald Tusk claimed there was an increasing majority of British people now wanting to stay in the EU yesterday.

He repeated reports that one million people turned up for a march in favour of a second referendum on Saturday and that six million had signed a petition to repeal Article 50.

However, both figures are heavily disputed with experts telling the Daily Mail that the number who attended the march was actually much nearer 300,000.

A Mail reporter was also able to sign the anti-Brexit petition on the Governments official website multiple times by simply inserting a different email address each time.

And yesterday a spokesman for the House of Commons said hundreds of thousands of signatures are from people who do not live in the UK. Last night nearly 5.9million had signed it. Mr Tusk has repeatedly insisted the Brexit vote was fuelled by disinformation and false claims.

Arguing that Britain should be able to delay Brexit for as long as it wants  or even reverse it  he told Euro-MPs: You cannot betray the six million people who signed the petition to revoke Article 50, the one million people who marched for a Peoples Vote, or the increasing majority of people who want to remain in the European Union.

They may feel they are not sufficiently represented by the UK Parliament, but they must feel that they are represented by you in this chamber because they are Europeans.

European Council president Donald Tusk addressed MEPs in Strasbourg, France, yesterday, telling them there was an 'increasing majority of people' in the UK who want to stay in the EU

European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker gives Mr Tusk a continental greeting at the start of the meeting

But Tory MEP David Campbell Bannerman was deeply critical, saying: Tusk is using selective figures and dodgy claims that are not worthy of the president of the EU Council. His speech today was a disgrace and were highly biased claims. These are fake claims. Its shameful interference in our internal affairs. He will merely encourage Brexiteers to get out faster.

It is not the first time Brussels chiefs have repeated claims one million people attended Saturdays march and that millions have signed the Government petition.

On Tuesday Guy Verhofstadt, chairman of the EU Parliaments influential Brexit Steering Group, claimed the figures showed there was a real Brexit revolt.

And EU Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker lashed out at MPs who last night held a series of votes on the sort of Brexit they want having rejected Theresa Mays deal twice. He said: If I were to compare Great Britain to a sphynx, the sphynx would be an open book by comparison. And lets see how that book speaks over the next week or so.

Crowd control analysts have dismissed claims one million people took part in Saturdays march.

Former Ukip leader Nigel farage was among those who was present at the parliamentary session, but appeared less than impressed by what he heard

Andrew Seeds, of event safety consultancy firm Hornersalus, analysed footage of the march.

He said: We would state that it is extremely unlikely that one million people attended Saturdays Peoples Vote march. The area in which the crowd occupied is simply not great enough to allow for this number of people to attend without a high likelihood of crushing injuries.

He said he agreed with separate estimates made by world-leading Professor of Crowd Science at Manchester Metropolitan University, Keith Still, that the demo was most likely between 312,000 and 400,000.

Eric Kant, a crowd management specialist based in the Netherlands for firm Phase01, went further, saying the true figure was most likely somewhere between 200,000 and 300,000. He said: It was a huge crowd last week, but I do not think the initial one million figure is realistic.

Using the latest cutting-edge techniques, he also analysed the numbers on the previous Peoples Vote march in October.

At the time organisers claimed nearly 700,000 attended, a figure repeated by mainstream media outlets such as the BBC. But Mr Kant said the true number was most likely around 105,000.

A Peoples Vote spokesman said their one million figure was soundly based on the available information, adding: Its exceptionally difficult to judge the size of a crowd of this scale, spread out over such a large area and where people are joining and leaving over the course of many hours.

A spokesman for Mr Tusk said he was quoting figures he had seen reported in the media.

Regarding the online petition a Commons spokesman said around 4 per cent of signatures were from outside the UK. They added: The Government Digital Service use a number of techniques to identify and block signatures from bots, disposable email addresses or other sources that show signs of fraudulent activity.
Police are hunting five people after two women were left scarred for life when they were bottled in a row at a London nightclub.

A group of three women were sat at a table in the club when the table next to them became rowdy and a man in a white shirt pushed one of them.

Another man in a black t-shirt with palm trees then struck a second woman with a glass bottle across the face.

The man in the white shirt then followed suit and picked up a glass and smashed a third woman with it in the club near Tower Hill.

Police are hunting for two men suspected of carrying out an attack on two women in a London nightclub

Police have launched an appeal to find the two men as well as three women who they believe were sat with the men when the incident occurred at 3.20am.

The women are not suspects but police believe they have important information about the fight on New London Street on September 2, 2018.

The attack left the two women with deep cuts on their heads which required stitches and they have been scarred for life.

Detective constable Richard Yapp from the City of London Police said: 'This was a terribly violent attack that left two women scarred for life.

'The nightclub would have been very busy that night and we would encourage anyone that saw the incident to get in touch with us.

'We are especially appealing to the three women who we believe were at the table with the suspects that evening when the incident occurred.

Police are appealing for three women who were with the men in the nightclub and saw the attack

'We know it must have been a very distressing event to witness but we are asking them to come forward and speak to us as it is likely they have vital information which will assist our enquiries.

'The City of London Police is committed to tackling violent crime and bringing perpetrators to justice so if anyone has any information about the identify of any of the individuals in the photos we have released today we would urge them to contact police.'

Anyone with information can contact the City of London Police by calling 020 7601 2999.
Two teenage girls have brutally bashed a chicken shop worker in a failed attempt to rob her of the day's takings she was carrying.

The shop worker had been holding $5,000 when she was attacked by the teenagers at Westfield Fountain Gate Shopping Centre in Narre Warren, southeast of Melbourne, earlier this month.

CCTV footage captures the brazen moment the two girls appear to hang around one particular area of the shopping centre before the shop worker walks into view.

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Two teenage girls have brutally bashed a chicken shop worker in a failed attempt to rob her (CCTV footage of the two girls pictured)

As she walks past them the two teenagers are then seen following her round the corner, before allegedly launching into a vicious attack not caught on camera.

The young woman was punched in the back of the head and flung to the floor, Detective Senior Constable Jordan Mackenzie told 9News.

While she was on the ground it's understood the two teenagers continued to kick and punch her.

'The attack was quite vicious and pretty cowardly if I'm honest,' Detective Senior Constable Mackenzie added.

The innocent 23-year-old had been holding around $5,000 when she was attacked by the teenagers in at Fountain Gate Shopping Centre (pictured)

Eyewitness Masood Raza described how the young woman was unable to protect herself.

'I saw her holding onto [a] bag she couldn't protect herself because she was holding the money,' Mr Raza said.

At one point during the violent encounter, the shop worker fell onto a glass vase outside a florist.

It's understood she later required 13 stitches in her leg.

At one point during the violent encounter, the shop worker fell onto a glass vase on display at a nearby florist (pictured)

After the incident the shop worker's cousin and another staff member chased the girls.

They were last seen fleeing towards a bus stop, but were left empty handed.

Police say the pair are of Pacific Islander or Maori in appearance and are aged between 14 and 18 years old.

One teen was seen wearing white Adidas trainers and the second was wearing a pair of ripped jeans and white trainers.
Former prime minister David Cameron today urged warring MPs to compromise to get some sort of Brexit deal through the 'stuck' Parliament.

The ex-Tory leader, who quit after leaving the failed Remain campaign in the 2016 election said two of four main factions in the Commons - spanning all opinions on Brexit - would have to compromise.

But he declined to say who he would back to replace Theresa May when she stands down, telling ITV News: Its not for me to say.

He said: The basic problem is that Parliament is stuck.

There are four groups in Parliament; people who want the PMs deal, people who want no deal, people who want a second referendum and people who want a softer Brexit.

We - the Government - has to try and find a way of getting at least two of those groups to work together, to combine their options, to compromise to find that partnership agreement and I hope that is what will happen.

Theresa May laving Parliament last night after the DUP deal her hopes of a Brexit deal a massive blow by refusing to swing in behind it

The backbench plot to snatch control of Brexit hit a wall last night as none of the alternatives to Theresa May's deal secured a majority - but MPs still showed Britain they favour a softer Brexit or a second referendum - and will never deliver No Deal.

Last night, in an unprecedented move, politicians seized control of the Commons timetable from Theresa May to hold so-called indicative votes.

The poll showed Parliament is close to agreeing on a soft Brexit with a plan for the UK remaining in a customs union with the EU defeated by 272 votes to 264, while a second referendum was rejected by 295 votes to 268.

MPs were handed green ballot papers on which they voted Yes or No to eight options, ranging from No Deal to cancelling Brexit altogether. However, the votes descended into shambles as MPs rejected each and every one of the proposals - although its architect Sir Oliver Letwin always warned there wouldn't be a winner first time.

Ten Tories  including ministers Sir Alan Duncan, Mark Field and Stephen Hammond  supported an SNP plan to give MPs the chance to revoke Article 50 if a deal has not been agreed two days before Brexit. Some 60 Tory MPs backed the option of remaining in the single market.

The results of Wednesday's votes, in order of preference, were:

Confirmatory public vote (second referendum) - defeated by 295 voted to 268, majority 27.

Customs union - defeated by 272 votes to 264, majority eight.

Labour's alternative plan - defeated by 307 votes to 237, majority 70.

Revocation to avoid no-deal - defeated by 293 votes to 184, majority 109.

Common market 2.0: defeated by 283 votes to 188, majority 95.

No Deal: defeated by 400 votes to 160, majority 240.

Contingent preferential arrangements - defeated by 422 votes to 139, majority 283.

Efta and EEA: defeated by 377 votes to 65, majority 312.

Mrs May will today scramble to convince the DUP to perform a U-turn as her Brexit plan was hanging by a thread last night despite her dramatic offer to quit and Britain edged towards a general election.

The Prime Minister caved in to Brexiteers including Boris Johnson who demanded a promise to quit and a new leadership election in return for support for her EU divorce.

But it may all have been in vain for Mrs May after up to 25 ERG 'Spartans' refused to budge and the 10 DUP MPs also turned their backs on her.

Tory rebel Mark Francois said today: 'I wouldn't vote for it if they put a shotgun in my mouth. I am not voting for the deal on the basis of who is or is not the Prime Minister. I am not voting for the deal because I have read it. Nothing has changed - so I'm still happy to vote it down. The British people voted to leave the European Union - let's just leave'.

Yesterday, in a highly-charged speech, Mrs May told Tory MPs she would quit 'earlier than intended' if Parliament backed her withdrawal agreement.

DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds in Westminster today, the day after the party effectively dashed Theresa May's hopes of passing a deal

There were initial signs that her gamble might pay off when a string of Eurosceptic MPs, led by Boris Johnson and Iain Duncan Smith, said they would now swing behind her.

But, in a bombshell announcement shortly before 9pm, the DUP's said it would not support the agreement because it posed 'an unacceptable risk to the integrity of the UK'.

The party's deputy leader Nigel Dodds indicated it would vote against the plan, saying: 'We don't abstain when it comes to the Union.'

The DUP's support is seen as critical to unlocking the backing of dozens of Eurosceptic MPs and Mrs May's close friend Damian Green, a former minister, says the PM will not give up trying today.

If her deal fails then Parliament is likely to demand she asks the EU for a softer Brexit or draw up a second referendum - and the PM would then be expected to call a general election because it would tear up the Tory manifesto.
A Spanish pensioner has been branded the 'worst airline passenger ever' after she went on a vodka-fuelled rampage on a flight packed with British tourists.

The woman began screaming and swigging from a hipflask almost as soon as she boarded the Lisbon-to-Malaga TAP flight, witnesses claim.

She went on a furious tirade after flight attendants told her only fruit juice was being served as a mid-flight drink - when she wanted Pepsi.

A British tourist, 38, who caught the same plane after flying to Lisbon from Manchester, said he had 'never seen anything like it'.

Her behaviour was so bad the captain banned her from the airline mid-flight and she was arrested as soon as they landed.

A Spanish woman began screaming and swigging from a hip flask almost as soon as she boarded the Lisbon-to-Malaga TAP flight, witnesses claim

The witness, a fashion designer who lives in Manchester, said: 'She was getting out of her seat, her face was bright red.

'Her hands had turned into claws. She looked like a demon. She was the worst passenger I have ever seen on an airline and I fly quite a lot.

'The way she was acting - it was like she was possessed.'

He flew from Manchester to Lisbon and then got a connecting flight to Malaga, where he was holidaying, on March 9.

But he said the woman was by far the worst passenger he had ever seen, with fellow flyers cheering when she finally got arrested.

He said: 'She was so p*****. She was sat near the fire exit and I was worried she was going to try and pull something. She was literally not in control of herself.

'I was speaking to passengers afterwards and the flight she was on before, she was p**** on that too.

'So for her to be on that second flight, she was putting everyone in danger. '

The woman is pictured taking a drink from a hipflask, which witnesses believe had alcohol in

The woman is believed to have flown into a rage over her drink because she wanted one she could mix with the contents of her hip flask.

The witness added: 'We were all like why is she so insistent on that, but it turned out it was because she wanted to mix it.

'She was the last one to board, everyone was waiting and she was at the front of the plane.

'I noticed her because when she was trying to get to her seat she fell backwards onto another passenger.

'When we were lifting off she was kicking off about having to put her bag in the hold.

'Stewardesses were telling her you have to put it away but she was like 'no.'

'She started speaking English and said 'I have my books, I have my jewellery, I have my money in there - I need my bag.'

The passenger next to her had to move during the hour-long flight because he couldn't bear the noise, he added.

A Spanish policeman is pictured speaking to the drunken woman before she was arrested when the flight touched down in Malaga, Spain

Flyers were held up by an when police boarded on arrival in Malaga to arrest the woman they had branded the 'banshee.'

Her fellow passenger said airlines should be much stricter about who they let on.

He went on: 'Because of all the security, if it was me, they wouldn't even let me anywhere near the plane because im Asian and have a beard. Everyone just stares at you.

'But this lady was out of control, she was drunk, she was aggressive, she was abusive, she was chucking food, she wanted her bag, she wasn't taking any notice of airline safety procedures and she just got let on.

'The captain came out, served her a note banning her from the airline and telling her she would be detained on arrival.

'She started screaming more. She was jibbering that her house was in Spain and that she was Spanish.

'Passengers were getting involved and trying to calm her down. Even Ryanair are more strict than this airline.

'I was baffled. When I got a customer feedback form I sent it back straight away and I've had no reply.'

The airline has been contacted for comment.
A new and adorable addition has been welcomed to West Midland Safari Park, just in time for Mother's Day.

Keepers were surprised when they noticed an owl monkey, named Kyna, with the infant two weeks ago.

Despite being weighed every week, keepers had no idea the eight-year-old female was pregnant.

Head Keeper Amy Sewell said: 'Finding the cute new baby was a huge surprise for our keepers!'

Keepers at West Midland Safari Park were surprised when they noticed a grey-handed owl monkey, named Kyna, with the infant last week. Despite being weighed every week, keepers had no idea the eight-year-old female (pictured with her baby) was pregnant

'My colleague had entered the enclosure and knew that something was different when the male, Ilay, didn't come down to say hello, as he's usually very friendly!'

'He then heard some tiny, unusual cries, followed by spotting a very small tail hanging down underneath Ilay's back.'

The newborn is a welcomed addition to the Parks Twilight Cave as the nocturnal monkey is considered 'vulnerable' by the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature).

Ms Sewell added: 'From day one, dad will do 90 per cent of carrying the infant and mum will just do the feeding, which is a nice treat on Mother's Day. We hope all of our guests have just as a relaxing time as Kyna, on Sunday!'

The gender of the baby is not yet know as the father is doing his job and being very protective of his young.

The newborn is a welcomed addition to the Parks Twilight Cave as the nocturnal monkey is considered 'vulnerable' species. Head Keeper Amy Sewell also noted the infant's father Ilay 'will do 90 percent of the carrying' while the mother will focus on feeding

The gender of the baby is not yet know as the father is doing his job and being very protective of his young. Keepers have also began thinking of names for the infant with all names of animals born in 2019 to begin with 'H'

Male owl monkeys: paternal and monogamous A 2014 study by The Royal Society found that owl monkeys mate with one partner for life. The study found that of 17 pairs, 35 offspring were produced with all of their genetics traceable back to the same exact pairing. Wired reported that male owl monkeys form strong bonds with their young and contribute to their upbringing. Males also care for their young by carrying them on their backs, playing with them and feeding them. Advertisement

Keepers have also began thinking of names for the infant with all names of animals born in 2019 to begin with 'H'.

Parents Ilay and Kyna arrived at the West Midland Safari Park as a breeding pair from Switzerland in 2013.

The newborn is one of three baby owl monkeys born at the Park, since its parents' arrival.

The current population of owl monkeys is unknown, according to University of Wisconsin's National Primate Research Centre.

The monkey can be found in the forests of South American countries such as Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Bolivia.
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Heartbreaking photos have emerged showing rhinos being rescued after cruel poachers hacked off their 'cancer-curing' horns in Africa.

One rhino can be seen lying blindfolded in a shipping container while on its way to a new home after being mutilated by hunters looking to cash in on a billion-pound illegal trade.

Another photo shows an animal rights activist bottle feeding a young rhino. A mother rhino whose horn had been hacked off is seen protecting her calf in another moving image.

In the 1970s there were tens of thousands of rhinos across Africa, but now black and white rhinos have been pushed to the brink of extinction by relentless poaching.

Conservation photographer Neil Aldridge who lives in Bristol but grew up in South Africa, has been following the plight of the rhino for years and captured these remarkable pictures taken across South Africa and Botswana.

Fuelled by demand from increasingly wealthy middle classes in China and Vietnam, rhino horn is illegally traded on the black market for its alleged medicinal properties. Some believe rhino horn can cure cancers whilst other heartless buyers collect the horns to enhance their social status. It is believed the trade generates nearly 13billion a year.

Rhino Conservation Botswana project have warned if the poaching of the majestic animal continues they could becomes extinct by 2024.

Time for a new home: A white rhino in a shipping container being rescued in Botswana is understandably scared of its human saviours, not realising it's been taken to a safe place

A mother rhino whose horn had been hacked off is seen protecting her calf in another moving image captured by conservation photographer Neil Aldridge

Animal experts prepare to release a young white rhinoceros into the wild in Botswana after the animal was rescued. Cruel poachers had hacked off its horn

The hacked stump of a rhino in Botswana can clearly be seen as rescuers, including RCB director Map Ives (right), try to help the majestic beast. Some believe rhino horn can cure cancers whilst other heartless buyers collect the horns to enhance their social status

A volunteer bottle feeds a rhino calf in Botswana. South Africa and Kenya have the highest levels of poaching, with 95 per cent of poaching occurring in these two countries in 2013

The impressive rhino horns can grow to well over a metre long. Around three rhinos a day are killed for their horns and it's believed the illegal trade in rhino horns is worth nearly 13billion a year

A rhino horn is held up by a conservationist. A kilo of rhino horn can fetch 50,000 on the black market making it one of the most valuable natural commodities on earth - worth more than gold

A young White rhinoceros is pictured in a reinforced steel boma, blindfolded and partially drugged after a long journey from South Africa, before being released into the wild in Botswana

Photographer Neil Aldridge shines a light on the work conservationists are doing to help protect and save the rhinos. He said: 'I don't just see a story about rhinos, I see a story about people. The best people'

The government in Botswana is behind the project to help save and protect the vulnerable species. Mr Aldridge said: 'Poaching syndicates are incredibly well funded, so to beat them we need to get behind these great projects'

Blindfolds and drugs ease any discomfort the rhinos feel as they are taken for treatment then released. Rhino Conservation Botswana say the landlocked southern African country could become the last safehaven for rhinos

Martin 'Map' Ives, director of RCB and national rhino coordinator for Botswana, warned that if poaching continues rhinos could be extinct in the next five years

Protected rhinos line up at the trough for a drink in Botswana. Mr Ives added: 'If things go on as they are, rhinos will be extinct by 2024. Knowing we are protecting animals that are so rare and precious creates a sense of deep responsibility in all the RCB team'

A protected rhino with its horns fully intact on the lush grounds of the Rhino Conservation Botswana (RCB) project plains. Photographer Mr Aldridge added: 'It's been clear that for too long all that people have seen are images of butchered rhinos, the suffering caused and the human greed at the heart of the poaching crisis'
A vulnerable mother has recalled the moment she was sexually assaulted by her predator psychiatrist after confiding in him about her problems.

Jodie Fisher, from Melbourne, first received treatment from Dr Rajan Thomas for bipolar at Delmont Hospital in 2011 as she came to terms with the death of her father and stillborn son.

But the 69-year-old psychiatrist began to act increasingly unprofessional by shifting their meetings to discuss sex, her masturbation drive and even showing her pornography.

Jodie Fisher, from Melbourne, has recalled the moment she was sexually assaulted by her psychiatrist

Ms Fisher, who had not previously been treated for her mental health, admitted she was not sure if what he was showing her was normal or not.

'He took advantage of me when I was at my most vulnerable,' Ms Fisher told A Current Affair.

Ms Fisher said Thomas continued to feed her different drugs and she was forced to go back and visit him every couple of weeks.

Over the years of treatment, Thomas would move closer to his patient from his desk before touching her, holding her hand and sexually assaulting her.

The predatory behaviour reached extremes in November 2015 when Thomas reached his hands through Ms Fisher's clothes.

'He came over and put his hands down my clothes into my bra, nearly ripped my bra off. He was reaching his hand around my back trying to get his hands down my pants,' she said.

Dr Rajan Thomas (pictured) began to act increasingly unprofessional by shifting their meetings to discuss sex, her masturbation drive and even showing her pornography

'He was frothing at the mouth. It was disgusting, I really felt violated.'

Ms Fisher said she sat frozen with her legs crossed while he assaulted her.

Thomas initially pleaded not guilty to the sexual assault but investigators found his DNA on Ms Fisher's bra and he changed his plea.

Thomas, who no longer has a medical license, will be sentenced in Victoria's County Court on Friday.

At a pre-sentencing hearing earlier in the month, County Court Judge Liz Gaynor described the breach of trust as 'absolutely catastrophic', The Age reported.
House Intelligence Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff reeled through key moments in the Russia probe Thursday in an angry speech where he called conduct by Trump and his campaign 'unpatriotic' and 'evidence of collusion.'

Schiff read an explosive statement as his panel held a hearing about Russian oligarchs hours after the president said he should be forced to resign from Congress for saying there was evidence Trump and his campaign colluded with Russians in 2016.

After Special Counsel Robert Mueller turned in his report without apparently finding evidence of a conspiracy with the Russian government, Trump said Schiff should have to vacate his seat for 'lying.'

After every Republican on the House Intelligence panel joined in a letter calling for Schiff to relinquish his post, the powerful chairman tore through a list of revelations about Russia that have emerged during the course of the probe.

'You might say that's just what you need to do to win. But I don't think it's okay,' said House Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff, who doubled down on his claim there was 'evidence of collusion' with Russia

'You might say that's just what you need to do to win. But I don't think it's okay. I think it's immoral. I think it's unethical. I think it's unpatriotic. And yes, I think it's corrupt and evidence of collusion,' Schiff told a hushed committee room.

Schiff read an emotional statement after GOP panel members wrote they have 'no faith in your ability to discharge your duties in a manner consistent with your Constitutional responsibility.'

Schiff responded: 'As you have chosen instead of addressing the hearing to simply attack me  consistent with the president's attacks  I do want to respond in this way. My colleagues may think it's okay that the Russians offered dirt on the Democratic candidate for president as part as what part of what was described as the Russian government's effort to help the Trump campaign win. You might think that is okay,' he said.

Schiff ran through key revelations about Trump Russia contacts after President Trump called on him to resign

'My colleagues might think that's okay when it was offered to the son of the president  who had a pivotal role in the campaign  that the president's son did not call the FBI, that he did not refuse that foreign help. No that son said instead he would love the help of the Russians,' he continued, referencing the infamous Trump Tower meeting with Donald Trump Jr. and Russians.

'You might think it's okay that their only disappointment after that meeting that the dirt they received on Hillary Clinton wasn't better,' he said.

'You might think that it's okay that the campaign chairman of a presidential campaign might offer information to a Russian oligarch in exchange for money or debt or forgiveness. You might think that's okay. I don't ... You might think it's okay that campaign chairman offered polling data  polling data  to someone linked to Russian intelligence. You might think that's okay. I don't.'

As he ripped into his colleagues, Schiff brought up reports Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner sought to set up a back-channel communication with Russians during the transition, that a Trump associate contacted a computer hacker and Wikileaks. HE also brought up designated National Security Advisor Mike Flynn's meeting with the Russian ambassador about sanctions and a proposed Trump Moscow tower project that his lawyer was discussing through the summer of 2016.

'But I don't think it's okay,' said Schiff.

After Schiff delivered his long harangue about the Russia probes, GOP lawmakers tried to seize time to respond. 'I will not yield,' Schiff told them. 'You attacked me in your opening statement,' he said.

Schiff's angry rebuttal came after Trump said Thursday that the House Intelligence chairman should be 'forced' to resign from office for 'lying' about his campaign contacts with Russians.

President Donald Trump said Thursday that House Intelligence Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff should be 'forced' to resign from office

The president ramped up his attack on his rival, whom he has mocked on Twitter before, following the completion of the Mueller report.

Trump accused Schiff, who regularly went after Trump throughout the Russia probe, of 'knowingly and unlawfully' lying. The president's attack, launched on Twitter, came hours after he accused the California congressman of committing a 'crime.'

'Congressman Adam Schiff, who spent two years knowingly and unlawfully lying and leaking, should be forced to resign from Congress!' Trump wrote Thursday morning as he fired off a barrage of tweets.

Schiff, however, doubled down on his litany of earlier comments. He told CNN Thursday morning: 'There is ample evidence of collusion in plain sight.'

A spokesman for Schiff told DailyMail.com later in the day that congressman would not step down as committee chair or vacate his congressional seat in response to the demands.

Trump had went after Schiff in a 45-minute call in interview on Fox News host Sean Hannity's show Wednesday night.

'He should be forced out of office,' Trump told the host. 'He is a disgrace to our country.'

'In one way you could say it's a crime what he did, because  he was making horrible statements that he knew were false.'

Trump continued: 'He would go on, night after night, talking about collusion -- the collusion delusion,' Trump said.

The president accused Schiff of 'lying and leaking'

Trump's Thursday attack came on a day Schiff's Intelligence panel held a hearing titled: 'Putin's Playbook: The Kremlin's Use of Oligarchs, Money and Intelligence in 2016 and Beyond.'

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi defended her fellow California colleagues.

'They're just plain afraid. They're afraid of the truth. They're afraid of competence,' Pelosi said of Republicans. 'I think they're just scaredy cats. They don't know what to do. So they just attack.  It's a fear of the truth,' she postulated.

'I'm so proud of the work of Chairman Adam Schiff,' Pelosi said of her colleague.

Schiff was among the Trump camp's first targets following the completion of the Mueller report and the attorney general's four-page summary stating the report did not uncover evidence of Trump officials coordinating or conspiring with the Russian government to interfere in the elections.

On Sunday, the Trump campaign wrote TV bookers, singling out Schiff as among those who should be shunned on air.

The campaign flagged a Schiff comment that there was evidence of collusion or conspiracy 'in plain sight.' It was among many times the California lawmakers highlighted Trump campaign connections with Russians.

Trump's said House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif. should be forced to resign from Congress

Trump complained to Fox News host Sean Hannity about Schiff, saying: 'In one way you could say it's a crime what he did'

Schiff has been among Trump's toughest critics in Congress. After gaining the gavel of his committee, and as the Mueller probe appeared to wind down, Schiff launched his own probe. It deals not just with Russia, but with other Trump related contacts with overseas entities  crossing the 'red line' of Trump business interests that Trump had warned Mueller not to tread.

Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., mocked the lawmakers as 'Adam #fullofSchiff' on Sunday.

Schiff tweeted Sunday after the release Attorney General William Barr's letter: 'Mueller did not find sufficient evidence to establish conspiracy, notwithstanding Russian offers to help Trump's campaign, their acceptance, and a litany of concealed interactions with Russia. I trust Mueller's prosecutorial judgement, but the country must see the evidence.'

Trump once referred to Schiff online as 'little Adam Schitt (D-CA).'

In addition to his focus on Russia, Schiff recently called for investigating former Orchids of Asia Day Spa owner Li Yang and any illegal influence operation trying to sell access to Trump.

Schiff defended himself against critics in his CNN appearance. 'Because what I've been saying now for over a year is two things. One, there's ample evidence of collusion in plain sight, and that is true. And second, that is not the same thing as whether Bob Mueller will be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt the crime of conspiracy. There's a difference between there being evidence of collusion and proof beyond a reasonable doubt of a crime and I distinguish between the two probably dozens of times,' Schiff said.

Schiff referenced the infamous Trump Tower meeting with Russians.

'We know that the Russians through an intermediary offered dirt on Hillary Clinton as part of what was described as the Russian government effort to help Donald Trump. They offered that to Don Jr. and his response was not to call the FBI and say, this is what I was approached with, it was not to say, no way, under no circumstances. It was to say, I would love it.'

The meeting also included Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort and son-in-law Jared Kushner.

'And then, of course, they conceal it and they lie about it. And in fact, the president himself may have been involved in a drafting of a false statement covering up that meeting. All of that is evidence of collusion,' said Schiff.
Polish supermodel Anja Rubik has been accused of promoting 'depravity' by allies of the country's right-wing government after she released YouTube sex education videos offering help and advice to young people.

Rubik, who has fronted campaigns for Gucci, Chloe and Fendi, angered the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party with a series of videos designed to educate young Poles on 'everything we should know, but are often ashamed to ask'.

The videos cover a range of topics that are considered highly taboo in Poland, including masturbation, 'sexting', gay rights, sexually transmitted diseases and the female orgasm.

Supermodel Anja Rubik is part of the #Sexedpl campaign, which aims to break taboos and educate Polish young people on topics such as masturbation, sexting and contraception

Rubik posts them on her YouTube channel, Sexedpl, which has amassed more than 54,000 subscribers since it launched in October 2017.

The 35-year-old favourite of the late Karl Lagerfeld has also published a book - already a bestseller that has shifted 130,000 copies.

The campaign's website describes the book as offering guidance on 'the issues that are too often swept under the carpet in a modern, substantive and at the same time friendly way', yet it has been banned in several schools.

But in deeply religious Poland, where sexual education is - when taught at all - billed as 'preparation for family life', supporters of the right-wing government have accused Rubik of 'sexualising' children and fostering 'depravity'.

Rubik (left) has drawn the ire of the leader of Poland's ruling Law and Justice party Jaroslaw Kaczynski (right) who has declared the campaign to be an 'attack' on families and children

In particular the Sexedpl videos, which feature cartoons of genitalia and are often inspired by Netflix's candid comedy-drama Sex Education, are deemed a provocation.

The leader of the PiS party Jaroslaw Kaczynski, said earlier this month that he would fend off any 'attacks' on families and children amid the campaign to promote sexual education classes, which he described as 'unbelievable'.

'It's aimed at undermining a natural identity of boys and girls,' Kaczynski told a party congress in Rzeszow, southeastern Poland on March 9.

Since its election victory in 2015, PiS has campaigned strongly for 'Catholic values' and, The Times reports, recommended textbooks which call embryos 'unborn children' and warn against the dangers of using condoms.

Rubik, who was originally from Rzeszow but now lives in New York and Paris, is front and centre of the campaign. But it remains to be seen whether ordinary Poles will support it.

According to Philipp Fritz in Die Welt, people are reluctant to advocate for sexual education of young people in Poland, as this could mean exposing themselves to accusations by government officials that they are 'promoting pedophilia'.
A secret stash of stolen nappies and electronic goods worth more than $20,000 has been uncovered by police.

The hidden loot is alleged to have been stolen from retailers across the Gold Coast and then sold on through a number of illegal online market places.

In an image released by police a large amount of nappies can be seen piled up high next to a number of other household goods including blenders and various cooking appliances.

A secret stash of stolen nappies and electronic goods (pictured) worth more than $20,000 has been uncovered by police

Investigators from the Gold Coast Criminal Investigation Branch executed a search warrant at a Willow Vale address on Wednesday, in connection to an alleged stealing syndicate.

Police confirmed a 35-year-old woman has been arrested and charged with two counts of enter premises with intent to commit an indictable offence.

She's also been charged with seven counts of stealing and one count of possession of tainted property.

Detective Inspector Brendan Smith said that the theft from retailers costs Queenslanders millions of dollars annually.

The image released by Queensland police shows a number of stolen items including nappies

'Yesterday's effort clearly illustrates the scale of organised nature of this offending and accordingly,' Detective Inspector Smith said.

'The apprehension of those involved is an ongoing priority of the Queensland Police Service,' he concluded.

The investigation into the matter is continuing.

The unidentified woman is due to appear in the Southport Magistrates Court on April 24.
A man trying to secure a huge patio-style cafe umbrella during high winds on a street in Turkey got more than he bargained for - after it lifted him 13ft (4m) off the ground as it blew away.

Footage shows two men sitting at a small table in the southern province of Osmaniye when the awning starts flapping wildly.

As they rush over to secure the umbrella, which is moving around dangerously on a wheeled platform, a third man - Sadik Kocadalli - joins in to help them.

This is the moment Sadik Kocadalli becomes airborne after trying to help secure a cafe umbrella during high winds in Turkey

Seconds earlier, the two men seated notice the umbrella flapping wildly during the gusty weather in the southern province of Osmaniye

They rush over to get the apparatus under control as it moves around on its wheeled base

Kocadalli (left) steps in to assist them and all three place their feet on the base to hold it down

The trio place their feet on the base - but then the whole apparatus suddenly takes off.

While the other two men step back onto the ground, Mr Kocadilli grips on to the umbrella pole for dear life as he disappears - up and away from view.

He was lifted about 13ft before he jumped off - and miraculously survived the ordeal without any injuries.

'I'm fine actually. After I realised the umbrella was going to keep going up, I jumped off. I think I rose 3 or 4 metres,' he said.

Another man, however, was injured after the flying umbrella fell on him.

Mehmet Ali Bicakci was knocked unconscious and suffered a broken foot and ribs.
Two suspects locked in a 15-hour standoff with police in a New Hampshire hotel were found dead in the room they barricaded themselves in.

SWAT and DEA agents surrounded the Quality Inn hotel in Manchester after a 51-year-old man armed with a gun was shot by police at around 7.30pm yesterday.

The two other suspects had fled into the hotel and remained there until 10.15am when SWAT team officers entered their first-floor room and found them dead, according to police and the attorney general's office.

The discovery brought an end to the standoff that had forced police to lock down the entire surrounding area and evacuate the hotel.

The two other suspects fled into the hotel and remained there until 10.15am when SWAT team officers entered their room and found them dead, according to police and the attorney general's office (pictured: heavily armed officers surrounding the Quality Inn, in Manchester)

A person carried on a stretcher is placed onto an ambulance shortly after 10am this morning

Throughout the night there were sporadic bursts of gunfire between law enforcement and the suspects who refused to surrender.

This morning, as the standoff entered its tenth hour, the neighboring region's SWAT team were drafted in to replace fatigued officers who had been on duty through the night.

Assistant Attorney General Ben Agati identified the man killed yesterday as 51-year-old Stephen Marshall, of Manchester, in a news conference early on Thursday.

Local reports say the man had some prior criminal convictions.

In a release hours after the incident was considered 'resolved', police said all three people involved in an altercation with police at the Quality Inn were now dead.

This morning pictures showed Nashua Police Department's SWAT team rotating onto the crime scene as tired officers who have been there all night were transitioned away

A police officer climbs through a window at the Quality Inn while the two suspects continued to barricade themselves indoors

According to police, SWAT teams let off chemical munitions but those inside refused to surrender at that point.

'Manchester police officers were, for lack of a better term, they were attacked tonight. It's something that we can't tolerate.

'It's something that we're not going to tolerate,' Manchester Police Chief Carlo Capano said early Thursday during a news conference.

Repeated attempts to communicate with the suspects have been answered only by more gunfire.

SWAT teams remained outside the Quality Inn in Manchester, New Hampshire as two gunmen continued to barricade themselves indoors

According to police, SWAT teams let off chemical munitions but those inside refused to surrender. No officers were hurt. The shooting continued through the night

This morning pictures showed Nashua Police Department's SWAT team rotating onto the crime scene as tired officers who have been there all night were transitioned away

Last night: New Hampshire State Police said: 'Due to the ongoing police incident at the Quality Inn in Manchester, both the NB and SB I-293 exit 1 ramps have been closed. Please seek an alternative route and avoid this area'

SWAT teams heavily clad in armor and wielding weapons could be seen moving in around the Quality Inn in Manchester on Wednesday night

Manchester Police's most recent update on Twitter said: 'Situation Resolved Barricaded situation at the Quality Inn has been resolved, further updates to follow. Standby for traffic updates as they become available.'

Agati says the deceased suspect, Marshall, had a gun in his hand and 'engaged' with DEA agents and police.

He was pronounced dead at a hospital. No officers have been reported hurt.
The State's Attorney who insisted that Jussie Smollett received no special treatment scrambled to find examples of other cases to justify the decision a day after it was made.

Kim Foxx, the embattled Cook County State's Attorney who recused herself from the Smollett case in February after exchanging text messages with one of his relatives but never appointed a special prosecutor, stood by her office's decision to let Smollett walk free from court on Tuesday without admitting guilt.

In a series of interviews on Wednesday, she said that what had been agreed between his team and hers was what is known as 'alternative prosecution' whereby a defendant agrees to a certain set of term and has the case dropped in exchange.

Foxx dismissed the public outcry around it and said only the people 'in the weeds' of the justice system would understand that it was actually commonplace and had happened thousands of times before.

There was no such explanation for it on Tuesday, when she stayed quiet and put Joseph Magats, her assistant who ultimately signed off on the decision, in front of cameras to try to address the many questions surrounding the case.

But Wednesday, Foxx sent an email to staff asking for them to come up with examples to prove her story.

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This email was leaked on Wednesday which shows Foxx scrambling to find other examples to back up her office's decision on Smollett

Kim Foxx, the recused Cook County State's Attorney who is facing scrutiny for her handling of the Jussie Smollett case, stood by her office's decision on Wednesday and said Smollett got off because it was the lowest class of felony and he has no criminal background

'We are looking for examples, felony preferable, where we, in exercising our discretion have entered into verbal agreements with defense attorneys to dismiss charges against an offender if certain conditions were met, such as the payment of restitution, completion of community service, completion of class, etc... but the defendant was not placed in a formal diversion program.

'Please ask your AAs if they have examples of these types of dispositions and we will work with them further to figure out on what case it was done.

'Nobody is in trouble, we are just looking for further examples of how we, as prosecutors, use our discretion in a way that restores the victim, but causes minimal harm to the defendant in the long run,' the email, which was obtained by CBS, read.

It was leaked on Wednesday to multiple news outlets after Foxx gave a series of interviews defending her conduct.

In none did she explain why she tried to convince the Chicago Police Superintendent to hand the case over to the FBI at the request of Smollett's family and their friend, former Obama aide Tina Tchen.

Smollett is shown leaving court on Tuesday after having all 16 felony counts against him dropped. Police and the city's mayor decried it as a 'whitewash of justice'

These are the emails exchanged between Tina Tchen and Kim Foxx on February 1, days after the incident on January 29 when Smollett was still being considered the victim of a hate crime

Tchen put one of Smollett's relatives in touch with Foxx. Their texts are shown

Trump called the decision by local prosecutors 'outrageous.' It was not entirely clear if he was demanding further investigation or calling for new activity

Her office insists Smollett completing community service was part of the deal behind the charges being dropped but his team says it was not conditional.

'He had to do nothing. There were no obligations, no conditions.

'These are the things that he chose to do because this is his character,' his lawyer, Tina Glandian, told Today on Monday.

They say the case was dropped because of a lack of evidence.

On Tuesday, the Cook County State's Attorney's office said in a statement that the charges 'would not have been dropped.

'The charges were dropped in return for Mr. Smollet's agreement to do community service and forfeit his $10,000 bond to the City of Chicago.

'Without the completion of these terms, the charges would not have been dropped,' their statement said.

President Trump described the entire case as an 'embarrassment to our nation' in a tweet on Thursday and has demanded a full investigation into it.

Smollett headed for the airport on Wednesday and smirked his way past photographers.

It is unclear where he was going or if he will continue with Empire, the Fox show he is a part of and makes more than $1million a series for.
Jussie Smollett's lawyer has finally offered an explanation for why he told police he thought his Nigerian attackers were white: they could have been wearing make-up.

In an interview on Today, Tina Glandian claimed that Smollett did not recognize the Abel and Ola Osundairo when they attacked him on January 29 and that it still has not been proven that it was them, despite the fact that Smollett identified a photograph of the pair as his attackers before he was ever arrested and even though they had just been on the phone with him.

When he learned it was them once they were in custody, Glandian said, Smollett 'found it hard to believe' because he had told that he could make out one had 'pale or white skin' around his eyes beneath the ski mask he was wearing.

It was not a lie, she insisted, adding that the reason for it could have been that the brothers were in 'disguise'.

'He did tell police that from what he saw, he thought it was white or pale skin, that's what he initially said.

'Obviously, you can disguise that. You can put make-up on,' she said.

She went on to point to a 2016 YouTube video of Abel Osundairo, the brother in question, where he is wearing white make-up to perform a Joker monologue as potential proof of her theory.

'There's a video, it took me all of five minutes when I was looking into the brothers, to of one of the brothers in whiteface doing the Joker monologue,' she said.

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Jussie Smollett's lawyer Tina Glandian suggested on Thursday that the reason he told police his Nigerian attackers were white was because they 'might have been wearing white face' and had disguised themselves. Her evidence of the theory is 2016 video of Abel Osundairo (right) dressed up as the Joker

He at this point again has been victimized much more by whats happened afterwards than what happened that night.



Watch @SavannahGuthrie's full interview with Jussie Smollett's attorney, Tina Glandian. pic.twitter.com/JY2ZYHYkVU  TODAY (@TODAYshow) March 28, 2019

Glandian, who works for celebrity favorite Mark Geragos and has assisted him on cases involving Chris Brown and Kesha, said she had her own 'theory' about why the brothers attacked Smollett but would not share it, saying it was 'speculation'.

The brothers told police that Smollett paid them to carry out the attack after being held in custody without charges for 47 hours.

Their interviews took place in a hotel - which police paid for - and were conducted after they had returned from Nigeria on a two-week family trip.

But Smollett's lawyers have a different explanation for why they were in contact on the night of the attack, other than to plot it.

The reason they were on the phone an hour before Smollett was attacked, Glandian said, was because they were planning his personal training schedule and nutrition plan.

She even said that it was Abel who told him to go out for food - a new claim which Smollett left out of his many police and media statements.

Even with all her possible explanations in mind, she questioned if it even was the pair who attacked Smollett in the first place.

You can disguise that. You can put make-up on

'When you say it's undisputed, we've actually, there's been more info leaked than we have actually received from the prosecution in this case which is a little absurd.

'When you say we know, we believe that but a lot of the information that the CPD has put out there has turned out not to be evidence so we do have to question it,' she said.

Smollett's other lawyer confirmed in court on Tuesday that it was the men who jumped him, and the actor himself identified them unknowingly last month during na appearance on Good Morning America by saying it was 'absolutely' the men who attacked him when shown a surveillance image of them.

He did not know at the time that police had the brothers in custody and they were confessing to the hoax plot.

On Thursday, Glandian made even more previously unheard claims including that it was Abel, one of the brothers, who told Smollett to go out at 2am and get food.

Smollett claimed on television and in police records that he went to Subway for a tuna salad because he was hungry and there was no food at home.

But Glandian said on Thursday he had been told by Abel to eat 'four eggs', as part of his nutrition plan, and had none in the house.

'He had to eat four eggs so he said I don't think I have any. I'll have to run out and get some,' she said.

Glandian said Smollett 'had a hard time believing' that it was the brothers who attacked him afterwards and suggested that it may not even have been them despite the Empire actor pointing to surveillance footage of them and saying it was them who attacked him

Police released this image of the brothers walking near the scene on the night of the attack which Smollett said, without realizing they had been arrested, was 'absolutely' an image of the men who attacked him

In his Good Morning America interview, Smollett said he'd first tried to go to Walgreens but proceeded on to Subway when it was closed.

Glandian also denied prosecutors' claims that Smollett got off scot-free in exchange for community service and forfeiting a $10,000 bond and said he chose to do both because that's the kind of person he is.

When Smollett surrendered himself to police on February 21, he was not placed in handcuffs and did not get put in a cell

'He had to do nothing. There were no obligations, no conditions. These are the things that he chose to do because this is his character,' she said.

On Tuesday, the Cook County State's Attorney's office said in a statement that the charges 'would not have been dropped' had he not complied with the terms of their agreement.

'The charges were dropped in return for Mr. Smollet's agreement to do community service and forfeit his $10,000 bond to the City of Chicago.

'Without the completion of these terms, the charges would not have been dropped,' their statement said.

Now, the entire office is facing a Department of Justice probe into why the case was handled the way it was.

President Trump decried it as an 'embarrassment to the nation' and the Mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel, amounted it to a 'whitewash of justice' that proved Smollett was treated gently by the system because he is a celebrity and a prominent figure in the city.

Despite insisting in multiple interviews on Tuesday that 'thousands' of other cases were handled in exactly the same way, Kim Foxx was scrambling to find examples at the same time to back up her case.

These are the emails exchanged between Tina Tchen and Kim Foxx on February 1, days after the incident on January 29 when Smollett was still being considered the victim of a hate crime

Tchen put one of Smollett's relatives in touch with Foxx. Their texts are shown

Kim Foxx, the recused Cook County State's Attorney who is facing scrutiny for her handling of the Jussie Smollett case, stood by her office's decision on Wednesday and said Smollett got off because it was the lowest class of felony and he has no criminal background. She claims 'thousands' of other people have had the same treatment

This email was leaked on Wednesday which shows Foxx scrambling to find other examples to back up her office's decision on Smollett

In an internal email to staff that was leaked, she asked ASA's to come up with other cases which showed how they used their 'discretion as prosecutors'.

She recused herself from the investigation in February after exchanging text messages with a member of Smollett's family but never appointed a special prosecutor, a move which police unions and lawyers' associations have called into question.

But on Thursday, Glandian denied that her client got special treatment and said there were no backroom discussions with Foxx or anyone else after he was charged.

Trump called the decision by local prosecutors 'outrageous.' It was not entirely clear if he was demanding further investigation or calling for new activity

'Nothing improper was done.

'I can't speak to what other people did, not to my knowledge, not at our direction that had nothing to do with why prosecutors dismissed the case,' she said.

She added that even though Smollett was telling the truth and had been genuinely attacked, the incident was not 'that brutal' and he would not be pushing for the brothers' to face charges.

'The attack pales in comparison to the attack on him by the mayor, the city and the press.

'What he's been through has really been much harsher than the attack. At this point, he has been victimized a lot more than what happened that night,' she said.

Photos of Smollett show him posing alongside members and volunteers of Rainbow PUSH, an organization founded by Jesse Jackson to pursue social justice, civil rights and political activism as part of his 'voluntary' community service two days before he had the charges dropped
Sergeant Bill Speakman, who was awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry in the Korean War, has been buried in South Korea

A British war hero who was awarded the Victoria Cross has been granted his dying wish to be buried alongside his fallen comrades in South Korea.

Sergeant Bill Speakman was interred in the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Korea last month after dying last year at the age of 90.

Sgt Speakman, known as 'Big Bill' because of his towering 6ft 6ins frame, was awarded Britain's highest honour for gallantry while fighting Chinese troops during the Korean War in 1951.

During the Battle of Maryang-san, in modern-day North Korea, Sgt Speakman filled his pockets with grenades and charged solo at waves of Chinese attackers.

His actions inspired six of his fellow soldiers to join in the attacks, which continued despite him being shot in the shoulder and leg, causing heavy casualties and breaking up the enemy attacks.

When the soldiers ran out of ammunition they hurled rocks, mess tins and empty beer bottles at the enemy.

While the British position was eventually overrun, Sgt Speakman's attacks slowed the enemy down enough that his company could withdraw safely.

Sgt Speakman, known as Big Bill for his 6ft 6ins height, fought against Chinese troops at the Battle of Maryang-san in 1951, charging lines of attackers alone with pocketfuls of grenades

South Korean soldiers and politicians attended the burial at the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Korea, after Sgt Speakman said he wanted to be interred alongside his comrades

In a moving ceremony attended by the Chelsea Pensioner's family and the British Ambassador to South Korea, he was laid to rest next to the 885 British soldiers who died in the conflict.

Daughter Susie Speakman attended the service alongside two of Sgt Speakman's sons, Colin and Caspar, and his granddaughter Tuesdae.

British Ambassador Simon Smith was also in attendance, and described it as an 'immense honour'.

He said: 'I first heard about the extraordinary courage of William Speakman VC when I was a nine-year-old student at primary school.

'More than 50 years later, it was an immense honour to meet Sergeant Speakman's family and salute the return of his ashes to Korea in accordance with his wishes.

'The service of William Speakman and 81,000 of his fellow British service personal, of whom 1,105 made the ultimate sacrifice, forged a bond between the Republic of Korea and the United Kingdom which has endured to this day.'

British Ambassador to South Korea Simon Smith lays a wreath during the ceremony, which was also attended by Sgt Speakman's daughter Susie and two of his sons, Colin and Caspar

Sgt Speakman was the first person to be awarded the VC by Queen Elizabeth II at the age of just 24, and volunteered to go back to fight in Korea afterwards

Sgt Speakman served in B Company of the 1st Battalion of the King's Own Scottish Borderers having volunteered to fight in the Korean War.

Born in Altrincham, he had joined the Army in 1945, serving with the Black Watch in Germany, Italy and Hong Kong.

He won the Victoria Cross aged just 24 having been flown back to the UK to recover from his wounds, but volunteered to rejoin the conflict in 1952.

Later in his military career he served in Yemen, Germany and Saudi Arabia.

His citation for the award says he displayed 'great gallantry and utter contempt for his own personal safety' during the battle.

'Under the stress and strain of this battle, Speakman's outstanding powers of leadership were revealed and he so dominated the situation, that he inspired his comrades to stand firm and fight the enemy to a standstill.

'His great gallantry and utter contempt for his own personal safety were an inspiration to all his comrades.

A Republic of Korea Army honour guard holds a portrait of Bill Speakman as a member of his family buries the remains of the Victoria Cross Hero

After the Korean War had ended, Sgt Speakman continued to serve the Army and was stationed in Yemen, Germany and Saudi Arabia

'Speakman's heroism under intense fire throughout the operation and when painfully wounded was beyond praise and is deserving of supreme recognition.'

Sgt Speakman also had the honour of becoming the first British soldier to be awarded a Victoria Cross by Queen Elizabeth II.

Due to financial hardship he sold the decoration in the 1960s and used the money to re-roof his house.

He later acquired a genuine replacement which is displayed in the National War Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh Castle.

He was married and divorced three times and ended up as a Chelsea Pensioner in the Royal Hospital Chelsea for retired veterans.

He expressed his wish to have his ashes interred on Korean soil during visits to South Korea in 2010 and 2015 because he 'admired the country and was proud of what he had fought for.'

The ceremony was arranged by the Korean Government and attended by its Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, Pi Woo-jin.

President Moon Jae-in had earlier instructed the ministry to pay 'extraordinary attention' to the interring of the Korean War hero.
One Nation leaders have been exposed in a second damning video discussing covert plans with American gun lobbyists to legalise assault rifles in Australia.

Senator Pauline Hanson, chief-of-staff James Ashby and Queensland leader Steve Dickson were secretly filmed during controversial talks with pro-gun groups in part two of Al Jazeera documentary, How to Sell a Massacre.

Over the course of numerous dinners and meetings last year, Mr Dickson and Mr Ashby are heard strategising how to secure funds to ultimately repeal the National Firearm Agreement of 1996.

Mr Dickson is also filmed discussing his love for 'gun porn' and calling shooting 'a great thing'.

During a conversation at a bar with undercover journalist Rodger Muller, Mr Ashby mentions getting cosy with America's NRA and his hopes to get his hands on the gun group's technology as well as political donations.

Senator Pauline Hanson, chief-of-staff James Ashby (left) and Queensland leader Steve Dickson (centre) were secretly filmed during controversial talks with pro-gun groups

Mr Ashby and Mr Dickson (left and centre) spoke at length with undercover journalist Rodger Muller (right) about securing financial support from America's NRA

'If the NRA want to rally their supporters within Australia, that's one start. Two, I'd love to get my hands on their software. Three, if they can help us with donations...super,' he says.

Mr Dickson is then heard fantasising about using funds to hire a beach mansion to live like a drug lord with an arsenal of guns.

'I'm going to be in one of those drug-dealing mansions on the beach. I'll hire it for a month. You know the ones that are 25 rooms and the chef and everything,' he says.

'We'll drink and shoot the s**t of everything down the water. Machine guns and everything. That's my dream.

'And we can protect ourselves, just in case,' he adds.

The damning footage is the latest blow to the One Nation Party which has come under fire after clips emerged earlier this week of Mr Ashby and Mr Dickson asking the NRA for millions of dollars and describing gun control as 'poison'.

The two party officials claimed to have been 'on the sauce,' saying they made the remarks after drinking scotch for 'four hours'.

Ms Hanson was also dragged into the scandal after she was secretly recorded appearing to suggest the Port Arthur shooting was a conspiracy to tighten gun laws in the country.

On Thursday Senator Hanson, who had not appeared in public since the documentary aired due to suffering facial paralysis from a tick bite, spoke for the first time.

Mr Dickson (pictured) fantasised about using funds from American pro-gun groups to hire a beach mansion and live like a drug lord with an arsenal of guns

Addressing media at a press conference she said her comments on Port Arthur were 'heavily edited' and 'do not reflect how I feel about those tragedies'.

'There are no questions in my mind that Martin Bryant is the only person responsible... my belief stands today that he should've faced the death penalty,' she said.

Senator Hanson said her comments had been 'taken out of context' and that without the 'Islamist Al Jazeera' she would have had no contact with the National Rifle Association or the wealthy political donor Koch brothers.

'This is Australia's first case of severe political interference from a foreign government,' she said.

The three party officials have claimed the videos were heavily edited and taken out of context, with Mr Ashby and Mr Dickson insisting they never met with any 'potential donors.'

The new footage however, shows Mr Dickson and Mr Ashby mingling with numerous American pro-gun lobbyists at various events and discussing ways to win over the Australian people including pandering to women.

'It's like Vegemite. You don't put a f***ing bundle of the s** on the toast. A light smear first. Get them used to them flavour,' Mr Ashby says.

'You need to soften people back up again. And part of it will be, let's start looking at women's shooting range programmes, self-defence programmes, whatever those things might be.'

In another occasion, Mr Dickson reveals the process of repealing the firearms act will be a gradual one by whittling down the law bit by bit.

Damning footage shows Mr Dickson (centre) and Mr Ashby (left) mingling with numerous American pro-gun lobbyists, while discussing ways to win over the Australian people

'We need to take a piece of bread we know we can get, that's safe. We can do something with it, then we can get another piece of bread and end up with the whole loaf,' he says.

He tells lobbyists that killing the law is like 'inoculating against a disease'.

'If I said that to the public I'd probably lose everything I've ever worked for my whole life, but that's the truth,' he says.

Throughout the documentary, Mr Dickson is heard bemoaning the loss of his firearms due to the 1996 legislation.

The law was passed in response to the country's deadliest mass shooting and was implemented just 12 days after the attack.

During a visit to an American gun shop, the party leader is heard complaining about losing his guns, describing the implementation of the law as 'a bad time for us' and 'like hell on earth.'

He is later recorded saying: 'Mate my f***ng guns got burned in that fire. I'm still angry about it.'

He recalled growing up with a 'gun above every door in our house' and being able to own the now-banned semi-automatic weapons.

Ms Hanson was dragged into the scandal after she was secretly recorded appearing to suggest the Port Arthur shooting was a conspiracy to tighten gun laws

In another clip, Mr Dickson is seen giving an enthusiastic tour of the NRA museum in Virginia while encouraging Australia's youth to take up shooting as a sport.

'Shooting's not a bad thing, it's a great thing. And today in Australia we use it in the Olympics....and we should be enticing young people to learn how to shoot, it's a great sport,' he says.

Although One Nation has claimed they never intended to collect any political donations, the two men are filmed discussing how much money they were planning to ask from Koch Industries, an American company whose founders have donated millions to conservative causes.

When Mr Muller asks for a figure, Mr Dickson replies: 'I'm thinking ten (million).'

Mr Ashby the interjects saying: 'No, I was thinking twenty.'

Mr Ashby and Mr Dickson were unaware they were being recorded throughout the entire trip and before their meeting, Mr Ashby, ironically, warns Mr Muller to be wary of anything he says or write, telling him to 'be prepared to read it on the front page of the paper'.

Mr Dickson is filmed giving his pitch promising to change the system as long as they can secure the money.

Senator Hanson said her comments had been 'taken out of context' when she fronted media on Thursday following the release of part one of the Al Jazeera documentary

'We've got the people, we've got the momentum. We've got Senator Pauline Hanson she's the most recognised person, not only in politics but as a person in our country,' he says.

When a woman in the meeting says she's unfamiliar with Australia's campaign finance laws, Mr Ashby explains there are no limits on donations but says anything over $13,000 in a federal election must be reported.

Ironically, ten weeks after that meeting, the Australian Senate voted to ban foreign political donations, with Senator Hanson voting in favour.

The two party leaders were also recorded discussing steps to make sure they were properly covering their tracks by finding ways to funnel the money to Australia from the NRA.

'If he [Mr Muller] gets money and starts donating to us, they're just gonna jump on you. The electoral commission will just come at you going, "We're doing a full audit. Where's the money coming from?" Mr Dickson says during a meeting.

'It will take them five seconds to find out it's coming from the NRA.'

He then suggests using tactics used by the Koch brothers who allegedly use methods that make it 'impossible' to track the source of the funds.

Mr Ashby and Mr Dickson's remarks suggest the two were taking precaution in order to avoid an election scandal similar to America's election meddling allegations.

Mr Ashby revealed he keeps a personal email account to conduct private business.

'I always keep a private email and I keep a work email. Because work emails are never private. They can be subpoenaed like that. It's something that you learn real fast. As Steve said, monitor everything that you write. Write it as though the whole world would read it,' he tells Mr Muller.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, whom the BBC has agreed to pay 'substantial compensation' over 'seriously defamatory' false allegations

The BBC has agreed to pay 'substantial' damages to the president of Ukraine after claiming he paid Donald Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen 300,000 to prolong a meeting at the White House in June 2017 into more substantial talks.

Petro Poroshenko took legal action over the false claims made by the broadcaster made in an article on its website and as a headline news item on the News At Ten on May 23 2018, a judge at the High Court in London heard on Thursday.

The BBC said that a representative of Poroshenko contacted Cohen through a Jewish charity in New York and paid him to extend his time with the president.

Cohen, who has always denied the claims, would have instead needed to lobby on the countrys behalf as he was not registered as a representative of Ukraine.

The broadcaster tried to argue that it had made a less serious allegation that that claimed by Poroshenkos lawyers, who said the accusation was 'seriously defamatory'.

Yet Mr Justice Julian Knowles sided with Poroshenkos interpretation, resulting in the BBC agreeing to pay 'a substantial sum by way of compensation' and issue a correction, as well as pay the Ukrainian presidents legal costs.

Mr Poroshenko's solicitor Graham Atkins told the judge: 'Put simply, this allegation and the facts on which it purported to be based are simply false.

'Mr Poroshenko did not authorise or procure any payment to Mr Cohen of any kind, nor was any such payment ever made to Mr Cohen or any other individuals for that purpose.

'Mr Poroshenko did not instruct close associates to open up any back channel with Mr Trump in order to secure substantial talks with him, far less did he do so through Mr Cohen.'

Petro Poroshenko took legal action over reports by the broadcaster that Michael Cohen (pictured), the US president's former personal lawyer, received a payment of $400,000 (300,000) to extend an already arranged meeting in June 2017 into more substantial talks

Mr Atkins told the court Mr Poroshenko 'deeply regrets that it took the BBC so long to accept liability' and to remove the article from its website, adding: 'He believes that the resulting delay will inevitably have increased the damage caused to his reputation by the publication of this allegation.

'It has certainly added to the distress and embarrassment that he has felt since the story was first published.'

Mr Atkins added: 'The allegation that Mr Poroshenko was guilty of serious corruption is self-evidently an extremely grave and damaging one especially so given the emphasis which he has chosen to place during his presidency on the promotion of a number of anti-corruption measures.'

He said the BBC's reports were 'clearly likely to undermine the hard work undertaken by the president during his time in office, and to cause him very considerable political embarrassment not only in Ukraine, but in the United Kingdom and across the global stage'.

'In this connection it is relevant that inevitably, given the serious and sensational nature of the allegation (especially as it also related to the US president, Mr Trump), and the prominence given to it by the BBC, the allegation was picked up and republished in other media publications.'

The BBC made the false claim in an article on its website and as a headline news item on the News At Ten on May 23 2018, a judge at the High Court in London heard on Thursday

Jane Phillips, counsel for the BBC, said: 'The BBC is happy to acknowledge that these claims about the claimant are completely untrue, and it is here, through me, to apologise to the claimant for any distress and embarrassment caused to him by the article and the broadcast.'

The figure to be paid by the BBC was not disclosed in court.

A BBC spokesman said later in a statement: 'In our News At Ten bulletin and in an online article published on 23 May 2018 we incorrectly reported that Petro Poroshenko, the president of the Ukraine, had procured or authorised a corrupt payment of 400,000 dollars to be made to Michael Cohen, the personal lawyer of Donald Trump, to extend a brief meeting between Mr Poroshenko and President Trump, that had already been agreed, into more substantial talks.

'We believed that the publications made a less serious allegation against Mr Poroshenko, but in the light of a finding by the High Court that the allegation was as set out above, we are happy to accept that this allegation was untrue.

'We apologise to Mr Poroshenko for any distress caused and have agreed to pay him damages, legal costs and have participated in a joint statement in open court.'
A real estate website has torn down a listing for a studio apartment that combined its garage with the kitchen after asking for more than $400 a week in rent.

Domain was forced to take action after the Dickens Street property in Richmond, Melbourne received heated backlash over the layout of the house on Thursday.

The kitchen in the one-bedroom apartment had been combined with the garage, and that in itself was bigger than the living space.

The front door lead into the bathroom and then on to the combined living room and bedroom, unless you decided to walk through the garage.

A real estate website has torn down a listing for a studio apartment that combined its garage with the kitchen (pictured) after asking for more than $400 a week in rent

Domain tore down the listing for the Dickens Street property in Richmond, Melbourne following heated backlash over the layout of the house on Thursday

'Enforcement officers from Yarra City council had visited the property and told the owner that the apartment was not compliant as a rental property, according to councillor Stephen Jolly

Cramped layout aside, there was more reason for people to get angry at the listing - renters were asking for a hefty $450 a week from prospective tenants.

Real estate agents Hocking Stuart described it as: 'Whatever your lifestyle, this property will tick all the boxes.'

'This rental listing is a clear demonstration that the housing system is broken,' Greens member for Melbourne Adam Bandt wrote to Consumer Affairs Victoria.

'I do not believe that is acceptable in our community that renters are being forced to cook where they park their car.'

Enforcement officers from Yarra City council had visited the property and told the owner that the apartment was not compliant as a rental property, according to councillor Stephen Jolly.

The councillor went on to call the place a 'middle-class ghetto' and said public housing was more 'spacious to live in'.

Cr Jolly said the owner told the enforcement officers the listing was old and should not have been listed.

To note, the kitchen in the one-bedroom apartment had been combined with the garage, and that in itself was bigger than the living space

After going through the front door, visitors would have to walk through the bathroom before they stepped foot in the combined living room and bedroom

Cramped layout aside, there was more reason for people to get angry at the listing - renters were asking for a hefty $450 a week from prospective tenants

'The owner was told there was no way they could have renters or boarders there,' Cr Jolly told The Age.

And Cr Jolly isn't the only person who thinks that way, with social media users also slamming the listing.

'Living situation in Melbourne is grim, grim I tell ya,' one person tweeted.

Another tweeted: 'OMG! $450/wk for a garage masquerading as a studio/1BR LOL.'

Real estate agents Hocking Stuart described it as: 'Whatever your lifestyle, this property will tick all the boxes
A New York activist blocked the arrest of two undocumented immigrants by schooling ICE agents on constitutional rights.

Bryan MacCormack, executive director of the Columbia County Sanctuary Movement, was escorting the two community members from Hudson City Court, about 130 miles north of New York City, to deal with minor traffic citations on March 5.

About 20 seconds after they left the court, MacCormack said his car was pulled over by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportation agents who produced a 'warrant of arrest of alien'.

The document authorized by the Department of Homeland Security directs federal immigration enforcement agents to arrest the person named on the warrant.

However, that type of warrant doesn't authorize agents to demand entry into a home or private space in order to make the arrest, a fact which MacCormack explains after telling a backseat passenger to record the encounter.

A viral video shows the moment activist Bryan MacCormack blocked the arrest of two undocumented immigrants by schooling Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on constitutional rights during a traffic stop in Hudson City, New York

MacCormack was escorting two undocumented immigrants to and from Hudson City Court to deal with minor traffic citations on March 5 when the ICE agents pulled over his vehicle. After the agents produced a 'warrant for arrest of alien', MacCormack calmly explained that the document did not give them authority to enter his vehicle and arrest his passengers

The video begins as MacCormack is telling an officer at his car window that the papers he's holding are a Department of Homeland Security order, not a warrant for arrest.

'Yes they are, sir, warrant of arrest of alien,' the officer, whose face cannot be seen in the video, tells MacCormack.

'Yeah, warrant of arrest of alien, not signed by a judge. It's not a judicial warrant. I have no obligation to oblige by that warrant,' MacCormack responds.

The agent refuses to back off, telling the driver: 'This is a lawful warrant under the authority of the Immigration and Nationality Act.'

MacCormack pushes back: 'Signed by a judge?'

'You have no jurisdiction over me as a citizen,' he adds. 'I'm the driver of this vehicle.'

ICE ultimately called for backup from the Hudson Police Department, which dispatched two cars to the scene of the traffic stop, according to a news release from CCSM.

MacCormack called his attorney, who came to the scene and told the agents they could not hold his client without a judicial warrant, after which the driver and his passengers were able to continue on their way.

The two undocumented immigrants in the car stayed silent throughout the encounter and did not oblige when asked by the agents for identification because their know their rights, according to MacCormack.

He said he brought them to a local interfaith church, where they were able to enter into sanctuary. He said they have been lived in the US for 'a while' and remained at the church as of Wednesday afternoon as they continue to fight for legal status.

Officials are authorized to arrest undocumented immigrants at houses of worship but rarely do because ICE typically tries to avoid arrests in 'sensitive locations'.

MacCormack is the executive director of the Columbia County Sanctuary Movement, an advocacy group which urges undocumented immigrants to know their rights

CCSM, an immigrant advocacy group, shared the video earlier this month along with a news release further explaining the encounter.

The group said the ICE agent 'implicitly threatened' MacCormack by asking if he was aware of section 8 U.S.C.  1324(a) of the the Immigration and Nationality Act, which prohibits citizens from knowingly transporting undocumented immigrants.

MacCormack has maintained that he does not believe he was in violation of that act.

After the incident, an ICE spokeswoman later issued a statement saying the agents were seeking two people not lawfully present in the US and that MacCormack 'interfered with the enforcement action, causing officers to instead depart the scene to avoid further disruption'.

'Individuals who intervene in or seek to impede ICE officers while they are carrying out their mission recklessly endanger not only the enforcement personnel but also the individuals targeted for arrest and potentially innocent bystanders,' the statement said.

'Those who engage in such actions expose themselves to potential criminal violations and run the risk of harming the very people they purport to support.'

ICE agents accused MacCormack of violating the Immigration and Nationality Act, which prohibits citizens from knowingly transporting undocumented immigrants (file photo)

In an interview with NBC News this week, MacCormack said: 'I was nervous and felt fear for the safety of myself and the community members inside of my vehicle. But I was also inherently indignant at ICE's tactics and their relentless pursuit and practice of detention, deportation and family separation.'

He said that he keeps copies of a warrant for arrest of alien and a 'real' judicial warrant in his car 'just so people know not to listen to that'.

MacCormack also said he hopes that the video of the encounter, which went viral this week after being shared by NowThis, will help others facing ICE arrest of witnessing an attempted arrest.

'I want people to feel like anyone, anywhere can do this,' he told NBC News. 'All you have to do is know your rights and you can prevent this from happening to your community members.'

CCSM posted about the rapidly-spreading video on Facebook Wednesday, saying: 'Bryan MacCormack is not viral, a Know Your Rights video is viral. A video that only exists because my community members had the courage to not only resist oppression that day, but every day they've spent living undocumented in this inhumane country.

'This video exists because our community is bold enough to raise their cell phone and record. This video exists so more people, undocumented and citizens alike, know their rights.

'If every time the 3.4 million people who have liked this video act boldly and advocate for their rights and the rights of others in the face of discrimination, abuse, racism and oppression only then will this video be a success.'
The rare early prototype for the iconic Coca Cola bottle designed in the US in 1915

An exceptionally rare prototype for the iconic Coca Cola bottle has emerged for sale for $150,000.

The eye-catching 8ins bottle was made in 1915 after the company approached various glass houses to come up for a memorable design for their fizzy drink.

This contour shaped prototype, which bears a distinct resemblance to today's trademark bottle, was selected as the best of the bunch.

However, they did request some alterations to the bottle design to make it more 'practical'.

Since it was wider in its middle than around the base it was found to be unstable on conveyor belts.

To solve this, Coca Cola asked for the bottle to be slimmer around its center, enabling it to fit in the modern bottling machinery.

These wishes were acted on and the final design was introduced nationally in 1917.

The prototype was designed by Earl Dean of the Root Glass Company in Indiana.

It previously belonged to a retired Coca Cola employee and will go under the hammer with Morphy Auctions, of Pennsylvania.

There is only one other known surviving example of this prototype, making it highly sought after by collectors.

A Morphy Auctions spokesperson said: 'The Coca-Cola Company accepted this newly designed bottle at once, but they could see that alterations would have to be made on the lower and middle diameters of the bottle in order to make it more practical and so it would fit in the modern bottling machinery that the bottlers were using.

'As a result, it was modified to the familiar design known to collectors and consumers today.

'The bottle is as close to pristine as one could envision, with no chips, cracks, nor case wear

'Advanced bottle collectors we have consulted consider this bottle to be extremely rare and important.'

Coca Cola first hit the market in 1886 and was originally branded as a 'medicine', becoming the world's premiere soft drink in the early 20th century.

The bottle previously belonged to a retired Coca Cola employee and could fetch thousands

It originally came in a straight sided bottle which Coca Cola feared was not distinctive enough and could be confused with their competitors.

A staggering 1.9billion servings of Coca Cola are consumed each day in 200 countries according to their research.

The auction takes place April 12.
President Trump threatened to close the southern border, again, on Thursday, as he has claimed he could several times this year without taking action.

He said in an early-morning tweet: 'Mexico is doing NOTHING to help stop the flow of illegal immigrants to our Country. They are all talk and no action. Likewise, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador have taken our money for years, and do Nothing. The Dems dont care, such BAD laws. May close the Southern Border!

It was not immediately clear what prompted his latest warning to Mexico and Central American countries that must take drastic action to curb migration to the U.S. or else he will shut down legal ports of entry.

But he said the evening before, in a phone interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, that his border wall is a humane alternative to machine gun-toting guards.

'We can't do that and I wouldn't want to do that, OK?' he said. 'It's a very effective way of doing it, and I wouldn't want to do it. We can't do it.'

President Trump threatened to close the southern border, again, on Thursday, as he has claimed he could several times this year without taking action

Trump seemed to have the border crisis on his mind on Thursday, after it came up in a long call with Sean Hannity the evening before that aired on Fox News

It was not immediately clear what prompted his latest warning to Mexico and Central American countries that must take drastic action to curb migration to the U.S. or else he will shut down legal ports of entry

Trump seemed to have the border crisis on his mind on Thursday, after it came up in a long call with Hannity the evening before that aired on Fox.

Hannity asked him 'what is the status, the progress, how many much more miles [of wall] need to be built, how many have you repaired' prompting Trump to reveal that his wall is actually 'barbed wire' fencing in some areas.

He did not answer Hannity's question about the amount of wall that had been built or repaired.

'We have repaired, I mean, literally -- you know, many, many miles. I could give you numbers but many, many miles. We are building many miles. Were going to have hundreds of miles already under construction are soon to be under construction,' the president said instead.

He said The Army Corps of Engineers, which he commandeered to build the barrier, 'is doing a great job working with us and we have some real professionals, and the military has been incredible, putting up the barbed wire, essentially, it's barbed wire.

'It's actually barb wire plus,' he said, significantly downgrading the structure he'd referred to in the past as 'steel slat fencing' and 'see-through' walling.

He said that he would hold a news conference on the border in two weeks, so the country could see all that he's accomplishing.

'Im going to a location, it's going to be in California, believe it or not, they were begging us to build in San Diego, begging us to build a wall and we are just in the process of completing a major stretch of many miles of wall, and we are going to have a news conference there just to show people,' he said.

Trump's national emergency declaration allowed him to tap into billions of dollars appropriated for military construction projects within the Pentagon budget. He plans to borrow money from the Treasury Department's drug interdiction account, as well.

'You go to a lot of the generals, they will tell you, this is a national emergency. This is -- we need to defend our country,' he told Hannity on Wednesday evening, defending the action that Congress voted down.

Trump said the wall is necessary to prevent illegal immigration and brought up the machine guns he's seen on other countries' border guards.

'But, you know, we don't do like other countries, other countries stand there with machine guns ready to fire,' he said.

He claimed that 'everyone' including Democrats like Trump-foil Adam Schiff, the House Intelligence chairman, agree with him that 'you need a wall' and they just refuse to admit it.

'So we've done a lot of work on it, and a lot of talent has been involved, and we've had really a tremendous help, a lot of people agree. I mean, most people agree. Even the Democrats agree. They don't say that. They go into back rooms, like I said before about Schiff, they go back there and they laugh,' he insisted.

Trump claimed, 'The Democrats, almost every one of them, voted for the walls in the past. But now, they don't because they don't want to give us a victory. But they are hurting the country. They are not hurting me, they are hurting the country.'
Rachel Maddow's ratings took a 19 percent nosedive following the announcement that the Robert Mueller probe turned up no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

The MSNBC host, whose show has proved essential viewing for those convinced of Kremlin interference in the 2016 election, drew a reduced 2.5 million audience on Monday, the day after Attorney General William Barr's announcement.

Having lost almost one fifth of her ratings overnight, her audience dwindled further Tuesday, plummeting to 2.3 million, data and measurement company Nielsen said.

Maddow has been one of the loudest anti-Trump voices, regularly dedicating extended segments of her self-titled 9pm show to detail alleged Russian interference and manipulation of President Trump's administration.

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Rachel Maddow's ratings took a 19 percent nosedive following the announcement that the Robert Mueller probe revealed no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia

Maddow has been one of the loudest anti-Trump voices, regularly dedicating extended segments of her self-titled 9pm show to detail alleged Russian interference and manipulation of President Trump's administration

She saw her ratings surge from an also-ran to a top contender thanks to her compelling and dogged reporting on Trump - regularly landing the No.1 spot in her time slot slugfest with Fox News' Sean Hannity.

Her show built to a crescendo in the days leading up to the release, as rumors swirled that Mueller was nearing the conclusion of the report which Maddow confidently predicted would prove decisive in the downfall of Trump.

On Friday she ended a trout fishing trip early to broadcast an emergency episode from a studio on the University of Tennesse campus.

She said as the show began: 'A couple of hours ago - maybe even less than that - I was standing knee-deep in a trout stream in Tennessee.

'But now it's Mueller time, and so I'm in a studio in the great state of Tennessee.'

She saw her ratings surge thanks to her compelling and dogged reporting on Trump - regularly landing the No.1 spot in her time slot in a slugfest with Fox News' Sean Hannity

Her show built to a crescendo in the days leading up to the release, as rumors swirled that Mueller was nearing the conclusion of the report which Maddow confidently predicted would prove decisive in the downfall of Trump

However, after Barr's four-page summary on Sunday appeared to clear Trump of any electoral wrongdoing, the anti-climax appears to have put off some viewers, though whether this is a long-term trend or just a hangover remains to be seen.

Nonetheless, Maddow used her shows this week to call for the release of the full investigation suggesting the summary may not totally have exonerated Trump.

In the four-page summary, Mueller found that there was conclusive evidence that Russia did not interfere in the election, both through a coordinated campaign of disinformation and by hacking emails from Hillary Clinton's election team.

In a letter to lawmakers, Barr said that Mueller found that there had been 'multiple offers from Russian-affiliated individuals to assist the Trump campaign.'

But quoting directly from Mueller's report, Barr said that the special counsel's investigation 'did not establish that members of the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities.'

However, after Barr's four-page summary on Sunday appeared to clear Trump of any electoral wrongdoing, the anti-climax appears to have put off some viewers, though whether this is a long-term trend or just a hangover remains to be seen

In the four-page summary, Mueller found that there was conclusive evidence that Russia did interfere in the election, both through a coordinated campaign of disinformation and by hacking emails from Hillary Clinton's election team

Many observers had predicted the biggest danger to Trump came from a possible accusation of obstruction of justice, particularly over his decision to sack the FBI director James Comey, who headed the investigation before Mueller.

But Barr said that the evidence outlined in Mueller's report 'is not sufficient to establish that the President committed an obstruction-of-justice offence.'

'In cataloging the President's actions, many of which took place in public view, the report identifies no actions that, in our judgement, constitute obstructive conduct,' Barr added in his letter.

But while Barr, who was appointed by Trump, concluded that the president had not obstructed justice, he acknowledged that Mueller himself was inconclusive on the question of obstruction.

'The Special Counsel therefore did not draw a conclusion, one way or another, as to whether the examined conduct constituted obstruction,' he said.

'The Special Counsel states that 'while this report does not conclude that the president committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.'
Jemma Beale, who was jailed over false sex attack claims, lost her appeal against her conviction and 10-year jail sentence today. She is pictured at an earlier court hearing

An appeal court has backed the 10-year jail term given to a fantasist who made false rape allegations against a series of men and thrown out her claims she was wrongly convicted.

Jemma Beale , from Bedfont, west London, was handed the prison sentence for perverting the course of justice and perjury after she made fake sex attack claims against 15 men - one of whom was jailed for two years and another fled the country.

The 27-year-old however continues to protest her innocence and today asked senior judges to overturn her conviction.

Her lawyers told the Court of Appeal that the judge hadn't warned the jury about the 'myths and stereotypes' which swirl around false rape claim cases.

They also claimed, even if she was guilty, she should have been given a shorter sentence because she had been abused as a child.

But Lady Justice Hallett, one of England's most senior female judges, was one of three judges who dismissed both of the appeals and sent Beale back to prison.

Lady Justice Hallett said: 'This case went far further then myths and stereotypes about a complainant's behaviour. The appellant was accused of being a serial liar who fabricated accounts mostly of a sexual nature.

'In the light of the evidence called even if the guidance was given it would not have assisted the appellant.

'The system of justice has suffered considerable harm - considerable resources have been spent investigating and prosecuting crimes which never happened. There has been no indication of remorse on the appellant's part.'

Beale's lawyers claim the jury in her case were not warned about 'myths' surrounding sex attack cases

Earlier in the hearing, Beale's QC, Gillian Jones, had told the court: 'The learned judge erred because he failed to give a direction about the dangers of myths and stereotypes.

'She was the subject of extensive media scrutiny in which she was vilified.

'The effect of which might have been to further prejudice the jury in the absence of such a direction.

'This reporting compounded or could have compounded these myths and stereotypes which were never corrected by way of judicial guidance to the jury.'

Ms Jones argued the jury should have been told at the outset of the trial to disregard 'pre-conceived' ideas about rape.

The lawyer referred to a social media post about the case which stated 'an attractive male does not need to have sex with a whale.'

The judges appeared to accept some of the reporting around the case was 'sensationalist', but suggested did not vilify Beale.

Lady Justice Hallett said Beale has not shown a shred of remorse

Beale's lawyers are also calling for her 10-year sentence to be cut, describing it as excessive.

Ms Jones said the judge did not take account of her past, including abuse she went through as a child.

'That clearly had a huge impact on this young woman's life and resulted in a rapid downward spiral.

'This is a very damaged young lady and it clearly had a large part to play in the way she acted.'

Ms Jones added: 'The nub of it is whether or not sufficient weight was given to what is clearly an extensive history of difficulty.'

Prosecutor John Price, QC, said the sentence and conviction were both safe and proper.

He reminded the court that how Beale texted her then girlfriend saying she was 'glorying in his discomfort' as she was due to give false evidence against a man in court.

During a five-week trial at Southwark Crown Court in 2017, Beale insisted she had been raped or attacked, but a jury found her guilty of perjury and perverting the course of justice.

She made her first complaint on the morning of 26 November 2010, when she told police she had been raped by Mahad Cassim the previous night.

Mr Cassim was tried for rape at Isleworth Crown Court in December 2011.

A retrial then took place in January 2012 in front of a fresh jury and he was jailed for seven years.

Mr Cassim served two years because of the 'grave injustice' before he was released.

Beale then complained to police she was the victim of two sexual assaults in July 2012 and fabricated similar allegations against six other men in 2013, her trial heard.

Her appeal before Lady Justice Hallett, Mr Justice Warby and Sir John Royce continues.
A West Virginia man who told police he sexually abused a three-year-old girl by accident must serve at least 50 years in prison before he is eligible for parole.

Mercer Circuit Court Judge Derek Swope noted problems the child could suffer later in life before sentencing 27-year-old Henry Vincent Bennett of Bluefield to 25 to 100 years for each of two first-degree sexual assault charges on Tuesday.

A jury convicted Bennett of sexual assault and other charges in December, after he repeated his confession that he mistook the toddler for his 24-year-old wife.

Prosecutors said Bennett told detectives that he twice mistook the toddler for his wife after she climbed into his bed.

Bennett's lawyers said his admission to Bluefield police was coerced.

Swope says Bennet will be in prison 'for the rest of his effective life.'

Henry Vincent Bennett, 27, who told police he sexually abused a three-year-old girl by accident has been sentenced to serve at least 50 years in prison in West Virginia before he is eligible for parole

When Vincent was convicted of sexual abuse by a parent and incest last year, it took the jury less than 30 minutes of deliberation to come to the conclusion that he sexually assaulted a little girl after he confessed on the stand.

Bennett was first arrested in February of 2018, after the toddler told family members and then state child safety workers that she had been sexually abused.

The young girl at one point made a model of a penis out of Play-Doh and said it was Bennett's 'butt', and said that Bennett had put his 'butt on her butt', testified Cindy Lambert, a child advocacy worker.

When police first brought Bennett in for questioning, he denied sexually assaulting the three-year-old girl.

Eventually, Bennett confessed to sexually assaulting the girl on two occasions: once involving a sex toy, and once involving oral sex.

Bennett is seen with his wife April and the child. He told police that he mistook the girl for his wife on two occasions, one involving oral sex and another involving a sex toy

Bennett told police that both incidents were accidents, after the toddler crawled into the bed while his wife was away in the bathroom.

He claimed he mistook the 30-pound girl for his 185-pound wife both times.

In the first instance he said he he 'accidentally' placed a sex toy in the toddler's buttocks.

The second time, he said his wife was performing oral sex on him, and then got up to go to the bathroom. He claimed the girl came into the room and began performing oral sex on him before he realized she was not his wife.

The sickening case took a dramatic twist when Bennett, who had claimed police pressured him into a false confession, slipped up on the witness stand and repeated his confession in front of the jury.

'It's a TV moment. It's a thing that happens on crime shows like Perry Mason,' prosecutor George Sitler told WVVA after the trial.

'You wait your whole career to get somebody to actually confess to what they're accused of on the stand, and this is the first time I've ever seen it happen,' the prosecutor added.

Bennett and his wife April were both arrested in February, after the girl told family members and social workers horrible allegations of sexual abuse at Benentt's hands

Videos of Bennett's confession to police were played before the jury at his trial. His lawyer argued that his diminished mental capacity made him susceptible to police pressure tactics, and that the confession was false.

Before confessing on the stand, Bennett said that his confession to police had been coerced, when he said promised him he could go home if he just confessed, the Bluefield Daily Telegraph reported.

Bennett testified that he had been in special education, dropped out of school in ninth grade and twice failed to earn a GED.

Under cross-examination by the prosecutor Sitler, Bennett repeatedly denied that his confession to police was true.

'You thought making up a story would give you can chance to go home?' Sitler asked, handing Bennett a box of tissues to wipe away his tears. 'Why did you do it?'

'Because I was scared,' Bennett replied.

Sitler then pointed to a table in the courtroom full of sex toys, and reminded Bennett he had told police which one he'd used on the young girl.

The prosecutor then grilled Bennett on how he possibly could have mistaken the tiny girl for his wife.

'I was laying on my back... I thought it was April, and when I rolled over (the girl) yelled,' Bennett said, apparently repeating his confession before the jury in a moment that stunned the courtroom.

Both Bennett and his wife, 24-year-old April Bennett, were arrested after the child reported the abuse. April was originally charged as an accessory to Bennett's crimes, but later took a deal pleading guilty to a charge of child neglect.

Vincent's brief trial started on December 12 and the verdict was handed down the next day on December 13.
Monica Lewinsky (seen last month) spoke out on Wednesday lamenting that the Starr Report was not handled privately by the attorney general as with the Mueller Report

Monica Lewinsky has spoken out about special counsel Robert Mueller's report, saying that she wishes that independent counsel Kenneth Starr's report had been handled with the same discretion.

Lewinsky's reaction came in a three-word tweet on Wednesday, responding to law professor Orin Kerr's comparison of the investigations into President Bill Clinton and President Donald Trump.

Kerr wrote: 'Imagine if the Starr Report had been provided only to President Clinton's Attorney General, Janet Reno, who then read it privately and published a 4-page letter based on her private reading stating her conclusion that President Clinton committed no crimes.'

Lewinsky responded simply: 'if. f**king. only.'

Laws regarding special prosecutors have changed since the 1998 Starr Report, due in large part to backlash over the way that investigation was handled.

Lewinsky was 25 when Starr delivered his 445-page report to Congress on September 9, 1998.

Two days later, the House voted 36363 to release the report to the public.

The report, filled with details of Clinton and Lewinsky's sexual relationship that were graphic but had dubious legal relevance, became an overnight national sensation.

An estimated 20 million Americans logged onto the then-young internet to read the Starr Report at the same time, making it the most read document online at the time.

The Starr Report was also rushed into print as a paperback, quickly selling millions of copies packed with an odd mix of dense legalese and steamy sex scenes.

The Starr Report led to Clinton's impeachment in the House and acquittal in the Senate on two charges, one of perjury and one of obstruction of justice.

Following the impeachment saga, the laws regulating independent prosecutors were changed.

The 1978 statute that regulated special prosecutors, Title VI of the Ethics In Government Act, expired in 1999 and was replaced with a new law.

The Starr Report was filled with details of Clinton and Lewinsky's sexual relationship that were graphic but had dubious legal relevance. They are seen in the Oval Office circa 1996

Ken Starr (seen in 1998) was operating his probe under different legal regulations, which were changed in 1999 in response to backlash over how the Clinton saga unfolded

The new law requires the special counsel to send the investigative report to the attorney general, rather than to Congress, and gives the attorney general discretion over the public release of the report.

On Sunday, Attorney General Bill Barr released his summary of the Mueller Report, saying that the investigation found no evidence of a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and the Russian government to undermine the 2016 election.

Barr has said he wants to release as much of the Mueller report as possible, but is working to remove secret grand jury testimony as required by law.

He says the report will be out in a matter of weeks. The House has voted unanimously to release the report, and Trump has said he hopes it is made public as well.
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The Washington teen who was pushed off a 60-foot bridge last summer delivered emotional testimony before her former friend was led away in handcuffs.

Jordan Holgerson broke down in tears as she tried to recount the moment Tay'Lor Smith, 19, pushed her off Moulton Falls Bridge on August 7, 2018.

'I didn't ask for any of this, but last summer my said-to-be friend changed my life for the worst,' Holgerson told the judge.

The teen, who was just 16 at the time of the horrific incident, then broke down in tears and couldn't finish her statement.

Scroll down for video

Jordan Holgerson, the Washington teen who was pushed off a 60-foot bridge last summer, delivered emotional testimony before her former friend was led away in handcuffs

Holgerson broke down in tears as she tried to recount the moment Tay'Lor Smith, 19, (pictured together in an undated photo) pushed her off Moulton Falls Bridge on August 7, 2018

'I didn't ask for any of this, but last summer my said-to-be friend changed my life for the worst,' Holgerson told the judge in court on Wednesday

The teen, who was just 16 at the time of the horrific incident, then broke down in tears. An advocate (pictured) then continued to read her statement

An advocate then continued reading Holgerson's words, recounting how the teen thought she was 'going to die' when she was pulled from the water.

'I couldn't breathe and I was watching my body change color by the second,' the advocate read.

'I spent three days in the hospital, I couldn't shower by myself, couldn't use the bathroom by myself, I could barely even walk.'

The statement also recounted Holgerson's severe injuries, which included six broken ribs, punctured lungs, a hematoma in the back of her throat, and bruising all over her body.

'Once I left the hospital, I was left in pain,' the advocate continued. 'It was so bad I was given heavy narcotics for weeks. To this day my ribs have healed, but I still get pain and discomfort in that area.'

Tay'lor Smith, 19, broke down in tears as she was escorted out of the courtroom in handcuffs after being sentenced on Wednesday

Smith pleaded guilty to misdemeanor reckless endangerment as part of a plea agreement earlier this month

Smith, who pleaded guilty to misdemeanor reckless endangerment as part of a plea agreement earlier this month, then took the stand to read her apology.

'This past August, an incident happened at Moulton Falls and neither mine or Jordan's life has been the same since,' she told the judge.

'I've come to the realization that kids just being kids is a lot further from the statement itself.'

'Throughout this terrible process, I've not only grown as a person, but I have learned to think and process outcomes before I act upon a brief moment in time.'

'I'd like to sincerely apologize to Jordan Holgerson and her family and friends for the pain and humiliation I have caused by my mindless action that occurred last summer.'

'Although it may seem like my intent was to harm, this is false. Jordan has passed through my thoughts repetitively since the incident.'

Holgerson's mother Genelle (pictured) also took the stand, telling the judge that she doesn't believe Smith has 'shown any remorse' and should go to jail

The judge sentenced Smith to 48 hours in prison. She will also have to serve an additional 38 days on a work crew once she is released

Holgerson's mother Genelle also took the stand, telling the judge that she doesn't believe Smith has 'shown any remorse' and should go to jail for as many days as her daughter spent in the hospital.

'We feel lucky today that she is alive,' Genelle said of Holgerson, adding that the incident cost her and her family 'lost wages, not to mention stress and heartache'.

Clark County District Court Judge Darvin Zimmerman told Smith that he believed she needed to 'do some jail time'.

'You could have easily killed her,' he added.

Zimmerman sentenced Smith to 48 hours in prison. She will also have to serve an additional 38 days on a work crew once she is released.

Smith's custody started immediately and the teen continued to cry as she was handcuffed.

Holgerson is seen above at the hearing on Wednesday with her grandfather Richard Doran (far left), her friend, Ryan Anderson (second from right), and her mother Genelle

Debbie McEldowney (pictured), Smith's grandmother, spoke out in defense of the teen and said there were 'so many lies in that courtroom'.

Holgerson looked down as her former friend was led out of the courtroom.

It was a surprising decision from Zimmerman, as Smith had been promised a plea bargain of 60 days of electronic home confinement by prosecutors.

The deal also included 30 days of community work crew and 30 days of community service. But Holgerson and her mother's testimony clearly swayed the judge.

Debbie McEldowney, Smith's grandmother, spoke out in defense of the teen and said there were 'so many lies in that courtroom'.

'Tay'Lor is not a mean person. She has a big heart,' McEldowney told ABC News. 'She's talked endlessly about Jordan and how bad she felt.'

Holgerson's horrifying fall was captured on cellphone video and posted to YouTube, where it quickly went viral

'She went to the hospital right after the incident and Genelle kicked her out.'

McEldowney called the incident a 'bad and unfortunate decision'.

'She'll be fine,' she said of her granddaughter. 'I just wish that all the lies hadn't happened and then they made her look like a monster.'

'I'm not saying Tay'Lor didn't deserve some kind of consequence of her action, but not lies. And there were so many lies in that courtroom.'

Holgerson's horrifying fall was captured on cellphone video and posted to YouTube, where it quickly went viral before being taken down.

Holgerson suffered severe injuries from the fall, which includes six broken ribs, punctured lungs, a hematoma in the back of her throat, and bruising all over her body

The teen was hospitalized for three days and told the judge she couldn't shower or use the bathroom by herself and could barely walk

The clip shows Holgerson standing above Moulton Falls on the Lewis River in Yacolt, Washington, with her friends gathered behind her.

'No, I won't go in,' Holgerson can be heard telling her friends as they try to pressure her to jump off the bridge.

She tells her friends 'no' a second time in the video, but the group still rallies to get her to leap.

Then, suddenly, one man asks 'Ready?' and Smith is seen shoving Holgerson off the bridge.

The teen fell 60 feet into the water below, landing with a horrifying thud as her friends gasped.

'Oh, that's so f****d,' someone can be heard saying off-camera.
An officer with the National Rifle Association corresponded with a Sandy Hook conspiracy theorist to question the Parkland school massacre in the days after the deadly shooting.

NRA officer Mark Richardson sent an email to Wolfgang Halbig a day after the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School to float a conspiracy theory that there were two gunmen.

Nikolas Cruz, the lone Parkland shooter, is charged with killing 17 people in the Valentine's Day attack last year.

In an email obtained by HuffPost, Richardson sowed doubt about the Parkland shooting by telling Halbig: 'Just like (Sandy Hook), there is so much more to this story. He was not alone'.

NRA officer Mark Richardson (left) sent an email to Wolfgang Halbig (right) a day after the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School to float a conspiracy theory that there were two gunmen

Halbig is notorious for harassing the parents of the 20 children shot dead in the Sandy Hook massacre. He has previously questioned whether the deadly shooting even happened.

'You have included me with a lot of Information since the Sandy Hook Incident and I do appreciate it very much. Concerning what happened in Florida yesterday, I have been asking the question and no one else seems to be asking it,' Richardson began his email.

'How is it that Cruz was able gain access to a secured facility while in possession of a rifle, multiple magazines, smoke grenades and a gas mask? To pull the fire alarm, he had to already be inside. Correct? When my children were in school the only way into the school was through the front door and past the main office.'

'We have been told that he was... prohibited from entering the building with a backpack. No longer a student, why was he allowed in the building at all? Where was all the equipment, in his back pocket?

In an email, Richardson sowed doubt about the Parkland shooting (above) by telling Halbig: 'Just like (Sandy Hook), there is so much more to this story. He was not alone'

'Just like SH, there is so much more to this story. He was not alone. Just a few questions that have surfaced in the past 24 hours. Thank you for all the information And for what you do. STAY SAFE.'

Richardson, who is a training officer with the NRA, confirmed his email contact with Halbig and said he was asking 'legitimate questions'.

The exchange surfaced in court documents related to ongoing lawsuits involving Infowars host Alex Jones and a Sandy Hook parent.

Jones is being sued by multiple Sandy Hook parents in various lawsuits for calling the 2012 massacre a hoax on his Infowars web show.

Halbig is a frequent guest on Jones' show and is listed as a defendant in at least one of the lawsuits involving the host.

On the day that Richardson sent his email to Halbig, a story surfaced on InfoWars with the title: 'Second Shooter Reported In Florida Massacre'.

Halbig is a former police officer who lives in Sorrento, Florida.
A great-grandmother has been conned out of $7,500 by a 'nice young man' who offered to fix her roof.

Gloria Duffy, from Hamilton Hill in Perth's south-west, said she was scammed by two men with accents - believed to be Scottish, English, or Irish - who posed as tradesmen.

The pair knocked on the 81-year-old's door last Wednesday and said they would paint and fix her weathered roof permitting she paid them cash-in-hand.

'He was just such a nice young man, spoke lovely and I thought - he seems honest enough,' Ms Duffy told Nine News.

Gloria Duffy (pictured), from Hamilton Hill in Perth's south-west, said she was scammed by two men who posed as tradesmen

She handed over $3,000 and one of the men began the painting but an additional $4,500 was demanded to replace asbestos sheets.

Ms Duffy obliged but the men did not return to complete the work, leaving the great-grandmother $7,500 out-of-pocket.

There are five victims who have reported the scam, as police hunt for the imposters.

In the past week, the men are understood to have taken at least $22,000 from the victims.

An elderly man from Mount Hawthorn said he paid $8,000 to the same scammers for roofing work but the payment failed to go through as his bank flagged the transaction as suspicious.

In Cannington, a man was approached by men in a vehicle who claimed they were roof tilers and that he had a hole in his roof.

The pair knocked on the 81-year-old's door last Wednesday and said they would paint and fix her weathered roof (pictured) permitting she paid them cash-in-hand

One of the scammers went up to the roof and brought back a broken tile which the man believes was purposely destroyed by the conman. The men were not hired to fix the roof as the home owner declined.

Another elderly man was approached by three men who said his roof and gutters needed urgent repairs.

They began work and charged $7,000 but failed to repair the roof and instead caused damage.

An elderly couple in Fremantle were approached in a similar instance but a family member stepped in to prevent the scammers from beginning work.

Director of Retail and Services at Consumer Protection Lanie Chopping urged the community to assist in finding the travelling conmen.

'These conmen are highly mobile so people who are approached should contact Police immediately so they can be tracked down,' Ms Chopping said.

'They prey on seniors and others in our community, misleading them into thinking their roof is in need of urgent repairs or painting when this is not necessarily the case.'

'They then do dodgy work, if they do any work at all.'

Senior Sergeant Stephen Castledine said homeowners should call police if approached by people they believe are scamming them.

'Descriptions of the men and their vehicles as well as licence plate numbers would assist us greatly in locating them,' he said.

Director of Retail and Services at Consumer Protection Lanie Chopping urged the community to assist in finding the travelling conmen

'Home owners who may have CCTV vision of the men at their home, even if they didn't get any work done, are urged to come forward and provide the vision to Police.'

The men provided an invoice under the unregistered business name of Best Choice Home Improvements and used a false ABN.

Ms Duffy said her scammers drove a white ute and a red car.

Authorities are urging any consumers approached by tradespeople offering their services door-to-door and wanting immediate payment to contact Police.
More than 500 wild baby birds have been saved by police in China after a suspected smuggler sneaked them into the country allegedly to sell on to restaurants and pet shops.

Police said the chicks were starving when they were found in three plastic boxes on an unlicensed tuk tuk yesterday in the town of Zhai'an near China's border with Vietnam.

The suspect, who was riding the tuk tuk, had abandoned his vehicle and escaped after spotting a police car driving towards him, according to border police.

The wild baby starlings wait to be fed after being saved by border police in China yesterday

It is said that the birds, known as Crested Mynas, are considered a delicacy by the locals

The birds, 503 in total, are a type of starlings known as 'ba ge' in China or Crested Myna in the West. Native to southern China and the mainland Southeast Asia, the species is protected by China's Wildlife Protection Law.

According to a local resident, known by his surname Huang, most of the Crested Mynas smuggled into the town would be sold to restaurants to be cooked.

'Deep-fried young ba ge is a famous dish. Very delicious,' Mr Huang was quoted saying.

Police officers in Zhai'an near China's border with Vietnam hold the birds after saving them

The birds, 503 in total, were smuggled into China by a suspect on an unlicensed tuk tuk

Mr Huang also claimed that some of the 'better looking' Crested Mynas would end up in pet shops.

The birds were rescued at about 6:30pm in Zhai'an near the city of Chongzuo in southern China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, according to China News.

Officers from the Chongzuo Border Management Squad were said to be patrolling the streets when they saw the suspect deserting his tuk tuk and running into a forest.

Three blue plastic containers were found on the tuk tuk and as soon as officers opened the lid of one of them, several birds flew out, according to the report.

A local resident said most of the Crested Mynas smuggled into the town would be cooked

Police transfer the birds to the local Forestry Administration Institute to be identified

Two police officers guard the protected birds which are stored in three large plastic boxes

Police took the boxes to the local Forestry Administration Institute.

Upon a preliminary check, the Institute's experts said the chicks were Crested Mynas.

The birds are currently being looked after by the Institute as police carry out further investigation.

China's Wildlife Protection Law prohibits the hunting, killing, selling, buying, transporting and carrying of wild animals.

Crested Myna (file photo above) is native to southern China and the mainland Southeast Asia

But the country's lax law enforcement, couple with a huge market demand for the meat and body parts of wild animals, means that offenders are still plenty.

Just last month, Zhai'an border police saved more than 100 Crested Mynas stored in the boot of a taxi, according to a previous article on China News.

The taxi driver, who was the only one in the car, reportedly admitted that he had bought the birds near a port of entry from a Vietnamese man.

It was said that he planned to sell some of the birds to restaurants to be deep fried and trade the rest as pets.
Pope Francis has set the record straight about why he pulled his hand away when throngs of people lined up this week to kiss his ring: for fear of spreading germs.

Vatican spokesman Alessandro Gisotti has said that Francis was concerned about hygiene when, after greeting throngs of well-wishers in a lengthy receiving line Monday in Loreto, he began pulling his hand away.

'It was a simple question of hygiene, Gisotti told reporters on Thursday after he asked the pope directly. 'He likes to embrace people and be embraced by people.'

Pope Francis was not shunning tradition but simply worried about spreading germs when he withdrew his ring as worshippers tried to kiss it this week, the Vatican says

Video of the incident split observers, with some attacking the Pope for seemingly ignoring tradition, while others called for the practice to end

Video of the incident went viral, with conservative critics blasting what they said was Francis' disrespect for the tradition.

Gisotti said Thursday it was nothing of the sort. He noted that Francis is more than happy to receive the greeting in small groups, as he did Wednesday when plenty kissed his ring during his general audience.

The Pope was filmed withdrawing his hand as he greeted worshippers at the Italian pilgrimage site dedicated to the Virgin Mary at Loreto on Monday.

But he appeared reluctant to allow the laity to pay him the respect of kissing his ring - simple silver with a cross - the sacred symbol of the Pope's union to the Church.

The move divided opinion in the Church, with some believing the Pope should allow them the privilege, while others say it is a dated practice harking back to when Popes were crowned like monarchs.

Papal biographer Austen Ivereigh, a supporter of Francis, tweeted: 'He's making sure that they engage with him, not treat him like a sacred relic. He's the Vicar of Christ, not a Roman emperor.'

'It's high time kissing bishops' rings disappears altogether. It's just ridiculous and has nothing to do with tradition. It's an import from monarchies. Much of the pomp around bishops should be ditched,' Tweeted Jesuit priest Russell Pollitt.

Some Vatican watchers noted that even former Pope Benedict, a hero to nostalgic conservatives, and his predecessor John Paul, did not like having their hands kissed - at least not by long lines of people, for the sake of expediency.

One Twitter user recalled that when he visited Pope John Paul with a group of 50 people they were told specifically not to kneel or kiss the papal hand.

Rome correspondent for the National Catholic Register Edward Pentin tweeted: 'This is something he has done quite regularly during his pontificate though not quite so insistently as today.'

Pope Francis was in Loreto to sign a document on Monday during his pastoral visit at Santuario della Santa Casa

Pope Francis' address was broadcast on screens in the packed square outside the Church in Loreto

David Gibson, director of Fordham's Center on Religion and Culture, wrote: 'This tradition is simply a throwback to an imperial/monarchical era that the papacy mimicked. If it served a purpose at one time it may not (and I think does not) serve any longer. Pope's are no longer crowned.'

But Catholic priest Kevin Cusick tweeted: 'It's a grace for the faithful to be able to show respect for the office of the pope by kissing the papal ring. It's not about the pope, it's about the faithful.'

Francis celebrated Mass in Loreto's cathedral and then signed a document dedicated to today's youth.

The papers which will be officially released on April 2 are titled 'Christ Lives.'

The document provide Francis' commentary on a youth summit held last October with the world's bishops on ways to better minister to today's young people.

Francis welcomed more than 250 priests, bishops and cardinals, as well as 34 young Catholics, to a month-long meeting on ministering to future generations, urging young and old to listen to one another without prejudice.

Pope Francis reacts during a visit to the Shrine of Our Lady of Loreto on the feast of the Annunciation on Monday

The Pope greets the faithful inside the cathedral at Loreto in Italy as he signed a document dedicated to today's youth

He prayed for God's help to ensure the church 'does not allow itself, from one generation to the next, to be extinguished or crushed by the prophets of doom and misfortune, by our own shortcomings, mistakes and sins.'

The meeting was dominated by discussion about how to better welcome gay people into the church, give women a greater say in decision-making, and manage the Catholic Church's sex abuse scandal.

The pope said yesterday that he chose Loreto, which according to tradition is the site of Mary's home, to sign his document because it is the 'house of the youth.'

'The House of Mary is also the home of the family,' Francis said. 'In the delicate situation of today's world, the family, founded on marriage between a man and a woman, takes on an essential importance and mission.

'It is necessary to rediscover the plan traced out by God for the family, to reaffirm its greatness and irreplaceability at the service of life and society.'
Jannatul Bakya, six, was killed when she crossed the road with her father on their way to the mosque

A woman has been charged over the death of a six-year-old girl who was run over as she crossed the road with her father.

Andjele Vranjes, 27, from Birmingham, will appear in court accused of mowing down Jannatul Bakya while the young girl was heading to prayers at a local mosque.

The schoolgirl was pronounced dead by paramedics who rushed to the scene in Smethwick on July 28 last year.

West Midlands Police said Andjele Vranjes had today been charged with causing death by dangerous driving

The 27-year-old from Bearwood, Birmingham, is due to appear at Walsall Magistrates' Court this afternoon.

Jannatul's father previously paid tribute in a statement saying: 'Jannatul, my youngest daughter, was always happy and cheerful.

'She always bought a smile to everybody's face. She will be greatly missed.

'I would ask that my family be given space to be able to grieve in private.'

At the time, Detective Constable Damian Gibson, from West Midlands Police's collision investigation unit, said: 'We are investigating the circumstances leading to this tragic event.

'The family are receiving support from family liaison officers and, our thoughts are them at this very sad time.'
French wine drinkers have been told to cut back to two glasses per day - but not every day - following a study that showed a quarter of them consume too much.

The public health agency, along with the county's National Institute of Cancer (INCa), launched a campaign on Monday to curb the drinking habits of the population, who consume alcohol at one of the highest rates in Europe.

Only Estonia, Lithuania and the Czech Republic drink more, according to the World Health Organisation, and wine represents the large majority (58 per cent) of France's total alcohol consumption.

The French public health agency and Institute of Cancer launched a national campaign on Monday urging French people to cut down on their drinking

'For your health, alcohol should be limited to a maximum of two glasses per day, and not every day either,' the campaign said, according to FRANCE 24.

The previous recommended daily limit was two glasses per day for women and three for men.

In Britain the NHS states that in order to keep health risks from alcohol to a low level men and women should not to drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis.

But those who do regularly drink as much as 14 units a week should spread their drinking over three or more days.

According to the U.S. Department of Health, moderate drinking means up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men.

But there is a culture of drinking wine in France, and in many people's minds it is a natural and essential accompaniment to food.

Britain's NHS recommends that adults drink no more than 14 units each week  that's 14 single shots of spirit or six pints of beer or a bottle and a half of wine

Indeed, Caroline, a 40-year-old Parisian, told FRANCE 24: 'A nice meal just can't be enjoyed without a good wine.'

Viet Nguyen-Thanh, head of the public health agency's addition unit, told the Paris-based network that this culture was partly to blame for the fact that alcohol is the second biggest cause of preventable deaths, after tobacco, in the country of 67 million.

'[There are] about 10.5 million adults who drink too much,' he said.

'In any case they drink in proportions that increase the risks to their health, including cancers, high blood pressure, cerebral hemorrhage, and cardiovascular diseases.'

'It's part of French history. The fact that France is a wine manufacturer has certainly played a role when it comes to the French and their relationship to wine.'

This relationship will be tricky to redefine, as the French have proved reluctant in the past to legislate for or follow any regulations on their wine consumption.

French President Emmanuel Macron has admitted that he drinks wine with lunch and dinner, and previously told campaigners to 'give France a break'

It was only in 1981 that total alcohol ban in the country's schools was implemented. The legal drinking age was raised from 16 to 18 in 2009.

And French politicians certainly seem to be reluctant to regulate wine consumption. Agriculture Minister Didier Guillaume recently tried to absolve it of blame for binge drinking, saying it 'isn't like other alcohols'.

He instead said the problem among French youth was down to hard liquor and mixers.

President Emmanuel Macron admitted last year that he drinks wine at both lunch and dinner, and said those calling for tighter regulations should 'give France a break.'

Risk of getting cancer from drinking just one bottle of wine is the same as smoking up to 10 CIGARETTES a week Having one bottle of wine each week raises the risk of cancer by the same amount as smoking up to 10 cigarettes, scientists claim. In the first study of its kind, academics managed to compare the known dangers of smoking to that of drinking too much. They found the 'cigarette equivalent' of one bottle of wine  roughly 10 units  is five cigarettes for men or ten for women each week. And the risk of cancer from downing three bottles of red or white wine each week, or 10 large glasses, is much higher. Researchers at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Bangor University and University of Southampton carried out the study. In the first study of its kind, academics managed to compare the known dangers of smoking to that of drinking too much Dr Theresa Hydes and team estimated 10 in 1,000 men would develop cancer at some point in their lives from drinking one bottle of wine each week. However, for women this figure was 14 out of 1,000, according to the study published in the journal BioMedCentral Public Health. Men were more likely to get gastrointestinal cancers from drinking, while the risk of breast cancer was greatest for women. The risk was much higher for both men and women who drink three bottles of wine per week  more than double the recommended amount. The study found 19 out of 1,000 men and 36 out of 1,000 women would eventually develop cancer if they drank this amount. This carries the same risk as smoking eight cigarettes a week for men, or 23 a week for women, Dr Hydes and colleagues estimated. The researchers did not estimate the risk of cancer from drinking beer because they went on units, not type of beverage. Dr Hydes said: 'We must be absolutely clear that this study is not saying that drinking alcohol in moderation is in any way equivalent to smoking. 'Our finds relate to lifetime risk across the population. At an individual level, cancer risk represented by drinking or smoking will vary. 'And for many individuals, the impact of ten units of alcohol (one bottle of wine) or five to ten cigarettes may be very different.' Scientists claim having one bottle of wine each week raises the risk of cancer by the same amount as smoking up to 10 cigarettes Dr Hydes said comparing the risks of alcohol to smoking could encourage adults to cut down on booze. She said: 'It is well established that heavy drinking is linked to cancer of the mouth, throat, voice box, gullet, bowel, liver and breast. 'Yet, in contrast to smoking, this is not widely understood by the public. 'We hope by using cigarettes as the comparator we could communicate this message more effectively to help individuals make more informed lifestyle choices.' The researchers used data available from Cancer Research UK and official statistic bodies used by nations in the UK, including ONS. They were able to analyse what proportion of deaths can be attributed to smoking and alcohol, and then estimate the risk of cancer they both cause. The NHS advise men and women not to drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis - such as weekly. Regularly consuming more than the recommended amount is known to raise the risk of cancer, liver disease and heart disease. A large glass of wine contains around three units, while a bottle is closer to the 10 mark. A pint of beer is around 2.3. Advertisement
This is the dramatic moment police tracked down a far-Right activist who took part in battles with anti-fascists - before telling officers: 'There's going to be a holy war.'

Kevin Kennedy, 48, was arrested after he threw a piece of wood, a rock and another missile in chaotic scenes in Dover, Kent, in 2016 that saw dozens of people arrested.

The father-of-three travelled 470 miles from his home in Edinburgh to take part in the violent march which featured protesters with Nazi-style flags and salutes.

Kevin Kennedy (right) travels in a car with a police officer (left) after being arrested for throwing a piece of wood, a rock and another missile during a street battle in Dover in 2016

Channel 5 programme Manhunt: Catch Me If You Can has revealed the moment of his arrest

Kennedy was later given a suspended sentence at court after admitting violent disorder

Now, new Channel 5 programme Manhunt: Catch Me If You Can has revealed the moment police arrested him before interviewing him in the back of a patrol car.

An officer driving the car is filmed asking him: 'Do you like going on those demos? Have you always gone on them, for years? Is there a lot of right wing in Scotland?'

Kennedy replies: 'Nah, not as much as there should be. I've been talking to them. They know, I've been telling people for years, there's going to be a holy war.

'Now some people are starting to listen, eh? The Poles are on our side. Nice big, hardy laddies. We call them the f***ing frontliners. Ha, I'm too old for it now, man.'

Kennedy had already been arrested once and failed to appear in court, but was eventually brought back for another hearing and admitted violent disorder.

Anti-fascist protesters broke through police lines as they clashed with right wing protesters in Dover in 2016 as both groups gathered for an afternoon of demonstrations over immigration

Some 62 offenders received a total of 85 years in prison after the violent protests in Dover that saw bricks and stones launched into the air in January 2016

Anti-fascist protesters are held by police lines as they clash with far-Right protesters in 2016

Far-Right protestors shout at the rally in Dover in January 2016 which turned violent

Kennedy was sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court in August 2017 to 12 months in jail, suspended for two years - and given a four-month overnight curfew.

Some 62 offenders received a total of 85 years in prison after the violent protests in Dover that saw bricks and stones launched into the air in January 2016.

The new series, which begins tonight at 9pm, follows the work of Kent Police's specialist tactical unit as they track down suspects wanted for arrest.

One officer told the documentary of the protests in Dover three years ago: 'Both the left and right wing, in my opinion, had become lawless that day.

'People have got a right to have lawful protests, but you haven't got a right to start smashing the windows of businesses and smashing each other's faces in.'

Sergeant Iain Cameron, PC Ben Redpath, PC Sacha 'Az' Azizi, PC Jai Shoker and PC Mark Beaumont from the Kent Police Specialist Tactical Unit appear in the new documentary

Manhunt: Catch Me If You Can begins on Channel 5 tonight and continues next Thursday

The episode, which is the first of three, also sees the team hunting a fraudster who has breached the terms of his probation and is wanted for prison recall.

The man had evaded arrest for almost three years, but new intelligence came in on his whereabouts  giving the team a chance to finally catch him.

A further case sees them on the hunt for a young burglar, who has stolen a firearm from an elderly man and is a known drug user.

Another saw the team alerted to a man wanted on a European Arrest Warrant for a serious assault and stabbing in Lithuania.

Manhunt: Catch Me If You Can is on Channel 5 at 9pm tonight and continues at the same time next Thursday
Gavin Williamson pictured in Downing Street today. As Chief Whip he brokered the Tories' confidence and supply deal with the DUP

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has reportedly been parachuted in to lead efforts to woo the Democratic Unionist Party to back Theresa May's Brexit deal as hardliner Brexiteers continued to refuse to fall in line today.

News of the Cabinet minister's role came as Rayleigh MP Mark Francois insisted he would rather 'put a shotgun in my mouth' than vote for Theresa May's deal today.

He underlined Mrs May can never win back all of her Tory rebels if and when she brings back a vote to approve her Brexit deal.

Mrs May is now staging a vote on only the divorce element of her plan and not the future framework document tomorrow.

She hopes to use the symbolism of a vote on what was supposed to be Brexit day to swing rebels - but still appears to be far from victory.

After losing by 149 in the second meaningful vote on March 12, Mrs May needs 75 extra votes. If the DUP vote No as expected, she needs every Tory rebel to return or win over Labour MPs instead. More than 50 Tories are still declared against - suggesting defeat up of up to 100 votes.

Mr Francois is on the hardline wing of the Brexiteer European Research Group faction thought to number at least 20 MPs. The group - which has dubbed itself the 'Spartans' - has rejected Mrs May's offer to resign in return for votes on the deal.

Mr Williamson is thought to have been drafted in to help with what Number 10 said were 'ongoing' talks because of his previous dealing with the DUP.

Before becoming the surprise choice to replace Michael Fallon at the Ministry of Defence Mr Williamson was the Chief Whip who brokered the confidence and supply deal that sees the Northern Irish party back Mrs May on certain voting matters.

This deal is still nominally in place despite Arlene Foster's party refusing to back her Brexit deal at two meaningful votes and as yet not buckling before a future third.

Steve Baker, the deputy leader of the ERG, last night insisted he would hold the line against the deal and would rather 'bulldoze' Parliament than fall in line.

Other members of the ERG, including its leader Jacob Rees-Mogg and Boris Johnson, have said they are now prepared to back the deal in the right circumstances.

Tory Mark Francois said today he wouldn't vote for the PM's deal even with a gun in his mouth

But Mr Francois told the BBC: 'I wouldn't vote for it if they put a shotgun in my mouth.

'I am not voting for the deal on the basis of who is or is not the Prime Minister. I am not voting for the deal because I have read it.

'Nothing has changed - so I'm still happy to vote it down. The British people voted to leave the European Union - let's just leave'.

In a separate Sky News interview he added: 'If it comes back I'm happy to vote it down again.

'The British people voted to leave the European Union - let's just leave.'

Ultra Brexiteer Mr Baker said last night he could quit the Tories rather than be party to Mrs May's Brexit deal.

Addressing a meeting of the European Research Group he emotionally said he was 'consumed with a ferocious rage' after the Prime Minister's speech, branding it a 'pantomime'.

In a sign of the division splitting the hardliners the High Wycombe MP told the meeting: 'I could tear this place down and bulldoze it into the river.

'These fools and knaves and cowards are voting on things they don't even understand.

'We've been put in this place by people whose addiction to power without responsibility has led them to put the choice of No Brexit or this deal.

'I may yet resign the whip than be part of this.'

Steve Baker has been resolute in his opposition to Mrs May's deal and is one of a number of ERG hold-outs who could yet prevent her deal from passing

Mr Baker, the ERG deputy chairman, was one of a host of eurosceptics who met with Theresa may at Chequers in Buckinghamshire at the weekend

It is the second time this month he has threatened to quit.

Two weeks ago he shared a tweet from a fellow Brexiteer who complained he was 'in search of a political party' following a vote in which MPs blocked a route to a no-deal Brexit.

Posting at 1am this morning following the night of high drama in the Commons the High Wycombe MP added: 'This is what we face.'

Mr Baker was a Brexit minister until he quit last July over Mrs May's handling of negotiations with the EU. He stepped down at the same time as Brexit Secretary David Davis.
Terry Sumner, 55, admitted to spying on friend's family with a hidden camera and has been charged with child pornography manufacturing and possession, lascivious exhibition, lewd molestation, and capital sexual battery

A Florida man has been arrested and charged on suspicion of planting a camera in his friend's home and watching her undress for year before authorities discovered 'numerous pictures of child pornography' on his cell phone.

Terry Sumner, 55 - who served with the US Army in Korea from 1981 - had full access to the victim's home, including codes for the alarm system, garage door and front gate.

It included the password to her WiFi, which her provider confirmed was linked to the device used to spy on her family.

Sumner was trusted to watch the property while the victim was away and law enforcement said he linked the camera to an application on his cell phone that allowed him to hear and see action from inside the apartment via a live feed.

It's unknown what date in 2018 the device was placed there but it wasn't until March 5 that the woman realized what the item plugged into her living room wall was, ABC Action News reports.

'He admitted to placing the spy camera in the victim's home and to having the camera there for approximately one year,' the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.

'Sumner explained that there was a smartphone application on his phone that he would use to watch, listen and record activity in the victim's home through a live feed.'

Scroll down for video

The Florida man watched and heard the residents via a live feed on his cell phone, cops say

The man who served with the US Army in Korea in 1981, had hundreds of videos from inside the property on his mobile device, according to an affidavit

The victim noted she was often naked in the private area of the home.

Sumner plugged his LG cell phone into the USB port in the GE DVR spy camera with a micro camera to 'charge it' when visiting the home, the victim said.

An affidavit stated hundreds of videos from inside the property were discovered on his mobile device after they conducted a forensic download.

But authorities also found pornographic images of children who appeared to be under the age of 11 when they obtained a warrant to search his home.

The 55-year-old admitted he had the camera in place for a year according to an affidavit

Sumner's Facebook account states he is single and has been working for PepsiCo as a delivery driver in Tampa since 2014

Sumner's Facebook account states he is single and has been working for PepsiCo as a delivery driver in Tampa since 2014 and shows him with his children and grandchildren.

Sumner shared a picture from June 1, 1981 when he was in basic training at Ft. Jackson. He served with the 2nd Infantry Division in South Korea until 1984 and the 7th Infantry Division at Ft. Ord, California, according to his social media post.

The suspect was finally arrested on Tuesday for interception of wire, oral or electronic communications.

He was charged with 24 counts of manufacturing child pornography and possessing child pornography, respectively.

Sumner was also charged with lewd and lascivious molestation force or enticing, lewd and lascivious exhibition and capital sexual battery.

The suspect was being held on $987,500 bond Wednesday.
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A Texan pastor living in Scotland has finally found a solution to the mystery surrounding Dunbartonshire's dog suicide bridge.

More than 100 dogs have died after plunging more than 50 feet from Overtoun Bridge since the 1950s.

Now, Pastor Bob Hill, originally from Texas, but now living near the haunted bridge has come up with a credible explanation.

Some 600 dogs have jumped from Overtoun Bridge in Dumbarton, Scotland, pictured, over the past 70 years, with between 50 and 100 being killed in the process. Locals blame the paranormal, but a Texas pastor who settled in the region suggested it was due to the presence of mink and pine martins which drive the dogs wild

Locals claim the area is haunted by Lady Overtoun, the widow of Baron Overtun who died in 1908. She was described as 'deeply troubled' and there are claims she regularly appears around the area, including in this window, circled

Speaking to the New York Times, Pastor Hill said: 'The dogs catch the scent of mink, pine martens or some other mammal and then they will jump up on the wall of the bridge. And because its tapered, they will just topple over.'

Such is the risk to dogs in the area, owners are advised to keep their pets on a lead to prevent them from jumping from the bridge into the gorge below.

Locals have blamed a nearby stately home for the suicidal dogs.

It is believed some 600 dogs have jumped from the bridge, although the majority of them have survived.

In 2015, Paul Owens, who teaches philosophy in Glasgow and wrote a book about the phenomena said it was Lady Overtoun, widow of Baron Overtoun, who is responsible for the deaths.

She was described as 'deeply troubled' following her husband's death in 1908. It was reported at the time that she would wander over the bridge looking for her husband.

Since her death, a 'white translucent figure' has been seen on numerous occasions around the house and grounds

Alice Trevorrow's pet Cassie, pictured, jumped from the bridge in 2014 but miraculously survived

According to Mr Owens: 'Dogs are supersensitive  they pick up on all sorts of things we can't,' he answered. 'Most likely they are seeing the spectre of this ghostly figure enticing them over the edge, over the parapets and walls.

'Yes! Dogs can sense things that we cannot  a presence that makes them jump. Propels them.'

In 2014, Alice Trevorrow's pet Cassie jumped from the bridge. The springer spaniel survived the 50ft fall and made a full recovery.

The most rational, and widely accepted, explanation at the time was that the dogs were sent into a frenzy by the colony of mink below. Apparently, the mink excretes a scent that will drive any hound crazy.

One dog behavioural expert said: 'They smell the mink, think they can jump off the bridge onto the ground, and go for it. Except it's 58ft down.'
A nine-year-old girl died when she was electrocuted in a shower and her stepfather was killed trying to save her, police said today.

The child was showering at her home in the small town of Arvert in south-western France when the accident happened at around 7pm yesterday evening.

Her stepfather then tried to rescue her but also suffered a fatal electric shock when he touched the youngster.

The girl's mother also tried to save the pair and suffered burns to her hands, according to French media reports.

The woman, thought to be around 29, rushed into the bathroom to find water on the floor and tried to pull her daughter out of the tub, according to French outlet 20 Minutes.

The family's home in this rural road in the town of Arvert in the French countryside was reportedly only recently purchased

The girl and her stepfather were killed after being electrocuted in their home near the south-west coast of France. Pictured the town of Royan where the child's mother was rushed to hospital

She managed to turn off the power to the home despite her burn injuries before trying to revive the stricken victims. She was then rushed to hospital in nearby Royan.

No other household electrical appliance was involved in the accident, police told local media.

A source told French TV station LCI that the family had only recently bought the house in the rural area of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region and were carrying out renovations.

Police have not yet officially revealed how the family were electrocuted but it has been reported that an electrical extension block of power plugs may have been put on the wet bathroom floor.

The girl was electrocuted after while showering at her home in the rural town of Avert in France. It was reported that an extension block of power plugs was placed on the wet floor

The source told LCI: 'This is a stepfamily with four children, one of whom was not always in this household, who had settled there a month, a month-and-a half and had started work. The mother, her boyfriend, the nine-year-old girl and a four-year-old child were at home.

'There seems to be a multiple [electrical] outlet near the shower, and there was water on the floor, the mother's partner was the first to intervene, and the mother took the initiative to cut off the power before trying to save her daughter and companion, in vain.'

Port-mortems of the pair were due to be carried out today as police continue to investigate the circumstance of the accident.
The most powerful cartel in Mexico has sent a chilling warning to its opponents with the gruesome execution of rival gang member.

A hit squad with the New Jalisco Generation Cartel - identified by the U.S. government as one of the five most dangerous transnational criminal organizations - filmed the moment they decapitated a suspected member of the Zetas Old School.

In the sickening video, shared on social media by the drug cartel on March 20, the hooded thugs issue an edict against five members of the Zetas Old School.

WARNING - GRAPHIC CONTENT

An alleged hit squad with the New Jalisco Generation Cartel recorded the moment they decapitated a member of the the rival Zetas Old School criminal group in Mexico. The gruesome attack was shared on social media March 20

It's unknown if the disturbing images were recorded in the state of Veracruz.

However, several voices in the video mention a couple of cities in Veracruz, a state just off the Gulf of Mexico they intended to drive their enemies out of.

The thugs boasted how they had just claimed complete control of a 'plaza' [town].

'This goes for all of the kidnappers, drug dealers, muggers, carjackers, extortioners, the filthy [Zetas] Old School,' one of the eight masked men says as he pins the victim against the dirt.

'We're coming for you, Roberto Acevedo, Cucho, Martin Ramirez, Angel Castellanos, La Ajolota', the purported ringleader says before the entire gang shouted, 'New Jalisco Generation Cartel.'

The ringleader subsequently lets go of the supposed Zetas Old School member before another gang member steps in.

A helpless man with reported ties to the Zetas Old School gang in Mexico had his head cut off

The sickening video closes in on the helpless man, whose hands are tied up and whose mouth is completely covered with a piece of cloth.

The New Jalisco Generation Cartel member then grabs him by the hair with one hand and runs the knife's blade in front of his neck with the other as blood streams out before the gang completely decapitates him.

The New Jalisco Generation Cartel has been waging a turf war with the Zetas Old School since 2010 but it wasn't until 2015 that it really intensified as both groups issued threats and executions against each other.

New Jalisco Generation Cartel is led by Nemesio 'El Mencho' Oseguera Cervantes (pictured), a former ally of Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman

But the Zetas Old School aren't the only ones to have found themselves in the crosshairs of the the New Jalisco Generation Cartel.

Under the leadership of Nemesio 'El Mencho' Oseguera Cervantes, one of Mexico's most-wanted drug lords - who was once associated with El Chapo's Sinaloa Cartel - the gang has unleashed an all-out bloody battle against the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel over who should control the illicit sale of gasoline.

'El Mencho' is also wanted by the United States Department of Justice, which is offering a $10million reward for his capture.
A woman has narrowly escaped death after a lorry crashed through a kindergarten in south-east China.

The nursery employee was sent flying after the out-of-control truck ploughed through the building's brick wall at Sansan Kindergarten in Pingxiang, Jiangxi province on Tuesday morning.

The woman, surnamed He, sustained minor injuries and was taken to hospital, Lianhua county police said in a statement.

The nursery employee was sent flying after the out-of-control truck ploughed through the building's brick wall at Sansan Kindergarten in Pingxiang, Jiangxi province on Tuesday

Crowds gather at the scene after the truck slammed through the nursery's brick wall

Dramatic footage at about 7:50am shows the woman standing in the front yard of the nursery when the red truck rammed through the metal gates and a brick wall at high speed.

The woman was sent flying on impact and buried in the debris.

The lorry driver, surnamed Li, immediately got off the vehicle and checked on the woman while others called emergency services.

According to Lianhua county police, the driver was trying to avoid an electric scooter that was making a turn and swerved off course when it crashed.

Dramatic footage at about 7:50am shows the woman standing in the front yard of the nursery when the red truck rammed through the metal gates and a brick wall at high speed

The lorry driver, surnamed Li, immediately got off the vehicle and checked on the woman

According to Lianhua county police, the driver was trying to avoid an electric scooter that was making a turn and swerved off course when it crashed

Police said the lorry had also clipped the scooter during the crash and the rider suffered minor injuries.

No children at the kindergarten were hurt in the accident.

The female worker and male rider remain under observation at a local hospital while investigations are ongoing, authorities added.

It is unclear if the truck driver, Li, would be charged.
Sickening video of a father and son illegally shooting a denning black bear and her cubs has been released.

The video released on Wednesday shows Andrew Renner, 41, and Owen Renner, 18, shooting the bear sow and cubs on Alaska's Esther Island in Prince William Sound in April 2018.

The footage, shot by a hidden camera as part of a research study, had been withheld by authorities until after the father and son were sentenced in January of this year.

The cubs can be heard shrieking after the son killed the sow bear, before Andrew Renner fires point-blank into the den, killing the cubs.

A video released on Wednesday shows Andrew Renner, 41, (right) and Owen Renner, 18, shooting the bear sow and cubs on Alaska's Esther Island in Prince William Sound in April 2018

The father and son high-five after killing the bear and her cubs. It is illegal to kill black bear cubs or a sow with cubs in Alaska

Andrew Renner (left) was sentenced to three months in jail and his son Owen Renner, 18, (right in 2014) was sentenced to 30 days of suspended time

'They'll never be able to link it to us,' Owen Renner says to his father after the two drag the sow from den and trade high-fives.

The crystal-clear video shows the son posing shirtless with the dead bear and holding its claws up for their camera.

'You and me don't f**k around, we pretty much, we go where we want to kill s**t,' Owen Renner is heard telling his father.

The father and son butchered the adult bear off camera and took the meat and skin away in game bags, according to police.

Police say that the pair took the skin to the Alaska Department of Fish & Game in Palmer, lying about where he took the bear and saying he saw no cubs.

It is illegal to kill bear cubs or a sow bear with cubs in Alaska.

The video shows the duo returning two days later to collect shell casings and the bodies of the cubs.

Owen Renner held up the dead bear sow's claws as his father took a photo

Owen Renner poses with the slain adult bear after killing it with his father

The video shows the duo returning two days later to collect shell casings and the dead cubs

Andrew and Owen Renner, both of Wasilla, were charged with unlawfully taking female bear with cubs, two charges of unlawfully taking cubs, and possessing and transporting illegally taken game.

Additionally, Andrew Renner was charged with tampering with evidence, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and second degree falsification.

Authorities say Andrew Renner falsified documentation about shooting the bear when it was really his son who opened fire. He also failed to note how many bears they had illegally killed.

In January, Andrew Renner was sentenced to five months in jail with two months suspended.

He was also ordered to pay a fine of $20,000 with $11,000 suspended, forfeit his 22 Sea Sport ocean boat and trailer, 2012 GMC Sierra pickup truck, two rifles, two handguns, two iPhones, and two sets of backcountry skis which were used in the offenses. His hunting license was revoked for 10 years.

Owen Renner (seen in 2014) was sentenced to suspended jail time, community works service and required to take a hunter's safety course. His hunting license was suspended for two years

Andrew Renner was sentenced to five months in jail with two months suspended, as well as various fines and forfeitures. His hunting license was suspended for 10 years

Owen Renner was sentenced to suspended jail time, community works service and required to take a hunter's safety course. His hunting license was suspended for two years.

Both defendants were ordered to pay $1,800 restitution, the amount set by statute for illegally killing black bears.

The bears they killed were part of a study by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and the U.S. Forest Service.

A motion-activated game camera that had been stationed at the den was recording as part of the study, wildlife troopers said. The sow was wearing a tracking collar.

It is not necessarily illegal to kill a collared bear, though the collar must be surrendered to wildlife officials, and authorities warn that killing collared bears disrupts studies.
Patrick Murphy, 57, is scheduled to receive a lethal injection at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas on Thursday at 6pm

A member of the 'Texas 7' gang of escaped prisoners who is scheduled to be executed over a policeman's killing 18 years ago says his life should be spared because he didn't fire the fatal shots.

Patrick Murphy, 57, is scheduled to receive a lethal injection at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas on Thursday at 6pm.

He was among seven inmates who escaped from a South Texas prison and fatally shot 29-year-old Dallas police officer Aubrey Hawkins during a Christmas Eve robbery in 2000.

Murphy said he was only the getaway driver during the crime spree and was not the one who shot the officer 11 times.

He was still sentenced to die in 2003 after being convicted of capital murder of a police officer.

In his final interview before his scheduled execution, Murphy told CBS said he believed his death was 'vengeance'.

'I don't think sentencing and culpability about law of parties is about justice. I think it's about vengeance,' he said.

'I'm not challenging the guilt of the crime. My role was basically really to be the getaway driver. I'm sorry. I regret what occurred.'

Murphy was serving a 50-year sentence for aggravated sexual assault when he and six other inmates broke out of a maximum security prison in Kenedy on December 13, 2000.

Murphy was among seven inmates who escaped from a South Texas prison and fatally shot 29-year-old Dallas police officer Aubrey Hawkins (above) during a Christmas Eve robbery in 2000

The members of the Texas 7 gang (left to right) Joseph C. Garcia, Randy Ethan Halprin, Larry Jame Harper and Patrick Murphy, Donald Keith Newbury, George Rivas and Michael Anthony Rodriguez

Eleven days later, they donned fake security guard uniforms to steal firearms from a sporting goods store in Irving on Christmas Eve.

The officer was shot and killed by the group as they fled.

Hawkins, who had been with the Irving police force about 14 months, had just finished Christmas Eve dinner with his family when he responded to the call about the robbery at a sporting goods store and was ambushed.

The escaped inmates were caught a month later at a Colorado RV park following a six-week manhunt.

One of the inmates killed himself as officers closed in and the other six were all convicted and sentenced to death.

Murphy would be the fifth to be executed.

The sixth inmate, Randy Halprin, has not yet been given an execution date.

Since his sentence, Murphy's attorneys have filed several unsuccessful appeals challenging the merits of the case, including the constitutionality of the law of parties statute.

Murphy's attorneys filed an appeal on Tuesday to stop his execution, arguing his death sentence is unconstitutional because he was only the lookout during the robbery and was not a major participant in the crime.

In his final interview before his scheduled execution, Murphy told CBS said he believed his death was 'vengeance'

Eleven days later, they donned fake security guard uniforms to steal firearms from a sporting goods store in Irving on Christmas Eve. The officer was shot and killed by the group as they fled

The death row inmate, who became a Buddhist almost a decade ago while incarcerated, has also asked that his execution be stopped until prison officials allow his spiritual advisor, a Buddhist priest, to be with him when he is put to death.

His lawyers allege the officials' actions violate Murphy's First Amendment right to freedom of religion. The request was turned down this week by a federal judge in Houston and by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans.

Murphy's attorneys also contend his execution should be stopped because Texas lawmakers are debating in the current legislative session whether to change the law of parties to prohibit a death sentence for any individual convicted for the conduct of a co-conspirator.

Toby Shook, the lead prosecutor who handled Murphy's case and those of the other five members, said Murphy actively participated in the robbery, monitoring a police scanner from a getaway vehicle and telling the other inmates when Hawkins was coming to the back of the store.

'He alerted them. That allowed them to set up their ambush,' said Shook, who is now a criminal defense attorney in Dallas.

Murphy was serving 50 years for a Dallas sexual assault but was only 15 months away from being released on mandatory parole when he took part in the prison escape.

Shook said Murphy has a very long and violent criminal history, including molesting his step-sister and pulling a gun on his father.

'They all were violent felons,' Shook said.

'He fit in perfectly with the rest of the Texas 7. He actively participated in all their robberies and all their crimes when they were out on the run.'
Two British citizens are among the 12 people arrested on suspicion of smuggling after more than 2million of cocaine was seized on a cruise liner in Madeira.

The six men and six women aged between 20 and 52, were detained after the MSC Opera arrived in Madeira's capital, Funchal, from the Caribbean on March 24.

The joint operation between National Crime Agency and Judicial Police of Portugal found 18 kilos of cocaine - with a potential street value of more than 2million - hidden in bowls and crisp packets.

The joint operation between National Crime Agency and Judicial Police of Portugal found 18 kilos of cocaine hidden in bowls and crisp packets (pictured)

An NCA spokesman said: 'Twelve people, including two UK citizens and a Dutch national living in London, have been arrested in Madeira as part of an investigation into drug smuggling on a cruise ship.

'Six of those arrested, including the two UK citizens and the Dutch national living in London, had recently arrived on the island from the UK and were due to travel on from Madeira to various locations in Europe, including the UK.

'Four had been passengers on the cruise. All twelve have been detained pending prosecution in the Portuguese courts.'

Pictured, the bowls and cash seized as part of the operation. The six men and six women aged between 20 and 52, were arrested on March 24

Allan Round, NCA operations manager at the Joint Border Intelligence Unit, added: 'We believe this operation will have seriously disrupted an organised crime group looking to traffick cocaine into the UK and Europe.

'Working with our Portuguese colleagues we have been able to act on intelligence at speed and prevent this quantity of drugs from reaching its final destination.

'Once in the UK we know cocaine generates huge profits for criminal networks who are also involved in street violence and exploitation, so stopping it will help reduce the harm caused by them.'

A spokesperson for MSC Cruises said: 'MSC Cruises confirms that it has closely cooperated with the relevant local authorities for the successful completion of a drug trafficking operation regarding the smuggling by passengers of illegal substances on board its MSC Opera.

'The vessel reached Funchal, Portugal, on Sunday on her return voyage from the Caribbean.'
The EU is ready to see the UK leave without a deal in a fortnight as Brussels increasingly loses patience with politicians in London, a senior MEP has claimed

Belgian Green Philippe Lamberts said the weary union knew that Britain crashing out on April 12 was the most likely outcome with Westminster embroiled in ever increasing turmoil.

'That's the state of mind in Brussels,' said Mr Lamberts, who sits on the European Parliament's Brexit steering group, to the BBC.

'Both in the European institutions and the member states, people have come to realise that, in absence of a positive majority in the UK, the by-default result will be a no-deal Brexit.

'We don't like it, but you have to prepare for things that you don't necessarily like.'

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that 'people who were in the room' when EU27

leaders devised their 'flextension' plan last week had told him that 'people have grown accustomed to the idea that maybe the unfortunate no-deal Brexit scenario will unfold'.

Following the defeat of all eight options in Wednesday's indicative votes exercise, Mr Lamberts said: 'Again, what we have witnessed are negative majorities - majorities against something. That's what Westminster has shown us for the last year or so.

'At some point in time, you will need a positive majority to emerge around an option, whatever that option is. Being against something is not enough.'

Pro-Brexit protesters outside the Houses of Parliament today. MEP Philippe Lamberts said Brussels was preparing for a no-deal Brexit as Westminster was engulfed in chaos

Former prime minister David Cameron today urged warring MPs to compromise to get some sort of Brexit deal through the 'stuck' Parliament.

The ex-Tory leader, who quit after leaving the failed Remain campaign in the 2016 election said two of four main factions in the Commons - spanning all opinions on Brexit - would have to compromise.

But he declined to say who he would back to replace Theresa May when she stands down, telling ITV News: Its not for me to say.

He said: The basic problem is that Parliament is stuck.

There are four groups in Parliament; people who want the PMs deal, people who want no deal, people who want a second referendum and people who want a softer Brexit.

We - the Government - has to try and find a way of getting at least two of those groups to work together, to combine their options, to compromise to find that partnership agreement and I hope that is what will happen.

The European Commission has urged MPs to agree a way forward on Brexit following the 'indicative votes' in the Commons on Wednesday.

'The commission takes note of the indicative votes in the House of Commons last night,' the commission's chief spokesman Margaritis Schinas told reporters in Brussels.

'This is part of an ongoing political process in the United Kingdom which we fully respect.

'We counted eight 'noes' last night. Now we need a 'yes' on the way forward.'

European Council chief Donald Tusk claimed there was an 'increasing majority' of British people now wanting to stay in the EU yesterday.

He repeated reports that one million people turned up for a march in favour of a second referendum on Saturday and that six million had signed a petition to repeal Article 50.

However, both figures are heavily disputed with experts telling the Daily Mail that the number who attended the march was actually much nearer 300,000.

A Mail reporter was also able to sign the anti-Brexit petition on the Government's official website multiple times by simply inserting a different email address each time.

And yesterday a spokesman for the House of Commons said hundreds of thousands of signatures are from people who do not live in the UK. Last night nearly 5.9million had signed it. Mr Tusk has repeatedly insisted the Brexit vote was fuelled by 'disinformation' and false claims.

Arguing that Britain should be able to delay Brexit for as long as it wants  or even reverse it  he told Euro-MPs: 'You cannot betray the six million people who signed the petition to revoke Article 50, the one million people who marched for a People's Vote, or the increasing majority of people who want to remain in the European Union.

'They may feel they are not sufficiently represented by the UK Parliament, but they must feel that they are represented by you in this chamber because they are Europeans.'

European Council president Donald Tusk addressed MEPs in Strasbourg, France, yesterday, telling them there was an 'increasing majority of people' in the UK who want to stay in the EU

European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker gives Mr Tusk a continental greeting at the start of the meeting

But Tory MEP David Campbell Bannerman was deeply critical, saying: 'Tusk is using selective figures and dodgy claims that are not worthy of the president of the EU Council. His speech today was a disgrace and were highly biased claims. These are fake claims. It's shameful interference in our internal affairs. He will merely encourage Brexiteers to get out faster.'

It is not the first time Brussels chiefs have repeated claims one million people attended Saturday's march and that millions have signed the Government petition.

On Tuesday Guy Verhofstadt, chairman of the EU Parliament's influential Brexit Steering Group, claimed the figures showed there was a 'real Brexit revolt'.

And EU Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker lashed out at MPs who last night held a series of votes on the sort of Brexit they want having rejected Theresa May's deal twice. He said: 'If I were to compare Great Britain to a sphynx, the sphynx would be an open book by comparison. And let's see how that book speaks over the next week or so.'

Crowd control analysts have dismissed claims one million people took part in Saturday's march.

Former Ukip leader Nigel farage was among those who was present at the parliamentary session, but appeared less than impressed by what he heard

Andrew Seeds, of event safety consultancy firm Hornersalus, analysed footage of the march.

He said: 'We would state that it is extremely unlikely that one million people attended Saturday's People's Vote march. The area in which the crowd occupied is simply not great enough to allow for this number of people to attend without a high likelihood of crushing injuries.'

He said he agreed with separate estimates made by world-leading Professor of Crowd Science at Manchester Metropolitan University, Keith Still, that the demo was most likely between 312,000 and 400,000.

Eric Kant, a crowd management specialist based in the Netherlands for firm Phase01, went further, saying the true figure was most likely somewhere between 200,000 and 300,000. He said: 'It was a huge crowd last week, but I do not think the initial one million figure is realistic.'

Using the latest cutting-edge techniques, he also analysed the numbers on the previous People's Vote march in October.

At the time organisers claimed nearly 700,000 attended, a figure repeated by mainstream media outlets such as the BBC. But Mr Kant said the true number was most likely around 105,000.

A People's Vote spokesman said their one million figure was 'soundly based on the available information', adding: 'It's exceptionally difficult to judge the size of a crowd of this scale, spread out over such a large area and where people are joining and leaving over the course of many hours.'

A spokesman for Mr Tusk said he was quoting figures he had seen reported in the media.

Regarding the online petition a Commons spokesman said around 4 per cent of signatures were from outside the UK. They added: 'The Government Digital Service use a number of techniques to identify and block signatures from bots, disposable email addresses or other sources that show signs of fraudulent activity.'
Nineteen more migrants have reportedly arrived in two boats off the Kent coast early this morning.

The boats were intercepted by Border Force officials they were spotted near the coast of Dover at 4.15am.

Their interception means that since March 21 a total of 64 migrants have been caught trying to get across the Channel and start a new life in the UK.

Border Force officials intercepted a boat carrying suspected migrants off the coast of Kent this morning. A total of 19 people were taken from two boats approaching Dover at 4.15am

This morning's group is believed to contain 11 men, a woman and two children

More than 60 migrants have attempted to enter the UK without authorisation over the past eight days

No further details of the migrants are available at this early stage.

It comes after a boat carrying 14 migrants - including two children - arrived off the Kent coast in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

The group, which included nine men, a woman and two children, were discovered and presented themselves as Iraqi nationals. Two other men claimed to be Iranian.

Police were alerted to the incident at around 1am.

A Border Force cutter was sent to the scene and identified the vessel close to Folkestone travelling towards the UK coast.

The group have interviewed by immigration officials from the Home Office.

More than 60 migrants have been intercepted attempting to cross the channel into the UK over the past eight days

It is feared more migrants will attempt the perilous cross channel journey as the weather improves with the approach of summer

Hundreds of migrants have made the perilous trip from Calais to Dover - the busiest shipping lane in the world - since last November.

Last week 24 migrants were detained by Border Force in three separate incidents.

It is feared the numbers of people making the crossing will increase over the coming weeks as the weather improves.

Earlier in the week, a woman and a child thought to be from Eritrea, were held at Teesport, Middlesbrough, at 7pm on Monday, on suspicion of entering the UK on a cargo ship.

The woman was taken to hospital complaining of chest pains, but has since been discharged.

The child was taken into the care of social services.

Border Force, the Home Office agency, said the cases of all seven people will now be dealt with according to immigration rules.

The UK Border Force has a vessel in the Channel on call to attend suspected migrant sightings

Government agencies have launched a poster urging the public to report suspicious boats that may contain illegal immigrants.

The illustration, designed as part of a multi-agency campaign called Project Kraken between the UK Border Force, National Crime Agency and Kent Police shows a lighthouse beam with the words 'Seen something suspicious?'

It has been put up in the towns of Dover and Deal in Kent.

Members of the public who work in the maritime industries, or near a harbour and those who dive, fish, visit the coast regularly or live there are being encouraged to be vigilant.

Project Kraken is also supported by the Association of Chief Police Officers and Action Counters Terrorism (ACT).

The campaign wants people to look out for things such as boats arriving at unusual times or in isolated locations and people taking an interest in port security or buildings.

Other things they ask people to look out for include vessels with unusual modifications or minor damage.

It also asks people to look out for attempts to signal to vessels offshore or guide them into an unusual landfall.

Charlie Elphicke, MP for Dover and Deal, said: 'Its very important to be vigilant.

'But in terms of people trafficking, this is the wrong thing to be focusing on.

'We need stronger border security on the French side of the Channel.

'The best way to deter these dangerous crossings is for traffickers to know they will not succeed. Yet if they have reached our waters, they have succeeded.

'Thats why we need the Channel to be made a joint UK/France security zone with 24/7 aerial surveillance along the French coast, so that migrants can be picked up and returned safely to France.'
An Amber Alert has been issued for a one-year-old Georgia girl who is believed to be in 'extreme danger' after being abducted by her father.

The Arcade Police Department said Baylee Sue Peeples was taken from her home just before 2am on Thursday by Robert Peeples, 39, who was described as a 'non-custodial parent.'

The legal term refers to a parent who does not have physical custody of his minor child as a result of a court order.

Where is Baylee? An Amber Alert was issued Thursday for Baylee Sue Peeples, 1, who is believed to be in 'extreme danger' following her nighttime abduction

Baylee was last seen at a home on Rock Forge Road in Jefferson. Investigators said Peeples could be taking the toddler to Winder, Gwinnett, or Mississippi.

Baylee's father, 39-year-old Robert Peeples, is a 'non-custodial' parent who is suspected of kidnapping the child from her home

The little girl is 3 feet tall, weighing 25lbs, with blue eyes and blonde curly hair. She was last seen wearing a pink shirt decorated with hearts and the words 'Always Amazing,' and a pink-and-black jacket with 'Love' printed on it.

Peeples is described as 5-foot-10 and weighing 187lbs, with blue eyes and blond buzz-cut hair.

The pair are believed to be traveling in a 1993 white GMC Vandura with the Georgia license plate RIK1620.

Their last pinged location was Lawrenceville Highway and Pleasant Hill Road in Gwinnett County at 4.30am.

Records show that Robert Peeples has a criminal record dating back to the 1990s, which includes convictions on theft and marijuana charges.

Anyone with information on the Peeples' whereabouts is being asked to call the Arcade Police Department at 706-367-1821.
Socialite Lee Radziwill signed her Last Will and Testament five months before her February death and it has now been exclusively obtained by DailyMailTV

Lee Bouvier Radziwill's Last Will and Testament stipulates that her lone surviving child, Anna Christina 'Tina' Radziwill, is the primary beneficiary of her estimated $50million estate and that her daughter-in-law, Carole DiFalco Radziwill, was left out entirely, with not a single mention of the former 'The Real Housewives of New York City' star.

The beloved socialite and ex-princess, the younger sister of former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, died at age 85 of natural causes on February 15th at her apartment on Manhattan's Upper East Side.

The 16-page will was signed by Lee on September 20, 2018, less than five months before her passing. It was filed in New York County in lower Manhattan on March 22, 2019, and obtained exclusively by DailyMailTV.

Not only was Carole, who was married to the late Anthony Radziwill, not named in the Will, neither was Lee's niece, Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg, or any of her brood of three, Rose, Tatiana and John.

However, when Jackie passed in 1994, her will generously instructed that each of Lee's children were left $500,000.

Anna Christina 'Tina' Radziwill, Lee's lone surviving child, will inherit her estimated $50million estate, though the will does not specifically give an amount. Tina is pictured at her mother's funeral on February 25

Lee's niece Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg (right), the daughter of her older sister First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, was left out of the will, along with her daughter in law, Real Housewives of New York star Carole Radziwill (left)

Lee Radziwill died age 85 at her home in New York City. Her daughter Tina followed her mother's wicker casket as it was carried out of the church after a memorial last month

Because Anthony predeceased his mother, Lee stated in the will 'that I have (1) child, Anna Christina Radziwill (hereinafter 'Tina') and directs her Executors to 'sell all my right, title and interest in and to any cooperative apartment occupied by me at the time of my death as my residence, vacation residence or part-time residence, together with the proprietary lease thereto, and all shares of stock or other securities in and claims against the corporation owning the building in which said apartment is located, as soon after my death as may be practicable and to dispose of the net proceeds of such sale as part of my residuary estate.'

At the time of her death, Lee resided in a co-op apartment at 160 East 72nd Street in Manhattan. She used to split her time between there and Paris, where she kept a pied-a-terre. Downsizing in 2017, she put the luxe pad on the market, asking $4million.

Throughout much of her storied life - much of it having been lived in the shadow of Jackie - Lee reportedly came up short on funds and would then turn to her sister to help bail her out and to finance her lavish, jet setting lifestyle.

Even though Jackie, whose estate was valued at upwards of $200million, didn't designate a single penny for Lee in her own Will, she explained that perceived slight by stating: 'I have already [provided for my sister] during my lifetime' as the reason for cutting her out cold.

While sources say Lee was also strapped for cash as her life came to a close, this despite any money left to her by her three husbandsnumber three Herbert Ross, the director and producer was particularly wealthyher will sheds light on a trust that was set up for her decades ago.

'My mother, Janet Lee Auchincloss, created a trust for my benefit and gave me a special power of appointment over the principal of the trust,' it reads.

The 'agreement, dated August 11, 1975, between Jacqueline Bouvier Onassis, as Grantor and Lee B Radziwill and United States Trust Company of New York, as Trustees, created a trust for my benefit and granted me a special power of appointment over the principal of the trust.'

The will further reveals that Tina, as surviving her mother, becomes the beneficiary of this and the other trusts in her and her mom's names. The principal value was not revealed and it, in the above cited paragraph that appears on page two of the Will, was the only time Jackie was was referenced.

DailyMailTV exclusively obtained Lee Radziwill's 16-page Last Will and Testament that was signed by Lee on September 20, 2018, less than five months before her passing

Tina, now 58, has led a quiet life, shunning the limelight and got little notice by the press at her mom's funeral compared to the arrival of her famous Kennedy cousin Caroline and other better known faces.

Residing in New York City, Tina's occupation is listed as a producer. She was married briefly to man named Ottavio Arancio a professor of medicine at Columbia University, from 1999 to 2005. The couple had no children.

Her father was her mother's second husband, the late Polish Prince Stanislaw A. Radziwill. The couple divorced in 1974 and Stash, as he was known, died two years later in 1976.

In June of 1961, her uncle and then President John F. Kennedy attended Tina's baptism at Westminster Cathedral in London.

A distant relative of the current British royal family, she is descended from Sophia of Hanover. However, she is not in line of succession to the British throne because she is Roman Catholic.

As for the Will's executors, instead of appointing Tina or another family member, Lee opted for two friendsHamilton South, of Cornwall, Connecticut, and Martin B O'Connor, II, of Harding Township, New Jersey.

South, who was also a close friend of Lee's niece, the late Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, gave the eulogy at Lee's Requiem funeral mass at the Church of Saint Thomas More in New York City on February 25th.

And in a rare tweet from him on that day the public relations pro wrote: 'Lee Radziwill was superior to everyone. She left this world underwhelmed by us all.'

O'Connor, on the other hand, is the managing partner of the law firm of O'Connor, Morss & O'Connor of Elizabeth, New Jersey.

In a letter from Lee to O'Connor dated August 22, 2018, she writes, 'In my will which I signed today, I have named you and Hamilton South as co-Executors. You have acted as my attorney in the past, we have been friends for many years and I have great confidence in your integrity and abilities.

'Furthermore, your financial acumen were additional factors in my decision to name you as co-Executor. I have also named you and Hamilton as successor co-Trustees under the revocable trust agreement.'

Lee on the day od the wedding of Carole and Anthony in 1994

Lee and Carole, pictured together in 2014, were especially close after Anthony Radziwill died

Close friends of Lee's, Hamilton South (left) and Martin B O'Connor II (right), have been named co-Executors of the estate, instead of naming Tina or another family member

Depending on the value of the style icon's probated estate, the executors, as she outlined in her letter, can earn in commission anywhere from two to four percent.

'So for example, if my probate estate is valued at $1,000,000 my Executor would be entitled to receive commissions of $34,000, in accordance with New York State statutory rates now in effect.' Whether that is the true value of Lee's estate wasn't specified.

In addition to doling out legal advice, the married O'Connor (to former Vanity Fair features editor and 'celebrity wrangler' Jane Sarkin) has from time to time escorted Lee out on the town in the Big Apple, like when they attended an art gallery reception back in 2008.

Lee's relationship with her 55-year-old daughter-in-law Carole 'waxed and waned' following Anthony's tragic cancer death in August 1999less then a month after his cousin and best friend John F Kennedy, Jr's plane crashing into the ocean killed him, his wife Carolyn Bessette and her sister Lauren.

But the two were close and especially supported each other after Anthony's death.

In a touching tribute Carole wrote about Lee for DailyMailTV, just three days after her passing, she remarked that even though Anthony was gonethe glue that ordinarily would have naturally bound the two women togethershe always introduced her as her daughter-in-law.

'Even after long absences, when it felt undeserved, she never wavered. Anthony and I didn't have children, so there was little in the way of family ties to keep us linked,' she wrote. 'What we had most in common was heartbreak, the thing we wanted to escape.'

The First Lady of the land, Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy, and her sister, Lee Radziwill (right) were considered the world's most famous sisters during the 1960s. Jackie left her sister out of her estimated $200million Will, stating'I have already [provided for my sister] during my lifetime' as the reason for cutting her out cold

Despite being married three times, once to Polish Prince Stanislaw A. Radziwill (pictured), Lee was known to be strapped for cash. But the will sheds light on a trust that was set up for her decades ago by her mother

Sadly, Lee and Carole weren't able to schedule a meet-up right before the end came. In fact, they hadn't seen each other in months but did speak one last time by phone two weeks beforehand.

The David Monn-designed funeral, with its huge urns of pink and white flowers that flanked the alter, attracted the likes of Lee's old flame Peter Beard, the photographer; fashion designer pals Marc Jacobs, Tory Burch and Carolina Herrera; socialite Deeda Blair; Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner; Caroline and Ed Schlossberg; director Sophia Coppola; as well as former Vogue editor Andre Leon Talley.

After the hour-long service, the wicker casket with Lee's remains was taken for cremation. Her ashes were later presented to Tina.

Despite having money woes (as in not/never enough) during her life, Lee's wishes were that her funeral bill be paid pronto.

In fact, the first item in her will states that 'I direct that all my debts and funeral expenses be paid as soon after my death as may be practicable.' She also instructed that no extraordinary means, or special accounting loopholes, be taken to avoid paying any death taxes.
Five female staff members at a kindergarten in China have been punished after photographing the genitals of more than a dozen boys in class.

The group of educators, including the kindergarten's 76-year-old founder and 37-year-old headmistress, took pictures of 16 boys' privates without informing the children's parents or getting their consent beforehand, police said.

They were given detention ranging from five to 10 days after the shocking incident emerged in southern China's Shenzhen city.

A picture from the Meilin Kindergarten's WeChat account shows the interior of the school in Shenzhen. Five of the kindergarten's female staff have been investigated and punished

The incident took place at the Meilin Kindergarten, which bills itself as a 'top class' kindergarten in Guangdong Province.

Apart from the founder and the headmistress, the other detainees were the kindergarten's 42-year-old nurse and two lifestyle teachers, aged 39 and 38, according to a statement from Futian District Police in Shenzhen.

One of the lifestyle teachers, Ms Zhao, repeatedly took pictures of the boys' privates with her phone before sending the images to other people on a popular messaging app, furious parents told a Chinese TV station.

Several parents receive an interview by a reporter from Guangdong Radio and Television Station after discovering that teachers took pictures of their sons' privates in the class

The kindergarten explained that Ms Zhao had snapped the pictures 'out of care for her pupils', according to the parents.

They said the kindergarten told them that the female teacher had seen some of the boys playing with their privates and wanted to seek advice from an experienced doctor with the images, according to Guangdong Radio and Television Station.

According to the TV report, parents discovered the situation after one of them queried in the parents' messaging group whether their children had had their privates photographed by teachers.

One mother, Ms Fu, says she was shocked and fuming after her son told her what happened

Several parents asked their sons and were devastated to be told 'yes'.

'[My son] said he was photographed three times a day by the lifestyle teacher Ms Zhao,' one mother, Ms Fu, told reporters, adding she was shocked and fuming.

Angry mothers and fathers stormed the kindergarten and found Ms Zhao.

They discovered the pictures in question in Ms Zhao's mobile phone and found out that she had been sending the images to her contacts on Chinese messaging platform WeChat.

It is said that the teacher had taken pictures of all of the boys in a class, and she had sent them to a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner on WeChat for advice.

The incident occurred in a kindergarten in Futian District (pictured) in cosmopolitan Shenzhen

Ms Fu expressed concerns over her son's future education. She said the boy had been traumatised by the experienced and refused to go back to the kindergarten.

Another mother, Ms Zhang, said the teachers should have informed the parents if they noticed the boys' 'unusual' behaviour, instead of taking pictures of their genitalia.

According to Futian Police, the kindergarten staff had violated the privacy of the children according to China's Public Security Administration Punishment Law.

They issued the penalties to the five educators yesterday.

They gave a 500 yuan (56) fine to a 31-year-old male teacher, Mr Zhang, who also involved in the case, police said.

The 10-day detention to the founder Ms Ren and the headmistress Ms Xiao would not be carried out because Ms Ren is more than 70 years old and the Ms Xiao is breastfeeding her baby, the authority added.

Ms Xiao and the kindergarten's nurse have been sacked by the Futian Education Bureau.

The Bureau has vowed to give extra punishment to the others involved in the case.
A billionaire family that owns the company accused of sparking America's opioid crisis with its mass production and aggressive marketing of OxyContin is being sued by the state of New York for 'putting profits above patient safety'.

New York on Thursday amended an existing lawsuit against pill maker Purdue Pharma to add eight members of its controlling Sackler family as defendants: Richard, Jonathan, Mortimer, Kathe, David, Beverly and Theresa Sackler, as well as Ilene Sackler Lefcourt.

The state, which averages nine opioid-related deaths per day, also added as defendants five other companies that produce opioid painkillers and four drug distributors.

'This is an extensive lawsuit that leaves no stone unturned,' New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, said at a news conference.

The latest complaint asserts that while all ten companies named 'caused this disaster together', Purdue 'undoubtedly tipped the first domino' when it introduced OxyContin in 1996.

It accuses the Sackler family of creating a 'scheme to expand the opioids market through a predatory campaign of lies, payoffs and high-pressure sales tactics' - which paved the way for other drugmakers to do the same.

Eight members of the Sackler family, which owns OxyContin producer Purdue Pharma, have been named as defendants in an opioid lawsuit brought by the state of New York. One of the defendants is Theresa Sackler, the widow of Purdue co-founder Mortimer Sackler, who died in 2010. The pair are pictured together in 2004

Beverly Sackler, wife of co-founder Raymond Sackler, has also been named in the lawsuit. The couple are pictured together before Raymond's death in 2017

The lawsuit seeks penalties and damages that could add up to tens of millions of dollars and a dedicated fund to curb the opioid epidemic, which is described in a complaint as a 'statewide catastrophe'.

It also seeks to have the companies stripped of their licenses and barred from marketing and distributing painkillers in New York until they abide by strict safeguards.

The companies are accused in the suit of deliberately betraying their duties under state drug laws 'in order to profiteer from the plague they knew would be unleashed'.

The complaint stresses that understanding the 'unique role' played by each company implicated is impossible without looking at 'the entire picture - how drugs long known to be dangerous came to be dispensed like candy, and how two related, highly-regulated industries chose dollars over duties to make that happen'.

Prosecutors state early in the 269-page: 'The taproot of the opioid epidemic is easy to identify: OxyContin.'

Purdue came up with the idea to develop prescription pain pills for non-cancer patients in the late 1980s because the then-small manufacturer's patent for MS Contin, a form of morphine intended for cancer patients, was about to expire.

'The solution Purdue and the Sacklers settled on was to develop a controlled-release formulation of the synthetic opioid oxycodone, despite the fact that "relatively little [was] known about the clinical pharmacology" of that drug,' the complaint says.

It launched OxyContin in 1996 'with the explicit strategy of positioning it as an opioid that physicians could responsibly prescribe to address a broad spectrum of pain relief, in contrast to existing (and, paradoxically, less potent) opioids on the market, which had the "stigma" of only being appropriate for cancer and end-of-life pain,' according to the complaint.

Richard Sackler, then senior vice president responsible for sales, proudly told the audience at an OxyContin launch party in 1996 that it would create a 'blizzard of prescriptions that will bury the competition,' the lawsuit said.

Five children of Purdue Pharma founding brothers Mortimer, Raymond have been named in the suit, including Mortimer's daughters Kathe Sackler (left) and Ilene Sackler (right)

Raymond's sons, Jonathan (left) and Richard (right) were also named in the New York lawsuit. Richard headed Purdue Pharma from 1999 to 2003 and oversaw much of the increasing sales of OxyContin as it was being advertised

Mortimer Sackler's son Mortimer David Alfons Sackler (above with wife Jacqueline in 2006) and Raymond Sackler's grandson David Sackler have also been named in the lawsuit

Purdue then allegedly launched a 'fraudulent scheme' to reverse the stigma surrounding prescription pain medications - and other manufacturers followed suit.

'To make [health care providers] feel comfortable prescribing dangerously high dosages of opioids, the Manufacturer Defendants repeatedly invoked an overarching myth of an "epidemic" of untreated pain in America in which as many as 100 million adults were allegedly suffering silently,' the complaint alleges.

'The truth is that individuals with severe chronic painwho deserve the safe and effective treatment that can be accomplished in most cases without opioids are far fewer in number.'

By 2000, the six manufacturer defendants named in the suit were spending a combined $91million on marketing efforts annually.

That number climbed to nearly $300million by 2012, with $110million spent by Purdue and $142million by Janssen.

Included in those expenditures are direct payments to the health care providers writing opioid prescriptions, hiring respected doctors to tout the drug and sending sales reprsentatives on more than a million sales visits to doctors' offices.'

According to the New York lawsuit, opioid manufacturers employed 10 main false and misleading claims about prescription use, as outlined below:

The risk of addiction from chronic opioid therapy is low

Signs of addictive behavior are 'pseudoaddiction' potentially requiring more opioids

The risk of addiction can be easily identified and managed

Opioid withdrawal can be avoided by tapering

Opioid doses can be increased without limits or greater risk

Long-term opioid use improves functioning

Alternative forms of pain relief pose greater risk than opioids

Extended release drugs provide 12 or more hours of pain relief

Newly developed but more expensive formulations of opioids successfully deter abuse

The manufacturer defendants worked diligently to detect and prevent diversion of opioids

The New York complaint accuses manufacturers of manipulating reputable organizations to push their misleading messages.

One of the most aggressive offenders was Purdue, according to the complaint.

Purdue's company practices caught up with it in 2007 when it was hit with federal felony charges for misbranding OxyContin. At the time of the charges, Richard Sackler was CEO, Jonathan, Kathe and Mortimer were vice presidents and Richard, Jonathan, Kathe, Mortimer, Ilene, Beverly and Theresa Sackler were on the company board.

Both the company and executives pleaded guilty to those charges, with Purdue forking over $600million in sanctions and the individual defendants paying more than $34million.

However, Purdue's 'deceptive marketing campaign' continued as America's opioid crisis grew more and more dire.

The heavily-redacted complaint filed in New York on Thursday alleges that Sackler family members 'methodically' destroyed paper trails that could reveal Purdue's profits (file photo)

THE SACKLER FAMILY MEMBERS NAMED IN THE NY LAWSUIT Richard S Sackler Son of Purdue co-founder Raymond Sackler

Became a member of the Purdue board in 1990 and served as co-chair from 2003 to 2018

Served as Purdue's head of research and development from 1990 through 1999, and its president from 1999 through 2003

Resides in New York, Florida and Texas Jonathan D Sackler Son of Purdue co-founder Raymond Sackler

Board member from 1990 through 2018

Resides in Connecticut David A Sackler Grandson of Raymond Sackler and son of Richard Sackler

Board member from 2012 through 2018

Resides in New York

Purchased a $6million apartment on Manhattan's East Side with the proceeds from his interests in Purdue in 2012 Mortimer D A Sackler Son of Purdue co-founder Mortimer Sackler

Board member since 1993

Resides in New York Kathe A Sackler Daughter of Purdue co-founder Mortimer Sackler

Board member from 1990 through 2018

Resides in New York and Connecticut

Owns an estate in Suffolk County valued at approximately $5million Ilene Sackler Lefcourt Daughter of Purdue co-founder Mortimer Sackler

Board member from 1990 through 2018

Resides in New York Beverly Sackler Widow of Purdue co-founder Raymond Sackler

Board member from 1993 through 2017

Resides in Connecticut Theresa Sackler Widow of Purdue co-founder Mortimer Sackler

Board member from 1993 through 2018

Resides in New York and the United Kingdom

Purchased a multimillion-dollar apartment on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue with the proceeds from her interests in Purdue in 2011 Advertisement

Several pages of the New York Attorney General's office complaint details why eight Sackler family members have been charged in addition to the company itself.

'Purdues deliberate actions to mislead prescribers and the public about the risks and benefits of long-term opioid treatment were orchestrated by the Sacklers from the launch of OxyContin through the present,' the complaint says.

'Purdue is not a publicly traded company, but rather a family business: it is completely Sackler-owned and Sackler-led. The Sacklers were directly involved in developing and sanctioning Purdues deceptive and illegal activities, and they each participated in its decisions to mislead New York providers, patients, government authorities, and insurers to normalize opioid prescribing and generate a financial windfall for themselves.

'The Sacklers control Purdue. Each of them took seats on the board of Purdue Pharma Inc. and many served as officers of Purdue entities. Together, they always controlled the directorate that gave them total power over Purdue and its officers and other employees, and they frequently exercised that power in person at Purdue headquarters, some working there on a daily basis.'

It goes on to accuse the family of 'methodically' destroying paper trails that could reveal Purdue's profits by abolishing quarterly reports, insisting that numbers be relayed only orally to board members and voted to line their own pockets with millions, often paid through offshore companies.

A Purdue Pharma spokesperson told The New York Times the company and its former directors 'vigorously deny' the charges laid out in the complaint and vowed to defend against the 'misleading allegations'.

A spokesman for the Sackler family gave the Times a similar statement, calling the allegations 'a misguided attempt to place blame where it does not belong for a complex public health crisis.'

'We strongly deny these allegations, which are inconsistent with the factual record, and will vigorously defend against them,' the spokesman said.

The announcement of New York's expanded lawsuit came two days after Purdue and the Sacklers agreed to pay $270million to the state of Oklahoma.

It was the first settlement in a recent wave of nearly 2,000 lawsuits that the company says could push it into bankruptcy.

In settling the case, Purdue denied any wrongdoing.

In a statement on the Oklahoma case, the Stamford, Connecticut-based company said the money that will go toward addiction studies and treatment in the state will help people across the country.

CEO Craig Landau said the company is committed to 'help drive solutions to the opioid addiction crisis.'

Members of the Sackler family weren't defendants in the Oklahoma case and voluntarily contributed to the settlement, the company said. 'We have profound compassion for those who are affected by addiction,' the family said in a statement.

Family and friends who have lost loved ones to OxyContin and opioid overdoses protest outside Purdue Pharma headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut in August 2018

The Sacklers have given tens of millions of dollars to New York City cultural institutions. Several members of the family own multimillion-dollar Manhattan apartments. One has a $5million Long Island estate.

In the past few weeks, as the accusations against the family have mounted, the Tate museums in London and the Guggenheim Museum in New York have cut ties with the family, and other institutions have come under pressure to turn down donations or remove the Sackler name.

New York's lawsuit underscores the impact of opioid addiction in the state. From 2010-2013, the lawsuit said, there was a three-fold increase in heroin-related deaths in New York.

Since 2013, opioid-related deaths in the state have more than doubled and there's been a 30-fold increase in fentanyl-related deaths in New York City.

The lawsuit also highlighted the death of one New York woman: Saige Earley, who was found dead last September in a bathroom stall at the Syracuse airport with a needle in her arm and a boarding pass for a flight to drug rehab in her hand.

Earley, 23, had turned to heroin after getting hooked on painkillers when she had her wisdom teeth pulled.

The other defendants in New York's lawsuit are: Johnson & Johnson and Janssen Pharmaceuticals; UK-based Mallinckrodt plc, which has an opioid manufacturing plant in Hobart, New York; Dublin-based Endo and Allergan; Israeli pharmaceutical company Teva and the drug distributors McKesson, AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and Rochester Drug Cooperative Inc.
A billionaire oligarch known as the 'fish king' will have to fight a bitter legal battle with his former business partner in the UK after losing his 4 million bid to have it heard in Russia.

Vitaly Orlov, 53, who controls of one of the world's biggest trawler fleets, had his assets frozen under a worldwide order obtained by his former business partner, Alexander Tugushev, who alleges that he was cheated out of 265 million of the Norebo fishing empire.

Mr Orlov, who shares his 13 million flat at the St George's Wharf complex with his family's former nanny while his former wife lives in an 8 million home in Surrey, argued that he lives in Russia and his case should be heard there.

Alexander Tugushev (left) alleges that he was cheated out of 265 million of the Norebo fishing empire by his former business partner Vitaly Orlov (right)

The oligarch, whose fishing firm catches one in five of the cod eaten in Britain, has two sons who attend public school in the UK and claimed he only visits the UK on business.

But the High Court rejected this claim and accepted Mr Tugushev's view that Mr Orlov resides in London and therefore it has jurisdiction to hear the case.

The dispute centres on the ownership of the giant Norebo Group, an international fishing business worth over 1bn and suppliers to Birdseye and Tesco.

The men went into business in 1997 and their venture grew into Norebo, which is valued at 1.14 billion. Its European headquarters are in Maidenhead, Berkshire.

But Mr Orlov took control of Norebo in 2016 and Tugushev claims that his one-third interest in the company is not being recognised.

Mr Tugushev says he was the 'victim of a complex and sophisticated conspiracy' to deprive him of his shares.

Helen Davies, QC, for Mr Tugushev, said his 'investigations ... since 2016 have uncovered very serious and dishonest conduct by Mr Orlov', including the use of forged legal documents.

The dispute between the two businessmen centres on the ownership of the giant Norebo Group, an international fishing firm worth over 1bn and suppliers to Birdseye and Tesco

Mr Orlov denies the allegations and says Mr Tugushev willingly sold his shares in 2003 and 'consorts with criminals'.

Mr Tugushev denies the claims. Mrs Justice Carr is being asked to rule on whether the court can hear the case and if the worldwide freezing order can continue.

Mr Orlov moved to England in 2005 with his wife and four sons. Since divorcing in 2009, Mr Orlov says he has made his home in Murmansk, Russia.

He provided evidence that he had only spent 51 days in the UK in 2017 and was resident in Russia where he paid tax.

In ruling Orlov lives in the UK judge Mrs Justice Carr took into consideration his two London properties, a 13m flat in St George's Wharf and a 4m flat in Fulham, South West London.

The judge also noted that Orlov's partner Ms Shumova had been granted indefinite leave to remain in 2015 requiring her to spend at least 180 days a year in the UK.

She also had to have at least 750,000 in assets in the UK and maintain investments of 1m to maintain her immigration status.

A spokesman for Mr Tugushev said: Mr Tugushev very much welcomes the honourable Judge's conclusion that the claim can continue in England on the basis of Mr Orlov's domicile and residence in the United Kingdom. He looks forward to prosecuting his claim in the Courts of England and securing the full value of his ownership interests in the Norebo Group. He is committed to righting the wrongs perpetrated by his former business partners.'

Mr Orlov's spokesperson said he and his lawyers, are 'determined' to resist Tugushev's 'entirely unfounded and unwarranted claims'.

'For a foreign owner of property to be considered resident in such circumstances is extraordinary. It is a decision with the potential for wide repercussions on foreign investment in UK real estate,' the spokesperson added.
Minnesota police officer Hunter Julien who fatally shot 22-year-old, suicidal Keaton Larson in November will not be charged with a crime related to his death

The Minnesota police officer involved in the fatal shooting of a 22-year-old, suicidal man in November will not be charged with a crime related to his death.

Stillwater police officer Hunter Julien shot and killed Keaton Larson on November 21 following a stand-off where Larson refused to drop a knife and ultimately charged at Julien with a weapon in hand.

The Washington County Attorneys Office confirmed no charges would be filed against Julien on Thursday.

Police bodycam footage of the incident was released on Wednesday, in which Julien can be heard trying to persuade Larson to drop the knife and accept help, but Larson refuses repeatedly and at one point tells the officer, 'Just shoot me.'

Larson was bleeding from the neck and standing outside, holding a razor blade and kitchen knife, wearing only a tee shirt and underwear without shoes on when officers arrived.

Larson was a 2015 graduate of Stillwater Area High School who loved Pokemon, music and math, and had a dream of becoming an elementary school teacher, his family told the Star Tribune, before the tragic events that led up to his death.

His family described him as 'our dearest and loving Keaton, so gentle and kind.'

Following Larson's death, investigators found that he had recently posted on Facebook about wanting to die, and had searched on the internet for ways to harm himself.

The fatal shooting of Larson unfolded at around 1am Central on November 21, at Larson's family home.

Larson was a 2015 graduate of Stillwater Area High School who loved Pokemon, music and math, and had a dream of becoming an elementary school teacher, his family told the Star Tribune , before the tragic events that led up to his death

Julien shot and killed Larson on November 21 following a stand-off where Larson refused to drop a knife and ultimately charged at Julien with a weapon in hand

The seven-minute video shows Larson slowly advancing down the front walkway from his home (pictured) toward officers on the sidewalk and in the street, and Julien can be heard trying to reason with him

The seven-minute video shows Larson slowly advancing down the front walkway toward officers on the sidewalk and in the street, and Julien can be heard trying to reason with him.

'I've been where you're at man,' Julien says.

'I've been at some really hard times in my life. I didn't think I was gonna make it either, but I did, and I'm really glad that I stayed alive.'

As Larson slowly moves forward, Julien continues to try to reason with him.

'You've gotta drop that now,' the officer says, of the knife in his left hand. 'We're gonna help you, OK? We know that you wanna live. Drop the knife.'

A female officer's voice can then be heard saying, 'Don't walk any further. Just drop that knife right there.'

Then, Julien issues a gentle warning, saying. 'Drop that knife man. We don't want to have to hurt you, brother.'

Julien then tries to relate to Larson, asking him, 'How old are you man?'

When Larson replies, '22,' Julien says, 'Keaton, I'm 28, so we're close to same age.

'We've been through the same problems, right? All you gotta do is drop that knife Keaton and I wanna help you. I wanna help you so bad.'

Julien shot and killed Larson (left and right) on November 21 following a stand-off where Larson refused to drop a knife and ultimately charged at Julien with a weapon in hand

In the video, Julien tries to reason with Larson as he slowly moves forward with knife if hand, advancing almost to the edge of the lawn of his home

After this exchange, Larson moves forward again, advancing almost to the edge of the lawn of his home.

'If he takes one more step, I'm tazing him,' the female officer says.'

Larson stops for the moment, and Julien keeps at trying to find a way to connect with Larson, asking, 'Is there somebody we can call that you wanna talk to, brother?'

'No, no one can help me,' Larson says.

'Yeah, dude we can help you,' Julien responds.

'There's people around that love you, I know it. That's why we got called tonight.

'Throw that knife to the side and your life's gonna change forever, I promise.'

At this, Larson throws something which appears to be the razer blade he had in his right hand.

'Throw the knife in your left hand to the side,' Julien says, just as Larson shifts the knife into his right hand.

'Now it's in your right hand,' Julien says. 'Throw it aside brother.'

Larson responds, 'It's not gonna happen.'

As Julien continues to try to de-escalate the situation, he asks Larson, 'What can I do to help you?'

'Just shoot me,' Larson says.

Julien replies, 'I don't wanna shoot you, dude,' to which Larson says only, 'Please.'

Julien then tells him, ;I don't ever want to have to hurt anybody.'

Searching again for something that will make Larson want to cooperate, Julien asks, 'Is there anybody we can get here that you want to talk to?'

'No one,' Larson says, while sobbing.

As the officer continues to try to persuade Larson to drop the knife, Larson puts his hand to his head.

'Keatonm can ya talk to me? Can you tell me what I can do to help you man?' Julien asks.

'I don't know,' Larson says, sounding frustrated.

As the officer tries to calm Larson, others come over the radio saying that someone wants to talk to Larson, but Larson has already communicated he doesn't want to talk to that person.

'Can you trust me Keaton?' Julien asks him.

'No,' Larson says, through tears.

Julien then asks, 'What can I do to make you trust me brother?'

'I don't know,' Larson says.

Eventually, Larson charges forward and runs with the knife in hand. It's dark so its difficult to see where the officers are in relation to Larson in the video

Then, after a few moments, Larson charges forward and runs with the knife in hand. It's dark so its difficult to see where the officers are in relation to Larson in the video.

An officer says Tasers have been deployed before gun shots are heard and the video ends.

A total of three officers tazed Larson before Juien shot him, as he charged at Julien.

Washington County Attorneys Office investigator Fred Fink reviewed the evidence related to Larson's death, including squad and body camera videos.

Julien 'tried to distance himself from Larson and was running backward' before falling onto his back, Fink wrote in a letter to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

With Julien in a seated position, Larson continued to charge to him until Julien was forced to fire his weapon at Larson from a distance of 10 feet. Julien later asked, 'Why did he make me do that to him?' according to investigators.

Fink found that deadly force was justified 'to protect the peace officer or another from apparent death or great bodily harm,' he wrote.

'After careful review ... this office is declining to issue any criminal charges stemming from this incident.'

For confidential support in the US, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or click here.

For confidential support on suicide matters in the UK, call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch or click here.

For confidential support in Australia, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or click here.
A man who raped, murdered and dismembered his girlfriend's 14-year-old adoptive daughter as part of a sick fantasy the couple shared has been sentenced to death.

Jacob Sullivan, 46, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and related charges for killing Grace Packer in 2016, and today a Philadelphia jury announced its decision to impose the death penalty.

While Pennsylvania has a moratorium on the death penalty, juries can still impose the sentence in a symbolic act of punishment for the most heinous crimes.

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Guilty: A jury is considering the death penalty or life in prison for Sullivan in the 2016 rape and murder of 14-year-old Grace Packer, while Grace's mother, Sara Packer, is due to plead guilty, Wednesday, March 27, 2019, to first-degree murder in exchange for a life sentence

Tragic: Grace (pictured) was brutally murdered as part of a sick rape-murder fantasy between Sullivan and Sara Packer

Horrific: The helpless teen was drugged, bound and raped by predatory Sullivan while Packer watched on. When she tried to escape, she was strangled, dismembered and stored in cat litter before being dumped in the woods. Hunters found her remains in October 2016

Sara Packer, who adopted Grace and her younger brother in 2007, admitted this week that she had wanted the girl to die and was complicit in the vile act.

The helpless teen was drugged, bound and raped by predatory Sullivan while Packer watched on.

When she tried to escape, she was strangled, dismembered and stored in cat litter before being dumped in the woods. Hunters found her remains in October 2016.

Before his death row makeover: The helpless teen was drugged, bound and raped by predatory Sullivan while Packer watched on

Sullivan had no reaction as the verdict was read and will spend the rest of his life on death row. He was taken away and shaved after sentencing, with a follow-up police mugshot taken and shared among media.

'The butchery in this case was beyond my ability to describe,' Bucks County Judge Diane Gibbons told jurors, thanking them for their service.

Imposing the jury's sentence on Sullivan, she declared: 'You have no soul.'

District Attorney Matthew Weintraub had asked the jury to send Sullivan to death row, reminding them that Grace's life 'ended in a house of horrors that became a hell on Earth.'

The defense asked for a life sentence, insisting Packer masterminded the gruesome plot and controlled Sullivan.

Packer is due to plead guilty to first-degree murder in exchange for a life sentence.

Prosecutors said Sullivan and Packer gave Grace what they intended to be a lethal dose of medication and left her to die. Grace eventually managed to escape some of her bindings and spit the gag out, but was unable to make it out of the house before they returned

That's when Sullivan strangled her as Sara Packer looked on. The couple stored her body in cat litter for months, then hacked it up and dumped it in a remote area (pictured) where hunters found it in October 2016, prosecutors said

During the trial, a jury heard Sullivan and Packer took Grace to a sweltering attic and gave her what they intended to be a lethal overdose of medicine.

The couple bound her hands and feet with zip ties and stuffed a ball gag in her mouth, and Sullivan sexually assaulted her as Packer watched.

The couple left Grace in the attic to die, but she managed to escape some of her bindings and spit the gag out, prosecutors say.

Sullivan and Packer returned to the vacant house 12 hours later, and Sullivan strangled her.

Packer and Sullivan stored Grace's body in cat litter for months, then hacked it up and dumped it in a remote area where hunters found it in October 2016, authorities said.

Packer and her then-husband David Packer, adopted Grace and Grace's younger brother in 2007.

The couple cared for dozens of foster children before David Packer was sent to prison for sexually assaulting Grace and a 15-year-old foster daughter.

Sara Packer lost her job as a Northampton County adoptions supervisor in 2010 and was barred from taking in any more foster children.

But child welfare authorities did not remove Grace from the home, despite evidence of abuse.

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services launched an investigation after Grace's murder, but its findings have not been made public.

Pennsylvania last carried out an execution in 1999, and Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf declared a moratorium on capital punishment in 2015.

There are 142 inmates on the state's death row.
President Donald Trump's attempt to catch a second bolt of lightning in a Michigan-shaped bottle begins Thursday night with a campaign-style rally in Grand Rapids, a booming midwestern city of 200,000 in a state he was supposed to lose in 2016.

Red 'MAGA' hats were out in force on the streets, with an estimated 3,000 people lined up five hours before the president was expected to deliver a raucous victory lap that put the special counsel probe firmly in his rear-view mirror.

Some of his supporters said he has a chance to start the 2020 cycle with a clean slate.

'The campaign starts today,' said Mary Warner, a sixty-something mother of two who stood outside the Van Andel Arena in downtown Grand Rapids. 'We're done with all this Mueller nonsense, thank God, and now it's going to be so much easier.'

Greg Aselbekian, a stock trader who came to Michigan from Chicago to see Trump for the 13th time, said that 'in a way it seems almost like it's all new, like Trump is wiped clean.'

'We had huge momentum after election night,' Aselbekian recalled. 'Everybody was just gung-ho and happy about him. His supporters were energized.'

'Right now, this is  that. This is like, they finally ended the hoax.'

Near a stage where a live band played rock-and-roll standards, Trump campaign spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany told DailyMail.com that they both have it right.

'That's a fair characterization,' she said. 'This president has been under investigation since before he even became president, since the FBI investigation began in 2015. So we've had three years of relentless investigation based on nothing.'

'Here we are today: No more special counsel, no more investigating, and a president who can govern,' McEnany said.

Like voters in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, Michiganders stunned politics-watchers by flipping from blue to red as they followed Trump's election-year economic swashbuckling, and the president's campaign knows it needs a repeat performance to give him four more years in the White House.

With his ego running hot and his moral outrage firing on all cylinders, Trump will give his first solo performance Thursday night since Special Counsel Robert Mueller cleared him of allegations that his campaign colluded with Russians to improve his chances in 2016.

President Donald Trump will travel Thursday to Grand Rapids, Michigan for his first public campaign rally since Special Counsel Robert Mueller cleared him of allegations he colluded with Russia to steal the 2016 election

Trump made Grand Rapids his final campaign stop in 2016, speaking to a few thousand people at 1 o'clock in the morning before heading home to New York City to await what would be a world-stunning victory

Trump boasted Thursday on Twitter that manufacturing jobs including those in the automotive sector are coming back to the rust belt; Fiat Chrysler said last month that it will create 6,500 new jobs in Michigan as it ramps up Jeep production

But voters in Grand Rapids and surrounding Kent County were responding to Trump's economic message as much as to his bluster when they gave him a 9,497-vote edge  nearly equal to his final margin of 10,704 in the entire state  and the president knows they want to hear he still has his eye on the ball.

'Will be talking about the many exciting things that are happening to our Country, but also the car companies, & others, that are pouring back into Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, North & South Carolina & all over!' he tweeted Thursday morning.

Fiat Chrysler announced in February that it would ramp up its Jeep manufacturing capacity in Michigan to make way for a new SUV model, creating 6,500 jobs in the process.

The company said its $4.5 billion investment would also cause 1,370 job losses in Illinois. Since Trump lost the Prairie State to Hillary Clinton by more than 800,000 votes, the White House won't likely make any promises to get those positions back.

But Michigan could be the 2020 linchpin.

'If there's a way for Trump to win this time without winning Michigan again, no one has made a good case for it yet,' a Republican operative there said Thursday.

'He'll be back again and again. Grand Rapids is going to look like Grand Central Station in 2020.'

McEnany said the president will be flogging the jobs-heavy message that worked so well in the midwest last time around.

'President Trump won this state, a state not won by a Republican president since the 1980s,' she said. 'And he won it because he promised jobs, he promised reviving manufacturing, he promised to raise wages.'

Voters in Grand Rapids gave Trump most of his 2016 statewide margin in Michigan

Trump will bring a strong 50 per cent approval rating with him this time, according to numbers released Thursday by Rasmussen Reports. That's 3 points higher than Barack Obama's number at the same point in his first term.

The Rasmussen poll is now the only one that samples likely voters' opinions of the president's job performance every weekday. Gallup discontinued its daily tracking poll last year.

A 50 per cent showing matches his best for the year in the survey, which is known for confounding the 'Trump effect' by allowing the president's supporters to register their approval in the anonymity of a push-button phone poll.

Some 2016 polls that required respondents to share their presidential preferences with a live interview appeared to depress Trump's numbers, reflecting how pro-Trump views became increasingly unpopular in public even as they were increasingly common in private.

The president brings a 50 per cent approval ratings to Michigan on Thursday, according to Rasmussen Reports, a number 3 points better than Barack Obama's at the same point in his first term in office

The Van Andel Arena is where Trump will host a rally on Thursday, in downtown Grand Rapids

The president won Kent County, Michigan by about 9,500 votes in 2016, but the same county gave the state's new Democratic governor a 11,600-vote edge two years later, setting up Michigan as a bellwether for 2020

Grand Rapids was the site of then-candidate Trump's final campaign rally before he headed home to New York City in the wee hours of Election Day morning.

A road-weary future president delivered his final 'Crooked Hillary' speech of the campaign as fans waved giant red T-R-U-M-P letters that advance staffers had spray-painted on a loading dock.

The roughly 4,000 people in attendance was impressive for 1:00 a.m. as Monday turned to Tuesday, and included families with small flag-waving children in tow.

During a December 2017 rally in Pensacola, Florida, he claimed 8 times as many showed up.

'We went to Michigan the night of the election. I got there, started speaking at 12:30 in the evening. It was already Election Day. We had 32,000 people there,' Trump said.

'Hillary Clinton went there in an emergency because she was told that day that she was doing badly in Michigan. She went there, she had a crowd of like 600 people. I had 32,000 people. At one in the morning. I said: "Why are we not going to win?" And we won!'

Clinton had appeared a day before Trump at nearby the Grand Valley State University field house, drawing a reported 4,600 people.

General Motors committed to investing $1.8 billion at plants in six states and to creating 700 new jobs this month

On Thursday the president is expected to draw about 11,000. He will have his work cut out for him because the demographics of Kent County are now trending leftward.

When Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer beat a Trump-endorsed Republican last year, she carried Kent County by more than 11,600 votes. She was the first Democratic candidate in a governor's race to win there in 32 years.

It's not yet clear how big a difference having the name 'Trump' on the ballot will have in 2020.

McEnany, the campaign spokeswoman, said in Grand Rapids that Whitmer's success came at a time when 'Trump's name was not on the ballot.'

'His name was on the ballot in 2016, and he won. He won Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin. He'll win again in 2020,' she said.

Outside the arena, midway through a red-hatted line that snaked for blocks, auto worker Joe Williams said he has seen no reason to doubt it.

'I voted for him and I'll vote for him again, and we'll see what happens,' said Williams, who makes machine parts at a General Motors plant in a nearby suburb.

'It's like he says. There was no collusion in this Russia thing, and the jobs are coming back, and Make America Great Again, and let's build the wall.'

'He'll be our president for four more years,' said Williams, who took the day off to stand in line and see his hero up close. 'I don't care what anybody says.'
Saudi Arabia has released three out of 11 women arrested last year in a sweeping crackdown on activists, after the group testified yesterday about the torture they suffered at the hands of interrogators.

The detainees are facing charges related to human rights work and contacts with foreign journalists and diplomats, with one woman - Loujain al-Hathloul - charged because she applied for a job with the U.N.

When giving evidence for their defence on Wednesday the women detailed the horrifying physical and sexual abuse they were allegedly subjected to by masked authorities - including rape threats, groping and electrocution.

The released trio are Dr. Rokaya Mohareb, who taught at Princess Nora bint Abdul Rahman University in Riyadh, grandmother and former professor Aziza al-Youssef and mother-of-four and linguistics professor Eman al-Nafjan.

Aziza al-Yousef, a grandmother and former professor, is one of three women released by Saudi authorites today after a trial of the country's most prominent rights activists

London-based rights group ALQST confirmed the news of their release on Twitter.

Two sources said the rest would be freed on Sunday. The conditions of their freedom remain unclear.

The 11 women on trial in Riyadh were taken from their homes in the Saudi capital 10 months ago and transferred to Jeddah just weeks before the kingdom lifted its ban on females driving.

Among those still detained is al-Hathloul, an outspoken rights activist who was pursuing a master's degree in the United Arab Emirates before her family says she was abducted and forcibly returned to Saudi Arabia last year.

Mother-of-four and linguistics professor Eman al-Nafjan (left) and grandmother and former professor Aziza al-Youssef (right) were released on Thursday

The fact that al-Hathloul once applied for a job at the United Nations is part of the kingdom's case against, CNN reports.

The six-page charge against her also lists contact with rights' groups Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch among her alleged 'crimes'.

Yesterday one of the detained women told the panel of three judges that several men, who seemed intoxicated, appeared late one night and took her from her place of detention in Jeddah to a nearby secret location.

Aziza al-Yousef drives a car on a highway in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as part of a campaign to defy Saudi Arabia's then ban on women driving

It's there that the women have said they were caned on their backs and thighs, electrocuted and waterboarded by masked men who did not identify themselves.

Some women say they were forcibly touched and groped, made to break their fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, and threatened with rape and death, according to people with knowledge of the case.

The charges against the women are said to relate to their efforts to promote women's rights and having contact with accredited foreign reporters, diplomats and human rights groups.

Several of the women on trial are considered Saudi Arabia's most prominent rights activists.

Loujain al-Hathloul is among those still in the custody of Saudi Arabian authorities, whose case against her includes the fact that she once applied for a job with the United Nations

Many had long pushed for the right to drive and called for an end to restrictive male guardianship laws which require women of all ages to have a man's consent to travel abroad, obtain a passport, marry or undergo certain medical procedures.

At the hearing, the women sat next to their relatives in Riyadh's criminal court and spoke through a microphone to the presiding judge who sat before them.

In between the emotional speeches, in which some of the women wept, they were able to hug and speak with one another and their families.

Journalists working for foreign media, diplomats, and other independent observers have not been allowed to sit in on the hearings.

Information about the case was learned from several people with knowledge of the arrests.

All spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal and to protect personal details about the detainees.

The government has denied charges of abuse as 'wild claims' that are 'simply wrong'.

State-linked media published images of the three women and branded them traitors and 'foreign agents' shortly after their arrest.

Last month, some of the women were pressured into signing a request for a royal pardon, according to people with knowledge of the arrests.

Al-Hathloul's brother Walid said relatives don't know what to expect.

Loujain al-Hathloul is pictured driving towards the United Arab Emirates - Saudi Arabia border before her arrest on December 1, 2014

Speaking from the United States, he said: 'These guys are unpredictable. The mood changes', referring to officials in the kingdom.

Several people with knowledge of their cases said the women are being tried separately and have been allowed to appoint lawyers.

However, Saudi Arabia's human rights lawyers have either been detained or live in self-imposed exile abroad, leaving families with few independent options.

Two other prominent women's rights activist detained in the crackdown, Samar Badawi and Naseema al-Sada, are not among the 11 being tried in Riyadh.

In total, more than 20 people have been detained in connection with women's rights activism.

Prosecutors allege those arrested had the 'aim to undermine the kingdom's security, stability and national unity.'
A 71-year-old grandmother who walked more than ten miles to help cyclone victims has been promised a house and $1,000 a month by Zimbabwe's richest man.

Plaxedes Dilon trudged on foot from near her home in downtown Harare to the Highlands Presbyterian Church to donate bundles of clothes to victims.

She heard about the devastation of Cyclone Idai, which has killed more than 700 people, on the radio after spending a long day selling clothing and decided to offer her wares to charity.

Church volunteers posted a photo of Ms Dilon with a sack balanced on her head, adding she could not afford to pay for a bus from her neighbourhood of Mbare.

Her selfless act went viral and was noticed by Zimbabwe's richest man, Strive Masiyiwa, who offered to build Ms Dilon a home wherever she wants in the country.

Plaxedes Dilon walked over ten miles to the Highlands Presbyterian Church in Zimbabwe's capital Harare to deliver donations to cyclone survivors

Strive Masiyiwa, founder and chairman of Econet Wireless Global offered to buy Ms Dilon a house when he saw a picture of her helping cyclone victims

She told Zimbabwean news site ZimLive: 'I immediately packed the clothes and jackets that I earlier purchased for resell and carried my bag to Star FM the following morning.'

The telecoms billionaire also promised to pay her $1,000 a month for life, adding 'I admire people who are moved to act in a crisis'.

In a Facebook post he wrote: 'What she did is one of the most remarkable acts of compassion I have ever seen.

'When this is over, I'm going to find her, and invite her to come and see me, if possible.

'Then, I will spend time in prayer with her! Then I will build her a house anywhere she wants in Zimbabwe! It will have solar power and running water! Then, I will give her a monthly allowance of $1,000 for life!'

Flooded buildings in Beira seen from the air in Mozambique, in the aftermath of Cyclone Idai

A man carries two children through the flooded streets of Beira. At least 259 have died in Zimbabwe and around 732 are thought to have died across three countries

Cyclone Idai has killed at least 732 people and displaced thousands more people, according to the United Nations.

Mr Masiyiwas companies have been leading relief efforts in Chimanimani and Chipinge, which are the districts in Zimbabwe worst hit by the cyclone.

It is estimated that across Mozambique 1.8million people have been affected by the cyclone - which also ravaged parts of Malawi and Zimbabwe.

Last week Mozambique's government formally requested assistance from the international community, the U.N. humanitarian office said, opening the door to further aid efforts.

At least 417 people have been declared dead in Mozambique alone and at least 259 have died in Zimbabwe, while in Malawi 56 people died in heavy rains ahead of the cyclone.

People use makeshift boats to navigate the flooded areas after the passage of the cyclone Idai in Matarara, Sussudenga district, in Mozambique

In all three countries, survivors have been digging through rubble to search for victims, and scrambling for shelter, food and water, while governments and aid agencies try to help.

Up to 500,000 people are thought to still to be at risk and accompanying heavy rains have triggered floods, and inundated swathes of farmland, while health services and clinics have broken down and water supplies have been damaged.

Medecins Sans Frontieres aid workers said people would resort to drinking water contaminated with waste and sewage as well as dead bodies which will be discovered as water levels recede.
A paedophile has won a 'last moment' reprieve from a judge after he had been sentenced to chemical castration in Kazakhstan.

The 30-year-old was jailed for raping a four-year-old girl in 2008 and was ordered to undergo the procedure six months ahead of his release from prison.

He was due to be the first sex offender in the country to receive the forcible chemical castration following a new law introduced by Kazakhstan's former president Nursultan Nazarbayev last year.

The government allocated funds for up to 2,000 injections on men to prevent offenders repeating sexual violence when they are released from prison.

The 30-year-old was due to be the first sex offender in the country to receive the forcible chemical castration following a new law introduced by Kazakhstan's former president Nursultan Nazarbayev (pictured) last year

Yet appeal judge Nurmakhan Zhorabekov ruled that the castration law could not apply to the unnamed individual since the rape was 11 years ago.

The law - intended to punish paedophiles convicted of sex attacks on children - is not retrospective, he ruled in the country's Turkestan province.

The paedophile's reprieve came at the 'last moment', revealed regional health chief Mukan Yegizbaev.

Kazakhstan will use Cyproterone, a steroidal anti-androgen developed for fighting cancer, with doctors administering the injections, say reports.

The paedophile's reprieve came at the 'last moment', revealed regional health chief Mukan Yegizbaev (pictured)

Psychologist Gulnara Aytnzhanova (pictured) warned that using chemical castration would lead to paedophiles taking out their anger using violence

'It causes the lowering of libido,' said urologist and andrologist Dr Mirzakhmet Zhanadilov.

'The medication is different for each person. That is, medication that is enough for one person to prevent repeated (sexual) offending, others can be resistant to.

'For them, not only do we administer the drug but control testosterone too. It will be controlled with the use of lab.'

But psychologist Gulnara Aytnzhanova warned that using chemical castration would lead to paedophiles taking out their anger using violence.

'There will be hatred, hatred to society, hatred to other people,' she said.

Reports say child rapes in the ex-Soviet state doubled to around 1,000 a year in the period between 2010 and 2014.
Former president, Dr. Seretse Khama Ian Khama said the current head of state betrayed his trust as he thought he chose the future president of this country who was very intelligent and an expert in governance.

He expressed the concern in an interview with this publication after a caucus meeting with BDP councillors in Serowe on Thursday at Central District Council Chambers, where he was accompanied by Presidential candidate, Dr. Pelonomi Venson Moitoi. He described Masisis administration as dictatorship which undermined the rule of law for personal benefit.

He warned that if Batswana are not vigilant the country will plunge into turmoil like it is in other countries. Khama says nowadays Batswana are living in fear and are no longer free because of the Directorate of Intelligence Service (DIS). The feud between Masisi and his predecessor which is believed to be breaking BDP apart, Khama says, is fueled by Mpho Balopis (BDP secretary general) leadership who is favouring one candidate over the other.
The House delivered a rebuke to President Donald Trump on Thursday by voting to condemn his administration's move to restrict transgender men and women from military service.

A non-binding resolution opposing Trump's transgender ban passed 238-185. Every Democrat supported the resolution, while nearly every Republican voted against it.

Five Republicans broke ranks and voted in favor: Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Trey Hollingsworth of Indiana, Will Hurd of Texas, John Katko of New York and Tom Reed of New York.

Rebuke: Massachusetts Democrat Joe Kennedy - grandson of Robert F Kennedy and son of former Rep Joseph P. Kennedy - brought the motion calling Donald Trump's ban on transgender people in the military 'targeted discrimination.' Five Republicans voted with Democrats to pass it

Thanks for your service: In February, Nancy Pelosi thanked transgender troops including (right) Army Major Ian Brown, a two-time Bronze Star recipient who transitioned from female to male while advising the Army's deputy chief of staff in operations and planning

The Trump administration's policy bars people who have undergone gender transition from enlisting.

It also requires military personnel to serve as their biological gender unless they began a gender transition under less restrictive Obama administration rules. The policy is being challenged in court.

Rep. Joe Kennedy, D-Mass., the resolution's sponsor, said Trump's policy amounts to 'targeted discrimination.'

He said the House was voting to tell transgender people 'that they cannot be banned from military service because of who they are.'

The top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Mac Thornberry of Texas, opposed the resolution and said the vote attempted to politicize U.S. service members.

Thornberry said because the resolution does not change law or policy it was a 'messaging bill' that detracted from 'serious issues that need to be discussed.'

Ahead of the vote many Democratic lawmakers placed transgender pride flags outside their offices on Capitol Hill, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who spoke from the floor in support of the resolution.

'There is no moral justification for this ban which violates every value of our American democracy,' Pelosi said Thursday.

Under the Obama administration, the Pentagon announced that transgender people already serving in the military would be allowed to serve openly.

Trump reversed that policy beginning in 2017 with a tweet that the government would not allow 'Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military.'

An estimated 14,700 troops on active duty and in the Reserves identify as transgender, but not all seek treatment.

Since July 2016, more than 1,500 service members were diagnosed with gender dysphoria; as of Feb. 1, there were 1,071 currently serving. The Pentagon says it has spent about $8 million on transgender care since 2016. The military's annual health care budget tops $50 billion.

All four service chiefs told Congress last year that they had seen no discipline, morale or unit readiness problems with transgender troops serving openly in the military.

But they also acknowledged that some commanders were spending a lot of time with transgender individuals who were working through medical requirements and other transition issues.

Speaking from the House floor ahead of the vote, Armed Services Chair Adam Smith, D-Wash., said the Trump administration policy is 'primarily based on ignorance and bias against the transgender community.'

'We have the best military in the world,' Smith said. 'We need highly qualified people to serve and to single out a particular group - to discriminate against them and to say they cannot serve - is bad for national security.'
Oxygen will be taking a close look at the infamous Piketon Family Murders this Sunday with a special about the brutal killings that left eight family members dead back in 2016 in Ohio.

In an exclusive clip from the two-hour special that was obtained by DailyMail.com, the frantic 911 call is played, starting with the breathless caller's realization that her brother-in-law is dead.

That woman is Bobby Jo Manley, and by the end of the call she will discover more bodies of more family members.

'I think my brother-in-law's dead,' said Manley, who then discovers her brother.

She later notes there is 'blood everywhere' and it looks like someone 'beat the crap out of them.'

More will be revealed in Sunday when The Piketon Family Murders airs at 7pm, hosted by legal analyst Beth Karas.

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Authorities spent months scrambling to determine who targeted that clan in he execution style killing that left seven adults and a teenage boy dead.

The victims, all members of the Rhoden family, were identified Saturday as Christopher Rhoden Sr., 40; his son, Christopher Rhoden Jr., 16; Kenneth Rhoden, 44; Gary Rhoden, 38; Dana Rhoden, 37; Clarence "Frankie" Rhoden, 20; Hannah Gilley, 20; and Hanna Rhoden, 19.

It appeared some of the family members were killed as they slept, including Hanna Rhoden, who was in bed with her newborn baby nearby.

The infant was 4- or 5-days old, and the baby and two other young children were not hurt.
The city of Chicago has billed Jussie Smollett for $130,000 for the police probe into his case, ten times the amount he forfeited in bond on Tuesday in exchange for having the charges against him dropped.

The money will be used to recoup overtime costs for officers who worked round-the-clock to solve the case after Smollett described it as a hate crime.

'When (Smollett) does pay the city back on just what the taxpayers have fronted, in that memo section (of the check), he can write, "Im sorry and Im accountable for what Ive done,"' Mayor Rahm Emanuel said, a stinging reference to the check Smollett allegedly gave two Nigerian brothers to attack him in which he described as being for 'personal training'.

It came after Emanuel told President Trump to 'just sit this one out'. The president called the case an ' embarrassment to our nation'.

Smollett's attorneys have hit back and say he has already 'paid enough'.

'It is the Mayor and the Police Chief who owe Jussie - owe him an apology - for dragging an innocent man's character through the mud.

'Jussie has paid enough,' they said.

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Rahm Emanue has billed Jussie Smollett for $130,000 for the money spent on police overtime investigating his 'hoax' attack on January 29

Trump called the decision by local prosecutors 'outrageous.' It was not entirely clear if he was demanding further investigation or calling for new activity. Emanuel told him to 'just sit this one out'

Emanuel wants him not only to pay because the city is out of pocket but because he says it will finally show some accountability on the actor's part.

'It is a small way of both acknowledging, one, guilt, two, that we spent these resources and the taxpayers deserve, at minimum  because I think theres a whole other level of ethical costs, because hes still walking around, Hey, Im innocent, everything I said from day one is true  that actually were going to get the resources back,' he added.

Smollett, 36, flew back to Los Angeles on Wednesday after spending the night in Chicago following the bombshell development in the case.

He agreed to forfeit $10,000 in bond to have the charges dropped and completed 16 hours of community service, something he says was voluntary but which prosecutors say was part of their deal.

Mayor Emanuel said after the charges were dropped on Tuesday that that $10,000 does not come close to covering the total cost of the investigation into the January 29 hate crime he is accused of staging.

This email was leaked on Wednesday which shows Foxx scrambling to find other examples to back up her office's decision on Smollett

The real figure, he said, was closer to $150,000.

Emanuel has condemned the state's attorney for her handling of the case.

His distaste for Trump stems from the president's comments about the 2017 Charlottesville riots where he said both the right-wing protesters and counter protesters were alike.

'The fact is, youre a guy, I take umbrage that you have a person sitting in the Oval Office who drew a moral equivalency in Virginia between those who were fighting bigotry and those who were perpetuating bigotry,' Emanuel said, explaining his comment about Trump.

Kim Foxx, the embattled Cook County State's Attorney who recused herself from the in February after exchanging text messages with one of his relatives but never appointed a special prosecutor, is also scrambling to find examples to justify the decision.

In a series of interviews on Wednesday, she said that what had been agreed between his team and hers was what is known as 'alternative prosecution' whereby a defendant agrees to a certain set of term and has the case dropped in exchange.

Foxx dismissed the public outcry around it and said only the people 'in the weeds' of the justice system would understand that it was actually commonplace and had happened thousands of times before.

Kim Foxx, the recused Cook County State's Attorney who is facing scrutiny for her handling of the Jussie Smollett case, stood by her office's decision on Wednesday and said Smollett got off because it was the lowest class of felony and he has no criminal background

There was no such explanation for it on Tuesday, when she stayed quiet and put Joseph Magats, her assistant who ultimately signed off on the decision, in front of cameras to try to address the many questions surrounding the case.

But Wednesday, Foxx sent an email to staff asking for them to come up with examples to prove her story.

Smollett's attorneys are still maintaining his innocence.

In an interview on Today, Tina Glandian claimed that Smollett did not recognize the Abel and Ola Osundairo when they attacked him on January 29 and that it still has not been proven that it was them, despite the fact that Smollett identified a photograph of the pair as his attackers before he was ever arrested and even though they had just been on the phone with him.

When he learned it was them once they were in custody, Glandian said, Smollett 'found it hard to believe' because he had told that he could make out one had 'pale or white skin' around his eyes beneath the ski mask he was wearing.

It was not a lie, she insisted, adding that the reason for it could have been that the brothers were in 'disguise'.

'He did tell police that from what he saw, he thought it was white or pale skin, that's what he initially said.

'Obviously, you can disguise that. You can put make-up on,' she said.

She went on to point to a 2016 YouTube video of Abel Osundairo, the brother in question, where he is wearing white make-up to perform a Joker monologue as potential proof of her theory.
The mother of a four-year-old boy who had his right hand and most of his forearm bitten off by a husky earlier this month has hit back at critics.

Hope Brown says Austin has returned home after doctors battled to save his elbow joint following the horrific attack on March 4 in Layton, Utah.

The child had been playing in the back yard under the watchful gaze of his father when the vicious husky grabbed his arm through the fence.

Brown hit back at critics who sought to blame her family after the dogs were taken away by the authorities on Wednesday.

Austin, four, has returned home from hospital after doctors battled to save his elbow (his right arm is heavily bound, above) following the vicious attack by the huskies

Davis County Animal Care and Control said they had taken the dangerous dogs away from the owners on Wednesday after threatening them with two counts of possession of dangerous animals and two counts of abatement of public nuisance animals

She said Austin was healing as well as he could, adding: 'Emotionally he is a wreck, hes scared, hes so angry. He cant leave my side without panicking.

'Going from being a willful, sweet, happy, loving, and empathetic little guy to an angry and confused small child has been awful.

'He has multiple other health issues stemming from this attack, including needing to see a cardiologist now, orthopedic therapies, PTSD counseling. And many more.'

She hit back at those who had speculated over how they were handling Austin's safety, saying a picture was widely circulated of a hole in the neighbors' fence - but that was not the neighbors who owned the dogs.

Other's had said it was the boy who had stuck his hand under the fence.

Her harrowing account describes how Austin's father had rushed out to save his life as blood hemorrhaged from the horrific wound.

His entire forearm, save for two inches below the elbow were ripped off.

Austin told his parents: 'I saw a puppy nose! I touched the puppy nose and it bit my fingers and pulled me.'

Brown said it had taken just a second for one of the huskies to burrow its head beneath the fence and grab her son.

She wrote: 'Our living room, dining room, kitchen, and master bedroom all look out over our yard. It was our sanctuary. Every single day Austin played under a little tree where we moved a big rock so he could play with his dinosaurs and trucks on it.'

The neighbors had only just moved in, according to Brown, and had provided no notice they were dog owners and had never spoken to their family.

Davis County Animal Care and Control met with the owners on Tuesday, according to Fox 13, and asked them to surrender the dogs so they could be taken into care.

Hope Brown with her son before the attack, she said: ''Emotionally he is a wreck, hes scared, hes so angry. He cant leave my side without panicking'

The owners refused and ultimately charges of two counts of possession of dangerous animals and two counts of abatement of public nuisance animals were issued, the broadcaster said.

On Wednesday they surrendered the dogs and no further action was taken.

Brown asked for donations, saying: 'If you have found it in your heart to have compassion for these dogs, find it in your heart to have compassion for our little boy.'
A man has been charged with sexually assaulting a woman who got into his car after mistaking him for an Uber driver.

Henry Revolorio-DePaz, 27, was extradited from Kansas and faces counts of second-degree sexual assault and kidnapping.

A criminal affidavit claimed the suspect had a 'modus operandi of impersonating an Uber driver and preying on young intoxicated women in the downtown area' of Stamford, according to the Stamford Advocate.

Henry Revolorio-DePaz, 27, (pictured), has been charged with sexually assaulting woman who got into his car after mistaking him for an Uber driver

The alleged victim, 19, told Greenwich police that on December 16 that she requested a ride home from the Hudson Social bar and got into Revolorio-DePaz's vehicle, thinking it was her driver.

The suspect took her to a location where he allegedly sexually assaulted her, the affidavit said.

He also allegedly touched her genitals and ripped her underwear, the affidavit said

She went to Greenwich Hospital later in the morning, and the incident was reported to police.

Investigators from Greenwich police obtained security camera video of the victim entering the suspects vehicle, Police Captain Robert L. Berry said.

After sharing information from the investigation with other law enforcement agencies, a suspect was developed from similar incidents.

The vehicle was later identified and its owner, Revolorio-DePaz was identified as a suspect, Berry said.

Physical evidence from the scene was forensically linked to him and a DNA match was made, police said. A Stamford judge granted an arrest warrant for Revolorio-DePaz.

The alleged victim told told Greenwich police that on December 16 that she requested a ride home from Hudson Social bar, (pictured), and got into Revolorio-DePaz's vehicle

Greenwich investigators, working with the Kansas Highway Patrol, developed information that Revolorio-DePaz was staying with a relative of his wife in Kansas City.

Greenwich police subsequently went to a county detention center in Kansas City to pick up the suspect to face charges in Connecticut.

He was arraigned in Stamford Superior Court early Wednesday afternoon.

Stamford police previously arrested Revolorio-DePaz in a separate sex attack in 2016.

Revolorio-Depazs DNA was found to be an inconclusive match after evidence was obtained from a woman who reported the rape, according to police.

As a result, no charges were filed against him.
Twin baby boys, aged one, have been rushed to hospital in life-threatening conditions, with a 27-year-old man arrested.

Police rushed to a house in Boston, Lincolnshire after they received reports that a boy was taken to hospital in a seriously ill condition at around 5pm on Wednesday, March 27.

The boy's twin brother was also rushed to hospital later that day.

It is unclear what injuries or illnesses the boys had suffered and both of them remain in a life-threatening condition in hospital.

Police rushed to the house in Boston, Lincolnshire after twin baby boys were rushed to hospial in life-threatening conditions (file photo)

Investigations into the circumstances of the incident are still ongoing, though a 27-year-old man is in custody.

Lincolnshire Police have also posted a guard at the scene of the property.

Detective Inspector Lee St Quinton said: 'This is clearly a sensitive case for the family involved. We are working closely with the family at this difficult time to establish the facts of the matter.'

A spokesperson for the force added: 'We are not in a position to release any further information at this stage.'
A driver and his wife have been detained in east China after they were caught ramming into a cleaner and beating her up.

The female cleaner in her 60s was hit by the Audi SUV when she was walking in an upscale residential district in Qidong, Jiangsu province on Tuesday morning, police said.

Instead of apologising, the driver got out of the vehicle and started punching and kicking the cleaner during the horrific road rage incident.

The female cleaner in her 60s was hit by the Audi SUV when she was walking in an upscale residential district in Qidong, Jiangsu province on Tuesday morning, police said

Instead of apologising, the driver got out of the vehicle and started punching and kicking the cleaner during the horrific road rage incident. The wife joined in on the assault as well

CCTV footage of the assault showed his wife joining in on the fight moments later. The incident happened shortly after 9am at Hengda Haishang Venis, an upscale villa in the city, police confirmed.

The 33-year-old husband, surnamed Mao, and the 34-year-old wife, surnamed Zhang, received 'administration detention' of 15 and 12 days respectively and were fined, according to the Qidong City Public Security Bureau.

'Following a dispute, the couple started beating the residential district's cleaner, surnamed Chen,' the police said, adding that she filed a police report after the incident.

The incident happened shortly after 9am at Hengda Haishang Venis, an upscale villa in the city

The 33-year-old husband, surnamed Mao, and the 34-year-old wife, surnamed Zhang, received 'administration detention' of 15 and 12 days respectively and were fined, police said

Horrifying video shows the furious man getting out of the white SUV after hitting the cleaner, who narrowly avoided being run over and was able to stand up.

She was seen taking out her mobile phone, presumably to make a police report.

In a violent attempt to stop her, the driver started punching the cleaner and dragged her onto the ground, where her continued kicking her in the back.

The wife was also seen hitting the cleaner with her dustpan and broomstick.

Another employee intervened and the couple hurriedly left the scene in their vehicle. Chen was transported to hospital and treated for soft tissue contusion on her back, according to Qidong Daily News.



The wife was also seen hitting the cleaner with her dustpan and broomstick

Another employee intervened and the couple hurriedly left the scene in their vehicle

The couple's actions, which were filmed and uploaded onto social media, received widespread condemnation.

'Not only are we concerned about what kind of punishment the Audi driver would get, we care even more about what kind of compensation the cleaner would receive,' one top rated comment on Weibo read.

'Isn't this a hit-and-run? The driver and his wife should be criminally prosecuted,' another user said.

'The couple should have received more severe punishment,' one person said.
Activists arrested during the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's wedding have had a civil liberties case dismissed as 'manifestly ill-founded' by Europe's human rights court.

Eight demonstrators were detained for several hours for security reasons then released without charge after the wedding in London on April 29 2011.

Police had information that two of the protesters wanted to disrupt the procession by dressing as zombies and throwing maggots as confetti, but the other six planned to attend peaceful protests, the ECHR heard.

Police detained eight people and then released them without charge but the ECHR has thrown out the activists' case

They took their appeals to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) after the UK Supreme Court dismissed the case in 2017.

The applicants were named as Hannah Eiseman-Renyard, Brian Hicks, Edward Maltby, Patrick McCabe, Deborah Scordo-Mackie, Hannah Thompson, Daniel Randall and Daniel Rawnsley.

Police say that Eiseman-Renyard and Scordo-Mackie were the activists who wanted to throw maggots.

But the Guardian reports that Hicks wanted to attend a 'Not the Royal Wedding' street party in Red Lion Square.

The others had planned a protest in Trafalgar Square and most of them had no previous convictions or cautions.

In a ruling published today, the ECHR found a 'fair balance' had been struck 'between the applicants' right to liberty and preventing them from disturbing the public order and causing danger to the public'.

The ruling said: 'The court noted that the UK courts had undertaken a comprehensive review of the background facts of the applicants' cases.

'Like the court, they held that the arrests had been necessary to prevent the likelihood of an imminent breach of the peace, taking into account the crowd size, international interest and 'severe' threat level on the day of the royal wedding.

The ECHR (pictured) has thrown out the activists' cases after the police said two of them planned to throw maggots

'Furthermore, the applicants had been released as soon as the imminent risk had passed and in all cases their detention had only been for a matter of hours.

'The UK courts had therefore struck a fair balance between the applicants' right to liberty and preventing them from disturbing the public order and causing danger to the public.

'The court concluded that the applications were inadmissible as manifestly ill-founded.'
A Bentley-driving man who was fatally shot in the head by police after storming into the lobby of a Scientology church was waving a Samurai sword around and 'acting crazy' in the moments before gunfire erupted.

The man, who has not yet been identified but was described as Asian, entered the Church of Scientology in Inglewood, California on Wednesday afternoon armed with the massive sword.

Police confronted the man in the lobby of the church and opened fire after a bizarre standoff.

The man, who was dressed in a hooded sweatshirt, was shot in the head by police when gunfire erupted at about 3.30pm.

The man, who has not yet been identified but was described as Asian, entered the lobby of the Church of Scientology in Inglewood, California on Wednesday afternoon armed with the massive sword

Police said one of the officers was shot in the hand and the other suffered a gunshot wound to the arm during the standoff.

Witnesses inside the church described the man as being 'weird' and said he was 'acting crazy' in the lead up.

'Weird guy came in with a sword acting crazy. Police were called and he was shot,' a woman who works inside the church said in a text message to a concerned friend outside.

Police have not yet revealed whether the man was also armed with a gun.

They are investigating whether the officers who were injured accidentally shot each other when gunfire erupted.

The suspect suffered a gunshot wound to his head and died after being rushed to a nearby hospital.

The suspect's white Bentley was found parked near the church. Police searched it for more evidence but no further details were released

Detectives are trying to determine a motive for the incident and are speaking with several witnesses. At this time, it's unclear why he went to the church and whether he knew anyone there

The injured officers were hospitalized at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in good condition with non-life-threatening injuries.

Both officers are in their late 20s, according to police chief Mark Fronterotta.

Detectives are still trying to determine a motive for the incident and are speaking with about five witnesses who were in the lobby area when the sword-wielding man entered.

It is not clear why he went to the Scientology building and whether he knew anyone there.

The suspect's white-colored Bentley was found parked nearby.

Police searched it for more evidence but no further details were released.

Inglewood is a city of about 100,000 residents about 10 miles southwest of downtown Los Angeles.
Farkhad Akhmedov, 62, won the right to keep his wife's hands off his 350m mega yacht, Luna

A Russian oligarch who won a battle to keep his 350 million mega yacht in a furious divorce battle with his wife has wasted no time in getting it shipshape.

Farkhad Akhmedov, 62, was given leave to sail away in the Luna on Wednesday after it was impounded in Dubai as part of a bitter divorce battle with ex-Tatiana.

The mother-of-two had previously won a freezing order on his worldwide assets after the oil and gas tycoon refused to pay her half his 1bn fortune following their split.

After the appeal court ruling in the United Arab Emirates, the vessel could be seen moored up in Dubai's Port Rashid with workmen swabbing the decks on Thursday morning.

Senior appeal judges ruled the divorce settlement awarded to Mrs Akhmedov by a British court couldn't be enforced in Dubai.

The workers could be seen toiling in the baking heat of the Gulf, adding teak flooring on the lower deck while a private security personnel stood guard today.

Men are seen working on the super yacht Luna on Thursday as Akhmedov wasted no time in having the decks swabbed after the appeal court ruling on Wednesday

The colossal yacht was bought by Akhmedov from his friend Chelsea owner Roman Abramovitch in 2014

Workmen in overalls and with towels draped over their heads were seen working in the vicious heat of Port Rashid in Dubai on Thursday

Akhmedov's ex-wife Tatiana (above) had successfully won a freezing order on his worldwide assets after he refused to pay her half his 1bn fortune. She planned to sell the yacht and keep the proceeds  with her ex vowing to sell it for scrap rather than relinquish control

After a year being moored in the Arab kingdom Mr Akhmedov is now free to take it back out to sea to a destination of his choice.

A spokesman for the oligarch said yesterday: 'Mr Akhmedov is delighted but not surprised by today's court decision in favour of the Akhmedov family trust.

Workers were seen toiling away today in the baking heat of the Gulf

'Luna is one of the assets of a family trust which was set up for the benefit of all his family and dependants, and he is confident that no court anywhere in the world will endorse Tatiana's unlawful attempts to take it away from them.'

The super yacht  one of the world's most luxurious vessels  has been at the centre of an epic and costly divorce battle for over three years.

His ex-wife Tatiana had successfully won a freezing order on his worldwide assets after Akhmedov refused to pay her half his 1bn fortune.

She planned to sell the yacht and keep the proceeds  with her ex vowing to sell it for scrap rather than relinquish control.

Mr Akhmedov has refused a ruling by a British court that he must pay his ex 453million, half his fortune, claiming he and his wife were already divorced when they lived in Moscow.

Officials in Moscow have said they can't find any record of the split in 2002, but Akhmedov insists he and his wife were no longer married when she filed for divorce in 2014.

The businessman, who made his fortune in gas and oil, has been unable to use the yacht after it was impounded when it sailed into Dubai for repairs.

The businessman has insisted he given millions to his ex so she can continue to live in luxury. Tatiana, a British citizen, was handed ownership of the families 20m Surrey home (above) and an art collection worth more than 30m

As one of the world's super yachts Luna boasts a 20-metre outdoor swimming pool (above), a helicopter landing pad and a mini-submarine

The businessman, who made his fortune in gas and oil, has been unable to use the yacht for over eight months after it was impounded when it sailed in Dubai for repairs

As one of the world's super yachts Luna boasts a 20-metre outdoor swimming pool, a helicopter landing pad and a mini-submarine.

It was bought by Akhmedov from his friend Chelsea owner Roman Abramovitch in 2014.

The businessman has insisted he gave millions to his ex so she can continue to live in luxury.

Tatiana, a British citizen, was handed ownership of the family's 20m Surrey home and an art collection worth more than 30m.

The home contained his art collection worth millions and included General Napoleon's writing desk.

Mr Akhmedov has always insisted that he and his wife were divorced in Russia after seven years of marriage following his wife's adultery with IT specialist Mark Isle

Mr Akhmedov has always insisted that he and his wife were divorced in Russia after seven years of marriage following his wife's adultery with IT specialist Mark Isle.

He made several clean break divorce settlement offers worth over 100m  but they were rejected by his wife.

A spokesman for Mr Akhmedov said: 'He believes the attempts by Tatiana and her team, backed for profit by Burford Capital, to tie down family assets around the world are as misguided as the original English High Court was in granting Tatiana a second divorce 16 years after their marriage was validly dissolved in Russia.'
A specially nominated Councillor in the Central District Council, Tsotso Segona, was allegedly cut short in the process of telling off the former President, Ian Khama and cautioned him that the majority of the democrats and Batswana in general are happy with Masisi as he is a man all out to bring changes which benefit the nation.

The councillor gathered his guts when the former President addressed the BDP caucus last Thursday. In his address the former President is alleged to have tried to decampaign President Masisi in favour of his preferred candidate, Pelonomi Venson Moitoi. Segona could not finish what he wanted to say, and no further questions or comments were allowed from the floor as he was stopped on his tracks by CDC Council Chairman, Peter Williams who used the standing agreement that no questions should be asked any party elder who comes to address the BDP council caucus in order to avoid confrontation.

This meant that the opportunity to gauge Khamas grip on the BDP was loosening or not as only one councillor partly aired his views. The standing decision of not asking question was communicated to Khama at the beginning of the meeting. But he allegedly requested for a waiver so that it could give those who are not clear an opportunity to seek clarity hence the agreement to allow questions. Speaking to BG News and confirming what he told Khama to his face Councillor Segona said, I told him that he has made the right appointment in Masisi and that he should neither regret his well informed decision nor worry because the Democrats and Batswana in general do embrace the decision.

I said to him, rest assured that the decision you made is great and Masisi is a well balanced and progressive leader. For his part, Council Chairman, Williams confirmed that Khama procedurally addressed them on Thursday, having properly requested to do so. It must be noted that as BDP Councillors we have agreed to hold caucuses whenever the need arises and further that all caucuses should be held in the Council Chamber, unless if someone who is coming to address us has a preferred or special suitable place. As the Council we have agreed that question and comments will not be entertained to all party leaders who address us so that we can maintain order and peace. We have practiced this special tradition for 15 years.

Williams further confirmed that he interjected and stopped Councillor Segona from continuing and ordered that no further questions or comments will be made. Ironically, Williams does not mince his words, he is crystal clear that he supports Masisi stating that he classes Masisi better than the past presidents. Masisi is the best leader, there is no doubt about it, it is like he has been programmed to come intervene and bring all these changes that we are witnessing.

In order to drive his point home, Williams said, it is common knowledge that many Batswana and organisations are disgruntled and Masisi with this short period has proved to be a leader who is all out to meet with these organisations, giving an example of meetings with Media and ordered that whenever possible government departments should give them advertisement business.

He says the president has also met with Union leaders, visited the army barracks and will soon meet with the police. Efforts to get a comment from Khama were not successful as he was reported to be in a meeting by members of his Secretariat team.
An Arabic sign placed on a remodeled home has left a New Jersey community divided after a flier was posted calling it 'Un-American.'

The sign was created by contractor Jose Rosario, a U.S veteran, and sits on a house on the Packanack Lake in Wayne.

Posted just a few inches away from a hoisted American flag, the sign reads: 'What God has willed. God bless.'

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The sign rests on a house on the Packanack Lake in Wayne and reads: 'What God has willed. God Bless.' An American flag is hoisted next to it

Contractor Jose Rosario, a U.S. veteran, designed the sign as a surprise for the homeowner - Dr Mahmoud Elsanaa - who is still waiting for the house to be built

Rosario told ABC 7 that he designed the sign as a surprise for the homeowner - Dr Mahmoud Elsanaa - who is still waiting for the house to be built.

But there were some who were bothered by the sign, posting fliers around the town that claimed the peaceful words were 'Un-American' and demanding that contractors attend a community meeting.

The flier continues: 'This structure will respect all of us. Already a realtor has stated her clients prefer not to see listings in Packanack.'

But there were some who were bothered by the sign, posting fliers around the town that claimed the peaceful words were 'Un-American'

Many residents condemned the hateful flier and supported the veteran's work, deeming that the flier was hypocritically 'racist'

Many residents condemned the hateful flier, deeming that it was hypocritically 'racist.'

'I think there is a kind of racism in here,' claimed one passerby.

The sentiment was shared by another, who added: 'It's un-American to treat people like this.'

'The only people that are not welcome here are the people who wrote that letter,' resident Linda Cattuna asserted.

Rosario was disheartened by the push-back, but still feels proud of his gesture.

Elsanaa attended the community meeting on Wednesday night but stressed that he wanted the whole thing to be left alone

'The only thing I do is look back and see the flag hanging there, proud as it can be, and somebody with that kind of hate,' Rosario said. 'It's pretty emotional.'

Elsanaa attended the community meeting on Wednesday night but stressed that he wanted the whole thing to be left alone.

After the meeting, resident Mike Lamb said: 'There's going to be a small element of people that are afraid and intimidated by what they don't understand.'

For Judy Jack, her problem with the 'un-American' sign stemmed from how big it was. 'A sign that is written that big in a foreign language? That's all,' she said.

Wayne Mayor Chris Vergano, a staunch Republican, called the flier 'disgusting.'

It had been sent to him without a return address.

'What's wrong with 'God bless' on a sign? It doesn't violate any municipal laws,' he said.

The mayor continued: 'I met the family. They're very nice people. They have three great children that are involved, already living in our community.'
Lebanese President Michel Aoun (pictued) said Europe will be hit by new migrant waves soon

Europe will be hit by new migrant waves soon because Lebanon cannot cope with the influx of Syrian refugees, it has been warned.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun said refugees who had come from the war-ravaged country were not content with staying in his country so would carry on their journey across the Mediterranean.

Hundreds of the Syrian refugees are receiving no aid money at all after it was re-directed to help other families considered even more desperate, making conditions unbearable, it can be revealed.

He made the comments during a visit to Russia this week, where he said Lebanons economic situation could force refugees to seek a new home in Europe in a crisis for the region.

Europe is directly interested in solving the situation as Syrian refugees staying in Lebanon are not satisfied with the economic situation. Mr Aoun said, according to Russias TASS news agency.

New migrant waves to Europe will start soon, he added.

Lebanon, which borders war-ravaged Syria, is currently home to almost a million Syrian refugees, according to official figures from the UNs refugee agency.

But the actual number is believed to be as high as 1.5 million, almost a quarter of Lebanons population and the highest concentration of refugees per capita anywhere in the world.

The influx has created a huge burden on the countrys already struggling economy.

It is a high figure for our country, Mr Aoun said, highlighting the pressure that has in turn been placed on the Lebanese economy.

His comments come at a time when the Lebanese government is increasing pressure on Syrian refugees to return home, despite the United Nations declaring Syria is not yet safe.

Some 170,000 Syrian refugees have gone back from Lebanon since December 2017, according to Lebanese authorities, but President Bashar Al-Assad has also refused to allow many of them home.

Mr Aoun made the comments during a visit to Russia this week. Pictured with Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 26

Syrian refugees play at an unofficial refugee camp in Lebanon's Bekaa valley on March 8, 2018

Activists have also warned that hundreds are being arrested by the government upon their return, disappearing into its prison system.

Earlier this year, Syrian refugees in camps in Lebanon told the Mail they had been left buried under the snow after aid money was taken away.

Families with toddlers were shivering in camps in northern Lebanon where temperatures in January had dropped so low icicles had formed on the tents.

Many of the makeshift homes had collapsed under the weight of the snow and water bottles stored inside had frozen in bitterly cold storms.

Many of the 240 families at the Ara camp in the Lebanese border town of Arsal were said to have been receiving preloaded cards with money for food given to them by the World Food Programme but this was halted more than a year ago.

Money was diverted to other refugees considered more vulnerable under a so-called re-targeting plan because it did not have a finite resources, the WFP confirmed.

Nahla Omshada, 56, from Qalamoun, northeast of the Syrian capital of Damascus, said: We feel like we are being buried under the snow but we cant do anything. At night, with the wind, we feel like the tent is going to fly. Everyone feels like this.

Mrs Omshada, who is helping take care of her five grandchildren, said: We are not getting help at all, all year.

We used to get $260 (201) a month but this stopped and we dont know why.

It is very very cold and we are living in harsh conditions. It is feared those living in such dire conditions could leave for a better-life in Europe.
At least 18 people - including an eight-year-old girl - have been killed and nine others injured in a horrific hit-and-run crash in Guatemala.

The tragic incident took place late Wednesday night when the driver of a commercial tractor trailer slammed into a group of people that were gathering on the side of a highway in the indigenous town of Nahuala.

The residents had rushed to the scene of a previous hit-and-run accident which left beloved community leader Juan Chavez dead, shortly before 11pm local time.

According to witness, the driver's visibility could have been impaired by lack of lighting in the 18-kilometer stretch of the InterAmerican Highway.

WARNING - GRAPHIC CONTENT

Guatemala's National Civil Police arrested Pedro Rene Lorenzo Lopez, the suspected driver of a truck who ran over and killed 18 people on Wednesday night

Investigators and residents huddle around the bodies of 18 people, including an eight-year-old girl, that were killed by a hit-and-run truck driven in the south-western Guatemalan indigenous town of Nahuala

A person records the moment a truck runs over the lifeless body of Juan Chavez. Residents were trying to warn incoming traffic on a highway in Guatemala when the driver of a tractor trailer hit 27 people, leaving 18 dead

On Thursday, the National Civil Police announced the arrest of Pedro Rene Lorenzo Lopez, 28.

According to Guatemalan news station TN 23, Lorenzo Lopez passed all of his field sobriety tests. No charges have been filed yet.

Authorities, however, gave no details on where the detained suspect would be transferred to amid fears of a revenge attack.

Pallbearers carry the coffin of one of the 18 people that died in a horrible roadside accident in Guatemala late Wednesday night. President Jimmy Morales declared the Central American nation will be holding three days of mourning as of Thursday

Before tragedy struck the unsuspecting bystanders in the town, with an estimated population of 65,000, a bystander recorded the alarming moment a cargo truck and a pickup truck rolled over Chavez's lifeless body.

Numerous people were spotted in the video trying to warn incoming traffic with the flash lights of their cell phones.

Antonio Tomas, who was injured, said it just took a matter of seconds before the previous traffic accident site became a chaotic scene.

The tractor trailer (pictured) that ran over 27 people in Guatemala had extensive damages to its front bumper

Authorities gave no details where the detained suspect would be transferred to amid fears of a revenge attack

Yellow police tape and a shoe lay on the ground in the place where an accident occurred

"My cousin says he only heard screams, crying and how people were lying on the floor,' Tomas said according to Guatemalan newspaper Prensa Libre.

Among the victims that died were two minors, eight-year-old Cristina Katerin Perechu Cotil, and Cesar Miguel Ajqui Tepaz, 16.

The other victims were named as: Cristina Cojti Guarchaj, 40; Antonia Carac Ixtas, 45; Juana Juliana Lopez Castro, 19; Diego Geremias Balux, 26; Catarina Tay Guarchaj, 56; Salomon Sipac, 19; Maria Tzoc Tambris, 34; Diego Hernesto Ixmata Xocol, 22; Cristobal Tuhul Xocol, 60; Juan Chavez Ajqui, 57; Antonio Jamines Tahai, 64; Miguel Perechu Tambris, who was in his 40's; Micaela Lopez Sac, 58; Cristobal Tulul Xocol, 60; Jose Benito Tambris Perechu, 19; Manuel Flabiano Tzoc, who was in his late 40's.

President Jimmy Morales declared the Central American nation will be holding three days of mourning as of Thursday.

As of 5am local time Thursday, the bodies of most of the victims were returned to their respective families for burial services.
Two animal-loving brothers have welcomed an unconventional housemate into their home - an adult African lion. And he even travels with them in their car.

Hamzah and Hassan Hussain, from Karachi in Pakistan, have been raising the beast ever since he was just two weeks old.

The brothers, who own a popular restaurant, fondly call him Simba, after the character in Disney's hit animated movie The Lion King.

They claim that the 26-month-old lion was born on their farm and, after his mother stopped feeding the cub, they took it upon themselves to raise the big cat.

Hamzah (left) and Hassan Hussain (right), from Karachi in Pakistan, have been raising an African Masai lion since he was just two weeks old

They call the lion Simba, after the Lion King Disney film - and said that the now 26-month-old beast was born on their farm

The brothers said that Simba eats only the best meats and can get through 5kg of beef a day

Simba frequently travels with the Hussain brothers - and even accompanies them in their car

Hassan sees the lion as his younger brother and is not scared of living so closely with him

Hassan told Barcroft TV: 'The lion was born on our farm and his mother couldn't feed him the milk so I brought him into our home.'

'Ever since we have been raising him like our brother. I named him Simba and he is a very tame lion. And now he's 26 months old.'

'He's like my baby, so that's why I'm not afraid with him. You can see that I can put my hands in his mouth.'

The brothers share an intimate bond with Simba and he is often seen accompanying them on their walks and even driving around Karachi in their car.

Hassan said: 'I am not scared of living with him as he is like my younger brother or baby.'

'I put my hands in his mouth, cuddle and caress him and he loves that.'

Masai lions are found in east African countries such as Kenya, Ethiopia and Tanzania and have been extinct in Pakistan since the mid 1800s but there are special permits to import wild animals

Hassan says he is now looking for a mate for Simba and, if he has to, he will import one from South Africa

Hamzah added: 'If he's with someone he knows, he's fine. If a new person is around then he'll want to play and they'll need to stand still to be OK.

'If they shout or run then he might bite.'

Maasai lions such as Simba are found in east African countries such as Kenya, Ethiopia and Tanzania and have been extinct in Pakistan since the mid 1800s.

The government, however, issues special permits to import wild animals and a number of wealthy people across the country use these permits to import wild animals and set up private farms.

But owners have a big job on their hands feeding their pet lions.

Hassan explained: 'I feed him the best of meats. Simba eats five kilos of beef daily and sometimes I feed him goat meat too. However, he dislikes chicken and never eats it.'

Hassan is now looking for a female partner for his lion.

'If I cannot find a partner for Simba locally, I will import it from South Africa,' he said.

And Hassan confirms that Simba is a big hit with the locals.

He said: 'Yeah they get very excited - all the family members and neighbours taking pictures with him.'
The dolphins' bodies were horribly mutilated, the fins cut off.

But what shocked French marine researchers wasn't just the brutality of the deaths of these highly intelligent mammals, but also the numbers involved - a record 1,100 have washed up on France's Atlantic coast since January.

The mass deaths, widely blamed on aggressive industrial fishing, have alarmed animal welfare groups and prompted France's ecology minister to launch a national plan to protect them.

'There's never been a number this high,' said Willy Daubin, a member of La Rochelle University's National Center for Scientific Research. 'Already in three months, we have beaten last year's record, which was up from 2017 and even that was the highest in 40 years.'

Though Daubin said 90 percent of the fatalities resulted from accidental capture in industrial nets, the reason behind the spike this year is a mystery.

'What fishing machinery or equipment is behind all these deaths?' he asked.

Dead dolphins on a shore of La Tranche sur Mer, on the Atlantic coast, western France in March this year. France has been shaken into action after a record number of dead dolphins have washed up on the country's Atlantic coast this year, many clearly victims of industrial fishing

Autopsies carried out on the dolphins this year by La Rochelle University's National Center for Scientific Research show extreme levels of mutilation.

Activists say a common practice is for fishermen to cut body parts off the suffocated dolphins after they are pulled up on the nets, to save the net itself.

French Ecology Minister Francois de Rugy rushed last Friday to La Rochelle in an attempt to lower the number dying as a result of human action. He's under pressure not least because of French President Emmanuel Macron's pro-ecology stance and oft-quoted slogan to 'Make the Planet Great Again.'

A dead dolphin on a shore of Jard sur Mer on the Atlantic coast, western France in February

Dead dolphins lined up in La Tremblade earlier this year

Rugy has come up with some plans, including bolstering research into existing acoustic repellent devices in place in some 26 two-vessel trawlers off the Bay of Biscay, an industrial fishing hub in the Atlantic Ocean. When activated, the devices send unpleasant signals to nearby dolphins that cause them to swim away.

But animal rights group Sea Shepherd said they do not go far enough, and has already decried such measures as 'useless.'

It claims many of the trawlers they watch in the region don't activate the repellent devices owing to fears they will scare off valuable fish as well, and operators only turn them on if they are checked by an 'onboard observer.'

It also said that increasing the number of devices is no long-term solution for the underwater mammals as the move would make the ocean an uninhabitable drum of noise pollution.

'The government needs to take responsibility and act - especially Macron, who said he wanted to protect ecology,' Lamya Essemlali, President of Sea Shepherd France, told The Associated Press.

She pointed to scientists who predict the current rates of fishing will likely drive the dolphin population to extinction.

'The spotlight has been put on the trawlers that fish for sea bass ..., which is a scandal. But they were not the only ones responsible.'

She suggested that aggressive hake fishing, which was given the green light three years ago after long ban, was a major factor. The spike in dolphin deaths also began three years ago.

Sea Shepherd explained the ecological crisis as stemming from unprecedented demand for low-cost fish.

'Right now, the sea bass that is being caught by the trawlers that kill dolphins, you can find on the French market for eight euros-per-kilo ($4-per-pound),' she said.

Global seafood consumption has more than doubled in the past 50 years, according to European Commission, a rate that rights groups have branded unsustainable.

A scientist standing by a dead dolphin in Chatelaillon-les-Boucholeurs on the Atlantic coast, western France in February
The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to stop the Trump administration from enforcing its ban on bump stock devices, which allow semi-automatic weapons to fire like machine guns.

Gun rights groups had asked the court Monday to temporarily keep the government from enforcing the ban - which took effect Tuesday.

Chief Justice John Roberts declined one request for the court to take up the case on Tuesday and a second and final request was declined by the court on Thursday.

Supreme Court justices didn't issue any statements or opinions with their decision to decline the case.

Chief Justice of the United States, John G. Roberts, shown here in a file photo, declined a request by gun-rights groups to take up a court challenge to the Trump administration's new ban on bump stocks, which convert semi-automatic rifles into rapid-fire weapons

The administration's ban puts it in the unusual position of arguing against gun rights groups.

Republicans typically oppose gun control measures and are protective of the right to bear arms, which is guaranteed by the U.S. Constitutions Second Amendment.

President Donald Trump said in December that the government would move to ban bump stocks, a decision that followed a 2017 shooting in Las Vegas in which a gunman attached bump stocks to assault-style rifles so he could rapidly shoot concertgoers from his hotel room.

The devices allowed the gunman was to fire more than 1,000 rounds in 11 minutes. Fifty-eight people were killed and hundreds were injured.

The Trump administration's move was an about-face for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

In 2010, under the Obama administration, the ATF found that the devices were legal. But under the Trump administration, officials revisited that determination and found it incorrect.

A bump fire stock that attaches to a semi-automatic rifle to increase the firing rate is seen in this file photo

The revised regulation requires owners either to destroy their bump stocks or surrender them. The government estimates hundreds of thousands of the devices have been sold.

The revised regulation was met with resistance from gun rights advocates, and several lawsuits were filed to try to stop the ATF from enforcing the ban.

But lower courts have so far declined to keep the administration from moving forward with the ban, and the Supreme Court declined to get involved to halt it.

Some 39,773 people died by gun in 2017 in the United States, according to the most recent U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.
The fake German billionaire heiress who is currently on trial in New York for fraud has a stylist who is dressing her in labels including Yves Saint Laurent, Michael Kors and Victoria Beckham for her courtroom appearances.

Anna Sorokin, also known as her alias Anna Delvey, is currently on trial in Manhattan Supreme Court accused of swindling various people and businesses out of tens of thousands of dollars in a 10-month odyssey for a taste of the high life.

The one-time darling of the New York City social scene turned heads on the first day of her trial on Wednesday when she showed up to court in a sleek, low cut black Michael Kors dress and a choker.

It was a stark contrast to the Rikers Island prison uniform and unkempt appearance she sported during an earlier court date.

Anna Sorokin, also known as her alias Anna Delvey, has a courtroom stylist to pick outfits her her fraud trial in New York City. She is pictured above on Thursday dressed in a Yves Saint Laurent blouse and Victoria Beckham pants

It's since emerged that her attorneys have enlisted the services of stylist Anastasia Walker who has worked with the likes of Courtney Love, T-Pain, and G-Eazy.

The black low cut dress Sorokin wore on Wednesday was from Michael Kors, which she paired with a beige sweater later in the afternoon.

The outfit Sorokin wore on Thursday was an Yves Saint Laurent blouse and Victoria Beckham pants.

'It is imperative that Anna dress appropriately for the trial. Anna's style was a driving force in her business, and life, and it is a part of who she is,' her attorney Todd Spodek told GQ.

'I want the jury to see that side of her and enlisted a stylist to assist in selecting the appropriate outfits for trial.'

Her attorneys had also reportedly tried to get her into stilettos but the Department of Corrections deemed them to be too dangerous.

An Instagram account titled AnnaDelveyCourtLooks has since been created and features two variations of the outfit she wore during the first day of the trial.

A bank official testified Thursday about her attempts to secure a multimillion dollar loan as part of a monthslong swindle.

Prosecutors say Sorokin used the ruse to bilk money from friends and banks.

Ryan Salem of City National Bank said the financial statements Sorokin provided in support of the $22 million loan to open a private arts club 'didn't add up.'

Prosecutors say the faux heiress left a significant paper-trail in her bid to defraud banks.

In one document, she said she had a net worth of nearly $60 million.

Sorokin's lawyer says she never intended to commit a crime and planned to pay back any money she borrowed.

The one-time darling of the New York City social scene turned heads on the first day of her trial on Wednesday when she showed up to court in a sleek, low cut black dress and a choker

Sorokin was brought back in court on Wednesday afternoon covering up her dress with a beige H&M sweater

It is not clear who is paying for Sorokin's designer court outfits.

During the trial on Wednesday, the jury heard that Sorokin lived in luxury New York hotel rooms she couldn't afford, promised a friend an all-expenses paid trip to Morocco and then stuck her with the $62,000 bill, and peddled bogus bank statements in a quest for a $22 million loan.

Sorokin's attorney said she never intended to commit a crime.

Spodek told jurors in an opening statement that Sorokin was exploiting a system that was 'easily seduced by glamour and glitz' after she saw how the appearance of wealth opened doors.

He said his client was merely buying time so she could launch a business and repay her debts.

'Anna had to fake it until she could make it,' Spodek said.

'Sinatra said, 'I will make a brand new start in New York, if I can make it there, I can make it anywhere' because the opportunities in New York are endless.

Her attorney Todd Spodek said the outfit Sorokin was wearing in court on Thursday was an Yves Saint Laurent blouse and Victoria Beckham pants

Her attorney said he enlisted the stylist because 'Anna's style was a driving force in her business, and life, and it is a part of who she is'. He added he wanted to jury to see that side of her

An Instagram account titled AnnaDelveyCourtLooks has also been created and features two variations of the outfit she wore during the first day of the trial

'Anna had to kick down the door to get her chance at life. Just like Sinatra had to do it his way, Anna had to do it her way.'

Sorokin, jailed since her arrest, faces deportation to Germany regardless of the outcome of the trial because authorities say she overstayed her visa.

Her story, however, may stick around given Netflix and HBO are both developing shows about Sorokin.

Sorokin made headlines after it emerged she had been posing as Anna Delvey - the heiress daughter of a fictitious billionaire magnate.

She is accused of duping elite circles in Manhattan from 2013 until 2018.

Sorokin allegedly talked banks into lending her money to start the 'Anna Delvey Foundation' and skipped out on bills at the end of a weeks-long stays in some of New York's finest hotels.

She also targeted individuals who she believed would serve her well and got them to pay for things with the promise that she would eventually give them the money back, it is claimed.

Sorokin denies the charges and insists she was always trying to be seen as a businesswoman.

The attorneys enlisted the services of stylist Anastasia Walker (above) who has worked with the likes of Courtney Love, T-Pain, and G-Eazy
White House counselor Jared Kushner was spotted coming out of a closed-door hearing of the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday, marking the second time he's appeared before that panel.

Kushner's appearance on Capitol Hill was a surprise.

Neither the hearing nor his attendance was not announced ahead of time and there was no hearing for Thursday listed on the committee's schedule.

White House counselor Jared Kushner was spotted coming out of a closed-door hearing of the Senate Intelligence Committee

Kushner leaving his Washington D.C. home on Thursday morning

But a CNN cameraman caught President Donald Trump's son-in-law coming out of the panel's hearing room after speaking to senators about the Russia investigation.

Kushner left the room shortly before noon and did not answer questions, Buzzfeed reported. The hearing began at around 9:30 a.m.

Both senators and staff were present.

Kushner first appeared before the committee in 2017 when he testified about any contacts with Russia during and after the 2016 election. He said there was no collusion.

His appearance before the committee comes less than a week after special counsel Robert Mueller cleared Trump and his campaign officials of any collusion with Russia.

Kushner first appeared before the committee in 2017 as seen above

Kushner was present at the infamous June 2016 Trump Tower meeting with Donald Trump Jr. and then-Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort for a sitdown with a Russian lawyer who claimed to have dirt on Hillary Clinton.
Russia has said its troops will stay in Venezuela 'for as long as needed', brushing aside a call from President Donald Trump to remove all military personnel from the strife-torn country.

Trump said yesterday that 'all options' were open to make Moscow remove its military presence in the Latin American country after two Russian air force planes landed outside Caracas on Saturday carrying nearly 100 soldiers.

Yet an aide for Russian President Vladimir Putin urged the US not to worry about Moscow's ties with a traditional ally.

'We don't think that third countries should worry about our bilateral ties,' said Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

'We are not interfering in Venezuela's domestic affairs in any way and we expect third countries to follow our example and allow Venezuelans to decide their fate themselves.'

However, acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan dismissed Russian assurances on Thursday that its troops posed no security threat, saying: 'I'm not sure I always believe what they say.'

Russia said Thursday its troops will stay in Venezuela 'for as long as needed' (Putin pictured on March 27)

It brushed aside a call from President Donald Trump to remove all military personnel from the strife-torn country (Trump at the White House on March 27)

Shanahan, speaking to a small group of reporters in Florida, did not elaborate on what he thought the Russian forces were doing in Venezuela.

Russia said it had sent 'specialists' to Venezuela under a military cooperation deal but said they posed no threat to regional stability and would not take part in military operations, Interfax news agency reported.

'The presence of Russian servicemen in Venezuela is linked to the discussion of cooperation in the military-technical sphere,' Jose Rafael Torrealba Perez was quoted as saying.

Speaking at a weekly news briefing on Thursday, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described the arrivals only as 'Russian specialists'.

'Russia is not changing the balance of power in the region, Russia is not threatening anyone, unlike (officials) in Washington,' she said.

An aide for Russian President Vladimir Putin (pictured during a state visit to Kyrgyzstan on Thursday) urged the US not to worry about Moscow's ties with a traditional ally

Putin strokes a Taigan dog named Sherkhan presented to him by Kyrgyzstan's President Sooronbay Jeenbekov in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on Thursday

Russia said it had sent 'specialists' to Venezuela under a military cooperation deal

Peskov said no one told the United States how to conduct its foreign policy and Moscow expected the same treatment and 'mutual respect'.

He said the Kremlin was sending military equipment and experts to Venezuela under existing contracts for the supply of Russian arms.

The United States and more than 50 other countries recognise Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim president while Russia, along with China, backs Maduro.

In January, Guaido invoked the constitution to assume Venezuela's interim presidency, arguing that Maduro's 2018 re-election was illegitimate.

Maduro, who retains control of state functions and the country's military, has said Guaido is a puppet of the United States.

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, who many nations have recognized as the country's rightful interim ruler, greets supporters as he leaves after a meeting with political leaders in Caracas, Venezuela, on Wednesday

Trump said Wednesday that 'Russia has to get out' of Venezuela as the US accused the Kremlin of adding to unrest in the Latin American county.

The US has said that Russia's military escalation is 'unconstructive' to a peaceful resolution to violent clashes between dictator Nicolas Maduro and opponents of his regime.

And the president warned on Wednesday that the U.S. could reciprocate.

'They've got a lot of pressure right now. They have no money, they have no oil, they have no nothing. They've got plenty of pressure right now, so we'll see.

'They have no electricity. Other than military, you can't get any more pressure than they have,' he told reporters before reasserting that 'all options are open' when it comes to U.S. military involvement in the conflict.
A woman who beheaded her boyfriend then hacked off his genitals in a 'Satanic ritual' after he died in a BDSM sex session has been jailed for manslaughter in Russia.

Anastasia Beloshapkina cut up the body of Dmitry Sinkevich, severing his head and genitals, amid suspicions of a gruesome Satanic ritualistic sacrifice.

The 21-year-old also cut off his lips with a kitchen knife, severed his cheeks, butchered his limbs, fingers and toes, and gouged out his insides.

He died from asphyxiation in a 'rough sex session' in the flat the couple shared in the Russian city of Oryol, local media reports.

A judge at Severny District Court in the city jailed her for ten years after she was convicted of manslaughter and 'abusing the body of the deceased' in a closed-door trial.

Victim Dmitry Sinkevich with his girlfriend Anastasia Beloshapkina, who was found guilty of manslaughter after he died during a 'rough' BDSM sex session

Beloshapkina was found to have kept some of her partner's body parts in the bottom of her freezer draw at their home in the Russian city of Oryol

Using a kitchen knife, the corpse of the 24-year-old barman was cut up soon after the couple had sex to resemble images of the Satanic idol Baphomet.

She threw some body parts in rubbish bins outside the flat, others she put in her freezer, with the remaining pieces hanging on hooks around the flat like a butcher's shop.

As Beloshapkina cut up his body, her sister Ksenia called her phone and asked what she was doing.

She replied, 'I'm dismembering my boyfriend', and Ksenia called their parents who alerted police.

Neighbours say the couple 'made a lot of noise', were fans of occultism and BDSM, and his social media included satanist images.

One neighbour told Russia media: 'They held weekly orgies, and [neighbours] complained about them. They were said to be into sadomasochism and similar practises.'

The former policeman and conscript soldier's final social media picture shows the couple together going for a walk with her dog at 7.50am the morning he died and was dismembered.

Anastasia Beloshapkina (left) was convicted of the manslaughter of her boyfriend Dmitry Sinkevich (right in his conscript soldier uniform) in what was feared to be a Satanic ritual

Dmitry Sinkevich's body was cut up with some parts kept in a freezer, others were dumped in bins and the rest was hung up around the apartment he shared with his girlfriend Beloshapkina

Beloshapkina - the daughter of a police officer - confessed to manslaughter and cutting up her lover's body.

The defendant, who is also known by the family names Onegina and Savosto, was declared mentally fit to stand trial.

Dmitry's stepmother Nina said: 'They found everything except his liver. In the fridge were the head, hands, and feet.

'She had drained his blood. I only recognised him by his curls.'

A neighbour called Lyubov who saw inside her flat after the killing and dismembering said: 'I managed to see how it was. His meat was hanging on hooks, but they did not allow me to stop and look too closely.

'His hands and feet in the trash, guts in a package in the refrigerator, fingers are scattered across the flat.'

At Severny District Court of Oryol, Beloshapkina was jailed for ten years after being convicted of manslaughter and 'abusing the body of the deceased'

Larisa Timoshina, the victim's aunt, said: 'For us relatives, any punishment would be too mild. I feel sorry that there is a ban on the death penalty.'

The date he died overnight between February 10 and 11 had Satanic connotations, the court heard.

Nina Sinkevich added that an independent forensic investigator had established that the cutting up of the body 'was 99 per cent ritual murder'.

She said: 'When saw his head... we noticed that his jaws were tight, that means he was in strong pain.

'Why his fingers were cut off? There is a Satanic "god" Baphomet, who is like this.'

Describing the defendant, she added: 'My opinion is that she had a sense of accomplishment. She listened to her sentence in silence with such an inscrutable face. As if she was saying: "Yes, yes, I did it and I will answer for it".'
Former Luchese family boss turned informant extraordinaire 'Little Al' D'Arco, (pictured), has died at the age of 86

Former Luchese family boss turned informant Alfonse 'Little Al' D'Arco has died at the age of 86.

DArco, who became a federal Witness in 1991 and testified against powerful figures from the citys five Mafia families, died earlier this month due to complications of kidney disease, according to Ganglandnews.com.

His evidence sent scores of mobsters to prison and helped unravel much of New York's Cosa Nostra.

He had testified against 'Mafia Cops' Stephen Caracappa Louie Ippolito and Genovese family boss and Vincent 'The Chin' Gigante.

Others included Colombo boss 'Little Vic' Orena, ex-Luchese soldiers Vic Amuso, Anthony 'Gaspipe' Casso and Anthony Spero.

His plea deal with federal agents also helped inspire other high-ranking mobsters to give evidence in various trials including Salvatore 'Sammy Bull' Gravano, a right-hand man to John Gotti.

DArco, who was from Brooklyn, grew up near the boroughs Navy Yard and spent time around various made men.



His childhood was 'like being in the forest, and all the trees were the dons and the organized crime guys,' the mobster once recalled.

The Korean War veteran came back to Brooklyn and he subsequently teamed up with future Luchese family head Vittorio Amuso in 1959.

He later earned money in a variety of illegal fields which included drug-dealing, hijacking, burglary, arson and armed robbery. He would later admit to eight murders.

New York Daily News reported that D'Arco avoided getting involved in prostitution and pornography, which he believed were beneath him.

DArco, who was from Brooklyn, (pictured), grew up near the boroughs Navy Yard and spent time around various made men

The 5 foot 7 inch gangster became a made man in August 1982 at a ceremony in kitchen in the Bronx.

He became captain of his family after Luchese informant Henry Hills testimony led to the conviction of DArcos predecessor Paulie Vario in 1984, which was immortalized in the movie 'GoodFellas.'

But DArco became convinced that his mob associates were setting him up for murder.

His testimony sent Genovese family boss Vincent Gigante, (left), to prison on racketeering and conspiracy charges. Vittorio Amuso, (right), is still in jail on murder and racketeering charges

In September, 1991, D'Arco attended a meeting of Lucchese leaders and noticed that one of his soldiers had a gun hidden under his shirt and was wearing a bulletproof vest.

He believed that his life was threatened and D'Arco rushed out of the hotel. His driver had vanished and he believed this was another indication he was going to be killed.

FBI agents warned D'Arco that he was in danger the following day and he decided to leave the mafia.

He later offered to become a government witness and testified in a dozen trials along with various grand jury hearings.

At that point, he was the highest-ranking member of a New York crime family to break his blood oath and testify against the mafia.
A man has killed himself after shooting his Amtrak supervisor in the leg and racing off in a black SUV to escape police.

The argument between the two workers at the Sunnyside rail yard in Queens turned deadly just after 8am this morning, when one pulled out a gun and shot his colleague in the leg.

The 53-year-old victim was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The argument between the two workers at the Sunnyside rail yard in Queens turned deadly just after 8am this morning, when one pulled out a gun and shot his colleague in the leg

Police said the suspect took off in a black SUV and barricaded himself inside the vehicle before shooting himself in the chest

Police said the suspect took off in a black SUV and barricaded himself inside the vehicle before shooting himself in the chest.

He was taken into custody and later pronounced dead. It's unclear what led up to the argument.

The company said in a statement: 'Amtrak Police are working with NYPD investigating a shooting incident at our Sunnyside Yard location, an equipment and servicing facility in Queens, NY.

'One employee was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

'The suspect is known, and a search for the suspect is ongoing. The area has been secured by the Amtrak Police Department and NYPD. There is no impact to train operations.'
An independent oversight agency has launched an investigation into an NYPD officer who has been accused of beating up a woman in The Bronx so severely that she ended up losing an eye.

The New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board's decision to probe the violent confrontation between Officer Theresa Lustica and Johanna Pagan-Alomar in June 2018 comes after the Internal Affairs Bureau cleared the cop of wrongdoing, reported the New York Daily News.

Meanwhile, Pagan-Alomar's attorney with the Legal Aid Society of New York has called on the Bronx District Attorney's Office to drop all charges against his client stemming from the altercation, and demanded that the NYPD immediately fire Lustica and criminally charge her.

Johanna Pagan-Aloma, 45 (left), says she lost her left eye after NYPD officer Theresa Lustica repeatedly punched her in the face during a June 2018 arrest

'It is shameful that the Bronx District Attorney continues to drag this case on, and that Officer Lustica continues to walk the beat endangering the people of this community she supposedly serves,' attorney Nicolas Schumann-Ortega said in a statement.

According to a civil lawsuit Pagan-Alomar filed against Lustica, her partner, the NYPD and the City of New York in January, the female cop brutally attacked her and gouged her left eye with a key after the woman asked the officer why she was placing her boyfriend in handcuffs.

Lustica claimed that Pagan-Alomar shoved her and knocked her off balance, prompting an arrest.

A grainy surveillance video obtained by DailyMail.com from the Legal Aid Society shows Pagan-Alomar placing a hand on the officer's back, leading to a physical struggle between the two women.

Pagan-Alomar, however, has denied touching Lustica.

According to the woman's complaint, on the morning of June 7, Pagan-Alomar was approaching the corner of Burnside Avenue and Jermoe Avenue in The Bronx when she saw Lustica and her partner handcuffing her boyfriend, 35-year-old Andy Rodriguez.

CCTV video captured Pagan-Alomar (center) confronting Lustica for arresting her boyfriend in The Bronx last summer

The cop later claimed Pagan-Alomar shoved her, but the video shows the woman touching Lustica on the back

An altercation ensued, during which Pagan-Alomar said the cop pinned her to the ground and proceeded to pummel her in the left side of her face

Pagan-Alomar asked Lustica in Spanish why she was arresting the man, to which the cop responded by telling the woman to back up.

Lustica then picked up from the ground 'an empty small plastic bag' and told her 'this was why she was arresting' Rodriguez, the court papers state.

Lustica allegedly waved the bag in the woman's face, prompting Pagan-Alomar to say in Spanish, 'look at this one, the way she is disrespecting me.'

At that point, according to the complaint, Lustica pushed the woman's handcuffed boyfriend towards her partner, grabbed Pagan-Alomar's hand and threw her to the ground.

The mom-of-two was brought to a police station with her left eye hanging out of the socket and bleeding; she later lost the eye

The lawsuit says Lustica pinned Pagan-Alomar to the sidewalk by sitting on top of her and restrained the woman's arms with her own legs, then proceeded to repeatedly punch her in her left eye.

As she was hitting Pagan-Alomar in the left side of her face with her fists, the officer allegedly had in one of her hands the key to the handcuffs.

Throughout the ordeal, the lawsuit claims, Lustica's partner made no attempt to stop the beating.

Pagan-Alomar was eventually handcuffed and taken to the 46th Precinct, where she was charged with second-degree assault.

'At this point, plaintiff's left eye was hanging out of its socket, and there was blood coming out of her left eye socket,' the complaint states

Pagan-Alomar was taken from the police station to a nearby hospital and later transferred to Bronx Lebanon Hospital to be treated for severe injuries to her eye and face.

Despite doctors' efforts, the patient's eye could not be saved during her five-day stay at the hospital.

In late August, the woman underwent surgery to remove her raptured left globe, leaving her partially blind and allegedly suffering from mental anguish.

In a statement, the NYPD said of the altercation: 'Ms. Pagan physically accosted a uniformed police officer, from behind, without provocation, while the officer was effecting an arrest for heroin possession. The Internal Affairs Bureau conducted an investigation and determined that the officer's actions were appropriate under the circumstances and neither excessive nor unnecessary.'

Ten months after the incident, charges of assault, harassment and obstructing governmental administration are still pending against Pagan-Alomar.

On Monday, Pagan-Alomar's Legal Aid attorney sent a letter to Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark, asking him to 'immediately dismiss the charges against her, and to charge Officer Lustica criminally for this horrific assault.'

The letter also quoted a medical expert who reviewed Pagan-Alomar's records and suggested that police waited too long to seek help for her, and that 'earlier intervention' possibly could have resulted in a different outcome for her eye.

Clarks' office responded by saying that it is looking into the allegation of excessive force against Lustica, and that is welcomes 'the cooperation of the defendant in this matter.'
Nellie Ohr, the Russia expert and academic who did research for political intelligence firm Fusion GPS in 2016 also did contract work for U.S. intelligence agencies  though her lawyer wouldn't let her say if it included the CIA.

Ohr, who along with her husband Bruce Ohr, a senior Justice Department official, has become a favorite target of President Trump's, described her career path under questioning before the House Judiciary.

Panel ranking member Doug Collins, a Georgia Republican, released the transcript Thursday. It included statements from Ohr under questioning about how she came to do work for Fusion GPS, as well as her own career background.

'Is it fair to say you worked with some of the intelligence-based agencies in the United States Government?' Republican Rep. Jim Jordan of South Carolina asked her.

'Yes,' she replied.

Nellie Ohr told lawmakers she did work for 'some of the intelligence-based agencies in the United States Government' before doing research for Fusion GPS

'Did you work for the CIA?,' he followed up. That prompted her lawyer, Joshua Berman, to interject: 'Again, I would raise the same concerns, sir, if we're going to get into specifics.'

Ohr then replied that, beginning in 2000, she did work for 'the Mitre Corporation, which in turn had contracts with U.S. Government clients.'

That firm has offices in McLean, Virginia and describes itself as having a 'mission-driven team ... dedicated to solving problems for a safer world. We are a not-for-profit company that operates multiple federally funded research and development centers.'

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) asked Ohr whether she had done work for the CIA

Ohr's husband Bruce Ohr, former U.S. associate deputy attorney general, had contacts with ex-British intelligence officer Christopher Steele

President Trump has attacked Ohr, her husband Bruce Ohr, Fusion GPS, the 'phony' Steele dossier, and the Mueller probe, which he calls a witch hunt

Ohr then revealed that she did work for Open Source Works, a group that uses open source materials to produce analysis to assist the CIA.

During the sensitive point in Ohr's testimony, her lawyer jumped in again, asking if he could ask her his own question for the record.

'Mrs. Ohr, have you ever worked for a U.S. Government agency?' Berman asked her. 'Not directly,' she responded. She said only as an 'independent contractor.'

'But you know that the folks you were contracted to provide work for, that you had a working relationship for, you know that they were working for various intelligence-based agencies in the United States Government?' Jordan followed up.

'Yes,' Ohr confirmed.

Rep. Mark Meadows of North Carolina, a close ally of President Trump's, asked follow-up questions about Ohr's resume, asking whether she ever mentioned U.S. intelligence agencies on it.

'But normally there is a sentence or two right after it on what they did. And so what I'm saying is, did  in those resumes, and for example, like with Mitre, we do work with the CIA, NSA whoever,' Meadows wanted to know.

'I do not explicitly name those agencies in a resume,' Ohr told him. 'All right,' Meadows responded.

According to the Federation of American Scientists: 'Open Source Works, which is the CIA's in-house open source analysis component, is devoted to intelligence analysis of unclassified, open source information. Oddly, however, the directive that established Open Source Works is classified, as is the charter of the organization. In fact, CIA says the very existence of any such records is a classified fact.'

Republicans have pounced on former CIA Director John Brennan, as well as former National Security Council head James Clapper for their comments on Russia, following Attorney General William Barr's four-page summary of the Mueller report.

GOP lawmakers grilled Ohr throughout the closed-door meeting about her work for Fusion GPS, the political intelligence firm that commissioned ex British intelligence officer Christopher Steele to do research that resulted in the dossier.

Ohr also testified that she was present at a July 30th, 2016 meeting that included Fusion GPS Founder Glenn Simpson, Steele, and a Steele associate.

They spoke about Steele's 'suspicions that Russian Government figures were supporting the candidacy of Donald Trump.'

'He was very concerned that his research had led him to the conclusion that Russian government figures had for a number of years been promoting the potential -- a potential presidency of Donald Trump,' Ohr told the committee.

She said she gained work for Fusion GPS having approached Simpson at a time when she was not working.

She had taught Russian history at Vassar College. She said she knew Simpson through his investigative work on Russian oligarchs at the Wall Street Journal, and had met him at an event.

She was paid $55-an-hour, about 30 hours a week for her work.

She approached Simpson after reading an article that mentioned him.

'I was underemployed at that time and I was looking for opportunities,' Ohr said.

Her first work for Fusion GPS had 'to do with looking into a particular Russian firm that was suspected of being involved in sex trafficking,' she said.

The company was called Vlad Models.

Her second project was 'looking into the relationship of Donald Trump with organized crime, a Russian organized crime,' according to the transcript.

Describing her tasks, she said: 'I would write occasional reports based on the open source research that I described about Donald Trump's relationships with various people in Russia.'
Wendy Williams' vow to leave her husband if another woman had his child has resurfaced this week, after his mistress gave birth to their lovechild.

The 54-year-old daytime TV star said in her 2001 memoir it would be one of the only things that would make her part ways from Kevin Hunter, 46, once and for all after revealing he'd already cheated on her earlier on in their relationship.

Williams  who married her manager in 1997 and has a son named Kevin Hunter Jr with him  wrote in Wendy's Got the Heat: 'The only thing that would make me walk out for good is if he lied about anything  if he was in love, if she was just as successful at what she does as I am in my career, if she had his baby.'

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Wendy Williams said she'd also walk out 'if he was in love' or 'if she was just as successful at what she does as I am in my career' when writing about her husband having an affair

Kevin Hunter cheated on Wendy Williams Show host decades ago. They're pictured March 11

Hunter has been in a relationship with 33-year-old Sharina Hudson and Williams relapsed in her sobriety after learning he was to become a father again.

The Wendy Williams Show host was rushed to hospital Monday after she got intoxicated despite living in a sober home in Long Island City, New York.

Her book from 18 years ago details how she reacted when learning Hunter was unfaithful the first time around.

'In those forty-five seconds my woman's intuition kicked in and I knew he was on the phone with a lover,' Williams said. 'No woman deserves this.  I wanted to kill him. I mean really kill him. For real. I wanted to kill him more because I was in the process of breaking my Number One Rule: No Cheating.'

In 2001's Wendy's Got the Heat, Williams said she'd leave if another woman had his baby

The talk show host admitted she hired a private investigator to get the details she was eager to know about her spouse's other love interest.

She ended up sneaking a look at the woman by visiting her work place.

'I needed to know if she was in love? Was he in love?' she wrote. 'Were condoms used? Is she pregnant? Was she laying up in the Marriott with him?'

Williams has been open about her past struggles with recreational drugs but said in her memoir that she stayed sober despite her relationship problems with her second husband, Hunter, in the past.

The chatty presenter shared that she didn't cave in because she was concerned she'd have to raise her son alone.

'I thought I might end up being a single mother and I needed to be on point,' she wrote. 'I did not think about picking up a drink, a joint, coke or anything.'

Now Hunter Jr is now a 19-year-old Florida college student but has been hanging out backstage this spring break while Williams films her show in New York.

On Wednesday, Williams and Hunter put on a united front in New York amidst reports Hunter just had a baby with Hudson.

The pair went to a commercial address after Wendy drove into a car park in Midtown Manhattan where she swapped cars and left with him before heading to the office in a bid to go undetected.

On Wednesday, Williams and Hunter put on a united front in New York amidst reports Hunter just had a baby with Sharina Hudson

Hunter (left) is still attending recordings of her talk show and was on set the day after she relapsed into alcohol abuse after learning his mistress (right) had given birth, it is reported

'Wendy is considering divorcing Kevin. She's really distraught over the situation, she knew about Sharina but didn't think a baby would arrive, she didn't think Kevin would go this far, she's lost and everyone is worried for her,' a source recently told DailyMailTV added.

Just last week, DailyMailTV exclusively revealed that Hunter told his mistress he can't leave his wife of 22 years because she paid all the bills and is having the affair right under Williams' nose.

It's understood the affair is at the root of Williams' dependence on alcohol and prescription drugs.

When she returned to her daytime TV slot this month, Williams told her fans about her past addictions that had crept back: 'Crack is wack. I was a mess, killing myself. I realized I am a walking addict. You can't just clean it up and stop it. You never know when it can pop up. I constantly have to watch the inside of my body because of hard partying, just a mess.'

Pictured with their 19-year-old son Kevin Hunter Jr. (right in July 2017). In her 2001 book Williams said she maintained sobriety because she was concerned she would be a single mom

Williams defended her marriage on her show earlier this month, saying: 'Marriages are not easy. And don't ask me about mine until you see [my wedding ring] gone - it ain't going'

But she has also maintained she was not parting ways with Hunter.

Williams defended her marriage on her show earlier this month, saying: 'Marriages are not easy. And don't ask me about mine until you see [my wedding ring] gone - it ain't going anywhere, not in this lifetime.'

Williams' first husband this week opened up about his short marriage with the then-radio host. They got together in 1992, married in 1994 and split in 1995.

'It was very bizarre. She just turned into a different person,' Bert Girigorie told RadarOnline about the presenter who showed worrying signs she was unwell last October when she collapsed live on air.

He added about his ex  who returned to the air this month after a two-month hiatus that she said was brought on by Graves' disease: 'I don't know what was going on. I didn't understand a lot of things that she did. I didn't understand what her motivations were.'
First lady Melania Trump visited West Gate Elementary School in Palm Beach County on Thursday ahead of her meeting with Fabiana Rosales de Guaido, the wife of Venezuelan opposition leader and U.S.-recognized acting president.

Melania Trump met with students as part of her Be Best initiative.

West Gate Elementary School has a special program designed to eliminate bullying in the classroom, according to the first lady's office.

Melania Trump visited West Gate Elementary School in Palm Beach County

The stop was part of her Be Best campaign as the school has a special anti-bullying program

The first lady's trip was unannounced and she took no members of the media with her

The first lady's trip was unannounced and no members of the media were with her. Her office provided a read out of her visit and photos of her with students.

'Thank you West Gate Elementary School for letting me join you in your morning classroom discussions. Education should include not only academics, but also a firm foundation for understanding our own feelings & those of our peers,' Melania Trump tweeted afterward.

Trump, who is in Mar-a-Lago with son Barron during his spring break, met later in the day with Fabiana Rosales de Guaido, the wife of Venezuelan opposition leader and U.S.-recognized acting president Juan Guaido.

The two women discussed how children who have been affected by the tragedies in Venezuela and how Fabiana Rosales intends to assist in bringing the necessary relief to her people, according to a readout provided by the East Wing.

'I enjoyed speaking with First Lady Fabiana Rosales and learning about her goals for improving the lives of children in her country,' Melania Trump said in a statement. 'Our country stands strong with the Venezuelan people. The greatest gift we can give our children is freedom and the Administration supports First Lady Fabiana Rosales and her husband, President Juan Guaido, as they work to return democracy to the Venezuelan people.'

Fabiana Rosales had an impromptu meeting in the Oval Office with President Donald Trump on Wednesday, where he reaffirmed his support for her husband's bid to restore democracy in Caracas.

Fabiana Rosales' age, youthful energy, casual dress and globe-trotting ways has turned her into a prominent figure in her husband's campaign to bring change to the crisis-wracked country.

'Look, I am the wife of President Juan Guaido and I will accompany him on whatever route he takes and we will overcome whatever obstacles we face as we have done through all our years together,' Rosales told the Associated Press. 'But I got involved in politics because I want to change my country.'

She has been on an international goodwill tour to drum up support for her husband.

Melania Trump will also meet with Fabiana Rosales de Guaido, the wife of Venezuelan opposition leader, who met with President Trump on Wednesday

Melania Trump is at Mar-a-Lago this week for Barron's spring break

The Trump administration recognizes Juan Guiado, the elected head of the Venezuelan legislature, as the acting president of Venezuela in the absence of a free and fair election for the position. It frequently refers to him as the interim president, as well.

It has put intense pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, whom it regards as a dictator, to step down and make way for a new election with international monitors.

'Nicolas Maduro is a dictator with no legitimate claim to power. It is the policy of the United States of America, under the direction of President Donald Trump, that Nicolas Maduro must go,' Vice President Mike Pence said Wednesday.

He also met with Fabiana Rosales at the White House.

The U.S.-led campaign against Maduro and Treasury Department sanctions on the regime are supported by most western nations. China and Russia are aiding Maduro, however.
A U.S. congressional panel advanced legislation Thursday that would allow banks to provide services to cannabis companies in states where it is legal.

The bill would provide sought-after clarity to banks across the country that want to do business with the growing industry, where companies have struggled to gain access to the financial system.

The measure, which was broadly backed by a mixture of Democrats and Republicans, now proceeds to the full House, where it is expected to be passed by the Democrat-led chamber in the near future.

People view products at the Cannabis World Congress and Business Exposition, a trade show for the legalized adult use, medical marijuana and industrial hemp industries, in Los Angeles

However, the bill faces an uncertain future in the Republican-led Senate, according to analysts.

While all but three states allow for some form of legal cannabis use, marijuana is still illegal on the federal level.

That has left banks largely unwilling to do business with businesses that sell marijuana or related enterprises, out of concern they could run afoul of federal laws.

In particular, banks are wary that taking deposits from pot businesses while marijuana remains illegal at federal level could violate anti-money laundering laws.

This in turn could put at risk their federal charters or access to federal payments systems.

Currently, companies in the marijuana industry have extremely limited options for dealing with their finances, with many relying on strictly cash to do business.

Numerous lawmakers noted that operating exclusively in cash can be extremely dangerous, making companies a target for theft.

Banks are currently wary that taking deposits from pot businesses while marijuana remains illegal at federal level could violate anti-money laundering laws

The bill has the backing of the banking industry, where firms are eager for reassurance from the federal government they can engage in this sort of business.

The American Bankers Association has told Congress it takes no stance on the legality of marijuana, but its widespread adoption by states 'raises practical issues that must be addressed.'

Some Republican lawmakers expressed concern over permitting banks to engage in business that is still technically illegal.

If Congress wants to allow banks to get into the marijuana business, it should legalize marijuana, they said.

But proponents of the bill argued that with the vast majority of U.S. states taking steps to further legalize marijuana use, it makes no sense to refuse those businesses access to banks.

'The toothpaste is out of the tube, my friends,' said Representative Denny Heck, a Democrat from Washington.
Bryce McIntosh, 32, has been charged with the murder of his eight-year-old son Noah four weeks after the boy went missing in Corona, California

The father of an eight-year-old boy who went missing four weeks ago has been charged with first-degree murder, California authorities say.

Investigators announced at a news conference Thursday that Bryce McIntosh is suspected of killing his son Noah, who went missing earlier this month in Riverside County.

Corona Police Chief George Johnstone said detectives have found traces of evidence that 'leave no doubt that Noah is the victim of a homicide' even though the boy's body still hasn't been found.

'It is unfortunate and with a heavy heart that I must let the community know that the missing child investigation regarding Noah McIntosh has now been escalated to a homicide case,' Johnstone said.

Authorities have released very few details about Noah's disappearance earlier this month so as to protect the integrity of the investigation.

Investigators announced at a press conference Thursday that they have uncovered traces of evidence that 'leave no doubt that Noah is the victim of a homicide' even though the boy's body still hasn't been found four weeks after he was last seen on March 5

McIntosh, 32, and Noah's mother Jillian Godfrey, 36, were arrested and charged with felony child endangerment on March 13, just over a week after the boy was last seen on March 5.

Godfrey had contacted police to report that McIntosh was refusing to let her see her son, who was living with his father and 11-year-old sister at the time.

Noah's mother, 36-year-old Jillian Godfrey (above), was arrested and charged with felony child endangerment on March 13

Investigators serving a search warrant at McIntosh's home on March 13 determined there was substantial evidence to arrest both parents, who live separately in Corona, for child abuse.

Godfrey was not hit with any additional charges when McIntosh was charged with murder.

Both defendants are being held at the Robert Presley Detention Center in downtown Riverside.

McIntosh's bail has been set at $1million and Godfrey's is set at $500,000.

They are schedule to enter pleas in court on April 8.

Police on Thursday asked anyone who saw the boy or his parents between mid-February and mid-March to contact Senior Detective Mario Hernandez at 951-279-3659 or at mario.hernandez@coronaca.gov.
Founder of the initiative, Sarah Garrett MBE, (pictured) says boardrooms and workforces need to reflect the diversity of British society

Britain's biggest businesses have pledged to do more to diversify workplaces in a move which will improve career opportunities for people of Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds.

The Investing In Ethnicity conference, which took place at the Bank of England in London today, saw MPs and business leaders from companies including HSBC, Goldman Sachs and Lloyds banking group meet to address recent reports which reveal signifiant pay gaps between BAME and white workers, barriers to career progression for BAME employees as well as a lack of recruitment opportunities.

The Race in the Workplace study, led by Baroness McGregor-Smith, discovered that the employment rate for people of BAME backgrounds at 62.8 per cent is 12 per cent lower than that of their white counterparts, with just six per cent landing executive jobs.

It also revealed that some 58 per cent of FTSE 100 boards have no minority presence, with white women 20 times more likely be a Chair, CEO or CFO than an ethnic minority woman.

The conference was led by British diversity expert Sarah Garrett MBE and Labour MP Dawn Butler. It was opened by Bank of England Governor Mark Carney.

Founder of the initiative, Sarah Garrett MBE, says boardrooms and workforces need to reflect the diversity of British society.

She said: 'All the evidence shows us is that diversity is so often a rarity at the top table. Almost six out of ten FTSE 100 boards have no minority presence and it is even worse at a senior level for BAME women. BAME graduates are less likely to become employed than their white counterparts and some 60% of black employees feel their career development has failed to meet their expectations. We welcome renewed commitment from some of Britain's biggest organisations to addressing this inequality. The Investing in Ethnicity conference is just one part of a wider initiate to make positive change.'

Fiona Cannon OBE, Group Director, Responsible Business, Sustainability & Inclusion, Lloyds Banking Group, who last year won Outstanding Employer of the Year at the Ethnicity Awards, said:

'Becoming the Investing in Ethnicity's Employer of the Year supports Lloyds Banking Group's purpose of Helping Britain Prosper, a commitment that runs through the heart of everything we do to support the people, businesses and communities we serve. In 2018 we were the first FTSE 100 organisation to announce targets to increase the representation of BAME colleagues overall and for senior manager roles.

In addition, we launched our second Ethnicity in Advertising report, looking at the how accurately BAME people are reflected in advertising. It provides valuable insight into how advertisers could do more to authentically portray people from different ethnic groups.'

Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities Dawn Butler said: 'Initiatives like Investing in Ethnicity are incredibly important. I hope the conference has encouraged business to do more to level the playing field for BAME employees.'
Afrika Yearwood, 18, took her own life last year

A teenage A level student took her own life after being refused treatment by mental health experts who deemed that she was 'not acutely ill enough,' an inquest heard.

Popular Afrika Yearwood, 18, was told in April 2018 that she was not sick enough meet the criteria for mental health support.

She was 'ping-ponged' around and received just two hours and 21 minutes of care from different NHS services from February 24, 2018, until her death three months later, an inquest heard.

Afrika, the 'life and soul' of the party, never received a clinical diagnosis by mental health professionals but was described as impulsive and could go from really happy to suicidal in 10 seconds, an inquest heard.

She repeatedly spoke of wanting to die in the lead up to her tragic death at Leeds General Infirmary on May 25, 2018 following a suicide attempt four days earlier, an inquest heard.

Her mother, Beverley Yearwood told an inquest at Wakefield Coroner's Court: 'Afrika said she wanted to try anything to get better.

'For me, in April when she was getting worse and I asked for help I was getting shunted.

'We got the letter from adult mental health services saying she had been refused and referred back to primary care.

'I was on the phone for 58 minutes asking 'can you tell me please on what grounds you have refused'.

She was told by doctors that she was not sick enough meet the criteria for mental health support

'He said the threshold for adult services is very high and unfortunately she had not acutely ill enough.

'When I'm sat there by her grave I hear him say she is not acutely ill enough.

'I had a conversation with her and she said nobody is going to help me. She clearly stated that she could not cope anymore.'

Afrika, who worked as a waitress twice a week, began feeling upset in June 2017 which family suspected was school-related and not knowing what she wanted to do in the future, an inquest heard.

She displayed early signs of stress but lost faith in medical professionals after being wrongly sent to a chronic pain management treatment hospital.

Afrika threatened to jump out of her mother's car and locked herself in the bathroom before later telling her dad she wanted to die in December 2017, an inquest heard.

Following a search of her bedroom a note was found under the bed which said: 'Why is everything around me so distressing.'

Afrika began seeing a private cognitive behavioural therapist in December 2017 and told her mother the one-hour sessions - which cost 65 a week - were beneficial, an inquest heard.

She had 'no clear trigger' for her low moods but Afrika became snappy and would go into crisis mode over the tiniest things, an inquest heard.

Afrika then overdosed in February 2018 in what was described as a 'cry for help' by her boyfriend Jake Readman, 19, whose relationship began in the summer of 2016.

She was routinely reviewed during a 45-minute psychiatric assessment by Child and Adult Mental Health Services (CAMHS) after being discharged from Pinderfields Hospital and told family they would be contacted in seven days, an inquest heard.

She overdosed in February 2018 in what was described as a 'cry for help' by her boyfriend Jake Readman, 19

During an assessment on March 7 she was deemed low risk and a referral was made via the transition services.

Afrika was later prescribed antidepressant medication by a GP on March 13 - the day before her 18th birthday because she wanted 'to try anything to get better', an inquest heard.

She became more withdrawn and in the second week of April Afrika told her mother she 'still felt the same' despite receiving the treatment.

Afrika was refused treatment by adult mental services on April 20, 2018 based on a seven-week-old assessment of the teenager, an inquest heard.

Her mother challenged the decision but was told over the phone Afrika was 'not acutely ill enough', an inquest heard.

She then took an increased dosage of medication in the two weeks before her death, an inquest heard.

Therapist Michelle Pittam told of her 'frustration' after filing two reports to CAMHS over the risk Afrika posed but received no response.

She said: 'She was quiet when I first met her and it took a long tine to gain her trust to open up.

'There was clear evidence from her history that she had impulsive instances for example with the car and note.

'We had lots of discussions about the overdose and future risks. She said it was disappointed that it had not worked. She was deeply impacted by the impact it had on her family.

'By the time I wrote a report on May 4 there were concerns but there was other factors at play as well.

'What I wanted in my opinion that would be the best outcome was to have someone from the community mental health team seeing her regularly and building that relationship up.

'A community psychiatric nurse that would have given her access to psychiatrists and occupational therapists should she have needed it.

'Afrika was not particularly in favour of hospital admission and neither was her mum.'

Boyfriend Jake Readman sent a text message to Afrika's mum saying: 'She is extremely fragile at the moment, can you keep an eye on her. I'm mentally drained.'

Giving evidence at the inquest, he said: 'She was a bit stressed out about having to make a choice about university. I realised there wasn't a root cause, it was just the way she was feeling.

'On May 17 I told her I needed some space and she was very understanding. On May 21 we had not spoken at all and she text me asking if we were talking.

'I said at the moment this is just too much for me, I don't know how to cope. I cannot continue because it's making me ill. I think she took it as abandonment.

'I just said I needed some time to myself. I think one of the hardest parts is it was very hard to predict her mood. She could go from really happy to suicidal in the space of 10 seconds.'

An inquest continues.

For confidential support on suicide matters in the UK, call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch or click here.
A schoolboy bully arrested over the alleged 'waterboarding' of a 15-year-old Syrian pupil in an attack that shocked the nation, has been issued with a caution.

The 16-year-old, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was interviewed by police and summoned to court for a section 39 assault offence in November last year.

It came after footage emerged on social media of the Syrian boy, called Jamal, being dragged to the floor and held down by his throat before having water poured over his face.

The video provoked outrage and prompted well-wishers to set up an online crowdfunding page for the victim which received 50,000 in donations in the space of a day.

The incident took place on October 25 at Almondbury Community School in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, which has since been slammed in a report by Ofsted for 'ineffective safeguarding'.

Footage emerged on social media of the Syrian boy, called Jamal, being dragged to the floor and held down by his throat before having water poured over his face

The alleged incident took place on October 25 at Almondbury Community School in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, which has since been slammed in a report by Ofsted for 'ineffective safeguarding'

A review of the case was undertaken to investigate whether there was a racially aggravated element to the offence.

But police released a statement today saying the CPS has concluded there was not sufficient evidence to charge the suspect with a racially aggravated assault.

The statement read: 'On 26 October 2018, West Yorkshire Police received a report from a 15-year-old male that he had been assaulted at school by a named 16-year-old male, the previous day (25 October 2018).

'Included in the report received by police was the video evidence of the incident, which has been widely circulated in the media and on social media.

'The suspect was interviewed by police.

'Upon completion of the investigation, it was reviewed by the Youth Offending Team, the suspect was reported for summons for section 39 assault.

Jamal, with supporters outside Almondbury Community School in Huddersfield, in November last year

'However, following significant media coverage about the incident, West Yorkshire Police has received further intelligence and evidence and a review of the case was undertaken to investigate whether there was a racially aggravated element to the offence.

'A file was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for their consideration.

'The CPS has concluded that there was not sufficient evidence to charge the suspect with a racially aggravated assault and he was given a caution for a section 39 assault.

'The victim and his family has been kept updated throughout the process and has been updated on the CPS's decision.'

Shortly after the footage emerged, the victim said he no longer felt safe at school.

He told ITV News: 'I woke up at night and just started crying about this problem. They think I'm different - different from them.

'I don't feel safe at school.

'Sometimes I say to my dad, 'I don't want to go to school anymore'. I was just crying and I didn't do nothing because I respect the school rules.'

Jamal's family have since moved away from Huddersfield to set up a new life for themselves elsewhere in the UK.
The European parliament has overwhelmingly backed a watershed resolution calling for reparations for crimes committed in Africa during European colonialism.

The bill urges European member states to introduce a series of sweeping reforms aimed at tackling 'structural racism' facing millions of Afro-Europeans.

It calls on the countries to implement nation-wide strategies to deal with discrimination in education, health, housing, policing, the justice system and politics.

The resolution - approved by 535 MEPs, with 80 votes against and 44 abstentions - also calls on European member states to declassify their colonial archives, covering the most disturbing periods of Europe's colonial past, and issue public apologies.

The European parliament voted has overwhelmingly backed a resolution calling for reparations on EU countries for crimes against Africa

The resolution, hailed as a 'watershed moment', was drawn up by British Labour MEP Claude Moraes (pictured)

It urges the EU to adopt 'a workforce diversity and inclusion strategy' to address the underrepresentation of ethnic minority officials.

As it stands, the EU does not share data on race, ethnicity or religion because it's considered contrary to equality, The Guardian reports.

The text is not legally-binding, but it was hailed as a watershed moment campaign groups for specifically focusing on the discrimination faced on the continent by an estimated 15 million people.

'Histories of injustices against Africans and people of African Descent  including enslavement, forced labour, racial apartheid, massacre, and genocides in the context of European colonialism and the transatlantic slave trade  remain largely unrecognised and unaccounted for at an institutional level in EU member states,' the text states.

The text was inspired by the racist behavior experienced by Italian socialist MEP Cecile Kyenge (pictured), who served as Italys first black government minister

The resolution was drawn up by British Labour MEP Claude Moraes and was inspired by the racist behavior experienced by Italian socialist MEP Cecile Kyenge, who served as Italys first black government minister.

Pressure is now on the European commission to fund the schemes in the EU's next seven-year budget.

Amel Yacef, the chair of the European Network Against Racism, told The Guardian the vote was 'a historic, watershed moment for the recognition of people of African descent in Europe'.

She added: 'The European parliament is leading the way and sending a signal to EU member states to tackle structural racism that prevents black people from being included in European society. The ball is now in their court: we need concrete action plans and specific measures now.'
A suspected ISIS terror cell in Europe has been snared after two Iraqis wanted in connection for attacks on German trains were detained.

Czech authorities arrested a father-of-five and a woman at Vaclav Havel Airport in Prague today after Austria issued a European Arrest Warrant for the pair.

They are suspected of having fastened a steel cable across the tracks which run between Munich and Nuremberg which damaged the front window of a train in October last year.

Reinforced wooden wedges had also been placed on the track in the hope of derailing one of the trains.

The Iraqis are suspected of having fastened a steel cable across the tracks which run between Munich and Nuremberg which damaged the front window of a train in October last year (aftermath pictured)

It came months before a similar attack when an overhead electrical line was sabotaged in December, but luckily nobody was injured in either incident.

But Vienna prosecutors said that only a technical error prevented casualties and added that writings in Arabic and an Islamic State flag near the crime scenes established a suspected 'terrorist' motive.

Marketa Puci, spokeswoman for the Municipal Court in Prague, said the court had received a custody request from prosecutors, on which it has to decide within 24 hours.

Austrian Interior Minister Herbert Kickl told the country's parliament that the two suspects 'formed a cell' together with another man suspected of involvement who was detained on Monday in Vienna.

Austrian Interior Minister Herbert Kickl (pictured at the UN this month) told the country's parliament that the two suspects 'formed a cell' together with another man suspected of involvement who was detained on Monday in Vienna

This man has admitted involvement in both incidents but denied any terrorist motive for the crimes, which would carry a maximum life-long prison sentence.

Austrian and German authorities worked together leading to Monday's arrest, according to criminal investigators in Germany's southern state of Bavaria.

Germany is on alert following several jihadist attacks in recent years - the most deadly committed in by 23-year-old Tunisian Anis Amri, who killed 12 people when he stole a truck and smashed it through a Berlin Christmas market in 2016.
Austin Shuffield, 30, was charged Thursday with additional felony counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and unlawfully carrying a weapon for his alleged March 21 attack on L'Daijohnique Lee in Dallas

The Texas man caught on video wielding a handgun while brutally punching an unarmed black woman multiple times during an alleged parking dispute was charged additionally with two felonies on Thursday.

Austin Shuffield, 30, was initially arrested March 21 on misdemeanor counts of assault, public intoxication and interference with an emergency call following his reported early morning attack on 24-year-old L'Daijohnique Lee.

Those charges outraged members of Dallas' black community who felt they weren't severe enough given the apparent brutality of Shuffield's attack as seen on a viral video filmed and uploaded to social media by a bystander.

Dallas Police Chief Renee Hall told reporters Thursday morning that her department has added felony counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and unlawfully carrying a weapon after investigating the incident further.

She said Shuffield did not have a license to carry the concealed handgun he was seen holding in the video. Police found the firearm in his car after the incident.

'Our detectives, as part of our protocols and procedures, investigated that case thoroughly by insuring we interviewed all witnesses, gathered all evidence, any additional video and now have added some additional charges,' Hall said.

'An additional warrant has been issued for the arrest of Mr. Shuffield. He does have the ability to turn himself in. The grand jury will make the decision as to whether or not to indict Mr. Shuffield on the felony assault charge.'

L'Daijohnique Lee, 24, has said Shuffield lobbed racial slurs at her after during their alleged early morning March 21 parking lot dispute in Dallas

Dallas police say Shuffield is the man seen punching Lee in a viral video that was filmed and uploaded to social media by a bystander

Why should High & Tight and/or the business community of Deep Ellum share any of the responsibility of the assault by #AustinShuffield? Posted by Lee Merritt on Wednesday, March 27, 2019

The additional charges came after multiple days of protests in the streets of Dallas led in part by civil rights attorney Lee Merritt who the victim hired after the attack.

Those protests led to the temporary shutdown of High & Tight Barbershop and Bar, the business where Shuffield worked as a bartender before being fired a day after the owner saw the video of Shuffield's alleged attack and spoke to police.

Merritt told the Daily Mail a week ago he was pushing for hate crime charges to be brought against Shuffield after Lee told the attorney her alleged attacker lobbed racial slurs at her during the assault.

'We are pleased to learn about the additional felony charges against [Shuffield]' Merritt wrote on social media Thursday. 'It is unfortunate that the initial charging officer failed to file any felony charges against Austin Shuffield despite reviewing video evidence, independent witness statements, securing a firearm and receiving the victim statement. However, we are grateful that after significant community backlash and protest more serious charges were perused.'

Hall said the police department had to go through multiple steps in its routine processes in investigating Shuffield before more serious charges could be filed.

'We don't get to skip those steps because individuals would like us to,' she said. 'We owe it to our community, we owe it to the individuals that are accused of these crimes and/or victims of these crimes to give them a thorough investigation. And that is what we did.'

Lee told reporters on Monday that she's had to sleep in hotels because she's afraid someone else is going to harm her.

She was hospitalized with a concussion after the March 21 attack.

'I'm scared. I don't know who is following me, who is behind me, who is watching me," she said. 'My body still hurts. Everything still hurts.'

Hall said Shuffield will face a two to 20 year prison sentence if convicted of aggravated assault.
A lawsuit has claimed that a 10-year-old Guatemalan boy was prescribed antidepressants without parental consent and sexually assaulted by another child while in U.S. custody after entering the country illegally.

The lawsuit filed last week in Texas state court says that the father, identified only as J.E.B., and the boy, identified as F.C.B., were taken into custody and separated in February 2018.

The man was deported to Guatemala in April 2018 and his son was first held in Arizona at a facility run by Southwest Key Programs for the Department of Health and Human Services, the lawsuit says.

Staff at the facility diagnosed the boy with an adjustment disorder and recommended he be sent to a smaller facility, according to the suit.

The boy was sent to Shiloh Treatment Center (above) in Brazoria County, Texas in June 2018, where he was prescribed medication and sexually assaulted by another child, the suit claims

In June, the boy F.C.B was moved to Shiloh Treatment Center in Brazoria County, Texas where staff prescribed him Risperdal and Lexapro, medications used to treat depression, anxiety and mental or mood disorders without parental consent, the suit alleges.

The lawsuit also states that the boy also reported in December that he had been sexually assaulted by another child in the Shiloh facility.

The boy was supposed to be at the Shiloh facility for 30 days but ended up remaining there for about six months, the suit states.

'There's not justification for it,' attorney John Judge, who is one of the lawyers representing the plaintiffs, told the Austin Statesman. 'What has happened to this young man was just horrible. He was imprisoned for 11 months with no justification.'

Both Shiloh and Southwest Key are contractors working for the Administration for Children and Families, which is part of the Department of Health and Human Services.

HHS has authority over juveniles who cross the border illegally unaccompanied, or are separated from their guardians due to arrest.

The suit names the two facilities and their owners as defendants, and seeks unspecified monetary damages.

A spokesperson for Southwest Key said that the most serious allegations in the suit were not directed at its shelter.

'Any mistreatment of a child is unacceptable and violates the mission that guides our organization,' Southwest Key said in a statement to the Statesman.

'We self-report every allegation of misconduct that we become aware of to state and federal authorities. If the authorities determine a report is warranted and launch a formal investigation, we participate fully in that process.'

'From the pleadings, it appears none of the serious allegations made in this filing occurred in our shelter so we cannot comment on them,' the organization added.

Shiloh referred questions to the Administration for Children and Families.

A spokesperson with that agency told NBC News that as a matter of policy it does not identify individual migrant children and 'will not comment on specific cases or pending litigation.'

Last July, a judge ruled that parental consent or a court order was required to administer psychotropic drugs to children being treated at Shiloh.
The parents of a Pennsylvania woman whose 2011 stabbing death was ruled a suicide, are seeking justice for their daughter who they insist could not have knifed herself in the back of her own neck 10 times with injuries 2-3 inches deep.

Ellen Greenberg was found dead at 27 with a 10-inch serrated knife plunged four inches into her chest and she had been injured with the weapon 20 times all over her body  including 8 wounds ranging from 0.2 centimeters in the chest, a cut to the scalp that was a 2.5 inches long, and a 2 inch deep knifing in the stomach.

The Janiata Park Academy first grade teacher was discovered sitting on her Philadelphia kitchen floor January 26 and fruit that had recently been sliced rested on the counter while two clean knives lay in the sink.

Ellen Greenberg's mother Sandra is hoping for justice for her daughter who was stabbed to death eight years ago. Her death was ruled initially ruled a homicide then changed to suicide

Engaged woman had sent out save the dates to her August wedding four days before death

Greenberg was found dead at 27 January 26, 2011 in her Venice Lofts apartment in Philadelphia. The school teacher had been stabbed 20 times including 10 times in back of neck

Her fiance Samuel Goldberg had kicked in the door after being trapped outside the apartment for more than an hour. He'd only gone to the gym for 30 minutes at 4.45pm when he returned to find the door had been locked with a swing bar from the inside.

Medical Examiners ruled her death a homicide the following day, but responding police had treated the incident as a suicide initially and on March 7, 2011 her cause of death was changed to reflect the law enforcement account.

But now Greenberg's parents  periodontist Josh, 68, and dental hygienist Sandra, 62  who lived in Harrisberg, have hired their own investigators to find out what really happened to their only child.

'It doesn't add up,' Sandra told the Inquirer Daily News about what happened on the sixth floor of the Venice Lofts that day. ' We just want to know the truth.'

Security cameras were only able to capture who came into the lobby and there was no sign of forced entry or disturbed snow on their balcony that day.

Seven minutes after calling 911 at 6.33pm and performing CPR - which Goldberg was told to stop after he spotted a knife in her body  Greenberg was pronounced dead.

There were not signs of forced entry in her apartment that she shared with fiance and it was locked from the inside with a swing bar

Greenberg had sent out save the dates to her August 11 wedding just four days prior to her death and she was taking Klonopin and Ambien to help with anxiety.

The pills list suicidal thoughts as a side effect.

'I was trying to go full circle, everything I could think of to find out what she was so concerned about,' her mother said, adding that she got her daughter to see a psychiatrist who said she showed no sign of suicidal thoughts. 'I just thought she felt overwhelmed.'

Family and friends say she was anxious in the time before her wedding and they hadn't seen her like that before

A friend also stated Greenberg's behavior changed as her nuptials loomed but blamed her deflated personality on work pressures.

The Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory (RCFL) recovered searches on her computer between December 18, 2010 and January 10, 2019 that included 'suicide methods, quick suicide, and painless suicide'.

Pennsylvania's Attorney General's Office spokesperson told the Inquirer that text messages to her mother supported the suicide idea.

They include her telling her parent she will take medication. 'I know u don't understand but I can't keep living with feeling this way,' Greenberg wrote to Sandra on January 8.

Nine days later, she told her mother 'Klonopin helped!'

But only one day before Greenberg died, Sandra texted: 'You need to see a professional' to which her daughter replied: 'OK I'm trying just scared a bit for everything.'

Her father admitted that she asked to move in with them shortly before she was found dead.

'At no time did she complain about anybody or anything except that she wanted to come home,' Josh Greenberg said.

Various investigators have been on the case including Pittsburgh forensic pathologist Cyril H. Wecht  who challenged the John F. Kennedy single bullet theory. Wechts' 2012 report said she was 'strongly suspicious of homicide.'

Deputy coroner for Montgomery County, Gregory McDonald, opined to the Inquirer Daily News that the number of shallow wounds on Greenberg were not common in homicides. Others have gone with the idea that they could have been test punctures or signs of reluctance.

A lack of defensive wounds described in reports has also been noted by police and others looks at the case but former state trooper Tom Brennan  who is working the case for free  says it could be consistent with a quick blitz attack.

But the placement of the injuries, force needed to make them, and fact they occurred through her clothing could suggest she was murdered.

'That is not the typical pattern of someone who commits suicide through a sharp instrument like that,' McDonald said.

Investigators believe there's as much evidence to suggest she killed herself as there is to suggest she was murdered

Blood flowing from her nose to left ear suggested she was slumped but later propped up into the position she was found in.

There was no neuropathologist report to refer to in the case but a line in the autopsy there was no defect to the spinal cord.

If Greenberg's injuries to the back of the neck did hit the area it could have made her numb enough not to feel the pain but if it was broken she would not have been able to move.

The parents tried to reopen the case in 2012 and again in 2018 but the requests were denied.

Josh Greenberg told the Inquirer: 'I'm disgusted and disappointed and punched in the stomach but this is not over.'
A pregnant Florida woman and her boyfriend were attacked by multiple members of a group of motorcycle and all-terrain vehicle (ATV) riders on Sunday.

Video released by the Edgewood Police Department on Wednesday showed the moments leading up to the roadside attack by mostly masked individuals, and the swarm of riders that followed after it ensued.

The attack occurred after a motorcyclist crashed into the woman's vehicle and she pulled over to check on the rider and the damage.

The police have not made any arrests in the case, and it remains unclear whether the attack was random or targeted, police told the New York Post.

The woman, who is five months pregnant, has asked to remain anonymous.

Edgewood police posted surveillance camera footage of the incident from a distance on the department's Facebook page on Wednesday.

'On March 24, 2019 at approximately 3:50 pm a vehicle was struck in the driver side door by a motorcycle traveling northbound in the southbound lane of S. Orange Ave,' the post accompanying the video read.

'The driver of the vehicle stopped just west of the intersection to check on the operater (sic) of the motorcycle.

'Upon exiting the vehicle, the female driver and her passenger were physically attacked by an unknown number of suspects in the same motorcycle group.'

A pregnant Florida woman and her boyfriend were attacked by multiple members of a group of motorcycle and all-terrain vehicle (ATV) riders in Edgewood, Florida on Sunday

The attack occurred following one motorcycle rider crashing a vehicle driven by the five-months-pregnant woman, after she pulled over and got out to check on the motorcyclist and the damage to her car

The woman was hit by female, police said, and the boyfriend was assaulted while trying to stop the altercation.

The man was stuck and knocked to the ground by members of the group using their fists, feet and helmets, authorities said.

The members of the group continued the attack until police sirens could be heard in the distance, investigators said a witness reported.

Upon leaving the scene, the suspect traveled westbound down Holden Avenue.

Police said the group had been driving in a 'very reckless manner' nearby for hours.

Police said the group had been driving in a 'very reckless manner' nearby for hours. The police have not made any arrests in the case, and it remains unclear whether the attack was random or targeted

The woman said her purse was also stolen during the course of the attack.

Most of the attackers were wearing masks, and as such have not yet been identified.

The woman caught a good look at one female ATV driver, however, who she said was the person who initially attacked her after she got out of her car.

Blood samples were collected from the hood of the vehicle, its door and windshield, police said.

The Edgewood Police Department is asking for help in identifying anyone involved in this incident.

Any one with information that could assist the investigation is asked to contact Central Florida Crimeline at 407-423-TIPS (8477).T
Janine Vaughan (pictured), 31, was last seen getting into a red car after leaving a Bathurst nightclub on December 7, 2001

A $1million reward is being offered to help solve the suspected murder of a woman who vanished without a trace more than 17 years ago.

Janine Vaughan, 31, was last seen getting into a red car after leaving a Bathurst nightclub in the early hours of December 7, 2001.

A New South Wales coroner concluded in 2009 that Ms Vaughan was murdered - but the circumstances remain a mystery.

Detectives who re-opened the case in 2013 on Friday announced a $1million NSW government reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

Homicide Squad Commander Scott Cook said the reward is supposed to encourage people to come forward.

'Our investigators have been meticulously working through what happened to Janine in the moments leading up to and after she got into the red car that morning,' Det Supt Cook said.

'We know about 10 minutes before Janine was seen getting into the car, another woman was approached about 750m away by a man in what we believe is the same vehicle.'

In 2008 police impounded a car they believe was linked to the case.

Detectives will now re-test it using new forensic technology.

A New South Wales coroner concluded in 2009 that Ms Vaughan (pictured) was murdered - but the circumstances remain a mystery

Strikeforce officers survey the search area on the Bathurst outskirts, Sunday, May 27, 2007, looking for the body of Janine Vaughan

'New technology will allow us to re-examine some weak DNA samples recovered during the initial examination which we hope will be matched to Janine,' Det Supt Cook said.

'Detectives are confident they can provide answers to Janine's family and give them some peace, but there is still work to do and we are following a very strong line of inquiry.'

Ms Vaughan's sister, Kylie Spelde, said the last 18 years has been very tough on the entire family.

'Every day without my sister, who was so full of life, is unbearable, and 18 years is a long time without any contact and any answers,' Kylie said.

Left: Kylie Vaughan, the sister of missing woman Janine Vaughan cries at a press conference. Right: A cadaver-sniffer dog leads a team of about 15 police rescue and forensic personnel through a number of designated areas on the Bathurst outskirts

'It's heartbreaking to know Janine was living her life, and then someone  or some people  took all of that away from her and from us.

'Someone knows what happened to her and on behalf of our family, I'm asking for anyone who has information to come forward and contact police.'

A Facebook group titled Find Janine Vaughn has some 3,000 members.

In January, her uncle and auntie posted a heartfelt message to celebrate her birthday.

'Thinking of you more today Neen on your special day,' the post read.

'Happy birthday sweetheart.'

On the 17th anniversary of her disappearance in December, her auntie Veronica wrote: 'Seventeen years since you walked out of our lives Neen and we still think of you every single day.

'Always keeping you safe in our hearts... God bless you sweetheart.'
The Aon Center in Chicago is getting a quite the architectural upgrade - a glass elevator that will shoot visitors up 83 stories at a staggering speed of almost 17ft per seconds.

Designed by local firm, Solomon Cordwell Buenz (SCB), the massive elevator is part of 'The Observatory at Aon Center' and construction on the project will begin in spring.

The elevator will be situated in the northwest corner of the iconic tower - which was first completed in the city in 1974.

Local firm, Solomon Cordwell Buenz (SCB), plans to start building their 'The Observatory at Aon Center' experience in the spring

Visitors will go through the entry pavilion at ground level and purchase their tickets

Visitors will go through the entry pavilion at ground level and purchase their tickets for the experience, according to architectural networking site Archinect.

Guest will then enter the double-deck elevators and be shot up 1,000 vertical feet. The ride is said to approximately a minute long.

The glass shaft for the elevator will be anchored on every forth floor of the building.

Guest will then enter the double-deck elevators and be shot up 1,000 vertical feet. The ride is said to approximately a minute long

The glass shaft for the elevator will be anchored on every forth floor of the building

After the wild ride, visitors will then get to experience the Sky Summit - a terrifying observation deck

After the wild ride, visitors will then get to experience the Sky Summit - a terrifying observation deck that provides immaculate views of Millennium Park and surrounding areas.

The observation space also houses lounging areas and a restaurant.

The project - which will cost roughly $186million - is slated to being building in the spring and aims to be completed by 2021.

The observation space houses lounging areas and a restaurant and gives dazzling views of Chicago

Developers claimed that the expansive project could add approximately 2million yearly visitors to the city and generate over $900milion in direct economic impact

Developers claimed that the expansive project could add approximately 2million yearly visitors to the city and generate over $900milion in direct economic impact, Fast Company reports.

Once completed, the elevator will be the tallest of its kind in North America.

Chicago's architecture has long taken to the skies - there is already a glass sky deck at the Willis Tower and the John Hancock center has a sky bar.
Graffiti artist Banksy has said his piece depicting politicians in the House of Commons as chimpanzees has gone on display 'to mark Brexit day'.

The artwork, named Devolved Parliament, has been put on show at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery in time for the original deadline of March 29.

Banksy gave his permission for the piece, which is four metres wide, to go back on display.

Graffiti artist Banksy has said his piece depicting politicians in the House of Commons as chimpanzees has gone on display at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery in time for March 29 'to mark Brexit day'

A photograph of Devolved Parliament was posted on the artist's Instagram account on Thursday.

The caption read: 'Devolved Parliament. I made this ten years ago.

'Bristol museum have just put it back on display to mark Brexit day.'

It ended with the quote: 'Laugh now, but one day no-one will be in charge.'

This appears to be a reference to his piece Laugh Now, which Banksy created for a Brighton nightclub in 2002.

Laugh Now features a stencil image of a chimpanzee wearing a sandwich board reading: 'Laugh now, but one day we'll be in charge.'

In 2009, Banksy said of Devolved Parliament: 'You paint 100 chimpanzees and they still call you a guerrilla artist.'

It was first shown at Bristol Museum in 2009 as part of the Banksy vs Bristol Museum exhibition.

The work was then purchased by an unnamed collector, who has loaned it to the museum to mark a decade since its unveiling.

A photograph of Devolved Parliament (pictured on display in Bristol Museum & Art Gallery) was posted on Banksy's Instagram account on Thursday

Members of the public will be able to view Devolved Parliament free of charge at the museum, in Bristol's busy Queen's Road, for five months.

Four art conservators spent nine hours erecting the piece in the museum's front hall, where Banksy's Paint Pot Angel has been on display since 2009.

Yoma Smith, trustee of Bristol Museums Development Trust, described Banksy as 'Bristol's son' and said she expected the artwork to be very popular.

'It's great art, and great art is a reflection of society,' she said.

'It raises a mirror to society and discusses the mood and landscape. That's what Banksy does.

'He points a mirror back at society, so this is exciting for us, it's exciting for the museum and it's really exciting for Bristol.'

The caption on Banksy's post read: 'Devolved Parliament. I made this ten years ago. Bristol museum have just put it back on display to mark Brexit day.' It ended with the quote: 'Laugh now, but one day no-one will be in charge' - a reference to his 2002 piece Laugh Now

She said the artwork had been returned to the museum to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of Banksy's exhibition.

Banksy vs Bristol Museum was one of the most successful exhibitions in the world, Ms Smith said.

'I queued outside for it - the queues were down the street,' she added.

Laugh Now features a stencil image of a chimpanzee wearing a sandwich board reading: 'Laugh now, but one day we'll be in charge.'

'We would like to think that having this artwork here on display for five months will attract a lot of visitors to Bristol.'

The label by the piece reads: 'Banksy, born 1974. Devolved Parliament. Oil paint and digital print, 2009. Generously loaned from a private collection.'

Exhibition curator Philip Walker said: 'When this work was shown 10 years ago it caused a real stir and was one of the highlights of the Banksy vs Bristol Museum exhibition.

Devolved Parliament was first shown at Bristol Museum in 2009 as part of the Banksy vs Bristol Museum exhibition. It was then purchased by an unnamed collector, who has loaned it to the museum to mark a decade since its unveiling

'It feels like a timely chance to revisit the work and a great opportunity to share Banksy's largest known work on canvas with the public again.'

Britain's departure date from the EU was extended to May 22 after Theresa May's withdrawal agreement was voted down by the House of Commons for a second time earlier this month.

It is set to be put to a third vote tomorrow.
Gary Hopkins, 37, has been convicted of the murder of 17-year-old Abdi Ali in 2017

A father nicknamed The Magician is facing life behind bars for murdering his teenage heroin dealer and stashing the corpse, wrapped up in a duvet cover, in his attic for eight months.

Gary Hopkins, 37, smacked Abdi Ali, 17 over the head with a claw hammer before repeatedly stabbing him with a six-inch knife on December 21, 2017.

He then rummaged through the dead boy's pockets and took 400 before fashioning a noose from cables and hoisting the teenager into the attic of his Edmonton flat, which he shared with his wife and three children.

But the victim's mangled body, which had been infested with insects, was discovered when the murderer openly bragged to his friends about his crime, and even encouraged them to look in his loft.

Today, a jury at London's Old Bailey found window cleaner Hopkins guilty of murdering Abdi, who was linked to the Get Money Gang (GMG).

Despite Abdi, known as Skeng, being reported missing by his family, his body lay undiscovered for eight months until friends of Hopkins tipped off detectives.

Gareth Patterson QC told the court that Hopkins let slip what had happened to friends who visited the flat last August.

Hopkins, who was known for performing magic tricks, had threatened to kill another drug dealer saying: 'I've done it before. He's in the loft.'

Abdi, known as Skeng was a drug dealer linked to the Get Money Gang and his body lay undiscovered for eight months

His wife, Stacy Docherty, 28, wept as Hopkins got a ladder and encouraged the friends to look for themselves, jurors heard.

When police searched the roof space, they found Abdi's body wrapped in a black and red duvet cover with plastic bags over his head.

Giving evidence, Hopkins blamed a senior member of the GMG called Gaille Bola for the killing.

Hopkins, who was convicted of causing death by dangerous driving and aggravated vehicle taking in 1999, told jurors he feared he would be blamed.

He told jurors: 'I was scared my kids would wake up and see the body, so I wrapped it up and put it in the attic.

'I was trying to investigate what the reason was behind it.'

But in her evidence, Docherty said her 'controlling' and 'aggressive' partner had killed 'respectful' Abdi, who used their flat to sell drugs.

Docherty, whose previous convictions include assault and criminal damage, said she 'froze' and was 'petrified' when Hopkins told her he 'lost it' and they had to leave.

She said: 'He had blood on him. I didn't want to look. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

Hopkins stabbed Abdi repeatedly in the chest with a six-inch blade at his Edmonton flat in north London

He also smacked the teenager over the head with a claw hammer

'I was in shock. I was thinking 'oh my God, my children are in the next room'.'

Explaining why she helped Hopkins push the body into the loft, Docherty said: 'He could have hurt me. He had just killed someone. He's a loose cannon.'

Stacie Collard, a friend of Doherty's, visited the flat last August and told the court that Hopkins boasted about killing Ali.

She told jurors: 'I didn't believe him at this point. His way of trying to reassure me was him saying that he will ask Stacy about the attic in front of me and then just watch her face.'

When they got back, Hopkins pointed up to the loft and told Docherty: 'I've told them about the guy in the attic.'

'That was it,' Ms Collard said: 'She completely broke down.'

She said Hopkins seemed 'excited', 'especially in the way that he told Stacy and pointing to the loft'.

The hatch to the attic in Hopkins' Edmonton home where he wrapped Abdi's body in a duvet cover and stored it for eight months

'I said 'Okay then, if it's true then I want to see'.

Hopkins went and got a ladder from outside and propped it up to the attic.

Ms Collard said: 'Gary was like 'Go on then, go'.

'I went maybe two or three steps up the ladder and thought to myself if this is true then I'm not going to un-see what I see, so I came back down.

'I had a complete freak out and couldn't go up, so I encouraged Kamil to go up instead.'

She added: 'When he came down, I asked him if there was anything up there.

'He was very pale and just shook his head yes.'

Ms Collard added that Docherty later said Abdi was killed because 'she had a debt of 60 to a guy and hadn't bought Christmas presents for the children'.

'That's why I believe it was done,' she added.

'She said she felt as if she pushed Gary into it all; she felt like it was all her idea and she pushed him into it.'

'The Magician' fashioned a noose from cables and hoisted the teenager into the attic

Ms Collard told jurors she shared the grisly secret with her partner later that day and the two went to Hatfield Police Station to report it the following Monday.

Prior to today's conviction, Hopkins had already admitted perverting the course of justice and preventing the lawful burial of a body.

The jury cleared his partner Stacy Docherty of murder but was unable to reach verdicts on two other charges.

Judge Nicholas Hilliard QC discharged jurors and adjourned sentencing of Hopkins until April 26.

In a victim impact statement, Abdi's mother, Iisha Abdullahi said: 'Abdi was a very respectful, helpful son and he was particularly very close to his grandmother and he used to help her all the time. His grandmother took his death very badly and died herself soon after.'
Pauline Hanson refused to apologise to Port Arthur massacre victims on Friday morning after she repeated a conspiracy theory that the mass-shooting was set up by the government to justify strict new gun laws.

The One Nation leader was secretly filmed last year saying she had 'a lot of questions' about the 1996 disaster where a gunman slaughtered 35 people.

Her comments were recorded by an undercover reporter posing as a gun rights lobbyist and exposed this week in a documentary by Qatari news channel Al Jazeera.

In a fiery interview with Deborah Knight on the Today Show on Friday morning, Hanson claimed the documentary was 'a set-up' and 'dubbed' to make her look bad.

Hidden camera footage, released by Al Jazeera as part of an undercover operation, showed Senator Hanson saying she had 'a lot of questions' about the 1996 Port Arthur, which saw 35 people shot dead

Knight asked Hanson if she wanted to say sorry to victims' families, asking: 'Will you apologise to them in any way, shape or form?'

Senator Hanson replied: 'Deb, my comments were made at a dinner table, never made publicly. This is not my doing to have exposed my comments.

'It was Al Jazeera and an undercover agent. I'm sorry for these (families of the victims). I am really sorry for them. They shouldn't have to go through this again.'

In the secret footage, filmed by Al Jazeera undercover reporter Rodger Muller, Senator Hanson had said she'd read the controversial theories regarding Port Arthur, the historic convict settlement in Tasmania turned tourist attraction.

'An MP said it would actually take a massacre in Tasmania to change the gun laws in Australia,' Senator Hanson said.

'Haven't you heard that? Have a look at it. It was said on the floor of parliament.

'I've read a lot and I have read the book on it, Port Arthur. A lot of questions there.'

Senator Hanson, who admitted she has not seen the documentary titled How To Sell A Massacre in full, insisted her comments were taken out of context and even suggested the footage had been dubbed.

'They've cut and pasted the questions and the answers that we've actually given,' she said.

Pauline Hanson (pictured) clashed with Deborah Knight in a tense interview on the Today Show on Friday morning

The aftermath of the Port Arthur massacre which killed 35 people in 1996 in Tasmania

Pauline Hanson (left) meets undercover reporter Rodger Muller (right) during a secret Al Jazeera documentary

She said of reporter Rodger Muller in the footage: 'I know I don't see his face or his lips moving. I feel this has been dubbed out and it has been cut and pasted so many times.'

Knight asked: 'Do you believe that the Port Arthur massacre was not a government conspiracy.'

'Of course,' Senator Hanson responded.

What did Pauline Hanson say about the Port Arthur Massacre? In the secret footage, filmed by Al Jazeera undercover reporter Roger Muller, Hanson had said she questions the massacre which killed 35 in 1996. 'An MP said it would actually take a massacre in Tasmania to change the gun laws in Australia,' Senator Hanson said. 'Haven't you heard that? Have a look at it. It was said on the floor of parliament. 'I've read a lot and I have read the book on it, Port Arthur. A lot of questions there.' She was referring to comments made by former NSW Labor premier Barrie Unsworth in 1987. In 1987, months before losing an election, he predicted it would take a mass shooting before Australia had national gun laws. 'It will take a massacre in Tasmania before we get gun law reform in Australia,' he told a national gun summit in Canberra, after Tasmania and Queensland rejected his policy idea. Advertisement

Knight continued: 'How do you think the families hearing any suggestion, even the hint...'

Senator Hanson cut her off and said: 'Deb, I never said at all that it was a conspiracy.'

Knight pointed out that there were scores of One Nation supporters who believed that the massacre was a set-up.

'What do you say to those people?' she asked.

'It could not possibly be a government conspiracy theory,' Hanson said.

The Al Jazeera investigation filmed Hanson's chief of staff James Ashby and One Nation Queensland leader Steve Dickson meeting with people associated with the National Rifle Association in the US last September.

The pair were caught on camera discussing what they would do with $20million funding from the NRA - but Hanson denied they ever asked the group for money.

In one heated moment, Knight asked: 'Why did James Ashby and Steve Dickson talk about wanting to get millions of dollars from the NRA, wanting to win power?

Senator Hanson replied: 'Sorry Deb, let's pull that up. Deb, they never ever asked the NRA for any money.

'They talked about what they could achieve,' Knight said.

'No, no... if they were to get money from the NRA,' Senator Hanson said. 'That was Muller putting words in their mouth, it was taken out of context.'

Senator Hanson called the investigation 'a sting, a set up to discredit One Nation.'

'The media have portrayed that we actually went to the NRA for money which was never the case.

'They say we wanted to water down the gun laws, never ever the case,' she said.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has emerged in public for the first time since a tick bit her face

The Queensland senator and party founder was photographed by Daily Mail Australia leaving her farm, southwest of Ipswich Queensland, on Thursday morning

She even suggested that Al Jazeera set One Nation up on purpose so that the Liberal Party would put One Nation below Labor on how-to-vote cards at the upcoming election - something Prime Minister Scott Morrison had subsequently done.

'Who's to say that this wasn't a setup so that eventually they would get the Prime Minister, the Liberal Party say "we're going to wipe One Nation all together",' she said.

'What the Prime Minister has done is not true leadership in my eyes.

'He is a fool because he's fallen into the trap of what the Labor Party and the Greens want, because he's just handed the keys to them for the Lodge.'

Pauline Hanson in a press conference on Thursday evening

In a second part of the documentary, Mr Ashby and Mr Dixon were shown discussing covert plans to re-legalise assault rifles in Australia.

Mr Dickson was also filmed discussing his love for 'gun porn' and was heard fantasising about using funds to hire a mansion to live like a drug lord with an arsenal of guns.

On Thursday, Senator Hanson emerged in public for the first time since suffering facial paralysis from a tick bite - amid the outcry over the documentary.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said her comments on Port Arthur were the last straw, having just last week stopped short of relegating One Nation in preferences.

'The comments, particularly last night, and the linkages to Port Arthur, I'm sure all Australians would be shocked about. I was shocked by them,' Mr Morrison told reporters on Thursday.

This image from one of the trips to the US shows Mr Dickson pointing a gun at a gun show

Mr Ashby (left), Mr Dickson (centre) and undercover reporter Mr Muller (right) on one of their trips to the US

The Port Arthur theory discussed by Senator Hanson was a skewed version of what was actually said by former New South Wales Premier Barrie Unsworth.

One Nation's trip to the US to meet the NRA: A transcript In a chat in their hotel lobby in the US in September, Dickson, Ashby and undercover reporter Muller discussed how much money they would need to influence Australian politics. Dickson: 'If we could get that sort of money, imagine, we could change Australia.' Muller: 'If One Nation could get $10 million...' Ashby: '...You would pick up eight Senate seats.' Dickson: 'I mean, that guarantees you the balance of power, you'd have the whole Government by the balls.' Source: Al-Jazeera Advertisement

In 1987, months before losing an election, former Mr Unsworth prophetically predicted it would take carnage in Tasmania before Australia had national gun laws.

'It will take a massacre in Tasmania before we get gun law reform in Australia,' he told a national gun summit in Canberra, after Tasmania and Queensland rejected his policy of tightening gun laws.

Addressing the media on Thursday afternoon, Senator Hanson claimed the 'Islamist' Al Jazeera network had 'heavily edited' her comments on Port Arthur which 'do not reflect how I feel about those tragedies'.

'There is no question in my mind that Martin Bryant was the only person responsible for the murders of 35 innocent lives and my belief stands today that he should have faced the death penalty,' she said.

One Nation's New South Wales leader Mark Latham said Senator Hanson's comments didn't match up with his exchanges with the party's founder.

In the meeting in their hotel, Mr Dickson (pictured) described gun control as a 'poison' and said his party could 'change Australia' if it were given money

In a chat with the One Nation team in their hotel lobby, Mr Ashby (pictured) is thought to be heard saying that US$20 million in donations to One Nation from US pro-gun lobbyists would give them parliamentary influence in Australia

'I had a discussion with her about the making of the Howard gun laws and she didn't raise any doubts about the veracity of the truth of what happened at Port Arthur,' he told Seven's Sunrise on Thursday.

Mr Dickson and Mr Ashby said the leaked footage of them came after a long flight to the U.S. after which they had some drinks.

In the Al Jazeera footage, Mr Dickson says One Nation could get the government 'by the balls' through holding the balance of power in both houses if they could get millions in funding.

That would allow them to relax Australia's gun laws, a point they raised with powerful lobby groups in Washington DC, including the National Rifle Association.

Senator Hanson said she was disgusted with the 'hit piece' by Qatari TV network Al Jazeera.

'A Qatari government organisation should not be targeting Australian political parties. This has been referred to ASIO,' she tweeted.
Radio show host Alan Jones breached decency requirements by using the n-word life on air, an industry watchdog has ruled.

Mr Jones' radio station 2GB received a flurry of complaints after he used the controversial word while discussing the battle for Australia's Prime Minister during his breakfast show in August last year.

He was speaking about outgoing finance minister Mathias Cormann when he said: 'The n***** in the woodpile here, if one can use that expression  and I'm not going to yield to people who tell is that certain words in the language are forbidden  the person who is playing hard to get is Mathias Cormann.'

Radio show host Alan Jones (pictured) has been found guilty by a media watchdog of using a racially charged phrase after the veteran broadcaster used the n-word live on air

An investigation by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) found the phrase offended against generally accepted standards of decency.

'The phrase used by Mr Jones has not been acceptable as part of everyday speech in Australia for some time and does not belong on our airways,' ACMA chairwoman Nerida O'Loughlin said.

The station issued an apology hours after the show and Mr Jones apologised for he offensive phrase and admitted it was not appropriate for the broadcast.

Following the ACMA investigation, 2GB management has agreed the phrase will not be used on-air again.

The phrase Mr Jones used originated in America and was used to describe African American slaves who had escaped.
A drug-dealing New Jersey police officer who was caught on video repeatedly hitting a suicidal man in the face in a hospital bed has been sentenced to more than five years in prison.

Paterson Police officer Ruben McAusland, 27, was sentenced on Wednesday for assaulting the patient and repeatedly distributing drugs, including ones he stole from crimes scenes while on duty.

McAusland was filmed by his partner Roger Then striking the patient while on duty when they responded to reports of an attempted suicide victim in March last year.

The officers met the victim, who was in a wheelchair, in the waiting room at St. Joseph's Medical Center in Paterson, New Jersey.

Paterson Police officer Ruben McAusland, 27, was caught on video repeatedly hitting a suicidal man in the face in a hospital bed in March last year

McAusland admitted to pushing the victim and punching him in the face during the first encounter. His partner also allegedly grabbed the victim by the neck and pushed him to the ground.

Ruben McAusland, 27, was sentenced on Wednesday for assaulting the patient and repeatedly distributing drugs, including ones he stole from crimes scenes while on duty

The patient was then taken to a hospital room where Then started filming on his cellphone.

He filmed McAusland putting on a pair of hospital gloves and violently striking the patient twice across the face while he was lying in a hospital bed.

McAusland and Then later filed a false police report purposely leaving out the assaults.

The victim suffered multiple injuries to his face, including an eye injury that required surgery, as a result of these assaults.

In another case, McAusland sold various types of drugs to a police informant between October 2017 and April 2018.

In October 2017, McAusland sold the person approximately 35 grams of marijuana, 48 grams of heroin, 31 grams of cocaine, and 31 grams of crack cocaine.

McAusland admitted that he stole the drugs from a crime scene while on duty and in uniform as a police officer.

McAusland put on a pair of hospital gloves and violently struck the patient twice across the face while he was lying in a hospital bed

The victim suffered multiple injuries to his face, including an eye injury that required surgery, as a result of these assaults

The officers met the victim, who was in a wheelchair, in the waiting room (above). McAusland admitted to pushing the victim and punching him in the face during the first encounter

He also sold the person two pounds of marijuana between November 2017 and January 2018. In addition, on multiple occasions between February 2018 and April 2018, McAusland sold pills that were made to resemble Percocet doses but were actually made of heroin.

McAusland pleaded guilty last year and was sentenced in Newark federal court this week to 66 months in prison.

'The facts of this case are especially troubling to those of us in law enforcement,' Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie of the Newark FBI Field Office said.

'When an officer betrays the oath to protect and serve, it tarnishes the law enforcement community and puts the public at risk. The FBI prides itself on having a solid working relationship with our state and local law enforcement partners.

'But by no means will we look the other way if an officer or agent of the law is breaking the rules that he or she is sworn to uphold.'

In addition to the prison term, McAusland was sentenced to three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay restitution of $32,892.

Then pleaded guilty before in December to one count of misprision of felony for concealing civil rights violations. He is scheduled to be sentenced next week.
Jail records have identified the man who was arrested in an apparently random spree of shootings and a carjacking that left two people dead and two others in critical condition.

Tad Michael Norman, 33, was booked into King County Jail on suspicion of homicide, robbery and assault on Thursday after his release from a hospital where he was treated for minor injuries.

Police have said the suspect left his home Wednesday afternoon, shot and wounded a woman driving a car and a male bus driver, then shot and killed another man in a carjacking and got in a head-on crash with another vehicle, killing the man who was driving the other car.

Norman has an active presence on Facebook and LinkedIn, which show him to be a married former contract worker for Microsoft.

Tad Michael Norman, 33, was booked into King County Jail on suspicion of homicide, robbery and assault on Thursday

Dramatic helicopter footage documented the moment Seattle police apprehended the suspect after the shooting rampage on Wednesday afternoon

Paramedics and police officers remove the suspect from where two vehicles collided on Sand Point Way Northeast in Seattle, Wednesday

Norman worked as a contractor for Microsoft for three years as a senior optimization specialist until his contract ended in July 2018, according to his LinkedIn page.

A person familiar with his work history confirmed that he had been a contractor with Microsoft.

A spokeswoman for the company declined to comment when reached by DailyMail.com.

He says he graduated with a bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of Washington in 2013.

Photos of Norman on Facebook show him smiling at his 2016 wedding along with his wife, whom he appears to have met in college.

Voting records show that he is not registered with a political party.

Norman and his wife are believed to have lived together in a North Seattle apartment.

They don't appear to have any children although they appear in proud photos with a dog.

A law enforcement source says that Norman has no criminal history and is currently unemployed, according to KOMO-TV.

Photos of Norman on Facebook show him smiling at his 2016 wedding along with his wife, whom he appears to have met in college

Norman and his wife are believed to have lived together in a North Seattle apartment

Voting records show that Norman is not registered with a particular political party

A law enforcement source says that Norman has no criminal history and is currently unemployed. He appeared intoxicated when he was interviewed, the source said

The source said that Norman was exhibiting signs of intoxication when interviewed by police.

He was briefly hospitalized after the shootings for minor injuries, but was booked into jail at 12.38am on Thursday.

He is being held without bond in the King County Jail.

It was not immediately clear if Norman has an attorney.

According to eyewitnesses, the male suspect, who lives in the area, emerged from his home with a gun and attempted to car-jack a driver.

During the attempted robbery in the Lake City neighborhood, the driver, a 57-year-old woman, was shot and critically injured.

The suspect is then said to have opened fire at an oncoming King County Metro bus, striking the driver.

Having been shot in the chest, the bus driver is said to have put his vehicle into reverse and driven for a few blocks. before pressing an emergency button and alerting police to the scene at 4:05 pm.

Images of the green and yellow Metro vehicle show multiple rounds were fired through the windshield of the bus - remarkably none of the other 12 passengers on-board were harmed

Several bullet holes can be seen in the driver's side window of a Metro Bus on Northeast 125th Street, between 32nd and 33rd Avenues Northeast after a shooting in Seattle

Bus driver, Eric Stark, (pictured), who drove passengers to safety in Seattle after a gunman opened fire on them in a random attack, was described as a 'hero'

The wounded bus driver has spoken out to say his only thought was 'getting people out of there.'

Bus driver, Eric Stark, 23, was taken to Harborview Medical Center after being shot in the upper chest.

'I ducked down really quick for some cover, did like a two-second assessment of my injuries and figured... I did like a two-second assessment of my injuries... and figured, well, I can breathe, I can think, I can see,' he told Good Morning America on Thursday.

He was branded a hero on Thursday by Seattle officials and emergency responders.

'So for me that was enough to go, ok, we're getting out of here. I've gotta get these people out of here.'

With bullets hitting the bus, Stark put it in reverse and backed away to safety - protecting all the passengers.

He then hit the bus' emergency alarm and reported that he had been injured by a gunshot, triggering a huge response from Seattle police, firefighters and medics.

Images of the green and yellow Metro vehicle show multiple rounds were fired through the windshield of the bus, but remarkably none of the other 12 passengers on board were harmed.

According to eyewitnesses, the male suspect, who lives in the area, emerged from his home with a gun and attempted to car-jack a female driver

During a high-speed chase between the suspect and police, a 70-year-old driver collided with the suspect's vehicle head-on and suffered fatal injuries

The suspect is expected to appear in court on Thursday afternoon despite his injuries, according to Fire Chief Harold Scoggin

Stark already spoke to detectives at the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.

During the first attempted carjacking, the female driver was shot. She was later transported to Harborview Medical Center where she remains in critical condition.

The shooter carjacked another vehicle after firing at the bus, shooting and killing the 50-year-old male driver before he drove off in the victim's car, according to police.

Officers pursued the suspect in the stolen vehicle. During the pursuit, the suspect crashed head-on into another vehicle, killing the 70-year-old man driving that car.

Following the crash, officers were able to convince the suspect to exit the vehicle, where he was taken into custody and transported to the hospital with non life-threatening injuries, according to police.

Dramatic helicopter footage documented the moment Seattle police apprehended the suspect, who could be seen writhing around in pain on the ground, next to the open door of a severely damaged red car.

Investigators believe it was a lone suspect 'involved in this random, senseless act,' police said.
Two knifemen stabbed a man to death then ran into a mosque and 'washed their hands and faces' to blend in with worshippers, it emerged today.

The victim, a man in his 20s, was knifed to death yesterday evening, before his killers ran into London Central Mosque near Regent's Park to get away.

The murder is the 30th killing in the capital this year and comes amid growing fears UK knife crime is out of control.

Witnesses in the mosque have said the assailants pretended to be members of the congregation arriving for prayers, but then changed clothes in a toilet and disappeared.

Police have said the incident is not terror-related and the killers are not linked to the mosque.

Police outside a flat block in central London today after a man was stabbed yesterday

Witnesses say the knifemen ran into London Central Mosque near Regent's Park

The victim, who was named locally as 'Zahir', is thought to have lived in a nearby estate.

A security guard at the mosque said the men, who were both white with long hair, washed their faces and feet to appear as if they were arriving for prayers.

He told The Evening Standard: 'We saw in the camera them changing clothes in the toilet area, one of them had a backpack and one of them had a side bag.

'They change from hoodies into shirts and trousers and throw the other clothes on the floor. The police have those.'

Police have not arrested any one over the attack, but raided flats in a nearby buildings today as the hunt the killers.

Met Police Commander Simon Rose said this morning: 'A man has lost his life in violent circumstance and we are working to identify the perpetrators as quickly as possible.

'We have been in close contact with the London Central Mosque since the incident happened. We thank them for their patience, cooperation and understanding.

'Friday prayers will today be going ahead with little or no disruption. We do not believe the incident is connected to the mosque.

'The incident is not believed to be terror-related. People can expect to see local officers out and about today and I would encourage anyone with worries or concerns to speak to them.'

Armed police search the London Central Mosque near Regent's Park in London last night

Police officers cordon off the mosque following the fatal stabbing nearby yesterday evening

The cordon was finally moved from around the mosque in London at 11.30pm last night

Man in his 30s stabbed in North London amid knife crime epidemic A man in his 30s was stabbed in North London this morning as the capital's knife crime epidemic continues. Police were called to a junction near Seven Sisters Underground station in Tottenham shortly after 6.30am and found the injured man. Scotland Yard said no arrests have been made over the stabbing, which left the man with non-life threatening injuries. A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: 'Police were called to High Road junction with Talbot Road at 6.35am on Friday following reports of a stabbing. 'Officers and London Ambulance Service attended and found a male aged in his thirties suffering from stab injuries. 'His injuries have been assessed as non-life threatening and non-life changing. No arrests have been made. Enquiries are ongoing.' Advertisement

Last night, witnesses claimed two people were seen running into the mosque and officers later cordoned it off, believing the suspects had tried to hide there.

Officers searching the area cordoned off the London Central Mosque for more than five hours, with armed police at the gates as a helicopter circled overhead.

The cordon was finally moved at about 11.30pm, with the roads reopened and armed officers leaving the scene. Police said the attack was not terror-related.

Witness Bahir Moulana said that as he was walking towards the mosque the police were pushing people back before they closed the main gate.

With a number of armed officers at the scene, the 39-year-old said it gave him the 'jitters', especially following the recent attack at two mosques in New Zealand.

'I saw all the blue lights and my heart was in my mouth,' Mr Moulana said.

With worshippers eventually let out of the building, he added: 'There was one girl who said she saw two guys run in. Someone else told me the police were chasing them.'

Mr Moulana said he saw two people being detained and put in handcuffs by the police at the mosque. 'The police just surrounded them. I saw that at around 7pm,' he added.

At the scene on Cunningham Place, a large collection of used and discarded medical equipment, bloodied bandages, bags, and other items could be seen in the middle of the road.

The man's death was the 30th murder in London so far this year - and the 13th in March

The stabbing happened at the block of flats near the London Central Mosque in the capital

Armed police enter the London Central Mosque last night during the murder investigation

Armed police are seen near London Central Mosque close to Regent's Park yesterday evening

One neighbour, who did not want to be named, said: 'I looked out of the window at around 6.30pm and I saw him on the floor... he was already getting CPR.'

She added that before the incident she heard someone saying 'What happened? What have you done?' before she then went to see what was going on.

Karen Buck, Labour MP for Westminster North, said: 'Deeply saddened to hear this awful news. Police have been in contact with me and we await further details.'

A statement from the London Central Mosque shortly before 10.30pm yesterday said nobody there was hurt.

'All staff and attendees to the Mosque are safe our prayers are with the victim and his family. We look forward to seeing you all at Friday prayers tomorrow In Sha Allah,' it said.

Armed police were at the gates of the mosque yesterday as a helicopter circled overhead

A police cordon was in place at the mosque following the incident near Regent's Park last night

The scene of the stabbing in London yesterday with paramedic gear strewn across the road

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: 'Enquiries continue to trace the suspects, who fled the scene. There have been no arrests.

'A crime scene is in place. Cordons include the nearby London Central Mosque. These cordons are likely to remain in place overnight.

'Detectives are urging any witnesses to the incident or anyone with information that may assist the investigation to speak to police officers at the scene, call 101 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 anonymously.'

A section of the A41 Park Road was closed off by police. No arrests have been made.

The scene on Cunningham Place in London after the man in his 20s was stabbed to death

Officers searh the area near the London Central Mosque for suspects yesterday evening

Just a month ago police chiefs up and down the country declared Britain's knife crime epidemic a 'national emergency' and demanded more funding to help combat it.

Some demanded a return to stop-and-search, which has in the past led to accusations of profiling.

Richard Cooke, chairman of the West Midlands Police Federation, called for emergency section 60 powers to be rolled out across the country.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid pleaded for more money to put millions of bobbies on the beat in a Cabinet intervention at the start of March.

He urged Prime Minister Theresa May - who was Home Secretary for six years - to sign off proposed new powers to make it easier for police to stop and search those suspected of carrying blades.
A woman has been arrested after she allegedly held 33 immigrants, including minors and her own relatives, captive in the basement of her home.

Agents discovered 19 adults and 14 children, all believed to be Guatemalan nationals, during a Tuesday morning raid at Concepcion Malineks Cicero home.

The 49-year-old allegedly forced them to perform hard labor and threatened to report them to immigration officials unless they paid her thousands of dollars.

A 12-page court report indicated some of the migrants were from the same family and some are related to Malinek, according to Chicago television station WGN.

It's unknown how many of the victims were undocumented immigrants but some claimed asylum according to one the migrants interviewed by investigators.

A judge denied Malinek a bail bond, citing that she was considered a flight risk. She is facing forced labor charges.

She will remain under federal custody until her trial.

Concepcion Malinek was arrested by federal agents at her home in Cicero, Illinois, during a Tuesday morning raid which found 33 immigrants from Guatemala living in the basement of her home and held captive unless they paid her thousands of dollars in exchange for the assistance she gave them in migrating to the United States

Federal authorities investigating a home in the Chicago suburb of Cicero found 19 adults and 14 children from Guatemala

FBI agents were tipped off in March that the migrants were being held against their will inside Malinek's home in the Chicago suburb.

Federal investigators charged that Malinek, who was born in Guatemala before becoming a naturalized United States citizen, assisted the migrants in coming from the Central American nation between 2018 and 2019.

Investigators alleged the woman charged the victims between between $15,000 and $18,000.

She assisted them with finding employment at an area factory but coerced them to hand over part of their earnings  and at times all of their pay checks.

Malinek was allegedly known to threaten the victims, telling them she would call immigration officials to take them away.

'Immigration knows how many people live in this home,' Malinek would tell the victims, court documents quoted one of the migrants saying.

'They know you are poor and I have all of the money.'

A prosecutor assigned to the case estimates Malinek could have gotten almost $120,000 from the migrants.

Agents found a record book detailing the last penny that each of the victims paid Malinek.

A federal judge denied Malinek a bail bond, citing 49-year-old Concepcion is considered a flight risk. She is facing forced labor charges and could face up to 20 years in prison per each count if found guilty

According to authorities, one of the victims said Malinek was charging him $18,000 for allowing him to use her as the main reference on his immigration paperwork.

Despite allowing the mans 15-year-old daughter to live in the first floor of the home, he and the rest of the alleged victims were stuck in the basement and his personal contact with his daughter was extremely limited.

Another immigrant victim, a married man, agreed to pay Malinek $37,000 in exchange for allowing his wife and the couples two children to live in the basement.

Malinek could face a maximum of 20 years in prison per each count she is charged.
Jussie Smollett flew to Los Angeles on Wednesday night, leaving Chicago in turmoil over the shock decision to drop all the charges against him.

The 36-year-old arrived at the airport with a bodyguard and some of his siblings, saying nothing other than 'thank you' when a photographer welcomed him to the city.

Smollett is nominated for an award at Saturday night's NAACP awards ceremony but it remains to be seen if he will attend.

The awards are held by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People every year.

Jussie Smollett is shown arriving at LAX on Wednesday night after leaving Chicago

The 36-year-old actor said nothing as he walked through the airport with a hat and sunglasses on

This year, he is nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.

He received the honor before he was arrested for allegedly staging a hoax hate crime on himself on January 29.

The actor breezed past photographers as they hurled questions at him after touching down on a flight from Chicago O'Hare.

The city's mayor is aghast over the decision to let him go free with just a $10,000 bond forfeiture and 16 hours of community service and is demanding that he foot the bill for the police probe into the attack.

Smollett's attorneys, who claim he is innocent, say he has 'paid enough' and have demanded an apology from Mayor Rahm Emanuel for his sustained remarks on the case.

In an interview on Thursday, Emanuel - who is furious about the Smollett outcome - said he did not want the president's interference because of his past remarks on race relations.

He also revealed that he would be sending Smollett a bill to recoup some of the money spent on the investigation into the allegedly staged attack and that the city's lawyers were in the process of totaling up the final cost.

The city's lawyers are still totaling up the amount that was spent but he said on Wednesday that it was be around $150,000, 15 times what Smollett paid.

Smollett walked behind a security guard and was joined by his brother Jojo (far right) and his wife

Trump called the decision by local prosecutors 'outrageous.' It was not entirely clear if he was demanding further investigation or calling for new activity

'The police are right now finalizing the cost that was used, police resources to come to the understanding this was a hoax and not a real hate crime...once they have the finalized and feel good about the numbers, will then send a letter to Jussie Smollett and his attorneys, trying to recoup those costs for the city,' Emanuel told radio station WGN.

His hope, he said, was to finally hold Smollett accountable for the crime but the star's attorneys have hit back and say he has already 'paid enough'.

'It is the Mayor and the Police Chief who owe Jussie - owe him an apology - for dragging an innocent man's character through the mud.

'Jussie has paid enough,' they said.

President Trump called the outcome an 'embarrassment to our nation' and has asked the FBI to investigate.

His team is still pushing the claim that he is innocent.

On Thursday morning, Smollett's lawyer Tina Glandian went on Good Morning America and suggested that the reason he told police his attackers were white was because they might have been wearing make-up.

'He did tell police that from what he saw, he thought it was white or pale skin, that's what he initially said.

Jussie Smollett's lawyer Tina Glandian suggested on Thursday that the reason he told police his Nigerian attackers were white was because they 'might have been wearing white face' and had disguised themselves. Her evidence of the theory is 2016 video of Abel Osundairo (right) dressed up as the Joker

'Obviously, you can disguise that. You can put make-up on,' she said.

She went on to point to a 2016 YouTube video of Abel Osundairo, the brother in question, where he is wearing white make-up to perform a Joker monologue as potential proof of her theory.

'There's a video, it took me all of five minutes when I was looking into the brothers, to of one of the brothers in whiteface doing the Joker monologue,' she said.

Despite her possible explanations for the statements, she questioned if it even was the pair who attacked Smollett in the first place.

'When you say it's undisputed, we've actually, there's been more info leaked than we have actually received from the prosecution in this case which is a little absurd.

'When you say we know, we believe that but a lot of the information that the CPD has put out there has turned out not to be evidence so we do have to question it,' she said

The State's Attorney who insisted that Jussie Smollett received no special treatment is meanwhile scrambling to find examples of other cases to justify the decision a day after it was made.

Kim Foxx, the embattled Cook County State's Attorney who recused herself from the Smollett case in February after exchanging text messages with one of his relatives but never appointed a special prosecutor, stood by her office's decision to let Smollett walk free from court on Tuesday without admitting guilt.

Kim Foxx, the recused Cook County State's Attorney who is facing scrutiny for her handling of the Jussie Smollett case, stood by her office's decision on Wednesday and said Smollett got off because it was the lowest class of felony and he has no criminal background. She claims 'thousands' of other people have had the same treatment

This email was leaked on Wednesday which shows Foxx scrambling to find other examples to back up her office's decision on Smollett

In a series of interviews on Wednesday, she said that what had been agreed between his team and hers was what is known as 'alternative prosecution' whereby a defendant agrees to a certain set of term and has the case dropped in exchange.

Foxx dismissed the public outcry around it and said only the people 'in the weeds' of the justice system would understand that it was actually commonplace and had happened thousands of times before.

There was no such explanation for it on Tuesday, when she stayed quiet and put Joseph Magats, her assistant who ultimately signed off on the decision, in front of cameras to try to address the many questions surrounding the case.

But Wednesday, Foxx sent an email to staff asking for them to come up with examples to prove her story.

'We are looking for examples, felony preferable, where we, in exercising our discretion have entered into verbal agreements with defense attorneys to dismiss charges against an offender if certain conditions were met, such as the payment of restitution, completion of community service, completion of class, etc... but the defendant was not placed in a formal diversion program.

'Please ask your AAs if they have examples of these types of dispositions and we will work with them further to figure out on what case it was done.

These are the emails exchanged between Tina Tchen and Kim Foxx on February 1, days after the incident on January 29 when Smollett was still being considered the victim of a hate crime

Tchen put one of Smollett's relatives in touch with Foxx. Their texts are shown

An lllinois state representative is also proposing a bill to cut Empire's 30 percent tax credit if it keeps Jussie Smollett on its payroll.

Rep. Michael McAuliffe announced the bill on Tuesday that he said would apply to any production which hires Smollett in Illinois.

He, like the mayor of Chicago and local cops, is outraged by prosecutors' decision to drop the charges against Smollett and believes he should be held accountable for allegedly staging a hoax attack on himself on January 29.

'Where the City of Chicago is concerned, Jussie Smollett is far from exonerated.

'While the States Attorney has chosen not to pursue justice in this case, we need to send a message that Smolletts actions are not a reflection of the values we have in Chicago and wont be tolerated.

'His accusations and lies caused a lot of pain to all Chicagoans,' he said in an announcement.

In 2014, Empire spent $25million on producing its 12-episode first series in 2014, according to a report by the Governor's office at the time.

That budget would have amounted to a tax credit of more than $7.5million and the production has grown in size and popularity since then.

Not only does it get a blanket tax credit of 30 percent on production spending, but the state also offers an 30 percent credit on salaries of up to $100,000 and an additional 15 percent credit on the salaries of people who live in an economically disadvantaged area.

20th Century Fox said on Tuesday that it was 'gratified' by the outcome.

It is yet to reveal whether Smollett will continue on in his role on the popular show. He was excluded from the final two episodes of the show's current season which were filmed after his arrest.

A spokesman for the TV network did not respond to DailyMail.com's inquiries about the tax credits it receives on Thursday afternoon.

McAuliffe, who is one of 44 Republicans in the Chicago house as opposed to 74 Democrats, said he will propose his bill next week.
The fake German billionaire heiress currently on trial in New York for fraud allegedly tried to get a $22 million loan to open a private arts club after claiming she had a $67 million fortune.

Prosecutors say 28-year-old Anna Sorokin, also known as her alias Anna Delvey and accused of duping elite circles in Manhattan from 2013 until 2018, used the ruse to bilk money from friends and banks.

Ryan Salem of City National Bank testified Thursday about Sorokin's attempt to get a $22 million loan to open a private arts club.

The bank denied that request but, despite a host of red flags, agreed to lend her $100,000 that Sorokin promised to repay within days.

Salem said the financial statements the one-time darling of the New York City social scene provided in support of the loan 'didn't add up.'

Prosecutors say the faux heiress left a significant paper-trail in her bid to defraud banks and is accused of swindling various people and businesses out of tens of thousands of dollars in a 10-month odyssey for a taste of the high life.

'We always believed that she had money,' Salem said, referring to a fortune of some $67 million that Sorokin claimed to have at her disposal overseas.

'She seemed to speak the language. She understood the financial jargon that you need to know to interact and transact in this environment.'

Anna Sorokin, pictured at New York State Supreme Court Thursday, posed as a wealthy heiress to secure a multimillion dollar loan as part of a monthslong swindle, prosecutors say

A bank official testified Thursday about Sorokin's attempt to get a $22 million loan to open a private arts club. Financial statements she provided in support of the loan 'didn't add up'

Sorokin's lawyer says she never intended to commit a crime and planned to pay back any money she borrowed.

Jurors viewed dozens of emails Thursday between Salem and Sorokin, who became increasingly hard to pin down when the bank demanded repayment.

Salem, who spent the day on the witness stand, said his dealings with Sorokin hurt his credibility within the bank.

'I went to bat for somebody who at the end of the day was not somebody to go to bat for,' he said.

The faux heiress, currently on trial in Manhattan Supreme Court, turned heads on the first day her trial on Wednesday when she showed up to court in a sleek, low cut black dress and choker.

Her attorneys have enlisted the services of stylist Anastasia Walker, who has worked with the likes of Courtney Love, T-Pain, and G-Eazy, and who is dressing her in Yves Saint Laurent, Michael Kors and Victoria Beckham.

She is accused of swindling various people and businesses out of tens of thousands of dollars in a 10-month odyssey for a taste of the high life.

Her attorneys had also reportedly tried to get her into stilettos but the Department of Corrections deemed them to be too dangerous.

An Instagram account titled AnnaDelveyCourtLooks has since been created and features two variations of the outfit she wore during the first day of the trial.

Prosecutors say the faux heiress left a significant paper-trail in her bid to defraud banks

The one-time darling of the New York City social scene turned heads on the first day of her trial on Wednesday when she showed up to court in a sleek, low cut black dress and a choker

It was a stark contrast to the Rikers Island prison uniform and unkempt appearance she sported during an earlier court date. She is pictured above in February during a hearing

It is not clear who is paying for Sorokin's designer court outfits.

During the trial on Wednesday, the jury heard that Sorokin lived in luxury New York hotel rooms she couldn't afford, promised a friend an all-expenses paid trip to Morocco and then stuck her with the $62,000 bill, and peddled bogus bank statements in a quest for a $22 million loan.

Sorokin, jailed since her arrest, faces deportation to Germany regardless of the outcome of the trial because authorities say she overstayed her visa.

She denies the charges and insists she was always trying to be seen as a businesswoman.
Fusion GPS researcher Nelly Ohr testified before the House Judiciary Committee that she examined Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump's international travels as part of her work for the firm that commissioned the Golden Showers dossier.

Ohr, the Russia expert and academic who did research for political intelligence firm Fusion GPS in 2016, revealed her investigative work under closed questioning by members of the House Judiciary Committee.

Panel members quizzed her about her time doing work for the political intelligence firm, which commissioned the work that became the infamous Golden Showers dossier about Donald Trump's Russia connections.

At one point, Republican counsel Ryan Breitenbach asked about the Trump children  starting with Don Jr., whose role at an infamous Trump Tower meeting is a key point of the Russia probe.

Nellie Ohr testified that she did research while doing work for Fusion GPS on the travel of Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump looking for 'suspicious' connections

The lawyer asked if Ohr did 'in-depth research on Donald Trump Junior.'

'I looked into some of his travels and, you know, I am not sure how much detail I remember, at this point,' Ohr responded, saying her work on it was 'relatively superficial.'

Nellie Ohr told lawmakers she did work for 'some of the intelligence-based agencies in the United States Government' before doing research for Fusion GPS

White House adviser and US President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump (C) and her husband Senior Advisor Jared Kushner (R), arrive at Costa Salguero in Buenos Aires to attend the G20 Leaders' Summit, on November 30, 2018

Ohr testified she was looking for any 'suspicious' contacts

Ohr's examination of Donald Trump Jr. was part of her overall examination of Trump Russia ties

As for the president's daughter, who is now a White House advisor to her father: 'I looked into some of her travels,' Ohr said.

Ohr had been doing research work for Fusion GPS after sending an email to a founder of the political intelligence firm, Glenn Simpson. Before long, she was combing through public documents for hints of Trump Russia ties.

In the case of Don Jr. and Ivanka, she was looking 'to see whether they were involved in dealings and transactions with people who had suspicious pasts, or suspicious types of dealings,' she testified in October 2018.

Asked to identify sources of information at one point she offered up Serhiy Leshchenko, a Ukrainian politician and journalist who is identified with reformers there. Ohr described him as a well known anti-corruption activist.

At one point, Ohr was questioned about her Ham radio license. 'I bought it shortly after I got my Ham license and I got -- yeah, I -- I -- I am guessing it is 2015,' she said. She said she got the license after taking a class in community emergency response training.

'I squeaked past it,' she said of her test.

'Have you ever communicated with anyone in Russia using your Ham radio?' she was asked. 'No,' Ohr responded.

Investigators soon moved on to other matters.

Ohr also did contract work for U.S. intelligence agencies  though her lawyer wouldn't let her say if it included the CIA.

Ohr, who along with her husband Bruce Ohr, a senior Justice Department official, has become a favorite target of President Trump's, described her career path during her testimony.

Panel ranking member Doug Collins, a Georgia Republican, released the transcript Thursday. It included statements from Ohr under questioning about how she came to do work for Fusion GPS, as well as her own career background.

'Is it fair to say you worked with some of the intelligence-based agencies in the United States Government?' Republican Rep. Jim Jordan of South Carolina asked her.

'Yes,' she replied.

'Did you work for the CIA?,' he followed up. That prompted her lawyer, Joshua Berman, to interject: 'Again, I would raise the same concerns, sir, if we're going to get into specifics.'

Ohr then replied that, beginning in 2000, she did work for 'the Mitre Corporation, which in turn had contracts with U.S. Government clients.'

That firm has offices in McLean, Virginia and describes itself as having a 'mission-driven team ... dedicated to solving problems for a safer world. We are a not-for-profit company that operates multiple federally funded research and development centers.'

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) asked Ohr whether she had done work for the CIA

Ohr's husband Bruce Ohr, former U.S. associate deputy attorney general, had contacts with ex-British intelligence officer Christopher Steele

President Trump has attacked Ohr, her husband Bruce Ohr, Fusion GPS, the 'phony' Steele dossier, and the Mueller probe, which he calls a witch hunt

Ohr then revealed that she did work for Open Source Works, a group that uses open source materials to produce analysis to assist the CIA.

During the sensitive point in Ohr's testimony, her lawyer jumped in again, asking if he could ask her his own question for the record.

'Mrs. Ohr, have you ever worked for a U.S. Government agency?' Berman asked her. 'Not directly,' she responded. She said only as an 'independent contractor.'

'But you know that the folks you were contracted to provide work for, that you had a working relationship for, you know that they were working for various intelligence-based agencies in the United States Government?' Jordan followed up.

'Yes,' Ohr confirmed.

According to the Federation of American Scientists: 'Open Source Works, which is the CIA's in-house open source analysis component, is devoted to intelligence analysis of unclassified, open source information. Oddly, however, the directive that established Open Source Works is classified, as is the charter of the organization. In fact, CIA says the very existence of any such records is a classified fact.'

Ohr also testified that she was present at a July 30th, 2016 meeting that included Fusion GPS Founder Glenn Simpson, Steele, and a Steele associate.

They spoke about Steele's 'suspicions that Russian Government figures were supporting the candidacy of Donald Trump.'

'He was very concerned that his research had led him to the conclusion that Russian government figures had for a number of years been promoting the potential  a potential presidency of Donald Trump,' Ohr told the committee.

Ohr taught Russian history at Vassar College. She said she knew Simpson through his investigative work on Russian oligarchs at the Wall Street Journal, and had met him at an event.

She was paid $55-an-hour, about 30 hours a week for her work.

She approached Simpson after reading an article that mentioned him.

'I was underemployed at that time and I was looking for opportunities,' Ohr said.
Nicolas Maduro's fragile Venezuelan regime has escalated its aggression towards opposition leader Juan Guaido by banning him from holding public office for 15 years.

The government today accused Guaido of having irregularities in his financial records, but this was widely interpreted as another move by Maduro to tighten his grip on power amid protests calling for him to step down.

It comes after a controversial general election campaign mired in allegations of corruption and fraud saw Maduro declare victory despite foreign powers, including President Donald Trump, recognising Guaido as the legitimate leader.

The Venezuelan government has accused Guaido (pictured speaking in Caracas today) of having irregularities in his financial records

But the incumbent Maduro has secured the backing of Russia and China, turning the Latin American oil-producing nation into a flashpoint for geopolitical tensions.

Guaido, who heads the National Assembly, immediately dismissed this new prohibition announced on state television by Maduro's Auditor General Elvis Amoroso as invalid.

He said: 'He is not auditor general.... The legitimate congress is the only one with power to designate an auditor general.'

He has previously accused the regime of sending him death threats and intimidation.

The announcement also prompted a withering response from Washington, where State Department spokesman Robert Palladino described the move in a brief remark as 'ridiculous.'

Although Venezuela is sinking deeper into economic crisis, Maduro can draw support from his loyal military chiefs and the presence of 100 Russian troops.

But the incumbent Maduro (left with President Putin) has secured the backing of Russia and China, turning the Latin American oil-producing nation into a flashpoint for geopolitical tensions

This was widely interpreted as another move by Maduro to tighten his grip on power amid protests calling for him to step down

Yet Guaido is buoyed by US sanctions against the regime funneling funds his way, and efforts to have his envoys recognized over Maduro's in diplomatic missions and international organizations.

Maduro, who so far has heeded US warnings to not arrest Guaido under threat of unspecified repercussions, appears nonetheless more confident since Moscow's assured protection.

And the Kremlin on Thursday shrugged off a demand made a day earlier by President Trump that 'Russia has to get out' of Venezuela.

Its troops, described as military experts, will stay 'for as long as needed,' a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin said, suggesting Washington back off and not interfere.

On Monday, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused the US of organizing a 'coup' in Venezuela.

Some reports said the soldiers were there to operate air defense systems bought from Russia.
A man claims he was punched in the face by a woman in a random attack as he slept on a long-haul Thai Airways flight.

Phil Kent said he was asleep in his aisle seat with a blanket over his face as he and his wife travelled home to Melbourne after a holiday in Thailand in January.

All the lights were out when he was woken by someone heavily bouncing his left arm, he told Daily Mail Australia.

'I felt something nudge my arm, and as I took [the blanket] away I saw this fist flying toward my face,' he said.

Mr Kent - who was sitting next to his wife at the time - says at first he didn't know if the fist was coming from a man or a woman, but then realised it was a female in her late 30s.

He managed to dodge the punch, which he claims grazed the side of his face, before the woman walked back to her seat.

Mr Kent notified the chief flight attendant, who said he'd talk to the woman.

Two hours before the flight landed in Melbourne, Mr Kent approached the same flight attendant again, who seemed reluctant to address the issue, and asked him if he really wanted authorities to pursue the matter.

Mr Kent claimed nothing was done when he and his wife arrived at Melbourne airport, with Thai Airways staff claiming they had no record of the incident being recorded, and said that only the flight's captain could report the matter to police.

After spotting the woman at the airport, Mr Kent said he asked her why she punched him, to which she said it was because he tried to 'grab' her

After spotting the woman at the airport, Mr Kent said he asked her why she punched him, to which she said it was because he tried to 'grab' her.

Mr Kent said the woman began swearing at him and even challenged him to hit her back, saying to him 'if you're such a f****ng man why don't you hit me here, we will make it even.'

But he believes his elbow must have simply bumped her as she walked past his seat.

The bizarre incident occurred on a flight on January 10, but says in the months since, Thai Airways hasn't done a lot about the situation.

'I'm not asking Thai Airways for a refund or an upgrade [but] I'm not going to drop this until I get a genuine heartfelt apology from them,' Mr Kent said.

Since the incident in January, Mr Kent has sent multiple letters to Thai Airways offices in Bangkok, Melbourne and Sydney, but has received mostly automated replies (stock)

A Thai Airways spokesperson said in a statement: 'We don't comment on any in-flight incidents that occur on our aircraft. Any such matter will be handled by our Customer Relations team and fully investigated with all parties concerned.'

Earlier this week, he received an email from the airline saying the investigation has ongoing and they would get back to him when a final report was finished by the airline's Bangkok office.

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Thai Airways for further comment.
A neo-Nazi terror suspect who entered a 'Miss Hitler' beauty pageant suggested black people should be 'napalmed', a court heard today.

Alice Cutter, 22, is accused of making the vile racist comments after she spotted a black woman and her children enjoying themselves in Bradford.

A court heard how she wrote of her 'horror' when she saw the woman in a swimming costume as she relaxed with her family in warm weather during the spring of 2017.

She also branded women involved in mixed-raced relationships as 'mentally-deficient sl**s', jurors were told.

Alice Cutter (left and right), 22, is accused of making the vile racist comments after she spotted a black woman and her children enjoying themselves in Bradford

A picture alleged to show Alice Cutter wearing swastika-related clothing, which was shown to the jury at Birmingham Crown Court

Cutter is accused of making a string of offensive comments in a series of online chats with members of far-right extremist group National Action.

She is on trial along with partner Mark Jones, 24, Garry Jack, 23, and Connor Scothern, 18, who all deny being members of a proscribed organisation.

Prosecutor Barnaby Jameson QC told Birmingham Crown Court how Cutter posted the messages in a group called 'Triple K Mafia'.

On April 1, 2017, the court heard she wrote: 'There's this weird little pond in the centre of my city [Bradford] and all the immigrant children are let loose in it naked as soon as it gets to about 15 degrees outside.

'Some of the adults too. I seen a black woman in a swimming costume in there last year with about 59,000,000 children running around her screaming.

'It's literally horror tier to me.

'I'd prefer to be chased by an axe-wielding maniac than see those sights again.'

Cutter also branded women involved in mixed-raced relationships as 'mentally-deficient sl**s', jurors were told

After National Action member Fletcher suggested 'poisoning the water', Cutter is alleged to have replied: 'N.A.P.A.L.M.'

Jurors heard in an earlier discussion, Cutter gave her thoughts on women in the far-right movement and told members she 'wasn't in it for the d***.'

Fletcher posted in the group on March 24, 2017: 'Women need to be taught morality and right/wrong.

'They need a strong man to follow.'

The court heard Cutter replied: 'I see more men involved but it doesn't mean lasses into this are faking for men all the time.

'No offence but there's loads of other reasons to be involved haha.

'I think Nationalist girls are less seen. Because they're less involved in groups.

'But they exist and need scooping up if they're in the same area. I know a couple willing to meet me over summer which is cool.

'Definitely not in it for the d*** even though Nationalist men constantly embarrass themselves by flinging themselves at any lass who even makes a Hitler joke.'

In other discussions, Cutter is alleged to have asked members about their 'favourite swastikas' and complained about 'P**is' living on her street.

Alice Cutter wearing swastika-swastika-themed earrings which was posted on social media site Instagram

In a chat about a website which shows demographic information for streets in the UK she is said to have posted: 'There isn't that many p**is on my street even if it is bad enough haha. Maybe the stats are off.

'We're both moving next month to somewhere where the stats are a lot cleaner at least.

'The only reason there's any multicultural s**t on the street where we are going is because there's some shops owned by them.

'The place itself is extremely white which is nice.

'Valkyrie swastika is my favourite swastika. Does anyone else have a favourite swastika, show me your faves.'

The jury were told she also discussed a conversation with her mother, who was distraught at Cutter's Nazi views.

A message posted on April 12, 2017 said: 'My brother told my mum gas chambers didn't exist. And now she's shouted at me.

'I told her they definitely didn't exist and that Hitler was right and now she's nearly crying.

'Oh well. She's never known me to say anything like this and she looks like she's going to have an actual panic attack.

'I don't care, she doesn't know what she's on about.'

A picture alleged to show Mark Jones, who is also on trial, wearing swastika-related clothing - which was shown to the jury at Birmingham Crown Court yesterday

Cutter, from Halifax, is on trial with her fiance Mark Jones, 24. Also on trial is Garry Jack, 23, of Birmingham, and Connor Scothern, 18, of Nottingham. All four deny the same charge

Mr Jaemson said Cutter later made bigoted comments about mixed race couples, in which she stated: 'I don't think we have been fully indoctrinated into seeing [mixed race couples] as normal yet.

'It's not actually normal yet, even if people seem to think it is.

'They know it's not working quite so well as they'd like yet.

'I can think of a few examples where they might physically look high value but they're mentally-deficient sluts.

'I used to say 'if I fell in love with someone, who knows but I just don't think I like people who aren't white', knowing full-well I wouldn't ever do that kind of thing.

'All the liberals I used to hang around with pretty much said the same.

'Ask me why I lied when I was 16/17? Because I actually had mates then and I wasn't overtly racist then haha.'

The trial continues.
President Donald Trump said Thursday he has asked a group of senators to work on a healthcare plan that will be 'far better than Obamacare.'

'We're working on a plan now. There's no great rush from the standpoint we're waiting for decisions from the court,' he told reporters as he left the White House for Michigan on Thursday.

He said he's asked several Republican senators - including John Barasso, Bill Cassidy and Rick Scott - to take a look at the issue.

'They are going to work together, come up with something that's really spectacular,' the president said.

President Donald Trump has asked a group of senators to work on a healthcare plan that will be 'far better than Obamacare'

Trump said he asked several Republican senators - including John Barasso, Bill Cassidy and Rick Scott - to form an alternative healthcare plan

He also insisted the popular protection against pre-existing conditions will be found in the GOP plan.

'We will have a plan very better than Obamacare, including pre-existing conditions, which I've always been in favor of,' he said.

The portion of the healthcare law that offers protections for people with pre-existing conditions has proven to be on of its biggest hits among voters and Republicans are reassuring people it will stay.

'The Republicans will make sure pre existing conditions are protected,' House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy said Thursday.

Democrats are vowing to fight back.

'We will fight that. We will fight that in the Congress. We'll fight it in the court. And we'll fight it in the court of public opinion, as I'm fond of saying,' Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday.

Trump is pushing his party to take the lead on healthcare, which was a winning issue for Democrats in the 2018 midterm election and a losing one for Republicans after they tried to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

'The Republican Party will become the Party of Great HealthCare! ObamaCare is a disaster, far too expensive and deductibility ridiculously high - virtually unusable! Moving forward in Courts and Legislatively!,' he tweeted Thursday afternoon.

His pivot surprised some members of his own party, who are now working to come up with a system to replace Obamacare should it be struck down.

The president is taking another swing at dismantling former President Barack Obama's signature healthcare law - this time through the court system.

And when he lunched with Republican senators on Tuesday, healthcare was the main topic on his mind.

'Healthcare was the first thing out of his mouth,' South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham told reporters after the meeting.

'It was that, you know, we've got to be the party of healthcare, we've got to get pre-existing conditions, we're going to approve everybody that gets sick, they're not going to lose their coverage.'

A defiant Trump had told reporters minutes before entering the closed-door session that 'the Republican Party will soon be known as the party of healthcare. You watch.'

Elsewhere on the Senate side of the Capitol, Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said in a brief press conference that 'if that is true, God help middle class Americans, because Donald Trump wants to raise the cost of prescription drugs, get rid of protections for pre-existing conditions [and] throw tens of millions of people off healthcare.'

The White House surprised much of Washington by pivoting to healthcare, an issue that could become a political liability in 2020, instead of lengthening the president's victory lap following what was effectively an exoneration by special counsel Robert Mueller's team.

The president made healthcare his theme of the day, seeming to snuff out the good news of his exoneration in the Mueller probe  or perhaps to ride the resulting goodwill to a domestic policy victory

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said Trump stormed into a GOP Senate lunch meeting brimming with energy to pivot from bashing Democrats over the Mueller probe to reforming healthcare

Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters on Tuesday that if Republicans are the new party of healthcare, 'God help middle class Americans'

His Justice Department asked a federal judge on Monday to declare the Obamacare law null and void, acting on an earlier ruling that found the law would be unconstitutional but for a legal mandate for taxpayers to have medical insurance.

That requirement is no longer in place.

Graham said Tuesday that the president was consumed with policy objectives to replace Obamacare, including specific outcomes and how to squeeze enough money from America's medical landscape to pay for them.

'We need better outcomes for the American people,' said Graham. 'We need lower costs  prescription drugs, he mentioned that.'

'I think that's going to be a top priority for the president: Let's try to reform the prescription drug business so that costs will be lower.'

Graham said the president spoke about replacing the 2010-vintage Affordable Care Act with a 'modified block grant' system, suggesting a return to a divisive 2017 debate that doomed a proposal Graham authored with Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy.

The proposal was an amendment to an Obamacare replacement bill that would later fail in the Senate. It would have given the states new control over the Medicaid program and change the formula that dictates how much federal money each state gets, in a way that tended to favor Republican-led states.

Graham said the president asked Republican senators to 'challenge the Democrats to work with us. We're not going to give up on healthcare. It is an important issue and we think our ideas are going to work better for the public than Obamacare.'

'Music to my ears,' he said.

'He said pre-existing conditions has to be the first thing we address,' Graham told DailyMail.com moments later in a private moment. 'We've got to let everybody in the country know you are not going to lose your healthcare.'

He said Trump entered Tuesday's lunch 'like a guy who just won an election... "I've got this behind me. It's a fresh start. Let's see what we can do. Starting with health care".'

Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt told DailyMail.com and other news outlets after Trump returned to the White House that Trump recognized the path forward will depend on the federal court's response to the DOJ's request to strike Obamacare down.

As Democrats clobbered his Justice Department for asking a federal court to invalidate the Obamacare law, President Trump seized the moment to declare that Republicans would soon be known as 'the party of healthcare'

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats seized on the GOP's lack of an obvious plan to cover insurance-seeking Americans with pre-existing medical conditions

Pelosi recalled Trump's 2018 claims of caring about Americans with pre-existing medical conditions 'lies'

'It is really too early for us to know for sure what the court is going to say, and that is going to make a big difference on how you move forward,' said Blunt.

'The president said to us exactly what he said to you  that he thought this was a great time for our party to step forward on healthcare.'

Anticipating the explosive development might smother the positive coverage of Robert Mueller's Russia-probe endgame, the president announced his rebranding of the GOP on Twitter before he took the short ride up Pennsylvania Avenue.

'The Republican Party will become "The Party of Healthcare!"' he tweeted.

Democrats spent Monday recovering from Attorney General William Barr's summary of the Mueller report's findings and plotting a way forward after Trump's exoneration from allegations of election-year collusion with Russia.

By Tuesday morning, however, the Trump White House had turned the page for them.

'I believe that the Mueller report has been done,' said Democratic House Whip James Clyburn of South Carolina. 'It's a chapter that's closed.'

Trump was on Capitol Hill for a working lunch with Senate Republicans

South Carolina Democratic Rep. James Clyburn said healthcare is a 'new chapter' for Democrats

But 'this administration opened a new chapter when it moved to invalidate the Affordable Care Act,' he said on CNN.

'That's the number one thing on people's minds. People are worried, especially my part of the country about children being born with diabetes and how they are going to get health care. People are worried about themselves.'

He rattled off a list of deadly diseases that count as 'preexisting conditions' when Americans apply for new medical insurance policies, saying that a guarantee of covering them is one of the most popular elements of the Obamacare law.

'Prostate cancer is prevalent in the low country of South Carolina. And breast cancer. How are they going to get medical treatment they need? For this administration to open the chapter, I think we have to reconnect our conversations with the American people,' said Clyburn.

He said prescription drug pricing is 'absolutely' an area where Democrats could work with the Trump administration.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi talked up the Democrats' healthcare agenda Tuesday even as she tried to deflect talk of forcing the president out of office.

'Impeachment is not on the table until it is on the table. So its not a question of that. This is not about that. This is about us doing our work,' she said.

'Today we're introducing our healthcare bill, tomorrow we'll be doing climate. We're on our agenda.'

On her political Twitter account, Pelosi cited an October 2018 tweet in which the president claimed the GOP favored protecting coverage for pre-existing conditions.

'All Republicans support people with pre-existing conditions, and if they dont, they will after I speak to them,' the president had written. 'I am in total support. Also, Democrats will destroy your Medicare, and I will keep it healthy and well!'

'Lies,' Pelosi wrote.

Moderate Republican Sen. Susan Collins said the DOJ's decision to let Obamacare wither on the vine  'to even go more broadly in failing to defend the law'  is 'very disappointing.'

Democrats made defending the law a powerful messaging tool in the run-up to the 2018 elections, when polls showed eight in 10 Americans wanted to defend its most popular benefits including protections for insurance coverage for people with pre-existing conditions.

The strategy paid off: Democrats won a broad 38-seat majority in the House of Representatives.
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Prime Minister Scott Morrison has joined world leaders from 60 countries at a remembrance service for the tragic victims of the Christchurch terror attack.

Mr Morrison arrived at the service, which commenced at 10am on Friday in Hagley Park, along with opposition leader Bill Shorten and Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove.

The service, which marked two weeks since a gunman claimed 50 lives in a mass shooting at two mosques, was live-streamed online and televised by TVNZ.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured) has joined world leaders from 60 countries at a remembrance service for the tragic victims of the Christchurch terror attack

Mr Morrison (pictured) arrived at the service, which commenced at 10am on Friday in Hagley Park, along with opposition leader Bill Shorten and Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove

NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (pictured) hopes the remembrance service for victims of the Christchurch terror attacks will herald the beginning of necessary shifts in New Zealand society.

Delegates from nearly 60 countries joined thousands of New Zealanders, where crowds were estimated to have reached 20,000.

The Muslim community was at the centre of the ceremony but many of their leaders and other visiting dignitaries weren't identified prior to the event for security reasons.

Before the service, Mr Morrison, Mr Shorten and Mr Cosgrove, and their wives laid flowers at the adjacent Al Noor Mosque, the scene of one of the attacks on March 15.

Heavily armed officers patrolled the central city park, with snipers and elite staff from Australia reportedly boosting police numbers in what was described as the country's biggest security operation.

The ceremony was opened with a Maori welcome, greeted with remarkable silence given the size of the crowd spread across the sprawling park.

Musician Yusuf Islam, formerly known as Cat Stevens, performed 'Peace Train' and Don't be shy' at the service which was broadcast live around New Zealand and internationally.

Delegates from nearly 60 countries will also be joining thousands of New Zealanders, with crowds expected to be upwards of about 15,000

Two girls cry as the national anthem of New Zealand is sung during a national remembrance ceremony at North Hagley Park

People attend the national remembrance service for victims of the mosque attacks, at Hagley Park in Christchurch

Before singing, he paid tribute to the families of those who had lost loved ones while they were worshipping at the mosque two weeks ago.

'It's only when good people stay sitting that evil rises ... we've seen the opposite in this country,' Mr Islam said.

Ms Ardern received a huge round of applause and a standing ovation as she took the stage to deliver her speech.

Ms Ardern (pictured) received a huge round of applause and a standing ovation as she took the stage to deliver her speech

The NZ PM said even though the nation was still recovering from 'our darkest hours', it has a responsibility to 'be the place we wish to be'

New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern hugs a victim's relative during the national remembrance service for victims of the mosque attacks, at Hagley Park in Christchurch, New Zealand

Musician Yusuf Islam, formerly known as Cat Stevens, performed Peace Train at the service which was broadcast live around New Zealand and internationally

She said a positive to emerge from 'our darkest hours' was what she believes is a newfound respect and compassion towards the Muslim community.

'We may have left flowers, performed the haka, sung songs or simply embraced but even when we had no words, we still heard yours. And they have left us humbled and united,' she said.

'Violence and extremism in all its forms is not welcome here. Over the last two weeks, you have shown that in your actions.'

A small boy sits on his dads shoulders during a national remembrance ceremony at North Hagley Park in Christchurch

People attend the national remembrance service for victims of the mosque attacks, at Hagley Park in Christchurch

People applaud for New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (unseen) during the national remembrance service for victims of the mosque attacks, at Hagley Park in Christchurch

A man reacts as the national anthem is played during the national remembrance service for victims of the mosque attacks, at Hagley Park in Christchurch

Ms Ardern described how the world is enduring a vicious cycle of extremism breeding extremism, which needs to stop - and the answer lies in people's humanity.

As the PM completed her speech with as-salamu alaykum, there was another round of applause from the crowd.

Ms Ardern said she hopes the remembrance service for victims of the Christchurch terror attacks will herald the beginning of necessary shifts in New Zealand society.

Thousands of people attended the national remembrance service for victims of the mosque attacks, at Hagley Park in Christchurch

An estimated 20 thousand people attend the National Remembrance Service to those who were tragically killed in the Al Noor Mosque and the Linwood Islamic Centre shooting at Hagley Park, in Christchurch

Before the service, Mr Morrison, Mr Shorten and Mr Cosgrove, and their wives laid flowers at the adjacent Al Noor Mosque, the scene of one of the attacks on March 15

Mr Morrison and his wife Jenny paid tribute to the victims of the terror attack outside the Al-Noor Mosque in Christchurch

She said her country has had time to come to terms with the horrific nature of the massacre and hopes there is a groundswell for change.

'I want to acknowledge that New Zealand is now on the beginning of a journey,' Ms Ardern said.

'We have never been free of racism. We have never been free of violent ideology but our over-riding values are ones of fairness, compassion and diversity.'

A woman attends the national remembrance service for victims of the mosque attacks, at Hagley Park in Christchurch

Heavily armed officers are patrolling the central city park, with snipers and elite staff from Australia reportedly boosting police numbers in what has been described as the country's biggest security operation

Relatives and friends arrive for the national remembrance service for victims of the mosque attacks, at Hagley Park

Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern places her hand over her heart as she walks past family of those lost during a national remembrance ceremony at North Hagley Park in Christchurch on March 29, 2019

Al Noor Mosque terror attack survivor Farid Ahmed made an appearance and was greeted with a round of applause when he came onto the stage to speak.

His wife Husna was killed in the attack after she rescued some children from the gunman before returning to find her wheelchair-bound husband.

Mr Ahmed, who was wounded in the attack, said while those who were killed on the day might be dead, their souls are still alive.

Farid Ahmed (pictured in wheelchair), a survivor of the Al Noor Mosque terrorist attack, whose wife Husna Ahmed was killed, speaks during the National Remembrance Service

Al Noor Mosque terror attack survivor Farid Ahmed (pictured) was greeted with a round of applause when he came onto the stage to speak

Family members arrive as an estimated 20 thousand people attend the National Remembrance Service to those who were tragically killed in the Al Noor Mosque and the Linwood Islamic Centre shooting at Hagley Park, in Christchurch

Many New Zealanders donned head scarfs to show their respect at the national remembrance service for victims of the mosque attacks

'The people who were killed in their worship  they are in paradise,' Mr Ahmed said.

He described how he has chosen peace, love, and forgiveness.

'I do not hate (the accused) - I cannot hate him, I cannot hate anyone,' he said.

The ceremony coincides with remembrance gatherings around New Zealand, which are taking coverage of the Christchurch event via big screens.

Thousands more were expected to attend a service at Auckland's Eden Park on Friday afternoon.

New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern meets with a victim's relative during the national remembrance service for victims of the mosque attacks, at Hagley Park in Christchurch

Jacinda Ardern greets members of the Muslim community at the end of the National Remembrance Service on March 29, 2019 in Christchurch, New Zealand
President Donald Trump on Thursday claimed he's taken better care of Puerto Rico than 'any other living human being' after its governor threatened to punch him in the mouth over complaints about the slow arrival of disaster relief efforts.

'I've taken care better care of Puerto Rico than anyone ever,' Trump told reporters at the White House before he left for Michigan.

'Puerto Rico has been taken care of better by Donald Trump than by any living human being. And I think the people of Puerto Rico understand it,' he said.

President Donald Trump claimed he's taken better care of Puerto Rico than 'any other living human being'

His boast came after Gov. Ricardo Rossello threatened to punch him in the mouth

The president claims the lack of disaster relief funds the island is experiencing is due to the poor management by the San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz Soto and Gov. Ricardo Rossello.

'You do have a mayor of San Juan that, frankly, doesn't know what she's doing and the governor, you've got to spend the money wisely. They don't know how to spend the money and they're not spending it wisely but I'm giving them more money than they've ever gotten. Frankly, the people of Puerto Rico, I really have a great relationship with them. And when it comes time, they really do appreciate it,' Trump said.

Rossello is in Washington D.C. to advocate before Congress for a bill that would gran Puerto Rico statehood status.

And he told CNN he would not sit back and allow his officials to be bullied by the White House.

'If the bully gets close, I'll punch the bully in the mouth,' Rossello said. 'It would be a mistake to confuse courtesy with courage.'

Tensions between the island's officials and the Trump administration have ratcheted up over disaster relief funding.

While on Capitol Hill Tuesday for a luncheon with GOP senators, Trump said Puerto Rico had gotten too much money to rebuild after Hurricane Maria.

The amount 'is way out of proportion to what Texas and Florida and others have gotten,' Trump said, according to Sen. Marco Rubio, who was in the room and recounted the tale to NBC News.

Rossello's top aides told CNN that they were told by administration officials to stop trying to arrange a meeting with Trump.

According to the Puerto Rican officials, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro and another official threatened them during a meeting.

'You guys have to f***ing stop with the meeting request,' one official said.

'Your governor is f***ing things up,' Navarro added.

But a White House official denied to CNN that Puerto Rican officials were told to stop requesting a meeting with the President.

The government allocated $40 billion for disaster recovery in Puerto Rico but the island incurred in at least $90 billion in damages.

In September of 2017, Hurricane Maria devastated the island and left almost 3,00 dead.

Trump has previously questioned whether the island was using its disaster relief money to pay its $72 billion public debt.

Neither Puerto Rican officials nor the U.S. appointed board overseeing the financial recovery have publicly said they will use federal money to repay debt. And any such plan would have to be approved by Congress.
President Donald Trump's eldest son lashed out Thursday night at Rep. Adam Schiff, the Democratic chairman of the House Intelligence Committee who every Republican on the panel demanded step down hours earlier.

GOP members of Congress have claimed Schiff leaked testimony during closed interviews linked to investigations into alleged links between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russians, unproven ties that Special Counsel Robret Mueller's probe ruled out in its final report.

Trump Jr. called Schiff 'the tinfoil hat brigade' of the Democratic party for his continuing insistence that the Trump campaign colluded with the Kremlinm and said he was 'full of Schiff.'

'Think about it. Two years of this crap. Funded by Hilary Clinton adn the DNC, perpetrated by, let's call it, 90 per cent of the mainstream media,' he vented.

'Adam Schiff has been peddling so much bullschiff for the last two years, and he's still doing it!' Trump Jr. quipped. 'He really schiffed the bed.'

Donald Trump Jr. eviscerated Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff on Thursday during a speech in Grand Rapids, Michigan before President Donald Trump spoke to a raucous rally crowd

Don Jr. savaged Schiff, the Democratic House Intelligence Committee chairman, as 'full of schiff' and said he 'really schiffed the bed'

Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, is facing calls from every Republican member of the panel to step down because he continues to maintain the Trump campaign colluded with Russians

'You think that guy should have a security clearance?' he asked, calling Schiff's access to state secrets 'the greatest joke, other than the Russia collusion joke, in modern history.'

Don Jr. also took a shot at Michael Avenatti, the recently arrested former lawyer of Trump antagonist and porn actress Stormy Daniels.

'This week alone, MAGA stands for something a little different: Michael Avenatti Got Arrested! MAGA!' he boomed from the podium.

Avenatti has been accused of bank and tax fraud and could face decades in prison.

The president was headed to Michigan Thursday to reboot his political fortunes in the wake of a near-total exoneration by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

As Democrat after Democrat enters the 2020 primary race, each of the president's public appearances is seen as a campaign statement  a job interview for a second four-year term in the White House.

As he left the White House, trump had automotive jobs on his mind, looking to catch a second bolt of lightning in a Michigan-shaped bottle. The stage was a campaign-style rally in Grand Rapids, a booming midwestern city of 200,000 in a state he was supposed to lose in 2016.

'We're opening up car plants in Michigan again for the first time in decades,' he told reporters. 'They're coming in, really pouring in. Car companies are coming in, Toyota just announced $13.5 billion coming in to our country. And Michigan is booming and Ohio is booming and North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, a lot of places.'

All of those places are states the president must win if he aims to be a two-term leader.

'This has been happening pretty much since I've been president,' he claimed.

Red 'MAGA' hats were out in force on the streets, with thousands of people lined up beginning at dawn to see a raucous victory lap that put the special counsel probe firmly in Trump's rear-view mirror.

Unlike the two years of Trump's protests about witch hunts and partisan FBI agents, he signaled an eagerness Thursday to move on from the Mueller era.

'There was no collusion at all. There never was. Everybody knew it. I wish you could have got it in one week instead of taking two years but the result was great,' he said.

Brad Parscale, the president's charismatic campaign manager, warmed up the crowd by promising 'free stuff'  Trump swag signed by the president himself  to fans who joined his ambitious phone-texting database.

Parscale managed to tie together Trump's relief at Mueller's benign endgame with his hatred for 'fake news.'

'Two years of that nonsense. Collusion delusion, all led by the great people on the stage behind you,' he mocked, pointing to a platform swarming with TV cameras and broadcasters.

Some of Trump's supporters said Thursday that Trump has a chance to start the 2020 cycle with a clean slate.

'The campaign starts today,' said Mary Warner, a sixty-something mother of two who stood outside the Van Andel Arena in downtown Grand Rapids. 'We're done with all this Mueller nonsense, thank God, and now it's going to be so much easier.'

Greg Aselbekian, a stock trader who came to Michigan from Chicago to see Trump for the 13th time, said that 'in a way it seems almost like it's all new, like Trump is wiped clean.'

'We had huge momentum after election night,' Aselbekian recalled. 'Everybody was just gung-ho and happy about him. His supporters were energized.'

'Right now, this is  that. This is like, they finally ended the hoax.'

Near a stage where a live band played rock-and-roll standards, Trump campaign spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany told DailyMail.com that they both have it right.

'That's a fair characterization,' she said. 'This president has been under investigation since before he even became president, since the FBI investigation began in 2015. So we've had three years of relentless investigation based on nothing.'

'Here we are today: No more special counsel, no more investigating, and a president who can govern,' McEnany said.

The road to 2020 may run through the rust belt, and Trump is likely to visit Michigan over and over in the next 19 months.

'If there's a way for Trump to win this time without winning Michigan again, no one has made a good case for it yet,' a Republican operative there said Thursday.

'He'll be back again and again. Grand Rapids is going to look like Grand Central Station in 2020.'

McEnany said the president will be flogging the jobs-heavy message that worked so well in the midwest last time around.

'President Trump won this state, a state not won by a Republican president since the 1980s,' she said. 'And he won it because he promised jobs, he promised reviving manufacturing, he promised to raise wages.'

Outside the arena, midway through a red-hatted line that snaked for blocks, auto worker Joe Williams said he has seen no reason to doubt it.

'I voted for him and I'll vote for him again, and we'll see what happens,' said Williams, who makes machine parts at a General Motors plant in a nearby suburb.

'It's like he says. There was no collusion in this Russia thing, and the jobs are coming back, and Make America Great Again, and let's build the wall.'

'He'll be our president for four more years,' said Williams, who took the day off to stand in line and see his hero up close. 'I don't care what anybody says.'

President Donald Trump will travel Thursday to Grand Rapids, Michigan for his first public campaign rally since Special Counsel Robert Mueller cleared him of allegations he colluded with Russia to steal the 2016 election

Trump made Grand Rapids his final campaign stop in 2016, speaking to a few thousand people at 1 o'clock in the morning before heading home to New York City to await what would be a world-stunning victory

Trump boasted Thursday on Twitter that manufacturing jobs including those in the automotive sector are coming back to the rust belt; Fiat Chrysler said last month that it will create 6,500 new jobs in Michigan as it ramps up Jeep production

Voters in Grand Rapids gave Trump most of his 2016 statewide margin in Michigan

The president brings a 50 per cent approval ratings to Michigan on Thursday, according to Rasmussen Reports, a number 3 points better than Barack Obama's at the same point in his first term in office

The Van Andel Arena is where Trump will host a rally on Thursday, in downtown Grand Rapids

The president won Kent County, Michigan by about 9,500 votes in 2016, but the same county gave the state's new Democratic governor a 11,600-vote edge two years later, setting up Michigan as a bellwether for 2020
What happens today?

MPs will vote on the Mrs Mays withdrawal agreement. This is the vast, legally binding treaty that deals with the exit part of Brexit and contains the money  about 39 billion  the transition period to the end of 2020, and the rights of EU citizens and UK citizens on the continent.

How is this different from previous votes?

The first two times Mrs May put her deal to the Commons, MPs were also voting to approve the so-called political declaration. This sets out the likely shape of the future relationships between the EU and the UK on trade, immigration and security.

The first two times Mrs May (pictured earlier this week) put her deal to the Commons, MPs were also voting to approve the so-called political declaration

Why has she now separated the two?

Short answer: Speaker Bercow. Invoking ancient Commons rules, he declared last week that the Government could not bring back the same motion before the Commons again and again. This threw a grenade into Downing Streets strategy. After talks with Attorney General Geoffrey Cox yesterday, he agreed to the new plan. There is also a political reason: to heap pressure on Labour to let Brexit pass. Will the party  and all its MPs in Leave seats  which pledged to respect the referendum result once again vote against Brexit on the day we were originally meant to be leaving?

Why do it today?

Its near enough a last roll of the dice. Mrs May might have preferred to take a few more days to rally her MPs but she is up against a fixed deadline, and also has some momentum in her own party. When the EU agreed last week to extend Article 50  and delay Britains Brexit date  it set her a target of 11pm tonight. If the withdrawal agreement is passed by then, she would have until May 22 to pass the rest of it, and related Brexit legislation, and get out. If not, the extension to Brexit is only until April 12, less than two weeks away.

These are the results of the indicative votes on Brexit, in order of preference. It shows that while MPs can't find a consensus they lean heavily towards a softer Brexit or second referendum

What are the chances of success?

Slim at best. The DUP has already announced it will vote against it. Despite the best efforts of Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson, who was drafted in to try to win the Unionists over, they dont appear to be budging. Labour will tell its MPs to vote against, calling the proposal the blindest of blind Brexits, even though the party has accepted in principle the need for the withdrawal agreement and its claim to respect the referendum result. There are also about 50 hardline Brexiteer Tory MPs who are refusing to back the deal. But Labour MPs in Leave seats will come under huge pressure to vote in favour or abstain.

What happens if it passes?

We wouldnt be guaranteed to leave in an orderly fashion, but it would be a huge step forward. That is a victory ministers would bite your hand off for. The next hurdle would be actually getting the agreement into law via the Withdrawal Act, as well as the political declaration, not to mention any other Brexit legislation  all before May. If Parliament doesnt manage this, or request another extension, Britain would leave with No Deal, and no transition, on May 22.

How MP's could split for a third vote on Theresa May's withdrawal deal due to be heard in the Commons today

What if it doesnt pass?

The chaos continues, and the ticking clock gets louder. They could try to have another go next week, but they would be up against a near-impossible April 12 deadline. As Parliament wont allow No Deal, the UK would be forced to go back to the EU cap in hand to ask for a longer extension of at least a year. That would mean the UK would take part in European Parliament elections in May. Mrs May has repeatedly said she would not swallow a Brexit delay beyond June.

What about this weeks indicative votes?

Another key factor. After the process of voting on alternative Brexit options orchestrated by Sir Oliver Letwin failed to find an answer on Wednesday, hes going to have another go too. On Monday, expect all the alternatives to be put back before MPs  a customs union, a second referendum, the Norway model and No Deal. If one passes  and customs union appears to be the only real runner  MPs plan to pass legislation on Wednesday to compel Mrs May to do what they say.

What happens then?

If the Commons agrees to a customs union Brexit, she faces a gruesome choice. Could she really accept something which contradicts her manifesto and delivers a Brexit she knows is worse than hers, and would rip the Tory Party into pieces? Could she try to prorogue Parliament  ending the session, suspending the Commons for a few days then coming back to have another go at her deal and killing off any customs union law in the process? Or could she hit the last emergency button at her disposal, and call a General Election?
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Donald Trump appears to have backed Boris Johnson to be the next Prime Minister but also praised Theresa May's 'fighting' spirit.

The US President said Mr Johnson and Mrs May are his friends and hopes she 'does well' in today's crunch Brexit vote.

Speaking at the White House yesterday he said: 'She's a very nice lady, she's a friend of mine, I hope she does well. I hope the Brexit movement and everything happening there goes very well. But Theresa May's a very good woman, and I'll tell you what, she's strong, she's tough and she's in there fighting'.

Mrs May's desperation to win today's votes means she has offered to stand down if her deal passes - in return for the votes of Johnson and his fellow Brexit backers.

Boris then sensationally supported the deal, then turned on her and called it 'dead' and now says she should step down, even if her Brexit deal falls, allies have said.

Mr Trump seemed to approve of Johnson replacing the PM and when asked who should get the job he said: 'I like Boris Johnson a lot. He's a friend of mine.'

He was not asked about other potential candidates for the job in the exchange just before he took off for a campaign rally in Michigan.

President Donald Trump said he considers Boris Johnson and Theresa May to be friends of his, and he hopes the U.K. prime minister who's offered to step down 'does well' tomorrow in tomorrow's Brexit vote

May is rolling the dice on another vote on her divorce deal tomorrow after finding a way around the speaker of the House of Commons' opposition to her Brexit plan.

'I know there is a desire for new leadership': May's promise to QUIT if MPs vote for the deal 'This has been a testing time for our country and our party. We're nearly there. We're almost ready to start a new chapter and build that brighter future. 'But before we can do that, we have to finish the job in hand. As I say, I don't tour the bars and engage in the gossip  but I do make time to speak to colleagues, and I have a great team in the Whips' Office. I also have two excellent PPSs. 'And I have heard very clearly the mood of the parliamentary party. I know there is a desire for a new approach  and new leadership  in the second phase of the Brexit negotiations  and I won't stand in the way of that. 'I know some people are worried that if you vote for the Withdrawal Agreement, I will take that as a mandate to rush on into phase two without the debate we need to have. I won't  I hear what you are saying. 'But we need to get the deal through and deliver Brexit. She addded: 'I am prepared to leave this job earlier than I intended in order to do what is right for our country and our party. 'I ask everyone in this room to back the deal so we can complete our historic duty  to deliver on the decision of the British people and leave the European Union with a smooth and orderly exit.' Advertisement

She hopes the symbolism of March 29, what was to be Brexit Day, will be enough to persuade Tory Brexiteer rebels and the Democratic Union Party to finally back down and endorse the deal. The Democratic Unionist Part confirmed Thursday night they would vote 'No' in the vote on Friday, however.

After losing by 149 Members of Parliament in the second 'meaningful vote' on March 12, May needs 75 additional votes to be victorious. If the DUP votes No, as expected, she needs every Tory rebel to return or win over Labour MPs instead. More than 50 Tories are still declared against - suggesting defeat up of up to 100 votes for her.

If May's government wins, it would mean Britain is on track to leave the EU on May 22. But it would not count as a proper vote to ratify the deal, as it excludes the political declaration.

May will aim to renegotiate the political declaration if MPs back the divorce deal part of the package tomorrow and hope to ratify the whole deal in a later vote.

The PM offered to stand down and sacrifice her job in return for the backing of Tory rebel MPs, including Johnson, but it still looks unlikely that she has the numbers to win a vote after the DUP refused to fall in line and support her.

More chaos looms if the vote does not succeed tomorrow: Britain's departure from the EU will be rescheduled to April 12 and MPs will then try to take control of the process and likely attempt to force May to adopt a softer Brexit. Ministers have threatened to call a general election if that happens.

MPs have been ordered to attend Parliament tomorrow, cancelling what was supposed to be a day with their constituents.

The Prime Minister will use what was supposed to be Brexit Day to hold a vote on just the legally binding divorce deal and not the political declaration - meaning the Speaker could not rule it out

Boris Johnson today branded Theresa May's Brexit deal 'dead' - less than 24 hours after he sensationally backed it - and will call on Mrs May to quit even if she doesn't deliver Brexit

Javid and Gove consider 'stop Boris' joint bid for Tory leadership after May Sajid Javid is floating the idea of a 'dream ticket' with Michael Gove as Chancellor that could see him become Prime Minister and would also shut Boris Johnson out of Downing Street, MailOnline can reveal today. The pair are mulling whether Jeremy Hunt could be offered Home Secretary to drop his candidacy as part of the pact, while fellow Brexiteers Penny Mordaunt and Andrea Leadsom could also be handed promotions to fall into line, allies of Mr Javid have suggested. The 'Stop Boris' plot came as Mr Johnson - who is joint-favourite with Mr Gove to be the next Tory leader - backed Mrs May's Brexit deal only to pronounce it 'dead' hours later. The Prime Minister yesterday offered to sacrifice her leadership to win rebel Tories' backing for her deal, saying she will quit on May 22 if her deal passes this week. If the deal does not pass by tomorrow, May could stay and Brexit will thrown into chaos with rebel MPs trying to force a softer exit from the EU and ministers threatening to call an election. But Boris is now reportedly insisting Mrs May steps down even if her deal fails. MailOnline can reveal there are genuine fears that unless Mr Johnson's rivals agree a deal ahead of a leadership campaign their support could splinter, opening the door for the former Foreign Secretary to take over. As many as eight Cabinet ministers are expected to put their names forward and several are already out on manoeuvres today with former Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab positioning himself as the No Deal candidate. Speaking today he said Mrs May should return to Brussels and demand they reopen negotiations so Britain can achieve a 'legally-binding exit from the Irish backstop'. He added: 'I think we should have sensible conversations over the two weeks we've got left around the suite of No Deal arrangements that can be made to mitigate any of the potential damage on either side'. Advertisement

The DUP's continued refusal to back the deal makes it an impossible mission - but passing the divorce deal this week is the only way to leave the EU by May 22.

The prime minister must secure Commons approval for her deal by 11pm on Friday if the U.K. is to be given an automatic delay to the negotiated date of May 22 to leave the EU.

House of Commons Speaker Bercow threw a wrench in May's plans by insisting any new vote be on a 'substantially' different question to the last one.

Bercow admitted Thursday's motion from the government 'complies with the test' because it is 'new and substantially different' in a win for May.

Labour's shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Keir Starmer said his party would oppose the divorce treaty if it was presented alone - insisting the party will not back a 'blind Brexit' in the vote on Friday.

He said: 'As the EU has made clear and as the Prime Minister has made clear, the Withdrawal Agreement and the Political Declaration are part of the same negotiated package. You can't have one without the other.

'The problem going ahead with just the Withdrawal Agreement is it's a completely blind Brexit. It tells you nothing about where you are heading.

'That's been made a lot worse by Theresa May saying yesterday she is going to step down as Prime Minister. So we don't even know who is going to take over and where they are going to take this.

'You can't separate them, this isn't going to work. It's a desperate measure,' he argued.

Friday's debate, on a day when the Commons was not due to be sitting, is dependent on a business motion being moved and passed by the House and on Bercow deeming that the government's proposal is in line with parliamentary rules which ban the same motion being repeatedly tabled.

Amid the wider political chaos, Johnson today pronounced May's Brexit deal 'dead.' He appeared to turn on the PM, insisting May step down, even if her deal fails, according to allies who spoke to the Evening Standard.

His U-turn comes after the DUP and up to 25 hardcore Tory rebels said they would still oppose the deal, seemingly sinking any chance of it passing this week.

If the deal fails, Britain is on track for a No Deal Brexit on April 12 unless a longer extension is negotiated with Brussels or Brexit it cancelled altogether.

On Monday, MPs will continue their attempts to force a soft Brexit such as a Customs Union on May before April 12  and her ministers have threatened to call a general election rather than be railroaded into breaking her manifesto promises.

If the government does call an election, it is likely to ask for another delay to Brexit from the EU so May can step down and a new Tory leader can be selected.

The PM's would-be successors including favorites Michael Gove and Boris are already circling, the latter after finally supporting her deal despite months of trashing it.

The stiff opposition to May's deal from Tory rebels was summed by Mark Francois, who said: 'I wouldn't vote for it if they put a shotgun in my mouth. I am not voting for the deal on the basis of who is or is not the Prime Minister.

'I am not voting for the deal because I have read it. Nothing has changed - so I'm still happy to vote it down. The British people voted to leave the European Union - let's just leave,' he said.

David Cameron refuses to say who he thinks should replace Theresa May Former prime minister David Cameron today urged warring MPs to 'compromise' to get some sort of Brexit deal through the 'stuck' Parliament. The ex-Tory leader, who quit after leaving the failed Remain campaign in the 2016 election said two of four main factions in the Commons - spanning all opinions on Brexit - would have to 'compromise'. But he declined to say who he would back to replace Theresa May when she stands down, telling ITV News: 'It's not for me to say.' He said: 'The basic problem is that Parliament is stuck. 'There are four groups in Parliament; people who want the PM's deal, people who want no deal, people who want a second referendum and people who want a softer Brexit. 'We - the Government - has to try and find a way of getting at least two of those groups to work together, to combine their options, to compromise to find that partnership agreement and I hope that is what will happen.' Advertisement

Yesterday, in an emotional speech, May told Tory MPs she would quit 'earlier than intended' if Parliament backed her withdrawal agreement.

There were initial signs that her gamble might pay off when a string of Eurosceptic MPs, led by Johnson and Iain Duncan Smith, said they would now swing behind her.

But, in a bombshell announcement, the DUP said it would not support the agreement because it posed 'an unacceptable risk to the integrity of the UK.'

The party's deputy leader Nigel Dodds indicated it would vote against the plan, saying: 'We don't abstain when it comes to the Union.'

The DUP's support is seen as critical to unlocking the backing of dozens of Eurosceptic MPs, and May's close friend Damian Green, a former minister, says the PM will not give up trying.

If her deal fails, then Parliament is likely to demand she asks the EU for a softer Brexit or draw up a second referendum - and the PM would then be expected to call a general election because it would tear up the Tory manifesto.

She has not ruled out staying to lead the party in a snap election, but allies said that they hoped she will because she is seen as one of the few 'adults in the room,' one source told The Times.

Jacob Rees-Mogg has said he still backs the PM's deal and is hoping the DUP 'come over' to it. He praised May's behavior and said she 'deserves support.'

Asked if he would be speaking to the DUP's leader after she again ruled out backing the deal on Wednesday night, he said: 'I have no plans to speak to Arlene Foster but I do have conversations with the DUP from time to time in the ordinary course of events.'

He added: 'The Prime Minister behaved very nobly yesterday and I think she does deserve support at this stage.

'I don't like her deal. I make no bones about this. I don't think the deal's suddenly got better, simply that the alternative is now worse,' he said. 'It's not having any Brexit at all and it's letting down the 17.4 million people who voted to leave.'

Green, Theresa May's former de facto deputy, has said she will carry on.

'She will take the path of soldiering on because she sees the great duty of her and her Government is to get a Brexit deal. She will carry on for as long as she is Prime Minister doing that,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

He added: 'Absolutely the last thing the country would need now would be a prime minister who walked away and said, "OK, choose someone else." This is very serious. The next few days are really the crunch.'

Tory leadership candidate Michael Gove leaves home for a run today today as the Prime Minister fights to save her deal. Jacob Rees-Mogg (pictured today) has urged hardline Eurosceptics to back Theresa May or face losing Brexit

Green said the choice for MPs now lay between May's deal and a customs union - the option that came closest to winning a majority in Wednesday's indicative votes.

'If you want a deal, the choice is now between the Government's deal or a customs union. The customs union was only eight votes off winning yesterday,' he said. 'That's a slightly softer Brexit than the Government's deal. So that's the choice that faces MPs, even the most hard Brexit MPs.'

David Lidington, effectively Theresa May's deputy prime minister, meanwhile pleaded with MPs to back the Brexit deal.

At the British Chambers of Commerce conference he said: 'I recognize the real frustration that uncertainty around this process has caused in the business community.'

He said, 'From the Prime Minister down, the Government is doing all it can to secure a Brexit that does follow the result of the 2016 referendum but does so in a way that protects jobs and economic growth.'

Lidington acknowledged that a 'chaotic, disorganized Brexit without an agreed deal is something we should not be seeking to have.'
Labour faced further humiliation tonight after it emerged that three people have been arrested by police investigating allegations of anti-Semitism among party members.

Two men and a woman were detained in the past three weeks on suspicion of publishing or distributing material likely to stir up racial hatred. They were released pending further inquiries.

The police probe was prompted by an internal Labour dossier detailing anti-Semitic social media messages allegedly posted by party members, which was obtained by LBC radio.

Patricia Sheerin, 72, from Wandsworth, south London, was detained on suspicion of publishing or distributing material likely to stir up racial hatred

Two of those arrested were Patricia Sheerin, 72, from Wandsworth, south London, and Roy Smart, 50, from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, it emerged last night. Both allegedly posted about the Holocaust on social media. LBCs documents included details of 45 cases of alleged anti-Semitism, including one which read: We shall rid the Jews who are a cancer on us all.

Others included a threat to throw two MPs off the top of a building and one that said a Zionist extremist MP who hates civilised people was going to get a good kicking.

Despite knowing of the threats, Labour did not pass the dossier to police. The radio station handed it to Scotland Yard Commissioner Cressida Dick in September. Last night Jewish groups said the partys failure to hand over the document was proof it is institutionally anti-Semitic.

Roy Smart (left), 50, from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, allegedly posted about the Holocaust on social media

Euan Philipps, of Labour Against Anti-Semitism, said: We are pleased that anti-Semitic hate crime within the Labour Party is finally being recognised and acted on at a criminal level, and we hope the CPS will proceed to a prosecution.

What needs to be addressed is that apparently figures within the Labour Party administration were aware of this evidence and had been sitting on it for months.

Their reported failure to even inform their own MPs of the vile abuse being directed at them (and which possibly threatened their physical security) is a gross and direct dereliction of their and the partys responsibilities.

These failures point yet again to an endemic culture of institutional anti-Semitism within the Labour Party, that we hope the EHRC will soon investigate.

MP Ian Austin, who quit Labour over the partys anti-Semitism problem, said: Jeremy Corbyn keeps claiming the Labour Party is taking anti-Semitism seriously, but its really shocking to discover they had this information and did nothing with it even though the police now think there are grounds to arrest them.

It is understood that none of the three detained is still a member of the Labour Party.

The Metropolitan Police said a man in his 50s was arrested in Birmingham on March 7, a man in his 50s was held in Tunbridge Wells on March 14 and a woman in her 70s was arrested in Wandsworth on March 21. All were held on suspicion of publishing or distributing material likely to stir up racial hatred.

Scotland Yard said the contents of the dossier had been examined by specialist officers and the three were arrested, interviewed under caution and released under investigation.

Last week Miss Sheerins daughter Kate wrote on Facebook that six or seven officers were searching her mothers home. Miss Sheerin later wrote that her computer and mobile phone had been seized.

Mr Smarts wife confirmed yesterday that he had been arrested. He had been due to stand as a Labour candidate in council elections in Tunbridge Wells but is now not doing so.

MP Ian Austin, who quit Labour over the partys anti-Semitism problem, claimed Jeremy Corbyn wasn't taking the problem seriously

In a joint statement, the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the Community Security Trust and the Jewish Leadership Council said: We await the outcome of the investigations, but ask why Labour had not itself alerted the police.

'We are also concerned as to how many more cases remain unknown and repeat our request, made one year ago to Mr Corbyn, that the party urgently appoint an independent ombudsman on such matters.

The Labour Party said: We welcome the police investigating these individuals alleged crimes.

Anti-Semitism has no place in our society and we are committed to challenging and campaigning against it in all its forms.

n The Conservatives could face a probe by the equalities watchdog into the way they have dealt with claims of Islamophobia.

It emerged last week that 15 Tory councillors had been quietly let back into the party despite posting racist content online.

Last night the Equality and Human Rights Commission said: We have received a complaint and will consider the issues raised.
Technology executives were put on the spot at an artificial intelligence summit this week, each faced with a simple question growing out of increased public scrutiny of Silicon Valley: 'When have you put ethics before your business interests?'

A Microsoft Corp executive pointed to how the company considered whether it ought to sell nascent facial recognition technology to certain customers, while a Google executive spoke about the company's decision not to market a face ID service at all.

The big news at the summit, in San Francisco, came from Google, which announced it was launching a council of public policy and other external experts to make recommendations on AI ethics to the company.

The discussions at EmTech Digital, run by the MIT Technology Review, underscored how companies are making a bigger show of their moral compass.

Technology executives were put on the spot at an artificial intelligence summit this week, each faced with a simple question growing out of increased public scrutiny of Silicon Valley: 'When have you put ethics before your business interests?' (file photo)

WHO IS ON GOOGLE'S AI ETHICS BOARD? Alessandro Acquisti - s a Professor of Information Technology and Public Policy at the Heinz College, Carnegie Mellon University

Bubacarr Bah - Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Stellenbosch University.

De Kai - Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Dyan Gibbens - CEO of Trumbull, a Forbes Top 25 veteran-founded startup

Joanna Bryson - Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Bath

Kay Coles James - President of The Heritage Foundation

Luciano Floridi - Professor of Philosophy and Ethics of Information at the University of Oxford

William Joseph Burns - Former US deputy secretary of state Advertisement

The teeth the companies' efforts have may sharply affect how governments regulate the firms in the future.

'It is really good to see the community holding companies accountable,' David Budden, research engineering team lead at Alphabet Inc's DeepMind, said of the debates at the conference.

'Companies are thinking of the ethical and moral implications of their work.'

Kent Walker, Google's senior vice president for global affairs, said the internet giant debated whether to publish research on automated lip-reading.

While beneficial to people with disabilities, it risked helping authoritarian governments surveil people, he said.

Ultimately, the company found the research was 'more suited for person to person lip-reading than surveillance so on that basis decided to publish' the research, Walker said. The study was published last July.

Kebotix, a Cambridge, Massachusetts startup seeking to use AI to speed up the development of new chemicals, used part of its time on stage to discuss ethics. Chief Executive Jill Becker said the company reviews its clients and partners to guard against misuse of its technology.

Still, Rashida Richardson, director of policy research for the AI Now Institute, said little around ethics has changed since Amazon.com Inc, Facebook Inc, Microsoft and others launched the nonprofit Partnership on AI to engage the public on AI issues.

'There is a real imbalance in priorities' for tech companies, Richardson said.

Considering 'the amount of resources and the level of acceleration that's going into commercial products, I don't think the same level of investment is going into making sure their products are also safe and not discriminatory.'

Google's Walker said the company has some 300 people working to address issues such as racial bias in algorithms but the company has a long way to go.

'Baby steps is probably a fair characterization,' he said.
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The world's longest salt cave has been discovered under Mount Sodom in Israel, and researchers say it is slowly growing.

Measuring 6.25 miles (10 kilometres) long, the labyrinth of stalactites - known as Malham cave - spills out at the adjacent Dead Sea.

Salt forms twisted rods which descend from the ceiling and salt crystals sparkle along many of the walls, while some of the stalactites have visible droplets of water at the bottom of the fragile formations.

Scroll down for video

Israeli cave explorers show the Malham cave inside Mount Sodom, located at the southern part of the Dead Sea in Israel. It is believed to be the longest salt cave system in the world at more than 6 miles

Israeli cave explorer Boaz Langford stands in front of salt stalactites in the Malham cave inside Mount Sodom. Pale salt stalactites hang from the ceilings, and some of the walls sparkle with salt crystals. Drops of salty water are visible at the tips of some of the stalactites

The survey to determine the length of the cave system was conducted by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a collection of experts from Israel, Bulgaria and other nations.

Boaz Langford, a researcher at the university's Caves Research Center, and Antoniya Vlaykova, a Bulgarian cave explorer from the European Speleological Federation, headed the expedition.

'What's unique about this cave, as opposed to other salt caves in the world, is that it's the longest in the world,' Mr Langford said, resting in a chamber of the cave dubbed the 'Wedding Hall' for its salt stalactites.

Mr Langford and Ms Vlaykova said they plan to publish the complete map of the cave in the coming months.

Malham became known to researchers through the work of Amos Frumkin, founder and director of the Hebrew University's Cave Research Centre, who in the 1980s mapped around three miles (five kilometres) of it.

But the title of the largest salt cave in the world was nabbed in 2006 when cavers mapped over six kilometres of the N3 cave in southern Iran's Qeshm island.

Two years ago, Israeli spelunker Yoav Negev decided to complete his work, reached out to Bulgarian cave explorers to assist him in his quest to map the entirety of the Israeli system.

Israeli cave explorers said that the series of salt caves and passages with striking stalactites near the Dead Sea is the world's longest, beating the previous record-holder in Iran

The cave named Malham, stretches over 6 miles (10 kilometres) and runs through Mount Sodom, Israel's largest mountain, and spills out to the southwest corner of the adjacent Dead Sea

Mr Negev, founder of the Israel Cave Explorers Club, joined forces with Mr Langford to organise the mapping process with eight European spelunkers and another 20 locals.

They spent ten days mapping the cave in 2018 and then another ten day expedition this year with 80 local and international spelunkers.

Efraim Cohen, a member of the team that explored the cavernous network, told the Jerusalem Post: 'Mapping Malham cave took hard work. We worked 10-hour days underground, crawling through icy salt channels, narrowly avoiding salt stalactites and jaw-dropping salt crystals. Down there it felt like another planet.'

The arduous process was completed by measuring and mapping of the cave and careful measurements taken with lasers determined its length to be in excess of 6 miles (10 kilometres).

Mount Sodom is Israel's largest mountain and is effectively a large salt block covered with a thin but resilient protective layer of cap rock which lies over the mound.

The rare desert rains, the area sees only typically sees around just 50mm of rain a year, find their way through cracks in the cap rock and dissolve the salt that is underneath.

This then flows toward the Dead Sea and provides a constant supply of salt which increases the size of the cave system and the stalactites.

Even in the short period of time since the original mapping in the 80s, the cave's structure has changed, and will continue to do so.

WHAT ARE SALT CAVES? Salt caves are unusual and rare geological features. Because salt is highly water soluble, large salt deposits do not normally survive long on the surface. Only a handful of salt caves are larger than a kilometer (half a mile) in length. Salt caves tend to only exist in highly arid regions, like the area around the Dead Sea, which is located at the lowest point on earth and is too salty to support animal life. The longest in the world is Malham cave in Israel. It is under Mount Sodom and exits into the Dead Sea. Mount Sodom is Israel's largest mountain and is effectively a large salt block covered with a thin but resilient layer of cap rock which lies over the mound. The rare desert rains find their way through cracks in the cap rock and dissolve the salt that is underneath. This then forms small caves that flow toward the Dead Sea and provides a constant supply of salt which increases the size of the cave system and the stalactites. Even in the short period of time since the original mapping in the 80s, the cave's structure has changed, and will continue to do so. Advertisement

The arduous process underneath Mount Sodom in Israel was completed by measuring and mapping of the cave. Careful measurements were taken with lasers determined its length to be in excess of 6 miles (10 kilometres)

Mount Sodom is essentially a huge salt block covered by a thin but resilient layer of cap rock. The rare desert rains find their way through cracks in the cap rock and dissolve the salt to form small caves that flow down toward the Dead Sea

Two years ago, Israeli spelunker Yoav Negev reached out to Bulgarian cave explorers for reinforcements with the promise of a warm winter adventure. He organised a delegation of eight European spelunkers and another 20 locals. They spent some 10 days mapping the cave in 2018

A second 10-day expedition this year with 80 local and international spelunkers completed the measuring and mapping of the cave with lasers, determining its length at more than 6 miles

Much of the cave's interior is covered by a fine dust that blows in from the desert. Massive slabs of salt, some amber-coloured from dust and minerals, jut out in dramatic formations

Much of the cave's interior is covered by a fine dust that blows in from the desert. Massive slabs of salt, some amber-coloured from dust and minerals, jut out in dramatic formations.

A thin slab appearing to have been sliced out is nicknamed 'The Guillotine,' while twin slabs in a different hall earned the title of 'The Ten Commandments.'

Reporters touring the site clambered and crawled through the narrow passages before reaching the 'wedding hall,' where hundreds of white stalactites of various shapes and lengths created a festive backdrop.

To Mr Negev, Malham is in 'a category of its own.'

'There's nothing like it in Israel,' he said, claiming that no other cave came even close to the 10-kilometre mark.

He pointed to its vast network of 'caverns, passageways, piers, plateaus, one over another'.

He called it 'the most impressive and complex in Israel... and one of the most beautiful and fascinating ones I've been in'.

Negev downplayed the significance of retaking the title from Iran - Israel's main enemy - saying he had 'excellent ties' with Iranian spelunkers through social media and professional conferences.

'The political rivalry creates a desire to connect and mutual curiosity,' he said. 'They're really excellent spelunkers.'

'I wish I could visit there,' he said of Iran and its caves.

Reporters touring the site clambered and crawled through the narrow passages before reaching the 'wedding hall,' where hundreds of white stalactites of various shapes and lengths created a festive backdrop

The exploration project makes it the world's longest salt cave. It is being touted as 'the most impressive and complex in Israel... and one of the most beautiful and fascinating ones I've been in'

Yoav Negev, Chairman of the Israel Cave Explorers Club explores the Malham salt cave in Mount Sodom, Dead Sea. According to the Hebrew University, cavers from nine countries mapped Malham salt cave, which was first discovered in the 1980s

Efraim Cohen of the Israel Cave Explorers Club, and of the Malham Cave Mapping Expedition, shows off the salt stalactites inside Mount Sodom, located at the southern part of the Dead Sea in Israel
At a sea turtle hospital housed at an old New England shipyard, a biologist leans over a table and uses a needle to draw blood from a sick loggerhead before tagging its flailing flipper.

These were the first tentative steps toward a return to the ocean for this juvenile nicknamed Honey Bun and hundreds of other loggerhead, Kemp's ridley and green turtles stranded this winter on Cape Cod beaches.

The number of warm water turtles stuck on beaches here has risen dramatically in the past decade, according to the Mass Audubon's Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary.

This year, volunteers recovered 829 helpless turtles washed up on the sand - about half of them dead including some frozen solid.

That's nearly twice what they found in 2016 and 10 times more than in 2008.

Above, Karen Dourdeville, right, brings in another deceased Kemp's ridley turtle for cataloguing and bagging by James Neilsen, left, at the Audubon Society's Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary in Wellfleet, Mass

Cape Cod is believed to have one of the largest annual turtle strandings in the world. There are occasional strandings in Florida, Texas and as far north as the Chesapeake Bay.

But those tend to be isolated events connected to cold snaps involving a few dozen to a couple of thousand turtles.

Some experts think New England's spike in cold-stunned turtles is a climate change story with a twist: the hook-like projection of Cape Cod into the Atlantic helps trap turtles drawn there by warming waters but weakened when the ocean cools down.

Most rescued turtles suffer from compromised immune systems and pneumonia due to hypothermia.

Exposed to cold water for prolonged periods, they become lethargic and can't move or eat. The ones that survive take months to recover.

'When these guys get here, they look like they are dead, especially in December,' said Adam Kennedy, a biologist at New England Aquarium's sea turtle hospital in Quincy, Massachusetts.

In the past decade, many turtles have been moving farther northward from the Gulf of Mexico into the warming waters of the Gulf of Maine to feed on crabs, mussels and shrimp.

Warmer waters in New England are proving attractive to sea turtles, but with a catch. Many are swimming north only to be trapped by cooling waters

In this Tuesday, March 12, 2019 photo, a Kemp's ridley turtle is measured using a tape measure at a marine animal rehabilitation center near Boston. Most rescued turtles suffer from compromised immune systems and pneumonia due to hypothermia

A paper in the PLOS ONE journal in January concluded there were more strandings of endangered Kemp's ridley turtles in years with warmer sea-surface temperatures.

'This is particularly alarming, considering the Gulf of Maine is predicted to continue to warm at a rapid rate in coming decades,' the authors wrote, noting the Gulf's waters are heating up faster than most of the world's oceans.

The researcher's projected as many as 2,349 strandings of Kemp's ridleys -the world's smallest sea turtles- by 2031.

Other scientists argue climate change alone can't explain the heightened turtle strandings in New England.

They say the spike is a sign that sea turtle populations have done better over the past decade due to greater protections.

Sea turtles have been decimated by development, destruction of nesting sites and accidently being caught in commercial fishing nets.

'I believe the prevalence of strandings in the Northeast probably results from the simple fact that there's more turtles because of the population recovery and the success of conservation efforts at the nesting beaches,' said Jeffrey Seminoff, leader of the Marine Turtle Ecology & Assessment Program at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Marine Fisheries Service.

New England Aquarium clinical intern Megan Bradley, of Johnston, Iowa, right, uses a flashlight while examining a Kemp's ridley turtle

It's widely accepted that Cape Cod, which extends 75 miles into the ocean and takes a hard left at Orleans for 35 miles - effectively serves as a barrier for turtles.

Turtles sense the need to move south as waters cool but often are unable to navigate out of Cape Cod Bay.

'They know they have to leave but the Cape is like a trap - a hook within a hook,' Bob Prescott, the director of the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary and a co-author on the PLOS ONE paper.

'This is our worst nightmare. There are so many turtles getting cold-stunned and washing up on the beaches,' Prescott said.

'There would be tides where you'd find 30, 40, 50 turtles.'

Mass Audubon has established a network of hundreds of volunteers called into action as fall temperatures take hold.

Some comb 18 miles of beaches looking for turtles blown in by the wind. Audubon staffers search by boat for turtles near the water's surface.

In the past decade, many turtles have been moving farther northward from the Gulf of Mexico into the warming waters of the Gulf of Maine to feed on crabs, mussels and shrimp

It's widely accepted that Cape Cod, which extends 75 miles into the ocean and takes a hard left at Orleans for 35 miles - effectively serves as a barrier for turtles

Some experts think New England's spike in cold-stunned turtles is a climate change story with a twist: the hook-like projection of Cape Cod into the Atlantic helps trap turtles drawn there by warming waters but weakened when the ocean cools down

Volunteers take them in cardboard boxes to the turtle hospital in Quincy - with car temperatures in the 50s to avoid shocking them.

After a health assessment and treatment, turtles are gradually moved to warmer rooms to bring their body temperature to the mid-70s.

Then they are introduced to salt water tanks and fed hearty helpings of herring and squid. There have been many as 150 turtles in the hospital. One recent day, there were 36.

'This is what we here for, to get these guys released,' said Kennedy, the biologist. 'It's bittersweet because you spend so much time with them but ultimately every one of these guys getting back to the ocean helps the population.'

HOW ANIMALS USE EARTH'S MAGNETIC FIELD TO NAVIGATE Some animal species migrate around the world and travel vast distances. With some animals doing it every year, some several times a year and some only once in their lifetime to the same place they were first born or hatched. A Bar-Tailed Godwit, for example, is a small bird which is only 15 to 16 inches long (37 to 41 cm) and every year migrates from Alaska to New Zealand. What is even more remarkable about this journey, is the fact that this bird does so without stopping. The journey is more than 7,000 miles (11,500 km) and the bird does snot stop once for food or water, relying only on its fat reserves. These birds are also incapable of soaring, meaning they have to flap their wings the entire time. Some birds, such as stalks, can soar for long periods of time, relying on warm air currents to stay aloft. These birds have also been shown to take fleeting naps of mere seconds whilst soaring on their journeys. As to how they traverse such vast expanses, remains somewhat of a mystery. For years, experts have believed that birds use visual signs or the sun to navigate. Others speculated that a special organ in their beak allowed them to detect magnetic signals from the Earth. Marine animals such as some whales and sea-turtles also cover huge distances before returning to a specific point. Theories ranged from sonar to magnetic field detection yet again but conclusive proof has remained elusive. The latest research has found, conclusively, that loggerhead sea-turtles do use the magnetic field of the Earth to navigate back to the same beach where they were hatched to reproduce. Advertisement

This past week, Honey Bun and other turtles were driven to a wind-swept beach at Florida's Cape Canaveral National Seashore.

One by one, workers removed the 36 turtles the size of large dinner plates from their boxes then carried them into knee-deep surf. Many turtles flapped their flippers in protest before they were released.

They quickly swam away, their dark shells disappearing beneath the foam.

'For me, it's a sense of joy and accomplishment and contributing to conservation being able to put them back out there,' said Kate Shaffer, rehabilitation manager at National Aquarium Baltimore, which coordinated the release with four other groups.

National Aquarium rehabilitation manager Kate Shaffer carries a Kemp's ridley turtle to the waters of the Atlantic Ocean during a release of 36 turtles Wednesday, March 20, 2019, in New Smyrna Beach, Fla

National Aquarium staff members Stehle Harris, left, Scott Perich, second from left, Nicole Guyton and Ellen Dickinson, right, carry loggerhead turtles to the water
Amazon's Alexa needs its own robotic body to reach its full potential, creators of the smart assistant say.

It may mean future versions of the popular gadget are able to follow their owners around the house and listen to conversations with greater ease.

Rohit Prasad, head scientist at Amazon's Alexa division, claims the only way to rid the AI-assistant of its shackles is to 'give it eyes and let it explore the world'.

He said this would be the only way for the devices to better understand the ambiguity and complexity of human language.

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Rohit Prasad, head scientists at Amazon's Alexa division, claims the only way to rid the AI-assistant of its shackles is to give it 'eyes to explore the world'. He said this would be the only way for the devices to better understand the ambiguity of human language (stock)

The most advanced Alexa-enabled devices include cameras but a robotic body would be a new development.

Comments made at EmTech Digital and published in MIT Technology Review reveal Amazon may be thinking to bestow the gift of a body to Alexa, but Mr Prasad refused to confirm this directly.

His work focuses on allowing Alexa to fully understand language and make the robot-human interaction as natural as possible.

'Language is complicated and ambiguous,' he said. 'Reasoning and context have to come in.'

'The only way to make a smart assistant really smart is to give it eyes and let it explore the world.'

Mr Prasad hinted that a robotic body would allow the device to consider more factors in order to better inform its owners through context, who the person is, any previous requests and even location.

This level of complexity would make the device far more intelligent and give it a semblance of 'common sense', while also avoiding the 'I'm sorry, I didn't understand that question' uttered when Alexa didn't quite understand the user's request.

It remains unclear what physical form a robotic Alexa would look like if it was to be developed.

But it may add some credibility to a rumoured mobile Alexa robot with was reported by Bloomberg last year and was designed to follow users around their house.

The most advanced Alexa-enabled devices include cameras but a robotic body would be a new development. It remains unclear what physical form a robotic Alexa would look like if it was to be developed (file photo)

The future of robotics remains murky with AI rapidly developing and being integrated with existing technology for a wide range of uses.

Artificial intelligence has already outperformed humans in many fields, including in board games chess, Go and even the far more complex computer game StarCraft II.

These games have set rules and machine learning is able to defeat the world's most accomplished competitors after learning and practising.

Medical professionals are also using AI to help spot abnormalities in scans to speed up the process of obtaining an accurate diagnosis.

Recent developments include spotting sings of pacemakers, heart disease and lung disease in X-rays, CT scans and even MRI results.

It has also been used for more dangerous applications, with weapons being developed capable of killing people without the need for human oversight.

This process of autonomous weapons which can spot and eliminate any 'threats' based on its algorithms and programming is a contentious subject which concerns many leading academics.

A hoard of scientists and academics are lobbying this week for a global treaty to stop the use of autonomous killer robots.

It comes as the UN gathers to talk about the new generation of weapons.

Concerns are also growing that once the military has established the technology it may fall into the hands of criminals, terrorists and law enforcement and trigger the 'third revolution' in warfare, after gunpowder and nuclear weapons.

Nobel prize winning academics and doctors penned an open letter urging the United Nations to implement a ban designed to restrict the use of AI-powered weapons able to kill people without oversight from a human.

Representatives of many United Nations nations are meeting with experts this week to discuss the potential dangers and broach the topic of a worldwide ban.

There is currently no regulation on autonomous killing machines in the same way as there is for biological and chemical warfare.

Proponents of the treaty say the weapons should be banned completely and they should not be allowed to be developed.
AI software being tested by the US defence department could one day lead to systems for keeping tabs on employees, experts have warned.

The Defense Security Service (DSS) project monitors all online activity of employees with top-secret clearance - including emails, social media use and websites visited.

It's trained to detect 'micro changes' in the behaviour of employees looking for evidence untrustworthy employees and the future risks they may pose.

The system would analyse employee data from their online activity and the information they provided through initial screening processes.

If the pilot proves successful it could provide a model for the future of corporate AI, civil liberties groups suggest.

It raises questions about how closely companies should be tracking their employees' digital lives in the future.

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A new AI-enabled project being tested by the US defence department senses 'micro changes' in the behaviour of employees with top-secret clearances. Through looking at online activity, the system would detect employees who have betrayed their trust

The technology was brought to light through an in-depth report by Patrick Tucker for Defense One, a US specialist publication on developments in the military.

Griff Ferris, legal and policy officer at Big Brother Watch, a British civil liberties and privacy campaigning organisation, says it sets a 'worrying precedent'.

'Using artificial intelligence to closely monitor employees' every move at work as well as their personal lives in an attempt to predict what they will do in future is the epitome of total surveillance,' he told MailOnline.

'People shouldn't be put under surveillance at work without suspicion as it erodes the principle that we are innocent until proven guilty.'

Military technology invariably becomes commercialised and is used by the private sector.

Past examples include the GPS tracking system, developed in the 1970's for the military and now used the world-over.

According to the DSS, the new pilot system is based on an urgent need to get through a current the security clearance backlog of more than 600,000 people.

The average prospective Defence Department employee waits one year due to delays from a system that involves mailing questionnaires to former places of employment, waiting for a response, and scanning the returned paper document into a mainframe database.

Officials told Defense One that in addition to this system being old-fashioned, it only sheds light on an individual's working past but an indication of future behaviour is needed.

It involves collecting an individual's digital footprint, or web activity and then matches that with other data that the department has on the person.

Since what we do online provides an insight into our behaviour they hope it will be a full snapshot the person.

Using machine learning algorithms to derive insights, the pilot seeks a much fuller spectrum of digital information and then combines it with other data within the Defense Department.

They say that for the privilege and power that comes with holding a secret or top-secret clearance, it's a 'tradeoff'.

The system would analyse data from their online activity and the information they provided through initial screening processes. The Defense Security Service, or DSS, believes that this will eradicate any chances of leaks in information from those holding security clearances

When you are seeking a job with highly sensitive national secrets, you agree to give up a lot of information about yourself, said the researchers leading the programme.



'Once constructed fully, it will look at the bulk of the cyber data you generate,' said Mark Nehmer, the technical director of research and development and technology transfer at the DSS' National Background Investigative Services.

'It's IP-based with a date time stamp on it. There's no name associated with it; you actually have to go to a different set of logs to marry those two things up.'

The data from web activity will join data from what's called 'continuous evaluation' a system which monitors life events related to clearance holders.

Examples of this are getting divorced or married, entering into a lot of debt, tax returns, arrests, and sudden foreign travel.

Mr Nehmer said that the eventual goal is a system that can sense not just impending insider crime but also far more intimate states of 'pre-crime'.

'We can begin to add whether or not the activity that the individual is producing is increasing, decreasing, or staying within a fairly normative range,' he said.

'Fundamentally, we are there to look out for micro changes in behaviour that might indicate that a person is interested, or disinterested, in continuing their affiliation with the Department of Defense, or discontinuing their affiliation with life.' he said.

Mr Nehmer is adamant that the objective isnt to slap the cuffs on people but to reveal changes before punishment becomes necessary.

The system is just a concept at the moment but poses questions about how much our employers should have access to our data.

DSS experts say that as with a lot of military tech, companies in the future may want to implement something similar, creating a new norm for employee monitoring.

When asked how likely it is for this type of AI surveillance is to be used by corporate employers, Griff Ferris, from Big Brother Watch, said that not enough is known about this type of AI employee surveillance being used in the UK.

However, he did refer us to a Trade Unions Congress workplace monitoring report that claimed that over 56 per cent think its likely that theyre being monitored at work.

Around 70 per cent thought that surveillance is likely to become more common in the future and that the government should 'ensure employers can only monitor their staff for legitimate reasons that protect the interests of workers'.

Recent reports form ex-Tesla employees claim that the company was surveilling staff at the Gigafactory outside Reno, Nevada to eavesdrop on the personal cellphones of employees while at work.

Tesla have denied the claims.
Marine species that have invaded the waters around the Galapagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador could threaten native sea life, experts have warned.

Field surveys found 48 new invasive species as well as five known non-native species off the coast of the South Pacific archipelago's islands.

These 'alien' species included worms, mussels, crabs and sea squirts from as other areas of the Pacific as well as further afield - including the Mediterranean Sea.

Scientists say that the invading creatures cling onto ships from around the world before eventually settling and multiplying in their new environment.

The impact on the islands' ecosystems is not yet known but researchers say that it is likely to threaten islands' hundreds of marine species in the region.

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Alien marine species have invaded the waters around the Galapagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador which could threaten the native sea life. Field surveys have found 48 new invasive species as well as five known non-native species. Here, the native marine iguana

Previous studies have shown that venomous lionfish, a known invader, prey on other fish species and can kill coral reefs.

Tiny moss animals, such as Amathia verticillata, can resemble stringy, gelatinous noodles, up to three feet (one metre) long when they form colonies, and can kill seagrass.

The area, which is a hotspot of biodiversity and a World Heritage Site, has a number of invasive species on land but little is known about those in the marine environment.

Seventeen of the invader species had been spotted around the waters before, but had been thought to have been native species.

The actual number of invasive species is likely to be much greater than that in the study as the surveys were undertaken only in some habitats around two of the larger islands.

'From our knowledge of similar studies, I wouldn't be surprised if the number was twice [as many],' team member Professor Jim Carlton of Williams College in Massachusetts told the New Scientist.

Scientists that the organisms clung onto ships from around the world eventually settling in their new environments. The impact on the islands' ecosystems is not yet known but it is likely to threaten the islands' hundreds of endemic marine species

The study noted that it is unknown what the impact of these alien species on the ecosystem is.

But it is likely to be negative judging from experiences elsewhere, and could threaten the islands' hundreds of endemic marine species.

'What we know is a number of these [invasive] species clearly have had impacts elsewhere in the world,' said Professor Carlton.

The team warned that invasions, including soft corals that could grow rapidly over local coral.

The Galapagos Marine Reserve is protected, but they say it will be hard to stop more invaders because it's difficult to check for tiny species on the hull of every boat.
Just days after settling with the American Civil Liberties Union over ad discrimination, Facebook is once again facing charges because of its ad-targeting practices.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development claims Facebook's ad platform is 'encouraging, enabling, and causing housing discrimination' because it allows advertisers to exclude people who they don't want to see their ads.

In the charging document, HUD calls out Facebook for offering hundreds of thousands of categories that can be used to prevent certain groups from seeing ads, including 'women in the workforce,' 'foreigners,' and people interested in 'accessibility.'

It comes less than a week after Facebook said it would overhaul its ad-targeting systems to prevent discrimination in housing, credit and employment ads as part of a legal settlement with a group that includes the ACLU, the National Fair Housing Alliance and others.

Just days after settling with the American Civil Liberties Union over ad discrimination, Facebook is once again facing charges because of its ad-targeting practices

WHO IS BEING EXCLUDED FROM ADS? The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is suing Facebook for allowing advertisers to exclude certain groups from seeing housing ads. The many groups cited in the charging document include: 'Women in the workforce'

'Moms of grade school kids'

'Foreigners'

'Puerto Rico Islanders'

People interested in 'parenting,' 'accessibility,' 'service animal,' 'Hijab Fashion,' or 'Hispanic Culture' Advertisers can also select to include/exclude based on gender and zip code. They can even map out specific neighborhoods to exclude from seeing ads by 'drawing a red line around that area,' the document notes. Advertisement

According to the charging document, excluding certain groups from seeing ads is as easy as selecting from a toggle button, search-box, or map tool.

This lets advertisers pick who can and cannot see their ads.

They can choose to exclude men or women, for example, or people who do not speak a particular language or who live within a specified area.

The latter can even be mapped out by 'drawing a red line around that area,' the document notes.

Facebook is wrestling with several government investigations in the U.S. and Europe over its data and privacy practices.

The company's advertising methods generate most of its profit because its highly valued by advertisers who can get their message to the exact crowd it desires.

The agency said Facebook technology illegally restricts who can view housing-related ads on its platforms and across the internet.

It also claims Facebook gathers extensive data about its users and then uses that data to determine which users view housing-related ads.

HUD claims Facebook allowed advertisers to exclude people based on their neighborhood and gave advertisers the option of showing ads only to men or only to women.

Charges of discrimination haven't been Facebook's only problem with its highly valued ad targeting.

It's taken fire for allowing advertisers to target groups of people identified as 'Jew-haters' and Nazi sympathizers.

It's also still dealing with fallout from the 2016 election, when, among other things, Facebook allowed fake Russian accounts to buy ads targeting U.S. users to enflame political divisions.

Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment early Thursday.

The company's stock fell 1.1 percent before the market opened.
You may soon be able to reach into the fridge without feeling guilty that you are contributing to greenhouse gases, if a new way to power fridges is adopted.

A solid substance known as plastic crystals offers a greener alternatives to the gases currently used in fridges and air conditioning, experts say.

Fridges cool by compressing gas, forcing it between a liquid and gaseous state - a reaction that takes in heat and gives out cold.

The new system achieves the same feat with the same pressure being applied to the crystals.

This changes their molecular structure, going from a disordered state to an ordered state, which also absorbs heat and creates a cooling effect.

The plastics are are already used in everyday products such as makeup and paints, experts say.

You may soon be able to reach into the fridge without feeling guilty that you are contributing to greenhouse gases, if a new way to power fridges is adopted. A solid substance known as plastic crystals offers a greener alternatives to the gases currently used in fridges (stock)

Refrigeration units like fridges and air conditioning currently account for more than a quarter of the world's electricity usage.

Scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Metal Research in Shenyang say that plastic crystals are not only efficient at cooling air, but also use less energy.

In terms of their chemistry, they have a disordered structure, says Dr Bing Li, who spoke to New Scientist, meaning they don't have a regular lattice formation.

By applying pressure to the plastic, it can absorb energy to become more ordered and hence cool the contents of a fridge.

Dr Li said: 'We identified plastic crystals as promising materials for solid-state refrigeration

'A tiny pressure can switch the materials between the disordered state and the ordered state, resulting in a large change in energy.'

You may soon be able to reach into the fridge without feeling guilty that you are contributing to greenhouse gases, if a new way to power fridges is adopted. A solid substance known as plastic crystals offers a greener alternatives to the gases currently used in fridges and air conditioning, experts say (stock image)

HOW DO FRIDGES WORK? Fridges cool by compressing gas, forcing it between a liquid and gaseous state - a reaction that takes in heat and gives out cold Compressor: Gas at low pressure and low temperature enters the compressor. The gas is compressed to a higher pressure and its temperature rises (just like a bicycle pump which gets warmer pumping up a tyre). This process requires electricity.

Condenser: The hot gas is then transferred to a condenser where the heat is removed and the gas begins to condense into a liquid.

Ventilation fins: The heat is released via cooling fins on the back of the fridge unit

Expansion valve: The liquid then goes through an expansion device where its pressure is suddenly lowered, it expands and some of the liquid turns very quickly into a vapour. This change of state has a cooling effect.

Evaporator: The cold liquid absorbs the warmth from the air inside the refrigerator and turns back into a low temperature gas, at low pressure. It now starts its journey again through the compressor. Advertisement

The crystals have a powder like texture, and one particular type is known as neopentylglycol, which absorbs ten times more energy than any other solids capable of the same function.

This means that it is much more effective at cooling its surroundings that other solid coolants at the same pressure.

But at the moment, there is still too much heat loss from in the cooling process when using the plastic and more work is needed to match the efficiency of gaseous coolants like HCF.

HCF is a chemical that alternates between being a hot gas and a cool liquid and have a 'global warming potential' that is 100-3000 times that of carbon dioxide.

Heating the liquid turns it into a gas and applying pressure to the gas causes it to become a hot liquid, releasing energy in the process.

But the leakage of these gases, which occur during production and disposal of fridges and aircons, contribute to the destruction of the ozone layer.
Iconic animals such as wildebeest, zebra, and gazelles are being threatened by a rapidly growing human population around world famous national parks.

The borders of the Masai Mara and Serengeti national parks are seeing human numbers soar while the amount of animals is plummeting.

As a result of human interference in these vast natural areas, the entire ecosystem is at risk of collapse.

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Iconic animals such as wildebeest (pictured), zebra, and gazelles are being threatened by a rapidly growing human population around world famous national parks

Scientists looked at 40 years of data and found that some boundary areas have seen a 400 per cent increase in human population over the past decade while larger wildlife species in key areas of Kenya have declined by more than 75 per cent.

Population growth and an influx of livestock in park buffer zones is believed to have squeezed the area available for migration.

As a result animals graze on less nutritious grasses than they did in the past and there are less natural fires in these areas.

This could make the ecosystem less resilient to drought or further climate change, the scientists warn.

The Serengeti-Mara spans across Tanzania and Kenya and is the focus of mass migrations.

Every year a million wildebeest, half a million gazelle and 200,000 zebra make the perilous trek from the Serengeti in Tanzania to the Maasai Mara reserve in Kenya to search for water and grazing land.

The area is highly protected to guard against risks such as poaching, climate change and drought.

But an international team of scientists say increased human activity along the boundaries is posing a new risk and has a detrimental impact on plants, animals, and soils.

The authors say even for reasonably well-protected areas like the Serengeti and Mara, more help is needed to hep people and wildlife live side by side.

The current strategy of increasingly hard boundaries may be a major risk to both, they say.

Published in the journal Science, the study was led by the University of Groningen in Holland with collaborators at 11 institutions around the world, including the universities of York, Glasgow and Liverpool.

Dr Michiel Veldhuis, lead author of the study from the University of Groningen, said: 'There is an urgent need to rethink how we manage the boundaries of protected areas to be able to conserve biodiversity.

'The future of the world's most iconic protected area and their associated human population may depend on it.'

'This finding alters our view on what is needed to protect biodiversity.'

Every year a million wildebeest, half a million gazelle and 200,000 zebra make the perilous trek from the Serengeti in Tanzania (pictured) to the Maasai Mara reserve in Kenya to search for water and grazing land

Human impact across the border of Maswa Game Reserve and the village lands of Bariadi District, Tanzania is one example of the damage humans are doing by encroaching on the habitat of wild animals

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE WILDEBEEST? Wildebeest, also called gnus, are members of the antelope family. They are related to oryxes and gazelles. A wildebeest can grow to eight feet (2.4 metres) in length and weigh up to 600lbs (270 kgs). Wildebeest typically inhabit the Serengeti plains of southeastern Africa. More than 1.5 million wildebeest migrate in an enormous loop every year. The annual migration northwest, at the end of the rainy season - usually in May or June - is recognised as one of the 'Seven Wonders of the Natural World' For most of their lives the graze in the grassy savannas and open woodlands of the plains which straddle Tanzania and Kenya. More than 1.5 million wildebeest migrate in an enormous loop every year. The annual migration northwest, at the end of the rainy season - usually in May or June - is recognised as one of the 'Seven Wonders of the Natural World.' The search for greener pastures does not come without danger. Its migration route crosses many rivers - most filled with giant Nile crocodiles. Advertisement

Dr Colin Beale, from the University of York, said: 'Protected areas across East Africa are under pressure from a wide range of threats.

'Our work shows that encroachment by people should be considered just as serious a challenge as better known issues such as poaching and climate change.'

Dr James Probert from the University of Liverpool added: 'It is clear that even large protected areas, with strict restrictions on what human activities can take place, can be indirectly affected by human populations at their boundaries.

'The Serengeti-Mara is one of the largest trans-boundary protected area complexes in the world, and yet we find the negative impacts of human activities impacting its core.'

Dr Joseph Ogutu from the University of Hohenheim said: 'The intense compression of a large protected area, such as the Serengeti-Mara, should ring alarm bells because most other protected areas are far smaller in size and therefore experience even more intense pressures from human activities impinging on their borders.

'In countries where far more wildlife are still found outside than inside protected areas, such as Kenya where more than 65 per cent of wildlife occur outside protected areas, expanding human population size, livestock and human activities pose serious and unprecedented threats to wildlife populations.'

Dr Simon Mduma, Director of the Tanzanian Government's Wildlife Research Institute added: 'These results come at the right time, as the Tanzanian government is now taking important steps to address these issues on a national level.

'This paper provides important scientific evidence of the far ranging consequences of the increased human pressures around the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem, information that is now urgently needed by policy makers and politicians.'
Twitter has a new plan to tackle tweets that violate its policies.

Soon, the company may add annotations to tweets from politicians, including President Donald Trump, when they violate Twitter rules, Vijaya Gadde, the company's head of legal, policy, and trust and safety, told the Washington Post.

The feature would primarily be used to address tweets that may contain offensive content or outright break its rules, but are still deemed to be in the public interest.

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Twitter has a new plan to tackle tweets that violate its policies. Soon, the firm may annotate tweets from politicians, including President Donald Trump, when they violate Twitter rules

'One of the things we're working really closely on with our product and engineering folks is, "How can we label that?"' Gadde told the Post.

'How can we put some context around it so people are aware that that content is actually a violation of our rules and it is serving a particular purpose in remaining on the platform.'

The firm is exploring adding annotations to certain tweets from pubic officials in order to signify that they violate its policies.

It didn't specify how this would work or who the new annotations would apply to.

Twitter has struggled to address how to police these kinds of content in the past.

The platform has expanded its efforts to foster 'healthy' conversations on Twitter, with CEO Jack Dorsey speaking at length about how this is a main focus of the company.

Yet, Twitter has failed to take action on some offensive content.

In particular, the firm has chosen to keep up the numerous tweets posted by Trump wherein he has attacked his foes, including the late Sen. John McCain, Democrats and news organizations.

Twitter has been criticized in the past for not taking action on some of Donald Trump's tweets, some of which include insults of political foes

Twitter so far draws the line at tweets that are a direct threat to someone else. Otherwise, it says it will leave some objectionable content on the platform if it is newsworthy

In another case, Trump spread an anti-Muslim propaganda video from a British far-right account.

Previously, Twitter explained why it didn't remove Trump's offensive tweets by saying: 'Blocking a world leader from Twitter or removing their controversial Tweets would hide important information people should be able to see and debate.

'It would also not silence that leader, but it would certainly hamper necessary discussion around their words and actions,' the company said.

In the past, Trump also shared an anti-Muslim propaganda video. Twitter has struggled with how it should deal with his posts

Now, it seems to have shifted its view.

'When we leave that content on the platform there's no context around that and it just lives on Twitter and people can see it and they just assume that is the type of content or behavior that's allowed by our rules,' Gadde told the Post.

Twitter will leave some objectionable content up if it's deemed newsworthy, but it draws the line at tweets that are a direct threat to someone else.

'There is absolutely a line of a type of content, an example being a direct, violent threat against an individual that we wouldn't leave on the platform because of the danger it poses to that individual,' Gadde told the Post.

'But, there are other types of content that we believe are newsworthy or in the public interest that people may want to have a conversation around.'

Gadde said the firm is also considering hiding dehumanizing tweets, making it so that a user would have to click through in order to view the tweet.

In doing so, users would be forced to acknowledge what the tweet is and decide whether or not they want to see it, she said.
Google has been suspended from a top LGBTQ rights organization's corporate equality index after it failed to remove a controversial gay conversion therapy app from its Play Store.

The Human Rights Campaign issued its annual corporate equality index on Thursday and notably omitted the search giant from its rankings, citing the ongoing presence of a conversion therapy app on its application distribution platform.

The app, distributed by Texas-based Christian non-profit Living Hope Ministries, offers users access to audio and video sermons, devotions, as well as testimonials.

Living Hope repeatedly portrays being gay as an 'addiction,' a 'destructive lifestyle' and a 'sin,' while telling users their sexuality can be changed or ignored.

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Google has been suspended from a top LGBTQ rights organization's corporate equality index after it failed to remove a controversial gay conversion therapy app from its Play Store

WHAT IS THE LIVING HOPE APP? The app is distributed by Living Hope Ministries, a Texas-based non-profit. According to Living Hope's website, it 'proclaims a Christ-centered, Biblical world-view of sexual expression rooted in one man and one woman in a committed, monogamous, heterosexual marriage for life.' The app has been downloaded more than 1,000 times from the Google Play Store. It gives users access to testimonials, sermons and devotions. Living Hope repeatedly portrays being gay as an 'addiction,' a 'destructive lifestyle' and a 'sin.' Advertisement

Over the past several months, LGBTQ rights groups have criticized Google for its failure to remove the app.

The Living Hope app has been downloaded more than 1,000 times on the Google Play Store, according to the app listing.

The HRC outlined the detrimental effects that are associated with promoting conversion therapy.

'Sometimes known as "reparative therapy," so-called "conversion therapy" includes a range of dangerous and discredited practices that falsely claim to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity expression,' the HRC report states.

'Such practices have been rejected by every mainstream medical and mental health organization for decades. Minors are especially vulnerable, and conversion therapy can lead to depression, anxiety, drug use, homelessness and suicide.

'Pending remedial steps by the company to address this app that can cause harm to the LGBTQ community, the CEI rating is suspended,' it continues.

The Corporate Equality Index serves as a prominent benchmarking tool for LGBTQ workplace equality and is often touted by companies when they're recruiting future employees as a demonstration of their commitment to inclusivity and non-discrimination.

The Living Hope app, distributed by Texas-based Christian non-profit Living Hope Ministries, offers users access to audio and video sermons, devotions, as well as testimonials

According to this year's report, 571 companies received a 100 percent rating in the index, including Apple, Twitter, Microsoft, Facebook and other tech giants.

After receiving backlash, fellow tech giants Apple, Microsoft and Amazon have removed versions of the Living Hope app from their app stores.

Several companies said they took down the app for violating their policies.

'We have been urging Google to remove this app because it is life-threatening to LGBTQ youth and also clearly violates the companys own standards,' a Human Rights Campaign spokesperson told Dailymail.com.

'Amazon, Apple and Microsoft have taken action to remove the app from their platforms, but so far Google has refused despite our warnings about the dangers.'

Living Hope has previously denied that it promotes or offers conversion therapy.

'We believe that by aligning our hearts and minds with the Creators intention in our creation,' the company told the Verge. 'The app is a free resource as are most of our services.'

A Google spokesperson declined to comment to Dailymail.com.

The Google Play Store prohibits any apps that violate its rules around hate speech, sexually explicit content, violence, bullying and harassment, sensitive content and that promote the sale of dangerous products.

New York State Senator Brad Hoylman repeated his calls for Google to take down the app.

Hoylman authored a bill prohibiting conversion therapy in New York that was recently signed into law.

According to this year's report, 571 companies received a 100 percent rating in the index, including Apple, Twitter, Microsoft, Facebook and other tech giants. Google, shown at the bottom, was suspended from the equality index for its failure to remove the Living Hope app

Google is facing pressure to remove an app from its Play Store that promotes controversial gay conversion therapy. Apple, Amazon and Microsoft have removed the app (stock image)

'Its an outrage that Google continues to drag their feet on this issue of great importance to our community and I strongly endorse HRCs decision to suspend them from their annual Corporate Equality Index,' Hoylman told Dailymail.com.

'...As one of the worlds largest technology companies that professes to value equality Google should know better.

'Theres no place for homophobia, on- or off-line in our society. I call on Google once again to remove this offensive app immediately,' he added.

Hoylman also pointed to Google's Play Store policies around hate speech, in which the firm says it prohibits apps that 'incite hatred against individuals or groups' based on sexual orientation, among other characteristics.

'[The app] is degrading LGBTQ people, which can be the basis of hatred towards this community,' Hoylman said.

'As the only openly-LGBTQ senator in New York representing a district with a large number of LGBTQ people and Google's NYC headquarters, I find their position mind-boggling and personally offensive.'

It's not the first time Google has run into issues around which apps it chooses to host on the Play Store.

Earlier this month, Google rebuffed calls from U.S. lawmakers to take down a Saudi government app, called Absher, that tracks and restricts the travel of women in Saudi Arabia.

Google said it reviewed the app and determined it did not violate its Play Store policies.

Apple faced similar backlash for its failure to remove the Absher app from its App Store.

And in 2011, Apple removed a separate gay conversion therapy app from its App Store run by now-defunct ex-gay ministry Exodus International.
A campaign group is urging the government to ban adverts that promote elephant rides on foreign holidays.

It wants a new law that would make it illegal to promote the practice in the UK, saying that elephants are snatched from their mothers and forced to undergo brutal training so they can be used in tourist activities.

And now members of the group, Save The Asian Elephant (STAE), have handed a petition of more than 200,000 signatures to Downing Street urging Prime Minister Theresa May to support the new law.

A campaign group is calling on the government to ban adverts that promote elephant rides on foreign holidays (file picture)

The opportunities for tourists to ride elephants in hot spots across Asia such as India and Thailand are plentiful.

Holidaymakers can also watch the creatures perform in circuses and even pay to help wash and feed the animals.

But STAE says that in order to round up elephants to be used in tourists activities, the young are poached in the wild so they can be 'trained' through a brutal practice called 'pajan'.

In a letter to Mrs May, the campaign group says: 'This involved isolation in a wooden cage, starvation and dehydration and then beating and stabbing with iron bars, spikes and planks into complete submission for brutal use in the tourist industry.

Save the Asian Elephant says that the animals are snatched from their mothers and forced to undergo brutal training so they can be used in tourist activities

'This process is so prolonged and violent that it is believed at least half of young elephants die during or after pajan.

'This brutality is reinforced constantly throughout the elephants' lives by more beatings and torture.

'Often captive elephants, tortured beyond endurance, attack tourists, sometimes fatally. Yet the UK tourist industry continues recklessly to send its customers to such "attractions".

'The UK travel and tourist market lacks any regulation that protects either the elephant from such exploitation or tourists visiting such facilities, unknowing as to the brutality involved and danger to themselves.'

This elephant at Thailand's Island Safari resort in Samui was filmed chained up and rocking for weeks after it killed a Scottish tourist during a ride in February 2016

Another video at the same park, pictured, showed a guide jabbing a docile elephant with a metal bar. The footage prompted further outcry

The campaign group says that a poll carried out last month shows that 89 per cent of respondents believe the brutal treatment of the elephants is 'unjustified'.

Meanwhile, STAE also wants the Association of British Travel Agents to urge its members to only promote ethical elephant sanctuaries and wildlife reserves, where the creatures are only observed from a distance and aren't forced into rides, trekking, chains or costumes.

They are also calling on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to end the practice of Pajan in his country and work with the UK in adopting elephant sanctuaries.

The campaign has received support from celebrities including Harry Potter actress Evanna Lynch, Downton Abbey star Peter Egan and Stanley Johnson, the father of Boris Johnson.

In February of 2016, Scottish tourist Gareth Crowe was killed and his stepdaughter Eilidh Hughes injured when a bull elephant threw them to the ground and attacked them during a ride at Thailand's Island Safari resort in Samui.

STAE says that a poll carried out last month shows that 89 per cent of respondents believe the brutal treatment of the elephants is 'unjustified'

Soon afterwards, footage emerged of the elephant - which was kept chained up for at least a fortnight following the attack - rocking from side to side and showing signs of profound distress.

Another video at the same park showed a guide jabbing a docile elephant with a metal bar.

Park managers told MailOnline at the time that they had made two major changes to its elephant treks since Mr Crowe's death. It now uses only female elephants for rides and mahouts (handlers) are barred from getting off elephants to take pictures of tourists.
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Spinning and somersaulting through the air, these are the daredevil divers who leap from stomach-churning heights off the side of cliffs.

The athletes travel around the world throwing themselves off 90ft-high platforms as part of the 2018 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series.

And earlier this week they were at Sisikon next to Lake Lucerne in Switzerland for the latest round of the extreme contest, which saw England's six-time champion Gary Hunt claim first prize in the men's contest.

Canadian mother-of-three Lysanne Richard came out on top for the women.

Each heat attracts thousands of spectators, with many watching from the water.

Scroll down to see incredible, dizzying pictures from the jaw-dropping Lake Lucerne event.

A huge array of boats and inflatables can be seen waiting on the lake as the competition gets underway. Pictured in a handstand is Italian diver Alessandro De Rose

Diver Andy Jones from the USA leaps off the side of the platform into Lake Lucerne in Switzerland

Mr Jones, on another dive, comes plummeting towards the water as the judges look on from their boat on the lake

The diving platform is attached to the side of a cliff. Pictured diving off backwards is Michal Navratil of the Czech Republic

Jonathan Paredes from Mexico (pictured) finished second in the men's competition

British diver Gary Hunt somersaults through the air. He went on to win this leg of the contest

The thousands who gathered to watch the diving look up from their boats and dinghys as Gary Hunt performs

Mr Hunt can be seen through the trees as he somersaults towards the water. The extreme competition travels to different locations around the world

Female competitor Ginger Huber of the USA jumps down from a 21 metre (68ft) high board at Lake Lucerne

Britain's Jessica Macaulay brings her legs towards her chest as she somersaults off the diving board towards the spectators below

Brazilian diver Jacqueline Valente opts to perform a handstand as part of one of her spectacular dives at the competition

Matthias Appenzeller of Switzerland prepares to hit the water during the competition

Andy Jones of the United States dives from the 27-metre (90ft) platform, left, and hurtles upside down at one point (right)

The traditional Swiss town of Sisikon and the beautiful green hills can be seen in the background as Sergio Guzman from Mexico performs

The waters of Lake Lucerne glisten in the background as American diver Steve LoBue prepares for his jump

The competition at the weekend saw cliff diving return to Sisikon for the first time in eight years. Pictured is Swiss competitor Matthias Appenzeller

The pictures from the heat are simply stunning. Here LoBue plunges downwards as the awestruck crowd watches. He finished sixth overall

A woman in traditional alpine dress plays an alphorn at the start of the competition on Lake Lucerne
Delta Air Lines is trialling a new food service on its international flights with economy customers getting restaurant-style three-course meals with cocktails.

The Atlanta-based carrier is testing out the new service on flights between Portland, Oregon, and Tokyo.

If the trial proves popular, Delta could roll out the concept to all of its international flights by the end of the year.

Delta Air Lines is trialling a new food service on its international flights for economy customers (file picture)

According to the Chicago Business Journal, the new service sees passengers in the economy cabin served each course separately.

Sample Delta meal, served in courses DRINK: Choice of bellini, three brands of sparkling water and an array of other cocktails APPETIZER: Salad with quinoa, roasted grapes and pine nuts ENTREE: Pasta with cauliflower and walnuts in a cream sauce DESSERT: Haagen-Dazs ice cream Advertisement

Before the meal service begins those on board are offered 'welcome bubbles', which includes a choice of three Bellinis or a sparkling soft drink.

Each passenger is also handed a printed menu detailing their choices with dishes that could include a quinoa salad as a starter, a main course of pasta with cauliflower in a cream sauce and a dessert of Haagen-Dazs ice cream.

Rather than the usual meal trays, the food is served on white dishes and passengers are also given white cloth napkins rather than paper.

And although the cutlery is still made from plastic, it is described as being more robust and sleek.

A spokesman for the airline told MailOnline Travel: 'Delta constantly listens to customer feedback and is now testing innovative ways to make our culinary experience on board feel more like dining at a favourite restaurant.

'As part of that we are conducting a test on select international flights where flight attendants will deliver an enhanced main cabin dining experience that well use to gather customer feedback.'

The Atlanta-based carrier is said to be testing out the new service on its flights between Portland, Oregon, and Tokyo. Pictured is one of the airline's regional jets

However, the new menu is not the only thing on board Delta cabins that have been updated.

The airline has also rolled out new premium economy seats and added more Delta One business class suites to its fleet.

Meanwhile earlier this year, over 60,000 Delta Air Lines employees across the world were kitted out with new uniforms by top designer Zac Posen.

The new uniforms see Delta's traditional red, white and blue infused with new hues, which have been dubbed 'passport plum' (purple), 'cruising cardinal' (red) and 'ground speed graphite' (grey).
Flights were delayed at Schonefeld Airport in Berlin due to a security alert that was sparked by a sex toy in a passenger's luggage.

Staff had been carrying out routine X-ray checks on bags yesterday when they believed they discovered a hand grenade in a suitcase.

This prompted workers to raise the alarm, which resulted in a busy terminal being partially evacuated.

Flights were delayed at Berlin Schonefeld Airport due to a security alert that was sparked by a sex toy in a passenger's luggage

However, after a hour, authorities realised that the object was in fact a pleasure device.

According to RT, the owner wrote on social media: 'When I arrived, the terminal was being evacuated. I approached a police officer and told him that I needed to check my bag with the baggage handlers.

'He asked my name and for my passport. He then spoke into his radio and several armed police swarmed me with automatic weapons.

'After 60 tense minutes, [the member of the bomb squad] returned laughing. The hand grenade was in fact a vibrator from Ann Summers that my girlfriend and I had purchased two weeks previous.'

Later the German Federal Police confirmed that the alert had closed the check-in area for up to an hour, which caused delays to some flights.

The partial evacuation of Berlin Airport came on the same day that a security alert at Frankfurt Airport caused chaos (pictured)

The evacuation of Berlin Airport came on the same day that Frankfurt Airport was also cleared after a security officer let a French family of four through the terminal despite them testing positive for explosives.

Parts of Germany's largest airport were evacuated for several hours, causing huge delays for thousands during the busy summer holiday season.

The family were located in the terminal, re-checked and allowed to continue on their journey after no explosives were found.

The police gave no details on what had triggered the positive test.
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The beauty, mystery and majesty of the deep blue sea has been captured in breath-taking fashion by the winners of an underwater photography competition.

Scuba Diving Magazines annual Through Your Lens Underwater Photo Contest this year attracted 2,100 entries from all corners of the world.

And here we present the 13 snaps that wowed the judges the most.

They include a conceptual portrait of an octopus, a colourful underwater cave in Mexico and a mystical snap of a whale in Tonga that appears to be floating above the water.

The magazine said: The winning images were chosen for their beauty and creativity, and further for their ability to impact and inspire.

Scroll down and prepare your jaw for dropping.

This shot by Tom St. George of a cave in Tulum, Mexico, earned him third place in the wide-angle category. He said that it was 'a bit like diving on Mars'

Rodney Bursiel was declared the grand prize winner once judges had clapped their eyes on this image that he shot in Tonga. He told Scuba Diving Magazine: 'Our boat was gifted with a magical encounter with a curious and interactive mother and calf. As the mother hovered at 30 feet, her inquisitive calf would make its way to the surface to breathe, coming in close to inspect each of us. Here I attempted to create a unique perspective by flipping the image upside down so the whale appears to be floating just above the surface in full breach. I hope the image shares with others my take on the mystical world I find myself in each time I dip below the surface'

Karen Smith earned second place in the wide-angle category for this shot (left) of freedivers in Tulum's deepest underwater cave - The Pit. Alex Dawson's shot of a tank (right) in Tala Bay, Jordan, won him the top prize in the wide-angle category. The machine, an M42 Duster, was sunk by the Jordanian Royal Ecological Society to make a snorkel and dive attraction

This shot of a moray eel (left) at Tiran Island in the Red Sea earned Jamie Hall first place in the compact camera category. He said: 'I clicked a few shots as the eel stared and was over the moon when I viewed the image.' Conor Culver combined a shot of an octopus in Indonesia with a bottle from the USS Baja California dive site in Florida to create the conceputal image on the right. It won him first prize in the conceptual category

Yap Katumbal came second in the compact camera category for this shot of an octopus 'that looked like it was waiting to be photographed' in the Lembeh Strait in Indonesia

This image of a maroon clownfish in Bunaken, Indonesia, earned Christian Bachmann second place in the macro category

Ferenc Lorincz came third in the compact camera category with this shot of a grouper in Marsa Shagra, Egypt. The fish was lit from both sides with flashes

Rafael Fernandez waited for weeks until he could see the eyes inside a batch of clingfish eggs before photographing them. The image, taken in La Herradura, Spain, won him third prize in the macro category

This amazing shot of a champion freediver from Chile swimming in Mexico won Christian Vizl third prize in the conceptual category. The model was snapped swimming towards the surface very slowly and the image was turned on its side to create the illusion of entering a magical world
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A Boeing 747 is a gigantic jetliner - and British Airways has underscored this by detailing some of the 7,000 items it loads onto one for journeys between Heathrow and JFK.

Using a fascinating infographic, it reveals that 493 meal trays, 78 toilet rolls and 319 sick bags all go on board.

So too do 101 full bottles of wine and 388 quarter bottles of wine, served in 798 glasses.

A Boeing 747 is a gigantic jetliner - and British Airways has underscored this by detailing some of the 7,000 items it loads onto one for journeys between Heathrow and JFK

There are snacks, too - 350 bags of pretzels. And soft drinks - 473 cans of Coke.

For passengers' comfort 293 headrest covers are packed on board as well as 282 blankets, which are part of the 800 items of bedding.

Passengers will also have access to five first aid kits, all stowed in the cabins.

Meanwhile in the cargo hold below, British Airways 747 flights carry a range of items for sister company IAG Cargo.

So far in 2018, 26 per cent of cargo flying in the hold has been made up of priority goods such as fashion products or the latest smartphones or tablets.

Five per cent of the cargo were specialist items such as live animals or high value artwork, and four per cent has been perishable produce such as raspberries from Kenya or lettuces from the US.

A further three per cent of the cargo was temperature controlled pharmaceuticals and lifesaving vaccines.

British Airways 747 flights also carry a range of items for sister company IAG Cargo. So far in 2018, 26 per cent of cargo flying in the hold has been made up of priority goods. This year that's included emergency lettuces flown into the UK from LA

Some of the years most interesting shipments includes Cognac from Bordeaux to Kuala Lumpur, emergency lettuce from Los Angeles in response to the UKs heatwave vegetable shortage and royal wedding special magazines from the UK to the US.

In addition, BA also looked at the profile of its passengers and how often they fly.

The study found that in an average year, one in two (47 per cent) are solo travellers, while 27 per cent travel as a pair.

Around 70 per cent are travelling for leisure, while 28 per cent are flying for business.

Carolina Martinoli, British Airways' director of brand and customer experience, said: 'Many of our customers are curious about flying and want to know who or what else is on their aircraft.

'With more than 800 flights each day all over the world it takes a lot of planning, from loading cargo to wine, to toilet rolls, and first aid kits.'
Fewer than 500 Ryanair passengers who faced delays or cancellations were awarded compensation by an airline complaints body last year, a new investigation by Which? has revealed.

That means only 14 per cent of cancellation and delay claims in 2017 by British customers against the Irish low-cost carrier led to a pay-out.

In light of this the consumer group is warning that with Ryanair saying it won't pay compensation for its latest round of cancellations, passengers will have to take their claims to Aviation ADR, the airline's dispute resolution handler - and may have to wait a long time to get their money.

Fewer than 500 Ryanair passengers who faced delays or cancellations were awarded compensation by an airline complaints body last year, a new investigation by Which? has revealed

Which? says that its research shows that Aviation ADR received over 3,600 complaints about Ryanair in 2017, but just 496 passengers were awarded compensation.

The vast majority of complaints were still outstanding at the end of year, suggesting many passengers were waiting months to get what they were owed.

For the first quarter of 2018, the figures are even more alarming, according to Which?, as Aviation ADR received 2,400 flight delay and cancellation complaints about Ryanair in this period.

However, of these, just 282 passengers were awarded compensation and a further 98 were told they were entitled to nothing, meaning thousands were still waiting for a decision.

HOW YOU CAN CLAIM COMPENSATION FROM RYANAIR Aviation ADR has told consumer group Which? that it has been ruling in favour of consumers who've complained about Ryanair cancellations caused by internal strikes. It said: 'So far, all complaints that we have processed in relation to strike action at Ryanair have been determined in favour of the passenger, predominantly on the basis that we have seen no evidence to substantiate any submissions that the cause of such delay amounted to "extraordinary circumstances". But it added: 'We understand that Ryanair is submitting further evidence in relation to the current pilot and crew strikes. 'Once received, we will review the evidence to decide whether it has any impact on the outcome of any passenger complaints that we have not yet determined. Passengers who have a flight cancelled with less than 15 days notice as a result of flight or cabin crew industrial action should complain to the airline first. If they do not receive a satisfactory response they have little choice but to use Aviation ADR. Unlike with the claims solicitors, the process is free and Ryanair is legally obliged to comply with its decisions. Advertisement

In response to Which?'s findings, Aviation ADR revealed that of the 3,628 Ryanair complaints it received in 2017, some were refused (the arbitration bodies are allowed to reject complaints if the customer has not complained to the airline first or if they are otherwise out of their scope) and others were discontinued, either because the passenger did not provide all the information needed or they failed to follow up the complaint.

Which? says it then looked into this and found that 412 complaints were refused and a further 237 were discontinued.

However, Aviation ADR said that a 'very large' number of the remaining complaints were 'put on hold' because they had been submitted by claims management companies, who are in dispute with Ryanair.

It said: 'Given the ongoing litigation between (claims solicitor) Bott & Co and Ryanair... the claims management companies have agreed that these claims should be put on hold pending the final outcome of the court case.'

But Bott & Co doesn't accept that it has 'agreed' that the claims should be put on hold.

In a statement, the firm explained: 'We felt that the claims should be looked at, however Aviation ADR have currently refused to do so, because Ryanair won't deal with claims presented by solicitors.'

Bott & Co confirmed that it had made about 100 claims through Aviation ADR in 2017, 'but we never got a response on any of them'.

The firm said that it had another 10,000 complaints it had been planning to send, 'but they told us to wait because they wouldn't consider the claims whilst Bott and Co v Ryanair was ongoing.'

Aviation ADR said that it has responded to the high numbers of Ryanair complaints since the end of 2017.

It told Which?: 'We have significantly increased staff headcount to take account of both increased ADR volumes and unusual spikes in complaints.'

Despite the issues revealed by Which? Travel's investigation and Aviation ADR's response, the Civil Aviation Authority continues to insist that the system is working well.

With Ryanair saying it won't pay compensation for its latest round of cancellations it means that passengers will have to take their compensation claims to Aviation ADR, the airline's dispute resolution handler

It said: 'Consumers will soon have the opportunity to seek a review of their case by an independent assessor, if they consider that their complaint has not been handled properly by the ADR provider.'

Ryanair told Which? that it 'fully complies with the UK ADR's rules and deadlines and it's committed to the ADR process'.

The airline added: 'We encourage any passengers who are not satisfied with Ryanair's own complaints resolution to take them to ADR for free and independent resolution instead of going to claims chasers, who often end up deducting up to 50 per cent of compensation entitlement in excessive fees.'

Rory Boland, Which? Travel editor, explained: 'Another summer of nightmare flight cancellations for Ryanair customers reinforces why it is so important that passengers get the compensation due to them.

'It is vital that passengers are not deterred from pursuing legitimate claims against airlines by a slow and cumbersome system.

'The CAA must ensure the dispute resolution system is working for consumers, while the Government should look at introducing automatic compensation to stop Ryanair and other airlines from wriggling out of paying passengers the money they are owed.'
The world's most mysterious airline is advertising for a pilot to fly US government workers to the secretive Area 51 military base.

A fleet of passenger aircraft is stabled at Las Vegas McCarran International Airport to ferry workers to the off-limits area in rural Nevada, and anyone who boards one is sworn to secrecy about where they're going and what they do for a living.

The planes, which don't carry any company logos  they're plain white with a red band down the side - are operated by the US Air Force and are often referred to as Janet Airlines because that's the call sign the planes in it use while in civilian airspace.

One of the unmarked secretive aircraft that fly between Las Vegas and Area 51. The service is now advertising for a pilot

Now it appears that the airline is looking to hire a new first officer pilot after posting a job vacancy on the website of AECOM, a private defence contractor that operates the service.

According to the job description, the successful candidate will be expected to transport passengers and cargo and to ensure the safety of the flight at all times.

He or she will also be given the responsibility of ordering changes in fuel supply, load and route and must adhere to the procedures of the federal government.

The ad also states that all candidates must have a minimum of 3,000 fixed wing flying hours with 300 of them within the past five years.

The Area 51 base in the Nevada Test and Training Range, which is a secretive off-limits area owned by the US government

In addition to holding various different pilot licences, they should also be able to qualify for government security clearance and must be willing to live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area.

Earlier this year, an ad was placed on the AECOM wesbite for a member of cabin crew to work on the airline.

According to that vacancy ad, candidates were told they should be able to perform regular flight attendant duties such as passenger safety briefings, emergency procedures and light cleaning.

It is believed that all Janet Airlines flights fly out of a private terminal at McCarran nicknamed Gold Coast.

From Las Vegas they fly north-west to a place that has what's widely regarded as the most restricted airspace in the world, the Area 51 base in the Nevada Test and Training Range.

It has been reported that once the Janet aircraft approach this secretive area their call signs change from the likes of 'Janet 210' to 'bones 58'.

Services to Area 51 operate from a secretive terminal called Gold Coast at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, pictured

Nick Pope, author of Encounter in Rendlesham Forest and the man who used to investigate UFOs for the British Ministry of Defence, explained to MailOnline Travel that Area 51 is the place where some of America's most hi-tech military hardware is built and tested  but he doubts any of it is extra-terrestrial in origin.

He said: 'Area 51 exists - it's part of a military testing range in Nevada - and because of the remote and sparsely-populated location, it's where various secret prototype aircraft and drones are developed and test flown.

'The UFO and conspiracy theory community think it's the place where crashed UFOs are kept and where the US military are trying to back-engineer this alien technology.

'Sadly, despite the rumours, I've seen no evidence that we've recovered any extraterrestrial technology.'
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Russian mountaineers spotted by MailOnline Travel proudly glugging a giant bottle of Champagne at 12,523ft on a climb of Mont Blanc have been unmasked.

The Muscovite group were noticed by our travel writer Sadie Whitelocks during her ascent of western Europe's highest peak and highlighted in her gripping account.

She saw a Russian man in the Gouter refuge (a kind of hotel for climbers located halfway up the mountain) 'celebrating his 40th birthday with a jeroboam of Cristal Champagne - costing upwards of 2,000 - being tossed around'.

Moscow-based businessman Dmitry Volkov (pictured) has been unmasked as one of the Russians spotted drinking a huge bottle of Cristal in the Gouter refuge 12,000ft up Mont Blanc by MailOnline Travel's Sadie Whitelocks

Dmitry's friend Igor Rybakov stands holding the pricey bottle of Cristal Champagne (left). Some of Dmitry's team members strike an ecstatic pose on the top of Mont Blanc (right)

Sadie added that it 'certainly wasn't' the type of pre-summit preparation she'd been taught about and she spotted one of the Russian team members vomiting on the way up the mountain the next morning, which could have been the altitude or a result of too many bubbles.

After the MailOnline story, the birthday boy came forward and identified himself as Dmitry Volkov, a Moscow-based businessman.

He proudly boasted about becoming 'a symbol of the invincible Russian spirit', adding there had been three million views in one day as Sadie's revelations went viral in his home country.

'Yes, it was my birthday, and, yes, I drank a glass of good Champagne at an altitude of 3,900m with my friends Igor Vladimirovich Rybakov, Roman Fingelkurts, and Oskar Hartman,' he posted.

While the Russian group fuelled their climb with Champagne, Sadie (pictured second from right) and her climbing group warmed the cockles with 'delicious hot chocolate' and 'bowls of tea'

A member of Dmitry's team wields his ice axe in the air on the Mont Blanc summit

'I almost do not drink, just some Champagne - once a year.

'Perhaps that's why as soon as I took a glass in my hands this was immediately noticed.

'Most likely, however, journalists saw in this the expression of the invincible Russian spirit.'

Roman, from Krasnodar, the chief executive of a heat and gas supply company who also marked a birthday on the mountain, said: 'For a couple of days the media have trumpeted the story of our ascent to Mont Blanc.

'Yes, it was us. Yes, the Russian spirit is invincible.

'I shared a birthday with Dmitry Volkov - we were born on the same day.

This photo shows the route up to the summit of Mont Blanc, with a run of steep, snowy slopes illuminated in the morning light. This image was taken by one of the climbers in the Champagne-glugging Russian group, Roman Fingelkurts

Mont Blanc, pictured, is prone to avalanches and there are crevasses that climbers have to be careful of. This is another image by Roman Fingelkurts

'It is a pity that no one published an inspirational story about us conquering the summit, but instead snatched the cost of the Champagne out of the context. But okay if so.'

He added: 'I had never gone to the mountains before.

'A year ago, I was not ready for this physically, but it did not stop me from going up Mont Blanc.

'For the time of preparation and ascent, I understood for myself a few important things.

'Mountains are like business. When I decided to go to Mont Blanc - it was for me a big goal.

Feeling peaky: MailOnline Travel's Sadie Whitelocks journeyed to Chamonix in France on a mountaineering course. She underwent a week of training with the UCPA mountain school before tackling Mont Blanc. She's pictured here on the summit of the peak at 6am, with her helmet at a suitably jaunty angle

'I absolutely did not understand how to achieve it To get to the top - you need to prepare.

'Physically, morally, technically. And for this you need to put a lot of effort.'

Igor said they had shared the expensive drink with other climbers at the Gouter refuge.

Sadie said she noticed her article had caused quite a stir in Russia, with dozens of messages flooding her social media accounts.

While the Russian group fuelled their climb with Champagne, Sadie and her climbing group warmed the cockles with 'delicious hot chocolate' and 'bowls of tea'.
Madrid has placed a limit of 90 days per year on the unlicensed leasing of homes to tourists, potentially rendering thousands of holiday rentals, including some on Airbnb, illegal.

The Spanish capital, heavily reliant on tourists, moved to clamp down on the growing number of houses and apartments rented out to holidaymakers instead of residents facing an ever-shrinking accommodation pool.

Owners looking to rent out their property to travellers for more than three months a year will require a licence, which can be granted only if the lodging has its own independent entrance, like a hotel room.

Madrid has placed a limit of 90 days per year on the unlicensed leasing of homes to tourists

Most landlords will fall foul of the condition in districts where the housing problem has become acute and the new rule could render about 10,000 current rentals illegal.

Madrid's leftist administration said it wants 'to preserve residential usage'.

Mayor Manuela Carmena, a former judge, said the policy was designed to stop the flow of residents from the city centre.

There rent has been soaring for several years - 14.9 per cent last year alone, according to the Fotocasa real estate portal.

The director general of Airbnb Marketing Services, Arnaldo Munoz, said he feared the new rule could cost the city economy hundreds of millions of euros.

The rental platform insisted the solution was to put to use '153,100 empty residences representing 10 per cent of total Madrid dwellings,' citing a 2013 figure from Spain's National Statistical Institute.

Most landlords will fall foul of the condition in districts of Madrid where the housing problem has become acute and the new rule could render about 10,000 current rentals illegal

Major cities including Paris have also moved to stem the proliferation in home-sharing rentals with tighter controls as rents spiral and supply slides.

Paris is Airbnb's single biggest market with 60,000 apartments on offer but the service has, along with its competitors, faced accusations of pushing up rents and diluting communities.

The city requires homeowners to register with authorities and limits rentals to 120 nights a year.
Married At First Sight aired its most sexually suggestive scene ever on Monday night, as Dan Webb mounted Jessika Power before they consummated their relationship.

And on Wednesday, the frisky couple discussed the logistics of filming these types of scenes when their bedroom was filled with cameramen and producers.

During an interview with Perth's The Big Breakfast, Jessika revealed the pair would be getting warmed up for 'a minute a two' before the crew eventually left.

Steamy: Married At First Sight's Jessika Power and Daniel Webb have discussed the logistics of filming intimate scenes when their bedroom was filled with cameramen and producers

Radio host Kymba asked: 'When you get in bed together, and it's getting a bit sexy and you start canoodling, how long do you have to do that for until you say to cameraman, "Get out dude, this is weird"?'

Taking the question in good humour, Jessika responded: 'Literally just a minute or two, then they go.'

'Long enough for me, if you know what I mean,' joked Dan.

Hard day at work! During an interview with Perth 's The Big Breakfast, Jessika revealed that she and Daniel would be getting warmed up for 'a minute a two' before the crew eventually left

Too hot for TV? Married At First Sight aired its most sexually suggestive scene ever on Monday night, as Daniel was shown mounting Jessika before they consummated their relationship

Jessika, 27, later admitted that she had some regrets about how her relationship with Daniel began.

'I lost my moral compass along the way, especially when the affair sort of started,' she said, referring to how she betrayed her husband Mick Gould on the show.

'I'm watching it back now just cringing going, "What are you doing? This is not you Jess. This is not how you were brought up."'

'I lost my moral compass along the way': During her radio interview, Jessika admitted that she had some regrets about how her relationship with Daniel began

Dan, 35, added: 'Inside that bubble, it's crazy. I think Jess and myself would have changed a lot of things about the way we did it.

'I can't believe some of the things I've said and done.'

Married At First Sight continues Sunday at 7pm on Channel Nine
Daniel Webb confessed he was already having doubts about his relationship with Jessika Power on Wednesday night's episode of Married At First Sight.

And with the upcoming finale set to make or break the controversial couple, Daily Mail Australia can reveal their future is not looking promising.

After filming the reunion in Sydney on January 24, Dan was pictured flying back to the Gold Coast alone the following afternoon.

Where's Jessika? After filming the MAFS reunion in Sydney on January 24, Dan was spotted flying back to the Gold Coast alone the following afternoon. Pictured at Sydney Airport

Jessika was nowhere in sight as a glum-looking Dan scrolled through his phone while waiting for his flight from Sydney's Kingsford Smith Airport.

An onlooker said that Dan, 35, appeared to have 'a lot on his mind'.

Several other MAFS stars were also flying out from the same terminal around the same time, but Dan remained alone.

'He appeared to have a lot on his mind': Jessika was nowhere in sight as a glum-looking Dan scrolled through his phone while waiting for his flight. Pictured on January 25

Other contestants flying out of Sydney Airport on January 25 included Dan's ex-wife Tamara Joy as well as Susie Pearl and Dino Hira.

It comes after Dan snapped at Jessika during Wednesday night's dinner party after she argued with several other guests.

'That's enough, I'm f***ing done with it all,' he said, looking visibly frustrated.

Second thoughts? It comes after Dan snapped at Jessika (right) during Wednesday night's dinner party after she argued with several other guests

He later told producers: 'Tonight I got to see a side of Jess that I'm not comfortable with. I seen a side of her that seems to like to fight and find the drama.

'I did hear about this [side of her], but I didn't believe it. I don't like that behaviour.'

Looking ahead to the vow renewals, where he and Jessika must decide if they want to stay together in the real world, Dan confessed he had doubts.

'Jesus Christ, f**k me...' he said when asked about the decision.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Daniel Webb for comment.
Hilary Duff, 31, transformed in the title character of The Haunting Of Sharon Tate in a newly released clip from the upcoming horror thriller film.

Sharon was nine months pregnant with her husband Roman Polanski's baby when she was murdered at home by the Manson Family in 1969.

In the new clip published by People magazine, Sharon, 24, arrives home with her hairstylist ex Jay Sebring and is greeted by her friends Abigail Folger and Wojciech Frykowski.

As seen in the trailer: Hilary Duff, 31, transformed in the title character of The Haunting Of Sharon Tate in a newly released clip from the upcoming horror film

The lady herself: Sharon was pregnant with her husband Roman Polanski's baby when she was murdered by the Manson Family in 1969; she is pictured in 1968

The four of them were slaughtered while Roman was in London working on The Day Of The Dolphin, a film he abandoned because of the murders.

People's new clip eerily sets the stage for the murders to occur, with the heavily pregnant Sharon entering the house to the sight of a Welcome Home banner.

Coffee heiress Abigail - played by Lydia Hearst, the daughter of Patty Hearst and wife of Chris Hardwick - is waiting with her beau Wojciech for Sharon.

Wojciech, played by Pawel Szajda, asks: 'And where is that rat b****** husband of yours?' sweeps Sharon into a dip and kisses her, leaving her fairly flustered.

Uncanny: In the new clip given to People magazine, Sharon arrives home with her hairstylist ex Jay Sebring and is greeted by her friends Abigail Folger and Wojciech Frykowski

'You do remember that she's married to your best friend, right?' says Abigail, to which Wojciech says: 'Don't be jealous, baby, you know I'm all yours!'

He grabs his girlfriend playfully, and they begin to giggle, only to be interrupted by Jay entering the home carrying some luggage.

Mean Girls actor Jonathan Bennett plays Jay, whom Abigail and Wojciech begin to yell: 'Surprise!' for under the impression that he is Roman.

Sharon remains that Roman 'decided to stay back in London to finish the script for a few weeks, but he promised he's gonna be home before the baby arrives.'

Abigail then treats Sharon to a present she has prepared for her pal - a fully done-up nursery, complete with a large teddy bear sitting in the crib.

No dice: Denouncing The Haunting Of Sharon Tate as 'exploitative,' Sharon's sister Debra told People last year: 'It doesnt matter who it is acting in it - its just tasteless'

Sharon's enthusiasm for the gift is slightly tempered by the fact that 'I planned to work on the nursery myself while I waited for Roman to come home.'

Manson Family members Charles 'Tex' Watson, Susan Atkins and Patricia Krenwinkel butchered Sharon, Jay, Abigail and Wojciech on August 9, 1969 - leaving the word 'PIG' scrawled on the front door in Sharon's blood.

While at that house, the Manson Family also murdered Steven Parent, 18, who had swung by the premises that evening to pay a call on its caretaker Bill Garretson, 19. Fortunately for Bill, the Manson Family never came across him.

The next night, Manson Family members entered the home of grocer Leno LaBianca and his wife Rosemary LaBianca, and murdered them too.

Charles Manson himself served life in prison and only died in November 2017, a week after his 83rd birthday.

In 1970, one Daniel Kleiner - writing in a splashy paranormal-themed magazine called Fate - claimed that he had spoken to Sharon in 1968 and that she had told him all about a 'psychic experience' she had undergone.

This included her having a dreamlike vision of a ghost and of someone - either her or Jay - 'tied to the staircase' and 'cut open at the throat,' as Daniel quoted Sharon.

Competition: Margot Robbie will be playing Sharon in Quentin Tarantino's upcoming film Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, which is also set against the backdrop of the murders

Deadline have maintained the new movie was influenced by 'an interview published a year before her death, wherein she reveals having dreams about ghosts haunting her house and foreseeing her own death at the hands of a satanic cult' - possibly a reference to this Fate magazine article.

Denouncing The Haunting Of Sharon Tate as 'exploitative,' Sharon's sister Debra told People last year: 'It doesnt matter who it is acting in it - its just tasteless.'

She added: 'Its classless how everyone is rushing to release something for the 50th anniversary of this horrific event' - an anniversary that will occur next August.

Approval: While discussing Quentin's film last July, Debra told TMZ that she felt Jennifer Lawrence was 'not pretty enough' to play Sharon, floating Margot instead

Margot Robbie will be playing Sharon in Quentin Tarantino's upcoming film Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, which is also set against the backdrop of the murders.

While discussing Quentin's film last July, Debra told TMZ that she felt Jennifer Lawrence was 'not pretty enough' to play Sharon, floating Margot instead.

Last summer, Quentin apparently met with Debra and managed to leave her with a positive outlook on the film. She said: 'This movie is not what people would expect it to be when you combine the Tarantino and Manson names.'

The Haunting Of Sharon Tate is due for release April 5, while Once Upon A Time In Hollywood will open in movie theaters July 26.
CBS All Access has released a new extended trailer for their highly-anticipated reboot of The Twilight Zone, which offers a glimpse at the star-studded cast.

Stars such as Seth Rogen, Adam Scott, Kumail Nanjiani and Ike Barinholtz, to name just a few, are seen in this trailer, along with series host Jordan Peele.

It seems a vast majority of the cast members are comedians who are taking much darker turns in this series, much like how Peele broke out from Key & Peele to write and direct the much darker hit Get Out.

New trailer: CBS All Access has released a new extended trailer for The Twilight Zone with new footage of the star-studded cast

Like the earlier incarnations of The Twilight Zone, this will be an anthology series which tells, 'various tales of science fiction, horror and mystery.'

The trailer begins with a scene featuring Adam Scott's character saying, 'I know my limits, I know who I am,' while he's later seen on a plane saying, 'We're running out of time' and telling another character, 'You're gonna want to listen to me.'

There are also brief shots of Ike Barinholtz and other characters seen outside, while Sanaa Lathan's character isn't sure if something is wrong with her mind, or if she's in, 'some kind of parallel universe.'

Limits: The trailer begins with a scene featuring Adam Scott's character saying, 'I know my limits, I know who I am,' while he's later seen on a plane saying, 'We're running out of time' and telling another character, 'You're gonna want to listen to me'

Parallel universe: There are also brief shots of Ike Barinholtz and other characters seen outside, while Sanaa Lathan's character isn't sure if something is wrong with her mind, or if she's in, 'some kind of parallel universe'

The trailer then shows a scene featuring John Cho's character, saying, 'America needs a truth.'

There is a brief glimpse of Seth Rogen's character, along with a group of people at a political rally for a candidate named Oliver.

There is also a shot of Allison Tolman's character, telling Cho, 'Wasn't this all supposed to be over months ago?' which may or may not be an allusion to the 2016 Trump campaign.

Cho: The trailer then shows a scene featuring John Cho's character, saying, 'America needs a truth'

Oliver: There is a brief glimpse of Seth Rogen's character, along with a group of people at a political rally for a candidate named Oliver

Trump allusion: There is also a shot of Allison Tolman's character, telling Cho, 'Wasn't this all supposed to be over months ago?' which may or may not be an allusion to the 2016 Trump campaign

There is also a shot of Kumail Nanjiani, who plays a stand-up comic, who is standing outside of his show when he's approached by two fans who tell him he, 'totally killed' in his performance.

This same character is later seen frantically looking around for a little boy, asking bystanders if they've seen a little boy.

He is then seen conversing with Tracy Morgan's character, who tells him, 'You will be successful. Are you sure that's what you want?'

There a small devil head seen on a spring, which could be a reference to Morgan being the devil and Nanjiani's character trying to sell his soul for success.

Killer: There is also a shot of Kumail Nanjiani, who plays a stand-up comic, who is standing outside of his show when he's approached by two fans who tell him he, 'totally killed' in his performance

Frantic: This same character is later seen frantically looking around for a little boy, asking bystanders if they've seen a little boy

There are also brief shots of characters played by Ginnifer Goodwin, Chris O'Dowd, Rhea Seehorn, along with a prophetic speech from another character, who states, 'When the world is trying to tell you something, it will repeat itself until you get it.'

There are also brief glimpses at Steven Yeun, Jacob Tremblay, and many more, with Lathan stating, 'I don't expect you to believe me, I just need you to help me end it.'

The trailer ends with a brief shot of Peele as the narrator, with the new series debuting on CBS All Access this coming Monday, April 1.
The Real Housewives of Atlanta alum Phaedra Parks' incarcerated ex-husband Apollo Nida reportedly got his eight-year prison sentence for bank fraud and identity theft reduced an entire year by a federal judge.

The 40-year-old fitness trainer - who laundered more than $2.3M - is now scheduled to be released from Fort Dix Correctional Facility in New Jersey in August 2020 and he'll remain on probation for 'several years,' according to The Blast.

One woman who will be thrilled by the update is Apollo's fiancee Sherien Almufti, whom he popped the question to behind bars in 2016 after two years of knowing each other.

Good behavior? The Real Housewives of Atlanta alum Phaedra Parks' incarcerated ex-husband Apollo Nida reportedly got his eight-year prison sentence for bank fraud and identity theft reduced an entire year by a federal judge

The Pennsylvania realtor - who has a 10-year-old daughter with ex-husband Derrick Copes - already picked out her Rivini wedding gown on the July 1 episode of TLC's Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta.

'She's more than cute. Sometimes you gotta upgrade,' Nida told pal Todd Tucker from prison on the ninth season of TRHOA. 'I'm a one-woman man.'

His divorce from 45-year-old wife Phaedra was finalized in 2017 after a three-year legal separation and nearly five years of marriage.

According to TMZ, Apollo and the attorney/mortician agreed to joint legal custody of their two sons - Ayden, 8; and Dylan, 5 - whom he speaks to weekly, but Parks maintains primary physical custody.

Laundered more than $2.3M: The 40-year-old fitness trainer is now scheduled to be released from Fort Dix Correctional Facility in New Jersey in August 2020 and he'll remain on probation for 'several years'

'Sometimes you gotta upgrade': One woman who will be thrilled by the update is Apollo's fiancee Sherien Almufti, whom he popped the question to behind bars in 2016 after two years of knowing each other

Bride to be: The Pennsylvania realtor - who has a 10-year-old daughter (on couch) with ex-husband Derrick Copes - already picked out her Rivini wedding gown on the July 1 episode of TLC's Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta

'We have two beautiful sons together,' the Parks Group managing partner told People in December.

'I'll always be grateful for that. I'm hoping he will get married to whomever he is engaged to, honey, and he will be out of my hair.'

The Bible-quoting, Buckhead-based socialite has also moved on romantically with radio personality Tone Kapone, whom she called 'a special, great guy' who 'looks like a treat because he is a treat.'

Happier times: His divorce from 45-year-old wife Phaedra was finalized in 2017 after a three-year legal separation and nearly five years of marriage (pictured in 2014)

'We have two beautiful sons together': Apollo and the attorney/mortician agreed to joint legal custody of their two sons - Ayden, 8; and Dylan, 5 - whom he speaks to weekly, but Parks maintains primary physical custody (pictured March 7)
Kerri-Anne Kennerley's husband John died from pneumonia last month aged 78.

And on Thursday, Kerri-Anne returned to her role on Studio 10 for the first time since her heartbreaking loss.

The TV veteran, 65, thanked the public for their support, before tearfully describing how her life has changed following John's death.

'I thought I would have him for many years to come': Kerri-Anne Kennerley broke down in tears upon her return to Studio 10 on Thursday following the death of her husband John. Pictured on April 23, 2017 in Melbourne

Kerri-Anne was joined on the Studio 10 panel by Sarah Harris, Joe Hildebrand, Angela Bishop and Denise Drysdale.

'The hole it leaves in your life, it's so painful. It's a hole that will never be filled,' she said, clutching a tissue in her hand.

'It was a shock because I thought I would have John for many, many, many years to come. It was a terrible shock.'

'It was a shock': The TV veteran, 65, thanked the public for their support, before tearfully describing how her life has changed following John's death

'It's not fair, but life happens': Kerri-Anne was joined on the Studio 10 panel by Sarah Harris, Joe Hildebrand, Angela Bishop (right) and Denise Drysdale (centre)

'We were always together,' Kerri-Anne added. 'It hurts, but I still think of how he would expect me to act, to be... and there is a lot of decisions to make.

'It's not fair, but life happens.'

In an emotional moment, Kerri-Anne revealed to the audience a keepsake John once gave her that she would always wear for good luck.

'I know I always have him close with me': In an emotional moment, Kerri-Anne revealed to the audience a keepsake John once gave her that she would always wear for good luck

She explained: 'In 1981, when I was hired as the anchor of Good Morning Australia, John had this [anchor charm necklace] made for me and I have worn this as my good luck charm as I know I always have him close with me.'

Kerri-Anna concluded: 'I think for two because he taught me to, and he was the best, kindest person I've ever known. I get more comfort out of the fact we think as two.'

Studio 10 airs weekdays from 8.30am on Channel 10
She's just hit another career high with a starring role in the live-action remake of Disney's Dumbo.

But Eva Green feels insecure about reaching her 40s next year because acting 'depends on the desire of people'.

Speaking to ES Magazine this week, the former Bond Girl, 38, says she's tired of hearing women say they are 'more confident' as they age when growing older can actually be 'difficult'.

Back on the big screen: Eva Green speaks to ES Magazine this week about her new role in Dumbo

She explained: There is always that insecurity [about aging]. You depend on the desire of people.

'I read interviews with women going [smug voice], Oh, Im soooo confident now I am in my 30s or in my 40s, I have found myself."

'Well, actually, pfft, it is difficult for an actor, or for any woman, ageing. You think, my God, will people still like me? Ill be in my 40s soon but I always feel like I am 15.

Ever since her breakout role as Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale, Eva has chosen to remain 'mysterious' about her previous relationships, and stands by it in the new interview.

Hollywood calling: The brunette admits that she feels insecure about aging, especially in Hollywood

Quizzed about whether or not she'd like a family in her 40s, Eva said: I dont know. You need to find the right person. And I hate planning. In three months I might be on a job. Or I might be dead tomorrow.

The brunette beauty, who turns 39 this July, covers this week's ES in a canary yellow ball gown, styled by Nicky Yates.

Inside, she poses in a glamorous green dress as she discusses breathing new life into a beloved 80-year tale.

She plays areal artist Colette Marchant, alongside Colin Farrell and Danny DeVito and explains the hidden suffering behind her character.

I see her like a bird in a gold cage,' she says. 'She lives in luxury, is able to live her passion as an aerialist but she is lying to herself.

Breathing new life into a classic: Starring alongside Colin Farrell (left), Eva plays Colette Marchant in the live-action remake of Dumbo

'When she meets Dumbo she realises her life is empty and she wants love in her life and a family.

'Its wonderful that Disney chose Tim for this because you know its not going to be all unicorns and rainbows.

Eva was previously the star of Burton's 2016 film Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.

And, like Helena Bonham Carter's famous ex Burton, the French-born actress now lives in London.

She says: I wanted to be my own person and go to another country. I loved London  I studied there [at Webber Douglas drama academy] before I moved there  and I bought a little flat in Primrose Hill.

'My agent looked after me and I began to make friends. I cant say Paris is ugly but it lacks trees and London has that village feel. People are less judgemental in London and I love the British sense of humour.

In the interview, Eva also addresses the allegations she made against disgraced movie director Harvey Weinstein in 2017.

The actress claims he threatened to destroy her career after she 'pushed him off' at a professional meeting in Paris in an exchange that left her 'shocked and disgusted'.

She now says: He was like a god. He could make you, destroy you. You think, maybe something will change  I could win an Oscar!

'So the first time you meet him you feel privileged. But what happened [to him] is a miracle. There is justice. But you know, there are a***holes everywhere, in every field.

The full interview appears in this weeks issue of ES Magazine, Thursday 28th March 2019.
It's been 13 years since the two divorced, but Denise Richards has learned to accept her ex-husband Charlie Sheen.

On Tuesday's episode of her new series, The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills, the 48-year-old actress said she wouldn't have cared if her 53-year-old ex brought a prostitute to her wedding.

She tied the knot with Aaron Phypers, 46, back in September, but the episode documenting the nuptials only aired this week.

Accepting it: On Tuesday's episode of her new series, The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills, Denise Richards, 48, said she wouldn't have cared if her ex-husband, Charlie Sheen, 53, had brought a prostitute to her wedding; still from The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills

As they were: Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards are seen on their 2002 wedding day

The Drop Dead Gorgeous star opened up about learning to live with her scandal-prone former husband.

'Even if he did bring a prostitute as his date, I wouldnt care. Its just, it is what it is,' she said, explaining why she invited the sometimes volatile actor to her second wedding.

'No matter whats gone down with Charlie and I, I invite Charlie to anything having to do with the kids and I.'

Happy Day: 'Even if he did bring a prostitute as his date, I wouldnt care. Its just, it is what it is,' she said, explaining why she invited the sometimes volatile actor to her second wedding; still from The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills

New family: 'No matter whats gone down with Charlie and I, I invite Charlie to anything having to do with the kids and I'; still from The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills

Though Denise first met Charlie on the set of National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1 in 1991, they didn't become engaged until 2001.

They married in 2002, but the union was short-lived. The World Is Not enough actress separated from her husband in 2005, while carrying their second child.

The couple had a brief reconciliation, but divorce proceedings resumed and were finalized in 2006.

Beautiful day: Denise and Aaron pose with her family at the wedding

They share two children, Sam, 15, and Lola, 13. Denise also adopted a daughter of her own, Eloise, seven, who suffers from developmental delays.

Though his well-publicized trysts with porn stars and a rotating cast of women caused turmoil through 2011, Denise and Charlie had thawed their chilly relations by 2012 and were able to attend family events together.

Earlier in March, Watch What Happens Live's Andy Cohen asked her if Charlie ever watched her on RHOBH, to which she replied, 'Probably.'

New love: The Starship Troopers star married her new beau, Aaron Phypers, on September 8, 2018, in a ceremony in Malibu, California; still from The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills

Second time around: The occasional actor was previously married to former Dynasty star Nicollette Sheridan, though he began dating Denise the year after their 2016 separation; still from The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills

The Starship Troopers star married her new beau, Aaron Phypers, on September 8, 2018, in a ceremony in Malibu, California.

The occasional actor was previously married to former Dynasty star Nicollette Sheridan, though he began dating Denise the year after their 2016 separation.

The cast of her popular series were in attendance for their wedding, including Lisa Vanderpump, Lisa Rinna, Camille Grammer, Dorit Kemsley and Teddi Mellencamp.
She is a doting mother to three children, Hollywood's busiest actresses, and still manages to keep in tip-top shape.

And Jennifer Garner put her hard work at the gym on display Wednesday as she headed out of the house donning black leggings that highlighted her lean and muscular legs.

The 46-year-old actress was spotted on the sidewalks of West Los Angeles, where she was later seen with her three children.

Sporty: Jennifer Garner put her hard work at the gym on display Wednesday as she headed out of the house donning black leggings that highlighted her lean and muscular legs

The Peppermint star pulled spotted navy leg warmers over the bottom of her tights.

On top, she zipped on an easy-going black hoodie and shaded her eyes with dark sunglasses.

She finished off the active look with dark running shoes and let her long brunette tresses flow freely across her shoulders.

The 46-year-old actress was spotted on the sidewalks of West Los Angeles, where she was later seen with her three children

The Peppermint star pulled spotted navy leg warmers over the bottom of her tights

Garner was spotted walking with a friend before meeting up with her children.

The long-legged blonde sported blue jeans along with a black top and threw a chic navy blazer on top.

She also shaded her eyes with dark sunglasses, but opted for a less sporty look and wore black loafers.

Catching up: Garner was spotted walking with a friend before meeting up with her children

Step by step: The long-legged blonde sported blue jeans along with a black top and threw a chic navy blazer on top

Samuel, seven; Violet, 13; and Seraphina, 10, stayed close as they crossed the street with their mother.

Seraphina sported a rainbow-colored beanie and carried a purple and green backpack in one hand.

Violet wore a pastel yellow skirt with a white top and kept warm with a medium blue sweatshirt.

Samuel sported navy trousers and a white colored-shirt, and Garner helped him by carrying his backpack.

All together now: Samuel, 7; Violet, 13; and Seraphina, 10, stayed close as they crossed the street with their mother

Hold tight: Samuel sported navy pants and a white colored-shirt, and Garner helped him by carrying his backpack
Married At First Sight's Mike Gunner recently admitted to getting a hair tattoo after weeks of speculation about his suspicious buzz cut.

And Mike's wife Heidi Latcham has now revealed that his scalp micropigmentation looks 'better on camera' than in real life.

The 38-year-old reportedly told her friend Jess Eva that the cosmetic procedure just looks like a 'bunch of black dots on his head'.

'It's literally a bunch of dots on his head!' Married At First Sight's Heidi Latcham has reportedly said her husband Mike Gunner's 'hair tattoo looks better on camera than in real life'

The revelation was made on Triple M's Moonman in the Morning radio show on Thursday, where Jess works as a presenter.

Jess, who knows Heidi from the Sunshine Coast, said they had previously spoken about Mike's head tattoo and the two women ended up joking about it.

'I half-know Mikes wife Heidi pretty well and I asked her [about the hair tattoo] because a tattoo doesn't have the 3D points,' Jess told listeners.

Oh dear! Heidi apparently described Mike's hair tattoo as a 'bunch of black dots' in a private conversation with her friend Jess Eva, who later shared the story on Triple M radio

She added: '[Heidi] said to me, "It's literally a bunch of black dots on his head". So it looks great on camera but in real life... imagine getting a black pen and just putting it over your head?'

Recently, the Gold Coast clinic that performed the procedure for Mike last year revealed that he'd also had a 'fake scar' tattooed on his forehead for extra realism.

Answering fans' questions in an Instagram thread, and employee of Hairline Solutions confirmed they 'put the scar in his hairline as a feature.'

Hmm! Recently, the Gold Coast clinic that performed the procedure for Mike last year revealed that he'd also had a 'fake scar' tattooed on his forehead for extra realism

Money well spent? Hairline Solutions first shared before-and-after photos of Mike to demonstrate the results of the hair tattoo around three weeks ago

Hairline Solutions first shared before-and-after photos of Mike to demonstrate the results of the hair tattoo around three weeks ago.

'Mike had his SMP treatment done by Aaron at Hairline Solutions in August 2018, just prior to the commencement of filming,' the clinic wrote on Instagram.

'We had been recommended to Mike by one of his close friends who'd also received a treatment from Aaron.'

You'd never know! Scalp micropigmentation (SMP), or a hair tattoo, is a cosmetic tattoo that gives the illusion of a close buzz cut hairstyle on a bald head

Scalp micropigmentation (SMP), or a hair tattoo, is a cosmetic tattoo that gives the illusion of a close buzz cut hairstyle on a bald head.

Earlier this month, after weeks of speculation, Mike confirmed he'd undergone the procedure during an interview with Nova 96.9's Fitzy & Wippa.

'Someone has rung us and told us that you've had the tattoo done on the top of your head,' radio host Ryan 'Fitzy' Fitzgerald said.

Mike danced around the question for a while before eventually coming clean, saying: 'But how good do I look?!'
Sydney radio station 2Day FM recently unveiled a new television commercial to help promote its struggling breakfast show, Grant, Ed & Ash.

But the advert, which features Grant Denyer and his two daughters, is strikingly similar to another TV spot for British station Virgin Radio, starring Chris Evans.

As reported by News.com.au on Thursday, both adverts show the radio presenters fielding questions from their children about their jobs.

Did 2Day FM rip off another radio station? A TV commercial featuring Grant Denyer and his daughters (above) is strikingly similar to a British advert for Virgin Radio starring Chris Evans

Furthermore, both Grant and Chris also wear bathrobes layered over promotional T-shirts bearing the logos of their respective radio stations.

In the British advert, Chris answers rapid-fire questions from his son about his new workplace.

'So where's your new breakfast show?' the little boy asks, to which Chris replies: 'On Virgin Radio.'

Hmm! The 2Day FM advert is almost a shot-for-shot remake of this commercial for Virgin Radio

In the Australian advert, Grant is also quizzed by his two daughters, Scout and Sailor.

'So what breakfast show are you in?' Sailor asks, to which Grant responds: '2Day FM Breakfast.'

The parallels don't stop there, as Grant and Chris's children both go on to ask about the 'music' and 'apps' available at the radio stations.

Parallels: Both adverts show the radio presenters fielding questions from their children about their jobs. Pictured left: the 2Day FM commercial, and right: the Virgin Radio commercial

The Hit Network's head of content Gemma Fordham told News.com.au that the company wanted to replicate the Virgin advert for Australian audiences.

'We saw this ad, absolutely loved it and wanted to bring it to life with Grant and his gorgeous girls as we knew Australian audiences would connect with it too,' she said.

'Virgin did such an amazing job with it and imitation is the greatest form of flattery!'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Southern Cross Austereo for comment.
She recently shed light on the evening she became a household name by rocking an iconic Versace look 25 years ago.

And Elizabeth Hurley cut a glamorous figure as she headed out for dinner with her ex-husband Arun Nayar at Annabel's in London, England, on Wednesday evening.

The model, 53, commanded attention as she slipped her phenomenal figure into a bodycon navy dress from designer Hasan Hejazi, flashing a hint of her lean legs.

Friendly exes: Elizabeth Hurley (pictured) cut a glamorous figure as she headed out for dinner with her ex-husband Arun Nayar at Annabel's in London, England, on Wednesday evening

Sensational: The model, 53, commanded attention as she slipped her phenomenal figure into a bodycon navy dress from designer Hasan Hejazi, flashing a hint of her lean legs

Turning heads with her striking display, the actress' ensemble featured ruched pink satin detailing across the bodice.

The screen star accentuated her envy-inducing frame in a pair of patent pointed stilettos, and toted a gold studded clutch.

Keeping warm against the chilly weather conditions, Liz wrapped up in a fluffy black scarf.

Figure-hugging: Turning heads with her striking display, the actress' ensemble featured ruched pink satin detailing across the bodice

Accessory: Keeping warm against the chilly weather conditions, Liz wrapped up in a fluffy black scarf

Getting along nicely: Arun and Elizabeth appear to be very friendly exes as they often meet up for a catch up

Following in her footsteps: Ensuring he didn't let his close pal down in the style stakes, Indian textile heir Arun, 54, rocked a navy blazer and indigo jeans

The mother-of-one's healthy locks were dressed into luscious waves, while her youthful-looking appearance was enhanced with shimmery silver eyeshadow and faint pink lipgloss.

Liz, who is famously amicable with her exes, started dating Indian textile heir Arun, 54, in 2002, with the couple tying the knot in 2007. Their marriage only lasted four years.

The Hampshire native's outing comes after the beauty candidly spoke to Harper's BAZAAR about her statement designer gown at the Four Weddings and a Funeral London premiere in 1994.

Standing tall: The screen star accentuated her envy-inducing frame in a pair of patent pointed stilettos, and toted a gold studded clutch

Next destination: Liz, who is famously amicable with her exes, hopped in a taxi with her former partner

On the way: Arun and Elizabeth giggled as they enjoyed a taxi ride together to the venue

Letting their hair down: Elizabeth wrapped up in a furry scarf as she sat alongside Arun

Wow thing: Elizabeth looked picture perfect as she stepped back into her cab at the end of her night out

Elizabeth reflected on the night she wore the dress as she admitted she was 'unprepared' for the impact the ensemble holds in today's fashion industry.

While she made a bold style statement during the glitzy evening with her then-boyfriend Hugh Grant, the Royals star confessed the process of achieving the striking look was less than glamorous.

The honey-blonde beauty shared: 'I was so unprepared for what happened that night.

'I urgently needed to find a dress to wear for Hughs premiere, and in those days I had no idea about fashion.

High spirits: The Royals star flashed a beaming smile as she made a radiant departure from the celeb hotspot

Wow: She recently shed light on the evening she became a household name by rocking an iconic Versace look 25 years ago

'I dont exercise, but I am very active': Liz revealed she can still fit into the racy pin ensemble she wore nearly three decades ago

Former love: She started dating the Oxford University album in 2002, with the couple tying the knot in 2007. Their marriage only lasted four years (pictured together in April 2011)

'I remember going to an office where they literally fished a dress out of a white plastic bag. I took it home and did my own hair and makeup, fighting Hugh for the mirror, which wasnt even full-length, in our tiny one-bedroom flat.'

The mother-of-one, who dated screen star Hugh, 58, for 13 years until 2000, added: 'It was all very unglamorous compared to how things get done these days.'

Liz revealed she can still fit into the racy pin ensemble she wore nearly three decades ago.

Speaking on maintaining her figure, the Aria star detailed: 'I dont exercise, but I am very active. But just because it still fits doesnt mean I would wear it todayit wouldnt be appropriate!'
Angelina Jolie has become the latest actor to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe, entering talks to star in the upcoming superhero movie The Eternals.

While no details were given for what role Jolie is playing, The Hollywood Reporter adds that one aspect of the story follows a romance between two Eternals.

The romance is said to be between Ikaris, described as a man powered by 'cosmic energy' and Sersi, who, 'relishes moving among the humans.'

Angelina Eternal: Angelina Jolie is in talks to star in her first superhero movie, the Marvel Cinematic Universe adventure The Eternals

The Eternals were created by comic book legend Jack Kirby in 1976, his first title after returning to Marvel after a highly-publicized stint at DC Comics in the early 1970s.

The comics followed a group of creatures known as The Eternals, who were described as an offshoot of the process that created sentient life on Earth.

The Eternals were meant to be the protectors of Earth by their creators, The Celestials, defending Earth against their destructive counterparts, The Deviants.

Eternals comics: The Eternals were created by comic book legend Jack Kirby in 1976, his first title after returning to Marvel after a highly-publicized stint at DC Comics in the early 1970s

The Eternals will be directed by Chloe Zhao (The Rider), making her the first solo female director in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Anna Boden became the first MCU female director with Captain Marvel, but she co-directed that with her longtime filmmaking partner Ryan Fleck.

Zhao will work from a screenplay by writing brothers Matthew and Ryan Firpo, who had the top script on the 2017 Black List with their WWII Nazi thriller Ruin.

MCU: The Eternals will be directed by Chloe Zhao (The Rider), making her the first solo female director in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

While Jolie has been keeping busy with her work as a humanitarian and raising her six children, she hasn't been acting as much as of late.

Jolie returns to play the title character in Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, which hits theaters on October 18.

It will be her first live-action role since her 2015 drama By the Sea, which she starred in with her then-husband Brad Pitt, and also wrote and directed.

Humanitarian: Jolie returns to play the title character in Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, which hits theaters on October 18

Eternals: The Eternals were meant to be the protectors of Earth by their creators, The Celestials, defending Earth against their destructive counterparts, The Deviants

Jolie is also slated to voice Stella in The One and Only Ivan, based on the Katherine Applegate book.

She is also playing Rose in Come Away, which is a prequel to both Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland.

The actress/filmmaker is also slated to star in Those Who Wish Me Dead, from writer-director Taylor Sheridan, based on the novel by Michael Koryta.

Eternals director: The Eternals will be directed by Chloe Zhao (The Rider), making her the first solo female director in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
She recently treated herself to a refreshing trip to Israel for her 24th birthday.

And Demi Rose was back on home turf as she celebrated her milestone with pals at Knightsbridge's Ciro Pizza Pomodoro restaurant, before heading to The Box Club in Soho, London, on Wednesday evening.

The model ensured she garnered attention on her special day as she rocked a cream and black midi dress, embellished with beaded petal detailing throughout.

Her big day: Demi Rose celebrated her 24th birthday with pals at Knightsbridge's Ciro Pizza Pomodoro restaurant, before heading to The Box Club in Soho, London, on Wednesday

Stunning: Demi made sure to cover her modesty as she elegantly got out of her car

Highlighting her famously curvaceous figure, the Instagram sensation exhibited her eye-popping cleavage in the perilously low-cut number.

The brunette bombshell maintained the two-tone theme with her choice of footwear as she rocked a pair of black platform heels, featuring a perspex strap.

Demi toted a sophisticated chain-strap handbag and added a pop of colour to her look with a fresh red manicure.

With her glossy tresses styled into beachy waves, the vixen complemented her out-of-this-world beauty with fluttery false lashes, blush-swept cheeks and nude lipgloss for the perfect pout

Wow-factor! The model ensured she garnered attention on her special day as she rocked a cream and black midi dress, embellished with beaded petal detailing throughout

Busting out! Highlighting her famously curvaceous figure, the Instagram sensation exhibited her eye-popping cleavage in the perilously low-cut number

Standing tall: The brunette bombshell maintained the two-tone theme with her choice of footwear as she rocked a pair of black platform heels, featuring a perspex strap

She started her special day by thanking her fans for their ongoing support as she shared a jaw-dropping snap of herself clad in a skimpy white bikini from her recent trip to Israel.

Whilst stood in the murky waters of the Dead Sea, the model smiled at the camera, with her long brunette locks elegantly cascading down her shoulders.

She captioned the stunning shot: '24 today! I feel so happy, grateful to be here and blessed to have what I have.

'My friends, the love thats in my life and the support I have got given from you all along my years.

Looking fine: Demi's ample assets threatened to spill out of her sexy dress as she prepared to dine

She's got the look: Demi tottered along in perspex heels with a sexy ankle strap

In high demand: The brunette beauty was surrounded by pals on the night

Wow thing: Demi looked picture perfect earlier in the evening as she sat in the car

'Im ready to take on another year and what it may bring. Thank you for all your birthday wishes! Love you guys.'

Meanwhile, Demi has revealed that a move to LA could be in the works due to her acting desires.

Speaking to The Sun, she revealed: 'Movies have always been a passion of mine since I went to stage school. But another ambition is to become a Bond Girl, as I love the style and glamour of those films'.

Kylie Jenner lookalike Demi was first propelled into the spotlight when she was linked to the reality star's ex, rapper Tyga, after they split.

All in the details: Demi toted a sophisticated chain-strap handbag and added a pop of colour to her look with a fresh red manicure

Stunning: With her glossy tresses styled into beachy waves, the vixen complemented her out-of-this-world beauty with fluttery false lashes, blush-swept cheeks and nude lipgloss for the perfect pout

The star has since gained a huge following on Instagram and she is known to display her incredible curves in a number of risque ensembles.

So, of course, she was more than happy to divulge the secrets to her sensationally curvy figure in an exclusive chat with MailOnline.

In September, Demi revealed: 'I try to keep as healthy as I can. With travelling, it's hard to work out, I travel across the world but try to keep my routine...

Appreciation: She started her special day by thanking her fans for their ongoing support as she shared a jaw-dropping snap of herself clad in a skimpy white bikini from her recent trip to Israel

'Everyone says I'm the healthiest person they know. The fattiest thing I will ever eat is nuts and peanut butter...

'My figure just gains weight so fast. Any bad thing I eat my body isn't used to it and just puts on the weight. That means no birthday cake!...

'All I've eaten today is nuts. I've managed to eat a whole pot. I feel guilty as there's a lot of fat in the nuts. That's my treat! So I'm happy!'
While he's in the midst of a career acting renaissance with films like Creed and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Sylvester Stallone is returning behind the camera.

A+E Networks announced Wednesday at their upfront presentation in New York City that Stallone, 72, will direct multiple episodes and executive produce a crime drama series which has the working title of The Tenderloin.

Stephen Kay (The Shield, Sons of Anarchy) is writing the pilot episode and also executive producing.

News: While he's in the midst of a career acting renaissance with films like Creed and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Sylvester Stallone is returning behind the camera; pictured on Wednesday with President of A+E Networks Group Paul Buccieri in New York City

The Tenderloin is based on the true story of New York City cop Charles Becker, who, at the turn of the century, lead a group know as the Strong-Arm Squad.

The squad was tasked with going to war with the violent Italian, Irish and Jewish gangs in a neighborhood of New York known as The Tenderloin.

Becker's squad was filled with corrupt cops, but they still tried to restore order to a city overrun with gangs and Tammany Hall.

New show: The Tenderloin is based on the true story of New York City cop Charles Becker, who, at the turn of the century, lead a group know as the Strong-Arm Squad

Becker was ultimately tried and convicted of the murder of Manhattan gambler Herman Rosenthal.

He was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder, becoming the first, and only, police officer to be sentenced to death and executed for murder in the U.S.

He was executed on July 30, 1915 at Sing Sing Prison in Ossinning, New York, at just 45 years of age.

Director: A+E Networks announced Wednesday at their upfront presentation in New York City that Stallone, 72, will direct multiple episodes and executive produce a crime drama series which has the working title of The Tenderloin; pictured with daughter Sistine on December 20, 2018 in Los Angeles

Eli Lehrer, Executive Vice President and Head of Programming, HISTORY, referenced the gritty FX crime drama The Shield, which Kay worked on, directing six episodes, in his statement.

'Long before Miranda Rights or the fictional series The Shield, there was the very real Charles Becker, a police officer living by his own moral code,' Lehrer said.

'This is a passion project for Sylvester, who has discovered new facts on Becker's case that shed new light on this infamous anti-hero. We look forward to joining forces with him to bring this incredible story to HISTORY audiences,' he concluded.

Rambo: Stallone is currently in post-production on Rambo: Last Blood, the last installment of his Rambo franchise, hitting theaters September 20

Stallone is currently in post-production on Rambo: Last Blood, the last installment of his Rambo franchise, hitting theaters September 20.

He will also return as Ray Breslin in the third installment of the Escape Plan franchise, Escape Plan: The Extractors.

He is also set to play mafia enforcer Gregory Scarpa in the biopic simply entitled Scarpa, and he's slated to return as Barney Ross in The Expendables 4.
They're enjoying the beach life in Miami.

And Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra are clearly still in the honeymoon phase of their marriage.

The former Quantico actress, 36, posted a snap to her Instagram Wednesday showing the couple gazing adoringly at each other and wrote in the caption: 'To live for days like this.  @nickjonas #boatlife.'

Adoring: Priyanka Chopra posted this photo to her Instagram Wednesday and wrote in the caption: 'To live for days like this.  @nickjonas #boatlife'

The Indian actress and the musician tied the knot four months ago in a series of lavish ceremonies and parties across two continents.

Priyanka is hanging with her 26-year-old spouse in Florida while he and his brothers Joe and Kevin film a new music video.

The Jonas Brothers recently reformed and released a new single Sucker.

Beach days: Priyanka, 36, is hanging with her 26-year-old spouse in Miami, Florida, while he and his brothers Joe and Kevin film a new music video

Still in the honeymoon phase: The Indian actress and the musician tied the knot four months ago in a series of lavish ceremonies and parties across two continents

Priyanka and Joe Jonas' fiancee Sophie Turner are keeping an eye on their men as they shoot their video with plenty of beautiful scantily-clad women as extras.

They were spotted on Tuesday hanging out on the sand as cameras rolled.

The two couples have also been spotted spending time relaxing aboard a luxury yacht.

Temptation: On Tuesday, Nick was seen filming the music video with a bevy of bathing suit beauties

Filming: Kevin and Joe Jonas were also on the shoot that had a retro vibe

Game of Thrones beauty: Joe's fiancee Sophie Turner, 23, is also in Miami keeping tabs on proceedings

Jonas ladies: Priyanka took to her social media to pose with her soon-to-be sister-in-law, naming themselves the 'jsisters'

The former Disney stars revealed earlier this month during Carpool Karaoke with James Corden that it was Nick who broke up the band.

The Late Late Show host asked them about their decision to get back together after a six year break prompting Nick to explain the reunion came about after they'd filmed an Amazon Studios documentary together.

'It was to tell our story and in that process, we did some very necessary healing because when things ended, it wasn't the best. It was forced healing on camera,' he said.

'And then in that, we started saying that there was a magic when we were together that we would all love to feel again,' he added. 'I broke the band up, but I got us together again.
Her marital woes on Married At First Sight are making headlines of late.

But this week, Ning Surasiang was spotted getting back to the daily grind, with the 32-year-old hairdresser seen back at work at her local Just Cuts.

The brunette - who hails from Queensland's Townsville - was seen attending to a client, with a picture being shared onto the Facebook fan page, Married At First Sight Australian Fans.

Back to it: MAFS star Ning Surasiang goes back to the daily grind as a Just Cuts hair stylist

'So Ning works at my local hairdresser and I didn't even realise,' the fan commented on the post.

'What's crazy is I recognised her by her voice before I even saw her. Guess that's what happens when you watch someone on TV four nights a week.'

The mother-of-three can be seen in the snap in an all-black outfit, with her long dark locks out and over her shoulders.

Awkward! Ning has made headlines this week meanwhile, after being accused by viewers of 'pressuring' her 'husband' Mark Scrivens (second L) into sex during their Blue Mountains getaway on Monday night's episode of the show

Ning has made headlines this week meanwhile, after being accused by viewers of 'pressuring' her 'husband' Mark Scrivens into sex during their Blue Mountains getaway on Monday night's episode of the show.

However, despite the mother-of-three's failed attempt to consummate the couple's 'marriage', she told 9Honey: 'It was the most romantic date I have ever been on!'

'It was absolutely beautiful and so romantic. We were away from civilisation and closer to nature with no phone reception - meaning no interruptions. But there was a lot of pressure from everyone to do the deed,' Ning, 32, explained on Wednesday.

She still loved it: However, despite the mother-of-three's failed attempt to consummate the couple's 'marriage,' she told 9Honey: 'It was the most romantic date I have ever been on!'

Ning said her 42-year-old 'husband' likely rejected her sexual advances as he didn't want to 'confuse' their rocky relationship.

'I think he didn't want to confuse things and he probably wasn't really sure about us outside of the experiment yet,' she said.

Mark whisked his 'wife' Ning away to a romantic treehouse 'love cabin' in Sydney's picturesque Blue Mountains.

Her thoughts: Ning said her 42-year-old 'husband' likely rejected her sexual advances as he didn't want to 'confuse' their rocky relationship

Despite spending the night in a romantic tree house in the idyllic region, Ning was left sexually frustrated at the couple's lack of action between the sheets.

'Come and hug me, stop being so frigid,' said Ning to 'husband' Mark, as he failed to consummate their 'marriage' after eight weeks together.

In a bid to get intimate, Ning first had the couple take a romantic bubble bath together, while surrounded by flickering candles.

Although the lighting may have certainly set the mood, the couple failed to progress further than a shoulder massage - much to Ning's annoyance.
Married At First Sight star Jules Robinson, 36, clashed with 'mean girls' Jessika Power, 27, and Martha Kalifatidis, 30, during Wednesday night's episode.

And in the wake of the explosive final dinner party, MAFS' outspoken bride Cyrell Paule, 29, has publicly thrown her support behind the salon owner, 36.

In a post shared to Cyrell's Instagram account on Thursday, the feisty Filipino backed Jules' after she insinuated Jess and Martha were more like 'girls' than 'women.'

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'There are women and there are girls!' MAFS' Cyrell Paule (right) threw her support behind Jules Robinson (left) after she unleashed on 'immature' Jessika Power and Martha Kalifatidis during explosive final dinner party on Wednesday's episode

'There are women and there are girls. For my beautiful, gold hearted woman Jules Robinson! You are a rare diamond,' Cyrell began in the caption.

She continued: 'I'm happy and proud to have you as a friend. Love you.'

In the accompanying clip, Cyrell continued to gush over Jules as the pair took a joyride through Melbourne's seaside suburb of St Kilda.

'I'm with the beautiful Jules again,' a beaming Cyrell said in the video as she panned to Jules.

Sisterhood: In a post shared to Cyrell's Instagram account on Thursday, the feisty Filipina backed Jules' (pictured) after she insinuated Jess and Martha are 'girls' as opposed to 'women' during Wednesday's episode

Drama: Married at First Sight's Jules clashed with 'mean girls' Martha Kalifatidis and Jessika Power during Wednesday's final dinner party

During the final dinner party, Jules clashed with 'mean girls' Jessika and Martha over Jess' attitude towards newlyweds Heidi Latcham and Mike Gunner.

Jess chuckled during Heidi and Mike's 'honesty box' session, which angered Jules.

'Jess, I am speaking right now,' Jules said firmly.

'The way you were just shaking your head while [Mike and Heidi] were speaking about their relationship was so rude.

'I beg your pardon?': Both Martha (L) and Jessika (R) were outraged after Jules implied they were 'girls' rather than 'women' and lacked maturity

'I just feel like there's a divide between everything that goes on [here]. You've got girls and you've got women, that's the actual fact. That's the truth.'

Outraged, Jessika and Martha both responded: 'I beg your pardon?'

Martha added: 'What does that mean? The way you act is better than how we act?'

'What does that mean? The way you act is better than how we act?': Martha furiously hit back at Jules

Backtracking slightly, Jules responded: 'No, not at all, just that you've got a maturity level. I never said I act better. It's not an insult...okay, I didn't say anything.'

Jess told Jules not to 'back down' and she responded, 'Jess, excuse me, I'm not backing down over anything.

'It's about how people act. You've got girls that are immature and yell and scream, a little bit how you've acted throughout this experiment. And you've got women, who sit and talk.'
Journey guitarist Neal Schon has filed a lawsuit against Live Nation alleging that one of their security guards assaulted his wife Michaele at a concert.

The guitarist's wife was allegedly accosted by a security guard while taking pictures at a March 2017 Journey concert in Fort Wayne, Indiana, according to TMZ.

The 65-year-old guitarist and his wife are suing for unspecified damages, and Live Nation did not yet respond to a request for comment.

Lawsuit: Journey guitarist Neal Schon files a lawsuit against Live Nation alleging one of their security guards assaulted his wife at a concert (Neal and Michaele pictured April 2017 in New York City)

The lawsuit alleges that Michaele was taking pictures in front of the stage at the concert when she was attacked by a security guard.

While it's unclear what provoked the attack, The Blast reports she was, 'violently assaulted and forcibly thrown into a PA system.

Michaele reportedly suffered emotional distress and humiliation from the assault, while Schon has suffered emotional distress 'as an artist' and is worried about his wife's safety while he's on stage.

Claims: The lawsuit alleges that Michaele was taking pictures in front of the stage at the concert when she was attacked by a security guard (the couple pictured May 2017 in Las Vegas)

Schon is suing Live Nation because they provided security for the concert and the guitarist holds them responsible for the incident.

Schon and his wife first started dating in the 1990s before splitting up and her marrying Tarek Salahi.

Michaele made headlines in 2009 when she famously crashed the White House State Dinner with her husband.

Guitarist: Schon is suing Live Nation because they provided security for the concert and the guitarist holds them responsible for the incident

Her dinner-crashing lead to her starring in the short-lived Bravo spin-off The Real Housewives of Washington D.C., which only lasted one season.

In 2011, she left her husband Tarek to be with Schon, and they were engaged in October 2012.

Their wedding in December 2013 was broadcast live from the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, which fans could watch on pay-per-view.

Security: Schon, pictured June 2018, is suing Live Nation because they provided security for the concert and the guitarist holds them responsible for the incident

Schon was one of the founding members of Journey, joining the group in 1973 and he's still the only member to have been with the band throughout its entire history.

He has also released nine solo albums, including, most recently, The Vortex in 2015.

Schon has also appeared on albums from top acts such as Santana, Bad English and Jan Hammer.

Schon: Schon was one of the founding members of Journey, joining the group in 1973 and he's still the only member to have been with the band throughout its entire history
Ariana Grande revealed between tour stops on Wednesday night that she will release a new song with songwriter/producer Victoria Monet on Thursday night.

She also opened up about her mental health in an Instagram story post, where she thanked fans for putting up with her sporadic music releases.

'Just saying. Thanks for being supportive of my random, impulsive and excessive music releases,' she began.

Thankful: Ariana Grande thanks her fans for putting up with her sporadic music releases

'The first few years of this were really hard on my mental health and energy,' she continued.

'I was so tired from promo trips and was always losing my voice and never knew what city I was in when I woke up.'

'It was so much. It was worth it and i am grateful for everything i learned and accomplished when I did things that way, of course.

'But I just feel so much more connected now and yeah If I feel like I'm able to make special things with my incredible friends quickly, why not share them right away?

Mental health: 'The first few years of this were really hard on my mental health and energy,' she continued. 'I was so tired from promo trips and was always losing my voice and never knew what city I was in when I woke up'

'It's a very dope feeling and has breathed so much air back into my lil lungs,' she concluded.

She also tweeted a response to a fan, who said her decision to release her songs on her own terms was the 'best decision' she made.

'It feels sm healthier & sm more authentic & rewarding. regardless of the outcome, i prefer this bc its real & feels happy. no games,' she added.

Heart: 'It's a very dope feeling and has breathed so much air back into my lil lungs,' she concluded

'I love music. i love the ppl i make it w. these past few months made me fall in love w this job all over again. so thank u sm for being down,' she said.

She also teased, after thanking her fans in Philadelphia, where she performed on Tuesday night, that she will release her new track with Victoria Monet.

'Man, let's drop it tomorrow night,' Grande began. 'Seven rings is about to be number one for eight weeks and the album might go back to no. 1 too....

New song: She also teased, after thanking her fans in Philadelphia, where she performed on Tuesday night, that she will release her new track with Victoria Monet

'We need to celebrate tbh ! life too short and too sweet rn. hmmmmmmm,' she concluded.

She wouldn't reveal the name of the track she's dropping tomorrow, but the song's release will coincide with her latest tour stop at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.

The North American leg of her tour runs through July 13, with her stop at the Vivint Home Smart Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah, with her European leg starting August 17 at the 02 Arena in London.
Vanessa Hudgens showed off her enviably chiseled midriff and wore a hairdo redolent of Princess Leia on a hiking trip with a couple of pals this Wednesday.

The California-born 30-year-old was joined by two other members of the acting profession - Paola Nunez, 40, and Alexander Ludwig, 26.

As seen on Vanessa's Instagram page, the trio had ventured into Cherokee National Forest, which straddles the border of Tennessee and North Carolina.

Hello, gorgeous: Vanessa Hudgens showed off her enviably chiseled midriff while on a hiking trip with a couple of pals this Wednesday

Vanessa slipped into a grey crop hoodie and a bright red jacket, slipping into red and white trousers and slinging on a Louis Vuitton cross-body bag.

Her friends posted social media updates from the outing as well, and in some of them Vanessa could be seen strolling alongside an empty road.

The High School Musical and Spring Breakers alumna posed with her thumb out as if trying to hitchhike, though she was unsuccessful in getting a ride.

Absent from her excursion was her boyfriend, Switched At Birth actor Austin Butler, whom she has purportedly been with for upward of seven years now.

Trio: The California-born 30-year-old was joined by two other members of the acting profession - Paola Nunez (right), 40, and Alexander Ludwig (left), 26

Place to be: As seen on Vanessa's Instagram page, the trio had ventured into Cherokee National Forest, which straddles the border of Tennessee and North Carolina

Vanessa recently starred in Fox' televised production of Rent, the Jonathan Larson rock musical based on La Boheme that opened on Broadway in 1996.

She got a rave review on Twitter from Idina Menzel, who originated Vanessa's role Maureen in the original Broadway cast and reprised the role in the 2005 film.

Idina took the stage at the end of the Fox production with several of her old original Broadway castmates, including her ex-husband Taye Diggs.

Sleek and chic: Vanessa slipped into a grey crop hoodie and a bright red jacket, slipping into red and white trousers and slinging on a Louis Vuitton cross-body bag

On the move: Her friends posted social media updates from the outing as well, and in some of them Vanessa could be seen strolling alongside an empty road

Jonathan Larson, who wrote Rent, died of an undiagnosed aortic dissection the morning of his show's first off-Broadway preview.

For a time, Rent was the 10th longest running show in the history of Broadway - till it was knocked one spot back by Wicked, which coincidentally also starred Idina.

Vanessa drew notice for her professional dedication when she performed in Fox' live production of Grease the day after her father died.

Close, but no cigar: The High School Musical and Spring Breakers alumna posed with her thumb out as if trying to hitchhike, though she was unsuccessful in getting a ride
Last week, she said she hasn't tied the knot with her boyfriend Kenneth Petty despite referring to him as her 'husband' during her radio show.

But Nicki Minaj had on the look of a bride as she waited to step onto the stage in Zurich, Switzerland.

The 36-year-old rapper had a veil over her face and donned a sheer ensemble in a photo she shared to her Instagram.

Nicki Minaj, 36, had on the look of a bride as she waited to step onto the stage in Zurich, Switzerland

Nicki's outfit consisted of a sheer skirt that fell delicately onto the floor, along with a sparkling white top with sheer cutouts.

Her veil featured specks of gold and she accessorized with large hoop earrings.

'On stage, its all smiles. Under the stage, its laser sharp focus. Dont panic. #Zurich #Switzerland #NickiWRLDTour #QueenTingz,' she captioned the image.

Last week, she said she hasn't tied the knot with her boyfriend Kenneth Petty despite referring to him as her 'husband' during her radio show

Two weeks ago, Nicki told her listeners that her 'husband' often helps her massage lotion into her feet during a recording for her Beats 1 radio show, Queen Radio.

Sources, however, have since told TMZ that although she is 'very much in love with Kenneth', the pair are yet to walk down the aisle and denied reports of a marriage.

The website also suggested that Nicki is 'tired' of people bashing her 41-year-old boyfriend because she doesn't care about Kenneth's past because he treats her nicely.

Two weeks ago, Nicki told her listeners that her 'husband' often helps her massage lotion into her feet during a recording for her Beats 1 radio show, Queen Radio

The Super Bass rapper is currently coming to the end of her The Nicki World Tour.

She played the second to last show of the concert series in Zurich on Wednesday, and will wrap things up Thusday with a concert in Geneva, Switzerland.

The 19-date musical excursion took place only in Europe and began February 21 in Munich, Germany.
Tiffany Butcher is set to violently lash out at her aunt Sonia Fowler in shock scenes in Thursday's episode.

The troubled teen, played by Maisie Smith, returns to Walford in a bid to get some cash to gang leader Evie Steele (Sophia Capasso), who is in big trouble with her drug dealer bosses.

But after she's caught red-handed by Sonia (Natalie Cassidy) stealing money from Dot, she sinks to a new low and slaps a stunned Sonia across the face.

Shock attack: Tiffany Butcher is set to violently lash out at her aunt Sonia Fowler in shock scenes in Thursday's episode

Things took an explosive turn after Tiffany's plan to sneak back into Ted's flat went wrong as she was caught by best friend Bernadette Taylor (Claire Norris), who swiftly informed Sonia and Tiff's aunt Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty).

The two were floored to hear where Tiffany had really been, after previously believing she had returned to Milton Keynes to stay with mum Bianca.

Tiffany's appearance also came as a shock, with the teen looking rough and covered in bruises after being on the run with Evie.

Resorting to desperate measures, the family attempted to keep Tiffany locked up, but desperate to get to Evie and give her the much-needed cash, she resorted to stealing.

Stung: After she's caught red-handed by Sonia (Natalie Cassidy) stealing money from Dot, she sinks to a new low and slaps a stunned Sonia across the face

After their violent showdown, a hurt Sonia locks her niece in her room as she goes to seek help from her former police officer uncle Jack Branning (Scott Maslen).

However, as they hurry back to Dot's house, they are aghast to discover that Tiffany has done a runner.

Meanwhile, Bernie is desperately worried about her friend and tries to find her.

Desperate: Tiffany and Evie Steele have been on the run from dangerous drug bosses, but have Tiffany's family acted too late to save her?

She informs Tiffany's family that Evie and her gang were using Ted's old flat as a base, and they soon hurry over.

But when they arrive, they soon make a horrifying discovery.

Have they arrived to late?

EastEnders continues Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One.
He's preparing for his 2019 world tour of The Man. The Music. The Show.

And on Thursday, Hugh Jackman proved he's in fine form when he donned a pair of tap shoes ahead of the start of his tour.

The Hollywood star, 50, took to Instagram to show himself at rehearsals for the all singing, all dancing extravaganza.

Fancy footwork! Hollywood actor Hugh Jackman, 50, (above) showed off his very impressive tap dancing skills during rehearsals for his upcoming world tour on Instagram on Thursday

Clad in a t-shirt and pants, Hugh said: 'Ok, very exciting day, I'm here in my R.M. Williams boots.

He then showed off his very impressive skills on the dance floor with some very fancy footwork.

'Love it,' the X-Men actor could be heard saying in the clip.

Tap-n-go! The X-Men showed off some very fancy footwork in preparation for his show, Hugh Jackman: The Man The Music The Show, which will kick-off in May

Hugh is due to embark on a European and UK tour for Hugh Jackman: The Man. The Music. The Show this May and June.

The tour will include European cities Berlin, Cologne, Amsterdam, Zurich, Mannheim, Paris, Manchester, Birmingham and Dublin.

Hugh just got back from spending time in Dubai, where he performed at The Assembly: A Global Teacher Prize Concert

'You gotta work hard but you also gotta play hard': Hugh Jackman went dune buggy riding in the Dubai desert ahead of his world tour

During his time off, Hugh enjoyed some downtime by going dune buggy riding in the desert, with him posting adventure clips.

'We're in Dubai in the empty quarter, rehearsing really hard... getting ready for the show,' Hugh said while strutting through the picturesque desert.

'But you know it's gonna be set in Australia.

'You gotta work hard but you also gotta play hard too!' Hugh told his army of fans, adding: 'So we're gonna do a bit of dune buggy.'

'We're in Dubai in the empty quarter, rehearsing really hard... getting ready for the show,' Hugh said in a clip shared to Instagram while strutting through the picturesque desert

Walking closely towards the camera, he finished off the clip by whispering: 'Don't tell anyone who's in charge.'

It comes after it was announced Hugh will be returning to Broadway in 2020 for the first time in a decade.

The X-Men star will be appearing in the revival of Meredith Wilson's iconic 1957 show, The Music Man.

Guest of honour: Hugh and wife Deborra-Lee Furness (L) were in Dubai, where Hugh performed at The Assembly: A Global Teacher Prize Concert

Hugh previously gave fans a sneak peek into his upcoming performance, with a dazzling rendition of the music opening scene Rock Island on Instagram.

He captioned the behind-the-scenes clip: 'From grammar school to the Great White Way ... #themusicman.'

Hugh first came to Broadway in title role of the 2003 original Broadway production of The Boy From Oz, a jukebox musical about the late Peter Allen.

He won a Tony Award for best performance by a leading actor in a musical at the 2004 ceremony, which incidentally he also hosted.
Victoria Beckhams whirlwind tour of Qatar contend on Thursday morning as the fashion designer made a special appearance at Fashion Trust Arabia in the Arab states capital, Doha.

The former Spice Girl added a touch of star appeal to the inaugural event, a non-profit project created to support talented designers across the Middle East.

With 25 finalists hoping to win mentor-ship and funding, Victoria, 44, was on hand to find a winner during Fashion Trust Arabia's judging day.

Special appearance: Victoria Beckhams whirlwind tour of Qatar contend on Thursday morning as she made an appearance at Fashion Trust Arabia in the Arab states capital, Doha

Opting for an understated look, Victoria caught the eye in a demure black dress while joining guests at the special event.

Distinctive peep-toe boots gave the ensemble an added appeal, while a simple neck chain and gold watch were her only visible accessories.

In keeping with her subdued outfit Victoria selected her make-up from a natural colour palette that drew further attention to her instantly recognisable features.

Tasteful: Opting for an understated look, Victoria caught the eye in a demure black dress while joining guests at the special event

Strike a pose: The designer posed for a brooding selfie with Balmain creative director Olivier Rousteing

Here we go: The snaps later found their way onto Oliver's Instagram account

Elegant: Supermodel Natalia Vodianova (L) and former French First Lady Carla Bruni (R) caught the eye as they mingled with guests at the event on Thursday morning

Say cheese: Natalia rubbed shoulders with Balmain's Olivier

Specs appeal: Oliver shared a photo of Victoria wearing glasses as they judged the event on Thursday morning

The Fashion Trust appearance comes little more than a day after she attended the grand opening of Qatar's National Museum with fellow designer Diane von Furstenberg, actor Johnny Depp and supermodel Natalia Vodianova, who was also present on Tuesday morning.

The Russian model opted for a chic pleated skirt and matching brown top as she mingled with guests including Balmain creative director Olivier Rousteing, Canadian designer Erdem Moralioglu and Fashion Trust co-founder Tania Fares.

Elsewhere former French First Lady Carla Bruni looked typically elegant in a tailored black trouser suit as she cast her eye over some of the creations put forward by this year's finalists.

Main man: Canadian designer Erdem Moralioglu was also on hand to cast his expert eye over the 25 Fashion Week Arabia finalists at the event in Doha

Engaging sight: Australian-Lebanese presenter and model Jessica Kahawaty ensured she stood out in a highly distinctive thigh-skimming dress

Three's company: (L-R) Actress and former model Farida Khelfa (L), Carla Bruni and Fashion Trust co-founder Tania Fares posed for a photo as judging day got underway in Doha

Co-chaired by Tania Fares and Sheikha al-Mayassa Bint Hamad Al-Thani, the newly launched event will see much needed funding go to this year's winner.

'I was so pleased to see a lot of our applicants are producing quality garments, keeping up with orders, and are always on the lookout for new opportunities to grow,' Fares told WWD of the 25 finalists.

'They have a somewhat romantic approach when designing their collections. The Middle East has always been famous for producing champion eveningwear designers that have dominated the red carpet.

'After spending more time in the region talking and meeting with the designers, I saw that their level of jewelry and accessory design was also a major strength.'

Strong look: Carla cast her expet eye over one of the creations on display at this year's event

Making an appearance: Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor joined an array of guests in Doha
She recently stunned fans when her split from Evan Peters was announced.

Yet Emma Roberts appears to be recovering from her heartache with grace as she stepped out in Hollywood while heading for her appearance on Ru Paul's Drag Race on Wednesday, as she seemed to not have a care in the world.

The 28-year-old Scream Queens actor looked incredibly edgy in a Lou and Grey striped T-shirt with contrasting high-waisted trousers while pairing the look with brown accessories and Garrett Leight sunglasses.

Strutting her stuff: Emma Roberts appears to be recovering from her heartache with grace as she stepped out in Hollywood while heading for her appearance on Ru Paul's Drag Race on Wednesday, as she appeared not to have a care in the world

Emma was looking edgy and stylish for her outing as she kept a straight-face while going for a stroll ahead of her appearance at the show.

Scream Queens star Emma first began dating 32-year-old Evan after meeting on the set of Adult World in 2012. They became engaged over Christmas in 2013 but called off their marriage plans in June 2015.

Evan and Emma later reconciled in August of the same year before splitting in May 2016, and then got back together later that year and announced their engagement was back on in November 2016.

Strutting her stuff: The 28-year-old Scream Queens actor looked incredibly edgy in a striped T-shirt with contrasting high-waisted trousers while pairing the look with brown accessories

They were reported to have split up again last week, when sources also reported the start of her romance with Garrett Hedlund.

An insider said: 'Emma and Evan were heading for a split and now are just friends. Evan has moved out. It wasn't a bad breakup.'

Back in 2013, the actress was arrested for domestic abuse in Canada after officers responded to a report of a fight in a hotel room.

Happier days: She recently stunned fans when her split from Evan Peters was announced

Emma was taken into custody after they allegedly found One Tree Hill star Evan with a bloody nose and a bite mark.

He declined to press charges and she was released several hours later, with the couple saying in a joint statement that it was 'an unfortunate incident and misunderstanding.'

The pair remained famously tight-lipped about their relationship since.
She has been sharing a picture-perfect stream of social media snaps.

But it was back to reality for Caroline Flack when she shopped at Sainsbury's, in London on Thursday after returning home from Dubai.

The Love Island presenter, 39, was comfortable in a loose grey hoodie and shades when she settled back into day-to-day life at home.

She's home! Caroline Flack got back to routine as she shopped at Sainsbury's, in London on Thursday after her scorching hot Dubai break

Caroline's mini skirt could barely be seen beneath the baggy hoodie and she finished off her look with boots embellished with silver buckles.

While she was back in the chillier climes of the UK, Caroline was reluctant to take off her sunglasses as she peered out of her golden frame shades.

The casually-clad TV host juggled her essential groceries in a Sainsbury's bag while she clutched her iPhone to her right hand.

Balancing act: The casually-clad TV host juggled her essential groceries in a Sainsbury's bag while she clutched her iPhone to her right hand

Cold in the city: While she was back in the chillier climes of the UK, Caroline was reluctant to take off her sunglasses as she peered out of her golden frame shades

Caroline was back to her home turf after she enjoyed a girls' break to Dubai with Pussycat Dolls star Ashley Roberts.

The pair have been firm friends for many years, thanks to their 33-year-old mutual friend Laura Whitmore.

The girls' break was no doubt a welcome tonic for Caroline after her engagement to reality TV star Andrew Brady, 28, ended in late 2018.

Pin-credible: Caroline's mini skirt could barely be seen beneath the baggy hoodie and she finished off her look with boots embellished with silver buckles

Home time: The presenter climbed into her car after doing her small shop in Sainsbury's

Andrew bought a one-way ticket to Australia after the dramatic end of their notoriously turbulent year-long on/off romance.

The former X Factor host has since been linked to her personal trainer Bradley Simmonds, 25, and Strictly Come Dancing professional AJ Pritchard, 24.

A source recently said: 'She is dating, she's in a good place. It's not one particular person, it's just dates here and there.'

Known for her penchant for younger men, Caroline recently re-claimed the word 'cougar' as her badge of honour in an interview with The Daily Mail's You magazine.

Break away! Caroline was back to her home turf and she marked her return with a make-up free selfie after she enjoyed a girls' break to Dubai with Pussycat Dolls star Ashley Roberts

Best time! The pair have been firm friends for many years, thanks to their 33-year-old mutual friend Laura Whitmore

Heartbroken: The girls' break was no doubt a welcome tonic for Caroline after her engagement to reality TV star Andrew Brady, 28, ended in late 2018

She told the publication: 'My current status in a lot of the media is not just that Im a cougar, Im Queen Cougar, which I guess is something Im supposed to be ashamed of. But the thing is, Im just not.

'Though, like everybody, there are obviously certain decisions Ive made in my life that if I had a hot-tub time machine I might not make again

'Or maybe, actually, I would. Because as much as some people seem to want me to feel shame or embarrassment about who I am, I really dont.'

She added: 'And if cougar is supposed to be some kind of insult, Im taking control of that and turning it into a badge of honour. Im Caroline Louise Flack and Im Queen of the Cougars.'
She recently returned from her envy-inducing getaway to Bali.

But Lousie Thompson couldn't resist reflecting on her sun-kissed getaway as she shared a throwback snap from her travels to Instagram on Thursday.

The Made in Chelsea star, 29, looked sensational in the picture as she flaunted her washboard abs in a tiny cut-out nude bikini.

Work it: Lousie Thompson couldn't resist reflecting on her sun-kissed getaway as she shared a throwback snap from her travels to Instagram on Thursday

Lousie appeared to go make-up free, showing off her radiant and sun-kissed complexion.

The reality star styled her brunette locks into a relaxed tousled hairdo swept to one side as she smouldered to the camera.

It looks as though Louise has been in a reflective mood as she shared yet another throwback picture from her getaway on Friday.

The Made in Chelsea star looked incredible as she showed off her toned and bronzed physique in a barely-there red and pink halter-neck cut-out one-piece.

'Cloud nine': It looks as though Louise has been in a reflective mood as she shared yet another throwback picture from her getaway on Friday

With her long tresses pinned back on both sides, Louise completed her sultry look with a swipe of pink eyeshadow, a splash of mascara, peach lipstick and blusher to showcase her cheekbones.

The stunning shot, titled 'cloud nine', is one of a series of pictures taken by the star during her travels in Bali.

In another picture the reality star was seen embracing the sunny weather as she enjoyed an ice cream while clad in an elegant white skirt and sleeveless blue patterned top.

Last week, Louise shared yet another snap showcasing her toned stomach as she posed in a tiny white bikini next to a gorgeous bamboo fence on the Indonesian island.

Hanging low: The Made In Chelsea star has been sharing an array of pictures during her travels on the island of Bali

Perfectly poised: In another picture the reality star was seen embracing the sunny weather as she enjoyed an ice cream while clad in an elegant white skirt and sleeveless blue top

Louise let her wavy brunette locks fall down past her shoulders as she smiled in the stylish tie-front bikini top and briefs.

She completed her look with a single circular gold ring on her left hand. Louise captioned the shot: 'Proper wavy in Bali' followed by a wave emoji.

The chic snap came after Louise was heard poking fun of her fellow tourists as she holidayed with her boyfriend Ryan Libbey earlier this month - and shared several videos of beach club guests attempting to take the perfect pool selfie.

Her social media antics came as the brunette beauty shared a whopping 28 bikini pictures (and counting) on her exotic holiday.

In one video, Louise said: 'Ryan and I are spending our afternoon in the most un-us way ever. This is called Omnia and it's basically Ibiza, but in Bali!

Idyllic: Last week, Louise shared yet another snap showcasing her toned stomach as she posed in a tiny white bikini next to a gorgeous bamboo fence on the Indonesian island

'There's also another bit of the pool over there, with people hanging out, swimming around, got their butt cheeks out.'

Showing off her delicious platter of fresh sushi, she continued: 'In our defence, the reason that we are here is because I've heard the food is really good in that Japanese restaurant, which is a box over there. The cocktail is actually pretty delicious too.'

Louise then panned the camera over people bobbing about in the shallow end, joking that every single person had a phone in their hand.

She focused heavily on a glamorous girl who was perched on the edge of the pool, working her angles so her boyfriend could take a picture of her in a bikini.

Living it up: Louise was heard poking fun of her fellow tourists as she holidayed with boyfriend Ryan Libbey earlier this month

'What's going on? Where's the normal people?': Louise filmed fellow holidaymakers in the pool, joking that everyone had phones in their hands

Tasty: Showing off her delicious platter of fresh sushi, she continued, 'In our defence, the reason that we are here is because I've heard the food is really good'

Snap happy: The Made In Chelsea star's social media antics come as the brunette beauty has shared countless bikini pictures on her exotic holiday

Self-aware: Louise scoffed, 'I thought I was bad! Every single person in this pool has a phone'

She scoffed: 'I thought I was bad! Every single person in this pool has a phone and seems to be taking pictures... Phones, phones, broken phones...

'What's going on? Where's the normal people?'

'I bet he's like, for f**k's sake!', Ryan said of the poor bloke trying to take a selfie of his girlfriend - something poor Ryan is only too familiar with.

Louise laughed: 'No one's even having a good time, they're all miserable!'

The reality starlet has been soaking up the sun in the holiday hotspot with her hunky fiance, 28.

Louise laughed: 'No one's even having a good time, they're all miserable!'

Looking good: The stunning star has been delighting her followers all week with sizzling snaps from her tropical holiday

Louise, who was engulfed in an intense love triangle with Spencer Matthews and Jamie Laing on the popular E4 series, has now rebranded herself as a health and fitness guru which is evident on her social media platforms.

It appears as though she has found her calling, as the petite star regularly flaunts her chiselled physique on Instagram.

Offering advice to her followers on how to achieve a body like her, the London native has also brought on board the assistance of her beau Ryan as they share exercise tips.
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She detailed a cruel fat-shaming incident and the hands of a beach vendor during her Caribbean holiday last week.

But Olivia Buckland looked happy and relaxed as she slipped into a lime green thong bikini while enjoying the final day of her Barbados break on Wednesday.

The Love Island star, 25, showed off her toned and tanned curves in the skimpy swimwear as she packed on the PDA with husband Alex Bowen, 26, on the beach.

Flawless: Olivia Buckland looked happy and relaxed as she slipped into a lime green thong bikini while enjoying the final day of her Barbados break on Wednesday, after recently detailing a cruel fat-shaming incident

Going make-up free and wearing her blonde locks scraped back from her face in a high ponytail, the reality TV personality cooled off with a glass of water while hugging and kissing the former scaffolder.

The star opted for barefoot as she showcased her incredible deep tan while frolicking on the beach, pulling her blonde tresses into a low-key up-do.

As she sipped an ice-cold beverage in the blazing sunshine, Olivia also enjoyed a cheeky kiss with husband Alex, who also planted a playful smooch on her washboard stomach.

Jaw-dropping: The Love Island star, 25, showed off her toned and tanned curves in the skimpy swimwear, which boasted a plunging neon top and high-cut thong bottoms

Larking about: Olivia's deep tan was on full display in the brightly-coloured two-piece as she sipped an ice-cold beverage in the blazing sunshine

In shape: Olivia's taut physique was on full display, as she donned the brightly coloured high-cut top and plunging bottoms

Relaxing: The star was enjoying the final day of her Barbados break with husband Alex, as he reclined on a sunbed in the shade

Sweet: The couple were the picture of happiness as she shared a smooch or two, on the final day of their romantic holiday together

Want a drink: Olivia could be seen cheekily pouring a beverage onto her spouse's face, as they enjoyed the final day of their break together

Olivia's daily trip out in her bikini during her holiday comes days after she was fat shamed by a beach vendor and took to Twitter to share her outrage over the incident.

She wrote angrily: 'Wowwww so one of the guys who runs the jet skis out here just thought it fine to tell me I had put on weight & that I needed to watch myself.'

The Instagram sensation said she tried to laugh off the cruel remarks as she made a joke at her own expense about 'married life' but the beach vendor made another dig.

Amazing: After a stint of soaking up the sun, Olivia's curvaceous figure looked utterly amazing, as she stood out in the brightly coloured two-piece

Irate: Olivia's daily trip out in her bikini during her holiday comes days after she was fat shamed by a beach vendor and took to Twitter to share her outrage over the incident

Fuming: The Instagram sensation said she tried to laugh off the cruel remarks as she made a joke at her own expense about 'married life' but the beach vendor made another dig

She wrote: 'I tried to laugh it off saying "married life" and he continued to say I needed to just be careful & go back to what I was. CHEERS 4 THAT.'

Olivia admitted she was left mortified by his cutting comments as she spiralled into a furious social media tirade.

The reality star told how she was 'so shocked' she walked away from the beach vendor when she updated her fans with a follow-up tweet.

'Wish I had gave him a good earful but I was so shocked I walked away.

'oh well. Sometimes life will show you these kind of people & you just gotta take a breath & turn the other cheek, my apparent bigger a** cheek at that.'

Furious: Olivia admitted she was left mortified by his cutting comments as she spiralled into a furious social media tirade

Happy: After Olivia enjoyed a dip in the sea she was seen putting on a playful display with husband Alex, who she married in September 2018

Cosy: The couple were the picture of happiness, as Olivia recently told MailOnline he has motivated her to be healthier, as they enjoy joint workouts

Toned: She told us: 'Everyone thinks when you're married you let yourself go, but me and Alex have gotten quite into the gym and being healthy'

Need a hand? Ever the supportive wife, Olivia could also been seen rubbing sun cream into Alex's back as they both enjoyed one last day of sun together

Before she jetted off on holiday, Olivia had a cosy chat with MailOnline about how her husband Alex has motivated her to be healthier as they work out together.

She told us: 'Everyone thinks when you're married you let yourself go, but me and Alex have gotten quite into the gym and being healthy.'

The television personality chatted about how marriage has brought her even closer to Alex as she praised her love for being 'really caring' and 'noticing things'.

Open: The television personality also chatted to MailOnline recently about how marriage has brought her even closer to Alex as she praised her love for being 'really caring' and 'noticing things'

Drink up! Olivia seemed to enjoy cheekily pouring water into Alex's mouth, as he showed off his hunky tanned physique by going shirtless on the beach

Loving it: The couple also seemed to be enjoying a cheeky conversation or two as they relaxed in the sunshine ahead of their return to the UK

Supportive: Talking more about her marriage, Olivia also told MailOnline 'I don't feel any different now that we're married. If anything, we feel closer'

In shape: As Olivia enjoyed one last dip in the sea, she ensured her taut curvaceous figure was on full display in the skimpy lime green one-piece

Beach time: As they prepared to leave the beach Olivia wrapped up in an oversized grey t-shirt, while Alex enjoyed a quick puff on a cigarette

Talking more about her marriage, Olivia also said: 'I don't feel any different now that we're married. If anything, we feel closer.'

Olivia revealed her thoughtful husband Alex always makes her feel better because he senses when she is upset.

She added: 'Alex is really caring, and he really notices things. He has an awareness of when I'm feeling down, or when I don't feel right.

'We know how to make each other feel better, and feel good. It's a trust thing. If you don't have trust you have nothing.'

Mr and Mrs: Alex and Olivia have been sharing plenty of snaps from their romantic Barbados break with fans, as they enjoyed some time away from their gruelling schedule
BRISTOL BOROUGH >> The Bristol Riverside Theatre (120 Radcliffe Street) brings back a holiday favorite and welcomes audiences home this holiday season. "An American Christmas Songbook," the theatres first concert in the theatre since 2019, gathers audiences December 9-19 for a heartwarming evening of favorite carols and songs performed by a cast of BRT favorites. Former BRT Artistic Director Keith...
They've struggled with the perils of a long-distance marriage when he lived in Los Angeles for an 18-month period.

And Michelle Keegan and Mark Wright looked more loved-up than ever as they enjoyed a romantic beach date night in a snap from their Barbados holiday, posted to the TV presenter's Instagram on Thursday.

The actress, 31, and the former Extra host, 32, held hands and smiled into the camera as they showed off their Caribbean tans while plugging the Sandals Royal Barbados resort.

Happy: Michelle Keegan and Mark Wright looked more loved-up than ever as they enjoyed a romantic beach date night in a snap from their Barbados holiday, posted on Thursday

Former TOWIE star Mark captioned the snap: 'Caribbean nights are the best nights.'

Michelle looked glowing as she rocked a cute black crop top and matching ruffled skirt.

The Our Girl star added a pair of black lace-up sandals, while injecting a pop of colour to her ensemble with a printed yellow hairband.

The former soap actress opted for low-key make-up and accessorised with a pair of silver hoop earrings.

Mark looked dapper in a crisp white shirt, black shorts and simple black flip-flops.

Monkeying around: The actress, 31, and the former Extra host, 32, were joined by a cheeky monkey and a fellow beach goer during their Caribbean break

Idyllic: The former TOWIE star also shared a few snaps of himself enjoying refreshing drinks as he soaked up the stunning Bajan scenery

The Bachelor UK presenter also shared another snap of the couple on Instagram stories, where they were joined by a cheeky monkey and a fellow beach goer.

Mark also shared a few snaps of himself enjoying refreshing drinks as he soaked up the stunning Bajan scenery.

The previous day, Michelle herself gave her fans an update of her holiday, sharing an Instagram snap from her break on Wednesday which showcased her radiant glow as she enjoyed a drink at the beach bar.

The former Coronation Street star was seen rocking beachy waves and gold hoop earrings, sporting a black bandeau top as she rested one elbow on the table.

Living it up: Michelle looked the picture of relaxation in a snap from her Barbados break on Wednesday, showcasing her radiant glow as she enjoyed a drink at the beach bar

Ray of sunshine: While another image shared by the actress showed her frolicking on the beach in an off-the-shoulder lace yellow dress

She wrote: 'My task today..? What cocktail to have next. #holiday #carribean #timeout'

Another envy-inducing beachside snap saw the actress watching a local artist painting the picturesque scenery.

'Hes fuming that a family has just plonked 10 pairs of flips flops and a cooler box right in his eyeline!', she captioned the image.

While another image shared by the actress showed her frolicking on the beach in an off-the-shoulder lace yellow dress.

The genetically-blessed couple couple - who married in May 2015 - recently spoke about whether they are planning to have children anytime soon.

Appearing on This Morning earlier this month, Mark admitted he is feeling very broody and said: 'As soon as we got married, we got it from our mums and it's been four years now.

'There is pressure, but it's fun pressure and everyone is excited for the day it does happen. I'm always broody. I love kids.

'We are not in a rush though, because we are both so busy and Michelle is off to do another series of Our Girl and potentially another series.

'When is the time right? Well, right now it's not.'

Michelle and Mark have been together since meeting on separate new year's holidays to Dubai in early 2012, and tied the knot at Hengrave Hall in Bury St Edmonds, Suffolk, in May 2015.
The Loose Women panel were left cringing on Thursday morning while discussing Sam Faiers' shock kiss with her mother-in-law Gaynor Knightley.

On Wednesday night's episode of The Mummy Diaries, the 28-year-old former TOWIE star and her partner Paul's beloved mum, 60, stunned audiences when they shared a sweet moment in which Gaynor cradled her face and planted a kiss on her lips.

The scene had alarming echoes of the moment that shot the show to prominence in 2016, when Paul and Gaynor shared a sweet kiss - however after Loose Women stars blasted the moment, Paul concluded: 'I don't like them b**ches'.

Up close and personal: The Loose Women panel were left cringing on Thursday morning while discussing Sam Faiers' shock kiss with her mother-in-law Gaynor Knightley

The Mummy Diaries' viewers were left feeling 'awkward' during Wednesday's episode of the show after Sam shared a kiss on the lips with her mother-in-law.

The reality star was celebrating her birthday with an idyllic Maldives getaway with her partner Paul and their two children Paul, three, Rosie, one.

The couple were also joined on their trip by Sam's mum Sue, 48, and Gaynor and one scene from the show filmed Sam reading out her birthday cards from her family.

After reading a sweet card from her mother-in-law where she referred to her as her 'precious girl', Sam went over to thank Gaynor and they pecked on the lips.

Shocker: The scene had alarming echoes of the moment that shot the show to prominence in 2016, when Paul and Gaynor shared a sweet kiss - however after Loose Women stars blasted the moment, Paul concluded: 'I don't like them b**ches'

Some fans felt the need to do a double-take, as they questioned what they had just seen, with one Twitter user writing: 'Hold up... why did Sam and Gaynor just kiss??? #MummyDiaries... Who kisses their mother-in-law on the lips? So weird'.

Taking up the subject on Loose Women, Carol McGiffin was seen to screech while Jane Moore said: 'It's stressful. We don't know how to greet strangers'.

In February 2016, Loose Women stars Ruth Langsford, Coleen Nolan, Saira Khan and Janet Street Porter discussed if they would kiss their child on the lips with most of the ladies agreeing it was 'weird'.

Shocker: Taking up the subject on Loose Women, Carol McGiffin was seen to screech while Jane Moore said: 'It's stressful. We don't know how to greet strangers'

Happy days: Jane was particularly mortified when she saw the kiss

Following their discussion on Loose Women in 2016, Paul stunned fans when he said: 'I don't like them b**ches' to which a stunned Sam said: 'Don't say that!'

Sam first met Paul in November 2014 at Essex hotspot Sheesh in Chigwell, hot on the heels of her relationship with then-fiance Joey Essex. Just nine months later she fell pregnant with Paul.

After the initial show aired in February 2016, the Essex-born beauty was forced to jump to her boyfriend's defense after a host of incidents saw fans lash out at his behaviour - deeming him a 'controlling man boy'.

While he repeatedly asked Sam to cook for him, including while she was breastfeeding, he also fell asleep during pre-natal lessons although one moment in particular captured the attention of viewers.

Hitting back: Sam first met Paul in November 2014 at Essex hotspot Sheesh in Chigwell, hot on the heels of her relationship with then-fiance Joey Essex. Just nine months later she fell pregnant with Paul

Paul and Gaynor were seen having a deep chat while sitting on a sofa, after which the pair locked lips in what many deemed an over-expressive display of mother-son affection.

Saira kicked things off by telling her co-panelists: 'Oh no no no I find it weird,' but Ruth disagreed, saying of Paul's kiss with his mother: 'She's hardly got her tongue down his throat.'

'I don't know when the age is right,' continued Saira. Janet was even more adamant it was unusual behaviour, pointing out though that she's not a fan of intimacy at all, quipping: 'You're asking me, me who no one is allowed to kiss. No point.'

Shocking: After the documentary aired and the shock kiss hit social media and headlines, Sam posted a defiant photo on Instagram showing her kissing Paul Jnr on the lips

After the documentary aired and the shock kiss hit social media and headlines, Sam posted a defiant photo on Instagram showing her kissing Paul Jnr on the lips.

In an obvious reference to Paul locking lips with his mother, Sam wrote: 'I will kiss my baby boy on the lips forever...

'Thank you for everyone's support and kind comments on our show. Media & people will always try find negative. I'm happy & so totally in love with my family #myworld #positive x.'
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She's a mother-of-two and Kimberley Walsh looked incredible wearing a sexy gingham bikini as she hit the beach in Mallorca on Thursday.

The former Girls Aloud star, 37, showed off her gym-honed abs in the monochrome two-piece as she took part in an ad campaign for high street store Matalan, alongside TV presenter Denise Van Outen, 44.

Denise also looked stunning wearing a bright yellow floral bikini, wrapping up in a black kimono as she kicked a ball along the beach.

Lovely ladies: Kimberley Walsh, (left) showed off her toned body in a sexy gingham bikini as she joined Denise Van Outen for a starry fashion campaign for Matalan on a Mallorcan beach on Thursday

Sunshine girls: (L-R) Denise, Kimberley and Vick all shared a laugh as they sat under a parasol

Getting along nicely: The girls chatted to one another during a break as Denise wrapped up in a fleecy blanket

Her little girl, Betsy, eight, from her marriage to actor Lee Mead, 37, is also starring in the advert with her and was pictured wearing a yellow swimsuit which matched Denise's bikini.

The lovely ladies were joined by the likes of Mark Wright, 32, Vick Hope, 29, and Lydia Bright, also 29, on the day as they prepared to film.

Kimberley wore a variety of looks from the brand on the day, including an orange floral dress which had an off-the-shoulder detail.

It couldn't have been quite as hot as it looked though as between filming, Denise sat alongside Kimberley and wrapped herself in a fleecy blanket.

Golden girl: Denise was bronzed to perfection as she made the most of a spot of free-time

All things bright and beautiful: Later on, Kimberley changed into an orange floral dress by the fashion brand which had an off-shoulder detail

Putting everything in place: Denise struggled to contain her ample assets as she adjusted her two-piece

Wrapping up: Kimberley wore a baby pink robe over her bikini as she prepared to shoot

Mark Wright could be seen taking snaps on his phone as he checked out his look, while wearing a Hawaiian print shorts and shirt set.

He could then be seen mopping his back with a towel as he pulled some funny facial expressions, before indulging in a little limbo.

At one point, he lifted up his shirt to reveal his microphone battery pack which was strapped to him.

Sending to Michelle? Mark Wright could be seen taking snaps on his phone as he checked out his look

Trying out a new angle: Mark continued to be focused on his phone as Denise went about her business

How low can you go? Mark had a go at the limbo as he had some fun in the sun as he showed off his golden glow

Working it: Strictly star Vick Hope wore a striped Bardot top and denim shorts which had embellishments going down the sides

Ouch! Mark looked as though he had suffered a painful moment as he clutched his back - but it's unclear what he had done

Former TOWIE star Lydia Bright, who used to appear on the show with Mark, waited patiently in line for dinner, wearing a fluffy white towelling robe and slippers.

She used to be in a long-term relationship with Mark's best friend James Argent, who is now dating Gemma Collins.

Lydia was pictured wearing a polka dot cropped top and a matching long skirt which had a thigh-split going up one side.

Dinner time: Former TOWIE star Lydia Bright waited in line for some food, while wearing a fluffy white towelling robe

All pink everything: She wore a light-coloured shirt and a matching pair of shorts

Treat yourself: Lydia was pictured enjoying some food in the sunshine while still wearing the dressing gown

Lunch break: Vick appeared in high spirits as she too enjoyed a little snack

Wide-eyed: Lydia looked rather perturbed at one moment as she made everyone chuckle

Glowing: She looked naturally pretty as she prepared to pose in her co-ord

Dotty for her look: Lydia wore a spotty crop top and a long maxi skirt which had a thigh-split going up one side

That's one way to stand out: Denise was also seen wearing a striped dress, while Kimberley wore a blue floral number and Vick wore a light coloured shirt and light pink trainers

And she also wore a pink shirt with a matching pair of shorts as she larked about in front of the crew.

Strictly star Vick Hope wore a striped Bardot top and denim shorts which had embellishments going down the sides.

Her long curly hair was styled naturally and fell down past her shoulders.

Grub's up! Denise joined a host of other people as she tucked into lunch on a much-needed break

Having a ball: Former Big Breakfast star Denise threw on a yellow kaftan as she played in the surf

She's done this before: Denise looked like she knew exactly what she was doing as she set to work, looking busty in her bikini

Relaxing: The girls relaxed on sun loungers as Mark did his thing in front of the camera

Down in the dumps? Denise looked a little fed up as she carried her plate with a pal, while wearing an all-black ensemble and Ugg boots

Hydration: Kimberley sipped on some water amid a sea of colourful ensembles

Cute: Denise's daughter Betsy is also starring in the advert alongside her mother and wore a swimsuit which matched her bikini
Celebrity chef and Anthony Bourdain tragically took his own life last June.

And on Thursday, fellow chef Rick Stein shared one of the regrets he has over his late friend's death.

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph on Friday, the 72-year-old said he wished he had been able to 'cheer him up' when the pair were in the same town at the same time.

'Maybe if I'd met up with him in a bar I could have cheered him up': Celebrity chef Rick Stein (L) has shared his regrets over Anthony Bourdain's (R) death in an interview with Friday's Daily Telegraph

'It was really weird because we happened to be filming in the same little town where he took his life in Kaysersberg,' he told the publication.

'I didn't even know he was there filming, but I just sometimes think maybe if I'd met up with him in a bar somewhere I could have cheered him up,' he added.

Rick explained that many chefs have suffered with depression due to the 'tough industry' they're in, but believed Anthony was 'sane'.

'I didn't even know he was there filming': Speaking to The Daily Telegraph , the 72-year-old said he wish he could have 'cheered up' Anthony by meeting up with him at a bar at the time, as the two were in the same French town just before his death

'I was surprised about Anthony because he just seemed to be so sane,' he said.

The late chef and former No Reservations host passed away last June at the age of 61 while staying at the Le Chambard hotel in Kaysersberg, France.

At the time, he was filming an upcoming episode of his CNN show Parts Unknown, according to French media.

'I was surprised about Anthony because he just seemed to be so sane,' Rick added of Anthony's death. Pictured: Rick in 2015

In a February interview with People, Anthony said his daughter was his main reason to live.

After Ariana was born in 2007, Bourdain said he felt 'some responsibility' to 'at least try to live'.

'There have been times, honestly, in my life that I figured, "I've had a good run - why not just do this stupid thing, this selfish thing jump off a cliff into water of indeterminate depth,"' he said at the time, referencing a thrill-seeking act he did for his former Travel Channel show, No Reservations.

For confidential help or support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14
Nicole Kidman is 'astounded' by the 'harsh way women are judged' in films.

The 51-year-old actress plays Erin Bell - a police detective who is drawn back into an old case that left her traumatised - in Destroyer and says the action movie offers a 'gritty and raw and totally authentic' look at her character who doesn't adhere to traditional beauty ideals.

'A lot of times if you are going to be a female in an action film, they want you to look gorgeous, be bad-a**, be capable of firing guns and doing high kicks and still having lipstick and being svelte and being in a whole different class of action hero,' she told The Guardian.

Hot stuff: Nicole Kidman is 'astounded' by the 'harsh way women are judged' in films. Seen in The Paperboy in 2012

Grungy: The 51-year-old actress plays Erin Bell - a police detective who is drawn back into an old case that left her traumatised - in Destroyer and says the action movie offers a 'gritty and raw and totally authentic' look at her character who doesn't adhere to traditional beauty ideals

'This is gritty and raw and totally authentic. It's very different to give screen time - and this amount of screen time - to a woman who looks like this, who behaves like this, who is riddled with shame and anger and fury and rage, yet is also a mother and not a good mother.

'I'm always astounded at the harsh way in which women are judged, and I shouldn't be,' added the wife of Keith Urban who are raising two daughters together.

'I should know that by now, but it is what it is.'

A classic beauty: The blonde speaks onstage during the Big Little Lies panel of the HBO portion of the 2019 Winter TCA in February in Pasadena, California

The star has been the sexy action woman in sexy films - Dead Calm, Batman Forever, The Peacmaker,

The actress went on to explain she hopes to help change things.

She added: 'Maybe in 20 years time, for the next generation of women, it will be different but by god, I want to be one of those women who's helping carve a path for the next generation.

A sexy action star: She had several scenes filled with terror int he 2008 film Australia

A perfect example: The siren had to look stunning when running from explosions opposite George Clooney in 1997's The Peacemaker

'I'm the recipient of those that have come before me to even be in this position.'

This comes after her daughter Isabella Cruise has thanked her Hollywood star dad Tom Cruise for helping her through her Church of Scientology training.

The 26 year old - who is the adopted child of high ranking Scientology member Tom and his ex-wife Kidman - has spoken out about how her training to become an auditor within the London branch of the unconventional religion was 'exactly what she needed' and is the 'missing piece' in her life.

A different vibe for her: Here the Oscar winner is seen in How to Talk to Girls at Parties from 2017

An auditor is extensively trained member of the sci-fi cult who helps other members through intense self-examination sessions using an electronic device called the E-meter and encourages those being audited to share traumatic experiences either in this life or past incarnations.

In a lengthy letter posted to Tony Ortega's blog The Underground Bunker, she writes of her training: 'It turned out it was exactly what I needed.

'I dragged out the testing and correction, just made it through the drilling and then finally began my auditing adventure, and wow, I wasn't prepared. This IS what I had been searching for. The missing piece. Suddenly everything began to make sense.'

Another action movie for her: Nicole was in the biggest action movie of 2018, Aquaman

Isabella - who has a brother Connor, 23, who was also adopted by Tom and Nicole - says the course has now shown her 'without a doubt' that the 'tech' of Scientology works and she is committing her life to the church.

She added: 'The internship, for me, is what made me a Scientologist. I don't just believe the tech works now. I know without any doubt that it does.'

Scientology was created in 1952 by American science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard and is based on the belief that human beings are immortal, that a person's life experience transcends a single lifetime.

Her eldest daughter: This comes after her daughter Isabella Cruise has thanked her Hollywood star dad Tom Cruise for helping her through her Church of Scientology training. Seen in 2016

Bizarrely, Hubbard claimed that billions of extra-terrestrial beings were sent to Earth by Xenu - the dictator of the 'Galactic Confederacy', comprised of 26 stars and 76 planets including Earth - who gathered them around volcanoes and then destroyed the aliens with hydrogen bombs.

The aliens' souls attached themselves to chosen humans, known as thetans, who will be one day be saved from their life of spiritual harm.

Isabella went on to praise her dad Tom, 56, and claimed she would have 'drowned in her own problems' without the help of the 'Top Gun' star.

She wrote: 'Thank you to my Dad for everything ... I would have drowned in my own problems if you hadn't been there to sup [sic] me or get me through the preliminaries. It took a whole family and an org to get me here.'
Like many stars, Michelle Keegan and Mark Wright enjoy many perks to their jobs.

And the married couple made this clear on Thursday as they took to Instagram to share a series of posts from their holiday to Barbados, which they made clear to fans was a gifted holiday in a nod to the Advertising Standards Agency's outlines.

Looking every inch the perfect couple, the former Corrie actress and her ex-TOWIE star husband displayed the delights of their holiday - including a host of boozy treats, meeting a monkey on the beach and enjoying an idyllic dinner.

Ray of sunshine: Michelle Keegan and Mark Wright made their love of the perks of the job clear on Thursday as they took to Instagram to share a series of posts from their holiday to Barbados

Mark and Michelle have kept their followers up to speed on their holiday antics as they shared a series of snaps from a romantic beach date night.

Throughout the trip, they have been tagging their location and writing '#ad' on their posts to adhere with the Advertising Standards Authority rules surrounding paid posts on Instagram - in which it must be clear they are being paid for the posts.

Last year, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) conducted an investigation into concerns that social media stars are not properly declaring when they have been paid, or otherwise rewarded, to endorse goods or services.

Under consumer protection law, influencers are required to clearly state if they have received payment for products they endorse - either in gifts, money, trips or by loan of the products - hence the obedient couple's clear markings.

Monkeying around: The actress, 31, and the former Extra host, 32, were joined by a cheeky monkey and a fellow beach goer during their Caribbean break

Lapping it up: Mark was indulging in some cocktails - including a delicious looking pina colada

Mark and Michelle are stronger than ever, despite having survived the perils of a long-distance marriage when he lived in Los Angeles for an 18-month period.

Yet they looked more loved-up than ever as they enjoyed a romantic beach date night in a snap from their Barbados holiday.

The actress, 31, and the former Extra host, 32, held hands and smiled into the camera as they showed off their Caribbean tans while plugging the beach resort where they were staying,

Happy: Looking every inch the perfect couple, the former Corrie actress and her ex-TOWIE star husband displayed the delights of their holiday - including a host of boozy treats, meeting a monkey on the beach and enjoying an idyllic dinner

Happy days: They larked around with a monkey on the shores

Former TOWIE star Mark captioned the snap: 'Caribbean nights are the best nights.'

Michelle looked glowing as she rocked a cute black crop top and matching ruffled skirt. The Our Girl star added a pair of black lace-up sandals, while injecting a pop of colour to her ensemble with a printed yellow hairband.

The former soap actress opted for low-key make-up and accessorised with a pair of silver hoop earrings. Mark looked dapper in a crisp white shirt, black shorts and simple black flip-flops.

Idyllic: The former TOWIE star also shared a few snaps of himself enjoying refreshing drinks as he soaked up the stunning Bajan scenery

The Bachelor UK presenter also shared another snap of the couple on Instagram stories, where they were joined by a cheeky monkey and a fellow beach goer.

Mark also shared a few snaps of himself enjoying refreshing drinks as he soaked up the stunning Bajan scenery.

The previous day, Michelle herself gave her fans an update of her holiday, sharing an Instagram snap from her break on Wednesday which showcased her radiant glow as she enjoyed a drink at the beach bar.

The former Coronation Street star was seen rocking beachy waves and gold hoop earrings, sporting a black bandeau top as she rested one elbow on the table.

Living it up: Michelle looked the picture of relaxation in a snap from her Barbados break on Wednesday, showcasing her radiant glow as she enjoyed a drink at the beach bar

She wrote: 'My task today..? What cocktail to have next. #holiday #carribean #timeout'

Another envy-inducing beachside snap saw the actress watching a local artist painting the picturesque scenery.

'Hes fuming that a family has just plonked 10 pairs of flips flops and a cooler box right in his eyeline!', she captioned the image.

While another image shared by the actress showed her frolicking on the beach in an off-the-shoulder lace yellow dress.

The genetically-blessed couple couple - who married in May 2015 - recently spoke about whether they are planning to have children anytime soon.

Appearing on This Morning earlier this month, Mark admitted he is feeling very broody and said: 'As soon as we got married, we got it from our mums and it's been four years now.

'There is pressure, but it's fun pressure and everyone is excited for the day it does happen. I'm always broody. I love kids.

'We are not in a rush though, because we are both so busy and Michelle is off to do another series of Our Girl and potentially another series.

'When is the time right? Well, right now it's not.'

Michelle and Mark have been together since meeting on separate new year's holidays to Dubai in early 2012, and tied the knot at Hengrave Hall in Bury St Edmonds, Suffolk, in May 2015.
She's one of the top earning models in the world.

And Candice Swanepoel made it clear why she's earned that title while on the beaches of Tulum, Mexico on Wednesday.

The South African stunner, 30, put on a sizzling display wearing a white hot one-piece which showcased her near endless legs.

Looking good: Candice Swanepoel strutted her stuff wearing a white hot one piece during her vacation to Tulum, Mexico Wednesday

Candice's suit was cut high on her hips, putting her long stems front-and-center.

Turning around, she offered up a cheeky perspective of her backside.

The swimwear's halter top let the mother-of-two show off her toned shoulders and arms as well. And a small ribbon was tied around her center as a finishing touch.

Appearing fresh from a dip in the ocean, her hair was salty and sea-tousled.

Getting a leg up: Candice's suit was cut high on her hips, putting her long stems front-and-center

Fit as a fiddle: The swimwear's halter top let the mother-of-two show off her toned shoulders, back and arms as well

Bottom's up! Turning around, she offered up a cheeky perspective of her backside

After enjoying her time in the sun, Candice made sure to share snapshots from her vacation South Of The Border.

The Tropic Of C swimwear designer modeled a bohemian tunic, floppy striped hat and a crochet bag in front of some tropical floral on her Instagram story.

She also shared a first person look at her waterfront view.

Boho chic: The Tropic Of C swimwear designer modeled a bohemian tunic, floppy striped hat and a crochet bag in front of some tropical floral on her Instagram story

Ocean views: She also shared a first person look at her waterfront view

Show off: After enjoying her time in the sun, Candice made sure to share snapshots from her vacation South Of The Border

The model mommy recently revealed she shares a group text with fellow Victoria's Secret models Behati Prinsloo and Lily Aldrige to talk about parenting.

'Behati, Lily, we all have our mommy chat,' the beauty said during Daily Front Row's Fashion Los Angeles Awards Sunday March 17. 'Like, "Did you use this product?" It helps.'

The lingerie model welcomed son Anaca in 2016 and her second son Ariel in June 2018. She's been with partner Hermann Nicoli since 2005.
It was revealed last year that the actor would be joining Paolo Sorrentino's hit series following the success of The Young Pope with Jude Law in 2016.

And John Malkovich transformed into the supreme pontiff as he filmed scenes for The New Pope in Vatican City, Rome, Italy, on Thursday.

The Being John Malkovich actor, 65, looked worlds away from his usual attire as he donned a white choir dress, mozzetta, gold pectoral cross, two gold Fisherman's rings and a white zucchetto skullcap.

Unrecognisable: John Malkovich transformed into the supreme pontiff as he filmed scenes for The New Pope in Vatican City, Rome, Italy, on Thursday

John looked every inch the supreme pontiff as he filmed in Vatican City and was surrounded by hundreds of extras holding yellow roses, no doubt in reference to the Golden Rose, which is a gold ornament blessed on the fourth Sunday of Lent.

During the scenes, the actor was pictured holding a young child in the air as the crowd of actors cheered on and greeted him.

He was later filmed while standing in a pope mobile-style vehicle as he was driven around Vatican City.

It is not known what John's official role will be in the upcoming series but he's set to play a huge part.

Starring role: The Being John Malkovich actor, 65, looked worlds away from his usual attire as he donned a white choir dress, mozzetta, gold pectoral cross and a white zucchetto skullcap

Worlds away!: John looked every inch the supreme pontiff as he filmed in the Vatican City (pictured out of character in December, right)

Golden Rose: He was surrounded by hundreds of extras holding yellow roses, no doubt in reference to the Golden Rose, which is a gold ornament blessed on the fourth Sunday of Lent

Filming: During the scenes, the actor was pictured holding a young child in the air as the crowd of actors cheered on and greeted him

Earlier this year, it was confirmed that Jude Law, who played Pope Pius XIII in The Young Pope, would be reprising his role after the character's future was left uncertain in the 2016 season.

A first-look image released in January showed the Alfie star and John pictured together wearing papal vestments.

According to Variety, The New Pope will not be a 'second series of The Young Pope' but instead a 'second limited series set in the world of the modern papacy'.

Busy: He was later filmed while standing in a pope mobile-style vehicle as he was driven around Vatican City

Leading star: It is not known what John's official role will be in the upcoming series but he's set to play a huge part

He's back!: Earlier this year, it was confirmed that Jude Law, who played Pope Pius XIII in The Young Pope, would be reprising his role after the character's future was left uncertain in the 2016 season

First-look: A first-look image released in January showed the Alfie star and John pictured together wearing papal vestments

Filming for The New Pope started in Italy last year, Paolo Sorrentino has created the series with Umberto Contarello and Stefano Bises.

HBO and Sky announced the follow-up to acclaimed limited series The Young Pope in May 2017, with Sky Italia chief of content Andrea Scrosati saying: 'Just like The Young Pope, Sorrentino is writing the script for the new show, but it will have a different twist than what would be expected.'

In The Young Pope, Jude Law starred as Lenny Belardo, who became the first American pope in history and took the name Pius XIII, his character was hell-bent on turning the world of the Vatican upside down.

Plot: According to Variety , The New Pope will not be a 'second series of The Young Pope' but instead a 'second limited series set in the world of the modern papacy'

Underway: Filming for The New Pope started in Italy last year, Paolo Sorrentino has created the series with Umberto Contarello and Stefano Bises

Success: HBO and Sky announced the follow-up to acclaimed limited series The Young Pope in May 2017

Former storyline: In The Young Pope, Jude Law starred as Lenny Belardo, who became the first American pope in history and took the name Pius XIII, his character was hell-bent on turning the world of the Vatican upside down

Impressive: The Alfie actor, 45, even received a Golden Globe nomination for his role as Pope Pius XIII, joining the likes of Ewan McGregor and Robert De Niro in the star-studded nominations

The Alfie actor, 45, even received a Golden Globe nomination for his role as Pope Pius XIII, joining the likes of Ewan McGregor and Robert De Niro in the star-studded nominations.

The world premiere of The Young Pope was on 3 September 2016 at the 73rd Venice Film Festival, the first time a television show was part of the programme.

The cast of the 10-part series also included Diane Keaton, Silvio Orlando and James Cromwell.

Sinful saviour: It was revealed last year that the actor would be joining Paolo Sorrentino's hit series following the success of The Young Pope with Jude Law in 2016 (pictured together in HBO's first look photo)

Premiere: The world premiere of The Young Pope was on 3 September 2016 at the 73rd Venice Film Festival, the first time a television show was part of the programme
Killing Eve's Fiona Shaw was spotted on the Ammonite set for the first time with her co-star Kate Winslet at Lyme Regis, in Dorset on Thursday.

It is not known who the actress, 60, will play in the movie, with the majority of the cast's roles shrouded in secrecy.

Having filmed all morning in a summer hat and 19th century period pattern dress, the Killing Eve star grabbed a moments break to have lunch.

Bombshell! Killing Eve's Fiona Shaw was seen on Ammonite set in 19th century costume for the first time with her co-star Kate Winslet in Dorset on Thursday

Feeling the chill in the Dorset landscape, Fiona held her hands together and she donned a padded black jacket during her filming break.

Although the characters' descriptions were yet to be released, it is known the film has been set in 1840s England.

It tells the story of a fossil hunter Mary Anning and a young woman who develop an intense relationship which alters both of their lives after embarking on an adventure.

Annings will be portrayed by Titanic actress Kate in the movie and Sam Parks will play the curator.

Exciting: It tells the story of a fossil hunter Mary Anning and a young woman who develop an intense relationship which alters both of their lives after embarking on an adventure

Still in the early stages of development, Ammonite has already faced criticism for a central storyline focusing on a lesbian affair involving Anning and Murchison.

Barbara Anning, a distant niece who still lives near the Jurassic Coast where the fossil hunter made many discoveries, insisted there was no proof she was ever in a same-sex relationship.

She said: 'The lesbian storyline is pure Hollywood as far as I know and there was no suggestion that she was a lesbian at all. That's just what they do I suppose.'

Back in time: Having filmed all morning in a summer hat and 19th century period pattern dress, the Killing Eve star grabbed a moments break to have lunch

Anning's niece had previously written on an online forum: 'I do not believe there is any evidence to back up portraying her as a gay woman... I believe Mary Anning was abused because she was poor, uneducated and a woman. Is that not enough?'

Experts and fans of her work are also upset, claiming the paleontologist, who never married or had children, was 'interesting enough' without needing her life spiced up for the sake of a film.

A fan society dedicated to the fossil finder called Mary Anning Rocks also objected to the plotline, including Harvard University geologist Bretton Carter, who said: 'I have mixed feelings about this movie.

Character challenge: Annings will be portrayed by Titanic actress Kate in the movie and Sam Parks will play the curator

'Being gay, I'm all about the inclusion of LGBTQ characters, but I feel like Mary Anning is an interesting enough person as she is, they didn't have to throw in same-sex affair with her (as it has no known historical basis).'

Anning is known for making major discoveries in Jurassic marine fossil beds in the cliffs at Lyme Regis and Charmouth.

Her work contributed to important changes in scientific thinking about prehistoric life.

Awkward: Still in the early stages of development, Ammonite has already faced criticism for a central storyline focusing on a lesbian affair involving Anning and Murchison

However, due to being a woman, she was prevented form joining the Geological Society of London and did not receive full credit for her findings.

It is also thought she was the inspiration for the 1908 tongue-twister 'She sells seashells on the seashore' by Terry Sullivan.

The plot centers around the famous paleontologist, who becomes involved with Saoirse's Murchison after she is sent to convalesce by the sea.

Directed by Francis Lee, Ammonite is expected to go on general release in 2020.
It's an A-list line-up for Sam Mendes' latest film 1917 as Richard Madden, Benedict Cumberbatch and Colin Firth have all joined the cast.

According to Deadline, the production will begin filming in England and Scotland on April 1.

The film follows two British soldiers (played by Dean-Charles Chapman and George McKay) over the course of a single day at the height of World War I.

It's an A-list line-up for Sam Mendes' latest film 1917 as Richard Madden, Benedict Cumberbatch and Colin Firth have all joined the cast (pictured in 2018)

Other actors who have been confirmed for the flick include Andrew Scott, Mark Strong and Daniel Mays.

Best known for directing the James Bond films Skyfall and Spectre, as well as American Beauty, 1917 will be Sam's second war film after Jarhead in 2005.

While none of the lead actors characters are known yet, Benedict has previously spoken about the sort of characters he enjoys playing.

In an interview with Stellar magazine, the 42-year-old expressed that he's drawn to complex characters because they are 'so different' from him.

Filming: According to Deadline, the production will begin filming in England and Scotland on April 1 (Richard Madden pictured in February 2019)

Plot: The film follows two British soldiers over the course of a single day at the height of World War I (Colin Firth pictured in 2018)

'The great joy [of acting] is the transformation - moving away from what I know or who I am.

'So perversely, I am probably one of the stupidest actors I know. I'm playing some of the smartest characters because I'm drawn to them. They are so different from me.'

Among Benedict's 'intelligent' roles was The Imitation Game character Alan Turing, who was a mathematical genius.

He has also played journalist and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in The Fifth Estate, Stephen Hawking in the 2004 BBC film Hawking and Sherlock Holmes.

Director: Best known for directing the James Bond films Skyfall and Spectre and American Beauty, 1917 will be Sam's second war film after Jarhead in 2005

Meanwhile, Richard has reportedly been linked to the role of James Bond, with producers said to be interested in approaching him to fill Daniel Craig's shoes.

A source said: Its seriously looking like he [Madden] is going to get the job. Not only is he on top of Barbaras list, but she is preparing to offer the role.

If confirmed, Maddens selection would end a year of speculation as to who will succeed screen star Daniel.
He is best known for relatively cheery, upbeat roles including work on Baywatch, High School Musical, and The Greatest Showman.

But Zac Efron is showing off his dark side in his latest role.

The 31-year-old actor showcased his acting range as he portrayed infamous serial killer Ted Bundy in an exclusive clip from upcoming biopic released by Sky Cinema on Thursday.

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Highly-anticipated: Ted Bundy showcased his acting range as he portrayed infamous serial killer Ted Bundy in an exclusive clip from upcoming biopic released by Sky Cinema on Thursday

In the minute-long clip, Bundy could be seen manipulating girlfriend Liz Kendall, who is played by Lily Collins, into thinking that he was being set-up when it came to his murder trial.

It starts out with the couple at a diner having a meal with Liz's daughter who asks if they could get ice cream after dinner.

Bundy replies: 'That is such a good idea and I wish I could but I can't. Sorry I have to pull an all-nighter at the law library.'

Interesting: It starts out with the couple at a diner having a meal with Liz's daughter who asks if they could get ice cream after dinner

Standing alone: Bundy replies: 'That is such a good idea and I wish I could but I can't. Sorry I have to pull an all-nighter at the law library'

The serial killer famously defended himself in court and Liz seemed skeptical of him having to stay up all night to prepare.

Bundy assures her that it is all part of the process by saying: 'Yeah I've got to make sure I'm the most prepared attorney in the court room once my trial starts.'

Liz seems to buy Ted's explanation as she queries him on how the accusations began.

Reservations: The serial killer famously defended himself in court and Liz seemed skeptical of him having to stay up all night to prepare before asking how accusations began

Good call: Liz asked why he was chosen out of a line-up

An answer for everything? Bundy had a bit of pause before explaining: 'My lawyer found out that the police showed her a picture beforehand, twice, of course I looked familiar'

She asked: 'Why did she pick you out of the line-up?'

Bundy had a bit of pause before explaining: 'My lawyer found out that the police showed her a picture beforehand, twice, of course I looked familiar.

'That's not even the worst part. What happened in Utah wasn't just dumb luck. The police already had my name, someone gave it to them.'

Liz seems a little skeptical as she wonders who would do that to him and Bundy quickly diverted her attention as he pointed to a car parked outside of the eatery.

Conflicted: He said that someone in Utah gave police his name and Liz asked who would do that to him

Smooth move: Bundy quickly diverted her attention as he pointed to a car parked outside of the eatery

'Either I'm going crazy or I'm being set up': The trailer ends with Bundy claiming he is being followed

The clip ends with him explaining: 'Look do you see that car out there? It's been following me since I got back.

'Either I'm going crazy or I'm being set up.'

Netflix acquired Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile in an estimated $9m deal, according to The Hollywood Reporter last month.

Netflix is said to be giving the film its theatrical run in the autumn. The movie will hit cinemas in the UK and be available on Sky Cinema on May 3.

Winning: Netflix acquired Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile in an estimated $9m deal, according to The Hollywood Reporter last month

The service already has the rights to the phenomenally successful Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes.

Extremely Wicked is told through the eyes of the madman's girlfriend Elizabeth Kloepfer AKA Liz Kendall who testified on his behalf at trial.

She was so enamored with the serial killer that she even said 'yes' when he proposed to her during that time.

The film tells the story of Bundy's infamous crime spree in the 1970s where he murdered dozens of women.

Gruesome: The film tells the story of Bundy's infamous crime spree in the 1970s where he murdered dozens of women

Horror: Extremely Wicked is told through the eyes of the madman's girlfriend Elizabeth Kloepfer AKA Liz Kendall who testified on his behalf at trial

Bundy was accused of brutally murdering and assaulting over 30 women and later performing sexual acts with the corpses.

He even decapitated several victims and kept the severed heads at mementos.

Later he famously defended himself in court and amassed a disturbing number of female fans.

EXTREMELY WICKED, SHOCKINGLY EVIL AND VILE is released in uk cinemas and on Sky Cinema from May 3.
Viola Davis is living her best life at 53.

The Academy Award winner went thrill chasing as she jumped out of a plane in Hawaii on Wednesday.

Sharing a video of her adrenaline inducing adventure on social media, fans got a good look at her hilarious reaction to the terrifying skydive.

Living it up: Viola Davis, 53, chased a thrill as she jumped out of a plane in Hawaii on Wednesday

The icon's heart-pumping adventure was recorded by the team at Big Island Gravity, who Davis chose to go tandem with at the oceanfront Upolu Airport in Hawi.

Davis took the world on her excursion with her as she posted the full clip to Twitter.

She excitedly reflected on the 12,000 ft jump saying, 'So....I jumped out of a plane. Yup. I did it. 12,000 ft and 100mph drop. It was awesome and the ultimate exercise in letting go, tackling my fears and freedom. #GladIDidntWearAWig #WalkingInto2019WithASword #ForgiveMeForMyCussWordsAndJackedUpHair'

Not quite ready: All jokes aside, Davis did admit she was feeling anxious prior to the leap of faith

Prepared for the worst: In the plane's cockpit, pre-jump, viola said, 'Im ready. Im alive. My will is done  signed, sealed, delivered, and witnesses. As long as youre not nervous, Im fine!'

All jokes aside, Davis did admit she was feeling anxious prior to the leap of faith.

In the plane's cockpit, pre-jump, she said, 'Im ready. Im alive. My will is done  signed, sealed, delivered, and witnesses. As long as youre not nervous, Im fine!'

Then, came the big moment.

It's happening: Dropping a few F-bombs, Viola flew through the air with a stunned look on her face

Calming down: After the parachute was pulled Davis relished in the moment, singing a little bit of Montell Jordan's hit, This Is How We Do It, while grooving in her harness

Dropping a few F-bombs, Viola flew through the air with a stunned look on her face.

After the parachute was pulled she relished in the moment, singing a little bit of Montell Jordan's hit, This Is How We Do It, while grooving in her harness.

The professional skydiver laughed along with the actress who was wearing an all black Under Armour turtleneck and thick sunglasses.

Picturesque: Soaring over the beautiful Aloha state, Viola's video featured lush greenery and mountains down below

Close up: The dare devils landed safely on the ground after a short couple of minutes and then talked directly to the GoPro attached to them about the experience

Soaring over the beautiful Aloha state, Viola's video featured lush greenery and mountains down below.

The dare devils landed safely on the ground after a short couple of minutes and then talked directly to the GoPro attached to them about the experience.

When asked how she liked it, Viola called skydiving, 'Awesome,' as she grinned hugely.

Wasn't so bad: When asked how she liked it, Viola called skydiving, 'Awesome,' as she grinned hugely

You did what?! Numerous celebrities applauded the How To Get Away With Murder star, commenting on the funny clip

Numerous celebrities applauded the How To Get Away With Murder star, commenting on the funny clip.

Her daughter in upcoming movie The Woman King, Lupita Nyong'o said, 'Oh my word!! Much respect!' hinting she wouldn't be caught doing the insane stunt herself.

Reese Witherspoon wrote, 'Wow,' and Ellen Pompeo added, 'OMG ..... Goooooo V!!!!!!'

Other A-Listers like Gabrielle Union, Shonda Rhimes, Sara Paulson and Katie Couric also shared their shock and amazement at Viola's daring act.

Now that she's back on land safe and sound, Viola can be seen in an Untitled Harriet Tubman project coming up, in which she stars as Tubman.

And, her murder mystery series, How To Get Away With Murder continues in another season on ABC.

Viola won the Oscar for Best Actress in 2017 for her role in Fences.

Starring alongside Denzel Washington, the actors moved audiences to tears in their groundbreaking film about a working-class African-American father raising his family in the 1950s.

The actress has been enjoying a vacation in Hawaii with her adopted daughter, Genesis, and husband, Julius Tennon, who did not join her in the big jump.

Pride and joy: The actress has been enjoying a vacation in Hawaii with her adopted daughter, Genesis, and husband, Julius Tennon, who did not join her in the big jump
Tensions began to rise in England as the Revolutions of 1848 spread across the Continent, stoking resentment amongst the public against the monarchy.

And the first look at the second episode of Victoria's third season was released on Thursday, and sees the Queen lament the hatred the Chartists have for her as she cradles her newborn daughter Princess Louise.

Talking to her maid about her hopes for the future, the regent spoke of a seamstress named Abigail as she began: 'Abigail told me the Charterists loved their queen, she was wrong, and now I need soldiers to defend me from my own people.

Moving: Queen Victoria got emotional while discussing her desire for a 'glorious' reign as tensions continued to rise, in a preview of the second episode released on Thursday

'When I was a little girl, I made a promise to myself that I would be not just a queen but a great queen whose reign would be remembered as a glorious one.'

Referring to Foreign Secretary Lord Palmerston (Laurence Fox), who supports the French Revolution, Victoria continued: 'Now there are no cheers for me, only Lord Palmerston. Why dont they understand he only cares about his own glory.'

Her maid quickly reassured her, as she responded: 'A London crowd would cheer anyone who would give them free beer, forgive me maam a queen doesnt need to curry favour.'

Emotional: Talking to her maid about her hopes for the future, the regent admitted: 'When I was a little girl, I made a promise to myself that I would be not just a queen but a great queen'

With an emotional twinge in her voice, Victoria finally said: 'But I want them to love me, I want them to love me. Otherwise, what is the point.'

Victoria kicked off its long-awaited third series in style on Sunday, as the perpetually pregnant Queen battled a brewing rebellion and a surprise family arrival.

The Chartist Movement was starting to come to a head with activists campaigning for a vote for the working man, and while many believe in the cause as an opposition to the government, the more extreme views are also shown as one screams for the downfall of the Royal Family.

Worried: Referring to Foreign Secretary Lord Palmerston (Laurence Fox), who supports the French Revolution, Victoria continued: 'Now there are no cheers for me, only Lord Palmerston'

Closing on a dramatic note, the episode saw the Charterists storm Buckingham Palace, and one hurled a rock through the window that narrowly missed the Queen.

The shock led to Victorias water breaking, and the episode ended with guards struggling to keep out the protesters as her screams of pain could be heard over the top.

In the second episode, the Queen is set to consider whether or not she should use troops to block the Charterists from delivering their Charter in Westminster, or allow them to do so.

Victoria continues on Sunday 31st March at 9pm on ITV.
She is one of the world's most in-demand models, known for her effortless sense of style.

And Jourdan Dunn showed why she is a force to be reckoned with in the world of fashion as she attended the Fashion Trust Arabia Prize awards ceremony in Doha, Qatar on Thursday.

The British model, 29, looked regal in a plunging canary yellow satin gown with cinched in at her slender waist and featured a structured collar.

Wow: Jourdan Dunn showed why she is a force to be reckoned with in the world of fashion as she attended the Fashion Trust Arabia Prize awards ceremony in Doha, Qatar on Thursday

Drawing the eye to her toned frame, the statement gown flared out in a voluminous skirt which shimmered under the spotlights.

The star boosted her height with pastel pink stiletto shoes.

Her raven tresses were pulled up in a chic plaited bun while her pretty features were enhanced with smoky shadow,fluttery lashes and peach gloss.

She added an extra touch of sparkle with a glittering diamond choker necklace.

Shimmer: The British model, 29, looked regal in a plunging canary yellow satin gown with cinched in at her slender waist and featured a structured collar

The British star recently spoke of the 'dangerous' pressure placed on young girls to look picture perfect as they are confronted with photoshopped images on social media.

She said: 'Some young girls don't know how to separate reality from Instagram. They're comparing themselves to a photoshopped image, but how can you compare yourself to something that's not real? It can be very dangerous.'

Jourdan was scouted at the age of 15 by Storm Model Management and has gone on to find fame across the globe.

Speaking exclusively to MailOnline last year, the mother-of-one admitted that being in the spotlight means she finds it hard to form friendships - and she trusts her instincts to filter out the disingenuous people.

She said: 'I've made strong friendships in the spotlight and you're meeting new people all the time.

'But you soon become wary and realise that some people just want to get near you for your name.

'I have developed good judgement and go off vibes now. Anyone with bad energy is cut off straight away.'
Melissa McCarthy is ready for the warm weather months.

The Life Of The Party actress left her black winter attire at home to model a beige-and-white blouse with white slacks and open-toe sandals when she stepped out in Los Angeles on Thursday.

The Oscar nominee was spotted leaving Urban Outfitters carrying a pillow in an overstuffed shopping bag.

Retail therapy: Melissa McCarthy, 48, shopped at Urban Outfitters in Los Angeles on Thursday

As she made her way to her car after the shopping spree, Melissa was seen wearing white flared pants with a loose fitted light beige top.

Her hair was parted down the middle and pulled back, showing off gold hoop earrings.

In her hands, the funny lady towed a tan purse and large bag, filled with a decorative tan pillow.

Enjoying the rising Los Angeles temperatures, McCarthy showed her toes in brown Birkenstock sandals.

Summer style: As she made her way to her car after the shopping spree, Melissa was seen wearing white flared pants with a loose fitted light beige top. Her hair was parted down the middle and pulled back, showing off gold hoop earrings

Sun soaked: Enjoying the rising Los Angeles temperatures, McCarthy showed her toes in brown Birkenstock sandals

Her Urban Outfitters trip came just two days after Melissa took her kids on a Target run.

Stocking up on a trolley load of necessities, the award winner was seen pushing her cart through the parking lot of the discount store.

Melissa was pictured with Vivian, 11, and Georgette, eight, her daughters from her 14-year marriage to Ben Falcone, 45.

The siblings helped their mom carry their purchases and loaded them into the car.

Shop till you drop! Melissa took her daughters on a Target run as they stock up at discount store in Los Angeles on Tuesday

Last month Melissa glammed up for the Oscars, where she was nominated for a second time, going up for best actress for her portrayal of Lee Israel in Can You Ever Forgive Me?

It later emerged that she had taken over the role after Julianne Moore was fired by the movie's screenwriter Nicole Holofcener.

'Can You Ever Forgive Me? was nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Actress for Melissa, Best Supporting Actor for Richard E. Grant and Best Adapted Screenplay, but did not win any statuettes.

Queen: The Bridesmaids vet went overboard for her appearance at the 91st Annual Academy Awards in February

Melissa has been married to Ben since 2005.

They first met when they were at the famous improvisation theater, The Groundlings in Los Angeles.

'We immediately were improvising with each other and immediately gravitating toward each other, writing-wise,' Melissa recalled.

They she talked about one of their early skits, 'The first day, everybodys doing their biggest, probably most unrealistic, poorly done characters. And Ben got up there and did this very strange inmate that sat on a chair quietly. I just thought it was the funniest thing. I thought: I like that creepy guy.'

The two went on to get married and even perform in the hit movie, Bridesmaids together in 2011.
Jeremy Clarkson got the shock of his life when he looked down the loo on Thursday.

The Grand Tour host, who is currently on a tour of southeast Asia, shared the moment he discovered a frog in his toilet bowl and did not know what to do about it.

Declaring it an 'emergency', the 58-year-old shared some pretty shaky camerawork on Instagram as he pleaded for advice from his followers.

It's an emergency: Jeremy Clarkson declared a state of emergency on Thursday as he discovered a frog in his toilet

In two clips, Jeremy's unwanted guest can be seen slipping up and down the toilet bowl, unable to escape, before retreating down the hole.

This is not an uncommon problem in tropical countries during dry seasons.

Sometimes, frogs can find solace in toilets after making their way into a residence, but other times a frog can swim to the toilet tank from the sewer line.

Yet Jeremy's new amphibian friend didn't seem to want to go back down the way he came, and kept reappearing in the short Instagram clips.

Not what he was expecting: The Grand Tour presenter shared the evidence with his Instagram followers in a string of clips

Seeking solace: Issuing a warning about what else might be visible in the toilet bowl, Jeremy shared a close up shot of his new amphibian friend

'This is an EMERGENCY. I need advice,' he said, issuing a warning that later said: 'Toad update. May contain turd.'

Jeremy's post prompted some unhelpful suggestions, like switching rooms with James May or getting Richard Hammond to 'fight it to the death'.

However, others offered some practical advice about how to deal with the unwanted visitor.

'Turn the water to the toilet off if you can,' said one follower. 'Then use a hanger or something similar to coax the toad out.'

Too slippery: The frog tried to escape via the toilet seat but found the bowl too slippery

Retreat! As soon as he was spotted he made his way back into the toilet bowl and hid

Another said: 'Put something in so it can climb out, its too slippy for it to get out itself.'

With perhaps the best advice, one other wrote: 'Marigold on, arm around ubend, pull toad to safety whilst avoiding any rogue stools.'

Official advice issued by conservationist group, Frogwatch, suggests that frogs are 'unlikely' to be harmed by the flush of a toilet, so it seems Jeremy's best option would have been to pull the chain.

However, cleaning the toilet with 'chemical-heavy liquids' is reportedly harmful or toxic to frogs, so the advice is to make sure the 'frogs are out of the way before you clean a bowl.'

Instead, Jeremy chose an alternative option and opted to 'retreat' to the coastline while the drama unfolded at home.

Staying put: Official advice from Frogwatch suggests that flushing the toilet should not harm a frog, but chemicals will

Jeremy is believed to be in Vietnam after taking off for a gap year-style trip in Southeast Asia, where hes even been picking up rubbish.

He's joined by 46-year-old girlfriend Lisa Hogan, who was seen posing with him on the beach earlier this month.

In other news from Vietnam, weve been clearing litter from the beaches, Clarkson posted on Twitter.

The 58-year-old has been travelling with Lisa, 47, through Singapore, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam  and has become something of an eco-warrior.

Last week, in Laos, I watched maybe 200 Chinese tourists throw all the plastic packaging from their picnic lunches in a river, he fretted on Twitter.

Glowing: Jeremy shared another snap of himself and bikini-clad is on holiday with girlfriend Lisa Hogan, 46

Jeremy was photographed last week clearing rubbish from a beach in Vietnam along with his girlfriend Lisa Hogan
Keith Duffy has been rushed to hospital Bangkok, Thailand during the Boyzone tour.

A tweet from the boyband's official account announced that the 44-year-old would miss the show in the Thai capital on Thursday after falling ill.

The tweet said: 'Keith was taken ill before the gig here in Bangkok this evening and has been admitted to hospital on the advice of the local medical team.

Taken ill: Keith Duffy was hospitalised in Thailand on Thursday and missed his Boyzone show in Bangkok

'Our brother will be back on his feet as soon as possible and we thank you for all your wonderful support in the meantime.'

A representative for Keith Duffy has been contacted by MailOnline for comment.

Keith's bandmates Ronan Keating, Mikey Graham, and Shane Lynch went ahead with the show as a three piece.

A picture featured with their tweet shows the three singers performing on their own, without their 'brother'.

Announcement: News came from the official Boyzone account just before the show

Arriving in Bangkok on Wednesday, Keith looked in good health in a video her shared with fans.

Making light of a few heavy nights in Hong Kong, he joked that the boys were 'a little bit tired because they partied too hard in Hong Kong.'

The 'Thank You And Goodnight' tour has been relentless ever since kicking off on January 23, 2019.

The boys toured England, Scotland and Wales before heading over to Australia, New Zealand and then Asia.

Not the full set: Bandmates (from left) Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating and Shane Lynch were forced to perform without Keith (right)

Ronan recently said that he never thought the band would have the mileage to celebrate a 25th anniversary tour.

Of course, the four-piece used to be a five until 10 years ago when Stephen Gately sadly passed away, at the age of 33.

The singer died at his home in Majorca from an undiagnosed heart condition.

Man band: The four-piece have returned with their Thank You And Goodnight tour

Stephen's presence has been felt throughout their latest tour, with tribute videos playing on the big screens.

Boyzone temporarily parted ways back in 1999; it didn't last long as they were reunited in the late 2000s.

After six albums and sky-rocketing success, the boyband has now confirmed that 2019 will be the end of the road for their musical career.
The Vanishing (15)

Rating:

Verdict: Solid Hebridean-set thriller

In 1900, three lighthouse keepers disappeared without trace off the Flannan Isles in Scotlands Outer Hebrides.

It is a little-known mystery, certainly much less notorious than the disappearance of three schoolgirls and their teacher during a picnic at Hanging Rock, in Australia, in the very same year.

The irony is that the Hanging Rock mystery is make-believe. The Flannan lighthouse keepers really did disappear, and The Vanishing is an entirely imagined account of what might have happened to them.

Lighthouse family (from the left): Butler, Mullan and Swindells. The Vanishing unfolds as both a conventional and psychological thriller, and, at times, the director gets stuck between the two

Danish director Kristoffer Nyholm, and writers Celyn Jones and Joe Bone, move the story forward to 1938. The three men are Thomas (Peter Mullan), James (Gerard Butler) and Donald (Connor Swindells).

Thomas is a grizzled veteran, a man of few words, blighted, as it turns out, by a desperate personal tragedy. James is an amiable-seeming cove and Donald a chirpy novice.

They have a six-week shift stretching out in front of them, and for the first part of the film, its easy to feel as if we do, too.

We get jolly good looks at the light mechanism, the knitwear, the beards, the weather. And again in reverse order.

But a flock of dead seagulls presages a change of tone and a quickening of the narrative. Soon, the keepers find a man washed ashore, presumed dead.

He has a locked wooden chest with him, but as Robert Louis Stevenson so nearly wrote, three men looking in a dead mans chest is a recipe for disaster.

There is something of great value inside, and a pair of roguish Scandinavian sailors duly come looking for it, not believing for a second Thomass explanation of its whereabouts.

From that point, gradually, and very effectively, Nyholm cranks up the tension. His vast TV experience, on shows such as The Killing, and Taboo, serves him well.

So does his cast; its never easy to rip your eyes off Mullan, such a powerful actor, but its good to be reminded that theres more to Butler, too, than just a big torso and a bad script. And Swindells, in his feature-film debut, isnt outclassed either.

The Vanishing unfolds as both a conventional and psychological thriller, and, at times, the director gets stuck between the two.

Some of the events towards the end raise more questions than they settle, and Jamess speedy transformation from salt-of-the-earth type to unbalanced loose cannon feels a little forced.

But theres plenty to admire, nonetheless. Unless youre hoping for a dash of the supernatural, I dont think youll be disappointed with this explanation of the Flannan Isles mystery  even if you didnt know there was one.

Too much Mumbo Jumbo

Dumbo (PG)

Rating:

Verdict: Nothing to trumpet about

Both on screen and off, the 1941 animation Dumbo was a dark one for Walt Disney and his studio.

It was conceived and made hastily, to recoup the losses incurred the year before by the extravagant Fantasia, and then, during production, the animators went on strike.

If you look carefully, you can see segments in which the drawings, by Disney standards, are strangely slapdash. Years later, to cap everything, the film was accused of racism.

Dumbo himself is rendered pretty much as he was in the animated version, with big blue eyes that either sparkle with happiness or cloud with sorrow

The wonderful song When I See An Elephant Fly is sung by five jive-talking black crows. They are clearly meant to sound African-American.

They are also sublimely smart and witty. So furious accusations of racial stereotyping seem a little desperate.

There was even more nasty racism in 1941 than there is now, but Im not sure the Dumbo crows were in the vanguard.

All of which brings us to Tim Burton, whose live-action reimagining of the Dumbo story conspicuously puts some of the words of that song in the mouth of a (white) ringmaster.

He seems determined to right all the wrongs supposedly perpetrated by the 1941 film, which for all its foibles, is unequivocally a classic. It was certainly a huge favourite in our house when my children were little.

They were captivated by the story of the baby circus elephant with ears so big they enabled him to fly.

Todays computer-generated imagery, it turns out, cannot make an elephant fly quite as convincingly as a team of clever animators could almost 80 years ago

The harrowing separation from his mother, not to mention the wacky hallucination scene in which a drunken Dumbo sees a parade of pink pachyderms, did not deter them from watching it again and again. And again.

Burtons version, I can safely suggest, will not claim the hearts of generations of children in the same way, nor will anyone clamour to see it repeatedly.

Todays computer-generated imagery, it turns out, cannot make an elephant fly quite as convincingly as a team of clever animators could almost 80 years ago.

So for that reason, and several others, this non-musical Disney version, hard though it tries, simply never recaptures the abundant charm and magic of the original. Actually, a few good songs might have helped.

On paper, it makes sense for Burton, who once gave us a man with scissors for hands, to work with an elephant with ears for wings. The 60-year-old director of the 1990 hit fantasy Edward Scissorhands, something of an oddball himself, likes to tell stories about social misfits.

But on screen, Burtons personal antipathy towards zoos and circuses, which he has spoken about in interviews, looms all too large.

Of course, cruelty to animals should be abhorrent to right- thinking folk everywhere, yet his film is undermined by the worthiness of its animal-rights message. Circuses dont have to be magnets for leering voyeurs. They can be places of innocent joy, too.

As for the narrative that so many of us know so well, Burton, and his screenwriter Ehren Kruger, have given it a sharp twist.

In 1919, a World War I veteran, Holt Farrier (Colin Farrell), comes home from the Western Front with only one arm. With a full complement of limbs, he was an acclaimed horseman with the Medici Bros Circus.

Now, sneaky Max Medici (Danny DeVito) wants to downgrade him to humble elephant carer. Yet his childrens loss is even greater; while daddy was away at war, mommy died in a flu epidemic.

This gives us a double-whammy of motherlessness, because the circuss prize elephant, Mrs Jumbo, is soon carted off in chains for causing a hoo-hah in the Big Top.

So poor Jumbo Jnr, propelled airborne whenever a feather makes him sneeze, and renamed Dumbo by a typically boorish member of the audience, has only the cute Farrier kids, Milly (Nico Parker) and Joe (Finley Hobbins), as a source of love.

And its always a pleasure to see those two charismatic actors, Keaton (pictured above) and DeVito, (deadly enemies as Batman and Penguin in Burtons 1992 film Batman Returns) bouncing off one another

Young Parker, incidentally, is British, the daughter of actress Thandie Newton and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again director Ol Parker.

She looks the part and does her best, but, to be brutally honest, some of the child- acting in this film verges on the wooden.

To see a seasoned old pro hit all his marks, they had only to look down. DeVito is on fine form as Max, for whom Dumbo is good for only one thing: box-office takings.

His business is on its uppers and he needs a new attraction. But Dumbos unique talent, and associated misadventures, soon pique the interest of a much greater showman, ruthless V.A. Vandevere (Michael Keaton). He wants this elephantine smash for his super-circus, and he wants his sexy,

French trapeze-artist girlfriend, Colette Marchant (Eva Green), to ride the little weirdo through the air. He makes Max his partner, promising him a taste of the big time.

All is going swimmingly, or rather flyingly, until Dumbo is lured out of the Big Top by the distant call of his dear old momma.

So Vandevere schemes to have her terminated, only  and since this is a Disney film, I really dont think this counts as a spoiler  to be thwarted by a righteous alliance of the Farriers, Colette and all the perceived freaks in the circus.

Some of this is fun. Some of it shows great expertise in the CGI department. Dumbo himself is rendered pretty much as he was in the animated version, with big blue eyes that either sparkle with happiness or cloud with sorrow.

And its always a pleasure to see those two charismatic actors, Keaton and DeVito, (deadly enemies as Batman and Penguin in Burtons 1992 film Batman Returns) bouncing off one another.

They each get some slick one-liners, as does venerable Alan Arkin, stealing the few scenes hes in as the financial muscle behind Vandevere.

But there are a few crucial ingredients missing here, and one thing very much present that nobody acknowledges.

The animal-rights message is hammered hard, Dumbo certainly doesnt get drunk, and Ive already mentioned When I See An Elephant Fly.

Yes, Im afraid that political correctness is the elephant in the room.

A shorter version of this review appeared in Wednesdays paper.
For newlyweds Billie Faiers and Greg Shepherd, the party never ends.

The Shepherds were reunited with their wedding party at a pal's birthday night out in Essex on Thursday and clearly seemed like they were still celebrating.

And Billie's sister Sam certainly seemed to be feeling the love, three weeks after the Maldives nuptials, because she was seen kissing beau Paul Knightley passionately.

Bridal party: Billie Faiers headed out on the town with (from left) Ferne McCann, mum Suzanne, and sister Sam as she reunited her wedding guests on a night out at Sheesh on Wednesday

Joined by mum Suzanne, the girls got back on the town with pal Ferne McCann at favourite haunt, Sheesh.

Billie was still showing off her impressive bridal bod in a figure hugging tan dress, while Sam was wearing wedding white.

Love is in the air: Three weeks after the wedding, Sam looked more smitten than ever with beau Paul Knightley

Mr and Mrs: Billie and her new husband Greg have not stopped celebrating

Party girls: Joined their friend Sarah (centre), the women caught up on all things weddings

Reunited: Greg and his gang were back on the town, celebrating mate Sam's birthday

Drinks were flowing again, three weeks after they invited 200 of their mates to the Maldives to celebrate their wedding.

Billie's wedding to Greg reportedly caused upset among other guests in the Maldives, some of whom had paid up to 12,000 for their trip of a lifetime.

As wedding chat now turns to Sam and Paul, the mum-of-two looked closer than ever to her beau.

Boozy night out: Ferne (left) and Billie (right) enjoyed cockatils and shots on the night out

Out on a school night: The sisters made sure they promoted their ITVBe show The Mummy Diaries while they were out of the house

Sam recently declared that she wants her wedding to Paul to be the 'total opposite [of Billies].

She said on Heart breakfast: 'Put it this way, I wont be having a 100 people and going all the way to the Maldives, but it was amazing.

'Billie and Greg are entertainers, they are always doing something so we always knew their wedding would be humongous and epic.'
She's the fashion mogul who never puts a foot wrong when it comes to her style.

And Victoria Beckham showcased her sartorial prowess once again as she arrived at the Fashion Trust Arabia awards ceremony in Doha, Qatar, on Thursday,

The former Spice Girl, 44, looked fierce as she stepped out in a tailored black suit trousers and a matching blazer, which she draped over her shoulders.

Chic: Victoria Beckham showcased her sartorial prowess in a tailored black suit as she attended the Fashion Trust Arabia awards ceremony in Doha on Thursday

Victoria complemented her outfit with a silk white shirt, which had a dramatic ruffled collar to give her look a chic flair.

Boosting her height in a pair of pointed black heels, the beauty wore her brunette curls in a slicked back hair-do.

She completed her ensemble by keeping her personal items in a black clutch bag, while she wore silver pendant earrings.

In keeping with her signature style, Victoria selected her make-up from a glamorous colour palette that drew further attention to her instantly recognisable features.

Glamorous: Victoria complemented her outfit with a silk white shirt, which had a dramatic ruffled collar to give her look a chic flair

Stylish: Boosting her height in a pair of pointed black heels, the beauty wore her brunette curls in a slicked back hair-do (pictured with Haider Ackermann and Olivier Rousteing)

Fashion Trust Arabia is a non-profit organisation which supports designers in the Middle East and North Africa, hoping to offer new talent the opportunity to get off the ground and reach point where they are recognised globally.

It is the only initiative of its kind operating in the Arab world and under the patronage of Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, the group is committed to discovering talented fashion designers.

A competition held by FTA saw designers present their collections to a judging panel of international industry leaders, and the awards will honour the winners during Thursday's ceremony.

Detailed: Victoria completed her ensemble by keeping her personal items in a black clutch bag, while she wore silver pendant earrings

Stunning: Victoria selected her make-up from a glamorous colour palette that drew further attention to her instantly recognisable features (pictured with Caroline Scheufele)

Three's company: The former Spice Girl posed for a photo alongside supermodel Naomi Campbell and fashion designer Pierpaolo Piccioli

Co-chaired by Tania Fares and Sheikha al-Mayassa Bint Hamad Al-Thani, the newly launched event will see much needed funding go to this year's winner.

'I was so pleased to see a lot of our applicants are producing quality garments, keeping up with orders, and are always on the lookout for new opportunities to grow,' Fares told WWD of the 25 finalists.

'They have a somewhat romantic approach when designing their collections. The Middle East has always been famous for producing champion eveningwear designers that have dominated the red carpet.

'After spending more time in the region talking and meeting with the designers, I saw that their level of jewellery and accessory design was also a major strength.'

Say cheese: (L-R) Pierpaolo Piccioli, Diane von Furstenberg, Naomi Campbell and Victoria Beckham
Salt-N-Pepa is coming back to life.

The hip hop act, comprised of Cheryl 'Salt' James, 53, Sandra 'Pepa' Denton, 52, and DJ Spinderella, 47, will be the subject of a new biographical series on Lifetime, it was announced on Thursday.

The miniseries will focus on their lives and careers at the height of their popularity in the Nineties after their song Push It became a massive hit.

A look back: Salt-N-Pepa, comprised of Cheryl 'Salt' James, 53, Sandra 'Pepa' Denton, 52, and DJ Spinderella, 47, will be the subject of a new biographical series on Lifetime, which was announced on Thursday

Their rise stardom from nursing school students to Grammy Award winners will be documented in the series.

The ladies won the highest achievement a musician can earn for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group Grammy in 1995 and they were the first all-female rap group to go platinum.

Also at the center of the series will be an in depth look at the duo's top hits including Let's Talk About Sex, What A Man and Shoop.

So salty: The leading ladies wore bright costumes on stage at their sold out concert at the KAABOO Cayman Festival in the Cayman Islands in 2019

Salt-N-Pepa were one of the first all-female rap groups when they formed in 1985.

Despite a brief split between 2002 and 2007 they continue to perform to this day.

Queen Latifah via her Flavor Unit production company, alongside James and Denton, are listed as executive producers on the project.

Currently, the biography, which is penned by Abdul Williams, has no exact air date.

Show stoppers: Salt-N-Pepa performed onstage during the 2018 Essence Festival in Louisiana

Although the Push It hit makers are taking a look back at their career, they previously admitted they aren't planning on quitting the music business any time soon and insist their songs are 'here to stay.'

Pepa said: 'A lot of our fans, they always say Salt-N-Pepa and Spinderella was the soundtrack to their lives ... We're just not going anywhere. Our songs are here to stay.'

DJ Spinderella considers the 90s to be an 'incredible era' for music and when Salt-N-Pepa were 'in our prime.'

She said: 'When you say 'the 90s,' it's just nostalgia. The 90s was an incredible era for music, hip hop, pop culture - just everything. People want to go back. And Salt-N-Pepa, we were literally in our prime.'

Lately, Cheryl has been lending her writing talents to soundtracks for films such as Captain Marvel and Deadpool.

Sandra, on the other hand, is currently appearing on the fourth season of WE tv's Growing Up Hip Hop.

As for Spinderella, she continues to DJ with the group as well as for many of her own sets.

Iconic: Sandra and Cheryl attended the 2019 A+E Netwroks Upfront at Jazz in New York together

Lifetime also announced a TV movie called The Clark Sisters: The First Ladies of Gospel which will be produced by Queen Latifah as well.

Joining Latifah in producing the project are Mary J. Blige and Missy Elliott, who will tell the story of a family of sisters that brought gospel music to the mainstream.

The biopic traces the groups story, from their humble beginnings in Detroit to becoming the highest-selling female gospel group in history.

Starring in the film are Christina Bell, Kierra Sheard, Raven Goodwin, Shelea Frazier and Angela Birchett - who will portray the singing sisters.

Both of the projects are slated for release in 2020.
Two-time Grammy nominee Kesha opted for quite a sparkly, iridescent look for her flight to North Carolina with live-in love Brad Ashenfelter on Thursday.

The 32-year-old pop star made her way through LAX Airport security clad in a peachy hooded cardigan, matching sequin cowl-neck mini-dress, blue-striped tights, and silver booties.

The Los Angeles native shares a Venice home and three pet cats with the long-haired New Jersey rocker, whom she met in 2014 through her stylist Shelby Hearts.

Jet setter: Two-time Grammy nominee Kesha opted for quite a sparkly, iridescent look for her flight to North Carolina with live-in love Brad Ashenfelter on Thursday

'He kissed me, and it was the nicest kiss I ever had,' Kesha (last name Sebert) told Rolling Stone in 2017.

'I was like, "Wow, you're such a pure soul. Holy s***." And I knew from that moment, "I gotta hold on to you."'

The Hymn belter is scheduled to perform Friday night at Appalachian State University's Popular Programming Society event inside the Holmes Center in Boone.

Glam: The 32-year-old pop star made her way through LAX security clad in a peachy hooded cardigan, matching sequin cowl-neck mini-dress, blue-striped tights, and silver booties

Still going strong! The Los Angeles native shares a Venice home and three pet cats with the long-haired New Jersey rocker, whom she met in 2014 through her stylist Shelby Hearts

Kesha (last name Sebert) told Rolling Stone in 2017: 'He kissed me, and it was the nicest kiss I ever had. I was like, "Wow, you're such a pure soul. Holy s***." And I knew from that moment, "I gotta hold on to you"'

'North Carolina animals! Who's coming to boogie with me on March 29?' The Hymn belter is scheduled to perform Friday night at the Holmes Center in Boone

The glitter-loving wild child has recently been hard at work in the recording studio with her BFF, Wrabel (first name Stephen).

The songwriter helped pen tracks Woman and Emotional off Kesha's album Rainbow as well as her song Here Comes The Change featured in the Ruth Bader Ginsburg biopic, On the Basis of Sex.

The Praying hitmaker's song Body Talks is featured on the soundtrack of Paramount Pictures' animated comedy Wonder Park, which finally hits UK theaters April 8.

'Don't get better!' The glitter-loving wild child has recently been hard at work in the recording studio with her songwriter BFF, Wrabel (pictured March 19)
Kyle Sandilands has spoken about his unlikely friendship with Pauline Hanson, after the One Nation politician personally thanked him in a press conference on Thursday.

Pauline had praised Kyle as one of the few media figures to give her 'fair go' after the Al Jazeera news organisation secretly filmed her for an undercover investigation.

Speaking on The Kyle and Jackie O Show on Friday, the radio presenter, 47, revealed he had actually spoken with the controversial Queensland senator the night before.

'I talked to her last night. I asked her about the big mark on her face and I said, "How does that tick bite look?"' Kyle said.

He was referring to Pauline's claim earlier this week that she was left looking 'unrecognisable' after suffering facial paralysis from a tick bite.

Kyle said she 'downplayed' the appearance of the bite on the phone, but he thought it resembled a 'volcano-like welt' from photos he'd seen.

Best of friends! Kyle Sandilands has spoken about his unlikely friendship with Pauline Hanson, after the One Nation politician personally thanked him in a press conference on Thursday

Kyle also defended Pauline after she appeared to suggest that the 1996 Port Arthur massacre was a government conspiracy in covertly recorded footage from the Al Jazeera documentary How To Sell A Massacre.

'Who knows - worse things have happened,' he said. 'I've not seen this dumb documentary - nor do I want to.'

The KIIS FM radio personality also doubted the credibility of Al Jazeera's undercover journalism.

Hitting out: Pauline had praised Kyle as one of the few media figures to give her 'fair go' after the Al Jazeera news organisation secretly filmed her for an undercover investigation. Pictured with One Nation chief of staff James Ashby (left) and Queensland leader Steve Dickson (right)

When told by newsreader Brooklyn Ross that Pauline had claimed the massacre was an inside job, Kyle said he was 'just another journalist fooled by a documentary'.

Kyle's unlikely friendship with Pauline, 64, is well documented.

In October last year, he revealed the right-wing firebrand had invited him on a weekend camping trip and even offered to fly him to Queensland via a 'private jet'.
Babes In The Wood

Rating:

The Good Fight

Rating:

Earlier this week a BBC documentary highlighted how much sooner Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper, would have been caught if DNA analysis had been available.

Babes In The Wood (ITV) confirmed this, as Trevor McDonald revealed how a one-in-a-billion DNA match was finally able to nail Russell Bishop for the murder of two girls, 32 years after he committed the crime.

When, in 1986, the bodies of nine-year-old friends Karen Hadaway and Nicola Fellows were found in a park near their Brighton homes, they looked as though they were sleeping.

The BBC had already beaten ITV to a documentary on the case, but nobody can elevate and humanise a story quite like Sir Trevor, above,  even when a case is legally complex

The brutal reality was that they had been sexually assaulted and strangled by their neighbour.

Detectives who worked on the case told McDonald how they were suspicious of him from the beginning due to his strange behaviour.

When his sweatshirt was found close to the scene Bishop was charged, but weak evidence meant he was acquitted. The families had to witness him punch the air and head to the pub to celebrate.

Three years after his acquittal Bishop attacked another girl in the area. But staggeringly she survived and was able to identify her assailant in a line-up.

When, in 1986, the bodies of nine-year-old friends Karen Hadaway and Nicola Fellows were found in a park near their Brighton homes, they looked as though they were sleeping [File photo]

For the first time, we saw the chilling footage and the sound of the seven-year-olds soft voice saying it was number nine while pointing at Bishop, who was convicted of her abduction and attempted murder.

But until 2005 it looked as though hed got away with the murders of Nicola and Karen.

As McDonald interviewed the police officers on the original case, their determination to nail the man they absolutely knew had murdered two children was overwhelming. It wasnt just the grieving families that needed closure.

That came last year when DNA analysis was able to pinpoint flakes of Bishops skin on Karens body. The chances of it coming from anybody else were astronomically slim and last year he was finally convicted and jailed for 36 years  three decades after his crimes.

The BBC had already beaten ITV to a documentary on the case, but nobody can elevate and humanise a story quite like Sir Trevor  even when a case is legally complex.

One can only imagine the consultations with real lawyers that must have gone on while filming the third series of legal drama The Good Fight (More 4), set in a right-on Chicago law firm. Partner Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski) was fiercely anti-Trump.

She discovered the President had paid for a young actress to have an abortion following their affair.

When Diane realised the non-disclosure agreement (NDA) the actress had signed was questionable, she let her personal politics cloud her professional judgment and leaked the story to a journalist. Her actions were a moment of reckless revenge.

Partner Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski) was fiercely anti-Trump. She discovered the President had paid for a young actress to have an abortion following their affair [File photo]

Struggling to get work as a ballistics expert, her husband Kurt had set himself up as a shooting teacher.

Diane was furious when she learned he was going on a trophy hunting safari with Trumps sons. When Kurt returned with a gunshot wound inflicted by a Trump and a watertight NDA, she was even more livid.

The episode continued to draw on recent news stories by exploring the #MeToo movement.

Revelations that the firms recently deceased founder, a civil rights hero, had sexually assaulted and harassed members of staff threatened to bring them down.

Desperate not to lose business, they had to decide whether to try to bury the scandal or go public.

The Good Fight is one of the smartest legal dramas to come out of the U.S. in recent years and its a pity that its scheduling on More 4 means it wont get the audience it deserves.
Newlywed Lea Michele shared behind-the-scenes snaps of her wedding gown fitting with 'the brilliant and lovely' designer Monique Lhuillier on Thursday.

The 32-year-old bride 'never felt more beautiful in my whole life' than she did wearing the white silk strapless custom creation during her March 9 wedding to husband Zandy Reich.

The SAG Award winner worked with the 47-year-old designer for nine months over several fittings to perfect her 'classic' princessy dress.

Before: Newlywed Lea Michele shared behind-the-scenes snaps of her wedding gown fitting with 'the brilliant and lovely' designer Monique Lhuillier (L) on Thursday

After: The 32-year-old bride 'never felt more beautiful in my whole life' than she did wearing the white silk strapless custom creation during her March 9 wedding to husband Zandy Reich

'I'd seen a dress on [the brand's] Instagram from the Spring 2019 collection  The Luna  and I was like, "That's my wedding dress,"' Michele (born Sarfati) recalled to People earlier this month.

'I absolutely loved it. In the entire wedding process, that was one of my most favorite moments, being at that fitting with [stylist Brad Goreski], and with my mom, and letting my mom see me wearing my wedding dress for the first time was so magical.'

Lea finished off her bridal attire with a cathedral-length veil, 6-carat Neil Lane earrings, and a pair of Monique Lhuillier lacy peep-toe pumps.

'One of my most favorite moments [was] being at that fitting with [stylist Brad Goreski]': The SAG Award winner worked with the 47-year-old designer for nine months over several fittings to perfect her 'classic' princessy dress

Michele recalled to People: 'I'd seen a dress on [the brand's] Instagram from the Spring 2019 collection  The Luna  and I was like, "That's my wedding dress." I absolutely loved it'

Accessories: Lea finished off her bridal attire with a cathedral-length veil, 6-carat Neil Lane earrings, and a pair of Monique Lhuillier lacy peep-toe pumps

The Bronx-born brunette and the Philadelphia-born 36-year-old's Napa nuptials were officiated by her Scream Queens creator Ryan Murphy at Carneros Resort with 210 guests.

The two-time Golden Globe nominee invited Glee castmates Jonathan Groff, Darren Criss, and Becca Tobin as well as Emma Roberts, Ashley Tisdale, and Jamie-Lynn Sigler.

Michele and the Wharton grad then honeymooned at a lavish seaside resort at a mystery island destination, which appeared to be in the Caribbean.

They do: The Bronx-born brunette and the Philadelphia-born 36-year-old's Napa nuptials were officiated by her Scream Queens creator Ryan Murphy at Carneros Resort with 210 guests (pictured January 23)

He designed the rings: The Golden Globe nominee invited Glee castmates Jonathan Groff, Darren Criss, and Becca Tobin as well as Emma Roberts, Ashley Tisdale, and Jamie-Lynn Sigler

Cheers! Michele and the Wharton grad then honeymooned at a lavish seaside resort at a mystery island destination, which appeared to be in the Caribbean (pictured March 20)

On Thursday, the four-time Grammy nominee - who boasts 14.9M followers - Insta-storied herself sweating it out in a 149F-degree infared Spiritualquest sauna for an hour.

Lea - whose ABC sitcom The Mayor was canceled last May - might be planning for motherhood next as she has no upcoming projects onscreen or onstage yet announced for 2019.

Meanwhile, Zandy - whom she began dating in July 2017 - holds a career as president/CEO of the women's clothing brand AYR.

'Time to get my sweat on!' On Thursday, the four-time Grammy nominee Insta-storied herself sweating it out in a 149F-degree infared Spiritualquest sauna for an hour

Baby? Lea - whose ABC sitcom The Mayor was canceled last May - might be planning for motherhood next as she has no projects onscreen or onstage yet announced for 2019
She sensationally claimed Sam Ball once performed a four-hour sex act on her, something the tradesman has vehemently denied.

And Married At First Sight's Ines Basic was up to her old tricks on Thursday, as she took another swipe at her former flame.

The legal assistant, 29, shared a screenshot to Instagram of herself Googling, 'Where do you find a real man?', followed by the tongue-in-cheek caption: 'I'm asking for a friend.'

'Where do I find a REAL man?' Married At First Sight's Ines Basic (left) took another swipe at her ex Sam Ball (right) on Thursday... after he denied having sexual contact with her

Ines's jibe comes after Sam, 26, accused her of 'lying' about their sexual contact on Married At First Sight

Responding to a fan on Instagram who referenced the 'four-hour sex act' allegations, Sam said it was impossible because 'would [have] run out of breath or more likely [got] hungry, tired or bored'.

Sam, who had a brief affair with Ines on MAFS, then claimed she started the rumour because he supposedly refused to have sex with her.

Ouch! Ines shared a screenshot to Instagram of herself Googling, 'Where do you find a real man?', followed by the tongue-in-cheek caption: 'I'm asking for a friend'

Fake news! Ines sensationally claimed that Sam once performed a four-hour sex act on her

'I would be cut too if someone wanted to not sleep with me on the first night,' he wrote. 'Like from the start I wasn't just looking for a sexual connection. So again that stayed the same.'

Ines claims the 'four-hour sex act' took place when they spent the night together on the Gold Coast while filming Married At First Sight last year.

But Sam says it couldn't have happened because he and Ines wore microphones the entire time, even when the camera crew was waiting outside.

Rumour mill! Sam, who had a brief affair with Ines on MAFS, then responded by claiming Ines started the rumour because he supposedly refused to have sex with her

Ines first made her shocking claim after Sam said in a radio interview last week that their fling was 'fake' and they did not sleep together.

Sharing a screenshot of a Daily Mail Australia article about the interview, Ines wrote: 'Yeah, producers made you [perform a sex act] for four hours, hun. Yeah OK.'

During his appearance on Nova FM's Fitzy & Wippa, Sam had claimed that he was told what to say during the pair's secret rendezvous.

Thanks for reading! Ines first made her shocking claim after Sam said in a radio interview that they did not sleep together. Sharing a screenshot of a Daily Mail article about the interview, Ines wrote: 'Yeah, producers made you [perform a sex act] for four hours, hun. Yeah OK.'

Sam alleged that MAFS producers would pull him aside during filming and tell him, 'It would sound great if you say this...'

He further claimed that, after repeating the producers' suggested lines, situations would naturally 'progress' towards a storyline.

This extraordinary admission suggested that Ines and Sam's 'affair' would not have happened without behind-the-scenes intervention.

'It was definitely pushed and manipulated. Like the whole show, we all know it's not completely real,' Sam said, adding that he and Ines never even had sex.
Two thugs who broke into a house in Melbourne's southeast and assaulted a man with an object remain on the run.

Two unknown males entered the property Francesco Drive in Dandenong North on about 2pm on Monday, before leaving the 50-year-old with serious injuries and fleeing on foot, Victoria Police said in a statement released on Tuesday night.

The offenders are both described as being Mediterranean or Middle Eastern in appearance, having dark hair, and one had a beard while the other had a goatee, and the police investigation is ongoing.
Andrew Farriss is well aware drought doesn't discriminate between farmers and rock stars.

The former INXS songwriter lives on a cattle farm in Barraba, northern NSW, where an 18-month-long drought caused dams to run almost dry at the end of 2018.

"Drought is insidious, it creeps into things," Farriss told The Australian newspaper in October.

"People feel depressed, they feel insecure, and they're not sure about income, especially from a farming point of view."

The normally reclusive Farriss planned an October fundraiser with the Australian rock group's greatest hits including What You Need (1985) and Never Tear Us Apart (1987).

The Hay Mate: Buy a Bale concert raised more than $2 million for drought-stricken farmers.

Born in Perth, Western Australia, Fariss is the second of four siblings to music fans Dennis and Jill.

His love of music began at the tender age of five when an old school friend of their mother's, Rolf Harris, gave the Farriss's tickets to see The Beatles live during a holiday in London.

Fariss set about learning the piano while his brothers Tim and Jon took to guitar and drums, jamming at all hours with the support of their accommodating parents.

The tight-knit family moved to Sydney and Farriss went to Davidson High School, where he befriended Michael Hutchence after rescuing the new boy from a beating.

He invited Hutchence to join his band Doctor Dolphin as lead vocalist, alongside bassist Garry Beers. When the group split the trio joined up with Jon, Tim and his friend, guitarist Kirk Pengilly, to become the Farriss Brothers.

The band played their first gig the day Elvis Presley died on August 16, 1977.

After touring the pub circuit in Perth and Sydney, a member of fellow Australian rockers Midnight Oil recommended the band change their name to INXS.

They made their debut under the new name on September 1, 1979.

As the band's main songwriter, Farriss paired with lyricist Hutchence to produce all but one of INXS's US top 40 hits.

He also became known outside the band for his skills as a producer and musician, appearing on albums for Richard Clapton and producer for emerging Australian and New Zealand acts, including Aboriginal band Yothu Yindi.

But none of his solo efforts have ever had the same impact as INXS under its original frontman.

More than 20 years after Hutchence's death, the 60-year-old says he still misses his former band-mate and friend.

"Today is the day I like to remember my irreplaceable friend," he posted on Instagram on January 22, on what would have been Hutchence's 59th birthday.

"Missing you mate."

He has three children with his first wife, Shelley Banks.

He married Marlina Neeley in Florida in 2013. A few months later he revealed Neeley was living with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer.

The couple now reside on their farm full time.
Scott Morrison is promising to spend more than $250 million on choked roads and car parks across Sydney and the NSW Central Coast.

In the latest of a string of "congestion-busting" national road and rail funding announcements, the prime minister says Sydney drivers know better than anyone the impacts of crippling traffic congestion.

"We are doing something about the pinch points and bottlenecks that lie at the heart of the problem," Mr Morrison said on Wednesday.

The package includes funding for The Horsley Drive in Sydney's south-west, King Georges Road in the city's south and Homebush Bay Drive in the west.

The government also plans to invest $50 million in commuter car parking.

Cities Minister Alan Tudge said the funding was designed to eliminate congestion where it was hurting the most.

"This is not only the major freeways but the local pinch points which cause daily headaches to commuters," he said.
The swiftness of his move may have been a surprise, but Frank Winterstein knew the writing was on the wall at Manly long before he joined Penrith.

Winterstein was preparing for another season on the outer at the Sea Eagles when the Panthers sent out an SOS to the veteran a week before round one.

Already light on in second-row stocks, disaster struck Penrith when strike weapon Viliame Kikau suffered a knee injury in a pre-season match.

Three weeks on and Winterstein will make his starting debut for the club when they host Melbourne in Bathurst on Saturday.

"Obviously Penrith were after a backrower when Kiks went down. They had a spare spot in their top 30," Winterstein said.

"And I think Manly, from what was going on there, they were looking for an outside back. Things worked out for the best. Everyone's happy and that's the main thing."

Winterstein made five appearances in his one season with Canterbury in 2008 before embarking on a move to the Super League, where he stayed for five years.

He then returned to the NRL with Manly, where he had his best season featuring in 25 matches under Trent Barrett in 2017.

However the Samoan international fell out of favour last year, and he sensed another long season when Des Hasler returned over the summer.

"I had an inkling during pre-season that I wasn't on his radar for a top 17 spot, which is fair enough," Winterstein said.

"Obviously he's got his own squad in his mind that he wants to play.

"Through the trials, when I played in both reserve grade teams, I knew that I was behind the eight-ball there, which is all good."

Winterstein made his club debut for the Panthers in last week's road win over Newcastle, where he scored a crucial try off the bench.

But now he looms as a genuine shot at being a part of Ivan Cleary's best 17, even after the eventual return of Kikau.

"Obviously rugby league is a game of opportunity and when an opportunity came for me to come to Penrith. I definitely was jumping at the bit to get here," he said.

"I definitely think I can add something to this group on and off the field.

"It's a group on the up, and we're super talented across the park. I'll just do my job, wherever Ivan wants to play me, I'll go."
One Nation officials caught talking about receiving $20 million from the American gun lobby claim they were drunk and set up by a Middle Eastern Spy.

Queensland leader Steve Dickson and Pauline Hanson's chief of staff James Ashby have been sprung meeting with pro-gun groups including the powerful National Rifle Association.

In footage from Al Jazeera, Mr Dickson is recorded as saying that with enough funding, One Nation would get the balance of power and have control over the government, to be able to weaken Australia's gun laws.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison lashed out at One Nation for considering selling off Australia's gun laws.

"No law should be up to the highest bidder as some part of foreign interference," he told reporters on Tuesday.

"But the fact that they were prepared to do it, if you were ever wondering why you shouldn't be voting One Nation there's a pretty good reason."

Mr Ashby said they only spoke with undercover Al Jazeera reporter Rodger Muller about the potential $20 million in donations.

"We'd arrived in America, we got on the sauce, we'd had a few drinks and that's where those discussions took place, not with any potential donors, no one but Rodger Muller, Steve Dickson and myself," he told reporters.

Mr Muller posed as the head of fake lobby group Guns Rights Australia, which was set up by Al Jazeera, and initiated the One Nation meetings with the NRA.

Mr Ashby said it was deliberate set-up by the Qatari government and "skulduggery at its worst."

"This is the very first time Australia has witnessed political interference from a foreign government," he said.

Mr Dickson and Mr Ashby met with the NRA and Koch Industries - America's second largest privately held company and major conservative political donor.

The party insists it "strongly supports the rights of lawful gun ownership" and claims Al Jazeera targeted it because of its policies on restricting immigration.

The investigation features a recording of a meeting in Washington DC last September.

The meeting was shortly before legislation banning foreign donations cleared parliament in November with One Nation's support.
Elective surgery has been postponed in southeast Queensland as every public hospital except one reaches capacity.

Health authorities say the massive influx of admissions was a first for this time of year as beds in all ten hospitals in the region - with the Queensland Children's Hospital the only one unaffected - were full on Monday night, The Courier-Mail reports.

The state government has released $3 million to free up beds in private hospitals to help with the influx, but they will not be free for a few days.
The interim NSW opposition leader has called on the premier to stand up to climate sceptics in her party and appoint an environment minister who "actually understands the portfolio".

Penny Sharpe on Thursday said Premier Gladys Berejiklian had to appoint an environment minister who actually cared about the issues.

"The new environment minister must be someone who can hold their own in cabinet against rapacious anti-environment sentiment and climate change septics, including Treasurer Dominic Perrottet," Ms Sharpe said in a statement.

Mr Perrottet in 2015 said spending taxpayer money on some climate change measures was a "gratuitous waste".

The Treasurer has stood by the comments although last week he said he had always believed in the science of climate change.

Gabrielle Upton is the current environment minister but it's widely expected she will be dumped from the portfolio this weekend when Ms Berejiklian reshapes her cabinet after Saturday's election win.
Voters are being reassured steps are being taken to counter cyber attacks during the federal election due in May.

The electoral integrity task force has been in place for by-elections last year and this year's NSW state election, but hasn't yet dealt with a national poll.

Cyber attacks and the planting of misinformation online during the 2016 United States presidential elections triggered concerns across the world about the potential damage to democracy.

Electoral commissioner Tom Rogers said he was happy with the processes put in place in Australia.

However, he said he could not guarantee there would be no problems with the running of the election.

"We're talking about people and Australia's most complex, largest peacetime logistical event, but I'm confident in the processes we have in place," he told ABC television on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Microsoft President Brad Smith told a forum in Canberra that elections all over the world were vulnerable to "computers in countries that are beyond the reach of the rule of law".

But global efforts were being stepped up to shore up democratic systems, using techniques initially developed to deal with organised criminals.

Mr Smith said the computer giant's data centres receive more than six trillion signals a day from around the world which are examined to identify cyber security threats and attacks.

This information is then passed on to companies and governments to identify infected computers and take action, while legal action can also be taken to seize control of domains which are the source of the attacks.

"We see these attacks not just against politicians and political parties but increasingly against think-tanks and universities and others," he said.

"We believe the only way to get this under control is to start talking about it."

Microsoft has its own Defending Democracy program, which involves working with governments, industry, academics and non-government organisations to protect campaigns from hacking, protect electoral processes and defend against disinformation campaigns.

It was also behind the Paris Call for Trust and Security, launched in November last year to build a global coalition against attacks on democracy via technology.

While at least 60 governments, including Australia and New Zealand, and 500 organisations have joined there is a big gap in the US and India not being signatories.

"The Australian government's support will be critical as we seek to strengthen our multilateral defences," Mr Smith said.
A Queensland man has avoided further jail time after giving drugs to a boy 29 years his junior then abusing him as the 14-year-old was struggling with his sexuality.

Mark John Colless, now 45, met his young victim in a park in Wynnum, east of Brisbane, in November 2017 before luring him to his home.

There, he gave the boy amphetamines and cannabis before they had oral and anal sex.

"The offending ... involved taking advantage of a young, vulnerable teenage boy who was struggling with his sexuality," crown prosecutor Jade Rodriguez said.

Colless pleaded guilty to drug and child sexual offences in Brisbane Supreme Court on Wednesday, when he was sentenced to three-and-a-half years' jail.

But the sentence was suspended immediately because he had already served 431 days in pre-sentence custody.

When Colless first met the boy about a month before abusing him, he gave him alcohol.

They remained in contact before the boy took an Uber to his home.

Along the way, Colless sent him sexually explicit texts.

After they took drugs together, they had sexual intercourse which left the boy crying and in pain.

Three days later, the boy returned home when his mother saw a photo on his phone of an older man lying on top of him.

He was taken to hospital where he was found with bruises around his neck and anus.

"The fact is you were substantially older than this young, male complainant who ... was plainly struggling with the types of things that any young child has to deal with," Justice David Boddice said in sentencing.

Colless, who was found with 13 grams of cannabis in his home, lied to police by saying he had met his victim on a dating app and thought he was 16.

The boy has since felt "disgusted, embarrassed, humiliated and foolish", according to the prosecution.

"What you did, for your own gratification, has had a lasting impact on that young male complainant," Justice Boddice said.

"He, understandably , is questioning why he did what he did.

"He should not be blaming himself. It was the adult, you, who had the responsibility to make sure these events did not occur."
Queensland's child safety minister is appalled by the way young rioters were treated at a Brisbane detention centre.

A Queensland Ombudsman's report said children involved in a 2017 riot at the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre were held for up 10 days in rooms without beds and toilets after the incident.

Child Safety Minister Di Farmer said the report had exposed "a pattern of disgraceful, unlawful and negligent behaviour by former staff" and the government has already acted on recommendations, including new leadership at the centre involved.
Israel Folau's younger brother is set to make his Super Rugby debut on Friday after winger Curtis Rona was ruled out of the NSW Waratahs' clash with the Sunwolves in Newcastle.

Rona has a groin injury and been replaced by Alex Newsome with 24-year-old John Folau promoted to the bench.

A former Queensland under-20s rugby league representative, John Folau played one Test for Tonga in the 13-man code before his switch to rugby during the off-season.

The outside back's Test appearance came against Papua New Guinea in 2014, before he played three NRL games for Parramatta in 2015.

After he failed to gain a permanent starting spot with the Eels, he opted to link up with Israel at the Waratahs.

Israel Folau last week joined former Blues and All Blacks winger Doug Howlett as Super Rugby's all-time joint top try scorer with 59 five-pointers.
An ailing Nick Kyrgios has pulled out of his next scheduled ATP event in the hope of playing the European clay-court swing.

Kyrgios received treatment for a knee issue during his fiery fourth-round loss to Borna Coric at the Miami Masters on Wednesday and says he needs to get on top of the long-standing injury.

The Australian No.2 hopes skipping the ATP event in Houston from April 8 to have further treatment will give him the best chance to be fit for the big European tournaments starting late next month.
An ISIS sympathiser who killed an elderly grandfather when he mowed down pedestrians in Melbourne's Flinders Street will return to court to be sentenced.

Saeed Noori was apparently motivated by hatred of the Australian government when he drove his mother's SUV into 16 pedestrians on December 21, 2017.

He was arrested by off-duty police officer Francis Adams, who had just alighted a tram nearby, with Noori allegedly calling out "Allahu Akbar".

Antonios "Anton" Crocaris, 83, died from head injuries sustained during the attack outside Flinders Street Station.

Noori has previously pleaded guilty to one count of murder, 11 counts of recklessly causing serious injury and five counts of conduct endangering life.

He came to Australia from Afghanistan as a refugee in 2004 and is now an Australian citizen.

His lawyers previously claimed he suffered from schizophrenia and had fasted for seven days before the attack.

Police said Noori's computer and a USB stick contained a number of images from international terrorist attacks, videos about ISIS and other material that an expert said showed he had a "degree of radicalisation".

He is due to be sentenced by Supreme Court of Victoria Justice Elizabeth Hollingworth on Thursday.
Ending family violence needs more than what former Australian of the Year Rosie Batty calls a "paltry" amount of federal money, so she wants Bill Shorten to win the next election.

The anti-violence campaigner has endorsed Labor to win the May federal election because she says the party is more committed to putting money behind efforts to end family violence.

"The investment of money at a federal level is paltry," Ms Batty told reporters in Melbourne on Thursday.

"I believe that maybe if we do have a Labor government we will start to see that (stronger) kind of commitment."

Prime Minister Scott Morrison recently announced a national $328 million package to deal with family violence, with $82 million for frontline services and $78 million for safe places for women.

But Victorian premier Daniel Andrews said while no one was critical of the funding, it didn't go far enough.

"Three hundred and fifty-odd million dollars spread across the entire country over four years is less than we boost funding each year just here in Victoria," he told reporters.

Mr Andrews said the Commonwealth government could step in to create a dedicated Medicare number for family violence so women and children could get treatment at a GP.

"Instead of having to almost pretend that something else is wrong with them in order to get funded to have enough time with the GP," Mr Andrews said.

Ms Batty said she had spoken regularly with Malcolm Turnbull when he was prime minister, but she had never spoken to Mr Morrison.

"He's said things in the media which do concern me," she said.

On average, one woman a week is murdered by a current or former partner, and eight women are hospitalised each day due to domestic violence.

Labor has recently pledged $60 million to create about 20,000 funding packages for people fleeing domestic violence if it is elected to government.

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MAM, TIMco and HB42 will all be appearing at the NMBS Exhibition on 10 April at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry.

Visitors will have the opportunity to learn more about MAM's business management solutions, as well as its forthcoming product catalogue. Known as Tradercat, the electronic catalogue is designed to bring benefits for both builders' merchants and DIY retailers by improving the information that is accessible at the point of sale.

Counter staff will be able to use the catalogue to help their customers make more informed buying decisions and speed up transactions. Functionality within Tradercat enables users to search, filter and compare products from a range of brands, while price and stock details are immediately available.

Suppliers providing data to the catalogue will be able to upload products, specifications and photographs so merchants always have access to the latest information.The electronic catalogue is compatible with MAM's Trader system, which the software provider will also be demonstrating to show visitors.The ERP application is designed to help builders' merchants streamline and improve their day-to-day operations. Functionality within the user-friendly software includes the ability to simplify stock control, increase profits by finding best-value suppliers and access information at point of sale.

TIMco will be revealing extensions to the TIMco SHIELD range  including the new SHIELD Protective Board, as well as additions to the VETO range. Demonstrations of both new products will be available, with the new protective board having been laid on the trade space floor for the whole day.

The TIMco Team is committed to the continued development of all their ranges. The dedicated VETO Security and Ironmongery brand continues to expand with the unveiling of a new range of premium quality hinges at this years NMBS Show, as well as the official launch of the innovative Fantom Doorstop.

The team will also be releasing an updated set of product literature at the show, as well as making their current catalogue which totals 160 pages readily available. The Product Team will be on hand to talk through the product information guides with visitors to the stand. They will also be handing out TIMco branded products including rucksacks for orders placed at the show (while stocks last).

And HB42 will be making its debut at the NMBS Exhibition, demonstrating the benefits of the best-selling HB42 Ultimate Sealant & Adhesive hybrid polymer technology, plus the new Fast Grab Wood Glue and Pro-Finish Decorators Caulk.

The show is also an opportunity for merchant members to meet the HB42 sales team covering all areas of the UK & Ireland. The first 20 visitors to the stand will receive a free HB42 Pocket Power Tape, plus there will be a competition to win an HB42 Goody bag to one lucky winner. Merchants will be able to choose from 3 exclusive offers on the day of the show with POS options available. Visitors will also meet HB42s mascot, Fixer Fred the builder.
Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgman has castigated Pauline Hanson for her "appallingly ignorant and extremely hurtful" comments about the Port Arthur massacre.

The One Nation leader has been caught on camera questioning whether the 1996 massacre that left 35 people dead was a government conspiracy.

"With the world still mourning the loss of innocent lives in New Zealand, these extremely insensitive comments only remind us of one of our darkest days, twenty three years ago," Mr Hodgman said on Thursday.

"Our thoughts are always with the victims, their loved ones, and all those impacted by the tragic events at Port Arthur who will again be suffering from the re-run of these absurd conspiracy theories."

Senator Hanson is under intense pressure over her Port Arthur remarks, which were released by Al Jazeera as part of an undercover operation.

Two of her most senior officials are also in strife after they were filmed talking about soliciting donations from the US gun lobby, in a bid to empower them to overturn strict Australian firearm laws passed after the deadly mass shooting.
A hobby farmer who kidnapped and raped a European backpacker will likely be deported to the United Kingdom on completion of his sentence, an Adelaide court has heard.

Gene Charles Bristow, 54, appeared in the South Australian District Court on Thursday, after a jury delivered guilty verdicts against him earlier this month.

Chris Weir, for Bristow, said his client does not accept the findings, which have put his family relationships under strain.

"He is likely to have lost his marriage. He is estranged from all of his children and, unless his wife is able to manage the mortgage, it's very likely that the family will lose the property," he said.

Mr Weir said Bristow's marriage was "never really quite the same" after the death of his stepson in a road crash in about 2010.

He told the court Bristow, a father of four, was born and raised in the UK and moved to Australia in the early 2000s.

"What is likely to happen at the end of his non-parole period is that he will be taken into immigration custody and then... deported back to the United Kingdom," he said.

Bristow was found guilty of one count of aggravated kidnapping, two counts of rape, two counts of indecent assault and one count of attempted rape.

The charges stemmed from a Gumtree advertisement the 24-year-old backpacker posted in search of temporary farm work in February 2017.

Bristow took her to his hobby farm at Meningie, 150km southeast of Adelaide, before chaining her up and raping her inside an old pig shed.

He released her the following day, after police swarmed the area in search of the missing woman.

Prosecutor Michael Foundas said the crime was particularly serious because it was premeditated, and Bristow held the woman for two days.

He said Bristow made repeated threats of violence and led her to believe he was involved in a kidnapping and human trafficking operation.

"The fear and apprehension he must have invoked in the victim was no doubt significant and adds to the severity of the circumstances of the offending," he said.

The woman came face-to-face with Bristow when her victim impact statement was read out in court days after the verdict was handed down.

She said she felt like an animal or slave throughout the ordeal, which left her terrified, miserable and feeling powerless.

"I was locked in chains, held against my will and had to endure things that nobody should have to endure," she said.

"He took everything from me. Not only did he take my clothes and belongings, but also my freedom, my mind, my family and my friends."

Judge Geraldine Davison remanded Bristow in custody for sentencing in May.
A young boy who is unaware his little sister has been murdered and thinks she is "in the sky" after dying in hospital is "lost, confused and so very sad", a Sydney court has been told.

His foster mother said the sweet, sensitive and heartbroken boy once told her he'd been talking to his sister saying: "I told her I learned how to swim and I'm going to teach her."

In a victim impact statement read out in the NSW Supreme Court on Thursday, the woman said "this loss has not been fully realised" and she knew the boy would be profoundly affected when he learned of the "horrifying details" surrounding his sister's death.

The statement was read at the sentence hearing of Mohammed Khazma, 25, who was found guilty in March of murdering the two-year-old girl in December 2016 shortly after he and his new girlfriend, the toddler's mother, moved into a Sydney granny flat.

When the trio moved in together, the four-year-old brother was sent to live with his biological father until he was placed with the foster mother soon after his sister's death.

She told the court that she wasn't present when he was told about the death, but he ran out to her crying saying: "My sister got sick and went to the hospital and now she is in the sky. I miss my sister and I love her."

He regularly "sends balloons and paper aeroplanes to (her) so she can play with them".

As well as murder, Khazma was found guilty of two counts of assault causing actual bodily harm by burning the toddler with a cigarette lighter and slamming her head into a wall in the lead-up to her death.

Prosecutor Philip Hogan on Thursday called for the killer to be jailed for life and, as he detailed previous injuries suffered by the girl, Khazma stormed out of the dock to the downstairs court cells.

Khazma, who had claimed the mother was responsible for the injuries and the girl's death, yelled out that he didn't have to "hear this" and that he "didn't do it".

Justice Elizabeth Fullerton temporarily adjourned the hearing and when it resumed Khazma sat back in the dock quietly.

Earlier Mr Hogan sought to tender a victim impact statement from the girl's mother.

She served jail time after admitting manslaughter on the basis she failed to remove the girl from Khazma's abuse, failed to protect her and failed to get medical help.

The prosecutor withdrew his bid after Justice Fullerton questioned why the statement should be before the court when the mother had admitted criminal responsibility for her daughter's death.

It would be "a very unusual circumstance" that a person who admitted failing to intervene when she knew her child was being repeatedly abused could provide a statement in related proceedings about the impact on her.

Khazma is due to be sentenced on April 12.
The Queensland government has spent the parliamentary week talking down a hospitals crisis and trying to draw attention away from its overflowing emergency departments.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Health Minister Steven Miles blamed the federal government, the weather and the flu for a surge in patients at 10 public hospitals across the southeast corner.

Under intense criticism from Liberal National Party MPs during Question Time, the government tried to bat away their questions by drawing links between the party and One Nation.

"I think every Queenslander should be absolutely disturbed by that," the premier said of footage of One Nation officials and former LNP minister Steve Dickson discussing asking the American gun lobby for donations to weaken gun laws.

"It brings me back to this central point: We will always put One Nation last. We will stand on our principles. What will those opposite do?"

A security guard fell down a flight of stairs in the public gallery during the peak of Question Time on Wednesday, leading almost every MP to momentarily fall silent and look up.

Tourism Minister Kate Jones had a slip-up of her own on Thursday, breaking into a fit of giggles after shouting 'Orifice!' instead of Orpheus in her reference to the island in north Queensland.

"In the right context that may be unparliamentary but not in this case," Speaker Curtis Pitt responded.

Laws were passed that mean Queensland has become the first state to create special wildlife reserves, a new category of protected areas that will preserve more habitat, along with those that will boost safeguards for individuals with impaired capacity.

Housing Minister Mick de Brenni was forced to apologise to Ms Palaszczuk for joining a union protest against Police Minister Mark Ryan, to whom he also apologised.

Independent Whitsunday MP Jason Costigan was absent again, with Nine news reporting harassment allegations from two women who work in the media industry.

They told the network they had received sleazy text messages from Mr Costigan, who was dumped by the LNP this year over harassment allegations involving a teenage girl.

Meanwhile, Greens MP Michael Berkman has been referred to the ethics committee for wearing a Stop Adani T-shirt inside Parliament.
The Commonwealth's latest pre-election cash splash in Western Australia is being embraced as "manna from heaven" by Premier Mark McGowan.

On his second trip to Perth this month, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on Thursday a $1.6 billion federal budget commitment for "congestion-busting" metropolitan and major regional road projects in WA.

There's also money for infrastructure for the McGowan government's flagship Metronet rail project, including a level crossing removal at Carlisle in the marginal Swan electorate, where Mr Morrison held a press conference.

He denied the Liberals were just shoring up seats.

"We're investing in it because the economy needs it," Mr Morrison told reporters.

Mr McGowan said the state government had asked for cash for all of the projects.

When asked if he conceded the Liberals were offering a better deal for WA than Labor, he replied that both sides would make more promises ahead of the federal election.

"I'd like to see both sides match the other's commitments," Mr McGowan said.

"I'm just very pleased that WA is getting a lot of attention at the moment.

"A bidding war for WA is manna from heaven and we've been arguing for this, trying for this, for a long time and it's finally happening."

Opposition leader Bill Shorten has also visited Perth twice in recent weeks, visiting marginal electorates such as Stirling, and announced various funding promises.
Microsoft president Brad Smith has told an Australian audience the horrendous Christchurch attack shows the tech sector has to do more to address hate.

Mr Smith was in Sydney on Thursday when he admitted his company's services were among those to host the video of the March 15 attack on two mosques.

"We have to start by looking at the unfortunate and tragic role technology played in this horrendous terrorist attack," he said.

"We need to recognise that the tech sector has to do more."

Microsoft, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube share a database of terrorist content that allows the four giants to take down flagged photos and video and prevent copies of the content from being uploaded again.

But Mr Smith said his company, which owns several platforms including LinkedIn and Xbox Live, had to address standards of online behaviour.

"This is an unfortunate, sad and tragic reflection that ... digital discourse has simply become too toxic," he said.

"There is a huge difference between hateful speech on the internet and this kind of horrendous action in person. But this kind of hateful speech does not help.

"We all have an opportunity ... to bring online the kinds of standards of behaviour and the standards of civilisation that we expect of ourselves, our children and our colleagues when we're interacting in person.

The remarks came hours after Facebook, heavily criticised for hosting the Christchurch attacker's video, announced it would take a harsher stance against white nationalism content.

"We don't tolerate hate and if you're on our platform to spread hate, we won't allow it," Facebook content policy manager Ulrich Casseus told AAP from Washington DC.

Microsoft also urged the Morrison government and other countries regulate facial recognition before a "race to the bottom" begins.

Mr Smith said a global conversation was needed to discuss issues such as bias and discrimination, commercial privacy and a potential impact on democratic freedoms if facial recognition is misused and abused.

"What we want to avoid is a commercial race to the bottom," he said.

"We don't want a race to the bottom where people just scoop up deals based on technology that is not ready, with customers in countries that may not live up to human rights and democratic ideals, and see the market go int hat direction.

"We believe governments have an increasingly important role to play."
Four Manly Sea Eagles players have struggled to describe their feelings after visiting one of the mosques which was the scene of a mass shooting in Christchurch.

Jorge Taufua, Curtis Sironen, Toafofoa Sipley and Corey Waddell were shown through the Al Noor Mosque on Thursday, two days out from their NRL match against the Warriors.

The visit formed part of the club's objective to immerse themselves in the Christchurch community, which is still recovering form the March 15 terrorist attack in which 50 lives were lost.

The Al Noor Mosque was the scene of 42 deaths, leaving second-rower Sironen unsure of what to say to members of the Muslim community who were on hand.

"It's hard to deal with those sort of things, the shock and awe of it all," Sironen told Newshub.

"We've just got to be as respectful as we can of the situation."

Auckland-born prop Sipley said all Kiwis could play a part in the healing process by visiting a mosque or offering support to those most deeply affected by the shootings.

"It doesn't matter what race, what religion or what culture you come from, when you're a Kiwi there's an expectation that you're all a family," he said.

Other members of the Manly team were involved in community activity as they prepare to "host" the Warriors in Christchurch for a second straight season.

The Warriors were to arrive in Christchurch on Friday, with some team members also planning to visit the Al Noor Mosque.

Some Sea Eagles squad members will attend a National Remembrance Service on Friday, followed by a wreath-laying ceremony.
A woman is in a critical condition after being run over by a truck in Sydney's inner west, and going into cardiac arrest.

Emergency services were called to an intersection of Parramatta Rd and Ross St in Glebe about 4.35pm on Thursday after reports a cyclist and a truck had collided.

A female cyclist aged in her 30s was run over by the truck.

Her legs went under the truck's wheels, a NSW Ambulance spokesman told AAP.

She was treated at the scene and went into cardiac arrest before being taken to the RPA Hospital in a critical condition.

Police remain on scene and are speaking with the driver of the truck, a NSW Police spokeswoman told AAP.
Victoria's health department has lifted an operating ban imposed on a catering company amid a listeriosis scare.

Dandenong South business I Cook Foods was shut down in February after samples from its kitchen were linked to a strain of the disease which contributed to the death of an elderly woman in a Melbourne hospital.

The company this week launched legal action against the state government, arguing the closure was premature and unjust and on Thursday Victoria's Chief Health Officer gave a green light "after being satisfied that required changes had been made to food handling processes".
Azali Assoumani staged the poll after Comorans voted in a referendum, boycotted by the opposition, to support the extension of presidential mandates from one five-year term to two

Comoros President Azali Assoumani was re-elected Tuesday by a landslide, according to results published by the electoral commission, in a divisive poll that has sparked tensions and opposition accusations of fraud in the Indian Ocean archipelago.

Azali, who first took office in 2016, was credited with 60.77 percent of the vote following Sunday's election, far ahead of his closest rival Mahamoudou Ahamada, who garnered only 14.62 percent, results showed.

The 66-year-old president had been tipped to return to power in the island nation of 800,000 people, which is one of the world's poorest and most unstable states.

Counting was marred by tensions, with authorities violently breaking up an opposition protest on Monday.

Azali was credited with 60.77 percent of the vote following Sunday's election

Twelve people were injured as police fired teargas and rubber bullets at opposition candidates and supporters as they marched through the capital Moroni protesting alleged irregularities.

The opposition allege that irregularities at several polling stations reported by the electoral commission on Sunday amounted to a "coup d'etat" and called for public "resistance".

Ahamada, of the main opposition Juwa party, rejected the results saying "we are facing a military coup d'etat through a presidential election".

"We call on the international community not to recognise the re-election of Azali."

Police take away a plainclothes policeman injured in Monday's clashes

Some 300,000 voters were eligible to vote in the Indian Ocean archipelago, which has a two-round system for electing the president.

Azali's campaign director Houmed Msaidie described opposition claims of election fraud as "pathetic", accusing them of creating "a climate of panic to invalidate the electoral process".

"If there was fraud, they should go to the appropriate authorities," he told AFP.

"We are happy to have won in the first round," Msaidie added.

"Now we will do everything we can to stabilise the situation and revive economic development, which is the people's main concern."

- Soldiers deployed -

The Supreme Court barred some of Azali's major rivals, including former president Ahmed Abdallah Sambi, accused of corruption, from running.

Heavily-armed soldiers were deployed to several key locations in the capital Tuesday with orders to prevent unrest.

After Monday's protests were quashed Interior Minister Mohamed "Kiki" Daoudou alleged that Ahamada and his allies "want to create disorder in Moroni".

Comoros Islands

"We will do everything necessary to guarantee the peace and stability of the country," he told AFP.

An electoral commission official told AFP on Sunday that a dozen booths had been vandalised during polling.

Those incidents were seized upon by the opposition who alleged election irregularities.

At a media briefing on Tuesday before results were announced, Ahamada said his party "utterly" rejected the vote.

"The most sensible solution would be to organise elections worthy of a civilised country as soon as possible," he said.

- Observer concerns -

The country rotates its presidency between its islands of Anjouan, Grande-Comore and Moheli.

In Anjouan island, which is mostly hostile to Grande Comore native Azali, the opposition reported an array of irregularities.

Made up of the islands of Anjouan, Grande-Comore and Moheli, the small country has a population of nearly 814,000

Witnesses said several stuffed ballot boxes were found on the island.

Some opposition poll monitors were also prevented from carrying out their duties, they added.

Official observers were also critical of the poll.

"(We) condemn the incidents witnessed which meant voters were unable to exercise their civic right in conditions of calm," said a joint statement issued by observers from the African Union, the Comesa east and southern African bloc, and the Eastern Africa Standby Force.

There have been more than 20 attempted or successful power grabs in the mainly Muslim nation since independence from France in 1975.

Azali staged the poll after Comorans voted in a referendum, boycotted by the opposition, to support the extension of the rotating presidential mandates from one five-year term to two.

The change upset a fragile balance of power established in 2001 that sought to end separatist crises on Anjouan and Moheli, and halt the cycle of coups.
The bare chests of two mermaid statues have been covered up at an Indonesian theme park

A pair of bare-breasted mermaid statues have been given the family values treatment at an Indonesian amusement park where officials slipped golden tube tops over their chests.

While the nude statues have been on display for years at Jakarta's Ancol Dreamland, a recent policy aimed at respecting "Eastern values" has seen the mermaids get an official cover-up.

The statues were initially just covered with gold fabric, but they've now also been moved to a more secluded area after visitors kept pulling the coverings down, park sources told AFP.

Ancol Dreamland spokeswoman Rika Lestari insisted no outside agitators were behind the cover-up.

"There was no pressure from any group," she said. "Ancol is trying to become an amusement park and vacation spot for families."

One of two mermaid statues covered up at the Ancol amusement park in Jakarta

That didn't stop the park's move from being widely mocked.

"Thanks Ancol. Now, no one will commit adultery of the eyes from looking at the mermaids' breasts," comedian Soleh Solihun wrote on Twitter.

Earlier, Lestari told the Indonesian newspaper Kompas: "We're Eastern people, we have Eastern culture, so what was inappropriate we made it more appropriate.

"Its just a matter of perception, because what weve done was the best for us. Its a good thing, so why not."

Indonesia is the world's biggest Muslim majority country and relatively conservative social values are prevalent.
Opposition Democrats, who have seen the law survive previous legal and legislative attacks, view the Affordable Care Act as a signature achievement of former president Barack Obama

US President Donald Trump's administration vowed Tuesday to see Obamacare -- a massive, but controversial reform intended to bring health care to more Americans -- struck down.

Top Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway said the policy, which became law after a fierce legislative battle under then president Barack Obama, had failed.

"It wasn't the magical elixir for Americans," she told reporters.

Conway was speaking after Trump's Justice Department announced an abrupt escalation in the administration's push against Obamacare by siding with a Texas federal court ruling that declared the health care law unconstitutional.

The department had previously said it backed parts of the law. But in its new position, it said that it sided fully with the December ruling made by Judge Reed O'Connor following a lawsuit brought by conservative states.

That ruling is currently being appealed and the resulting impasse looks increasingly likely to end up in the Supreme Court -- putting a politically radioactive issue center stage as the country moves towards the 2020 presidential election.

Obamacare, formally called the Affordable Care Act, was one of the most consequential healthcare measures in US history. At the heart of the law was a mandate that Americans buy health insurance, while also forcing insurance companies to accept all applicants, even if they have pre-existing health conditions.

Democrats saw the law as a historic step to getting tens of millions of Americans who had no health coverage to participate in what is a highly uneven and often inaccessible system.

Republicans, on the other hand, attacked the law from the start -- especially the mandate on buying insurance -- as government overreach. A penalty that the law originally imposed on anyone failing to get insurance has already been repealed by Congress.

- Pre-existing conditions protection? -

Conway stressed that again Tuesday, saying the mandate is "not America."

Health care "is one of the most intimate aspects of your life," she said.

But she denied warnings from Democrats that scrapping Obamacare will once more allow insurance companies to reject applicants depending on their state of health -- a practice that pushes huge numbers of people to get by with no medical coverage at all.

"We have to make sure that pre-existing conditions are protected," she said.

And Trump, speaking to reporters before a meeting with congressional Republicans, insisted that he wanted alternatives to Obamacare, rather than merely scrapping the law.

"The Republican Party will soon be known as the party of health care. You watch," he said.

Democrats reacted with anger to the administration's latest move.

"Tonight in federal court, the Trump Administration decided not only to try to destroy protections for Americans living with pre-existing conditions, but to declare all-out war on the health care of the American people," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Monday.

"Democrats will continue to fight relentlessly to protect people with pre-existing conditions and to deliver lower health costs and prescription drug prices for every American," she added.

In 2012, five of the nine Supreme Court justices upheld the law. All five remain on the court.
The makers released a two-minute trailer last week of the film saying it is "based on true story", with Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi playing Modi through various stages of his life

India's main opposition Congress party has petitioned election officials to delay the release of a flattering new Bollywood biopic about Prime Minister Narendra Modi until after upcoming elections.

Critics have said the film, due for release on April 5, is blatant propaganda and an attempt to woo voters before polls open six days later in India's almost six-week election.

Congress, which hopes to unseat Modi in the vote, said on Monday that screening the movie, "PM Narendra Modi", would break election laws and that it should not hit cinemas until after voting ends on May 19.

"This is no artistic venture. It is a political venture and that is what we have told the Election Commission and should not be allowed," senior Congress figure and former minister Kapil Sibal told reporters.

The movie relates the Hindu right-wing leader's journey from his childhood days selling tea at a railway station to becoming chief minister of his home state Gujarat and leading his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to a thumping victory against the Congress in 2014 elections.

Under Indian election rules now in effect, the publication of any content deemed as campaign material -- including advertisements, films and even social media -- requires the election commission's prior approval.

Another election silence law bans all campaign material, even if approved by the commission, 48 hours from the opening of polls.

The commission said they have asked the makers of the Modi film to respond to the Congress's claims.

Its producers would have to show that the film is an artistic rather than a political work.

Victims' families have accused Modi of doing little to stop days of rioting that left more than 1,000 people dead in 2002

The movie has also become embroiled in another controversy, with two top lyricists publicly denying penning songs for the soundtrack after their names were mentioned in the film poster.

The makers released a two-minute trailer of the film last week saying it is "based on a true story", with Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi playing Modi through various stages of his life.

The trailer depicts Modi as a child selling tea and his transformation to a young stick-wielding member of Hindu supremacist organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

It covers his days as a Hindu "sage" in the Himalayas, and later as a nationalistic politician issuing warnings to India's arch-rival Pakistan.

The trailer also shows Modi lamenting the deadly riots that erupted in Gujarat when he was chief minister in 2002.

Critics and victims' families have accused Modi of doing little or nothing to stop days of rioting that left more than 1,000 people dead, a majority of them Muslims.

Congress's petition came as Eros Now, an online video platform, on Tuesday released the trailer for its own hagiographical biopic of Modi.

"Modi: Journey Of A Common Man", directed by Bollywood filmmaker Umesh Shukla, releases on the site next month.

The ten-part series will "highlight many important incidents that made Modi devote his life for the service of the country," said a press release announcing the trailer.

burs/pdh/amu
Turkish police escorted Topuz into the Caglayan courthouse in Istanbul, where he faces life in jail if found guilty

A US consulate staffer went on trial in a Turkish court on Tuesday accused of spying and attempting to overthrow the government in a case that fuelled tensions between the United States and its NATO ally.

Metin Topuz, a Turkish citizen and long-time liaison with the US Drug Enforcement Administration, was arrested in 2017 accused of ties to US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen, who Ankara says ordered a failed 2016 coup.

Turkish police escorted Topuz weeping into the Caglayan courthouse in Istanbul, where he faces life in jail if found guilty, an AFP reporter said.

Topuz rejected the indictment that charges he was in contact with police officers and a former prosecutor accused of involvement in the Gulen movement.

"During my 25 year service at DEA, I met a lot of police personnel and public officials and exchanged business cards with them," Topuz told the court. "I have no duty other than to serve as a translator between the interlocutors.

"I haven't betrayed my homeland as is claimed... The accusations are humiliating for me and my family. I am innocent."

The US charge d'affaires from the Ankara embassy and the Istanbul consul general were also in court for the first set of hearings, which is expected to last three days.

The trial opened as relations between the United States and Turkey have worsened with disagreements over Syria's war, Turkey's purchase of Russian missiles and the US refusal to extradite Gulen.

The US embassy has called the accusations "wholly without merit".

US officials say freeing "unjustly detained" Turkish nationals on their staff is a priority, as is the case of NASA scientist Serkan Golge, a dual US-Turkish national jailed on terror charges.

Another Istanbul local consulate staffer, Mete Canturk, is under house arrest and facing similar charges to Topuz.

A judge in January convicted Hamza Ulucay, a former local employee of the US consulate in Adana, southern Turkey, of helping outlawed Kurdish militants. He was released for time already served.

- Diplomatic crisis -

In the indictment, Topuz is accused of engaging in espionage activities as well as arranging arms trafficking through exchanges on the Whatsapp messaging service.

Topuz's initial arrest in 2017 triggered a diplomatic crisis with both Turkey and the US suspending visa services, until they stepped back.

"This has been a big deal in the Turkish-US relations, but Americans have reversed course from an earlier decision to impose visa bans and have decided to pursue a quiet diplomacy," said Asli Aydintasbas, a fellow with the European Council on Foreign Relations.

Since the failed 2016 coup against Erdogan, tens of thousands of people have been detained over suspected links to Gulen and more than 100,000 people have been sacked or suspended from public sector jobs. Gulen denies the coup accusations.

Ankara has been criticised by its Western allies and human rights activists over the crackdown they say has undermined democracy. But Turkish officials say the raids are needed to clear Gulen's influence from state institutions.

Erdogan's decision to buy S-400 missile systems from Russia have provoked warnings from Washington that the deal may impact its sale of US-made F-35 fighter jets to Turkey and trigger more sanctions

US relations with Turkey plummeted to a low last year over detained US pastor Andrew Brunson, triggering tit-for-tat sanctions that hit the local lira currency.

Brunson was released in October last year and relations improved.

But Erdogan's decision to buy S-400 missile systems from Russia has provoked warnings from Washington that the deal may impact its sale of US-made F-35 fighter jets to Turkey and trigger more sanctions.

Turkey's push to buy the systems has raised questions among NATO allies over alliance equipment as well as concerns over the relationship between Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Ties were already strained over US support of Kurdish forces in Syria, which Ankara brands as a terrorist group tied to PKK Kurdish militants fighting an insurgency against the Turkish state.
China has defended restricting access to Tibet

Beijing on Tuesday denounced a US report accusing the Chinese government of impeding access to Tibet as "full of prejudice" and warned that continued interference in the Himalayan region could damage US-China relations.

The US State Department's report "disregards the facts, is full of prejudice and the Chinese side will never accept it", said Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang at a press briefing in Beijing.

"We urge the US side to... stop using Tibet-related issues to interfere in China's internal affairs so as not to cause damage to China-US relations and cooperation and exchanges between the two countries", he added.

The report, which was released Monday, details issues with access to Tibet, including restrictions that have prohibited diplomats, journalists and ordinary citizens from visiting the mountainous region.

According to the report, five out of nine US requests to visit Tibet were rejected last year, including one by Ambassador Terry Branstad.

Beijing -- which claims it "peacefully liberated" the Himalayan area -- also stands accused of political and religious repression in the region.

At least 150 Tibetans have set themselves on fire since 2009 in protest against Beijing's presence in Tibet, most of whom have died from their injuries.

But China insists that Tibetans enjoy extensive freedoms and argues it has brought economic growth.

It has also defended restricted access to the region as a result of "special geography" and "climatic conditions", and has said China welcomes more visitors to travel and do business in Tibet.

The State Department report was part of the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act passed by US lawmakers in December.

The law -- which China has strongly rebuked -- requires the United States by the end of this year to deny visas to Chinese officials in charge of implementing policies that restrict access for foreigners to Tibet.

On Tuesday, Geng called the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act "gross interference" into China's internal affairs that sends the "wrong signal" to Tibetan separatists.
Some of the tens of thouands of people who were displaced by the US-backed assault on the Islamic State group's last redoubt in eastern Syria passed through the Manbij area, where suspected jihadist have shot dead seven US-backed fighters

The Islamic State group on Tuesday claimed an attack on US-backed forces in the northern Syrian city of Manbij, days after their "caliphate" was declared defeated.

Manbij is a former IS stronghold that is now ruled by a military council affiliated with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the US-backed Kurdish-led alliance that declared victory over IS in its last redoubt in eastern Syria on Saturday.

At around midnight (2200 GMT) on Monday, gunmen opened fire at fighters manning a checkpoint at the entrance to the city, killing seven, the council said.

IS claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement published on its social media channels on Tuesday.

"The caliphate's soldiers attacked a checkpoint... west of Manbij city last night," it said.

A spokesman for the Manbij Military Council, Sherfan Darwish, said it could be a revenge attack.

"After the victory over IS, we have entered the phase of sleeper cells," Darwish told AFP.

"These sleeper cells are being activated and carrying out attacks but we will foil their operations."

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor of the war, said it is "the first attack of its kind" since the SDF declared the defeat of the "caliphate" last week.

Four US service personnel were among 19 people killed in Manbij in a suicide bombing claimed by the Islamic State group on January 16

Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said it was also the bloodiest attack in Manbij since January 16, when 19 people -- including four US service personnel -- were killed in a suicide bombing claimed by IS.

IS has vowed to carry out revenge attacks against the SDF over the six-month offensive against it that culminated in the jihadists' defeat in the village of Baghouz, close to the Iraqi border, on Saturday.

The Observatory said hundreds of SDF members have been killed in attacks believed to have been carried out by IS sleeper cells since August.

Manbij is also a major point of contention between the Kurds, who lead the SDF, and neighbouring Turkey, which is deeply opposed to their autonomous administration in northeastern and parts of northern Syria.

The city is one of the few areas west of the Euphrates that remains under Kurdish influence after Turkish troops and their Syrian rebel allies overran the Kurdish enclave of Afrin in March last year.

US troops carry out a joint patrol with Turkish forces near Manbij, a strategic city in northern Syria that is major point of contention between Ankara and Washington's Kurdish allies in the fight against the jihadists

Ankara has threatened to launch a new offensive to dislodge the People's Protection Units (YPG) -- the Kurdish force that forms the backbone of the SDF -- from the entire length of the border.

The YPG is considered a terrorist group by Ankara because of its links to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), the outlawed rebel group that has fought a deadly insurgency for self-rule in southeastern Turkey since 1984.
The tone of Future Forward's campagin -- led by scion of the Thai Summit auto-parts group Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit -- was in stark contrast to more staid rivals, engaging in what amounted to a conversation with his fans over Twitter and rallies

Dynamised by a telegenic billionaire, staffed by trendy graduates and powered by the millennial vote, Future Forward (FFP) has emerged as a new force in Thai politics, with a mission to restructure an unequal economy and take an axe to the army's influence.

At FFP's headquarters in Bangkok the euphoria was barely concealed as early results from Sunday's election showed it on track to 30 lower house seats, with a proportional party list system likely to reward their five million-plus ballots with dozens more.

If the results play out -- and the menace of legal troubles fades for Future Forward -- it will be Thailand's third largest party, barely a year after being formed.

Its agenda is radical; re-writing the constitution to excise the military from politics, slashing the defence budget, ending conscription and addressing Thailand's chasmic inequality.

And its 40-year-old figurehead, Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, scion of the Thai Summit auto-parts group, says he is in it for the long haul.

"The party was not formed just to run in this election," he told AFP, asserting "our end game" is to help Thailand return to a democracy.

"Our agenda is the public agenda... we are here because we want to push for genuine change."

Thanathorn knocks back a mug of water handed to him by a young aide, wearing a Future Forward t-shirt and brogues -- without socks -- like several other staffers.

Despite his vast wealth, which he put in a blind trust before the polls, Thanathorn's pull comes from a mix of corruscating takedowns of the ruling junta and a deft common touch.

The tone of his campaign was in stark contrast to more staid rivals, engaging in what amounted to a conversation with his fans over Twitter and rallies.

At headquarters there is a notable absence of the deferent "wais" of respect among the junior staff -- and none of the hushed reverence normally associated with corridors of Thai power.

Instead, aides buzz around laptops scribbling totals from constituencies, wide-eyed at the party's unexpected momentum.

Some just recently graduated, reflecting the hitherto untapped demographic of millions of millennials.

Many were first time voters, wearied by Thailand's carousel of coups and short-lived governments and a political stage populated by ageing generals and grandstanding politicians who refuse to exit.

"The new division is between the people who support the military regime and the people who oppose the military regime," Thanathorn added.

- 'We will be relentless' -

Their policy platform is more far-reaching than Pheu Thai, which is on course to be the largest lower house party despite being several million votes down on the last election in 2011.

It is still linked to ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, a divisive 69-year-old who lives in self-exile but still plays the political game from overseas.

Future Forward scooped up seats across the country, in part aided in their quest for proportional party list seats by the dissolution of the Shinawatra-linked Thai Raksa Chart party.

It was taken out by a court just weeks before the election for running a princess as candidate for premier.

FFP's agenda is radical; re-writing the constitution to excise the military from politics, slashing the defence budget, ending conscription and addressing Thailand's chasmic inequality

"People voted strategically," said Napisa Waitoolkiat, political scientist from Naresuan University.

For the pro-democracy camp "why not vote for somebody new?", she added.

With a firm bridgehead established, Future Forward says they are ready to join an anti-junta government.

But Thanathorn, for now, insists he will not run for premier.

Equally, party officials say they are ready to menace the military from opposition, where their youth and progressive agenda are likely to cast the generals and bureaucrats from junta-allied Phalang Pracharat in a bad light.

"FFP is definitely the new force of Thai politics," said 20-year-old student Chayata Sripanich, who voted for the party.

It has given Thais "a new lens on things... that politics and elections are to be discussed with policies and agendas rather than focusing purely on politicians," she added.

But Thai politics is also a treacherous space, especially for newcomers with big ideas.

Party leaders including Thanathorn have already been targeted with legal cases over petty alleged misdemeanours that can result in political bans for individuals and whole parties.

With the junta and big business in its sights, Future Forward is also likely to make powerful enemies.

But Thanathorn is confident his narrative of a country in need of structural surgery will take root.

And he is unequivocal that they are entering Thailand's bear-pit politics with teeth bared.

"We will work relentlessly, continuously," he says.
Former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger speaks outside the US Supreme Court as the court heard a case about gerrymandering

The US Supreme Court appeared sharply divided on Tuesday as it heard a politically charged case about gerrymandering, the dark art of drawing electoral maps to extract partisan advantage.

The nine justices of the nation's top court seemed split along ideological lines as they heard arguments in a case that could reshape the future of American politics.

The five conservative justices appeared inclined to let the states continue to work out solutions to the vexed question, which has sparked calls for reform from public figures including action star and erstwhile politician Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Justice Neil Gorsuch, who was appointed by Republican President Donald Trump, noted that some 20 states have already taken measures to crack down on gerrymandering.

"Why should we weigh into this?" Gorsuch asked.

The four liberal justices, however, seemed ready to wade in.

The latest gerrymandering cases to come before the court are from North Carolina, where Republican lawmakers are accused of devising electoral maps to favor themselves, and Maryland, where Democrats have allegedly done the same.

Under the US constitution, congressional seats are redrawn every decade during census years to account for population growth.

But the party in power at the time frequently tilts the playing field to their own advantage by carving out districts packed with voters that benefit their candidates.

In the North Carolina case, the Republican authors of the 2016 congressional map explicitly stated their intentions.

- 'People are bragging' -

"I propose that we draw the maps to give a partisan advantage to 10 Republicans and three Democrats," said a member of the redistricting committee, "because I do not believe it's possible to draw a map with 11 Republicans and two Democrats."

Protestors rallied outside as the US Supreme Court heard a case about gerrymandering

The plan was successful: in the 2018 congressional vote, Democrats won a majority of votes statewide, but only three of the 13 districts.

The Maryland case hinges on one rural district which remained in the hands of the same Republican for 20 years. It underwent a redistricting exercise in 2012, which added more urban voters, and flipped to the Democrats two years later.

Elena Kagan, one of the four liberal justices, said it appeared wrong for the court to "leave all this to professional politicians" who "have an interest in districting according to their own partisan interests."

"People are bragging," Kagan said, "because they think it's perfectly legal to do so."

Another liberal justice, Stephen Breyer, said he feared the amount of gerrymandering would only get worse over time.

"Politicians consider politics, yes," Breyer said. "Our problem is 'When is it too much?'"

"There was not that much gerrymandering in the past compared to what there might be with computers in the future," he went on. "What I am trying to do is to figure out if there is a way to catch real outliers."

- 'Workable standard' -

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Gerrymandering came before the Supreme Court in cases related to Wisconsin and Maryland last year, but both were kicked back to lower courts on procedural grounds.

When it last considered such a case in 2004, the court voted 5-4 against reforming the system.

Judge Anthony Kennedy tipped the balance by voting against reform -- but said he might be persuaded in future if courts were presented with a "workable standard" by which to assess whether a district had been gerrymandered.

With Kennedy's retirement however, the make-up of the court has changed.

His replacement is conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who was appointed by Trump last year.

Kavanaugh appeared somewhat sympathetic on Tuesday to opposing gerrymandering in extreme cases.

At the same time, he said the US Constitution does not say there has to be "proportional representation" in the US Congress.

"If gerrymandering is defined as a deviation from proportional representation, the Constitution does not contain such a guarantee," Kavanaugh said.

Schwarzenegger, the former Republican governor of California best known for playing ruthless cyborg assassin "The Terminator," joined protestors outside the Supreme Court on Tuesday to argue for an end to gerrymandering.

"We must terminate gerrymandering," Schwarzenegger said. "This scam has been going on for too long.

"Both parties have been gerrymandering," he said. "It is a national disgrace, a national scandal."

The portmanteau "gerrymander" was coined after Elbridge Gerry, the governor of Massachusetts, who signed a law in 1812 that created a voting district in Boston that resembled a salamander.
Netanyahu is not a suspect in the submarine case, but some of his friends are

German prosecutors confirmed Tuesday they are investigating the 2017 sale of three submarines to Israel, a potential corruption scandal implicating allies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"An evaluation of the (international) press coverage has given cause for a preliminary investigation," a spokesman for Bochum's prosecutors office, which specialises in financial corruption cases, told AFP without giving more details.

On Monday, business newspaper Handelsblatt reported that German authorities are investigating the large military contract concerning the sale of German-built submarines, at the request of authorities in Israel who have been investigating the matter since 2016.

The case, known as "3000", focuses on suspicion of corruption surrounding the sale of three 'Dolphin' class submarines and four 'Saar 6' naval vessels, built by German industrial giant Thyssenkrupp for a reported sum of around two billion dollars.

Last week, Michael Ganor, a former Thyssenkrupp employee, was arrested in Israel after informing police of his intention to "change the version he gave during the investigation" into corruption suspicions around the purchase of the German submarines.

The scandal threatens to drag in Netanyahu as several of his relatives and close affiliates have been implicated.

Police said in November there was evidence to press charges against a number of suspects, including Netanyahu's cousin and lawyer David Shimron.

Netanyahu was questioned as a witness in the case and was not considered a suspect.

His main political rival, Benny Gantz, a former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, last week called for a full investigation into the affair.
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Kenya plans to shut a refugee camp that is home to nearly a quarter of a million people, mostly Somalis, in the next few months, according to an internal UN document seen by AFP Tuesday,

The three-decade-old Dadaab camp in eastern Kenya would be closed by the end of August under the Kenyan plan, it said.

A United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) document dated February 28 said the Kenyan government had sent a note verbale informing it of "plans to close the Dadaab camps within a six-month period".

The note, which was dated February 19, asked UNHCR "to expedite relocation of the refugees and asylum-seekers residing therein."

In the document, the UNHCR said it was committed to working with the government on voluntary repatriation to countries of origin, relocating refugees to other parts of Kenya and resettlement to third countries.

An aid worker in Dadaab, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed to AFP that all international organisations were aware of a plan to close the camp, but the "government is keeping it low profile".

Dadaab was considered the world's largest refugee camp, with at its peak some 580,000 refugees. The largest camp is now Cox's Bazaar in Bangladesh, home to some 600,000 Rohingya refugees who have fled neighbouring Myanmar.

Dadaab now shelters some 230,000 people, the vast majority of them Somalis who fled across the border following the outbreak of civil war in 1991. Many have lived there ever since.

In May 2016 the government unilaterally decided to close the camp, saying it was a terrorist training ground for Shabaab Islamist militants based in Somalia.

Tens of thousands of refugees returned to Somalia under a repatriation package.

However, many encountered drought, hunger and dire conditions in a country where five million lack enough food and where African and Somali forces are still fighting Al-Qaeda-aligned Shabaab militants.

Amnesty International said it had documented government officials threatening refugees and telling them they had to leave, "raising serious questions about whether returns were voluntary".

Then in February 2017 Kenya's High Court ruled the plan to close the camp was unconstitutional, violated Kenya's international obligations and amounted to the persecution of refugees.

The court also said the forced repatriation violated the 1951 United Nations Convention on refugees.

Since sending troops into neighbouring Somalia in 2011, Kenya has come under repeated attack from Al-Qaeda-linked Shabaab militants.

The government has presented Dadaab as a security risk, saying Somali Islamists inside the camp planned the Shabaab attacks at Nairobi's Westgate shopping mall in 2013 and the Garissa university attack in 2015, though it has not provided evidence.

The latest effort to shut it comes shortly after the January 15 attack on the Dusit hotel and office complex in Nairobi that left 21 dead. At least 12 suspects were arrested in Dadaab in connection with the attack.
Egyptian President, Handing Over Award to Stacey Fru in Aswan, Egypt. Archives

Young writer, teacher, TV host, Motivational Speaker Stacey Fru has been recognised as the Most Influential and Promising youth in the Arab and African regions, in a ceremony that took place in Aswan, Egypt.

It was during the closure of the Arab and African Youth Forum, that took place between the 16-18 March, that young Stacey was singled out amongst 14 contestants, as the most influential youths.

Her award was handed over in Aswan, by Egyptian President, Abdelfattah El-Sisi.

 It's been a really really great and overwhelming experience for me. I think all those who supported me so far because, it has been a very wonderful journey, which has really helped and boosted my confidence. It has also inspired me, to do more and more good work, remarked little Stacey, after receiving her award from Egyptian President.

Her name is Stacey Fru, daughter of Victorine Mbong Shu and Dr. Emmanuel Fru. Born on the 16th of February 2007 in Johannesburg, South Africa, where she runs her own foundation, Stacey wrote her first book, Smelly Cats, at the age of 7, without the knowledge of her parents.

Today, Stacey is a Bestselling Multiple Award-Winning Child Author of 3 books, a philanthropist, Activist, a Public Speaker. Her book, Smelly Cats, was approved by the South African Department of Basic Education as suitable for young learners from Early Childhood through to Primary Schools.

Her mother Victorian Mbong Shu ,another author, who accompanied her all along, says she always seek God's blessings on her daughter.

Yes, I am proud of Stacey. I just cover her with the Blood of Jesus and hope that every single blessing showered on her way, translates into action, noted Staceys mom.

Smelly Cats, was published when Stacey was 8. She won 3 awards for this book and her other works, before her 2nd book Bob and the Snake, was published.

Staceys ambitions for the growth of the African child is extensive. She is a philanthropist and the youngest Ambassador for Save the Children.



With her foundation, Stacey constantly donates items like books, computers, clothing and food Her major concern for children are evident in her writings and her talks themed on illiteracy, poverty/inequality, religion, safety and security, respect, love, family and friendship.



The Arab and African Youth platform, is a recommendation of the World Youth Forum, which seeks to engage youths from all parts of the world, and connect them to top policy makers, with a goal to make the world a better place.


From left, EU Commission leader Jean-Claude Juncker, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Tuesday

China's President Xi Jinping on Tuesday attempted to dispel concern about his country's growing presence in Europe at a meeting with French, German and EU leaders who stressed their desire for a more balanced relationship.

French President Emmanuel Macron was joined by Germany's Angela Merkel and European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker for talks in Paris with the visiting Chinese leader which took place against a backdrop of growing tensions caused by Donald Trump's America.

"Of course there are differences and competition, but it's positive competition," Xi told a joint press conference of EU-China relations. "We are advancing together. We shouldn't let suspicions lead us to be constantly looking backwards."

French President Emmanuel Macron hosted a state dinner Monday for Chinese President Xi Jinping with some 200 guests

The EU and China have both been on the receiving end of Trump's "America first" nationalism, protectionist trade policies and attacks on international agreements covering global warming, trade and Iran's nuclear programme.

"Cooperation pays better than confrontation," Macron declared.

In a joint statement at the end of Xi's three-day trip to France, the Chinese and French leaders both committed to working together to promote a rules-based international order.

Merkel sounded a note of caution about how much the EU and China could achieve on their own, however.

"There can't be multilateralism without the United States," she said.

- Growing rivalry -

Though the leaders emphasised multiple areas where China, France and the EU would work together, there remain underlying tensions in the relationship -- the source of the "suspicions" that Xi referred to.

Ahead of an EU-China summit on April 9, the European Commission this month labelled China a "systemic rival" and presented a 10-point plan proposing a more assertive relationship with Beijing, which Macron has welcomed as a belated awakening.

Among other risks, the commission warned about the distorting effects of Chinese subsidies to its industrial groups, and European firms being forced to transfer technology to their Chinese subsidiaries.

Juncker felt compelled to start his public comments at the joint press conference in Paris by saying: "I am a friend of China".

But both he and Merkel raised the vexed issue of "reciprocity" in terms of trade and investments, meaning China should offer more opportunities to European firms in its domestic market and in Chinese-funded projects abroad.

Europe wants pledges from China that its vast "Belt and Road" project -- huge investments in rail and road infrastructure in countries from Asia to Europe, also known as the new "Silk Road" -- will be carried out in partnership with the EU.

The initiative is a "very important project" and "we, Europeans, want to play a role," Merkel said at the joint press conference.

The "New Silk Road" is a massive Chinese infrastructure project including road, rail and ship routes

"That must lead to reciprocity and we're having a bit of trouble in finding it," Merkel added.

EU Budget Commissioner Gunther Oettinger warned in a newspaper interview over the weekend that infrastructure in the EU "of strategic importance like power networks, high speed rail lines or harbours are no longer in European but in Chinese hands".

Another point of contention is the use of telecom giant Huawei's next generation 5G mobile technology, which the United States sees as a "backdoor" for spying.

Analysts were divided on Europe's bid to rebalance the scales with Beijing.

"I really think that Europe is getting its act together," Philippe Le Corre, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace think-tank, told AFP.

But Steven Blockmans, EU foreign policy expert at the Centre for European Policy Studies, said that while EU members seemed aware of the need to stand together "everyone is trying to strike their best bilateral deal with China".

- Planes and wind farms -

Macron's decision to invite Merkel and Juncker to the talks with Xi underlined his desire to see all EU member states adopt a common approach to relations with Beijing.

On the first leg of his five-day Europe trip, Xi visited Italy, which became the first G7 state to sign up to the "Belt and Road" initiative.

Xi's visit poses a particular challenge for Macron, who wants to deepen EU ties with China while pushing back against Beijing's growing global clout

Macron urged his Chinese counterpart to "respect the unity of the European Union" on Tuesday, underlining concerns that Beijing was seeking to divide members.

While in France, Xi has inked a dozen deals on nuclear power, cultural exchanges and clean energy, while Beijing also committed to a huge order for 290 A320s and 10 A350 airliners from Europe's Airbus conglomerate.

The total amount of the deals, including one on the construction by French energy giant EDF and a Chinese partner of offshore wind farms, amounted to over 40 billion euros ($45 billion).
As roads to affected communities have been reconnected in southern Africa, the full scale of the humanitarian crisis has been revealed for the first time since the storm struck

A cyclone which struck southern Africa has affected almost three million people, of whom nearly 500,000 have been driven from their homes, the United Nations said on Tuesday.

Cyclone Idai smashed into Mozambique on March 15, unleashing hurricane-force winds and rain that flooded much of the centre of the country and then battered eastern Zimbabwe and Malawi.

More than 700 people have been killed in Mozambique and Zimbabwe alone and hundreds are missing, according to an AFP toll compiled from figures provided by governments and some UN agencies.

The UN's World Food Programme (WFP) said roughly 3,125 square kilometres (1,200 square miles) of land had been swamped, and nearly three million people across the three countries had been affected.

"Close to 500,000 have been displaced," the agency said in a briefing note.

Flooding in Mozambique

In New York, UN humanitarian aid chief Mark Lowcock launched an appeal to provide Mozambique with $282 million (250 million euros) of relief aid over the next three months.

Similar campaigns will shortly be launched for Zimbabwe and Malawi, he said.

- Hunger -

Survivors of the cyclone began receiving medicine, food and tents Tuesday as floodwaters receded, enabling a detailed picture of the crisis to emerge for the first time.

In the small village of Bejaga, some 150 survivors were hungry.

In the past week relief workers have dropped off "just a cup of (vitamin fortified) soya per family. It's way too little," said peasant farmer Francisco Lopez. "We are waiting," he told AFP.

He had salvaged a few maize cobs in the mud and he sifted through them grain by grain, looking for any edible morsel. He had dried the food on a tarpaulin, but much of it was rotten after nearly two weeks under water.

"We really have nothing to eat, we have received almost nothing in aid," he said.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs' Sebastian Rhodes Stampa said Monday that 30 aid missions were flying in while others were going by road "so we can really deliver volume."

International Organisation for Migration (IOM) chief Antonio Vitorino cautioned, though, that food shortages were likely for months to come because of destruction to farmland.

"Given its devastating impact, Cyclone Idai could rank as the worst disaster to hit the region in decades," he said in a statement.

An estimated half a million hectares (1.2 million acres) of crops have been destroyed, much of which had been ready to harvest, and loss of livestock is likely to be severe.

- Health peril -

Stagnant water, decomposing bodies and lack of sanitation in overcrowded shelters in Mozambique could create breeding grounds for cholera, typhus and malaria, experts say.

Nearly three million people have been affected in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi

The WHO says it is withdrawing 900,000 doses of cholera vaccines from a global stockpile to help forestall an epidemic.

The government has already identified some suspected cases of cholera, the head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), Elhadj As Sy, said.

"The worst thing is the children crying and looking for their parents... It is heartbreaking," he said, adding that it remained unclear how many children may have been orphaned.

Medical services in the affected region were stretched even before the cyclone hit.

Beira hospital's operating theatre sustained serious damage. As many as 17 health centres have lost their roofs, Doctors without Borders (MSF) said.

The South African military has deployed several aircraft to the affected area and an EU-funded WFP helicopter is supporting rescue and recovery efforts.
The wives and young daughters of both the journalists travelled to Naypyidaw for the hearing

Myanmar's Supreme Court on Tuesday finished hearings in an appeal case for two Reuters journalists, their lawyer said, as the defence team strives to overturn seven-year sentences on charges linked to reporting on the Rohingya crisis.

Reporters Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 29, have been behind bars for 15 months since their arrest in December 2017 under the Official Secrets Act.

Rights groups and legal experts say the case was riddled with irregularities and their imprisonment and subsequent conviction was punishment for investigating a massacre of 10 Rohingya Muslims.

They were accused of possessing classified documents relating to security operations in Rakhine state, the epicentre of a 2017 military crackdown against the Rohingya that forced some 740,000 to flee the country.

In January Yangon's High Court rejected an initial appeal, leaving their fate in the hands of the Supreme Court judges in the capital Naypyidaw.

Rights groups and legal experts say the case against the two reporters was riddled with irregularities

The wives and young daughters of both the journalists travelled to Naypyidaw for the hearing even though the reporters themselves were not present.

"We gave the final arguments for the appeal at the Supreme Court today," lawyer Khin Maung Zaw told AFP, adding that he expected the court to take about a month to reach a decision.

The case has sparked alarm among press freedom advocates and inspired a global campaign, with the reporters appearing on the cover of TIME magazine.

A date has not been set for the appeal decision, but if it fails, there are two more chances -- both at the Supreme Court -- once before a panel of two judges and then a full bench appeal, a process that would take several months.

Rights groups have heaped pressure on Myanmar's civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi to use her influence to secure a pardon, but she has so far refused to intervene.

The men were arrested while probing the extrajudicial killing of 10 Rohingya men in Inn Din village in northern Rakhine state.

The case against them was undermined by testimony from a whistle-blowing police officer who said the pair had been set up in a sting operation.

"They are honest, admirable journalists who did not break the law, and they should be freed as a matter of urgency," Reuters Editor-in-Chief Stephen J. Adler said in a statement.
Around 900 million Indians are eligible to vote in the mammoth polls, which start April 11 and run nearly six weeks in a huge endeavour some experts say could cost $10 billion

Indian authorities have seized more than $70 million worth of cash, booze and illegal drugs under special laws designed to curb vote buying during the world's biggest election, officials said Tuesday.

Around 900 million Indians are eligible to vote in the mammoth polls, which start April 11 and run nearly six weeks in a huge endeavour some experts say could cost $10 billion.

From the moment the election was announced on March 10, special laws took effect banning all Indians from carrying large amounts of money, gold or silver to reduce the risk of politicians buying votes.

Officials such as police and railway staff are granted temporary powers during the campaign to seize booze, cash or other goods they believe are being used to sway voters.

So far, authorities have confiscated 4.4 million litres of liquor and 1.5 billion rupees ($21.8 million) in cash considered suspicious, the election commission said in a statement.

Illegal drugs worth an almost similar amount had been seized, the commission said.

"Freebies" stockpiled in trucks along highways worth an estimated 120 million rupees were also confiscated. No exact description of the goods was provided, but in the past political parties have used mobile phones, televisions and other electronic gadgets to entice votes.

Poorer voters are particularly targeted by unscrupulous politicians during elections and plied with cash and luxury items to garner support and influence.

To combat this, special election laws prohibit anybody from possessing more than one kilogram of gold or silver, or carrying in excess of one million rupees, until the results are declared on May 23.

In the 2014 elections, 16 million litres of liquor and 17,000 kilograms of drugs seized.

This election, a mobile-based application lets voters report any wrongdoing taking place in their electorate, in a bid to clean up the the poll.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party stormed to power in 2014, must fend off Rahul Gandhi and his Congress party to return to high office.
Those responsible for the massacre in Ogossagou, central Mali also burned down the village

The UN said Tuesday it had sent a team of investigators to Mali's restive Mopti region, where more than 150 people were massacred this weekend.

The raid took place on Saturday in the village of Ogossagou, home to the Fulani herding community, near the town of Mopti in central Mali.

The UN rights office said at least 153 people were killed and 73 injured in the attack. Local officials and security sources told AFP on Monday the death toll had climbed to 160.

The attack marked a "significant" surge in "violence across communal lines and by so-called self-defence groups apparently attempting to root out violent extremist groups", said UN rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani.

In the Mopti region alone, attacks had led to "some 600 deaths of women, children and men, as well as thousands of displaced persons" since March 2018, she told reporters.

More than a third of those killed had died since the beginning of 2019, she added.

The UN has sent a team of 10 human rights officers, a child protection officer and two crime scene investigators to the Mopti region to investigate Saturday's attack, Shamdasani said.

- 'Circle of impunity' -

"We are in direct contact with the authorities," she said adding that the UN had offered to help to "bring the perpetrators to justice in order to break the circle of impunity".

A militia from the Dogon ethnic group -- a hunting and farming community with a long history of tension with the Fulani over access to land -- is suspected of having carried out Saturday's raid.

Shamdasani said that "on many occasions the attacks are said to be motivated by a desire to root out individuals linked to violent extremist groups".

Jihadist raids remain a persistent threat, and in the centre of the country, an ethnic mosaic, the attacks have taken a bloody toll on groups with a history of rivalry.

The Fulani, who are mainly Muslim, have been accused of supporting a jihadist preacher, Amadou Koufa, who rose to prominence in central Mali four years ago.

Map locating massacre in Ogossagou

So-called self-defence groups have emerged in the Dogon community with the declared aim of providing protection against the insurgents.

"There is this development of stigmatisation... They are deliberately targeted," Shamdasani said.

On Sunday, the Malian government announced the dissolution of one Dogon militia.

The victims of Saturday's attack, many of them women and children, were shot or hacked to death with machetes, a security source told AFP.

Christophe Boulierac, a spokesman for the UN children's agency UNICEF, told reporters in Geneva that around one third of those killed were children, and that 31 children were also injured.

"This tragic killing and maiming of defenceless children is on an unprecedented scale," he said.

Saturday's massacre was the deadliest attack in Mali since the 2013 French-led military intervention that drove back jihadist groups who had taken control of the north of the country.
File picture of Duduzane Zuma as he entered Randburg Magistrates Court in October

Duduzane Zuma, son of South Africa's former president Jacob Zuma, has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter over a fatal late-night car crash in 2014, a court heard Tuesday.

He went on trial at the Randburg Magistrates' Court in Johannesburg accused of causing the death of Phumzile Dube after his Porsche hit a minibus she was travelling in.

Three others were injured and one passenger, Nankie Mashaba, died in hospital weeks later.

Prosecutors withdrew a manslaughter charge, known as "culpable homicide" in South Africa, related to Mashaba's death.

"Duduzane Zuma has pleaded not guilty to a charge of culpable homicide," reported the Eyewitness News site.

In a separate case, Zuma, aged in his mid 30s, faces corruption charges over allegations of a bribe offered to former deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas.

Jacob Zuma, 76, was forced to resign in February 2018 over allegations centring around the Gupta business family, who reportedly held such sway that they picked cabinet ministers.

Duduzane Zuma was previously employed by the Guptas.

Jacob Zuma, who has five wives and at least 20 children, has also been charged with 16 counts of graft linked to an arms deal from before he became president.
The leader of the Sahrawi delegation and Polisario Front, Khatri Addouh, pictured last Friday at talks in Geneva

Several southern African leaders on Tuesday threw their support behind Western Sahara, with one calling the disputed territory the "last colony" on the African continent.

President Cyril Ramaphosa, leader of the continental powerhouse South Africa, described the gathering in the South African capital Pretoria as a "historic act of solidarity".

The two-day meeting, which started on Monday, was called by the 16-nation Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) and attended by leaders from nine African countries and ministers from as far away as Venezuela and Nicaragua.

Separately, Morocco hosted ministers from 36 African countries for UN-backed talks on ending the four-decades-old conflict in Western Sahara, a swathe of desert on Africa's Atlantic coast.

Delegates at the meeting in Marrakesh backed a declaration affirming "the exclusivity of the United Nations as the framework for seeking a mutually acceptable, realistic, pragmatic and lasting political solution to the (Western) Sahara issue."

In Pretoria, Ramaphosa said: "Gathered here today are men and women of conscience. Your presence here... sends the clearest message that we are with the people of Western Sahara.

Western Sahara

"We stand by you, we support you and we will never forget you."

Morocco, which annexed the territory after Spain withdrew in 1975, considers Western Sahara to be an integral part of the kingdom.

Ramaphosa said "international solidarity" ended South Africa's brutal apartheid system "and it is international solidarity that will see realised the foremost aspirations of the people of Western Sahara to be independent and free."

The talks hosted by South Africa's foreign ministry are pushing for a referendum on the status of Western Sahara.

Namibian President Hage Geingob, the current chair of the SADC bloc, referred to Western Sahara as Africa's "last colony".

"The international community should continue to support efforts aimed at resolving once and for all the question of Western Sahara, the last colony on the continent, to hold a free and fair referendum to determine their destiny," Geingob said.

A second round of UN talks ended Friday near Geneva, with UN envoy Horst Kohler admitting that "many positions are still fundamentally diverging".
Syrian national flags fly in the Syrian town of Ain al-Tineh across from Majdal Shams in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights

Demonstrations spread across Syria on Tuesday denouncing Washington's recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, in a show of unity in the war-torn country, state media said.

US President Donald Trump on Monday signed a proclamation recognising Israeli sovereignty over the strategic border area, seized from Syria in 1967 and then annexed in 1981 in a move not recognised by the international community.

Trump's move immediately drew criticism from the Syrian government, which described it as a "blatant attack" on the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

On Tuesday, demonstrators took to the streets across the war-torn country to protest Washington's decision.

They staged rallies in Damascus, the government strongholds of Latakia and Tartous, the northern city of Aleppo, the central city of Homs, Deir Ezzor in the east and the southern cities of Daraa and Quneitra, state news agency SANA said.

Syrians also protested in the Kurdish-majority northeastern cities of Qamishli and Hassakeh, it said.

Demonstrators carried portraits of President Bashar al-Assad and raised the Syrian and Palestinian flags, in photos carried by SANA.

"The blatant US bias toward Israel will not change the Syrian identity of the Golan," Information Minister Imad Sara told state television during a rally in Damascus.

"There needs to be a strong response", not just condemnations, he said. "We want action on the ground."

In Aleppo, hundreds gathered in the central Saadallah al-Jabiri square.

"We are here to condemn Trump's Golan decision," said Mohammad Shaaban, a protester.

"The Golan is Arab and Syrian whether they like it or not," he said.

In Damascus, the lawyers' syndicate gathered at the justice palace to decry the move, pro-regime television showed.

"America is now the primary enemy of the Arabs," a syndicate representative read from a statement.

The lawyers' syndicate in Hama paused court sessions for one hour in protest over the US decision, SANA said.

Trump's Golan decision spurred condemnation from several regional states, including Turkey, Iran, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia.

It also drew criticism from the Syrian regime's ally Russia, which warned of a "new wave" of tensions in the Middle East.

The UN Security Council is scheduled to discuss the Golan on Wednesday during a meeting on renewing the mandate of the UN peacekeeping force deployed between Israel and Syria in the Golan, known as UNDOF.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warns of further action in Gaza in an address by video link to the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC in Washington

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Tuesday that he was ready to order further action in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip after airstrikes in response to rocket fire.

"I can tell you we are prepared to do a lot more. We will do what is necessary to defend our people and to defend our state," Netanyahu told the US pro-Israel lobby AIPAC by video link from the Jewish state's defense headquarters.

Netanyahu cut short his visit to Washington to handle the response after a rare rocket strike landed near Tel Aviv, injuring seven Israelis, just two weeks ahead of elections.

Israel hit back with air strikes including on the office of Hamas leader Ismail Haniya, with an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire failing to take hold.

Before returning home, Netanyahu enjoyed a key pre-election boost when he met Monday with President Donald Trump who proclaimed that the United States considered the Golan Heights -- captured by Israel from Syria during the Six-Day War in 1967 -- to belong to the Jewish state.

Pointing to Jewish historical roots in the Golan, Netanyahu told AIPAC: "Israel holds the high ground and we shall never, ever give it up."

Netanyahu again hailed Trump -- who in 2017 fulfilled another long-held Israeli ambition by moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to disputed Jerusalem.

But Netanyahu, without criticizing Trump, also denounced anti-Semites around the world including those who "march through the streets of Charlottesville."

White supremacists rallied in the Virginia city in 2017 where they chanted slogans against Jews and an assailant killed a counter-protester, with Trump facing criticism for saying the neo-Nazi crowd included "very fine people."

Netanyahu is facing a stiff election challenge from centrist former military chief Benny Gantz, who brought the American Jewish audience to its feet Monday with promises of an inclusive Israel.

Netanyahu's pre-election dealings with the far-right Jewish Power party, which calls for the forcible expulsion of Palestinians and Israeli Arabs, has triggered condemnation even from AIPAC and other staunchly pro-Israel US groups.

Netanyahu cast a moderate image for himself at AIPAC, saying that both Israel and the United States "love freedom and democracy."

"We don't judge people by the color of their skin, their religion or their sexual orientation," Netanyahu said.

"I'm proud of Israel's vibrant democracy where no one -- no one -- is a second-class citizen. All of Israel's citizens are first-class citizens," he said.
No caption

The US Treasury took fresh aim Tuesday at the international network funnelling dollars and euros to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), naming 25 individuals and entities for financial sanctions.

The targets were front companies of the IRGC-controlled Ansar Bank and Ansar Exchange in Iran, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, that have collectively been able to move more than $1 billion for the Tehran regime, the Treasury said.

The funds have benefitted both the IRGC and the Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics, according to a Treasury announcement.

The sanctions seek to lock those named out of the global financial system by banning US citizens and US businesses -- including international banks with a US presence -- from doing business with them.

"Any foreign financial institution that knowingly facilitates a significant transactions for any of the individuals or entities designated today could be subject to US sanctions," the Treasury warned.

The 25 named were mostly relatively small trading and money exchange firms, dubbed by the Treasury "front companies," and their owners and managers who worked with Ansar Bank and Ansar Exchange.

In addition key figures in Ansar Bank and Ansar Exchange were designated for sanctions.

"This vast network is just the latest example of the Iranian regime's use of deceptive practices to exploit the global financial system and divert resources to sanctioned entities," said Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Sigal Mandelker.

Washington has stepped up economic pressure on Iran since President Trump decided to withdraw last year from the 2015 agreement to freeze the country's development of nuclear weapons, saying Tehran was "not living up to the spirit of the deal."

In January, however, Central Intelligence Agency Director Gina Haspel told Congress that Iran continued to comply with the terms of the deal.
A Palestinian man walks through rubble in Gaza City after Israeli air strikes in response to rocket fire from the Palestinian enclave

The United Nations envoy for the Middle East warned Tuesday of catastrophic consequences from escalating violence in Gaza as Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas continued to exchange fire despite a ceasefire deal.

Nickolay Mladenov told the Security Council that a "fragile calm" had returned to the region but that the situation remained "extremely tense" following reports that Hamas had agreed to a truce.

"I am concerned that we may once again be facing another very dangerous escalation of violence in Gaza with potentially catastrophic consequences," Mladenov told a council meeting on the Middle East.

"The last two days have shown how precipitously close we came to the brink of war once again."

Israel kept up air strikes on Gaza into Tuesday and Palestinian militants launched new rockets despite the ceasefire claim.

The United Nations is working with Egypt to ensure a the truce takes hold to avoid the outbreak of a fourth war in the Palestinian enclave.

Mladenov urged the council to condemn the "continued indiscriminate firing of rockets by Hamas towards Israel" and also to call on all sides to show restraint.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier told a US pro-Israel lobby group that he was ready to order further action in Gaza and "do what is necessary to defend our people and to defend our state."

"A new conflict will be devastating for the Palestinian people. It will have consequences for Israelis, who live in the vicinity of the Gaza perimeter, and it is likely to have regional repercussions," Mladenov warned.

The envoy also reported that Israel's settlement expansion in the West Bank and East Jerusalem had continued despite a 2016 resolution demanding an end to the building of the Jewish outposts.

More than 3,000 units have been approved or tendered in the occupied West Bank -- the largest batch of new settlements since May 2018, said Mladenov.
All charges have been dropped against television actor Jussie Smollett, who was accused of lying to police about a fabricated racist and homophobic hate crime, his attorneys said

US prosecutors dropped all charges Tuesday against television actor Jussie Smollett, who was accused of fabricating a racist and homophobic hate crime, his attorneys said.

"Today, all criminal charges against Jussie Smollett were dropped and his record has been wiped clean," Tina Glandian and Patricia Brown Holmes said in a joint statement.

The 36-year-old actor had denied 16 felony counts of allegedly masterminding a false attack on the streets of downtown Chicago to gain publicity and win a bigger paycheck.

"He was a victim who was vilified and made to appear as a perpetrator as a result of false and inappropriate remarks made to the public causing an inappropriate rush to judgement," the attorneys said.

Smollett was accused of sending himself a threatening letter and hiring two acquaintances to stage a street attack, complete with homophobic and racial slurs, while invoking Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan.

The case invoked widespread sympathy for the actor and outrage over the attack.

But the actor was later written out of the last two episodes of the Fox Network television program "Empire," amid uproar over the accusations against him.

The producers of the program said they had no comment about the latest developments.
Abdelaziz Bouteflika, shown here in 2009, helped foster peace in Algeria after a decade-long civil war in the 1990s

Algerian leader Abdelaziz Bouteflika held onto power for some 20 years through a debilitating stroke but the veteran of the independence struggle finally appears to have lost his grip in the face of mass protests.

His presidency, the longest in the history of the North African state, survived the Arab Spring uprisings that toppled other leaders in the region.

But on Tuesday, after weeks of demonstrations against his rule and a demand from the army to start impeachment proceedings, Bouteflika bowed to the pressure and submitted his resignation, state media said.

It was Bouteflika's bid for a fifth term in office earlier this year that sparked public anger and brought hundreds of thousands out onto the streets across the country demanding he step down.

Dubbed Boutef by Algerians, he had helped foster peace after a decade-long civil war in the North African country in the 1990s which killed nearly 200,000 people.

"I am the whole of Algeria. I am the embodiment of the Algerian people," he said in 1999, the year he became president.

In recent years, Bouteflika has had a history of medical problems. A stroke in 2013 affected his mobility and speech, and he has used a wheelchair ever since. He is rarely seen or heard in public.

Abdelaziz Bouteflika, shown here in 1973, served as Algerian foreign minister for more than a decade

He has also faced criticism from rights groups and opponents who accuse him of being authoritarian.

When Bouteflika came to power with the support of an army battling Islamist guerrillas, nobody expected him to stay in office for so long.

After his election he addressed critics who saw him as another puppet of the military, saying: "I'm not three-quarters of a president."

Paradoxically, it was only after his stroke that Bouteflika was able to consolidate power in a country where the shadowy intelligence service has long been viewed as a "state within a state".

- Long spell in exile -

Bouteflika was born in Morocco on March 2, 1937 to a family from western Algeria.

At the age of 19 he joined the National Liberation Front (FLN) in its struggle against the French colonial rulers.

When independence came in 1962, he was appointed minister of sport and tourism at the age of just 25, under Algeria's first president, Ahmed Ben Bella.

Abdelaziz Bouteflika casts his ballot on 16 September 1999 in Algiers

He became foreign minister the following year, a post he held for more than a decade, but was sidelined after the death of president Houari Boumediene in 1978 and went into self-imposed exile.

While he was abroad the military-backed government cancelled the 1991 elections, which an Islamist party had been poised to win, sparking a decade of bloodletting.

Bouteflika returned from Switzerland in 1999 to stand for president with the backing of the army which saw in him a potential figure of reconciliation.

He initially faced six rivals, but when the opponents dropped out, crying foul, he found himself the only candidate.

He proposed an amnesty for rebels who laid down their arms and twice secured public endorsement for "national reconciliation" through referendums.

The first, in September 1999, was a major gamble but paid off, leading to a sharp decrease in violence that helped propel Bouteflika to a second term in 2004.

His third term in 2009 followed a constitutional amendment allowing him to stand again.

His supporters argue that under his stewardship public and private investment created millions of jobs and dramatically lowered unemployment.

Fidel Castro and Abdelaziz Bouteflika attend a ceremony in Havana, Cuba on April 15, 2000 during an official visit by the Algerian president

But a lack of opportunity continues to drive many Algerians abroad as youth unemployment remains high.

When the Arab Spring erupted in January 2011, Bouteflika rode out the storm by lifting a 19-year state of emergency and using oil revenues to grant pay rises.

For political commentator Rashid Tlemcani, Bouteflika "should have left office at the end of his second term, after securing national reconciliation and conquering the hearts of a large part of the population".

- Voting in a wheelchair -

In April 2013, Bouteflika was rushed to hospital in France after his stroke, and spent three months recovering.

He had already been hospitalised in Paris in 2005 because of intestinal problems from which he never fully recovered.

Bouteflika's decision to seek a fourth mandate in 2014 after 15 years in power sparked both derision and criticism from those who questioned his ability to rule.

Abdelaziz Bouteflika is pushed in a wheelchair next to his nephew before casting his ballot at a polling station in Algiers while running for re-election on April 17, 2014

He did not even campaign and voted from a wheelchair, but still won an official 81 percent of the vote.

But it was Bouteflika's bid for a fifth term in elections, which had been due to be held in April, that proved the last straw for many Algerians.

His candidacy was formally submitted on March 3 while he was in Switzerland for what the presidency described as another round of routine medical tests.

On March 10, he returned home, and the next day pulled out of the race, and cancelled the elections.

Initial elation from demonstrators, turned to anger when he confirmed he would stay on in power beyond the term of his mandate.

They returned to the streets in their hundreds of thousands to push again for him to leave and a string of key allies began abandoning the president.
US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, seen here in February 2019, is returning to Afghanistan and other countries as he works on a deal with the Taliban

The US envoy seeking a peace deal with the Taliban to end 17 years of war is heading back to the region for a new round of talks, the State Department said Tuesday.

Zalmay Khalilzad will head to Afghanistan as well as neighboring Pakistan during the trip that began Monday and is scheduled to run through April 10.

The State Department did not confirm he would hold fresh talks with the Taliban but said he would stop in Qatar, the usual location for negotiations with the militants.

Khalilzad's trip is "part of an overall effort to facilitate a peace process that brings all Afghan parties together in inclusive intra-Afghan negotiations," the State Department said.

The emphasis on negotiations among Afghans comes as the Taliban refuse to sit down for talks with the internationally recognized government of President Ashraf Ghani, despite US appeals.

Tensions over the issue recently led to Ghani's national security adviser telling reporters in Washington that Khalilzad had not been transparent and accusing the US envoy, who was born in Afghanistan, of harboring personal ambitions in his native country.

As Khalilzad headed back, the US ambassador to Kabul, John Bass, also emphasized the role of Afghans.

"Afghans deserve to make their own choices about peace, including where they are prepared to compromise, where they are not prepared to compromise, & how to mend differences," Bass tweeted.

The last negotiations between Khalilzad and the Taliban closed on March 12 in Doha and appeared to make headway.

An outline of a deal is expected to see the United States withdrawing from Afghanistan in return for the Taliban promising not to let the country be used by foreign extremists -- the reason for the US attack following the September 11, 2001 attacks.

President Donald Trump has voiced impatience with continuing America's longest war and late last year ordered the withdrawal of half the 14,000-strong US troop contingent.

The State Department said Khalilzad would also visit Belgium, Britain, Jordan and Uzbekistan as he seeks global support for a peace deal.

He met last week in Washington with representatives from China, Russia and the European Union.
Vanessa Rodel smiles during a media scrum after arriving with her daughter Keana to the Toronto airport on a flight from Hong Kong, in Toronto, Canada, March 25, 2019

A woman granted asylum in Canada after sheltering Edward Snowden urged Ottawa on Tuesday to take in five others who helped the fugitive former US government contractor and are facing deportation from Hong Kong.

Vanessa Rodel and her seven-year-old daughter Keana landed in Toronto late Monday on a flight from Hong Kong.

At a news conference the following morning, she expressed joy and eagerness to start a new life but said five others including her daughter's father and two step-siblings remain in Hong Kong awaiting an appeal decision in their cases.

"I hope we can grow together in Canada," she said.

Lawyer Marc-Andre Seguin, of the non-governmental group For the Refugees, which sponsored Rodel and her daughter, said one of group faces "certain death" if returned to Sri Lanka.

"We are very happy of course that Canada has agreed to give Vanessa and Keana protection, but we are still worried about the fate of those who remain behind," he said.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said those decisions are made by immigration officials on "a case by case basis."

The group put up the former CIA employee and US National Security Agency (NSA) contractor in their tiny apartments in 2013 while he was in Hong Kong on the run from US authorities.

His leaks of highly classified documents revealed the existence of global surveillance programs run by the NSA in cooperation with partners Australia, Britain and Canada.

Snowden, who now lives in Russia, was charged in June 2013 in the United States with espionage and stealing state secrets.

Canada granted Rodel, a Philippine national, and her daughter asylum in January but it was kept secret for security reasons, according to For the Refugees.

She was due to travel to Montreal later in the day where she and her daughter will settle.
Mustafa Tarbouni, the maternal uncle of a missing French girl, displays a picture of his niece as he tries to locate her in northeast Syria and take her back to France, four and a half years after her jihadist father nabbed her from her mother

Four and a half years ago, French toddler Jana set off on a family holiday to Morocco -- but her jihadist father instead spirited her to Syria, where he joined the Islamic State group.

Now devoted uncle Mustafa Tarbouni is on the ground and desperately trying to secure the seven-year-old's release from a cramped displaced camp in the war-torn country's northeast, where he believes the little girl is stuck with thousands of jihadist wives and their children.

"The call that I make here -- 100 kilometres (60 miles) from the camp -- is that the French government finally intervenes and brings Jana" back home, the 49-year-old said, on the steps of a government office in Syria's semi-autonomous Kurdish region.

Jana has more than doubled in age since she was ripped away from her family aged just three, but Tarbouni is hoping a birthmark at the top of her thigh will help confirm her identity.

Thumbing through a voluminous file, he displays endless pictures of the smiling little girl -- one clearly displaying the birthmark.

"I have all the necessary documents -- the identity card, the passport receipt, birth certificate, all the photos -- to prove the identity of this child," he told AFP.

Jana was last seen in eastern Syria in January, he said, but he can't disclose how he knows.

She was seen "in the streets of Shaafa", one of a string of utterly destroyed settlements that meanders to Baghouz, a village on the Euphrates River where US-backed forces last week dealt a death blow to the IS "caliphate".

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces announced the end of the group's territorial control on Saturday, after a grinding ground campaign supported by US-led coalition air strikes.

- 'Sacrifice my niece-

In August 2014, Jana's father Eddy Lerroux picked up Jana from his ex-wife's home in central France, allegedly to take her to Morocco on holiday.

But instead the jihadist and his partner Jihane Makhzoumi took Jana, and three other children -- including a six-week-old baby -- to the "caliphate", which then sprawled across a vast swathe of oil-rich territory in Iraq and Syria equivalent to the size of the United Kingdom.

An Islamic convert who adopted the name Zayed, Lerroux died "in fighting" in 2015 in Palmyra, an area in the central Syrian desert then controlled by IS, according to Tarbouni.

Makhzoumi was arrested at Roissy airport in Paris on her return to France in October 2016.

She brought back "her own three children, but decided to sacrifice my niece by leaving her behind", Tarbouni said.

Today, Jana is with a Libyan woman affiliated to IS who provided "Arabic courses to women and children inside this terrorist organisation", he said.

He says he has drawn his information from the work of journalists covering the jihadist group and the testimonies of IS wives who have returned from Syria.

- 'Children suffering' -

Syria's Al-Hol camp is home to around 6,500 foreign children, among thousands more detained relatives of alleged jihadists whose fate is providing a major headache for the Kurdish authorities.

They have repeatedly called on their home countries to take them back, but these nations have mostly been reluctant.

At least 80 French children were still stuck in Syria as of mid-February, French sources estimated.

Tarbouni, who works as a child protection specialist, says he has devoted years to the quest to find Jana, including by lobbying multiple French government ministries.

Jana's family also contacted the International Committee of the Red Cross, a non-governmental organisation working to reunite families with children dragged into the caliphate's orbit, he says, but without success.

But Paris repatriated "five orphans and (other) isolated" minors in mid-March, spurring him back into action.

He claims the Kurdish authorities are waiting only for a "green light" from France's foreign ministry to allow him to enter Al-Hol camp.

Members of the Kurdish administration in northeast Syria escort three Russian orphans as they are delivered to a Russian delegation on March 25, 2019 in the town of Qamishli

So on Monday, he says, his lawyer filed a request with that ministry.

"It's been almost five years without any progress," said the uncle on the mother's side.

"All I ask for... is a helping hand from the ministry."

A Kurdish official in change of foreign affairs declined to comment on the case.

Several international agencies, including the UN's agency for children UNICEF, have called for foreign children to be brought home "as soon as possible".

Two lawyers have lodged cases at the United Nations, calling on Paris to bring all children born to jihadists home.

France says it has not excluded bringing more orphans home, but will examine each file case by case.

Tarbouni says Jana "is the symbol of many children who are suffering in the camps" of northeast Syria.

"It is truly time we solved this problem," he said.

"The parents made the choice" to join IS. "But the children had no choice."
Syrian national flags are flown in a town across from the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights a day after President Donald Trump signed a proclamation declaring US recognition of the Golan as Israeli territory

Five European countries that sit on the UN Security Council on Tuesday rejected US President Donald Trump's decision to recognize the Golan as Israeli territory and voiced concern the move could have broad consequences.

Belgium, Britain, France, Germany and Poland insisted that the European position had not changed and that the Golan remained Israeli-occupied Syrian territory, in line with international law enshrined in UN resolutions.

"We do not recognize Israel's sovereignty over the territories occupied by Israel since June 1967, including the Golan Heights, and we do not consider them to be part of the territory of the state of Israel," Belgian Ambassador Marc Pesteen de Buytswerve told reporters.

"We raise our strong concerns about broader consequences of recognizing illegal annexation and also about the broader regional consequences," he said, flanked by the ambassadors of the four other countries.

Three UN Security Council resolutions call on Israel to withdraw from the Golan, which it seized from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War and annexed in 1981, in a move that was never recognized internationally.

On Monday, Trump signed a proclamation in which the United States recognized the strategic plateau as Israeli territory, breaking with decades of US policy.

US Acting Ambassador Jonathan Cohen told a council meeting on the Middle East that Washington had made the decision to stand up to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Iran.

"To allow the Golan Heights to be controlled by the likes of the Syrian and Iranian regimes would turn a blind eye to the atrocities of the Assad regime and malign and destabilizing presence of Iran in the region," said Cohen.

There "can be no peace agreement that does not satisfactorily address Israels security needs in the Golan Heights," he added.

Russia and China spoke out against the US decision during the council meeting as did Indonesia and South Africa, two countries that strongly support the Palestinians.

The council is scheduled to discuss the US move on Wednesday when it meets to discuss the future of the peacekeeping force deployed on the Golan, known as UNDOF.
A fighter with Charles Taylor's NPFL fires at rivals from the United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy (ULIMO) during Liberia's civil war in May 1996

Swiss prosecutors on Tuesday announced an unprecedented war crimes indictment against a Liberian man accused of murder and rape during the first of the country's back-to-back civil wars.

Investigators were also looking at a dozen other cases for "war crimes, genocide and/or crimes against humanity", said prosecutors.

The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) said it had for the first time presented an "international criminal law-related indictment" to the country's criminal court.

"The suspect is being accused of violations of the laws of war as a member of a military faction in the context of the internal armed conflict that took place in Liberia between 1989 and 1996," it said in a statement.

He was accused of being a former commander of the United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy (ULIMO), it added, without identifying the suspect.

Liberia, Africa's oldest republic, was devastated by two civil wars that killed around 250,000 people between 1989 and 2003.

ULIMO was set up to fight a rebel force headed by warlord-turned-president Charles Taylor.

Taylor is himself currently serving a 50-year prison sentence for aiding and abetting rebels who committed atrocities in neighbouring Sierra Leone.

The OAG said it had received a number of complaints by Liberian nationals in mid-2014 against the suspect.

They accused the man of committing or ordering murders, a rape and other acts "aimed at enslaving and terrorising the population in the Lofa County between 1993 and 1995".

Once authorities had determined that the man was in Switzerland and had been living in the country for several years, they opened a war crimes investigation against him.

Although the OAG would not confirm the man's name, elements of the case indicate that he is Alieu Kosiah, a former top Liberian rebel commander suspected of war crimes arrested in Switzerland in early 2015.

It said that the nearly five-year investigation had been made "particularly complex due to the lack of cooperation by Liberia", and because the alleged crimes had been committed years before.

It finally submitted the indictment on March 22, accusing the man of having either ordered or taken part in the murders of civilians and soldiers not in a combat situation.

The indictment also alleged he had desecrated "a corpse of a civilian, raped a civilian, ordered the cruel treatment of civilians, recruited and employed a child soldier, ordered several pillages and ordered and/or participated in forced transports of goods and ammunition by civilians".

Since 2011, it said it had received more than 60 cases involving allegations of war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity, said the OAG -- but most failed to meet the legal requirements, and had had to be abandoned.

A dozen of criminal investigations were still being conducted into "war crimes, genocide and/or crimes against humanity", it added.
All charges have been dropped against television actor Jussie Smollett, who was accused of lying to police about a fabricated racist and homophobic hate crime, his attorneys said

US prosecutors dropped all charges Tuesday against television actor Jussie Smollett, who was accused of fabricating a racist and homophobic hate crime.

The actor, best known for the Fox television drama "Empire," appeared in a Chicago court Tuesday and agreed to forfeit his bond as prosecutors dropped the case, according to authorities and his attorneys.

Smollett celebrated the outcome, while his attorneys and family insisted he had been a victim, not perpetrator, of a crime -- and of the authorities' rush to judgment.

"I have been truthful and consistent on every single level since day one," Smollett, who is black and gay, said at a brief news conference.

"This has been an incredibly difficult time," he added, "Honestly, one of the worst in my entire life."

The 36-year-old, who was out on a $100,000 bond, had denied 16 felony counts of masterminding a hoax attack in downtown Chicago to gain publicity and win a bigger paycheck.

Smollett was accused of sending himself a threatening letter and hiring two acquaintances to stage the attack, complete with homophobic and racial slurs, while invoking Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan.

"After reviewing all of the facts and circumstances of the case, including Mr. Smollett's volunteer service in the community and agreement to forfeit his bond to the City of Chicago, we believe this outcome is a just disposition and appropriate resolution to this case," the city prosecutor's office said in a statement.

- Racial divisions -

As recently as last month, authorities said they had enough evidence to back up their case against the actor.

They didn't comment Tuesday on whether they had changed their view on his culpability, or if they had simply decided that it was not in the public interest to pursue the prosecution.

Chicago police chief Eddie Johnson accused Smollett of staging the alleged hoax to tap into Americans' anxieties over political and racial divisions, because he was allegedly "dissatisfied with his salary."

The actor was accused of employing brothers Ola and Abel Osundairo, both of whom worked on "Empire," to carry out the plan.

His attorney Patricia Holmes acknowledged that the brothers had admitted to carrying out the attack, but she accused police of using "the press to convict people before they're tried in a court of law."

"We believe that it was the correct result in this case. We are very happy with this result," she said.

The initial news of the attack had prompted widespread sympathy for Smollett and outrage over the alleged crime.

But the star was written out of the last two episodes of this season of "Empire" -- a musical soap opera set in New York but filmed in Chicago -- amid uproar over the accusations against him.

Smollett said he wanted "nothing more than to just get back to work and move on with my life," while his family put out a statement saying he had been vindicated.

"Our son and brother is an innocent man whose name and character has been unjustly smeared," Smollett's family said in a statement published by the ABC Network.

Fox producers said Tuesday they had no comment about the latest developments.
This US Department of Justice handout photo received February 19, 2019, shows Mexican drug baron Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman as he was extradited to the United States on January 19, 2017 to face charges

Lawyers for the convicted Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman requested a new trial Tuesday, saying some jurors followed media coverage of the first one, violating the judge's orders.

The former Sinaloa cartel chief was found guilty on February 12 of smuggling tons of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and marijuana into the United States. He is scheduled to be sentenced in June and faces the prospect of life in prison.

After the conviction, Vice News published an interview with a member of the jury who alleged that at least five jurors defied orders not to follow media coverage of the three-month trial, look it up online, or communicate with anyone about the case.

"We believe that juror misconduct deprived Joaquin of a fair trial in a case in which the defense was extremely restricted to begin with. We look forward to vindicating his rights in a new trial before a jury that will abide by its oath," Guzman attorney Eduardo Balarezo said.

The defense team filed a motion with federal court in Brooklyn where the trial was held to seek a special hearing on the Vice News report.

US judges routinely instruct jurors to refrain from watching media coverage of their cases, so verdicts will be based solely on information presented during the trial.

"Reports of jury misconduct, of course, are nothing new in high-profile cases," the motion for a new trial reads.

"One factor that sets these apart is a juror's frank confession that panel members actively sought out and actively discussed the most sensational extrinsic information -- including vile allegations that the defendant raped young girls," the motion added.

These allegations came from a former Guzman associate who testified as a government witness. They featured in documents made public right before the jury started deliberating.

The witness did not make these allegations while testifying. But they ended up being published in news reports.
Asad Hashim, 33, was honoured for an illuminating series of articles on ethnic Pashtuns and other minority groups caught in the crossfire of Pakistan's bloody battle against militants

Freelance reporter Asad Hashim received the 2018 Agence France-Presse Kate Webb Prize Tuesday, recognising his intrepid coverage of the plight of ethnic Pashtuns and blasphemy issues in his native Pakistan.

The award, named after one of AFP's finest correspondents, highlights journalism by locally hired reporters across Asia working in risky or difficult conditions.

Hashim, 33, was honoured for an illuminating series of articles on ethnic Pashtuns and other minority groups caught in the crossfire of Pakistan's bloody battle against militants.

These included an investigative report into enforced disappearances allegedly conducted by the country's powerful military and a reporting mission to the South Waziristan tribal region -- the birthplace of Pakistan's Taliban -- to look into the civilian toll from landmines.

Pakistan has battled homegrown militancy for nearly 15 years, with tens of thousands of people killed.

Insurgents still retain the ability to launch devastating attacks despite dramatic improvements in security in recent years.

Kate Webb chronicled the wars, disasters and coups that forged modern Asia

Pakistan also routinely ranks among the world's most dangerous countries for media workers, and coverage critical of the powerful military is considered a red flag, with reporters at times detained, beaten and even killed for running afoul of the security establishment.

"(He is) a very good writer, a very good storyteller, and a very brave journalist," said AFP Asia-Pacific regional director Philippe Massonnet during a ceremony in Islamabad Tuesday.

The award also recognised his work on other highly sensitive issues, such as Pakistan's blasphemy laws and its judicial system.

"I feel like this award is not just a recognition of my work," said Hashim.

"It's recognition of the environment and particular difficulties that all Pakistani journalist are facing."

The Kate Webb Prize, with a 3,000 euro ($3,400) purse, honours journalists working in perilous or difficult conditions in Asia, and is named after a crusading AFP reporter who died in 2007 at the age of 64, after a career covering the world's troublespots.

"The award means continuation of Kate's name... and the continuation of what she did as a journalist. I think all those things are very important," said Rachel Miller, Webb's sister.

The award, which in 2017 went to Myanmar journalist Mratt Kyaw Thu for his brave coverage of ethnic and religious conflict in his homeland, is administered by AFP and the Webb family.
Boeing's fleet of 737 MAX planes has been grounded since March 13 following two fatal crashes

Boeing has flown test flights of its 737 MAX to evaluate a fix for the system targeted as a potential cause of two deadly plane crashes, two sources familiar with the matter said Tuesday.

The aviation giant, which has been under fire and its flagship narrow-body planes grounded since March 13, tested the system upgrade on Monday, two days after pilots from American Airlines did simulation flights in Renton, Washington, the sources said.

Boeing needs authorization from the Federal Aviation Administration before the MAX can return to service. But the company still has not submitted its proposed software patch to the FAA, a government source told AFP.

The aircraft was grounded following two deadly accidents involving Ethiopian Airlines earlier this month and Lion Air in October which killed 346 people.

Engineers have been focusing on addressing problems with the MCAS system, a stall prevention system designed to point the nose of the 737 MAX 8 downward if it is in danger of stalling, or losing lift.

The system has been criticized since it can malfunction, and make it difficult for pilots to control the aircraft. Both of the recent crashes occurred moments after takeoff.

The MCAS, or Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, was installed in the MAX because they are heavier than in the previous version of the 737.

A Boeing spokesperson declined to comment, but said the company is in regular contact with regulators.

Boeing remains under intense pressure following the two crashes, which will be the subject of a Senate hearing Wednesday.

Top US transportation officials are expected to face questions from lawmakers on the FAA's certification of the 737 MAX and whether regulators have become too cozy with the company, and fast-tracked some approvals.
The bodies of Zakaria Bhuiyan and Omar Faruk, who were both killed in the Al Noor mosque in Christchurch, were received by relatives at Dhaka airport

The bodies of two Bangladeshis killed in the Christchurch mosques shooting earlier this month have been returned home to their grieving families, relatives said late Tuesday.

The bodies of Zakaria Bhuiyan, a welder, and Omar Faruk, a builder, arrived at Dhaka airport on a Singapore Airlines flight from New Zealand.

Bhuiyan and Faruk were praying at the Al Noor Mosque when an Australian white supremacist opened fire on worshippers, killing 43.

Another seven were murdered at a separate mosque when the shooter turned his weapon on Muslims there, in the worst violence of its kind ever seen in New Zealand.

Five Bangladeshis were killed in the massacre and many others were injured.

The grieving relatives, who came from outside the capital to receive the bodies, rented mortuary vans to take the bodies home.

Bhuiyan's uncle Qari Ullah said the family would arrange funeral prayers for his nephew at his village in central Narsingdi district.

"His family is quite poor. He died when they were only starting to dream of financial solvency. Only Allah knows what will happen now," Ullah told AFP in tears.

Faruk's body was also taken by his relatives to his home in Narayanganj district where he will be laid to rest.

An AFP photographer at the scene saw the relatives tearfully receiving the coffins from the airline and leaving for their homes.

The body of Mozammel Haque, another Bangladeshi killed in the heinous attack, is expected to arrive in Bangladesh on Wednesday, a Bangladeshi official told reporters.
All charges have been dropped against actor Jussie Smollett, who was accused of lying to police about a fabricated racist and homophobic hate crime.

Chicago authorities on Tuesday slammed a decision to drop all criminal charges against US television actor Jussie Smollett, who was accused of fabricating a racist and homophobic hate crime.

In a move that caught the midwestern city's police chief and mayor by surprise, prosecutors dropped all 16 felony charges against the actor, who celebrated the outcome as his lawyers and family claimed vindication.

"I have been truthful and consistent on every single level since day one," Smollett, who is black and gay, said at a brief news conference.

"This has been an incredibly difficult time," he added, "Honestly, one of the worst in my entire life."

The 36-year-old, who was out on a $100,000 bond, was accused of masterminding a hoax attack in downtown Chicago to gain publicity and win a bigger paycheck.

Police said he sent himself a threatening letter and hired two acquaintances to stage the attack, complete with homophobic and racial slurs, while invoking Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan.

"Mr. Smollett is still saying that he is innocent, still running down the Chicago Police Department. How dare him?" said an outraged Mayor Rahm Emanuel, pictured here at an August 2018 event

Chicago's police chief and mayor, both visibly angry, denounced the decision to drop the case and Smollett's insistence of his innocence.

"This is a whitewash of justice," Mayor Rahm Emanuel told a hastily-arranged news conference, stressing that a jury had issued the 16-count indictment after viewing only part of the evidence.

"Mr. Smollett is still saying that he is innocent, still running down the Chicago Police Department. How dare him?" the mayor added.

- Racial divisions -

"Empire" star Jussie Smollett speaks to reporters outside Chicago's Leighton Courthouse after all charges were dropped against the actor.

The prosecutor's office has offered little explanation for suddenly reversing course.

It did not clarify whether prosecutors had changed their view on Smollett's culpability, or if they had simply decided that it was not in the public interest to try the case.

"After reviewing all of the facts and circumstances of the case, including Mr. Smollett's volunteer service in the community and agreement to forfeit his bond to the City of Chicago, we believe this outcome is a just disposition and appropriate resolution to this case," the city prosecutor's office said in a statement.

As recently as last month, authorities said they had enough evidence to back up their case.

Chicago police chief Eddie Johnson said surveillance camera footage, text messages, phone records, and a cashed check proved Smollett staged the alleged hoax to tap into Americans' anxieties over political and racial divisions, because he was allegedly "dissatisfied with his salary."

"I think this city is still owed an apology," Johnson said Tuesday.

"They chose to hide behind secrecy and broker a deal to circumvent the judicial system," he said. "I stand behind the detective's investigation."

The actor was accused of employing brothers Ola and Abel Osundairo, both of whom worked on "Empire," to carry out the alleged plan.

His attorney Patricia Holmes acknowledged that the brothers had admitted to carrying out the attack, but she accused police of using "the press to convict people before they're tried in a court of law."

"We believe that it was the correct result in this case. We are very happy with this result," she said.

The initial news of the attack had prompted widespread sympathy for Smollett and outrage over the nature of the alleged crime.

But the star was written out of the last two episodes of the most recent season of "Empire" -- a musical soap opera set in New York but filmed in Chicago -- amid uproar over the accusations against him.

Smollett said he wanted "nothing more than to just get back to work and move on with my life," while his family put out a statement saying he had been vindicated.

"Our son and brother is an innocent man whose name and character has been unjustly smeared," Smollett's family said in a statement published by the ABC Network.

Fox producers said Tuesday they were "gratified that all charges against him have been dismissed," but would not comment on whether he would return to the show.
Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah - here in February 2019 - said the US president's decision on the Golan Heights "deals a knockout punch" to the peace process in the region.

The head of Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah on Tuesday called for "resistance" a day after the United States recognised Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

US President Donald Trump on Monday officially recognised Israeli sovereignty over the strategic border area, seized from Syria in 1967 and then annexed in 1981 in a move not recognised by the international community.

Hezbollah is a key backer of the regime in neighbouring Syria, where its fighters have helped Damascus gain ground against rebels and jihadists during the eight-year civil war.

In a televised speech on Tuesday, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said the only option left to Syrians to take back their land -- and for Palestinians to achieve their "legitimate rights" -- was "resistance, resistance, and resistance".

He described Trump's move as "a crucial turning point in the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict".

Trump's decision "deals a knockout punch to what is called the peace process in the region, which is built on (the concept of) land in exchange for peace".

He called on the Arab League, which has suspended Syria's membership over the bloody repression of protests leading to the war, to take action at a summit at the end of the month in Tunis.

The 21-member bloc should "call for the withdrawal of the Arab peace initiative... from the table" of negotiations on the Israeli-Palestinian issue, he said.

The initiative, born in 2002 in Beirut, called for Israel to withdraw from all land it occupied in 1967, in exchange for normalisation between all Arab states and Israel.

Trump's Golan decision sparked condemnation from the Arab League, as well as several regional states, including Lebanon, Turkey, Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Hezbollah, the only side not to have disarmed after Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war, is credited with expelling Israel from the south of the country in 2000.

Israel and Hezbollah fought a devastating month-long war in 2006, and skirmishes still erupt along a UN-patrolled demarcation line.
The Space Launch System, a piece of which is seen here being moved by technicians at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, is being developed for missions to the Moon but has been hit with schedule delays

Vice President Mike Pence announced Tuesday that the United States intends to send astronauts back to the Moon within five years, with a woman first in line to set foot on the lunar surface.

"It is the stated policy of this administration and the United States of America to return American astronauts to the Moon, within the next five years," Pence said in a speech in Huntsville, Alabama.

"Let me be clear, the first woman and the next man on the Moon will both be American astronauts launched by American rockets from American soil," he said.

The first manned Moon mission in more than half a century had been scheduled for 2028.

But the program has encountered frustrating delays in the development of a new heavy rocket for the Moon missions, the SLS, whose first flight was recently pushed back to 2021.

In his speech, Pence criticized the "bureaucratic inertia" and "paralysis by analysis" that he said had resulted in the SLS delays, and called for a "new mindset" at the space agency.

He threatened to use commercial launch systems if NASA is not ready in time.

"If commercial rockets are the only way to get American astronauts to the Moon in the next five years, then commercial rockets it will be," he said.

"Urgency must be our watchword. Failure to achieve our goal to return an American astronaut to the Moon in the next five years is not an option."

NASA's chief, Jim Bridenstine, recently said a woman would undoubtedly be the first human to set foot on the Moon since 1972, the last time there was a manned mission to the Moon.
iPhone manufacturer Apple has been locked in a long-running battle over patents and royalties with chipmaker Qualcomm

A US trade judge ruled Tuesday that Apple had violated a Qualcomm chipmaker patent and said she would recommend banning imports of some iPhones.

International Trade Commission administrative law specialist MaryJoan McNamara wrote in a ruling that she would be recommending a "limited exclusion order together with a cease and desist order" against Apple.

The company will not be required to post a bond while the order is under review by US President Donald Trump because the iPhones don't directly compete with any Qualcomm products, according to the ruling.

The Californian tech giants have been locked in a long-running battle over patents and royalties that has played out in courts and administrative bodies worldwide.

Apple accuses Qualcomm of charging for invalid patents and claims the chipmaker was seeking a disproportionate amount for a single component.

Last week, Qualcomm won a $31 million verdict in its multi-front war with Apple over patented technology used in iPhones.

A jury in a federal court in Southern California ordered Apple to pay Qualcomm for patent infringement for chips used on iPhone 7, 8 and X models.

Patents at issue in that case involved "flashless booting" that allows devices to connect quickly to the internet after being turned on and technology that lets smartphone apps move online data efficiently.

A third patent related to promoting rich graphics in games while protecting battery life, according to Qualcomm.

On another front, a federal judge in southern California issued a preliminary ruling that Qualcomm owes Apple nearly $1 billion in patent royalty rebate payments the chipmaker is withholding, according to US media reports.

Apple sued Qualcomm two years ago over the payments, which were part of a contracted arrangement. The judge's decision will be on pause until after a trial in the case.

Qualcomm late last year escalated a legal war with Apple, accusing the iPhone maker of stealing secrets and sharing them with mobile chip rival Intel, according to court documents.

Apple's goal was to buy mobile chips from Intel instead of depending on Qualcomm, the dominant maker of mobile phone processors and has argued that Qualcomm abuse of its dominant position was harmful to the whole industry.
Set up three years after the 2011 uprising that ousted dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali (pictured), the Truth and Dignity Commission was created to probe human rights violations an dmake recommendations for Tunisia on its path to democracy

A tribunal tasked with healing the wounds of dictatorship in Tunisia called for institutional reforms and an official apology from the head of state, in its final report published Tuesday.

Set up three years after the 2011 uprising that ousted dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, the Truth and Dignity Commission (IVD) was created to probe human rights violations and make recommendations for Tunisia on its path to democracy.

The IVD's report calls for reforms "to dismantle a system of corruption, repression and dictatorship" within state institutions.

It also proposes measures to boost the independence of magistrates and administrative courts, as well as legal protection for victims and witnesses in corruption cases.

Tunisia's security forces should be restructured to increase transparency and prevent their use for political ends, an independent body set up to oversee the police and an intelligence service which answers directly to the president and under parliamentary supervision, according to the report.

The panel calls for President Beji Caid Essebsi, as "a symbol of the state", to make an official apology to all the victims of human rights violations at the hands of the state since 1955, a year before independence from France.

The apology would be addressed to all the victims in a presidential speech delivered at a venue to be renamed after the event.

The IVD proposed that its archives on violations, based on tens of thousands of interviews it carried out and cases studied, be opened "to preserve the national memory for future generations".

Amnesty International hailed the publication of the report as "a watershed moment for Tunisia".

"Tunisias authorities must take concrete steps to implement the Truth Commissions recommendations and finally break the pattern of impunity that has marred human rights progress for decades," said Fida Hammami, Amnestys researcher on Tunisia.
A staff member stands in front of Francis Newton Souza's 'Cityscape' at the Saffronart gallery ahead of the auction

An art collection belonging to fugitive billionaire jeweller Nirav Modi raised $8 million for Indian tax authorities when it was auctioned off on Tuesday, officials said.

Over a third of the lots up for auction -- which included works by VS Gaitonde and Francis Newton Souza -- sold above their higher estimate, auction house Saffronart said in a statement.

Authorities put the paintings up for sale to recover dues owed by Modi, who is accused of involvement in a massive bank fraud that rocked India's corporate community.

Before his downfall last year, Modi owned luxury jewellery stores in several major cities across the world and boasted celebrity customers including actresses Naomi Watts, Kate Winslet and Priyanka Chopra-Jonas.

He fled India in February 2018 after being accused of playing a central role in the $1.8-billion fraud involving Punjab National Bank (PNB), the country's second-largest public lender

He was arrested last week in London and is facing extradition charges.

Indian authorities have seized assets of Modi worth around $90 million, including his jewellery business, overseas bank accounts, a London property worth around $7.8 million and two others in New York valued at $29 million.

Earlier in March, Indian authorities dynamited Modi's multi-million-dollar seafront mansion worth $14 million.
Thailand's Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha, leader of a military junta, arrives for a cabinet meeting following the first elections since the 2014 coup

The United States said Tuesday that it saw "positive signs" of a return to democracy in Thailand but urged a transparent probe of allegedly widespread irregularities.

The United States said it did not support any individual party but looked forward to working with whichever government emerges following Sunday's election, the first since a 2014 coup.

"The voting along with, we note, robust media coverage of the process and open debate of its merits, those are positive signs for a return to a democratic government that reflects the will of the people," State Department spokesman Robert Palladino told reporters.

"We stand with the Thai people in calling for the expeditious announcement of voting results and a fair and transparent investigation of any reported irregularities," Palladino said.

Pro-democracy parties are looking to thwart the continuation in power of junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha after a party backed by the army chief turned election campaigner won a majority in preliminary results.

The Asian Network for Free Elections, an observation group funded by the United States, said that nearly 1.9 million ballots were invalidated, or around 5.6 percent of the total, and called the vote-counting "deeply flawed."

Ousted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a tycoon who lives in self-imposed exile but looms large over Thailand's politics, in an interview with AFP said that the military "rigged" the election to maintain its grip.

Thailand is the oldest US ally in Asia but Washington suspended some security assistance following the 2014 coup as required under a US law that prohibits support to regimes that overthrow democracies.

The aftermath of the coup raised US concerns that Thailand is increasingly tilting toward China, which has shown no reluctance to work with the military government.
OxyContin is one of the drugs at the center of the opioid addiction epidemic

Purdue Pharma, accused of helping fuel the US opioid addiction epidemic with its painkiller OxyContin, has reached a $270 million settlement in a key lawsuit brought by the state of Oklahoma, officials announced Tuesday.

The settlement was the first of its kind to address the national addiction crisis that kills 130 Americans a day.

The bulk of the money will go toward establishing an addiction treatment and research center at Oklahoma State University, Purdue said in a press release.

The drug manufacturer also agreed to not promote or market opioids in the state, in what was a "non-negotiable part" of the deal, Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter said.

"The addiction crisis facing our state and the nation is a clear and present danger, but we're doing something about it today," Hunter told a news conference.

"Today's agreement is only the first step in our ultimate goal of ending this nightmarish epidemic," he said.

Purdue is facing hundreds of lawsuits in the US over claims that OxyContin causes addiction. The Oklahoma case was the first scheduled for trial.

Two other companies are still defendants in the civil case: Johnson & Johnson and Teva.

Purdue said $75 million of the settlement will be paid by the Sackler family, members of which own the company.

The family's philanthropic efforts have recently been rebuffed by non-profit institutions -- underscoring the growing unease with the main source of the philanthropic dynasty's riches: revenue from sales of OxyContin.

- 400,000 death toll -

"Purdue is very pleased to have reached an agreement with Oklahoma that will help those who are battling addiction now and in the future," company CEO Craig Landau said in a statement.

The settlement comes just a day after the Oklahoma Supreme Court rejected an appeal by opioid manufacturers to delay the civil trial in the state.

Purdue is the only one to settle.

Hunter last month said his office had obtained confidential documents showing Purdue launched a "disinformation campaign" to cover up the epidemic, and that "executives were more interested in spreading propaganda than stopping the death toll."

But Landau insisted the company had "a long history of working to address the problem of prescription opioid abuse."

"We see this agreement with Oklahoma as an extension of our commitment to help drive solutions to the opioid addiction crisis."

Overdoses from prescription painkillers and heroin -- a last-resort illicit drug for opioid addicts -- exploded over the last 20 years, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Almost 400,000 people have died from an overdose involving prescription or illicit opioids, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Pop icon Prince and rocker Tom Petty were among the most high profile victims of the epidemic.
President of Democratic Republic of the Congo Felix Tshisekedi, seen here in February 2019, will visit Washington as the United States voices hope for progress in key areas under his tenure

The new leader of the Democratic Republic of Congo will visit Washington next week as the United States seeks a fresh start in working with the country to combat ills including corruption, the State Department said Tuesday.

President Felix Tshisekedi will visit Washington from April 3-5 in the first official trip by a leader of the vast, resource-rich nation to the United States in five years.

The State Department said Tshisekedi would meet Secretary of State Mike Pompeo but did not announce a summit with President Donald Trump, who under ordinary protocol would receive a visiting head of state.

"We share President Tshisekedi's interest in developing a strong partnership between the United States and the Democratic Republic of the Congo," State Department spokesman Robert Palladino told reporters.

"We're committed to working with him to advance his agenda to combat corruption, strengthen the rule of law, enhance security, protect human rights and promote economic growth through increased foreign investments and trade," he said.

Tshisekedi was declared the victor of delayed December 30 elections, marking the first peaceful transfer of power in sub-Saharan Africa's most vast country since independence from Belgium in 1960.

The election was nonetheless marred by allegations of widespread fraud, with rival Martin Fayulu saying the election was stolen. But international powers rallied behind Tshisekedi after a court confirmed his victory in hopes of preserving stability.

In early actions seen favorably in the West, Tshisekedi has blocked newly elected senators from taking office over corruption and has moved to repair long-turbulent relations with Rwanda.

Despite supporting Tshisekedi, the United States has imposed sanctions on key players in the vote including the election chief and the country's top judge on charges of undermining democracy.
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft is interviewed after his team's Super Bowl victory over the Los Angeles Rams on February 3, 2019

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has requested a jury trial on two misdemeanor prostitution-related charges he faces in Florida, court documents filed Tuesday show.

The 77-year-old billionaire was among 25 men charged with soliciting prostitution in two January visits to a South Florida massage parlor.

Kraft, who had already filed a not guilty plea, said in a statement issued over the weekend that he was "truly sorry" in his first public comments on the case.

"I know I have hurt and disappointed my family, my close friends, my co-workers, our fans and many others who rightfully hold me to a higher standard," Kraft said in the statement posted on the NFL's website.

The Patriots owner said he hadn't commented sooner "in deference to the judicial process."

In the documents filed in Palm Beach County, his attorney waived Kraft's arraignment scheduled for Thursday, confirmed the not guilty plea and requested a jury trial.
Seven people were killed and 125 injured in the rail accident in the Moroccan town of Bouknadel on October 16, 2018

The driver of a passenger train that derailed and killed seven people in Morocco last year has been convicted of manslaughter but released on time already served, his lawyer said Wednesday.

The guilty verdict was handed down late on Tuesday by the court of first instance in the town of Sale near Rabat, the lawyer, Chaouki Ajana, told AFP.

Larbi Rich was sentenced to five months and five days in prison for manslaughter, which amounted to the time he had already served in detention since being detained after the crash in mid-October, said Ajana.

The train he was driving flew off the tracks about 20 kilometres (12 miles) north of Rabat in Sidi Bouknadel municipality on October 16, killing seven people and injuring 125.

The 54-year-old driver, who himself suffered serious injuries in the accident, was arrested on October 23.

He was due to be released later Wednesday, but his defence team would still appeal the sentence, said Ajana, describing his client as a "responsible man" with a flawless 30-year work record.

"Larbi Rich is innocent and wants this to be recognised," said Mehdi Sabik, another defence lawyer.

Prosecutors said in October that the derailment had been caused by the "excessive" speed of the train, which had been travelling at 158 kilometres per hour (98 miles per hour) instead of the 60 kph (37 mph) limit.

The railway workers' union on Monday expressed its "unconditional support" for the driver and called on the national rail company ONCF to "assume its responsibilities".

The court has yet to rule on compensation for injured passengers, with the next hearing scheduled for May 7, according to media reports.
Mourners attend the funeral of 17-year-old Sajid Muzher, who the Palestinian health ministry said was killed by Israeli forces during clashes in the West Bank

A Palestinian volunteer medic was killed by Israeli forces during clashes in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, the Palestinian health ministry said.

Sajid Muzher, 17, was killed in the Dheisheh refugee camp near Bethlehem in the southern West Bank, the ministry said.

He was shot by Israeli forces while volunteering as a medic, a ministry spokesman told AFP.

The Israeli army did not comment on the death but said troops were responding to a "violent riot".

In a statement, Palestinian health minister Jawad Awad said the "occupation's killing of a volunteer medic by shooting him in the stomach is a war crime."

The Palestinian Medical Relief Society confirmed he was working with them, saying in a statement he was shot while trying to treat a person wounded in clashes.

Israeli forces frequently enter West Bank refugee camps to carry out arrests or other operations, often sparking clashes with residents.

The army released a video showing a man put down his jacket and hurl stones at soldiers. But, contacted by AFP, the military could not confirm it was the medic.

In an earlier statement, the army said that during "operational activity in Dheisheh Refugee Camp, southwest of Bethlehem, a violent riot was instigated."

"Dozens of rioters hurled blocks and firebombs at the troops, who responded with riot dispersal means."

It said it had received a report regarding an injured Palestinian, without further details.

The World Health Organization "strongly condemned" the killing in a statement, saying the man was killed while providing care to the injured.

"We are saddened by this tragic loss. Health workers provide critical care and save lives. Their protection must be ensured," said Gerald Rockenschaub, head of the WHO office for the West Bank and Gaza.

Omar Shakir, Human Rights Watch country director, told AFP that if confirmed the death "would mark at least the fourth clearly identifiable Palestinian medic gunned down by Israeli forces in the last year."

"Routine unlawful killings by Israeli forces and full impunity in Israel highlight the need for the International Criminal Court to open a formal probe into serious crimes committed in Palestine," he said.
The new National Museum of Qatar, which was designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, features a multi-curved roof which resembles a jigsaw puzzle

Qatar's ruler Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani said Wednesday his country had become "stronger" since the start of a Gulf diplomatic crisis almost two years ago, as he formally opened the country's national museum.

He made the comment during a speech at a glittering ceremony in Doha to open the estimated $434 million building, with guests including Kuwaiti and British royals, film star Johnny Depp, former French president Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni, Jose Mourinho and Victoria Beckham.

"Qatar has become much stronger since June 2017," said the emir.

"The citizens have defended the dignity and the truth, with the consequences of strengthening the country."

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain cut ties with Qatar in June 2017 over accusations it supports terrorism and is seeking closer ties with Saudi Arabia's regional rival, Iran.

Qatar rejects all the charges and says the dispute is an attack on its sovereignty.

The enormous 52,000-square metre National Museum of Qatar is located on Doha's waterfront Corniche.

It tells the story of Qatar's Bedouin past and colonial times to its energy-rich present, reflecting on the country's wealth and ambitions.

French architect Jean Nouvel, who designed the museum in the shape of a desert rose, said it would become "an icon".

Sheikha Al-Mayassa Al-Thani, chair of Qatar Museums and a member of the royal family, said the blockade had not delayed the museum's opening date.

"The blockade hasn't affected us one bit," she told AFP during a preview tour of the museum.

"We are very proud and happy and, in fact, all the people are welcome to this museum and we remain open to the rest of the world," she said.

"We are more than proud of this achievement."
Nearly three million people across Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe have been affected, according to the WFP, and 500,000 displaced

Five cases of cholera have been confirmed in Mozambique following the cyclone that ravaged the country killing at least 468 people, a government health official said Wednesday.

Cyclone Idai smashed into Mozambique on March 15, unleashing hurricane-force winds and heavy rains that flooded much of the centre of the poor southern African country and then battered eastern Zimbabwe and Malawi.

The Red Cross has previously warned of a "ticking bomb of disease" and called for the deployment of medicines and health professionals to avert a full-blown health disaster.

"We have five cases of cholera which have been confirmed. This is in Beira and the area around," the health official, Ussein Isse, told journalists, referring to the port city that bore the brunt of the cyclone's force.

Cholera, a waterborne disease that thrives in conditions of poor hygiene, causes acute diarrhoea that can prove fatal if untreated.

"We were expecting cholera cases and we were prepared for this. We have put all the measures in place to try to mitigate the spread of cholera as much as we can," said Emma Batey, a coordinator at the COSACA emergency aid consortium.

Stagnant water, decomposing bodies and lack of sanitation in overcrowded shelters in Mozambique could create breeding grounds for typhus and malaria in addition to cholera, experts say.

COSACA said further heavy rains "would complicate the situation".

"There will be more cases because cholera is epidemic. When you have one case you can expect more. We are implementing preventive measures to limit the impact," Isse said.

In Beira's morgue, 90 percent of those killed by the cyclone and its aftermath had been identified and collected by their families.

"We've had a lot of work in the past week, it's been very hard," said morgue official Manuel Girimoyo, who added that around 50 bodies remained unidentified.

UN humanitarian aid chief Mark Lowcock has appealed for $282 million (250 million euros) of relief aid over the next three months for Mozambique.

The Uns World Food Programme (WAP) said roughly 3,125 square kilometres (1,200 square miles) of land had been swamped.

About 400,000 hectares of crops - primarily maize -- were washed away just weeks before the main April-May harvest, it said.

- 'Bringing help to families' -

Nearly three million people across Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe have been affected, according to the WFP, and 500,000 displaced.

More than 700 people have been killed in Mozambique and Zimbabwe and hundreds are missing, according to an AFP toll compiled from figures provided by governments and UN agencies.

The International Organisation for Migration has said that Cyclone Idai and its aftermath "could rank as the worst disaster to hit the region in decades".

"In Beira city... they have five cases of malaria and 100 cases of diarrhoea. Soon we'll have more updates, but they are still receiving other (patients)," Isse said.

"So they are taking precautions of isolating those who have diarrhoea... so it cannot spread."

Women wait in line for emergency supplies in Estaquinha, Mozambique

A long line of women in bright dresses waited under the baking sun in Estaquinha, 80 kilometres (50 miles) west of Beira, to receive emergency supplies from South African NGO Gift of the Givers on Tuesday.

Environment Minister Celso Correia said around 170,000 people were living in government relief camps but stressed that conditions were improving.

"Most of them already have doctors there and clean water and other means of assistance. The situation is getting better," he said alongside Isse at the media briefing.

"The biggest challenge remains bringing help to families."

Roads made impassable by floodwaters and debris are gradually being unblocked.
US Attorney General Bill Barr is under mounting pressure to release Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report to Congress and the American public

For the third time in a week, US Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked a measure calling for special counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian election interference to be publicly released.

Amid the squabble over the timing and scope of the release, a senior Republican senator assured that Attorney General Bill Barr will release the special counsel's findings in a matter of "weeks, not months."

The Republican-led upper chamber has faced mounting pressure to align with a measure from the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives that seeks swift release of the full report to Congress and the American people.

Senate Democrat Diane Feinstein took to the Senate floor asking for unanimous consent to pass the non-binding resolution, which cleared the House in mid-March by 420 to 0.

"The fact is that a four-page summary can not possibly illuminate what this thorough of an investigation uncovered," said Feinstein, referring to Barr's summary description of the report.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell objected, stressing the need for Mueller and Barr to review the report and determine what can be publicly released and what must be redacted.

"I think we should be consistent in letting the special counsel actually finish his work, and not just when we think it may be politically advantageous to one side of the other for him to do so," he said.

Mueller and his team spent 22 months investigating Russia's meddling in the 2016 US election, and possible connections between team Trump and Moscow.

While he found there was conclusive evidence that Russia influenced the vote, Barr in his summary cleared Trump and his team of any collusion with Russia regarding election interference.

Two previous efforts by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to advance the House measure were also blocked, actions the top Democrat denounced on the Senate floor Wednesday.

"When we read reports that Barr only wants to release a summary, and Leader McConnell is unsupportive of transparency, something doesn't smell right," Schumer said.

Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Lindsey Graham meanwhile said he met with Barr Monday and the attorney general laid out a path for reviewing the report with Mueller and releasing it.

"He's going to do all that in weeks, not months, he's going to turn it over to the committee, then I think he'll come to the Senate, hopefully some time in April" to testify, Graham told Fox News.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has accused China of "shameful hypocrisy" on its treatment of Muslims

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday denounced China's "shameful hypocrisy" over its treatment of Muslims as he met a former prisoner and relatives who recounted abuses as part of Beijing's widespread detention of its Uighur minority.

"China must release all those arbitrarily detained and end its repression," Pompeo tweeted.

"The world cannot afford China's shameful hypocrisy toward Muslims. On one hand, China abuses more than a million Muslims at home, but on the other it protects violent Islamic terrorist groups from sanctions at the UN," he said.

Pompeo was referring to China's efforts at the United Nations to prevent the blacklisting of Islamist extremist Masood Azhar, based in Beijing ally Pakistan. Azhar's group Jaish-e-Mohammad claimed responsibility over a deadly attack last month on Indian troops in Kashmir that triggered military skirmishes.

The top US diplomat met Tuesday with Mihrigul Tursun, a Uighur who has spoken publicly in the United States about what she said was widespread torture in China's prisons for the minority group.

She has said she was separated from her children and detained in a cramped cell with 60 other women, suffering electrocution and beatings during round-the-clock interrogations.

The State Department said that Pompeo also met with three other Uighurs whose relatives are held by China, which according to a UN report has detained a massive one million Uighurs as it seeks forcibly to integrate the minority group.

Supporters of China's Uighur minority rally outside the US mission to the United Nations in February 2019 as they demand action to curb Beijing's alleged mass incarceration

Pompeo, speaking to reporters on Tuesday, said that "certainly" at least hundreds of thousands of Uighurs had been detained.

"We're working to convince the Chinese that this practice is abhorrent and ought to be stopped," Pompeo said.

According to the State Department as well as international human rights groups, China has confiscated Korans from Uighurs and forced them to drink alcohol and eat pork, which are forbidden by Islam.

"It's one of the most serious human rights problems in the world today," State Department official Michael Kozak said of the Uighurs' detention as he presented the latest annual human rights report.

China denies the accounts of mass detention, saying it is running educational training centers as part of a fight against Islamic extremism in the northwestern region of Xinjiang.
Chilean Nicolas Zepeda, pictured February 2017, is the sole suspect in the disappearance of his Japanese ex-girlfriend Narumi Kurosaki, who went missing in December 2016

French investigators will travel to Chile next month to question a man suspected of killing his Japanese ex-girlfriend who went missing from her university residence in France in 2016, a prosecutor told AFP on Wednesday.

Nicolas Zepeda is the sole suspect in the disappearance of Narumi Kurosaki, 21, who went missing in the eastern French city of Besancon on the night of December 4, 2016, after having dinner with her 28-year-old ex.

Her body has not yet been found, despite extensive searches of a nearby forested area.

Authorities in France believe she was suffocated by Zepeda in a jealous rage. He has denied any hand in her disappearance.

Besancon's public prosecutor Etienne Manteaux told AFP that Chilean authorities had agreed to allow a French team of investigators to travel to Chile to question the teaching assistant, who left France shortly after Kurosaki's disappearance.

Manteaux said the team would travel to Chile "during the second half of April".

Kurosaki and Zepeda met in Japan and started a relationship but later split.

She was last seen dining with him in a restaurant a short drive from Besancon, a town in the foothills of the Alps mountains.

He has admitted going to her university residence afterwards and claims the pair had consensual sex.

Fellow students said they heard terrified cries and banging noises in the residence on that night but no traces of blood were found in her room.

Chilean authorities have so far declined to serve an international warrant issued by France for his arrest.

Manteaux said they had however agreed to let French investigators be present when Zepeda is questioned by a Chilean prosecutor, and that they will also be allowed to ask questions.

Manteaux added that he was hoping to convince the Chileans that the evidence against Zepeda was strong enough to bring charges against him, paving the way for France to file a request for his extradition.

Manteaux told a news conference in November that Zepeda had bought five litres of flammable liquid and matches at a supermarket days before Kurosaki disappeared and that his hire car was returned covered in mud.
In this file photo taken on February 21, 2018 memorials are seen on a fence surrounding Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida

US police have released the name of a second Parkland school shooting survivor who took his life last weekend, days after the suicide of another student.

Police in nearby Coral Springs told AFP Wednesday that Calvin Desir, 16, died Saturday of an apparent suicide.

Desir was one of the survivors of a shooting rampage on Valentine's Day last year at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School when a former student walked in with an AR-15 assault rifle and killed 17 people.

Desir's family published a page on GoFundMe in which they wrote that Desir had always hoped to become an engineer and had a knack for finding "new projects around the house to challenge his skills."

A week before, another survivor of the massacre, 19-year-old Sydney Aiello, took her life.

Her mother told a local television station that Aiello had been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder and with "survivor's guilt" following the shooting.

Coral Springs police were scheduled to hold a town meeting on mental health and suicide prevention Wednesday evening.

"We simply cannot let the events of that day take the lives of any more of our children," police wrote on the invitation to the meeting.

As Parkland was mourning, the authorities said the father of a child killed in the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, had apparently committed suicide.

Jeremy Richman, 49, lost his six-year-old daughter, Avielle, in the Sandy Hook shooting which left 20 children and six staff members dead.

Richman had visited grieving families in Parkland less than a week ago, said Ryan Petty, the father of a slain Parkland student.
Former British colony Hong Kong enjoys rights unseen on the Chinese mainland, including freedom of expression, which are protected in teh handover agreement between China and Britain

China on Wednesday condemned a British report that expressed concern over eroding freedoms in Hong Kong, accusing the UK of having "ignored and distorted the truth" about the city.

Former British colony Hong Kong enjoys rights unseen on the Chinese mainland, including freedom of expression, which are protected in the handover agreement between China and Britain.

But in recent years, concern has grown in Hong Kong and abroad about its freedoms disappearing as Beijing tightens its grip on the semi-autonomous city.

In a report Wednesday, Britain's foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt said he was "concerned that on civil and political freedoms, Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy is being reduced".

Hunt cited recent moves by Hong Kong authorities including banning a pro-independence party, screening political candidates, and barring a Financial Times journalist who chaired a talk by an independence activist.

He described "recent pressure being applied on Hong Kong to move towards a mainland Chinese interpretation of civil and political freedoms, under which certain subjects are effectively off-limits for discussion and debate."

Britain's Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt (pictured March 26, 2019) said he was "concerned that on civil and political freedoms, Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy is being reduced"

In response, China's foreign ministry in Hong Kong urged Britain to "stop interfering in China's internal affairs", state media said.

A spokesperson for the ministry's top official in Hong Kong said the "so-called report... ignored and distorted the truth by deliberately confusing the legitimate and lawful measures taken" to fight pro-independence forces and protect national security, Xinhua reported.

A separate spokesman for Hong Kong's government said it "reiterates that foreign governments should not interfere in any form in the internal affairs" of the semi-autonomous city.

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam has previously criticised Britain's six-monthly reports on the former colony, noting they still continue "despite the unification".

British activist Benedict Rogers said it was "the first time that the (British) Foreign and Commonwealth Office have publicly stated so clearly and strongly in a six-monthly report that not all aspects of 'one-country, two-systems' are functioning well."

The latest report "reflects a serious deterioration of the situation on the ground," said Rogers, who founded Britain-based Hong Kong Watch and is deputy chairman of the governing Conservative Party's human rights commission.
Facebook said it would step up efforts to curb hate speech by banning comments about white nationalism and white separatism

Facebook announced Wednesday it would ban praise or support for white nationalism and white separatism as part of a stepped-up crackdown on hate speech.

The ban will be enforced starting next week at the leading online social network and its image-centric messaging service Instagram.

"It's clear that these concepts are deeply linked to organized hate groups and have no place on our services," the social network said in a statement.

Facebook policies already banned posts endorsing white supremacy as part of its prohibition against spewing hate at people based on characteristics such as race, ethnicity or religion.

The ban had not applied to some postings because it was reasoned they were expressions of broader concepts of nationalism or political independence, according to the social network.

Facebook said that conversations with academics and "members of civil society" in recent months led it to view white nationalism and separatism as linked to organized hate groups.

"Going forward, while people will still be able to demonstrate pride in their ethnic heritage, we will not tolerate praise or support for white nationalism and separatism," Facebook said.

People who enter search terms associated with white supremacy will get results referring them to resources such as Life After Hate which focus on helping people turn their backs on such groups, according to the social network.

Amid pressure from governments around the world, Facebook has ramped up machine learning and artificial intelligence tools for finding and removing hateful content while remaining open to free expression.

"Unfortunately, there will always be people who try to game our systems to spread hate," Facebook said.

The death of 32-year-old Heather Heyer, who was killed in August 2017 when a car plowed into a crowd of people protesting against the white supremacist Unite the Right rally, highlighted concerns about violence linked to white nationalism

"Our challenge is to stay ahead by continuing to improve our technologies, evolve our policies and work with experts who can bolster our own efforts."

Facebook said the new ban would not apply to topics such as American pride and Basque separatism, which "are an important part of people's identity," according to the statement.

- Difficult to enforce -

Mark Potok, a senior fellow at the Centre for Analysis of the Radical Right, believed Facebook's new ban could limit the spread of white nationalist rhetoric but doubted it would rid the world of the ideology.

"We'll see if they are able to enforce this," Potok said.

"There are thousands of white nationalists posts on Facebook every day. They werent able to stop the Christchurch video so it will be challenging to do this" he said, referring to the stream of the deadly attacks at New Zealand mosques earlier this month.

Protesters face off with police escorting conservative activists following a march in Boston against a planned "Free Speech Rally" one week after the violent "Unite the Right" rally in Virginia left one woman dead and dozens more injured in 2017

The New Zealand massacre demonstrated the global reach of a white nationalist movement that preaches an imagined "European" ideal, rejects immigration and shares often vicious threats over the internet.

Some analysts say it is a cohesive movement bound together online that stretches across Europe into Russia, has a deep following in the US and Canada.

They say it poses as much of an international threat as Islamic extremism, and even more so in the United States where white nationalist attacks have outpaced those by jihadists for years.

According to some researchers, white nationalists have been emboldened by the rise of politicians espousing traditionalist views and a tough line on immigration -- from Marine Le Pen in France and Viktor Orban in Hungary to Russian President Vladimir Putin; and the UKIP party in Britain.

The same holds true in the United States where President Donald Trump campaigned for the White House on an anti-immigration platform, backed by an overwhelmingly white voter base.

Trump notoriously appeared to sanction the march by white supremacists and neo-Nazis in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017, and has avoided condemning violence from the far-right.
Algerian armed forces chief of staff General Ahmed Gaid Salah is seen in a file picture taken on February 6, 2019

Army chief Ahmed Gaid Salah, who has called for President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's departure, has until now been a faithful supporter of the leader who made him one of Algeria's most powerful men.

Born in 1940 in the Batna region, 300 kilometres (186 miles) southeast of Algiers, he was 17 when he joined the National Liberation Army which for three years battled French colonial rule.

With Algeria's independence in 1962, he entered the ranks of the army before attending a Soviet military academy and scaling the ladder.

Gaid Salah successively commanded several military regions, before being appointed chief of staff of land forces in 1994, two years into the decade-long civil war between the Algerian army and armed Islamists.

In 2004, when he was about to be sent into retirement, Salah was tapped by Bouteflika to replace chief of staff Mohamed Lamari, who was from a faction that opposed to a second term for the president.

Now indebted to the president, General Gaid Salah became a loyal supporter of Bouteflika who in turn gave him the means to modernise the armed forces.

After returning from Paris in July 2013, where he spend 80 days in hospital following a stroke, Bouteflika gave him the added responsibility of deputy defence minister.

It was seen at the time as a title handed to the general in exchange for his support of Bouteflika for a fourth presidential term in 2014, in spite of his poor health.

General Gaid Salah also backed Bouteflika when he came under attack from the powerful DRS intelligence agency and its chief, General Mohamed Mediene, who was finally retired in 2015.

In recent months, he had publicly supported Bouteflika's bid for a fifth term, until his proposal to end the crisis triggered by the unprecedented opposition that his candidacy raised.

On Tuesday, he invoke Article 102 of the constitution under which a president can be removed if found unfit to govern as a way out of the crisis.

"It is necessary, even imperative, to adopt a solution to get out of the crisis which responds to the legitimate demands of the Algerian people, and which guarantees the respect of the provisions of the constitution and safeguards the sovereignty of the state," the general said in a televised speech.

Article 102 puts the onus on the president either to resign or be declared unfit to govern by a vote of parliament due to a "serious and durable illness".
Indian Muslims hold a photo of Jaish-e-Mohammad leader Masood Azhar during a protest in Mumbai after an attack on Indian police in Kashmir

The United States on Wednesday circulated a draft resolution to the UN Security Council that would blacklist the leader of a Pakistan-based Islamist group as a terrorist, setting up a potential clash with China over the move.

China earlier this month put on hold a request to put Masood Azhar, leader of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) on the UN sanctions list, over his alleged ties to Al-Qaeda.

That request stalled in a UN sanctions committee, prompting the United States to turn directly to the Security Council with the proposed resolution blacklisting Azhar.

Jaish-e-Mohammad has claimed responsibility for the February 14 attack in Kashmir that killed 40 Indian troops and stoked tensions between India and Pakistan.

The draft resolution obtained by AFP condemns the suicide bombing and decides that Azhar will be added to the UN Al-Qaeda and Islamic State sanctions blacklist.

That would subject Azhar, considered the founder of JeM, to a global travel ban, an assets freeze and an arms embargo.

It remained unclear when a vote would be held on the draft resolution, which could face a veto from China, one of the five permanent council members along with Britain, France, Russia and the United States.

There have been four attempts through a UN sanctions committee to add Azhar to the blacklist. China blocked three previous requests and put a technical hold on the latest one, which could last up to nine months.

JeM itself has been on the UN terror list since 2001.

- Terrorist activities -

Azhar is linked to terrorism for "participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing, or perpetrating of acts or activities" carried out by JeM, according to an annex to the draft.

The draft resolution is backed by France and Britain, which joined the United States earlier this month in pushing for sanctions against Azhar in the Al-Qaeda and Islamic State committee.

China has been accused by Western diplomats of protecting Pakistan's interests in the latest standoff with India.

But Beijing has defended its decision by arguing it had adopted a "responsible attitude" in dealing "with this issue with relevant parties via thorough consultation," foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said.

The Chinese mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Tensions between India and Pakistan have soared since last month's attack in Kashmir that prompted tit-for-tat air raids, fueling fears of an all-out conflict between the two nuclear-armed countries.

Pakistan has denied any role in the Pulwama attack, and Prime Minister Imran Khan offered cooperation in the investigation if credible evidence was provided by India.

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British colonial rule in 1947.

Both claim the Himalayan territory in full and have fought two wars over it.
Freed Canadian hostage Joshua Boyle, pictured before his arrest in 2017, would often belittle wife Caitlan Coleman, the court heard

A couple who split after a five-year hostage ordeal in Afghanistan faced each other in a Canadian court Wednesday at the husband's trial for sexually assaulting his wife.

US citizen Caitlan Coleman, 33, recounted her "rollercoaster" relationship with Canadian Joshua Boyle that ended after their 2017 release.

Boyle, 35, was arrested just two months after he and Coleman returned to Canada and was charged with sexual assault, misleading police and making death threats.

Boyle and Coleman, who married in 2011, were kidnapped by the Taliban during what they have called a backpacking trip in 2012 and were transferred to the custody of the Taliban-allied Haqqani network.

The couple were initially separated, and moved around to more than 22 locations in total, but were mainly held together and had three children in captivity -- and another after their release.

Coleman testified via video link from another room in the Ottawa courthouse while Boyle sat quietly, his parents at his side.

She recounted how she had met the defendant when she was 16 in a Star Wars-themed chat room, and became "smitten, rather crushed on him" as he recovered from a break-up with a mutual friend.

She provided a shoulder to cry on when he appeared depressed and the friendship eventually developed into a "powerful rollercoaster" romance.

"He was my first kiss," she said.

Coleman recalled how she told people Boyle was a wonderful boyfriend, when in reality they would fight over her social drinking, the way she dressed and her friends.

Boyle would claim she was "holding him back," the court heard, and would often belittle her and call her a "slut."

The judge was told Boyle had married someone else -- the sister of former Guantanamo detainee Omar Khadr -- during a break in the relationship.

But that ended in a 2010 divorce and Coleman married Boyle the following year during a trip to South America.

- 'Didn't have a choice' -

She said he became increasingly controlling, referring to her as "helpmeet," and pressed her to travel with him to Afghanistan.

After their frequent fights, she would break down and cry, "babbling incoherently," often storming out, and soon she began to "self harm."

Coleman said she finally relented and traveled with him to Central Asia with the "firm understanding" that they would not go to Afghanistan.

But after landing in nearby Kyrgyzstan, Boyle sprung on her his real plan to go to Afghanistan, telling Coleman that she "didn't have a choice."

"I was really scared. I thought this was a very bad idea," she said, noting that she was at least four months pregnant. They were kidnapped one week after crossing into Afghanistan.

During five years of captivity, Coleman said Boyle became physically abusive, biting, choking, punching, slapping and spanking her, as well as casually threatening to kill her in front of their children.

"I had to call him sir," she said.

Coleman said the day they gained their freedom, which she said was "exciting" and involved a "dramatic" car chase, her husband's assaults and verbal abuse stopped and she said she became hopeful.

"He started treating me better," she said.

But after a short stay with his parents in Smith Falls, Ontario, they moved into a downtown Ottawa apartment and within weeks the abuse started up again, she said.

"He started becoming verbally abusive, putting me down, then it deteriorated into physical abuse again," Colemen testified.

The court heard Boyle's 911 call on the day Coleman walked out of the couple's Ottawa apartment at the end of December. He claimed she was mentally unstable, struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder, and might harm herself.

But the call triggered a police investigation that led to him being charged.

Coleman's testimony is due to resume Friday, in what is expected to be an eight-week trial.

The court has banned the identification of a second alleged victim of Boyle.
The women, including activist Aziza al-Yousef, were held for a year before facing trial

Saudi women activists detained for almost a year offered their defence at an emotionally charged hearing on Wednesday, saying they had suffered torture and sexual harassment during interrogation, courtroom witnesses said.

Eleven women responded to charges that rights groups say include contact with international media and human rights groups, in the second hearing of a high-profile trial that foreign reporters and diplomats are barred from attending.

Some of them wept and hugged each other and their family members gathered before a three-judge panel in Riyadh's criminal court as they accused interrogators of electrocuting, flogging and groping them in detention, two people with access to the trial told AFP.

The government strongly denies the women were tortured.

The women, including prominent activist Loujain al-Hathloul, blogger Eman al-Nafjan and university professor Hatoon al-Fassi, were detained last summer in a sweeping crackdown on campaigners just before the historic lifting of a decades-long ban on female motorists.

Some of the women have appealed for bail, family members told AFP.

The women were accused of links with foreign intelligence agencies, while state-backed media branded them traitors and "agents of embassies".

The charge sheets, however, make no mention of contact with foreign spies, rights groups including Human Rights Watch say.

The trial has intensified scrutiny of the kingdom's human rights record following global outrage over journalist Jamal Khashoggi's murder by Saudi agents last October.

The women were initially expected to appear in a court set up to handle terrorism-related cases.

But trial was shifted to the criminal court at the last minute, without any explanation, after months of Western criticism.

That has triggered speculation the trial could pave the way for the women's release after the crackdown sparked international criticism against Prince Mohammed, the kingdom's de facto ruler.

Some detainees, including activist Loujain, were recently made to sign letters in prison requesting a royal pardon from King Salman, family members told AFP.
Residents of Philadelphia attend a vigil for victims of the Charlottesville attack

An American neo-Nazi who drove his car into a group of counter-protesters during a white supremacist rally in Virginia in 2017, killing a woman, pleaded guilty to federal hate crimes on Wednesday.

James Alex Fields Jr, 21, had already been sentenced to life imprisonment by a jury in Charlottesville in December after being convicted of murder and other charges.

Fields rammed his car into the group of counter-protesters in Charlottesville on August 12, 2017, killing 32-year-old paralegal Heather Heyer and injuring dozens of other people.

The counter-protesters had gathered in opposition to a group of white supremacists who came to the university town to protest the removal of a Confederate statue.

Fields pleaded guilty in federal court on Wednesday to 29 counts of violating the Hate Crimes Prevention Act, the Justice Department said in a statement.

Each count carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a $250,000 fine.

"In the aftermath of the mass murder in New Zealand earlier this month, we are reminded that a diverse and pluralistic community such as ours can have zero tolerance for violence on the basis of race, religion, or association with people of other races and religions," Attorney General Bill Barr said.

"Prosecuting hate crimes is a priority for me as attorney general," Barr said.

"The defendant in this case has pled guilty to 29 hate crimes which he committed by driving his car into a crowd of protesters," he said. "These hate crimes are also acts of domestic terrorism."

FBI Director Christopher Wray also described Fields' actions as a case of "domestic terrorism" and said "we won't stand for hate and violence in our communities."

President Donald Trump drew broad criticism in the aftermath of the Charlottesville violence when he spoke of "blame on both sides," appearing to establish a moral equivalence between the white supremacists and those who opposed them.

The incident turned Charlottesville into a symbol of the growing audacity of the far right under Trump.

Fields had driven overnight from his hometown of Maumee, Ohio, to support the "Unite the Right" rally to protest the removal of a statue of Robert E Lee, the top general of the pro-slavery Confederacy during the 1861-1865 American Civil War.

The Justice Department said Fields had admitted that prior to the attack, "he used social media accounts to express and promote white supremacist views."

These included support for "the social and racial policies of Adolf Hitler and Nazi-era Germany, including the Holocaust; and to espouse violence against African-Americans, Jewish people, and members of other racial, ethnic, and religious groups."
Sophie Lacourse-Pudifin of Canada competes in rhythmic gymnastics during the Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on March 20, 2019

The amount is just a drop in the ocean of US federal money, but the Trump administration's proposal to eliminate $18 million in funding for the Special Olympics drew furious and extended backlash Wednesday from critics.

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos was grilled by lawmakers over a proposed 10-percent reduction -- $7 billion -- in the government's 2020 overall education budget, with Democrats slamming the cuts to Special Olympics as particularly callous.

"We had to make some difficult decisions with this budget," DeVos told a House appropriations subcommittee hearing on Tuesday.

"Let me just say that I think Special Olympics is an awesome organization, one that is well supported by the philanthropic sector."

When DeVos acknowledged she did not know how many American children would be affected by the cuts, House Democrat Mark Pocan provided the figure: 272,000.

The Special Olympics, founded by president John F Kennedy's sister Eunice Kennedy Shriver in 1968, has grown into a global movement, providing competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

The organization is largely funded by corporate and private donations. The US funds had been earmarked for Special Olympics education programs at 6,500 schools, where activities have shown to increase inclusion and reduce bullying.

As part of Trump's effort to reduce the growing budget deficit, his administration is also proposing cuts to some after-school grants and a $13 million drop in contributions to Gallaudet University, a federally chartered school for the deaf.

Democratic congresswoman Barbara Lee called the Special Olympics cuts "appalling."

"I still can't understand why you would go after disabled children in your budget," she told DeVos.

US President Donald Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos have come under fire for proposing eliminating federal funding for the Special Olympics

Democratic presidential hopefuls also weighed in, with Senator Amy Klobuchar calling the proposal "an affront to our values" and Senator Bernie Sanders saying it was "unbelievable" that Trump would slash education spending after passing massive tax breaks for the wealthy.

Congressman Joe Kennedy III, grand-nephew of Kennedy Shriver, signalled it was unlikely that the Democrat-led House of Representatives would approve the cuts.

"This. Will. Never. Happen," he tweeted.

With the outcry growing, DeVos on Wednesday insisted the Department of Education remains "focused every day on raising expectations and improving outcomes for infants and toddlers, children and youth with disabilities."

Special Olympics chairman Timothy Shriver expressed disappointment with the proposal, saying the organization does critical work in schools to help educate youths "about the importance of an inclusive mindset to the future of the country."

"If the federal government has a role to support that, it ought to be investing in kids with special needs," he said.

The latest Special Olympics World Games were held last week in Abu Dhabi.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai met with President Donald Trump at the White House

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Google CEO Sundar Pichai, whom he'd previously accused of indirectly boosting China's military, has reassured him that he is "totally committed" to US security.

"Just met with @sundarpichai, President of @Google, who is obviously doing quite well," Trump tweeted after a White House meeting. "He stated strongly that he is totally committed to the U.S. Military, not the Chinese Military."

Earlier this month Trump complained that Google's business activities in China were "helping China and their military."

There was also criticism from General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who told Congress "the work that Google is doing in China is indirectly benefiting" China's armed forces.

America's top military officer has also urged US tech giants to step up work on next generation 5G wireless technology so that US markets are not reliant on Chinese innovators, like leading telecom firm Huawei.

Dominating 5G is "in our national interest," the general said.

The US government though has deep suspicions that Huawei's technology would potentially open the doors to Chinese government penetration of US communications.

A Google spokesperson said Pichai had "productive conversations" with Trump about "investing in the future of the American workforce, the growth of emerging technologies and our ongoing commitment to working with the U.S. government."
The UNDOF peacekeeping force was deployed in a buffer zone between Israel and Syria in 1974, tasked with monitoring a ceasefire

The United States said Wednesday a UN peacekeeping mission deployed in the Golan Heights should remain in place despite its decision to recognize Israel's annexation of the strategic plateau.

The 1,000-strong UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) was dispatched to a buffer zone between Israel and Syria in the Golan in 1974, tasked with monitoring a ceasefire.

President Donald Trump's decision to recognize the Golan as Israeli territory prompted speculation that Washington would seek to end the UNDOF mission when its mandate comes up for renewal in June.

"This announcement does not affect the 1974 Disengagement Agreement, nor do we believe it undermines UNDOF's mandate in any way," US diplomat Rodney Hunter told a Security Council meeting on the Golan.

"UNDOF continues to have a vital role to play in preserving stability between Israel and Syria, most importantly by ensuring that the area of separation is a buffer zone free from any military presence or activities other than those of UNDOF," he added.

The council met at Syria's request to discuss the US decision, which Damascus said was a "flagrant violation" of UN resolutions.

Three Security Council resolutions call on Israel to withdraw from the Golan, which it seized from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War and annexed in 1981, in a move that was never recognized internationally.

The US diplomat argued that the decision would bolster Israel's security and "can contribute to the stability of the entire Middle East" by keeping Syria and its Iranian ally in check.

Washington's European allies have said they continue to view the Golan as Israeli-occupied territory and will not follow in Trump's footsteps.

Trump's decision is viewed with concern by the Europeans who say it legitimizes the use of force to seize land -- a stance that could have an impact in opposing Russia's annexation of Crimea.

The council was not expected to release a statement criticizing the US decision following the meeting as this would require consensus among all 15 council members including the United States.
Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte welcomes Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has wooed the Group of Seven nation into China's Silk Road infrastructure mega-project

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo voiced disappointment Wednesday after Italy joined China's "Silk Road" network of transport and trade links, saying it was not in the ally's long-term interest.

Rome's populist government signed a "non-binding" protocol with visiting President Xi Jinping on Saturday that made Italy the first nation in the Group of Seven major economies to become part of the signature Chinese project.

"It's disappointing anytime any country begins to engage in behavior and commercial interactions with China that aren't straight up," Pompeo told the House Foreign Affairs Committee in response after a lawmaker asked about the Italian decision.

"We're saddened because we think the people of those countries ultimately lose," Pompeo said.

Under the Silk Road initiative, named for the ancient trading route across Eurasia, China is funding major rail, road and sea infrastructure as it seeks a big boost in international trade.

Pompeo, however, said that China practiced "debt-trap diplomacy" with its state-owned or state-controlled enterprises looking after only their own interests.

"It may feel good in the moment -- you think you got a cheap product or a low-cost bridge or road built. And in the end there will be a political cost attached to that which will greatly exceed the economic value of what you were provided," he said.

The United States has stepped up its warnings around the world about China's growing economic clout.

It has notably urged nations not to choose Chinese telecom giant Huawei to upgrade to fifth-generation communications, voicing privacy and security fears.

Critics say that the United States is mostly trying to shore up its own businesses which are facing tough competition, with Huawei selling phones that are substantially cheaper than Apple's.
Protesters hold a national flag under a portrait of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian Golan Heights, during a demonstration on March 26, 2019

The United States faced sharp criticism Wednesday at the UN Security Council over its decision to recognize the Golan Heights as Israeli territory, which big powers denounced as a violation of UN resolutions.

President Donald Trump signed a proclamation Monday in which the United States recognized Israel's annexation of the strategic plateau that it seized in 1967 and annexed in 1981.

Britain, Washington's closest ally, said the decision was in violation of Resolution 497 that declared Israel's annexation of the Golan as "null and void."

France warned that any attempt to turn away from international law was "doomed to fail" as the United States prepares to unveil its Middle East peace proposals.

Russia appealed to governments to reject the US decision and to continue to view the Golan as Israeli-occupied territory.

"If anybody feels any temptation to follow this poor example, we would urge them to refrain from this aggressive revision of international law," said Russian Deputy Ambassador Vladimir Safronkov.

The council was meeting at the request of Syria, which in a letter to the council called the US decision a "flagrant violation" of UN resolutions.

Three Security Council resolutions call on Israel to withdraw from the Golan, which it seized from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War and annexed, in a move that was not recognized internationally.

The United States defended its decision, arguing it bolstered Israel's security and could contribute to the stability of the entire Middle East by keeping Syria and its Iranian ally in check.

To allow the Golan to be controlled by Syria "would turn a blind eye to the threats emanating" from Damascus and from Iran and its Hezbollah allies that want to use the Golan to attack Israel, said US diplomat Rodney Hunter.

- US backs UN mission in the Golan -

Despite its decision to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan, the United States called for a UN peacekeeping mission deployed in a buffer zone there to remain in place.

The 1,000-strong UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) was dispatched to a buffer zone between Israel and Syria in the Golan in 1974, tasked with monitoring a ceasefire.

Trump's decision prompted speculation that Washington would seek to end the UNDOF mission when its mandate comes up for renewal in June.

"This announcement does not affect the 1974 Disengagement Agreement, nor do we believe it undermines UNDOF's mandate in any way," said Hunter, adding that UNDOF "continues to have a vital role to play in preserving stability between Israel and Syria."

China recalled that UN resolutions declare the Golan as a territory occupied by Israel, with Deputy Ambassador Wu Haitao adding that "China is opposed to any unilateral action that attempts to alter that fact."

"China does not want to see tensions in the region to escalate," he added.

Germany took a swipe at Syria for invoking international law, accusing it of blatantly disregarding UN resolutions by attacking schools and hospitals during eight years of war.

After Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital, a group of Arab countries presented a resolution condemning the decision to the General Assembly, which won overwhelming support.

UN diplomats were awaiting the outcome of an Arab League summit in Tunis on Sunday that could lead to action at the United Nations to counter the US decision on the Golan.
Palestinians have been demonstrating at Gaza's frontier with Israel every week since March last year

Palestinians in Gaza will on Saturday mark a year since mass protests and deadly clashes began along the Israeli border, with a demonstration expected to draw thousands and bring tensions to boiling point.

The anniversary falls only days after another severe flare-up between Hamas and Israel, with a rocket attack from the Gaza Strip that sparked retaliatory air strikes.

Israel also holds elections on April 9 and is seeking to avoid a major escalation before then.

The protests initially drew global attention, but with more than 200 Palestinians killed and participation seeming to have peaked, some are questioning what strategy to take now.

Thousands of Palestinians have gathered at least weekly along the border in protests dubbed the Great March of Return.

They are calling for Israel to lift its crippling decade-long blockade of Gaza, while also demanding refugees be allowed to return to homes their families fled in the late 1940s during the creation of the Jewish state.

Those homes are now inside Israel, whose government views the demands as advocating for the end of the Jewish state.

Palestinians and rights groups have criticised Israel for its response to the protests, saying soldiers were shooting at demonstrators who posed little threat.

Israel says its response is necessary to defend the border and accuses Hamas, with whom it has fought three wars, of orchestrating violence there.

The rallies peaked on May 14, the day of President Donald Trump's landmark transfer of Washington's embassy to Jerusalem after recognising the city, also claimed by the Palestinians, as capital of Israel.

It led to split-screen coverage of the serene embassy opening ceremony, attended by Trump's daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner, alongside bloodshed in Gaza.

Israeli fire killed at least 62 Palestinians that day in border clashes, wounding hundreds more.

In recent months, the protests have gained less attention, though they were back in the news recently when a UN probe said Israeli soldiers had intentionally fired on civilians in what could constitute war crimes.

- A Facebook dream -

In total, 258 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in Gaza since the protests began, the majority during border clashes.

Two Israeli soldiers have been killed over the same period.

Ahmed Abu Artema was widely credited with being a founder of the marches after a Facebook post calling for mass peaceful border protests went viral.

But as the protests continued, Hamas, the Islamist group that rules the Gaza Strip, appears to have exerted more control.

Demonstrators have also shifted tactics.

Early on, many protesters remained far away from the fence and demonstrated peacefully.

At least 258 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in Gaza since the protests began, the majority during border clashes

Others approached and burned tires to make it harder for Israeli snipers to see while throwing stones and shooting fireworks at soldiers on the other side.

Some sought to breach the fence, which has recently been fortified further, and explosive devices were also used.

There was occasional gunfire, and one soldier was killed by a Palestinian sniper.

Protesters later began launching balloons and kites carrying incendiary devices to set fire to Israeli lands near Gaza.

"What happened was not exactly what I had wished for, but there is a difference between dream and reality," Abu Artema said.

"We have to fight for the rallies to continue in their popular and peaceful nature."

Mukhaimer Abu Saada, a politics professor in Gaza, said while the protests had highlighted the situation in Gaza, mistakes had been made.

"One of the most important failures is that the marches have transformed from peaceful to violent," he told AFP.

This, he said, helped Israel justify a violent response.

Meanwhile, the protests have achieved little.

In November, Israel agreed to allow tens of millions of dollars in Qatari aid into the impoverished enclave in exchange for relative calm, seen by many as a victory for the demonstrations.

Abu Artema said the protesters had succeeded in shining a light on the plight of Palestinians in Gaza.

"The marches were able to bring back to prominence the issue of refugees and engage popular energy," he said.

Asaad Abu Sharkh, a spokesman for the marches, was less equivocal.

"The marches are the strongest message to the world that our people are committed to the right of return," he said.

"The protests will continue into a second year until they realise their goals of breaking the blockade."

- 'Disappointment' -

The organising committee is calling for all of Gaza to shut down Saturday for the demonstration.

Desperate economic circumstances mean people often feel they have little to lose.

Seven out of 10 young people in Gaza are unemployed, according to the World Bank.

Incendiary kites and balloons launched from Gaza have caused burned large areas of farmland in southern Israel

"We come and we don't know if we will achieve our goals," said Ayman al-Maflah, 20, who takes part every Friday.

"I'm not sure, as everyone is against us (Palestinians) and we're against each other."

Separately in Gaza, protestors recently took to the streets against rising prices and criticising Hamas rule.

Hamas cracked down violently, arresting more than 1,000 people, according to rights groups.

Abu Artema expressed "disappointment" at the crackdown.

"How can we convince the world of our right to peaceful protest against the occupation and they are seeing pictures showing us repressing people's right to peaceful demonstration?"
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern welcomed Facebook's move but said 'there's more work to do' to limit harmful content

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Thursday welcomed Facebook's move to curb support for white nationalism on its platforms but said more needed to be done in the wake of the Christchurch mosque attacks.

The social media giant has unveiled tougher guidelines on hate speech for Facebook and Instagram, ruling that white nationalism and white separatism are both linked to organised hate groups and will be banned.

When making the announcement, the California-based company did not specifically reference the March 15 Christchurch atrocity that claimed 50 lives when a self-avowed white supremacist targeting Muslims opened fire in two mosques.

But Ardern made it clear she believed it was a direct response to the criticism that has since been levelled at Facebook, which the accused gunman used to livestream the attack.

"Arguably these categories should always have fallen within (Facebook's) community guidelines on hate speech," she told reporters.

"But it's positive that clarification has now been made in the wake of the attack here in Christchurch."

She added "there's more work to do" and said New Zealand would play an active role in the debate.

"There are lessons to be learned here in Christchurch and we don't want anyone to have to learn those lessons over again," she said.

Facebook says it will ban praise or support for white nationalism and white separatism as part of a stepped-up crackdown on hate speech

Ardern said the goal was to limit harmful content "while preserving a free, open and secure internet".

Noting that countries including Australia, Ireland and Germany were all wrestling with the issue of dealing with extremist material on social media, Ardern said a global approach was needed.

"We can all promote good rules locally, but these platforms are global and I believe, therefore, that the solutions will need to be too," she said.

"I think there would be a benefit for there being a globally coordinated response, that is what New Zealand will be looking for."

On Tuesday Australia warned social media executives they could be jailed for failing to quickly take down extremist material.

Social media platforms "can get an ad to you in half a second," Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters ahead of the meeting.

"They should be able to pull down this sort of terrorist material and other types of very dangerous material in the same sort of time frame and apply their great capacities to the real challenges to keep Australians safe," he added.
Hong Kong artist Kacey Wong's work is a protest in a city struggling to square its vast cultural ambitions with an increasingly assertive Beijing

At a sunny Hong Kong art studio Kacey Wong gazes out through the bars of a cage, painted communist red -- his work a protest in a city struggling to square its vast cultural ambitions with an increasingly assertive Beijing.

Better known for its high-end commercial galleries -- and glamourous fairs like this month's Art Basel -- Hong Kong is striving to turn itself into a cultural heavyweight through a spate of new multi-million-dollar public art spaces.

But local artists warn Beijing's growing influence is creating a climate of fear that is stifling creativity and threatens the nascent grassroots art scene Hong Kong says it wants to enrich.

"The way I look at it is that all government-supported art space... is already not safe," said Wong, who sat in his cage outside Hong Kong's government headquarters last July 1 -- the anniversary of the city's return to China by Britain.

"The red line is invisible and it's shifting all the time," Wong, 49, told AFP.

Local artists are concerned Beijing's growing influence is creating a climate of fear that is stifling creativity and threatens the nascent grassroots art scene Hong Kong says it wants to enrich

Hong Kong has rights unseen on the mainland but fears they are being steadily eroded were compounded last year when a highly-anticipated show by Chinese political cartoonist Badiucao was cancelled, with organisers citing threats made by the Chinese authorities.

Talks by dissident author Ma Jian were pulled just a week later by the new Tai Kwun arts centre, before being reinstated at the last moment.

The freedom of the city's publishing has also taken a hit, with five booksellers known for printing gossipy titles about China's leaders disappearing in 2015 and resurfacing in custody on the mainland.

- 'Obedient artists' -

The unprecedented challenges to freedom of expression come at a time of staggering public investment in Hong Kong arts and culture.

As well as Tai Kwun -- a $484 million renovation of a former colonial prison and police station led by The Hong Kong Jockey Club in partnership with the government -- there is the 60,000-square-metre harbourfront M+ gallery due to open in 2020.

M+ and the Xiqu centre, a recently-opened Chinese opera venue, are part of the vast West Kowloon Cultural District costing upwards of $2.8 billion.

The city's Chief Executive Carrie Lam has said that West Kowloon's success would "elevate the status of Hong Kong to among the great cities of the world".

But others fear Hong Kong could follow the model of Singapore, which has a thriving, government-supported arts scene but is at the mercy of authorities who can withhold or withdraw funding if work is deemed to breach their guidelines.

Hong Kong artist Kacey Wong with his steel chair sculpture 'I Have No Enemies', which commemorates Chinese human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo

Critics say this pushes locally-based creatives to self-censor and avoid delving too deeply into topics deemed sensitive by the government.

"Tai Kwun and West Kowloon will provide opportunities," said Wen Yau, a PhD student researching artist participation in social movements at Hong Kong Baptist University.

"So it's quite an easy way to get all these people in and they will be obedient artists because once you depend on the funding it's hard to say no."

Cosmin Costinas -- the director of Para Site, one of Hong Kong's oldest contemporary art centres -- said the city's artists were not yet self-censoring, but admitted censorship was a problem, albeit one caused primarily by middle men.

"I think it's important to understand that the majority of them (censorship cases) have not come directly from sources of power but from different intermediaries that were themselves afraid," he said.

His words echoed the experience of AFP.

West Kowloon's press office refused to allow directors at M+ and the Xiqu centre to be interviewed on this subject and a Tai Kwun press officer also turned down an interview on behalf of Tobias Berger, head of arts.

One exception was Eve Tam, director of the Hong Kong Museum of Art -- due to reopen later this year after a revamp -- who said she would give "freehand to the artist to have their own position" on sensitive issues.

- 'Can't help their homeland' -

Still, some creatives aren't taking any chances.

"Some of my artist friends moved away, to Germany and to Taiwan. They don't want to stay in Hong Kong," said Man Chan, 32, an artist and assistant at Wong's studio.

"Of course they are angry but how however hard they try they can't help their homeland. So they just go."

Unprecedented challenges to freedom of expression come at a time of staggering public investment in Hong Kong arts and culture

Even among those who remain in Hong Kong, some have sent their work abroad.

Last year hand-drawn sketches of Hong Kong's 2014 Umbrella Movement -- month's-long pro-democracy demonstrations -- were part of an exhibition on dissent at London's British Museum.

M+ told AFP at the time it was still "carefully evaluating this recent past" and was not considering the works for its collection.

But there are young artists in Hong Kong who are still fighting on their home turf.

"I've always been someone who cares about Hong Kong and an artist who's willing to discuss these topics through my creations," said Siu Wai-hang, 32, whose video work depicting the July 1 pro-democracy protest won the Hong Kong Human Rights Art Prize in 2018.

Wong agrees.

"Don't think people will just totally give up and won't do anything even in a super suppressive regime. People will be doing Banksy-like (works). There'll be invisible platforms."
The burgeoning relationship between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin has raised US concerns

A deal to buy Russian missiles has left Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan balancing NATO ally the United States and new regional partner Russia as he risks fallout from both Washington and Moscow.

Turkey's already soured relations with the United States could be significantly damaged with possible US sanctions if Ankara pushes ahead with the deal for the sophisticated S-400 missile defence system.

US officials have repeatedly warned the deal could threaten Turkey's participation in the F-35 stealth fighter jet programme.

But should Ankara renege on the missile purchase, Erdogan risks alienating Russia at a time when Moscow has become a pragmatic partner in Turkey's strategy in Syria.

At risk would be a deal between Russia and Turkey to stop a Syrian regime offensive in a province controlled by jihadists.

Moscow would also likely hit back economically, experts say, perhaps by stopping millions of Russian tourists coming to Turkey.

Sanctions or fallout from either could not come at a worse time with Turkey's economy in recession for the first time since 2009 following a currency crisis last year.

US sanctions that helped trigger that turmoil showed just how exposed Turkey's economy can be.

US officials hope an offer of Patriot missiles will be an alternative to the Russian deal

US Department of Defense spokesman Charlie Summers recently warned Ankara faced "grave consequences" if Turkey took the S-400s, a serious threat according to analysts.

"The US government and Congress are not making idle threats when they warn Turkey not to proceed with the purchase of Russian S-400s," Amanda Sloat, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said.

"There are serious concerns in Washington as well as Europe about a NATO ally purchasing Russian defence equipment."

The Americans fear technology from the S-400s would be able to gather data from NATO aircraft and allow Russians to access this information.

"There is the NATO set of issues of buying material that won't be NATO interoperable and the effect that will have on alliance interoperability," a senior US official said.

- 'Out of question' -

Erdogan says the S-400s are needed to protect Turkey's borders, and said he turned to Russian equipment because no acceptable US missile deal was available at the time.

US support for the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) is another source of tensions with Turkey

The first S-400 delivery is expected in July.

"For us to turn back from the deal is out of the question," Erdogan said recently.

That could risk Ankara being sanctioned by Washington under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), experts say.

Under CAATSA, any entity doing business with Russia's state and private defence and intelligence sectors risks sanctions.

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said last year Turkey would "absolutely respond" to any US sanctions.

US officials have repeatedly said Turkey's involvement in the F-35 stealth fighter programme should be curtailed if the Russia deal goes ahead.

Turkey plans to buy 100 F-35s and some Turkish pilots have already started training with counterparts in the US.

US General Curtis Scaparrotti this month reiterated that Washington should block delivery of the F-35s if Ankara completes the Russia agreement.

Turkey has invested over $1 billion in the F-35 programme and any US decision to prevent the fighters reaching Turkey would be a breach of contract, but there are indications that Washington would be prepared to repay Ankara.

- Time is short -

Hoping to supply an alternative to the S-400, Washington approved the sale of Patriot missiles to Ankara last year.

Turkey's detention of American pastor Andrew Brunson (L), seen here with US President Donald Trump, caused a major rift between the NATO allies

Turkey has no air defence system though NATO allies temporarily deployed Patriots to help defend the country from attack by Syrian jets in 2013.

Acting US Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan on Tuesday said Turkey was "absolutely" wanted in the F-35 programme but added: "We need Turkey to buy the Patriot."

"We're doing our best to give them as real and as credible and as urgent an alternative as possible," the senior US official, who requested anonymity, said.

Cavusoglu on March 1 said Patriot negotiations had begun after a "positive" response.

But time is short. The formal offer for the Patriot expires at the end of March, according to media reports.

US-Turkey ties are already at a low point with tensions over US support for a Syrian Kurdish militia viewed as terrorists by Ankara, and Washington's failure to extradite a Muslim preacher accused by Turkey of ordering a 2016 coup attempt.

Last summer, ties between the NATO allies hit another low with tit-for-tat sanctions and the US doubling steel and aluminium tariffs on Turkey over the case of a jailed American pastor.

That battered Turkey's lira and the pastor was freed in October.

The missile row is "unlikely to cause a permanent rupture", said Sloat, a former US State Department official. "It will significantly strain already challenged relations and raise further questions in Washington about whether Ankara is a reliable ally."

Part of the concern is the burgeoning relationship between Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin, with the Turkish leader expected in Russia in April.

While Turkish and US officials are talking privately, top-level discussions will likely wait until after Turkish local elections on Sunday.

Hande Firat, a Hurriyet daily columnist, said Cavusoglu will meet with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on a US trip in April and would likely discuss the S-400 dispute.

"How this will develop, we will see after the elections," she wrote on Tuesday. "But discussions between US President (Donald) Trump and President Erdogan will be key."
The Cheollima Civil Defense group said preparations were underway to "shake the Kim Jong Un regime by the root"

A shadowy dissident group allegedly behind last month's raid on North Korea's embassy in Madrid promised "bigger things ahead" on Thursday, but said they would temporarily suspend operations because of intense media scrutiny.

The Cheollima Civil Defense (CCD) group emerged from the shadows this week to claim responsibility for a commando-style raid on Pyongyang's embassy to highlight illicit activities rampant in North Korea's foreign missions.

On Wednesday a Spanish court named Adrian Hong Chang, a Mexican national, as being the leader of the group which burst into the diplomatic mission and roughed up employees before fleeing with documents and computers.

"We are a group of defectors who have come together with compatriots around the world," the CCD said in a statement posted on its website.

Various preparations to "shake the Kim Jong Un regime by the root" were underway, it added, but had been hampered by a spike in media interest.

"The activities of the members have been temporarily suspended," it said, adding: "The media should refrain from sticking their nose in the nature of our group and our members. We have bigger things ahead of us."

The statement did not offer any clues about where the group was located, but said it was not collaborating with defectors in South Korea due to "strict security reasons".

Thursday's statement was the first time the CCD had offered information on its membership since it emerged in 2017, when it posted an online video of the son of the North Korean leader's assassinated brother, saying it had guaranteed his safety.

Little else is known about the CCD and it is unclear who is behind the organisation -- although some have speculated it has links to South Korea's spy agency.

It is named after a mythical winged horse.

Last month the group declared itself a government-in-exile for the North called "Free Joseon", using an old name for Korea.

In the past, the group has said it responded to requests for protection from "compatriots" and thanked countries including the Netherlands, China and the United States for their help.

It has also said it was "not seeking anything in return" and that it has "already given help" to North Koreans.
There has been a surge in the number of appeals against convictions in Japan because of legal changes including the introduction of jury trials for serious crimes

A Japanese court on Thursday acquitted a man who spent 13 years in prison for murder, finding there was "no material evidence" he committed the crime, his lawyer and media said.

"He was found innocent," Fumio Takemura, lead lawyer for the now 85-year-old Koki Miyata, told AFP.

Miyata was sentenced to 13 years in prison in 1986 after being convicted of stabbing an acquaintance to death in the town of Matsubase in southwestern Japan.

His sentence was confirmed by the Supreme Court four years later and he was not released until 1999.

He has since suffered several strokes that have left him partially handicapped.

"Objectively, there are contradictions in the confessions and there is no material evidence," the judge said in explaining the decision to overturn Miyata's conviction, local media said.

In recent years, there has been a surge in the number of appeals against convictions in Japan because of legal changes including the introduction of jury trials for serious crimes.

Among the best-known cases is that of former boxer Iwao Hakamada who was sentenced to death after being convicted of murdering four people and spending 48 years on death row.

In 2014, a court granted him a retrial and he was released pending the new process.

But last year the Tokyo high court reversed that ruling, pushing the case up to the Supreme Court, which has yet to issue a verdict.
The Palau-flagged tanker Elhiblu I had picked up the 108 migrants on Tuesday evening

Five men were arrested Thursday after Maltese armed forces took control of a tanker that was hijacked by migrants off Libya and the ship docked in Malta.

The Palau-flagged tanker Elhiblu I had picked up 108 migrants including women and children on Tuesday evening and then headed back to Tripoli.

But six nautical miles from port the ship suddenly changed course and headed north toward Europe.

Italy's far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said Wednesday the vessel had been hijacked and vowed that the migrants would not be allowed to disembark in Italy.

The 52-metre (170-foot) tanker was about 30 nautical miles from Malta when the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) established communications with the captain.

"The captain repeatedly stated that he was not in control of the vessel and that he and his crew were being forced and threatened by a number of migrants to proceed to Malta," the AFM said in a statement on Thursday morning.

Women and children were among those onboard the tanker

"AFM Patrol Vessel P21 stopped the tanker from entering Maltese territorial waters.

"An AFM Special Operations Unit team was dispatched to board and secure the vessel in order to hand over control of the ship to the captain."

Escorted by the Maltese navy, the tanker arrived in the port of Valletta around 8:30 am (0730 GMT).

Five men suspected of having been the leaders of the hijacking were arrested, handcuffed and taken away in a police van.

The women and children disembarked next, followed by the other men, many of whom appeared physically very weak.

Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat commented that his country does "not shirk responsibility despite our size," Malta being the smallest EU country of around 450,000 people.

"We will now follow all international rules accordingly," he added.

- 'People are very upset' -

The tanker was about 30 nautical miles from Malta when the Armed Forces of Malta established communications with the captain

Both before and after the hijacking, the German charity Sea-Eye, whose ship Alan Kurdi was in the rescue zone off Libya, said it had overheard radio messages between a European military aircraft and the captain of the tanker.

"The captain of the ship rescued the people and requested assistance. He said unequivocally on the radio that people are very upset and do not want to be brought back to Libya," Sea-Eye said in a statement.

"Tripoli, however, was the destination port of the cargo ship."

Migrants in chaos-wracked Libya face trafficking, kidnap, torture and rape, according to the United Nations and aid groups.

Following Rome's increasingly tough anti-migrant stance, vessels that pick up migrants making the perilous journey across the Mediterranean increasingly return them to Libya.

Boatloads of rescued migrants have in recent months refused to disembark in Libya, prompting the authorities there to use force.

The UN urged authorities to guarantee the safety of "human beings fleeing a hellish situation"

The UNHCR's special envoy for the central Mediterranean, Vincent Cochetel, tweeted Thursday that the "safety of crews (is) as important as safety of human beings fleeing a hellish situation & not wanting to return there.

"With a robust rescue at sea capacity & predictable disembarkation on both sides of the Med, this would not have happened."

The European Union announced on Wednesday it will suspend ship patrols that have rescued tens of thousands of migrants in the Mediterranean and brought them to Italy, in the face of deep resistance from Rome's populist government.

Migrant arrivals from North Africa and the Middle East have been sharply reduced since a 2015 peak when Europe faced its worst migration crisis since World War II.
Singapore says its bid to gain UNESCO recognition for its hawker centres is not about trying to show its food is "better"

Singapore on Thursday defended nominating its street food for UN recognition as a bid to "safeguard" local culture after the move sparked a cross-border culinary clash with Malaysia.

The city-state is home to many open-air food courts where vendors, known as "hawkers", serve dishes such as chicken and rice, noodles and satays at relatively cheap prices.

Singapore announced last year it would nominate its hawker culture to be designated as intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO, and if successful it will join items such as traditional Japanese cuisine and Belgian beer on the list.

But the move sparked anger in Malaysia -- while the country's street food is similar to that in Singapore, Malaysians claim it is generally far superior.

Announcing Singapore's nomination had been officially submitted this week, senior National Heritage Board official Yeo Kirk Siang insisted the bid was not meant to show the city's street food was "better" than that of other countries.

"It's not about countries trying to prove that their cultural practices are better, unique, or that it originated from the country," he told a press conference.

"What the nomination is about is whether the cultural practice is valued by the community within that country... and whether they are committed to safeguarding these practices within their countries."

Officials also hope the bid will encourage the younger generation to get more involved in the street food business.

The news that Singapore was moving forward with the nomination raised hackles in Malaysia, however, with one Facebook user writing: "When Singapore realised it has no culture that is singularly it's own, it will claim what's others."

Singapore and Malaysia have had a testy relationship since a stormy union in the 1960s but tempers really boil over when it comes to food -- where particular dishes come from, and who makes the best versions, is often the subject of heated debate.

The outcome of Singapore's bid is due at the end of 2020.
Former Interpol chief Meng Hongwei has been expelled from the Chinese Communist Party and he faces possible graft charges

China has said it is investigating other public security officials to "thoroughly eliminate the poisonous influence" of former Interpol chief Meng Hongwei, who is facing possible graft charges.

Meng -- who had also served as vice minister of public security -- has been expelled from the Communist Party and his official positions while his case was handed over to prosecutors.

He had vanished last September during a visit to China from France, where Interpol is based, and was later accused of accepting bribes.

The Public Security Ministry said in a lengthy statement late Wednesday that it held an internal meeting that "stressed that it is necessary to completely and thoroughly eliminate the poisonous influence of Meng Hongwei".

It said that Meng's expulsion was "all his own doing" and that he had used state assets to support his family's extravagant lifestyle, echoing a party anti-graft watchdog statement announcing his expulsion on Wednesday.

All party cadres involved in Meng's case will be dealt with, the statement said, adding that it is "necessary to thoroughly eliminate the legacy of Zhou Yongkang and Meng Hongwei".

A former security tsar, Zhou was sentenced to life in prison in 2015 for bribery, abuse of power and leaking state secrets.

Meng was appointed vice security minister by Zhou in 2004.

Meng and Zhou are part of a growing group of Communist Party cadres caught in President Xi Jinping's anti-graft campaign, which critics say has served as a way to remove the leader's political enemies.

More than one million officials have been punished so far during Xi's six-year tenure.
Iraqi Kurdish artist Shanaz Jamal poses with one of her robes embroidered with religious symbols of communities of the country's multi-ethnic north

With her robe featuring a cross, crescent, two stars and the winged symbol of Zoroastrianism, a Kurdish artist hopes to reconcile a part of Iraq ravaged by jihadists.

Shanaz Jamal, 40, says she has already been assured by the authorities in the autonomous northern region of Kurdistan that they will send her work to the Vatican to be put on display.

A Muslim, she explains how she embroidered "3,000 beads including semi-precious stones traditionally used for Kurdish crafts" onto the white ecclesiastical cloak.

After five months of endeavour, she stitched together eight symbols representing the main communities in Kurdistan and Iraq, which are both predominantly Muslim.

With her cloak, Shanaz Jamal says she wants to reconcile the multi-ethnic north of Iraq recently ravaged by jihadists of the Islamic State group

But there is also the Jewish Star of David and the sun and temples of the Yazidis -- the minority in northern Iraq persecuted by the Islamic State group (IS) for their faith in what the UN has described as possible genocide.

From the beginning, Jamal says, she planned to offer her artwork to Pope Francis as a "symbol of peace and harmony in the world".

"I want to show that women in Kurdistan want coexistence and fraternity between all religions," she told AFP.

"I do not see any difference between them: they all share love," she added, repeatedly glancing at the ornate robe.

Experts and activists see reconciliation between the various communities as the number one priority in Iraq.

Without it, they say, the country's reconstruction will be impossible and the 1.8 million people displaced by the conflict won't want to return.

Situated on the lands of ancient Mesopotamia, Iraq has been ruled by many civilisations and is today a patchwork of peoples and faiths.

Shanaz Jamal says she has received assurances her artwork will be sent to the Vatican to be put on display

Their coexistence was shattered in 2014 when the IS jihadists seized large swathes of Iraq and neighbouring Syria.

Now, more than a year after Iraq declared victory over IS, tensions persist, especially in the north of the country where minorities accuse each other of crimes.

It has seen Yazidis and Sunni Muslims at loggerheads, with the minority accusing the latter of complicity with IS and the Sunnis insisting they live in fear of retaliation for acts committed by other members of their community.
Azali previously led a coup, ruled the Comoros between 1999 and 2006, and was re-elected in 2016

Police in Comoros arrested 12 women on Thursday, activists said, after they took to the streets to protest the re-election of President Azali Assoumani in polls they say were rigged.

The opposition has flatly rejected Azali's victory with 60.77 percent of the vote in Sunday's polls as the angry mood threatened to spark a new political crisis on the archipelago.

Azali, who previously led a coup, ruled the country between 1999 and 2006, and was re-elected in 2016, left his 12 poll rivals trailing.

Both observers and community groups have questioned the credibility of the vote.

Polling stations were ransacked, ballot boxes were stuffed by police and observers were prevented from overseeing the integrity of the vote, according to several witnesses.

Those arrested on Thursday were part of a march by roughly 100 women to the Supreme Court where they were planning to appeal for the results to be nullified.

Armed police dispersed them, and 12 of the protesters were arrested for unspecified crimes.

"We have had enough of what's happening. We wanted to deliver a memorandum to the Supreme Court but we weren't able to," march organiser Samoa Abdoulmadjid told AFP.

"The police arrived and started rounding people up."

Opposition parties in the coup-prone Indian Ocean country have opted not to appeal the vote's outcome but called instead for new polls to be held as soon as possible.

Interior Minister Mohamed "Kiki" Daoudou has dismissed criticism of the polls' conduct and said that "it's not the street which rules the country".

For months the opposition has accused Azali of behaving like a dictator.

Azali staged the poll after Comorans voted in a referendum, boycotted by the opposition, to support the extension of presidential mandates from one five-year term to two.

He could theoretically rule until 2029, critics say, and several opposition figures were arrested around the time of the referendum.

The change upset a fragile balance of power established in 2001 that sought to end separatist crises on Anjouan and Moheli islands, and halt an endless cycle of coups.
The latest disaster brought new scenes of horror amid fears that the toll would rise

Desperate workers leaped to their deaths as a huge fire tore through a Dhaka office block Thursday, killing at least 19 people and trapping others in the latest major inferno to hit the Bangladesh capital.

Rescue workers warned the death toll could rise sharply as fire fighters recovered charred bodies from the complex where an unknown number of office workers were engulfed by intense smoke and flames.

At least six people died after jumping from the 22-floor building, officials said.

Dhaka police chief Asaduzzaman Mia told reporters at least 73 people were injured and being treated in hospitals across Dhaka.

People were seen screaming for help as hundreds of panicked onlookers crowded the streets of the upmarket Banani commercial district.

Emergency services said at least 65 people were being treated in hospitals

Some workers slid down a television cable on the side of the building. Others grabbed ropes lowered by emergency service helicopters which pulled them out of the blaze.

The inferno erupted barely a month after at least 70 people were killed in Dhaka apartment buildings where illegally stored chemicals exploded.

The latest disaster brought new scenes of horror amid fears that the toll would rise. More than 100 ambulances were parked in streets around the building.

Shoikot Rahman heard colleagues raise the alarm and ran to safety before smoke and flames engulfed the building.

Scores of firefighters backed by navy and air force specialists struggled to bring the blaze under control

"When I heard a fire broke out in the building, I quickly rushed out," he told AFP. "Many of my colleagues are still trapped in the office."

Firefighters on long ladders smashed windows to create escape routes. More than one hour after the blaze erupted people could still be seen on the 13th and 14th floors desperately waving for help amid clouds of black smoke.

Army helicopters dangled ropes that victims grabbed so they could be lifted to safety, with crowds below cheering and applauding every time someone was rescued.

- Rescuers kept at bay -

Three hospitals reported that six men and women had died or arrived with fatal injuries after jumping from the office block. They included a Sri Lankan man whose body was taken to the army's Kurmitola Hospital.

No caption

Dilkhosh Ahmed at the Banani Clinic said one of the victims had attempted to use the television cable to climb down, but slipped and fell around the eighth floor.

A seventh death from burns was recorded at the Dhaka Medical College hospital.

Helicopters were deployed to drop water on the blaze as scores of firefighters backed by navy and air force specialists struggled to bring it under control.

A top fire official said the flames had been stopped from spreading to adjoining buildings.

"Teams have entered the building and they are scouring the floors for any remaining victims. The building did not have fire fighting equipment," said Lieutenant Colonel Julfikar Rahman of the Dhaka fire service told reporters.

Rescue crews were soon discovering bodies and carrying them out one after the other in white bags.

Some workers told of risky escapes.

"My uncle and two more people jumped from their floor. His hand and leg are broken and his eye is damaged," one man said without giving his name.

A man who gave his name as Jico said he had been working on the 19th floor. "The fire started in a restaurant on the sixth floor. We ran to the roof as soon as we heard about it and then used a wooden plank to get over to the next building."

Fire disasters regularly hit Bangladesh's major cities where safety standards are notoriously lax.

A massive blaze in Dhaka's old quarter on February 21 killed at least 70 people and injured 50 others.

Fire service officials said chemicals illegally stored in an apartment building exploded and set alight five buildings and nearby streets. That blaze took more than 12 hours to control.

A June 2010 fire in the nearby neighbourhood of Nimtoli, one of the most densely populated districts of the capital, killed 123 people.

In November 2012, a fire swept through a nine-story garment factory near Dhaka killing 111 workers. An investigation found it was caused by sabotage and that managers at the plant had prevented victims from escaping.

Experts said inspections of buildings in the city frequently found fire stairs blocked with stored goods and exit doors locked.
Patriotic pupils: Students wave Vietnamese and North Korean flags at a kindergarten in Hanoi.

North Korean tourism officials on Thursday urged Vietnamese travellers to seize a "golden" opportunity to visit the country following a summit between Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump in Hanoi last month.

With an economy crippled by international sanctions, isolated North Korea is keen to boost its nascent tourism sector by attracting more foreign visitors, the bulk of whom currently come from China.

A North Korean tourism official said it is prime time for Vietnamese visitors to travel to the country after Hanoi hosted Trump and Kim for a second round of nuclear talks in February.

"We had a very successful summit in Hanoi... this is the right chance, the golden chance for us to generate a tourist market of Vietnam to DPRK," Ham Jin of the official Korea International Travel Company (KITC) told AFP Thursday.

His company hosted a booth at a tourism fair in Hanoi this week -- with brochures advertising a dolphinarium, a science and technology complex and the Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum in "ever-changing" Pyongyang -- while others urged skiers to pay a visit to the Masikryong mountain resort.

Kim paid an official visit to Hanoi after his meeting with Trump, piquing curiosity among some Vietnamese eager to know more about the reclusive leader and his country.

"I want to discover this mysterious country because there are many things to see," said Do Thi Phuong Thuy, who signed up for a tour after Kim's trip.

- Safety concerns -

North Korea receives an estimated 100,000 foreign tourists a year, according to industry insiders, though Pyongyang does not publish visitor data.

Ham put the number at double that and said visitor numbers grew by as much as 50 percent last year, though his figures could not be verified.

"We (use) tourism to contribute to economic development," he told AFP.

I do: A bride and groom walk along Pyongyang's Taedong river on a foggy evening.

A Vietnamese tour operator at the fair said his client numbers have surged this year, but that some travellers remain wary.

"People are concerned North Korea isn't safe or is closed to the world... there are the difficulties for us when we promote tours to North Korea," Nguyen Cong Hoan, director of Hanoi Red Tours, told AFP.

The United States has banned Americans from travelling to North Korea after the death of student Otto Warmbier, who was jailed after allegedly stealing a poster from a hotel.

He was released in a vegetative state and later died on US soil.

Once-popular tours from South Korea to Mount Kumgang near the border came to an abrupt end in 2008 when a North Korean soldier shot dead a tourist from the South who strayed off the approved path.

Trump has heralded North Korea's economic potential, praising its "great beaches" that he said would make ideal locations for condos.

North Korea is currently building a sprawling seaside resort known as the Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourist Area in a zone that has previously been used for artillery drills and ballistic missile launches.
The defeat of the Islamic State group in its last bastion in Syria has raised concerns internationally about the fate of fighters and their families

Children born abroad to Danish jihadists will no longer receive Danish citizenship, the minority government announced Thursday after striking a deal with its populist ally the Danish People's Party.

"Contrary to current rules, children who will be born in regions prohibited to Danes... will not automatically receive Danish nationality," the immigration ministry said in a statement.

"As their parents have turned their back on Denmark, there is no reason for the children to become Danish citizens," Immigration Minister Inger Stojberg was quoted as saying in the statement.

The proposal must still go through parliament. No date has been set for the vote but it is expected to pass.

The fate of foreign fighters with the Islamic State group and their families has become a major international headache since the fall of the last vestige of its so-called caliphate in Syria.

Since 2016, it has been a criminal offence under Danish law to have fought in conflict zones for a terrorist group.

The courts have already convicted 13 people for having joined or tried to join a terrorist organisation.

Immigration Minister Inger Stojberg said children born to Danish jihadists forfeited their right to citizenship as "their parents have turned their back on Denmark"

Nine of those were stripped of their Danish nationality and expelled from the country. The others could not be stripped of their citizenship as they did not hold dual nationality.

Under the new rules, holders of dual nationality can lose their Danish citizenship by simple administrative order.

There are around 40 jihadists with links to Denmark in what used to be territory held by the Islamic State group in Syria, 10 of whom have been captured, according to the government.

The exact number of Danish children born there remains unknown.
Azali initially came to power in a coup, ruled the Comoros between 1999 and 2006, and was re-elected in 2016

Two "assailants" and a policeman were killed and two people injured in violence in Comoros Thursday, a minister said, after a defeated presidential candidate bidding to unseat the president was arrested.

The Indian Ocean nation is in the grip of a political crisis following President Azali Assoumani's victory in Sunday polls that his opponents say was rigged and led rivals to unite against him.

One of those hurt Thursday was a policeman who suffered minor injuries while another "assailant" was badly hurt following an exchange of gunfire near a barracks in the capital Moroni, Interior Minister Mohamed "Kiki" Daoudou told journalists.

"The situation is under control, an investigation is underway," he said, urging people not to assume the bloodshed was linked to the arrest of opposition leader Soilihi Mohamed.

"The assailants' objective was to bring down the chief of the defence staff."

Soilihi Mohamed is a widely respected former colonel who was named head of an opposition transitional authority hoping to unseat Azali.

A group who attempted to help a former putschist, jailed for plotting against Azali, to escape from Moroni prison were responsible for the exchanges of fire, a source said ahead of Daoudou's briefing.

Civilians deserted the streets of Moroni as gunfire rocked the Comoran capital

Civilians deserted the streets of Moroni, police fired teargas and taxis stopped working, an AFP correspondent saw, during two hours of gunfire around the Kandani base.

"The March 24 vote was a deceit, a shameful charade... We will organise resistance," Mohamed, the leader of the opposition "transitional administration", said Thursday, calling for "civil disobedience" if the poll result was not overturned by April 3.

He remains in police custody, according to a government source.

"He wanted to set up a parallel government, do you think that's normal?" said the source who asked not to be named.

- 'Peaceful transition'? -

His transitional body is backed by all 12 of the defeated presidential candidates and has pledged to manage a "peaceful transition" and "resolve the post-election crisis".

A Western source in Moroni said there was "major confusion" during the unrest.

"A dozen or so heavily armed men tried to seize a barracks following the arrest of the colonel (Soilihi Mohamed)," they said.

Comoros has had a volatile political history since independence in 1975 and has endured more than 20 attempted coups, four of which were successful.

Protesters took to the streets of Moroni's northern TP district, and the presidential palace at Itsandra was locked down following the disturbances.

Soilihi Mohamed is a widely respected former colonel who was named head of an opposition transitional authority hoping to unseat Azali

Earlier, police broke up a women's protest march and arrested 12 demonstrators.

The opposition has flatly rejected Azali's victory as the angry mood threatened to erupt into violence on the archipelago nation.

Iain Walker, a researcher at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, said a power shift to the opposition council "would probably require support from the army -- which seems to be pro-Azali for the moment".

Opposition council leader Mohamed had previously said that Azali's rivals would "use all peaceful means to oust the government".

Azali initially came to power in a coup, then ruled the country between 1999 and 2006, and was re-elected in 2016. He left his 12 poll rivals trailing on Sunday.

Both observers and community groups have questioned the credibility of the election, which saw Azali declared the winner with almost 61 percent of the vote. The result, from a turnout of just under 54 percent, meant he does not need to contest a second round.

- 'It's not the street which rules' -

Polling stations were ransacked, ballot boxes stuffed by police and observers prevented from overseeing the integrity of the vote, according to several witnesses.

Map of the Comoros Islands

Interior Minister Daoudou has dismissed criticism of the polls' conduct and declared: "It's not the street which rules the country."

For months the opposition has accused Azali of behaving like a dictator.

Azali staged the poll after Comorans voted in a referendum, boycotted by the opposition, to support the extension of presidential mandates from one five-year term to two.

He could theoretically rule until 2029, critics say. Several opposition figures were arrested around the time of the referendum.

The change upset a fragile balance of power established in 2001 that sought to end separatist crises.
In 2011, Moscow gave Venezuela a $4 billion loan to buy Russian armaments

Russia said Thursday its troops will stay in Venezuela "for as long as needed", rejecting US President Donald Trump's demand that Russia remove its military from the crisis-stricken country.

Russia's weekend deployment of troops and equipment to bolster President Nicolas Maduro has ratcheted up already high international tensions over Venezuela where the Trump administration is pushing for regime change.

The Russian foreign ministry insisted Thursday the presence of its troops there did not pose a threat to anyone.

"They are involved in the implementation of agreements in the sphere of military and technical cooperation," said ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, adding they would remain in the country "for as long as needed."

"Russia is not changing the balance of power in the region, Russia is not threatening anyone unlike citizens in Washington whom I have just quoted," she told reporters.

She was referring to Trump's comments that "Russia has to get out" of Venezuela as well as to statements by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that Washington does not plan to negotiate with Maduro and wants to end Russia and Cuba's influence on Caracas.

- 'Coup' accusation -

The United States and more than 50 other countries recognise Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim president while Russia, along with China, backs Maduro.

"Neither Russia nor Venezuela are provinces of the United States," Zakharova said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has accused Washington of trying to "organise a coup d'etat" in the oil-producing nation.

Venezuela's military attache in Moscow also said Thursday that Russian troops were in the country under an agreement on military and technical cooperation and not to carry out a military operation.

A Russian air force Antonov-124 cargo plane and a smaller Ilyushin Il-62 landed at the main airport outside Caracas on Saturday and offloaded around 100 troops and tonnes of equipment.

"As for the presence of Russian specialists, we are talking about cooperation, military and technical cooperation," the attache, Jose Rafael Torrealba Perez, was quoted as saying in translated comments by RIA Novosti state news agency.

"We are absolutely not talking about Russia's military presence to carry out military operations," he added.

Venezuela's Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez is expected to visit Moscow in April as part of the cooperation between the two countries, the attache said.

On Tuesday, Zakharova declared that Russia was "developing cooperation with Venezuela in strict accordance with the constitution of that country and with full respect for its legal norms".

"The presence of Russian specialists on Venezuelan territory is regulated by an agreement between the Russian and Venezuelan governments on military and technical cooperation that was signed in May, 2001," she said.

In 2011, Russia gave Venezuela a $4 billion loan to buy Russian armaments.
Yazi Mohamoud pleaded with jihadists to release her son Hekmat but he is still missing today

The demise of the jihadist empire that spirited away his teenage son could have been reason to rejoice but, for Abdelsalam Mohammed, with the fall of Baghouz came a crushing disappointment.

The eastern Syrian hamlet was the Islamic State group's last bastion but for the relatives of many missing people it was also one of the last places where their loved ones might have stayed alive.

In Abdelsalam's Kurdish village of Sherane, many families lost somebody to the jihadists when they rampaged across the region five years ago and spread their rule of terror in swathes of Iraq and Syria.

"We thought: 'Baghouz will fall, he's going to come back'. But he's still not home," he said.

Kurdish-led forces last week defeated jihadist fighters defending the last scrap of the so-called "caliphate" in Baghouz, ending IS territorial control in the region.

Tens of thousands of people, most of them jihadists surrendering but also some of the civilians they abducted and enslaved, poured out of the besieged enclave in recent weeks.

Sitting in his backyard, Abdelsalam recounted the fateful day in February 2014 when his 19-year-old son Mohammed left the village and joined a group of 150 people heading to Iraq to look for work.

The convoy was stopped at an IS roadblock and he never saw his son again.

- 'Worse than death' -

The young men were taken to prison in Raqa, the city that later became the de facto Syrian capital of IS's self-proclaimed proto-state.

Half of them were released nine months later but not Mohammed.

"Up until now, we haven't had any news," said Abdelsalam, who wears a red and white headdress and a grey suit jacket worn threadbare at the seams over his traditional gown.

Mass graves believed to contain thousands of victims have been unearthed in territory retaken from the jihadists

When the Syrian Democratic Forces announced the death of the "caliphate" on March 23, a delegation from Sherane visited the Kurdish administration in the nearby city of Kobane.

"They told us there was no information," Abdelsalam said.

Bereavement hangs like a cloud over Sherane, a farming village nestled in Syria's Kurdish heartland, surrounded by lush green plains and olive groves.

Almost each one of its modest concrete homes is haunted by the ghost of somebody who went missing at the hands of IS jihadists or was killed in battle.

"When someone dies, we know they're gone. But this is worse than death," the greying father said.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group, IS abducted thousands of people in both countries when it overran the region in 2014.

Among them are a few well-known cases of foreigners, such as British reporter John Cantlie and Italian Jesuit priest Paolo Dall'Oglio, whose fates remain unknown.

- Mass graves -

Nadim Houry, from the New York-based watchdog Human Rights Watch, argued that the creation of an investigative commission should be a priority.

"It takes time to build up these mechanisms and to provide answers," he said. "The right of families to know is clearly enshrined in international law."

Abdelsalam Mohammed's son disappeared after he was stopped at a jihadist roadblock five years ago

Dozens of mass graves containing the bodies of thousands of people executed by IS have been found in Iraq and Syria but the identification process is slow, costly and complicated.

Houry argued the US-led coalition that backed the SDF's military drive against IS should offer support to local initiatives aimed at resolving the cases of the missing.

In Sherane, Adnan Ibrahim also saw his hopes of finding his younger brother Hekmat fade last week when the mass evacuations from Baghouz dried up.

His brother was returning from his work on a water well drilling in May 2014 when his bus was stopped by the jihadists near the city of Manbij.

Hekmat's family soon lost any trace of him and his wife took their two children and moved back in with her father.

"Every time somebody made it out of IS custody, we would go to see them to try to find out," the 56-year-old said.

His elderly mother went to Manbij twice to plead with the jihadists for her son's release -- in vain.

In their home's courtyard, framed by blue-painted walls, she knelt in prayer and then got up to fetch a picture in which Hekmat, wearing his military uniform, looks sternly at the camera.

"We still have hope," Adnan said, hesitantly. "But it's not easy."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been seeking to head off political pressure over Gaza ahead of April 9 elections

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday Israel is prepared for a widespread military campaign in Gaza as tensions simmered following the latest flare-up -- but only after all other options were exhausted.

Netanyahu has been seeking to head off political pressure over Gaza ahead of April 9 elections, in which he faces a strong challenge from former military chief Benny Gantz.

"In recent days I gave instructions to fortify forces, to add vehicles, to be prepared for a comprehensive campaign," he said during the inauguration of a new road in northern Israel.

The premier, who was speaking after visiting military forces on the Gaza border, noted however that a war would be the last option.

"All Israelis should know that if a comprehensive campaign is required, we will enter it strong and safe, after we have exhausted all other possibilities," said Netanyahu, who also serves as defence minister.

Palestinian militants had on Monday fired a long-distance rocket from the Gaza Strip, hitting a house north of Tel Aviv and wounding seven Israelis, triggering Israeli air strikes and further Palestinian fire at southern Israel.

Netanyahu beefed up the military presence near Gaza, but by Wednesday the fighting had abated after Hamas announced a ceasefire brokered by Egypt.

Israel has been carefully monitoring the situation on the Gaza border ahead of Saturday, which will mark a year since mass protests and deadly clashes began there.

A demonstration on the day of the anniversary is expected to draw thousands of Palestinians.

A Hamas official said an Egyptian delegation met with the Islamist movement's leader Ismail Haniya in Gaza City on Wednesday night in further efforts to calm tensions.

The official said the delegation informed Hamas and its allies in Gaza that Israel had agreed to measures such as improving the electricity supply in the strip, which suffers from severe power shortages.

In exchange, Hamas would be expected to maintain calm at the weekly protests along the Gaza border, including during Saturday's anniversary.

It was unclear whether any progress had been made, and an Egyptian official said they would continue to mediate between the sides to try and maintain calm.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) - The Latest on the community of Parkland, Florida, focusing on suicide prevention programs after two survivors of a high school massacre there killed themselves (all times local):

3:35 p.m.

A foundation formed by the father of one of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims says the man's death is devastating and speaks to the importance of mental health treatment.

Police in Newtown, Connecticut, say 49-year-old Jeremy Richman was found dead of an apparent suicide Monday morning.

He and his wife named The Avielle Foundation after their daughter, who was one of 26 killed in the 2012 shooting. The foundation, whose directors include health professionals, is dedicated to preventing violence by seeking a better understanding of brain health.

The foundation said in a statement Monday that Richman's death shows how important it is for people to seek help for themselves, their loved ones and others in need.

FILE - In this Nov. 14, 2014 file photo, Jeremy Richman, father of Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting victim Avielle Richman, addresses the Sandy Hook Advisory Commission in Newtown, Conn. Richman was found dead early Monday, March 25, 2019, at the town hall in Newtown, where he had an office. The chief medical examiner's office was to perform an autopsy Monday. Richman's death comes as officials in Parkland, Florida, are publicizing counseling services after two survivors of a high school massacre there killed themselves. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)

Richman's death comes as officials in Parkland, Florida, are publicizing counseling services after two survivors of a high school massacre there killed themselves.

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12:45 p.m.

Police say the father of one of the 20 children killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut has been found dead of an apparent suicide.

Newtown police say the body of 49-year-old Jeremy Richman was found Monday morning inside Newtown's Edmond Town Hall, where he had an office. An autopsy is expected Monday.

Richman was the father of Avielle Richman, one of the first-graders killed along with six educators in the shooting on Dec. 14, 2012. He and his wife created The Avielle Foundation, a group dedicating to preventing violence by seeking a better understanding of brain health.

Police Lt. Aaron Bahamonde called Richman's death heartbreaking for the family and town.

Richman's death comes as officials in Parkland, Florida, are publicizing counseling services after two survivors of a high school massacre there killed themselves.

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12:05 p.m.

The community of Parkland, Florida, is focusing on suicide prevention programs after two survivors of the Florida high school massacre there killed themselves this month.

Parkland Mayor Christine Hunschofsky said Monday that officials are publicizing the available counseling services after a second Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student apparently killed himself over the weekend. That came a week after a recent graduate, who was close friends with victim Meadow Pollack, killed herself after her family said she suffered from survivor's guilt.

Fourteen students and three staff members died in the Feb. 14, 2018, shooting at the 3,200-student school and 17 others were wounded. Some students and other have begun adding these two deaths to the total in posts on Twitter.
ROCK HILL, S.C. (AP) - A South Carolina man accused of driving around a college campus without pants on has been arrested.

Winthrop University police Lt. Charles Yearta tells The State newspaper that 23-year-old David Nathaniel Atkinson was arrested Saturday and charged with indecent exposure.

Yearta said two students looking out the window of their dorm before 8 p.m. saw a man without pants in a car.

Yearta said Atkinson isn't a student at Winthrop University and has no known affiliation with the school in Rock Hill.

York County Sheriff's Office spokesman Trent Faris told the newspaper that Atkinson was released Sunday after posting $10,000 bail. It wasn't immediately clear whether he had an attorney.

The newspaper reports that Atkinson was previously convicted of indecent exposure in December 2016 in Alamance County, North Carolina.

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Information from: The State, http://www.thestate.com
WASHINGTON (AP) - House lawmakers on Tuesday denounced Defense Department plans to use military funds to pay for President Donald Trump's border wall, telling Pentagon leaders the "unbelievably irresponsible" maneuver will threaten the agency's future ability to shift money around when needed.

Both Republicans and Democrats on the House Armed Services Committee said there is little support for tapping military construction projects for the wall, about a week after Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan sent a list of vulnerable projects to Capitol Hill.

"Whatever one feels about the border wall, to look at the Pentagon as sort of a piggybank - slash - slush fund, where you can simply go in and grab money for something when you need it, really undermines the credibility of the entire DoD budget," said Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., chairman of the panel. "Funding a border wall out of the Department of Defense is also unbelievably irresponsible."

As the hearing continued, Smith sent a letter from the committee to the Pentagon denying the department's first formal request to shift about $1 billion in surplus personnel funds to a counter-drug account in order to pay for barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border. The panel doesn't have the legal authority to block the transfer, but could make changes in the law to block any funding shifts in the future.

"Historically they've asked for our signature to consent. This time they're not asking for our consent," said Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill. "That kind of changes the working relationship and it's likely to change the next defense appropriations bill. I would be surprised if you didn't find language that spells out reprogramming in the future is going to be handled a lot differently."

The Pentagon said it was exploring the potential impact of that letter and what steps the department would take next.

Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan and David Norquist, far right, the Defense Department's budget chief, arrive to testify at a House Armed Services Committee hearing on the fiscal year 2020 Pentagon budget, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Lawmakers are concerned about military construction projects that could lose funding this year to pay for President Donald Trump's border wall. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

The House committee's top Republican, Rep. Mac Thornberry of Texas, also said he opposes using defense funding for other purposes. But he noted that Shanahan is facing "a lot of criticism for decisions that you had nothing to do with."

In response, Shanahan said he knew that maneuvering around Congress to fund the wall was risky and would have long-term negative effects on the department. But he said the department was executing a "legal order from the commander in chief."

The Pentagon last week sent to Capitol Hill a list of more than 400 military construction projects, totaling about $13 billion, that might be tapped for wall funding. But Shanahan has said that any money for military housing or barracks would not be touched, as well as any projects that will have contracts awarded before the end of this fiscal year, Sept. 30. When those projects are removed, about 150 remain, totaling about $4.3 billion.

Shanahan has also said that projects deemed necessary for military readiness or other high priorities will be protected. But those haven't been identified yet.

Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and David Norquist, the department's budget chief, were also at the Tuesday hearing.

Both the House and Senate voted to overturn Trump's declaration of a national emergency to use construction money to fund the wall. Trump vetoed that bill.

A number of lawmakers also objected to the Pentagon's assumption that Congress would simply refund the affected projects next year, calling it a political maneuver to get Congress to pay for the wall.

Other lawmakers, such as the entire New Jersey congressional delegation, have written to Shanahan to defend the projects in their state. In their letter, they told Shanahan that they "adamantly oppose" diverting any money for a border barrier, adding that Congress, not the executive branch, has the power to appropriate funds for specific projects.

A plan to spend $41 million at the Picatinny Arsenal's munitions disassembly complex in New Jersey is on the list of projects that could be affected.

On Monday, Army Secretary Mark Esper told The Associated Press that he and other military service leaders will go through the list and work to protect critical projects.

"I will prioritize based on readiness, lethality and things like that," he said, noting that something like a training complex could be protected if it's designed to help soldiers face emerging threats from competitors such as Russia and China.

Esper added, however, that there are clearly some projects that could be used.

"I can tell you what's not a priority. It's the parking garage, the cemetery," Esper said, referring to two projects planned at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in New York.

The garage could be affected, but the cemetery money would not be touched because the contract award date is June, and would therefore be exempt under rules set up by Shanahan.

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Associated Press writer Andrew Taylor contributed to this report.

Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan arrives to testify at a House Armed Services Committee hearing on the fiscal year 2020 Pentagon budget, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Lawmakers are concerned about military construction projects that could lose funding to pay for President Donald Trump's border wall. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court's conservative majority sounded wary Tuesday of allowing federal judges to determine when electoral maps are too partisan, despite strong evidence that the political parties drew districts to guarantee congressional election outcomes.

The decisions in two cases the justices heard Tuesday, from Maryland and North Carolina, could help shape the makeup of Congress and state legislatures for the next decade in the new districts that will be created following the 2020 census.

In more than two hours of arguments over Republican-drawn congressional districts in North Carolina and a single congressional district drawn to benefit Democrats in Maryland, the justices on the right side of the court asked repeatedly whether unelected judges should police the partisan actions of elected officials.

"Why should we wade into this?" Justice Neil Gorusch asked.

Gorsuch and Justice Brett Kavanaugh pointed out that voters in some states and state courts in others are imposing limits on how far politicians can go in designing districts that maximize one party's advantage.

Gorsuch said the court's 2015 ruling upholding Arizona voters' decision to take redistricting away from the legislature and create an independent commission shows there are other ways to handle the issue. That case was decided by a 5-4 vote before Gorsuch joined the court, with four conservatives in dissent.

Activists at the Supreme Court opposed to partisan gerrymandering hold up representations of congressional districts from North Carolina, left, and Maryland, right, as justices hear arguments about the practice of political parties manipulating the boundary of a congressional district to unfairly benefit one party over another, in Washington, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Democrats and Republicans eagerly await the outcome of cases from Maryland and North Carolina because a new round of redistricting will follow the 2020 census, and the decision could help shape the makeup of Congress and state legislatures over the next decade. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

In light of activity at the state level, Kavanaugh asked, "Have we really reached the moment, even though it would be a big lift for this court to get involved, where the other actors can't do it?"

Chief Justice John Roberts, who last year worried about the harm to the court's reputation if it had to pick political winners in endless redistricting disputes, suggested voters have a way of surprising people.

"Even...in the more recent cycle, I understand that a lot of things that were never supposed to happen happened," Roberts said.

But there was no certainty that the justices would, in the end, shut courthouse doors to claims over excessive partisan gerrymandering, as the practice of designing districts for political gain is known.

Kavanaugh, in particular, said he would not dispute that "extreme partisan gerrymandering is a real problem for our democracy."

Maryland residents Roberts and Kavanaugh also seemed troubled by majority Democrats' efforts to flip a western Maryland seat that had been held by a Republican for 20 years to Democratic control. "I mean, it does seem that this is a situation where the state is taking retaliatory action against Republicans who were in that district," Roberts said.

The cases at the high court mark the second time in consecutive terms the justices are trying to determine if they can set limits on partisan map-making. The court also could rule that federal judges should not oversee disputes over districts designed to benefit one political party.

Last year, the court essentially punted on cases from Wisconsin and the same Maryland congressional district that was before the court Tuesday.

Partisan gerrymandering is almost as old as the United States. While the court ruled 30 years ago that courts could police overly partisan map-making, the justices have never struck down districts on the ground that they violated the rights of voters from the minority party.

Supporters of limits on partisan redistricting say that it's more urgent than ever for the court to intervene because partisan maps deepen stark political division in the United States and sophisticated computer programs allow map-makers to target voters on a house-by-house basis.

"The reputational risk of doing something is much, much less than the reputational risk of doing nothing, which will be read as a green light for this kind of discriminatory rhetoric and manipulation in redistricting from here on out," said Allison Riggs, representing the League of Women Voters of North Carolina.

They were disappointed last year when Justice Anthony Kennedy, who was open to reining in maps drawn for partisan ends, didn't join the court's four more liberal justices.

Defenders of the maps that are being challenged want the court to defer to the other branches of government and bow out of partisan districting cases. Their chances may have been strengthened by Kennedy's retirement.

Paul Clement, who represents North Carolina Republicans, asserted that it is perfectly acceptable for lawmakers to proclaim that they are drawing districts for partisan reasons. "I think actually being candid about it probably serves accountability principles in the long run," Clement said.

Complaints about partisan gerrymandering almost always arise when one party controls the redistricting process and has the ability to maximize the seats it holds in a state legislature or its state's congressional delegation.

That's what happened in North Carolina, where Democrats hold only three of 13 congressional districts in a state that tends to have closely decided statewide elections.

Republicans drew congressional districts that packed Democratic voters into the three districts that translated into landslide victories. Meanwhile, the map produced smaller winning margins for Republican candidates, but in more districts.

Lower courts in both states struck down the districts as unconstitutionally partisan.

Decisions in Rucho v. Common Cause, 18-422, and Lamone v. Benisek, 18-726, are expected by late June.

Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, left, and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, attend a rally for "Fair Maps" at the Supreme Court in Washington as justices hear arguments about partisan gerrymandering, the practice of political parties crafting congressional districts that unfairly benefit one party over another, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Democrats and Republicans await the outcome of cases from Maryland and North Carolina because a new round of redistricting will follow the 2020 census, and the decision could help shape the makeup of Congress and state legislatures over the next decade. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
NEW YORK (AP) - To anyone who figured the path of legalizing recreational marijuana use ran along blue state-red state lines, a sudden setback for pot advocates in New Jersey may show the issue isn't so black-and-white.

Leaders in solidly-blue New Jersey are vowing it will still join the 10 states that have legalized the drug. But when a state Senate vote was abruptly put off Monday because it didn't have enough support, the delay was a reminder that the politics of pot legalization aren't purely partisan. The key question instead can be whether voters or legislators are making the decision, experts say.

"It's a good illustration that even in a state that's entirely Democratically controlled, it's not obvious that it would be passed - or that it would be easy," says Daniel Mallinson, a Penn State Harrisburg professor who studies how marijuana legalization and other policies spread among states.

Since voters in the states of Colorado and Washington decided in 2012 to let adults use marijuana for fun, legalization has traveled a route that looks - from a distance - something like the red-and-blue maps that frame many a U.S. political conversation.

Residents of Democratic states on the West Coast and parts of the Northeast, for instance, have said yes, as has the District of Columbia. Lawmakers in Republican-led North Dakota and Arizona have said no.

But look closer, and the trend isn't so clear. Voters in Ruby-red Alaska OK'd recreational pot in 2014, while legalization fizzled this year in the state legislature in deeply Democratic Hawaii . Several states where it passed - like Massachusetts, Michigan and Vermont - are less blue than purple, with governors and legislative leaders of different parties.

State Sen. Nick Scutari, right, sponsor of the marijuana legalization bill, looks on as Senate President Steve Sweeney speaks to reporters in Trenton, N.J., Monday, March 25, 2019. New Jersey's Senate president says there are not enough votes to pass a bill to legalize recreational marijuana in the state. The vote in that chamber has been postponed. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

And overall, 61 percent of American adults say marijuana should be legal, including majorities of Republicans and Democrats , according to the General Social Survey conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago.

The Democratic governors and legislature leaders of New York and New Jersey have been jostling to make their states next in line to legalize marijuana, but the effort hasn't gone as smoothly as they might have hoped.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo aimed to pass marijuana legalization in the budget due April 1, but the issue may well linger until later this spring. Open questions include how to handle clearing past convictions and how to ensure that minority communities that bore the brunt of criminalization get potential opportunities in the marijuana business.

Those are also among the sticking points that prompted the New Jersey Senate to postpone Monday's planned vote, which would fulfill a campaign promise from Gov. Phil Murphy. Senate President Steve Sweeney insisted it would still pass eventually but didn't say when a vote might come.

Opponents see the development as an important victory.

"This is really going to send a strong signal nationwide that legalization is not inevitable," even in Democrat-dominated states, says Kevin Sabet, a former Obama administration drug-policy adviser who now heads Smart Approaches to Marijuana, an anti-legalization group.

Pot advocates, meanwhile, say they don't expect it to be easy to change policy about a drug that was illegal in all 50 states for decades, and still is in the federal government's view.

"It's not surprising that lawmakers are moving slowly and cautiously," said Mason Tvert, a spokesman for the pro-legalization Marijuana Policy Project.

Nine of the 10 states that have legalized recreational marijuana did so through voter referendums - not through their legislatures. Vermont is the exception.

To marijuana-policy experts, that's a more telling divide than a state's place on the partisan map.

"I actually see this as a populist-movement-vs.-representative (body) issue," says Andrew Freedman, who helped set up Colorado's recreational-pot program and now consults governments on doing so.

Why the difference? In part, voters are usually presented with more general propositions, with regulations to be fleshed out later, while legislators are likely weighing more details - and political considerations, experts say.

"A vote of the people is much more aspirational in terms of what you want your state to look like, and the vote to implement is much more what your state will look like. And then you have to own the outcome," Freedman says.

"When you start to talk about: how are you going to ensure minority-owned businesses, or what level of tax rates, or suddenly a representative has to go talk to their chief of police who is against it ... there's a lot of political risk for an elected official," he added.

For all that, lawmakers in 21 states at least proposed legalizing marijuana last year, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

"It's not an exclusive discussion to blue states or red states," says Karmen Hanson, a cannabis policy analyst for the group. "States are talking about it in the rainbow of red, blue and purple."

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Peltz is a member of AP's marijuana beat team. Follow AP's complete marijuana coverage: https://apnews.com/Marijuana .

FILE - In this Friday, March 22, 2019, file photo, a marijuana plant is visible at Compassionate Care Foundation's medical marijuana dispensary in Egg Harbor Township, N.J. A setback for marijuana advocates in New Jersey may show that the path of legalizing recreational marijuana use doesn't run just along blue state-red state lines. Democrat-led New Jersey could still become the 11th state to legalize the drug, though a state Senate vote was put off Monday because it didn't have enough support. The delay is a reminder that pot legalization politics aren't just partisan. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)
ISTANBUL (AP) - A Turkish employee of the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul appeared in court Tuesday charged with espionage and attempting to overthrow the Turkish government in a case that further frayed ties between the two NATO allies.

The trial against Metin Topuz, a translator and assistant for the Drug Enforcement Agency at the consulate, opened in Istanbul nearly a year and a half after his arrest in October 2017. He has been held in pre-trial detention since then.

Topuz is accused of links to U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, who the Turkish government blames for the 2016 coup attempt, and faces a life sentence if convicted.

"I never betrayed my country or my nation as it's been claimed," a weeping Topuz said in court. "The charges against me are humiliating for me and my family. I am innocent."

The 59-year-old Turkish national told the court he had "never had any relations with the treacherous group," referring to Gulen's network, which Turkey considers a terror group.

Topuz's arrest led to the suspension of bilateral visa services between the U.S. and Turkey for more than two months in 2017 and is one of several contentious issues that have increased tensions between Ankara and Washington.

CORRECTS SPELLING OF PHOTOGRAPHERS NAME People walk to the Justice Palace as a trial against Metin Topuz, a Turkish employee of the United States Consulate in Istanbul charged with espionage and attempting to overthrow the Turkish government, began in Istanbul, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Topuz, a translator and fixer for the Drug Enforcement Agency at the consulate, will have his first hearing Tuesday. He has been in pre-trial detention since October 2017. (AP Photo/Mehmet Guzel)

In the 78-page indictment, Topuz is accused of links to police officers and a prosecutor who led a 2013 corruption investigation that implicated top Turkish officials.

The Turkish government accuses those officers of links to Gulen and of attempting a "judicial coup" through the investigation. Among the 30 complainants against Topuz are Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and former ministers.

"During my 25 years of work with the DEA, I have met many police officers and public officials, exchanging numbers and business cards," Topuz said in his trial testimony.

Topuz began working at the consulate in 1982 as a switchboard operator and was promoted to work as an investigative assistant and translator to the DEA's American personnel in Turkey a decade later.

He explained to the three-judge panel that his work for the DEA involved contacts with Turkish security forces, especially narcotic officers, in drug-related investigations and informational exchanges on combatting drug use. Topuz said he was also involved in security preparations during visits by U.S. presidents.

Topuz argued that the prosecutor only took into account contacts he had with officers allegedly linked to Gulen and ignored conversations he had with hundreds of other officers.

Topuz said he communicated for work with public employees of the Turkish state and cannot be expected to know or identify officers with alleged links to Gulen.

"I would never have thought I'd be blamed for my translation work," he said.

He's also accused of privacy violations and illegally recording personal data. The indictment includes telephone calls, text messages, CCTV frame grabs with suspected police officers, along with testimonies from four witnesses and two suspects.

Topuz called witness statements against him "imaginary, baseless and slanderous."

Speaking to journalists before the trial, Topuz's lawyer, Halit Akalp, said the defense team would request his release.

"Our expectation is Mr. Topuz's release," the lawyer said.

Once an ally, the Turkish government declared Gulen and his network a terror group in 2014 following the anti-corruption investigations. Tens of thousands of police officers have been dismissed and many were arrested for alleged links.

Turkey is demanding that the U.S. extradite Gulen, who lives in the Pocono mountains in Pennsylvania.

Diplomatic relations crumbled last summer and precipitated a fall of the Turkish national currency over the detention of an American pastor. Erdogan had previously suggested that Turkey would release Pastor Andrew Brunson in exchange for Gulen.

Brunson was convicted of terror links but allowed to go home to the U.S. in October, removing a major irritant in fraught ties.

A top U.S. official in February said the diplomatic mission's "single most important priority" was securing the freedom of "our unjustly detained employees."

Mete Canturk, another Turkish employee of the consulate, is under house arrest in a related investigation. Hamza Ulucay, a Turkish translator of the U.S. mission in southern Adana province was convicted of terror-related charges earlier this year but released from prison.

U.S. diplomats, including Charge d'Affaires Jeffrey Hovenier and Istanbul Consul General Jennifer Davis, were attending the three-day hearing, which is expected to continue until Thursday.

"I want my freedom, my happiness," Topuz said.

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Associated Press writer Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey contributed.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - Ride-hailing service Uber announced on Tuesday it has acquired Mideast competitor Careem for $3.1 billion, giving the San Francisco-based firm the commanding edge in a region with a large, young, tech-savvy population.

It comes as Uber's losses widened last year ahead of plans for an initial public stock offering this spring.

Uber said the purchase consists of $1.7 billion in convertible notes and $1.4 billion in cash. It marks the largest technology transaction in the Middle East - outside of Israel - and propels the Dubai-based firm to legendary status among the region's budding tech startup scene.

Under the deal, Careem will keep its brand and app unchanged, at least for now, and will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Uber led by its own original founders.

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said the acquisition of Careem marks "an important moment for Uber as we continue to expand the strength of our platform around the world."

In a memo to staff, Khosrowshahi said that keeping the Careem app intact allows Uber to try out new ideas across both brands. Over time, the firms will integrate part of their networks, he said.

In this June 24, 2018 photo, Ammal Farahat, who has signed up to be a driver for Careem, a regional ride-hailing service that is a competitor to Uber, opens the Careem app on her mobile phone before she starts driving, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Ride-hailing service Uber announced on Tuesday, March 26, 2019 it has acquired Mideast competitor Careem for $3.1 billion, giving the San Francisco-based firm the commanding edge in a region with a large young, tech-savvy population. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)

The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2020 and is subject to regulatory approval in several countries.

Egyptian regulators expressed concerns Tuesday of a merger leading to a monopoly in the market, which they cautioned could lead to price increases, degraded service quality and limited consumer choice. Egypt's competition authority invited third parties to come forth with their concerns by the end of April as part of its investigation into the proposed deal.

Uber's stiffest competitor in the Middle East had been Careem, which launched in 2012 - three years before Uber entered the local market.

Careem, founded by two former management consultants at McKinsey & Co., is popular in countries like Egypt and Pakistan because it allows customers to use cash, while Uber was initially a credit card-only system. Last year, Careem was said to be exploring a bus service for Egypt's lower-income riders.

Despite Uber's regional launch in 2015 and services like Uber Eats, which delivers food, Careem maintained the lead operating in more than 100 cities across 15 countries. The company was valued at about $1 billion in a 2016 funding round and an estimated $2 billion last year.

Dubai now has three of the region's most high-profile startup success stories. In 2017, Amazon purchased Mideast online retailer Souq.com for reportedly close to $700 million. A decade ago, Yahoo acquired Dubai-based Arab-language internet site Maktoob.

Careem's CEO Mudassir Sheikha described the acquisition as a "milestone" for the company and for budding entrepreneurs in the region. Under the deal, he will lead Careem's business under Uber and report to a board comprised of three Uber representatives and two from Careem.

"This has put our region on the map and has shown it's a great place to build some of the best technology in the world," Sheikha said in a statement to Careem customers.

Saudi Technology Ventures, one of Careem's investors, said the local ride-hailing firm succeeded by using its deep local knowledge and expertise to cater to the needs of young people.

Other Careem investors include Kingdom Holding, chaired by Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, German car manufacturer Daimler AG, Japanese tech firm Rakuten and Mideast venture capital firm Wamda. Uber's investors include Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, which has a $3.5 billion stake in the ride-sharing app.

FILE - In this Sept. 5, 2018 file photo, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi speaks during the company's unveiling of the new features in New York. Ride-hailing service Uber announced on Tuesday, March 26, 2019 it has acquired Mideast competitor Careem for $3.1 billion, giving the San Francisco-based firm the commanding edge in a region with a large young, tech-savvy population. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

FILE - In this June 24, 2018 file photo, Careem co-founder Abdullah Elyas sits at a desk at the Careem office, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Ride-hailing service Uber announced on Tuesdayh 26, 2019, Marc it has acquired Mideast competitor Careem for $3.1 billion, giving the San Francisco-based firm the commanding edge in a region with a large young, tech-savvy population. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty, File)
ISLAMABAD (AP) - A Pakistani court placed two teenage sisters from the minority Hindu community in a government shelter on Tuesday as authorities launched an investigation into whether the girls were abducted and forced to convert and marry two Muslim men.

The case of the sisters from the southern Sindh province has seen much traction in local media over the past days, going to the heart of two controversial issues in this predominantly Muslim nation: marriage of underage girls and forced conversions to Islam.

While marriage under the age of 18 is illegal in Pakistan, the law is often ignored. There is no legislation banning forced conversions.

The Islamabad High Court issued the protection order for the girls on Tuesday, saying it acted on a petition from the two. It also placed their husbands under protection but in a separate shelter, as they purportedly fear they could be attacked by the girls' parents.

Pakistani media have cited the girls as claiming they were married of their own free will. Their lawyer, Mohammad Umari Baloch, claims they are not minors, contradicting the family's statements.

The girls' family, from the Sindh town of Ghotki, says the sisters are 13 and 15 years old and were abducted and forced to convert and marry the men. The sisters' elder brother, Shaman Daas, said they were taken as the family was celebrating the Hindu annual festival of Holi last Friday.

Pakistani civil society activists call for protection of Hindu girls at a protest in Hyderabad, Pakistan, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. A court in Islamabad has ordered protection for two teenage sisters from the minority Hindu community as investigators widen a probe to determine whether the girls were abducted and forced to convert and marry two Muslims. The Islamabad High Court issued the order on Tuesday. Placard at right reads, "Justice for the families of Reena, Raveena and Soniya." (AP Photo/Pervez Masih)

"Their marriages should not have been performed and not by a Muslim cleric," Daas told reporters.

Earlier, police in Sindh arrested several suspects in the case, including the cleric who performed the weddings on Friday. The arrests were made after Prime Minister Imran Khan ordered an investigation into the incident.

The Islamabad court said it would take up the case next Tuesday, after the probe is completed. The sisters' parents are expected to attend the hearing.

A leading rights group, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, has urged the Sindh parliament to "take swift, serious measures to resurrect and pass the bill criminalizing forced conversions."

The province's parliament, the only one in Pakistan that has taken any action on forced conversions, failed to pass the bill banning it in 2016.

"At present, forced conversions are too easily - and too often - disguised as voluntary conversions, leaving minor girls especially vulnerable," the commission said.

Dozens of human rights activists rallied Tuesday in the southern city of Hyderabad, denouncing the abduction of the girls and demanding the Sindh assembly adopt the bill against forced conversions.

Also Tuesday, lawmakers Jamshed Thomas and Shunila Ruth from the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party submitted a bill to the National Assembly, seeking legislation against forced conversions.

"The abduction of the two girls from the Hindu community motivated us to submit this," Thomas said. "Anyone who wants to change religion or marry a person of his or her choice should have this right, but not before the age of 18."
BEIRUT (AP) - The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for an attack on a checkpoint of U.S.-backed forces in the northern Syrian town on Manbij that killed seven fighters on Tuesday.

The attack indicates that IS can still launch deadly insurgent strikes and is far from being completely defeated, despite losing all the territory it once controlled in Iraq and Syria. Islamic State militants were blamed for several attacks in recent months in and around Manbij, which was declared liberated in 2016.

Sharfan Darwish of the Manbij Military Council told The Associated Press that the attack came shortly after midnight at one of the entrances to Manbij, targeting the fighters who "were carrying out their mission of protecting" the town.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitoring group, said an IS sleeper cell carried out the attack, and that three other Manbij Military Council fighters were wounded.

In its claim of responsibility, IS said its followers targeted a checkpoint on the western edge of Manbij and confiscated the weapons of the U.S.-backed fighters.

In January, IS claimed a suicide attack in Manbij that killed 19 people, including two U.S. soldiers and two American civilians.

FILE -- In this March 28, 2018 file photo, a Syrian fighter from the Kurdish police force, guards the entrance of the Manbij Military Council, the Kurdish-led, US-backed, militia group that defends Manbij, Syria. Early Tuesday, March 26, 2019, gunmen attacked a checkpoint at one the entrances of Manbij, killing seven fighters, an official with the council said. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, said sleepers cells of the Islamic State group carried out the attack. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File)

The fate of Manbij has been a source of tension between the U.S. and Turkey, which says the Manbij Military Council is linked to its Kurdish insurgency.

Turkey insists on the withdrawal of the Syrian Kurdish-led militia, which liberated Manbij from the Islamic State group in 2016.

In a separate development, Russia and Syria urged the U.S. to discuss the evacuation of a refugee camp in southern Syria.

The Russian and Syrian refugee return coordination centers said the U.S. ignored their invitation to attend Tuesday's meeting on the closure of the Rukban camp near the Jordanian border. They said in a statement that the meeting included tribal leaders from the camp and U.N. officials.

Russia and Syria say the camp's residents are suffering from malnutrition and disease and should be allowed to leave for government-controlled areas. They criticized the U.S. for taking an "unconstructive" stance and denying entry to the camp. The U.S. says it has allowed aid delivery to Rukban.
VATICAN CITY (AP) - The founder and all-female editorial board of the Vatican's women's magazine have quit after what they say was a Vatican campaign to discredit them and put them "under the direct control of men," that only increased after they denounced the sexual abuse of nuns by clergy.

The editorial committee of "Women Church World," a monthly glossy published alongside the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, made the announcement in the planned April 1 editorial and in an open letter to Pope Francis that was provided Tuesday to The Associated Press.

"We are throwing in the towel because we feel surrounded by a climate of distrust and progressive de-legitimization," founder Lucetta Scaraffia wrote in the open letter.

In the editorial, she wrote: "We believe there are no longer the conditions to continue our collaboration with L'Osservatore Romano."

The decision is a blow to Francis' efforts to give greater decision-making roles to women at the Vatican, a pledge that has in some ways fallen flat despite increased pressures in the #MeToo era. Scaraffia had become perhaps the most prominent woman at the Holy See, even though she never drew a salary for her 7-year leadership of the magazine she founded, "Women Church World."

Scaraffia told the AP that the decision to leave was taken after L'Osservatore's new editor, Andrea Monda, earlier this year planned to take over as the magazine's editor. She said he backed off after the editorial board threatened to resign and the Catholic weeklies that distribute translations of "Women Church World" in France, Spain and Latin America, told her they would stop distributing if she weren't in charge.

FILE - In this Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2018 file photo, Lucetta Scaraffia, editor in chief of "Women Church World" a monthly magazine distributed alongside the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, poses in her house in Rome. The founder and all-female editorial board of the Vatican's women's magazine have quit after what they say was a Vatican campaign to discredit them and put them "under the direct control of men," that only increased after they denounced the sexual abuse of nuns by clergy. The editorial committee of "Women Church World," a monthly glossy published alongside the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, made the announcement in the planned April 1 editorial and in an open letter to Pope Francis. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis, File)

"After the attempts to put us under control, came the indirect attempts to delegitimize us," she told AP in a statement, citing other women brought in to write for L'Osservatore "with an editorial line opposed to ours."

The effect, she said, was to "obscure our words, delegitimizing us as a part of the Holy See's communications."

In a statement, Monda denied having tried to weaken "Women Church World" and said that he merely tried to bolster other female voices and viewpoints on the pages of L'Osservatore. He said he always guaranteed the magazine's autonomy, and limited himself to suggesting ideas or possible contributors.

"Seeking to avoid interference with the monthly insert, I asked for a truly free confrontation in the daily paper, not built on the mechanism of one against the other or of closed groups," he said. "And I did so as a sign of openness and of the 'paressia' (freedom to speak truth) requested by Pope Francis."

He said he took note of Scaraffia's "free and autonomous" decision to leave, offered his thanks for her work, and pledged that the magazine would continue on "without clericalism of any sort."

Scaraffia launched the monthly insert in 2012 and oversaw its growth into a stand-alone Vatican magazine as a voice for women, by women and about issues of interest to the entire Catholic Church. "Women Church World" had enjoyed editorial independence from L'Osservatore, even while being published under its auspices.

In the final editorial, which was sent to the printers last week but hasn't been published, the editorial board cited L'Osservatore's initiatives with other women contributors that they said constituted competing points of view "with the effect of pitting women against one another," with the magazine's editorial staff considered no longer trustworthy.

"Now it seems that a vital initiative has been reduced to silence and that there's a return to the antiquated and arid custom of choosing women considered trustworthy from on-high, under the direct control of men," read the open letter, signed by Scaraffia.

The departures are the latest upheaval in the Vatican's communications operations, following the abrupt Dec. 31 resignations of the Vatican spokesman and his deputy over strategic differences with Paolo Ruffini, prefect of the dicastery for communications.

Scaraffia, a history professor and journalist, was perhaps the most high-profile woman at the Vatican, an avowed feminist who nevertheless toed the line on official doctrine. She frequently ruffled feathers, though, with her lament that half of humanity - and the half most responsible for transmitting the faith to future generations - simply is invisible to the men in charge of the Catholic Church.

She stoked uproar in February when, on the pages of the magazine, she denounced the sexual abuse of nuns by clergy and the resulting scandal of religious sisters having abortions or giving birth to children who are not recognized by their fathers.

The article prompted Francis to subsequently acknowledge, for the first time , that it was a problem and that he was committed to doing something about it.

Prior to that issue, the March 2018 issue was perhaps its boldest, denouncing the servitude of religious sisters who work for next to nothing to cook and clean for bishops and cardinals. The issue raised eyebrows for sure, but Francis himself had raised the very same issue only a few months before.

The articles on the religious sisters struck a chord globally, giving voice to suffering that has long been silenced because of nuns' vows of obedience, their ingrained deference to clergy, second-class status in the church and fear of shame, scandal and reprisal.

It remains unclear what the future will bring for the magazine internationally. The Spanish editions are published and distributed in Spain and parts of Latin America by the Catholic publication Vida Nueva; the French edition is published as an insert to La Vie, a Catholic weekly.

Circulation of the Italian magazine is estimated at around 12,000, plus its online viewership.

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This version corrects the lead quote involving "throwing in the towel" to note that it is from the open letter to the pope, not the editorial.

Pope Francis seen on a giant screen at right, celebrates Mass outside Loreto's cathedral, central Italy, Monday, March 25, 2019. Francis has traveled to a major Italian pilgrimage site dedicated to the Virgin Mary to sign a new document dedicated to today's youth. (AP Photo/Sandro Perozzi)

FILE - In this Friday, Feb. 1, 2019 file photo, Lucetta Scaraffia, editor in chief of "Women Church World" a monthly magazine distributed alongside the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, talks to journalists during an interview in Rome. The founder and all-female editorial board of the Vatican's women's magazine have quit after what they say was a Vatican campaign to discredit them and put them "under the direct control of men," that only increased after they denounced the sexual abuse of nuns by clergy. The editorial committee of "Women Church World," a monthly glossy published alongside the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, made the announcement in the planned April 1 editorial and in an open letter to Pope Francis. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Francis caresses a child as he leaves the Basilica of Our Lady of Loreto where he celebrated mass and prayed in the shrine containing a small house traditionally venerated as the house of Mary, and believed miraculously transplanted from the Holy Land inside the Basilica, in central Italy, during a one-day visit, Monday, March 25, 2019. The pope chose Loreto to sign the Post-Synodal Exhortation of last October's Synod of Bishops. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis)

Pope Francis prays inside the shrine containing a small house traditionally venerated as the house of Mary, and believed miraculously transplanted from the Holy Land inside the Basilica of Our Lady of Loreto, in central Italy, where Francis is paying a one-day visit, Monday, Mar. 25, 2019. The pope chose Loreto to sign the Post-Synodal Exhortation of last October's Synod of Bishops. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis)
LONDON (AP) - Software engineers, entrepreneurs and product managers huddle in small groups, brainstorming ideas and scrawling thoughts onto Post-it Notes on a wall. The project leader exhorts them to "think of products around these themes."

It's not a startup but a grassroots band of volunteers from London's tech industry developing websites to prevent Brexit. They hope to put public pressure on politicians to give people a second vote. While the group is small, their engagement in politics underscores the concerns among businesses and entrepreneurs who stand to suffer from tariffs and border checks.

"I've never been a political person before, really," said German-born venture capitalist Andreas Cser. A longtime London resident, he joined the group, Tech For U.K., after he found Brexit made Britain less welcoming for foreigners and exposed the "incompetence and brazen political hypocrisy" of its political leaders.

Cser, whose firm Automat Ventures invests in companies that use artificial intelligence, helped connect Tech For U.K. to computer scientists. "What I know about is how companies develop tech products," and how they scale them up, he said.

Since its launch last year, Tech For U.K. has rolled out a dozen mobile-friendly websites. They help users automatically send anti-Brexit messages by postcard or voicemail to their politicians or spotlight the European Union's benefits to Britain. Volunteers donate their time, and the group also gets limited funding from anti-Brexit campaign group Best For Britain, which vets the digital tools before they go live. The latest, launched on the weekend, lets Facebook and Instagram users add an augmented reality "Stop Brexit" button to photos and videos.

Britain was due to depart the EU on Friday but the process has been delayed after Parliament twice rejected the Brexit deal Prime Minister Theresa May negotiated with the EU. The House of Commons took control late Monday of the stalled process and plans to vote this week on alternatives to May's deal.

James Tabor, right, and other Tech For U.K. volunteers discuss ideas for anti-Brexit digital products in London, Thursday March 14, 2019. Members of Tech For U.K., a grassroots group of people working in Britain's tech industry, are using their tech skills to build online tools to help battle Brexit. (AP Photo/Kelvin Chan)

One of the group's goals is to rally support for a second referendum on Brexit. There's no majority for that in Parliament, but a big march in London on Saturday to demand one suggests momentum is growing. A retired academic's online petition went viral last week, receiving more than 5.7 million signatures in favor of revoking Brexit altogether.

With many outcomes to Brexit still open, Tech for U.K.'s aim is to persuade those on the fence about the benefits of EU membership and give people who are opposed to leaving a way to express their views.

"At the end of the day, it's for those who might change their mind," said Kiyana Katebi, founder of an IT consultancy.

Katebi helped develop the group's first site, MyEU.uk , which shows people EU-funded projects in their neighborhood based on their post code. She said the site had around 100,000 visitors in the first two days after its September launch.

Another site, Finalsay.app , let British residents leave a voice message for their parliamentary representative with their "final say" against Brexit. Hey MP! lets people automatically send postcards to their lawmaker asking for another vote.

It Costs EU reveals the portion of income tax going to the bloc while EU Worth It shows the amount of EU funding British districts receive, to counter claims Brits pay too much to the EU.

Can I Move To Barcelona simply explains how Brits can still move to the Spanish city, or dozens of other EU destinations, under the bloc's freedom of movement rules - a benefit that likely ends across the British border if Brexit happens.

The group, while small, believes they've have had an impact on sentiment, noting that in a recent 10-day period users sent 6,500-7,000 postcards to lawmakers.

"The point is to ask people the question: Do they really want this?" and then show them how Brexit will affect them, said Mike Butcher, Tech For U.K.'s co-founder.

About 200-300 people have joined the group, Butcher said. They work on the projects on evenings and weekends and collaborate remotely.

The group is using technology to counter what they see as misinformation surrounding Britain's EU membership that may have contributed to the 2016 referendum vote result to leave.

Since the referendum, Brexit opponents have raised concerns about the influence of Russian meddling and the role of social-media advertising using data harvested from Facebook.

"One of the reasons that we lost in 2016 was that (the pro-Brexit camp's) digital game was far superior to the people fighting to stay in. We're playing catch-up," said Eloise Todd, CEO of Best For Britain.

On the other side of the argument, pro-Brexit groups flourish online, with names such as Get Britain Out, Stand Up 4 Brexit and Leavers of Britain using social media to promote their views.

More than 1,100 U.K.-based tech executives signed Tech For U.K.'s open letter last year to May, warning that Brexit risks making it harder to hire tech talent and crimping funding from Europe. But for many volunteers, Brexit's impact on the country transcends those concerns.

At one of the group's recent weekly evening meetups, in a tech company's basement meeting room in Central London, the crowd of about 20 split into three groups.

They ran through ideas and themes. Would Brexit make it harder for European musicians to play at Britain's Glastonbury music festival? Could they build a site to get people in Ireland to write letters to relatives in Britain? Would microbreweries still be able to get imported hops?

"We just need to think about various members of the public, what might tick their buttons," startup founder James Tabor told his group. "This is about getting into the minds of the general public."

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James Brooks contributed to this report.

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Follow Kelvin Chan at www.twitter.com/chanman
PARIS (AP) - Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed Monday to work with European leaders to seek fairer international trade rules and to address the world's economic and security challenges, establishing "a trust-based partnership" that seemed like a rebuke to Donald Trump's protectionist policies.

Xi, who is on a state visit to France, met in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker to discuss relations between China and Europe.

Macron acknowledged "existing rivalries" between the European Union and China over economic policies, but the four said in a joint statement after the meeting they committed to seeking "a trust-based partnership."

"I think our common goal is to make sure the response to these tensions doesn't cause fractures in the international commercial order, fresh trade conflicts or isolationist policies," Macron said in the statement. a joint statement following the meeting.

Xi said reformed governance rules should address worldwide challenges like climate change, cybersecurity and mass migration.

"Competition and international frictions keep growing" in the world, he said.

French President Emmanuel Macron, 2nd right, Chinese President Xi Jinping, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, left, hold a press conference at the Elysee presidential palace in Paris, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Xi Jinping is meeting with the leaders of France, Germany and the European Commission, as European countries seek to boost relations with China while also putting pressure over its trade practices. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, Pool)

Amid trade tensions between the United States and both China and the European Union, European countries want to boost relations with China while also applying pressure over its business practices.

China wants to play a bigger role in international organizations like the United Nations, the World Trade Organization and the International Monetary Fund that were created under a Western-based model.

The leaders are preparing for a EU-China summit on April 9. The EU is China's biggest trade partner and wants to solidify that relationship.

European Union chief Juncker said "European companies will need to find the same level of openness when it comes to their access to China's internal market as the one Chinese companies find in Europe: a level of total openness."

Juncker also said Europe should get a concerted approach toward the Belt and Road Initiative, China's vast infrastructure project to link China with Africa, Europe and beyond.

The EU is worried about unfair competition from Chinese companies. Juncker said the bloc should defends its interests and "take advantage of the opportunities" opened under that project.

"I would like for these investments to be not just Chinese but also benefit Europeans and transit countries," he said.

Merkel said that "with multilateralism it's possible to get a win-win approach." She suggested the United States should be part of the multilateral decision-making process, instead of squaring off with China over trade and other issues.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres backed Tuesday's meeting, stressing in a letter the need for "an international order based on common rules."

Separately, Xi and Macron issued a sweeping, 37-point joint statement that seemed like another rebuke to Trump.

It vaunted the importance of multilateralism in just about every domain, from preventing nuclear war to reducing dangerous greenhouse gas emissions.

They reiterated their commitment to the Iran nuclear accord that Trump has rejected. They also defended the United Nations and other international institutions that Trump has described as ineffective and inconsistent with his "America First" agenda.

Tuesday's meeting was the last scheduled event in Xi's European visit that started last week and included stops in Italy and Monaco.

His trip coincided with the signing of large business contracts, including a deal with China that represents one of largest sales ever for European aircraft maker Airbus.

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Angela Charlton contributed to the story

French President Emmanuel Macron, right, and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping arrive for a press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker at the Elysee presidential palace in Paris, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Xi Jinping is meeting with the leaders of France, Germany and the European Commission, as European countries seek to boost relations with China while also putting pressure over its trade practices. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, Pool)

French President Emmanuel Macron, 2nd right, Chinese President Xi Jinping, 2nd left, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, left, prepare to hold a press conference at the Elysee presidential palace in Paris, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Xi Jinping is meeting with the leaders of France, Germany and the European Commission, as European countries seek to boost relations with China while also putting pressure over its trade practices. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, Pool)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, is welcomed by French President Emmanuel Macron, 2nd right, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, right, and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, left, prior to their meeting at the Elysee presidential palace in Paris, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Merkel and Juncker are meeting with Macron as they prepare for a possibly chaotic Brexit and a crucial summit with China. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

French President Emmanuel Macron waits for the arrival of European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker prior to their meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the Elysee presidential palace in Paris, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Merkel and Juncker are meeting with Macron as they prepare for a possibly chaotic Brexit and a crucial summit with China. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes German Chancellor Angela Merkel prior to their meeting with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker at the Elysee presidential palace in Paris, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Merkel and Juncker are meeting with Macron as they prepare for a possibly chaotic Brexit and a crucial summit with China. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)
NAYPYITAW, Myanmar (AP) - Myanmar's Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to rule on an appeal filed by lawyers for two Reuters journalists sentenced to seven years in prison for their reporting on Myanmar's brutal crackdown on Rohingya Muslims.

Reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo remained in Insein Prison while their lawyers attended the court's first hearing on their appeal in the capital, Naypyitaw. The prisoner's wives also came to the court hearing, bringing their young children.

The reporters' convictions for violating the country's Official Secrets Act have been condemned by rights groups, Western governments and global press associations. They also have highlighted freedom of expression problems in Myanmar, even after it transitioned from military rule to an elected government under Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

Supporters of Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo contend the two were framed because of official displeasure over their reporting on the crackdown by security forces on members of the Rohingya minority in Rakhine state.

More than 700,000 Rohingya fled to neighboring Bangladesh following the crackdown, which began in August 2017. Critics have described the campaign as ethnic cleansing, or even genocide, on the part of Myanmar security forces.

The Supreme Court appeal contends that lower court rulings involved errors in judicial procedure. An appeal in January to a lower court was rejected on the grounds that the reporters' lawyers failed to submit enough evidence to prove that Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, were innocent.

Chit Su Win, wife of Reuters journalist Kyaw Soe Oo, left, and Pan Ei Mon, right, wife of Reuters journalist Wa Lone, hold their children as they leave the Supreme Court after hearing an appeal of the two journalists in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Myanmar's Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to rule on an appeal filed by lawyers for two Reuters journalists sentenced to seven years in prison for their reporting on Myanmar's brutal crackdown on Rohingya Muslims. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)

Lawyer Khin Maung Zaw said Tuesday that in a 1 1/2-hour submission to the court, he cited 13 grounds on which he believed judicial procedure had been violated.

Tuesday's decision by the court means the reporters' lawyers will meet again with the judge, who could sustain the appeal if he determines that legal procedure had been violated. In that case, all the rulings from the lower court would be vacated, which could result in the reporters being freed, or having their sentences reduced, or facing new judicial action, according to Khin Maung Zaw.

If the appeal is dismissed, the actions of the lower courts would remain valid. It appears the law could still allow some further opportunities for review of the case, as well as the opportunity to ask for a pardon.

No date was set for the next appearance before the judge.

"Today, we hoped together for the best and believed that our family could be united as soon as possible," said Chit Su Win, Kyaw Soe Oo's wife.

Pan Ei Mon, Wa Lone's wife, said she believed the judge would rule according to reason on the basis of the arguments put forward by the men's lawyers.

"I don't quite understand well about the judiciary," she said. "But I simply want to be united with my husband and I want both of them to be home as soon as possible."

Khin Maung Zaw, a lawyer of two Reuters journalists, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, talks to journalists as he leaves the Supreme Court after hearing re-appeal of the two journalists in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Myanmar's Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to rule on an appeal filed by lawyers for two Reuters journalists sentenced to seven years in prison for their reporting on Myanmar's brutal crackdown on Rohingya Muslims. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)

Pan Ei Mon, wife of Reuters journalist Wa Lone, carries her baby on arrival at the Supreme Court in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Myanmar Supreme Court is expected to rule on appeal to overturn conviction of two Reuters journalists sentenced to seven years in prison on charges of violating Myanmar's Official Secrets Act. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - The European Union's top diplomat has expressed support for U.S.-led efforts to resolve Afghanistan's 17-year war but stressed that the Afghan government should have a leading role in the process.

The remarks by EU's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini reflect the bloc's displeasure that the peace talks with the Taliban have so far sidelined the government in Kabul. The Taliban have refused to talk directly with the government, considering it a U.S. puppet.

Mogherini says the EU has "always been on the side of Afghan people with no other agenda" than peace, security and prosperity for Afghanistan.

She says that EU supports "an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process."

Mogherini spoke after meetings in Kabul on Tuesday with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and the country's chief executive, Abdullah Abdullah.

European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, left and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani shake hands after a press conference at the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. The European Union official says the EU strongly supports an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process in which all past achievements of the country would be preserved. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini speaks during a press conference with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani at the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. The European Union official says the EU strongly supports an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process in which all past achievements of the country would be preserved. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani speaks during a press conference with European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini at the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. The European Union official says the EU strongly supports an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process in which all past achievements of the country would be preserved. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, left, speaks during a press conference with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, at the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. The European Union official says the EU strongly supports an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process in which all past achievements of the country would be preserved. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini speaks during a press conference with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani at the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. The European Union official says the EU strongly supports an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process in which all past achievements of the country would be preserved. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - The Latest on migrants trying to get to Europe (all times local):

3:40 p.m.

Montenegrin police say they have arrested 17 people for smuggling migrants who are trying to reach Western Europe through the Balkans.

Police said Tuesday the suspects include two police officers. All are charged with illegally transferring migrants in groups of five and 10 people from Albania through Montenegro and on toward Bosnia and European Union member Croatia since last May.

Montenegrin police say one more person has been detained in Croatia and three in Bosnia.

Thousands of migrants are stuck in the Balkans as they seek to move on toward wealthy European Union nations.

FILE - In this Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017 file photo, Aquarius the vessel of NGOs, SOS Mediterranee and MSF drifts in the international waters north of Libya. Migrants trying to reach Europe face routine rape and sexual torture throughout their journey _ and especially in Libya _ with men facing abuse nearly as routinely as women, according to a study based on dozens of interviews with aid workers and migrants. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic, File)

In Bosnia, Klix.ba new portal said Tuesday that a demining team has discovered by chance a group of 10 migrants in the forest near the border with Montenegro, including women and children in bad condition from exhaustion.

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12:15 p.m.

Spanish police say they have arrested 17 members of an alleged human trafficking network that threatened Moroccan migrants who sought a refund when attempts to reach Europe by sea failed.

The National Police said Tuesday the busted cell operated from Ceuta, a tiny Spanish enclave in northern Africa.

The alleged traffickers charged between 1,500 and 4,000 euros ($1,700 to $4,500) for taking the Moroccan migrants across the Straits of Gibraltar in high-speed rubber boats. According to police, a hit man threatened the migrants who dared to ask for a refund if they failed to complete the trip.

More than 5,500 migrants have reached Spanish shores this year and 121 have died trying to, according to the International Organization for Migration. Last year, a record 57,000 arrived and more than 800 died.

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10:35 a.m.

Turkish authorities say three women and an infant have died after a fiberglass boat carrying migrants to Greece sank off the Turkish coast.

The coast guard said 11 other migrants were saved in an air and sea search mission launched early Tuesday off the town of Ayvacik, in northwest Canakkale province.

The privately owned DHA news agency said the boat, carrying 15 migrants from Iran and Afghanistan, was heading to the Greek island of Lesbos. The three women and the infant who died were from Afghanistan, the report said.

Migrants have been trying to get from Turkey into Greece, which is in the European Union, before heading to more prosperous European nations.

A 2016 deal between Turkey and the EU significantly curbed numbers but migrants still attempt the perilous journey.

FILE - In this Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017 file photo, rescuers transfer migrants rescued by an oil rig supply ship to the Aquarius vessel of SOS Mediterranee and MSF (Doctors Without Borders) NGOs, in the Mediterranean Sea, north of Libyan coast. Migrants trying to reach Europe face routine rape and sexual torture throughout their journey _ and especially in Libya _ with men facing abuse nearly as routinely as women, according to a study based on dozens of interviews with aid workers and migrants. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic, File)
LONDON (AP) - British lawmakers were preparing to blow open the Brexit process and put a host of rejected options back on the table - including keeping the U.K. close to the European Union or even remaining a member - as Prime Minister Theresa May defiantly insisted Tuesday that Parliament should approve her twice-defeated divorce deal instead.

Lawmakers are scheduled to vote Wednesday on multiple flavors of Brexit, after the House of Commons voted to wrest the parliamentary timetable away from May's weakened government and hold votes on alternatives to her rejected withdrawal agreement.

The largely pro-EU legislators behind the unprecedented move hope to find a form of Brexit that can command a majority in Parliament. Votes are due to be held Wednesday on options that could include remaining in the EU's single market and customs union, calling a new membership referendum and canceling Brexit - all ideas that May has repeatedly rejected.

They plan to see which ideas have the most support, and then hold another day of votes next week to try to find agreement on a proposal.

The government, which usually controls the scheduling of votes in Parliament, said the lawmakers' move "upends the balance between our democratic institutions and sets a dangerous, unpredictable precedent for the future."

The votes will not be legally binding, and Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the BBC that the government wouldn't "pre-commit" to accepting the option backed by lawmakers because they may come up with a plan that is impractical. It's also possible lawmakers could support contradictory options, or none at all.

Brexit protesters demonstrate near the House of Parliament in London, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. British Prime Minister Theresa May's government says Parliament's decision to take control of the stalled process of leaving the European Union underscores the need for lawmakers to approve her twice-defeated deal. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

"If the Commons voted for the sun to rise in the west, the government would not be able to implement that," he said.

"The best way through this impasse is the one deal that has been negotiated with the EU that can be delivered quickly now," Hancock said, referring to the prime minister's agreement.

But government officials acknowledged they were no longer in control of Brexit. May's authority was hanging by a thread after 30 members of her Conservative Party defied her instructions and voted late Monday for Parliament to take control of the process. Three government ministers resigned rather than vote with the government.

Almost three years after Britons voted to leave the EU, the date and terms of its departure are up in the air. Last week, the EU granted Britain a delay to the scheduled March 29 exit date, saying that if Parliament approved the proposed divorce deal, the U.K. would leave the EU on May 22. If not, the government has until April 12 to tell the 27 remaining EU countries what it plans to do - leave without a deal, cancel Brexit or propose a radically new path.

EU officials, exasperated by months of British political gridlock, welcomed Parliament's move to take control.

The EU legislature's top Brexit official, Guy Verhofstadt, said the U.K. lawmakers' votes could dramatically alter the course of the U.K.'s departure.

"It is possible now to work in Britain toward a cross-party alliance," he said.

May continued to push for approval of her deal with the EU even though the House of Commons overwhelmingly rejected it during votes in January and March.

The government said it might be possible to hold a third vote on the agreement Thursday, but only if it looked like there was a reasonable chance it might pass.

That appeared unlikely after the small but influential Democratic Unionist Party from Northern Ireland, which props up May's minority government, refused to water down its opposition to the withdrawal agreement. The DUP controls 10 crucial votes in the House of Commons, and many hard-line Brexit supporters may follow the party's lead when deciding how to vote.

DUP Brexit spokesman Sammy Wilson wrote in the Daily Telegraph that his party couldn't support May's "toxic" deal. He said delaying Brexit by up to a year would be preferable to "volunteering to be locked into the prison of the withdrawal deal with the cell door key in the pocket of Michel Barnier," the EU's chief negotiator.

May has warned pro-Brexit legislators that continuing to reject the deal could lead to a "slow Brexit" that postpones the country's departure indefinitely,

Jacob Rees-Mogg, a leading pro-Brexit Conservative, acknowledged that "the choice seems to be Mrs. May's deal or no Brexit."

"I have always thought that 'no deal' is better than Mrs. May's deal, but Mrs. May's deal is better than not leaving at all," he said on the Conservative Home podcast.

Some members of the public, meanwhile, are losing patience with the parliamentary process and the fading promises made by pro-Brexit politicians.

"It's a little bit similar to the way that when you're in quite a good nightclub and then a friend of yours says ... 'I know somewhere else to go' and then you all leave and then you realize you can't get into the other club," said tech executive Russell Robinson.

"It was a very badly thought out plan and now we're stuck in the street eating kebabs," he said, referring to a common late-night fast-food staple.

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Raf Casert in Strasbourg, France, contributed to this story.

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Follow AP's full coverage of Brexit at: https://www.apnews.com/Brexit

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May makes a statement on Brexit to lawmakers in the House of Commons, London, Monday March 25, 2019. May is under intense pressure Monday to win support for her Brexit deal to split from Europe.(House of Commons via AP)

In this handout photo provided by the UK Parliament, Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May makes a statement on Brexit to the House of Commons, London, Monday, March 25, 2019. British Prime Minister Theresa May conceded Monday that Parliament would defeat her twice-rejected Brexit divorce deal again if she put it to a new vote, but said she still hopes to change lawmakers' minds and get the agreement approved. (Jessica Taylor/UK Parliament via AP)

Britain's Health Secretary Matt Hancock arrives for a cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street in London, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

Brexit protesters demonstrate near the House of Parliament in London, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. British Prime Minister Theresa May's government says Parliament's decision to take control of the stalled process of leaving the European Union underscores the need for lawmakers to approve her twice-defeated deal. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

Brexit protesters demonstrate near the House of Parliament in London, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. British Prime Minister Theresa May's government says Parliament's decision to take control of the stalled process of leaving the European Union underscores the need for lawmakers to approve her twice-defeated deal. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
BERLIN (AP) - Austria's leader called Tuesday for authorities to "ruthlessly" investigate possible ties between an Austrian nationalist group and the alleged Christchurch mosque gunman, after it emerged that a prominent far-right activist in the Alpine nation had received a donation in the suspected shooter's name.

Martin Sellner, head of the Identitarian Movement of Austria, said on social media that police searched his apartment Monday and seized electronic devices after he received a "disproportionately high donation" from a person named Tarrant - the same surname as the suspected Christchurch shooter.

Christoph Poelzl, spokesman for Austria's Interior Ministry, confirmed Tuesday that the country's BVT domestic intelligence agency searched Sellner's apartment in Vienna at the request of prosecutors in the city of Graz.

"Any connection between the Christchurch attacker and members of the Identitarians in Austria needs to be comprehensively and ruthlessly investigated," Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz tweeted, adding that he had spoken to Justice Minister Josef Moser about the issue.

"It is important that the independent justice system can use all necessary means and resources to conduct its investigation together with the security services and expose these networks," he said. "There needs to be total clarity about all extremist activities."

Hansjoerg Bacher, a spokesman for Graz prosecutors, said prosecutors had stumbled across the donation as part of an existing probe against Sellner into possible financial offenses.

File--- In this picture taken Nov.5, 2016 Martin Sellner, leader of the right-wing populist Identitarian movement of Austria is seen giving an interview in Berlin, Germany. (Paul Zinken/dpa via AP)

"The purpose of the investigation is to examine links between Mr. Sellner and the Christchurch attacker," Bacher told The Associated Press.

He declined to confirm when the donation took place, but said it was much higher than other contributions made to Sellner or his Identitarian Movement.

"Most donations were in the area of two-to-three figures, whereas this donation was in the low four-figure area," Bacher told The AP. "This made it stand out, and the events in New Zealand put a face to this donation."

He said the investigation against Sellner is based on Austrian anti-terror laws.

"We need to determine whether there is a connection and if so, whether it's criminally significant," said Bacher.

Sellner denied having anything to do with the March 15 massacre, in which 50 Muslims were killed in the southern New Zealand city.

Australian Brenton Tarrant was arrested within an hour of the mosque shootings and has been charged with murder.

"I had nothing to do with the attack," Sellner said in a video statement posted on YouTube, adding that he would donate the money to a charitable organization.

He suggested the reason for the donation might have been to provoke repressive measures against "patriots."

Austrian authorities said last week that the Christchurch shooter visited Austria, but declined to confirm when or whether he met with any far-right activists during his trip.

Some of Tarrant's anti-Muslim views are echoed by the Identitarian Movement. The group is close to sections of the nationalist Freedom Party, which is part of the country's coalition government.

Austria's vice chancellor, who leads the Freedom Party, echoed Kurz's call for a comprehensive probe into possible Austrian ties to the Christchurch gunman.

"All suspicions of extremism are acted upon, whether they are right, left or religiously motivated," Heinz-Christian Strache said on Twitter. "Fanaticism has no place in our society."

Mourners carry the casket of Syed Areeb Ahmed, a victim of the Christchurch mosque shootings, during his funeral in Karachi, Pakistan, Monday, March 25, 2019. Ahmed was among nine Pakistanis who were killed on March 15 when a white supremacist shot people inside two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. (AP Photo/Fareed Khan)
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) - A hearing in the case of the suspect in last year's Florida high school massacre has been postponed after both sides told the judge they need more time.

Attorneys for Nikolas Cruz say the names of the mental health experts who visit him in jail shouldn't be disclosed. A judge has rescheduled the hearing for April 5.

Cruz's attorneys say they aren't required to tell prosecutors which experts they're consulting and don't have to say which will testify until 20 days before Cruz's trial next year. They said it would be unfair if prosecutors learn the experts through jail visitor logs.

Cruz is charged with killing 17 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School last year in Parkland, Florida. His attorneys have said he would plead guilty for a life sentence. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The owner of a Washington, D.C, barbershop is accused of posing as a Howard University student and preying on incapacitated teenagers.

Prosecutors say allegations against 35-year-old Julian Everett, of Maryland, date back to at least 2001, including a case in which he was convicted of kidnapping a transgender woman. News outlets report Everett is accused of raping three teens, ages 16 to 18, and was arrested last week on rape and related charges.

Prince George's County police say the victims, two of which were Howard students, reported going on a date with Everett and losing consciousness after being given alcohol. Police say they were then taken to another location and assaulted.

Chief Hank Stawinski says Everett posed as a student to gain credibility with the teenagers.
BEIRA, Mozambique (AP) - Cyclone-ravaged Mozambique faces a "second disaster" from cholera and other diseases, the World Health Organization warned on Tuesday, while relief operations pressed into rural areas where an unknown number of people remain without aid more than 10 days after the storm.

Some 1.8 million people in Mozambique need urgent help after Cyclone Idai, the United Nations said in an emergency appeal for $282 million for the next three months.

The death toll in Mozambique from the cyclone has risen to 468, according to Mozambican authorities cited by the Portuguese news agency Lusa. There are also 259 dead in Zimbabwe and at least 56 dead in Malawi.

Cyclone Idai was "one of the worst weather-related catastrophes in the history of Africa," U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters in New York. He raised the specter of hunger, saying the storm inundated Mozambique's breadbasket on the eve of harvest.

The death toll remained at least 761 in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi, and authorities have warned it is "very preliminary." More bodies will be found as floodwaters drain away.

Emergency responders raced to contain deadly diseases such as cholera, which authorities have said will break out as more than a quarter-million displaced people shelter in camps with little or no clear water and sanitation. Many wells were contaminated by the floods.

A family stand outside their submerged huts near Nhamatanda, about 130km from Beira, in Mozambique, Tuesday, March, 26, 2019. Relief operations pressed into remote areas of central Mozambique where an unknown number of people remain without aid more than 10 days after a cyclone ripped across the country, while trucks attempted to reach the hard-hit city of Beira on a badly damaged road. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)

People are living in tent camps, schools, churches, roads and other impromptu places on higher ground. Many have little but their clothes, squatting over cooking fires and picking their way around stretches of increasingly dirty water or simply walking through it, resigned.

The World Health Organization said it is expecting a "spike" in malaria cases in Mozambique. The disease-carrying mosquitoes breed in standing water.

WHO also said 900,000 oral cholera vaccines were expected to arrive later this week. Cholera is caused by eating contaminated food or drinking water and can kill within hours. Cases of diarrhea have been reported.

"We must not let these people suffer a second disaster through a serious disease outbreak or inability to access essential health services. They have suffered enough," Dr. Djamila Cabral, the WHO Representative in Mozambique, told reporters in Geneva.

She said people in camps were living in "horrific conditions" and that about 55 health centers had been severely damaged.

Residents of the camps expressed growing concern.

"Surely when people are in a crowded place they are all vulnerable, they face difficulties such as urination and defecation," Jose Pedro told The Associated Press in Beira. "So the spreading of diseases such as cholera is easy."

There were similar concerns in southern Malawi. In the Bangula camp in Nsanje district, about 5,000 people have just a few toilets.

The toilets "are very shallow and some are already full because the area is still waterlogged," said Joseph Moyo with the Oxfam aid group.

Humanitarian assistance continued to arrive, including much-needed air support. The World Food Program received $280,000 from the European Union to support the deployment of a U.N. Humanitarian Air Service helicopter that will deliver assistance to the two worst-hit districts in Zimbabwe, Chimanimani and Chipinge.

The United States said it had donated nearly $3.4 million in emergency food assistance to the World Food Program, whose director was touring Beira on Tuesday.

A field hospital was being set up in Beira and another is arriving later this week, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said. A sanitation system to serve some 22,000 people has arrived and a water purification unit to serve some 25,000 people is expected to arrive on Wednesday, the organization said.

"Honestly I am distressed there is still a lot of work to be done in terms of providing the assistance proportional" to the number of people, former Mozambican first lady Graca Machel said in Beira.

Bit by bit, the scale of the destruction became clearer. The cyclone reportedly destroyed all houses in the village of Metuchira, home to nearly 38,000 people, the U.N. humanitarian agency said.

Amid the relief efforts, grieving people in Mozambique struggled to bury the dead. "Efforts are underway to improve management of dead bodies, as mortuary facilities were either destroyed and/or lack enough facilities and capacity," the U.N. humanitarian agency said.

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Associated Press writers Jamey Keaten in Geneva and Cara Anna in Johannesburg contributed.

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Follow Africa news at https://twitter.com/AP_Africa

A baby smiles while in a compound set up for displaced people suspected to have cholera in Beira, Mozambique, Tuesday, March, 26, 2019. Relief operations pressed into remote areas of central Mozambique where an unknown number of people remain without aid more than 10 days after a cyclone ripped across the country, while trucks attempted to reach the hard-hit city of Beira on a badly damaged road. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)

A young girl walks in the water at Mafambisse, about 60km outside of Beira, Mozambique, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Cyclone-ravaged Mozambique faces a "second disaster" from cholera and other diseases, the World Health Organisation warned on Tuesday, while relief operations pressed into rural areas where an unknown number of people remain without aid more than 10 days after the storm. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

A woman sits outside a school set up as a displacement centre at Inhamizua, outside of Beira, Mozambique, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Cyclone-ravaged Mozambique faces a "second disaster" from cholera and other diseases, the World Health Organization warned on Tuesday, while relief operations pressed into rural areas where an unknown number of people remain without aid more than 10 days after the storm.. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Volunteers distribute food to cyclone affected community at Mafambisse, about 60km outside of Beira, Mozambique, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Cyclone-ravaged Mozambique faces a "second disaster" from cholera and other diseases, the World Health Organization warned on Tuesday, while relief operations pressed into rural areas where an unknown number of people remain without aid more than 10 days after the storm. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Two women cook on the floor as they prepare a meals for their families outside a school setup as a displacement centre at Inhamizua, outside of Beira, Mozambique, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Cyclone-ravaged Mozambique faces a "second disaster" from cholera and other diseases, the World Health Organization warned on Tuesday, while relief operations pressed into rural areas where an unknown number of people remain without aid more than 10 days after the storm. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

A young girl walks into the water outside a school setup as a displacement centre at Inhamizua, outside of Beira, Mozambique, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Cyclone-ravaged Mozambique faces a "second disaster" from cholera and other diseases, the World Health Organization warned on Tuesday, while relief operations pressed into rural areas where an unknown number of people remain without aid more than 10 days after the storm. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Children play in a compound set up for displaced people suspected to have cholera in Beira, Mozambique, Tuesday, March, 26, 2019. Relief operations pressed into remote areas of central Mozambique where an unknown number of people remain without aid more than 10 days after a cyclone ripped across the country, while trucks attempted to reach the hard-hit city of Beira on a badly damaged road. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)

A child is carried by mother whilst queuing to receive food aid for cyclone affected community at Mafambisse, about 60km outside of Beira, Mozambique, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Cyclone-ravaged Mozambique faces a "second disaster" from cholera and other diseases, the World Health Organization warned on Tuesday, while relief operations pressed into rural areas where an unknown number of people remain without aid more than 10 days after the storm. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Children pose for a photograph outside a school set up as a displacement centre at Inhamizua, outside of Beira, Mozambique, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Cyclone-ravaged Mozambique faces a "second disaster" from cholera and other diseases, the World Health Organization warned on Tuesday, while relief operations pressed into rural areas where an unknown number of people remain without aid more than 10 days after the storm. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

A man on motor bike transports a passenger at Mafambisse, about 60km outside of Beira, Mozambique, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Cyclone-ravaged Mozambique faces a "second disaster" from cholera and other diseases, the World Health Organization warned on Tuesday, while relief operations pressed into rural areas where an unknown number of people remain without aid more than 10 days after the storm. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

A young girl is seen in a compound set up for displaced people suspected to have cholera in Beira, in Mozambique, Tuesday, March, 26, 2019. Relief operations pressed into remote areas of central Mozambique where an unknown number of people remain without aid more than 10 days after a cyclone ripped across the country, while trucks attempted to reach the hard-hit city of Beira on a badly damaged road. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)

A mother and her child are seen in a compound set up for displaced people suspected to have cholera in Beira, Mozambique, Tuesday, March, 26, 2019. Relief operations pressed into remote areas of central Mozambique where an unknown number of people remain without aid more than 10 days after a cyclone ripped across the country, while trucks attempted to reach the hard-hit city of Beira on a badly damaged road. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)

Children play within the grounds of a compound set up for displaced people suspected to have cholera in Beira, Mozambique, Tuesday, March, 26, 2019. Relief operations pressed into remote areas of central Mozambique where an unknown number of people remain without aid more than 10 days after a cyclone ripped across the country, while trucks attempted to reach the hard-hit city of Beira on a badly damaged road. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)

A nurse attends to displaced people suspected to have cholera in a compound in Beira, in Mozambique, Tuesday, March, 26, 2019. Relief operations pressed into remote areas of central Mozambique where an unknown number of people remain without aid more than 10 days after a cyclone ripped across the country, while trucks attempted to reach the hard-hit city of Beira on a badly damaged road. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)

A young boy plays with a ballooon in a compound set up for displaced people suspected to have cholera in Beira, Mozambique, Tuesday, March, 26, 2019. Relief operations pressed into remote areas of central Mozambique where an unknown number of people remain without aid more than 10 days after a cyclone ripped across the country, while trucks attempted to reach the hard-hit city of Beira on a badly damaged road. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)

A man burns wood as he makes charcoal at Mafambisse, about 60km outside of Beira, Mozambique, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Cyclone-ravaged Mozambique faces a "second disaster" from cholera and other diseases, the World Health Organization warned on Tuesday, while relief operations pressed into rural areas where an unknown number of people remain without aid more than 10 days after the storm. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

A man carrying wooden logs on his bicycle heading to the downtown to sell, at Mafambisse, about 60km outside of Beira, Mozambique, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Cyclone-ravaged Mozambique faces a "second disaster" from cholera and other diseases, the World Health Organization warned on Tuesday, while relief operations pressed into rural areas where an unknown number of people remain without aid more than 10 days after the storm. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

A helicopter pilot signals people to stop while dropping off food supplies near Nhamatanda, about 130km from Beira, in Mozambique, Tuesday, March, 26, 2019. Relief operations pressed into remote areas of central Mozambique where an unknown number of people remain without aid more than 10 days after a cyclone ripped across the country, while trucks attempted to reach the hard-hit city of Beira on a badly damaged road. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)

A baby smiles while in a compound set up for displaced people suspected to have cholera in Beira, Mozambique, Tuesday, March, 26, 2019. Relief operations pressed into remote areas of central Mozambique where an unknown number of people remain without aid more than 10 days after a cyclone ripped across the country, while trucks attempted to reach the hard-hit city of Beira on a badly damaged road. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)

Children pose for a photograph outside a school set up as a displacement centre at Inhamizua, outside of Beira, Mozambique, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Cyclone-ravaged Mozambique faces a "second disaster" from cholera and other diseases, the World Health Organization warned on Tuesday, while relief operations pressed into rural areas where an unknown number of people remain without aid more than 10 days after the storm. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Two women who were displaced by the cyclone head back home carrying their personal belongings, at Mafambisse, about 60km outside of Beira, Mozambique, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Relief operations pressed into rural Mozambique where an unknown number of people remain without aid more than 10 days after a cyclone ripped across the country, while the World Health Organization warned of a "second disaster" if disease breaks out. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Food supplies are dropped off by helicopter near Nhamatanda, about 130km from Beira, in Mozambique, Tuesday, March, 26, 2019. Relief operations pressed into remote areas of central Mozambique where an unknown number of people remain without aid more than 10 days after a cyclone ripped across the country, while trucks attempted to reach the hard-hit city of Beira on a badly damaged road. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)

Food supplies are dropped off by helicopter near Nhamatanda, about 130km from Beira, in Mozambique, Tuesday, March, 26, 2019. Relief operations pressed into remote areas of central Mozambique where an unknown number of people remain without aid more than 10 days after a cyclone ripped across the country, while trucks attempted to reach the hard-hit city of Beira on a badly damaged road. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)

A woman carrying a baby on her back walks over a ruble of damaged houses in Beira, Mozambique, Monday, March 25, 2019. The United Nations is making an emergency appeal for $282 million for the next three months to help Mozambique start recovering from the devastation of Cyclone Idai. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

A woman carrying a baby on her back walks past damaged school in Beira, Mozambique, Monday, March 25, 2019. The United Nations is making an emergency appeal for $282 million for the next three months to help Mozambique start recovering from the devastation of Cyclone Idai. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

A woman carrying water and a baby on her back after collecting water in Beira, Mozambique, Monday, March 25, March 24, 2019. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

A young girl plays in the water outside a school in Beira, Mozambique, Monday, March 25, 2019. Cyclone Idai's death toll has risen above 750 in the three southern African countries hit 10 days ago by the storm, as workers rush to restore electricity, water and try to prevent outbreak of cholera. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

A young boy sits on a fallen tree outside a school in Beira, Mozambique, Monday, March 25, 2019. The United Nations is making an emergency appeal for $282 million for the next three months to help Mozambique start recovering from the devastation of Cyclone Idai. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

In this Sunday, March 24, 2019, photo, family sits outside their house surrounded by water in village 40 kilometers (24.9 miles) outside Beira, Mozambique. The United Nations is making an emergency appeal for $282 million for the next three months to help Mozambique start recovering from the devastation of Cyclone Idai. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

People hang out on a dark street due to damaged electricity supply in Beira, Mozambique, Monday, March 25, 2019. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

A group of men attempt to pull out a car from a ditch after it fell off as Cyclone Idai struck, about 130 kilometres from Beira, in Mozambique, Monday March, 25, 2019. Hundreds are dead, many more missing and thousands at risk from massive flooding in Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe caused by Cyclone Idai.(AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)

A man carrying wooden logs on his bicycle heading to the downtown to sell, at Mafambisse, about 60km outside of Beira, Mozambique, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Cyclone-ravaged Mozambique faces a "second disaster" from cholera and other diseases, the World Health Organization warned on Tuesday, while relief operations pressed into rural areas where an unknown number of people remain without aid more than 10 days after the storm. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

A man burns wood as he makes charcoal at Mafambisse, about 60km outside of Beira, Mozambique, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Cyclone-ravaged Mozambique faces a "second disaster" from cholera and other diseases, the World Health Organization warned on Tuesday, while relief operations pressed into rural areas where an unknown number of people remain without aid more than 10 days after the storm. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

A man on a bicycle carries charcoal to sell at Mafambisse, about 60km outside of Beira, Mozambique, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Cyclone-ravaged Mozambique faces a "second disaster" from cholera and other diseases, the World Health Organization warned on Tuesday, while relief operations pressed into rural areas where an unknown number of people remain without aid more than 10 days after the storm. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

A man on motor bike transports a passenger at Mafambisse, about 60km outside of Beira, Mozambique, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Cyclone-ravaged Mozambique faces a "second disaster" from cholera and other diseases, the World Health Organization warned on Tuesday, while relief operations pressed into rural areas where an unknown number of people remain without aid more than 10 days after the storm. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

A child is carried by mother whilst queuing to receive food aid for cyclone affected community at Mafambisse, about 60km outside of Beira, Mozambique, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Cyclone-ravaged Mozambique faces a "second disaster" from cholera and other diseases, the World Health Organization warned on Tuesday, while relief operations pressed into rural areas where an unknown number of people remain without aid more than 10 days after the storm. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
SNEAD, Ala. (AP) - An Alabama woman has pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of her two children, then ages 1 and 2, and aggravated child abuse.

Al.com reported Monday that 25-year-old Melissa Ann Miller, of Snead, was initially arrested in 2016 after the children were hospitalized that April for about a month with severe injuries, including cigar burns.

Blount County District Attorney Pamela Casey says Miller blamed the injuries on a battery-powered four-wheeler.

The newspaper says Miller's plea means she will be sentenced to 12 years for each attempted murder conviction and 12 years for each aggravated child abuse conviction.

The children now live with a relative.

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Information from: The Birmingham News, http://www.al.com/birminghamnews
ISLAMABAD (AP) - Pakistan's supreme court has granted six weeks' bail to former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for medical treatment at a domestic hospital.

In Tuesday's ruling, the court said Sharif - who has heart-related issues - will not be allowed to leave the country.

Disqualified from office by the Supreme Court in 2017 over corruption allegations, Sharif is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence for not disclosing assets abroad.

Lawyers for the three-time former prime minister said he needs urgent medical treatment, and authorities expect his release later Tuesday.

In late February, an appeals court rejected Sharif's appeal and refused to release him on medical grounds.

An anti-graft tribunal had sentenced Sharif to 10 years in another corruption case last year, but that sentence was later suspended pending appeal.

Supporters of former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif flash victory signs following a supreme court decision, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. In a Tuesday ruling the supreme court granted six weeks' bail to Sharif for medical treatment at a domestic hospital. The court said Sharif -- who has heart-related issues -- will not be allowed to leave the country. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)
BEIJING (AP) - China's former internet censor, who once held high-profile meetings with industry leaders such as Apple CEO Tim Cook and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, was sentenced to 14 years in prison on corruption charges Tuesday.

The Intermediate People's Court in the eastern city of Ningbo said Lu Wei had confessed to accepting 32 million yuan ($4.6 million) in bribes. It said he expressed remorse and vowed not to appeal his sentence.

Lu helped lead the ruling Communist Party's tightening of controls over domestic cyberspace and championed Beijing's stance that governments have a right to filter and censor internet access.

China has 700 million people online, but authorities impose heavy controls on political content and sites related to gambling and pornography. Social media sites such as Facebook and Google also are blocked.

In its ruling, the Ningbo court said Lu had abused his authority in various positions, including as a deputy propaganda minister and as head of a government internet security advisory body, accepting gifts in return for favors.

Lu took a hard line in demanding tough security checks on imported foreign tech products and censoring foreign internet companies and social networks like Facebook in the name of preserving social stability.

FILE - In this Sept. 23, 2015, file photo, China's Internet czar Lu Wei attends a gathering of CEOs and other executives at Microsoft's main campus in Redmond, Wash. Lu Wei, who once held high-profile meetings with industry leaders such as Apple CEO Tim Cook and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison on corruption charges. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, Pool, File)

He worked his way up the ranks of China's official Xinhua News Agency from a reporting job in the southern city of Guilin in the early 1990s to become the agency's vice president from 2004 to 2011. He was vice mayor of Beijing from 2011 to 2013.

A report by the government broadcaster CCTV gave few details. But earlier reports said Lu also had had engaged in factionalism and "selectively enforced" the party's "strategic arrangements on internet work."

President Xi Jinping has carried out a wide-ranging crackdown on corruption that observers say is calculated to strengthen party control while bringing down potential challengers to his authority.

One of the officials and military leaders ensnared in the anti-graft campaign was the former president of Interpol, Meng Hongwei, who vanished after traveling to China from France, where the global anti-crime body is headquartered.

The government says Meng is under investigation for graft and possible other crimes. There are heavy suspicions he had fallen out of political favor with Xi.

Lu's sentencing also comes as China is locked in a trade war with the U.S. and competition over leadership in next-generation 5-G internet technology.

The U.S. has sought to block usage of equipment from Chinese internet giant Huawei, saying its links to the Chinese government and military pose a security threat.
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) - Thousands of Syrians gathered Tuesday in different cities to protest President Donald Trump's formal recognition of Israel's sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights, a move that sparked widespread international condemnation, including from a number of U.S. allies.

Ambassadors from the five EU members of the U.N. Security Council - France, Germany, Britain, Poland and Belgium - issued a joint statement saying that they don't recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights, which Israel occupied in 1967.

"Annexation of territory by force is prohibited under international law," and any unilateral border changes go against "the rules-based international order and the U.N. Charter," they said.

"We raise our strong concerns about broader consequences of recognizing illegal annexation and also about the broader regional consequences," they said. All five countries are close U.S. allies.

Trump formally signed the proclamation alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, reversing more than a half-century of U.S. policy in the Middle East. The U.S. is the first country to recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Golan, which the rest of the international community regards as occupied territory.

Israel has long argued that the strategically important area has, for all practical purposes, been fully integrated into Israel since it was captured from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war and that control of the strategic plateau is needed as protection from Iran and its allies in Syria. Israel annexed the plateau in 1981.

In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrians hold national flags and portraits of Syrian President President Bashar Assad during a protest against President Donald Trump's move to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights, in Homs, Syria, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Syria's state news agency says thousands of Syrians have held gatherings in the streets of different cities to protest Trump's signing of a declaration reversing US policy on the Golan Heights. (SANA via AP)

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo defended the decision on Tuesday, telling reporters "we are simply recognizing facts on the ground and the reality and doing the right thing." He said he hoped other nations would "join us and understand how important... how right it is."

He denied the decision was a violation of international law, calling it an "incredibly unique situation" in which Israel needed the Golan to defend itself. "It cannot be the case that a U.N. resolution is a suicide pact," he said.

Syria's State news agency SANA posted photographs of a march in the southern city of Sweida on Tuesday, in which men and women carried Syrian and Palestinian flags and banners reading "Golan is Syrian." SANA said other protests took place in the southern city of Daraa, about 20 kilometers (13 miles) from the Golan Heights.

Protests were also held in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria's largest, Homs and Hama in the center, and Hassakeh in the northeast. Syrian state TV aired live interviews from the southern village of Ein el-Tinneh with the Israeli-occupied part of the Golan in the background.

Mona Ibrahim, a civil servant, said in Damascus that the Golan "will return to Syria no matter how long it takes. Trump's decision is worthless."

Syria slammed the U.S. step as "blatant aggression." The Foreign Ministry said Trump's move represented the "highest level of contempt for international legitimacy" and showed that Washington was "the main enemy" of Arabs.

The leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group said the decision proves that "resistance" is the only way to retake lands occupied by Israel and that the "great Satan" - the United States - cannot sponsor the "so-called peace process."

Hassan Nasrallah, whose group has sent thousands of fighters to support Syrian President Bashar Assad in the civil war, said in a speech in Beirut that the muted response of Arab countries to Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel last year encouraged a similar declaration on the Golan.

On Tuesday, the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation condemned Trump's decision on the Golan, saying it legitimatized Israeli occupation in violation of international law. It added in a statement that the decision does not change the fact that the Golan Heights "is Arab and Syrian occupied land."

Iraq's Foreign Minister Mohamed Alhakim said the "Golan is occupied Syrian land and its sovereignty must fully return to Syria" in accordance with Security Council resolutions.

Gulf Arab states, including U.S. allies that view Iran as a regional menace and supported the uprising against Assad, also denounced the U.S. move.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain were just some of the Arab countries that condemned the move on Tuesday in official statements. But Gulf states were unlikely to take steps to pressure Trump over the decision. Saudi rulers have welcomed Trump's tough talk and pressure against rival Iran.

Saudi Arabia said the U.S. decision will have "significant negative effects" on the Middle East peace process and stability in the region.

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Associated Press writers Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations, Matthew Lee in Washington, Sarah El Deeb in Beirut and Aya Batrawy in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed.

In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrians hold portraits of Syrian President President Bashar Assad during a protest against U.S. President Donald Trump's move to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Israeli occupied Golan Heights, in the southern province of Sweida, Syria, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Syria's state news agency says thousands of Syrians have held gatherings in the streets of different cities to protest Trump's signing of a declaration reversing US policy on the Golan Heights. (SANA via AP)

In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrians hold national flags and portraits of Syrian President President Bashar Assad during a protest against President Donald Trump's move to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Israeli occupied Golan Heights, in Homs, Syria, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Syria's state news agency says thousands of Syrians have held gatherings in the streets of different cities to protest Trump's signing of a declaration reversing US policy on the Golan Heights. (SANA via AP)
MOSCOW (AP) - Some 10,000 people are rallying in Russia's North Caucasus to protest a land swap deal with a neighboring region.

Residents in Ingushetia's capital Magas gathered on the main square on Tuesday to protest an agreement last year between Ingushetia and neighboring Chechnya to exchange unpopulated plots of agricultural land.

The deal became a rallying point for many in Ingushetia who feel that the authorities had betrayed their interests by negotiating the deal. The agreement was signed last year amid mass protests and was upheld as valid by a ruling of the Russian Constitutional Court in December.

The controversy reflects deep-running distrust between the two mostly Muslim Russian regions, which share the same language but have been divided by land and other disputes.
GREENBELT, Md. (AP) - An Irish-American man has been extradited from Ireland to the United States on charges that he helped distribute child porn on the darknet.

The Baltimore Sun reports the U.S. Attorney's Office says 33-year-old dual citizen Eric Eoin Marques has a Wednesday hearing in federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland on charges of conspiracy to advertise and distribute child pornography.

Prosecutors say Marques hosted an anonymous hosting service on the darknet that spread the porn for five years. He was arrested in 2013 after a malware attack revealed his identity.

The darknet is a part of the internet hosted within an encrypted network such as the Tor browser, which grants anonymity by rerouting user traffic.

The newspaper says he was extradited Saturday and court records didn't list an attorney for him.

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Information from: The Baltimore Sun, http://www.baltimoresun.com
AMSTERDAM (AP) - A Dutch art detective said Tuesday that he has recovered a valuable painting by Pablo Picasso 20 years after it was stolen from a wealthy Saudi's yacht in France.

Arthur Brand told The Associated Press that he took possession two weeks ago of the 1938 painting "Buste de Femme" after trailing it for years in Amsterdam.

Brand, a renowned sleuth whose previous finds include a pair of bronze horses sculpted for Adolf Hitler, has since handed over the painting, which he estimates to be worth around 25 million euros ($28 million), to an insurance company. It wasn't immediately clear what would happen to the painting.

Brand said he knew it was the real thing as soon as he got his hands on it and peeled away two plastic bags covering the canvas.

"You know it's a Picasso because there is some magic coming off it," he said.

But that wasn't the only reason he was convinced of its authenticity.

This image released on Tuesday March 26, 2019 by Arthur Brand, shows Dutch art detective Arthur Brand with "Buste de Femme", a recovered Picasso painting. The painting was stolen from a wealthy Saudi's yacht 20 years ago. Arthur Brand, whose previous finds include a pair of bronze horses sculpted for Adolf Hitler, said Tuesday that he took possession a couple of weeks ago of the 1938 painting "Buste de Femme" after trailing it for years through the Amsterdam underworld. He has since returned the work, which he estimates to be worth some 25 million euros ($28 million) to an insurance company. (Arthur Brand via AP)

In cases of stolen art, he said, the back of a painting can tell experts more than the front.

He said that since the theft from a yacht moored in the swanky French Riviera port of Antibes, a number of forgeries had been offered to insurers and rejected.

"But a forger never knows how the back looks," Brand said, without specifying what was there. "When I saw the back of the painting, I knew it was the real one."

Brand began his latest hunt after hearing rumors about a Picasso stolen from a boat.

"Finally, I tracked somebody down who had had it in his possession 10 years ago and he told me which one it was," he said. "And then it still took me three years to get near it."

Brand said the painting had circulated in the criminal underworld of the Dutch capital.

"It was used as some kind of money as payment for drug and arm deals," he said.

Eventually a person who had the painting in their possession decided to turn it in and reached out to Brand.

Martin Finkelnberg, head of the Dutch national police's art and antique criminality team, welcomed the recovery. No arrests have been made.

Finkelnberg told Dutch national daily De Volkskrant that having such a painting can be a burden and taking it to Brand is a way out.

"Done. Everybody happy," Finkelnberg said. "The most important thing is that the artwork is back."
MARANELLO, Italy (AP) - Mick Schumacher will move closer to emulating his father when he drives a Ferrari Formula One car in an official test next week.

Ferrari says the 20-year-old Schumacher will drive on April 2 in Bahrain.

The German, who is racing in Formula Two this year with the Prema team and is a Ferrari Driver Academy member, will drive on both days of the testing session. On April 3, he will be at the wheel of an Alfa Romeo on the Sakhir circuit.

Schumacher's father Michael won seven F1 titles, five of those with Ferrari from 2000-04. Michael Schumacher holds the record for race wins with 91 and is second for pole positions behind Lewis Hamilton.

The tests will come after Mick Schumacher's F2 debut this weekend.

Mick Schumacher says "I am consciously putting all thoughts of the test to one side, because I am also very much looking forward to competing in my first F2 race and would like to focus 100 percent on the weekend to come."

FILE - In this Friday, Nov. 30, 2018 filer, Mick Schumacher prepares for the test drive in his new formula 2 Prema racing car at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Mick Schumacher will move closer toward emulating his father when he drives a Ferrari Formula One car in an official test next week. Ferrari says the 20-year-old Mick Schumacher will test April 2 in Bahrain. The German, who is racing in Formula Two this year with the Prema team and is a Ferrari Driver Academy member, will drive on both days of the testing session. On April 3, he will be at the wheel of an Alfa Romeo on the Sakhir circuit. Schumacher's father Michael won seven F1 titles, five of those with Ferrari from 2000-04. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File)

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VATICAN CITY (AP) - The Latest on the resignation of the editorial board at the Vatican's women's magazine (all times local):

12 p.m.

The editor of the Vatican newspaper has denied accusations that he sought to discredit the female editors of a monthly magazine that was distributed by his daily.

Andrea Monda, editor of L'Osservatore Romano, said in a statement that he fully respected the autonomy of the women's insert in the wake of the resignation of its editorial board.

He said at most that he suggested ideas and people to contribute to "Women Church World."

The magazine founder and the all-female board announced they were leaving, writing a planned editorial and open letter to Pope Francis. They cited what they said was a climate of distrust and claimed there was an attempt to impose male leadership on their publication.

FILE - In this Friday, Feb. 1, 2019 file photo, Lucetta Scaraffia, editor in chief of "Women Church World" a monthly magazine distributed alongside the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, talks to journalists during an interview in Rome. The founder and all-female editorial board of the Vatican's women's magazine have quit after what they say was a Vatican campaign to discredit them and put them "under the direct control of men," that only increased after they denounced the sexual abuse of nuns by clergy. The editorial committee of "Women Church World," a monthly glossy published alongside the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, made the announcement in the planned April 1 editorial and in an open letter to Pope Francis. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

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9:10 a.m.

The founder and all-female editorial board of the Vatican's women's magazine have quit after coming under what they say was a Vatican campaign to discredit them and put them "under the direct control of men" that increased after they denounced the sexual abuse of nuns by clergy.

The editorial committee of "Women Church World," a monthly glossy published alongside the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, made the announcement in the planned April 1 editorial and in an open letter to Pope Francis that was provided Tuesday to The Associated Press.

In the editorial, which went to the printer last week but hasn't been published, magazine founder Lucetta Scaraffia wrote: "We are throwing in the towel because we feel surrounded by a climate of distrust and progressive de-legitimization."

FILE - In this Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2018 file photo, Lucetta Scaraffia, editor in chief of "Women Church World" a monthly magazine distributed alongside the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, poses in her house in Rome. The founder and all-female editorial board of the Vatican's women's magazine have quit after what they say was a Vatican campaign to discredit them and put them "under the direct control of men," that only increased after they denounced the sexual abuse of nuns by clergy. The editorial committee of "Women Church World," a monthly glossy published alongside the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, made the announcement in the planned April 1 editorial and in an open letter to Pope Francis. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis, File)

Pope Francis seen on a giant screen at right, celebrates Mass outside Loreto's cathedral, central Italy, Monday, March 25, 2019. Francis has traveled to a major Italian pilgrimage site dedicated to the Virgin Mary to sign a new document dedicated to today's youth. (AP Photo/Sandro Perozzi)

Pope Francis caresses a child as he leaves the Basilica of Our Lady of Loreto where he celebrated mass and prayed in the shrine containing a small house traditionally venerated as the house of Mary, and believed miraculously transplanted from the Holy Land inside the Basilica, in central Italy, during a one-day visit, Monday, March 25, 2019. The pope chose Loreto to sign the Post-Synodal Exhortation of last October's Synod of Bishops. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis)

Pope Francis prays inside the shrine containing a small house traditionally venerated as the house of Mary, and believed miraculously transplanted from the Holy Land inside the Basilica of Our Lady of Loreto, in central Italy, where Francis is paying a one-day visit, Monday, Mar. 25, 2019. The pope chose Loreto to sign the Post-Synodal Exhortation of last October's Synod of Bishops. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis)
PARIS (AP) - The Latest on the meeting between European leaders and China's president (all times local):

12:10 p.m.

The leaders of China and France are trying to ramp up efforts against climate change and are calling for a global rethink of investments to make them more planet-friendly.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron issued a statement that contrasted with the position of U.S. President Donald Trump, who took his country out of the Paris climate accord partly because of concerns over how it threatened American business.

Xi and Macron stressed "the importance of reorienting public and private investment toward fighting climate change and protecting biodiversity," notably in developing countries where China is a major investor.

They vowed support for the 2015 Paris agreement to reduce the emissions that cause global warming, including in the energy and refrigeration sectors.

French President Emmanuel Macron, right, shakes hand with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping after a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, Monday, March 25, 2019. Chinese President Xi Jinping was greeted with full honors Monday during a state visit to France in which he is expected to sign multibillion-dollar deals on energy, the food industry, transport and other sectors as well as a bilateral statement on climate change. (Yoan Valat/Pool Photo via AP)

Xi is paying a visit to Europe aimed at boosting cooperation, amid tensions with the U.S.

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9:50 a.m.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is meeting with the leaders of France, Germany and the European Commission, as European countries seek to boost relations with China while also putting pressure over its trade practices.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker came to Paris to join Xi and French President Emmanuel Macron for Tuesday's meeting. The leaders are notably preparing for a crucial EU-China summit.

Tuesday's meeting is a key moment in Xi's European tour, which has involved huge business contracts, including one of the biggest deals ever for European plane maker Airbus.

Xi also received the full honors of a formal reception in the French presidential palace Monday night.

The EU is China's biggest trade partner and wants to solidify that relationship.

French President Emmanuel Macron, right, and Chinese President Xi Jinping share a toast during a state dinner at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, Monday, March 25, 2019. Chinese President Xi Jinping is on a 3-day state visit in France where he is expected to sign a series of bilateral and economic deals on energy, the food industry, transport and other sectors. (Ludovic Marin/Pool Photo via AP)

President of Airbus's commercial aircraft business, Guillaume Faury, right, and Chairman of China Aviation Supplies Co. (CASC) Jia Baojun, left, shake hands during an agreement signing ceremony at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, Monday, March 25, 2019. Chinese President Xi Jinping was greeted with full honors Monday during a state visit to France in which he is expected to sign multibillion-dollar deals on energy, the food industry, transport and other sectors as well as a bilateral statement on climate change. (Yoan Valat/Pool Photo via AP)

French President Emmanuel Macron, 2nd right, his wife Brigitte Macron, right, Chinese President President Xi Jinping, second left, and his wife Peng Liyuan, left, pose prior to a state dinner at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, Monday, March 25, 2019. Chinese President Xi Jinping is on a 3-day state visit in France where he is expected to sign a series of bilateral and economic deals on energy, the food industry, transport and other sectors. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)
LONDON (AP) - The Latest on Brexit (all times local):

6:10 p.m.

British lawmakers will hold a non-binding debate next week on canceling the country's departure from the European Union, after an online petition calling for Brexit to be stopped amassed more than 5.7 million signatures.

Under U.K. law, any petition on the government site with more than 100,000 signatures must be considered for a debate in Parliament. It will not be put to a vote, however.

The Commons Petitions Committee said Tuesday that the call to revoke Article 50 - the official declaration of Britain's intention to leave - was "the most signed petition ever received" on the government site.

It will be debated Monday alongside two rival petitions. One calling for a new EU membership referendum has received more than 120,000 signatures, and another - signed by more than 140,000 - demands Britain leave the bloc without a deal.

A bookmaker puts up a small white board showing the latest odds on Brexit near the media compound outside the Houses of Parliament in London, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. British Prime Minister Theresa May's government says Parliament's decision to take control of the stalled process of leaving the European Union underscores the need for lawmakers to approve her twice-defeated deal. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

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3:30 p.m.

Members of the European Union's parliament have welcomed political developments in Britain, where the House of Commons wrested standoff.

After months of fruitless waiting for Prime Minister Theresa May to get lawmakers' approval for the divorce deal she and EU leaders struck last year, Roberto Gualtieri, a member of the European Parliament's Brexit steering committee, said the move in London on Monday "is very positive."

The steering committee met Tuesday. Gualtieri said: "The prime minister has been unable to provide, to deliver on the deal...so yesterday's vote is very positive and we look forward to the capacity of this Parliament to provide a clear positive majority on a closer EU-UK relationship or on giving back the word to the people."

His "giving back the word to the people" refers to discussion of a possible second U.K. voter referendum on Brexit.

EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said as he entered the steering group meeting that "all eyes (are on) the British Parliament"

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3:05 p.m.

Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party says it won't be bullied into backing Prime Minister Theresa May's "toxic" European Union divorce deal, increasing the odds against the agreement getting passed in Parliament.

The party's Brexit spokesman wrote in a piece published by national newspaper The Daily Telegraph on Tuesday that DUP lawmakers won't support May's withdrawal agreement with the EU unless it is amended to address concerns it could tie the United Kingdom to the bloc indefinitely.

Party spokesman Sammy Wilson said extending Brexit negotiations by one year would be preferable to "volunteering to be locked into the prison of the withdrawal deal with the cell door key in the pocket of Michel Barnier," the EU's chief negotiator.

The DUP controls 10 crucial votes in the House of Commons, and many hard-line Brexit supporters may follow the party's lead when deciding how to vote.

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11:20 a.m.

The European Parliament's top Brexit official says that "we see for the moment a real Brexit revolt" in the United Kingdom, with over 5 million people signing an online petition to revoke Britain's decision to leave the EU and a million taking to the streets to stay in the EU.

Guy Verhofstadt said Tuesday he felt especially encouraged by the vote in the House of Commons seizing more control over the stalled Brexit process and setting up a series of votes this week that could dramatically alter the course of the U.K.'s departure.

Verhofstadt said that "it is possible now to work in Britain toward a cross-party alliance," adding that "I hope it will lead to a proposal that can be backed by a majority" in Westminster.

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9:20 a.m.

British Prime Minister Theresa May's government says Parliament's decision to take control of the stalled process of leaving the European Union underscores the need for lawmakers to approve her twice-defeated deal.

The House of Commons voted Monday to take control of the parliamentary timetable on Wednesday so lawmakers can vote on alternatives to the withdrawal agreement May negotiated with the EU. The government usually controls the scheduling of votes in Parliament.

But Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the BBC on Tuesday that the government won't "pre-commit" to accepting the option backed by lawmakers.

Hancock says lawmakers should support the prime minister's agreement because "the best way through this impasse is the one deal that's been negotiated with the EU."

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Follow AP's full coverage of Brexit at: https://www.apnews.com/Brexit

A woman takes pictures on her smart phone as she walks past anti-Brexit placards near the House of Parliament in London, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. British Prime Minister Theresa May's government says Parliament's decision to take control of the stalled process of leaving the European Union underscores the need for lawmakers to approve her twice-defeated deal. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May makes a statement on Brexit to lawmakers in the House of Commons, London, Monday March 25, 2019. May is under intense pressure Monday to win support for her Brexit deal to split from Europe.(House of Commons via AP)

A tourist takes a photo on a smart phone as Pro-Brexit protesters holds onto placards as they demonstrates near the House of Parliament in London, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. British Prime Minister Theresa May's government says Parliament's decision to take control of the stalled process of leaving the European Union underscores the need for lawmakers to approve her twice-defeated deal. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Steve Bray, an anti Brexit protester, holds onto a large megaphone as he demonstrates outside the House of Parliament in London, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. British Prime Minister Theresa May's government says Parliament's decision to take control of the stalled process of leaving the European Union underscores the need for lawmakers to approve her twice-defeated deal. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

A pro-Brexit protester holds onto placards as he demonstrates near the House of Parliament in London, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. British Prime Minister Theresa May's government says Parliament's decision to take control of the stalled process of leaving the European Union underscores the need for lawmakers to approve her twice-defeated deal. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
SALISBURY, Md. (AP) - The owner of a Maryland farm is going to trial after dozens of horses were found dead and decaying as more than 100 others were neglected and starving on her property.

The Daily Times of Salisbury reports 75-year-old Barbara Pilchard is set to appear in court Tuesday morning on charges of animal cruelty, neglect and abuse.

Pilchard was indicted last summer after authorities responding to a report of decaying horse corpses at the 2-acre farm on the state's Eastern Shore saw the severity of the situation.

Wicomico County Sheriff Mike Lewis said previous allegations of horse neglect against Pilchard weren't sufficiently supported by evidence.

He says the living horses were starving and had broken into the home in an attempt to find food. They were placed with rescue groups.

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Information from: The Daily Times of Salisbury, Md., http://www.delmarvanow.com/
CONWAY, Ark. (AP) - Police in central Arkansas say a 6-year-old child used a disconnected cellphone to call 911 and falsely report that several people had been shot at an elementary school.

The Conway Police Department says officers rushed to Marguerite Vann Elementary School after the call came in Monday afternoon from a young caller who said five people had been shot. Police say the child stayed on the phone but that the story was "continually changing."

Police say officers quickly determined that the phone call was a prank but searched the school as a precaution.

Conway police say the child's parents were home but did not realize the phone, which didn't have cell service, could still make an emergency call.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) - Students at a public high school in Charlottesville, Virginia, left classes Monday to demand racial justice days after the district's schools closed over threats of "ethnic cleansing."

News outlets report the walkout was led by the Black Student Union at Charlottesville High School, which was the target of the threats posted online last week. The school system says about 130 students from the high school and 21 from Buford Middle School took part in the walkout.

The district's nine public schools closed Thursday and Friday over the threats against the school's black and Hispanic students. A teenager is charged in the threats.

The student union says the threats showcase the districts' struggle with inequality and white supremacy. Schools spokeswoman Krissy Vick says issues highlighted by the group are being addressed.
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) - The Norwegian pilot on the cruise ship carrying more than 1,300 people that was caught in a hefty storm off the coast of Norway said Tuesday the situation worsened when engine problems appeared.

Inge Lockert told the Vesteraalen newspaper that "everything went as it should until we got engine problems."

"It was a very big team effort," he told the daily. "When we got the engine running again, we realized we were going to save ourselves."

Lockert did not reply to requests for comment by The Associated Press.

The ship, Viking Sky, made a mayday call Saturday afternoon after the engine failures. Five helicopters winched off 479 passengers, and the airlift evacuation went well into Sunday.

The operation was halted later Sunday when the ship's engines restarted and the vessel limped into a nearby port with the nearly 900 passengers and crew remaining onboard.

The cruise ship Viking Sky lays at anchor in heavy seas, after it sent out a Mayday signal because of engine failure in windy conditions, near Hustadvika, off the west coast of Norway, Saturday March 23, 2019. The Viking Sky is forced to evacuate its 1,300 passengers. (Frank Einar Vatne / NTB scanpix via AP)

A total of 36 people was admitted in local hospitals and as of Tuesday, one person was in critical but stable condition in an intensive care ward. Seven others were expected to be discharged later Tuesday, hospital officials said.

Lockert was one of two pilots from the Norwegian Coastal Administration who boarded the ship on Saturday to help the crew take the ship into port, the Vesteraalen daily said. Only Lockert has spoken publicly.

Bengt-Owe Gustafsson, the Viking Sky's Finnish captain, told Finnish tabloid Iltalehti Tuesday that the vessel began to drift in the storm when it suddenly experienced engine problems.

"I'm happy that no-one got seriously injured. Things could've been much worse," he told the paper. The report said Gustafsson had twenty years' experience in the cruise shipping industry, including with the Disney Cruise Line.

He added that the storm badly damaged the ship's interiors "so there's lots of work for us." Norwegian authorities were currently aboard the vessel probing the weekend's events, he said.

On Monday, Norwegian officials said they have opened an investigation into the ordeal.

The ship was on a 12-day cruise along Norway's coast before its scheduled arrival Tuesday in Britain. The passengers were mostly an English-speaking mix of American, British, Canadian, New Zealand and Australian citizens.

The cruise ship Viking Sky after it sent out a Mayday signal because of engine failure in windy conditions off the west coast of Norway, Saturday March 23, 2019. The Viking Sky is forced to evacuate its 1,300 passengers. (Odd Roar Lange / NTB scanpix via AP)
OXFORD, Ohio (AP) - A report says a student at a now-suspended fraternity at Miami University in Ohio told university officials he was hazed by members who beat him with a spiked paddle, kicked him and forced him to drink large amounts of alcohol.

The Hamilton-Middletown Journal-News reported the specific allegations Monday, citing a university incident report. Miami earlier announced Delta Tau Delta fraternity was suspended pending investigation of what school President Gregory Crawford called allegations of "brutal and deplorable" hazing.

The report says the student complained of being blindfolded and abused during a March 16 "hazing ritual." He says he was taken to a hospital after saying he felt like he was "going to die."

The newspaper reports the head of the national Delta Tau Delta Fraternity has said the organization suspended the chapter following hazing reports.

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Information from: MIDDLETOWN: Hamilton-Middletown Journal News , http://www.journal-news.com
BERLIN (AP) - A German court has upheld the murder convictions of two men whose midnight drag race in downtown Berlin ended with a crash that killed another driver.

Investigators said the two reached speeds of 170 kph (106 mph) during their 2016 race on Berlin's Kurfuerstendamm boulevard. One of the men racing struck an uninvolved Jeep and the 69-year-old driver died.

The pair were sentenced to life in prison in 2017 after receiving Germany's first murder convictions for a drag-racing fatality.

The verdict was overturned on appeal last year. A federal court ruled the crime didn't meet the legal requirements for murder and ordered a retrial.

But the Berlin State Court reinstated the earlier verdict Tuesday, saying the racers' actions had gone beyond negligence and they knew the race could result in death.
TBILISI, Georgia (AP) - A fugitive British man wanted for the manslaughter of a woman killed during a London date on a speedboat is to be extradited from Georgia, a court ruled Tuesday.

Jack Shepherd, 31, vanished while on bail over the manslaughter of 24-year-old Charlotte Brown, who died when his speedboat hit a log and flipped on the River Thames in London in December 2015. The pair, who met on a dating website, had spent the evening at a restaurant before taking to the river.

The web designer showed up at a police station in Tbilisi, Georgia, in January and turned himself in. He was tried in absentia in Britain and sentenced last year to a six-year prison term.

The victim's family and politicians including Prime Minister Theresa May had called on Shepherd to hand himself in.

Shepherd's lawyer Tariel Kakabadze told reporters after the ruling that his client had agreed to be extradited and was eager to "answer all the questions" that he did not get a chance to address while the trial went on without him.

Shepherd said at the previous hearing that he wish he could "sit down with Charlotte's family and explain" what happened.

Briton Jack Shepherd sits in a court room in Tbilisi, Georgia, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. A court in Georgia has ruled to extradite a fugitive British man wanted for manslaughter in the case of a woman who was killed during a London date on a speedboat. The court ruled on Tuesday to extradite Jack Shepherd, who was tried in absence and sentenced last year to a six-year prison term. (AP Photo/Shakh Aivazov)

Judge Arsen Kalatozishvili attends a court session, in Tbilisi, Georgia, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. A court in Georgia has ruled to extradite a fugitive British man wanted for manslaughter in the case of a woman who was killed during a London date on a speedboat. The court ruled on Tuesday to extradite Jack Shepherd, who was tried in absence and sentenced last year to a six-year prison term. (AP Photo/Shakh Aivazov)

CAPTION CORRECTS THE ID - Mariam Gublashvili, the lawyer of Britain's Jack Shepherd, attends a court session, in Tbilisi, Georgia, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. A court in Georgia has ruled to extradite a fugitive British man wanted for manslaughter in the case of a woman who was killed during a London date on a speedboat. The court ruled on Tuesday to extradite Jack Shepherd, who was tried in absence and sentenced last year to a six-year prison term. (AP Photo/Shakh Aivazov)

Briton Jack Shepherd sits in a court room in Tbilisi, Georgia, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. A court in Georgia has ruled to extradite a fugitive British man wanted for manslaughter in the case of a woman who was killed during a London date on a speedboat. The court ruled on Tuesday to extradite Jack Shepherd, who was tried in absence and sentenced last year to a six-year prison term. (AP Photo/Shakh Aivazov)
TULSA, Okla. (AP) - The Latest on Oklahoma's lawsuit against manufacturers of opioid pain medications (all times local):

2:35 p.m.

Oklahoma's attorney general says he went to great lengths to ensure that a drugmaker accused of helping to fuel a national opioid crisis doesn't declare bankruptcy to avoid a paying a hefty settlement.

Announcing a $270 million settlement with Purdue Pharma Tuesday, Attorney General Mike Hunter said the state has "a commitment that they're not filing for bankruptcy in the near term."

Purdue Pharma officials acknowledged this month that the company is considering filing for bankruptcy because of the crush of lawsuits targeting it and other opioid producers.

The company has made billions of dollars manufacturing the painkiller OxyContin.

Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter speaks about a settlement with Purdue Pharma for opioid abuse, as Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences President Dr. Kayse Shrum and OSU President Burns Hargis, right, listen, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin and the company's controlling family agreed Tuesday to pay a groundbreaking $270 million to Oklahoma to settle allegations they helped create the nation's deadly opioid crisis with their aggressive marketing of the powerful painkiller. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

Hunter says he's made "extensive efforts to ensure that this commitment to the state is bankruptcy proof."

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2:20 p.m.

The maker of OxyContin and the family that owns the company are touting their settlement with Oklahoma as a way to make a difference in the fight against addiction.

In a statement Tuesday, Purdue Pharma said the nearly $200 million the company and Sackler family will provide to Oklahoma State University for addiction studies and treatment will help people across the country.

Creating the center is the biggest part of a $270 million deal the company and family agreed to settle a lawsuit seeking to hold them accountable for their role in sparking an opioid overdose and addiction crisis.

The company is facing some 2,000 similar suits nationwide and has considered filing for bankruptcy protection because of them.

In announcing the settlement, Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter said Purdue Pharma now has no plans for an immediate bankruptcy filing.

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2 p.m.

Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter says a $270 million settlement with OxyContin producer Purdue Pharma is just "the first step" in the fight to end the opioid addiction crisis.

At a news conference Tuesday confirming the settlement, Hunter said he intends to "hold accountable other defendants ... for their role in creating the worst public health crisis in our state and nation we've ever seen."

Oklahoma targeted Purdue Pharma and other drug companies in a 2017 lawsuit that was set to become the first in a coast-to-coast wave of litigation to go to trial.

Oklahoma recorded about 400 opioid deaths in 2017. State officials have said more Oklahomans have died from opioids than in vehicle crashes since 2009.

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1:40 p.m.

Oklahoma's attorney general has confirmed that the drugmaker that made billions of dollars selling OxyContin and the company's owners have reached a $270 million settlement with the state over its role in the opioid crisis.

Attorney General Mike Hunter confirmed the Purdue Pharma settlement at a Tuesday conference in Tulsa.

Nearly $200 million of the Connecticut-based company's settlement will go toward establishing the National Center for Addiction Studies and Treatment at Oklahoma State University's health center in Tulsa. Local governments will get $12.5 million.

The deal comes two months before Oklahoma's lawsuit against Purdue Pharma and other drug companies was set to become the first in a coast-to-coast wave of litigation against the industry to go to trial.

This is the first settlement to come out of the barrage of lawsuits.

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1 p.m.

A settlement between Oklahoma and the drug company that makes OxyContin is being cautiously welcomed by some recovering opioid addicts and relatives of people who've died from overdoses.

Oklahoma's attorney general will announce details of the settlement with Purdue Pharma on Tuesday. A person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press it's worth $270 million.

Activist and recovering opioid addict Lance Lang says he empathizes with victims who wanted the case go to trial. But he says he's glad some of the settlement money will help addicts.

He says Oklahoma "has waiting lists of hundreds and hundreds of people who need help right now."

The state sued Purdue Pharma and other drugmakers in 2017, alleging they helped fuel the nation's opioid epidemic.

Craig Box's son Austin died was a standout linebacker at the University of Oklahoma who died of a prescription drug overdose in 2011. Box praised Hunter for aggressively pursuing the case.

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12:20 p.m.

An attorney representing scores of governments suing the makers of opioid painkiller medication says he welcomes the settlement between the state of Oklahoma and drugmaker Purdue Pharma.

Paul Hanly isn't involved in the Oklahoma case, but he's representing numerous plaintiffs in similar cases. He says the settlement "suggests that Purdue is serious about trying to deal with the problem. Hopefully, this is the first of many."

Oklahoma's attorney general said Tuesday he would announce details of a settlement with Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin. The state sued the company and other drugmakers, alleging they helped fuel the nation's opioid epidemic. A trial is set for May.

Hanly says a settlement two months before a trial in the case is early, "particularly where it's the first of thousands of cases nationwide."

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10:50 a.m.

A person familiar with the agreement says the company that has made billions of dollars selling the drug OxyContin and the family that owns it have reached a $270 million settlement with the state of Oklahoma over its role in the opioid crisis.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity to confirm the settlement amount to The Associated Press because the person was not authorized to discuss the terms before an official announcement expected later Tuesday.

Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter's office will hold a news conference Tuesday afternoon to talk about the settlement with Connecticut-based Purdue Pharma. The office hasn't released terms of the settlement.

The company's settlement will go toward establishing the National Center for Addiction Studies and Treatment at Oklahoma State University in Tulsa.

The deal comes two months before a trial against the pharmaceutical companies was set to begin

Purdue Pharma introduced OxyContin more than 20 years ago and marketed the strong prescription painkiller aggressively to doctors.

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Geoff Mulvihill in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, contributed to this item.

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10:30 a.m.

A woman who's been organizing hundreds of mothers to attend the Oklahoma trial in a lawsuit against opioid manufacturers says she's "devastated" that a settlement has been reached with one company.

Cheryl Juaire said Tuesday that a full airing of the facts is the only way to fully hold Purdue Pharma accountable. The company makes the powerful prescription painkiller OxyContin. Her 23-year-old son died of an overdose in 2011.

Oklahoma's attorney general announced earlier Tuesday that a settlement had been reached with Purdue Pharma, one of 13 drugmakers named in a lawsuit alleging the firms helped fuel the opioid epidemic. Terms haven't been disclosed.

The 12 remaining defendants still face trial in May.

Juaire says she and other mothers planned to stand outside with photos of their dead children. She says she hopes cities other states that have filed similar lawsuits don't settle with the company.

She says such settlements are a "huge disservice to the tens of thousands of families here in the United States who buried a child."

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8:05 a.m.

Oklahoma's attorney general has called a press conference to announce a settlement with one drug company in the state's lawsuit against the nation's leading manufacturers of opioid pain medications.

Attorney General Mike Hunter's office said in a statement that a Tuesday afternoon news conference will include the "announcement of a settlement agreement with Purdue Pharma."

A spokesman for the attorney general confirmed that a settlement would be announced, but he declined further comment.

Oklahoma sued 13 opioid manufacturers in 2017, alleging they fraudulently engaged in marketing campaigns that led to thousands of overdose addictions and deaths.

Purdue Pharma has said it made billions of dollars selling the prescription painkiller OxyContin but it's now considering bankruptcy among its legal options, potentially upending hundreds of lawsuits, including Oklahoma's.

An attorney for Purdue did not return a call seeking comment.

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6:40 a.m.

Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter says he will announce a "breaking development" in the state's lawsuit against the nation's leading manufacturers of opioid pain medications.

Hunter said in a statement that he will hold a news conference Tuesday afternoon in Tulsa, but he gave no further details.

The move comes after the Oklahoma Supreme Court denied a request from drugmakers on Monday to postpone the start of what is expected to be the first state trial in lawsuits accusing the companies of fueling an opioid epidemic.

Oklahoma sued 13 opioid manufacturers in 2017, alleging they fraudulently engaged in marketing campaigns that led to thousands of overdose addictions and deaths.

State officials have said that since 2009, more Oklahoma residents have died from opioid-related deaths than in vehicle crashes.

Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter speaks about a settlement with Purdue Pharma for opioid abuse, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin and the company's controlling family agreed Tuesday to pay a groundbreaking $270 million to Oklahoma to settle allegations they helped create the nation's deadly opioid crisis with their aggressive marketing of the powerful painkiller. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

FILE - In this Feb. 1, 2019, file photo, is Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter smiles during an interview in Oklahoma City. The Oklahoma Supreme Court has denied a request by drugmakers to postpone the trial in the state's lawsuit accusing them of fueling the opioid epidemic. The state's highest court handed down the decision Monday, a week after attorneys for drugmakers and the state made oral presentations on the request to delay the trial's scheduled May 28 start. Hunter sued 13 opioid manufacturers in 2017, alleging they fraudulently engaged in marketing campaigns that led to thousands of overdose addictions and deaths. Several states have filed similar lawsuits, but Oklahoma's is expected to be the first to go to trial. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)

Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter speaks about a settlement with Purdue Pharma for opioid abuse, as Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences President Dr. Kayse Shrum, right, and OSU President Burns Hargis, listen, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin and the company's controlling family agreed Tuesday to pay a groundbreaking $270 million to Oklahoma to settle allegations they helped create the nation's deadly opioid crisis with their aggressive marketing of the powerful painkiller. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

FILE - In this Aug. 17, 2018 file photo, family and friends who have lost loved ones to OxyContin and opioid overdoses protest outside Purdue Pharma headquarters in Stamford, Conn. Oklahoma's attorney general will announce a settlement Tuesday, March 26, 2019, with Purdue Pharma, one of the drug manufacturers named in a state lawsuit that accuses them of fueling the opioid epidemic. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Trump administration has told a federal appeals court it wants the entire Affordable Care Act struck down, an outcome that could leave millions uninsured and re-ignite a winning political issue for Democrats.

The administration, in a terse filing Monday with the court in New Orleans, said it agrees that former President Barack Obama's health care law should be declared unconstitutional after Congress repealed one part of it - unpopular fines on people who remain uninsured.

That position is at odds with previous statements by leading congressional Republicans who said they did not intend to repeal other parts of the law when they cut out its fines, effective this year. It's also a departure from the administration's earlier stance in a lower court, where it had argued that only federal protections for people with pre-existing medical conditions and limits on premiums charged to older, sicker people should be struck down.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the turnabout shows that Republicans "say one thing and they do another." Democrats have been casting about for a message after Special Counsel Robert Mueller found no conspiracy between candidate Donald Trump and the Russian government to sway the 2016 election.

"This is actually an opportunity for us to speak to the American people with clarity," Pelosi said. "Republicans did say during the campaign that they weren't there to undermine the pre-existing condition benefit."

"Then they go to court to strip it and strip the whole bill," she continued. If the entire ACA is repealed, popular provisions such as coverage for adult children on parental insurance until age 26 would go, Pelosi said.

President Donald Trump accompanied by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., left, and Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., right, speaks to members of the media as he arrives for a Senate Republican policy lunch on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, March 26, 2019.(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Seeming to react to the pushback, Trump said on Twitter, "The Republican Party will become "The Party of Healthcare!" As president-elect Trump promised "insurance for everybody," but the White House never presented a comprehensive plan.

The Justice Department did not explain its reasoning in a two-sentence letter to the court, but promised a full and timely explanation for the appeals judges. It's rare for Justice to decline to defend a federal law.

The case brought by Texas and a group of GOP-led states seems headed for the Supreme Court. District Court Judge Reed O'Connor in Fort Worth earlier ruled in favor of the plaintiff states, and Democratic-led states have appealed to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans.

The Supreme Court has twice upheld the Obama-era law. Five justices - a majority - who upheld the law in 2012 are still on the bench. They are Chief Justice John Roberts and the court's four liberals.

Repeal of the ACA in its entirety would risk making more than 20 million people uninsured. That includes some 12 million low-income people covered through its Medicaid expansion, and some 11 million purchasing subsidized private health insurance through HealthCare.gov and state-run insurance markets.

Some Republicans say that wouldn't happen because the Trump administration's "repeal and replace" plan would send grants to states for them to run their own health insurance programs. However, during the 2017 congressional debate over repealing the health law, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated the GOP replacement plans would result in steep coverage losses.

Trump as president has never given up on repealing "Obamacare," and is still complaining about the vote by the late GOP Sen. John McCain of Arizona that saved the law. The latest Trump budget also calls for repeal. But that possibility was foreclosed when Democrats won control of the House in last year's midterm elections.

Judge O'Connor's ruling rests on a legal analysis that the congressionally repealed fines for going uninsured are central to the law. O'Connor noted that the Supreme Court upheld the law in 2012 because its requirement for Americans to carry health insurance was enforced through fines levied as taxes, which passed constitutional muster.

With the fines gone, the coverage requirement can no longer be considered constitutional, O'Connor reasoned, and the entire health law is defective because it can't be separated from the coverage requirement.

The Justice Department has determined that O'Connor's "comprehensive opinion came to the correct conclusion and will support it on appeal," said departmental spokeswoman Kerri Kupec.

But California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, heading up the Democratic state officials defending the law, says that view strains the meaning of underlying federal laws and the clear intent of many Republican lawmakers who voted to repeal the ACA's fines.

Signed nearly 10 years ago, the health law remains in place while the lawsuit continues. House Democrats, meanwhile, are unveiling broad legislation on Tuesday to shore up the Affordable Care Act and expand enrollment to millions more people.

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Mark Sherman and Eric Tucker contributed to this report.
NEW YORK (AP) - As Danielle Bayard Jackson was putting together her birthing team, she made sure to include a doula, all the details she wanted taken care of during delivery and how bright the lights should be for ambiance.

She passed on the makeup artist.

"I even looked up various prices, but something about that felt frivolous," said Jackson, who lives in Tampa, Florida. "I decided I didn't want to worry about that after such a monumental moment."

Therein lies the debate centered on pregnant women in today's social media-saturated world: to glam or not to glam soon after a whole human being exits your body, or do as Seattle-area mom Robin Rucinsky did by the time baby No. 4 rolled around:

"I didn't pack a single cosmetic. I brought a toothbrush and chapstick."

With the Kate Middleton postpartum hair blowout (three times!) fresh in our minds and another royal birth upcoming, the debate over perfection during labor and just hours after giving birth looms large for some women.

FILE - This March 8, 2019 file photo shows Britain's Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, leaving King's College after joining a panel discussion to mark International Women's Day in London. With another royal baby on the horizon, the debate over postpartum perfection is alive and well. As it stands, we don't know whether Meghan Markle will follow in the footsteps of Kate Middleton when it comes to that magical perfection, but we have an inkling she'll at least slap on some makeup when she introduces the latest royal to the world next month. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File)

"I'll tell you who it's not fun to be pregnant at the exact same time as. Meghan Markle," Amy Schumer, suffering from chronic nausea throughout her pregnancy, cracked during her new Netflix comedy special. "She's out there in, like, 6-inch heels, adorable outfits."

While we won't know whether Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, will follow in the footsteps of Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, when it comes to postpartum perfection, we have an inkling Meghan will at least slap on some makeup as she introduces the latest royal to the world next month.

And when she does, anti-glammers will take notice.

"I think that a mother who has just given birth is beautiful - with disheveled hair, with smeared or no makeup, with top wide open for skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding," said Kirsten Brunner, a perinatal counselor in Austin, Texas. "I love the trend in birth photography of capturing the reality of childbirth and the postpartum experience. I encourage my clients to let go of all pressure to get back to normal as soon as possible."

But, no judgments of those who choose to spruce up. With some hospitals providing in-house spa services and plenty of women hiring specialists for hair, makeup and nails, the argument over what makes a postpartum mom feel best cuts both ways.

For Julien Farel's wife, it meant pulling her look together to greet visitors - including her Old World British grandmother - after the arrivals of their two children.

Farel owns the Julien Farel Restore Salon and Spa inside the Loews Regency Hotel on New York's swanky Park Avenue. He's been providing and arranging for in-hospital services for women giving birth since 2001, with prices now ranging from $320 for a blow out, makeup or manicure to $2,000 an hour for all three at the highest level of design and expertise.

"Mostly they're looking for those three things, makeup, nails and blow dry," he said. "These people care so much about their appearance. You have other people with much more money who don't care. It's about how you've been raised to look when you have people over."

Farel has between 10 and 15 in-hospital pregnancy clients a month among his usual customers.

Donna Yip, 38, a Manhattan attorney, used one of Farel's stylists, Jackson Simmonds, in the delivery room for the births of both her children, the first in 2013 and the second in 2015. He massaged her head, blew out and styled her hair and did her makeup.

"He stepped out during the pushing part," Yip laughed. "I think for everyone, they have what makes them feel good and if it makes you feel good and brings a little bit of normalcy into an exciting but also a hectic and anxious period of your life, you should go for it."

Brenda Kosciuk, outside Scranton, Pennsylvania, took matters into her own hands for the birth of her second child, now 3.

"Everyone wants that perfect social media photo that does NOT at all show the reality of what we just endured," she said. "We see it everywhere. On social media and on magazine covers. With my second child, before leaving for the hospital, I applied my makeup carefully because with my first child I didn't have that perfect 'after' photo and I wanted it. The reality is that after 60 minutes of pushing, I was sweaty, red-faced and my mascara had melted down my face. I looked worse than I would have if I had forgone the makeup altogether."

Still the hashtag "takebackpostpartum" is alive and well on Instagram.

"Women are more confidently owning their bodies, not feeling obliged to always look good and social media ready after giving birth," said Marianne Ryan, a New York physical therapist who focuses on pregnant and post-baby bodies.

Jill Simonian, who - ironically - wrote a book titled "The FAB Mom's Guide: How to Get Over the Bump & Bounce Back Fast After Baby," said all the social media-fueled self-doubt among new mothers isn't good for mom or baby.

"If you want a blowout to make yourself feel better a few days after having a baby, go for it! It's the constant posting, showing, sharing that drives me absolutely nuts and indicates a sure fire, unhealthy start to new motherhood," she said.

Simonian supports a 30-day hiatus from all things glam after giving birth.

"These days, Instagram is split into two kinds of moms," she said. "The ones who want to show the absolute raw, very personal, private things and the rest who want to pretend they're models in a staged photoshoot."

FILE - In this April 23, 2018 file photo, Britain's Prince William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge with their newborn baby son, leave the Lindo wing at St. Mary's Hospital in London London. With another royal baby on the horizon, the debate over postpartum perfection is alive and well. As it stands, we don't know whether Meghan Markle will follow in the footsteps of Kate Middleton when it comes to that magical perfection, but we have an inkling she'll at least slap on some makeup when she introduces the latest royal to the world next month. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)

FILE - In this March 11, 2019 file photo, Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex arrive for the Commonwealth Day Youth Event with Prince Harry, at Canada House in London. With another royal baby on the horizon, the debate over postpartum perfection is alive and well. As it stands, we don't know whether Meghan Markle will follow in the footsteps of Kate Middleton when it comes to that magical perfection, but we have an inkling she'll at least slap on some makeup when she introduces the latest royal to the world next month. (Chris Jackson/Pool Photo via AP, File)

FILE - In this March 11, 2019 file photo, Britain's Kate, Duchess of Cambridge and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex leave after attending the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey in London. With another royal baby on the horizon, the debate over postpartum perfection is alive and well. As it stands, we don't know whether Meghan Markle will follow in the footsteps of Kate Middleton when it comes to that magical perfection, but we have an inkling she'll at least slap on some makeup when she introduces the latest royal to the world next month. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, Pool)
WASHINGTON (AP) - Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday expanded the Trump administration's ban on U.S. aid to groups that promote or provide abortions to include organizations that comply with the rules but give money to others that don't.

Pompeo also said the U.S. would cut some funding for the Organization of America States because at least one of its affiliated institutions has lobbied for abortion availability in the Western Hemisphere.

Pompeo said the administration was committed to protecting "the sanctity of life" in the United States and abroad and would enforce the policy "to the broadest extent possible" by not allowing foreign non-governmental organizations to skirt the ban.

"We will refuse to provide assistance to foreign NGOs that give financial support to other foreign groups in the global abortion industry," Pompeo told reporters at the State Department. "We will enforce a strict prohibition on backdoor funding schemes and end runs around our policy. American taxpayer dollars will not be used to underwrite abortions."

Abortion rights advocates slammed the decision as dangerous to women's health while abortion opponents welcomed it.

The move is an expansion of the so-called "Mexico City policy" first established under President Ronald Reagan but rescinded by subsequent Democratic administrations. Just days after taking office in 2017, President Donald Trump reinstated the policy and then expanded it to include all health programs not just reproductive health ones.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo answers a question during a news conference on Tuesday, March 26, 2019, at the Department of State in Washington. (AP Photo/Sait Serkan Gurbuz)

Critics of the policy that has been a hallmark of Republican administrations call it the "global gag rule." They say it hurts reproductive and maternal health care in developing nations by cutting funds to groups that offer critical non-abortion related services to women and children, including birth control and nutritional support for infants and HIV/AIDS treatment.

Pompeo denied that and said the U.S. would continue to be a leader in such aid. The U.S. spends some $9 billion to support global health programs.

Critics, however, expressed outrage.

"This is unethical, dangerous, and unacceptable," said Dr. Leana Wen, the president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. "Two years into the sweeping expansion of the global gag rule, there are countless examples around the world of patients losing access to health care, especially in places where maternal deaths, HIV rates, and unmet need for contraception are unacceptably high."

Sen. Jean Shaheen, D-N.H., who has pushed for legislation to permanently repeal the Mexico City policy, called the move "unconscionable."

"This administration's obsession with attacking women's reproductive health is egregious and dangerous," she said. "Further expanding the global gag rule puts international organizations in an impossible position: provide women the full scope of reproductive health care services or deny critical funding that saves lives."

Brian Dixon of the Population Connection Action Fund said Pompeo's decision was "repulsive."

"The global gag rule has been an unmitigated disaster for people throughout the developing world," he said. "It is undermining progress on maternal and child health. It is leaving millions of people without access to health care."

Abortion foes, meanwhile, hailed the step as a victory.

The Susan B. Anthony Fund, an anti-abortion group, issued a statement praising the step, saying it was "excited to see Secretary Pompeo taking additional steps to ensure that Americans' hard-earned dollars are actually used for health assistance, not funneled to groups that push abortion."

Jeanne Mancini, the president of March for Life, another anti-abortion group, said Pompeo's "courageous leadership on the implementation of this policy will assure its proper oversight and help advance the protection and empowerment of human persons at all stages in our international global health assistance initiatives."

And, Lila Rose, the founder of Live Action, said it was "a human rights win for the preborn child deserving of legal and societal protections."

In addition to the revision of the Mexico City rule, Pompeo said the administration would also start to enforce legislation that bars all U.S. funds from being used to lobby for or against abortion.

As a first step in enforcement, support for the Organization of American States would be reduced by $210,000, State Department spokesman Robert Palladino told reporters later.

Pompeo said the step came as a result of some OAS institutions promoting greater access to abortion in the Americas. He did not identify them but some Republican lawmakers have urged Pompeo to take action over calls from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Inter-American Commission on Women for countries in the hemisphere to ease laws restricting abortion.

"The institutions of the OAS should be focused on the crises in Cuba, Nicaragua and in Venezuela and not advancing the pro-abortion cause," Pompeo said.
ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) - Croatian police say they have detained 12 people suspected of multiple criminal actions in a shipbuilding company that has been struggling with losses.

Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic on Tuesday told the state-run Hina news agency the suspected wrongdoings cost the Uljanik company and the state budget more than $150 million.

He gave no other details.

Partly-owned by the state, Uljanik has faced workers' strikes over unpaid salaries and poor business results. The group runs two major shipyards in the north Adriatic ports of Pula and Rijeka, employing several thousand workers.

Croatian media say former top managers are among the detained. They say around 100 policemen took part in the search of the suspects' offices and houses.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The House has approved three bills aimed at stepping up U.S. pressure against the government of Venezuela's embattled president, Nicolas Maduro.

One would add new restrictions on the export of tear gas, riot gear and other items that could be used for crime control.

The second measure urges the Trump administration to provide up to $150 million in humanitarian aid.

The third would require the State Department and intelligence agencies to provide an assessment about the threat from Russian influence in the South American country.

The three bills were adopted unanimously Monday evening.

The U.S. and more than 50 other nations have recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim president of the country. They say Maduro wasn't legitimately re-elected last year.

Pedestrians walk past closed businesses in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Much of Venezuela remains without electricity as a new power outage spread across the country. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

On Tuesday, Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urging him to determine if the governments of Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua should face mandatory U.S. sanctions for conducting significant transactions with the Russian defense and intelligence sectors.

The Trump administration already has imposed sanctions on Venezuela and a commercial embargo on Cuba, but Menendez refers to measures adopted under 2017's Countering America's Adversaries through Sanctions Act as a specific response to cooperation with Russia.

Menendez sent his letter only days after Russian military personnel arrived in Venezuela to support Maduro.

The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment by The Associated Press.

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Luis Alonso Lugo on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/luisalonsolugo
MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Wisconsin officials are waiting for a pair of courts to decide whether laws that Republicans passed last year limiting the powers of the new Democratic governor and attorney general can stand.

Lawmakers passed the measures in a lame-duck session in December, before Gov. Tony Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul took office.

A Dane County judge blocked the laws Thursday, ruling that lawmakers convened illegally when they passed them. Attorneys for Republicans are asking the 3rd District Court of Appeals to put that ruling on hold pending appeal. That decision could come any moment.

Another Dane County judge is expected to decide Tuesday whether to block the laws in response to union arguments that they violate the separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches.
LINGANORE, Md. (AP) - An explosive device and loaded handgun found in Maryland over the weekend have been linked to a stalking case in which the suspect died by suicide in open court - nearly two decades ago.

News outlets cite a joint release from the Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal and Howard County police saying "a series of documents" found alongside the items indicated they belonged to Alan Bruce Chmurny.

Chmurny was a vice president of Oceanix Biosciences when he was accused in 2000 of pouring mercury into the vents of an employee's car. Chmurny had left the woman threatening messages, including at least one mentioning a bomb. He died by suicide in 2001.

The finds were made by a passer-by in the woods Sunday and have since been disposed of.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court on Tuesday threw out a nearly $315 million judgment against Sudan stemming from the USS Cole bombing, saying Sudan hadn't properly been notified of the lawsuit.

The justices ruled 8-1 that notice of the lawsuit should have been mailed to Sudan's foreign ministry in the country's capital, Khartoum. The notice was instead mailed to Sudan's embassy in Washington.

The lawsuit in which the justices ruled involves sailors who were injured in the 2000 bombing of the Cole in Yemen. Sailors and their spouses sued Sudan in a U.S. court, arguing that Sudan had provided support to al-Qaida, which claimed responsibility for the Cole attack. Seventeen sailors died when the ship was struck by a bomb-laden boat. Dozens of others were injured.

In order to alert Sudan to the lawsuit, the group mailed the required notice to Sudan's embassy in Washington. Sudan didn't initially respond to the lawsuit in court, and a judge entered an approximately $315 million judgment against the country. Sudan then tried to get the judgment thrown out.

Sudan and the sailors who were suing disagreed about the requirements of a 1976 law, the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act. The statute lays out how to properly notify another country of a lawsuit filed in a U.S. court. If other agreements between the countries don't exist, the law says that notice should be "addressed and dispatched ... to the head of the ministry of foreign affairs of the foreign state concerned."

Lawyers for Sudan and for the U.S. government had argued that the best reading of that phrase is that it requires the notice to be sent to the foreign minister in the foreign country. The Supreme Court agreed.

FILE - In this Oct. 15, 2000 file photo, experts in a speed boat examine the damaged hull of the USS Cole at the Yemeni port of Aden after an al-Qaida attack that killed 17 sailors. The Supreme Court on Tuesday threw out a nearly $315 million judgment against Sudan stemming from the USS Cole bombing, saying Sudan hadn't properly been notified of the lawsuit. (AP Photo/Dimitri Messinis, File)

Justice Samuel Alito, writing for the majority , noted that the ruling is "not the end of the road" for the injured sailors and their spouses who sued. They can try resending notice of the lawsuit, this time to Sudan's foreign ministry in Khartoum. If that fails, they have yet another option, sending it through diplomatic channels.

Justice Clarence Thomas dissented, saying he believed the sailors complied with the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act by sending notice of the lawsuit to the embassy.

Andrew C. Hall, a lawyer who represents survivors of the attack, said Tuesday that he was disappointed with the ruling but said that the case would continue along with a second related case filed by family members of the 17 sailors who died in the attack.

Beyond the current case, the high court's decision will most directly affect victims of terrorist attacks abroad who want to use U.S. courts to sue foreign countries that allegedly provided support for those attacks.

The case is 16-1094, Republic of Sudan v. Harrison.

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Follow Jessica Gresko on Twitter at http://twitter.com/jessicagresko
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - A police officer fired a gun at a colleague at Kayseri Airport in central Turkey on Tuesday and then turned the weapon on himself, Turkey's state-run news agency reported.

The two officers were wounded in the shootings, which occurred at a security check point at the entrance of the airport's domestic departures terminal, Anadolu Agency reported. Both men were hospitalized in serious condition, the report said.

The officers had been in a dispute before one of them shot the other and then tried to take his own life. The reason for the dispute was not disclosed. Anadolu said an investigation has been launched.

Video footage from Kayseri showed a small crowd of people, some with luggage, forming outside the terminal building.

In 2016, suspected Islamic State militants armed with automatic weapons and explosive belts carried out an attack at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport, killing 45 people.
LONDON (AP) - With the date and terms of Britain's departure from the European Union mired in uncertainty, Parliament has seized control of the political process so lawmakers can try to hammer out a way forward. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Theresa May still hopes to win approval for her twice-rejected divorce deal with the bloc.

Here's a look at what might happen next:

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PARLIAMENT TAKES CHARGE

Lawmakers voted Monday to upend the usual parliamentary procedure, in which the government decides the schedule for debates and votes. The House of Commons carved out time for legislators to hold a series of "indicative votes" Wednesday on alternatives to May's defeated deal.

The options up for vote haven't been decided, but are likely to include a "soft Brexit" option that calls for Britain to remain in the EU's single market and customs union. Lawmakers could also vote on whether to hold a new referendum on Britain's EU membership, or on canceling Brexit altogether.

Steve Bray, an anti Brexit protester, holds onto a large megaphone as he demonstrates outside the House of Parliament in London, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. British Prime Minister Theresa May's government says Parliament's decision to take control of the stalled process of leaving the European Union underscores the need for lawmakers to approve her twice-defeated deal. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

The aim is to find out what, if anything, can command majority support in Parliament - and to send the government back to negotiate it with the EU.

The government says Parliament's move sets "a dangerous, unpredictable precedent," but has promised to "engage constructively" with the result of the votes. But ministers say any plan agreed by Parliament must be "realistic" and negotiable with the EU.

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MAY'S DEAL NOT DEAD YET

May hasn't given up hope that the deal she agreed with the bloc setting out the terms of Britain's withdrawal will be passed by Parliament, even though it has been rejected twice by hefty margins.

Under an extension granted by the EU last week, if U.K. lawmakers approve the divorce deal by Friday - Britain's original departure date - Britain will leave the EU on May 22. If they don't, Britain has until April 12 to tell the EU what it plans to do next: leave without a deal, risking economic chaos, or seek a long delay to Brexit and chart a course toward a softer exit or even remaining in the bloc.

May is still holding talks with lawmakers and could try to hold a third vote on the deal on Thursday.

She hopes to persuade pro-Brexit legislators who have previously opposed the deal that if they don't support it, Parliament will either impose a softer Brexit or delay Britain's departure from the bloc indefinitely.

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THE END OF MAY?

British politicians are divided over Brexit, but they agree that the process is a mess - and many blame May, who has refused to consider alternatives to her deal and failed to win changes to the agreement from the EU.

Her authority has been shredded by a series of parliamentary defeats, and many Conservatives are now calling for May to step down. Some pro-Brexit Tories say they would support May's deal if she promised to hand over the next stage of negotiations - when Britain and the EU will hammer out their future relations - to a new leader.

For now, May is standing firm. Under Conservative rules, she can't face a formal leadership challenge from within her own party until December because she survived one three months ago.

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BYE-BYE BREXIT?

Opposition politicians think the only way forward is an early election that could rearrange Parliament and break the political deadlock. May has ruled that out, but could come to see it as her only option.

And anti-Brexit campaigners haven't abandoned the idea of a new Brexit referendum on remaining in the EU. There's currently no majority for that in Parliament, but pro-referendum campaigners feel opinion is shifting in their favor. Hundreds of thousands of people marched through London on Saturday to demand a new Brexit vote.

The "nuclear option" of simply canceling Brexit is also gaining support. An online petition urging the government to revoke the decision to leave the EU has amassed more than 5 million signatures.

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Follow AP's full coverage of Brexit at: https://www.apnews.com/Brexit
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) - A Serbian appeals court has overturned a one-year prison sentence for the widow of former strongman Slobodan Milosevic and ordered a retrial.

Mirjana Markovic is believed to be living freely in Moscow since 2003 despite the legal proceedings against her in Serbia.

A Belgrade court last year convicted Markovic of abusing her position in 2000 when she helped allocate a state-owned apartment to her grandson's nanny.

But the Appeals Court said on Tuesday that the verdict was flawed and that a new trial must be held.

Markovic had also been sought for questioning over the killing of Milosevic's political opponents during his autocratic rule in the 1990s.

Milosevic was ousted from power in 2000. He died in 2006 while on a genocide trial at a U.N. tribunal in The Netherlands.
TORONTO (AP) - China has suspended the license of a second major Canadian canola exporter, a blow to $2 billion worth of exports that is widely seen as retaliation for Canada's arrest of a top executive of Chinese tech giant Huawei.

China's General Administration of Customs announced Tuesday on its website that officials have detected several hazardous organisms in shipments of canola seeds from Viterra Inc. It said shipments from the company have been blocked to prevent the introduction of pests to China.

China announced earlier this month it had halted imports from Canada's other major canola exporter, Richardson International Ltd, also citing contamination.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he might send a high- level delegation to China over the canola issue and acknowledged "challenges" in Canada's relationship with Beijing.

China was infuriated by the Dec. 1 arrest of Huawei's chief financial officer on a U.S. extradition warrant alleging fraud and has since arrested several Canadian citizens on charges the government here says are spurious.

"Clearly, they want to keep punishing us," said Guy Saint-Jacques, a former Canadian ambassador to China.

Canada last year exported $2.1 billion worth of canola seeds to China, by far its largest customer for the grain, which represented 17 percent of all Canadian exports to China.

A spokesman for Viterra confirmed the ban and said all of its exports are tested to ensure they meet import standards. "Market access issues such as this one hurt our industry and Canadian farmers. We are hopeful for a quick resolution to this matter," the spokesman said in a statement.

Industry officials were skeptical about China's reason for halting imports. Richardson has denied China's allegations of pests.

"We're very perplexed about how there can be any change in our canola between this week and eight weeks ago," said Brian Innes, spokesman for the Canola Council.

The arrest of Meng Wanzhou, the daughter of Huawei's founder at Vancouver's airport has led to the worst relations between Canada and China since the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989.

"We are in a real mess because of the extradition request of the Americans," Saint-Jacques said. "This is now translating to billions of dollars in lost sales. It's important for the U.S. government to be more forceful and try to help us out."

On Dec. 10, China arrested two Canadians in an apparent attempt to pressure Canada to release Meng. A Chinese court also sentenced a Canadian to death in a sudden retrial in December, overturning a 15-year prison term handed down earlier.

It is not the first time that Beijing has struck back against a nation that appeared to cross it.

In 2010, China suspended a bilateral trade deal with Norway and restricted imports of Norwegian salmon after the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Chinese political prisoner Liu Xiaobo.

Britain and other countries were also retaliated against over official meetings with the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader who is considered a dangerous separatist by Beijing.
BERLIN (AP) - German prosecutors have launched their own investigation into the sale of submarines to Israel, where several former aides to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and ex-officials already face corruption-related charges.

Bochum prosecutors told the dpa news agency Tuesday they had opened the case against persons unknown based upon media reports of the ongoing probe in Israel.

Netanyahu was questioned in the case last summer but isn't a suspect. Israeli police have recommended his personal attorney, David Shimron, who is also his cousin, be indicted on charges of bribery and money laundering.

Several involved in the $2 billion purchase of the submarines from Germany's ThyssenKrupp are alleged to have been part of a massive bribery scheme.

ThyssenKrupp declined to comment on the new probe, saying the company is not under investigation.
LONDON (AP) - The European Commission ignored U.S. calls to ban Chinese tech supplier Huawei as it announced Tuesday a series of cybersecurity recommendations for next-generation mobile networks.

In its guidance for the rollout of ultrafast fifth-generation, or 5G, telecom systems across the European Union in coming years, the Commission urged member states to assess cyber threats to the 5G infrastructure in their national markets.

That information should then be shared among EU countries as part of a coordinated effort to develop a "toolbox of mitigating measures" and minimum common standards for 5G network security by the end of the year, the EU's executive branch said.

The proposals are a setback for the United States, which has been lobbying allies in Europe to boycott Huawei over fears its equipment could be used by China's communist leaders to carry out cyberespionage.

The EU's digital commissioner, Andrus Ansip, acknowledged those concerns, saying they stem from Beijing's 2017 intelligence law that compels Chinese companies to assist in intelligence gathering.

"I think we have to be worried about this," Ansip said at a press briefing in Strasbourg.

FILE - In this Sept. 26, 2018 file photo, a staff member uses a laptop at a display for 5G wireless technology from Chinese technology firm Huawei at the PT Expo in Beijing. The European Commission recommends member countries share information as part of new cybersecurity measures for next-generation mobile networks. However, the commission is ducking U.S. calls to ban Chinese tech supplier Huawei. The executive Commission on Tuesday, March 26, 2019 released its roadmap for securing new ultrafast fifth-generation, or 5G, telecom systems that European Union countries will soon start rolling out. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)

However, commission officials signaled they prefer to secure Europe's critical digital infrastructure with a more nuanced approach, rather than bowing to U.S. pressure for blanket bans.

Huawei said in a statement it welcomed the commission's "objective and proportionate" recommendations. The privately owned Chinese company has repeatedly said there's never been evidence it was responsible for any security breaches.

Huawei still faces scrutiny under Brussels' plan. Security Commissioner Julian King said EU countries should identify and manage security risks, including by ensuring a diverse range of equipment makers and factoring in "legal and policy frameworks governing third-country suppliers."

Countries would have the right to ban companies for national security reasons and could also agree on EU-wide measures to identify products or suppliers considered potentially unsecure, the commission said.

Commission guidance is non-binding but EU countries often use it as the basis for joint policies.

5G mobile networks promise superfast download speeds with little signal delay, advances that are expected to underpin a new wave of innovation, including connected cars, remote medicine and factory robots.

Huawei is the world's biggest maker of telecom infrastructure equipment such as radio base stations and network switches. Telecom providers like its equipment because it's good quality and cheaper than Scandinavian rivals Nokia and Ericsson.

The issue has taken on more urgency as EU countries prepare to auction off 5G frequencies to telecom operators. The U.S. warned Germany, which began its auction earlier this month, that allowing untrustworthy companies to supply equipment could jeopardize the sharing of sensitive information.

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Follow the AP's coverage of technology at https://apnews.com/apf-technology

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Follow Kelvin Chan at twitter.com/chanman

Huawei CEO Richard Yu displays the new Huawei P30 smartphone during a presentation, in Paris, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Huawei CEO Richard Yu displays the new Huawei P30 smartphone during a presentation, in Paris, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
MEXICO CITY (AP) - A new migrant caravan of about 2,500 people was making its way through southern Mexico on Tuesday, headed for the U.S. border, facing greater heat - and a much cooler welcome - than last year's caravans.

The caravan walked past the city of Huixtla in the southern state of Chiapas on Monday, but police were lined up to keep them moving along a highway outside of the town, and did not let them enter - a contrast to last year, when caravans were allowed to stay in the city center.

The city said in a statement that it offered water and medical help to the caravan of 2,466 people, mainly from Nicaragua, Cuba, El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala. It said the caravan included many children in the caravan, and some were suffering in the area's near-100-degree (39-degree) heat.

Such caravans aren't getting as a warm a welcome as they did last fall, when local governments and church groups handed out food, water and clothing and police sometimes helped the migrants get rides.

Activists said that the Mexican government was trying to wear the caravans out, or stop them from trying to reach the United States.

"It is a strategy to break them up ... to stop the caravans," said Irineo Mujica of the aid group Pueblo Sin Fronteras, which accompanied last year's caravans and the ones this year.

This year, the Mexican government abruptly stopped issuing "humanitarian" visas at the border with Guatemala. The visas had given migrants legal status while they made their way to the U.S. border.

That decision led a group of migrants, including many Cubans, to rush immigration offices near the border last week. The immigration agency closed those offices in response to the scuffle.

And, following the recent disappearance of 19 migrants in the northern border state of Tamaulipas, police and immigration agents have been increasingly detaining and deporting migrants there. Migrants in Tamaulipas generally use smugglers and are not part of caravans.

In February, a caravan of about 1,600 Central American migrants was confined to an improvised shelter at an old factory building in the northern state of Coahuila.

Migrants were allowed to move freely through Mexico last fall. But Mujica said Mexico had changed its policy "to comply with the expectations of (U.S. President Donald) Trump."
LOS ANGELES (AP) - The family of the Grammy-nominated Swedish electronic dance DJ Avicii (ah-VEE'-chee) is launching a foundation in his memory.

The international pop star, whose name was Tim Bergling, died in Muscat, Oman, on April 20, 2018. He was 28 years old. Police said there was no evidence of foul play.

His family announced Tuesday that the Tim Bergling Foundation will initially focus on supporting people and organizations in the field of mental illness and suicide prevention. It also will be active in climate change, nature conservation and endangered species.

The foundation's objectives may be pursued in Sweden and abroad.

The international pop star performed his electronic dance songs at music festivals around the world and landed on U.S. radio with his country-dance mashup "Wake Me Up."

He retired from touring in 2016.
MEXICO CITY (AP) - Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador asked Spain on Tuesday to set up a kind of fact-finding commission on the 1519-1521 conquest of Mexico to determine what kind of apology is warranted.

Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell quickly knocked the idea down, saying, "Obviously Spain will not issue these apologies that have been requested."

"It seems a little strange that apologies are being demanded now for things that happened 500 years ago" Borrell said during a trip to Argentina. "In the same sense that we are not going to demand that France apologize for the actions of Napoleon's soldiers when they invaded Spain"

Lopez Obrador's proposal to stir up old ghosts has drawn some puzzled reactions in Mexico as well. Some wondered if Mexico would demand apologies from France or the United States - both of which also invaded Mexico - and some noted Lopez Obrador's grandfather was Spanish.

Lopez Obrador said he wants the commission to determine what abuses were committed, so Spain can apologize. Most of Mexico's indigenous population died within decades after the Spanish arrived, largely by diseases carried from Europe.

"What we want to see is if we can put together a joint group to do some fact-finding about what happened, and humbly, based on that, accept our mistakes," Lopez Obrador said Tuesday. "That way, we will know what happened 500 years ago, how things happened, if there were abuses or not."

FILE - In this Friday, March 8, 2019 file photo, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador answers questions from journalists at his daily 7 a.m. press conference at the National Palace in Mexico City. Lopez Obrador said he sent a letter to Spain and the Vatican on March 1, asking them to apologize for the conquest of the Americas five centuries ago. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte, File)

Few would seriously doubt there were abuses by Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes from the time he fought his first battle against Chontal Indians in Tabasco around March 25, 1519, marking the start of what Mexicans call "The Conquest."

But the Spanish government has argued that "the arrival, 500 years ago, of Spaniards to what is today Mexican territory cannot be judged in the light of contemporary considerations."

For about a century, Mexico had been willing to let slide the assessment of historic guilt associated with the Conquest.

The official philosophy was stated on a plaque erected in the 1960s at Mexico City's Tlatelolco Square, commemorating the final battle on August 13, 1521, when the Aztec empire fell to the Spaniards.

"It was neither a triumph or a defeat, it was the painful birth of the mestizo (mixed-race) country that is Mexico," the plaque reads.

Indeed, prior to Lopez Obrador's demand Monday for an apology from Spain, most Mexicans appeared content to let the anniversary pass unheeded.

Rosa Maria Gonzalez Moreno, 61, a primary teacher, had walked by Mexico City's Jesus Nazareno church for years and never knew it held Cortes' tomb.

In fact, the metal plaque marking what is thought to be Cortes' final resting place is barely visible near the altar. It wasn't until a week ago, when Gonzalez Moreno attended the rehearsal for her godson's first communion, that another parishioner told her about the tomb.

"Imagine, I walked by here every day for years and never knew it was where Cortes was buried," said Gonzalez Moreno. "You have to learn about history, the good and the bad. The Spaniards brought bad things, but also good things. Some say without them we never would have had our Catholic religion."

One thing that is being reconsidered is how massive the effects of the Conquest were: One recent study suggests it may have changed the global climate.

The study by researchers at University College London suggested that the deaths of so many indigenous people across the hemisphere may have triggered mass forest grow-backs, sucking so much carbon out of the atmosphere that global temperatures fell in the late 1500s and 1600s.

Now some of the reconsideration has taken unexpected directions.

A senator from Lopez Obrador's leftist Morena party, vegan actress Jesusa Rodriguez, suggested Mexicans should give up their beloved roast pork tacos because the Spaniards brought the first pigs to the Aztec capital, known as Tenochtitlan.

"You should realize that every time you eat roast pork tacos, you are celebrating the fall of Tenochtitlan," Rodriguez said in a video on March 14.

Former president Felipe Calderon called Rodriguez "delirious," and acted as if she had attacked Mexico's national values.

"I love carnitas (roast pork), they are a symbol for us," Calderon wrote.

Lopez Obrador says he doesn't want confrontation and views the 500th anniversary of the conquest as a chance to have a "year of reconciliation." He noted that 2021 would also mark the 200th anniversary of Mexico's Independence from Spain.

Lopez Obrador acknowledged Tuesday that not all the abuses were committed by Spain. He offered to apologize to indigenous groups for abuses committed by Mexico once it threw off Spanish rule.

But the president said he couldn't attend the anniversary of the April 22, 1519, founding of the city of Veracruz, because, until things are cleared up, he's in no mood for celebration.

Historian Rodrigo Martinez Baracs said Mexico has to move beyond a black-and-white vision of the events.

"We Mexicans reject the Conquest, Cortes and the Spaniards so much because of a version of history born during the Independence period, when they created the image of Spaniards as evil, greedy and strong and Indians as weak, innocent and poor," wrote Martinez Baracs. "This Liberal-era history ... stressed a sort of inferiority complex that has to be overcome."
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) - A bomb exploded in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, on Tuesday killing one person and wounding another.

The blast from a bomb planted in a private luxury car exploded in Mogadishu's Hodan district, killing the driver and injuring a nearby pedestrian, said police Col. Ahmed Abdi.

There was no immediate claim for the bombing, the latest in a string of attacks often claimed by the Somalia's Islamic extremist rebels, al-Shabab, who are linked to al-Qaida and are fighting to topple the western-backed government protected by African Union forces.

Medics carry away the body of a civilian who was killed when an explosive device planted in his car detonated, in Mogadishu, Somalia Tuesday, March 26, 2019. A Somali police officer says the bomb exploded killing the driver and injuring a nearby pedestrian in the Hodan district of the capital. (AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh)

A member of security forces walks past the burned-out vehicle after a bomb planted in it exploded in Mogadishu, Somalia Tuesday, March 26, 2019. A Somali police officer says the bomb exploded killing the driver and injuring a nearby pedestrian in the Hodan district of the capital. (AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh)
SAGINAW, Mich. (AP) - A 72-year-old Michigan priest has pleaded no contest to sexual misconduct, less than a week after he was acquitted in a different case .

The Rev. Robert DeLand's plea occurred Tuesday before jury selection in the second of three trials.

The Saginaw County prosecutor's office says the plea closes three remaining cases. DeLand pleaded no contest to second-degree criminal sexual conduct causing injury and gross indecency between males. Some charges were dropped.

A no-contest plea means DeLand didn't contest the evidence. There was no sentencing agreement with prosecutors. Authorities won't comment until a news conference Wednesday.

DeLand was pastor at St. Agnes Church in Freeland until his arrest in February 2018. He also regularly mixed with students at Freeland High School.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - A 20-year-old ex-Neo-Nazi accused in the 2017 fatal shootings of his roommates has returned to jail after a stint at a Florida mental hospital.

The Tampa Bay Times reports Devon Arthurs was booked into the Hillsborough County Jail on Monday night after undergoing treatment to make him competent to stand trial. He's facing two counts of first-degree murder and kidnapping charges for holding people at gunpoint in a nearby smoke shop after the killings.

Authorities say Arthurs rambled about Islam before Tampa police persuaded him to surrender. Arthurs then told police they would find his roommates dead in their townhouse.

A fourth roommate, Brandon Russell, who was the leader of a Neo-Nazi group, had nothing to do with the killings but was later sentenced to federal prison on bomb-making charges.
GENEVA (AP) - The United States has blocked a meeting of the World Trade Organization's dispute body, gumming up its operations over the Trump administration's refusal to recognize the government of President Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela.

The U.S. delegation refused to approve the agenda of the Dispute Settlement Body that was to take up several issues on Tuesday, including a Venezuelan effort to lift U.S. sanctions and measures against Maduro's government and entourage.

Approval of the DSB agenda requires consensus. Such a postponement is rare, and the move amounts to a new U.S. tactic to try to ratchet up pressure against Maduro's government.

The United States and dozens of other countries mostly in Latin America and Europe, have recognized Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela's acting president.
SAN DIEGO (AP) - The mayor of San Diego is proposing a new law to ban the growing problem of homeless people living in vehicles near beaches.

The move announced Monday follows numerous complaints about public urination, trash and illegal activity since an ordinance that had been in place was repealed in February following a federal judge's ruling that it was too vague, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

Mayor Kevin Faulconer said the city will double the number of so-called safe parking lots where people who live in vehicles can stay at night, and he will present the proposed law to the City Council's Public Safety and Livable Neighborhoods Committee on April 17.

"If you are living out of your vehicle because you have nowhere else to go, we want to help you," Faulconer told a press conference.

"At the same time, residents and businesses have a right to clean and safe neighborhoods," he said.

Last summer, U.S. District Judge Anthony Battaglia issued an injunction against the old law in response to a lawsuit filed on behalf of homeless people who live in vehicles because they don't do well in regular shelters, the newspaper said.

The judge said the law did not indicate specifically what turns a vehicle into a person's home or "living quarters."

The City Council then repealed the law in February.

Faulconer said the city attorney has been working on a new law that will be based on vehicle habitation ordinances in other cities. The goal is to hold people accountable for behavior that damages the city's quality of life, not to criminalize homelessness, he said.

Homeless advocate Michael McConnell called the proposal a "Band-Aid type response" and not long-term strategy.

"I would support a new vehicle habitation law if the law respects that we have this raging crisis on our streets," he said.

In addition to the homeless problem, the mayor also noted there are visitors who sleep in their vans, "using our neighborhoods as a vacation spot, or as stopping points as they travel from city to city."

Brian White, president of a council that advocates for residents of the Pacific Beach area of San Diego, said that in addition to those "van-lifers," people have begun to advertise campers parked near beaches.

"It's basically the camper van version of a short-term vacation rental," he said.

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Information from: The San Diego Union-Tribune, http://www.utsandiego.com
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - NASA has nixed the first all-female spacewalk over a spacesuit sizing issue.

Astronaut Anne McClain was supposed to float out of the International Space Station this Friday with newly arrived Christina Koch, to replace old batteries. But McClain pulled herself from the lineup because there's not enough time to get two medium suits ready for them. Koch will go out with a male crewmate, Nick Hague.

NASA spokeswoman Brandi Dean said Tuesday that McClain trained before flight in both medium and large spacesuits. She wore a medium when she went out on her first spacewalk last Friday and was supposed to switch to a large this week. But after last week's spacewalk, she decided that a large would be too big.

It would have taken 12 hours to get another medium spacesuit ready and potentially compromised safety, according to Dean. These spacewalks are months late, and with cargo deliveries coming up, NASA wants to keep everything on track.

In 54 years of spacewalking, women have only gone outside with men. That's because men have always outnumbered women in space. As women continue to make up a greater percentage of the astronaut corps, more gender records will be set and not just in spacewalking, Dean noted.

McClain, Koch and Hague are part of NASA's Astronaut Class of 2013, the only time there have been the same number of women accepted as men. NASA chose four women and four men that year.

In this Jan. 18, 2019 photo made available by NASA, Flight Engineer Anne McClain looks at a laptop computer screen inside the U.S. Destiny laboratory module of the International Space Station. McClain was supposed to participate in a spacewalk Friday, March 29, 2019 with newly arrived Christina Koch. But McClain pulled herself from the lineup because there's not enough time to get two mediums suits ready. Koch will go out with a male crewmate. (NASA via AP)

Koch and Hague will continue the battery-swapping work that McClain and Hague began last Friday outside the space station. Old nickel-hydrogen batteries in the solar power grid are being replaced with new, powerful lithium-ion batteries.

McClain will get another shot at spacewalking April 8 when she ventures outside with Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques. There are six U.S. spacesuit tops on the station - or hard upper torsos, as NASA calls them - with two considered spares. Both Hague and Saint-Jacques take large.

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The Associated Press Health & Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
SAN ONOFRE, Calif. (AP) - The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is fining the Southern California Edison utility $116,000 for violations in its handling of nuclear canisters at the shuttered San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station.

The decision announced Monday in an online town hall meeting involves the transfer of radioactive nuclear waste containers from cooling pools to safer bunkers.

The violations were a failure to have a backup system in case a fuel canister was dropped and failure to notify the commission within 24 hours after a canister was at risk of being dropped into an 18-foot-deep (5.5-meter-deep) bunker rather than being lowered.

The Orange County Register reports Southern California Edison can dispute the fine but issued a statement indicating it would accept the penalty, saying the event should not have happened and takes full responsibility.

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Information from: The Orange County Register, http://www.ocregister.com
ROME (AP) - Former White House strategist Steve Bannon said Tuesday that the "poisonous" atmosphere that built in Washington during the now-completed Russia investigation has set back efforts to work with Russia "to unite the Judeo-Christian West."

Bannon is in Italy working to unite nationalist voters ahead of May 23-26 elections to the European Parliament.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday at the Foreign Press Association in Rome, Bannon said China - not Russia - is the "existential threat" to the Western world.

He praised how special counsel Robert Mueller carried out his investigation - which recently concluded President Donald Trump did not collude with Russia - but described it as a distraction.

"Eventually we've got to unite the Judeo-Christian West and Russia is part of that, and now that's going to take many, many, many decades," Bannon said.

Bannon, who is Catholic, also lashed out at Pope Francis, saying he should focus on fixing the sex abuse crisis in the church and stay out of politics. The pope has often called for acceptance and compassion for refugees and migrants.

Former White House strategist Steve Bannon speaks during a press conference at the Foreign Press Club in Rome, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis)

"The Pope should, to me, stop focusing on free citizens and populists and nationalists and sovereignty movements that are trying get their countries back, and make their countries stronger," he said. "And he should start to focus on the metastasizing cancer in the Catholic Church or we are not going to have an apparatus of the Catholic Church because it is going to be financially liquidated."

Former White House strategist Steve Bannon speaks during a press conference at the Foreign Press Club in Rome, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis)

Former White House strategist Steve Bannon speaks during a press conference at the Foreign Press Club in Rome, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis)

Former White House strategist Steve Bannon speaks during a press conference at the Foreign Press Club in Rome, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis)
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Kentucky's largest school district has turned over a preliminary list of teachers who used sick days to protest at the state Capitol.

The names were requested by Education Commissioner Wayne Lewis after Jefferson County Public Schools canceled classes multiple times in recent weeks due to teacher absences.

Lewis has said it isn't his intent to discipline teachers who used sick days to protest, but he wouldn't rule it out.

Jefferson County school district spokeswoman Renee Murphy told news outlets the list was sent Monday, but declined to say how many names were on it.

Teachers protested at the Capitol as lawmakers considered proposals that would change who manages the teachers' pension fund and indirectly support private schools with tax credits. The final day of the 2019 legislative session is Thursday.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Utah Gov. Gary Herbert has signed a law banning most abortions after 18 weeks of gestation, setting the stage for a legal showdown.

Though the Republican governor said the measure signed late Monday strikes a balance, opponents said it is unconstitutional and promised to sue. The law is expected to take effect in May.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Utah pointed to the U.S. Supreme Court's longtime holding that states cannot ban abortion before the fetus is viable outside the womb, usually at about 23 weeks.

The ban adds to a long list of abortion restrictions in Utah, including a 72-hour waiting period and an in-person informed consent session, Planned Parenthood of Utah said.

"This 18-week ban is clearly unconstitutional and part of a broader agenda to ban abortion one law at a time," president Karrie Galloway said in a statement.

The law comes as abortion opponents across the country are emboldened by President Donald Trump's appointment of conservative U.S. Supreme Court justices and seek cases to challenge Roe v. Wade, the court's 1973 ruling that legalized abortion nationwide.

FILE - In this March 14, 2019, file photo, the House Representatives are shown on the last day of the 2019 Utah legislative session, at the Utah State Capitol. Utah Gov. Gary Herbert has signed a law banning most abortions after 18 weeks of gestation, setting the stage for a legal showdown. (Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP, File)

Republican Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson has also signed an 18-week ban, and several other states have considered or passed proposals to ban abortion much earlier, once a fetal heartbeat can be found.

In Utah, Herbert's spokesman Paul Edwards said he's against abortion, and believes lawmakers set an appropriate threshold for respecting a woman's right to choose while "protecting the unborn."

The measure allows some exceptions, including cases of rape, fatal fetal deformity or serious detriment to the mother's health.

Herbert has said he is not worried about the potential cost of a lawsuit, estimated at about $2 million if the state loses.

The sponsor of the measure, Republican Rep. Cheryl Acton, has said she sponsored it to reduce the number of second-trimester abortions that "shock the conscience."

Herbert also signed into law this year a measure banning abortion if the only reason is a fetal diagnosis of Down syndrome. The law contains a so-called trigger clause and wouldn't go into effect unless a similar measure is upheld elsewhere.

FILE - In this Jan. 28, 2019, file photo, state Rep. Cheryl Acton, R-West Jordan, is sworn in on the House floor at the Utah State Capitol in Salt Lake City. Utah Gov. Gary Herbert has signed a law banning most abortions after 18 weeks of gestation, setting the stage for a legal showdown. The sponsor of the measure, Republican Rep. Acton, has said she sponsored it to reduce the number of second-trimester abortions that "shock the conscience." The law is expected to take effect in May. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

FILE - In this March 8, 2018, file photo, shows the Utah State Capitol in Salt Lake City. Utah Gov. Gary Herbert has signed a law banning most abortions after 18 weeks of gestation, setting the stage for a legal showdown. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)
NASHVILLE, N.C. (AP) - A North Carolina man accused of killing his wife has appeared in court to face a murder charge after being captured in Arizona.

WRAL-TV reports that 57-year-old Rexford Lynn Keel Jr. requested a court-appointed attorney and made no statements during a brief hearing on Tuesday.

Keel was arrested March 17 in Arizona on an arrest warrant accusing him of killing his 38-year-old wife.

Diana Alejandra Keel went missing March 9. Her body was found in another North Carolina county. Nash County Sheriff Keith Stone said it appears she died of multiple stab wounds, and that he wants to take a closer look at the 2006 death of Keel's first wife, which was ruled an accidental fall.

Keel's next hearing is scheduled for April 11.

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Rexford Lynn Keel Jr. is seen in a photo provided Sunday March 17, 2019 by the Pima County NC Sheriff's Department. Keel Jr. was arrested Sunday on the outskirts of Tucson, Arizona, by state troopers. North Carolina authorities say they obtained an arrest warrant Friday accusing Keel of murder in his wife's death. (Pima County Sheriff's Department via AP)

Information from: WRAL-TV, http://www.wral.com
MOSCOW (AP) - Five years into Ukraine's conflict with Russia, Moscow seems to have Ukraine pinned against the ropes. Ukraine's ambition of joining the European Union and NATO is indefinitely stalled. It has no realistic way to reclaim control of Russian-annexed Crimea, or to end the war with Russia-backed separatists in the east.

It's no wonder a comedian is leading in the polls for Sunday's presidential election.

The Kremlin has long seen Ukraine's plan to join NATO as a threat that must be fended off at all costs, and its calculations that the conflict in eastern Ukraine's Donbass region would scuttle the nation's membership bid seems to have worked.

"The Russian strategy is to keep the Donbass conflict smoldering for a long time and use it as an instrument to influence Ukraine's internal political situation and also as a major obstacle to Ukraine's membership in the EU and NATO," said Volodymyr Fesenko, head of the Penta Center, a Kiev-based thinktank.

"As long as the territorial problem of Crimea and Donbass remains, as long as the fighting in Donbass continues, it will be a decisive argument against letting Ukraine join the EU and NATO," he said.

In February 2014, Ukraine's former Russia-friendly president was ousted by mass protests sparked by his refusal to sign an association deal with the EU. Moscow saw his ouster as a Western-staged plot and responded by quickly annexing Ukraine's Crimea, a move seen by most countries as illegal, and backing a separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine.

FILE - In this Friday, June 6, 2014 file photo, Ukraine's President-elect Petro Poroshenko, left, walks past Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, during the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the D-Day in Ouistreham, western France. Five years into Ukraine's conflict with Russia, Moscow seems to have Ukraine pinned against the ropes. Ukraine's ambition of joining the EU and NATO is indefinitely stalled, it has no realistic way to reclaim control of Russian-annexed Crimea, or to end the war with Russia-backed separatists in the east. It's no wonder a comedian is leading in the polls for the presidential election on Sunday, March 31, 2019. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, pool)

Ukraine has since signed an association deal with the EU and won a much-coveted visa-free travel deal with the bloc. But its hopes for joining the EU appear as elusive as ever, and that has contributed to public disenchantment and eroding the popularity of President Petro Poroshenko.

The U.S. and the EU have maintained strong political support for Ukraine, most recently over Russia's seizure of Ukrainian ships and their crews in November. But both NATO and the EU have made it clear they are not going to put Ukraine on a track to membership any time soon.

Asked last week when the EU and NATO could open the doors for Ukraine, German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert said curtly "that is still not on the table for us."

Stefan Meister, an analyst at the German Council on Foreign Relations, said that German leaders feel that opening the path to NATO for Ukraine would further strain relations with Russia and fear that the commitment for mutual defense of alliance members could lead to open conflict with Russia if Ukraine were to join. "There is more or less a consensus on this with the allies," he said.

Meister added that the EU is still dealing with integrating its youngest members - including Romania and Bulgaria - and putting Ukraine on that path now would be unworkable.

"I think it's something where people just say we will create problems for ourselves," he said in a telephone interview from his office in Berlin.

Western allies also have been increasingly exasperated with the slow pace of Ukraine's institutional reforms and efforts to combat corruption.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, issued an unusually harsh statement criticizing a Constitutional Court ruling that absolved Ukrainian officials of the obligation to prove legitimate the origin of their assets. She called that a "serious setback in the fight against corruption in Ukraine."

"It is increasingly clear that Ukraine's once-in-a-generation opportunity for change, for which such a high price was paid five years ago ... has not yet resulted in the anti-corruption or rule of law reforms that Ukrainians expect or deserve," she said.

In a spat reflecting the tensions, Ukraine's top prosecutor claimed that Yovanovitch had given him a list of people his office shouldn't prosecute - a claim the U.S. State Department rejected as false.

While Putin may have succeeded for now in impeding Ukraine's closer integration into Western alliances, Russia has paid a high price for annexing Crimea and backing rebels in eastern Ukraine.

The U.S. and the EU have hit Moscow with several waves of economic and financial sanctions, restricting its access to global financial markets and cutting supplies of key energy and defense technologies.

In 2015, France and Germany brokered a peace agreement that reduced the scope of fighting in eastern Ukraine that has left about 13,000 dead. The Minsk deal required Ukraine to grant sweeping autonomy to the rebel regions, effectively allowing them to run their own affairs - a provision that was broadly rejected by Ukraine's political forces. A political settlement has stalled and regular clashes have continued.

The conflict in the east and rampant official corruption aren't the only problems in Ukraine worrying the West.

Last week, ambassadors of the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations sent a letter to the Ukrainian Interior Ministry, voicing concern about the threat posed by extreme right groups ahead of the elections.

International human rights organizations have long raised alarms about the rise of the ultra-right groups, who have targeted gay and women's rights activists and Roma encampments around the country.

The state-sponsored glorification of leaders of Ukraine's World War II-era nationalist movement - which included an insurgent army that sided with the Nazis - has angered Israel and Poland. Tensions have also simmered between Ukraine and Hungary over the alleged violation of ethnic Hungarians' rights in western Ukraine, following the adoption of an education law that practically eliminated the use of Hungarian and other minority languages.

Ukraine's media freedom record has drawn rebukes too.

Earlier this month, Austria strongly criticized Ukraine's refusal to grant entry to a reporter as an "act of censorship" defying European values. Ukraine shot back, accusing Austria of being too friendly to Russia.

"Ukraine looks more like a source of tensions and conflict, both geopolitically and economically, than an equal and attractive partner," said Andriy Yermolayev, director of the New Ukraine research center. "A full-fledged membership in the EU and NATO is just a beautiful political utopia."

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Yuras Karmanau in Kiev, Ukraine, and David Rising and Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed to this report.

FILE - In this Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019 file photo, activists of various nationalist parties carry torches during a rally in Kiev, Ukraine. Five years into Ukraine's conflict with Russia, Moscow seems to have Ukraine pinned against the ropes. Ukraine's ambition of joining the EU and NATO is indefinitely stalled, it has no realistic way to reclaim control of Russian-annexed Crimea, or to end the war with Russia-backed separatists in the east. It's no wonder a comedian is leading in the polls for the presidential election on Sunday, March 31, 2019. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky, File)

FILE - In this Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2018 file photo, a Ukrainian soldier takes his position near frontline with Russia-backed separatists in Shyrokyne, eastern Ukraine. Five years into Ukraine's conflict with Russia, Moscow seems to have Ukraine pinned against the ropes. Ukraine's ambition of joining the EU and NATO is indefinitely stalled, it has no realistic way to reclaim control of Russian-annexed Crimea, or to end the war with Russia-backed separatists in the east. It's no wonder a comedian is leading in the polls for the presidential election on Sunday, March 31, 2019. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka, File)

FILE - In this Monday, March 18, 2019 file photo, Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, meets with local residents and veterans at the historical memorial the Malakhov Kurgan (Malakoff redoubt) in Sevastopol, Crimea. Five years into Ukraine's conflict with Russia, Moscow seems to have Ukraine pinned against the ropes. Ukraine's ambition of joining the EU and NATO is indefinitely stalled, it has no realistic way to reclaim control of Russian-annexed Crimea, or to end the war with Russia-backed separatists in the east. It's no wonder a comedian is leading in the polls for the presidential election on Sunday, March 31, 2019. (Mikhail Klimentyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)

FILE In this Friday, June 6, 2014 file photo, Ukraine's President-elect Petro Poroshenko, right, walks past Russian President Vladimir Putin during the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the D-Day in Ouistreham, western France. Five years into Ukraine's conflict with Russia, Moscow seems to have Ukraine pinned against the ropes. Ukraine's ambition of joining the EU and NATO is indefinitely stalled, it has no realistic way to reclaim control of Russian-annexed Crimea, or to end the war with Russia-backed separatists in the east. It's no wonder a comedian is leading in the polls for the presidential election on Sunday, March 31, 2019. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, file)

FILE - In this file photo taken on Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2018, a Ukrainian police officer walks near his position at the checkpoint in Berdyansk, south coast of Azov sea, eastern Ukraine. Five years into Ukraine's conflict with Russia, Moscow seems to have Ukraine pinned against the ropes. Ukraine's ambition of joining the EU and NATO is indefinitely stalled, it has no realistic way to reclaim control of Russian-annexed Crimea, or to end the war with Russia-backed separatists in the east. It's no wonder a comedian is leading in the polls for the presidential election on Sunday, March 31, 2019. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka, File)

FILE - In this Friday, Oct. 17, 2014 file photo, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, right, talks to Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, as they meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, center back to camera, and French President Francois Hollande, center face to camera, in Milan, Italy. Five years into Ukraine's conflict with Russia, Moscow seems to have Ukraine pinned against the ropes. Ukraine's ambition of joining the EU and NATO is indefinitely stalled, it has no realistic way to reclaim control of Russian-annexed Crimea, or to end the war with Russia-backed separatists in the east. It's no wonder a comedian is leading in the polls for the presidential election on Sunday, March 31, 2019. (Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)

FILE - In this Monday, March 18, 2019 file photo, Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, gestures while speaking at an outdoor concert in Crimea's regional capital of Simferopol, Crimea. Five years into Ukraine's conflict with Russia, Moscow seems to have Ukraine pinned against the ropes. Ukraine's ambition of joining the EU and NATO is indefinitely stalled, it has no realistic way to reclaim control of Russian-annexed Crimea, or to end the war with Russia-backed separatists in the east. It's no wonder a comedian is leading in the polls for the presidential election on Sunday, March 31, 2019. (Yuri Kadobnov/Pool Photo via AP, File)

FILE - In this Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2014 file photo, Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, shakes hands with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, prior to their talks in Minsk, Belarus. Five years into Ukraine's conflict with Russia, Moscow seems to have Ukraine pinned against the ropes. Ukraine's ambition of joining the EU and NATO is indefinitely stalled, it has no realistic way to reclaim control of Russian-annexed Crimea, or to end the war with Russia-backed separatists in the east. It's no wonder a comedian is leading in the polls for the presidential election on Sunday, March 31, 2019. (AP Photo/Kazakh Presidential Press Service, Sergei Bondarenko, Pool, File)

FILE In this Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015 file photo, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, left back to a camera, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, second left, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, second right, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, walk together to continue their peace talks in Minsk, Belarus. Five years into Ukraine's conflict with Russia, Moscow seems to have Ukraine pinned against the ropes. Ukraine's ambition of joining the EU and NATO is indefinitely stalled, it has no realistic way to reclaim control of Russian-annexed Crimea, or to end the war with Russia-backed separatists in the east. It's no wonder a comedian is leading in the polls for the presidential election on Sunday, March 31, 2019. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)

FILE In this Thursday, Feb. 2, 2017 file photo, an elderly woman stands at her house damaged by shelling in Avdiivka, eastern Ukraine. Five years into Ukraine's conflict with Russia, Moscow seems to have Ukraine pinned against the ropes. Ukraine's ambition of joining the EU and NATO is indefinitely stalled, it has no realistic way to reclaim control of Russian-annexed Crimea, or to end the war with Russia-backed separatists in the east. It's no wonder a comedian is leading in the polls for the presidential election on Sunday, March 31, 2019. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka, File)

FILE - In this Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019 file photo, activists of various nationalist parties carry torches during a rally in Kiev, Ukraine. Five years into Ukraine's conflict with Russia, Moscow seems to have Ukraine pinned against the ropes. Ukraine's ambition of joining the EU and NATO is indefinitely stalled, it has no realistic way to reclaim control of Russian-annexed Crimea, or to end the war with Russia-backed separatists in the east. It's no wonder a comedian is leading in the polls for the presidential election on Sunday, March 31, 2019. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky, File)
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) - Norwegian police say an avalanche in northern Norway has killed two people.

Bent-Are Eilertsen, police spokesman for Norway's northern Nordland district, said the 200-meter-wide (660-foot) avalanche happened Tuesday on the southern tip of the Lofoten archipelago.

Eilertsen said the two people who died were sitting in construction equipment on a road at the foot of Durmaalstind mountain at the time.

He didn't identify the victims.

Four skiers - a woman from Sweden and three men from Finland - were killed by a 300-meter-wide (990-foot) avalanche in northern Norway, near Tromsoe, in January.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on the special counsel's Russia report (all times local):

4:05 p.m.

A Justice Department official says it will take Attorney General William Barr "weeks, not months," to finish reviewing special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation report and make a version available for the public.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity Tuesday to discuss the Justice Department's plans.

The official also said there were no plans for the department to give the report to the White House.

Six House Democratic committee chairmen on Monday asked Barr to turn over the report by April 2, though it's unclear if the Justice Department will make that deadline.

President Trump leaves after attending the weekly Republican policy luncheon on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Barr has said previously that he wants to make as much public as he can under the law, though grand jury material is not expected to be released.

- By Eric Tucker

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2:50 p.m.

President Donald Trump says Robert Mueller's investigation gave him a "clean bill of health" and he hopes the conclusion of the probe means "a new beginning."

That's according to senators who dined with Trump Tuesday at the Republicans' weekly policy meeting. Several said Trump talked about trade, China and health care policy in the closed lunch.

Trump took the victory lap on Capitol Hill after Mueller reported finding no conspiracy between the Trump campaign and the Russian government in the 2016 election. But Mueller declined to make a conclusion on whether Trump obstructed justice, saying there was evidence on both sides of the question.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the president is in "a very good mood for all the obvious reasons."

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1:35 p.m.

President Donald Trump says the outcome of special counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian election interference "could not have been better."

Arriving at the Senate to meet with Republicans, Trump falsely claimed Mueller's report found "no obstruction, no collusion."

Mueller did not find a criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia, but he did not make a conclusion about whether Trump obstructed justice. That's according to a summary of Mueller's report from Attorney General William Barr.

Republican leaders showed support for the president. Trump was flanked during his remarks by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Sen. Roy Blunt, chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee. When Trump entered the private weekly lunch, Republicans could be heard applauding.

Mueller concluded his two-year investigation last week.

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12:30 p.m.

The House Judiciary Committee has approved a Republican request to demand documents from the Justice Department about former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe's claim Justice Department officials discussed using the Constitution's 25th Amendment to remove President Donald Trump from office.

McCabe has said the discussions happened after former FBI Director James Comey (KOH'-mee) was fired in May 2017. The Justice Department has responded that department leaders believed there was no basis for invoking the amendment, which enables Cabinet members to oust a president.

McCabe has said he worried investigations into Trump's Russian ties and possible obstruction of justice would be shut down.

Democrats supported the resolution Tuesday. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler said he supported the Republican effort because he wants to know "what prompted such alarm" among officials.

Trump has suggested key officials involved in the Russia probe engaged in "treasonous" behavior.

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12:15 a.m.

President Donald Trump says he welcomes the special counsel's report but complains that he has been abused by a long, unnecessary investigation.

Trump also told reporters Monday that he believes some people have done what he called "treasonous things" and will be "looked at."

An outline of the special counsel's report found no Trump campaign collusion with the Russian government but left to Attorney General William Barr the question of obstruction of justice.

Congressional Democrats say that Barr's decision that there isn't sufficient evidence to establish obstruction by Trump isn't the last word and are pushing for the release of the full report. They also are vowing to continue their multiple investigations into the president.

Six House Democratic committee chairmen are asking for the full report by April 2.
NEW YORK (AP) - Defense attorneys asked a federal judge Tuesday to grant a new trial to the Mexican drug lord known as El Chapo, saying jurors improperly followed media coverage of the sensational drug conspiracy case.

Joaquin Guzman's defense team said in court filings that jurors repeatedly disregarded instructions to avoid the "blizzard of media coverage" before convicting Guzman of murder conspiracy and drug-trafficking charges last month.

The defense asked U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan to hold an evidentiary hearing in the wake of a Vice News report that said at least five jurors followed media reports and Twitter feeds during the three-month trial. The attorneys said juror misconduct denied Guzman his right to a fair trial.

"If a justice system's measure is how it treats the most reviled and unpopular, then ours may have failed Joaquin Guzman by denying him the fair trial before an untainted jury to which he's constitutionally entitled," Guzman's attorneys wrote in a court filing. "Because sunlight is the best disinfectant, that prospect merits serious consideration, close investigation and a new trial as appropriate."

A spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in Brooklyn declined to comment.

The defense motion claims jurors "actively sought out and openly discussed" sensational allegations that had been excluded from Guzman's proceedings, including a claim by a government witness that Guzman raped girls. The government did not charge Guzman with rape.

FILE - In this Feb. 22, 2014 file photo, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, center, is escorted to a helicopter in handcuffs by Mexican navy marines at a hanger in Mexico City, after he was captured overnight in the beach resort town of Mazatlan. Defense attorneys asked a federal judge Tuesday, March 26, 2019, to grant a new trial to El Chapo, saying jurors improperly followed media coverage of the sensational drug conspiracy case. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo, File)

The defense team also accused jurors of "cannily lying" to the judge when he asked them about their exposure to media coverage in Guzman's case.

"We look forward to vindicating his rights in a new trial before a jury that will abide by its oath," defense attorney Eduardo Balarezo said in an email.

Guzman faces life in prison at his June sentencing.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Trump administration moved Tuesday to break up a group of Iranian-linked companies that has transferred around $1 billion to Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions on the country.

The Treasury announced it had hit a "vast network" of 25 people, firms and Iranian government agencies with sanctions for evading penalties the U.S. put in place last year after withdrawing from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. The sanctions freeze any assets they may have in U.S. jurisdictions and bar Americans from doing business with them. But they also open any foreign company or person to U.S. sanctions if they do business with the targeted entities.

The action identifies four firms in Iran, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates as front companies for Iran's Ansar Bank, which has been funneling money to Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps and related groups in violation of U.S. sanctions.

Treasury said the companies had sent roughly $800 million to the bank, which had passed the cash on to the IRGC, its Quds Force component and Iran's defense ministry. The money was used to pay salaries for employees and foreign fighters, particularly in Syria.

"We are targeting a vast network of front companies and individuals located in Iran, Turkey, and the UAE to disrupt a scheme the Iranian regime has used to illicitly move more than a billion dollars in funds," Treasury said in a statement.

The step also imposed an additional layer of sanctions on the defense ministry, which had been previously penalized for development of weapons of mass destruction. The new layer adds support for terrorism to the designation.

Tuesday's move comes as the administration increases what it calls a "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran that focuses heavily on denying it revenue from oil exports.

On Monday, Treasury renewed a warning to international shipping and port operators, advising them of potential sanctions if they allow Iranian tankers into their facilities. It also warned them that exposure to liability claims because most Iranian vessels are self-insured and not able to cover damage costs in the event of an accident.
MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) - New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker will be one of four commencement speakers at Southern New Hampshire University's graduation ceremonies in May.

The school announced Tuesday that the presidential candidate will speak at a ceremony for online students on the morning of May 12.

Booker is one of six current senators who have announced campaigns to win the Democratic nomination in an effort to challenge President Donald Trump in the 2020 general election.

Booker will also be the commencement speaker at South Carolina State University, a historically black university, on May 10.

New Hampshire holds the nation's first presidential primary while South Carolina is home to the first southern contest.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - A federal judge has declared unconstitutional a North Carolina law banning women from having abortions after the 20th week of pregnancy except in an urgent medical emergency.

The decision Monday by U.S. District Judge William Osteen in Greensboro gave state legislators 60 days before his ruling takes effect to allow them to amend abortion restrictions or appeal his ruling to a higher court.

The U.S. Supreme Court has protected abortion as a constitutional right until a fetus has developed enough to live outside the mother's womb. The judge noted that North Carolina's own medical expert conceded that's almost never possible until the 22nd week of gestation.

The law was challenged in 2016 shortly after lawmakers narrowed abortions after the 20th week of gestation so that they were only allowable if the mother faces a risk of death or serious and irreversible harm from some urgent medical emergency.

The 2016 changes also "imposed substantial reporting obligations on abortion providers for any abortion performed after sixteen weeks, expanded the universe of medical facilities from which information is collected, restricted the type of doctor who may perform an abortion in the state, and lengthened the informed consent waiting period from 24 to 72 hours," Osteen wrote in his ruling.

The revised law also meant that abortions were no longer allowed for medical conditions that cause gradual health damage but never reached a specific point to make them immediately necessary, Osteen said.

While North Carolina has not prosecuted anyone for an illegal abortion for more than 40 years, that could change in the future, Osteen said. He wrote that the state's "strident defense" of the lawsuit as well as a wave of similarly worded laws in Wisconsin, Iowa, Arkansas and other states suggests officials haven't disavowed future prosecutions under the 20-week ban.

Some states have gone further this month. Mississippi and Kentucky outlawed most abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, which can be as early as six weeks into pregnancy. A similar bill passed the Georgia Senate last week and now goes back to the House to approve changes. It is backed by Georgia's Republican Gov. Brian Kemp.

The North Carolina lawsuit was one of three filed weeks after President Donald Trump's election challenging laws abortion-supporters viewed as unconstitutional restrictions. Laws in Missouri and Alaska were also challenged at the same time by the American Civil Liberties Union, Planned Parenthood and the Center for Reproductive Rights.

The Alaska lawsuit was dropped after the state medical board adopted new regulations for abortions after the first trimester. In Missouri, one of the state's two abortion clinics closed in October after federal appeals court judges ruled that the state could enforce a requirement that doctors must have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals before they can perform abortions.

North Carolina's top Republican legislative leaders had no immediate reaction to the decision. Spokesmen for Senate leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore said they needed more time to review the ruling.

An attorney for the ACLU's North Carolina chapter said Osteen's decision affirmed that people have a constitutional right to make their own decisions about their pregnancy.

"North Carolina's ban was written by politicians to intimidate doctors and interfere in a woman's personal medical decisions." attorney Irena Como said. "Important medical decisions throughout different points of a woman's pregnancy, including whether to have an abortion, must be left to the woman and her doctor - not politicians."

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Follow Emery P. Dalesio on Twitter at http://twitter.com/emerydalesio . His work can be found at https://apnews.com/search/emery%20dalesio.

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Associated Press writer Gary D. Robertson contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Energy Secretary Rick Perry on Tuesday defended the Trump administration's plans to collect and store nuclear waste from around the country in a site northwest of Las Vegas, saying the current system of scattered storage sites in dozens of states was unacceptable.

Perry held up a map at a budget hearing before a House Appropriations subcommittee, showing lawmakers what he said were the more than three dozen states currently housing disposal sites for spent nuclear fuel.

"We have to find a solution," Perry said. "Thirty-nine states as repositories is not an appropriate solution."

The Trump administration is seeking $116 million in this year's budget on the effort, including restarting the licensing process for a permanent repository for high-level nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain in Nevada.

Opposition from Nevada previously helped put the plan on a back-burner. The Trump administration revived the Yucca Mountain proposal.

"I don't know how Nevadans can make it any clearer that we don't want our state to turn into America's nuclear dumping ground," Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak said Tuesday.

Energy Secretary Rick Perry pauses while speaking during a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing on budget on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Nevada's congressional delegation should do "whatever it takes to ensure the Yucca Mountain project remains dead," Sisolak said.

U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nevada, called funding requests for Yucca Mountain "dead on arrival" and said in a statement she'd work to "prevent any attempts to revive this dangerous and costly project."

____

Michelle L. Price contributed from Las Vegas.

Energy Secretary Rick Perry testifies during a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing on budget on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Five European Union allies of the United States are reiterating their opposition to President Donald Trump's recognition of Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights and raising "strong concerns" about the consequences.

Ambassadors from the five EU members of the U.N. Security Council - France, Germany, Britain, Poland and Belgium - issued a joint statement Tuesday saying that they don't recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights which Israel occupied in 1967.

They said: "Annexation of territory by force is prohibited under international law," and any unilateral border changes go against "the rules-based international order and the U.N. Charter."

The statement concluded: "We raise our strong concerns about broader consequences of recognizing illegal annexation and also about the broader regional consequences."
CHICAGO (AP) - The Latest on the case against "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett (all times local):

3 p.m.

Prosecutors say one of the reasons they decided to drop charges against actor Jussie Smollett was because they want to focus resources on the city's gun violence.

Cook County First Assistant State's Attorney Joseph Magats told WLS-TV on Tuesday that prosecutors want to combat "violent crime, gun crime and the drivers of violence."

His comments came after prosecutors dropped felony charges accusing Smollett of falsely telling police he was attacked.

Magats says Smollett faced accountability by doing community service and forfeiting his $10,000 bond payment. Magats called it a fair and just outcome.

Actor Jussie Smollett leaves the Leighton Criminal Courthouse in Chicago on Tuesday March 26, 2019, after prosecutors dropped all charges against him. Smollett was indicted on 16 felony counts related to making a false report that he was attacked by two men who shouted racial and homophobic slurs. (Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times/Chicago Sun-Times via AP)

He says he doesn't regret charging Smollett because "it was the right thing to do then."

Smollett isn't backtracking from his account of being attacked. He insists he's been "truthful and consistent."

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2:25 p.m.

Prosecutors says a stunning decision to drop charges against Jussie Smollett doesn't mean they no longer believe he staged a racial and homophobic attack against him in January.

First Assistant State's Attorney Joseph Magats told reporters Tuesday that he still believes Smollett filed a false police report. He says prosecutors "stand behind the investigation and the facts." He added that "this was not an exoneration."

A minimum requirement for the dropping of charges is typically that a defendant accept some responsibility and offer an apology.

But speaking after prosecutors told a judge they were dropping all charges, Smollett conceded nothing and did not apologize. He insisted he'd been "truthful and consistent on every single level since day one."

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2:05 p.m.

The family of Jussie Smollett says they feel grateful after charges were dropped against the "Empire" actor.

His family said in a statement Tuesday that Smollett's character was "unjustly smeared" and the "truth prevailed" shortly after prosecutors dropped felony charges against him during a Chicago court hearing. The actor had been charged with falsely telling police he was attacked in the downtown area in January.

Smollett's family says the scrutiny he faced over the past several weeks was "heartbreaking" as many were "quick to judgment before hearing the actual truth."

The black and gay actor was accused by police and prosecutor of staging the racial and homophobic attack because he was unhappy with his pay.

The family called Smollett the victim and hope the "real perpetrators" are brought to justice.

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1:55 p.m.

Chicago's police union is outraged but not surprised that prosecutors dropped charges against "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett.

Fraternal Order of Police spokesman Martin Preib said Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx is "not respected with police officers." He says the union previously asked the U.S. attorney's office in Chicago to look into the Smollett case.

Smollett had faced felony charges accusing him of falsely reporting to police that he was attacked in January. Police and prosecutors had said the black and gay actor staged the racial and homophobic attack because he was unhappy with his pay and to promote his career.

The charges were dropped Tuesday. Foxx's office hasn't responded to multiple requests for details. She had recused herself in February from the case.

Preib says Foxx "hasn't worked with the police to prosecute criminals at all so this is not surprising, but it is nevertheless offensive and wrong."

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1:05 p.m.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the city's police chief have angrily criticized Jussie Smollett and the decision by prosecutors to drop all charges that alleged the "Empire" actor staged a racial and homophobic attack in the city in January.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday, a visibly angry Emanuel called the decision a "whitewash of justice" and asked, "Where is the accountability in the system?"

Emanuel criticized Smollett for not taking any responsibility despite what he described as overwhelming evidence. He also says Smollett continues to drag Chicago's reputation through "the mud." His voice seeming to quiver with anger he said about Smollett, "Is there no decency in this man?"

Police Superintendent Eddie T. Johnson said Smollett still owns the city an apology.

Smollett has not backtracked from his original story, insisting he'd been "truthful and consistent on every single level since day one."

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12:50 p.m.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is calling the dropping of charges against "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett "a whitewash of justice."

The comments Tuesday came after prosecutors dropped charges accusing Smollett of lying to police about a racist and homophobic attack in downtown Chicago.

Prosecutors haven't explained why they made the surprise decision and haven't said if they still maintain Smollett orchestrated the incident.

Smollett told reporters earlier that he'd been "truthful and consistent on every single level since day one."

___

12:10 p.m.

Neither Jussie Smollett nor his attorney have backtracked from his original account that he was the target of a racist and homophobic attack in January.

The "Empire" actor spoke to reporters Tuesday after a court hearing in which his attorneys say prosecutors dropped all 16 felony counts alleging Smollett staged the attack. Prosecutors haven't explained why they made the surprise decision and haven't said if they still maintain Smollett orchestrated the incident.

A minimum requirement for dropping of charges in cases where prosecutors had said the evidence was strong is typically for defendants to accept some responsibility and perhaps even offer an apology.

But outside court, Smollett appeared to concede nothing Tuesday, insisting he'd been "truthful and consistent on every single level since day one."

___

12:05 p.m.

"Empire" actor Jussie Smollett says he wants to get back to work and get on with his life.

Smollett spoke to reporters Tuesday after his attorneys said prosecutors dropped felony charges against him during a Chicago court hearing. The actor had been charged with falsely telling police he was attacked in downtown Chicago in January. He says it has been "an incredibly difficult time" and called it "one of the worst of my life."

Smollett says he wouldn't bring his family "through a fire like this." He thanked family and friends for their support. He says he'll continue to fight for justice and betterment "of marginalized people everywhere."

Police and prosecutors had said the black and gay actor staged the racial and homophobic attack because he was unhappy with his pay and to promote his career.

___

11:20 a.m.

"Empire" actor Jussie Smollett says he's "been truthful and consistent on every single level since day one."

Smollett made the comment Tuesday after an emergency court hearing where his attorneys say charges alleging he lied to police about attack have been dropped.

Smollett had faced 16 felony counts alleging he lied to police about a racial and homophobic attack against him in January.

Police and prosecutors have said the black and gay actor falsely reported to authorities that he was attacked Jan. 29 in downtown Chicago because he was unhappy with his pay on the Fox show and to promote his career.

___

10:55 a.m.

Prosecutors say they believe they've reached an "appropriate resolution" in the case against "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett.

Attorneys for Smollett said Tuesday that all charges alleging he lied to police about attack have been dropped.

Smollett had faced 16 felony counts alleging he lied to police about a racial and homophobic attack against him in January.

In a statement, prosecutor's office spokeswoman Tandra Simonton offered no detailed explanation.

The statement said, "After reviewing all of the facts and circumstances of the case, including Mr. Smollett's volunteer service in the community and agreement to forfeit his bond to the City of Chicago, we believe this outcome is a just disposition and appropriate resolution to this case."

Smollett had made a $10,000 bond payment to the city to get out of jail after his arrest on the charges.

___

10:20 a.m.

Attorneys for "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett say charges alleging he lied to police about attack have been dropped.

Smollett attorneys Tina Glandian and Patricia Brown Holmes said in a Tuesday morning statement that Smollett's record "has been wiped clean." Smollett was indicted on 16 felony counts related to making a false report that he was attacked by two men who shouted racial and homophobic slurs.

A spokeswoman for Cook County prosecutors didn't immediately respond to messages requesting comment.

Police and prosecutors have said the black and gay actor falsely reported to authorities that he was attacked Jan. 29 in downtown Chicago because he was unhappy with his pay on the Fox show and to promote his career.

___

Check out the AP's complete coverage of the Jussie Smollett case.

Actor Jussie Smollett leaves the Leighton Criminal Courthouse in Chicago on Tuesday March 26, 2019, after prosecutors dropped all charges against him. Smollett was indicted on 16 felony counts related to making a false report that he was attacked by two men who shouted racial and homophobic slurs. (Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times/Chicago Sun-Times via AP)
HOUSTON (AP) - A Houston-area petrochemical storage company that was heavily damaged by fire has received hundreds of compensation claims from residents seeking lost wages and other damages, a company executive said Tuesday.

Brent Weber, a senior vice president for Intercontinental Terminals Company, told reporters that about 2,000 people have called an ITC claims hotline and another 300 submitted claims in writing. He didn't specify how many callers to the hotline made a formal claim.

Coast Guard Lt. Commander Caren Damon said a portion of the Houston Ship Channel remained closed Tuesday but that ships have navigated the restricted portion of the channel without a gas component tainting their hulls. She did not say when all of the commercial waterway will be reopened, explaining that the "channel will reopen when there's no visible product still in the water."

The Deer Park facility caught fire March 17 and burned for days , sending waves of thick, black smoke thousands of feet into the air. Schools and roads were closed and gasoline and other materials seeped into nearby waters. Air monitors last Thursday detected elevated levels of benzene in the air, prompting public officials to order people living in the area to remain indoors.

The next day, a dike failed adjacent to the tank farm, allowing flammable chemicals to seep into nearby bayous and then into the ship channel. The tanks at ITC contained components of gasoline and materials used in nail polish remover, glues and paint thinner.

Harris County commissioners on Tuesday, in their first meeting since the fire, said they'll hold ITC accountable for the hazards unleashed by the blaze. They gave approvals for the county to sue ITC.

In a Wednesday, March 20, 2019 photo, maritime traffic moves through the Houston Ship Chanel past the site of now-extinguished petrochemical tank fire at Intercontinental Terminals Company in Deer Park, Texas. Air quality and water pollution from the fire's runoff, seen on the right, into the ship channel are some of the concerns in the aftermath of the blaze. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP)

Seven people who live near the storage facility earlier filed what was believed to be the first civil lawsuit against ITC over the fire. The suit was filed in state district court in Houston. The residents are asking for at least $1 million in damages, accusing ITC of negligence. They allege they suffered a variety of illnesses due to the fire and the release of chemicals into the air, including, bronchitis, pneumonia and itchy, burning eyes.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against ITC on Friday and said the state must hold the company "accountable for the damage it has done to our environment."

___

This story has been corrected to show the name of the business is Intercontinental Terminals Company, not International Terminals Company.

The petrochemical fire at Intercontinental Terminals Company reignited as crews tried to clean out the chemicals that remained in the tanks Friday, March 22, 2019, in Deer Park, Texas. The efforts to clean up a Texas industrial plant that burned for several days this week were hamstrung Friday by a briefly reignited fire and a breach that led to chemicals spilling into the nearby Houston Ship Channel. (Godofredo A. Vasquez/Houston Chronicle via AP)

The petrochemical fire at Intercontinental Terminals Company reignited as crews tried to clean out the chemicals that remained in the tanks, Friday, March 22, 2019, in Deer Park, Texas. The efforts to clean up a Texas industrial plant that burned for several days this week were hamstrung Friday by a briefly reignited fire and a breach that led to chemicals spilling into the nearby Houston Ship Channel. (Godofredo A. Vasquez/Houston Chronicle via AP)
DETROIT (AP) - Democratic presidential hopeful and California Sen. Kamala Harris will highlight a fundraiser for the Detroit NAACP branch.

The civil rights organization says Harris will give the keynote speech at the 64th Annual Fight for Freedom Fund Dinner on May 5 at Cobo Center.

Harris is among the crowded field of Democrats seeking to challenge President Donald Trump in the 2020 election. Others include Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, former Texas Congressman Beto O'Rourke, New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker. Former Vice President Joe Biden is considering whether to join the field.

Warren, Booker and Biden have delivered past keynotes at the Detroit dinner. Former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton also have given speeches at the event.
JERUSALEM (AP) - With Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu locked in a tight race for re-election, the Hamas militant group has suddenly emerged as a major vulnerability for the Israeli leader.

This week's outbreak of fighting between Israel and Hamas, sparked by a rocket strike on a home in central Israel, was the latest reminder of Netanyahu's inability to find a way to cope with the Gaza Strip's Hamas rulers.

Just two weeks ahead of the vote, Netanyahu finds himself facing questions from residents in southern Israel and tough criticism from opponents across the political spectrum.

Yair Lapid, a leader of the rival Blue and White Party, said Israel has lost its power of deterrence over Hamas on Netanyahu's watch.

"A terrorist organization can't determine our daily routines," he told Israel's Army Radio. "Hamas can't run the show. Hamas can't decide when the fighting starts and ends."

In the latest round of fighting, Israel struck dozens of targets throughout Gaza following Monday's early-morning rocket attack.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks on a video from Israel to the 2019 American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) policy conference, at Washington Convention Center, in Washington, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Palestinian militants responded by firing dozens of rockets into southern Israel, forcing residents to spend the night in bomb shelters and canceling school for thousands of children. By early Tuesday, the fighting appeared to have subsided.

The violence came less than two weeks after a similar conflagration sparked by a rocket attack on Tel Aviv, Israel's densely populated commercial and cultural capital.

Israel has grappled with the Hamas question since the Islamic militant group, which seeks Israel's destruction, toppled forces of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and seized control of Gaza in 2007.

Israel has maintained a tight blockade on Gaza, restricting who and what enters the territory, fought three wars against Hamas and engaged in dozens of smaller flare-ups like this week's fighting.

This policy has succeeded in containing Hamas. Yet the weakened group remains firmly in control in the territory. Unable to topple Hamas, Israel has been forced to reach unspoken understandings with its bitter enemy to maintain stability in the impoverished territory of 2 million people, amid repeated outbreaks of fighting.

Hamas' Gaza leader, Yahya Sinwar, has compared the people of Gaza to a "caged animal." With few tools at his disposal, Hamas has tried to heat things up over the past year, staging weekly border demonstrations, allowing protesters to launch flaming kites and explosives-laden balloons into Israel and tolerating the occasional rocket attack, all in hopes of drawing concessions and easing the blockade.

This strategy has had only limited success but repeatedly put Netanyahu in uncomfortable situations.

Netanyahu came under tough criticism several months ago when he allowed Qatar, a key behind the scenes mediator, to deliver millions of dollars of humanitarian aid to Gaza in cash-stuffed suitcases through an Israeli border crossing. The money was badly needed to ease the dire living conditions in Gaza.

And every outbreak of violence draws renewed attention to the flawed policy of an Israeli leader who has made security the hallmark of his election campaign.

The recent rocket attack marred a visit by Netanyahu to Washington, where he was invited to the White House to celebrate the U.S. recognition of Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights. He then planned a campaign-style speech to the pro-Israel AIPAC lobbying group. Instead, the Golan announcement was overshadowed by the fighting in Gaza, and Netanyahu had to cut short the visit and rush back to Israel.

"This rocket was bad for Netanyahu," said Gideon Rahat, professor of political science at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. "This conflict right now does not play into his hands."

Speaking to AIPAC by satellite on Tuesday, Netanyahu put on a tough face, saying Israel had pounded Hamas on a scale not seen since a 2014 war. "I can tell you, we are prepared to do a lot more," he said.

But in Israel, such claims are greeted with skepticism after so many rounds of fighting.

"The residents are angry that this has been continuing for a year. They want quiet and a normal life," said Gadi Yarkoni, leader of the Eshkol regional council in southern Israel.

After failing to capitalize on a series of corruption allegations against Netanyahu, his opponents are sure to step up the criticism of his Gaza policy in the final stretch of the campaign.

The centrist Blue and White Party, which is running neck and neck with Netanyahu's Likud, is led by Benny Gantz, a popular former military chief who led the army through wars against Hamas in 2012 and 2014. Two other ex-military chiefs are in the party's top ranks.

"If you are looking for deterrence, look to the people who brought the deterrence to Israel and led the army in times like this," Lapid said.

Whether this strategy can work remains to be seen. Netanyahu's rivals have offered various alternatives that have no guarantee of success.

Lapid called on Israel to resume its policy of "targeted assassinations" of Hamas leaders, a tactic that in the past unleashed heavy fighting.

Naftali Bennett, leader of the ultranationalist New Right party, called for even tougher action and for Israel to wipe out Hamas' entire leadership and military capabilities.

Speaking on Channel 12 TV, Bennett said Israel must "chase down every Hamas commander, from the chief to the platoon commander and the foot soldier. Just kill, kill these people, destroy their homes on a scale they don't know."

Such an operation, he said, would take months to complete. It also would carry a heavy price for both Hamas and the Israeli military.

Aron Shaviv, a political consultant and former strategist for Netanyahu, said the Israeli leader is "caught between a rock and a hard place."

He said that if Netanyahu responds forcefully in Gaza now, voters will wonder why he took a more cautious approach in the past four years.

"He would have a hard time explaining why he has changed his approach and why an attack on central Israel warrants a harsh response versus an attack on southern Israel," he said.

Fortunately for Netanyahu, he said Blue and White leaders have "failed miserably" to capitalize on their security credentials so far. He said alienated right-wing voters are likely to support other hard-line parties that would end up joining Netanyahu in a coalition in any case.

In Gaza, meanwhile, Hamas is likely to continue to test Netanyahu until election day on April 9.

"Hamas is trying to press Netanyahu ahead of the elections to lift the blockade," said Ibrahim al-Madhoun, a pro-Hamas writer in Gaza. "This equation gives Hamas leverage that it can use against him. So I think escalation or calm will greatly affect the Israeli elections."
ST. LOUIS (AP) - More than 1 million private wells that supply drinking water in mostly rural parts of the Midwest could face the risk of contamination from floodwater, posing a health concern that could linger long after the flooding subsides.

Major flooding along the Missouri and Mississippi rivers and several smaller waterways has inundated states in the middle of America, from the Canadian border south to Kentucky. The National Weather Service has warned that with snowmelt in northern states only beginning, the threat of additional flooding persists well into spring.

The high water and swift current carries raw sewage from overburdened treatment plants, animal waste and pesticides from farm fields, and spilled fuel.

"Whatever was on the land is in the water now," said Steve May, assistant chief of the Missouri Bureau of Environmental Epidemiology.

Contaminated water can carry bacteria such as E. coli that can cause gastrointestinal illness, reproductive problems and neurological disorders, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Infants, young children, pregnant women, elderly people, and people with compromised immune systems are particularly vulnerable.

The National Ground Water Association, a trade group for the industry that includes well systems, said there are 1.1 million private wells in 300 flooded counties in 10 states: Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota and Kentucky.

An angel statuary graces a yard near Hansen Lake Friday, March 22, 2019, in Bellevue, Neb. Residents were allowed into the area for the first time since floodwaters overtook several homes. Flooding in Nebraska has caused an estimated $1.4 billion in damage. The state received Trump's federal disaster assistance approval on Thursday. (Kent Sievers/Omaha World-Herald via AP)

Stagnant water could linger for days or even weeks even as flooding starts to subside in hard-hit areas, raising the risk that some of it will get into wells by flooding over the top, seeping through cracks or as a result of other flaws in the well structure.

Liesa Lehmann, private-water section chief for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, said her state has an estimated 700,000 to 800,000 private wells. The National Ground Water Association said the current flood poses a risk to more than 280,000 Wisconsin wells, the most in any state.

"Anyone who has a private well within a flood plain area of a major river, those wells are certainly going to be vulnerable to contamination," Lehmann said.

Drinking water comes from a variety of sources. Some public water supplies use rivers, streams, lakes or other bodies of water. Others use water from the ground. Either way, public water supplies are government-regulated and have safeguards to protect against contamination.

But the federal government estimates that about 15 million U.S. households - most often in rural areas that don't have access to public drinking water systems - rely on private wells. Those wells are not typically regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency, so it's up to the well owner to make sure the water is clean.

Owners of private wells use a variety of methods to remove contaminants, including filtration systems, water softeners, distillation systems that boil out the impurities, and disinfectants such as chlorine. But if floodwater gets into a well, those efforts may not be enough.

Lehmann said well owners who see floodwater near or over their wells should assume the drinking water supply is contaminated. She encouraged them to watch for any change in the color, smell or taste of their water, and to consider alternatives such as bottled water.

Once flooding recedes, remaining well water should be pumped out and the well should be disinfected, said Chuck Job, regulatory affairs manager for the National Ground Water Association. Lehmann said that because the presence of so much water poses an electrocution risk, well owners should hire professionals to do the work.

Once the well is disinfected, water should be tested to make sure it's safe, Job said.

At least one state is offering free well-water testing in flooded areas. Missouri property owners seeking free testing must obtain collection kits from the Missouri State Public Health Laboratory and submit samples using those kits.

People on a boat float down floodwaters that cover Washington Street Wednesday, March 20, 2019, in Hamburg, Iowa. As some communities along the Missouri River start to shift their focus to flood recovery after a late-winter storm, residents in two Iowa cities are still in crisis mode because their treatment plants have shut down and they lack fresh water. (Chris Machian/Omaha World-Herald via AP)

This Wednesday, March 20, 2019 aerial photo shows flooding near the Platte River in in Plattsmouth, Neb., south of Omaha. The National Weather Service is warning that flooding in parts of South Dakota and northern Iowa could soon reach historic levels. A Weather Service hydrologist says "major and perhaps historic" flooding is possible later this month at some spots on the Big Sioux and James rivers. The worst of the flooding so far has been in Nebraska, southwestern Iowa and northwestern Missouri. (DroneBase via AP)
ATLANTA (AP) - Every weekday at a middle school near Atlanta, a half-dozen or so students visit the school nurse to get sanitary pads.

Their reasons vary: Their mothers don't provide them; they don't have the money; they forgot to bring them; their friends need them.

"It's every issue that can be named," said Linda Espinosa, a nurse at Freedom Middle School in Dekalb County, a school where all students receive free or subsidized meals.

The issue of affordable access to menstrual products is not limited to Georgia. In other states and countries around the world, advocates are working to ensure that girls and women are getting affordable access to feminine hygiene products in public schools and other institutions, such as homeless shelters and prisons.

In the U.S., the Federal Bureau of Prisons issued a memo in 2017 mandating that feminine hygiene products be available to all female inmates in federal institutions at no cost.

In New York City, the government provides free menstrual products in public schools, jails and homeless shelters. And in some states, either the legislature has mandated free menstrual products for prison inmates or the corrections departments have offered to do so on their own.

In this Feb. 28, 2019 photo, Linda Espinosa, left, a school nurse at Freedom Middle School in the Atlanta metro-area, speaks to school counselor, Tijuana Williams, about schoolgirls coming in to her office to get sanitary pads, in Atlanta. Georgia's legislature is joining a nationwide effort to provide menstrual products for public school students in need. (AP Photo/Sanya Mansoor)

Ten U.S. states have eliminated the sales tax on menstrual products, while India and Canada have eliminated the tax nationwide. Georgia's corrections department provides unlimited menstrual products to inmates but the state still charges a sales tax on these items.

There is definitely a need for more funding for menstrual products in the state's public schools, said Garry McGiboney, deputy superintendent for external affairs at Georgia's Department of Education.

State Democratic Rep. Debbie Buckner of Junction City proposed a bill this year to eliminate Georgia's state tax on menstrual products. Buckner noted that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration defines menstrual products as medical devices, others of which - diabetic test strips and insulin devices, for example - receive tax exemptions under Georgia law.

The estimated $9 million in lost tax revenue from Buckner's bill would have had little effect on the budget. The measure failed to make it out of committee by a critical legislative deadline, however, and shows little promise of passing this year. A similar proposal failed last session.

House Speaker Pro Tem Jan Jones, second in command in the Georgia House and one of the highest-ranking elected Republican women in the state, has argued that eliminating the tax for all consumers of menstrual products wouldn't make a meaningful difference for those who can't afford the products to begin with. But she thanked advocates of the bill for bringing the issue of affordability to her attention.

Jones has proposed a targeted grant program that would allot $1 million to the state's Department of Education and at least another $500,000 to county health departments to supply menstrual products, with the amount being adjusted in the future if necessary. The House has already approved a budget allocating $500,000 each for these programs. The Senate has not yet matched that amount, but Jones remains hopeful the final budget will set aside $1 million for schools.

Claire Cox and Adele Stewart, co-founders of Georgia STOMP, the main women's group behind the proposal to eliminate the state sales tax on menstrual products, were disappointed Buckner's bill didn't pass. But they said they're grateful for money going toward schools in need.

Until some action takes effect, the task of providing menstrual products in Georgia public schools where low-income students may not be able to afford them falls to private donors, civic groups and school employees such as Espinosa. She gets help from a Procter & Gamble program that donates menstrual products to schools. But she noted about half of those supplies are tampons, which she said most middle-school girls can't use.

Espinosa said she ends up paying about $20 out of her own pocket monthly because there's no budget for sanitary pads or other supplies for her small clinic. She said some of the students "come in every day."

Freedom Middle School counselor Tijuana Williams said she has a hunch the girls aren't just supplying themselves but also "trying to help somebody else at home."

Periods can often lead to shame and distraction for young students, said Marni Sommer, a Columbia professor who has researched the issue internationally and is exploring how low-income girls in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York experience their periods.

Sommer said access to sanitary products is only one of the challenges they face; they also deal with the embarrassment of having to ask for them and leaving class to do so.

At Stewart Middle School, in Douglas County, Georgia, staff buy and keep menstrual products in the front office, said principal Donita Cullen. A civic engagement group also has supplied bags with three pads and panty liners that are placed in classrooms as a more discreet way to provide products.

"Sometimes it can be embarrassing to come to the front office multiple times a day," Cullen said.

"As the adults in the building, sometimes we forget what it's like to be an 11- or 12-year-old."
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Amid growing national concerns about election security, Tennessee's three largest counties plan to begin using voting machines that produce a verifiable paper trail in time for the presidential primaries in March 2020, whether the Republican-led state requires it or not.

Tennessee is one of only 14 states without a statutory requirement of a paper record of all ballots - regarded by most election security experts as crucial to ensuring accurate vote-counting.

But election officials in the three Tennessee counties switching to paper-trail machines say they aren't worried about the paperless technology.

Rather, they just want to be sure voters trust the process.

"Now, you've got an issue of voter confidence and public perception, factors which cannot be ignored, at least by election commissions," said Elections Administrator Clifford Rodgers in Knox County, one of the Tennessee local governments looking to switch. He said he's doing so "reluctantly" and predicted problems with printers and scanners.

The others are Shelby County, anchored by Memphis, and Davidson County, encompassed by Nashville. Knox, Shelby and Davidson account for 1.3 million of Tennessee's 4.16 million registered voters.

FILE - In this Sept. 29, 2016, file photo, Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett helps Ami Burchfield with voter registration paperwork at Maryville College helping students register to vote, in Maryville, Tenn. Amid growing national concerns about election security, Tennessee's three largest counties are moving toward voting machines that produce a voter-verifiable paper trail for the presidential primaries in 2020. Hargett says he's letting counties decide whether to switch. (The Daily Times via AP, File)

Tennessee is among a dozen states that continue to rely on at least some paperless voting equipment, though many of those states plan to make the switch for 2020, said Larry Norden of New York University's Brennan Center.

Georgia, for one, is awaiting the governor's signature to change from paperless machines to touchscreen machines that print a paper ballot that is then scanned into another machine - the type of equipment that the three Tennessee counties are considering. Georgia Democrats and cybersecurity experts have said the machines are still hackable and have urged the use of paper ballots that would be filled out by hand.

Only 14 of Tennessee's 95 counties - with 556,400 registered voters combined - used voting equipment with some sort of paper trail in 2018. Half of those counties made the change just last year.

Tennessee doesn't specify what kind of voting equipment local governments must use. And Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett, a Republican, has opposed federal legislation to mandate the use of machines that leave a paper trail, saying the decision should be up to state legislatures.

Hargett has said the marketplace is moving toward paper-trail producing machines. But he hasn't endorsed them over the electronic-only equipment, saying local governments can pick the systems they want.

"We're not saying that either type of machine is insecure in any way," Hargett said during a legislative meeting last month. "I just think that the marketplace is moving in a different direction."

A variety of experts and government groups are urging at least some paper trail for voting equipment, with some calling for ditching electronic systems altogether. A National Academy of Sciences panel has advised that all federal, state and local elections should be conducted on paper ballots by 2020.

If touchscreens are used, experts say they should be able to create hard copies to assure voters that their votes have been recorded accurately, and to keep paper records for election audits to compare with computer data.

The Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations called for a paper trail of voters' ballots in 2007, when only two counties had such requirements. It repeated that advice late last year.

But Democrats and GOP state Sen. Frank Niceley of Strawberry Plains have seen their attempts to require a paper ballot trail fail in recent years.

"This is one area where the old Egyptian invention of paper is a better system because it leaves a permanent mark," said House Democratic Caucus Chairman Mike Stewart, who is pushing this year's bill.

Over the last year and a half, three counties were comfortable enough with electronic-only systems to stick with them during upgrades, said state Elections Coordinator Mark Goins. He said he expects that all counties will have either changed systems or upgraded by 2021.

The current machines are also nearing the end of their useful life, the local officials said. Goins has said there's about $35 million in federal election-related money remaining for Tennessee, for new machines or otherwise, but counties will still bear significant costs.

Shelby, for example, expects to use $10 million from the county and $2 million in federal money, according to Elections Administrator Linda Phillips.

While switching to paper-trail machines hasn't been an urgent priority for Tennessee election officials, cybersecurity experts have long complained that the nation's antiquated elections infrastructure - especially paperless equipment - is vulnerable to tampering.

Attorney Carol Chumney, who represents a group of voters in the 2018 election, last year sued elections officials for Shelby County and the state to try to force a switch to a handwritten ballot and a voter-verifiable paper trial, among other security changes. A judge declined to order the switch before the November election, but the case is ongoing.

Chumney said the hybrid electronic-paper system will be an improvement, but still worried the machines could be manipulated. She said the paper ballot system is the goal.

"Why can't we get the best?" she said.

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Adrian Sainz contributed to this story from Memphis, Tennessee.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - A North Carolina district attorney says no charges will be filed in the January shooting of a robbery suspect who was killed by a police officer.

In a letter to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney, Mecklenburg County District Attorney Spencer Merriweather III said his office determined that Officer Timothy Kiefer was justified in using deadly force when he shot 32-year-old Michael Daniel Kelley. The officer is white, as was Kelley.

The department said Kiefer shot Kelley after the suspect ran toward him and ignored the officer's commands. The statement also says investigators recovered a knife at the scene of the shooting.

Merriweather wrote that it would be impossible for prosecutors to show Kiefer didn't act in self-defense when he shot Kelley, who investigators say was involved in two armed robberies.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - The Oklahoma City Council has approved a $25,000 settlement in an excessive force lawsuit against a former police officer who is serving a 236-year sentence for rape and other sexual offenses.

City Clerk Frances Kersey says the council unanimously voted Tuesday to settle the case brought against Daniel K. Holtzclaw.

The lawsuit was filed by Demetria M. Campbell, who says the ex-police officer pushed her into a brick wall in 2013. City records say she was treated in an emergency room after the incident and incurred $14,400 in medical expenses.

Campbell was not among the 12 black women and black teenager Holtzclaw was found guilty of sexually assaulting in 2015. Those 13 victims also sued the city and the former officer following his 2014 arrest.

The city does not concede liability in settling Campbell's case.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - The push to elevate a vast expanse of shifting white sand dunes in New Mexico to national park status was renewed Tuesday as members of the state's congressional delegation reintroduced legislation aimed at boosting the profile of the already popular tourist destination.

"Like no place on earth" is how the National Park Service describes the world's largest gypsum dune field.

The monument sees hundreds of thousands of visitors every year, more than any other park service location in New Mexico. In 2017, White Sands logged more than 600,000 visits and spurred more than $31 million in spending for the local economy.

"By designating White Sands as a national park, we have the potential to make it an economic powerhouse in southern New Mexico, creating new jobs and bringing much needed services to our rural communities," U.S. Rep. Xochitl Torres Small said in a statement.

The federal legislation, first introduced last year by U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, comes as New Mexico formalizes its effort to join other Western states in tapping into the lucrative outdoor recreation industry. State lawmakers recently passed - and the governor is expected to sign - a measure that calls for the creation of a dedicated division in state government that would focus on expanding outdoor recreation and related economic development.

Acknowledging competition from neighboring Colorado, Arizona and Utah, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has said that New Mexico has just as much natural beauty and can be a beacon for people looking to explore.

This Feb. 8, 2019 photo, shows the gypsum sand dunes at White Sands National Monument near Alamogordo, N.M. U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich and Rep. Xochitl Torres Small, both New Mexico Democrats, are sponsoring legislation to elevate the monument to national park status. (AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan)

New Mexico's effort also will focus on closing the gap among those who have the opportunity to experience the outdoors through programs for low-income families and other underserved populations.

From the village of Tularosa to Las Cruces, elected leaders throughout the region have voiced their support for national park status. However, the Otero County Commission in a letter sent last year to Heinrich suggested that making White Sands a park wouldn't necessarily increase visitation and that there were still questions about the proposal.

The legislation includes provisions for a land exchange between White Sands and the U.S. Army, which operates an adjacent missile range.

Efforts to establish a national park in the area go back more than a century as some locals wanted to protect the dunes from commercial interests that were attempting to mine the gypsum. They argued the dunes could be profitable in other ways.

It took three decades before White Sands was established as a monument in 1933 by President Herbert Hoover to preserve the dunes and additional features of scenic, scientific and educational interest.

"Making it a national park is a super smart move. It's the next level," said state Sen. Jeff Steinborn, a Las Cruces Democrat who was among the sponsors of the outdoor recreation bill.

Today, supporters say the monument contains a more diverse set of archaeological and scientific resources than were first known, including recently discovered Ice Age fossilized footprints and sloth tracks.

The monument has the largest collection of fossilized tracks in gypsum in the world, from saber-toothed cats and woolly mammoths to ancient camels. Thousands of hearth sites where early inhabitants built campfires also have been preserved in the dunes in ways not found elsewhere.

This Feb. 8, 2019 photo, shows the historic building that greets visitors at White Sands National Monument near Alamogordo, N.M. U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich and Rep. Xochitl Torres Small, both New Mexico Democrats, are sponsoring legislation to elevate the monument to national park status. (AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan)
NATICK, Mass. (AP) - Police are searching for one or more suspects in connection with a shooting at a hotel in suburban Boston.

Police say they initially responded to a reported "active shooter" situation at the Crown Plaza in Natick around 3 a.m. Tuesday.

The hotel was evacuated while authorities searched for possible suspects. Guests, who were allowed inside a mall across the street, later returned to their rooms.

Natick Chief James Hicks says the victim told police he was walking in front of the hotel when a car approached him, so he moved into the hotel and a shot was fired. The car then fled the area. The intended target was not struck. His name was not released.

What prompted the shooting remains under investigation. Police are reviewing security surveillance video.
MOSCOW (AP) - A former Russian government minister has been arrested on charges of embezzling $62 million, fueling speculation about possible fallout for the prime minister who was his political patron.

Mikhail Abyzov is accused of presiding over a criminal group that allegedly siphoned 4 billion rubles from two energy companies in Siberia and deposited the money in foreign banks.

Abyzov, 46, was a member of the Russian Cabinet as the minister for open government affairs during 2012-2018, overseeing information technologies and efforts to increase the government's transparency.

He has been charged with forming and leading a criminal group, abusing his office and large-scale fraud. Abyzov's lawyer told Russia's Interfax news agency that his client "categorically" denies the charges.

Abyzov was a close associate of former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who was in office during 2008-2012 when term limits forced Vladimir Putin to move into the prime minister's seat.

After Putin returned to the presidency in 2012, Medvedev became prime minister and put Abyzov in the senior Cabinet position.

FILE - In this Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012 file photo former Minister in charge of the "Open Government" Mikhail Abyzov, smiles in the Gorki residence outside Moscow. Russian Investigative Committee officials said Tuesday March 26, 2019, that Abyzov, who was a member of the Russian Cabinet in 2012-2018, has been arrested on charges of fraud. (AP Photo/RIA Novosti, Yekaterina Shtukina, Presidential Press Service, File)

Abyzov left the Cabinet last year, but continued to advise the government as a member of a working group that was developing proposals for enhancing state oversight of public spending.

Russian news reports said Abyzov recently had lived in Italy and the United States and before his arrest was lured back to Russia by a birthday party invitation from a longtime colleague.

Interfax said Abyzov was arrested immediately after he arrived in Moscow on a business jet Tuesday. A court in Moscow is set to rule Wednesday on whether he should be kept in custody.

The current charges, carrying a maximum 20-year prison sentence upon conviction, relate to Abyzov's business activities from 2011 to 2014. But Russian investigators have signaled an intention to review his tenure as a government minister for possible wrongdoing.

That could have consequences for his political patron, Medvedev. Some pundits have suggested Medvedev may hope to return as president after Putin's current six-year term ends in 2024.

Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said the president had been informed about the charges against Abyzov in advance.

Medvedev's spokesman, Oleg Osipov, said the prime minister was aware of Abyzov's arrest.

In a statement carried by Russian news agencies, Osipov noted that the charges related to Abyzov's activities as a businessman. He added that if Abyzov retained control over his commercial assets as a minister it would have violated the law.

Abyzov started in business as a student in the early 1990s, importing food from Bulgaria.

He bought several engineering and construction companies during the 2000s, eventually combining them to form the E4 Group, one of the biggest private construction subcontractors in Russia's energy industry.

Forbes magazine listed Abyzov as having $1 billion worth of assets in 2014, but he dropped off the list the next year.
MADRID (AP) - The Latest on last month's assault at the North Korean Embassy in Madrid (all times local):

9 p.m.

A U.S. State Department spokesman says that the government had nothing to do with last month's assault on the North Korean Embassy in Madrid.

Spain has issued two international arrest warrants for members of a self-proclaimed human rights group that allegedly led a mysterious attack on the North Korean Embassy on Feb. 22 before offering data stolen during the raid to the FBI.

When asked if Washington had anything to do with the raid, U.S. State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said "the United States government had nothing to do with this."

He also said that "regarding the specifics of what's going on, the Spanish authorities are investigating. The investigation is still underway. For any details on their investigation, I would have to refer you to Spanish authorities."

In this Wednesday, March 13, 2019 photo, a Spanish postman talks to a member of North Korea's embassy, not seen, in Madrid, Spain. A Spanish court is accusing an American, Mexican and South Korean part of a 10-strong group that led an attack on the North Korean Embassy in February, saying the FBI was offered stolen data. National Court judge Jose de la Mata on Tuesday, March 26 lifted a secrecy order, announcing it had found evidence of various crimes, including trespassing, injuries, threats and burglary committed by "a criminal organization." (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

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3:25 p.m.

A Spanish court has accused an American, Mexican and South Korean of an attack on the North Korean Embassy in February, saying the FBI was offered stolen data.

National Court judge Jose de la Mata on Tuesday lifted a secrecy order, announcing it had found evidence of various crimes, including trespassing, injuries, threats and burglary committed by "a criminal organization."

The investigating magistrate named Adrian Hong Chang, a Mexican national and resident in the United States, as the leader of a gang of 10 people who escaped in broad daylight on Feb. 22 after stealing computers and documents from the embassy, where they shackled and gagged its staff.

The judge says Hong Chang escaped Spanish authorities and flew to the U.S., where he got in touch with the FBI.
DENVER (AP) - Democratic presidential candidate John Hickenlooper opposes the Green New Deal, saying the climate change proposal sets "unachievable goals" and shuns the private sector.

The former Colorado governor announced his opposition to the resolution Tuesday, as Senate Republicans are forcing a vote on the proposal in hopes of turning it into a 2020 wedge issue.

Hickenlooper is the first Democratic 2020 candidate to publicly oppose the plan, which calls for the U.S. to shift away from fossil fuels and replace them with renewable sources.

In a Washington Post op-ed, Hickenlooper says he supports the concept of a Green New Deal, but "we need a better approach."

He says the technology needed to achieve the proposal's goals doesn't exist and to develop it, government must work with private industry, not "shun" it.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The FBI says the 2017 fatal shooting by U.S. Park Police of an unarmed Virginia motorist is a complex case and that its 16-month investigation is not unusual.

The bureau's comments came in a March 15 letter to U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, who has questioned why the FBI is taking so long to investigate the shooting death of 25-year-old Bijan Ghaisar of McLean. The FBI said it can't provide a detailed response while the investigation is ongoing.

Ghaisar died after a November 2017 chase on the George Washington Parkway. Ghaisar's family filed a federal lawsuit seeking $25 million and answers about what happened.

A video released by Fairfax County Police shows officers shooting Ghaisar after he stopped his car, then started to drive off.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) - The Latest on Wisconsin lame-duck legislative session rulings (all times local):

3:30 p.m.

Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers says a second court ruling in a week against laws passed by Republicans during a lame-duck legislative session is "an important victory for the people of Wisconsin and our constitution."

Evers issued a statement Tuesday reacting to the ruling. Dane County Circuit Judge Frank Remington blocked portions of the laws from being in effect. Another judge last week stopped all of the laws that weaken powers of Evers and Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul from being enforced.

Republicans are appealing both.

But Evers says the rulings make clear that the lame-duck session "was nothing more than an illegal power grab intended to override the will of the people."

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3:15 p.m.

Republican legislative leaders are vowing to appeal a judge's ruling striking down portions of laws passed during a lame-duck legislative session that limited the powers of Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul.

Dane County Circuit Judge Frank Remington on Tuesday blocked some of the laws, including one that required Kaul to get legislative approval before settling cases.

Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos say they will appeal the ruling. They say in a joint statement that all of the Legislature's actions were consistent with the separation of powers that the Wisconsin Supreme Court has upheld for decades.

Five unions sued , arguing the laws unconstitutionally steal power from the executive branch.

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2:50 p.m.

A second Dane County judge has blocked a portion of Republican-backed laws limiting Gov. Tony Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul's powers.

Judge Frank Remington on Tuesday blocked language that requires Kaul to get legislative approval before settling cases. His order stems from a lawsuit by unions that argued the laws steal power from the executive branch.

Remington let stand portions of the laws that give the Legislature the right to intervene in cases.

Republicans passed the measures in a December lame-duck session after Evers and Kaul - both Democrats - defeated Republican incumbents.

The union lawsuit is one of four. Last week Dane County Judge Richard Niess blocked all the laws in a lawsuit by liberal-leaning groups alleging the December session was illegal.

Republicans have asked a state appeals court to stay Niess' ruling.

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9:20 a.m.

Wisconsin officials are waiting for a pair of courts to decide whether laws that Republicans passed last year limiting the powers of the new Democratic governor and attorney general can stand.

Lawmakers passed the measures in a lame-duck session in December, before Gov. Tony Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul took office.

A Dane County judge blocked the laws Thursday, ruling that lawmakers convened illegally when they passed them. Attorneys for Republicans are asking the 3rd District Court of Appeals to put that ruling on hold pending appeal. That decision could come any moment.

Another Dane County judge is expected to decide Tuesday whether to block the laws in response to union arguments that they violate the separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches.
RENO, Nev. (AP) - Federal mine safety officials have cited an Idaho-based company for inadequate safety controls at a gold mine it operates in northeast Nevada where a worker was killed in an underground collapse in October.

The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration released its final report Monday on the Oct. 25 fatality at Small Mine Development's Lee Smith Mine near Elko.

"The accident occurred because mine management policies, procedures and controls were inadequate to ensure the establishment and maintenance of safe ground conditions where persons work or travel," the agency said. "Management engaged in aggravated conduct constituting more than ordinary negligence in that they failed to implement an adequate quality control process."

Jason Holman, 42, of Goshen, Utah, was loading explosives into drill holes to blast away rocks to access ore when the collapse occurred, burying him in an estimated 67 tons (61 metric tons) of cemented rock fill (CRF) designed to reinforce the underground tunnels about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Elko.

Holman had more than eight years of mining experience. Investigators concluded he had been trained properly.

The Elko Daily Free Press first reported the agency's findings on Tuesday.

Small Mine Development General Manager Keith Jones in Battle Mountain said the Mine Safety and Health Administration failed to incorporate some of their responses into the final report. He said their practices were consistent with industry standards.

"We take the safety of our employees very seriously. Our goal is to ensure this never happens again," he said in an email Tuesday to The Associated Press.

The final report said the cause of the accident centered on the handling of the rock fill, which is made of aggregate and slurry. Ideally, it remains on the surface for 30 minutes between mixing and delivery, the Mine Safety and Health Administration said. Investigators found the operator had stockpiled the material on the surface for up to two hours before loading it into trucks for delivery underground.

"CRF should always be laid in position soon after mixing to avoid setting and stiffening," the report said.

Underground bulldozer operators are supposed to report any deficiencies in the fill, but the Mine Safety and Health Administration found inconsistencies in how inferior material was handled when reported.

"Mine management has revised policies, procedures and controls for producing the CRF and provided training on the policies, procedures, and controls for the employees," the agency said.

Small Mine Development operates the mine for Toronto-based Jerritt Canyon Gold.

Jones said the mine received the accident citation within the past couple of weeks. He said it usually takes about six weeks after the citation is issued for a penalty to be assessed.

"We take exception with the root cause analysis and their conclusions," Jones said. "The procedures at Smith at the time of the incident were very much industry standard."

"Testing of cylinders in the area indicated acceptable CRF strengths. We have installed about 2.6 million tons (2.4 million metric tons) of CRF at this operation without incident," he said.
HAVANA (AP) - Prince Charles and his wife Camilla briefly drove a classic British car, visited a statue of John Lennon and cut the ribbon on a British renewable energy project Tuesday, the royal couple's second full day visiting Cuba.

They began their public schedule with a short drive in a 1953 MG alongside a park that hosts a statue of Lennon that draws thousands of tourists a year. A local rock band played Beatles songs at the Yellow Submarine, a nearby bar and cultural center.

The couple strolled around the park, sat on a park bench next to the statue of Lennon, and talked with local residents and British residents of Havana.

Charles later inaugurated the first phase of a $250 million dollar British-led renewable energy project in the Mariel free-trade zone outside Havana, part of an effort to bring solar and alternative energy sources to the island.

Solar Mariel, a wholly owned British company, is expected to begin providing power to the Port of Mariel and local communities by the end of 2019, and once other phases of the project are complete, will add renewable energy to Cuba's power grid.

The Cuban Government hopes to have as much as 24 percent of the island's energy needs met by alternative energy sources by 2030, reducing oil-based power generation on the island.

Prince Charles drives a vintage car with his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, during a cultural event in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. The heir to the British throne arrived in Cuba Sunday with an agenda including visits to historic sites, a solar park, organic farm, bio-medical research center, a meeting with entrepreneurs, a cultural gala and a dinner with Cuba's president. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

The royal couple was expected to assist a gala dance performance at the Alicia Alonso Theater late Tuesday.

Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, sit on a park bench next to a statue depicting John Lennon as they pose for photos, during a cultural event in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. The heir to the British throne arrived in Cuba Sunday with an agenda including visits to historic sites, a solar park, organic farm, bio-medical research center, a meeting with entrepreneurs, a cultural gala and a dinner with Cuba's president. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, greets a group of people holding United Kingdom's national flags during a cultural event in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Prince Charles and Camilla arrived in Cuba Sunday with an agenda including visits to historic sites, a solar park, organic farm, bio-medical research center, a meeting with entrepreneurs, a cultural gala and a dinner with Cuba's president. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, walk with journalist and Beatles' fan Guille Villar during a visit to John Lennon Park, in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. The heir to the British throne arrived in Cuba Sunday with an agenda including visits to historic sites, a solar park, organic farm, bio-medical research center, a meeting with entrepreneurs, a cultural gala and a dinner with Cuba's president. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

Britain's Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, right, and Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel review an honor guard at the Revolution Palace during his official visit to Cuba, in Havana, Cuba, Monday, March 25, 2019. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

Prince Charles helps his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, out of a vintage car during a cultural event in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. The heir to the British throne arrived in Cuba Sunday with an agenda including visits to historic sites, a solar park, organic farm, bio-medical research center, a meeting with entrepreneurs, a cultural gala and a dinner with Cuba's president. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

Lis Cuesta, left, wife of Cuba's President Miguel Diaz Canel and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, right, arrives ahead of Britain's Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, and Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel, are to review an honor guard at Revolution Palace during the Prince of Wales' official visit, in Havana, Cuba, Monday, March 25, 2019. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

Britain's Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, left, and Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel, smile at each other during a meeting at Revolution Palace, in Havana, Cuba, Monday, March 25, 2019 (Ernesto Mastrascusa/Pool via AP)

Britain's Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, right, and Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel review an honor guard at Revolution Palace during his official visit to Cuba, in Havana, Cuba, Monday, March 25, 2019. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, greet onlookers during a cultural event in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. The heir to the British throne arrived in Cuba Sunday with an agenda including visits to historic sites, a solar park, organic farm, bio-medical research center, a meeting with entrepreneurs, a cultural gala and a dinner with Cuba's president. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

A couple ride on an English motorcycle adorned with images of Che Guevara and Fidel Castro as people gather for the arrival of Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

A young man wearing a shirt with featuring a Union Jack, watches the arrival of Prince Charles, and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. The heir to the British throne arrived in Cuba Sunday with an agenda including visits to historic sites, a solar park, organic farm, bio-medical research center, a meeting with entrepreneurs, a cultural gala and a dinner with Cuba's president. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The U.N. Security Council is calling on all Libyans to put aside their differences and use next month's National Conference to work toward peace.

The council on Tuesday urged all those attending the April 14-16 conference in Ghadames near the border with Algeria "to come together to engage in good faith in this Libyan-led, Libyan-owned process."

The U.N. envoy for Libya, Ghassan Salame, urged rival factions last week to seize the conference's "crucial opportunity" to unite the country and chart a roadmap to elections and peace after years of division and chaos.

If the opportunity isn't seized, he warned that the only options are "prolonged stalemate or conflict."

The Security Council backed Salame's efforts "to mediate a political way forward in Libya that would lead to credible and peaceful elections."
PARIS (AP) - Prosecutors in a Paris suburb of Seine-Saint-Denis say police are questioning suspects after gangs of men went after local Roma people based on false rumors that members of the minority group were kidnapping children.

The prosecutor's office in Seine-Saint-Denis said in a statement Tuesday that it was questioning 19 suspects, two of them minors, for potential charges of violence, destruction by fire and taking part in armed groups during the Monday night attacks.

The statement said there had been no recent complaints filed about abducted children but reports of "suspect behavior" were being investigated.

French news channel BFMTV reported that gangs attacked groups of Roma in several towns after kidnapping rumors spread on social media.

The Paris police chief posted a tweet in red letters reading "Fake News."
BARRON, Wis. (AP) - A Wisconsin man pleaded guilty Wednesday to kidnapping 13-year-old Jayme Closs and killing her parents, in a move that spares the girl held captive in a remote cabin for three months from the possible trauma of having to testify at his trial.

Jake Patterson, 21, sniffled and his voice caught as he pleaded guilty to two counts of intentional homicide and one count of kidnapping. As part of a plea deal, prosecutors dropped a count of armed burglary. Patterson faces up to life in prison when he is sentenced May 24; Wisconsin does not have the death penalty.

In a bizarre remark as he left the courtroom, Patterson turned back and said "Bye, Jayme." His victim wasn't there.

Patterson had said he would plead guilty in a letter sent this month to a Minneapolis TV station, saying he didn't want the Closs family "to worry about a trial."

Patterson admitted kidnapping Jayme after killing her parents, James and Denise Closs, on Oct. 15 at the family's home near Barron, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) northeast of Minneapolis. Jayme escaped in January, after 88 days in Patterson's cabin near the small, isolated town of Gordon, some 60 miles (97 kilometers) from her home.

The plea, coupled with an earlier decision by prosecutors not to bring charges in the county where Jayme was held, increases the chances that the details of her time in captivity will remain private.

Jake Patterson appears for a hearing at the Barron County Justice Center, Wednesday, March 27, 2019, in Barron, Wis. Patterson pleaded guilty Wednesday to kidnapping 13-year-old Jayme Closs, killing her parents and holding her captive in a remote cabin for three months. (Renee Jones Schneider/Star Tribune via AP, Pool)

Patterson stoically answered "yes" and "yeah" to repeated questions from Barron County Judge James Babler about whether he understood what he was doing. Later, as he responded "guilty," to each count, he could be heard sniffling. He paused for several seconds after the judge asked him about the kidnapping charge before stuttering, "guilty."

Defense attorney Richard Jones told Babler that Patterson "wanted to enter a plea from the day we met him" and brushed off strategies presented to him, including trying to suppress his statements to investigators.

"He rejected all that and has decided this is what he wants to do," Jones said.

Members of the Closs family and Patterson's father and sister all left the courthouse without commenting.

According to a criminal complaint , Patterson told authorities he decided Jayme "was the girl he was going to take" after he saw her getting on a school bus near her home. He told investigators he plotted carefully, including wearing all-black clothing, putting stolen license plates on his car and taking care to leave no fingerprints on his shotgun.

Jayme told police that the night of the abduction, the family dog's barking awoke her, and she went to wake up her parents as a car came up the driveway. While her father went to the front door, Jayme and her mother hid in the bathroom, clutching each other in the bathtub, the shower curtain pulled shut.

Patterson shot Jayme's father as he entered the house, then found Jayme and her mother. He told detectives he wrapped tape around Jayme's mouth and head, taped her hands behind her back and taped her ankles together, then shot her mother in the head. He told police he dragged Jayme outside, threw her in the trunk of his car, and took her to his cabin, the complaint said.

During Jayme's time in captivity, Patterson forced her to hide under a bed when he had friends over and penned her in with tote boxes and weights, warning that if she moved, "bad things could happen to her." He also turned up the radio so visitors couldn't hear her, according to the complaint.

Authorities searched for Jayme for months and collected more than 3,500 tips. On Jan. 10, Jayme escaped from the cabin while Patterson was away. She then flagged down a woman who was walking a dog and pleaded for help. Patterson was arrested minutes later.

Authorities have not released any additional details about Patterson's treatment of Jayme. Soon after he was charged in Barron County, prosecutors in Douglas County - where Jayme was held - announced they had no plans to charge him for crimes there. It was a move widely seen as aimed at sparing Jayme further pain, and one that University of Wisconsin law professor Cecelia Klingele praised Wednesday.

"People are always interested in hearing salacious details, but there is no 'right to know' the details of a crime victim's suffering," Klingele said in an email about Patterson's plea.

Patterson grew up in the cabin where he held Jayme. He wrote in his high school yearbook of plans to join the Marines, but he was kicked out after barely a month. He worked just a single day at a turkey plant in 2016 before quitting. He told investigators he spotted Jayme while heading to work at a cheese factory where he already planned to quit after two days. The day Jayme escaped, Patterson had applied online for a job at a liquor store with a resume that misrepresented his experience.

Laura Tancre, of nearby Star Prairie, said she was relieved by Patterson's plea and "happy for the little girl." Tancre, 57, worked at the same plant as Jayme's parents.

"I think he should get life for killing both parents," she said. "I'd hate for him to get out and be able to do it again."

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Associated Press writers Todd Richmond and Amy Forliti contributed from Minneapolis.

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Check out AP's complete coverage of Jayme Closs' abduction and her parents' deaths.

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This story has been corrected to reflect that the judge's last name is Babler, instead of Gabler.

CORRECTS JUDGE'S LAST NAME TO BABLER INSTEAD OF GABLER - Barron County Judge James Babler speaks to Jake Patterson during a hearing at the Barron County Justice Center, Wednesday, March 27, 2019, in Barron, Wis. Patterson pleaded guilty Wednesday to kidnapping 13-year-old Jayme Closs, killing her parents and holding her captive in a remote cabin for three months. (Renee Jones Schneider/Star Tribune via AP, Pool)

CORRECTS JUDGE'S LAST NAME TO BABLER INSTEAD OF GABLER - Barron County Judge James Babler speaks to Jake Patterson during a hearing at the Barron County Justice Center, Wednesday, March 27, 2019, in Barron, Wis. Patterson pleaded guilty Wednesday to kidnapping 13-year-old Jayme Closs, killing her parents and holding her captive in a remote cabin for three months. (Renee Jones Schneider/Star Tribune via AP, Pool)

Jake Patterson appears for a hearing at the Barron County Justice Center, Wednesday, March 27, 2019, in Barron, Wis. Patterson pleaded guilty Wednesday to kidnapping 13-year-old Jayme Closs, killing her parents and holding her captive in a remote cabin for three months. (Renee Jones Schneider/Star Tribune via AP, Pool)

Jake Patterson appears for a hearing at the Barron County Justice Center, Wednesday, March 27, 2019, in Barron, Wis. Patterson pleaded guilty Wednesday to kidnapping 13-year-old Jayme Closs, killing her parents and holding her captive in a remote cabin for three months. (Renee Jones Schneider/Star Tribune via AP, Pool)

Jake Patterson appears for a hearing at the Barron County Justice Center, Wednesday, March 27, 2019, in Barron, Wis. Patterson pleaded guilty Wednesday to kidnapping 13-year-old Jayme Closs, killing her parents and holding her captive in a remote cabin for three months. (Renee Jones Schneider/Star Tribune via AP, Pool)

Lynn Closs, aunt of Jayme Closs, leaves the courtroom after Jake Patterson plead guilty Wednesday, March 27, 2019 at the Barron County Justice Center in Barron, Wis. Patterson pleaded guilty Wednesday to kidnapping 13-year-old Jayme Closs, killing her parents and holding her captive in a remote cabin for three months. (Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel via AP)

Sue Allard, center, Jayme Closs' aunt, leaves the courtroom after Jake Patterson pleaded guilty to kidnapping 13-year-old Jayme Closs, killing her parents and holding her captive in a remote cabin for three months, Wednesday, March 27, 2019 at the Barron County Justice Center in Barron, Wis. (Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel via AP)

Patrick Patterson, right, and his daughter, Katie, arrive for the arraignment hearing of his son, Jake Patterson, Wednesday, March 27, 2019 at the Barron County Justice Center in Barron, Wis. Jake Patterson pleaded guilty Wednesday to kidnapping 13-year-old Jayme Closs, killing her parents and holding her captive in a remote cabin for three months. (Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel via AP)

Patrick Patterson, right, and his daughter, Katie, arrive for the arraignment hearing of his son, Jake Patterson, Wednesday, March 27, 2019 at the Barron County Justice Center in Barron, Wis. Jake Patterson pleaded guilty Wednesday to kidnapping 13-year-old Jayme Closs, killing her parents and holding her captive in a remote cabin for three months. (Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel via AP)
PITTSBURGH (AP) - The Pittsburgh City Council gave tentative approval Wednesday to gun-control legislation introduced in the wake of the 2018 synagogue massacre, an effort certain to be challenged in court by Second Amendment advocates who point out that state law doesn't generally allow municipalities to regulate firearms.

The legislation would place restrictions on military-style assault weapons like the AR-15 rifle that authorities say was used in the Oct. 27 rampage at Tree of Life Synagogue that killed 11 and wounded seven. It would also ban most uses of armor-piercing ammunition and high-capacity magazines, and would allow the temporary seizure of guns from people who are determined to be a danger to themselves or others.

The overwhelmingly Democratic council voted 6-3 to approve the bills, with a final vote scheduled for April 2. Council members who voted against the legislation called it a waste of time and money, given the uncertainty over whether it would ever go into effect. Supporters said it was worth the effort.

"It is the right fight to have and it is the right time to have this fight," said Democratic Councilman Corey O'Connor, a co-sponsor.

The three-bill package - proposed not long after the deadliest attack on Jews in U.S. history - was watered down last week in an effort to make it more likely to survive a court challenge.

State law has long prohibited municipalities from regulating the ownership or possession of guns or ammunition. While one of the Pittsburgh bills originally included an outright ban on assault weapons, the revised measure bars the "use" of assault weapons in public places. A full ban on possession would only take effect if state lawmakers or the state Supreme Court give municipalities the right to regulate guns - which even the bill's boosters say is an unlikely prospect in a largely rural state where legislative majorities have been fiercely protective of gun rights.

Pittsburgh City Council member Darlene Harris, left, speaks on a vote on gun-control legislation as fellow council members Corey O'Connor, right, and Theresa Smith, center, have a discussion, during a City Council meeting, Wednesday, March 27, 2019, in Pittsburgh. The bill passed as members voted 6-3 to pass tentative approval to the gun-control legislation introduced in the wake of the synagogue massacre last October. The legislation would place restrictions on military-style assault weapons like the AR-15 rifle that authorities say was used in the attack that killed 11 and wounded seven. A final vote will take place next week. Harris, Smith and Anthony Coghill voted against the bill O'Connor co-sponsored. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

"We are never going to enforce these laws," said Democratic Councilwoman Theresa Kail-Smith, who voted no. "It's a nice symbol."

Councilman Anthony Coghill, a fellow Democrat who also voted no, called the legislation a "distraction" and said he'd have a tough time facing his constituents if the city spends a fortune on lawyers. Supporters said some of the anticipated legal defense work would be done pro bono.

Pro-gun advocates cast the amended legislation as an attack on the right to bear arms and said they will immediately file suit if the City Council passes the bills into law next week.

"All of it's illegal. Pennsylvania preemption law says that no municipality, period, may in any manner regulate. And that's at the heart of what they're doing," said Kim Stolfer, president and co-founder of Firearms Owners Against Crime.

Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala Jr., a Democrat, told city council members in January that while he understood their desire to curtail gun violence, their proposed remedies were unconstitutional. A spokesman said Zappala had not seen the revised legislation, and declined comment on its merits.

Pittsburgh and its larger counterpart to the east, Philadelphia, have tried before to enact gun legislation, with mixed results.

Both cities passed assault-weapons bans in 1993. The state Legislature quickly took action to invalidate the measures, and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that city officials had overstepped.

Philadelphia tried again in 2008, enacting limits on gun purchases and another ban on assault weapons. The state Supreme Court threw out both ordinances, but ruled the city could enforce three other measures: one that requires people to report lost or stolen firearms; another that empowers police to seize guns from people posing a risk to themselves or others; and a third that bans gun ownership for anyone subject to a protection-from-abuse order.

Pittsburgh has had its own lost-and-stolen law for more than a decade, but it's never been enforced. Tim McNulty, a spokesman for Democratic Mayor Bill Peduto, said the city is reconsidering that stance in the wake of the synagogue massacre and a recent announcement by Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner that he intended to begin enforcing that city's lost-and-stolen ordinance.

Peduto, who has long advocated for stricter gun laws, has thrown his weight behind the new legislation.

"Pittsburgh owes it to those murdered at Tree of Life and countless others living in fear of gun violence every day in city neighborhoods to take this cause on," McNulty said.

Second Amendment attorney Joshua Prince, who represents Stolfer's pro-gun group and has won a string of victories against Pennsylvania municipalities that enacted gun measures, called the latest Pittsburgh effort to restrict firearms "political grandstanding" and predicted it will fail.

___

Rubinkam reported from northeastern Pennsylvania.

FILE - In this June 24, 2016 file photo, an AR-15 is held in Auburn, Ga. The Pittsburgh City Council gave initial approval Wednesday, March 27, 2019, to gun-control legislation introduced in wake of the 2018 synagogue massacre, an effort certain to be challenged in court by Second Amendment advocates who point out that state law doesn't allow municipalities to regulate firearms. The legislation would place restrictions on military-style assault weapons like the AR-15 rifle that authorities say was used in the Oct. 27 rampage at Tree of Life Synagogue that killed 11 and wounded seven.(AP Photo/Lisa Marie Pane, File)

The agenda for the Pittsburgh City Council meeting is in front of council members, Robert Daniel Lavelle, left, Corey O'Connor, center, and Darlene Harris as the council discusses a vote on gun-control legislation, Wednesday, March 27, 2019, in Pittsburgh. The council voted 6-3 to approve a package of bills that would, among other things, place restrictions on military-style assault weapons like the one used in the synagogue attack last year. A final vote will take place next week. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) - In a case that stirred racial tensions across the country, a self-avowed white supremacist pleaded guilty Wednesday to federal hate crime charges in a deadly attack at a white nationalist rally in Virginia, admitting that he intentionally plowed his speeding car into a crowd of anti-racism protesters, killing a woman and injuring dozens.

James Alex Fields Jr. of Maumee, Ohio, pleaded guilty to 29 of 30 federal charges stemming from the "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville on Aug. 12, 2017.

Under a plea agreement, federal prosecutors will not seek the death penalty against Fields and will dismiss the one count that carried death as a possible punishment. The charges he pleaded guilty to call for life in prison under federal sentencing guidelines.

Fields appeared stoic, with his hands folded in front of him for much of the hearing. He repeatedly responded "yes, sir," when U.S. District Judge Michael Urbanski asked him if he was pleading guilty knowingly and voluntarily.

Under a "statement of facts," Fields admitted that he "expressed and promoted" white supremacist ideology through his social media accounts and engaged in white supremacist chants during the rally in Charlottesville. He also admitted driving his car into the ethnically diverse crowd of anti-racism protesters because of their race, color, religion or national origin.

Urbanski scheduled sentencing for July 3.

U.S. Attorney Thomas Cullen, left, speaks to the media along with FBI agent James Dwyer, right, after a plea agreement with James Alex Fields who was charged with 30 counts stemming from a car attack during the Unite the Right rally in 2017, in federal court in Charlottesville, Va., Wednesday, March 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Fields, 21, was convicted in December in a Virginia court of first-degree murder and other state charges for killing anti-racism activist Heather Heyer and injuring dozens of others who were protesting against the white nationalists.

The rally drew hundreds of white nationalists to Charlottesville to protest the planned removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. Hundreds of counterprotesters demonstrated against the white nationalists.

President Donald Trump sparked a national uproar when he blamed the violence at the rally on "both sides," a statement critics saw as a refusal to condemn racism.

After Tuesday's hearing, U.S. Attorney Thomas Cullen said he hoped the plea agreement would help the victims move on with their lives.

"The defendant's hate-inspired act of domestic terrorism not only devastated Heather Heyer's wonderful family and the 28 peaceful protesters ... but it also left an indelible mark on the city of Charlottesville, our state and our country," Cullen said.

Heyer's mother, Susan Bro, said she and Heyer's father agreed they did not want prosecutors to seek the death penalty.

"There's no point in killing him," she said. "It would not bring back Heather."

Cullen said prosecutors had been in talks with Fields' lawyers for months about a potential plea agreement, but did not seek to finalize a deal until U.S. Attorney General William Barr last week authorized him not to seek the death penalty if Fields agreed to plead to 29 counts.

The car attack by Fields came after violent brawling between the two sides prompted police to disband the crowds.

During his state trial, prosecutors said Fields - who described himself on social media as an admirer of Adolf Hitler - drove his car into the crowd because he was angry after witnessing earlier clashes between the white nationalists and the counterprotesters.

The jury rejected a claim by Fields' lawyers that he acted in self-defense because he feared for his life after witnessing the earlier violence.

During the plea hearing Wednesday, Fields - responding to questions from the judge - said he has been treated for mental health issues since he was 6. He said he is currently on medication for bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, schizoid disorder, explosive onset disorder and ADHD.

More than 30 people were hurt in the car attack. Some who received life-altering injuries described them in anguished detail during the state trial.

Jurors in Fields' state trial recommended a life sentence plus 419 years, although a judge still has to decide on the punishment. Sentencing is scheduled for July 15.

A reporter asked Bro if she thought her daughter's death had served some purpose, such as opening a discussion of race relations. She answered: "Sadly, it took a white girl dying before anyone paid attention to civil rights around here ... Heather's death is at least a catalyst for change."

Bro said she wouldn't have chosen that catalyst and added, "I wish we would have woken up sooner."

U.S. Attorney Thomas Cullen, left, speaks to the media along with FBI agent James Dwyer, right, after a plea agreement with James Alex Fields who was charged with 30 counts stemming from a car attack during the Unite the Right rally in 2017, in federal court in Charlottesville, Va., Wednesday, March 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

FILE - In this Aug. 12, 2017 file photo, people fly into the air as a vehicle is driven into a group of protesters demonstrating against a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va. A man convicted in the deadly car attack on a crowd of counterprotesters at a white nationalist rally in Virginia is expected to change his plea to federal hate crime charges. An online court docket updated late Tuesday, March 26, 2019, says James Alex Fields Jr. is scheduled to appear in federal court Wednesday for a change-of-plea hearing. (Ryan M. Kelly/The Daily Progress via AP, File)
NEW YORK (AP) - Anna Sorokin traveled in celebrity circles and tossed $100 tips - all the more reason to believe she was the German heiress she said she was. But behind the jet-set lifestyle and pricey threads, prosecutors have said, was a fraudster who bilked friends, banks and hotels for a taste of the high life.

Sorokin, 28, lived in luxury New York City hotel rooms she couldn't afford, promised a friend an all-expenses paid trip to Morocco and then stuck her with the $62,000 bill, and peddled bogus bank statements in a quest for a $22 million loan, the Manhattan District Attorney's office has alleged.

On Wednesday, the one-time darling of the Big Apple social scene went on trial on grand larceny and theft of services charges alleging she swindled various people and businesses out of $275,000 in a 10-month odyssey that saw her jetting to the Midwest and Marrakesh before landing in a cell at Rikers Island.

"Her overall scheme has been to claim to be a wealthy German heiress with approximately $60 million in funds being held abroad," prosecutor Catherine McCaw said after Sorokin's October 2017 arrest. "She's born in Russia and has not a cent to her name as far as we can determine."

Sorokin's attorney said she never intended to commit a crime.

Lawyer Todd Spodek told jurors in an opening statement that Sorokin was exploiting a system that was "easily seduced by glamour and glitz" after she saw how the appearance of wealth opened doors. Spodek said she was merely buying time, so she could launch a business and repay her debts.

Anna Sorokin sits at the defense table in New York State Supreme Court, in New York, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. Sorokin, who claimed to be a German heiress, is on trial on grand larceny and theft of services charges. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

"Anna had to fake it until she could make it," Spodek said.

Sorokin, jailed since her arrest, faces deportation to Germany regardless of the outcome of the trial because authorities say she overstayed her visa. Her story, however, may stick around. Shonda Rhimes, the force behind "Grey's Anatomy" and "Scandal," is developing a show about Sorokin for Netflix. Lena Dunham, of "Girls" fame, is working on one for HBO.

Sorokin arrived in the world of champagne wishes and caviar dreams in 2016 with a new name (Anna Delvey) and a wardrobe to match (Celine sunglasses, Gucci sandals and high-end buys from Net-a-Porter and Elyse Walker). She made a show of proving she belonged, passing crisp Benjamins to Uber drivers and hotel concierges, but she gave varying accounts for the source of her wealth, according to people who knew her.

At different times, they said, she'd claim her father was a diplomat, an oil baron or a solar panel muckity-muck. In reality, her father told New York magazine, he's a former trucker who runs a heating-and-cooling business.

At first, people around Sorokin didn't see a red flag when she asked them to put cabs and plane fares on their credit cards - she sometimes said she had trouble moving her assets from Europe, they said - and they laughed it off as forgetfulness when they had to hound her to pay them back.

"It was a magic trick," Rachel Williams, the friend from the Morocco trip, wrote in Vanity Fair. "I'm embarrassed to say that I was one of the props, and the audience, too. Anna's was a beautiful dream of New York, like one of those nights that never seems to end. And then the bill arrives."

As she ingratiated herself into the New York party scene, prosecutors said, Sorokin started talking up plans to spend tens of millions of dollars building a private arts club with exhibitions, installations and pop-up shops. She thought about calling it the Anna Delvey Foundation.

Sorokin kept up the heiress ruse as she went looking for a $22 million loan for the club in November 2016, prosecutors said. She claimed the loan would be secured by a letter of credit from UBS in Switzerland and showed statements purporting to substantiate her assets, according to an outline of the charges.

One bank rejected Sorokin because she "did not have sufficient cash flow to make loan payments," prosecutors said. She bailed on another firm when it pressured her for a meeting with a UBS banker who could verify her assets, prosecutors said. At the same time, Spodek said, one of the firm's executives sent Sorokin provocative texts, telling her she was "beautiful inside and out," that he was "forcing myself not to kiss you" and asking to come up to her hotel room.

While seeking the loan, prosecutors said, Sorokin convinced one bank to lend her $100,000 to cover due diligence costs. She ended up keeping $55,000 and "frittered away these funds on personal expenses in about one month's time," prosecutors said. A few months later, in May 2017, Sorokin allegedly chartered a plane to and from the Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, but never paid the $35,400 bill.

Broke and facing a big bill at a midtown Manhattan hotel in July 2017, Sorokin pleaded with a police officer that a bailout was on the way, prosecutors said.

"I have no money and no credit cards. I'm waiting for my aunt from Germany. She's going to pay," Sorokin said, according to court documents. "I'm not trying to run. Why are you making a big deal about this? Give me five minutes, and I can get a friend to pay."

___

Follow Sisak at twitter.com/mikesisak

Anna Sorokin arrives in New York State Supreme Court for her trial on grand larceny charges, in New York, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. Sorokin is on trial on grand larceny and theft of services charges. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Anna Sorokin sits at the defense table in New York State Supreme Court, in New York, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. She is on trial on grand larceny and theft of services charges. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Ryan Salem, from City National Bank, testifies in the trial of Anna Sorokin, in New York State Supreme Court, in New York, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. Sorokin, who claimed to be a German heiress, is on trial on grand larceny and theft of services charges. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Anna Sorokin listens as her defense attorney Todd Spodek delivers his opening statement in her trial in New York State Supreme Court, Wednesday, March 27, 2019, in New York, She is on trial on grand larceny and theft of services charges alleging she swindled $275,000 in a 10-month odyssey that saw her jetting to Omaha and Marrakesh. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Todd Spodek, attorney for Anna Sorokin, delivers his opening statement in New York State Supreme Court, Wednesday, March 27, 2019, in New York,. Sorokin is on trial on grand larceny and theft of services charges alleging she swindled $275,000 in a 10-month odyssey that saw her jetting to Omaha and Marrakesh. Assistant District Attorney Kaegan Mays-Williams is seated at lower right. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Anna Sorokin arrives in New York State Supreme Court, in New York, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. Sorokin is on trial on grand larceny and theft of services charges. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Anna Sorokin and her defense attorney Todd Spodek sit at the defense table in New York State Supreme Court, in New York, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. Sorokin is on trial on grand larceny and theft of services charges alleging she swindled $275,000 in a 10-month odyssey that saw her jetting to Omaha and Marrakesh. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Army veteran Richard Bean Sr. died without anyone knowing that he and four other long-deceased Alaska Natives had used their Tlingit language to outsmart the Japanese during World War II.

Now, they are finally being hailed in their home state for their lifesaving efforts as servicemen.

Earlier this month, legislators passed a formal citation honoring the Tlingit Code Talkers. State flags were flown at half-staff and later presented to the men's families.

Bean and the others had been forbidden to speak Tlingit as schoolchildren in their southeast Alaska villages. Later, they used it to provide the military with unbreakable codes, as did their more well-known peers, Navajo Code Talkers.

The language of the Alaska Natives had been suppressed by missionaries and teachers trying to "civilize" them, said Rosita Worl, president of the Sealaska Heritage Institute. The Juneau nonprofit works to preserve and enhance the cultures of southeast Alaska's Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian tribes.

Punishments for students who spoke Tlingit included having their mouths washed out with soap and their hands struck with rulers, Worl said.

In this Monday, March 18, 2019 photo, family members of brothers Mark Jacobs Jr. and Harvey Jacobs observe a moment of silence during a ceremony honoring Tlingit code talkers in Juneau, Alaska. Five long-deceased Alaska Native servicemen are being hailed by the state of Alaska for their life-saving efforts during World War II. Alaska lawmakers this month passed a formal citation honoring the Tlingit men for using their Native language to help the military outsmart the Japanese with codes they could not break. (Alex McCarthy/The Juneau Empire via AP)

"We're finally ecstatic that there is this recognition that our people served this country, even served this country that wasn't always good to them," she said.

The men's contributions went undisclosed for decades because the U.S. military had kept the unbroken codes secret in case they were needed in future wars.

"Their orders were not to talk about it," Ozzie Sheakley, an Army veteran and Tlingit leader, said about the five Alaska Natives. "They took those orders seriously."

Even their closest relatives had no clue about the wartime endeavors of Richard Bean Sr. of Hoonah and Robert "Jeff" David Sr. of Haines; Sitka brothers and Navy men Mark Jacobs Jr. and Harvey Jacobs; and Sitka resident George Lewis Jr., who served in the Army.

Bean's wife died before Congress posthumously recognized the men. His 85-year-old nephew, Ron Williams, never knew either, even though the two were close.

Williams said there was only one hint. His uncle told him a platoon leader had overheard him speaking Tlingit with Jeff David while the two served together in the Philippines. They were in the same company but different platoons.

The Army official asked how the men would like to handle communications then gave each a walkie-talkie.

That was all Bean said, and Williams never pushed for more, sensing his uncle didn't want to talk about it. Richard Bean died in 1985.

"Even the guys that knew him all his life, you know, they didn't know what he did either because he never said anything about it," Williams said.

David never said anything about the wartime duties to his son, Jeff David Jr., either.

"He just said he was in special services," the son said.

The military declassified the Navajo Code Talker program in 1968. But it was decades before recognition came to the Tlingit servicemen, after the passage of the Code Talkers Recognition Act of 2008.

Sheakley, commander of the Southeast Alaska Native Veterans, got a call from Department of Defense officials.

They told him the five Alaskans had been identified as Code Talkers from the Tlingit tribe, along with others from 32 Lower-48 tribes. Soon they would get the recognition long afforded the Navajos, who made up the largest group of Code Talkers.

In 2013, Congress recognized the Code Talkers, who were posthumously awarded silver medals. Sheakley also received a Congressional Gold Medal on behalf of the entire Tlingit tribe.

Alaska state Rep. and Tlingit Vietnam veteran Bill Thomas thought state recognition would soon follow.

"I just waited and waited and waited," Thomas said. "I finally said, 'Hey, it's time to pay tribute to these men.'"

State lawmakers agreed after Thomas and the Sealaska Heritage Institute pushed the idea.

The role the men played in history was a stunning discovery for the family of George Lewis Jr.

His son, Ray Lewis, was born after the war and never knew his father was in the military.

"I'm very proud of it," Ray Lewis said of the new recognition. "My father was instrumental in saving a lot of lives out there."

___

Follow Rachel D'Oro at https://twitter.com/rdoro .

In this Monday, March 18, 2019 photo, Lt. Gov. Kevin Meyer, left, speaks next to former legislator Bill Thomas during a ceremony honoring five Tlingit code talkers in Juneau, Alaska. Five long-deceased Alaska Native servicemen are being hailed by the state of Alaska for their life-saving efforts during World War II. Alaska lawmakers this month passed a formal citation honoring the Tlingit men for using their Native language to help the military outsmart the Japanese with codes they could not break. (Alex McCarthy/The Juneau Empire via AP)

This undated photo provided by relatives shows the late Army veteran Richard Bean Sr. of Hoonah, Alaska and his wife Edith. Bean was among five long-deceased men who are being hailed by the state in March 2019 for their life-saving efforts during World War II for using their Native language to help the military outsmart the Japanese with Tlingit codes they could not break. (Family of Richard Bean Sr. via AP)

This undated photo provided by relatives shows the late serviceman George Lewis Jr. of Sitka, Alaska. Lewis was among five long-deceased servicemen who are being hailed by the state in March 2019 for their life-saving efforts during World War II for using their Native language to help the military outsmart the Japanese with Tlingit codes they could not break. (Family of George Lewis Jr. via AP)

This undated photo provided by relatives shows the late Army veteran Richard Bean Sr. of Hoonah, Alaska. Bean was among five long-deceased men who are being hailed by the state in March 2019 for their life-saving efforts during World War II for using their Native language to help the military outsmart the Japanese with Tlingit codes they could not break. (Family of Richard Bean Sr. via AP)

This Nov. 22, 2016, photo provided by Sealaska Heritage Institute of Juneau, Alaska, shows a Congressional Gold Medal awarded to Alaska's Tlingit tribe in 2013 for the World War II efforts of five Tlingit servicemen. The long-deceased men are being hailed by the state in March 2019 for using their Native language to help the military outsmart the Japanese with Tlingit codes they could not break. (Brian Wallace/Sealaska Heritage Institute via AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) - Under fire from lawmakers on Capitol Hill over the two deadly Boeing crashes, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday defended the agency's practice of relying on aircraft makers to help certify their own planes for flight.

Acting FAA Administrator Daniel Elwell said the strategy has "consistently produced safe aircraft designs for decades." And he said the agency would need 10,000 more employees and an additional $1.8 billion a year to do all the work now done by designated employees of the companies it regulates.

Under the self-certifying program, these employees perform tests and inspections needed to win safety approvals, with the FAA overseeing their work. The approach is credited with holding down government costs and speeding the rollout of new models.

But in the wake of disasters involving Boeing's new 737 Max jetliner in Indonesia and Ethiopia, that practice has been seized on as evidence of an overly cozy relationship between the FAA and the industry.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said at a Senate subcommittee hearing that delegating safety work to the companies puts "the fox in charge of the henhouse."

"The fact is that the FAA decided to do safety on the cheap, which is neither safe nor cheap," Blumenthal said. He vowed to introduce legislation to change the system.

In this photo taken with a fish-eye lens, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 airplane sits on the assembly line during a brief media tour in Boeing's 737 assembly facility, Wednesday, March 27, 2019, in Renton, Wash. The Federal Aviation Administration plans to revamp oversight of airplane development after the two deadly crashes of Boeing's new 737 Max 8 airplane, according to testimony prepared for a Capitol Hill hearing on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

At the same hearing, the Transportation Department's inspector general, Calvin Scovel III, said the FAA plans to significantly revamp its oversight of aircraft development by July. But the department gave no indication it intends to abandon the collaborative approach.

Scovel said the changes would include new ways to evaluate training and self-audits by aerospace companies but offered little other detail.

Boeing said the process by which it designs, develops and tests planes has led to safer and safer air travel, and it sees no need for an overhaul.

The FAA and the industry say that deputizing private employees to do safety-related tasks is vindicated by the nation's safety record - one passenger accident death in the U.S. in the last 10 years and millions of flights. Elwell said the approach is "part of the fabric of what we have used to become as safe as we are today."

The Max, featuring bigger, more efficient engines, went into service in 2017. The software in a new automated system that can push the plane's nose down to prevent an aerodynamic stall is suspected of playing a role in the Oct. 29 crash of a Lion Air jet in Indonesia and has also come scrutiny in the March 10 plunge of an Ethiopian Airlines Max. In all, 346 people died.

The plane was grounded around the world this month.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who chaired the hearing, said the "close relationship between industry and regulators" threatens to erode the confidence of the flying public.

Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, who oversees the FAA, has asked Scovel to look into the way the agency certified the Max as airworthy. Also, the Justice Department is investigating possible criminal violations involving the airliner's certification.

In addition, the Transportation Department watchdog plans to examine the widespread use of automated systems to fly airplanes and whether pilots are being adequately trained for when such features fail.

Meanwhile, Boeing invited about 200 pilots from several airlines to its Seattle-area facility to explain to them upcoming changes to the Max's flight-control system.

The company said pilots will be required to take a computer-based training course with about 30 minutes on the flight-control software before they can fly the Max. It includes a knowledge test at the end. Boeing will also put information about the software in flight-crew manuals.

Boeing's vice president of airplane development, Mike Sinnett, repeated Boeing's confidence in the safety of the plane.

"We are working with customers and regulators around the world to restore faith in our industry and also to reaffirm our commitment to safety and to earning the trust of the flying public," Sinnett said.

Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., questioned whether the FAA is too chummy with airlines and Boeing, a major defense contractor with political power in Washington.

"Changes need to be made in the relationship between this company and its regulator to ensure that the safely of the flying public remains the paramount interest, not the quarterly profits of this company," Udall said.

Scovel, the inspector general, also said he will examine why the FAA was the last safety regulator in the world to ground the Boeing Max after the second crash. He said other countries decided that "they needed to drive risk to zero, and they did that by grounding the aircraft."

Elwell defended the FAA's decision, as he has before, saying that FAA acted as soon as "refined" tracking data indicated that the flight path of the Ethiopian plane was similar to Lion Air's.

The FAA chief said he spoke to Chao, the transportation secretary, and President Donald Trump leading up to the grounding decision on March 13. Despite being pressed, he declined to describe any conversations with Trump, calling silence about such talks a longstanding executive branch policy.

Elwell added that he didn't ground the plane sooner in part because pilots at American Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines assured him in strong terms that they were confident in the plane's safety.

The crashes have raised questions about pilot training in other countries. Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde Gebremariam rejected that assertion, saying this week that the pilots who flew the plane that crashed this month outside the capital of Addis Ababa had trained on "all appropriate simulators" and were adequately prepared to fly the new aircraft.

___

Koenig reported from Dallas, Krisher from Detroit. Associated Press writer Gene Johnson in Seattle also contributed to this story.

Mike Sinnett, Boeing's Vice President of Product Strategy, talks to reporters Wednesday, March 27, 2019, about software and training updates for their 737 MAX 8 airplane in Renton, Wash. The Federal Aviation Administration plans to revamp oversight of airplane development after the two deadly crashes of 737 Max 8 airplanes, according to testimony prepared for a Capitol Hill hearing on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

People work on the Boeing 737 MAX 8 assembly line during a brief media tour in Boeing's 737 assembly facility, Wednesday, March 27, 2019, in Renton, Wash. The Federal Aviation Administration plans to revamp oversight of airplane development after the two deadly crashes of Boeing's new 737 Max 8 airplane, according to testimony prepared for a Capitol Hill hearing on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

A worker enters a Boeing 737 MAX 8 airplane during a brief media tour of Boeing's 737 assembly facility, Wednesday, March 27, 2019, in Renton, Wash. The Federal Aviation Administration plans to revamp oversight of airplane development after the two deadly crashes of Boeing's new 737 Max 8 airplane, according to testimony prepared for a Capitol Hill hearing on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Mike Sinnett, Boeing's Vice President of Product Strategy, reads from notes as he talks to reporters, Wednesday, March 27, 2019, about software and training updates for their 737 MAX 8 airplane in Renton, Wash. The Federal Aviation Administration plans to revamp oversight of airplane development after the two deadly crashes of 737 Max 8 airplanes, according to testimony prepared for a Capitol Hill hearing on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

FILE - This Thursday, March 14, 2019, file photo shows a Boeing 737 Max 8 airplane parked at Boeing Field in Seattle. America's standing as the model for aviation-safety regulation will be on trial as congressional hearings begin Wednesday, March 27, 2019, into the Federal Aviation Administration's oversight of Boeing before and after two deadly crashes of its best-selling airliner. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)
JERUSALEM (AP) - Egyptian mediators rushed to the Gaza Strip on Wednesday and Hamas' supreme leader emerged from his hideout as an unofficial cease-fire between Israel and the Islamic militant group appeared to take hold.

The Egyptian delegation sought to cement the truce that ended two days of heavy fighting between the bitter enemies. They face a key test on Saturday, when Hamas is planning a mass demonstration to mark the one-year anniversary of weekly protests along the Israeli border.

In a sign that both sides had stepped back from a major conflagration, Hamas' supreme leader Ismail Haniyeh made his first public appearance since violence with Israel erupted earlier this week. During times of fighting, Hamas leaders typically go underground, fearing assassination by Israel.

Standing before the rubble of his Gaza City office, which was destroyed in an Israeli airstrike on Monday, he declared that "the Israeli occupation got the message."

Haniyeh urged Palestinians to come out in force to the Saturday demonstration. The Israeli military bolstered its forces along the Gaza frontier in advance.

Hamas has staged the protests in hopes of pressuring Israel and Egypt to ease a crippling blockade. The protests, however, have yielded few gains, and nearly 200 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire.

Hamas' supreme leader Ismail Haniyeh, center right, tours destroyed buildings, in Gaza City, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. Haniyeh made his first public appearance since a new round of cross-border violence with Israel this week. On Wednesday he visited the rubble of his Gaza City office, which was destroyed in an Israeli airstrike. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

Israel accuses Hamas of using the demonstrations as cover for attacks, and says it is defending its border against crowds that have hurled flaming tires, grenades and other explosives at troops. But the military has come under heavy international criticism for using disproportionate force against large numbers of unarmed protesters.

Palestinian media reported that the Egyptian mediators would offer Hamas economic incentives in exchange for its commitment to end the protests.

Meanwhile, in the West Bank, a teenage Palestinian medic was shot dead during clashes between Israeli troops and protesters. The Israeli army said it had responded to Palestinians who hurled blocks and firebombs at Israeli forces. The army released a video showing what it said was a medic who removed his uniform and joined a group of protesters throwing objects at troops. It was not clear if the video showed the same medic who was shot.

Israel and Hamas have fought three wars and dozens of skirmishes since the Islamic militant group seized control of Gaza in 2007. The latest round was triggered by a Gaza rocket fired early Monday that slammed into a house in central Israel and wounded seven people.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rushed back to Israel from a trip to Washington to deal with the crisis. Israel struck dozens of targets in Gaza, including Haniyeh's office. Gaza's Health Ministry said seven Palestinians were wounded in the airstrikes.

Netanyahu faced the difficult task of delivering a tough blow to Hamas while avoiding protracted fighting that could work against him in next month's national elections. He has faced heavy criticism from both political allies and opponents for what they describe as his failure to contain and deter Gaza militants.

Netanyahu has conducted indirect cease-fire talks through Egyptian mediators in recent months, and even allowed the delivery of millions of dollars of Qatari aid to Hamas to ease harsh conditions in the territory, which has been under an Israeli-Egyptian blockade since Hamas seized power in 2007.

Hamas has recently faced rare demonstrations over its mismanagement of an economic crisis that has left Gaza with an unemployment rate above 50 percent. Hundreds of Gazans took part in the protests last week, and Hamas responded with a violent crackdown, beating and arresting dozens of demonstrators.

The fighting in Gaza comes amid an uptick in violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

The Palestinian health ministry said Israeli soldiers shot dead 18-year-old paramedic Sajed Mizher while he tended to wounded Palestinians during an arrest raid in the Dheisheh refugee camp near Bethlehem early Wednesday. It said two others were wounded in the clashes.

Fellow paramedic Abed Ghareeb said they were tending to a wounded protester when Mizher, who was wearing a paramedic vest, was shot by a sniper.

The Israeli military said it responded to the violent protests with "riot dispersal means," which usually refers to tear gas and rubber-tipped bullets. The World Health Organization condemned the killing of the Palestinian medic in uniform, saying, "health care is not a target."

Israeli troops killed four Palestinians last week, including one said to be unarmed. That followed a weekend stabbing and shooting attack in which a Palestinian killed two Israelis near a West Bank settlement.

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Associated Press writer Mohammed Daraghmeh in Ramallah, West Bank, contributed.

Hamas' supreme leader Ismail Haniyeh tours the site of a destroyed building, in Gaza City, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. Haniyeh made his first public appearance since a new round of cross-border violence with Israel this week. On Wednesday he visited the rubble of his Gaza City office, which was destroyed in an Israeli airstrike. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

A Palestinian protester burns a tyre during a clashes with Israeli troops during demonstration in support of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails at checkpoint Bet El near the West Bank city of Ramallah , Wednesday, March 27, 2019.(AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

Hamas' supreme leader Ismail Haniyeh tours the site of a destroyed building, in Gaza City, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. Haniyeh made his first public appearance since a new round of cross-border violence with Israel this week. On Wednesday he visited the rubble of his Gaza City office, which was destroyed in an Israeli airstrike. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

Hamas' supreme leader Ismail Haniyeh tours the site of a destroyed building, in Gaza City, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. Haniyeh made his first public appearance since a new round of cross-border violence with Israel this week. On Wednesday he visited the rubble of his Gaza City office, which was destroyed in an Israeli airstrike. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

Hamas' supreme leader Ismail Haniyeh shakes Hans with a woman at the site of a destroyed building, in Gaza City, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. Haniyeh made his first public appearance since a new round of cross-border violence with Israel this week. On Wednesday he visited the rubble of his Gaza City office, which was destroyed in an Israeli airstrike. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

A Palestinian protester burns a tyre during a clashes with Israeli troops during demonstrators support of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails at checkpoint Bet Eil near the West Bank city of Ramallah , Wednesday, March 27, 2019.(AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

A Palestinian protester burns a tyre during a clashes with Israeli troops during demonstration in support of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails at checkpoint Bet El near the West Bank city of Ramallah , Wednesday, March 27, 2019.(AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

A Palestinian protester burns a tyre during a clashes with Israeli troops during demonstration in support of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails at checkpoint Bet El near the West Bank city of Ramallah , Wednesday, March 27, 2019.(AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

A Palestinian protester burns a tyre during a clashes with Israeli troops during demonstration in support of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails at checkpoint Bet El near the West Bank city of Ramallah , Wednesday, March 27, 2019.(AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

A Palestinian protester burns a tyre during a clashes with Israeli troops during demonstration in support of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails at checkpoint Bet El near the West Bank city of Ramallah , Wednesday, March 27, 2019.(AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

Israeli border policemen move away from a burning vehicle during clashes with Palestinians at checkpoint Bet El near the West Bank city of Ramallah , Wednesday, March 27, 2019.(AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

Israeli border policemen move away from a burning vehicle during clashes with Palestinians at checkpoint Bet El near the West Bank city of Ramallah , Wednesday, March 27, 2019.(AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

Israeli border policemen move away from a burning vehicle during clashes with Palestinians at checkpoint Bet El near the West Bank city of Ramallah , Wednesday, March 27, 2019.(AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)
NEW DELHI (AP) - India successfully test-fired an anti-satellite weapon Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in an unexpected announcement of military advancement that was broadcast live just weeks before a general election.

He said the destruction of a satellite in low-earth orbit by missile demonstrated India's capacity as a "space power" alongside the U.S., Russia and China.

The announcement is Modi's latest bid to flex India's military muscle as his party seeks to retain power in polls beginning April 11.

After 40 Indian soldiers were killed in a February suicide bombing in disputed Kashmir, India said it retaliated with a "surgical strike" on a terrorist camp in Pakistan. But Pakistan later shot down one of India's Soviet-era fighter jets, prompting scrutiny of India's aging military hardware.

In Washington, the vice commander of U.S. Air Force Space Command, Lt. Gen. David Thompson, told a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing that the Air Force detected the collision in space. It happened at 1:39 a.m. in Washington, or 10:30 a.m. in New Delhi.

Pallava Bagla, a science writer at the New Delhi Television Channel, said that by hitting the fast-moving satellite, India had crossed a significant threshold and demonstrated it could "bring down an enemy satellite in space."

An Indian family watches prime minister Narendra Modi addressing the nation on a television, in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh state, India, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. India says it has successfully tested an anti-satellite weapon in an unexpected announcement just weeks before general elections. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in an address to the nation broadcast live on Wednesday that Indian scientists had earlier shot down a low earth orbit satellite with a missile, demonstrating India's capacity as a "space power" alongside the U.S., Russia and China. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

Modi said the anti-satellite capability is "not against anyone," and that India's policy remains against the use of weapons in space.

Earlier this month, acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan argued for a 2020 Pentagon budget shaped by national security threats posed by China, including anti-satellite weapons.

Thompson said the Air Force detected about 270 objects in the debris field created by the collision and the number was likely to increase. He said the Air Force will inform satellite operators if any of those objects become a threat to satellites in orbit. "At this point in time the International Space Station is not at risk," he said.
MOSCOW (AP) - Russia has scoffed at the U.S. demand to withdraw its military personnel from Venezuela, saying that their presence in the country is fully legitimate.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement late Tuesday that the presence of Russian military personnel in Venezuela is "in strict accordance" with the Venezuelan constitution and a bilateral agreement on military cooperation. She said that it doesn't require any approval by Venezuela's opposition-controlled National Assembly.

Zakharova did not say how many Russia military experts have gone to Venezuela, but news reports indicated that two Russian planes delivered about 100 servicemen and 35 tons of cargo to Venezuela over the weekend.

On Wednesday, Zakharova lashed out at the U.S. call on Russia to withdraw its military personnel, saying that U.S. President Donald Trump should first honor his own pledge last fall to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria.

"Some liken the U.S. to an elephant in a china shop, but those animals behave delicately and reasonably," Zakharova said. "It acts on the international arena more like a cowboy in the Louvre Museum."

The U.S. and several dozen other nations have cast their support behind opposition leader Juan Guaido and recognized him as interim president, asserting that Maduro's re-election last year was illegitimate.

Russia and China, which invested heavily in Venezuelan oil industries, have staunchly backed Maduro.

The rift over Venezuela has further strained Russia-U.S. ties, which have plunged to post-Cold War lows over the conflict in Ukraine, the war in Syria and Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Speaking on Russian state television, Konstantin Kosachev, the head of the foreign affairs committee in the upper house of Russian Parliament, also defended Moscow's military cooperation with Venezuela as "fully legitimate."

He rejected the U.S. demands on Russia to end support for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro as "totally unacceptable" and invited the U.S. to "set a good example" by cutting its own global presence.

"A list of countries outside the Western Hemisphere where America has nothing to do will be too long," Kosachev said on Facebook. "And the withdrawal of the 'global cop' will definitely help independence and democracy in those regions much more than its constant military presence."

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Nataliya Vasilyeva in Moscow contributed to this report.
LONDON (AP) - British Prime Minister Theresa May offered up her job in exchange for her Brexit deal Wednesday, telling colleagues she would quit within weeks if the agreement was passed and Britain left the European Union.

May's dramatic concession that "there is a desire for a new approach - and new leadership" was a last-ditch effort to bring enough reluctant colleagues on board to push her twice-rejected EU divorce deal over the line.

It looked like it might not be enough, as a key Northern Ireland party said it would not be supporting the deal.

May's announcement came as lawmakers held an inconclusive series of votes on alternatives to her unpopular deal. It was the first step in an attempt by Parliament to break the Brexit deadlock and stop the country from tumbling out of the bloc within weeks with no exit plan in place.

May has been under mounting pressure from pro-Brexit members of her Conservative Party to quit. Many Brexiteers accuse her of negotiating a bad divorce deal that leaves Britain too closely tied to the bloc after it leaves.

Several have said they would support the withdrawal deal if another leader took charge of the next stage of negotiations, which will determine Britain's future relations with the EU.

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May stands to face opposition lawmakers inside the House of Commons parliament in London Wednesday March 27, 2019. As Lawmakers sought Wednesday for an alternative to May's unpopular Brexit deal with Europe, with a series of 'indicative votes", May offered to resign from office if her deal is passed by lawmakers at some point and Britain left the European Union. (Jessica Taylor/House of Commons via AP)

In a packed meeting of Conservative legislators described by participants as "somber," May finally conceded she would have to go, although she did not set a departure date.

"I am prepared to leave this job earlier than I intended in order to do what is right for our country and our party," she said, according to a transcript released by her office.

Anti-EU lawmaker Jacob Rees-Mogg, who has clashed with May throughout the Brexit process, said she had been "very clear" that if Britain leaves the EU as foreseen on May 22, she will quit soon after.

He said the prime minister had been "very dignified."

"She put her case well, and reiterated that she had done her duty," he said.

It was unclear whether May's offer to resign would be enough to win backing for her deal, which was defeated by 230 votes in January and by 149 votes earlier this month.

High-profile Brexiteer Boris Johnson announced soon after May's statement that he would support the agreement, which he has previously called a "humiliation." Johnson is a likely contender to replace May as prime minister.

But other hard-liners said they would continue to reject the deal, and Northern Ireland's small but influential Democratic Unionist Party refused to budge in its opposition to the deal.

The DUP's support was seen as key to persuading other Brexiteers to back the deal. But the staunchly pro-British party fears a provision designed keep an open border between EU member Ireland and the U.K.'s Northern Ireland after Brexit would weaken the bonds between Northern Ireland and the rest of the U.K.

"We cannot sign up to something that would damage the Union," DUP leader Arlene Foster told Sky News.

Asked if the party might abstain instead, DUP lawmaker Nigel Dodds tweeted: "The DUP do not abstain on the Union."

Two years ago, Britain triggered a countdown to departure from the EU that ended Friday, March 29, 2019. With that date approaching and no Brexit deal approved by Britain, the EU last week granted a delay. It said that if Parliament approves the proposed divorce deal this week, the U.K. will leave the EU on May 22. If not, the government has until April 12 to tell the 27 remaining EU countries what it plans to do: leave without a deal, cancel Brexit or propose a radically new path.

With May clinging to her Plan A - getting her deal approved - lawmakers this week seized control of the parliamentary timetable for debate and votes Wednesday on a range of Brexit alternatives.

The results underscored the divisions in Parliament, and the country, over Brexit. None of the eight plans received a majority of votes. The most popular were a proposal to remain in a customs union with the bloc, which was defeated 272-264, and a call to hold a public referendum on any divorce deal, which fell by 295 votes to 268. Both ideas got more support than the 242 votes secured by May's deal earlier this month.

A call to leave the EU without a deal was supported by 160 lawmakers and opposed by 400.

The plan is for the most popular ideas to move to a second vote Monday to find an option that can command a majority. Parliament would then instruct the government to negotiate it with the EU.

May has said she will consider the outcome of the votes, although she has refused to be bound by the result.

Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay urged lawmakers to back May's deal, saying the ambiguous result "demonstrates that there are no easy options here."

Barclay said he had introduced a motion to have Parliament meet Friday if needed for a vote on May's agreement, but it remained unclear whether it would go ahead. House of Commons Speaker John Bercow said he would not accept another vote on the twice-rejected deal unless substantial changes were made.

Wednesday's votes produced inconclusive results, but could push Britain in the direction of a softer Brexit that keeps Britain closely tied economically to the EU.

That would probably require the U.K. to seek a longer delay, although that would mean participating in May 23-26 European Parliament elections.

Many EU officials are keen to avoid the messy participation of a departing member state.

But the chief of the European Council told European lawmakers that the EU should let Britain take part if the country indicated it planned to change course on Brexit. Donald Tusk said the bloc could not "betray" the millions of Britons who want to stay in the EU.

"They may feel they are not sufficiently represented by the U.K. Parliament but they must feel that they are represented by you in this chamber. Because they are Europeans," Tusk said.

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Gregory Katz and Tobie Mathew in London and Raf Casert in Strasbourg, France, contributed.

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Follow AP's full coverage of Brexit at: https://www.apnews.com/Brexit

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa may leaves the Houses of Parliament, on the day that MPs will be asked to consider a range of alternative Brexit options after Parliament seized control of the Commons agenda to force a series of "indicative votes", Wednesday evening March 27, 2019. May told lawmakers Wednesday she is prepared to step down "earlier than I intended" in order to win passage of her Brexit divorce deal from the European Union. (Victoria Jones/PA via AP)

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa may leaves the Houses of Parliament, on the day that MPs will be asked to consider a range of alternative Brexit options after Parliament seized control of the Commons agenda to force a series of "indicative votes", Wednesday evening March 27, 2019. May told lawmakers Wednesday she is prepared to step down "earlier than I intended" in order to win passage of her Brexit divorce deal from the European Union. (Victoria Jones/PA via AP)

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May stands to face opposition lawmakers inside the House of Commons parliament in London Wednesday March 27, 2019. As Lawmakers sought Wednesday for an alternative to May's unpopular Brexit deal with Europe, with a series of 'indicative votes", May offered to resign from office if her deal is passed by lawmakers at some point and Britain left the European Union. (Mark Duffy/House of Commons via AP)

1.2 metre-tall illuminated sign reading "LET US VOTE" is set up outside Parliament by the public and civic organisation Avaaz in London, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. British lawmakers were preparing to vote Wednesday on alternatives for leaving the European Union as they seek to end an impasse following the overwhelming defeat of the Brexit deal negotiated by Prime Minister Theresa May. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

A pro EU protestor shouts through a megaphone at the Houses of Parliament in London, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. British lawmakers were preparing to vote Wednesday on alternatives for leaving the European Union as they seek to end an impasse following the overwhelming defeat of the deal negotiated by Prime Minister Theresa May. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May leaves 10 Downing street to attend her weekly Prime Minster's Questions at the House of Commons, in London, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. British lawmakers are preparing to vote Wednesday on alternatives for leaving the European Union as they seek to end an impasse following the overwhelming defeat of the deal negotiated by Prime Minister Theresa May. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

A pro Brexit campaigner sits with a banner outside Parliament in London, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. British lawmakers WERE preparing to vote Wednesday on alternatives for leaving the European Union as they seek to end an impasse following the overwhelming defeat of the deal negotiated by Prime Minister Theresa May. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, center, greets Former U.K. Independence Party (UKIP) leader and member of the European Parliament Nigel Farage at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. The Parliament discusses the conclusions of the 21-22 March EU summit, including Brexit, with European Council President Donald Tusk and Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)

A Pro EU protestor demonstrates in front of the Houses of Parliament in London, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. British lawmakers were preparing to vote Wednesday on alternatives for leaving the European Union as they seek to end an impasse following the overwhelming defeat of the deal negotiated by Prime Minister Theresa May. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

Former U.K. Independence Party (UKIP) leader and member of the European Parliament Nigel Farage at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, Wednesday March 27, 2019. The Parliament discusses the conclusions of the 21-22 March EU summit, including Brexit, with European Council President Donald Tusk and Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)

European Parliament President Antonio Tajani sits at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, Wednesday March 27, 2019. The Parliament discusses the conclusions of the 21-22 March EU summit, including Brexit, with European Council President Donald Tusk and Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)

In this grab taken from video, Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May speaks during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, London, Wednesday March 27, 2019. British lawmakers are preparing to vote Wednesday on alternatives for leaving the European Union as they seek to end an impasse following the overwhelming defeat of the deal negotiated by Prime Minister Theresa May. (House of Commons/PA via AP)

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May leaves 10 Downing street to attend her weekly Prime Minster's Questions at the House of Commons, in London, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. British lawmakers are preparing to vote Wednesday on alternatives for leaving the European Union as they seek to end an impasse following the overwhelming defeat of the deal negotiated by Prime Minister Theresa May. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Pro-Brexit leave the European Union supporters take part in the day 12 leg of the "March to Leave", passing local residents watching them march part in the village of Maids Moreton, England, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. The protest march which started on March 16 in Sunderland, north east England, finishes on Friday March 29 in London, on what was the original date for Brexit to happen before the recent extension. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

In this grab taken from video, the Speaker of the House John Bercow announces that he has selected eight of the 16 Brexit alternative proposals to be considered as part of the indicative vote process to the House of Commons, in London, Wednesday March 27, 2019. (House of Commons/PA via AP)

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May leaves the Houses of Parliament, on the day that MPs will be asked to consider a range of alternative Brexit options after Parliament seized control of the Commons agenda to force a series of "indicative votes", Wednesday evening March 27, 2019. May told lawmakers Wednesday she is prepared to step down "earlier than I intended" in order to win passage of her Brexit divorce deal from the European Union. (Victoria Jones/PA via AP)
JERUSALEM (AP) - The Latest on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (all times local):

8:05 p.m.

Palestinian border authorities say Egyptian mediators have arrived in the Gaza Strip for talks with the territory's Hamas rulers.

The delegation of Egyptian officials crossed into Gaza on Wednesday, as an unofficial cease-fire between Israel and Hamas appeared to hold after a round of heavy cross-border fighting.

Palestinian media reported the mediators planned to offer Hamas economic incentives for the group's commitment to halt its weekly demonstrations along the Gaza-Israeli border.

There was no immediate comment from Hamas.

Israeli soldiers work on their tanks at a gathering area near the Israel-Gaza border, in southern Israel, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned home from Washington on Tuesday, heading straight into military consultations after a night of heavy fire as Israeli aircraft bombed Gaza targets and the strip's militants fired rockets into Israel. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Even as mediators arrived, Hamas resumed its regular night-time protests at the security fence. Palestinian protesters detonated loud explosives, burned tires and flashed lasers at Israeli soldiers.

Demonstrations are expected along the frontier Saturday to mark the anniversary of the rallies in which nearly 200 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire.

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7:35 p.m.

The World Health Organization has condemned the killing of a Palestinian medic by Israeli forces in the West Bank.

Gerald Rockenschaub, director of WHO for the West Bank and Gaza, said Wednesday that "health workers provide critical care and save lives," and "their protection must be ensured."

He added: "Health care is not a target."

Sajed Mizher, an 18-year-old emergency medical worker, was shot Wednesday while in uniform, tending to Palestinians wounded during clashes with the Israeli army in Dheisheh refugee camp near Bethlehem.

Mizher was hit in the abdomen and rushed to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

The ministry said Israeli soldiers shot Mizher after stones were thrown at them during an arrest raid. The Israeli army had no immediate comment.

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4:25 p.m.

Israel says that more than 2,000 violent incidents have emanated from the Gaza Strip since Hamas-orchestrated weekly border demonstrations erupted a year ago.

An Israeli statistical review published Wednesday found that Palestinians launched 1,233 rockets from Gaza, hurled 94 explosive devices and 600 Molotov cocktails across the security fence and committed 152 acts of arson against Israeli forces.

The report said rocket fire killed one Israeli and injured 126. Palestinian attacks on the security fence killed one Israeli soldier and wounded 16.

It said incendiary kites have torched thousands of acres of Israeli farmland, inflicting over $9.5 million in damage.

Israel has come under criticism for using disproportionate force against unarmed protesters. Over the past year, nearly 200 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire.

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3:30 p.m.

Hamas' supreme leader has made his first public appearance since a new round of cross-border violence with Israel this week.

Ismail Haniyeh on Wednesday visited the rubble of his Gaza City office, which was destroyed in an Israeli airstrike.

Haniyeh had been in hiding during the two-day flare-up of violence, which ended with an unofficial Egyptian-brokered cease-fire.

The fighting broke out after a rocket fired from Gaza struck a home in central Israel and wounded seven people. Israel responded with dozens of airstrikes in Gaza, while Palestinian militants fired dozens of rockets into Israel.

Haniyeh says: "The Israeli occupation got the message."

He also urged Gazans to participate in mass protests along the Israel-Gaza frontier on Saturday marking the first anniversary of a movement aimed at ending an Israeli-Egyptian blockade.

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11 a.m.

The Palestinian Health Ministry says an 18-year-old has been shot dead in West Bank clashes with Israeli troops.

The ministry says Israeli soldiers shot Sajed Mizher after stones were thrown at them early Wednesday during an arrest raid in the Dheisheh refugee camp near Bethlehem. It says two others were wounded in the clashes, which come amid an uptick in West Bank violence.

The Israeli military had no immediate comment. It often carries out pre-dawn arrest raids.

Since 2015, Palestinians have killed over 50 Israelis in stabbings, shootings and car-ramming attacks in the West Bank. Israeli forces have killed more than 260 Palestinians in that same period. Israel says most of the Palestinians killed were attackers, but clashes between protesters and soldiers have also turned deadly.

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10 a.m.

An unofficial cease-fire appears to be holding between Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers despite limited exchanges of fire.

Schools reopened in southern Israel on Wednesday after late-night rocket attacks from Gaza set off air-raid sirens, breaking a daylong lull. The Israeli military struck back against additional Hamas targets but there were no reports of casualties on either side.

Israel and Hamas have fought three wars and dozens of skirmishes since the Islamic militant group seized control of Gaza in 2007. The latest round was triggered by a Gaza rocket fired early Monday that slammed into a house in central Israel and wounded seven people.

Large Gaza protests are expected this weekend, marking the anniversary of weekly rallies in which nearly 200 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire.

Israeli soldiers work near their tanks at a gathering area near the Israel-Gaza border, in southern Israel, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned home from Washington on Tuesday, heading straight into military consultations after a night of heavy fire as Israeli aircraft bombed Gaza targets and the strip's militants fired rockets into Israel. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

An Israeli soldier works at a gathering area near the Israel-Gaza border, in southern Israel, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned home from Washington on Tuesday, heading straight into military consultations after a night of heavy fire as Israeli aircraft bombed Gaza targets and the strip's militants fired rockets into Israel. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - The 10 people who allegedly raided the North Korean Embassy in Madrid last month belong to a mysterious dissident organization that styles itself as a government-in-exile dedicated to toppling the ruling Kim family dynasty in North Korea.

The leader of the alleged intruders appears to be a Yale-educated human rights activist who was once jailed in China while trying to rescue North Korean defectors living in hiding, according to activists and defectors.

Details have begun trickling out about the raid after a Spanish judge lifted a secrecy order Tuesday and said an investigation of what happened on Feb. 22 uncovered evidence that "a criminal organization" shackled and gagged embassy staff before escaping with computers, hard drives and documents. A U.S. official said the group is named Cheollima Civil Defense, a little-known organization that recently called for international solidarity in the fight against dictatorship in North Korea.

Here's a look at the intruders and the Cheollima group.

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THE GROUP

In this Wednesday, March 13, 2019 photo, a member of the North Korea's embassy tells reporters not to take pictures of the diplomatic building in Madrid, Spain. A Spanish court is accusing an American, Mexican and South Korean part of a 10-strong group that led an attack on the North Korean Embassy in February, saying the FBI was offered stolen data. National Court judge Jose de la Mata on Tuesday, March 26 lifted a secrecy order, announcing it had found evidence of various crimes, including trespassing, injuries, threats and burglary committed by "a criminal organization." (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Details about the creation of the Cheollima Civil Defense group are hazy. The word "Cheollima" - spelled "Chollima" in the North - refers to a mythical winged horse that the government often uses in its propaganda.

In a statement posted on its website on Thursday, the group said it has "temporarily suspended" its activities because of what it described as an "attack of various speculative articles by the media." The group said it consists of North Korean defectors living in countries around the world, but that it has not worked with or contacted defectors "living under tight security" in South Korea.

"We ask the media to restrain their interest about the truth of our organization or its members. There are bigger things ahead of us," Cheollima said in a statement written in Korean. "We are an international organization unified by determination to cut off the dynastic power of the Kim family."

In March 2017, the group said it had arranged the escape of Kim Han Sol, the son of Kim Jong Nam, the half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un who was assassinated at a Malaysian airport earlier that year.

A man claiming to be Kim Han Sol appeared in a YouTube video at the time and said he was safely with his mother and sister.

"My name is Kim Han Sol from North Korea, part of the Kim family," the man said in English in the 40-second video clip. "My father has been killed a few days ago."

Recently the group declared on what appears to be its website the establishment of "Free Joseon," which it described as "a provisional government" that would fight against "the criminal incumbents of the north." North Korea still calls itself "Joson," its spelling of "Joseon," the name of the dynasty that ruled the Korean Peninsula for more than 500 years.

The group also recently posted a video showing an unidentified man destroying glass-encased portraits of North Korea's two late leaders. South Korean media reported that the group was behind the writing of "Let's topple Kim Jong Un," the current North Korean leader, on the wall of the North Korean Embassy in Malaysia.

After the Spanish judge released documents about the Feb. 22 incident, the Cheollima website said it had been responding to an urgent situation at the embassy and was invited onto the property, and that "no one was gagged or beaten." The group said there were "no other governments involved with or aware of our activity until after the event."

The Spanish court report said the intruders urged North Korea's only accredited diplomat in Spain, So Yun Sok, to defect.

The Cheollima website said the group shared "certain information of enormous potential value" with the FBI, under mutually agreed terms of confidentiality.

The FBI said its standard practice is to neither confirm nor deny the existence of investigations.

If Cheollima was behind the embassy break-in, it indicates the involvement of North Korean defectors who have experience working for North Korea's military or security authorities, said Nam Sung Wook, a former president of the Institute for National Security Strategy, a think tank affiliated with South Korea's main spy agency.

"There are many young North Korean men who come to the South with more than 10 years of military experience," said Nam, who now teaches at Korea University in South Korea. "People would be surprised at what they are capable of doing, and they aren't always being closely watched by the South Korean government."

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THE ALLEGED LEADER

A Spanish court document identified the leader of the group that entered the embassy as Adrian Hong Chang.

This is likely to be Adrian Hong, who in 2005 co-founded Liberty in North Korea (LiNK), an activist group devoted to rescuing North Korean refugees, according to North Korean defectors and activists who spoke with The Associated Press.

Hannah Song, CEO of LiNK, said Hong has had no involvement with the organization for more than 10 years. "We have no knowledge of his recent activities," Song said.

The Spanish judge, Jose de la Mata, described Adrian Hong Chang as a Mexican national and resident of the United States. According to the Spanish court report, the man flew to the United States on Feb. 23, got in touch with the FBI and offered to share material and videos. The report didn't say what type of information the items contained or whether the FBI accepted the offer.

An online message by AP to a verified Twitter account linked to activist Adrian Hong wasn't immediately answered.

Hong is known for his work helping North Koreans flee their homeland and resettle in South Korea and elsewhere. LiNK said it has helped more than 1,000 North Koreans reach safety. Fellow activists and North Korean defectors said Hong was detained in China briefly in the 2000s because of his work.

Kang Chol-hwan, a prominent North Korean defector-turned-activist, said he was close to Hong and helped him with LiNK.

Kang, an ex-inmate of North Korea's notorious Yodok prison camp, said Hong became passionate about North Korean human rights after reading his detention memoir. He said Hong visited Seoul and rallied against what he believed were pro-North Korea sympathizers and those silent on North Korean human rights issues.

Kang, who said he last saw Hong about five years ago, said Hong wanted to "muster anti-government forces (in North Korea) and bring down North Korea from the inside." Kang said Hong even went to Libya to study the fall of dictator Moammar Gadhafi so he could explore ways to topple the Kim government.

Kang believes Hong heads the whole Cheollima group.

"He has great capacity for organization because of his experience establishing LiNK," Kang said. "He's a very smart guy."

Fellow defector-turned-activist Heu Kang Il, who met Hong around 2005, recalled him as a "passionate young man."

Testifying before the Canadian Senate in 2016, Hong said: "North Korea is not a normal nation with the government seeking to serve and protect its citizens. It is a brutal totalitarian regime, ruled by a royal family and a class of vassals, both in tenuous concert with one another. It does not care for the welfare of its people."

In an op-ed for The Christian Science Monitor in 2014, Hong said the international community must support "efforts to strengthen meaningful opposition and civil society in the country, training exiles to one day assume leadership positions, educating younger refugees, and creating more robust programs to help defectors adjust to life on the outside."

"A class of Korean technocrats must be capable of stabilizing and rebuilding on a national scale," Hong wrote.

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Associated Press writer Aritz Parra in Madrid contributed to this report.

This Wednesday, March 13, 2019 photo show a general view of the North Korea's embassy in Madrid, Spain, Wednesday March 13, 2019. A Spanish court is accusing an American, Mexican and South Korean part of a 10-strong group that led an attack on the North Korean Embassy in February, saying the FBI was offered stolen data. National Court judge Jose de la Mata on Tuesday, March 26 lifted a secrecy order, announcing it had found evidence of various crimes, including trespassing, injuries, threats and burglary committed by "a criminal organization." (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

In this Wednesday, March 13, 2019 photo, a van with diplomatic plaque exits the North Korea embassy in Madrid, Spain. A Spanish court is accusing an American, Mexican and South Korean part of a 10-strong group that led an attack on the North Korean Embassy in February, saying the FBI was offered stolen data. National Court judge Jose de la Mata on Tuesday, March 26 lifted a secrecy order, announcing it had found evidence of various crimes, including trespassing, injuries, threats and burglary committed by "a criminal organization." (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Centene is spending more than $15 billion on rival WellCare to dive deeper into government-funded health coverage in the same week that President Donald Trump's administration renewed its attack on the Affordable Care Act.

The insurer said Wednesday that its cash-and-stock deal to buy WellCare will create an insurer that manages Medicaid coverage for more than 12 million people and covers several million more in the federal government's Medicare program for people age 65 and older.

The deal comes after the administration attacked the ACA in court Monday, saying that former President Barack Obama's health care law should be declared unconstitutional after Congress repealed one part of it - unpopular fines on people who remain uninsured. The 2010 Affordable Care Act expanded coverage to millions of people by creating individual insurance exchanges and increasing Medicaid enrollment in several states.

Centene Corp., based in St. Louis, has built its business around Medicaid, the state and federally funded program for people who are poor or disabled, but it also has expanded aggressively on the exchanges.

The WellCare deal could help Centene improve its profitability and protect against any risks that stem from threats to the ACA, SVB Leerink analyst Ana Gupte said in a research note.

Several GOP-led states are challenging the ACA in a federal court case that may head to the Supreme Court, and the Justice Department filed a letter with a federal appeals court in New Orleans supporting their case.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., joined at left by Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Frank Pallone, D-N.J., speaks at an event to announce legislation to lower health care costs and protect people with pre-existing medical conditions, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. The Democratic action comes after the Trump administration told a federal appeals court that the entire Affordable Care Act, known as "Obamacare," should be struck down as unconstitutional. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Centene Chairman and CEO Michael Neidorff said Wednesday that there's a reasonable chance the law will be upheld as the case winds through federal courts. He also noted that the legal battle will take time to play out.

"We have always maintained you base your decisions at a point in time based on the facts ... known today," said.

A Centene tie up with WellCare Health Plans Inc., based in Tampa, Florida, would create an insurer with 22 million customers and a dominating Medicaid presence.

Centene pulled in about $60 billion in revenue last year, or more than five times its total from 2013. Combined, the companies estimate that they would bring in about $97 billion in revenue this year.

Like Centene, WellCare also specializes in managing Medicaid coverage. The insurer has focused in recent years on helping customers with issues outside health care like finding housing, transportation to the doctor's office or healthy food. WellCare and other insurers are focusing more on these issues because they think that keeping people healthy is a key to controlling health care costs.

Neidorff said Wednesday that the WellCare deal will help Centene with this push.

The transaction includes more than three shares of Centene stock and $120 in cash for each share of WellCare stock, or $305.39 per share. That's about a 32 percent premium to WellCare's closing price Tuesday. The companies put the deal's value at $17.3 billion.

Neidorff will lead the combined company, which will be based in St. Louis. The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2020, but it still needs approval from Centene and WellCare shareholders, as well as regulators.

Centene's acquisition bid is the latest in a string of major health care combinations announced or polished off in the past few years, as companies seek to consolidate to save money and gain more control over costs in the system. Cigna Corp. spent $52 billion to buy the pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts, while CVS Health Corp. paid about $69 billion for the insurer Aetna.

Centene investors reacted coolly to the newest deal, sending the company's shares down more than 9 percent in midday trading, while broader indexes also slipped. WellCare shares rose more than 8 percent.

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Follow Tom Murphy on Twitter: @thpmurphy

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., joined at right by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., speaks at an event to announce legislation to lower health care costs and protect people with pre-existing medical conditions, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. The Democratic action comes after the Trump administration told a federal appeals court that the entire Affordable Care Act, known as "Obamacare," should be struck down as unconstitutional. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
NEW YORK (AP) - The latest on the case involving attorney Michael Avenatti (all times local):

5:55 p.m.

The embattled lawyer Michael Avenatti has a knack for injecting himself into the news.

Wednesday his name popped up in connection with the federal prosecution of members of a secretive society in upstate New York that's been accused of sex trafficking.

At a court hearing in Brooklyn, attorney Mark Geragos confirmed under questioning by a judge that he and Avenatti had met with prosecutors on behalf of a defendant in the case, liquor fortune heiress Clare Bronfman.

Prosecutors charged Avenatti Monday with embezzling from a client and trying to extort millions of dollars from Nike.

Attorney Michael Avenatti leaves Federal Court after his initial appearance in an extortion case Monday, March 25, 2019, in New York. Avenatti was arrested Monday on charges that included trying to shake down Nike for as much as $25 million by threatening the company with bad publicity. (AP Photo/Kevin Hagen).

Geragos wouldn't comment on reports identifying him as an unnamed co-conspirator in the extortion case.

During Wednesday's hearing, Bronfman collapsed after being questioned by the judge and was evaluated by medics.

Avenatti wasn't present.

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7:30 a.m.

The lawyer best known for representing porn actress Stormy Daniels in legal battles against President Donald Trump says allegations of criminal wrongdoing against him are "absolutely absurd."

Michael Avenatti said in an interview aired Wednesday on CBS that he's nervous, concerned and scared but also confident because he says "the facts are on my side."

Avenatti was facing legal scrutiny for his business practices long before federal charges were unsealed against him.

On Friday, he testified in a civil case that he never pocketed $1.6 million from a client.

Avenatti told The Associated Press in an email his clients' funds were properly accounted for.

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1:10 a.m.

Attorney Michael Avenatti was facing legal scrutiny for his business practices long before federal charges were unsealed against him.

The lawyer best known for representing porn actress Stormy Daniels in legal battles against President Donald Trump testified Friday in a civil case that he never pocketed $1.6 million from a client.

At the time of his testimony, federal authorities were secretly including allegations of the embezzlement in criminal charges that could put him behind bars for decades.

Avenatti told The Associated Press in an email that his clients' funds were properly accounted for.

Avenatti was testifying Friday at a debtor hearing over a $10 million judgment an attorney who worked at his previous firm is owed.

Federal prosecutors filed charges under seal while he was testifying.

Attorney Michael Avenatti delivers remarks in front of federal court after his initial appearance in an extortion case Monday, March 25, 2019, in New York. Avenatti was arrested Monday on charges that included trying to shake down Nike for as much as $25 million by threatening the company with bad publicity. (AP Photo/Kevin Hagen).
LONDON (AP) - With the date and terms of Britain's departure from the European Union mired in uncertainty, Prime Minister Theresa May has offered to quit in a bid to gain approval for her twice-rejected divorce deal with the bloc. Meanwhile, Parliament has seized control of the political process so lawmakers can try to hammer out a different way forward.

Here's a look at what might happen next:

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PARLIAMENT TAKES CHARGE

With Brexit deadlocked amid feuding between Britain's political factions, lawmakers voted to upend the usual parliamentary procedure, in which the government decides the schedule for debates and votes. The House of Commons carved out time for legislators to hold a series of "indicative votes" on alternatives to May's defeated deal.

The results of Wednesday's votes were inconclusive, with none of the eight options gaining a majority. The most popular were a proposal to remain in a customs union with the bloc and a plan to put any divorce deal that is approved to a public referendum.

1.2 metre-tall illuminated letters reading "LET US VOTE" are set up outside Parliament by the public and civic organisation Avaaz in London, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. British lawmakers were preparing to vote Wednesday on alternatives for leaving the European Union as they seek to end an impasse following the overwhelming defeat of the deal negotiated by Prime Minister Theresa May. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

Lawmakers behind the move plan to hold another day of votes Monday in an attempt to narrow down the proposals to one idea that can gain a majority - then to send the government back to negotiate it with the EU.

The government says Parliament's move sets "a dangerous, unpredictable precedent," but has promised to "engage constructively" with the result of the votes. But ministers say any plan agreed by Parliament must be "realistic" and negotiable with the EU.

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THE END OF MAY?

May hasn't given up hope that the deal she agreed with the bloc setting out the terms of Britain's withdrawal will be passed by Parliament, even though it has been rejected twice by hefty margins.

In a last-ditch bid to win over opponents in her Conservative Party, May announced Wednesday that she would step down if the deal is approved and Britain leaves the European Union.

The news was enough to secure support from some pro-Brexit Conservatives, who think May has been a weak negotiator opposite the EU. But the government's key Northern Irish ally, the Democratic Unionist Party, refused to budge in its opposition to the deal.

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BYE-BYE BREXIT?

Under an extension granted by the EU last week, if U.K. lawmakers approve the divorce deal by Friday - Britain's original departure date - Britain will leave the EU on May 22. If they don't, Britain has until April 12 to tell the EU what it plans to do next: leave without a deal, risking economic chaos, or seek a long delay to Brexit and chart a course toward a softer exit or even remaining in the bloc.

Opposition politicians think the only way forward is an early election that could rearrange Parliament and break the political deadlock.

And anti-Brexit campaigners haven't abandoned the idea of a new Brexit referendum on remaining in the EU. There's no majority for that in Parliament yet, but pro-referendum campaigners feel opinion is shifting in their favor. Hundreds of thousands of people marched through London on Saturday to demand a new Brexit vote.

The "nuclear option" of simply canceling Brexit is also gaining support. An online petition urging the government to revoke the decision to leave the EU has amassed almost 6 million signatures.

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Follow AP's full coverage of Brexit at: https://www.apnews.com/Brexit

FILE - In this Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018 file photo British Prime Minister Theresa May, center, arrives for a round table meeting at an EU summit in Brussels. May told lawmakers Wednesday she is prepared to step down "earlier than I intended" in order to win passage of her Brexit divorce deal from the European Union. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File)

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May leaves 10 Downing street to attend her weekly Prime Minster's Questions at the House of Commons, in London, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. British lawmakers are preparing to vote Wednesday on alternatives for leaving the European Union as they seek to end an impasse following the overwhelming defeat of the deal negotiated by Prime Minister Theresa May. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

FILE - In this Nov. 14, 2018 file photo Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May announces that her Cabinet has agreed to a draft Brexit deal with the European Union after "impassioned" debate, outside 10 Downing Street in London. May told lawmakers Wednesday she is prepared to step down "earlier than I intended" in order to win passage of her Brexit divorce deal from the European Union. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May stands to face opposition lawmakers inside the House of Commons parliament in London Wednesday March 27, 2019. As Lawmakers sought Wednesday for an alternative to May's unpopular Brexit deal with Europe, with a series of 'indicative votes", May offered to resign from office if her deal is passed by lawmakers at some point and Britain left the European Union. (Mark Duffy/House of Commons via AP)

FILE - In this Wednesday, Oct. 3 , 2018 file photo Conservative Party Leader and Prime Minister Theresa May dances as she arrives on stage to address delegates during a speech at the Conservative Party Conference at the ICC, in Birmingham, England. May told lawmakers Wednesday she is prepared to step down "earlier than I intended" in order to win passage of her Brexit divorce deal from the European Union. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira, File)

In this photo issued by Britain's House of Commons, showing the second page of a two page ballot paper issued to lawmakers for them to show preferences in what is being called "indicative votes", in Parliament, London, Wednesday March 27, 2019. Lawmakers are required to vote Aye (yes), No, or to abstain by not placing a mark on the indicative vote paper, enabling lawmakers to indicate various preferred options for Britain's contentious Brexit split with Europe. (House of Commons via AP)

FILE - In this Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018 file photo Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May reacts during a press conference inside 10 Downing Street in London. May told lawmakers Wednesday she is prepared to step down "earlier than I intended" in order to win passage of her Brexit divorce deal from the European Union. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, Pool)
VATICAN CITY (AP) - Pope Francis allowed nuns and priests to kiss his papal ring during his weekly audience in St. Peter's Square on Wednesday, two days after a video that showed him pulling his hand away from several faithful drew disapproval from some of the pope's conservative critics.

Some conservative Catholics think Francis has abandoned church doctrine and saw his jerking his hand away from people who hoped to kiss his ring as evidence of him shunning age-old traditions.

But many Catholics noted that the short clip making the rounds online didn't give a full picture.

During a visit Monday to Loreto, a major Italian pilgrimage site, Francis received a long line of faithful, some of whom shook his hand, while others kissed his hand or bowed down in a gesture of reverence. He only began pulling his hand away after having greeted a large number of people.

Those coming to his defense noted that he still had to greet sick people and lead a prayer during his visit.

The video clip also became material for comedians. Trevor Noah, host of American TV program "The Daily Show", on Tuesday imitated Francis pulling his hand back and quipped, "I am impressed at how quick he is, like every single time."

85-year-old sister Maria Concetta Esu kisses the hand of Pope Francis as he presents her with a Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice award during his weekly general audience, in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. 85-year-old sister Maria Concetta Esu is an obstetrician who gave birth to some 3,000 children during her 60 years of missions in Africa, that the pontiff met during his trip to the Central African Republic. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

However, Francis allowed nuns and priests to kiss his hand during his general audience Wednesday.

One of them was Sister Maria Concetta Esu, an 85-year-old nun and obstetrician who has delivered around 3,000 babies during more than 60 years of missionary work in the Central African Republic.

With Esu at his side gently helping the pontiff as his papers blew in the wind, Pope Francis recalled meeting her in Bangui in 2015 after she arrived in a canoe.

"This is a sign of our affection, and thanks for all the work you have done among our African sisters and brothers in the service of life, of children, of women and of families," Francis said, presenting the nun with a medal. She then bowed and kissed his hand.

Among those commenting on Francis' actions was Archbishop Mark Coleridge of Brisbane, who tweeted: "She kissed his ring!"

Each pope picks his own ring, which is destroyed at the end of his papacy, a formality meant to symbolize the end of his reign and to prevent forgeries. The papal Fisherman's Ring was named for the apostle Peter, who was a fisherman and the first pope.

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This story has been corrected to show that the name of the host of "The Daily Show" is Trevor Noah.

Pope Francis kisses a child as he arrives for his weekly general audience, in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Pope Francis arrives for his weekly general audience, in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Pope Francis presents 85-year-old sister Maria Concetta Esu with a Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice award during his weekly general audience, in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. 85-year-old sister Maria Concetta Esu is an obstetrician who gave birth to some 3,000 children during her 60 years of missions in Africa, that the pontiff met during his trip to the Central African Republic. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Pope Francis presents 85-year-old sister Maria Concetta Esu with a Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice award during his weekly general audience, in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. 85-year-old sister Maria Concetta Esu is an obstetrician who gave birth to some 3,000 children during her 60 years of missions in Africa, that the pontiff met during his trip to the Central African Republic. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Pope Francis leaves at the end of his weekly general audience, in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - Nearly a dozen Saudi women's rights activists seated before a three-judge panel in a Riyadh courtroom Wednesday laid out their defense and spoke of physical and sexual abuse they say they were subjected to by masked interrogators, according to people with knowledge of the case.

It marked a significant moment for the 11 women on trial, nearly all of whom were taken from their homes in the Saudi capital 10 months ago and transferred to the Red Sea city of Jiddah just weeks before the kingdom lifted its ban on women driving.

The women, appearing in their second court session since their arrest in May, had long pushed for the right to drive and called for an end to restrictive male guardianship laws. The laws require women of all ages to have a male relative's consent to travel abroad, obtain a passport, marry or undergo certain medical procedures.

Several people with knowledge of the cases say charges against the women relate to their efforts to promote women's rights and having contact with accredited foreign reporters, diplomats and human rights groups.

On Wednesday, the women sat next to their relatives in Riyadh's criminal court and spoke through a microphone to the presiding judge who sat before them, according to details provided to The Associated Press. In between the emotional speeches, in which some of the women wept, they were able to hug and speak with one another and their families.

The women were expected to appear back in court next week for what could be the final session of the trial.

FILE - In this March 29, 2014 file photo, Aziza al-Yousef drives a car on a highway in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as part of a campaign to defy Saudi Arabia's then ban on women driving. Saudi women's rights activists, including al-Yousef, are expected to appear before a judge Wednesday, March 27, 2019, on charges that include speaking to foreign journalists. Several people with knowledge of the cases say the charges for the nearly dozen women relate to their efforts to promote women's rights and sharing information with accredited foreign reporters, diplomats and human rights groups. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali, File)

Journalists working for foreign media, diplomats and other independent observers have not been allowed to sit-in on the hearings.

The judge was expected to decide Thursday whether to grant some of the women temporary release from prison. The releases, if granted, would not be before Sunday.

One of the women told the panel of three judges that several men, who seemed intoxicated, appeared late one night and took her from her place of detention in Jiddah to a nearby secret location.

It's there that the women have said they were caned on their backs and thighs, electrocuted and waterboarded by masked men who did not identify themselves. Some women say they were forcibly touched and groped, made to break their fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, and threatened with rape and death. One of the women attempted suicide in prison.

The Associated Press learned of the details from several people with knowledge of the arrests. All spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal and to protect personal details about the detainees.

The government has denied charges of abuse as "wild claims" that are "simply wrong."

The kingdom, meanwhile, continues to face international criticism over the assassination of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in October, allegedly by members of Prince Mohammed's entourage, as well as over its yearslong war in Yemen.

A person with knowledge of the women's cases said one of the 11 women asked to postpone presenting her defense in order to have more time to prepare.

Several of the women on trial are considered Saudi Arabia's most prominent rights activists. Among them are Aziza al-Yousef, a grandmother and former professor and Eman al-Nafjan, a mother of four and linguistics professor, and Loujain al-Hathloul an outspoken rights activist who was pursuing a master's degree in the United Arab Emirates before her family says she was abducted and forcibly returned to Saudi Arabia last year.

State-linked media published images of the three women and branded them traitors and "foreign agents" shortly after their arrest.

Last month, some of the women were pressured into signing a request for a royal pardon, according to people with knowledge of the arrests.

Loujain's brother Walid al-Hathloul said relatives don't know what to expect. He spoke to the AP from the United States.

"These guys are unpredictable. The mood changes," he said, referring to officials in the kingdom.

The 11 women on trial in Riyadh appear to be facing similar charges related to peaceful human rights work, including promoting women's rights, according to Human Rights Watch.

HRW said at least two of the women are accused of sharing information about women's rights in Saudi Arabia with accredited foreign journalists, diplomats, and international human rights organizations.

Several people with knowledge of their cases told the AP the women are being tried separately and have been allowed to appoint lawyers. However, Saudi Arabia's human rights lawyers have either been detained or live in self-imposed exile abroad, leaving families with few independent options.

Two other prominent women's rights activist detained in the crackdown, Samar Badawi and Naseema al-Sada, are not among the 11 being tried in Riyadh. In total, more than 20 people have been detained in connection to women's rights activism.

Prosecutors allege those arrested had the "aim to undermine the kingdom's security, stability and national unity."

Al-Hathloul questioned the alleged criminal offense of speaking to reporters.

"If talking to foreign Western journalists is a crime so why Saudi officials are having interviews with Western media?" he said.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on Congressional hearings looking into the Federal Aviation Administration's oversight of Boeing (all times local):

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5:50 p.m.

Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., challenged FAA Acting Administrator Daniel Elwell on whether the FAA should ban "selling safety features a la carte to the airlines." Safety features like the MCAS (or Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System) shouldn't be optional at an extra charge but should be provided gratis like seat belts on vehicles, he said.

"It doesn't mask any problem," Elwell insisted in questioning on the MCAS. "What it does, is it gives the proper feel to a pilot because he doesn't have those cables."

And Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., raised the prickly issue of whether the FAA, as an independent regulator, has a too-cozy a relationship with the airlines and aircraft makers. He noted that Boeing, a major government contractor with deep longstanding connections in Washington, is locked in intense competition with European maker Airbus.

FILE - This Thursday, March 14, 2019, file photo shows a Boeing 737 Max 8 airplane parked at Boeing Field in Seattle. America's standing as the model for aviation-safety regulation will be on trial as congressional hearings begin Wednesday, March 27, 2019, into the Federal Aviation Administration's oversight of Boeing before and after two deadly crashes of its best-selling airliner. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)

Political appointees at the FAA pushed the career staff to quickly get done what was needed to get the Max flying, Udall said.

Robert Sumwalt, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, said the issue of the FAA's posture toward the industry is a part of his investigation.

Elwell said he kept the White House and Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao "fully apprised" of developments before the decision to ground the planes. Chao "never told me to ground it," he told Senator Blumenthal.

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5:40 p.m.

FAA Acting Administrator Daniel Elwell refused to answer questions about his conversation with President Donald Trump before the FAA grounded the Boeing 737 Max last week.

Elwell told Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., that it is longstanding executive branch policy through many administrations not to talk about details of discussions with the president.

Blumenthal said he is not aware of the policy and asked if it was law. If it was law, he asked Elwell which law. He also asserted that there was no executive privilege involved.

Elwell said that Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao never told him to ground the planes. He continued to say he wouldn't talk about a conversation with the president.

The U.S. was among the last nations to ground the planes after the Ethiopian Airlines crash.

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5:15 p.m.

FAA Acting Administrator Daniel Elwell says information collected from flight data recorders shows no software malfunctions that forced down the nose of Boeing 737 Max jets in the U.S.

The software which makes the Max fly like older 737 jets is under investigation as a possible cause of jet crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia that killed 346 people.

Under questioning from Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., who flew Blackhawk helicopters in the Iraq war, Elwell said pilots should know what to do if software repeatedly points the nose down.

Duckworth says she still has "muscle memory" on how to resort to manual control if a Blackhawk nose is pointed down.

Elwell says that before the FAA grounded the Max last week, he talked to pilot unions and was told they are confident in the Max's safety.

"We are absolutely confident in the safety of this aircraft," Elwell said.

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4:40 p.m.

FAA Acting Administrator Daniel Elwell says his agency would have to hire 10,000 more workers and spend another $1.8 billion per year to match the number of airplanes certified for flight by its current system of delegating duties to aircraft makers.

Elwell says the system has been in use for about 60 years and is "part of the fabric of what we've used to become as safe as we are today."

He says the FAA conducts strict oversight of the manufacturers, making sure employees have expertise in their field and professional integrity. Elwell also says the FAA's European equivalent relies more on delegation of tasks to manufacturers than the U.S. does.

But Democrat Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut says he will introduce legislation to reform the system, calling it "safety on the cheap."

Senator Blumenthal says Boeing rushed to get the 737 Max into the air to compete with Europe's Airbus, so critical safety features were disregarded. "There needs to be rigorous reform so the FAA is put back in charge of safety," he says.

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4:05 p.m.

Acting Federal Aviation Administrator Daniel Elwell tells a Senate subcommittee that to his knowledge, pilots were not given specific instructions on the Boeing 737 Max software that is under investigation as a cause of crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia.

Elwell says the Max was an update to the previous generation 737 with a system called the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, or MCAS, to correct for small modifications and make it fly like the older planes. He says the plane has larger engines that were moved forward on the wings, and the nose wheel was extended 6 inches.

He says U.S., Canadian and European pilots flew the new and older planes in simulators, and unanimously agreed that the Max performed similarly and that additional flight training wasn't needed.

The FAA originally retained oversight of the MCAS system but eventually turned it over to Boeing, he said.

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3:40 p.m.

Boeing says it doesn't see a need to overhaul the way it develops airplanes based on two recent crashes of its new 737 Max that killed a total of 346 people.

The company issued its comments as pilots, regulators and airline executives were gathering at a Boeing facility to learn more about how it is addressing the crashes.

Boeing said it hopes to issue a software update to address a crucial flight-control program that is suspected of playing a role in the Oct. 29 crash of a Lion Air jet in Indonesia and the March 10 crash of an Ethiopian Airlines Max. The company said that once the Federal Aviation Administration certifies the software fix, it would take about a day to deploy it and then an hour to install it on the planes.

Boeing said the process by which it designs, develops and tests planes has led to safer and safer air travel, and it sees no reason to overhaul it.

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3:10 p.m.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz says the Boeing 737 Max crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia and reports about how the plane was approved by the Federal Aviation Administration have shaken the public's confidence.

The Republican opened a hearing on air safety Wednesday by the Senate Commerce Committee's aviation subcommittee. Cruz, who chairs the subcommittee, says the crashes have raised questions about FAA oversight of how airplanes are certified to fly.

Cruz noted the "close relationship between industry and regulators" as a factor threatening to erode the confidence of the flying public. He says the committee needs to understand what happened with the crashes, how the FAA determined that the Max was airworthy, and "take action to keep something like these tragic crashes from occurring again."

Cruz says commercial aviation currently is as safe as it's ever been, but reports of lax oversight are frustrating. "We need to do better and I believe that we can," he said.

Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Mississippi, says the committee will hold a second hearing with representatives of Boeing and others from outside government.

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12:20 p.m.

Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao is defending President Donald Trump and blamed Congress for what she calls a delay in nominating a permanent head of the Federal Aviation Administration.

Sen. Richard Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois, asked Chao at a Senate appropriations hearing on Wednesday whether it was unusual that Trump took 14 months to propose a nominee to head the agency, which is under scrutiny for its oversight of Boeing after two crashes involving Boeing's best-selling plane.

Chao said the process has been slowed by the White House and by Congress, but Durbin pointed out that Trump never sent a nominee to the Senate for consideration.

Chao said acting administrator Daniel Elwell was qualified to lead the agency. Elwell is a former military and airline pilot who had been the No. 2 official at FAA.

Elwell was bypassed when Trump this month announced he would nominate a former pilot and Delta Air Lines executive, Stephen Dickson, to head the FAA.

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10:25 a.m.

Southwest Airlines says that the government's grounding of all Boeing Max 8 jets will contribute to a $150 million revenue loss in the first quarter.

The airline says it had to cancel about 2,800 flights due to the groundings. According to numbers from Boeing, Southwest operates the largest fleet of the troubled planes.

The U.S. government followed nearly every other country in the world this month by ordering all Max 8 planes grounded after 157 people died in the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8. Another Max 8 crashed four months earlier in Indonesia, killing 189.

Southwest said in a filing Wednesday that it had to cancel an additional 6,600 flights from mid-February through the end of March due to weather and unscheduled maintenance.

The Senate is holding hearings Wednesday to look into the Federal Aviation Administration's oversight of Boeing.

The Transportation Department's inspector general, Calvin Scovel, is scheduled to testify and is expected to reveal plans to significantly revamp the FAA's oversight of airplane construction.

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9:45 a.m.

Congressional hearings into the Federal Aviation Administration's oversight of Boeing before and after two deadly crashes of its 737 Max, which claimed a total of 346 lives, will begin in several hours.

Among those expected to testify before the Senate aviation subcommittee Wednesday is the Transportation Department's inspector general, who is leading a review of the FAA and Boeing. Calvin Scovel is expected to reveal plans to significantly revamp the FAA's oversight of airplane construction.

Acting FAA Administrator Daniel Elwell will testify that Boeing submitted an application on Jan. 21 spelling out changes it planned to make to crucial flight-control software on the 737 Max - the same system that is suspected of playing a role in the Oct. 29 crash of a Lion Air jet in Indonesia and the March 10 plunge of an Ethiopian Airlines Max.

The Transportation Department watchdog has previously raised questions about the FAA's certification of Boeing planes and the seemingly close relationship between some agency managers and Boeing.
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) - Sri Lanka's president distanced himself on Wednesday from the government's recent co-sponsorship of a resolution at the U.N. Human Rights Council giving the island nation two more years to fulfil its commitment to investigate alleged abuses during its civil war.

Highlighting factionalism within the government, President Maithripala Siriena said in a speech that the country's U.N. representative gave Sri Lanka's consent to the resolution without his knowledge or that of the foreign minister.

He said the action resulted from "wrong decisions by sections of the government," a reference to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, with whom he has had a falling out.

"The president is responsible for the foreign affairs of the country, not anyone else," Sirisena said.

"I protest and totally reject the document signed behind by back. I see this as a betrayal of the security forces of the country, as a betrayal of the government of Sri Lanka and the people of Sri Lanka."

Sri Lankan security forces in 2009 defeated Tamil Tiger rebels who had fought to create an independent homeland for the country's ethnic minority Tamils. The U.N. initially estimated the death toll from 26 years of fighting to be about 100,000 but a U.N. experts' panel later said some 45,000 ethnic Tamils may have been killed in the last months of the fighting alone.

Government troops and the Tamil Tigers were both accused of grave human rights violations, which prompted local and international calls for investigations.

Sirisena's predecessor, Mahinda Rajapaksa, who oversaw the military victory, resisted calls for investigations for many years. Sirisena, who was his health minister, defected and allied with Wickremesinghe and successfully contested the presidential election in 2015 promising to investigate the allegations of human rights abuses, take measures to heal the wounds from the conflict and share political power with the Tamil minority.

Months after his election, Sirisena's government co-sponsored a U.S.-led resolution in which it agreed to investigate abuses and prosecute perpetrators. Among the most contentious issues was the government's agreement to investigate rights abuses in its own courts with the participation of foreign prosecutors and judges. In 2017 another resolution extended the time by two more years.

However, with Rajapaksa regrouping and rallying majority Buddhist Sinhalese opinion against actions against the security forces, Sirisena took a hard line.

A spat with Wickremesinghe came into open last October, when Sirisena suddenly sacked him and appointed Rajapaksa as prime minister, hoping to form an alliance with him again.

A subsequent seven-week political crisis crippled the country and ended with a Supreme Court ruling that forced Sirisena to reinstate Wickremesinghe.

In a speech in Geneva last week, Foreign Minister Tilak Marapana said the establishment of hybrid courts with local and foreign judges would violate Sri Lanka's Constitution.
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - More power outages hit Venezuela on Wednesday after the nation's worst blackouts earlier this month, knocking out water pumps and forcing some Caracas residents to spend hours searching for bottled water in the few shops that were open or to fill up containers at springs in the city's hills.

Frustrated Venezuelans wondered how long they would have to endure the new outages, which started Monday and again shut down schools, offices and factories in a country whose economy has been shrinking for years despite its oil wealth. The power crisis has sharpened a political struggle between President Nicolas Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaido, who urged supporters to protest as a response to Venezuela's deteriorating infrastructure.

"We can't be passive," said Guaido, who announced a protest campaign titled "Operation Liberty" that includes planned demonstrations on Saturday and on April 6.

On Wednesday morning, a new disruption to the power grid left 91 percent of the country offline, reversing a "partial recovery" since the start of the latest nationwide blackouts, according to Netblocks, a group that monitors internet censorship. By afternoon, the flow of power remained erratic, returning in some areas only to go off again in a pattern that is now familiar.

"It comes and goes. Last night it came back at ten o'clock at night and at five o'clock in the morning it left again. It hasn't come back since," said Luis Jose Vargas, a 48-year-old baker carrying a container of water filled from a brook.

"With water," Vargas said, "it's the same."

Ninoska Blanco sits beside her sick mother Alexandrian Blanco at her home in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. Blanco says that the hours of intermittent electricity supply in Venezuela affects her as she takes care of her mother, bathing, changing and feeding her. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

As the outage stretched into evening, people howled with anger in the street and from apartment windows in one neighborhood where the power, which had returned for some hours, went out yet again. Some cursed Maduro.

Nancy Villasinda said she spent more than four hours trying in vain to find a shop selling water. The government had said city water pumps were starting to work again, but then another power cut hit, Villasinda said.

"I suppose that's why we still don't have water," she said.

Maduro's government said schools and state offices and industries were closed Wednesday as workers tried to restore electricity. Few shops in Caracas, the capital, were open and many streets were clear of the usual weekday traffic. The government ordered schools and businesses to remain closed on Thursday.

Maduro said the outage was caused by a sniper attack on the nation's electrical system using a long-range gun in a telephone call broadcast on Venezuela's state television Wednesday. He said the damage was "worse than any Venezuelan could have imagined" but that he hoped to have good news about the restoration of power in the coming hours.

He also announced a march Saturday to rival Guaido's, dubbed the "Operation in Defense of Liberty," and urged pro-government groups, some of which are armed, to ensure there is "zero guarimba," a reference to opposition protests.

"We're never going to give up," he vowed.

After the last blackouts started on March 7, the situation became increasingly desperate for many Venezuelans when water pumps stopped working without power. Looters ransacked hundreds of businesses in the city of Maracaibo. The blackouts eased nearly a week later, but many areas only had intermittent power even after the government said the problem was solved.

Maduro, who is backed by Russia, says he is the target of a U.S.-led coup plot and accuses the U.S. and the Venezuelan opposition of sabotaging the country's decrepit power system. U.S. officials and Guaido say the accusation is an attempt to divert attention away from years of government mismanagement.

The United States was the first nation to recognize Guaido as interim president, asserting that Maduro's re-election last year was illegitimate, and has stepped up sanctions and other diplomatic measures in hopes of forcing him to give up power.

On Wednesday, Guaido's wife was welcomed at the White House as part of a tour to rally international support for the Venezuelan opposition.

"We are with Venezuela," President Donald Trump said at the start of a meeting with Rosales and other opposition figures. "What's happening there should not be happening."

___

Associated Press journalist Juan Pablo Arraez contributed from Caracas.

Supporters of opposition leader Juan Guaido, self-proclaimed interim president of Venezuela, cheer him on as he leaves a meeting where he called for more protests, in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Boris Vergara)

People bath at a brook in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. After days of intermittent electricity supply in Venezuela, which affects the water supply, the people in the capital city have started to collect water from waterfalls and wells and carry it to their homes. (AP Photo/Boris Vergara)

A woman fills a container with water from a truck in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. After days of intermittent electricity supply in Venezuela, which affects the water supply, the people in the capital city have started to collect water from waterfalls and wells and carry it to their homes. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Opposition leader Juan Guaido, self-proclaimed interim president of Venezuela, talks during a meeting calling for more protests, in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Boris Vergara)

This Wednesday, March 27, 2019 photo shows the dark skyline at dawn in Caracas, Venezuela. Much of Venezuela's capital is without electricity. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

A supporter of opposition leader Juan Guaido, self-proclaimed interim president of Venezuela, listens to him as he talks about "Operation Liberty," in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Supporters of opposition leader Juan Guaido, self-proclaimed interim president of Venezuela, wait to catch a glimpse of him, outside a meeting place where he called for more protests, in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Opposition leader Juan Guaido, self-proclaimed interim president of Venezuela, talks during a meeting calling for more protests, in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Vice President Mike Pence welcomes Fabiana Rosales, left, wife of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Opposition leader Juan Guaido, self-proclaimed interim president of Venezuela, greets supporters as he leaves at the end of a press conference in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
WASHINGTON (AP) - North Korea's work on nuclear weapons and missiles is "inconsistent" with its stated intent to move toward nuclear disarmament on the Korean Peninsula, the commander of American and allied forces in South Korea said Wednesday.

Army Gen. Robert Abrams, in testimony before the House Armed Services Committee, also said he has seen "little to no change" in North Korea's broader military capabilities, citing its typical pace of winter troop exercises.

Asked by Rep. Mac Thornberry of Texas, the panel's ranking Republican, where there has been any recent change in the North's production of nuclear weapons and material and missiles, Abrams said, "Their activity that we've observed is inconsistent with denuclearization." Abrams offered to provide details of that activity in a closed session.

At a meeting in Singapore last June, President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un issued a joint statement that said the North "commits to work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula." But since then it has become clear that Washington and Pyongyang do not agree on the definition of "denuclearization."

At their follow-up summit in Hanoi last month, the two leaders failed to agree on a way ahead. North Korean officials said afterward that Kim would decide soon whether to continue talks with the United States on his nuclear program and whether to continue his self-imposed moratorium on testing nuclear devices and launching ballistic missiles.

At Wednesday's hearing, Randall Shriver, the Pentagon's top Asia policy official, echoed Abrams' remarks about a lack of movement toward North Korean denuclearization.

FILE - In this Sept. 25, 2018 file photo, Gen. Robert Abrams, looks to the dais as he testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington. Abrams told a congressional panel that North Korean production of nuclear weapons materials and missiles is "inconsistent with" its broad pledge to denuclearize. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

"On our core area of interest and concern - the issue of denuclearization - we have not seen any progress to speak of," Shriver said. He added, "We're disappointed that they haven't come to the table in a serious manner."

Abrams said he is encouraged by what he called a significant reduction in tensions on the Korean Peninsula over the past year.

"There is a palpable air of calm," Abrams said. Over the past 14 months the U.S. and North Korea have moved, he said, "from provocation to detente."

The U.S. has about 28,500 troops in South Korea and is obliged to come to the South's defense in the event it is attacked by the North.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Top lawmakers on Wednesday blasted the Trump administration's proposal to slash funding for the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development, telling Secretary of State Mike Pompeo the plan would be disastrous for American diplomacy.

Pompeo testified on Capitol Hill about the plan to cut his agency's budget by 23 percent. He says difficult choices were made when crafting the 2020 proposal but argues the funding is enough to achieve the administration's foreign policy goals.

Lawmakers don't see it that way. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., said the budget demonstrated "contempt for diplomacy" and "seeks to hobble the State Department." House Appropriations Chairwoman Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., described the request as "insufficient" and said she intends to work with her colleagues to reject it.

The top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs panel, Michael McCaul of Texas, said while the budget includes some much needed reforms, "certain cuts can have unintended consequences that cost us more in the long term."

The Trump administration has called for steep cuts to diplomacy three years in a row. Each time, lawmakers have ignored the requests.

Engel repeated that the budget request was "dead the moment it arrived on Capitol Hill."

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo appears before a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing on budget on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, March 27, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

"I don't know whether this administration really believes we can mount an effective foreign policy - one that advances American interests, values, and security - on a shoestring budget, or if the people calling the shots just don't care. But Congress won't stand by and see American leadership on the global stage undermined. And that's not just our opinion. That's the power of the purse," he said.

Republican Hal Rogers of Kentucky said the plan seemed "detached from reality" and warned "if we were to accept cuts of the magnitude proposed it would make our nation less safe, make it harder to achieve the effectiveness we all seek."

Pompeo told lawmakers the scaled-back budget was drafted "mindful of the burden on American taxpayers," and his agency's "obligation to deliver exceptional results on their behalf."

About a dozen protesters occupied the seats behind Pompeo in the House Foreign Affairs Committee room Wednesday, wearing brightly-colored "free Iran" T-shirts and carrying anti-war signs. Most sat quietly throughout the hearing, but one man interrupted testimony with shouts of "hands off Venezuela, hands off Iran, hands off China" before he was escorted out by security.

The Trump administration has used economic sanctions as a key foreign policy tool to constrain Iranian influence and respond to the escalating crisis in Venezuela. Trump has also imposed a series of tariffs on China in response to trade imbalances.

Meanwhile, Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, accused Pompeo of using concerns about leaks to prevent State Department officials from briefing the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Afghanistan.

"I don't accept the excuse that ongoing negotiations mean we cannot have the information this committee deserves," Allred said. Under Pompeo, the State Department is leading negotiations with the Taliban and the government of Afghanistan aimed at concluding the 17-year-war there.

"I'm trying to make sure you get the best information that you can that is consistent with your oversight duties. I'm determined to do that. I'm also determined that we protect this information," Pompeo said.

Despite asking for sweeping cuts in foreign aid overall, the administration's budget proposal would allocate $3.3 billion in foreign aid to Israel. The Trump administration has made strong relations with Israel a foreign policy focus and has promised a landmark plan to achieve peace between the Israelis and Palestinians.

Pompeo refused to say precisely when the plan would be unveiled, but assured lawmakers it will be made up of "new and fresh and different" ideas. When asked if the plan supports a state for Palestinians as well as the state of Israel, Pompeo said, "Ultimately it will be the peoples of those two lands that resolve this and make that decision about how it is they'll come together, what the contours of that resolution will look like."

The State Department budget request also seeks $5.4 billion to improve security for U.S. diplomats, an issue that has received more attention since the deadly 2012 attack on a U.S. compound in Benghazi, Libya.

Pompeo pledged to restore morale when he took up the secretary of state post last year. The department had lost many of its most experienced diplomats during a restructuring process under his predecessor, Rex Tillerson. When asked by lawmakers why many key ambassadorships remain empty - including in Iraq, Turkey and Saudi Arabia - Pompeo blamed delays in the Senate.

"I made a commitment to get the team on the field," Pompeo said Wednesday, "I want to get these folks out there so we can deliver American diplomacy in every corner of the world."

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing on budget on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, March 27, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Chairwoman Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., speaks as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo appears before a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing on budget on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, March 27, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Rep. Martha Roby, R-Ala., speaks as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo appears before a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing on budget on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, March 27, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Rep. David Price, D-N.C., speaks as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo appears before a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing on budget on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, March 27, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Supporters of a Connecticut woman who was detained for deportation to England this week rallied on her behalf Wednesday, as a state pardon for her criminal convictions that was approved two months ago finally took effect.

Advocates for 34-year-old Wayzaro Walton protested outside the federal courthouse in Hartford, where Immigration and Customs Enforcement has an office.

"I think this is really crazy. It's ridiculous," Walton's wife, Tamika Ferguson, said at the rally. "Her pardon is valid. She has no record. ... We need to stop this as soon as possible before there will be another family that's out here feeling how I feel right now. I'm not happy. I'm not happy at all. I'm so sad."

Walton's family brought her to the U.S. in the 1980s when she was 4 years old, and her mother obtained legal permanent resident status for her, said her lawyer, Erin O'Neil-Baker. She and Ferguson, who is a U.S. citizen, have a 15-year-old daughter and live in Hartford.

A full pardon approved by the state Board of Pardons and Paroles in January took effect Wednesday, erasing one felony larceny conviction from 2006 and several misdemeanor convictions. The larceny charge was related to a shoplifting incident, O'Neil-Baker said.

O'Neil-Baker said she would be filing new court papers Wednesday seeking an emergency stay of the deportation order.

This 2018 photo provided by Tamika Ferguson shows her wife Wayzaro Walton in Hartford, Conn. Walton's supporters called on federal immigration authorities Wednesday, March 27, 2019, to rescind an order deporting Walton to her native England because of criminal convictions. A pardon by Connecticut officials for Walton took effect Wednesday but she remains in federal custody. (Tamika Ferguson via AP)

"To deport her now to a country she hasn't been to since 1987 would be a huge detriment to her, her wife, her child and her community," O'Neil-Baker said. "We have a woman who no longer has any criminal conviction history and she is married to a U.S. citizen."

Walton was taken into custody Tuesday while checking in at a private agency in Hartford that works with ICE in monitoring immigrants. She was brought to Massachusetts for detention and deportation. It's not clear when the deportation would occur.

Federal officials have indicated that they are not recognizing the pardon because it wasn't issued by the governor, O'Neil-Baker said. Connecticut is the only state where its parole board, and not the governor, approves pardons.

An ICE spokesman declined to comment on the pardon Wednesday.

"Wayzaro Yashimabet Walton is an unlawfully present citizen of the United Kingdom with a final order of removal issued by an Immigration Judge," an ICE statement said. "Subsequent appeals of the immigration judge's decision were dismissed. Walton is a convicted felon with numerous additional misdemeanor convictions. Walton will remain in ICE custody until her scheduled removal."

Richard Sparaco, executive director of the state parole board, said the agency cannot comment on the reasoning for pardons after they have taken effect.

Walton has been checking in regularly with immigration officials for years, has not violated any immigration rules and has been wearing a monitoring device, O'Neil-Baker said.

Walton has a case pending before the federal Bureau of Immigration Appeals that seeks to overturn the original deportation order. She also has a lawsuit pending before the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York.

O'Neil-Baker planned to file motions for emergency stays of deportation Wednesday with both the Bureau of Immigration Appeals and the appeals court.
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) - A cruise ship that was the focus of a daring rescue operation off Norway's frigid North Sea coast became disabled because its engines didn't have enough lubricating oil, the country's top maritime official said Wednesday.

Low oil levels were the "direct cause" of the engine failure that stranded the ship during a storm Saturday, Lars Alvestad, the acting director general of the Norwegian Maritime Authority, said. Sensors detected the oil shortage and automatically shut down the Viking Sky's engines to prevent a breakdown, he said.

The ship's harrowing weekend ordeal injured dozens of people, including 36 who were admitted to hospitals. Four people from the ship remained hospitalized Wednesday, including one being treated in an intensive care ward in critical but stable condition, Norwegian health officials said.

Alvestad said the amount of oil was "relatively low" but still "within set limits" as the Viking Sky neared Hustadvika, a shallow area known for shipwrecks that has many reefs but no larger islands to offer boats shelter from pounding waves.

"The heavy seas probably caused movements in the tanks so large that the supply to the lubricating oil pumps stopped," Alvestad said during a news conference. "This triggered an alarm indicating a low level of lubrication oil, which in turn, shortly thereafter, caused an automatic shutdown of the engines."

Viking Sky "suffered power 'blackout' in challenging weather conditions," he said.

Some of the remaining passengers look out as the cruise ship Viking Sky arrives at port off Molde, Norway, Sunday March 24, 2019, after having problems and issuing a Mayday call on Saturday in heavy seas off Norway's western coast. Rescue helicopters took more than 475 passengers from a cruise ship that got stranded off Norway's western coast in bad weather before the vessel departed for a nearby port under escort and with nearly 900 people still on board, the ship's owner said Sunday. (Svein Ove Ekornesvag/NTB scanpix via AP)

The ship's operator, Viking Ocean Cruises, said it welcomed "the prompt and efficient investigation" of the weekend emergency and accepted the findings.

"We have inspected the (oil) levels on all our sister ships and are now revising our procedures to ensure that this issue could not be repeated," the company said in a statement.

The Viking Sky ended up in a dangerous situation when the engines stopped Saturday. With the ship carrying 1,373 passengers and crew members rocking violently, the crew sent out a mayday call. Passengers would recall a large wave crashing through glass doors and knocking people across the floor of an area where they were instructed to gather as a muster point.

The crew anchored the Viking Sky in a bay as it came close to hitting rocks and the airlift to get passengers off the ship began. Five helicopters winched passengers off one-by-one as winds howled in the dark of night. Waves up to 26-feet- (8-meters-) high were smacking into the ship, ruling out an evacuation by boat.

The rescue operation ended Sunday when the engines restarted, after 479 passengers had been airlifted to land. The ship traveled under its own power to a Norwegian port with nearly 900 passengers and crew members remaining onboard.

The ship was on a 12-day cruise along Norway's coast before its scheduled arrival Tuesday in Britain. The passengers were mostly an English-speaking mix of American, British, Canadian, New Zealand and Australian citizens.

Alvestad said his agency has issued a new safety notice about crews making sure boats have a continuous supply of lubricating oil to engines and other critical systems in poor weather conditions.

The Viking Sky was being towed to a shipyard in another port Wednesday for repairs.

Passengers are helped from a rescue helicopter in Fraena, Norway, Sunday March 24, 2019, after being rescued from the Viking Sky cruise ship. Rescue workers are evacuating more passengers from a cruise ship that had engine problems in bad weather off Norway's western coast while authorities prepare to tow the vessel to a nearby port. (Svein Ove Ekornesvag/NTB Scanpix via AP)

The cruise ship Viking Sky arrives at port off Molde, Norway, Sunday March 24, 2019, after having problems and issuing a Mayday call on Saturday in heavy seas off Norway's western coast. Rescue helicopters took more than 475 passengers from a cruise ship that got stranded off Norway's western coast in bad weather before the vessel departed for a nearby port under escort and with nearly 900 people still on board, the ship's owner said Sunday. (Svein Ove Ekornesvag/NTB scanpix via AP)

The cruise ship Viking Sky arrives at port off Molde, Norway, Sunday March 24, 2019, after the problems in heavy seas off Norway's western coast. Rescue helicopters took more than 475 passengers from a cruise ship that got stranded off Norway's western coast in bad weather before the vessel departed for a nearby port under escort and with nearly 900 people still on board, the ship's owner said Sunday. (Svein Ove Ekornesvag/NTB scanpix via AP)

This photo provided by Michal Stewart shows passengers on board the Viking Sky, waiting to be evacuated, off the coast of Norway on Saturday, March 23, 2019. Rescue workers off Norway's western coast rushed to evacuate 1,300 passengers and crew from the disabled cruise ship by helicopter on Saturday, winching them one-by-one to safety as heaving waves tossed the ship from side to side and high winds battered the operation. (Michal Stewart via AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) - The wife of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido was welcomed Wednesday at the White House as she rallies international support for the ouster of President Nicolas Maduro.

President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence lavished praise on Fabiana Rosales, the wife of opposition leader Juan Guaido, who has emerged as a prominent figure in her husband's campaign to bring change to the crisis-wracked country.

"We are with Venezuela," the president said at the start of a meeting with Rosales and other opposition figures. "What's happening there should not be happening."

The United States was the first nation to recognize Guaido as interim president, asserting that Maduro's re-election last year was illegitimate, and has stepped up sanctions and other diplomatic measures in hopes of forcing him to give up power.

Trump said the Venezuelan people have been through "unfathomable" trials under Maduro as food and medicine have become scarce, crime has soared and, more recently, blackouts have struck most of the country. An estimated 3 million people have fled, most to neighboring countries but thousands to the U.S. as well.

"Today, in Venezuela it is freedom or dictatorship, it is life or death," Rosales said at the start of the meeting. "It is the children who are paying the price."

Vice President Mike Pence welcomes Fabiana Rosales, left, wife of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Pence called on governments around the world to stop supporting the Maduro government, singling out Russia for its deployment of military forces to the country over the weekend.

"The United States views Russia's arrival of military planes this weekend as an unwelcome provocation and calls on Russia today to cease all support for the Maduro regime," the vice president said.

Russia's Foreign Ministry says it sent the personnel in accordance with the Venezuelan constitution and a bilateral agreement with the government there.

Among those at the White House meeting were the wife and sister of Roberto Marrero, a top aide to Guaido who was taken from his home in the middle of the night by masked agents last week. The government says he was the ringleader of a plot to bring hitmen from Central America to Venezuela to carry out assassinations.

Rosales was scheduled to meet later with members of Congress and will speak at a conference with the ambassador recognized by the Trump administration.

Vice President Mike Pence welcomes Fabiana Rosales, left, wife of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Vice President Mike Pence welcomes Fabiana Rosales, left, wife of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Fabiana Rosales, second from right, wife of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, and Aminta Perez, third from right, mother of Venezuelan police Officer Oscar Perez, pose for a photo with members of the Venezuelan community in New York after attending Mass at St. Teresa's Church on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. Rosales is emerging as a prominent figure in Guaido's campaign to bring change in the crisis-wracked country. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Air Force said on Wednesday that it needs $4.9 billion in extra funding over the next three years to rebuild and repair two key bases heavily damaged by natural disasters.

"We desperately need the supplemental funding," Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson said, citing hurricane damage to Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida last fall and flood damage at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska this month.

The call for emergency funding comes amid debate between the Trump administration and Congress over the White House's proposal to repurpose billions of dollars in military construction money to help extend a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border.

The money sought by the Air Force - $1.2 billion this year and $3.7 billion in the 2020 and 2021 budget years - would have to be approved by Congress. Wilson said that if Congress does not take action by May or June the Air Force will have to put off dozens of construction and other improvement projects and perhaps take other cost-saving measures.

Tyndall, which is a fighter base, took a direct hit from Hurricane Michael last October. Offutt, home to U.S. Strategic Command headquarters, which oversees the nation's nuclear forces, was damaged by Missouri River flooding.

The Marine Corps says it sustained about $3.5 billion in damage at Camp Lejeune and surrounding facilities in North Carolina from Hurricanes Michael and Florence. Gen. Robert Neller, commandant of the Marine Corps, wrote in a recent memo that a number of unexpected costs, including hurricane damage and unplanned deployments to the U.S.-Mexico border, are forcing the Marine Corps to cancel training exercises.

This March 17, 2019 photo released by the U.S. Air Force shows an aerial view of Offutt Air Force Base and the surrounding areas affected by flood waters in Neb. Surging unexpectedly strong and up to 7 feet high, the Missouri River floodwaters that poured on to much the Nebraska air base that houses the U.S. Strategic Command overwhelmed the frantic sandbagging by troops and their scramble to save sensitive equipment, munitions and aircraft. (Tech. Sgt. Rachelle Blake/The U.S. Air Force via AP)

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This story has been corrected to show the funding is needed over the next three, not two, years.

This March 17, 2019 photo released by the U.S. Air Force shows an aerial view of Offutt Air Force Base and the surrounding areas affected by flood waters in Neb. Surging unexpectedly strong and up to 7 feet high, the Missouri River floodwaters that poured on to much the Nebraska air base that houses the U.S. Strategic Command overwhelmed the frantic sandbagging by troops and their scramble to save sensitive equipment, munitions and aircraft. (Tech. Sgt. Rachelle Blake/The U.S. Air Force via AP)

In this March 18, 2019 photo released by the U.S. Air Force, environmental restoration employees deploy a containment boom from a boat on Offutt Air Force Base in Neb., as a precautionary measure for possible fuel leaks in the flooded area. Surging unexpectedly strong and up to 7 feet high, the Missouri River floodwaters that poured on to much the Nebraska air base that houses the U.S. Strategic Command overwhelmed the frantic sandbagging by troops and their scramble to save sensitive equipment, munitions and aircraft. (Delanie Stafford, The U.S. Air Force via AP)
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) - Syria's Foreign Ministry is calling on the U.N. human rights commissioner to denounce President Donald Trump's recognition of Israel's sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights.

The ministry's statement Wednesday said Trump's decision this week is a "blatant aggression" against Syria's territorial integrity and sovereignty, as well as a violation of the U.N. charter and international law.

It called on U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet to publicly say Trump's decision endangers the rights of Syrians living in the occupied Golan.

Thousands of Syrians have held rallies in cities controlled by President Bashar Assad's government against Trump's announcement. In the coastal city Tartus, hundreds gathered Wednesday outside the governor's office in protest.

Israel captured the Golan from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it in 1981.

In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrians hold national flags and portraits of Syrian President Bashar Assad during a protest against President Donald Trump's move to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Israeli occupied Golan Heights, in the costal port city of Tartus, Syria, Wednesday, March. 27, 2019. (SANA via AP)

In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, people hold Syrian flags and portraits of President Bashar Assad during a protest against U.S. President Donald Trump's move to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Israeli occupied Golan Heights, in the costal port city of Tartus, Syria, Wednesday, March. 27, 2019. (SANA via AP)
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The United States came under sharp criticism from the 14 other Security Council nations Wednesday for its decision to recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights in violation of council resolutions.

Speaker after speaker at the open meeting supported Syria's sovereignty over the strategic plateau and opposed Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights and President Donald Trump's proclamation earlier this week.

As South Africa's U.N. Ambassador Jerry Matjila said, "this unilateral action does nothing to assist in finding a long-term peaceful solution to the conflict in the Middle East."

He and others pointed to resolutions calling for Israel to end its occupation of the Golan Heights, including a December 1981 Security Council resolution that called Israel's annexation of the strategic area "null and void and without international legal effect."

Syria's closest ally Russia urged governments to continue to view the Golan Heights as Israeli-occupied territory.

"If anybody feels any temptation to follow this poor example, we would urge them to refrain from this aggressive revision of international law," Russia's deputy ambassador Vladimir Safronkov said.

While Syria got support on its sovereignty over the Golan Heights, German Ambassador Christoph Heusgen and Britain's Ambassador Karen Pierce also used the meeting to criticize President Bashar Assad's government for bombing civilians, using chemical weapons and violating human rights violations during the ongoing eight-year civil war.

Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it in 1981. A 1974 cease-fire agreement that officially ended the 1973 Mideast war led to the deployment of a U.N. peacekeeping force known as UNDOF on the Golan Heights.

Trump's proclamation that the Golan Heights are part of Israel raised questions about the future of UNDOF after its mandate expires on June 30.

U.S. political coordinator Rodney Hunter told the council UNDOF has "a vital role to play in preserving stability between Israel and Syria," an assurance that the Trump administration's recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the strategic plateau won't affect its operation.

He said the force's mandate to ensure that the area of separation between Syria and Israel "is a buffer zone free from any military presence or activities" is of "critical strategic and security importance" to Israel, and "can contribute to the stability of the entire Middle East."

Hunter said U.S. recognition that the Golan Heights are part of Israel doesn't affect the 1974 cease-fire agreement, "nor do we believe that it undermines UNDOF's mandate in any way."

He strongly criticized "the daily presence of the Syrian armed forces" in the area of separation, where UNDOF is the only military force allowed, calling their presence a violation of the 1974 cease-fire agreement.

The United States calls on Russia to use its influence with President Bashar Assad "to compel the Syrian forces to uphold their commitment" to the cease-fire agreement "and immediately withdraw from the area of separation," Hunter said.

U.N. peacekeeping chief Jean Pierre Lacroix told the council there is "a continued significant threat" to UNDOF personnel from explosive remnants of war, "and from the possible presence of sleeper cells of armed groups including (U.N.) listed terrorist groups."

Undersecretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo expressed hope that "the recent developments will not be used as an excuse by anyone to pursue actions that could undermine the relative stability of the situation on Golan and beyond."

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This story has been corrected to say that Rodney Hunter spoke for the United States.
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) - The Kenyan who won the $1 million Global Teacher Prize returned home on Wednesday to pomp and pageantry. The Franciscan friar had a message for Africa: Invest in youth.

Science teacher Peter Tabichi called his win a testimony that the continent has great people.

"It's a victory for Kenya, for Africa and the whole world. It shows that our young people, given the chance, if we invest in the young people, they are going to do great things," he said. He also said there is a need to encourage more girls to pursue science and to expose all students to technology.

Tabichi routinely gives away most of his salary to the school. He intends to do the same with his cash prize.

"I intend to give it back to society," he said.

Africa has the youngest population in the world, according to the United Nations Development Program. Yet many youth express frustration with what they call a lack of opportunities to improve their lives.

Kenyan teacher Peter Tabichi is welcomed back by the students from his school upon his arrival at the airport in Nairobi, Kenya Wednesday, March 27, 2018. Tabichi, who won the $1 million Global Teacher Prize, returned home to pomp and pageantry and the Franciscan friar has a message for Africa: Invest in youth. (AP Photo/Khalil Senosi)

The Global Teacher Prize is awarded by the London-based Varkey Foundation.

The award's citation says Tabichi has turned around lives in at Keriko Mixed Day Secondary School in Nakuru county, which has only one computer, poor internet and a student-teacher ratio of 58:1.

His involvement in the science club has seen 60 percent of the student's projects qualify for national competitions. Last year the school placed first among public schools in the Kenya Science and Engineering Fair 2018. Students showed off a device they had invented to allow blind and deaf people to measure objects.

Tabichi and four colleagues tutor students in math and science outside class and on the weekends, when he visits students' homes and meets their families to understand the challenges they face.

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Follow Africa news at https://twitter.com/AP_Africa

Kenyan teacher Peter Tabichi speaks to the media after being welcomed back by the students from his school upon his arrival at the airport in Nairobi, Kenya Wednesday, March 27, 2018. Tabichi, who won the $1 million Global Teacher Prize, returned home to pomp and pageantry and the Franciscan friar has a message for Africa: Invest in youth. (AP Photo/Khalil Senosi)

Kenyan teacher Peter Tabichi carries his trophy as he arrives back at the airport in Nairobi, Kenya Wednesday, March 27, 2018. Tabichi, who won the $1 million Global Teacher Prize, returned home to pomp and pageantry and the Franciscan friar has a message for Africa: Invest in youth. (AP Photo/Khalil Senosi)
DALLAS (AP) - The Houston Ship Channel has been reopened for daytime traffic after flammable chemicals from a nearby petrochemical storage facility seeped into one of America's busiest shipping lanes following a fire, the U.S. Coast Guard announced Wednesday.

The previously closed portion of the commercial waterway will operate during the day but will close at night, Capt. Richard Howes said during a morning press conference. Ships are being instructed to pass slowly through the channel and will continue to be inspected for chemicals on their hulls.

Part of the channel was closed after a fire erupted on March 17 at the Intercontinental Terminals Company in Deer Park. The blaze burned for days in the city just east of Houston and triggered air quality warnings that prompted school closures.

A dike adjacent to the facility then failed, allowing an unknow volume of chemicals to seep into nearby bayous and then the ship channel.

The channel's partial closure has caused backups in marine traffic outside Houston's busy port. As of Wednesday morning, there were 103 vessels waiting to enter compared to the usual 50, Howes said.

The closure could cause an economic impact of up to $1 billion in direct and indirect costs, Maria Burns, director of the University of Houston's logistics and transportation program, told the Houston Chronicle .

In a Wednesday, March 20, 2019 photo, maritime traffic moves through the Houston Ship Chanel past the site of now-extinguished petrochemical tank fire at Intercontinental Terminals Company in Deer Park, Texas. Air quality and water pollution from the fire's runoff, seen on the right, into the ship channel are some of the concerns in the aftermath of the blaze. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP)

It's unclear when the channel will be fully operational, though local officials said they were making progress in addressing the fallout from the fire. More than 100 large ships and smaller vessels passed through the channel on Tuesday, with only one requiring cleaning to remove chemical residue from its hull, Howes said.

About 5 miles (8 kilometers) of waterway have been pocketed by oil from the spill, and crews have pumped some 16,000 barrels of oily water out of the channel, said Adam Adams, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's on-site coordinator.

As of Tuesday, the EPA had counted 14 dead fish and a dead turtle in the affected area, Adams said.

All the storage tanks that held a gasoline component - which contains concentrations of the carcinogen benzene - have now been emptied, said Brent Weber, a senior vice president for. Other tanks continue to leak into a containment area.

Weber declined to comment on lawsuits filed against ITC over the fire. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Harris County and area residents are all suing the company alleging the blaze caused environmental damage and health problems.

FILE - In a Wednesday, March 20, 2019 file photo, emergency crews continue to douse what's left of the now-extinguished petrochemical tank fire at Intercontinental Terminals Company, in Deer Park. Fire crews extinguished the blaze at ITC about 3 a.m., Wednesday, almost four days after it started, which caused a plume of black smoke to linger over the Houston area. ITC officials said the cause of the fire is still unknown. EPA on-site coordinator Adam Adams said they have been in Deer Park since Sunday, conducting air monitoring at ground level and in the plume. Biggest concerns are "volatile organic chemicals" and particulates, Adams said. He added that no hazardous levels have been detected. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP, File)
EL PASO, Texas (AP) - The Latest on growing numbers of migrants arriving at U.S. border with Mexico, many of them Central American asylum seekers (all times local):

10:58 a.m.

U.S. authorities are reassigning 750 border inspectors to care for growing numbers of Central American families arriving at the Mexican border.

Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan said Wednesday in El Paso, Texas, that the temporary assignments will lengthen wait times at border crossings, hurting international trade and creating delays as the busy Easter holiday nears. He says the move is necessary to address what he calls an "operational crisis."

Border arrests sharply increased in February and March is shaping up to be even busier. McAleenan says the agency is on pace for more than 100,000 arrests and denials of entry on the Mexican border this month. More than 55,000 will have arrived as families, including 40,000 children.

McAleenan says he doesn't know how long the officers at ports of entry will be reassigned.

This Tuesday, March 26, 2019, photo shows a border patrol checkpoint, north of Las Cruces, New Mexico, that U.S. immigration authorities have closed and have reassigned agents to repurpose inspection areas to handle an influx of Central Americans arriving at the Mexican border. All of the checkpoints in the El Paso, Texas, sector, which includes New Mexico and West Texas, have been closed. (AP Photo/Cedar Attanasio)

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12:31 a.m.

U.S. immigration authorities are temporarily closing highway checkpoints in New Mexico and much of West Texas to shift their focus to an influx of Central American families arriving at the Mexican border.

The Border Patrol is assigning agents to processing migrant arrivals and converting the checkpoints into staging areas to help accommodate the growing numbers. Last week, 430 migrants were detained in El Paso, Texas, in just three hours.

The checkpoints, located up to 100 miles (160 kilometers) from the border, are designed to be a final line of defense against illegal crossings.

The unusual move comes as the Trump administration says the border is in a state of crisis. CBP Commissioner Kevin McAleenan will be in El Paso, Texas, Wednesday to discuss "the dramatic increase in illegal crossings."
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - Tribal leaders are calling on U.S. land managers to put off an upcoming oil and gas lease sale, the latest in an ongoing battle over energy development in a region that's home to a national park and other sites of cultural and historical significance.

The tribes say the federal government is obligated to follow environmental and historic preservation laws when considering whether to allow for oil and gas exploration in northwestern New Mexico. They're concerned about more than two dozen parcels that will be up for bid Thursday.

The massive stone structures that make up Chaco Culture National Historical Park and other sites scattered beyond the park's boundaries are important to Native Americans from around the Southwest and archaeologists who have spent decades trying to unravel the mysteries of the centuries-old gathering spot.

In asking the Bureau of Land Management to defer the lease sale, the All Pueblo Council of Governors renewed its call for formal protections to be included in a plan being drafted by that agency that will govern future development throughout the San Juan Basin.

Acoma Pueblo Gov. Brian Vallo on Wednesday accused the agency of doing little to identify "critical and fragile cultural properties" in the basin, which spans much of northwestern New Mexico and parts of southwestern Colorado.

Vallo said the lease sales are "inconsistent with the goal of the field office to complete a holistic plan for energy development while acting as stewards of that sacred landscape."

FILE - In this Aug. 10, 2005, file photo, tourist Chris Farthing from Suffolks County, England, takes a picture while visiting Chaco Culture National Historical Park in northwestern New Mexico. Native American leaders are banding together to pressure U.S. officials to ban oil and gas exploration around a sacred tribal site that features massive stone structures and other remnants of an ancient civilization. Tribes are gathering Thursday, March 21, 2019, to face the Trump administration's pro-drilling stance as they push for further protections surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park. Federal officials are revamping the management plan for the area around the world heritage site in New Mexico. (AP Photo/Jeff Geissler, File)

The agency is planning to go forward with the sale, and agency spokeswoman Cathy Garber said a draft of the amended management plan is expected within the next few months.

In recent years, land managers have declined oil and gas exploration on land within a 10-mile (16-kilometer) radius of the park, creating somewhat of an informal buffer. In early 2018, then-Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke halted a lease sale over cultural concerns after hundreds of people protested.

In February, the agency again decided to withdraw several parcels that had been nominated by the industry for inclusion in the sale.

The battle over energy development around Chaco, which is bordered by the Navajo Nation and a checkboard of state and federal land, has been simmering for years. Officials with the Obama administration and Democratic members of New Mexico's congressional delegation visited the region in 2015 in hopes of brokering a way forward for the tribes and energy companies.

The Bureau of Land Management and the Bureau of Indian Affairs then began working together on revamping the resource management plan. The partnership was meant to ensure tribes would be consulted and that scientific and archaeological analysis would be done to guarantee cultural sensitivity.

"Until this area is permanently protected, we are living in a state of uncertainty and doubt as the BLM prepares its plan amendment," said Michael Chavarria, the governor of Santa Clara Pueblo. "Our cultural sites and ancestral homelands are put in danger every time BLM engages in these sales because it encourages haphazard development."

A UNESCO world heritage site, Chaco park includes the remains of kivas and other features of a ceremonial and economic hub that dates back centuries. Archaeologists believe the site offered a religious or ritualistic experience as many of the structures are aligned with celestial events, such as the summer solstice.

Acoma Pueblo Gov. Brian Vallo poses outside the pueblo's cultural center Thursday, March 21, 2019, about 60 miles west of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Native American leaders are banding together to pressure U.S. officials to prevent oil and gas exploration around Chaco Culture National Historical Park, which features the remnants of an ancient civilization. (AP Photo/Felicia Fonseca)
BOSTON (AP) - An elementary school student who received threatening notes in her classroom. A congressional candidate who dealt with anti-Islam political flyers during her campaign. And a mother who was subjected to an invasive airport search.

Those and many other cases from 2018 are highlighted in a new report released Wednesday by the Massachusetts chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the state's largest Islamic advocacy organization.

In its first annual civil rights report, the organization said it received 232 requests for legal assistance last year, down about six percent from 2017, when the organization saw a surge in requests for help on immigration cases related to the Trump administration's ban on travelers from certain Muslim-majority countries.

The goal of the report is to educate the public about the abuses local Muslims are facing while also encouraging people to step forward if they're dealing with similar issues, said Barbara Dougan, the group's civil rights director.

"The perpetrators and haters are emboldened," she said. "The level of aggression toward women is especially troubling. Muslim women who wear hijabs are shouldering the greatest burden of the physical violence and harassment."

Among the prominent cases highlighted was one involving a fifth-grader at Hemenway Elementary School in Framingham who received two notes in her classroom storage bin - one calling her a terrorist and the other threatening her with death. The incident prompted an outpouring of support from across the country as some 500 people sent letters of encouragement to the young student as part of a campaign promoted by the council.

Council on American-Islamic Relations Massachusetts Civil Rights Director Barbara Dougan takes questions from a reporter from The Associated Press, Wednesday, March 27, 2019, in Boston. The state's largest Islamic advocacy organization is releasing its first annual report on the civil rights abuses faced by local Muslims. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

The report also mentions a 2018 case in which a 54-year-old Muslim woman said she was subjected to a hostile and invasive airport search while wearing a long dress and hijab. The council said the search "bordered on sexual assault" and filed a complaint with the federal Transportation Security Administration on the woman's behalf in May. At the time, the agency said it was unaware of this incident and had no formal complaint on record but added all allegations of improper behavior are thoroughly investigated.

The report notes that Tahirah Amatul-Wadud, who is a member of council's Massachusetts board of directors, was subjected to a series of bizarre, anti-Muslim mailers during her failed bid for Congress last year that attacked Islam, the council and the media.
MOSCOW (AP) - Officials in Kazakhstan say a military helicopter has crashed on a training flight, killing all 13 people on board.

The Defense Ministry said the helicopter went down Wednesday in the Zhalagash region in southern Kazakhstan, east of the Aral Sea.

It added that the Mi-8 helicopter was part of a formation flying from Aktau on the Caspian Sea to Shymkent near the border with Uzbekistan, as part of special forces' drills.

The ministry said it wasn't immediately clear if there were any survivors, but Kazakhstan's interim President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev later tweeted that all those aboard have died.

Tokayev said he ordered an official probe into the crash's reason.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The battle over releasing the special counsel's report intensified Wednesday as Democrats in Congress insisted Attorney General William Barr must quickly release its full findings. Barr said he'll release at least a partial version in April.

Skepticism mounted over Barr's four-page synopsis, which was released Sunday and found no evidence President Donald Trump's campaign "conspired or coordinated" with the Russian government to influence the 2016 presidential election. The longer it takes to release the full findings from special counsel Robert Mueller, the more Democrats, in particular, warn they will question the legitimacy of Barr's actions.

The push came as the House moved ahead with its own oversight of the Trump administration, including an Intelligence Committee hearing scheduled Thursday on Russia's role in the 2016 election.

Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said he was "disappointed" Barr would take weeks, not days, to release the report.

"The president has now an opportunity for weeks, it sounds like, to do these victory laps," said Cummings, noting that Trump's lawyer, Michael Cohen, is among those headed to jail as a result of the probe. "Cohen goes to jail, the president runs a victory lap."

The attorney general told the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., that he's combing through Mueller's report and removing classified, grand jury and other information in hopes of releasing it to Congress.

President Donald Trump accompanied by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., left, and Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., right, arrives for a Senate Republican policy lunch on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Graham told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he had dinner the previous evening with Barr, who said he is willing to testify before the committee after he sends Congress the report.

Trump also has said he's fine with releasing the findings. "The president said, 'Just let it go,' and that's what's going to happen," Graham said.

What's clear, though, is that Barr will miss the Tuesday deadline set by six House committee chairmen to see the full confidential report and its underlying documents. They have suggested they may eventually need to subpoena it.

Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., said he was "very concerned" Barr would not provide the material by the time set.

Nadler upped the oversight Wednesday by placing a call to Bar. Over 10 minutes, the chairman asked whether Barr would accede to Congress' demand for the full report by April 2. Barr said no, according to Nadler.

Nadler asked if Barr would release a report to Congress without redactions. "He wouldn't commit to that," the congressman said. He also told reporters that Mueller's report was "very substantial" and fewer than 1,000 pages.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who has urged caution so as not to "throw innocent people who've not been charged under the bus," is blocking legislation to force the disclosure of the Mueller report.

Other Republicans, however, insisted on Congress being able to review it. "I want to see it all," said Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. "I think we should see the entire report."

The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia, was confident a full picture of Mueller's report would emerge.

"People are going to be very surprised," Collins said. "Barr is going to put out a lot of stuff."

Beyond Mueller's findings, House Democrats are pursuing multiple investigations into the president's political, business and personal dealings, as they press on with their oversight agenda. Part of their work is to determine if anyone sought leverage over Trump, his family or associates.

Those probes, including a push to release his tax returns, are not fully dependent on whether the report backs up Barr's conclusion. By Barr's account, Mueller made no finding on whether the president obstructed justice. Though Barr cleared Mueller of obstruction, the question is now in Congress' hands.

The House Intelligence Committee chairman, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said the Mueller report will "guide us in terms of what has been fully investigated by the special counsel, what has gone uninvestigated."

Schiff said, "It's very difficult to make those decisions in the absence of really knowing what's in that report."

The panel expects to "tailor" its investigation to focus beyond Mueller, said one member of the panel, Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn.

Releasing the report has become the immediate focus on Capitol Hill amid concerns from Democrats that what has been made public so far is tilted positively toward Trump.

Questions about Barr are amplified by his unusual role as a lawyer who advocated an expansive view of executive power, suggesting in an unsolicited letter to the administration before being hired that the president cannot be found to have obstructed a Justice Department probe.

Schiff has said Barr was all but auditioning for the job - a sentiment shared by other Democrats in Congress.

Mueller's role as a special counsel is different from the independent counsels that investigated earlier administrations, including Kenneth Starr's probe against President Bill Clinton. The law authorizing the independent counsel was allowed to lapse after that and Mueller, as a special counsel, conducted his work under the Justice Department.

"I would hope the attorney general would not be acting as a political operative for the president," said Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., a member of the Judiciary Committee.

"The Department of Justice should not be involved in a cover-up of what's actually in the report," he said. "It's great for a banana republic, it's not great for a constitutional democracy."

Barr wants to make sure nothing is released that could compromise national security or intelligence sources and methods, Graham said. He said Barr also told him he wants to check with prosecutors who have cases associated with Mueller's Russia investigation. Mueller had referred cases to other federal courts as part of his probe.

Republicans have said it's time for Congress to move on from the Russia probe, but Democrats indicated they are not worried about overreaching as they push ahead with both their oversight agenda and other legislative priorities.

"I haven't read the Mueller report, but if it clears President Trump, I see that as nothing but a relief for our country," said Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-Pa.

"It's the dream of the Founding Fathers that we have a separation of powers," he said. "Checks and balances."

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Associated Press writers Eric Tucker, Andrew Taylor, Catherine Lucey, Jill Colvin, Alan Fram, Mike Balsamo and Padmananda Rama contributed to this report.

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Follow all of AP's Trump Investigations coverage at https://apnews.com/TrumpInvestigations .

President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media as he departs a Senate Republican policy lunch on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

President Donald Trump accompanied by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., left, and Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., right, arrives for a Senate Republican policy lunch on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., joined at left by Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Frank Pallone, D-N.J., speaks at an event to announce legislation to lower health care costs and protect people with pre-existing medical conditions, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. The Democratic action comes after the Trump administration told a federal appeals court that the entire Affordable Care Act, known as "Obamacare," should be struck down as unconstitutional. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

President Donald Trump accompanied by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., left, and Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., right, speaks to members of the media as he arrives for a Senate Republican policy lunch on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, March 26, 2019.(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Rep. Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., center, together with Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, left, and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wa., right, and other Republican members of Congress speaks to reporters outside the West Wing of the White House following a meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
CHICAGO (AP) - The Latest on "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett (all times local):

8:30 a.m.

Jussie Smollett's attorney says two brothers who claim they worked with the "Empire" actor to stage a racist, anti-gay attack against him are lying.

Tina Glandian spoke with "Good Morning America" on Wednesday, a day after Chicago prosecutors abruptly dropped charges yet still insisted that Smollett lied to police about being attacked by two strangers on Jan. 29.

Glandian says Smollett, who is black and gay, had hired one brother as a personal trainer, and that they discussed training and nutrition in the hours before the attack as Smollett's flight to Chicago was delayed. But she says Smollett had no idea who attacked him until the brothers were later identified by police.

She says Smollett is a crime victim and "just wants his life back."

Actor Jussie Smollett talks to the media before leaving Cook County Court after his charges were dropped, Tuesday, March 26, 2019, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

Prosecutors offered little explanation when dropping the case, a move that infuriated Chicago's mayor and police chief.

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12 a.m.

Prosecutors still insist Jussie Smollett faked a racist, anti-gay attack on himself in the hopes that the attention would advance his acting career. The "Empire" star still says he was assaulted by two men late at night in downtown Chicago.

But with little explanation, authorities on Tuesday abruptly dropped all charges against Smollett. They abandoned the criminal case after only five weeks. In return, prosecutor say, the actor agreed to let the city keep his $10,000 in bail.

The dismissal drew a backlash from the mayor and police chief. It also raised the question of why Smollett was not forced to admit any wrongdoing.

Among those sure to keep pressing for answers is Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. He appeared blindsided by the decision and visibly angry. He called it "a whitewash."

Actor Jussie Smollett, center, leaves the Leighton Criminal Courthouse in Chicago after prosecutors dropped all charges against him on Tuesday, March 26, 2019. (Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times/Chicago Sun-Times via AP)

Actor Jussie Smollett talks to the media before leaving Cook County Court after his charges were dropped Tuesday, March 26, 2019, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, right, and Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson, center, appear at a news conference Tuesday, March 26, 2019, after prosecutors abruptly dropped all charges against "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett, abandoning the case barely five weeks after he was accused of lying to police about being the target of a racist, anti-gay attack in downtown Chicago. The mayor and police chief blasted the decision and stood by the investigation that concluded Smollett staged a hoax. (AP Photo/Teresa Crawford)

Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson speaks during a news conference Tuesday, March 26, 2019, after prosecutors abruptly dropped all charges against "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett, abandoning the case barely five weeks after he was accused of lying to police about being the target of a racist, anti-gay attack in downtown Chicago. Johnson stood by the department's investigation and said Chicago is "is still owed an apology." (AP Photo/Teresa Crawford)

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, right, and Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson appear at a news conference in Chicago, Tuesday, March 26, 2019, after prosecutors abruptly dropped all charges against "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett, abandoning the case barely five weeks after he was accused of lying to police about being the target of a racist, anti-gay attack in downtown Chicago. The mayor and police chief blasted the decision and stood by the investigation that concluded Smollett staged a hoax. (AP Photo/Teresa Crawford)

Actor Jussie Smollett leaves Cook County Court after his charges were dropped Tuesday, March 26, 2019, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
LAS VEGAS (AP) - Attorneys say former U.S. Sen. Harry Reid is due to testify Thursday in his negligence lawsuit against the maker of the exercise device TheraBand.

Product chief Allison Ryan of Ohio-based device maker Hygenic Corp. returned to the witness stand Wednesday.

Reid blames the company for injuries he suffered when his grip slipped and he fell while using a flexible physical resistance band in his bathroom on New Year's Day 2015.

A company lawyer calls it an accident and says it was Reid's fault.

The 79-year-old former Democratic Senate majority leader was blinded in one eye, and he says that forced his retirement after 30 years in the Senate.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary damages. It claims negligence and failure to warn the product is "unreasonably dangerous" for elderly people like Reid.

Former U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, second from left, sits in court Tuesday, March 26, 2019, in Las Vegas. A jury in Nevada heard opening arguments Tuesday in Reid's lawsuit against the maker of a flexible exercise band that he says slipped from his hand while he used it in January 2015, causing him to fall and suffer lasting injuries including blindness in one eye. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Former U.S. Senator Harry Reid, who sued the makers of an exercise band after injuring his eye, leaves the courtroom after attending the first day of jury selection in his civil trial at the Regional Justice Center on Monday, March. 25, 2019, in Las Vegas. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP)

Former U.S. Sen. Harry Reid sits in court Tuesday, March 26, 2019, in Las Vegas. A jury in Nevada heard opening arguments Tuesday in Reid's lawsuit against the maker of a flexible exercise band that he says slipped from his hand while he used it in January 2015, causing him to fall and suffer lasting injuries including blindness in one eye. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Former U.S. Sen. Harry Reid sits in front of a monitor showing instructions for an exercise band in court Tuesday, March 26, 2019, in Las Vegas. A jury in Nevada heard opening arguments Tuesday in Reid's lawsuit against the maker of a flexible exercise band that he says slipped from his hand while he used it in January 2015, causing him to fall and suffer lasting injuries including blindness in one eye. (AP Photo/John Locher)
MOSCOW (AP) - A former Russian Cabinet member was ordered Wednesday to stay behind bars on charges of embezzling $62 million.

The Basmanny District Court ordered Mikhail Abyzov be kept in custody for two months while an investigation continues.

Abyzov is accused of leading a criminal group that allegedly embezzled 4 billion rubles in assets from energy companies and deposited it in foreign banks. He may face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

Speaking in court, Abyzov rejected the charges and said he will cooperate with investigators to prove his innocence.

Abyzov's lawyers asked the court to free him on bail of 1 billion rubles ($15.4 million), an amount remarkably high by Russian standards, or let him remain under house arrest as the probe goes on.

Former Kremlin's chief of staff Alexander Voloshin, ex-Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich and Russia's ex-privatization czar Anatoly Chubais who now heads Rosnano company all vouched for Abyzov, but the court rejected defense appeals and ordered him stay in jail.

Former Russian Minister in charge of the "Open Government" Mikhail Abyzov, center, is convoyed for a hearing in a court in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. The Investigative Committee said Tuesday that Abyzov is accused of presiding over a criminal group that embezzled funds belonging to two energy companies in Siberia and siphoned them into foreign bank accounts. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)

Abyzov was Russia's minister for open government affairs in 2012-2018, overseeing information technologies and efforts to increase government transparency.

He was a close associate of Dmitry Medvedev, who was Russian president in 2008-2012 when term limits forced Vladimir Putin to move into the premier's seat.

Abyzov was among those in Medvedev's inner circle who reportedly encouraged him to run for a second term. Medvedev eventually stepped down to allow Putin to reclaim the presidency in 2012 and shifted into the premier's position. The swap triggered massive anti-Putin protests in Moscow in 2011-2012.

Abyzov was seen as part of a group of officials in Medvedev's entourage who cast themselves as liberals and saw their influence shrink as security services expanded their clout.

Several other members of that group have been pushed out, and Abyzov's arrest could cloud Medvedev's political future.

Former Russian Minister in charge of the "Open Government" Mikhail Abyzov, left, talks with his lawyer before a hearing in a court in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. The Investigative Committee said Tuesday that Abyzov is accused of presiding over a criminal group that embezzled funds belonging to two energy companies in Siberia and siphoned them into foreign bank accounts. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)

Former Russian Minister in charge of the "Open Government" Mikhail Abyzov, center right, is convoyed for a hearing in a court in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. The Investigative Committee said Tuesday that Abyzov is accused of presiding over a criminal group that embezzled funds belonging to two energy companies in Siberia and siphoned them into foreign bank accounts. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)

Former Russian Minister in charge of the "Open Government" Mikhail Abyzov, center, talks with his lawyer before a hearing in a court in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. The Investigative Committee said Tuesday that Abyzov is accused of presiding over a criminal group that embezzled funds belonging to two energy companies in Siberia and siphoned them into foreign bank accounts. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Florida's government agencies would be prohibited from releasing photos, video or audio that record the killing of a person in an act of mass violence, under a bill approved by the state Senate on Wednesday.

Inspired by last year's school shooting in Parkland that left 17 people dead, the bill says victims' relatives could be traumatized by the images, and that recordings and photos of mass killings could inspire others to kill.

"The Legislature is concerned that, if these photographs and video and audio recordings are released, terrorists will use them to attract followers, bring attention to their causes, and inspire others to kill. The Legislature also finds that dissemination of these photographs and video and audio recordings may also educe violent acts by persons who have a mental illness or who are morally corrupt," the bill reads.

The bill says the Legislature also recognized that these types of images can be widely disseminated on the internet in an era when most people have access to computers and smartphones. That would subject victims' families to continuous injury.

In addition to the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the bill states that lawmakers are "gravely concerned" about the 2016 mass-shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, in which a gunman killed 49 people, and the 2017 shooting at a Fort Lauderdale airport that left five dead.

The bill defines an act of mass violence as an attack that leaves at least three people dead, not including the perpetrator. It bans the release of depictions of the actual killing or victims' bodies after an attack. Copies of those images and recordings could be released to victims' immediate families, and victim's relatives wouldn't be prohibited from releasing copies to the media or others. It doesn't ban the release of other images during an attack, such as a killer approaching a school or business or police responding to the scene, as long as bodies or killings aren't depicted.

Republican bill sponsor Sen. Tom Lee told reporters after the vote that he understands media plays a role in holding authorities accountable after an attack, and said news organizations can petition a judge for the release of recordings and photos.

He commended the South Florida Sun Sentinel for its coverage of the Parkland shootings and acknowledged the newspaper was helped by having access to video and recordings after the attack.

"If you read the Sun Sentinel, we would have been unlikely to get to the bottom of what happened in Parkland without access to that footage. If there's a compelling public interest, I'm hopeful the media will still be able to get to it," Lee said.

But he also acknowledged that suing for access to recordings is expensive.

"There will still be that ability to go to court, and I frankly regret that they have to go to the extraordinary measures they do because going to court costs money - a lot of money," Lee said. "But we looked at eleven ways to Sunday on how to write this to make it easier on the media to get access and this was the best we could do."

A House version of the bill was approved by two committees and can now be considered by the full chamber.
SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) - An appeals court in Chile ruled Wednesday that the Roman Catholic Church must pay compensation to three victims of the Rev. Fernando Karadima, the country's most notorious pedophile priest.

The court in the Chilean capital said that the church must pay about $150,000 each to Juan Carlos Cruz, Jose Andres Murillo and James Hamilton for "moral damage." It also overturned a lower-court ruling that found no proof of a church cover-up.

The ruling could prompt hundreds of other people who have reported clerical sexual abuses or cover-ups by the Chilean Catholic church to seek compensation.

"Today, the Chilean state puts on the record that all institutions are guarantors and should protect the rights of its citizens. And that no one, however powerful they might be, can abuse and cover-up sexual abuses with impunity," Hamilton told reporters reading from a joint statement by the three victims.

He said the ruling is important, "not only for us in particular, but for the hundreds or thousands of victims of abuse committed by priests and religious members who have suffered the lack of justice, re-victimization, abandonment, complete loneliness, and betrayal to their original commitment of care and accompaniment."

The office of the Santiago Archbishopric said in a statement that it would not appeal the ruling and that it was in "consent" with the court's decision, hoping it "will contribute to the process of reparation of the pain suffered by Fernando Karadima's victims."

FILE - In this May 2, 2018 file photo, Juan Carlos Cruz, from left, James Hamilton and Jose Andres Murillo, attend a press conference at the Foreign Press Association in Rome, after spending five days with Pope Francis at his Vatican hotel. A court in Chile ruled Wednesday, March 29, 2019, that the Roman Catholic Church must pay compensation to the three, victims of the Rev. Fernando Karadima, the country's most notorious pedophile priest. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis, File)

The ruling said that church officials had harmed victims by dismissing their complaints of abuse rather than investigating them.

The Vatican in 2011 sentenced Karadima, a powerful preacher close to Chile's elite, to a lifetime of penance and prayer for his sex crimes, and Pope Francis defrocked him last year.

During a 2018 trip to Chile, the pope initially dismissed allegations that a bishop had covered up Karadima's crimes, but he later acknowledged "grave errors in judgment" and asked all active Chilean bishops to offer their resignations.

Chilean abuse survivors had long accused Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati and his predecessor in the Chilean capital, Cardinal Javier Errazuriz, of protecting predator priests and discrediting victims.

The ruling on Wednesday named them both. The pope removed Errazuriz last year from his informal cabinet and he replaced Ezzati on Saturday.

"This helps all of us who have lived through this horror, and that's why we're happy," Cruz said about the ruling on Twitter.

Part of the evidence that led to the ruling included a 2009 letter from Errazuriz to the apostolic nunciature that showed that he was aware of the abuse.

The scandal first erupted in 2009 when victims publicly accused Karadima of molesting them for years. Errazuriz initially shelved an investigation.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - A small Pennsylvania town police chief and his friend were charged with raping a child over a seven-year period when they were teenagers starting when the girl was 4 years old, state prosecutors said Wednesday.

Brent Getz, 27, was arrested and charged Tuesday along with Gregory Wagner, 28. The alleged victim said both men sexually assaulted her, often at the same time, from 2005 to 2012.

The investigation began in 2012 when the child, who was 12 at the time, reported Wagner had been assaulting her, prosecutors said. No charges were filed following an investigation.

Three years later, a criminal complaint was prepared charging Wagner but it was dismissed due to a paperwork error. Charges were never refiled.

In August, a police officer revisited the case. It was then the victim said Getz also sexually abused her. Getz became chief of police earlier this year in Weissport, a town of 412 people in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley, about 75 miles (121 kilometers) northwest of Philadelphia.

It is unknown whether council members who appointed Getz knew of the allegations. A message was left with a phone number found for Paulette Watson, the mayor of Weissport.

This combination of undated booking photos provided by the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office shows, Brent Getz, left, and Gregory Wagner. Authorities are accusing, Getz, the police chief of a small Pennsylvania town, and his friend Wagner of having raped a child over a seven-year period when the two were teenagers. The pair, both of Lehighton, were charged Tuesday, March 26, 2019, with rape and related charges. (Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office via AP)

Wagner admitted he and Getz sexually abused the girl together, prosecutors said. Attorney information for either man could not be found in court documents. Both men remain jailed. Messages could not be left with phone numbers found for Getz and Wagner.

The victim said she was sexually assaulted hundreds of times between the ages of 4 and 11, both by Wagner and Getz. She said Wagner made her watch pornography with him. The attorney general's office did not disclose how the men knew the child.

Authorities found many electronic devices at Wagner's home, including his cellphone, which had Google searches of terms related to child pornography, prosecutors said.

Both Getz and Wagner were arraigned on charges. The men are scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing April 3.

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This story has been corrected to show the men were charged Tuesday, not Wednesday.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) - A Corpus Christi police officer investigating two robberies at a convenience store shot a man who resembled a suspect after mistaking a lighter in his hand for a weapon, the city's police chief said.

Police Chief Mike Markle announced Tuesday that the man shot by an officer was determined not to be a suspect in either of the Hi-Ho convenience store robberies, the Corpus Christi Caller Times reported.

Police approached the man at his home on Tuesday because he matched the description of a suspect in the robberies earlier that day, Markle said.

Police said the man was hiding his hands from officers and wasn't complying with their requests. When the man eventually revealed his hands to police, an officer mistook an object he was holding for a weapon and shot at him, Markle said.

Police later discovered the object was a large lighter, Markle said. The man sustained non-life-threatening injuries, according to the police chief. He didn't explain what kind of weapon the officer believed the man was holding.

"The officers were searching a neighborhood for armed suspects. They're at a heightened state of awareness, a heightened state of alert," Markle said. "They found somebody that matched the description and for whatever reason ... the individual was non-compliant, which resulted in shots fired."

The officer involved in the shooting will be placed on administrative leave, per department policy, he said.

Markle said two other men suspected in the robberies were taken into custody. Investigations into the robberies are ongoing, he said.

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Information from: Corpus Christi Caller-Times, http://www.caller.com
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - A Utah family that says it has been inundated with hundreds of unwanted service providers unwittingly sent to their home over the past seven months has a court-ordered protective injunction against a man in Hawaii, but police have yet to arrest him and won't say if he's a suspect.

North Salt Lake Police Sgt. Mitch Gwilliam acknowledged Wednesday that the Jan. 28 injunction granted by a Utah state judge is related to the case, but said he can't comment about whether Loren Okamura of Honolulu, Hawaii, is a suspect, citing an ongoing investigation. Nobody has been arrested.

The hoax texts and phone calls that appear to come from Walt Gilmore and lead people to his house in the quiet, middle-class neighborhood in a Salt Lake City suburb have not stopped since the protective order was issued Jan. 28, directing Okamura not to contact the family, Gilmore and Gwilliam said.

Details of the injunction request are sealed court documents, but Judge James Blanch said in his order he found reason to believe that Okamura had stalked the Gilmores.

Okamura didn't return a phone call seeking comment or answer at an address listed for him in Honolulu.

Gwilliam said investigators in Utah haven't ruled out the possibility that more than one person is responsible. They are in contact with police in Honolulu and elsewhere as part of an investigation he said detectives hope will be concluded soon.

A warning sign and a police officer's vehicle are stationed at Walt Gilmore's home on Thursday, March 21, 2019. The Utah family has become the victim of extreme stalking involving unwanted service providers repeatedly being sent to their home, according to the homeowner and police. (Laura Seitz/The Deseret News via AP)

Sandra Yi Barker, FBI spokeswoman in Utah, said she couldn't confirm or deny if the agency is investigating the case.

Honolulu Police spokeswoman Sarah Yoro says the department has been contacted but said there is "no further information at this time."

It's unknown why the Gilmores are being targeted or what if any relationship exists between Okamura and the Gilmore family. Gilmore told The Associated Press on Tuesday he can't discuss why a protective order was sought against Okamura but he is sure the extreme stalking is not random.

He said the stalker uses phone calls and texts to send people to his home for legitimate services and illegal activities. He estimates about 500 people have knocked on his door since August.

People have arrived saying they were called to provide electrical, plumbing, tree-trimming, and towing services, Gilmore said. Some have arrived in the middle-class neighborhood for illegal purposes including drugs and prostitution.

This week, two teenagers who had driven from Idaho arrived at the house to sell Gilmore fishing equipment for more than $100 per an agreement made on an online classified ad site, he said.

Last weekend, he said a man with a health condition arrived to be driven to Portland after Gilmore supposedly responded to a Craig's List ad seeking someone to help him make the drive.

"He was really upset," Gilmore said. "He needed someone to drive with him."

Two prostitutes arrived in the neighborhood in recent weeks before realizing they had been hoaxed. One woman emerged from a cab wearing little clothing and smoking a cigarette, said Gilmore, who lives at the house with his wife, some adult children and grandchildren.

"It's scary to know the type of people who are in our neighborhood," Gilmore said.

A police car is now parked outside around the clock and Gilmore has put up a large yellow sign in the driveway with "ALERT" in big red letters. Below it says, "If you have been asked to provide any services to this address such as a car tow, home repair, locksmith, plumbing, food deliveries or anything else, please call the North Salt Lake Police."

And at the bottom in bold letters: "We are all victims of this scam."

Gilmore said he hopes an arrest is made soon.

"He's a con man to the nth degree," Gilmore said. "This is something that no family, no person or neighborhood should have to endure, this type of abuse for seven straight months. The law should look at that and divvy out equal justice."
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., released an infrastructure proposal Thursday that highlights the need to repair and modernize schools. The Minnesota Democrat said her plan would address schools physical as well as digital needs. Klobuchar said the plan would also create an ongoing role for the federal government with respect to school infrastructure.

K-12 public schools represent the nations second-largest infrastructure sector, and the condition of school buildings is critical for advancing student performance, classroom learning, and student health, Klobuchar said in a statement describing her plan. And while school building conditions are a national problem, the disrepair of Americas public schools disproportionately affects students in low-income communities that cannot raise funds for maintenance, repair, or modernization.

In a Medium post about her new plan, Klobuchar cited a 2017 study by the American Society of Civil Engineers that found half of the nations public schools need upgrades in order to be considered in good condition.

Her plan includes $650 billion in direct federal spending on infrastructure, with the additional funding coming from loans and various types of bonds. The plan also includes changes to the corporate tax system to help provide federal revenue to fund it.



Klobuchar isnt the only Democratic lawmaker focused on the issue. In January, House Democrats introduced a $100 billion school infrastructure bill , and the House education committee approved the legislation shortly thereafter. It was the first education bill pased by that committee since Democrats took control of the House at the start of the year.

President Donald Trump has spoken in favor of significantly more spending on infrastructure. Yet he and Democrats have not been able to make any significant progress together on the issue. When the Trump team issued a broad blueprint for infrastructure projects a while back, it did not include targeted funding for schools .

Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 . And follow the Andrew Ujifusa half of Politics K-12 @AndrewUjifusa.
Photo: Contributed

Kelowna is the ninth most expensive Canadian city in which to rent an apartment  but that could change, thanks to new policies from council and new construction.

Thats the word from rentals.ca and Bullpen Research & Consulting, which conducted their March national rent report and found the average price of a one-bedroom apartment is $1,299 and $1,574 for a two-bedroom unit.

The current rental vacancy rate in Kelowna is 1.9 per cent, and all signs point to it increasing over the next two years.

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation economist Taylor Pardy, who spoke in Kelowna last week at a Canadian Home Builders Association Central Okanagan luncheon, told rentals.ca the vacancy rate will increase because of the volume of apartment rental units currently under construction.

For more on this story and to see the 25 most expensive cities for rent, visit Okanagan Edge.
BALTIMORE (AP) - A former National Security Agency contractor accused in a massive theft of classified information is expected to plead guilty Thursday in what U.S. prosecutors had once portrayed as a "breathtaking" breach at the nation's biggest spy shop.

Prosecutors announced Wednesday that Harold T. Martin III would face rearraignment in U.S. District Court in Baltimore, a proceeding typically signaling a change of plea. The former U.S. Navy lieutenant was charged with the willful retention of national defense information and was arrested by the FBI in August 2016.

One of Martin's lawyers, Deborah Boardman of the city's federal public defender's office, said a "rearraignment is a guilty plea" when asked for confirmation about her client's Thursday hearing. She said they would issue a statement after Martin's court appearance, declining to provide further comment.

An indictment accuses Martin, 54, who worked as a private contractor for the NSA and other government agencies, of stealing top secret and classified documents between 1996 and 2016 and stowing them in his car and Maryland home.

The stolen documents included sensitive NSA briefings and reports, including a 2009 draft of a signals intelligence directive that outlined methods and procedures for protecting the U.S. and a 2014 report containing information on foreign cyber intrusion techniques. He's also accused of stealing a CIA document detailing foreign intelligence collection sources and methods, among other items.

One of his federal defenders has previously described Martin of Glen Burnie, Maryland, as a "compulsive hoarder" who never intended to harm his country and who took work documents home with him as he tried to be as committed to his job as possible.

Martin, like famed NSA leaker Edward Snowden, worked as a contractor for Booz Allen Hamilton.

When asked for comment about Martin's upcoming hearing, James Fisher, a company spokesman, said Booz Allen Hamilton has "closely cooperated with the federal government throughout the case."

The NSA has suffered a series of breaches in recent years. Most notably, Snowden disclosed a cache of classified material in 2013 exposing U.S. government surveillance programs.

Last year, another Maryland man who had worked at NSA pleaded guilty to keeping numerous top secret U.S. defense materials at home. At his sentencing, Nghia Hoang Pho, 67, told a federal judge he took copies of U.S. government documents and writings containing national defense information so he could work from home and possibly earn a promotion. He got 5  years in prison.

Also last year, an NSA contractor named Reality Winner received a similar sentence after being charged with copying a classified U.S. report and mailing it to a news organization.

The NSA is headquartered at a complex in Fort Meade, Maryland.

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Associated Press writer Eric Tucker contributed from Washington.
VALLETTA, Malta (AP) - Migrants hijacked a cargo ship that rescued them in the Mediterranean Sea and forced the crew to put the Libya-bound vessel on a course north toward Europe, authorities in two European countries said.

Italy's interior minister, Matteo Salvini, identified the ship as the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1. He said the tanker had rescued about 120 people and described what was happening as "the first act of piracy on the high seas with migrants" as alleged hijackers.

The new route put the ship on a route to Italy's Lampedusa island and the island nation of Malta. The governments of both countries vowed to keep it from their territorial waters in the Mediterranean.

"Poor castaways, who hijack a merchant ship that saved them because they want to decide the route of the cruise," Salvini, who heads the anti-migrant League party, was quoted as saying by the ANSA news agency.

There was no immediate word on the condition of El Hiblu 1's crew. Other information about the reported hijacking was unavailable or difficult to confirm while the vessel remained at sea.

Italian media reports said the crew planned to take the group it rescued and was headed that way when migrants seized control of the ship six miles from the Libyan coast.

FILE - In this file photo dated Wednesday, March 20, 2019, Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini at the Italian Senate, in Rome. Migrants hijacked a cargo ship in Libyan waters on Wednesday March 27, 2019, and have forced the crew to reroute the vessel north toward Europe, and Italian Interior Minister Salvini said the ship, was carrying around 120 migrants, but Italian authorities vowed they would not allow it into their territorial waters. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, FILE)

A private group that operates a rescue ship and monitors how governments treat migrants, Mediterranea, urged compassion for the group on the hijacked vessel and said it hoped European countries would act "in the name of fundamental rights, remembering that we are dealing with human beings fleeing hell."

The Armed Forces of Malta said military personnel were standing by and the tanker still was in Libyan territorial waters as of early Wednesday night.

A Maltese military official told Maltese media the ship was carrying 108 migrants. The official was not authorized to speak to reporters and requested anonymity.

The official also said Malta would not allow the hijacked tanker to enter the country's waters.

Italy's Salvini said weather conditions were not good and it was unclear if the tanker would end up approaching Malta or Lampedusa island. But he had a message for the pirates: "Forget about Italy."

Mass migration to Europe has dropped sharply since 2015, when the continent received one million refugees and migrants from countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. The surge created a humanitarian crisis in which desperate travelers frequently drowned and leading arrival spots such as Italy and Greece struggled to house large numbers of asylum-seekers.

Along with the dangerous sea journey itself, those who attempt to cross the Mediterranean risk being stopped by Libya's coast guard and held in Libyan detention centers that human rights groups have described as bleak places where migrants allegedly suffer routine abuse.

EU members "alert the Libyan coast guard when refugees and migrants are spotted at sea so they can be taken back to Libya, despite knowing that people there are arbitrarily detained and exposed to widespread torture, rape, killings and exploitation," Matteo de Bellis, an international migration researcher for Amnesty International, said.

European Union member countries, responding to domestic opposition to welcoming immigrants, have decided to significantly downscale an EU operation in the Mediterranean, withdrawing their ships and continuing the mission with air surveillance only.

EU officials on Wednesday lamented the move.

"This shameful decision has nothing to do with the needs of people who risk their lives at sea, but everything to do with the inability of European governments to agree on a way to share responsibility for them," de Bellis said.

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Gera contributed from Rome.
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - An environmental group is taking its battle against an oil refinery being developed near Theodore Roosevelt National Park to the North Dakota Supreme Court.

The National Parks Conservation Association argued in its Wednesday filing that an air quality permit issued by the state Health Department for the $800 million Davis Refinery and upheld by a state judge violates the federal Clean Air Act.

The Health Department after a two-year review determined the refinery will not be a major source of pollution that will negatively impact the park just 3 miles (5 kilometers) away. The permit the agency issued in June 2018 cleared the way for construction to begin. Meridian Energy Group began site work last summer and plans to resume construction this spring with a goal of having the refinery fully operational by mid-2021.

State District Judge Dann Greenwood ruled in January that the Health Department had effectively supported its position. Greenwood refused to declare the permit invalid and send the case back to the agency for a more rigorous review. The NPCA wants the Supreme Court to overrule him.

"Although the underlying permit contains a requirement for the Davis Refinery to keep monthly logs of its actual emissions ... the permit contains no requirement that the Davis Refinery install monitors to actually collect this data," association attorney Derrick Braaten said.

The group fears that pollution from the refinery will mar the park's scenery and erode air quality for wildlife and visitors. The park is North Dakota's top tourist attraction, drawing more than 700,000 people annually.

FILE - This July 19, 2018, file photo, shows the property in southwest Belfield, N.D that is the future home The Davis Refinery near Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The National Parks Conservation Association is taking its battle against an oil refinery being developed near Theodore Roosevelt National Park to the North Dakota Supreme Court. The group argues in its Wednesday, March 27, 2019, filing that an air quality permit issued by the state Health Department for the $800 million Davis Refinery and upheld by a state judge violates the federal Clean Air Act. State Air Quality Director Terry O'Clair says the state is "confident in the permit that was issued."(Tom Stromme/The Bismarck Tribune via AP, File)

"With the decision to appeal, NPCA is fighting to protect the park that has inspired generations of conservationists," Stephanie Kodish, clean air program director for the association, said in a statement.

Roosevelt ranched in the region in the 1880s and is still revered by many for his advocacy of land and wildlife conservation.

Meridian maintains the facility will be "the cleanest refinery on the planet" thanks to modern technology and will be a model for future refineries. The company in a statement Wednesday said it does not comment on pending litigation.

State Air Quality Director Terry O'Clair said he had not had a chance to review the appeal but that "we're confident in the permit that was issued."

Meridian in late January obtained a needed state water permit . It still faces a separate state court battle related to the refinery's location. Two other environmental groups are challenging a decision by North Dakota regulators who concluded they were barred by state law from wading into the dispute over the site.

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Follow Blake Nicholson on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/NicholsonBlake

FILE - In this June 11, 2014, file photo, James Lyons and Florence Reaves, from Kirkwood, Mo., hike to a stone lookout over the Little Missouri River inside the Theodore Roosevelt National Park, located in the Badlands of North Dakota. The National Parks Conservation Association is taking its battle against an oil refinery being developed near Theodore Roosevelt National Park to the North Dakota Supreme Court. The group argues in its Wednesday, March 27, 2019, filing that an air quality permit issued by the state Health Department for the $800 million Davis Refinery and upheld by a state judge violates the federal Clean Air Act. State Air Quality Director Terry O'Clair says the state is "confident in the permit that was issued."(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)
DENVER (AP) - Colorado's long-running battle over oil and gas drilling in suburban neighborhoods has erupted again, and this time the stakes are deeply personal.

As state lawmakers debate whether to clamp stronger health and safety regulations on the industry, stories of loss and anxiety are emerging on both sides.

"Nobody should ever have to experience what my family has had to go through in this past almost two years," said Erin Martinez, whose husband and brother were killed in a 2017 house explosion linked to a well near the Martinezes' home.

She supports tighter rules, including one that would require a public map of pipelines like the one that bled odorless, unrefined natural gas into her basement.

But oilfield workers worry the sweeping new rules will strangle the industry and shut down one of the few remaining careers that offer a good living to people with or without a college education.

"All you have to do is work hard, have a good attitude, be safe, do the right thing, and you really can make whatever you want out of that chance and opportunity," said Erik Finder, who has worked in the North Dakota and Colorado oilfields for six years.

In this March 22, 2019 photo, Erik Finder, who works in the oil and gas industry, speaks at his home in Windsor, Colo. Finder said he worries that proposed new oil and gas regulations in Colorado could strangle the industry, shutting down one of the few careers that offer him a decent wage to support his family. He and other oilfield workers say they're safety-minded people who love Colorado, but they feel demonized and ignored in the debate over new rules. (AP Photo/Dan Elliott)

"What's the alternative for all these guys that would lose their jobs?" he said.

Colorado ranks fifth in the nation for crude oil production and sixth for natural gas. It has struggled for years to balance its booming energy industry and its fast-growing communities, some that spill onto the rich Wattenberg oil and gas field north of Denver.

In November, voters rejected a ballot measure that would have kept new wells 2,500 feet (750 meters) from homes and schools, up from the current 500 feet (150 meters). But they also handed control of the Legislature and the governorship to Democrats.

Democrats are now pushing a bill that would fundamentally shift the role of oil and gas regulators from promoting production to protecting public safety and the environment.

It would also give local governments new authority to restrict locations for drilling rigs, which could put some areas off-limits.

Democratic leaders say the existing rules haven't kept pace with drilling technology or Colorado's expanding population, and they need to be updated.

Their bill passed the Senate two weeks ago and is expected to clear the House as early as Friday. Gov. Jared Polis supports it.

Oilfield workers and other industry supporters say they were shut out of the process and are being unfairly depicted as reckless villains.

"We're not just a bunch of guys that are missing all our teeth, that want to go out and party and raise hell all day and night," Finder told The Associated Press.

"I want Colorado to be a wonderful, safe place for families to come and ski and climb and hike and go to Rocky Mountain National Park," he said. "I don't want (drillers) to just punch holes and run wild and do whatever they want."

Finder said he believes Colorado can strike a balance between production and protection.

Ethan Lutz, who manages a fracking crew for Liberty Oilfield Services, said the industry has become cleaner, quieter and safer in his 10-year career.

"It can be frustrating that a lot of people don't have a complete understanding of what goes into, quote-unquote, the oilfield," said Lutz, who has a bachelor's degree from Western Colorado University.

"I'm proud of what I do," he said. "We take it seriously. We do it responsibly."

Martinez, who was critically injured by the explosion that killed her husband and brother, said she's not out to destroy the industry and believes it can thrive with tougher rules. She and her family reached a legal settlement with Texas-based Anadarko Petroleum last year after investigators determined the blast was caused by natural gas from a pipeline that was severed about 10 feet (3 meters) from the house. The line was believed to be abandoned but was still connected to an operating Anadarko well with the valve turned to the open position, investigators said.

"Lots of good people depend on the industry for their livelihood," Martinez said in February as Democrats announced the bill. "However, with great tragedies should also come great change. Human life should come first."

Colorado already has some of the strictest regulations in the nation, said Kevin Book of ClearView Energy Partners, an independent research firm.

Other states sometimes follow Colorado's lead on new rules, but that's unlikely this time, especially on giving more authority to local governments, Book said.

One reason is that the industry has fewer champions in the Colorado Legislature than in other energy-producing states because the vast majority of new production is concentrated in just a handful of lawmakers' districts, he said.

Colorado also has a more diverse economy than other states that produce comparable amounts of energy, so the industry contributes a smaller share of its gross domestic product and total jobs, Book said.

Predicting the economic impact of the proposed new rules is difficult because the legislation isn't final, said Bernadette Johnson, vice president for market intelligence for Drillinginfo Inc., which provides data and analysis to the oil and gas industry.

Industry-friendly Weld County, in the heart of the Wattenberg field, isn't likely to impose new restrictions, she said. But local governments closer to the cities of Denver and Boulder could raise more barriers.

"So what it would mean would depend on where you are," she said.

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Follow Dan Elliott at http://twitter.com/DanElliottAP .

FILE - In this March 5, 2019 file photo, Erin Martinez, who survived a house explosion that killed her husband and brother, waits to speak during a hearing before the Colorado state Senate in Denver. Martinez has become the face of a movement urging stronger regulation of the oil and gas industry in Colorado. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

FILE - In this May 4, 2017, file photo, workers dismantle the charred remains of a home in Firestone, Colo., after an explosion blamed on a severed natural gas pipeline. Erin Martinez, who survived the explosion, has become the face of a movement urging stronger regulation of the oil and gas industry in Colorado. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley, File)

In this March 22, 2019 photo, Ethan Lutz, a service leader for Liberty Oilfield Services, explains fracking sand at Liberty's yard in Henderson, Colo. Lutz said he worries that proposed new oil and gas regulations in Colorado could strangle the industry, shutting down one of the few careers that offer his crew a decent wage to support their families. He and other oilfield workers say they're safety-minded people who love Colorado, but they feel demonized and ignored in the debate over new rules. (AP Photo/Dan Elliott)

In this March 22, 2019 photo, Ethan Lutz, a service leader for Liberty Oilfield Services, explains fracking equipment at Liberty's yard in Henderson, Colo. Lutz said he worries that proposed new oil and gas regulations in Colorado could strangle the industry, shutting down one of the few careers that offer his crew a decent wage to support their families. He and other oilfield workers say they're safety-minded people who love Colorado, but they feel demonized and ignored in the debate over new rules. (AP Photo/Dan Elliott)
ROCKFORD, Ill. (AP) - An Illinois man facing federal murder charges in the killing a sheriff's deputy now faces state charges, as well.

Winnebago County State's Attorney Marilyn Hite Ross said Wednesday that a grand jury indicted 39-year-old Floyd E. Brown, of Springfield, on 75 counts, including 60 counts of first-degree murder.

Brown has already pleaded not guilty to the federal first-degree murder and weapons charges in the fatal shooting of 35-year-old McHenry County Sheriff's Deputy Jacob Keltner on March 7.

Keltner was a member of a U.S. Marshal's fugitive task force trying to serve Brown an arrest warrant at a Rockford hotel when authorities say Brown shot and killed him.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) - The Latest on a man pleading guilty to federal hate crime charges in a deadly car attack at white nationalist rally in Virginia(all times local):

4 p.m.

A man convicted on state murder charges in a deadly car attack at a white nationalist rally in Virginia has pleaded guilty to federal hate crime charges.

James Alex Fields Jr., of Maumee, Ohio, pleaded guilty Wednesday to 29 federal charges stemming from the "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville on Aug. 12, 2017.

The 21-year-old Fields was convicted in December of first-degree murder and other state charges for killing anti-racism activist Heather Heyer and injuring dozens of others. A jury found that Fields intentionally plowed his car into a crowd of people protesting against the white nationalists.

On Wednesday, Fields admitted he violated federal hate crime laws when he targeted the group.

FILE - In this Aug. 12, 2017 file photo, people fly into the air as a vehicle is driven into a group of protesters demonstrating against a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va. A man convicted in the deadly car attack on a crowd of counterprotesters at a white nationalist rally in Virginia is expected to change his plea to federal hate crime charges. An online court docket updated late Tuesday, March 26, 2019, says James Alex Fields Jr. is scheduled to appear in federal court Wednesday for a change-of-plea hearing. (Ryan M. Kelly/The Daily Progress via AP, File)

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1 a.m.

A man convicted on state murder charges in a deadly car attack on counterprotesters at a white nationalist rally in Virginia is due in federal court for a change-of-plea hearing.

James Alex Fields Jr., of Maumee, Ohio, was convicted in state court in December in the death of anti-racism activist Heather Heyer and for injuring dozens more.

Fields separately pleaded not guilty to 30 federal hate crime charges in July. An online court docket says Fields is scheduled to appear in federal court in Charlottesville on Wednesday for a change-of-plea hearing.

One of the charges carries the death penalty, although prosecutors have not announced whether they planned to seek that punishment.

A spokesman for U.S. Attorney Thomas Cullen declined to comment. Lawyers for Fields did not respond to requests for comment.
LONDON (AP) - When Theresa May became prime minister, she had grand designs. Her premiership wouldn't just be about taking Britain out of the European Union, it would be about fighting "the burning injustice" within the country.

But on Wednesday night, broken by Brexit like her predecessor, May effectively conceded that she won't be able to do anything more to battle injustice, empower women, and build a more equal society.

May told lawmakers from her Conservative Party that she will move out of 10 Downing Street as soon as Brexit is delivered, leaving the messy business of building a future relationship with Europe to another leader. That paves the way for what will likely be a fierce succession battle in the Conservative Party.

It is a sour moment for May, who for nearly three years has ploughed an often solitary path to get a Brexit agreement with the EU. Following two hefty defeats for her deal, she's offered her premiership in return for getting the necessary support for her plan.

What she had anticipated as a moment of triumph - actually delivering Brexit - has morphed into some kind of humiliation.

Like David Cameron before her, she will leave Downing Street earlier than planned, a victim of the same deep divisions in her party over Europe.

FILE - In this Tuesday March 12, 2019 file photo Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May speaks to lawmakers in parliament, London. According to a UK lawmaker Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May has told the Conservative Party that she will quit once Brexit is delivered but hasn't set a date yet. (Jessica Taylor/UK Parliament via AP, File)

Hers has been a hapless task. She campaigned to keep Britain inside the EU in the 2016 referendum - albeit quietly - and then took over from Cameron with the mandate to take Britain out.

May set her course early on in the Brexit negotiations when she decided not to seek cross-party cooperation for the type of Brexit she would pursue. She instead spelled out a series of "red lines" that she vowed never to cross that narrowed her options in the tough negotiations with the EU over the divorce.

She decided Britain would leave the European single market, come out of the customs union with Europe, and sever many economic ties that have increasingly bound Britain to continental Europe for decades.

Her single-minded pursuit of these goals did eventually lead to a complex agreement, but when the details were made public, many in Parliament - and many of the most prominent Brexiteers in her own party - rebelled. She was soon stung by a series of high-profile resignations, including her foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, and her Brexit secretary, David Davis.

The pro-Brexit wing of the party said the plan would leave Britain subject to EU rules after it leaves. Pro-EU Conservatives criticized May for ruling out a so-called softer Brexit in which Britain remains in the EU's single market and customs union, perhaps averting a Brexit-fueled economic contraction which the Bank of England has warned could see the British economy shrinking 8 percent in a matter of months.

As the months of negotiations dragged on, she effectively lost the "hard Brexit" faction in her own party, without presenting a "soft Brexit" that would satisfy the Labour Party voters she would need to get the plan approved by Parliament.

The result: stagnation, humiliation, and an early exit.

It's been a jarring end after a promising start. When May came to power in July, 2016, she came through the middle after more prominent figures, including Johnson and then Justice Secretary Michael Gove, fell out acrimoniously.

Any idea that she had a political Midas touch evaporated quickly when she made a fateful decision to call a general election for June, 2017, three years before one was required.

It is revealing that she seemed to make this momentous choice on her own, without much input from her staff, while rambling in the Wales countryside with her husband, Philip, during a break from her duties.

The result was calamitous. May fared so poorly during the campaign that her party lost its majority in Parliament, gravely weakening her authority, and leading directly to the predicament she faces today, when she can only get her plan approved if she gets at least some support from other parties.

A more flexible politician might have decided at that time that a minority position in Parliament would require reaching out to others for something as divisive as a Brexit deal, but May opted to go it alone.

May, 62, is a steely, determined politician who admitted Wednesday night that she doesn't do well in bars or with gossip. Her approach to setback has been to push back and push on, repeating the same talking points - "Brexit means Brexit", for example - almost to the point of self-parody..

Few doubt her fortitude and commitment to an idea of public service instilled in her upbringing as the daughter of an Anglican vicar. Her career has not been tainted by tales of personal greed or corruption, and she has earned praise for soldiering on in an extremely demanding position despite suffering from type 1 diabetes.

It was by all accounts an emotional moment when she told fellow party members Wednesday night she would step down early, despite her clear, stated preference to remain in office.

George Freeman, a former adviser, said she had "tears not far from her eyes" as she admitted she had fallen short.

He said May admitted making "many mistakes" and said she was "only human." Freeman said that behind closed doors May said, "I beg you, colleagues, vote for the withdrawal agreement and I will go."

The crowded room fell silent at that point.

"She is falling on her sword, putting country before party and career, and is asking them to do the same. You could hear a pin drop in that room," Freeman said.

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Follow AP's full coverage of Brexit at: https://www.apnews.com/Brexit

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May leaves the Houses of Parliament, on the day that MPs will be asked to consider a range of alternative Brexit options after Parliament seized control of the Commons agenda to force a series of "indicative votes", Wednesday evening March 27, 2019. May told lawmakers Wednesday she is prepared to step down "earlier than I intended" in order to win passage of her Brexit divorce deal from the European Union. (Victoria Jones/PA via AP)

FILE - In this Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018 file photo Britain's Ambassador to the EU Sir Tim Barrow, right, gestures to British Prime Minister Theresa May after she spoke with the media at an EU summit in Brussels. According to a UK lawmaker Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May has told the Conservative Party that she will quit once Brexit is delivered but hasn't set a date yet. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File)
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - Conservation groups are asking a federal judge to block the Trump administration from easing restrictions on energy companies that were meant to protect a struggling Western bird species.

Attorneys for Western Watersheds Project, Prairie Hills Audubon Society and two other groups made the request Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Boise, Idaho.

At issue are federal land use plans for greater sage grouse first enacted in 2015 under President Barack Obama.

The Interior Department revised those plans this month as part of President Donald Trump's efforts to promote oil and gas drilling and other activities.

The ground-dwelling sage grouse's territory includes portions of 11 Western states.

The same groups behind Wednesday's court filing had sued in 2016 over the Obama-era plans, claiming they did not do enough.

FILE - In this April 20, 2013, file photo, male Greater Sage Grouse perform their mating ritual on a lake near Walden, Colo. The Trump administration is finalizing plans to ease restrictions on oil and natural gas drilling and other industry activities that are meant to protect an imperiled bird species that ranges across the American West. U.S. Bureau of Land Management Acting Director Brian Steed told The Associated Press the changes still protect greater sage grouse while addressing concerns that policies under former President Barack Obama were too restrictive. A formal announcement is expected Friday, March 15, 2019. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Some of the world's biggest companies are back to oppose a range of new Texas legislation they say is discriminatory, two years after Apple, Facebook and other Fortune 500 companies banded together with gay rights activists in defeating the state's "bathroom bill" targeting transgender people.

The corporate giants, which also include Google, Amazon, and IBM, joined Texas businesses and more than a dozen local chambers of commerce in a letter to lawmakers Wednesday urging the Republican-controlled Legislature to focus on other legislation.

"We will continue to oppose any unnecessary, discriminatory, and divisive measures that would damage Texas' reputation and create problems for our employees and their families," the letter said. "These include policies that explicitly or implicitly allow for exclusion of LGBTQ people, or anyone else, as well as the preemption of municipal nondiscrimination laws, in whole or in part."

The bills under fire include several measures seeking to issue protections for those claiming religious belief in refusing services to certain people. One would safeguard medical professionals who decline to perform nonemergency treatment based on their religious convictions.

Another bill, sponsored by Republican Sen. Charles Perry of Lubbock in West Texas, would aim to give state-licensed professionals broad so-called "faith-based exemption" protections. It would prohibit licensing boards from adopting rules that could limit state-licensed professionals' ability to obtain or keep a license due to a "sincerely held religious belief."

Perry said in an emailed statement that there have been attempts around the country to force license holders to take oaths that go against their faith and even suppress their freedom of speech.

John Graham, the president and CEO of American Society of Association Executives, speaks out against a range of Texas bills corporate giants and other businesses are calling discriminatory during a press conference at the Capitol in Austin, Texas, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Clarice Silber)

"License holders must still follow all state and federal laws and abide by the standard of care in their profession ... it is concerning and disappointing that businesses or anyone for that matter would be against protecting one of our basic core principles of who were are as a nation," Perry said.

In 2017, the companies joined dozens of other powerful firms in opposing a proposal requiring transgender Texans to use public restrooms corresponding to the gender on their birth certificates. Texas failed to pass that bill despite strong support from social conservatives.

The main version of the failed Texas bill was similar to the law North Carolina passed in 2016 but then partially repealed in the wake of political and economic backlash.

John Graham, the president and CEO of American Society of Association Executives, said any legislation that would weaken protections for the LGBTQ community would have severe economic consequences in terms of lost jobs and event bookings across Texas.

"And that's exactly what happened in North Carolina when they passed that bill and they lost billions of dollars and they're still paying that price," Graham said at a Wednesday press conference.

John Graham, the president and CEO of American Society of Association Executives, speaks out against a range of Texas bills corporate giants and other businesses are calling discriminatory during a press conference at the Capitol in Austin, Texas, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Clarice Silber)
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Mayor Eric Garcetti said Wednesday that Los Angeles is considering a major crackdown on illegal marijuana shops that have been bedeviling the city's legal marketplace.

The move that could pump tens of millions of dollars into police enforcement comes as legal shops struggle to turn a profit while hundreds of illicit storefronts enjoy brisk sales, thanks to their typically cheaper, tax-free prices.

The legal shops "can't get undercut every single day by everybody else that's out there," the mayor told reporters at City Hall.

The Democratic mayor in his second term didn't put a precise figure on the spending for the city's upcoming budget, but he estimated it would be a ten-fold increase from the current year.

"It really comes down to how much overtime, how any officers we can have" closing illegal shops, he said.

The proliferation of illicit shops has outraged legal businesses that warn that the illicit shops pose safety and health concerns. Pot sold in state-licensed shops is tested by independent labs.

FILE - In this Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, file photo, Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer, at podium, and then Police Chief Michel Moore announce that prosecutors have charged more than 500 people with misdemeanors for illegal marijuana operations, at a news conference in Los Angeles. Mayor Eric Garcetti said Wednesday, March 27, 2019, that Los Angeles is considering a major crackdown on illegal marijuana shops that have been bedeviling the city's legal marketplace. The move that could pump tens of millions of dollars into police enforcement comes as legal shops struggle to turn a profit while hundreds of illicit storefronts enjoy brisk sales, thanks to their typically cheaper, tax-free prices. (AP Photo/Brian Melley, File)

Legal and illegal shops can sometimes operate in the same neighborhoods, with storefronts that look similar. In the unlicensed storefronts, prices can be 50 percent below the legal marketplace.

Industry officials welcomed the plan. By some estimates, up to 80 percent of the sales in the state still are under the table, snatching profits from legal storefronts.

With so much business going into the illicit market, many legal shops "have been laying off employees and cutting staff, trying to figure out how they can stay open and keep the lights on," said Ruben Honig, executive director of the United Cannabis Business Association, an industry group of licensed operators.

Garcetti said more enforcement money is also needed to break a familiar pattern: Illegal shops that are shut down quickly reopen somewhere else.

"We have to reward the good actors," the mayor said.

California kicked off broad legal pot sales in January 2018, but the state's effort to transform its longstanding illegal and medicinal marijuana markets into a unified, multibillion-dollar industry remains a work in progress.

The rollout of licenses has been slow. Many communities have banned marijuana sales or not created rules for the legal market to operate. A promised state tax windfall has yet to arrive, while businesses complain about hefty state and local tax rates that together can approach 50 percent in some communities.

LA is the largest U.S. city with a legal pot marketplace.

FILE - In this March 15, 2018, file photo, a group of undercover Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies gather inside an illegal marijuana dispensary during a raid in Compton, Calif. Mayor Eric Garcetti said Wednesday, March 27, 2019, that Los Angeles is considering a major crackdown on illegal marijuana shops that have been bedeviling the city's legal marketplace. The move that could pump tens of millions of dollars into police enforcement comes as legal shops struggle to turn a profit while hundreds of illicit storefronts enjoy brisk sales, thanks to their typically cheaper, tax-free prices. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

FILE - In this March 15, 2018 file photo, an undercover Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy stands next to a woman apprehended at an illegal marijuana dispensary in Compton, Calif. Mayor Eric Garcetti said Wednesday, March 27, 2019, that Los Angeles is considering a major crackdown on illegal marijuana shops that have been bedeviling the city's legal marketplace. The move that could pump tens of millions of dollars into police enforcement comes as legal shops struggle to turn a profit while hundreds of illicit storefronts enjoy brisk sales, thanks to their typically cheaper, tax-free prices. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

FILE - In this March 15, 2018 file photo, a Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy keeps watch on a group of people apprehended at an illegal marijuana dispensary in Compton, Calif. Mayor Eric Garcetti said Wednesday, March 27, 2019, that Los Angeles is considering a major crackdown on illegal marijuana shops that have been bedeviling the city's legal marketplace. The move that could pump tens of millions of dollars into police enforcement comes as legal shops struggle to turn a profit while hundreds of illicit storefronts enjoy brisk sales, thanks to their typically cheaper, tax-free prices. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

FILE - This Dec. 20, 2018, file photo provided by the Los Angeles Police Department shows part of $20 million worth of illegal marijuana seized at a downtown building in Los Angeles. Authorities say the building apparently was an unlicensed pot processing facility. Mayor Eric Garcetti said Wednesday, March 27, 2019, that Los Angeles is considering a major crackdown on illegal marijuana shops that have been bedeviling the city's legal marketplace. (Los Angeles Police Department via AP, File)
Photo: The Canadian Press

West Kelowna council changed its cannabis policy mid-stream following a nearly 90-minute debate on the topic Tuesday night.

In a 4-3 vote, council decided to allow a fifth retail location to go through the rezoning process.

Council had previously set out specific criteria for cannabis retail stores. One of those was a maximum of four locations, two in Westbank Town Centre and two in the Boucherie Centre/West Kelowna Business Park area.

Tuesday, a third location was added to the Boucherie area, against the wishes of the three councillors who helped craft the original policy.

Coun. Rick deJong says the council of the day wanted to ensure they follow the law, while at the same time ensure they were taking it slow.

He said in the spirit of "let's walk before we run," council gave itself an 18 to 24 month window to review the policy.

He said when they review it in April of next year, council may decide to make it wide open.

"But, as someone who helped develop the policy, I have to honour the policy," he said.

"I believe the policy is our friend today to give us guidance to move forward in a rational and fair way."

Doug Findlater, who was mayor at the time, said he wanted to see the impact the four allocated locations would have on enforcement by both RCMP and bylaw before opening it up to more than four locations.

However, the four new councillors stood in unison in suggesting the fifth location, in the current Mary Jane's Headquarters store on Bylands Road be allowed to go through the process.

Coun. Jayson Zilkie said he understood the notion of walking before you run, but stated he would personally have wanted the limit at six, not four. He added there are also a lot of liquor stores in the city, suggesting they may one day be aligned.

"I'm not a fan of their location given the proximity of Mount Boucherie and CNB, but it does meet the distance criteria," added Coun. Jason Friesen.

He added the other two are side-by-side in the business park area.

Council also indicated the province is kicking tires for a government cannabis store somewhere in the Westbank Town Centre.

All prospective applicants must still receive city and provincial licensing before they are allowed to open to the public.
CHICAGO (AP) - Chicago police provided a six-night hotel stay with separate rooms and 24-hour security to two brothers who said they were paid by "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett to stage a racist, anti-gay attack on him, according to investigative reports released Wednesday to several media outlets.

The hotel rooms were part of an effort to avoid the media last month as detectives investigated Smollett's report that he was assaulted in January by a pair of men in downtown Chicago, the reports said.

The heavily redacted reports blacked out the names of Abimbola Osundairo and Olabinjo Osundairo, but the context makes it clear that the brothers were put up from Feb. 15 to Feb. 21 at the Chicago South Loop Hotel near the city's McCormick Place convention center. Police paid for the hotel and the security. "Assistance for food and incidentals were also provided," one report said.

Police met with the men at the hotel, stopped at restaurants to get meals for them and drove the pair and their attorney to court, taking them into the courthouse through a back entrance to avoid the media, according to the reports.

A judge on Wednesday sealed the investigative documents, and police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said he was awaiting a written copy of the order to determine if he could comment, including disclosing how much the stay cost the department.

After learning Tuesday that prosecutors had dropped charges against Smollett, a furious Mayor Rahm Emanuel said the $10,000 bond payment that Smollett agreed to forfeit did not begin to reimburse the city for the costs of the investigation, which began Jan. 29.

FILE - This image provided by the Chicago Police Department and taken from surveillance video shows two people of interest in an attack on "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett walking along a street in the Streeterville neighborhood of Chicago, early Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2019. Now that prosecutors have dropped charges against Smollett, the "Empire" actor's attorney Patricia Brown Holmes chastised Chicago police Tuesday, March 26, 2019, and said investigators now should look at Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo. The brothers told police that Smollett paid them $3,500 to help stage the attack. (Courtesy of Chicago Police Department via AP, File)

That's when Smollett, who is black and gay, claimed he was attacked and beaten by two masked men who shouted slurs and yelled, "This is MAGA country," an apparent reference to President Donald Trump's campaign slogan, "Make America Great Again." Smollett also said the men doused him with a chemical and put a noose around his neck. He told a detective that at least one of the attackers was white, according to Chicago police.

After using surveillance cameras and other methods, police identified the Osundairo brothers as suspects and learned that they had flown to Nigeria the same day as the reported attack. The men were arrested Feb. 13 at O'Hare Airport but within two days were released without charges after detailing the alleged plot orchestrated by Smollett. The deal included a $3,500 payment to help stage the attack, which Smollett hoped would help promote his career, police said.

The brothers were taken to the hotel after their release, when police found out news organizations were at the men's residence, according to one investigative report.

Cook County First Assistant State's Attorney Joseph Magats told reporters that he still believes Smollett staged the attack but prosecutors dropped the case because they needed to focus on violent crimes. Besides forfeiting his bond payment, Smollett also did community service, Magats said.

Smollett was not required to admit wrongdoing or apologize, and he immediately told reporters that he was innocent. He has said the $3,500 paid to the brothers was for fitness training.

Now Smollett's attorney is trying to shift attention back to the brothers, saying investigators should look into their role in the alleged attack.

"The two men who attacked him have indicated that they attacked him, so we already know who attacked him," attorney Patricia Brown Holmes said after all 16 charges against Smollett were dropped.

On Wednesday, another Smollett attorney, Tina Glandian, told "Good Morning America" that the two brothers were lying. She said Smollett was a crime victim who "just wants his life back."

A spokeswoman for the Cook County State's Attorney's Office did not immediately return a phone call and email seeking comment.

The brothers testified before a grand jury, and Smollett was charged last month with filing a false police report about the attack. An attorney who has represented the brothers, Gloria Schmidt, said that the pair did not testify as part of any plea deal and that they were not granted any immunity from prosecution.

On Tuesday, Schmidt said in a statement that the two "were fully prepared to testify in any criminal proceeding" in the Smollett case.

In an interview with AP earlier this month, she said the brothers regretted their involvement.

"It started by them having a relationship with Mr. Smollett. Mr. Smollett being in a position of power over them - him being this celebrity person who could pull strings for them and help them in their career," Schmidt said.

"They were thinking, 'I'm going to help my friend. He's asking for this,'" she said.

The brothers could not be reached for comment Wednesday. A phone number associated with their home had a voicemail box that was full.

Smollett's lawyer said the brothers had backed up the actor's version of events.

"The Osundairo brothers said more than once that the $3,500 check they received was for exactly what Jussie said. They were his trainers," Holmes said.

During her interview Wednesday, Glandian acknowledged that Smollett talked and texted with the brothers in the hours before the attack. She said they discussed training and nutrition as Smollett was waiting on a delayed flight to Chicago.

But she said Smollett had no idea who attacked him until the brothers were later identified by police.

Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx defended her staff's decision to drop the charges. She told Chicago's CBS station that she believed the matter was handled properly, calling it "an outcome that we could expect with this type of case."

Also Wednesday, a conservative Illinois state lawmaker filed paperwork asking the state attorney general to review the circumstances under which the charges were dismissed. A spokeswoman for the attorney general did not reply to a request for comment.

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Associated Press Writer Ed White in Detroit contributed to this report.

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Check out the AP's complete coverage of the Jussie Smollett case.

FILE - In this Tuesday, March 26, 2019, file photo, actor Jussie Smollett, right, listens as his attorney, Patricia Brown Holmes, speaks to reporters at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse after prosecutors dropped all charges against him. Brown Holmes is now trying to shift attention back to two brothers who told police they were paid to help stage an attack on Smollett. (Ashlee Rezin/Chicago Sun-Times via AP, File)
BARRON, Wis. (AP) - Notable events in the disappearance and discovery of Jayme Closs, a 13-year-old Wisconsin girl who was held captive in a remote cabin for three months after her parents were killed in the family's home.

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Oct. 15, 2018 - James Closs, 56, and Denise Closs, 46, are found shot to death in their home in Barron, a town in western Wisconsin. Authorities issue an Amber Alert for 13-year-old Jayme Closs, and the search for her begins.

Oct. 16, 2018 - Investigators say they don't consider Jayme a suspect in her parents' deaths. Authorities also dismiss a tip placing Jayme's whereabouts in Miami as "not credible," and say they believe the girl is in danger.

Oct. 17, 2018 - Authorities announce that investigators believe Jayme was in her family's home when her parents were fatally shot.

Oct. 18, 2018 - About 100 people join a ground search for Jayme after Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald requests the help of volunteers. The search turns up nothing useful. The Wisconsin Department of Justice announces it is sending therapists, comfort dogs and school resource officers to help students at the school Jayme attended.

Jake Patterson appears for a hearing at the Barron County Justice Center, Wednesday, March 27, 2019, in Barron, Wis. Patterson pleaded guilty Wednesday to kidnapping 13-year-old Jayme Closs, killing her parents and holding her captive in a remote cabin for three months. (T'xer Zhon Kha/The Post-Crescent via AP, Pool)

Oct. 23, 2018 - About 2,000 volunteers from as far as Minneapolis help with another ground search . Several items are found and taken for assessment.

Oct. 24, 2018 - The FBI offers a $25,000 reward for information leading to Jayme's location. The amount is later doubled to $50,000 by the Jennie-O Turkey Store, where James and Denise Closs worked.

Oct. 27, 2018 - Funerals are held for James and Denise Closs in Cameron, a village next to Barron.

Oct. 29, 2018 - Prosecutors announce they have charged a man with burglarizing the Closs home but say he's not a suspect in the case.

Dec. 12, 2018 - Hundreds of people attend a "tree of hope" lighting ceremony in honor of Jayme in Barron.

Jan. 10, 2019 - Jayme is found alive in Gordon, a town about an hour's drive north of Barron. She is skinny, disheveled and wearing shoes too big for her when she approaches a stranger and pleads for help. A man driving around the rural area is soon taken into custody.

Jan. 11, 2019 - Investigators say the suspect, 21-year-old Jake Thomas Patterson, is jailed on homicide and kidnapping charges.

Jan. 14, 2019 - Prosecutors formally charge Patterson with two counts of intentional homicide and one count each of kidnapping and armed burglary. A judge sets bail at $5 million cash. A criminal complaint says Patterson saw Jayme get on a school bus one day, decided he would take her and then kept her trapped in his remote cabin until she escaped.

Feb. 6, 2019 - A judge orders Patterson to stand trial after Patterson waives his right to a preliminary hearing.

March 27, 2019 - Patterson pleads guilty to two counts of intentional homicide and one count of kidnapping. Sentencing is set for May 24.

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Check out AP's complete coverage of Jayme Closs' abduction and her parents' deaths.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Over 2,000 students and staffers at Temple University took advantage of free vaccine booster shots Wednesday as the number of mumps cases at the school topped 100.

Philadelphia health officials said 2,285 people were given shots during the first of two clinics offering the MMR vaccine. The number of confirmed and probable mumps cases at the university has reached 106 as of Wednesday, according to the city health department.

The MMR vaccine, for measles, mumps and rubella, will be made available to all Temple students, faculty and staff again Friday.

Among those in line Wednesday was Lauryn Edmondson, a 20-year-old communications major.

"At first, I was kind of freaking out a little bit," she said, adding she worried because she has some friends and family members who are immunocompromised.

"The best I can do for myself and others is to get my booster shot," she said.

A line of mostly students wait to enter a vaccination clinic amid a mumps outbreak on the Temple University campus in Philadelphia, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. Health officials say the MMR vaccine, for measles, mumps and rubella, will be available to all Temple students, faculty and staff on Wednesday and Friday. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

The school could have initially done a better job at informing students about the outbreak, she said. The school is now distributing helpful information, she said, and she feels like she has a better handle on it.

Fifty years ago, mumps was a childhood rite of passage of puffy cheeks and swollen jaws. That all changed with the arrival of a vaccine in the late 1960s, nearly eradicating the disease. Research suggests protection fades 10 or more years after the second dose.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the MMR vaccine is the best protection.

Mumps is caused by a virus. It's contagious and spread through coughing and sneezing. Common symptoms are fever, headache, and painfully swollen salivary glands. Most cases occur in children and teens who spread it at schools and dormitories.

Some people never have symptoms. In most others, it is a mild disease from which people completely recover in a few weeks. Sometimes, though, it can lead to complications, including hearing loss, meningitis and swollen testicles. In rare cases, infection can lead to sterility.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) - A Wisconsin appeals court on Wednesday reinstated laws Republicans passed during a lame-duck session to weaken the Democratic governor and attorney general, but the statutes remain blocked because of a ruling in a separate case.

Republicans passed the legislation in December after Democrat Tony Evers defeated Republican Gov. Scott Walker and Josh Kaul defeated Republican Attorney General Brad Schimel in the November midterm elections. The laws were designed to weaken Evers and Kaul and guarantee Republicans could defend in court GOP-backed statutes that Evers and Kaul don't support.

Multiple liberal-leaning groups have challenged the laws in separate lawsuits. Last week Dane County Circuit Judge Richard Niess blocked the statutes, finding lawmakers convened illegally when they passed them.

The 3rd District Court of Appeals essentially wiped out that ruling Wednesday by granting a GOP request for a stay. The court said Niess underestimated Republicans' chances for success on appeal as well as the harm that blocking potentially valid legislation can cause.

Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos issued a joint statement Wednesday praising the decision, saying the rule of law has prevailed. Evers issued a statement saying he's confident the lame-duck laws will ultimately fall.

But on Tuesday another Dane County judge, Frank Remington, invalidated portions of the laws that directly affect Evers and Kaul on different grounds in a separate lawsuit. That ruling stands despite the appeals court's stay, which means those provisions remain unenforceable.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers speaks to reporters Monday, March 25, 2019, in Madison, Wis. Evers moved quickly after last week's order to rescind 82 of former Republican Gov. Scott Walker's appointments that the state Senate confirmed during the lame-duck session. And Attorney General Josh Kaul, at Evers' order, moved to withdraw Wisconsin from a multi-state lawsuit seeking repeal of the Affordable Health Care Act, a power taken away from him during the lame-duck session. (AP Photo/Scott Bauer).

The laws prohibit Evers from withdrawing from lawsuits without legislative approval, a move designed to prevent him from fulfilling a campaign pledge to pull Wisconsin out of a multistate lawsuit challenging the Affordable Care Act. The laws prevent Kaul from settling lawsuits without legislative approval and require him to deposit settlement awards in the state general fund rather than in state Department of Justice accounts.

The measures also force state agencies to review publications explaining how they interpret state law by July or else take the documents down, allow lawmakers to suspend agency regulations multiple times and grant the Legislature the right to intervene in lawsuits with its own attorneys rather than use Kaul's DOJ lawyers. Before the laws were enacted the Legislature had to ask a judge for permission to intervene.

Republicans also confirmed 82 of Walker's appointments during the lame-duck session.

Niess' ruling blocking the legislation stems from a lawsuit a coalition of liberal-leaning groups filed. They allege that the laws were passed during an illegal extraordinary session. Extraordinary sessions are previously unscheduled floor periods called by the majority party. The groups contend the Legislature can meet only according to dates it adopts the beginning of each biennium or at the call of the governor.

Empowered by the Niess' ruling, Evers has asked Kaul to pull the state out of the Affordable Care Act lawsuit and has rescinded all 82 Walker appointments. The Republicans' attorney, Misha Tseytlin, said in an email Wednesday evening that he believes the stay means all the appointess now have their jobs back.

Jeffrey Mandell, an attorney for the coalition, said the groups are disappointed with the stay but remain confident they'll defeat a Republican appeal. He didn't respond to a follow-up email asking about the appointees' status.

Remington's ruling, meanwhile, is part of a separate lawsuit brought by a group of unions.

They allege the laws violate the separation of powers between the legislative and executive branches. Remington issued a preliminary injunction Tuesday blocking legislative approval for withdrawing from and settling lawsuits, the publication review and multiple suspensions of agency rules. He let stand language granting legislators the right to intervene in actions, however.

Republicans have said they plan to appeal that ruling. Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos issued a joint statement Wednesday praising the stay, saying the rule of law has prevailed.

"A judge should not violate the Legislature's basic ability to convene when its duly elected members call a session day," they said.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) - Gunmen attacked a motorcade carrying Chile's ambassador to Haiti on Wednesday, wounding his driver and another person and leaving three missing, officials said. The ambassador was not harmed.

The Santiago, Chile-based charity America Solidaria said in a written statement Wednesday that gunmen opened fire as Ambassador Patricio Utreras and his wife were driving to a clean-water project in the Haitian capital's Croix-des-Bouquets area with Haitian infrastructure officials and 13 of the charity's volunteers from Colombia, Chile, Mexico and Haiti.

Chile's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said four members of the Chilean Investigative Police, the country's equivalent of the FBI, repelled the attack and quickly pulled the ambassador and his wife, who was also in the convoy, from the area.

The ambassador's driver was hit by a bullet in the wrist and an America Solidaria official was also lightly wounded. The local mayor said the ambassador's car was hit by many bullets.

America Solidaria said Frantz Eliantzin, a Haitian driver for the charity; Abner Cejuste, an official with Haiti's water authority; and Andy Blaise, an engineer with Proyecto Universal, a Chile-based aid group; were all missing after the attack. No details were provided.

America Solidaria said the attack occurred during a visit to Project Wash, a project providing clean water and sanitation to Boutin, an extremely poor section of Croix-des-Bouquets, an area populated by tens of thousands of people displaced by Haiti's 2010 earthquake.

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Weissenstein contributed from Havana.

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Michael Weissenstein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mweissenstein
As the nation's opioid crisis has devastated thousands of families, it also has taken a crippling financial toll on cities, small towns and counties around the country.

Packed jails, increased ambulance runs and overworked coroners, sheriff's deputies and public defenders are just some of the consequences of the massive epidemic that has forced localities to divert millions of dollars to overdose-related emergencies and addiction treatments. That cost was acknowledged this week in a settlement between OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma and the state of Oklahoma, a settlement that included $12.5 million for local governments.

But is it enough?

Government officials around the country who have lawsuits pending against the opioid industry said the amount in the Oklahoma settlement was just a fraction of what they need.

Hunter Shkolnik, a lawyer representing at least five Oklahoma counties in opioid-related lawsuits, said he expects his clients will avoid asking for a piece of the settlement because taking the money would mean giving up on their own claims against Stamford, Connecticut-based Purdue Pharma.

"The amount that they're offering is woefully inadequate," he said.

FILE - In this Nov. 2, 2017, file photo, Cincinnati Fire Department medics nasally administer naloxone to a woman while responding to a possible overdose report at a gas station in downtown Cincinnati. As the nation's opioid crisis has devastated thousands of families, it also has taken a crippling financial toll on cities, small towns and counties around the country. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)

Most of the $270 million Oklahoma settlement - about $200 million - announced Tuesday will fund a university drug treatment and research center.

While state claims against the industry have received most of the legal attention, local governments actually account for the vast majority of lawsuits against opioid makers, drug distributors and pharmacies.

The legal proceedings most likely to lead to a nationwide settlement consolidate roughly 1,400 lawsuits under a single federal judge in Cleveland, Ohio - most of them filed by local governments, Native American tribes or unions. The first cases scheduled to go to trial, in fact, were brought by local governments - the Ohio counties of Cuyahoga and Summit in October, followed by Huntington and Cabell County in West Virginia.

Summit County, home to Akron, saw a 43 percent increase in public safety and criminal justice spending for opiate-related cases between 2013 and 2016 - from $15.5 million to $22.3 million, its analysis found. In Ohio's Hamilton County, home to Cincinnati, combined annual spending for its coroner, sheriff, public defender, juvenile court and heroin coalition rose by $13.5 million between 2014 and 2018.

"That's a $20 million increase for just two counties," said Suzanne Dulaney, executive director of an association representing Ohio counties group. "It's a very big number, and $12.5 million doesn't seem to quite get at the scope of the epidemic."

Areas of rural Ohio also have struggled, she said. Marion County, with a population of 65,000, had a 24 percent increase in spending for opiate-related criminal justice functions between 2014 and 2017. Gallia County, less than half its size, saw related spending rise 22 percent over the same period.

"A single drug overdose will necessitate the response of two police officers, probably three EMS folks, three vehicles, and that's on top of the time and equipment," said Jay McDonald, president of the 25,000-member Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio. "And in towns like Marion, those happen three or four times a day. And those aren't fatal overdoses, those are just overdoses."

County jails, where 70 percent of inmates report addiction or mental health issues, have run as much as 20 percent over capacity in recent years, eating up 70 percent of the budgets of many Ohio counties.

State government also has invested heavily in addressing the crisis.

A recent state auditor's report found the number of Ohio Medicaid recipients affected by opiate abuse surged 262 percent between 2010 and 2016. The number of people eligible to receive medication-assisted treatment jumped from 6,500 to 48,000 over the same period, while the costs of those treatments increased sevenfold to more than $110 million a year.

Nationwide, a record 48,000 deaths were linked to illicit and prescription opioids in 2017, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That's more than died from AIDS in the U.S. in 1995, the peak of that epidemic, and more than the 37,000 people killed in vehicle crashes in 2017.

A White House Council of Economic Advisers report from 2017 put the cost of the opioid crisis between $290 billion to $622 billion in 2015 alone. Excluding the economic toll associated with deaths, the analysis found a nationwide cost of $72 billion for that year.

Local taxpayers are on the hook for much of that. Among the rising costs associated with the drug-addiction crisis: Ambulance runs to respond to overdoses, higher child-welfare costs to care for the children of addicts, bigger jail bills, paying for an overdose antidote and addressing a growing homelessness crisis.

Some state attorneys general and others suing the industry say they are not inclined to settle, in part because they want the full human and financial toll of the opioid crisis to come out publicly at trial. And yet their hands could be forced.

Purdue officials have considered bankruptcy as the potential liabilities from the lawsuits have mounted. That prospect plus a looming trial date might have accelerated the settlement talks in Oklahoma - and may do the same elsewhere.

"I suspect that the seriousness of that threat is going to motivate a lot of the other states and counties that have lawsuits pending," said Harry Nelson, a Los Angeles-based health care lawyer who is not involved in the opioid litigation.

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Mulvihill reported from Cherry Hill, New Jersey.

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Associated Press writer Claire Galofaro in Louisville, Kentucky, contributed to this report.

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Follow Julie Carr Smyth at http://www.twitter.com/jcarrsmyth and Geoff Mulvihill at http://www.twitter.com/geoffmulvihill

FILE- In this Dec. 10, 2017, file photo homeless tents are pitched around an America flag along the Santa Ana River trail in Anaheim, Calif. Addressing a growing homeless population is among the rising costs of the opioid crisis for many local governments. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

FILE- In this Oct. 11, 2017, file photo, a large homeless encampment is formed on the "Plaza of the Flags" elevated park at the Santa Ana Civic Center complex in Santa Ana, Calif. Addressing a growing homeless population is among the rising costs of the opioid crisis for many local governments. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

FILE- In this Aug. 28, 2016, file photo, Cabell County EMT Tabitha Perez demonstrates how medics administer naloxone to overdosing patients, in Huntington, W.Va. The opioid crisis has led to rising costs for local governments across the country, including public safety responses to overdose cases. (AP Photo/Claire Galofaro, File)

FILE - In this Sept. 14, 2017, file photo three Anaheim police investigators leave a homeless encampment set up along the Santa Ana riverbed after conducting a criminal investigation in Anaheim, Calif. Addressing a growing homeless population is among the rising costs of the opioid crisis for many local governments. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) - A federal judge ruled Wednesday that Medicaid work requirements undermine the program's mission of providing health care for the needy, dealing a blow to the Trump administration's efforts to push the poor toward self-sufficiency.

U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg in Washington, D.C., blocked work requirements for low-income people in two states - Arkansas and Kentucky. He found that the states' requirements pose numerous obstacles to getting health care that have gone unresolved by federal and state officials.

Boasberg sent the federal Health and Human Services Department back to the drawing board. But he stopped short of deciding the central question of whether work requirements are incompatible with Medicaid, a federal-state program that traditionally allows states broad leeway to set benefits and eligibility.

HHS approval of the Arkansas work requirement was "arbitrary and capricious because it did not address...whether and how the project would implicate the 'core' objective of Medicaid: the provision of medical coverage to the needy," wrote Boasberg. The judge used similar language in his ruling on Kentucky.

The Trump administration said it would press on despite the ruling, but did not specify its next steps.

Work requirements are already in effect in Arkansas, but Kentucky's program has been on hold because of lawsuits. Both states want "able-bodied" adults who get health insurance through the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion to work, study, volunteer, or participate in "community engagement" activities.

FILE - In this Sept. 12, 2018, file photo, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, center, talks at a news conference at the State Capitol in Little Rock, Ark., about the state's work requirement for its expanded Medicaid program. Federal judge James Boasberg is blocking Medicaid work requirements in Arkansas and Kentucky, dealing a blow to the Trump administration's efforts to push the poor toward self-sufficiency. Boasberg issued two decisions Wednesday, March 27, finding that Medicaid work requirements for low-income people in Arkansas and Kentucky pose numerous obstacles to getting health care that haven't been adequately addressed by federal and state officials. (AP Photo/Andrew DeMillo, File)

About 6 in 10 adults on Medicaid already work in low-wage jobs, according to the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation. Most of those not working cite reasons such as poor health, caring for an elder or child, or going to school.

Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin said his state would appeal. Bevin, a Republican, has threatened to end Kentucky's Medicaid expansion covering more than 400,000 people if work requirements are ultimately struck down.

"We have one guy in Washington who thinks he owns Kentucky," said Bevin, apparently referring to the judge. "We're right, and we'll be right in the end. And one guy can gum up the works if he wants, for a while, but this, too, shall pass."

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, also a Republican, said he was disappointed by the decision and would publicly address it Thursday.

The GOP leader of the Arkansas Senate said he doesn't believe the ruling jeopardizes the future of Medicaid expansion, which covers more than 200,000 residents. About 18,000 have lost coverage as a result of the work requirements.

"I don't think there's any reason for the state to panic," said Senate President Jim Hendren, who's also the governor's nephew. "This is another obstacle in our path to try to do the best we can in Arkansas with the chips the federal government and the judiciary gives us."

Advocates for the poor say that Medicaid is a health care program and that work requirements have no place in it.

"It is nonsensical and illegal to add obstacles to Medicaid for large groups of individuals who are already working, or full-time health care providers for family members, or suffering chronic health matters," said Jane Perkins, legal director of the National Health Law Program, a nonprofit that sued the government.

"Work should not be a key to health care access."

The Trump administration isn't giving up, said the head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

"We will continue to defend our efforts to give states greater flexibility to help low-income Americans rise out of poverty," Seema Verma said in a statement. "We believe, as have numerous past administrations, that states are the laboratories of democracy and we will vigorously support their innovative, state-driven efforts to develop and test reforms that will advance the objectives of the Medicaid program."

President Donald Trump supports work requirements for public programs across the government. Last year, he signed an executive order directing Cabinet agencies to add or strengthen work requirements for programs including subsidized housing, food stamps and cash welfare.

HHS had already acted. Early in the administration, top officials invited states to apply for waivers that would allow Medicaid work requirements. Verma says she believes work is important to improving the health and well-being of Medicaid recipients.

Eight states have had their requests approved, though not all have put their programs in place, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Requests from seven others are pending. In one of those states, Virginia, a work requirement was key to getting the legislature to approve Medicaid expansion.

Nationally, some 12 million people are covered by the Medicaid expansion, a key component of former President Barack Obama's health care law, adopted by 37 states. Officials in GOP-led states have argued that work requirements and other measures such as modest premiums are needed to ensure political acceptance for the expansion.

Overall, Medicaid is the government's largest health insurance program, covering about 1 in 5 Americans, ranging from many pregnant women and infants, to severely disabled people and elderly nursing home residents.

Boasberg was nominated to the federal bench by Obama.

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Associated Press writers Adam Beam in Frankfort, Ky., and Andrew DeMillo in Little Rock, Ark., contributed to this report.
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) - U.S. Sen. Martha McSally vowed Wednesday to take quick action on a plan to preserve the drought-stricken Colorado River, which serves about 40 million people in the U.S. West and Mexico.

Seven states are looking to Congress to pass legislation to implement drought contingency plans that would mean voluntary cuts to keep two key reservoirs on the river from falling so low that their dams could not deliver water or produce hydropower.

The plans that have been in the works for years got a first congressional hearing Wednesday before a subcommittee that McSally chairs. The Arizona Republican said she'll introduce a bill soon and expects strong support.

"Now that the states have completed their work, it's time for Congress to take it across the finish line," she said.

Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming recently agreed to push for the federal legislation. Their goal is to have it approved by April 22 so that Mexico's water contributions also kick in next year. The drought plans would expire in 2026, and states already are prepping for negotiations on what follows.

Climate change, drought and an increased demand for Colorado River water have shrunk Lake Mead and Lake Powell - the largest man-made reservoirs in the country - to about 40 percent of their capacity, officials said.

FILE - In this July 28, 2014, file photo, lightning strikes over Lake Mead near Hoover Dam that impounds Colorado River water at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Arizona. Several states that rely on a major Western river are pushing for federal legislation to implement a plan to keep key reservoirs from shrinking amid a prolonged drought. The Colorado River serves 40 million people in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. Representatives from those states are meeting Tuesday, March 19, 2019, to sign a letter to Congress asking for support for so-called drought contingency plans. AP Photo/John Locher, File)

The drought plan for the lower basin, which includes Arizona, California and Nevada, would have those states leaving water in Lake Mead when it hits certain elevation levels. Under current guidelines, Arizona and Nevada would lose water when Lake Mead drops to 1,075 feet (328 meters) in elevation. California would never lose any because it has the most senior rights.

On Wednesday, the lake created by Hoover Dam on the Arizona-Nevada border was at nearly 1,090 feet (332 meters) - the point at which water contributions would kick in under the drought plan and eventually loop in California.

Las Vegas relies on the Colorado River for 90 percent of its water supply. Nevada expects to meet the conditions of the drought plan with relative ease because of previous water conservation measures and storing eight years' worth of water, said John Entsminger, general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority.

"We're in a strong position to not only help the rest of the river but to protect ourselves as well," he said.

The drought plans also create incentives for storing water, rather than for removing it when the lower basin states believe it could be stranded in Lake Mead if water levels drop too low.

Unlike the upper basin states, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming in the lower basin historically haven't used their full allocations of Colorado River water. They use Lake Powell on the Arizona-Utah border as a bank to store water when hydrology is good to ensure they can deliver water through Glen Canyon Dam to the lower basin in drier years, meeting obligations under a 1922 compact that divvied up the river's flows.

"If we cannot get water past that dam, we violate the compact," said Wyoming state engineer Pat Tyrrell.

Tyrrell said diminishing flows in the Colorado River have increased the threat that upper basin states might need to curtail their use of water, or move water from large reservoirs in Utah, Colorado and New Mexico to Lake Powell when it's needed. The ability to store water in the reservoirs upstream from Lake Powell without charge also is part of the plan, Tyrrell said.

Besides Entsminger, no one on Wednesday's panel mentioned the California irrigation district that has the largest entitlement to Colorado River water and was written out of the drought plan. The Imperial Irrigation District said it wouldn't participate unless it secured $200 million in federal funding for a massive, briny lake southeast of Los Angeles. Another powerful California water agency said it would make up Imperial's pledged water contribution to avoid delay.

Representatives of the Imperial Irrigation District are in Washington, D.C., this week partly to oppose draft federal legislation the states recently submitted to Congress. Imperial says the language would waive environmental laws. The states disagree.

Another hearing on the Colorado River is scheduled Thursday before a U.S. House subcommittee.

FILE - In this July 16, 2014 file photo, what was once a marina sits high and dry due to Lake Mead receding in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Arizona. Several states that rely on a major Western river are pushing for federal legislation to implement a plan to keep key reservoirs from shrinking amid a prolonged drought. The Colorado River serves 40 million people in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. Representatives from those states are meeting Tuesday, March 19, 2019, to sign a letter to Congress asking for support for so-called drought contingency plans. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) - Suddenly the climate is hot on Capitol Hill.

A day after the Senate blocked consideration of the Green New Deal, lawmakers from both parties were still talking about climate change. House Democrats pushed a plan to keep the U.S. in a global climate agreement, while Senate Democrats formed a special climate committee to match one in the House.

Republicans, meanwhile, continued to mock the Green New Deal as a step toward socialism and pushed for a House vote similar to the one in the Senate. The GOP launched a House Energy Action Team, or HEAT, to push an "all-of-the-above" approach to energy and counteract what they called the "radical" and economically devastating Green New Deal.

"Now everyone's talking about climate change," Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said at one of three separate news conferences Wednesday on the issue.

While no Democrats supported the Green New Deal in a Senate test vote forced by Republicans Tuesday, the sheer volume of discussion made clear the plan has struck a nerve as both parties seek to use it to their advantage in the 2020 elections.

"Democrats are on offense" about climate change, Schumer said as he announced a Democrat-only committee on climate. "We're feeling really good about where we're moving."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., turns her party's attention to the climate crisis as she leads an event to introduce the "Climate Action Now Act," which focuses on reducing carbon pollution, honoring America's Paris Agreement commitments, and lays the groundwork to expand clean energy, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. From left are, Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Fla., who will chair the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, Rep. David Trone, D-Md., Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, D-N.J., Rep. Donald McEachin, D-Va., and Science, Space and Technology Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Results in the Senate showed otherwise, Republicans said.

Senators voted 57-0 against a procedural motion to take up the nonbinding resolution, which calls for the U.S. to shift away from fossil fuels such as oil and coal and replace them with renewable sources such as wind and solar power.

Again and again, GOP lawmakers noted that no Democrat supported the motion, even as all 53 Republicans opposed it. Three Democrats - Doug Jones of Alabama, Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Joe Manchin of West Virginia - joined Republicans to oppose the plan, as did independent Sen. Angus King of Maine, who caucuses with Democrats.

Instead, 43 Democrats- including Schumer and Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey, the bill's lead sponsor - voted "present."

Democrats called the vote scheduled by GOP leaders a "sham" and said it carried its own political risk by mocking an issue - climate change - that a growing number of Americans care deeply about.

"All across the country, people young and old are mobilized, organized and galvanized to take action now on climate change," Markey said.

Republicans dismissed the plan as a government takeover of the economy that could bankrupt the nation with an unrealistic goal of obtaining net-zero carbon emissions within 10 years.

"We are not going to be successful at reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and lowering our carbon emissions through virtue signaling," said Sen Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa. "And that is all the Green New Deal boils down to: lofty goals and aspirations with no concrete plan or concern as to feasibility."

Voters "see through this Republican disgrace here in our Capitol," Markey countered. "They know that Democrats are the party of climate action, and Republicans are the party of climate denial."

But Republicans said Democrats were denying them a vote on the Green New Deal. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has rejected calls to schedule a vote on the plan and has given no timetable when or if it will reach the House floor.

"Even Speaker Pelosi doesn't want a vote" on the Green New Deal, "because she herself recognizes it's too radical," said Georgia Rep. Jody Hice, a member of the GOP energy team who has vowed to force a floor vote on the climate plan. Hice dared freshman Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and other Green New Deal supporters to show "political courage" and agree to a recorded vote.

"When a leftist bill is too radical even for Barack Obama, you know it must be bad policy," said House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., who created the GOP energy team. Scalise was referring to comments by former President Barack Obama at a meeting with freshman Democrats this week, where he warned them to think about how their "bold" ideas will work and how they will be paid for.

Schumer and other Democrats insisted they were winning, citing polls showing that a clear majority of Americans support action on climate change. A December NBC/Wall Street Journal poll found that two-thirds of Americans believe action is needed to combat climate change, and a record 45 percent say the problem is serious enough to demand immediate action.

A growing number of Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, now say they believe climate change is real and that humans play a role in it.

Republicans don't agree with Democrats on possible solutions, a fact Schumer cited in forming the Democratic climate panel, which will be led by Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii. "We won't wait for Republicans to highlight this issue, with the urgency it requires," Schumer said.

In the House, Pelosi and other Democrats introduced a bill to ensure the U.S. honors its commitments under the landmark Paris climate agreement, which President Donald Trump withdrew from in 2017.

"Despite what President Trump has said, America cannot and will not retreat" on climate change, said Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Fla., chairwoman of a House select committee on climate.

The bill "is just the start" of action needed on climate, Castor said, but unlike the Green New Deal, it has the potential to win Republican support. "There are many ideas, including this one, that are consistent with the urgency and ambition that the Green New Deal underscores," she said.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., joined at right by House Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, D-N.J., turns the Democrat's attention to the climate crisis as she leads an event to introduce the "Climate Action Now Act," which focuses on reducing carbon pollution, honoring America's Paris Agreement commitments, and lays the groundwork to expand clean energy, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer of N.Y., right, accompanied by Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., left, speaks to members of the media following a Senate policy luncheon on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) - Indigenous groups across Brazil protested Wednesday against a proposal to transfer indigenous health services from the federal government to municipalities, saying it would be a major setback for their communities.

Hundreds of demonstrators in traditional garb and body paint danced and prayed at a protest in Sao Paulo city hall. In the morning, a group entered the building and was pepper-sprayed, according to a community leader. In a live streamed video posted to Facebook, a group lined up and banged staffs in unison in front of a line of civil guard police who stood with shields in the city government's entryway. They did a ritual dance in the entryway before going back outside after negotiating with police.

The Sao Paulo civil guard did not respond to requests for comment.

Other protests were held across Brazil, including in the capital Brasilia and Manaus, the largest city in the Amazon.

Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta last week discussed closing the federal indigenous health office. Indigenous leaders say the specialized agency can attend them in indigenous languages, which municipalities aren't able to do.

"Do we need a centralized system in Brasilia?" Mandetta questioned while speaking at a Senate commission meeting on Wednesday.

Indigenous people stand outside Sao Paulo's City Hall during a demonstration, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. Indigenous groups across Brazil are protesting a proposal to transfer indigenous health services from the federal government to municipalities. (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano)

"For 600,000 indigenous people, the resources the country puts in - I think few countries in the world put in that much," he said, citing suspicions of corruption with the current indigenous health care system like excess equipment and overbilling. He said they would instead discuss ways to improve access for indigenous people to the normal health care system.

Tamikua Txihi Kerexu Hete, an indigenous leader from the Jaragua community, an indigenous community within the city of Sao Paulo, said it would be a huge setback for his community.

"This is a hard-earned right for indigenous people and we're here to fight for it," Hete said.

Hete said they will continue the protest until the mayor of Sao Paulo speaks against the health minister's proposal.

President Jair Bolsonaro has clashed with indigenous people. During his pre-campaign, he told supporters: "There will not be one more centimeter given to indigenous reserves."

A young Guarani Indian rests against a statue during a demonstration by Indigenous people outside Sao Paulo's municipal building, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. Indigenous groups across Brazil are protesting a proposal to transfer indigenous health services from the federal government to municipalities. (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano)

Indigenous people rest outside Sao Paulo's City Hall during a demonstration, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. Indigenous groups across Brazil are protesting a proposal to transfer indigenous health services from the federal government to municipalities. (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano)

Pataxo men take part in a protest against the proposal by Brazil's president to transfer the responsibility of health services from the federal level to municipal governments, outside the Ministry of Health, in Brasilia, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Pataxo men protest against the proposal by Brazil's president to transfer the responsibility of health care services from the federal level to municipal governments, outside the Ministry of Health, in Brasilia, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

A Pataxo man takes part in protest against the proposal by Brazil's president to transfer the responsibility of health services from the federal level to municipal governments, outside the Ministry of Health, in Brasilia, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

A Pataxo man takes part in a protest against the proposal by Brazil's president to transfer the responsibility of health services from the federal level to municipal governments, outside the Ministry of Health, in Brasilia, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Pataxo men take part in a protest against the proposal by Brazil's president to transfer the responsibility of health services from the federal level to municipal governments, outside the Ministry of Health, in Brasilia, Tuesday, March 26, 2019. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Indigenous people set up camp outside Sao Paulo's City Hall during a demonstration, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. Indigenous groups across Brazil are protesting a proposal to transfer indigenous health services from the federal government to municipalities. (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano)

Protesters sing during a demonstration by Indigenous people outside Sao Paulo's municipal building, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. Indigenous groups across Brazil are protesting a proposal to transfer indigenous health services from the federal government to municipalities. (AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano)
Family photo

There was nothing a woman could have done to prevent a predatory attack by a starving grizzly bear that killed her and her 10-month-old daughter, the Yukon Coroner's Service has concluded.

The service has released the results of its investigation into the deaths of 37-year-old Valerie Theoret and her baby Adele Roesholt outside their cabin near Einarson Lake on Nov. 26.

Theoret and her partner were experienced backcountry users who kept a clean camp and made sure there was nothing on the site to attract bears, said Yukon chief conservation officer Gordon Hitchcock.

"What makes this incident especially tragic is that the family took proper precautions to prevent something like this from happening," he told a news conference Wednesday.

"To say the victims were at the wrong place at the wrong time sounds trite, but our investigation shows that more than anything else, this was an unfortunate tragedy and that little could have been done to prevent it."

The investigation found Gjermund Roesholt  Theoret's partner and the baby's father  left the cabin that morning to check one of their traplines. On his way back in the afternoon, he noticed bear tracks starting about one kilometre away from the cabin.

However, the tracks veered away from his snowmobile trail and he returned to the cabin to find it empty. He started to run a trapline nearby and about 240 metres from the cabin he heard a growl before a grizzly came out of the bush and charged at him.

He fired four shots, killing the bear, before discovering the bodies of his partner and baby daughter, the coroner's report says.

Roesholt covered the bodies and activated an emergency beacon. The RCMP and Conservation Officer Services arrived the next morning and began gathering evidence.

The evidence showed that the bear found the trapline near the cabin and hid behind the trees before attacking Theoret and the baby, who was in a carrier on her mother's back, Hitchcock said.

"The attack appeared sudden. All evidence suggests Valerie did not have time to react. This was clear evidence of predatory behaviour," he said.

A predatory attack is when an animal preys upon another for food and approaches them silently, said Hitchcock. Bears do not normally seek humans as prey and these types of attacks are extremely rare, he said.

A necropsy showed the 18-year old male grizzly was too emaciated to hibernate and in pain because it had eaten a porcupine to avoid starving to death and the quills were penetrating its digestive tract.

Theoret was not armed and the couple had stopped wearing bear spray once the weather turned cold, but she wouldn't have had time to react and use a weapon, Hitchcock said.

"This was a tragic chance occurrence," he said.

The attack happened in a remote area with dense wilderness and extensive bear habitat. The investigation did not examine the broader area to find any explanation for why the bear was in such a desperate state, Hitchcock added.

"This is a case of an individual bear's health issues, not a population issue," he said.

The conservation officer service has accepted all the coroner's recommendations and it's continuing to provide education about bear safety, including increasing awareness that bear encounters can happen all year round, Hitchcock said.

Generally, bears hibernate from November through spring, but there have been sightings in December and January in the past, he said.

Hitchcock said this is the first double fatal grizzly bear mauling in Yukon to his knowledge.

Fatal bear attacks are rare overall in the territory, with only three in more than 20 years  in 2014, 2006 and 1996, he added.

Chief coroner Heather Jones told the news conference that the family is suffering from "unimaginable grief."

"By acknowledging the last moments of Valerie and Adele, we provide dignity and respect to their passing by not seeing their deaths as statistics," Jones said.

"They were daughters, a grandchild, a life partner, a mother, a teacher, good friends, very good friends and members of our own community, and I'm sure so much more."

Theoret taught French immersion at an elementary school and was active in the Whitehorse community.

Friends have said she and Roesholt were experienced trappers and it was their third season at the cabin, where they had been for three months before the attack.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A U.S. jury on Wednesday awarded more than $80 million in damages to a California man who blamed Roundup weed killer for his cancer, in a case that his attorneys say could help determine the fate of hundreds of similar lawsuits.

Edwin Hardeman proved that Roundup's design was defective, it lacked sufficient cancer warnings and its manufacturer, agribusiness giant Monsanto, was negligent, the six-person jury in San Francisco found.

It awarded Hardeman more than $5 million in compensation and an additional $75 million in punitive damages. Hardeman, 70, put his arm around his wife, Mary, as the verdict was read and hugged his attorneys.

Monsanto says studies have established that glyphosate, the active ingredient in its widely used weed killer, is safe. The company said it will appeal.

"We are disappointed with the jury's decision, but this verdict does not change the weight of over four decades of extensive science and the conclusions of regulators worldwide that support the safety of our glyphosate-based herbicides and that they are not carcinogenic," according to a statement from Bayer, which acquired Monsanto last year.

Hardeman said he used Roundup products to treat poison oak, overgrowth and weeds on his San Francisco Bay Area property for years. The same jury previously found that Roundup was a substantial factor in Hardeman's non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Edwin Hardeman, right, speaks next to attorney Aimee Wagstaff at a news conference in San Francisco, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. A U.S. jury has awarded $80 million in damages to Hardeman in a high-stakes trial over his claim that Roundup weed killer caused his cancer. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

"Today, the jury sent a message loud and clear that companies should no longer put products on the market for anyone to buy without being truthful, without testing their product and without warning if it causes cancer," said Jennifer Moore, one of Hardeman's attorneys.

Hardeman and his wife thanked their attorneys and jurors but declined additional comment.

A different jury in August awarded another man $289 million, but a judge later slashed it to $78 million. Monsanto has appealed.

Hardeman's trial may be more significant than that case. U.S. Judge Vince Chhabria is overseeing hundreds of Roundup lawsuits and has deemed Hardeman's case and two others "bellwether trials."

The outcome of such cases can help attorneys decide whether to keep fighting similar lawsuits or settle them. Legal experts said verdicts in favor of Hardeman and the other test plaintiffs would give their attorneys a strong bargaining position in any settlement talks for the remaining cases before Chhabria.

Bayer says all government regulators that have looked at the issue have rejected a link between cancer and glyphosate.

Monsanto developed glyphosate in the 1970s, and the weed killer is now sold in more than 160 countries and widely used in the U.S.

The herbicide came under increasing scrutiny after the France-based International Agency for Research on Cancer, which is part of the World Health Organization, classified it as a "probable human carcinogen" in 2015.

Lawsuits against Monsanto followed, and thousands are now pending nationwide.

Monsanto has attacked the international research agency's opinion as an outlier. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says glyphosate is safe for people when used in accordance with label directions.

FILE - This Feb. 24, 2019 file photo shows containers of Roundup weed killer are displayed on a store shelf in San Francisco. A federal court jury has awarded $80 million in damages to Edwin Hardeman, 70, in a high-stakes trial over his claim that Roundup weed killer caused his cancer. The six-person jury in San Francisco returned the amount for Hardeman on Wednesday, March 27, 2019. The same jury previously found that Roundup was a substantial factor in his non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. (AP Photo/Haven Daley, File)

Edwin Hardeman, center, and his wife Mary, left, hug attorneys Jennifer Moore, second from left, and Aimee Wagstaff after a news conference in San Francisco, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. A U.S. jury has awarded $80 million in damages to Hardeman in a high-stakes trial over his claim that Roundup weed killer caused his cancer. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Los Angeles City Council has agreed to pay $12 million to a woman who spent 17 years in prison on a murder conviction before a judge declared her innocent.

Susan Mellen was convicted of the 1997 beating death of a homeless man. After being exonerated and released in 2014, she sued former LA Police Department detective Marcella Winn. The lawsuit contended the detective had been told a witness against Mellen was "a habitual liar," but failed to disclose that to the defense.

The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled unanimously last August that the suit against Winn should go to trial.

Winn and Mellen could not be immediately reached for comment about this week's settlement.

The Los Angeles Times says Wednesday that the LAPD declined to comment.

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FILE - In this Oct. 24, 2014 file photo, Susan Mellen sits in Torrance Superior Court in Torrance, Calif. The Los Angeles City Council has agreed on Wednesday, March 27, 2019, to pay $12 million to Mellen who spent 17 years in prison on a murder conviction before a judge declared her innocent. After being exonerated and released in 2014, she sued former LA Police Department detective Marcella Winn. (Brad Graverson/The Orange County Register via AP, File)

Information from: Los Angeles Times, http://www.latimes.com/
NEW CITY, N.Y. (AP) - Some parents who had resisted having their children vaccinated reluctantly brought them in for a measles shot Wednesday as a state of emergency took effect in a county in New York City's northern suburbs.

Rockland County enacted the emergency order Tuesday night to fight a measles outbreak that has infected more than 150 people since last fall. The order bans unvaccinated children under 18 years old from public places such as schools, stores and churches.

Loreen Costa told the Rockland Journal News she brought her son to his pediatrician for a vaccination Wednesday after getting a robocall from his school explaining the ban. School districts contacted parents of unvaccinated children and told them not to attend classes Wednesday.

Lainie Goldstein of Grandview said her son's middle school principal called her and said the boy can't attend school until he's vaccinated. She said she had chosen not to vaccinate him because she did "not want to injure" him, but she brought him to the pediatrician Wednesday for the injection.

"I feel like I am being bullied right now to go get vaccinations," she told the Journal News.

About 30 people got measles vaccinations at a free county clinic Wednesday.

Steve Sierzega receives a measles, mumps and rubella vaccine at the Rockland County Health Department in Pomona, N.Y., Wednesday, March 27, 2019. The county in New York City's northern suburbs declared a local state of emergency Tuesday over a measles outbreak that has infected more than 150 people since last fall, hoping a ban against unvaccinated children in public places wakes their parents to the seriousness of the problem. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

"I think that something needs to be done that has to be very drastic, that people need to comply and we've got to stop this," said Rockland resident Renee Kahan, who stopped by the clinic for a booster shot. "This outbreak is serious."

The emergency order, which lasts for 30 days, was enacted because people weren't cooperating with health officials working to stop the outbreak, said Rockland County attorney Thomas Humbach.

Humbach said police won't be stopping people and asking for vaccination records. But if officials become aware that an unvaccinated person has been in a public place, law enforcement will get involved, he said. Violators could be charged with a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail.

Gary Siepser, CEO of the Jewish Federation and Foundation of Rockland County, said the disease's spread was related to the anti-vaccine movement across the country.

"It has found its way through social media and confused parents and confused people about the importance of vaccination," Siepser said. "And it just happens that there's a group in Rockland County that has bought into that."

Signs about measles and the measles vaccine are displayed at the Rockland County Health Department in Pomona, N.Y., Wednesday, March 27, 2019. The county in New York City's northern suburbs declared a local state of emergency Tuesday over a measles outbreak that has infected more than 150 people since last fall, hoping a ban against unvaccinated children in public places wakes their parents to the seriousness of the problem. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Signs about measles and the measles vaccine are displayed at the Rockland County Health Department in Pomona, N.Y., Wednesday, March 27, 2019. The county in New York City's northern suburbs declared a local state of emergency Tuesday over a measles outbreak that has infected more than 150 people since last fall, hoping a ban against unvaccinated children in public places wakes their parents to the seriousness of the problem. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Sign advertising free measles vaccines and information about measles are displayed at the Rockland County Health Department in Pomona, N.Y., Wednesday, March 27, 2019. The county in New York City's northern suburbs declared a local state of emergency Tuesday over a measles outbreak that has infected more than 150 people since last fall, hoping a ban against unvaccinated children in public places wakes their parents to the seriousness of the problem. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

A sign explaining the local state of emergency is displayed at the Rockland County Health Department in Pomona, N.Y., Wednesday, March 27, 2019. The county in New York City's northern suburbs declared a state of emergency Tuesday over a measles outbreak that has infected more than 150 people since last fall, hoping a ban against unvaccinated children in public places wakes their parents to the seriousness of the problem. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

A sign explaining the local state of emergency is displayed at the Rockland County Health Department in Pomona, N.Y., Wednesday, March 27, 2019. The county in New York City's northern suburbs declared a state of emergency Tuesday over a measles outbreak that has infected more than 150 people since last fall, hoping a ban against unvaccinated children in public places wakes their parents to the seriousness of the problem. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Measles, mumps and rubella vaccines are seen in a cooler at the Rockland County Health Department in Pomona, N.Y., Wednesday, March 27, 2019. The county in New York City's northern suburbs declared a state of emergency Tuesday over a measles outbreak that has infected more than 150 people since last fall, hoping a ban against unvaccinated children in public places wakes their parents to the seriousness of the problem. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

A sign advertising free measles vaccines is displayed at the Rockland County Health Department in Pomona, N.Y., Wednesday, March 27, 2019. The county in New York City's northern suburbs declared a state of emergency Tuesday over a measles outbreak that has infected more than 150 people since last fall, hoping a ban against unvaccinated children in public places wakes their parents to the seriousness of the problem. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

A sign advertising free measles vaccines is displayed at the Rockland County Health Department in Pomona, N.Y., Wednesday, March 27, 2019. The county in New York City's northern suburbs declared a state of emergency Tuesday over a measles outbreak that has infected more than 150 people since last fall, hoping a ban against unvaccinated children in public places wakes their parents to the seriousness of the problem. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

A woman receives a measles, mumps and rubella vaccine at the Rockland County Health Department in Pomona, N.Y., Wednesday, March 27, 2019. The county in New York City's northern suburbs declared a state of emergency Tuesday over a measles outbreak that has infected more than 150 people since last fall, hoping a ban against unvaccinated children in public places wakes their parents to the seriousness of the problem. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

An Orthodox Jewish man walks through the parking lot of a supermarket, Tuesday, March 26, 2019, in Spring Valley, N.Y. Rockland County in New York City's northern suburbs declared a state of emergency Tuesday over a measles outbreak that has infected more than 150 people since last fall, hoping a ban against unvaccinated children in public places wakes their parents to the seriousness of the problem. Rockland's outbreak has most heavily affected Orthodox Jewish communities, in which vaccination rates tend to be lower. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Filthy Fuhrer and five other members of a white supremacist gang that was spawned in prisons in Alaska, Arizona and Colorado have been charged in the gruesome beating death of a member whose Nazi tattoo was burned off his rib cage with a hot knife.

Fuhrer, who legally changed his name from Timothy Lobdell, and the others sporting tattoos like iron crosses, swastikas or Schultzstaffel (SS) lightning bolt tattoos also face federal racketeering charges of kidnapping and assault in the August 2017 beating death of Michael Staton, who went by the gang nickname Steak Knife. Court documents did not list attorneys for the men charged.

Two others, Nicholas Kozorra and Dustin Clowers, have previously pleaded guilty to murder charges in Staton's death. Those plea agreements were recently unsealed.

Bryan Schroder, the U.S. attorney in Alaska, said at a news conference in Anchorage on Wednesday that 14 other members of the 1488 prison gang or its associates have been charged or already sentenced in the federal investigation for offenses like being a felon in possession of a firearm, mail theft or distributing drugs or firearms.

The gang got its start in 2010 among 50 to 100 prisoners either serving time in Alaska facilities or those shipped out-of-state to serve their sentences in Arizona or Colorado. Once members are paroled from prison, they are to report to leaders in what they call "Free Alaska."

"Recently, the 1488s structure and influence expanded to rural and suburban areas throughout Alaska," the court documents say.

Bryan Schroder, Alaska's U.S. Attorney announces that several members of a white supremacist gang operating in Alaska prisons or shipped to facilities in Colorado and Arizona, have been charged in a racketing enterprise in Anchorage, Alaska, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. Members who sport Nazi tattoos face racketeering charges including murder, kidnapping, assault, and distribution of narcotics and firearms. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)

"If you see those kind of severe tattoos on people in your neighborhood, then maybe you want to let local law enforcement know, because there might be something going on," Schroder said.

The name of the gang, 1488, refers to different tenets of white supremacy, according to court documents. The "14" refers to the 14 words in a white nationalist creed: "We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children."

There are two possible meanings for the last part of the gang's name. The 88 could reference the 88 precepts outlined by white supremacist David Lane, or they could stand for "Heil Hitler," since H is the eighth letter of the alphabet.

They require all members to "be white, look white and act white."

Members adorn themselves with Nazi-style tattoos, but the most coveted is awarded to so-called "made" members, who gain full membership by committing an act of violence on behalf of the gang.

The 1488 "patch" tattoo is an iron cross superimposed over a swastika, and is tattooed on the right side of the ribcage.

This was the tattoo that was burned off Staton's body the night he died in August 2017.

According to Clowers' plea agreement, gang members suspected Staton had been stealing drugs and a Hells Angels' vest from Craig King, who is also charged. All the men were out of jail at this time, but Clowers was on ankle monitoring.

Staton was beaten by four men, and his hands and feet were bound with duct tape and rope.

He was delivered to a duplex in Wasilla, about 40 miles north of Anchorage. King and his wife lived on one side. The other side was vacant but prepared for the beating with walls and floor covered with painter's plastic.

Inside, court documents say, Staton was further beaten before Clowers and two others heated the knife with a propane torch and took turns burning off Staton's 1488 patch.

"At that point Staton was still alive but was badly beaten," court documents say. His body was rolled in the carpet and the plastic, and put in the back of a vehicle and driven off.

The gang gets its money from the illegal trafficking of drugs and firearms, and members used violence including murder, assault and obstruction of justice to protect and enhance their power, officials said.

One of its goals was to enlist new members, recruited both inside prisons and outside. New recruits had to be sponsored by an existing member, but they would not accept someone for their sheer hustle, money or friendship.

"Instead, they claimed that only 'violence and unquestionable loyalty' could earn a patch," court documents say.

A recruit was observed for at least 14 months before the membership cast a final vote. The vote had to be unanimous for a man to become a member.

The gang didn't accept gay members, "rats" or people who had been charged with sex offenses, the documents say.

Women are not allowed membership in the 1488. But they can be associates, and could be expected to smuggle drugs into imprisoned members.

Alaska had inmates in Arizona and Colorado prior to 2013, said Sylvan Robb with the Department of Corrections.

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy, as part of his budget, proposed sending at least 500 inmates to out-of-state prisons as a potential way to save money. A House subcommittee recently rejected the idea, with House Finance Committee Co-chair Tammie Wilson saying the administration provided little information for how that would work.

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Associated Press reporter Becky Bohrer in Juneau contributed to this report.
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) - Prosecutors in El Salvador have issued another arrest warrant for former President Mauricio Funes, this time for alleged tax evasion.

The prosecutor's office says Funes is accused of failing to declare about $270,000 and evading some $85,000 in taxes. Under Salvadoran law, tax evasion is punishable by six to eight years in prison.

The ex-president denied wrongdoing via Twitter, saying that "the idea is to accuse me of whatever to put me in prison."

Since 2017, Funes has been in Nicaragua which granted him asylum.

A court previously convicted him of illicit enrichment, ordering him to return about $410,000 and barring him from public office for 10 years. He is also wanted on charges of money laundering, embezzlement, illicit association and bribery.

Funes has denied those charges as well.
CHICAGO (AP) - The Latest on "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett (all times local):

9:15 p.m.

An attorney for Jussie Smollett says she is disappointed authorities in Chicago are "continuing their campaign" against the "Empire" actor despite prosecutors dropping the charges against him.

In a statement released late Wednesday, Patricia Brown Holmes noted Smollett forfeited his $10,000 bond as a result of the Cook County prosecutor's decision, and "the case is closed."

Brown says no public official has the right to violate Smollett's due process rights and he is "innocent until proven guilty in a court of law." She added Smollett has the right to speak freely about his innocence.

The 36-year-old maintains that he is the victim of a vicious attack, but Chicago's mayor and police chief say they believe it was orchestrated as a publicity stunt. The assistant state's attorney who handled the case and dropped the charges said Wednesday that he does not believe Smollett is innocent.

Actor Jussie Smollett talks to the media before leaving Cook County Court after his charges were dropped Tuesday, March 26, 2019, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

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6 p.m.

Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx is defending the decision by her staff to drop charges against "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett that he stage a racist, anti-gay attack.

Foxx told CBS 2 TV Wednesday she believed the matter was handled properly for a case of its kind. She pointed to Smollett forfeiting his $10,000 bond and doing community service.

Prosecutors dismissed all charges but still maintained Smollett lied about being attacked. And Mayor Rahm Emanuel has called the dropping of charges "a whitewash."

Foxx said in the Wednesday interview it was "an outcome that we could expect with this type of case."

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5:25 p.m.

Felony charges may have been dropped against "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett, but experts say he faces an uphill climb to get his career back on track.

Smollett's biggest role is on "Empire," which had cut him out of the its final two episodes this season after his arrest on 16 felony counts related to making a false police report that he was assaulted by two men in downtown Chicago in January.

The 36-year-old maintains that he is the victim of a racist, anti-gay attack, but Chicago's mayor and police chief say they believe it was orchestrated as a publicity stunt.

Crisis management expert Eric Rose says while most people probably don't think the actor is innocent, Smollett can still fix his image by being honest.

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4:15 p.m.

A conservative Illinois state lawmaker wants the state attorney general to review the circumstances under which criminal charges were dismissed against "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett.

State Rep. David McSweeney, a Republican from the Chicago suburb of Barrington Hills, filed a resolution Wednesday asking Democratic Attorney General Kwame Raoul (KWAH'-may RAW'-ool) to "conduct a full, prompt, and comprehensive examination" of the case.

Cook County prosecutors on Tuesday abruptly dismissed all of the charges but still claim that Smollett lied about being the victim of a racist and homophobic attack in downtown Chicago on Jan. 29.

A spokeswoman for Raoul didn't immediately reply to a request for comment.

Smollett has maintained that he's innocent.

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8:30 a.m.

Jussie Smollett's attorney says two brothers who claim they worked with the "Empire" actor to stage a racist, anti-gay attack against him are lying.

Tina Glandian spoke with "Good Morning America" on Wednesday, a day after Chicago prosecutors abruptly dropped charges yet still insisted that Smollett lied to police about being attacked by two strangers on Jan. 29.

Glandian says Smollett, who is black and gay, had hired one brother as a personal trainer, and that they discussed training and nutrition in the hours before the attack as Smollett's flight to Chicago was delayed. But she says Smollett had no idea who attacked him until the brothers were later identified by police.

She says Smollett is a crime victim and "just wants his life back."

Prosecutors offered little explanation when dropping the case, a move that infuriated Chicago's mayor and police chief.

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12 a.m.

Prosecutors still insist Jussie Smollett faked a racist, anti-gay attack on himself in the hopes that the attention would advance his acting career. The "Empire" star still says he was assaulted by two men late at night in downtown Chicago.

But with little explanation, authorities on Tuesday abruptly dropped all charges against Smollett. They abandoned the criminal case after only five weeks. In return, prosecutor say, the actor agreed to let the city keep his $10,000 in bail.

The dismissal drew a backlash from the mayor and police chief. It also raised the question of why Smollett was not forced to admit any wrongdoing.

Among those sure to keep pressing for answers is Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. He appeared blindsided by the decision and visibly angry. He called it "a whitewash."

Actor Jussie Smollett talks to the media before leaving Cook County Court after his charges were dropped, Tuesday, March 26, 2019, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

Actor Jussie Smollett, center, leaves the Leighton Criminal Courthouse in Chicago after prosecutors dropped all charges against him on Tuesday, March 26, 2019. (Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times/Chicago Sun-Times via AP)

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, right, and Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson, center, appear at a news conference Tuesday, March 26, 2019, after prosecutors abruptly dropped all charges against "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett, abandoning the case barely five weeks after he was accused of lying to police about being the target of a racist, anti-gay attack in downtown Chicago. The mayor and police chief blasted the decision and stood by the investigation that concluded Smollett staged a hoax. (AP Photo/Teresa Crawford)

Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson speaks during a news conference Tuesday, March 26, 2019, after prosecutors abruptly dropped all charges against "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett, abandoning the case barely five weeks after he was accused of lying to police about being the target of a racist, anti-gay attack in downtown Chicago. Johnson stood by the department's investigation and said Chicago is "is still owed an apology." (AP Photo/Teresa Crawford)

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, right, and Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson appear at a news conference in Chicago, Tuesday, March 26, 2019, after prosecutors abruptly dropped all charges against "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett, abandoning the case barely five weeks after he was accused of lying to police about being the target of a racist, anti-gay attack in downtown Chicago. The mayor and police chief blasted the decision and stood by the investigation that concluded Smollett staged a hoax. (AP Photo/Teresa Crawford)

Actor Jussie Smollett leaves Cook County Court after his charges were dropped Tuesday, March 26, 2019, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) - One out of four people interviewed in eastern Congo last year believed Ebola wasn't real, according to a new study, underscoring the enormous challenges health care workers are facing in what has become the second-deadliest outbreak in history.

The survey released late Wednesday found that a deep mistrust of the Ebola response resulted in those people being 15 times less likely to seek medical treatment at an Ebola health center, according to the study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal.

The study was based on interviews conducted last September, about a month after the outbreak began. It comes as the number of probable and confirmed cases has exceeded 1,000. At least 639 people have died from Ebola since August, according to the World Health Organization.

This is the first time the region has experienced an Ebola outbreak.

The outbreak's response has been hampered by a series of deadly attacks on Ebola health centers since the study was completed. As a result, Doctors Without Borders has stopped staffing two health centers at the outbreak's epicenter.

Researchers said their study showed more precisely how individuals' misinformed views about Ebola were undermining the response and helping to spread the deadly virus.

FILE - In this Aug. 8, 2018, file photo, a healthcare worker from the World Health Organization gives an Ebola vaccination to a front line aid worker in Mangina, Democratic Republic of Congo. One-fourth of the people interviewed in eastern Congo last year believed Ebola wasn't real, according to a new study released Wednesday, underscoring the enormous challenges health care workers are now facing. (AP Photo/Al-hadji Kudra Maliro, File)

"It really helps us understand how central and fundamental community trust should be as part of the response," said Patrick Vinck of Harvard University, who led the research.

Eva Erlach, the community engagement and accountability delegate for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, called the findings "absolutely interesting" and said they show how the level of trust correlates with preventative behaviors.

The organization has had more than 800 trained volunteers working to get out prevention messages amid the region's security challenges.

"There is still a part of the community who do not believe that Ebola is real and we definitely still need to continue focusing on community engagement," said Erlach, who was not part of the study. "And this is why this report is so helpful even if it's from September."

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said earlier this month he was encouraged "to see the communities accepting the response more and more."

The new study highlights just how pervasive misinformation has been in places in eastern Congo like Beni and Butembo, where in-person interviews were conducted with 961 people.

Some 25.5 percent of those interviewed did not believe Ebola was real. In addition, nearly 45.9 percent of people thought the Ebola outbreak was being fabricated to destabilize the region or for financial gain. Additionally 18.2 percent believed all three of those statements, the study found.

Those who didn't believe Ebola was real were far less likely to agree to agree to the Ebola vaccine or to go to a treatment center. Ebola is spread through the bodily fluids of the sick, and isolation of those infected is key to stopping transmission.

This outbreak has been uniquely challenging because of the volatile security situation in the region. Eastern Congo is home to numerous armed groups and the Ebola epidemic has deepened the political and economic grievances of many in the area. The fact that people in Ebola affected areas were excluded from the December presidential election has only heightened conspiracy theories.

Tariq Riebl, of the International Rescue Committee, who is currently working in eastern Congo, said the findings released Wednesday mirror what he and his colleagues are seeing on the ground. Concern remains about how Ebola prevention efforts are going because new cases are still emerging.

"Once you reach a wider outbreak zone, especially urban zones, the community engagement and prevention side of things is almost more important than the treatment side," Riebl said.

"If you can't have those messages out successfully, it doesn't matter if you have all the treatment options available because no one is ever arriving to take advantage of that," he said.

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Follow Africa news at https://twitter.com/AP_Africa

FILE - In this Sunday, Sept 9, 2018 file photo, a health worker sprays disinfectant on his colleague after working at an Ebola treatment center in Beni, eastern Congo. One-fourth of the people interviewed in eastern Congo last year believed Ebola wasn't real, according to a new study released Wednesday, underscoring the enormous challenges health care workers are now facing. (AP Photo/Al-hadji Kudra Maliro, File)

FILE - In this Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018, file photo, a healthcare worker from the World Health Organization prepares to give an Ebola vaccination in Mangina, Democratic Republic of Congo. One-fourth of the people interviewed in eastern Congo in 2018 believed Ebola wasn't real, according to a new study released Wednesday, March 27, 2019, underscoring the enormous challenges health care workers are now facing. (AP Photo/Al-hadji Kudra Maliro, File)
PHOENIX (AP) - Arizona Rep. David Stringer resigned Wednesday amid an ethics investigation of 1983 sex charges and his comments on race and immigration.

The Prescott Republican lawmaker stepped down as he faced a 5 p.m. deadline to hand over documents demanded by the House Ethics Committee. Earlier in the day he made an emergency request for a judge to block the Legislature from expelling him, then withdrew it as a hearing was scheduled to begin.

"I'm grateful that the House will not be forced to take action against one of our members, and we can begin to put this matter behind us," Republican House Speaker Rusty Bowers said in a statement announcing Stringer's resignation.

Stringer did not respond to a request for comment. His resignation letter said only: "This is to confirm my resignation as State Representative for Legislative District 1, effective 4 p.m. this date, March 27, 2019."

Stringer is the subject of two ethics complaints following newspaper reports that he was charged with sex crimes more than three decades ago. The charges were later expunged.

"His actions were unbecoming of a state legislator, and racism should have no place in the House of Representatives," Rep. Reginald Bolding, a Democrat who filed one of the two complaints, said in a statement. "The evidence that he was trying to withhold from the Ethics Committee must be damning since he chose to quit rather than comply with a subpoena."

FILE - In this June 27, 2018, file photo, Arizona state Rep. David Stringer, R-Prescott, speaks at a community forum in Phoenix. Stringer resigned Wednesday, March 27, 2019, amid an ethics investigation of 1983 sex charges and his comments on race and immigration. The Prescott Republican lawmaker stepped down as he faced a 5 p.m. deadline to hand over documents demanded by the House Ethics Committee. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)

The State Bar of Arizona earlier this month ended an investigation into whether Stringer disclosed the expunged conviction when he applied for an Arizona law license in 2004, which he was required to do. A bar investigator said Stringer's application materials no longer existed, and that the District of Columbia did not discipline Stringer following the 1983 charges.

Stringer's lawyer has said the charges never resulted in a conviction.

Stringer was also being investigated over comments that were widely denounced as racist. Last summer, video circulated on social media of him saying "there aren't enough white kids to go around" when discussing integration in schools. Despite a backlash, he was re-elected in November.

A few weeks after the election, the New Times reported that Stringer told Arizona State University students that African Americans "don't blend in." He also said Somali immigrants don't look like "every other kid" as previous European immigrants do.

He apologized for his language in a speech on the House floor in January.

Ethics Committee Chairman TJ Shope, a Republican, has not said what was subpoenaed, but Stringer faced a potential expulsion vote for his refusal to turn over documents.

Stringer's lawyer, Carmen Chenal, said in the withdrawn court filings that the panel sought records of a 1984 disciplinary proceeding for the District of Columbia bar and records of his applications for a teaching credential and a master's degree, among other things.

Chenal wrote the DC bar did not discipline Stringer and considers the record confidential. She has said the document includes material that could damage Stringer if taken out of context.

His resignation temporarily ends the Republican governing majority in the House and will likely delay some of the GOP's top priorities just as the legislative session heats up. Without Stringer, the House is divided 30-29 between Republicans and Democrats. Legislation requires 31 votes to pass.

By law, the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors must replace him with a Republican chosen by the county's GOP precinct leaders.

Stringer is the second Arizona lawmaker to lose his seat over ethics questions in just over a year. Lawmakers voted last February to expel Republican Rep. Don Shooter for a lengthy pattern of sexual misconduct.
CHICAGO (AP) - Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx on Wednesday defended the decision by her staff to drop charges that "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett staged a racist, anti-gay attack in January.

Foxx recused herself before Smollett was charged last month because she had discussed the case with a Smollett family member. The case was handed to First Assistant State's Attorney Joseph Magats.

Foxx didn't directly answer the question when CBS 2 TV in Chicago asked if she believed Smollett was innocent, as Smollett has continued to contend, saying only that the matter was handled properly. She pointed to Smollett forfeiting his $10,000 bond and doing community service in return for dropping the charges. Magats has said that he does not believe Smollett is innocent and Chicago police say he faked the attack.

"I believe that the outcome - him having to forfeit the $10,000, having to do community service, based on the allegations, and again the (low level) felony and no (criminal) background, are an outcome that we could expect with this type of case," she said.

She also insisted no one tried to intervene on Smollett's behalf, despite emails showing that Foxx was contacted by people linked to Smollett about the case.

"There was no attempt, whatsoever, to influence the outcome of this case," she said. "None whatsoever."

FILE - In this Feb. 22, 2019 file photo, Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx speaks at a news conference in Chicago. Foxx on Wednesday, March 27, 2019, defended the decision by her staff to drop charges that "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett staged a racist, anti-gay attack in January. Foxx recused herself before Smollett was charged last month because she had discussed the case with a Smollett family member. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File)

Email and text messages provided to the Chicago Sun-Times by Foxx's office show former first lady Michelle Obama's chief of staff Tina Tchen contacted Foxx a few days after the report of the attack to set up a telephone conversation with a Smollett relative. Foxx told the Sun-Times the relative expressed concerns over leaked information that media outlets attributed to "police sources." Foxx then called Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson to ask him to let the FBI investigate the alleged attack. The contacts were cited by Foxx in recusing herself from the case on Feb. 13, well before Smollett was charged.

An attorney for Smollett late Wednesday blasted Chicago officials , saying they have "continued their campaign against Jussie Smollett after the charges against him have been dropped."

Patricia Brown Holmes said the case is closed.

"We should all allow Mr. Smollett to move on with his life as a free citizen," she said in a statement.

Again Wednesday, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel criticized prosecutors, saying that dropping charges made no sense.

"Something is rotten in Denmark," he told reporters Wednesday during an unrelated event. "It doesn't add up." Hours after the charges were dismissed Tuesday, Emanuel called the outcome "a whitewash."

Also Wednesday, a spokeswoman for Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said the Democrat is considering a lawmaker's request to review the prosecutors' decision to dismiss charges against Smollett.

Raoul spokeswoman Annie Thompson had no further comment Wednesday.

Republican state Rep. David McSweeney filed a resolution requesting a "comprehensive examination" of the circumstances around the Smollett case.

The House would have to approve McSweeney's resolution. Democrats outnumber Republicans 74-44. And the attorney general is not bound by such a legislative request.

Defense attorneys have said Smollett's record was "wiped clean" of the 16 felony counts he'd faced. The actor told reporters Tuesday that he had "been truthful and consistent on every single level since day one."

Authorities alleged that Smollett, who is black and gay, knew the men and arranged for them to pretend to attack him as a publicity stunt.

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Check out the AP's complete coverage of the Jussie Smollett case.

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MEAD, Neb. (AP) - Flooding in the Midwest temporarily cut off a Superfund site in Nebraska that stores radioactive waste and explosives, inundated another one storing toxic chemical waste in Missouri, and limited access to others, according to federal regulators.

The Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday reported no releases of hazardous contaminants at any of eight toxic waste sites in flooded parts of Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa. It has not issued any public health advisories or alerts, nor has it tested any of the soil and water at those sites.

The EPA identified the Nebraska Ordnance Plant in Mead, Nebraska, and the Conservation Chemical Corporation site in Kansas City, Missouri, as heavily flooded Superfund sites that required the agency to take immediate action to prevent the spread of contaminated groundwater.

Two Iowa sites - Railroad Avenue Groundwater Contamination Site that is part of Des Moines Water Treatment Plant, and the Mid-America Tanning Company site near Sergeant Bluff - had some minor flooding on the property but did not require the agency to immediately do anything. It plans to reassess once the flood waters recede.

The remaining four toxic waste sites were not affected by floodwaters, but road closures limited access, the agency said.

Larry Poell, 62, who lives on top of the Superfund site in Mead, said federal officials have always maintained that the contaminated plumes are stable, but he wonders if the floodwater caused them to shift.

Larry Poell, who lives on top of a Superfund site in Mead, Neb., adjusts Wednesday, March 27, 2019, the overalls of his granddaughter, while visiting a flood relief shelter in Ashland. Poell said federal officials have always maintained that the contaminated plumes are stable, but he wonders if the floodwater caused them to shift. "I'm concerned about it, I think everybody's concerned about it," he said. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

"I'm concerned about it. I think everybody's concerned about it," he said in an interview inside a local flood relief shelter in Ashland, Nebraska.

Poell said officials test the water near his home quarterly and hold community meetings twice a year. He said the meetings are usually sparsely attended.

The Mead site operated as a munitions plant from 1942 to 1956 and its disposal of radioactive waste and other chemicals led to groundwater contamination.

Maureen Hunt, 50, who farms on land less than a mile from the Nebraska Ordnance Plant, said all of the surrounding roads were inaccessible at the flood's peak. On Wednesday, many surrounding cornfields still held large ponds of floodwater.

"Imagine water everywhere you look," she said between cleanup chores. "I've never in my life seen anything like it."

To contain the underground plume from expanding at sites where the groundwater is contaminated, the EPA normally pumps up the contaminated water, treats it to clean up contaminants and then discharges the water.

But because the Mead area was already heavily flooded, the Nebraska Ordnance Plant temporarily shut down the pumps and treatment plant on March 13 for a couple of days rather than exacerbate the situation by discharging treated water, EPA said.

At the Conservation Chemical Company site, a 6-acre area in Kansas City, Missouri, chemical storage and disposal operations from the 1960s to the 1980s led to contamination of groundwater and soils. During the latest flood, the site owner increased the pumping rate to suck up more water and increase pressure to keep its underground plume of contaminated water from expanding, the EPA said.

The remaining sites that the EPA says are not currently affected by floodwaters, but where road closures are limiting field work, are the former landfill called Lawrence Todz Farm in Camanche, Iowa, the Iowa-Nebraska Light & Power Co. site in Norfolk, Nebraska; a site identified only as Old Highway 275 and 288th Street in the town of Valley in Nebraska; and the closed St. Joseph City Landfill, north of Kansas City, Missouri.

Valerie Wilder, the Superfund section chief for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, said in an email that the EPA contacted the state agency's project manager for the Conservation Chemical Company site to keep her informed of its flooding status, but that there has been no EPA request for a state response at this time.

Aerial photos taken Friday of Missouri's closed St. Joseph landfill, which is not a Superfund site, showed that roughly half of the closed landfill had water on top of asphalt at that time. EPA said it is no longer flooded.

At many Superfund sites, contaminated soils are capped with additional soil layers or other materials as a temporary measure until cleanups are finished. Floods can wash away those covers, releasing toxic pollution into the waters. That happened at the San Jacinto River Waste Pits near Houston when floodwaters from Hurricane Harvey damaged a concrete cap meant to contain pollutants, releasing dioxins into the river.

"That's a risk for cleanup crews and families that have returned to their homes, as well as fish, wildlife and waterways down the road," said Kara Cook-Schultz, toxics director for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group.

It's important for EPA to inform first responders, cleanup workers and residents about the types of contaminants at each flooded Superfund site and precautions they should take to limit exposure, Cook-Schultz said.

"In the long term, we'd like to see more money going to Superfund sites," she said. "A lot of them have been around 40 or 50 years and have not been cleaned up. We'd like to see them completely remediated so we don't have to worry that they will be flooded and the floodwaters contaminated."

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Associated Press writers Margery Beck in Omaha, Nebraska; Roxana Hegeman in Wichita, Kansas; Margaret Stafford in Kansas City, Missouri; and John Flesher in Traverse City, Michigan, contributed to this report.

Larry Poell, who lives on top of a Superfund site in Mead, Neb., speaks during an interview Wednesday, March 27, 2019, while visiting a flood relief shelter in Ashland. Poell said federal officials have always maintained that the contaminated plumes are stable, but he wonders if the floodwater caused them to shift. "I'm concerned about it, I think everybody's concerned about it," he said. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

FILE - This Sept. 21, 2017, file photo shows the Environmental Protection Agency building in Washington. Flooding in the Midwest temporarily cut off a Superfund site in Nebraska that stores radioactive waste and explosives, inundated another one storing toxic chemical waste in Missouri, and limited access to others, the EPA said Wednesday, March 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)

Wells are seen at the EPA water treatment plant at the Superfund site in Mead, Neb., the former site of the Nebraska Ordnance Plant, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. To contain the underground plume from expanding at sites where the groundwater is contaminated, the EPA pumps up the contaminated water, treats it to clean up contaminants and then discharges the water. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Wells are seen at the EPA water treatment plant at the Superfund site in Mead, Neb., the former site of the Nebraska Ordnance Plant, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. To contain the underground plume from expanding at sites where the groundwater is contaminated, the EPA pumps up the contaminated water, treats it to clean up contaminants and then discharges the water. The Mead area was heavily flooded, the EPA temporarily shut down the pumps and treatment plant on March 13 for a couple of days rather than exacerbate the situation by discharging treated water. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

A well is seen at the EPA water treatment plant at the Superfund site in Mead, Neb., the former site of the Nebraska Ordnance Plant, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. To contain the underground plume from expanding at sites where the groundwater is contaminated, the EPA pumps up the contaminated water, treats it to clean up contaminants and then discharges the water. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)
Photo: Contributed

A debate planned for Friday night between the two Kelowna-Lake Country federal Conservative hopefuls will go ahead as scheduled  minus one candidate.

Renee Wasylyk says she is moving ahead with the forum at the Ramada Hotel, even though rival Tracy Gray has declined, citing legal reasons.

"This event will allow Kelowna and Lake Country Conservative Party members a chance to gather and ask question of Renee prior to the nomination vote to be held on April 6," her team said in a news release Wednesday.

She will be joined by researcher Vivian Krause, who reportedly exposed foreign funding of groups in Canada who campaign against the oil and gas industry.

The event is open to anyone, but priority seating will be given to Conservative party members.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) - When the gunman began to attack the Al Noor mosque, Ahmed Alayedy scrambled to get to the nearest emergency exit. He was the first one there.

"I tried to open the door," he said. "But it doesn't open."

Alayedy and other survivors of the March 15 mosque attacks in New Zealand have described to The Associated Press a scene of confusion and terror at the door on one side of the main prayer room, in the first accounts of the role the door played.

Alayedy said so many people began crushing him against the door that some of his ribs cracked. Another survivor, Khaled Alnobani, says he thinks as many as 17 people may have died trying to get out through the door.

Investigators have likely examined a new electric locking system installed on the door in the days before the attack. The mosque says an electrician disabled that system the day before the attack, although some of those who escaped question whether that was the case. What is clear is that nobody managed to open the door that afternoon.

With the gunman in the middle of the room, the door represented the only escape route for those on one side of him, at least until people started smashing windows to get out.

In this March 27, 2019, photo, Al Noor mosque volunteer Khaled Alnobani gestures as he explains his escape through a glass door panel when a gunman burst into the mosque on March 15 in Christchurch, New Zealand. Alnobani says he thinks as many as 17 people may have died trying to get out through the door.(AP Photo/Mark Baker)

Fifty people were slaughtered by the gunman at two Christchurch mosques during the attack, including 42 who died at Al Noor. Alayedy and others say that if the door had been wide open like it typically was during Friday prayers, many more people might have escaped.

Shagaf Khan, the president of the Muslim Association of Canterbury which oversees the mosque, said the door was closed and latched much like the front door of a house. He said it wasn't locked, although worshippers may have believed it was in the confusion.

He said an electrician had tested the new electric locking system on Thursday, and then disengaged it for Friday prayers. He said that to open the door, somebody needed to turn a lever. It was just happenstance, and perhaps the cool weather that day, he said, which meant the door wasn't wide open as usual.

"On any other Friday, the door would be open," he said. "But on this Friday, nobody opened that door."

He said he agreed that more people would have escaped if the door had been open.

"If it had been completely open, it would have been easy for people to get out," he said. "But nobody was prepared for this. We were prepared for an emergency like a fire or an earthquake, and people would still have time to get out. This is something totally different. You don't put this in your emergency plan."

Alayedy said that in the confusion, he can't be sure if he simply failed to turn the lever properly or if something else stopped the door from opening.

Alnobani, said he, too, tried to open the door and it didn't work, and he's familiar with the lever. He said he believes the door was electronically locked. Simply pushing a button next to the door would have unlocked it, he said, but nobody knew about the new system.

Khan said the mosque was in compliance with regulations, which require emergency exits to be clear from objects, easily accessible, and unlocked.

Police said the scene examination is part of their investigation and they will not be commenting while the investigation is ongoing.

Robert Wright, the Christchurch City Council head of building consents, said in an email the mosque was in compliance with the Building Act at the time of the attacks and had a valid certificate known as a "Building Warrant of Fitness."

Alayedy, 30, said that on the day of the attack, he'd been listening to a holy speech by imam Gamal Fouda when he heard six or seven shots. He thought it was an electrical fault at first but then heard screaming and ran for the door.

"All the brothers come in behind each other, on top of each other," he said.

Because he couldn't open the door, he said, he tried punching the hexagonal piece of glass in the lower part of the door. When that didn't work, he drove his knee through it, shattering the glass, and then kicked it out. He crawled through and ran for safety.

Alayedy, a chef from Jordan who moved to New Zealand nine years ago, said he thought about his family back at their house as he ran. His pregnant wife, his 3-year-old son, and the baby daughter they hope to have within the next couple of weeks.

Behind the mosque, Alayedy said, he began helping people to escape over a fence but couldn't get over it himself because of his injured ribs.

Another survivor provided a second escape route near the door by diving through a window with his arm wrapped around his eyes. Tarik Chenafa said he heard a tat-tat-tat-tat-tat and knew right away it was a semi-automatic weapon from his two years of compulsory military training in the Algerian army.

"I know someone is coming to kill us," he said.

Alnobani said that when he first came to the mosque that Friday, he'd noticed the side door was shut and considered opening it but then saw there were some older worshippers. It was a little cold and windy outside, he figured, so he left it alone.

Alnobani said he also managed to crawl through the door's smashed glass and run. He returned to help rescue a young boy whose father was shoving him through the opening, he said, and then helped the father as well.

"I tried to save the child, and I thought maybe I lose my life," he said. "But I am just alone," he said, adding "He had more than me to lose."

When he tried to help a third person through the opening, Alnobani said, that man was shot. The gunman walked out of the mosque to get another gun from his car, Alnobani said, and began shooting at him when he returned. But he managed to escape, and then drove two injured people to the hospital.

The gunman acted quickly, mowing down people on both sides of the mosque. On the side opposite from the closed door, some worshippers were able to escape, but the gunman also killed many others as they tried to leave.

"And he was actually standing behind them, and he was shooting and shooting and shooting and shooting," Fouda, the imam, told the AP after the attack. "Tragedy. Tragedy."

Brenton Tarrant, a 28-year-old Australian, has been charged with murder in the attack. His next court appearance is scheduled for April 5.

Chenafa said he's still sad and confused, and finds it hard to sleep. And he doesn't know what to believe about the door.

"There will be a lot of waiting to find out the truth," he said.

In this March 27, 2019, photo, Al Noor mosque volunteer Khaled Alnobani gestures as explains his escape through a glass door panel when a gunman burst into the mosque on March 15 in Christchurch, New Zealand. Alnobani says he thinks as many as 17 people may have died trying to get out through the door.(AP Photo/Mark Baker)

In this March 27, 2019, photo, the outside of thee Al Noor mosque which shows the door that volunteer Khaled Alnobani escaped through when a gunman burst into the mosque on March 15 in Christchurch, New Zealand. Survivors of the March 15 mosque attacks in New Zealand have described confusion and terror at a door they couldn't open on one side of the main prayer room in the Al Noor mosque.(AP Photo/Mark Baker)

In this March 27, 2019, photo, Muslim men pray in the refurbished Al Noor mosque following the March 15 shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand. Survivors of the March 15 mosque attacks in New Zealand have described confusion and terror at a door they couldn't open on one side of the main prayer room in the Al Noor mosque.(AP Photo/Mark Baker)
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) - Australia's prime minister said Thursday that he had ruled out any vote-sharing deal with an influential minor party in a bid to protect the nation's strict gun controls.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison made his decision after One Nation leader Pauline Hanson apparently questioned the official account of a 1996 massacre in which a gunman acting alone killed 35 people in Tasmania state.

Less than two weeks after the Port Arthur massacre, Australia banned semi-automatic rifles and shotguns. New Zealand similarly banned a range of semi-automatic firearms after a lone gunman killed 50 worshippers in two Christchurch mosques on March 15.

Morrison said his conservative Liberal Party would disadvantage One Nation candidates under Australia's preferential voting system at general elections due in May by refusing to share votes.

Under Australia's systems, voters rank candidates in order of preference. The higher candidates are ranked by a majority of voters, the better their chances of being elected.

The Liberal Party would normally direct its supporters to rank the opposition center-left Labor Party last, because Labor candidates have a chance of forming government. Like-minded parties often make deals to rank each others' candidates ahead of a common enemy.

FILE - In this Feb. 13, 2019, file photo Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison addresses media at Parliament House in Canberra. Morrison, on Tuesday, March 26, 2019, accused an influential minor political party of trying to "sell Australia's gun laws to the highest bidders" by asking the U.S. gun lobby for donations. (AP Photos/Rod McGuirk, File)

But in a move interpreted by some as putting principle ahead of politics, Morrison said his party would urge voters to rank Labor ahead of One Nation.

"This is a decision which is based on our strong view about the sanctity of Australia's gun laws and to ensure that at no stage that those things should ever be put at risk," Morrison told reporters.

"It's very important, having been the party that introduced those laws, that we ensure that they are forever protected and there can be no compromise when it comes to those issues or any trading on the issue of those gun laws," he added.

Anti-Muslim One Nation has been widely condemned after an Al Jazeera documentary reported this week that two party officials flew to the United States for meetings with pro-gun interests including the National Rifle Association and political donors Koch Industries in September last year seeking money to undermine Australian gun laws.

The two-part documentary that uses video secretly filmed by a fake gun lobbyist reveals Hanson said during a dinner with party officials in her home state of Queensland last year that she has "a lot of questions" about the Port Arthur massacre.

She quoted an Australian state premier who said almost a decade before the mass shooting in the ruins of a 19th century Tasmanian prison: "It will take a massacre in Tasmania before we get gun reform in Australia."

Conspiracy theorists argue the quote proves that the massacre was engineered by the gun reform lobby. Others argue the quote reflects a New South Wales premier's frustration that Tasmania had Australia's weakest gun laws and was most resistant to change. Australia now has relatively uniform gun laws.

While on the subject of conspiracy theories, a party official at the dinner is recorded mentioning the al-Qaida attacks on the United States on Sept. 11, 2001.

Hanson said on Thursday her broadcast comments has been "heavily edited" and did not reflect her views on the Australian massacre.

"There is no question in my mind that Martin Bryant was the only person responsible for the murders of 35 innocent lives," Hanson told reporters, referring to the convicted killer.

"Let me make it very clear to everyone in this country: One Nation will never water-down gun policy in this country," she added.

She described Morrison as "a fool" who would give Labor the government at the next election through his decision on vote-sharing.

Morrison said Hanson's broadcast comments on the Port Arthur massacre, to which the gunman pleaded guilty, was the final straw. He said he consulted former Liberal Prime Minister John Howard, who introduced Australia's gun reforms and a buyback that reduced the estimated number of guns in Australia by 20 percent, before announcing his decision.

Barnaby Joyce, a senior lawmaker in the Nationals party, the rural-based junior partner of the ruling coalition that most directly competes against One Nation for conservative voters, described Hanson's comments on Port Arthur as "bonkers mad."

"It is beyond the pale. We now have One Nation questioning both 9/11, the terrorist attack on New York and the Port Arthur massacre," Joyce told Australian Broadcasting Corp. "What is next for them? Are they going to question man on the moon? "

The Nationals have yet to say whether they will follow the Liberal Party lead by putting Labor ahead of One Nation on how-to-vote cards distributed at polling booths to its supporters.

One Nation has accused Qatar-owned Al Jazeera of breaching new laws that prohibit covert foreign interference in Australian politics.

Al Jazeera said it stood by its reporting and that its journalists "adhere to the highest standards of professionalism and objectivity."
BEIJING (AP) - Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said her government has asked to purchase advanced new fighter jets and tanks from the U.S., a request that if approved, could set off new tensions between the U.S. and China.

Beijing considers self-governing Taiwan part of China, to be annexed by force if necessary. Speaking during a visit to Hawaii on Wednesday, Tsai said requests have been submitted for F-16V fighters and M1 Abrams tanks.

The new weaponry would "greatly enhance our land and air capabilities, strengthen military morale, and show to the world the U.S. commitment to Taiwan's defense," Tsai said

The U.S. is Taiwan's main supplier of defensive weapons, despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties. The F-16V is the most advanced version of the plane that already forms the backbone of Taiwan's air forces, while the M1 Abrams would mark a significant upgrade from the aging, refurbished models the army now uses. Reports say Taiwan is seeking 66 of the planes.

In Beijing, defense ministry spokesman Wu Qian reiterated Thursday that China was "firmly opposed" to U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and military exchanges between the sides.

While China will strive to unify with Taiwan by peaceful means, it is prepared to take "all necessary measures" in response to pro-independence sentiment and outside influence, Wu said.

In this Wednesday, March 27, 2019, photo released by the Taiwan Presidential Office, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, right, is greeted by supporters upon arriving in Hawaii. Speaking during the visit to Hawaii on Wednesday, Tsai said requests have been submitted to the U.S. for F-16V fighters and M1 Abrams tanks. If approved, the move could set off new tensions between the U.S. and China, which considers Taiwan its own territory to be annexed by force if necessary. (Taiwan Presidential Office via AP)

Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China urges the U.S. to stop arms sales to Taiwan "to avoid serious damage to China-U.S. cooperation." He added that the U.S. should "recognize the high sensitivity and serious harm" of the issue. The comments came the same afternoon that U.S. trade negotiators arrived in Beijing for a new round of talks.

In addition to arms sales, the U.S. is bound by law to treat threats to Taiwan as matters of major concern - although the law is vague on how it would respond to a Chinese attack on the island.

Taiwan's arms requests are carefully reviewed to ensure they suit "Taiwan's actual needs," Tsai said.

"We are also investing heavily into training as well as modernizing our defense strategies to prioritize the use of asymmetrical capabilities, so that they more closely correspond with the realities of the threat we face," Tsai said. "Altogether, I hope that these actions will ensure that the people of Taiwan remain able to choose our own futures, free of coercion."

Tsai, who says she will seek a second four-year term next year, said Taiwan was also stepping-up training as it prepared to transition to an all-volunteer force and pointed to three consecutive years of defense budget increases.

"These funds have been directed into programs that will make a real difference in Taiwan's defense, including asymmetrical capabilities," she said.

Tsai's unofficial Hawaii visit comes at the end of a trip to the Pacific island nations of Palau, Nauru, and the Marshall Islands, three of Taiwan's dwindling number of allies that now total just 17 as Beijing seeks to increase Taiwan's international isolation. The sides separated amid civil war in 1949.

Beijing has cut contacts with Tsai's government over Tsai's refusal to endorse its claim that Taiwan is a part of China. It has also stepped up efforts at military intimidation, such as circling the island with bombers and fighters in what are officially termed training missions.

Elsewhere in remarks carried by satellite link to the conservative Washington think tank the Heritage Foundation, Tsai said she found developments in Hong Kong "deeply concerning." China has touted Hong Kong as a future model Taiwan under what it calls "one country, two systems."

Critics say the semi-autonomous territory's civil liberties have been gradually eroded since it was handed over from British to Chinese rule in 1997.

"Hong Kong is a reminder that all politicians in Taiwan, regardless of politically parties, should carefully avoid falling into a trap laid by China, which includes economic incentives and other promises but ultimately leads to the same destination that is one country two system," Tsai said.

___

Associated Press journalist Johnson Lai contributed to this report from Taipei, Taiwan.

In this Wednesday, March 27, 2019, photo released by the Taiwan Presidential Office, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen attends a banquet in Honolulu, Hawaii. Speaking during the visit to Hawaii on Wednesday, Tsai said requests have been submitted to the U.S. for F-16V fighters and M1 Abrams tanks. If approved, the move could set off new tensions between the U.S. and China, which considers Taiwan its own territory to be annexed by force if necessary. (Taiwan Presidential Office via AP)

In this Wednesday, March 27, 2019, photo released by the Taiwan Presidential Office, supporters wait for the arrival of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in Hawaii. Speaking during the visit to Hawaii on Wednesday, Tsai said requests have been submitted to the U.S. for F-16V fighters and M1 Abrams tanks. If approved, the move could set off new tensions between the U.S. and China, which considers Taiwan its own territory to be annexed by force if necessary. (Taiwan Presidential Office via AP)
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) - The 50 or so party faithful gathered at a western Michigan GOP headquarters prayed for President Donald Trump's re-election and hummed with excitement about his upcoming visit - a meeting-turned-pep rally for the effort they'll mount on his behalf in 2020.

"Are we ready?" former Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land asked the group assembled in Grand Rapids on Monday night.

"Yeah!" the crowd cried back.

The area around former President Gerald Ford's hometown has been very good to Trump, helping deliver him to the White House in 2016 with a victory in a blue state he wasn't supposed to win. But as he returns to Grand Rapids on Thursday night for a rally that will celebrate the completion of special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation, there is cause for worry.

The Democratic-leaning city and the historically Republican turf surrounding it in Kent County have seen a rise of Democratic activism and electoral success since Trump took office. Democrats also are benefiting from demographic changes, as the area has grown younger and more diverse, and there are signs the improving economy also could be helping them.

Last fall, Democrat Gretchen Whitmer won the governor's race over a Trump-endorsed candidate with help from voters in Kent County. She was the first Democratic gubernatorial nominee to take the county since an incumbent won it in 1986. Democrats also picked up a longtime GOP-held state Senate seat and made gains on the county board.

FILE - In this Nov. 8, 2016 file photo, supporters hold signs for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during a rally, in Grand Rapids, Mich. The area around Grand Rapids has been very good to President Donald Trump, helping deliver him to the White House in 2016 with a victory in a blue state he wasn't supposed to win. But as Trump returns to Grand Rapids for a rally Thursday night, March 28, 2019, there is cause for Republicans to worry. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

Local Democratic leaders also point to a flurry of new organizations that popped up to oppose Trump and promote progressive causes, from women's marches to environmental concerns.

"I haven't been to this many marches since the 1960s," said Frank Lynn, former chairman of the Kent County Democratic Party.

His successor agreed - and said the new wave of activism also has provided "an army of motivated volunteers."

"I think there will be an even higher level of motivation in 2020," Chairman Gary Stark said.

But for all the enthusiasm among Democrats, Trump's supporters could be newly energized by the Mueller investigation ending with no evidence of collusion with Russia.

"Democrats are in a pickle and they put themselves here" by trumpeting the investigation, said Brian "Boomer" Patrick, communications director for Republican U.S. Rep Bill Huizenga. "All the eggs were in one basket on the Mueller report."

Trump campaign officials acknowledge that they face a battle holding the states Trump swung away from Democrats in 2016, including Michigan and Wisconsin, and that Trump's likeliest path to victory in 2020 almost requires them to do it.

Still, they insist that the lesson of the 2018 midterms is that Trump's core supporters are still enthusiastic about him - as evidenced by several victories in races in which the president invested his time. And in 2020, Trump himself will be atop the ballot and actively campaigning.

"There's nobody that excites and unites voters like President Trump. He brings in new voters that would never be involved in politics," Republican National Committee spokesman Rick Gorka said. "When you have that bully pulpit, and Air Force One lands in your state, it moves people and it moves numbers."

The Trump campaign is hiring 10 regional political directors for swing states in the coming weeks. The RNC field operation in Michigan has been continuous since before the 2016 election cycle.

Meanwhile, RNC officials say, Democrats must struggle through a fractious primary with more than a dozen candidates fighting for the nomination.

Republicans will focus on what they call Trump's biggest successes, including low unemployment, tax cuts and putting the Islamic State group "on the run."

The party already has been painting the Democratic field as "very extreme," criticizing their support for proposals such as "Medicare For All" and the Green New Deal, which they say would destroy Michigan's manufacturing and agricultural sectors.

"Whoever emerges, I think there will be very stark differences in policies and beliefs," said Michigan GOP Chairwoman Laura Cox.

Democrats are also planning their offensive. Parties in Michigan, Wisconsin and five other battleground states are joining with the Democratic National Committee to train organizers, particularly young people of color, to organize on college campuses and in their communities. Organizing Corps 2020 hopes to have 1,000 trained organizers by this summer.

The Democratic group Priorities USA also plans to spend at least $100 million in battleground states, including Michigan, Wisconsin and Florida.

Two 2020 candidates, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and former U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke of Texas, campaigned in Michigan this month, and Sens. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Kamala Harris of California have stops scheduled in coming weeks.

Kent Boersema, a 31-year-old security officer and member of the Kent County GOP's executive committee, said he thinks the president will do even better in the area in 2020, as people who supported GOP rivals Ted Cruz or John Kasich in 2016 get behind him this time.

"I got friends that I know - didn't vote for Trump in 2016, but they're voting for him now in 2020. He's going to have a more solid, cohesive Republican Party behind him," he said.

Still, he said, Kent County has become more of a swing area politically than the GOP stronghold it once was.

"We've got our work cut out for us," he said.

___

Burnett reported from Chicago. Associated Press reporter Zeke Miller contributed from Washington.

FILE - In this Dec. 9, 2016, file photo, President-elect Donald Trump speaks to supporters during a rally, in Grand Rapids, Mich. The area around Grand Rapids has been very good to President Donald Trump, helping deliver him to the White House in 2016 with a victory in a blue state he wasn't supposed to win. But as Trump returns to Grand Rapids for a rally Thursday, March 28, 2019, there is cause for Republicans to worry. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Federal legalization of hemp arrived in the U.S. late last year and expanded an industry already booming because of the skyrocketing popularity of CBDs, a compound in hemp that many see as a health aid.

But now, just a few months after Congress placed the marijuana look-alike squarely in safe legal territory, the hemp industry has been unsettled by an unexpected development.

Truckers, now free to haul hemp from state to state, have been stopped and sometimes arrested by police who can't tell whether they have intercepted a legal agricultural crop or the biggest marijuana bust of their careers. That's because the only way to distinguish hemp and marijuana, which look and smell alike, is by measuring their tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, and officers don't have the testing technology to do so on the spot.

Marijuana, illegal under federal law , has enough THC to get users high. Hemp has almost none - 0.3 percent or less under U.S. government standards - yet drug-sniffing dogs will alert on both. Field tests that officers now use can detect THC but aren't sophisticated enough to specify whether a shipment is legal hemp or low-grade illegal pot.

In a sign of the significance of the problem, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration earlier this month put out a request for information on private companies that might have the technology for field tests sensitive enough to distinguish between hemp and marijuana.

"Nobody wants to see someone in jail for a month for the wrong thing," DEA spokeswoman Barbara Carreno said. "To enable us to do our job, we have to have something that can help us distinguish."

Samples of hemp sit on a table in the conference room at Andrew Ross' office in Denver on Friday, March 22, 2019. Ross, a Marine who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, is facing 18 years to life in Oklahoma if he is convicted after he was arrested in January while providing security for a load of state-certified hemp from Kentucky. Federal legalization for hemp has created a quandary for police as authorities lack the technology to distinguish marijuana from agricultural hemp at a roadside stop. (AP Photo/Thomas Peipert)

It's an unanticipated hiccup for the rapidly growing hemp industry, which relies on interstate trucking to transport hemp from farms to processing labs that extract the compound cannabidiol, or CBD, from the raw plant material. The pure CBD powder is then resold for use in everything from makeup to smoothies to pet food.

Kentucky and Oregon are big producers of hemp, and much of what they grow is processed in Colorado. Companies that transport the plant often drive through Oklahoma and Idaho, which is where some arrests have occurred.

Hemp remains illegal under Idaho law, and lawmakers there are scrambling to pass a legalization bill. Law enforcement agencies are urging them to include guidance on field tests.

To further complicate the issue, states that already have their own hemp programs must have them approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which could take months.

"It's the greatest example of the cart being put before the horse that I've ever thought of," said Grant Loebs, who is on the board of directors of the Idaho Prosecuting Attorneys Association, which has demanded better testing. "You're trying to make hemp legal so farmers can grow it, but you haven't put into place anything that's going to keep marijuana dealers from taking advantage of a huge loophole."

At least three truckers and two security guards transporting state-certified hemp have been arrested and charged with felony drug trafficking. Thousands of pounds worth more than $2 million combined after processing remain in warehouses in Oklahoma and Idaho as evidence while the cases play out.

Frank Robison, a Colorado-based attorney specializing in such cases, said he has about a half-dozen clients in similar situations in other locations. He declined to provide more information, citing his clients' desire for privacy.

"What local law enforcement is doing is they're stifling an industry that Congress intended to promote to help American farmers and help the American economy - not to make people nervous that they're going to get tossed in jail over a (THC) discrepancy," said Robison, who represents one of the companies involved in the Oklahoma case.

Robison and others hope the USDA will work quickly to create rules for validating hemp shipments that local law enforcement could use instead of relying on THC field tests, such as state agricultural certificates or lab certificates. That way, police could let a suspicious load through without arrests and if the hemp samples come back high in THC from testing done in a lab setting, authorities could pursue the grower or shipper after the fact.

Andrew Ross, a Marine who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, is facing 18 years to life in Oklahoma if convicted after he was arrested in January while providing security for a load of state-certified hemp from Kentucky. Ross and a colleague were riding in a van behind a semi-truck filled with the plant that ran a red light and was pulled over.

Ross said he provided police in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, with the state-issued license for the Kentucky farm that grew the hemp, the license for the Colorado lab that was buying it and chemical analysis paperwork for all 60 sacks of hemp that he said shows it was within federal guidelines for hemp.

That wasn't enough for the officers. They tested the shipment and found it contained THC - although not how much - and arrested Ross, his colleague and the two truck drivers.

The charges against the drivers eventually were dropped, but their 18,000-pound (8,165-kilogram) cargo with a value of nearly $1 million after processing still is being held.

The case and a similar one in Idaho prompted the Oregon Department of Agriculture to issue a formal warning to hemp growers not to ship their crop across state lines.

Ross posted bail and continues to run his hemp transport business, Patriot Shield Security, from Denver while awaiting trial in Oklahoma. He said potential customers from places like Nevada, West Virginia and Wyoming say they now are afraid to send their hemp out of state.

"The whole industry has been turned upside down. Everyone is terrified. No one wants to transport anything," Ross said.

Osage County First Assistant District Attorney Michelle Bodine-Keely said the seized hemp was still being tested. Some samples sent to a DEA lab in Washington, D.C., came back within the legal range for THC, but several were over, she said.

Based on the results so far, Bodine-Keely said she's not convinced it's all hemp.

"Part of it is hemp, and part of it is marijuana. It's an ongoing case, and not only is it an ongoing case, it's still an ongoing investigation," she said.

But, she allowed, "It would be nice to have a different kind of test in the field that will actually tell what the percent is."

____

Associated Press writer Michael R. Blood in Los Angeles contributed to this report. Flaccus and Blood are members of AP's marijuana beat team. Follow Flaccus on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/gflaccus and Blood at http://twitter.com/MichaelRBloodAP . Follow AP's complete marijuana coverage: https://apnews.com/Marijuana .

This undated photo provided by Idaho State Police shows a close up of a sample of marijuana from a seizure of 6,701 pounds of what Idaho authorities said was marijuana but the shipper said was industrial hemp. Federal legalization for hemp has created a quandary for police as authorities lack the technology to distinguish marijuana from agricultural hemp at a roadside stop. (Idaho State Police via AP)

Andrew Ross sits for a portrait in his Denver office on Friday, March 22, 2019. Ross, a Marine who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, is facing 18 years to life in Oklahoma if he is convicted after he was arrested in January while providing security for a load of state-certified hemp from Kentucky. Federal legalization for hemp has created a quandary for police as authorities lack the technology to distinguish marijuana from agricultural hemp at a roadside stop. (AP Photo/Thomas Peipert)

This combo from photos provided by the Osage County Oklahoma Sheriffs Office shows shows from top left, David Dirksen, Andrew Ross, bottom from left, Tadesse Deneke and Farah Warsame. At least five truck drivers or security guards traveling with cannabis shipments certified in their originating states as industrial hemp have been arrested and charged with felony drug trafficking. Thousands of pounds of cannabis worth millions remain in warehouses in Oklahoma and Idaho as evidence while the legal cases play out. (Osage County Oklahoma Sheriffs Office via AP)

This undated photo provided by Idaho State Police shows a seizure of 6,701 pounds cannabis that the owner says is industrial hemp but that Idaho authorities said was marijuana. Federal legalization for hemp has created a quandary for police as authorities lack the technology to distinguish marijuana from agricultural hemp at a roadside stop. (Idaho State Police via AP)

This undated photo provided by Idaho State Police shows a seizure of 6,701 pounds cannabis that the owner says is industrial hemp but that Idaho authorities said was marijuana. Federal legalization for hemp has created a quandary for police as authorities lack the technology to distinguish marijuana from agricultural hemp at a roadside stop. (Idaho State Police via AP
MOUNT SODOM, ISRAEL (AP) - Israeli researchers said Thursday they have surveyed what they now believe to be the world's longest salt cave, a network of twisting passageways at the southern tip of the Dead Sea.

A recently completed survey of the Malham Cave determined the labyrinthine cavern stretches more than 10 kilometers (6 miles) in length. That puts it well ahead of Iran's Namakdan Cave, previously thought to be the longest salt cave.

The survey was conducted by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a collection of Israeli, Bulgarian and international volunteers.

Boaz Langford, a researcher at the university's Caves Research Center, and Antoniya Vlaykova, a Bulgarian cave explorer from the European Speleological Federation, headed the expedition.

"What's unique about this cave, as opposed to other salt caves in the world, is that it's the longest in the world," Langford said, resting in a chamber of the cave dubbed the "Wedding Hall" for its salt stalactites.

Langford and Vlaykova said they plan to publish the complete map of the cave in a professional publication in the coming months.

This Wednesday, March 27, 2019 photo, shows the entrance of the Malham Cave at the Dead Sea in Israel. Israeli researchers say they believe this to be the world's longest salt cave, a network of twisting passageways at the southern tip of the Dead Sea. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

There is no official record for the longest salt cave, and such designations are generally decided by consensus among cave researchers after an underground chamber is mapped and published.

Namakdan, which is about 6 kilometers (4 miles) in length, was identified as the longest salt cave after a study by Czech and Iranian scientists in 2006.

Salt caves are unusual and rare geological features. Because salt is highly water soluble, large salt deposits do not normally survive long on the surface. Only a handful of salt caves are larger than a kilometer (half a mile) in length. Salt caves tend to only exist in highly arid regions, like the area around the Dead Sea, which is located at the lowest point on earth and is too salty to support animal life.

The Dead Sea and Mount Sodom were formed by tectonic activity, the shifting of the Earth's plates at the northern end of the 6,000-kilometer (4,000-mile) Afro-Arabian Rift Valley. Over millions of years, successive flooding of the deep depression lay down thick layers of salt.

"The salt layers are squeezed out from the sub-surface, where they are deposited a few kilometers underground, and while being squeezed out they form a mountain, which is rising still today, at a rate of about one centimeter per year," said Amos Frumkin, a Hebrew University geologist who has studied the cave for decades.

The Malham Cave's main outlet yawns not far from a salt pillar named "Lot's wife," after the biblical character who was petrified for looking back at the destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. On the mountainside above, Langford, Vlaykova and their colleagues have identified at least 19 openings where seasonal floods have percolated through Mount Sodom's rock salt to form the cave.

Yoav Negev, founder of the Israeli Cave Explorers Club, said that over two years, his group and a total of 80 volunteers from nine countries spent around 1,500 workdays measuring and mapping the cavern's recesses.

"It's above and beyond what we expected," he said.

Efraim Cohen, one of the Hebrew University cave explorers, described the process of locating the cave's entrances from the surface, rappelling down into surface shafts, squeezing through tight passages, and measuring each of the cavern's serpentine branches with lasers.

Despite the difficult environment, he said the cave's splendor makes it worth it.

"All the stalagmites and stalactites, their beauty, their color - they're really white, they're shining, they're amazing," Cohen said.

Radiocarbon dating of wood fragments found inside the cave have helped date its formation to around 7,000 years ago, making it extremely young by speleological standards.

"The reason why it's so young is because it's made of salt," Frumkin explained. "Limestone caves are much slower to form. They are usually much older. But this one is developing very fast so it's one of the youngest caves in the world."

Frumkin said that studying the cave's formation has provided researchers with information about the climate of the region over the past 7,000 years, and how that has affected the emergence of civilization. Jericho, one of world's first cities and an epicenter for the development of agriculture, is around 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the Malham Cave.

"Because the salt is so soluble, that means that every change in the climate leaves its mark in the cave," Frumkin said. "If there is more water, more rainfall, the cave is enlarged, and Dead Sea level changes, and this makes a huge difference in the morphology of the cave."

Although the scientists have completed their study, there is still more of the cave that is undiscovered, he said.

"There are some more parts, especially upper levels, which have not been surveyed yet because they are difficult to reach," Frumkin said.

In this Wednesday, March 27, 2019, photo, Israeli researchers at the Israel Cave Research Center of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, use their torch light to examine salt stalactites hanging from the ceiling of the Malham Cave at the Dead Sea in Israel. A recently completed survey of the cave determined the labyrinthine cavern stretches more than 10 kilometers (six miles) in length. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

In this Wednesday, March 27, 2019 photo, Boaz Langford, a researcher at the Israel Cave Research Center of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, uses his torch light to examine salt stalactites hanging from the ceiling of Malham Cave at the Dead Sea in Israel. Israeli researchers say they believe this to be the world's longest salt cave, a network of twisting passageways at the southern tip of the Dead Sea. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

In this Wednesday, March 27, 2019 photo, left, Efi Cohen, left, and Yoav Negev researchers at the Israel Cave Research Center of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, examine salt stalactites hanging from the ceiling in the Malham Cave at the Dead Sea in Israeli. Salt caves are unusual and rare geological features. Because it is highly water soluble, large salt deposits do not normally survive long on the surface. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

In this Wednesday, March 27, 2019, photo, Yoav Negev, a researcher at the Israel Cave Research Center of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, uses his torch light to examine salt stalactites hanging from the ceiling in the Malham Cave at the Dead Sea in Israel. Salt caves tend to only exist in highly arid regions, like the area around the Dead Sea, which is located at the lowest point on earth and is too salty to support animal life. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

In this Wednesday, March 27, 2019 photo, Yoav Negev, and Boaz Langford, researchers at the Israel Cave Research Center of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, use their torch light to examine salt stalactites hanging from the ceiling in the Malham Cave at the Dead Sea in Israel. A recently completed survey of the cave determined the labyrinthine cavern stretches more than 10 kilometers (six miles) in length. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

In this Wednesday, March 27, 2019 photo, Yoav Negev, and Boaz Langford, researchers at the Israel Cave Research Center of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, examine salt stalactites hanging from the ceiling in the Malham cave at the Dead Sea in Israel. A recently completed survey of the cave determined the labyrinthine cavern stretches more than 10 kilometers (six miles) in length. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

In this Wednesday, March 27, 2019 photo, Yoav Negev, and Boaz Langford, researchers at the Israel Cave Research Center of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, examine salt stalactites hanging from the ceiling in the Malham Cave at the Dead Sea in Israel. Israeli researchers say they believe this to be the world's longest salt cave, a network of twisting passageways at the southern tip of the Dead Sea. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
VALLETTA, Malta (AP) - A group of migrants desperate not to go back to Libya made it safely to Europe on Thursday after commandeering the oil tanker that rescued them at sea - a drama that underlined contradictions in Europe's migration policies and could discourage future rescues.

Both Italy and Malta initially refused entry to the Palau-flagged El Hiblu 1. But Maltese armed forces intercepted it overnight after confirming with the captain that he was navigating toward Europe against his will. Special forces boarded it and restored control to the crew.

The 100 migrants, including 15 women and 47 claiming to be minors, left the tanker in a port near the Maltese capital of Valletta; five were handcuffed after being detained on suspicion of being the ringleaders.

Italy's hard-line interior minister called the hijacking the "the first act of piracy on the high seas with migrants." But humanitarian groups rejected that label, saying they were victims of "Europe's inhumane border policy," citing reports that many migrants have been mistreated, raped and tortured in Libya.

The German humanitarian group Sea-Eye said its rescue ship, the Alan Kurdi, was in the area of the El Hiblu 1 when it heard radio communications between the tanker and a European aircraft monitoring the seas.

The aircraft asked the tanker to respond to two rubber boats, saying that the people on board were "in mortal danger" and that the Libyan coast guard was "out of service." After the rescue, the captain reported to the aircraft that the migrants "are very upset and do not want to be brought back to Libya." However, the captain said the Libyan capital of Tripoli was the tanker's destination.

Armed forces stand onboard the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1, which was hijacked by migrants, in Valletta, Malta, Thursday March 28, 2019. A Maltese special operations team on Thursday boarded a tanker that had been hijacked by migrants rescued at sea, and returned control to the captain, before escorting it to a Maltese port. (AP Photo/Rene' Rossignaud)

Sea-Eye spokeswoman Carlotta Weibl said that they don't have exact information of what happened aboard the El Hiblu 1, but that "we don't see it as piracy because those people were claiming their right. It was completely illegal for a European plane to send them back to Libya."

Migrants have long reported that commercial ships either ignore smugglers' boats in distress, or merely stop to give them water, said Hassiba Hadj-Sahraoui, humanitarian affairs adviser with Doctors Without Borders. Similar incidents could accelerate the trend.

"They are doomed whatever they do," she said. "This is extremely disturbing for commercial ships. The shipping industry is trying to follow a tenant of international law, which is rescue. ... But if you are a commercial ship on tight deadlines and you need to deliver goods, it is an impossible situation."

The International Chamber of Shipping based in London expressed concern about the incident and said it would raise the issue with the U.N. International Maritime Organization.

"If a ship is directed to disembark rescued people in Libya, it creates a potential for conflict between the crew and desperate and frustrated people that might object to being returned," ICS secretary-general Guy Platten said in a statement. He added that civilian merchant seafarers "can be severely affected by the traumatic situations they have to face, having complied with their legal and humanitarian obligation to come to the rescue of anyone found in distress at sea."

The European Union has been training the Libyan coast guard in the hope that it will prevent migrants from entering international waters, where they have routinely been rescued, either by commercial ships or those run by humanitarian groups filling in the void after member countries significantly scaled down an EU operation in the Mediterranean.

But the contradiction lies in the fact that no EU member considers Libya, or any other northern African country, to be a "safe third country" where migrants can be returned without fear for their well-being. The EU also opposes the death penalty, and in extradition cases generally refuses to send people to countries where they might be killed or tortured.

Matthew Brook, the acting representative for the U.N. refugee agency in Libya, told reporters in Geneva that the conditions for many migrants in government-run detention centers in Libya were "terrible." He relayed an anecdote from some migrants that electric shocks were administered to them in vats of water.

While Europe is reducing its own rescue mission, Italy and Malta have refused to accept aid group rescue ships in their ports. That has led to offshore standoffs with boats loaded with migrants, often weak from their journey and mistreatment in Libya, while EU nations haggle over their fate.

Many humanitarian groups have stopped taking part in rescues; in fact only the Alan Kurdi is currently active in the central Mediterranean. Doctors Without Borders suspended their operation in December due to port closures, administrative pressure on Panama to pull its flag, and containment measures meaning that fewer migrants were making it past the Libyan coast guard.

The policies have had the effect desired by populist leaders like Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini. Migrant arrivals in Italy were down dramatically last year to 23,370 from nearly 120,000 a year earlier, according to Interior Ministry figures. Deaths at sea also sank to the lowest levels in five years, 2,299, according to the International Organization for Migration.

Details of what happened aboard the El Hiblu 1 remains sketchy, but the fact that the migrants made it to European soil makes it unlikely that they would be sent back to Libya.

Naval tracking signals show that the tanker was headed straight toward Libya when it deviated from its course, presumably for the rescue. After resuming toward Libya, it abruptly turned northward, suggesting the moment the hijackers took over, heading toward the island nation of Malta or Italy's southernmost island of Lampedusa.

Maltese armed forces established communications with the captain while the ship was still 30 nautical miles offshore. The captain said he was not in control of the vessel "and that he and his crew were being forced and threatened by a number of migrants to proceed to Malta," the armed forces said.

A military official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media said the migrants did not have weapons, but that the captain and crew were outnumbered and forced to surrender. Special forces backed by a patrol vessel, two fast interceptor craft and a helicopter regained control of the ship, and it was escorted back to Malta with armed military personnel standing guard on deck.

The condition of the crew was not known, and they were not seen exiting the tanker. Malta officials said they were also being questioned.

The vessel's owner, Salah al-Hiblu, said from Tripoli that the tanker was empty and was being captained by his brother, Nader, from Turkey. He said he received a call from Libyan naval guards, who asked him to contact his brother to rescue the migrants. They had resumed the voyage to Tripoli when the migrants "used force" and told him to go to Italy or Malta.

"The migrants told him, 'we are not leaving or going back to Libya. We already left Libya to go to Europe,'" al-Hiblu said.

____

Barry reported from Milan. Associated Press writers Maggie Michaels in Cairo, Lorne Cooke in Brussels, Jamey Keaten in Geneva, Lori Hinnant in Paris and Vanessa Gera in Rome contributed.

Armed forces stand onboard the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1, which was hijacked by migrants, in Valletta, Malta, Thursday March 28, 2019. A Maltese special operations team boarded a tanker Thursday that had been hijacked by migrants rescued at sea and recaptured control of it before escorting it to a Maltese port. Italy's hard-line interior minister slammed the migrants as pirates but aid groups rejected that label, saying the European Union's policy of sending migrants back to lawless Libya was to blame. (AP Photo/Rene' Rossignaud)

Armed forces stand onboard the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1, which was hijacked by migrants, in Valletta, Malta, Thursday March 28, 2019. A Maltese special operations team on Thursday boarded a tanker that had been hijacked by migrants rescued at sea, and returned control to the captain, before escorting it to a Maltese port. (AP Photo/Rene' Rossignaud)

Armed forces stand onboard the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1, which was hijacked by migrants, as migrants start to disembark in Valletta, Malta, Thursday March 28, 2019. A Maltese special operations team on Thursday boarded a tanker that had been hijacked by migrants rescued at sea, and returned control to the captain, before escorting it to a Maltese port. (AP Photo/Rene' Rossignaud)

A view of Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1, which was hijacked by migrants, harbored in Valletta, Malta, Thursday March 28, 2019. A Maltese special operations team on Thursday boarded a tanker that had been hijacked by migrants rescued at sea, and returned control to the captain, before escorting it to a Maltese port. (AP Photo/Rene' Rossignaud)

This image taken from TVM video on Thursday March 28, 2019 shows armed forces onboard the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1 in Valletta, Malta, which was hijacked by migrants. A Maltese special operations team on Thursday boarded a tanker that had been hijacked by migrants rescued at sea, and returned control to the captain, before escorting it to a Maltese port. (TVM via AP)

This image taken from TVM video on Thursday March 28, 2019 shows armed forces onboard the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1 in Valletta, Malta, which was hijacked by migrants. A Maltese special operations team on Thursday boarded a tanker that had been hijacked by migrants rescued at sea, and returned control to the captain, before escorting it to a Maltese port. (TVM via AP)

Migrants are disembarked from Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1, which was hijacked by migrants, in Valletta, Malta, Thursday March 28, 2019. A Maltese special operations team on Thursday boarded a tanker that had been hijacked by migrants rescued at sea, and returned control to the captain, before escorting it to a Maltese port. (AP Photo/Rene' Rossignaud)

FILE - In this file photo dated Wednesday, March 20, 2019, Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini at the Italian Senate, in Rome. Migrants hijacked a cargo ship in Libyan waters on Wednesday March 27, 2019, and have forced the crew to reroute the vessel north toward Europe, and Italian Interior Minister Salvini said the ship, was carrying around 120 migrants, but Italian authorities vowed they would not allow it into their territorial waters. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, FILE)

Armed forces stand onboard the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1, which was hijacked by migrants, in Valletta, Malta, Thursday March 28, 2019. A Maltese special operations team on Thursday boarded a tanker that had been hijacked by migrants rescued at sea, and returned control to the captain, before escorting it to a Maltese port. (AP Photo/Rene' Rossignaud)

Armed forces stand onboard the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1, which was hijacked by migrants, in Valletta, Malta, Thursday March 28, 2019. A Maltese special operations team on Thursday boarded a tanker that had been hijacked by migrants rescued at sea, and returned control to the captain, before escorting it to a Maltese port. (AP Photo/Rene' Rossignaud)

Armed forces stand onboard the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1, which was hijacked by migrants, in Valletta, Malta, Thursday March 28, 2019. A Maltese special operations team on Thursday boarded a tanker that had been hijacked by migrants rescued at sea, and returned control to the captain, before escorting it to a Maltese port. (AP Photo/Rene' Rossignaud)

Migrants are disembarked from the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1, which was hijacked by migrants, in Valletta, Malta, Thursday March 28, 2019. A Maltese special operations team on Thursday boarded a tanker that had been hijacked by migrants rescued at sea, and returned control to the captain, before escorting it to a Maltese port. (AP Photo/Rene' Rossignaud)

Armed forces stand onboard the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1, which was hijacked by migrants, in Valletta, Malta, Thursday March 28, 2019. A Maltese special operations team on Thursday boarded a tanker that had been hijacked by migrants rescued at sea, and returned control to the captain, before escorting it to a Maltese port. (AP Photo/Rene' Rossignaud)

Armed forces stand onboard the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1, which was hijacked by migrants, in Valletta, Malta, Thursday March 28, 2019. A Maltese special operations team on Thursday boarded a tanker that had been hijacked by migrants rescued at sea, and returned control to the captain, before escorting it to a Maltese port. (AP Photo/Rene' Rossignaud)

The captain stands onboard the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1, which was hijacked by migrants, in Valletta, Malta, Thursday March 28, 2019. A Maltese special operations team on Thursday boarded a tanker that had been hijacked by migrants rescued at sea, and returned control to the captain, before escorting it to a Maltese port. (AP Photo/Rene' Rossignaud)

A migrant, suspected to be involved in the hijack of the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1, is taken into custody in Valletta, Malta, Thursday March 28, 2019. A Maltese special operations team on Thursday boarded a tanker that had been hijacked by migrants rescued at sea, and returned control to the captain, before escorting it to a Maltese port. (AP Photo/Rene' Rossignaud)

Armed forces stand onboard the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1, which was hijacked by migrants, in Valletta, Malta, Thursday March 28, 2019. A Maltese special operations team on Thursday boarded a tanker that had been hijacked by migrants rescued at sea, and returned control to the captain, before escorting it to a Maltese port. (AP Photo/Rene' Rossignaud)

Armed forces stand onboard the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1, which was hijacked by migrants, in Valletta, Malta, Thursday March 28, 2019. A Maltese special operations team on Thursday boarded a tanker that had been hijacked by migrants rescued at sea, and returned control to the captain, second from right, before escorting it to a Maltese port. (AP Photo/Rene' Rossignaud)

Armed forces stand onboard the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1, which was hijacked by migrants, in Valletta, Malta, Thursday March 28, 2019. A Maltese special operations team on Thursday boarded a tanker that had been hijacked by migrants rescued at sea, and returned control to the captain, before escorting it to a Maltese port. (AP Photo/Rene' Rossignaud)

Armed forces stand onboard the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1, which was hijacked by migrants, in Valletta, Malta, Thursday March 28, 2019. A Maltese special operations team on Thursday boarded a tanker that had been hijacked by migrants rescued at sea, and returned control to the captain, before escorting it to a Maltese port. (AP Photo/Rene' Rossignaud)

Armed forces stand onboard the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1, which was hijacked by migrants, in Valletta, Malta, Thursday March 28, 2019. A Maltese special operations team on Thursday boarded a tanker that had been hijacked by migrants rescued at sea, and returned control to the captain, before escorting it to a Maltese port. (AP Photo/Rene' Rossignaud)

Armed forces stand onboard the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1, which was hijacked by migrants, in Valletta, Malta, Thursday March 28, 2019. A Maltese special operations team boarded a tanker Thursday that had been hijacked by migrants rescued at sea and recaptured control of it before escorting it to a Maltese port. Italy's hard-line interior minister slammed the migrants as pirates but aid groups rejected that label, saying the European Union's policy of sending migrants back to lawless Libya was to blame. (AP Photo/Rene' Rossignaud)

Armed forces stand onboard the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1, which was hijacked by migrants, in Valletta, Malta, Thursday March 28, 2019. A Maltese special operations team on Thursday boarded a tanker that had been hijacked by migrants rescued at sea, and returned control to the captain, before escorting it to a Maltese port. (AP Photo/Rene' Rossignaud)

A migrant, suspected to be involved in the hijack of the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1, is taken into custody in Valletta, Malta, Thursday March 28, 2019. A Maltese special operations team on Thursday boarded a tanker that had been hijacked by migrants rescued at sea, and returned control to the captain, before escorting it to a Maltese port. (AP Photo/Rene' Rossignaud)

A migrant, suspected to be involved in the hijack of the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1, is taken into custody in Valletta, Malta, Thursday March 28, 2019. A Maltese special operations team on Thursday boarded a tanker that had been hijacked by migrants rescued at sea, and returned control to the captain, before escorting it to a Maltese port. (AP Photo/Rene' Rossignaud)
VALLETTA, Malta (AP) - The Latest on a ship seized by migrants in the Mediterranean (all times local):

7:40 p.m.

Salah al-Hiblu, the owner of a tanker that was temporarily hijacked by migrants in the Mediterranean Sea, says his brother, the tanker's captain, was asked to rescue the migrants by the Libyan coast guard.

Speaking Thursday from Tripoli, the Libyan capital, he said the tanker was coming in empty from Turkey and heading to Tripoli.

He received a call Wednesday from the Libyan coast guard asking him to contact his brother Nader to save migrants who were in trouble in the Mediterranean. He called his brother, who then rescued 108 migrants.

Al-Hiblu said the tanker kept heading to Tripoli when the migrants "used force" against his brother and told him either to go to Italy or Malta. He says "the migrants told him we are not leaving or going back to Libya. We already left Libya to go to Europe."

Armed forces stand onboard the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1, which was hijacked by migrants, in Valletta, Malta, Thursday March 28, 2019. A Maltese special operations team on Thursday boarded a tanker that had been hijacked by migrants rescued at sea, and returned control to the captain, before escorting it to a Maltese port. (AP Photo/Rene' Rossignaud)

Italy and Malta refused at first to let the tanker dock in their ports. But a special operations team from Malta boarded the tanker on Thursday, took it back under control, and escorted it to a Maltese port.

___

6:45 p.m.

The German humanitarian group Sea-Eye is refuting that migrants pirated a tanker based on communications its rescue vessels in the Mediterranean monitored.

Sea-Eye said Thursday it heard a European naval aircraft ask the tanker to respond to two rubber boats, which reported that the people onboard were "in mortal danger" and that the Libyan Coast Guard was "out of service."

The tanker's captain rescued more than 100 people and reported to the aircraft that they "are very upset and do not want to be brought back to Libya." However, the captain said that the capital Tripoli was the ship's destination.

Italy's interior minister has called the migrants "pirates." Sea-Eye spokeswoman Carlotta Weibl said that they don't have exact information of what happened onboard the ship, but that "we don't see it as piracy because those people were claiming their right. It was completely illegal for a European plan to send them back to Libya."

___

3:40 p.m.

Italy's hard-line interior minister has called migrants who temporarily took over a cargo ship "pirates" but aid groups reject that label, saying that the European Union's policy of sending migrants back to lawless Libya is to blame.

A Maltese special operations team boarded a tanker Thursday that had been hijacked by migrants rescued at sea and recaptured control of it before escorting it to a Maltese port. Five migrants have been arrested and an investigation into the incident has been opened.

The aid group Sea Watch said the migrants' actions "were in self-defense against the deadly consequences forced upon them by Europe's inhumane border policy."

It and other aid groups say that migrants returned to Libya have been repeatedly mistreated, raped and tortured. They have urged EU nations to change their policies on sea rescues.

___

12:15 p.m.

Italy's interior minister has praised Maltese armed forces for intercepting a ship that had been hijacked by migrants to avoid being returned to Libya.

Matteo Salvini on Thursday said that "immigration is managed by criminals and should be blocked by any legal means necessary."

Salvini had called the incident "the first act of piracy on the high seas with migrants," adding they would not be allowed to land in Italy even as the tanker head north toward Malta and Italy.

Humanitarian groups cautioned against the characterization, saying the migrants were acting in self-defense to avoid being returned to lawless Libya.

Maltese armed forces returned control of the tanker to the captain who then sailed to Malta under military escort. Four migrants were taken off the tanker in handcuffs.

___

10:05 a.m.

Four migrants have been handcuffed and escorted off an oil tanker that was hijacked at sea, after Maltese special forces restored control of the captain.

The El Hiblu 1 arrived in Malta Thursday morning under armed forces escort with more than 100 migrants on board. Images showed armed military on the deck as migrants milled about nearby. Several police vans were parked on shore waiting to take the migrants into custody. Four men who were led off in handcuffs were believed to be suspects in commandeering the vessel.

The rescued migrants were resisting being returned to Libya, where humanitarian groups say they face abuse and even torture. Italy's interior minister called it an act of piracy. But the humanitarian group Sea Watch disputed that term, saying the actions "were in self-defense against the deadly consequences forced upon them by Europe's inhumane border policy."

___

8:45 a.m.

A tanker that had been hijacked by migrants it had rescued at sea has arrived in a Maltese port after armed forces restored control to the captain.

Several military personnel with weapons could be seen on board the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1 when it arrived at port in the capital, Valletta, Thursday morning. Armed forces said that the migrants would be turned over to police for investigation.

A Maltese special operations team had earlier boarded the ship, returning control to the captain, who sailed to Malta under military escort.

Authorities in Italy and Malta said that the migrants had hijacked the ship on Wednesday after it rescued them in the Mediterranean Sea, and forced the crew to put the Libya-bound vessel on a course north toward Europe.

___

7:35 a.m.

Malta armed forces say a special operations team has seized a tanker that was hijacked by migrants and it is now heading to a Maltese port with the migrants and crew.

Malta armed forces said Thursday that control of the vessel was returned to the captain and it was being escorted and monitored to Malta, where the migrants will be handed over to police for investigation.

Authorities in Malta and Italy said the migrants had hijacked the cargo ship after it rescued them in the Mediterranean Sea and forced the crew to put the Libya-bound vessel on a course north toward Europe. The tanker had rescued about 120 people before it was taken over in what Italy's interior minister described as "the first piracy on the high seas with migrants."

Armed forces stand onboard the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1, which was hijacked by migrants, in Valletta, Malta, Thursday March 28, 2019. A Maltese special operations team on Thursday boarded a tanker that had been hijacked by migrants rescued at sea, and returned control to the captain, before escorting it to a Maltese port. (AP Photo/Rene' Rossignaud)

Migrants are disembarked from the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1, which was hijacked by a small group of migrants, in Valletta, Malta, Thursday March 28, 2019. A Maltese special operations team on Thursday boarded a tanker that had been hijacked by migrants rescued at sea, and returned control to the captain, before escorting it to a Maltese port. (AP Photo/Rene' Rossignaud)

This image taken from TVM video on Thursday March 28, 2019 shows armed forces onboard the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1 in Valletta, Malta, which was hijacked by migrants. A Maltese special operations team on Thursday boarded a tanker that had been hijacked by migrants rescued at sea, and returned control to the captain, before escorting it to a Maltese port. (TVM via AP)

This image taken from TVM video on Thursday March 28, 2019 shows armed forces onboard the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1 in Valletta, Malta, which was hijacked by migrants. A Maltese special operations team on Thursday boarded a tanker that had been hijacked by migrants rescued at sea, and returned control to the captain, before escorting it to a Maltese port. (TVM via AP)

FILE - In this March 20, 2019, photo, Italian Interior Minister and Vice Premier Matteo Salvini gestures at the Italian Senate in Rome. Migrants hijacked a cargo ship in Libyan waters on Wednesday March 27, 2019, and have forced the crew to reroute the vessel north toward Europe, and Italian Interior Minister Salvini said the ship, was carrying around 120 migrants, but Italian authorities vowed they would not allow it into their territorial waters. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, File)
Photo: Contributed

In last weeks report, I provided some highlights on the recent 2019 budget and asked citizens if they liked what they saw in the budget.



I also made a commitment to share my own thoughts on this budget as an opposition member of Parliament.



Most critics have labelled this budget as an election-year-goodies budget that targets certain voting demographics that the Liberals hope will translate to votes in the October election.



While I do not disagree with that sentiment, I would submit that most every sitting government in an election year tables a budget that it believes will be politically popular.



My concern with this budget is somewhat different.



As you may have heard, household debt levels here in Canada are at an all-time high.



Household debt as a percentage of gross income in 2016 was 166 per cent.



In January, that has now increased to 176 per cent.



Why do I mention that in the context of this budget?



The new Canada Training Benefit on the surface sounds like a good program encouraging job skills retraining.



However, when you read the fine print, only $250 is available per year up to a career maximum of $5,000.



The challenge that I am already hearing is that most training programs cost well in excess of that amount.



Many skills training programs are literally thousands of dollars or more.



For many workers to benefit from this $250 training credit, it will mean borrowing thousands and increasing household debt.



Similarly, to access the credit of $5,000 toward the purchase of a new electric car for most would mean borrowing up to the maximum for the program amount of $45,000.



This again results in more household debt for anyone borrowing for a new vehicle purchase.



A similar situation is created with the new home buyers program.



Rather than eliminate the GST on affordable new housing (as has been done with the PST provincially), this budget only offers more options that encourage borrowing.



Borrowing $10,000 more from your RRSP, up to maximum of $35,000, is an option that few new home buyers can access.



The new first time home buyers incentive on the surface sounds helpful.



The program can help provide between 5-10 per cent of the down payment toward a maximum CMHC insurable mortgage up to $480,000, not counting the total down payment.



The challenge with this program is also in the fine print.



The maximum $480,000 mortgage value is also based on the programs maximum allowable household income level of $120,000 annually.



In a community where the average household income is $70,000, the maximum value under this program is set at 4 times the income, meaning a CMHC insurable mortgage limit of just $280,000. A significant difference.



These are just a few examples that all point towards increased household debt in order to access the benefits of these programs that ironically are themselves being offered by a $19.8 billion deficit budget.



My question this week:

At this current rate of spending, by 2040, an additional $271 billion in new debt will have accumulated, not factoring in household debt levels.

Are you concerned about this?



I can be reached at [email protected] or call toll free 1-800-665-8711.
By their nicknames, the top contenders in Ukraine's presidential election resemble a colorful operetta cast: "The Chocolate King," ''the Gas Princess," ''The Servant Of The People."

Opinion polls before the March 31 vote indicate that no one will come close to the 50-percent support needed to win in the first round. These three appear to have the best chances of making it into the second round three weeks later, each of them bearing vivid qualities.

PETRO POROSHENKO

Poroshenko, the incumbent, came to power in 2014 with the image of a "good oligarch." The bulk of his fortune came from a seemingly innocuous source, the chocolate-maker Roshen, hence his nickname "The Chocolate King."

He promised to divest himself of the whole business upon becoming president.

Five years later, there's little sweetness left in his image. He hasn't sold the chocolate business. Critics denounce him for having done little to combat Ukraine's endemic corruption, the war with Russia-backed separatists in the east grinds on with no clear strategy for ending it and while his economic reforms may have pleased international lenders, they've left millions of Ukrainians wondering if they can find the money to pay their utilities bills.

In this file photo dated Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2019, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko gestures while speaking at a meeting with supporters in Kiev, Ukraine. Incumbent president, Poroshenko came to power in 2014 with the image of a "good oligarch", with the bulk of his fortune coming from a seemingly innocuous source, the chocolate-maker Roshen, hence his nickname "The Chocolate King."(AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky, FILE)

But the 53-year-old Poroshenko also has scored some significant goals for Ukraine's national identity and its desire to move out of Russia's influence. He signed an association agreement with the European Union - which predecessor Viktor Yanukovych turned away from, setting off the protests that eventually drove him out of office. Ukrainians now can travel visa-free to the European Union, a significant perk. He pushed relentlessly for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to be recognized as self-standing rather than just a branch of the Russian church.

YULIA TYMOSHENKO

Tymoshenko has abandoned the elaborate blond hair braid that made her the most recognizable figure of the 2004 Orange Revolution protests, but she's retained the vivid rhetoric and populist leanings.

In her third run for the presidency, the 58-year-old Tymoshenko is playing heavily to the economic distress of millions of Ukrainians. She has promised to reduce prices for household gas by 50 percent within a month of taking office, calling the price hikes introduced by Poroshenko to satisfy international lenders "economic genocide." She also promises to take away constitutional immunity for the president, the judiciary and lawmakers.

Before entering politics, Tymoshenko was widely called "the Gas Princess" because she headed a middleman company that imported Russian gas.

Her popularity soared after the 2004 revolution and she was named prime minister. But her star soon fell again as she and President Viktor Yushchenko quarreled, and he dismissed her after nine months in office. She returned to the premiership in 2007 and lasted until 2010, when she lost the presidential election to Yanukovych.

In 2011, she was arrested and charged with abusing power as premier in a natural gas deal with Russia. Tymoshenko said the proceedings were politically motivated revenge, and Western governments voiced concern about her incarceration. She was released amid the disorder of the 2014 overthrow of Yanukovych, and lost a presidential election to Poroshenko three months later.

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKIY

Zelenskiy may be approaching the point where life imitates art.

The 41-year-old comic actor's most famous role is his TV portrayal of a schoolteacher who becomes president after a video of him denouncing corruption goes viral. Even before he announced his candidacy, Zelenskiy's name was turning up high in pre-election public opinion polls, with potential voters seemingly encouraged by his "Servant of the People" TV series (which became the name of his party).

Like his TV character, Zelenskiy the candidate has focused strongly on corruption. He proposes a lifetime ban on holding public office for anyone convicted of corruption and calls for a tax amnesty under which someone holding hidden assets would declare them, be taxed at 5 percent and face no other measures.

He supports Ukraine's eventual membership in NATO, but only if the country were to approve this in a referendum.

Zelenskiy's clean image has been shadowed by his admission that he had commercial interests in Russia through a holding company and by persistent speculation about links with oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky, who owns the television station that airs "Servant of the People."

In this Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2019, file photo, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko gestures while speaking at a meeting with supporters in Kiev, Ukraine, Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2019. Critics denounce Critics denounce Poroshenko for having done little to combat Ukraine's endemic corruption, which may impact his following in upcoming March 31 election.(AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

In this Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2019, file photo, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, center, greets his supporters in Kiev, Ukraine, Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2019. Poroshenko pledged that Ukraine will push on with efforts to join the European Union and NATO if he were to win another five-year term in office, in upcoming March 31, 2019, presidential elections. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky, FILE)

In this photo dated March 7, 2019, former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko speaks during her press conference in Kiev, Ukraine. Tymoshenko has abandoned the elaborate blonde hair braid that made her the most recognizable figure of the 2004 Orange Revolution protests, but she's retained the vivid rhetoric and populist leanings, for the president election scheduled for March 31. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

In this photo dated March 7, 2019, former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko speaks during her press conference in Kiev, Ukraine. Tymoshenko has abandoned the elaborate blonde hair braid that made her the most recognizable figure of the 2004 Orange Revolution protests, but she's retained the vivid rhetoric and populist leanings, for the president election scheduled for March 31. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

In this Feb. 6, 2019, Ukrainian comedian, Volodymyr Zelenskiy who played the nation's president in a popular TV series, during filming in Kiev, Ukraine. The 41-year-old comic actor's most famous role is his TV portrayal of a school teacher who becomes president, but now Zelenskiy's name is turning up high in pre-election public opinion polls, prior to presidential elections March 31. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

In this photo dated Feb. 6, 2019, Ukrainian comedian, Volodymyr Zelenskiy seen during the shooting of a popular TV series, where he plays the president during the filming in Kiev, Ukraine. Zelenskiy played the president and now is running for the same office in upcoming presidential elections on March 31.(AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
BEIJING (AP) - U.S. trade negotiators arrived in Beijing on Thursday to start a new round of talks aimed at ending a tariff war over China's technology ambitions as officials hint they might be making progress.

The meetings are the latest in a rapid-fire series of exchanges seeking to end the conflict that is disrupting trade in goods from soybeans to medical equipment.

The talks were to begin with a working dinner Thursday and last the entire day Friday, Chinese commerce ministry spokesman Gao Feng said during a regular briefing.

"Both teams are currently sparing no effort" on the negotiations, Gao said.

President Donald Trump expressed optimism last week, saying, "we're getting very close." The chief American envoy, Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, said this week that questions about details and enforcement remain to be answered.

The U.S. delegation to the talks is led by Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who arrived at a Beijing hotel on Thursday afternoon. Speaking briefly to reporters, Mnuchin said he and Lighthizer were pleased to be back and looked forward to productive meetings.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, left, and his Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer arrive at a hotel in Beijing, Thursday, March 28, 2019. Mnuchin and his Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer arrive to China's capital to hold a new round of high-level trade talks with China on March 28-29, start with a working dinner. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

The chief Chinese envoy, Vice Premier Liu He, is due to visit Washington in early April for more talks.

The two sides have not announced agreements yet but trade analysts expect at least a preliminary accord in coming weeks or months. Still, they say the negotiations are unlikely to resolve conflicts that have bedeviled U.S.-Chinese relations for two decades.

The latest dispute erupted after Trump raised duties last year on Chinese imports in response to complaints Beijing steals or pressures companies to hand over technology. It has disrupted trade in goods from soybeans to medical equipment.

That is fueling fears the battle between the two biggest economies will chill global growth that already shows signs of slowing.

Neither side has indicated they are making progress on the core of the dispute: U.S. pressure on Beijing to drop industrial strategies its trading partners say violate its market-opening obligations and might be based on stealing technology.

That includes plans for government-led creation of Chinese global competitors in robotics and other technology.

A stumbling block appears to be Washington's insistence on an enforcement mechanism with penalties if Beijing fails to follow through on commitments.

Trump also raised another potential obstacle last week, saying he wants to keep in place 25 percent taxes on $50 billion of Chinese goods. The president said, "we need that."

Beijing is not "in the biggest hurry" so long as Washington delays imposing additional tariffs, said Bryan Mercurio, a trade law specialist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Chinese negotiators want to avoid giving too much before they figure out what Washington will settle for, said Mercurio, a former Canadian trade negotiator.

"You never really know what the Trump administration wants," said Mercurio.

Separately, Premier Li Keqiang, China's No. 2 leader and economic czar, told a conference in southern China that Beijing plans to open its financial sector further and beef up its rules on foreign companies' mergers and acquisitions within China.

Li was speaking at the Boao Forum for Asia, an annual meeting in the coastal town of Boao.

The official Xinhua News agency cited Li as promising to improve access to China's bond, banking, securities and insurance markets.

_

AP producer Fu Ting and AP cameraman Wong Wai-bor contributed to this report.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin gestures as he speaks to media upon his arrival to a hotel with his Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer in Beijing, Thursday, March 28, 2019. Mnuchin and his Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer arrive at China's capital to hold a new round of high-level trade talks with China on March 28-29, start with a working dinner. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin arrive at a hotel in Beijing, Thursday, March 28, 2019. Mnuchin and his Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer arrive at China's capital to hold a new round of high-level trade talks with China on March 28-29, start with a working dinner. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, left, walks toward to the journalists as he arrives at a hotel with his Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer in Beijing, Thursday, March 28, 2019. Mnuchin and his Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer arrive at China's capital to hold a new round of high-level trade talks with China on March 28-29, start with a working dinner. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, center, and his Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, right, arrive at a hotel in Beijing, Thursday, March 28, 2019. Mnuchin and his Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer arrive at China's capital to hold a new round of high-level trade talks with China on March 28-29, start with a working dinner. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
BEIRUT (AP) - Israel confirmed Thursday it carried out an airstrike the night before in northern Syria while a war monitoring group said the attack killed an Iranian and six Iraqi fighters allied with President Bashar Assad's government forces.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that the strike on Wednesday night targeted an Iranian weapons depot and also wounded several other fighters.

Syrian state media said the country's air defenses responded to an "Israeli air aggression" targeting positions in an industrial area northeast of the city of Aleppo, causing material damage only.

The Israeli military does not usually comment on reports concerning its airstrikes in neighboring Syria though it has recently acknowledged striking Iranian targets in Syria.

Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz referred to the latest strike in an interview with Israel Radio on Thursday.

"According to sources, it's Israel," Katz said. "As the Syrians say and responded, it's Israel. According to what Iran knows, it's Israel."

FILE - This file photo provided Oct. 20, 2017 by the government-controlled Syrian Central Military Media, shows Iran's Army Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, left, and other senior officers on the front line in the northern province of Aleppo, Syria. A Syrian war monitoring group said Thursday, March. 28, 2019 that an Israeli airstrike the night before killed several Iranian and Iranian-backed fighters in northern Syria. Iran is an ally of Damascus and has offered military advisers, sent allied militiamen and material support to help the Syrian government force in the eight-year civil war. (Syrian Central Military Media, via AP, File)

Iran is an ally of Damascus and has offered military advisers, sent militiamen and material support to help Assad's government forces in the eight-year civil war.

Israel considers Iran a national security threat and says it won't tolerate Irans presence on its borders.
MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) - A 15-hour standoff at a New Hampshire hotel ended Thursday with three people dead, including two who had barricaded themselves inside a room and shot repeatedly at police and drug enforcement agents.

Authorities, including a SWAT team, swarmed the area around the Quality Inn in Manchester, closing off a bustling commercial neighborhood filled with car dealerships, a strip mall and several restaurants.

It began Wednesday evening when Stephen Marshall, 51, of Manchester, climbed out of a hotel window. Armed with an automatic handgun, Marshall "engaged" with a Manchester police officer and two Drug Enforcement Administration agents who had come there to serve a warrant on him and another man. They only would say it was drug-related.

A police officer and DEA agent shot Marshall, and he was pronounced dead at the hospital, according to the state attorney general's office. No law enforcement officers or bystanders were injured.

Meanwhile, two other people - a man and a woman whose names have not yet been released - holed up in a first-floor room of the hotel. For nearly nine hours, one of the two fired multiple times on law enforcement who were outside.

SWAT team members eventually deployed chemical agents inside the room. At the same time, MacDonald said Manchester police officers "attempted to speak with these individuals and seek a peaceful resolution."

Emergency medical technicians carry a person on a stretcher into an ambulance outside the Quality Inn on Thursday, March 28, 2019, in Manchester, N.H. Two people had barricaded themselves in a first-floor room after one man was shot and killed there Wednesday night by police after he engaged Drug Enforcement Administration agents and police. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

The standoff ended Thursday morning after law enforcement officers managed to get into the Quality Inn. The attorney general's office said the pair were found dead but wouldn't say how they died.

"It's disheartening that we have to face incidents like what we had to deal with today," Manchester Police Chief Carlo Capano said. "When you think about a nine-hour period of officers being shot at as much as they were ... we are truly blessed that none of those officers were hurt today."

WMUR-TV reports that Marshall had a criminal history dating back 10 years that included multiple drug charges.

New Hampshire Attorney General Gordon MacDonald told reporters Marshall's shooting was being investigated by the New Hampshire State Police major crime unit under the direction of his office. The names of the two officers involved in the shooting were not released.

"This remains an active investigation. It is in its early stages and, as such, we are limited in the information we can provide," MacDonald told reporters, adding that the crime scene was "complex."

After Marshall was shot, a SWAT team arrived and the hotel and a nearby restaurant were evacuated. Police closed surrounding roads, and armored personnel carriers were stationed outside the hotel. Several firetrucks were also on the scene.

Michael Hughes, a shift manager at the Manchester Poker Room & Casino, which is next to the hotel, recalled how there were about 250 people inside playing bingo and other games when a few customers standing outside heard gunshots. That prompted the business go into a lockdown, eventually escorting customers five at a time past the heavy police presence around 9:30 p.m.

"It was chaotic," Hughes said, adding that the business opened as usual Thursday. "It was definitely not a normal occurrence."

After the standoff, roads and businesses were reopened. However, the hotel is not expected to reopen for several days to more than a week.

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Associated Press writer Kathy McCormack contributed from Concord, New Hampshire.

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This story has been corrected to show that the federal law enforcement agency that responded to the shooting is the Drug Enforcement Administration, not the Drug Enforcement Agency.

A police officer climbs through a window at the Quality Inn on Thursday, March 28, 2019, in Manchester, N.H., where two people remain barricaded in a first-floor room. One man was shot and killed there Wednesday night by police after he engaged Drug Enforcement Administration agents and police. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

A police officer carries a firefighter's hook into the Quality Inn on Thursday, March 28, 2019, in Manchester, N.H., where two people barricaded themselves in a first-floor room. One man was shot and killed there Wednesday night by police after he engaged Drug Enforcement Administration agents and police. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Police officers walks outside the Quality Inn on Thursday, March 28, 2019, in Manchester, N.H., where two people remain barricaded in a first-floor room. One man was shot and killed there Wednesday night by police after he engaged Drug Enforcement Administration agents and police. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Police officers gather in a parking lot outside the Quality Inn on Thursday, March 28, 2019, in Manchester, N.H., where two people barricaded themselves in a first-floor room. One man was shot and killed there Wednesday night by police after he engaged Drug Enforcement Administration agents and police. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Police officers enter the Quality Inn on Thursday, March 28, 2019, in Manchester, N.H., where two people barricaded themselves in a first-floor room. One man was shot and killed there Wednesday night by police after he engaged Drug Enforcement Administration agents and police. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

A police officers walks in a parking lot outside the Quality Inn on Thursday, March 28, 2019, in Manchester, N.H., where two people barricaded themselves in a first-floor room. One man was shot and killed there Wednesday night by police after he engaged Drug Enforcement Administration agents and police. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

A police officer walks outside the Quality Inn on Thursday, March 28, 2019, in Manchester, N.H., where two people barricaded themselves in a first-floor room. One man was shot and killed there Wednesday night by police after he engaged Drug Enforcement Administration agents and police. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Police officers enter the Quality Inn on Thursday, March 28, 2019, in Manchester, N.H., where two people barricaded themselves in a first-floor room. A man was killed in an officer-involved shooting at the hotel amid an ongoing standoff that began Wednesday night and stretched into Thursday. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

A police officer stands beside a robotic device rolling toward a door at the Quality Inn on Thursday, March 28, 2019, in Manchester, N.H., where two people remain barricaded in a first-floor room. One man was shot and killed there Wednesday night by police after he engaged Drug Enforcement Administration agents and police. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Democratic presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar is pitching an infrastructure plan she says will provide $1 trillion to fix roads and bridges, protect against flooding and rebuild schools, airports and other projects.

The plan announced Thursday is the first policy proposal from the Minnesota senator since she joined the 2020 race with a snowy rally not far from where the Interstate 35W bridge collapsed into the Mississippi River in 2007.

Klobuchar speaks often on the campaign trail about the collapse, which killed 13 people, telling voters "a bridge just shouldn't fall down in the middle of America." She also talks about how she worked with Republican colleagues to get funding to rebuild the bridge within 13 months.

"America needs someone who will deliver on their promises and get things done for this country," Klobuchar said in a statement Thursday announcing her plan.

She said it will be her top budget priority and pledged to pass it during her first year as president.

The plan calls for leveraging $650 billion in federal funding through public-private partnerships, bond programs and clean-energy tax incentives. It would restart the Build America Bonds program President Barack Obama's administration created to help stimulate the economy during the recession.

FILE - In this March 17, 2019 file photo, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., speaks during a meet and greet with local residents in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Democratic presidential candidate Klobuchar is proposing an infrastructure plan she says will provide $1 trillion to fix roads and bridges, protect against flooding and rebuild schools and other projects. The plan announced Thursday is the first policy proposal from the Minnesota senator since she joined the 2020 race. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)

About $400 billion of the $650 billion federal spending would come from raising the corporate tax rate from 21 percent to 25 percent. The rate was cut from 35 percent to 21 percent in President Donald Trump's 2017 tax bill. Klobuchar also calls for closing tax loopholes and imposing a "financial risk fee" on large banks.

Klobuchar has criticized Trump for pledging to pass a "significant" infrastructure plan but not doing so.

Her campaign says her plan provides a "concrete, common-sense" way to fund infrastructure investments. Those include connecting every U.S. household to the internet by 2022, modernizing public transportation and investing in renewable-energy development and drinking and wastewater systems.

Klobuchar plans to discuss the proposal during stops Friday and Saturday in Iowa and Nebraska, where she will visit communities struggling with major flooding and other infrastructure needs.

FILE - In this Feb. 24, 2019 file photo, Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., speaks to voters during a campaign stop at a home, in Nashua, N.H. Democratic presidential candidate Klobuchar is proposing an infrastructure plan she says will provide $1 trillion to fix roads and bridges, protect against flooding and rebuild schools and other projects. The plan announced Thursday is the first policy proposal from the Minnesota senator since she joined the 2020 race. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)
TIRANA, Albania (AP) - Albanian opposition protesters on Thursday made further attempts to enter the parliament by force as they demand the government's resignation and an early election.

A few thousand center-right Democratic Party-led protesters used smoke bombs and projectiles and repeatedly clashed with police in an attempt to break the cordon protecting the parliament building where the weekly session was held.

Police refrained from the use of tear gas, which they had used in previous rallies.

Opposition leaders and others made short speeches.

"Our greatest mission is to topple the government of crime," said Democrats' leader Lulzim Basha, calling on all Albanians to join.

Elsewhere, a group of demonstrators tried to disrupt the arrival of a visiting Dutch minister for a meeting with the interior minister.

Protesters clash with police front of the Albanian parliament building in Tirana, on Thursday, March 28, 2019. Albanian opposition protesters have repeated attempts to enter the parliament by force in their protest asking for the government's resignation and an early election.(AP Photo/ Hektor Pustina)

The opposition accuses the leftist Socialist Party government of Prime Minister Edi Rama of being corrupt and linked to organized crime, which the government denies. Opposition lawmakers resigned en masse in February and, since then, opposition supporters have repeatedly tried to enter the parliament or government buildings and police have responded with tear gas and water cannons.

Lawmakers, with about 20 newcomers from the opposition lists who have filled the vacant seats, are continuing to hold sessions.

The Socialists say the opposition's protests are damaging Albania's progress toward membership in the European Union. Brussels is due to decide in June on launching full membership negotiations.

The opposition says it will hold protests whenever the parliament convenes in weekly sessions. A bigger rally is planned for mid-April.

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Follow Llazar Semini on Twitter: https://twitter.com/lsemini

A protester dressed in traditional clothing flashes the victory sign in front of Albanian policemen guarding the parliament building in Tirana, on Thursday, March 28, 2019. Albanian opposition protesters have repeated attempts to enter the parliament by force in their protest asking for the government's resignation and an early election. (AP Photo/ Hektor Pustina)

A protester throws a firecracker to police officers guarding the Albanian parliament building in Tirana, on Thursday, March 28, 2019. Albanian opposition protesters have repeated attempts to enter the parliament by force in their protest asking for the government's resignation and an early election.(AP Photo/ Hektor Pustina)

Protesters clash with police front of the Albanian parliament building in Tirana, on Thursday, March 28, 2019. Albanian opposition protesters have repeated attempts to enter the parliament by force in their protest asking for the government's resignation and an early election.(AP Photo/ Hektor Pustina)
PARIS (AP) - Europe's human rights court has rejected a case brought by activists who said British authorities infringed on their rights by banning demonstrations around the 2011 wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

The eight activists were detained for several hours on the wedding day for security reasons, then released without charge.

After British courts dismissed their appeals, the activists turned to the European Court of Human Rights in the French city of Strasbourg, arguing that their detention was disproportionate and unjustified.

The European court announced Thursday that it refused to take up the activists' case, and that British courts "had struck a fair balance between the applicants' right to liberty and preventing them from disturbing the public order."

Large numbers of foreign dignitaries and onlookers came to London for the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:

1. HIJACKED TANKER ARRIVES SAFELY IN MALTA

A Maltese special operations team boards a vessel that had been hijacked by migrants rescued at sea, and returns control to the captain, before escorting it to a Maltese port.

2. SPECULATION RISES OVER TRUMP PARDONS

The president's closest advisers and GOP allies say such a move could ignite a political firestorm if he pardons those charged in the Russia probe.

3. 'IT DOESN'T OPEN'

A migrant, suspected to be involved in the hijack of the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1, is taken into custody in Valletta, Malta, Thursday March 28, 2019. A Maltese special operations team on Thursday boarded a tanker that had been hijacked by migrants rescued at sea, and returned control to the captain, before escorting it to a Maltese port. (AP Photo/Rene' Rossignaud)

Survivors of the mosque attacks in New Zealand describe to the AP confusion and terror at a door they couldn't open on one side of the main prayer room in the Al Noor mosque.

4. MUELLER'S EVIDENCE LIKELY A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF MATERIAL

Democratic lawmakers say what they really want is documentation of everything - and an idea of how that evidence guided the special counsel's conclusions.

5. THE FALLOUT FROM THE JUSSIE SMOLLETT CASE

The "Empire" actor's bizarre saga has shaken the public trust, exposed the country's deep racial wounds and damaged his acting career and advocacy for African-Americans and LGBT issues.

6. WHERE WINNING POWERBALL TICKET WAS SOLD

A single ticket sold in Wisconsin matches all six numbers in the drawing to win the third-largest jackpot in U.S. lottery history.

7. AID FINALLY REACHES ZIMBABWE VILLAGE

Cyclone-devastated Machongwe pauses from retrieving and burying their dead to welcome the first humanitarian aid from the outside world nearly two weeks after the storm.

8. WHAT CREATES QUANDARY FOR POLICE

Federal legalization for hemp as authorities lack the technology to distinguish marijuana from agricultural hemp at a roadside stop, AP learns.

9. OFFICE BUILDING CATCHES FIRE IN BANGLADESH CAPITAL

A fire breaks out in a high-rise in Dhaka and some people are feared trapped inside while some reports say several people fell from the building trying to escape.

10. ONLY CINDERELLA LEFT IN THIS DANCE

The closest thing to a long shot left in the NCAA Tournament is No. 12 seed Oregon and the Ducks will face top-seeded Virginia.

In this March 27, 2019, photo, Al Noor mosque shooting survivor Tariq Chenafa sits by the the window he smashed to escape a gunman at the mosque on March 15 in Christchurch, New Zealand. Chenafa said he heard a tat-tat-tat-tat-tat and knew right away it was a semi-automatic weapon from his two years of compulsory military training in the Algerian army.(AP Photo/Mark Baker)
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris announced Thursday the rollout of a slate of endorsements in South Carolina, including one of its longest-serving black lawmakers.

The senator from California hopes the support will show her ability to reach broad sectors of the critical early-voting state.

Harris' campaign told The Associated Press that she is being endorsed by a trio of black legislators: state Reps. Pat Henegan and J.A. Moore and state Sen. Darrell Jackson. Also backing her campaign are former gubernatorial candidate Marguerite Willis and Berkeley County Democratic Chairwoman Melissa Watson.

Harris, who announced her candidacy in January , is among a sprawling field of Democratic presidential contenders building a base of support in South Carolina, which is home to the first primary in the South and is the first test of candidates' appeal with a primarily black Democratic primary electorate.

Last week, state Rep. John King became the first sitting lawmaker to make an official 2020 endorsement, announcing his support for Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey. On Thursday, state Rep. Terry Alexander told the AP he's backing Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, as he did in 2016.

All five Harris backers will serve as co-chairs of her campaign in the state, something that the campaign said shows her ability to appeal to a base that's diverse in geography, age and ethnicity. Willis, who is white, and Watson, who is black, hail from the eastern and coastal regions of the state. The lawmakers represent central and eastern regions and range in age from 34 to 71.

In this Friday, March 8, 2019, photo, U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, D-California, speaks at a town hall gathering in Hemingway, S.C. On Thursday, March 28, 2019, Harris announced a slate of backers for her presidential campaign in this early-voting state, including three state lawmakers. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard)

In prepared remarks provided by the campaign, all five supporters said they were drawn to Harris' plans to increase teacher pay .

Jackson, in office for 27 years, is one of the state's longest-serving black senators and is pastor of Bible Way Church of Atlas Road, one of South Carolina's largest and most influential African-American congregations. He said Harris' teacher pay plan "would finally treat teachers with the respect they deserve" and praised her proposal to address "the needs of teachers working in economically disenfranchised schools where kids need increased support and attention."

In discussing her education plans, Harris has singled out the area along Interstate 95 in South Carolina known as the Corridor of Shame because of its underperforming schools. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos recently toured the region , which gained that name from a 2005 documentary that depicted decrepit conditions and deteriorating buildings.

"You know, right here in South Carolina, we need to pay our teachers what they are worth," Harris told attendees at a North Charleston town hall last month, adding later: "For most of us who ever have a microphone like this in our hands, we have never achieved this kind of success without the teachers and the public education system that made us who we are."

In remarks provided by the Harris campaign, Watson, a public school teacher, said she backed Harris' proposals to "treat teachers like the professionals they are." Willis also mentioned Harris' plans for teachers and called her "the candidate willing to speak truth to power."

Henegan, a former educator who, like Harris, is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, the nation's oldest black sorority, will reach out to that wide network as well as organize in rural communities, according to the campaign.

Moore, a small-business owner whose sister was among the nine churchgoers slain in the 2015 Charleston shooting massacre, is a progressive who, while aggressively courted by several other campaigns, told the AP he was backing Harris in part because he sees her as the best force to take on President Donald Trump.

"She has a record of standing up to bullies," he said.

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Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP

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This story has been corrected to show the name is J.A., not A.J, and Watson is black, not white.

FILE - In this March 8, 2019, file photo, Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif.,meets with supporters at Big Mike's Soul Food, in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Harris is rolling out a slate of endorsements in the critical early primary state of South Carolina. (Jason Lee/The Sun News via AP)

FILE - In this March 1, 2019, file photo, Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., speaks at the Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)
LONDON (AP) - British cybersecurity inspectors said Thursday they found significant technical issues in Chinese telecom supplier Huawei's software that pose risks for the country's mobile networks.

It's the latest salvo in a global battle over Huawei , which the U.S. says could give the Chinese government backdoor access to sensitive data worldwide.

The annual update on Huawei Technologies' security said officials are not confident Huawei is up to fixing the problems, pointing out that the company still hasn't done anything to address flaws identified in last year's report.

Thursday's report said it's possible to only give "limited assurance" that long-term national security risks from Huawei's involvement in critical British telecom networks can be adequately managed.

The U.S. government wants its European allies to ban the company from next-generation mobile networks set to roll out in coming years over fears China's communist leaders could use Huawei gear to carry out cyberespionage.

Britain has so far resisted, saying it can manage the risks without resorting to a boycott. The European Union is also leaning toward a similar approach, with the bloc's executive commission avoiding a ban when it released security recommendations for 5G networks earlier this week.

FILE - In this Thursday, March 7, 2019 file photo, two men use their mobile phones outside a Huawei retail shop in Shenzhen, China's Guangdong province. British cybersecurity inspectors have found significant technical issues in Chinese telecom supplier Huawei's software that they say pose new risks for the country's telecom companies. The annual report Thursday, March 28, 2019 said that because of Huawei's involvement in Britain's critical telecom networks it can only give "limited assurance" that long-term national security risks can be adequately managed. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)

Security of superfast 5G mobile networks, which promise to unlock a new wave of innovation, is taking on more urgency as European countries prepare to auction off frequencies to mobile phone companies this year.

Thursday's report noted that Britain's cybersecurity authorities did not believe Huawei's defects were a result of "Chinese state interference."

Since 2010, Huawei equipment in British networks has been inspected by an evaluation center, which is funded by the Chinese company and, starting in 2014, overseen by a board chaired by a top British cybersecurity official. Other board members include officials from Huawei and Britain's mobile phone companies.

The oversight board's report criticized Huawei for making "no material progress" in fixing technical shortcomings noted in last year's report.

"We understand these concerns and take them very seriously," Huawei said in a statement. The issues that have been identified "provide vital input for the ongoing transformation of our software engineering capabilities," a global effort for which the company in November pledged $2 billion over five years, it said.

The oversight board, however, said it hasn't seen anything that gives it confidence Huawei has the capacity to carry out the transformation.

One big concern: In 2018 the center found "several hundred issues and vulnerabilities" in Huawei gear that were reported to British mobile companies.

Alarmingly, it said attackers who knew of the vulnerabilities and had the right access could potentially exploit them to affect a network's operation, in some cases by causing it stop to operating correctly.

The report's findings don't suggest that British mobile networks are more vulnerable than last year, and can be used to flag up issues so phone companies can more effectively mitigate them, it said.

The oversight report is separate from a government review of the risks to Britain's 5G telecom equipment supply chains due out this spring, though it is one of the things that review will take into account.

Huawei overtook Scandinavian rivals Nokia and Ericsson to become the world's biggest telecom equipment maker because of its reputation for cheap, good quality products.

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Follow Kelvin Chan at www.twitter.com/chanman

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Follow the AP's coverage of technology at: https://apnews.com/apf-technology
Photo: CTV News

A Victoria man who admitted to fatally shooting another man in a Nanaimo hotel in 2017 will be eligible for parole in 17 years, a judge ruled Wednesday.

CTV News reports Brandon Tyler Woody pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for the shooting of Andrew McLean in the lobby of a Howard Johnson Hotel on April 19, 2017.

A second-degree murder conviction carries an automatic life sentence, but a sentencing hearing was needed to decide Woodys period of parole ineligibility.

With credit for time served, he will be up for parole in 2034.

Woody was originally charged with first-degree murder, but pleaded guilty to the lesser second-degree charge.

with files from CTV Vancouver Island
LONDON (AP) - The Latest on Britain's departure from the European Union (all times local):

9:25 p.m.

President Donald Trump has offered encouragement to British Prime Minister Theresa May, who promised to quit if lawmakers approve the latest version of her Brexit deal with the European Union.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Thursday, Trump called May a friend and said he wished her well with the "Brexit movement and everything happening there."

Trump said: "She's a very good woman, and I'll tell you what, she's strong, she's tough, she's in there fighting."

The U.S. president previously has made comments about May and Brexit that were seen in Britain as insults that undercut the prime minister.

Pro-Brexit campaigners lobby outside Parliament in London, Thursday, March 28, 2019. The British government says it plans to hold a new Brexit debate in Parliament Friday, but hasn't confirmed whether it will call a third vote on its twice-rejected European Union divorce deal. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Earlier this month, he said he was "surprised at how badly" the Brexit negotiations were handled and that May didn't listen to advice he offered her.

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5:15 p.m.

The speaker of Britain's House of Commons has cleared the path for lawmakers to debate and vote on the EU Withdrawal Agreement on Friday.

Parliament will vote on the 585-page withdrawal agreement, which sets out the terms of Britain's departure from the European Union. But lawmakers will not be voting on a shorter declaration on future ties that is also part of the divorce deal between the U.K. and the EU.

The removal of the political declaration from debate is an attempt to alter the deal enough to overcome a ban on asking lawmakers the same question thrice.

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2:45 p.m.

Germany's health minister is voicing concern that supplies of some medical products in the European Union could quickly be disrupted if Britain leaves without a deal.

In a letter to the European Commission, Jens Spahn pointed to the risk of products certified in Britain losing their formal licensing in the EU. The letter, first reported by the Handelsblatt daily, was obtained Thursday by The Associated Press.

He said that the items affected include important orthopedic implants, cardiology products and products used to screen blood donations.

He said he fears that "also in Germany, the supply of blood products to patients could be endangered from mid-April at the latest."

Spahn said the problems can only be solved EU-wide. He called for simplified procedures to transfer British certification to other EU countries and the quick registration of the products affected in another EU country. He also called for a 12-month transition period in which products could still be used.

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12:45 p.m.

The British government says it plans to hold a new Brexit debate in Parliament Friday, but hasn't confirmed whether it will call a third vote on its twice-rejected European Union divorce deal.

House of Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom says lawmakers will hold an unscheduled sitting day to debate a Brexit motion.

The EU has given Britain until Friday to approve the Brexit deal and ensure an orderly departure from the bloc on May 22.

But Prime Minister Theresa May is still struggling to win over lawmakers, who have twice rejected the deal by large margins.

And the House of Commons speaker says the government can't bring the rejected deal back a third time unless it is substantially changed.

Leadsom says "we recognize that any motion brought forward tomorrow will need to be compliant with the speaker's ruling."

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12:30 p.m.

The European Union says it hopes to see a "yes" vote on Brexit soon in the British parliament and especially this week if the U.K. wants to leave the EU based on the deal both sides have agreed.

British lawmakers voted late Wednesday on eight possible Brexit options but none received the majority support that would clarify the U.K.'s future course.

European Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas said Thursday that "we counted 8 'no's last night. Now we need a yes on the way forward."

He recalled that EU leaders insist that the new Brexit date is April 12, unless Prime Minister Theresa May can convince British lawmakers to endorse her deal this week.

Schinas said: "It is now for the U.K. government to inform us about how it sees the next steps."

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11:10 a.m.

A survey of German companies' subsidiaries in Britain and British firms' subsidiaries in Germany has found that nearly half the companies aren't prepared for Brexit.

The survey of 101 firms, conducted in December and January and released Thursday, showed that 47 percent hadn't carried out a Brexit risk assessment. It was conducted by auditor KPMG and the British Chamber of Commerce in Germany.

It showed a wide variety of expectations for the outcome of the Brexit impasse. KPMG's Andreas Glunz said that "when all scenarios are possible, a company can't prepare for all scenarios simultaneously."

Thirteen percent of respondents said that, if Britain leaves the European Union without a deal, they would move some or all of their business from the U.K. to Germany, and a further 10 percent planned to move business from Britain to another EU country. None planned to move business to Britain.

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9:05 a.m.

British Prime Minister Theresa May is making a final effort to save her European Union withdrawal deal after her promise to quit failed to win over lawmakers from Northern Ireland.

May pledged Wednesday night that she would stand down if the deal were approved, in hopes of blunting opposition from lawmakers who have criticized her leadership. While some opponents, including former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, quickly said they would back May's deal, Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party said it remained opposed because of concerns it treats the province differently from other parts of the U.K.

Parliament later rejected eight alternatives in a series of "indicative votes."

Brexit secretary Stephen Barclay said the outcome showed May's deal was "the best option" as he appealed for lawmakers to support the agreement.

Anti-Brexit demonstrators hold placards outside Parliament in London, Thursday, March 28, 2019. British Prime Minister Theresa May is making a final effort to save her European Union withdrawal deal after her promise to quit failed to win over lawmakers from Northern Ireland. May pledged Wednesday night that she would stand down if the deal were approved, in hopes of blunting opposition from lawmakers who have criticized her leadership. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

A protestor waves flags outside of the Houses of Parliament in London, Wednesday, March 27, 2019. British lawmakers were preparing to vote Wednesday on alternatives for leaving the European Union as they seek to end an impasse following the overwhelming defeat of the Brexit deal negotiated by Prime Minister Theresa May. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May stands to talk to lawmakers inside the House of Commons parliament in London Wednesday March 27, 2019. As Lawmakers sought Wednesday for an alternative to May's unpopular Brexit deal with Europe, with a series of 'indicative votes", May offered to resign from office if her deal is passed by lawmakers at some point and Britain left the European Union. (Jessica Taylor/House of Commons via AP)

A general view as Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May stands, back centre, talking to lawmakers inside the House of Commons parliament in London Wednesday March 27, 2019. As Lawmakers sought Wednesday for an alternative to May's unpopular Brexit deal with Europe, with a series of 'indicative votes", May offered to resign from office if her deal is passed by lawmakers at some point and Britain left the European Union. (Mark Duffy/House of Commons via AP)

Artist Kaya Mar stands with his political paintings outside Parliament in London, Thursday, March 28, 2019. The British government says it plans to hold a new Brexit debate in Parliament Friday, but hasn't confirmed whether it will call a third vote on its twice-rejected European Union divorce deal. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

A motorcyclist passes a banner tied to railings outside Parliament in London, Thursday, March 28, 2019. British Prime Minister Theresa May is making a final effort to save her European Union withdrawal deal after her promise to quit failed to win over lawmakers from Northern Ireland. May pledged Wednesday night that she would stand down if the deal were approved, in hopes of blunting opposition from lawmakers who have criticized her leadership. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

A worker stands with equipment outside 10 Downing Street, London, Thursday, March 28, 2019. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

A pro-Brexit campaigner holds placards outside Parliament in London, Thursday, March 28, 2019. The British government says it plans to hold a new Brexit debate in Parliament Friday, but hasn't confirmed whether it will call a third vote on its twice-rejected European Union divorce deal. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Passers by look at a pro-Brexit campigner wearing a placard on his head outside Parliament in London, Thursday, March 28, 2019. The British government says it plans to hold a new Brexit debate in Parliament Friday, but hasn't confirmed whether it will call a third vote on its twice-rejected European Union divorce deal. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) - An explosives-laden vehicle detonated outside a busy restaurant in Somalia's capital, killing at least 16 people, police said Thursday.

Capt. Mohamed Hussein told The Associated Press that the blast occurred as the restaurant in Mogadishu's Waberi district was crowded with diners.

At least 17 other people were wounded, Col. Mohamed Hassan said.

The al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab extremist group claimed responsibility. The group often targets high-profile areas in Mogadishu with suicide bombings. Those often include security checkpoints, hotels and government offices.

The extremist group was chased out of the capital several years ago but continues to hold large parts of rural southern and central Somalia, taxing local people and travelers to fund its deadly quest to establish an Islamic state. It has thousands of fighters.

The United States military has dramatically increased the number of deadly airstrikes against al-Shabab since President Donald Trump took office. The U.S. is one of a number of actors fighting al-Shabab, including a multinational African Union force, Somali forces and Kenyan troops.

Somalis carry away a man who was wounded after blast outside a restaurant in Mogadishu, Somalia, Thursday, March 28, 2019. A Somali police officer says an explosives-laden vehicle has detonated outside a restaurant in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu. (AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh)

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Follow Africa news at https://twitter.com/AP_Africa

Medics carry away the dead body of a woman killed after a blast outside a restaurant in Mogadishu, Somalia, Thursday, March 28, 2019. A Somali police officer says an explosives-laden vehicle has detonated outside a restaurant in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu. (AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh)

A policeman walks past a destroyed vehicle after an attack using an explosives-laden vehicle on a restaurant in Mogadishu, Somalia Thursday, March 28, 2019. Police say at least 10 people have been killed and others wounded in the car bomb blast outside the restaurant in the Somali capital. (AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh)

Police and civilians walk past a destroyed vehicle after an attack using an explosives-laden vehicle on a restaurant in Mogadishu, Somalia Thursday, March 28, 2019. Police say at least 10 people have been killed and others wounded in the car bomb blast outside the restaurant in the Somali capital. (AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh)

Somalis walk near wreckage at the scene following an attack outside a restaurant in Mogadishu, Somalia Thursday, March 28, 2019. An explosives-laden vehicle detonated outside a busy restaurant in Somalia's capital, killing at least 10 people, police said Thursday. (AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh)
CHICAGO (AP) - President Donald Trump tweeted Thursday that the FBI and Department of Justice will review the "outrageous" case of "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett in Chicago, calling it an "embarrassment" to the country.

Prosecutors offered little explanation and infuriated Chicago's police chief and mayor this week when they dropped 16 felony counts against Smollett related to making a false police report, yet they still insist the actor faked a racist, anti-gay attack on himself in January.

Trump tweeted: "FBI & DOJ to review the outrageous Jussie Smollett case in Chicago. It is an embarrassment to our Nation!"

Smollett's attorney said the two brothers who claim they worked with the actor to stage the January attack are lying. They acknowledge that Smollett, who is black and gay, had hired one brother as a personal trainer, but insist Smollett had no idea who attacked him along a Chicago street in late January until the brothers were later identified by police.

Police said investigators believe Smollett hired the brothers to stage the attack with the hopes of gaining attention and advancing his career. Smollett has repeatedly insisted the attack was real.

Police also allege that before the attack, Smollett sent a letter threatening himself to the Chicago studio where "Empire" is shot. The FBI, which is investigating that letter, has declined to comment.

Actor Jussie Smollett talks to the media before leaving Cook County Court after his charges were dropped, Tuesday, March 26, 2019, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

Prosecutors charged Smollett with one felony count in February, and earlier this month a grand jury indicted him on 15 more. But in Tuesday's stunning reversal, the Cook County state's attorney's office abruptly dropped all charges against Smollett, abandoning the criminal case only five weeks after the allegations were filed.

In return, prosecutors said, the actor agreed to let the city keep his $10,000 in bail. The dismissal drew a backlash and raised the question of why Smollett was not forced to admit any wrongdoing.

Among those sure to keep pressing for answers is Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. He appeared blindsided by the decision and visibly angry during a Tuesday press conference, calling it "a whitewash of justice."

___

Check out the AP's complete coverage of the Jussie Smollett case.

Actor Jussie Smollett, center, leaves the Leighton Criminal Courthouse in Chicago after prosecutors dropped all charges against him on Tuesday, March 26, 2019. (Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times/Chicago Sun-Times via AP)

Actor Jussie Smollett talks to the media before leaving Cook County Court after his charges were dropped Tuesday, March 26, 2019, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, right, and Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson, center, appear at a news conference Tuesday, March 26, 2019, after prosecutors abruptly dropped all charges against "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett, abandoning the case barely five weeks after he was accused of lying to police about being the target of a racist, anti-gay attack in downtown Chicago. The mayor and police chief blasted the decision and stood by the investigation that concluded Smollett staged a hoax. (AP Photo/Teresa Crawford)

Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson speaks during a news conference Tuesday, March 26, 2019, after prosecutors abruptly dropped all charges against "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett, abandoning the case barely five weeks after he was accused of lying to police about being the target of a racist, anti-gay attack in downtown Chicago. Johnson stood by the department's investigation and said Chicago is "is still owed an apology." (AP Photo/Teresa Crawford)

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, right, and Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson appear at a news conference in Chicago, Tuesday, March 26, 2019, after prosecutors abruptly dropped all charges against "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett, abandoning the case barely five weeks after he was accused of lying to police about being the target of a racist, anti-gay attack in downtown Chicago. The mayor and police chief blasted the decision and stood by the investigation that concluded Smollett staged a hoax. (AP Photo/Teresa Crawford)

Actor Jussie Smollett leaves Cook County Court after his charges were dropped Tuesday, March 26, 2019, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
All the talk in Westminster is about indicative votes on Brexit.

But what are they, and how would they work?

(PA Graphics)

 What is an indicative vote?

An indicative vote is an opportunity for MPs to vote on a series of options in a particular situation to establish whether any of them can command a majority in the House of Commons. As an expression of the Houses will, it is not necessarily binding on the Government.

 Who has proposed it?

A cross-party group of MPs, led by Conservative former ministers Sir Oliver Letwin and Dominic Grieve and Labours Hilary Benn, used a vote on Monday evening to seize control of the parliamentary agenda on Wednesday so a series of votes can be held then.

Sir Oliver Letwin (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

 Who is backing it?

The Letwin amendment was agreed by 329 votes to 301, a majority of 27, with three ministers resigning from the Government to support it  Richard Harrington, Alistair Burt and Steve Brine. Jeremy Corbyn and most Labour MPs voted for it.

Jeremy Corbyn (House of Commons/PA)

 Why did the Prime Minister oppose it?

Theresa May warned that allowing Parliament to take control of the Commons agenda, which is normally determined by the Government, would set an unwelcome constitutional precedent. If MPs had rejected the Letwin plan, she had promised to provide Government time for a similar procedure led by ministers. But she said she was sceptical about the process and would not be bound by its outcome, which she warned could produce contradictory outcomes or no outcome at all.

 What might MPs vote on?

There is no list of options yet, but they could include the Prime Ministers deal; no deal; a Canada-style free trade agreement; Labours plan for a customs union and close alignment with the single market; the so-called Common Market 2.0 proposals; a Norway-style close partnership with the EU; revoking Article 50 to maintain EU membership; or a referendum on any of these possible outcomes.

 And which is most likely to win?

So far, Mrs May has secured no more than 242 out of a possible 650 votes for her deal, and she admitted on Monday she cannot guarantee a majority for it. A softer Brexit involving participation in the customs union or single market may come closer to commanding the support of more than half of MPs, but it is not thought likely that either no deal or no Brexit would come out on top.

MPs have rejected a number of Brexit options in votes in the Commons (UK Parliament/Mark Duffy/PA)

 Is there certain to be a winning option?

This would depend on the voting system. If MPs were asked to vote Aye or No on each proposal in turn, there is every possibility that all of them would be rejected. However, Mrs Mays effective deputy David Lidington is understood to have floated the possibility of using a different system which would guarantee a result. This could involve an alternative vote, under which MPs would number options in order of preference, with votes redistributed as the least popular are eliminated, or exhaustive votes, with MPs taking part in a series of rounds of voting as defeated options are removed one-by-one from the list.

 Has this ever been done before?

It is a very rare parliamentary procedure. In 2003, MPs voted on seven options for reform of the House of Lords and rejected every one of them, with the result that proposals for a partially or fully elected second chamber ran into the sand and have never been revived.



 Why havent MPs voted on these things yet?

The only real opportunities to vote on alternative Brexit options in the Commons have come in amendments to Mrs Mays meaningful votes on her Withdrawal Agreement and motions following its defeat. This process has seen MPs reject options including a no-deal Brexit, a second referendum, the Labour plan and the revocation of Article 50. However, in a tribal Commons, many MPs are reluctant to back a proposal tabled by their opponents. It is far from certain the results would be repeated in an indicative vote.
MPs have voted for an amendment enabling them to take control of Commons business and stage a series of indicative votes on the way forward for Brexit.

 How will that work?

At 2pm on Wednesday, normal proceedings in the House will stop and MPs will then consider a backbench motion setting out the future Commons business, including the arrangements for staging indicative votes on the various options put forward.

If more than one business motion is tabled, it will be up to the Speaker John Bercow to decide which one is selected.

Oliver Letwin tabled the amendment (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

The architect of the amendment, Tory former minister Sir Oliver Letwin said he hoped to be able to work with both the Government and the Labour frontbenches in coming to an agreement on how it should actually work.

After a debate lasting up to an hour, the Commons will then start to consider the various propositions that are put forward.

 How long will that take?

Its not clear, although Sir Oliver suggested it could be quite a lengthy process covering several sitting days, as the House whittles down the various options to one which can command a Commons majority.

He proposed they begin on a plain vanilla basis with MPs casting their votes on the various propositions on paper slips at the end of the first debate rather than going through the lobbies in a series of divisions which is the normal practice.

Result of the House of Commons vote on Oliver Letwin amendment (PA Graphics)

He said that should stop MPs trying to game the outcome based on the sequence in which the votes are called.

Once they they have established which of the proposals have significant support, he said a way would have to be found  possibly through some form of preferential voting system  to zero in on the one around which a majority of MPs could coalesce.

 Which options are likely to be considered?

It will be up to the Speaker, but Sir Oliver said he believed all serious proposals that were put forward should have a chance to be debated.

At one end of the spectrum that could include a second referendum or revoking the Article 50 withdrawal process altogether. At the other it could include a no-deal Brexit, leaving the EU on World Trade Organisation terms.

In between, there could be proposals for a softer Norway-style Brexit  sometimes called Common Market 2.0  the customs union plan favoured by Labour, and a harder Canada-style free trade deal.

 What is the Governments response?

Ministers have warned it sets a dangerous, unpredictable precedent while Theresa May has said she will not necessarily be bound by the results  particularly if they are undeliverable by the EU.

That prompted Tory former minister Nick Boles to warn that MPs could bring forward legislation forcing the Government to act if ministers try to ignore the wishes of Parliament.

 How long have they got to sort this out?

The clock is ticking. Last week the EU gave Mrs May until April 12 to come forward with an alternative plan if she cannot finally get her twice-rejected Brexit deal through the Commons in a meaningful vote this week.
Ride-hailing service Uber said it has acquired its Middle East competitor Careem for 3.1 billion US dollars (2.3 billion), making it the largest-ever technology purchase in the region.

Uber said the deal consists of 1.7 billion dollars (1.2 billion) in convertible notes and 1.4 billion dollars (1 billion) in cash.

The deal will make Careem a wholly-owned subsidiary of Uber, operating as an independent company under the Careem brand and led by its original founders.

Careem was Ubers biggest competitor in the region (Matt Alexander/PA)

Dubai-based Careem is among the Middle Easts most successful start-ups. Careem is popular across the Middle East in part because it introduced the option for riders to pay by cash rather than just credit card.

Ubers CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in a statement the purchase expands the US-based companys strength around the world.

Mr Khosrowshahi told staff that keeping the Careem app for now allows Uber to try out new ideas across both brands. Over time, the firms will integrate part of their networks.

Ubers stiffest competition in the Middle East was Careem, which launched in 2012  three years before Uber entered the local market.

Today, we start Chapter 2 of our story. Careem is joining forces with Uber to better serve the region



We will operate independently, so the app, services and brand you love will continue to be available as usual.



For more details, visit https://t.co/1eGk5u6d1w pic.twitter.com/xn53Q9iyLI  Careem (@careem) March 26, 2019

Careem, founded by two former management consultants at McKinsey & Co, quickly became popular, particularly in countries like Egypt and Pakistan.

Despite Ubers regional launch in 2015 and services like Uber Eats that delivers food, Careem had the lead operating in more than 100 cities across 15 countries.

Careems CEO Mudassir Sheikha described the deal as a milestone for the company and for budding entrepreneurs in the region. As part of the deal, he will lead Careems business under Uber and report to a board made up of three representatives from Uber and two from Careem.

This has put our region on the map and has shown its a great place to build some of the best technology in the world, Mr Sheikha said in a statement to Careem customers.

Saudi Technology Ventures, one of Careems investors, said the local ride-hailing firm succeeded by using its deep local knowledge and expertise to cater to the needs of the Middle Easts young, techy-savvy population.

Other Careem investors include Kingdom Holding, chaired by Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, German car manufacturer Daimler AG, Japanese tech firm Rakuten and Mideast venture capital firm Wamda.
The founder and the all-female editorial board of the Vaticans womens magazine have quit after what they say was a campaign to discredit them and put them under the direct control of men after they denounced the sexual abuse of nuns by clergy.

The editorial committee of Women Church World, a monthly glossy published alongside the Vatican newspaper LOsservatore Romano, made the announcement in a planned April 1 editorial and in an open letter to Pope Francis.

In the editorial, which went to the printer last week but has not been published, magazine founder Lucetta Scaraffia wrote: We are throwing in the towel because we feel surrounded by a climate of distrust and progressive de-legitimisation.

The letter was addressed to the Pope (AP)

Ms Scaraffia told the Associated Press that the decision was taken after the new editor of LOsservatore, Andrea Monda, told her earlier this year he would take over as editor.

She said he reconsidered after the editorial board threatened to resign, and the Catholic weeklies that distribute translations of Women Church World in France, Spain and Latin America, told her they would halt distribution.

After the attempts to put us under control, came the indirect attempts to de-legitimise us, she said, citing other women brought in to write for LOsservatore with an editorial line opposed to ours.

Ms Scaraffia has been unafraid to ruffle feathers in her work as the editor of the magazine (AP)

The effect, she said, was to obscure our words, de-legitimising us as a part of the Holy Sees communications.

Ms Scaraffia launched the monthly insert in 2012 and oversaw its growth into a stand-alone Vatican magazine as a voice for women, by women and about issues of interest to the entire Catholic Church. Women Church World had enjoyed editorial independence from LOsservatore, even while being published under its auspices.

In the final editorial, the board said the conditions no longer exist to continue working with LOsservatore, citing its initiatives with other women contributors.

There has been no response yet from the Vatican (AP)

They are returning to the practice of selecting women who ensure obedience, the editorial read. They are returning to clerical self-reference and are giving up that parresia (freedom to speak freely) that Pope Francis so often seeks.

The departures are the latest upheaval in the Vaticans communications operations, following the abrupt resignations at the end of last year of the Vatican spokesman and his deputy, over strategic differences with Paolo Ruffini, prefect of the dicastery for communications.

Ms Scaraffia, a history professor and journalist, was perhaps the most high-profile woman at the Vatican, an avowed feminist who nevertheless toed the line on official doctrine. However, she was not averse to ruffling feathers with her frequent lament that half of humanity  and the half most responsible for transmitting the faith to future generations  is simply invisible to the men in charge of the Catholic Church.

She stoked uproar in February when she denounced the sexual abuse of nuns by clergy and the resulting scandal of religious sisters having abortions or giving birth to children who are not recognised by their fathers.

May the Blessed Virgin help everyone, especially young people, to follow the path of peace and fraternity, based on welcome and forgiveness, on respect for others, and on the love that is the gift of self.  Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 25, 2019

The article prompted Francis to subsequently acknowledge, for the first time, that it was a problem and that he was committed to doing something about it.

It remains unclear what the future will bring for the magazine. The Spanish editions are published and distributed in Spain and parts of Latin America by the Catholic publication Vida Nueva. The French edition is published as an insert to La Vie, a Catholic weekly.

Mr Ruffinis task has been to consolidate all the Vaticans media operations under one roof and with a coherent editorial line. In December, he removed LOsservatores editor, Giovanni Maria Vian, who had been a strong backer of Women Church World, and appointed Mr Monda, a writer and professor of religion, as the new editor.

Mr Monda said in a statement that he fully respected the autonomy of the womens insert in the wake of the resignation of its editorial board.

He said at most that he suggested ideas and people to contribute to Women Church World.
A new resource tackling anti-Muslim hate is to be launched in Scotland.

The Counter-Islamophobia Kit (CIK) is a project involving six universities across Europe, led by the University of Leeds and the Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC).

It was launched at the European Parliament in Brussels last September and will begin running in Scotland after a meeting Renfield St Stephens Centre on Thursday at 7.30pm.

Worshippers prepare to enter the Al Noor mosque following last weeks mass shooting in Christchurch (Mark Baker/AP)

The move comes just weeks after 50 people were killed in a terror attack on two mosques in New Zealand.

Arzu Merali, co-founder and IHRC head of research, who will attend the meeting, said: The impact of Islamophobic narratives has been only too painfully felt this last 10 days after the mass murder Muslim worshippers at prayer in New Zealand.

There are many actors in civil society, academic and other settings tackling these narratives, however institutional support for such initiatives is woefully lacking.

Worse still, governments in European settings appear to be appeasing anti-Muslim discourse in order to benefit from the rise in populism.

This project aims to empower those already working on these issues as well as help those in institutional settings make the changes needed if governments are really serious in providing equality, security and safety to all within their borders.

In research from Amina  the Muslim Womens Resource Centre (MWRC)  last week, 64% of respondents said they had experienced or witnessed Islamophobia and, of these, 74% said it had happened to them.

Women also told of having their hijab pulled off, being spat at and being told go back to where you came from despite being born in Scotland.

Richard Haley, chairman of Scotland Against Criminalising Communities, said: Islamophobia isnt just an outpouring of meaningless hate.

Like all forms of racism, it is a political phenomenon and it carries political force.

It needs to be understood and defeated so that it ceases to shape events unfolding across our world.

The CIK draws on experiences gained in eight different European countries and represents a really major contribution to our knowledge base.

Scotland is very far from being immune to Islamophobia and I hope that people working to tackle the problem will make use of the CIK in developing their own approaches.
A former child migrant has told how he has not come to terms with being told he was an orphan for more than 40 years, only to find out his family was alive in Scotland.

James McGregor was speaking at the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry on Monday when he told of emotional and sexual abuse he suffered while in care in Australia.

The 78-year-old  who waived his right to anonymity  was put into care at Nazareth House in Aberdeen aged around four months old.

He was then shipped off to Western Australia in 1947 to be looked after by the Christian Brothers religious order at Castledare.

Mr McGregor, known as Bert, was told he was a war orphan until 1987 when he found out he may have relatives  including his mother  in Aberdeen.

He said: I still cant come to terms with that.

Lady Smith is chairing the inquiry (Nick Mailer/PA)

I dont think my life  had I stayed in Scotland  would have been a bed of roses, I think it would have been hell also.

But not to have the chance of belonging to a family and to have a relationship  either good or bad  is a great sin.

The witness told the inquiry a nearby river was a lifesaver which he enjoyed swimming in during his youth.

He described the surroundings and the property as beautiful, but the regime at the Catholic-run institution was void of any emotional support.

The second home he stayed in  nearby Clontarf  was said to be very similar.

One of the clergymen working for the religious order was said to have contributed to much of the witnesss worst time in care.

He said: He was tall, he was lean. He was domineering, he was very ignorant. He was cruel, he was possessive and he was a paedophile.

This controlling nature included the clergyman becoming angry if the witness spoke to any other adults.

The abuse was only said to have become sexual when his attacker moved to the second residential institute too, when the witness was aged around 13.

Mr McGregor added: By that time he was a fully-fledged paedophile.

He would take me to his room and I would stand by his door until he was ready, then he took you to bed with him.

You can imagine the rest.

The inquiry heard that around this time Mr McGregor suffered a breakdown for which he received no proper treatment and spent about a month isolated in an infirmary.

After leaving the second care home aged 16, he finally learnt how to read properly.

He blamed the poor quality of education as the reason for his late learning.

MrMcGregor later joined the religious order himself and spent many years teaching.

The witness also spent time working in Aberdeen for homeless charity Cyrenians.

The inquiry is being chaired by judge Lady Smith.
Theresa May faces calls to grant free votes on alternatives to her Brexit strategy after MPs dramatically seized control of the process.

The Prime Ministers fragile authority suffered another blow as three ministers quit to back a Commons amendment enabling MPs to take control of Commons business to stage a series of indicative votes on alternatives to her deal.

But Eurosceptics signalled they could now swing reluctantly behind Mrs Mays deal, with influential backbencher Jacob Rees-Mogg saying the choice seems to be Mrs Mays deal or no Brexit.

I have always thought that no deal is better than Mrs Mays deal, but Mrs Mays deal is better than not leaving at all, the European Research Group chairman said on a ConservativeHome podcast.

He added that Brexit may now be a process rather than an event and it could take time to fully break away from Brussels.

The three ministers who quit were among 30 Conservative MPs to defy the whips and support the cross-party amendment which was passed by 329 to 302  a majority of 27  in another humiliating reverse for Mrs May.

The defeat heaps further pressure on Mrs Mays position and could increase the chances of an early general election if MPs back plans for a softer Brexit which would be unacceptable to the Prime Minister or Tory Eurosceptics.

The Prime Minister will address Tory MPs at a meeting of the 1922 Committee on Wednesday amid speculation that setting a timetable for her departure could sway more Conservatives to back the deal.

(PA Graphics)

At Tuesdays regular Cabinet meeting, the Prime Minister is expected to be confronted with calls for free votes on the rival options.

Many around the Cabinet table will argue for a free vote so Parliament can truly show what it would support, a Cabinet source said.

Alistair Burt, who quit his Foreign Office role in order to vote for the Commons amendment, said: Parliament should seek urgently to resolve the situation by considering alternatives freely, without the instruction of party whips, and Government should adopt any feasible outcome as its own in order to progress matters.

Statement on my resignation from Government last night: https://t.co/5ZXE8bRcOb  Rt Hon Alistair Burt (@AlistairBurtUK) March 26, 2019

I did not believe the Government was prepared to do that, so had to vote to ensure this happens.

Steve Brine, who quit as a health minister, suggested the revolt in favour of the indicative votes amendment could actually boost the chances of Mrs Mays deal finally getting through by persuading Tory Eurosceptics such as Mr Rees-Mogg it was the best form of Brexit on offer.

(PA Graphics)

Those on my side who dont like the deal, maybe they will realise that the House of Commons is prepared to act, he told the BBC.

And, anything from here, as far as they are concerned, gets softer in terms of Brexit.

He added: You have to accept that a second referendum or revoking Article 50 are on the table because they will probably be some options.

The 2017 Tory manifesto ruled out membership of the single market and customs union and Mrs May told MPs on Monday that no one would want to support an option that contradicted the manifesto on which they stood for election to this House.

But Mr Brine said: You also have to remember that the manifesto of 2017 did not win a majority in the House of Commons.

This evening I wrote to the PM to offer her my resignation pic.twitter.com/Z0QU5lbeJ1  Richard Harrington (@Richard4Watford) March 25, 2019

Richard Harrington, who resigned as a business minister, said the Government was playing roulette with peoples lives and livelihoods in its handling of Brexit.

The plan for MPs to take control of the Commons agenda was led by Tory former minister Sir Oliver Letwin and Labours Hilary Benn, chairman of the Brexit Select Committee.

Mr Benn told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: If the Government isnt going to do its job then Parliament is going to have to take responsibility, and that is what we are doing on Wednesday.

He suggested that Wednesday would see MPs vote on a piece of paper for as many of the options as they liked.

There would then be a similar process on Monday in an effort to whittle down the number of options under consideration.

The Government warned the move had set a dangerous, unpredictable precedent for the constitution and it was essential that any options put forward by MPs were actually deliverable.

Theresa May leaves the House of Commons following the key Brexit votes (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

The Prime Minister warned she would not feel bound by the results of any indicative votes.

No Government could give a blank cheque to commit to an outcome without knowing what it is, she said.

But Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the Government must take this process seriously.

Where this government has failed, I believe parliament can, and will, succeed. pic.twitter.com/rlB4ulBr3G  Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) March 26, 2019

The vote came after the Prime Minister acknowledged that she still did not have sufficient support to bring back her deal to the Commons for a third meaningful vote.

She said she would continue her efforts to build support for the deal  defeated by 230 votes in January and 149 votes in March  and stage a vote before the end of the week.

The European Council last week set a deadline of Friday for her to secure parliamentary approval for her Withdrawal Agreement if the UK is to leave the EU with a deal on May 22.

If she cannot get it through the Commons, then the UK has until April 12 to propose a different approach or crash out of the EU without a deal.

Her admission came shortly after a phone call with DUP leader Arlene Foster, who made clear the Northern Irish party was not giving up its opposition.
Photo: CTV News Emma Fenton is seen in this photo provided by her stepmother, Christy Fenton.

WestJet has apologized to a Vernon teen after she was stranded in the Calgary Airport overnight.

CTV News reports Emma Fenton, 15, was travelling from Vernon to Fort St. John, a trip she takes every six weeks.

The teen was told in Kelowna her flight was delayed and she was going to miss her connection to Fort St. John, so she was rerouted through Calgary and told her second ticket would be issued in Alberta.

In Calgary, Emma was directed by a WestJet agent to the main check-in outside security for her next boarding pass.

Because its now one oclock in the morning, there was nobody at Air Canada or WestJet check-in. She wasnt able to find a security guard, a police officer, nothing, Emmas stepmother Christy Fenton told CTV News.

The Calgary airport authority told CTV there is no indication anyone at the airport was approached for help, despite 24/7 assistance being available.

Emma spent the night in the airport.

We couldnt get a hotel because I cant get myself a hotel, there was nobody there to give me a hotel and even if I had ended up in a hotel I didnt know when I was going to be able to fly out and I didnt want to miss potentially getting on a flight, Emma told CTV.

She was eventually re-booked onto a flight to Grande Prairie where her family drove the five hour round trip to pick her up.

Air Canada says Emma was issued a boarding card in Kelowna and should have had ample time in Calgary to catch the flight, noting three other passenger boarded the Fort St. John flight in Calgary without issue.

A spokesperson for WestJet, however, said their records show Air Canada never issued a ticket for the teens trip from Calgary and that the company is investigating.

We sincerely apologize for not going above and beyond for this guest and letting her and her family down during her travels, WestJet Public Relations Advisor Morgan Bell said in a statement to CTV.

with files from CTV Vancouver
Ross Barkley admitted he would feel guilty if he took a goal away from England new boy Callum Hudson-Odoi.

Barkley scored twice as the Three Lions thrashed Montenegro 5-1 in Podgorica, in a game which was overshadowed by racist chanting from the home supporters.

England had fallen behind before Michael Keane levelled with a header and Barkley then turned home from close range as he diverted a shot from Chelsea team-mate Hudson-Odoi past Danijel Petkovic.

Ross Barkley turns in Callum Hudson-Odois shot to make it 2-1 to England in Montenegro (Nick Potts/PA)

But the former Everton midfielder said he would not have wanted to steal Hudson-Odois spotlight on what was the 18-year-olds first start for his country.

I havent seen the goal back and Im not sure if it was going in, he told beIN Sports.

If it was going in I will be disappointed because I know how gutted he will be, he thrives off scoring and assisting.

But he is really happy with the performance and Im happy he got a start because the sky is the limit for him.

Buzzing to have made my full international debut with a 5-1 win vs Montenegro, happy to assist my bro @rossbarkley pic.twitter.com/gzCfXYtlYt  Callum Hudson-Odoi (@Calteck10) March 25, 2019

He is a great lad and really mature for his age and he is going to keep developing, we have a real player there.

Barkley doubled his international goal tally with his brace and felt that the collective performance of the team, in troubling conditions, was impressive.

It was positive from a personal point of view, he added.

Brilliant result tonight! Great week away with @England.  pic.twitter.com/WfKUvZJWQP  Ross Barkley (@RBarkley8) March 25, 2019

To come away from home, over the years youve seen the results that Montenegro have had and they are a solid team.

They made it difficult in the first 10-15 minutes but we responded really well and put in a positive performance.

West Ham midfielder Declan Rice joined Hudson-Odoi in making his first England start as manager Gareth Southgate continues to offer chances to young players.

Barkley believes the influx of such precocious talents means that it is an exciting time to be a fan of the Three Lions.

It is a credit to the boss, the 25-year-old said when asked about the current make up of the squad.

He shows that he has got no fear in blooding a young player, Callum, Jadon (Sancho) and Declan and there are plenty of others who can make the squad over the next season, leading up to the next Euros.

There are a lot of positives going into the next Euros and the Nations League, it is a really positive time for the English people.
Speedboat killer Jack Shepherd will return to the UK to begin serving his prison sentence after a judge ruled he must be extradited from Georgia.

A court in Tbilisi approved Britains extradition request on Tuesday after Shepherd said he wishes to take part in an appeal against his conviction over the death of 24-year-old Charlotte Brown.

Shepherd surrendered to authorities in Georgia six months after he was convicted of manslaughter in his absence at the Old Bailey.

The pair had been on a first date when Shepherds speedboat overturned, plunging Ms Brown into the icy water of the River Thames in London.

Shepherd, 31, was sentenced to six years in jail after he absconded, but has been granted permission to appeal against the conviction.

He told the court that he made the difficult decision to not fight extradition because I wish to participate in the appeal process, to fight for my freedom and to be reunited with those I love, my family, my son.

No date has yet been set for the appeal hearing.

One of Shepherds lawyers in Georgia, Tariel Kakabadze, estimated Shepherd could return to the UK within two weeks.

Shepherd also faces a grievous bodily harm charge over an alleged assault in Devon on March 16 last year.

A warrant for his arrest was issued by magistrates in Newton Abbot after he failed to attend the court.

Charlottes father, Graham Brown, said the extradition brings the family a bit closer to winning justice for Ms Brown.

Charlotte Brown (Metropolitan Police/PA)

When Shepherd does come back, hopefully he will start showing some remorse and accept responsibility for his part, Mr Brown told ITV News.

Were hoping that he wont follow through with his appeal, which causes the family more anguish, but I guess that could be a forlorn hope.

Shepherds legal team had mulled fighting extradition altogether and successfully delayed his return by convincing a judge to rule out a fast-tracked process.

Then the Crown Prosecution Service formally requested his extradition on March 1.

Shepherd appeared at the Old Bailey on January 26 last year to deny manslaughter by gross negligence but jurors were made aware of his absence at the start of his trial in July.

In January, the web designer, originally from Exeter, handed himself in to authorities in Tbilisi, where he has been detained ever since.

The family of Ms Brown, from Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, have fought a battle for justice following her death in December 2015.
Lawyers for two Reuters journalists sentenced to seven years in prison for their reporting on Burmas brutal crackdown on Rohingya Muslims have appealed against their conviction to the countrys Supreme Court.

Reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo remained in Insein Prison while their lawyers attended the courts first hearing on their final appeal on Tuesday in the capital, Naypyitaw.

The prisoners wives also came to the court hearing, bringing their young children.

Pan Ei Mon, wife of Reuters journalist Wa Lone, carries her baby (Aung Shine Oo/PA)

The reporters conviction for violating the countrys Official Secrets Act has been condemned by rights groups, Western governments and global press associations.

It also has highlighted freedom of expression problems in Burma, even after it transitioned from military rule to an elected government under Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

Large numbers of Rohingya refugees have fled the country to Bangladesh amid the military crackdown.
The killer of a personal trainer shot dead as he got a drink from the boot of his car remains on the loose a year on, with detectives facing a wall of silence.

Abraham Badru, 26, was gunned down next to his AMG Mercedes after pulling up near his home in Hackney, east London, on March 25 2018.

Police are still baffled as to the motive for Mr Badrus death, with one line of inquiry being a string of relationships he had with different women.

Homicide detectives have renewed their appeal for witnesses and information on the first anniversary of the murder of Abraham Badru in #Hackney https://t.co/Jzm6TlgkPC pic.twitter.com/7T2GgP09fF  Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) March 26, 2019

Another is death threats he received after he intervened to stop a gang rape, going on to give evidence against the attackers.

Detective Chief Inspector Noel McHugh said: Its now been an entire year since Abraham was gunned down on the street and while our investigation has made significant progress, we still dont know why he was killed in such a brutal way.

One line of inquiry is that this may have been a case of mistaken identity and that Abraham was executed in error, although we cannot discount the possibility that the motive may be connected to one of several relationships hed had.

Abrahams mother, Ronke Badru (Kirsty OConnor/PA)

It is hard for everyone involved to understand what could have led to this murder, we need someone to tell us why this happened. We have made several appeals over the past year but there remain a number of people who have not come forward.

Investigators do not know why a wall of silence has gone up surrounding the graduates death.

Mr McHugh said: Abrahams family, as you can imagine, are devastated and desperate to see someone brought to justice and get an answer to their key question: Why?

I personally feel deeply troubled and frustrated when I speak to Abrahams courageous mother and I have to explain the silence that has descended amongst the community. I do not know why there is a silence.

I appreciate that people may be scared by the very nature of the murder within their community. But there are other ways to provide us with information rather than calling police directly  you can speak to the charities Crimestoppers or Fearless, completely anonymously.

They have amazing track records of helping to remove dangerous people from our streets, a desire we all share.

Tributes on Ferncliff Road in Hackney, where Abraham Badru was shot dead on March 25 2018 (Kirsty OConnor/PA)

A man and a woman walked close to the murder scene in Ferncliff Road within minutes of the shooting, but they have not spoken to police.

The woman was white and wearing a three-quarter length Puffa-style coat, while the man, also white, who was seen a few minutes later, was wearing shorts.

Mr McHugh also asked for a caller who contacted the police incident room on behalf of a friend in June to get back in touch, saying they have really important information.

In a statement issued through police, Abrahams family said: There is still no justice for us since his killer is still on the loose. If you have any information that may be related to the case, we implore you to come forward anonymously.

We ask that you empathise with us in finding justice for a man who put the safety of others before himself. Our family cannot move forward without finding peace in knowing that Abrahams killer has been captured. Time never stops but we continue to speak his name, knowing that justice will be served, no matter how long it takes.

Abrahams half-sister, Wendy Badru (Kirsty OConnor/PA)

Abraham received a police bravery award for his actions stopping the gang rape and bringing the attackers to justice.

He was just 14 when he witnessed the attack at a party in 2007, and intervened to help the victim.

The Liverpool fan was threatened by the culprits and his home was pelted with eggs, but he went on to give evidence at court and nine people were convicted, one of whom was jailed for life.

On the day he died, Abraham had spent the day shopping collecting a takeaway and seeing his father and stepsister.

Police have said there is a `wall of silence surrounding Abrahams death (Met Police/PA)

He then visited a woman between 10.20pm and 10.40pm before driving home. During the journey he was on the phone to a second woman for 44 minutes, and was still on the call at 11.11pm when he was shot.

A black man wearing a black Puffa-style jacket was seen running away, before getting on a white bike that had no lights.

Abraham had changed his plans at the last minute and detectives are trying to find out who would have known where he would be at that time.

An 18-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder in November and released under investigation.

Anyone with information can call the police incident room on 020 8785 8099, or to remain anonymous call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit www.fearless.org.
Thousands of Syrians have gathered in the streets of different cities to protest against President Donald Trumps formal recognition of Israels sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights, according to state media.

The Sana news agency posted photographs of a march in the southern city of Sweida on Tuesday morning.

Men and women carried Syrian and Palestinian flags and banners reading Golan Is Syrian.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump hold up the signed proclamation recognising Israels sovereignty over the Golan Heights (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP)

Sana said another protest took place in the southern city of Daraa.

Mr Trump formally signed the proclamation alongside Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, reversing more than a half-century of US policy in the Middle East.

The US is the first country to recognise Israels sovereignty over the Golan, which the rest of the international community regards as Israeli-occupied.

Ambassadors from the five EU members of the UN security council, France, Germany, Britain, Poland and Belgium, issued a joint statement saying that they do not recognise Israels sovereignty over the Golan Heights which Israel occupied in 1967.

They said: Annexation of territory by force is prohibited under international law, and any unilateral border changes go against the rules-based international order and the UN Charter.
Five of Northern Irelands eight acute care stroke units could close under plans to centralise treatment services.

Emergency care provision for stroke patients could be lost at Causeway Hospital in Coleraine, South West Acute Hospital in Enniskillen, Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry, Ulster Hospital in Dundonald and Antrim Area Hospital.

Health chiefs have proposed six potential models for consolidating services in larger hyperacute units, with the suggested number of these better resourced facilities ranging from three to five.

In all scenarios, hyperacute units will be sited at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, Altnagelvin in Londonderry and Craigavon Area Hospital.

In the five-unit model, acute services would also be offered in Enniskillen and Antrim.

The centralisation of acute stroke services is a major plank of plans to restructure health service delivery in the region.

The Stroke Association welcomed the launch of the consultation (Peter Byrne/PA)

As well as offering acute care at eight hospitals, the existing stroke care network also provides supporting treatments, such as rehabilitation, at three others  Lagan Valley in Lisburn, Downe Hospital in Downpatrick, and the Mater Hospital in Belfast.

Health chiefs insist the proposals, which have gone out for a 12-week public consultation, will lead to better outcomes for patients.

They will enable increased use of the clot-busting therapy thrombolysis and support greater access to thrombectomy, a groundbreaking procedure that removes clots from the brain.

Thrombectomy is only currently available at the Royal Victoria from Monday to Friday, over limited hours.

The proposals would see the procedure offered seven days a week, 24 hours a day at the Royal.

The new network would be supported by a planned extension of Northern Irelands air ambulance service, with the provision of a second helicopter helping to transport stroke patients to hospital from rural areas.

Department of Health Permanent Secretary Richard Pengelly insisted that a preferred model had not yet been identified.

He encouraged people to give their views on the six options outlined.

We have an exciting opportunity to change services for the better, protecting many more people from the devastating consequences of stroke, he said.

We cant secure these improvements without reshaping current provision.

Our hospital stroke services are currently too thinly spread. Too many units are struggling to maintain sustainable quality care and staffing levels.

Establishing hyperacute stroke units is vital to ensure we keep pace with advances in treatment and provide the best possible treatment.

The principle of consolidating care is backed by stroke charities, expert research and the proven success of reforms introduced in London and Manchester.

Stormont ministers had committed to review stroke services prior to the collapse of powersharing in early 2017.

The commitment was made on the back of the findings of a major Stormont-commissioned examination of healthcare delivery in the region by health reform expert Professor Rafael Bengoa in 2016.

The Stroke Association welcomed the launch of the consultation.

Brenda Maguire, from the charity, said: Stroke is a devastating condition which can change lives in an instant. Stroke can happen to anyone, at any age and at any time.

Its the third biggest killer in Northern Ireland and the leading cause of adult disability.

We are delighted that the Department of Health is moving forward and exploring options to modernise and improve stroke services.

Reform is urgently needed and will save lives, reduce disabilities and help everyone affected by stroke to access the ongoing support they need to rebuild their lives.

There is clear evidence that reshaping stroke services works  creating larger hyperacute stroke units with the equipment and experts to treat stroke patients, all day, every day as well as creating more sustainable services.

We believe everyone affected by stroke should get the best treatment and care possible. Reorganising stroke services will help achieve that.
Pope Francis has crossed the Tiber River for a visit to Romes city hall.

He praised the ancient city for its ability to integrate diverse peoples over centuries of its existence.

During his visit to the Romes City Hall on Tuesday, Francis said that Rome, over its nearly 2,800 years of history, has been able to welcome and integrate different populations and people from all over the world  without humiliating or crushing their respective peculiar characteristics and identity.

Pope Francis is welcomed by Romes mayor Virginia Raggi (Ettore Ferrari/AP)

He also warned against letting the Eternal City become degraded now.

Rome is struggling with problems of rubbish removal, potholed streets and other issues of decay that have worsened on the watch of mayor Virginia Raggi.

She welcomed him to the Capitoline Hill, where city hall is located.
The European Parliaments top Brexit official has said that we see for the moment a real Brexit revolt in the United Kingdom, with over five million people signing an online petition to revoke Britains decision to leave the EU and a million taking to the streets to stay in the EU.

Guy Verhofstadt said he felt especially encouraged by the vote in the House of Commons seizing more control over the stalled Brexit process.

That has set up a series of votes this week that could dramatically alter the course of the UKs departure.

Mr Verhofstadt said: It is possible now to work in Britain toward a cross-party alliance.

He added: I hope it will lead to a proposal that can be backed by a majority (in Westminster).
A former Downing Street aide has been jailed for seven years for raping a young woman during the Edinburgh Festival.

Mark Adams, who worked under John Major and Tony Blair, attacked the 19-year-old as she made her way home in the Scots capital in August 2017.

The ex-civil servant, 56, was convicted at the High Court in Edinburgh last month. He had previously been jailed for raping a woman in London in 2015.

At the High Court in Glasgow on Tuesday, Adams was given another seven year sentence to match that handed down at Woolwich Crown Court in January.

He has a further previous conviction for sexual assault.

Lord Armstrong said: You have been convicted of the rape during the Edinburgh Festival in 2017 of a young woman who was vulnerable and made the mistake of accepting your offer of assistance.

The woman was raped during the Edinburgh Festival (Jane Barlow/PA)

You took advantage of her in a calculating and manipulative manner when she was alone and making her way home on the streets of Edinburgh.

The victims impact statement makes it very clear that your actions have had a devastating and continuing detrimental effect on the quality of her life, the judge said.

He told Adams: The crime of rape is a grave crime against which all women should be protected.

Adams website describes him as an independent political consultant, media commentator and general business adviser.

It states he spent almost six years in 10 Downing Street, first under John Major, then under Tony Blair, and in 1997 was awarded the OBE.

Adams defence counsel, Gary Allan QC, said: This is a man who in the past has given great service to the community, both professionally and personally.

He added: Its all the more of a tragedy that there has been a seismic change in his position so far as regard where his good character is concerned.

He has fallen down, hes very ashamed, hes very remorseful.

Lord Armstrong noted that he had taken steps towards rehabilitation.

Detective Inspector Kevin Harkins of Police Scotland said: Adams is an arrogant man who preyed upon a woman as she walked home.

He is a highly opportunistic offender who has no regard for those he attacks.

I would like to commend the victim in this case for her courage and I hope that after todays sentencing, she is now able to move on from this horrendous ordeal.
Childhood immunisation is dropping across Scotland, according to official figures.

Vaccination rates for dropped in all-but-three of the 17 immunisation courses and boosters for children under the age of six.

For children at 12 months of age in Scotland, uptake of all routine immunisations  apart from rotavirus  remained above 95% in 2018, although rates have decreased compared with 2017.

The booster for a 4-in-1 vaccine, which protects against tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis and polio, showed the biggest drop between 2017 and 2018, with the percentage of children receiving it falling from 92.7% to 91.6%.

This was followed by the second dose of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR), which fell by 1%.

However, uptake of one dose of the MMR vaccine for children under six was 96.6% in 2018, meeting the national target of 95% for the 10th year in a row.

The percentage of children being immunised in Scotland is falling, new figures show (David Cheskin/PA)

Uptake of the complete two-dose course of rotavirus vaccine by 12 months of age was 92.8% in 2018, a decrease from 93.4% in 2017. The oral vaccine protects against an infection which causes severe diarrhoea.

The NHS figures also found that children from deprived areas were less likely to have the vaccinations than children from less-deprived areas.

The European region of the World Health Organization recommends that at least 95% of children are immunised against diseases preventable by immunisation and targeted for elimination or control. These include diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio, Haemophilus influenza type B (Hib), measles, mumps and rubella.

Commenting on the findings, a Scottish Government spokesman said: Childhood immunisation rates across Scotland remain very high.

This reflects both the hard work and commitment of those working in the NHS and the recognition of the benefits of vaccination.

Uptake of the first dose of the MMR vaccine for children up to five continues to exceed the 95% target and as a result, there is no evidence of significant transmission of measles in Scotland among infants or children in primary or secondary school.

Instances of rotavirus have also dramatically decreased in both infants and the wider community since we made it part of the routine childhood schedule in July 2013.

Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesman Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said: It is seriously concerning news that less children are being vaccinated.

Regrettably social media pseudoscience has clearly had some influence.

Denying your children access to life-saving vaccines is irresponsible, ill-informed and dangerous.

The government must do all they can to reverse this worrying trend.
Photo: Contributed

By Carole Fawcett

Almost 1,500 people died in B.C. of an opioid overdose in the past year, according to the provincial government  232 of those people were in the area that Interior Health covers.

In Vernon, there were 24 deaths.

These numbers surpassed vehicle accident deaths and also the number of people who died from AIDS in 1991 the height of that health crisis.

In 1991, 1,800 people died of AIDS  across Canada. So you can see from that comparison of numbers that the deaths from opioid overdose is very high, as it reflects numbers in British Columbia only.

In Portugal, in 2001 they decriminalized drugs, cocaine, heroin, and other drugs. They decided to treat possession (small amounts) as a public health issue. The drugs remained illegal, but getting caught with them meant a small fine and a referral to a treatment program. There would be no jail and no criminal record.

This decision saved lives and the opioid crisis stabilized. They worked together with the addict and paved the way for the likelihood of success in overcoming the addiction.



This systemic change flowed throughout the country, right down to the average person and people were speaking more respectfully with deeper understanding, of those who had addiction challenges.

It has been proven that the authoritarian approach does not always work, and in fact, can exacerbate the situation. Granted, there have to be some rules and regulations, but they need to be used as guidelines with flexibility built in.



We must remember that those who use drugs are all someones child, mother, father, sister, brother or friend. They are human beings who did not purposely choose to become addicted to drugs or alcohol.



The circumstances of their life created this path, and given that current treatment models have low recovery rates, we must step up and provide the support so that all our citizens can live with dignity and self respect. Perhaps it is time for change. Lets trade our judgment for compassion.

Parental heartache

Sharon didnt know that when she gave birth to baby Brian that he would die at 19 years old of gioblastoma.

She walked alongside him when he had his brain surgeries and his subsequent cancer treatments. That was Sharons first loss. It affected her in ways she is still coping with to this day.

Her daughter, Monique, was a painfully shy child. She started using drugs at age 21 with her boyfriend, a heroin addict. She became pregnant and by the time the child was born, the boyfriend had left.

She tried to raise a baby on her own, but wasnt a very good parent. Her boyfriends mother took over as the babys guardian and has raised her, together with Sharon.

Monique continued to use drugs and was a sex worker to earn the money for the drugs. She had two more babies, who were adopted by the same adoptive parents. One was born in a hospital and one was born in a toilet in a motel. Both were drug addicted at birth.

Monique still lives on the street, sleeps in a car and barely survives. Sharon has lost contact with her, despite her best efforts to stay in touch.

Sharons third loss was when her 13-year-old daughter, Jamie, started to use drugs and get into trouble. Jamie became an angry, impossible-to-deal-with teenager with erratic behaviours, lashing out at her Mom and her step Dad to the point she had to go into foster care.

But, by the time she was 16 she was free of drugs, returned home, graduated, and went on to train in a professional career that would have her working with children.

Sadly, she was in a very bad car accident, suffered head injury, had her jaw realigned and had to wear hearing aids. Jamie was put on oxycotin (three months prescription at a time). When her physician cut her off her meds suddenly, she turned to street drugs to deal with the pain.

She has spiralled down from there, getting involved with fraud activities, spending time in jail and once again becoming involved with drugs. Her boyfriend overdosed on fentanyl and died.

Just as she was preparing to speak to a drug counsellor who had agreed to attend her parents home, Jamie overdosed and Sharon had to do CPR. Jamie is still using and now lives on the street, having recently been kicked out of her rental.

Sharon and her husband, Bob, did everything for the girls. They tried to help them, bought them groceries, paid the rent on a few occasions, drove them to medical appointments and reached out with love in every conceivable way.

But despite their best attempts, nothing worked. Each time, their daughters would fall back into the downward spiral.

Bob has done his best to be strong throughout all this, but as he says, its hard to be the rock, when the rock is crumbling too.

Sharon shares that the guilt and the shame is at times overwhelming for both of them. She has spent years trying to figure out why these two girls went down this path.

She has cried oceans of tears. There have been times when I didnt know if I could go on any longer and there are times when I am devastated by events and it feels like my heart is crushed.

Carole Fawcett wrote an in-depth article for Vernon Shares, Community Dialogue Project on the opioid crisis, of which this article has been a part. [email protected]; http://www.wordaffair.com
Domestic violence in Northern Ireland is at its highest level since records began, figures show.

There were more than 31,298 incidents of domestic violence reported to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) in 2018, the highest level recorded since the data series began in 2004/05.

Statistics released by the Department of Justice show that of the 31,298 reports, around 16,000 crimes were committed, as domestic violence remains a serious issue in Northern Ireland, according to experts.

On average, there are around six murders per year committed through domestic abuse in Northern Ireland.

There are approximately 80 domestic violence and abuse incidents every day.

Approximately 70% of all victims of domestic abuse are female, with around 30% male.

The PSNI said more than 31,000 domestic violence incidents were recorded last year (Liam McBurney/PA)

In its first year, 326 applications have been made to the Domestic Violence and Abuse Disclosure Scheme (DVADS) in Northern Ireland.

The scheme, operated by the PSNI in conjunction with voluntary partners, allows potential victims to receive information on their partners history of abusive behaviour and any potential risk they pose, enabling them to make an informed choice about their relationship.

To date, 40 people, identified as being at risk, have been advised about their partners abusive past.

The Power to Tell provision allows police to act on information that may come to their attention by other means, and as with the Right to Ask, police will assess the degree of risk and act accordingly.

Anthony Harbinson, director of the Department of Justices Safer Communities Directorate, said: I welcome the take-up of the disclosure scheme and the courage of those coming forward to make an inquiry.

Domestic violence and abuse is a serious problem within Northern Irelands society and we remain committed to tackling it.

I am also encouraged by the proactive steps being taken by police and partner organisations in making their own inquiries through the scheme.

We will continue to work in partnership with PSNI and our statutory and voluntary sector colleagues to help create a safe community where we respect the law and each other.

Discussing the first anniversary of the Domestic Violence and Abuse Disclosure Scheme, Detective Superintendent Ryan Henderson, from the PSNIs Public Protection Branch, said: I am extremely proud that we now have this scheme in place across Northern Ireland.

This scheme shows that, as a society, we say there is no place for domestic abuse or no hiding place for domestic abusers.

The scheme is different because it focuses on preventing people from becoming victims. Abusers can often move from relationship to relationship, leaving a trail of abuse which the scheme stops from remaining hidden.

One year on from the launch, I am pleased to see the uptake in the number of people who have come forward to apply.

This has surpassed our expectations and shows the scheme has a vital part to play in tackling domestic abuse.

My message one year on is that the scheme works and I would encourage anyone who feels that it is right for them to use it.

Applications can be made via the Police Service website by logging on to https://www.psni.police.uk/crime/domestic-abuse/dvads/
Facebook is taking steps to reduce the spread of false information on its platforms ahead of Indias general election, company officials said.

The social media company listed a variety of measures it is taking, from blocking fake accounts to employing third-party fact-checking organisations, through the campaign and voting.

Polling is scheduled to take place in stages from April 11 to May 19.

Samidh Chakrabarti, director of Facebooks Product Management for Civic Integrity division, called the Indian elections a top priority and said the company has put in a tremendous amount of effort over the last two years to prepare for the polls.

A supporter of Telangana Rashtra Samithi, a regional political party, sprays colour at an election campaign rally in Hyderabad (Mahesh Kumar A/AP)

He said Facebook has partnered with Indian media organisations to check and flag false stories in English, Hindi and some other regional Indian languages.

After a fact-checker flags a story as containing false information, Facebook reduces the number of times it appears in any individual users newsfeed by about 80%, Mr Chakrabarti said.

The social media giant came under immense scrutiny after it failed to prevent the spread of false information during the 2016 US elections, when allegations of outside interference resulted in Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg testifying in the US Senate.

Facebook-owned messaging applications such as WhatsApp have been repeatedly scrutinised by the Indian government and security agencies, and asked to prevent the spread of false information and rumours that have been linked to mob killings.

In 2018, at least 20 people were killed in India, mostly in rural villages, in attacks by mobs that were inflamed by social media.

In response, WhatsApp restricted the forwarding of messages to five recipients at a time, instead of the 256 previously allowed.

Although the move was India-specific, it was applied globally earlier this year, WhatsApp announced in January.

But social media has also become a critical tool for Indian political campaigns.

Bharatiya Janata Party workers prepare to distribute election campaign material in Jammu (Channi Anand/AP)

Ahead of elections in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modis Bharatiya Janata Party used social media extensively for political advertisements and to interact with young voters.

The Election Commission of India is trying to rein in social media giants such as Google, Twitter and Facebook to prevent the release of user data and to curb the spread of politically motivated manipulative information.

Social media companies have presented a Voluntary Code of Ethics for the General Elections 2019 to the election monitoring body, a new requirement this year.

We are working hard to prevent bad actors from interfering with elections on Facebook, Mr Chakrabarti said, adding that Facebook has tripled the number of people working on safety and security to 30,000.

India reportedly has the highest number of Facebook users in the world, with more than 300 million.

That is about a third of the 900 million people eligible to vote in 2019.

The Indian elections begin on April 11, with polling scheduled to be held across 543 constituencies in seven phases.

Counting of votes is to be conducted on May 23, with results expected the same day.
Israels prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has returned home from Washington, heading straight into military consultations after a night of heavy fire as Israeli aircraft bombed Gaza targets and the strips militants fired rockets into Israel.

Schools in southern Israel were cancelled following the violence that threatened to escalate into a major conflict just two weeks before the Israeli elections.

The fighting subsided by the morning, though the situation remained tense.

The military massed forces on the Gaza border and imposed restrictions on civilian public gatherings after dozens of rockets were fired toward communities in the area, including one that struck a house in the town of Sderot.

Overnight, the Israeli air force pounded militant sites of Gazas Hamas rulers and the smaller Islamic Jihad group.

The targets included a multi-storey building in Gaza City that Israel said had served as a Hamas military intelligence headquarters and the office of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.

Gazas health ministry said seven Palestinians were wounded in the airstrikes.

Mr Netanyahu, back from Washington, headed directly to military headquarters in Tel Aviv for consultations on the next steps.

He faces the difficult task of delivering a tough blow to Hamas while avoiding protracted fighting that could work against him on election day.

An explosion caused by Israeli airstrikes is seen in Gaza City (Adel Hana/AP)

Mr Netanyahu has come under heavy criticism from both allies and opponents for what they say has been an ineffective policy of containing Gaza militants, with calls demanding he deliver a devastating blow to Hamas.

He has conducted indirect ceasefire talks through Egyptian mediators in recent months, and even allowed the delivery of millions of dollars of Qatari aid to Hamas to ease harsh conditions in Gaza.

After a meeting with President Donald Trump and before leaving Washington, Mr Netanyahu indicated the election would not deter him from acting.

We have responded very, very forcefully.

Hamas needs to know that we will not hesitate to go in and take all necessary steps, regardless of anything, any date, other than Israels security needs, he said.

The cross-border fighting was triggered by a surprise rocket fired early Monday from Gaza that slammed into a house in central Israel and wounded seven people.

The Israeli military said it was a self-manufactured rocket with a range of 75 miles, making it one of the deepest strikes ever carried out by Hamas.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Susan Walsh/AP)

The military mobilised two armour and infantry brigades and drafted some reserve forces before striking back at militant sites in Gaza.

Gazas Hamas rulers announced later in the day that Egyptian mediators had brokered a cease-fire but the firing continued overnight before calm appeared to return early Tuesday.

The rocket attack prompted Mr Netanyahu to cut short a visit to Washington and return home, setting the stage for perhaps the most serious conflict since a war in 2014.

But with no fatalities reported on either side yet, and the quiet holding for the moment, it still seemed possible to step back from the brink once again.

Two weeks ago, rockets were fired from Gaza toward Israels densely populated commercial capital of Tel Aviv, and the Israeli military struck back.

Gazas Hamas leaders said the rocket was fired accidentally and the fighting quickly subsided.

Israel and Hamas have fought three wars in the last decade.

Although neither side appears to have an interest in another war, fighting could easily spin out of control.

The 2014 conflict lasted 50 days and ended with over 2,000 Palestinian deaths, including hundreds of civilians, and 73 killed on the Israeli side.

A house is damaged after it was hit by a rocket in Sderot, southern Israel (Ariel Schalit/AP)

In Gaza, Hamas is facing perhaps its toughest domestic test since seizing control of the coastal territory from the rival Palestinian Authority 12 years ago.

An Israel-Egyptian blockade, imposed to weaken Hamas, combined with sanctions by the Palestinian Authority and mismanagement by the Hamas government, have all fuelled an economic crisis that has left Gaza with an unemployment rate above 50%.

Hamas has been leading weekly protests along the Israeli border for the past year in hopes of easing the blockade, but the demonstrations, in which some 190 people have been killed by Israeli fire, have done little to improve conditions.

Last week, hundreds of Gazans protested against the dire conditions, a rare expression of public discontent against the authoritarian government.

Hamas responded with a violent crackdown, beating and arresting dozens of demonstrators and drawing rare public criticism.

By limiting its fire to border communities after Mondays long-range launch, Hamas seems to be trying to keep the conflagration on low intensity. For Israelis living along the border who have suffered from years of rocket attacks that is little comfort.

The Israeli government cant, under no circumstances, settle, said Haim Jellin, a Labour party candidate for parliament and a former head of the bordering Eshkol regional council.

Firing at Israeli communities that border with Gaza is the same as firing toward Tel Aviv, and its impossible we will show restraint at the continuous firing.
Changes to NHS pensions from next week could lead to redundancies and increased difficulty in recruiting and retaining GPs, MSPs have warned.

The current employer contribution rate will rise from 14.9% to 20.9% on April 1, following the latest valuation for the pension scheme.

MSPs on the Scottish Parliaments Health and Sport Committee warned that the change could have a detrimental effect on GP practices, hospices and charities unless the funding shortfall is met.

Labour MSP Dave Stewart told the committee that the change would affect GPs dramatically, through increasing staff costs.

This may end up in redundancies in the longer term, he said.

It may also affect GP practices who cannot continue, and go back to health boards, which is a worry.

Theres a particular issue in rural areas  it will affect the recruitment and retention of GPs.

David Stewart warned that extra funding is needed to cope with the changes (Andrew Cowan/Scottish Parliament/PA)

Mr Stewart highlighted analysis from Childrens Hospices Across Scotland that this will cost them an estimated 350,000 a year  equivalent to the salary for nine full-time nurses.

He said the UK Government passing on funding to deal with the impact on Scotland through the Barnett formula would allay his concerns.

SNP MSP Sandra White said a lot of people are not aware of the change and that it could have really dire affects on front-line services.

She said: Its them [the UK Government] that have raised this pension funding, therefore it shouldnt be incumbent upon us, the Scottish Parliament, which doesnt have that power, to make up the shortfall.

Committee convener Lewis Macdonald said Public Finance Minister Kate Forbes had written to the committee stating: Failure to fully fund these costs will have a significant and detrimental effect on the delivery of essential front-line services in Scotland.

She added: If there is a shortfall in the funding from the UK, the Scottish Government will consider how this shortfall will be met.

Mr Macdonald suggested the committee write to Ms Forbes seeking confirmation that come what may, the shortfall will be met and there will not be the impact on GP practices, hospices and others.

The committee agreed to write to the minister and also registered no formal objection to change in regulations.
MEPs have voted in favour of controversial changes to online copyright across the EU, in a decision designed to make tech giants more responsible for paying creatives, musicians and news outlets more fairly for their work online.

The Copyright Directive was approved by 348 MEPs, with 274 voting against and 36 abstaining.

Copyright: Parliament just voted in favour of the proposed directive on copyright rules for the digital market. Press release to be published soon. pic.twitter.com/NDUvzrTIiJ  European Parliament (@Europarl_EN) March 26, 2019

EU member states will have two years to implement the reforms, although it is not clear what it would mean for the UK in the face of Brexit uncertainty.

A huge thank you to all the MEPs who supported the Copyright Directive today and the fantastic work of all those who have campaigned so hard on this, representation body UK Music tweeted.

Julia Reda, a German MEP and vocal opponent of the move, described the decision as a dark day for internet freedom.

MEPs also rejected making any individual amendments to the reforms, but only by a slim majority of five votes.

YouTube had warned the move could mean viewers across the EU being cut off from videos.(John Stillwell/PA)

A huge thank you to all the MEPs who supported the Copyright Directive today and the fantastic work of all those who have campaigned so hard on this #LoveMusic  UK Music (@UK_Music) March 26, 2019

Supporters in the creative, music and journalism industries have long argued that the Copyright Directive will enable content-makers to be fairly paid for their work, while opponents, including the tech giants themselves, fear the changes will have an impact on freedom of speech and expression online.

Two parts, Article 11 and Article 13, have been the most contentious since talks started, with the likes of YouTube warning that viewers across the EU could be cut off from videos.

The EU Copyright Directive is improved but will still lead to legal uncertainty and will hurt Europes creative and digital economies, a spokesman from Google-owned YouTube said.

The details matter and we look forward to working with policymakers, publishers, creators and rights holders as EU member states move to implement these new rules.

Musicians Sir Paul McCartney and Debbie Harry were among the most vocal supporters of the changes, alongside a number of groups including the European Alliance of News Agencies, which argued that it provides an opportunity to further develop quality news services and enables it to compete more fairly with tech giants.

#Copyright reform done! @EU_Commission welcomes @Europarl_EN vote in favour of modernised rules fit for digital age.



 guaranteed rights for users

 fair remuneration for creators

 clarity of rules for platforms



https://t.co/nOispdneii pic.twitter.com/FXrDvkp6bs  Mina Andreeva (@Mina_Andreeva) March 26, 2019

Alexandru Giboi, secretary general of the EANA, said: Creators of content have a much better chance of obtaining a fair remuneration for their work, and European citizens have also a much better chance of accessing quality content online.

In consequence, the new copyright legislation will prove to be a win-win solution for both the trustworthy, quality media and the public.

The inclusion of news agencies in the text of the directive can also be interpreted as a recognition of the quality of our work, and of the importance that news agency journalism has, especially for safeguarding European media as a whole, as European news agencies are the main providers of quality news to most of the other media organisations in Europe.
Leaders of China, France, Germany and the European Commission have agreed to seek fairer global trade rules and work together to face the worlds economic and security challenges in an implicit response to the United States protectionist policies.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, on a state visit to France, met in Paris on Tuesday with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.

Discussions at the Elysee presidential palace focused on global challenges and relations between China and Europe.

European countries seek to boost relations with China while also putting pressure over its business practices amid trade tensions between the United States and both China and the European Union.

French President Emmanuel Macron, centre, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, right and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker wait for the arrival of Chinese President Xi Jinping (Francois Mori/PA)

The four leaders spoke in a united voice to seek mutual trust.

Mr Macron said they discussed the friendship as well as existing rivalries between the EU and China and agreed to seek a trust-based partnership.

Our common will is to avoid  new trade conflicts and isolationist policies, he said in a joint statement following the meeting.

Mr Xi said reformed world governance rules should address global challenges like climate change, cybersecurity issues and migrant crisis.

Competition and international frictions keep growing in the world, he said.

China wants to play a bigger role in international organisations like the United Nations, the World Trade Organisation and the International Monetary Fund that were created under a Western-based model.

The leaders are preparing for a crucial EU-China summit on April 9.

The EU is Chinas biggest trade partner and wants to solidify that relationship.

French President Emmanuel Macron (right) and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping(Thibault Camus/AP)

Mr Juncker said: European companies will need to find the same level of opening to access the Chinese market that the Chinese companies now find in Europe.

Ms Merkel called for creating a climate of mutual trust so that everyone is aware of the other ones interests.

With multilateralism its possible to get a win-win approach, she said.

Tuesdays meeting was a key moment in Mr Xis European tour to Italy, Monaco and France.

The Chinese leaders visit has involved huge business contracts, including one of the biggest deals ever for European plane maker Airbus.
Violence against staff at care homes has become normalised and most incidents go unreported, a new study suggests.

Physical assault, verbal abuse and sexual harassment are some of the risks faced daily by nurses and other care workers, researchers at the University of Stirling found.

The team interviewed almost 60 staff at seven long-term care facilities in Ontario, Canada, between 2016 and 2018.

They said the violence they encountered was typically the result of residents fear, confusion and agitation.

They cited causes such as under-staffing, inappropriate resident placement, and inadequate time for emotional and social care.

The impact on staff included injury, emotional trauma and burnout, but the majority of incidents were said to go unreported due to fear of reprisals from supervisors.

One participant told the study: I asked to be excused from caring for someone who was punching me on a daily basis and causing bruising.

My supervisor actually said to me: This is part of your job.

The work was carried out by Dr Jim Brophy and Dr Margaret Keith of Stirlings Occupational and Environmental Health Research Group, and Michael Hurley of the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions / Canadian Union of Public Employees.

Dr Brophy said the public healthcare system is in a `deepening crisis (University of Stirling/PA)

Dr Brophy said: The health and well-being of healthcare staff reflects the health of the system itself.

There is widespread recognition that the public healthcare system in Canada  as in other countries  is facing a deepening crisis, with working and residential care conditions at breaking point.

This study adds new evidence and confirms previous scientific investigations that suggest violence is a significant risk factor in the day-to-day experience of long-term care staff.

We found that physical and verbal abuse, as well as sexual harassment, have been allowed to become normalised within these work environments.

The study, Breaking Point: Violence Against Long-Term Care Staff, is published in New Solutions and was funded by the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions / Canadian Union of Public Employees.
A final decision on a fracking ban in Scotland has been delayed for a further government consultation.

Ministers announced an effective ban on the oil and gas extraction technique in 2017.

Following a legal challenge from petrochemical firm Ineos, a Court of Session ruling last June found no prohibition against fracking in Scotland.

The Scottish Government had said it would inform the Scottish Parliament of its finalised policy on the development of unconventional oil and gas in the first three months of 2019.

Now, Energy Minster Paul Wheelhouse has announced that a further eight-week public consultation will be held, expected to start after April 21.

He announced the new consultation in response to a parliamentary question on fracking, adding: Our final policy on unconventional oil and gas will be confirmed and adopted as soon as possible after this process is complete.

The Scottish Government will hold another consultation on fracking as pressure grows for a full legal ban (Danny Lawson/PA)

Scottish Labours environment spokeswoman Claudia Beamish said: The SNP government is kicking this issue into the long grass yet again.

This would be the third government public consultation on fracking and the fourth overall including the consultation on my members bill.

This looks like a cynical attempt to try and keep a ban on fracking out of the upcoming Climate Change Bill. That would be unacceptable.

She said Scotland has the power to ban fracking and her party is looking at the best way to do so, either through the Climate Change Bill or her members bill.

The Scottish Liberal Democrats said the current situation in Scotland on fracking has left communities worrying about their futures.

Environmental charity Friends of the Earth Scotland called for a full legal ban.

The Scottish Government's final decision on #fracking has been delayed.



Ministers announced further consultation as legal advice this week showed Scottish Parliament can, and should, ban the industry. #BanFrackingNow https://t.co/7qiJ1oqTCX  Friends of the Earth Scotland  (@FoEScot) March 26, 2019

Its head of campaigns, Mary Church, said: Communities on the frontline of this dirty industry who have been waiting for over four years for the Scottish Government to bring its long drawn-out process on unconventional oil and gas to an end, now face even further delay.

Holyrood has the power to ban fracking  its time for the Scottish Government to stop dilly-dallying, have the courage of its convictions and legislate to stop the industry for good.

Last week, a legal opinion by Aidan ONeill QC, commissioned by Friends of the Earth Scotland, suggested the Scottish Parliament has the legislative competence to pass a fracking ban.

It indicated doing so would be less likely to result in successful legal challenges from companies with an interest in the industry.

Green MSP Mark Ruskell said: QC advice is clear that Scotland has the powers to implement a legally watertight ban on this destructive and unsustainable practice and the government should get on with doing that.

Greens will give MSPs the chance to back that call tomorrow when we lead a debate in parliament on the global climate emergency.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: The Scottish Governments preferred policy position is it does not support onshore unconventional oil and gas development in Scotland.

Scottish Ministers are entering the final stages of the policy making process on this important issue.

He said an addendum to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) report would be consulted on, adding: This approach is required to ensure the continuation of the cautious, evidence-led approach we have consistently taken towards the development of an unconventional oil and gas policy for Scotland.
Police officers who responded to a hotel disco crush that killed three teenagers are to face investigation after it emerged they initially withdrew from the scene.

Police Service of Northern Ireland Chief Constable George Hamilton has referred the actions of the officers to the regions independent police watchdog, the Police Ombudsman.

Co Tyrone schoolchildren Morgan Barnard, 17, Lauren Bullock, 17, and Connor Currie, 16, died following a crush near the entrance to the Greenvale Hotel in Cookstown on March 17, St Patricks Day.

Ombudsman Dr Michael Maguire will now examine how police responded when the first emergency call was made at around 9.30pm.

The Greenvale Hotel (Liam McBurney/PA)

It is understood police had been subject to attack in the area on previous occasions and officers who arrived at the scene in a car initially withdrew amid concerns about a potentially hostile environment.

Due to the ongoing security situation in Northern Ireland, officers are known to exercise caution prior to engaging with large crowds in other night time scenarios.

Dr Maguire will be tasked to examine whether such a response was appropriate given the situation unfolding in the car park of the Greenvale Hotel last Sunday.

Deputy Chief Constable Stephen Martin announced the move on Tuesday.

The ongoing investigation into the tragic events at the Greenvale Hotel is active and wide-ranging, he said.

As part of that investigation, it is right and proper that the actions of all those involved are considered.

Part of the investigation has included a review of the initial police response.

The first police officers arrived at the hotel grounds shortly after receiving the 999 report.

Following their initial assessment, they made attempts to establish more detail and information about what was happening and subsequently withdrew to await further police support.

When the first ambulance arrived, police moved forward in support of them.

The timing and nature of police actions during this period require further investigation to fully establish the facts.

The Chief Constable has therefore decided that the initial police response should be subject to independent scrutiny and it is in the public interest to refer the circumstances and the nature of the actions of the first officers arriving at the scene to the Police Ombudsman.

The families have been informed of the referral.

Michael McElhatton owner of The Greenvale Hotel in Cookstown (Liam McBurney/PA)

The confidence of the families and the confidence of the communities we serve are at the forefront of our minds in our decision to refer this matter to the Police Ombudsman.

We will work with the ombudsman to support whatever action he undertakes and would ask that people do not speculate or prejudge the outcome of the ombudsmans investigation.

The owner of the hotel  Michael McElhatton, 52  was arrested last week on suspicion of manslaughter and later bailed to return for future questioning.

Another man, aged 40, was also questioned on suspicion of manslaughter and released on bail pending further inquiries.

The Police Ombudsmans Office said it had commenced an investigation into the police response to initial reports about the incident at the Greenvale Hotel, after a referral from the PSNI.

A spokesman said: Our thoughts are with the families who have been so tragically bereaved.

Our investigators have now begun gathering information about the initial sequence of events, and have appealed for witnesses to contact them.

They are keen to hear from anyone who saw police in the area of the Greenvale Hotel on St Patricks evening, 17 March.
Much of Venezuela remains without electricity as a new power outage spread across the country in what many fear will be a repeat of the chaos a little more than two weeks ago during the nations largest-ever blackout.

The outage began around midday on Monday and appeared to have affected the majority of Venezuelas 23 states.

While the lights did flicker back on in many parts after officials declared service would be restored within hours, the grid collapsed again in the late evening, knocking out communications and leaving much of the South American country bracing for the worst.

People wait inside a darkened office building (Fernando Llano/AP)

As with the previous outage, President Nicolas Maduros government blamed US-backed opponents, accusing them of sabotaging the Guri dam, which supplies the bulk of Venezuelas electricity.

A macabre, perverse plan constructed in Washington and executed with factions of the extreme Venezuelan right, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez declared on state television, describing it as an electromagnetic assault.

Officials said the attack had been controlled, but their assurances, similar to ones the last time around, did little to calm the anger of residents in Caracas who filled traffic-clogged streets as they walked home after the underground service in the capital was suspended.

Their patience grew increasingly thin when a second outage struck late into the night, with residents in some neighbourhoods banging on pots and pans in pitch black to express their growing frustration.

People line up at a bus stop in an attempt to leave Caracas during a power outage (Natacha Pisarenko/AP)

Netblocks, a non-government group based in Europe that monitors internet censorship, said the late evening outage had knocked offline nearly 90% of Venezuelas telecommunications infrastructure.

Even the powerful state TV apparatus was down.

The outages come as Mr Maduro is fighting to keep his grip on power amid a revived opposition movement and punishing economic sanctions from the US.

The Trump administration, which has made no secret of its desire to remove Mr Maduro, has denied any role in the outages.

People jockey to enter a bus during a power outage (Fernando Llano/AP)

Meanwhile, electricity experts and opposition leader Juan Guaido fault years of corruption and incompetence by Mr Maduros socialist government

This outage is evidence that the dictator is incapable of resolving the crisis, Mr Guaido wrote on Twitter under the hashtag #ApagonRojo  Spanish for Red Blackout.

Mr Guaido, who the US and dozens of other countries recognise as Venezuelas rightful leader, said he was meeting with aides to determine actions to express the indignation of the entire population.

Meanwhile, in a sign of mounting tensions, the government has presented what it claims to be evidence uncovered by intelligence agencies purporting to show plans by the opposition to hire mercenaries from Central America to carry out targeted killings and acts of sabotage.

Graffiti reading Maduro Out in Spanish (Natacha Pisarenko/AP)

During a news conference in the middle of the blackout, Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez showed screenshots of what are purportedly private text messages between Mr Guaido, his mentor Leopoldo Lopez and other opposition insiders discussing payment details to the hired guns through banks in Europe and Panama.

We have identified some paramilitaries that have entered Venezuela, and we will search for them by land, sea and air, Mr Rodriguez said.

The opposition has yet to comment on the accusations but normally shrugs off such charges as a desperate attempt by the government to shift blame for its own ineptitude.

However, late at night, Lilian Tintori, the wife of Mr Lopez, said that a group of government loyalists on motorcycles besieged her home in eastern Caracas, shouting epithets in the dark against her husband and warning that he would soon be thrown back in jail.

Mr Lopez has been under house arrest following his conviction for stirring anti-government unrest in 2014 in a case that was marred by irregularities.

I personally hold the usurper Nicolas Maduro directly responsible for anything that happens to Leopoldo or any member of my family, she said.
Photo: The Canadian Press Barron County Judge James Gabler speaks to Jake Patterson during a hearing at the Barron County Justice Center, Wednesday, March 27, 2019, in Barron, Wis. Patterson pleaded guilty Wednesday to kidnapping 13-year-old Jayme Closs, killing her parents and holding her captive in a remote cabin for three months. (Renee Jones Schneider/Star Tribune via AP, Pool)

A Wisconsin man pleaded guilty Wednesday to kidnapping 13-year-old Jayme Closs and killing her parents, in a move that spares the girl held captive in a remote cabin for three months from the possible trauma of having to testify at his trial.

Jake Patterson, 21, sniffled and his voice caught as he pleaded guilty to two counts of intentional homicide and one count of kidnapping. As part of a plea deal, prosecutors dropped a count of armed burglary. Patterson faces up to life in prison when he is sentenced May 24; Wisconsin does not have the death penalty.

In a bizarre remark as he left the courtroom, Patterson turned back and said "Bye, Jayme." His victim wasn't there.

Patterson had said he would plead guilty in a letter sent this month to a Minneapolis TV station, saying he didn't want the Closs family "to worry about a trial."

Patterson admitted kidnapping Jayme after killing her parents, James and Denise Closs, on Oct. 15 at the family's home near Barron, about 90 miles northeast of Minneapolis. Jayme escaped in January, after 88 days in Patterson's cabin near the small, isolated town of Gordon, some 60 miles from her home.

The plea, coupled with an earlier decision by prosecutors not to bring charges in the county where Jayme was held, increases the chances that the details of her time in captivity will remain private.

Patterson stoically answered "yes" and "yeah" to repeated questions from Barron County Judge James Babler about whether he understood what he was doing. Later, as he responded "guilty," to each count, he could be heard sniffling. He paused for several seconds after the judge asked him about the kidnapping charge before stuttering, "guilty."

Defence attorney Richard Jones told Babler that Patterson "wanted to enter a plea from the day we met him" and brushed off strategies presented to him, including trying to suppress his statements to investigators.

"He rejected all that and has decided this is what he wants to do," Jones said.

Members of the Closs family and Patterson's father and sister all left the courthouse without commenting.

According to a criminal complaint , Patterson told authorities he decided Jayme "was the girl he was going to take" after he saw her getting on a school bus near her home. He told investigators he plotted carefully, including wearing all-black clothing, putting stolen license plates on his car and taking care to leave no fingerprints on his shotgun.

Jayme told police that the night of the abduction, the family dog's barking awoke her, and she went to wake up her parents as a car came up the driveway. While her father went to the front door, Jayme and her mother hid in the bathroom, clutching each other in the bathtub, the shower curtain pulled shut.

Patterson shot Jayme's father as he entered the house, then found Jayme and her mother. He told detectives he wrapped tape around Jayme's mouth and head, taped her hands behind her back and taped her ankles together, then shot her mother in the head. He told police he dragged Jayme outside, threw her in the trunk of his car, and took her to his cabin, the complaint said.

During Jayme's time in captivity, Patterson forced her to hide under a bed when he had friends over and penned her in with tote boxes and weights, warning that if she moved, "bad things could happen to her." He also turned up the radio so visitors couldn't hear her, according to the complaint.

Authorities searched for Jayme for months and collected more than 3,500 tips. On Jan. 10, Jayme escaped from the cabin while Patterson was away. She then flagged down a woman who was walking a dog and pleaded for help. Patterson was arrested minutes later.

Authorities have not released any additional details about Patterson's treatment of Jayme. Soon after he was charged in Barron County, prosecutors in Douglas County  where Jayme was held  announced they had no plans to charge him for crimes there. It was a move widely seen as aimed at sparing Jayme further pain, and one that University of Wisconsin law professor Cecelia Klingele praised Wednesday.

"People are always interested in hearing salacious details, but there is no 'right to know' the details of a crime victim's suffering," Klingele said in an email about Patterson's plea.
The resignation on Monday of three ministers over Brexit means Theresa May has now lost more than 30 members of her Government in the past 12 months.

Richard Harrington, Alistair Burt and Steve Brine quit their posts as business, Foreign Office and health ministers respectively, in order to back a Commons amendment enabling MPs to hold indicative votes on alternatives to the Prime Ministers deal.

In doing so they became the 32nd, 33rd and 34th members of the Government to resign since last March.

Their departure also means that a total of 22 ministers have quit during the past 12 months, including five members of the Cabinet.

(PA Graphics)

Almost all the departures have been over Brexit, though a handful of resignations were for other reasons, such as Amber Rudd resigning as home secretary over the Windrush scandal, and Greg Hands quitting as trade minister in opposition to the planned expansion of Heathrow airport.

Theresa May has seen a turnover of Government ministers that is unprecedented in recent political history.

More ministers have resigned since she became Prime Minister in July 2016 (a total of 28) than did so during the entire 11 years of Margaret Thatchers premiership (25), according to Gavin Freeguard of the Institute for Government.

Tony Blair notched up 29 ministerial resignations during his time in Downing Street  but that was over a decade, while Theresa May has almost equalled that number in just 33 months.

Even Gordon Browns eventful three years as Prime Minister saw only 17 ministerial departures (not including reshuffles).

Resignations under Theresa Mays premiership have tended to come in bursts, prompted by the next big development in the Brexit process.

A total of seven departures, four of them ministers, all took place on November 15 2018 in protest over Theresa Mays draft Brexit deal.

And five resignations, including that of Cabinet members David Davis and Boris Johnson, came in the space of 24 hours in July 2018 shortly after the announcement of Theresa Mays so-called Chequers plan for leaving the EU.
Theresa May is to host a major summit aimed at tackling the scourge of knife crime.

The Prime Minister will gather experts and community leaders at Downing Street on April 1 to explore ways to tackle the problem.

She originally told MPs on March 6 that the summit would take place in the coming days and shadow policing minister Louise Haigh criticised the delay, saying it was high time for the Government to take action.

Mrs Mays official spokesman said: The Prime Minister will host the summit on serious violence in Downing Street on Monday April 1.

As she set out in the House, this will bring together ministers, community leaders, agencies and experts to explore what more we can do as a whole society to tackle knife crime.

Shadow policing minister Louise Haigh said it was `high time the Government took action on knife crime (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Ms Haigh told the Press Association: The Prime Minister promised to meet victims and hold an emergency summit in the coming days nearly three weeks ago.

Whilst its welcome that they are now convening this summit, we need to see action and not words from this failing Government.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday afternoon, Home Secretary Sajid Javid was chairing a meeting of the serious violence task force involving ministers and police chiefs.
Construction has begun on a community wind farm project in North Uist after the project surpassed its fundraising target.

The North Uist Development Company (NUDC) raised an extra 100,000 more than needed for its equity stake in the UistWind project  reaching 452,850  to build two 900kw turbines at Criongrabhal, near Clachan-na-Luib.

With feed-in-tariff support, the turbines -which are due to be operational by October this year  will provide a set price for electricity supplied.

Despite fears of not meeting the target in November, when the total sat at around 317,000, a final push saw fundraising pass 400,000 on Christmas Eve.

Mustapha Hocine, chair of NUDC (Trading) Ltd, said: I am delighted that we have reached this key stage in the development of the North Uist Renewable project.

With the support of all our investors and our lenders, Triodos Bank and EIF, we can now enter the construction phase of this important community project with a high level of confidence.

I echo the many thanks that have been stated elsewhere, but in particular want to pay tribute to the unwavering support of my fellow directors of NUDC, the North Uist community and the over 240 investors who have made this project possible.

More than 2 million will be generated during the projects 22-year lifespan, which will be reinvested in good causes by the community.

Peter Keiller, Catherine Macleod, Kirsty Macleod, Ameena Camps, Alastair Macleod and Mustapha Hocine (Katie Laing/PA)

Significant financial support was also given by the Scottish Governments Community and Renewable Energy Scheme.

Paul Wheelhouse  Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands  said he was delighted with the progress of the project.

He added: As someone who believes that such investments can be transformative for communities, it is absolutely fantastic to see the local island communities, and indeed communities and investors across Scotland, come together to support the project and help them exceed their equity stake.

The team at North Uist Development Company has worked tirelessly to overcome a number of challenges and I want to congratulate them for all their hard work and their achievements to date.

I wish them every success with the construction phase of the project and look forward to seeing the turbines in action  benefitting the local North Uist community for years to come.
The father of a missing eight-year-old boy had previously abducted him from his mother, a court has heard.

Angelo Jurado-Marmolejo has not been seen since he was collected by his father, Rafael Jurado-Cabello, on the morning of March 2.

During a hearing at Bristol Civil and Family Justice Centre, it emerged that Mr Jurado-Cabello had previously abducted the boy.

Mr Jurado-Cabello, a Spanish national, failed to return Angelo home after a visit during the school half-term holiday in February 2017.

Angelo with his mother (Family handout/PA)

Angelos mother, Karol Marmolejo, applied to Bristol Family Court on February 27 that year  with Mr Jurado-Cabello insisting she had consented to her son moving to Spain.

In a case summary provided to the media, Julia Belyavin, representing Ms Marmolejo, said this was not correct.

Unbeknownst to the mother, the father had enrolled Angelo in a school in Spain and taken him to see a psychologist, she said.

He also lodged a criminal complaint against the mother in Spain and also began a case in the Spanish Family Court seeking orders that Angelo should live with him there.

The mother had to issue further court proceedings in Spain in order to bring those proceedings to a conclusion.

In March 2017, Angelo was returned to his mother in Bristol by his father.

Bristol Family Court obtained reports on the case and conducted a hearing in August 2017 to determine who Angelo should live with.

It found that there had been no agreement that Angelo should move to Spain and that Mr Jurado-Cabello had lied about this to courts in England and Spain.

In addition, the court found that the father had embarked on a deliberate campaign to alienate Angelo from his mother and that he could not meet Angelos emotional needs, Ms Belyavin said.

Angelo Jurado-Marmolejo (Family handout/PA)

As a result of this, Mr Jurado-Cabellos contact with Angelo was restricted and observed, with a translator present.

Following further court hearings, the fathers contact with Angelo became less restricted and increased in duration.

In February this year, the court made an order confirming that Angelo should live with his mother and spend time with his father.

Mr Jurado-Cabellos contact was extended to visits of six hours and some overnight stays in the future.

He was not allowed to take Angelo out of Bristol at first, then  once visits were longer in duration  they had to remain within England and Wales.

The father was banned from buying travel documents for his son and was required to surrender his passport and Spanish identity card at the start of each visit.

But during the first visit after the case concluded, he failed to return Angelo at 5.30pm and has not been seen since.

Police are understood to be viewing the case as a pre-planned abduction, the solicitor said.

On March 11, the court ordered Mr Jurado-Cabello to immediately return his son to Ms Marmolejo.

This order has been sent to Mr Jurado-Cabello by all known email addresses but he has not responded and Angelo remains missing.

The mother, who this court has found to be a good mother who prioritises her sons needs, is desperately concerned for the welfare of her son and distraught that he has been abducted for a second time, Ms Belyavin said.

She urges anyone who has any information about Mr Jurado-Cabellos whereabouts to contact the police or this court as a matter of urgency.
The European Parliament has overwhelmingly approved a measure to abolish the twice-yearly time change in 2021.

The proposal now goes to European Union member states for further negotiations.

EU politicians voted 410-192 with 51 abstentions on Tuesday to scrap changing the clocks, which has been a rite of spring and autumn for decades.

But politicians have not yet decided on whether summer or winter time should be adopted as the standard since there are divisions within the EU as to which one should be chosen.

The clock at York Station (Lynne Cameron/PA)

Many member states instituted the time change during the 1970s oil crisis as an attempt to save energy.

Since 1996, all EU countries change their times simultaneously.

An EU consultation of the public last year showed that 84% were against changing the clock.
The Norwegian pilot on the cruise ship carrying more than 1,300 people that was caught in a fierce storm off the coast of Norway has said the situation worsened when engine problems appeared.

Inge Lockert told the Vesteraalen newspaper that everything went as it should until we got engine problems.

It was a very big team effort, he told the daily.

When we got the engine running again, we realised we were going to save ourselves.

Some of the remaining passengers look out (Svein Ove Ekornesvag/AP)

The ship, Viking Sky, made a mayday call on Saturday afternoon after the engine failures.

Five helicopters winched off 479 passengers, and the airlift evacuation went well into Sunday.

The operation was halted later Sunday when the ships engines restarted and the vessel limped into a nearby port with the remaining 900 passengers onboard.

A total of 36 people was admitted in local hospitals and as of Tuesday, one person was in critical but stable condition in an intensive care ward.

Seven others were expected to be discharged later on Tuesday, hospital officials said.

Helicopters fly over the cruise ship Viking Sky after it sent out a mayday signal (AP)

Mr Lockert was one of two pilots from the Norwegian Coastal Administration who boarded the ship on Saturday to help the crew take the ship into port, the Vesteraalen daily said.

Only Mr Lockert has spoken publicly.

The identity of the captain, a Finn, is not known.

On Monday, Norwegian officials said they have opened an investigation into the ordeal.

The ship was on a 12-day cruise along Norways coast before its scheduled arrival on Tuesday in Britain.

The passengers were mostly an English-speaking mix of American, British, Canadian, New Zealand and Australian citizens.
Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald has condemned any potential return of violence on the island of Ireland.

Ms McDonald said a new reality had emerged on the island that there was no appetite for violence of any kind.

There is no circumstances, no excuse, no scenario in which anybody from any disposition anywhere across this island would have a justifiable cause to take up arms, she said.

There is no appetite for a return to armed actions anywhere across this island, in any community in the north of Ireland and, in fact, people have embraced a new reality right across our country which is one of relative stability and advancement and progress.

Ms McDonald made the comments at Leinster House on Tuesday amid ongoing Brexit chaos and after a parcel bomb was found last week at an Irish postal depot, which appeared to be identical to suspect packages found in the UK earlier this month.

Army bomb disposal experts were called to a postal sorting office in Limerick on Friday morning after the suspicious package was discovered.

Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald discussing Brexit outside Leinster House in Dublin on Tuesday (Michelle Devane/PA)

The Irish Defence Forces later confirmed a viable improvised explosive device had been found contained in a plastic envelope.

Ms McDonald accused Irish premier Leo Varadkar of being overly relaxed when it came to no-deal planning.

We heard An Taoiseach in the course of the weekend almost philosophically say that whereas Brexit might define Britain for a generation, that it doesnt have to define us, she said.

Sinn Fein leader @MaryLouMcDonald has condemned any potential return to violence on the island of Ireland #Brexit. Speaking outside the Dail in Dublin she said: There is no circumstances, no excuse, no scenario in which anybody would have a justifiable cause to take up arms. pic.twitter.com/O5YRYWT0y5  Michelle Devane (@michelledevane) March 26, 2019

I think its a very worrying statement. I think it belies an overly relaxed attitude by An Taoiseach.

The Dublin Central TD described the DUPs approach to Brexit as absolutely reckless and dangerous, adding it was entirely at odds with what was best for everybody in Northern Ireland.

You cant have part of the island inside the European Union and the other part outside of the European Union, and imagine that there wont be huge consequences for trade and our economy but also, critically, for the enjoyment of rights by our citizens and for the smooth operation of the Good Friday Agreement, she said.

Ms McDonald continued: They are very much out of step with public opinion in the north. I think theyre very well aware of that and yet they are quite content to play very, very dangerous games with their friends in the Tory party.

Other members of the opposition also voiced their concern over the lack of information being provided by the Government about what will happen to the border in a no-deal scenario.

Fianna Fail Brexit spokeswoman Lisa Chambers said the Government needed to explain what discussions were happening at EU level.

Its about time now our Government was honest with people because clearly conversations are happening in the background, she said.

Were getting little snippets. Were piecing together little snippets from EU officials from various ministers but that information should be forthcoming.

Irish Labour Party leader Brendan Howlin said it was a very worrying time for Ireland as the Brexit shambles continued apace.

Its incumbent on our government to prepare unfortunately for a hard Brexit, he said.

Very inadequate preparation has been explained to us to date.

Mr Howlin called on his British counterparts to back Theresa Mays deal.

If the choice is a no-deal or the deal thats on the table, I would exhort the British Labour Party to support the only negotiated deal thats there, he said.

But he added the ideal outcome would be if Article 50 was revoked entirely or Britain had a second referendum.
The boss of the Brit Awards has welcomed copyright legislation which will help the ecosystem of UK music.

MEPs have voted in favour of the Copyright Directive which will make online platforms responsible for copyrighted material posted on their sites.

The legislation aims to address the financial value gap between what creators were receiving for their work and the profits made by major platforms such as Youtube.

Music executives have welcomed the move to tighten copyright controls as a means to boost the industry by offering a fair financial return.

Geoff Taylor, who heads the British Phonographic Industry and the Brit Awards, has said the changes need to be properly enforced in the UK.

A huge thank you to all the MEPs who supported the Copyright Directive today and the fantastic work of all those who have campaigned so hard on this #LoveMusic  UK Music (@UK_Music) March 26, 2019

He said: This is the first legislation anywhere in the world that recognises there needs to be a better balance in the relationship between user-upload platforms and the creative community, whose content turbocharges those services.

Geoff Taylor, chief executive BPI and the Brit Awards (BPI/PA)

The value gap distorts the music ecosystem and holds back the growth of the UKs creative industries.

The priority now must be to ensure the UK implementation of the directive achieves the goal of closing that gap and we look forward to working with Government and all parties to that end.

The International Confederation of Music Publishers (ICMP) has also welcomed legislation to tighten internet copyright rules.

ICMP director general John Phelan said: Four years of titanic tussling later, our work to solve the value gap now begins a new stage after this vote, namely to ensure that those who make the music make a fair return.
A far-right terror suspect who entered a Miss Hitler contest took part in an online chat in which an extremist discussed lesser races mixing with Aryans, a jury has heard.

Alice Cutter also allegedly messaged her partner  co-defendant Mark Jones  asking him to return home to make sure everything is wiped as the Government announced a ban on neo-Nazi group National Action.

Cutter, 22, and 24-year-old partner Jones, both of Mulhalls Mill, Sowerby Bridge, near Halifax, West Yorkshire, deny being members of National Action after it was outlawed in December 2016.

Garry Jack, 23, from Heathland Avenue, Shard End, Birmingham, and 18-year-old Connor Scothern, of Bagnall Avenue, Nottingham, also deny belonging to National Action between December 2016 and September 2017.

On the fifth day of a trial at Birmingham Crown Court, a jury of seven men and five women heard details of posts placed on a chat group named Triple K Mafia in late 2016 and early in 2017.

Connor Scothern arriving at Birmingham Crown Court (Matthew Cooper/PA)

The court heard that a text message sent by Scothern to his father read: The ban comes on Friday if the Jews think this will stop us in the battle for our homelands then they have no understand (sic) of the Europeans.

Meanwhile, text messages allegedly sent by Cutter to Jones read: I suggest you get your arse home asap and make sure everything is wiped.

Its definitely happening. Well its already happened.

Prosecutor Barnaby Jameson QC suggested to the court that the texts sent by Cutter were a reference to an announcement that National Action was set to be banned days later.

One of the chat groups recovered from a mobile phone alleged to be linked to National Action is said to have had global white supremacy as its ideology.

In one group, Scothern is alleged to have written: I dont understand why you would choose a subhuman over a woman of your own kind.

Several posts allegedly written by Cutter  on a group chat found on a phone seized from Jack  followed a comment on lesser races and a post referencing an article on mixed-race children.

Cutter allegedly wrote: Im going to be sick. Everything hurts and now my brain hurts too.

The court has heard Cutter entered a National Action beauty pageant in June 2016  allegedly in an effort to attract new members.

The jury has been told there is no dispute that Cutter entered the contest under the name Buchenwald Princess  a reference to a Nazi-era death camp at which tens of thousands of people were killed or starved.

In further chat group posts on the secure Telegram messaging app, a user alleged to be Cutter described foreigners as beasts and said pathetic whites made her skin crawl.

In a string of messages, the group member described herself as a former leftie and SJW  standing for social justice warrior.

The messages sent on February 21 2017  which were read into the court record by a police officer  said: Whites are terrible in the west to be honest.

I felt so attacked by my own ideology when I was a leftie. I dont understand how they dont feel the same.

I was extremely clever at school but extremely naive and idealistic. Clever at schoolwork doesnt always mean clever at common sense.

A combination of things including feeling pushed away from my own SJW ideology for being white brought me here.

The trial continues.
Labour MSP Kezia Dugdale has told a court she considers a tweet by a pro-independence blogger to be homophobic.

The former Scottish Labour leader claimed the message posted in 2017 by Wings Over Scotland blogger Stuart Campbell considers gay people to be lesser because they cannot or do not have children.

She told a sheriff she found the suggestion to be factually incorrect and was offended by it.

The politician also insisted that she has never called Mr Campbell a homophobe, telling the court: This whole case is about that one tweet.

Mr Campbell is suing Ms Dugdale, 37, for defamation over a column she wrote in the Daily Record on March 7 2017, referencing his homophobic tweets.

Stuart Campbell earlier told the court he was `horrified to be accused of homophobia (Andrew Milligan/PA)

The tweet at the centre of the controversy, made during the Conservative Party conference on March 3 that year, states: Oliver Mundell is the sort of public speaker that makes you wish his dad had embraced his homosexuality sooner.

Mr Campbell, 51, from Bath, has denied that it was a homophobic reference to Scottish Secretary David Mundell being gay and described it as satirical criticism of Scottish Conservative MSP Oliver Mundells public speaking skills.

Giving evidence on the second day of a civil proof at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, Ms Dugdale said the tweet had been reported all over the printed media and that there was quite a hostile reaction to it.

I think a lot of people considered the tweet to be homophobic and to be offensive, she said.

Roddy Dunlop QC, for Ms Dugdale, asked the MSP about her own view of the tweet at the centre of the case.

She replied: I consider it to be homophobic.

She continued: Because it considers gay people to be lesser because, in the view of the person who tweeted it, they cant have children or dont have children. That is factually incorrect.

She said she was offended by it and added: Also, the very fact that David Mundells sexuality was referenced at all. I dont understand why it was there.

Asked about the assertion that the statement was a joke, Mr Dugdale responded: I dont find homophobia funny in any form.

The Lothian MSP, of Edinburgh, earlier told the court she has a female partner and said: Increasingly I felt I had a responsibility to call out homophobia, as a gay politician.

She later told the QC she is entitled to her own view of what she considers homophobia to be, saying she has experienced it in a number of forms.

During cross-questioning, Ms Dugdale told Mr Campbells QC, Craig Sandison, she had found the Wings Over Scotland Twitter feed to be caustic and critical.

She described the pursuer as being in the top 10 of people who were, in the lawyers words, disobliging about her.

The court heard that Mr Campbell had collated around 120 of his past tweets which show, it is claimed, his positive view of LGBT people.

Mr Sandison asked: Do you consider him (Mr Campbell) a homophobe?

Ms Dugdale replied: No, Ive never called him a homophobe No, I believe what he said in his tweet to be homophobic. Im stating very clearly I consider his tweet to be homophobic.

She claimed the tweet was derogatory towards both David and Oliver Mundell and said: I honesly believe this is designed to to undermine Oliver Mundell on the basis of his fathers sexuality.

Mr Sandison put it to the MSP: I suggest your target in that article wasnt the tweet, it was the man.

Ms Dugdale replied: No, I disagree. I was calling out what I consider to be a homophobic tweet.

On Monday, Mr Campbell told the court: I dont believe any intelligent person could honestly interpret that tweet as homophobic, given what it said.

He said he was absolutely horrified to have been accused of homophobia and said the tweet was a joke.

He said he has always found discrimination against gay people abhorrent.

The case before Sheriff Nigel Ross continues on Wednesday, when both sides will make their submissions to the court.
Photo: VPD Police are looking to speak to anyone with dashcam video who was driving in the area bordered by Tyne Street, Crowley Drive, Aberdeen Street and Euclid Avenue

Vancouver Police are appealing to the public for witnesses after an assault on a man Saturday in East Vancouver.

Police say a 64-year-old Burnaby man walking along Euclid Avenue near Tyne Street at 10 p.m. when he was viciously attacked. The suspect ran off as two witnesses came to the victims aid, who was rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries.

A suspect was arrested later that night and later released pending further investigation. Detectives have established the suspect and victim were known to each other and there is no risk to the public.

This assault occurred in a busy neighbourhood where we would typically see many people walking and driving in the area, said Const. Jason Doucette.

Anyone in the area around the time of the assault, especially with dash-cam footage, may unknowingly have information that is important to our investigation and wed like to hear from them.
A historic piano which was the first keyboard instrument on Australian soil has been returned to the UK for critical restoration work.

The square piano was taken to Sydney on board the HMS Sirius as part of the 11 First Fleet ships which sailed from England in 1787 and made landfall in Australia in January 1788.

It was made by London piano maker Frederick Beck and brought to Australia on the fleets eight-month journey from Portsmouth. It was eventually donated to Perths Edith Cowan Universitys (ECU).

VIPs fly better with Emirates. We recently flew six Very Important Pianos, including Australias oldest piano, from Perth to London. pic.twitter.com/rqrD9P9Nnr  Emirates Airline (@emirates) March 25, 2019

The return journey to the UK was much shorter than eight months, taking just 21 hours on an Emirates jet from Perth to London earlier this month.

The First Fleet Piano was accompanied by another five pianos, three of which were produced in the 18th and 19th centuries, the airline said.

The instruments were packed in specially crafted insulated flight cases with sensors to track temperature and movement and loaded in the cargo hold of Emirates A380 aircraft from Perth to Dubai.

The piano was the first keyboard instrument on Australian soil (Edith Cowan University/PA)

Once in Dubai, the cases were transferred to a connecting flight to London, which landed on Friday, March 15.

Emirates vice president for cargo commercial, Far East and Australasia, Ravishankar Mirle said: With the transport of these historic pianos from Edith Cowan Universitys collection of rare musical instruments, we have also played a role in a cultural project that connects two nations through music and heritage.

ECU vice-chancellor Professor Steve Chapman said: The restoration of the First Fleet Piano has firmly placed Edith Cowan University at the centre of worldwide efforts to create research and education programmes on how to conserve and restore prized historical instruments.

The First Fleet Piano will undergo extensive restoration work before returning to Australia.
A policewoman who defied the odds to beat locked-in syndrome has called for the extension of a groundbreaking stroke treatment that saved her life.

Clodagh Dunlop, 39, walked back into full-time work with the police 18 months after suffering a stroke, and a year after being told she might always be confined to an electric wheelchair.

Mrs Dunlop, from Magherafelt, Co Londonderry, underwent a procedure called a mechanical thrombectomy to remove a clot in her head the day after she collapsed in April 2015.

Clodagh Dunlop speaks at a press conference on plans to restructure stroke cover (Liam McBurney/PA)

As she suffered her stroke outside weekday office hours  when the procedure is normally offered in Northern Ireland  the operation was delayed.

It only went ahead when it did due to the goodwill of surgeons and other clinicians who went into work out of hours.

Mrs Dunlop, who is still battling to overcome life-altering disabilities, said she may have escaped any major side-effects of her stroke if the treatment had been available immediately.

She is now backing plans unveiled by health chiefs in Northern Ireland to provide thrombectomies on a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week basis.

I owe my life to the team at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast who, when contacted out of hours, made the decision to come to work and save my life, she said.

The Royal Victoria Hospital (Paul Faith/PA)

I have been told that without a mechanical thrombectomy I would most likely be dead. I am and will be forever grateful for their goodwill  if their decision to come into work was different I wouldnt be standing here today.

But every month when I receive a Personal Independence Payment I am annoyed and bemused that a small portion of the money spent to now assist me through my life was not spent in minimising my disabilities in the first place.

I could not prevent the timing of my stroke, but the NHS could have minimised the effects if proper resource had been placed in the mechanical thrombectomy team.

I did act fast, I did know that I needed medical attention, but I find it shocking that the surgery that saved my life is not available 24/7.

Clodagh Dunlop shared her inspirational stroke story at #UKSF16 - she blew away our 1500 stroke care professionals #strokeassembly pic.twitter.com/3nHNGFlaXw  UK Stroke Forum (@UKStrokeForum) July 3, 2017

Mrs Dunlop suffered two transient ischemic attacks (TIAs)  or mini-strokes  in the period before the major brain clot struck.

She was in an A&E ward awaiting treatment for the second episode when the stroke happened.

I remember my sister staying with me, I remember the moment the clot lodged in my head, I remember saying to her, I love you, and then I remember violently thrashing about during a seizure before blanking out, she said.

My next memory is waking up in intensive care with tubes and lines emerging from my body and being paralysed from the top of my head to the soles of my feet.

I was locked inside my body. I could hear and see everything, I could feel the rush of air as nurses walked past my bed but I couldnt control any muscle other than my eyelids.

I spent about three months locked-in where I couldnt move anything, only my eyelids.

The road to recovery has been painfully slow.

After another four months, Mrs Dunlop was discharged from hospital and underwent further rehabilitation in the community.

I was discharged in an electronic wheelchair. I was told my future life was going to be in an electric wheelchair, she said.

I know that without working for hours daily on my recovery I would not be walking or talking today.

I know without the support of my family and friends I would remain in a wheelchair, not having returned to work in the police service full-time.
Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo suffered a minor thigh injury while on international duty but should not be at risk of missing next months Champions League quarter-final meeting with Ajax.

The 34-year-old was withdrawn hurt after 30 minutes of Portugals Euro 2020 qualifying match against Serbia on Monday, which ended as a 1-1 draw.

A statement from Juve on Tuesday said: Cristiano Ronaldo underwent tests in Portugal that revealed a minor injury to his right thigh flexors.

He will be monitored and subjected to further tests to establish when he can return to competitive action.

The Bianconeri face Empoli when the Serie A season resumes on Saturday, with games against Cagliari and AC Milan taking place in early April before a trip to Amsterdam to face Ajax beckons on April 10.
Northern Ireland would be less attractive for foreign direct investment (FDI) if it left the EU single market, a report has found.

The report, published by the Department of the Economy in Northern Ireland, says the region would experience a reduction of FDI-related job creation in any of the currently considered Brexit outcomes.

However, it would become more attractive to FDI and generate new jobs if it remained in the single market for goods and services, and the UK left.

Report published: The Impact of EU Exit on the attractiveness of FDI to the UK and NI and associated job creation effectshttps://t.co/mQBBq1q9kA  Economy NI (@Economy_NI) March 25, 2019

The 47-page report also found that lowering the corporate tax rate to 12.5% in Northern Ireland would compensate for the negative effects of Brexit.

It concluded that the most damaging post-Brexit outcome would be a no-deal scenario, with a reduction of 3% per year in the number of FDI projects from 2019 to 2030, and a 3.6% cut in FDI-related new jobs.

Sinn Fein said the report confirms it is impossible to fully mitigate the impact of a no-deal exit.

Deputy leader Michelle ONeill met senior officials at the Department for the Economy after the report was published to discuss economic development issues.

Michelle ONeill (Liam McBurney/PA)

They were clear that any form of Brexit will be damaging to the economy and to citizens rights, she said.

This weeks report from the department showed that foreign direct investment would fall under every Brexit scenario  giving the lie to those who boast that Brexit will bring economic opportunity.

Brexit will bring only economic chaos to the North.

In particular, a no-deal Brexit would be the equivalent of taking a wrecking ball to the economy. It would cause havoc to the agrifoods sector in particular, given its dependence on an integrated all-Ireland economy.

The DUP said any chance of a no-deal Brexit lies with the European Union.

It has been the EUs stubborn insistence upon the backstop which created the possibility of a no-deal exit, MP Sammy Wilson said on Monday.

Sammy Wilson (Brian Lawless/PA)

It has been left until a few weeks before an extended deadline before the EU has finally acknowledged its bluff.

Perhaps the EUs insistence on the backstop was the real driver for the comment reported from inside the European Union that Northern Ireland was the price the UK would have to pay for Brexit.

If we finally leave those outrageous sentiments behind then we can make progress.

On Monday, the European Commission released a statement warning that a no-deal Brexit was looking increasingly likely, and talks with Ireland to mitigate fallout were intensifying.

Irish premier Leo Varadkar refused to be drawn on the issue on Monday, but noted that it was a statement of the facts.
A British doctor is feared dead after he failed to return from a hike while on holiday in the French Alps.

Robert Bailey, 63, was last seen leaving for a walk in Les Houches, near Chamonix, on Friday.

The mountain rescue Gendarmerie at the ski resort have published a missing persons notice which was shared on Twitter by the British Embassy.

Mountain Rescue gendarmerie @PGHMchamonix published a missing person's notice for ROBERT BAILEY, 63 who has not been seen since Friday 22/03. He left Friday, hiking in the Les Houches/Col de la Forclaz. If you have seen him, please notify the Gendarmerie via 0800971071 pic.twitter.com/SdnmEsoWxz  UK in France (@UKinFrance) March 25, 2019

Dr Bailey is a GP and senior partner at Minster Medical Practice in Peterborough.

A recorded message tells callers to the practice: We are extremely saddened to advise that last Thursday Dr Bailey, who was on holiday in Chamonix, was involved in an accident.

At present we have no further information.

Robert Bailey (Foreign and Commonwealth Office/PA)

It goes on to tell patients that the practice will be offering emergency appointments only for the rest of the week.

A spokesman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: We are in contact with the French authorities concerning a missing British man, and are assisting his family.
The father of Jack Shepherds victim believes justice is edging closer after a judge in Georgia ruled the speedboat killer must be extradited to the UK where he will begin his prison sentence.

A court in Tbilisi approved Britains extradition request on Tuesday after Shepherd said he wishes to take part in an appeal against his conviction over the death of 24-year-old Charlotte Brown.

The pair had been on a first date when Shepherds speedboat overturned, fatally plunging Ms Brown into the icy water of the River Thames in London.

Shepherd fled his manslaughter trial at the Old Bailey, but the fugitive surrendered to authorities in Georgia six months after being found guilty in his absence.

The 31-year-old was sentenced to six years imprisonment but has been granted permission to appeal against the conviction.

He told the Tbilisi court that he made the difficult decision to not contest extradition because I wish to participate in the appeal process, to fight for my freedom and to be reunited with those I love, my family, my son.

However, Graham Brown said the reality was Shepherd had a weak case and no choice but to return, as the father celebrated the extradition ruling.

It brings it a bit closer that we are going to get justice for Charlotte. We are pleased it appears to be coming to an end, Mr Brown told ITV News.

Were hoping that he wont follow through with his appeal, which causes the family more anguish, but I guess that could be a forlorn hope.

Charlotte Brown (Metropolitan Police/PA)

One of Shepherds lawyers in Georgia, Tariel Kakabadze, estimated Shepherd could return to the UK within two weeks.

Shepherd also faces a grievous bodily harm charge over an alleged assault in Devon on March 16 last year.

A warrant for his arrest was issued by magistrates in Newton Abbot after he failed to attend the court.

No date has yet been set for the appeal hearing.

Shepherds legal team had mulled fighting extradition altogether and successfully delayed his return by convincing a judge to rule out a fast-tracked process. The Crown Prosecution Service formally requested his extradition on March 1.

Shepherd appeared at the Old Bailey on January 26 last year to deny manslaughter by gross negligence but jurors were made aware of his absence at the start of his trial in July.

In January, the web designer, originally from Exeter, handed himself in to authorities in Tbilisi, where he has been detained ever since.

The family of Ms Brown, from Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, have fought a battle for justice following her death in December 2015.

Shepherd will be returned to the Old Bailey before he is committed to prison.
A retired police officer has warned against cuts to canine units, as it was announced that police dogs that responded to the London terror attacks in 2017 are to receive awards for their efforts.

Former Pc Jean Pearce was one of a number of past and present officers to attend the announcement at Borough Market, the site of one of the terror attacks, along with seven dogs who are set to receive the PDSA Order of Merit later this year.

The police cant be without dogs, she told the Press Association.

I know theres cutbacks and cutbacks but, in this day and age, you cannot be without explosives dogs or any of the other dogs.

For the dogs to get these awards, I think, is brilliant  they need to be recognised for the work that they do.

Ms Pearce was returning for the first time to Borough Market since she responded to the attack there on June 3 2017, and also saw her dog Kai, who is to receive the award, for the first time since her retirement.

Its something I tend to avoid, she said. I dont tend to come into London any more, but Im with people that I feel safe with today and I think its a necessity to come back and prove to people we are here.

Jean Pearce with Kai (Philip Toscano/PA)

Im proud to be here today, especially with Kai.

Ms Pearce said she and Kai, who was only 18 months at the time and still really a puppy, were first on the scene when the terror attack on Westminster Bridge happened on March 22 2017.

Together they searched various positions in Parliament Square, including the car that had crashed into railings outside the Houses of Parliament with a casualty still trapped beneath but being attended to by medical staff.

Procedures went out the window at that stage and I took the decision to search the car to see if there was a bomb in it and make it safe, she said.

The PDSA Order of Merit (Philip Toscano/PA)

I had to trust her and we searched around the car over the poor person who was under the car.

She ignored it all and did a fantastic job.

After an explosives officer checked and cleared a suspicious package in the boot of the vehicle, Pc Pearce and Kai then cleared Parliament Square, later joining British Transport Police officers on the bridge to search vehicles.

All that took several hours and she was on the go constantly making sure everything was safe and nothing had been left behind, she said.

The Peoples Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) award is known as an animals OBE and the seven dogs receiving the award were chosen to represent the 19 police dogs that served during the London attacks.

PDSA vet Rosamund Ford said the dogs receive the awards for keeping the public safe and performing duties in a highly charged and unfamiliar environment that no amount of training can fully prepare them for.

#BehindTheScenes with amazing #PoliceDogs who worked tirelessly to protect the public during the 2017 #LondonAttack s. They will be honoured this year with the prestigious #PDSAOrderOfMerit for their devotion and service to society. Let's hear it for these #herodogs!  pic.twitter.com/H3IFBd7HfP  PDSA (@PDSA_HQ) March 26, 2019

On June 3 Pc Jean had finished work when she heard the news of another attack in Borough Market and got back into uniform, changing on the street.

When she arrived at the scene with Kai it was still a hot area where there was still believed to be a terrorist on the loose, so the pair went ahead of armed officers to search and ensure the area was safe.

There were still casualties who had not been attended to by emergency services and once Kai and Pc Pearce had cleared the area medical staff were able to attend.

It was another very long night, unfortunately, she said.

Pc Mark Snoxhall with Delta (Philip Toscano/PA)

Another dog to be recognised, Delta, searched more than 30 buildings after the London Bridge attack, and his handler, Pc Mark Snoxhall, was also returning to Borough Market for the first time since the incident.

To come back is quite strange under different circumstances, he said. All our thoughts are with the victims that night, but its a proud moment.

(Police dogs) search areas which we couldnt we send them into those areas and it potentially is saving police officers lives, the work that they do.
The maker of OxyContin has reached a settlement with the US state of Oklahoma over the prescription painkillers role in the nations deadly opioid crisis, officials have said.

Oklahomas attorney general scheduled an afternoon news conference to announce the terms of the agreement with Purdue Pharma.

The giant has made billions of dollars from OxyContin but has been hit with over 1,000 lawsuits from state and local governments trying to hold the company responsible for the scourge of addiction.

The move comes after the Sackler Trust, which has donated millions to science, healthcare, education and the arts, announced it was pausing all new giving.

It is run by the Sackler family, members of which control Purdue Pharma.

The Sackler family is responsible for 75 million US dollars (56.7 million) of the 270 million dollar (204 million) settlement, according to a person familiar with the agreement.

Pill bottles left in protest outside the headquarters of Purdue Pharma (Jessica Hill/AP)

Prescription opioids like OxyContin were a factor in a record 48,000 deaths across the US in 2017, according to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

Purdue Pharma has settled other lawsuits over the years, and three executives pleaded guilty to criminal charges in 2007.

But this is the first settlement to come out of the current coast-to-coast wave of litigation that focuses mostly on the companys more recent conduct and threatens to push it into bankruptcy.

The agreement was announced after the Oklahoma Supreme Court on Monday denied a request from drugmakers to postpone the start of the states trial in May.

Sandy Coats, a lawyer for Stamford, Connecticut-based Purdue Pharma, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

A lawyer suing Purdue on behalf of local governments across the country welcomed the settlement.

That suggests that Purdue is serious about trying to deal with the problem, said Paul Hanly, who is not involved in the Oklahoma case but is representing scores of other governments.

Dame Theresa Sackler (Philip Toscano/PA)

Hopefully, this is the first of many.

But Cheryl Juaire, whose 23-year-old son Corey died of an overdose in 2011, said she was devastated to hear about the settlement.

She had been organising a group of hundreds of mothers to go to the first day of the trial and stand outside with photos of their dead children.

Ms Juaire, from Massachusetts, said a complete airing of the facts is the only way to fully hold Purdue to account.

They cant settle, she said.

That would be a huge disservice to the tens of thousands of families here in the United States who buried a child.

Thats blood money from our children.

Oklahoma sued 13 opioid manufacturers in all in 2017, accusing them of fraudulent marketing that led to thousands of overdoses and deaths.

State officials have said that since 2009, more Oklahomans have died from opioids than in vehicle crashes.

The 12 remaining defendants still face trial.

It would be the first of the current round of lawsuits brought against the industry in the US to go to trial.

Purdue Pharma introduced OxyContin more than 20 years ago and marketed the powerful painkiller aggressively to doctors. Experts say those tactics contributed to overuse and abuse.

As the accusations have mounted, the Sackler family that controls Purdue Pharma has faced personal lawsuits and growing public pressure.

We support the Prescription Drug Safety Network @rxdrugsafety s innovative approach to driving measurable improvements in knowledge gain and self-reported confidence related to #prescription drug safety. #preventioneducation. Learn more, https://t.co/zTBzF6WIrM pic.twitter.com/9YpdNoESMP  Purdue Pharma L.P. (@purduepharma) March 22, 2019

A Massachusetts court filing made public earlier this year found that family members were paid at least four billion US dollars from 2007 until last year.

The Sacklers are major philanthropists around the world, and the family name is emblazoned on the walls at many of the worlds great museums and universities.

But in the past few weeks, the Tate museums in London and the Guggenheim Museum in New York have cut ties with the family, and other institutions have come under pressure to turn down donations or remove the Sackler name.

This month, Purdue Pharma officials acknowledged that are considering filing for bankruptcy because of the crush of lawsuits.

More than 1,400 federal court cases against pharmaceutical companies have been consolidated in front of a single judge in Cleveland who is pushing the drugmakers and distributors to settle with state and local governments.
Copyright campaigning MEP Mary Honeyball has said memes will not be killed off by divisive copyright laws.

She said the new Copyright Directive was the most polarising piece of legislation she has worked on, but the internet and modern world need regulation.

Deputy Labour leader Tom Watson has also claimed the legislation is a victory against tech giants.

The changes have been approved by the European Parliament, including the controversial Article 13, which many believe threatens the creation of online content and memes.

Supporters of the new rules have pushed for increased copyright protections to narrow the financial value gap between creators remuneration and the profits of online platforms such as YouTube.

Labour MEP for London, Honeyball has said fears surrounding the impact of the Directive on content creators is doom-mongering and the new rules will help safeguard creative industries, including music in the UK.

The logos of social network sites Facebook and Twitter reflected in a pair of glasses.

She has said that the aim of the legislation was not to stamp out memes but to protect creators.

Honeyball told the Press Association: Theres no problem with memes at all. This directive was never intended to stop memes and mashups.

I think thats doom-mongering. People who carry out their business properly have nothing to worry about at all.

Honeyball has said that there was a bloc supporting regulation, and a cohort backing a free internet during a polarising parliamentary struggle.

She has claimed the vote of 348 MEPs for to 278 against the directive is fantastic for creators, and increased regulation for better remuneration is absolutely the right thing to do.

Thanks to everyone who campaigned for #yes2copyright. A real victory for European culture and creators rights https://t.co/EOwtEikPBa  Mary Honeyball #FBPE (@maryhoneyball) March 26, 2019

Honeyball said: Its been very divisive. Its been the most divisive piece of legislation Ive ever worked on.

I never had a problem with regulation of the internet. You cant really live in the modern world without regulation.

She added on creators: Without intellectual copyright, they dont get paid. It was just declining, with fewer and fewer people who could actually make a living out of creating.

That was the whole point of copyright, it was a way for people who create intellectual property to actually make money out of it.

This is an important victory for creators and campaigners in the face of a dogged misinformation campaign by the tech giants. It will help ensure that music creators are paid properly for their work and make sure our creative industries survive and thrive in the future. https://t.co/u4QHK4dHvl  Tom Watson (@tom_watson) March 26, 2019

Watson has also backed the decision to regulate online content, which will place the responsibility for policing copyright on major platforms.

Watson said: I am very glad that MEPs have voted in favour of the EU Copyright Directive today. This is an important victory for creators and campaigners in the face of the tech giants dogged misinformation campaign.

This new directive will help ensure that music creators are paid properly for the work that they produce. This change is crucial to ensuring that our world-leading creative industries continue to flourish in the future.
A no-deal Brexit would cause a severe economic and financial blow to the Irish economy, the Central Bank of Ireland has warned.

But it added that the countrys ability to withstand a no-deal scenario is much better than it would have been a few years ago.

Central Bank chief Philip Lane said work to improve resilience in the economy over the past decade means the shock of Brexit should not be amplified by fragility in the financial system.

The Central Bank said it has been focusing on Brexit risks since before the UK referendum in June 2016.

Appearing before the Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, Mr Lane outlined the effects of Brexit, saying it will be uneven for the wider economy.

Indigenous sectors, such as agrifood, (are) facing heightened risks of disruption to exports and supply chains, he added.

In the event of the UK leaving the EU with a deal, the Central Bank has predicted that domestic demand will expand by 4.3% in 2019 and 3.9% in 2020.

Unemployment is projected to average 4.9% this year and 4.7% next year.

The improvement in the labour market means that we expect wages to increase by 3.4% this year and 3.6% next year, Mr Lane added.

He added that the Central Bank has stepped up its work on mitigating the cliff-edge risks of a hard Brexit.

Philip Lane (Niall Carson/PA)

He added: From a financial regulation perspective, our work has sought to ensure that the financial system is sufficiently resilient for a hard Brexit not to cause significant financial stability risks.

Risks to consumers are mitigated to the greatest extent possible and we are delivering a proportionate, robust, efficient and effective authorisation process in line with European regulatory norms, for those firms seeking authorisation in Ireland as a result of Brexit.

The Central Bank and the Department of Finance have worked to ensure that the financial system is prepared for all Brexit scenarios.

He warned that Brexit is a permanent disruption to the Irish economy and poses challenges to industries, firms and regions across the country.

We are all waiting to see what happens in Westminster, he added.

Referring to the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) report which warned that a disorderly Brexit could cost 80,000 Irish jobs, Sinn Feins Pearse Doherty said the Central Banks assessment of a no-deal Brexit is more stark than the forecast.

Pearse Doherty (Liam McBurney/PA)

Given the ESRI report, are you still satisfied that your assessment of the impact of a no-deal Brexit is that severe and have you been able to extrapolate that reduction in output in terms of the impact of the wider economy? Mr Doherty asked.

Mr Lane explained that a no-deal scenario would have an immediate impact because of the disruption to the market and the loss of confidence.

When that shock fades away, the long-term reality is we will be less productive, the UK will be less productive, and thats why, 10 years from now, there will be 5% lower GDP.

Not every firm will survive, but there will be adaptations over time.
Discussing human diseases is a common way to engage middle and high school students in genetics. But a series of experiments suggests how teachers approach the discussion could either break down or reinforce students racial biases.

Many middle and high school biology units highlight inheritable diseases such as cystic fibrosis, Tay-Sachs, and sickle-cell anemiawhich disproportionately affect those of European, Ashkanazi Jewish, and African descent, respectivelyas case studies of genetic influences. Students can trace these diseases using the traditional Mendelian punnet square , making them easier to analyze than say, breast cancer, which can also be inherited but which involves significantly more genes and environmental influences.

But that simplicity has a downside.

In a series of studies, researchers led by Brian Donovan of BSCS Science Learning found that it leads students to overestimate how much human beings actually differ genetically Students whose biology classes associated specific diseases with race were significantly more likely to consider people of different races to be more genetically different, and to use genetics to explain differences in academic achievement between students of different races. Any two people share all but .1 percent of their DNAand of that one-tenth of a percent, only 4.3 percent of the differences are related to heritage groups commonly associated with races, such as those from Africa, Asia, or Europe. But Donovan and his colleagues found students thought between 27 percent and 40 percent of human variation was related to race. Students who participated in the more simplistic discussions of race and human disease were significantly more likely than those who did not participate to believe academic achievement gaps were caused by genetic disparities.

Phillip Keck, a science teacher at the Live Oak School in San Francisco who took part in the study, discovered that firsthand in one of his 7th grade science classes.

I just presented a flat statement like, Humans of African descent are more likely to have sickle-cell disease. It may sound like an objective and flat statement, but students were kind of taking that idea and running with it, he recalled. One student, for example, concluded that people were probably more likely to get that disease because they were a different kind of person. ... Black people are a different type of animal than white people, which are a different type of animal than Asian people, Keck recalled. The connection he made was that there were diseases his pet dog could get but he couldnt get, and so its probably the same thing with people.

Even if you improve the quality of the science curriculum itself, that doesnt necessarily mean that youre addressing this additional issue of [racism] that can be present, Keck said.

Reducing Racial Bias

So should science teachers avoid talking about genetics and human disease? No, Donovan said, but they should make sure students understand the more complex picture of how many genes and environmental factors affect most human traits and diseases.

Donovan and his colleagues found that teaching middle and high school students accurate, more nuanced information about genetic similarities and differences among people and multifactorial genetics in disease significantly improved students science understanding, and also significantly reduced their racial biases. Those findings were reported online last week in the Journal of Science Education . (The Next-Generation Science Standards, which are used in 19 states and the District of Columbia, call for students to learn multifactorIal genetics as part of its high school standards on heredity, but does not require that it be taught in middle school.)

Separate tests of the curriculum, developed by among students in grades 8-9 and 9-12 in Colorado, California, Massachusetts, and the District of Columbia, found it was equally helpful for both younger and older students, but researchers found students racial bias was only reduced when they understood a more complex picture of genetics.

I think kids need to learn a little bit of [Mendelian genetics]. They need to have a model, a really simple model of how genes work. But I think the story cant end with Mendel, said Donovan, who is continuing to study the curriculum with Donovan with the group BSCS Science Learning. This story needs to end with a multifactorial model of inheritance where you have many genes having a proportionally small effect on a complex human trait and where the environment can have a proportionally large effect on a human trait.

Participating in the study has completely changed the way I do absolutely everything I teach, Keck said. The issue that it raised for me is that anything that you communicate to the kids can have massive and significant unintended consequences. If I communicate an idea about the structure of DNA and I do it carelessly, they might develop an incorrect idea about the structure of DNA. And you dont want that, but ... its probably not going to directly lead to them treating someone differently. But specifically on this topic, teaching the kids misleading information about this topic does have a direct impact on the way that they treat one another, he said.

And science teachers will likely need more training and support to raise issues of genetics and race in middle and high school classrooms, he said.

A question about the periodic table is not a super-loaded thing, but if a kid asks questions about this topic, its very challenging, Keck said. I dont think there is an easy way to get better at it except to realize that science teachers are already involved in this, whether we like it or not. So if youre teaching genetics, you are teaching about these ideas and you can accept that reality and start to work on it and try to improve upon it or not.

Image Source: Getty

Related:

Do you have a question about education research, or just want to know what the evidence says about that pesky instructional problem? Let me know! Drop me a line at ssparks@epe.org, or
Chelsea Powrie

Long before the sun rose Thursday morning, a group of politicians was at the Penticton Airport as part of a demonstration to show Air Canada how important the soon-to-be-cut 6 a.m. flight to Vancouver is to vacationers and business travellers alike.

Air Canada announced recently that its 6 a.m. departure and 11:50 p.m. arrival flights to and from Vancouver would be axed May 1, in favour of larger planes with more seats on their other routes.

South Okanagan-West Kootenay MP Richard Cannings has been spearheading the movement, and he spent the morning Thursday passing out fliers for the online airport survey and talking to passengers heading onto the 6 a.m. flight. '

"This is a critical change," Cannings said, explaining people who travel for business especially will now be looking at a one-day trip stretching out into two with a potentially expensive overnight stay. "We're worried about the impact that will have on the local business community, and people making connections for vacations."

Many people had already heard and completed the survey, voicing their disapproval that the flight has been axed.

"We're going to New Brunswick, we go a lot, it's the only flight out that we can actually get there in one day without an expensive layover somewhere," said one woman.

"We're improving, expanding out airport," another man said, gesturing to the construction behind him. "I don't see why we're losing our six o'clock flight in the morning, it's really one of the most important ones I think."

A steady stream of passengers poured in over the hour before the flight, testament to its popularity. Cannings said he flies the route himself frequently on his way to and from work in Ottawa, and finds it is frequently full.

"You know, it is a business decision for Air Canada, and we're trying to point out that this will affect their business," Cannings said.

He said any of the other routes would be a better option to cancel, since the early flight is so key to people making connections. Without it, he says, more people will end up driving to Kelowna for morning flights, rather than taking one of the later Penticton flights which don't fit with their scheduling.

Penticton's mayor John Vassilaki agreed, showing up to support the demonstration and stressing that losing the early flight with late return combo will have an isolating effect on the region.

"Not only for the local folks that use the airline, but tourism, it's very, very important for our economy, we can't lose those two flights," Vassilaki said. "If people can't catch a connecting flight to Penticton then they have to stay overnight in Vancouver, and the costs are overwhelming."

Vassilaki and Cannings were also joined by Summerland mayor Toni Boot and Jennifer Vincent, City of Penticton economic development specialist, who said response to the online survey has already been overwhelming.

"The survey's been open for probably about ten days now, and we've got about 1,700 results so a strong result to begin with and we're hoping for a lot more before it closes next week," Vincent said. "The numbers came in pretty quickly early on, so it sounds like people are pretty enthusiastic about giving us their thoughts on this."

Cannings said many travellers he has spoken to since the announcement were dismayed at the news. He brought the issue up recently in Ottawa at a meeting with WestJet executives, hoping that the direct competitors might see a business opportunity.

"But right now it seems they have other priorities unfortunately, I was hoping they would jump at it and fill in the breach," Cannings said.

He will present the findings of the local online survey to Air Canada once the feedback period closes on April 6. To have your say, click here.
Dramatic footage of a motorway pile-up has been released to highlight the danger of driving too close to the vehicle in front.

The video shows several cars having to brake sharply before one is struck from behind by a lorry.

A Highways England patrol vehicle captured the clip on the M6 in Cheshire.

The Government-owned companys head of road safety Richard Leonard said: This footage is a startling reminder about the dangers of driving too closely to the vehicle in front.

It clearly shows that if you get too close to the car in front, you wont be able to react and stop in time if they suddenly brake.

We launched our 'Space Invaders' campaign last year to raise awareness about the dangers of tailgating. 87% of drivers say they've experienced or witnessed it. #StaySafeStayBack pic.twitter.com/ahb6TRtDkR  National Highways (@NationalHways) February 11, 2019

We also know that tailgating makes the driver in front feel targeted and victimised, distracting their attention from the road ahead and making them more likely to make a mistake.

Motorway traffic (Ben Birchall/PA)

It is intimidating and frightening if youre on the receiving end. If that leads to a collision, then people in both vehicles could end up seriously injured or killed.

We want everyone to get home safe and well.
The RAF has taken 20 tonnes of life-saving aid to survivors of the devastating Cyclone Idai which has torn through three southern African countries.

An RAF A400M Atlas battled through challenging flying conditions to deliver the vital cargo to Beira International Airport in Mozambique on Tuesday morning, the Ministry of Defence said.

The 20 tonnes of equipment from the Department for International Development (DFID) included 500 water filters, 1,000 solar lanterns, 3,520 blankets and 600 shelter kits that will be distributed by UN agencies.

Navigating challenging flying conditions, an RAF aircraft delivered 20 tonnes of lifesaving UK aid supplies to those affected by the cyclone that struck Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi. We stand united with those affected by the devastation of Cyclone Idai at this difficult time. pic.twitter.com/qsOTtVyj5i  Gavin Williamson (@GavinWilliamson) March 26, 2019

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said: The UK stands united with those affected by the devastation of Cyclone Idai at this incredibly difficult time.

The RAF have successfully navigated challenging flying conditions and helped deliver vital aid to assist with the relief effort.

Cyclone Idai struck Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi earlier this month and the death toll has risen above 750, with Mozambiques government declaring a national emergency.

Many villages and landmarks have been submerged by floodwater, stalling all land-based rescue missions and making the delivery of aid by air even more critical, the Ministry of Defence said.

The UK aid will help provide essential support for the 37,500 people in need of urgent shelter, it added.

RAF personnel and charity workers offloading aid at Beira International Airport (Cpl Tim Laurence/RAF/MoD/PA)

A DFID flight containing more than 7,500 emergency shelter kits and family tents arrived in Mozambiques capital Maputo on Wednesday last week.

Another UK aid flight delivered forklift trucks and other cargo-handling equipment to speed up the time it takes to unload aid from planes while DFID experts are already on the ground co-ordinating the response, the MoD said.

International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt said the UK Government was doing all it can to provide life-saving help to the hundreds of thousands of people left homeless or without food by the devastating cyclone.

#UKaid is reaching people affected by #CycloneIdai in Mozambique - with the help of @WFP @IOM_Mozambique @WFP_UNHAS and others.



Shelter kits and Plumpy Sup nutritional food being distributed by helicopter in Mozambique today.



Photo: @WPF/Marco Frattini pic.twitter.com/juVyRpIib6  DFID (@DFID_UK) March 26, 2019

She added: The UK aid on board this RAF plane contained essential supplies, which will made a real and immediate difference to the survivors.

This is undoubtedly one of the biggest natural disasters to hit the region, and our thoughts remain firmly with the victims.
Holyrood has backed the principle of a new enterprise agency being set up for the south of Scotland.

But while MSPs unanimously supported the legislations needed to create such a body, they called for improvements to be made.

Labours Colin Smyth said the proposals would currently leave the new body serving ministers in Edinburgh and not responsible to local people.

He added: Thats not acceptable to me and it is not acceptable to the people of the south of Scotland.

As the Bill progresses I will table a number of amendments including one to make it a legal requirement for the agency to consult and report on performance with local people.

This must be an agency rooted in the south and accountable to communities in the south of Scotland.

Fergus Ewing said it was a `significant day for the South of Scotland (John Paul Photography/PA)

He spoke during a debate on the South of Scotland Enterprise Bill, with Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing hailing the approval of its general principles as a significant day for the area.

He told MSPs: Our vision is for a body that will drive inclusive growth, increase competitiveness and tackle inequality within the south of Scotland.

He added that the Bill set out the overarching strategic aim of the body to further the economic and social development and improve the amenity and environment.

Conservative MSP Edward Mountain, the convener of Holyroods Rural Environment and Connectivity Committee agreed action was needed to boost the economy in the area.

The new enterprise body will cover both the Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders council areas.

Fellow Conservative Finlay Carson said: The region needs a dedicated vehicle that will help to transform growth and help to provide more opportunities.
Medicinal cannabis should not be treated differently to other drugs and its effects must be thoroughly investigated, MPs have been told.

Professor Chris Whitty, chief scientific adviser at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), warned that rushing the development of medicines risked creating a disaster like the thalidomide scandal.

Giving evidence to the Health and Social Care Committee, he called for a responsible approach to medicinal cannabis, based on evidence.

Medicinal cannabis was rescheduled by the Government last year, allowing doctors to legally prescribe products and clinical trials to take place.

However, campaigners have complained that they are being denied NHS prescriptions because professional guidance on when it should be used is too restrictive.

"The history of medical development is littered with people rushing things through and ending up regretting it, and in a few cases - Thalidomide the most well known, having an absolute disaster on our hands."



- Prof Chris Whitty



Watch live here: https://t.co/umLdTmO4Fv pic.twitter.com/vvL1rOOGh7  Health and Social Care Committee (@CommonsHealth) March 26, 2019

The committee heard that while medicinal cannabis has been rescheduled, there is a lack of scientific research proving products are safe and effective and they have not been licensed.

Patients have complained they cannot get NHS prescriptions for medicinal cannabis (Jonathan Brady/ PA)

Its very dangerous to have a cannabis exceptionalism here, Prof Whitty said.

These are drugs, they have side effects, they have positive effects  that is clear.

What we have to do is balance those two, but they are no different to any other drug in that sense.

And if you look at the history of medical development, history is littered with people rushing things through and ending up regretting it or, in a few cases  thalidomide probably the most well-known  having an absolute disaster on their hands.

So it is really important that we balance throughout this a responsible look at the side effects of the drugs and the positive effects of the drugs.

Professor Finbar OCallaghan, president of the British Paediatric Neurology Association, told the committee he was completely behind the decision to reschedule medicinal cannabis products.

But he warned that some people had interpreted this to mean they are now freely available in the NHS for doctors to prescribe.

Its the doctors who then look at this and see that the evidence base in that particular area isnt there, therefore are reluctant to prescribe them, he said.

Prof OCallaghan said it could take three years for randomised controlled trials to be completed.

I think we need to get the evidence and I really think theres a question here about whether these medicines will help children and we need to answer it, he added.
A long extension to Article 50 is a better option than the Prime Ministers draft Withdrawal Agreement, the DUP said.

That would keep the UK in the EU for longer.

The partys Brexit spokesman Sammy Wilson said if a deal went through, Britain would have lost its right to leave the EU.

He wrote for the Telegraph website: Even if we are forced into a one-year extension, we at least would have a say on the things which affect us during that time and would have the right to unilaterally decide to leave at the end of that one-year period through the simple decision of not applying for a further extension.

. @eastantrimmp "I prefer no-deal to a deal [PM's deal] which does the damage to the UK economy, which does the damage to our constitution, and which does the damage to Northern Ireland, that this deal does." pic.twitter.com/3qs0PF0Il2  BrexitCentral (@BrexitCentral) March 26, 2019

So far, the DUP has given no indication it will end its opposition to the deal.

Mr Wilson added: Surely this is a better strategy than volunteering to be locked into the prison of the withdrawal deal with the cell door key in the pocket of Michel Barnier.

Sammy Wilson has said a long extension to Article 50 is better than Theresa Mays deal (Liam McBurney/PA)

The Democratic Unionists 10 MPs prop up Mrs Mays minority government.

They want to avoid any proposals which would see Northern Irelands regulatory regime diverge from the rest of the UK.

They are staunchly opposed to the backstop insurance policy which would prevent the imposition of a hard border on the island of Ireland by tying Northern Ireland to aspects of EU regulations affecting trade.

Mr Wilson said: There are some colleagues who I admire greatly and who have stood firmly with us in defending Northern Ireland who now take the view that the Withdrawal Agreement, even though it is a rotten deal, is better than losing Brexit.

To them I say that, if the deal goes through, we have lost our right to leave the EU.

The DUP have urged Tory Brexiteers to continue to stand firm against the Prime Ministers deal unless there were significant changes.

On Wednesday indicative votes are due to be held in Westminster.

On Thursday a meaningful vote three has not been ruled out.
Vice President Mike Pence is calling for the landing of astronauts on the moon within five years.

At a meeting of the National Space Council in Huntsville, Alabama, Mr Pence said Nasa needs to achieve that goal by any means necessary.

Joined by Apollo 11 astronaut @TheRealBuzz at today's National Space Council Meeting, @VP talks about our next giant leap to return @NASA_Astronauts to the Moon and develop technology to go to Mars and worlds beyond. Watch: https://t.co/mzKW5uDsTi pic.twitter.com/o8sgPtVM6h  NASA (@NASA) March 26, 2019

He said Nasa rockets will be replaced by commercial rockets, if necessary, given this new sense of urgency.

This summer marks the 50th anniversary of the first manned moon landing.

Mr Pence said the first woman on the moon and the next man there will be US astronauts launched by US rockets from US soil.

Mr Pence leads the National Space Council.

Vice President Mike Pence (Jose Luis Magana/AP)

Nasa Administrator Jim Bridenstine told the group that Nasa will do everything possible to meet the deadline.
Irish premier Leo Varadkar has said that nobody can condone the choices of Lisa Smith, an Irish woman who is currently detained in Syria and has alleged links to Islamic State (IS).

Mr Varadkar said Ms Smith is mother to a two-year-old child who is an Irish citizen.

The 37-year-old, originally from Co Louth, is being held in a camp in Syria. She was a member of the Irish Defence Forces before she converted to Islam and emigrated to Syria a number of years ago.

Speaking in the Dail, Mr Varadkar said a security assessment will have to be carried to make sure she is not a threat to anyone in Ireland.

He said: I am conscious that nobody can condone the choices that she has made and the actions that she took in aligning herself with Isis, a terrorist regime thats hell bent on the destruction of the west and Christendom.

She does have a two-year old child and that two-year old child is an Irish citizen, and that child is an innocent child.

Leo Varadkar dismissed reports the Government jet would be used to bring Lisa Smith and her daughter back to Ireland (Brian Lawless/PA)

As is the case with all Irish citizens, they will be permitted to re-enter the state should they try to do so.

But, of course, a security assessment will have to be carried out to make sure that Lisa Marie Smith is not a threat to any of us and were working out how that best that can be done to make sure she doesnt become a threat to life and limb here in Ireland, but of course that doesnt apply, obviously, to a two-year old child.

He also dismissed reports the Government jet would be used to bring Ms Smith and her daughter back to Ireland, saying it was absolutely without foundation.

He added that the jet was not used to repatriate citizens and that it does not fly as far as Syria.

Thats absolutely not the case, he said.

He said he was aware of reports that she was in a camp in an area in northern Syria controlled by Kurdish forces and efforts were continuing to verify details and make direct contact with her.
The Duchess of Cornwall was told Britain has some catching up to do when it comes to womens equality during her tour of Cuba.

Camilla met members of the Federation of Cuban Women in Havana, where she was told women enjoy equal pay with men in the Communist state.

The round table discussion also championed the fact that the Cuban parliament now boasts the second highest number of women of any parliament in the world.

The Duchess of Cornwall, signs the visitors book during a visit to the Federation of Cuban Women (Jane Barlow/PA)

The Federation, which has 4.3 million members making up 91.7% of the female population, helps women aged 14 and above to find work, access health care and gain support if they find themselves in vulnerable situations.

Camilla has made gender equality and issues such as domestic violence the cornerstone of her public work.

The Federations prevention officer Mayra Diaz Garcia said: In Cuba women have the same rights as men.

We are so glad the duchess has come to see all we have achieved here and we hope that can be replicated by women who live in difficult conditions around the world.

Later the duchess, who is a keen Strictly Come Dancing fan and learning to dance the Salsa, watched a group of energetic teenagers and young dancers put on a performance.

She was joined by Lis Cuesta Peraza, wife of Cubas President Miguel Diaz-Canel, at the Paso A Paso dance companys new performance space in the capital.

The Duchess of Cornwall visits a community dance group (Arthur Edwards/The Sun/PA)

Camilla, her feet tapping, watched the children and teenagers perform a range of dances including the rumba and the salsa.

The duchess has regularly shown off her dance moves on royal tours but did not venture onto the dance floor.

That was brilliant. Im very happy I saw some salsa. Im trying to learn, she told the presidents wife at the end of the show.

Dance is a huge part of Cuban life. There are more than 550 members of the Paso A Paso group and all the instructors are volunteers.

The group has been involved in government shows and has good links to other dance companies.

Some of the children have come from challenging backgrounds and have flourished in the classes.

Before she left, the duchess posed for a picture with the dancers and was given a picture of the group, as well as a felt doll and a cartoon as a memento of her visit.
A blogger who has taken Labour MSP Kezia Dugdale to court remains deeply distressed by the claim that he sent a homophobic tweet, a court has been told.

The lawyer for Wings Over Scotland blogger Stuart Campbell said the activist is not a homophobe and that such an allegation is both untrue and unfair.

The pro-independence activist is seeking to protect his reputation as someone who has consistently supported the equal treatment of homosexual people, the court was told.

However, Ms Dugdales QC suggested that the blogger has a reputation for bile and vitriol and was not damaged by the article.

Mr Campbell is suing former Scottish Labour leader Ms Dugdale, 37, for defamation over a column she wrote in the Daily Record on March 7 2017, referencing his homophobic tweets.

The tweet at the centre of the 25,000 action, made during the Conservative Party conference on March 3 that year, states: Oliver Mundell is the sort of public speaker that makes you wish his dad had embraced his homosexuality sooner.

Mr Campbell, 51, from Bath, has denied that it was a homophobic reference to Scottish Secretary David Mundell being gay and has described it as satirical criticism of Scottish Conservative MSP Oliver Mundells public speaking skills.

Lawyers for both sides have been summing up their positions on the third day of the civil proof at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

Mr Campbells QC, Craig Sandison, opened by telling the court that the blogger is not a homophobe.

Kezia Dugdale accused Stuart Campbell of making homophobic comments on social media (Andrew Milligan/PA)

To accuse someone of homophobia would put stain on a persons character and lower them in societys eyes, he said, adding that the article carried such an innuendo.

The QC later told the court of his client: He continues to be deeply distressed by that allegation and by the insistence by the defender on its truth

He is not a polite man, he doesnt restrain himself in setting forth his views. He is not circumspect.

But none of those are aspects of his character he is seeking to protect by this action. What he is seeking to protect is his distinct reputation as someone who has consistently supported equal treatment of homosexual people and indeed people generally.

Thats why hes so upset because this attack on him is so untrue, so unfair.

Mr Sandison claimed the defence of fair comment does not get off the ground in this case and said it is not true that the blogger sent homophobic tweets during the Conservative conference.

The QC told the court that, if anyone was abused by the tweet, it was Oliver Mundell, based on his public speaking.

He said: That statement about Oliver Mundell wasnt based on his sexuality, its nothing to do with his sexuality. Was David Mundell then abused because of his sexuality? I say absolutely not.

He added that Ms Dugdales comment was not fairly made and claimed it was motivated in part by her ill feeling towards the blogger.

Roddy Dunlop QC, for Ms Dugdale, described the Lothian MSP as entirely credible and reliable.

The true question in the case is whether someone was entitled to view the tweet as homophobic, he said.

The QC said: The pursuer (Mr Campbell) quite clearly does not like the defender. He has been extremely rude about her on multiple occasions and on the one occasion she calls him out, he sues  and he sues her.

He said of the pursuer: When he publicly tweets about two public figures, he is exposing himself to public comment and he has to thole that.

There is a plain irony in the pursuer, a master of calumny, suing for defamation in this particular context.

This is someone who has entered the political arena of his own volition, armed with a quiver of poisoned arrows which he will fire at anyone he chooses.

He should not complain when an arrow is fired back.

Mr Dunlop argued it would be clear to a reasonable reader that Ms Dugdale was advancing her opinion that the tweet was homophobic, as he relied upon various defences including that of fair comment.

The QC also asked the court to consider what damage has been caused to the bloggers reputation as a result of the article.

Mr Dunlop said: If its right to say that he has a reputation of being someone who is quite happy to resort to bile and vitriol then I say no damage has been done at all.

Sheriff Nigel Ross will make his ruling at a later date and indicated he hoped to do so within four weeks.
Theresa May has moved to prevent possible ministerial resignations by allowing Conservative MPs a free vote when the House of Commons passes its judgment on different Brexit options on Wednesday evening.

But the Prime Minister herself, along with her Cabinet ministers, will abstain in the indicative votes, whips have indicated.

Mrs May was warned she could face north of a dozen resignations if she tried to force ministers to toe her line when the Commons votes on eight options, ranging from no-deal to a second referendum, a customs union or revocation of the Article 50 letter triggering Brexit.

Meanwhile, Labour MPs have been told to back a motion tabled by former foreign secretary Dame Margaret Beckett, which would require any Brexit deal passed during this Parliament to be confirmed in a public referendum before ratification.

Jeremy Corbyns party is also whipping its MPs to back its own alternative Brexit plan as well as a customs union proposals tabled by veteran Tory europhile Ken Clarke.

And they are being encouraged to back Nick Boless Common Market 2.0 proposal for single market membership and a close customs arrangement, which Mr Corbyn himself will support.

Depending on the approval of today's Business of the House motion, here are the 16 #Brexit options the Speaker will be selecting from for the #IndicativeVotes held later today.



Read the full text of all the options here: https://t.co/UT3CUdEFq3 pic.twitter.com/Dp38rVoFXn  UK House of Commons (@HouseofCommons) March 27, 2019

Speaker John Bercow selected just eight out of the 16 Brexit options tabled by MPs for a vote, turning down proposals to demand a unilateral right to leave the Northern Irish backstop or to require automatic revocation of Article 50 if no deal is reached.

He did not select the Malthouse Compromise Plan A drawn up by backbenchers from Leave and Remain wings of the Tory Party, which would have implemented Mrs Mays deal with the backstop replaced by alternative arrangements.

Mrs May has said she will not regard the results of Wednesdays votes  and a follow-up session next Monday designed to find a consensus solution  as binding.

But Mr Clarke told BBC Radio 5 Lives Emma Barnett that the Prime Minister would obviously have to be removed if she ignored a consensus emerging from the indicative votes process.

Mrs May is likely to face calls from Tory MPs for her to name a date for her departure as a price for their support for her deal, when she addresses the backbench 1922 Committee before Wednesdays votes.

Mr Bercow infuriated ministers after reminding them of his ruling there needed to be significant change to Mrs Mays Brexit deal if it was to be brought back to the Commons for a third meaningful vote.

Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay said he was tabling a motion to enable the House to hold a vote on Friday  which would otherwise be a non-sitting day  if ministers believe they have the support to get it through.

However, Mr Bercow warned he would not allow ministers to use procedural devices to circumvent his ruling, prompting a Government source to accuse him of making it up as he goes along.

Securing a meaningful vote this week would mean the Government had met the deadline set by the EU for an extension of the Article 50 withdrawal process to May 22 to allow it to complete the preparations for leaving.

(PA Graphics)

Otherwise the Prime Minister will have to come forward with an alternative approach by April 12, which would involve either a lengthy delay or Britain leaving with no deal at all.

Her comments came as a number of leading Conservative Brexiteers signalled they were ready to fall into line amid fears Brexit could be lost altogether if it does not get through.

Jacob Rees-Mogg, the chairman of the European Research Group, told Today: I think that we have got to the point where legally leaving is better than not leaving at all.

Half a loaf is better than no bread.

Jacob Rees-Mogg has warned of a concerted attempt to stop Brexit (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

He said his only condition for supporting the deal was that Mrs May wins round the DUP, who continue to hold out against the plan.

I wont abandon the DUP because I think they are the guardians of the union of the United Kingdom, he said.

His comments came after Brexit figurehead Boris Johnson hinted on Tuesday he might be ready to swing behind the deal.

If we vote it down again, for the third time, there is now, I think, an appreciable risk that we will not leave at all, he told an audience of Daily Telegraph readers.

But the former foreign secretary stressed he was not there yet and indicated a change at the top of the party may be required to win him over.

If people like me are to support this deal then we need to see the proof that the second phase of negotiations will be different from the first, he said.

Wednesdays votes are taking place after MPs seized control of the Commons agenda allowing them to consider a range of alternatives.

In a highly unusual change to normal procedures, MPs will take part in a paper ballot voting Yes or No to each of the options selected by the Speaker.

The Leader of the House Andrea Leadsom again warned the Government would not necessarily be bound by the outcome as some of the options were undeliverable.

We will look very carefully at it but the reality is that it may not be negotiable and certainly not within the time frame, she said.

The architect of the cross-party plan, Tory former minister Sir Oliver Letwin, warned MPs could force the Government to act if it tried to ignore the results.

Those who I am working with across the parties will move to legislate to mandate the Government  if we can obtain majorities in the House of Commons and House of Lords for that  to carry that forward, he told the Today programme.
Photo: The Canadian Press Actor Jussie Smollett leaves Cook County Court after his charges were dropped Tuesday, March 26, 2019, in Chicago.

President Donald Trump is calling on the FBI and Department of Justice to review the case of "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett in Chicago.

Prosecutors offered little explanation and infuriated Chicago's police chief and mayor this week when they dropped charges against Smollett related to making a false police report. Yet prosecutors still insist the actor faked a racist, anti-gay attack on himself in January.

Trump tweeted early Thursday: "FBI & DOJ to review the outrageous Jussie Smollett case in Chicago. It is an embarrassment to our Nation!"

Smollett's attorney says two brothers who claim they worked with the actor to stage the attack are lying. Investigators alleged Smollett staged the attack with the hopes of gaining attention and advancing his career.
MPs did not give majority backing to any of the eight Brexit alternatives put forward on the first day of the indicative vote process.

The Commons did vote to change the exit date for the UKs withdrawal from the EU but did not support any of the eight proposals put forward as indicative votes.

It came after Prime Minister Theresa May told Conservative MPs she will not stand in the way of the party having new leadership for the second phase of Brexit negotiations.

Mrs May told the 1922 Committee: I am prepared to leave this job earlier than I intended in order to do what is right for our country and our party.

Heres the latest from Westminster:

10.55pm

Anne Marie Morris, Conservative MP for Newton Abbot, said she voted against each of the eight options except for the option to leave without a deal.

She accused the PM of having, frankly, the audacity to agree to an extension without going through the usual protocols of taking it to Parliament first.

She said: What Im absolutely convinced about is her deal is the only way of guaranteeing that we dont get Brexit.

The reality is after whats happened tonight, I think shes going to be thinking long and hard about that deal because, frankly, it looks to me as if its dead.

10.47pm

Jeremy Corbyn leaves the Houses of Parliament after his motion was rejected (Victoria Jones/PA)

10.42pm

How MPs rejected all eight amendments:

10.41pm

The Speaker reiterated his stance that a significant change would have to be made to allow a third meaningful vote to take place.

He can readily extrapolate from what I have said before, he said.

On that occasion I indicated that it seemed to me there was a matter not just of precise wording but of thrust  what was the essential thrust of the proposition that was being put, had it changed or had it not?

I invoked evidence in support of the propriety of the second vote on March 12 of the publication of documents consequent on discussions that took place with the EU.

Mr Bercow suggested he was open to persuasion on whether the current circumstances had changed enough to allow a third meaningful vote.

Referring to the EU documents in the second vote, he said: Those were examples, it seemed to me, of facts, of evidence and of circumstances that were relevant.

I note the opinion that the situation has in some way now changed.

One has to look at the specifics and if people come with specifics, then the specifics are considered.

10.31pm

The Independent Group MP Mike Gapes asked speaker John Bercow: Have you had any intimation given the two huge defeats for the Prime Minister following her discussions with her Parliamentary colleagues earlier this afternoon, that the Prime Minister will be coming before the House in the next few days to announce her resignation?

Mr Bercow responded: I certainly have received no such indication at all. The Prime Minister was here today and the Prime Minister, to be fair, has been a most assiduous attender in the chamber in making statements to the House and responding to questions.

I have received no such indication. Im aware of media reports but I myself would not have been present at any meetings that took place earlier for very obvious reasons.

10.29pm

(PA Graphics)

10.24pm

Raising a further point of order relating to the meaningful vote, Tory Sir Patrick McLoughlin (Derbyshire Dales) said he thought there was an inconsistency in the Speakers ruling.

Mr Bercow replied: The process for which the House opted was and is a discreet process, the first of its kind, indeed the novelty to some people welcome, to others unwelcome, of the process was the subject of much comment earlier in our proceedings.

I believe it is a process and the House decided earlier that it should be pursued over a two-day period. In those circumstances with a specific balloting procedure set in train, I do not think that it falls into the category that (he) has described.

Labours Angela Eagle (Wallasey) noted the results for a customs union and confirmatory ballot proposals, adding Mr Barclay has argued that the Government motion which failed by 230 at its first attempt and by 149 at its second attempt should somehow take precedence.

Dont you, Mr Speaker, think that this is rather an odd interpretation of the results that weve had so far?

Mr Bercow replied: Well, interpretations vary.

10.18pm

Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage said politicians could face a massive backlash from voters in the wake of the indicative votes in the Commons.

No majority for anything in Parliament, but there is a majority in the country to leave the EU.



Our politicians must stop trying to undo our vote or face a massive backlash from voters.  Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) March 27, 2019

10.17pm

The Independent Group spokesman Chuka Umunna said its all to play for after the motion for a confirmatory public vote on Brexit received the most votes of any option.

What do we know this evening: in a vote of the @HouseofCommons on resolving the #Brexit chaos, holding a #PeoplesVote commanded the most support! - more than the PMs deal, Labours alternative deal, no deal, the Common market 2.0 or the others. Its all to play for!  ChukaUmunna (@ChukaUmunna) March 27, 2019

10.15pm

John Bercow revealed all motions had been defeated:

10.13pm

Tory Brexiteer Julian Lewis (New Forest East) said, if he were an unofficial prime minister, he would resign, to loud cheers from MPs.

He said: Is there any way I can point out to what might be a bemused wider world that people were not having to choose between these different eight options, they were able to vote for or against each and every one of them, and they voted against all of them.

If I were an unofficial backbench prime minister I would resign at this point, not seek to repeat such an exercise in abject failure.

10.11pm

(PA Graphics)

10.09pm

Pro-EU Tory Nick Boles said he hoped to persuade his colleagues ahead of the next series of votes after MPs rejected his Brexit alternative of Common market 2.0 on Wednesday.

Pleased to find that more Conservatives voted for Common Market 2.0 than for either the Customs Union or the Second Referendum. I hope to persuade more colleagues to back it on Monday.  Nick Boles (@NickBoles) March 27, 2019

10.05pm

SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford called for a general election to end the impasse after the indicative votes.

Mr Blackford said: This is a very serious moment for all of us and we have to reflect that this House of Commons has tried to find a way through the Brexit crisis over the last few months and we have failed.

We need to reflect on the fact that when the Government talks about bringing their deal back, there are two occasions where the Government got 202 and 242 votes. That deal should be dead. And indeed the peoples vote got 268 votes tonight.

I know we didnt win but we got more votes for the peoples vote than the Government got for its proposition. I think it is becoming increasingly clear that this House cant find a way forward. This Government, this Prime Minister, has failed to provide leadership.

The only thing we should now be doing is going back to the people of the United Kingdom in a general election to end this impasse.

10.02pm

Leader of the Liberal Democrats Sir Vince Cable said the centre of gravity had become clearer following Wednesdays votes.

As anticipated, the Commons has not produced an absolutely clear way forward, but it is clearer where the centre of gravity now is.



Whichever Brexit option the government pursues, it must be put to the public in a confirmatory vote. #indicativevotes  Vince Cable (@vincecable) March 27, 2019

9.58pm

Picture

George Freeman, the Prime Ministers former policy adviser, said she had done the right thing in announcing her decision to stand down.

It was a very sad moment. She has devoted her life to public service, he told the BBC.

She  with tears not far from her eyes  said: Tonight this is a moment I promised I would deliver the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.

I have made many mistakes. I am only human. I beg you, colleagues, vote for the Withdrawal Agreement and I will go. There was silence in the room and it was incredibly sad.

Mr Freeman said her speech to the 1922 Committee was followed by a series of interventions from very hardline Brexiteers all saying Prime Minister, thank you, I will now vote for this deal.

He added: She is falling on her sword, putting country before party and career, and is asking them to do the same. You could hear a pin drop in that room.

6.50pm

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said: It was inevitable that at some point the Prime Minister would have to go. Now, we need a change of approach from the Conservative Party rather than just a change in leader.

Any Brexit deal is a bad choice for Scotland. Thats why we are campaigning for a Peoples Vote and an exit from Brexit.

Nicola Sturgeon doesnt seem to have learned anything from Brexit. She should see that breaking up a political union inevitably leads to chaos and confusion.

6.48pm

Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer raised a question on Boris Johnsons reported shift.

I wonder what it is about the pending Tory leadership contest that made Boris change his mind? https://t.co/DVapaypZLm  Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) March 27, 2019

6.40pm

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the PMs pledge to step down shows the Brexit negotiations have been about party management.

Theresa Mays pledge to Tory MPs to stand down if they vote for her deal shows once and for all that her chaotic Brexit negotiations have been about party management, not principles or the public interest.



A change of government can't be a Tory stitch-up, the people must decide.  Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) March 27, 2019

6.37pm

6.36pm

Chancellor Philip Hammond praised the Prime Minister.

@theresa_may has demonstrated once again that she puts getting an orderly Brexit done ahead of everything else.  Philip Hammond (@PhilipHammondUK) March 27, 2019

Conservative MP Conor Burns appeared to suggest Boris Johnson would now be voting for Mrs Mays deal.

@BorisJohnson absolutely right telling MPs that palpable risk of losing Brexit altogether with the chance of change in the next phase means we have little choice but to vote for the Withdrawal Agreement.  Conor Burns (@ConorBurnsUK) March 27, 2019

6.32pm

Picture

Tory MP Andrew Percy, who backs Theresa Mays deal, said the way she had been forced out was unforgivable.

I am slightly irritated and probably even more irritated now that the price of supporting what I think is a good deal, bringing this to a conclusion, is all based around personality rather than based around principle, and I think that is unforgivable, he told the BBC.

The Prime Minister has done her duty. She has had all sorts of things thrown at her, a lot of it very unfair. I am sorry it has come down to personalities.

Steve Brine, who quit as a health minister to vote for the indicative votes, said: There was no whooping and hollering. No-one takes any great pleasure in what happened.

There is a lot of respect for the Prime Minister. She was very honest tonight. As ever with Theresa May, she is absolutely country first.

6.30pm

Tory MP George Freeman said the PMs speech had been extraordinarily moving.

Extraordinarily moving speech at the #1922 tonight as the PM apologised for being human, begged Conservative MPs to help her honour her pledge in 2016 to deliver an orderly Brexit, in return for her pledge to stand down when its done. Huge respect & a tide of ERG MPs switching.  George Freeman MP (@GeorgeFreemanMP) March 27, 2019

6.25pm

Theresa May to resign: Who could be the next Tory leader?

6.17pm

Prime Minister Theresa May leaves the Houses of Parliament after announcing she will not remain in post for the next phase of Brexit negotiations (Victoria Jones/PA)

6.16pm

Tory MP Anne Marie Morris, a member of the pro-Brexit European Research Group, said Mrs Mays announcement would not be enough to persuade her to back her deal.

I am deeply frustrated. It is not going to do the country any good. While most of us feel she is not the right person to lead this country, she is only going to go if her deal passes, she told the BBC Radio 4 PM programme.

My concern is that too many people will see the prize of Theresa going as enough to sway things. I am certainly voting against this deal.

6.15pm

Scotlands First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: Brexit is not about Theresa Mays future, it is about all our futures  and nothing the Prime Minister says about her position changes the fact that her deal is a profoundly bad one.

For Scotland, this raises the prospect of being shackled to a disastrous Brexit driven by a Tory party lurching even further to the right, with a Brexiteer PM in charge  further reinforcing the case for our country taking its future into its own hands.

6.13pm

Liz Truss, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said Theresa May had been dignified and honest.

Prime Minister gave a dignified and honest speech at the 1922. She cares deeply about our country and is a patriot. People must now support the deal and move us forward.  Liz Truss (@trussliz) March 27, 2019

6.10pm

Back in the Commons, Tory MP Nicky Morgan said she would vote for the Prime Ministers withdrawal agreement if and when it came back to the House.

She stressed the need for compromise, saying MPs should be voting for what they could countenance not their preferred option, adding: If we stay in our silos and our trenches we will as a House not find a way through this.

She spoke of her support for Common Market 2.0, adding there are alternative arrangements that can be secured to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland.

Labours Yvette Cooper said the thoughtful and considered debate was the one that we should have been having two years ago.

Constituents she said were feeling deeply frustrated and let down. Speaking in favour of the customs union amendment, she added: Its also something I think can be the basis of finding consensus and building agreement.

She said: Unless clear consensus can be built, the public consent or public vote will be needed through a General Election or referendum otherwise it will not last.

6.08pm

Labour MP David Lammy reiterated calls for a new referendum.

It is right that Theresa May goes, but this just raised the stakes even higher.



The choice the country now faces is stark: a future relationship negotiated by a hard right PM chosen by Tory activists, or Remaining in the EU.



The public must get to decide #PutItToThePeople https://t.co/5D3AMJCRfX  David Lammy (@DavidLammy) March 27, 2019

6.06pm

6.05pm

Conservative former minister Stephen Crabb tweeted: Given the crap over the last few days PM spoke with remarkable dignity at 1922 mtg. Perhaps time now for ERG to consider disbanding. Time to get back to being one Conservative Party with one leader, one chief whip etc.

6.03pm

Picture

Theresa May told the 1922 Committee meeting: This has been a testing time for our country and our party. Were nearly there. Were almost ready to start a new chapter and build that brighter future.

But before we can do that, we have to finish the job in hand.

6pm

Labours Peter Kyle, whose amendment proposing a confirmatory referendum will be voted on by MPs tonight, said the situation was sickening.

MPs owe it to future generations to vote on the deal with them in mind, not based on whether the PM will be in office a few days fewer.



Its unimaginable that people are gambling with our economy in the hope it helps their chances of a promotion. Its sickening  Peter Kyle MP (@peterkyle) March 27, 2019

But Scottish Secretary David Mundell said Theresa May was driven by a sense of duty and public service.

PM is driven by a sense of duty and public service. Her decision today reflects again her putting the national interest ahead of personal interest. She remains determined to secure our departure from the EU on an orderly basis and will have my full support in doing so.  David Mundell MP (@DavidMundellDCT) March 27, 2019

Conservative MP Nicholas Soames also praised the Prime Minister.

Commanding brave Speech by @theresa_may at the 1922 Committee. Party rowed inbehind her #FridayBigDay  Nicholas Soames (@NSoames) March 27, 2019

5.56pm

Mrs May told the 1922 Committee: I have heard very clearly the mood of the parliamentary party. I know there is a desire for a new approach  and new leadership  in the second phase of the Brexit negotiations  and I wont stand in the way of that.

I know some people are worried that if you vote for the Withdrawal Agreement, I will take that as a mandate to rush on into phase two without the debate we need to have. I wont  I hear what you are saying.

But we need to get the deal through and deliver Brexit.

She added: I am prepared to leave this job earlier than I intended in order to do what is right for our country and our party.

I ask everyone in this room to back the deal so we can complete our historic duty  to deliver on the decision of the British people and leave the European Union with a smooth and orderly exit.

5.47pm

Picture

Prime Minister Theresa May has told Conservative MPs she will not stand in the way of the party having new leadership for the second phase of Brexit negotiations, telling the 1922 Committee: I am prepared to leave this job earlier than I intended in order to do what is right for our country and our party.

There was applause and more banging of tables as the PM left the meeting.
A long-awaited probe into the near-collapse of the Co-operative Bank has found a number of regulatory failings in the sorry saga and warned reforms may not be enough to avoid bank bailouts in the future.

The report by former Canadian central banker Mark Zelmer  which was first commissioned more than five years ago  has concluded that regulatory oversight was lacking in a number of areas in the run up to the Co-op Banks dramatic near-failure in 2013.

While many of these issues have already been addressed by regulators in recent years, Mr Zelmer revealed that supervisors at the then Financial Services Authority (FSA) did not thoroughly assess all risks of the Co-op Banks loan book.

He also warned that supervisory staff were  and are still  not given enough internal guidance on assessing risks of regulated firms and raised fears over the increasing threat of bank runs on smaller players in the future.

The independent review  which cost 1.8 million to produce  was first commissioned by former chancellor George Osborne in late 2013, but detailed terms of reference were only outlined just over a year ago by City minister John Glen.

It looks at the way the Co-op Bank was regulated at the time of its ill-fated merger with Britannia Building Society in 2009 through to its aborted deal to snap up more than 630 branches from Lloyds Banking Group four years later.

A probe into the near-collapse of the Co-operative Bank that has taken more than five years to produce has found a number of regulatory failings in the "sorry saga" and warned reforms may not be enough to avoid future bank bailouts.

The lender was brought to the brink of collapse when it was forced to abandon the branch deal in 2013 after regulators uncovered a 1.5 billion black hole in its finances.

A rescue deal in 2017 then saw hedge funds seize control of the lender, effectively severing its historic relationship with the wider Co-operative Group.

Mr Zelmer said regulators could have tackled the banks loan impairment issues sooner, which may have flagged up issues before the sharp increase in provisions and the emergence of the capital shortfall at the end of 2012.

He said: I firmly believe that there should have been a greater and earlier focus by the FSA on reviewing the quality of the loan book and its valuation and ensuring adequate capital was in place to cover potential losses.

He also revealed he was struck by how little internal guidance is provided by the PRA to help its supervisors assess risks within regulated institutions.

And he alerted over the ever-present risks in the sector, in particular for smaller institutions.

He said runs on deposits can happen fast in a digital world and the risks of this may grow with so-called Open Banking, designed to boost competition between players.

He questioned whether reformed regulations  particularly tools to manage bank failures without resorting to a taxpayer bailout  are sufficient in the face of these threats.

Despite highlighting a number of regulatory issues, Mr Zelmer said: Much has changed in the intervening years and I am satisfied that most of the issues that arose with respect to the oversight of the Co-op Bank during the review period have been addressed.

He said if the Britannia deal was taking place today, it would be subject to a more thorough prudential appraisal.

Sam Woods, deputy governor at the Bank of England and chief executive of the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), welcomed the reviews findings are said: We will make sure that we use the lessons from this case to strengthen our approach to prudential supervision.

Mr Glen added the findings and recommendations will play an important role in ensuring the UK continues to have a well-regulated and effective financial services sector.

The report comes a year after Paul Flowers, the Co-op Banks disgraced former chairman, was banned from the financial services industry by the Financial Conduct Authority.
The Archbishop of Canterbury has said the vote of the people must be respected and called for people to pray for national agreement.

The Most Rev Justin Welby said on social media on Wednesday it was easy to tell MPs how badly they are doing, easy to abuse and threaten.

But the archbishop said MPs deserve respect and urged people to pray for them and for a decision that has widespread support.

He said: Its easy to tell MPs how badly they are doing, easy to abuse and threaten. But they have to decide for us and deserve respect.

Let us pray for them (or intend well if not pray), for a decision that has widespread support and for a process that brings national agreement.

Its easy to tell MPs how badly they are doing, easy to abuse and threaten. But they have to decide for us and deserve respect. Let us pray for them (or intend well if not pray), for a decision that has widespread support and for a process that brings national agreement.  Archbishop of Canterbury (@JustinWelby) March 27, 2019

In a further tweet, Mr Welby added: Reconciliation is less about agreeing than about finding out how to disagree well.

We must respect the vote of the people and unite our country #hopefilledfuture.

His comments come on the same day MPs will vote on which kind of Brexit they favour.

The archbishop has previously called for reconciliation over Brexit, telling a House of Lords debate on leaving the EU there is a requirement for national reconciliation.

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has called on people to respect MPs and pray for a `decision that has widespread support (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Mr Welby told the Lords if both sides could not compromise then the country will face a no-deal Brexit.

He added: There has to be an agreement in which all accept the need to deliver the will of the people, which was expressed in the referendum, while also recognising that when it was expressed in such a close result there is a duty to build in compromise  an inevitability, albeit unwelcome to some.

If not there will be, by default, a no-deal Brexit. That outcome would be not only a political and practical failure but a moral one equally as serious as ignoring the result of the referendum entirely.

Here is today's #LentPilgrim reflection. Discover more by signing up to our free daily reflections https://t.co/JZYJWHDark pic.twitter.com/ioXV3OUoSt  The Church of England (@churchofengland) March 27, 2019

Mr Welby has also urged Remainers and Brexiteers to get together this weekend.

The Church of England is aiming to get people who disagree over membership of the bloc to chat over a cup of tea and pray for our country and our future.

It also tweeted on Wednesday that its Lent Pilgrim reflection for today was around extreme forgiveness and quoted Luke 23.32-43: Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.
Special arrangements to avoid the reemergence of a hard border in a no-deal Brexit scenario would involve treating Northern Ireland differently than the rest of the UK, the Irish premier has said.

Leo Varadkar said some commentary in Britain was suggesting that special arrangements would solve all concerns Ireland had over the border.

Some reports indicated that the Irish Government had accepted technology could be used to avoid a hard border in the event of a no-deal.

But Mr Varadkar told the Dail parliament in Dublin: Let there be no doubt in this house or in Westminster that when I talk about special arrangements I mean treating Northern Ireland differently from the rest of the UK.

It is the UK Governments proposal to do exactly that. Not in four or five years time if the backstop ever has to be implemented but in a few weeks time in the event of a no-deal.

Asked about the European Parliaments decision to end daylight savings time from April 2021, Mr Varadkar said he would not want a situation to arise where Northern Ireland was in a different time zone to the rest of Ireland.

Leo Varadkar said the UK Government was proposing to treat Northern Ireland differently to the rest of the UK (Michelle Devane/PA)

I could not and certainly would not want to countenance a situation whereby Northern Ireland is in a different time zone to the rest of Ireland, he said.

Irish Labour Party leader Brendan Howlin raised the matter in the Dail on Wednesday, highlighting that Ireland could be left in a difficult position with the UK leaving the EU.

There is the possibility of having two different time zones on the island of Ireland as the UK have already declared that they dont intend to switch their current system, he said.

Mr Varadkar said the Government had not yet decided how it would vote on the matter when it is put to the European Council.

The truth is the Government hasnt taken a position on it yet nor have we discussed it. Id very much like to know the views of the house on this matter, he said.

Mr Varadkar added: It wouldnt kick in until April 2021 so weve plenty of time to make this decision, no pun intended.

EU states will be able to decide whether they want to end the annual ritual of changing the clocks in the spring and autumn.

But if the UK leaves the EU it may not have to adhere to the changes.

There are concerns that if it did not, Northern Ireland could find itself in a different time zone from the Republic for six months of the year.
The wife of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido has been welcomed at the White House as she rallies international support for the ousting of President Nicolas Maduro.

President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence lavished praise on Fabiana Rosales who has emerged as a prominent figure in her husbands campaign to bring change to the crisis-wracked country.

We are with Venezuela, the president said at the start of a meeting with Ms Rosales and other opposition figures.

Vice President Mike Pence welcomes Fabiana Rosales (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP)

Whats happening there should not be happening.

The United States was the first nation to recognise Mr Guaido as interim president, asserting that Mr Maduros re-election last year was illegitimate, and has stepped up sanctions and other diplomatic measures in hopes of forcing him to give up power.

Opposition leader Juan Guaido (Natacha Pisarenko/AP)

Mr Trump said the Venezuelan people have been through unfathomable trials under Mr Maduro as food and medicine have become scarce, crime has soared and, more recently, blackouts have struck most of the country.

An estimated three million people have fled, most to neighbouring countries but thousands to the US as well.

Today, in Venezuela it is freedom or dictatorship, it is life or death, Ms Rosales said at the start of the meeting.

It is the children who are paying the price.

Mr Pence called on governments around the world to stop supporting the Maduro government, singling out Russia for its deployment of military forces to the country over the weekend.

The United States views Russias arrival of military planes this weekend as an unwelcome provocation and calls on Russia today to cease all support for the Maduro regime, the vice president said.

Russias foreign ministry says it sent the personnel in accordance with the Venezuelan constitution and a bilateral agreement with the government there.

The dark skyline at dawn in Caracas, Venezuela which has been hit by power cuts (Natacha Pisarenko/AP)

Among those at the White House meeting were the wife and sister of Roberto Marrero, a top aide to Mr Guaido who was taken from his home in the middle of the night by masked agents last week.

The government says he was the ringleader of a plot to bring hitmen from Central America to Venezuela to carry out assassinations.

Ms Rosales was scheduled to meet later with members of Congress and will speak at a conference with the ambassador recognised by the Trump administration.
Police officers have had to buy their own trousers due to the poor quality of police uniforms, Scotlands top cop has been told.

Concerns were raised at the Scottish Police Federation (SPF) conference and Police Scotland Chief Constable Iain Livingstone said action is being taken.

Question: "Recruits are turning up at the police college at Tulliallan in trousers they have bought themselves as they are of a better quality than the uniform trousers provided by the police authority. Are members of the panel embarassed by this?" #SPF19 pic.twitter.com/lJpNaw8crG  ScotsPolFed (@ScotsPolFed) March 27, 2019

SPF officer holder David Threadgold told the conference at Turnberry, Ayrshire: There are officers that are turning up at Tulliallan (Police College) wearing trousers that they have bought themselves because the uniform provided is of such poor quality.

That will extend across the country.

He asked Mr Livingstone if he was embarrassed by the state of our police equipment and uniform.

Chief Constable Iain Livingstone said higher quality trousers have been commissioned (Police Scotland/PA)

Mr Livingstone replied: The uniform in terms of the quality of the trousers, the quality of the operational vests, they havent been as good they should have been.

He said he had recently approved a change to issuing higher quality cargo pants.
A 129-year-old instrument central to an upcoming theatre production of Captain Corellis Mandolin has been lost less than a month before the shows opening night.

Alex Mugnaioni, who plays the dashing Captain Antonio Corelli in the adaptation of British writer Louis de Bernieres 1994 book, misplaced the mandolin after rehearsals on Tuesday.

The Neapolitan instrument is thought to have gone missing on the 18.34 Southeastern train service from London Bridge to Sidcup.

The 129-year-old lost mandolin (Marc Brenner/PA)

The shows producers have launched an appeal for the return of the mandolin, which they say is vital to the production.

Mugnaioni made a plea for the instruments safe return, suggesting it had been mistakenly picked up by a passer-by.

He said: We spent a long time hunting for the perfect mandolin, its devastating to lose it so close to the show.

Im playing throughout the show and you create quite a connection with an instrument. If anyone has picked it up by mistake wed be so grateful for its return.

Producers are offering a reward of tickets to the opening night on April 25 at the Rose Theatre in Kingston upon Thames.

The mandolin case (Marc Brenner/PA)

De Bernieres book, which won the Commonwealth Writers Prize for best book in 1995, is styled as a modern reinvention of the Greek epic poem.

It follows a family on the Greek island of Cephalonia during the Italian and German occupations of the Second World War.

Central to its plot is a mandolin owned by protagonist Captain Corelli.

The shows producers can be emailed at info@nml.org.uk with information as to the mandolins whereabouts.

The play will preview at the Leicester Curve between April 13 and 20, tour the UK and close at Glasgow Theatre Royal on June 29.
A terrorism expert has warned dissident Republican groups in Northern Ireland are hoping for a hard border and would benefit from a return to military rule.

Former Police Superintendent Ken Pennington said elements seen as a forerunner to an attack are in place and that border protests following Brexit would be a perfect time for these to happen.

Speaking at a Scottish Police Federation (SPF) conference, Mr Pennington said: The people who are most quiet about Brexit are the dissident Republican groups.

It is my opinion they are going to sit back and be quite happy to see it happen and they are hoping for a hard border, because it is a narrative they will use.

They will show Brexit to be a British imposition on the people of Ireland.

He told members of the SPF, which represents rank and file police officers, at the conference at Turnberry, Ayrshire, that 30,000 people cross the Irish border daily.

A terrorism expert has said dissident Republican groups want a hard border following Brexit (Niall Carson/PA)

Our concern is the opportunity this presents to the terrorist groups, he said.

A lot of the precursor activities for an attack are already in place.

Counter terrorism expert Ken Pennington tells delegates at #SPF19 this morning the importance of community policing in combatting terrorism. pic.twitter.com/PatpanlAqY  ScotsPolFed (@ScotsPolFed) March 27, 2019

He said a spate of ATM robberies in Northern Ireland could be a way of gathering funding for dissident groups.

Large border protests following Brexit would be the perfect time for them to mount attacks, he warned, and said targets could include courthouses, government buildings and police stations.

Mr Pennington, who spent 30 years working in Northern Ireland, added: It would to the dissidents benefit to see the military return to the streets.

It would be a real step backward to get to the point where we reintroduce the military.
Theresa May has said she will stand down as Prime Minister before the next phase of Brexit negotiations.

The Prime Minister did not name a date for her departure from 10 Downing Street, but her announcement sets the stage for a Conservative leadership election within the coming weeks or months.

Her offer to resign after her Withdrawal Agreement is passed came in response to calls from a number of her backbenchers for her to promise to go in return for their help in pushing the deal through Parliament.

Mrs May spoke to the influential Tory 1922 Committee shortly before MPs were due to take part in indicative votes on a range of Brexit options in the House of Commons.

She said she will not stand in the way of the party having new leadership, telling the 1922 Committee: I am prepared to leave this job earlier than I intended in order to do what is right for our country and our party.

Downing Street has signalled that the PM is keeping open the possibility of tabling her Withdrawal Agreement for a third meaningful vote on Thursday or Friday, but would do so only if she felt there was a credible chance of it securing a majority.

The deal must be passed by the end of the week if the UK is to benefit from the EUs offer of an automatic delay to Brexit to May 22.

But Commons Speaker John Bercow infuriated ministers after reminding them of his ruling that there needed to be significant change to the deal if it was to be brought back to the Commons for a third time, after twice being defeated by wide margins.

(PA Graphics)

Mrs May told her MPs: I have heard very clearly the mood of the parliamentary party. I know there is a desire for a new approach  and new leadership  in the second phase of the Brexit negotiations  and I wont stand in the way of that.

I know some people are worried that if you vote for the Withdrawal Agreement, I will take that as a mandate to rush on into phase two without the debate we need to have. I wont  I hear what you are saying.

But we need to get the deal through and deliver Brexit.

Theresa May clashed with Jeremy Corbyn over Brexit in the House of Commons (PA)

Mrs May acknowledged that it had been a testing time for the party and the country, but said: Were nearly there. Were almost ready to start a new chapter and build that brighter future.

But before we can do that, we have to finish the job in hand.

She added: I am prepared to leave this job earlier than I intended in order to do what is right for our country and our party.

I ask everyone in this room to back the deal so we can complete our historic duty  to deliver on the decision of the British people and leave the European Union with a smooth and orderly exit.

Earlier, Mrs May moved to prevent possible ministerial resignations by allowing Conservative MPs a free vote on the indicative votes.

But the Prime Minister herself, along with her Cabinet ministers, will abstain in the indicative votes, whips have indicated.
Police Scotland has a massive shortfall in its budget, with Brexit set to cause more financial problems for the force.

Scottish Police Authority (SPA) papers reveal a 56.2 million gap between the polices proposed capital spending and the funding from the Scottish Government this year.

In the report, due to be discussed at a SPA meeting on Thursday, chief financial officer James Gray warned that: there is insufficient funding in 2019-20 to deliver the business case in full.

Key elements, including mobility and core-operating solutions, have been prioritised and an extended delivery timeline has been developed for the outstanding projects.

Risks associated with Brexit are also set to cost the force an estimated 17 million, with a possible impact on officer numbers in the future.

This budget is being presented at a time of political uncertainty and against the backdrop of a challenging fiscal environment, Mr Gray wrote.

Police Scotlands budget for 2019-20 is `insufficient, according to the Scottish Police Authoritys financial report (Andrew Milligan/PA)

The additional in-year costs associated with Brexit are assumed to be 17m, representing 400 police officers more than was assumed in the current three-year plan.

If no additional funding is made available, the operating deficit would increase to 41.6m.

Unwinding this position by reducing officer numbers back down to the previously planned position over a number of months  when appropriate to do so  will almost certainly have an impact on subsequent financial years.

SPA chief executive Hugh Grover added: In line with the Chief Constables planning assumptions to cover the potential impact of Brexit-related events, officer numbers have not been reduced as previously forecast and an additional 100 officers are being recruited.

This puts a potential 17m of pressure onto the budget and the deficit will increase accordingly unless additional funding is provided.

I have written to the Scottish Government making them aware of the budget pressure and asking for additional funding.

To date, I have not received a definitive response.

Further unexpected costs include changes to GDPR introduced during the polices three-year plan, which account for 16.9 million that has not been covered by the budget, along with a 17.8 shortfall in business as usual capital expenditure from areas such as police buildings, cars and computers.

Commenting on the SPA report, Scottish Labours justice spokesman Daniel Johnson said: Police put their personal well-being on the line every day to keep people safe, they need to be well resourced, equipped and supported to carry out that job.

Instead, Police Scotland is facing a massive funding shortfall in the capital budget.

That translates to police stations, cars and IT infrastructure.

The SNP pledged to protect the police budget in real terms, instead ministers are short changing our police officers and our communities that they are there to protect.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: We are very clear that any costs related to Brexit should not impact on Scotlands public finances, and should be met by the UK Government in full. It is abundantly clear that Brexit is going to cost Scotland more than the consequentials delivered by Westminster.

While the allocation of resources is for the Chief Constable and SPA to determine, we are protecting the police resource budget in real terms in every year of the current Parliament, delivering a boost of 100 million by 2021. Total Scottish Government funding for the SPA in 2019-20 is increasing by 42.3 million, bringing the annual policing budget to more than 1.2 billion.

This includes a 52% increase to the capital budget  providing 12 million more  which will fund essential investment in IT infrastructure and support mobile working for officers, allowing them to access information remotely and spend more time in communities.
Photo: The Canadian Press Morgane Oger

A Vancouver trans woman who made a human rights complaint about a poster campaign that called transgenderism an "impossibility" has won her case.

Morgane Oger ran as an NDP candidate in the 2017 B.C. election.

In a ruling released Wednesday, the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal says Christian activist William Whatcott resolved to stop her from being elected solely because she is transgender and without researching her platform or policies.

It says Whatcott created and distributed 1,500 flyers calling Oger a "biological male who has renamed himself ... after he embraced a transvestite lifestyle."

Whatcott expressed concern about the promotion and growth of "homosexuality and transvestitism" and described being transgender as an "impossibility" that constitutes a sin.

The three-member panel found Whatcott's conduct violated the Human Rights Code because it was discriminatory and likely to expose Oger and other transgender people to hatred or contempt.

It ordered Whatcott to pay Oger $55,000 in costs and compensation.

Panelist Devyn Cousineau writes in the ruling that the discrimination against Oger was severe, intentional and designed to interfere in her participation in political life.

"It drew on the most insidious stereotypes and myths about transgender people and called on the electorate to conclude that Ms. Oger was, by sole virtue of her gender identity, unsuitable for public office," the decision says.

"I have concluded that the effect of the flyer was to expose Ms. Oger to hatred and contempt. This is unquestionably a serious and damaging form of discrimination."
Nicola Sturgeon has met with youngsters who took part in school strikes to demand action on climate change.

The First Minister, who previously tweeted in support of the action, spoke to some of the campaigners involved, environment minister Mairi Gougeon confirmed.

The talks between the FM and the students focused on concerns over the environment and what action the Scottish Government is taking, the minister added.

Speaking about the young protesters, Ms Gougeon said: It is only right they push us to take strong action and we take the time to listen to that.

First Minister @NicolaSturgeon met with Celeste, Iola, Hector, Charlotte and @HollyWildChild  who joined by Skype. They discussed the Scottish Governments climate change ambitions and what further action could be taken #YouthStrike4Climate #fridaysforfuture #ClimateStrike pic.twitter.com/pbOY9VRhLV  First Minister (@ScotGovFM) March 27, 2019

She told MSPs: The First Minister met with some of the students to discuss their concerns and to discuss the actions we are taking.

She added that the climate change was such an important issue she was not surprised the pressure for action weve seen, particularly recently and particularly from our young people.

Ms Gougeon spoke after Green MSP Alison Johnstone praised the young Scots who had been involved in the climate change protests.

The most recent day of action saw events take place in 19 towns and cities across Scotland, from Peebles to Ullapool.

Ms Johnstone said: We estimate that some 5,000 young people attended the protests in Glasgow and Edinburgh alone.

They were acting in sync with school strikers in over 100 other countries, one of the largest youth movements we have seen in recent times.

Green MSPs had joined the protesters and listened to their concerns, she added.

Green MSP Alison Johnstone with party co-convener Patrick Harvie. (Jane Barlow/PA)

Ms Johnstone said: I fully support the strikers aims and stand in solidarity with them. It is unacceptable that our young people should have to sacrifice their school days to urge that the adults in charge do the right thing for the people on the planet.

It has been the inaction of governments over the past 20 years that has brought them to this point and we cant let it continue.

Ms Gougeon insisted the Scottish Government absolutely recognises the urgency of the global climate challenge.

Legislation currently being considered by Holyrood would see Scotland have the toughest climate change legislation of anywhere in the world, the minister added.

She stated: The Bill contains the most ambitious statutory target of any country in the world for 2020, 2030, and 2040, and will mean Scotland is carbon neutral by 2050.
The Irish Government has promised to call out British ministers if legislation addressing Northern Irelands decades of violence is unfair or unbalanced.

Deputy premier Simon Coveney said the political debate at Westminster about the Troubles was one-sided.

The British Government is preparing legislation to investigate thousands of unresolved killings during the 30-year conflict.

Really appreciated the visit to Belfast and Dublin of @ChrisMurphyCT - we are fortunate to have such a well informed and influential friend of Ireland and advocate for the Good Friday Agreement in Washington.   https://t.co/Cc7iIfnGrP  Simon Coveney (@simoncoveney) March 23, 2019

Mr Coveney said: Legacy is complicated and difficult, and in some way the debate is somewhat one-sided.

That poses huge dangers and creates real concerns amongst the nationalist community, in particular because of the lack of a voice to create balance in that debate in Westminster.

Whatever way you describe it, there is not a balanced debate on this issue.

The Secretary of State (Karen Bradley) faces real challenges in ensuring that we have legislation that is fully balanced and fair, and takes into account the sides equally in terms of the balance of that legislation.

Mr Coveney addressed a debate on Northern Ireland in Irelands upper house, the Seanad, in Dublin on Wednesday.

The British Government has consulted on proposals to create a team of independent detectives to review old cases for new criminal prosecution opportunities.

A separate body would seek fresh information about killings to deliver answers for victims families where no prosecution is possible.

An oral history archive would allow those affected to tell their stories and a body promoting reconciliation would also begin work.

Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley faced fierce criticism recently after she said killings at the hands of the security forces were "not crimes" (House of Commons/PA)

Some MPs have pressed for a statute of limitations exempting retired soldiers from prosecution for crimes committed in Northern Ireland.

It represents an amnesty neither the British nor Irish governments accept should be allowed.

Prosecutors recently said they would pursue one former soldier for murder over two Bloody Sunday killings in Londonderry early in the conflict in 1972.

Northern Ireland Secretary Ms Bradley faced fierce criticism recently after she said killings at the hands of the security forces were not crimes. She later apologised.

This afternoon, Tanaiste @simoncoveney delivered opening remarks during Seanad statements on dealing with the past in Northern Ireland 



Read the remarks in full  https://t.co/J4r7UESMhx pic.twitter.com/Sc2ktnqeZN  Irish Foreign Ministry (@dfatirl) March 27, 2019

Mr Coveney said: She knows that she made a real mistake but now she wants to move on in a balanced and fair way.

I think Karen Bradley is a good person and I can work with her, so if the legislation moves in the wrong direction we will call that out, we have an obligation to do that.

The 2014 Stormont House Agreement between the main political parties in Belfast plus the British and Irish governments originally proposed the legacy institutions.

Political disagreement in Northern Ireland and the collapse of devolved power-sharing delayed its implementation.
Theresa May has said she is ready to make way for a new Conservative leader and Prime Minister to take Britain through the second phase of Brexit negotiations.

But how could that happen?

 Thursday March 28 or Friday March 29

Mrs May is expected to bring her Withdrawal Agreement back to the House of Commons for a third meaningful vote. If it passes, this automatically triggers an extension to the Brexit process to May 22, when the UK would leave with a deal.

The EU has said it is ready to start negotiating a future trade and security relationship as soon as the Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration have been ratified in Westminster, so the second phase of talks could be said to start as soon as MPs approve the deal, making an immediate resignation possible.

 Monday April 1

MPs will debate their favoured Brexit options in a second round of indicative votes in the Commons. If the deal has been passed, this cannot affect the Withdrawal Agreement, but it could exert a powerful influence on the kind of future relationship pursued by Mrs Mays successor.

 Friday April 12

If Mrs Mays deal has not passed, the UK must seek a further extension to negotiations or leave without a deal. If the UK leaves with no Withdrawal Agreement, talks are likely to start soon on a trade and security deal between what will remain important partners and close neighbours. Mrs May can be expected to make way for a new prime minister to lead those negotiations.

But if no deal has been reached, it is possible that the EU would be willing to offer a lengthy extension to discussions under Article 50, potentially to the end of 2019 or even beyond. Under the terms of her offer, it is possible Mrs May would consider that she should stay on to oversee this process, though she could expect to meet stiff opposition from some of her own MPs.

 April-May

Once the Withdrawal Agreement is passed, the Government needs to rush an implementation bill through Parliament, along with other legislation needed to ensure a smooth departure. It is unclear whether Mrs May would delay her resignation until this process is complete and the UK formally leaves on May 22.

It would be possible for her to declare she is stepping down, but to remain in post during the contest to select a successor.

If she remains in office until May 25, she will overtake Gordon Browns tenure of two years and 319 days in office to become the 35th longest-serving PM in British history. If she lasts until May 26, she outstrips the Duke of Wellington and another 28 days to June 23 will take her past Neville Chamberlain.

The process of picking a new leader requires Conservative MPs to whittle down contenders to a shortlist of two, who then go forward to a final vote by members in the country.

Precise rules for the contest are a matter for the 1922 Committee executive, led by chairman Sir Graham Brady.

A wide field of candidates is expected, with Boris Johnson, Michael Gove, Jeremy Hunt, Sajid Javid, Amber Rudd and Dominic Raab among those thought to be mulling their prospects.

(PA Graphics)

Candidates who secure the required nominations would be subjected to a series of secret ballots of MPs, with one eliminated on each round until only two remain. This process could be completed within a fortnight or so of the contest being declared.

The next stage would be expected to take around six weeks, as the remaining two contenders campaign for support in a postal ballot involving around 125,000 members around the country.

 June-July

If Mrs May were to pass her Withdrawal Agreement by the end of this week and declare her resignation immediately afterwards, a new leader could therefore be in place as early as the first week of June. If she delayed until the formal date of Brexit on May 22, the process could be completed in mid-July.

She is due to represent the UK at the annual G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, on June 28-29, which could be her last outing on the international stage before stepping down.
Theresa May has said she will stand down as Prime Minister before the next phase of Brexit negotiations.

The Prime Minister did not name a date for her departure from 10 Downing Street, but her announcement sets the stage for a Conservative leadership election within the coming weeks or months.

Her offer to resign came in response to calls from a number of her backbenchers for her to promise to quit in return for their help in pushing her Withdrawal Agreement through Parliament.

But her chances of success were dealt a possibly fatal blow as the Democratic Unionist Party announced it would not support the Government if it brought the deal back for a third meaningful vote.

In a statement hours after Mrs Mays dramatic announcement, the DUP said the controversial backstop arrangement for the Irish border poses an unacceptable threat to the integrity of the United Kingdom.

The partys Westminster leader Nigel Dodds left no doubt that this meant the DUPs 10 MPs voting against the deal, tweeting: The DUP do not abstain on the Union.

The Northern Irish partys decision will be highly influential on Leave-backing Tory MPs who had been considering falling in line behind the PM.

European Research Group chairman Jacob Rees-Mogg said he would be guided by the DUP as guardians of the Union of the United Kingdom.

Brexit figurehead Boris Johnson signalled he is likely to swing behind the PM, with close ally Conor Burns tweeting that the former foreign secretary is telling Leave-backing MPs that we have little choice but to vote for the Withdrawal Agreement.

Mr Johnson left a meeting of the ERG without commenting on his apparent U-turn.

He declined to say whether he still believed Mrs Mays deal wrapped a suicide vest around the British constitution, as he claimed in 2018.

Despite Mr Johnsons shift, an ERG source at the meeting said there is no way enough votes are coming out of that room to put the Withdrawal Agreement through.

Former Brexit minister Steve Baker told the meeting he was in a ferocious rage after the pantomime of Mrs Mays announcement and indicated he may yet resign the whip than be part of this, a source said.

Mrs May spoke to the influential Tory 1922 Committee shortly before MPs were due to take part in indicative votes on a range of Brexit options in the House of Commons.

She said she will not stand in the way of the party having new leadership, telling the 1922 Committee: I am prepared to leave this job earlier than I intended in order to do what is right for our country and our party.

One MP who witnessed the address, George Freeman, said that the PM had tears not far from her eyes as she admitted: I have made many mistakes. I am only human. I beg you, colleagues, vote for the Withdrawal Agreement and I will go.

Mr Freeman, a former policy aide to the PM who had called for her to name a date for her departure, told the BBC: There was silence in the room and it was incredibly sad.

Downing Street has signalled that the PM is keeping open the possibility of tabling her Withdrawal Agreement for a third meaningful vote on Thursday or Friday, but would do so only if she felt there was a credible chance of it securing a majority.

The deal must be passed by the end of the week if the UK is to benefit from the EUs offer of an automatic delay to Brexit to May 22.

But Commons Speaker John Bercow infuriated ministers after reminding them of his ruling that there needed to be significant change to the deal if it was to be brought back to the Commons for a third time, after twice being defeated by wide margins.

(PA Graphics)

Mrs May told her MPs: I have heard very clearly the mood of the parliamentary party. I know there is a desire for a new approach  and new leadership  in the second phase of the Brexit negotiations  and I wont stand in the way of that.

I know some people are worried that if you vote for the Withdrawal Agreement, I will take that as a mandate to rush on into phase two without the debate we need to have. I wont  I hear what you are saying.

But we need to get the deal through and deliver Brexit.

Mrs May acknowledged that it had been a testing time for the party and the country, but said: Were nearly there. Were almost ready to start a new chapter and build that brighter future.

But before we can do that, we have to finish the job in hand.

She added: I am prepared to leave this job earlier than I intended in order to do what is right for our country and our party.

I ask everyone in this room to back the deal so we can complete our historic duty  to deliver on the decision of the British people and leave the European Union with a smooth and orderly exit.

Earlier, Mrs May moved to prevent possible ministerial resignations by allowing Conservative MPs a free vote on the indicative votes.

But the Prime Minister herself, along with her Cabinet ministers, will abstain in the indicative votes, whips have indicated.

Theresa May clashed with Jeremy Corbyn over Brexit in the House of Commons (PA)

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: Theresa Mays pledge to Tory MPs to stand down if they vote for her deal shows once and for all that her chaotic Brexit negotiations have been about party management, not principles or the public interest.

A change of government cant be a Tory stitch-up, the people must decide.
Boris Johnson became the talk of Twitter after reports that he was planning a dramatic U-turn to back Theresa Mays Brexit deal.

Mr Johnson had previously been an outspoken opponent of the Prime Ministers Withdrawal Agreement, comparing the UKs efforts to leave the EU to the biblical struggle between Moses and Egypts Pharoah in the Daily Telegraph.

It is time for the PM to channel the spirit of Moses in Exodus and say to Pharaoh in Brussels  LET MY PEOPLE GO, read his op-ed on the front of the newspaper, a day after meeting with the PM at her Chequers retreat.

After his apparent change of stance on the deal just three days later, many were quick to poke fun at the former foreign secretary.

Former Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron made reference to the article, suggesting his behaviour was less Exodus, more Holy Grail, referring to the classic Monty Python film.

Brave Sir Boris ran away Yes, brave Sir Boris turned about and gallantly he chickened out, he tweeted, referencing a song from the 1975 film.

(Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Less Exodus, more Holy Grail...



Brave Sir Boris ran away... Yes, brave Sir Boris turned about

And gallantly he chickened out https://t.co/kX7lMHbXsJ  Tim Farron (@timfarron) March 27, 2019

Shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer also aimed a jab at Mr Johnson, tweeting: I wonder what it is about the pending Tory leadership contest that made Boris change his mind?

I wonder what it is about the pending Tory leadership contest that made Boris change his mind? https://t.co/DVapaypZLm  Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) March 27, 2019

Comedy writer Mollie Goodfellow gave a nod to Remainers, tweeting: Essentially Boris is saying initially he voted for one thing and now he will vote a different way now he fully knows the implications. *looks to camera*

Essentially Boris is saying initially he voted for one thing and now he will vote a different way now he fully knows the implications.



*looks to camera*  Mollie Goodfellow (@hansmollman) March 27, 2019

And journalist Tom Peck wrote: Ahremember when Boris Johnson hired his own photographer to do a photoshoot of himself signing his resignation letter because he couldnt support the deal? Well, hes changed his mind now. How sweet

Ah...remember when Boris Johnson hired his own photographer to do a photoshoot of himself signing his resignation letter because he couldn't support the deal?



Well, he's changed his mind now. How sweet... pic.twitter.com/2dbgvTl485  Tom Peck (@tompeck) March 27, 2019

Not everyone was critical, however. Conservative MP Zac Goldsmith said Mr Johnsons decision could save Brexit.

Boris is absolutely right to back the deal., he tweeted. The context & circumstances today have changed and it is crystal clear that we have a choice between a flawed deal or years of paralysis, division and ultimately collapse.

His intervention might just save Brexit.
The timing of Theresa Mays departure as Prime Minister means that her legacy will be defined by Brexit.

She arrived in Downing Street on July 13 2016 faced with the task of bringing together party and country after the traumas of the EU referendum.

But her entire premiership was dominated by tortuous negotiations in Brussels and vicious infighting within her own party over the terms on which the UK would leave.

Mrs May, 62, marked her arrival with an impassioned promise on the steps of Number 10 to tackle the burning injustices which hold back the poor, ethnic minorities, women and the working classes in modern British society.

Theresa May arrives at Downing Street after being appointed prime minister (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

But her disastrous decision the following year to hold a snap election deprived her of her slim majority in the House of Commons, leaving her dependent on the Democratic Unionist Party.

From that point, she was engaged in a day-by-day battle to force her agenda through and maintain the fragile unity of her Government.

She lost more than 30 ministers  most of them quitting over her Brexit plans  saw her keynote policy defeated by a record-breaking 230 votes and suffered the indignity of having her Government found in contempt of Parliament.

It all looked so different when Leave-backing leadership rival Andrea Leadsom dropped out of the contest to succeed David Cameron, clearing the way for the former Remainer to take office without a vote of Tory members.

Hailed by the press as a new Iron Lady, the vicars daughter hardened by six years as home secretary immediately showed her ruthless streak, sacking both Michael Gove and chancellor George Osborne, with whom she had clashed in Cabinet.

In her first speech to Conservative conference, she shocked many by setting out red lines for withdrawal which put Britain on track for the hardest possible Brexit.

She dismissed her critics as people who saw themselves as citizens of the world but were in fact citizens of nowhere.

Determined to show she was taking the UK into a new global role, she rushed to be the first world leader to meet Donald Trump at the White House after his inauguration in January 2017.

But footage of her holding hands with the US president exposed her to ridicule back home and raised questions about her closeness to a man whose unpredictability was already causing concern in capitals around the world.

Mrs Mays awkward demeanour and endlessly repeated `strong and stable mantra saw her dubbed the Maybot during the 2017 election campaign (Danny Lawson/PA)

The fateful decision to call an early election, in the hope of securing the comfortable majority she needed to implement her Brexit plans, was taken on an Easter walking holiday in Snowdonia with husband Philip.

A poorly received manifesto and hastily withdrawn social care policy, coupled with a robotic campaigning style and the surprise outbreak of Corbynmania, saw her squander a 20-point lead in the polls and lose 13 MPs.

The result saw the Tory majority wiped out while a visibly distraught Mrs May had to turn to the DUP to prop her up in Parliament, with 1 billion in extra Government funds going to Northern Ireland.

That years conference in Manchester ended in humiliation, as she was handed a P45 by a comedian on stage, lost her voice to a persistent cough and ended her speech with letters falling off the backdrop behind her.

Comedian Simon Brodkin interrupted Mrs Mays disastrous conference speech in Manchester (Peter Byrne/PA)

In December, she seemed to salvage the Brexit deal, finalising a Withdrawal Agreement with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker after a pre-dawn flight to Brussels.

But that agreement contained the seeds of future troubles, introducing the controversial backstop customs arrangements for Northern Ireland which were to be fiercely opposed by the DUP and hardline Tory Brexiteers in the European Research Group.

Her attempt to unify her Cabinet behind her deal at Chequers in July 2018 led foreign secretary Boris Johnson and Brexit secretary David Davis to walk out of the Government.

They were followed in November by Mr Daviss successor Dominic Raab and other Leave-backing ministers, who quit in protest at the final deal agreed with leaders of the other 27 EU states in Brussels.

Meanwhile, Mr Trumps summer visit to the UK only deepened her woes, as he said her Government was in turmoil and that Mr Johnson has what it takes to be PM, only to blithely shrug his comments off as she gritted her teeth alongside him at a sun-drenched Chequers press conference.

There were awkward moments for Theresa May during Donald Trumps visit to the UK in 2018 (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

By the winter, Mrs May was in open warfare with the DUP and many of her own backbenchers, who said her deal would leave the UK in a state of vassalage.

She survived no-confidence motions from her own MPs and Labours Jeremy Corbyn, but was forced to postpone the key meaningful vote ratifying her Brexit deal when it became clear she was heading for defeat.

When the deal was finally put to a vote in January this year, it was crushed by the largest majority in modern parliamentary history.

And it fared little better when it returned in March, defeated by 149 votes with scores of Tories rebelling.

It remains to be seen whether her decision to offer the ultimate political sacrifice will be enough to seal the deal at the third attempt and secure her legacy as the PM who delivered Brexit.
The Duke of Cambridge is to visit New Zealand on behalf of the Queen to honour the victims of the Christchurch mosques terrorist attack.

The trip in late April will be made at the request of the Prime Minister of New Zealand.

William will meet with those affected by the attack and pay tribute to the extraordinary compassion and solidarity that the people of New Zealand have displayed in recent weeks, Kensington Palace said.

The duke visited New Zealand following the Christchurch earthquakes in 2011, and William and the Duchess of Cambridge carried out a tour of New Zealand in 2014, taking nine-month-old Prince George with them.

The Duke of Cambridge will visit New Zealand on behalf of The Queen to honour the victims of the Christchurch mosques terrorist attack.



The visit in late April will be made at the request of the Prime Minister of New Zealand. pic.twitter.com/rFPlDo8dmJ  The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) March 27, 2019

The monarch, who is Queen of New Zealand, and other senior royals sent heartfelt messages of condolence following the shootings at two mosques.

The Queen said she and the Duke and Edinburgh had been saddened by the appalling events which left 50 people dead.

The Duke of Cambridge will visit New Zealand (Arthur Edwards/The Sun/PA)

The Prince of Wales showed solidarity with New Zealanders, saying: This appalling atrocity is an assault on all of us who cherish religious freedom, tolerance, compassion and community.

And in a joint message, William, Kate and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said: We have all been fortunate to spend time in Christchurch and have felt the warm, open-hearted and generous spirit that is core to its remarkable people.

No person should ever have to fear attending a sacred place of worship.

Harry and heavily-pregnant Meghan told New Zealanders we are with you as they signed a book of condolence at New Zealand House in London last week.

The programme and exact date of Williams visit will be announced in due course, Kensington Palace said.

Australian Brenton Tarrant, 28, has been charged with murder and is scheduled to make his next court appearance on April 5.
The DUP has again rejected the Prime Ministers proposed Brexit deal as posing an unacceptable risk to the integrity of the UK.

The Northern Irish unionists confirmed they would not support Theresa May if she tabled another meaningful vote in Parliament.

The partys 10 MPs have been propping up the Tory administration, and their view on Brexit has been key to the Governments prospects of securing agreement.

They claimed her solution would trap Northern Ireland in the Irish border backstop insurance policy contained within the draft Withdrawal Agreement.

The Democratic Unionists said: The backstop if operational has the potential to create an internal trade border within the United Kingdom and would cut us off from our main internal market, being Great Britain.

The backstop would keep Northern Ireland aligned with the rest of the EU on trade regulations to prevent the imposition of a hard border with the Republic of Ireland.

The DUP leader Arlene Foster has again rejected the Prime Ministers proposed Brexit deal as posing an "unacceptable" risk to the integrity of the UK (Liam McBurney/PA).

Any divergence in the rules between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK could lead to internal boundaries equivalent to a border in the Irish Sea, backstop critics fear.

The backstop is a major plank of the Irish Governments strategy and would only be implemented if a better solution was not found during transition negotiations on long-term arrangements after an orderly Brexit.

The DUP do not abstain on the Union. https://t.co/l4oSPj75V2  Nigel Dodds (@NigelDoddsDUP) March 27, 2019

The DUP said its recent discussions with the Government had been good.

It added: However, given the fact that the necessary changes we seek to the backstop have not been secured between the Government and the European Union, and the remaining and ongoing strategic risk that Northern Ireland would be trapped in backstop arrangements at the end of the implementation period, we will not be supporting the Government if they table a fresh meaningful vote.

The party said the terms of departure from the EU should ensure the integrity of the UK.

In our view the current Withdrawal Agreement does not do so and the backstop, which we warned this Government against from its first inception, poses an unacceptable threat to the integrity of the United Kingdom and will inevitably limit the United Kingdoms ability to negotiate on the type of future relationship with the EU.

Asked about the pressure on the DUP to back the deal, Arlene Foster told Sky News it was not a case of rescuing Brexit.

We very much want to see Brexit happening, we believe in Brexit, we believe in the opportunities that are there post-Brexit.

We wish we were able to spend more time talking about the global opportunities that we believe are there for the nation post-Brexit.

But instead we have become bogged down in a process, but that process has a Withdrawal Agreement with a backstop that will cause damage to the UK, and for us that is the critical point.

She pinned the blame on Mrs May, because the premier agreed to the backstop with the EU in December 2017.

The DUP leader added: The most important issue for me, for the Democratic Unionist Party, for our 10 MPs, is the preservation of the union.

The partys deputy leader Nigel Dodds, replying to a journalist asking if they might abstain on Mrs Mays deal, said: The DUP do not abstain on the Union.
MPs will be asked to vote again on Brexit options on Monday after failing to agree on any of the eight choices presented to them.

After a historic day at Westminster in which backbench MPs took control of the agenda from the Government, all the proposals put forward for indicative votes were rejected.

The Speaker has announced the results for today's #IndicativeVotes:



(B) - Ayes 160 Noes 400

(D) - Ayes 188 Noes 283

(H) - Ayes 65 Noes 377

(J) - Ayes 264 Noes 272

(K) - Ayes 237 Noes 307

(L) - Ayes 184 Noes 293

(M) - Ayes 268 Noes 295

(O) - Ayes 139 Noes 422 pic.twitter.com/z5jDqtMC11  UK House of Commons (@HouseofCommons) March 27, 2019

But the process indicated significant support for a second referendum and a customs union, which both secured more votes than Theresa Mays deal has managed.

The call for a customs union was defeated by just eight votes, while the proposal to hold a referendum on a deal lost by 27.

Well those indicative votes went really well. Another Sir Oliver Letwin masterclass.  Simon Clarke MP (@SimonClarkeMP) March 27, 2019

Sir Oliver Letwin, the architect of the plan to seize control of the Commons timetable, said it was a very great disappointment that no option had secured a majority but MPs would be asked to vote again on April 1.

If on Monday the House is able to reach a majority view, I think that would be in the interests of our constituents, he said.

Anti-Brexit protestors with an illuminated sign reading `Let Us Vote outside the Houses of Parliament, London, on the day that MPs will be asked to consider a range of alternative Brexit options after Parliament seized control of the Commons agenda to force a series of "indicative votes".

The results of Wednesdays votes were:

 No deal: defeated by 400 votes to 160, majority 240.

 Common market 2.0: defeated by 283 votes to 188, majority 95.

 Efta and EEA: defeated by 377 votes to 65, majority 312.

 Customs union  defeated by 272 votes to 264, majority eight.

 Labours alternative plan  defeated by 307 votes to 237, majority 70.

 Revocation to avoid no-deal  defeated by 293 votes to 184, majority 109.

 Confirmatory public vote  defeated by 295 voted to 268, majority 27.

 Contingent preferential arrangements  defeated by 422 votes to 139, majority 283.

Deputy Labour leader Tom Watson, who backs the Peoples Vote campaign for another referendum, said: The majority of MPs and the British people do not want the Prime Ministers broken Brexit deal.

Nor do either the public or Parliament back crashing out of the EU without a deal. Tonight has shown there is growing support for our compromise solution and that any new way forward will require enough time to be properly negotiated and scrutinised.

When this Parliament has finally made a decision on what Brexit means, I am hopeful that a majority will emerge for any final proposal to be put to a vote, not only by MPs, but also by the people.

SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford said Mrs Mays deal had achieved 202 and then 242 votes when it was put to the Commons and that deal should be dead.

It is clear that remaining in the EU is an option that is firmly on the table  with a second EU referendum being the most popular option of all, and a substantial number of MPs recognising that revoking Article 50 is the right way to prevent a Brexit disaster, he said.

Parliament has taken initial steps towards building consensus. In the coming days, we will continue cross-party discussions to find a way forward  including whether proposals on the single market and customs union, which currently fall short, can be strengthened.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable said: As anticipated, the Commons has not produced an absolutely clear way forward, but it is clearer where the centre of gravity now is.

What is essential is that whichever Brexit option the Government pursues, it is put to the public in a confirmatory referendum.

But Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay said the Commons process demonstrates that there are no easy options and no simple way forward.

The results of the process this House has gone through today strengthens our view that the deal the Government has negotiated is the best option, he told MPs.

It is the Governments firm wish to get the Withdrawal Agreement approved by this House, and I urge all members, no matter the view on what the future relationship should be, if you believe in delivering on the referendum result by leaving the EU with a deal, then its necessary to back the Withdrawal Agreement.

If we do not do that, then there are no guarantees about where this process will end.

Tory Brexiteer Simon Clarke dismissed the entire process: Well those indicative votes went really well.

Another Sir Oliver Letwin masterclass.
Low-cost airline Wow Air has stopped flying, leaving thousands of passengers stranded.

The Icelandic carrier cancelled all its flights and advised customers to check with other airlines for alternative services.

It added that passengers may be entitled to compensation but added: In case of a bankruptcy, claims should be filed to the administrator/liquidator.

Earlier on Thursday Wow Air had said it was in the final stages of completing an agreement with investors over raising new funds, and flights were postponed until the deal was completed.

But shortly after 8am the company announced it had ceased operation.

(Patrick Pleul/dpa/AP)

Wow Air offered low fares between Europe and North America via its Icelandic hub near Reykjavik. It once advertised flights between London and New York for 99 each way.

The airline was due to operate two flights between London Gatwick and Iceland on Thursday, and was set to switch all its London flights to Stansted from Sunday. It also planned to fly a summer service between Edinburgh and Iceland from June.

Thousands of passengers due to return home across the Atlantic or from Iceland are stranded, although several airlines are offering discounted rescue fares on certain routes for Wow Air customers.

A woman, who asked not to be named, was due to fly home from Berlin, Germany to Toronto, Canada on Saturday.

She said: I have yet to receive any formal indication from Wow, and only a few days ago they emailed me to see if I wanted to upgrade my flight. So now I have paid for a return flight home that no longer exists. I still cant believe it.

Im now scrambling to find a flight that same day. Its last minute so the prices have skyrocketed and I dont imagine Ill be getting a refund from Wow.

The Civil Aviation Authority said consumers who paid for flights by credit or debit card may be able to obtain a refund through their card provider, while those with a travel insurance policy including scheduled airline failure may be able to make a claim.

Advice to UK consumers impacted by WOW AIR suspending operations is available on the @UK_CAA website:https://t.co/3OfsA1LcZZ#WOWAIR pic.twitter.com/O96uGyvB19  UK Civil Aviation Authority (@UK_CAA) March 28, 2019

Only a small number of Wow Air customers booked flights as part of an Atol-protected package, which means companies have to make alternative arrangements to bring customers home when an airline fails.

Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel magazine, expressed concern that Wow Air continued to sell flights until it ceased operations.

He said: Passengers will quite rightly be appalled that Wow Air was still selling tickets right up to the moment it collapsed, knowing full well that any tickets sold would likely not be worth the paper they are printed on.

Wow Air was founded by entrepreneur Skuli Mogensen and began flying in 2012.

During the past six months the budget airline has been involved in turbulent negotiations over a potential sale, first to Icelandair and then to US-based private equity firm Indigo Partners, which has stakes in several other airlines including Wizz Air.

The Associated Press reported that Mr Mogensen wrote a letter to employees on Thursday which said: I will never forgive myself for not acting sooner.

Wow was clearly an incredible airline and we were on the path to do amazing things again.

A number of airlines have suffered financial troubles in recent months, partly due to increased fuel costs and competition.

Budget carriers Primera Air and Cobalt Air collapsed in October.

Flybmi went out of business in February, while the cut-price sale of Flybe to a consortium consisting of Virgin Atlantic, Stobart Group and investment firm Cyrus Capital was recently completed.
Contributed

A disturbing and hard to watch video posted online shows two men, a father and son shooting and killing a hibernating mother bear and her two cubs.

The Humane Society of the United States posted the video on Wednesday which shows the illegal slaughtering of the hibernating black bears in Esther Island, Alaska.

In the video, a man believed to be Andrew Renner and his son Owen ski up to the den where the bears were hibernating.

A wildlife camera caught the entire incident as they wake up the mother and her two babies.

The cubs can be heard shrieking as the men load and point their guns at the bears.

They fire two shots at the bears, pull them out of the den and with bloodied hands, high-five each other.

Theyll never be able to link it to us, says Andrew in the video.

Each take their time to pose with the dead bear for a photograph.

On Wednesday, the Humane Society said justice was served and the men were found guilty.

After destroying evidence at the scene and presenting the adult carcass as a legal kill to the states wildlife agency, lying about killing the cubs and submitting falsified information, they said.

Two days later the Renners returned to the scene to dispose of evidence.

I gotta go in the den and make sure theres no little parts, right?, says Andrew in the video.

Yeah, that would be a good idea, said Owen in the video.

Both Renners later pled guilty, each received jail time and had their hunting licenses suspended.

Andrew was fined $9,000 and forfeited personal property including a 22-foot boat, his vehicle and various weapons.

Their despicable actions were captured on a wildlife camera, set up by the U.S. Forest Service and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, to study the bears, they said.

U.S. Federal law currently forbids this practice on national preserves in Alaska, but the current administration is looking to remove such prohibitions.

If this heinous cruelty occurs while protections are already in place, overturning them would all but encourage these massacres to continue, said the society.

The U.S. Humane Society has started a campaign to prevent the rule from being overturned and are encouraging citizens to express their opposition to the change.
LONDON, March 28 (Reuters) - Iran welcomed on Thursday a Luxembourg court's decision to refuse to reinforce a U.S. ruling that would have helped families of victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks claim Iranian assets held by a Luxembourg-based clearing house.

The court ruled on Wednesday that there were no grounds in international law to uphold in Luxembourg a 2012 U.S. court decision to strip Iran of sovereign immunity.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said the decision showed the world still had courts that adopt independent decisions.

"The era of totalitarian and bullying behaviour of America toward other countries is over and it can no longer raise such groundless accusations," Qasemi was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA.

The governor of Central Bank of Iran, Abdolnasser Hemmati, called the decision "an important legal victory for Iran".

President's deputy for legal affairs Laya Joneidi was quoted by IRNA as saying that the lawyers won the case by arguing that Sept. 11 attacks were not related to Iran.

Seven years ago, a New York court found there was evidence showing that Iran provided "material support and resources to al Qaeda for acts of terrorism". The militant group carried out the hijacked plane attacks on New York and Washington.

That court awarded the plaintiffs damages of over $7 billion. Families of victims are seeking access to $1.6 billion of Iranian funds in Luxembourg, which were frozen as part of international sanctions over Iran's nuclear programme.

However, the Luxembourg court said the plaintiffs could not continue their legal case to seize Iranian assets in the country.

Iran has denied any links to al Qaeda or any involvement in the Sept. 11 attacks. (Reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin; Editing by Richard Borsuk)
BUCHAREST, March 28 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press reports and events to watch which may affect Romanian financial markets on Thursday.

FINMIN

Romania's finance ministry may release April debt issuance plans. Debt managers sold roughly 2.89 billion lei ($684.07 million) worth of leu currency bonds and bills in March.

The finance ministry should also release two-month consolidated budget data, which it generally releases by March 25. In January, the budget ran a 0.1 percent of GDP surplus.

EUROBOND

Romania tapped foreign markets on Wednesday for 3 billion euros worth of 2026, 2034 and 2049 eurobonds, Refinitiv news and market analysis service IFR said.

The finance ministry's indicative target for foreign debt issues stands at 4 billion euros for 2019, according to the ministry's latest debt strategy report.

GROWING PAINS

Almost every former Eastern Bloc country has suffered growing pains at some point over the last few decades. Romania's just seem to keep coming back.

CEE MARKETS

The forint extended its losses, hitting a two-month low against the euro on Wednesday after the Hungarian central bank (NBH) dropped its guidance for gradual monetary tightening.

LOCKHEED MARTIN

Lockheed Martin Corp has been awarded a $1.14 billion U.S. defense contract for Guided Multiple Launch Rocket systems being sold to Poland, Bahrain and Romania, the Pentagon said on Wednesday.

GOVERNMENT MEETING

Romania's government has postponed until Friday the weekly meeting when it was supposed to approve changes to a tax decree approved in late December. News outlet g4media.ro quoted sources as saying the government is considering approving changes to the criminal codes via emergency decree.

The changes could be unconstitutional, but emergency decrees come into effect immediately and are difficult to challenge at the Constitutional Court. The European Commission has already expressed concerns to the government about the plans.

For other related news, double click on: --------------------------------------------------------------- Romanian equities RO-E E.Europe equities .CEE Romanian money RO-M Romanian debt RO-D Eastern Europe EEU All emerging markets EMRG Hot stocks HOT Stock markets STX Market debt news DBT Forex news FRX For real-time index quotes, double click on: Bucharest BETI Warsaw WIG20 Budapest BUX Prague PX ------------------------------------------------------ ($1 = 4.2247 lei)
VALLETTA, March 28 (Reuters) - Maltese soldiers have taken control of a small tanker that was hijacked by migrants it had rescued off Libya, the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) said in a statement on Thursday.

The vessel was being escorted into Valletta harbour by a patrol boat, a Reuters witness said.

The 108 migrants were picked up by the cargo ship Elhiblu 1 and hijacked the vessel when it became clear that it planned to take them back to Libya.

Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said on Wednesday that Italy would not have opened its ports to "criminals" who had committed an act of piracy.

The AFM said it established contact with the vessels captain when the tanker was 30 nautical miles off Malta.

"The captain repeatedly stated that he was not in control of the vessel and that he and his crew were being forced and threatened by a number of migrants to proceed to Malta," the AFM added.

The army said one of its patrol boats stopped the ship from entering Maltese waters and a special operations team was then dispatched to board and secure the vessel.

The team was backed by two fast interceptor craft, another patrol boat and a helicopter.

It said the ship was now being escorted to Valletta harbour to be handed over to the Malta police for further investigations.

It did not say if its personnel needed to use force. (Reporting by Chris Scicluna Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)
By Tiisetso Motsoeneng

JOHANNESBURG, March 28 (Reuters) - Capitec Bank will take hit of at least $25 million from cutting transaction fees in 2019, its chief executive said on Thursday, as the South African lender fights to defend market share from digital newcomers.

Launched in 2001 as a specialist in small personal loans, Capitec is now positioning itself as a fully-fledged bank with no-frills savings, insurance and credit card accounts. This is to cut its reliance on unsecured loans, which rely solely on a customers' promises to pay them back.

But the launch over the last few months of three digital banks promising fees as low as zero looks set to trigger a price war in the country, where more than 80 percent of the population already have bank accounts.

Capitec's chief executive Gerrie Fourie told Reuters his company would stand the challenge thanks to its strong brand, product offering, extensive branch network and prices, which were reduced at the start of this month.

"We have reduced our prices from March this year, and given money back to our clients. For this year, we are going to give back 360 to 380 million rand," Fourie said, referring to the price cuts.

Fourie, at helm sine 2014, also said Capitec would hike fees for cash withdrawals of more than 1,000 rand - in line with strategies set out by new digital banks TymeBank and Discovery Bank, both of whom have no branches or ATMs.

Fees at the main banks for deposits, withdrawals and transfers have for years largely ranged from 100 rand to 250 rand a month, but can rise as high as 450 rand - a sizeable sum in a country where the minimum wage is 20 rand per hour

Capitec reported a 19 percent increase to 4,577 cents in headline earnings per share - the main profit measure in South Africa - in the year ended February, thanks to strong growth in customer numbers.

The company attracted an average of 127,000 clients per month in the past year, bringing the total to 11.4 million.

In November, Capitec agreed a 3.2 billion rand ($219 million) deal to buy Mercantile Bank, a move that should give it a foothold in business banking if and when it is approved by competition authorities later this year.

"We believe business banking is complex, pricing is complex ... so the thinking is can we do the same in business banking as we've done in retail banking, by offering a simplistic and transparent product?" Fourie said.

($1 = 14.6079 rand) (Reporting by Tiisetso Motsoeneng; Editing by Gopakumar Warrier and Mark Potter)
By Peter Hobson

LONDON, March 28 (Reuters) - Copper prices rose on Thursday as the threat of disruption at a mine in Peru underlined fears that the market is undersupplied, while investors waited for news from U.S.-China trade talks starting in Beijing.

Benchmark copper on the London Metal Exchange (LME) did not trade but was bid 0.4 percent higher at $6,360 a tonne at the close, edging up towards last week's 8-1/2 month high of $6,555.50.

Protests at Las Bambas in Peru showed no sign of abating, days after the mine's operator, China's MMG, warned it could declare force majeure on contracts.

Stockpiles of copper in LME-registered warehouses, meanwhile, at 169,950 tonnes slipped back towards 11-year lows below 120,000 tonnes reached earlier this month. <MCUSTX-TOTAL>

However, in China, the world's largest consumer of industrial metals, stockpiles in Shanghai Futures Exchange warehouses were sharply higher at 269,172 tonnes following a seasonal lull in demand. <CU-STX-SGH>

A Reuters poll showed factory activity likely contracted for a fourth straight month in March, suggesting weaker Chinese demand for raw materials.

"The LME looks tight but the Chinese market is looking pretty well supplied for the moment," said ING analyst Warren Patterson.

Any resolution of the U.S.-China trade talks could push prices higher, he added. Metals prices fell sharply last year when the dispute began.

TRADE TALKS: China has made proposals in talks with the United States on a range of issues that go further than it has before, including on forced technology transfer, as the two sides work to overcome obstacles to a trade deal.

U.S. GROWTH: The U.S. economy slowed more than initially thought in the fourth quarter, keeping growth in 2018 below the Trump administration's 3 percent annual target.

CHINA SCRAP: China aims to cut solid waste imports to zero by next year.

COPPER WARRANTS/SPREAD: One entity held more than 90 percent of copper warrants on the LME. But a $5.50 premium for cash copper over the three-month contact suggested traders were having little difficulty accessing metal. <0#LME-WHL> <CMCU0-3>

COPPER TC/RCs: China's top copper smelters lowered their floor treatment and refining charges for the second quarter of 2019 by more than 20 percent, sources said, indicating a tighter copper concentrate market.

CHINA IMPORT PREMIUMS: Chinese copper import premiums fell to $55.50, nearing a two-year low of $52.50 reached earlier in March. <SMM-CUYP-CN>

DEFICIT: The 24 million tonne a year copper market saw a deficit of 387,000 tonnes last year, the International Copper Study Group (ICSG) said. Analysts expect another shortfall this year.

OTHER METALS: LME aluminium finished down 0.4 percent at $1,903 a tonne, zinc fell 0.7 percent to$2,867, lead ended up 0.6 percent at $2,019 and tin closed 0.3 percent higher at $21,420. Nickel did not trade but was bid down 1.4 percent at $12,880.

(Reporting by Peter Hobson Additional reporting by Tom Daly Editing by Edmund Blair, David Evans, Kirsten Donovan)
By Sergio Goncalves

LISBON, March 28 (Reuters) - Activist investor Elliott called on Thursday for shareholders in EDP-Energias de Portugal to reject a reform of voting rights, in a move that could scupper a 9-billion-euro ($10 billion) takeover offer for EDP from China Three Gorges (CTG).

CTG launched its bid for the utility in May 2018 on the condition that a 25-percent voting right limit was scrapped. All EDP shareholders have to keep to that limit, regardless of the stake they hold.

Elliott, which has an EDP shareholding of 2.9 percent, said it planned to vote against dropping the limit and recommended other shareholders do the same.

The activist investor said it proposed that shareholders vote on the matter during EDP's general assembly on April 24.

According to Elliott, a no vote would not only "put an immediate end" to CTG's bid, but also give EDP the "certainty needed to plan for the future".

The amendment to remove the voting rights limit needs 66 percent shareholder approval to pass.

When China's state-owned CTG, EDP's largest shareholder with a 23 percent stake, launched its bid for the company last year EDP's board rejected the 3.26-euro-per-share offer as too low.

Last month, Elliott proposed an alternative to CTG's bid, saying EDP could raise 7.6 billion euros from the sale of its Brazilian operation, Iberian thermal holdings and minority stakes in Spanish and Portuguese networks.

"In order to pursue a strategy and a more ambitious plan for the future, EDP needs to overcome the strong uncertainty created by the CTG offer," Elliott said. "There is a clear consensus among stakeholders today: CTG's offer in its current form is not in the interest of EDP."

CTG's proposal still needs regulatory approval in a number of countries, including Brazil, the United States, Portugal and the European Union. CTG has halted talks with EU regulators over the proposed takeover, two sources close to the matter said on Jan. 25.

($1 = 0.8896 euros) (Reporting by Sergio Goncalves; Writing by Catarina Demony; Editing by Paul Day and Mark Potter)
By Sarah Marsh

HAVANA, March 28 (Reuters) - Alphabet Incs Google signed a deal with Cuban telecoms monopoly ETECSA on Thursday to negotiate an agreement to improve internet traffic exchange between their two networks and connectivity on the Communist-run island.

Internet laggard Cuba has sought to increase web access in recent years, introducing cybercafes, Wi-Fi hotspots and mobile internet, but users still complain of the cost, sluggish connection and spotty coverage.

The partnership would create a cost-free and direct connection between the Google and Cuban networks in a process known as "peering" in the industry. It would enable faster access to content hosted on the tech giant's servers.

"The implementation of this internet traffic exchange service is part of the strategy of ETECSA for the development and computerization of the country," Google and ETECSA said in a joint news release, read out at a news conference in Havana.

The peering would be implemented "when technical conditions allow it," they said, without specifying what they would be. Neither party took questions.

The memorandum of understanding creates a working group of engineers focused on figuring out how to carry out the peering.

Google has been working to expand its business in Cuba for years although analysts say it will have to work hard to gain the government's trust.

Cuban-U.S. relations have nosedived since Republican Donald Trump became U.S. President promising to roll back a detente agreed by his Democratic predecessor Barack Obama and tightening once more a decades-old U.S. trade embargo on the island.

Still, the administration has maintained a loophole created by Obama for U.S. telecommunications companies to provide certain services to Cuba as they would open up the country further.

"The signing of this memorandum evidences that the interest of U.S companies in developing businesses with ETECSA remains," the Google, ETECSA news release read.

Google set up a small pilot display center in Havana and signed a deal in 2016 granting internet users quicker access to its branded content.

Former Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt met Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel twice last year, in June in Havana and in Google's New York office in September.

Google's attempts to enter the Cuban market come as it faces blowback over attempts to expand in another Communist-run state, China, amid concerns it could comply with that country's internet censorship and surveillance policies.

Whether due to the U.S. embargo, lack of cash or concerns over the free flow of information, the internet was largely available to the public in Cuba only at tourist hotels until 2013 when a fibre-optic cable to Venezuela went live. (Reporting by Sarah Marsh in Havana Additional reporting by Nelson Acosta in Havana and Paresh Dave in San Francisco Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
By John Geddie and Martin Petty

MANILA, March 29 (Reuters) - When Filipino journalist Pia Ranada fell into a ditch and injured her leg on election day, May 9, 2016, the presidential candidate she was reporting on drove her to hospital and sat with her as she was treated.

Less than two years later, that same man, by then in the midst of a bloody crackdown on drugs in which around 5,000 suspects were killed by police, attacked her during a national broadcast.

"You are a Filipino who was allowed to abuse our country ... in the name of the holy grail of press freedom," President Rodrigo Duterte said in a speech in January 2018, addressing Ranada directly. "You are not only throwing toilet paper, you are throwing shit at us."

It was an explosive moment during a period of simmering tension between Ranada's news outlet, Rappler, and Duterte's administration, part of a chain of events that has drawn global concern for one of Southeast Asia's few remaining corners of relatively free and open press.

Now facing multiple criminal charges against the site and its staff, the latest of which were filed this week, Rappler's management say they will not bow to what they see as government intimidation.

Duterte's office says it has no grudge against Rappler and the government is not behind any of the cases against the news site and its staff.

Reuters also has no evidence that Duterte was directly involved. Instead, interviews with Philippine officials and journalists show that close allies of Duterte coordinated the investigations against Rappler, and that Duterte was deeply angered by some of its reporting.

A spokesman for Duterte's office said accusations his government was abusing or harassing Rappler were "unreasonable".

MAKING WAVES

Rappler Executive Editor Maria Ressa, who previously held senior positions at U.S. broadcaster CNN, started Rappler with some associates on Facebook in 2011, and it became a news website in 2012. The name comes from combining "rap" and "ripple", meaning to discuss and to make a wave.

Ressa told Reuters she had found Duterte "utterly refreshing" when she interviewed him in the run-up to the 2016 election.

Ressa added that her site's extensive coverage of Duterte's campaign allowed the septuagenarian to tap into a young, social media-savvy voter base that helped a provincial city mayor secure an unlikely triumph over challengers from Manila's political establishment.

Yet Duterte's victory was also founded on a pledge to eliminate crime and drugs, and allegations the crackdown that ensued involved widespread extrajudicial executions by police quickly became a focus of Rappler's and other media outlets' reporting on his presidency.

Ressa said she believes their hard-hitting drug war reports, as well as stories accusing the administration of creating a social media "ecosystem" where bloggers and internet trolls attack Duterte's opponents, quickly put them on a collision course with the president.

The tide turned on Rappler in late 2016, when the government's top lawyer, Solicitor-General Jose Calida, requested the Philippines' Securities and Exchange Commission investigate the firm over alleged ownership violations.

Calida is seen as a close ally of Duterte and helped manage his election campaign before being appointed solicitor-general in June 2016.

But a source close to Duterte, who wished to remain anonymous, said Calida was not acting under orders from the president.

"Duterte doesn't really care about stories about the war on drugs," the source recounted. "It was really Calida trying to gain brownie points."

A spokesman for Calida's office said via email "it is a serious misconception" he was focused on the president's opponents. The Office of the Solicitor-General declined to comment on Rappler citing ongoing legal proceedings.

Ressa said "attacks" by the government which started in 2016 led to board members leaving, a 45 percent drop in advertising revenue and a hefty pay cut for key management. Rappler now operates pending a review after its licence was revoked for violating rules against foreigners owning stakes in media.

TOO CLOSE

Throughout 2017, Duterte stepped up criticism of certain press outlets, singling out Rappler as "fake news" and "foreign-owned" in public speeches.

But Ranada - the Rappler reporter assigned to cover the president - said on a personal level their relationship was at a "very good point" during the same period.

Indeed, Duterte and Ranada spent so much time together at a media Christmas party at the presidential palace in December 2017, her peers started to worry she was getting exclusive material, journalists and officials present said.

That was just weeks before Duterte's expletive-laden rant about Ranada.

What prompted that outburst, and changed the nature of Duterte's relationship with Rappler forever, according to the source close to the president, was a story about his closest aide, Christopher Go. The article alleged Go had "intervened" in a military procurement deal by asking the navy to look at a proposal by a South Korean firm. Go denied wrongdoing.

The source said Duterte "lost it" over that story because "it was too close to him, it was almost alleging that he was corrupt".

In response to Reuters' questions, a spokesman for Duterte's office, Martin Andanar, said: "We do not have any personal issues with any reporter... However, any form of deliberate attempt to misinform the public is an attack to the efforts of the administration to deliver what is due to the Filipino people."

Go declined to comment on the procurement deal, saying it had been investigated by the Philippine Senate and was "case closed". He told Reuters he thought Rappler was "very biased against me and the president".

A day after Duterte's verbal attack, the justice minister at the time, Vitaliano Aguirre - a staunch loyalist and former university classmate of the president - issued a blanket order to the Philippines' equivalent of the FBI, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), to probe Rappler "over possible violation of the constitution and laws".

Rappler said the order, a copy of which was reviewed by Reuters, was a "fishing expedition".

Aguirre, who resigned in April 2018, denied this.

Asked about his experience of Rappler during his time in office, Aguirre said in a text message: "My experience with RAPPLER?...it is engaged in bias reporting against the Duterte administration...It would slant news reports every chance it gets... and it is not above reporting fake news."

In the weeks that followed, a years-old libel case was resurrected against Rappler, a tax evasion probe was launched and both Ranada and Ressa were banned from the palace at the president's order.

Andanar, from Duterte's office, said the cases against Ressa and Rappler were "bereft of any government participation" and that it was "unreasonable to conclude that the administration is in any form harassing them or abusing its power".

DANGEROUS MESSAGE

Ressa was among a group of journalists named Time Magazine's Person of the Year in December 2018 for "defending free expression and the pursuit of truth and facts".

Last month, she was served an arrest warrant live on television at her office over a libel case and had to spend a night at NBI's headquarters before she was released on bail.

On Wednesday, several Rappler executives including Ressa, were also charged with violating laws in relation to foreign ownership rules.

"The Philippines has for a long time been a standard bearer in the region for press freedom," said Shawn Crispin, Southeast Asia representative for the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists. "If Duterte is able to get away with effectively silencing what has been one of his most prominent and credible media critics, that could send a message to the wider region that this is an attack you can get away with."

Despite all the legal cases, verbal and online attacks, and financial troubles, Ressa remains defiant.

"This is largely intimidation and this is part of the reason we are refusing to be intimidated," said Ressa. "We will fight and I do think we can win." (Reporting by John Geddie and Martin Petty; Additional reporting by Karen Lema and Neil Jerome Morales; Editing by John Chalmers and Alex Richardson)
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Alio Gold Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and operation of mineral resource properties. The company primarily mines for gold and silver. It holds 100% interests in San Francisco open pit gold mine that covers an area of approximately 53,380 hectares situated in the north central portion of the state of Sonora, Mexico; Florida Canyon open pit mine covering an area of approximately 11,886 hectares located in Nevada, the United States; and Ana Paula property situated in the state of Guerrero, Mexico. The company was formerly known as Timmins Gold Corp. and changed its name to Alio Gold Inc. in May 2017. Alio Gold Inc. was incorporated in 2005 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

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Photo: Surveillance image

Victoria Police have released security images of a man accused of sexually assaulting a woman on a city bus.

The assault took place on the No. 6 Royal Oak Exchange/Downtown route the evening of March 17, CTV News reports.

The young woman screamed and immediately got off the bus. She told police the same man had been staring at her a week earlier, making her feel "extremely uncomfortable."

The suspect is described as tall, in his forties, with a heavy build, dark blonde hair and blue eyes.

Anyone who can identify the man is asked to call police at 250-995-7654 or CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

 with files from CTV Vancouver Island
Allergan plc, a pharmaceutical company, develops, manufactures, and commercializes branded pharmaceutical, device, biologic, surgical, and regenerative medicine products worldwide. The company operates in three segments: US Specialized Therapeutics, US General Medicine, and International. It offers a portfolio of products in various therapeutic areas, including medical aesthetics and dermatology, eye care, neuroscience, urology, gastrointestinal, women's health, and anti-infective therapeutic products. The company also offers breast implants and tissue expanders; and RM-131 (relamorelin), a peptide ghrelin agonist for the treatment of diabetic gastroparesis. In addition, it develops medical and cosmetic treatments; therapies for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and other liver diseases; inhibitor for the treatment of psoriasis and other autoimmune disorders; atopic dermatitis drug candidate; peri-ocular rings for extended drug delivery and reducing elevated intraocular pressure in glaucoma patients; and treatments for neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease. Further, the company develops RST-001, a novel gene therapy for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa; small molecule therapeutics for inflammatory and fibrotic diseases; topical medicines for fat reduction; and delivery system and botulinum toxin-based prescription products. It has collaboration, option, and license agreement with Lyndra, Inc.; and strategic alliance and option agreement with Editas Medicine, Inc. Allergan plc also has licensing agreements with Assembly Biosciences, Inc.; MedImmune; and Heptares Therapeutics, Ltd. The company was formerly known as Actavis plc and changed its name to Allergan plc in June 2015. Allergan plc was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland.

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BAE Systems plc provides defense, aerospace, and security solutions worldwide. The company operates through five segments: Electronic Systems, Cyber & Intelligence, Platforms & Services (US), Air, and Maritime. The Electronic Systems segment offers electronic warfare systems, navigation systems, electro-optical sensors, military and commercial digital engine and flight controls, precision guidance and seeker solutions, military communication systems and data links, persistent surveillance systems, space electronics, and electric drive propulsion systems. The Cyber & Intelligence segment provides solutions to modernize, maintain, and test cyber-harden aircraft, radars, missile systems, and mission applications that detect and deter threats to national security; systems engineering, integration, and sustainment services for C5ISR systems and enterprise IT networks; and solutions and services to enhance the collection, analysis, and processing of data across the US civilian and military intelligence communities. It also offers data intelligence solutions to defend against national-scale threats, protect their networks, and data against attacks; security and intelligence solutions to the United Kingdom government and allied international governments; anti-fraud and regulatory compliance solutions; and enterprise-level data and digital services. The Platforms & Services (US) segment manufactures combat vehicles, weapons, and munitions, as well as provides ship repair services and the management of government-owned munitions facilities. The Air segment develops, manufactures, upgrades, and supports combat and jet trainer aircraft. The Maritime segment designs, manufactures, and supports surface ships, submarines, torpedoes, radars, and command and combat systems; and supplies naval gun systems. It also supplies naval weapon systems, missile launchers, and precision munitions. The company was founded in 1970 and is headquartered in Farnborough, the United Kingdom.

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Xcel Energy, Inc. operates as a holding company, which engages in the generation, purchase, transmission, distribution and sale of electricity. It operates through the following three segments: Regulated Electric Utility, Regulated Natural Gas Utility and All Others. The Regulated Electric Utility segment generates, transmits and distributes electricity primarily in portions of generates, transmits and distributes electricity in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota, Colorado, Texas and New Mexico. In addition, this segment includes sales for resale and provides wholesale transmission service to various entities in the United States. It also includes commodity trading operations. The Regulated Natural Gas Utility segment transports, stores, and distributes natural gas primarily in portions of Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Michigan and Colorado. The All Others segment engages in steam, appliance repair services, nonutility real estate activities, processing solid waste into refuse-derived fuel and investments in rental housing projects that qualify for low-income housing tax credits. The company was founded in 1909 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, MN.

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Phoenix Group Holdings plc engages in the long-term savings and retirement busines in Europe. The company operates through UK Heritage, UK Open, Europe, ReAssure, and Management Services segments. It engages in the management of insurance policies, which include active and closed life insurance products. The company also provides workplace pensions, and customer savings and investments products under the Standard Life brand. Its retirement solutions business includes vesting annuities and bulk purchase annuity business, where it acquires annuities and deliver the financial stability for secure pensions. The company also offers a range of financial products for the over 50s market under the SunLife brand, which cover life cover, equity release, funeral plans, and home insurance. Phoenix Group Holdings plc has a strategic partnership with Standard Life Aberdeen plc. The company was formerly known as Pearl Group and changed its name to Phoenix Group Holdings plc in March 2010. Phoenix Group Holdings plc was founded in 1782 and is based in London, the United Kingdom.

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Fresnillo Plc is a holding company, which engages in the production of gold and silver. It operates through the following segments: Fresnillo, Saucito, Cienega, Herradura, Soledad-Dipolos, Noche Buena, and San Julia. The Fresnillo, and Saucito segments are located in the state of Zacatecas, an underground silver mine. The Cienega segment includes San Ramon satellite mine which are both located in the state of Durango, an underground gold mine. The Herradura, and Noche Buena segments are located in the state of Sonora, a surface gold mine. The San Julian segment operates on the border of Chihuahua/Durango states, an underground silver-gold mine. The company was founded on August 15, 2007 and is headquartered in Mexico City, Mexico.

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Everest Re Group Ltd. is a holding company, which engages in the provision of reinsurance and insurance services. It operates through the following segments: U.S. Reinsurance, International, Bermuda, and Insurance. The U.S. Reinsurance segment writes property and casualty reinsurance and specialty lines of business, including marine, aviation, surety, and accident and health business, on both a treaty and facultative basis, through reinsurance brokers, as well as directly with ceding companies primarily within the U.S. The International segment offers foreign property and casualty reinsurance through Everest Re's branches in Canada and Singapore and through offices in Brazil, Miami, and New Jersey. The Bermuda segment comprises reinsurance and insurance to worldwide property and casualty markets through brokers and directly with ceding companies from its Bermuda office and reinsurance to the United Kingdom and European markets through its UK branch and Ireland Re. The Insurance segment writes property and casualty insurance directly and through brokers, surplus lines brokers, and general agents within the U.S., Canada, and Europe. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartere

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Ibstock plc manufactures and sells clay and concrete building products and solutions primarily in the United Kingdom. Its principal products include clay bricks, brick components, concrete roof tiles, concrete stone masonry substitutes, concrete fencing, pre-stressed concrete, and concrete rail products. The company provides facing bricks, walling stones, architectural masonry products, cast stones, facade systems, and retaining walls, as well as lintels, sills, and arches; and cladding solutions; roof tiles, chimneys, soffits, and roofing accessories; and fencings, caps and copings, bollards, balustrades, path edgings, and urban landscaping products. It also offers floor beams, door steps, gully surrounds, screed rails, insulated floorings, and hollowcore products; and rail and infrastructure products, such as troughing, cable theft protection, boards, blocks, bases, catchpits, and inspection chambers. In addition, the company offers engraving, cutting, and bonding services; floor beam and block design, supply, and fitting solutions; bespoke concrete products; and staircases and lift shafts services. Its products are used in new build housing; repair, maintenance, and improvement; and infrastructure markets. The company sells its products under the Forticrete, Supreme, Anderton, and Longley brands to customers in the construction industry. Ibstock plc was founded in 1825 and is headquartered in Ibstock, the United Kingdom.

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11 Wall Street equities research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for John Wood Group in the last year. There are currently 1 sell rating, 6 hold ratings and 4 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street equities research analysts is that investors should "hold" John Wood Group stock. A hold rating indicates that analysts believe investors should maintain any existing positions they have in WDGJF, but not buy additional shares or sell existing shares.

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A month after a deadly terror attack on security personnel in Jammu and Kashmirs Pulwama, Pakistan on Wednesday refused to call Pulwama attack a terror attack. Pakistan has shared preliminary findings on the Pulwama terror attack with India. In a press release, Pakistans Foreign Ministry said it has shared the findings with India of the February 14 attack, "after examining the Indian report on Pulwama incident".



Notably, Pakistans press statement calls the Pulwama terror attack "an incident" and not a terror attack. At least 40 Paramilitary soldiers were killed in the Pulwama terror attack on February 14. This was the deadliest terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir in the past 30 years.

Pakistan's statement today read: "The Government of Pakistan has shared preliminary findings with the Government of India after examining the Indian report on Pulwama incident."

"The Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad was called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by the Foreign Secretary and the findings on the Pulwama incident were shared with him."

In the statement, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had "offered cooperation in the investigation if credible evidence was provided by India".

The Pakistan Foreign Ministry statement said that in response to Imran Khan's offer, India handed over a paper to Pakistan on February 27, 2019.

"Pakistan has acted with a high sense of responsibility and extended full cooperation. We do so in the interest of regional peace and security. We have sought further information/evidence from India to take the process forward," it said.

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Also read: Masood Azhar to be blacklisted: US steps up push to ban Jaish chief at UNSC
The following companies are subsidiares of Lennar: 360 Developers LLC, Alliance Financial Services Inc., Ann Arundel Farms Ltd., Aquaterra Utilities Inc., Arbor Mill Veteran Project 2018 LLC, Asbury Woods L.L.C., Astoria Options LLC, Autumn Creek Development Ltd., Aylon LLC, Azusa Associates LLC, B2 Milpitas LLC, BB Investment Holdings LLC, BCI Properties LLC, BMR Communities LLC, BMR Construction Inc., BMTD LLC, BPH I LLC, Bainebridge 249 LLC, Bay Colony Expansion 369 Ltd., Bellagio Lennar LLC, Belle Meade LEN Holdings LLC, Belle Meade Partners LLC, Black Mountain Ranch LLC, Blue Horizons Estates LLC, Bonterra Lennar LLC, Bramalea California Inc., Bressi Gardenlane LLC, Breton Park Lennar LLC, CAP IL 1 LLC, CL Ventures LLC, CML INACTIVE LLC, CML-MO HAF LLC, CML-MO HAF PARKING LLC, CP Block 6aS LLC, CP Block 8aS LLC, CP Block 9aS LLC, CP Center Apartments LLC, CP Center Garage LLC, CP Red Oak Partners Ltd., CP Vertical Development Co. 1 LLC, CP/HPS Development Co. GP LLC, CP/HPS Development Co.-C LLC, CPFE LLC, CPHP Development LLC, CalAtlantic Financial Services Inc., CalAtlantic Group, CalAtlantic Group Inc., CalAtlantic Homes of Arizona Inc., CalAtlantic Homes of Georgia Inc., CalAtlantic Homes of Texas Inc., CalAtlantic Homes of Washington Inc., CalAtlantic Mortgage Inc., CalAtlantic National Title Solutions LLC, CalAtlantic Title Agency LLC, CalAtlantic Title Group LLC, CalAtlantic Title Inc., CalAtlantic Title LLC, CalAtlantic Title of Maryland Inc., Camarillo Village Park LLC, Cambria L.L.C., Candlestick Retail Member LLC, Cardiovascular Medical Specialists LLC, Carolina Blue LLC, Carson 175 LLC, Cary Woods LLC, Casa Marina Development LLC, Central Park West Holdings LLC, Cherrytree II LLC, Club Bonterra Lennar LLC, Coco Palm 82 LLC, Colonial Heritage LLC, Columbia National Risk Retention Group Inc., Commonwealth Incentive Fee LLC, Concord Station LLP, Coventry L.L.C., Creekside Crossing L.L.C., Crest at Fondren Investor LLC, DBJ Holdings LLC, DCA Financial LLC, DTC Holdings of Florida LLC, Darcy-Joliet L.L.C., Durrell 33 LLC, EL Ventures LLC, EV LLC, Eagle Bend Commercial LLC, Eagle Home Mortgage LLC, Estates Seven LLC, Evergreen Village LLC, F&R QVI Home Investments USA LLC, FLORDADE LLC, Faria Preserve LLC, Fidelity Guaranty and Acceptance Corp., Fidelity Land LLC, Fox-Maple Associates LLC, Friendswood Development Company LLC, GDI MANAGER LLC, Garco Investments LLC, Greystone Construction Inc., Greystone Homes of Nevada Inc., Greystone Nevada Holdings LLC, Greystone Nevada LLC, Greywall Club L.L.C., HCC Investors LLC, HPS Development Co. LP, HPS Vertical Development Co. LLC, HPS Vertical Development Co.-B LP, HPS Vertical Development Co.-D/E LLC, HPS1 Block 1 LLC, HPS1 Block 48-1A LLC, HPS1 Block 48-1B LLC, HPS1 Block 48-2A LLC, HPS1 Block 48-2B LLC, HPS1 Block 48-3A LLC, HPS1 Block 48-3B LLC, HPS1 Block 50 LLC, HPS1 Block 51 LLC, HPS1 Block 52 LLC, HPS1 Block 53 LLC, HPS1 Block 54 LLC, HPS1 Block 55 LLC, HPS1 Block 56/57 LLC, HSP Arizona Inc., HTC Golf Club LLC, Hammocks Lennar LLC, Harbor Highlands Group LLC, Harveston LLC, Haverton L.L.C., Heathcote Commons LLC, Heritage Pkwy East Holdings LLC, Heritage of Auburn Hills L.L.C., Hewitts Landing Trustee LLC, Hingham Properties LLC, Huntley Venture L.L.C., Inactive Companies LLC, Independence L.L.C., Independence Orlando LLC, Isles at Bayshore Club LLC, KMC Real Estate Investors LLC, Kendall Hammocks Commercial LLC, Kentuckiana Medical Center LLC, Kingman Lennar LLC, LB/L  Duc III Antioch 330 LLC, LCD Asante LLC, LCI Downtown Doral Investor LLC, LCI North DeKalb Investor GP LLC, LCI North DeKalb Investor LP LLC, LEN - Belle Meade LLC, LEN - OBS Windemere LLC, LEN - Palm Vista LLC, LEN BPT Investor LLC, LEN Mirada Investor LLC, LEN Notarize Investor LLC, LEN OT Holdings LLC, LEN Paradise Cable LLC, LEN Paradise Operating LLC, LEN-CG South LLC, LEN-Cypress Mill LLC, LEN-Ryan 1 LLC, LEN-Touchstone LLC, LENH I LLC, LENNAR HOMES OF TENNESSEE LLC, LFS Holding Company LLC, LH Eastwind LLC, LHI Renaissance LLC, LMC 10th & Acoma Holdings LP, LMC 144th and Grant Investor LLC, LMC 2401 Blake Street Holdings LLC, LMC 2401 Blake Street Investor LLC, LMC 360 Acoma Holdings LP, LMC 410 S Wabash Holdings LLC, LMC 808 Gateway Holdings LLC, LMC 808 Gateway Investor LLC, LMC 8th Avenue Apartment Investor LLC, LMC 990 Bannock Holdings LLC, LMC Axis Westminster Holdings LLC, LMC Axis Westminster Investor LLC, LMC Berry Hill Lofts Holdings LLC, LMC Berry Hill Lofts Investor LLC, LMC Block 42 Holdings LLC, LMC Build to Core III Investor LLC, LMC Build to Core III LLC, LMC Burnside Holdings LLC, LMC Burnside Investor LLC, LMC Chandler and McClintock Holdings LLC, LMC Charlestowne Holdings LLC, LMC Charlotte Ballpark Developer LLC, LMC Cityville Oak Park Holdings LLC, LMC Cityville Oak Park Investor LLC, LMC Cobalt Holdings LLC, LMC Costa Mesa Holdings LP, LMC Crest at Park West Holdings LP, LMC Denver Gateway I Investor LLC, LMC Denver Gateway II Holdings LLC, LMC Development LLC, LMC Downtown Doral South Holdings LLC, LMC Durham Gateway Holdings LP, LMC Evans School Holdings LLC, LMC Gateway Investor LLC, LMC Gateway Venture LLC, LMC Gilman Square Investor LLC, LMC Horton Street Holdings LLC, LMC Huntington Crossing Holdings LLC, LMC Inactive Companies LLC, LMC Lakeside Holdings LP, LMC Leya Holdings LLC, LMC Living Illinois LLC, LMC Living Inc., LMC Living LLC, LMC Living TRS LP, LMC Millenia Investor II LLC, LMC NE Minneapolis Lot 2 Holdings LLC, LMC New Bern Investor LLC, LMC North Park Holdings LP, LMC Parkfield Holdings LLC, LMC Parkfield Investor LLC, LMC Righters Ferry Holdings LLC, LMC River North Holdings LLC, LMC Spring Street Investor LLC, LMC Stonewall Station Investor LLC, LMC Triangle Square Investor LLC, LMC Venture Developer LLC, LMC Verbena Holdings LLC, LMC West Loop Investor LLC, LMCFX Investor LLC, LMCPNW Marymoor Holdings LLC, LMI - Jacksonville Investor LLC, LMI - South Kings Development Investor LLC, LMI - West Seattle Holdings LLC, LMI - West Seattle Investor LLC, LMI - West Seattle LLC, LMI Cell Tower Investors LLC, LMI City Walk Investor LLC, LMI Collegedale Investor LLC, LMI Collegedale LLC, LMI Contractors LLC, LMI Glencoe Dallas Investor LLC, LMI Lakes West Covina Investor LLC, LMI Largo Park Investor LLC, LMI Las Colinas Station LLC, LMI Naperville Investor LLC, LMI Pacific Tower LLC, LMI Park Central Two LLC, LMI Peachtree Corners Investor LLC, LMI Peachtree Corners LLC, LMI-JC Developer LLC, LMI-JC LLC, LMV 1640 Broadway REIT-DC LP, LMV 1701 Ballard REIT-DC LP, LMV 19H REIT-DC LP, LMV 2026 Madison REIT-DC LP, LMV 85 South Union REIT-DC LP, LMV ATown REIT-DC LP, LMV Annapolis REIT-DC LP, LMV Apache Terrace REIT-DC LP, LMV Block 42 REIT-DC LP, LMV Bloomington REIT-DC LP, LMV Bolingbrook REIT-DC LP (DE), LMV Central at McDowell REIT-DC LP, LMV East Village I REIT-DC LP, LMV Edina REIT-DC LP, LMV Fremont WS I REIT-DC LP, LMV Glisan REIT-DC LP, LMV Grand Bay REIT-DC LP, LMV II Grand Bay Pod V Holdings LP, LMV II Kierland Holdings LP, LMV II NoMo Holdings LP, LMV II Venture Developer LLC, LMV II Wynwood Holdings LP, LMV Kirkland REIT-DC LP, LMV Little Italy REIT-DC LP, LMV M Tower REIT-DC LP, LMV Millenia II REIT-DC LP, LMV Milpitas REIT-DC LP, LMV NE Minneapolis REIT-DC LP, LMV Oak Park REIT-DC LP, LMV One20Fourth REIT-DC LP, LMV QR Build to Core Manager LLC, LMV Rio Bravo REIT-DC LP, LMV Scottsdale Quarter REIT-DC LP, LMV Tysons REIT-DC LP, LMV Vallagio III REIT-DC LP, LMV Victory Block G REIT-DC LP, LMV Warren Street REIT-DC LP, LNC Communities II LLC, LNC Communities IV LLC, LNC Communities V LLC, LNC Communities VI LLC, LNC Communities VII LLC, LNC Communities VIII LLC, LNC Pennsylvania Realty Inc., LNC at Meadowbrook LLC, LNC at Ravenna LLC, LS College Park LLC, LS Terracina LLC, LV Opendoor Investor LLC, LV Opendoor JV LLC, LW D'Andrea LLC, Lagoon Valley Residential LLC, Lakelands at Easton L.L.C., Legends Club LLC, Legends Golf Club LLC, Len - Little Harbor LLC, Len FW Investor LLC, Len Paradise LLC, Len-Angeline LLC, Len-Hawks Point LLC, Len-Land LLC, Len-Land West LLC, Len-MN LLC, Len-Verandahs LLP, LenCom LLC, LenFive LLC, LenFive Opco GP LLC, LenFive Sub III LLC, LenFive Sub LLC, LenFive Sub Opco GP LLC, Lenalto CMBS LLC, Lencraft LLC, Lennar Aircraft I LLC, Lennar Arizona Construction Inc., Lennar Arizona Inc., Lennar Associates Management Holding Company, Lennar Associates Management LLC, Lennar Avenue One LLC, Lennar Berkeley LLC, Lennar Bevard LLC, Lennar Bridges LLC, Lennar Buffington Colorado Crossing L.P., Lennar Buffington Zachary Scott L.P., Lennar Carolinas LLC, 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International Holding LLC, Lennar International LLC, Lennar Lakeside Investor LLC, Lennar Layton LLC, Lennar Living LLC, Lennar Lytle LLC, Lennar MF Holdings LLC, Lennar MPA LLC, Lennar MPA WIP LLC, Lennar Mare Island LLC, Lennar Marina A Funding LLC, Lennar Massachusetts Properties Inc., Lennar Middletown LLC, Lennar Monmouth Redevelopers LLC, Lennar Multifamily BTC Venture GP LLC, Lennar Multifamily BTC Venture GP Subsidiary LLC, Lennar Multifamily BTC Venture GP Victory Block G Mezz LLC, Lennar Multifamily BTC Venture II GP LLC, Lennar Multifamily BTC Venture II GP Subsidiary LLC, Lennar Multifamily BTC Venture II LP LLC, Lennar Multifamily BTC Venture II Manager LLC, Lennar Multifamily BTC Venture LP LLC, Lennar Multifamily BTC Venture Manager LLC, Lennar Multifamily Builders LLC, Lennar Multifamily Communities LLC, Lennar Multifamily Venture DC LP, Lennar New Jersey Holdings LLC, Lennar New Jersey Properties Inc., Lennar New York LLC, Lennar Northeast Properties LLC, Lennar 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and Broadway Holdings LLC, Menifee Development LLC, Mid-County Utilities Inc., Miralago West Lennar LLC, Mission Viejo 12S Venture LP, Mission Viejo Holdings Inc., Motomic Diagnostics LLC, Multibank 2009-1 CML-ADC Venture LLC, Multibank 2009-1 RES-ADC Venture LLC, NC Properties I LLC, NC Properties II LLC, North American Asset Development LLC, Northbridge L.L.C., OHC/Ascot Belle Meade LLC, One SR L.P., PD-Len Boca Raton LLC, PG Properties Holding LLC, POMAC LLC, PT Metro LLC, Pace Drive Holdings LLC, Palm Gardens At Doral Clubhouse LLC, Palm Gardens at Doral LLC, Palm Springs Classic LLC, Palm Vista Preserve LLC, Patuxent Infrastructure Inc., Pioneer Meadows Development LLC, Pioneer Meadows Investments LLC, Plaza Condominium Ventures LLC, Portside Marina Developers L.L.C., Portside SM Associates L.L.C., Portside SM Holdings L.L.C., Portside Shipyard Developers L.L.C., Prestonfield L.L.C., Quail Roost Lennar LLC, RCCF GP II LLC, RCCF GP III LLC, RCCF GP IV LLC, RCCF GP LLC, RES-FL EIGHT LLC, RES-FL SEVEN LLC, RES-FL VISION ONE LLC, RES-FL VISION TWO LLC, RES-GA CASCADE LLC, RES-GA DIAMOND MEADOWS LLC, RES-GA KAP LLC, RES-GA SOUTHERN PLANTATION LLC, RES-GA THIRTEEN LLC, RES-GA TWELVE LLC, RES-GA WEST LLC, RES-IL ONE LLC, RES-NC ONE LLC, RES-PA LSJ LLC, RES-PA POM LLC, RES-TX BOULEVARD LLC, RH Insurance Company Inc., RH MOA BBCMS 2017-C1 LLC, RH MOA CF 2017-C8 LLC, RH MOA LLC, RH MOA U 2017-C4 LLC, RH MOA U 2017-C6 LLC, RIAL 2014-LT5 CLASS B LLC, RIAL 2014-LT5 LLC, RL BB FINANCIAL LLC, RL BB INACTIVE LLC, RL BB-AL LLC, RL BB-FL ALHI LLC, RL BB-GA LLC, RL BB-GA RMH LLC, RL BB-IL LLC, RL BB-IN AA LLC, RL BB-IN KRE LLC, RL BB-IN KRE OP LLC, RL BB-IN KRE RE LLC, RL BB-MS LLC, RL BB-NC LLC, RL BB-OH LLC, RL BB-SC BROOKSA LLC, RL BB-SC CLR II LLC, RL BB-SC CLR III LLC, RL BB-SC CLR IV LLC, RL BB-SC CLR LLC, RL BB-SC CRRC LLC, RL BB-SC RACEDAY LLC, RL BB-TN BRISTOL LLC, RL BB-TN LLC, RL BB-TN RACEDAY TOWER LLC, RL BB-TX LLC, RL BB-WV LLC, RL CMBS Holdings LLC, RL CML 2009-1 Investments LLC, RL REGI ARKANSAS LLC, RL REGI Alabama LLC, RL REGI FINANCIAL LLC, RL REGI Florida LLC, RL REGI GEORGIA LLC, RL REGI INACTIVE LLC, RL REGI KANSAS LLC, RL REGI MISSISSIPPI LLC, RL REGI MISSOURI LLC, RL REGI NORTH CAROLINA LLC, RL REGI SOUTH CAROLINA LLC, RL REGI TENNESSEE LLC, RL REGI VIRGINIA LLC, RL REGI-AL HP LLC, RL REGI-AL VRC LLC, RL REGI-FL CRC LLC, RL REGI-FL ESH LLC, RL REGI-FL FT. PIERCE LLC, RL REGI-FL GDL LLC, RL REGI-FL ITALIA LLC, RL REGI-FL MRED LLC, RL REGI-FL RDI LLC, RL REGI-FL SARASOTA LLC, RL REGI-FL TPL LLC, RL REGI-FL VARC LLC, RL REGI-GA DRAD LLC, RL REGI-GA HAY DB LLC, RL REGI-GA MHU LLC, RL REGI-GA MPD LLC, RL REGI-GA RLR LLC, RL REGI-MO GMB LLC, RL REGI-MO MOSCOW MILLS LLC, RL REGI-MS Double H LLC, RL REGI-MS OCEAN SPRINGS LLC, RL REGI-NC CIL LLC, RL REGI-NC LITTLE WING LLC, RL REGI-NC MLD LLC, RL REGI-NC Mland LLC, RL REGI-NC RALEIGH LLC, RL REGI-NC SUGARM LLC, RL REGI-NM LLC, RL REGI-SC CTL LLC, RL REGI-SC LAKE E LLC, RL REGI-SC TDG LLC, RL REGI-SC TIG LLC, RL REGI-TN OAK LLC, RL REGI-TN SEVIERVILLE LLC, RL RES 2009-1 Investments LLC, RMF Alliance LLC, RMF Commercial LLC, RMF PR New York LLC, RMF Partner LLC, RMF SUB 1 LLC, RMF SUB 2 LLC, RMF SUB 3 LLC, RMF SUB 4 LLC, RMF SUB 5 LLC, RMV LLC, Raintree Village II L.L.C., Raintree Village L.L.C., Ral-Len BM LLC, Ral-Len LLC, Rannel Capital WeWork Series D LLC, Rannel Holdings LLC, Rannel Interests LLC, Rannel Investments LLC, Rannel Mortgage Investments LLC, Rannel Proprietary Investments LLC, Renaissance Joint Venture, Reserve @ Pleasant Grove II LLC, Reserve @ Pleasant Grove LLC, Reserve at River Park LLC, Reserve at South Harrison LLC, Rialto Commercial Mortgage Securities LLC, Rialto Credit Partnership GP LLC, Rialto Mezz Partners GP LLC, Rialto Mortgage Finance LLC, Rialto Partners GP II LLC, Rialto Partners GP III - Debt LLC, Rialto Partners GP III - Property LLC, Rialto Partners GP LLC, Rialto RSSF GP LLC, Riverwalk at Lago Mar LLC, Rocking Horse Minerals LLC, Rutenberg Homes Inc. (Florida), Rutenberg Homes of Texas Inc., Rye Hill Company LLC, Ryland Homes Nevada Holdings LLC, Ryland Homes Nevada LLC, Ryland Homes of California Inc., S. Florida Construction II LLC, S. Florida Construction III LLC, S. Florida Construction LLC, SC 521 Indian Land Reserve LLC, SC 521 Indian Land Reserve South LLC, SPIC CPCO Inc., SPIC CPDB Inc., SPIC CPRB Inc., SPIC Del Sur LLC, SPIC Dublin LLC, SPIC Mesa LLC, SPIC NC Fremont LLC, SPIC Otay LLC, SPIC Springs LLC, San Felipe Indemnity Co. Ltd., San Lucia LLC, San Simeon Lennar LLC, Schulz Ranch Developers LLC, Seminole/70th LLC, Siena at Old Orchard L.L.C., Sierra Vista Communities LLC, Silver Springs Lennar LLC, South Development LLC, Southbank Holding LLC, Spanish Springs Development LLC, St. Charles Active Adult Community LLC, St. Charles Community LLC, Standard Pacific 1 Inc., Standard Pacific Investment Corp., Standard Pacific of Colorado Inc., Standard Pacific of Florida, Standard Pacific of Florida GP Inc., Standard Pacific of Las Vegas Inc., Standard Pacific of Orange County Inc., Standard Pacific of Tampa GP, Standard Pacific of Tampa GP Inc., Standard Pacific of Tonner Hills LLC, Standard Pacific of Walnut Hills Inc., Standard Pacific of the Carolinas LLC, Stoney Holdings LLC, Storey Lake Club LLC, Storey Park Club LLC, Strategic Holdings Inc., Strategic Technologies LLC, Summerfield Venture L.L.C., SunStreet Energy Group LLC, SunStreet Manager LLC, TCO QVI LLC, TICD Hold Co. LLC, TIH Hold Co. LLC, Talega Associates LLC, Temecula Valley LLC, Terra Division LLC, Terra/Winding Creek LLC, The Baywinds Land Trust, The Bridges Club at Rancho Santa Fe Inc., The Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe Sales Company Inc., The LNC Northeast Group Inc., The Oasis Club at LEN-CG South LLC, The Preserve at Coconut Creek LLC, The Vistas Club at LEN-CG South LLC, Titlezoom Company, Treasure Island Holdings LLC, Treasure Island Member LLC, Treviso Holding LLC, Two Lakes Lennar LLC, U.S. Home Corporation, U.S. Home Realty Inc., U.S. Home of Arizona Construction Co., U.S. Insurors Inc., U.S.H. Realty Inc., UAMC Holding Company LLC, UB 2018C14 MOA LLC, USH - Flag LLC, USH Equity Corporation, USH LEE LLC, USH Leasing II LLC, USH Leasing LLC, UST Lennar HW Scala SF Joint Venture, VII Crown Farm Investor LLC, Venetian Lennar LLC, Vineyard Land LLC, Vineyard Point 2009 LLC, Vista Palms Clubhouse LLC, WCI Communities, WCI Communities Inc., WCI Communities LLC, WCI Towers Northeast USA Inc., WCI Westshore LLC, WCP LLC, WIP Lennar OHB LLC, Waterview at Hanover LLC, West Lake Village LLC, West Seattle Project X LLC, West Van Buren L.L.C., Westchase Inc., Westchase Ltd., Westfield Homes USA Inc., White Course Lennar LLC, Wild Plum JV LLC, Willowbrook Investors LLC, Winncrest Natomas LLC, Woodbridge Multifamily Developer I LLC, Wright Farm L.L.C., and YLRichards4Acres 2015 LLC.
Avient Corp. engages in the business of thermoplastic compounds. It specializes in polymer materials, services, and solutions with operations in specialty polymer formulations, color and additive systems, plastic sheet and packaging solutions and polymer distribution. The firm is also involved in the development and manufacturing of performance enhancing additives, liquid colorants, fluoropolymers and silicone colorants. It operates through the following segments: Color, Additives and Inks; Specialty Engineered Materials; and Distribution. The Color, Additives and Inks segment provides custom color and additive concentrates in solid and liquid form for thermoplastics, dispersions for thermosets, speciality inks, plasticols, and vinyl slush molding solutions. The Specialty Engineered Materials segment makes polymer formulations, services, and solutions for designers, assemblers, and processors of thermoplastic materials. The Distribution segment distributes engineering and commodity grade resins, including PolyOne-produced solutions, principally to the North American, Central American, and Asian markets. The firm's products include polymer distribution, screen printing inks, and thermoplastic elastomers. Its services include IQ design and color services. The company was founded on August 31, 2000 and is headquartered in Avon Lake, OH.

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Inflation is painfully high, but some relief may be coming

NEW YORK (AP)  Inflation is painfully high, but this hopefully is close to as bad as it gets. Consumer prices rose 6.8% for the 12 months ending in November, a 39-year high. Many economists expect inflation to remain near this level a few more months but to then moderate through 2022 for a variety of reasons.

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Suncor Energy Inc. operates as an integrated energy company. The company primarily focuses on developing petroleum resource basins in Canada's Athabasca oil sands; explores, acquires, develops, produces, transports, refines, and markets crude oil in Canada and internationally; markets petroleum and petrochemical products under the Petro-Canada name primarily in Canada. It operates in Oil Sands; Exploration and Production; Refining and Marketing; and Corporate and Eliminations segments. The Oil Sands segment recovers bitumen from mining and in situ operations, and upgrades it into refinery feedstock and diesel fuel, or blends the bitumen with diluent for direct sale to market. The Exploration and Production segment is involved in offshore operations off the east coast of Canada and in the North Sea; and operating onshore assets in Libya and Syria. The Refining and Marketing segment refines crude oil and intermediate feedstock into various petroleum and petrochemical products; and markets refined petroleum products to retail, commercial, and industrial customers through its other retail sellers. The Corporate and Eliminations segment operates four wind farm operations in Ontario and Western Canada. The company also markets and trades in crude oil, natural gas, byproducts, refined products, and power. The company was formerly known as Suncor Inc. and changed its name to Suncor Energy Inc. in April 1997. Suncor Energy Inc. was founded in 1917 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

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The United States stepped up a push to blacklist the chief of Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) at the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday after China blocked an earlier move. The Unites States move has been supported by Britain and France. The United States has circulated a resolution--- which was drafted with the British and French support, to the 15-member council that would blacklist JeM head Masood Azhar, subjecting him to an arms embargo, travel ban and asset freeze, diplomats said.



Associated Press: Draft resolution's annex says JeM's Azhar is associated with Islamic State or al-Qaida for "participating in financing, planning, facilitating, preparing, or perpetrating" or "supplying, selling or transferring arms&related material" or supporting acts of JeM https://t.co/k52LG0JQ0M  ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2019

The wide move to ban Jaish chief at UNSC came after India move ahead to designate Masood Azhar after Jaish-e-Mohammed claimed the responsibility of February 14 terror attack on security personnel in Pulwama in which at least 40 CRPF jawans were martyred. The Pulwama terror attacked increased the tensions between India and Pakistan.

Following Pulwama attack, India air strikes Jaish main camp in Balakot in PoK. A day after the air strike, PAF jet violated Indian airspace after which the duo nuclear-armed neighbours forces got engaged in ariel combat and said they had shot down each others fighter jets.

The United States, Britain and France initially moved to the Security Councils Islamic State and al Qaeda sanctions committee, which operates by consensus, to blacklist Azhar. However, China blocked the move for the fourth time.

Also read: Three militants killed in encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district
The following companies are subsidiares of Accenture: (Accenture Endustriyel Yazlm Cozumleri Limited Sirketi), 2nd Road, ?What If!, ?What If! China Holdings Limited, ?What If! Holdings Limited, ?What If! Limited, ACN Consulting Co Ltd, AD.Dialeto (Digital Agency acquired by Accenture), AGS Business and Technology Services Limited, AIG Shared Services Business Processing Inc, ASM Research Inc., ASM Research LLC, ATAN, Accenture (Botswana) (Proprietary) Limited, Accenture (China) Co. Ltd., Accenture (Shenzhen) Technology Co. Ltd., Accenture (South Africa) Pty Ltd, Accenture (UK) Limited, Accenture 2 Business Process Services S.A., Accenture 2 LLC, Accenture A/S, Accenture AB, Accenture AG, Accenture AS, Accenture Africa Pty Ltd, Accenture Agencia Interativa Ltda, Accenture Australia Holding B.V., Accenture Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, Accenture Australia Pty Ltd, Accenture B.V., Accenture BPM Operations Support Services S.A., Accenture BPM S.C.R.L., Accenture BPS Services S.p. z o.o., Accenture Branch Holdings B.V., Accenture Bulgaria EOOD, Accenture Business Services for Utilities Inc, Accenture Business Services of British Columbia Limited Partnership, Accenture Business and Technology Services LLC, Accenture C.A., Accenture Canada Holdings Inc, Accenture Capital Designated Activity Company, Accenture Capital Inc, Accenture Central Europe B.V., Accenture Chile Asesorias y Servicios Ltda, Accenture Cloud Services GmbH, Accenture Cloud Software Solutions Limited, Accenture Cloud Solutions Australia Pty Ltd, Accenture Cloud Solutions LLC, Accenture Cloud Solutions Pty Ltd, Accenture Co Ltd, Accenture Co. Ltd, Accenture Communications Infrastructure Solutions Ltd, Accenture Company Ltd, Accenture Consulting Pty Ltd, Accenture Consulting Services Ltd Tanzania, Accenture Consultores de Gestao S.A., Accenture Consultoria de Industria e Consumo Ltda, Accenture Consultoria de Recursos Naturais Ltda, Accenture Credit Services LLC, Accenture Customer Services Distribution SASU, Accenture Customer Services Ltd, Accenture Danismanlik Limited Sirketi, Accenture Defined Benefit Pension Plan Trustees Limited, Accenture Defined Contribution Pension Plan Trustees Limited, Accenture Delivery Poland S.p. z o.o., Accenture Dienstleistungen GmbH, Accenture Digital Holdings GmbH, Accenture East Africa Limited, Accenture Ecuador S.A., Accenture Egypt LLC, Accenture Enterprise Development (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Accenture Federal Services LLC, Accenture Finance II Limited, Accenture Finance Limited, Accenture Finance and Accounting BPO Services S.p.A., Accenture Finance and Accounting Services S.r.l., Accenture Financial Advanced Solution & Technology S.r.l., Accenture Flex LLC, Accenture GP LLC, Accenture Global Capital Designated Activity Company, Accenture Global Engagements Limited, Accenture Global Holdings Limited, Accenture Global Services Limited, Accenture Global Solutions Limited, Accenture GmbH, Accenture HR Services S.p.A., Accenture Healthcare Processing Inc, Accenture Holding Brasil Ltda, Accenture Holding GmbH & Co. KG, Accenture Holdings (Iberia) S.L., Accenture Holdings B.V., Accenture Holdings France SASU, Accenture Hungary Holdings Kft, Accenture Inc, Accenture Industrial Software Limited Liability Company, Accenture Industrial Software Solutions Kft, Accenture Industrial Software Solutions SA, Accenture Insurance Services B.V., Accenture Insurance Services LLC, Accenture International B.V., Accenture International LLC, Accenture International Limited, Accenture Japan Ltd, Accenture Korea B.V., Accenture LLC, Accenture LLP, Accenture Lanka (Private) Ltd, Accenture Limited, Accenture Lithuania UAB, Accenture Ltd, Accenture Ltda, Accenture Maghreb S.a.r.l., Accenture Managed Services SRL, Accenture Management GmbH, Accenture Marketing Services LLC, Accenture Marketing Services Limited, Accenture Middle East B.V., Accenture Minority I B.V., Accenture Mozambique Limitada, Accenture Mzansi Pty Ltd, Accenture NV/SA, Accenture NZ Limited, Accenture Nova Scotia Unlimited Liability Co., Accenture OOO, Accenture Operations GmbH, Accenture Operations S.p. z o.o., Accenture Operations Services Private Limited, Accenture Operations Services Sdn Bhd, Accenture Outsourcing S.r.l., Accenture Outsourcing Services S.A., Accenture Oy, Accenture Panama Inc, Accenture Participations B.V., Accenture Participations II Limited, Accenture Peru SRL, Accenture Post Trade Processing SASU, Accenture Post-Trade Processing Limited, Accenture Process (Mauritius) Ltd, Accenture Pte Ltd, Accenture Puerto Rico LLC, Accenture Qiyun Technology (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd, Accenture S.C., Accenture S.L., Accenture S.R.L., Accenture S.p. z o.o., Accenture S.p.A., Accenture SASU, Accenture SG Services Pte Ltd, Accenture SRL, Accenture Saudi Arabia Limited, Accenture Sdn Bhd, Accenture Service Center SRL, Accenture Services (Mauritius) Ltd, Accenture Services AB, Accenture Services AG, Accenture Services AS, Accenture Services GmbH, Accenture Services Morocco SA, Accenture Services Oy, Accenture Services Pty Ltd, Accenture Services S.p. z o.o., Accenture Services SRL, Accenture Services and Technology S.r.l., Accenture Services s.r.o., Accenture Single Member S.A. Organization Information Technology & Business Development, Accenture Solutions Co. Ltd, Accenture Solutions Private Limited, Accenture Solutions Pte Ltd, Accenture Solutions Pty Ltd, Accenture Solutions S.p. z o.o, Accenture Solutions Sdn Bhd, Accenture State Healthcare Services LLC, Accenture Sub II Inc, Accenture Sub III Inc, Accenture Sub LLC, Accenture Systems Integration Limited, Accenture Sarl, Accenture Tanacsado Kolatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Accenture Technology Solutions (Dalian) Co. Ltd., Accenture Technology Solutions (HK) Co. Ltd., Accenture Technology Solutions (Thailand) Co. Ltd, Accenture Technology Solutions - Solucoes Informaticas Integradas S.A., Accenture Technology Solutions GmbH, Accenture Technology Solutions Oy, Accenture Technology Solutions Pty Ltd, Accenture Technology Solutions S.A. de C.V., Accenture Technology Solutions S.r.l., Accenture Technology Solutions SASU, Accenture Technology Solutions SRL, Accenture Technology Solutions Sdn Bhd, Accenture Technology Solutions Slovakia s.r.o., Accenture Technology Ventures B.V., Accenture Technology Ventures SPRL, Accenture Tecnologia Consultoria y Outsourcing S.A., Accenture Uruguay SRL, Accenture Vietnam Co. Limited, Accenture Zambia Limited, Accenture do Brasil Ltda, Accenture plc, Accenture s.r.o., Acceria, Acquity Group, Adaptly LLC, Adaptly UK Limited, AddVal Technology, Adqptly, Advantium Inc., Advoco, Agilex Technologies Inc., Allen International, AlphaBeta Advisors, Altevie Technologies S.r.l., Altima, Altima (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Altima Asia Ltd, Altitude, Altitude LLC, Altius Consulting Limited, Altius Data Solutions Private Limited, Analytics 8 LP, Analytics 8 Pty Ltd, Analytics8, Aorui Advertising (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Apis, Apis Group Pty Ltd, Appaloosa Technology SASU, AppsPro, Arca, Arca Ingenieros y Consultoria S.L., Arca Telecom S.L., Ariba - BPO, Arismore, Artio People (Payroll) Pty Ltd, Artio People Pty Ltd, Aspiro Solutions (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Automation Partners Pty Ltd, Avanade (Guangzhou) Computer Technology Development Co. Ltd., Avanade Asia Pte Ltd, Avanade Australia Pty Ltd, Avanade Belgium SPRL, Avanade Canada Inc, Avanade Consulting Poland S.p. z o.o., Avanade Denmark A/S, Avanade Deutschland GmbH, Avanade Europe Holdings Limited, Avanade Europe Services Limited, Avanade Finland Oy, Avanade France SASU, Avanade Holdings LLC, Avanade Hong Kong Ltd, Avanade Inc, Avanade International Corporation, Avanade Ireland Limited, Avanade Italy S.r.l., Avanade Japan KK, Avanade Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Avanade Middle East Limited, Avanade Netherlands B.V., Avanade Norway AS, Avanade Poland S.p. z o.o., Avanade Schweiz GmbH, Avanade South Africa Pty Ltd, Avanade Spain S.L., Avanade Sweden AB, Avanade UK Limited, Avanade do Brasil Ltda, Avanade Osterreich GmbH, Avenai, Axia Ltd., BABCN LLC, BCS Consulting, BCT Solutions, BCT Solutions Pty Ltd, BENEXT, BPO Servicos Administrativos Ltda, BRIDGE Energy Group, Beacon Consulting Group Inc., Beijing Genesis Interactive Technology Co. Ltd., Beijing Zhidao Future Consulting Co. Ltd, Benext, Berico Technologies LLC, Bionic, Bionic Solution LLC, Blue Horseshoe, Boomerang Pharmaceutical Communications, Bow & Arrow, Bow & Arrow Limited, Brand Learning, Brand Learning Group Limited, Brightstep AB, Byte Prophecy, Byte Prophecy Private Limited, CAS, CRMWaypoint, CS Technology (Australia) Pty Ltd, CS Technology (UK) Limited, CS Technology Group LLC, CS Technology LLC, CadenceQuest Inc., Callisto Integration Europe B.V., Callisto Integration Europe Limited, Callisto Integration LLC, Callisto Integration Ltd, Capgemini - North American health practice, Capital Consultancy Services Inc, Certus Solutions Consulting Services Limited, Certus Solutions Ltd, ChangeTrack Research Pty Ltd., Chaotic Moon Studios, Chengdu Mensa Advertising Co. Ltd., Cimation, Cirrus Connect Australia Pty Ltd, Cirrus Connect Limited, Cirruseo, Clarity Insights, Clearhead, Clearhead Group LLC, ClientHouse GmbH, Cloud Sherpas, Cloud Sherpas (GA) LLC, Cloud Sherpas Japan G.K., Cloud Sherpas New Zealand Limited, Cloudeasier SAS, Cloudpoint Limited, Cloudsherpas Inc, Cloudworks, Cloudworks Consulting Services Inc, Cloudworks Technology LLC, Computer Research and Telecommunications LLC, Concrete Desenvolvimento de Sistemas Ltda, Concrete Solutions, Concrete Solutions Ltda, Context Information Security, Context Information Security LLC, Context Information Security Limited, CoreCompete LLC, CoreCompete Limited, CoreCompete Private Limited, Corliant Inc., Creative Drive LLC, Creative Drive US LLC, CreativeDrive, CreativeDrive Digital Content Services (Shenzhen) Co Ltd., CreativeDrive EMEA Limited, CreativeDrive Singapore Pte Ltd, CreativeDrive UK Group Limited, Cutting Edge Solutions Limited, Cygni AB, Cygni Norrsken AB, Cygni Stockholm AB, Cygni Syd AB, Cygni Vast AB, Cygni Ost AB, Cygni Ostersund AB, DAZ Systems Inc, DAZ Systems LLC, DAZSI Systems (India) Pvt. Limited, DI Futures Corporation, Data Essential SARL, Davies Consulting, DayNine Consulting, DayNine Consulting (New Zealand) Limited, DayNine Consulting LLC, Declarative Holdings LLC, Decora Marketplace LLC, Decorado Marketplace Ltda-EPP, Defense Point Security, Deja vu Security, Design Strategy and Research de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Designaffairs LLC, Digiplug S.A.S., Digital Results Group LLC, Double Digit Limitada, Double Digit Pty SA, Droga5, Droga5 LLC, Droga5 Studios LLC, Droga5 UK Limited, Duck Creek Technologies, ESR Labs, ESR Labs AG, EdenOne Solutions Limited, Edenhouse ERP Holdings Limited, Edenhouse Solutions Limited, Enaxis Consulting, Enaxis Consulting LP, End to End Analytics LLC, End-to-End Analytics, Endorphin Medici (M) Sdn Bhd, Energuia Web S.A., Energy Management Brokers Limited, EnergyQuote JHA, Enimbos, Enimbos Global Services S.L., Enkitec, Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions LLC, Enterprise System Partners, Enterprise System Partners B.V., Enterprise System Partners Bilisim Danismanlik Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, Enterprise System Partners Global Corporation, Enterprise System Partners Limited, Enthusian Pty Ltd, Entropia, Entropia (M) Sdn Bhd, Entropia Holdings Pte Ltd, Entropia Intercraft Sdn Bhd, Epylon, Espedia S.r.l., Ethica Consulting Group, Ethica Consulting S.p.A., Evopro Group, Exactside Limited, Experity, Exton Consulting, Exton Consulting Spain Strategy&Management S.L., Exton Germany GmbH, Exton International SAS, Exton Italia S.r.l., Exton SAS, FGM LLC, Fairway Technologies Inc, Farah BidCo Limited, Farah MidCo Limited, Farah Topco Limited, Filmproduction ApS, First Annapolis Consulting Inc., First Annapolis Consulting LLC, Fjord, Focus Group Europe, Formicary, Fruendo S.r.l., FusionX, Future State Consulting LLC, FutureMove (Beijing) Automotive Technology Co. Ltd., FutureMove Automotive, FutureMove Automotive Co. Ltd., GRA Supply Chain Pty Ltd, Gagel Group S de R.L. de C.V., Gapso Servicos de Informatica Ltda, Gapso Servicos de Informatica Ltda., Genfour, George Group Consulting L.P., Gestalt LLC, Gevity, Gren utvikling AS, H.B. Maynard and Co. Inc., HRC Retail Advisory, Hagberg Consulting Group, Hahntel Ltda, Halo Partners LLC, Hamilton Holding Company S.A, Hangzhou Aiyunzhe Technology Co. Ltd., Happen, Happen GP Limited, Happen Limited, Hjaltelin Stahl, Hjaltelin Stahl A/S, Hjaltelin Stahl K/S, Hytracc Consulting AS, Hytracc Consulting Malaysia Sdn Bhd, IBB Consulting, ICM.S S.r.l., IMJ Corp, IMJ Corporation, INSITUM, IQSP Consulting LLC, IT One Company Limited, ITBS Servicios Bancarios de Tecnologia de la Informacion SL, Icon Integration, Icon Integration (NZ) Limited, Icon Integration Pty Ltd, Imagine Broadband (USA) Limited, Imagine Broadband USA LLC, Imaginea Inc, Imaginea Technologies LLC, Industrie IT (Hong Kong) Ltd, Industrie IT (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Industrie IT Group Pty Ltd, Industrie IT Pty Ltd, Industrie&Co, Infinity Works Consulting Limited, Infinity Works Holdings Limited, Infinity Works Management Limited, Infinity Works Midco Limited, Informatica de Euskadi S.L., Innotec International EAD, Innotec International S.p. z.o.o., Innotec Marketing GmbH, Innotec Marketing International Ireland Limited, Innotec- Marketing Spain S.L, Insitum Consultoria Argentina SRL, Insitum Consultoria S.A. de C.V., International Biometric Group LLC, International Biometric Group UK Limited, Intrepid, Intrepid Futureworks Sdn Bhd, Intrigo Systems Inc, Intrigo Systems India Pvt. Limited, Intrigo Systems LLC, Inventor Technology Ltd, InvestTech, Investtech Systems Consulting LLC, ItSafer Continuity Services S.L., JKD Consulting LLC, Javelin Group, K Comms Group Limited, KSC Studio LLC, Kaper Communications Limited, Karma Communications Debtco Limited, Karma Communications Group Limited, Karma Communications Holdings Limited, Karmarama, Karmarama Comms Limited, Karmarama Limited, Knowledge Rules Inc., Knowledgent, Knowledgent Group LLC, Kogentix, Kogentix LLC, Kogentix Limited, Kogentix Singapore Pte Ltd, Kogentix Technologies Private Limited, Kolle Rebbe, Kolle Rebbe GmbH, Kream Comms Limited, Kunstmaan, Kurt Salmon, Kurt Salmon Canada LTD, Kurt Salmon US LLC, LEXTA, LINKBYNET, LINKBYNET Indian Ocean (L.I.O) Ltd, LabAnswer, Lexta GmbH, Lexta UK Limited, Lien par le reseau Inc, Lien par le reseau infrastructures Inc, Lin Bo (Shanghai) Network Technology Co. Ltd., Link By Net SAS, Link By Net SRL, Link By Net Vietnam Company Limited, Linkbynet East Asia Ltd, Linkbynet Singapore Pte Ltd., Loud & Clear Creative Pty Ltd, Lumenup S.A., MAXIM Systems Inc., MCG US Holdings LLC, Mackevision CG Technology and Service (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Mackevision Japan Co. Ltd., Mackevision Korea Ltd, Mackevision Medien Design, Mackevision Medien Design GmbH, Mackevision Singapore Pte Ltd, Mackevision UK Limited, Maglan, Maglan Information Defense Technologies Research Ltd, Maihiro, Matter, Maud Corp Pty Ltd, Maxamine International, Measuretek LLC, Media Audits Ltd., Media Hive, Mediasenz Pty Ltd., Meredith Specialty LLC, Meredith Xcelerated Marketing, Meredith Xcelerated Marketing LLC, Meridian Informed Purchasing Ltd., Mindtribe, Mistral Wind Operations  Servicos Empresariais Unipessoal Lda., MobGen, Mortgage Cadence LLC, Mortgage Cadence an Accenture Company, Most Champion Ltd, Mudano, Mudano Limited, Myrtle Consulting Group LLC, N3 (Dalian) Business Consulting Co. Ltd., N3 Brazil Consultoria em Marketing Ltda, N3 Germany GmbH, N3 LLC, N3 North America LLC, N3 Results Australia Pty Ltd, N3 Results Ireland Limited, N3 Results Japan G.K., N3 Results Limited, N3 Results Malaysia Sdn Bhd, N3 Results Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., N3 Results S.A.S., N3 Results Singapore Pte Ltd, N3 Results Unipessoal Lda, NYTEC, Nanjing Demeng Advertising Co. Ltd., Nashco Consulting, NaviSys Inc., Nell'Armonia Israel Ltd, Nell'Armonia SAS, Nell'Participation SAS, NellArmonia, Neo Metrics Analytics S.L., Neo Metrics Chile S.A., New Content, New Content Editora e Produtora Ltda, New Energy Group, News Imaging LLC, NewsPage, NewsPage (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, NewsPage Pte Ltd, Northstream, Novetta Holdings LLC, Novetta LLC, Novetta Solutions LLC, Novetta Topco LLC, OCTO Technology, OPS Rules Management Consultants, Octagon Research Solutions Inc., Octo Technology Pty Ltd, Octo Technology SA, Odgaard ApS, Olikka, Olikka Pty Ltd, Openmind, Openmind S.r..l., Openminded, Openminded SAS, Operaciones Accenture S.A. de C.V., OpusLine, Orbium, Orbium AG, Orbium Consulting Limited, Orbium Inc., Orbium Ltd, Orbium Pte Ltd, Orbium Pty Ltd, Origin Digital, PCO Innovation, PLM Systems S.r.l, PRION GmbH, PT Accenture, PT Asta Catur Indra, PT Kogentix Teknologi Indonesia, PacificLink Group, Paja Finanssipalvelut Oy, Parker Fitzgerald Inc, Parker Fitzgerald International Limited, Parker Fitzgerald Limited, Parker Fitzgerald PTY Ltd, Parker Fitzgerald Services Limited, Parker Fitzgerald Solutions Limited, Pecaso Ltd., Pegasus Production A/S, Pegasus Production K/S, Phase One Consulting Group, Pillar Technology, Pollux, Pollux Automation Mexico S.A. de C.V., Pollux Canada Inc, Pollux S.A.S., Pollux USA LLC, Pragsis Bidoop, Pragsis Bidoop UK Limited, Pramati Technologies Europe Limited, Pramati Technologies Private Limited, Presence of IT Workforce Management North America LLC, PrimeQ, PrimeQ Australia Pty Ltd, PrimeQ Ltd, PrimeQ NZ Pty Limited, Procurian Inc., Prof. Homburg GmbH, Proquire LLC, PureApps Ltd., Qi Jie Beijing Information Technologies Co. Ltd., RBCP Fund 1-A Vapor Blocker LLC, RBCP Platform Vapor Blocker I LLC, REPL Consulting LLC, REPL Consulting Limited, REPL Digital Limited, REPL Group K.K., REPL Group Pty Ltd, REPL Group Worldwide Limited, REPL Pte Ltd, REPL Software Limited, REPL Technology Limited, Radiant Services LLC, Random Walk Computing Inc., Reactive Media Pty Ltd., Real Protect, Realworld OO Systems Ltd., Redcore, Redcore (New Zealand) Limited, Redcore Group Holdings Pty Ltd, Redcore Pty Ltd, Revolutionary Security, RiskControl, Root LLC, Rothco, Rothco Limited, S3 TV Technology Ltd., SALT Solutions GmbH, SEC Servizi, SOPIA Corp., Sagacious Consultants, Salt Solutions, Sandbox Studio LLC, Sapling Bidco Limited, Sapling Midco Limited, Sapling Topco Limited, Schlumberger Business Consulting, Seabury Aviation & Aerospace (UK) Limited, Seabury Consulting, Seabury Corporate Advisors LLC, Seabury Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Search Technologies BPO Inc, Search Technologies International LLC, Search Technologies LLC, Search Technologies Limited, Securiview SAS, Sentelis, Sentor Managed Secuirty Services AB, Servicios Tecnicos de Programacion Accenture S.C., Seven Seas Business Ventures LLC, Shackleton, Shackleton Chile S.A., Shackleton S.L.U., Shanghai Baiyue Advertising Co. Ltd., Shun Zhe Technology Development Co. Ltd., SigInt Technologies LLC, Silveo, Silveo Consulting India Private Limited, Simian Pty Ltd, SinnerSchrader, SinnerSchrader AG, SinnerSchrader Content GmbH, SinnerSchrader Deutschland GmbH, Sirvart S.A., Sistemes Consulting S.L., Skylink SAS, Soltians Limited, Solutions IQ LLC, SolutionsIQ, SolutionsIQ India Consulting Services Private Limited, Somers Ventures Ireland Limited, Somers Ventures LLC, Spacelink SAS, Storm Digital, Structure Consulting Group LLC, Sutter Mills, Synership LLC, Systor AG, TXF LLC, TargetST8, Tech - Avanade Portugal Unipessoal Lda, Tecnilogica Ecosistemas S.A., Tecnilogica, The Brand Learning Partners Limited, The Callisto Integration Corporation, The Monkeys, The Monkeys Pty Ltd, The Myrtle Group, Total Logistics, Tquila, Trivadis, Trivadis Austria GmbH, Trivadis Denmark AS, Trivadis Germany GmbH, Trivadis Holding AG, Trivadis Partner AG, Trivadis Services AG, Trivadis Services SRL, Troop Studios Pty Ltd, VanBerlo, Vector Acquisition Company LLC, Vector Topco LLC, Verax Solutions, Vertical Retail Consulting (Shanghai) Ltd, Vertical Retail Consulting Ltd, Vivere Brasil Servicos e Solucoes SA, Vivere Brasil Solucoes De Credito Ltda., Wabion GmbH, WaveStrike LLC, White Cliffs Consulting LLC, Wire Stone, Wire Stone LLC, Wise Partners SAS, Wolox, Wolox Colombia S.A.S, Wolox LLC, Wolox Mexico S.R.L de C.V., Wolox S.A., Wolox SpA, Workforce Insight, Workforce Insight LLC, Yesler, Yesler LLC, Yesler Limited, Yesler Singapore Pte Ltd, Zag, Zag Australia Pty Ltd, Zag Limited, Zag USA LLC, Zebra Worldwide Australia Pty Ltd, Zebra Worldwide Group Limited, Zebra Worldwide Media Pty Ltd, Zenta, Zenta Global Philippines Inc, Zenta Mortgage Services LLC, Zenta Recoveries Inc, Zenta US Holdings Inc, Zielpuls, Zielpuls (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Zielpuls GmbH, avVenta, designaffairs, designaffairs Business Consulting (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., designaffairs GmbH, designaffairs group China Co. Ltd., dgroup, i4C Analytics, iDefense, solid-serVision.com GmbH, and umlaut.
Tailored Brands, Inc. (NYSE:TLRD) released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March, 18th. The company reported ($0.46) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.54) by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $690.90 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $708.46 million. Tailored Brands had a negative net margin of 14.39% and a negative trailing twelve-month return on equity of 138.49%. The company's revenue for the quarter was down 12.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned ($0.28) earnings per share.

View Tailored Brands' earnings history.
The following companies are subsidiares of V.F.: 1994 Inc. Ltd., 530 Park Ave 10-F LLC, 530 Park Ave 14-H LLC, ALL'CROWN SA, Administradora Mexicana de Servicios S de RL de CV, Administradora de Servicios Honduras S.A., Altra Footwear, Altra LLC, C.C.R.L. LLC, Chapter 4 Corp, Cherry SAS, Ciliegia Srl, Corporacion Distribiduidora de Dickies S de RL de CV, Cutler de Mexico SA, Czech Distribution Services s.r.o., DSI Enterprises LLC, Dickies de Honduras SA de CV, Dickies de Parras S de RL de CV, EAGLE CREEK EUROPE LIMITED, Eagle Creek, Eagle Creek Inc., GFYS LLC, GREENSPORT MONTE BIANCO, Horace Small, INVERSIONES INMOBILIARIES AUSTRALES SA, INVERSIONES VF CHILE DOS LTDA, INVERSIONES VF CHILE LTDA, IW Apparel LLC, IW Holdings LLC, IW Panama Trading S. de R.L., IceBreaker, Icebreaker Apparel LLC, Icebreaker Australia Pty, Icebreaker Australia Retail Pty, Icebreaker Europe Limited, Icebreaker Holdings Limited, Icebreaker Licensing LLC, Icebreaker Limited, Icebreaker Merino Clothing Europe Ltd., Icebreaker New Zealand Limited, Icebreaker Pure Merino GmbH, Imagewear Apparel Corp., Industrial Laundry Services LLC, Industrias Coahuila de Zaragosa S de RL de CV, JanSport Apparel Corp., Kipling Apparel Corp., Kipling Belgium, Kipling Holdings LLC, Kirsche GmbH, Kodiak Group Holdings CO., Lee Bell Inc., Lucy, Lucy Apparel LLC, Majestic Athletic Official Store, Mo Industries Holdings, NII Sales - Texas LLC, Napapijri, North East Rig-Out Limited, North Elm Properties LLC, RED KAP DE MEXICO S DE RL DE CV, RKI HONDURAS S de RL, Reef Holdings Corporation, Rock & Republic, SERVICIOS Y PROMOCIONES TEXTILES LTDA, South Cone, South Cone Inc, Supreme, Supreme Holdings Inc., Supreme Intermediate Holdings Inc., T.I. Venture Group Inc, TBL INVESTMENTS HOLDING GMBH, TBL Licensing LLC, THE NORTH FACE ITALY SRL, THE NORTH FACE SAGL, THE RECREATIONAL FOOTWEAR CO., TIMBERLAND EUROPE BV, TIMBERLAND HK TRADING LTD., TIMBERLAND LUXEMBOURG HOLDING ASIA S.A.R.L., TIMBERLAND UK LTD., The North Face, The North Face Apparel Corp, Timberland, Timberland Asia LLC, Timberland IDC Ltd., Timberland International LLC, VANS MADEIRA LDA, VANS SPAIN SL, VF (J) FRANCE SAS, VF (J) NEDERLAND BV, VF (J) NETHERLANDS SERVICES BV, VF APPAREL PORTUGAL LDA, VF ASIA LTD, VF Apollo Investments Limited, VF Apollo Singapore Pte. Ltd., VF Asia Sourcing Ltd, VF Austria GMBH, VF BRANDS MALAYSIA SDN BHD, VF BRANDS TAIWAN LTD., VF Belgium BV, VF Brands Pte. Ltd., VF CH Apollo Sagl, VF CH Holdings GmbH, VF CH Imagewear Canada GmbH, VF CH MEXICO INVESTMENTS SAGL, VF CH-MEX Holdings LLC, VF CHINA LTD., VF CIS LLC, VF COMERCIALIZADORA LTDA, VF CZECH SERVICES SRO, VF CZECH SRO, VF Corporation, VF DE ARGENTINA SA, VF DO BRAZIL LTDA, VF EGE GIYIM SANAYI VE TICARET LIMITED SIRKETI, VF EUROPE BV, VF GERMANY TEXTILE-HANDELS GMBH, VF Germany Services GMBH, VF HELLAS EPE, VF HOLDING SAGL, VF HOLDINGS MEXICO LLC, VF Hong Kong Limited, VF IB Holdings LLC, VF IMAGEWEAR DE MEXICO S DE RL DE CV, VF IMAGEWEAR MAJESTIC (UK) LTD, VF INTERNATIONAL SAGL, VF INVESTIMENTOS DO BRAZIL LTDA, VF IP Holdings LLC, VF ISRAEL (APPAREL) LTD, VF ITALIA SRL, VF ITALY SERVICES SRL, VF Imagewear Canada Co., VF Imagewear Inc, VF Intellectual Property Services Inc, VF International Holding GmbH, VF Investments Holding GmbH, VF Investments Netherlands BV, VF JEANSWEAR ARGENTINA SRL, VF JEANSWEAR ESPANA SL, VF Japan KK, VF KOREA LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY, VF LUXEMBOURG SARL, VF Management Service Italy S.r.l., VF NL Holdings CV, VF NL Imagewear B.V., VF NORTHERN EUROPE LIMITED, VF NORTHERN EUROPE SERVICES LIMITED, VF Norway AS, VF OUTDOOR (CANADA) CO, VF OUTDOOR MEXICO S DE RL DE CV, VF OUTDOOR SERVICES S DE RL DE CV, VF Outdoor LLC, VF PANAMA SOURCING SERVICES S. DE R.L., VF PARTICIPACOES DO BRASIL LTDA, VF PERU SA, VF POLSKA DISTRIBUTION SP ZO O, VF Playwear Dominicana SA, VF Playwear LLC, VF Receivables LP, VF Receivables Services LLC, VF SAGEBRUSH ENTERPRISES LLC, VF SALES SAGL, VF SERVICIOS DE HONDURAS SA, VF SERVICIOS EL SALVADOR LTDA. DE CV, VF SHANGHAI SOURCING LIMITED, VF SOURCING THAILAND LTD, VF Scandinavia ApS, VF Services LLC, VF Servicios de Guatemala Srl, VF Servicios de Nicaragua Srl., VF Shanghai Enterprise Company, VF Shanghai Limited, VF Singapore Overseas Services Pte Ltd, VF Solutions LLC, VF Sourcing India Private Limited, VF Sweden AB, VF Switzerland Enterprises GmbH, VF Taiwan Limited, VF Transglobal GmbH, VF Treasury Services LLC, VFSE Investments LLC, VFSLA Commercial Services LLC, VFSLA Servicios S. de R.L. de C.V., Vans, Vans Inc, W-D APPAREL COMPANY LLC, W-D Licensing LLC, WD Europe SAS, WD Supply Holding Limited (HK), Walls Cayman Limited, Walls Holding Company LLC, Walls Industries LLC, Williamson Industries Ltd., Williamson-Dickie APAC Holding Company Ltd., Williamson-Dickie Apparel Trading (Shanghai) Ltd., Williamson-Dickie Canada Co., Williamson-Dickie Europe GmbH, Williamson-Dickie Europe Holdings Ltd., Williamson-Dickie Europe Ltd., Williamson-Dickie HK Holding Company Ltd., Williamson-Dickie Holding Co-Mexico S de RL de CV, Williamson-Dickie Manufacturing Company LLC, Williamson-Dickie Middle East FZE, Wooster GK, Workwear Sourcing S. de R.L., World Jeans VF Asia Ltd, Worldwide Workwear Ltd., and Ying Tao Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd..
The following companies are subsidiares of Illinois Tool Works: A V Co 1 Limited, A V Co 2 Limited, A V Co 3 Limited, ACCU-LUBE Manufacturing GmbH - Schmiermittel und -gerate -, AIP/BI Holdings Inc., Accessories Marketing Holding Corp., Advanced Molding Company Inc., Allen Coding GmbH, Allen France SAS, Alpine Automation Limited, Alpine Engineered Products, Alpine Holdings Inc., Alpine Systems Corporation, Anaerobicos S.r.l., AppliChem GmbH, Arylux Hungary Elektromechanikus Alkatreszgyarto Kft, Avery Berkel France, Avery India Limited, Avery Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Avery Weigh Tronix, Avery Weigh-Tronix (Suzhou) Weighing Technology Co. Ltd., Avery Weigh-Tronix Finance Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix Holdings Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix International Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix LLC, Avery Weigh-Tronix Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix Properties Limited, Azon Limited, B.C. Immo, Beijing Miller Electric Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Berkel (Ireland) Limited, Berrington UK, Brapenta Eletronica Ltda., Brooks Instrument (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Brooks Instrument B.V., Brooks Instrument GmbH, Brooks Instrument KFT, Brooks Instrument Korea Ltd., Brooks Instrument LLC, Buell Industries Inc., CAPMAX Logistica S.A. de C.V., CCI Realty Company, CFC Europe GmbH, CS (Australia) Pty Limited, CS (Finance) Europe S.a.r.l., CS Mexico Holding Company S DE RL DE CV, CSMTS LLC, Calvia Spolka z Ograniczona Odpowiedzialnosci, Capital Ventures (Australasia) S.a r.l, Capmax Logistica S.A. de C.V., Celeste Industries Corporation, Coeur, Coeur (Shanghai) Medical Appliance Trading Co. Ltd, Coeur Asia Limited, Coeur Holding Company, Coeur Inc., Compagnie Hobart, Compagnie de Materiel et d'Equipements Techniques-Comet, Constructions Isothermiques Bontami C.I.B., Crane Carrier Company, Despatch Industries, Diagraph Corporation Sdn. Bhd, Diagraph ITW Mexico S. de R.L. De C.V., Diagraph Mexico S.A. DE C.V., Dongguan Ark-Les Electric Components Co. Ltd., Dongguan CK Branding Co. Ltd., Dorbyl U.K. (Holdings) Limited, Duo Fast de Espana S.A.U., Duo-Fast Korea Co. Ltd., Duo-Fast LLC, E.C.S. d.o.o., ECS Cable Protection Sp. Zoo, ELRO (Holding) AG, ELRO Grosskuchen GmbH, ELRO-WERKE AG, Elga Skandinavian AS, Elro Group, Eltex-Elektrostatik-Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Envases Multipac S.A. de C.V., Eurotec Srl, FEG Investments L.L.C., Fasver, Filtertek, Filtertek De Mexico Holding Inc., Filtertek De Mexico S.A. de C.V., GC Financement SA, Gamko B.V., Gun Hwa Platech (Taicang) Co. Ltd., HOBART Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Hartness International, Hobart (Japan) K.K., Hobart Andina S.A.S., Hobart Brothers International Chile Limitada, Hobart Brothers LLC, Hobart Dayton Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V., Hobart Food Equipment Co. Ltd., Hobart Foster Belgium, Hobart International (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Hobart Korea LLC, Hobart LLC, Hobart Nederland B.V., Hobart Sales & Service Inc., Hobart Scandinavia ApS, Hobart Techniek B.V., Horis, ILC Investments Holdings Inc., ITW (China) Investment Company Limited, ITW (Deutschland) GmbH, ITW (EU) Holdings Ltd., ITW (European) Finance Co. Ltd., ITW (European) Finance II Co. Ltd., ITW (European) Finance III Co. Ltd., ITW (Ningbo) Components & Fastenings Systems Co. Ltd., ITW AEP LLC, ITW AOC LLC, ITW Aircraft Investments Inc., ITW Alpha Sarl, ITW Ampang Industries Philippines Inc., ITW Appliance Components EOOD, ITW Appliance Components S.A. de C.V., ITW Appliance Components S.r.l.a, ITW Appliance Components d.o.o., ITW Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, ITW Australia Property Holdings Pty Ltd., ITW Australia Pty Ltd, ITW Automotive Components (Chongqing) Co. Ltd., ITW Automotive Components (Langfang) Co. Ltd., ITW Automotive Japan K.K., ITW Automotive Korea LLC, ITW Automotive Parts (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, ITW Automotive Products GmbH, ITW Automotive Products Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Bailly Comte, ITW Befestigungssysteme GmbH, ITW Belgium, ITW Brazilian Nominee L.L.C., ITW Building Components Group Inc., ITW CER, ITW CP Distribution Center Holland BV, ITW CS (UK) Ltd., ITW Canada Inc., ITW Celeste Inc., ITW Chemical Products Ltda, ITW Chemical Products Scandinavia ApS, ITW Colombia S.A.S., ITW Construction Products (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ITW Construction Products (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., ITW Construction Products AB, ITW Construction Products AS, ITW Construction Products ApS, ITW Construction Products CZ s.r.o., ITW Construction Products Italy Srl, ITW Construction Products OU, ITW Construction Products OY, ITW Contamination Control (Wujiang) Co. Ltd., ITW Contamination Control B.V., ITW Covid Security Group Inc., ITW DS Investments Inc., ITW DelFast do Brasil Ltda., ITW Delta Sarl, ITW Denmark ApS, ITW Dynatec, ITW Dynatec Adhesive Equipment (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., ITW Dynatec GmbH, ITW Dynatec Kabushiki Kaisha, ITW EAE B.V., ITW EAE Mexico S de RL de CV, ITW EF&C France SAS, ITW EF&C Selb GmbH, ITW Electronic Business Asia Co. Limited, ITW Electronic Components/Products (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ITW Electronics (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., ITW Epsilon Sarl, ITW Espana S.A., ITW FEG Hong Kong Limited, ITW FEG do Brasil Industria e Comercio Ltda., ITW Fastener Products GmbH, ITW Finance Designated Activity Company, ITW Finance Europe S.A., ITW Fluids and Hygiene Solutions Ltda., ITW Food Equipment Group LLC, ITW France Finance Alpha S.A.S., ITW GH LLC, ITW GSE ApS, ITW GSE Inc., ITW Gamma Sarl, ITW German Management LLC, ITW Global Investments Holdings LLC, ITW Global Investments Holdings Y Compania Sociedad en Comandita por Acciones, ITW Global Investments II Inc., ITW Global Investments Inc., ITW Global Tire Repair Europe GmbH, ITW Global Tire Repair Inc., ITW Global Tire Repair Japan K.K., ITW Graphics (Thailand) Ltd., ITW Graphics Asia Limited, ITW Graphics Italy S.R.L. in liquidazione, ITW Great Britain Investment & Licensing Holding Company, ITW Group France (Luxembourg) S.ar.l., ITW HLP Thailand Co. Ltd., ITW Holding Quimica B.C. S.L. Sole Shareholder Company, ITW Holdings Australia L.P., ITW Holdings I Limited, ITW Holdings II Limited, ITW Holdings III Limited, ITW Holdings IV Limited, ITW Holdings IX Limited, ITW Holdings Inc., ITW Holdings UK, ITW Holdings V Limited, ITW Holdings VI Limited, ITW Holdings VII Limited, ITW Holdings VIII Limited, ITW Holdings X Limited, ITW Holdings XI Limited, ITW Hungary Finance Beta Kft, ITW ILC Holdings I Inc., ITW IPG Investments LLC, ITW Imaden Industria e Comercio Ltda., ITW India Private Limited, ITW International Holdings LLC, ITW Invest Holding GmbH, ITW Ireland Holdings Unlimited Company, ITW Ireland Unlimited Company, ITW Italy Finance Srl, ITW Italy Holding Srl, ITW Japan Ltd., ITW Korea LLC, ITW LLC & Co. KG, ITW Limited, ITW Lombard Holdings Inc., ITW Lys Fusion S.r.l., ITW M FILMS II LLC, ITW MH LLC, ITW Meritex Sdn. Bhd., ITW Metal Fasteners S.L., ITW Mexico Holding Company S. De R.L. de C.V., ITW Mexico Holdings LLC, ITW Morlock GmbH, ITW Mortgage Investments II Inc., ITW Mortgage Investments III Inc., ITW Mortgage Investments IV Inc., ITW Netherlands Administration BV, ITW Netherlands Beta B.V., ITW Netherlands Finance Alpha BV, ITW New Universal LLC, ITW New Zealand, ITW Novadan Sp. Z.o.o., ITW PPF Brasil Adesivos Ltda., ITW Packaging Technology (China) Co. Ltd., ITW Participations S.a r.l., ITW Pension Funds Trustee Company, ITW Performance Plastic (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids Japan Co. Ltd., ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids Korea Limited, ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids OOO, ITW Performance Polymers (Wujiang) Co. Ltd., ITW Performance Polymers ApS, ITW Performance Polymers and Fluids Group FZE, ITW Peru S.A.C., ITW Philippines Holdings LLC, ITW Poly Mex S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Polymers Sealants North America Inc., ITW Pronovia s.r.o., ITW Pte. Ltd., ITW Qufu Automotive Cooling Systems Co. Ltd., ITW Real Estate Germany GmbH, ITW Residuals III L.L.C., ITW Residuals IV L.L.C., ITW Rivex, ITW SMPI, ITW SPG Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Simco-Ion (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., ITW Slovakia s.r.o., ITW Spain Holdings S.L., ITW Specialty Film LLC, ITW Specialty Films France, ITW Specialty Materials (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., ITW Spraytec, ITW Sverige AB, ITW Sweden Holding AB, ITW Test & Measurement Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, ITW Test & Measurement GmbH, ITW Test and Measurement Italia Srl, ITW Test and Measurement Services Industry and Trade Ltd., ITW Texwipe Philippines Inc., ITW Thermal Films (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ITW UK, ITW UK Finance Beta Limited, ITW UK Finance Delta Limited, ITW UK Finance Gamma Limited, ITW UK Finance Limited, ITW UK Finance Zeta Ltd., ITW UK II Limited, ITW Universal II LLC, ITW Welding, ITW Welding AB, ITW Welding GmbH, ITW Welding Products B.V., ITW Welding Products Group FZE, ITW Welding Products Group S. DE R.L. De C.V., ITW Welding Products Italy Srl, ITW Welding Products Limited Liability Company, ITW Welding Produtos Para Solgdagem Ltda., ITW Welding Servicios Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Welding Singapore Pte. Ltd., ITW de France, ITW do Brasil Industrial e Comercial Ltda., Ideal Molding Technologies LLC, Illinois Tool Works (Chile) Limitada, Illinois Tool Works (ITW) Nederland B.V., Illinois Tool Works Norway AS, Impar Comercio E Representacoes Ltda., Industrie Plastic Elsasser GmbH, Inmobiliaria Cit. S.A. de C.F., Innova Temperlite Servicios S.A. de C.V., Innovacion y Transformacion Automotriz S.A. de C.V., Instron (Shanghai) Ltd., Instron (Thailand) Limited, Instron Brasil Equipamentos Cientificos Ltda., Instron Foreign Sales Corp. Limited, Instron France S.A.S., Instron GmbH, Instron Holdings Limited, Instron International Limited, Instron Japan Company Ltd., Instron Korea LLC, International Leasing Company LLC, International Truss Systems Proprietary Limited, Isolenge - ITW Sistemas de Isolamento Termico Ltda., KCPL Mauritius Holdings, Kester, Kester Components (M) Sdn. Bhd., Kleinmann GmbH, Krafft S.L., Loma Systems, Loma Systems (Canada) Inc., Loma Systems BV, Loma Systems sro, Lombard Pressings Limited, Lumex Inc., Lys Fusion Poland Sp. z.o.o., M&C Specialties (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., M&C Specialties Co., MAGNAFLUX GmbH, MEHB Holdings Limited, MGHG Property LLC, MOA Enterprises Inc, Manufacturing Avancee S.A., Meritex Technology (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Meurer Verpackungssysteme GmbH, Miller Electric Mfg. LLC, Miller Insurance Ltd., NDT Holding LLC, NOVADAN APS, Norden Olje AB, North Star Imaging Europe, North Star Imaging Inc., Nova Chimica S.r.l., Orbitalum Tools GmbH, PENTA-91 OOO, PR. A. I. Srl, PT ITW Construction Products Indonesia, Pacific Concept Industries Limited (Enping), Panreac Quimica S.L., Paslode Fasteners (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Peerless Machinery Corp., Penta Dnepr LLC, Penta Sever OOO, Penta Volga OOO, Polyrey, Premark FEG L.L.C., Premark HII Holdings LLC, Premark International, Premark International LLC, Prolex Sociedad Anonima, QSA Global Inc., Quimica Industrial Mediterranea S.L., Ramset Fasteners (Hong Kong) Ltd., Rapid Cook LLC, Refrigeration France, S.E.E. Sistemas Industria E Comercio Ltda., ST Mexico Holdings LLC, Sealant Systems International Inc., Sentinel Asia Yuhan Hoesa, Shanghai ITW Plastic & Metal Co. Ltd, Simco (Nederland) B.V., Simco Japan Inc., Societe de Prospection et dInventions Techniques  SPIT, Speedline Holdings I Inc., Speedline Holdings I LLC, Speedline Technologies GmbH, Speedline Technologies Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Speedline Technologies Mexico Services S. de R.L. de C.V., Stokvis Celix Portugal Unipessoal LDA, Stokvis Danmark ApS, Stokvis Holdings S.A.R.L., Stokvis Promi s.r.o, Stokvis Prostick Tapes Private Limited, Stokvis Tapes (Hong Kong) Co. Limited, Stokvis Tapes (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes (Taiwan) Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes BVBA, Stokvis Tapes Benelux B.V., Stokvis Tapes Deutschland GmbH, Stokvis Tapes France, Stokvis Tapes Italia s.r.l., Stokvis Tapes Limited, Stokvis Tapes Limited Liability Company, Stokvis Tapes Norge AS, Stokvis Tapes Oy, Stokvis Tapes Polska Sp Z.O.O., Stokvis Tapes Sverige AB, Stolvis Holdings II S.A.R.L., Technopack Industria Comercio Consultoria e Representacoes Ltda., Teknek (China) Limited, Teknek (Japan) Limited, Teksaleco Ltd., The Miller Group Ltd, Thirode Grandes Cuisines Poligny, Tien Tai Electrode (Kunshan) Co. Ltd., Tien Tai Electrode Co. Ltd., Unichemicals Industria e Comercio Ltda., VR-Leasing Sarita GmbH & Co. Immobilien KG, VS European Holdco BV, Valeron Strength Films B.V.B.A., Veneta Decalcogomme S.r.l., Versachem Chile S.A., Vesta, Vesta (Guangzhou) Catering Equipment Co. Ltd, Vesta Global Limited, Viltronics Soltec, Vitronics Soltec B.V., Wachs Canada Ltd., Wachs Subsea LLC, Weigh-Tronix Canada ULC, Weigh-Tronix UK Limited, Wilsonart International Holdings LLC, Wynn Oil (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd., Wynn's Automotive France, Wynn's Belgium BVBA, Wynn's Italia Srl, Wynn's Mekuba India Pvt Ltd, ZF TRW (Engineered Fasteners and Components), and Zip-Pak International B.V..
There is not enough analysis data for BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund.

4.7 Community Rank

Outperform Votes BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund has received 82 outperform votes. (Add your outperform vote.)

Underperform Votes BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund has received 36 underperform votes. (Add your underperform vote.)

Community Sentiment BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund has received 69.49% outperform votes from our community.

MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe MIY will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe MIY will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days.

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Manulife Financial Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides financial products and services in Asia, Canada, the United States, and internationally. The company operates through Wealth and Asset Management Businesses; Insurance and Annuity Products; And Corporate and Other segments. The Wealth and Asset Management Businesses segment provides mutual funds and exchange-traded funds, group retirement and savings products, and institutional asset management services through agents and brokers affiliated with the company, securities brokerage firms, and financial advisors pension plan consultants and banks. The Insurance and Annuity Products segment offers deposit and credit products; individual life, and individual and group long-term care insurance; and guaranteed and partially guaranteed annuity products through insurance agents, brokers, banks, financial planners, and direct marketing. The Corporate and Other segment is involved in property and casualty insurance and reinsurance businesses; and run-off reinsurance operations, including variable annuities, and accident and health. It also manages timberland and agricultural portfolios; and engages in insurance agency, portfolio and mutual fund management, mutual fund dealer, life and financial reinsurance, and fund management businesses. Additionally, the company holds and manages oil and gas properties; holds oil and gas royalties, and foreign bonds and equities; and provides investment management, counseling, advisory, and dealer services. Manulife Financial Corporation was incorporated in 1887 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

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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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Wells Fargo & Co. is a diversified, community-based financial services company. It is engaged in the provision of banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance. It firm operates through the following segments: Community Banking, Wholesale Banking, Wealth & Investment Management, and Other. The Community Banking segment offers complete line of diversified financial products and services for consumers and small businesses including checking and savings accounts, credit and debit cards, and automobile, student, and small business lending. The Wholesale Banking segment provides financial solutions to businesses across the United States and globally. The Wealth and Investment Management segment includes personalized wealth management, investment and retirement products and services to clients across U.S. based businesses. The Other segment refers to the products of WIM customers served through community banking distribution channels. The company was founded by Henry Wells and William G. Fargo on March 18, 1852 and is headquartered in San Francisco, CA.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Clean Harbors: 510127 NB Inc., Altair Disposal Services LLC, BCT Structures ULC, Baton Rouge Disposal LLC, Bridgeport Disposal LLC, CH International Holdings LLC, CTVI Inc., Cat Tech International Ltd., Clean Harbors (Mexico) Inc., Clean Harbors Andover LLC, Clean Harbors Antioch LLC, Clean Harbors Aragonite LLC, Clean Harbors Arizona LLC, Clean Harbors BDT LLC, Clean Harbors Baton Rouge LLC, Clean Harbors Buttonwillow LLC, Clean Harbors Canada Inc., Clean Harbors Caribe Inc., Clean Harbors Catalyst Services Ltd., Clean Harbors Chattanooga LLC, Clean Harbors Clive LLC, Clean Harbors Coffeyville LLC, Clean Harbors Colfax LLC, Clean Harbors Deer Park LLC, Clean Harbors Deer Trail LLC, Clean Harbors Development LLC, Clean Harbors Directional Boring Services LP, Clean Harbors Directional Boring Services ULC, Clean Harbors Disposal Services Inc., Clean Harbors El Dorado LLC, Clean Harbors Energy Services ULC, Clean Harbors Energy and Industrial Services Corp., Clean Harbors Energy and Industrial Services LP, Clean Harbors Energy and Industrial Western Ltd., Clean Harbors Environmental Services Inc., Clean Harbors Exploration Services Inc., Clean Harbors Exploration Services LP, Clean Harbors Exploration Services ULC, Clean Harbors Florida LLC, Clean Harbors Grassy Mountain LLC, Clean Harbors Industrial Services Canada Inc., Clean Harbors Industrial Services Inc., Clean Harbors Innu Environmental Services Inc., Clean Harbors Kansas LLC, Clean Harbors Kingston Facility Corporation, Clean Harbors LaPorte LLC, Clean Harbors Laurel LLC, Clean Harbors Lodging Services LP, Clean Harbors Lodging Services ULC, Clean Harbors Lone Mountain LLC, Clean Harbors Lone Star Corp., Clean Harbors Los Angeles LLC, Clean Harbors Mercier Inc., Clean Harbors PPM LLC, Clean Harbors Pecatonica LLC, Clean Harbors Production Services ULC, Clean Harbors Quebec Inc., Clean Harbors Recycling Services of Chicago LLC, Clean Harbors Recycling Services of Ohio LLC, Clean Harbors Reidsville LLC, Clean Harbors San Jose LLC, Clean Harbors San Leon Inc., Clean Harbors Services Inc., Clean Harbors Surface Rentals Partnership, Clean Harbors Surface Rentals ULC, Clean Harbors Surface Rentals USA Inc., Clean Harbors Tennessee LLC, Clean Harbors Westmorland LLC, Clean Harbors White Castle LLC, Clean Harbors Wichita LLC, Clean Harbors Wilmington LLC, Clean Harbors of Baltimore Inc., Clean Harbors of Braintree Inc., Clean Harbors of Connecticut Inc., Crowley Disposal LLC, Destiny Resource Services, Disposal Properties LLC, Emerald Services Inc., Emerald Services Montana LLC, Emerald West LLC, EnviroSORT Inc., Environnement Services Et Machinerie E.S.M. Inc., Eveready, Evergreen Holdings, GSX Disposal LLC, Grizzco Camp Services ULC, Heckmann Environmental Services Inc., Hilliard Disposal LLC, Industrial Service Oil Company Inc., JL Filtration Inc., JL Filtration Operating Limited Partnership, Laidlaw Environmental Services de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Lonestar West, Murphy's Waste Oil Service Inc., Oily Waste Processors Inc., Peak Energy Services, Plaquemine Remediation Services LLC, RS Used Oil Services Inc., Roebuck Disposal LLC, Romic Environmental Technologies, Rosemead Oil Products Inc., SK DIncineration, SK Holding Company Inc., SK Servicios Ambientales Administrativos S. de R.L. de C.V., Safety-Kleen, Safety-Kleen Canada Inc., Safety-Kleen Envirosystems Company, Safety-Kleen Envirosystems Company of Puerto Rico Inc., Safety-Kleen Inc., Safety-Kleen International Asia Investment Company Limited, Safety-Kleen International Inc., Safety-Kleen Systems Inc., Safety-Kleen de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Safety-Kleen of California Inc., Sanitherm ULC, Sanitherm USA Inc., Sawyer Disposal Services LLC, Service Chemical LLC, Spring Grove Resource Recovery Inc., The Solvents Recovery Service of New Jersey Inc., Thermo Fluids, Thermo Fluids Inc., Tri-vax Enterprises Ltd., Tulsa Disposal LLC, Universal Environmental, Versant Energy Services Inc., Versant Energy Services LP, and Vulsay Industries Ltd..
iShares MSCI EAFE ETF's stock was trading at $56.05 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus (COVID-19) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, EFA shares have increased by 41.1% and is now trading at $79.07.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Colgate-Palmolive: 887357 Ontario Inc., COLGALIVE S.A., CP GABA GmbH, CP International Holding C.V., CP West East Investment Limited, Cleaning Dimensions Inc., Colgate (BVI) Limited, Colgate (Guangzhou) Company Limited, Colgate (U.K.) Limited, Colgate Business Services of the Americas S.C., Colgate Flavors and Fragrances Inc., Colgate Global Business Services Private Limited, Colgate Holdings, Colgate Inc., Colgate Oral Pharmaceuticals Inc., Colgate Palmolive Ghana Limited, Colgate Palmolive Holding S.Com.P.A., Colgate Palmolive Nouvelle Caledonie Sarl, Colgate Palmolive Tanzania Limited, Colgate Sanxiao Company Limited, Colgate Venture Company Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (America) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (Asia) Pte Ltd, Colgate-Palmolive (Blantyre) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Brunei) Sdn Bhn, Colgate-Palmolive (Central America) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (Central America) Inc. y Compania Limitada, Colgate-Palmolive (Centro America) S.A., Colgate-Palmolive (China) Co. Ltd, Colgate-Palmolive (Costa Rica) S.A., Colgate-Palmolive (Dominica) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (Dominican Republic) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (East Africa) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Eastern) Pte. Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive (Egypt) S.A.E., Colgate-Palmolive (Far East) Sdn Bhd, Colgate-Palmolive (Fiji) Pte Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Gabon) S.A., Colgate-Palmolive (Guyana) Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive (H.K.) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Hellas) S.A. I.C., Colgate-Palmolive (Hong Kong) Holding Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Kazakhstan) L.L.P., Colgate-Palmolive (Latvia) Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Colgate-Palmolive (Middle East Exports) Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive (Myanmar) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (New York) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (Poland) Sp. z o.o., Colgate-Palmolive (Proprietary) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Research & Development) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (Romania) SRL, Colgate-Palmolive (Thailand) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (UK) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Uganda) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive (Vietnam) Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive (Zambia) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive (Zimbabwe) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive A.B., Colgate-Palmolive A/S, Colgate-Palmolive Adria Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive Argentina S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Asia Pacific Limited, Colgate-Palmolive Asia Pacific Treasury Services Limited, Colgate-Palmolive Belgium S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Bolivia Ltda., Colgate-Palmolive Canada Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Caricom Service Co. Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Central European Management Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Chile S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Cia., Colgate-Palmolive Comercial Ltda., Colgate-Palmolive Commercial (Hellas) SP LLC, Colgate-Palmolive Commerciale S.A.S., Colgate-Palmolive Commericale S.r.l., Colgate-Palmolive Compania Anonima, Colgate-Palmolive Company Distr. LLC, Colgate-Palmolive Company GmbH, Colgate-Palmolive Cote dIvoire S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Cyprus Limited, Colgate-Palmolive Development Corp., Colgate-Palmolive East West Africa Region (Pty) Ltd, Colgate-Palmolive Enterprises Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Espana S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Europe (Holdings) Sarl, Colgate-Palmolive Europe Sarl, Colgate-Palmolive Finance (UK) plc, Colgate-Palmolive Global Trading Company, Colgate-Palmolive Holding Argentina S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Holding Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Hungary Kft Limited Liability Company, Colgate-Palmolive IHQ Services (Thailand) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Inc. S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Industrial Ltda., Colgate-Palmolive Industriel S.A.S., Colgate-Palmolive International Holding LLC, Colgate-Palmolive International LLC, Colgate-Palmolive Investment Co. Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Investments (BVI) Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive Investments (PNG) Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive Investments (UK) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive Investments Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Israel Ltd., Colgate-Palmolive Italia S.r.l., Colgate-Palmolive JSC, Colgate-Palmolive Lanka (Private) Limited, Colgate-Palmolive Latin America Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Limited, Colgate-Palmolive Manufacturing (Poland) Sp. z o.o., Colgate-Palmolive Marketing Sdn Bhd, Colgate-Palmolive Maroc S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Mocambique Limitada, Colgate-Palmolive NJ Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Nederland B.V., Colgate-Palmolive Norge A/S, Colgate-Palmolive Participacoes e Investimentos Imobiliarios Lda., Colgate-Palmolive Peru S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Philippines Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Pty Ltd, Colgate-Palmolive Retirement Trustee Limited, Colgate-Palmolive S.A. de C.V., Colgate-Palmolive S.p.A., Colgate-Palmolive Senegal S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Services (Hellas) LLC, Colgate-Palmolive Services (Poland) Sp. z o.o., Colgate-Palmolive Services CEW GmbH, Colgate-Palmolive Services S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Slovensko s.r.o., Colgate-Palmolive Support Services, Colgate-Palmolive Temizlik Urunleri Sanayi ve Ticart S.A., Colgate-Palmolive Transnational Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Ukraine LLC, Colgate-Palmolive Unipessoal Lda, Colgate-Palmolive de Paraguay Sociedad Anonima, Colgate-Palmolive de Puerto Rico Inc., Colgate-Palmolive del Ecuador S.A.I.C., Colgate-Palmolive del Peru (Delaware) Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Eeska republika spol. s r.o., Colpal CBS S de R. L. de C. V., Consumer Viewpoint Center Inc., Cotelle S.A., Dimac Development Corp., Dominica Coconut Products Limited, EKIB Inc., ELM Company Limited, Elta MD Holdings Inc., Elta MD Inc., EltaMD, Filorga Americas Inc., Filorga Asia Limited, Filorga Benelux SA, Filorga Cosmetiques Polska, Filorga Middle East DMCC, Filorga Portugal Unipessoal Lda., Filorga RU Limited Liability Company, GABA Europe Holding GmbH, GABA International, GABA International Holding LLC, GABA Schweiz AG, GABA Therwil GmbH, Gamma Development Co. Ltd., Global Trading and Supply LLC, Hamol Ltd., Hello Products, Hello Products LLC, Hills Funding Company, Hills Pet Nutrition (NZ) Limited, Hills Pet Nutrition (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Hills Pet Nutrition Asia Limited, Hills Pet Nutrition B.V., Hills Pet Nutrition Canada Inc., Hills Pet Nutrition Denmark ApS, Hills Pet Nutrition Espana S.L., Hills Pet Nutrition GmbH, Hills Pet Nutrition Holding B.V., Hills Pet Nutrition Inc., Hills Pet Nutrition Indiana Inc., Hills Pet Nutrition Italia S.r.l., Hills Pet Nutrition Korea Ltd., Hills Pet Nutrition Ltd., Hills Pet Nutrition Manufacturing B.V., Hills Pet Nutrition Manufacturing s.r.o, Hills Pet Nutrition Norway AS, Hills Pet Nutrition OOO, Hills Pet Nutrition Pty. Limited, Hills Pet Nutrition S.p.A., Hills Pet Nutrition SNC, Hills Pet Nutrition Sales Inc., Hills Pet Nutrition South Africa Proprietary Limited, Hills Pet Nutrition Sweden AB, Hills Pet Nutrition Switzerland GmbH, Hills Pet Nutrition Taiwan Ltd, Hills Pet Nutrition Trading (GZ) Co. Ltd, Hills Pet Nutrition de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Hills Pet Nutrition de Puerto Rico Inc., Hills Pet Nutrition s.r.o., Hills Pet Products (Benelux) S.A., Hills Pet Products Inc., Hills Veterinary Companies of America Inc., Hills-Colgate (Japan) Ltd., Hopro Liquidating Corp., Hygiene Systemes et Services SA, IES Enterprises Inc., Inmobiliaria Colpal S. de R.L. de C.V., Inmobiliaria Hills S.A. de C.V., Innovacion Creativa S.A. de C.V., Kolynos Corporation, Laboratoires Filorga Cosmetiques Espana S.L.U., Laboratoires Filorga Cosmetiques Italia S.R.L., Laboratoires Filorga Cosmetiques S.A., Laser Brand Toothpaste, Lournay Sales Inc., Mennen Company, Mennen Interamerica Ltd., Mennen Limited, Mennen South Africa Ltd., Mennen de Chile Ltd., Mennen de Nicargua S.A., Mission Hills Property Corporation, Mission Hills S.A. de C.V., Norwood International Incorporated, Olive Music Publishing Corporation, PCA SKIN, Paramount Research Inc., Penny LLC, Pet Chemicals Inc., Physicians Care Alliance LLC, Productos Halogenados Copalven C.A., Purity Holding Company, Purity Music Publishing Corporation, Refresh Company Limited, Samuel Taylor Holdings B.V., Sanex, Sanxiao Company Limited, Services Development Co. Ltd., Societe Generale de Negoce et de Services (GENESE) S.A., The GDN - The Global Distributive Network SAS, The Lournay Company Inc., The MPDP - The Medical and Pharmaceutic Distributive Platform SAS, The Murphy-Phoenix Company, Tom's of Maine, Toms of Maine Holdings Inc., Toms of Maine Inc., Veterinary Companies of America Inc., Vipont Pharmaceutical Inc., and XEB Inc..
John Hancock Multifactor Consumer Staples ETF's stock was trading at $27.03 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus (COVID-19) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization. Since then, JHMS stock has increased by 32.9% and is now trading at $35.9227.

View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19.
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MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about MainStay MacKay DefinedTerm Municipal Opportunities Fund and other stocks. Vote Outperform if you believe MMD will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote Underperform if you believe MMD will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days.

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Malvern International plc, an investment holding company, provides educational consultancy services in the United Kingdom and Singapore. The company operates colleges, including Malvern House London; Malvern House Brighton; SAA Global Education Singapore; and Malvern Online Academy, as well as a Communicate School in Manchester, the United Kingdom. Its colleges offer certificate, diploma, and pre-university programs; university degree and post-graduate programs; and professional examinations courses in business, business management, hospitality, hospitality and tourism management, taxation, finance, accounting, banking, economics, and law, as well as vocational programs, tuition services for secondary school students and English language teaching, and professional development and corporate training. The company was formerly known as AEC Education plc and changed its name to Malvern International plc in September 2016. Malvern International plc was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Sealed Air: A.P.S. (Holdings) Limited, AFP Trading (China) Co. Ltd., AFPTOH LTD, APS Automated Packaging Systems GmbH & Co. KG, APS Verwaltungs-GmbH, Air Ride Pallets Hong Kong Limited, Austin Foam Plastics Inc. (dba AFP Inc.), Automated Packaging Systems, Automated Packaging Systems Asia Holding Company Limited, Automated Packaging Systems Comerciale Importacao do Brasil Ltda., Automated Packaging Systems Europe, Automated Packaging Systems LLC, Automated Packaging Systems Limited, Automated Packaging Systems Southeast Asia Co. Ltd., B+ Equipment, B+ Equipment SAS, Beacon Holdings LLC, Biosphere Industries, BluPack (New Zealand), Blue Dot Packaging Pty Ltd., Cactus (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Cryovac (Malaysia) SDN. BHD, Cryovac Brasil Ltda., Cryovac Holdings II LLC, Cryovac International Holdings Inc., Cryovac LLC*, Cryovac Leasing Corporation, Cryovac Londrina Ltda., Cryovac Packaging Portugal  Embalagens Ltda., Cryovac-Sealed Air de Costa Rica S.R.L., DELTAPLAM Embalagens Industria e Comercio, Diversey, Diversey J Trustee Limited, Diversey Trustee Limited, Entapack Pty. Ltd., Fagerdala (Chengdu) Packaging Co. Ltd, Fagerdala (Shanghai) Foams Co. Ltd., Fagerdala (Shanghai) Polymer Co. Ltd., Fagerdala (Suzhou) Packaging Co. Ltd., Fagerdala (Thailand) Limited, Fagerdala (Xiamen) Packaging Co. Ltd., Fagerdala Leamchabung Limited, Fagerdala Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Fagerdala Mexico S.A. de C.V., Fagerdala Mexico Supply Chain S.A. de C.V., Fagerdala Packaging Inc. (Indiana), Fagerdala Singapore Pte Ltd, Fagerdala Singapore Pte. Ltd., Getpacking.com GmbH, Invertol S. de R.L. de C.V., JSC Sealed Air Kaustik, KRIS Automated Packaging Systems Holding Company, Kevothermal LLC, Kevothermal Limited, Nelipak Holdings, Pack-Tiger GmbH, Polyrol Limited, Polyrol Packaging Systems LLC, ProAseptic Technologies S.L., Producembal- Producao de Embalagens LTDA, Reflectix Inc., SLD Air Packaging Paketleme Malzemeleri Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Saddle Brook Insurance Company, Sealed Air (Asia) Holdings BV, Sealed Air (Barbados) S.R.L., Sealed Air (Canada) Co./CIE, Sealed Air (Canada) Holdings B.V., Sealed Air (China) Co. Ltd., Sealed Air (China) Limited, Sealed Air (Israel) Ltd., Sealed Air (Korea) Limited, Sealed Air (Latin America) Holdings II LLC, Sealed Air (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Sealed Air (New Zealand), Sealed Air (Philippines) Inc., Sealed Air (Singapore) Pte. Limited, Sealed Air (Ukraine) Limited, Sealed Air Africa (Pty.) Limited, Sealed Air Americas Manufacturing S. de R.L. de C.V., Sealed Air Argentina S.A., Sealed Air Australia (Holdings) Pty. Limited, Sealed Air Australia Pty. Limited, Sealed Air Australia Real Estate Pty Ltd, Sealed Air B.V., Sealed Air Belgium N.V., Sealed Air Central America S.A., Sealed Air Chile SpA, Sealed Air Colombia Ltda., Sealed Air Corporation (US), Sealed Air Cyprus Ltd., Sealed Air Denmark A/S, Sealed Air Finance B.V., Sealed Air Finance II LLC, Sealed Air Finance Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Sealed Air Funding LLC, Sealed Air General Trading LLC, Sealed Air GmbH (Germany), Sealed Air GmbH (Switzerland), Sealed Air Hellas SA, Sealed Air Holding France SAS, Sealed Air Holdings (New Zealand) Pty. Ltd., Sealed Air Holdings South Africa Proprietary Limited, Sealed Air Holdings UK I Limited, Sealed Air Holdings UK Limited, Sealed Air Hong Kong Limited, Sealed Air Hungary Ltd., Sealed Air Investment and Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Sealed Air Japan G.K., Sealed Air LLC, Sealed Air Limited (Ireland), Sealed Air Limited (UK), Sealed Air Luxembourg (I) S.a.r.l., Sealed Air Luxembourg (II) S.a.r.l., Sealed Air Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Sealed Air Management Holding Verwaltungs GmbH, Sealed Air Multiflex GmbH, Sealed Air Netherlands (Holdings) I B.V., Sealed Air Netherlands (Holdings) II B.V., Sealed Air Netherlands Holdings V B.V., Sealed Air Norge AS, Sealed Air OY, Sealed Air Packaging (India) Private Limited, Sealed Air Packaging (Shanghai) Co. Limited, Sealed Air Packaging (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Sealed Air Packaging LLC, Sealed Air Packaging Materials (India) LLP, Sealed Air Packaging S.L.U., Sealed Air Peru S.A.C., Sealed Air Polska Sp. Zoo, Sealed Air Pty Limited, Sealed Air S.A S., Sealed Air S.r.l., Sealed Air South Africa (Pty.) Ltd., Sealed Air Svenska AB, Sealed Air Taiwan Limited, Sealed Air UK Limited Partnership, Sealed Air US Holdings (Thailand) LLC, Sealed Air Uruguay S.A., Sealed Air Verpackungen GmbH, Sealed Air de Mexico Operations S. de RL. de C.V., Sealed Air de Venezuela S.A., Sealed Air s.r.o., Shanklin Corp, Shanklin Corporation, TTS-Ciptec, TXAFP Asia Pacific Ltd., TXAFP GP LLC, and Trigon Industries.
Tucows Inc. provides network access, domain name registration, email, mobile telephony, and other Internet services in Canada, the United States, and Europe. It operates through two segments, Network Access Services and Domain Services. The Network Access Services segment offers mobile phones and retail telephony services; fixed high-speed Internet access services; and professional services, including implementation, training, consulting, and software development and modification services, as well as operates Mobile Services Enabler platform that provides network access, provisioning, and billing services; The Domain Services segment offers wholesale and retail domain name registration services; portfolio services; and value-added services, such as hosted email, Internet security services, Internet hosting, WHOIS privacy, publishing tools, and other value-added services for end-users under the OpenSRS, eNom, Ascio, and Hover brands. The company was formerly known as Infonautics, Inc. and changed its name to Tucows Inc. in August 2001. Tucows Inc. was incorporated in 1992 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

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Rayonier Advanced Materials, Inc. engages in the production and sale of cellulose products, which is a natural polymer commonly used in the production of cell phone and computer screens, filters, and pharmaceuticals. It operates through the following segments: High Purity Cellulose, Forest Products, Paperboard, Pulp and Newsprint, and Corporate. The High Purity Cellulose segment manufacture and market high purity cellulose, which is sold as either cellulose specialties or commodity products in U.S., Canda, and France. The Forest Products segment manufacture and market construction-grade lumber in North America through seven sawmills located in Canada. The Paperboard segment comprises paperboard products. The Pulp and Newsprint segment involves in the production of pulp and newsprint in Canada. The Corporate segment consists senior management, accounting, information systems, human resources, treasury, tax, and legal administrative functions that provide support services to the operating business units. The company was founded in 1926 and is headquartered in Jacksonville, FL.

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Currently, the Kwid is priced between Rs 2.67 lakh to Rs 4.63 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).

Currently, the Kwid is priced between Rs 2.67 lakh to Rs 4.63 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).

Max price increase of up to 3 per cent could range of Rs 8,000 to Rs 13,000.

2019 Kwid comes with driver airbag and ABS as standard; 7-inch touchscreen infotainment unit in top-spec.

Renault is set to increase the prices of its entry-level model, the Kwid , by up to 3 per cent in April 2019. The French carmaker has credited this increment to rising input costs.

The Kwid is currently priced between Rs 2.67 lakh to Rs 4.63 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), which means the max price increase could be up to the tune of Rs 13,900. Renault had updated the Kwid in February 2019 and equipped it with driver airbag, ABS, front seatbelt reminder and overspeed alert system as standard.

The 2019 Kwid also comes with a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility in its top variant. The Renault Kwid competes against rivals such as the Maruti Alto and the Datsun redi-GO in the entry-level hatchback segment.

Heres the full statement from the manufacturer:

Renault India To Increase Prices Of Kwid By Upto 3% Effective April 2019

New Delhi, 25 March, 2019: Renault, the Number One European automotive brand in India, today announced a price increase on the KWID range by upto 3%. The revised prices will be effective April 2019. The price increase is on the account of rising input costs.

The Renault KWID range is available in both 0.8L and 1.0L SCe (Smart Control efficiency) powertrains with manual and automated transmission options. This Attractive, Innovative and Affordable vehicle has been a true game-changer and volume driver for Renault India, selling more than 2,75,000 units.

Renault India recently launched the new Renault KWID Range with numerous active and passive safety features including Anti-Lock Braking System with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (ABS with EBD), Driver airbag and Driver & Co Driver Seat belt reminder, speed alert, standard across all variants and a new 17.64 cm Touch screen MediaNAV Evolution, at no additional price, further enhancing its value proposition.

Disclaimer: This article has not been edited by Deccan Chronicle and is taken from a syndicated feed. Photos: CarDekho.
PFC has raised money from Bank of Baroda, Life Insurance Corporation and State Bank of India, among others, to make the payment.

New Delhi: State-owned Power Finance Corporation (PFC) on Thursday completed the acquisition of majority stake in REC Ltd by transferring Rs 14,500 crore to the government, an official said.

The transaction has helped the government meet its disinvestment target of Rs 80,000 crore for the current financial year.

"The entire consideration of Rs 14,500 crore for acquiring 52.63 per cent equity of the Government of India in REC is paid by PFC through RTGS (real-time gross settlement) mode this morning," the official told PTI.

The official said PFC Chairman and Managing Director Rajeev Sharma handed over the RTGS advice to Power Secretary A K Bhalla on Thursday to complete the acquisition.

The money has been transferred into the government's account online.

The official further said the government's 52.63 per cent equity in REC would be transferred in the name of the PFC by the closing of the stock market on Thursday.

PFC has raised money from Bank of Baroda, Life Insurance Corporation and State Bank of India, among others, to make the payment.

Earlier on March 20, PFC had inked a share purchase agreement to acquire 103.94 crore equity shares of Rs 10 each of REC Ltd.

This deal was in pursuance to the in-principle approval from the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs for strategic sale of 52.63 per cent of paid-up equity shareholding of REC held by the government to PFC, along with the transfer of management control.

Both PFC and REC are navratna central public sector enterprises with a combined annual revenue of about Rs 50,000 crore and this acquisition is a step towards consolidation of companies operating in the same space.

PFC bought REC shares at Rs 139.50 per piece with total acquisition cost of about Rs 14,500 crore.
Pine Labs branded point-of-sale terminals in offline stores can be used by merchants to process Google Pay using a secure, two-step process.

New Delhi: Pine Labs, a merchant platform company, has announced a collaboration with Google India to enable offline transactions for their digital payments service, Google Pay. With this collaboration, Google can have access to over 3,30,000 point-of-sale terminals in over 3000 towns in India.

Pine Labs solutions are used by merchants from diverse sectors - electronics, food & beverage, fashion, pharmacy, telecom and airlines. Pine Labs enables online and offline last-mile retail transaction for over 100 brands.

Vicky Bindra, CEO, Pine Labs said, We are excited to collaborate with Google and bring the convenience of UPI at point of sale for Google Pay users through our platform in India. Last year, over 100 million customers bought products and services from our merchant network. With Google Pay, we expect to reach many new groups of customers across the country.

Pine Labs branded point-of-sale terminals in offline stores can be used by merchants to process Google Pay using a secure, two-step process. Merchants can initiate a payment request using a Google Pay users mobile number. The user then authenticates this request via their Google Pay app for the payment to be processed. Both the merchant and customer receive instant notifications on the completion of a transaction.
The current management team of Stater will continue to steer the company, it added.

Mumbai: Infosys Ltd., the second biggest IT services company, on Thursday said it would buy a 75 per cent stake in ABN AMRO Group NVs mortgage administration services unit for Rs 989 crore (127.5 million euros).

The Bengaluru-based company will acquire the stake in Stater N.V. through its consultancy arm Infosys Consulting Pvt. Ltd. and the transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of fiscal 2020.

This is in line with Infosys strategy to strengthen its mortgage servicing capabilities in Continental Europe, the software services company said.

ABN AMRO will continue to hold the remaining 25 per cent stake in Stater, which operates in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. Founded in 1997, Stater provides end-to-end mortgage administration services in the three countries.

"This transaction strengthens our approach to offer clients digital platforms and industry focused solutions, Infosys President Mohit Joshi said.

The current management team of Stater will continue to steer the company, it added.

While mortgages are a key product for ABN AMRO, providing administrative mortgage services is not a core activity. That's why we are very pleased with Infosys as Stater's new majority shareholder, Christian Bornfeld, Member of the Executive Board of ABN AMRO, said.

Infosys said mortgage services is a focus area for large corporations in the financial sector, given the importance of the asset on a bank's balance sheet.

The Infosys stock gained 1.6 per cent on the BSE.
"Why should anyone with income below 12,000 do any work at all since their incomes will be Rs 12,000 regardless of what they earn?" Interpreted this way, "there is a serious incentive problem with the scheme", Arvind Panagariya asserted.

Washington: Former Niti Aayog vice-chairman Arvind Panagariya has said the implementation of the Congress Party's ambitious 'Nyay' scheme not only poses a "fiscal challenge" to India's economy but also has a "serious incentive problem".

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said that its minimum income guarantee scheme, 'Nyuntam Aay Yojana' (Nyay) assures up to Rs 72,000 a year or Rs 6,000 a month income to 20 per cent of India's poorest families if the party is voted back to power in the Lok Sabha elections next month.

Panagariya, who served as the first vice-chairman of Niti Aayog for two years from 2015 to 2017, told PTI that 'Nyay' is difficult to implement and unlikely to achieve its intended objective.

"It raises three major questions - the incentive compatibility issue, the fairness issue and fiscal challenge," Panagariya, an eminent Indian-American economist, said.

"Its aim is two-fold. First is to guarantee a minimum income to the bottom 20 per cent families. The second is to remonetise the economy that has been demonetised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi", Rahul Gandhi told PTI.

Commenting on the scheme, Panagariya said the transfer is meant to be Rs 6,000 per month per family to 50 million families and at the same time, it also guarantees an income of Rs 12,000 per month to these families.

"What happens if one family has an income of only Rs 4,000 and another Rs 8,000 per month? Will the former then receive Rs 8,000 and the latter Rs 4,000 per month? If so, why should anyone with income below 12,000 do any work at all since their incomes will be Rs 12,000 regardless of what they earn?" he asked.

Interpreted this way, "there is a serious incentive problem with the scheme", Panagariya asserted.

"If the scheme is meant to transfer flat Rs 6,000 per month to identified families regardless of the family's earned income, you cannot deliver Rs 12,000 per month to families earning less than Rs 6,000," he asserted.

The programme, as announced by the Congress, guarantees Rs 12,000 per month in income to the poor, which is Rs 144,000 per year, he said, explaining the fairness issue.

Add to it all other in-kind transfers: subsidised food, NREGA wages, free house, free toilet, free education and Rs 500,000 free health insurance coverage. The gross sum will be close to Rs 200,000 per year, Panagariya observed.

"Now think of someone not covered by the scheme and earning Rs 300,000 per year. This family will have to pay Rs 2,500 in taxes (currently covered by a tax credit but in principle taxable). How fair is this to those working?

"Moreover, taxpayers are all in urban areas and dole recipients all in rural areas. Will this not open a serious rural-urban schism? No one questions helping the destitute on the margin but when help is given to give all comforts of life free, those paying for those comforts will become intensely unhappy," he said.

Then there is the question of fiscal challenge, he said.

If Rs 12,000 per month per household is to be guaranteed to bottom 20 per cent of the population, even the average Rs 6,000 per family will be insufficient, he argued.

"But let us set that problem aside. Can we scrape Rs 3.6 trillion per year (calculated at Rs 6,000 per family for 50 million households)? There is no chance.

"It is 13 per cent of the proposed total central government expenditure in budget 2019-20," Panagariya said.

Anit Mukherjee, a policy fellow at the Center for Global Development where he works on issues of governance, public finance and service delivery in developing countries, said how to identify the target beneficiaries and how to absorb the fiscal impact are two major problems.

The amount is substantial, more than the current government has proposed (Rs 6,000 per year), and to a general definition of the poorest of the poor (and not just farmers), he said.

"However, it is about half of what a similar scheme in Kenya through a US-based charity GiveDirectly provides to over 20,000 adults purely on a universal basic income criteria," Mukherjee said, adding the results of the scheme are still awaited, so there is no firm global evidence on whether Universal Basic Income works or not at the scale which the programme in India would operate on.

According to Mukherjee, to address the problem of fiscal impact, there has to be "cutbacks" in other subsidies, principally food, fuel, electricity and fertiliser.

"Some transfers to the poorest of the poor, such as MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) and social pensions, would probably have to be absorbed into NYAY," Mukherjee told PTI.

Schemes such as Public Distribution System and MGNREGA are constitutionally mandated and it would be hard to remove them altogether, he said.

The Centre, which has struggled to contain the fiscal deficit, will have to foot the entire bill so the fiscal concern is justified, Mukherjee said.
The roadmap also includes developing supply chains of micro, small & medium enterprises and enhancing the overall ease of doing exports.

New Delhi: The PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) on Wednesday suggested a five-pronged strategy to increase India's annual merchandise exports to USD 700 billion (about Rs 48.3 lakh crore) by 2025.

The strategy entails identifying prospective products to scale up export volumes, strengthening export growth momentum towards emerging and developing economies through greater access in Asian and African economies, and structural improvements in export and logistics infrastructure, the PHDCCI said in a statement.

The roadmap also includes developing supply chains of micro, small & medium enterprises and enhancing the overall ease of doing exports.

Earlier this month, the Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu had said the country's goods shipments will touch USD 330 billion (about Rs 22.7 lakh crore) in the current financial year ending March 31.
Mumbai: With her million dollar smile, Madhuri Dixit continues to rule the hearts of her fans. At 51, the actress has no time to take a backseat in her career. And, in between acting, Madhuri has now ventured into production with a Marathi film 15 August. Set in a Mumbai chawl, the actress along with her husband Sriram Nene has decided to release the film on Netflix.

Sharing her first-hand experience on production, she reveals that production is way more difficult than acting. Acting is like you are done for the day after pack up but producing is like having a baby. From conception to its release in the theatres, it is like literally having a baby. It is like raising a child and you dont know how its going to turn out, she says and adds, As an actor, its not easy but my responsibility ends as the day ends. I go home and I chill. But, for a producer, he cannot get out the character, he has to be with the film throughout. Its a little more difficult and its a different challenge.

So, how well verse is Madhuri with the production work? I wont say that I know everything about production because thats not my forte. I am more of a creative person. So, for me hearing the script is more of my job. The actual producers hat is donned by my husband. When you work here (in the film industry) for too long, we dont think out of the box and sometimes he comes up with some ideas that make me think that we can also do it this way.

Adding to this, her husband says, My value addition is that I am not from the industry. So, I can look at things differently and come up with a unique solution. Its hard sometimes because everyone is so occupied. So, I would say the celebration of this one is a real team effort.

While a lot of adult content is shown in the digital space, Madhuri wants to stick to her family audience.

It also depends on who is producing it, what is your subject and which network is carrying it. We cannot answer for others but as far as we are concerned, we are more into the family entertainer zone. We dont like to put in anything unnecessarily, it has to be relatable and respectful to the audience, she concludes.
Actor Vishal, shooting in Turkey for his upcoming film in Sundar Cs direction, met with a freak accident while canning a high-octane action sequence. According to a unit hand present at the scene, it was a car chasing action sequence which tasked Vishal with riding an ATV (All terrain vehicle) bike and shot the action on hilly ground at Cappadocia. The stunts were composed by action master duo Anbariv. Even as the actor was riding in the shoot without a body double, the bike skidded unexpectedly and rolled over thrice, injuring him. The local team rushed Vishal, who was screaming in pain, to a nearby hospital where he was treated for his injuries.

In the photo, Vishal looks distraught with bandages on his left hand and left leg, suggesting there could be fractures. The movie with Tamannah and Aishwarya Lakshmi playing female leads is produced by Trident Arts. Yuvan Shankar Raja scores the music.
Niharika Konidela is awaiting the release of her film Suryakantham. Yesteryear actress Suryakantham is renowned for her cruel roles as a mother-in-law on screen, and that is where the filmmakers have borrowed the title from.

My characters name is Kantham and I live on my own terms, Niharika said about her character.

The actress said that although her previous two films did not do well, she does not want to hold on to the past. I know that Ive given it my best, so I dont feel like thinking about the failures, said the actress.

She also added that bad release timing could have contributed to the failure of those films. Well, except that Suryakantham is releasing while everybody is caught in the groove of the upcoming elections.

Niharika Konidela

No other big movies are releasing around the same time. Besides, I think that my film belongs to a whole different genre versus Lakshmis NTR, which is releasing on the same day, she explained. Niharika hails from Chiranjeevis family., is this how shes been landing all the offers? I definitely acknowledge Chiranjeevi garus contribution to my career, but Im receiving these offers for my ability to perform, said the actress.

After playing a role with grey shades in Suryakantham, Niharika seems to have discovered her passion for negative roles. She said, I would like to play more negative roles. If I receive another offer, I will take it up. The Oka Manasu star also revealed about how director Pranith Bramandapally decided on the title. She said that in a scene from a web series that they were working on some time ago, somebody happened to ask the actress father about her and apparently, her father said that his daughter was like Suryakantham.

Thats how Pranith zeroed in on the title, she said. Niharika said that she is going to campaign for her father Naga Babu, who is contesting from Bhimavaram. Yes, I definitely want to campaign for my father and will do so after my films release, she added. I take my work seriously. If I am not interested in something, I dont do it at all. And although people might think that I do not take my work seriously, theres more to me than meets the eye, the Happy Wedding actress concluded.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the Hagia Sophia will "be taken out of" its museum status and called a mosque. (Photo: AFP)

Istanbul: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday it was time to rename Istanbul's landmark Hagia Sophia as a mosque, saying that it had been a "very big mistake" to convert it into a museum. "Hagia Sophia will not be called a museum. It will be taken out of that status. We will call Hagia Sophia a mosque," Erdogan told A Haber television during an interview.

Those who come to Hagia Sophia will visit Hagia Sophia mosque," he said. The former church and mosque, now a museum, often sparks tensions between Christians and Muslims over Islamic activities held there, including the reading of verses from the Koran or collective prayers.

Its secular status allows believers of all faiths to meditate, reflect or simply enjoy the astonishing architecture of a building dating back to the sixth century. Erdogan is campaigning for votes for his Justice and Development Party (AKP) ahead of municipal elections on March 31.

The Turkish leader said the plan would be discussed after the elections. "We think the time has come to take such a step given there is a demand" from the Turkish people, he said. Such a move is likely to cause anger among Christians and raise tensions between historic foes Turkey and Greece, both NATO members.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras visited the Hagia Sophia in February. Asked about the criticism, Erdogan said: "There are attacks targeting Al-Aqsa mosque," referring to the compound in Jerusalem known to Jews as the Temple Mount. "Those who remain silent on this cannot dare to give advice to us on Hagia Sophia," he added.
The rare desert rains find their way through cracks in the cap rock and dissolve the salt to form small caves that flow down toward the Dead Sea. (Photo: AP)

Israel: Cave explorers of Israel announced recently that a salt cave with striking stalactites near the Dead Sea is the world's longest, beating the record-holder in Iran. The cave named Malham, stretching over 10 kilometres (6.25 miles), runs through Mount Sodom, Israel's largest mountain, and spills out to the southwest corner of the adjacent Dead Sea.

Pale salt stalactites hang from the ceilings, and some of the walls sparkle with salt crystals. Drops of salty water are visible at the tips of some of the stalactites.

Malham became known to researchers through the work of Amos Frumkin, founder and director of Hebrew University's Cave Research Centre, who in the 1980s mapped around five kilometres of it. But in 2006, researchers mapped over six kilometres of the N3 cave in southern Iran's Qeshm Island, granting it the widely recognised status of the world's longest salt cave.

Two years ago, Israeli spelunker Yoav Negev decided to complete Frumkin's work, reaching out to Bulgarian cave explorers for reinforcements with the promise of a warm winter adventure.

Negev, founder of the Israel Cave Explorers Club, joined forces with Boaz Landford, a researcher at the university's research centre, to organise a delegation of eight European spelunkers and another 20 locals.

They spent some 10 days mapping the cave in 2018. A second 10-day expedition in 2019 with 80 local and international spelunkers completed the measuring and mapping of the cave with lasers, determining its length at over 10 kilometres.

Mount Sodom is essentially a huge salt block covered by a thin but resilient layer of cap rock. The rare desert rains find their way through cracks in the cap rock and dissolve the salt to form small caves that flow down toward the Dead Sea.

Even in the short period of time since Frumkin's mapping, the cave's structure had changed, and would continue to do so. Much of the cave's interior is covered by a fine dust that blows in from the desert. Massive slabs of salt, some amber-coloured from dust and minerals, jut out to form dramatic installations.

A thin slab appearing to have been sliced out is nicknamed "The Guillotine," while twin slabs in a different hall earned the title of "The Ten Commandments." Reporters touring the site clambered and crawled through the narrow passages before reaching the "wedding hall," where hundreds of white stalactites of various shapes and lengths created a festive backdrop.

To Negev, Malham was in "a category of its own." "There's nothing like it in Israel," he said, claiming that no other cave came even close to the 10-kilometre mark. Negev pointed to its vast network of "caverns, passage-ways, piers, plateaus, one over another." He called it "the most impressive and complex in Israel ... and one of the most beautiful and fascinating ones I've been in."

Negev downplayed the significance of retaking the title from Iran, Israel's main enemy, saying he had "excellent ties" with Iranian spelunkers through social media and professional conferences. "The political rivalry creates a desire to connect and mutual curiosity," he said. "They're really excellent spelunkers." "I wish I could visit there," he said of Iran and its caves.
According to police, Amith Meeran, ran the money exchange firm at Prince Plaza shopping complex in Egmore, with his sons Kaja Moideen and Nasser. Sources said Amith had also employed two helpers Mohammed and Basheer.

CHENNAI: In a crime executed in filmy style, a gang of men posing as fake CBI and airport Customs officers, stole Rs 27 lakh from a private forex company located at Pantheon Road, Egmore, here on Tuesday. Egmore police registered a case and are conducting an enquiry based on a complaint filed by one Amith Meeran (55), resident of Thiruvengadam Street, in Pudupet.

According to police, Amith Meeran, ran the money exchange firm at Prince Plaza shopping complex in Egmore, with his sons Kaja Moideen and Nasser. Sources said Amith had also employed two helpers Mohammed and Basheer.

On Tuesday morning, five persons in an SUV came to the shop, and introduced themselves as CBI and Customs officials. Sources said they carried out a raid and seized Rs. 78 lakh unaccounted cash from the company. They had also asked Amith Meeran and his men to come to their office in their own vehicle and sign a few documents.

To make things look real, the culprits in-between tried to work out a bargain with the firm. They told Amith Meeran that if he would give them Rs 27 lakh, then they would close the case, to which Amith Meeran agreed, and went along with the officials to sign the documents.

However, when their vehicle was near Island Grounds, the gang dropped Amith Meeran and Mohammed, and sped away. Realising that he was cheated, Amith Meeran lodged a complaint with Egmore police.

A special team headed by an Assistant Commissioner has been formed to investigate the case. Police said they have found CCTV footages from the ICF hospital, Egmore. Investigations are on.
According to Indian Metrology Department rise in temperatures will continue for one more week.

Thiruvananthapuram: Several people got injured as state continued to swelter through an unprecedented heatwave. On Wednesday around 102 heat-related adverse health events including sunburn and sunstroke were reported in the state.

As per the statistics released by the health department, there were 54 heat rash cases, 46 sunburn cases and two sunstroke cases reported.

According to Indian Metrology Department rise in temperatures will continue for one more week.

The health authorities have urged the public to strictly follow the advisory issued by the department and avoid going in the sun from 11 am to 3 pm.

Health minister K. K. Shylaja said that the state is not familiar with the situation and hence follow the advisories to protect themselves. She said that the department is in talks with the Indian Medical Association to ensure coordination of private hospitals in the state. So far around 284 heat-related incidents have happened in the state.
On March 11, the court had said that it will decide whether the pleas challenging the Constitution Amendment could be heard by Constitution Bench. (Photo: File)

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday adjourned for April 8 a bunch of pleas challenging the Constitution Amendment that gives 10 per cent reservation in jobs and education for economically weaker section of the general category.

Senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan, appearing for one of the petitioners, told the bench of Justice S A Bobde and Justice S Abdul Nazeer that court should not delay the case, as this will lead to "massive appointments."

Dhavan also sought setting up of Constitution Bench to hear the case saying the issue involves basic structure and will have to be heard by five-judge Constitution Bench.

On March 11, the court had said that it will decide whether the pleas challenging the Constitution Amendment could be heard by Constitution Bench.

Earlier, the apex court had refused to stay the implementation of 10 per cent reservation given to the economically weak in jobs and education.

The court was hearing pleas filed by many individuals and NGOs.

One of the petitions filed by Tehseen Poonawala challenged the 103rd Constitutional amendment saying it was against the basic structure of the Constitution, which does not allow for any reservation based on economic criteria.

The 50 per cent ceiling limit cannot be breached, stated the plea.

An organisation, Youth for Equality, had also sought the quashing of the bill, stating that it violated the "equality code of the Constitution" as reservation on economic grounds cannot be restricted to general category.

By way of the present amendments, the exclusion of the OBCs and the SCs/STs from the scope of the economic reservation essentially implies that only those who are poor from the general categories would avail the benefits of the quotas, the organisation had contended.

"Taken together with the fact that the high creamy layer limit of Rs 8 lakh per annum ensures that the elite in the OBCs and SCs/STs capture the reservation benefits repeatedly, the poor sections of these categories remain completely deprived. This is an overwhelming violation of the basic feature of equality enshrined in Article 14 of the Constitution and elsewhere," the petition had stated.
Bengaluru: The BJP's handpicked candidate from Bangalore South, Tejasvi Surya found himself at the centre of a controversy Wednesday after the Karna taka Congress attacked him, citing allegations of 'abuse' by a woman against him while attacking the saffron party on the choice. Neither Surya or BJP reacted to the allegations or Congress' tweet so far. Is @Tejasvi_Surya another M J Akbar in the making? Dear @BJP4India, @Tejasvi_Surya seems to be a great choice. #Bangalore South will remember.

#MeToo #LokSabha Polls2019," Karnataka Congress tweeted with screen shots of comments made by a woman on Twitter.

M J Akbar had stepped down as Minister of State for External Affairs last year following a spate of allegations of sexual harassment during his days as editor of several publications. The woman whom the Congress cited meanwhile has deleted comments she made against Surya.

However in screenshots shared by the Congress with its tweet, the woman, replying to questions raised about her charges, claimed to have suffered at the hands of Surya and has questioned why the BJP had not done a background check before giving him the ticket.

She also alleged she was not his first victim nor would she be the last and says she is ready to share proof.

The party's fiery youth wing leader Surya, 28, whose social media is replete with vociferous praise for PM Modi has been picked by the BJP top brass to stand from its bastion of Bangalore South, from where the widow of union minister Ananth Kumar, a six-time MP from the constituency, was denied the ticket.
BJP president Amit Shah introduces Moni Madhab Mahanta, a candidate of an alliance party, during an election rally in Kaliabor, east of Guwahati, on Thursday. (Photo: AP)

Guwahati: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah here on Thursday said that the saffron party would identify every single Bangladeshi infiltrator in Assam after returning to power.

Addressing a huge public rally at Kaliabor, the Lok Sabha seat which the regional Asom Gana Parishad is contesting in alliance with the BJP, Mr Shah said that his government has succeeded in stopping the infiltration during the last five years.

The task to identify all the infiltrators living in Assam now remains and we promise to accomplish that task too by throwing each and every infiltrator out of Assam over the next five years, said the BJP president while asking party workers to ensure the victory of their alliance candidate.

The AGP has fielded Moni Madhav Mahanta, a former vice-president of the influential All Assam Students Union, to contest against former Congress chief minister Tarun Gogois son Gaurav Gogoi from Kaliabor. The BJP president chose to sound the poll bugle from a constituency of its alliance partners in an obvious bid to strengthen the bonding among them besides ensuring conversion of votes to each other. AGP chief Atul Bora and many other party leaders shared the dais with Mr Shah, who was accompanied by chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and his deputy Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Mr Shah also alleged that the Congress had been patronising Bangladeshi infiltrators and had encouraged them to encroach on forest land at the Kaziranga Park. These infiltrators had turned into rhino poachers. Over the last three years, the BJP-led alliance government has evicted these infiltrators from Kaziranga and the poaching of rhinos, the pride of Assam, has also stopped.

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Following probe the cops arrested Bhaskar on Wednesday and remanded him to prison. (Representational image)

Chennai: A week after a resident of Madhavaram accused of sexually abusing puppies, the police arrested a 30-year-old person on Wednesday. Following a complaint from a local resident, who allegedly found the accused, Bhaskar, sexually assaulting puppies.

Sai Vignesh, an animal rights activist, said Bhaskar of Madhavaram is a repeat offender. More than twenty five days ago, he was seen abusing the pups at the second cross street in MMDA Colony. When confronted by the locals, he escaped from the place.

Again Baskar sexually abused four puppies in an empty ground at Mathur near Madhavaram on March 15. After spotting him abusing the pups the local residents scolded him and soon he escaped from the place.

On information, Vignesh retrieved the CCTV footage and lodged a complaint with the police. Madhavaram Milk Colony police registered a case under section 294 (doing obscene act in a public place) of the Indian Penal Code. Following probe the cops arrested Bhaskar on Wednesday and remanded him to prison.
Patna: Political turmoil continues in the grand alliance as the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress remain divided over seat allocations in Bihar.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi had called Bihar leaders to discuss the issue, but sources said that parties failed to agree on the seat-sharing deal.

A number of Congress leaders on Thursday claimed that the party was not being given respectable seats to contest Lok Sabha elections. Trouble has been brewing within the grand alliance on at least six Lok Sabha seats including two Mithila-nchal seats where both Congress and RJD have been trying to field

candidates.

Last week, RJD refused to leave the Darbhanga seat for sitting MP Kirti Azad, who had left the BJP and joined Congress recently. According to reports, the seat has been given to RJD MLA Abdul Bari Siddiqui.

Sources said top state Congress leaders have bee-n asked to meet Tejashwi Yadav and sort out differences persisting on few seats in Bihar. As per reports, Congress has now asked the RJD to leave the Bettiah seat for Mr Azad. Congress is also trying to persuade RJD not to field a candidate from Supaul as it wants sitting MP Ranjeet Ranjan to contest the seat.

Congress has been upset after Supaul district president Yaduvansh Kumar Yadav recently said that he would put up a candidate against Ranjeet Ranjan if she gets a ticket from the Supaul seat.

Ms Ranjan is the wife Pappu Yadav who had won the Madhepura seat in 2014 general elections as an RJD candidate.

He was, however, expelled in 2015.

Pappu Yadav on Thursday created a flutter in the RJD by filing a nomination from Madhepura seat, which has been earmarked for veteran leader Sharad Yadav.

A section in the Cong-ress has also urged the party to take a decisive step and boost the morale of party workers.

A senior Congress leader in Patna said, Our party wants to save this alliance but the fact is that under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi partys base has increased not just in Bihar but also in other states. The Congress party must get respectable seat share for the Lok Sabha elections.

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Chennai: Accusing the DMK of allowing violence to gain a foothold in Tamil Nadu, Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam dared the DMK to explain its contribution to the development of the State.

Contending that its involvement in fostering development is little, he said that party has now come to the stage of seeking votes on Amma's (late CM J. Jayalalithaa) name. What have you (DMK) done for the people of the State? Now you are showing photos of our Amma and asking for votes, he sarcastically remarked while campaigning for his party's candidate for Mayiladuthurai S. Asaimani on Thursday.

Panneerselvam's dig at DMK comes in the wake of its president M.K. Stalin's poll assurance that his party would probe the circumstances leading to the death of AIADMK leader J. Jayalalithaa, when his DMK comes to power. While addressing an election rally at Madurai in support of his coalition CPI (M) candidate Su Venkatesan, recently, Stalin said the cause of Jayalalithaa's death still remained a mystery. He also claimed that India is back by 45 years in terms of development after the BJP-led NDA came to power.

Fight between Dharma and Adharma:

While campaigning in Tiruvarur, Panneerselvam who is coordinator of AIADMK, likened the poll battle between the AIADMK-led combine and the DMK's Secular Progressive Alliance, as a fight between dharma and adharmic forces. The alliance led by AIADMK is an amalgamation of dharmic forces treading the path of development, he said.

Recalling the efforts of late Jayalalithaa in waging a legal battle on the Cauvery issue and also in getting the gazette notification of the Cauvery tribunal's final verdict, he said the AIADMK always had the interest of the people in mind and had shown concern to the people's suffering. The party leaders never gave up on the issue of rights concerning the state. But, despite sharing power with the Congress, the DMK failed to protect the rights of Tamil Nadu, he added.
Meerut/Rudrapur/Akhnoor: Calling himself the nations chowkidar, Mr Modi said, It was this chowkidars government that had the courage to conduct surgical strikes on land, sky and space. India should develop, India should be secure from enemies.

The country is, for the first time, witnessing a government that knows how to deliver, he said.

The prime minister, who launched the Bharatiya Janata Partys campaign from Meerut in 2014 too, said he will bring justice to all.

The contest this time will be between dumdaar BJP and daagdaar opposition, he said, driving home his point that his party is strong but opposition parties are tainted.

In his third rally of the day at Akhnoor in Jammu region near the Indo-Pak border, Modi said terrorists across the border are living in a state of fear.

In an apparent reference to the Balakot air strikes, Modi said those running the terrorist factory across the border are living under constant fear and the terrorists have been forced to think 100 times before sneaking into this side.

Those running the terrorist factory across the border are afraid and are living under constant fear. This had happened for the first time that the terrorists are forced to think 100 times to intrude into this side to rattle India, Modi said at his first poll rally in J and K.

Modi, who spoke in Dogri first and then switched over to Hindi, said when voters press the button of the EVM on April 11 and choose the lotus, it will not only unnerve the terrorists and their friends within the country but its bang would be heard across the border as well.

The prime minister also attacked Congress president Rahul Gandhi on his mocking tweet Wednesday wishing him happy World Theatre Day after his address to the nation announcing the success of the anti-satellite missile.

You all saw how India created history yesterday by achieving a feat in space to ensure we emerge stronger globally and to ensure our safety. But see the kind of funny things people in the opposition have been saying. It is both worrying and funny... what do you say about someone who does not even know the difference between a theatre set and ASAT (anti-satellite)? he said.

Playing on the words saboot and sapoot, the Hindi words for proof and good son, Modi attacked the opposition for seeking evidence of the surgical strikes.

Do we need saboot or sapoot... those who seek evidence are challenging the sapoot.

Alleging that the Congresss blood did not boil even after terrorists struck in the heart of Mumbai in 2008, Modi told a rally in Rudrapur that fear is something unknown to the chowkidar.

It is the Congress job to cower in fear. The chowkidar knows no fear. All he knows is put up a dour fight, he said.

In a blistering attack on the Congress for offering dole to people for votes, he said the party gave the slogan of garibi hatao decades ago and in this elections also it had nothing new to offer.

Alleging that the Congress was the very cause of poverty, he asked people to eliminate the party. Remove the Congress and poverty will go away automatically. Will you send a party like this back to power? he asked.
Hyderabad: Following Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Raos directions, there will be no hike in the power tariff in FY 2019-20. Mr Rao has also directed the distribution companies (discoms) to continue with the existing tariff.

The revised tariff usually kicks in from April 1 but the discoms have not submitted their annual revenue requirement report to the Electricity Regulatory Commission.

Mr Rao asked the discoms to inform the ERC accordingly. As per the rules, discoms have to submit their ARRs before the end of November for the subsequent financial year. The ERC will conduct public hearings on the discoms proposals. The proposals are finalised in March.

However, due to the Assembly elections and the Lok Sabha elections, the discoms had requested the ERC to extend the deadline for the submission of their revenue requirement reports.

The ERC is vacant, and the appointment of its chairman and two members is in process. Keeping this in view, Mr Rao directed the discoms not to hike the tariff.

Special Chief Secretary, energy, Ajay Misra has written to the discoms on the power tariff issue. The state government has assured the discoms that it would continue the existing concessions and compensate them for the losses incurred by the Discoms. The state government has not hiked power tariff in the last two years.
Former minister Tummala Nageswara Rao and TRS candidate Nama Nageswara Rao campaign in Kusumanchi mandal headquarters in Palair segment on Thursday. (Photo: DC)

Khammam: Despite the legislators of Congress, Telugu Desam and an Indepenent in the limits of Khammam Lok Sabha constituency have changed their loyalties, it seems there is no shift in the mindset of the voters. The opinions of varied section of people in these segments have revealed this phenomenon.

If one can check the total MLAs and big shots batting for the TRS, one is bound to state, The winning of Nama Nageswara Rao is imminent.

V. Nagi Reddy, a teacher in Nelakondapalli said, In Palair Assembly segment, both the MLAs K. Upender Reddy and his rival Tummala Nageswara Rao are working for Nama Nageswara Rao. It means that Nama should get at least 60,000 majority in only Palair segment in the present elections. There is no such scenario here and the Congress may get more than Mr Upender Reddy in this elections.



Most of the voters are unable to digest Mr Upender Reddy shifting to the TRS before the general elections. They had voted him as a Congress candidate with love and affection.

Kothagudem Assembly segment also witnessed such a situation. Kothagudem MLA Vanama Venkateswara Rao, who was elected from the Congress, he declared he would sail with Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao. Mr Rao and his rival Mr Jalagam are now campaigning for Mr Nama. If the chemistry works, Mr Nama should obtain a majority of 50,000 votes.

TD leader Koneru Satyanarayana, said that the people of Kothagudem were unable to bear the above combination.

The situation in Sattupalli is also the same. TD MLA Sandra Venkata Veeraiah and his rival Pidamarthi Ravi are campaigning in favour of TRS candidate.

T. Ramu, a mason said, It is difficult to see such combinations. We did not forget the allegations and counter allegations by the two leaders against each other three months back. The scene now is awkward and embarrassing.

The mind of Khammam voters is not different from Sattupalli voters. Puvvada Ajay fought against Mr Nama, in the Assembly elections and found fault with him on each and every occasion.

Interestingly, three TRS corporators of Khammam municipal corporation, who joined the Telugu Desam under the initiative of Mr Nama before the Assembly elections, are in a strange situation now.

P. Sankar, an electrician, said, The three corporators will not forget this in their lifetime.

Many of the ruling party corporators, have been privately expressing their opposition over the prevailing situation in the elections.

M. Sampath, a political analyst said, There is a big discussion among the people over the campaigning of Madanlal, a defeated MLA and Ramulu Naik, elected MLA as an independent who joined the TRS from Wyra. Both are working together for the win of Mr Nama Nageswara Rao.

He said that such combinations may have a huge impact on the minds of the voters. There is every chance that they may vote against the will of these two.
Bhopal: Veteran Congress leader Digvijay Singh, who has been fielded by Congress in Bhopal Lok Sabha constituency, has taken the Hindutva route to wrest the saffron bastion from BJP in the upcoming elections by paying visits to temples and seers.

Mr Singh, said to be a reluctant candidate for Bhopal from Congress, has so far visited half-a-dozen temples besides seeking blessings of Hindu and Jain seers in the last couple of days before taking a meeting of senior Congress leaders on Thursday to firm up the strategy to win the crucial election of his political career.

The septuagenarian leader who was said to have been forced to contest from Bhopal despite his reported reservation has visited ashrams of Sharad Peeth Shankarac-harya Swami Swaroopa-nand Saraswati, and Jain seer Acharya Vidya Sagar Maharaj in Madhya Pradesh to seek their blessings besides paying darshan of presiding deities in famed shrines of Gufa, Nebri, Kal Bharavi, and Nandiswar in different parts of the state during the period.

He took a meeting of his close associates and senior Congress leaders in the party officer on Thursday to chalk out strategy to taken on BJP in its own den in Bhopal.

I am a Hindu. But, I dont flaunt being a Hindu, he told reporters.

Talking to reporters, Mr Singh attacked RSS saying that the Sangh was working for the cause of Hindus, but it has reservation to support him despite the fact that he too is a Hindu.

Incidentally, Mr Singh attracted criticism from former chief minister and senior BJP leader Babulal Gaur, whom he often addressed as his good friend, for his temple-hopping before elections.

Referring to the recent statement by state minister and senior Congress leader Arif Akeel who called Mr Singh as Sachha (true) Hindu, Mr Gaur quipped, Then why Mr Singh was not supporting construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Former chief minister and BJP national vice-president Shivraj Singh Chouhan also took a swipe at Mr Singh for his temple-hopping spree, saying, Like other Congress leaders, Mr Singh remembers gods in temples before elections.
New Delhi: NaMo TV, the YouTube channel solely dedicated to the broadcast of events and programmes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will soon be beaming live through various DTH platforms directly to millions of homes.

Sources in the BJP stated that the party has held wide ranging talks with several DTH operators for the broadcast of the channel. While test runs have begun on a couple of DTH platforms others too are likely to begin operations this week.

With the nation fully in the grip of the Lok Sabha poll campaign and Modi being the lead campaigner for the party, the BJP feels that the airing of NaMo TV will definitely help it in reaching out to the voters across the nation.

The move to broadcast NaMo TV through DTH platforms was taken by the party as it was felt that this would help enable the BJP to reach out to more people across the country. This is also expected to compensate the lack of availability of national broadcaster, Doordarshan, for the live broadcast of all of Modis rallies. Sources stated that due to the Election Commission of Indias model code of conduct for the general election in place the public service broadcaster can not telecast all events being attended or addressed by Modi.

NaMo TV is a channel which is dedicated to live telecast of political rallies and speeches of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The channel also streams compilations of Modis speeches in the Parliament. Interestingly, broadcasts of Modis interaction with BJP party workers is also a regular feature. The YouTube channel also acts as an archive for all such material related to him. BJPs campaigns for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls like #Namumkinabmumkinhai and #Mainbhichowkidar are prominently featured on the channel.

While the channel has over two million subscribers on YouTube sources stated that once it begins broadcast across all DTH platforms the reach of this channel would grow multifold.

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The ship is manned by a crew of 30 officers and 280 sailors.

New Delhi: An Indian Navy personnel on INS Gomati on Thursday was killed while carrying out a combat weapon firing drill.

In an unfortunate incident, Mohan Raj, Seaman First Class, of the Indian Navy serving onboard INS Gomati suffered grave injury whilst carrying out combat weapon firing drills at sea, said Indian Navy in a statement.

It said that the sailor was airlifted from the ship to the nearest naval hospital INHS Asvini, Mumbai by a seaking helicopter. However, he succumbed to his injuries.

A board of inquiry has been ordered to determine the cause of the incident.

Mohan Raj aged 21 years, hailed from Katpudi, Tamil Nadu and is survived by his parents and two siblings, said the statement.

INS Gomati is a Godavari-class guided-missile frigate of Indian Navy.

The ship is manned by a crew of 30 officers and 280 sailors.

The ship is fitted with a medium range, close range and anti-aircraft guns, surface to surface and surface to air missiles and torpedo launchers. The ship has a wide array of sensors covering all facets of maritime warfare. In addition to Seaking, ALH and Chetak helicopters, the ship is also capable of operating UAVs.

This enables the ship to perform a wide variety of roles including coastal and offshore patrolling, monitoring of Sea Lines of Communication, maritime diplomacy, counter terrorism and anti-piracy operations.

The ship is named after a river in North India, which flows from Gomati Tal in Pilibhit to its confluence with the Ganga in Uttar Pradesh.
Nizamabad: After the withdrawal of nomination process ended on Thursday, 185 candidates are in the fray from Nizamabad parliamentary constituency.

Only four candidates had voluntarily withdrawn their nominations. Barring three major political party candidates, remaining contestants are farmers.

To register their protest in a novel way, farmers are firm about contesting along with major political party candidates.

Meanwhile, Nizamabad Parliamentary constituency returning officer and district collector M. Rammohan Rao allotted symbols to the contestants. In view of the highest numbers of contestants, Election Commission will use traditional ballot papers for polling on April 11 instead of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM).

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Rajender Reddy, a contesting farmer from Velpur, said that every villager should franchise their votes to independent candidates.

Farmers were contesting as independent candidates from majority of villages under Nizamabad constituency and locals may franchise their votes to local candidates only, he opined. We are not against any person or party, we want to highlight our problems to the government, he said.

However, the EC has specially concentrated on Nizamabad Parliamentary constituency due to its highest number of candidates.

Preparation of ballot papers, polling stations, polling agents and other process will be taken up with utmost care.
Meerut/Rudrapur/Akhnoor: Launching his partys Lok Sabha poll campaign in three states, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday kept the focus on national security, terrorism and how his decisive government showed the courage to conduct a surgical strike in all spheres  land, sky and space.

Mr Modi addressed rallies in Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, Rudrapur in Uttarakhand and Akhnoor in Jammu and Kashmir  all part of Lok Sabha constituencies figuring in the first phase of the polls on April 11.

Mr Modi also tore into the opposition parties by coining an acronym SARAB (alcohol) from the initial letters of the Samajwadi Party (SP), Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) alliance and urged people to stay away from SARAB in the polls for the good health of Uttar Pradesh. The Hindi word for liquor is sharab.

The remarks by Mr Modi, who also termed the SP-RLD-BSP alliance in UP mahamilavat (adulterated), drew a furious reaction from the Congress and the SP.

The Congress demanded an apology from Mr Modi while SP chief Akhilesh Yadav accused him of spreading the intoxication of hatred, saying the Prime Minister didnt know the difference between sharab and sarab (mirage).

Continuing his attack on the Congress, Mr Modi accused it of raising questions on the valour of the armed forces after the post-Uri surgical strikes in 2016 in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and later the air strikes in Balakot inside Pakistan in February.

The contest is between a a decisive government and an indecisive past, Mr Modi said at the BJPs Vijay Sankalp rally in the western UP town of Meerut, a day after announcing that India had demonstrated the anti-satellite missile capability by shooting down a live satellite to join an elite club of space super powers.
New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday lambasted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for comparing three Opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh to liquor, saying that by doing so he has lampooned the entire democratic system and, therefore, should apologise to the people.

Congress chief spoke-sperson Randeep Surjewala said the Prime Minister, like a flop film actor, was making acronyms from the names of Opposition political parties to compare them to liquor. He said that such statements did not behove the office of the Prime Minister.

By comparing three political parties with liquor, Modi ji has made fun of the entire democratic system. You should apologise to the 130 crore people who believe in the democratic system, otherwise the country and Uttar Pradesh, will never forgive you, he said.

Addressing a rally in Meerut, Mr Modi hit out at the Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Lok Dal and Bahujan Samaj Party alliance, calling it maha-milawat (adulterated).

The first letters of the three parties stand for sarab (the Hindi word for liquor is sharab), which is bad for health, he said.

Reacting to the remarks, the Congress spokesperson asked, Does this kind of talk befit a Prime Minister? Is this within the boundaries of democracy? You are calling three political parties sharab? Is this the way a PM talks? Can the people accept this?

The country and Uttar Pradesh will not forgive you for this, Congress chief spokesperson said.
KURNOOL: Kurnool city has come under an extensive security blanket with Prime Minister Narendra Modi scheduled to visit the place on Friday to kick off election campaign there.

Gun-toting security personnel including those from elite forces like black commandoes descended in sizeable number and are seen at every square and junctionof the city.

Hotels and public places have been thoroughly screened. Many of the common citizens were surprised by the scale of security thrown in for the leader.

Kurnool district Superintendent of Police K. Fakkeer-appa said that Mr Modi will address a public meeting on the Kurnool STBC College grounds on Friday. "In view of the visit, strict security arrangements have been made to avert any untoward incidents," he said.

On Thursday, the SP gave instructions to police personnel that arrived from various districts to discharge their duties on the bandobast for the VVIP visit.

He asked the police personnel to be vigilant at the helipad, access control, route tops and at public meetings. He suggested setting up of LED screens besides conducting checks using police dog squads and bomb squads at the VIP sites.
New Delhi: Not the one to hold back punches  both verbal as well as physical, the Bihari babu of Hindi cinema, popularly known as Shotgun Sinha for his quick repartee and gift of the gab, well known actor and politician Shatrughan Sinha will formally join the Congress on April 6, the auspicious day of Navaratri.

Mr Sinha, who has been associated with the BJP since almost 30 years, had met Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday and was suppose to officially announce his association with the party, but later decided to do so on the April 6, which marks the beginning of the nine-days long Navaratri celebrations.

"Painfully....on the way out of BJP....But hopefully in the best direction under the dynamic leadership of my dear friend Lalu Yadav and the desirable, most talked about leader from the Nehru Gandhi family... the true family of nation builders.., he tweeted on Thursday evening with a photograph of his him shaking hands with Mr Gandhi.

A close associate of BJP patriarch L K Advani, Mr Sinha had been openly critical of the party's various decisions and actions for the last three years.

When the BJP left out Mr Advani and another party veteran Mr Murli Manohar Joshi from its list of contestants for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Mr Sinha did not mince his words.

"For a man of the standing & stature of Shri. L.K.Advani & for other veterans like Shri Murli Manohar Joshi & Shri Shanta Kumar also...totally humiliating! It has hurt the entire nation. People are aghast at this action," he had tweeted.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court Thursday refused to stop the release of film Ram Ki Janmabhoomi' across the country on March 29.

A Bench of Justices S.A. Bobde and Abdul Nazeer rejected the plea of senior counsel Ms. Lily Thomas for early listing of the petition claiming that the release of the movie will vitiate the ongoing mediation proceeding in the Ayodhya land dispute case.

Justice Bobde told the counsel who mentioned for urgent hearing, There is no connection between the mediation proceeding and the release of the movie. We will hear it after two weeks.

The apex court on March 8 had appointed a three-member panel to complete the mediation process within eight weeks.

The court had ordered that the mediation proceedings shall be kept confidential, and there ought not to be any reporting of the said proceedings either in the print or in the electronic media.

Hearing a similar petition filed before it, the Delhi High Court said Wednesday that people will have to be tolerant if the freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under the Constitution has to survive.
Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and Water Resoruces Minister D.K. Shivakumar at a protest rally against the Income Tax department for the raids on JD(S) leaders in Bengaluru on Thursday (Photo: AP)

Bengaluru: With barely three weeks to go for the first phase of the Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka, the knives are virtually out with Income Tax officials swooping down on contractors and associates of JD(S) politicians including ministers for alleged tax violations even as ruling JD(S)-Congress coalition leaders alleged political vendetta by the BJP led government at the Centre.

Those raided include JD(S) leader and Minor Irrigation Minister C.S. Putturaju and his nephew at Mandya and Mysuru, associates of PWD Minister H.D. Revanna, who is the elder brother of Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy with Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy calling the raids, Prime Minister Modi's planned "surgical strikes" against the Opposition.

The ruling coalition alleged that the IT raids were carried out on JD(S) leaders overseeing the elections of Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil Kumaraswamy in Mandya and nephew Prajwal Revanna in Hassan.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy emulated his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee and created history in Karnataka by launching a protest against 'intrusive' Income Tax officials outside the office of the Principal Chief Commissioner Income Tax B.R. Balakrishnan. He is the first CM in the state to take up a protest of this kind. Mamata had protested recently against the Centre for sending CBI officers to Kolkata to question the Bengal top cop in the Sarada chit fund scam.

Cash to poll

Cash in bulk is being illegally transported on a daily basis in Karnataka in convoys with alleged police cover and is being hoarded at residences of politicians and safe places for distribution among lower party functionaries, who are inducing voters with illegal money, said a top official source. The illegal distribution of funds among voters is allegedly being handled by some engineers of the PWD on the instructions of their political bosses, charged the source, adding there was an unholy nexus among politicians, contractors and engineers.

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'The Commission has directed a Committee of Officers to examine the matter immediately in the light of Model Code of Conduct,' read a statement from the electoral body. (Photo: ANI)

New Delhi: After the opposition parties accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of violating the Model Code of Conduct by addressing the nation after the successful testing of A-SAT missile on Wednesday, the Election Commission of India has directed a Committee of Officers to examine the matter immediately.

"The matter related to the address of the Prime Minister to the nation on electronic media today afternoon has been brought to the notice of the Election Commission of India. The Commission has directed a Committee of Officers to examine the matter immediately in the light of Model Code of Conduct," read a statement from the electoral body.

The matter related to the address of the Prime Minister to the Nation on electronic media today afternoon has been brought to the notice of ECI.The Commission has directed a Committee of Officers to examine the matter immediately in the light of Model Code of Conduct.  Sheyphali Sharan (@SpokespersonECI) March 27, 2019

The Model Code is a series of dos and don'ts for the caretaker government and political parties, which comes into effect as soon as the elections are announced.

Election Commission sources had initially indicated that the government did not need to take permission to make security-related announcements.

Prime Minister Modi had earlier on Wednesdday interacted through video-conference with the team of scientists and engineers involved in the development and testing of the Anti-Satellite missile.

Soon after his address, CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the Prime Minister of breaching the Model Code of Conduct.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his second public rally in Uttarakhands Rudrapur on Thursday lashed out at the previous UPA-led government. (Photo: Twitter/ANI)

Uttarakhand: Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his second public rally in Uttarakhands Rudrapur on Thursday lashed out at the previous UPA-led government.

Addressing the public, Modi said, A former Uttarakhand CM, Congress Harish Rawat, who is also a candidate from here this time had only one job, to mark attendance in Delhi Durbar. He did not care about unemployment or other issues facing the youth in the state which forced people to migrate outside the state.

Answering the opposition's attack on Modi governments surgical strike, he replied, When we entered the homes of the terrorists and killed them then is it right to question valour of our jawans? Is it right to abuse our Army Chief? Will people forgive those who give anti-national statements just to become a hero in Pakistan?

PM Modi also blamed the previous Congress-led governments for the delays in acquiring military hardware, claiming that the party was more focused on commissions from defence deals.

In his speech, he alleged that the Congress sat on the deal for the Rafale fighter jet as it was eyeing the malai (commission, kickbacks) from it. He said the Congress focus has been was on malai, not on national security. Earlier in the day, Modi addressed a rally in Meerut, kicking off his election campaign in Uttar Pradesh.

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The raids were also carried out at the residences of PWD minister H D Revanna's close associates Narayana Reddy, Ashwath Gowda and Raya Gowda in Hassan, IT sources said. (Image: ANI)

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy Thursday led a protest by the Congress-JDS ruling alliance in front of the Income Tax department here in a furious response to a statewide pre-dawn IT crackdown on his partymen and others.

Raising slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and waving party flags, the Congress and JD(S) activists gathered within hours after the IT raids with the help of CRPF personnel at 15 to 20 places including Bengaluru, Mandya, Mysuru, Hassan and Shivamogga.

Congress and JDS activists who tried to storm the Income Tax office were arrested and later released as the protest on the ever busy Queens Road resulted in chock-a-block with hundreds of vehicles stuck in the traffic jam.

The ruling alliance was particularly angry as they alleged that the IT raids were carried out on JD(S) leaders overseeing the elections of Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil Kumaraswamy in Mandya and nephew Prajwal Revanna in Hassan.

Taking on the Modi government in the first such protest by the State chief minister against a central department in recent memory, Kumaraswamy lashed out at it for "misusing" the IT department and other central agencies.

Terming the Centre's behaviour as an "assault" on the federal system, he alleged that Modi has been misusing the constitutional bodies, which shows his "dictatorial streak."

"We are not opposed to raids. We are opposing it because it is restricted to a few political parties in the opposition. They want to threaten them," a visibly angry Kumaraswamy said.

The crackdown came within a day after he claimed last night that the IT raids had been planned from 5 am on Thursday and he would not be deterred and would protest against it like his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee.

In an unprecedented showdown with the Modi government, Banerjee had sat on a dharna after the CBI tried to quiz Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar in connection with Saradha and Rose Valley Chit Fund scams.

"They are out to frighten us but the fact is the BJP is shaken and wants to win election by intimidating us. We are not the ones who get scared," the chief minister said.

Strongly defending its action, the IT department said its activities should not be politicised, personalised or trivialised.

"We request that the activities of the income tax department should not be politicised, personalised or trivialised.

In particular, statements which sound like an incitement to physical violence issued by persons holding very responsible posts are deeply deplorable," it added.

The searches were carried out on a wide range of professions and businesses including bureaucrats, breweries, MNCs, mining barons, diagnostic centres, trusts, educational institutions, medical colleges, real estate, fisheries, and film industry and including "politically exposed persons," it said.

The department also said in a release that no MP, MLA or minister had been covered in the searches and they were being carried out on the basis of credible information.

"A BJP leader sends list of people to Amit Shah, who eventually forwards it to Balakrishnan (principal chief commissioner of income tax department (Karnataka-Goa region) to carry out raids. Balakrishnan is acting as an agent of BJP.

It seems that he wants a post retirement position such as governor of some state," Kumaraswamy said.

Kumaraswamy questioned BJP state chief B S Yeddyurappa as to whether he could win elections without money.

He also said for the first time the I-T officials raided government offices too, such as PWD office in Hassan and Tahsildar office in Kanakapura.

The coalition partners said the raids were on people, who were monitoring the electioneering of Nikhil Kumaraswamy and Prajwal Revanna from the Gowda clan, targeting state minor irrigation minister C S Puttaraju and his nephew Ashok, who is a district panchayat member in Mysuru.

The raids were also carried out at the residences of PWD minister H D Revanna's close associates Narayana Reddy, Ashwath Gowda and Raya Gowda in Hassan, IT sources said.

Revanna's son and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda's grandson Prajjwal is contesting from Hassan Lok Sabha seat.

Nikhil Kumaraswamy and Prajwal Revanna are testing political waters for the first time under the tutelage of Kumaraswamy and PWD minister H D Revanna.

Former chief minister and Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah questioned the timing of raids andsaid they could have been done a month before the election.

"But when the election dates were announced such action raises many eyebrows," he said.

At Hassan, Revanna said, "So long as I have the blessings of Sringeri Sharadamba and Shankaracharya, nothing will happen...Anybody conspiring against me or trying black magic will be destroyed. I am so well protected."

Yeddyurappa rubbished the charges, saying the Income Tax department was doing its duty and it should not be linked with politics. He wondered why the Congress and the JD(S) were giving it a political colour when it was against some bureaucrats, contractors and others and not the MPs, MLAs and ministers.

According to the I-T department, the searches have resulted in collecting credible evidence on tax evasion. The searches on "politically exposed persons" have covered their entire range of the political spectrum, it said. The I-T department also said CRPF personnel being used for the searches had not been flown from outside the state and they were requisitioned from the state police following the normal protocol.

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Hyderabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is addressing on Friday an election rally in Telangana, where the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) is on a high after last year's splendid victory in the Assembly polls. In 2014 Lok Sabha elections in Telangana, the BJP won only one seat -- Secunderabad -- out of the total 17 in the state. The Amit Shah-led outfit also fared poorly in the Assembly polls in December, securing only one seat in the 119-member House as the TRS juggernaut rolled on in the state.

The Congress is the main opposition in Telangana, where the party won 19 Assembly seats. But the Congress is in a turmoil as ten MLAs have announced their decision to quit the party since the beginning of this month and join the TRS, which now appears to have the momentum ahead of the April 11 Lok Sabha election. D K Aruna is the BJP candidate in Mahabubnagar, where Modi is addressing the rally tomorrow.

A former Congress MLA and Minister, she joined the BJP last week. The BJP also got a fresh impetus in Mahabubnagar, where the sitting TRS MP A P Jithender Reddy, who was the floor leader of the party in the Lok Sabha, joined the Amit Shah-led outfit yesterday. Reddy was denied ticket by the TRS. Congress President Rahul Gandhi is also slated to address three election rallies in Telangana -- Zaheerabad, Nagarkurnool and Nalgonda Lok Sabha segments -- on April 1.

Also on April 1, Modi is returning to this State to speak at a public meeting here. But the TRS has made light of the challenge posed by the national parties in the Lok Sabha elections. "Congress is not winning even one seat", Nizamabad Lok Sabha member K Kavitha, daughter of the TRS President and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, told PTI. She denied that the TRS is "soft" on the BJP vis-a-vis the Congress. "We are never soft on BJP. Whenever Modiji and Amit Shah came here saying things about our party, we always rebutted them in strongest possible terms.

The CM had time and again challenged Modi and Shah on various claims that they made," Kavitha said. "And Congress being the principal opposition party in Telangana, we speak about them more, because honestly BJP does not matter in Telangana. They (BJP) have one seat, they are not going to get back," she added. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the TRS won 11 seats, the Congress two and the BJP, the TDP, YSRCP and AIMIM one each. This time, the TRS has said its aim is to win 16 seats, leaving one for AIMIM with which it has teamed up.

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New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed his first rally in Uttar Pradeshs Meerut and said the people have made up their mind for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Addressing the rally, PM Modi said, 5 years ago, when I sought your blessings, you gave me a lot of love. I had said that I will return the blessings and the love with interest, and I had also said that I will give account of the work that I have done.

PM Modi paid tribute to Choudhary Charan Singh and said chowkidar does no injustice.

Apna hisab doonga, saath-saath doosra ka hisab bhi lunga. Ye dono kaam saath-saath chalne waale hain.Tabhi to hoga hisab barabar.Aur aap to jaante hain main chowkidaar hu. Aur chowkidaar kabhi Na-Insaafi nahi karta hai. Hisab hoga,sabka hoga, aur baari-baari se hoga (You know that I am a Chowkidar and Chowkidar doesnt let there be injustice. Everyone will be held accountable, one by one. In next few days, I will keep detail of what I did. But I will also ask that when people entrusted you with responsibility, why did you betray them.), Modi added.

Praising BJP-led NDA governments achievement, Modi said be it land, air or space his government has shown its mettle. We showed the courage to carry out surgical strikes, he said.

The opposition is trying to be popular in Pakistan. Does the public want Indias hero or Pakistans, Modi added referring to the row over the impact of India's Balakot strike on February 26.

Talking about Indias achievement of Mission Shakti, PM said that for him, India is before anything else.

Taking a jibe at Opposition, he added that they ignored the achievement of missile test.

Our scientists were demanding for testing of shooting down of satellite in space, their government (UPA) postponed this decision also. To make the India of 21st century strong and for its security, this decision should have been taken long ago. But it kept getting delayed, he added.

I spoke about ASAT (anti-satellite missile), some intelligent people thought I was talking about a theatre set," he said, referring to Rahul Gandhi's tweet sarcastically wishing him "Happy World Theatre Day."

Attacking Congress, Modi said on one side there is a strong chowkidar and on the other is a line of tainted people.

The upcoming Lok Sabha elections will be fight between decisive government and indecisive past, he added.

Modi will hold rallies in Uttarakhands Rudrapur and J&Ks Akhnoor later on Thursday.

All three states are scheduled to go for polls in phase-1 on April 11, 2019.

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Modi blamed Cong, NC, PDP for the problems that the people of the valley are facing today. (File: ANI)

Akhnoor: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday while addressing a political rally in Jammu and Kashmir's Akhnoor, blamed Congress, National Conference (NC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the problems that the people of the valley are facing today.

Modi said, "It is because of them (Congress, NC and PDP) that Kashmiri Pandits faced so much trouble. Sadly, national security is not a priority for them, they only care about power."

Commenting on the language of opposition, Modi said that Pakistan applauds such voice.

"The whole country is talking in one voice and these Congress people are talking in a different voice. Do you accept this language of Congress? Of PDP? of NC? Pakistan applauds their language," said Modi.

Further escalating its sharp attack on the opposition, Modi said, "What is beyond comprehension is Congress' attitude. Is it the same Congress that Sardar Patel was a part of? Is it the same Congress that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was a part of, and fought for India's independence," Modi asked.

Prime Minister on Thursday flagged off its Lok Sabha polls campaign from Uttar Pradesh's Meerut, then proceeded to Rudrapur (Uttarakhand) and finally concluded the day's schedule with Jammu and Kashmir's Akhnoor.

Modi at Meerut Praised BJP-led NDA governments achievement, Modi said be it land, air or space his government has shown its mettle. We showed the courage to carry out surgical strikes.

Read: BJP govt showed courage for surgical strikes in all spheres, says Modi in UP

In his second public rally in Uttarakhands Rudrapur Modi lashed out at the previous UPA-led government for the delays in acquiring military hardware, claiming that the party was more focused on commissions from defence deals.

Read: Is it right to abuse our Army Chief? PM slams Oppn in 2nd rally in Ukhand
On March 15, the apex court had asked the ECI to respond to the DMK's plea seeking by-polls for Tiruparankundram, Ottapidaram and Aravakurichi assembly constituencies. (Image: File)

New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) Thursday told the Supreme Court that it will hold by-elections on vacant assembly seats of Tiruparankundram, Ottapidaram and Aravakurichi in Tamil Nadu within a reasonable time.

The counsel appearing for the ECI told this to a bench of Justices S A Bobde and S A Nazeer which was hearing a plea filed by the DMK seeking a direction to the poll panel for holding the by-elections on these three vacant assembly seats.

The bench, while taking on record the submissions of the ECI's counsel, disposed of the petition and observed that the court cannot determine the timing of elections and it was for the poll panel to decide. The counsel appearing for the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) had earlier told the apex court that there are 21 vacant assembly seats in Tamil Nadu but the poll panel has notified by-polls for only 18 seats.

The DMK's counsel had said that by-polls on 18 vacant seats are scheduled to be held on April 18 along with the Lok Sabha polls in the state. He had said that the ECI should be asked to hold the by-elections on the remaining three assembly seats along with the general elections. On March 15, the apex court had asked the ECI to respond to the DMK's plea seeking by-polls for Tiruparankundram, Ottapidaram and Aravakurichi assembly constituencies.

The poll panel had earlier told the court that the by-polls for three assembly seats were not announced as some election petitions were pending in the Madras High Court. The Ottapidaram constituency is represented by disqualified AIADMK MLA Sundararaj, while Aravakurichi is represented by Senthil Balaji, an AIADMK legislator who is now with the DMK. Thiruparankundram legislator A K Bose died last year.

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Hyderabad: Doubts over the MIM candidate for the Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency cleared on Thursday with party leader Akbaruddin Owaisi withdrawing his nomination papers.

Mr Akbaruddin Owaisi had filed his papers on March 20, which created confusion as his elder brother and party president Asaduddin Owaisi had filed his papers. Mr Asaduddin Owaisi had clarified that the filing of nomination by his brother and the Chandrayangutta MLA was part of the back-up strategy of the party, which was a common practice. That did not clear the doubts in many people's minds.

A total of 24 candidates had filed their papers for the Hyderabad seat. While five nominations were rejected during scrutiny, four including Mr Akbaruddin Owaisi, withdrew.

Among the 15 candidates in the fray are two from national parties  Mr Bhagwanth Rao Pawar of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Mr Mohammed Feroz Khan of the Congress  and two candidates of regional parties, Mr Pusthe Srikanth from the TRS, an MIM ally, and Mr Asaduddin Owaisi of the MIM.
Minister Nara Lokesh obliges a student who requested a selfie with him during an interactive session at a hotel in Visakhapatnam on Thursday. (DC)

Visakhapatnam: Minister Nara Lokesh on Thursday said that it was in the best interests of the state that the TD returns to power in the state.

To complete pending projects and other development works in the state, the people have to choose the Telugu Desam once again, Mr Lokesh told a group of students during an interactive session here.

The minister called out to the youth to take up the responsibility of bringing the TD back to power.

Addressing the students, he said, The construction of Amaravati has just begun, the Polavaram project is half-complete. All these projects will be stalled if the Telugu Desam government doesnt return to power. The youth should vote wisely and should elect an efficient and capable leader for the state.

He added: The state is at top in terms of development activities taking place. The youth in the state is very much happy about the fact that industries like KIA and others are being set up in AP. With many industries coming in, the youth is getting various job opportunities. Government schools are offering a tough competition to private schools and this shows our commitment for the future generations.

Earlier, Mr Lokesh held a meeting with the industrialists of North Andhra region where he said that the TD government has given top priority to establishment of industries.

We are also working hard for the development of the IT sector. AP has a special image in the country with the efforts of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.

Industrialists like Adani are expressing interest to expand their units in the state. This reflects the dedication and hard work of Mr Naidu. We have drawn an action plan to resolve the issues for establishing industries, he said.

Mr Lokesh also urged the industrialists to generate jobs for the unemployed youth.

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Patna: Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadavs elder son Tej Pratap created a flutter by resigning as head of the partys student wing.

A wave of shock and surprise hit RJD circles and the entire Lalu clan as Tej Pratap announced his decision through a tweet on Thursday. Those who think I am a fool are foolish. I know their reality, he said in a tweet.

Sources said Tej Pratap was upset after the party leadership rejected his demand to accommodate two candidates in Bihar for the coming Lok Sabha polls.

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Hyderabad: The sauve and energetic Telangana Rashtra Samiti working president K.T. Rama Rao says the party will fight for strengthening of states and delisting key subjects like health, education and agriculture from the Concurrent List to keep the true federal spirit, even if it requires Constitutional amendments.

Mr Rao told Deccan Chronicle during an exclusive interview that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao was holding discussions on the proposed non-BJP, non-Congress Federal Front with Oppo-sition leaders Mamata Banerjee, Naveen Patnaik, Akhilesh Yadav, Mayawati, Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, among others.

The Federal Front we are proposing today might not appear formidable as we speak. But let me remind you that nobody would have forecast that Dr Manmohan Singh would be the Prime Minister for 10 long years when India was shining. Nobody predicted the BJP, NDA would lose, he said.

He said reports indicated that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu would lose the election and the people should wait for the return gift that Chandrasekhar Rao had promised Mr Naidu after May 23.

Excerpts from the interview.

Being the first Lok Sabha elections after taking over the reins, what's your prediction?

TRS will win 16 Lok Sabha seats and MIM one. KCR ideal model of welfare and development will set the tone for the country. Overall, I see non-BJP and non-Congress allies win at least 150 to 170 seats in the country.

Will the Federal Front be a reality?

Rahul Gandhiji who wants to become Prime Minister has 44 MPs in the Lok Sabha. Its a tall order going from 44 to 272. If KCR with 16 MPs, or wanting to get 16 MPs, wanting to become Prime Minister is a tall order, so is Rahul Gandhi with 44, in my opinion. Recent surveys and opinion polls point to this, and to continuation of coalition governments with no single party getting an absolute majority.

Are you saying KCR is a probable prime ministerial candidate?

No, I am not saying and neither are any of our party members. But this country should let BJP and Congress suffer from bipolar disorder.

There have been several surveys pointing to a BJP coalition or Congress coalition win.

No. Recent surveys or opinion polls also say coalition era is set to continue in this country with no single party getting an absolute majority.

BJP has certainly fallen the high of 2014 when they got 283 seats. They are facing one of the toughest situations. I dont foresee them crossing 150. Recently, after the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party tie-up, two incumbent Deputy CMs have lost their own Parliament seats by a big majority not by a whisker. That goes to show that most certainly there is a change in thinking, change of winds. UP being the biggest contributor to BJP in the last elections, with 71 MPs, if that turns around then I don't see BJP crossing 150.

Are you pointing to BJP to suffer setbacks in other states?

Yes. The reason I say that is because BJP has suffered a set-back in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan. They have lost a friend in Chandrababu, and the Akalis, who are in the dumps; they had to bend backwards to accommodate the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra.

But BJP is in an upbeat mood due to recent incidents and confident of winning the Lok Sabha elections hands down.

If you look at the BJPs rhetoric today in their election campaign, it is evident they don't have enough to showcase their governance. Or what they have delivered. Today, their campaign is all about Pulwama. The Prime Ministers sudden announcement on the anti-satellite missile, trying to own the DRDOs achievement... all this points to the fact that after five years the BJP leadership really doesnt have a lot to show the common man of this country in terms of what they have delivered.

What about the Congress party?

Rahuljis Congress has also unfortunately failed to inspire any enthusiasm among the country's electorate. If you look at Madhya Pradesh, Chhatti-sgarh  Chhattisgarh is an exception  and Rajasthan, it is a straight face-off between the BJP and Congress. The Congress won by a whisker. Even in Gujarat, the Congress actually, according to me, gave away a winning state on a platter to the BJP. Having said this, the Congress in my humble opinion will not cross 100 and BJP will not cross 150.

Do you feel the field is now wide open?

In my opinion, the field is now wide open for non-Congress, non-BJP parties to take centre stage, to work together, come on to a common platform, and create a common agenda for states empowerment, states being strengthened, more decentralisation in the true federal spirit. That can be accomplished and that is what the Chief Minister is espousing.

Do you see some unpredictable things happening with regard to the Federal Front?

In our country, a lot of unpredictable things have become a reality.

What do you mean by technically national parties?

Barring Karnataka, in Southern India, in Telangana, Andhra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry, they are zero. Non-existent. A party that is negligible, or non-existent in the entire southern India, how can it be a true national party? If you look at it, the Congress has also become a bigger regional party.

What about the TRS?

We are a smaller regional party. In our country, technically, according to the Election Commission, they [Congress and BJP] could be national parties, but in reality, nobody has a sizeable, commanding position in the country. So the coalition era is set to continue.

Its not a fight between Rahulji and Modiji as Congress and BJP would like the rest of the country to assume and believe. I believe it is a faceoff between the BJP-led coalition, Congress-led coalition and non-Congress, non-BJP formation, which will definitely take shape beyond May 23.

So we are hopeful of a non-Congress, non- BJP formation, the Federal Front, having a sizeable number of MPs between all of us, and we could come together with a true federal agenda. Because the ultimate aim should be: stronger the states, the stronger the country.

The Centre asserts it is supporting all states.

Ayushman Bharat was launched by the NDA government. But states like Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have a far superior scheme in the Arogya Sri. If the Centre is really keen and sincere in wanting to deliver on promises of affordable, accessible health care to all, they should have given the money for the states to spend.

Does this also apply to Rythu Bandhu?

Rythu Bandhu again is a classic example. Now the PM has picked it up. We are delighted, I tweeted about this imitation is best form of flattery that PM has decided to copy Rythu Bandhu, PM Kisan. We are happy he copied the scheme and Telangana scheme becoming role model for the country.

If only competitive politics goes out and economics takes centre stage, then PM Kisan could have been tailored in such a way depending on crop pattern, priorities  we could have tailor made it and possibly worked in cohesion.

North-eastern farmers vs. western farmers, vs. southern farmers, central Indian farmers  there is a huge difference in soil, climate, crop. You cannot have one size that fits all models.

What is your demand?

Health, education and agriculture should not be part of the Concurrent List. Leave those subjects to the states. Let the Centre play an important role in tackling terrorism, national security, defence, external affairs, trade and commerce, and other subjects, but not have day to day battle with states.

Will you poach from other parties to get the Federal Front?

Why poach? So far, in coalition politics, smaller regional parties have always supported bigger regional parties. We always give our energies, our resources, to either Congress or others.

In 2004, the number of seats won by the Congress was 140-odd out of the required 272; it barely crossed 50 per cent. Congress got 25 per cent of the 545 seats. Other regional parties supported the Congress. It was a Congress-led coalition. But it was as if the Congress was running the government. It was not. Congress hardly had 140 seats.

What do you feel should have been done?

Between us non-Congress and non-BJP parties have 160 or 170 MPs. May be there comes a time when the Congress and BJP decide to support the coalition instead of leading it. Let the regional forces lead.

Have you done the political arithmetic on this?

If you look at the number of seats we are contesting, UP alone has 80 seats out of which SP-BSP might win 50-55. In Telangana, we are confident of winning 16 seats and ally MIM 1, total 17. Likewise in Bengal, the Trinamul is likely to win 30 plus, in Odisha Naveenji [Patnaik] will win about 15, in AP Jagan Mohan Reddy is likely to win 20. So between all of us, we could have anywhere between 120 and 130 seats. If there are others joining us, it could be 150 to 160. National parties will have no choice but to support us. Anything can happen.

You mean to say more independent parties will support you?

There are many parties which are not with UPA or NDA. In Tamil Nadu, AIADMK is with BJP, DMK with Congress, but a bunch of others is in neither camp. Who knows what they will throw up? Go around the country, it is a similar situation.

Will KCR become Prime Minister?

Ideally. We would want a non-Congress, non-BJP Prime Minister. I do believe KCRji has it in him. He is a second term Chief Minister. If the gentleman, who lost in his own parliament segment and lost the municipal election in Amethi, wants to be PM, then why not KCR?

The second time KCR won by a thumping majority. An able administrator and according to a survey, No 1 CM. So, why not? He can lead the country.

After KCR, who will be CM?

It is thinking too far ahead. I am saying KCR has the ability to lead the nation. He has abilities, he has vision, he has strength, he has moral fortitude to lead the nation.

At the same time, do the numbers give credence to our idea? At this juncture it might look improbable. I understand. We understand realities, we understand the politics behind it. Please don't misquote me. Does he match up to Rahul, does he match up to Modi? Yes. He has all the leadership qualities to lead the nation. Does he have the numbers today? Probably not. So I am not going to throw out improbable combination. But we would like to see a non-Congress, non-BJP Prime Minister, man or woman to lead this country. Lets wait.

Who is leading this Federal Front?

Right now, nobody.

We all want predictability, what is there, what is not there. Our CM is trying to rally non-Congress, non-BJP parties to come together. He has been saying that why should Trinamool Congress throw its weight behind the Congress right before the elections and make them look bigger? What is the point? You can hold all your aces up your sleeve and wait till May 23. Post the elections, we can sit and chat. Real power is you, and you are empowering Congress, BJP.

If the DMK doesnt throw its weight behind the Congress, can the Congress win a single seat?

Do you feel regional parties have the strength to take on the BJP and Congress?

Regional parties have strength on the ground, so why are we leveraging and giving so much energy to these so-called national parties?

Can the BJP win a single seat in Tamil Nadu without the support of the AIADMK? Then why should these two Dravidian parties give their strength and resources to these national parties and make them look bigger?

If BJP and Congress support the Federal Front, who will be in Opposition?

Who knows?

When you are so serious, why didnt KCR or you contest a parliamentary seat?

Why should we contest? Manmohan Singh won from Assam. It's a nonsense argument my opponent is making, that if KCR wants to be in national politics why doesnt he contest as MP? To play a role in national politics should you be an MP? I am asking Uttam Kumar Reddy if you are sure about winning MP seat will he resign MLA seat?

Do you feel the Constitution has to be amended again in view of your demands?

As an Indian I am pained travelling to even Sri Lanka, Malaysia. Where did we go wrong? Telangana and Andhra is better off, go to UP, Bihar there are villages with no roads, water, power, toilets. After 71 years, the PM asks people to construct toilets! When plan A has not worked, go for plan B.

Where did we go wrong?

Indira Gandhi said Garibi hatao. Now her grandson (Rahul Gandhi), 40 years later, talks about the same thing. How beautiful is the Congress party. They are so consistent40 years after. Can India join first league countries with the existing set-up?

A country like Japan rose from the ashes after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. They faced all kinds of natural calamities. South Korea is way ahead of us. I really feel ashamed. Somewhere we went wrong.

CM says 45,000 TMC is enough to solve the drinking water crisis in the country. Even after 71 years, we could not solve it. What is the narrative today in elections? Debate should be on employment health, education, agriculture, but it's not done. Now its Bofors vs Rafale. Is Chowkidar chor or not. Is this the debate?

Compared to Rahulji, Modiji, does he (KCR) measure up? Absolutely. I am not giving him a certificate as leader and son. Telangana people gave certificate to KCR.

If not KCR, but if Mayawati, Chandrababu Naidu, and Mamata Banerjee are in the race for PM, will the TRS support it?

We want a non-Congress non-BJP government. But when it comes to Chandrababu Naidus case, we have clarity. With guarantee I can say AP people will retire him, whether he likes it or not. Its the ground reality.

If Jagan Mohan Reddy gets 20 to 22 MPs, if Naidu doesnt have one or two MPs, forget spinning chakram in Delhi, he cant even spin a bongaram (top) in Vijayawada. Let him come to stark realisation. His manipulative skills, abilities to fool people are over. He is abusing Jagan and KCR. First of all, we are not contesting in Andhra Pradesh. He is doing KCR japam more than than NTR did. The same gentleman wanted a tie up with us three months back. If Naidu had an alliance with us, he would not have abused us. We are not contesting in AP. But he contested and was defeated in Telangana state.

Why are you not campaigning in Andhra Pradesh?

Why should I? I am not contesting.

Your party is labelled the B-Team of the BJP.

When Rahul Gandhi comes to Hyderabad he calls us BJP B-Team. Narendra Modiji calls us Congress B-Team. This is the conspiracy of two national parties. They want the entire world to think that regional parties of this country are subordinates to either of them.

We are the A-Team of the people of Telangana state.

The BJP is talking about Ram Mandir again. [They are] political Hindutva activists. We are real Hindutva activists. Our CM, without hue and cry, went about constructing Yadadri not for votes.

That regional parties have no national agenda is a fallacy. KCR responded immediately on Phulwama. We suspended all our political activities for one week, unlike Rahul Gandhi or Narendra Modi. We gave `25 lakh each to victims of Phulwama. We helped Kerala, Andhra Pradesh Hud Hud, J&K, Jharkhand as Indians, we want to set an example.

Your party is accused of not responding properly on the triple talaq issue.

The triple talaq issue was politicised by both parties keeping in view vote bank politics. We did not look into that aspect.

Why was Harish Rao sidelined? Why was he not taken into the Cabinet? Now he is a last minute star campaigner.

Neither of us is in the Cabinet. Am I also being sidelined? I entered TRS in 2006. I became a minister in 2014. I recently won my fourth election.

I won the first election by 171 votes, second with 54,000, third election 89,000 and earlier by-election with 68,000 votes. I fought my way up and I was part of the movement for eight years till I became a minister. During those eight years if the media were to be believed, I was sidelined, I was marginalised.

Depending on the situation, work is allotted by the CM. I led the GHMC polls, he [Harish Rao] took care of Mahbubnagar. We both are not in the Cabinet. Dont read too much into this. Dont make a non issue into an issue.

Key departments like IT, municipal administration dont have ministers.

Our CM is more active than any minister. Nobody is indispensible in a democracy. There are thousands of people smarter, competent.

I dont have any grand ambitions. There is superstition on Endowment portfolio. I and my rivals pray to gods, but only one wins. Ultimately Voter is God.

Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analyses et all. Happy reading.
The Soviet Union performed similar tests around the same time. In the 1960s and early 1970s, it tested a weapon that could be launched in orbit, approach enemy satellites and destroy them with an explosive charge, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists, a non-profit research and advocacy organization.

India tested an anti-satellite weapon on Wednesday, saying the indigenously produced interceptor was used to destroy an object in orbit.

Such a weapon allows for attacks on enemy satellites - blinding them or disrupting communications - as well as providing a technology base for intercepting ballistic missiles.

India, whose space program has developed launchers, satellites and probes to the moon and Mars, created the interceptor used in Wednesdays test domestically, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a broadcast on television.

PREVIOUS TESTS

The United States performed the first anti-satellite tests in 1959, when satellites themselves were rare and new.

Bold Orion, designed as a nuclear-tipped ballistic missile re-purposed to attack satellites, was launched from a bomber and passed close enough to the Explorer 6 satellite for it to have been destroyed if the missile had been armed.

The Soviet Union performed similar tests around the same time. In the 1960s and early 1970s, it tested a weapon that could be launched in orbit, approach enemy satellites and destroy them with an explosive charge, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists, a non-profit research and advocacy organization.

In 1985, the United States tested the ASM-135, launched from an F-15 fighter jet, destroying an American satellite called Solwind P78-1.

There were no tests for more than 20 years.

Then in 2007, China entered the anti-satellite arena by destroying an old weather satellite in a high, polar orbit. The test created the largest orbital debris cloud in history, with more than 3,000 objects, according to the Secure World Foundation, a group that advocates sustainable and peaceful uses of outer space.

The next year, the United States carried out Operation Burnt Frost, using a ship-launched SM-3 missile to destroy a defunct spy satellite.

DEBRIS

Debris from anti-satellite tests can create problems for other satellites and spacecraft in orbit, as tiny bits of junk whiz through space many times faster than a rifle bullet.

The International Space Station, for example, regularly tweaks its orbit to avoid debris of all kinds.

Chinas 2007 test is considered the most destructive. Because the impact took place at an altitude of more than 800 km (500 miles), many of the resulting scraps stayed in orbit.

The US test in 2008 did not create as much orbital debris, and because it was at a lower altitude, atmospheric drag caused much of it to fall toward Earth and burn up.

Indias foreign ministry said in a statement that its test was done in the lower atmosphere to ensure there was no debris in space and that whatever was left would decay and fall back onto the earth within weeks.

The US Strategic Command, which tracks objects in orbit for the US military, had no immediate comment on Wednesdays test.

MILITARY USE

Destroying an enemys satellites, which can provide crucial intelligence and communications in war, is considered an advanced capability.

With the successful test on Wednesday, India theoretically holds other countries satellites at risk.

Neighboring Pakistan, with which India traded airstrikes last month, has several satellites in orbit, launched using Chinese and Russian rockets.

But China, which put dozens of satellites in orbit in 2018 alone, according to state media, could see Indias fledgling capability as more of a threat.

India needed to build anti-satellite weapons because adversary China has already done it in 2007, said Ajay Lele, senior fellow at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses.

More than anything I would say through this India is sending a message to the subcontinent, he added. India is saying that we have mechanisms for space warfare.

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Anti-satellite weapons permit attacks on enemy satellites, blinding them or disrupting communications, as well as providing a technology base for intercepting ballistic missiles.

India shot down one of its own satellites in low-Earth orbit with a ground-to-space missile on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, hailing his countrys first test of such weaponry as a breakthrough establishing it as a military space power.

India would be the fourth country to have used such an anti-satellite weapon after the United States, Russia and China, according to Modi, who heads into general elections next month.

Our scientists shot down a live satellite 300 kilometers away in space, in low-Earth orbit, Modi said in a television broadcast.

India has made an unprecedented achievement today, he added, speaking in Hindi. India registered its name as a space power.

Anti-satellite weapons permit attacks on enemy satellites, blinding them or disrupting communications, as well as providing a technology base for intercepting ballistic missiles.

Such capabilities have raised fears of the weaponization of space and setting off a race between rivals.

Acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan warned that the use of anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons like the one India tested on Wednesday risk making a mess in space due to the debris fields the can leave behind.

The US militarys Strategic Command was tracking more than 250 pieces of debris from Indias missile test and would issue close-approach notifications as required until the debris enters the Earths atmosphere, Pentagon spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Dave Eastburn said.

The New Delhi government and Washington, which have generally close relations, have been in talks regarding the event, and India publicly issued an aircraft safety advisory before the launch, Eastburn added.

Lieutenant General David Thompson, vice commander of US Air Force Space Command, said the International Space Station was not at risk at this point.

Chinas foreign ministry said it hoped all countries can earnestly protect lasting peace and tranquillity in space. Russia declined to make any immediate comment.

Indias neighbor and arch-rival, Pakistan, said space is the common heritage of mankind, and every nation has the responsibility to avoid actions which can lead to the militarization of this arena.

Tensions flared last month between the nuclear-armed foes after a militant attack in the disputed region of Kashmir.

India has had a space program for years, providing Earth-imaging satellites and launch capabilities as a cheaper alternative to Western space services. It sent a low-cost probe to Mars in 2014 and plans its first manned space mission by 2022. India also launched a lunar mission, Chandrayaan-1, in 2008 that included an orbiter and an impact probe.

The latest test, conducted from an island off Indias east coast, was aimed at protecting the countrys assets in space against foreign attacks, the government said.

A ballistic missile defense interceptor produced by the governments Defence Research and Development Organisation was used to shoot down the satellite, the foreign ministry said.

The capability achieved ... provides credible deterrence against threats to our growing space-based assets from long-range missiles, and proliferation in the types and numbers of missiles, it said in a statement.

The three-minute test in the low-Earth orbit ensured there was no debris in space and the remnants would decay and fall back on to the Earth within weeks, the ministry added.

But Jeffrey Lewis of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey said the risk of fragments hitting other objects in space remained.

One of the big risks of a hit-to-kill ASAT (anti-satellite weapon) is that it shatters the target, leaving a cloud of lethal debris that threatens other satellites. In an extreme scenario, there is even a risk of collisional cascading in which one breakup triggers others in a chain reaction.

While tests can be arranged to minimize this risk, any operational use of such a system in war poses a real threat to all satellites in orbit at similar altitude.

China destroyed a satellite in 2007, creating the largest orbital debris cloud in history, with more than 3,000 objects, according to the Secure World Foundation.

Chinas test spurred India to develop its anti-satellite capability, said Ajay Lele, a senior fellow of the government-funded Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses in New Delhi.

Indian defense scientists had sought political approval for live tests but successive governments had baulked, fearing international condemnation, an Indian defense official said.

Brahma Chellaney, a security expert at New Delhis Centre of Policy Research, said the United States, Russia and China were pursuing anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons.

Space is being turned into a battlefront, making counter-space capabilities critical. In this light, Indias successful kill with an ASAT weapon is significant.

UNITED STATES A PIONEER

The United States ran the first anti-satellite test in 1959, when satellites were rare and new.

In the 1960s and early 1970s, the Soviet Union tested a weapon that would be launched into orbit, approach enemy satellites and destroy them with an explosive charge, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists.

In 1985 the United States tested the ASM-135, launched from an F-15 fighter, destroying a US satellite called Solwind P78-1.

There were no tests for more than 20 years, until China entered the anti-satellite arena in 2007.

The following year, the United States used a ship-launched SM-3 missile to destroy a defunct spy satellite in Operation Burnt Frost.

Modis Hindu nationalist-led government has taken a strong position on national security, launching air strikes last month on a suspected militant camp in Pakistan that spurred retaliatory raids.

Although he faces criticism for failing to deliver on high economic growth and create jobs, a hawkish position on security should help Modi at the ballot box, pollsters say.

The leader of the main opposition Congress party, Rahul Gandhi, congratulated defense scientists but took a dig at Modi for the announcement on a day that commemorates theatricals.

I would also like to wish the prime minister a very happy World Theatre Day, Gandhi said. School children held flags in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad celebrating the test.

A concern for India is that China could help its old ally Pakistan neutralize any advantage.

Pakistan and China have a very deep strategic kind of partnership. So some kind of sharing of capabilities cant be ignored, Uday Bhaskar, director of the Society for Policy Studies, another Delhi think-tank, said.

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The United States circulated a resolution - drafted with British and French support - to the 15-member council that would designate JeM leader Masood Azhar, subjecting him to an arms embargo, travel ban and asset freeze, diplomats said. (Photo: File)

United Nations: The United States, Britain and France stepped up a push for the United Nations Security Council to blacklist the head of Pakistan-based terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) on Wednesday after China prevented an earlier move two weeks ago.

China on Thursday accused the US of undermining the authority of the UN anti-terrorism committee by forcefully moving a resolution in the UNSC to list Pakistan-based JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, saying Americas move only complicates the issue.

Asked about the development, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a media briefing that Washington move only complicates the issue.

This is not in line with resolution of the issue through dialogue and negotiations. This has reduced the authority of the Committee as a main anti-terrorism body of the UNSC and this is not conducive to the solidarity and only complicates the issue.

We urge the US to act cautiously and avoid forcefully moving forward this resolution draft, Geng said.

The United States circulated a resolution - drafted with British and French support - to the 15-member council that would designate JeM leader Masood Azhar, subjecting him to an arms embargo, travel ban and asset freeze, diplomats said.

JeM has claimed responsibility for a February 14 attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama that killed at least 40 CRPF personnel, making it the deadliest in Kashmir during a 30-year-long insurgency.

The United States, Britain and France initially asked the Security Council's ISIS and al Qaeda sanctions committee, which operates by consensus, to blacklist Azhar. However, China prevented the move.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said that China had conducted a "comprehensive and thorough evaluation" but still needed more time to consider the proposal. China had previously prevented the committee from sanctioning Azhar in 2016 and 2017.

Instead of consensus, a resolution only needs nine votes in favour and no vetoes by China, Russia, the United States, France or Britain to pass. It was not immediately clear when the draft resolution to designate Azhar could be put to a vote.

The Chinese mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the draft text.

JeM was blacklisted by the UN Security Council in 2001. In December 2001, Jaish fighters, along with members of another Pakistan-based terrorist group, Lashkar-e-Taiba, attacked India's parliament, which almost led to a fourth war between the two countries.
London: The stage is set for a busy period of Indian extradition-related activity in the UK courts as liquor baron Vijay Mallya's High Court appeal moves forward for a judge's verdict on paperwork and fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi returns to Westminster Magistrates' Court here for a second bail hearing on Friday.

"All the papers have been received and are now awaiting allocation to a single judge who will decide, on the basis of those papers, if permission is given to go to a full hearing," said a spokesperson for the UK judiciary, in reference to Mallya's application seeking an appeal against his extradition ordered by the magistrates' court and then signed off by UK home secretary Sajid Javid last month.

While there is no set timescale for the judge to pronounce a decision on whether Mallya will be granted an appeal in the UK High Court, a decision is likely within the next few weeks. The 62-year-old former Kingfisher Airlines boss, wanted in India on alleged fraud and money laundering charges amounting to about Rs 9,000 crore, took to social media yet again to claim unfair treatment in the context of struggling Indian airlines Jet Airways being thrown a lifeline by public sector banks.

In her ruling at the end of his extradition trial in December last year, Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot had concluded that Mallya has a case to answer in the Indian courts over substantial "misrepresentations" of his financial dealings. "There is clear evidence of dispersal and misapplication of the loan funds and I find a prima facie case that Dr Mallya was involved in a conspiracy to launder money," she noted.

Now, the same judge is expected to preside over the next major Indian extradition trial to come before the Westminster Magistrates' Court, that of diamantaire Modi  wanted for alleged "high value and sophisticated" fraud and money laundering amounting to USD 2 billion. "He is expected to be produced before the court for a second bail application hearing on March 29," a court official said. Meanwhile, the 48-year-old has been lodged in HMP Wandsworth prison in south-west London since last Wednesday, when a judge had declined his request for bail on the grounds that he posed a flight risk.

Describing him as the "opposite of a flight risk" during the first bail application hearing last week, Modi's defence team had offered 500,000 pounds as security and also submitted to any stringent conditions that may be imposed upon their client. It remains to be seen how they would further bolster that offer in order to convince the judge to grant bail during the second hearing, following which the case will proceed to a series of case management hearings and setting of a trial date. Modi was arrested by the Scotland Yard officers from a bank in central London as he attempted to open a new bank account on March 19.

During his first court appearance a day after, it emerged that the diamantaire accused of defrauding India's state-owned Punjab National Bank (PNB) via fraudulent Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) had been in possession of multiple passports, since revoked by the Indian authorities.

While one passport is now in possession of the Metropolitan Police, a second expired passport is lying with the UK Home Office and a third with the UK's Driving and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) for a driver's licence. Besides the passports, Modi also possesses multiple residency cards, some of them expired, but covering countries such as the UAE, Singapore and Hong Kong.

His defence team tried to establish his very "visible" and "lawful" residence at his luxury Centre Point apartment in London's West End, paying his local council tax and also using a National Insurance number, allocated to legal UK residents for purposes of work.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), arguing on behalf of the Indian authorities, had challenged all claims to counter the first bail plea and pointed out that Modi had "deliberately evaded justice" and not returned to India despite a series of criminal summons issued by Indian courts. The CPS will now be joined by a joint Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) team that has arrived from India to assist with Modi's extradition case.
Four new domestic routes, a new airline and two additional cargo flights to international destinations. These are the highlights of the summer schedule of the Kempegowda International Airport. Beginning March 31, the schedule will be in force till October 26.

Agra and Nashik (IndiGo), Gwalior (SpiceJet) and Jamnagar (Star Air) are the new routes, giving passengers the opportunity for non-stop flights. Flynas will be the new airline as the Saudi Arabia-based budget carrier has proposed to operate three weekly flights between KIA and Jeddah.

Leading international carrier, Singapore Airlines is all set to operate a luxury Airbus A350-900 between Bengaluru and Singapore, with 10 flights each week from May 17. It will be the first airline to start A350 services from the Bengaluru airport.

Cargo movement from Bengaluru will get a boost as SpiceJet has proposed to operate additional flights to Singapore and Abu Dhabi from May 1.

Hari Marar, managing director and (CEO, Bangalore International Airport Ltd said: "We will continue to explore attractive routes to destinations in India and abroad."

The top international airline during the summer schedule by air traffic movements will be IndiGo, with 15.3% market share of overseas operations. Air India will be second with 8.1%. IndiGo will continue to lead the domestic market share at 46.5% and SpiceJet at 13.8%.
The National Green Tribunals (NGT) ban on coal mining in Meghalaya in 2014 has become a campaign topic for political parties vying for the two Lok Sabha seats in the state.

Days after the opposition Congress released a video blaming the ruling National Peoples Partys (NPP) failure to resolve the issue, chief minister Conrad K. Sangma has alleged that Mukul Sangma-led Congress government failed to challenge the NGTs ban, impacting livelihood and causing financial loss to the state.

Today I want to ask Mukul Sangma as to why he failed to challenge the NGT order in the Supreme Court in 2014. In 2018, when we came to power, the government had to start from the scratch and appeal in the Supreme Court. We have engaged with different stakeholders to resolve the ban on coal mining for greater interest of the people, Conrad said at a rally at Jadi in South Garo Hills on Tuesday evening.

Conrads younger sister and sitting MP, Agatha Sangma is contesting from Tura Lok Sabha constituency against Mukul Sangma. Tura has been a stronghold of NPP, from where the party founder and Agathas father, P A Sangma was elected nine times.

The blame game over the mining ban has come amid the operation to dewater the 300-feet deep flooded coal mine in East Jaintia Hills district, where 15 miners got trapped on December 13 last year. Four bodies have been pulled out but the team of Navy divers were called back following the tension with Pakistan over the Pulwama attack.

Vested interests

Conrad alleged that Mukul Sangma had his own interest in revoking the ban, as he had a monopoly over the coal trade in Meghalaya. In 2015, when the Central Government sought a response from the state government on exemption of Mine and Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act from Meghalaya, the then government had failed to respond, said a statement quoting the chief minister.

The NGT had issued the ban on coal mining, which was carried out without any safety measure and had seriously impacted the ecology. Conrad had earlier moved the Centre with a request to allow the coal mining with proper safety measures, as a large number of people are dependent on the business.
From the Sabarimala row to political murders to demonetisation, a host of issues will decide the voting pattern of Keralites during the Lok Sabha polls.

Issues like the environmental exploitation and fall in prices of cash crops would have its implications on a regional basis. Surgical strikes across the border and the political killing in the state are also expected to be used by political parties during the campaign.

One of the most crucial factors of this Lok Sabha elections is whether the BJP will succeed in opening its account to the Lok Sabha from Kerala. The aggressive stand taken by the saffron party against the entry of women in the 10-50 age group to the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple can be a decisive factor in this regard.

The BJP pins hope that a major chunk of Hindu believers hailed its stand on the Sabarimala issue and it will turn into votes. The constituencies like Thiruvananthapuram, Pathanamthitta, Thrissur and Palakkad have considerable Hindu community votes and might have an impact of the Sabarimala issue.

Kerala witnessed massive floods that claimed nearly 500 lives and caused damages to the tune of Rs 30,000 crore last year. Now Kerala is suffering from acute summer and heading towards a drought. Hence environmental issues will also come up during the campaigning. Alleged lapses in the post-flood rehabilitation will be raised as a poll issue against the Left Front, which is in the power in Kerala.

The Congress is all set to attack the CPM with the political violence, especially in the backdrop of the recent murder of two Youth Congress workers at Kasaragod. About 20 political murders have taken place in the state after the Left came to power in 2016. Congress president Rahul Gandhis recent visit to families of the slain Youth Congress workers was a prelude to raising political murder as a major poll plank.

Demonetisation

Prime Minister Narendra Modis demonetisation order in 2016 had badly hit a large section of the society and even affected the thriving real estate business in Kerala. A large section of traders says that business was yet to recover after switching over to the GST regime.

These sentiments, whether genuine or not, would have its repercussions in the polls. Price fall of cash crops and Hindutva agenda are issues that the CPM and the Congress might highlight among minority communities.

Political commentator and veteran journalist Babu Bhaskar said mainstream political parties have got a definite vote base in Kerala. But the decisive factor is the minor section of voters, whose voting factors depend on various genuine issues like unemployment, development and environment issues.

He feels that the Pulwama attack and the Balakot attack may not be a big deciding factor in Kerala.
In a joint mid-sea operation off Porbandar coast by Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Marine Task Force and Indian Coast Guard (ICG), 100 kg of heroin was seized while nine suspected smugglers were apprehended on Wednesday early morning. The drug is suspected to have originated from Pakistan and was to be supplied to a receiver in Gujarat.

The ATS officials had received information about a consignment of narcotics drugs was going to be smuggled in Gujarat through the sea. It was also revealed that consignment was to be smuggled in a dhow of Iran, which will be loaded in Pakistan.

Following the tip-off, ATS officers contacted Indian Coast Guard and Marine Task Force and launched a joint operation to catch the smugglers. The officers of ATS boarded ICGs Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) and search operation was started. Officials said that the commandos of Marine Task Force were kept in boats in territorial waters to help in the operation.

The information was limited and only communication frequency was known to identify the smugglers boat. After more than 24 hours of search, a suspicious boat was identified while making attempt to communicate in the particular frequency, ATS officials said.

Once was the boat was in site, ICG ship directed the suspected boat to halt. But the boat made desperate attempts to run away. The ICGs ship started chasing the boat.

When apprehension became inevitable, its crew set the boat ablaze to destroy the evidence. Officers and personnel of ICG Ship along-with ATS Officers made high risk to rescue nine smugglers from the smugglers boat, and successfully apprehended them, they said.

Nearly 100 kg of heroin was seized from the smugglers boat. The ICG ship tried to extinguish the fire, but due to the presence of 24,000 ltrs of fuel and few gas cylinders, the fire could not be controlled and eventually, the boat sank. Officials said that the receiver of the boat in Gujarat has also been identified who will be arrested soon.

The interrogation of nine Iranian nationals revealed one Pakistani national Hamid Malek had sent the consignment, which was loaded in the Iranian boat off Gwadar port of Pakistan. The total value of the contraband as per international value is estimated to be Rs 500 crores.
As the country approaches the 2019 General Elections amidst the growing cacophony that now goes by the name of politics, it is the idea of Brahminical supremacy that has won the day and has corroded almost every aspect of our political system.

Belligerent and masculine nationalism, the oft-repeated statement about Muslims being the enemy inside  thus keeping the social pot always on a slow fire that could easily be turned into a full-fledged communal riot, and the torturing and killings of Dalits are the defining features of the time under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government led by Narendra Modi.

It indeed is a hopeless situation for the politics of social justice and social transformation, not because it has lost meaning or takers, but because of a deeper morass that has engulfed the very idea of politics in India. More than ever before, the Indian nation and its nationalism are defined by Brahminism today.

It is in this political milieu that we must see the recent utterances by BJP MP Subramanian Swamy, who underlined his Brahmin status while responding to the #MainBhiChowkidar campaign of the ruling party. Many of us found this latest slogan from Modi quite distasteful and callous, referring as it did to a section of society engaged as security persons or chowkidars  a class of heavily underpaid people, exploited by making them work long hours and with little or no dignity in their work.

Notwithstanding the entirely ridiculous campaign invoking chowkidars by the learned prime minister,  through which the government wants to salvage its image of patronising big capital and abetting the escape from India of other cronies  Swamy has been quite honest and sincere. He doesnt hide his Brahminism the way his party does.

In fact, when he says he cannot be a chowkidar given his Brahminical divinity, the joke is actually on the government who cannot even counter Swamys utterances because his is the divine truth that actually informs their everyday politics: the politics of brutalizing Dalits, Adivasis and religious minorities as ordained by the nation conceived by Brahminism.

What Subramanian Swamy said was in continuance of the action and statements of the likes of Bandaru Dattatreya, whose interference led to the institutional oppression of Rohith Vemula resulting in his death. The government is yet to come clean on this. One should not forget another BJP MP from Karnataka, Anant Kumar Hegde, who is obsessed with Rahul Gandhis caste and wants proof of Gandhi being a Brahmin.

The list can go long, however, the point being that all such statements and actions are not simply the political snobbery of a few deranged politicians. This is the outcome of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sanghs (RSS) ideological model of India being a Hindu rashtra (nation), while what they actually mean is an India structured on the principles of Brahminism.

The bigger irony, however, is that the response to this politics of Brahminism  at times wrongly conceived of as majoritarian politics of Hindus (but thats a different story)  is also Brahminism. How else to characterise Rahul Gandhis numerous temple visits and the dumbstruck efforts of leaders like Mayawati, Akhilesh Yadav, Mamata Banerjee, who never confront the hydra-headed face of the RSS cultural model ideologically.

For most of the Opposition leaders taking on RSS-BJP politics is done through engineering an electoral alliance vested in their social support base. What they completely ignore is the fact that the RSS and BJP have the ideological fodder for their Opponents base as well.

So, no surprises when a Samajwadi Party or a BSP supporter is also a 'militant Hindu at the same time. It is not very difficult to predict a growing socioeconomic precarity of a Dalit Bahujan mass who is made to live in the make-believe world of being a Hindu while it is they who are the most discriminated against by the same religion.

If truth be told, the BJP under the Modi-Shah duo is the biggest enemy of Dalits and Adivasis in the country today. One just has to see the damage they have done to higher education  the only sector that promises and ensures a life of dignity to the marginalised sections.

The idea of an inclusive nation, as conceptualised by the makers of the Constitution, committed to the welfare of its socially differential populace stands brutalised today. And what is at stake is much bigger than merely the battle between the BJP and the Congress and political forces encamped as the third front. It is the battle to rescue politics itself, for if not done now, we will soon have a political system which will be bereft of any politics, let alone the politics of social justice.

(Moggallan Bharti teaches at the School of Development Studies, Ambedkar University Delhi)
The Mueller probe ought to ignite greater trust in institutions and in those charged with investigating wrongdoing. Whether it does so, or whether Americans on all sides cling to their blindfolds of instant certainty and continue to weaponize all political aspects of the investigation, is an important personal choice.

First, the good news. Robert Mueller was accused of conducting a witch hunt. Some on the left had interpreted his every move as leading to a criminal indictment against the president. Neither was true.

Mueller apparently let the facts guide him and his investigation, which, unfortunately, sounds so foreign in this age of hyper partisanship. But it speaks of integrity, an essential ingredient for any great nation.

Second, the most important institution of American democracy  its complicated and multi-faceted election system  held firm. The 2016 election was not rigged. Mueller apparently found no evidence the president colluded with any Russian operatives to influence the outcome.

He found plenty of evidence that people associated with the Russian government tried to do so on their own, however. The Internet Research Agency, a Russian organization, launched a social media disinformation effort designed to sow social discord, according to Attorney General William Barrs report on Muellers principal conclusions.

The Russian government, meanwhile, hacked computers and stole email and other items associated with Hillary Clintons campaign, in an effort to influence public opinion.

As a candidate, Donald Trump didnt help matters by publicly calling on Russia to do this, but apparently no evidence could be found to show he did any more than this.

Unfortunately, the Mueller probe did not have the kind of clean and conclusive ending needed to put all its matters to rest. When it comes to whether the president obstructed justice, Barr said, while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.

It was Barr and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein who concluded the evidence Mueller gathered was not sufficient for building a criminal case against the president.

In the publics interest, therefore, Barr should release the complete Mueller report as soon as possible.

Even so, critics likely will continue to assail Barrs integrity. Democrats likely will continue their own investigations of the president in various other contexts in the House. The president, not known for politeness, likely will respond in kind. As a result, the volume of rhetoric isnt likely to get any softer leading up to the 2020 elections.

Thats a disservice to the nation. Americans are getting tired of the nastiness. Those who pursue that path are likely to find that voters are unimpressed. The country needs a return to a quieter, more competent federal government.

The country needs a return to a quieter, more competent federal government.

Its worth remembering that the Mueller investigation confirmed that the Russians who tried to cause mischief had two main objectives. One was to undermine Americans confidence in their electoral process. The other was to sow divisive discord among the people.

In many ways, they succeeded on both counts.

But now they have been exposed. The 2016 election, finally, should belong to the history books.

Whether foreign operatives have any influence on future elections, through social media or in other ways, depends entirely on the American people and whether they unwittingly allow it to happen.
SALT LAKE CITY  On Friday, NASA released new images of a fireball that exploded over Earth in December 2018.

According to NASA, the explosion, which happened 16 miles above the Bering Sea, unleashed an estimated 173 kilotons of energy (more than 10 times the energy of the atomic bomb blast over Hiroshima).

Scientists combed through Earth satellite data to see if we had a record of a fireball exploding in the atmosphere over the Bering Sea back in December 2018. See how @NASA instruments imaged the event: https://t.co/WysTJWSevP pic.twitter.com/xCAvMN3O8U  NASA JPL (@NASAJPL) March 22, 2019

The fireball, which was captured in photographs by the Terra satellite on Dec. 18, was an exceptionally bright meteor that could be seen across a wide area of land, according to USA Today.

NASA reported that the image sequence of the event shows views from five of nine Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer cameras and shows the shadow of the meteors trail through Earths atmosphere as well as an orange-tinted cloud the meteor left behind.

According to NASA, it posed no threat to anyone on the ground.

"An event like this might occur two to three times a century," Lindley Johnson, a planetary defense officer at NASA, told USA Today.

The December fireball was the most powerful fireball to be spotted since 2013 when a meteor exploded in the Chelyabinsk region of Russia.
PROVO  Brigham Young University students Colin Ross, Elena Deighton, Annalee Ross and Remington Butler were repeatedly pulled into group photos and given cheers from the audience as they walked the dimly lit aisles of Provos Dry Bar Comedy Monday night.

One woman turned to a stranger in the row behind her as they passed, and told her, Its OK to stare, were all staring.

The room was filled with the smell of popcorn and the excited chatter of around 200 college students and fans of the YouTube series Provos Most Eligible. Some drove for two hours and waited in a line that stretched outside the door and down the sidewalk for the chance to watch the final episode, meet the cast and even attempt to score dates with some of the crew and cast.

The shows endearingly awkward staying power was made evident by the laughs, the boos, the "ooh's" and the "ahh's" that filled the room as the finale played on a screen above the stage and fans finally got to see which girl won Ross heart.

I was crying, said Bri Mayo, who drove from Logan to watch the finale and ask out Butler, the shows host. I literally had so much fun. I have the chills right now.

Provos Most Eligible, which was initially called "The Bachelor of Provo," began as a lighthearted parody of ABCs The Bachelor and was an attempt by Ross friends to get him a girlfriend.

We didnt expect that anyone would watch it. We expected that a little group of people might watch it maybe, but not the reaction that it got, Butler told the audience in a Q&A, hosted by The Beehive, following the finale.

Ross awkward attempts to date 22 girls on camera in the style of The Bachelor have been viewed more than 150,000 times on YouTube, with several viewers calling the show a trainwreck and the most awkward thing Ive ever seen. The show gained popularity as it spread via word of mouth and social media.

The Bachelor of Provo eventually evolved into Provos Most Eligible after copyright issues put a temporary hold on filming and prevented the cast from continuing the show in the same format.

In the end, Ross chose between contestants Deighton and Annalee Ross  even getting down on one knee in a mock proposal before asking the winning woman, Annalee Ross, to be his girlfriend.

Annalee Ross and Colin Ross have been discussing the next stage of their relationship, they say, and according to Annalee Ross, their relationship is "great, though they aren't as quick to define it off-screen. They dont know what the future holds  Colin Ross may leave Utah for the summer while Annalee Ross will continue with school  but theyre willing to explore it.

Were just going to kind of take it as it comes,  just kind of live in the moment, Annalee Ross said. Lifes too short to plan ahead (or) put an expiration date on things.

Annalee Ross, who started a mock sorority at Brigham Young University with 35 of her friends, said when she first found a flyer for The Bachelor of Provo, she thought it would be funny to submit an application for all 36 of them.

The then-Bachelor of Provo crew reached out to tell her that too many people had applied on one application, so she applied on her own and got in.

I totally had the expectation that it was going to be, like, two guys with iPhones and, like, 200 people were going to watch it, Annalee Ross said, adding that she thought itd be something Id pull out when I was, like, 30 and be like, Look at this dumb thing I did.' But now were here.

Colin Ross said that early on in the show, Annalee Ross was a standout. I just think we had a good friendship from the beginning, he said. And I was like, Hey, I think shes really fun to hang out with.'

As the pair got to know each other on-screen, they also began hanging out off-screen around the time the crew was filming the second episode.

Mayo, who has watched the show from the beginning, said she was happy to see the two together in the end.

I was rooting for Annalee Ross, Mayo said. Elena is precious, but I feel like (Annalee Ross and Colin Ross) clicked way more and theyre just cute together.

The future of the show

Now that Provos Most Eligible has concluded, the shows crew is planning a second season  but this one will be a little different.

Were going to make our own unique dating show, Butler told the audience at Dry Bar. Were going to have three girls that were going to help find love, so its going to be different than The Bachelor and Bachelorette.'

Filmmaker and co-creator Carson Bown told the audience theyve already had an overwhelming response to the second season.

Weve had 700 people apply already, Bown said  a comment that was met with shouts from audience members eager to recommend friends who applied.

Show creators plan on filming the second season this summer and releasing it around September, according to Butler. As for Annalee Ross and Colin Ross, Butler said fans will probably see more of them on the shows social media in the future.

I think well throw them in every now and then, see if theyre still together, if theyre married or engaged to other people, he said.

The crew looks forward to expanding upon their first season to get an even greater reach for the second.

Weve put a lot of thought into it, Bown said. We werent very organized the first season, but I think were going to take a lot more time to organize (the second season) and make sure that it goes a lot smoother for us.
SALT LAKE CITY  America will not only be returning to the moon by 2024, NASA says, theyll be going there to stay.

At the fifth meeting of the National Space Council in Huntsville, Alabama, on Tuesday, Vice President Mike Pence called for NASA to land an astronaut on the moon by the year 2024.

"It's time to redouble our effort," Pence said. "It can happen, but it will not happen unless we increase the pace."

The initial plan was to land astronauts near the moons south pole in 2028, 56 years after the last Apollo moon walk, according to Forbes, but Pence has challenged NASA to accelerate that landing.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine released a statement on Tuesday following Pences remarks, saying, It is the right time for this challenge, and I assured the Vice President that we, the people of NASA, are up to the challenge.

Bridenstine said that within the next few weeks, NASA will take action to accomplish the five-year goal, including establishing a Moon to Mars Mission Directorate and focusing increased efforts on four areas of NASAs exploration campaign: low-Earth orbit, the moon, Mars and deep space.

We will go with innovative new technologies and systems to explore more locations across the surface than was ever thought possible, Bridenstine writes. This time, when we go to the moon, we will stay. And then we will use what we learn on the moon to take the next giant leap  sending astronauts to Mars.

What the Moon to Mars mission looks like so far

In December 2017, President Donald Trump signed Space Policy Directive 1, a change in national space policy that provides for innovative and sustainable exploration programs to enable human expansion across the solar system.

The directive reads, in part, Beginning with missions beyond low-Earth orbit, the United States will lead the return of humans to the moon for long-term exploration and utilization, followed by human missions to Mars and other destinations.

According to Bridenstine, NASA is ready for the challenge.

A new website NASA created called Moon 2 Mars states that NASA will be partnering with commercial and international partners to more rapidly expand space exploration and that they will be going (to the moon) quickly and sustainably with a reusable architecture, using resources of the moon for future exploration.

The spacecraft

NASA announced they are building a spacecraft called Orion with the capability of taking up to four astronauts hundreds of thousands of miles into deep space. Orion will dock at the Gateway, an orbital outpost that NASA is planning to build near the moon in the 2020s.

According to Moon2Mars, NASA will launch Orion on the Space Launch System (SLS), which is planned to be the most powerful rocket launcher NASA has ever built, from a modernized spaceport at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The first integrated space mission, called Exploration Mission-1, is projected to take place in 2020 and send an uncrewed Orion thousands of miles beyond the moon.

NASA has planned Exploration Mission-2 for 2022. The second mission will take a crew around the moon for the first time in 50 years.

NASA plans on landing a rover on the moon by 2023 and astronauts on the surface of the moon by 2024. From that point, NASA has projected a future Mars mission for sometime in the 2030s.

This year, NASA plans on using Commercial Lunar Payload Services to send new instruments and technologies to the moon. The first deliveries could take place by the end of 2019.

Research on the moon

NASA plans to conduct more scientific experiments across the surface of the moon to exploit the resources of our nearest neighbor ahead of a human return.

According to NASA, future astronauts will stay longer on, explore more of and create a sustainable presence on the moon. Autonomous rovers and robots will move across the surface of the moon and NASA plans on printing, manufacturing and building infrastructure and equipment from materials found on the moon.

The south pole of the moon presents new opportunities for exploration and innovation for NASA. In 2018, NASAconfirmed that craters on both the south and north poles of the moon contain ice deposits.

According to NASA, enough ice is sitting on the surface of the moon to suggest the possibility of water accessibility that would enable expeditions and even living on the moon.

Bridenstine pointed out at the National Space Council meeting that there are an estimated 1 trillion pounds of ice at the lunar poles, which means life support, air to breathe, water to drink, (and) hydrogen and oxygen, which is rocket propulsion on the surface of the moon.

Will we be ready to land on the Moon in five years?

While NASA is advancing plans for further space exploration and a future moon landing, there are challenging obstacles and limitations the agency will need to address to get there.

The Space Launch System

One of the biggest challenges is the construction of the SLS. The agency has spent the past decade constructing the multibillion-dollar launcher and its completion has met delay after delay.

A reason for the delay is the cost of the launcher. NASA reported in 2017 that they paid their contractor $7.6 million to complete construction on a compressed timetable. Additional needed modifications raised that price by $20.3 million. Then they increased some more.

NASA did not establish adequate funding reserves to cover these changes and therefore had to secure $35.5 million in additional funding over the planned budget, NASA reported. Finally, because NASA did not adequately consider alternative locations before selecting Marshall as the site for the test stands, it cannot ensure it made the most cost-effective decision regarding where to build the stands.

The SLS was initially expected to have an inaugural launch in 2018, then in 2019 and then in 2020, according to Wired. Bridenstine announced on March 14 that the launch, which will include transport of an uncrewed Orion capsule, will be pushed further back to sometime in 2021.

The initial goal to have an astronaut on the moon by 2028 existed due to delays surrounding construction of the SLS, according to Wired. The accelerated 2024 goal puts further pressure on NASA to complete construction by their deadline.

The NASA team will furthermore need to construct the Gateway docking system planned for the early 2020s.

Two weeks ago, Bridenstine said NASA was considering the use of private rockets instead of SLS to launch the Orion capsule, but he expressed confidence Tuesday that the SLS would be ready for the job.

The south pole of the moon

The projected location of the lunar landing (the south pole of the moon) creates its own unique challenges.

The south pole has a more rugged terrain than the equatorial area of the moon where Apollo 11 astronauts landed in 1969, which will need to be taken into account for landings and rovers.

Perhaps the most challenging element of the south pole is that its orientation creates communication problems between astronauts on the moon and support teams back home.

In January, a Chinese probe called the Chang'e 4 landed in the South Pole-Aitken basin on the moon, The Guardian reported. The Chinese team was unable to communicate directly with the spacecraft, so signals to and from the rover had to be relayed via satellite, according to The Guardian. NASA will face similar obstacles.

Another challenge with the mission is how little is known about lunar ice extraction and how to convert lunar ice into rocket fuel on the moon.

According to Wired, Jack Burns, an astrophysicist who served on NASAs presidential transition team, said on Tuesday, Before we put boots on the ground at the poles, we urgently need a robotic water ice prospecting mission to the lunar poles.

We dont understand what the water ice looks like below the surface, Burns added. Is it mixed finely with the lunar regolith or is it blocks of ice? Both are theoretically possible, but it would require very different techniques to extract.

Timeline and incentives

Pence warned NASA that if they cant put astronauts on the moon by 2024, "we need to change the organization, not the mission."

Some former NASA officials and researchers, however, believe the goal will be very difficult to reach.

Former NASA official Scott Hubbard told The Associated Press that without national security incentives to get Americans back to the moon, such as those that existed during Apollo and the Cold War, it would be very difficult to get there in time.

Hubbard remarked that similar efforts by both Bush administrations to explore space didn't go anywhere and collapsed of their own significant financial weight."

Only time will tell if the next giant leap for mankind will be possible and if we will see another American bootprint on the surface of the moon come 2024.
Over my lifetime, Ive had the good fortune to know many successful women and men. I believe, to a person, each of these accomplished people attribute many of their lifetime achievements to a mother, a grandmother or another female role model.

The month of March has been designated by Congress as Womens History Month. It is a time to celebrate the remarkable accomplishments of women in diverse sectors of society. I am personally grateful for the women who have been such a positive influence in my life.

I would like to acknowledge four remarkable Utah women, among many, who have made amazing contributions to our state. Each of them has overcome daunting hardships, has worked incredibly hard, and has made a real difference.

Carolyn Tanner Irish has always had a great passion: championing people. She became the first female leader of a major denomination in the state, serving as the 10th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Utah. She is also an accomplished businesswoman, chairing the board of directors of the O.C. Tanner Company.

In honoring Carolyn as a Giant in our City, the Salt Lake Chamber described her this way: As a spiritual leader she counsels, advises and heals. As a business leader her priorities remain the same. A pioneer among pioneers; she reaches out to the greater community with a sense of purpose, providing physical, artistic and intellectual beauty. Her sense of responsibility in creating stable jobs and lives has affected untold thousands in the state. Indeed, her actions foster the very essence of the word community.

Another community giant is Gail Miller, owner and chair of the Larry H. Miller Management Corporation, which includes the Utah Jazz and many other enterprises. In 2018, Gail published her book, Courage to be You: Inspiring Lessons From an Unexpected Journey.

Her journey included a 44-year marriage to business mogul Larry H. Miller, and her personal transformation from shy housewife to confident leader. She writes that it took time to fully realize her value as she helped Larry turn a single Toyota dealership into a $4.7 billion operation with 64 dealerships, and transform a $22 million purchase of the Utah Jazz in 1986 into a franchise worth $1.2 billion. Today, Gail is a business and philanthropic icon whose value and importance to Utah is immeasurable.

Another Utah business giant is Carol Holding who, with her husband, Earl, purchased a run-down truck stop west of Green River, Wyoming, and built a remarkable business empire. Carol and Earl pumped gas and waited on tables in their early marriage, working shoulder-to-shoulder for many decades.

Carols influence continues to be seen in nearly every detail and the amazing customer service offered in the firms hotels, ski resorts, the oil industry and in the loyalty of employees.

Finally, Amy Rees Anderson is the managing partner and founder of Rees Capital, an angel investment firm that provides entrepreneurs and business executives critical guidance and support to help their companies grow. She founded and was CEO of MediConnect Global, Inc., a worldwide leader in medical records retrieval and digitization. Amy led all aspects of the business, including a worldwide workforce of over 1,000 employees. Her business achieved rapid growth and, in 2012, Amy successfully led MediConnects acquisition by Verisk Analytics for over $377 million.

Upon selling her company, Amy founded the IPOP Foundation, or In Pursuit of Perfection, a charity helping promote, educate and perpetuate entrepreneurship as a pathway to self-reliance. Her new book, What Awesome Looks Like: How to Excel in Business and Life, shares Amys insights and strategies for success that aspiring entrepreneurs, employees and executives can replicate in their own lives.

Women dont have to be wealthy or famous to make an enormous difference. Young women, older women, single women and married women provide examples of excellence in every sector and phase in life  as employees, volunteers, leaders, raising a family by themselves or raising a family with a partner.

I frequently think of the much-quoted speech by former First Lady Barbara Bush, who told a class of women college graduates: Your success as a family ... our success as a society ... depends not on what happens in the White House, but on what happens inside your house.
SALT LAKE CITY  Somebody said it was too loud and it was not what they were expecting, so they split.

Thats JD McPherson. The anecdote above happened in Salt Lake City  it was the last time McPherson remembers someone walking out of his show. (For what its worth, the musician said he really likes Utah.) Over four studio albums, McPherson has evolved his sound from '50s-style rockabilly to more beefed up 1970s soul/rock. For a musician, making retro sounds your main vocabulary is risky business: Stay too tethered to it and people think youre plagiarizing; deviate from it too much and fans think youve lost touch.

How retro is too retro? McPherson, who headlines the State Room April 1, and Arleigh Kincheloe (known by her stage name Sister Sparrow), who performs at Park City's Mountain Resort Plaza March 30, know a lot about that admittedly loaded question. Both have considerably altered the soul sounds that earned them attention. Sometimes, those changes make fans walk out. Other times, they attract new fans altogether.

Its kind of a double-edged sword, and I think its really hard to toe the line, Kincheloe told the Deseret News. It seems a little unfair that were asked to do it or want to do it, in that it seems like an impossible feat. But theres plenty of people doing it well.

Sister Sparrow scored more attention in 2017 when the bands song Sugar  a warm, feel-good jam that really typified their old sound  was in the film A Bad Moms Christmas (which grossed more than $70 million). But the bands 2018 album, Gold, traded in that sound for slicker, polished studio gems with more pop sensibility. Gold is still soul music  perhaps just as much as Sister Sparrows old stuff  it just references different musical eras. Kincheloe remembers being in the studio, wondering if Gold would be too different, or make their die-hard fans upset.

The two singles off Gold each have less than 6,000 views on YouTube. Sugar, by contrast, has 275,000.

Kincheloe said the response from longtime fans has been good overall  And for those who arent into it, I totally understand that as well, she added. As a music fan myself, Ive had that same feeling when an artist makes a different kind of record and its not why I fell in love with that artist. So I understand it. Its a natural thing for fans. But its also great that I didnt alienate everyone.

A musicians sound can be like an iceberg: Influence-wise, theres a lot more under the surface than above it. Interviewing McPherson, he mentioned everything from bossa nova (Astrud Gilberto) to punk (the Ramones) to krautrock (Kraftwerk). He grew up in rural Oklahoma  The nearest real proper grocery store was an hour away. I was way out in the middle of nowhere, he explained  and since there was no music scene there, he felt unencumbered.

So I didnt feel weird about listening to Slayer and Madonna, he said.

Eventually, a record store employee introduced McPherson to early Buddy Holly and rockabilly. It had the same energy and exuberance of his favorite punk acts  bands like the Ramones and X  but with a much different kind of musicianship.

If you look at the first five years of rock n roll, you had blacks, whites, Latinos, men, women. Pretty much everybody was making records, he said. It was a very inclusive thing.

That inclusivity has spilled over into McPhersons fanbase. He said there isnt any stereotypical JD McPherson fan. Its a mix of little bitty kids, 20-year-old hipsters, people my age, and then original rock n roll fans alike, the 41-year-old said. From the very beginning  theyve all been pretty diverse in just about every way you could think.

There has to be some element of myself in it, or present times, or some idea that skews the center left a little bit.  JD McPherson

When a musician makes something unexpected, it can seem like forward motion. Appearances can be deceiving, though. Often, a stylistic change is more about a musician aligning themselves with their past  getting in touch with their musical roots or feeling empowered to show it publicly. Take Matter of Time, a song off Sister Sparrows new album. The song is an unabashed ballad  Kincheloes voice is buoyed by a lush string arrangement; it feels more suited for A Star is Born than a feel-good Sister Sparrow concert. Kincheloe said that onstage, songs like Matter of Time used to induce serious anxiety. Its not typical Sister Sparrow material, but Kincheloe said the song was actually written nearly a decade ago. For her, the musical path forward required stepping back into her past.

But hey, not too far back.

One thing Im not interested in is consistently making music that is an exact copy of something that happened, McPherson added. There has to be some element of myself in it, or present times, or some idea that skews the center left a little bit. Im not interested in Civil War re-enactment music. If I made a record where it was catering to that expectation, people could smell it, and they would be bored.

If you go 

What: Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds

When: March 30, 2 p.m.

Where: Park City Mountain Resort Plaza, 1345 Lowell Ave., Park City

How much: Free

Web: parkcitymountain.com

Also 

What: JD McPherson (State Room 10th anniversary celebration)

When: April 1, doors at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m.

Where: The State Room, 638 S. State

How much: $30 (ages 21 and older only)

Web: thestateroompresents.com
Victoria Ruvolos professional website announced her death Wednesday with a simple admonition: Forgive someone today.

That is a fitting epitaph for one of the greatest people I have met  someone who didnt just decide to turn metaphorical lemons into lemonade, but who used that lemonade to refresh the world.

Actually, she would be perturbed at me for calling her Victoria. That was what her mother called her when she was angry, she told me once after I had used the name in a column. To her friends, she was Vickie.

But she would have quickly forgiven me. That would have been easy compared to what she forgave 14 years ago.

Vickie would laughingly refer to herself as the turkey lady, a touch of humor that is truly remarkable considering how she earned the title. She was driving along a highway on Long Island one night when an 18-year-old, in a car coming the opposite way, threw a frozen turkey that shattered her windshield and her face, nearly killing her outright.

The assailant, Ryan Cushing, and his friends had stolen a credit card, which had prompted a shopping spree, which led to buying the turkey and the thoughtless, devastating act.

If youve heard this story before, that is a testament to the incredible decisions Vickie made afterward. She spent weeks in a coma and many more months in surgeries and therapy. But when she learned that Cushing was facing a possible 25-year prison sentence, and that his friends were going to testify against him, she began to pester prosecutors for information about him.

How was he raised? Why did he do this thing? Was he reacting to peer pressure? Was it a question of youthful, immature impulse?

Then she made a decision that changed not only her life, but the lives of countless people she had never met. She decided to forgive.

Vickie insisted on a plea deal  six months in the county jail and five years of probation  in exchange for a guilty plea. In a courtroom scene that had many onlookers fighting back tears, she embraced Cushing, telling him, I just want you to make your life the best it can be. Witnesses said he apologized as he sobbed loudly.

Media, prosecutors and behavioral experts tend to focus too much on the ripple effects of evil. When a particularly horrendous crime is committed, we talk about how it influences others to commit copycat crimes.

Vickie was a living example of how goodness also can grow, spread and reproduce itself in endless ways. She inspired countless of her own copycats. Many of them would send her emails or letters sharing their own stories.

If you live along the Wasatch Front, you dont have to look far for examples. I first wrote about Vickie in 2005. That prompted President Gordon B. Hinckley, who was then president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, to cite her story in a general conference talk. Chris Williams listened to that talk and remembered it later when a 17-year-old drunk driver killed his family.

His struggles to forgive then led to a feature film and a book, influencing countless others. That is just one example.

Vickie wrote her own book, No Room for Vengeance. She began a career as a public speaker, urging people to forgive each other. Significantly, Cushing joined her in many of these appearances, first as a condition of his probation, then later on his own.

She made many appearances on television. As her website notes, the A&E Biography series honored her with a dramatic re-enactment of the crime and her decision to forgive.

Wednesday morning I spoke with her co-author and professional partner, Robert Goldman. He spoke with reverence about how she had such a positive impact on this world. That included people young and old who struggled to free themselves from the bondage of resentment, hate and fantasies of revenge.

Im just grateful that I met Victoria and was able to spread the word of her legacy, he said.

When I talked to her a few years ago, Vickie had three titanium plates in her left cheek and two in her right. Her wounds often ached. And yet she was happy and cheerful.

I feel great, she said. I always thank God that he allowed me to come back so well.

She saw a greater purpose in all she endured. Even though she now is gone, that purpose is bound to reverberate for a long time.
SALT LAKE CITY  A woman who lived at Hill Air Force Base admitted in federal court Wednesday to trying to stab her infant daughter to death while stationed with her husband in Spain.

Shawna Marie Chapman, 32, formerly of Cottage Grove, Oregon, pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree murder in U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City. The case was prosecuted in Utah because Hill Air Force Base was her last known address, according to court documents.

Chapman was living in Utrera, Spain, near where her husband was stationed at Moron Air Force Base in Moron, Spain.

Chapman admitted that on Feb. 10, 2016, she stabbed her 11-month-old daughter in the stomach, intending to kill her, according to court documents. The girl suffered a life-threatening injury, requiring immediate life-saving surgery and extended hospitalization.

Judge David Sam scheduled a sentencing hearing for June 6. Chapman faces up 20 years in prison.
SALT LAKE CITY  Special Counsel Robert Muellers conclusion that President Donald Trump did not conspire with the Russian government during the 2016 election was a relief to many who trusted the president would not commit treason but a disappointment to others who firmly believed he did.

In the wake of these findings, politicians and citizens are blaming the press for misleading the public with more than two years of reporting on links between Trump and Russia, including this map of 100 contacts published recently by The New York Times, that led many to infer the president committed high crimes. Other media figures openly opined, on cable news shows and in editorials, that a conspiracy between Trump and Russia was likely.

Now, conclusions from Mueller's investigation have all but debunked those theories.

I think Democrats and the liberal media owe the president and they owe the American people an apology, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said on NBC. They wasted two years and created a massive disruption and distraction from things that people  that impact everyone's day-to-day life.

If Russiagate was a fabricated story, Mueller was the protagonist hero. Deemed Americas new crush, by a Vogue columnist, Mueller became a celebrity symbol for Trump-haters, prompting the creation of everything from T-shirts to prayer candles depicting his image. After Attorney General William Barr released a summary of Muellers findings Sunday, Trump called for the firing of media members whom he believes made false accusations about him, according to The Washington Post, and proudly repeated, no collusion.

But while Barrs summary clearly stated there was no coordination on election interference, Muellers report did not exonerate the president from allegations of obstruction of justice.

Relentless reporting on Trumps connections to Russia has revealed various scandals, from former national security adviser Michael Flynn's unauthorized meeting with a Russian ambassador to a proposed Trump Tower in Moscow. Ultimately, the Mueller probe resulted in 34 indictments, and experts like Vivian Schiller, chief executive of Civil Media Foundation, say the media played a critical role.

I reject the notion that high quality news organizations did anything broadly wrong with regard to Mueller. This is one of the most important stories of our time. To not devote significant resources to it would be, and still is, an abdication of duty, said Schiller, former chief executive of National Public Radio who also held top jobs at NBC and the Times.

Dean Baquet, executive editor of the Times, defended his papers reporting. Im comfortable with our coverage, Baquet told The Washington Post. It is never our job to determine illegality, but to expose the actions of people in power. And thats what we and others have done and will continue to do.

Looking at the media coverage coming out of the right and left has made me worry. Its so black and white, before we have even seen the document.  Christopher Beem, managing director of the McCourtney Institute for Democracy at Penn State University

Without a thrilling climax to the story of Russiagate, however, some news consumers have been left wanting. Commentators are already speculating on information that may or may not be included in Mueller's full report (which has not been released) that will fit their own narrative of whether Trump is the villain or the victim.

Christopher Beem, managing director of the McCourtney Institute for Democracy at Penn State University, said he believes most journalists acted in good faith in their reporting of the Mueller probe. The problem is peoples perception of truth is increasingly influenced by partisan ideology, he said.

Looking at the media coverage coming out of the right and left has made me worry. Its so black and white, before we have even seen the document, said Beem. All of us are biased. It is so easy to mistake our own self interest for our objective analysis of what is going on. If we were all more cognizant of that very human, very universal failing, our democracy would work better.

What is the media anyway?

Senior White House adviser Kellyanne Conway called out The New York Times and The Washington Post Monday on Fox News, saying, Do you realize major papers in this country won Pulitzer prizes over their reporting on something that is totally fake? referring to the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for national reporting awarded for coverage that furthered the nations understanding of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and its connections to the Trump campaign. Donald Trump Jr. criticized CNN, MSNBC and BuzzFeed news in a statement. But others, particularly on social media, are rallying against the more ambiguous mainstream media or MSM for shorthand.

Experts like Beem say people who criticize the media broadly tend to conflate reliable reporting from established news outlets with opinion pieces, speculation from commentators on cable news shows and pure rumors that circulate on the Internet.

A cottage industry of Mueller watchers and resistance grifters have made a name for themselves on social media by spinning conspiracy theories, unpacking obscure details about Trumps colleagues and their connections to Russia, and making money off of doing so, according to NBC.

It is pretty clear there are people in the media who ran after the facts, had an expectation and viewed facts through that bias. But I wouldnt characterize all media in that way, Beem said. If youre going to tag everybody who isnt Breitbart or Fox as biased liberal media, I dont think thats a claim worth taking seriously.

But even established media companies need to be more careful about publishing unconfirmed rumors, even when they make it clear a statement is opinion or speculation, according to Matt Jordan, professor of Media Studies at Penn State University.

Jordan identified BuzzFeeds publication of the Steele report as the start of media obsession with Russiagate. The report was produced by former British spy Christopher Steele and contained factual errors and unfounded claims that Trump aide Carter Page had been offered payment to help get sanctions against Russia lifted. BuzzFeed acknowledged the inaccuracies and unconfirmed accusations, but still chose to publish the document in full.

If the standard is not reporting things you cannot confirm, there has been a lot of reckless reporting, said Jordan. There is too much reporting about a figure speculating about this or that, where the story is merely about the fact that someone said or tweeted something and reaction to that thing. This is not good reporting, or at least not reporting that gets us closer to knowing anything.

Last year, BuzzFeed published another report based on anonymous sources who said Trump directed his attorney Michael Cohen to lie about the Moscow tower project. In response, Muellers office released a rare public statement, saying the BuzzFeed article was not accurate. Nonetheless, reporters Jason Leopold and Anthony Cormier have stood by the story. Schiller said Buzzfeed is a high quality news organization and trusts the reporters sourcing.

According to Jordan, the BuzzFeed article about Cohen is a good example of how incentives in the media industry  clicks and ratings  are set up to reward attention-grabbing stories, even when based on unknown or dubious sources. At the same time, readers look for information that supports deeply held preconceptions.

I think we as readers and consumers are looking for interesting stories, things that peak our interest, said Jordan, who proposed more investment in public media as a solution to combat bias. This is why it is very difficult for the consumer, especially with a news delivery system like digital media that allows us access to all kinds of wildly speculative stories, to stop looking for answers to the story once the questions were asked.

Despite the difficulty of discerning truth from fiction, Bob Britten, professor of media at West Virginia University, said its the peoples responsibility to do so.

Maybe we don't run a station, but every time you click that share button, you're amplifying someone's signal, and that makes you culpable, Britten said. It's hard not to share that amazing headline, but if you're not clicking through to the article, if you're not checking the source, if you're not (and this one's particularly important) questioning the claims that you most want to believe, maybe you need to take a look at your own habits as critically as you do those of the media.

Truth takes time, and rumor will outrun it every time if we let it, Britten added.

Letting us down or making us proud?

While media critics say news reporters have betrayed the public and failed to adequately cover issues that matter like health care and the economy due to their obsession with Russia, others are proud of the work journalists have done to uncover lies and wrongdoing, even if it didnt lead to evidence that Trump colluded with Russians.

The Hill media reporter, Joe Concha said, This is a day of reckoning for our media like we havent seen since the 2016 election. I would say, maybe the worst day ever for our media given all that coverage. He added, Think of the stories we missed as a result of Russia.

On Twitter, users responded to Muellers conclusions with glee, insinuating that reporters will lose their writing jobs with the hashtag #learntocode, a phrase that has been policed by Twitter in the past because its use has amounted to a targeted harassment campaign against specific journalists, according to a Twitter statements.

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Though not directly related to Russia, Trump's personal attorney, former campaign manager, deputy campaign manager, national security adviser and longtime political adviser have all been convicted of or pleaded guilty to crimes, or are currently awaiting trial as a result of Muellers probe. Reporting on these cases has restored faith in journalism for some.

I do worry some news organizations will default to hand-wringing and shun reporting on allegations of wrongdoing by the Trump Administration going forward, which would be a colossal mistake, said Schiller.

Schiller also fears declining trust in media will lead Trump supporters to reject any negative information about Trump as fake news.

The Rolling Stone writer Matt Taibbi wrote that Muellers conclusions were a death-blow for the reputation of the American news media, likening the presss coverage of the Mueller investigation to coverage of claims by the George W. Bush administration that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction ahead of the U.S. invasion in 2003.

At this point, there is a sizable audience that will never believe anything bad about Trump and an equally sizable one that will never believe anything good about him.  Bob Britten, professor of media at West Virginia University

The press has now handed Trump the mother of campaign issues heading into 2020, Taibbi wrote. Nothing Trump is accused of from now on by the press will be believed by huge chunks of the population.

The danger is that we will become as cynical as (Trump) wants us to be, said Jordan.

The increasingly partisan nature of news is not new, said Beem. In fact, throughout American history, journalism has been partisan more often than not, he said. Historically, newspapers were printed to promote a particular political viewpoint. The period between the end of WWII and the rise of cable TV was an anomaly in American history, according to Beem, because the scarcity of broadcast and radio stations encouraged a middle of the road, objective approach, he said.

Now, you could make the argument that we are returning to the status quo of biased news because of the explosion of media outlets on the Internet, said Beem.

At this point, there is a sizable audience that will never believe anything bad about Trump and an equally sizable one that will never believe anything good about him, said Britten. Regarding the election, I'd say that if we learned anything from 2016, it's that we need to stay out of the business of claiming to ensure anything.
PROVO  Stephanie Barclay, a law professor at Brigham Young University and religious freedom advocate, is headed to the Supreme Court.

The first-year faculty member will clerk for Justice Neil Gorsuch in the 2021 term, which begins just over two years from now, BYU announced Wednesday.

"I feel so excited and humbled that Justice Gorsuch would give me this opportunity and so much gratitude to so many friends and colleagues who helped me along this path," Barclay said.

Each year, more than 1,000 attorneys apply for about 36 spots, according to the press release.

As a clerk, Barclay will help Gorsuch study and respond to cases the Supreme Court has been asked to hear. Each justice typically has four clerks, who can be fresh out of law school or more established in their career, as Barclay is.

"In the beginning, there's a lot of looking at cert petitions to help the justices decide which are the cases that the Supreme Court should take," she said. "Clerks also help the justices prepare for oral arguments as cases are heard throughout the year."

Aaron Nielson, who took time away from teaching at BYU to clerk for Justice Samuel Alito in 2014, said in the school's press release that the job boosts a lawyer's teaching skills as well as their legal knowledge.

"Especially for those who teach litigation skills, it's very useful to understand how the Supreme Court works," said Nielson. As a clerk, "you get to see the decision-making process occur on a nitty-gritty basis a bunch of times."

She will do great service for the country.  Gordon Smith, dean of BYU's law school

BYU President Kevin Worthen also served as a clerk. He worked with Justice Byron White during the 1983 term.

Barclay came to BYU's J. Reuben Clark Law School from the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a high-profile law firm known for defending people of faith. While there, she worked on a variety of religious freedom issues, including a Michigan case centered on the rights of faith-based adoption agencies that won't serve LGBTQ couples for religious reasons, as the Deseret News reported last year.

"Stephanie is an outstanding lawyer with an exceptionally clear understanding of constitutional law and appellate litigation. Her intellect and professional competence are matched by an unswerving belief in the dignity and humanity of people of all faiths, and no faith at all," said Montserrat Alvarado, Becket's executive director. "She has a demonstrated commitment to the law and to our country and will be a great asset to the Court."

In her first year of full-time teaching, Barclay has distinguished herself among students and faculty members. She was picked as "Professor of the Year" by second- and third-year law students, according to the press release.

"In her first year of teaching at the law school, she has displayed genuine concern and understanding for each student while demanding excellence from all students," said Gordon Smith, dean of BYU's law school. "She will do great service for the country."

Barclay taught courses on the First Amendment and family law this year and, next year, she'll focus on the First Amendment again, along with constitutional law and the 14th Amendment. She said she's most looking forward to learning new skills during the clerkship that will boost her work in the classroom.

"I will be exposed to a whole range of legal issues and new ideas at the Supreme Court, and I really look forward to sharing what I learn with my BYU law students when I return," she said.

Barclay, who graduated from BYU Law in 2011, previously served as a clerk for the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
DURANGO, Colo.  The case of a Colorado man accused of trying to kill a Utah rancher's cattle is scheduled to go to trial next week.

The Durango Herald reports Mark Franklin is scheduled to be tried in Utah's Carbon County on charges of trespassing and wanton destruction of livestock.

Prosecutors say Franklin closed a rancher's corral gate on grazing lands in southeastern Utah to purposely cut off water to cattle in 2017.

Franklin's attorney, Paul Cassell, says his client is looking forward to trial and is "confident the evidence will exonerate him."

Environmentalist Rose Chilcoat, the wife of Franklin, was initially charged, but the Utah Attorney General's Office determined there wasn't enough evidence.

The Durango couple claimed the charges were in retaliation for Chilcoat's work with Great Old Broads for Wilderness.
SALT LAKE CITY  After the Utah Legislature passed several bills friendly to the Utah Port Authority's goal to create a global trade hub in the Crossroads of the West, the port board on Wednesday celebrated the legislative successes and looked ahead to project's future.

One of the board's first orders of business? A presentation from the port authority's hired public engagement team, Envision Utah, that emphasized what would happen to the roughly 16,000 acres in Salt Lake City's northwest if the port authority does not plan the area.

Their main message: the trucks and traffic that environmental groups and residents fear are coming, regardless.

"It's not a question of whether this area is going to develop, but how," Ari Bruening, of Envision Utah, told the port board.

The port authority hired Envision Utah on a $100,000 contract to conduct multiple phases of public outreach, develop scenarios and form a vision for the port authority.

So what if the Utah Port Authority does nothing? Bruening presented Envision Utah's preliminary analysis alongside Robert Grow, Envision Utah's president and CEO, showing that existing zoning in the area already allows landowners to build out industrial development.

Bruening laid out what that could mean  including a scenario if the area was 90 percent developed under existing zoning.

Imagine a sea of warehouses, with a combined total of over 382 million square feet. For perspective, that could be more than 380 Amazon centers or 2,138 Walmart supercenters, and could equate to more than 1.5 million additional vehicle daily trips, according to the Envision Utah analysis.

"Now don't panic because build out is probably decades away," Bruening said.

While Bruening said "you might think" that would significantly increase pollution emissions, Envision Utah's projections of air quality under those scenarios don't show a dramatic increase in air quality since vehicles are expected to become cleaner over time.

The presentation came just hours before Gov. Gary Herbert's office announced he had signed into law HB433, which allows the port to expand into rural areas of the state.

Because of the area's placement at the intersection of two interstate freeways, major national railways and the Salt Lake City International Airport, "this connectivity puts the area at a high demand for warehousing and distribution centers," the Envision Utah report states.

"Projections show that freight tons moving on the nation's transportation network will grow 40 percent in the next three decades while the value of the freight will almost double, increasing by 92 percent," the report continues. "This increase in freight will mean more demand for infrastructure and facilities in Utah."

But Grow said the port authority is uniquely positioned to use its powers to plan a better future for the area  including proactive planning and policies to help reduce emissions, such as setting contractual requirements that only allow cleaner trucks to commute in and out of the port.

"This is a fascinating legal issue about what rights do you have as an authority to regulate the kinds of emissions that are created by this over time," Grow said, noting that local governments cannot legally block certain polluting trucks, but the port authority, through a contract, could.

Another presentation by Theresa Foxley, president and CEO of EDCUtah, a private agency aimed at attracting businesses to the state, outlined why manufacturing jobs  rather than warehouse or distribution jobs  are seen as the "holy grail of economic development."

"The conclusion here," Bruening said, "is this area's going to develop. The question is how do we want it to develop, and as a port authority, these are the questions we want to ask."

The port authority's interim executive director, Chris Conabee, said the port authority has the power to "mitigate" problems concerning the community, and "the best way we can do that is by bringing experts around the table." He said the port authority is planning a slew of working groups to do just that.

"Our green port, on its worst day, will look a lot better than what that zoning looks like right now," Conabee said, saying the port board has the opportunity now to plan a better future. "I feel like our best days are ahead of us."

During the presentations, Deeda Seed, a former Salt Lake City Councilwoman and a campaigner with the Center for Biological Diversity, one of the port's most outspoken critics, tweeted criticism of the presentation.

"Envision Utah is trying to sell the port suggesting that development will happen anyway. But the truth is more complicated," Seed tweeted. "And of course Envision Utah has no credibility in this process that the port board is paying them to conduct."

At the end of Wednesday's meeting, a handful of concerned residents continued to echo the same concerns they've shared since the creation of the port authority, urging leaders to stop the port altogether based on concerns of expanding fossil fuel exports and environmental damage.

But one resident, Thea Brannon, said she could see the port was likely coming whether residents and environmentalists like it or not.

"I guess I realize, being as old as I am, that this port is going to happen," she said. "So you have the power. You have the power to restrict what's coming to the port, what happens in the port, and I urge you to make it as clean and as forward-looking and truly world-class as it possibly can be."

Correction: An earlier version changed a correct estimate of 382 million square feet of possible warehouse development to 382,000 square feet. The estimate is, in fact, 382 million square feet.
SALT LAKE CITY  Want to speak your piece about the cost of tuition at state colleges and universities? Here's your chance. The Utah State Board of Regents will conduct a public hearing at 4:30 p.m. Thursday at the Salt Lake Community College Miller campus in Sandy.

The hearing will be conducted in the Karen Gail Miller Conference Center, 9750 S. 300 West, after each institution presents to its proposed tuition adjustments for the 2019-20 academic year to the Board of Regents.

The proposed tuition increase for undergraduate education averages 2.46 percent among the eight institutions in the Utah System of Higher Education.

Southern Utah University is proposing no increase while Dixie State University has proposed a 5 percent increase, according to the board agenda.

According to Utah System of Higher Education data, tuition rates at Utahs public colleges and universities are among the lowest in the country. Most are below those of peer institutions in the region.

Last year, the Board of Regents adopted policy changes to simplified the tuition-setting process by eliminating the two-tiered tuition structure and bolstering the boards process to review and consider tuition proposals.

The changes were made, in part, in response to a legislative audit that found the board was not adequately controlling tuition increases.

The performance audit conducted by the Office of the Utah Legislative Auditor General says tuition has increased by nearly $132 million over the past five years.

The auditors found that the regents approved the increases with little documented discussion, describing it as a "superficial review" of proposed increases.

Tuition recommendations are made by the institution and include truth in tuition hearings on each college and university campus to solicit student input.

According to the Board of Regents agenda, these are the proposed undergraduate tuition adjustments for a student taking 15 credits hours for two semesters for the next academic year:

 University of Utah: 3.2 percent increase, $256

 Utah State University: 3.25 percent, $206

 Weber State University: 2 percent, $98

 Southern Utah University: 0 percent, $0

 Snow College: 2.5 percent, $83

 Dixie State University: 5 percent, $223

 Utah Valley University: 1.7 percent, $86

 Salt Lake Community College: 2 percent, $67

 Utah System of Higher Education average: 2.46 percent
SALT LAKE CITY  Following the deaths by suicide of three people with ties to mass school shootings  two student survivors and the father of a child who was killed  families, friends and others are wondering what to watch for and how to help those who might wrestle with post-traumatic challenges.

"It is very important that everyone have a mental health checkup routinely, tragedy or not," said psychologist Mitch Prinstein, director of graduate studies and professor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "We should be thinking about mental health and checking in with one another about symptoms of mental health all the time."

That's especially true now given the "remarkably high prevalence of depression and suicide" among adolescents, he said. Whether they've experienced a tragedy or not, one-fifth "think seriously about suicide within a given 12-month period," he added.

"If this was a physical illness, we would have screening clinics with inoculations on every street corner, but it's mental health," he said, "and I think we sometimes forget we should be screening and intervening for depression and suicide among adolescents all the time."

Suicide is far from unique to adolescents. Jeremy Richman, 49, was the father of Avielle Richman, one of the first-graders murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, in December 2012. Richman, the cofounder of a nonprofit named for his daughter that used research and community education for violence prevention, was found dead on Monday of apparent suicide in the foundation's building.

The other two believed to have taken their own lives were students who survived last year's massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Sydney Aiello, 19, graduated last year and was attending college, but her mother told reporters she had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. The other student, a 16-year-old male, has not been publicly named.

It's not clear what  if any  role the school shootings played in the suicides. Mental health experts caution against making assumptions and emphasize there's never just one cause for a suicide. But they also acknowledge each of these three experienced severe trauma that could have lasting effects.

"People who attempt suicide are often struggling with really extreme levels of emotional distress. They feel trapped, they feel depressed, they feel hopeless. And maybe they feel they are without options for how to solve that and how to feel better," Prinstein said. "They may have limited capacity because of extreme distress to be able to think about their options."

What happens when youths struggle

Adolescence is a particularly vulnerable time of which adults should take note, said Andrew J. Smith, a clinical psychologist at the University of Utah School of Medicine's Department of Psychiatry. School shootings hit teens at a "developmental period that's explosive and fragile at the same time."

Psychologist Joel Dvoskin of the University of Arizona agrees. "It's anxiety-inducing to be a teenager. Your hormones are out of control, schools can be challenging places, and in the aftermath of a trauma, its just so much worse. Trying to figure out whats due to trauma and what's due to normal teenage life in America is both impossible and probably fruitless. You treat what you see and youre guessing the reason for it," he said.

Most people overcome trauma  terrible events that run a gamut from serious accident to sexual assault, natural disaster, or even a mass shooting. But for some kids, trauma sends the message that "it doesn't matter what I do; unpredictable, dangerous things are going to disrupt my life," Smith said. That can lead to depression, PTSD or both. They often coexist.

I think we need to become a culture that asks directly about suicide.  Mitch Prinstein, director of graduate studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Trauma can also damage one's self-image and sense of worthiness, said Kim Metcalfe, retired professor of early childhood education and psychology and author of "Let's Build ExtraOrdinary Youth Together," whose daughter died by suicide. For a human being to believe they deserve "happiness, success and a good life, they must believe they are worthy." Feeling helpless or hopeless "are painful thoughts for any human to harbor for long time periods," she said.

Most people who experience trauma don't generalize it beyond the event itself. But a portion do, telling themselves, "I can't go to school," then "I can't go to the store," and then "I can't go out," said Smith. If someone becomes so frightened they cannot go outside, their world shrinks and becomes unhealthy.

Warning signs a person might be spiraling include mood changes, increased sadness, irritability and loss of interest in activities that had been important or enjoyable, Prinstein said. Even fleeting or seemingly joking comments about death or wishing one's life was ending could indicate danger, while gathering the means to hurt oneself, making a plan or giving away possessions and saying what could be farewells are "signs that need to be taken immediately seriously." Never ignore those as just a plea for attention.

Smith calls warnings, including anger, "vital signs" and said teens might use alcohol and drugs as a coping mechanism.

Experts say you should do something

It isn't always easy to tell how at risk a person is. If danger of suicide seems imminent, Prinstein said to call 911. Most states allow for an emergency hold in a health care facility until an evaluation is completed. "No one wants to call 911 on a loved one, clearly. But the alternative is worse," he said.

Absent what seems like immediate danger, he suggests encouraging someone to use available tools ranging from crisis lines to trained mental health professionals. Some crisis lines use texting, which makes some teens more comfortable.

In all cases, ask what's going on.

"I think we need to become a culture that asks directly about suicide," said Prinstein. Some fear it will "plant" the suggestion, but science suggests that's a bogus worry. Someone may already be considering suicide. If not, the question's not going to prompt it.

Asking if someone feels so sad they've thought about hurting themselves and if they have a plan "is incredibly important," Prinstein said, adding he's done schoolwide screenings for years. "I can tell you personally that a tremendous amount of good can come from asking kids questions directly and then working with parents on what they can do in the presence of an affirmative response."

Parents, peers and others can help those who struggle, Dvoskin said. When kids are having trouble, his advice is to help them feel safe, physically and emotionally. He recommends getting them talking  "not to get them to spill their guts" about what's bothering them, but to engage them. It doesn't matter if they're talking music or sports, the point is they're talking.

Dvoskin warns against what he calls "pathologizing normal reactions" to trauma and other hard events. Fear, anxiety and depression are normal after a major community trauma, but they shouldn't interfere with long-term ability to function. The goal is to help those who can't function feel better, "not because there's anything wrong with the kid, but because the kid needs help," he added.

Help comes in many forms, and it doesn't have to always be a psychologist or psychiatrist, said Dvoskin. A religious leader or someone else may be easier to talk to than a mental health professional. "Kids dont want to think theyre the only ones who feel that way or that theres anything wrong with them."

Here's how you can help

Teens can help themselves, too. Some steps are simple, like getting enough sleep and focusing on self care.

Dvoskin said a good starting to point to combat suicide is learning what kind of help is available. People think going to a mental health professional means they'll get medication, but that may not be needed. "Often, talk therapy is as effective or more effective," he said.

He suggests learning who is available to provide care in your community, including who is covered by your insurance, where the nearest community health center is, whether there's a crisis team there and what you should do in crisis.

Sometimes the right amount is just to answer their questions.  Joel Dvoskin of the University of Arizona

With teens, "don't make it a case of 'You have to do this,'" said Dvoskin. "Suggest professional care might help them feel better, then circle back later: 'Have you thought about what we talked about?'" Forcing teens can prompt them to push back. "I would say to be more persuasive than bossy."

Loved ones sometimes respond to crisis in accidentally terrible ways, including "victim blaming" that can marginalize someone. After a sexual assault, for example, focusing on why the victim was there or whether they fought hard enough can divert the blame back to the person who was harmed.

"We unconsciously come up with ways to protect ourselves by finding a way to make the person who's suffering responsible for their suffering  because otherwise, the world is unpredictable and dangerous," Smith said. That leaves those who survive a trauma and develop deep problems at risk of being isolated and stigmatized.

Never lie, Dvoskin said, "especially after a traumatic event. They need to trust you more than they ever have in their whole life. ... Tell the truth to kids of all ages, but that doesnt mean necessarily to flood them with too much information. Sometimes the right amount is just to answer their questions. Let them tell you how much they want to know."

Lies can seem reassuring, but they are still bad. For example: "There's nothing to be afraid of." Maybe there is.

Or: "Everything is going to be OK." "You don't know that," Dvoskin said.

"Simple truths are a lot better: 'I love you. I want the best for you. I'm scared for you. I want to know how I can help you.' Those are great things to say," he said.

Many effective, evidence-based treatment options exist, and it's important to address issues as soon as they're spotted. In adolescents, development can be derailed if they don't receive treatment, said Smith.

If someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, resources are available. In Utah, the SafeUT app provides a direct connection to a crisis line. Other resources include:

National Hotline: 1-800-273-8255 (TALK)

University Neuropsychiatric Institute Crisis line: 801-587-3000

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
OGDEN  Mustard, a small yellowish plush bear, had a fever and a cough Wednesday and received a shot and a prescription for "lots of hugs and kisses" at home after the toy's hospital visit.

Three-year-old Ryker King, who named the bear after his favorite condiment, held Mustard's stuffed paw during his shot to make him feel brave  and to hopefully teach Ryker to "be brave like Mustard," said his mother, Natalie King.

McKay-Dee Hospital hosted a teddy bear clinic Wednesday designed to help children understand the hospital experience, ease their fear or anxiety about hospital visits and highlight the hospital's child life services.

The hospital provided teddy bears for about 400 children, and kids could bring their own stuffed animals from home as well.

Each child named their bear, decided what ailment it was suffering from, received treatment and then decided what follow-up care the bear might need at home.

While the hospital has hosted teddy bear clinics at different community events, this was the first event held at the hospital. Event organizers said it might become a tradition based on the community support seen Wednesday  it was a packed house with about 450 kids.

"I think it's great," King said. She said she hoped the experience helped her son become familiar with medical treatment and learn that hospitals don't have to be scary.

The experience was personal to each child; some bears fell off the trampoline and broke a leg while others only had a stomachache.

Leticia Clegg, child life specialist with the hospital, explained the activity is designed "to help children understand that coming to the doctor and going through medical experiences doesn't have to be a scary thing."

Clegg administered countless splints to broken bear limbs, using popsicle sticks and plaster strips. She also gave shots and applied bandages to the injured bears.

Child life specialists are trained in distraction, coping, play therapy and other techniques to help kids feel comfortable and confident when they visit a hospital for treatment, according to Christy Brown, nurse manager of the hospital's pediatric unit.

Brown said child life at Mckay-Dee is currently offered in the emergency room, operating room, radiology and pediatrics, and the hospital is looking to expand services.

"It's always a frightening experience having to come to the hospital, kind of the fear of the unknown," she said.

Keeping the conversation open and honest helps ease a child's anxiety, Brown noted.

"They assume the very worst-case scenario or they hear things like CAT Scan and think there's a cat in there waiting for them  so it's putting terms that are frequently used in medical terminology into real life," she said.

It's common for children to react negatively to hospital or doctor visits, Brown said.

"Shots, the piece where they stick the wood down your throat, it always makes me gag," said 9-year-old Ridge Stimpson, explaining why he is scared of doctor visits.

Ridge, who will be 10 next week, said he liked the event because it taught him what it would be like if he ever went through what the bears experienced.

"So if like we ever got that thing done to us we'd know what we'd be going through," he said.

Eight-year-old Sienna Stimpson said she was only "kind of" scared of doctor visits and hospitals, mostly because of needles. "And I'm scared of surgery," she added.

Sienna's bear, Ruby, suffered from a broken arm. Clinicians administered an X-ray with a clear clip board, and she chose dark blue for the splint.

Ridge's bear, Jacob, had it rough when he fell down the stairs and broke both an arm and a leg, which required an orange splint for the arm and pink on the leg. Ridge decided Jacob needed rest at home to recover from his injuries.

The pair's mother, Mindy Stimpson, said she hoped the event taught her kids empathy.

"I think it'll help them be a little bit more prepared," she said. "I hope that they can learn kind of how the hospitals work  and make them a little more comfortable for their sake, but also to kind of be sympathetic to others who might be in situations."

Helping kids understand what their hospital visit might look like could help them cope better  something that's a win-win-win for kids, parents and doctors, Brown explained.

"If you give them choices then they feel like they're participating in their plan of care, it's much easier," she said.

Parents can sometimes contribute to a child's fear, Brown said.

"There's a right way to explain things  telling them too far in advance creates that angst as well," she said. "It's empowering parents with the tools as well to make their trip to the doctor's office or their trip to the hospital successful," she said.
SALT LAKE CITY  A second GOP proposal that suggests using Social Security to finance paid family leave was introduced in the U.S. Senate Wednesday, adding momentum in Congress to address an issue that both Republicans and Democrats say threatens the well-being of parents and children.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said the New Parents Act would use money from the government's Social Security program to address a financial insecurity problem for parents of newborns.

"Working parents are often trapped in a series of no-win situations" when faced with taking time off or paying someone else to care for their newborn, he said at a news conference reintroducing the bill with Republican co-sponsors Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah and Reps. Ann Wagner of Missouri and Dan Crenshaw of Texas.

The plan would let new parents "pull forward" a portion of their Social Security benefits to cover up to three months of paid parental leave after the birth or adoption of a new child. To recoup the cost of pulling money out of the Social Security system, parents could either delay their retirement for up to six months per child or receive a reduced benefit during the first five years of retirement.

Rubio and Wagner stressed that their plan would be optional and offer "maximum flexibility so that families can determine what type of leave works best for them."

Their bill comes on the heels of another GOP proposal from Sens. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Mike Lee, R-Utah, that would also allow parents to tap into their Social Security early and pay it back later. But that bill would not allow parents to keep working and use their Social Security for child care, while the Rubio-Wagner bill would.

Another paid parental leave proposal from Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., is expected, and The Washington Post reported he will speak on the topic next week. Meanwhile, Democrats are coalescing around a bill Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, of New York, first introduced in 2013 and reintroduced in February that would cover leave for childbirth and adoption as well as other family situations, such as caring for a seriously ill family member.

"I hope this becomes a competition of ideas where everybody is taking their views and applying it to the problem because I think that's where the solution is going to come from," said Rubio.

If a solution surfaces it will likely have the blessing of the White House.

Special adviser and first daughter Ivanka Trump has been pushing for a family leave policy since the 2016 presidential campaign, and she renewed her efforts by meeting with lawmakers to discuss their ideas after the president mentioned it in his State of the Union address this year.

Nationwide surveys have shown broad support for paid family leave to help care for new babies or other family members. But there is less consensus among the public on who should pay for it and how, mirroring similar divides in Congress.

The Deseret News' 2016 American Family Survey found 54 percent of Americans support requiring employers to offer paid family leave. Half the respondents wanted employers to cover the benefit, and 21 percent wanted government to pay for it.

A July 2018 poll by the National Partnership for Women & Families found 8 in 10 voters (84 percent) support a comprehensive national paid family and medical leave policy that covers all people who work. The survey showed 38 percent prefer employers and employees share the cost of providing the benefit, 21 percent support an employer-funded plan, 19 percent prefer that government cover the costs and 3 percent liked the idea of early withdrawals from Social Security.

While Democrats and Republicans are both responding to the public's desire for paid family leave, each of the proposals introduced so far contain nonstarters for lawmakers on the other side of the aisle.

We believed this was better than doing nothing when the U.S. is the only developed nation without a national paid leave policy.

For instance, the funding mechanism in Gillibrand's bill is a mandatory payroll tax, while Republicans are committed to a budget-neutral funding approach that people can choose whether or not to use. Meanwhile, the Republican plan only deals with parental leave, while Democrats have embraced more comprehensive relief, including leave for personal health care and other family needs.

While the Republican plans may be budget-neutral in the long-term, there are costs to getting the programs off the ground that have yet to be calculated. When introducing his plan earlier this month, Lee said that the short-term costs could be between $7 billion and $8 billion.

Aparna Mathur, an economic policy scholar with the American Enterprise Institute and co-director of the AEI-Brookings working group on paid family leave, told the Deseret News that a concern with involving Social Security is the entitlement program's precarious financial situation. Another concern is whether drawing from Social Security early could leave vulnerable, low-income wage earners with the difficult choice when they reach retirement age of delaying retirement or receiving a smaller benefit.

But supporters of both the GOP plans said participation would be voluntary.

Wagner said she and Rubio have worked with the Social Security Administration "to ensure that (the) bill does not affect future or current earned benefits and also maintains the solvency of the Social Security Trust Fund."

Romney signed on to the New Parents Act rather than Lee's proposal because of the added flexibility it provides new parents. "Hes encouraged to have more ideas, such as the Lee-Ernst bill, in the conversation, and he will continue to work with his colleagues to find the best solution to offer paid family leave for the working families in Utah and across the United States," the senator's spokesperson said.

While Romney, Rubio and others see the number of paid parental leave proposals and support from the White House as hopeful signs a bipartisan plan can be reached, such a compromise will require some tough choices.

Mathur's bipartisan group ran into similar obstacles before arriving at a compromise plan recommending an employee payroll tax that would fund up to eight weeks of paid time off that would provide some workers up to 70 percent of their wages and the payout would be capped at $600 a week, according the group's 2017 report.

"None of us found this compromise entirely to our liking," the report said. "But in these partisan times, we felt an obligation to work toward a compromise that all of us could support to some extent. We believed this was better than doing nothing when the U.S. is the only developed nation without a national paid leave policy."
SALT LAKE CITY  ABCs 20/20 will run a two-hour documentary of a convicted killer who, at one point, lived in Utah.

The documentary shows footage from ABC News archives and includes an interview with the mans ex-wife from his second marriage, who said she was lucky to get away from him.

Watch the trailer below.

The documentary will tell the story of a man, Raven Abaroa, who was convicted of killing his pregnant wife, Janet Abaroa, and was recently set free. The man reportedly spent eight years behind bars.

The two-hour presentation will look into Janets death, as well as Ravens trial, hung jury, and plea deal, according to a press release sent to the Deseret News.

Raven Abaroa relocated to Salt Lake City after his wife was found stabbed to death, according to a press release on the 20/20 show. He moved to Utah with his son.

Vanessa Pond, Ravens ex-wife, met Raven at their childrens school and got married two years later. After they got married, Vanessa says Ravens behavior changed. The two ended up separating, the press release said.

But Raven was later arrested and charged with Janets murder in 2010. The trial jury included women who were romantically involved with Raven while he was married to Janet and Vanessa. Due to a hung jury, a mistrial was declared.

A new trial began in spring 2014. Raven offered an Alford plea  which is "a guilty plea of a defendant who proclaims he is innocent of the crime, and admits that the prosecution has enough evidence to prove that he is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt," according to LegalZoom  to a charge of voluntary manslaughter. He was released from prison in December 2017.
KEARNS  Criminal charges were filed Wednesday against a 15-year-old boy accused of fatally shooting his stepbrother with a shotgun.

The boy is charged in 3rd District Juvenile Court with manslaughter, a second-degree felony, and obstructing justice, a third-degree felony. During a hearing in juvenile court Thursday, he entered a denial to both charges.

Police were called to 5007 W. 5400 South, on a report of a possible accidental shooting on March 18. Jerrad Jacobsen, 16, was found dead in a bedroom with what investigators initially believed was a self-inflicted shotgun blast. Unified police observed a large wound on the top of Jerrad's head that appeared to be an exit wound, according to charging documents.

When detectives interviewed the 15-year-old stepbrother who was in the room with Jerrad at the time of the shooting, he told them "that he had turned away from (Jerrad) and could not see what (Jerrad) was doing. (He) stated that he heard the gun go off and then saw (Jerrad) on the floor," the charges state.

But when examined by the Utah State Medical Examiner's Office, it was determined that "the wound on the top left side of (Jerrad's) head, previously theorized to be an exit wound, appeared to be an entrance wound and that (he) may have been shot at a downward angle," charging documents say.

On March 20, police interviewed the 15-year-old again, who this time said he and Jerrad were hanging out in Jerrad's bedroom before school.

"(He) grabbed the gun, pointed it at (Jerrad) and pulled the trigger. (He) stated that he thought the shotgun was unloaded, but the gun went off and (Jerrad) fell over," the charges state.

The case was filed in Tooele County because the teen's closest legal guardian lives there, according to police. The Deseret News has opted to not name the 15-year-old at this time.

Jerrad's mother, Theresa Hinkle, expressed her anger Thursday that the teen wasn't charged with murder.

"I go to bed crying every night I just miss my baby," she told the Deseret News.

"Like a snake he shot my son in the back of the head. That's not an accident," Hinkle said.

In regards to the boy telling police he believed the gun was unloaded at the time, Hinkle said, "Of course he's going to say that. If I murdered somebody and was trying to clean it up and wanting to get away with it I'm going to say the same thing."

Contributing: Dan Rascon
SALT LAKE CITY  Rep. Ben McAdams supported a bill Thursday that would provide a "safe harbor" and guidance to financial institutions that want to work with legal cannabis businesses.

The House Financial Services Committee advanced the bipartisan Safe Banking Act on a 45-14 vote, which the Utah Democrat said would help Utahs effort to gain access to legal banking services for the states medical marijuana business.

Thirty-four states, including Utah, have now legalized medical marijuana and yet commerce is carried out in cash-filled duffel bags because marijuana sales and distribution are still illegal under federal law, McAdams said.

Most banks and credit unions dont want to work with marijuana-related businesses and risk running afoul of regulators. As a result, working in the cannabis industry is largely a cash-only operation vulnerable to violent crime and fraud.

Until there's a "safe harbor" for state-approved businesses to use banks and credit unions for processing financial transactions, medical cannabis vendors will remain easy targets, McAdams said.

The Utah Legislature and Utah State Treasurer David Damschen have called on Congress to solve the problem. State lawmakers passed a resolution urging the federal government to remove barriers to banking services for Utah's medical marijuana program.
SALT LAKE CITY  Rep. Chris Stewart called on the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee to step down Thursday, saying the California Democrat is "unsuitable" for continuing to assert that the president colluded with Russia.

Stewart, R-Utah, was among nine Republican committee members who signed a letter seeking Rep. Adam Schiff's "immediate" resignation.

"The findings of the special counsel conclusively refute your past and present assertions and have exposed you as having abused your position to knowingly promote false information, having damaged the integrity of this committee, and undermined faith in U.S. government institutions," according to the letter.

Stewart said Schiff's actions are "unbecoming" as chairman and risk permanently damaging the committee's role in overseeing U.S. intelligence.

"You cant say that he (President Donald Trump) has committed treason, and say, But were OK with that, well allow him to stay in office. It isnt one or the other," Stewart said.

Schiff has not resigned or backed down. He said his committee will continue its investigation into Trump's foreign business interests and Congress and the public still need to see special counsel Robert Mueller's full report.

"I say this to the president, and his defenders in Congress: You may think its OK how Trump and his associates interacted with Russians during the campaign. I dont. I think its immoral. I think its unethical. I think its unpatriotic. And yes, I think its corrupt," he tweeted.

On CNN, Schiff reiterated what he said he's been saying for the past two years.

"One, theres ample evidence of collusion in plain sight, and that is true. And second, that is not the same thing as whether Bob Mueller will be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt the crime of conspiracy," he said.

In December 2017, Schiff tweeted, "Here is what we know: The Russians offered help. The campaign accepted help. The Russians gave help. The President made full use of that help. That's pretty damning."

Trump also weighed in on Twitter, saying: "Congressman Adam Schiff, who spent two years knowingly and unlawfully lying and leaking, should be forced to resign from Congress!"

Schiff has misled the public on collusion for two years, accusing the president of "treason and high crimes without evidence," Stewart said.

"Schiff's behavior is irresponsible and unsuitable for a leader," he tweeted.

The letter cites Attorney General William Barr's notice to Congress that Mueller's investigation did not find that the Trump campaign or anyone associated with it conspired with Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election.

It also mentions the House Intelligence Committee's own investigation that found no evidence that Trump or his campaign colluded, conspired or coordinated with the Russian government.

Stewart earlier called Mueller's findings a "great day for America" and said he couldn't understand how people could be disappointed or discouraged with what the special counsel found.

Barr, however, noted that the report does not conclude that the president committed a crime, nor does it exonerate him.
SALT LAKE CITY  Utah's economy has been among the more robust and fastest growing in the nation, according to analysts from one of the country's largest financial institutions.

"The Utah economy is doing very well right now," said Wells Fargo economist Charlie Dougherty. "It's doing well for all the reasons you'd want to see an economy do well  mainly a fast-growing labor force (that) is very well-educated and young."

Wells Fargo reported that the Beehive State has consistently ranked as "one of the fastest growing economies in the country" in addition to boasting one of the lowest rates of unemployment.

Dougherty said the economy is also among the most diverse.

"You're seeing a lot of job growth, seeing a lot of people moving into the state, a lot of companies moving into the state and so there are a lot of good things happening in the state of Utah," he said.

The bank's report stated that collaboration between business, labor and government is among the reasons why Utah consistently ranks among the best states to do business. An increasing presence in prominent business sectors such as technology, including cloud computing, big data and software development, has raised the states economic profile nationally and internationally. He also noted the growth in aerospace and life sciences as reasons for Utah's positive economic outlook.

Utah boasted the third-fastest growth of any state in America last year as exports jumped 24 percent, the report stated. The dramatic increase followed two years of previous declines, according to the report.

Dougherty said Utahs strengths are unmistakable when observing the most recent economic data that showed real gross domestic product, the total annual value of goods and services produced in the state, climbed at an annual rate of 4.4 percent during the third quarter of 2018  the latest quarterly information available.

"Utah was the second-fastest growing right behind Washington," he said. The trend over the past two or three years indicated that Utah's economic growth has outpaced the national rate, he noted.

"The U.S. economy grew at about 3 percent in 2018, while Utah was growing in excess of 4 percent," he said. "And it's been above 4 percent for all of 2018."

Additionally, nonfarm employment rose 2.8 percent over the past 12 months, with stable increases apparent in all principal industry sectors, the report stated. The state's jobless rate held steady at 3.1 percent in February, around where it has been for the past two years, he said.

With the state's economic fundamentals on solid footing, he said Utah should expect to continue its growth trajectory for the foreseeable future, he added.

"When you have strong employment growth bolstered mostly by people and businesses moving into the state, and you have a fast-growing labor force, those are the building blocks for economic growth," Dougherty said. "Utah has those in spades."

The report stated that Utah's proximity to other tech centers in the West, along with the large talented workforce and relatively low real estate costs were prominent drivers in the development of the Silicon Slopes cloud computing cluster south of Salt Lake City as well as the Bionic Valley bioengineering hub located in the state capital.

Dougherty noted that while the state's and the nation's supply of workers is growing, the demand for talent is still outpacing the number of people with the needed skills. With unemployment at historically low levels, that trend is expected to continue and could affect businesses' ability to grow at some point.

"That basically indicates that there are fewer and fewer people for companies to hire," he said. "So while they may want to expand, they just don't have the labor force to do so."

Some of that shortage can be alleviated by the in-migration of new talent and the relocation of companies from other states looking for a place with lowering operational costs and a ready pool of qualified labor, he said.

"Utah tops the list of (relocation alternatives) because you have a well-educated workforce, relative affordability (and) a growing economy which sets the stage for continued strong economic growth," Dougherty said.
SALT LAKE CITY  Two of three teenagers charged in juvenile court with committing a series of violence convenient store robberies that culminated in the stabbing of a clerk now face charges in adult court.

Halapaini Moala, 17, of Salt Lake City, was charged Thursday in 3rd District Court with robbery, a second-degree felony. Cypress Leo Burgess, 17, was charged last week with the same crime. A third 17-year-old boy had not been charged in 3rd District Court as of Thursday.

In December 2018, all three were charged in juvenile court with between 10 and 15 counts each ranging from aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony, to retail theft and minors in possession of alcohol. One of the boys was 16 at the time of the alleged crimes.

From Nov. 24 to Dec. 15, Salt Lake police responded to multiple reports of aggravated robberies and thefts throughout Salt Lake City, specifically at Maverik and 7-Eleven convenience stores, and at a Walmart. The thefts are believed to have been committed by the same people and "the levels of force increased during each incident," police wrote in a search warrant affidavit.

Court documents indicate the boys could be linked to at least eight robberies. The most serious occurred on Dec. 15.

Just before 4 a.m. that day, all three boys entered a 7-Eleven at 1157 W. California Ave. (1300 South), and without being provoked, chased the clerk and stabbed him, the charges state, before the clerk ran into a back office.

"You have to come out or I will stab you again," one boy told the clerk, according to the charges.

Police say the clerk was stabbed again several times, including in the neck. The injuries were not life-threatening.

Later that day, all three boys went to Walmart, 350 W. Hope Ave., where police say they shoplifted watches, jewelry and a jacket. After his arrest, Burgess told police "he needed a new sweater and a necklace for his girlfriend," the charges state.
VINEYARD  Authorities have identified a 6-year-old Vineyard girl killed Wednesday when she was hit by an SUV.

Just before 3:30 p.m., Annie Gonzalez was riding a scooter along Parkway Place near Vineyard Elementary School when a woman pulled out of a driveway and hit her, Utah County Sheriff's Sgt. Spencer Cannon said.

According to Cannon, the driver had backed out of her driveway into a cul-de-sac, then turned left to drive away when Annie came down another driveway on a battery-powered scooter and rode into the path of the SUV.

Efforts to revive Annie were unsuccessful and she was pronounced dead on scene, Cannon said.

Cannon said the death appears to be an accident and the driver was cooperating with investigators, including completing drug testing that is standard following this kind of incident.

"Investigators do not suspect negligence, carelessness or impairment as factors, and initial test results are negative for drugs or alcohol. Based on information known at this time there will be no charges filed against the driver," Cannon said.
A man from Lithuania managed to dupe Google and Facebook of millions of dollars by simply producing fake invoices for things the companies did not order.

Highlights:

Google and Facebook paid up fake invoices worth $122 million to a Lithuanian man.

The tech giants did not realise that the invoices were for things they did not even order.

The Lithuanian man pretended to be a vendor from Taiwanese hardware company Quanta Computer Inc.

A Lithuanian man managed to dupe two of the worlds biggest corporations - Google and Facebook - by producing fake invoices, which the companies paid up without a shadow of doubt. Evaldas Rimasauskas of Lithuania duped Facebook of $99 million and made Google pay up $23 million between 2013 and 2015, by simply sending them fake invoices for things they did not even order and supporting his claims with forged paperwork and emails from corporate executives.

Rimasauskas produced false contracts, fake letters from company executives and other documents to make his claims look legitimate. He even went to the extent of posing as a vendor from a Taiwanese hardware manufacturer called Quanta Computer Inc and registered a company with the same name in Latvia to boost his credibility. No one at Facebook or Google thought of checking up on his million dollar claims, which he distributed across several bank accounts in Lithuania, Hungary, Slovakia, Cyprus and Latvia.

It was Google that finally discovered the con and last week, Rimasauskas plead guilty to US Wire Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft, and Money Laundering charges. He has now agreed to forfeit $50 million, while its unclear what will happen to the rest of the $73 million.

Rimasauskas will be sentenced on July 29 and he faces up to 30 years imprisonment for the scam. Meanwhile commenting on the matter, Google said, We detected this fraud and promptly alerted the authorities. We recouped the funds and we're pleased this matter is resolved."

Via
Citing data, a top Microsoft executive wrote in a memo that April Fools Day pranks have limited positive impact and can result in unwanted news cycles.

Highlights:

Microsoft bars employees from indulging in April Fools Day.

An executive said that pranks attract negative feedback more than the positive ones.





It is that time of the year when people use their best ideas (or in some cases, pretty bad ones) to prank others in every possible way. The April Fools' tradition is followed by many people across the world, including those who work for technology companies like Google and Microsoft. But this year, Microsoft has taken a step back and has instructed employees to avoid making any jokes that could attract more flak than positive feedback.

In a memo, Microsofts Marketing Chief Chris Capossela (obtained by The Verge), has asked employees to ensure that people are aware about companys decision on the April Fools Day activities. Its that time of year when tech companies try to show their creativity with April Fools Day stunts. Sometimes the outcomes are amusing and sometimes theyre not. Either way, data tells us these stunts have limited positive impact and can actually result in unwanted news cycles, he wrote in the memo

Considering the headwinds the tech industry is facing today, Im asking all teams at Microsoft to not do any public-facing April Fools Day stunts. I appreciate that people may have devoted time and resources to these activities, but I believe we have more to lose than gain by attempting to be funny on this one day. Please forward to your teams and internal partners to ensure people are aware of the ask to stand down on external April Fools Day activities, he added.

The executive is true about the headwinds as well as about unwanted news cycles. For example, Googles Mic Drop April Fools Day prank didnt come out as it was supposed to and backfired big time so much so that the company had to apologise. In 2016, the search giant announced that it launched a new feature called mic drop, which, as the name suggests, could be used to have a final say in a conversation.

However, it looked like Google pranked itself and the feedback was more negative than positive. Again, sorry. We love April Fools jokes at Google, and we regret that this joke missed the mark and disappointed you, Google had said. Last year, Xiaomi pulled an April Fools Day joke saying that the company would launch Mi A1 with six cameras. A year later, we can say that OEMs could soon make that joke a reality because Nokia has already launched a phone with five rear cameras.

Meanwhile, Razer was successful in fooling people about a drink that was claimed to boost gamers ability to play games. The manufacturer, known for its gaming hardware and smartphone, announced Project Venom v2, a solution that boosts gamers gaming abilities and marketed it as an improved variant of 2010s Project Venom. We at Digit also launched an ultra-specced smartphone called the Votafone with specifications like Dual 64 bit Quad Core processors, Dual 5.5 inch AMOLED screen, Dual 21MP 2K cameras, and a 7200 mAH battery made from the revolutionary material Graphene.

Even though Microsoft has banned the idea of not pranking people on the first day of April, it doesnt mean that you ditch April Fools' Day. Apparently its a precautionary step that the Windows-maker has taken to avoid unwanted news cycles, but given the participation by several tech bigwigs, joking doesnt seem to be a bad idea after all.

Related Read:

Reliance addresses everyone's battery woes on April Fool's day with Jio Juice
A Huawei executive in Malaysia has confirmed the development in a video, and says that the Mate 30 could launch in September or October.

Highlights:

Huawei Mate 30 Series is in testing phase, says company executive.

The phone could launch in September or October this year.

It may come with 5G support.

Huawei just launched the P30-Series of phones in Paris and just on the heels of the camera-centric phones, reports about the successor of the Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro (Review) are already making rounds on the internet. A Huawei executive in Malaysia has confirmed in a video that the next Mate devices are already in the testing phase internally and may launch in September or October later this year. Last year, Huawei launched the Mate 20 Series of phones in October.

In a press conference, Huawei Product Manager Bruce Lee (via CNET), said, Now is March and the Mate 30 will be launched in September or October. Moreover, the phone could also come with 5G capabilities. Recently, Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei's Consumer Business Group, said that the company is considering adding 5G connectivity to the next Mate series. This makes sense because by October, we may start seeing a working 5G infrastructure in some part of the world.

As far as hardware is concerned, the Huawei Mate 30 Series may debut with HiSilicon Kirin 985 mobile platform. Generally, the Chinese tech giant launches the flagship processor in July-August. Last year, Huawei launched the HiSilicon Kirin 980 SoC in August as the worlds first chipset manufactured by manufactured with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Companys (TSMC) 7nm process.

A recent report said that the Kirin 985 will be manufactured using EUV (Extreme Ultraviolet) lithography that will make more advanced semiconductors for mobile, server, network and supercomputing applications. The report also said that Huawei will increase its orders of 7nm TSMC wafers, silicon-based round disks on which etching is done, in the second half of this year. HiSilicon is also reported to become the largest customer of TSMC 7nm.

Huawei has claimed that in 2018 it shipped a record 200 million units, including the Huawei P20 and Mate 20 series of smartphones. The report says that the company will launch (more) phones with four cameras on the back as well as folding devices to meet its annual shipment target of 250 million. A few weeks ago, back covers allegedly of the Huawei Mate 30 series of phone were leaked online suggesting that their could be five cameras on the back - a setup that has already been seen in the Nokia 9 PureView.

Related Read:

41 smartphone brands exit, 15 entered India in 2018: Report
Chang Cheng, Vice President of Lenovo Group, wrote in a latest post that a phone with a billion level pixels will come in April, and hash-tagged the Z6 Pro.

Highlights:

Lenovo Z6 Pro launching in April.

The phone could come with 100MP camera.

It could be lenovos first phone with 5G capability.

Earlier this week, Chang Cheng, Vice President of Lenovo Group, posted on Weibo that the company would launch the Lenovo Z6 Pro phone on March 26, however, it didnt show up. In the latest post, the executive has announced that the phone will launch in April. He also teased that the phone will come with a billion level pixels, hinting that it could come with a 100MP camera, and could become the first company to launch such phone.

The USP of the phone is a Hyper Vision camera sensor to record Hyper Videos. Lenovo hasnt really detailed what this technology does but it has been hyped in the media circles. This is not the first time that the launch has been postponed. It was earlier reported that the phone would make an appearance at MWC 2019 in Barcelona, but it didnt and the event was headlined by foldable devices and 5G provided by Qualcomms X50 modem.

Further, Qualcomm recently told Digit that it is expecting smartphone with 100MP cameras later this year. According to Judd Heape, Senior Director of Product Management at Qualcomm, camera sensor vendors are already working on higher megapixel sensors due to launch later this year. He said that Qualcomm is expecting camera sensors a little above 100-megapixels to hit the market later this year, and 2020 will see the megapixel count jump to the mid-100s.

Now coming to the specs of the Z6 Pro, it is being reported that the phone will carry the Snapdragon 855 processor and the X50 modem for 5G capabilities. For those who dont know, Lenovo was the first company to launch a phone with Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor, however, the phone did not have the 5G modem. Called the Lenovo Z5 Pro GT, it is also the first phone ever to feature a 12GB RAM.

Related Read:

Qualcomm adds support for 192MP camera sensors in 6-series, 7-series and8-series chipsets
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[enlarge] Hudson Pacific Properties and Blackstone Property Partners have announced a new venture to buy and renovate Bentall Centre in Vancouver, B.C.





Up in Vancouver, B.C., Bentall Centre was developed in phases from 1967 to 1981, now with about 1.45 million square feet of offices and retail. It's been owned since 2016 by Beijing-based Anbang Insurance Group, which paid about $1.2 billion (in U.S. currency) in two transactions. Now Hudson Pacific Properties and Blackstone Property Partners have announced a new venture to buy and renovate the five-acre, four-tower downtown complex. Terms for the deal weren't disclosed. Blackstone will own 80 percent, and HPP will own the rest. HPP will also open a new office in Vancouver to oversee the renovation. Last year the Chinese government accused Anbang's founder of fraud, and seized the company. The government has since been selling off Anbang's assets, which also include the Waldorf Astoria hotel in Manhattan. Anbang does not appear to own any property in our immediate area. HPP and Blackstone do.





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Maruti Suzuki to source Brezza also from Toyota

Maruti Suzukis star performer Brezza will be manufactured at Toyotas India facility, Toyota Kirloskar Motors, in 2022, after Toyota launches Maruti Suzukis other model Baleno later this year.

Toyota will also sell the Brezza, although with modifications, as per the agreement.

This will be the second Suzuki model that Toyota will be selling after it licensed out the Baleno, which will be sold by Toyota later this year.

The Brezza will be manufactured at one of the two factories of Toyota Kirloskar Motors. Maruti Suzuki, India's largest car maker, will not have to make any investment in its partners capacity.

The agreement is part of the MoU signed by Toyota and Suzuki in February 2017, under which the two will mutually supply products and components.

The MoU also entails business partnership in areas, including environmental technologies, safety technologies, information technologies, and mutual supply of products and components.

The Brezza, a sub-four meter urban SUV, clocks an average of 13,000 units sales every month. The changes that Toyota intends to make to the Brezza before retailing it through its showrooms, remains undisclosed.

"If in future Maruti Suzuki has to rearrange production then it will have the flexibility to source the Brezza from Toyota as per requirement," said an industry source.

It has been further decided that Maruti Suzuki will continue to be the sole manufacturer of the Baleno. A derivative of the car will be sold to Toyota Kirloskar. "This will result in incremental sales for the company," Maruti Suzuki said in a statement.

Further Maruti Suzuki said Toyota Hybrid System will be provided in future products of the company, which will help it become a front runner of clean technology in mass market and help in sustainable development of Indian Automotive Industry.

Last week, the two companies increased their sphere of partnership to now include joint production, the popularization of electrified vehicles, the sharing of engines and the inclusion of more commonly used car models.

Maruti Suzukis board also approved the reappointment of Kenichi Ayukawa, the serving managing director and CEO of Maruti Suzuki, for a further period of three years with effect from 1 April 2019.

Meanwhile, Maruti Suzuki India launched the third generation WagonR on Saturda last. The Big New WagonR boasts of a bold design, enhanced space, comfort, next generation infotainment system and advanced K-series engine offering excellent fuel efficiency and driving pleasure. It has a robust body language with a wide stance, which makes it strikingly attractive.

The Big New WagonR is engineered and built on fifth generation HEARTECT platform, which increases safety of occupants through effective absorption of impact and dispersion of crash energy and assures stability.

It also comes with stronger heart of 1.2 L engine that delivers powerful performance in addition to the 1.0 L engine.

In fact, according to Maruti Suzuki, the Big New WagonR offers excellent fuel efficiency for both the engine options - 21.5 km/l for 1.2 L variant and 22.5 km/l for 1.0 L variant - which is nearly 10 per cent higher than the outgoing model.
Vedanta strikes oil in Krishna-Godavari basin

Anil Agarwal-led Vedanta Limited on Wednesday said it has made an oil discovery in Krishna-Godavari basin off the Andhra Pradesh coast.

Vedanta's oil and gas operations comprise the offshore assets of Cairn India, which is India's largest private sector crude oil producer. Vedanta Ltd holds 100 per cent participating interest in the block.

"Vedanta Limited has notified the Management Committee, Directorate General of Hydrocarbons and ministry of petroleum and natural gas of an oil discovery in the second exploratory well H2 located in the block KG-OSN-2009/3, Krishna-Godavari basin, East Coast of India," according to a company statement.

Multiple reservoir zones were encountered in the well H2 within the Mesozoic sequence between the depths of 3,310 metres to 4,026 metres with hydrocarbon indications during drilling and downhole logging, it said.

"The zone from 3,403 metres to 3,431 metres was tested through conventional well testing (drill stem test) and flowed oil to the surface. Further appraisal will be required to establish the size and commerciality of the oil discovery in the Mesozoic sequence," said the statement.

The first exploration well A3-2 drilled in the block was a gas discovery. Evaluations are ongoing based on the results of the first well A3-2 and the second well H2 to finalise the forward programme, said Vedanta.

Cairn Oil & Gas, a vertical of Vedanta Limited, contributed about 25 per cent to India's domestic crude oil production in FY 2017-18.

Cairn Oil & Gas is the largest private crude oil producer in India. With a portfolio of 6 blocks, of which 5 blocks are in India and one in South Africa, Cairn has made over 50 hydrocarbon discoveries in the last decade and operates the Mangala field in Rajasthan, the largest producing onshore oil field in the Indian private sector.

Discovered in January 2004, Mangala is the largest onshore oil discovery in India in more than a decade. Mangala, Bhagyam and Aishwariya fields, the three major discoveries in the Rajasthan block, together have gross hydrocarbons in place of about 2.2 billion barrels of oil equivalent. Oil and gas are currently being produced from Rajasthan, Ravva in Andhra Pradesh and Cambay in Gujarat.
Fourth Indian naval vessel with relief material leaves for Mozambique

A fourth Indian naval vessel, INS Magar, carrying essential relief material for the cyclone ravaged areas of Mozambique departed Mumbai for Port Beira in Mozambique today.

The amphibious warfare vessel is carrying 300 tonnes of relief supplies, including essential medicines, anti-epidemic drugs, food provisions, clothing, repair and rehabilitation equipment, and temporary shelters. The ship is also carrying a naval Chetak Light Utility helicopter for use in the ongoing relief operations.

This is the fourth Indian Naval ship after INS Sujata, Shardul and Sarathi of No 1 Training Squadron to augment the Indian Navy's ongoing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) efforts in Mozambique.

During the ongoing operations at Port Beira since 18 March, Indian naval ships have rescued more than 192 survivors from Buzi area near Port Beira, which is cut off from the mainland. Three medical camps have been set up at Port Beira, Gaura-Gaurathe Island and Matadoura School, Imnhamizua and medical assistance has been provided to over 1,500 affected people from the local population.

The Chetak helicopter of Indian Navy has undertaken a number of sorties in difficult conditions for evacuation of local personnel in coordination with local authorities and the UN Mission. In addition, it has also dropped relief material (food and water), including that provided by World Food Programme.

Community services are being undertaken by the ships crew at affected locations like schools, churches, hospitals, orphanages in coordination with the local government officials. The ships have set up a community kitchen kept open 24x7 for local populace, including the workers at the port and 22 tonnes of fresh water has been provided to local authorities.

The tropical cyclone that struck Mozambique and several other countries in southern Africa last week caused widespread flooding and destruction across the southeast corner of the continent. The port city of Beira in Mozambique was hit hardest, with many homes destroyed.

At least 242 people have been killed in Mozambique, 139 people in Zimbabwe and 56 people in Malawi, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Aid organisations said those figures could rise drastically as rescuers reach previously inaccessible areas.

The floodwaters from the cyclone, called Idai, could have reached almost 20 feet deep, according to Matthew Cochrane, a spokesman for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Thousands have been displaced by the storm, and President Filipe Nyusi of Mozambique said the death toll there could climb to more than 1,000.

The storm made landfall about two weeks ago near Quelimane, a city about 190 miles northeast of Beira, as a tropical depression with torrential rain. Wind speeds were only around 40 miles per hour, and after a few days, the storm changed course and moved back into the ocean.

Cyclone-ravaged Mozambique faces a "second disaster" from cholera and other diseases, officials have warned, as the United Nations launched an urgent aid appeal for an estimated 1.8 million people affected by storm winds and flash floods.

It would be a huge challenge. Large parts of the city of 500,000 residents are below sea level on a coastline that experts warn is one of the worlds most vulnerable to global warmings rising waters.
Cabinet approves MoU between India and Croatia in the field of tourism

The union cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday gave ex-post facto approval to the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between India and Croatia in the field of tourism.

The MoU, signed on 16 March, during the visit of President of India to Croatia, will help the two parties in creating an institutional mechanism for enhancing cooperation in the tourism sector.

Addressing a joint forum of Croatian and Indian business associations, President Ram Nath Kovind said the potential to expand bilateral trade and investment and to establish innovation, research and start-up partnerships is immense.

He also reminded of the rich trading past when over 1,000 Croatian traders settled in Goa carried out flourishing mercantile connect between Dubrovnik and Goa in the 16th century.

The event was jointly organised by the Croatian Chamber of Economy, the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India, the Confederation of Indian Industry and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

India, he said, may remain a land of culture and spiritualism in Croatia, but, beyond that there is the new economic energy, dynamism and vigour of a new India in the making. India today is the fastest growing major economy in the world with a growth of over 7 per cent. It is also the third largest economy in the world in purchasing power terms and the sixth largest in absolute terms. And it is poised to be a 5 trillion-dollar economy by 2025, he added.

You will find in India a transformed business climate today, a good measure of which is Indias extraordinary jump of 65 places during the last four years in the World Bank Ease of Doing Business Index. The introduction of the path-breaking Goods and Services Tax has transformed India, a country of 1.3 billion people, into `One Nation, One Tax, and One Market for the first time in her history.

Also, he said, the government is working to tailor economic reforms to realise the full potential of the country and its mostly young population. And with the new spirit of enterprise, the start-up revolution and its software prowess India is all set for the new phase of next-generation industrial revolution.

India is changing and changing fast. The international business community has given a vote of confidence to these changes with new investments. During our last financial year, we received $62 billion in foreign direct investment. Indian industry is also reaching out across the world, be it through trade, direct investments or joint collaborations. But numbers often dont capture the enormous changes taking place or the dynamism that accompanies them. I invite you to come and experience for yourself what we are doing for ourselves and for the world. We invite Croatia to partner with us and take advantage of the opportunities that India presents.
Mother's Day on Sunday next will be a special day in the O'Donnell household in Shalvey, Kilcar, where Maggie O'Donnell will celebrate her 100th birthday to join an increasing band of Kilcar centenarians.

Maggie is hale and hearty and still has a roguish smile and loves to have a bit of banter with her family, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Born in Kilcausey on March 31, 1919, Maggie was the third in a family of seven McShanes, five girls and two boys. Mary and Ellen were older, while Una, Brigid, Patrick (Paddy) and Christy were younger. Her parents were Michael and Una McShane.

"I'm the last of them," says Maggie.

"I was christened Margaret and got the name Maggie from the younger ones because they couldn't say Margaret.

"I went to school in the bare feet and carrying a couple of clods of turf. My father had a cart and he used to take a cart load of turf to the school in October.

After finishing in Coguish National School, like many others, Maggie emigrated for work.

"I went away to England. I worked in Worcestershire. I was sewing in a big industrial school. We made their clothes and did the housework.

Maggie spent some time in Dublin and Belfast before returning home, where she met and married her husband Francis (Francie) O'Donnell on August 16, 1951

She set up home in Francie's home place of Shalvey where they raised their family of three - John, Mary and Anne.

Of an industrious nature, the skills she had learned when away from home of sewing and knitting, were put to good use. Like most families, they were self-sufficient,farming and fishing.

Maggie was able to make clothes for the children and knit garments and also helped out on the farm. She accidentally became a B&B house when strangers would call wondering where they could stay for the night. "There was nowhere around here at the time until you got to the Glenbay Hotel," says Maggie, so she began by renting out one room and this grew from there.

Maggie is happy and outgoing, her big interests were card playing (25 and whist) and bingo.

"She is the best partner to have at cards," says her granddaughter, Louise. "She taught them all the winks and the nods," says daughter Anne.

As for the secret of long life, Maggie just shrugs: "Just live to you die."

Maggie enjoys a wee Powers and also enjoyed a cigarette "after dinner. I would light it up and then might leave it on the range and when I went back it was just a roll of ashes."

She had a visit from the Bishop of Raphoe Alan McGuckian SJ last weekend when he was in Kilcar for Confirmations and the cheque from the President, Michael D Higgins was being awaited on Monday evening last.

"I'll not see it," quipped Maggie.

A special Mass in St Cartha's Church, Kilcar is being celebrated on Saturday at 2 pm and there will be a celebration afterwards in the Blue Haven Hotel to mark the special occasion.

Maggie is being cared for in her own house by her daughter Anne and will be joined by her grandchildren Kieran, Loretta, Louise and Owen; great grandchildren Michaela, Joseph and Fiachra as well as family, friends and neighbours for the big celebration.

The Kilcar '100 Club'

Maggie O'Donnell will be the latest addition to the Kilcar '100 Club', surely a record for a parish for the number of centenarians in all of Ireland.

Since 1994, Maggie O'Donnell becomes the 15th centenarian in the small parish, a remarkable statistic. And there are at least two others very close to joining the club, one later this year and another in 2020.

Of the centenarians Cassie Dominic Sweeney set the Kilcar record. She was in her 109th year when she passed away in 2003.

Kitty 'Dearg' Byrne is at present the oldest alive, having celebrated her 106th birthday on February 4th.

The full list since 1994 is:

1994: Cassie 'Dominic' Sweeney - October 6

1999: Maggie Campbell - September 22

1999: Johnny McGinley

2001: Annie Murrin - August 20

2003: Maggie Byrne - October 3

2003: Annie O'Donnell - December 8

2004: Francie McGinley - January 1

2008: Nellie Byrne - March 27

2010: Gretta McRedmond (nee Campbell) June 16

2011: Maggie O'Gara - November 11

2013: Francie McCloskey - February 4

2013: Kitty 'Dearg' Byrne - February 4

2016: Brid Butler - July

2017: Leo McGinley - August 7

2019: Maggie O'Donnell March 31
Louth TD Gerry Adams raised the issue of drug related intimidation against families in County Louth in the Dail with Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan.

The Louth TD specifically raised the case of one family whose home was fire-bombed over St. Patricks weekend.

Deputy Adams expressed his disappointment at the Ministers refusal to answer the questions he asked, specifically around the provision of additional resources for the Louth Division of An Garda Siochana.

The Minister also failed to inform the Dail, Deputy Adams says, when the evaluation of the Drug Related Intimidation Reporting Programme by An Garda Siochana will finally be published.

Gerry Adams said:

There is a growing problem of extortion with violence and threats by drug gangs in County Louth. These gangs are demanding that the families of those who they claim owe them money must now pay the alleged debt. I am also told by party colleagues that this is a serious problem in Dublin and elsewhere.

"Last week, along with Councillors Ruairi O Murchu and Pearse McGeough, I visited one family in Louth who are quite simply living in terror.

"Over the space of 6 months this family paid a drug gang a total of 3,700 for debts allegedly owed by their son. The drug gang has targeted this family in a sustained campaign of intimidation and threats and attempted extortion. The drug gang are now demanding another 8,000.

"However, this family is demonstrating remarkable courage in the face of threats, and is standing firm and rejecting the drug gangs demand. When I visited the home, the family were clearly very anxious.

"Their fears are well founded. Over the St Patricks weekend their home was petrol bombed while they slept in their beds.

"Luckily the impact of the bomb breaking a window woke the family and they extinguished the fire before anyone was hurt. This family are working closely with the Gardai whom they have praised highly to me.

"Other families have also been targeted. Other homes have been attacked. Cars have been destroyed. Families have fled their homes.

"Last Friday I spoke to the Chief Superintendent of the Louth division. I want to commend the Gardai for their actions and efforts to date.

"During my last meeting in Dundalk Garda Station in January the officers informed me that the Louth Drugs and Crime Unit is now up and running with 3 extra staff in Dundalk and 5 in Drogheda. This is a good start but these numbers are still far too low to deal with the scale of the problem

"There are other cases which have come through my office and no doubt many more which I am unaware of.

"It is my belief that most of this intimidation can be traced to two drug gangs in Drogheda where local families have been subject to similar threats of intimidation over drug debts allegedly owed by family members. I want to commend the neighbours and friends of the family I visited. This local community is 100 per cent behind them.

"Drug gangs will not intimidate the people of Louth. But it should not be left to the community or An Garda Siochana. I am disappointed that the Minister did not deal with the questions I raised, including the allocation of additional resources for the Louth division of An Garda Siochana to support the work of its drugs unit.

"I also asked the Minister if he will consider introducing or supporting legislation to ensure that proof of identity is required for the purchase of mobile phones. Mobile phones are frequently used in the illegal drugs trade and many of the threats issued to the family being victimised in this case were by mobile phone.

"There is a need for a well-resourced, holistic, multi-agency approach bringing together all of the stake-holders in the state, community and voluntary sectors to tackle the scourge of drugs and its associated health and criminal issues.

Concluding, Gerry Adams said:

I have submitted Parliamentary Questions regarding the ongoing evaluation of the Drug Related Intimidation Reporting Programme by An Garda Siochana, and the work of the Family Addiction Support Network. Last year the Minister told me that this evaluation would be completed by the end of 2018. We are now well into 2019 and it hasnt been published.
Dundalk Homeless Support Group are appealing to locals to donate personal items for homeless mums who use their services on Mothers Day, which is this Sunday, March 31.

Speaking to the Dundalk Democrat about the type of items people can donate the founder of Dundalk Homeless Support Group Kels said: "Whatever people want to donate. Practical items, but not clothes. And something personal to give these ladies a boost on Mother's Day. Perhaps a gift set or a voucher, something like that."

"The response so far has been crazy. We've had so many offers that we have contacted Women's Aid in Dundalk, who have about eight mums there. We'll be donating to the Irish Soup Kitchen too. They have about 15 to 20 mums using their services. And we have about 20 service users here ourselves who are mums."

The local group, which is made up of 52 local volunteers and doesn't receive any funding have said that interested parties can contact them through a private message at www.facebook.com/dlkhsg/if they wish to get details about the drop-off point on Friday, March 29 from 1 to 7pm.

Dundalk Homeless Support Group, which was founded by Kels in 2016 provides services such as a daily soup run, outreach services for people who have entered rehab for addictions, assisting the homeless in finding accommodation, and much more besides.

For more details see this link.
A jury in the first U.S. federal Roundup trial ruled Wednesday that Bayer must pay more than $80 million in damages to 70-year-old Edwin Hardeman, who developed cancer after using the glyphosate-containing weedkiller to control poison oak, weeds and overgrowth on his Sonoma property for years, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Hardeman's trial had been split into two parts. In the first, decided last week, the jury ruled that Hardeman's use of the famous weedkiller, developed by Monsanto in the 1970s, contributed to his non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. That decision meant the trial could move to the second phase of determining whether Bayer, which acquired Monsanto last year, was liable. The jury decided Wednesday to award Hardeman $200,000 for medical expenses, $5.6 million in compensatory damages and $75 million in punitive damages, AFP reported. "Today, the jury resoundingly held Monsanto accountable for its 40 years of corporate malfeasance and sent a message to Monsanto that it needs to change the way it does business," Hardeman's attorneys Jennifer Moore and Aimee Wagstaff said in a statement.

The decision comes a little more than half a year after a jury in a California state case ruled that Roundup use caused a Bay Area groundskeeper's non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and awarded him $289 million, though that was later reduced to $78 million and is being appealed. University of Richmond Law Professor Carl Tobias told CNN that Wednesday's decision shows the first trial "wasn't a one-off."

Bayer announced it would appeal Wednesday's verdict as well in a statement released Wednesday. "We are disappointed with the jury's decision, but this verdict does not change the weight of over four decades of extensive science and the conclusions of regulators worldwide that support the safety of our glyphosate-based herbicides and that they are not carcinogenic," the company said.
Kentuckys Education Commissioner on Wednesday told superintendents who experienced recent work stoppages because of high teacher absences that they should close loopholes in their district sick leave policies.

If district closures because of work stoppages continue and districts and local boards are unwilling or unable to address this problem, I will explore further action to do so, including recommending that the labor cabinet issue citations to teachers engaged in illegal work stoppages, Wayne Lewis said in a memo to 10 school districts. At this time, however, I will allow local districts an opportunity to address this issue first.

The memo followed Lewis controversial request earlier in the month for information, including names of teachers who were absent when districts closed and educators protested during the 2019 General Assembly. He said Wednesday that all 10 districtsFayette, Jefferson, Bath, Boyd, Bullitt, Carter, Letcher, Madison, Marion and Oldhamhad complied with his request.

In response, the Kentucky Education Association issued a statement that said KEA reviewed the Commissioners memo and that the conclusions he had drawn were legal ones.

The analysis he offers could easily have been completed at any time without making dramatic, cumbersome requests for information from the districts involved and without knowing the name of a single teacher who requested leave on any of the days in question, KEA officials said. His continued threat to use those names to trigger individual consequences if teachers and school administrators dont comply with his demands just proves to us what weve known all along: Getting those names was always intended to intimidate.

Fayette County Public Schools district spokeswoman Lisa Deffendall said Wednesday that we are in receipt of the commissioners communication and in the process of reviewing it.

Jefferson County Public School officials told the Courier-Journal that they were reviewing the memo.

After receiving the districts responses to his initial information requests, Lewis concluded that more than 2,000 teachers took advantage of a loophole in state law leading to a work stoppage. He said that eight districtsBath, Boyd, Carter, Fayette, Letcher, Madison, Marion and Oldhamclosed for one day. Bullitt County closed for three days, and Jefferson County closed for six days.

Lewis said the problem is that when enough teachers call in sick the districts ultimately do not require proof of illness or the use of a sick leave day. Rather, he said they declare a local emergency under state law and report the day as a non-contract day. Consequently, teachers can organize en mass to dishonestly call in sick and force an emergency without providing verification of illness, his memo said.

Lewis suggested that districts take the following actions:

 Teachers who want to miss work to engage in political advocacy would have to request and receive approval to use personal leave not sick leave.

 He said teachers requesting sick leave for the purpose of closing the district amounts to an illegal work stoppage. If a district suspects that sick leave has been requested to create a work stoppage, he said the district should preserve the list of teacher sick leave requests and submit the list to the Kentucky Secretary of Labor for investigation and possible civil penalties under state law.

 Lewis said teachers found to have falsified sick leave requests should be disciplined by the district up to and including possible termination under state law. They could also be reported by the superintendent to the state education professional standards board, which oversees state educator licenses.

The number of sick leave requests for many of the districts was abnormally high andcoupled with the widespread and public rallying cries of teacher advocacy groups for teachers to organize in Frankfort on the days in questionsuggests a possible illegal work stoppage under state law, Lewis said.

He said in Jefferson County Public Schools sick leave requests numbered in the thousands.

Similarly, Fayette Countys hundreds of sick leave calls for February 28 resulted in the district not having enough substitute teachers to safely continue with the instructional day and forced the district to close, Lewis said in the memo.

Thursday is the final day of the regular session of the 2019 General Assembly.

Lewis said that teachers have a First Amendment right to engage in political advocacy, but they do not have a right to organize a work stoppage by lying about being sick.

Teachers can and should use a personal day granted to them by (state law) or engage in political advocacy outside of work hours, said Lewis.

These sick outs have impeded students academic learning, created tremendous inconveniences for thousands of families, and caused classified staff to lose pay on days their districts closed, Lewis said. He added in a news release Wednesday that its imperative that students receive classroom instruction without interruption throughout the school year, barring major weather events or illness.

The KEA statement additionally said that its possible that the Commissioner doesnt understand that many teachers dont get personal days (under state law) because the language of that statute is permissive, not mandatory.

He claims to support teachers right to advocate and engage in the political process; if thats true, he should use his bully pulpit to encourage all districts to grant the maximum number of personal days under (state law) and to permanently establish plans to allow employee delegations to travel to Frankfort during the legislative sessions, the KEA statement said. Any Kentucky educator knows that positive supports get better results than fear every day of the week. Lets see if the Commissioner believes that, too.
Measles can lead to complications, including pneumonia and brain swelling. It can be spread through the air when a person coughs or sneezes or through contact with mucus or saliva from an infected person. It typically takes about seven to 14 days for someone exposed to the illness to show symptoms, and, in rare cases, can take as long as 21 days, said Dr. Jennifer Grant, associate medical director of infection prevention and control at NorthShore University HealthSystem. A person with measles is contagious about four days before getting the rash, which is usually one of the later symptoms, Grant said.
As Glassdoor grows and looks to reinvest back into the company, we need to hire a lot more engineers and product people to build all of the things we want to build, Stearns said. It would have taken too long to hire all the tech talent Glassdoor needed in the Bay Area, given the Silicon Valley competition, so the company turned to Chicago to speed up the process.
Italy refuses to let migrant rescue ships dock

A Turkish tanker has been hijacked by a group of more than a hundred migrants it rescued off the coast of Libya on Wednesday, according to several European authorities.

Migrants have hijacked a merchant ship which rescued them off the coast of Libya and it is now heading towards Malta, Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini and Maltese authorities said on Wednesday.

MIGRANTS WILL SENT BACK TO LIBYA

The 108 migrants were picked up by the cargo ship Elhiblu 1 and hijacked the vessel when it became clear that it planned to take them back to Libya, according to the website of Italian daily Corriere della Sera and Italian news agencies.

THE CREW HAD RESCUED SOME 120 MIGRANTS

An aid group has warned of a "desperate and dangerous situation" in the Mediterranean Sea after authorities in Italy vowed to close their ports to a ship reportedly hijacked by rescued refugees and migrants. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Matteo Salvini, Italy's far-right interior minister, identified the ship as Elhiblu 1 and said the crew had rescued some 120 people in Libyan waters.

Salvini said the tanker initially headed back to Tripoli, Libya's capital, but six nautical miles (11.1km) from the port it suddenly changed course heading north. On Wednesday evening, it was halfway between the Libyan coast and Malta, he added.

Salvini, who has been at the center of several international stand-offs over his refusal to let refugee rescue ships dock in Italy, said it was too early to tell if the ship was being directed towards Malta or Italy's Lampedusa island.

Vowing not to let the ship dock in Italy, Matteo said: "These are not migrants in distress, they are pirates. They will only see Italy through a telescope."
Russia needs to get out of Venezuela, says Trump

US president makes a veiled threat of military action as Venezuela's self-proclaimed interim leaders wife visits White House.

Russia "needs to get out of" Venezuela, Donald Trump said Wednesday following Moscow's deployment of troops and equipment to the Latin American nation.

"ALL OPTIONS ARE OPEN"

Trump made the remarks while hosting Fabiana Rosales, the wife of Venezuelan National Assembly President Juan Guaido, at the White House. "We are with you 100 percent," Trump told Rosales before reporters while issuing a veiled threat of military force amid an ongoing political stalemate in Venezuela.

"Other than military you cant get any more pressure than they have," Trump said. "All options are open," he added. Asked if that included sending in US troops, Trump reiterated that all options are under consideration.

Guaido declared himself interim president of the country in January amid an economic and humanitarian crisis in the country. The US was the first nation to recognize Guaido as Venezuela's leader, doing so within hours of his proclamation.

Dozens of nations, including most in Latin America, have followed suit as Washington has ramped up diplomatic and economic pressure on Caracas, including sanctioning its state-run oil company.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who is strongly supported by Russia, has refused to cede power, instead insisting he is the target of a US-orchestrated coup.

Moscow confirmed it sent two military planes to Venezuela last weekend that were reportedly loaded with troops and supplies. The political stalemate comes as Venezuela grapples with a worsening economic crisis that has led to acute shortages of goods and which has repeatedly resulted in widespread power outages. Venezuela's economy has been in precipitous decline following a global downturn in the price of crude oil, the country's main export.
Russian military team arrives in Caracas

A spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry subsequently said Russia had sent a team of specialists to Venezuela discuss military cooperation at the request of the government in Caracas.

Members of the Russian military have arrived in Venezuela but will not take part in military operations, Venezuelas military attache in Moscow was cited as saying by Interfax news agency on Thursday.

TRUMP HAD CALLED RUSSIA TO PULL OUT

Two Russian air force planes landed outside Caracas on Saturday carrying nearly 100 Russian troops, according to media reports. Russia had until now declined to comment on the reports. The presence of Russian servicemen in Venezuela is linked to the discussion of cooperation in the military-technical sphere, Jose Rafael Torrealba Perez said, according to Interfax.

US President Donald Trump had called on Russia on Wednesday to pull troops out of Venezuela and said all options were open to make that happen.





In Venezuelas recent political crisis, Russia and China have backed President Nicolas Maduro, while the United States and most other Western countries support opposition leader Juan Guaido. In January, Guaido invoked the constitution to assume Venezuelas interim presidency, arguing that Maduros 2018 re-election was illegitimate.
Russian and Turkish FM to meet in Antalya

Russian and Turkish foreign ministers will chair the seventh meeting of the Strategic Planning Joint Group in Antalya, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Thursday.

Sergey Lavrov and Mevlut Cavusoglu will verify their positions on all issues of bilateral interest on the meeting scheduled for Friday. They will also discuss a presidential meeting scheduled on April 8, Zakharova told reporters.

THE TWO MINISTERS WILL EXCHANGE VIEWS

"They will focus on the further expansion of Russia-Turkey trade and economic cooperation in various areas, consular issues and promotion of cultural and humanitarian cooperation in the context of conducting a cross-year of culture and tourism in our countries this year," Joint Group said.

The two ministers will exchange views on the Syrian settlement, cooperation in countering terrorism and organized crime, and developments in the Middle East and North Africa, the South Caucasus, Central Asia, Ukraine and the Black Sea region, she said.

They will also discuss ways of enhancing the efficiency of cooperation at international venues and sign a plan for Foreign Ministry consultations in 2019-2020 within the framework of the joint group, she added. The previous meeting of the group was held in Moscow last March.
Turkey: US move on Golan Heights unlawful

Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, opposition party leader criticize US decision to recognize Israeli sovereignty over Golan Heights.

Turkey does not recognize the unlawful USs decision to recognize Israels sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights in Syria, the Turkish foreign minister said on Wednesday.

"NULL AND VOID"

Speaking in northwestern Tekirdag province, Mevlut Cavusoglu said the US move is null and void that violates international law. We object to your the US decision and we dont recognize it, Cavusoglu said.

On Monday, Trump signed a presidential proclamation officially recognizing the Golan Heights as Israeli territory. The UN said the Golan Heights is still considered an occupied territory under international law, despite Trumps announcement. Israel occupies roughly two-thirds of the wider Golan Heights as a de facto result of the 1967 Arab-Israeli conflict. It moved to formally annex the territory in 1981 an action unanimously rejected at the time by the UN Security Council.

Meanwhile, Devlet Bahceli, head of Turkeys opposition Nationalist Movement Party, said the Trumps decision to benefit Israel will bear no results.
UK Parliament rejects alternative plans

British Prime Minister Theresa May had told members of Parliament that she will resign as prime minister if her Brexit deal passes.

British lawmakers failed late Wednesday to back any of the eight options put forward as alternatives to Prime Minister Theresa Mays Brexit deal, deepening the chaos around the countrys departure from the European Union.

MAY HAD SAID SHE WOULD RESIGN

The non-binding voting was held after MPs voted Monday to take control of the Brexit agenda. A motion asking the country to leave the EU without a deal on April 12 has been heavily defeated as 400 MPs voted against it and only 160 supported it. Another motion which was seeking a standstill agreement with the EU while negotiating a trade deal if no withdrawal agreement was agreed on also saw a heavy defeat in a 139 to 422 vote.

Meanwhile, a motion prompting a confirmatory public vote on any withdrawal agreement was defeated in a 268 to 295 vote, receiving more support than May ever did for her Brexit deal. Other motions offering various Brexit models and strategies were also rejected by British lawmakers in Wednesdays vote, resulting in a failure in the House of Commons to indicate any direction for Brexit.

THE THIRD MEANINGFUL VOTE

The voting came on a day that May told a group of Conservative MPs that she would resign once her Brexit deal is approved in a bid to win greater support to pass the deal in parliament this week.

May is expected to bring her deal back to the House of Commons for a third meaningful vote on Friday, according to local media reports. We will only seek to bring back a meaningful vote when we believe we have a realistic prospect of success, said a government spokesperson.

However, the de facto partner of the government, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), said in a statement that they would not support the deal, as it is against the union of the UK with its backstop clause.

The new options put forward now include a general election as parliament has not been able to form any consensus on any of the options after a highly likely outcome of requesting a longer extension from the EU.
'US sanctions wont make us reverse stance on Venezuela'

Russian spokesperson Maria Zakharova said the United States should pull troops from Syria before telling Moscow to withdraw from Venezuela.

The United States wont make Russia reverse its stance to support the legitimate authorities in Venezuela through their threats to slap more sanctions on Russia, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a commentary in connection with the Russia-Venezuelan Threat Mitigation Act passed by the House of Representatives.

"US TRIES TO THREAT RUSSIA"

"Continuing its aggressive rhetoric towards Venezuela, openly making efforts to organize a coup in that country, the US is simultaneously trying to threaten those who are cooperating with its legitimate authorities, including Russia," Zakharova said.

"The US Congress is considering on a fast-track basis a bill on measures to influence the participants in Russia-Venezuela cooperation, believing that Moscow can be influenced through sanctions, to which Russia has already adjusted itself and has stopped paying attention to," she added.

Before giving advice to somebody to withdraw from somewhere, the United States should bring to life its own concept of an exodus, particularly from Syria, Zakharova said.
While Trump's base has long been suspicious of Mueller, the president's team believes independents and moderate Democrats who backed him in the last election but have since soured may return to the fold if convinced he was unfairly targeted. Trump used the moment to heighten his attacks on the media, which many Trump supporters believe unjustly fanned the flames of the special counsel's probe in an effort to bring down the president.
WASHINGTON, D.C., March 28, 2019 -- In the future, ultrahigh-speed spintronics will require ultrafast coherent magnetization reversal within a picosecond -- one-trillionth of a second. Spintronics centers on an electron's spin and magnetic moment in solid-state devices. While this may eventually be achieved via irradiation with a nearly monocyclic terahertz pulse, the small change of magnetization, or modulation, it generates has so far prevented any practical application of this technique.

Generally, the "magnetic field" component of a terahertz pulse is considered to be the origin of the coherent terahertz response of the magnetization. But, as a group of University of Tokyo researchers previously discovered, the "electric field" component of a terahertz pulse plays a key role in the terahertz magnetization modulation of semiconductor-based ferromagnetic materials.

Now the group reports in the journal Applied Physics Letters, from AIP Publishing, that their initial discovery inspired them to explore ferromagnetic nanoparticles embedded within a semiconductor. Their theory was that the electric field of the terahertz pulse could be effectively applied to each nanoparticle due to the small energy loss of the terahertz pulse during its propagation through a semiconductor.

"Until now, ferromagnetic metal films have been used for studies on the terahertz modulation of the magnetization," said Shinobu Ohya, an associate professor at the University of Tokyo. "The modulation ratio reported so far has typically been less than ~1 percent of the saturation magnetization."

To test their theory, the group used a 100-nanometer-thick semiconductor gallium arsenide (GaAs) film embedded with ferromagnetic manganese arsenide (MnAs) nanoparticles. "The small energy loss of the terahertz pulse during the propagation in our film allows it to penetrate the film. This means that the strong terahertz electric field -- with a maximum intensity of 200 kilovolts/centimeter -- is uniformly applied to all of the ferromagnetic nanoparticles," said Ohya. "This strong electric field induces the large magnetization modulation via the modulation of the carrier density in the MnAs nanoparticles, thanks to the spin-orbit interaction."

The researchers succeeded in obtaining a large modulation of up to 20 percent of the saturation magnetization, and also concluded that the electric field component of the terahertz pulse plays a key role in the large modulation.

"Our results will lead to an ultrafast coherent magnetization reversal within a picosecond, which will be an essential technique for ultrahigh-speed spintronics," Ohya said. "Ferromagnetic nanoparticle systems are extremely promising for high-speed magnetization switching using terahertz pulses."

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The article, "Large terahertz magnetization response in ferromagnetic nanoparticles," is authored by Tomoaki Ishil, Hiromichi Yamakawa, Toshiki Kanaki, Tatsuya Miyamoto, Noriaki Kida, Hiroshi Okamotoa, Masaaki Tanaka and Shinobu Ohya. It was published in Applied Physics Letters on Feb. 12, 2019 (DOI: 10.1063/1.5088227). The article can be accessed at http://aip.scitation.org/doi/full/10.1063/1.5088227.

ABOUT THE JOURNAL

Applied Physics Letters features concise, rapid reports on significant new findings in applied physics. The journal covers new experimental and theoretical research on applications of physics phenomena related to all branches of science, engineering, and modern technology. See http://apl.aip.org.
An international study led by The Australian National University (ANU) has found a fungal disease has caused dramatic population declines in more than 500 amphibian species, including 90 extinctions, over the past 50 years.

The disease, which eats away at the skin of amphibians, has completely wiped out some species, while causing more sporadic deaths among other species. Amphibians, which live part of their life in water and the other part on land, mainly consist of frogs, toads and salamanders.

The deadly disease, chytridiomycosis, is present in more than 60 countries - the worst affected parts of the world are Australia, Central America and South America.

Lead researcher Dr Ben Scheele said the team found that chytridiomycosis is responsible for the greatest loss of biodiversity due to a disease.

"The disease is caused by chytrid fungus, which likely originated in Asia where local amphibians appear to have resistance to the disease," said Dr Scheele from the Fenner School of Environment and Society at ANU.

He said the unprecedented number of declines places chytrid fungus among the most damaging of invasive species worldwide - similar to rats and cats in terms of the number of species each of them endangers.

"Highly virulent wildlife diseases, including chytridiomycosis, are contributing to the Earth's sixth mass extinction," Dr Scheele said.

"The disease we studied has caused mass amphibian extinctions worldwide. We've lost some really amazing species."

Dr Scheele said more than 40 frog species in Australia had declined due to the fungal disease during the past 30 years, including seven species that had become extinct.

"Globalisation and wildlife trade are the main causes of this global pandemic and are enabling the spread of disease to continue," he said.

"Humans are moving plants and animals around the world at an increasingly rapid rate, introducing pathogens into new areas."

Dr Scheele said improved biosecurity and wildlife trade regulation were urgently needed to prevent any more extinctions around the world.

"We've got to do everything possible to stop future pandemics, by having better control over wildlife trade around the world."

Dr Scheele said the team's work identified that many species were still at high risk of extinction over the next 10-20 years from chytridiomycosis due to ongoing declines.

"Knowing what species are at risk can help target future research to develop conservation actions to prevent extinctions."

Dr Scheele said conservation programs in Australia had prevented the extinction of frog species and developed new reintroduction techniques to save some amphibian species.

"It's really hard to remove chytrid fungus from an ecosystem - if it is in an ecosystem, it's pretty much there to stay unfortunately. This is partly because some species aren't killed by the disease," he said.

"On the one hand, it's lucky that some species are resistant to chytrid fungus; but on the other hand, it means that these species carry the fungus and act as a reservoir for it so there's a constant source of the fungus in the environment.

Co-researcher Dr Claire Foster, who is also from the Fenner School of Environment and Society, said the ANU-led study involved close collaboration with Professor Frank Pasmans and Dr Stefano Canessa at the University of Ghent, Belgium, alongside 38 different amphibian and wildlife disease experts from around the world.

"These collaborators enabled us to get first-hand insight into what has been happening on the ground in those countries," she said.

The study is published in Science and was supported by the Threatened Species Recovery Hub of the Australian Government's National Environmental Science Program.

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The DOI link for the paper online is as follows, and will not work until after the embargo lifts: http://science.sciencemag.org/cgi/doi/10.1126/science.aav0379

IMAGES AND VIDEO FOR MEDIA USE:

Images and a video news release (VNR) are available for media to use: https://anumedia.canto.global/s/RBPI3

* The people pictured are Dr Ben Scheele and Dr Claire Foster from the Fenner School of Environment and Society at The Australian National University. Please credit images to The Australian National University.

FOR INTERVIEWS:

Dr Ben Scheele

Fenner School of Environment and Society

ANU College of Science

M: +61 400 459 104

T: +61 2 6125 2055

E: ben.scheele@anu.edu.au

Dr Claire Foster

Fenner School of Environment and Society

ANU College of Science

T: +61 2 6125 1036

M: +61 400 266 523

E: claire.foster@anu.edu.au

For media assistance, contact Will Wright from ANU media on +61 2 6100 3486, the ANU media hotline on +61 2 6125 7979 or at media@anu.edu.au
An international team of researchers from United Kingdom, Denmark, and Germany have revealed, that during periods of increased solar irradiance, the trade winds weaken and the Walker circulation in the tropical Pacific shifts eastwards.

An international team of researchers from United Kingdom, Denmark, and Germany has found robust evidence for signatures of the 11-year sunspot cycle in the tropical Pacific. They analyzed historical time series of pressure, surface winds, and precipitation with specific focus on the Walker Circulation - a vast system of atmospheric flow in the tropical Pacific region that affects patterns of tropical rainfall. They have revealed that during periods of increased solar irradiance, the trade winds weaken and the Walker circulation shifts eastwards.

Stergios Misios, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Oxford, said "We deal with a very short record of observations in the tropical Pacific and we must be very careful with how we filter out other interannual fluctuations. After a careful treatment of the data covering the last 60 years, we detected a robust slowdown of the Walker cell during years associated with solar-cycle maxima". The analysis shows that, in tandem with changes in the wind anomalies, the dominant patterns of tropical precipitation shift to the central Pacific during solar-cycle maxima. As a result, rainfall decreases over Indonesia and in the western Pacific, and increases over the central Pacific Ocean.

Simple mechanisms amplify the solar signal

The issue of solar influences on climate is long and controversial as there have been numerous claims which in most of the cases did not survive proper statistical scrutiny. But besides statistical verification lies an even more challenging problem: how miniscule changes in incoming solar radiation could produce significant climate signatures?

"Soon enough, we realized that the magnitude of the wind anomalies that we detected in observations simply could not be explained by radiative considerations alone. We thought that if it comes from the Sun, there must be another mechanism that amplifies the weakening of the Walker circulation." said Prof. Lesley Gray of University of Oxford. With the aid of a global climate model, this mechanism was found in the dynamical coupling between the atmosphere and ocean circulation in the tropical Pacific.

Averaged over the globe the surface temperature imprint of solar cycle barely reaches 0.1 K in a solar maximum - almost 8 times weaker than the global warming trends observed in the 20th century. Yet, even such a weak surface warming influences the Walker circulation through changes in global hydrology. As the surface warms, water vapor in the atmosphere increases at a higher rate than is lost by precipitation, necessitating a weakening of the Walker cell. This is a well-tested mechanism in model simulations of increased CO2 concentrations but it turns out that is operating under the 11-year solar cycle, too.

S. Misios, said "Our model showed westerly wind anomalies in the Pacific region even when we considered only changes in global hydrology, but the magnitude was far too weak. We hypothesized that atmosphere-ocean coupling, essentially the Bjerknes feedback, can amplify the solar signal". Using a climate model forced by the 11-year solar cycle alone, researchers found the evidence to support their hypothesis. Their model showed much stronger wind anomalies in the Pacific of magnitude as observed. They proposed that changes in global hydrology and the Bjerknes feedback mediate solar cycle influences on the Tropical Pacific. The researchers now hope that if the interplay between those mechanisms is properly represented by other climate models, it could give potential to improve the skill of decadal predictions in that region.

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A group of Italian doctors are calling for urgent action to stop the exploitation of thousands of migrants working in agriculture across Italy.

Stop the exploitation of migrant agricultural workers across Italy

A group of Italian doctors are calling for urgent action to stop the exploitation of thousands of migrants working in agriculture across Italy.

Writing in The BMJ today, Dr Claudia Marotta and colleagues say more than 1,500 agricultural workers have died as a result of their work over the past six years, while others have been killed by the so-called "Caporali" who are modern slave masters.

These people work to make it possible for people from London to Shanghai to buy and eat Italian tomatoes at a low cost any day of the year, they explain. But what is the human cost of these products?

The authors are part of Doctors with Africa CUAMM (the first non-governmental healthcare organisation to be recognised by the Italian government) that has been providing basic health services to these workers in partnership with local institutions since 2015.

Workers are paid according to the amount of vegetables they collect rather than the time spent at work, or paid 12 euros for 8 hours of work, under the supervision of Caporali, and they live in the so-called "Ghetti," they write.

These are shantytowns, which are isolated from city centers, without water, or proper standards of hygiene, sanitation or health services. There are an estimated 50-70 of these settlements in Italy, accounting for approximately 100,000 low-wage migrant workers.

A specific law has been passed to recognise the existence of "Agromafia" (a criminal sector exploiting agricultural workers) but Marotta and colleagues argue that the exploitation continues.

If we are to deal with this phenomenon and achieve fair, working hours and salaries for low-wage workers, then strong cultural change and collective actions are required, they write.

They believe the health sector should voice their concerns and make a stand.

"Health, migration, the economy, sustainable development and justice are all interlinked facets of our world, and we feel a duty for the science and health community to care, and give voice to the voiceless," they write.

"All of us need to stand up and fight against exploitation, discrimination, racism, and egotism, however disguised their forms might be," they conclude.

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Researchers at Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center and the University of Massachusetts Medical School have developed a strategy to treat two of the most common inherited blood diseases -- sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia -- applying CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing to patients' own blood stem cells. Described this week in Nature Medicine and in a January report in the journal Blood, their approach overcomes prior technical challenges, editing blood stem cells more efficiently than in the past.

The two studies show that the gene-edited cells generate genetically corrected red blood cells producing functional hemoglobin.

"We think our work defines a strategy that could lead to the cure of common hemoglobin disorders," says Daniel Bauer, MD, PhD, an attending physician with Dana-Farber/Boston Children's and a senior author on both papers. "Combining gene editing with an autologous stem-cell transplant could be a therapy for sickle-cell disease, beta-thalassemia and other blood disorders."

Together, sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia affect 332,000 conceptions or births worldwide each year, according to the World Health Organization. Both diseases involve mutations in the gene for beta globin protein. In beta-thalassemia, the mutations prevent red blood cells from producing enough of the oxygen-carrying hemoglobin molecule, leading to anemia. In sickle cell disease, the mutation causes hemoglobin to change shape, distorting red blood cells into stiff "sickle" shapes that block up blood vessels.

More efficient editing

The Nature Medicine study used CRISPR-Cas9 technology, in particular a Cas9 protein modified by a team led by Scot Wolfe, PhD at UMass Medical School, to optimize gene editing. In previous attempts to edit the genomes of human blood stem and progenitor cells, the efficiency, specificity and long-term stability of the edits once the cells engraft in the bone marrow have varied. The new technique improves the targeting and durability of the edits.

"Efficient editing of the blood stem cell population -- ideally at rates approaching 100 percent -- is critical to achieve a durable therapeutic effect for patients," says Wolfe, a professor in the Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology at UMass Medical School. "Progress toward this goal has been advancing through the contributions of multiple laboratories in the scientific community. My research team, in collaboration with the Bauer laboratory, focused on improving the efficiency of delivery and nuclear entry of the CRISPR-Cas9 technology to achieve nearly complete therapeutic editing of the entire blood stem cell population."

Bauer's team used the strategy to make a highly targeted edit. Previous work at Boston Children's had showed that inactivating a gene called BCL11A allows red blood cells to keep producing a fetal form of hemoglobin even after birth. Fetal hemoglobin doesn't sickle and can stand in for defective "adult" hemoglobin. More recently, Bauer found a safer target: a genetic enhancer of BCL11A that is active only in red blood cells.

"With our new very efficient protocol, we can edit the BCL11A enhancer in nearly all blood stem cells we collect, overcoming some of the technical challenges of editing these cells," says Bauer. "In our experiments, more than 95 percent of copies of the enhancer sequence were changed in a way we expect would be therapeutic."

The strategy enabled mice carrying blood stem cells from patients with sickle cell disease to produce red blood cells with enough fetal hemoglobin to prevent cell sickling. The team showed that the gene-edited cells, infused back into the bloodstream, engrafted in the bone marrow and produced genetically corrected red blood cells. Later, when blood stem cells were isolated from these mice and transplanted into other mice, the cells engrafted again, still carrying the therapeutic gene changes.

Applied to blood stem cells from patients with beta-thalassemia, the same strategy restored the normal balance of the globin chains that make up hemoglobin.

The other study, published in Blood, used a similar gene editing protocol to target forms of beta-thalassemia that involve splicing mutations -- errors in bits of DNA near the beta-globin gene that change how the gene is read out to assemble beta-globin protein. In this study, nine patients with beta thalassemia donated their cells, which were manipulated in a dish. For some patients, the UMass team produced a different enzyme, Cas12a, to more effectively target their mutations. The CRISPR system efficiently made edits and restored normal splicing of the beta-globin protein in blood cells from each of the patients.

Setting the stage for a clinical trial

The investigators are taking steps to take their BCL11A enhancer editing strategy to the clinic. They are developing a clinical-grade, scaled up protocol for cell product manufacturing, and performing safety studies necessary for regulatory approval from the FDA. They plan to seek funding from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute's Cure Sickle Cell initiative to launch a clinical trial in patients.

Dana-Farber/Boston Children's has already begun a clinical trial of gene therapy for sickle cell disease. That approach increases fetal hemoglobin production by exposing patients' blood stem cells to a lentivirus carrying instructions to knock down the BCL11A gene in red-blood-cell precursors.

Bauer believes it's important to keep pursuing both approaches. "These conditions are very common inherited diseases and occur especially often in parts of the world where resources are quite limited," he says. "So we need a broad set of therapeutic options to make treatment available to as many patients as possible."

Yuxuan Wu and Jing Zeng of Dana-Farber/Boston Children's are co-first authors on the Nature Medicine paper; Bauer is corresponding author. Shuqian Xu of Dana Farber/Boston Children's is first author on the Blood paper; Bauer and Wolfe are co-corresponding authors.

The work was supported by the Translational Research Program at Boston Children's Hospital, the National Institutes of Health (NHLBI, NHGRI, NIAID, NIGMS, NIDDK), bluebird bio, the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Collaborative Research Consortium, the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, the American Society of Hematology and the Doris Duke Charitable, Charles H. Hood and Cooley's Anemia Foundations.

Boston Children's Hospital> is an equity holder in bluebird bio, and several authors have applied for patents related to therapeutic gene editing.

Boston Children's Hospital may gain financial benefits if the technology being studied proves to be of benefit. As in all research studies, the Hospital has taken, and will continue to take, all necessary steps to ensure research subject safety, and the validity and integrity of the information obtained by this research.

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About Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center

Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center - one of the nation's top pediatric cancer centers, according to U.S. News & World Report - brings together two internationally known research and teaching institutions that have provided comprehensive care for pediatric oncology and hematology patients since 1947. The Harvard Medical School affiliates share a clinical staff that delivers inpatient care at Boston Children's Hospital and most outpatient care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Follow the Center on Twitter at @childcancercare.

About the University of Massachusetts Medical School

The University of Massachusetts Medical School, one of the fastest growing academic health centers in the country, has built a reputation as a world-class research institution, consistently producing noteworthy advances in clinical and basic research. The medical school attracts more than $252 million in research funding annually, 80 percent of which comes from federal funding sources. The mission of the UMass Medical School is to advance the health and well-being of the people of the commonwealth and the world through pioneering education, research, public service and health care delivery with its clinical partner, UMass Memorial Health Care. For more information, visit http://www.umassmed.edu.
Paragangliomas and phaeochromocytomas are very rare neuroendocrine tumours: there are only 3-8 cases per million inhabitants worldwide. They are also the most inheritable types of tumours: whereas, in general terms, cancer is only 5-10% inherited, 35-40% of paragangliomas are hereditary. It is known that many of these tumours are caused by mutations in various genes involved in the Krebs cycle, the process by which cells breathe and get energy. Now, researchers from the Hereditary Endocrine Cancer Group at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) have discovered that another gene involved in this cycle, DLST, gives rise to the disease when it is mutated. In addition to the therapeutic implications this may have in the future, the finding will broaden the number of families susceptible to these tumours who could benefit from prevention, early detection and monitoring programmes. The paper is published in The American Journal of Human Genetics.

Paragangliomas are tumours of the paraganglia, groups of cells in the nervous system that are distributed around the head, neck, chest and abdomen. Phaeochromocytomas are paragangliomas found in the adrenal glands. "Those of us who study these tumours classify them as the same disease," says Alberto Cascon, a researcher at the CNIO Hereditary Endocrine Cancer Group and lead author of the paper. The symptoms are non-specific and include high blood pressure, headache, profuse sweating, instability and extreme paleness, so patients often go through numerous specialists before getting the correct diagnosis, which is usually made by an endocrinologist using imaging technologies or detecting high levels of catecholamines -hormones produced by the adrenal glands such as adrenaline- in the urine or blood.

Defects in cellular respiration

About half of these cancers are caused by mutations in genes involved in the Krebs cycle. This cycle is a fundamental metabolic pathway for cells and constitutes one of the stages in their breathing, through which they obtain energy. This process, which is essential for life, includes a series of chemical reactions carried out by enzymes produced by a relatively small number of genes. Mutations in several of these genes give rise to paragangliomas and phaeochromocytomas.

"For our study, we started from the premise that the Krebs cycle is directly linked to the disease," explains Cascon. "So we decided to sequence all the genes involved in this cycle, in order to see if we could detect any new ones causing paragangliomas/phaeochromocytomas that we had not known about previously."

The investigation found that 8 non-related patients showed mutations in the DLST gene, 4 of them with a specific mutation that was shown to directly affect the development of the disease. "This is the first time this gene has been linked with cancer." This gene has already been included in the diagnostic panel for the early detection of the disease.

Mutations in the cycle genes tend to be germinal, which means they are inherited from one of the patient's parents, so that all their cells have the mutation. This also implies that the Krebs cycle has a functional fault in all cells of these patients. When a tumour has been removed by surgery, the patients require close clinical monitoring, as there is a high probability that they will develop more tumours throughout their life.

The importance of family monitoring

Surgery is the main treatment for paraganglioma and phaeochromocytoma, together with appropriate clinical monitoring.

"Apart from surgery, there is no treatment approved by the European or American agencies," explains Mercedes Robledo, Head of the CNIO Hereditary Endocrine Cancer Group and Head of the Group U706 at the Centre for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases (CIBERER). "Therefore, in order to be able to search for therapies, it is very important to discover all the genes and molecular pathways involved in the disease. Once this has been done, our role is to determine which patients have mutations in which gene and could benefit from specific treatments developed in the future." Furthermore, therapies that have already been approved for other diseases could well be valid in such cases. "But because they are such rare diseases, first you have to classify patients extremely carefully before trying to see if there are already appropriate therapies for them. Moreover, a fundamental part of our job is to ensure all our clinical data are kept up to date, to know whether being a carrier of a mutation in the new genes also implies an increased risk of developing other tumours."

Leaving therapies aside for a moment, and bearing in mind that these tumours are the most hereditary type of cancer, the identification of new genes is invaluable in terms of providing a diagnosis for the entire family of a patient in which a mutation has been identified. That is the only way tumours can be detected in time. Therefore, the group led by Robledo has been collecting since 1996 a large registry of Spanish patients to study these diseases, which integrates around 800 index patients (between families and individual cases) and that is the largest registry of patient samples of this disease in our country today. In addition, the team has become a reference for its genetic diagnosis, not only in Spain but also internationally: "We receive samples from Germany, Italy ... but also from outside Europe, such as the United States or Canada," notes Robledo.

"Once one of these mutations has been detected in a person, because it is likely to be present in another member of the family, the whole process of a family-wide study begins," explains Miguel Urioste, Head of the CNIO Familial Cancer Clinical Unit, which since 2001 has provided genetic counselling to almost 6,000 patients with family cancers. "There are two factors to keep in mind: on the one hand, penetrance, that is to say, knowing which percentage of people who have the mutated gene develop the disease; and, on the other hand, if there is a risk of developing another type of tumour. In the case of DLST, as this is the first time it has been linked with cancer, these data are not yet known."

Another as yet unresolved enigma is why DLST behaves differently to other Krebs cycle genes in the disease. In general terms, 20% of patients with phaeochromocytoma or paraganglioma will develop metastatic disease. Patients with mutations in this cycle have an increased risk of developing metastases because such mutations cause alterations in the expression of many other genes, including some related to processes of invasion. However, DLST does not exhibit this behaviour.

To settle these and other unresolved issues, further studies will be required. Mercedes Robledo said, "We will present a proposal to the ENS@T European network for the study of adrenal tumours to study the gene at a global level." She leads the working group for paraganglioma/phaeochromocytoma that is a part of this network.

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This is a transversal project within CNIO, which also involved the Structural Biology Programme, the Human Genotyping-CEGEN Unit, the Monoclonal Antibodies Core Unit and the Familial Cancer Clinical Unit, as well as the CIBERER, the Hospital de Leon, the Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro (Madrid), the Technical University of Dresden (Germany) and Agios Pharmaceuticals.

The study was funded by the Spain's Instituto de Salud Carlos III, the European Regional Development Fund, and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.

Reference article: Recurrent germline DLST mutations in individuals with multiple pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas. Laura Remacha et al (The American Journal of Human Genetics, 2019). DOI: https://www.cell.com/ajhg/fulltext/S0002-9297(19)30062-X
SINGAPORE, 27 March 2019 - Researchers from Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore General Hospital (SGH) and Lion TCR have demonstrated that they were able to engineer HBV-specific T cells, a type of immune cells found in the body, to treat Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a commonly occurring liver cancer. The treatment was also individualised, as T cells that were engineered were specific to the patients. The approach was successfully performed on two liver transplanted patients who had HBV associated liver cancer recurrence with one patient seeing a reduction in size of the tumour lesions.

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is predominant in Asia and is highly associated with the development of Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the commonly occurring liver cancer. The currently effective treatments for small to moderate size HCC are restricted to surgery, liver transplantation and loco-regional treatment that kill cancer cells by interventional radiologic means, while treatment with drugs helps only in a modest increase in the overall survival in more extensive disease. In patients who have HCC recurrence after liver transplantation, the treatment options are even more limited.

"In this study we showed that the integrated HBV-DNA gene components in the HCC cells were able to activate functional HBV-specific T cells. Hence, by analyzing the specific HBV- DNA integration patterns in these HCC cells, we were able to select, design and engineer the individualised T cells for therapy. Our studies showed that these engineered T cells were able to destroy the tumor," said Dr Antonio Bertoletti, Professor of the Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID) Programme at Duke-NUS, Founder of the Singapore biotech company Lion TCR and co- author of the study.

"There were over 20 T cell infusions that were successfully performed on the two liver- transplanted patients. None of the patients experienced adverse reactions related to the treatment and one of them had a reduction in the tumour size of distant metastases of the liver cancer. Given that 80 per cent of the HCC cases in Asia are currently HBV-related, this approach could lead to a major breakthrough in improving the survival and quality of life of patients suffering from this disease," said Dr Thinesh Lee Krishnamoorthy, Consultant, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, SGH, and co-author of this study.

The authors plan to further refine the technique and treatment strategy with further research study and trials to improve the efficacy of the therapy.

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This translational research project won the SingHealth Duke-NUS Research Team Award last year and is the result of a collaboration between researchers and clinicians at Duke- NUS' Emerging Infectious Diseases Programme, and SGH's Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Vascular and Interventional Radiology, and Department of Haematology, as well as Singapore biotechnology company, Lion TCR.
Scientists at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory are working to understand both the complex nature of uranium and the various oxide forms it can take during processing steps that might occur throughout the nuclear fuel cycle. An improved understanding of uranium oxides, which fuel the vast majority of the U.S nuclear power fleet, could lead to the development of improved fuels or waste storage materials.

ORNL researchers approached this problem computationally with help from the lab's Compute and Data Environment for Science (CADES). Through CADES, ORNL staff members have access to computing resources that engineers tailor to specific projects, enabling management and analysis of massive datasets too cumbersome to tackle otherwise.

Amorphous uranium oxides are common, but the lack of a consistent structural order within them can be difficult to model. To address this challenge and accelerate the process of identifying novel uranium oxide phases, scientists in ORNL's Nuclear Security Advanced Technologies Group evaluated the energy of 4,600 different potential crystal structures of uranium oxide compositions.

Using genetic algorithms--computational tools designed to efficiently solve problems according to the theory of natural selection--the team studied these structures on a CADES high-performance computing cluster called Metis, a two-cabinet Cray XK7 system.

This method helped them build statistical relationships between structural stability and the local uranium environment, two factors that affect the crystallinity of solid forms. Interpreting this information could lead to a more concrete understanding of how crystalline and amorphous uranium materials form in the nuclear fuel cycle.

"Our main goal is to try to understand some of these amorphous phases for uranium oxides," said Ashley Shields, an ORNL postdoctoral associate. "They arise during the nuclear fuel cycle and are difficult to study, but we hope that our computational approach will help us better characterize samples of these materials."

After determining that the project required a significant amount of computing power, CADES personnel provided Shields and her team with exclusive access to the entire Metis system for 15 days to evaluate these structures using the Universal Structure Predictor Evolutionary Xrystallography (USPEX) software package and the Vienna ab initio Simulation Package (VASP).

"Given the sheer number of calculations we had to execute to build this database of structures, we really needed the help of the CADES team," Shields said. "Without their support, as well as recent advances in computing power and research from other groups to develop genetic algorithms specifically applied to structure prediction problems, this project wouldn't have been possible."

Shields and her team identified a potentially stable crystalline phase for a material, U2O7, which has only been observed experimentally as an amorphous phase. To learn more about this phase, they studied 2,700 possible crystal geometries for U2O7 in addition to the 4,600 original structures. Their findings are published in Optical Materials.

Because an amorphous U2O7 material can be made from amorphous UO3, NSAT's Andrew Miskowiec and Jennifer Niedziela led experiments aiming to crystallize U2O7 from samples of UO3. To support this effort, Shields compared the simulated effects of pressure on known phases of UO3 and the predicted U2O7 structure, identifying pressures where experimentally observable structural changes may take place.

"We haven't found crystalline U2O7 in the lab yet, but what we did find was really unusual pressure behavior in amorphous UO3, which led us to some really interesting physics that we're still working to fully understand," Shields said.

Despite lacking definitive proof of crystalline U2O7's existence, the team noted features in the predicted structure that correspond well with features in amorphous U2O7. They identified potential coordination geometries, or atomic patterns, in line with the material. Most striking among these observations was the discovery of peroxide units in the predicted structure.

"It's already proven useful to have this database of structures because clearly just looking at known crystalline phases for one material like UO3 does not provide enough information to explain all the behaviors of an amorphous sample of the same material," Shields said.

Linux Systems Engineer Ketan Maheshwari and Computer Systems Analyst Michael Galloway of CADES helped set up the computational components involved in the project, from modifying source code to make USPEX run more efficiently on Metis to creating post-processing scripts--tiny operations that extract information from computational results--to decipher scientific output.

"To help the team run at such a large scale and successfully use GPUs, we installed and tested VASP at scale on Metis and troubleshot the jobs as needed to ensure the work was done in a timely and efficient manner," Maheshwari said.

Shields anticipates that this ongoing project will continue for at least another year and looks forward to other studies that apply machine learning and artificial intelligence concepts to uranium chemistry research. Currently, she is compiling a similar database composed of uranium fluorides, another key subset of materials involved in the nuclear fuel cycle.

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Sponsors for this project include the National Nuclear Security Administration within DOE and the National Technical Nuclear Forensics Center within the US Department of Homeland Security.

UT-Battelle LLC manages ORNL for the Department of Energy's Office of Science, the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. The Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit https://science.energy.gov/.--Elizabeth Rosenthal
Amsterdam, March 28, 2018 - Current World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) fail to detect half of the patients in need of treatment in Ethiopia, report scientists in the Journal of Hepatology, published by Elsevier. They propose revision of the guidelines to consider local data from sub-Saharan Africa in order to help reach the WHO goal of eliminating viral hepatitis as a major public health threat by 2030.

Globally, an estimated 257 million people are living with CHB virus infection. Without timely treatment, one fifth of these individuals will die due to liver damage or liver cancer. In 2015, the WHO issued guidelines for management of CHB, which recommend starting treatment in patients who fulfil certain criteria. Antiviral therapy prevents disease progression and death in patients with CHB, but identification of patients in need of treatment is challenging in low- and middle-income countries. These guidelines are based on data from Europe, America, and Asia. Almost half of the world's population resides in areas of high hepatitis B occurrence, with the highest prevalence in Africa and East Asia. It has not been established whether the WHO criteria are suitable in sub-Saharan Africa.

"The number of hepatitis B-related deaths has increased steadily over the past 25 years, and it is now estimated to kill nearly 900,000 people every year," explained lead investigator Asgeir Johannessen, MD, PhD, Regional Centre for Imported and Tropical Diseases, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway. "In 2016, the WHO set an ambitious goal of eliminating viral hepatitis as a major global public health threat by 2030, and many countries in sub-Saharan Africa are developing national hepatitis B care and treatment plans. To achieve WHO's elimination goal it is vital to develop more precise tools to identify the patients in this region who need treatment."

To test the effectiveness of the WHO criteria in Africa, investigators from Norway and Ethiopia assessed a large cohort of around 1,200 patients with CHB in Ethiopia - a low-income country in east Africa and one of the most populous nations on the continent with approximately 100 million inhabitants. Based on different clinical studies, the overall prevalence of CHB is estimated at 7.4 percent.

Treatment-naive adults who attended a public CHB clinic in Addis Ababa were included in this analysis. All patients underwent standardized evaluation at recruitment, including blood tests and transient elastography using Fibroscan. A Fibroscan result of 7.9 kPa or more was used to define significant fibrosis and 9.9 kPa or more to define cirrhosis. Treatment eligibility was assessed using the most recent guidelines from the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) as the "gold standard."

The consequence of using the WHO treatment criteria in sub-Saharan Africa is that many patients with significant liver disease never receive life-saving therapy.

Out of 1190 patients with CHB, 300 (25.2 percent) were eligible for treatment based on the EASL 2017 guidelines and 182 (15.3 percent) based on the WHO 2015 guidelines. Of concern, only half of those in need of treatment were identified using the WHO criteria. After excluding patients in obvious need of therapy (i.e., individuals with visible signs of advanced liver disease), only one quarter of the remaining patients were detected using the WHO criteria. Most patients (94 of 182; 51.6 percent) who met the WHO criteria had decompensated cirrhosis indicating the possibility of a dismal prognosis even with therapy.

"Our results clearly show that the WHO treatment criteria lack precision in sub-Saharan Africa," said Dr. Johannessen. "If the current WHO guidelines are applied, millions of Africans living with CHB will be excluded from life-saving treatment. A revision of the WHO guidelines clearly needs to consider local data from sub-Saharan Africa."

In an accompanying editorial, Geoffrey Dusheiko, MD, MB, BCh, FRCP, Kings College Hospital and University College London Medical School, London, UK, and Maud Lemoine, MD, MSc, PhD, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Liver Unit, St Mary's Hospital, Imperial College London, UK, question whether it is judicious for low-income African countries to prioritize hepatitis B virus (HBV) antiviral treatment for individuals with advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis, as in the WHO criteria. They argue that patients on the African continent who test positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) should have more widespread access to measurement of serum HBV DNA and serum aminotransferases, outside of urban centers, in order to match eligibility for treatment applicable in other regions of the world.

"We should no longer hold to the tenet that such a disadvantageous ranking, specifying treatment mainly for those with ominous advanced hepatic fibrosis or hepatocellular failure, should inevitably apply in resource-limited sub-Saharan Africa," commented Dr. Dusheiko. "Guidelines in African countries should encompass criteria that would steer treatment toward obviating the development of cirrhosis, thus preventing the onset of decompensated cirrhosis, and, based on evidence in other studies, reduce the risk of liver cancer to that of HBsAg-positive patients without cirrhosis."

"To increase treatment coverage to 80 percent of those requiring treatment of CHB by 2030 as requested by the WHO, it is likely that African countries will have to adapt screening and treatment strategies," added Dr. Lemoine. "People living in both urban and rural areas will need access to simplified, workable but more accurate diagnostic and monitoring algorithms."

This Ethiopian study combined with other recent studies from West Africa represents an important opportunity for the WHO and African countries to formulate appropriate guidelines for the management and treatment of hepatitis B in Africans.

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Senior scientists across Europe will use these EU funded grants to explore their most daring research ideas. Their work could answer some of today's pressing questions, such as how to improve the generation and storage of renewable energy or how to help our biological clocks cope with our 24/7 modern lives. This new round of European Research Council grants could lead to the creation of 2,000 new jobs.

On this occasion, Carlos Moedas, European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, said: "The ERC Advanced Grants back outstanding researchers throughout Europe. Their pioneering work has the potential to make a difference in people's everyday life and deliver solutions to some of our most urgent challenges. The ERC gives these bright minds the possibility to follow their most creative ideas and to play a decisive role in the advancement of all domains of knowledge"

The President of the European Research Council (ERC), Professor Jean-Pierre Bourguignon, commented: "Since 2007, the European Research Council has attracted and financed some of the most audacious research proposals, and independent evaluations show that this approach has paid off. With this call, another 222 researchers from all over Europe and beyond will pursue their best ideas and are in an excellent position to trigger breakthroughs and major scientific advances."

He continued: "Had the ERC budget been higher, more brilliant ideas could have been supported in Europe. I hope that the next EU framework programme for research, Horizon Europe, will make this possible. There is certainly more room at the top."

The work of these new grantees covers all fields of research. In Switzerland, a social scientist will study how crowd-sourced data can make cities smarter and more liveable. Another scholar in Hungary will explore the role of working class women in the fight for social and gender justice in Eastern Europe. See more project examples.

ERC competitions are open to any nationality and, in this round, researchers of 29 nationalities received funding. The grantees will carry out their projects at universities and research centers in 20 countries across the EU and Horizon 2020 Associated countries.

Demand for ERC grants remains very high: 2,052 research proposals were submitted this time, out of which almost 11% were selected for funding. Female researchers submitted more than 19% of proposals and some 20% of grants were awarded to women.

The grants will not only allow top researchers to execute their best ideas at the scientific frontiers, but will also lead to job creation as an estimated 2,000 postdocs, PhD students and other staff could be employed in the grantees' research teams.

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See more statistics

List of all selected researchers (alphabetical order)

- Physical Sciences and Engineering

- Life Sciences

- Social Sciences and Humanities

For potential applicants

Researchers who would like to compete for an ERC Advanced Grant have from 21 May to 29 August 2019 to apply for the next round of funding. Visit https://erc.europa.eu/funding/advanced-grants for application details.

Background

The ERC Advanced Grants in brief:

- For well-established top researchers of any nationality or age, who are scientifically independent and have a recent high-level research track-record and profile which identifies them as leaders in their respective field(s). - Based on a simple approach: 1 researcher with his/her team, 1 host institution, 1 project, 1 selection criterion: scientific excellence. - The host institution should be based in an EU Member State or Associated country. This can be the institution where the researcher is already working, or a new one. The host institution can be changed in the course of the project if the researcher so wishes ("portability of the grant"). - No consortia or co-funding are requested. - Funding: up to EUR 2.5 million per grant (can exceptionally go up to EUR 3.5 million, in case of purchase of major equipment, mobility from another continent, etc.).

About the ERC

The European Research Council, set up by the European Union in 2007, is the premiere European funding organisation for excellent frontier research. Every year, it selects and funds the very best, creative researchers of any nationality and age, to run projects based in Europe. The ERC offers four core grant schemes: Starting, Consolidator, Advanced and Synergy Grants. With its additional Proof of Concept grant scheme, the ERC helps grantees to bridge the gap between their pioneering research and early phases of its commercialisation.

To date, the ERC has funded some 9,000 top researchers at various stages of their careers, and over 50,000 postdocs, PhD students and other staff working in their research teams. The ERC strives to attract top researchers from anywhere in the world to come to Europe. Key global research funding bodies, in the United States, China, Japan, Brazil and other countries, have concluded special agreements to provide their researchers with opportunities to temporarily join ERC grantees' teams.

The ERC is led by an independent governing body, the Scientific Council. The ERC President is Professor Jean-Pierre Bourguignon. With a budget of EUR 1.86 billion for the year 2018, the overall ERC budget from 2014 to 2020 is more than EUR 13 billion - part of the Horizon 2020 programme, for which European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science Carlos Moedas is responsible.

More information

ERC website

Horizon 2020
"For the next six months, he should find a really well-designed cave and hide out, and be off the grid and out of the news, because memories fade and he can rebuild himself," advised Eric Schiffer, chairman of Reputation Management Consultants. "I would not be front and center of the press, because you're just going to create emotional reminders to those who feel that justice wasn't served and for those who were skeptics."
Survey by researchers in 16 countries is published in Science. Authors say chytrid fungus is responsible for heaviest biodiversity loss ever caused by a single pathogen.

A microscopic aquatic fungus is responsible for the heaviest biodiversity loss ever found to be due to a single pathogen, according to an article published in the journal Science on March 28.

The microorganism causes chytridiomycosis, an infectious disease that affects amphibians worldwide. In the past 50 years, it has caused a decline in the populations of at least 501 species of amphibians. In some cases, they have dwindled to less than 10% of their original distribution, and 91 species are believed to have become completely extinct.

"We consider this quantification conservative. The pathogen has probably caused the decline of many other species unknown to science. This phenomenon may be particularly relevant in the Neotropical region [all of mainland South America, Central America and the Caribbean as well as part of Mexico and the United States], where there are many undescribed species," Benjamin Scheele, first author of the article, told. Scheele is a postdoctoral fellow at Australian National University in Canberra.

The researchers estimate that at least 6.5% of known amphibian species have undergone a decline caused by the fungus.

"It's a very large number. We have records of pathogens since the time of the dinosaurs, and without question, this is the deadliest disease that has ever struck wildlife in all time," said Luis Felipe Toledo, a professor at the University of Campinas's Biology Institute (IB-UNICAMP) in Brazil and coauthor of the study.

Toledo and his PhD student Tamilie Carvalho are the only Brazilians in the group of researchers from 16 countries who conducted the study, which was supported by Sao Paulo Research Foundation - FAPESP.

The findings presented in the article are based on a comprehensive survey of the literature, queries submitted to experts, and consultation of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

"In the global survey outlined by the article, Brazil is the negative standout: at least 50 species or populations have been affected, 12 have become extinct, and 38 have undergone decline. Some populations are showing signs of a recovery, but others have disappeared for good," Toledo said.

The Atlantic Rainforest is the most affected biome in Brazil, he added. Most of the extinction records relate to the region from Espirito Santo to Parana. "There are some places where we know many species have disappeared, such as Boraceia [on the coast of Sao Paulo state], Serra dos Orgaos [in Rio de Janeiro state], Itatiaia [on the border between Rio de Janeiro state and Minas Gerais state] and Caparao [on the border between Minas Gerais state and Espirito Santo state]. But this doesn't mean other regions haven't been affected. We simply lack as good a sample as we obtained in the Atlantic Rainforest biome," he said.

Deadly disease

Chytridiomycosis is caused by two fungi, Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans, which affects only salamanders and has never been recorded in Brazil, and B. dendrobatidis, which is found on all continents and affects all three amphibian groups: anurans (frogs and toads), newts and salamanders, and caecilians.

The pathogen's spores penetrate the skin of adult hosts, which become unable to breathe and die from cardiac arrest. In tadpoles, the fungus parasitizes the region of the beak and denticles, hindering feeding and growth.

According to the survey published in Science, the worst-hit group is the anurans, which account for 89% of all amphibian species and have suffered the largest proportion of severe declines (93%) because they are so abundant. The tropical regions of Australia and Central and South America are the most affected, while the number of declines in Asia, Africa, Europe and North America is "remarkably low".

The main victims are the species with a limited geographic distribution, large bodies, habitats in waterlogged areas, and perennial aquatic habits. This is because Batrachochytrium releases its spores in water, and the spores are able to swim until they infect a host.

According to Toledo, some anuran genera are especially susceptible to infection. An example is Atelopus, with species occurring in Central and South America from Costa Rica to the Brazilian Amazon.

"The declines peaked in the 1980s, as we showed in a previous study, but the disease was discovered only in 1998, making our research more difficult because when we noticed the declines or extinctions, we had no idea of the cause," Toledo said.

The hypothesis defended by most experts and published in Science in 2018 is that a virulent strain of the fungus originating in Asia arrived in Central America in the last century and spread to South America. The process is thought to have been facilitated by the transportation of amphibians for human consumption or for sale as pets.

"In Mesoamerica, where we believe amphibians had no prior contact with the fungus, many species have been wiped out. In Brazil, where the disease has occurred since at least the nineteenth century, some animals have developed resistance, and the impact appears not to have been so catastrophic," Toledo said.

In their latest article, the scientists write that "the unprecedented lethality of a single disease affecting an entire class of vertebrates underscores the danger of the spread of new pathogens in a globalized world". For the authors, effective biosafety policies and an immediate reduction in wildlife commerce are "urgently needed" to prevent the spread of new pathogens.

"Given that the possibility of mitigating chytridiomycosis in the wild remains uncertain, new research and intensive monitoring with emerging technologies are necessary to identify mechanisms of species recovery and develop new mitigation actions for species in decline", Scheele said.

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About Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)

The Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) is a public institution with the mission of supporting scientific research in all fields of knowledge by awarding scholarships, fellowships and grants to investigators linked with higher education and research institutions in the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil. FAPESP is aware that the very best research can only be done by working with the best researchers internationally. Therefore, it has established partnerships with funding agencies, higher education, private companies, and research organizations in other countries known for the quality of their research and has been encouraging scientists funded by its grants to further develop their international collaboration. You can learn more about FAPESP at http://www.fapesp.br/en and visit FAPESP news agency at http://www.agencia.fapesp.br/en to keep updated with the latest scientific breakthroughs FAPESP helps achieve through its many programs, awards and research centers. You may also subscribe to FAPESP news agency at http://agencia.fapesp.br/subscribe.
Scientists of Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU) won the Megascience-NICA competition of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (RFBR) to support research on hadron and quark-gluon substances. A unique project in the field of theoretical physics to study the states of dense quark-gluon plasma led by Alexander Molochkov, the head of the Center for Chiral Biophotonics of the FEFU School of Biomedicine.

A special feature of the study is the simultaneous application of the two methods, i.e. quantum chromodynamics and machine learning (neural networks). Scientists believe that the neural network will allow extracting new information about the phase behavior of dense quark-gluon matter, based on numerical simulation data.

According to the modern scientific discourse, quarks and gluons are fundamental and indivisible components of matter.

"Presumably, in the first moments of the formation of the Universe, the substance was precisely in the state of quark-gluon plasma. One of the most interesting questions is how the properties of this substance modify along with a change in temperature and density, and under what conditions a normal hadron matter turns into quark-gluon plasma. The same interest is the study of cold dense quark matter, which can be found in super-dense celestial bodies, for example, neutron stars", said Alexander Molochkov.

The study of the phase diagram of the quark-gluon matter is a topical issue of modern science. Scientific groups in almost all countries where fundamental research in the field of physics is conducted are trying to find it out.

The study of the properties of the quark-gluon plasma in FEFU has been engaged for more than ten years. A large team has been formed, which includes students, graduate students, and postdocs. In 2015, scientists won and successfully completed the project of the Russian Science Foundation (RSF) "Investigation of quark-gluon plasma using the methods of lattice quantum chromodynamics" under the guidance of Professor Atsushi Nakamura, University of Osaka (Japan). During this project, a toolkit has been developed that will be used in the new study.

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WASHINGTON -- As many as a billion people could be newly exposed to disease-carrying mosquitoes by the end of the century because of global warming, says a new study that examines temperature changes on a monthly basis across the world.

Scientists say the news is bad even in areas with only a slight risk of having a climate suited for mosquitoes, because the viruses they carry are notorious for explosive outbreaks when they show up at the right place under the right conditions.

"Climate change is the largest and most comprehensive threat to global health security," says global change biologist Colin J. Carlson, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in Georgetown University's biology department, and co-lead author of the new study. "Mosquitoes are only a part of the challenge, but after the Zika outbreak in Brazil in 2015, we're especially worried about what comes next."

Published in the open access journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases ("Global expansion and redistribution of Aedes-borne virus transmission risk with climate change"), the research team led by Sadie J. Ryan of the University of Florida and Carlson, studied what would happen if the two most common disease-carrying mosquitoes - Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus-- track and move as the temperature changes over decades.

According to the World Health Organization, mosquitoes are one of the deadliest animals in the world, carrying diseases that cause millions of deaths every year. Both Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus can carry the dengue, chikunguyna and Zika viruses, as well as at least a dozen other emerging diseases that researchers say could be a threat in the next 50 years.

With global warming, the scientists say, almost all of the world's population could be exposed at some point in the next 50 years. As the temperature increases, they expect year-round transmissions in the tropics and seasonal risks almost everywhere else. A greater intensity of infections is also predicted.

"These diseases, which we think of as strictly tropical, have been showing up already in areas with suitable climates, such as Florida, because humans are very good at moving both bugs and their pathogens around the globe," explains Ryan, associate professor of medical geography at Florida.

"The risk of disease transmission is a serious problem, even over the next few decades," Carlson says. "Places like Europe, North America, and high elevations in the tropics that used to be too cold for the viruses will face new diseases like dengue."

More severe climate change would produce proportionally worse population exposures for the Aedes aegypti mosquito. But in areas with the worst climate increase, including west African and southeast Asia, serious reductions are expected for the Aedes albopictus mosquito, most noticeably in southeast Asia and west Africa. This mosquito carries dengue, chikunguyna and Zika.

"Understanding the geographic shifts of risks really puts this in perspective," Ryan says. "While we may see changing numbers and think we have the answer, imagine a world too hot for these mosquitoes."

"This might sound like a good news, bad news scenario but it's all bad news if we end up in the worst timeline for climate change," Carlson says. "Any scenario where a region gets too warm to transmit dengue is one where we also have different but equally severe threats in other health sectors."

The team of researchers looked at temperatures month by month to project risk through 2050 and 2080. The modeling did not predict which type of mosquito would migrate, but rather accounted for a climate where their spread would not be prevented.

"Based on what we know about mosquito movement from region to region, 50 years is a considerable long time and we expect significant spread of both types of insects, particularly Aedes aegypti, which thrive in urban environments," Carlson explains.

"This is only one study to begin understanding the fast-approaching challenges we face with global warming," Carlson says. "We have a Herculean task ahead. We need to figure out pathogen by pathogen, region by region, when problems will emerge so that we can plan a global health response."

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In addition to Ryan and Carlson, study authors include Erin A. Mordecai of Stanford University, and Leah R. Johnson of Virginia Polytechnic and State University.

This work was supported by: the National Science Foundation (DEB-1518681, DEB-1641145, and DEB-1640780), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (1U01CK000510-01), Southeastern Regional Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases: the Gateway Program, the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, and the Stanford Center for Innovation in Global Health.

The authors report no potential financial conflict of interest related to the work described.

About Georgetown University

Georgetown University is one of the world's leading academic and research institutions, offering a unique educational experience that prepares the next generation of global citizens to lead and make a difference in the world. Established in 1789, Georgetown is the nation's oldest Catholic and Jesuit university. Georgetown today is a major student-centered, international, research university offering respected undergraduate, graduate and professional programs in Washington, D.C., Doha, Qatar, and around the world. For more information about Georgetown University, visit http://georgetown.edu.
The International Human Frontier Science Program Organization (HFSPO) announced today the 89 Fellowship awards to the world's most outstanding young life scientists, chosen through rigorous international selection out of a total of 580 applications from 54 countries. The HFSP fellows will begin their research in a new field of biology in a laboratory in a new country, in accord with HFSPO's aim of promoting international collaboration in life science research.

HFSP Long-Term Fellowships are for postdoctoral scientists in biology. A total of 79 Long-Term Fellowships will be awarded to the very best of the world's young scientists who have proposed original approaches at the frontier of life science research. HFSP fellows will investigate how skin based lymph nodes affect immunity, whether new motor proteins for translation can be created de novo, and what is the nature of the synaptic basis for temporal learning.

HFSP Cross-Disciplinary Fellowships support young scientists with a non-life science PhD degree such as chemistry or physics. Ten new fellows, this year, will make a bold change in research direction by leaving their non-biological realm to embark on research that is at the interface of biology and neighboring disciplines. Not surprisingly, their approaches challenge traditional thinking, for example, cell-cell interactions in developing biofilms, deep tissue imaging in the mouse brain, or trying to assemble hierarchical hydrogels from natural materials.

HFSP's Fellowships enjoy an excellent reputation and offer a built in return component. Starting in their second year of tenure, HFSP fellows can draw up plans for setting up their own independent laboratory. Fellows can then use the remaining time of their tenure to move to the new location. A fellowship is worth about $180,000 spread over three years and includes support for research costs and child care.

The lists of all 2019 HFSP awards are available at http://www.hfsp.org/awardees/newly-awarded.

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The Human Frontier Science Program is an international program of research support implemented by the International Human Frontier Science Program Organization (HFSPO) based in Strasbourg, France. Its aims are to promote intercontinental collaboration and training in cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research focused on the life sciences. HFSPO receives financial support from the governments or research councils of Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Switzerland, the UK, the USA, as well as from the European Union.
For the first time in the U.S., a person living with HIV has donated a kidney to a transplant recipient also living with HIV. A multidisciplinary team from Johns Hopkins Medicine completed the living donor HIV-to-HIV kidney transplant on Mar. 25. The doctors say both the donor and the recipient are doing well.

"This is the first time someone living with HIV has been allowed to donate a kidney, ever, in the nation, and that's huge," says Dorry Segev, M.D., Ph.D., professor of surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "A disease that was a death sentence in the 1980s has become one so well-controlled that those living with HIV can now save lives with kidney donation-that's incredible."

People living with HIV haven't been able to donate kidneys until now, because there were worries that HIV was too much of a risk factor for kidney disease in the donor. However, Segev and colleagues' recent research on over 40,000 people living with HIV showed that the new antiretroviral drugs are safe for the kidney, and that those with well-controlled HIV have basically the same risks as those without HIV and are healthy enough to donate kidneys.

"What's meaningful about the first living kidney donor-who is also living with HIV-is that this advances medicine while defeating stigma, too. It challenges providers and the public to see HIV differently," says Christine Durand, M.D., associate professor of medicine and oncology and member of the Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center. "As patients waiting for a transplant see that we're working with as many donors as possible to save as many lives as possible, we're giving them hope. Every successful transplant shortens the waitlist for all patients, no matter their HIV status."

Durand and Segev are leading HOPE in Action, an effort that encompasses multiple national studies exploring the feasibility, safety and effectiveness of HIV-to-HIV transplantation. This innovation was made possible by Segev's conception of and advocacy for the 2013 federal HIV Organ Policy Equity Act (the HOPE Act). In addition to leading the team that performed the first deceased donor HOPE transplants in the United States in 2016, they are leading two NIH-funded trials of HIV-to-HIV kidney and liver transplants. This first-ever living kidney donor transplant is the next major milestone in HOPE.

"Don't call me a hero, call me the first. I want to see who comes next."

Nina Martinez, the 35-year-old kidney donor living with HIV, first learned of the HOPE Act at the time of its passage in 2013. Yet, until she saw a storyline on the medical drama Grey's Anatomy a few months later, she didn't realize where her own life would intersect with kidney donation. The writers on Grey's Anatomy created a storyline about the first living kidney donor with HIV, and Martinez saw what her future might hold.

"I was also inspired by a friend and neighbor who herself became a living kidney donor," says Martinez. "Participating in clinical research is, for me, extremely important. I bore witness to my friend providing a lifesaving transplant, and in watching her I knew that if there was a way for me to help someone else, I had to do it. Doing so under a research protocol was very comfortable for me."

Martinez lives in Atlanta and is a public health consultant, clinical research volunteer and policy advocate dedicated to eliminating the stigma still surrounding HIV.

"Some people believe that people living with HIV are 'sick,' or look unwell," says Martinez. "For me, I knew I was in good health. HIV was no longer a legal barrier to organ donation, and I never considered HIV to be a medical barrier either. As a policy advocate, I want people to change what they believe they know about HIV. I don't want to be anyone's hero. I want to be someone's example, someone's reason to consider donating."

In July 2018, Martinez read on Facebook that a friend who also happened to have HIV needed a kidney transplant. Martinez felt compelled to look for a way to bring HOPE to her friend. Familiar with the medical research process and public health policy, she contacted Johns Hopkins.

After corresponding with Segev about the possibility of donating, Martinez traveled to Baltimore in October 2018 to undergo an evaluation for potential kidney donation at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. The tests required multiple trips for analysis to be certain that she was healthy enough to donate, which is standard in evaluating potential living kidney donors.

But, before she was cleared, her friend passed away. She attended the funeral and considered her options. Martinez, while grieving her friend, decided she was still willing to donate, now to a person she would not know-an anonymous recipient.

"Despite losing my friend to kidney disease, I wanted to move forward with donation as a way to honor them," says Martinez. "I could do this for someone else, not because I'm special but because I'm strong. Other people living with HIV before me participated in clinical research so that I could not just survive but thrive. It was my turn to do this, for both my friend that I cared about and all people waiting on a transplant."

During their evaluation, the surgical team confirmed Martinez had healthy kidneys and a low viral load, which met criteria required by the HOPE federal safeguards. Once cleared, she successfully donated a kidney to a recipient who wishes to remain anonymous.

The science behind the donation

In a 2018 American Journal of Transplant article, surgeons studied the factors that can identify candidates healthy enough to donate a kidney. Those with well-controlled HIV, who don't have a history of diabetes, uncontrolled high blood pressure or protein in their urine could be healthy enough to donate.

The physicians will continue to closely monitor the recipient and the donor. In light of the new prediction factors and the highly effective antiretroviral therapy options available, the team says they're optimistic that long-term HIV control and kidney function will be excellent.

The state of HIV organ donation today

About 113,000 people are on the transplant waiting list in the U.S. as of March 2019, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing. Approximately 20 Americans die each day waiting for transplants; the longest transplant waitlist is for a kidney. People living with HIV who volunteer to be living donors could potentially save the lives of thousands of people living with HIV in need of transplants each year.

Since Johns Hopkins' breakthrough transplant in 2016, there have been more than 50 deceased donors under the HOPE Act and over 100 transplant recipients under a HOPE protocol in the U.S.

###

Other doctors involved in the transplant:

Fawaz Al Ammary, M.B.B.Ch., medical director of the Live Kidney Donor Program and assistant professor of medicine

Daniel Brennan, M.D., medical director of the Comprehensive Transplant Center and professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Niraj Desai, M.D., surgical director of Pediatric Kidney Transplant and assistant professor of surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

This work is supported by the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Disease, National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (NCT02602262, NCT03500315, NCT03734393).
Last year, the United States of America imposed tariffs of up to 25% on goods imported from China. The Chinese government reacted by imposing tariffs of 25% on US goods, including US soybeans. Exports of US soybeans to China in 2018 dropped by 50%, even though the trade war had begun in the middle of the year only. Replacement may be provided by Brazil. This might have dramatic impacts on the rainforest, KIT experts warn.

"As a consequence of the trade war, we fear large-scale deforestation in Brazil. In the past, exponential increase in global soybean demand regularly led to deforestation in the Amazon rainforest to create new cultivation areas. In 2016, China imported 37.6 million tons of soybean from the US, which now have to be supplied by other producers. Brazil is the only country which could satisfy Chinese demand quickly enough," says climate researcher Richard Fuchs. Together with his colleagues Calum Brown and Mark Rounsevell from the Atmospheric Environmental Research Division of KIT's Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research and other European scientists, he studies potential impacts and warns of the consequences in a comment of the Nature magazine.

Brazil is by far the largest producer of soybeans, followed by the US and Argentina. Around 90 other countries, including China itself, together produce just about as much soybeans as Brazil alone. In the course of the US-China trade war, China's soybean import from Brazil climbed to a new record value of 75%. Soy is a crop that is mainly used as animal feed in meat industry. To an increasing extent, it is applied for the production of biofuel.

"In our opinion, it is most likely that Brazil will ramp up its production to satisfy the additional Chinese soybean demand. To achieve that, Brazil needs to increase the current area of soybean production by up to 39%. This would require up to 13 million hectares of additional land, likely to be tropical forests and corresponding to an area similar to Greece. In 1995 and 2004, the country's two peak deforestation years, 3 million hectares of rainforest were lost each year. Taking these rates, it would require only four years to provide enough area for Chinese soybean consumption. We urge the United States and China to acknowledge their roles in indirectly driving deforestation and to accordingly modify their trade agreements by removing tariffs from soybeans."

Apart from quick countermeasures of the US and Chinese governments, the scientists comment, other measures might also contribute to reducing the pressure on the Amazon rainforest partly at least. China could buy more soy from Argentina or the European Union and, at the same time, soybean producers in these areas could try to increase their harvests. Europe, however, would have to reconsider its opposition to genetically modified soybeans that is presently preventing large-scale cultivation. In the scientists' opinion, China also should increase own production.

Since 2000, China's cultivation area has decreased by about 25%, because it is cheaper to import soy from Brazil and the US and because Chinese agriculture has been damaged strongly by high fertilization, soil erosion, and use of pesticides. Governments worldwide should attach higher priority to protecting the remaining Amazon rainforest and encourage the Brazilian government to enhance environmental protection in this region. If they fail, ambitious climate protection and biodiversity goals would be at stake.

To sustainably cope with this problem, however, Fuchs only sees one option: "Ultimately, global meat consumption has to be reduced. Such a change will not be reached by appeals, campaigns to change consumer behavior, or eco-labeling of sustainable production. In our view, ecological consequential costs need to be included in food costs. Also bioenergy products, such as biodiesel, have to become more expensive."

However, there is not much time left for the world's community to prevent massive deforestation in Brazil: "Governments, producers, regulators, and consumers must act now. If they do not, the Amazon rainforest could become the greatest casualty of the US-China trade war."

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Click here for the comment in Nature:

URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-00896-2, DOI: 10.1038/d41586-019-00896-2

The Press Office of KIT will be pleased to establish contact to Richard Fuchs for further information. Please contact Dr. Martin Heidelberger, phone +49 721 608-21169, martin.heidelberger@kit.edu or the secretary's office, phone +49 721 608-47414, email presse@kit.edu.

In the portal "KIT Experts" you will find other contact persons for highlights of KIT's research and daily news: https://www.sek.kit.edu/kit_express.php (in German).
Efficient near-infrared (NIR) light-emitting diodes of perovskite have been produced in a laboratory at Linkoping University. The external quantum efficiency is 21.6%, which is a record. The results have been published in Nature Photonics.

The work is led by LiU scientist Feng Gao, in close collaboration with colleagues in China, Italy, Singapore and Switzerland.

Perovskites are a group of materials defined by their crystal structure, and have been the focus of intense research interest during the past 10 years, initially for solar cells and recently also for light emitting diodes. They have good light-emitting properties and are easy to manufacture. The external quantum efficiency (the ratio of charge carriers emitted as light over all of those fed into the materials) of light-emitting diodes based on perovskites has until now been limited by defects that arise in the material during manufacture. The defects act as traps for the charge carriers and thus cause energy losses.

One way of dealing with defects is to add materials known as "passiviation molecules", which bind to the atoms that cause defects. The researchers had previously discovered a molecule with amino groups at its ends that gave a certain improvement in properties. However, when they selected a molecule that also contained oxygen atoms, the effect increased dramatically.

"We now understand that it is the hydrogen bonds between passivation molecules and perovskite materials that cause problems. This allowed us to search for a molecule that was perfect for passivation", says Feng Gao, senior lecturer in the Division of Biomolecular and Organic Electronics at Linkoping University.

The molecule they found has two amino groups at its ends, with oxygen atoms at suitable distances between them. Oxygen atoms reduce the hydrogen bonding ability of amino groups, and hence increase the probability that they interact with defects. The number of traps for charge carriers in the perovskite is significantly reduced, allowing the charge carriers to recombine and emit light efficiently.

"This particular perovskite material gives highly efficient light-emitting diodes in the near-infrared region. Near-infrared light-emitting diodes are particularly useful for medical and telecommunication applications. We believe that our new findings can also be applied to perovskite light-emitting diodes with other colours", says Feng Gao.

The external quantum efficiency is a record-high 21.6%.

"We have developed the best light-emitting diodes in perovskite material yet. They can also compete with light-emitting diodes based on, for example, organic materials", says Wiedong Xu, postdoc in the Division of Biomolecular and Organic Electronics, LiU.

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One source of finance for the research has been Feng Gao's ERC Starting Grant. Feng Gao is also Wallenberg Academic Fellow, and Wiedong Xu is a Wenner-Gren Postdoc Fellow.

Rational molecular passivation for high-performance perovskite light-emitting diodes

Weidong Xu, Qi Hu, Sai Bai, Chunxiong Bao, Yanfeng Miao, Zhongcheng Yuan, Tetiana Borzda, Alex J. Barker, Elizaveta Tyukalova, Zhangjun Hu, Maciej Kawecki, Heyong Wang, Zhibo Yan, Xianjie Liu, Xiaobo Shi, Kajsa Uvdal, Mats Fahlman, Wenjing Zhang, Martial Duchamp, Jun-Ming Liu, Annamaria Petrozza, Jianpu Wang, Li-Min Liu, Wei Huang, and Feng Gao. Nature Photonics 2019. doi 10.1038/s41566-019-0390-x

Contact: Feng Gao, feng.gao@liu.se, +46 13 28 68 82
Award from USAID will support research collaborations through new Center of Excellence in Energy at Ain Shams University in Cairo.

MIT is the recipient of a $30 million award from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), announced this week at a two-day ceremony in Cairo.

The award will support MIT over the next five years in developing a Center of Excellence in Energy at Ain Shams University, Mansoura University, and Aswan University, in Egypt. The center will serve to connect researchers at the Egyptian universities with experts at MIT, to seek innovative solutions to the country's energy challenges.

The Center of Excellence in Energy is one of three centers to be established in Egypt and funded by USAID through a total investment of $90 million. The centers are formal partnerships between Egyptian and American universities and the private sector to foster research, scholarships, and innovation in agriculture, energy, and water. In addition to the MIT-led center, Cornell University will partner with Cairo University, and the American University in Cairo will partner with Alexandria University, to form comparable centers to address challenges in the areas of agriculture and water, respectively.

"The Centers will facilitate meaningful collaboration between American and Egyptian universities," said USAID Mission Director Sherry F. Carlin, in a statement. "They will bring together some of the best minds to collectively address shared goals and challenges, spur innovative thinking, encourage private sector engagement, and strengthen government policy in the agricultural, water, and energy sectors."

Carlin was present at the ceremony, along with USAID Administrator Mark Green and Sahar Nasr, Egypt's minister of investment and international cooperation, as well as Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Egypt's minister of higher education and scientific research.

The Center of Excellence in Energy will be led by Ahmed Ghoniem, the Ronald C. Crane Professor in MIT's Department of Mechanical Engineering, and Daniel Frey, a professor of mechanical engineering and the faculty research director for MIT D-Lab. Over the next five years, the team will work to build the research, education, and entrepreneurial capacity of Ain Shams, Mansoura, and Aswan universities to address the country's most pressing energy-related problems.

"Egypt is one of those places that is likely to suffer significantly from climate change," Ghoniem says. "If we learn how to solve these problems there, we can learn to scale the solutions and use them in many other places that need them as well."

The USAID award will enable the MIT team to bring faculty and graduate students from Egypt to the Institute, to learn how to approach large, energy-related challenges from an MIT perspective.

"The MIT modus operandi is that we integrate research and education, and translate that into entrepreneurship," Ghoniem says. "We very much want to make that model available for Egyptian universities to emulate."

"We'll bring faculty and graduate students from Egypt to spend time with us, and we'll solve problems shoulder to shoulder with them. That 'mens-et-manus' mentality is transmitted more effectively by immersing themselves here," Frey adds, referring to MIT's motto of "mind and hand."

Ghoniem and Frey will team Egyptian faculty and students with interdisciplinary researchers across MIT, to develop renewable energy solutions to problems such as Egypt's practice of open-field burning. The country is primarily an agricultural economy, and as such it produces a significant amount of biomass, which is often disposed of by burning the waste in open fields -- a practice that generates enormous amounts of pollution and greenhouse gases.

"They call it the "black cloud," Ghoniem says. "One of our priorities is to work with them in converting this problem into a solution, using biomass as a clean energy source in the country."

The new center will also work toward advancing and scaling up sustainable projects that are already underway in Egypt. For instance, the country is the fourth largest user of wind energy and is currently building the largest solar parks in the world, with the goal of generating 42 percent of its electricity using renewable energy by 2025. The MIT team plans to facilitate connections between university researchers and key industrial players in the region, to expand the country's solar, wind, and other forms of clean energy usage.

"It's a country where so many things are going on in the energy area that match MIT's interest in promoting and developing renewable energy technologies as well as addressing global climate change problems," Ghoniem says.

Throughout the five-year collaboration, there will also be a special emphasis on involving Egyptian women and people with disabilities in coming up with energy-related solutions.

"We'll be working with organizations in the country that [support] these groups, to try to pull them into the activities, and hopefully they can participate equally in education, research, and entrepreneurship," Ghoniem says.

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CAMBRIDGE, MA -- Researchers around the globe have been on a quest for batteries that pack a punch but are smaller and lighter than today's versions, potentially enabling electric cars to travel further or portable electronics to run for longer without recharging. Now, researchers at MIT and in China say they've made a major advance in this area, with a new version of a key component for lithium batteries, the cathode.

The team describes their concept as a "hybrid" cathode, because it combines aspects of two different approaches that have been used before, one to increase the energy output per pound (gravimetric energy density), the other for the energy per liter (volumetric energy density). The synergistic combination, they say, produces a version that provides the benefits of both, and more.

The work is described today in the journal Nature Energy, in a paper by Ju Li, an MIT professor of nuclear science and engineering and of materials science and engineering; Weijiang Xue, an MIT postdoc; and 13 others.

Today's lithium-ion batteries tend to use cathodes (one of the two electrodes in a battery) made of a transition metal oxide, but batteries with cathodes made of sulfur are considered a promising alternative to reduce weight. Today, the designers of lithium-sulfur batteries face a tradeoff.

The cathodes of such batteries are usually made in one of two ways, known as intercalation types or conversion types. Intercalation types, which use compounds such as lithium cobalt oxide, provide a high volumetric energy density -- packing a lot of punch per volume because of their high densities. These cathodes can maintain their structure and dimensions while incorporating lithium atoms into their crystalline structure.

The other cathode approach, called the conversion type, uses sulfur that gets transformed structurally and is even temporarily dissolved in the electrolyte. "Theoretically, these [batteries] have very good gravimetric energy density," Li says. "But the volumetric density is low," partly because they tend to require a lot of extra materials, including an excess of electrolyte and carbon, used to provide conductivity.

In their new hybrid system, the researchers have managed to combine the two approaches into a new cathode that incorporates both a type of molybdenum sulfide called Chevrel-phase, and pure sulfur, which together appear to provide the best aspects of both. They used particles of the two materials and compressed them to make the solid cathode. "It is like the primer and TNT in an explosive, one fast-acting, and one with higher energy per weight," Li says.

Among other advantages, the electrical conductivity of the combined material is relatively high, thus reducing the need for carbon and lowering the overall volume, Li says. Typical sulfur cathodes are made up of 20 to 30 percent carbon, he says, but the new version needs only 10 percent carbon.

The net effect of using the new material is substantial. Today's commercial lithium-ion batteries can have energy densities of about 250 watt-hours per kilogram and 700 watt-hours per liter, whereas lithium-sulfur batteries top out at about 400 watt-hours per kilogram but only 400 watt-hours per liter. The new version, in its initial version that has not yet gone through an optimization process, can already reach more than 360 watt-hours per kilogram and 581 watt-hours per liter, Li says. It can beat both lithium-ion and lithium-sulfur batteries in terms of the combination of these energy densities.

With further work, he says, "we think we can get to 400 watt-hours per kilogram and 700 watt-hours per liter," with that latter figure equaling that of lithium-ion. Already, the team has gone a step further than many laboratory experiments aimed at developing a large-scale battery prototype: Instead of testing small coin cells with capacities of only several milliamp-hours, they have produced a three-layer pouch cell (a standard subunit in batteries for products such as electric vehicles) with a capacity of more than 1,000 milliamp-hours. This is comparable to some commercial batteries, indicating that the new device does match its predicted characteristics.

So far, the new cell can't quite live up to the longevity of lithium-ion batteries in terms of the number of charge-discharge cycles it can go through before losing too much power to be useful. But that limitation is "not the cathode's problem"; it has to do with the overall cell design, and "we're working on that," Li says. Even in its present early form, he says, "this may be useful for some niche applications, like a drone with long range," where both weight and volume matter more than longevity.

"I think this is a new arena for research," Li says.

###

The work was supported by the Samsung Advanced institute of Technology, the National Key Technologies R&D Program of China, the National Science Foundation of China, and MIT's Department of Materials Science and Engineering. The team also included professor Jing Kong and others at MIT, as well as researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, the Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory in Guangdong, China, the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology America in Burlington, Massachusetts, and Tongji University in Shanghai.
South Africa: Online platform links SMMEs to opportunities

President Cyril Ramaphosas drive of promoting SMMEs and stimulating job creation received a shot in the arm on Thursday when Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) launched an innovative business funding platform.

The BLSA Connect online trading platform is expected to link registered small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) to the supply chain opportunities of large South African corporations that have a global footprint.

According to BLSA, the vetting system will ensure that the risks to established companies is managed and reduced, as the platform will encourage transparency and make visible the compliance status of emerging businesses.

The platform was launched alongside the SA SME Fund CEO Circle.

Speaking at the event, BLSA chairperson Jabu Mabuza said the initiative was the business communitys contribution to resuscitating the countrys struggling economy and ensuring inclusive economic growth.

Having been engaged in the issue of inclusive growth, addressing job creation and looking for solutions, we have found that funding is but one [aspect]. The bigger challenge is [creating] opportunities he said.

Discovery Founder and CEO Adriaan Gore said the BLSA Connect platform was developed over a long process.

This [SME] fund is about job creation. Its about spurring on entrepreneurship and helping grow black entrepreneurship. There have been a number of philosophical decisions weve made since the formation of the fund, he said.

Through this project, BLSA said it was committed to create more jobs by growing the economy, encourage and empower senior black leadership, invest in South Africans, invest in communities, support small business, and finally, condemn and root out corruption.

The National Development Plan highlights that small businesses can generate up to 80% of the countrys growth and create 90% of the jobs needed by 2030.

Announcing the stimulus package in October last year, President Ramaphosa said government had established a R2.1 billion SMME and Innovation Fund to support innovative start-ups with a reasonable prospect of success.

Government views SMMEs, socially-owned enterprises such as co-operatives and the revitalisation of township and village economies as critical for economic transformation, inclusive growth and job creation.

Speaking at Thursdays launch, President Ramaphosa said such joint efforts by the BLSA and SME Fund were about creating an ecosystem that was bigger than just getting funders.

An ecosystem that is about bringing together communities that will be able to create an impact that is required -- for me, this is just a real celebration, he said.

What we are seeking to do is to address the challenges our country faces. The challenges are unemployment, which is huge. Even as we have unemployment, we already know that there are certain initiatives that we can embark upon that can address unemployment, said the President.

Some of these, he said, were what needed to be done by government.

Cutting the red tape

Business has previously decried rigid government policies that impede economic growth. In response to that, government has in recent times been in deep collaboration with business leaders in an effort to address these and inroads are being made.

Secondly, it was to launch this ambitious investment drive when we appointed the four envoys. When we started off, some people thought we [were crazy] but it is beginning to pay off, the President said.

He used the function to announce South Africa would later in the year hold the second investment conference.

The inaugural conference in 2018 saw South Africa securing nearly R290 billion worth of investment announcements for the country, additional to the R400 billion received during the investment drive by the special envoys and from various countries during State visits.

It will be bigger and we will be seeking to raise even bigger funds. When those funds start flowing into the country, they will lead to the continuous growth of our economy, he said.

The President said it is through SMMEs that South Africa can create the countrys much-needed jobs.

That is precisely where wed like you to keep your target on. From governments point of view we decided to create black industrialists and that is bearing fruit.

We are also getting into the incubation space. When we announced the stimulus package, we said we now want to focus on township economies, as well as rural areas, so that our townships and rural areas are not just dormitories where people just go to sleep. We want them to be areas where business is conducted, the President said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2019-03-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Author Hoffman says she doesnt really buy that. I think he was a Jew all along, just less conscious of it. The fact that he started out his life on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, speaking Yiddish, going to his aunts parties where all these famous Yiddish actors were hanging around  that mustve been important to his sense of self. But for him, his Jewishness didnt really become important until he felt compelled to respond to anti-Semitism.
A team led by Feng Zhao, associate professor of biomedical engineering at Michigan Technological University, recently published two new papers on best practices in engineering prevascularized tissues.

The team's research paper, published in Theranostics, focuses on developing a stem cell cardiac patch made with tissue engineered with tiny blood vessels to be like real heart muscled. Their review paper published in Acta Biomaterialia, examines the pros and cons of six innovative strategies for aligning the microvessels in engineered tissues.

The vascular system brings nutrients and oxygen to tissues; important ingredients for successful healing following an organ transplant, heart surgery or skin graft. Microvascular structures, which are capillary-like microvessels, are particularly important and, in order to be effective, must be highly aligned, dense and mature. Engineering biomaterials with such a robust vascular system is difficult and depends on the framework -- the scaffold --to grow the cells.

"The significance of microvessel organization in 3D scaffolds has largely been ignored," Zhao explained. "Microvessels are not the same as cells; people have done a lot of work looking at the alignment of cells but this work on microvessels is still new. Understanding the mechanisms behind microvessel alignment in biomaterials will help us and other biomedical engineers to create better, more refined implants and devices."

To get there, Zhao and her team reviewed the advantages and disadvantages of six different methods used to align vessels: electromechanical stimulation, surface topography, micro-scaffolding and microfluidics, surface patterning and 3D printing.

The advantages vary quite a bit and focus on the ease or controllability of a method. Electromechanical stimulation is simply stretching; micro-scaffolding and microfluidics make medical testing easier; 3D printing is customizable. However, the disadvantages center on one major challenge: Engineered microvessels tend to be too big --they're much larger than the real capillaries in heart tissues -- and often they're not dense and mature enough to properly supply nutrients and blood.

Aligning microvessels is a bit like plumbing and mismatched sizes don't bode well for turning the water on. For some hands-on problem solving, Zhao's team focused in on biomimicking the microvessel alignment, density and dimension of heart muscle.

To date, the engineering process to create the ideal biomaterial for a prevascularized cardiac patch has not made it to clinical trials. Zhao and her team hope to change that.

"Myocardial infarction is a big problem and currently there is no good treatment for it," she said. A cardiac patch could help following a heart attack. "The cardiac patch is completely biological, comprised of stem cells with vasculature that mimics real tissue, that could help repair a heart."

The Theranostics paper delves into the role of microvessels in that process and how an engineered tissue can follow the lead of natural ones. Lead author Zichen Qian, a doctoral graduate from Michigan Tech and now a research scientist at Merck, has worked extensively with Zhao on prevascularized tissues. The University recognized Zhao's and Qian's efforts last year with the Bhakta Rath award. After Qian graduated, PhD candidates Dhavan Sharma and Wenkai Jia continued this research. The team says heart muscle is one of the trickiest tissues to work with.

"In the heart muscle, the cells are highly aligned for electromechanical signal transaction and the microvessels are also highly aligned and dense," Zhao said, explaining that microvessels in the patch can connect to native vasculature, bringing nutrients and oxygen. Without this, the engineered cardiac patch might die. "But all tissues have this microstructure. It's everywhere. This technology could be used for skeletal muscles, burn and chronic wound healing and nerve regeneration."

Zhao and her team have shown the potential of biomimicry to grow microvessels in tissues suitable for a cardiac patch. The next steps will be animal trials and refining medical technology for implants and devices. With the help of tiny, dense, neatly aligned blood vessels, engineered tissues could help hearts, skin, bones and muscles regenerate naturally.

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A small asteroid has been caught in the process of spinning so fast it's throwing off material, according to new data from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and other observatories.

Images from Hubble show two narrow, comet-like tails of dusty debris streaming from the asteroid (6478) Gault. Each tail represents an episode in which the asteroid gently shed its material -- key evidence that Gault is beginning to come apart.

Discovered in 1988, the 2.5-mile-wide (4-kilometer-wide) asteroid has been observed repeatedly, but the debris tails are the first evidence of disintegration. Gault is located 214 million miles (344 million kilometers) from the Sun. Of the roughly 800,000 known asteroids between Mars and Jupiter, astronomers estimate that this type of event in the asteroid belt is rare, occurring roughly once a year.

Watching an asteroid become unglued gives astronomers the opportunity to study the makeup of these space rocks without sending a spacecraft to sample them.

"We didn't have to go to Gault," explained Olivier Hainaut of the European Southern Observatory in Germany, a member of the Gault observing team. "We just had to look at the image of the streamers, and we can see all of the dust grains well-sorted by size. All the large grains (about the size of sand particles) are close to the object and the smallest grains (about the size of flour grains) are the farthest away because they are being pushed fastest by pressure from sunlight."

Gault is only the second asteroid whose disintegration has been strongly linked to a process known as a YORP effect. (YORP stands for "Yarkovsky-O'Keefe-Radzievskii-Paddack," the names of four scientists who contributed to the concept.) When sunlight heats an asteroid, infrared radiation escaping from its warmed surface carries off angular momentum as well as heat. This process creates a tiny torque that can cause the asteroid to continually spin faster. When the resulting centrifugal force starts to overcome gravity, the asteroid's surface becomes unstable, and landslides may send dust and rubble drifting into space at a couple miles per hour, or the speed of a strolling human. The researchers estimate that Gault could have been slowly spinning up for more than 100 million years.

Piecing together Gault's recent activity is an astronomical forensics investigation involving telescopes and astronomers around the world. All-sky surveys, ground-based telescopes, and space-based facilities like the Hubble Space Telescope pooled their efforts to make this discovery possible.

The initial clue was the fortuitous detection of the first debris tail, observed on Jan. 5, 2019, by the NASA-funded Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in Hawaii. The tail also turned up in archival data from December 2018 from ATLAS and the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS) telescopes in Hawaii. In mid-January, a second shorter tail was spied by the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope in Hawaii and the Isaac Newton Telescope in Spain, as well as by other observers. An analysis of both tails suggests the two dust events occurred around Oct. 28 and Dec. 30, 2018.

Follow-up observations with the William Herschel Telescope and ESA's (European Space Agency) Optical Ground Station in La Palma and Tenerife, Spain, and the Himalayan Chandra Telescope in India measured a two-hour rotation period for the object, close to the critical speed at which a loose "rubble-pile" asteroid begins to break up.

"Gault is the best 'smoking gun' example of a fast rotator right at the two-hour limit," said team member Jan Kleyna of the University of Hawaii in Honolulu.

An analysis of the asteroid's surrounding environment by Hubble revealed no signs of more widely distributed debris, which rules out the possibility of a collision with another asteroid causing the outbursts.

The asteroid's narrow streamers suggest that the dust was released in short bursts, lasting anywhere from a few hours to a few days. These sudden events puffed away enough debris to make a "dirt ball" approximately 500 feet (150 meters) across if compacted together. The tails will begin fading away in a few months as the dust disperses into interplanetary space.

Based on observations by the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, the astronomers estimate that the longer tail stretches over half a million miles (800,000 kilometers) and is roughly 3,000 miles (4,800 kilometers) wide. The shorter tail is about a quarter as long.

Only a couple of dozen active asteroids have been found so far. Astronomers may now have the capability to detect many more of them because of the enhanced survey capabilities of observatories such as Pan-STARRS and ATLAS, which scan the entire sky. "Asteroids such as Gault cannot escape detection anymore," Hainaut said. "That means that all these asteroids that start misbehaving get caught."

The researchers hope to monitor Gault for more dust events.

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The team's results have been accepted for publication by the Astrophysical Journal Letters.

The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and ESA (European Space Agency). NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the telescope. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, conducts Hubble science operations. STScI is operated for NASA by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy in Washington, D.C.

For more information about 6478 Gault and Hubble, visit:

http://hubblesite.org/news_release/news/2019-22

http://www.nasa.gov/hubble
Scientists decoded the genome of the popular Okinawan seaweed 'umi-budo' or 'sea grapes,' which could help ease the crop's cultivation and address environmental issues caused by the invasive spread of related species

If you've ever dined on the tropical island of Okinawa, Japan, your plate may have been graced by a remarkable pile of seaweed, each strand adorned with tiny green bubbles. Known as umi-budo or sea grapes, the salty snack pairs well with rice, sashimi and a tall glass of beer. But umi-budo is more than an iconic side dish; it's a staple crop for Okinawan farmers. Researchers at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) recently decoded the sea grape genome to learn about the plant's unique morphology and assist farmers in proper cultivation of the succulent seaweed.

"Many farmers face problems with sea grapes growing poorly. Today, they don't know why such problems occur," said Dr. Asuka Arimoto, first author of the study and a postdoctoral scholar in the OIST Marine Genomics Unit, led by Prof. Noriyuki Satoh. "Our genomic data can show them which genes are causing such trouble." With a catalog of all the genes controlling sea grape growth, said Arimoto, the researchers may be able to help farmers diagnose deficient plants when they crop up. The research could also help curb the spread of closely-related green seaweeds, which harm the environment by pushing out local plant varieties in the Mediterranean Sea and Pan-Pacific.

The study, published February 28, 2019 in DNA Research, utilized sample sea grapes from the Onna Village Fishery Cooperative, whose greenhouses are located just around the corner from OIST campus. The scientists deciphered the full sea grape genome and compared it to 15 published plant genomes, collected from unicellular algae, a type of moss, rice and thale cress. The research revealed key genes that allow sea grapes, a unicellular organism, to don its complex shape, and demonstrated the utility of using the algae to explore evolutionary processes in green plants.

"Recently, other countries have started cultivating this and related species of green seaweed," said Arimoto. "I think this genomic information could help their future development, as well as Okinawa prefecture."

Collection of Genes Creates "Puchi Puchi"

Tiny green balls branch off the central stem of the umi-budo plant, and when chewed, these teeny orbs burst in a pop of salty goodness. In Japanese, this sensational texture is known as "puchi puchi," an onomatopoeia mimicking the sound of puny pops. The Marine Genomics Unit was curious as to how a plant made up of just one cell could grow into such a fantastical shape, thus granting sea grapes their singular texture.

"When we started the project, there were no [decoded] green seaweed genomes," said Arimoto. "It was completely unknown how many genes are present in green seaweed, and which plant hormones are present to drive development." The researchers succeeded in deciphering a high-quality genome from an umi-budo plant and compared it to known plant genomes to see whether certain genes appeared in different quantities between them.

The results suggest that the sea grapes contain an expanded set of genes thought to be descended from a core gene set found in a common ancestor of green plants. Among these genes are those that code for nuclear transport regulators--proteins that help control how information moves between the nuclei and the cytosol, the liquid in which a cell's organelles float. In multicellular organisms, transport regulators tune whole cells to only receive certain signals, like a dial on a radio. In umi-budo, a unicellular organism, the proteins do the same for individual nuclei in the cell.

The mechanism allows single cells to take on complex shapes despite lacking cell membranes to separate one region from the next. Without nuclear transport regulators, sea grapes couldn't grow in their signature clusters.

Compared to other green algae, sea grapes also have extra genes to code for homeobox proteins, which help to regulate the physical development of plants. Homeobox proteins flip switches on critical genes to turn them "on" or "off," said Arimoto, which triggers cellular processes and shapes an organism's anatomical structure down the line.

Helping Sea Grape Farmers in Okinawa and Beyond

In the future, the Marine Genomics Unit hopes to analyze gene expression as it occurs throughout the sea grape life cycle. For instance, evidence suggests that specific homeobox genes are highly expressed in the pollens and eggs of land plants. They may hold similar importance in the early life stages of umi-budo. As sea grape cultivation takes root beyond Okinawa and across the Pacific, this genomic data could help farmers establish more effective growing strategies.

While OIST researchers work with umi-budo in the lab, food-lovers can continue to order the delectable seaweed in restaurants across Japan, likely topped with a light dressing of vinegar, mirin and soy sauce. Oishi!

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Over 50 non-native species have found their way to the Galapagos Islands, almost 10 times more than scientists previously thought, reports a new study in Aquatic Invasions published Thursday, March 28.

The study, a joint effort of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Williams College, and the Charles Darwin Foundation, documents 53 species of introduced marine animals in this UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of the largest marine protected areas on Earth. Before this study came out, scientists knew about only five.

"This increase in alien species is a stunning discovery, especially since only a small fraction of the Galapagos Islands was examined in this initial study," said Greg Ruiz, a co-author and marine biologist with the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center.

"This is the greatest reported increase in the recognition of alien species for any tropical marine region in the world," said lead author James Carlton, an emeritus professor of the Maritime Studies Program of Williams College-Mystic Seaport.

The Galapagos lie in the equatorial Pacific, roughly 600 miles west of Ecuador. Made famous by Charles Darwin's visit in 1835, the islands have long been recognized for their remarkable biodiversity. But with their fame, traffic has spiked. In 1938, just over 700 people lived on the Galapagos. Today, more than 25,000 people live on the islands, and nearly a quarter-million tourists visit each year.

Carlton and Ruiz began their study in 2015, with Inti Keith of the Charles Darwin Foundation. They conducted field surveys on two of the larger Galapagos Islands: Santa Cruz and Baltra, where they hung settlement plates from docks one meter underwater to see what species would grow on them. They also collected samples from mangrove roots, floating docks and other debris and scoured the literature for previous records of marine species on the islands.

The team documented 48 additional non-native species in the Galapagos. Most of them (30) were new discoveries that could have survived on the islands for decades under the radar. Another 17 were species scientists already knew lived on the Galapagos but previously thought were native. One final species, the bryozoan Watersipora subtorquata, was collected in 1987 but not identified until now.

Sea squirts, marine worms and moss animals (bryozoans) made up the majority of the non-native species. Almost all of the non-natives likely arrived inadvertently in ships from tropical seas around the world. Some of the most concerning discoveries include the bryozoan Amathia verticillata--known for fouling pipes and fishing gear and killing seagrasses--and the date mussel Leiosolenus aristatus, which researchers have already seen boring into Galapagos corals.

"This discovery resets how we think about what's natural in the ocean around the Galapagos, and what the impacts may be on these high-value conservation areas," Carlton said.

To reduce future invasions, the Galapagos already have one of the most stringent biosecurity programs in the world. International vessels entering the Galapagos Marine Reserve may anchor in only one of the main ports, where divers inspect the vessel. If the divers find any non-native species, the vessel is requested to leave and have its hull cleaned before returning for a second inspection.

Still, the authors say, the risks remain high. The expansion of the Panama Canal in 2015 may bring the Indo-Pacific lionfish--a major predator in the Caribbean--to the Pacific coast of Central America. Once there, it could make its way to the Galapagos, where the likelihood of its success would be very high. Another possible arrival is the Indo-Pacific snowflake coral, which has already caused widespread death of native corals on the South American mainland.

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After publication, the study will be available at http://www.aquaticinvasions.net/2019/issue1.html. For an advance copy of the paper, images or to speak with the authors, contact Kristen Minogue at minoguek@si.edu or (443) 482-2325.
A common bacterial pathogen called Pseudomonas aeruginosa produces a virus that substantially increases the pathogen's ability to infect us, according to a study by investigators at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

P. aeruginosa weaponizes its resident virus to exploit the immune system's distinct responses to bacterial versus viral infections.

This marks the first time a bacteria-infecting virus, otherwise known as a bacteriophage or just phage, has been observed inducing the immune system to mount an antiviral response and, in doing so, causing it to ignore the bacterial infection. When the scientists generated a vaccine directed at the virus, they showed that it dramatically lowered the bacteria's ability to infect wounds in mice.

Detailed in a study to be published March 29 in Science, the findings could fuel new ways of preventing chronic, intractable infections by keeping antibiotic-resistant bacteria from getting a foothold in the first place. The discovery that phages foster bacterial infections also adds a previously unexpected layer of complexity to the relationship between us and the billions of bacteria inhabiting our gut and other organs.

Paul Bollyky, MD, PhD, assistant professor of infectious diseases and of microbiology and immunology, is the study's senior author. The lead author is former graduate student Johanna Sweere, PhD.

Quadrillions of phages in body

"We've long known that you've got up to 10 quadrillion phages in your body, but we just figured whatever they were doing was strictly between them and your commensal bacteria," Bollyky said. "Now we know that phages can get inside your cells, too, and make you sick."

There's currently no approved vaccine targeting P. aeruginosa, an increasingly drug-resistant pathogen that infects the lungs of most adults with cystic fibrosis and accounts for a sizable percentage of all infections of diabetic ulcers, bedsores and burn wounds.

In 2017, the World Health Association named P. aeruginosa one of the "critical priority" pathogens posing the greatest threat to human health.

"I see this every day in my clinical practice," Bollyky said. "What starts off as a little cut can't heal as a result of a persistent, drug-resistant bacterial infection. The toll in terms of sickness, death and dollars is enormous." Infected diabetic foot ulcers are the single biggest cause of amputation, he said.

P. aeruginosa is itself frequently infected with a phage called Pf. This phage lives inside the bacteria but can be shed from the bacterial surface into the surrounding environment (such as a wound), much like the virus herpes lives in our cells and is shed from cold sores. In the study, Bollyky's team showed Pf was common in wounds infected with P. aeruginosa. The researchers examined 111 patients with microbially infected, non-healing wounds and found that 37 of them were infected with P. aeruginosa. Two-thirds of those wounds infected with P. aeruginosa were carrying Pf -- a fraction that grew the longer a wound persisted.

To prove Pf actually promotes P. aeruginosa infections rather than merely co-exists with them, the scientists inoculated small wounds in the skin of mice with P. aeruginosa strains that either did or didn't contain Pf. They observed that the two strains differed greatly in their ability to establish wound infections. The inoculation dose necessary to result in a reliable P. aeruginosa infection was 50 times larger if it lacked Pf.

Next, the scientists looked to see what Pf might be doing to immune cells that could affect P. aeruginosa's ability to sustain an infection. In a lab dish, they found that the presence of the phage in P. aeruginosa reduced by 10-fold the number of invading bacteria that were engulfed by either mouse or human phagocytes -- immune cells that ingest, then digest, invading bacteria.

"The phagocytes lost their appetite," Bollyky said.

Tripping molecular detectors

Bollyky's team determined that stretches of the phage's genomic material trigger molecular detectors in the phagocytes, steering the immune system's response from an antibacterial to an antiviral one.

When a phagocyte encounters bacteria, the appropriate response is to gobble them up, chew them up and call in more troops. But phagocytes' response to a virus is different, Bollyky said. "If you're an immune cell, ingesting a virus is absolutely the worst thing you can do, because now you've let it get inside of you -- you're infected by it."

So it's only sensible for a phagocyte that comes in contact with a virus to shut down phagocytosis. The appropriate antiviral immune response involves the generation of antibodies to tag virally infected cells and to signal other types of immune cells to home in on and destroy any virus-carrying cell they come across.

What Pf does inside phagocytes, Bollyky said, is like somebody pulling the fire alarm when they should have called the police. "If 20 fire engines pull up to the scene of the crime, it makes it easier for the thief to get away," he said.

The investigators generated a vaccine containing a component of a Pf protein and noted that it cut the incidence of wounds infected with Pf-positive P. aeruginosa by half. They also generated antibodies that specifically target the same protein component and showed that they worked at least as well as the vaccine.

Bollyky and his colleagues have filed for a patent on intellectual property associated with the vaccine, and they plan to test it in large animals as a step toward eventual clinical trials.

Bollyky's vision is to vaccinate people against Pf when they're first diagnosed with cystic fibrosis or diabetes, as well as people in nursing homes and hospitals, in order to protect them from P. aeruginosa infections. Since a vaccine takes time to arouse the immune system, he suggested that Pf-targeting antibodies (which can be produced in bulk and stored for long periods) could be useful in burn cases, when there's no advance warning.

The Pf vaccine might turn out to be effective against other pathogenic bacteria, such as E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, which can also carry Pf and tend to co-infect wounds colonized by P. aeruginosa, Bollyky said.

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Other Stanford co-authors of the study are postdoctoral scholar Jonas Belleghem, PhD; former postdoctoral scholars Vivekananda Sunkari, PhD, Xiou Cao, PhD, and Christiaan de Vries, MD; research scientists Gernot Kaber, PhD, and Robert Manasherob, PhD; Stanford Health Care affiliate physician Gina Suh, MD; technician Dung Lam; lab manager Heather Ishak; graduate students Michelle Bach and Medeea Popescu; medical student Payton Marshall; the late MD-PhD student Maria Birukova; former undergraduate Ethan Katznelson; and former medical student Daniel Lazzareschi, MD.

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, the University of Washington and the University of Montana also contributed to the study.

Bollyky is a member of Stanford's Bio-X, Maternal & Child Health Research Institute and Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute.

The work was funded by the National Institutes of Health (grants R21AI133370, R21AI133240, R01AI12492093, K22AI125282, R01AI138981, P20GM103546, P30DK116074 and R01GM111808), Stanford SPARK, the Falk Medical Research Trust and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Stanford's departments of Medicine and of Microbiology and Immunology also supported the work.

The Stanford University School of Medicine consistently ranks among the nation's top medical schools, integrating research, medical education, patient care and community service. For more news about the school, please visit http://med.stanford.edu/school.html. The medical school is part of Stanford Medicine, which includes Stanford Health Care and Stanford Children's Health. For information about all three, please visit http://med.stanford.edu.
The next time you're offered a free sample as you're walking past a storefront, go ahead and take it. But be aware that the more you like that little chunk of cheese or sip of herbal tea, the likelier your brain's internal map will warp in a way that increases your ability to return to the spot where you got your freebie.

Our brains' neural circuitry creates spatial maps as we navigate through new environments, allowing us to recall locations and directions. While it's been known for some time that we have these internal maps, a study from the Stanford University School of Medicine to be published online March 29 in Science shows how, in rats, those maps get redrawn when the rats learn they'll receive a reward at a certain place on the map. This same process could play a role in addictive behavior in humans.

Lisa Giocomo, PhD, assistant professor of neurobiology, is the study's senior author. Lead authorship is shared by postdoctoral scholar William Butler, PhD, and graduate student Kiah Hardcastle.

"Every time you check your Google map for a particular address or restaurant name or pair of grid coordinates, you get the same map regardless of why you're looking at it," Giocomo said. "The global positioning system that generates that map doesn't care what you're doing or where you're going, or whether you're happy, hungry or hung over. It's always going to give you the same information."

Scientists have assumed the brain's internal GPS operates similarly. But it turns out that's not quite right.

"In this study, we've learned your internal map changes depending on your behavior, memories and state of mind," Giocomo said. "We pull up different maps for the same space, depending on what we're actually trying to do in that space."

Brain area crucial to navigation

Giocomo's research has been focused on a brain area called the medial entorhinal cortex, which is crucial to navigation. Nestled near the center of the human brain, it integrates information from our senses to generate maps of new places.

Over the past 15 years or so, scientists have learned that various nerve cells in our medial entorhinal cortex act as compasses, speedometers, latitude and longitude coordinates, or boundary and landmark detectors. These cells have been identified in rodents, bats, monkeys and humans, suggesting that such spatial-mapping circuitry is a universal mechanism of mammalian navigation and that the findings in the study apply to humans as well.

Until now, all indications have been that it's just that simple. But that's because the experiments designed to capture and measure the mapping process have been deliberately kept simple, for the sake of getting decipherable results. A standard experimental setup, for example, features a spacious yet simple environment: a big, open-top box in which the floor is littered with bits of crushed cereal. No consideration is given to the test animals' mood or intent. The animals can walk freely all around the box, foraging at their leisure for crushed Cheerios, while researchers collect data via physiological monitoring of the creatures' brain cells. It is a relatively easy experiment to do. The scientists who thought it up won a Nobel Prize for it in 2014. (The work was done under the leadership of a pair of Norwegian researchers under whom Giocomo did her postdoctoral fellowship.)

"But animals don't typically walk around inside big black boxes in the hope of hoovering up Cheerios dust," Giocomo said. "You usually have a goal. So we decided to design a situation that would stimulate that goal-directedness but would also be able to relate whatever we found to what had been studied for the past 15 years."

A new box

That meant shifting experimental animals between two alternate environments, one encouraging random meandering and the other one fostering goal-driven behavior. To test goal-driven behavior, Giocomo and her colleagues designed a big box that was exactly the same size and shape as the one in the traditional experimental setup. Both boxes had floors with randomly scattered crushed Cheerios. During experiments in either box, animals could forage freely and eat any Cheerio bits they found. But there was an important difference. The second box had an unmarked, roughly 8-by-8-inch "reward zone" in a fixed location on its Cheerios-strewn floor. The test animals were permitted to forage freely in this box, just as in the other one. But they soon learned that if, in response to an auditory cue, they navigated to the reward zone, they'd get a guaranteed, good-sized crushed-cereal reward. This reward was available only intermittently, and only for a short period after the cue.

Picture a "free lunch" counter in a supermarket. The counter is only open some of the time -- but when it is, a storewide advertisement blares the news to hungry shoppers over the public address system.

The investigators implanted electrodes in several hundred nerve cells in the medial entorhinal cortex of rats that were placed in each of the two environments. The electrodes were connected to long cables, so the researchers could monitor individual nerve cells' electrical activity as the animals roved freely inside whichever box they were put in.

"Rats' spatial mapping system is the same as ours," Giocomo said. "For rodents, they're pretty smart. They like to move around. And they love Cheerios."

Giocomo's team collected and analyzed massive amounts of data, which enabled them to identify individual cells in each rat's medial entorhinal cortex that served as compasses, speedometers and position detectors. They also observed that once a rat had learned enough about how the two environments differed -- mainly, that one featured an occasional, well-advertised "free lunch" -- several types of spatial-map-related cells in its medial entorhinal cortex changed their firing patterns whenever the animal got close to the "lunch counter." For example, as the rats came within about a foot of the center of the reward zone, whether or not the free-lunch counter was open, its position-signifying cells fired faster, and the position-signifying cells that were firing were spaced closer together, indicating higher spatial resolution.

"This tells us the rat's brains are making a new map of space, in response to their experience of a reward, that reflects the importance of the place where they got it by providing a more accurate representation of its position," Giocomo said. If the reward is a drug of abuse, she said, the improved accuracy at the center of this reward-based map could enable an addict's habit.

So the next time you find yourself wending your way through some nondescript side street in a strange neighborhood in search of a parking spot, remind yourself to gobble a chunk of chocolate as you're getting out of your car. It might make it easier for you to remember where you parked.

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Giocomo is a member of Stanford Bio-X and of Stanford's Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute. The work leading to the Science publication began as a project of the latter institute's Big Ideas in Neurosciences Initiative.

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health (grants MH106475 and DA042012), the Office of Naval Research, the James S McDonnell Foundation and the Klingenstein-Simons Foundation.

Stanford's Department of Neurobiology also supported the work.

Print media contact: Bruce Goldman at (650) 725-2106 (goldmanb@stanford.edu)

Broadcast media contact: Margarita Gallardo at (650) 723-7897 (mjgallardo@stanford.edu)

The Stanford University School of Medicine consistently ranks among the nation's top medical schools, integrating research, medical education, patient care and community service. For more news about the school, please visit http://med.stanford.edu/school.html. The medical school is part of Stanford Medicine, which includes Stanford Health Care and Stanford Children's Health. For information about all three, please visit http://med.stanford.edu.
BOSTON (March 28, 2019, 11:00 a.m. ET)--A team of researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine developed a method to grow and maintain olfactory stem cells in culture, which can then be used to restore tissue in the nose. The discovery raises hope that future therapies could be developed to restore the sense of smell in individuals where it has been damaged by injury or degeneration.

The stem cells, called horizontal basal cells (HBCs), can repopulate all olfactory epithelium (OE) cell types, including sensory neurons, when transplanted into injured tissue. Published today in the journal Stem Cell Reports, the development paves the way for further research into stem cell transplantation therapies, or pharmacological approaches that stimulate stem cells within the nose to regenerate tissue.

The nerves that confer the sense of smell are unique when compared to the rest of the nervous system, in that they can trigger a robust and nearly complete regenerative response after injury. OE tissue contains two types of stem cells - globose basal cells (GBCs) and HBCs. The GBCs have been successfully cultured and appear to have a primary role in repopulating cells that have been lost to routine turnover. HBCs, however, remain dormant and are not activated until there is an injury. Unfortunately, studies on these cells have been limited by the fact that they could not be expanded and maintained in culture. In this study, the researchers determined the optimal conditions for expanding and maintaining healthy HBC stem cells in culture, borrowing methods and factors used to maintain respiratory stem cells.

"Once we determined that we could grow HBCs in the lab, and that they expressed the same identifying molecular markers found in vivo, we sought to confirm whether they would work as well as the in vivo HBCs - can they regenerate tissue that has been injured - and they did!" said James Schwob, M.D., Ph.D., professor of developmental molecular and chemical biology at Tufts University School of Medicine, and corresponding author for the study.

Despite a natural ability for regeneration, dysfunction in the sense of smell is still reported among 19.4 percent of the population (OLFACAT study, 2003), with 0.3 percent experiencing complete loss of smell. Causes range from aging, injury, smoking, and neurodegenerative diseases to certain medications.

Schwob and his team discovered that the lab-grown HBCs were able to fill in olfactory lesions, generating multiple cell types including Sus cells, basal cells and olfactory sensory neurons.

"The HBCs in culture remained quiescent, pretty much as they do in vivo, but we were able to trigger them into an active state to start the process of differentiation into various olfactory epithelial cells just before engrafting them into injured tissue," said Jesse Peterson, Ph.D., first author of the study and currently a post-doctoral fellow at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology. Peterson conducted the study as part of his doctoral dissertation at the Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences at Tufts, advised by Schwob.

The trigger used was retinoic acid, which has the effect of lowering levels of the protein P63 in the cells, leading to stem cell activation. P63 functions as a "master control switch" and is known to decrease levels during injury, transitioning HBCs from dormancy to activation in vivo. A more thorough understanding of the role of P63 has been hampered by the slow pace of in vivo studies. With lab-grown HBCs, the mechanisms of activation can be examined more closely.

"Now that we can create a reserve of dormant stem cells, we see this as a useful tool for exploring ways to guide cell differentiation toward specific cell types, and develop new stem cell therapies for tissue and sensory regeneration - using the patient's own stem cells for culturing and transplantation, or pharmacological interventions to activate the patient's own dormant stem cells within the nose," said Schwob.

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Other authors contributing to this study are Brian Lin, Ph.D., Camila Barrios-Camacho, Daniel Herrick, M.D., Ph.D., and Julie Coleman, Ph.D., all graduates or students at Tufts, Woochan Jang, Ph.D., former research assistant professor at Tufts, and Eric Holbrook, M.D., of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, and Harvard Medical School.

This work was supported by awards from the National Institutes of Health's National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (R01DC002167, F31DC014637, F30DC013962, F31DC014398). This content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Peterson, J., Lin, B., Barrios-Camacho, C.M., Herrick, D., Holbrook, E.H., Jang, W., Coleman, J.H. and Schwob, J.E., "Activating a reserve neural stem cell population in vitro enables engraftment and multipotency after transplantation," Stem Cell Reports (2019). DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2019.02.014

About Tufts University School of Medicine

Tufts University School of Medicine is an international leader in medical and population health education and advanced research. It emphasizes rigorous fundamentals in a dynamic learning environment to educate physicians, scientists, and public health professionals to become leaders in their fields. The School of Medicine is renowned for excellence in education in general medicine, the biomedical sciences, and public health, as well as for research at the cellular, molecular, and population health level. It is affiliated with more than 20 teaching hospitals and health care facilities. Tufts University School of Medicine undertakes research that is consistently rated among the highest in the nation for its effect on the advancement of medical and prevention science.
The U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) today announced that, for the first time, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has provided formal regulatory agreement for use of an animal model to support development of a drug candidate, remdesivir, for treating deadly Ebola virus (EBOV) infections. This agreement was made possible through a 2018 Natural History Study (NHS) of Ebola virus conducted by USAMRIID in close collaboration with Gilead Sciences, Inc., the sponsor of remdesivir development, and The Geneva Foundation (Geneva), and funded by the Joint Project Manager for Medical Countermeasure Systems (JPM-MCS), a component of the U.S. Department of Defense's Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense.

Specifically, FDA agreed that the rhesus macaque, infected by intramuscular (IM) injection, is a relevant and adequately characterized model of Ebola virus disease to support filing under the FDA Animal Rule. In addition, the agency agreed that the rhesus IM/EBOV disease model is sufficient as a single animal model for therapeutic product development. Notably, FDA also agreed that a specific delayed time-to-treat approach is appropriate for future nonclinical studies aimed at characterizing the efficacy of remdesivir.

Sponsors must demonstrate efficacy before a medical product can be approved by the FDA; however, for certain products, when obtaining efficacy data from human patients is not ethical or feasible, the FDA may grant approval under the Animal Rule. Such approval would be based on efficacy data from well-controlled studies in adequately characterized animal model(s), when the results of those studies establish that the drug candidate is reasonably likely to produce clinical benefit in humans. The sponsor must still demonstrate the product's safety in humans.

"For years, development of Ebola virus medical countermeasures has been subject to regulatory uncertainties regarding which models, if any, would be acceptable to the FDA as a foundation for evaluating efficacy under the Animal Rule," said COL Gary Wheeler, USAMRIID commander. "The study design and data-quality posture USAMRIID adopted for the Ebola virus NHS sets a precedent that has the potential to be useful for medical countermeasure development efforts targeting other similar human pathogens, such as Marburg or Sudan viruses."

USAMRIID and Gilead Sciences, Inc. worked in close partnership to develop the study plan for conducting the IM/EBOV NHS in rhesus monkeys, analyze the study outcome and submit data to the FDA. A team of over 100 USAMRIID and Geneva personnel, representing the divisions of Molecular and Translational Sciences, Virology, Telemetry, Pathology, Veterinary Medicine, Advanced Research Studies and Quality Assurance participated in the study, which was conducted in a Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4) laboratory under maximum containment conditions. Importantly, this project was the first-ever study to be completed in compliance with Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) standards in a BSL-4 laboratory. In January 2019, FDA auditors visited USAMRIID to conduct a data quality and integrity inspection of USAMRIID's GLP facilities and processes. The results of the audit were reported as "No Action Indicated," a classification that occurs when no objectionable conditions or practices were found during the inspection.

"To date, there are no FDA-approved therapeutics for treatment of Ebola virus disease. Both the current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak, the largest in history, highlight the urgent need for antiviral therapy to combat this deadly disease. We are committed to developing our investigational antiviral agent, remdesivir, for the treatment of Ebola virus infection using the Animal Rule or other appropriate regulatory pathway based on feedback from FDA," said John McHutchison, AO, MD, Chief Scientific Officer and Head of Research and Development, Gilead Sciences, Inc. Remdesivir is an investigational agent and is not approved by any regulatory agency globally. Its safety and efficacy have not been established.

"This project is a testament to the efficiency of public-private partnership to accelerate the development of critically needed medical countermeasures," said COL David Hammer, Joint Project Manager for Medical Countermeasure Systems. "We can advance products more quickly when we work together to leverage the skills of multiple organizations."

The NHS was conducted as part of the overall remdesivir development plan, and product-independent qualification of the rhesus IM/EBOV model through the FDA Animal Model Qualification Program has not been sought or obtained.

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About USAMRIID

USAMRIID is celebrating its 50th year of providing leading edge medical capabilities to deter and defend against current and emerging biological threat agents. The Institute is the only laboratory in the Department of Defense equipped to safely study highly hazardous viruses requiring maximum containment at Biosafety Level 4. Research conducted at USAMRIID leads to vaccines, drugs, diagnostics, and training programs that protect both warfighters and civilians. Established in 1969, the Institute plays a key role as the lead military medical research laboratory for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency's Joint Science and Technology Office for Chemical and Biological Defense. USAMRIID is a subordinate laboratory of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command. For more information, visit http://www.usamriid.army.mil

About Medical Countermeasure Systems

JPM-MCS, a component of the U.S. Department of Defense's Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense, aims to provide U.S. military forces and the nation with safe, effective and innovative medical solutions to counter chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats. JPM-MCS facilitates the advanced development and acquisition of medical countermeasures and systems to enhance the nation's biodefense response capability.

About Gilead Sciences, Inc.

Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a research-based biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and commercializes innovative medicines in areas of unmet medical need. The company strives to transform and simplify care for people with life-threatening illnesses around the world. Gilead has operations in more than 35 countries worldwide, with headquarters in Foster City, California. For more information on Gilead Sciences, please visit the company's website at http://www.gilead.com

About The Geneva Foundation

The Geneva Foundation is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization that advances military medicine through innovative scientific research, exceptional program management, and a dedication to U.S. service members and veterans, their families, and the global community. Geneva is proud to have over 25 years of experience in delivering full spectrum scientific, technical, and program management expertise in the areas of federal grants, federal contracts, industry sponsored clinical trials, and educational services. http://www.genevaUSA.org

[The information contained in this press release does not necessarily reflect the position or the policy of the Government and no official endorsement should be inferred.]
Of the three major subtypes of breast cancer, the triple negative is the most lethal: half of all breast cancer deaths are attributed to it, whereas it accounts for only about 15% of incidences of breast cancer. And unlike other breast cancers, it is resistant to most existing therapies. By studying the properties of clofazimine, a 70-year-old antibiotic, scientists from the Universities of Geneva (UNIGE) and Lausanne (UNIL), in Switzerland, demonstrate its effectiveness in stopping the progression of the disease in in vivo tests. Indeed, it blocks the Wnt cell signalling pathway - a disruption of the cell mechanism that causes many cancers, including triple negative breast cancer. These results, to be read in Cancer Letters, highlight the need to re-examine with a fresh eye the drugs already on the market, especially the older ones.

Triple negative breast cancer is a particularly aggressive form of breast cancer, affecting especially young women. Its very rapid progression and the lack of effective treatment thus contribute to making it an extremely serious disease, causing the death of more than 200,000 women worldwide each year.

Better targeting for better care

Increasingly, cancer specialists are seeking to develop therapies that specifically target cancer cells but that would spare healthy cells. Vladimir Katanaev, Professor at the Faculty of Medicine Translational Research Centre in Oncohaematology (CRTOH) of the UNIGE, who directed this work, explains the principle behind it: "The idea is to identify molecular elements specific to tumour cells, but absent from healthy cells, and precisely target them. These elements - called oncogenes - are necessary to transform healthy cells into malignant cells, so it is important to bring them down without damaging neighbouring cells."

In the case of triple negative breast cancer, as well as in other cancers such as liver or colon cancer, one of the main suspects is the Wnt signalling pathway. When cells communicate with each other, they do so through chemical signals, i.e. the signalling pathways. The cell that receives the signal responds to it by migrating, for example, or by dividing. The Wnt signalling pathway is essential during embryogenesis by allowing the unborn baby to develop properly. In adults, however, it usually shuts down and its reactivation - following a mutation or epigenetic modification - gives an erroneous growth signal and allows tumour development. However, if Wnt is blocked, tumour growth stops.

A very old antibiotic with unsuspected capacities

In 2014, Professor Katanaev's team (at UNIL back then) had shown in vitro the inhibitory effect of clofazimine on the Wnt signalling pathway in triple negative breast cancer. They now confirm this effect in vivo, in animal models of the disease: "With clofazimine, tumour growth is significantly reduced", says Vladimir Katanaev. "In addition, we did not detect any adverse side effects, an essential aspect of drug development process."

The researchers also demonstrated that clofazimine targets the Wnt signaling pathway well in vivo, as expected. In addition, clofazimine is even more effective when administered in combination with doxorubicin, a conventional chemotherapeutic drug. Alexey Koval, a researcher at the CRTOH of the UNIGE at the Faculty of Biology and Medicine of the UNIL and co-first author of this study, analyses these results: "Clofazimine acts as an inhibitor of the Wnt signaling pathway: the sick cell can no longer divide, but does not die. Doxorubicin, on the other hand, kills cells that have stopped growing. A combination of great efficacy!"

Is drug repositioning the future of pharmacology?

Many researchers around the world have undertaken to review existing drugs in the light of new technologies and methodologies now available, in order to discover unknown effects. The repositioning of drugs, for which testing and marketing procedures are simpler than for entirely new molecules, saves time and costs less. Clofazimine, an antibacterial agent used to fight leprosy, has been on the market for a long time and is, in fact, in the public domain. "This very inexpensive drug is even on the WHO's list of essential medicines and is produced all over the world, including in Switzerland," adds Vladimir Katanaev. "This is an advantage, of course, but it also complicates the fundraising required to continue our work: indeed, no patent can be filed."

The next step is now to conduct clinical trials involving volunteer patients, first in Geneva, then likely elsewhere in Switzerland.

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The European Research Council has awarded Professor Dan Zahavi from University of Copenhagen an Advanced Grant of 2.4 million for the research project "Who are we", which will examine what it means to feel, think and act as a group - as a we

We can enjoy a concert together, solve a task, reach a decision or make plans for the future, and we can share attitudes, emotions, traditions and even a common identity. But how is this possible? What does it mean to feel, think and act as part of a group - as a we? This is the main research question that Professor Dan Zahavi from the Centre for Subjectivity Research will answer with the project Who are we?, which the European Research Council has awarded an Advanced Grant of 2.4 million.

"Given the recent upsurge of nationalism and identity politics, and given the repeated insistence on the importance of social cohesion and the increasing focus on the difference between 'us' and 'them', it is essential to gain an understanding of what it means to be part of a larger we. What kind of social understanding does this require, and what is the relation between the individual and the group, between self-identity and group identity? Professor Dan Zahavi asks.

Dan Zahavi's research project, which bears the full title "Who are we? Self-identity, Social Cognition, and Collective Intentionality", includes six other researchers who will develop a systematic description of the complex relations between the group and the individual and thus contribute to an understanding of some of the foundational issues within the humanities and social sciences.

The project is, at its core, philosophical, but will include collaborations with researchers within disciplines such as developmental psychology, social psychology, sociology, and anthropology.

"Who are we? Self-identity, Social Cognition, and Collective Intentionality" is a five-year project and will be based at the Centre for Subjectivity Research at the University of Copenhagen.

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Contact

Professor Dan Zahavi

Centre for Subjectivity Research

University of Copenhagen

E-mail: zahavi@hum.ku.dk

Mobile: +45 27 62 19 43
The 21st edition of Ebertfest, running April 10-13 at the glorious single-screen anomaly known as the Virginia Theatre in Champaign marks the seventh festival since the April 4, 2013, death of its namesake, Roger Ebert. But his spirit can be detected, each year, in the films chosen; in the tributes offered by filmmakers and guests; and most obviously in the presence and stewardship of Chaz Ebert and Nate Kohn, who run the festival sponsored by the University of Illinois College of Media. Ebert was a proud of U. of I. alum.
Being admitted to the hospital for a specific illness or infection and coming down with another during one's hospital stay is not common, due to the effectiveness of prevention systems, but it is also not an isolated incident. According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), 6% of hospital patients get an infection while staying at the hospital, which generates a financial impact of 7 trillion euros in Europe as a whole.

Nosocomial infections, the name for infections that are caught at the hospital and hence were not the reason the patient was admitted, are a real health challenge. Recently, a research group in the area of Machines and Thermal Engines at the University of Cordoba tested the effectiveness of a displacement ventilation system that reduces those infections that are airborne, such as, for instance, measles, tuberculosis and klebsiella, pathogens that can cause serious complications for immunosuppresed patients or patients with low immunity.

More than 90% of hospital facilities and other buildings use what are called mixing ventilation systems, as Professor Manuel Ruiz de Adana, one of the main authors of the study, explains. These systems push new air into the upper part of the room, which is not where the patient is located. Later, this new air is mixed with the air in the room and pollutants decrease.

To look into this problem, the research group studied the risk of infection in a different kind of ventilation system, -known as displacement ventilation- in which air is pushed at low speeds into the area where the patient is located. The air in the room, exposed to pollutants, is literally "displaced" and rises to the upper part of the room once it warms up in the room. Instead of lessening the amount of pollutants, this system pushes them from one side of the room to the other until they go out through the room's vents. In this way, there is clean airflow, working like a piston, in the area where patients and health care workers are located.

"We cannot control people's prevention habits, but we can control the air they breathe," explains Professor Ruiz de Adana. In order to do so, the group analyzed this ventilation method's potential to control airborne infections by using thermal mannequins outfitted with breathing systems. They carried out several experimental trials injecting a pollutant that simulated a pathogen in the mannequin's lungs as well as at a number of locations around the room.

After evaluating and measuring different parameters, the study, carried out in the framework of the TRACER research and development project, concluded that displacement ventilation systems can reduce the risk of exposure to airborne pathogens compared to other traditional systems. This is a ventilation mechanism, says researcher Ruiz de Adana, that comes from the Nordic countries, countries where because of climate conditions, people spend a great amount of time indoors. However, "it is not normally used in hospitals and a study on this scale and for this specific use had not been performed before."

According to regulations established by the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, ventilation systems should refresh all the air in a hospital room 12 times an hour in order to reduce airborne infections. With this new proposed ventilation system, going by the data shown by the study, it will only be necessary to refresh the air nine times an hour, without the risk of infection changing, meaning in addition to health benefits, the system will also cut energy use.

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References: Villafruela J.M., Olmedo I., Berlanga F.A., Ruiz de Adana M. (2019) Assessment of displacement ventilation systems in airborne infection risk in hospital rooms. PLOS ONE 14(1): e0211390. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0211390
Increased human activity around one of Africa's most iconic ecosystems is "squeezing the wildlife in its core", damaging habitation and disrupting the migration routes of wildebeest, zebra, and gazelle, an international study has concluded. The study, led by the University of Groningen and with collaborators at 11 institutions around the world, looked at 40 years of data, and revealed that some boundary areas have seen a 400 percent increase in human population over the past decade while larger wildlife species populations in key areas (the Kenyan side) were reduced by more than 75%. The findings are published this week in the scientific journal Science. Dr. Michiel Veldhuis, lead author of the study from the University of Groningen: "This finding alters our view on what is needed to protect biodiversity."

The Serengeti-Mara ecosystem is one of the largest and most protected ecosystems on Earth, spanning 40,000 square kilometers and taking in the Serengeti National Park and Maasai Mara National Reserve in East Africa. Every year a million wildebeest, half a million gazelle and 200,000 zebra make the perilous trek from the Serengeti Park in Tanzania to the Maasai Mara reserve in Kenya in their search for water and grazing land.

Detrimental impact

Now, an international team of scientists has discovered that increased human activity along the boundaries is having a detrimental impact on plants, animals, and soils. The study reveals how population growth and an influx of livestock in the buffer zones of the parks has squeezed the area available for migration of wildebeest, zebra, and gazelles, causing them to spend more time grazing less nutritious grasses than they did in the past. This has reduced the frequency of natural fires, changing the vegetation and altering grazing opportunities for other wildlife in the core areas.

The team shows that the impacts are cascading down the food chain, favoring less palatable herbs and altering the beneficial interactions between plants and microorganisms that enable the ecosystem to capture and utilize essential nutrients. The effects could potentially make the ecosystem less resilient to future shocks such as drought or further climate change, the scientists warn.

The authors conclude that, even for reasonably well-protected areas like the Serengeti and Mara, alternative strategies may be needed that sustain the coexistence and livelihood of local people and wildlife in the landscapes surrounding protected areas. The current strategy of increasingly hard boundaries may be a major risk to both people and wildlife.

Quotes

Dr. Michiel Veldhuis, lead author of the study from the University of Groningen noted: "There is an urgent need to rethink how we manage the boundaries of protected areas to be able to conserve biodiversity. The future of the world's most iconic protected area and their associated human population may depend on it."

Dr. Simon Mduma, Director of the Tanzanian Government's Wildlife Research Institute commented: "These results come at the right time, as the Tanzanian government is now taking important steps to address these protected areas boundary issues on a national level. 'This paper provides important scientific evidence of the far-ranging consequences of the increased human pressures around the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem, information that is now urgently needed by policymakers and politicians."

Dr. Simon Mduma: "We should re-think our protected area strategy, making sure that conservation efforts do not stop at protected area boundaries."

Prof. Mark Ritchie from Syracuse University: "Keeping people out of an area to protect biodiversity is not enough - we need to integrate human activities and conservation outside reserves as well."

Dr. Joseph Ogutu from the University of Hohenheim: "The intense compression of a large protected area, such as the Serengeti-Mara, should ring alarm bells because most other protected areas are far smaller in size and therefore experience even more intense pressures from human activities impinging on their borders. In countries where far more wildlife are still found outside than inside protected areas, such as Kenya where more than 65% of wildlife occur outside protected areas, expanding human population size, livestock and human activities pose serious and unprecedented threats to wildlife populations."

Dr. Colin Beale from the University of York: "Protected areas across East Africa are under pressure from a wide range of threats. Our work shows that encroachment by people should be considered just as serious a challenge as better known issues such as poaching and climate change."

Dr. Kate Parr from the University of Liverpool: 'Our results show that we cannot rely on the sheer extent of protected areas to conserve biodiversity - human impacts are pervasive and threaten even our most iconic reserves."

Dr. James Probert from the University of Liverpool: "The Serengeti-Mara is one of the largest trans-boundary protected area complexes in the world, and yet we find the negative impacts of human activities impacting its core."

Dr. James Probert: "It is clear that even large protected areas, with strict restrictions on what human activities can take place, can be indirectly affected by human populations at their boundaries."

Patrick Wargute from the Directorate of Resource Surveys and Remote Sensing, Nairobi, Kenya: 'These findings will inform policies and pieces of legislation for the conservation and management of wildlife for sustainable development."

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Reference: Veldhuis et al. Cross-boundary human impacts compromise the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem. Science 29 March 2019
"Big data" and large-scale analyses are critical for biodiversity research to find out how animal and plant species are distributed worldwide and how ecosystems function. The necessary data may come from many sources: museum collections, biological literature, and local databases. Researchers at the University of Gottingen have investigated how this wealth of knowledge can best be integrated so that it can be transported into the digital age and used for research. The results were published in the journal PLOS Biology.

Biodiversity data can describe different aspects of life, for example the geographical distribution of organisms, their ancestry, ecological characteristics or interactions with their environment. In addition, each of these aspects can be described by different data types. For example, some researchers characterise the range of distribution of a species using individual occurrences, others use systematic counts or checklists of regional species. The individual data types not only differ in their availability, but can also have a significant influence on the scientific results and conclusions. The authors advocate for biodiversity research to use as many concurrent data sources as possible to better understand the complex interactions in nature, especially considering the increasing threat to species and ecosystems worldwide.

"The resolution of the data is crucial for the accuracy and reliability of studies on biodiversity," says the first author Dr Christian Konig from the Department of Biodiversity, Macroecology and Biogeography. The fundamental compromise here is that the more detailed the data, the lower its availability and representativeness on a global scale - and often the data gaps are particularly large where species diversity is particularly high. The researchers prove this relationship by means of two case studies in which they model global patterns in the growth habit and seed size of plant species using different data types. "Our biodiversity models will improve if we link all the available biodiversity data together and make the best possible use of them, but there has been a lack of conceptual understanding of their basic characteristics and common synergies," adds Professor Holger Kreft, Head of Department.

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Original Publication: Konig, C. et al. Biodiversity data integration - The significance of data resolution and domain. PLOS Biology (2019). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3000183

Contact:

Professor Holger Kreft

University of Gottingen

Department of Biodiversity, Macroecology and Biogeography

Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology

Busgenweg 1, Room 1.121

37077 Gottingen, Germany

Telephone: +49 (0)551 3910727

Email: hkreft@uni-goettingen.de

website: http://www.uni-goettingen.de/biodiversity
The doctoral dissertation of Tuija Kirkinen, MA, examines the use and significance of furs in Finland and the region of Karelia surrendered to the Soviet Union. Furs were commonly used in burials in southern Finland until the 14th and 15th century, and in northern Finland as late as the 17th century. The most prevalent group of skins are those of large mammals, which were wrapped around the deceased. In cremation, bear skins were particularly popular, while Finnish forest reindeer and elk skin were commonly used in burials.

Clothes and objects were also manufactured from fur; a knife sheath could be covered or lined with fur.

Finland's oldest goat observation dates back to the Stone Age

As research material, Kirkinen used hair and fur remains found in burial sites, as well as predator claws which had been attached to the skins.

"Contrary to initial assumptions, quite a lot of fur remains have been preserved in graves."

Animal hairs have been identified by their structure with the help of a microscope. Exceptionally, microscopically small hairs have been preserved in connection with other objects and even in the soil of a burial site dating back to the Stone Age (2800-2300 BCE). This finding, made in Perttulanmaki, Kauhava, western Finland, turned out to be Finland's oldest goat finding. As a result, Kirkinen's research provides recommendations for the handling of potential fibre material at archaeological excavations.

According to Kirkinen, Finland has presumably been situated at the intersection of two fur and bear traditions, one based in the west, the other in the east and north. Deer hunted for their meat stand out from the dataset, an aspect where Finnish data clearly differs from material found across Scandinavia. Fewer products made of mustelids and other more typical fur animals have been found, which makes Kirkinen think that fur use related to status was not very common in Finland and the Karelian Peninsula.

The treatment of prey speaks of respect

Archaeological basic research increases our understanding of the past. The research carried out by Tuija Kirkinen opens perspectives on the relationship between humans and animals, particularly animals that serve as the origin of products used by humans.

"Wrapping bodies in fur is a tradition born already among hunting cultures. The continuation of this tradition all the way to early recorded history and, in Lapland, up to the 17th century, speaks of the preservation of a spiritual culture connected with hunting."

Wrapping the deceased in fur made it possible for them to join their ancestors, making the boundary between humans and animals less clear-cut than today. Ethnographic datasets also contain examples of narratives on how fur had to be handled with respect when sewing, or the animals would no longer give their skins up for humans to use.

"This is a distinct difference from modern fur farming," Kirkinen points out.

Grave archaeology has proven that traditions relating to hunting maintained a central role in communities otherwise dominated by agriculture. This is proof of the continued significance of hunting, both in terms of economics and culture.

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URBANA, Ill. - The soybean cyst nematode, one of the crop's most destructive pests, isn't like most of its wormy relatives. Whereas the vast majority of nematodes look like the microscopic worms they are, the female soybean cyst nematode shape-shifts into a tiny lemon after feeding on soybean roots. In a new EvoDevo article, a University of Illinois research team explains how it happens and why.

"We think the soybean cyst nematode has evolved this body shape so that they can produce a lot more offspring," says Nathan Schroeder, assistant professor in the Department of Crop Sciences at the University of Illinois and corresponding author on the new study. "If you compare the most closely related species that stay long and skinny, they have a lot fewer babies than this lady does."

The round shape allows female soybean cyst nematodes to retain about two-thirds of their fertilized eggs inside their bodies. As embryos develop, the mother's body hardens to become a protective cyst. Schroeder says these adaptations have allowed the soybean cyst nematode to become as successful as it is.

From previous research with a different species, the scientists suspected seam cells were responsible for the shift from long and skinny to fat and round. Seam cells, which have stem-cell-like properties, run the length of these worms and divide to enlarge the epidermis every time the worms molt.

"Normally, there's one division for each molt, creating one new set of nuclei in the multinucleated epidermis. We found that with soybean cyst nematode, they divide multiple times after infection, molt, divide even more times, molt, divide even more times. You have exponential growth which leads to this fat, round beast that has lots and lots of these epidermal nuclei," Schroeder explains. "Between the last juvenile phase, which is long and skinny, and the reproductive adult phase, the number of nuclei increase forty-fold."

The research team also investigated the division pattern in other plant-parasitic nematodes and found similar seam cell proliferation in several others, despite not being closely related to soybean cyst nematodes. Essentially, they found evidence of convergent evolution, or the appearance of similar traits to meet the same needs in distantly related species. The common example is wings in butterflies and bats, but now nematode body shape can be added to the list.

"The larger question is how do you get new body shapes in biology? How do new shapes arise? In this case, we're suggesting that these organisms are using mechanisms of stem cell proliferation to generate new body shapes, which is pretty interesting," Schroeder says.

The discovery could also have potential management implications down the road. If researchers could disrupt the proliferation of these seam cells at a certain stage, it might be possible to keep female nematodes from becoming quite so round, with room for so many babies.

"From my perspective, it's a combination of interesting biology and practical implications with an economically important pest causing yield loss throughout the Midwest," Schroeder says. "If we can find some new target strategies that will affect it but not the other thousands of beneficial nematode species in the soil, that would be a game-changer."

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The article, "Convergent evolution of saccate body shapes in nematodes through distinct developmental mechanisms," is published in EvoDevo [DOI: 10.1186/s13227-019-0118-5]. Authors include Sita Thapa, Michael Gates, Ursula Reuter-Carlson, Rebecca Androwski, and Nathan Schroeder. The research was supported by the Schlumberger Foundation, the USDA NIFA Hatch program, and the NIH National Institute of General Medical Sciences.
Women's rights in ancient Egypt were better before the 4th century BC than during the Greco-Roman period that followed,

Women's rights in ancient Egypt were better before the 4th century BC than during the Greco-Roman period that followed, according to a new book by a University of Kent expert.

Dr Ada Nifosi, a lecturer in Ancient History in the University's School of European Culture and Languages, found that the status of women in ancient Egypt was higher and had more autonomy than generations to come, including over issues that remain contested today.

For Becoming a Woman and Mother in Greco-Roman Egypt (Routledge 2019), Dr Nifosi carried out a detailed study of women's everyday lives.

She focused on three key phases - coming of age at puberty, menstruation and childbirth - and found that the status of women and children started changing when Egypt became subject to Greek and Roman rule.

She said: 'Women enjoyed a much better social status in ancient Egypt and the cultural, moral and legal changes that came with Greco-Roman rule were not for the better. For instance, before the Greeks ruled Egypt, Egyptian women could exercise their legal rights freely and independently.

'However, after the Greeks introduced their laws into Egypt, most women living there needed a male guardian for legal acts such as marriage. Egyptian women also gradually lost control over their bodies and their offspring. For instance, the power to recognise children was entirely in the fathers' hands and mothers had little or no say in this choice. Sometimes children were even abandoned and left to die or be raised as slaves. This doesn't seem to have happened before in ancient Egypt.'

Dr Nifosi's studies used a large number of personal objects from private houses in the Greco-Roman Egyptian village of Bakchias (Fayyum, Egypt). By combining groups of artefacts from these houses with information from papyri and ostraca (pottery sherds inscribed with writing), she could establish details about how women and girls lived their lives.

Dr Nifosi's research touches on many issues, such as the status of unborn children, the medical role of midwives and beliefs about menstruation, which are still relevant today. She is planning to carry out further research on menstruation in order to raise more awareness about ancient and modern social stigmas.

Becoming a Woman and Mother in Greco-Roman Egypt is the first interdisciplinary study of women in Hellenistic and Roman Egypt from the 3rd century BC to the 3rd century AD.

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For further information and interview or image requests contact Sandy Fleming at the University of Kent Press Office.

Tel: +44 (0)1227 823581

Email: S.Fleming@kent.ac.uk

News releases can also be found at http://www.kent.ac.uk/news

University of Kent on Twitter: http://twitter.com/UniKent

Established in 1965, the University of Kent - the UK's European university - now has almost 20,000 students across campuses or study centres at Canterbury, Medway, Tonbridge, Brussels, Paris, Athens and Rome.

It was ranked 22nd in the Guardian University Guide 2018 and in June 2017 was awarded a gold rating, the highest, in the UK Government's Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF).

In 2018 it was also ranked in the top 500 of Shanghai Ranking's Academic Ranking of World Universities and 47th in the Times Higher Education's (THE) new European Teaching Rankings.

Kent is ranked 17th in the UK for research intensity (REF 2014). It has world-leading research in all subjects and 97% of its research is deemed by the REF to be of international quality.

Along with the universities of East Anglia and Essex, Kent is a member of the Eastern Arc Research Consortium (http://www.kent.ac.uk/about/partnerships/eastern-arc.html).

The University is worth 0.7 billion to the economy of the south east and supports more than 7,800 jobs in the region. Student off-campus spend contributes 293.3m and 2,532 full-time-equivalent jobs to those totals.

Kent has received two Queen's Anniversary prizes for Higher and Further Education.
A medicine currently being tested as a chemoprevention agent for multiple types of cancer has more than one trick in its bag when it comes to preventing stomach cancer, Vanderbilt researchers have discovered.

The investigators found that in addition to its known ability to block the production of cell growth compounds, the drug DFMO (difluoromethylornithine) acts directly on the bacterium Helicobacter pylori to reduce its virulence. H. pylori infection is the primary cause of gastric cancer.

The findings, reported in the March 12 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, support further studies of DFMO for the prevention of stomach cancer, the third leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide.

H. pylori infects the stomachs of half of the human population, but only about 1 percent of infected individuals develop stomach cancer. Although it's possible to treat the infection to prevent stomach cancer, it's not clear whom to treat. Plus, the bug may be conferring beneficial effects -- esophageal reflux diseases, asthma and other allergic disorders occur more frequently in people who are not infected with H. pylori.

"H. pylori has co-evolved with humans for at least 60,000 years, probably longer, and attempting to prevent stomach cancer by eliminating the infection with widespread use of antibiotics is not necessarily a good idea," said Keith Wilson, MD, Thomas F. Frist Sr. Professor of Medicine and professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology.

"Our study suggests that it might be possible to reduce the virulence of the bacteria, without having to eliminate it. It's a speculative and unusual way to think about an infection, but it could be an interesting strategy."

Wilson, who also directs the Vanderbilt Center for Mucosal Inflammation and Cancer, and his team previously linked the production of cell growth compounds called polyamines to the development of stomach cancer in an H. pylori-infected animal model. They demonstrated that treatment of the animals with DFMO, which inhibits an enzyme that is key to the production of polyamines, prevents stomach cancer.

Their findings are the basis for an ongoing clinical trial of DFMO for stomach cancer prevention in Honduras and Puerto Rico.

Patients with pre-malignant lesions in the stomach, as determined by endoscopy, are enrolled in the trial of DFMO and will be studied for disease progression.

To further explore how DFMO works, J. Carolina Sierra, PhD, research instructor in Medicine, collected H. pyloribacteria from infected animals that had been treated (or not) with DFMO. Using an in vitro test, she assessed the activity of one of the main H. pylori virulence factors, a protein called CagA. CagA is "injected" into stomach epithelial cells, where it contributes to oncogenic signaling pathways.

"What we noticed is that bacterial strains coming from DFMO-treated animals have reduced ability to move this virulence factor into epithelial cells," Sierra said.

The researchers discovered that DFMO treatment -- in animals or in vitro -- caused mutations in the H. pylori gene that encodes CagY, part of the translocation machinery that injects CagA into cells.

They demonstrated that animals infected with H. pylori strains containing mutations in the CagY gene did not develop stomach cancer.

This finding, Wilson said, supports using DFMO or other tools to reduce H. pylori virulence for cancer prevention.

"This drug (DFMO), which inhibits a very specific enzymatic pathway, also has what some might call 'off target' effects: it causes mutations in an H. pylori gene that affects the translocation of CagA," Wilson said. "The vast majority of gastric cancer is associated with strains that are CagA-positive. If this drug interferes with CagA activity, that's an added bonus."

The investigators will analyze H. pylori strains isolated from the DFMO trial participants in Honduras and Puerto Rico to determine if there is a similar reduction of bacterial virulence in people.

###

This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health (grants CA190612, CA116087, CA028842, AT004821, AT006896), a Veterans Affairs Merit Review Award, the American Heart Association, the Thomas F. Frist Sr. Endowment and the Vanderbilt Center for Mucosal Inflammation and Cancer.
Our gut microbiome - the complement of bacteria we carry around in our intestines - has been linked to everything from obesity and diabetes to heart disease and even neurological disorders and cancer. In recent years, researchers have been sorting through the multiple bacterial species that populate the microbiome, asking which of them can be implicated in specific disorders. But a paper published today in Nature addressed a new question: "What if the same microbe is different in different people?"

It has been long known that the genomes of microbes are not fixed from birth, as ours are. They are able to lose some of their genes, exchange genes with other microorganisms, or gain new ones from their environment. Thus, a detailed comparison of the genomes of seemingly identical bacteria will reveal sequences of DNA that occur in one genome and not others, or possibly sequences that appear just once in one and several times over in others. These differences are called structural variants. Structural variants - even tiny ones - can translate into huge differences in the ways that microbes interact with their human hosts. A variant might be the difference between a benign presence and a pathogenic one, or it could give bacteria resistance to antibiotics.

Drs. David Zeevi and Tal Korem, initially in the lab of Prof. Eran Segal in the Weizmann Institute of Science and then in their present positions in Rockefeller and Columbia Universities, developed algorithms that systematically identify structural variants across human gut microbiomes. The researchers began with microbiomes from nearly 900 Israeli subjects, in which they succeeded in identifying over 7,000 variants. Next, they formed a collaboration with Dutch researchers from the University of Groningen, in the Netherlands, and they looked for these variants in the microbiomes of a large group of Dutch subjects. Most of the structural variants they had identified in the Israeli subjects could also be found among the Dutch ones, despite the differences in genetics and lifestyle between the groups.

The scientists next asked whether any of the structural variants they had identified are associated with health or disease. The group turned up more than 100 that were associated with risk factors for disease. Many of these associations were again replicated in the Dutch cohort.

In one case, individuals who had a certain variant present in the genome of a particular microbial species in their microbiome were 6 kg thinner and had a 4 cm narrower waist, on average, than individuals who had the same microbe - but one that did not harbor that particular variant. The scientists then analyzed the genes encoded on this variant and found that it gives the bacterium the potential ability to turn certain sugars into a substance called butyrate. Butyrate is a small fatty acid that smells like rancid butter (thus its name, from the Ancient Greek for "butter"); despite its odor, butyrate has been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects and a positive influence on metabolism. This ability, say the scientists, could help explain the weight difference between those carrying bacteria with and those without the structural variant.

The finding suggests the method the group developed could help researchers pinpoint the connections between our microbiome, health and disease in significant ways that might be missed with other means. "The real potential of this approach," says Zeevi, "is that it allows us to look for the actual mechanisms behind the associations we find."

Segal estimates there may be tens of thousands of structural variants within the human gut microbiome and thousands of these could be associated with disease and disease risk. Since the makeup of the microbiome has been implicated in so many different syndromes and disorders, this research could have a lasting impact on the search for better, more targeted probiotics for treating disease.

###

Prof. Eran Segal's research is supported by the Crown Human Genome Center; the Else Kroener Fresenius Foundation; the Adelis Foundation; Judith Benattar; Aliza Moussaieff; the Fannie Sherr Fund; the estate of Zvia Zeroni; and the European Research Council.

The Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, is one of the world's top-ranking multidisciplinary research institutions. Noted for its wide-ranging exploration of the natural and exact sciences, the Institute is home to scientists, students, technicians and supporting staff. Institute research efforts include the search for new ways of fighting disease and hunger, examining leading questions in mathematics and computer science, probing the physics of matter and the universe, creating novel materials and developing new strategies for protecting the environment.
Stater is the largest mortgage service provider of the Benelux. Stater services 1.7 million mortgage and insurance loans for approximately 50 clients in The Netherlands and Belgium. Stater was founded in 1997 and has a solid client base. Several of the largest Dutch and Belgian banks see Stater as a trusted partner for their most important product, mortgages. Stater offers a complete range of mortgage services and is a front runner in digital services regarding mortgages and in developing a digital ecosystem for mortgages.

About ABN AMRO

ABN AMRO is a Dutch based bank for retail, corporate and private banking clients. We are a relationship-driven, knowledgeable and digitally savvy bank, active in Northwest Europe and with expertise in selected sectors globally. Our purpose is Banking for better, for generations to come. Headquartered in Amsterdam, ABN AMRO employs around 19,000 people worldwide. Please visit at www.abnamro.com [http://www.abnamro.com/]

About Infosys

Infosys is a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. We enable clients in 45 countries to navigate their digital transformation. With over three decades of experience in managing the systems and workings of global enterprises, we expertly steer our clients through their digital journey. We do it by enabling the enterprise with an AI-powered core that helps prioritize the execution of change. We also empower the business with agile digital at scale to deliver unprecedented levels of performance and customer delight. Our always-on learning agenda drives their continuous improvement through building and transferring digital skills, expertise, and ideas from our innovation ecosystem.

Visit http://www.infosys.com [http://www.infosys.com/] to see how Infosys can help your enterprise navigate your next.

Safe Harbor

Certain statements in this release concerning our future growth prospects are forward-looking statements regarding our future business expectations intended to qualify for the 'safe harbor' under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding fluctuations in earnings, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, our ability to manage growth, intense competition in IT services including those factors which may affect our cost advantage, wage increases in India, our ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, restrictions on immigration, industry segment concentration, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks or system failures, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies in which Infosys has made strategic investments, withdrawal or expiration of governmental fiscal incentives, political instability and regional conflicts, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, and unauthorized use of our intellectual property and general economic conditions affecting our industry. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our United States Securities and Exchange Commission filings including our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2018. These filings are available at www.sec.gov [https://www.sec.gov/]. Infosys may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. In addition, please note that the date of this press release is mentioned at the beginning of the release, and any forward-looking statements contained herein are based on assumptions that we believe to be reasonable as of this date. The company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the company unless it is required by law.

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/633365/Infosys_Logo.jpg [https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/633365/Infosys_Logo.jpg]

CONTACT: For further information, please contact: PR_Global@infosys.comMedia contacts for ABN AMRO: ABN AMRO Press Office +31 (0)20-6288900 -pressrelations@nl.abnamro.com ABN AMRO Investor Relations +31(0)20-3837244 - investorrelations@nl.abnamro.com

Web site: http://www.infosys.com/
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But perhaps most interestingly, Maras and co-writer John Collee provide the perspective of the terrorists too, a bunch of incredibly young men hopped up on financial desperation and jihadi rhetoric. Clad in dingy T-shirts and jeans, they remorselessly murder innocent people, but we are privy to their private moments of vulnerability. They constantly have the voice of "Brother Bull" in their ear, promising them paradise, money for their families, justifying the murders in the name of Allah. That constant voice underscores how radicalism  of any kind  is a cult preying on vulnerable young men, exploiting their insecurities and extracting holy war from class struggle. To fully understand them would be impossible, but in their moments of weakness and panic, it's all too clear how human they are, which makes their actions that much more devastating.
UPDATE: Into Friday's session, the Euro exchange rates remained subdued as markets continued to digest the latest ECB commentary indicating a tiered deposit system is under consideration in a bid to support banks within the bloc.

On the subject, Danske Bank chief analyst, Jakob Christensen, wrote "The market continues to discuss a possible ECB tiering system. The impact on the economy is probably limited, but the signal is important, as it underlines that the ECB acknowledges that negative deposit rates are here for an extended period of time and that rate cuts could potentially be back on the agenda." On the Brexit front, Friday will see MPs cast a third vote on PM May's EU withdrawal agreement although given two massive defeats already and no change to the substance, UK lawmakers are expected to reject the deal once more. However, the House of Commons ballot could meet the EU requirements to unlock a longer delay beyond mid-April.

On the Pound Sterling, Christensen said "the GBP is set for another volatile day as PM May is set to bring the withdrawal agreement (but not the political declaration on future relations required to go through with Brexit) to a vote in parliament today in order to meet the formal requirements for an extension (most likely it will be voted down). EUR/GBP stuck in the range 0.85-0.87 for now." US-China trade talks are back in the spotlight with US delegates in Beijing to continue high-level negotiations. Danske analysts wrote " We think that discussions are proceeding well, but that we may see hiccups on the final stretch of talks given the difficulties in finding an adequate enforcement mechanism in a potential deal."

The markets are still digesting comments from top level ECB officials on potential actions to help banks.

A tiering system would support banks and allow the ECB to have loose policies without doing further damage.

The trade deal negotiations are due to re-start in Beijing.

Its been a relatively quiet week for the markets. Stock markets have dipped slightly, but are still strong, and currencies remain trapped in low volatility ranges.

Data is light, and apart from the usual Brexit newsflow, politics have and the markets have stayed low-key.

However, central banks have had their say, most notably the RBNZ, who signaled a cut was the most likely next move.

This was quickly followed by the ECB, who are also making some very dovish signals.

They surprised onlookers on Wednesday by commenting on a possible tiering system to help banks.

Struggling banks such as Deutsche Bank gained on the news and yields fell. A tiering system could allow the ECB to get more dovish without further damage to bank profitability. Heres Danske Bank with some details,

Yesterday's ECB watchers conference shook markets. The comments from Mario Draghi, Peter Praet and Luis de Guindos on attention to banks' profitability fuelled with a Reuters ECB-sourced story sent yields lower. Their comments predominantly focused on the weak banking sector profitability and what ECB could do to mitigate this. However, it was not until the Reuters story around 14:00 CET that the significant market move took place. This morning, Praet said that ECB staff are looking into the possibility of a tiering system should a monetary policy reason warrant that. That also means that all options to mitigate the side effects from the negative deposit rate are on the table. However, we expect next step from ECB is announcing the TLTRO3 modalities, which could be made very favourable, should they find the need before a tiering system were to be announced.

While nothing has been confirmed, the possibility of more dovish moves from the ECB will not help the Euro which is struggling to hold the 1.12 level against the US dollar.

The news came as a surprise to many who expected TLTRO announcements and a dovish stance from the ECB, but thought that options were limited. This is no longer the case; expect more news on this matter to follow.

MPs Lose Control

MPs in the UK government had apparently regained control of the Brexit process and held a series of votes on alternatives to Theresa Mays deal.

These were held on Wednesday and far from showing a possible alternative route, they only showed MPs cant decide on anything at all; all the alternative options were rejected.

Sterling was largely unmoved by the news, but is fading slightly in early Thursday trading. If anything, it proves that Mays deal is the best option for now and whatever alternative is proposed will run into the same difficulties.

This was a point made by the Brexit secretary, Stephen Barclay, who said the results strengthened the governments view Mays deal was the best and only way forward.

Unperturbed, another round of voting is scheduled for next Monday, but given the deadlock on Wednesday and lack of movement ion the Pound, the market is unlikely to take much notice.

Trade War Watch

The trade war has slipped from view for the past week or so. Clearly a deal between China and the US is not imminent, but negotiations are due to re-start Thursday as US representatives arrive in Beijing.

The market will be keen to hear on any progress as it appears there are sticking points.

China wants the tariffs to be rolled back, but the US wants to do so gradually based on whether China fulfills its part of the deal.

A deal will be come out eventually, but there is a sense that the damage has already been done as growth is slowing. If tariffs remain in place then there will be no long-lasting fundamental boost to the markets even though sentiment will improve.
UPDATE: After holding relatively firm, Brexit uncertainty overcame positive sentiment to send the Sterling lower against the Euro with the  to  exchange rate slumping by 0.64%.

Early Friday trading saw the GBP/EUR edge marginally higher ahead of a relatively busy schedule. On the economic data front, the latest current account figures are due with the deficit forecast to narrow from -26.5B to -22.9B while Final GDP figures for Q4 are expected to print 0.2% growth.

The main focus, however, remains Brexit-related developments with MPs set to vote on PM May's EU withdrawal agreement later in the session.

Danske analysts wrote "the GBP is set for another volatile day as PM May is set to bring the withdrawal agreement (but not the political declaration on future relations required to go through with Brexit) to a vote in parliament today in order to meet the formal requirements for an extension (most likely it will be voted down). EUR/GBP stuck in the range 0.85-0.87 for now."

PREVIOUSLY: After drifting lower amid significant Brexit concerns, the Pound to Euro exchange rate partially retraced losses to trade flat against the session open with the cross finding near-term support from the latest Eurozone and UK economic sentiment figures.

At the time of writing, the GBP to EUR exchange rate was last seen trading at 1.1696, down 0.02% from the session open.

According to the findings of the European Commission's latest surveys, the economic sentiment index (a combined measure of both business and consumer confidence data) fell in both the Euro area (to 105.5, the lowest reading since 2016) and in the EU (to 105.0), representing the ninth decline in as many months.

Above: EU Commission Economic Sentiment Indicator

From European Commission release, "The deterioration of euro-area sentiment resulted from markedly lower confidence in industry and, to a lesser extent, services, while confidence improved in retail trade and construction and remained broadly stable among consumers. Amongst the largest euro-area economies, the ESI rose markedly in Spain (+2.3), while it decreased sharply in Germany (1.8) and the Netherlands (1.3), and remained broadly unchanged in France (+0.2) and Italy (0.2)."

While the overall trend was negative, economic sentiment rose in the UK with the ESI for the UK printing at 100.8, rebounding from a sub-100 previous release of 99.2 and spurring the GBP to retrace early session losses against the single currency.

However, within the UK's figures, it's worth noting that the confidence among British consumers fell further into pessimistic territory, printing -11.7 following a previous -10.8.

Commenting on the EC findings, ING senior Eurozone economist, Bert Colijn wrote "Sentiment among businesses took a hit in March as both the service sector and industry confidence fell. The decline was faster than in February, indicating the economic slowdown hasn't yet started to reverse. "

Looking ahead, the persistently weak stream of confidence and activity data within the bloc have cast doubt over whether the Eurozone's economy bounced back at all during Q1. Colijn added "The ECB has been quick to provide support, but the question is how much impact will that have on growth in the coming quarters. Q1 hasn't seen the recovery that was expected, but the possibility that Q2 will finally show some recovery signs still remains alive."
Marilyn Redmond returns to The Sussex Newspaper the most popular on line newspaper in the UK. Because of technical difficulties, Marilyn's articles were not publishing into the newspaper. This created a half year without her acclaimed articles. Her editor invited Marilyn to see if the computer problems could be fixed. Fortunately, the transmission did work and her articles are again up and available monthly.

Marilyn Redmond's journey reveals the secrets to life and living, imparting reality to all areas of our lives in health, wholeness, happiness, and prosperity; it is available to everyone. Her life of addictions, mental illness, domestic violence, PTSD and more lead to the circumstances that became Marilyn's laboratory to understand the dynamics of life and living. Her Areas of Expertise Include Holistic Health and Healing, Complimentary Medicine, Spiritual Counseling/Therapeutic Hypnosis, Regression/Past Life Therapy, Empowerment/Self-esteem, Relationships, Domestic Violence, Addictions & the Family, Spirituality/ Talks to your loved ones, Inspirational, Educational Issues, Artist of angels, pets, and family, and Channeling/ Readings Psychic/Tarot

Marilyn has an approach to life from a higher perspective than usual. She sees ways to bring harmony, caring, and win-win into resolving your issues. Marilyn began writing internationally in 1995 for a Spanish magazine. Since then, she has written columns for several newspapers. Her articles are on several blogs frequently. Her blog is Blog is marilynredmondbooks.blogspot.com. Marilyn's 10 books and eBooks are at Amazon.com. Enjoy her 168 videos on You Tube that are interviews, lectures, and spiritual information, including answers for personal empowerment and domestic violence.

She shares this wisdom through her more than thirty years of speaking, writing, and counseling. In addition, her 50 years of teaching elementary through college students offers solutions to educational problems. An international lecturer, award-winning author, and columnist, she speaks at universities, seminars, retreats, and conventions. Marilyn appears on radio, television, and recently hosted her radio show, "Love Never Fails". Marilyn is an ordained minister, spiritual counselor, and an international board-certified regressionist for past life therapy. Her degree is in education and she has completed three years in advanced Graduate studies. Marilyn was inducted into "Manchester's Who's Who" for pioneering work in restoring traumatic lives, healing emotional causes of illness, and releasing negative energy.

Here are a few testimonials. "She understands addictions better than most doctors, "asserts psychiatrist Dr. George Zerr, MD. " I very much enjoyed the real life stories and examples, says Corrine Thompson, Association for Research and Enlightenment Program. "Marilyn is an excellent speaker and down to earth." Marilyn is available at her website, Angelicasgifts.com or at marilyn@angelicasgifts.com
Wednesday, March 27, 2019

All of our Who Chains You Authors are ready and willing to speak to your school or social group! We are geographically spread out across the U.S., and even into the UK and Italy now, so if youre looking for someone to do a reading for your students or other group, drop us a line at info@whochainsyou.com to find out if we have an author nearby.

Browse all our books and authors at our websites at http://www.whochainsyou.com and http://crescentrenewal.com.

Author Stephanie Itle-Clark visited a Pennsylvania School for Read Across America on March 1st, and told us this: The Read Across America Day event at Big Spring School Districts Mount Rock Elementary in Newville, PA was fantastic. I saw six grades of students (a little over 300 students) ranging from kindergarten to Grade Five during three different readings. The students were fun and engaged, especially when they found out that the real-life Tiffany who inspired the story had come from a puppy mill not far from the school. The older students participates in a reading as well as an interview panel. They asked about the theme of the book, the inspiration, and the writing, illustrating, and publishing process.

Author Laura Eckroat is a schoolteacher who really gets into the spirit of the author visit. She tells us: I so love doing author visits; they always remind me why Im doing this writing thing. I bring books and sign them after the event. The kids love them, and theyre truly rewarding and FUN!!

And here are some bonus pics of kids loving their books . . .
CONTACT: Pamela D. Wilson 888-393-7754

Email: Inquiry_For_Pamela@pameladwilson.com

Golden, Colorado  March 28, 2019

Aging parents often ask the question of "will my children care for me?" Adult children ask "is it time to get power of attorney for aging parents?" Single adults worry about "who will caregive for me?"

Rather than wondering who will caregive, the question can now be answered through individual or family participation in an online course by caregiving expert Pamela D. Wilson, "Power of Attorney, Secrets for Success."

Caregiving is a Family Matter. Power of Attorney is a Family Matter.

In the online course, Power of Attorney: Proven Secrets for Success, Pamela D. Wilson, MS, BS/BA, NCG, CSA caregiving expert, leads aging adults and family caregivers through her A to Z process for power of attorney.

This online power of attorney course shares Pamela's day-to-day professional experience serving as a medical and financial power of attorney for her clients. Power of Attorney; Secrets for Sucess is also a starting point for families to learn about all aspects of caregiving. Caregiving is a life role that arises unexpectedly and throws unprepared families into chaos.

Talking about Power of Attorney Opens the Door to Early Caregiving Conversations

This course opens the door to early caregiving conversations that many times do not occur until an unexpected accident or emergency occurs and caregiving becomes a reality. Caregiving and power of attorney are often "after-thoughts" after health issues have occurred.

Responding to health emergencies in crises results in family stress, worry, and anxiety. This course helps families make a caregiving plan and a backup plan that addresses unexpected events.

By having conversations about caregiving and power of attorney before the need, the question of "who will care for me" is known. Many aging parents wonder if their adult children will care for them. Single adults wait to make a plan because they don't know who will care for them. Adult children wonder when it's time to get power of attorney for aging parents.

Understanding the Basics of Caregiving Helps Families Be Prepared for and Avoid Unexpected Caregiving Emergencies

This course, while focused on power of attorney, takes families through the basics of caregiving. The information provided prepares families for the unexpected so that instead of reacting in crises, a plan is in place to caregive for spouses, aging parents, and other family members.

Caregiving is part of life that individuals and family members learn by a trial and error process. Mistakes and medical errors happen because of a lack of caregiving experience. By becoming more informed, caregivers can more easily manage care

Power of attorney is more than a piece of paper with a name. When care needs advance and coordination with the healthcare and caregiving systems is required, power of attorney can be like a full-time job that requires staunch advocacy. Choosing the right person is important to ensure you receive the care you desire.

Caregiving Expert Shares Real Life Power of Attorney Experiences

Pamela's on the ground experience as a court-appointed guardian, medical and financial power of attorney helps individuals and families learn about the practicalities and responsibilities of power of attorney. Pitfalls, errors and the unexpected are reviewed in the course to prepare families for everything that can and does happen.

According to Pamela, "Documents can be drafted and sitting in a drawer. Until a family member has to step in and make life-changing decisions or when power of attorney becomes a full-time job -- they have no idea what they signed up for by agreeing to be power of attorney. My experience and the information in the online power of attorney course reduces worry and gives family members confidence and peace of mind."

Attorneys draft documents or documents can be downloaded online. Having to show up in hospital emergency rooms, doctor's offices, and advocate for care takes the idea of power of attorney to the next level of reality. Many family members are unprepared for the responsibility.

Why Families Delay Talking about Power of Attorney

Power of attorney is a subject that many families postpone or are unaware of because power of attorney seems like something that "isn't for me." Becoming involved with the legal system is another hesitation or hurdle in addition to the fear of the cost of creating documents.

When caregiving becomes a need, families are focused on day-to-day care and feel that they don't have the time to talk about power of attorney. This is, even more, the time to talk about power of attorney if documents were not previously created. Caregiving quickly becomes overwhelming and burnout is experienced.

Take the Next Step to Learn about the Course and Feel Confident about Family Caregiving Situations

In this online course that includes live question and answer sessions with Pamela, families are able to have questions answered about how caregiving relates to power of attorney. Rather than being unprepared for caregiving situations, families have peace of mind and confidence that when caregiving becomes a need they will be prepared to care for loved ones.

More details about the course and a course outline are available HERE.

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South San Antonio ISD's trustees voted 4-3 Wednesday to move ahead with reopening Athens Elementary, Kazen Middle and West Campus High schools, after two-dozen students and community members asked them to reconsider and allocate resources to other needs.

Board president Connie Prado and trustees Gilbert Rodriguez, Shirley Ibarra Pena and Homer Flores voted to adopt the report of the district's budget committee, which includes the formal rejection of a proposal to convert Kazen Middle into a community center proposed by Councilman Rey Saldana.

Elda Flores, Louis Ybarra and Mandy Martinez opposed the motion, citing a need to move more slowly and take other proposals under consideration.

Superintendent Alexandro Flores, who was hired in September, recommended the board table the discussion until it engages further with the community, but a motion to follow his recommendation was voted down.

Trustees, however, appeared unclear on what exactly the budget committees report included, as it was not presented during the meeting. The committee is made up of three board members: Prado, Rodriguez and Martinez.

Prado said after the meeting that the adopted report did not include any recommendations by consulting firm Moak, Casey and Associates, while Martinez said she believed it did. Committee chairman Rodriguez declined to comment.

At a committee meeting last week, Prado and Rodriguez voted to adopt an action plan provided by the consulting firm, which lays out the steps to be completed to reopen the schools, including appointing principals, hiring contractors and marketing the campuses to families. Martinez voted against that resolution.

Its shady, trustee Elda Flores said of the lack of clarity over the vote. She accused the board majority of failing to be transparent and said she was heartbroken by the meetings outcome.

Saldana proposed partnering with the city to repurpose Kazen as a community center, housing nonprofits and mental health resources. Members of the board majority have said that conflicts with their directive to reopen the school as a traditional campus.

The trustees voted 4-3 against a motion proposed by trustee Ybarra to entertain that possible partnership.

Preparing the three campuses' facilities are estimated to cost more than $800,000, in addition to costs for hiring teachers and staff for the schools.

Enrollment has declined in the district for years. Prado has said reopening the schools could draw families back to the area.

All but two of the 26 speakers who addressed the board during the meeting, including 16 South San Antonio High School students, opposed reopening the schools or called for resources to be allocated elsewhere, including facilities and mental health resources.

Damian Martinez, a sophomore at the high school, said the district is nowhere in need of three more schools right now. Instead of stretching resources further, Kazen should be used in a way that benefits the community, rather than taking away from us, he said.

New programs, teachers and ideas are needed, not old schools, not old desks and definitely not the old ideals that have ran this community for 20 years, student Jordan Almanza said.

He questioned why no alternate options for the buildings have been presented, and why the entire community hasnt been polled.

Many of the students told stories of their own struggles with anxiety, depression and other mental illness, which they said have forced them to seek help far outside the district, something they said the proposed community center would help address.

Others pointed to resources lacking in their own academic and extracurricular programs, and presented letters from anonymous teachers conveying their concerns about reopening the schools.

LTeitz@Express-News.net
A 25-year-old Florida man is in jail for allegedly using Instagram to lure a San Antonio teenager more than 1,100 miles to his home, where police say he held her captive for three days and sexually assaulted her.

Richard Edward Brown, of Apopka, Fla., was arrested last week after the teen escaped from his home  where he lives with his parents  and called police, according to law enforcement. Although police havent identified the girl, the charges that Brown faces, including sexual battery or sexual assault of a child, indicate that she was 16 or 17. She had been missing from San Antonio since March 5.

The girl told police that she and Brown struck up a friendship by exchanging messages on Instagram for three months. He made himself out to be Instagram famous, posing as a 19-year-old who made a lot of money. If she came to Florida to live with him, he promised to take care of her, she told police.

Brown paid for the girls cross-country trip, arranging for her to take an Uber from San Antonio to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, according to police. From there, another Uber picked her up and took her to Browns home in central Florida. That section of the trip came with an $822 price tag, police said.

More Information Need help? Ana Homayoun recommends teens who aren't comfortable talking with their parents text "HOME" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741, where they can chat with a counselor. San Antonio teens can also receive help by calling 210-340-8090 to reach Centro Seguro, a drop-in center for teens in crisis. See More Collapse

The teen arrived March 17. She told police she realized Brown had lied to her about his age, fame and financial status, but she had no way of escaping, according to the affidavit. He also forced her to have sex with him, police said.

OnExpressNews.com: Teen arrested, suspect sought in shooting of Uber driver

(The girl) said that Brown would force the sex act as she was going to sleep and told her that she owed him for bringing her to Florida, police wrote in the affidavit.

She tried to leave multiple times but Brown would physically block her, only letting her out of his bedroom when he escorted her to the bathroom or took her out to eat, according to the report. During one of their trips to get food, the girl noticed a fire station near the home. She planned on sneaking out of the home while Brown was asleep and going to the fire station to ask for help.

When she escaped, she contacted her mother through a video call and told her what happened. The call ended when the girl lost the Internet connection. She made it to the same street she remembered the fire station being on but realized she wasn't as close as she thought she'd be. She called 911, according to the affidavit.

When police interviewed Brown, he told them he was happy that she was okay. He claimed they were only friends and that he thought she was 18 years old and in need of a place to stay.

The girl was returned home to her parents, according to the police report. Brown was arrested and charged with multiple felonies: six counts of sexual battery or sexual assault of a child and one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. His bail was set at $40,000, and he remained in jail as of Wednesday.

Stories like hers are becoming more and more common across the nation, experts say, and evolving with ever-changing online platforms. Last year in Arizona, for example, a 23-year-old man pleaded guilty after he was accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl he groomed on Instagram. The year before in Naples, Florida, a high school teacher was arrested for allegedly persuading two teens over Snapchat and Instagram to have sex with him.

Any avenue for individuals to manipulate kids who are vulnerable, they're going to take those opportunities and they're going to move from platform to platform to do it, said Eliza Harrell, who oversees education and outreach for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

READ ALSO: Lawsuit alleges San Antonio deputies organized "fight club" with county jail inmates

Harrells nonprofit operates the CyberTipline, a nationwide hotline that people can call to report abuse on messaging apps, social media and gaming platforms. In 2017 alone, the tipline received more than 10.2 million reports, a number that grows each year, according to the nonprofit.

Social media and child safety experts say these trends highlight the need for parents to openly discuss social media and online safety with teens. Simple things like adjusting privacy settings  like changing accounts from public to private  can go along way, said Ana Homayoun, the author of Social Media Wellness: Helping Tweens and Teens Thrive in an Unbalanced Digital World.

Social media platforms do have the boundaries, said Homayoun, who talks on the subject at schools across the country. It's that parents need to be aware of them and have the conversations with kids in a non-fear mongering, non-judgemental way.

Marina Riker and Fares Sabawi are staff writers at the San Antonio Express-News. | marina.riker@express-news.net and fsabawi@mysa.com | Twitter: @MarinaStarleaf and @FaresInSA
A judge has lowered the bond required to release the Air Force Reserve major who is accused of tampering with evidence in the disappearance of his wife.

State District Judge Frank Castro reduced the bail of Andre Sean McDonald from $2 million on the single charge to $300,000. He also ordered McDonald to wear an electronic monitoring device and put him under full house arrest.

The reduction means that instead of having to come up with a $200,000 bond to be released  a bond is usually 10 percent of the bail amount  McDonald can be freed on a $30,000 bond.

FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox

His attorney, John Convery, said hes working to see whether his client can post the lower bond.

McDonald, 40, assigned to a cyberwarfare unit at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, has been in the Bexar County jail since his arrest March 3.

His wife, Andreen Nicole McDonald, 29, a local businesswoman and mother of their 6-year-old daughter, was last seen arguing with her husband Feb. 28.

She was reported missing March 1 after not showing up for work and law enforcement officers say she is presumed dead.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio businesswoman still missing

Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar has said a search of the home found the womans blood and hair in the couples master bedroom, and search warrants established that after his wife went missing, McDonald bought a shovel, ax, trash bags, gloves and gasoline.

Authorities said burn pits also were found in the couples backyard in their Timberwood Park neighborhood on the far North Side.

Andre McDonald was being held on $2 million bail on one count of tampering with evidence. Convery argued that amount was excessive, more than the amount necessary to ensure his presence at future legal proceedings.

On ExpressNews.com: Missing SA womans husband arrested on tampering with evidence charge

Based on information that McDonald might have gone to Joint Base San Antonio-Camp Bullis, that area was searched for hours in the weeks after his wife went missing.

Official searches ended two weeks ago; Salazar said they wouldnt resume until theres direct evidence taking us to a certain site.

Private searches have continued, however, and Salazar said he didnt want to discourage those efforts. But he cautioned searchers looking in brushy, wooded and other undeveloped areas to be aware of potential risks including weather and wildlife, especially snakes.

Realize that with spring weather approaching, the snakes are out, Salazar said at a news conference last week. It could be dangerous.

A reward of up to $5,000 is being offered for information that leads to the arrest of the suspect responsible for McDonalds disappearance.

ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863

Elizabeth Zavala covers county and state courts in San Antonio. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863
Velasquez went on to explain that many of the tracks are inspired by her experience as a Filipino-American and what it means to be Asian-American today. Im the first generation. My parents immigrated from the Philippines to America. I was born and raised in Las Vegas, but I never really identified as brown or other, Velasquez said. What does it mean to be a brown person, especially in a world of indie rock and punk music where I definitely dont see a ton of Filipinos or Asians. Its very male dominated. Its very white dominated. I had a realization about that and Im trying to figure out what it means to me.
The crowded hallway at Rhodes Middle School echoed with the lilting voices of choir members who sang of farewells and freedom.

Speaker after speaker recalled the late William E. Davis belief in the excellence of Rhodes students and the indelible impact he had on his students and colleagues.

Then his daughters, Andrea Davis, 18, and Tessa Case, 8, tugged cords on white curtains to reveal a plaque above the library window that read, William E. Davis Technology Building.

I wish my dad could see his name on the building, Andrea said, thanking everyone on behalf of her sister and family at the packed ceremony this week. This will keep his legacy going at Rhodes Middle School, and it will be forever shining.

The technology teacher, 47, died in a car accident in Kampala, Uganda, last summer after delivering letters from his students to pen pals at Lady Sarah Primary School. Word of his death led to a outpouring of grief and gratitude for the teacher many called the heart of Rhodes Middle School.

On ExpressNews.com: Friends and family have vigil for teacher killed in accident

A week after his death, more than 100 students, family and staff gathered at the school for a candlelight vigil.

Members of the San Antonio Alliance started an online petition to rename the technology building for Davis, who had taught at the school for 23 years. Within weeks, they had 2,000 signatures to forward to San Antonio Independent School District trustees for their consideration.

In October, the board voted unanimously to honor Davis.

SAISD board member Patty Radle and alliance members were with students, teachers and faculty honoring Davis at the naming ceremony Tuesday.

Before the ceremony, students escorted Davis ex-wife, Viviana Davis, daughter Andrea and William Davis brother Terry to the building that bears the teachers name above the entrance door.

Viviana Davis said they were happy that the students, faculty, administrators and board members realized the important role that William Davis played at the school.

We just appreciate the community doing this, said Viviana Davis, herself an SAISD teacher. He was one of those people who would volunteer for anything. His legacy is going to be where he started and where he wanted to finish.

On ExpressNews.com: SAISD board approves honor for late Rhodes teacher

Principal Moises Ortiz called the event a celebration of an educational hero.

Ortiz said that as a result of Davis action, the school is a finalist for a multimillion-dollar renovation of the library that would include artificial intelligence and the latest technology.

Forever, everybody that walks through these halls or drives past this school will know that individual, Mr. William Davis, made a difference at Rhodes, Ortiz said.

Before the ceremony ended, Ortiz presented Davis daughters with a shadow box bearing their fathers office nameplate.

Tessas mother, Jinny Case, said she didnt think that Davis ever realized the extent of influence he had at the West Side campus.

I think he would be over the moon to know how much he meant to so many people, Case said. Hopefully, hes traveling and having adventures in heaven.

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
Matthew Busch /Contributor

Texas has secured $84 million to fund physician residencies at University Health System and several other public teaching hospitals, state health officials announced Tuesday.

The money for graduate medical education will be distributed through Medicaid payments to nine public hospitals across Texas. Besides University, those include ones in Houston, Dallas, El Paso, Odessa and Lubbock, according to the Health and Human Services Commission. The funds are largely federal but will also include money from local government entities.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said Thursday he will investigate whether San Antonio violated the First Amendment when the City Council refused to allow Chick-fil-A take part in the airport concession contract.

Council members last week voted to exclude the restaurant from its list of vendors at San Antonio International Airport, after some said they couldnt support the company because of its anti-LGBT reputation.

The decision made national headlines, and conservatives, including U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Austin, lambasted the move.

The Constitutions protection of religious liberty is somehow even better than Chick-fil-As chicken, Paxton wrote in a letter to Mayor Ron Nirenberg and the rest of the council. Unfortunately, I have serious concerns that both are under assault at the San Antonio airport.

Related: Brockhouse apologizes to Chick-fil-A for San Antonios decision to remove restaurant from airport plan

Southern fast food giant Chick-fil-A is known for its owners Christian conservative views and millions of dollars of support for groups opposed to gay marriage.

Paxton also on Thursday asked Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao to look into whether the city broke any federal law or regulation as a recipient of federal grant funds.

In a letter to Chao, Paxton said the citys action could violate the free exercise clause of the First Amendment. He added that it also could violate federal statutes and regulations that prohibit discrimination on the basis of creed.

Ironically, the citys efforts to be inclusive resulted in the exclusion of Chick-fil-A based on its religious beliefs, Paxton wrote to Chao.

Paxton has made defense of religious liberty one of the centerpieces of his tenure, repeatedly filing briefs and lawsuits in the name of the cause.

San Antonio City Attorney Andy Segovias office said it was reviewing the attorney generals letter and wouldnt comment further. Nirenberg said he would also withhold comment until the office has had time to analyze the letter.

Last week, a split City Council approved a contract with a Paradies Lagardere to bring eight new vendors to the airport, but the city ordered the company to find a replacement for Chick-fil-A.

Councilman Roberto Trevino, who introduced the plan to remove the company, said he couldnt support its legacy of anti-LGBTQ behavior. The council approved the plan 6-4 with the support of Nirenberg, and one member abstaining.

Trevino said Thursday that he stands by the motion. He said the city attorney helped craft the motion to ensure it was done legally.

Im confident that we have followed all our rights and laws as given to us as a City Council, and we did everything by the book, Trevino said.

Several council members expressed concerns about the decisions precedent, arguing it would force the city to ask every company it contracts with about its stance on LGBTQ issues. They included councilmen Greg Brockhouse, John Courage and Clayton Perry.

Brockhouse, who is also running for mayor, responded to the attorney generals announcement Thursday by calling on the council to reconsider the contract.

This investigation is the result of the City Councils horrible decision to punish Chick-fil-A for their constitutionally protected rights to freedom of religion, Brockhouse said. The City Council must immediately reconvene on this item  to consider revoking this vote moving forward with Chick-fil-A as part of the contract.

In a mayoral debate with Brockhouse last week, Nirenberg cast the decision in mostly economic terms, noting the companys policy of closing on Sundays to honor the Sabbath.

There are many people in the community that are uncomfortable with Chick-fil-A, Nirenberg said in the debate. And I would ask you, have you ever tried to buy waffle fries on a Sunday? Theyre closed. Fifteen percent of sales generated in the airport come on a Sunday.

Brockhouse continued to criticize Nirenberg for the decision Thursday, saying its imperative Mayor Nirenberg speak on behalf of this city and do his job.

Separately, Councilman Manny Pelaez, who supported the measure, apologized for comments in which he said Chick-fil-A supports conversion therapy, discriminates against LGBT customers and doesnt protect LGBT employees.

Leaders should be expected to admit when they are wrong and own the mistakes they make, Pelaez wrote in a letter released before the attorney generals announcement. The information upon which I relied was out-of-date and inaccurate.

Pelaez said he doesnt envision the council reversing course and doesnt know whether its even possible. But he said he was inspired to apologize after researching the companys actions in response to outcry about its position on LGBTQ rights.

Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy drew scrutiny in 2012 for comments he made against same-sex marriage. Cathy and the company said in a statement later that it would.

In this instance, we have seen a company who was vilified in the media and subjected to significant boycotts, and in response to that vilification and those boycotts, theyve changed their practices, Pelaez said. Isnt that what we want from all companies, to respond to public outcry? Theyve done that.

Last week, liberal website ThinkProgress reported Chick-fil-A continued donating in 2017 to the Paul Anderson Youth Home, which the publication said teaches troubled youths that same-sex marriage is rage against Jesus Christ and His values. Chick-fil-A told the publication that 2017 was the last year it donated to the organization.

Trevino said he stands by his position that Chick-fil-A is anti-LGBTQ.

We obviously didnt do this to get national attention, Trevino said. We did it because we felt it was the right thing to do.
I thought of all the other men around and behind us who couldn't help but see their behinds," read the letter, titled The Legging Problem. My sons know better than to ogle a womans body  certainly when Im around (and hopefully, also when Im not). They didn't stare, and they didnt comment afterwards. But you couldnt help but see those blackly naked rear ends. I didnt want to see them  but they were unavoidable. How much more difficult for young guys to ignore them.
Adria Airways has said it will put a greater focus on reliability and maintaining business stability this coming summer season following a challenging 2018. The carrier noted that after successfully optimising its network this winter season, which resulted in the suspension of a number of routes, it has achieved "greater operational stability", adding, "This trend will continue into the summer season, with the focus being on reliability and punctuality of our operations". Last summer, Adria faced a significant number of disruptions to its schedule due to a lack of aircraft and crew. According to the Slovenian National Statistical Office, the airline started the year off on a softer note, handling some 69.300 passengers during the first month of the year, down by 4% compared to 2018. This was primarily the result of it operating fewer flights.





Adria Airways' CEO, Holger Kowarsch, said, "The responsibility before the new season is big. The very challenging conditions in the aviation industry are unlikely to diminish, and we must not allow for a repeat of last summer. We continue to invest all of our efforts into greater operational excellence, reliability and maintaining business stability. Our passengers will have a more flexible and comfortable travel experience with further improvements to our product on existing routes, and thus increasing the value for our passengers", The Slovenian carrier's part-owner, 4K Invest, previously vowed it would recapitalise the company with ten million euros during the first quarter of this year, although it is yet to do so with several days to go until the end of March.





Earlier this year the Civil Aviation Agency of Slovenia completed its audit of Adria Airways' business after obligating the carrier to submit proof of its liquidity. The regulator found that the Slovenian airline successfully proved its future financial stability. 4K Invest injected four million euros into the company late last year. The agency launched an investigation into the airline's operations after it was determined that it met one of the conditions for declaring insolvency based on its 2017 financial report. Mr Kowarsch recently noted, "I am looking forward to continuing with the implementation of our strategic plan and building on the long-term development of the Slovenian airline. We will further adjust our network of flights, add frequencies and also keep all connections to major European hubs". The company added it was "positive about the future".
The Slovenian government has adopted plans to subsidise airlines for the launch of new routes to and from Ljubljana's Joze Pucnik Airport in an attempt to improve the country's air connectivity by 2021. The Slovenian Tourist Board recently launched tender procedures aimed at advertising and marketing services which will be provided on behalf of airlines establishing new flights to Ljubljana from markets deemed to be "of strategic importance for Slovenian tourism". This will also include subsidies for airlines increasing frequencies on existing services. The state-run Tourist Board will provide 150.000 euros in marketing and promotional activities on an annual basis for each new route launched, while 90.000 euros will be offered to airlines increasing frequencies on existing flights.





Slovenia has identified a number of countries as being of strategic importance to the country's tourism industry and from which air connectivity should be improved. These include Germany, Finland, the United Kingdom, Russia, Italy, Sweden, Norway, Spain, Israel, Ukraine, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Denmark, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Japan, the United States, as well as Gulf Cooperation Council member states - Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The operator of Ljubljana Airport, Fraport, has welcomed the subsidy plan noting, "Attracting new carriers is a continuous and never-ending process. We are constantly in discussions with at least fifteen airlines".





Fraport believes there are several markets from which new nonstop flights could be established to Ljubljana. "These are mainly from Northern Germany, the United Kingdom, Arab countries, Scandinavia, Spain and Italy. A more diversified network of direct flights is unrealistic, since it is not economically viable for carriers in the given circumstances", the operator said. This summer season, foreign carriers will boost their presence in Ljubljana. British Airways will launch operations from London Heathrow Airport with its Airbus A321 jet, while Air France HOP! will add an extra weekly flight for a total of ten and increase capacity from the Embraer E170 to the E190 jet. Furthermore, Aeroflot will up capacity from the Sukhoi Superjet 100 to the Airbus A320, while LOT Polish Airlines will maintain all of its services from Warsaw to Ljubljana with its Embraer jet-engine fleet instead of the Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 turboprop. Adria Airways suspended flights to both Moscow and Warsaw over the past year.
BRIDGEPORT  Maybe Adam Ramos read The Art of the Deal, before he walked into court on Thursday.

Ill plead guilty right now if I get two years and two days, the local man, accused of choking his girlfriend and fighting with police, told Senior Assistant States Attorney David Applegate.

The prosecutor, appearing surprised at Ramos outburst as he stood before Superior Court Judge Robert Devlin, told the judge he was recommending the 46-year-old Ramos get three and a half years in prison.

Come on, Ill plead right now for two years and two days, Ramos repeated.

Devlin retorted that he wasnt willing to go lower than two and a half years in prison for Ramos because of the serious nature of the allegations.

All right, a resigned Ramos said finally.

He then pleaded guilty under the Alford Doctrine to second-degree strangulation and assault on a peace officer.

A plea made under the Alford Doctrine means the defendant doesnt admit guilt but concedes he could be found guilty of the crime if he went to trial. The judge then finds him guilty.

Ramos is scheduled to be sentenced May 24.

Applegate told the judge that on Sept. 3, 2018, police were waved down on Newfield Avenue by a 46-year-old woman screaming for help. The woman had red marks around her throat and large bruises on her face and chest.

She told officers she had been taking a shower when Ramos grabbed her by the hair and began slamming her head against the bathroom wall. Police said Ramos then held the womans head under the water and choked her with his hands while telling her, You need to die.

Police said officers searched the apartment building and found Ramos hiding on the roof, and that he threw a glass bottle at them.

Police said it appeared that Ramos had near super-human strength as he threw officers around, punching and kicking them until more officers arrived on the scene and managed to get him on the ground and handcuff him.

One officer was taken to the hospital for treatment of cuts and bruises.
STAMFORD  As part of the sixth annual Cinderella Project, Stamford High School students were able to select and try on brand-new and gently-used prom gowns, graduation dresses, tuxedos, special occasion shoes and jewelry. All were provided at low prices to the students. Students Make-up, nail polish and manicure gift cards are given out as door prizes while supplies lasted.
GREENWICH  Greenwich Public Schools will welcome Toni Jones of Fairfield Public Schools to lead the district as its 14th superintendent in 20 years this June. As this new transition unfolds, here is the list of four decades worth of superintendents in Greenwich, as well as what we know about average tenure length and what experts have to say about the turnover rate of superintendents in Greenwich.

What is the timeline of Greenwich superintendents?

Since 1976, Greenwich has had 10 permanent superintendents and eight interim superintendents. Ernest Fleishmans 13-year tenure was the longest stint during that period.

1976-1989: Ernest Fleishman

1989-1990: Douglas Fainelli (interim)

1990-1997: John Whritner

1997-1998: Karen Lang (interim)

1998-2002: Roger Lulow

2002-2003: Herb Pandiscio and Maria Melendez (interims)

2003-2006: Larry Leverett

Summer 2006: Mary Capwell

2006-2009: Betty Sternberg (Kathy Grieder was acting superintendent in the summer of 2008)

2009-2011: Sidney Freund

2011-2012: Roger Lulow (interim)

2012-2016: William McKersie

2016-2017: Sal Corda (interim)

2017-2018: Jill Gildea

2018-2019: Ralph Mayo (interim)

July 2019- : Toni Jones

Who chooses the superintendent? What is the process?

The Board of Education chooses the superintendent, who is the school boards only employee. In Greenwich, the process has involved forming a superintendent search committee and hiring a search firm - Greenwich has used Ray and Associates. The firm vets the candidates and narrows down the choices, and the search committee interviews each candidate.

What are the roles and responsibilities of the superintendent?

The superintendents largest responsibility is the creation of the annual school budget for the upcoming fiscal year, a process that starts in June. Superintendents also take one to two years to cultivate relationships with teachers, principals, Central Office staff, the Board of Education members, as well as the chair of the Board of Estimate and Taxation and the education committee of the Representative Town Meeting. They oversee the direction of the district they lead, and recent Greenwich superintendents have overseen the implementation of changes such as: the strategic plan, the vision of the graduate, one-to-one technology and the later high school start time.

Why do they leave?

From school board relations to family obligations, previous superintendents have cited a variety of professional and personal reasons for leaving Greenwich, either after they honored their contract or before.

Soon after Jill Gildea accepted her position in Greenwich, her husband was promoted and relocated to Utah for his job. After managing a long-distance relationship for one year, Gildea moved to reunite her family.

William McKersie accepted a new position as the superintendent of Weston Public Schools.

Sidney Freund cited relationships with two school board members that had soured as part of the reason he left.

Betty Sternberg had a controversial three-year tenure, and left after the school board started voting along partisan lines, which made accomplishing her goals more difficult, she said.

Larry Leverett, who split his time between New Jersey and Connecticut while superintendent, decided to return to his home state after his tenure ended.

What is the average tenure of a superintendent?

Superintendents, outside experts and surveys disagree on exact tenure lengths. The length can vary based on whether the superintendents are incumbent or have finished their contracts, and whether they lead urban or suburban districts.

Kathleen Stowe, a school board member and the head of the Greenwich superintendent search committee, said the average tenure is three years. That number is also cited by Ray and Associates, the search firm that Greenwich has hired to find new superintendents in the past, and Jones herself.

The AASA, School Superintendents Association, sponsored two 10-year surveys in 2000: The average tenure of more than 2,200 superintendents was between five and six years, while a second survey found an average tenure of 7.25 years among 1,688 respondents.

The same study found the superintendents of the 88 largest districts at that time had served an average of 4.7 years, which is closer in range to a report by the Council of the Great City Schools, released in 2014.

The council surveyed the current superintendents of its member school districts, and found the average tenure was 3.18 years, while the average tenure of the immediate past superintendents was 4.5 years.

More recently, the Broad Center analyzed superintendent tenures between 2003 and 2017, finding that urban superintendents stay for five-and-a-half years, with those administering the largest 100 school districts stay for six years, on average.

Is Greenwichs turnover rate normal?

It depends on who you ask and what data they use. Excluding interim superintendents, the average tenure over the last 40 years is 4.6 years. Over the last 20 years, permanent superintendents had an average tenure of 2.8 years.

Greenwichs numbers match the tenure averages of superintendents leading the nations 88 most populous urban districts.

Meredith Mountford, an expert on school boards and superintendents, said Greenwichs turnover rate is high, given that it is a suburban district rather than urban one. Superintendents lead urban districts for an average of five to eight years, she said.

In its own investigations, the AASA has found that the average tenure does not vary too widely among rural, suburban and urban districts.

Do experts agree on a minimum tenure length for an effective superintendent?

No, but education reform authorities Michael G. Fullan and Suzanne Stiegelbauer, who wrote the textbook on how district leaders can change their districts, estimated that successful reforms in school districts require five years or more of a superintendents attention.

Where can I read more?

Some Greenwich residents unhappy with choice of new superintendent, Jo Kroeker, 2019

Greenwich schools name new superintendent amid historic dissension, Jo Kroeker, 2019

Greenwich residents rally around Ralph with online petition, Jo Kroeker, 2019

Ralph Mayo tells Greenwich move on after superintendent decision, Jo Kroeker, 2019

Search firm asks for input on Greenwichs next superintendent, Emilie Munson, 2016

Wanted: A new superintendent of schools  again, Paul Schott, 2016

The Myth of the Revolving-Door Superintendency, AASA.

The Council of Great City Schools report, 2014.

Hire Expectations: big city superintendents stay in their job longer than we think, The Broad Center, 2018.

jo.kroeker@hearstmediact.com
SHELTON-The citys Board of Aldermen is expected to pass a resolution tonight demanding the state legislature vote no on tolls since they believe it, along with increased taxes and fees, will drive more residents out of the state.

The citys eight aldermen, all of whom are Republicans, will begin meeting at 6:30 p.m. in City Hall.

We are saying that the concept of introducing tolls into Connecticut once again, combined with the proposals to increase taxes and fees as well as impose new ones is insane, said John Anglace, the longtime Aldermanic president. They also want to extend the bonding 30 years out. Thats only going to cost taxpayers more money.

Once approved Anglace said the resolution will be sent to Gov. Ned Lamont and the state legislature with the hope that both parties rethink methods of paying for transportation infrastructure.

State Reps. Jason Perillo and Ben McGorty and State Sen. Kevin Kelly, who represent Shelton are all Republicans and are all opposed to tolls.

I dont understand what purpose this resolution will serve, said Dave Gioiello, chairman of the citys Democratic town committee. Our roads are in terrible shape. Tolls have been around since the beginning of this country when private owners charged to cross their bridges.

Gioiello said the current gas tax is not bringing in sufficient funds to fix the roads.

Anglace claims one of the problems with Lamonts proposal is the lack of details in the $100 billion transportation infrastructure plan and its schedule.

The resolution reads this pie in the sky valuation, if approved, would require that the revenue from tolls (expected to be $1 billion annually) would have to be supplemented with a plethora of other taxes; such as an increased gasoline tax, an increase in the sales tax, an increase in the number of items subject to the sales tax, an increase in the petroleum Gross Receipts tax, an increase in motor vehicle license fees, an increase in rail, bus and parking fees, and an increase in the state income tax, and by shifting unfunded mandates onto the backs of CT municipalities.

It claims with tolls and these increases it still wont be enough to sustain a $100 billion spending spree and the state will have to still borrow billions of dollars to pay for the infrastructure.

Anglace said city residents fear drivers will clog Shelton streets by attempting to avoid tolls and as a result residents residents have pleaded for our assistance against tolls.
STAMFORD  In the summer of 2016, after a Darien woman reported she had been raped by a driver who picked her up outside a popular downtown Stamford bar, police feared they had a dangerous predator on their hands.

The woman reporting the sexual assault went to Stamford Hospital and was examined. Evidence was collected, but because she had been drinking that night she had no idea what the man looked like, police said.

It was the work of veteran police sergeant George Moran that led to Wednesdays arrest of Henry Revolorio-Depaz, 27. Revolorio-Depaz, formerly of Carolina Road in Stamford, was extradited from Kansas and is being held on $1 million bond for allegedly raping and kidnapping two women who he picked up outside Stamford nightclubs.

On the morning of July 8, 2016, the downtown sergeant was dispatched to the hospital to take a report of the reported rape. After talking to the Darien womans friends, It sounded very believable that something very bad had happened, said Moran, a 20-year member of the department.

But he also knew the DNA of the man taken during the examination would only get them halfway to solving the crime.

Without finding the man who matched the DNA, the case would become cold.

The next week, Moran said he and other city cops made it a priority to try to find the mysterious driver.

But they didnt have much to go on.

The woman, who called for an Uber to bring her home to Darien, didnt remember much of that night and didnt speak to or take any notice of the man driving the SUV that she got into after attending the Alive@Five concert by O.A.R. in Columbus Park.

The woman told police she thought she got into a Chevy Suburban. But when police combed through surveillance cameras near Bar-Q where she was picked up, they discovered that she did not get into the car that was sent for her. From a camera in the rear parking area of Bar-Q on Clark Street, they could see she got into a GMC Yukon, but only a 4 and 3 could be seen on the Connecticut license plate.

Moran began conducting surveillance, thinking the suspected driver might be hanging around outside downtown bars waiting for other intoxicated women who could mistake him for their ride home.

The guy was out there and could do it again, Moran said.

Within a week, Morans efforts paid off when he spotted a Yukon with a Connecticut plate that read, 143ZXO, and pulled it over near Washington Boulevard and West Broad Street around 11 p.m. on July 13, 2016.

I was hanging around that area several days later, kind of seeing if the guy would pop up again, Moran said. I was trying to get a bad guy off the street.

Moran said the man behind the wheel was Revolorio-Depaz.

According to his arrest affidavit, Revolorio-Depaz admitted to investigators that he picked up the Darien woman and took her home. But he said the woman initiated the sexual encounter by groping him, which she denied, court records said.

Revolorio-Depaz provided a DNA sample, which turned out to be inconclusive and he was not arrested.

The case remained open until last December when Greenwich police sent out a surveillance photo of a large SUV they believed was involved in a sexual assault of a 19-year-old woman who was picked up outside a Stamford bar.

Moran said he recognized the Yukon and told them Revolorio-Depaz was their suspect.

Greenwich police compared and matched the DNA profile from a swab taken from the Greenwich woman and that of a swab taken from the Darien woman, according to court records. Then they matched the DNA from the Greenwich woman to the sample collected from Revolorio-Depaz two years earlier, according to court records.

Re-energized, Stamford investigators resubmitted DNA evidence from the 2016 case for new testing under improved methods. The second time around, they got a match to Revolorio-Depaz, the affidavit said.

Revolorio-Depaz was charged with two counts each of second-degree sexual assault and kidnapping.

Without connecting the vehicle allegedly used in December 2018 with the one from July 2016, police would have had a harder time linking the two cases.

I got lucky, I guess, Moran said Wednesday, shrugging off the attention of having a leading role in the arrest.

Bureau of Criminal Investigations Lt. Tom Scanlon was more effusive.

That was the break in the case that allowed everything else to move forward, Scanlon said. I know how conscientious he is and how much he really pays attention to things and is aware of what is going on in his district.

Scanlon said last year Moran solved a rash of downtown car burglaries by staking out a parking lot that was hit numerous times. Scanlon said Morans arrest in those crimes resulted in plummeting reports of car burglaries in the area.

Sgt. Paul Guzda, the lead investigator in the Revolorio-Depaz case, gave Moran a lot of credit in helping make an arrest.

Sgt. George Moran is a great street sergeant and is on top of everything in his district. In this case, he took this terrible crime to heart and would not let it go, Guzda said. Hes out there on the street and it would have been easy to move on to another call, but he continued to look for this car until he found it. And without his extra efforts, there is a very high probability that we would not have found that car or him at that time.

jnickerson@stamfordadvocate.com
STAMFORD  Police have arrested a Berlin man for allegedly cashing two altered checks in 2017 totaling $2,900 from a Stamford business.

Matthew Phillips, 42, of Woodbine Court, was charged Tuesday with third-degree larceny and two counts of forgery.

According to Phillips arrest affidavit, police were called to a Stamford communications business in June 2017 on a report of three checks totaling $4,760 having been cashed out of its business account. But the CFO of the company said only one of the checks was theirs and the others were forgeries.

The company official said one of the checks that had been illegally cashed had been written out for $5,075.85 to a company in Branford, but had been reduced in value to $1,450. 85.

Police said the check was likely stolen out of the mail and altered and was made payable to Matthew Phillips of Hartford. A second check for $1,450.85 had also been made out to Phillips and cashed, but the financial officer said the number of that check showed that it was still in the possession of the company, which meant that the check was a counterfeit and probably cloned from the other check, the affidavit said.

A third counterfeit check was also cashed by a different person for $1,860.

Looking at bank records, police saw that the first two checks were cashed by a man using Matthew Phillips drivers license. By looking at the surveillance tapes at the bank, police investigators determined that one check had been cashed by Phillips and the other by a man who did not look like Phillips.

jnickerson@stamfordadvocate.com
Structurally, at least, Gangs plan is far more tame. Yet it does some creative rule-breaking by throwing out the citys template for the Global Terminal, which called for a terminal with a finger-like concourse extending from it. Instead, Gang combines the new terminal and its gates into a single facility. Its three curving facades evoke the confluence of the Chicago Rivers north and south branches as well as the citys Y-shaped emblem.
It seems the older I get, the longer winter lasts. So, I was thrilled when the vernal equinox arrived last week. The sun has already begun rising a few minutes earlier and setting a few minutes later each day.

My bones are beginning to warm up. However, the calendar does not guarantee blue skies and sunshine. Biological spring is still several weeks away.

As March gives way to April, I look to nature to tell me when spring has truly sprung. Long-bearded tom turkeys gobble, strut, and display to assemble a harem. Young jakes keep their distance.

Carolina wrens have been singing their triple note signature song, tea-kettle, tea-kettle, tea-kettle, for weeks. They are usually the first of the songbirds to drop a clutch of eggs.

Eastern bluebirds explore tree cavities and nest boxes. By mid-April, I can usually find complete clutches of four or five sky blue eggs. Robins, chickadees, titmice, white-breasted nuthatches, cardinals, and towhees seem to celebrate in song every warm pleasant morning.

Spring brings out the best in nature. A song sparrow perches atop a red maple on the edge of a field and sings to draw the boundaries of his territory. From the woods, a downy woodpecker drums, and a pileated pounds a large dead tree.

The migrants

And then there are the migrants. A few turkey vultures returned in February; they lilt across the sky searching for aromatic carcasses. A kestrel perches on a snag along a country road. Grackles and red-winged blackbirds return to feeders.

And killdeer appear in yards, parks, and cemeteries. Fortunately, the best is yet to come. Field and chipping sparrows will join the backyard chorus, and robins will return to familiar nests sites. In the latter half of April, the floodgates will open.

House wrens, gnatcatchers, vireos, and warblers will return. Some will linger just a day or two, then move farther north. Others will nest and remain through the summer.

If Im lucky, Ill hear a whip-poor-will greet a mid-April moonrise. And hungry nighthawks return to patrol the evening sky like giant feathered bats.

In late April, I look for two of my favorite signs of spring. Wood thrushes are often difficult to see when they return because they skulk in the understory of mature woods, but their sweet, flute-like voice, EE-o-lay! is music to my ears.

Late April

I especially enjoy their evening vespers as night falls. The other late April returnees are ruby-throated hummingbirds. I try to have nectar feeders up before they return. That reminds me of another sign of spring  a jug of nectar in the frig (one part table sugar, four parts boiling water, cool, refrigerate).

The website that has monitored the return of ruby-throated hummingbirds from 1996 to 2018 (www.hummingbirds.net) is no longer active, though maps for the last 22 years are still accessible.

Instead, visit JourneyNorth (https://journeynorth.org/) for current updates on the 2019 hummer migration.

By the first week in May, spring migration will be in full swing. Warblers, scarlet tanagers, and Baltimore orioles will brighten treetops, and rose-breasted grosbeaks and indigo buntings will add a splash of color to feeders.

But not all signs of spring wear colorful feathers. Along the edges of country roads, watch for coltsfoot, a bright yellow wildflower that at first suggests a dandelion.

Onion-like ramps turn rich bottomlands into seas of green. Mayapples, jacks-in-the-pulpit, Virginia bluebells, and trillium follow. Listen for wood frogs (they sound like quacking ducks), spring peepers, and trilling American toads.

Leaving the nest

Watch for aquatic turtles basking on emergent rocks and logs along streams and shores of lakes. Litters of gray and fox squirrels leave their nests for the first time. Groundhogs and chipmunks emerge from winter dormancy with only two priorities  food and reproduction.

Hungry bats hunt flying insects in the evening sky. And I havent even mentioned butterflies fluttering across open meadows, snakes stretched across warm paved roads in the sunshine, box turtles lumbering along country roads, or tasty morels gracing the forest floor.

Yes, its been a long winter, but spring has come to the rescue. Take time to notice and enjoy the kaleidoscope of sensations that make it the most exciting season of the year. And be sure to share those sentiments with your children and grandchildren.
My doctor has ordered me to put my head in traction for ten minutes twice a day. I have rigged a delightful traction center in the barn, using a canvas halter, a length of clothesline, two galvanized pulleys, a twelve-pound boat anchor, a milking stool, and a barn swallow. I set everything up so I could work the swallow into the deal, because I knew he would enjoy it, and he does. While his bride sits on the eggs and I sit on the milking stool, he sits on a harness peg a few feet away, giggling at me throughout the ten-minute period and giving his mate a play-by-play account of mans fantastic battle with himself, which in my case must look like suicide by hanging.

 E. B. White, Coon Tree

I heard a radio report last week which conveyed that farmers have some of the most challenging and painful spinal issues seen in the medical field.

Yesterday, as I read the current Readers Digest (April) I learned that American farmers die by suicide at nearly twice the rate of the general population.

Farmers carry too much, shoulder it all, soldier on.

Sadly, I would guess that neither point comes as an enormous surprise to anyone personally familiar with this way of life.

It is a wonderful life, but there is no denying it is a hard one.

Different from our ancestors, who spent time with neighbors on a very regular basis, farmers of today often work in isolation.

E.B. White, his success as a writer making him famous the world over, often said he was a farmer first.

His love of the barn and the barnyard is what served as the inspiration to Charlottes Web which has become a classic in many languages.

It was a great deal of physical pain, encompassed on all sides of those sharp edges by crippling melancholy, that prompted White to seek medical help.

He had suffered alone for quite some time, and had reached the point of almost unbearable mental and physical strain.

In a letter penned in January 1945, he told a friend, Dont worry about my health  I am a lot better and plenty good enough for my purposes. I had two things the matter with me  mice in the subconscious and spurs in the cervical spine. Of the two, the spine trouble was less bothersome. It took me eighteen months to find out how you get rid of mice  Anyway, here I am, in the clear again and damned thankful to be there. I can work without falling apart, and can sleep  which is quite refreshing after a year and a half.

Mental and physical health, when hale and hearty, are two of the most under-appreciated factors throughout a lifetime.

I never quite grasped the opposite of good mental health until a serious fall on ice one winter morning a few years back damaged my frontal lobe function along with other complicating issues, including serious vision challenges.

There simply arent words to explain the suffocating symptoms.

No matter where I was, it felt like it wasnt where I was supposed to be, causing frantic unrest.

Social withdrawal, wrapped immediately in shame for not being grateful enough for all the good in life, sets a person up for spiraling sadness and self-loathing.

The physical damage incurred cost me a daily job that I loved, and the emotional turmoil quietly grew.

Struggles remain, but slowly finding my way back to me has been an eye-opening experience.

I have far more empathy than I once did.

It goes without saying that these are trying times for everyone in agriculture.

It can be hard to find the words with those we see every day because we are busy putting life on cruise control, not wanting to upset the people around us.

If you find yourself needing a sounding board, please consider reaching out to the Farm-Aid hotline, 800-FARM-AID (800-327-6243) or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800-273-8255).
COLUMBUS  Building on 50 years of partnership with the Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES), the Nationwide Foundation is contributing $7 million to support the colleges vision of a modern land-grant institution with a mission to sustain life.

The Nationwide Foundation is proud to make this contribution to Ohio State and see our collaborative efforts around food production, security, and sustainability take a giant leap forward, said Nationwide Foundation President Chad Jester. Together, we share a long-term vision with the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences that assures the land-grant mission of sustaining life remains strong for generations to come.

Translating research

The Nationwide Foundation gift supports initiatives in translating research and making it accessible, as well as strategic collaboration, workforce development, and new facilities. This new gift brings total contributions to $11.8 million for the CFAES collaborative over the past several years.

The largest part of the gift, $5 million, supports constructing new facilities and infrastructure at Waterman Agricultural and Natural Resources Laboratory, a key facility on the Columbus campus.

Research projects

Last year alone, more than 100 active research projects, and more than 200 outreach programs took place at Waterman. Waterman is also home to a multitude of college-credit courses encompassing everything from beekeeping to biogeography.

Nationwide Foundations lead gift will support CFAES goal to engage every undergraduate student in some aspect of the Waterman experience dedicated to food security, production, or sustainability during his or her time at Ohio State.

The plan for Waterman includes a Controlled Environment Food Production Research Complex with a state-of-the-art greenhouse production system. In addition, there will be a new multispecies animal learning center, the Kunz-Brundige Franklin County Extension Building, which is currently being built, and a modernization of the dairy facility.

With the remaining $2 million, the Nationwide Foundation is contributing to programming initiatives focused on the land-grant mission, including broadening lifelong learning opportunities to strengthen the workforce, and strengthening leadership programming for CFAES students.
A new hub to offer support to farmers in three key areas - physical, mental and business - is in development in Cornwall.

In an England first, the new Farming Health Hub initiative will provide the local farming community with much-needed support.

The hub will build a partnership where private, public and voluntary sector organisations can work together to provide advice to farmers and their families.

The aim of it is to offer support and signposting in three key areas: physical health, mental health, and business health.

It comes as statistics show that one in four people will suffer a mental health issue in their lifetime, with agriculture carrying one of the highest rates of suicide.

The hub will set up in local halls, bringing the information to the doorstep of the farming community.

A number of organisations have liaised with the idea, including farming charity RABI, the Princes Countryside Fund and the NFU.

Martin Howlett, a mixed livestock farmer and chairman of RABI's Cornwall committee, said: Life within the vast majority of family farms revolves around the day-to-day routine of tending stock, seasonal periods of calving and lambing, plus the harvesting of crops  all physical and demanding work.

Financial impacts of markets, weather and disease threats, each add to the challenges of cash flow within the farm business.

He added: But it is so often to the detriment of health and wellbeing of each and any member of the family team, that can so easily jeopardise the whole farm business. Having access to a Farming Health Hub here in Cornwall is most welcome and ultimately a lifeline for agriculture.
French farmers claim that solar panels and wind turbines in Brittany are releasing electricity into the ground which is slowly killing their livestock.

In the Brittany region several farmers have reported losses of hundreds of cows, and veterinarians have been unable to explain the cause.

But after tests on the region's farmland, some are claiming that electricity is travelling through the ground which is leading to severe weight loss in animals and ultimately death.

The mysterious cattle deaths has led one Cote d'amour farmer to file a lawsuit against a company, which has not been named.

Patrick Le Nechet told Europe1 his cows started dying when photovoltaic solar panels were installed on the land.

He conducted his own test on surrounding land and water and found electricity currents of over one volt.

The farmer said that watching all his animals die is 'unbearable'. They lost weight, we lost 120 in five years. It can not be explained, even veterinarians do not know what to do, Mr Le Nechet said.

There is a lot of direct current coming into the earth. When we see all the animals die, it is untenable.

Meanwhile, cattle farmer Stephane Le Brechec explained how he has also lost dozens of cows in a short period of time.

He has lost around 200 cows in five years, blaming antennas transformers and turbines in the area.

According to the Sanitary Defence Group, farmers are not always aware of electrical disturbances.

Thibaut Bouchut, Building Advisor at the Group, explained how humans are capable of withstanding three times as much electricity as cattle.

He said: The human body has an electrical resistance of 1,500 Ohms, while the cows, only 500 Ohms, not to mention that they are not separated from the ground by rubber soles.

Breeders are not always aware of electrical disturbances, and sometime the seemingly-unexplained problems they face discourage them, even if they are competent. Farms close down because of that.
All producers of Limousin-bred cattle are set to benefit from a UK-first development that sees the incorporation of international data within the latest genetic evaluation.

The new information comes from a huge data set of over 2.3 million animals with performance records and 2.6 million animals with full pedigrees.

Eleven countries contribute to it  Australia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland as well as the United Kingdom  sharing their records for 200 day (weaning) weight, since this is commonly measured across each country.

Additionally, calving ease and birth weight records are shared by the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Ireland and the UK.

The British Limousin Cattle Society, in association with SRUC Egenes, has announced the development. The work is the culmination of several years input by a UK-wide group of geneticists called Interbeef.

Supported in its early stages with funding from the society, Interbeef produces across-country EBVs (Estimated Breeding Values) for Limousin which are now integrated with the societys own UK EBVs.

The work is a significant development for Limousin EBVs in the UK, boosting their accuracy and robustness to new levels, bringing benefit to pedigree breeders, commercial producers and all involved in the supply chain.

The benefits manifest themselves in the value the data brings to the Limousin EBVs that are produced.

For example, the addition of the international data has increased the number of animals with performance records in the UK evaluation by around 14%.

An increase in volume of records widens the pool of recorded animals from which selection decisions can be made, accelerating the rate of genetic progress that breeders and commercial producers can make.

And with the increase in volume of records comes improvement in the accuracy of the resulting EBVs. The EBVs directly influenced by the new data are: Birthweight, 200 Day Growth, 200 Day Milk Weight, Calving Ease and Maternal Calving Ease.

For animals directly impacted by the new data, the average increase in their accuracy is 18% across them all, but with some individuals increasing by as much as 88% for specific traits. This will result in even more robust EBVs to the benefit of all producers, pedigree and commercial.

The international evaluation also provides direct comparisons between animals in more than one country which is valuable for breeders contemplating exportation and/or importation of animals.

Greater knowledge on performance will result in better breeding decisions and faster rates of genetic gain, the society says.

Iain Kerr, Chief Executive of the British Limousin Cattle Society said: The incorporation of this level of international data into an evaluation is a welcome first for UK beef breeds and represents a significant opportunity to make increased margins from Limousin genetics.

It comes close on the heels of incorporating new abattoir data last year that brought over 273,000 new commercial records to the Limousin evaluation  representing more than 10,000 Limousin sires  as well as the introduction of the now-familiar genomic breeding values (GEBVs) in 2016 and 2017.

All these areas of work have concentrated on trapping large volumes of independent industry data to produce breeding values that are reliable, market-focused and will support all buyers of Limousin genetics well.
Applications have opened for young sheep farmers to win two 2,750 travel bursaries which aim to widen industry knowledge and experience.

The National Sheep Association's (NSA) Samuel Wharry Memorial Award will support two young people, aged between 21 and 34, in study trips to explore the application of science in sheep production.

Having identified a subject the applicant wants to learn about, they can travel wherever they wish, pick up as much information as possible and then share their findings.

Applications are online and involve a series of questions about the chosen topic and why it's relevant to the UK sheep sector.

The award is in memory of sheep farmer Samuel Wharry of Carnlough, County Antrim, who was an advocate of applying science and technology on-farm.

Joanne Briggs, NSA Operations Director said: Sams enthusiasm, curiosity and practical nature will live on through these travel bursaries. They are an incredible opportunity for two individuals involved in the UK sheep sector or ancillary industries to receive 2,750 each to design separate trips suited to their own situation.

Applications are open now and will close at midnight on Monday 22nd April, with shortlisted candidates informed shortly afterwards and invited for an informal interview with an industry selection panel.
Government-subsidised schemes that encourage farmers to plant more wildflowers has led to an increase in key bee species, according to a new study.

The research, led by the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, measured the presence of 353 wild bee and hoverfly species across the UK, from 1980 to 2013.

It found an increase in key bee species responsible for pollinating flowering crops, such as oil-seed rape.

This could be in response to the large increases of mass-flowering crops grown during the study period and agri-environment schemes that lead to more wildflower plantings for bee species to pollinate.

However, the research also showed one third of species experienced declines in terms of areas in which they were found, while one tenth increased.

For the remainder of species, their distribution was either stable or the trend was inconclusive.

The research, published in the journal Nature Communications, also showed that on average, the geographic range of bee and hoverfly species declined by a quarter. This is equivalent to a net loss of 11 species from each 1km square.

Overall losses were more notable for pollinator species found in northern Britain. This may be a result of climate change, the study suggests, with species that prefer cooler temperatures reducing their geographical spread in response to less climatically suitable landscapes.

'Healthy countryside'

Dr Gary Powney, who led the research, said there is 'no one single cause' for the widespread differences in distribution change across pollinating insects.

However, he blamed habitat loss as a likely key driver of the declines. He said: While the increase in key crop pollinators is good news, they are still a relatively small group of species.

Therefore, with species having declined overall, it would be risky to rely on this group to support the long-term food security for our country.

If anything happens to them in the future there will be fewer other species to step up and fulfil the essential role of crop pollination, Dr Powney added.

Non-crop pollinators are also vital for a healthy countryside rich in biodiversity; not only because of their crucial role in pollinating wildflowers, but as a key food resource for other wildlife.

Dr Claire Carvell, a co-author of the study, said wildlife-friendly farming can have a 'lasting, positive impact' on wild pollinators in rural and urban landscapes.
SFI scheme may lead to 'postcode lottery' over soil carbon

Soils are not equal when it comes to sequestration
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Kokoraleis was due to be paroled in late September 2017, but his release was delayed because he had not found an approved place to live, which is considered a parole violation. State corrections officials declined to say where Kokoraleis plans to live or even if he has secured housing. But even if he hasnt, officials said, they cannot hold him any longer. The state will provide him few resources beyond transportation from the prison, according to state officials and advocacy groups who have argued that such treatment of longtime inmates is inhumane.
For a long time the German government did not have a certain line in foreign and security policy debates. But in times of ongoing epochal shifts in geopolitics a clear opinion is neccessary. A guest article by Wolfgang Ischinger.

Five years have passed since Joachim Gauck called for Germany to take on more international responsibility. That was at the Munich Security Conference 2014. Ever since, the term responsibility has become a fixture in German foreign policy debates. Unfortunately, the term has not produced greater clarity about what a more responsible German foreign and security policy should look like.

Berlin is struggling to deal with the ongoing epochal shifts in geopolitics. These shifts demand tough decisions  decisions that the German government would rather avoid. Berlin prefers to muddle through: calling for a stronger EU but also demanding that Germany must not be asked to pay for it, affirming its solidarity with Ukraine but also continuing to build Nord Stream 2, supporting EU defense integration but also insisting on unilateral decisions to halt arms exports, to mention just a few examples. This course of action is becoming less and less effective  and increasingly damaging to the countrys image abroad.

Our handling of Natos 2 percent goal has been a particularly inept attempt of muddling through. First, Berlin decided to identify 1.5 percent as the goal, rather than the two percent spending target agreed by all Nato partners in 2014. Now, right before Natos 70th anniversary, there is doubt whether Germany can even meet the 1.5 percent goal. More security in an increasingly threatening environment? Yes, please! But no boost in military spending  and no risky deployment of German soldiers! This approach risks to seriously affect our credibility. It should come as no surprise when Germany is again singled out for criticism by the US.

Pooling and sharing of military capabilities in the EU

To be clear: Increasing our defense spending is not about pandering to Trump or chasing arbitrary percentages. It is about credible deterrence that enables our forces to protect our people and borders, to contain crises and solve conflicts. But the German armed forces lack the resources and capabilities. Greater defense expenditures are urgently needed. At the same time, we could spend our defense budget much more efficiently: through pooling and sharing of military capabilities, as well as joint training and procurement with our European partners.

But this demands strategic decisions  and an open debate about conflicting goals. A white paper on foreign and security policy, published in much shorter intervals, could stimulate the needed debate. The German government should commit to presenting such a document in each legislative period. The German parliament should likewise discuss the white paper  at least once a year. And if all relevant government departments are equitably involved in the drafting process, as is the case in France, the white paper may even help create more ownership and commitment by all partners in a coalition government.

Mehr zum Thema 1/

This touches upon another problem of German foreign policy: Germany lacks an instrument to effectively coordinate its foreign, defense, and European policy. It is quite common for the German government to offer different opinions depending on which part of the government or which ministry happens to be speaking. In June 2018, Chancellor Merkel introduced the idea of a European Security Council. She was reacting to the EU reform proposals by President Macron. The problem: her own Foreign Office knew nothing of her proposal. Two months later, in August, Foreign Minister Maas suggested installing an independent Swift system to strengthen European independence in light of the growing transatlantic rift over how to deal with Iran. Merkel dismissed the idea, which had not been coordinated with her, immediately. And another three months later, in November, Vice Chancellor Scholz unilaterally  and without consulting Paris  brought up the idea to transform the French permanent seat in the UN Security Council into a European one. His proposal surprised Berlin and upset Paris.

German government needs more coordination

Such inconsistent messaging not only reduces Berlins reputation in the world. It also damages the alliances and organizations upon which we depend  especially today, with the resurgence of great power rivalry  namely the EU and Nato. The German government needs an instrument that promotes more discipline and helps reduce lapses in coordination. In fact, we already possess such an instrument: the German Federal Security Council  we simply dont use it appropriately. The existing Federal Security Council should be transformed into a comprehensive coordination body for foreign and security policy decisions  a body that meets regularly at different levels. The proposals and decisions developed by the body would then be agreed at the level of the Chancellor and the cabinet. What already works in Washington  the NSC process , and also in Paris and London, could significantly strengthen professionalism and cohesion in Berlin, too. The rules of procedure governing the Federal Security Council already provide for all of this  they just need to be applied. While this will not prevent members of a coalition government from occasionally going it alone, Berlin would have clearer and more binding rules for the entire government.

It is high time that Germany abandons its habit of muddling through: Berlin needs to make tough decisions, coordinated with all relevant ministries and presented with one single voice. This would indeed be a responsible foreign policy.

Wolfgang Ischinger has been Chairman of the Munich Security Conference since 2008. For the German version please click here.
It is a pleasure to be here today at the European Central Bank in my capacity as chair of the Financial Stability Board (FSB) to help celebrate the Journal of Money, Credit and Banking's (JMCB) 50th anniversary. The broad scope of the JMCB, and the diversity of its scholarship parallels, in some ways, the FSB itself. As we dealt with the global financial crisis, the heads of state and government of the G20 tasked the FSB with identifying and addressing vulnerabilities in the global financial system and developing stronger regulatory and supervisory policies to create a more resilient global financial system in the pursuit of financial stability. Our broad mandate has considerable overlap with the fields that the JMCB covers within its pages. The FSB includes 24 jurisdictions and 73 representatives, including all the members of the G20. Also similar to the JMCB, the FSB is celebrating an anniversary this year, with its creation having occurred 10 years ago. We are a far cry from the JMCB's 50 years, but I hope that in time our continuing work--and not just our response to the late crisis--will prove valuable enough that we one day merit a similar celebration.

I am especially pleased to speak at this conference today because the FSB welcomes and encourages the participation of the academic community in tackling issues of global financial stability. I would like to see a greater and more direct contribution of academic subject-matter experts to our work. You may have noticed that the FSB sent out a call for nominations last month for academics to advise our work in evaluating post-crisis reforms--in this particular instance, the evaluation that will examine the effects of the too-big-to-fail reform package that the G20 endorsed in 2010 and that the FSB and other standard setters have implemented since then. In our initiatives to examine the consequences of post-crisis reform, the academic community can help advance the field with analytical tools and critical insight.

The financial crisis exposed fault lines in the financial system that had to be addressed immediately, comprehensively, and vigorously. The body of post-crisis regulation that resulted was founded on the work of academics, including important papers published in the JMCB, and involved the energy and efforts of many standard setters, regulators, supervisors, and central banks. It was an exemplary feat of cooperation and coordination, and it has unquestionably made the financial system safer and more resilient.

Today, the post-crisis reform agenda has been largely completed. Basel III is final, the largest global banks have substantially more capital and liquidity, over-the-counter derivatives markets are safer, and steps have been taken to address the risks of too-big-to-fail institutions. Through greater monitoring and policy measures, the FSB is addressing risks from nonbank financial intermediation. And there has been remarkable progress on the difficult and unglamorous task of establishing workable resolution regimes that are consistent with the FSB's clearly defined principles. While we must still work to ensure full, timely, and consistent implementation of the agreed reforms, it is time for the FSB to turn more of its energy and attention to the future.

In my time with you today, I would like to do two things. First, I would like to share with you my view on how the work of the FSB must evolve if we are to merit that future celebration and some of the core principles that I think should inform that work. After discussing those principles, I want to focus your attention on some of the work priorities that the FSB will be addressing throughout 2019 and beyond, including nonbank financing, fintech, and evaluating the too-big-to-fail reforms.

Core Principles

Let me turn to the core principles--engagement, rigor, and analysis. These core principles reflect goals that are both inward and outward looking. From within, FSB members have the occasion to reflect on how our work is executed--that is, we must ask ourselves how we can accomplish our mission more effectively, improving the financial sector's ability to support economic growth without threatening financial stability. Outwardly, we will endeavor to reach out to a greater number of constituents and stakeholders for their input on the important financial stability issues they are encountering. This is also a good time to inform a wider public audience on the nature of our mission in a clear, articulate, and jargon-free manner.

Engagement

As the FSB pivots away from the urgency of post-crisis reform development, it is an opportune time to improve our efforts at effective engagement. Recognizing the wide-reaching effects of its work, the FSB must seek input from a broad range of stakeholders, each of whom brings a different perspective to the issues under consideration. While we are directly accountable to the G20, we are, through the G20, accountable to all of the people affected by our actions. In my view, that means we must engage in genuine, substantial dialogue with all of these stakeholders, to a greater and more effective degree than we have in the past.

To start, we can strengthen the role of the six regional groups that are a part of the FSB organization. In 2011, the FSB established six consultative groups representing large regions of the globe--the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Commonwealth of Independent States, and Asia. The intent was to expand its outreach program beyond the membership in a systematic manner to better reflect the FSB's global mission. Each group meets once or twice a year and helps the FSB obtain broader input into its policy development agenda. These groups should be re-engineered to not only promote implementation of international policy initiatives within their respective regions, but also to be in a strong position to keep abreast of developments in financial markets and thus inform FSB policy. We have initiated a study of the operations of the regional groups that will help inform us on ways to upgrade their effectiveness as an outreach and feedback mechanism. I am particularly interested in how we can take lessons learned from this study to move forward with our enhanced engagement.

Engagement outside of the FSB is also very important to our mission. We currently engage with businesses, institutions, market participants, and academics on much of our FSB work. For example, we have in the past conducted public consultations on FSB policy recommendations, albeit sometimes with very short timetables. We have now established an expectation that public consultation will be at least 60 days. We need to give the public adequate time to comment on FSB proposals, which can, at times, be quite complex.

Beyond public consultation, we must convene more meetings with the private sector and academic community to build a more robust and meaningful dialogue. For example, we kicked off the work we have undertaken at the behest of the Japanese G20 Presidency to study differences in regulatory environments and market conditions across jurisdictions that may have financial stability implications--often referred to as "market fragmentation"--by hosting a workshop with key stakeholders and academics. This was quite successful, and I look forward to such interactions being the rule. In addition, we need to improve our interaction and cooperation with other standard-setting bodies, such as the Basel Committee, the Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructure, the International Association of Insurance Supervisors, and the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO). While we have worked together in the past, we all owe it to the global community to seek out opportunities for improved cooperation and engagement.

To improve FSB transparency, we will be taking a number of important steps. For example, on February 12, 2019, the FSB published a comprehensive work program on its website for the year ahead.1 This is the first time in the FSB's history that the work program was disseminated publicly. Over the term of my chairmanship, I will continue to look for steps that will allow all stakeholders to have a more open window into the FSB's decisionmaking process and products. I believe improved transparency into the FSB process is critical to our mission. I'm reminded of Lord Hewart's famous--and oft-quoted--remark concerning the importance of jurisprudence to the public: "Not only must justice be done; it must also be seen to be done." We should be able to apply this concept to the field of global financial standard setting.

Rigorous Vigilance

The second principle I would like to discuss concerns how we assess and mitigate vulnerabilities in the global financial system. The post-crisis reforms addressed the fault lines that led to the crisis and the contagion effects felt around the world, but they will never replace the need for vigilance. If we are not rigorously vigilant, we still risk another crisis. What we need are forward-looking methodologies that use the most advanced analytical tools to spot vulnerabilities well in advance before they lead to widespread financial distress and economic costs. Here the academic community can continue to contribute with cutting-edge and robust modeling techniques.

We can only mitigate financial vulnerabilities if we identify them accurately and in a timely manner. As such, the FSB's Standing Committee on Assessment of Vulnerabilities under the leadership of FSB Vice Chair Klaas Knot of the Dutch National Bank will be directing a considerable amount of energy to developing a cutting-edge framework for the identification and assessment of financial vulnerabilities. Again, the principles of transparency and engagement will shape the work of the group. It is important that a wide spectrum of financial participants be brought into the process, from banks and nonbank financial institutions to financial regulators to national authorities and multilateral standard-setting bodies and the broad academic community. This task is essential to the mission of the FSB; financial developments move at a rapid pace, and being able to quickly and accurately assess vulnerabilities is essential if we are to take action to prevent future crises.

Analysis

Finally, the FSB members must employ a critical eye toward the effects of the regulations that have been put in place. Many of the reforms have been in place long enough for them to be evaluated. We can judge whether reforms are having their intended effects and making the financial system more resilient. Are any regulatory reforms causing unintended, adverse effects? Can we achieve the same, strong level of financial resilience with reforms that are more efficient, simple, transparent, and tailored? The FSB must champion efficient and effective regulation in order to maintain public support for the progress we have made.

Key Pieces of the FSB's Work Plan

Now I would like to turn to three prominent issues on the FSB's agenda in 2019. I will start with two relatively new issues that continue to evolve and grow in sophistication: nonbank financing and fintech, and then I will turn to the important work we are beginning on evaluating the effects of reforms aimed at ending too big to fail.

Fintech

I will loosely define fintech as technology-enabled financial innovation that results in material changes to the provision of financial services. As is often the case when technological innovation meets established business, fintech has attracted a great deal of attention, ranging from utopian claims to hostile skepticism. Claims about fintech's promise abound: it has the power and potential to reduce economic inequality, increase financial inclusion, and boost economic growth. Through the introduction of new methodologies, greater information curation, and reduction in processing costs, fintech could potentially reduce financial volatility and vulnerabilities.

We are already seeing significant changes to how many people around the world obtain financial services. For example, in Kenya, a mobile payments technology has introduced mobile wallets to millions of people, many of whom never had a bank account. In the United States, the largest mortgage provider is an online lender. In China, a technology firm started the world's largest money market fund.

Yet, alongside this growth in fintech, as my predecessor as FSB chair emphasized, we as regulators must ensure that as we maximize the potential benefits in the development of fintech we minimize the potential risks and costs. The FSB monitors and analyzes the financial stability implications of financial innovation as part of our mandate to identify and address vulnerabilities in the global financial system. Let me outline two areas that we have started to examine in greater detail: the potential effects from the entry of large technology firms into financial services and the potential effects from the growth in decentralized financial technologies.

Over the last decade, the world has witnessed an explosion of large technology firms that are weaving themselves into our daily lives: for example, Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Tencent, and Baidu. Some of these firms are increasingly providing some financial services, such as payments, credit, insurance, and asset management. Their involvement can support financial services broadly. For example, their technology may increase speed and efficiency, and the ubiquity of their presence in our lives may allow them to offer financial services in a more convenient way or at lower cost to consumers. Further, as they are only dipping their toes into the edges of the financial services water, the effects they have on the provision of financial services could grow enormously if they were to dive in.

Looking at the technologies that underlie some of the recent innovative financial products, we see a move toward decentralization--that is, a movement toward technologies that connect financial market participants directly without an intermediary. The potential areas of impact are broad: settling interbank payments; verifying and reconciling trade finance invoices; executing, enforcing and verifying the performance of contracts; and keeping an audit trail to deter money laundering.

Both the potential entry of large, established technology companies into financial services and the ability of technology to decentralize financial transactions raise a number of issues, some of which may touch on financial stability. Technological innovation offers the promise of a substantially more efficient financial system. But new systems, processes, and types of businesses will bring with them novel fragilities. We continue to be responsible for ensuring that the financial system be sufficiently resilient that businesses and households worldwide need not fear the collapse of the system that serves their needs.

These are open questions that need to be addressed, and because they touch on issues of financial stability, the FSB is putting significant resources into understanding these potentially important developments. To be clear, we are not trying to oppose innovation, because innovation, including fintech, offers the world many potential benefits. As the group charged with ensuring financial stability, however, we have to work to ensure that we can reap the benefits offered by these new technologies without harming financial stability. We hope to offer some answers to these questions in the coming years and to do so in line with the principles I outlined earlier. We will address the questions with discipline and analytical rigor in a way that incorporates the views of the public and key stakeholders and that results in answers that are practical and intelligible.

Nonbank Financial Intermediation

The second issue I would like to discuss is nonbank financing. Since the global financial crisis, nonbank financing has grown relatively rapidly, in both its absolute size and its relative importance in intermediating credit. In the jurisdictions that the FSB closely monitors, nonbank financial assets are just under 50 percent of total global financial assets, a share that has grown by close to 5 percentage points since 2009. Nonbank financial intermediation (the artist formerly known as "shadow banking") provides a valuable alternative to bank financing and helps to support real economic activity. Accordingly, the shift within the financial system toward nonbank financing represents a welcome increase in the diversity of the sources of lending to both firms and households.

Even though the core of the financial system is much more resilient than before the global financial crisis, with strengthened bank capital and liquidity requirements, nonbank financing has been a source of systemic risk. Nonbank financing often features high leverage, maturity and liquidity mismatches, opaque structures, and concentrated holdings of risky assets. Nonbank financing can also lead to lower lending standards, bidding up the price of risky assets and sending an encouraging signal to credit underwriters. All of these channels played a role in the recent global financial crisis. More recently, new forms of interconnectedness between nonbank financial firms and the banking system have emerged that could, in some scenarios, act as channels for domestic and cross-border amplification of risks.

Given these potential risks, and the large--and increasing--role for nonbank financing, we need to monitor closely its development. Is the growth of nonbank financing altering the existing market structures? Are there new vulnerabilities in the financial system? How will nonbank financing develop?

To answer these important questions, the FSB is progressing on three related tracks. First, the FSB produces an annual report that outlines the developments in nonbank financing, detailing the global trends and potential risks. Second, the FSB promotes the resilience of nonbanks through the development of a range of policies to address systemic vulnerabilities where they arise, while not impeding the growth of sustainable nonbank financing models. In this way, we hope to promote resilient nonbank financial intermediation. The FSB, working alongside other standard-setting bodies such as the Basel Committee and IOSCO, is monitoring the implementation of these policies. Finally, knowing it is arrogant to expect that we got everything right the first time around, it is imperative that we start analyzing the effectiveness of the policies that have been implemented. How should we alter our policies? Have we modelled the risks from nonbank financing accurately? Have we missed a crucial new source of systemic risk? These are all questions that we must ask ourselves.

Evaluation of Too-Big-To-Fail Reforms

The third issue that I would like to raise is the problem of "too big to fail"--that is, the perception by investors that some institutions will receive support from their governments if they become distressed. This weakens market discipline and allows such firms to become even larger, more leveraged and more complex. To address this challenge, the FSB and other global standard setters developed a framework and a set of policy measures intended to reduce the moral hazard risks posed by systemically important financial institutions. These measures are intended to make the financial system more resilient, for example through higher capital and liquidity requirements, while simultaneously allowing these institutions to fail without causing disruption to critical services, such as payments. A key element of the FSB's policy measures to address too big to fail is its total loss absorbing capacity standard. Under this standard, the FSB introduced a bail-in (in contrast to a bailout) strategy that necessarily employs a gone concern or post-failure loss-absorbing and recapitalization capacity for the set of global systemically important banks.

Crucially, by raising resolution standards, we have improved the potential for non-disruptive bank failure. The implementation of these standards is most advanced in the banking sector, especially for the largest globally important banks. The FSB established crisis management groups, collections of supervisors who monitor resolution plans of the firms. At the same time, we must be conscious that we have not actually tested the failure of a large bank in the marketplace--surely a good thing!

Standing over a decade on from the start of the financial crisis, we must ask ourselves, how effective have we been at reducing the problem of too big to fail? Have we achieved our objective to reduce or eliminate the problem? Have we introduced new unintended risks to the financial system or costs to other financial market participants?

To start answering these important questions, as part of its broader effort to evaluate the effects of reforms, the FSB is launching an evaluation of the effects of these too-big-to-fail reforms. We intend to bring analytical rigor to these questions, and we recognize that the academic community has undertaken much work in this area. As a result, we will draw extensively on academic advisors during all phases of the work we are undertaking. I also encourage other experts in this field to look closely to the consultative document that will be coming from the study next year. We welcome the input as we undertake the study of this signature issue from the crisis.

Conclusion

Let me conclude by reiterating some of the broad themes I intended to convey today. First, I touched on some of the key principles that I hope will guide the FSB work while I am chair. Those principles include expanded engagement with a broad range of stakeholders and experts, rigorous and careful examination of financial vulnerabilities that may threaten our financial system, and analytical examination of past reforms to ensure that they are making the financial system as resilient as it can be in the most efficient manner possible.

Second, I shared some of the key questions we are working on relating to the rise of large technology firms in the financial sector and decentralized financial technologies, the growing importance of the nonbank financial sector, and our burgeoning efforts to look at how well we have addressed too big to fail, the signature issue of the recent financial crisis.

Moving forward there will surely be additional issues to address and areas to examine.a During my time as chair of the FSB, I hope to make progress not only on the areas I have outlined but on a range of forward-looking issues and continue to demonstrate the value of the FSB. International standard-setting bodies serve an important role within our global financial sector, and I look forward to the FSB advancing our progress and work in these areas.

1. The document is available at http://www.fsb.org/2019/02/fsb-work-programme-for-2019/ Return to text
Beekeepers across Turkey were urged to think differently about conservation at a meeting to raise bee awareness at the weekend.

The March meeting of Ar Okolu (Bee School) was held at Cem Aybeks Tangala Farm in the mountains above Tlos on Saturday and attended by beekeepers and enthusiasts from across the Mugla region.

Supporters were reminded the group has not been formed to save Turkeys ten species of bee from current threats posed by insecticides and pesticides or to lead a direct lobby for action; both objectives are simply too huge for such a small group.

A honey bee gathering pollen. Picture by Steve Parsley

Bee aware

However, Cem Aybek underlined the importance of enhancing the publics understanding of bees, their importance to Turkeys ecosystem and what everyone can do to help them.

But, while praising Turkeys diversity and enthusiasm for beekeeping, keynote speaker  international honey bee educator, author and self-confessed crazy bee lady Debra Roberts  urged apiarists to consider more natural remedies to fight the decline in bee numbers.

Although happily co-existing with some species, the spread of the verroa mite around the globe has become a particular problem, wiping out hives in worrying numbers across Europe and America.

Traditionally, infested hives have been treated with chemicals to eradicate the problem. Indeed, a straw poll among Turkish beekeepers on Saturday indicated the frequency of treatment has increased in some cases locally from once a season to almost every week.

But Ms Roberts, who runs the Holy Bee Press from her home in America, suggested leaving bees to adapt to the threat themselves may be a better long-term solution.

Leave Them Bee

It might take several years but, in areas like Africa where chemical treatment is not always possible, hives have adapted and survived infestations of verroa mite, she said.

It may be that the reason we havent seen that happen more widely is that humans are just not giving bees enough time.

Ms Roberts also suggested, although there has been research into how to eradicate verroa mites, little has been done to ascertain the possible consequences of long-term chemical treatment.

Some of the guests at Bee School visiting the hives. Picture by Steve Parsley

She reminded the meeting there have been examples of some species of pest becoming immune to chemicals and a strain of super verroa could be a real risk if alternatives are not explored.

Ms Roberts also suggested genetic modifications of bee species to enhance honey production or make them tamer for their handlers could also be hampering their ability to adapt to natural threats.

However, she applauded Ar Okulus initiative and objectives in the Mugla region and added her own voice to calls for a better understanding of bees through activism.

Bee activism sounds angry  but it doesnt have to be that way. What we all must all do is educate, help people develop relationships with bees and do that in any way we can  through art, through community projects, through wearing jewellery linked to bees, through toys or just through everyday conversations, she said.

More information about Muglas Ar Okulu is available on the groups Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/ariokulu/ New members are welcome and do not have to own bees; an interest in them is enough.
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Filmmaker Robby Grewal says his upcoming espionage thriller 'Romeo Akbar Walter (RAW)', starring John Abraham in the role of a spy, will not resort to jingoism to drive its point across. The director said the film does not portray Pakistani officers as "bad people", a stereotype often used in Hindi films made on the theme of patriotism.

"Jingoism and patriotism are two different things. It's not a jingoistic film at all. You can be very patriotic without beating your chest. My attempt with the film is to make you feel proud to be an Indian, proud of the man who's done what he's done in the film," the director told PTI in an interview.

Robby said one does not need to "scream" to make people realise their love for the country and filmmakers should be able to capture that element in their cinema.

"In today's time, a good filmmaker is probably the one who doesn't need to scream and shout to get this emotion out. You can do it without that. The resonance of what the characters are going through is loud, not in terms of pitch but emotions. I'm saying the same thing without any chest thumping," he said.

The director, who has previously made romantic films such as "MP3: Mera Pehla Pehla Pyaar" and "Aloo Chaat", spent six years researching and writing the film, which is set against the backdrop of 1971 war.

Alia Bhatt's Mother Soni Razdan Drops Hint About Alia-Ranbir Kapoor's Wedding!

"A Pakistan Army officer is as pious as an Indian Army officer. What we have in our films, mostly, is that we tend to trivialise the other side, make them caricatures, 'bad people', which they aren't. They are doing exactly what we are doing. Circumstances put us against each other. They are not the bad people," he said.

Citing the example of Meghna Gulzar's "Raazi", which also featured an Indian spy sent to Pakistan but did not trivialise the Pakistani side, Robby said his is also not a good versus evil narrative.

"Jingoism comes when you project someone as bad. 'Raazi' didn't have a good versus bad story. My story too isn't about 'we are good and they are bad.' I don't enjoy that. I like to keep things real. The drama should come through the narrative, not through over-dramatising the performances. As a filmmaker, I don't like pitching it too loud. Now real is commercial."

Romeo Akbar Walter is scheduled to release on April 5.
"I thought of all the other men around and behind us who couldn't help but see their behinds," the self-described Catholic mother of four sons wrote in a letter to the editor that was published by the Observer, Notre Dame's student newspaper, on Monday. "My sons know better than to ogle a woman's  certainly when I'm around (and hopefully, also when I'm not). They didn't stare, and they didn't comment afterwards. But you couldn't help but see those blackly naked rear ends. I didn't want to see them  but they were unavoidable. How much more difficult for young guys to ignore them."
Sonam Kapoor Dons A Classic - Chic Look At An Event

Sonam Kapoor proves time and again why she is Bollywood's top fashion icon. On Thursday afternoon, Sonam attended an event for the launch of a perfume collection by the Swiss luxury brand, Chopard. As usual, Sonam was her classy self, dressed in a fabulous white off shoulder trench coat/gown, giving everyone fashion lessons. She accessorized with a pair of silver pumps and simple earrings.

Alanna Pandey Stuns In All White

Ananya Pandey's cousin, Alanna Pandey too was at the perfume collection launch by Chopard on Thursday afternoon. She looked stunning in an all white avatar. Alanna posed for cameras donning a white top with high rise white denims. She accessorized with a black sling bag and black pumps.

Varun Dhawan Shoots For An Episode Of Quick Heal Pinch

Varun Dhawan shot for an episode of Arbaaz Khan's chat show Quick Heal Pinch on Thursday and the two of them were snapped post that. Varun looked cool in a yellow sweatshirt teamed with ripped denims, and a pair of brown sneakers. Arbaaz was wearing a yellow t-shirt over which he wore a khaki green button down jacket and blue denims. Varun will soon be seen on the big screen in Karan Johar's multi starrer Kalank.

Dimple Kapadia Spotted In The City

Veteran actress Dimple Kapadia got papped when she was out and about in the city on Thursday afternoon. She looked classy as always, even in a casual avatar. She was wearing a black top with beige pants and a pair of flip flops. Dimple will next be seen in Ayan Mukerji's Brahmastra, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Amitabh Bachchan and Mouni Roy.
RJ, TV presenter, comedian and actor Danish Sait's wit is something which has always lured audience towards him. He's all set to take his fans on a laughter ride as he's returning to silver screen with the sequel to his hit film Humble Politician Nograj. Danish took to Instagram to surprise his fans with the good news. He wrote, 'Countrymen: The script for the Sequel is ready Noganna is coming soon'.

He will be collaborating with Saad for the second time. The latter has contributed to the story, and will also be dealing with the screenplay. Saad told The New Indian Express, "With the love and appreciation that the first part of the film received across the globe, it was obvious that the film would have a sequel."

This was also the first Kannada film to be aired on Amazon Prime. "We are not done with the script and currently, we are in the process of finalising the producers. An announcement about the production house, cast and technicians will be revealed as we finalise them," he further added.

MOST READ : Londonalli Lambodara's Shruti Prakash Talks About Having Her First Baby! Is It What We Think It Is?

Danish fans reacted to the post saying, "Eagerly waiting...how do u have so much power",

"Awesome . Love it.. guess this time our humbler guy scoots majority votes in Rajyasabha.. that too at the claimax with a solid twist" and "best wishes to the team... Looking forward to another hilarious experience" - (sic)
Yesterday, an arrest warrant against Sandalwood actor Sudeep was issued by Chikamagalur High Court. A case was filed against him when his production team under Kiccha Creation failed to pay the rent for a property they had hired during filming of the television show Varadasa. According to the latest reports, the High Court has postponed the hearing to April 22, 2019. Thus, the Pailwaan actor is safe from legal actions for now as the Court has issued a stay order. The arrest warrant was issued against him when he didn't appear for the initial hearing.

Deepak Mayur, at whose house the filming of the television show took place, said that a large part of his coffee estate has been damaged. Deepak had informed the actor and his production team to pay for the damage, however, they ignored it. He has claimed also that property worth Rs 1.5 crore has been damaged.

MOST READ : BREAKING! Arrest Warrant Issued Against Sudeep For Destruction of Property Worth Rs 1.5 Crore!

Sudeep has also been in the new lately for announcing that he would be campaigning for Sumalatha on April 10 and 11. Previously, he had issued a statement saying, " What calls for my need, when Darshan isb y Sumalatha's side." However, the actor now seems to have changed his mind.
Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - March 27, 2019) - Critical Control Energy Services Corp. (formerly TSX: CCZ; CCZ.PR.A) today reported its financial results for the year ended December 31, 2018.

"Industry challenges in 2018, the impact of such challenges on the Corporation's operational performance and the resulting negative repercussions on liquidity required extraordinary measures to address," said Alykhan Mamdani, CEO of Critical Control. "Management is confident that the measures taken in 2018 and early 2019 will ensure the Corporation's viability and will position the Company for future success."

Revenue

Key strategic cloud based software generated $7.9 million during 2018 consistent with the comparative period in 2017. Industry associated declines in Canada were offset by penetration of the Corporation's client base in the United States ("US").

Software based services revenue decreased by 14.1% compared to the prior period comparison, due to shut in wells, competitive pricing pressures, and the completion of a large software implementation for a client in 2018.

Measurement services revenue decreased 11.0% compared to the prior period due to an increasingly competitive market in the US for measurement services work.

Equipment and other revenue generated $4.3 million during 2018 consistent with the comparative period in 2017. Over 90% of this revenue is based in the US. It fluctuates from period to period depending on demand and is viewed as non-recurring in nature.

Gross margin

The Corporation achieved a gross margin of 41.2% for the year ended 2018. This is comprised of cloud based software and software based services ("Software") with a gross margin of 61.0% and measurement services and equipment and other revenue ("Field Services") with a gross margin of 14.7%.

Gross margin in Software decreased from 62.8% to 61.0% during 2018, due to a strong competitive environment in Canada.

Gross margin from Field Services was 14.7% in 2018 compared to 21.3% in 2019. This reduction was driven by customer losses due to competitive pricing pressure and pricing concessions given to combat competitive pressures. The Corporation focused on restructuring its Field Services business and consolidating operations across the US in order to operate more efficiently, offsetting the impact of the above pressures. During the year ended December 31, 2018, the Corporation sold inventory with a cost of $1.3 million at auction for gross proceeds of $0.1 million of which $0.6 million was applied against the allowance for inventory obsolescence.

Net loss and adjusted EBITDA

The Corporation has a loss of $19.2 million in 2018 (2017: $3.3 million). The increased loss is attributed to $10.5 million impairment of intangible assets and goodwill, $3.7 million derecognition of deferred income taxes, increase in depreciation and amortization of $2.8 million and increase of $1.5 million in other expenses related to write-down of inventory, termination benefits, restructuring fees, and other charges incurred by the Corporation in 2018.

Adjusted EBITDA decreased 37.8% in 2018 which is attributed to reduced gross margins, however is partially offset by reduced administrative expenditures.

Outlook and Guidance

The price of oil fell below $10 per boe in Q4 2018, resulting in a material contraction for the Corporation's Software in Canada. The Corporation partially offset this decline with successful penetration of its Software in the US. During the second half of 2018, the Corporation undertook a reorganization to operate in an environment in Canada which is expected to continue to contract and an environment in the US which is expected to be increasingly competitive.

The Corporation's strategy for 2019 and onwards is to leverage its Field Services customers in the US to adopt the Corporation's Software. The Corporation is rebuilding its Field Services business to differentiate an increasingly commoditized offering with cost savings based on adoption of Software. Management's expectation of growth is based upon continued penetration of the Corporation's Software by its US customers and may be impacted as the industry continues investment in automation attracting the entry of new competitive products to the Corporation's Software.

Growth of the Corporation's cloud based Software revenue in the US during 2018 is a reflection of the success of the Corporation's strategy to convert its measurement services to automation based on Software. Management is optimistic that the continuation of this strategy in 2019 will accelerate adoption of the Corporation's cloud based Software in the US which will offset the risk inherent in the Canadian market place.

For further information

Alykhan Mamdani

President & CEO

Tel (403) 705-7500

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/43719
- EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE, PARTNERED DRUG DISCOVERY & DEVELOPMENT, ACQUISITIONS, AND UNIQUE PLATFORM TECHNOLOGIES LEAD TO STRONG GROWTH MOMENTUM

- STRONG FINANCIAL RESULTS: 42% INCREASE IN GROUP REVENUES, ADJUSTED GROUP EBITDA UP 67%

- EXPANSION AND VERY GOOD PROGRESS IN CO-OWNED PORTFOLIO OF >100 ASSETS

- STRONG START AND OUTLOOK FOR FISCAL YEAR 2019

HAMBURG, GERMANY / ACCESSWIRE / March 28, 2019 / Evotec AG (Frankfurt Stock Exchange: EVT, MDAX/TecDAX, ISIN: DE0005664809) today reported financial results and corporate updates for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2018.

STRONG FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE

- Group revenues up 42% to EUR 375.4 m (2017: EUR 263.8 m); EUR 364.0 m Revenues from customer contracts, excluding revenues from recharges according to IFRS 15

- Adjusted Group EBITDA up 67% to EUR 95.5 m (2017: EUR 57.2 m); EUR 92.0 m excluding one-off effects from tax credits and receivables

- Total R&D expenses of EUR 35.6 m (2017: EUR 17.6 m) including EUR 12.7 m of infectious diseases-related expenses fully reimbursed by Sanofi ("partnered R&D")

- Strong strategic liquidity position of EUR 149.4 m

OPERATIONAL AND SCIENTIFIC EXCELLENCE - "EXCELLENCE SQUARED"

- Multiple new and extended drug discovery and development alliances

- INDiGO roll-out and integration of high-end CMC offering

- Leading application of Artificial Intelligence ("AI") in drug discovery projects

- Continued strong performance of high-throughput ADME-tox testing (Cyprotex)

- Significant progress in partnered co-owned pipeline; Clinical Phase I & Phase II starts

- Multiple important milestone achievements, also in iPSC-based alliances

- Continued expansion of iPSC leadership and focus on patient-centric approaches

- Initiation of world-leading protein degradation platform

- Global roll-out and expansion of Academic BRIDGE model

CORPORATE

- Creating important footprint in infectious disease through acquisition of Evotec ID (Lyon)

- Conversion into European Company (SE) expected to become effective by end of March 2019

FINANCIAL GUIDANCE 2019 - CONTINUED STRONG LONG-TERM GROWTH

- Group revenues expected to increase by approx. 10% (2018: EUR 364.0 m excluding revenues from recharges according to IFRS 15)

- Adjusted Group EBITDA expected to improve by approx. 10% (2018: EUR 92.0 m excluding one-off effects from tax credits and receivables)

- Unpartnered research and development expenses expected to be approximately EUR 30-40 m (2018: EUR 22.9 m)

1. STRONG FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE

In 2018, Evotec's Group revenues increased by 42% to EUR 375.4 m (2017: EUR 263.8 m). This increase was driven primarily by the strong performance in the base business, increased milestone payments and a positive first full-year contribution from the acquired business of Aptuit (EUR 117.7 m) while contributing only EUR 46.0 m in 2017 (mid-August to December 2017). Revenues from milestones, upfronts and licences amounted to EUR 29.5 m, an increase of 6% in comparison to the previous year (EUR 27.8 m). Milestones in 2018 resulted mainly from the collaborations with Bayer in endometriosis/chronic cough and kidney diseases, and from Evotec's iPSC-based collaborations with Celgene in neurodegeneration as well as Sanofi in diabetes.

In 2018, Evotec focused its R&D expenses of EUR 35.6 m primarily on its iPSC research, projects in metabolic diseases, oncology and R&D platforms (2017: EUR 17.6 m). Furthermore, Evotec increased its R&D expenses significantly in infectious disease (ID)-related research following the acquisition of Evotec ID (Lyon) from Sanofi. These additional ID-related R&D expenses (EUR 12.7 m) are fully reimbursed by Sanofi in context of the five-year agreement and are recognised under other operating income. Thus, they are not detrimental to the operating result and the adjusted EBITDA.

In 2018, the Group's selling, general and administrative ("SG&A") expenses increased as expected by 35% to EUR 57.0 m (2017: EUR 42.4 m). This increase resulted primarily from first full-year SG&A expenses of Aptuit, additional Evotec ID (Lyon) costs as well as M&A-related and increased business development and administrative expenses in response to overall Company growth. However, this increase remained sub-proportional to revenue and adjusted EBITDA growth rates.

Evotec recorded a significant step-up in the adjusted Group EBITDA for 2018 to EUR 95.5 m (2017: EUR 57.2 m), yielding an adjusted EBITDA margin of 25.4% (2017: 21.7%). This adjusted EBITDA contains positive one-off effects from receivables and tax credits relating to prior periods in the amount of EUR 3.5 m. Without this effect, the adjusted EBITDA would amount to EUR 92.0 m.

Evotec's operating result amounted to EUR 77.5 m in 2018 (2017: operating result of EUR 36.7 m) being positively impacted by the income from bargain purchase and higher R&D tax credits as well as positive one-off effects from receivables and tax credits. In 2018, an income from bargain purchase of EUR 15.4 m was recorded for the acquisition of Evotec ID (Lyon) as the purchase price was below the net assets acquired. The Company's net result in 2018 amounted to EUR 84.1 m (2017: net result of EUR 23.2 m), being impacted by most recent acquisitions and the strong performance of the base business.

Evotec ended 2018 with a liquidity of EUR 149.4 m (2017: EUR 91.2 m), which was composed of cash and cash equivalents (EUR 109.0 m) and investments (EUR 40.4 m). The strong increase in liquidity in 2018 resulted mainly from the prepayments received from Celgene and the upfront received from Sanofi for Evotec ID (Lyon) (EUR 61 m), off-set by net loan repayments (EUR 78.2 m).

2. OPERATIONAL AND SCIENTIFIC EXCELLENCE - "EXCELLENCE SQUARED" IN EVT EXECUTE & EVT INNOVATE

The EVT Execute segment demonstrated strong progress in 2018 with new and extended alliances (e.g. CHDI, C4X, Dermira, Ferring, Forge, LEO Pharma, Novo Nordisk). In 2018, Evotec was involved in more than 700 customer alliances and recorded a repeat business of 92%. Following the launch of its INDiGO services in early 2018, Evotec was able to sign multiple new INDiGO agreements with e.g. Ankar, Astex, Carna Biosciences, Inflazome, and Yumanity. The high-throughput ADME-tox testing business of Cyprotex continued its excellent performance.

In EVT Innovate, 2018 was characterised by important progress in its strategic partnerships (iPSC neurodegeneration alliance with Celgene; iPSC diabetes alliance with Sanofi; kidney disease alliance with Bayer) as well as the signing of new partnerships, e.g. two new partnerships with Celgene in oncology as well as a new partnership with Almirall in dermatological diseases. Furthermore, the Company is blending artificial intelligence ("AI") and machine-learning tools into many of its biology- and chemistry-driven platforms to further accelerate and increase effectiveness in the process and continues to place great emphasis on patient-centric approaches to drug discovery. The partnered clinical projects are progressing to plan.

In 2018, Evotec's academic BRIDGE model continued to attract significant interest from academia and industry partners.

3. CORPORATE

ACQUISITION OF EVOTEC ID (LYON)

Effective 01 July 2018, Evotec acquired 100% of the shares of Evotec ID (Lyon), the former Sanofi infectious disease unit in Lyon. The collaboration resulted in an upfront payment of EUR 61 m (EUR 43 m in cash plus EUR 18 m cash of the acquired company) to Evotec. Evotec is eligible for significant further long-term funding from Sanofi in order to ensure the support and progression of a world-leading portfolio in this field.

4. FINANCIAL GUIDANCE 2019 - CONTINUED STRONG LONG-TERM GROWTH

Revenues, research and development expenses and adjusted EBITDA remain the financial key performance indicators of the Evotec Group.

For the financial year 2019, the Management Board expects Evotec to show Group revenue growth from contracts with customers without revenues from recharges of approx. 10%. This revenue growth is based on visibility of the current order book, expected new contracts, contract extensions and milestone opportunities. Projections are based on constant 2018 exchange rates.

Evotec's adjusted Group EBITDA from 2018 includes one-off effects associated to the business years 2016 and 2017 in the amount of EUR 3.5 m. Without these one-off effects, the adjusted Group EBITDA in 2018 would amount to EUR 92.0 m. Against this number, Evotec's adjusted Group EBITDA is expected to improve by approx. 10% in 2019 compared to 2018.

Evotec will continue to significantly invest in its own "unpartnered" research and development (R&D) efforts to create a long-term pipeline of first-in class assets and platforms. In addition, the Company will also continue to invest in its infectious disease-related efforts. ID-related R&D expenses of approx. EUR 35 m will be completely cost-covered by its partner Sanofi ("partnered R&D"). For better comparison against previous years, Evotec will focus its guidance and reporting during the course of 2019 on the "unpartnered R&D" part, estimated at approx. EUR 30-40 m.

Guidance 2019 Actual 2018 Group revenues from contracts with customers without revenues from recharges

Approx. 10% growth EUR 364.0 m1) Unpartnered R&D expenses Approx. EUR 30-40 m EUR 22.9 m Adjusted Group EBITDA2) Improve by approx. 10% compared to 2018 EUR 92.0 m3)

1) 2018 total revenues excluding revenues from recharges according to IFRS 15

2) EBITDA is defined as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation of intangibles. Adjusted EBITDA excludes contingent considerations, income from bargain purchase and impairments on goodwill, other intangible and tangible assets as well as the total non-operating result

3) 2018 total adjusted Group EBITDA excluding EUR 3.5 m one-off effects in 2018

Webcast/Conference Call

The Company is going to hold a conference call to discuss the results as well as to provide an update on its performance. Furthermore, the Management Board will present an outlook for fiscal year 2019. The conference call will be held in English.

Conference call details

Date: Thursday, 28 March 2019

Time: 02.00 pm CET (09.00 am EDT, 01.00 pm GMT)

From Germany: +49 69 201 744 220

From France: +33 170 709 502

From Italy: +39 02 3600 6663

From the UK: +44 20 3009 2470

From the USA: +1 877 423 0830

Access Code: 75185877#

A simultaneous slide presentation for participants dialling in via phone is available at https://webcasts.eqs.com/evotec20190328/no-audio.

Webcast details

To join the audio webcast and to access the presentation slides you will find a link on our home page www.evotec.com shortly before the event.

A replay of the conference call will be available for 24 hours and can be accessed in Europe by dialling +49 69 20 17 44 222 (Germany) or +44 20 3364 5150 (UK) and in the USA by dialling +1 844 307 9362. The access code is 315534320#. The on-demand version of the webcast will be available on our website: https://www.evotec.com/financial-reports.

NOTE

The 2017 and 2018 results are not fully comparable. The difference stems from the acquisitions of Aptuit (effective 11 August 2017) and Evotec ID (Lyon) SAS (effective 01 July 2018). The results from Aptuit are only included from 11 August 2017 onwards while the results from Evotec ID (Lyon) SAS are only included from 01 July 2018 onwards. From 01 January 2018 onwards, Evotec applies IFRS 15 and IFRS 9. The comparison period 2017 is adjusted for the first time application of IFRS 15, however, not for IFRS 9.

ABOUT EVOTEC AG

Evotec is a drug discovery alliance and development partnership company focused on rapidly progressing innovative product approaches with leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, academics, patient advocacy groups and venture capitalists. We operate worldwide and our more than 2,600 employees provide the highest quality stand-alone and integrated drug discovery and development solutions. We cover all activities from target-to-clinic to meet the industry's need for innovation and efficiency in drug discovery and development (EVT Execute). The Company has established a unique position by assembling top-class scientific experts and integrating state-of-the-art technologies as well as substantial experience and expertise in key therapeutic areas including neuronal diseases, diabetes and complications of diabetes, pain and inflammation, oncology, infectious diseases, respiratory diseases and fibrosis. On this basis, Evotec has built a broad and deep pipeline of approx. 100 co-owned product opportunities at clinical, pre-clinical and discovery stages (EVT Innovate). Evotec has established multiple long-term alliances with partners including Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Celgene, CHDI, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Sanofi, Takeda, UCB and others. For additional information please go to www.evotec.com and follow us on Twitter @EvotecAG.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

Information set forth in this press release contains forward-looking statements, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements contained herein represent the judgement of Evotec as of the date of this press release. Such forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, and which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in these forward-looking statements. We expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such statements to reflect any change in our expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

Fiscal year 2018 results



Key figures of consolidated income statement

Evotec AG and subsidiaries

In TEUR except share data and per share data

January to December Change 2018 20171) in % Revenues from contracts with customers 375,405 263,765 42 Gross margin in % 29.8 31.0 Research and development expenses (35,619) (17,614) 102 Selling, general and administrative expenses (57,012) (42,383) 35 Impairment of intangible assets (4,364) (1,180) Income from bargain purchase 15,400 - Other operating income (expenses), net 47,042 16,104 115 Operating result 77,463 36,727 111 Adjusted EBITDA2) 95,457 57,222 67 Net income 84,056 23,218 Weighted average shares outstanding 147,482,051 145,009,742 Net income (loss) per share (basic) 0.57 0.16 Net income (loss) per share (diluted) 0.56 0.16

1) 2017 data adjusted for the first time application of IFRS 15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers

2) Before contingent considerations, income from bargain purchase and excluding impairments on goodwill, other

intangible and tangible assets as well as the total non-operating result

Segment information



2018

In TEUR

EVT

Execute EVT Innovate Intersegment eliminations Not

allocated

Transition Evotec

Group External revenues 295,087 68,893 - - 11.425 375,405 Intersegment revenues 52,090 - (52,090) - - - Gross margin in % 25.0 44.3 29.8 R&D expenses (862) (40,148) 5,391 - - (35,619) SG&A expenses (47,578) (9,434) - - - (57,012) Impairment of intangible assets

-

(4,364)

-

-

-

(4,364) Income from bargain purchase

-

-

-

15,400

-

15,400 Other operating income (expenses), net

18,772

28,270

-

-

-

47,042 Operating result 57,219 4,844 - 15,400 - 77,463 Adjusted EBITDA1) 87,186 8,271 95,457

1) Before contingent considerations, income from bargain purchase and excluding impairments on goodwill, other intangible and tangible assets as well as the total non-operating result

20171)

In TEUR

EVT

Execute EVT Innovate Intersegment eliminations

Transition Evotec

Group External revenues 213,423 43,853 - 6,489 263,765 Intersegment revenues 36,557 - (36,557) - - Gross margin in % 26.8 44.3 31.0 R&D expenses (724) (21,386) 4,496 - (17,614) SG&A expenses (35,497) (6,886) - - (42,383) Impairment of intangible assets

-

(1,180)

-

-

(1,180) Other operating income (expenses), net

12,059

4,045

-

-

16,104 Operating result 42,714 (5,987) - - 36,727 Adjusted EBITDA2) 62,413 (5,191) 57,222

1) 2017 data adjusted for the first time application of IFRS 15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers

2) Before contingent considerations, income from bargain purchase and excluding impairments on goodwill, other intangible and tangible assets as well as the total non-operating result

Key figures of consolidated statement of financial position

Evotec AG and subsidiaries



In TEUR

31 Dec 31 Dec Change 2018 20171) in % Cash, cash equivalents and investments 149,449 91,156 64 Working capital (39,036) 12,150 Current and non-current loan liabilities and finance lease obligations 114,465 189,928 (40) Total stockholders' equity 424,880 331,915 28 Total assets 771,883 666,475 16

1) 2017 data adjusted for the first time application of IFRS 15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers as well as the finalisation of the purchase price allocation of the Aptuit Group

Contact Evotec AG:

Gabriele Hansen, VP Corporate Communications & Investor Relations, Phone: +49.(0)40.56081-255, gabriele.hansen@evotec.com

SOURCE: Evotec AG

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/540397/EVOTEC-AG-FISCAL-YEAR-2018-RESULTS-ACCELERATED-GROWTH-AND-STRONG-LONG-TERM-OUTLOOK
Magento belongs to Adobe and is the most popular shop system worldwide with a market share of 30% and already used by over 200,000 online shops

Wirecard enables merchants to get up and running more quickly on the Wirecard digital financial commerce platform

ASCHHEIM, Germany, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Wirecard, the global innovation leader for digital financial technology, today announced the release of two new extensions for the shop systems Magento 1 and Magento 2 aimed at easing the integration of merchants' online shops with the Wirecard digital financial commerce platform. Merchants benefit from ready-to-use shop extensions that can be adapted to their individual business needs and are optimized for use with the Wirecard technology. As a result, they are able to accelerate and facilitate the launch of their e-commerce offering. Magento was acquired by Adobe in 2018. With a market share of 30%, it is the most popular shop system worldwide with more than 200,000 online shops using it across the globe.

The Wirecard shop extensions for Magento 1 and 2 are fully customizable with regard to features, payment methods, user interfaces and languages. Unlike the case with other available offerings, Wirecard provides full support at all times, even if the merchant has made significant adjustments to fit its unique business case. All post-processing operations such as capture, refund or cancellation can be done within the online shop. In addition, returning customers benefit from improved checkout experience with one-click payments, helping merchants to increase conversion rates.

The new extensions are publicly available as open source on GitHub. Merchants can use free test accounts without registration and any obligation to see how their businesses would benefit from integrating with the Wirecard digital platform. Wirecard provides free merchant support via live-chat, email or phone, even before signing a contract.

"We are proud to announce our new shop extensions for Magento and thus help even more businesses around the world take advantage of our unique digital ecosystem of financial commerce technologies and services," said Sreelekha Sankar, EVP Payment & Risk at Wirecard.

About Wirecard:

Wirecard (GER: WDI) is one of the world's fastest growing digital platforms in the area of financial commerce. We provide both business customers and consumers with a constantly expanding ecosystem of real-time value-added services built around innovative digital payments by using an integrated B2B2C approach. This ecosystem concentrates on the areas payment & risk, retail & transaction banking, loyalty & couponing, data analytics & conversion rate enhancement in all sales channels (online, mobile, ePOS). Wirecard operates regulated financial institutions in several key markets and holds issuing and acquiring licenses from all major payment and card networks. Wirecard AG is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (DAX and TecDAX, ISIN DE0007472060). Visit us on www.wirecard.com, follow us on Twitter @wirecard and on Facebook @wirecardgroup.

Wirecard media contact:

Wirecard AG

Jana Tilz

Tel.: +49(0)89-4424-1363

Email: jana.tilz@wirecard.com
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / March 28, 2019 / ("Belmont Resources Inc. ("Belmont" or the "Company") (TSX.V: BEA; FSE: L3L1; DTC Eligible - CUSIP 080499403).

Belmont has entered into an arm's length acquisition agreement with David Heyman & Clive Brookes (the "Vendors"), to acquire 253.34 hectares of mineral claims which is part of the former Pathfinder Property, located in southern British Columbia, approximately 18 km north of Grand Forks, in the Greenwood Mining Division. The property covers a highly mineralized area at the northeastern edge of the Boundary Mining Camp; also known as the historically productive and larger Republic-Greenwood Gold District. Copper and gold mining in this camp dates back to the turn of the century. More recently, other companies carrying out exploration drilling in the area have announced outstanding intersections of precious metals.(ie. Ximen Mining Corp. -"TSX.V:XIM";GGX Gold Corp.- "TSX.V:GGX": and Grizzly Discoveries Inc. "TSX.V:GZD").

The Belmont property is currently surrounded on 3 sides by claims held by KG Exploration (Canada) Inc. (a wholly owned subsidiary of Kinross Gold Corporation). See area map:

A great deal of historical prospecting, outcrop sampling, diamond drilling, and, more recently, magnetic survey and soil sampling has been carried out throughout the property and there is evidence of old mine workings in several locations on the former Pathfinder property, some going back to the late 1800's.

In the late 1990's systematic and integrated exploration programs by Cassidy Gold Corp resulted in the discovery of several vein and skarn showings/zones with geophysical and geochemical anomalies in the area. Following up on Cassidy's work, Conlon Resources Corp optioned the property in May of 2000 and carried out more thorough soil sampling and geochemical analysis on the property. The work by Conlon, carried out and documented by R.C. Wells, P.Geo. of Kamloops Geological Services Ltd (Dec 2000 report) identified several prospective targets and recommended further study, including core drilling of high-probability areas.

In R.C. Well's December, 2000 report for Conlon he states; "The gold-silver mineralization at Pathfinder has several features in common with the past producing mines in the Rossland mining camp, 60 km to the southeast. This camp was historically the 2nd largest BC gold producer. Sulfide-rich ores consisted of massive pyrrhotite-rich replacement "veins" averaging close to .5 ounces per ton (17.1g/T) gold, with significant Copper and Silver."

All previous work is of a historical nature, and may not have been conducted under NI 43-101 standards, therefore assay results cannot necessarily be relied upon. Belmont intends to confirm the reported mineralization on its claims with the Company's own sampling program. Significant historical information/ data will be compiled as soon as possible to assist in the 2019 exploration program and completion of an updated geological report.

Jim Place, P.Geo.,CEO comments: "This was an opportunity that Belmont could not pass up. On the heels of a very positive Vancouver Resources Investment Conference ("VRIC"); the Prospectors & Development Association of Canada ("PDAC") and with the optimism in the market surrounding growth in gold prices, mergers and acquisitions, and mine development; we were presented with a portion of the Pathfinder property. Other exciting gold news from companies exploring the historic Greenwood area mining camp have received much investor's attention recently."

Other active companies in the Greenwood Camp include Golden Dawn Minerals -(TSX.V: GOM) and Grizzly Discoveries Inc. (TSX.V: GZD). Under the terms of a September 23, 2015 agreement, KG Exploration (Canada) Inc. (the subsidiary of Kinross Gold Corp) ("Kinross") can earn a 75% interest in certain mineral claims within Grizzly's Greenwood Gold Project, covering approximately 27,000 hectares (approximately one third of the area comprising the Greenwood Gold Project), by incurring US$3 million in exploration over a 5 year period; with a minimum of 3,000 metres of diamond drilling and expenditures totaling US $750,000 by September 23, 2017 (which has been completed). Kinross has incurred approximately Cdn.$1,280,500 in exploration to date (see GZD news release dated February 25, 2019). Kinross is planning further exploration within the Greenwood option for 2019.

Details of Belmont's Acquisition:

Pursuant to the Agreement, in order to complete the acquisition the Company must:

Pay the Vendors $25,000 upon signing (paid);

Issue to the Vendors 750,000 common shares of the Company and 750,000 transferable warrants exercisable at a price of $0.10 per share for a period of two years from the approval date, as set out below:

(i) 625,000 shares and 625,000 warrants to the vendors on the approval date;



(ii) 125,000 shares and 125,000 warrants to the vendors on the one year anniversary of the Agreement date;

A 1.5% Net Smelter Return Royalty ("NSR"). The Company many acquire one-half of the NSR for $1 million upon commencement of commercial production on the Property.

The Agreement is subject to TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange") approval.

About Belmont Resources Inc.

Belmont is an emerging resource company engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties in Canada and Nevada, U.S.A.

For further information see our Website at: www.BelmontResources.com

-Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Nevadalithium/

-Twitter https://twitter.com/Belmont_Res

Belmont owns the Kibby Basin Lithium project covering 2,056 hectares (5,080 acres) in Esmeralda County, Nevada, U.S.A. The Kibby Basin property is located 65 km north of Clayton Valley, Nevada the location of the only US Lithium producer. MGX Minerals Inc. (CSE: XMG) has currently earned a 25% interest in the Kibby project and has the right to increase this to 50% by expending an additional $300,000 on exploration and become the operator.

In 50/50 ownership with International Montoro Resources Inc., Belmont has acquired and is exploring joint venture opportunities for its significant uranium properties (Crackingstone -982 ha) in the Uranium City District in Northern Saskatchewan, Canada

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

"James H. Place"

James H. Place, P.Geo., CEO/President

This Press Release may contain forward-looking statements that may involve a number of risks and uncertainties, based on assumptions and judgments of management regarding future events or results that may prove to be inaccurate as a result of exploration and other risk factors beyond its control. Forward looking statements in this news release include statements about the possible raising of capital and exploration of our properties. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Companies forward-looking statements and expectations. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, that we may not be able to obtain regulatory approval; that we may not be able to raise funds required, that conditions to closing may not be fulfilled and we may not be able to organize and carry out an exploration program in 2019, and other risks associated with being a mineral exploration and development company. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and, except as required by applicable laws, the Company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results differed from those projected in the forward-looking statements.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as the term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

SOURCE: Belmont Resources Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/540376/Belmont-Acquires-BC-Gold-Prospect-in-Historic-Republic-Greenwood-Gold-District
Monument Re announces today that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Inora Life DAC from Societe Generale. The closing of the transaction is subject to regulatory approval. Inora Life is a life insurer domiciled in Ireland, which has ceased all new activity since 2012, but still manages a portfolio of unit-linked insurance products. The transaction will have no impact on Inora Life DAC clients policyholders.

Manfred Maske, CEO of Monument Re Group, said that "We are pleased to have been able to work with Societe Generale and to be able to announce this transaction. The acquisition of Inora aligns with our growth and consolidation strategy in Ireland."

Change of control of the company will follow satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including receipt of regulatory approvals.

About Societe Generale

Societe Generale is one of the leading European financial services groups. Based on a diversified and integrated banking model, the Group combines financial strength and proven expertise in innovation with a strategy of sustainable growth, aiming to be the trusted partner for its clients, committed to the positive transformations of society and the economy.

Active in the real economy for over 150 years, with a solid position in Europe and connected to the rest of the world, Societe Generale has over 147,000 members of staff in 67 countries and supports on a daily basis 31 million individual clients, businesses and institutional investors around the world by offering a wide range of advisory services and tailored financial solutions. The Group is built on three complementary core businesses: French Retail Banking, International Retail Banking, Insurance and Financial Services to Corporates, and Global Banking and Investor Solutions.

Societe Generale is included in the principal socially responsible investment indices: DJSI (World and Europe), FTSE4Good (Global and Europe), Euronext Vigeo (World, Europe and Eurozone), four of the STOXX ESG Leaders indices, and the MSCI Low Carbon Leaders Index.

About Monument Re and Monument Insurance

Monument Re Limited ("Monument Re") is a Class E reinsurer and Holding Company subject to Group Supervision by the Bermuda Monetary Authority. From its base in Bermuda, Monument Re operates as a reinsurer and acquirer of European asset intensive portfolios. Through its strategy, Monument Re looks to assume asset based risks within its risk appetite and efficiently operate these businesses or portfolios.

The Irish subsidiaries of Monument Re trade as Monument Insurance, and includes Laguna Life d.a.c., which is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

The group of companies has established a presence in Bermuda, Ireland, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

To learn more, please visit www.monumentregroup.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005107/en/

Contacts:

Manfred Maske, CEO

info@monumentregroup.com

+1 (441) 400-9300
BERLIN, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- LabTwin GmbH, an independent company backed by Boston Consulting Group Digital Ventures (BCG Digital Ventures) and leading biopharma supplier, Sartorius, today announced the launch of the world's first voice and AI-powered digital lab assistant. Scientists can take notes, capture data, create supply lists and set timers or reminders from anywhere in the lab just by talking to LabTwin.

LabTwin uses machine learning and voice-recognition technologies to streamline workflow in laboratories around the world. Researchers from top-tier research institutes such as UCSF and Deutsches Primatenzentrum GmbH, and top biopharma companies have been quick to adopt LabTwin's voice-powered assistant.

"Digital assistants will free employees up to work on the things that matter most. New forms of interactions such as voice or image recognition, in conjunction with machine learning technology, will push businesses further than ever before," said Magdalena Paluch, LabTwin CEO, and co-founder. "LabTwin has the power to accelerate communication, unleash creativity and increase productivity by unshackling scientists from keyboards, desktops and hard-to-access folder structures. It's the digital twin always within reach."

Industry power players BCG Digital Ventures and Sartorius have both lent their support to LabTwin's mission. BCG Digital Ventures incubated the product and company, providing funding, consulting, design and engineering resources, while Sartorius shared funding, industry knowledge and user contacts.

"At Sartorius we see firsthand the problems scientists face in the lab. They have to interrupt experiments to take notes, search for information and check experimental conditions. LabTwin solves this gap by providing a voice-activated personal lab assistant that literally works alongside the scientist," said Joachim Kreuzburg, CEO of Sartorius.

"LabTwin is a game-changing technology," said Arndt Roller, Partner at BCG Digital Ventures. "It has the potential to reduce experimental error, improve R&D efficiency and shorten product development timelines."

LabTwin is a collaborative venture resulting from a shared interest in creating digital tools to empower scientists. To achieve this goal, LabTwin is open to exploring possible partnerships with other industry players and leading academic institutions.

About LabTwin

LabTwin is creating the next generation of digital lab tools, starting with the world's first voice-powered lab assistant. With LabTwin's assistant, scientists can collect data, manage experiments and reagent inventories, and streamline documentation simply by talking. LabTwin is backed by Boston Consulting Group Digital Ventures (BCG Digital Ventures) and Sartorius. Their voice-powered assistant is used by scientists around the world.

Visit the LabTwin website to learn more, sign up to access the app and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter to get company updates.

Media Contact

Gursatya "Guru" Singh

Head of Growth, LabTwin

guru.singh@labtwin.com

+49-160-8892586

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/841313/LabTwin.jpg

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/841314/LabTwin_Logo.jpg
Ryan, a leading global tax services and software provider, announced it has entered into a strategic partnership with Sovos The partnership will provide businesses operating globally with the tax technology solutions needed to stay ahead of the rapidly changing regulatory and compliance demands being spurred as governments increasingly embrace digital capabilities for tax reporting.

"To remain compliant, multinational corporations must comply with the latest tax regulations in the various countries where they conduct business. This requires software that accommodates the shift to e-invoicing," said Ryan Tax Technology Principal and Practice Leader Grant Smith. "Sovos' comprehensive tax software is a perfect complement to Ryan's implementation services."

Sovos, recently named a leader in the IDC MarketScape of global tax automation software, offers the first complete solution for modern tax. The Sovos Intelligent Compliance Cloud combines tax determination and reporting tools for sales and use tax, value-added tax (VAT), and other transactional taxes with digital reporting and e-invoicing compliance software. The solution is supported by the company's S1 cloud platform, which enables Sovos to do the hard work for businesses, handling their compliance across all financial systems, while supporting them with highly reliable, scalable, and secure cloud infrastructure.

This partnership gives Ryan clients access to an expanded portfolio of software products to meet their evolving tax compliance and government reporting needs.

"Ryan has a proven reputation in providing innovative tax technology services," said Sovos Solution Principal Casper Winkelman. "Their expertise and Sovos' Intelligent Compliance Cloud provide a solution for businesses to stay on top of fast-changing government regulations and manage their global tax compliance and reporting more accurately and efficiently."

About Sovos

Sovos is a leading global provider of software that safeguards businesses from the burden and risk of modern tax. As governments and businesses go digital, businesses face increased risks, costs, and complexity. The Sovos Intelligent Compliance Cloud is the first complete solution for modern tax, giving businesses a global solution for tax determination, e-invoicing compliance, and tax reporting. Sovos supports 5,000 customers, including half of the Fortune 500, and integrates with a wide variety of business applications. The company has offices throughout North America, Latin America, and Europe. Sovos is owned by London-based Hg. For more information, visit www.sovos.com and follow Sovos on LinkedIn and Twitter.

About Ryan

Ryan, an award-winning global tax services and software provider, is the largest Firm in the world dedicated exclusively to business taxes. With global headquarters in Dallas, Texas, the Firm provides an integrated suite of federal, state, local, and international tax services on a multijurisdictional basis, including tax recovery, consulting, advocacy, compliance, and technology services. Ryan is a seven-time recipient of the International Service Excellence Award from the Customer Service Institute of America (CSIA) for its commitment to world-class client service. Empowered by the dynamic myRyan work environment, which is widely recognized as the most innovative in the tax services industry, Ryan's multidisciplinary team of more than 2,500 professionals and associates serves over 14,000 clients in more than 50 countries, including many of the world's most prominent Global 5000 companies. More information about Ryan can be found at ryan.com. "Ryan" and "Firm" refer to the global organizational network and may refer to one or more of the member firms of Ryan International, each of which is a separate legal entity.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005112/en/

Contacts:

Patty Sullivan

Director, Communications

Ryan

469.399.4721

patty.sullivan@ryan.com
The 52-year-old woman called 911 around 2:40 a.m. after waking up on the train in the 400 block of South Clinton Street, according to preliminary information from police.
- A trebling of sales in 2018

- Record number of transactions in Mykonos, Paxos, Naxos and Ios

ATHENS, Greece, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Sotheby's International Realty Affiliates LLC announced the highest annual return in history in 2018, with its partners reaching a total sales volume exceeding over 112 billion dollars. Greece Sotheby's experienced one of the highest growth rates worldwide, greatly consolidating its leading position in the local market.

Mr. Savvas Savvaidis, President and Managing Director of Greece Sotheby's International Realty, gave a concise report about the results for Greece following the publication of the financial results for the year 2018:

"Having completed a year which was characterised by tough and targeted work, we are pleased to announce that Greece Sotheby's International Realty tripled its sales volume in 2018 compared to the previous year, effectively reinforcing its leading position in the luxury real estate market in Greece. Within just 24 months of operation, we have achieved the highest recorded sales by a company in Paxos, Naxos and Ios, while over the past 6 months we have completed the highest volume of residential agreements in Mykonos. At the same time, we have also seen a significant increase in Rhodes and Corfu as a result of the international marketing strategy we have pursued. The outstanding results, both locally and globally, are sound confirmation of a business culture which recognizes that the clients' interests are our most valuable asset. By capitalizing on the strength of our name, building a strong talent pool, working with experienced professionals, and continuing to choose the best property in the country, we are heading towards an exciting and ambitious 2019."

Sotheby's International Realty continued to grow in major European markets during the financial year 2018, such as Spain, Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Switzerland. At the same time, 2018 saw the sale of its rights in Cyprus. In Asia, new offices were inaugurated in Sri Lanka and Thailand, while expansion agreements were signed in Indonesia, Vietnam and the Maldives.

"Experts predicted that 2018 would be a year in which the global real estate market would move sluggishly," said Philip White, Sotheby's International Realty Affiliates LLC's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "Despite all of the forecasts, our highly trained companies and affiliate vendors have continued to make the most of their potential, achieving a truly remarkable annual increase in sales. We plan to continue with the same fortitude in 2019 and reinforce Sotheby's International Realty's network by offering innovative products, tools and research that will enable a top-level service in our sector. "

About Greece Sotheby's International Realty

Greece Sotheby's International Realty is the leading luxury real estate agency specializing in the promotion and sale of luxury homes on the Greek islands, as well as in selected locations on the mainland. It is an international award-winning company, with executives who have more than two decades of successful sales experience between them. Using sophisticated promotional tools and taking advantage of the strength of the international brand, Greece Sotheby's International Realty offers excellent residences to outstanding people all over the world.

For further information, please contact Greece Sotheby's International Realty | +30-210-9681070 | info@sothebysrealty.gr

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/842256/Greece_Sothebys_White_Vista.jpg
LONDON, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- SafeCharge (AIM: SCH), the partner of choice for businesses who demand more from payments technology, today announced the release of a new white paper that explores the commercial potential of Chinese shoppers travelling in Europe for local merchants. Titled "Preparing your business to welcome Chinese shoppers", the white paper shares insights, best practices and trends for those businesses eager to get started with Chinese payment methods such as Alipay and WeChat Pay in order to increase conversion rates and drive customer satisfaction.

Chinese tourists have become the overseas shoppers with the highest spending power, relying on QR codes to pay for goods and services on a daily basis. With more than 130 million Chinese citizens travelling around the globe in 2017 alone, this trend is presenting a sizeable commercial opportunity for those businesses wanting to accept the Chinese payment methods online and across their point of sale.

Drawing on the most recent surveys and statistics available, the white paper provides solid guidance for merchants to understand the anatomy of the Chinese shopper, the Chinese payments landscape, how local shopping habits are challenging long-established payment models, and most importantly how to easily integrate these innovative payment methods.

"Today, China is a huge laboratory for any kind of experiment in terms of buying and paying. China gives us a glimpse into the future of what will happen next in the rest of the world," states David Avgi, CEO at SafeCharge. "Payments via mobile phone will soon be a standard all around the globe, so the sooner merchants get familiar with this kind of technology, the better their competitiveness and attractiveness towards a growing mass of shoppers, regardless of their nationality".

"SafeCharge has been one of the first payment service partners to recognize the importance of Chinese digital payment methods," adds Yuval Ziv, CCO at SafeCharge. "As businesses realize the huge commercial opportunity brought by these increasingly popular mobile payment methods, understanding how to integrate them will be crucial from a competitive standpoint. This guide will provide merchants with fresh insights and practical advice on how to be more attractive to Chinese shoppers and unlock new revenue streams."

About SafeCharge

SafeCharge International Group Limited (AIM: SCH), is the payment service partner for the world's most demanding businesses. SafeCharge provides global omni-channel payments services from card acquiring and issuing to payment processing and checkout, all underpinned by advanced risk management solutions. This fully featured proprietary payment platform connects directly to all major payment card schemes including Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Union Pay as well as over 150 local payment methods. With offices around the world, SafeCharge serves a diversified, blue chip client base and is a trusted payment partner for customers across a range of vertical markets. The company has been listed on the London Stock Exchange AIM market since 2014. For more information see:

http://www.safecharge.com/

Media Contact

PR for SafeCharge

Michela Toffali

michelat@safecharge.com

+31-6-18945522

Francesco Tius

SafeCharge@axicom.com

+44-20-7559-5614
28 March 2019

TECTONIC GOLD PLC

("Tectonic Gold" or the "Company")

Unaudited Interim Results to 31 December 2018

MANAGING DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT

Dear Shareholder,

I am pleased to present the unaudited financial results for ("Tectonic Gold" and/or "the Company") and its controlled entities (the Group) for the half year ended 31 December 2018.

During the reporting period the Company completed significant technical evaluation of the lead project at Specimen Hill, including final targeting via geophysics and a 2,500m diamond core drilling program. This successful campaign resulted in the intersection of mineralisation in each of ten drill holes, strongly supporting the Company's research into an exploration and delineation methodology for Intrusive Related Gold Systems (IRGS).

Further sampling and testing at the Mt Cassidy prospect also generated positive results. The IRGS nature of the Mt Cassidy discovery was confirmed in the publication of research undertaken in partnership with The Centre for Ore Deposit Excellence Studies (CODES) at the University of Tasmania.

The success in the drilling campaign has provided the evidence required for pursuing continued delineation of the system at Specimen Hill. High-grade assays from Mt Cassidy (+30g/t gold) and geophysical mapping have similarly provided support for diamond drilling at that site. In order to fund substantial drilling campaigns on these project areas and maintain exploration activities across the portfolio, the Company entered into a Joint Venture agreement with VAST Mineral Sands Pty Ltd, a South African company with mining concessions on the Alexkor diamond mine in South Africa. Revenues from planned mining of the concession will be used to fund further exploration across the core Intrusive Related Gold System portfolio.

The Company has also announced the intention to move the listing from the NEX Exchange to the London Stock Exchange under a Standard Listing via initial Public Offering.

RESULTS AND COMPARATIVE INFORMATION

On 25 June 2018, Tectonic Gold (the legal parent) acquired Signature Gold Ltd (Signature Gold). Although the transaction was not a business combination, the acquisition has been accounted for as an asset acquisition with reference to the guidance for reverse acquisition in IFRS 3 Business Combinations and IFRS 2 Share-based Payment.

In preparing the Financial Statements, Signature has been treated as the "accounting parent". Comparative information included in the Financial Statements for the Group relates to Signature Gold for the half-year ended 31 December 2017.

The Group incurred a loss after tax for the reporting period of 11,262 (31 Dec 2017: 160,134 profit).

During the reporting period Signature Gold received a Research and Development (R&D) Tax Incentive Rebate of approximately 330,248 (A$ 590,180) for the financial year ended 30 June 2018.

The R&D Tax Incentive Rebate is an Australian Government program under which eligible companies receive cash refunds of up to 45% of eligible expenditure on research and development.

For and on behalf of the Board.

Brett Boynton

Director

The Directors of the Company accept responsibility for the contents of this announcement.

For further information, please contact:

Tectonic Gold plc

Brett Boynton

Sam Quinn

www.tectonicgold.com

@tectonic_gold +61 2 9241 7665 NEX Exchange Corporate Adviser and Broker

Peterhouse Capital Limited

Mark Anwyl

+44 20 7469 0930 Financial Adviser and Broker

VSA Capital Limited

Andrew Raca - Corporate Finance

Andrew Monk - Corporate Broking

+44 20 3005 5004

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF PROFIT OR LOSS AND OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2018

NOTE 6 MONTHS TO 31 DEC 201 8UNAUDITED 6 MONTHS TO 31 DEC 2017 UNAUDITED1 18 MONTHS TO 30 JUNE 2018 AUDITED2 GBP GBP Revenue from continuing operations - 891 198,694 Expenses from continuing operations: Accounting and audit fees (37,567) (49,454) (125,438) Administration and office costs (34,064) (23,039) (48,993) Corporate costs (84,041) (7,681) (21,203) Amortisation and depreciation (588) - (1,659) Employee benefits, management fees and on costs (59,995) (704) (10,408) Exploration and tenement costs (18,629) (21,822) (52,550) Insurance (7,796) (2,682) (17,134) Legal expenses 400 7,737 (319,601) Options fee and associated costs - - (199,520) Impairment of exploration costs - - (182,153) Bad debt expense - - (93,050) Listing fees recognised on reverse acquisition - - (2,537,622) Share based payments (68,900) - - Other expenses (30,330) (3,160) (9,575) (Loss) from continuing operations before income tax (341,510) (99,914) (3,420,210) Income tax benefit 330,248 260,048 256,810 Net (loss)/profit for the reporting period (11,262) 160,134 (3,163,400) Other comprehensive income, net of tax - - - Total comprehensive (loss)/income for the year (11,262) 160,134 (3,163,400) Earnings per share attributable to owners of the company Basic and diluted (cents per share) From continuing operations 4 (0.002) 0.18 (1.74)

1. The Group was formed on 25 June 2018 with the reverse takeover of Signature Gold Ltd, by Tectonic Gold Plc (the legal parent entity). In preparing the Financial Statements, Signature Gold Limited has been treated as the "accounting parent". Group comparative figures for the half year ended 31 December 2017 relates to Signature Gold.

2. The Company's Accounting Reference Date was extended to end on 30 June 2018. Accordingly, as required by Companies House, the comparative figures reported refer to the period 1 January 2017 to 30 June 2018.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2018

31 DEC 2018 31 DEC 2017 30-JUN-18 NOTE GROUP UNAUDITED GROUP UNAUDITED GROUP AUDITED GBP GBP GBP ASSETS NON-CURRENT ASSETS Trade and other receivables - 92,361 - Plant and equipment 7,398 2,027 2,152 Exploration and evaluation expenditure 3,285,833 2,714,499 2,830,470 TOTAL NON-CURRENT ASSETS 3,293,231 2,808,886 2,832,621 CURRENT ASSETS Cash and cash equivalents 177,009 496,197 149,397 Trade and other receivables 14,142 7,028 359,869 Investments 40,122 - 40,122 Other assets 5 358,498 - 647,688 TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS 589,771 503,225 1,197,076 TOTAL ASSETS 3,883,002 3,312,111 4,029,697 EQUITY Share capital 8,266,848 3,612,988 8,266,848 Warrant reserves 68,900 - - Foreign exchange translation reserves (82,088) (38,122) (58,251) Accumulated losses (4,835,596) (1,742,077) (4,824,334) TOTAL EQUITY 3,418,064 1,832,789 3,384,263

LIABILITIES NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES Trade and other payables - 93,235 16,198 Borrowings 166,741 379,548 168,868 Employee benefits 10,713 8,916 10,120 TOTAL NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES 177,454 481,699 195,187 CURRENT LIABILITIES Trade and other payables 272,218 159,327 436,155 Borrowings - 822,020 - Employee benefits 15,266 16,276 14,092 TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES 287,484 997,623 450,247 TOTAL LIABILITIES 464,938 1,479,322 645,434 TOTAL EQUITY AND LIABILITIES 3,883,002 3,312,111 4,029,697

The accompanying notes form part of these financial statements.

These financial statements were approved by the Board of Directors on 27 March 2019.

Signed on behalf of the Board by:

Brett Boynton

Managing Director

Company number: 05173250

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2018

GROUP - UNAUDITED ISSUED CAPITAL WARRANTS RESERVE FOREIGN CURRENCY RESERVE ACCUMULATED LOSSES TOTAL GBP GBP GBP GBP GBP Balance at 1 January 2018 8,266,848 - (58,251) (4,824,334) 3,384,263 Total comprehensive loss for the period - - - (11,262) (11,262) Transactions with owners, recorded directly in equity: Issue of share options - 68,900 - - 68,900 Foreign Exchange movement - - (23,837) - (23,837) Balance as at 31 December 2018 8,266,848 68,900 (82,088) (4,835,596) 3,418,064

GROUP - AUDITED ISSUED CAPITAL FOREIGN CURRENCY RESERVE ACCUMULATED LOSSES TOTAL GBP GBP GBP GBP Balance at 1 January 2017 3,064,795 - (1,660,934) 1,403,861 Total comprehensive loss for the period - - (3,163,400) (3,163,400) Transactions with owners, recorded directly in equity: Issue of share capital by Signature Gold prior to the reverse acquisition of Tectonic Gold plc 1,066,798 - - 1,066,798 Issued capital of Signature Gold prior to the reverse acquisition of Tectonic Gold 4,131,593 - - - Deemed fair value of share-based payment on reverse acquisition 3,605,255 - - 3,605,255 Shares Issued by Tectonic Gold since the acquisition 530,000 - - 530,000 Foreign Exchange movement - (58,251) - (58,251) Balance as at 30 June 2018 8,266,848 (58,251) (4,824,334) 3,384,263

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2018

6 MONTHS TO 31 DEC 2018 UNAUDITED 6 MONTHS TO 31 DEC 2017 UNAUDITED1 18 MONTHS TO 30 JUNE 2018 AUDITED2 GBP GBP GBP CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES Cash receipts in the course of operations 38,301 (79,103) - Cash payments in the course of operations (402,490) (486,777) (487,882) Research and Development Tax Incentive Claim 330,249 260,048 256,810 Interest received - 891 2,516 Net cash used in operating activities (33,940) (304,941) (228,556) CASH FLOWS USED IN INVESTING ACTIVITIES Payments for exploration and evaluation expenditure (212,352) (184,460) (914,538) Payments for property, plant and equipment (5,456) - (2,609) Payment for security deposit - - (2,120) Cash acquired on acquisition of Tectonic Gold plc - - 27,870 Net cash used in investing activities (217,808) (184,460) (891,397) CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES Proceeds from issue of shares 280,000 562,614 - Proceeds from borrowings - 177,416 1,381,769 Repayment of borrowings - (165,389) (232,675) Net cash provided by financing activities 280,000 574,641 1,149,094 Net (decrease)/increase in cash held and cash equivalents 28,252 85,240 29,141 Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the period 149,397 420,899 126,236 Effects of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents (640) (9,942) (5,980) Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period 177,009 496,197 149,397

1. The Group was formed on 25 June 2018 with the reverse takeover of Signature Gold Ltd, by Tectonic Gold Plc (the legal parent entity). In preparing the Financial Statements, Signature Gold Limited has been treated as the "accounting parent". Group comparative figures for the half year ended 31 December 2017 relates to Signature Gold.

2. The Company's Accounting Reference Date was extended to end on 30 June 2018. Accordingly, as required by Companies House, the comparative figures reported refer to the period 1 January 2017 to 30 June 2018.

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2018

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

Tectonic Gold Plc is a company incorporated in the United Kingdom under the Companies Act 2006. The consolidated entity (the "Group") consists of Tectonic Gold Plc (the "Company") and the entities it controlled at the end of, or during, the six months ended 31 December 2018. The principal activity of the Group during the financial period was mineral exploration.

2. BASIS OF PREPARATION

These condensed interim consolidated financial statements ("the interim financial statements") of the Group are for the six months ended 31 December 2018 and are presented in Sterling which is the Company's presentational currency. These interim financial statements have not been reviewed or audited.

The interim financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the recognition and measurement principles of IFRS as adopted by the European Union (EU) and on the same basis and using the same accounting policies as applied in the Company's 2018 Annual Report and statutory accounts for the reporting period, 1 January 2017 to 30 June 2018.

The statutory accounts for the reporting period 1 January 2017 to 30 June 2018 have been filed with the Registrar of Companies. The auditor's report on those financial statements was unqualified and did not contain a statement under section 498 (2) or (3) of the Companies Act 2006.

The interim financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis under the historical cost convention. The Directors believe that the going concern basis is appropriate for the preparation of these interim financial statements as the Company is in a position to meet all its liabilities as they fall due.

The interim financial statements for the six months ended 31 December 2018 were approved by the board on 27 March 2019.

3. DIVIDEND

The Board is not recommending the payment of an interim dividend for the period ended 31 December 2018.

4.EARNINGS PER SHARE

The basic earnings per share is based on the profit/(loss) for the year divided by the weighted average number of shares in issue during the reporting period. The weighted average number of ordinary shares for the reporting period assumes that all shares have been included in the computation based on the weighted average number of days since issue.

6 MONTHS TO 31 DEC 2018 UNAUDITED 6 MONTHS TO 31 DEC 2017 UNAUDITED 18 MONTHS TO 30 JUNE 2018 AUDITED GBP GBP GBP (Loss)/profit for the year attributable to owners of the Company (11,262) 160,134 (3,163,400) Weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue for basic and fully diluted earnings* 656,762,746 87,871,756 181,331,554 (Loss)/gain per share (pence per share) Basic and fully diluted*: (0.002) 0.18 (1.74)

*Since the Company incurred a loss in the 31 December 2018 and 30 June 2018 reporting periods and there were no options on issue during the 31 December 2017 comparative period the basic loss and the diluted loss per share are the same as the effect of exercise of options and warrants is not dilutive.

5. OTHER ASSETS

6 MONTHS TO 31 DEC 2018 UNAUDITED 6 MONTHS TO 31 DEC 2017 UNAUDITED 18 MONTHS TO 30 JUNE 2018 AUDITED GBP GBP GBP Prepayments(i) 347,902 - 633,825 Other prepayments 3,014 - 11,817 Security deposits 7,582 - 2,045 358,498 - 647,688

(i) In June 2018, the Company paid Titeline Drilling Pty Ltd ACN 096 640 201 (Titeline) for future drilling services in accordance with the heads of agreement dated 28 March 2018 between Titeline, Signature and StratMin.

Titeline has been engaged to complete 10,000 metres of diamond drilling on a 50:50 cash and equity basis to produce core samples for analysis, assay and metallogenic studies from the Company's Queensland Project sites. A review to be completed after 2,500 metres of drilling has been completed and the remaining 7,500 metres is in planning for the second half of 2019. The cash component of the drilling contract is expected to be met from revenues generated by the diamond mining joint venture with VAST Mineral Sands Pty Ltd announced on 18 February 2019.

As at 30 June 2018, the prepayment of GBP 633,825(A$1,125,000) to Titeline was comprised of:

-GBP 126,765 (A$225,000 excluding GST) paid in cash; and

- pre-paid technical services amounting to GBP 507,060($A90,000) settled with the issue of 5,544,484 fully paid ordinary shares issued in the Company at an issue price of A$0.162 per share.

As at 31 December 2018, GBP 347,902($A625,386) remains prepaid to Titeline.

6. EVENTS AFTER THE REPORTING PERIOD

On 18 February 2019 the Company announced a transaction with VAST Mineral Sands Pty Ltd (VAST) under which it is farming in to a 50% interest in VAST's diamond mining concession in South Africa. The Company's revenue share from the diamond mining operations is expected to fully fund future gold exploration expenses. The Company announced initiation of mining under this farm in agreement on 13 March 2019.

Other than as stated elsewhere in this report, Directors are not aware of any other matters or circumstances at the date of this report that have significantly affected or may significantly affect the operations, the results of the operations or the state of affairs of the Company in subsequent financial years.

7. DISTRIBUTION

Copies of these interim financial statements are available on the Company's website (www.tectonicgold.com) or directly from the Company at its registered address.

Ends

The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No. 596/2014. Upon the publication of this announcement via a Regulatory Information Service, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.
RHEINBREITBACH / ACCESSWIRE / March 28, 2019 / Human mothers are unique because they produce breast milk which is very different from other species on our planet. Human milk has a very high concentration of special sugars known as human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs). These HMOs are the third most abundant solid component of human milk after lactose and fat. More than 200 structurally different HMOs have been identified. The most abundant HMO is 2'-fucosyllactose, which is produced by about 80% of all lactating mothers at concentrations of up to 2g/L. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommend breastfeeding for babies up to six months. But mothers who can or will not breastfeed can use infant formula containing HMOs as functional novel food ingredient.

Human milk oligosaccharides have a wide range of biological activities which are beneficial for health maintenance. Scientific studies have shown that HMOs and 2'-fucosyllactose in particular, have a positive impact on infant development. They play an important role in the development of the gut microbiota in the gastrointestinal tract of the neonate. And human milk oligosaccharides affect the growth of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli in the intestinal tract of the neonate, therefore acting as prebiotics. Other international studies have also demonstrated the protective effect of HMOs against bacterial and viral infections, particularly those responsible for bacterial diarrhoea. Furthermore, specific HMOs can reduce the risk of norovirus infection, stimulate the brain development and protect the immune system in babies. They also reduce the risk of necrotizing enterocolitis, the most common and fatal disorder in preterm neonates.

But not only babies, also adults, can benefit from human milk oligosaccharides. Due to its specific characteristics these HMOs can be used in nutritional, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and medical applications.

Jennewein Biotechnologie GmbH, a company located in Germany which was founded in 2005, has developed a unique innovative production process based on bacterial fermentation, which allows the production in industrial-scale of various HMOs. The company manufactures an extensive portfolio of HMOs such as 2-fucosyllactose, 3'-fucosyllactose and lacto-N-tetraose. In 2015, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Jennewein Biotechnologie a license to market 2'-fucosyllactose in the USA. This was followed in 2017 by the European Union (Novel Food Regulation).

For further information, please contact:

Dr. Bettina Gutierrez

bettina.gutierrez@jennewein-biotech.de

Tel.: +49 2224 98810797

SOURCE: Jennewein Biotechnologie GmbH

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/540405/Human-milk-oligosaccharides-for-health
Strengthening the regional presence in Malaysia and South-East Asia

First orders are already being delivered to customers

The ceremonial opening of the new VITRONIC subsidiary takes place on March 28 in Penang, Malaysia. Partner companies, customers and top management are in attendance.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005382/en/

VITRONIC Malaysia ribbon-cutting at the grand opening (Photo: Business Wire)

Martin Weiss, director of the subsidiary, explains, "With over 35% of the global GDP, Asia Pacific is by far the largest economic block. With a subsidiary in Malaysia, we are now in the perfect position to focus on APAC."

The Malaysian branch will become the new full-service provider for VITRONIC customers in South-East Asia. Companies such as Malaysian Post, DHL, FedEx and Thai Post will implement systems for logistics automation, industrial automation and traffic technology. In addition to branches in Shanghai, China, and Melbourne, Australia, Penang is now the third VITRONIC site in the Asia Pacific region.

Penang will provide both hardware and software engineering as well as training and testing. Furthermore, the subsidiary will offer services such as installation, commissioning and service for 11 countries in the region. Quick response and delivery times will be backed by 24/7 service and a large-scale warehouse. The presence of the new VITRONIC subsidiary will also help to create numerous jobs in Penang.

"To me, e-commerce is the most recent economic miracle of our time," says Martin Weiss. "The APAC region is particularly welcoming to online business,making it the perfect environment for our many years of experience and the ideal location for marketing our efficiency-increasing systems for logistics automation."

With over 32 million people, Malaysia has been one of the fastest growing national economies in the world for many years. Approximately 30% of university graduates have degrees in STEM fields of study. This means VITRONIC will not only be successful in finding the right personnel but also be able to meet its customers' high expectations from the outset when it comes to products that are "Made in Germany".

"Open for business" will be the official motto as of March 28, 2019.

About VITRONIC

VITRONIC is a world leader in industrial machine vision. The owner-managed group of companies develops innovative products and customized solutions in the growth industries of industrial automation, logistics automation and traffic technology.

With over 30 years of experience, VITRONIC offers a unique portfolio of systems and software for image- and sensor-based quality inspection, identification, traffic monitoring, and toll collection. Customers include renowned companies as well as government agencies and public authorities.

VITRONIC systems play a major role in ensuring the highest levels of quality and economic efficiency in the production processes of the automobile, photovoltaic, and pharmaceutical industries.

In logistics centers and cargo airports worldwide, VITRONIC's Auto-ID solutions offer the efficient capture and integration of shipment data and ensure the transparent flow of goods.

In the traffic technology sector, VITRONIC offers high-performance technologies to ensure increased road safety and improve traffic flow.

Since its founding in 1984, VITRONIC has grown continuously and is currently represented by about 1,000 employees on four continents. VITRONIC offers support to international customers through its subsidiaries in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia, plus through a global network of sales and service partners.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005382/en/

Contacts:

Press contact:

VITRONIC Machine Vision Asia Sdn Bhd

Mr. Martin Weiss

Phone: +60124982712

sales.asia@vitronic.com



Mr. Patrick Schulze

Phone: +49 611 7152 418

patrick.schulze@vitronic.com

www.vitronic.com



VITRONIC Dr.-Ing. Stein

Bildverarbeitungssysteme GmbH

Hasengartenstr. 14

65189 Wiesbaden

Germany
GSMA Report Shows That By June 2018 Uganda Had Nearly 10 Million Mobile Internet Connections With Mobile Money Being the Main Driver of Financial Inclusion

The Government of Uganda, through the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and National Guidance, in partnership with the GSMA, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), UK Department for International Development (DFID) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), held a high-level round table on mobile-enabled digital transformation in Uganda. The event, graced by the Rt.Hon. First Deputy Prime Minister Moses Ali drew the participation of ministers, leaders from mobile network operators Airtel Uganda, Africell, MTN Uganda and Uganda Telecom as well as development partners, who discussed how Uganda could advance the national and global sustainable development agenda through mobile-enabled digital transformation.

During the event a report was launched, which was prepared with the guidance of a multi-institutional technical committee, the above partners, as well as UN Capital Development Fund and Pulse Lab Kampala. The report examines the transformative opportunities presented by mobile-enabled digital services in Uganda. Accompanying this report is a draft action plan to be implemented over the next two years, outlining strategic mobile-enabled activities, which will address a range of challenges across sectors.

Today's roundtable, which included a high-level panel involving experts from the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, the GSMA, UNDP and private sector practitioners, reiterated the value of collaboration between the public and private sectors to harness mobile technology to deliver digital and economic inclusion. It was agreed that growing mobile connectivity presents an opportunity to accelerate development by enhancing the efficiency of public service delivery and introducing inclusive, integrated and innovative solutions that improve people's lives.

While officially opening the event, General Moses Ali, Rt. Hon. First Deputy Prime Minister noted that, "To benefit from the fourth industrial revolution in which the key technology is mobile ICT, we need the right partnerships and a conducive legal and regulatory environment. I am happy to note that the National Broadband Policy is an important step towards creating that environment. National dialogues like this one also show that we are moving in the right direction regarding partnerships."

In his welcome remarks, Honourable Vincent Bagiire, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance noted, "Mobile technology is evolving rapidly and shaping the way everyone conducts business. To the Government of Uganda, this presents an opportunity to not only reach everyone and provide consistent services, but also involve them in identifying and solving problems that matter to them and will enhance their lives in the future."

"Few other technologies have grown as fast as mobile. Offering the most widespread and inclusive means of accessing the internet and digital services, which is vital to the Ugandan economy and its growth in an increasingly connected world," said Akinwale Goodluck, Head of Sub-Saharan Africa, GSMA. "Mobile is the key to maximising the impact of digital transformation and I am very excited about future potential and to see our member operators building on the good work already started, through the dialogue they have undertaken today. It is crucial that all stakeholders build a collective vision to deliver on the vast opportunities mobile can deliver."

Ms. Almaz Gebru, the UNDP acting Resident Representative emphasised that, "We are living in very dynamic digital era where technology can be leveraged for transformational change; we should however ensure that we bridge the digital divide so as to leave no one behind.'' She highlighted the recently launched accelerator lab that UNDP has established in Uganda, which will contribute to action agreed under this partnership. The lab is one of the next generation UNDP initiatives designed to strengthen innovation in development through identifying, building on, and investing in local solutions, to step up efforts to explore more agile, novel and responsive approaches to development challenges.

Report Findings

Mobile is the primary form of internet connectivity for most people in Uganda with 20 million unique individuals, 44 per cent of the population, owning a mobile. 1 Nearly half of these also access mobile internet services;

Nearly half of these also access mobile internet services; By June 2018, there were nearly 10 million mobile internet connections in Uganda, a penetration rate of 24 per cent compared to just 174,000 fixed-line connections, representing a fixed line penetration rate of less than 1 per cent;

Key platforms such as mobile money and Cellular IoT (Internet of Things) enable the creation, distribution and consumption of a wide range of digital services. For example, mobile money is now the main driver of formal financial inclusion in Uganda, with 22 million registered accounts compared to just 5 million registered accounts in traditional banks; and

Mobile technology is having a notable impact in Uganda in: Productivity and efficiency Service delivery Good governance and social justice Climate change and the environment Digital entrepreneurship and emerging technologies.



For more information on the findings from the report and sources for data points please visit:www.gsma.com/Uganda-overview

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors

1Recent figures from Uganda Communications Commission show the number of registered sim cards to number 23.2 million. GSMA figures refer to unique subscribers to account for 'multi-simming' i.e. individuals who have multiple phone connections through more than one registered sim card.

About the GSMA

The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting more than 750 operators and nearly 400 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and internet companies, as well as organisations in adjacent industry sectors. The GSMA also produces the industry-leading MWC events held annually in Barcelona, Los Angeles and Shanghai, as well as the Mobile 360 Series of regional conferences.

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com. Follow the GSMA on Twitter: @GSMA.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005387/en/

Contacts:

Media Contacts:

David Ntwampe Maila

+ 27 72 015 4702

dmaila@webershandwick.com

Beau Bass

+44 79 7662 4962

beau.bass@webershandwick.com

GSMA Press Office

pressoffice@gsma.com

Michael Mubangizi

Communications Analyst, UNDP Uganda,

michael.mubangizi@undp.org,

+256 772 147 564

Lamine Bal

Communications Specialist

Regional Bureau of Africa

lamine.bal@undp.org

+1 212 906 5937
PA Consulting launches global survey of 500 senior business leaders

LONDON, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Organisational agility is a major factor in driving financial performance, according to new research from PA Consulting, the global innovation and transformation consultancy.

PA's research found that organisational agility is the single most important factor in responding to rapid technology, customer and societal change. The top 10 per cent of businesses by financial performance are almost 30 per cent more likely to display characteristics of agility. Organisational agility enables large-scale companies to thrive, delivering higher all-round performance, with positive benefits for customers, shareholders and employees.

However real and lasting organisational agility remains elusive for many. Three in five business leaders know they need to change yet are struggling to act. PA's research found that:

one in six survey respondents predict that they will fail in five years without rapid and radical change

two thirds of leaders believe their business model needs a fundamental rethink

60 per cent cite complex organisational structures are slowing them down

72 per cent are putting organisational agility as a top strategic priority

business leaders are more worried about disruption from digital natives than traditional competitors

Conrad Thompson, a business transformation expert at PA Consulting, says: "Businesses around the world face unprecedented disruption but also unprecedented opportunities. As radical change transforms the world we live in, organisations must evolve at pace. One in six of the companies we surveyed acknowledged that unless they evolve, they risk failure within five years. Yet we see organisational agility efforts transforming well-established financial institutions, household names, and industry stalwarts, establishing the conditions that have made them fit for the future. This research, and our experience, proves that embracing organisational agility is the most effective way to get ahead of the competition, and ensure your organisation thrives, today and tomorrow."

What it takes to achieve organisational agility

PA has identified five attributes key to organisational agility and common to the high performing companies we surveyed:

Centre on your customer - place your organisation at the centre of your customer's universe, co-creating and prioritising based on their feedback Speed up time to value - make decisions and mobilise quickly in response to competition, rolling out improvements faster than competitors and investing in moving from idea to launch at pace Design for simplicity - flatten hierarchical layers to enable teams to build, test, adapt, then deploy, learn and repeat in a strategic, methodical way Build to evolve - build modular digital systems that can flex easily to respond to changing requirements, seek out and accept changes at any point in the development cycle, and build teams that cope well with change Liberate your people - create a work environment that's dynamic, encourages collaborative work practices and where employees are empowered at all levels.

Sam Bunting, an organisational agility expert at PA Consulting says: "At PA we believe in the power of ingenuity to build a positive human future in a technology-driven world. As a business leader right now, we've never been afforded a better opportunity to adapt and transform - to truly understand our customers' motivations, to harness the power of technology to create ingenious products and services and to find creative and effective ways to engage and empower our people. We've seen first-hand how organisations can beat their numbers and deliver higher all-round performance as a result of taking these five perfectly achievable steps."

To download the report, visit: paconsulting.com

About PA Consulting

An innovation and transformation consultancy, we believe in the power of ingenuity to build a positive human future in a technology-driven world.

As strategies, technologies and innovation collide, we create opportunity from complexity.

Our diverse teams of experts combine innovative thinking and breakthrough technologies to progress further, faster. Our clients adapt and transform, and together we achieve enduring results.

We are over 2,600 specialists in consumer, defence and security, energy and utilities, financial services, government, healthcare, life sciences, manufacturing, and transport, travel and logistics. And we operate globally from offices across the Americas, Europe, the Nordics and the Gulf.

PA. Bringing Ingenuity to Life.

www.paconsulting.com

About The evolution of the agile organisation: Old dogs. Ingenious new tricks

PA surveyed 500 leaders from some of the largest organisations across a range of sectors, including financial services, manufacturing, FMCG/retail, life sciences, travel, energy and utility, telecoms and logistics.

For each organisation, we analysed 15 agile characteristics and found a strong positive correlation between agile characteristics and financial performance.
Palm Logistics developing Madrid's last mile hub in strategically important Gavilanes site

Enabling first-class international companies to grow their last mile and e-commerce needs

Meeting demand for a modern, innovative logistics solution in Southern Europe

Palm Logistics, the dedicated affiliate of Palm Capital, the pan-European real estate private equity specialist, is set to deliver a large logistics hub in Madrid, to meet the pent-up demand for modern logistics in the capital and respond to the rapid growth of e-commerce and supply chain rationalisation across Europe.

The site, covering over 115,000 square metres across 10 grade-A logistics buildings, will provide the best 'last mile delivery' option to Madrid while being easily accessible to the rest of Spain and across Europe.

The first phase, due to complete this summer, comprises a 33,000m2 leasable area across two buildings with the ability to offer modules from 7,000m2 to 20,000m2. The buildings will be certified LEED Silver, having been built to the highest quality standard with key sustainability considerations in mind.

Reda Khatim, Managing Partner of Palm Capital said "We are excited to be developing Madrid's last mile hub in Gavilanes. A strategic site such as Gavilanes will offer world class, well-located logistics assets for regional, national and pan-European coverage. This important investment, along with our other acquisitions, such as our recent foray in Scandinavia, further demonstrates our commitment to the logistics sector; an asset class that makes up a crucial part of our current European investment strategy.

"Our Gavilanes development meets all the requirements for a high-quality logistics last mile hub to serve current and future demand for e-commerce and modern distribution needs of Spanish and international operators. We have designed an innovative site that not only exceeds current regulations but also places sustainability at the heart of our development."

Gavilanes is located close to main roads, the airport and the Abronigal intermodal station with its large roads and roundabouts adapted to the traffic of heavy vehicles. The site is already home to several first-class international companies including Amazon, Decathlon, Costco, Mercadona, and ID Logistics.

The investment follows Palm Logisitics' recently completed acquisition of a large, air side logistics hub at Copenhagen airport. Currently occupied by DHL and Postnord, the Copenhagen platform offers world class last mile services to Denmark and Southern Sweden and is the start of Palm's expansion into the Scandinavian market.

In addition to Gavilanes, Palm Capital is currently analysing several other investment opportunities in both Spain and in other key European markets, to further enhance its pan-European footprint.

For multimedia, see here: https://releasd.com/pages/53CBfozdiBnT8x9k3gfCO9HwzJ76pksRLPKhoJrGnNM

-Ends-

Notes to Editors:

About Palm Capital

Palm Capital was founded by Reda Khatim and is a leading pan European real estate investment and asset manager. It has offices in London and Madrid. Palm Capital currently manages over 2,500,000 sq.ft. of commercial real estate in the UK and Continental Europe.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005433/en/

Contacts:

Media enquiries to:

Newgate Communications

Alistair Kellie

Rishi Banerjee

Henry Adefope

+44 (0) 207 680 6550
AMSTERDAM, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Maritime Museum in Amsterdam (Het Scheepvaartmuseum) will open two brand new semi-permanent displays of its collection on 10 May 2019: Republic at Sea and Maps & Marvels.The Main Gallery, located in the north wing of the museum, will host Republic at Sea and acts as a new starting point for museum visits. Displaying fifty masterpieces from the museum's collection, Republic at Sea tells the remarkable story of the origins of the Netherlands as a maritime nation in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. In Maps & Marvels, visitors learn how Dutch ships sailing from Amsterdam came into contact with different parts of the world for the first time. On their return, they brought the knowledge of the wider world back to Amsterdam and, Europe. Both exhibitions are the first to be developed under the museum's new motto: water connects worlds.

Main Gallery: a new starting point for museum visits

The Main Gallery, which shows the semi-permanent exhibition Republic at Sea, will form the starting point for visits to the museum. Through paintings, ship models, instruments, and weapons, the exhibition shows how intimately Dutch society has been connected with the maritime world throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The sea has shaped the history of the Netherlands and has determined its role and position in the world. Visitors will see how naval battles, trading companies, and art in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries represent this close relationship.

Maps & Marvels

The new exhibition Maps & Marvels brings together maps by Dutch cartographers from the National Maritime Museum's world-leading collection. This exhibition shows how the ships found their way at sea in the Dutch Golden Age, and how these voyages defined the way we see the world. Using rare and early maps, visitors travel to the locations that played an important role in the Dutch history: South Africa, Indonesia, Japan, Australia, and Brazil. The spectacular wall map of Amsterdam by Pieter Bast, dating from 1597, forms the starting point of the exhibition.

Treasure room

The second part of this exhibition, titled Marvels, presents a treasure room filled with beautiful and eye-catching objects, through which the whole world was brought into wealthy Dutch homes in the Dutch Golden Age. Here visitors will find wall maps, globes, atlases, and travel reports as well as souvenirs, trinkets, works of art, all of which reflect the journeys that make up the first part of the exhibition.

Down sides of the Golden Age

In these new exhibitions, the National Maritime Museum also shows the down sides of the so-called Golden Age, including colonial domination, violence, and slavery. To help tell these stories, the National Maritime Museum acquired two important new objects in 2018: a portrait of Admiral Cornelis Tromp by Ferdinand Bol and a Chinese famille noire porcelain statuette of a standing figure. The display of these objects shows the presence of African people in Dutch society and enables the frequently-told success stories of Dutch maritime history to be placed in a more balanced perspective.

Collection and building

One important aspect of the redesign of the exhibition spaces, was to increase the visibility and prominence of the original architectural features of the museum's monumental building, dating from 1656. It was built as 's Lands Zeemagazijn, the arsenal of the Admiralty of Amsterdam. It remained a naval building until the 1970s when it was converted into today's National Maritime Museum. The new Main Gallery is located on the ground floor of the North side From here, visitors have a panoramic view over the museum's jetty with the replica of the East Indiaman Amsterdam, and the nearby Navy yard. This highlights the historic relationship between the collection and the building that houses it.

One of the world's most impressive maritime collections

The National Maritime Museum in Amsterdam demonstrates through its collection how water connects worlds. The museum displays a wide range of masterpieces and impressive artefacts from one of the world's finest maritime collections. In addition to exhibitions with a more historical profile, the museum also exhibits works by contemporary (international) artists and designers. Drawing 350,000 visitors per year, the National Maritime Museum is one of the five most popular and educational days out in the Netherlands, making it a major attraction for both domestic and foreign tourism.

Opening of the renewed National Maritime Museum to the public: 10 May 2019

Official opening for invited guests: 9 May 2019

Press day: 7 May 2019, 10-12 hours
Influential Brand Partner Loki the Wolfdog Officially Launches Online Store and Online Commercial

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 28, 2019.

"We are excited to be launching our first CBD pet product through our brand partner, Loki the Wolfdog," stated Leigh Hughes, CEO of Next Green Wave. "Loki has millions of loyal global social media followers, along with the type of exposure that can help us deliver our line of premium pet treats to the target market and enable us to immediately move into revenue operations. Loki will launch a love biscuits online commercial which will be viewed across the globe."

To view the Loki Love Biscuits Online Commercial: https://youtu.be/pmv1eE0NZiE

This will be Next Green Wave's first initiative to bring over 45 products to market through its recent acquisition of California-based consumer products goods leader and innovator, SD Cannabis, which brought a selection of exclusive licensing relationships defined by their connection to a core loyal global audience, their reach across digital/social platforms and their ability to partner on product development and marketing.

Loki's Love Biscuits have been formulated with 100% natural and locally sourced raw ingredients and are free of preservatives and fillers. The pet treats contain infusions with the full spectrum of CBD and quality oil extracted from US grown hemp.



"Coming from a place where CBD has truly changed our lives and the lives of our dogs who mean the world to us, we could not be more excited for the launch of Loki Naturals." -Kelly Lund, Loki's Dad

On behalf of the Board,

Leigh Hughes

CEO and Executive Chairman, Next Green Wave Holdings Inc.

About Loki The Wolfdog

The Instagram famous Loki Wolfdog)



Loki Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/loki/

Loki Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/lokithewolfdog/

Loki YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/results'search_query=loki+the+wolfdog

Loki Website - https://lokithewolfdog.com/

Loki Truck - https://www.instagram.com/gopherpaw/

Key videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VyFosjei3Q&feature=youtu.be

Mercedes Benz - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arZVGwhfkoA

REI - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSwCklhgGfA

Toyota - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCUv39H-0qU

About Next Green Wave

Next Green Wave is a vertically integrated seed-to-consumer premium medicinal and recreational cannabis company operating in California. Construction of the company's first state of the art indoor facility or follow us on Twitter at @nextgreenwave , on Instagram , and LinkedIn .

Next Green Wave Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements that are not historical facts, including without limitation, statements regarding future estimates, plans, programs, forecasts, projections, objectives, assumptions, expectations or beliefs of future performance, are "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "estimates", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, events or developments to be materially different from any future results, events or developments expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the risk factors included in the preliminary prospectus, including without limitation dependence on obtaining and maintaining regulatory approvals, including acquiring and renewing state, local or other licenses and any inability to obtain all necessary governmental approvals licenses and permits to complete construction of its proposed facilities in a timely manner; engaging in activities which currently are illegal under US federal law and the uncertainty of existing protection from U.S. federal or other prosecution; regulatory or political change such as changes in applicable laws and regulations, including U.S. state-law legalization, particularly in California, due to inconsistent public opinion, perception of the medical-use and adult-use marijuana industry, bureaucratic delays or inefficiencies or any other reasons; any other factors or developments which may hinder market growth; NGW's limited operating history and lack of historical profits; reliance on management; NGW's requirements for additional financing, and the effect of capital market conditions and other factors on capital availability; competition, including from more established or better financed competitors; and the need to secure and maintain corporate alliances and partnerships, including with customers and suppliers. Readers are encouraged to the review the section titled "Risk Factors" in NGW's preliminary prospectus. These factors should be considered carefully, and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Although NGW has attempted to identify important risk factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other risk factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements. NGW no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, even if new information becomes available as a result of future events, new information or for any other reason except as required by law.

For more information regarding Next Green Wave, contact:

Caroline Klukowski

VP Corp. Development

Tel: +1

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:



http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5b3dca3b-5fc7-46f3-b77d-06fccbdf9c02

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/df91b7d4-b769-457f-a41e-ca9330ba53ff
One resident said he heard more than a dozen shots and scrambled to get his young granddaughter into his bungalow. He said he was dismayed to learn the victim was a teenage boy. He should have been in school, the resident said.
CITIC Metal and Zijin Mining invested more than C$800 million to advance Ivanhoe's three world-scale mine projects

in Southern Africa



Fast-tracking of development at the initial Kakula Copper Mine

in D.R. Congo among highlights of Ivanhoe's 2018 achievements

New, ultra-high-grade copper discovery at Kamoa North highlights potential of making significant new discoveries at the Kamoa-Kakula Project and on Ivanhoe's wholly-owned Western Foreland exploration area

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - March 28, 2019) - Ivanhoe Mines (TSX: IVN) (OTCQX: IVPAF) today announced its financial results for the year ended December 31, 2018. All figures are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated. Ivanhoe Mines is a Canadian mining company focused on advancing its three mine-development projects in Southern Africa: the Platreef palladium-platinum-nickel-copper-gold-rhodium discovery in South Africa; the Kamoa-Kakula copper discovery in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC); and the extensive upgrading of the historic Kipushi zinc-copper-lead-germanium mine, also in the DRC.

HIGHLIGHTS

On September 19, 2018, China-based CITIC Metal completed a long-term, strategic cooperation and investment agreement that saw its direct subsidiary, CITIC Metal Africa Investments Limited (CITIC Metal Africa), invest C$723 million ($555 million) to advance Ivanhoe's three projects in Southern Africa. Under the terms of the investment agreement, CITIC Metal Africa acquired a 19.5% stake in Ivanhoe Mines through a private placement at a price of C$3.68 per share.

Also on September 19, 2018, Zijin Mining Group, Ivanhoe's joint-venture partner at the Kamoa-Kakula Project, exercised its anti-dilution rights at a price of C$3.68 per share, generating additional proceeds for Ivanhoe of C$78 million ($60 million). This resulted in Zijin retaining a 9.7% ownership stake in Ivanhoe Mines - its level of ownership prior to the completion of CITIC Metal Africa's strategic investment.

Pursuant to the terms of the strategic cooperation and investment agreement with CITIC Metal, Yufeng "Miles" Sun, President of CITIC Metal Group Limited, and Tadeu Carneiro, former Chief Executive Officer of Brazil-based Companhia Brasileira de Metalurgia e Mineracao, joined the Ivanhoe Mines Board of Directors. Mr. Sun was appointed Co-Chairman of Ivanhoe, alongside Robert Friedland.

Underground development at the planned initial Kakula copper mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo is making excellent progress. Construction of the twin northern declines has been completed, with ongoing underground development activities now focused on constructing lateral access drives and ventilation raises. In addition, development of a ventilation decline on the southern side of the Kakula orebody is underway.

On February 6, 2019, Ivanhoe announced an independent pre-feasibility study (PFS) for the Kakula Mine. The stage one, six million-tonne-per-annum (6 Mtpa) operation at Kakula, with estimated development capital of $1.1 billion, yields an after-tax NPV8% of $5.4 billion and an IRR of 47% over a 25-year mine life. Initial production is scheduled for early 2021, and the mine is expected to average 6.8% copper over the first 5 years, with mine-site cash costs of $0.43 per pound of copper.

Discussions for financing the construction of the initial 6 Mtpa mine at Kakula are progressing well with international and China-based financial institutions. CITIC Metal, Ivanhoe's largest shareholder, is assisting with the discussions.

On February 6, 2019, Ivanhoe also announced an updated independent preliminary economic assessment (PEA) for an expanded Kakula-Kamoa production rate of 18 Mtpa, supplied initially by a 6 Mtpa mine at Kakula, followed by two 6 Mtpa mines at Kansoko and Kakula West, and a direct-to-blister smelter. The PEA envisions the staged mine expansions and smelter will be funded from internal cash flows and yields an after-tax NPV8% of $10.0 billion and an IRR of 41%. All figures in the PFS and PEA are on a 100%-project basis.

Once the expanded PEA production rate of 18 Mtpa is achieved, Kamoa-Kakula is projected to become the world's second largest copper mine, with peak annual production of more than 700,000 tonnes of copper.

On January 30, 2019, Ivanhoe reported a 22.3-metre intersection of 13.05% copper (at a 2% cutoff) in a shallow, flat-lying discovery within 190 metres of surface at the Kamoa North exploration area on the Kamoa-Kakula mining licence. The drill hole (DD1450) is the thickest, highest-grade copper intersection drilled to date at Kamoa-Kakula, highlighting the potential for significant additional resource expansion.

Additional drilling is underway to test the strike and width of the east-west trending fault structure that hosts the bonanza-grade copper in hole DD1450. Nine holes now have been completed in the discovery area, and assays are pending for eight of the holes. Based on visual interpretation of massive bornite and chalcopyrite in the recent drill intersections, the new, high-grade zone of shallow, thick, flat-lying, copper mineralization has been extended over a strike length of at least 200 metres, a width of up to 80 metres, and drilled thickness of between 13 and 30 metres. The new discovery zone is approximately 170 to 200 metres below surface.

Discovery hole DD1450 is associated with an east-west trending fault structure that allowed copper-rich fluids to flow into the stratigraphy above the conventional, Kamoa-Kakula mineralized zone and into a pyrite-rich, siltstone zone called the Kamoa Pyritic Siltstone (KPS). The shallow depth, remarkable thickness and massive copper mineralization in the KPS discovery could prove extremely significant if targeted early from a future Kamoa North decline.

The controlling east-west striking fault responsible for the massive copper sulphide mineralization in the KPS is visible on airborne magnetic images and can be traced over a distance length at least 10 to 20 kilometres. It trends west of Kamoa-Kakula for a considerable distance onto the adjacent Western Foreland exploration licences that are 100%-owned by Ivanhoe Mines. Additional rigs will be added to accelerate the drill testing of this mineralizing structure.Assays for the outstanding drill holes have been expedited and Ivanhoeplans to provide an update on this important exploration program in the near future.

A second rig will be added to expedite the drill testing of this mineralizing structure.

Kamoa-Kakula geologists also are exploring another zone of shallow, high-grade copper mineralization in the far northern region of the Kamoa-Kakula mining licence. This mineralized corridor trends north and south for more than nine kilometres before swinging to the northwest and is projected to continue onto the adjacent Western Foreland exploration licences.

Ivanhoe's DRC exploration team is continuing with its regional drilling program targeting Kamoa-Kakula-style copper mineralization in the Western Foreland region, just to the west of the Kamoa-Kakula mining-licence area.

On October 1, 2018, Ivanhoe announced the Makoko Copper Discovery at Western Foreland. Makoko, Ivanhoe's third major copper discovery in the DRC, shows similar geological characteristics to the tier-one Kamoa-Kakula discoveries.

On July 30, 2018, Ivanhoe announced a new Mineral Resource estimate for the Kipushi Mine in the DRC that increased zinc-rich Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources by 16%, from 10.2 million tonnes to 11.8 million tonnes. The new estimate also increased Kipushi's zinc grade from 34.89% to 35.34%. In addition, the mine's copper-rich Measured and Indicated Resources increased by 40% from 1.6 million tonnes to 2.3 million tonnes, with a slight increase in the copper grade from 4.01% to 4.03%.

The updated Mineral Resource will be used in the preparation of the Kipushi definitive feasibility study (DFS), which is expected in the first half of this year. The DFS will update and refine the findings of the PFS issued in December 2017. Similar to the PFS, the DFS will focus on the initial mining of Kipushi's Big Zinc Zone.

The December 2017 PFS analyzed the plan to bring Kipushi's Big Zinc Zone into production in less than two years, with a life-of-mine, average annual production rate of 225,000 tonnes of zinc and cash costs of $0.48 per pound of zinc. The planned return to production would establish Kipushi as the world's highest-grade, major zinc mine.

Discussions are continuing with potential strategic partners and lenders to support Ivanhoe's continuing advance toward a new era of production at Kipushi. Ivanhoe has made significant progress in upgrading the mine's underground infrastructure and the company now has a much clearer path to a resumption of production from the high-grade Big Zinc orebody.

On October 8, 2018, Ivanhoe announced that the sinking of Shaft 1 at the Platreef palladium-platinum-nickel-copper-gold-rhodium discovery in South Africa reached the top of the Flatreef orebody, at a depth of approximately 780 metres. The orebody is 29 metres thick where Shaft 1 intersected it. Sinking now has reached a depth of 855 metres and will continue to its planned final depth of 982 metres. The Platreef mining team delivered the first ore from the underground mine development to surface stockpiles for metallurgical sampling.

Surface construction for Platreef's Shaft 2 is progressing. Construction now is focused on the concrete hitch for the headframe, which is expected to be completed by mid-2019. Shaft 2 will have an internal diameter of 10 metres and will be equipped with two 40-tonne rock-hoisting skips with a capacity to hoist a total of six million tonnes of ore per year - the single largest hoisting capacity at any mine in Africa.

On December 18, 2018, Ivanhoe announced that Ivanplats has finalized a long-term agreement with the Mogalakwena Local Municipality for the supply of local, treated waste water to supply most of the bulk water needed for the first phase of production at the Platreef Mine.

Based on the findings of an independent DFS issued in July 2017, the Platreef Mine is projected to be Africa's lowest-cost producer of platinum-group metals, with a cash cost of $351 per ounce of platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold, net of by-products, including sustaining capital costs.

On February 18, 2019, Ivanhoe announced that the weighted price of the 'basket' of metals contained in the ore at the Platreef Project had risen to a new, three-year high.

Ivanhoe continues to advance the arrangement of project financing for the development of the Platreef Project. Negotiation of a term sheet is progressing well with the Initial Mandated Lead Arrangers (IMLAs).

At the end of 2018, Kamoa-Kakula had recorded 12.31 million work hours free of lost-time injuries, Kipushi 165,576 work hours, and Platreef 887,097 work hours.





Photo 1: Ivanhoe Mines' Executive Co-Chairman Robert Friedland and CITIC Metal Group President Yufeng "Miles" Sun signed the landmark agreement to complete CITIC's C$723 million equity investment in Ivanhoe during a ceremony in Beijing on September 19, 2018.



To view an enhanced version of Photo 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3396/43715_487def66545e7ba2_002full.jpg

Principal projects and review of activities

1. Platreef Project

64%-owned by Ivanhoe Mines

South Africa

The Platreef Project is owned by Ivanplats (Pty) Ltd, which is 64%-owned by Ivanhoe Mines. A 26% interest is held by Ivanplats' historically-disadvantaged, broad-based, black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) partners, which include 20 local host communities with approximately 150,000 people, project employees and local entrepreneurs. A Japanese consortium of ITOCHU Corporation; Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation and Japan Gas Corporation, owns a 10% interest in Ivanplats, which it acquired in two tranches for a total investment of $290 million.

The Platreef Project hosts an underground deposit of thick, platinum-group metals, nickel, copper and gold mineralization on the Northern Limb of the Bushveld Igneous Complex in Limpopo Province, approximately 280 kilometres northeast of Johannesburg and eight kilometres from the town of Mokopane.

On the Northern Limb, platinum-group metals mineralization is hosted primarily within the Platreef, a mineralized sequence that is traced more than 30 kilometres along strike. Ivanhoe's Platreef Project, within the Platreef's southern sector, is comprised of two contiguous properties: Turfspruit and Macalacaskop. Turfspruit, the northernmost property, is contiguous with, and along strike from, Anglo Platinum's Mogalakwena group of mining operations and properties.

Since 2007, Ivanhoe has focused its exploration and development activities on defining and advancing the down-dip extension of its original discovery at Platreef, now known as the Flatreef Deposit, which is amenable to highly mechanized, underground mining methods. The Flatreef area lies entirely on the Turfspruit and Macalacaskop properties, which form part of the company's mining right.

Health and safety at Platreef

As at the end of 2018, the Platreef Project had reached a total of 887,097 lost-time, injury-free hours worked in terms of South Africa's Mine Health and Safety Act and Occupational Health and Safety Act. At the end of 2018, it had been nine months since the last lost-time injury occurred at the Platreef Project, which continues to strive toward its workplace objective of an environment that causes zero harm to employees, contractors, sub-contractors and consultants.

Positive independent, definitive feasibility study for Platreef's first-phase development; Platreef projected to be Africa's lowest-cost producer of platinum-group metals

On July 31, 2017, Ivanhoe Mines announced the positive results of an independent, definitive feasibility study (DFS) for the planned first phase of the Platreef Project's palladium-platinum-nickel-copper-gold-rhodium mine in South Africa.

The Platreef DFS covers the first phase of development that would include construction of a state-of-the-art underground mine, concentrator and other associated infrastructure to support initial production of concentrate. As Phase 1 is being developed and commissioned, there would be opportunities to refine the timing and scope of subsequent phases of expanded production.

The 2017 DFS highlights include:

Indicated Mineral Resources containing an estimated 41.9 million ounces of platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold, with an additional 52.8 million ounces of platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold in Inferred Resources.

Increased Mineral Reserves containing 17.6 million ounces of platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold following stope optimization and mine sequencing work.

Development of a large, safe, mechanized, underground mine, with an initial four-Mtpa concentrator and associated infrastructure.

Planned initial average annual production rate of 476,000 ounces of platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold (3PE+Au), plus 21 million pounds of nickel and 13 million pounds of copper.

Estimated pre-production capital requirement of approximately $1.5 billion, at a ZAR:USD exchange rate of 13 to 1.

Platreef would rank at the bottom of the cash-cost curve, at an estimated $351 per ounce of 3PE+Au produced, net of by-products and including sustaining capital costs, and $326 per ounce before sustaining capital costs.

After-tax net present value (NPV) of $916 million, at an 8% discount rate.

After-tax internal rate of return (IRR) of 14.2%.

All figures are on a 100%-project basis unless otherwise stated. The DFS was prepared for Ivanhoe Mines by principal consultant DRA Global, with economic analysis led by OreWin, and specialized sub-consultants including Amec Foster Wheeler E&C Services (Amec Foster Wheeler), Stantec Consulting, Murray & Roberts Cementation, SRK Consulting, Golder Associates and Digby Wells Environmental.





Photo 2: The northern excavation at Shaft 1's 750-metre station, showing the large scale of the underground workings - ideal for safe, mechanized mining.



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Shaft 1 now extends to a depth of 850 metres below surface

Shaft 1 reached the top of the high-grade Flatreef Deposit (T1 mineralized zone) at a depth of 780.2 metres below surface in Q3 2018 and has since been extended to the 850-metre level with the 850-metre-level station development underway.

The thickness of the mineralized reef (T1 & T2 mineralized zones) at Shaft 1 is 29 metres, with grades of platinum-group metals ranging up to 11 grams per tonne (g/t) 3PE (platinum, palladium and rhodium) plus gold, as well as significant quantities of nickel and copper. The 29-metre intersection yielded approximately 3,000 tonnes of ore, estimated to contain more than 400 ounces of platinum-group metals. The ore is stockpiled on surface for metallurgical sampling.

The 750-metre-level station, including the steelwork and concrete construction, was successfully completed in Q4 2018. The 750-metre-level and 850-metre-level stations will provide initial, underground access to the high-grade orebody, enabling mine development to proceed during the construction of Shaft 2.

As sinking of Shaft 1 advances, one more station will be developed at a mine-working depth of 950 metres. Shaft 1 is expected to reach its projected, final depth of 982 metres below surface in early 2020. Shaft 1 ultimately will become the primary ventilation shaft during the project's initial four-Mtpa production case.





Photo 3: Ongoing development work at Shaft 1's 850-metre-level mine access station, showing the northern top-cut excavation.



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Photo 4: Spraying shotcrete over 6.5-metre anchor bolts and wire mesh to reinforce the brow at Shaft 1's 850-metre-level mine access station.



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Shaft 2 early-works construction progressing

Shaft 2, to be located approximately 100 metres northeast of Shaft 1, will have an internal diameter of 10 metres. It will be lined with concrete and sunk to a planned, final depth of more than 1,104 metres below surface. It will be equipped with two 40-tonne rock-hoisting skips capable of hoisting a total of six million tonnes of ore a year - the single largest hoisting capacity at any mine in Africa.

The headgear for the permanent hoisting facility was designed by South Africa-based Murray & Roberts Cementation. Nine blasts were successfully completed in 2018 enabling the excavation of Shaft 2's box cut to a depth of approximately 29 metres below surface and the construction of the concrete hitch (shaft collar foundation) for the 103-metre-tall concrete headgear that will house the shaft's permanent hoisting facilities and support the shaft collar. Excavation of the box cut and construction of the hitch foundation is expected to be completed in Q2 2019, enabling the beginning of the pre-sink, that will extend 84 metres below surface.





Photo 5: Ongoing construction of the foundation that will support Shaft 2's 103-metre-tall concrete headframe.



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Figure 1: Schematic section of the Platreef Mine, showing Flatreef's T1 and T2 thick, high-grade mineralized zones (red and dark orange), underground development work completed to date in shafts 1 and 2 (white) and planned development work (gray).



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Underground mining to incorporate highly productive, mechanized methods

Ivanhoe plans to develop the Platreef Mine in phases. The initial annual production rate of four million tonnes a year is designed to establish an operating platform to support future expansions. This is expected to be followed by a potential doubling of production to eight Mtpa, and then a third expansion phase to a steady-state 12 Mtpa, which would establish Platreef among the largest platinum-group-metals mines in the world.

The mining zones in the current Platreef mine plan occur at depths ranging from approximately 700 metres to 1,200 metres below surface. Shaft 2 will provide primary access to the mining zones; secondary access will be via Shaft 1. During mine production, both shafts also will serve as ventilation intakes. Three additional ventilation exhaust raises are planned to achieve steady-state production.

Planned mining methods will use highly productive, mechanized methods, including long-hole stoping and drift-and-fill mining. Each method will utilize cemented backfill for maximum ore extraction. The ore will be hauled from the stopes to a series of internal ore passes and fed to the bottom of Shaft 2, where it will be crushed and hoisted to surface.

Platreef project financing continuing to advance

Ivanhoe continues to advance the arrangement of project financing for the development of the Platreef Project. Negotiation of a term sheet is progressing well with the Initial Mandated Lead Arrangers (IMLAs).

In addition, preliminary discussions are underway with leading South African financial institutions regarding the financing of the black economic empowerment partners' contribution to the development capital which would thereby reduce the amount that would otherwise have to be contributed by Ivanhoe on their behalf.

Long-term supply of bulk water secured for the Platreef Mine

On May 7, 2018, Ivanhoe announced the signing of a new agreement to receive local, treated water to supply most of the bulk water needed for the first phase of production at Platreef. The Mogalakwena Local Municipality has agreed to supply a minimum of five million litres of treated water a day for 32 years, beginning in 2022, from the town of Mokopane's new Masodi Treatment Works. Initial supply will be used in Platreef's ongoing underground mine development and surface infrastructure construction.

Under terms of the agreement, which is subject to certain suspensive conditions, Ivanplats will provide financial assistance to the municipality for certified costs of up to a maximum of R248 million (approximately $19.6 million) to complete the Masodi treatment plant. Ivanplats will purchase the treated wastewater at a reduced rate of R5 per thousand litres for the first 10 million litres per day to offset a portion of the initial capital contributed.

Ivanplats received its Integrated Water Use Licence in January 2019, which is valid for 30 years and enables the Platreef Project to make use of water as planned in the 2017 DFS.

Development of human resources and job skills

Work progressed on the implementation of Ivanhoe's Social and Labour Plan (SLP). The company has pledged a total of R160 million ($11 million) during the first five years, culminating in November 2019, of which R98 million ($7 million) already had been spent by December 2018. The approved plan includes R67 million ($5 million) for the development of job skills among local residents and R88 million ($6 million) for local economic development projects.





Photo 6: A digital trainer from Ivanplats (right) demonstrates the use of the free Wi-Fi system to a local resident. The Ivanplats Maru a Mokopane initiative - a digital communication system - is designed for people living in Mokopane, Limpopo to learn more about the Platreef Project, and provides complimentary access to wireless internet.



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2. Kipushi Project

68%-owned by Ivanhoe Mines

Democratic Republic of Congo

The Kipushi copper-zinc-germanium-lead mine, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, is adjacent to the town of Kipushi and approximately 30 kilometres southwest of Lubumbashi. It is located on the Central African Copperbelt, approximately 250 kilometres southeast of the Kamoa-Kakula Project and less than one kilometre from the Zambian border. Ivanhoe acquired its 68% interest in the Kipushi Project in November 2011; the balance of 32% is held by the state-owned mining company, La Generale des Carrieres et des Mines (Gecamines).

Health, safety and community development

At the end of 2018, the Kipushi Project reached a total of 165,576 work hours free of lost-time injuries. One lost-time injury occurred in November 2018 when the Kipushi Project had reached 2,092,924 work hours - more than a year since a lost-time injury had previously occurred.

The Kipushi Project operates a potable-water station to supply the municipality with water. This includes power supply, disinfectant chemicals, routine maintenance, security and emergency repair of leaks to the primary reticulation. The Kipushi Project also installed and commissioned new overhead powerlines to the pump station. Other community development projects continued during Q4 2018 included the Kipushi women's literacy project, the setup of a new sewing training centre, scholarships and more water boreholes drilled and equipped for community use.

Kipushi Mineral Resources

The Kipushi Project's current Mineral Resource estimate was updated with an effective date of June 14, 2018, and was prepared by the MSA Group of Johannesburg, South Africa, in compliance with 2014 CIM Definition Standards. Ivanhoe plans to file an updated National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101) technical report for the Kipushi Project covering the June 2018 Mineral Resource estimate by the end of March 2019. The technical report will be filed on the company's website and under the company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.

Zinc-rich Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources, primarily in the Big Zinc Zone total 11.78 million tonnes at grades of 35.34% zinc, 0.80% copper, 23 g/t silver and 64 g/t germanium, at a 7% zinc cut-off - containing an estimated 9.2 billion pounds of zinc. Zinc-rich Inferred Mineral Resources total an additional 1.14 million tonnes at grades of 33.77% zinc, 1.24% copper, 12 g/t silver and 62 g/t germanium. The Inferred Mineral Resources are contained partly in the Big Zinc Zone and partly in the Southern Zinc Zone.

Copper-rich Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources contained in the adjacent Fault Zone, Fault Zone Splay and Serie Recurrente Zone total an additional 2.29 million tonnes at grades of 4.03% copper, 2.85% zinc, 21 g/t silver and 19 g/t germanium, at a 1.5% copper cut-off - containing 144 million pounds of copper. Copper-rich Inferred Mineral Resources in these zones total an additional 0.44 million tonnes at grades of 3.89% copper, 10.77% zinc, 19 g/t silver and 55 g/t germanium.





Figure 2: Schematic underground section of the Kipushi Mine.



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Pre-feasibility study for Kipushi completed in December 2017; definitive feasibility study expected in Q2 2019

The Kipushi Project's PFS, announced by Ivanhoe Mines on December 13, 2017, anticipated annual production of an average of 381,000 tonnes of zinc concentrate over an 11-year, initial mine life at a total cash cost of approximately $0.48 per pound (lb) of zinc.

Highlights of the PFS, based on a long-term zinc price of $1.10/lb include:

After-tax net present value (NPV) at an 8% real discount rate of $683 million.

After-tax real internal rate of return (IRR) of 35.3%.

After-tax project payback period of 2.2 years.

Pre-production capital costs, including contingency, estimated at $337 million.

Existing surface and underground infrastructure allows for significantly lower capital costs than comparable greenfield development projects.

Life-of-mine average planned zinc concentrate production of 381,000 dry tonnes per annum, with a concentrate grade of 59% zinc, is expected to rank Kipushi, once in production, among the world's largest zinc mines.

All figures are on a 100%-project basis unless otherwise stated. Estimated life-of-mine average cash cost of $0.48/lb of zinc is expected to rank Kipushi, once in production, in the bottom quartile of the cash-cost curve for zinc producers internationally.

The planned primary mining method for the Big Zinc Deposit in the PFS is sublevel long-hole, open stoping, with cemented backfill. The crown pillars are expected to be mined once adjacent stopes are backfilled using a pillar-retreat mining method. The Big Zinc Deposit is expected to be accessed via the existing decline and without any significant new development. The main levels are planned to be at 60-metre vertical intervals, with sublevels at 30-metre intervals.

The Kipushi Project's definitive feasibility study is progressing and is expected to be completed in Q2 2019.

Project development and infrastructure

Significant progress has been made in modernizing the Kipushi Mine's underground infrastructure as part of preparations for the mine to resume commercial production. In Q4 2018, the Kipushi Project successfully hoisted previously mined ore from Shaft 5 to surface. This was the first time that ore had been hoisted to surface since the mine was placed on care and maintenance by Gecamines in 1993.

Earlier in 2018, the Kipushi Project successfully completed initial, pre-production testing as part of the equipment commissioning process for the new, large-capacity rock crusher that has been installed 1,150 metres below surface. The Sandvik jaw crusher has a maximum capacity of 1,085 tonnes an hour. The 54-tonne machine was re-assembled and installed in the crusher chamber after it was disassembled on surface and its pieces were lowered down Shaft 5, which is the Kipushi Mine's main production shaft.





Photo 7: Kipushi's fully-assembled Sandvik jaw crusher, capable of crushing up to 1,085 tonnes of ore an hour.



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Photo 8: Construction of the rock load-out facility on Kipushi's 1,150-metre level. Ore from the Big Zinc Deposit will be unloaded here, for crushing and hoisting to surface.



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Ivanhoe completed the upgrading of a significant amount of underground infrastructure at the Kipushi Project, including a series of vertical mine shafts to various depths, with associated head frames, as well as underground mine excavations and infrastructure. A series of crosscuts and ventilation infrastructure still is in working condition and has been cleared of old materials and equipment to facilitate modern mechanized mining. The underground infrastructure also includes a series of pumps to manage the influx of water into the mine and water levels are easily maintained at the bottom of the mine.

Shaft 5 is eight metres in diameter and 1,240 metres deep. It now has been upgraded and re-commissioned. The main personnel and material winder has been upgraded and modernized to meet international industry standards and safety criteria. The Shaft 5 rock-hoisting winder now is fully operational with new rock skips, new head- and tail-ropes and attachments installed. The two newly manufactured rock conveyances (skips) and the supporting frames (bridles) have been installed in the shaft to facilitate the hoisting of rock from the main ore and waste storage silos feeding rock on the 1,200-metre level.

The main haulage way on the 1,150-metre level between the Big Zinc access decline and Shaft 5 rock load-out facilities has been resurfaced with concrete so the mine now can use modern, trackless, mobile machinery.

With the underground upgrading program nearing completion, the project's focus now will shift to modernizing and upgrading Kipushi's surface infrastructure to handle and process Kipushi's high-grade zinc and copper resources.





Photo 9: Modern, new control room at Kipushi's Shaft 5.



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Photo 10: New electrical panels installed underground at Kipushi.



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Photo 11: High-volume water pipes to keep Kipushi's underground workings dry.



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Photo 12: Kipushi Project's proposed site layout.



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3. Kamoa-Kakula Project

39.6%-owned by Ivanhoe Mines

Democratic Republic of Congo

The Kamoa-Kakula Project, a joint venture between Ivanhoe Mines and Zijin Mining, has been independently ranked as the world's fourth largest copper deposit by international mining consultant Wood Mackenzie, with adjacent prospective exploration areas within the Central African Copperbelt in the Democratic Republic of Congo, approximately 25 kilometres west of the town of Kolwezi and about 270 kilometres west of Lubumbashi.

Ivanhoe sold a 49.5% share interest in Kamoa Holding to Zijin Mining in December 2015 for an aggregate consideration of $412 million. In addition, Ivanhoe sold a 1% share interest in Kamoa Holding to privately-owned Crystal River for $8.32 million - which Crystal River will pay through a non-interest-bearing, 10-year promissory note. Since the conclusion of the Zijin transaction in December 2015, each shareholder has been required to fund expenditures at the Kamoa-Kakula Project in an amount equivalent to its proportionate shareholding interest in Kamoa Holding.

A 5%, non-dilutable interest in the Kamoa-Kakula Project was transferred to the DRC government on September 11, 2012, for no consideration, pursuant to the 2002 DRC mining code. Following the signing of an agreement with the DRC government in November 2016, in which an additional 15% interest in the Kamoa-Kakula Project was transferred to the DRC government, Ivanhoe and Zijin Mining now each hold an indirect 39.6% interest in the Kamoa-Kakula Project, Crystal River holds an indirect 0.8% interest and the DRC government holds a direct 20% interest. Kamoa Holding holds an 80% interest in the project.

Kamoa-Kakula surpassed 12 million hours worked without a lost-time injury in 2018, and recently broke the 13-million-hour mark

At the end of 2018, the Kamoa-Kakula Project had achieved a total of 12,305,545 work hours free of lost-time injuries. It has been approximately seven years since the last lost-time injury occurred at the project. During 2018 the project achieved three significant milestones in safety which include 10-, 11- and 12 million hours free of lost-time injuries. This outstanding achievement reflects the dedication to a safety-focused culture of the entire Kamoa-Kakula exploration and development teams.





Photo 13: In March 2019, Kamoa-Kakula celebrated achieving more than 13 million work hours free of lost-time injuries.



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Photo 14: Also in March 2019, members of Kamoa's drilling team marked the completion of the 1,500th exploration hole drilled at the Kamoa-Kakula Project.



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Map 1: Map of the Kamoa-Kakula mining licence showing the Kakula and Kansoko mining areas, as well as Kakula West, Kamoa North and drill hole DD1450, and a portion of Ivanhoe's adjacent, 100%-owned Western Foreland exploration area.



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PFS for Kakula and updated PEA for an expanded Kamoa-Kakula production rate of 18 Mtpa announced

On February 6, 2019, Ivanhoe announced the results from the Kakula 2019 PFS. The study assesses the potential development of the Kakula Deposit as a 6 Mtpa mining and processing complex. The Kakula mill would be constructed in two smaller phases of 3 Mtpa each as the mining operations ramp-up to full production of 6 Mtpa. The life-of-mine production scenario provides for 119.7 million tonnes to be mined at an average grade of 5.48% copper, producing 9.8 million tonnes of high-grade copper concentrate, containing approximately 12.4 billion pounds of copper. All figures are on a 100%-project basis unless otherwise stated.

On March 22, 2019, Ivanhoe filed an updated NI 43-101 technical report for the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Project covering the independent pre-feasibility studies for the development of the Kakula and Kansoko copper mines, and an updated, expanded preliminary economic assessment for the overall integrated development plan for the project. The report, titled Kamoa-Kakula Integrated Development Plan 2019, is available on the company's website and under the company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.

Highlights of the PFS, based on a consensus, long-term copper price of $3.10/lb include:

Very high-grade, stage-one production is projected to have a grade of 7.1% copper in the second year of production and an average grade of 6.4% copper over the initial 10 years of operations, resulting in estimated average annual copper production of 291,000 tonnes.

Annual copper production is estimated at 360,000 tonnes in year four.

Initial capital cost, including contingency, is estimated at $1.1 billion.

Average total cash cost of $1.11/lb of copper during the first 10 years, inclusive of royalties.

After-tax NPV, at an 8% discount rate, of $5.4 billion.

After-tax internal rate of return (IRR) of 46.9%, and a payback period of 2.6 years.

Kakula is expected to produce a very high-grade copper concentrate in excess of 55% copper, with extremely low arsenic levels.

Ivanhoe also announced an updated independent PEA for an expanded Kakula-Kamoa production rate of 18 Mtpa, supplied initially by a 6 Mtpa mine at Kakula, followed by two 6 Mtpa mines at Kansoko and Kakula West, and a world-scale direct-to-blister smelter.

Highlights of the PEA, based on a consensus, long-term copper price of $3.10/lb include:

Very high-grade initial phase projected to have a grade of 7.1% copper in the second year of production and an average grade of 5.7% copper during the first 10 years of operations, resulting in estimated average annual copper production of 386,000 tonnes.

Recovered copper production is estimated at 740,000 tonnes in year 12, which would rank the Kamoa-Kakula Project as the second largest copper producer in the world.

Initial capital cost, including contingency, is $1.1 billion, with subsequent expansions at Kansoko, Kakula West, and other mining areas, as well as the smelter, to be funded by cash flows from the Kakula Mine.

Average total cash costs of $0.93/lb of copper during the first 10 years, including sulphuric acid credits.

After-tax NPV, at an 8% discount rate, of $10.0 billion.

After-tax IRR of 40.9% and a payback period of 2.9 years.







Figure 3: Kamoa-Kakula 18 Mtpa PEA long-term development plan. (Figure by OreWin 2019.)



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Figure 4: Projected 18 Mtpa Kamoa-Kakula PEA production (year-12 peak copper production shown) compared to the world's projected top 20 producing mines in 2025 by paid copper production.



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Note: Kamoa-Kakula 2019 PEA production based on projected peak copper production (which occurs in year 12) of the 18 Mtpa alternative development option.

Source: Wood Mackenzie (based on public disclosure, the Kakula 2019 PFS has not been reviewed by Wood Mackenzie).

Kamoa-Kakula Mineral Resources

Ivanhoe issued an updated Mineral Resource estimate for the Kamoa-Kakula Project on February 6, 2019. Details of the updated Mineral Resource estimate are contained in the March 2019, independent NI 43-101 technical report for the Kamoa-Kakula Project.

The updated Mineral Resource estimate includes an updated Kakula Mineral Resource estimate and was prepared by Ivanhoe Mines under the direction of Amec Foster Wheeler E&C Services Inc. of Reno, USA, in accordance with the 2014 CIM Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves. The Qualified Persons for the 2019 Kamoa-Kakula Mineral Resource estimate are Dr. Harry Parker, RM, SME and Gordon Seibel, RM, SME both of Amec Foster Wheeler E&C Services Inc.

Indicated Mineral Resources for the combined Kamoa-Kakula Project now total 1,387 million tonnes grading 2.64% copper, containing 80.6 billion pounds of copper at a 1.0% copper cut-off grade and a minimum thickness of three metres. Kamoa-Kakula also has Inferred Mineral Resources of 316 million tonnes grading 1.76% copper and containing 12.2 billion pounds of copper, also at a 1.0% copper cut-off grade and a minimum thickness of three metres.

The Kakula Mineral Resource estimate covers a mineralized strike length of 13.3 kilometres and is based on results from 323 holes completed by November 1, 2018. Indicated Mineral Resources total 628 million tonnes at a grade of 2.72% copper, containing 37.6 billion pounds of copper at a 1% copper cut-off. At a 2% copper cut-off, Indicated Mineral Resources total 319 million tonnes at a 3.99% copper grade, containing 28.1 billion pounds of copper. At a 3% copper cut-off, Indicated Mineral Resources total 164 million tonnes at a grade of 5.50% copper, containing 19.9 billion pounds of copper.

Inferred Mineral Resources total 114 million tonnes at a grade of 1.59% copper, containing 4.0 billion pounds of copper at a 1% copper cut-off. At a 2% copper cut-off, Inferred Mineral Resources total 23 million tonnes at a 2.62% copper grade, containing 1.3 billion pounds of copper. At a 3% copper cut-off, Inferred Mineral Resources total 5.0 million tonnes at a grade of 3.52% copper, containing 0.4 billion pounds of copper.

The average true thickness of the selective mineralized zone (SMZ) at a 1% copper cut-off is 10.5 metres in the Indicated Mineral Resources area and 6.9 metres in the Inferred Mineral Resources area. At a higher 3% copper cut-off, the average true thickness of the SMZ is 4.9 metres in the Indicated Mineral Resources area and 3.9 metres in the Inferred Mineral Resources area.

The Kakula Mineral Resources are defined within a total area of 27.4 square kilometres at a 1% copper cut-off. At the same cut-off grade, the areal extent of Indicated Mineral Resources is 21.5 square kilometres and the areal extent of the Inferred Mineral Resources is 5.9 square kilometres.

Underground development progressing at the Kakula Deposit

Development of the twin access declines at the northern side of the Kakula Deposit started with the first blast on November 16, 2017. At the end of 2018, each of the twin declines at Kakula had been advanced more than 1,180 metres from the portal face toward the mineralized zone for a total advancement of 3,430 metres. Both declines currently are passing through the lower diamictite, approaching the high-grade mineralization. Construction of the 1,050-metre-level dam and the two access drifts also were initiated in Q4 2018.





Photo 15: Preparing an explosive charge underground at Kakula. The main twin declines intersected the northern edge of the mineralized reef in January 2019. Lateral underground mine development now is progressing toward the initial, high-grade mining area.



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A system of 'through-ventilation' has been constructed with fresh air being pulled down the service decline and exhausted up the conveyor decline. This will allow the project to increase the underground work force to four development crews and will enable fresh air to be pushed further into the mine than had been possible with forced vent ducts from surface.

A single decline also is being developed on the south side of the Kakula Deposit to provide bottom access to Ventilation Shaft 2, enabling this shaft to be constructed by raise boring instead of sinking. This decline also will be used as a second means of egress from the mine.





Photo 16: Construction is underway on a third decline tunnel on the southern side of the Kakula Deposit to provide access and ventilation to the high-grade copper.



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The design for the main Kakula decline conveyor system and initial two truck tips at the bottom of the decline is well advanced. Most of the major procurement packages had been ordered by the end of 2018, including steel fabrication, conveyor drives, idlers and apron feeders. Construction is expected to start in late-March 2019 and it is scheduled to be operational by the end of 2019. This will reduce the truck traffic in the declines with consequent reduction in costs, congestion and ventilation requirements.

The contract for raise boring of Ventilation Shaft 1 was awarded in November 2018. The shaft will be 5.5 metres in diameter and 200 metres deep.







Figure 5: Kakula 2019 PFS mine development plan prepared by Stantec.



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Photo 17: Contractors wiring up explosives for Ventilation Shaft 1 that will provide fresh air to Kakula's underground workings.



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Exploration activities continue at Kakula and Kamoa North

Exploration drilling in Q4 2018 was completed with eight contractor drill rigs and two company-owned drill rigs. The number of drill rigs was gradually reduced in December 2018 to allow for a shut down over the holiday period and for scheduled reduction in drilling for 2019. A total of 85,593 metres were drilled in 2018 from 272 diamond drill-holes.

Exploration drilling during Q4 2018 was split between Kakula and Kamoa North, with 21,198 metres drilled for exploration purposes in 58 holes. The reduction from the previous quarter was due to geotechnical drilling for the decline and planned tailings storage facility site. A total of 36 holes, totalling 16,178 metres, were completed in Kamoa North in which two rigs were drilling shallow holes.

Unprecedented exploration drilling results at Kamoa North

On January 30, 2019, Ivanhoe released assay results from ongoing exploration drilling at Kamoa North. Assays for 22 holes were released. The results included an unprecedented 22.3-metre intersection (true thickness) of 13.05% copper at a cut-off of 2% copper, in a shallow, flat-lying discovery at the Kamoa North copper exploration area.

Drill hole DD1450 includes multiple one-metre intersections with copper grades higher than 20% copper, including a 40%-copper interval.

At a cut-off of 5% copper, DD1450's intersection is 15.92% copper over 16.8 metres (true thickness). Using a lower cut-off grade of 1% copper, the intersection is 10.29% copper over 29.4 metres (true thickness), beginning at a depth of only 190 metres below surface.





Photo 18: One of two rigs currently drilling in the Kamoa North area. One rig is pursuing extensions of high-grade mineralization intersected in the far northern region of the Kamoa-Kakula mining licence, while the other rig is targeting extensions of the ultra-high-grade copper intersected in drill hole DD1450.



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Figure 6: Mineralization profile for drill hole DD1450 at Kamoa North, beginning at a depth of only 190 metres below surface.



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Additional drilling is underway to test the strike and width of the east-west trending fault structure that hosts the bonanza-grade copper in hole DD1450. Nine holes now have been completed in the discovery area, and assays are pending for eight of the holes. Based on visual interpretation of massive bornite and chalcopyrite in the recent drill intersections, the new, high-grade zone of shallow, thick, flat-lying, copper mineralization has been extended over a strike length of at least 200 metres, a width of up to 80 metres, and drilled thickness of between 13 and 30 metres. The new discovery zone is approximately 170 to 200 metres below surface.

Discovery hole DD1450 is associated with an east-west trending fault structure that allowed copper-rich fluids to flow into the stratigraphy above the conventional, Kamoa-Kakula mineralized zone and into a pyrite-rich, siltstone zone called the Kamoa Pyritic Siltstone (KPS). The shallow depth, remarkable thickness and massive copper mineralization in the KPS discovery could prove extremely significant if targeted early from a future Kamoa North decline.

The controlling east-west striking fault responsible for the massive copper sulphide mineralization in the KPS is visible on airborne magnetic images and can be traced over a distance length at least 10 to 20 kilometres. It trends west of Kamoa-Kakula for a considerable distance onto the adjacent Western Foreland exploration licences that are 100%-owned by Ivanhoe Mines. Additional rigs will be added to accelerate the drill testing of this mineralizing structure.Assays for the outstanding drill holes have been expedited and Ivanhoeplans to provide an update on this important exploration program in the near future.

Kamoa-Kakula geologists also are exploring another zone of shallow, high-grade copper mineralization in the far northern region of the Kamoa-Kakula mining licence. This mineralized corridor trends north and south for more than nine kilometres before swinging to the northwest and is projected to continue onto the adjacent Western Foreland exploration licences.





Photo 19: David Edwards, Kamoa-Kakula's Geology Manager (right) identifies the location of the next drill hole at Kamoa North with one of Kamoa's contract drillers.



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Ongoing upgrading work enables Mwadingusha hydropower station to supply clean electricity to the national grid

Ongoing upgrading work at the Mwadingusha hydropower plant in the DRC has significantly progressed with the major equipment being delivered on site. The power station was shut down to replace sections of penstocks that were found to be in an advanced stage of corrosion. The progressive re-commissioning of the turbines, fully refurbished and modernized with state-of-the-art control and instrumentation will start in 2019 and be completed in Q3 2020. The refurbished plant will deliver an output increased by 10% to a capacity of approximately 72 megawatts (MW) of power.

The work at Mwadingusha, part of a program to eventually overhaul and boost output from three hydropower plants, is being conducted by engineering firm Stucky of Lausanne, Switzerland, under the direction of Ivanhoe Mines and Zijin Mining, in conjunction with the DRC's state-owned power company, La Societe Nationale d'Electricite (SNEL). Once fully reconditioned, the three plants will have a combined installed capacity of approximately 200 MW of electricity for the national grid, which is expected to be more than sufficient for the Kamoa-Kakula Project.

The Kansoko Mine, Kakula Mine and Kamoa camp have been connected to the national hydroelectric power grid since the completion of a 12-kilometre, 120-kilovolt, dual-circuit power line between Kansoko and Kakula in December 2017. The design of permanent, 11-kilovolt reticulation to the vent shafts and mine has started, which includes substations, overhead lines and surface cables.





Photo 20: Construction has commenced on a 220-kilovolt electrical substation at the Kakula Mine that will allow the mine to be powered by clean, sustainable hydro-generated electricity from the country's national power grid.



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Photo 21: Surveying and construction is underway on a new, 20-kilometre by-pass road linking the Kamoa-Kakula Project to the Kolwezi airport, located approximately six kilometres south of Kolwezi. When completed, this new road will significantly improve the transportation corridor between Kolwezi and Kamoa-Kakula.



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Continued focus on community and sustainability

The Kamoa-Kakula Sustainable Livelihoods Program is committed to sustainable development in the communities within the project's footprint. The main objective of the livelihoods program is to enhance food security and the living standards of the people who reside within the project's footprint. The program is mainly implemented through fish farming and food crops, including farming of maize (corn) and vegetables, plus poultry production and beekeeping.

Additional non-farming-related activities for 2018 included education and literacy programs, the completion of a community water program, the continuation of the brick-making program and the creation of unskilled job opportunities.

The resettlement and fencing for the 16-kilometre mine perimeter fence was completed in October 2018. A total of 45 households were successfully resettled in newly constructed houses in the Muvunda village and a new school was constructed in Muvunda.





Photo 22: Farmers weeding newly-planted cabbage at one of the new community farms established near the Kamoa-Kakula Project. Two fish-farming ponds are in the background, where local community members raise tilapia until they are big enough to harvest. The initiatives are part of Kamoa-Kakula's Sustainable Livelihoods Program to support and expand food production in nearby communities.



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4. Western Foreland Exploration Project

100%-owned by Ivanhoe Mines

Democratic Republic of Congo

Ivanhoe's DRC exploration group is targeting Kamoa-Kakula-style copper mineralization through a regional drilling program on its 100%-owned Western Foreland exploration licences, located to the north and west of the Kamoa-Kakula Project.

During Q4 2018, exploration drilling continued with three rigs. A total of 7,339 metres in 19 diamond drill holes were completed during the quarter, bringing the total to 29,271 metres in 66 holes.

Drilling continued at Makoko throughout the quarter, with 13 holes completed. Ivanhoe commissioned a Toyota Landcruiser-mounted drill rig during September 2018 that is being used to test for geochemical anomalies and prospective stratigraphy along the margin of the Western Foreland, where access is difficult. Seven of the 13 completed Makoko holes were drilled by the Landcruiser rig for a total of 821 metres.

Processing of seismic data has been ongoing through the quarter with additional processing completed at Velseis Integrated Seismic Technologies in Brisbane, Australia. The 2D sections are being combined with detailed ground gravity data, airborne magnetics and drilling data to create a predicted geological interpretation from Kakula to Makoko. This work is providing an intricate insight into the behaviour of the mineralizing system in the Western Foreland area.

Makoko Copper Discovery

On October 1, 2018, Ivanhoe announced the Makoko Copper Discovery on its 100%-owned Western Foreland exploration licences, near Kamoa-Kakula in the DRC. The Makoko Discovery is Ivanhoe's third major copper discovery in the DRC and shows characteristics identical to Ivanhoe's tier-one Kamoa-Kakula discoveries.

Selected drill holes at the Makoko Discovery include:

DD004 (the Makoko discovery hole) intersected 3.94 metres (true width) of 5.46% copper, at a 2.0% copper cut-off, and 3.94 metres (true width) of 5.46% copper at a 1.0% copper cut-off, from a downhole depth of 306 metres.

DD010 intersected 3.21 metres (true width) of 6.78% copper, at a 2.0% copper cut-off, and 3.95 metres (true width) of 5.81% copper at a 1.0% copper cut-off, from a downhole depth of 441 metres.

DD017 intersected 3.19 metres (true width) of 6.49% copper at a 2.0% copper cut-off, and 4.64 metres (true width) of 4.88% copper, at a 1.0% copper cut-off, from a downhole depth of 471.7 metres.

DD025 intersected 3.00 metres (true width) of 7.61% copper at a 2.0% copper cut-off, and 3.00 metres (true width) of 7.61% copper, at a 1.0% copper cut-off, from a downhole depth of 406 metres.

DD046 intersected 7.44 metres (true width) of 7.81% copper at a 2.0% copper cut-off, and 9.39 metres (true width) of 6.51% copper, at a 1.0% copper cut-off, from a downhole depth of 523.51 metres.

The initial discovery hole at Makoko, DD004, was drilled in September 2017; follow-up and infill drilling has been ongoing since then. Drilling to date at Makoko has defined a flat-lying, near-surface stratiform copper deposit, similar to the Kamoa and Kakula deposits. The structure contour map indicates that the mineralized formation in the Makoko area is within 1,000 metres of surface.

The majority of the drilling to date at Makoko has intersected the copper-rich zone between 400 metres and 800 metres below surface. The mineralized zone at Makoko strikes approximately south-southeast. It has been tested over a strike length of 4.5 kilometres and a dip extent of between one and two kilometres. Copper mineralization remains open both along strike and down dip.





Photo 23: A drill rig in action at the Makoko Discovery.



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Photo 24: Silstone-hosted mineralization in Makoko drill holes DD004, DD017 and DD010. DD004 is one of the holes where chalcocite is the dominant copper sulphide mineral. The purple-coloured copper mineral is bornite.



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SELECTED ANNUAL FINANCIAL INFORMATION

This selected financial information is in accordance with IFRS as presented in the annual consolidated financial statements. Ivanhoe had no operating revenue in any financial reporting period and did not declare or pay any dividend or distribution in any financial reporting period.





Table 1



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DISCUSSION OF RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Review of the year ended December 31, 2018 vs. December 31, 2017

The company recorded a total comprehensive loss of $13.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2018, compared to a total comprehensive profit of $247.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2017. The profit in 2017 was attributable mainly to the reversal of the impairment of mineral property and other items of the Kipushi Project of $286.3 million.

When excluding the 2017 reversal of impairment of $286.3 million, the company's total comprehensive loss for the year ended December 31, 2017, would have amounted to $38.5 million. This is $24.9 million higher than the total comprehensive loss of $13.6 million for the same period in 2018. The decrease mainly was due to the company recording its share of a profit from the Kamoa Holding joint venture of $19.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2018, compared to a loss of $27.5 million in 2017.

The costs associated with mine development are capitalized as development costs in Kamoa Holding, while the exploration expenditure is expensed. Capitalization of costs at Kakula commenced during Q2 2017, coinciding with the start of the Kakula box cut. Expenditure attributable to exploration at Kamoa North, Kakula West and in the saddle area between Kakula West and Kakula still was expensed in 2018.

The interest expense in the Kamoa Holding joint venture relates to shareholder loans where each shareholder is required to fund Kamoa Holding in an amount equivalent to its proportionate shareholding interest. The company is advancing Crystal River's portion on its behalf in return for an increase in the promissory note due to Ivanhoe.

With the Kamoa-Kakula Project quickly advancing towards production and as supported by the excellent economics in the recently completed pre-feasibility study on Kakula, future taxable income now is deemed probable at the Kamoa-Kakula Project and the previously unrecognized deferred tax asset has been recognized by the Kamoa Holding joint venture as a result. Furthermore, with revenue deemed probable, the Kamoa Holding joint venture also has reversed the impairment of previously impaired VAT receivables that will be available for set-off once income tax is payable.

The company's total comprehensive loss included an exchange loss on translation of foreign operations of $33.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2018, resulting from the weakening of the South African Rand by 17% from December 31, 2017, to December 31, 2018, compared to an exchange gain on translation of foreign operations recognized in 2017 of $13.8 million.

Exploration and project expenditure for the year ended December 31, 2018, amounted to $11.5 million and was $29.0 million less than for the same period in 2017 ($40.5 million). Exploration and project expenditure for 2018 related solely to Ivanhoe's 100%-owned Western Foreland exploration licences, while $36.7 million for 2017 related to the Kipushi Project.

Finance income for the year ended December 31, 2018, amounted to $49.9 million, and was $17.2 million more than for the same period in 2017 ($32.6 million). The increase mainly was due to interest earned on loans to the Kamoa Holding joint venture to fund operations that amounted to $40.4 million in 2018, and increased by $13.0 million as the accumulated loan balance increased.

Financial position as at December 31, 2018 vs. December 31, 2017

The company's total assets increased by $613.5 million, from $1,271.3 million as at December 31, 2017, to $1,884.8 million as at December 31, 2018. The increase mainly was due to the proceeds received on completion of the equity investment by CITIC Metal Africa Investments Limited (CITIC Metal Africa) and Zijin exercising its anti-dilution rights, for gross proceeds of $555 million and $60 million respectively.

Cash and cash equivalents increased by $392.6 million. The company utilized $14.7 million of its cash resources in its operations, which includes interest of $7.1 million received during the year ended December 31, 2018.

The company's investment in the Kamoa Holding joint venture increased by $129.3 million from $552.4 million as at December 31, 2017, to $681.7 million as at December 31, 2018, with each of the current shareholders funding the operations equivalent to their proportionate shareholding interest. The company's portion of the Kamoa Holding joint venture cash calls amounted to $69.3 million during 2018, while the company's share of comprehensive profit from the joint venture amounted to $19.6 million.

The net increase of property, plant and equipment amounted to $96.4 million, with a total of $127.9 million being spent on project development and to acquire other property, plant and equipment. Of this total, $59.9 million and $69.1 million pertained to development costs and other acquisitions of property, plant and equipment at the Platreef Project and Kipushi Project respectively.

The main components of the additions to property, plant and equipment including development costs at the Platreef and Kipushi projects for the year ended December 31, 2018, and for the same period in 2017, are set out in the following table:





Table 2



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Costs incurred at the Kipushi Project subsequent to the finalization of its pre-feasibility study, have been capitalized as property, plant and equipment. Costs incurred at the Platreef Project are deemed necessary to bring the project to commercial production and are therefore also capitalized.

The company's total liabilities increased by $6.2 million to $66.0 million as at December 31, 2018, from $59.8 million as at December 31, 2017. The increase was mainly due to a $2.9 million increase in trade and other payables and a $2.0 million increase in borrowings resulting from un-paid interest.

SELECTED QUARTERLY FINANCIAL INFORMATION

The following table summarizes selected financial information for the prior eight quarters. Ivanhoe had no operating revenue in any financial reporting period and did not declare or pay any dividend or distribution in any financial reporting period.





Table 3



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Review of the three months ended December 31, 2018 vs. 2017

The company recorded a total comprehensive profit of $28.4 million for Q4 2018 compared to a profit of $285.3 million for the same period in 2017. The profit in 2017 was attributable mainly to the reversal of the impairment of mineral property and other items of the Kipushi Project of $286.3 million as described above, while the profit in 2018 mainly was due to the company recording its share of a profit from the Kamoa Holding joint venture of $41.3 million for the three months ended December 31, 2018, compared to a loss of $10.2 million for the same period in 2017.

Finance income for Q4 2018, amounted to $16.5 million, and was $7.5 million more than for the same period in 2017 ($9.0 million). The increase mainly was due to interest earned on loans to the Kamoa Holding joint venture to fund operations that increased by $3.6 million as the accumulated loan balance increased and increase in interest received on cash and cash equivalents due to a higher cash balance during Q4 2018.

The company's total comprehensive profit for Q4 2018 included an exchange loss on translation of foreign operations of $9.1 million for the three months ended December 31, 2018, resulting from the weakening of the South African Rand from September 30, 2018, to December 31, 2018, compared to an exchange gain on translation of foreign operations recognized in Q4 2017 of $12.4 million.

Exploration and project expenditure for the three months ended December 31, 2018, amounted to $4.9 million and was $6.1 million less than for the same period in 2017 ($11.0 million). The decrease in exploration and project expenditure is attributable to the capitalization of costs incurred at the Kipushi Project that began following the finalization of its PFS in December 2017.

With the focus at the Kipushi and Platreef projects being on development and the Kamoa-Kakula Project being accounted for as a joint venture, the total $4.9 million exploration and project expenditure for the three months ended December 31, 2018, related to exploration at Ivanhoe's 100%-owned Western Foreland exploration licences. In Q4 2017, $8.3 million of the total $11.0 million exploration and project expenditure related to the Kipushi Project.

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

The company had $574.0 million in cash and cash equivalents as at December 31, 2018. At this date, the company had consolidated working capital of approximately $562.9 million, compared to $182.0 million at December 31, 2017.

On September 19, 2018, Ivanhoe announced the completion of a major strategic equity investment totalling C$723 million ($555 million) in Ivanhoe Mines by CITIC Metal Africa, a direct subsidiary of CITIC Metal Co., Ltd. (CITIC Metal), one of China's leading international resources companies. Ivanhoe Mines issued 196,602,037 common shares to CITIC Metal Africa through a private placement at a price of C$3.68 per share. Zijin exercised its anti-dilution rights, generating additional proceeds for Ivanhoe of C$78 million ($60 million). The exercise by Zijin of its anti-dilution rights also was at a price of C$3.68 per share.

The Platreef Project's restricted cash, which were funds of $290 million invested by the Japanese consortium of ITOCHU Corporation, Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation and Japan Gas Corporation, has been fully utilized and the project's current expenditure is being funded solely by Ivanhoe as the Japanese consortium has elected not to contribute to current expenditures. Since the Platreef Project's restricted cash was fully utilized, Ivanhoe has contributed a total of $11.2 million on behalf of the Japanese consortium through an interest bearing loan to Ivanplats.

Since December 8, 2015, each shareholder in Kamoa Holding has been required to fund Kamoa Holding in an amount equivalent to its proportionate shareholding interest. The company is advancing Crystal River's portion on its behalf in return for an increase in the promissory note due to Ivanhoe.

The company's main objectives for 2019 at the Platreef Project are the continuation of Shaft 1 construction and the completion of early-works construction of Shaft 2. At Kipushi, the principal objectives are the completion of the feasibility study and continued upgrading of mining infrastructure. At the Kamoa-Kakula Project, priorities are the continuation of development at Kakula and the completion of the feasibility study for Kakula. The company has budgeted to spend $90 million on further development at the Platreef Project; $57 million at the Kipushi Project; $16 million on regional exploration in the DRC; and $30 million on corporate overheads for 2019 - as well as its proportionate funding of the Kamoa-Kakula Project, expected to be $101 million for 2019.

This news release should be read in conjunction with Ivanhoe Mines' audited 2018 Financial Statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis report available at www.ivanhoemines.com and at www.sedar.com.

Qualified Person

Disclosures of a scientific or technical nature in this news release have been reviewed and approved by Stephen Torr, who is considered, by virtue of his education, experience and professional association, a Qualified Person under the terms of NI 43-101. Mr. Torr is not considered independent under NI 43-101 as he is the Vice President, Project Geology and Evaluation. Mr. Torr has verified the technical data disclosed in this news release.

Ivanhoe has prepared a current, independent, NI 43-101-compliant technical report for each of the Platreef Project, the Kipushi Project and the Kamoa-Kakula Project, which are available under the company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com:

The Kamoa-Kakula Integrated Development Plan 2019 dated March 18, 2019, prepared by OreWin Pty Ltd., Amec Foster Wheeler E&C Services Inc. (a division of Wood PLC), SRK Consulting Inc., KGHM Cuprum R&D Centre Ltd., Stantec Consulting International LLC, DRA Global, Golders Associates, and Epoch Resources (Pty) Ltd., covering the company's Kamoa-Kakula Project;

The Platreef 2017 Feasibility Study Technical Report dated September 4, 2017, prepared by DRA Global, OreWin Pty. Ltd., Amec Foster Wheeler, Stantec Consulting, Murray & Roberts Cementation, SRK Consulting, Golder Associates, and Digby Wells Environmental, covering the company's Platreef Project; and

The Kipushi 2017 Prefeasibility Study Technical Report dated January 25, 2018, prepared by OreWin Pty Ltd, The MSA Group (Pty) Ltd, SRK Consulting (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd, and MDM (Technical) Africa Pty Ltd, covering the company's Kipushi Project.

These technical reports include relevant information regarding the effective dates and the assumptions, parameters and methods of the mineral resource estimates on the Platreef Project, the Kipushi Project and the Kamoa-Kakula Project cited in this news release, as well as information regarding data verification, exploration procedures and other matters relevant to the scientific and technical disclosure contained in this news release in respect of the Platreef Project, Kipushi Project and Kamoa-Kakula Project.

Information contacts

Investors

Bill Trenaman +1.604.331.9834

Media

North America: Kimberly Lim +1.778.996.8510

South Africa: Jeremy Michaels +27.82.772.1122

Website www.ivanhoemines.com

Forward-looking statements

Certain statements in this news release constitute "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the company, its projects, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. Such statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "expect", "believe", "plan", "anticipate", "estimate", "scheduled", "forecast", "predict" and other similar terminology, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. These statements reflect the company's current expectations regarding future events, performance and results and speak only as of the date of the company's MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2018.

Such statements include without limitation, the timing and results of: (i) statements that one more station will be developed at a mine-working depth of 950 metres at Shaft 1; (ii) statements regarding Shaft 1 reaching the planned, final depth at 982 metres below surface in early 2020; (iii) statements regarding the timing of Shaft 2 development; (iv) statements regarding the operational and technical capacity of Shaft 1; (v) statements regarding the internal diameter and hoisting capacity of Shaft 2, including that the excavation of the box cut and construction of the hitch foundation is expected to be completed in Q2 2019, enabling the beginning of the pre-sink, that will extend 84 metres below surface; (vi) statements regarding the company's plans to develop the Platreef Mine in three phases: an initial annual rate of four Mtpa to establish an operating platform to support future expansions; followed by a doubling of production to eight Mtpa; and then a third expansion phase to a steady-state 12 Mtpa; (vii) statements regarding the planned underground mining methods of the Platreef Project including long-hole stoping and drift-and-fill mining; (viii) statements regarding supply of treated water from the town of Mokopane's new Masodi treatment plant including that it will supply 5 million litres of treated water a day for 32 years; (ix) statements regarding the development of a single decline on the south side of the Kakula deposit to provide bottom access to Ventilation Shaft 2 enabling this shaft to be constructed by raise boring and the use of this decline as a second means of egress from the mine; (x) statements regarding the timing, size and objectives of drilling and other exploration programs for 2019 and future periods; (xi) statements regarding exploration on the Western Foreland exploration licences; (xii) statements regarding the timing and completion of a definitive feasibility study at the Kipushi Project in Q2 2019; (xiii) statements regarding the progressive re-commissioning of the turbines, fully refurbished and modernized with state-of-the-art control and instrumentation at Mwadingusha power station, will start in 2019 and be completed in Q3 2020 with an output increased to a capacity of approximately 72 MW of power; (xiv) statements regarding expected expenditure for 2019 of $90 million on further development at the Platreef Project; $57 million at the Kipushi Project; $16 million on regional exploration in the DRC; and $30 million on corporate overheads in 2019 - as well as its proportionate funding of the Kamoa-Kakula Project, expected to be $101 million for 2019; (xv) statements regarding Platreef projecting it to be Africa's lowest-cost producer of platinum-group metals; (xvi) statements regarding Ivanhoe plans to file an updated NI 43-101 technical report for the Kipushi Project covering the June 2018 Mineral Resource estimate by the end of March 2019; (xvii) statements regarding the construction of a 1,050-metre-level-dam at the Kakula deposit to be commissioned in mid-2019; (xviii) statements with respect to adding additional rigs to accelerate the drill testing of the mineralizing structure at Kamoa North; and (xv) statements regarding Ivanhoe's plans to provide an update on the Kamoa North exploration program in the near future.

As well, all of the results of the pre-feasibility study for the Kakula copper mine and the updated and expanded Kamoa-Kakula Project preliminary economic assessment, the feasibility study of the Platreef Project and the pre-feasibility study of the Kipushi Project, constitute forward-looking statements or information, and include future estimates of internal rates of return, net present value, future production, estimates of cash cost, proposed mining plans and methods, mine life estimates, cash flow forecasts, metal recoveries, estimates of capital and operating costs and the size and timing of phased development of the projects. Furthermore, with respect to this specific forward-looking information concerning the development of the Kamoa-Kakula, Platreef and Kipushi projects, the company has based its assumptions and analysis on certain factors that are inherently uncertain. Uncertainties include: (i) the adequacy of infrastructure; (ii) geological characteristics; (iii) metallurgical characteristics of the mineralization; (iv) the ability to develop adequate processing capacity; (v) the price of copper, nickel, zinc, platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold; (vi) the availability of equipment and facilities necessary to complete development; (vii) the cost of consumables and mining and processing equipment; (viii) unforeseen technological and engineering problems; (ix) accidents or acts of sabotage or terrorism; (x) currency fluctuations; (xi) changes in regulations; (xii) the compliance by joint venture partners with terms of agreements; (xiii) the availability and productivity of skilled labour; (xiv) the regulation of the mining industry by various governmental agencies; (xv) the ability to raise sufficient capital to develop such projects; and (xiv) political factors.

This news release also contains references to estimates of Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves. The estimation of Mineral Resources is inherently uncertain and involves subjective judgments about many relevant factors. Estimates of Mineral Reserves provide more certainty but still involve similar subjective judgments. Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. The accuracy of any such estimates is a function of the quantity and quality of available data, and of the assumptions made and judgments used in engineering and geological interpretation (including estimated future production from the company's projects, the anticipated tonnages and grades that will be mined and the estimated level of recovery that will be realized), which may prove to be unreliable and depend, to a certain extent, upon the analysis of drilling results and statistical inferences that ultimately may prove to be inaccurate. Mineral Resource or Mineral Reserve estimates may have to be re-estimated based on: (i) fluctuations in copper, nickel, zinc, platinum group elements (PGE), gold or other mineral prices; (ii) results of drilling; (iii) metallurgical testing and other studies; (iv) proposed mining operations, including dilution; (v) the evaluation of mine plans subsequent to the date of any estimates and/or changes in mine plans; (vi) the possible failure to receive required permits, approvals and licences; and (vii) changes in law or regulation.

Forward-looking statements and information involve significant risks and uncertainties, should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results and will not necessarily be accurate indicators of whether or not such results will be achieved. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements or information, including, but not limited to, the factors discussed under "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in the company's MD&A, as well as unexpected changes in laws, rules or regulations, or their enforcement by applicable authorities; the failure of parties to contracts with the company to perform as agreed; social or labour unrest; changes in commodity prices; and the failure of exploration programs or studies to deliver anticipated results or results that would justify and support continued exploration, studies, development or operations.

Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the company believes are reasonable assumptions, the company cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Subject to applicable securities laws, the company does not assume any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this news release.

The company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of the factors set forth in the "Risk Factors" section and elsewhere in the company's MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2018 and its Annual Information Form.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/43715
MIAMI, FL / ACCESSWIRE / March 28, 2019 / GH Capital, Inc. (OTCQB: GHHC ), a diversified holding company, today announced its signing an advisory agreement with Vitana X, a direct network marketing business primarily focused in Europe.

Bill Bollander, Chief Executive Officer of GH Capital, commented, "We are thrilled to now be working with Vitana X and its management team as they prepare for a U.S. public listing. Vitana X is expected to contribute to our 2019 revenue plan."

Vitana X is an international wellness company specializing in the development and manufacture of health-promoting products based on DNA analysis. As a pioneer in this industry and a worldwide network of highly qualified experts, it offers its customers extensive opportunities to lead a healthier life.

Vitana X offers comprehensive programs for greater well-being, fitness and health by helping you achieve the desired results and offering exercises that fit your body type. Vitana X wants to support people in their healthy development and be their reliable partner for their full potential. Vitana X comes from two worlds and wants to unite them in the future - science and the challenges of daily life, so that its customers can continue to care for other areas of life without sacrificing a healthy life.

To achieve its goal and as many people as possible, Vitana X uses the most proven and effective form of marketing, Recommendations. The company rewards its satisfied customers as soon as they recommend the products to their friends or family. Thus, in addition to the great product line, all customers also get the opportunity to enjoy their product for free, or use Vitana X as a source of income to become financially independent.

For more information, please visit: http://vitana-x.net .

About GH Capital

GH Capital, Inc. (OTCQB: GHHC ) is a diversified holding company offering a range of financial solutions for businesses layered with an advisory platform to assist companies going public. For more information, please visit: http://www.ghcapital-inc.com

Forward-Looking Statements

Forward-Looking Statements. This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act") (which Sections were adopted as part of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). Statements preceded by, followed by or that otherwise include the words "believe," "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "plan," "project," "prospects," "outlook," and similar words or expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as "will," "should," "would," "may," and "could" are generally forward-looking in nature and not historical facts. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any anticipated results, performance or achievements. The Company disclaims any intention to, and undertakes no obligation to, revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, a future event, or otherwise. For additional risks and uncertainties that could impact the Company's forward-looking statements, please see the Company's Form 10-K filed on December 28, 2018, for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2018, including but not limited to the discussion under "Risk Factors" therein, which the Company has filed with the SEC and which may be viewed at http://www.sec.gov .

Contact Information

press@ghcapital-inc.us

305-714-9397

SOURCE: GH Capital, Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/540364/GH-Capital-Executes-Advisory-Agreement-with-Vitana-X
ATLANTA, GA / ACCESSWIRE / March 28, 2019 / Findit, Inc., a Nevada Corporation trading under the stock symbol (OTC PINK: FDIT), explains the importance of using Findit to post content daily on Findit and share it through social media outlets to heighten awareness of your Vitamin Shop, Nutrition Store, or other retail location that offers CBD related products for sale.

Findit is a social media content management platform that offers free online marketing tools as well as paid for services to CBD retailers. Sellers of CBD whether online or a physical store can increase exposure by posting and sharing through Findit. Many retailers are now selling CBD products but many people do not know where to go to purchase them. By creating an account on Findit, retailers can create content within their own Findit site to let locals know where they are and what CBD products they carry. This is a tangible way to increase brand awareness while reaching local customers.

Each store or retailer that sells CBD products can purchase a Findit Vanity Keyword URL for $7.95. The URLs can contain the name of the town, cbd and or store name.

By purchasing a Findit Vanity URL, it gives Findit's search engine a distinct place to index you as well as Google, Yahoo and Bing. Indexing in outside search engines is often dependent on the content you include inside your Findit site. When stores have an account within Findit, they provide search engines additional pages to index over their competitors while providing members and non members on Findit content that they can see and share.

Today, many people are learning about CBD for the first time. The more stores selling CBD Hemp Oil and explaining the product in Findit, the more educated consumers become and you can be a source of relevant content for search engines as well.

An existing member on Findit is CBD Unlimited, who owns several Vanity Keyword URLs that are linked to their e-commerce website cbdunlimited.com along with being mapped by Google Maps from their Findit pages. By doing this, Google knows where their physical location is as well as their website. Each piece of content that is created in their Findit sites can include a link back to their own website product pages to drive traffic there as well as to their store.

Below are live Findit sites for CBD Unlimited, they have a total of twelve to date. Notice after the forward slash the words or letters. This is the Vanity Keyword URL offered in Findit. It can include the name of a town where your store is located. Within each Findit site, the left side menu is the navigation. Content can be created by the member. Findit also offers content creation as as paid for service.

Findit.com/cbd

Findit.com/cbd-oil

Findit.com/hemp-oil

Here is an overview of what you could do when joining Findit to get your store locations listed in Findit search.

An example would be the 'Good Nutrition' store that sells CBD products in Sandy Springs, Georgia. The Sandy Springs Good Nutrition store could purchase findit.com/good-nutrition-sandy-springs or the findit.com/cbd-for-sale-sandy-springs to help improve online presence in search engines and throughout social media for those looking to purchase CBD products in Sandy Springs.

When consumers are looking to purchase a product for the first time, if they don't yet have a referral for where to go to get the CBD that they want, they will likely turn to the web. Consumers searching for 'cbd products for sale in sandy springs' will be more likely to come across your content on Findit or on social media if you have done the following things: reserved a URL on Findit that matches what the consumer is searching for, have created content regularly that is geared around what the consumer is looking to purchase, and are actively having your content seen and shared by more people from Findit to other social networking sites.

Findit is set up to give each store the tools they need to create a single place where any and all information about them can be found easily and understood by the reader. This is the about section on Findit. The about page gives businesses a place for a profile image, a banner image, a mapping feature that has the address, the hours of operation, a phone number and even a place to include a link back to your website. Moreover, Findit also offers businesses looking to promote their CBD products a place to create Right Now Status Updates that can be shared to 80 other social sites. A right now status update can include unlimited text, unlimited photos (which can also include a title and description for improved indexing) a video from Youtube or Vimeo, an audio file where you could describe the benefits of the product, and more.

All of these tools are provided to each member at no cost. Findit does offer paid for services such as the Vanity URL, video production, and marketing campaigns if your business either does not have the time to do their own marketing or wish to utilize our in-house team to develop crafted content using best SEO practices to further help your content index.

Currently, Findit provides online marketing services to CBD Unlimited and over the last several years the marketing campaign has included creating fresh content on a daily basis through right now status updates, website development and SEO, video production and more.

Clark St. Amant of Findit stated, "So many stores that are selling CBD are not separating themselves from other local retailers by marketing online. If you want to become a destination, you want to reach your customers on their mobile devices, on social media, and in search engine results. Yes, placing a sign outside your store saying 'We Sell CBD' is important but you are limited to only the people that drive by. Reach the people that are at home that are learning about CBD online by letting them know you are the local authority when it comes to CBD, by reaching them through Findit. By using Findit, you can give consumers all the information they need to know about your business and where it is."

To sign up your stores on Findit and reserve the Vanity Keyword URLs you need to be indexed in Findit CLICK HERE

To reserve a Prime Package on Findit CLICK HERE

Findit owns the domains listed below and is considering building out a directory to match each domain.

Finditcbd.com

Findithemp.com

Finditweed.com

About Findit. Inc.

Findit, Inc., (OTC Pinksheets FDIT) owns Findit.com which is a Social Media Content Management Platform that provides an interactive search engine for all content posted in Findit to appear in Findit search. The site is an open platform that provides access to Google, Yahoo, Bing and other search engines access to its content posted to Findit so it can be indexed in these search engines as well. Findit provides Members the ability to post, share and manage their content. Once they have posted in Findit, we ensure the content gets indexed in Findit Search results. Findit provides an option for anyone to submit URLs that they want indexed in Findit search result, along with posting status updates through Findit Right Now. Status Updates posted in Findit can be crawled by outside search engines which can result in additional organic indexing. All posts on Findit can be shared to other social and bookmarking sites by members and non-members. Findit provides Real Estate Agents the ability to create their own Findit Site where they can pull in their listing and others through their IDX account. Findit, Inc., is focused on the development of monetized Internet-based web products that can provide an increased brand awareness of our members. Findit, Inc., trades under the stock symbol FDIT on the OTCPinksheets.

Safe Harbor Notice

This press release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, such as statements relating to financial results and plans for future development activities and are thus prospective. Forward-looking statements include all statements that are not statements of historical fact regarding intent, belief or current expectations of the company, its directors or its officers. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company's ability to control. Actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements are risks and uncertainties associated with the company's business and finances in general, including the ability to continue and manage its growth, competition, global economic conditions and other factors discussed in detail in the Company's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

Contact:

Findit, Inc.

Phone 404-443-3224

SOURCE: Findit, Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/540362/Findit-Includes-Online-Marketing-Services-To-CBD-Companies-and-CBD-Retailers
NexTech's 360 degree Hootview platform and 3D-AR eCommerce platform scale up to meet fast-growing market demand

New York, New York and Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - March 28, 2019) - NexTech AR Solutions (OTCQB: NEXCF) (CSE: NTAR) (FSE: N29) (the "Company" or "NexTech") is pleased to announce that its 3D content is being viewed by consumers three million times per month and growing. The company is rapidly signing up customers for both its recently acquired Hootview platform as well as its web enabled AR eCommerce platform launched in January of 2019. NexTech's existing customers include Fluidmaster, Oro Alexander, Reef, Biltwell, VSI Products, Ernie Ball Music Man, and many others that have nothing but rave reviews.

Customer testimonial:

"This technology sets us apart from the competition by letting us put our best face forward. We have been developing our products over time - spending 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, 60 minutes an hour - whatever it takes. We're completely obsessed with these products and making them as great as we possibly can. Someone has three seconds on the Internet to judge whether they like it or not. 360 views from NexTech helps us make the best possible presentation we can," said Bill Bryant, co-founder of Biltwell. "Shoppers looking for functional, easy-to-install motorcycle products at a reasonable price were blown away by the engaging and deeper online shopping experience provided. Empowering consumers to interact with products as they would in a store not only increased customer satisfaction, but also resulted in tens of thousands of dollars in additional sales."

Biltwell's online conversion rate multiplied 2.7x with consumers that engaged with 360 views while shopping online. The imaging not only paid for itself in a month, but also created thousands of empowered and satisfied Biltwell consumers, validating the power of our technology in the eCommerce space.

Over the past 60 days NexTech has been building its sales team to meet the fast-growing market demand. It aims to expand to a total of ten sales team members in 2019.

"We are the only 'full funnel' end-to-end eCommerce solution for the AR industry, which includes offering 3D ads for Facebook and Google as well as 'Try it On' technology for online apparel, 3D and 360 degree product views and 'one click buy.' Our AR experience provides eCommerce site owners with a comprehensive solution that is affordable, scalable, customizable, and most importantly, easy to integrate within an existing web interface, making NexTech the leader in this emerging industry," said Evan Gappelberg, CEO of NexTech.

About NexTech AR Solutions Corp.

NexTech is bringing a next generation web enabled augmented reality (AR) platform with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and analytics to the Cannabis industry, eCommerce, education, training, healthcare and video conferencing. Having integrated with Shopify, Magento and Wordpress its technology offers eCommerce sites a universal 3D shopping solution. With just a few lines of embed code, the company's patent-pending platform offers the most technologically advanced 3D-AR, AI technology anywhere. Online retailers can subscribe to NexTech's state of the art, 3D-AR/AI solution for $79/mo. The company has created the AR industry's first end-to-end affordable, intelligent, frictionless, scalable platform. To learn more, please follow us on Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook, or visit our website: https://www.nextechar.com.

On behalf of the Board of NexTech AR Solutions Corp.

"Evan Gappelberg"

CEO and Director

For further information, please contact:

Evan Gappelberg

Chief Executive Officer

info@nextechar.com

Media contact:

Erin Hadden

FischTank Marketing and PR

ehadden@fischtankpr.com

The CSE has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Certain information contained herein may constitute "forward-looking information" under Canadian securities legislation. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as, "will be", "looking forward" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur. Forward-looking statements regarding the Company increasing investors awareness are based on the Company's estimates and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of NexTech to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, including capital expenditures and other costs. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. NexTech will not update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that are incorporated by reference herein, except as required by applicable securities laws.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/43709
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 28, 2019) - ALX Uranium Corp. (TSXV: AL) (FSE: 6LLN) (OTC: ALXEF) ("ALX" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that a ground radon and helium survey has commenced at the Black Lake Uranium Project ("Black Lake", or the "Project") located in the northern Athabasca Basin near Stony Rapids, Saskatchewan, Canada. ALX owns a 40% interest in Black Lake and can earn up to a 75% interest in the Project from UEX Corporation (TSX: UEX) ("UEX").

ALX has planned a radon and helium survey at Black Lake while snow cover remains and the low-lying swamps in the northern part of the Project are still frozen. C.O. Geosciences Inc. of St-Lazare, Quebec has developed for ALX a new technique of augering into frozen swamps to collect sediment samples for analysis.

Approximately 160 radon and helium sample sites are planned on a grid established in the northernmost area of the Project located above the main conductive system. Historical drilling bracketing the survey area has intersected faulted and fractured rocks, which are more likely to allow the escape of radon, helium, and other gases known to be emitted by uranium mineralization. Anomalous uranium mineralization was intersected in Eldorado Nuclear Ltd. 1980 drill hole RL-4B and in two drill holes completed by ALX in 2017 (BL-155 and BL-156) at the edges of the 2019 survey area, which has received sparse drill testing in relatively shallow sandstone cover (225 to 250 metres to basement).

Radon and helium surveys performed in winter are believed to be more effective than summer surveys due to the capture of gases under ice and snow cover. For example, the average net helium content in 87 lake water samples from the vicinity of the Key Lake uranium deposits was eight times higher in the winter than in the summer, and total radon levels were three times higher in winter than in summer. (Dyck, W.; Tan, B., 1978: Seasonal variations of helium, radon, and uranium in lake waters near the Key Lake uranium deposit, Saskatchewan: Journal of Geochemical Exploration, Vol. 10, Issue 2, p 153-167).

Radon surveys have led to the discovery of high-grade uranium mineralization in the Athabasca Basin, namely:

McClean Lake North deposit - in 1980, drill hole 153 was collared between two strong radon-in-snow anomalies above an electromagnetic ("EM") conductor and intersected 7.51% U 3 O 8 over 10.06 metres beginning at a depth of 151 metres (Source: Saracoglu, N.; Wallis, R.H.; Brummer, J.J.; and Golightly, T.P. 1983: Canadian Mining and Metallurgical Bulletin, Vol. 76, No. 852);

Triple R deposit at Patterson Lake - in 2013, several strong radon-in-water anomalies located above an EM conductor at the R390, R780 and R945 Zones were tested by drilling. At the R390 Zone, drill hole PLS-038 intersected 4.92% U 3 O 8 over 34.0 metres from 87.0 to 121.0 metres, and at the R780 Zone, drill hole PLS-080 intersected 6.93% U 3 O 8 over 43.0 metres from 130.0 m to 173.0 metres. Radon detected at the deeper R945 Zone was tested with drill hole PLS13-084, which intersected 3.69% U 3 O 8 over 13.5 metres from 232.5 to 246.0 metres. Radon surveys were used extensively at Patterson Lake during the definition drilling phase of the Triple R deposit (Source: Alpha Minerals Inc. and Fission Uranium Corp. news releases dated March 25, 2013, October 17, 2013 and December 18, 2013).

The results of the 2019 Black Lake radon and helium survey will be integrated with existing geological and geophysical data to prioritize drill targets in the northern part of the Project. To view maps of Black Lake and ALX's 2019 survey, please click here

About Black Lake

Black Lake consists of 12 claims totaling 30,381 hectares with all-weather road access and nearby infrastructure, including a commercial airport. The Project lies adjacent to ALX's Gibbons Creek project.

In 2004, UEX intersected a significant intersection of uranium mineralization in drill hole BL-18 (0.69% U 3 O 8 over 4.4 metres, including 1.09% U 3 O 8 over 1.5 metres) which sparked an extensive amount of exploration work in the northern Athabasca Basin by UEX and other uranium companies. Several other mineralized holes were drilled at the Project over the next ten years, but despite encountering a series of uranium occurrences, no new uranium deposit was discovered.

Black Lake hosts a 24 kilometre-long conductive system and is staked over the Platt Creek Fault, a major NNE-trending fault parallel to the Black Lake Fault. Previous drilling in the northern part of Black Lake encountered uranium mineralization at the unconformity between the overlying Athabasca sandstone and underlying basement rocks at downhole depths between 274.10 metres and 340.75 metres. Historical exploration has also demonstrated the potential for a polymetallic mineralizing system in relatively shallow sandstone cover that ranges from 225 to 300 metres. A predecessor company of UEX re-sampled historical drill hole RL-4B drilled by Eldorado Nuclear Ltd. in 1980, which returned values of 171.6 ppm uranium, 0.207% cobalt and 256 ppm nickel over 0.75 metres from 251.00 to 251.75 metres in basement rocks, approximately 25 metres below the unconformity.

In September 2017, ALX signed a definitive agreement with UEX, whereby ALX can earn up to a 75% participating interest from UEX in Black Lake (for additional details of the earn-in terms, see ALX news release dated July 31, 2017). Black Lake is currently the subject of a joint venture, in which UEX until recently held a 90.92% interest in the Project, with Orano Canada Inc. (formerly AREVA Resources Canada Inc.) holding the remaining 9.08% interest. ALX has earned its 40% interest in the Project from UEX by meeting an initial commitment of $1.0 million in exploration expenditures and issuing 5.0 million common shares of ALX to UEX. ALX is operator of exploration at Black Lake.

The technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Sierd Eriks, P.Geo., President and Chief Geologist of the Company, who is a Qualified Person in accordance with the Canadian regulatory requirements set out in National Instrument 43-101.

About ALX

ALX's mandate is to provide shareholders with multiple opportunities for discovery by exploring a portfolio of prospective mineral properties in northern Saskatchewan, Canada. The Company executes well-designed exploration programs using the latest technologies and has interests in over 200,000 hectares in Saskatchewan, a Province which hosts the richest uranium deposits in the world, a producing gold mine, and demonstrates potential for base metals deposits. ALX is based in Vancouver, BC, Canada and its common shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "AL", on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol "6LLN" and in the United States OTC market under the symbol "ALXEF". Technical reports are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com for several of the Company's active properties.

For more information about the Company, please visit the ALX corporate website at www.alxuranium.com or contact Roger Leschuk, Manager, Corporate Communications at PH: 604.629.0293 or Toll-Free: 866.629.8368, or by email: rleschuk@alxuranium.com

On Behalf of the Board of Directors of ALX Uranium Corp.

"Warren Stanyer"

Warren Stanyer, CEO and Chairman

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

Statements in this document which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Forward looking statements in this news release include the Company's plans to undertake additional exploration activities at the Black Lake Project. It is important to note that the Company's actual business outcomes and exploration results could differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties include that our projects in Athabasca Basin, including Black Lake, may prove to be unworthy of further expenditure; economic, competitive, governmental, environmental and technological factors may affect the Company's operations, markets, products and prices. Additional risk factors are discussed in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the Company's Management Discussion and Analysis for the Nine Months ended September 30, 2018, which is available under Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Except as required by law, we will not update these forward looking statement risk factors.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/43714
LONDON, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Chubb today announced the launch of an extended range of new eLearning modules as part of its Chubb Travel Smart app for business travellers.

Chubb Travel Smart is the company's Duty of Care solution designed specifically for employees to help manage and mitigate risks as they travel for work.

It provides a range of benefits for business travellers, including pre-travel eLearning, direct access to medical and security assistance and live location-based alerts to help avoid trouble and stay safe. For risk managers and human resources teams, Chubb Travel Smart provides an online dashboard for an instant and complete summary of travelling employees, including their location and whether they are in any high-risk areas. They can also send email and SMS messages direct to employees who are away on business and also pre travel.

Developed in partnership with leading industry expert, Global Warning Systems, the new integrated eLearning modules mean users can now access all functions in a single app and a record is kept of employees who have completed specific courses, giving risk managers and employers the ability to monitor usage and ensure employees are adequately prepared for their trip.

Andrew Nisbet, Senior Vice President, Accident & Health, UK and Ireland, Eurasia and Africa, Chubb said:

"We are delighted to announce the launch of the new eLearning functionality within Chubb Travel Smart which means employers can better demonstrate their commitment to meeting Duty of Care obligations. Even more importantly, travelling employees benefit from knowing more about the risks related to business trips they are undertaking and how to reduce these as they prepare their itineraries."

Andreas Rodman, CEO of GWS said:

"With this new e-learning solution we are raising the bar on user friendliness for travel security solutions. By integrating the eLearning solution into the App, along with automated reporting tools and gamification we will create a new level of interaction that drives greater security awareness for employees away from home on business."

About Chubb

Chubb is the world's largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company. With operations in 54 countries and territories, Chubb provides commercial and personal property and casualty insurance, personal accident and supplemental health insurance, reinsurance and life insurance to a diverse group of clients. As an underwriting company, we assess, assume and manage risk with insight and discipline. We service and pay our claims fairly and promptly. The company is also defined by its extensive product and service offerings, broad distribution capabilities, exceptional financial strength and local operations globally. Parent company Chubb Limited is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CB) and is a component of the S&P 500 index. Chubb maintains executive offices in Zurich, New York, London, Paris and other locations, and employs approximately 30,000 people worldwide. Additional information can be found at: chubb.com/uk

About GWS

GWS, Global Warning System, is a global IT-company founded in 2009 in Lund, Sweden. The company has developed a security platform, based on world-leading technology. GWS Production AB is listed on Nasdaq First North Stockholm. Additional information can be found at: globalwarningsystem.com

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/324916/Chubb_Logo.jpg
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / March 28, 2019 / Gaucho Group Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB: VINO), a collection of luxury assets, real estate holdings and premium wines in Argentina, today announced the Fall/Winter Collection debut for its designer fashion and accessories label, Gaucho - Buenos Aires (GauchoBuenosAires.com), which was showcased to fashion industry media at Argentine fashion week's Designers Buenos Aires on March 18, 2019. Founded by entrepreneur Scott Mathis and headed up by Argentine designers Santiago Gallo and Carmen Vils, Gaucho - Buenos Aires blends the quality of a bygone era with a sophisticated, modern, global outlook. The brand's beautifully handcrafted clothing and accessories herald the birth of Argentina's finest designer label.

Gaucho - Buenos Aires embodies the spirit of Argentina - its grand history, its folklore and its revival as a global center of luxury. Inspired by the sophisticated elegance of the great European maisons, Gaucho - Buenos Aires is also rooted in the traditions of native, nomadic culture. With its ambitious couture, ready-to-wear and high-street fashion offering, this is the brand in which Argentine luxury finds its contemporary expression.

"We are very excited to see Gaucho - Buenos Aires on its way to what we hope will become the top luxury brand in Argentina," said Scott Mathis, Gaucho Group Holding's founder, chairman and CEO. "Our Fall/Winter collection's debut at Tattersall De Palermo further solidified the reputation of uniqueness and quality of our brand, our designers, and our products. Since the event, our social media follower base has grown significantly and continues to grow daily. For this, we thank all those who have shared news of our arrival to the world fashion scene on their social platforms, including social media influencer Neels Visser, our designers Santiago Gallo and Carmen Vils, and numerous Argentine and International celebrities that attended the launch.'

Established in Buenos Aires, the Gaucho story is one of impeccable timing. Once dubbed the Paris of South America for its exquisite Belle Epoque style, the city is thriving again and entering a new golden age. The time is ripe for Buenos Aires to align itself with Milan, New York, Paris and London as a global fashion capital, and Gaucho - Buenos Aires will be its bold ambassador. The devaluation of the Argentine Peso has actually proven to draw a record number of tourists to the country, most of whom are looking to take home their own piece of Buenos Aires. Gaucho - Buenos Aires looks to fill this void.

Gaucho Group Holdings' goal is to reintroduce the world to the grandeurs of the city's elegant past, intertwined with an altogether deeper cultural connection: the strength, honor and integrity of the Gaucho. Seen in the intricate stitching of handmade leather, or the exquisite workmanship of an embossed belt buckle, "Gaucho" style is a world-renowned symbol of Argentine craftsmanship. Blending the quality of a bygone era with a sophisticated, modern, global outlook, the brand's beautifully handcrafted clothing and accessories herald the birth of Argentina's finest designer label.

Please visit GauchoBuenosAires.com today to sign up for insider fashion news, behind-the-brand stories, exclusive invitations, and special access to wait lists and pre-ordering.

About Gaucho Group Holdings, Inc.

For more than ten years, Gaucho Group Holdings' mission has been to source and develop opportunities in Argentina's undervalued luxury real estate and consumer marketplace. With our proprietary collection of wine, hospitality, fashion brands, and real estate holdings as a foundation, we seek to build our luxury brand ALGODON, one of prestige, distinction and elegance. We begin with a focus on the quality and reputation of our award-wining wines, Algodon Fine Wines, which serve as our ambassador for our luxury lifestyle properties and other real estate assets. As we continue to produce the ultra-fine wines for which we have become recognized, we expect that our reputation for quality will continue to grow and accordingly increase the value of our brand and real estate holdings. Gaucho Group Holdings' luxury assets are currently concentrated in Argentina, which we believe represents one of the most undervalued investment sectors in the world today. For more information, please visit www.gauchogroupholdings.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

The information discussed in this press release includes 'forward looking statements' within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 (the 'Securities Act') and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the 'Exchange Act'). All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included herein concerning, among other things, planned capital expenditures, future cash flows and borrowings, pursuit of potential acquisition opportunities, our financial position, business strategy and other plans and objectives for future operations, are forward looking statements. These forward-looking statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as 'may,' 'expect,' 'estimate,' 'project,' 'plan,' ' believe,' 'intend,' 'achievable,' 'anticipate,' 'will,' 'continue,' ' potential,' 'should,' 'could,' and similar terms and phrases. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, they do involve certain assumptions, risks and uncertainties and are not (and should not be considered to be) guarantees of future performance. Among these risks are those set forth in a Form 10-K filed on March 30, 2018. It is important that each person reviewing this release understand the significant risks attendant to the operations of Gaucho Group Holdings. Gaucho Group Holdings disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement made herein.

For press inquiries, please contact Rick Stear, Director of Marketing

SOURCE: Algodon Group, Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/540363/Gaucho-Group-Holdings-Designer-Fashion-and-Leather-Accessories-Label-Gaucho--Buenos-Aires-Debuts-FallWinter-Collection-in-Argentina
Property Borders Great Bear's Recently Acquired Pakwash Property

VICTORIA, BC / ACCESSWIRE / March 28, 2019 / GoldON Resources Ltd. (TSX-V: GLD) ("GoldON" or the "Company") is pleased to announce it has entered into an option agreement to acquire the Bruce Lake property (the "Property"), which consists of four mining claims covering approximately 1,640 hectares in an underexplored area of the Uchi Greenstone Belt.

The Property is located 36 kilometers (km) southeast of the town of Red Lake, 11 km southeast of the high-grade gold discovery Great Bear Resources made on its Dixie property last year, and shares its southern boundary with Great Bear's recently acquired Pakwash property. Highway 105 bisects the Property providing year-round access to and from the regional infrastructure in Red Lake (see location map).

Spatially, the Property is associated with the Sydney Lake Deformation Zone and the Pakwash Lake Deformation Zone. The northeast-trending Keelson Fault connecting these two east-trending deformation zones in a sinistral-like fashion provides ample structural activity in the region. The Property is also geologically active with Ontario Geological Survey mapped mafic metavolcanics, metasediments, gabbro and felsic volcanics intruded by synvolcanic diorite to granodiorite intrusions.

Limited historical exploration has been carried out on the Property. Reconnaissance lake sediment and Mobile Metal Ions (MMI) soil geochemistry sampling on 500-meter centers by Laurentian Goldfields in 2010 outlined gold-in-soil and gold-in-sediment anomalies. The gold-in-soil anomalies are considered in situ while the gold-in-sediments lake samples are down ice from the Property. This suggests that the Property itself could be the source of the gold anomaly. These targets and the Property remain undrilled.

"Great Bear has demonstrated that high-grade gold discoveries within the metal-endowed Uchi Belt can be found outside of the Red Lake Gold Camp; and the Bruce Lake property has the key ingredients for gold deposition common to the belt including structure, deformation zones and active geology," said Mike Romanik, president of GoldON.

Under the terms of the option agreement, GoldON can acquire a 100% interest in the Bruce Lake Property from a private vendor for cash payments totaling $51,500 over a three-year period ($4,500 upon regulatory acceptance, $10,000 on the first anniversary, $12,000 on the second anniversary and a final payment of $25,000 on the third anniversary) and the issuance of 110,000 shares over a two-year period (10,000 upon regulatory acceptance, 50,000 shares on the first anniversary and 50,000 shares on the second anniversary). The vendor will retain a 1.5% net smelter returns royalty, of which the Company may repurchase 0.75% for $400,000.

Michael Kilbourne, P.Geo., an independent Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the contents of this news release on behalf of the Company.

About GoldON Resources Ltd.

GoldON is an exploration company geographically focused on discovery-stage properties located in the prolific gold mining belts of Ontario, Canada. The Company's flagship project is the Slate Falls property in northwestern Ontario where at least 18 Au-Ag mineralized zones have been identified over 7 kilometers of the property. Slate Falls is fully permitted for exploration and drilling. To learn more about the Company please visit our website and view our latest presentation by clicking here.

For additional information contact Michael Romanik.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Signed "Michael Romanik"

Michael Romanik, President

Direct line: (204) 724-0613

Email: info@goldonresources.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: GoldON Resources Ltd.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/540367/GoldON-Acquires-Bruce-Lake-Property-in-Ontarios-Red-Lake-Gold-District
PALM BEACH, Florida, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- European CEO, a leading subscription-based print and online publication, delivered to executives in 28 countries throughout Europe, has been tracking the growing CBD market in Europe. A recent article of theirs was titled: "High demand: CBD-based products gain popularity in European markets - As legalization continues to bring cannabis into the mainstream, high-end products containing its CBD compound are becoming increasingly popular across Europe." The article continued: "The consumption of CBD has been increasing at an exponential rate - not just in terms of prevalence, but in its growing variety of forms and uses too. As expected (given recent legislative developments), this trend is swiftly proliferating across North America. But interestingly, it's also spreading throughout Europe via a fast-rising number of both online and brick-and-mortar retailers. While Europe has not experienced the same level of legalization as North America when it comes to the entire cannabis plant, over the last year or so there has been a growing awareness about the merits of its fascinating component, CBD. Given that it can be sold legally throughout the region and has none of the intoxicating effects of THC, the market is by no means limited to those who consume cannabis recreationally. As reflected over the past year, the versatility of cannabis, and CBD in particular, can reach myriad industries. And as awareness grows further, so too will demand - especially for products that boast physical benefits." Active Companies from around the market with current developments this week include: Marijuana Company of America, Inc. (OTC:MCOA),Medical Marijuana, Inc. (OTC: MJNA), Hemp Inc. (OTC: HEMP), The Green Organic Dutchman Holdings Ltd. (TSX: TGOD) (OTC: TGODF), The Supreme Cannabis Company, Inc. (TSX: FIRE) (OTC: SPRWF).

Another observed in article was quoted: "I think CBD in wellness products will end up being a bigger business than high-potency THC products that are meant to get people stoned. With high-end wellness and natural trends now firmly underway and mushrooming, CBD is a perfect fit. And as legalization continues across the region and beyond, the enthusiasm for the compound in its various forms is set to amplify, bringing forth new possibilities for luxury markets and willing players. The green rush has well and truly arrived."

Marijuana Company of America, Inc. (OTCQB:MCOA) BREAKING NEWS: Marijuana Company of America has successfully launched sales of the hempSMART product line in the United Kingdom during the London event on March 23, 2019.

The hempSMART UK team successfully sold out its entire promotional inventory at the launch event, which led to over 1,000 new associates signing up with the Company's associate networking program. The official website of hempSMART UK is live and can be visited at www.hempsmart.co.uk.

The event in London is being followed up by additional launch events taking place in Birmingham and Liverpool. Due to the success of our United Kingdom launch, the Company anticipates that the pre-launch for the hempSMART product line will take place in the Netherlands and Germany during Q2 2019.

Global Sales Director for hempSMART, Ian Harvey, said, "Our First Launch event was a huge success as we had to close registrations due to the hotel capacity being reached. To avoid disappointment, we have now scheduled two further launch events in Birmingham and Liverpool. These events are filling fast and are both on track to be sold out despite booking larger venues. I was just nineteen when I first got involved in MLM and I have never experienced this level of excitement involving a launch. With the next two venues filling up I truly believe that hempSMART will become a household name across Europe very quickly." Read this and more news for MCOA at:https://www.financialnewsmedia.com/news-mcoa/

In the industry developments and happenings in the market this week include:

Medical Marijuana, Inc. (OTCPK: MJNA) the first-ever publicly traded cannabis company in the United States, recently announced that its portfolio company AXIM Biotechnologies (AXIM), a world leader in cannabinoid research and development, has received the issuance of a Notice of Allowance for a patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on a method to treat atopic dermatitis, also known as eczema, using a topical cream containing cannabinoids - specifically cannabidiol ("CBD") and cannabigerol ("CBG"). The USPTO granted this allowance from AXIM's patent application 16/106,524 filed on August 21, 2018.

"As a large investor in AXIM, we are proud to see the company expand their intellectual property protection as they develop this innovative topical cream that aims to treat atopic dermatitis among other skin conditions," said Dr. Stuart Titus, CEO of Medical Marijuana, Inc. "We look forward to continuing our relationship with AXIM as they research the potential therapeutic benefits of cannabinoids and launch additional products that look to transform both the cannabinoid-based pharmaceutical and nutraceutical markets."

Hemp Inc. (OTCPK: HEMP) recently announced the huge success of its 1st Hemp University educational seminar on the west coast, in Ashland, Oregon. Held (Saturday, March 23, 2019) at Southern Oregon University, the sold-out event provided attendees with a full day of networking, education, and support. As a global leader in the industrial hemp industry with bi-coastal processing centers including a state of the art hemp processing center in Medford, Oregon, the 85,000 square-foot multipurpose industrial hemp processing facility in Spring Hope, North Carolina, and a 500-acre hemp growing Eco-Village in Golden Valley, Arizona, one of Hemp, Inc.'s missions has been to revive family farms and small businesses in the hemp industry.

"This has been the best Hemp University educational seminar thus far," said Bruce Perlowin, CEO of Hemp, Inc. "There are so many farmers on the west coast who are passionate about joining the hemp revolution who are seeking quality knowledge in order to create a profitable stream of income by maximizing their crop revenue per acre. The industrial hemp crop in Oregon is expected to grow past $1 billion. Not to mention, Oregon ranks third in the country, in land, that is dedicated to industrial hemp. We initially expected a hundred participants to attend our first west coast Hemp University. However, we ended up having to move to a larger room because the participants more than doubled!"

The Green Organic Dutchman Holdings Ltd. (TSX: TGOD.TO) (OTCQX: TGODF) recently announced that sales of certified-organic cannabis have started with national distribution to medical patients. The Growers' Circle is a select group of patients across Canada now receiving TGOD's first certified-organic flower. The Growers' Circle launch is a limited production rollout of the Company's premium product, allowing TGOD to perfect its distribution ahead of its production ramp-up and scaled rollout this year.

"The launch of the Growers' Circle is another significant moment in TGOD's commercial story," said Brian Athaide, Director and Chief Executive Officer. "Our certified-organic cannabis is a premium experience for patients. We are proud of our product and excited to be sharing it with Growers' Circle members."

The Supreme Cannabis Company, Inc. (TSX: FIRE.TO) (OTCQX: SPRWF) recently announced that its President and Founder, John Fowler was named on High Times list of the 100 Most Influential People in Cannabis.

Mr. Fowler, a pioneer of the Canadian cannabis industry, spent over a decade in the medical cannabis sector as a cultivator, influencer, patients-rights advocate and lawyer. In 2013, Mr. Fowler founded Supreme Cannabis' wholly-owned subsidiary 7ACRES with a clear vision: to create Canada's leading premium cannabis flower brand and produce high quality cannabis on a commercial scale. Today, 7ACRES is one of Canada's leading premium brands. Mr. Fowler is also Vice Chair, Adult Use and Director of the Cannabis Council of Canada, the leading organization of Canada's licensed producers of Cannabis under Health Canada's federal Cannabis Act.

DISCLAIMER: FN Media Group LLC (FNM), which owns and operates Financialnewsmedia.com and MarketNewsUpdates.com, is a third party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. FNM is NOT affiliated in any manner with any company mentioned herein. FNM and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. FNM's market updates, news alerts and corporate profiles are NOT a solicitation or recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. The material in this release is intended to be strictly informational and is NEVER to be construed or interpreted as research material. All readers are strongly urged to perform research and due diligence on their own and consult a licensed financial professional before considering any level of investing in stocks. All material included herein is republished content and details which were previously disseminated by the companies mentioned in this release. FNM is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers. Investors are cautioned that they may lose all or a portion of their investment when investing in stocks. For current services performed FNM expects to be compensated forty six hundred dollars for news coverage of the current press release issued by Marijuana Company of America, Inc. by a non-affiliated third party. FNM HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.

This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "may", "future", "plan" or "planned", "will" or "should", "expected," "anticipates", "draft", "eventually" or "projected". You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company's annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and FNM undertakes no obligation to update such statements.

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Oakville, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - March 28, 2019) - Cardiol Therapeutics Inc. (TSX: CRDL) ("Cardiol" or the "Company"), a leader in the research and development of pharmaceutical cannabidiol and targeted therapies for inflammatory disease, today announced the filing of its audited year-end financial statements and management's discussion and analysis for the year ended December 31, 2018. Both are available under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the Company's website at www.cardiolrx.com.

"Cardiol Therapeutics achieved a number of important milestones during 2018 which have positioned the Company to commercialize our proprietary, ultra-pure CardiolRx pharmaceutical cannabidiol (CBD) later this year," stated David Elsley, President and CEO. "We are planning to launch our unique CBD formulation in the billion-dollar, supply constrained, Canadian medicinal cannabinoids market where we see a significant opportunity to introduce a premium pharmaceutical brand. We believe that CardiolRx will represent the purest, safest, and most consistent cannabidiol product in a growing market predominantly supplied by low purity products that do not meet the quality standards physicians, pharmacists and consumers expect from medicine. We are also advancing the development of novel therapeutics targeting inflammatory diseases of the heart which are characterized by high mortality, morbidity, and extraordinary healthcare costs."

Highlights during the 2018 Fiscal Period:

We made significant progress with our CardiolRx pharmaceutical CBD program in preparation for product launch in the billion-dollar Canadian market for medicinal cannabinoids. Key accomplishments included:

Initializing manufacturing scale-up of our proprietary CardiolRx formulation at Dalton Pharma Services, our global exclusive Health Canada approved, FDA certified, cGMP manufacturer of pharmaceutical cannabinoids.

Entering into an exclusive supply agreement for Canada and Mexico with US-based Noramco, Inc., a global leader in the manufacture and supply of pharmaceutical cannabinoids. The Noramco agreement provides Cardiol with access to large-scale metric ton (one million grams) production capacity for ultra-pure pharmaceutical cannabidiol that is unparalleled in the industry.

Developing proprietary cannabidiol formulations in collaboration with our research partners at the University of Alberta; home of Canada's Nanotechnology Institute.

Filing comprehensive patent applications covering proprietary formulations that we believe will offer competitive advantages designed to meet the requirements of physicians, pharmacists and consumers.

We advanced our drug innovation program aimed at developing nanotherapeutics designed to target pharmaceutical cannabidiol and other important medicines at sites of inflammation in the heart. Key accomplishments included:

Announcing results from our ongoing research program at the world-renowned Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center, Texas, demonstrating the ability of our patented nanotherapeutics to target inflamed tissue in models of heart failure. This new data demonstrated that Cardiol's propriety nanoparticles accumulate at regions of fibrosis in diseased hearts, offering the potential for an entirely new way to target effective medications to sites of disease.

Filing a comprehensive provisional patent application in the United States covering new ways to target anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic drugs directly to the regions of the heart where they will be most effective.

Entering into a USD$3,000,000 research and development agreement with TecSalud and Nano4Heart, a vast private research network headquartered in Monterrey, Mexico with collaborative relationships with the Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center, the University of Calgary and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), to promote research and development in nanoscience and nanotechnology. The primary objective of this collaboration, which is being 70% funded by the Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey's Clinical Academic Research Organization, S.A. de C.V. , is to develop the experimental evidence necessary to support advancing breakthrough nanomedicines for heart failure into clinical development during 2019.

We made key appointments to our Management Team, Board of Directors, and Scientific Advisory Board, bringing together a wealth of experience and expertise in developing and commercializing novel therapeutics for poorly served areas of medicine. Key appointments included:

Dr. Eldon Smith, OC, LLD (Hon), MD, FCAHS, FCCS, FRCPC, as Chairman of the Board of Directors. Dr. Smith's extensive experience in the cardiovascular field has led him from the Head of Cardiology and Dean of Medicine at the University of Calgary and the Foothills hospital in Calgary to the Chair of the Steering Committee for Canadian Heart Health Strategy. He is an Officer of the Order of Canada and has published more than 250 papers over the past 20 years. Dr. Smith has been a director of more than ten public companies, including Resverlogix Corp., Canadian Natural Resources and Zenith Capital Corp.

Chris Waddick, MBA, CPA, as Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Waddick has thirty years' experience in financial and executive roles in the biotechnology and energy industries, with substantial knowledge of public company management and corporate governance, and in designing, building, and managing financial processes, procedures, and infrastructure. Chris spent more than twelve years at Vasogen Inc., a biotechnology company focused on the research and commercial development of novel therapeutics for the treatment of heart failure and other inflammatory conditions that raised over $200 million, completed international multi-center pivotal trials involving 2500 patients and reached a market capitalization of over US$1 billion.

Anne Tomalin, BA, BSc, RAC, to Director Regulatory Affairs. Ms. Tomalin is the founder and currently Executive Director at TPIreg, a division of Innomar Strategies Inc. She has a strong background in business, government, regulations and reimbursement policies and has practiced exclusively in regulatory affairs since 1971. Anne has participated in the Regulatory Initiative Advisory Committee for the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association Canada (PMAC). Ms. Tomalin has also served on the executive of the Pharmaceutical Sciences Group (PSG) and the Canadian Association of Pharmaceutical Sciences Group (PSG) and the Canadian Association of Pharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs (CAPRA).

Dolly Kao, BSc, JD, as Intellectual Property Counsel. Ms. Kao is an intellectual property lawyer, a registered patent agent, and a registered trademark agent with over 20 years of experience gained at several leading IP firms in Toronto, Canada. She has been practising exclusively in intellectual property (IP) for clients primarily in the chemical, pharmaceutical and biotech industries. Ms. Kao is well versed with Canada's Patented Medicines (Notice of Compliance) Regulations, which provide an avenue for innovative drug companies to gain time-limited freedom from generic competition by listing patents on the Patent Register maintained by the Minister of Health.

Dr. Guillermo Torre-Amione, MD, PhD, to the Board of Directors. Dr. Torre-Amione is former Chief of the Heart Failure division and former medical Director of Cardiac Transplantation at the Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart and Vascular Centre. Now as President of TecSalud, an academic medical center and medical school of the Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores De Monterrey in Mexico, he spearheads the Gene and Judy Campbell Laboratory for cardiac transplant research where his primary areas of research include heart failure, cardiac transplantation and the role of immune response in modulating the progression of heart failure.

Deborah Brown, BSc, MBA, to the Board of Directors. Deborah is Managing Partner of Accelera Canada Ltd., a specialty consultancy firm that assists emerging biopharma ventures with the development and implementation of their Canadian market strategy. She has extensive North American leadership experience from 15 years at EMD Serono (a division of Merck KGaA, Merck Serono) where she reached President and General Manager of the Company's Canadian operations. Currently, she sits on the Boards of Life Sciences Ontario, Oncolytics Biotech Inc., and the Strategic Executive Advisory Council for Canadian Cancer Trials Group.

Iain Chalmers, BA, BEd, MBA, to the Board of Directors. Iain is a professor of Marketing and Alcohol Business Management at Centennial College in Toronto, Ontario. He has an impressive thirty years' experience in product marketing and the Consumer Packaged Goods business with eight years as Vice President of Marketing and Innovation for Diageo Canada, and eleven years at Gillette/Procter & Gamble, including General Sales and Marketing Director for the Gillette Grooming Division.

Dr. James Young, MD, as Chair of the Company's Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Young is the Chief Academic Officer at the Cleveland Clinic. He is also the George and Linda Kaufman Endowed Chair in the Kaufman Center for Heart Failure, Heart & Vascular Institute. Dr. Young is Professor of Medicine and Vice Dean for Academic Affairs at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University. During his career, he has contributed substantially to the areas of heart failure and cardiac transplantation both clinically and through his extensive research career. Dr. Young has participated in more than 150 clinical trials as an investigator and published almost 600 manuscripts and several textbooks.

We raised gross proceeds of over $28 million to support the manufacturing scale-up and commercial launch of our CardiolRx pharmaceutical cannabidiol products and to advance novel formulations of cannabidiol and other pharmaceuticals designed to target inflammation in poorly served areas of medicine. Key corporate finance accomplishments included:

Closing a brokered private placement totaling approximately $12.9 million principal amount of unsecured convertible debentures of the Corporation. In December 2018, the principal plus accrued and unpaid interest was converted into common shares.

Completing our IPO on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) which was led by Noramco, our US pharmaceutical partner, and raised gross proceeds of $15,000,000 through the placement of 3,000,000 units at $5.00. Each unit consisted of one Class A common share and one common share purchase warrant exercisable into one Common Share at the price of $6.50 per share for a period of two years.

About Cardiol Therapeutics

Cardiol Therapeutics Inc. is a leader in the research and commercial development of pharmaceutical cannabidiol products and targeted therapies for inflammatory disease. The Company is leveraging its expertise in pharmaceutical cannabinoids to develop: (1) an ultra-pure pharmaceutical cannabidiol (CBD) product for commercialization in the billion dollar market for medicinal cannabinoids in Canada; (2) nanotechnologies designed to deliver cannabinoids and other anti-inflammatory drugs for the treatment of heart failure, a leading cause of death and hospitalization with associated healthcare costs exceeding $30 billion annually in the U.S. alone; and (3) immunotherapeutics in combination with cannabinoids for the treatment of Glioblastoma Multiforme, the most malignant and deadly form of cancer of the central nervous system and a Fast Track eligible Orphan Indication. For further information about Cardiol, please visit the Company's website at www.cardiolrx.com.

For further information, please contact:

David Elsley, President & CEO

905.491.6793

david.elsley@cardiolrx.com

Trevor Burns, Investor Relations

905.491.6791

trevor.burns@cardiolrx.com

Cautionary statement regarding forward-looking information:

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws which may include, but is not limited to, statements with respect to: future events; the future performance or the intended business strategy of Cardiol Therapeutics Inc. ("Cardiol"); the potential for Cardiol's licensed drug encapsulation and delivery technologies to enhance the bioavailability of pharmaceuticals; management's expectations regarding estimated future pharmaceutical research and development opportunities, collaborations and prospects; the success and proposed timing of Cardiol's product development activities, including, but not limited to, the proposed timeline of Cardiol's product candidate pipeline for commercial introduction; the ability of Cardiol to develop its product candidates; Cardiol's plans to research, discover, evaluate and develop additional products; Cardiol's proposed future collaborations to advance Cardiol's lead nanoformulations into clinical development; and the potential for Cardiol's cannabinoid-based products to provide sources of future revenue. All statements, other than statements of historical fact that address activities, events or developments that Cardiol believes, expects or anticipates will, may, could or might occur in the future are "forward-looking information". Forward-looking information is frequently identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "projects", "intends", "believes", "anticipates", "forecasts", and other similar words and phrases, including variations (and negative variations) of such words and phrases, or may be identified by statements to the effect that certain actions, events or conditions "may", "could", "should", "would", or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking information contained herein reflects the current expectations or beliefs of Cardiol based on information currently available to it and is subject to a variety of known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause the actual events or results to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. These risks and uncertainties and other factors include that the success of Cardiol's product candidates will require significant capital resources and years of clinical development efforts; the results of clinical testing and trial activities of Cardiol's products; Cardiol's ability to obtain regulatory approval and market acceptance of its products; Cardiol's ability to raise capital and the availability of future financing; Cardiol's lack of operating history; unforeseeable deficiencies in the development of Cardiol's product candidates; uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future for Cardiol's research and development initiatives; Cardiol's ability to manage its research, development, growth and operating expenses; the potential failure of clinical trials to demonstrate acceptable levels of safety and efficacy of Cardiol's product candidates; Cardiol's ability to retain key management and other personnel; risks related to fluctuations in medicinal cannabinoid markets in Canada and worldwide; uncertainties regarding Cardiol's ongoing collaborative and manufacturing partnerships; uncertainties regarding results of researching and developing products for human use; Cardiol competes in a highly competitive and evolving industry; Cardiol's ability to obtain and maintain current and future intellectual property protection; and other risks and uncertainties and factors. These risks, uncertainties and other factors should be considered carefully, and investors should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking information. Any forward-looking information speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, Cardiol disclaims any intent or obligation to update or revise such forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. Although Cardiol believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, they do involve certain assumptions, risks, and uncertainties and are not (and should not be considered to be) guarantees of future performance. It is important that each person reviewing this news release understands the significant risks attendant to the operations of Cardiol.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/43725
Smollett, who is African-American and openly gay, has said he was walking from a Subway sandwich shop to his apartment in the 300 block of East North Water Street about 2 a.m. Jan. 29 when two men walked up, yelled racial and homophobic slurs, hit him and wrapped a noose around his neck. Smollett said they also poured a bleachlike substance on him and yelled, This is MAGA country, in reference to President Donald Trumps campaign slogan, Make America Great Again.
Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Non-standard auto insurer chooses Duck Creek OnDemand to address scalability and maintenance concerns related to on-premises software

Boston, March 28, 2019and Duck Creek Billing. The insurer will be implementing the software via Duck Creek OnDemand, the provider's SaaS solution for the P&C insurance industry. GAINSCO cited scalability and efficiency as key factors in the decision to replace its existing legacy policy and billing systems, which were preventing the carrier from growing at the rate its business trajectory demands.

"Our industry has made significant strides in embracing SaaS solutions for policy, billing, and claims systems, and it is exciting to see the Duck Creek OnDemand solution gain traction and momentum with great success," said Deb Smallwood, founder and CEO of Strategy Meets Action. "And for insurers, with the long list of various technology initiatives and investments on their plates, having ongoing maintenance and upgrades off their plates allows them to focus on strategic initiatives - the true competitive differentiation."

"GAINSCO's commitment to digital transformation ultimately led us to Duck Creek for our Policy/Rating/Billing platform in order to meet the growing demands and needs of an increasingly savvy customer base," said Phil West, SVP & CIO of GAINSCO. "Our focus is on best of breed solutions for our core applications, solutions that give us a strong foundation for future initiatives without the need for complex IT projects. The Duck Creek Anywhere API gives us the ability to more easily integrate with other market-leading solutions or to leverage our own custom solutions. We expect the Duck Creek SaaS offering to give both operational and cost efficiencies, allowing us to quickly get to market with innovative products and features."

"More and more carriers recognize the value of moving core systems into the cloud," said Karlyn Carnahan, head of property casualty business for Celent for the Americas. "In a fast-paced world, utilization of a cloud platform is becoming the foundation for deriving speed to value."

The billing experience in particular has become a critical opportunity for carriers to offer differentiated, personalized customer service - something that consumers in all industries have come to expect. As a highly customer-focused insurer, GAINSCO plans to further enhance its customer experiences with billing, expand to new states, and introduce and update its innovative products with industry-leading speed. The carrier also licensed Data Hub, a component of Duck Creek Insights, to get more actionable data from its policy and billing systems as part of its overall strategy to make more data-driven decisions.

"We are very happy that GAINSCO has chosen Duck Creek Policy, Billing, Insights, and our OnDemand solution to support its business," said Jeff Wargin, VP of Product Management at Duck Creek Technologies. "GAINSCO's growth has been driven by a strong focus on customer centricity, so this was a great choice for them as they look to continued success in the future. And Duck Creek OnDemand provides a complete solution that takes the responsibilities of maintenance, hosting, and upgrades off of carriers' hands, so GAINSCO will be able to focus on innovation rather than burdensome IT work."

About GAINSCO

GAINSCO, Inc. is a Dallas-based property and casualty insurance holding company established in 1978. Its insurance operations are conducted through MGA Insurance Company Inc. under its insurance brand, GAINSCO Auto Insurance. The firm concentrates its efforts on the non-standard personal automobile market, specializing in minimum-limits personal auto insurance. GAINSCO Auto Insurance markets its products through more than 8,000 independent insurance agents across ten states: Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Oklahoma, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, and Utah, as well as through comparison shopping websites. GAINSCO is driven to provide:

Insurance policies that are flexible and easy to customize to insureds' needs

A highly competitive price designed to save policyholders money

Superior customer support and claims handling

A solid company on which people can rely

Learn more at https://www.gainsco.com/

About Duck Creek Technologies

Duck Creek Technologies paves a genuine path to the future for P&C insurance companies. Decades of insurance experience underpin advanced technologies specifically designed to accommodate change - allowing carriers to navigate uncertainty and capture market opportunities faster than their competitors. Duck Creek solutions are available standalone or as a full suite. All are available via Duck Creek OnDemand, the provider's SaaS solution for the P&C insurance industry. For more information, visit www.duckcreek.com.



Media Contact:

Paul Rechichi

Racepoint Global

617-624-3295

prechichi@racepointglobal.com
Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. (CCC), a leader in advancing copyright, accelerating knowledge, and powering innovation, in partnership with Outsell, Inc, the voice of the data and information industry, hosted an invitation-only roundtable program during London Book Fair, "Open Dialogue: The Key to Advancing Scholarly Communications."

The objective of the exclusive, co-sponsored program was to facilitate a strategic discussion among key stakeholders across the globe publishers, institutions, funders, policymakers, authors/researchers, and service providers about emerging models to advance scholarly communications in an environment fraught with friction.

"We designed the program to support the kind of conversation organizations around the world asked for and hope this can lead to potential partnerships and spark ideas for innovation," said Tracey Armstrong, President and CEO, CCC. "What made this program unique is that it went beyond simply summarizing what is being asked for by the pro-Plan S community and created an opportunity for voices to be heard about tools and solutions that will facilitate viable models for Open Access and open research."

"Open Access deals, driven by institutions, funders, and sometimes entire countries, are an indicator of the fundamental realignment underway in the entire system," said Anthea Stratigos, Co-founder and CEO, Outsell. "Initiatives such as Plan S and Projekt DEAL are the current battlegrounds, symptoms of the transformation that must happen across the entire scholarly communication ecosystem."

The program featured panel and workshop sessions designed to foster transparency and collaboration and to build a common understanding of the challenges and opportunities currently facing scholarly communications. The spirit of the day was established in the opening remarks, which called for open, cross-party collaboration and communication to rise above the noise, make progress, and help move the sector forward in light of shared challenges.

"Cohesive, collaborative, cross-party initiatives remain relatively rare and are needed. CCC and Outsell heard and will heed the call for more such dialog," said Stratigos. "Indeed, a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step, and this program began that journey aptly in the Royal Society of Arts House, where so much innovation history has been made."

Speakers included Armstrong and Stratigos, along with Diego Baptista, Ph.D., Wellcome Trust; William Bowes, Publishers Association; Olivier Dumon, Elsevier; Michael Forster, IEEE; Dr. Danny Kingsley, Cambridge University Library; Petra Labriga, Technische Informationsbibliothek (TIB); Jo McShea, Outsell Inc; Salvatore Mele, CERN; Tasha Mellins-Cohen, Microbiology Society; Brandon Nordin, American Chemical Society; Paul Peters, Hindawi; Annette Thomas, Clarivate Analytics; and David Worlock, Co-Chair, Outsell's Leadership Program.

CCC is an active partner in the information industry's transition from subscription content to hybrid and pure Open Access content. The company has built RightsLink Author, the leading industry solution for managing Open Access and related publication charges. For years CCC has brought together key Open Access stakeholders from the author, publisher, institution, funding and vendor communities through roundtables, panel events, webinars, podcasts, and published pieces. CCC is a member of OASPA (Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association), ALPSP (Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers) and STM (International Association of STM Publishers).

ABOUT COPYRIGHT CLEARANCE CENTER

Copyright Clearance Center (CCC) builds unique solutions that connect content and rights in contextually relevant ways through software and professional services. CCC helps people navigate vast amounts of data to discover actionable insights, enabling them to innovate and make informed decisions. CCC, with its subsidiaries RightsDirectandIxxus, collaborates with customers to advance how data and information are integrated, accessed, and shared while setting the standard for effective copyright solutions that accelerate knowledge and power innovation. CCC is headquartered in Danvers, Mass., with offices across North America, Europe and Asia. To learn more about CCC, visit www.copyright.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005155/en/

Contacts:

Craig Sender

Director, Public Relations

csender@copyright.com

978-646-2605
CloudBees, the enterprise DevOps leader powering the continuous economy, announced the dates of its CloudBees Days world tour. CloudBees Days is a series of events bringing DevOps leaders, continuous delivery practitioners, Jenkins users and cloud native technology experts together to discuss the latest technologies and processes driving the future of software delivery. The series will be held in 18 cities across the United States and Europe, kicking off in Madrid on April 4.

At these full-day events, attendees will:

Hear about the latest technologies, such as Kubernetes, that are shaping the future of DevOps from CloudBees and Jenkins experts.

such as Kubernetes, that are shaping the future of DevOps from CloudBees and Jenkins experts. Learn about the trends in software development from leading analysts. James Governor, analyst and co-founder of RedMonk, will speak in European cities, and a Forrester analyst will speak in the United States locations.

from leading analysts. James Governor, analyst and co-founder of RedMonk, will speak in European cities, and a Forrester analyst will speak in the United States locations. Take part in technical workshops sponsored by CloudBees, Sonatype, GitHub, CyberArk, Gradle and Google Cloud, and learn all about Jenkins X, CloudBees Core for Kubernetes CD, Declarative Pipeline on CloudBees Core, mixing SaaS continuous delivery environments with Jenkins and more.

sponsored by CloudBees, Sonatype, GitHub, CyberArk, Gradle and Google Cloud, and learn all about Jenkins X, CloudBees Core for Kubernetes CD, Declarative Pipeline on CloudBees Core, mixing SaaS continuous delivery environments with Jenkins and more. Network with your peers and enterprise DevOps experts in the Sponsor Expo, during lunch and at the networking reception.

In addition to CloudBees, other premier DevOps technology providers and consultants sponsoring CloudBees Days include: Accenture Technology, Carahsoft, Column Technologies, Comparex by SoftwareONE, Compuware, CyberArk, Fierce Software, FOSSA, GitHub, Go2Group, Google Cloud, Gradle, Honeycomb.io, iTMethods, MacStadium, Percy, Plastic SCM, Plutora, Sonatype, Stepsize and Synopsys.

"We're excited to help software teams learn how to best leverage the latest technologies, such as Kubernetes, in their software delivery pipelines and applications," said Andre Pino, vice president of marketing, CloudBees. "DevOps teams are under a lot of pressure today, as they are producing software that is the business and they need to constantly deliver new functionality. It's more important than ever to learn, discuss challenges and discover best practices. With CloudBees Days, we are making this knowledge accessible to software teams in cities throughout the United States and Europe."

Dates and locations are as follows:

Madrid, April 4

Zurich, April 10

Dallas, April 16

San Francisco, April 18

New York, April 23

Atlanta, April 25

Los Angeles, May 13

Seattle, May 16

Minneapolis, May 21

Paris, May 22

Washington DC, May 23

Boston, June 4

Chicago, June 6

Toronto, June 11

Amsterdam, June 12

London, September 12

Frankfurt, September 24

Stockholm, September 26

Additional Resources

Learn more about CloudBees Days:

https://www.cloudbees.com/cloudbees-days

About CloudBees

CloudBees is powering the continuous economy by building the world's first end-to-end system for automating software delivery, the CloudBees Suite. The CloudBees Suite builds on emerging DevOps practices and continuous integration (CI) and continuous delivery (CD) automation adding a layer of governance, visibility and insights necessary to achieve optimum efficiency and control new risks. Since every company in the world is now a software company, this new automated software delivery system is becoming the most mission-critical business system in the modern enterprise. As today's clear leader in CI/CD, CloudBees is uniquely positioned to define and lead this new category. CloudBees puts companies on the fastest path to transforming great ideas into great software and returning value to the business more quickly.

Backed by Matrix Partners, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Verizon Ventures, Delta-v Capital, Golub Capital and Unusual Ventures, CloudBees was founded in 2010 by former JBoss CTO Sacha Labourey and an elite team of continuous integration, continuous delivery and DevOps professionals. Follow CloudBees on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005494/en/

Contacts:

Sydney Holmquist

PAN Communications

+1.407.734.7327

cloudbees@pancomm.com
DENVER, CO / ACCESSWIRE / March 28, 2019 / International Cannabrands Inc. (CSE: JUJU) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that its 51% subsidiary La Vida Verde Inc., has entered into a letter of intent with Driven Deliveries, Inc. to distribute La Vida Verde's products throughout California.<

Driven provides on-demand marijuana delivery, offering legal cannabis consumers the ability to purchase and receive their cannabis in a fast and convenient manner. Driven's platform also allows brand partners to monetize their website, social media, and user-generated content through affiliate links to Driven's eCommerce platform.

Bryce Berryessa, CEO of La Vida Verde commented: "We believe in the business model, future vision, and team behind Driven, and we're looking forward to getting our products into the hands of more consumers across the state of California."

California is one of the largest recreational cannabis markets in the world, and delivery represents a significant market opportunity throughout the state. Licensed retailers have made more than 500,000 deliveries throughout California in 2018 alone.

Steve Gormley added: "By partnering with Driven, we are continuing to broaden distribution of all products, and we're thrilled to leverage the expanding opportunities within the delivery space."

"Brands are the driving force behind the cannabis industry. We look forward to joining forces with such an influential family of brands that are in high demand with California consumers," said Chris Boudreau, CEO of Driven.

About Driven

Driven Deliveries, Inc. is the only publicly traded cannabis delivery service operating within the United States. Founded by experienced technology and cannabis executives, the Company provides on-demand marijuana delivery, in select cities where allowed by law. In leveraging consumer trends, and offering a proprietary, turnkey delivery system to its customers, management believes it is uniquely positioned to best serve the needs of the emerging cannabis industry and capture notable market share within the sector. For more information, please visit https://GoDriven.com/ and review Driven's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

About La Vida Verde, Inc. (LVV)

In addition to LVV's wholesale flower, packaged flower, pre-rolls and blunts, its differentiating products include gummies, upscale protein bars, new chocolate forms and super cookies. LVV Brands currently include Skunk Feather Cannabis and Blank Brand. LVV has been operating in California since 2015, and currently has extraction, manufacturing and distribution capability. LVV is a leader in the extraction field, being one of the first to incorporate full spectrum testing in every product, testing for potency, terpenes, pesticides and residual solvents. Its concentrates are pharmaceutical grade and free of any pesticides, microbial contaminants, heavy metals or additives. LVV has recently doubled its manufacturing capability and has installed state-of-the-art technology. LVV believes that the best medicine starts with the food you eat and it takes pride in producing products for people who are search for a natural and healthy alternative for nurturing their bodies. All its products use only healthy fats, are vegan, organic, gluten-free, paleo friendly and low glycemic.

About International Cannabrands (ICI)

The Company's business model is to generate revenue from cannabis cultivation, brands ranging from flower to edibles and from THC to CBD, oil extraction, ancillary products and apparel in the United States. ICI markets products with THC content where that practice has been legalized at the state level through either medicinal or full recreational use. ICI also markets products containing CBD in the US and internationally. ICI's strategy centers on acquiring micro brands, distribution and specific manufacturing/cultivation companies in the cannabis space. ICI has acquired the exclusive rights to Julian Marley's JuJu Royal brand. The Company believes as the legal cannabis market evolves, high-quality, unique products will increasingly capture market share and provide a valuable platform for growth.

About JuJu Royal

Julian Marley conveys his message of legalization, freedom, and love through the JuJu Royal brand, a line of naturally produced medicinal herbs. Our vision is to realize the opportunity to become one of the largest brands in the Marijuana industry. The synergy between the Rastafarian culture, music, natural products and an "Irie" experience is a powerful foundation for our business. JuJu's strategy is to develop and grow a complete cannabis line based on an international appeal to a millennial lifestyle seeking a luxurious and premium experience. JuJu will capitalize on the unparalleled opportunity to position itself with unique, innovative, high quality brands that meet and exceed our customer's expectations. More information about the brand and various products can be obtained at www.jujuroyal.net.

International Cannabrands Contact:

Steve Gormley

Chief Executive Officer

1045 Lincoln Street, #106

Denver, Colorado 80203

Ph: (323) 828-4321 or steve.gormley@intlcannabrands.com

Media Inquiries: media@jujuroyal.net

NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER HAS REVIEWED OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

Disclaimer concerning Forward-looking Statements

Certain statements included herein constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the expected benefit from the agreement with Driven Deliveries, Inc. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management at this time, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional risks and uncertainties regarding the Company are described in its publicly-available disclosure documents filed by the Company on SEDAR ( www.sedar.com ). The forward-looking statements contained in this news release represent the Company's expectations as of the date of this news release, or as of the date they are otherwise stated to be made, and subsequent events may cause these expectations to change. Except as required by law, the Company does not intend, and undertakes no obligation, to update any forward-looking statements to reflect, in particular, new information or future events.

SOURCE: International Cannabrands Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/540385/La-Vida-Verde-Inc-Signs-Distribution-Deal-with-Driven-Deliveries
CALGARY, Alberta, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --

Total revenue up 64% compared to prior year Q1, delivering positive Adjusted EBITDA

Blackline Safety Corp. (TSX Venture: BLN), a global leader of gas detection and connected safety solutions, announced record first quarter results for the period ended January 31, 2019.

"Demand for Blackline's connected safety technology continues to gain momentum as we enter our fiscal 2019, generating a record $6.2M in overall quarterly revenue," said Cody Slater, Blackline CEO and Chairman. "Growth was driven through diversity across industries and geographic sectors with large orders announced during the quarter from the utilities industry and a government safety agency. After the close of Q1, we announced another utilities order - from Yorkshire Water - that affirms our commitment to delivering the best in gas detection for personnel in the field and throughout facilities."

Blackline's business model delivered an all-time high of $4.0M in recurring service revenue for the quarter, representing a 73% jump compared to Q1 FY2018. Mr. Slater said, "Blackline delivers the highest value to customers and our quarterly service growth underscores our client's commitment to G7 connected safety solutions. Approximately 25% of our service revenue is now derived from customers who adopted our three-year Blackline Complete lease. This program bundles our connected safety wearables with a broad range of services, including gas sensors, two-way voice calling and 24/7 live monitoring, into one easy monthly payment. At the end of the quarter, future customer lease commitments stood at $8.3M."

"Along with our highest service revenue yet, we achieved a record of $2.2M in global product sales, this helped Blackline to achieve a positive Adjusted EBITDA for the first time," said Mr. Slater. Blackline uses Adjusted EBITDA (a non-GAAP measure) to describe its financial results, excluding the impact of product development costs and stock-based compensation expense. "Combined with Blackline's robust balance sheet, this milestone reflects the strong trajectory of Blackline's growth."

"Blackline continues to invest in expanding its connected safety portfolio with a focus on two key development initiatives," said Mr. Slater. "Our new multi-gas pump cartridge is nearing certification and will soon begin shipping to customers as part of our revolutionary program for connected confined space entry and leak check surveys. Blackline is the only vendor in the world to offer comprehensive location-based data analytics, capable of providing full visibility of hazardous work being performed by personnel in the field." He added, "We continue to focus dedicated resources on our G7 Exo area monitoring system that will transform the way that businesses monitor tank farms, fence-lines, facility shutdowns and other locations where temporary gas monitoring is required."

Highlights

First quarter total revenue of $6.2M , a 64% increase over the prior year's Q1

, a 64% increase over the prior year's Q1 First quarter service revenue, including lease revenue, of $4.0M , a 73% increase over the prior year's Q1

, a 73% increase over the prior year's Q1 First quarter Blackline Complete lease revenue of $1.1M , a 101% increase over the prior year's Q1

, a 101% increase over the prior year's Q1 First quarter product revenue of $2.2M , a 49% increase over the prior year's Q1

, a 49% increase over the prior year's Q1 First quarter revenue grew by 94% in the United States and by 42% in Europe over the prior year's Q1

and by 42% in over the prior year's Q1 Achieved a positive Adjusted EBITDA for the first time

Total cash and short-term investments of $35.3M

Announced a $1.1M lone worker safety monitoring systems order from a provincial safety agency in Canada

lone worker safety monitoring systems order from a provincial safety agency in Announced a $1.4M gas detection order from a major utility company on the West Coast of the United States

gas detection order from a major utility company on the West Coast of Ranked on Deloitte's North American Technology Fast 500 for the first time

Financial Highlights

The subsequent values in this release are in thousands, except for percentages and per share data.

Quarter Ended January 31 2019 2018 Change Revenue $6,229 $3,803 64% Gross Margin $2,842 $1,693 68% Gross Margin Percentage 46% 45% 1% Net Loss ($1,745) ($1,604) (9%) Net Loss excluding stock- based compensation expense ($1,617) ($1,501) (8%) Adjusted EBITDA $33 ($136) 124% Loss per Share ($0.04) ($0.05)

Key Financial Information

First quarter revenue was $6,229, an increase of 64% from $3,803 in the comparable quarter of the prior fiscal year. Revenue in the United States increased by 94% and in Europe by 42% respectively with these regions continuing their strong growth from fiscal 2018.

Product revenue during the first quarter was $2,180, an increase of 49% compared to $1,465 in the same period last year. Blackline also achieved an additional $1,377 of Blackline G7 connected safety products delivered through the Blackline Complete leasing program in this period, an equivalent of approximately $427 in hardware sales. Had customers purchased these units rather than adopting Blackline's lease program, product revenue would have been approximately $2,607, excluding the impact of price discounting.

Service revenue was $4,049, an increase of 73% compared to $2,338 in the same period last year, attributed to new service activations by end customers from product sales and increased adoption of the Blackline Complete leasing program with leasing revenues increasing 101% quarter-over-quarter.

Contracted future service revenue, representing the current value of future Blackline Complete lease commitments, was $8,331 as at January 31, 2019, an increase of 84% compared to the same quarter, prior year.

Gross margin for the first quarter was $2,842 compared to $1,693 in the comparable quarter of the prior year, an increase of 68%. This increase was driven by the growth of Blackline's product and service revenues quarter-over-quarter.

Adjusted EBITDA was $33 for the first quarter compared to $(136) in the comparable quarter of the prior year. The increase in the Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter was attributable to an increase in revenues and gross margin, offset by increased selling, general and administrative expenses quarter-over-quarter.

Blackline's unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements and management's discussion and analysis on financial condition and results of operations for the period ended January 31, 2019 are available at http://www.sedar.com. All results are reported in Canadian dollars. To learn more about Blackline Safety, visit http://www.BlacklineSafety.com and follow Blackline on Twitter @blacklinesafety.

About Blackline Safety:

Blackline Safety is a global connected safety technology leader. Providing comprehensive live-monitoring and wireless gas detection, we help teams working in hazardous environments respond to emergencies in real-time and manage efficient evacuations, accounting for everyone's safety along the way. With millions invested in technology research and development, Blackline Safety is recognized for quality and innovation. Our talented team of designers and engineers create and manufacture in-house - from wearable technology and personal gas detectors to cloud-hosted infrastructure and web-based interfaces for global industry. We deliver the world's first turn-key, work-anywhere, connected safety monitoring solution with gas detection, 3G wireless, satellite communications, two-way speakerphone, push-to-talk, location-enabled data analytics and live monitoring to meet the demanding safety challenges and increase productivity of organizations in over 100 countries. For more information, visit http://www.BlacklineSafety.com.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cody Slater

CEO

cslater@blacklinesafety.com

Blackline Safety Corp.

Unit 100

803 24 Avenue SE

Calgary, ABCanada T2G 1P5

Telephone: +1-403-451-0327

Fax: +1-403-451-9981





http://www.BlacklineSafety.com
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / March 28, 2019 / Lightwave Logic, Inc. (OTCQB: LWLG), developer of Faster by Design extremely high-speed photonic devices and Perkinamine electro-optical polymer materials, today announced it will be presenting at this year's Spring Investor Summit on April 1st and 2nd in New York City. Lightwave Logic, Inc. is a development stage company moving toward commercialization of next generation photonic devices using its high-activity and high-stability organic polymers for applications in data communications and telecommunications markets. Photonic electro-optical devices convert data from electric signals into optical signals.

CEO Michael Lebby will be meeting with conference participants on both days and speaking on April 2 at 2:30 pm. The presentation and a video interview with Dr. Lebby will be available after the conference on the company website https://lightwavelogic.com. For more information about Lightwave Logic, please visit the company website or contact Karen Liu at karen@lightwavelogic.com.

CONFERENCE OVERVIEW AND STRUCTURE

The Spring Investor Summit (formerly The MicroCap Conference) is an exclusive event dedicated to connecting small and micro cap companies with high-level, institutional and retail investors.

The Spring Investor Summit will take place in New York City at the Essex House on April 1st and 2nd. The upcoming conference will feature 200 presenting companies, 1200 institutional and retail investors, 2000 one-on-one meetings, expert speakers, and industry panels.

REGISTRATION FOR INVESTORS

To request free registration, please go to the conference website (www.springinvestorsummit.com), and click the "Registration" button

PARTICIPATING COMPANIES

For the most updated list of companies, please go to the website (www.springinvestorsummit.com)

MARQUEE SPONSORS

Special Equities Group

SPONSORS

MSK

Proactive Investors

Marcum

Irth Communications

MZ Group

CoreIR

PCG Advisory

ICR

News Compliments of ACCESSWIRE

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Please visit: www.springinvestorsummit.com

Or, contact Ashley Allard at ashley@microcapconf.com

Safe Harbor Statement

The information posted in this release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these statements by use of the words "may," "will," "should," "plans," "explores," "expects," "anticipates," "continue," "estimate," "project," "intend," and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or anticipated. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, lack of available funding; general economic and business conditions; competition from third parties; intellectual property rights of third parties; regulatory constraints; changes in technology and methods of marketing; delays in completing various engineering and manufacturing programs; changes in customer order patterns; changes in product mix; success in technological advances and delivering technological innovations; shortages in components; production delays due to performance quality issues with outsourced components; those events and factors described by us in Item 1.A 'Risk Factors' in our most recent Form 10-K; other risks to which our Company is subject; other factors beyond the Company's control.

SOURCE: Lightwave Logic, Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/540377/Lightwave-Logic-to-Present-at-the-Spring-Investor-Summit-on-April-1st-and-2nd-in-New-York-City-at-the-Essex-House
Junichi Suzuki to start on 1 April as new regional head

Laurent Abadie retires after 15 years in top management

Panasonic Europe B.V has announced the retirement of Laurent Abadie on March 31st 2019 and the appointment of his successor, Junichi Suzuki to take place on 1st April 2019.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005555/en/

Panasonic Announces New European CEO, Junichi Suzuki (Photo: Business Wire)

Mr Suzuki will become Chairman CEO, Panasonic Europe Ltd. while also inheriting from Laurent Abadie the responsibility as COO, Panasonic Holding (Netherlands) B.V. and as Regional Head for Europe CIS as well as becoming Managing Director, Panasonic Marketing Europe GmbH.

While in general Europe is in a drastic change phase, the objectives for the 56-year old Junichi Suzuki are clear:

'We see two important trends emerging: the need for a carbon-free society and an ever-increasing aging society. I've been living nearly 30 years in Europe and I believe that Europe is already leading the world on both. Panasonic's over-arching mission has always been to contribute to society and I look forward to working with my colleagues in Europe to meet the requirements of these trends to do so.

'My personal mission is to ensure that Panasonic is the leading technology and solutions provider in Europe in these areas, with a particular focus on our heating and cooling solutions, Automotive, and on "Future Lifestyles in the home". Our efforts in the coming years will therefore focus on further developing local R&D activities and strengthening the organisation to continuously understand and predict the future.'

Building the bridge Understanding Europe the best

Mr. Suzuki, currently Managing Director of PanasonicRussia Ltd as well as Panasonic Marketing CIS, will take the role as CEO of Panasonic Europe and as regional head for Europe CIS including all other above named responsibilities from 1st April 2019.

Mr. Suzuki has worked in Europe and the CIS region for nearly three decades, where his first role in 1990 was within the Belgium sales company. Since then, he has gained experience in many sales and marketing companies spanning both B2C and B2B markets, including being the Director of Planning at Panasonic Europe. Mr. Suzuki continues,

'I have spent over half my life in Europe, my children have grown up here, and I want to thank Europe for the fantastic experience and support I've received so far. I will now be in a role where I can fully repay my thanks to employees, partners and customers to all those who have supported me in my business life so far. As a Japanese native and a long-standing European resident, I believe I am the perfect bridge for our business between Japan and Europe to achieve future strong success.'

Laurent Abadie to retire after 15 years with Panasonic

Mr. Abadie joined Panasonic on 1st March 2004 as Deputy Managing Director of Panasonic France. Panasonic has been appreciating his great global business leadership since he became Executive Officer of Panasonic Corporation in April 2008.

Over the past decade as the Regional Head for Europe, Mr. Abadie has been shaping the strategic direction of Panasonic in Europe while delivering an innovative approach to Europe's commercial challenges.

About Panasonic:

Panasonic Corporation is a worldwide leader in the development of diverse electronics technologies and solutions for customers in the consumer electronics, housing, automotive, and B2B businesses. Celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2018, the company has expanded globally and now operates 591 subsidiaries and 88 associated companies worldwide, recording consolidated net sales of 7.982 trillion yen for the year ended March 31, 2018. Committed to pursuing new value through innovation across divisional lines, the company uses its technologies to create a better life and a better world for its customers. To learn more about Panasonic: http://www.panasonic.com/global.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005555/en/

Contacts:

Colombus Communications

Emily Wong

panasonic@colombus-comms.com

020 7985 1121
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 28, 2019) -STILLCANNA INC. (CSE: STIL) ("StillCanna" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company has entered into a binding letter of intent with BioScience Enterprises, Inc. of California ("BioScience") to supply C$6,000,000 of CBD isolate per month for an initial term of 6 months, such term may be extended by mutual agreement of the parties.

The Company anticipates that, subject to applicable stock exchange and regulatory approval, it will enter into a definitive agreement (the "Definitive Agreement") with BioScience within the 60-day due diligence period under the binding letter of intent.

The Company expects to begin delivering on its contract in August of 2019 utilizing its Polish harvest of 1,500 hectares of hemp.

"We have visited BioScience Enterprises facilities," stated Jason Dussault CEO of StillCanna. "We are impressed with their industry knowledge and capabilities. We are pleased to be a supplier of CBD isolate and hope to establish a long-standing relationship with BioScience. We believe this strategic arrangement compliments our business model and will help us reach our corporate milestones."

Richard Parker, President of Operations, BioScience Enterprises, Inc. mentioned: "We are thrilled to be working with an innovative group like StillCanna on a partnership. Having a high standard for quality product is what makes BioScience a reputable supplier, without producers like StillCanna that wouldn't be possible."

ABOUT BIOSCIENCE ENTERPRISES, INC.

Since its inception in 2018 - Bioscience has emerged as a leading contract manufacturer and supplier of CBD nationwide. The company native to California has contracts across the continental USA and Canada for the supply of EU and domestic high-grade isolate, distillate and a variant of finished products. The company is housed in a secure 18,000 square foot plant, which is capable of a monthly output of 1.5 million glass tinctures, 2 million vape PET products, 1.5 million cartridges and 1.5 million disposable pens. BioScience supplies for many of America's known brands and supplies bulk CBD to various industry manufacturing companies. The company intends to apply through the United States DEA for their own license to import hemp-derived CBD from around the world. BioScience strives to maintain its purest CBD supply on the market through a world-class quality assessment and quarantine process. BioScience currently estimates to contract over 100mm in gross sales through 2019.

For more information, please visit www.bioscience-enterprises.com

ABOUT STILLCANNA INC.

StillCanna Inc. (CSE: STIL) (www.StillCanna.com) is a Canadian early-stage life sciences company focused on large-scale CBD extraction in Europe. Based on a proprietary process and intellectual property, the Company is forecasted to be one of the lowest-cost CBD extractors operating in Europe. The Company has signed an extraction contract to be the exclusive extractor for Dragonfly BioSciences LLC, a United Kingdom-based supplier of CBD. Upon the completion of the Olimax Transaction, StillCanna is anticipated to be one of the largest processors and providers of market-ready CBD in Europe.

For more information, please visit www.StillCanna.com

On Behalf of the Board,

Joel Leonard,

Chief Financial Officer and Director

E-mail: accounting@jclpartners.ca

The CSE has not in any way passed upon the merits of and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements: This release includes certain statements and information that constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, including statements regarding the expectation of the Company entering into the Definitive Agreement by the expiry of the due diligence period and the terms of the Definitive Agreement are expected to reflect the binding letter of intent as anticipated by management. Generally, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "intends" or "anticipates", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "should" or "would" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on certain material assumptions and analysis made by the Company and the opinions and estimates of management as of the date of this press release, including that the Company will be able to enter into the Definitive Agreement by the expiry of the due diligence period and that the Definitive Agreement will reflect the terms of the binding letter of intent as anticipated by management. Although the Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect, and the forward-looking statements in this release are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. Such risk factors may include, among others, that the Company will not be able to enter into the Definitive Agreement by the expiry of the due diligence period, that the LOI will be terminated and that the anticipated CBD purchase will not be completed and that the Company may not supply CBD isolate to BioScience on the terms as anticipated by management. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or 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 statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not intend, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/43732
Perhaps we could ... kill two birds with one stone, if you will, and let the FBI, whos already working on this, (take it) over, she said. "And (Johnson) said he would think about it.  I asked him later what happened. And he said ... they weren't interested in it. And I said that's fine."
Technology will transform the electricity grid into a platform for innovation, supporting smart cities, electric vehicles and decarbonization

Global energy technology company Faraday Grid Ltd ("Faraday Grid" or "FGL") today announces its formal launch into the United States. The company will hold its official launch event and the announcement of its U.S. operations this evening with a high profile event for key U.S. energy industry experts at the Andrew Mellon Auditorium in Washington.

Tonight, Faraday Grid will present an energy system fit for the future, enabling affordable, reliable and clean energy to everyone. It will also feature a live demonstration of the Faraday Exchanger, an evolution of the Exchanger device first presented to the world during a live audience event in Edinburgh in December 2017.

Tonight's event is the latest milestone for Faraday Grid, which established its second global Innovation Center in Washington, following the first in Edinburgh, UK. The U.S. team, featuring experts in power systems, power electronics, as well as mechanical and electrical engineering, strengthens the already world class engineering talent across the company's other global technology hubs and offices. Commercial expansion and technological innovation will accelerate as additional teams are established in other U.S. locations in the future.

"Electricity is the primary creator of prosperity," said Andrew Scobie, Founder CEO of Faraday Grid. "Faraday Grid will transform the grid and create a permissionless and decentralized platform, which will unleash the innovation and creativity needed to ensure the electricity grid meets the needs of U.S. energy consumers in the future. More than 100 cities, counties and states in the U.S. have set 100 percent renewables or net zero carbon emissions targets and we offer a pathway to achieve decarbonization, while also reducing energy costs and enabling innovation."

Evolution towards smart cities is increasingly critical to addressing climate change, while delivering sustainable prosperity to all. With the transition to smart cities, fundamental shifts are required to develop energy systems that are more reliable, resilient and sustainable.

Current energy grids date back over a century, when power was generated by a small number of large, fossil fuel power stations. Faraday Grid's technology greatly improves the efficiency of the electricity grid and integrates renewable energy more effectively, as demand from households and businesses increases. When installed across the grid, Faraday Exchangers "plug and play" devices that dynamically balance and smooth power flowing across the energy system enable the grid to act as a platform for smart cities, electric vehicles and domestic prosumers.

In January, Faraday Grid received over $30 million in strategic investment from Adam Neumann, Co-Founder and CEO of WeWork, based on a shared vision to boost society's welfare and productivity. Last year Faraday Grid's technology was validated by Power Networks Demonstration Center (PNDC), the UK's leading grid test facility and demonstration center.

Media wishing to attend tonight's U.S. launch event in Washington, D.C. can register here.

About Faraday Grid:

Faraday Grid was formed from the desire to solve global challenges facing our society and environment. The company is dedicated to reimagining global energy systems to enable sustainable prosperity for all. Specifically, with innovation in deep tech, Faraday Grid is revolutionizing electricity networks.

For more information, see www.faradaygrid.com or @TheFaradayGrid

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005099/en/

Contacts:

Media Contact:

Jessie Reape

202-884-7325

Jessica.reape@finnpartners.com
Ford brings more than 30 years of industry experience

UBS Financial Services announced today Patrick Ford will join its New Albany office and partner with the James Hull Wealth Management Partners. Ford, previously at Merrill Lynch, began his career as a financial advisor in 1987. During his 32 years in the industry, Ford has served as a senior vice president and wealth management advisor.

Ford advises individuals, families and businesses by helping to define their financial goals, establish objectives, set strategies and implement investment recommendations. For each client, he uses a tailored approach to financial and goals-based wealth management.

"I strive to build enduring client relationships by providing outstanding service and guidance," said Ford. "I strongly believe open and trusted collaboration during the planning process is a crucial element in achieving optimal outcomes for my clients. I look forward to maintaining that same approach as I begin this new chapter of my career at UBS."

Ford graduated from The Ohio State University with a bachelor's degree in political science and journalism. He is a Certified Financial Planner practitioner a designation awarded by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc.

Ford currently lives in Granville, Ohio, with his wife and their two sons. He is an active member of his church, St. Luke's Episcopal. He is also an active member of his community and regularly speaks to students enrolled in financial literacy classes at area high schools.

"Pat has a proven track record for serving his clients and his community," said Erik Puffenberger, Branch Manager at UBS Financial Services Inc. "The New Albany office began a complete renovation in late 2018 to enhance the overall commitment to the community. Pat will be coming into the office at an exciting time in its future and we look forward to the expertise he will bring."

To learn more about James, Hull and Ford Wealth Management Partners, click here

About UBS

UBS provides financial advice and solutions to wealthy, institutional and corporate clients worldwide, as well as private clients in Switzerland. UBS' strategy is centered on our leading global wealth management business and our premier universal bank in Switzerland, enhanced by Asset Management and the Investment Bank. The bank focuses on businesses that have a strong competitive position in their targeted markets, are capital efficient, and have an attractive long-term structural growth or profitability outlook.

UBS is present in all major financial centers worldwide. It has offices in 52 countries, with about 34% of its employees working in the Americas, 34% in Switzerland, 18% in the rest of Europe, the Middle East and Africa and 14% in Asia Pacific. UBS Group AG employs approximately 61,000 people around the world. Its shares are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

Global Wealth Management

As one of the world's largest wealth managers, UBS Global Wealth Management provides comprehensive advice, solutions and services to wealthy families and individuals around the world. Clients who work with UBS benefit from a fully integrated set of wealth management capabilities and expertise, including wealth planning, investment management, capital markets, banking, lending and institutional and corporate financial advice.

In providing wealth management services to clients, UBS Financial Services Inc. offers both investment advisory and brokerage services which are separate and distinct and differ in material ways. For information, including the different laws and contracts that govern, visit ubs.com/workingwithus.

UBS Financial Services Inc. is a subsidiary of UBS AG. Member FINRA/SIPC.

For designation disclosures visit https://www.ubs.com/us/en/designation-disclosures

UBS 2019. All rights reserved.

The key symbol and UBS are among the registered and unregistered trademarks of UBS.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005106/en/

Contacts:

Sarah Holsapple

Holsapple Communications

sarah@holsapplecommunications.com

(317) 363-6800

www.ubs.com
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / March 28, 2019 / HAWKEYE Gold & Diamond Inc. (the "Company" or "HAWKEYE") (TSX.V-HAWK; Frankfurt Ticker: HGT; ISIN: CA42016R3027; WKN: A12A61): wishes to congratulate Toronto-listed Imperial Metals for the sale of a 70% joint-venture interest in their Red Chris copper-gold mine to Australian gold miner Newcrest Mining Ltd. for $806.5 million. Newcrest will operate the mine and control the surrounding claims.

HAWKEYE's McBride and Todagin properties are contiguous with the northeastern and southwestern borders of the Red Chris mine property, respectively. Both properties are located 12 km from the Red Chris mine. McBride and Todagin, along with the Company's Boomerang property, 85 kilometres to the west, share the same geological setting as the Red Chris mine and other recent copper-gold discoveries, such as the Saddle discovery by GT Gold Corp., in the Golden Triangle of northwestern British Columbia.

HAWKEYE's 2018 exploration work on the McBride property outlined a 2 kilometre long, copper-enriched geochemical trend that includes outcropping mineralization up to 5.18 g/t Au and 1.89% Cu. At the Todagin property, a heavily oxidized and silicified gossan was identified immediately adjacent to the Red Chris mine property.

Management is seeking financing for exploration programs recommended for the 2019 field season at its McBride, Todagin and Boomerang properties, with the intent of defining and drilling priority targets.

Mr. Greg Neeld, President & CEO of the Company states "We are pleased to welcome Newcrest Mining, a successful operating company, to the Golden Triangle, and we expect international investor interest will be drawn to the area. We look forward to advancing exploration of HAWKEYE'S porphyry copper-gold properties, with a focus on a 2019 drill program on the McBride property, which adjoins the Red Chris mine property."

Qualified Person

Technical information in this news release has been approved by Andrew Mitchell, B.Sc., P. Geo., a senior geologist with C.J. Greig & Associates and a qualified person for the purpose of National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Mitchell has prepared, reviewed and validated the technical information contained within this release.

About HAWKEYE

HAWKEYE Gold & Diamond Inc. is a junior mineral exploration and development company based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The Company's precious and base metals properties are located in the prolific Golden Triangle of northwest BC, in the world-class Barkerville gold camp, and on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada. HAWKEYE's corporate mandate is to build strong asset growth and shareholder value through the acquisition of low-cost, high-potential opportunities with discovery potential, and to manage its business in an environmentally responsible manner while contributing to the local community and economy.

HAWKEYE GOLD & DIAMOND INC.

Per:

"Greg Neeld"

President & CEO

Vancouver: (778) 379-5393

Email: greg@hawkeyegold.com

Web Site: www.hawkeyegold.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Notes Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This News Release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that relate to future events. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our or our industry's actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. While these forward-looking statements, and any assumptions upon which they are based, are made in good faith and reflect our current judgment regarding the direction of our industry, actual results will almost always vary, sometimes materially, from any estimates, predictions, projections, assumptions or other future performance suggested herein. Except as required by applicable law, the Company does not intend to update any of the forward-looking statements to conform these statements to actual results.

SOURCE: HAWKEYE Gold & Diamond Inc

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/540394/Newcrest-Mining-Acquires-70-Interest-in-Red-Chris-Mine-Contiguous-with-Hawkeyes-Mcbride-and-Todagin-Properties
DUBAI, UAE, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --

Roca's International Design Competition jumpthegap , whose eighth edition closes its registration period on April 3 rd , searches innovative and sustainable concepts for the bathroom space of the future

jumpthegap aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals of United Nations, which establish the path to follow until 2030 in terms of sustainability

The competition, with over 20,600 participants from 134 countries in its seven editions, has consolidated a reference point in design all around the world

The eighth edition of Roca's International Design Competition jumpthegap is under way with a clear commitment to the future of planet Earth. With the aim of offering a platform where international students and professionals of architecture and design under the age of 40 can show their talent by providing sustainable and innovative conceptual solutions for the bathroom space of the future, the competition has consolidated as one of the leading international design events.

Looking towards the future of design necessarily means taking into account the situation in which we can find ourselves in a few years and the solutions we can provide today to take maximum care of the planet. jumpthegap proposes young designers and architects to think of the future of design by offering sustainable solutions and taking into account the Sustainable Development Goals laid out by United Nations, with the goal of reducing the human footprint as much as possible. With special attention to those goals focused on climate change and the protection of the environment, jumpthegap pays special attention to the goals with a special link to the bathroom space of the future, such as:

Half of the world's population, 3.5 trillion people, live in cities and by 2030 this figure is planned to reach 5 trillion.

By 2050, the world's population will reach 9.6 trillion people and we will need nearly three planets to provide the natural resources needed to maintain the current lifestyles.

Less than 3 percent of the water in the world is drinkable, of which 2.5 percent is frozen in Antarctica , the Arctic and glaciers. Therefore, mankind depends on 0.5 percent for all freshwater needs.

Since its first edition in 2004, jumpthegap has counted on the collaboration of BCD Barcelona Centre de Disseny. Also since the very beginning, the jury of jumpthegap has stood out for the relevance of its members, renowned professionals in the world of architecture and design. In this eighth edition, the president of the jury is the acclaimed Brazilian architect Ruy Ohtake.

Contestants can opt for three prizes: Professional category, for architects and designers under the age of 40 with 10,000 in prize money; Student category, for students under the age of 30 with 10,000 in prize money and the Special We Are Water Foundation Award with 6,000 in prize money. The registration period is open on the website www.jumpthegap.net until the 3rd April.

About jumpthegap

jumpthegap is an international biennial design competition driven by Roca. Since its first edition in 2004, it has counted on the collaboration of BCD Barcelona Centre de Disseny. Its main goal is to offer a platform for international architecture and design professionals and students under the age of 40 and 30, respectively, where they can showcase their talent by providing sustainable and innovative conceptual solutions for the bathroom space of the future. The competition, which currently holds its eighth edition, has an international high-level jury made up of renowned professionals of the world of design and architecture.

www.jumpthegap.net

About Roca

Roca is a company engaged in the design, production and commercialization of products for the bathroom space, as well as ceramic floor and wall tiles for architecture, building and interior design. Over 100 years after its establishment, the company employs more than 22,600 workers and has 78 production plants, with presence in more than 170 markets in the five continents.

www.roca.com

More information:

Press office

T. +971-4-3476-400

Quennie Reyes: quennie.reyes@roca.net
APAC-based talent joins global creative team

NEW YORK, NY, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- INVNT, the global live brand storytelling agency, has appointed Adam Harriden to the role of Executive Creative Director. Harriden brings nearly 20 years' experience to the role, and has worked in a creative capacity at agencies including Jack Morton New York, Host/Havas's PR arm, Red Agency, Clemenger BBDO's experiential agency, Traffik, and most recently as a freelance consultant.

Over the course of his career Harriden has produced award-winning creative campaigns in Sydney, New York and Dubai, for globally renowned brands including Samsung, Sony, Schweppes, Vivid Sydney and SXSW in Austin, Texas. His work has been recognised at major international and local awards shows including Cannes Lions, The Australian Effies, Spikes Asia and The Mumbrella Awards.

Harriden's career began in fashion marketing and design at Volcom, Ben Sherman and Billabong, and he transitioned agency side when brand experience was first emerging in Australia. From there he evolved into more traditional marketing and advertising roles, where brand experience often had a prominent role to play.

A recognised industry leader and passionate environmentalist, Harriden is the founder of not-for-profit organisation GoodSurfWax Australia. He was invited to participate in the first D&AD Impact Academy Master Class in New York as part of their 2018 Impact Awards off the back of this. He is a pro-active mentor, guest lecturing on a range of topics related to the creative discipline at Bond University in Queensland, and has sat on judging panels for awards including the Effies North America.

Reporting into INVNT's Chief Creative Officer, Paul Blurton, Harriden is responsible for leading the creative output of campaigns for the agency's APAC clients, as well as collaborating with INVNT's global creative department to ensure international clients' events are on brand and on message, yet also resonate with and engage local APAC audiences on the ground.

"There wasn't an agency in the region that wasn't chasing Adam; and yet we met, and just instantly hit it off," said Blurton. "I introduced him to the other Creative Directors at INVNT, and it was like an instant chemical fire. We saw eye-to-eye! INVNT's creative offering is our core differentiator. We're a cohesive and yet fiercely independent crew of agitators and provocateurs, from wildly diverse backgrounds, and Adam's challenger mentality, matched with his passions outside of work - from lecturing to creating eco-friendly surf wax - make him an ideal addition to our global creative network, and the perfect expression of INVNT's creative edge in the APAC region."

Harriden explained: "If you look at the way societies are created they are all about rules and regulations. We need to escape these environments every now and then and stop comparing ourselves to others - that's when we're able to start thinking differently, and that's the key to great creative. I take an honest approach when it comes to my client relationships, and encourage them to re-think the way they do things, so INVNT's 'challenge everything' mantra really resonated with me.



"I am a big believer that it we're not doing work that's good, it's not worth doing. I am passionate about collaborating with brands that are doing good, whether it's educating and inspiring their customers and communities, partnering with not-for-profit organisations or taking a pro-active stance on sustainability. I look forward to developing campaigns for our clients that break through traditional barriers and in doing so, help them meet their objectives."



Laura Roberts, Managing Director, INVNT APAC added: "We're a tribe of wicked smart, ambitious, and industrious individuals, and Adam fits this bill perfectly. It's no surprise that his creative and strategic approach is already challenging the status quo. The addition of Adam will continue to position INVNT as a game-changer in Australia and the APAC region."

###

About INVNT

Founded in 2008 by Scott Cullather and Kristina McCoobery, INVNT is the global live brand storytelling agency. The company's "challenge everything" positioning statement helps clients including General Motors, Grant Thornton, Merck, PepsiCo, Samsung and Subway - share their stories - live - with every audience that matters. "The tribe" is INVNT's diverse, talented and creative team behind the stories and brand experiences that people just can't stop talking about. INVNT's offices are strategically located in New York, London, Sydney, Detroit, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Stockholm and Singapore. For more information visit www.invnt.com

Attachment
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / March 28, 2019 / California Gold Mining Inc. ("California Gold" or the "Company") (CSE: CGM) is pleased to announce that, the Company's Board of Directors has approved a high-CBD industrial hemp seed propagation project on a portion of its 100%-owned, 3,351 acre Fremont property ("Fremont" or the "Property") located in Mariposa County, California.

The Company also announces receipt of confirmation from Mariposa County's Planning Department that CGM will not be required to (1) seek re-zoning of the Property, (2) obtain a Conditional Use Permit ("CUP"), or (3) complete a California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA") review in order to implement its proposed plan to launch the industrial hemp project operations at Fremont.

With the recent passage of the 2018 US Farm Bill, which removed federal prohibitions on the cultivation and sale of industrial hemp in the US, subject to compliance with applicable regulations, CGM's management believes the timing of the County's confirmation is a very positive development for shareholders. Industry research organizations have been projecting substantial growth in the hemp-derived cannabinoid market over the next several years. One such organization, the Brightfield Group, published an article in September 2018 projecting the industrial hemp-derived CBD market could increase to over US$22 billion by 2022.

Vishal Gupta, CGM's President and CEO stated, "Given the prolonged down-trend in the junior mining sector, and scarcity of public capital for exploration-stage mineral resource companies, the Company has been contemplating monetization of the Property with a view towards generating positive cash-flow. To that end, the Company conducted comprehensive research and due diligence on the industrial hemp sector over the past 10 months. We believe California Gold is entering the cannabinoid-rich industrial hemp space that is in its infancy. Our 100% ownership of the land, the availability of water and power, the highway connectivity, the close vicinity of skilled and unskilled labour, and our location within the most populated state in the US, makes Fremont an ideal launchpad for CGM's high-CBD industrial hemp operations."

The Company has retained the consulting services of Chicago-based Delta Valley Hemp ("DVH"), an industry-leader in industrial hemp cultivation that has decades of cultivation, seed propagation, permitting, crop insurance and wholesale brokering experience (both seed and flower biomass) in the US cannabis space.

The Company plans to propagate entirely feminized low-THC, high-CBD industrial hemp seed with stable genetics in a 27,000 sq. ft. greenhouse (the "Greenhouse") that will be constructed on a portion of the Property that is not currently used or needed in connection with its ongoing gold exploration business. The total capital expenditure associated with the Greenhouse is estimated to be roughly US$2.0 million.

The Greenhouse is expected to have a total footprint of a little over one acre, and is projected to be operational in the 3rd quarter of 2019.

Forward sale of the Company's first year's production of feminized industrial hemp seed is currently being negotiated.

The execution of this proposed industrial hemp project is contingent on the Company obtaining additional permits from the County that include, but are not limited to, building permits, grading permits, water use and discharge permits and streambed alteration agreements. The Company will also need to complete registration with the State of California and the County's Agricultural Commissioner. The project is also subject to the Company obtaining adequate financing.

About California Gold Mining Inc.

California Gold Mining Inc. is focused on continued development of a high-quality gold resource on its 100%-owned Fremont Property in Mariposa County, California. The Property consists of an entirely private and patented land package totaling 3,351 acres of historically producing gold mines, with a state highway, PG&E electric substation and abundant water present on the Property itself. The Property lies within California's prolific Mother Lode Gold Belt that has produced over 50 million oz of gold. The Company purchased the Property in March 2013. The Company is also investigating establishing a greenhouse-based propagation of high-CBD industrial hemp seed on the Fremont Property, the cash flow from which could be used to continue development of its gold business, with less dilution for shareholders.

The Company's technical report in respect of the Fremont Property prepared pursuant to National Instrument 43-101 is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the Company's website at www.caligold.ca.

CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This news release of California Gold contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements". Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause California Gold's actual results, performance or achievements, or developments in the industry to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Forward-looking statements in this document include statements regarding the Company's industrial hemp seed project and its potential success, the yield and volumes of industrial hemp seed that may be produced by the project, potential sales of any such industrial hemp seed by the Company, DVH or any other party on behalf of or for the Company, revenue that may be generated by the industrial hemp seed project, the ability to obtain permits and approvals that are required before the Company can begin operations in respect of the industrial hemp seed project, the ability to obtain adequate financing for the project, the timing of completion of the Greenhouse and the beginning of project operations, the number of seed propagation cycles that may be achieved on an annualized basis, the suitability of the Property for the location of the Greenhouse and the cultivation of industrial hemp seed, among others. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated by such statements, and could materially affect the Company's results of operations. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward looking statements in this press release. California Gold does not undertake any obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change, unless otherwise required by law.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For further information contact:

Vishal Gupta, President & CEO

Tel.: 647-977-9267 x333 | Website: www.caligold.ca

SOURCE: California Gold Mining Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/540430/CORRECTION-California-Gold-Announces-Project-to-Propagate-High-CBD-Hemp-Seed
PHOENIX, AZ / ACCESSWIRE / March 28, 2019 / Uptick Newswire Stock Day Podcast welcomed Rooshine, Inc. (OTC Pink: RSAU), a company currently focused on the importation, distribution, and sale of alcoholic spirits. Chairman of the Company, Les McCall, joined Stock Day host Everett Jolly.

To begin the interview, Jolly asked about the Company's recent press release about the international LOI and what it means for the Company. McCall explained that the Company has been handling a rebuild of the distillery in Scotland. The Company has recently secured funding for our purchase orders and accounts receivable that will help with this process, while also improving their cash flow. With this rebuild, the Company will be able to produce the demanded higher volumes, which will help to increase revenues and allow for substantial growth in both the USA and International markets.

Jolly then asked about the Company's partnerships with U.S. distributors. McCall explained that previously the volumes that these distributors were requesting were difficult for the Company to handle. However, with additional PO and AR funding these requests can now become a reality.

McCall then shared that investing in spirits has become increasingly popular and valuable. Compared to gold investments, investments in spirits are growing rapidly. Previously these types of investments managed to stay under the radar, however shareholders are now becoming more and more aware.

McCall shared that the Company is now able to allow consumers to take part in their 'Adopt-A-Barrel' program, which is beneficial to both the Company and consumer allowing individuals to participate in the rapid price acceleration in these spirits. This program offers a 10% bonus of the original cost each time the contents of the barrel are used by the bottling plant.

Jolly noted that there is a rumor that the Company is considering entering the CBD industry. McCall explained that the Company has experimented with blending CBD with spirits, which proved to be quite difficult. However, the Company has managed to develop new solutions for this problem which blend the full spectrum CBD oil into the alcohol without it separating. This resulted in two initial products, Devon Clotted Cream Rum and Highland Scottish Island Cream Whiskey, which blend the full spectrum CBD oil into the alcohol without it separating.

To close the interview McCall shared that since launching their Adopt-A-Barrel program, over 50% of the barrels have been adopted. He also shared that over the next few weeks, the developments of the Company will be considerable and given the stock's undervalued price, it's a great time to consider investing.

To hear Les McCall's entire interview, follow the link to the podcast here: https://upticknewswire.com/featured-interview-chairman-les-mccall-of-rooshine-inc-otcpink-rsau/

Investors Hangout is a proud sponsor of 'Stock Day,' and Uptick Newswire encourages listeners to visit the company's message board at https://investorshangout.com/

About Rooshine, Inc

The Company was formed under the laws of the State of Nevada in April 1998. The Company's business is currently focused on the importation, distribution, and sale of alcoholic spirits. The Company entered into a Brand Licensing Agreement with The International Spirit Vault Ltd (ISV) (f/k/a Cloudburst Distribution Pty Ltd.), to be the exclusive distributor of ISV's Rooshine brand of spirits in North America. Rooshine's proprietary process allow spirits to taste like a smooth 20-year aged spirit after only a week. Our smoking process allows a permanent infusion of the smoky flavors that last the entire bottle.

Forward-Looking Statement

Forward-Looking Statements certain statements in this release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements may be identified using words such as "anticipate," "believe," "expect," "future," "may," "will," "would," "should," "plan," "projected, " "intend," and similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company's future operating results are dependent upon many factors, including but not limited to the Company's ability to: (i) obtain sufficient capital or a strategic business arrangement to fund its expansion plans; (ii) build the management and human resources and infrastructure necessary to support the growth of its business; (iii) competitive factors and developments beyond the Company's control; and (iv) other risk factors. We assume no obligation to update the information contained in this news release.

Media Contact:

Larry Curran, CEO, Rooshine, Inc.

386-673-7246

Larry@ChooseRain.com

www.drinkrooshine.com

Twitter: @rooshine

About Uptick Newswire and the 'Stock Day' Podcast

Founded in 2013, Uptick Newswire is the fastest growing media outlet for Nano-Cap and Micro-Cap companies. It educates investors while simultaneously working with penny stock and OTC companies, providing transparency and clarification of under-valued, under-sold Micro-Cap stocks of the market. Uptick provides companies with customized solutions to their news distribution in both national and international media outlets. Uptick is the sole producer of its 'Stock Day' Podcast, which is the number one radio show of its kind in America. The Uptick Network 'Stock Day' Podcast is an extension of Uptick Newswire, which recently launched its Video Interview Studio located in Phoenix, Arizona.

Source Contact:

Uptick Newswire

602-441-3474

https://upticknewswire.com/

SOURCE: Uptick Newswire

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/540366/Uptick-Newswire-Hosts-Rooshine-Inc-on-The-Stock-Day-Podcast-to-Discuss-Massive-Funding-and-New-Developments
The American luminary will serve as jury chairman and Final Round conductor for the Sixteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, May 28-June 12, 2021, at Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, Texas USA

FORT WORTH, Texas, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Cliburn announces today that Marin Alsop will be the jury chairman for the Sixteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, taking place May 28-June 12, 2021, at Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, Texas USA.



Widely considered one of the preeminent international music contests, the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition exists to share excellent classical music with the largest international audience possible and to launch the careers of its winners every four years. Building on a rich tradition that began with its 1962 origins in honor of Van Cliburn and his vision for using music to serve audiences and break down boundaries, the Cliburn seeks, with each edition, to achieve the highest artistic standards while utilizing contemporary tools to advance its reach. The world's top 18- to 30-year-old pianists compete for gold in front of a live audience in Fort Worth, Texas, as well as a global online viewership of over 5 million. Beyond cash prizes, winning a Cliburn medal means comprehensive career management, artistic support, and bolstered publicity efforts for the three years following.

One of the world's most distinguished and innovative conductors, Marin Alsop holds major appointments on three continents: music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra since 2007; principal conductor and music director of the Sao Paulo State Symphony Orchestra since 2012; and chief conductor of the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra beginning September 2019. Among her many awards and academic positions, she is the only conductor to receive the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship, is an honorary member of the Royal Academy of Music and Royal Philharmonic Society, is a 2019 recipient of the World Economic Forum Crystal Award, and was recently appointed Director of Graduate Conducting at the Johns Hopkins Peabody Institute.

In addition to her role as jury chairman, she will conduct the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra with the six finalists during the Competition's Final Round. As chairman, she will oversee the jury selection process, consult on jury rules and procedures, and set the tone and mandate of the jury; but she will abstain from voting throughout the Competition, except in the case of a tie after the Final Round.

Marin Alsop's ceiling-shattering career launched in 1989, when she was the first woman to be awarded the Koussevitzky Conducting Prize from the Tanglewood Music Center, where she began studying with her mentor, Leonard Bernstein. Over the following three decades, she became the first woman to serve as music director for a major American orchestra, to hold the chief conducting role at each of her three orchestras, and to conduct the Last Night of the Proms. She will be the first woman to serve as jury chairman or to conduct during the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.

"We could not be more pleased with this new partnership with Marin Alsop," said Cliburn President and CEO Jacques Marquis. "Not only is she a powerful voice in classical music internationally and a fantastic conductor, she is also well known for her commitment to reaching new audiences and her encouragement of young artists. Each of these attributes perfectly complements the Cliburn's mission and the goals of the Cliburn Competition. We look forward to working closely with her to spread classical music around the globe and to launch the careers of our new winners."

"I'm really looking forward to working with the talented young pianists at the Cliburn Competition," Alsop said. "Collaborating with this world-class organization that is devoted to nurturing future generations aligns with my commitment to education and passion for mentoring young musicians."

MARIN ALSOP

Marin Alsop is an inspiring and powerful voice in the international music scene, a music director of vision and distinction who passionately believes that "music has the power to change lives." She is recognized across the world for her innovative approach to programming and for her deep commitment to education and to the development of audiences of all ages.

Her outstanding success as music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) since 2007 has been recognized by two extensions in her tenure, now confirmed until 2021. As part of her artistic leadership, Alsop has led the orchestra on their first European tour to the BBC Proms and Edinburgh International Festival and created several bold initiatives: 'OrchKids', for the city's most deprived young people, and the BSO Academy and Rusty Musicians for adult amateur musicians. Alsop became principal conductor and music director of the Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra (OSESP) in 2012, where she continues to steer highly creative programming and outreach activities, and which she conducts on the international stage: this includes a tour to Asia in 2019 with two concerts at the Hong Kong Arts Festival and three European tours featuring critically acclaimed performances at major summer festivals including the Lucerne Festival and in Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris, Salzburg, and Vienna; her contract continues to the end of 2019, when she becomes Conductor of Honour. In September 2019, Alsop becomes chief conductor of the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra.

Marin Alsop conducts the world's major orchestras, with recent and forthcoming European highlights including the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Filarmonica della Scala, Budapest Festival Orchestra, Danish National Symphony Orchestra, and Orchestre de Paris, and long-standing relationships with the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) and London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO). In the Unites States, Alsop regularly conducts the Philadelphia, Cleveland, and Chicago Symphony orchestras, including at their summer residencies at Saratoga, Blossom, and Ravinia. Further highlights of the 2018-2019 season include the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Spanish National Orchestra, and the Orchestre National de France, following summer festival debuts at the Grafenegg and MITO festivals with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and a second residency with the Britten-Pears Orchestra at the Snape Proms.

At London's Southbank Centre where she is artist-in-residence, this season she conducted Brahms Ein Deutsches Requiem with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, following performances with the orchestra at the BBC Proms. In September 2013, Marin Alsop made history as the first female conductor of the BBC's Last Night of the Proms, which she returned to conduct in 2015.

Her extensive discography has led to multiple Gramophone awards and includes highly praised Naxos cycles of Brahms with the LPO and MDR Leipzig, Dvorak with the BSO, Prokofiev with OSESP, and further recordings for Decca Classics, Harmonia Mundi, and Sony Classical. She is dedicated to new music, demonstrated in her 25-year tenure as Music Director of California's Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music.

In 2019, Alsop was awarded the prestigious Crystal Award from the World Economic Forum and is the only conductor to receive the distinguished MacArthur Fellowship. Amongst many awards and academic positions, she is an honorary member of the Royal Academy of Music and Royal Philharmonic Society, and was recently appointed director of graduate conducting at the Johns Hopkins Peabody Institute. She attended The Juilliard School and Yale University, who awarded her an Honorary Doctorate in 2017. Her conducting career was launched in 1989, when she was the first woman to be awarded the Koussevitzky Conducting Prize from the Tanglewood Music Center and began studying with her most important mentor, Leonard Bernstein.

ABOUT THE CLIBURN

The Cliburn advances classical piano music throughout the world. Its international competitions, education programs, and concert series embody an enduring commitment to artistic excellence and the discovery of new artists. Established in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1962, the quadrennial Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (sixteenth edition, May 27-June 12, 2021) remains the most visible expression of that mission and is, as always, committed to its original ideals of supporting and launching the careers of emerging artists, ages 18-30. It shares the transformative powers of music with a wide global audience, through fully-produced webcasts and by providing comprehensive career management and concert bookings to its winners. Rounding out its mission, the Cliburn also produces the Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival for exceptional 13 to 17-year-old pianists (second edition, May 31-June 8, 2019), and the Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition for outstanding non-professional pianists age 35 and older (eighth edition, May 24-30, 2020).

Over a four-year cycle, the Cliburn contributes to North Texas' cultural landscape with over 170 classical music performances for 150,000 attendees, through competitions, free community concerts, and its signature Cliburn Concerts series at Bass Performance Hall, the Kimbell Art Museum Piano Pavilion, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, and Scat Jazz Lounge. It presents 1,000 in-school, interactive music education programs for more than 200,000 area elementary students. During the same time period, it garners the world's attention with over five million visits from 170 nations for live concert and competition webcasts; 300 concerts worldwide booked for competition winners; more than 5,000 news articles about the Cliburn and its winners; and regular national radio broadcasts to 245 public radio stations. Detailed information about the Cliburn and its programs is available at cliburn.org.

CLIBURN SPONSORS

Arts Council of Fort Worth

Mercedes T. Bass Charitable Corporation

Sid W. Richardson Foundation

The Pangburn Foundation

The Walton Family Foundation, Inc.

Exclusive Print Media Sponsor

Star-Telegram

Official Piano of the Cliburn

Steinway & Sons - North Texas / Houston

Contact:

Maggie Estes, director of communications and digital content, mestes@cliburn.org, 817.739.0459

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c7c0122b-381f-415f-8dd9-2d25ae7bc88b

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/de68379e-112d-4eab-9950-5f2f21408a99

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e1b8f373-21d8-43f9-a187-6213cae8072d
SpendEdge, a leading provider of procurement market intelligence solutions, has announced the completion of their demand aggregation engagement for a pharmaceutical company

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005649/en/

Demand aggregation engagement for a pharmaceutical company. (Graphic: Business Wire)

Project background

The client wanted to determine the aggregate demand for medicines produced by the company to reduce their overall cost. The total engagement period agreed upon with the client was three months.

Objective 1: The company wanted to control the increasing spend of the company by efficiently planning their ordering patterns and packaging configurations.

The company wanted to control the increasing spend of the company by efficiently planning their ordering patterns and packaging configurations. Objective 2: They were also interested in improving supply chain visibility to reduce their sourcing costs.

They were also interested in improving supply chain visibility to reduce their sourcing costs. Interested in gaining more information? Request a free demo and know how our demand aggregation solutions can help you improve the efficiency of the supply chain.

"Demand aggregation allows companies to gain visibility into their purchasing requests by coordinating and consolidating individual requirements. It enables companies to analyze the spend of their business and improve the efficacy of their supply chain," says Srinivas R (Manager Procurement Services at SpendEdge)

Key findings and solutions offered

In a span of three months, the client a leading pharmaceutical company - addressed exacerbating inefficiencies in their resource allocation methods and upgraded their procurement process. The demand aggregation solution offered also helped them to:

Facilitate the agreement of contracts with negotiated prices for different volumes on their terms.

Improve the efficacy of their supply chain and ensure the timely allocation of resources for payments.

Strategic planning of resources and ordering patterns is imperative for businesses to reduce excess spend. Request a free proposal and access our complete portfolio of demand aggregation solutions today!

With SpendEdge's help, the pharmaceutical company was able to implement strategic purchasing strategies. These strategies allowed them to establish a large-scale competitive procurement process that can provide greater assurance of supply. The solutions offered helped the client to reduce their financial costs pertaining to the procurement process and achieve savings of US $2.1 million.

To access the complete case study on demand aggregation, get in touch with our experts now!

About SpendEdge:

SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are the preferred procurement market intelligence partner for 120+ Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering robust, real-time procurement market intelligence reports and solutions.

Request free proposal to know more, https://www.spendedge.com/request-free-proposal

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005649/en/

Contacts:

SpendEdge

Anirban Choudhury

Marketing Manager

US: +1 630 984 7340

UK: +44 148 459 9299

https://www.spendedge.com/contact-us
Foxx communicated with politically connected lawyer Tina Tchen as well as a relative of Smolletts about the case in the early stages of the investigation. She also said she recused herself from the case, citing those communications, but did not withdraw the whole office and seek a special prosecutor. And Smollett was not required to admit any wrongdoing, leaving prosecutors to insist they had a strong case and the defense to proclaim his innocence.
New report from Future Facilities reveals the thermal design priorities of some of the world's biggest electronics and IT brands

New research from Future Facilities maker of the 6SigmaET thermal simulation software has revealed the top design priorities of leading thermal engineers in the IT equipment industry in 2019.

Conducted as a digital roundtable event, the research brings together thermal designers, engineers and experts from leading brands including, Facebook, HP Enterprise, QuantaCool, Engineered Fluids, CommScope, Vertiv, 6SigmaET and Binghamton University.

According to these industry experts, the key trends shaping IT electronics in 2019 centre around artificial intelligence, the internet of things, 5G and edge computing. These trends are driving a number of new thermal design priorities with the most commonly identified including:

The need for hybrid cooling to cope with new IoT environments

Remote monitoring of cooling systems in edge computing devices

More accurate monitoring and simulation of energy use in data centres

Thermal cooling solutions for 5G base stations and new AI hardware

Tools that can accurately simulate these new technologies and environments

Commenting on these findings, Chris Aldham, Development Manager at Future Facilities said, "Recent advancements in technology over the past few years have resulted in unprecedented changes in the way engineers view their designs. The introduction of AI, 5G, edge computing and the internet of things all have major implications for how and where electronics need to operate, and that in turn means a whole host of new considerations from a thermal perspective.

"By continuing to lead the industry through our research and ongoing discussions with engineers, we are able to continuously improve our thermal simulation products, helping designers stay ahead of these new processes and evolving design requirements."

Following the roundtable, Future Facilities has releasing the key findings as an e-book that engineers can use to compare, enhance and streamline their own design processes. To download a copy of Future Facilities' Thermal Focus report, head to https://www.6sigmaet.info/thermal-focus-it/

ENDS

About Future Facilities

Founded in 2004, Future Facilities Ltd. is a global company that provides thermal simulation software and consultancy for the electronics and data center industries.

Driven by a team of the world's leading thermal simulation engineers and scientists, Future Facilities launched their tool for the electronics design market, 6SigmaET, in 2009. Both simple to use and exceptionally powerful, 6SigmaET has been developed as the gold standard of thermal simulation tools.

Future Facilities has offices in London, San Jose, New York, San Diego and Tokyo, as well as a global network of resellers.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005666/en/

Contacts:

Media Contacts

Wildfire

Ross Jones Shaan Sidhu

6sigmaet@wildfirepr.com

+ 44 208 408 8000
Abzena, the leading global biologics target to GMP partner research organisation, announced it has appointed Dr Campbell Bunce as Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) and Bo Adair MBA as Senior Vice President Process and Operations.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005672/en/

Campbell Bunce Abzena's new Chief Scientific Officer (Photo: Business Wire)

Dr Bunce joined Abzena in November 2015 as SVP Scientific Operations and Cambridge UK site head. The newly created CSO role recognises the strong innovation focus and depth of scientific expertise that customers expect from Abzena in biologic and Antibody Drug Conjugate design, discovery and development, as well as an expectation of seamless execution. Dr Bunce will maintain his Cambridge UK site head responsibilities in addition to this global role.

Campbell is a twenty-year veteran of the biotechnology industry. Throughout his career he has applied innovative solutions for the design, manufacture and clinical evaluation of novel products including vaccines, biologics and small molecules in multiple therapeutic areas. These include inflammation, cancer, infectious disease and addiction. Since joining Abzena, he has guided the expansion of its integrated capabilities across discovery, developability, protein engineering, cell line development, bioconjugation, analytics and bioassay services. His education includes a PhD from the University of Manchester, an undergraduate degree from the University of Glasgow, and numerous scientific publications and editorials.

Dr Bunce commented: "Our customers rely on our ability to solve tough scientific questions whilst shortening timelines and ultimately improving clinical outcomes for patients. I view our role as developing drugs by proxy and guide our team to partner very closely with our customer. The combination of world class scientific excellence and technical capabilities will maximise the likelihood of success."

Bo Adair joins Abzena to the newly created role of Senior Vice President Process and Operations, based in San Diego and leading project management and process improvement globally. He is a twenty-five-year veteran of the industry, having served in senior roles at contract research organisations including Aptuit, and Harlan Laboratories as well as leading management consulting organisations. He has consulted extensively with complex organisations including Bayer, Eli Lilly, Johnson Johnson, Cardinal Healthcare, and the United States Army. His background includes an MBA from the Wirtschaftsuniversitat Wien University of South Carolina, an undergraduate degree from Auburn University, and a qualification as a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt.

Bo will focus on excellence of integrated project delivery within and across Abzena's sites, leveraging project management, process improvement and enabling technologies. He will ensure all processes are optimised to ensure the highest quality standards.

Bo commented: "I am delighted to be joining the company and look forward to working personally with Abzena's partners to deliver their projects on the planned timeline to the highest scientific and regulatory quality across Abzena's integrated design, development and GMP manufacturing capabilities."

Jonathan Goldman MD, CEO of Abzena, said:

"I am delighted to announce these appointments. Campbell deserves the newly created role of CSO, which recognises his exceptional scientific abilities and the differentiation we bring to the customer as the only Partner Research Organization with a dedicated focus on target to GMP for biologics and ADCs. Our customers expect more than just CMO services. Separately, I had the privilege of working with Bo Adair for many years and am extremely pleased that we have an executive of his calibre to allow us to scale up our integrated solutions operation as demand and the number of projects grow. Our focus is making a difference for patients and I am confident that Campbell and Bo will help achieve that goal."

About Abzena

Abzena provides the most complete set of solutions in integrated early discovery to mid-phase biotherapeutic and ADC drug development services in the pharmaceutical industry. The company maintains resources around the world, with facilities in the US and UK. Abzena is partnered with Welsh, Carson, Anderson Stowe, one of the world's leading private equity investors. For more information, please see www.abzena.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005672/en/

Contacts:

Abzena

Joseph Reeds

joseph.reeds@abzena.com

+44 1223 903367
Washington, D.C.--(Newsfile Corp. - March 28, 2019) - The Securities and Exchange Commission today filed charges against the former chief operating officer (COO) of a Commission-registered investment adviser for aiding and abetting the advisory firm's actions to overbill its clients as part of a fraudulent scheme to improperly inflate his own pay.

According to the SEC's complaint, between 2011 and December 2018, former COO Richard T. Diver, a resident of Spring Lake, New Jersey, engaged in an illicit scheme to steal approximately $6 million from his employer. Diver, whose duties included managing the advisory firm's payroll and client billing functions, allegedly inflated his salary by hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. As part of this scheme, Diver defrauded investors by causing the investment adviser to overbill more than 300 investment advisory client accounts by approximately $750,000, for the purpose of generating additional revenue. As alleged in the complaint, Diver used this revenue to finance his inflated salary and when confronted by the investment adviser's CEO in December 2018, Diver confessed to having carried out the scheme.

"As alleged, Diver lined his own pockets by stealing from hundreds of advisory clients, until his scheme was exposed by an investor who asked the right questions about charged fees," said Marc P. Berger, Director of the SEC's New York Regional Office. "When the scheme came to light, we took swift action to ensure that there was no further investor harm."

The SEC's complaint, filed in federal district court in Manhattan, charges Diver with aiding and abetting the investment adviser's violations of the antifraud provisions in Sections 206(1) and 206(2) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. The SEC is seeking a judgment ordering permanent injunctive relief, disgorgement plus prejudgment interest, and civil monetary penalties against Diver.

After conducting a swift investigation, the Commission staff referred Diver's misconduct to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, which separately announced criminal charges against Diver today.

The SEC's investigation has been conducted by Gerald Gross, James Hanson, and Paul Gizzi of the New York Regional Office, and the litigation will be handled by Messrs. Gizzi and Hanson. The case is being supervised by Sanjay Wadhwa. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Exclusive distribution partnership with Taiwanese Dreammed Biomedical

Regulatory News:

SpineGuard (FR0011464452 ALSGD) (Paris:ALSGD), an innovative company that deploys its DSG real time digital technology for surgical guidance intended to secure and streamline skeletal implant placement, announced today that it is ready to start sales of PediGuard in Taiwan by receiving regulatory clearance to market its Classic, Curved and Cannulated PediGuard range. SpineGuard appointed Dreammed Biomedical as its distributor and received a first stocking order.

'This regulatory clearance is the result of a strong collaborative process with Dreammed Biomedical Co., Ltd.' said Patricia Lempereur, Sales and Marketing Director International at SpineGuard. 'It is an important milestone for SpineGuard's expansion in the Asia-Pacific area.'

'I believe there is a strong need for a simple smart device like PediGuard consistently ensuring safe and accurate placement of pedicle screws.' added Henry Lai, CEO of Dreammed Biomedical Co., Ltd and distributor for SpineGuard's products in Taiwan.

Spine Market in Taiwan is estimated at 8,000 surgeries per year requiring pedicle screw placements growing 2-3% annually.

About SpineGuard

Founded in 2009 in France and the USA by Pierre Jerome and Stephane Bette, SpineGuard is an innovative company deploying its proprietary real-time digital technology DSG (Dynamic Surgical Guidance) to secure and streamline the placement of implants in the skeleton. SpineGuard designs, develops and markets medical devices that have been used in over 70,000 surgical procedures worldwide. Fourteen studies published in peer-reviewed scientific journals have demonstrated the multiple benefits DSG offers to patients, surgeons, surgical staff and hospitals. Building on these solid fundamentals and several strategic partnerships, SpineGuard has expanded its technology platform in a disruptive innovation: the smart pedicle screw launched late 2017 and is broadening the scope of applications in dental implantology and surgical robotics. DSG was co-invented by Maurice Bourlion, Ph.D., Ciaran Bolger, M.D., Ph.D., and Alain Vanquaethem, Biomedical Engineer.

For further information, visit www.spineguard.com

Disclaimer

The SpineGuard securities may not be offered or sold in the United States as they have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act or any United States state securities laws, and SpineGuard does not intend to make a public offer of its securities in the United States. This is an announcement and not a prospectus, and the information contained herein does and shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of the securities referred to herein in the United States in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or exemption from registration.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005405/en/

Contacts:

SpineGuard

Stephane Bette

Chief Executive Officer

Tel: +33 (0) 1 45 18 45 19

s.bette@spineguard.com

Manuel Lanfossi

Chief Financial Officer

Tel: +33 (0)1 45 18 45 19

m.lanfossi@spineguard.com

NewCap

Investor Relations Financial Communication

Mathilde Bohin Pierre Laurent

Tel: +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94

spineguard@newcap.eu
Four differentiated therapeutic programs progressing through clinical studies in immuno-oncology and autoimmune diseases

OSE's partnership business model based on innovative products; Multiple validating partnering milestones generated 35 million in non-dilutive funds from April 2018 to March 2019

Turnover of 24.5 million and net profit of 5.5 million

2018 year-end cash position of 12.4 million and additional milestone payments from Servier and Boehringer Ingelheim received in 2019 provide funding until end of 2020

Regulatory News:

OSE Immunotherapeutics SA (ISIN: FR0012127173; Mnemo: OSE) (Paris:OSE) today reported its consolidated annual financial results as of December 31, 2018 and provided an update on key achievements as well as the company's outlook for its agonist and antagonist immunotherapies for cancers and autoimmune diseases.

Alexis Peyroles, chief executive officer of OSE Immunotherapeutics said, "OSE Immunotherapeutics achieved a number of important milestones in 2018, including expanding the clinical investigation of our lead product Tedopi, which is now being studied in Phase 3 and Phase 2 trials. We have further validated our business model by signing a landmark partnership deal with Boehringer Ingelheim for BI 765063 (OSE-172). In addition, we regained full control of FR104, a Phase 2-ready therapeutic candidate with broad potential to treat autoimmune diseases and secured preclinical validation of mechanisms of action for OSE-127 and BI 765063, both now in clinical phase status. These achievements, with multiple first- or best-in-class assets in clinical testing in multiple indications, provide a solid foundation to further accelerate OSE's growth as an emerging leader in the immuno-oncology and autoimmune spaces in 2019."

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS

Tedopi (neoepitopes) Progressed ongoing Phase 3 clinical trial in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after failure with PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitors. Received Clinical Trial Authorization (CTA) for a Phase 2 trial in pancreatic cancer in combination with checkpoint inhibitor Opdivo.

BI 765063/OSE-172 (selective SIRPa-antagonist and myeloid checkpoint inhibitor) Entered global immuno-oncology agreement with Boehringer Ingelheim to develop BI 765063 in solid tumors. Assuming all milestones are met, OSE stands to receive more than 1.1 B. Received CTA for a Phase 1 trial in advanced solid tumours. Set to receive milestone payments of a total of 15 M upon CTA receipt for the Phase 1 trial and the upcoming first dosing of a patient.



BICKI, novel bispecific checkpoint inhibitor platform technology Unveiled a new bispecific fusion protein platform built on the key backbone component anti-PD-1 and targeting innovative targets.

OSE-127 (IL-7R antagonist) Received CTA for a Phase 1 trial for the treatment of autoimmune diseases and announced that the first healthy volunteers were dosed. Awarded milestone payment of 10 M (12 M VAT included) upon exercise of the first option exercised by Servier under the two-step option within the global license agreement.



FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

Turnover of 24.5 M due to the signature of a global license and collaboration agreement with Boehringer Ingelheim in April 2018 and the method of revenue recognition used for Servier upfront under the license agreement.

Net profit of 5.5 M including a research tax credit of 4.8 M.

Available cash as of December 31, 2018 of 12.4 M. Additional 10 M cash revenues received in early 2019 due to milestone payments related to partnerships with Servier; Additional cash influx of 15 M expected from Boehringer Ingelheim in the form of a milestone payment upon dosing of first patient in the Phase 1 trial of BI 765063 (OSE-172).

Financial viability until end of 2020.

KEY 2018 ACHIEVEMENTS

Tedopi, combinationof optimized neoepitopes that induce specific T lymphocyte activation in immuno-oncology, in advanced lung cancer and in pancreatic cancer

Progressed an ongoing Phase 3 trial in patients with advanced and metastatic NSCLC who have failed a previous treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors in Europe, in the U.S. and in Israel.

Received a 435k grant from Bpifrance through the Eurostars European Programme to lead a research program within a consortium of five partners. The project aims to validate an immune algorithm specific to Tedopi and establish precision medicine targeting for the product. It will be conducted in conjunction with the Phase 2 clinical trial for Tedopi in pancreatic cancer.

Received CTA by the French health agency (November 2018) for a Phase 2 trial evaluating Tedopi in combination with Bristol-Myers Squibb's Opdivo (nivolumab), an immune checkpoint inhibitor, versus Folfiri (a combination chemotherapy with folinic acid, fluorouracil and irinotecan) in advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer. Oncology group GERCOR is sponsoring the clinical trial as part of PRODIGE intergroup.

BI 765063 (OSE-172), SIRPa antagonist and checkpoint inhibitor targeting suppressive myeloid/macrophage cells, in various solid tumors

Entered into a global license and collaboration agreement with Boehringer Ingelheim in April 2018 to develop checkpoint inhibitor BI 765063 (OSE-172) in advanced solid tumors.

In March 2019, OSE was granted French and Belgian clinical trial authorization (CTA) to initiate a Phase 1 clinical trial of BI 765063 administered as a single agent and in combination with Boehringer Ingelheim's monoclonal antibody PD-1 antagonist BI 754091, a lymphocyte T checkpoint inhibitor.

Under the terms of the agreement, OSE has received a 15 M upfront payment from Boehringer Ingelheim; the clinical trial authorization received in March 2019 and the upcoming first dosing of a patient has triggerred milestone payments of a total of 15 M. OSE Immunotherapeutics stands to receive from Boehringer Ingelheim more than 1.1 B upon reaching pre-specified development, registration and sales milestones, plus royalties on worldwide net sales.

BiCKI platform, a novel bispecific checkpoint inhibitor platform targeting PD-1 and innovative targets

Disclosed its novel novel bispecific checkpoint inhibitor (BiCKI) platform at the World Immunotherapy Congress (March 2019). This bispecific fusion protein platform is built on the key backbone component anti-PD-1 (OSE-279) and targeting innovative targets. BiCKI represents the second generation of PD-(L)1 inhibitors that have been used to increase antitumor efficacy in hard to treat cancers by addressing untapped immune evasion mechanisms.

OSE-127, humanized monoclonal antibody antagonist of the interleukin-7 receptor (IL-7R), in inflammatory bowel diseases

Received Belgian CTA for a Phase 1 clinical trial (November 2018) for the treatment of autoimmune diseases and first healthy volunteers enrolled and dosed (December 2018).

First option exercised under the two-step global option and license agreement exercised by Servier (February 2019) for clinical development and potential commercialization of OSE-127 to treat autoimmune diseases, which triggered a 10 M (12 M VAT included) milestone payment to OSE from Servier.

Published peer-reviewed article in Nature Communications highlighting the differentiated mechanism of action of OSE-127 as a full-antagonist of IL-7R that shows antigen-specific blockade of memory T cells

FR104, CD28-antagonist, in rheumatoid arthritis

Regained the worldwide rights to FR104 from Janssen Biotech, Inc. (November 2018) effective December 31, 2018. Janssen's decision to return the program to OSE Immunotherapeutics was based on its own internal strategic review and prioritization of its portfolio. OSE recovered FR104 all intellectual property rights that had been licensed to Janssen, data, filings and materials developed by Janssen relating to the FR104 program.

OSE is currently evaluating the best options for continuing a sustainable development of FR104 including worldwide partnering opportunities. Positive results from FR104's Phase 1 proof of clinical concept study taken together with the preclinical safety profile and efficacy data in multiple preclinical models of autoimmune/inflammatory diseases further support continued clinical development of this Phase 2 ready asset.

GOVERNANCE

Appointment of Dominique Costantini as chairman of the board of directors and appointment of Alexis Peyroles as chief executive officer.

2018 ANNUAL RESULTS

Meeting of Board of Directors of OSE Immunotherapeutics was held on March 28, 2019. Following the opinion of the Audit Committee, the Board approved the annual and consolidated financial statements prepared under IFRS at 31 December 2018.

The key figures of the 2018 consolidated annual results are reported below (and presented in the attached tables):

In k 12/31/2018 12/31/2017 Current operating result 4 974 -12 626 Operating result 4 847 -12 626 Net result 5 490 -10 503 Available cash* 12 433 12 528 Consolidated balance sheet 76 903 77 353

As of December 31, 2018, available cash* amounted to 12.4 M. In addition, 2018 research tax credits amounted to 4.8 M.

During the first semester of 2019, additional cash influx of 25 M will be generated by milestone payments related to partnerships (15 M from Boehringer Ingelheim upon CTA for the Phase 1 trial with BI 765063 and upcoming first patient dosed and 10 M from Servier upon exercising of the first option under the two-step option within global license agreement).

This available cash will enable the Company to finance its clinical development costs and R&D costs on earlier stage products.

Operating expenses amounted to 19.5 M (19.3 M in 2017), of which 77 are related to R&D. R&D expenses were up 15.1 M, in line with the broadening and progress of OSE's pipeline.

The consolidated balance sheet amounted to 76.9 M compared to 77.4 M as of December 31, 2017, which is quite stable.

* Cash and cash equivalents and Current financial assets

ABOUT OSE Immunotherapeutics

OSE Immunotherapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing and partnering therapies to control the immune system for immuno-oncology and autoimmmune diseases. The company has a diversified first-in-class clinical portfolio consisting of several scientific and technological platforms including neoepitopes and agonist or antagonist monoclonal antibodies, all ideally positioned to fight cancer and autoimmune diseases. The most advanced therapeutic-candidate, Tedopi, is a proprietary combination of 10 neo-epitopes aimed at stimulating T-lymphocytes and is currently in Phase 3 development in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after checkpoint inhibitor failure (anti PD-1 and anti PD-L1) and in Phase 2 testing in pancreatic cancer in combination with checkpoint inhibitor Opdivo. FR104 (an anti-CD28 mAb) has successfully completed Phase 1 testing and has potential to treat autoimmune diseases. BI 765063 (OSE-172) (anti-SIRPa monoclonal antibody) is under a license and collaboration agreement with Boehringer Ingelheim; this checkpoint inhibitor has received CTA from French and Belgian health authorities for a Phase 1 clinical trial in multiple cancer indications. BiCKI is a bispecific fusion protein platform built on the key backbone component anti-PD-1 (OSE-279) and targeting innovative targets. OSE-127 (monoclonal antibody targeting the CD127 receptor, the alpha chain of the interleukin-7 receptor) is partnered with Servier under an option agreement up to the completion of a Phase 2 clinical trial planned in autoimmune bowel diseases; in parallel, Servier plans a development in the Sjogren syndrome. OSE-127 is currently under Phase 1 clinical trial.

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Forward-looking statements

This press release contains express or implied information and statements that might be deemed forward-looking information and statements in respect of OSE Immunotherapeutics. They do not constitute historical facts. These information and statements include financial projections that are based upon certain assumptions and assessments made by OSE Immunotherapeutics' management in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current economic and industry conditions, expected future developments and other factors they believe to be appropriate.

These forward-looking statements include statements typically using conditional and containing verbs such as "expect", "anticipate", "believe", "target", "plan", or "estimate", their declensions and conjugations and words of similar import. Although the OSE Immunotherapeutics management believes that the forward-looking statements and information are reasonable, the OSE Immunotherapeutics' shareholders and other investors are cautioned that the completion of such expectations is by nature subject to various risks, known or not, and uncertainties which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of OSE Immunotherapeutics. These risks could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed in or implied or projected by the forward-looking statements. These risks include those discussed or identified in the public filings made by OSE Immunotherapeutics with the AMF. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. This press release includes only summary information and should be read with the OSE Immunotherapeutics Reference Document filed with the AMF on 26 April 2018, including the annual financial report for the fiscal year 2017, available on the OSE Immunotherapeutics' website.

Other than as required by applicable law, OSE Immunotherapeutics issues this press release at the date hereof and does not undertake any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking information or statements.

APPENDICES

CONSOLIDATED PROFIT LOSS

P&L IN KEUROS 12/31/2018 12/31/2017 Turnover 24 456 6 682 Other operating income 0 0 Total Revenues 24 456 6 682 Research and development expenses (15 057) (14 641) Overhead expenses (3 448) (3 161) Expenses related to shares payments (977) (1 505) OPERATING PROFIT/LOSS CURRENT 4 974 (12 626) Other operating products (badwill) 0 0 Other operating expenses (127) 0 OPERATING PROFIT/LOSS 4 847 (12 626) Financial products 86 70 Financial expenses (227) (185) PROFIT/LOSS BEFORE TAX 4 707 (12 741) Income Tax 783 2 238 NET PROFIT/LOSS 5 490 (10 503) Of which consolidated net result attributable to shareholders 5 490 (10 503) Net earnings attributable to shareholders Weighted average number of shares outstanding 14 634 760 14 360 869 Basic earnings per share 0,38 (0,73) Diluted earnings per share 0,35 IN K 2018 2017 NET RESULT 5 490 (10 503) Amounts to be recycled in the income statement: Unrealized gains on securities available for sale, net of tax Currency conversion difference (42) 92 Amounts not to be recycled in the income statement: Actuarial gains and losses on post-employment benefits 12 0 Other comprehensive income in the period (30) 93 GLOBAL PROFIT/LOSS 5 460 (10 410)

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET

ASSETS IN KEUROS 12/31/2018 12/31/2017 Intangible assets 52 600 52 600 Tangible assets 904 429 Financial assets 103 77 Deffered tax assets 272 261 TOTAL NON CURRENT ASSETS 53 879 53 367 Trade receivables 2 253 127 Other current assets 3 834 5 715 Tax accounts receivables 4 504 5 615 Current financial assets 2 861 2 882 Cash and cash equivalents 9 573 9 646 Total current assets 23 024 23 986 TOTAL ASSETS 76 903 77 353 EQUITY LIABILITIES in K 12/31/2018 12/31/2017 SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY Stated capital 2 963 2 898 Share premium 21 708 21 743 Merger premium 26 827 26 855 Treasury stock (168) (191) Reserves and retained earnings 4 934 14 644 Consolidated result 5 490 (10 503) TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY 61 754 55 446 NON-CURRENT DEBTS Non-current financial liabilities 3 832 4 296 Non-current deferred tax liabilities 2 010 2 866 Non-current provisions 233 247 TOTAL NON-CURRENT DEBTS 6 074 7 410 CURRENT DEBTS Current financial liabilities 628 589 Trade payables 6 555 8 776 Corporate income tax liabilities 86 1 Social and tax payables 1 231 1 060 Other debts and accruals 575 4 071 TOTAL CURRENT DEBTS 9 075 14 497 TOTAL LIABILITIES 76 903 77 353

CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOW STATEMENT

In kEuros 2018 2017 Consolidated result 5 490 (10 503) Depreciation, amortization and provision expenses 116 123 Badwill 0 0 Derecognition of asset 0 0 Shares based payments (1) 845 1 373 Other calculated income and expenses 0 0 Cash flow before tax 6 450 (9 007) Financial charges 0 0 Income tax expenses (included deferred tax) (783) (2 238) CASH FLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES (A) 5 668 (11 245) Paid taxes Working capital variation (2) (4 590) 3 249 CASH FLOW FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES (D) 1 077 (7 996) Tangible assets increase (593) (353) Current financial assets variation 22 (2) Non-current financial assets variation 40 (10) Change in scope of consolidation 0 0 Loans and advances variation (27) 66 CASH FLOW FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES (E) (558) (299) Capital increase (including share premium) 23 17 Own shares transactions (67) (67) Capital increase and merger expenses 0 0 Warrant subscription (3) 7 18 Loans subscription 0 3 564 Loans repayment (485) (465) Financial charges (71) (11) Other flows from financing activities 0 0 CASH FLOW FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES (F) (592) 3 056 Currency translation transactions (G) 0 0 CASH VARIATION H (D E F G) (73) (5 239) CASH OPENING BALANCE (I) 9 646 14 885 CASH CLOSING BALANCE (J) 9 573 9 646 DIFFERENCE: H (J-I) 0 0

(1) Warrants and free shares awards granted in 2018 and valuated for 845 K

(2) Mainly explained by :

Decrease of trade receivable for 2 126 k

Increase of other current assets for 1 881k

Increase of tax accounts receivable for 1 111 k

Adjustment of deferred tax for 783 k

Decrease of other non-current liabilities for 857k

Increase of non-current financial debt for 134k

Decrease of trade accounts payable for 2 221k

Increase of social and tax payable for 171 k

Decrease of other debts for 3 496 k

Deferred tax income for 74k

(3) 12 000 warrants subscripted with an unit value of 0.60

As of December 31, 2018 the available cash is as follows:

In kEuros 12/31/2018 12/31/2017 Cash equivalents according to IAS 7 9 573 9 646 Current financial assets 2 861 2 882 Available Cash 12 433 12 528

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005597/en/

Contacts:

OSE Immunotherapeutics

Sylvie Detry

Sylvie.detry@ose-immuno.com

+33 153 198 757

French Media: FP2COM

Florence Portejoie

fportejoie@fp2com.fr

+33 607 768 283

U.S. Media: LifeSci Public Relations

Darren Opland, Ph.D.

darren@lifescipublicrelations.com

+1 646 627 8387

U.S. and European Investors

Chris Maggos

chris@lifesciadvisors.com

+41 79 367 6254
Consolidated revenues up 4.8% at constant exchange rates to 257.0 million

Sales growth in every region except the UK

Sharp 6.6% increase in current EBITDA to 22.4 million1

EBITDA margin in France: x1.6 (6.3% vs. 4% in 2017)



Robust financial position with leverage (EBITDA/net debt) of 0.2

Proposed dividend of 0.27 per share (i.e. 40% of net profit, at the top end of the target announced at the time of the IPO)

Paris, 29 March 2019

ROCHE BOBOIS SA (ISIN: FR0013344173 - Ticker symbol: RBO), high-end furniture global market leader and the name behind French Art de Vivre, today released its full-year 2018 results. The Executive Board met on 26 March 2019 and approved the financial statements. The consolidated financial statements have been audited and the certification report is currently being prepared by the Statutory Auditors.

IFRS (m)

audited figures 2017 2018 Ch. Sale of goods 218.4 224.7 Royalties and other services 30.1 32.3 Revenues 248.5 257.0 +3.4% Gross margin on sales 126.6 130.0 Current EBITDA (1) 21.3 22.4 +5.0% Current EBITDA margin 8.6% 8.7% EBIT before non-recurring items (2) 11.4 11.6 EBIT 11.2 11.1 Net financial expense (1.0) (0.4) Tax charge (3.7) (4.0) Net profit 6.5 6.7 +2.5% Net profit Group share 6.3 6.3 -

2018 Group revenues amounted to 257.0 million (compared to 248.5 million in 2017), up 4.8% at constant exchange rates (up 3.4% at current exchange rates). Revenues increased in all Group regions except the UK, which posted an expected decline (down 10.1% at constant exchange rates) in light of Brexit. The UK however only accounts for 7% of total revenues.

The Group's gross margin remained high at 57.8%, up 3.4 million.

External charges were kept well under control at 85.3 million. The 2.9% increase was mainly due to rent payments and charges relating to store openings and the French ILC commercial rent index.

Current EBITDA came in at 22.4 million, up 6.6% at constant exchange rates (up 5.0% at current exchange rates). France posted a marked 2.3 percentage point increase in its EBITDA margin ratio, from 4% in 2017 to 6.3% in 2018, in accordance with the targets announced at the time of the IPO, thanks to streamlining initiatives at certain stores and the impact of postponed deliveries on first half 2018. The US/Canada EBITDA margin ratio also increased, from 15.8% in 2017 to 16%.

The Group's current EBITDA margin ratio came in at 8.7%, up from 8.6% in 2017.

EBIT up despite non-recurring impact of bonus share plan

EBIT before non-recurring items amounted to 11.6 million, compared to 11.4 million in 2017, up 2.2% despite the non-recurring impact of the bonus share plan, which generated costs of 3.4 million over the full year.

Restated from the bonus share plan, EBIT before non-recurring items came in at 15.0 million, up 8% from 13.9 million in 2017.

After recording non-recurring income and expenses mainly related to IPO costs incurred by Roche Bobois SA (0.5 million), EBIT amounted to 11.1 million, compared to 11.2 million in 2017.

After 4.0 million in net financial expenses and tax, 2018 net profit amounted to 6.7 million, up 2.5% from 6.5 million in 2017. Net profit Group share amounted to 6.3 million.

Robust financial position - Proposed 40% dividend payout

Group equity at year-end stood at 53.8 million compared to 61.7 million at 31 December 2017. This includes net profit for the year and the 15.4 million dividend and reserve distribution carried out in H1 2018.

The Group posted an exceptional 7.4 million increase in working capital due to the impact of postponed deliveries at the end of 2017, resulting in a temporary increase in trade receivables (6.2 million variation). The Group has returned to more normal working capital levels this year.

In total, cash flow from operating activities amounted to a 9.3 million inflow in 2018, thus covering expenditure for the period in relation to store openings and renovation (7.2 million versus 10 million in 2017). This year the Company notably purchased 2.2 million of Roche Bobois Groupe S.A shares under the bonus share plan.

At 31 December 2018, the Group cash position remained high at 15.5 million after payment of a 15.4 million dividend in the first half.

Net debt was very low at 5.6 million, or 10.4% of equity.

The Group will therefore propose a dividend payment of 0.27 per share at the next General Meeting (40% of net profit, which falls within the upper range of the distribution plan announced at the time of the IPO).

Financial outlook for 2019

After a Q4 2018 decline mainly due to social movements in France, business recovered at the start of the new year. The Group expects to post revenue growth in 2019 in line with 2018 and has set an EBITDA margin target between 9 and 10%. The Group has confirmed its 2021 target of 320 million in revenues and a double-digit EBITDA margin. The Group also confirms that it is in line with its target to double the France EBITDA margin (from 4% in 2017 to 8% by 2021).

Sustained pace of store openings

In 2019, the Company intends to maintain the number of owned store openings. Roche Bobois has already opened a new owned store in Greenwich (Connecticut) and will soon open new stores in France (Paris-Domus), Spain (Madrid 2) and the USA (fifth owned store in New York, Upper East Side 2). A new store in Germany is also in the pipeline. Accordingly, Roche Bobois is on track towards achieving its target of opening 18 new owned stores (net) (3) between 2018 and 2021.

Meanwhile, Roche Bobois is continuing discussions regarding targeted buyouts of franchises.

Finally, the Group has confirmed the launch of e-commerce websites in France for the Roche Bobois and Cuir Center brands in the second half of 2019.

About Roche Bobois SA



Roche Bobois SA is a French family business founded in 1960. The Group operates in 54 countries and has a network of 331 owned stores and franchises (at 31 december 2018) marketing its two brands: Roche Bobois, a high-end furniture brand with a strong international presence, and Cuir Center, positioned in the mid-range market segment with an essentially French customer base. Through its Roche Bobois brand, the Group embodies the French Art de Vivre whose presence can now be felt on the world stage, with original and bold creations from talented designers (Bruno Moinard, Jean Nouvel, Ora Ito, Sacha Lakic, Christophe Delcourt, Stephen Burks, Kenzo Takada, Bina Baitel...) and partnerships with fashion and haute couture houses. Roche Bobois is also a committed partner in the world of culture and the arts. Including franchises, these two brands posted 2017 revenues of 458.6 million excluding VAT, to which Roche Bobois contributed 372 million and Cuir Center 86.6 million. Roche Bobois SA consolidated revenues came to 257 million in 2018. For more information please visit www.bourse-roche-bobois.com

CONTACT

Actus Finance - Anne-Pauline Petureaux

Investor Relations

Tel.: +33 (0)1 53 67 36 72 apetureaux@actus.fr

Actus Finance - Alexandra Prisa

Press Relations

Tel.: +33 (0)1 53 67 36 90 aprisa@actus.fr

Forward-looking statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements do not constitute guarantees regarding the future performance of ROCHE BOBOIS. This forward-looking information covers the future outlook, growth and commercial strategy of ROCHE BOBOIS and is based on the analysis of future result forecasts and estimates of amounts that cannot yet be determined. By nature, forward-looking information involves risks and uncertainties, as it relates to events and depends on circumstances that may or may not occur in the future. ROCHE BOBOIS draws your attention to the fact that forward-looking statements provide no guarantee of future performance and that its actual financial position, results and cash flow, as well as changes in the sector in which ROCHE BOBOIS operates, may differ significantly from those proposed or suggested by the forward-looking statements contained in this document. Moreover, even if ROCHE BOBOIS' financial position, results, cash flow and changes in the sector in which ROCHE BOBOIS operates were to be in accordance with the forward-looking information contained in this document, these results or changes may not be a reliable indicator of ROCHE BOBOIS' future results or developments. A description of events that could have a material adverse impact on ROCHE BOBOIS' business, financial position or results, or on its ability to achieve its targets, is given in Chapter 4 "Risk Factors" of the Base Document.

GLOSSARY

EBITDA = earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation. Underlying EBITDA equals Group pre-tax profit before deduction of interest, depreciation, amortisation and impairment charges on non-current assets, store opening costs and staff share-based payments, but after impairment of inventories and trade receivables. It shows profit generated by business activities regardless of financing conditions, tax constraints and the upgrading of operating assets. Non-recurring expenses (one-off, unusual or infrequent items) are excluded.

[1] EBITDA after restatement for store openings and before bonus share plans. Reported 2017 EBITDA amounted to 21.0 million and did not include social security charges (317,000). These have been added back to 2017 EBITDA, which now amounts to 21.3 million.

[2] Includes the 3.4m impact of the bonus share plan in 2018, compared to 2.5m in 2017

[3] New stores less closures

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SANTA CLARA, California, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Frost & Sullivan, the growth consulting firm, today announced the appointment of Richard A. Moran as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately.

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Moran will assume global operations and strategy for the organization with a focus on helping clients accelerate growth. "It's unusual to find someone who has experience leading and succeeding in the areas of research, consulting, technology and leadership. Richard has proven experience in all areas that align with Frost & Sullivan's core mission, and we are pleased to welcome him," said David Frigstad, Chairman of the Board of Directors.

"Businesses across the globe are worried about growth and innovation. Frost & Sullivan is uniquely positioned to solve those problems, and it is an honor to join the organization," said Moran.

Richard A. Moran's Experience and Expertise

Moran previously served as CEO and vice chairman at Accretive Solutions, a national professional services firm with a focus on accounting, information technology, and outsourcing. Prior to Accretive Solutions, Moran was a partner at Venrock and a partner at Accenture. During his tenure at Accenture, he led transformational efforts that included strategy, IT, and organization restructuring, and helped to successfully address change management processes.

Moran was also the tenth president of Menlo College, a private four-year college located in the heart of Silicon Valley. He is the first former president there given the "Emeritus" status for his contributions.

He received his Ph.D. from Miami University in Organizational Behavior/Higher Education and has published eight books. He is best known for his series of humorous business books, beginning with bestselling "Never Confuse a Memo with Reality" that started the genre of Business Bullet Books and, more recently, "The Thing About Work: Showing Up and Other Important Matters." He is a world-renowned "workplace expert" and the host of "In the Workplace," a KCBS radio program in San Francisco that discusses workplace issues and airs weekly to over 1 million listeners.

About Frost & Sullivan

For over five decades, Frost & Sullivan has become world-renowned for its role in helping investors, corporate leaders and governments navigate economic changes and identify disruptive technologies, Mega Trends, new business models and companies to action, resulting in a continuous flow of growth opportunities to drive future success.

Contact:

Francesca Valente

P): +1 210.348.1012

E): Francesca.Valente@frost.com

http://ww2.frost.com
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / March 28, 2019 / GreenBank Capital Inc (CSE: GBC and OTCMKTS: GRNBF) ("GreenBank or the Company") announces that the Company has agreed to settle a debt of $11,000 owed by Gander Exploration Inc. ("Gander"), a mineral exploration company, in stock. Gander will issue 1,100,000 common shares of Gander to the Company at the price of $0.01 per share. Upon closure of the transaction, the Company will own 34.76% of Gander.

About GreenBank

GreenBank is a merchant banking business listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange (trading symbols CSE: GBC and OTCMKTS: GRNBF and FRA: 2TL) and is included in the CSE Composite Index. GreenBank's 100% subsidiary GreenBank Financial Inc. is a merchant bank. GreenBank's portfolio companies comprise equity investments in 15 small cap businesses, namely; 52% of Blockchain Evolution Inc, owners of the world's first identification based blockchain, and developers of Xbook a user permissioned and revenue sharing social media platform; 24% of Ubique Minerals Limited, a zinc exploration company in Newfoundland, Canada; 50% of GBC Grand Exploration Inc, a gold exploration company in Newfoundland, Canada; 100% of Medik Blockchain Inc, providing blockchain based medical confidentiality systems to the healthcare community; 100% of Cannabis Blockchain Inc, developers of a digital information management system for the cannabis industry; 60% of Kabaddi Games Inc, developers of a mobile application game based on the sport of Kabaddi; 100% of North America Veterans Insurance Services Inc, an insurance agency holding company; 19% of Inside Bay Street Corporation, a financial news communications company; 35% of Gander Exploration Inc, a minerals exploration company in Newfoundland, Canada; 10% of Reliable Stock Transfer Inc, a Canadian small cap transfer agency; 25% of Buchans Wileys Exploration Inc, a minerals exploration company with interests in Newfoundland, Canada; 10% of The Lonsdale Group LLC, a USA based private equity company focused on small cap investments; 100% of Expatriate Assistance Services Inc, providing relocation services to expatriates; 14% of Slabdeck Technology Inc, developers of a search mobile application; and 18.25% of Minfocus Exploration Corp (TSXV: MFX), a mineral exploration company.

For more information please see https://www.GreenBankCapitalinc.com or contact Mark Wettreich at (647) 931 9768 or by email mark@GreenBankCapitalinc.com.

Forward-Looking Information: This press release may include forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, concerning the business and trading in the common stock of GreenBank Capital Inc., the raising of additional capital and the future development of the businesses comprising GreenBank's investment portfolio. The forward-looking information is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the company's management. Although the company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking information is based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking information because GreenBank can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release and GreenBank disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, other than as required by applicable securities laws.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: GreenBank Capital Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/540447/GreenBank-Acquires-1100000-Common-Shares-in-Gander-Exploration-in-Lieu-of-Debt-Settlement
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / March 28, 2019 / New York City has always been at the center of big bet development projects and even as space becomes more scarce, major construction is continuing to build up the city's skyline even higher. In the works for over a decade is one of the most expansive - and expensive - real estate developments introduced to the area in recent times, Hudson Yards. Opening up its doors to high-end retail shops, industry-leading company headquarters and luxury apartment units, the high rise has stayed relatively under the radar - even despite the interest its pure scale demands.

With a goal to introduce not only luxury real estate to the city's elite, the project is also predicted to bring a brand-new business district to the area that will create thousands of new jobs while also helping to retain those already in the area. Being described as one of the nation's largest projects, the property will span a 28-acre complex that has required massive funding in the form of several billion dollars from private, public and local government entities. According to public records, the project has been in part supplemented by billion-dollar tax breaks and city bonds that have come under question as without them it seems the project may never have passed the finish line. Though with the promise of bigger business for the city, its establishments and residents, the investments are said to help contribute to a better local economy for all.

Going as far as to equip the new construction with better accessibility and transit options, the city of Manhattan put forth a $2.4 billion investment to extend subway lines to the Hudson Yards' locale. The property's surrounding parks and open spaces that seek to resemble popular NYC landmarks like Central Park, also received massive funding that came in at over $1 billion. However, these investments are not just to support the success of the massive real estate development project, argues supporters. "The city's decision to support and fund transportation and open areas surrounding Hudson Yards is a financial move that will ultimately help improve NYC's Far West Side neighborhood as a whole." shares CEO of Western Rim Properties Marcus Hile s; who has 30-years experience in the industry and an expansive portfolio of luxury property development projects under his belt. This approach has had a history of success where cities will make; what can be categorized as relatively short term sacrifices, whether financially or through providing other resources; to build out local economies. In the case of the Hudson Yards project specifically that has been reported to set investors, real estate firms, and the city itself back a staggering $25 billion; the expectation of a nearly 55,000 increase of new jobs alone was one promise many could get behind.

New York's Hudson Yards is not the only project in the works to help bring more financial sustainability to the city's Boroughs. More investments are coming through to projects that seek to broaden out the city's limits with plans of redevelopment in local communities. The support from both public, private and state funding plays a vital role in stimulating these development projects that keep businesses competitive and attractive in today's globalized economy. This is why the next few months and years will be telling to see if what is being called a city within a city, will ultimately benefit the community as much as investors have bet and if a model has been created for the future of NYC.

To learn more about property investment news visit marcushiles-news.com .

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SOURCE: Marcus Hiles

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/540451/Marcus-Hiles-Manhattans-Hudson-Yards-Property-Complex-is-Setting-a-Precedent-for-For-the-Citys-Future
A crowd gathered, and one of the officers was surrounded. During the altercation, a shot was fired, authorities said. The officer attempting to make the arrest backed away for his safety, police said, and Gates and James ran away. James was on parole for felony drug convictions at the time of his arrest, according to state records.
Administrators appointed at UK subsidiary have actioned a restructuring plan to focus on identifying strategic partners and investors

Regulatory News:

Cellnovo Group ("Cellnovo" or the "Company" CLNV:EN Paris) (Paris:CLNV), a medical technology company marketing the first connected diabetes management platform composed of an insulin micro-pump communicating via Bluetooth with a locked-down AndroidTM smartphone, today announces that the group will discontinue all manufacturing and commercial activities, effective immediately.

The administrators appointed at Cellnovo Ltd., the group's UK subsidiary, have concluded an initial analysis and have actioned a restructuring plan to focus all activities on identifying strategic partners and financial investors. As a result, a core group of existing employees from the Research and Development department will be tasked with pursuing these objectives. Production and commercial operations, including sales and marketing activities, have been discontinued.

As of this week, systems will no longer be made available to new patients. The commercial team will be working closely with partners and distributors to ensure as smooth a transition as possible for patients and their healthcare teams.

Sophie Baratte, Chief Executive Officer of Cellnovo, commented: "This is not a decision that was taken lightly but it is the only option that is available to us today. Our biggest priority has always been patients' well-being and we will continue to do our utmost to support a smooth transition for patients and clinicians. We are grateful to all those who helped us to bring our innovative diabetes management platform to the market, particularly the clinicians and patients who believed in the benefits of this novel system. We are also thankful to our distributors and partners who shared our passion and brought their professionalism to the service of our commercial activities. Unfortunately, we were unable to withstand the pressures of the competitive environment and the challenges of rolling-out a breakthrough system at a sustainable cost. We will now focus our efforts on leveraging the potential of a unique product and the value created over many years by an exceptional team."

About Cellnovo (Euronext: CLNV)

Cellnovo Group is global innovative medical technology company supporting the needs and desires of people with type 1 diabetes. Cellnovo has developed a novel diabetes management system, which is a connected platform that aims to make life easier for people with type 1 diabetes. Cellnovo's insulin delivery system comprises a discreet, wearable micro-pump that communicates via Bluetooth Low Energy with a locked-down AndroidTM smartphone. This unique system allows optimal management of insulin dosing and delivery while ensuring freedom of movement and peace of mind. Thanks to the transmission of data in real time, the patient's status can be seamlessly monitored by family members and healthcare professionals. Cellnovo is currently participating in several major Artificial Pancreas projects with TypeZero, PEPPER and Diabeloop, to develop fully automated, closed-loop insulin delivery systems.

For more information go to www.cellnovo.com

Cellnovo is listed on Euronext, Compartment C

ISIN: FR0012633360 Ticker: CLNV

Cellnovo Disclaimer

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. For review of risks and uncertainties which could cause Cellnovo's actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, please refer to the Presentation of the Main Risks and Uncertainties ("Description des principaux risques et incertitudes") set forth in Exhibit 1 of the 2017 Annual Financial Report ("Rapport Financier Annuel") and Risks and Uncertainities ( Risques et incertitudes ) section #2.8 of the 2018 Half-yearly Financial Report ("Rapport Financier Semerstriel") of the Company published on the website of Cellnovo Group (www.cellnovo.com), respectively, on April 30, 2018 and November 26, 2018.

This press release and the information contained herein do not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy or subscribe to shares in Cellnovo Group in any country.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005829/en/

Contacts:

Cellnovo

Chief Executive Officer

Sophie Baratte

investors@cellnovo.com

NewCap

Investor Relations

Dusan Oresansky

+ 33 1 44 71 94 92

cellnovo@newcap.eu

NewCap

Media Relations in France

Nicolas Merigeau

+ 33 1 44 71 94 98

cellnovo@newcap.eu
Die EU und Grobritannien haben sich auf eine Doppelstrategie verstandigt. Ein ungeregelter Brexit am 29. Marz wurde damit verhindert. Die Vertreter der EU stimmten einer Verschiebung bis zum 22. Mai grundsatzlich zu. Vorausgesetzt, dass das ...

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Company to Change Name to Gaucho Group Holdings, Inc to Reflect Expanded Growth Strategy

Gaucho Group Holdings, Inc

(OTCQB: VINO), a collection of luxury assets, real estate holdings and premium wines based in Argentina, today announced that it has made further progress with its updated growth strategy of transitioning into a diversified luxury goods company. To better reflect the Company's focus and strategy, the Company's Board of Directors approved the company's name change from Algodon Group to Gaucho Group Holdings, Inc., effective March 11, 2019. The company's public company ticker symbol "VINO" remains unchanged as Algodon Fine Wines is still considered the genesis and ambassador of the brand.

Gaucho Group Holdings' mission is to become the LVMH (Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE) of South America by leveraging its luxury assets. The company's current brand assets include Algodon Mansion, Algodon Wine Estates, Algodon Fine Wines, and now includes the newly established Gaucho - Buenos Aires, a fashion and accessories brand that embodies the spirit and grand history of Argentina as a global center of luxury, which recently launched its e-commerce platform. Gaucho Group Holdings believes Gaucho - Buenos Aires has the potential for significant scale and to grow to an even greater value than that of its parent company. Through our recently launched e-commerce platform, Gaucho - Buenos Aires ( www.GauchoBuenosAires.com ) we are in a position to offer buyers around the world some of Argentina's best fashion and apparel items, including what Argentina is well-known for, quality leather goods and accessories.

Gaucho - Buenos Aires premiered its Fall/Winter collection at the prestigious Designers Buenos Aires (Argentina's own "fashion week") on March 18, 2019. The event and exclusive runway show featured social media influencers and television stars from the U.S. and Argentina. Please follow Gaucho - Buenos Aires on Facebook and Instagram (@gauchobuenosaires) for more information on the brand's fashion collection.

Gaucho Group Holdings believes there is a growth opportunity as Argentina makes its noteworthy re-entry to international trade. Currently, one of the few ways to buy Argentine goods is to travel there and buy local. Gaucho Group Holdings hopes to change that, and in a favorable economic and political climate, seeks to be on the forefront of opening Argentina's luxury market to the millions of potential customers around the globe interested in Argentine luxury items.

Argentina has long been recognized for quality leather, old-world craftsmanship and style, with Buenos Aires commonly referred to as the Paris of South America. By concentrating on luxury products most indicative of the country's artistry and excellence, such as leather goods and accessories, as well as stylish apparel, jewelry and fragrances, Gaucho - Buenos Aires intends to emerge on the global fashion scene as Argentina's first internationally recognized and trusted luxury brand.

Investors in Argentina have been guarded over the last decade due to inhospitable government policies, a devaluing peso, lack of trust, and waning confidence from global investors. Gaucho Group Holdings believes that the policies of Argentina's President, Mauricio Macri, are creating an atmosphere that has led to a revival in business throughout the country. Notable macroeconomic tailwinds include the extension of a $50 billion line of credit to Argentina by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Argentina's recent upgrade to emerging market status with MSCI, actions that have resulted in a boost of confidence for the country.

"We believe Argentina is a breadbasket of opportunity. Argentina may now be in the infancy stages of what could be a decade of unprecedented growth," stated Scott Mathis, Gaucho Group Holdings' Founder, Chairman and CEO. "Our consumer market is no longer just Argentina, as our ecommerce platform reaches consumers in the global arena. We are bringing luxury Argentine goods, leather and accessories to consumers around the globe, and we may well be the first company to do so on this scale. Our focus has always been on quality and luxury, and now with the launch of Gaucho - Buenos Aires, we are developing the capability to grow our asset base exponentially. Stay tuned for many exciting updates in the very near future."

About Gaucho Group Holdings, Inc.

For more than ten years, Gaucho Group Holdings' (formerly Algodon Group) mission has been to source and develop opportunities in Argentina's undervalued luxury real estate and consumer marketplace. With our proprietary collection of wine, hospitality, fashion brands, and real estate holdings as a foundation, we seek to build our luxury brands of Gaucho - Buenos Aires and ALGODON, brands of prestige, distinction and elegance. We begin with a focus on the quality and reputation of Algodon's award-wining wines, which serve as our ambassador for our luxury lifestyle properties and other real estate assets. As we continue to produce the ultra-fine wines for which we have become recognized, we expect that our reputation for quality will continue to grow and accordingly increase the value of our brand and real estate holdings. Algodon's luxury assets are currently concentrated in Argentina, which we believe represents one of the most undervalued investment sectors in the world today. For more information, please visit www.gauchogroupholdings.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

The information discussed in this press release includes "forward looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 (the "Securities Act") and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act"). All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included herein concerning, among other things, planned capital expenditures, future cash flows and borrowings, pursuit of potential acquisition opportunities, our financial position, business strategy and other plans and objectives for future operations, are forward looking statements. These forward-looking statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as "may," "expect," "estimate," "project," "plan," "believe," "intend," "achievable," "anticipate," " will," "continue," "potential," "should," "could," and similar terms and phrases. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, they do involve certain assumptions, risks and uncertainties and are not (and should not be considered to be) guarantees of future performance. Among these risks are those set forth in a Form 10-K filed on March 30, 2018. It is important that each person reviewing this release understand the significant risks attendant to the operations of Gaucho Group Holdings. Gaucho Group Holdings disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement made herein.

CONTACT:

Media and Investor Relations:



Algodon Group

Rick Stear

Director of Marketing

212.739.7669

rstear@algodongroup.com

SOURCE: Gaucho Group Holdings, Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/540457/Algodon-Group-Announces-Progress-on-Transition-to-a-Diversified-Luxury-Goods-Company
ORLANDO, Florida, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- National Airlines B747-400F flew from both Toronto, Canada and Amsterdam, Netherlands to Cyclone Idai-affected Mozambique with 70 thousand kilos of relief materials from the Canadian Red Cross Society.

Cyclone Idai struck Mozambique on 14 March, killing and displacing thousands of people and causing damage all across the country. Relief organizations rely on National Air Cargo to deliver aid to the city which is reachable almost solely by air and sea due to the nearly 3000 sq. km. of flooded land.

National swiftly responded to the request from Air Charter Service (ACS) to launch an urgent relief supply mission. National Air Cargo, Inc. is ensuring Aid agencies that the relief materials are swiftly getting to the people and are currently working on additional relief movements. Governments across the world have offered support to the cyclone-ravaged Mozambique.

National specializes in reaching the most challenging and demanding locations, should it be in relief operations or in troop support, and has always played a vital part in assisting relief movements to countries affected by natural disasters.

National's freight forwarding and airline entities have been instrumental in bringing relief support during the Ebola out-break in Liberia, earthquake in Nepal, flood relief in Philippines, hurricane relief in Puerto Rico, Super Typhoon Yutu-affected US Northern Mariana Islands.

Christopher (Chris) Alf, National's Chairman of the Board expressed, "Our hearts and prayers are with those affected in Mozambique. National Airlines is and will always be committed to prioritizing relief missions ahead of our commercial operations. The Mozambique mission request was received and activated within 24 hours."

About National Air Cargo Holdings, Inc.

National Air Cargo Holdings, Inc., headquartered in Orlando, Florida, owns National Airlines and National Air Cargo. National Airlines' service as a global cargo carrier and passenger charter provider complements its sister freight forwarding companies. Together they provide sea-to-air multi-modal transportation and logistics solutions to get difficult-to-move cargo quickly and safely to wherever you need it. Established in 1990, the global reach of National Air Cargo Holdings, Inc. is maintained via strategically located offices around the world centered by the U.S. headquarters in Orlando, Florida, and with quality centers located in Germany, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, and the United Arab Emirates. Learn more at www.GoNational.com.

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Saving children's sight, changing children's futures

LONDON, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- On Thursday 28th March, HRH The Countess of Wessex joined blindness prevention charity, Orbis UK, to mark the launch of their See My Future appeal in central London.

For three months, until 23rd June, all public donations to the appeal will be doubled by the UK government.

In many parts of the world, avoidable sight loss means children are dropping out of school. Issues such as refractive error, cataract and strabismus (severe squint) can all impede a child's ability to see the blackboard, their text books and their teachers. In some cases children are dropping out of school to care for an adult with sight-loss.

See My Future aims to raise 850,000 and the UK government will match every pound, up to 2 million, which will help save the sight of thousands of children and adults around the world.

All of the money matched by the UK government will go directly towards expanding Orbis's project in Nepal which screens and treats children with sight loss, enabling them to attend school and face a brighter future. All individual donations will support the charity's vital sight saving work across the world, wherever it is needed most.

The Countess of Wessex, who is a global ambassador for the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, is a longstanding supporter of Orbis. She has seen the charity's sight-saving work first hand, visiting Orbis's Flying Eye Hospital programmes in Kolkata in 2013 and Bangladesh in 2017, observing everything from a cataract surgery using basic cost effective techniques, to a complex prosthetic surgery on a man who had not been able to see for fourteen years.

International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt said:

"Access to proper eye care can be life changing for a Nepalese schoolchild. Unchecked visual impairments can lead to blindness, meaning the child is forced to leave school, and potentially faces a lifetime of unemployment and poverty.

"By giving them basic eye-care, the UK Aid-backed See My Future appeal will help give a future to more than 300,000 children across Nepal.

"UK Aid Match will double every pound, up to 2m, which the Great British public donates to this campaign, meaning their generosity will go twice as far."

Rebecca Cronin, Orbis UK CEO says: "With a simple eye exam and a pair of glasses, a child's life can be transformed. Clear sight opens up a future of possibilities - children can return to school, play with their friends and contribute to society, breaking the cycle of poverty.

"With the UK government's Aid Match scheme, our See My Future appeal really will have twice the impact - just 5.50 doubled to 11 could provide two new pairs of glasses for children struggling to see in school."

Orbis UK's See My Future appeal runs until 23rd June. Double your impact by visiting: www.orbis.org.uk/en/see-my-future

For further information contact Communications Manager Natasha Lee: nlee@orbis.org.uk +442076087284

(Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/843050/Orbis_UK.jpg )

(Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/843201/HRH_The_Countess_of_Wessex.jpg )
Washington, D.C.--(Newsfile Corp. - March 28, 2019) - The Securities and Exchange Commission today revoked the registration of a Seattle area-based registered investment adviser and barred its principal from the securities industry for stealing money from a private fund the adviser managed. The remaining assets will be liquidated and placed in a fund for distribution to harmed investors.

According to the SEC's order, Dennis Gibb, the owner of Sweetwater Investments Inc., stole more than $3 million from Sweetwater Income Flood LP, a private fund Sweetwater managed, to pay for personal expenses, including his mortgage and car payments, and to keep Sweetwater's business afloat. To hide his theft and convince investors to put even more money into the fund, he sent fraudulent account statements and tax documents to investors. The false documents showed, in the aggregate, that there was $7.8 million in the fund, when there was actually only about $1.8 million. Gibb also falsely reported in SEC filings that Income Flood had been audited, and that Sweetwater had over a billion dollars in assets under management, when it really had only $73 million. Gibb failed to hire an independent auditor or have a surprise verification of the fund's assets conducted. Gibb's fraud was discovered by the SEC's San Francisco Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations staff when they conducted an examination of Sweetwater.

"The diligence of the SEC's regional examination staff was critical in uncovering Gibb's fraud," said Erin Schneider, Associate Director for the SEC's San Francisco Regional Office. "As a result, the remaining funds will be preserved and returned to harmed investors."

The settled order finds that Gibb and Sweetwater violated the anti-fraud and custody provisions of the federal securities laws and made false statements in SEC filings. The SEC's order also finds that Gibb and Sweetwater are liable for disgorgement of money stolen, plus prejudgment interest.

In a parallel action, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Washington today announced that Gibb pleaded guilty to criminal charges.

The SEC's investigation was conducted by Ruth Hawley and Ellen Chen and supervised by Jeremy Pendrey of the San Francisco Regional Office. The examination that led to the investigation was conducted by Bradley Cline, Samuel Kim, John Chee, and Kenneth Schneider. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Washington.
Ottawa, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - March 28, 2019) - BluMetric Environmental Inc. (TSXV: BLM) announces that Jane Pagel, Geoff Simonett, Vijay Jog, Hu Fleming, Ron Donaldson, Scott MacFabe and Lieutenant General (Ret) Jeffrey W. Talley were elected to BluMetric's Board of Directors at its fiscal 2018 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders held on 27 March 2019. Lt. Gen. (Ret) Talley is a new director and is subject to TSX Venture approval.

Lt. Gen. Jeffrey W. Talley is a retired three-star general of the U.S. Army, with over 34 years of active and reserve military service. Jeff is currently Vice President, Global Public Sector, IBM Global Markets, where his activities range from advising on strategic goals and issues, mergers and acquisitions, and business development. He is also a Global Fellow at the IBM Center for the Business of Government. Jeff also holds a faculty appointment as a Professor of the Practice in the Price School of Public Policy & Viterbi School of Engineering and Scholar-in-Residence, Brittingham Social Enterprise Lab, Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California (USC). Prior to his current appointments, he was an Advanced Leadership Fellow and Cabot House Scholar-in-Residence at Harvard University. Jeff received his Ph.D. in Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and his Executive M.B.A. from the University of Oxford, England. He holds multiple master's degrees in engineering, strategic studies, liberal arts, and religious studies. He is a registered Professional Engineer (P.E.), a Board-Certified Environmental Engineer (BCEE) in Sustainability, and a Diplomate, Water Resources Engineer (D.WRE).

BluMetric also announces that effective 27 March 2019, pursuant to the Company's Board compensation policy, it has granted options for 20,000 common shares to Jane Pagel, who is entering her fifth year of service. These options vest over one year and are exercisable into common shares of BluMetric at a price of $0.22 per share for five years.

Also pursuant to the Company's Board compensation policy, it has granted options for 60,000 common shares to its newly appointed board member, Lt. Gen. (Ret) Jeffrey W. Talley. These options vest over three years and are exercisable into common shares of BluMetric at a price of $0.22 per share for a period of five years.

About BluMetric Environmental Inc.

BluMetric Environmental Inc. is a publicly traded environmental consulting and engineered treatment systems company with expertise across disciplines and technologies that allow for the design and delivery of elegant solutions to environmental challenges. Headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario, BluMetric's team of industry experts serves clients in Canada and the United States.

For more information, please visit www.BluMetric.ca, or contact:

Scott MacFabe, CEO

BluMetric Environmental Inc.

Tel: 613.839.3053

Email: smacfabe@blumetric.ca

Vivian Karaiskos, CFO

BluMetric Environmental Inc.

Tel: 613.839.3053

Email: vkaraiskos@blumetric.ca

Forward-Looking Statements

Some of the statements in this press release, including those relating to the Company's discussions of contractual agreements, future products, opportunities, cost initiatives, strategies, and other statements that are predictive in nature, that depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, or that include words such as "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "plans", "believes", "estimates", or similar expressions, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of securities laws. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the information concerning possible or assumed future results of operations of the Company. These statements are not historical facts but instead represent only the Company's expectations, estimates, and projections regarding future events. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update or release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this communication or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/43736
By David Lawder and Alexandra Alper WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Chief executives from American steel producers urged lawmakers to maintain strong U.S. tariffs on the metal on Wednesday to protect their industry, as Senate efforts to rein in President Donald Trump's tariff powers gained steam.

By David Lawder and Alexandra Alper

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Chief executives from American steel producers urged lawmakers to maintain strong U.S. tariffs on the metal on Wednesday to protect their industry, as Senate efforts to rein in President Donald Trump's tariff powers gained steam.

The CEOs of top U.S. steelmakers Nucor Corp, United States Steel Corp, ArcelorMittal SA and Commercial Metals Co told the Congressional Steel Caucus that the "Section 232" steel tariffs were just starting to allow their industry to recover from damage caused by years of dumped imports and needed to be kept in place long-term.

Trump imposed the 25-percent global tariffs on steel imports a year ago to protect the industry from imports, citing national security grounds under a Cold War-era trade law. The move drew retaliation by countries including China, Canada, Mexico, Turkey and the European Union.

Little has been done to reduce excess steel production capacity in China that U.S. producers blame for most of the industry's woes, and without the tariffs, unfairly traded imports would flood back into the U.S. market, the executives said.

"Now is not the time to blink," U.S. Steel CEO David Burritt told the lawmakers at a hearing on Wednesday. "Section 232 must continue to be applied to all countries, especially the largest import sources, whether that's a tariff or a hard quota. Even our best allies can be conduits for foreign steel from China or elsewhere."

Canada and Mexico are trying to negotiate a plan to lift U.S. metals tariffs from their products. The Trump administration is demanding quotas to limit import volumes in lieu of tariffs, but Canada and Mexico are resisting.

Earlier this week, Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer made little headway in a meeting to resolve the issue, a Canadian official told Reuters.

"There was not a meeting of the minds," the official said. "That of course is an opportunity for the minister to reflect and think about what our next steps are."

One issue in the negotiations is addressing U.S. concerns about how to prevent Chinese steel from entering the United States duty-free from Canada and Mexico. The Canadian official said Ottawa was willing to work with U.S. authorities to block such imports, but added that Washington had not yet presented convincing evidence that steel was being trans-shipped through Canada.

Canada and Mexico have retaliated against the U.S. steel tariffs with their own tariffs on U.S. beef, pork and other agricultural products, raising the ire of farm-state lawmakers.

Several Republican U.S. senators are combining forces on legislation to limit Trump's ability to impose tariffs under Section 232 of the Cold War-era Trade Expansion Act of 1962.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, who represents the farming state of Iowa, on Tuesday said he would lead the effort aimed at restoring Congress' constitutional authority over trade matters. His plan calls for Section 232 tariffs to be limited to a defined period of time unless extended by Congress.

United Steelworkers President Leo Gerard told the steel caucus lawmakers that Canada should be exempted from the Section 232 tariffs because of the high level of cross-border integration and common ownership in the industry. His union represents about 9,000 Canadian steel workers and 50,000 at U.S. mills.

But Representative Mike Bost, a Republican whose district saw U.S. Steel restart two blast furnaces and rehire 800 workers at its Granite City, Illinois mill last year, made clear that he was focused on rebuilding steelmaking capacity in the United States, not Canada.

"I want to let you know that the focus of this committee should be our U.S. workers," Bost said.

The steel executives also called on the lawmakers to boost U.S. demand for steel by passing a significant infrastructure investment package this year.

"Please let this year be the time to stop talking and start investing," said ArcelorMittal USA President John Brett.

(Reporting by David Lawder and Alexandra Alper, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Hyatt's new properties will include hotels and resorts in Bengaluru, Dehradun, Udaipur, Gurgaon, Jaipur, and Trivandrum.

New Delhi: Chicago-headquartered Hyatt Hotels Corporation Thursday announced plans to open more than 14 new properties in India over the next 24 months.

The new properties will include hotels and resorts in Bengaluru, Dehradun, Udaipur, Gurgaon, Jaipur, and Trivandrum.

In a statement, Hyatt Hotels said 2019 would mark record growth for Hyatt in India.

"Expansion plans foresee the addition of over 2,100 guest rooms through the opening of more than 14 new properties over the next 24 months," it said.

Aside from growth in the larger capital cities, the emphasis will be on leisure and cultural destinations, with a focus on emerging cities within India.

This expansion includes hotels in eight new markets in the country which will establish Hyatt brand presence across 27 cities in India.

"As a result of an increasingly favourable business climate and heightened tourism spend, encouraged by relaxed visa rules and a growing upper middle class, there is a general demand for growth in the hospitality industry in India," the statement said.

This year's expansion began with the introduction of the Hyatt Centric brand through the opening of Hyatt Centric Candolim Goa.

New to the Hyatt portfolio as part of the Two Roads Hospitality acquisition in November 2018, the Alila brand also added two new properties in India, located in Diwa Goa and Fort Bishangarh.

Later in 2019, Hyatt plans to expand its brand footprint in Kerala with the opening of Hyatt Regency Kochi Malayattoor, a resort property on the banks of the Periyar river, and Hyatt Regency Thrissur, providing travellers with the first premium hotel in Thrissur.

Hyatt also plans to add its first resort in the foothills of the Himalayas with the anticipated opening of Hyatt Regency Dharamshala Resort in the second half of 2019.

Gurgaon will also be in focus later in 2019, with the scheduled opening of Grand Hyatt Gurgaon.

"These hotels will add over 1,000 guest rooms to Hyatt's existing offering in India and will establish its brand presence in four new markets," it said.

In the next year, Hyatt Place Bangalore Urbana, Hyatt Regency Jaipur Mansarovar, Hyatt Regency Dehradun, Hyatt Place Vadodara, Hyatt Regency Trivandrum, Hyatt Place Jaipur Malviya Nagar and Hyatt Regency Udaipur will be opened.

"Hyatt is one of the longest-running international hotel management brands in India, the first Hyatt hotels in India opened over 30 years ago," said Dhruva Rathore, vice-president development (India), Hyatt. "Our heritage and experience in this complex market, paired with the strong relationships we hold with local developers and owners has helped make India one of the top three growth markets for Hyatt globally."

India has high growth potential and remains a market where Hyatt can expand its brand representation, said Sunjae Sharma, vice-president operations (India), Hyatt. "Being focused on intentional growth gives us a unique edge as Hyatt can differentiate by having the right assets in its portfolio."

Hyatt, he said, would collaborate with owners who want personal, flexible relationships and to stand out in a slightly overcrowded market.
In a statement issued by his lawyers, the raids against Choksi were on the basis of 'an old and dated (KYC) document' given to PNB

New Delhi: Mehul Choksi, one of the two businessmen allegedly involved in perpetrating India's biggest-ever banking fraud, on Wednesday said he was not a partner in any of the firms under scrutiny for the scam, claiming he had quit them in 2000.

In a statement issued by his lawyers, the raids against him were on the basis of "an old and dated 'Know Your Customer' (KYC) document" submitted by him to the Punjab National Bank in 1995.

"Choksi had sought to correct the details of this KYC on several occasions. He was not a partner in any of the firms under scrutiny for the purported scam being investigated at that time. In fact, Choksi had quit all these firms way back in 2000," it said.

He said he was presently not able to repay loans because of the asset freeze orders. "In such a scenario, Choksi cannot be expected to service any outstanding loans. Choksi has banked with the PNB for over 25 years, and not once in the said period has he defaulted on a single loan. He doesn't intend to do so now," it said.

Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi, both owners of jewellery store chains, are alleged to have colluded with two employees of PNB in the alleged fraud.

"Choksi had called up PNB officials as well and was given the impression that the issue could be amicably resolved. PNB chose to ignore these repeated requests and calls, instead the bank went so far as to make this old and out-of-date KYC document the very basis of their allegations," the statement said.

It alleged that PNB in a "desperate attempt to save their own skin" diverted attention away from the role of the bank and the cracks in their own system.

"In doing so they targeted and destroyed a Rs 12,000 crore business that had been built up over a period of 25 years. With brands like Nakshatra, Ginni, Asmi, and Gitanjali,Choksi occupied a huge space in the public imagination and the gems and jewellery business in India. By tarring such a brand, PNB attempted to divert attention from its own shenanigans elsewhere," the statement said.

His lawyers said he didn't just write to PNB to correct the KYC record but made representations to the National Stock Exchange and the BSE as well on 7 February, 2018. "The same representation was repeatedly made to the Central Bureau of Investigation as well, but in vain," the statement said.

In the 25 years of the business, Gitanjali Gems did not default on its loan repayments even once, it said adding a loan exposure of Rs 6,000 crore was easily serviceable for the company with a topline of over Rs 12,000 crore.

Choksi and Modi allegedly secured loans from overseas branches of mostly Indian banks against illegal letters of undertaking (LoU) from PNB over a seven-year period.

Choksi owns Gitanjali Gems, which has also denied involvement in the alleged fraud.

"The cruel, unwarranted and simultaneous raids across his homes and offices took place on false presumptions and in panic. Choski's assets were confiscated, and his businesses brought to naught," the statement said. "Following these raids, a campaign of falsehoods was spread in the media, prompted by a slew of unverified and outright false information that was supplied by officials at the PNB at the highest level."

"For 25 years, we strove to create an Indian jewellery brand that would rival the best in the world, and in two weeks the company was destroyed by the bloody-mindedness of a cynical system," Choksi said.

In 2017, Deloitte named Gitanjali Gems in its list of top 50 global luxury firms. The company was the highest ranked Indian firm in the list, which included just two other Indian names.

"Despite no tangible proof, the PNB authorities, instigated by a panic-stricken Chairman, Sunil Mehta, created a malicious case against a high-profile target - Gitanjali Diamonds and its proprietor Mehul Choksi," the statement said.

In the aftermath of the raids, all of his 6,000-plus employees have left; his belongings and properties, along with his receivables and goods on consignment worth over Rs 10,000 crore, the brand value of Rs 8,000 crore destroyed.

"All this even though PNB has never been able to supply direct and tangible proof linking Choksi with the supposed 'scam' that they claim exists," it claimed. "Despite his unblemished track record, Choksi is being painted falsely. Truly, a lie gets around the world before the truth can even get its pants on!"
The 12-year agency veteran had curbed a truck about an hour earlier and was conducting an inspection on the shoulder of the road when another semitractor-trailer truck slammed into her, also striking her squad car and the truck she initially pulled over, state police said. The impact engulfed both trucks in flames, sending plumes of heavy black smoke into the air, though no one else was injured, authorities said. The driver who hit Jones-Story has been ticketed and taken into custody, they said.
It would be difficult for state governments to implement a similar scheme as they largely depend on the Centre for finance and borrowing limit, Reddy said

New Delhi: Congress President Rahul Gandhi's minimum income support scheme for the poor can be implemented by curtailing other doles and allowing fiscal deficit to widen, former RBI Governor YV Reddy said.

However, it would be difficult for state governments to implement a similar scheme as they largely depend on the Centre for finance and borrowing limit, he told PTI in an interview.

"I talk only in terms of central-state fiscal relations. The state governments have budget constraints that means state governments can't spend more money because borrowing requires permission of the Government of India. So, there is a limit (for state borrowing). If they implement some schemes like this (minimum income support scheme) that has to be within their own budget limit," he said.

However, he said, the Centre has some liberty to increase fiscal deficit and there is no such hard fiscal constraints.

"So, such programmes are implemented better if the Centre takes over. If the Centre is able to accommodate it within the budget, FRBM (Fiscal Responsibility And Budget Management Act) target, then you can't object...if Government of India says they will cut other expenditures based on their relative priorities, it can do it," he said.

In a big bang election promise, the Congress earlier this week announced that 20 percent families belonging to the poorest category will be given Rs 72,000 each annually as minimum income if his party comes to power.

"Final assault on poverty has begun. We will wipe out poverty from the country," Gandhi had said, adding the Congress has studied the fiscal implications of the scheme and consulted renowned economists and experts before finalising the scheme.

Asked if there can be sharing of the Centre and states for implementation of such scheme, Reddy said it could lead to complication.

Reddy has co-authored with IES officer GR Reddy a book titled 'Indian Fiscal Federalism'.

According to this book, several developments in recent years point to the emergence of a new era in fiscal federalism, the contours are still unfolding.

The book highlighted some of the developments like setting up of the GST Council, reduction of flexibility for states in revenue generation along with an increased burden of expenditure and contentious Terms of Reference of Fifteenth Finance Commission.

"The GST Council is a shining example of cooperative fiscal federalism at its best," it said.

While the arrangement is yet to stand the test of time, the functioning so far gives rise to hope that it will be a pillar of strength on the indirect revenue side, just as the Finance Commission is on the revenue expenditure side of the centre-state fiscal relations, the book said.
PFC has raised money from Bank of Baroda, Life Insurance Corporation and State Bank of India, among others, to make the payment.

New Delhi: State-owned Power Finance Corporation (PFC) on Thursday completed the acquisition of majority stake in REC Ltd by transferring Rs 14,500 crore to the government, an official said.

The transaction has helped the government meet its disinvestment target of Rs 80,000 crore for the current financial year.

"The entire consideration of Rs 14,500 crore for acquiring 52.63 percent equity of the government of India in REC is paid by PFC through RTGS (real-time gross settlement) mode this morning," the official told PTI.

The official said PFC chairman and managing director Rajeev Sharma handed over the RTGS advice to power secretary A K Bhalla on Thursday to complete the acquisition.

The money has been transferred into the government's account online.

The official further said the government's 52.63 percent equity in REC would be transferred in the name of the PFC by the closing of the stock market on Thursday.

PFC has raised money from Bank of Baroda, Life Insurance Corporation and State Bank of India, among others, to make the payment.

Earlier on 20 March, PFC had inked a share purchase agreement to acquire 103.94 crore equity shares of Rs 10 each of REC Ltd.

This deal was in pursuance to the in-principle approval from the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs for strategic sale of 52.63 percent of paid-up equity shareholding of REC held by the government to PFC, along with the transfer of management control.

Both PFC and REC are navratna central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) with a combined annual revenue of about Rs 50,000 crore and this acquisition is a step towards consolidation of companies operating in the same space.

PFC bought REC shares at Rs 139.50 per piece with total acquisition cost of about Rs 14,500 crore.
Raghuram Rajan said the state has gained more power sans any checks and balances and has created too much inefficiencies in its wake

Mumbai: Raghuram Rajan on Wednesday questioned the 'minimum government and maximum governance' promise of the Narendra Modi regime, saying the state has gained more power sans any checks and balances and has created too much inefficiencies in its wake. This has led to a "dependent and pliant" private sector which has no choice but to applaud every decision of the government, the noted economist said.

"The question is, how far have we come on that (minimum government and maximum governance)? I think we continue to rely too much on the bureaucracy to do many things," the academic said at the city launch of his new book The Third Pillar on Wednesday evening. "The scope of the government is something we will have to examine sooner, rather than later, because today it does too much too inefficiently," he said.

It can be noted that the minimum government and maximum governance promise was one of the central themes of Modi's 2014 election campaign. However, in the past five years of his rule, his bloated administration has been accused of being "statist" by critics for decisions like demonetisation and the haphazardly manner in which the uniform tax regime GST was rolled out.

Rajan, who went back to the University of Chicago as a professor after his stint at the Reserve Bank between September 2013 and September 2016, said "we must not go back on liberalisation moves", criticising the recent moves like re-introduction of protective tariffs in a slew of sectors like steel and consumer durables like televisions and smartphones, which led some leading foreign companies to shutter their local manufacturing.

He was also critical of the policy changes on the e-commerce industry which have hurt entrenched players, saying there is an "angst" in the West because of the move, which came in soon after the largest ever Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) of $16 billion into the country was announced by Walmart to takeover domestic e- tailing major Flipkart last August.

"There is a lot of angst in the West on how the rules in the e-commerce sector were changed. This is the kind of uncertainty that keeps away FDI from coming into the country," Rajan said.

The country has to pitch itself as a haven for investments because of the anxieties surrounding China, he said, adding we need to "stick to the rules" and change them transparently."We need to convince people that we would respect their ability to do business here," Rajan said.

Such posturing by the Modi government is leading to a situation where the state is gaining more and more powers without the necessary checks and balances, said Rajan, who earlier in the day said that he was open to come back to serve the country if called out to do so.

"As the state expands its realm whether through regulatory or discretionary powers, it essentially gains more powers without proper checks and balances," he said, adding the uncertainties of shifting goalposts makes the private sector less potent. "A dependent private sector makes for a pliant private sector and that doesn't ever afford a sufficient check and balance for a government."

He also cited the airlines and hospitality sectors as two areas where the government has no role to be in and should be best left to the private sector.

Rajan also questioned the data computation on growth, saying how can we continue to have low job creation and lower capacity utilisation if we are having an official growth number of 7 percent or more. He said there is a "disconnect" in the data and it is prompting some "soul-searching". However, it has not yet come to a juncture where people are throwing out the data, he made it clear.

Stressing on the 7 percent growth as the "official" growth rate, Rajan said there is a need to grow beyond this new "Hindu rate of growth" as the nation was called during the under-4 percent growth years before the July 1991 liberalisation move. The former governor also said this requires fresh thinking on how to push growth up and that minor tweakings in the policies will not be of help.

Rajan said sufficient growth and resources that accrue because of it are necessary for serving the poor, but seemed to be against taxes on the super rich. Rather, what is required is better tax compliance, he underlined.
Most Asian currencies struggled amid expectations of dovish monetary policy stance by central banks following a deteriorating global economic outlook.

Mumbai: The rupee slumped 42 paise to end at 69.30 against the US dollar Thursday, its second straight session of decline, in line with other Asian currencies amid strengthening of the greenback.

Most Asian currencies struggled amid expectations of dovish monetary policy stance by central banks following a deteriorating global economic outlook.

At the Interbank Foreign Exchange (forex) market, the rupee opened weak at 69.04 and fell further to touch the day's low of 69.35.

It finally finished at 69.30 per dollar, down by 42 paise against its previous close.

On Wednesday, the rupee had weakened marginally by 2 paise to end at 68.88 against the US dollar.

Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) remained net buyers in the capital markets, putting in Rs 1,481.11 crore Wednesday, as per provisional data.

Meanwhile, brent crude futures, the global oil benchmark, fell 1.08 percent to trade at $67.10 per barrel.

BSE benchmark Sensex zoomed over 400 points while the NSE Nifty reclaimed the 11,500 mark Thursday on robust buying in banking, finance, telecom and IT stocks.

The Financial Benchmark India Private Ltd (FBIL) set the reference rate for the rupee/dollar at 69.0038 and for rupee/euro at 77.6868. The reference rate for rupee/British pound was fixed at 91.0280 and for rupee/100 Japanese yen at 62.69.
Nestaway helps tenants find rented houses, for a minimum tenure of 11 months, and provide home maintenance services

Bengaluru-based home rental startup Nestaway Technologies Wednesday launched its services in Chennai with a target to bring onboard 5,000 beds on shared rentals and 500 family homes in the city by 2019-end.

NT Vice President (Business) Ismail Khan said the city is the 13th one to join its network of major cities like Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Noida and Ghaziabad.

"Chennai is a key education, manufacturing and IT hub, attracting thousands of students and skilled employees across the country migrating to the city every year," Khan said, adding that the startup provides hassle-free housing experience for both house owners and tenants.

The company, in a statement, said it presently has more than 100 homes in its network rented out by over 180 tenants in both shared and family homes category.

Nestaway claimed that it has key presence in south Chennai, a region dominated by tech companies with monthly rentals starting from Rs 5,500. Activities like house-listing, rental payments, utility payments, maintenance and any other service requests can be performed using the Nestaway app or website itself, reducing the challenge of language-barrier for both tenants and home-owners.

The startup said it helps tenants find rented houses, for a minimum tenure of 11 months, and provide home maintenance services from cleaning to security round the clock.

"We also have a 22-member legal team for assisting tenants and houseowners in case a dispute arises," Khan said.

--With PTI inputs
Mission Shakti intercept the satellite in outer space with a completely indigenous technology built by the DRDO. India joins an exclusive group of space-faring nations consisting of USA, Russia, and China

On 27 March 2019, the Defence Research and Development Organisation and the Indian government carried out Mission Shakti, India's first, successful anti-satellite missile experiment. The proof of concept technology was launched from the A P J Abdul Kalam Island launch complex in Odisha.

In the journey of every nation there are moments that bring utmost pride and have a historic impact on generations to come. One such moment is today. India has successfully tested the Anti-Satellite (ASAT) Missile. Congratulations to everyone on the success of #MissionShakti.  Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 27, 2019

Shortly after Modi's announcement, a Ministry of External Affairs report made short work of announcing and confirming that the test was a success, and achieved all its planned goals.

Here's the Prime Minister with what those are:

#MissionShakti is special for 2 reasons:

(1) India is only the 4th country to acquire such a specialised & modern capability.

(2) Entire effort is indigenous.

India stands tall as a space power!

It will make India stronger, even more secure and will further peace and harmony.  Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 27, 2019

Mission Shakti intercept the satellite in outer space with a completely indigenous technology built by the DRDO. India joins an exclusive group of space-faring nations consisting of USA, Russia, and China.

What missiles were used in the test?

The DRDOs Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) interceptor was used, which is part of the ongoing ballistic missile defence programme, the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed in a statement.

According to experts, the satellite brought down in the mission was one of India's existing satellites  the MicroSAT-R, launched on the PSLV-C44 mission by ISRO on 25 January 2019.

I agree with @DutchSpace: the most likely target of India's #ASAT test was Microsat-r (2019-006A). My analysis shows the test must have happened near 5:40 UT when the sat was moving northwards towards Abdul Kalam:@SSC_NL @nktpnd @planet4589 pic.twitter.com/HPUbQ6yTaU  Dr Marco Langbroek (@Marco_Langbroek) March 27, 2019

The missile and the anti-satellite technology in the mission were capabilities developed indigenously in a first for the country.

How and why was the Mission Shakti test done?

India's space program has grown and "expanded rapidly in the last five years", with the success of the Mangalyaan mission to Mars, progress towards the Gaganyaan mission in 2021 and other developmental missions for the PSLV rocket. According to the official press release, the anti-missile tests were done after the DRDO and government had enough confidence that it would be a success.

India announced back in 2012 that it had already cracked the technology for an anti-satellite missile demonstration. It has since tested ballistic missiles that have that capability, but Mission Shakti is the first time that India actually intercepted a satellite in a demonstration, using of its missiles and "anti-satellite".

"India has today established itself as a global space power," Modi said in his address. "So far, just three countries in the world  USA, Russia, and China  have had this capability."

What about space debris?

"The test was done in the lower atmosphere to ensure that there is no space debris. Whatever debris that is generated will decay and fall back onto the earth within weeks," the official statement reads.

That said, it is still unclear the exact effect the A-SAT test had in low-Earth orbit. While no space debris or accidents have been reported so far, the United States Air Forces Satellite tracking network will reportedly assess just how many pieces were created in the hours and days to come. Destroying satellites in orbit could potentially create hundreds of pieces, small and large, that can remain in space for years. China destroyed a retired weather satellite in 2007 in a similar ASAT test. The test created 3,000 tiny objects, many of which are still in orbit a decade after the incident.

While the anti-missile may have been a targeted one, the impact can't be fully contained, controlled or predicated. Some experts are doubtful that the test has considered the consequences.

"In the course of weeks and months, that stream will get broader and wider and more diffused," Marco Langbroek, a satellite tracker and consultant for the Dutch Air Force's Space Security division, told The Verge.

Is this India's entry into the space arms race?

"India has no intention of entering into an arms race in outer space," the release says. "We have always maintained that space must be used only for peaceful purposes... we are against weaponization of space, and support international efforts to reinforce the safety and security of space-based assets."

The key international treaty on outer space protocol is the Outer Space Treaty, which came into force in October 1967. India signed the treaty in March 1967, but it took was only 15 years later that the Parliamentary approved it, in 1982.

"The Outer Space Treaty prohibits only weapons of mass destruction in outer space, not ordinary weapons," the official press release clarified. "India is not in violation of any international law or Treaty to which it is a party or any national obligation."

The information note continues to say that India had called for "substantive consideration" of the proposed Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space (PAROS) treaty in the Geneva-based Conference on Disarmament. While years have passed since the agenda of the Geneva-based CD came into the open, US has been blocking these negotiations consistently since its passing in the United Nations.

Each year, the UN General Assembly attempts to negotiate the PAROS treaty with votes, and the treaty has the overwhelming support of all countries every year, except for the US and Israel, which are still abstaining.

Mission Shakti demonstrated Indias ambition and footprints, both of which are growing in space technology and demonstration.

Last year, the government approved a budget of $1.43 billion for the first manned mission to space by 2022.
Economist and activist Jean Dreze and two others were on Thursday allegedly detained in Jharkhand's Garwag district for holding a meeting on Right to Food

Economist and activist Jean Dreze and two others were on Thursday allegedly detained in Jharkhand's Garwah district for holding a meeting on Right to Food. However, the local administration and police stated that the activists had neither been arrested, nor had any charges been filed against them. They have now been released without any charges against them.

Dreze, along with activists Anuj Gupta and Vivek Kumar, were holding a meeting on Right to Food "without permission", when local authorities shut down the event. Garwah district collector Harsh Mangla said, "They were holding the meeting without permission, so it was stopped by authorities. They have been released without any kind of interrogation, but our administration will conduct an investigation into the matter."

Kumar said, "We had planned to hold a jan sabha (public meeting) on the Right to Food, where people could discuss the issues affecting the Public Distribution System, or even the pension scheme, but the police came and shut it down even before it could start, saying that we did not have permission for it."

"They arrested us and took us to the Bishunpur Police Station and threatened us with charges under IPC 171, 172, and 173. They forced us to switch our phones off and made us wait. Then they asked us to sign a bond stating that we had no complaints with the government  but we refused to, because we do. Why were we brought to the police station without a warning? Why were we threatened about an FIR?" he asked, adding, "This is stifling peoples' voices, because they did not allow us to even discuss the public's grievances regarding government schemes among ourselves."

Garwah DSP Neeraj Kumar, however, called reports of the arrest a "misunderstanding" and said that they had not even been detained. "After their meeting was shut down because it was unauthorised, Dreze said he would come to the police station to get more details. Which is why three of them were at the station, and it was a misunderstanding that they had been brought by the police."

The police later clarified that when the Model Code of Conduct is in place, Section 144 of the CrPC is automatically imposed, and Dreze was holding a public meeting without the due permission.

"When MCC is in place, CrPC 144 is imposed, so assembly of four or more people is unlawful. Dreze had asked for permission to hold a public meeting and it was rejected. We will look into it on why it was rejected," the local police told a correspondent of The Indian Express.

"Kumar confirmed that they have left the thana without signing the bond or giving any written statement. The three of them are fine," the associate said.

Initially, they had been told that an FIR would be filed against them, sources said, although the charges had not been specified.
Four militants were killed in two encounters with security forces in Shopian and Kupwara districts of Jammu and Kashmir, police said

Srinagar: Four militants were Thursday killed in two encounters with security forces in Shopian and Kupwara districts of Jammu and Kashmir, police said.

Security forces launched an anti-militancy operation in Yawran forests in Shopian following information about the presence of militants there, a police spokesman said. He said in the ensuing gunfight, three ultras were killed. "The slain terrorists have been identified as Sajad Khanday, Aqib Ahmad Dar and Basharat Ahmad Mir, all residents of Pulwama," the spokesman said.

According to the police records, it was a combined group of proscribed terror outfits Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Taiba, the spokesman said. "They were wanted by law for their complicity in a series of terror crimes, including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities," he said.

The spokesman said Dar was involved in conspiring and executing many terror attacks in the area. Several terror crime cases were registered against him, he added.

Similarly, Khanday and Mir were also involved in many terror attacks and several terror crime cases were registered against them, the spokesman said. "Incriminating materials, including three AK rifles, were recovered from the site of the encounter. All these materials have been taken in the case records for further investigation and to probe the trio's complicity in other terror cases," he said.

In another encounter, an unidentified militant was killed in the Handwara area of Kupwara district in north Kashmir, the spokesman said. "One terrorist has been killed in the operation in Handwara. Some arms and ammunition have been recovered from the site," he added.

He said the identity and group affiliation of the slain militant is being ascertained.
a circular issued by the Vice Chancellor of the Central University of Kerala made visible some of the fault lines that mark the future of academic freedom and dedicated research in our country. The circular contained problematic clauses which stated that research in the university needs to be done according to 'national priorities,' that research in 'irrelevant areas' need not be promoted any longer, and that the faculty will draw up a list of projects from which prospective research scholars will be asked to choose their topics of research

Research is an act of rigorous scholarly commitment  one that should be guided by the spirit of academic freedom, and one in which there should be no curb on the researchers right to ask pertinent questions that may unsettle the diverse power structures that mark our times.

UNESCOs Recommendation concerning the Status of Higher-Education Teaching Personnel stated, in 1997, that institutions of higher education, particularly universities, are communities of scholars preserving, disseminating and expressing freely their opinions on traditional knowledge and culture, and pursuing new knowledge without constriction by prescribed doctrines. It is these very ideals of free speech, freedom of thought and freedom of expression that act as the cornerstones of committed research in any society.

Recently, a circular issued by the Vice Chancellor of the Central University of Kerala made visible some of the fault lines that mark the future of academic freedom and dedicated research in our country. The circular contained problematic clauses which stated that research in the university needs to be done according to "national priorities," that research in "irrelevant areas" need not be promoted any longer, and that the faculty will draw up a list of projects from which prospective research scholars will be asked to choose their topics of research.

Central University of Kerala Circular by Tech2 on Scribd

Why I resigned

Being a member of the Board of Studies in the same university, a circular like this, which is detrimental to the prospects of free and academic research appeared appalling to me, caused me to register my protest by resigning from the Board. I wanted to draw attention to the many dangers that are latent in rules like this, hoping that higher education would become a matter of public debate.

The decision from the part of the University to implement an order that limits prospective research to select areas which are in accordance with national priorities is highly inimical to the purpose of higher education in public universities. At a time when there is much debate on governmental attempts to restrict instances of free speech that articulate dissent of different forms, such a move should be understood with much caution.

Highly undemocratic and restrictive, the clauses in the circular remind a discerning reader of the kind of restrictions that are usually imposed in dictatorial regimes. This even feels like the groundwork for a shift into a disciplining regime of that kind, if such a shift has not already happened. It was equally a matter of alarm that there were very few voices responding to this, and that many did not seem to have a problem with it.

Who determines national priorities?

It can be said that the use of the term 'national priorities' itself is problematic within academics as it limits the autonomy of the researcher and compromises the ethics that should form the base of any academic endeavour. Many of us working within the University system of India, of late, have been alarmed by the structural and ideological changes that have been sweeping across academia. At various universities, there have been attempts to suppress acts of dissent, acts of free speech and protests of different kinds. In such a context, the very unproblematic acceptance of national priorities needs to be contested, especially by asking questions like who gets to decide the priorities of the nation.

The nation is constituted by hundreds of regions, ethnicities, and linguistic groups. The idea of the nation becomes further complicated given that we are living in a time when the nation, in a certain sense, is trying to create individuals who are anti-national by virtue of what they believe in, what they eat, and what they think. A circular which states that research can only be done according to national priorities needed to be countered and opposed for these multiple reasons.

The circular must be fiercely contested

While the proposed order claims to discourage research in 'irrelevant areas', in effect, the order will act as a ceiling that prevents highly valuable research on topics of critique and dissent from finding a voice within the academic portals of a university. The very notion of defining the relevance of research in terms of national interest is something that needs to be fiercely contested. Some of the exciting research from the University of Kerala, for instance, focuses on highly specific fields like the Kerala modernity or the sartorial politics in 19th century Travancore. Such works look into several pertinent aspects of Keralas past, such as the fact that the saree was never really the dress of Kerala, or that there were women who did not cover their upper bodies at one point in history.

Would such research, which explores the entire debate on gender and dress in early, modern Kerala, be relevant in the national context? Who gets to say if it is irrelevant? It was recently news that NCERT has removed a chapter on the breast cloth revolt in Kerala  a momentous instance in Keralas past where women marched for their right to cover their upper body. Whether they were uncomfortable with printing the word breast in the textbook, or whether they are ashamed of a past where women did not cover their breasts, such ridiculous reasons do not stand as an excuse to authorise an act that would eventually end up erasing the particular histories of gender in a region.

What is to be noted here is that the breast cloth revolt, or the Channar revolt, bears very crucial indicators of the histories of renaissance and modernity in Kerala, and is an indispensable chapter in the pasts of gender and caste in the region. When a national board takes it off, labelling it as irrelevant, it amounts to a conscious erasure of specific histories, alerting us to the question of who gets to decide what is relevant or irrelevant.

The freedom to choose is at stake

Academics should inculcate spaces that are democratic and inclusive, as opposed to instructing researchers to stoop before the eccentricities of regressive regimes. What often strikes me as a teacher is that each generation of students that I teach is more brilliant than the previous one. When a university places itself as the authority that can decide what is relevant and irrelevant in research, and when it tells students to conform to a predetermined notion of relevance, in a sense, they are trying to put the next generation into boxes, limiting their vision and hampering their right to choose. It resembles the revival of the feudal structures, where a few decided what everyone elses role in the society should be.

Students at IISER Pune. Image: Twitter

A university that comes up with such undemocratic assumptions of research is implying that boys and girls who are old enough to vote are not capable of critical thinking. They are questioning the values, logic and the very fundamental principles of democracy, making our academic institutions into the most exclusionary of spaces. Decisions like this run the danger of taking away the political edge of public universities, which have historically been the bastions of protest against authoritarian and fascist regimes.

A similarly detrimental logic was seen to be articulated by some of the commentators on the issue who maintained that if a students research is funded with the taxpayers money, then they should listen to the taxpayer. Nothing could be more regressive than this. Left to the taxpayer, Isaac Newton would never have sat dreaming under a tree and as a result discovered the theory of gravity. But then modern scientific theories do not seem to have much currency as far as taxpayers these days are concerned, many have brazenly argued that all the science India needed was there in the ancient Vedic texts.

The dangers of corporate interests trying to regulate research

It is equally a matter of concern that the spirit of higher education in our country is increasingly being subsumed to the interests of neo-liberalisation, privatisation and corporatisation. By and large, the market model has entered the sphere of education as well. In such a context, authoritarian attempts to define the contours of research could run the danger of corporate interests trying to regulate what goes into research and what does not. Such dictates can have serious consequences for research in all disciplines including the sciences, but it will affect arts, humanities, and the social sciences a lot more.

These disciplines give space to fields of enquiries that are subversive, the study of caste being the best instance. An academic take on the Dalit movement is also an attempt to register a particular narrative, a discourse, which is silenced in the course of history. In the University of Kerala, topics like Ambedkarism and Dalit politics are therefore part and parcel of the curricula, and there is vibrant research going on in issues related to caste. It was recently in the news that in other universities, protests were filed by students who have been denied the right to research on similar subjects. Such issues need to be treated with a lot of vigilance.

If opposing the right to free speech was political, I was political

My resignation was propelled by the fact that I did not want to be part of any structure of power that limits the freedom of thought, the right to ask questions, the right to dissent, the right for a young student to choose what to study instead of something that is predetermined. Many of these reasons were seen as "political" by commentators.

If opposing the right to free speech was political, I was political. If standing up for the right of a student to dissent and to critique is political, I was being political. By political, if they meant either of these things, I'm proud to be political.

Politicians like Rahul Gandhi and Shashi Tharoor have responded to the issue, clarifying their stand. The Chief Minister of Kerala also stated that he intended to convey that research needs to be useful to the common man and that it was not among his intentions to pass judgment on the relevance of research but on the necessity to have diverse kinds of research.

After a public debate was triggered on the issue of research, one of the national newspapers has reported that the HRD has denied having given such directions to universities. If that is true, then it is inevitable to inquire from where a circular of this kind originates. Now that the MHRD too has come out stating that they were not part of such a directive, it is high time such a circular got withdrawn. If that is done, it would be a great triumph for the spirit and values of democracy and free thought in India.
For China, Pakistan is a borrowed knife to undermine or slow the rise of India in Asia as a competitor.

Following the Pulwama terror attack, tension soared between South Asias two nuclear rivals: India and Pakistan. However, another aspect deserves some attention: How China tried to capitalise on the tension. Though Beijing thoughtfully called on India and Pakistan to turn the crisis into opportunity, it turned out that China was also interested in turning the same crisis into an opportune time to spur its influence in South Asia as the new regional power: a geopolitical scenario looming over its horizon that New Delhi loathes.

After Indias air strike, Pakistan actively tried to bring in China as a potential mediator despite fully knowing that New Delhi would not accept any third party, much less China. Barely two days after Indias air strike on Balakot, the Pakistani foreign minister called his Chinese counterpart to help defuse tension with India on 27 February. On 6 March, Chinese deputy foreign minister Kong Xuanyou visited Pakistan and praised Islamabads management of the crisis with restraint and calmness. There was no mention of the deadly terrorist attack on India in his statement. China also informally indicated its interest to send its envoy to India, but New Delhi declined.

It seems there is a carefully calibrated strategy coming from Beijing and Islamabad where the latter portrays the former as the new big, but benevolent power capable of maintaining order in South Asia and the former also projecting a similar image yet in a subtler way through official statements and international visits.

Pakistan also tried to utilise the same crisis as means to internationalise the Kashmir issue and Chinas support even if symbolic, is crucial. While Kashmir is an important factor in India-Pakistan relations, however, it is necessary to note that Islamabad cannot use Kashmir as a smokescreen to cover the use of its territory as safe havens for terrorist groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) who claimed responsibility for the suicide attack in Kashmir. In the same vein, India also cannot blame everything happening in the Valley on Pakistan as ground realities are more complicated than the headlines. Caught between India-Pakistan rivalry, Kashmiris suffer the most. Thats the sad reality both sides do not admit.

As long as Pakistan fails to stop the proxy terror groups and their activities against India; peace between the two arch-rivals will likely come at a much larger cost. However, Pakistans increasing dependence on China as a source of political and economic support means that its not easy to detach itself from Beijings long-term strategy. Chinas massive investment in Pakistan under the Belt and Road Initiative has Pakistan further trapped in Beijings debt diplomacy. According to political science, a countrys huge economic dependence on another can reduce its political choices, including foreign policy. The implication for Islamabad is that it will find it difficult to pursue an India policy that is different from Chinese strategic interests in the subcontinent.

In this context, China continuously blocking the designation of JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) seems to be more about Chinas own interests than Pakistans. Beijings protection of Masood is to defend the Islamabads strategic use of proxy terror groups against India as a foreign policy tool. The potential blacklisting of Masood as a global terrorist on UNSC list means more international pressure on Pakistan to act adequately against the terror groups and curtail their activities. The Chinese mandarins do not want to see their friends in Rawalpindi under any international scrutiny because any international pressure on Pakistan will also pain China. Of course, its not owing to their all-weather friendship, but having their hands in the same glove.

Due to Indias diplomatic efforts, some international pressure is already felt in Beijing and Islamabad. After China blocked Masood for fourth time, there was strong feeling in India about Chinas double standards on terrorism. Senior Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir came to defend Chinese position by comparing Indias hosting of the Dalai Lama to Chinas protection of Masood. This issue-linking strategy is to divert international attention from Pakistans strategic use of terror and blaming India for sheltering the Dalai Lama. In this context, Hamids tweet is an unofficially official statement from Islamabad and Beijing.

For China, Pakistan is a borrowed knife to undermine or slow the rise of India in Asia as a competitor. It is Sun Tzus strategy of using a third party to defeat ones opponent. International relations realists argue that if a State has to project power beyond its region, attaining hegemony within its region is a must. As realist as they are, the Chinese strategists made sure Pakistan is equipped with enough strength to keep India muddled within South Asia. Whether its support for Pakistans nuclear programme or shielding of Masood; Beijings strategy in the region has been based on the realist calculation of containing the Asian Jumbo within its jungle. But why India? Why not Russia?

To put it straight: Chinas strategy in South Asia is a remarkable strategic vision. In the long term, despite its prowess in the production of weapons, Russias potential to challenge Chinas power is much less than what India potentially can do. Both rooted in rich and long civilisations; India and China share lots of similarities in strengths as well as weaknesses. Billionaires in population, large in size, fast growing economies, rising military powers and great ambition. To fuel their competition, they have two highly contested frontiers; Aksai Chin in the West and Arunachal in the East.

Returning to the India-Pakistan crisis, it deserves to be analysed in the theoretical framework of realism. Chinas call for the two sides to deescalate tension is especially in the interests of China. Beijing does not want its friend and foe to fight a war as it can drive Pakistans present financial crisis into bankruptcy. Its good to have Pakistan in its web of debt, but definitely not bankruptcy. Beijing can find many means to get Islamabad pay its debt. For example, it can takeover the Gwadar port for 99 years. At the same time, China does not want the rivals to develop friendly relations as it will reduce a tremendous strategic and security burden on India. For the Middle Kingdom, a cold peace between India and Pakistan is an ideal situation.

The author works on the China Research Programme at Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies
The FBI has already been looking into part of the Smollett case: a threatening letter the actor said he got a week before the attack. Johnson has said the letter is as phony as the attack, which he said Smollett staged when the letter got no publicity. But federal officials have yet to say anything publicly about the letter or possible charges.
The JKPSC in a statement said the papers for general knowledge exam scheduled on 25 March were distributed to the candidates a day before as they were mistakenly kept in a box meant for test papers for the 24 March exam.

Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) Wednesday asked police to register an FIR in connection with the disruption during an exam for the post of forest range officer in Srinagar due to rumours of paper leak.

The commission in a statement said the papers for "general knowledge" exam scheduled on 25 March were distributed to the candidates a day before as they were mistakenly kept in a box meant for test papers for the 24 March exam.

However, the supervisor collected them back immediately. The candidates were soon handed over the papers of essay exam scheduled for 24 March.

"After the essay exam, phone calls started pouring in from Srinagar centre-based candidates alleging the general knowledge paper had been seen by some candidates at the Jammu centre, the statement read.

"The Deputy Controller of Examinations, J&K PSC, Srinagar, has taken up the matter with the police station concerned for lodging of an FIR," it said.

A detailed report on the incident has also been sought from Director General of Police of Jammu and Kashmir and the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, it said.
As a responsible nation we wanted to be sure all space assets were safe and all the debris decayed fast, added DRDO Chairman Reddy.

After successfully conducting an A-SAT or anti-satellite missile test Wednesday, the Chairman of the DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) revealed in an interview with ANI that the project to develop this rare missile capability was green-lit two years ago.

"The NSA (Ajit Doval) whom we report to on strategic matters gave the direction to go ahead with the test and he had the concurrence from the Prime Minister. The development started a few years back and we went into mission mode in the last 6 months," said DRDO's Chairman G Satheesh Reddy in an exclusive interview to ANI.

#WATCH DRDO Chairman GS Reddy to ANI says, NSA (Ajit Doval) whom we report to on strategic matters gave direction to go ahead with the test & he had the concurrence from PM. The development started a few years back & we went into mission mode in last 6 months. #MissionShakti pic.twitter.com/QPoPobC9pp  ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2019

Reddy also added that in the last 6 months when the A-SAT missile programme entered "mission mode" level, about 100 scientists worked round-the-clock to reach the intended launch date target that was set.

The A-SAT missile was launched at approximately 11:16 AM on Wednesday from Odisha's Balasore and within three minutes of launch, it successfully hit the intended target, a de-commissioned Indian satellite, in a "Low-Earth Orbit" at roughly 300 km from the Earth's surface.

"Some time ago, our scientists shot down a live satellite 300 kilometres away in space, in Low-Earth Orbit. It was conducted under Mission Shakti, which was completed in three minutes, Narendra Modi said in his 10-minute televised address.

When asked the reason behind choosing a 300 km-altitude range for the target, Reddy said that protecting nearby space assets had to be considered. "As a responsible nation we wanted to be sure all space assets were safe and all the debris decayed fast, added DRDO Chairman Reddy.

Shortly after Modi's televised address announcing the success of Mission Shakti, Ministry of External Affairs released a detailed note informing the World that India's actions were only to augment its deterrence capabilities and did not intend to trigger an arms race in space.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry released a statement responding to India's A-SAT test which read: "We have noticed reports and hope that each country will uphold peace and tranquillity in outer space"

With the success of Mission Shakti, India has now entered an elite club of three nations, United States, Russia and China, with similar missile technology. This sort of missile application enables a country to attack and disrupt enemy satellites, thereby affecting communication networks.

A-SAT missile was an indigenous build. We have hit the target by 'Kinetic kill' that means by directly hitting the satellite. This calls for many technologies which we have developed completely indigenously in the country and we have achieved accuracy within a few centimetres... a very high level of accuracy, said Reddy in an exclusive interview to ANI.
Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan demanded that all political parties commit to 50 percent reservation for women in the Assembly and Parliament

Seeking parity for women in the political scenario ahead of Lok Sabha elections, Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA), one of the petitioners in the triple talaq case, demanded that all political parties commit to 50 percent reservation for women in state Assemblies and Parliament.

Adding that the time for 33 percent reservation is long over, a BMMA press release said that this measure should be implemented within a tangible time frame.

Muslim women met in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Delhi, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Odisha, Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and decided that various issues concerning women, especially from minority and Dalit communities, should be included in the Lok Sabha election manifestos of political parties.

The rights-based organisation sought passage of a Muslim family law based on the Quran and Indian Constitution akin to the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 which would enable legal protection for women, ensuring empowerment and dignity and equal access to education and livelihood opportunities. The conservative, patriarchal and misogynist voices within the community have been singularly responsible for the miserable state of the Muslim women and for the image of the Muslim community in the eyes of the larger society, the BMMA said.

Other demands included that Muslim women and girls be included in all poverty alleviation schemes and more girls schools with women teachers be opened in Muslim neighbourhoods. Scholarships for Muslims should be brought on par with those meant for Dalits, the release read, adding that sub-plan for minorities be included in Five Year Plans and budgets.

BMMA said that sensitisation was needed in the society regarding the Muslim community by strengthening the constitutional status of the state and central minorities commissions and allowing them to hear cases of discrimination. The go to Pakistan bogey and violence by gaurakshaks, including lynchings, have increased the insecurity. All political parties must promise action against hate speeches and religious polarisation, BMMA said in the document.

The organisation also demanded that party manifestos should include a provision for compensation to survivors of discriminatory crimes and incidents, programs for social harmony and strengthening of Ministry of Minorities Affairs.
West Bengal accounts for 1.04 crore out of Indias 1.48 crore population harmed by arsenic.

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

***

Gaighata (North 24 Parganas): West Bengal accounts for 1.04 crore out of Indias 1.48 crore population harmed by arsenic. At present, 20 percent of the states population is vulnerable to arsenic-related ailments like skin cancer, and heart and lung diseases. Out of 12 affected districts in West Bengal, the most seriously affected areas are in North 24-Parganas (21 blocks), South 24-Parganas (12 blocks), Nadia (17 blocks), Hooghly (21 blocks), Malda (9 blocks), Burdwan (8 blocks), Howrah (7 blocks) and Murshidabad (23 blocks).

After taking into consideration the severity of the issue, the Centre  with the recommendation of NITI Aayog  provided states a one-time assistance of an amount of Rs 800 crore in March 2016. This 100 percent grant by the Government of India sought to provide 8-10 litres per capita per day of safe drinking water in habitations affected by arsenic and fluoride for drinking and cooking purposes, as short term measures through Community Water Purification Plants (CWPPs).

There is no such plant in East Bishnupur of Gaighata block, where two decades of people drinking arsenic-loaded water drawn from tubewells and other sources has led to almost every villager here suffering from arsenic-related ailments. I have seen my father, mother, two cousins and four other relatives die a slow and painful death from arsenic-related illness, said a pale and emaciated Jaganabhandhu Mondal, who looks far older than his age (51). Jaganabhandhu and his wife Lalita, like many of their neighbours and friends, suffer from frequent bouts of breathlessness, bouts of nausea and weakness.

The sad part is they died not even aware of their illness, and there was no facility available to treat arsenic-related issues, said Jaganabandhu. Part of the Bongaon Lok Sabha constituency, Jaganabandhu said the poor and ignorant villagers ran from pillar to post in search of treatment and finally succumbed to a horrible death from cancer and liver diseases. Families like his are forced to buy water at Rs 25 per barrel (which they can barely afford) and store rainwater for drinking purposes. There is no family in my village that does not have a member suffering from arsenic-induced ailments, said his wife Lalita. From children to the elderly, everyone is living in perpetual fear of arsenic contamination.

Ananta Das (55), Himela Das (51), and Ajit Das (47) are counting their last days as they suffer from deep scars in their hands, dark spots all over their bodies and severe breathlessness  all symptoms of acute arsenic infection. I have lost all hopes of recovery, said a frail-looking Ajit, as he struggled to speak. No minister or MP or MLA ever comes to ask about our condition. Till now, 34 people of Gaighata have died and others are waiting to die, but the politicians are busy with vote bank politics.

And there is little hope of these villagers getting pure drinking water any time soon. Despite Trinamool Congress governments claim in 2016 that more than 90 percent of people of West Bengals eight arsenic-affected districts had been provided with pure drinking water, the states arsenic problem is only getting worse.

Over-dependence on deep groundwater because of the skewed water management policy in the districts is the root cause of the problem, said Ashok Kumar Das, state president of Arsenic Dushon Protirodh Committee or Arsenic Contamination Redressal Forum. The volume of water sucked up through tubewells far exceeds the natural replacement of the underground supply. The resulting imbalance causes arsenic to leak from the rocks underground.

The Centre had released funds to the tune of Rs 100 crore for West Bengal for last mile connectivity in commissioning surface water-based piped water supply schemes, according to a reply recorded in the Lok Sabha by Sanjeev Kumar Balyan, the Minister for State for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.

But water being a state subject means the onus is on the state government, while the Centre provides funds and technical assistance. The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (MoDWS) has said that up to 67 percent fund allocated to the states under National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) can be utilised for coverage of habitations affected by water quality and for tackling water quality problems.

But precious little was done by successive Left Front and Trinamool Congress governments to tackle the problem that has been affecting crores of people for the past 40 years. The first case of arsenic poisoning was detected in 1982 by Dr KC Saha, HoD of Dermatology at the School of Tropical Science, Kolkata. Later, Dr Dipankar Chakraborty, director of Jadavpur Universitys School of Environmental Studies, found arsenic in the blood of some villagers at Ashokenagar area of North 24-Parganas.

A subsequent survey done by Dr Chakraborty found alarming levels of arsenic in the areas water sources, much higher than WHO-stipulated maximum permissible limit of 0.01 mg arsenic per litre in drinking water. All survey reports with recommendations from experts to address the issue were submitted to the government, which ignored them.

Finally, the state government did set up an Arsenic Task Force recently, comprising experts from different fields and representatives of state and central government departments like pollution control board, health and family welfare, surface water investigation, GSI, Department of Science and Technology and the referral state-run SSKM Hospital. The board conducts studies and recommends remedial measures.

Public Health Engineering Department sources said the government had prepared a Vision 2020 document that envisages providing arsenic-free water to the people of affected districts. The source claimed that the latest technologies have been used in the filtration units attached to approximately 400 tubewells installed recently as part of the master plan.

But activists like Ashok Kumar Das describe such measures as baby steps. Arsenic-removal technologies can broadly be categorised as household-level filters, community-level treatment plants, in-situ arsenic treatment, dug-wells and ponds and piped water supply schemes and strengthening rainwater harvesting. But unless the government takes up long-term projects, the issue cant be addressed permanently as it involves huge costs and creating mass awareness, added Das.

Das argued that even the identification of arsenic victims is slow. But Block Medical Officer of Health (BMOH), Victor Saha, said a medical team is monitoring the situation and treating patients.

We identified 32 persons with arsenic-related ailments at a camp in mid-March. Some of were diagnosed with cancer and proper medicines are being given." The villagers, however, repeat that arsenic-specific treatment continues to elude them. Arsenic is an agent of slow and painful death, reiterated Das. Sadly, there are no pragmatic, sincere and time-bound measures from the government to address this major health issue. What can you expect when the basic approach is faulty.

Like in every election, this issue is bound to be raised by Opposition candidates in these regions particularly. Gaighata block is one of the worst-affected arsenic areas but the ruling party always ignores the locals concerns, said local BJP leader Chandrakanta Das. Well surely rake up the issue during the polls. CPIs state committee member Ranjit Karmakar added: TMC MP from Bongaon Mamata Bala Thakur always turned a blind eye to the issue when we raised it.

A charge inevitably denied by the MP. Water from Ganga river is being sourced through a pipeline from Naihati to Gaighata to solve the problem of drinking water shortage, said Bala Thakur. Besides, deep tubewells have been set up in the area. Yet, after all the arguments and campaign speeches are done, the problem of villagers suffering a slow and painful death from the contaminated water will remain. As Jaganabhandus wife Lalita said, We all are actually waiting to die.

(The author is a Kolkata-based freelance writer and a member of 101Reporters)
The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Army and Jammu and Kashmir police had launched a joint operation to nab or eliminate terrorists in the Keller area of Shopian district.

Shopian: Two bodies were recovered following the encounter that broke out between terrorists and security forces in Keller area of Shopian district in the wee hours of Thursday, officials said.

The identities of the deceased are yet to be ascertained.

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Army and Jammu and Kashmir police had launched a joint operation to nab or eliminate the terrorists.

A search operation is currently underway in the area.

Further details are awaited.
By Sahana Ghosh In 50 years from now, by 2070, the entire population of Bengal tigers in the Sundarbans mangroves in Bangladesh is likely to be lost to climate change and sea level rise, a modelling study by Bangladesh and Australian researchers has predicted. Further, by 2050 researchers forecast that a Ceriops decandra-dominated mangrove stretch along the India-Bangladesh border would potentially be the only refuge of the big cats in the Sundarbans, underpinning the urgency of executing transboundary measures in conservation. If we dont look after Bengal tigers and their critical habitats, our studies show a rapid decline in the Bengal tiger population and suitable tiger habitats in the Bangladesh Sundarbans area by 2050, and a complete loss of this species by 2070, said the corresponding author of the study, Sharif A Mukul. Spanning more than 10,000 square kilometres, the Sundarbans region of Bangladesh and India is the biggest mangrove forest in the world and also the most critical area for Bengal tiger survival. Sprawled out across 6,017 square kilometres, the Bangladesh side of the forest covers nearly 60 percent of the total area of the Sundarbans. The rest is in India. The latest census using camera traps has pegged the number of tigers to be between 83 and 130 in the Bangladesh Sundarbans while in India side of the mangroves they are believed to be 86 (photographed). Quite surprisingly, we found that climate change has a bigger impact on Bengal tiger in Sundarbans than that of sea level rise alone, which was thought to be more important than climate change until recently, said Mukul an assistant professor at Independent University, Bangladesh. The study considered sea level rise as a consequence of climate change and therefore both of them are mentioned separately, explained Mukul. The researchers specifically examined suitable tiger habitats in the mangrove ecosystem where the big cats prefer to live. Mukul told Mongabay-India: Another interesting point that we saw from our study is that in the last moments when the tiger population reaches a critical stage, the suitable habitats with tigers would be present only in the mangrove landscape bordering India. This is the space along the India and Bangladesh borders in the Sundarbans and is the site of Bangladeshs Sundarban West Wildlife Sanctuary.

Photo by Sharif Mukul et al.

Mukul believes the reason could be the domination of Ceriops decandra species of mangroves in this border stretch where salinity is relatively higher than the rest of the Sundarbans. These areas are also far away from human interference, he said. Climate change would drive a vegetation change/tree species shift and also trigger extreme weather events adding to the effects of sea level rise, added Mukul. The researcher underscored the contiguity of the mangrove landscape, between the two nations, as a unifying factor in implementing transboundary conservation measures that are still on paper. Climate change is likely to follow a similar path in the Indian Sundarbans and its counterpart in Bangladesh, observed Mukul, adding both sides are also vulnerable to rising sea level. Both India and Bangladesh Sundarbans share the similar environmental and socio-economic setting and interestingly there has not much illegal logging or forest loss on both sides of the Sundarbans as much of the mainland/land-based forests in both countries have experienced, Mukul reasoned. Apart from illegal poaching and human-tiger conflict, which is also common on both sides of the Sundarbans, we believe the fate of the tiger will be the same in entire Sundarbans if the governments dont take necessary action including transboundary conservation and monitoring of Bengal tiger and more areas dedicated for tiger conservation, he warned. YV Jhala, scientist at the Wildlife Institute of India, working on the monitoring of status of tigers, co-predators, prey and their habitats in India agrees with the findings of the study. Magnitude can vary depending on simulation model parameters but threats are real and affect Indian Sundarbans as well, Jhala told Mongabay-India. A 2016 modelling study on the Bangladesh Sundarbans mangrove forest predicted a substantial loss of mangrove forest area by 2100 under highest possible (realistically by 1.48 meter ) sea level rise scenario. But the authors note the mangrove forest loss cannot be more than 17-20 percent of the existing area, considering the still prograding nature of the delta in Bangladesh part due to water and sediment supply from Brahmaputra, Padma and Meghna rivers. Using climate change predictions to determine the impact on tigers The researchers tapped into computer simulations to assess the suitability of the low-lying Sundarban region for tigers and their prey species, using two greenhouse gas concentration scenarios (RCP6.0 and RCP8.5) developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) are based on plausible ranges of global greenhouse gas emissions and/or concentrations, where RCP8.5 is a substantially rising pathway (worst-case scenario) and RCP6.0 is an intermediate pathway. Their analyses included factors such as extreme weather events and sea-level rise. The vegetation data of the Sundarbans were obtained from the Bangladesh Forest Department. We used the occupancy data of Bengal tiger based on pugmark sign. For the present study, we used 66 tiger presence points. To predict the future distribution of Bengal tiger in the Bangladesh Sundarbans, we used two reference year, 2050 and 2070, said Mukul. Globally, sea level rise is likely to occur in the ranges of 3873 cm for RCP6.0 and 5298 cm for RCP8.5 by 2100 (IPCC, 2013). Climate change alone will result in a reduction of 96.2 percent and 99.4 percent Bengal tiger habitats in the area in 2050 and 2070, respectively using IPCCs RCP8.5 and RCP6.0 scenarios, the analysis revealed. In both the scenarios, the combination of climate change and sea level rise will lead to the total loss of Bengal tiger habitats in the area by 2070. Important factors linked to the distribution of the big cats in the Sundarbans are rainfall in the summer season, vegetation (mangrove species) and maximum temperature of the warmest month. However, our models did not incorporate aspects such as disease outbreak, poaching of the tiger, reduction of prey species that also shape their existence and distribution. We must also understand that the Sundarbans is a very dynamic system. While land is lost to erosion, island deposits are also formed due to accretion. So the actual scenario could be better or worse than what we have predicted, Mukul said.

Photo by Sharif Mukul.

In Bangladesh Sundarbans, the three main wildlife sanctuaries (ie, Sundarban West, South and East) together cover around 23 percent of the total Sundarbans reserved forest owned by the Bangladesh Forest Department. This figure is still inadequate, the researchers argue, considering the fact that, Sundarbans is the largest wild habitat of Bengal tigers and only place where tigers are adapted to live in mangrove ecosystems. The government of Bangladesh should prioritise tiger conservation by designating more areas for tiger conservation, create corridors for transboundary tiger movements, continue with strict monitoring and law enforcement to control illegal human activity in the area, avoid unplanned development in the vicinity and raise public awareness to control human-tiger conflicts in the area, the authors suggest. No other place like the Sundarbans left on earth At present, the entire Sundarbans area of India is spread over the districts of North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas in West Bengal in India and consists of roughly 4,200 square km of reserve forest and 5,400 square km of non-forested area. The Sundarban Tiger Reserve was created in 1973 and constituted as a Reserve Forest in 1978. The current core area was established as Sundarbans National Park (1330 square km) in 1984. In 1989, under UNESCOs Man and Biosphere (MAB) Programme, the Sundarbans Biosphere Reserve (SBR) was declared which includes the STR and the reserve forests outside the STR. Over the last three decades, expansion of core area (by 28 percent) in the Indian side and notification of a part of the buffer area as a wildlife sanctuary, shrunk the area available for fishing (both land and water) from 892.38 square km to roughly 523 square km. Even in the reserve forest outside the STR, where fishing is permitted only to boats with licenses, fishing areas are gradually becoming unavailable. On the Indian side, there are some positives. For example, the height of the land (metres above sea level) is more than that in Bangladesh Sundarbans. Human pressure on the forest is low. To control escalating human-wildlife conflicts the provision of alternative livelihoods has to be executed properly, said Mukul. Professor Bill Laurance of James Cook University in Australia, a co-author of the study emphasised in a press release that the more of the Sundarbans that be conserved  via new protected areas and reducing illegal poaching  the more resilient it will be to future climatic extremes and rising sea levels. There is no other place like the Sundarbans left on earth, said Laurance. We have to look after this iconic ecosystem if we want amazing animals like the Bengal tiger to have a chance of survival. Banner image: A Bengal tiger in Sundarbans. Photo by Modinul Ahsan. *** This article was originally published on Mongabay.com. Mongabay-India is an environmental science and conservation news service. This article has been republished under the Creative Commons licence.
The AAP leader expressed fear that the toxins will enter the ground water and water supply in Delhi and the water will become dangerous to use.

The Aam Aadmi Partys candidate for the North East Delhi Lok Sabha seat, Dilip Pandey, has raked up the issue of the setting up of two dumping grounds on the Yamuna flood plains by the East Delhi Municipal Corporation. On Thursday, Pandey also started a petition on change.org asking people to sign in protest of the proposal.

The petition, which has received over 8,500 signatures till now, seeks that the EDMC should find another site for the landfills. The campaign, launched weeks ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, is likely to connect immediately to people in Sonia Vihar, West Karawal Nagar, Sabhapur Village, Chohan Patti, Dayal Pur Village and Ankur Vihar, which lie near the Yamuna flood plains.

In the petition, Pandey alleged that the EDMC is planning to build the two landfills at Sonia Vihar and Ghonda Gujran.

The petition stated, This is the most dangerous place to build a landfill. Central Pollution Control Board has given a nod to the proposal, ignoring several laws such as the Water Act, 1974, the Environment Protection Act, 1986 and the Waste Management Rules 2016.

The Water Act, 1974, prohibits polluting and causing any damage to the ecology of rivers without consent from the authorities.

The petition said that garbage, toxins and heavy metals will flow directly from the landfills into the Yamuna.

The Yamuna bank is an active floodplain which drains directly into the river. The area is also highly unstable with seismic activity. Any toxin stored on the banks will spill into the river and poison it, it said.

Pandey also expressed fear that the toxins will enter Delhis ground water and water supply and the water will become dangerous to use.

Once the landfill is built, the damage will be done. It will be a bureaucratic nightmare to implement safety measures or shut it down and reverse the damage, he added.

On Wednesday, the DDA allocated land in Ghonda Gujran to the EDMC for setting up a landfill, as per a report in Hindustan Times.

The official was also quoted as saying that the landfill site will not be an open garbage dumping ground. He claimed that no trash will be visible, and there will be no stench.

However, Pandey took the opportunity to blame the BJP for the EDMC's decision. In a press conference on Wednesday, he said that he will file a fresh application challenging the actions of the DDA and the EDMC (both of which are controlled by the BJP).

He also asked Manoj Tiwari, Delhi BJP chief and current MP from North East Delhi, to make his stand clear on the issue, pointing out that it concerns the health and well-being of lakhs of people.

Pandey had first raised the issue last year after land was allotted to the EDMC for this purpose.

The recent allocation of land for the landfill sites by the DDA that falls under East Delhi has been done without any proper application of mind by the concerned authorities, he had said in a petition to the National Green Tribunal.

In the petition to the NGT, he demanded that the DDA be directed to cancel the allotment of the dumping land at Sonia Vihar and Ghonda to the EDMC. He also had prayed for a cumulative impact study to record the status of ecology of the Yamuna floodplains.
Amit Shah also slammed the erstwhile Tarun Gogoi-led Congress government in the state for allegedly settling illegal immigrants inside the Kaziranga National Park

Kaliabor: BJP president Amit Shah on Thursday said only Prime Minister Narendra Modi can protect the borders of the country, not the Congress party and its chief Rahul Gandhi.

He also criticised the Congress for asking proof of the casualty in the air strike at Balakot in Pakistan and claimed that India under Modi has become the third country in the world after the US and Israel to take revenge of its soldiers' blood.

"Should we not take revenge of our soldiers' blood? The Congress cannot protect the country's border. Only Narendra Modi and BJP can do that," Shah told an election rally in Assam.

India under the leadership of Modi took revenge of the blood of the soldiers after the Uri and Pulwama attacks by Pakistan-based terror elements, the BJP president said.

"In 10 years of Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh government, our soldiers' heads were chopped off. But there was no reply from India side," he alleged while campaigning for BJPs ally AGP's Monimadhab Mahanta who is contesting from Kaliabor Lok Sabha seat.

Shah also slammed the erstwhile Tarun Gogoi-led Congress government in the state for allegedly settling illegal immigrants inside the Kaziranga National Park.

"It was Sarbananda Sonowal and Himanta Biswa Sarma's BJP government which dared to evict all the immigrants from Kaziranga. Make Narendra Modi the PM again and I assure you that we will detect and deport every single illegal immigrant out of Assam," he added.
The BJP  which has set a target to win 22 out of 25 Lok Sabha seats spread over eight states in the region  may not find it easy to achieve its goal as most of its erstwhile allies have decided to contest forthcoming polls on their own.

Guwahati: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) could pay a heavy price in the North East for taking a tough stand over the Citizenship Amendment Bill, which had stirred the hornets nest in the region in December 2018 and the following month.

The Bill was viewed as a threat to the indigenous population of the North East and had triggered widespread agitations. The BJP  which has set a target to win 22 out of 25 Lok Sabha seats spread over eight states in the region  may not find it easy to achieve its goal as most of its erstwhile allies have decided to contest forthcoming polls on their own.

BJP national general-secretary Ram Madhav  after holding discussions with the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), Bodoland People's Front (BPF), Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT), National People's Party (NPP), Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) and the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) on 13 March  had hinted at all not being well for the BJP in the North East.

Addressing a press conference after winding up his North East visit, Madhav had said: In some of the Lok Sabha seats, our North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) partners are contesting against the BJP, as they are contesting separately. We welcome their decision and wish them luck. However, after the election, they will join the NEDA, and will support Prime Minister Narendra Modi post the polls.

The falling apart of NEDA

The NEDA is a political platform that was floated by BJP in 2016. The NEDA comprises of regional political parties from the North East and all of them are fundamentally anti-Congress.

At least eight partners of NEDA had joined the agitation against the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government for taking a tough stand against the Citizenship Amendment Bill in December 2018 and January 2019. For the BJP, it was important to cement its grip over the electorate of the North East  quick pre-poll alliances were of great significance, but the developments did not go the way BJP national president Amit Shah had wished.

BJP is now pitched in electoral fights in at least four states in the North East. In Tripura, where there are two Lok Sabha seats, the IPFT  BJP ally in the state government  has decided to fight against the BJP, turning the poll battle multi-cornered with the Left and the Congress also in the fray. And this happened despite the negotiations being held by Ram Madhav himself, a BJP insider said.

Ideally, the BJP should have been on a roll in the North East, but it is finding itself on a sticky wicket, with almost everything  from party candidates to partners, and even a resurgent Opposition  going against it.

It all started in 2018. During the Nagaland Assembly polls, held in February 2018, BJP dumped its ally Naga People's Front (NPF) and entered into an alliance with the newly-formed NDPP led by Neiphiu Rio, the incumbent Nagaland chief minister. NPF leader and former Nagaland chief minister TR Zeliang was a founder member of the NEDA.

The December 2018 Mizoram Assembly election witnessed a high-voltage drama as NEDA partner Mizo National Front (MNF) decided not to forge an alliance with the saffron party and go alone. BJP also fought the election, but only managed to win one seat, while the MNF won 26 out of the 40-member Assembly.

Following the Assembly election, the region witnessed widespread agitation over the Citizenship Amendment Bill. Local allies had no choice but to distance themselves from the BJP. The AGP even left the BJP-led government over the Bill.

Now, the Bill has lapsed in Parliament and the AGP has returned to the BJP fold, but by doing so, the party has put its credibility at stake.

Rise of a new leader

Protests against Citizenship Bill saw the rise of a new popular leader in North East  Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma  and his party NPP. The NPP has moved out of its home turf in Meghalaya and will contest on as many as 33 Arunachal Pradesh Assembly seats in the 11 April Assembly election. The NPP has also fielded its candidates from 14 Lok Sabha seats in the North East. Though NPP is not averse to BJP, but a pre-poll alliance with NPP  just like the AGP  would have taken the steam out of the backlash that BJP is still facing over Citizenship Bill.

NPP national general-secretary Vivekraj Wangkhem said NPP has "never believed in a pre-poll understanding as we have our own identity.

Asserting that NEDA is a political alliance and not an electoral alliance, he said, We fought Assembly polls in Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland alone and now we are contesting the election in Arunachal Pradesh without entering into seat-sharing agreement with any party. In a post-poll scenario, we will take a call."

Akhil Ranjan Dutta, a professor in the political science department of Gauhati University, said that the regional parties were left with no option other than distancing themselves from the BJP. The backlash against the BJP over Citizenship Amendment Bill made the regional allies uncomfortable. They had no choice but to back-off... In run up to the elections, the anti-Citizenship Amendment Bill protests have not sustained. The protesting groups are no more talking about it and AGP has again rejoined the BJP," he opined.

He said the NPP, led by present Meghalya chief minister, deciding to contest the election alone is big jolt for the BJP.

Dutta claimed that Congress was unable to derive political mileage out of the agitation against the Citizenship Amendment Bill.

Voters here have also matured beyond emotive politics. This time, the voters have maintained silence so it is difficult to read whats in their minds. Ultimately, it will also be about their day-to-day issues, and if their MP has been able to solve these or not. The eectorate would assess the performance of the government at state and Centre, and BJP has more chances with new faces," he said.

SKM backs off

The Himalayan state of Sikkim would witness a simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly polls, to decide the fate of countrys longest-serving chief minister Pawan Kumar Chamling of Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF). The BJP has maintained distance from Chamling and his party, although the SDF has been a part of NEDA for the past one year.

The BJP was hoping to join hands with SKM, which is the main Opposition party in Sikkim. Ram Madhav had even tweeted about both the parties entering into an alliance. However, SKM walked out from the deal.

Sikkim Krantikari Morcha SKM is the main opposition party in Sikkim. Its leaders led by President of SKM, Sh P S Goley and 2 MLAs met me today to finalise alliance with BJP in the state. State BJP President D S Chauhan and Prabhari Nitin Nabin were also present pic.twitter.com/1fC1sCpdKp  Chowkidar Ram Madhav (@rammadhavbjp) March 8, 2019

BJP fields new faces in Assam

In Assam, BJP has dropped five of its seven sitting MPs, including veteran RSS functionary and Tezpur MP RP Sarmah, Union minister Rajen Gohain from Nowgong constituency, veteran leader Bijoya Chakravarty from Guwahati, and Ramen Deka from Mangaldoi.

In a surprising move, the BJP also denied ticket to NEDA convener Himanta Biswa Sarma as the party wants him to deliver maximum seats in the North East rather than concentrating on one seat, a very unlikely move from the BJP, which claims to be a cadre-based party and doesnt usually rely on individuals.

Interestingly, before the schedule for the general election was announced, Sarma had told reporters in Guwahati: We have no doubts that BJP, along with other NEDA partners, will win as many as 21 seats out of 25 in North East. These MPs would help Modi form government for second straight term.

The rise and fall of BJP since 2014

In the 2014 Lok Sabha election, riding high on strong Modi wave, the BJP had won seven out of the 14 Lok Sabha seats in Assam. There was a BJP surge, boosted by rebellion in the Congress. In 2016 Assam Assembly polls, massive switch-over led by Himanta Biswa Sarma saw history being made with the formation of the first BJP-led government in the state.

In a bid to adopt the Assam success model across North East, Ram Madhav brainstormed to form the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) and Sarma was made its convener.

What followed in next three years set a record of sorts as the Sarma-Madhav duo, along with regional partners, and dissident Congressmen made entire North East Congress-mukt.

Out of the eight northeastern states, BJP led the government in four  Assam, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura. BJP is a part of two other governments in Nagaland and Meghalaya, and their NEDA partners are in power in Mizoram and Sikkim.

In fact, while participating in a NEDA meeting in March 2018, BJP president Amit Shah had laid out the framework on how BJP and its allies should approach the Lok Sabha polls. The agenda was set: To get maximum seats from the North East. However, things haven't fallen in place.

Senior Congress leader and former Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi said, The BJP government has nothing to show for itself in Assam. Thats the reason it has dropped so many sitting MPs and brought new faces.

Gogoi claimed that Congress has regained its lost ground across North East. Many regional parties can also ally with us in a post-poll scenario. Thats something which the BJP is very uncomfortable and scared about, he added.

Meanwhile, in Assam, All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF)  the second-most powerful Opposition political party  has decided to contest from only three Lok Sabha segments that it had won in 2014. The party, led by Badaruddin Ajmal, has influence over Bengali-speaking Muslims of Assam, and in 2014 the party had contested seven seats. The BJP is calling it a "Congress proxy".

BJPs state president Ranjeet Dass said, AIUDF was formed with minority agenda. In the past, they have fought sometimes against Congress and on few occasions as an ally of the Congress. But this time, it (their alliance) is no secret as AIUDF is contesting from three seats only.

He said that BJP is not only contesting in Hindu-dominated areas, but also from the places where minorities have a say.

The author is Guwahati - based freelance writer and a member of 101Reporters.com
In the wake of statewide I-T raids on JD(S) workers in Karnataka, former prime minister and JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda on Thursday alleged that the BJP had tried to persuade his son HD Kumaraswamy to form a government in Karnataka with their help before the May 2018 Assembly election.

Bengaluru: In the wake of statewide I-T raids on JD(S) workers in Karnataka, former prime minister and JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda on Thursday alleged that the BJP had tried to persuade his son HD Kumaraswamy to form a government in Karnataka with their help before the May 2018 Assembly election.

"The BJP had requested Kumaraswamy to come to Mumbai before the election, and promised to give big money for JD(S) electoral expenses. I was aware of this. Knowing fully well about my stand, Kumaraswamy took a hard decision. He rejected the offer by saying he would not go against the wishes of his father to join hands with the BJP," Gowda said.

The JD(S) supremo's statement comes in the wake of a statewide pre-dawn I-T crackdown on his partymen and others.

The Congress and JD(S) leaders have alleged that the raids were politically motivated.

The former prime minister alleged that the BJP was taking revenge against JD(S) leaders because they failed to form the government with the help of Kumaraswamy. "The I-T officials have been targeting DK Shivakumar. Now, they have targeted two parliamentary constituencies. The public works department office is being searched. They have stooped too such a low level," he said.

Gowda also alleged that BJP president Amit Shah wanted to meet him two years ago, but he refused. "He (Amit Shah) had sought an appointment to meet me at my residence two years ago. I said nothing doing," he said.
During Bolsonaro's 28 years in Congress, he repeatedly expressed support and admiration for the dictatorship. During last year's election, that position angered and shocked many Brazilians while seducing others who think of the dictatorship as a time of low crime and general order. Bolsonaro's promise to crack down on crime, one of the biggest challenges in Latin America's largest nation, appealed to many voters and helped propel him to victory.
Rahul Gandhi said promoting domestic industry will be a key priority for the Congress and it will ensure that all new businesses are freed from the clutches of red tape to give a boost to the economy

New Delhi: Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said new ventures will not require any regulatory permissions for three years and will get easy access to bank credit if his party is voted to power.

In an exclusive interview to PTI, he also promised to remove the existing 'angel tax' imposed on start-ups. Angel tax is levied on investment in start-ups. Currently, angel tax is charged at a maximum rate of 30 per cent.

Rahul said promoting domestic industry will be a key priority for the Congress and it will ensure that all new businesses are freed from the clutches of red tape to give a boost to the economy.

"For the first three years of setting up a new business, we are going to free you up from red tape. You will not need to ask for permission for anything," Rahul said.

These proposals, Rahul said, will be included in the Congress' manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections which will be released early next month.

"Don't bother about anything, there is no permission you need. Start your business, get to work," he said in a bid to woo the youth who intend to start their own businesses.

"We've said that we will remove the draconian and ill-conceived angel tax. I've made that commitment and it's going to be done," Rahul said.

Rahul said this "powerful idea" came after he held discussions with several entrepreneurs, during which they stressed that their biggest problem was getting all kinds of permissions from different agencies before starting their enterprises.

The entrepreneurs said different agencies ask lots of questions and bribes, and hence "we said, we believe in you; we trust you, and so for the first three years of setting up a new business, we are going to free you up from the red tape".

The Congress president said another idea that came up during discussions with entrepreneurs was the opening of the banking system to young business-persons and providing them access.

"Why should only Nirav Modi get thousands of crores? How many jobs has he created in India? Why can't a youngster who wants to start a business, who wants to give India 2,000 jobs, get a bank loan," he asked.

Rahul said the party is putting together a manifesto after several rounds of discussions with stakeholders and voicing their suggestions in the party's manifesto, which will include many such things to promote business, farming, employment generation et al.

The party, sources said, will release its manifesto in the coming week.

Former finance minister P Chidambaram heads the party's manifesto committee that is giving final touches to the manifesto. The panel has held several rounds of consultations in at least 150 locations across the country in the last several months in the run-up to polls.
Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy led a protest by the Congress-JD(S) ruling alliance in front of the Income Tax department in response to a statewide pre-dawn IT crackdown on his partymen and others

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy Thursday led a protest by the Congress-JD(S) ruling alliance in front of the Income Tax department here in a furious response to a statewide pre-dawn IT crackdown on his partymen and others.

Raising slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and waving party flags, the Congress and JD(S) activists gathered within hours after the IT raids conducted with the help of CRPF personnel at 15 to 20 places including Bengaluru, Mandya, Mysuru, Hassan and Shivamogga.

Congress and JD(S) activists who tried to storm the Income Tax office were arrested and later released as the protest on the ever busy Queens Road resulted in chock-a-block with hundreds of vehicles stuck in the traffic jam.

The ruling alliance was particularly angry as they alleged that the IT raids were carried out on JD(S) leaders overseeing the elections of Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil Kumaraswamy in Mandya and nephew Prajwal Revanna in Hassan.

Taking on the Modi government in the first such protest by the State chief minister against a central department in recent memory, Kumaraswamy lashed out at it for "misusing" the IT department and other central agencies.

Terming the Centre's behaviour as an "assault" on the federal system, he alleged that Modi has been misusing the constitutional bodies, which shows his "dictatorial streak". "We are not opposed to raids. We are opposing it because it is restricted to a few political parties in the opposition. They want to threaten them," a visibly angry Kumaraswamy said.

The crackdown came within a day after he claimed last night that the IT raids had been planned from 5 am on Thursday and he would not be deterred and would protest against it like his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee.

In an unprecedented showdown with the Modi government, Banerjee had sat on a dharna after the CBI tried to quiz Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar in connection with Saradha and Rose Valley Chit Fund scams.

"They are out to frighten us but the fact is the BJP is shaken and wants to win election by intimidating us. We are not the ones who get scared," the chief minister said. Strongly defending its action, the IT department said its activities should not be politicised, personalised or trivialised.

"We request that the activities of the income tax department should not be politicised, personalised or trivialised. In particular, statements which sound like an incitement to physical violence issued by persons holding very responsible posts are deeply deplorable," it added.

The searches were carried out on a wide range of professions and businesses including bureaucrats, breweries, MNCs, mining barons, diagnostic centres, trusts, educational institutions, medical colleges, real estate, fisheries, and film industry and including "politically exposed persons," it said.

The department also said in a release that no MP, MLA or minister had been covered in the searches and they were being carried out on the basis of credible information.

"A BJP leader sends list of people to Amit Shah, who eventually forwards it to Balakrishnan (principal chief commissioner of income tax department (Karnataka-Goa region) to carry out raids. Balakrishnan is acting as an agent of BJP. It seems that he wants a post retirement position such as governor of some state," Kumaraswamy said.

Kumaraswamy questioned BJP state chief BS Yeddyurappa as to whether he could win elections without money. He also said for the first time the I-T officials raided government offices too, such as PWD office in Hassan and Tahsildar office in Kanakapura.

The coalition partners said the raids were on people, who were monitoring the electioneering of Nikhil Kumaraswamy and Prajwal Revanna from the Gowda clan, targeting state minor irrigation minister C S Puttaraju and his nephew Ashok, who is a district panchayat member in Mysuru.

The raids were also carried out at the residences of PWD minister HD Revanna's close associates Narayana Reddy, Ashwath Gowda and Raya Gowda in Hassan, IT sources said.

Revanna's son and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda's grandson Prajjwal is contesting from Hassan Lok Sabha seat. Nikhil Kumaraswamy and Prajwal Revanna are testing political waters for the first time under the tutelage of Kumaraswamy and PWD minister HD Revanna.

Former chief minister and Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah questioned the timing of raids and said they could have been done a month before the election. "But when the election dates were announced such action raises many eyebrows," he said.

At Hassan, Revanna said, "So long as I have the blessings of Sringeri Sharadamba and Shankaracharya, nothing will happen...Anybody conspiring against me or trying black magic will be destroyed. I am so well protected."

Yeddyurappa rubbished the charges, saying the Income Tax department was doing its duty and it should not be linked with politics. He wondered why the Congress and the JD(S) were giving it a political colour when it was against some bureaucrats, contractors and others and not the MPs, MLAs and ministers.

According to the I-T department, the searches have resulted in collecting credible evidence on tax evasion. The searches on "politically exposed persons" have covered their entire range of the political spectrum, it said.

The I-T department also said CRPF personnel being used for the searches had not been flown from outside the state and they were requisitioned from the state police following the normal protocol.
The development came a day after, Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy raised fears about possible raids on Congress and JD(S) functionaries in the state.

In a pre-dawn swoop Thursday, Income Tax officials along with CRPF personnel carried out raids at the residences of Karnataka Minor Irrigation Minister CS Puttaraju and his nephew. Also under the scanner were 17 contractors and seven officers, from the Public Works Department (PWD) and Irrigation Department, who are considered close aides of Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy's brother HD Revanna. Revanna is the state PWD minister and the Holenarasipur MLA.

The teams have been carrying out raids at multiple locations in Bengaluru, Hassan, Mandya and Mysuru districts. The development came a day after, Kumaraswamy raised fears about possible raids on Congress and JD(S) functionaries in the state.

Hon'ble PM @NarendraModi is misusing the IncomeTax Dept to threaten the political leaders of Karnataka from JDS and Congress during election time They have planned to conduct IT raids on our important leaders.This is nothing but revenge politics.We will not be cowed down by this  H D Kumaraswamy (@hd_kumaraswamy) March 27, 2019

He had claimed that CRPF personnel were brought from various parts of the country to carry out the raids. He claimed that the "revenge raids" may be carried out at 5 am Thursday.

"Raids on Congress and JD(S) leaders can take place early Thursday morning using CRPF jawans instead of taking the help of the Karnataka Police in order to maintain secrecy," Kumaraswamy had claimed on Wednesday.

A report in The Hindu confirmed this. The newspaper reported that the local police had no information about the operation. Hassan SP AN Prakash Gowda told The Hindu that he had no information about the I-T operations.

Insisting that he never believed in politics of vengeance, Kumaraswamy said he never came in the way of Anti-Corruption Bureau sleuths to raid corrupt officials.

Speaking to a private news channel, JD(S) leader Puttaraju said three teams of Income Tax officials and CRPF personnel carried out raids at his Chinnakurli residence in Mandya and his nephew's house in Mysuru.

"Three teams comprising of I-T officials and eight CRPF soldiers carried out raids at my Chinnakurli residence in Mandya and my nephew's residence in Mysuru," Puttaraju told the channel.

The minister said he was not afraid of the raids and instead, it had instilled confidence in him.

"I'm not deterred by the raids, which are election-related. I would like to know which BJP leader's house in Karnataka has been raided," Puttaraju, who is in-charge minister of Mandya district, said.

The JD(S) has assigned him to oversee the electioneering of HD Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil Kumaraswamy, who is fighting his maiden election from the Mandya Lok Sabha seat.

The chief minister had on Wednesday warned that he would follow what his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee did to counter the 'misuse' of central agencies.

Banerjee had staged a "Save the Constitution" dharna from 3 to 5 February in Kolkata after the CBI's failed bid to question Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar in connection with chit fund cases.

Puttaraju said soon a meeting will be convened where the mode of protest against these raids will be decided.

Earlier, the Income Tax Department had arrested another Janata Dal (Secular) leader for defaulting on taxes. News18 reported that the arrested leader was Prabhakar Reddy, however, this could not be confirmed officially. The I-T department merely said it had arrested a taxpayer who had contested the Vidhana Sabha elections in the state on two occasions and the parliamentary elections once on the ticket of a prominent political party. Prabhakar was arrested after defaulting on paying taxes to the tune of Rs 5.4 crore.

With inputs from PTI
The Kerala High Court reminded political parties about the green protocol and prohibited the use of flex and other non-biodegradable materials for poll campaigning.

Kochi (Kerala): A sheer coincidence ahead of the Lok Sabha polls is playing out in favour of the Left Democratic Front (LDF), a coalition of Left-wing political parties in Kerala, which has a dedicated pool of graffiti writers.

An order by the Kerala High Court asking political parties to follow the 'green protocol' and its strict enforcement by the Election Commission has left the political parties, except LDF, grappling with outdoor publicity issues.

Just before the Lok Sabha elections were announced, the Kerala High Court on 11 March this year reminded political parties about the green protocol and prohibited the use of flex and other non-biodegradable materials for poll campaigning. The high court ordered that if any party or candidate violates the directions, criminal proceedings should be initiated.

Following the directive, Kerala Chief Electoral Officer Teeka Ram Meena declared that the Election Commission would strictly not allow any campaign material that would pollute the environment.

The Green protocol is a set of guidelines that seek to reduce the generation of waste and restrict the usage of non-biodegradable material. It was first implemented, and successfully too, during the National Games held in Kerala in 2015. The protocol since then has become a standard practice in all social and religious festivals in Kerala.

LDF has no problems

The high court order and the Election Commission's tough stance have forced political parties to return to the old-school methods of outdoor publicity, such as painting walls with party slogans and candidate appeals. But over-dependence on flex boards and the offending PVC materials in recent years has created disconnect with the old system. Most parties have been caught unprepared to meet the challenge to provide outdoor publicity for their candidates.

Graffiti demands special skill and there is a serious shortage of the graffiti writers, putting the parties in a bind.

Graffiti has always been a powerful medium for the communists. So, they have a dedicated pool of artists who are busy round the year, creating graffiti for the party events that keep happening. Also, since most of the artists come from humble backgrounds, they are more likely to be supporters of the Left parties, as such these parties are able to draw upon a resource that is almost captive.

LDF election committee chief at Pathanamthitta, Ananthagopan, said, Our walls are entirely painted by party volunteers and we dont face any problem. We have about 300 walls in each of the seven Assembly segments of the constituency and almost all the walls are already done.

It is no wonder, therefore, that the LDF walls have been populated with campaign messages and election symbols much ahead of other parties, which are still in the process of tying up the resources.

The LDFs cause was further helped by the early finalisation of candidates, unlike the United Democratic Front (UDF  an alliance of Congress-led political parties in Kerala) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as both the outfits kept on wrangling for seats till the last moment.

More demand, less supply

Varghese Thomas, owner of Century Communications, a leading outdoor advertising agency, said, The wall painters were mostly absorbed in roles associated with flex boards and hoardings so that their jobs were protected. But this prevented new talent from coming into the traditional work of wall graffiti and calligraphy. Wall painting was no longer used for premium products and was limited to items of common use such as building materials and steel bars as well as promotion of local shops.

There is a sudden surge in demand, but supply remains limited, Thomas added.

UDF, BJP candidates struggle

Political parties have been struggling to find enough skill to fill their walls. And those who are available demand a heavy price. UDF and BJP candidates are finding it tough to organise people with the required skill at such a short notice, that too for just a limited period.

Pathanamthitta BJP district chief Ashokan Kulanada, admitted that the delay in finalisation of names of candidates affected the progress of the work. Pathanamthitta is one of the seats where the BJP hopes to win as the party candidate K Surendran was a key figure in the agitation against the entry of women into the Sabarimala temple.

The operation has been further constrained by the lack of vantage walls, particularly in urban areas, where property owners are reluctant to permit the use of their walls for election campaign.

Strict monitoring of campaigning by the authorities, including the monitoring cell of the Election Commission, ensures that parties do not get away lightly for violations.

Election bonanza helps democracy flourish

The election, in a way, is helping democracy flourish in the outdoor publicity work, which had earlier remained the exclusive domain of contractors who had built up the flex business to sophisticated levels, backed by a powerful network of printing units, material suppliers and designers.

With the focus shifting back to the humble artists, some of the more enterprising among them have themselves become contractors, building small teams of co-workers and taking up work directly from the parties. Each team has one or more calligraphers, with the rest of them responsible for painting the walls and organising other things.

The decentralisation has worked in favour of the workers as the flex contractors, as middlemen, used to pocket much of the profits in the earlier system.

Workers elated

Workers painting a wall for the UDF at Pathanamthitta said that they were paid Rs 600-700 per day when they used to work for the flex contractors, but now they earn double that amount. They add that now, they get paid for the skill that they possess.

The workers said they were happy to be in demand once again, but they were not sure of how long this could last. Once the elections are over, they probably would have to go back to their re-aligned roles under the erstwhile flex contractors. Perhaps a limited number would graduate to being contractors themselves.

'Green protocol' forces major transformation

In any case, the green protocol has forced a major transformation in the flex industry.

According to Rajesh Madhavan, head of the legal committee of Kerala Advertising Industries Association, the flex industry has restructured itself to comply with the green standards. An alternative non-polluting medium has been developed in place of the flex and PVC material, he said.

Madhavan said that reputed fabric manufacturers such as Arvind Mills have stepped in to fill the void, making new cloth material available at reasonable rates.

Ambiguous government policies

Madhavan complained that there are ambiguities in the policy relating to outdoor advertising, which, according to him, have been marked by ad hoc approaches in the past four to five years.

He said that the nodal authority to implement the 'green protocol' is the local self-government department, which is supposed to issue permission for outdoor publicity activities in any particular area.

With the introduction of GST, the process has become further complicated. Earlier, the fee for granting permission was collected by the department, but under the GST regime, the money goes into the state and central pool and the department has stopped adopting a proactive approach as it has no stake in the collection. This leads to delay in permissions issued by the department, he said.

As per the existing arrangement, the outdoor advertising industry is charged tax at 18 percent, which has increased the cost for the industry.

Madhavan has been leading a campaign on behalf of the committee that he heads for more sympathetic consideration for the industry from the authorities commensurate with the additional burden imposed on it.

However, nobody doubts that the 'green protocol' has become a 'golden rule' and there is no going back on it. Stakeholders, including the industry and the workers engaged in it, have no option but to fall in line.

(The author is a Pathanamthitta-based freelance writer and a member of 101Reporters.com)
Days after the BJP picked Tejasvi Surya, a young lawyer who has been working closely with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), as its candidate for prestigious Bangalore South seat, allegations of him being a 'womaniser', an 'abuser' and a 'woman-beater'.

The Karnataka Congress has targeted BJP's youngest candidate from the state, Tejasvi Surya, following posts on Twitter accusing him of being a "womaniser", an "abuser" and a "woman-beater". Surya is a young lawyer who has worked closely with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), and is the party's pick for Bangalore South.

Twitter handle of Karnataka Congress sent out a screengrab of tweets by businesswoman Som Dutta, who in her interactions with author Shefali Vaidya said:

In a series of tweets, Dutta, who is a prominent businesswoman, said, "... I request you to not blindly promote Tejasvi without knowing his full truth. Do you actually want a womaniser, abuser, woman beater to lead us? Need proof? I will share. Not every Hindu is Dharmic and great speeches don't make a great man."

In another tweet, Dutta said, "... for over five years I have suffered at his hand till I decided to make it stop by taking up serious measures. My love was blind and trust me I am not his 1st victim or will be the last. Not every hindu is Dharmic in true sense."

However, she did not elaborate on what "serious measures" were taken. In a third tweet, Dutta said,"Karma gets to everyone my friend. I don't believe in public spats and defamation. Should the party not do their background checks before giving ticket? My parents have suffered too much coz (sic) of my choice can't let them suffer anymore."

Dutta's Twitter account is currently deactivated. After her tweets went viral and shared by the Karnataka Congress, Dutta deleted them and put up a tweet asking people to leave the issue alone, as they are both from good families and people will get hurt if the matter is dragged further. At this time, her Twitter profile appears to be inactive.

"Dear all, I request everyone to leave the Tejasvi and Me issue alone. It's my humble request. We both comes from very good families and lot of people will get hurt if we drag this further. We have moved on. I have deleted by tweets on my own as I realised it's not worth it."

Tejasvi has been named as the BJP candidate from Bangalore South Lok Sabha constituency, which was earlier held by senior BJP leader from Karnataka Ananth Kumar. It was decided that Kumar's wife Tejaswini will be fielded from the constituency.

Known for his hyperbole on social media and amplified cries of nationalism, the allegations of sexual abuse and assault will not make it easy for Tejasvi whose candidature has not gone down well with state BJP functionaries with some demanding an explanation before committing to any campaigning.

Tejaswini was the only candidate the state BJP had recommended to the party's central leadership, Deccan Herald reported. "It is shocking for all of them (party workers) and even to me. But I have been telling them and myself that now is the time we show we are a party with a difference and to show maturity," Tejaswini told Deccan Herald.

Tejasvi will contest against Congress' BK Hariprasad in Bangalore South. He is the nephew of BJP lawmaker Ravi Subramanya. If Tejasvi wins, he would be the youngest MP from the BJP camp. With a young face, the BJP could be hoping to secure youth support for the upcoming polls.

At the time of writing, neither the BJP nor its Bangalore South candidate had commented on the allegations.

Editor's Note: The headline of this piece has been amended to reflect the allegations made against Tejasvi Surya. His accuser has deactivated her account stating she does not wish to "drag this" further.
The northernmost state of the country, Jammu and Kashmir, sends six members to the Parliament and none of these seats is reserved.

The northernmost state of the country, Jammu and Kashmir, sends six members to the Parliament and none of these seats is reserved. The state also has 87 Assembly constituencies.

Spread primarily across the Himalayan mountains, this state is at the centre of a border dispute between India, China and Pakistan. According to data from the Census 2011, of the total area of the state, 78,114 sqkm is under illegal occupation of Pakistan, 5,180 sqkm is illegally handed over by Pakistan to China and 37,555 sqkm is under illegal occupation of China in Leh (Ladakh) district.

The state can be divided into three primary divisions -- Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. Jammu and Kashmir has a population of 1,01,43,700. Of this, around 67 percent practice Islam, 30 percent are Hindus and 1.36 percent are Buddhists. The state also enjoys a special status.

Under pressure from separatists and under attack from militants, the state is gearing for one of its most important elections in 2019. In the last election in 2014, the National Conference (NC) and Congress lost to the Narendra Modi-wave when BJP caught hold of the Jammu and Udhampur seats. However, the grand old party is expecting to change that this election. Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Mehbooba Mufti, has stayed away from the Jammu and Udhampur seats by not fielding any candidates.

1. Anantnag Lok Sabha Constituency

Constituency number: 3

Total electors: 12,99,659 (2014 estimates)

Female electors: 6,15,929

Male electors: 6,83,691

Reserved: No

Delimited: No

Assembly Constituencies: Tral, Pampore, Pulwama, Rajpora, Wachi, Shopian, Noorabad, Kulgam, Hom Shali Bugh, Anantnag, Devsar, Dooru, Kokernag, Shangus, Bijbehara, Pahalgam

Results in last four elections: In 1999, JKNC candidate Ali Mohammed Naik won the election from this constituency. In 2004, JKPDP leader Mehbooba Mufti beat the JKN candidate by over 38,000 votes to be elected as the MP from here. Mirza Mehboob Beg, the JKN candidate who had been defeated in 2004, won the majority in 2009. Mufti won again in the 2014 election but resigned as MP in 2016 to become the chief minister of the state.

Demographics: Lying in the southern part of the Kashmir Valley, the Anantnag constituency is spread across four districts of Shopian, Pulwama, Kulgam and Anantnag. Interestingly, the Election Commission of India, in an unprecedented move, has decided to hold elections in this constituency in three phases. Politics in this strategically important constituency has been boiling since the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in July 2016.

2. Baramulla Lok Sabha Constituency

Constituency number: 1

Total electors: 11,89,120 (2014 estimates)

Female electors: 5,66,460

Male electors: 6,22,632

Reserved: No

Delimited: No

Assembly Constituencies: Karnah, Kupwara, Lolab, Handwara, Langate, Uri, Rafiabad, Sopore, Gurez, Bandipora, Sonawari, Sangrama, Baramulla, Gulmarg, Pattan

Results in last four elections: In 1999, JKN candidate Abdul Rasheed Shaheen was elected MP from this constituency. Shaheen beat the PDP candidate in the 2004 elections and won a majority. Sharief Ud Din Shariq from JKN won the election in 2009. PDP candidate Muzaffar Hussain Baig won the election in 2014.

Demographics: Located in north Kashmir, Baramulla is home to 10,08,039 people, 80 percent of whom live in rural areas. So far 10 candidates, including those from national parties like BJP and Congress, have filed their nominations from here. While the saffron party has fielded Mohammad Maqbool War, Congress has nominated Farooq Ahmad Mir.

3. Jammu Lok Sabha Constituency

Constituency number: 6

Total electors: 18,10,449 (2014 estimates)

Female electors: 8,63,317

Male electors: 9,47,119

Reserved: No

Delimited: No

Assembly Constituencies: Samba, Vijaypur, Nagrota, Gandhi Nagar, Jammu East, Jammu West, Bishnah, Ranbirsingh Pura, Suchet Garh, Marh, Raipur Domana, Akhnoor, Chhamb, Nowshera, Darhal, Rajouri, Kala kote, Surankote, Mendhar, Poonch Haveli

Results in last four elections: In 1999, BJP candidate Vishnu Dutt Sarma was elected MP from this constituency. In 2004, the seat went to Madan Lal Sharma from Congress who beat Nirmal Singh from BJP by merely 17,000 votes. Sharma was re-elected in 2009. BJPs Jugal Kishore won the election in 2014.

Demographics: This constituency consists of four border districts-- Samba, Jammu, Rajouri and Poonch. According to Census 2011, Jammu has a population of 15,29,958. Residents, particularly of the border areas, often suffer shelling and firing. It is one of the more developed constituencies of the state with 50 percent of the population living in urban areas. Almost 25 percent of the population belong to the scheduled castes.

4. Ladakh Lok Sabha Constituency

Constituency number: 4

Total electors: 1,61,644 (2014 estimates)

Female electors: 79,730

Male electors: 81,910

Reserved: No

Delimited: No

Assembly Constituencies: Nubra, Leh, Kargil, Zanskar

Results in last four elections: In 1999, NC candidate Hassan Khan won the election and was elected MP. Independent candidate Thupstan Chhewang won the election in 2004. In 2009, Hassan Khan ran as an independent candidate and won the election. In 2014, Chhewang ran the election with a BJP ticket won a majority by a mere 36 votes. In 2018, Chhewang resigned from his post as well as the BJP leaving the seat vacant.

Demographics: The constituency, consisting of Kargil and Ladakh districts, is one of the biggest in size in India. It is demographically divided between the Shia-dominated Kargil and Buddhist-dominated Ladakh. The tug-of-war between the two different demographics is an essential part of local politics.

5. Srinagar Lok Sabha Constituency

Constituency number: 2

Total electors:14,23,729 (2014 estimates)

Female electors: 6,93,610

Male electors: 7,29,701

Reserved: No

Delimited: No

Assembly Constituencies: Kangan, Ganderbal, Hazratbal, Zadibal, Eidgah, Khanyar, Habba kadal, Amira kadal, Sonawar, Batmaloo, Chadoora, Budgam, Beerwah, Khan Sahib, Chrar-i-sharief

Results in last four elections: NC leader Omar Abdullah won the Lok Sabha election in 1999 and 2004. He was succeeded by his father Farooq Abdullah in 2009. PDPs Tariq Hameed Karra won the election in 2014.

Demographics: The Srinagar Lok Sabha seat is spread over three districts of Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal. It has 12,90,318 voters who will cast their votes in 1,716 polling booths across the constituency. It is one of the four constituencies in India (three of them in the Valley) where Muslims are over 80 percent of the electorate.

6. Udhampur Lok Sabha Constituency

Constituency number: 5

Total electors: 14,23,729 (2014 estimates)

Female electors: 6,93,610

Male electors: 7,29,701

Reserved: No

Delimited: No

Assembly Constituencies: Kishtwar, Inderwal, Doda, Bhaderwah, Ramban, Banihal, Gulab Garh, Reasi, Gool Arnas, Udhampur, Chenani, Ram Nagar, Bani, Basohli, Kathua, Billawar, Hira Nagar

Results in last four elections: BJPs Chaman Lal Gupta won the election in 1999. He was succeeded by Congress Chaudhary Lal Singh in 2004. Singh was re-elected in 2009. BJPs Jitendra Singh was elected MP in 2014.

Demographics: The constituency is spread over six districts of Kathua, Doda, Ramban, Reasi, Udhampur and Kishtwar in the Jammu region of the state. The majority of voters in this constituency are Hindus followed by the Muslim voters, including the tribal Gujjars and nomadic goatherds called the 'Bakarwals'. Sikh voters are also present in this constituency.
With 28 seats, Karnataka has the second highest number of Lok Sabha seats in the south after Tamil Nadu.

The southern state of Karnataka will go to polls in two phases, with 14 constituencies each voting on 18 and 23 April. With 28 seats, Karnataka has the second highest number of Lok Sabha seats in the south after Tamil Nadu.

The electoral contest is between the BJP and the Janata Dal (Secular)-Congress combine. In the last elections, the BJP emerged as a winner with 17 seats, while the Congress could only win nine. The JD(S) won just two seats.

As per the seat-sharing agreement between the JD(S) and the Congress, the former will contest on eight seats while the rest will be contested by the latter. However, the coalition seems to be facing some trouble, especially in Hassan, Tumkuru and Mandya, where possible rebellions may be brewing over the seat-sharing arrangement.

The BJP, on the other hand, will be banking on Prime Minister Narendra Modis charisma, and the uneasy set-up between the Congress and the JD(S) to improve its tally in the state.

Here is a brief look at the constituencies in the state:

1. Chikodi Lok Sabha Constituency

Constituency number: 1

Total Electors: 14,42,296 (2014 estimates)

Male Electors: 7,46,113

Female Electors: 6,96,183

Assembly Constituencies: Nippani, ChikkodiSadalga, Athni, Kagawad, Kudachi, Raybag, Hukeri, Yemkanmardi

Reserved: No

Delimited: This constituency became an open seat after 2009. Before that, the seat was reserved for Scheduled Castes.

Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: Union Minister Ramesh Jigajinagi was elected thrice from this constituency between 1998 and 2004. In 2009 elections, Ramesh Katti retained the seat for the BJP. In 2014 elections, Prakash Hukkeri of the Congress won the seat.

Demography: Part of Belgaum district, which is considered the sugar belt of Karnataka, Chikkodi is dominated by the Lingayats, who constitute 17 percent of the population in the state. According to a report, as per 2014 estimates, there are over 3.8 lakh Lingayat voters in the constituency, along with a sizeable number of Kurubas, Marathas and Muslims.

2. Belgaum Lok Sabha Constituency

Constituency number: 2

Total Electors: 15,81,017 (2014 estimates)

Male Electors: 8,07,598

Female Electors: 7,73,419

Assembly Constituencies: Arabhavi, Gokak, Belagavi Uttar, Belagavi Dakshin, Belagavi Rural, Bailhongal, Saundatti Yellamma, Ramdurg

Reserved: No

Delimited: Yes. In 2008.

Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: After Congress Amarsinh Patil won the seat in the 1999 elections, Suresh Angadi of the BJP won the seat thrice in a row. He is expected contest once again in the upcoming polls.

Demography: Belgaum Lok Sabha constituency has a substantial Marathi population. According to the 2011 Census, 60 percent of Belagavi districts population is Marathi-speaking. The presence of a large Marathi speaking population has been a cause of friction between Karnataka and Maharashtra, with an organisation called Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti demanding the Belgavis merger with Maharashtra. According to The Times of India report, the constituency, especially in the city and its surrounding areas, also has over 2 Lakh Maratha community voters, who traditionally vote for the BJP.

3. Bagalkot Lok Sabha Constituency

Constituency number: 3

Total Electors: 15,68,620 (2014 estimates)

Male Electors: 7,93,338

Female Electors: 7,75,282

Assembly Constituencies: Mudhol, Terdal, Jamkhandi, Bilgi, Badami, Bagalkot, Hungund, Nargund

Reserved: No

Delimited: Yes. In 2008, Gulegud Assembly constituency was rechristened Terdal, Nargund Assembly constituency, which was earlier in Dharwad North Lok Sabha seat, was added to Bagalkot.

Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: PC Gaddigoudar is the sitting MP since 2004. Before him, RS Patil represented the constituency between 1999 and 2004.

Demography: The Lingayat community, like in other parts of North Karnataka, is dominant in Bagalkot Lok Sabha constituency. Kuruba community is found in large numbers in Badami Assembly segment, which is currently represented by former chief minister Siddaramaiah.

4. Bijapur Lok Sabha Constituency

Constituency number: 4

Total Electors: 16,22,635 (2014 estimates)

Male Electors: 8,47,815

Female Electors:7,74,820

Assembly Constituencies: Muddebihal, Devar Hippargi, Basavana Bagevadi, Babaleshwar, Bijapur City, Nagthan, Indi, Sindgi

Reserved: Yes. For Scheduled Castes

Delimited: Yes. In 2008, it became a seat reserved for Scheduled Castes

Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: BJP has held this seat since 1999. In 1999 and 2004 elections, Basangouda Patil Yatnal won the seat while Ramesh Jigajinagi won the seat in the 2009 and 2014 elections. Jigajinagi is currently a Union Minister.

Demography: The historically significant town of Bijapur comes under this Lok Sabha constituency. Situated in North Karnataka, Bijapur has a plurality of Lingayat voters, while Muslims form a significant chunk of the electorate in the city. Dalits and Lambani, a tribal community, are also found in sizeable numbers in this constituency.

5. Gulbarga Lok Sabha Constituency

Constituency number: 5

Total Electors: 17,21,990 (2014 estimates)

Male Electors: 8,78,311

Female Electors: 8,43,679

Assembly Constituencies: Afzalpur, Jewargi, Gurmitkal, Chittapur, Sedam, Kalaburgi Rural, Kalaburgi Dakshin, Kalaburgi Uttar

Reserved: Yes. For Scheduled Castes

Delimited: Yes. In 2008. Gulburga Assembly seat was split into Gulbarga Dakshin and Gulbarga Uttar

Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: This is a Congress safe-seat, having continuously elected Congress leaders since Independence, except in the 1996 and 1998 elections. In 1999 and 2004 elections, Iqbal Ahmed Saradgi won the seat. Senior Congress leader Mallikarjuna Kharge is the sitting MP since 2009.

Demography: The seat, which is reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates, has a sizeable population of Lingayat, Dalit and Muslim population. Holeya, a sub-caste of Dalits, account for 4 lakh voters in the constituency. Muslims are a decisive factor in Gulbarga Uttar and Gulbarga Dakshin.

6. Raichur Lok Sabha Constituency

Constituency number: 6

Total Electors: 18,93,576 (latest figures)

Male Electors: 9,39,752

Female Electors: 9,53,457

Assembly Constituencies: Shorapur (ST), Shahapur, Yadgir, Raichur Rural (ST), Raichur, Manvi (ST), Devadurga (ST), Lingsugur

Reserved: Yes. For Scheduled Tribes

Delimited: The constituency was reserved for STs in 2008.

Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: Between 1998 and 2004, AV Venkatesh Naik represented the constituency thrice. In 2009 elections, Sanna Pakirappa of the BJP won the seat. In 2014 elections, BV Nayak of the Congress won the seat by just 1,500 votes.

Demography: Raichur district, which is part of the Hyderabad-Karnataka region, has a tribal population of little less than 20 percent. However, the district faces chronic poverty and low economic development. Interestingly, Raichur will have more women than men voters voting in the upcoming elections.

7. Bidar Lok Sabha Constituency

Constituency number: 7

Total Electors: 16,00,962 (2014 estimates)

Male Electors: 8,39,154

Female Electors: 7,61,808

Assembly Constituencies: Chincholi (SC), Alanda, Basavakalyan, Homnabad, Bidar South, Bidar, Bhalki, Aurad (SC)

Reserved: No

Delimited: Yes. After the Delimitation process, the district became a general seat.

Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: BJP leader Ramachandra Veerappa represented the seat between 1991 and 2005, when he passed away. In the 2005 by-poll, Congress Narsingrao Suryavanshi won the seat. Senior Congress leader Dharam Singh won the seat in 2009 elections. BJPs Bhagwant Khuba is the sitting MP, having defeated Singh by over 92,000 votes.

Demography: Lingayats are a dominant vote bank in the constituency. Muslims also wield considerable influence over the electoral fortunes of the candidates in the constituency. Muslims form at least 40 percent of the electorate in the urban parts of Bidar district. A combination of Dalits, OBCs and Muslims form the majority of the electorate in Bidar. The constituency is also known to have a significant population of Telugu speakers.

8. Koppal Lok Sabha Constituency

Constituency number: 8

Total Electors: 15,35,105 (2014 estimates)

Male Electors: 7,70,316

Female Electors: 7,64,789

Assembly Constituencies: Sindhanur, Maski (ST), Kushtagi, Kanakagiri (SC), Gangawati, Yelburga, Koppal, Siruguppa (ST)

Reserved: No

Delimited: Yes, in 2008

Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: HG Ramulu of the Congress won the seat in 1999 elections. K Virupaxappa of the Congress won the seat in the 2004 elections. In the 2009 elections, Shivaramagouda Shivanagouda of the BJP wrested the seat from the Congress. BJPs Karadi Sangana is the incumbent MP from Koppal.

Demography: Koppal is the least developed district in the state but is mineral-rich, what is called resource curse in economic terminology. Telugu voters are a significant factor in Koppal, accounting for at least 30 percent of the population in the district. The Lingayat community is influential in the Koppal Lok Sabha constituency. The communitys influence can be gauged by the fact that Lingayat candidates have won 11 times since 1952.

9. Bellary Lok Sabha Constituency

Constituency number: 9

Total Electors: 14,87,945 (2014 estimates)

Male Electors: 7,50,789

Female Electors: 7,37,156

Assembly Constituencies: Hadagalli (SC), Hagaribommanahalli (SC), Vijayanagara, Kampli (ST),Bellary (ST), Bellary City, Sandur (ST), Kudligi (ST)

Reserved: Yes. For Scheduled Tribes

Delimited: Yes. In 2008. The constituency was reserved for Scheduled Tribes.

Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: The constituency entered the annals of Indian electoral history when Sonia Gandhi defeated Sushma Swaraj to enter the Parliament. She soon vacated the seat, leading to a by-election which was won by the Congress. In 2004 elections, G Karunakara Reddy of the BJP won the seat. In 2009, J Shanta of the BJP won the seat before making way for B Sriramulu in the 2014 elections. In the 2018 by-poll, VS Ugrappa of the Congress defeated J Shanta by 2.4 Lakh votes.

Demography: Known for its mining industry, Bellary is one of the few constituencies in Karnataka where tribals form a sizeable chunk of the electorate. Since it borders Andhra Pradesh, a significant number of Telugu speakers too are an important factor in the constituency.

10. Haveri Lok Sabha Constituency

Constituency number: 10

Total Electors: 15,58,749 (2014 estimates)

Male Electors: 8,07,076

Female Electors: 7,51,673

Assembly Constituencies: Shirahatti ( SC ), Gadag, Ron, Hangal, Haveri ( SC ), Byadgi, Hirekerur, Ranibennur

Reserved: No

Delimited: Yes. The constituency came into existence only in 2008.

Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: Shivkumar Udasi has been the sitting MP since 2009.

Demography: Lingayats are an influential electorate in Haveri, accounting for over 4.5 Lakh voters, along with Kurubas and Muslims.

11. Dharwad Lok Sabha Constituency

Constituency number: 11

Total Electors: 15,79,024 (2014 estimates)

Male Electors: 8,09,486

Female Electors: 7,69,538

Assembly Constituencies: Navalgund, Kundgol, Dharwad, Hubli-Dharwad-East, Hubli - Dharwad Central, Hubli-Dharwad-West, Kalghatgi, Shiggaon

Reserved: No

Delimited: Yes. The constituency came into existence in 2008.

Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: Pralhad Joshi is the sitting MP since 2009.

Demography: The Lingayat community, with over 5.75 lakh votes, is highly influential in Dharwad. The community followed by the Muslims, who contribute 2.55 lakh votes. Dalits and Scheduled Tribes together have 25 Lakh voters.

12. Uttara Kannada Lok Sabha Constituency

Constituency number: 12

Total Electors: 14,50,599 (2014 estimates)

Male Electors: 7,42,865

Female Electors: 7,07,734

Assembly Constituencies: Khanapur, Kittur, Haliyal, Karwar, Kumta, Bhatkal, Sirsi, Yellapur

Reserved: No

Delimited: After Delimitation, Ankola legislative assembly segment was abolished and a new legislative assembly segment, Yellapur, came into existence.

Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: Congress leader Margaret Alva won from this constituency in 1999. Since 2004, the constituency is being represented by Union minister Ananthkumar Hegde.

Demography: Muslims voters number over 2.5 lakh in Uttara Kannada, a coastal constituency in Karnataka. They are particularly strong in Bhatkal, Haliyal and Mundgod. Idigas, an OBC community found in South Central Karnataka, are the majority electorate of the constituency.

13. Davangere Lok Sabha Constituency

Constituency number: 13

Total Electors: 15,22,712 (2014 estimates)

Male Electors: 7,72,126

Female Electors: 7,50,586

Assembly Constituencies: Jagalur, Harapanahalli, Harihar, Davanagere North, Davanagere South, Mayakonda, Channagiri, Honnali

Reserved: No

Delimited: Yes. In 2008.

Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: GM Siddheswara, the former MoS in the current Council of Ministers is the sitting MP since 2004. Before him, G Mallikarjunappa of the BJP represented the constituency.

Demography: The constituency is part of Davangere district, which was once called the Manchester of the Karnataka. The constituency is dominated by Lingayats, which comprises almost half of the electorate. In fact, GM Siddeshwara, the incumbent MP, is the son-in-law of All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha chief Shamanur Shivshankarappa. Veershaivas are an influential sub-sect of the Lingayat community.

14. Shimoga Lok Sabha Constituency

Constituency number: 14

Total Electors: 15,62,241 (2014 estimates)

Male Electors: 7,78,767

Female Electors: 7,83,474

Assembly Constituencies: Shimoga Rural, Bhadravati, Shimoga, Tirthahalli, Shikaripura , Soraba, Sagar and Byndoor

Reserved: No

Delimited: Yes. In 2008.

Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: In 1999 and 2004 elections, former Karnataka chief minister S Bangarappa won the seat. However, he lost to BS Yeddyurappas son BY Raghavendra in the 2009 elections. It was Bangarappas only loss in his entire political career. In 2014, BS Yeddyurappa won the seat but he vacated it to enter the state Assembly in 2018. In the by-election, his son won the seat comfortably.

Demography: Shimoga is dominated by the Lingayat community. Idigas, followed by Dalits, Brahmins, Muslims, Vokkaligas and OBCs are also found in sizeable numbers.

15. Udupi-Chikmaglur Lok Sabha Constituency

Constituency number: 15

Total Electors: 13,87,295 (2014 estimates)

Male Electors: 6,79,286

Female Electors: 7,08,009

Assembly Constituencies: Chikmagalur, Kapu, Karkal, Kundapura, Mudigere (SC), Sringeri, Tarikere, Udupi

Reserved: No

Delimited: This constituency came into existence only in 2008.

Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: Union Minister DV Sadananda Gowda won the seat in 2009. However, he resigned in order to take over as Karnataka chief minister in 2011. In the bye-election, K Jayaprakash Hegde won the seat. Since the 2014 elections, the seat is being held by BJP leader Shobha Karandlaje.

Demography: As per a 2014 report, SCs/STs, Billavas, Vokkaligas and Bunts form the majority of the population. Christians, Muslims, Brahmins and Lingayats are also found in sizeable numbers in this constituency. It is to be noted that the constituency is unique in the sense that it includes coastal as well as the Malnad region (Western Ghats). Owing to the presence of several places of religious significance, Hindutva politics is dominant in the Udupi-Chikmagalur constituency.

16. Hassan Lok Sabha Constituency

Constituency number: 16

Total Electors: 15,61,336 (2014 estimate)

Male Electors: 7,89,668

Female Electors: 7,71,668

Assembly Constituencies: Kadur, Shravanabelagola, Arsikere, Belur, Hassan, Holenarasipur, Arkalgud, Sakleshpur

Reserved: No

Delimited: Yes. In the Delimited process of 2008, Birur and Kadur from Chikmaglur were added to Hassan.

Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: Hassan is well known as the pocket borough of former prime minister HD Deve Gowda. In 1999 elections, G Putta Swamy Gowda won the seat on a Congress ticket. However, since 2004, the constituency is represented by Deve Gowda.

Demography: Vokkaligas, an agricultural community dominant in the South of Karnataka, are the single largest as well as the dominant caste in the constituency. Vokkaligas are at least 15 percent of the population in the state. Lingayats are the second biggest community in the constituency. Dalits and Schedule Tribes together form a notable vote bank in the constituency too.

17. Dakshina Kannada Lok Sabha Constituency

Constituency number: 17

Total Electors: 16,97,417 (Latest estimates)

Male Electors: 8,33,719

Female Electors: 8,63,599

Assembly Constituencies: Belthangady, Moodabidri, Mangalore City North (previously Surathkal), Mangalore City South (previously Mangalore), Mangalore (previously Ullal), Bantval, Puttur, Sullia (SC)

Reserved: No

Delimited: Yes. In 2008. Belthangady Assembly segment was under Chikmagalur constituency and the Bantwal and Moodabidri Assembly segments, and the former Surathkal Assembly segment (now renamed as Mangalore City North) were under the Udupi constituency.

Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: Naleen Kumar Kateel of the BJP is the sitting MP since 2009.

Demography: The coastal Lok Sabha constituency is at the heart of Tulu Nadu, the area where Tulu is the dominant language. The dominant communities in this constituency are Billavas, who are nearly 4.5 voters, followed by Muslims, who are of equal strength. The other communities include Bunts, Gowdas, Vokkaligas and Christians. Communal politics plays a significant role in this constituency where BJP has made inroads in the last two decades.

18. Chitradurga Lok Sabha Constituency

Constituency number: 18

Total Electors: 16,61,272 (2014 estimates)

Male Electors: 8,44,864

Female Electors: 8,16,408

Assembly Constituencies: Molakalmuru (ST), Challakere (ST), Chitradurga, Hiriyur, Hosadurga, Holalkere (SC), Sira, Pavagada

Reserved: Yes. For Scheduled Castes

Delimited: Yes. In 2008, it became a reserved seat.

Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: Shashi Kumar won the seat in 1999 on a JDU ticket. In the 2004 elections, NY Hanumanthappa won the seat as a Congress candidate. In the 2009 elections, Janardhana Swamy of the BJP won the seat. But he lost the seat to BN Chandrappa in the 2014 elections by a margin of over a lakh votes.

Demography: According to news reports, community politics plays a major role in Chitradurga, one of the least developed districts in India. Bhovi and Madiga, the communities belonging to the Scheduled Castes, are dominant in the constituency. Madigas are the biggest community, with over 4 lakh voters in the constituency. The BJP and the JD(S) gave tickets to candidates belonging to Bhovi community in the last Lok Sabha elections. Vokkaligas and Muslims also constitute sizeable section of the population.

19. Tumkur Lok Sabha Constituency

Constituency number: 19

Total Electors: 15,18,518 (2014 estimates)

Male Electors: 7,64,561

Female Electors: 7,53,957

Assembly Constituencies: Chikkanayakanahalli, Tiptur, Turuvekere, Tumkur City, Tumkur Rural, Koratagere (SC), Gubbi, Madhugiri

Reserved: No

Delimited: Yes. In 2008.

Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: GS Basavaraj won the seat in 1999 and 2009 elections, first as a Congress candidate and then as a BJP nominee. In 2004, S Mallikarjunaiah of the BJP won the seat. Ten years later, in the 2014 elections, BJP lost the seat to Congress candidate SP Muddahanumegowda.

Demography: Situated close to state capital Bengaluru, Tumkur, the district headquarters, is quickly becoming a satellite town of Bengaluru. Tumkur is unique as it borders eight other districts  the most in Karnataka  and remains a bastion of Lingayat community in the otherwise Vokkaliga-dominated South Karnataka. Lingayats are dominant in 9 out of the 11 constituencies in the district; Chikkanayakanahalli, Tiptur and Tumkur Rural being their major pockets. Vokkaligas the second most important group while Dalits are the third largest group.

20. Mandya Lok Sabha Constituency

Constituency number: 20

Total Electors: 16,69,262 (2014 estimates)

Male Electors: 8,39,052

Female Electors: 8,30,210

Assembly Constituencies: Malavalli (SC), Maddur, Melukote, Mandya, Srirangapatna, Nagamangala, Krishnarajpet, Krishnarajanagara

Reserved: No

Delimited: Yes. Maddur and Malavalli Assembly segments saw some minor changes in their boundaries.

Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: Late cine star Ambareesh represented the constituency till 2009, when he was defeated by N Cheluvaraya Swamy of the JDS. In the 2013 by-poll, actor-turned politician Ramya won the seat on a Congress ticket. In the 2014 elections, JDS leader CS Puttaraju won the seat but he resigned in 2018 to become a minister in the state government. In the 2018 by-poll, LR Shivarame Gowda of the JDS retained the seat.

Demography: Mandya is dominated by Vokkaligas, whose candidates have repeatedly been elected from this constituency. Additionally, it is to be noted that Vokkaligas form around half of the population in the eponymous district and hold the key to political fortunes of the candidates.

21. Mysore Lok Sabha Constituency

Constituency number: 21

Total Electors: 17,23,134 (2014 estimates)

Male Electors: 8,67,893

Female Electors: 8,55,241

Assembly Constituencies: Madikeri, Virajpet, Piriyapatna, Hunsur, Chamundeshwari, Krishnaraja, Chamaraja, Narasimharaja

Reserved: No

Delimited Yes. Madikeri and Virajpet Legislative Assembly segments were earlier in the erstwhile Mangalore Lok Sabha constituency.

Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: In the 1999 elections, the erstwhile titular head of the Mysore royal family, Srikanta Datta Wadeyar, was elected on a Congress ticket. In 2004 elections, CH Vijayashankar of the BJP defeated Wadeyar by a margin of just 17,000 votes. Vijayashankar, however, lost the seat in the 2009 elections to Congress AH Vishwanath. In the 2014 elections, Pratap Simha of the BJP won the election.

Demography: Situated in the erstwhile Mysore region, the constituency is a mix of urban as well as rural Karnataka. The constituency is made up of Kodogu and Mysore regions. Krishnaraja, Narasimharaja and Chamaraja are primarily urban centres while the rest are rural or semi-urban constituencies. Vokkaligas and Kurubas are influential castes in this constituency, while there are also sizeable number of Lingayats, Muslims and OBCs. In addition, Kodugu region is dominated by Kodavas, a martial community who are the original inhabitants of the region.

22. Chamrajanagar Lok Sabha Constituency

Constituency number: 22

Total Electors: 15,55,779 (2014 estimates)

Male Electors: 7,89,383

Female Electors: 7,66,396

Assembly Constituencies: Hanur, Kollegal, Chamarajanagar, Gundlupet, T Narasipura, Nanjangud, Heggadadevankote, Varuna

Reserved: Yes. For Scheduled Castes

Delimited: Yes. Boundary changes in Varuna Assembly segments

Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: In the 1999 elections, Srinivasa Prasad of the JDU won the seat. In 2004 polls, M Shivanna of the JDS snatched the seat from the JDU. Since 2009, the constituency is represented by R Dhruvanarayana of the Congress.

Demography: Reserved for the Scheduled Castes candidates, Chamrajanagar Lok Sabha constituency is dominated by Vokkaligas, Dalits, Backward Classes, and minorities. One of the constituents  HD Kote Taluk  is also dominated by tribal communities.

23. Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha Constituency

Constituency number: 23

Total Electors: 21,90,397 (2014 estimates)

Male Electors: 11,35,845

Female Electors: 10,54,552

Assembly Constituencies: Kunigal, Rajarajeshwarinagar, Bangalore South, Anekal, Magadi, Ramanagara, Kanakapura, Channapatna

Reserved: No

Delimited: Yes. The constituency came into existence in 2008

Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: HD Kumaraswamy won the seat in 2009 elections. However, he resigned to contest the Karnataka elections in 2013. Since 2013, DK Suresh of the Congress represents the constituency.

Demography: The Vokkaliga caste is the dominant factor in the Bangalore Lok Sabha constituency. Lingayats, Muslims, Kirubas, Other Backwards Castes like Tigalas and Besthas constitute the rest of the population. Some of the constituents of the constituency like Rajarajeshwarinagar, Bangalore South, Anekal are largely part of Bengalurus growing metropolitan region.

24. Bangalore North Lok Sabha Constituency

Constituency number: 24

Total Electors: 24,01,472 (2014 estimates)

Male Electors: 12,60,356

Female Electors:11,41,116

Assembly Constituencies: KR Puram, Byatarayanapura, Yeshvanthapura, Dasarahalli, Mahalakshmi Layout, Malleshwaram, Hebbal, Pulakeshinagar

Reserved:No

Delimited: Yes. In 2008. Shivajinagara and Shanti Nagar VIdhan Sabha constituencies went to Bangalore Central Lok Sabha constituency.

Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: The constituency is known for electing veteran Congress leader CK Jaffer Sharif eight times between 1977 and 1999. Since 2004, the BJP has won the seat thrice. In the 2004 elections, noted top cop HT Sangliana won the seat after defeating Sharif by 30,000 votes. In the 2009 polls, DB Chandre Gowda registered a win over Sharif, who lost by around 60,000 votes. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Union minister DV Sadananda Gowda defeated the Congress candidate by over 2.3 Lakh votes.

Demography: The constituency is highly urban with some of the fastest growing areas in Bengaluru. It is one of the most populated constituencies in the state. The constituency also has a large number of migrants from North India. After the delimitation process in 2008, some Muslim dominated areas went to Bangalore Central. The Vokkaligas and Muslims, along with OBCs and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes can decide the electoral fortunes of the candidates.

25. Bangalore Central Lok Sabha Constituency

Constituency number: 25

Total Electors: 19,31,663 (2014 estimates)

Male Electors: 10,10,586

Female Electors: 9,21,077

Assembly Constituencies: Sarvagnanagar, CV Raman Nagar, Shivajinagar, Shanti Nagar, Gandhi Nagar, Rajaji Nagar, Chamarajapet, Mahadevapura

Reserved: No

Delimited: Yes. The constituency was created out of North and South Bangalore Lok Sabha constituencies in 2008.

Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: PC Mohan of the BJP is the sitting MP.

Demography: The constituency is a melting pot of different communities, especially linguistic and religious minorities. There is a significant presence of Muslim, Christian and Tamil voters in the constituency. The presence of a large number of minority voters has been attributed to the delimitation process which added some Muslim-dominated segments in the new Lok Sabha constituency. Being an economic hub, the areas covered by the constituency have also attracted migrants from North of India, who have settled here.

26. Bangalore South Lok Sabha Constituency

Constituency number: 26

Total Electors: 19,99,882 (2014 estimates)

Male Electors: 10,51,316

Female Electors: 9,48,566

Assembly Constituencies: Govindraj Nagar, Vijay Nagar, Chickpet, Basavanagudi, Padmanaba Nagar, BTM Layout, Jayanagar, Bommanahalli

Reserved: No

Delimited: Yes. In 2008.

Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: This is the biggest bastion of the BJP in Karnataka. The saffron party has been undefeated in this constituency since 1991 when KV Gowda won the seat for the first time. Between 1996 and 2018, Union Minister Ananth Kumar represented the constituency. His untimely death in November last year means the constituency has to elect a new candidate in the upcoming elections.

Demography: A largely cosmopolitan area, Bangalore South is one of the few Lok Sabha constituencies in Karnataka where Brahmins can play a decisive role in determining the winner. However, the single largest vote bank is that of Vokkaligas, who account for over 5 Lakh voters. Additionally, minority communities account for over 2 lakh votes.

27. Chikkaballapur Lok Sabha Constituency

Constituency number: 27

Total Electors: 16,58,342 (2014 estimates)

Male Electors: 8,43,740

Female Electors: 8,14,602

Assembly Constituencies: Gauribidanur, Bagepalli, Chikkaballapur, Yelahanka, Hoskote, Devanahalli (SC), Doddaballapur, Nelamangala

Reserved: No

Delimited: Yes. In 2008

Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: The Congress has been winning this seat since 1998. In 1998, 1999 and 2004 elections, RL Jalappa won the seat before making way for former Union Minister Veerappa Moily, who continues to represent the constituency.

Demography: According to a Firstpost report in 2014, the caste mix of the constituency makes it prone to polarisation. While backward classes, including SC/STs, constitute around 500,000 voters. Vokkaligas, Karnatakas second largest community, accounts for 450,000 voters. The Baliliga community, which is dominant in the constituency, makes up 300,000 voters, while minorities number over 200,000. Lingayats, the largest community in the state, have a presence of only 50,000 here.

28. Kolar Lok Sabha Constituency

Constituency number: 28

Total Electors: 14,92,975 (2014 estimates)

Male Electors: 7,55,450

Female Electors: 7,37,525

Assembly Constituencies: Sildaghata, Chintamani, Srinivaspura, Mulbagal (SC), Kolar Gold Fields (SC), Bangarapet (SC), Kolar, Malur

Reserved:Yes. For Scheduled Castes

Delimited:Yes. In 2008

Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: Kolar Lok Sabha seat is a Congress stronghold. Former Union Minister KH Muniyappa has been winning this seat continuously since 1991.

Demography: Known as for its gold mines, Kolar is part of the Vokkaliga belt, where the caste plays an important role during the elections. The constituency lies on the border with Andhra Pradesh, which explains the sizeable population of Telugu speakers in the district. According to some estimates, 30 percent of the population in the district speak Telugu.
As Nagaland is religiously homogenous, the elections in this state revolve around tribal issues.

The lone seat in the state of Nagaland goes to polls on 11 April. The main electoral fight is expected to be between the Naga People's Front (NPF), led by TR Zeliang and the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), led by incumbent Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio. The only other party which is expected to give a tough fight is Congress, which has fielded former chief minister KL Chishi.

As Nagaland is religiously homogenous, the elections in this state revolve around tribal issues. In the last Assembly elections, the aspiration for a greater Nagalim, which would include Naga-dominated areas of Manipur, and the peace process with rebel Naga insurgents were important issues. This time too, these two issues are likely to play a role in determining who emerges the winner.

Nagaland Lok Sabha Constituency

Total electors: 12,09,613 (latest figures)

Female electors: 5,96,134

Male electors: 6,13,479

Reserved: No

Delimited: No

Assembly Constituencies: All 60 Assembly constituencies that comprise the state Vidhan Sabha. All seats are reserved for the STs except the Dimapur-I seat.

Results in last four elections: In the 1999 Lok Sabha elections, K Asungba Sangtam won the seat fighting on an Indian National Congress ticket. The 2004, 2009 and 2014 elections were won by W Wangyuh Konyak, CM Chang and Neiphiu Rio respectively. All three fought the election as candidates of the Naga Peoples Front.

Demographics: According to the 2011 Census, 90 percent of the population belongs to the Naga tribes. Nagaland is also one of the three northeastern states that have a Christian majority. Reports suggest that the Baptist Church in Nagaland is said to have immense influence in the state. For example, in the last Assembly election, NBCC, the influential Church body wrote letters to all political parties to not compromise on religion in the name of development and for political gains.
Lok Sabha Election 2019 Tracker LIVE updates: Speaking at Akhnoor in Jammu, Narendra Modi attacked the Opposition grand alliance, and said that the 'mahamilawati' leaders are bound to face 'mahagirawat' (great destruction).

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BJP chief Amit Shah will address rallies at Koliabor and Teok in Assam's Jorhat district in a daylong trip to the state.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to begin active election campaigning on Thursday with rallies in Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, Rudrapur in Uttarakhand and Jammu in Jammu and Kashmir. All three seats go to polls in the first phase on 11 April.

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi will have a busy day in Haryana with five roadshows in a single day, at Jagadhri, Radaur, Ladwa, Indri and Karnal in Haryana.

Newly anointed Congress general secretary for Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi has said that she is open to contesting elections. Priyanka has been campaigning at Amethi and is scheduled to visit Ayodhya on Friday.

Bollywood actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha, who has been associated with BJP for about three decades, will join the Congress on Thursday and is likely to be fielded from Patna Sahib.

The development came a day after, Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy raised fears about possible raids on Congress and JD(S) functionaries in the state. He had claimed that CRPF personnel were brought from various parts of the country to carry out the raids in the state.

In a pre-dawn swoop today, Income Tax officials along with CRPF personnel carried out raids at the residences of Karnataka Minor Irrigation Minister CS Puttaraju and his nephew, reported News18.

In what is being considered a very youth-oriented poll plank, the SP will form a youth commission to help formulate policies.

Samajwadi Party will release its 2019 Lok Sabha election manifesto on Thursday. The party manifesto will focus on jobs for youth, reported News18.

Reports say the high command upset with the allocation of certain seats and some Congress leaders have suggested calling off the alliance. Rahul will have one-on-one meetings with senior Congress leaders.

Amidst reports that discontent is brewing between the Congress and its Bihar ally, the Rashtriya Janata Dal over seat-sharing, Rahul Gandhi will meet his party's Bihar unit to finalize alliance details.

The state government has also cancelled the transfer of the intelligence chief. Naidu has called the EC's decision "undemocratic and one-sided". The EC's orders follow a complaint filed by Telugu Desam Party's rival, YSR Congress Party, alleging that phones of the party's leaders are being tapped by top police officials in the state.

The Chandrababu Naidu government in Andhra Pradesh has filed a writ petition at the High Court over the Election Commission of India's orders to transfer a few top cops in the state including the state's intelligence chief. The hearing is on Thursday.

A wall collapsed at Jagan's rally in Mandapet town, killing a woman and injuring 20, while Naidu's road show in Ananthpur saw 20 people injured after a wall gave away.

In a strange and tragic coincidence, both Telugu Desam Party chief Chandrabu Naidu and YSRCP chief Jaganmohan Reddy's rallies on Wednesday saw serious accidents take place.

In the video, the BJP has alleged that the UPA regime had compromised on providing assistance to the Indian armed forces to make it easier for Vadra (referred to as jijaji) to get "commission".

BJP has released a new campaign video, this time aimed at Congress president Rahul Gandhi's brother-in-law Robert Vadra, under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate in a land scam.

"He (Rahul) has said whatever he felt like. I won't like to make any comment on it. He is just a kid. What will I say about it?" Mamata said.

She also refused to comment on Rahul's minimum income promise ahead of the Lok Sabha election.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday dismissed Congress chief Rahul Gandhi's allegations against her government, saying "he is just a kid".

"All those deployed at such polling stations - police, election officers and other employees - will be women. These booths, an initiative towards gender equality and involving women's participation in the electoral process, will be called as 'Sakhi Matdan Kendras'," it said.

As per the Election Commission's (EC) directions to set up polling stations entirely managed by women, such booths will be set up in all 40 Lok Sabha seats of the state, a release issued by the election office here said.

An all-women polling booth will be set up in every Lok Sabha constituency of Maharashtra during the next month's polls in a bid to encourage more female voters to exercise their franchise.

Speaking to a private news channel, JD(S) leader Puttaraju said three teams of Income Tax officials and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel carried out raids at his Chinnakurli residence in Mandya and his nephew's house in Mysuru.

In a predawn swoop Thursday, Income Tax officials along with CRPF personnel carried out raids at the residences of Karnataka Minor Irrigation Minister CS Puttaraju and his nephew.

JD(S) leader Madhu Bangarappa said Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy had already "spoken" about this, because he got inputs from the intelligence department and questioned why BJP leaders' houses were left unscathed, reported ANI.

"This is out in the open through I-T raids. The constitutional post offer for I-T officer Balakrishna has helped the PM in his revenge game. It is highly deplorable to use government machinery, corrupt officials to harass opponents during election time," he said.

28 March, 2019 | HDK tears into BJP over raids on JD(S) minister's house, says I-T official was offered post as bribe

Reports say the Congress high command is upset with the allocation of certain seats and some Congress leaders have suggested calling off the alliance.

This comes amidst reports that discontent is brewing between the Congress and its Bihar ally, the Rashtriya Janata Dal over seat-sharing.

A meeting has begun at Congress chief Rahul Gandhi's residence between the party brass and its Bihar leaders.

He also touched upon the safety of women, the respect accorded by his government to idealogues Chaudhary Charan Singh and Deenbandhu Chhoturam, the allegedly false promises made by Indira Gandhi ('gareeb, gareeb hi rehe gaya') and the numerous schemes brought by his government.

There is little that Modi did not speak on, when it came to issues at the Meerut rally. The prime minister spun his full repertoire of rhetorics for repeated slams on the Congress, the SP-BSP alliance and critics of his government. He, however, did give a new spin to the old 'saabka saath, saabka vikas' slogan and instead said 'saabka saath, saabka hisaab.'

"They wanted to become heroes of Pakistan. Will you forgive these people?" he asked to resounding cheers.

"Uttarakhand has four holy dhams to which I wish to add a fifth dham, the sainik dham," said Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He, once again, asked the crowds if it was okay to question whether India had indeed done the Balakot air strikes.

28 March, 2019 | Will add fifth dham for sainiks to Uttarakhand's four dhams, says Modi

"If Modi ji is elected again we will ensure every infiltrator is removed from Assam," Amit Shah said at his Assam rally on Thursday. The BJP has run into choppy waters in Assam over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, which has seen widespread protests, and a firm promise by the BJP chief is likely to help the party at this point.

Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has written to Chief Electoral Officer of Bhubaneswar demanding action against BJP for alleged violation of Model Code of Conduct 'for surrogate advertising through a TV serial broadcast on a TV channel in which the characters talk about Atal Pension Yojana, ANI reported.

"There are two sets of parties today. Those who are neutral and those who are anti-BJP. I am anti-BJP, while Naveen Patnaik, according to me, is neutral. On 23 May (counting day), there will be a new prime minister. I can assure that."

"Jaganmohan is a criminal. He is a cheat. BJP is supporting Jagan as they feel he will support them post polls. There is a hidden nexus between them. Both TRS and YSRCP are with the BJP... I am not in the race to be the next prime minister, but we will all sit together post polls and work out a solution. Democratic compulsions far bigger today than political compulsions.

28 March, 2019 | I'm not in race to be PM, says Chandrababu Naidu In an interview, TDP chief and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu said, "I am not a contender for prime minister's post. I am being targeted by the BJP government through YSRCP leader Jaganmohan Reddy.

ANI quoted Kumaraswamy as saying, "I-T department should work independently, but it's working under the instructions of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. After the BJP came to power, it (the situation) has become like a dictatorship. Do you think the I-T director in Bengaluru is innocent? I also have lot of records."

Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy, his deputy G Parameshwara, and other senior Congress-JD(S) coalition leaders are currently protesting outside I-T office against raids at residence of Karnataka minister CS Puttaraju in Mandya.

He further said, "I was once travelling in a bus while your vehicle was passing by. There was a traffic jam, so I got off the bus thinking maybe you would do a dance number or two to clear the jam."

The National Commission for Women has issued a notice to Samajwadi Party leader Firoz Khan over his remark on BJP Rampur candidate Jaya Prada. Khan on Thursday stirred a controversy by saying people of Rampur will get entertained in the ensuing polls, where Samajwadi Party's Azam Khan will face BJP's newly-inducted member Jaya Prada. "Evenings in Rampur will now become more vibrant during elections. Azam Khan has done enough for the people of Rampur, so they will surely vote for him. But they will leave no stone unturned in getting entertained during this one-off opportunity."

Asserting that the NDA government has worked for development in every field, Shah said, "To save Assam, infiltration has to be stopped and the Congress cannot do this work."

Addressing a rally in Assam's Teok, BJP chief Amit Shah claimed that he is hearing only slogans for Narendra Modi government's re-election these days. "Wherever I go, I'm hearing the same slogan: "Fir ek bar, Modi Sarkar (Once again, Modi government)."

Attacking the Opposition grand alliance, he said, "The Opposition that doesn't have a prime minister candidate or a policy can't develop the country or work for the welfare of the people."

" Former prime minister Manmohan Singh was an MP for 20 years from Assam. However, the Congress failed to do any development for the region," Amit Shah said while addressing a rally in Assam's Teok.

According to reports, an alliance between the Congress and the NCP is unlikely in Gujarat. The NCP also released its list of star campaigners on Thursday, featuring prominent names like Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar, and Supriya Sule..

According to ANI, BJP's Kozhikode Lok Sabha candidate Prakash Babu has been remanded to 14-day judicial custody by a Pathanamthitta court in connection with the violence in Sabarimala.

According to Samajwadi Party's new list, Nasir Qureshi will contest from Moradabad, Bhagwat Sharan Gangwar from Bareily,Pooja Pal from Unnao, Shyam Sunder Yadav from Jhansi and Nathuni Prasad Kushwaha from Kushinagar.

Lalu Prasad's son Tej Pratap Yadav tweeted that he has resigned as the chief of RJD's student wing.

Addressing a rally in Assam's Teok, BJP chief Amir Shah said, "Din mein to Congress ke Gogoi ji aur Ajmal (AIUDF Cheif Badruddin Ajmal) aamne saamne chunaav ladte hain. Magar jab raat hoti hai, dono ke beech mein ilu-ilu chalu ho jata hai (During the day, Congress' Tarun Gogoi and AIUDF's Badruddin Ajmal fiercely contest elections, but in the night, the two share a friendly relationship)."

Addressing a rally in Jammu, Narendra Modi said that it was an honour that he got to visit Jammu on the first day of his election campaign and that he was able to seek blessings of Vaishno Devi.

He further said, "After the strike in Balakot, the Congress leaders have been speaking such things that are not in the favour of the country. How can an individual find anything acceptable that is being lauded in Pakistan. They're asking for proof of the attacks, " he said.

peaking at Akhnoor in Jammu, Narendra Modi lashed out at the Congress for demanding proof of Balakot air strike. "Amid the call to end terrorism, what has happened to the Congress and its allies. I simply don't understand that is it the same Congress which belong to Sardar Patel. I don't understand is it the same Congress in which Subhash Chandra Bose had dreamed of an independent India? My soul says it's not the same Congress. What is your opinion?"

Narendra Modi accused the Congress, National Conference and PDP of praising the people who promote terrorism in the Valley. "They have a problem in saying 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' , but they are proud to hail those who promote terrorism," he said. He also blamed the three parties of stalling developmental projects in state.

Speaking at Akhnoor in Jammu, Narendra Modi attacked the Opposition grand alliance. "If the people of Jammu have faith in chowkidaar, then note it down that the mahamilawati leaders are bound to face mahagirawat (great destruction)," he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "The guru of Congress naamdar (Sam Pitroda, Rahul Gandhi's media advisor), who accompanies Rahul on foreign trips, gave clean-chit to terrorists and Pakistan on television. Jab guru hi aisa hoga to chele kaise honge, aur chele ke sathi kaise honge. (When the guru is of such kind, then how would his followers be?)"

Speaking on development, Narendra Modi said, "Your chowkidaar (watchman) is committed to ensuring the fulfillment of the five points of development: Education for children, income for youth, medicine for the old, irrigation for farmers, and voice of the public."

In Dhaurahra, Congress workers staged a demostraction demnanding Jitin Prasad be giving ticket from the constituency. Prasada responded to it, saying, "I am a disciplined soldier of the party and will do what I am told."

Samajwadi Party releases another list of candidates. Nasir Qureshi to contest from Moradabad, Bhagwat Sharan Gangwar from Bareily,Pooja Pal from Unnao, Shyam Sunder Yadav from Jhansi and Nathuni Prasad Kushwaha from Kushinagar. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/OJNTRjtMA4

According to Samajwadi Party's new list, Nasir Qureshi will contest from Moradabad, Bhagwat Sharan Gangwar from Bareily,Pooja Pal from Unnao, Shyam Sunder Yadav from Jhansi and Nathuni Prasad Kushwaha from Kushinagar.

Lalu Prasad's son Tej Pratap Yadav tweeted that he has resigned as the chief of RJD's student wing.

Addressing a rally in Assam's Teok, BJP chief Amir Shah said, "Din mein to Congress ke Gogoi ji aur Ajmal (AIUDF Cheif Badruddin Ajmal) aamne saamne chunaav ladte hain. Magar jab raat hoti hai, dono ke beech mein ilu-ilu chalu ho jata hai (During the day, Congress' Tarun Gogoi and AIUDF's Badruddin Ajmal fiercely contest elections, but in the night, the two share a friendly relationship)."

Addressing a rally in Jammu, Narendra Modi said that it was an honour that he got to visit Jammu on the first day of his election campaign and that he was able to seek blessings of Vaishno Devi.

He further said, "After the strike in Balakot, the Congress leaders have been speaking such things that are not in the favour of the country. How can an individual find anything acceptable that is being lauded in Pakistan. They're asking for proof of the attacks, " he said.

peaking at Akhnoor in Jammu, Narendra Modi lashed out at the Congress for demanding proof of Balakot air strike. "Amid the call to end terrorism, what has happened to the Congress and its allies. I simply don't understand that is it the same Congress which belong to Sardar Patel. I don't understand is it the same Congress in which Subhash Chandra Bose had dreamed of an independent India? My soul says it's not the same Congress. What is your opinion?"

Narendra Modi accused the Congress, National Conference and PDP of praising the people who promote terrorism in the Valley. "They have a problem in saying 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' , but they are proud to hail those who promote terrorism," he said. He also blamed the three parties of stalling developmental projects in state.

Speaking at Akhnoor in Jammu, Narendra Modi attacked the Opposition grand alliance. "If the people of Jammu have faith in chowkidaar, then note it down that the mahamilawati leaders are bound to face mahagirawat (great destruction)," he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "The guru of Congress naamdar (Sam Pitroda, Rahul Gandhi's media advisor), who accompanies Rahul on foreign trips, gave clean-chit to terrorists and Pakistan on television. Jab guru hi aisa hoga to chele kaise honge, aur chele ke sathi kaise honge. (When the guru is of such kind, then how would his followers be?)"

Speaking on development, Narendra Modi said, "Your chowkidaar (watchman) is committed to ensuring the fulfillment of the five points of development: Education for children, income for youth, medicine for the old, irrigation for farmers, and voice of the public."

Dhaurahra: Congress workers stage demonstration demanding Jitin Prasada be given ticket from the constituency. Prasada says 'I am a disciplined soldier of the party and will do what I am told' pic.twitter.com/FYfHXOHUFl

In Dhaurahra, Congress workers staged a demostraction demnanding Jitin Prasad be giving ticket from the constituency. Prasada responded to it, saying, "I am a disciplined soldier of the party and will do what I am told."





Lok Sabha election 2019; pre-poll trends LATEST updates: Speaking at Akhnoor in Jammu, Narendra Modi attacked the Opposition grand alliance, and said that the "mahamilawati" leaders are bound to face "mahagirawat" (great destruction).

He also lashed out at the Congress for demanding proof of Balakot air strike. "After the strike in Balakot, the Congress leaders have been speaking such things that are not in the favour of the country. How can an individual find anything acceptable that is being lauded in Pakistan. They're asking for proof of the attacks, " he said.

Addressing a rally in Assam's Teok, BJP chief Amit Shah said, "Former prime minister Manmohan Singh was an MP for 20 years from Assam. However, the Congress failed to do any development for the region."

In an interview, TDP chief and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu said, "I am not a contender for prime minister's post. I am being targeted by the BJP government through YSRCP leader Jaganmohan Reddy." However, he assured that on 23 May  which is the counting day, India will have a new prime minister.

Speaking at a campaign rally at Kaliabor in Assam, BJP chief Amit Shah on Thursday recited a list of the Narendra Modi government's achievements and vowed that if Modi is elected again, the BJP would ensure every infiltrator is removed from Assam.

On a day when it was widely expected that Shatrughan Sinha will join the Congress, it was announced by the party that he will join the party on 6 April. The actor-turned-politician has, however, met Congress chief Rahul Gandhi.

In a shorter speech than his Meerut one, Modi made it clear in Rudrapur that he is willing to rake up the Balakot air strikes in order to strike the nationalism chord when and where required. This was the second rally where he has called Rahul Gandhi "Pakistan's hero."

"The people of Uttarakhand have always been with me. This is a contribution which I never forget," he said. In the rally, he also highlighted the several measures taken by his government in the state.

PM Narendra Modi began the second of his three rallies of Thursday at Rudrapur in Uttarakhand by stressing that the Congress, which never thinks about the poor, sat on the Rafale deal for 10 years because they failed to make a profit out of it.

Modi uttered yet another invocation of the nation's Army in the beginning when he called Uttarakhand "the land of the brave, the land of sacrifices."

Reports have said that actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha who has been with the BJP for a very long time, is now headed to meet Congress chief Rahul Gandhi. The party has promised "good news" on the Sinha front soon, say reports.

Minutes after Modi had stopped speaking at his first campaign rally at Meerut, Congress communication in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala said in a press conference that the prime minister should apologise for comparing three political parties of the country to alcohol with his "sarab" jibe and also for "mocking the poor of the country."

"It is unfortunate that when we speak of NYAY, Mr Modi mocks the poor of the country. Previously he had mocked the poor of the country during demonetisation, this shows his true character," Surjewala said.

There is little that Modi did not speak on, when it came to issues at the Meerut rally. He combined the 'sa' of Samajwadi Party, the 'ra' of RLD and the 'B' of Bahujan Samaj Party together form 'SARAB'. The acronym, it is understood, stands for alcohol.

The prime minister spun his full repertoire of rhetorics for repeated slams on the Congress, the SP-BSP alliance and critics of his government. He, however, did give a new spin to the old 'saabka saath, saabka vikas' slogan and instead said 'saabka saath, saabka hisaab.'

He also touched upon the safety of women, the respect accorded by his government to idealogues Chaudhary Charan Singh and Deenbandhu Chhoturam, the allegedly false promises made by Indira Gandhi ('gareeb, gareeb hi rehe gaya') and the numerous schemes brought by his government.

"If someone goes to the theatre to see a play, he or she expects drama, new sets. Sets is a common term in theatre. Some people who were confused, thought I meant theatre 'sets' when I said 'A-SAT'," Modi said, taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi over the latter's World Theatre Day snub of the PM's Mission Shakti announcement yesterday.

India has decided, phir ek baar Modi sarkar, Narendra Modi said at his first rally in Meerut on Thursday. He kicked off the rally by remembering the Chaudhary Charan Singh and saying that he has followed in the leader's footsteps in prioritising farmers over all others.

Speaking before Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Meerut, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath repeated the selfsame chant of the BJP, 'Modi hain toh mumkin hain' and said Modi has been synonymous to development by now.

Fresh off the controversial speech on Mission Shakti  which has also attracted ECs scrutiny  after India's launch of an anti-satellite weapon on Wednesday, the prime minister will speak in rallies at Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, Rudrapur in Uttarakhand and Jammu in Jammu and Kashmir.

A meeting has begun at Congress chief Rahul Gandhi's residence between the party brass and its Bihar leaders. This comes amidst reports that discontent is brewing between the Congress and its Bihar ally, the Rashtriya Janata Dal over seat-sharing.

Reports say the Congress high command is upset with the allocation of certain seats and some Congress leaders have suggested calling off the alliance.

Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy called the raids of JD(S) minister Putturaju's house the "real surgical strike".

"This is out in the open through I-T raids. The constitutional post offer for I-T officer Balakrishna has helped the PM in his revenge game. It is highly deplorable to use government machinery, corrupt officials to harass opponents during election time," he said.

In a predawn swoop Thursday, Income Tax officials along with CRPF personnel carried out raids at the residences of Karnataka Minor Irrigation Minister CS Puttaraju and his nephew.

Speaking to a private news channel, JD(S) leader Puttaraju said three teams of Income Tax officials and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel carried out raids at his Chinnakurli residence in Mandya and his nephew's house in Mysuru.

The development came a day after, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy raised fears about possible raids on Congress and JD(S) functionaries in the state.

Thursday promises to be a high octane day as far as developments in the road to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections is concerned. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hit the election trail for the first time since the dates of the election were announced on 10 March.

Modi's speech has also invited censure from Opposition parties which have questioned the timing of the speech and also alleged that Modi has chosen to dramatise the achievement for polltime gains.

TMC chief and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had said that the TMC will approach Election Commission to file a complaint on the speech.

It is, however, up to the Election Commission to interpret it in that manner. Modi did not explicitly turn the speech into a poll pitch, but the BJP leadership did pat Modis back for the success of the mission. The partys social media team has also been strategically pointing out that Modi deserved credit for having the courage to give a go-ahead for the project, something they allege that the previous UPA government stopped short of. The poll code does bar the ruling party from using the governments achievements in a way to further political interests.

For now, the Election Commission has sought an active transcript of Modis speech from the government. A committee headed by the Deputy Election Commissioner Sandeep Saxena will examine the prime minister's address on Mission Shakti for possible Model Code of Conduct violation.

BJP chief Amit Shah, meanwhile, will address rallies at Koliabor and Teok in Assam's Jorhat district in a daylong trip to the state.

In Bihar, the BJP will be losing its longtime member, actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha, to the Congress on Thursday. Sinha is likely to be fielded from the Patna Sahib seat in Bihar, which he currently holds.

Although not all is okay within the Congress either in the state of Bihar. Amidst reports that discontent is brewing between the Congress and its Bihar ally, the Rashtriya Janata Dal over seat-sharing, Rahul Gandhi will meet his party's Bihar unit to finalize alliance details.

Reports say the Congress high command is upset with the allocation of certain seats and some Congress leaders have suggested calling off the alliance. Rahul's Bihar meeting will come on a day when he will hold a whopping five roadshows at Jagadhri, Radaur, Ladwa, Indri and Karnal in Haryana.

Meanwhile in Uttar Pradesh, Rahul's sister, newly anointed Congress general secretary for Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi, indicated on Wednesday that she would be open to contesting the 2019 election if the party wants her to.

Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party will release its 2019 Lok Sabha election manifesto on Thursday. The party manifesto will focus on jobs and in what is being considered a very youth-oriented poll plank, the Samajwadi Party will form a youth commission to help formulate policies.

In Karnataka, meanwhile, Putturaju claimed that CRPF personnel were brought from various parts of the country to carry out the raids.

"Three teams of I-T officials and CRPF soldiers comprising eight soldiers carried out raids at my Chinnakurli residence in Mandya and my nephew's residence in Mysuru," Puttaraju told a channel. The minister said he was not afraid of the raids and instead, it had instilled confidence in him.

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 23 May, the Election Commission announced Sunday, kick-starting a mega electoral battle where the BJP will pitch for a re-election of the Modi government amid the Opposition's efforts for a united fight to unseat it.

The polling will be held on 11 April, 18 April, 23 April, 29 April, 6 May, 12 May and 19 May for 543 Lok Sabha seats across the country in which nearly 90 crore voters would be eligible to vote, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said. Assembly elections will also be held in Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Odisha simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls, the CEC said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi who kickstarted his Lok Sabha election campaign from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, targeted Congress leadership by juxtaposing their 'failure' and his government's 'achievements'. Starting from Congress' minimum income scheme plan, Modi questioned Congress intent and ability to eradicate poverty during its decades-long rule.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi who kickstarted his Lok Sabha election campaign from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, targeted Congress leadership by juxtaposing their 'failure' and his government's 'achievements'. Starting from Congress' minimum income scheme plan, Modi questioned Congress intent and ability to eradicate poverty during its decades-long rule.

The prime minister, who launched the BJP's campaign blitz from Meerut in 2014 too, said he will bring justice to all.

The contest this time will be between "dumdaar BJP and daagdaar opposition", he said, driving home his point that his party is strong but opposition parties are tainted. "In the days to come, I'll not only put forward NDA's report card, but also ask the Opposition why they had failed earlier. On the one hand, there is strong development. On the other, there is lack of vision," he said.

Modi told the gathering that he would give an account of the work done by his government and of what others had done, or didn't.

"When I sought your blessings five years ago, I had said I'll return it with interest and I will present a report card of my work. I also said I'll seek a report card of what work was done in the 60 years before that," Modi said.

Modis vision of New India: Key areas

The prime minister said three key areas would build the foundation of Naya Bharat: Safety and security; prosperity; and respect:

1) Safety and security: To ensure the safety of women, security of the citizens from terrorism, corruption, hooliganism, disease and from the enemies of the country.

2) Prosperity: To bring prosperity in the country through knowledge, science and technology, culture, and resources.

3) Respect: To respect workers and labourers, daughters of the nation, people in every category of the society and the nations honour and pride.

Without referring to his Wednesday address to the nation on testing of the anti-satellite missile, Modi said, This decisive government knows how to keep its promises... whether its on land or sky or in space, this chowkidars (Modi) government mustered the courage to take strong decisions like surgical strikes. He emphasised that his government aims at making agriculture a respectable and profitable proposition; position India among the developed nations in science and technology and rank the country among the top three economies in the world.

Even while campaigning during the Assembly elections and at various other platforms in 2018, the prime minister expressed his idea of a New India. He enumerated vikas ki panchdhara (five tenets of development) for a New India while addressing a media event in December. Addressing his booth and party workers, and the public, Modi in reminded the audience, The nation comprising 130 crore people has made up its mind in favour of this government.

Seemingly slamming the Samajwadi Party (SP) and its leadership in Uttar Pradesh, the PM talked about safety of women and the reign of terror due to hooliganism in Uttar Pradesh. One may recall that the state during the SP regime witnessed the Muzaffarnagar riots in 2013 and the Kairana exodus between 2014 and 2016. The Supreme Court while hearing petitions in relation to the Muzaffarnagar riots held the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party, prima facie guilty of negligence in preventing the violence and ordered it to immediately arrest all those accused irrespective of their political affiliation.

Similarly, there had been mass migration of families from Kairana due to threats of anti-social elements between 2014 and 2016. Comparing his government to the Opposition, Modi asserted, While the NDA government will present its works and achievements in the past five years, we would also take stock of the Opposition (hisaab loonga, hisaab doonga).

Why Meerut?

Explaining why he began his election campaign for 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Meerut, Modi said, "Indias first freedom struggle (also known as Indias first war of Independence) in 1857 began from Meerut. This place also reflects aspiration of Indians for a strong India," he reminded. Even during his Uttar Pradesh Assembly election rally, Modi mentioned the historical importance of Meerut in Indias freedom struggle and had exhorted the public to bring BJP to power.

Modi's final take

"Our vision of New India will be built on the foundation of our glorious past and a strong future, with a new identity focussing on safety and security, prosperity, and respect... So to reach Modi, you ought to press the button (on electronic voting machines) meant for your BJP candidate and vote," added Modi.

BJP versus The Others

Pointing out how under the BJP-led government crores of bank accounts were opened under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna (PMJDY) which was not acknowledged by the Congress, who rather criticised the scheme, Modi said, "Jab main bank khaate khulwata tha tab yeh buddhimaan log bhashan dete the ki desh main bank nahi hain gareeb kya karenge. Yeh log jo sattar saal tak gareebo ka bank main khaata nahi khulwa paay wo ab kehte hain ki tumhare khaate main paisa daalenge. Koi bharosa karega kya? Jo khaata nahi khulwa sakta who khaate main paisa daalenge kya? (When I was getting the banks accounts opened these "intelligent" people said that there are no banks in the country, what will poor people do. These people who could not get poor people a bank account in 70 years are now saying that they will give money in these accounts. Will anyone believe them? Those who could not get the poor a bank account, how will they get them their money)."

On 25 March, Congress president Rahul Gandhi promised a minimum income guarantee scheme called Nyuntam Aay Yojana (NYAY) if voted to power in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Rahul said that if the Congress comes to power, the party will ensure that 20 percent of the poor families in India get Rs 72,000 annually. According to the Congress, the minimum income support scheme will be "rolled out in phases". Though Rahul claimed that this "is an extremely powerful, ground-breaking and well-thought idea", the BJP has dubbed it is being a 'populist' measure announced just before the elections to attract the voters.

Comparing NYAY with PMJDY, Modi said that the Central scheme is to ensure universal access to banking facilities with at least one basic banking account for every household, financial literacy, access to credit, insurance and pension facility. In addition, the beneficiaries would get RuPay Debit card having inbuilt accident insurance cover of Rs 1 lakh.

PMJDY was launched in August 2014 which was a target oriented and time bound financial inclusion scheme aimed at opening 7.5 crore bank accounts initially. However, as on 26 December, 2018, 33.66 crore accounts were opened under the scheme. Out of these accounts, 28.16 crore PMJDY accounts are operative accounts.

Rahul's claim that Congress' 'minimum income scheme' is 'a final assault' on power was also slammed by the prime minister. Taking a swipe at former prime minister Indira Gandhi's 'Garibi Hatao' slogan, Modi said that he has been hearing this slogan since he was a child and "have come to the conclusion that only way to actually remove poverty is by removing Congress itself."

"When I was 8-10 years old, I used to hear the talks of eradicating poverty. When I was 20-22-years-old, Indira Gandhi used to say that she will remove poverty. After that next four generations said the same thing. They kept moving ahead but the poor were stuck in the same misery and remained poor. Congress, which has betrayed the poor, will be removed completely by them only. Congress failed in removing poverty. Remove Congress from every corner of India to remove poverty," said Modi.

Not sparing the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) alliance in Uttar Pradesh Modi coined an acronym to attack them. He said, "The 'SA' of Samajwadi Party, the 'RA' of RLD and the 'B' of Bahujan Samaj Party together form 'SARAB' (alcohol) which is very bad for health".

Also reiterating his 'chowkidar' narrative, prime minister tweaked his 'saabka saath, saabka vikas' slogan, making it 'saabka saath, saabka hisaab' to stress that anyone involved in corruption will be dealt with.

'Saboot' versus 'Sapoot': Modi uses word play to suggest Opposition in the wrong for asking proof for Balakot air strike

In response to the Opposition's demand for 'proof' in the aftermath of the Balakot air strike on 26 February this year in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province across the Line of Control, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said "Kya humein saboot chahiye ya sapoot chahiye? Mere desh ke sapoot hi mere desh ke sabse bada saboot hai. Jo saboot maangte hain woh sapoot ko lalkaarte hain".

PM Modi at a rally in Meerut, "Kya humein saboot chahiye ya sapoot chahiye? Mere desh ke sapoot hi mere desh ke sabse bada saboot hai. Jo saboot maangte hain woh sapoot ko lalkaarte hain." pic.twitter.com/7r7ltTk5jR  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 28, 2019

Addressing his first campaign rally for the upcoming Lok Sabha election in Meerut, Modi offered a rhythmic rebuttal to the Congress party which has repeatedly been asking for proof of the damage caused to terror outfits across the border. The 'sapoots' or worthy sons of the Indian Armed Forces, according to the prime minister, are the ones who risked their lives to quell terror that threatens peace in the Kashmir Valley. By using the word 'sapoot', the prime minister drew an inference from the safe return of IAF pilot Abhinandan Vardhaman and the courageous men like him.

For Modi, those who are demanding proof of Balakot air strike are demanding proof of the valour and intent of the 'sapoots' of the armed forces. The Balakot air strike was India's response to the 14 February Pulwama terror attack by Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed that killed at least 40 CRPF jawans. Pakistan didn't stick to its 2004 peace agreement where it committed to neutralise terror on its soil. In his own way, Modi said that the air strike has sent shivers down the spines of those operating terror outfits across the border. He also said had anything gone wrong in executing the air strike, the Opposition would have demanded his resignation and burnt his effigies.

"When the country needed to speak in one voice, 21 Opposition parties gathered in Delhi to adopt a resolution condemning us. They are demanding proof from the armed forces for their act of bravery," Modi had earlier said at BJP's Sankalp rally at Patna's Gandhi Maidan on 3 March. But this time around, with the use of homophones in his attention-grabbing oratory, he conveyed the same message again.

The BJP-led Centre's stand on Balakot has been that it was a pre-emptive, non-military strike and that the government had credible information that more such suicide terror attacks could happen in the future for which it was necessary to take a strong stand and guard its own borders and civilians.
Imagine the Iranians interfere in the election to help elect Barack Obama, an Obama aide meets with the Iranians to talk about the dirt they have, then President Obama's national security adviser lies to the FBI about his communications with the Iranians, then President Obama asks Comey to drop the investigation of that, fires Comey and said he did so while thinking about the "Iranian thing." Then he invited mullahs to the Oval Office and told them he lifted a lot of pressure by firing Comey.
Taking a swipe at former prime minister Indira Gandhi's 'Garibi Hatao' slogan, Modi said that he has been hearing this slogan since he was a child.

Pointing out how under the BJP-led government, crores of bank accounts were opened under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna (PMJDY) which was not acknowledged by the Congress, which criticised the scheme, Modi said, "Jab main bank khaate khulwata tha tab yeh buddhimaan log bhashan dete the ki desh main bank nahi hain gareeb kya karenge. Yeh log jo sattar saal tak gareebo ka bank main khaata nahi khulwa paay wo ab kehte hain ki tumhare khaate main paisa daalenge. Koi bharosa karega kya? Jo khaata nahi khulwa sakta who khaate main paisa daalenge kya?" (When I was getting the banks accounts opened these "intelligent" people said that there are no banks in the country, what will poor people do. These people who could not get poor people a bank account in 70 years are now saying that they will give money in these accounts. Will anyone believe them? Those who could not get the poor a bank account, how will they get them their money)."

On 25 March, Congress president Rahul Gandhi promised a minimum income guarantee scheme called Nyuntam Aay Yojana (NYAY) if voted to power in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Rahul said that if the Congress comes to power, the party will ensure that 20 percent of the poor families in India get Rs 72,000 annually. According to the Congress, the minimum income support scheme will be "rolled out in phases". Though Rahul claimed that this "is an extremely powerful, ground-breaking and well-thought idea", the BJP has dubbed it as a 'populist' measure announced just before the elections to attract the voters.

Comparing NYAY with PMJDY, Modi said that the central scheme is to ensure universal access to banking facilities with at least one basic banking account for every household, financial literacy, access to credit, insurance and pension facility. In addition, the beneficiaries would get a RuPay Debit card having inbuilt accident insurance cover of Rs 1 lakh.

PMJDY, launched in August 2014, was a target-oriented and time-bound financial inclusion scheme aimed at opening 7.5 crore bank accounts initially. However, as on 26 December, 2018, 33.66 crore accounts were opened under the scheme. Out of these accounts, 28.16 crore PMJDY accounts are operative accounts.

Rahul's claim that Congress' 'minimum income scheme' is 'a final assault' on power was also slammed by the prime minister. Taking a swipe at former prime minister Indira Gandhi's 'Garibi Hatao' slogan, Modi said that he has been hearing this slogan since he was a child and "have come to the conclusion that only way to actually remove poverty is by removing Congress itself."

"When I was 8-10 years old, I used to hear the talks of eradicating poverty. When I was 20-22-years-old, Indira Gandhi used to say that she will remove poverty. After that, the next four generations said the same thing. They kept moving ahead but the poor were stuck in the same misery and remained poor. Congress failed in removing poverty. Remove Congress from every corner of India to remove poverty," said Modi.

Not sparing the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) alliance in Uttar Pradesh, Modi coined an acronym to attack them. He said, "The 'SA' of Samajwadi Party, the 'RA' of RLD and the 'B' of Bahujan Samaj Party together form 'SARAB' (alcohol) which is very bad for health".

Also, reiterating his 'chowkidar' narrative, the prime minister tweaked his 'saabka saath, saabka vikas' slogan, making it 'saabka saath, saabka hisaab' to stress that anyone involved in corruption will be dealt with.
Narendra Modi was essentially telling voters that even if a section of them had reservations, they should ignore that for the larger good

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is taking the 2019 parliamentary polls to a presidential pitch. Addressing a mammoth public rally in Meerut, after the filing of nomination papers for the first and second phase, Modi ended his speech by saying every vote cast by pressing the lotus button on the electronic voting machines will directly be credited to his account and make his government return to power.

Modi was essentially telling voters that even if a section of them had reservations, they should ignore that for the larger good and keep in mind Modis track record of the past year.

In his hour-long speech, Modi made it known why he chose Meerut to formally launch his campaign for 2019 elections, in a region which witnessed the Muzaffarnagar communal riots ahead of last parliamentary elections, a region which has biggest presence of Jats, a community generally perceived to be aligned with Ajit Singhs (former Union minister and famed Jat leader Chaudhary Charan Singh) RLD, a region which allegedly saw an exodus of Hindus during Samajwadi Party reign, a region which during Kairana parliamentary seat by-poll heard chants of Ganna versus Jinnah.

In a well thought out strategy, Modi spoke of Chaudhary Charan Singh at length, both in the beginning of his speech and when he was about to end his speech. He called him desh ka sapoot (worthy son of nation). References to Chaudhary sahib were combined with two other issues, which have have been at the core of Jat politics in the area: Ganna (sugarcane) and security of young girls (an issue which was allegedly sparked off Muzaffarnagar riots in 2013). By doing so he was playing at both levels: Issues related to emotions and honour and those associated with livelihood.

In his speech, Modi said he chose Meerut to begin his poll campaign because this was the region from where first war of Independence in 1857 began. Two soldiers recently killed in the line of duty, one in the Sukma Naxal attack and the other in the Pulwama terror attack were from Meerut, he added.

This was Modis characteristic rock star speech where he moved on from one issue to another, listing his achievements and targeting Opposition in same vein, rebutting his rivals and critics on every single issue that they raised against him: Proof of surgical strikes, boastful government, Modi versus combined Opposition with catchy phrases such as damdar chowkidar exhorting the crowd to shout main bhi chowkidar, saboot chahiye ya sapoot chahiye, surgical strike ka sahas, and Mahamilawati .

Incidentally, this rally came just 24 hours after Modi's address to the nation where he announced that India had acquired military capability in outer space. The test catapulted India into league of space powers: the USA, Russia and China. Whether its land, sky or outer space damdar chowkidar has displayed courage conduct surgical strikes, Modi said.

Without naming leaders such as Rahul Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal, Modi said some were making headlines in Pakistan as heroes. He asked: Does India want hero of Hindustan or hero of Pakistan? Saboot chahiye ya saboot chahiye, mere desh ke sapoot hi saboot hain, jo sabot mang rahen hain who sapoot ko lalkar rahen hain. By talking about 'sabot versus sapoot', Modi was referring to the return of Wing Commander Abhinandan and how other soldiers repulsed Pakistans intrusion into Indian airspace and ceasefire violations along Line of Control.

Modi was trying to impress upon the crowd that this was a tough decision taken by him in the national interest. Modi detailed the risks involved and added if something had gone wrong then he would have been taken apart by his rivals and critics. He took on Rahul for calling his address to the nation theatrics.

This was also the first time Modi responded to Rahuls minimum income assurance of Rs 72,000 per year for five crore poor families. He ridiculed Rahul and Congress as those who did not make it possible for poor to open a bank account in last 70 years are now talking about making direct payment to their account. These were the people who opposed when I was opening accounts of poor under Jan-dhan scheme. Those who didnt let poor open bank account, will they make payments in their accounts.

Congress, according to Modi, had an interest in keeping the poor economically and socially backward for vote bank considerations. Indira Gandhis 1971 remove poverty slogan came in that context, he added. Modi's counter to Rahul was simple: Remove Congress at all levels, poverty will be eradicated.

Modi set the tone for what could be expected from him to come in the run-up to Lok Sabha elections and by also travelling to Uttarakhand and Jammu on day one of his campaign.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the nation announcing the successful testing of the anti-satellite missile on Wednesday encapsulates the essence of his political style

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the nation announcing the successful testing of the anti-satellite missile on Wednesday encapsulates the essence of his political style as seen over the past five years  he stokes popular expectations to the point where it become impossible to meet them. Disappointment follows.

For nearly an hour separating Modi's tweet stating that he had an important announcement to make, to when he actually spoke, the nation was caught in the frenzy of feverish speculation. Does India have Maulana Masood Azhar, the Jaish-e-Mohammad chief, in its custody? Or has he been killed in a covert operation? Or is it the largely forgotten underworld don, Dawood Ibrahim, who is being brought to India? Or has India conducted yet strike against Pakistan?

This level of speculation is testimony to how Modi has become synonymous with soaring expectations and a muscular national security policy; and his nationally televised address as a harbinger of disruptive policies, regardless of his motive. The latter perception gained ground largely because of the demonetisation policy he announced in a televised speech in November 2016.

So when the nation was asked to stand by for an important announcement on Wednesday morning, it hoped as well as feared for a breathtaking declaration from Modi. They were either disappointed or relieved  not really the emotions that Modi had hoped to trigger by announcing that India had entered the exclusive club of nations that possess anti-satellite missile capabilities.

The successful testing of the anti-satellite missile is, indeed, a technological breakthrough, but it lacked the 'oomph' to captivate his audience. For one, it required prior knowledge of space technology to appreciate what India had achieved. For the other, within minutes of Modi's announcement, links to a 2012 India Today story detailing Indias capabilities to destroy satellites in space starting doing the rounds. Modi's speech seemed a case of reinventing, or merely testing, the wheel.

This is as true of many of the policies that the Modi government has announced over the past five years. From opening Jan Dhan accounts to constructing toilets, to Skill India, to Stand-Up India, to creating smart cities, Modi has reeled out a slew of programmes that were projected as unprecedented, even revolutionary, steps to create a new India, a developed India. These policies are intrinsically worthy, but their projection spawned expectations of instant change, which was impossible to meet. It led to many, including the Opposition, accusing Modi of spinning, of pouring old wine into a new bottle  and then selling it.

It is an irony that the expectation-disappointment dyad invariably built into Modi's political style should have played out so quickly, so vividly, in just a couple of hours, that too at the fag-end of his five-year term.

In choosing to make the announcement regarding India's space breakthrough, Modi had an eye on the forthcoming Lok Sabha election. He was seeking to foster the feel-good emotion by fanning national pride. He was also building upon the nationalistic fervour that the terror attack in Pulwama on 14 February and the subsequent India-Pakistan aerial confrontation generated. Feel-good emotions do not linger as long as darkled feelings, such as those arising in the wake of, say, falling incomes.

Modi's announcement on Wednesday, therefore, gave us a hint of his electoral strategy: He will seek to churn emotions and ride them through the Lok Sabha election. Emotions swamp reason; they disable people from examining government policies; a prolonged feel-good feeling among voters is psephologically considered advantageous to the ruling party.

It is possible voters may ask what they will gain from India's prowess to destroy a satellite in the space. In this context, it is appropriate to remember the seaplane ride that Modi took on the day the campaigning for the 2017 Gujarat Assembly election was to end. The ride was projected as an attempt to boost tourism in Gujarat through hi-tech. For many, a plane landing on the Sabarmati must have been a sight.

It is hard to tell whether the seaplane shored up the BJP's prospects at the last minute. However, it can be presumed that the seaplane ride did not have a negative impact on the BJP, since it won the Assembly election. It can also be said that the emotional surge in Gujarat might have checked non-ideological voters from deserting the BJP. In much the same manner, the anti-missile system gives Modi and BJP cadres a point to crow about.

Whether or not it will have a popular resonance is debatable. With Indian politics increasingly resembling Bollywood in style and content, emotional campaigns have an utmost impact when these also produce an identifiable villain. Refreshingly, the talk on the anti-satellite missile testing has not yet produced one. But who can tell how the talk will be tweaked over the days, or what other tactics will be employed to stoke national pride.

However, campaigns built around emotions are often unwitting expressions of nervousness dogging a ruling party. Is Modi nervous and unsure about the results of the forthcoming elections?

There are two possible views:

Yes, he is, because of the comeback the Congress staged in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh last year. Then again, in Gujarat, Modi's home turf, the Congress gave the BJP a close run for its money in the 2017 Assembly election. BJP had taken all of Gujarat's 26 and Rajasthan's 25 seats, 27 out of Madhya Pradesh's 29, and 10 out of Chhattisgarh's 11. It does not seem it can repeat its 2014 performance.

There is also a powerful alliance of the Bahujan Samaj Party, Samajwadi Party and Rashtriya Lok Dal in Uttar Pradesh, where the BJP and its ally, Apna Dal, had won 73 seats. No one knows who Priyanka Gandhi will adversely affect  the alliance or the BJP. So here too, its tally will likely dip. Barring Karnataka, the BJP does not still have a foothold in the South, where it is dependent on allies to boost the numbers of the National Democratic Alliance that it heads. It can make up for a percentage of its expected losses in the Hindi heartland in the East, but it can't offset it by 100 percent.

The other view is that he does not wish to repeat the mistake of former prime minister AB Vajpayee in 2004, who thought his Indian Shining campaign was good enough to win him another term. Modi wants to put his bets on as many issues as possible, particularly those emotional, to boost his party's tally. This is vital as the BJP, as of now, does not look like nearing its 2014 tally of 282 seats.

This means Modi will have to lure allies who are not in the NDA's camp. It will require bargaining; it could see him face competition from leaders within the party, most of whom unable to assert himself. It will, above all, dilute the kind of power he wields. It will turn him into the Modi that he fears becoming. His decision to announce the successful testing of the anti-satellite missile was, perhaps, an attempt to assail his own inner fears.
Earlier on Monday, Rahul had announced a Universal Basic Income scheme that would provide minimum income support of Rs 72,0000 annually to impoverished Indian families earning less than Rs 12,000 per month.

With the 2019 general elections just weeks away and political leaders upping the ante against rivals, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi once again castigated the Bharatiya Janata Party and claimed that the Congress' NYAY scheme would 'remonetise' what the Narendra Modi government 'demonetised'.

In an exclusive interview with PTI, the Congress president alleged that the ruling party was in total 'disarray' after the grand old party's minimum income support scheme announcement.

"NYAY will achieve twin objectives of giving money to 20 percent poorest families and firing up economy," Rahul said.

Rahul also claimed that by implementing the NYAY scheme, justice will be delivered to India's poorest families and will ensure to eradicate poverty.

"We want to return to deprived sections what Modi has snatched from them," the Congress chief said.

Further leveling charges against the Modi government, Rahul said: "If the prime minister had done his job properly, poverty would have ended by now."

He also said that "unlike BJP's demonetisation and GST, the Congress will not implement 'NYAY' rashly."

"NYAY will be a game changer and is perfectly doable without any financial pressure on exchequer. It will start powerful economic cycle of consumption and production in country," Rahul said.

Earlier on Monday, Rahul announced a Universal Basic Income scheme that would provide minimum income support of Rs 72,0000 annually to impoverished Indian families earning less than Rs 12,000 per month.

Rahul said that the programme would benefit 250 million of a population of 1.3 billion.

The general elections are scheduled to begin on 11 April.

With inputs from PTI
If history is anything to go by, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) shouldn't have much to worry in the high profile Bangalore South constituency despite the controversial choice of its candidate, thanks to a deep-seated sentiment of anti-Congressism.

If history is anything to go by, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) shouldn't have much to worry in the high profile Bangalore South constituency despite the controversial choice of its candidate, thanks to a deep-seated sentiment of anti-Congressism.

Bangalore South has been an anti-Congress bastion since the seat was carved out in 1977. Out of 11 general elections, non-Congress candidates have won the seat 10 times. The only exception was 1989, when the late Congress chief minister R Gundu Rao swept the elections winning by a margin of over two lakh votes.

The constituency, from where Ananth Kumar was elected to the Lok Sabha for six times, has been in the news for the wrong reasons as far as the BJP is concerned. His widow Tejaswini who was widely-tipped to be the BJP's choice for the seat, was denied the ticket. In her place, Tejasvi Surya was picked with the late leader's supporters screaming betrayal.

But how much of this anger will impact the BJP's chances? Not much.

For one, Tejaswini herself has said she will work to realise the goal of NaMoAgain. Her supporters may still be unable to get over the insult but they have little choice but to back Tejasvi. They, too, equally want Narendra Modi as the prime minister for a second term.

Second, unlike in some other constituencies in Karnataka, the Congress cannot expect the benefit of an incremental vote because of its alliance with the Janata Dal (Secular). The JD(S) doesn't have much of a base in this Lok Sabha constituency even if its core voters, the Vokkaligas, are present in significant numbers. This was evident, for example, in the 2014 elections when the JD(S) candidate polled a measly 25,677 votes. Nandan Nilekani of the Congress secured 4.05 lakh votes but that wasn't enough to better Ananth Kumar's 6.33 lakh votes.

The best showing by the Congress was in 2009 when Krishna Byre Gowda came just 37,000 votes short of Ananth Kumar's tally. Gowda is now the Congress contestant in Bangalore North constituency.

Third, there is much speculation about whether some Congress leaders who enjoy influence in the constituency like Ramalinga Reddy will enthusiastically work for party candidate B K Hariprasad. Reddy had his own axe to grind with the Congress leadership after being denied a Cabinet berth.

Fourth, while Hariprasad is known for his organisational skills and can be a formidable rival to the BJP, he was recently in the eye of a storm for characterising the Pulwama terror attack as "match fixing" by Modi. He had to face a barrage of criticism for his comment and the BJP will not miss making it a campaign issue.

Fifth, the BJP has the advantage of Narendra Modi's positive appeal among the middle class who constitute a large section of the electorate in this seat.

It is still early, but it would be foolish to write off the Congress which is represented in three Assembly segments of the Lok Sabha constituency. The remaining five are held by the BJP. The Congress can draw some comfort from the fact that in 2018 it wrested the Jayanagar Assembly seat from the BJP.

It was a shocking loss for the BJP which had hoped to cash in on the popularity of BN Vijayakumar, the sitting MLA who died after the Assembly elections were announced. His brother was the candidate in the postponed election for the seat.

The BJP had blamed the consolidation of Muslim votes for its loss in that election. If similar consolidation of Muslim, Vokkaliga and OBC votes were to happen again, the Congress can hope to dent the BJP's edge in this constituency with one of the largest concentrations of Brahmins in Karnataka.
Seemingly slamming the Samajwadi Party (SP) and its leadership in Uttar Pradesh, the PM talked about safety of women and the reign of terror due to hooliganism in Uttar Pradesh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spelled out his vision for a New India (naya Bharat) at a public rally in Meerut today. Addressing a huge rally, Modi emphasised three key areas which would build his dream of New India, encompassing almost every aspect of individual life and the nation as a whole.

Modis vision of New India: Key areas

The prime minister said three key areas would build the foundation of Naya Bharat: Safety and security; prosperity; and respect

1) Safety and security: To ensure safety of women, security of the citizens from terrorism, corruption, hooliganism, disease and from the enemies of the country.

2) Prosperity: To bring prosperity in the country through knowledge, science and technology, culture, and resources.

3) Respect: To respect workers and labourers, daughters of the nation, people in every category of the society and nations honour and pride.

Without referring to his Wednesday address to the nation on testing of the anti-satellite missile, Modi said, This decisive government knows how to keep its promises... whether its on land or sky or in space, this chowkidars (Modi) government mustered the courage to take strong decisions like surgical strikes. He emphasised that his government aims at making agriculture a respectable and profitable proposition; position India among the developed nations in science and technology and rank the country among the top three economies in the world.

Even while campaigning during the Assembly elections and at various other platforms in 2018, the prime minister expressed his idea of a New India. He enumerated vikas ki panchdhara (five tenets of development) for a New India while addressing a media event in December. Addressing his booth and party workers, and the public, Modi in reminded the audience, The nation comprising 130 crore people has made up its mind in favour of this government.

Seemingly slamming the Samajwadi Party (SP) and its leadership in Uttar Pradesh, the prime minister talked about safety of women and the reign of terror due to hooliganism in Uttar Pradesh. One may recall that the state during the SP regime witnessed the Muzaffarnagar riots in 2013 and the Kairana exodus between 2014 and 2016. The Supreme Court while hearing petitions in relation to the Muzaffarnagar riots held the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party, prima facie guilty of negligence in preventing the violence and ordered it to immediately arrest all those accused irrespective of their political affiliation.

Similarly, there had been mass migration of families from Kairana due to threats of anti-social elements between 2014 and 2016. Comparing his government to the Opposition, Modi asserted, While the NDA government will present its works and achievements in the past five years, we would also take stock of the Opposition (hisaab loonga, hisaab doonga).

Why Meerut?

The prime minister explained why he began his poll campaign for 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Meerut. Indias first freedom struggle (also known as Indias first war of Independence) in 1857 began from Meerut. This place also reflects aspiration of Indians for a strong India, he reminded. Even during his Uttar Pradesh Assembly election rally, Modi mentioned the historical importance of Meerut in Indias freedom struggle and had exhorted the public to bring BJP to power.

Modis final take

Our vision of New India will be built on the foundation of our glorious past and a strong future, with a new identity focussing on safety and security, prosperity, and respect... So to reach Modi, you ought to press the button (on electronic voting machines) meant for your BJP candidate and vote, added Modi.
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) had sought bypolls in three Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu  Tiruparankundram, Ottapidaram and Aravakurichi seats.

The Election Commission assured the Supreme Court on Thursday that bypolls in Tamil Nadu would be held within a reasonable time after the apex court told that it can't determine the timings of the by-elections. The top court recorded EC's statement as it wrapped up the plea asking for bypolls in the southern state, CNN News18 reported.

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) had sought bypolls in three Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu  Tiruparankundram, Ottapidaram and Aravakurichi seats.

Earlier, in February, DMK president MK Stalin had urged the Election Commission to hold bypolls for 21 vacant Assembly seats in Tamil Nadu simultaneously with the Lok Sabha elections. A delegation headed by Rajya Sabha MP and DMK leader Kanimozhi submitted a letter addressed to the EC by Stalin at the office of the poll panel in New Delhi, a party release said in Chennai.

We request the ECI to hold elections to the 21 Assembly seats along with election to 39 parliamentary seats in Tamil Nadu, Stalin said in the letter, a copy of which was released to the media. The DMK chief said this would save the time of voters, the EC and government staff and also ease the burden on the public exchequer.

Of the 21 seats, as many as 18 had fallen vacant following the disqualification of ruling AIADMK MLAs loyal to ousted leader TTV Dhinakaran by the Assembly Speaker in September 2017, which was upheld by the Madras High Court in 2018. The court had also lifted an earlier stay on notifying the seats as vacant.

Two other seats are vacant after the death of sitting members  then DMK president M Karunanidhi (Tiruvarur) and AK Bose (Tiruparankundram)  while Minister Balakrishna Reddy representing Hosur constituency was disqualified after being sentenced to three-year imprisonment in a criminal case.

Stalin said, Since the 21 Assembly seats form part of the some of the 39 parliamentary constituencies, it would be easy to enforce election-related guidelines including the model code of conduct... Such a move would also benefit political parties as there would be no need to conduct separate poll campaigns, the DMK president said. Also, electoral rolls are going to be the same for both the elections, logic demands that the elections must be held together, Stalin said.

With inputs from PTI
Lalu Prasad's family has been witness to sibling rivalry for some time now, especially Tej Pratap's simmering differences with his brother and Leader of Opposition Tejaswi

In a surprise development, former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav's elder son Tej Pratap Yadav on Thursday tweeted that he has resigned as mentor of the Rashtriya Janata Dal's (RJD) student wing.

The move, days ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, comes as a big jolt to the party. His resignation also comes days after the RJD announced its list of star campaigners ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The list included Rabri Devi, Tejashwi Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav, among others.

             

        

          Tej Pratap Yadav (@TejYadav14) March 28, 2019

In the tweet, Tej Pratap also said that those who think that he is "immature" are actually the ones who are "naive". "I know who is struggling at what level," he wrote.

Lalu Prasad's family has been witness to sibling rivalry for some time now, especially Tej Pratap's simmering differences with his brother Tejashwi. Tejashwi has been declared as the political heir apparent of the RJD supremo. The fight had come out in the open when their sister Misa Bharti's name was missing from the RJD star campaigner's list.

Tej Pratap had, in January 2019, announced that Bharti would contest from the Patliputra Lok Sabha constituency, even before the party made an official announcement about seat allocations. RJD insiders were quoted as saying by The Asian Age that the party was planning to field one of Tejashwi's closest aides Bhai Virendra from Patliputra constituency.

Tejashwi was the one made deputy chief minister in 2015 when the RJD, Congress and Janata Dal (United) formed the government while Tej Pratap got the health ministry.

After this government collapsed, Tejashwi became the Leader of Opposition. The question of Tejashwi taking the lead has been settled by none other than Lalu Yadav, Manoj Jha, an RJD member in the Rajya Sabha, had earlier said.
Barr said during his confirmation hearing that he would be as transparent as possible, within the confines of the law and Justice Department policy. But he has never committed to turning over all of the materials Mueller reviewed, which Democrats say are essential for them to determine whether the president was ever compromised by his foreign contacts, even if they did not rise to the level of criminal activity.
Reuters

Technology executives were put on the spot at an artificial intelligence summit this week, each faced with a simple question growing out of increased public scrutiny of Silicon Valley: When have you put ethics before your business interests?

A Microsoft Corp executive pointed to how the company considered whether it ought to sell nascent facial recognition technology to certain customers, while a Google executive spoke about the companys decision not to market a face ID service at all.

The big news at the summit, in San Francisco, came from Google, which announced it was launching a council of public policy and other external experts to make recommendations on AI ethics to the company.

The discussions at EmTech Digital, run by the MIT Technology Review, underscored how companies are making a bigger show of their moral compass.

At the summit, activists critical of Silicon Valley questioned whether big companies could deliver on promises to address ethical concerns. The teeth the companies efforts have may sharply affect how governments regulate the firms in the future.

It is really good to see the community holding companies accountable, David Budden, research engineering team lead at Alphabet Incs DeepMind, said of the debates at the conference. Companies are thinking of the ethical and moral implications of their work.

Kent Walker, Googles senior vice president for global affairs, said the internet giant debated whether to publish research on automated lip-reading. While beneficial to people with disabilities, it risked helping authoritarian governments surveil people, he said.

Ultimately, the company found the research was more suited for person to person lip-reading than surveillance so on that basis decided to publish the research, Walker said. The study was published last July.

Kebotix, a Cambridge, Massachusetts startup seeking to use AI to speed up the development of new chemicals, used part of its time on stage to discuss ethics. Chief Executive Jill Becker said the company reviews its clients and partners to guard against misuse of its technology.

Still, Rashida Richardson, director of policy research for the AI Now Institute, said little around ethics has changed since Amazon.com Inc, Facebook Inc, Microsoft and others launched the nonprofit Partnership on AI to engage the public on AI issues.

There is a real imbalance in priorities for tech companies, Richardson said. Considering the amount of resources and the level of acceleration thats going into commercial products, I dont think the same level of investment is going into making sure their products are also safe and not discriminatory.

Googles Walker said the company has some 300 people working to address issues such as racial bias in algorithms but the company has a long way to go.

Baby steps is probably a fair characterization, he said.
Reuters

Chinese gaming company Beijing Kunlun Tech Co Ltd is seeking to sell Grindr LLC, the popular gay dating app it has owned since 2016, after a US government national security panel raised concerns about its ownership, according to people familiar with the matter.

The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) has informed Kunlun that its ownership of West Hollywood, California-based Grindr constitutes a national security risk, the two sources said.

CFIUS specific concerns and whether any attempt was made to mitigate them could not be learned. The United States has been increasingly scrutinizing app developers over the safety of personal data they handle, especially if some of it involves US military or intelligence personnel.

Kunlun had said last August it was preparing for an initial public offering (IPO) of Grindr. As a result of CFIUS intervention, Kunlun has now shifted its focus to an auction process to sell Grindr outright, given that the IPO would have kept Grindr under Kunluns control for a longer period of time, the sources said.

Grindr (review) has hired investment bank Cowen Inc to handle the sale process, and is soliciting acquisition interest from US investment firms, as well as Grindrs competitors, according to the sources.

The development represents a rare, high-profile example of CFIUS undoing an acquisition that has already been completed. Kunlun took over Grindr through two separate deals between 2016 and 2018 without submitting the acquisition for CFIUS review, according to the sources, making it vulnerable to such an intervention.

The sources asked not to be identified because the matter is confidential.

FILE PHOTO: An unidentified man using a smart phone walks through London's Canary Wharf financial district in the evening light in London, Britain, September 28, 2018. REUTERS/Russell Boyce/File Photo

Kunlun representatives did not respond to requests for comment. Grindr and Cowen declined to comment. A spokesman for the US Department of the Treasury, which chairs CFIUS, said the panel does not comment publicly on individual cases.

Grindr, which describes itself as the worlds largest social networking app for gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people, had 27 million users as of 2017. The company collects personal information submitted by its users, including a persons location, messages, and in some cases even someones HIV status, according to its privacy policy.

CFIUS intervention in the Grindr deal underscores its focus on the safety of personal data, after it blocked the acquisitions of US money transfer company MoneyGram International Inc and mobile marketing firm AppLovin by Chinese bidders in the last two years.

CFIUS does not always reveal the reasons it chooses to block a deal to the companies involved, as doing so could potentially reveal classified conclusions by US agencies, said Jason Waite, a partner at law firm Alston & Bird LLP focusing on the regulatory aspects of international trade and investment.

Personal data has emerged as a mainstream concern of CFIUS, Waite said.

The unraveling of the Grindr deal also highlights the pitfalls facing Chinese acquirers of US companies seeking to bypass the CFIUS review system, which is based mostly on voluntary deal submissions.

Previous examples of the US ordering the divestment of a company after the acquirer did not file for CFIUS review include China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporations acquisition of Seattle-based aircraft component maker Mamco in 1990, Ralls Corporations divestment of four wind farms in Oregon in 2012, and Ironshore Incs sale of Wright & Co, a provider of professional liability coverage to US government employees such as law enforcement personnel and national security officials, to Starr Companies in 2016.

(Also read: Dear gay men, are you addicted to Grindr?

Privacy Concerns

Kunlun acquired a majority stake in Grindr in 2016 for $93 million. It bought out the remainder of the company in 2018.

Grindrs founder and chief executive officer, Joel Simkhai, stepped down in 2018 after Kunlun bought the remaining stake in the company.

Kunluns control of Grindr has fueled concerns among privacy advocates in the United States. US senators Edward Markey and Richard Blumenthal sent a letter to Grindr last year demanding answers with regards to how the app would protect users privacy under its Chinese owner.

CFIUS made the right decision in unwinding Grindrs acquisition. It should continue to draw a line in the sand for future foreign acquisition of sensitive personal data, Markey and Blumenthal said in a statement on Wednesday.

Kunlun is one of Chinas largest mobile gaming companies. It was part of a buyout consortium that acquired Norwegian internet browser business Opera Ltd for $600 million in 2016.

Founded in 2008 by Tsinghua University graduate Zhou Yahui, Kunlun also owns Qudian Inc, a Chinese consumer credit provider, and Xianlai Huyu, a Chinese mobile gaming company.
tech2 News Staff

Ever since telecom providers started ramping up 4G service in the country, Chinese OEMs have been dominating the Indian smartphone market.

Companies such as Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, and Honor are amongst the top phone manufacturers in the country, and that trend doesn't appear to be changing anytime soon. We often forget, but India is also home to several smaller smartphone manufacturers such as Micromax, Lava, Maxx, and Karbonn.

Much like their Chinese counterparts, the Indian OEMs also focus on low-cost 4G-enabled devices. However, their sales numbers are marginally less compared to Chinese companies, with only Micromax still surviving among the onslaught of Chinese brands.

A number of Indian smartphone manufacturers have now alleged that GSMA, has been biased in favour of Chinese companies. What is GSMA and why is the body important? Well, GSMA is the international trade body which represents almost 1,200 telecom operators and allocates a part of the IMEI numbers to all cellular devices.

According to a report by the Economic Times, Indian companies have complained that GSMA offers huge discounts to Chinese manufacturers while they have to pay the full allotment fee for Type Allocation Codes.

For those wondering, Type Allocation Codes are the first eight digits of the IMEI numbers allotted to all devices which use GSM connections.

As per the report, Indian companies are asked to pay $5-6 million as full allotment fee for these codes. The current fee for TAC is $400 per device model, which is capped at $30,000 a year. Chinese firms, who get a 30 percent rebate, were exempted from paying the fee in the period from 2010 to 2017.

The companies have now demanded a full refund of the TAC allotment fees paid by them during the period and have sought the government's help in the matter.

The international trade body has admitted to this difference in fees but has opposed the allegations of bias. GSMA in a statement to the Economic Times said that it is "working with the Indian government and relevant handset manufacturers to understand their concerns."

Citing confidentiality, GSMA has refrained from offering any other details about discussions with government authorities. However, the body did cite "regulator barriers outside of its control" which prevented it from charging the similar fees in different regions until 2017.
tech2 News Staff

Samsung's 2019 flagship Galaxy S10 series hit the stores shelves earlier this month. All three Galaxy S10 series phones have few interesting aspects that make them different from one another. But while the new flagship series is getting a mixed bag of reactions from early adopters and reviewers, rumour mill has begun churning out leaks about Samsung's next flagship smartphone, the Galaxy Note 10.

Samsung's phablet size flagship model, the Galaxy Note 9 was one of the best phones in the premium segment last year. A new report from ETNews now reveals that its successor may come with slight changes. The report citing industry sources claims that the Galaxy Note 10 will be Samsung's 'first keyless smartphone,' in simple words, the phone will not have any physical buttons. The report further suggests that the physical buttons will be replaced by touch sensors or gestures. While it is unclear what kind of gestures and sensors Samsung might adopt in its upcoming flagship phone, SamMobile in its report said that the Galaxy Note 10 might have side squeeze feature like one seen on HTC U11. The report noted that the company had filed patents that describe how squeezing the edges of a display could be used for triggering various actions.

A button-less phone is nothing extraordinary given Chinese brands like Meizu, Vivo have already showcased phones that come devoid of any buttons or ports. However, if the report is to be believed then it would be a unique move from Samsung's end. ETNews reports that Samsung intends to launch the feature on its Galaxy A series smartphones as well. Samsung is reportedly looking at companies like NDT to supply a 'pressure-sensing module' that could recognise presses on a device without physical buttons.

Other conventional details about the Galaxy Note 10 are scarce right now, however, The Investor in its report suggests that the phone would debut in August this year. Samsung Galaxy Note 9 was launched on 9 August last year, perhaps the company might follow a similar launch timeline for its upcoming flagship phone.
tech2 News Staff

The Samsung Galaxy Fold will be the first commercially-available folding smartphone when it launches in the next few months.

To add to the buzz, Samsung's now demoing the Galaxy Fold going through a torture test less than one month from the officially stated release date. The 30-second video revealed on Samsung's YouTube channel shows the phone being repeatedly folded by sophisticated machines. The point of the video? To show that there's no crease in sight on the Infinity Flex Display.

Samsung states that the hinge on the Galaxy Fold can outlast 2,00,000 folds and unfolds, which is enough for five years of heavy use, provided the phone is folded 100 times each day. So if the durability of the hinge is your biggest worry with the Fold, this should help alleviate your concerns.

While Samsung themselves have refrained from sharing a lot on the hinge of the Galaxy Fold, a recent report did reveal a few interesting tidbits of the phone.

One of the few key takeaways from the report was that the device doesnt actually fold completely flat. The hinge on the Galaxy Fold works more like a binder in that it leaves a tiny gap between the two display sides when closed. The crease is noticeable but becomes very difficult to spot once the brightness is raised to more than 70 percent.

The report also revealed that the Galaxy Fold's external display is pretty much like your regular smartphone's, it can run games, you can watch videos. Additionally, the smartphone will also let you set separate home screen setups for both displays.

The Galaxy Fold will reportedly feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chip and not an Exynos chip as Samsung has already confirmed it has a 7 nm processor. The production model of the Galaxy Fold runs One UI 1.2.

While that's the extent of what has been revealed, for now, we should soon get more official details on the device. Samsung is believed to officially release the Galaxy Fold on 26 April in the United States, with the pre-orders for the device in Europe starting the same day. By 3 May, 15 more countries will see the device release in their markets.

In related news, while Samsung has been extremely shy about demoing its Fold to the media, Huawei already let us have not just a peek at the Mate X, but also a proper hands on. Interested? You can read about the finer details about Mate X here.
Reuters

US President Donald Trump said he met with the chief executive of Alphabet Incs Google on Wednesday and discussed political fairness and the companys business in China.

He stated strongly that he is totally committed to the US Military, not the Chinese Military, Trump said on Twitter of his meeting with Google CEO Sundar Pichai.

Also discussed political fairness and various things that @Google can do for our Country. Meeting ended very well!, Trump said.

Google also issued a statement on the meeting.

We were pleased to have productive conversations with the President about investing in the future of the American workforce, the growth of emerging technologies and our ongoing commitment to working with the US government, a Google spokesperson said in the statement.

We are not working with the Chinese military. We are working with the US government, including the Department of Defense, in many areas including cybersecurity, recruiting and healthcare, the spokesperson said.

The top US general, Marine General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a Senate committee hearing earlier this month that the Chinese military was benefiting from the work Google was doing in China.

The US military said that Dunford met Pichai on Wednesday at the Pentagon at Googles request.

General Dunford shared his concerns about US tech firms working in China and the potential impact on the United States ability to maintain a competitive military advantage due to intellectual property being indirectly shared with the Chinese military, Colonel Patrick Ryder, a spokesman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said.

Pichai has said Google has invested in China for years and plans to continue to do so.

In a tweet last week, Trump accused social media platforms Facebook, Googles YouTube and Twitter of favoring his Democratic opponents over him and his fellow Republicans and said he would look into the issue.
tech2 News Staff

Facebook announced that it will be blocking posts and keywords which contain white nationalism or white separatism content. Along with this Facebook has volunteered to direct users whose ideology matches white nationalism to a non-profit organisation called Life After Hate to motivate them to leave hate groups.

But what exactly is Life After Hate? To understand that, we need to understand the people who founded it.

The organisation was formed in 2011 by Sammy Rangel, Tony McAleer, and Angela King, all of whom are ex-white supremacists.

Sammy Rangel happens to be an author and has an autobiography titled "Fourbears: The Myths of Forgiveness," which talks about his childhood trauma involving physical and sexual abuse and how it put him on a self-destructive path which ended in him serving a fifteen and a half-year prison sentence. Since 2012 he has been helping those associated with hate groups through his rehabilitation program 'Formers Anonymous'.

After living a life as a recruited neo-Nazi skinhead, Angela King ultimately got arrested for robbing an adult video store in 1980 and was sentenced to five years in prison in 1999. Since her release, King has vowed to change her life for good. Today she is committed to helping former neo-Nazis and extremists transition from a life of hate. For nearly two decades, she has been a prominent public speaker and a consultant who has received recognition and awards from the Holocaust Documentation and Education Center and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).

Tony McAleer, the third founding member was a former organiser for the White Aryan Resistance (WAR) and a manager of the racist rock band, Odins Law. McAleer's love for his children led him on a spiritual journey of personal transformation. He is a former executive director of Life After Hate.

Since being founded in 2011, Life After Hate's reach has grown to include thousands of people across the globe who support their mission.

Life After Hate is involved in several programs, all of which are dedicated in one way or the other to guide people away from hate groups, mainly white supremacist groups. Here are some of them

ExitUSA

As per a report by SPLCenter, this is a program which helps individuals disengage from previous hate groups and reintegrating these individuals as fully-functioning members of the society

Formers Anonymous

Similar in nature to Alcoholics Anonymous, Formers Anonymous also offers a 12-step self-help program created to deal with their violent and racist past.

#WeCounterHate

Life After Hate created a social media business to spread messages of love to combat the hateful comments on social media. As per a report by The Observer, using programs that detect hateful tweets, #WeCounterHate sends a message to the author saying that a dollar will be donated to Life After Hate for every retweet. The message usually leads to the deletion of the original tweet the report says.

Strong Cities Network

Strong Cities Network (SCN) happens to be the first ever global network of policymakers and practitioners whose common goal is building a community of social cohesion and resilience to counter violent extremism in all its forms.
After British Prime Minister Theresa May's announcement that she will step down if parliament approves her Brexit deal, here is a list of potential contenders to take over as Conservative party leader

London: British Prime Minister Theresa May's announcement that she will step down if parliament approves her Brexit deal fires the starting gun on the race to replace her.

Here is a list of potential contenders to take over as Conservative party leader and therefore prime minister:

Sajid Javid

A former investment banker and the son of a Pakistani immigrant bus driver, the 49-year-old Javid is the face of a modern, multi-cultural and meritocratic Britain.

On the economically liberal wing of the Conservative Party, Javid voted for Britain to stay in the EU in 2016.

Since being appointed interior minister in April 2018, he has earned respect for his handling of a scandal over the treatment of the children of Caribbean immigrants, known as the Windrush generation.

However, he was recently criticised in liberal circles for stripping a teenage mother who ran away to join the Islamic State group of her British nationality.

Jeremy Hunt

The foreign minister supported remaining in the EU but has been highly critical of what he calls the "arrogant" approach taken by Brussels.

A former businessman who speaks fluent Japanese, the 52-year-old is a resilient politician, having headed up the National Health Service for six years during a funding crisis.

He replaced Johnson as Britain's chief diplomat. Softly spoken and measured, Hunt is calm under fire and has gradually seen his power and influence in cabinet rise.

Boris Johnson

A former mayor of London, "Boris" or "BoJo", was a key figure in the 2016 Brexit campaign but failed in his bid to become prime minister in the aftermath as ally Michael Gove withdrew his support at the last minute.

May appointed Johnson as foreign minister but he quickly drew attention for all the wrong reasons, including a series of diplomatic gaffes.

He became increasingly uncomfortable with the government's Brexit strategy before resigning in July.

Charismatic and popular with grassroots Conservatives, the 54-year-old has also earned plenty of enemies within the party for his behaviour.

He separated from his second wife in September and has a new girlfriend. He has recently lost weight and trimmed back his trademark mop of blond hair.

Michael Gove

Brexit campaigner Gove initially supported Johnson's leadership bid in 2016 but at the last minute announced his own intention to run, causing both men to lose out to May.

"Whatever charisma is, I don't have it," he admitted in the race in which he came third.

After a year in the political wilderness, he was appointed environment minister in June 2017 and has stayed in the headlines with a series of eco-friendly policy announcements.

Equally active in his previous justice and education briefs, he is a minister who likes to see through radical new policies.

Following a series of resignations, the cerebral 51-year-old is now undeniably the leading eurosceptic in government.

David Lidington

May's de facto deputy prime minister is a powerful insider who has overseen some of the most important talks with parliament leaders in an effort to get the Brexit deal through.

Lidington is a Brexit proponent who is well-respected for his diplomatic skills.

He is seen as a consensus-builder who emerged as possible interim replacement for May who could see through the current crisis and then give way to a permanent leader once a new Brexit is set in place.

The 62-year-old played down the speculation on Sunday.

"I don't think that I've any wish to take over from the PM," he told reporters.

Outsiders

Amber Rudd, 55, the work and pensions secretary, is an ardent Remainer inside the cabinet. May made Rudd her successor as interior minister but she was forced to resign over the Windrush scandal.

Jacob Rees-Mogg, 49, leads the backbench Conservative eurosceptics and is therefore a highly influential figure. Exceptionally straight-laced, he is an unlikely social media phenomenon. He has indicated support for Johnson.

Andrea Leadsom, 55, came second to May in the 2016 contest to replace David Cameron. She is the leader of the House of Commons -- responsible for bringing government business before the chamber -- and is a staunch Brexiteer.

Others include international development minister Penny Mordaunt, former Brexit secretary David Davis, Attorney General Geoffrey Cox and finance minister Philip Hammond.
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Prince William will visit New Zealand next month to honour the 50 victims of the mass shooting at mosques two weeks ago, his office said on Wednesday. William, the Duke of Cambridge, will make the trip on behalf of his 92-year-old grandmother Queen Elizabeth, New Zealand's head of state, following a request from its Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. 'The Duke will meet with those affected by the attack and will pay tribute to the extraordinary compassion and solidarity that the people of New Zealand have displayed in recent weeks,' Kensington Palace said in a statement.

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Prince William will visit New Zealand next month to honour the 50 victims of the mass shooting at mosques two weeks ago, his office said on Wednesday.

William, the Duke of Cambridge, will make the trip on behalf of his 92-year-old grandmother Queen Elizabeth, New Zealand's head of state, following a request from its Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

"The Duke will meet with those affected by the attack and will pay tribute to the extraordinary compassion and solidarity that the people of New Zealand have displayed in recent weeks," Kensington Palace said in a statement.

William and other senior royals have already spoken of their horror at the March 15 attack on two mosques in Christchurch for which a suspected white supremacist has been charged with murder.

"This senseless attack is an affront to the people of Christchurch and New Zealand, and the broader Muslim community. It is a horrifying assault on a way of life that embodies decency, community, and friendship," William said.

"We know that from this devastation and deep mourning, the people of New Zealand will unite to show that such evil can never defeat compassion and tolerance."

(Reporting by Michael Holden; editing by Stephen Addison)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Russia's deployment of troops and equipment to bolster Nicolas Maduro has ratcheted up already high international tension in Venezuela where the Donald Trump administration is pushing hard for regime change amid mounting chaos in the once rich country.

Washington: US President Donald Trump demanded Wednesday that Russia remove troops from Venezuela and said again that he was not ruling out military action to topple far-left President Nicolas Maduro.

Russia's deployment of troops and equipment to bolster Maduro has ratcheted up already high international tension in Venezuela where the Trump administration is pushing hard for regime change amid mounting chaos in the once rich country.

"Russia has to get out," Trump said at the White House alongside Fabiana Rosales, wife of opposition leader Juan Guaido, who has been recognized by the United States and more than 50 other countries as Venezuela's interim president in place of Maduro.

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova dismissed Trump's demand, asking in return why US troops were still in parts of Syria, where the Assad regime relies heavily on Russia support.

"He said the United States would withdraw from Syria a month ago," she was quoted as saying by Interfax news agency. "Before deciding the fate of another country I advise fulfilling promises made to the international community."

Russia, one of the major countries that still recognizes Maduro as leader, sent two planes carrying 100 troops and tons of military equipment to Venezuela on Saturday.

Maduro is presiding over economic chaos, with the oil-rich country unable to provide basic medical and even food supplies to much of the population.

US military eying Venezuela?

The high-profile reception given to Rosales was the Trump administration's latest bid to boost Guaido, who is under severe pressure from Maduro. On Thursday, she will meet with US First Lady Melania Trump in Florida.

Trump said "all options are on the table" when asked by journalists if the United States was considering military action to back a campaign of economic sanctions aimed at crippling the Maduro government's finances.

"They've got a lot of pressure right now. They have no money, they have no oil, they have no nothing. They've got plenty of pressure right now. They have no electricity," he said.

"Other than military you cant get any more pressure than they have ... All options are open."

Trump has made the veiled threat before but appeared to push it further this time.

"He's been very clear when he says all options are on the table," Trump's national security advisor John Bolton told reporters at the White House.

"He's very determined to see this through," Bolton said. "To minimize the suffering of the Venezuelan people we think it's important to bring this to a conclusion as soon as possible."

Testifying before Congress, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reiterated that the United States did not plan to negotiate with Maduro.

"I must say that there is no evidence that there is any value in speaking with Maduro at this time. His time has come, his time has gone, it's time for him to leave," he said.

Pompeo appeared to confirm that talks were taking place to find a way for Maduro to go into exile. Representative Albio Sires asked Pompeo whether Mexico and Norway, which have both offered to broker an end to the crisis, could find a way to move Maduro out of Venezuela.

"Yes, I've personally been in conversations with each of those two governments," Pompeo replied.

Earlier, Rosales met separately with Vice President Mike Pence, who plays a major role in the administration's aggressive stand against Maduro, and who also called out Russia.

He said "the United States views Russia's arrival of military planes this weekend as an unwelcome provocation and we call on Russia today to cease all support for the Maduro regime."

"Guaido is the only legitimate president of Venezuela. Venezuela is in crisis after years of dictatorship and oppression," Pence said.
By William James and Andrew MacAskill LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May offered on Wednesday to quit if her twice-defeated EU divorce deal passes, in a last-ditch attempt to persuade Eurosceptics to back it. Below are some of those who could be in the frame to replace her: MICHAEL GOVE, 51 Gove, one of the highest-profile Brexit campaigners during the 2016 referendum, has had to rebuild his cabinet career after falling early to May in the contest to replace David Cameron, who resigned the day after losing the referendum. Seen as one of the most effective members of cabinet in bringing forward new policies, the high-energy environment minister has become a surprise ally to May and has so far backed her Brexit strategy

By William James and Andrew MacAskill

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May offered on Wednesday to quit if her twice-defeated EU divorce deal passes, in a last-ditch attempt to persuade Eurosceptics to back it.

Below are some of those who could be in the frame to replace her:

MICHAEL GOVE, 51

Gove, one of the highest-profile Brexit campaigners during the 2016 referendum, has had to rebuild his cabinet career after falling early to May in the contest to replace David Cameron, who resigned the day after losing the referendum.

Seen as one of the most effective members of cabinet in bringing forward new policies, the high-energy environment minister has become a surprise ally to May and has so far backed her Brexit strategy.

Gove teamed up with Boris Johnson during the 2016 Brexit campaign only to pull his support for Johnsons subsequent leadership bid at the last moment and run himself.

Betting odds indicate he is the leading candidate to replace May and has a 22 percent chance of being the next prime minister.

BORIS JOHNSON, 54

The former foreign minister is May's most outspoken critic over Brexit. He resigned from the cabinet in July in protest at her handling of the exit negotiations.

Johnson, regarded by many eurosceptics as the face of the 2016 Brexit campaign, set out his pitch to the membership in a bombastic speech at the party's annual conference last October - some members queued for hours to get a seat.

He called on the party to return to its traditional values of low tax and strong policing, and not to try to ape the policies of the left-wing Labour Party.

DAVID LIDINGTON, 62

May's de-facto deputy prime minister supported "Remain" in the 2016 referendum and played a key role in David Cameron's failed renegotiation effort prior to the Brexit vote.

Lidington has been touted as a possible interim leader. At the weekend, he said he did not think he had any wish to take May's job.

"One thing that working closely with the prime minister does is cure you completely of any lingering shred of ambition to want to do that task," he said.

JEREMY HUNT, 52

Hunt replaced Johnson as foreign minister in July and has urged the Conservative membership to set aside their differences over Brexit and unite against a common foe: the EU.

Hunt voted to remain in the EU in the referendum. He served six years as Britains health minister - a role which has made him unpopular with many voters who work in or rely on the state-run, financially stretched National Health Service.

JACOB REES-MOGG, 49

A flamboyant millionaire who cultivates the image of an English gentleman from days gone by, Rees-Mogg has developed a cult following among those who want a more radical departure from the EU than May is proposing.

Rees-Mogg, the head of the influential ERG eurosceptic group of lawmakers, announced he had submitted a letter of no confidence in the Prime Minister the day after she unveiled her draft Brexit deal.

But does he want the top job? Asked immediately after saying he had submitted his letter to depose May, Rees-Mogg said he would not be putting himself forward for the job.

DOMINIC RAAB, 44

Britains former Brexit minister quit Mays government last year in protest at her draft exit agreement, saying it did not match the promises the Conservative Party made at a 2017 election. Raab served only five months as head of the Brexit department, having been appointed in July.

He was seen as a relative newcomer to the top table of government, but had served in junior ministerial roles since being elected in 2010. Raab campaigned for Brexit ahead of the referendum and is a black belt in karate.

Asked earlier this month if he would like to be prime minister he said: Never say never.

SAJID JAVID, 49

Javid, a former banker and champion of free markets, has served a number of cabinet roles and scores consistently well in polls of party members. A second-generation immigrant of Pakistani heritage, he has a portrait of former Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher on his office wall.

Javid voted remain in the 2016 vote but was previously considered to be eurosceptic.

DAVID DAVIS, 69

Davis, a leading eurosceptic, was appointed to lead Britains negotiations with the EU in July 2016, but he resigned two years later in protest at May's plans for a long-term relationship with the bloc.

Last month, he told a magazine he would probably be the Conservative Party leader if the role was like an application for a job as chief executive.

"But it isn't. And that isn't the way the decision is done," he said.

PENNY MORDAUNT, 46

Mordaunt is one of the last remaining pro-Brexit members of Mays cabinet, where she serves as international development minister. Many had expected her to join the wave of resignations that followed the publication of Mays draft withdrawal deal.

ANDREA LEADSOM, 55

Another pro-Brexit campaigner who still serves in Mays cabinet, Leadsom made it to the last two in the 2016 contest to replace Cameron. But rather than force a run-off vote against Theresa May, she withdrew from the contest. She currently runs parliamentary business for the government.

AMBER RUDD, 55

Rudd resigned as interior minister last year after facing an outpouring of indignation over her department's treatment of some long-term Caribbean residents who were wrongly labelled illegal immigrants.

She could win support from pro-EU lawmakers in the Conservative Party. But she struggled to retain her seat at the 2017 election and has one of the smallest majorities in parliament.

(Reporting By William James and Andrew MacAskill; editing by Stephen Addison)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
During his trip to Washington DC, Sundar Pichai also met India's Ambassador to the US Harsh V Shringla

Washington: President Donald Trump has said that Google is totally committed to the US military as he met the internet giant's Indian-American CEO Sundar Pichai at the White House, days after he accused the tech company of helping China and its army.

Trump, who has been at loggerheads with several big companies, earlier this month said, "Google is helping China and their military, but not the US".

On Wednesday, after a meeting with Pichai at the White House, the US President said: "Meeting ended very well".

"Just met with @SundarPichai, President of @Google, who is obviously doing quite well," he said.

"Pichai stated strongly that he is totally committed to the US military and not the Chinese military", Trump said.

"Also discussed political fairness and various things that Google can do for our country. Meeting ended very well!" said the President.

There was no immediate tweet from Pichai.

However, a Google spokesperson said that the company is pleased to have productive conversations with the President.

"We were pleased to have productive conversations with the President about investing in the future of the American workforce, the growth of emerging technologies and our ongoing commitment to working with the US government," said the Google spokesperson.

Trump's tweet criticising Google last month came after Acting Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan and General Joseph Dunford, chairman joint chiefs of staff, said during a Congressional hearing that "Google was partnering with China... but the Internet search engine giant has shown a lack of willingness to work with the US Department of Defence".

During his trip to Washington DC, Pichai also met India's Ambassador to the US Harsh V Shringla.

"A thoroughly enriching experience to meet and interact with Pichai on Google's positive engagement in India and elsewhere in the world, privacy laws, internet governance and a host of other issues," the ambassador said in a tweet.
Hansra's presence at the Pakistan Day event is yet another indicator of how pro-Khalistan elements in North America are no longer shy of publicly aligning themselves with the Pakistani government

Earlier this month, Canadian senator from the Conservative Party Salman Attaullahjan organised a Pakistan Day event at Parliament Hill, in the nation's capital Ottawa.

Since the senator is of Pakistani-origin, that event, in itself, was hardly unusual. However, what irked not just Indian officials, but also the Indo-Canadian community, was that a prominent proponent of Khalistan, Sukhminder Singh Hansra, was afforded a platform at the event. Hansra, president of the Shiromani Akali Dal or SADA, Canada East, openly advocates for Khalistan, and is a leading figure in the separatist movement in Canada.

During his speech to an assemblage that included a senator from Pakistan's ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party of Imran Khan, and a former Chief Justice of Pakistan, Hansra spoke of a "stateless nation", referring to Khalistan, interacting with the State of Pakistan.He went to on to praise the Pakistan prime minister, while describing his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi as "disgusting" in the context of the Pulwama terror attack and the consequent Balakot air strikes.

Hansra's presence at the event is yet another indicator of how pro-Khalistan elements in North America are no longer shy of publicly aligning themselves with the Pakistani government. Asked about this trend earlier this year, Hansra told his writer that he had never even visited the Pakistan Consulate in the Greater Toronto Area or GTA in earlier years, but now he said, "If the circumstances permit, I will definitely travel to Pakistan."

The earlier concern of being accused of being sponsored by Pakistan is no longer as palpable, and now proximity is not a problem, as, ostensibly, the Khan government has reached out to the Sikh community with its promise of the Kartarpur Corridor.

Late last year, Hansra organised an Evening of Honour and Dignity on 21 December, slated as an event to fete Imran Khan and Pakistani army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa for the Kartarpur initiative. That event was attended by Pakistan's Consul-General in Toronto Imran Ahmad Siddiqui, who was invited to two more such gatherings.

Hansra is hardly alone is this new-found closeness to Pakistan. Also in December, Sikhs for Justice or SFJ, the group behind the 2020 Referendum campaign for a separate Khalistan called upon Khan "to politically support Referendum 2020 movement to liberate Punjab from the Indian Occupation". Its legal advisor Gurpatwant Pannun said this was their first "formal approach" to Islamabad. It has also described the corridor as a "Bridge to Khalistan" and has an office now in Lahore to coordinate the culmination of the 2020 campaign.

In fact, this phenomenon became even more evident as the Pulwama attacks occurred, with SFJ was quick to state this was "NOT an act of terrorism but a lawful act of attacking legitimate military target in a designated area of conflict  Kashmir". Post-Balakot, it sent an open letter to Pakistan's prime minister to assure him that "at this critical juncture, Pro-Khalistan Sikhs" stood "in solidarity with Pakistan".

As the SADA Canada East hosted the second quadrennial World Sikh Convention in Toronto last month and hoisted the Khalistan flag, it also released its version of the map of that proposed nation. Not surprisingly, given the current bonhomous banter with Islamabad, this ahistorical map contained a large chunk of India, including even Delhi, and its creators found nothing absurd in the fact that its contours omitted Pakistan's Punjab province and even Lahore, the capital of the last Sikh nation under the legendary Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
WHY DONT YOU READ THESE?
MADRID (Reuters) - A Spanish judge has issued international arrest warrants for two of the intruders accused of forcing their way into North Korea's embassy in Madrid last month and are currently believed to be in the United States, a judicial source said on Wednesday. The warrants were issued for the group's alleged leader and another suspect after an investigation by a Spanish court found that they broke into the embassy, tried to persuade an official to defect and then stole computer equipment. The suspected leader has been identified by the court in an official document as Adrian Hong Chang, a Mexican who is a U.S.

MADRID (Reuters) - A Spanish judge has issued international arrest warrants for two of the intruders accused of forcing their way into North Korea's embassy in Madrid last month and are currently believed to be in the United States, a judicial source said on Wednesday.

The warrants were issued for the group's alleged leader and another suspect after an investigation by a Spanish court found that they broke into the embassy, tried to persuade an official to defect and then stole computer equipment.

The suspected leader has been identified by the court in an official document as Adrian Hong Chang, a Mexican who is a U.S. resident. The other suspect sought in the arrest warrant is Sam Ryu, who is a U.S. citizen of Korean descent.

According to the court's official document, which was made public on Tuesday, Hong Chang is believed to have travelled to the United States a day after the raid and contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation to pass on information about it.

It was not clear how the court knew that the man had contacted the FBI, which said on Tuesday it is "our standard practice to neither confirm nor deny the existence of an investigation."

An authoritative U.S. government source said on Wednesday that the FBI received the names of the alleged embassy intruders from Spanish investigators and was looking into the matter at the request of Spanish authorities.

Other Spanish judicial sources told Reuters the two arrest warrants are likely to be the first of many more since the group of intruders is believed to have had 10 members. The other suspects include South Korean citizens.

A shadowy dissident group called Cheollima Civil Defence, also known as Free Joseon, acknowledged on its website late on Tuesday that it was behind the incident but said it was not an attack and that the group had been invited into the embassy.

Lee Wolosky, an American attorney who represents the group, said in a statement on Wednesday that the Spanish court "purported to reach conclusions without any input from representatives" of the group.

He said it was irresponsible of the court "to disclose publicly the names of people who are working in opposition to a brutal regime that routinely and summarily executes its enemies."

The U.S. State Department has said the U.S. government was not involved in the raid and did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Spanish arrest warrants.

Three of the intruders took an embassy official into the basement and tried to convince him to defect from North Korea. They identified themselves as members of a group who campaigned for the "liberation of North Korea", the Spanish court document said.

The document gave a detailed account of the intruders' movements before as well as during the intrusion, including their stay in a hotel and purchases of knives, balaclava masks and fake guns.

The embassy raid occurred shortly before the Feb. 27-28 summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi.

The group kept embassy staff tied up for several hours and then searched the premises for arms before leaving, at which point they separated into four groups and headed to Portugal, the document alleged.

Hong Chang then flew from Lisbon to New York. His current whereabouts are not known, the document said.

In Spain the High Court has the power to investigate criminal offences, after which formal accusations are launched.

(Reporting By Belen Carreno and Isla Binnie, additional reporting by Mark Hosenball, David Brunnstrom, Matt Spetalnick and Jonathan Landay in Washington; writing by Axel Bugge, Editing by Angus MacSwan and Susan Thomas)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Lesley Wroughton and Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. Congress rejected President Donald Trump's proposed cuts to diplomacy and foreign aid budgets as dangerous to national security on Wednesday, setting the stage for a budget battle with the White House

By Lesley Wroughton and Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. Congress rejected President Donald Trump's proposed cuts to diplomacy and foreign aid budgets as dangerous to national security on Wednesday, setting the stage for a budget battle with the White House.

Representative Eliot Engel, Democratic chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said Trump's proposal was "dead" as soon as it arrived in Congress, during the second of two House of Representatives hearings where Secretary of State Mike Pompeo took questions from lawmakers for some seven hours.

"This budget ... signals to the world that the Trump foreign policy is one of disengagement," Engel said.

The senior Republican on the House subcommittee that oversees State Department spending, Hal Rogers, described the budget plan at an earlier hearing as "woefully inadequate" to cover the administration's foreign policy and security goals.

The proposal slashes the State Department and aid budget by about $11 billion to $40 billion, he said.

"Given what the world looks like right now, this approach seems detached from reality," Rogers said, citing the need for U.S. leadership in a world with millions of displaced people, more countries facing instability and rising tensions.

Democratic Representative Nita Lowey, who chairs the full Appropriations Committee, also rejected the "draconian" cuts. "I am astonished that three years into his administration, the president still does not appreciate the merits of sustained investments in diplomacy and development," she said.

In written remarks before the hearings, Pompeo said the budget sought to double funds for countering China's increased aggression, and strengthen systems to target Russia's growing threats to the United States and Western world.

"China is proactively applying its power and exerting its influence in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond," Pompeo said, adding: "This budget prioritises countering Russian malign influence in Europe, Eurasia, and Central Asia, and further strengthens the Department's own systems against malign actors."

Pompeo said resources would also fund work to reach a deal with North Korea on curbing its nuclear programme and push back against Iran's role in Iraq, Yemen and Syria.

He said the budget also requested new authority to support a democratic transition in Venezuela, including transferring up to $500 million to foreign assistance accounts.

'EMBARRASSING AND DANGEROUS'

Trump's proposal calls for spending more U.S. taxpayer money on the military and a U.S.-Mexico border wall, while overhauling social safety-net programs in a budget plan likely to die in Congress but live on in his 2020 re-election campaign.

Democratic Representative Lois Frankel called Trump's budget proposal "embarrassing and dangerous."

Pompeo came under repeated questioning to explain the administration's policy towards Saudi Arabia, from lawmakers concerned about the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a U.S. resident, as well as the imprisonment and abuse of women's rights activists.

He insisted repeatedly that human rights were a top Trump administration priority, and said efforts were under way "across the government" to investigate what happened and hold accountable anyone responsible, even the highest Saudi officials. [L1N21E1A4]

Several Democrats sharply criticized an expanded anti-abortion policy Pompeo outlined on Tuesday, which cuts funding to groups that support abortion rights. "Your budget and action is devastating to the health of women around the world," Frankel said.

"Your administration is abortion obsessed," she said.

Republicans said they backed the policy and several praised Pompeo for his stance.

Pompeo was reluctant to detail the administration's plan and timeline for releasing an Israeli-Palestinian peace plan developed by White House advisers Jason Greenblatt and Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law.

He said the proposed plan sought to tackle areas of a Middle East conflict that previous U.S. administrations failed to resolve.

"Our vision will demonstrate our commitment that we want Palestinians to have a better life as well," Pompeo said, adding he hoped the Palestinians would view the United States as a "fair arbiter."

Pompeo was pressed by Democrat Barbara Lee about proposed cuts in funding to African countries. She said Trump sought cuts of 56 percent to Ghana, 33 percent to Ethiopia, 14 percent to Mozambique, 44 percent to South Sudan, and 71 percent to South Africa, mostly in global health funding.

"This is after a well-documented track record of controversial statements from the president identifying certain countries as 's-hole' countries, and quite frankly, attitudes towards the continent in general," said Lee.

Pompeo pushed back at the criticism, saying the gist of the question was "in my judgement fundamentally unsound."

(Reporting by Lesley Wroughton and Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Susan Thomas and Peter Cooney)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
India would only be the fourth country to have used such an anti-satellite weapon after the United States, Russia and China

Miami: Acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan warned any nations contemplating anti-satellite (A-SAT) weapons tests like the one India carried out on Wednesday that they risk making a mess in space because of debris fields they can leave behind.

Speaking to reporters in Florida during a visit to the US militarys Southern Command, Shanahan said the United States was still studying the outcome of a missile India said it launched at one of its own satellites.

My message would be: We all live in space, lets not make it a mess. Space should be a place where we can conduct business. Space is a place where people should have the freedom to operate, Shanahan said.

Experts say that anti-satellite weapons that shatter their targets pose a space hazard by creating a cloud of fragments that can collide with other objects, potentially setting off a chain reaction of projectiles through Earth orbit.

Indias foreign ministry played down any risk of debris from its missile test on Wednesday, saying the impact occurred in low-Earth orbit and that the remnants would decay and fall back on to the Earth within weeks.

The US militarys Strategic Command was tracking more than 250 pieces of debris from Indias missile test and would issue close-approach notifications as required until the debris enters the Earths atmosphere, Pentagon spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Dave Eastburn said.

The New Delhi government and Washington, which have generally close relations, have been in talks regarding the event, and India publicly issued an aircraft safety advisory before the launch, Eastburn added.

Lieutenant General David Thompson, vice commander of U.S. Air Force Space Command, added the International Space Station was not at risk at this point.

NASA chief Jim Bridenstine said in testimony before the House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday that the consequences of anti-satellite weapons tests could be long-lasting.

If we wreck space, were not getting it back, he said, without mentioning India by name.

India would only be the fourth country to have used such an anti-satellite weapon after the United States, Russia and China, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.

The United States ran the first anti-satellite test in 1959, when satellites themselves were rare and new.

Shanahan noted that given the increasing global reliance on space, it was important to create rules of the road for space.

I think not having rules of engagement is worrisome. So, how people test and develop technologies is important, he said, adding: I would expect anyone who tests does not put at risk anyone elses assets.
Yet, despite this most recent adaptation of the alliance, not all is well with NATO today. Over the past two years, serious questions have been raised about Americas continued commitment to the alliance. President Donald Trump has called NATO obsolete, repeatedly questioned Americas commitment to the Article 5 collective defense provision of the NATO treaty, and mused about America leaving NATO and going its own way. Like many of his predecessors, he has hectored Europeans to spend more on defense, though often wrongly insisted that they need to pay America for the defense it provides. But unlike his predecessors, he hasnt led the alliance, instead announcing policy changes on issues such as Afghanistan, Syria and arms control without consulting or even informing allies beforehand.
Long ago the world learned that the threat posed by Islamic State isnt defined solely by the lands the militant group seized in Syria and Iraq. Too many lone wolf attacks have killed innocents in the U.S., Europe and other parts of the world for that to be true. We cannot say that ISIS is finished, Kino Gabriel, a spokesman for the Syrian Democratic Forces, which led the assault on Baghouz, told The New York Times. It is true they are finished on the ground as a standing army. But the ISIS threat remains around the globe. Four elements of that threat:
Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson welled up with outrage over the decision by the Cook County states attorneys office to drop felony charges against TV actor Jussie Smollett, who had been facing trial for concocting a hate crime to benefit his career. Smolletts penalty: two days of community service and forfeiture of the $10,000 in bond money hed put up. And then there was Smollett himself, hands shaking as he insisted he was innocent, that he really was a victim.
Noble Midstream Partners ( NBLX ) has been expanding its midstream network at a blistering pace over the past couple of years. The master limited partnership (MLP) has completed several acquisitions and organic growth projects, which helped boost earnings 43% last year. That gave the company the fuel to increase its distribution to investors by 20% so that it now yields an attractive 6.6%.

More growth is on the way. Not only does the company have an extensive backlog of organic expansion opportunities, but it also recently secured three additional growth-focused investments, including a 30% stake in the EPIC oil pipeline that's under construction. The only potential problem is access to the funding for all these projects even as it aims to continue growing its payout at a fast pace while maintaining a strong financial profile. But that is now less of a concern after Noble Midstream secured a significant portion of the funding needed for its stake in the EPIC pipeline.

Thinking outside the box

In the past, MLPs like Noble Midstream would typically sell additional common units (MLPs have units instead of shares) to help fund growth projects. However, investors have grown tired of the constant dilution, which is forcing these entities to change their funding strategies. Most are opting to retain more cash by reducing the distributions to investors or slowing the growth rate of that payout.

Noble Midstream, on the other hand, is going in a different direction. The company recently secured a $200 million preferred equity commitment from private equity fund Global Infrastructure Partners. It will receive the first $100 million this quarter and can access the other $100 million over the next year. In exchange, it will pay a fixed dividend rate of 6.5%, making it cheaper than issuing more units, especially given that the company expects to increase its distribution 20% annually over the next several years.

This financing arrangement will enable Noble Midstream to fund a significant portion of the estimated $300 million to $350 million it needs to contribute toward the EPIC oil pipeline. The company recently made a $104 million catch-up payment upon closing the acquisition and will pay its proportional share of the construction costs over the next several months. As things stand, the pipeline should start interim service by the third quarter of this year and be complete by next January.

Check out the latest earnings call transcript for Noble Midstream Partners.

All fueled up and ready to grow

Noble Midstream has undergone an impressive transformation since its initial public offering in late 2016. At that time, the company had one customer, parent Noble Energy, and focused primarily on gathering the water, natural gas, and oil produced from newly drilled wells in the DJ and Delaware Basins. The MLP has gone on to significantly diversify its customer roster -- it has about 30 on its systems this year -- as well as its operations.

Noble Midstream, for example, expanded into in-basin transportation services by joining forces with Plains All American Pipeline to acquire the Advantage Pipeline system in 2017. The company recently expanded those capabilities by forming the Delaware Crossing joint venture with Salt Creek Midstream. And it further diversified by agreeing to invest in the EPIC oil and EPIC natural gas liquids (NGLs) long-haul pipelines. As a result, the company can now offer customers a "wellhead to water" system that can move oil and NGLs from newly drilled wells in the Delaware Basin toward export facilities along Texas' Gulf Coast.

These investments should provide Noble Midstream with the fuel to grow earnings at a fast pace over the next several years. The company estimates that it can support 20% annual distribution growth through at least 2022. And it can achieve that top-tier growth and maintain strong financial metrics. While the company sees its distribution coverage ratio declining from between 1.5 and 1.7 times this year to around 1.3 times in the future, it expects leverage to improve from 4 to 4.25 times in 2019 to below 3 times by 2022. Both would be comfortable levels for an MLP.

Well-positioned for high-octane total returns

By creatively securing funding for a portion of its investment in the EPIC oil pipeline, Noble Midstream can finance this expansion project without diluting existing investors, hurting its balance sheet, or slowing distribution growth. Because of that, investors should have increasing confidence in the company's ability to deliver on its ambitious distribution growth plan. That outlook has the company on track to potentially generate significant total returns over the next several years.
Energy Transfer ( ET -1.05% ) already has one of the largest expansion project backlogs in the U.S. midstream sector. That has enabled the company to increase earnings and cash flow at a fast pace over the past year and positions it for healthy growth in 2019.

More growth appears to be coming down the pipeline. That's after the company formalized a partnership with global oil and gas giant Royal Dutch Shell ( RDS.A 0.27% )( RDS.B 0.39% ) to push forward its Lake Charles LNG project. That puts the company another step closer to making a positive final investment decision on this large-scale project.

Formalizing the partnership

Energy Transfer has been working with Shell for quite a while on converting its existing LNG import terminal in Lake Charles, Louisiana, into an export facility. Tom Mason, the president of Energy Transfer's Lake Charles subsidiary, commented on their relationship during the company's fourth-quarter conference call earlier in the month. He stated:

We were somewhat frustrated with the pace of progress with Shell as our joint development partner on the project, but we've really turned the corner on that front and we've made a lot of progress with Shell... And so I think that will help us move the project forward as well... It's a big project, and there are lots of moving parts to it. But we're pleased with the progress and we think we'll have some developments to announce in the near future. But I think we're looking at hopefully an FID [final investment decision] in the first half of 2020. And we think that's very achievable.

Evidence of that progress came this week when the companies signed a project framework agreement to further progress Lake Charles toward an FID. Shell agreed to become a 50-50 joint venture partner in Lake Charles and will act as the project lead, as well as manage the construction and operate the facility. Energy Transfer, meanwhile, will be the site manager and project coordinator.

The agreement allows both companies to focus on what they do best. Energy Transfer will leverage its extensive natural gas pipeline network to feed the facility with natural gas, which Lake Charles will liquify and then export. Shell, meanwhile, which is one of the world's largest gas producers and a leader in LNG, will leverage its strengths in both areas to market the LNG to global buyers.

Check out the latest earnings call transcript for Energy Transfer.

Timing the market

While progress on this project has been slower than Energy Transfer had hoped, its current timeline couldn't be better given what Shell sees ahead for the global LNG market. As things stand, the project remains on track to start producing LNG in late 2024 to early 2025. That timeline is worth noting, given Shell's view that there won't be enough supply to meet demand by the mid-2020s despite several recent FIDs of new LNG projects, including one by Shell in Canada. Because of that, energy companies need to build additional LNG infrastructure to meet anticipated future demand.

However, while the project appears well positioned to meet a future need in the market, it's well behind others in the development process. ExxonMobil and Qatar Petroleum, for example, announced a positive FID on their Golden Pass LNG project in Texas last month. The more-than-$10 billion facility will have the capacity to export 16 million tons of LNG per year -- around the same as Lake Charles -- when it comes online in 2024. Venture Global, meanwhile, is planning to build two LNG facilities in Louisiana capable of exporting 60 million tons of LNG per year, which is double its initial plan due to strong customer demand. Finally, Tellurian hopes to green-light its $30 billion Driftwood facility in Louisiana in the first half of this year. Driftwood's first phase would produce 27.6 million tons of LNG per year starting in 2023, followed by a second phase three years later.

Overall, a dozen U.S. LNG export terminals are currently in development, which could export upwards of 146 million tons per year. However, Tellurian's CEO believes the industry can only support 100 million tons of additional export capacity, which suggests that companies won't build all the proposed projects. However, given Shell's LNG expertise, it likely wouldn't have taken a leading role in Lake Charles unless it felt confident it could move this project forward. That bodes well for Energy Transfer, which appears poised to add another large-scale expansion project to its backlog to fuel future growth.

Gearing up for the next phase

Energy Transfer expects to invest another $5 billion to expand its midstream footprint this year. That positions the company to grow cash flow at a healthy rate for at least the next couple of years, given that its current slate of expansions should all enter service by the end of 2020. The company could extend its growth visibility much further into the future by giving Lake Charles the green light. That's why investors should keep a close eye on the progress of this potentially needle-moving project.
Last month, Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV) slashed its outlook for the first quarter, stating that the January government shutdown was having a bigger impact on unit revenue than the carrier had expected.

Since then, Southwest Airlines has suffered further challenges, as a spat with its maintenance staff and the grounding of Boeing's (NYSE:BA) 737 MAX led to a raft of flight cancellations. As a result, the company significantly reduced its Q1 forecast again on Wednesday. However, Southwest indicated that it thinks conditions will improve quickly.

Another big guidance cut

Southwest's initial forecast for the first quarter was quite bullish. The carrier estimated that revenue per available seat mile (RASM) would rise 4% to 5%, despite a roughly 1-percentage-point headwind from the government shutdown and the timing of Easter. Management expected nonfuel unit costs to rise 6% -- because of delays and start-up costs related to launching service to Hawaii, as well as the timing of other expenses -- partially offset by a modest decline in fuel prices. This put the company on track to record solid growth in earnings per share in Q1.

However, last month, management acknowledged that it had underestimated the impact of the government shutdown on Southwest's first-quarter revenue by as much as $50 million. As a result, it revised its RASM growth forecast for the quarter to a range of 3% to 4%.

Southwest Airlines made an even bigger revision to its forecast this week. The carrier noted that it expected to cancel about 9,400 flights between mid-February and the end of March because of the dispute with its mechanics and the grounding of its 34 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. These unexpected cancellations are dramatically reducing Southwest's capacity growth and pressuring both unit revenue and nonfuel unit costs in the first quarter.

On the revenue side, Southwest Airlines now expects RASM to rise 2% to 3% this quarter. It noted recent softness in leisure demand in addition to the impact of flight cancellations. Meanwhile, nonfuel unit costs are on track to jump 10%. The elevated number of flight cancellations will drive 3 percentage points of that increase, with another 1 percentage point coming from a new tentative contract agreement with Southwest's mechanics.

These guidance revisions suggest that Southwest will report a substantial EPS decline for the first quarter, rather than the double-digit EPS growth implied by its initial quarterly forecast.

Check out the latest earnings call transcript for Southwest Airlines.

Springtime demand still looks good

Fortunately, the news wasn't all bad for Southwest Airlines investors. While the Q1 outlook is fairly gloomy now, Southwest said that it "continues to expect a strong year-over-year RASM performance in second quarter 2019, based on current revenue trends and bookings."

Indeed, an abrupt trend change wouldn't be very surprising. First, Southwest's maintenance-related cancellations should return to normal levels now that the company has agreed to give its mechanics 20% raises. Second, the carrier is starting to be more proactive about trimming its flight schedule to account for the 737 MAX grounding, which may allow it to cancel primarily less-profitable flights. Third, Southwest will face an easy year-over-year comparison next quarter, because of the timing of Easter and the impact of an inflight fatality on its RASM last spring.

Southwest Airlines will face somewhat tougher comparisons in the second half of the year. But on the bright side, there's a good chance that leisure travel demand will be stronger during key travel periods like the summer, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

The Boeing 737 MAX may fly again soon

The biggest threat to Southwest Airlines' profitability during the remainder of 2019 would be an extended grounding of its 737 MAX fleet. The carrier has 34 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft today, and it is scheduled to receive another 41 by year-end, by which point the 737 MAX would account for nearly 10% of its fleet.

Luckily, Boeing recently announced a number of proposed improvements to the 737 MAX's software, cockpit displays, and training procedures. These fixes still need to gain regulatory approval, but they seem likely to address the vulnerabilities that led to two fatal crashes of 737 MAX aircraft since late October.

Analysts estimate that it may take six weeks to 12 weeks to get the global Boeing 737 MAX fleet off the ground again. That means Southwest will probably be able to return to its full schedule by mid-to-late June at worst: in time for the busy summer travel season.

Southwest Airlines certainly got off to a rough start in 2019. But with shares of the airline giant trading for less than 12 times its 2018 adjusted EPS -- and with plenty of room for both short-term and long-term EPS growth -- this could be a good time to bet on Southwest Airlines stock.
Most Americans have trouble saving money. The overall personal savings rate came in at 7% of income in 2018, according to Federal Reserve data, and 40% of Americans say they wouldn't have the cash on hand to deal with an unexpected expense of just $400.

"Most," however, is by no means "all": TD Ameritrade recently conducted a study that dug into the behaviors and habits of a demographic the researchers dubbed "super savers" -- Americans who save more than 20% of their annual income. Perhaps unsurprisingly, members of this group approach financial matters somewhat differently than the rest of us.

"The biggest difference between super savers and others is simply the amount they save -- on average, 29% of their income, compared to non-super savers, who save 6%," said Dara Luber, senior manager of retirement at TD Ameritrade in a press release. "Three in four super savers are financially independent, or on the path to be, compared to less than half of non-super savers, with more of them heading toward early retirement."

What do super savers do?

More than half (54%) of super savers start investing by the age of 30, with 30% starting by age 25. That compares to 39% by 30 and 20% at 25 among the other respondents.

In fact, only 4% of them said they don't invest at all, compared 23% of non-super savers. And 57% of super savers plan to retire earlier than their parents did (or they've already done so), compared to 46% of non-super savers.

But it's not just saving more that sets them apart. They are also spending less than the average American in nearly every category. The biggest differences are in housing (14% of income versus 23%) and household expenses (16% of income versus 21%).

The vast majority of super savers surveyed (88%) said that it's worth making sacrifices now to achieve financial independence sooner. There were four key metrics uncovered by the survey that showed significant differences between super savers and the rest of us.

65% avoid high-interest debt, compared to 56% of others;

60% stick to a budget, compared to 49% of others;

58% invest in the stock market, compared to 34% of others;

55% max out their retirement savings contributions, compared to 30% of others.

"The good news is that the tools and practices these super savers are employing to pursue their financial goals are available to all Americans," said Luber. "Low- and no-fee ETFs, brokerage accounts with low or no trading fees, retirement accounts, and other investment vehicles are widely available, and it's never too late to set up a budget or start investing."

Check out the latest earnings call transcripts for the companies we cover.

What can you do?

Saving and spending are naturally intertwined. To increase your savings, you must either spend less or make more. Ideally, you will target a percentage of income to set aside and invest, and keep saving at that rate as your income grows.

It's a strategy that requires sacrifice. Buying a smaller house, renting a less desirable apartment, or keeping your car for many years after you pay it off are the kind of decisions that can lead you to financial independence sooner.

Finally, it's important to set some clear financial goals. Any time you want to stay consistent about foregoing certain types of immediate gratification, it's good to be able to focus on your longer-term reasons. With those in mind, you have a much better shot at staying prudent now, and setting yourself up for a comfortable future.
Then the Tribune added its voice to this mud-slinging, describing the states attorneys actions as indefensible. I was a prosecutor for 10 years. I understand how easy it is to second-guess decisions. Everything looks so clear and simple from the outside. But cases are not built on appearances; they are built on evidence. I understand the prosecutors have said they stand by the evidence and the police who investigated the case. It would be ideal if the prosecutors acknowledged the difficulties in their case, or acceptable if they avoided giving their opinion, but I understand either is difficult in the face of the statements of the mayor and the superintendent. The states attorneys office, unlike the police, did not emote about how they felt about this offense. The evidence and horizontal equity  treating similar cases similarly  dictate the states attorneys actions. Nothing more, nothing less.
When it was Preckwinkles turn, she said, That shes open and honest about her LGBTQ orientation. You know, I think its really important in this country that we be respectful of differences and that we understand that all of us matter and that there is dignity in each and every one of us. And there has been so much discrimination and prejudice and homophobia in our country, its very important that particularly prominent people declare their sexual orientation and do it with pride.
Australia's Newcastle Welcomes Simple, Smart Travel With Launch Of Holiday Inn Express

March 28, 2019 // Franchising.com // IHGs fastest growing hotel brand will make its debut in Newcastle, Australia later this month, with the new Holiday Inn Express Newcastle opening its doors to guests from March 28.

Located on King Street in Newcastles commercial precinct, within close proximity to the city centre, Newcastle Harbour and Honeysuckle, the 170-room hotel capitalises on Newcastles renewed focus in the area and provides a boost to the local economy through jobs and tourism.

The Newcastle property is the fourth Holiday Inn Express to open in Australia by Pro-invest Group following the launch of the Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide properties, with several more in the pipeline including Melbourne, Sydney Airport and Queenstown, New Zealand, in the next 12 months.

Pro-invest Group Chief Executive Ronald Barrott says Newcastles beautiful harbourside and beach setting, together with its growing restaurant and dining scene made it an obvious choice for the groups next hotel.

Newcastle is gaining traction as a holiday destination for families and a hub for business, so were pleased to be able to contribute to its vibrancy by offering leisure or business travellers with a simple, smart hotel offering. With so much development underway, including the foreshore, there is so much to look forward to in Newcastle and were proud to be a part of it, investing in what is already a strong tourism industry, Mr Barrott said.

Officially launching at a VIP event on April 4 the hotel, with its striking interior design by renowned architect Joseph Pang, boasts contemporary shared spaces such as The Great Room, with its urban-style fit out featuring timber, pops of colour and quality furnishings.

The hotel also features a gym, two flexible meeting rooms, self-serve laundry, onsite parking and a free business centre, in addition to well-appointed rooms complete with a power shower, black-out blinds, high-quality bedding with a choice of pillows, uncapped Wi-Fi and free Express Start Buffet Breakfast or Grab and Go option.

Hotel Manager Rob Fahey says Holiday Inn Express Newcastle offers guests more where it matters most from a convenient location in the commercial district and exceptional sustainability-focused facilities and initiatives.

We are passionate about the environment and have introduced a range of sustainable initiatives throughout the hotel including replacing plastic water bottles with refillable glass water bottles, going straw free and offering guests the choice to forego housekeeping if they stay for two nights or more. Were looking forward to showcasing what smart, simple travel is all about and cant wait to welcome both locals looking for a staycation and travellers exploring the region to our hotel.

The hotel will be officially opened with a ceremonial ribbon cutting by Pro-invest Group Chief Executive Ronald Barrott. Also attending the launch event is City of Newcastle Deputy Lord Mayor Declan Clausen.

There are currently 2,726 Holiday Inn Express hotels (279,516 rooms) open across the globe. Holiday Inn Express Newcastle is part of a growing portfolio of hotels in Australia and New Zealand being rolled out by investment firm Pro-invest Group in partnership with InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) under a master development agreement.

Given the performance of its 3 existing operating hotels, Pro-invest is planning to add another dozen hotel projects over the next 5 years, meeting the growing demand for the quality select service segment.

About IHG

IHG  (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global organisation with a broad portfolio of hotel brands, including Regent Hotels & Resorts, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Hotel Indigo, EVEN Hotels, HUALUXE Hotels and Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, voco Hotels, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, Holiday Inn Resort, avid hotels, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites.

IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns more than 5,600 hotels and approximately 837,000 guest rooms in more than 100 countries, with more than 1,900 hotels in its development pipeline. IHG also manages IHG Rewards Club, our global loyalty programme, which has more than 100 million enrolled members.

In February 2019, IHG acquired Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, adding 16 hotels (1,347 rooms) to its system and 18 hotels to its development pipeline.

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Groups holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales. More than 400,000 people work across IHG's hotels and corporate offices globally.

Visit www.ihg.com for hotel information and reservations and www.ihgrewardsclub.com for more on IHG Rewards Club. For our latest news, visit: www.ihgplc.com/media and follow us on social media at: www.twitter.com/IHGCorporate, www.facebook.com/IHGCorporate and www.linkedin.com/company/intercontinental-hotels-group

Media Contact:

Chris Waite

chris.waite@ihg.com

+61 (4) 38 943 562

SOURCE IHG  (InterContinental Hotels Group)

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IHG opens Holiday Inn Express Asuncion Aviadores in the heart of Paraguays Capital City

The company brings the brands renowned comfort and convenience to Asuncions commercial district

March 28, 2019 // Franchising.com // IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), one of the worlds leading hotel companies, announces the opening of the newly-built 116-room Holiday Inn Express Asuncion Aviadores hotel located in the business and commercial district of Paraguays capital city. The property will be the first Holiday Inn Express hotel in Paraguay and the second IHG brand in the country, joining the Crowne Plaza Asuncion.

Located in the vibrant Carmelitas neighborhood, the Holiday Inn Express Asuncion Aviadores hotel is just 10 minutes away from the Silvio Petirossi International Airport, as well as close to many of Asuncions popular shopping centers, restaurants and bars. The hotels modern, unique design and high technology complement the exclusive, personalized service and attention for each guest.

Gerardo Murray, Regional Vice President Marketing, Commercial and Revenue Strategy, Mexico, Latin America and Caribbean, IHG, said: The smart, simple travel of Holiday Inn Express is a perfect pairing with the charming capital of Paraguay, Asuncion. An ideal hotel for both business and leisure travelers, Holiday Inn Express Asuncion Aviadores is a fresh addition to the city and is close to the best of what Asuncion has to offer.

As homage to its unique geography, Holiday Inn Express Asuncion Aviadores has incorporated elements of ancient Paraguayan culture into its design features. Throughout the hotel, guests will find works of Nanduti (translated as "spider web"), a typical Paraguayan needlepoint that is woven on racks in radial circles, embroidering geometric or zoomorphic motifs, in white thread or in bright colors. The hotel also boasts exquisite images of some of the countrys most emblematic natural wonders throughout its main lobby.

All the rooms in the hotel have a piece of Nanduti framed and hung in the room. The Holiday Inn Express Asuncion Aviadores hotel is owned by Ventura Inversiones S.A. and managed by Cell Motion S.A. The hotel is part of IHGs diverse family of brands in nearly 100 countries and territories.

Designed to provide guests with everything they need and nothing they dont, the hotels amenities include complimentary Express Start breakfast buffet, a 24-hour convenience store, fitness center, an outdoor swimming pool and a business center with two modern meeting rooms. The hotel also offers complimentary coffee in the lobby and accepts off-site restaurant delivery.

Guestrooms have modern design, comfortable king-sized or two queen-sized high-quality beds with a choice of firm or soft pillows for a restful nights sleep, flat-screen TV, iron and ironing board, mini refrigerator and coffee machine with complimentary coffee.

The complimentary Express Start breakfast buffet features a full range of breakfast items, including a rotation of egg and meat selections, pastries, yogurt, fruit, coffee, juices, and regional dishes.

As IHGs largest and fastest growing hotel brand globally, Holiday Inn Express currently has 85 properties located throughout Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean. IHG has 239 hotels across all brands and more than 40,216 rooms throughout Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean.

The scale and diversity of the IHG family of brands means that its hotels can meet guests needs whatever the occasion  whether an overnight getaway, a business trip, a family celebration or a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Reservations can be made by calling 1-800-HOLIDAY or by going to IHG.com/HolidayInnExpress.

The Holiday Inn Express brand participates in IHG Rewards Club. The industrys first and largest hotel rewards program is free, and guests can enroll at IHGRewardsClub.com, by downloading the IHG App, by calling 1-888-211-9874 or by inquiring at the front desk of any of IHGs more than 5,400 hotels worldwide.

About IHG

IHG  (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global organisation with a broad portfolio of hotel brands, including Regent Hotels & Resorts, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Hotel Indigo, EVEN Hotels, HUALUXE Hotels and Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, voco Hotels, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, Holiday Inn Resort, avid hotels, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites.

IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns more than 5,600 hotels and approximately 837,000 guest rooms in more than 100 countries, with more than 1,900 hotels in its development pipeline. IHG also manages IHG Rewards Club, our global loyalty programme, which has more than 100 million enrolled members.

In February 2019, IHG acquired Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, adding 16 hotels (1,347 rooms) to its system and 18 hotels to its development pipeline.

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Groups holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales. More than 400,000 people work across IHG's hotels and corporate offices globally.

Visit www.ihg.com for hotel information and reservations and www.ihgrewardsclub.com for more on IHG Rewards Club. For our latest news, visit: www.ihgplc.com/media and follow us on social media at: www.twitter.com/IHGCorporate, www.facebook.com/IHGCorporate and www.linkedin.com/company/intercontinental-hotels-group

Media Contacts:

Veronica Villegas

Kreps DeMaria PR

vvillegas@krepspr.com

+1(305) 663-3543

Whitney Jones

whitney.jones1@ihg.com

+1 (770) 604-8147

SOURCE IHG  (InterContinental Hotels Group)

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Juice It Up! Joins Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino in the Fight to End Hunger

Leading Raw Juice, Superfruit Bowl & Smoothie Chain Partners with Inland Empire Food Bank, Rewards Guests for Donating

March 28, 2019 // Franchising.com // IRVINE, California - Juice It Up!, one of the nations leading handcrafted smoothie, raw juice, and superfruit bowl chains, has announced its corporate partnership with leading hunger-relief organization, Feeding America Riverside|San Bernardino (FARSB) to help protect those in the communities it serves from going hungry. Juice It Up!s aptly dubbed Feed It Up! campaign will reward guests for donating to the cause. The Inland Empire food bank alone feeds over 400,000 people and distributes over 2 million pounds of food per month.

With food collection boxes at each of Juice It Up!s 45 Inland Empire locations through December 31, 2019, the company will reward guests who donate five canned items with a $2 coupon to use on any Juice It Up! menu item. The company is hoping this incentive will encourage area residents to support those less fortunate in their very own communities and join Juice It Up! in the fight to end hunger. The FARSB program will eventually be rolled out to all Juice It Up! locations nationwide.

We are proud of our amazing franchisees who jumped at the opportunity to support their hyper-local communities and further FARSBs indispensable work in the Inland Empire, said Milena Rimassa, Juice It Up!s Director of Marketing. Were thrilled to exercise our companys core values of corporate citizenship and service, and are committed to making a positive impact in the areas we serve.

Juice It Up! kicked off the partnership at FARSBs 4th annual Ladles of Love luncheon in Riverside, California where the more than 200 attendees learned about the many ways to help alleviate hunger in the Inland Empire year-round. As a proud sponsor of the event and to celebrate their alliance with FARSB, Juice It Up! donated hundreds of their popular Strawberry Wave smoothie to those in attendance.

It is because of generous partners like Juice It Up! who take on our mission with a sense of ownership, that we are able to provide hunger-relief services and emergency food assistance to those who need it most, said Lori Butler, Philanthropy Director for FARSB. We feel fortunate to align with Juice It Up! and look forward to working together in achieving our mutual goal to alleviate hunger in the Inland Empire.

To find your nearest Juice It Up! visit www.juiceitup.com. To learn more about FARSB, watch this video or visit www.feedingamericaie.org.

About Juice It Up!

Juice It Up! is a leading handcrafted smoothie, raw juice, and superfruit bowl franchise. Founded in 1995, the Irvine, California-based healthy lifestyle brand is focused on providing its guests with a variety of great-tasting, functional, better-for-you food and drink choices designed with personal wellness in mind. With over 100 locations open or under development across California, Florida, New Mexico, Oregon, and Texas, the privately-owned company is showcasing a new restaurant design, a concentrated focus on healthy smoothies and bowls, the growing demand for raw and cold pressed juice options, and a menu refresh that reflects the brands active lifestyle and motto to Live Life Juiced! An established lifestyle brand with unparalleled experience in the raw juice bar industry, Juice It Up! has been included in Fast Casuals 2017 Top 100 Movers & Shakers List, Franchise Times 2018 Top 200+ Franchise Chains, named a 2018 Best for Vets Franchise by Military Times, ranked Top 3 Smoothies/Juices franchises in Entrepreneur Magazines 2018 Annual Franchise 500 List, and named one of Entrepreneur Magazines 2017 Best Food Franchises and Top Franchises for Veterans. According to the Nations Restaurant News Annual Top 200 Report, the $32.1 billion U.S. beverage-snack industry is recognized as one of 2018s top five bestselling restaurant segments.

About Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino

FARSB began in 1980 as Survive Food Bank in response to the increasing concern about the dual problems of hunger and food waste in the Inland Empire. Today, FARSB is the primary source of food for over 400 nonprofit organizations, distributing over 2 million pounds of food monthly to emergency food pantries, homeless shelters, soup kitchens, high-need elementary schools, halfway houses, senior centers, residential treatment centers, shelters for the abused, after school programs and group homes. More than 125,000 men, women and children each month rely on the food banks distribution center to make ends meet.

Juice It Up! Social Media Pages

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/juiceitup/

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/juiceitup/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/juiceituphq/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/juiceitup/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/juiceitupcorp/

Media Contacts:

Chelsea McKinney

Juice It Up!

Powerhouse Communications

O: (949) 261-2216

Chelsea@powerhousecomm.com

Lori Butler

Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino

O: (951) 359-4757 Ext. 109

C: (760) 224-2074

Lbutler@FeedingAmericaIE.org

SOURCE Juice It Up!

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Little Caesars Promotes Ed Gleich To Chief Innovation Officer

Newly-Created Innovation Role Positions Company to Continue Its Storied History of Innovation with Visionary Leader at the Helm

DETROIT - March 27, 2019 // PRNewswire // - Little Caesars, home of the Hot-N-Ready Pizza, is excited to announce the promotion of long-time global marketing executive Edward Gleich to Chief Innovation Officer.

Gleich joined the company in 2011 in the lead marketing role. During his tenure, he expanded the brand into national media advertising, evolved the core menu with the launch of the DEEP!DEEP! Dish Pizza and the ExtraMostBestest pizza, added thin crust pizza to the menu, and promoted incredibly successful limited time offers, including the Bacon Wrapped DEEP!DEEP! Dish pizza and the cult-favorite Pretzel Crust pizza.

In this newly-created position, Ed will work cross-functionally to develop ideas and processes, strategically moving potential innovations from seed stage to implementation. He will evaluate changing business needs and allocate resources to continue pushing the brand and its unique offerings forward.

"During his seven years with Little Caesars, Ed has successfully led our global marketing function, contributing to strong sales and store level profit growth," said Little Caesars President and CEO David Scrivano. "With innovation at the forefront of the rapidly changing restaurant industry, I'm excited to see the results he'll achieve over the next several years."

The chain's history of game-changing innovations includes:

Pizza!Pizza! - Two great pizzas for one low price

Hot-N-Ready - Pizza ready when you are - no need to wait or call ahead

Pizza Portal Pickup - Order online and pick up your custom pizza from your personal heated self-service pickup station

"I couldn't be more excited to build upon the company's strong foundation of innovation pioneered by our founder Mike Ilitch," said Gleich. "Little Caesars has always challenged itself to think differently to make customers' lives easier. We have done just that for nearly 60 years, and I can't wait to continue this worthwhile tradition."

About Little Caesars Pizza

Headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, Little Caesars was founded in 1959 as a single, family-owned restaurant. Today, Little Caesars is the largest carryout-only pizza chain in the United States and the third largest pizza chain in the world, with stores in each of the 50 states and 24 countries and territories around the world.

Known for its HOT-N-READY pizza and famed Crazy Bread, Little Caesars has been named "Best Value in America" for the past twelve years (based on nationwide survey of national quick service restaurant customers conducted by Sandelman & Associates - 2007-2018 entitled "Highest Rated Chain - Value for the Money"). Little Caesars products are made with quality ingredients, like fresh, never frozen, mozzarella and Muenster cheese and sauce made from fresh-packed, vine-ripened California crushed tomatoes.

An exceptionally high growth company with nearly 60 years of experience in the $145 billion worldwide pizza industry, Little Caesars is continually looking for franchisee candidates to join our team in markets around the world. In addition to providing the opportunity for entrepreneurial independence in a franchise system, Little Caesars offers strong brand awareness with one of the most recognized and appealing characters in the country, Little Caesar.

SOURCE Little Caesar Enterprises, Inc.

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MaidPro Cares Completes Fifth Mission Trip to Belize Childrens Home

A team from MaidPro Cares is back home after completing its fifth mission trip to visit our friends at the Liberty Childrens Home in Ladyville, Belize.

BOSTON (PRWEB) March 28, 2019 - A team from MaidPro Cares is back home after completing its fifth mission trip to visit children at the Liberty Childrens Home in Ladyville, Belize.

MaidPro Cares is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that strives to make a difference for orphaned and high-risk children living in underfunded childrens homes around the world.

Helping children in need is very rewarding for all of us at MaidPro, said Richard Sparacio, president. We first established a relationship with the Childrens Home in Belize in 2013 and weve been delighted to pay visits to the orphanage and help the children living there ever since.

Like all the childrens homes we serve, we work directly with the first line caregivers in Belize to assist with both immediate and long-term needs, he said.

The MaidPro Cares team not only delivers valuable supplies such as clothing, fresh food, and medicine with each visit, but also provides technology to aid in the childrens education and funding to improve the overall conditions for the children at the home. Nearly 100% of MaidPro Cares funding goes directly to improving the quality of life of the children.

In Belize, the team from MaidPro Cares spends time interacting with both the staff and children to create connections that ensure the children thrive well into the future.

To learn more about our mission trips, the childrens homes we support, or to donate, please visit maidprocares.org.

About MaidPro

MaidPro is a Boston-based franchisor of house cleaning services with over 275 locations in 38 states, the District of Columbia, and Canada. The company, which began franchising in 1997, takes pride in its strong owner community, cutting-edge technology, and creative marketing. It has been honored with the Franchise Business Reviews Four-Star Rating and Franchise 50 awards every year from 2006 to 2019 for owner satisfaction. Forbes has named MaidPro a Top Franchise to Own in 2015, 2016, 2018. MaidPro was named one of the Top 50 Franchises for Minorities by USA Todays Franchising Today. MaidPro is also a proud member of the International Franchise Association, Canadian Franchise Association, and the New England Franchise Association.

Media Contact:

Madeleine Park

MaidPro

617-778-0374

SOURCE MaidPro

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Our children are watching. You talk about your grandchildren all the time. I have to explain to my daughter what it means when adults lie. I have to explain to my daughter what it means when adults are bullies. I have to explain to my daughter what it means when an adult says something thats not true just to try to score political points.
Representatives from Bells Brewery give away gear during an Oberon ale release party from 6 to 9 p.m. at Tumans Tap & Grill (2159 W. Chicago Ave., 773-782-1400). The West Town bar will also be pouring a mango habanero Oberon variation, 2015 Expedition stout, and Official hazy IPA for $6-$9.
Galveston, TX (77553)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 57F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 57F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.
YouTube Music supports playing locally stored audio files on Android News oi-Abhinaya Prabhu

Earlier this month, YouTube Music and YouTube Premium were launched in India. These two services were launched globally back in June last year. It is believed that Google Play Music could be replaced with YouTube Music later this year but there is no official confirmation regarding the same.

It is known that YouTube Music will let users stream music online. Besides this, it can also let users play the audio files that are stored locally on Android devices. But it does not support playback of in-app local media as yet.

Well, YouTube Music is available in both free and paid versions for users in India. While the latest version of this service available for users in India has the version number 3.07.52, a relatively newer version 3.07.54 was spotted by those at Android Police. But the changelog of this app is yet to be listed on Google Play Store.

We already know that Google Play Music supports playing local audio files within the app but this is not supported by YouTube Music. But it supports opening music files from file managers and play these audio files.

YouTube Music supports files in popular audio formats such as MP3, WAV, FLAC and Ogg. When playing these locally stored audio files, it will continue to play the track from where Google Play Music stopped. This was spotted by a 9to5Google report along with Android Audio integration. But it was not available for all users.

YouTube Music to play locally stored audio files

To make YouTube Music play locally stored audio files, follow these steps.

Tap a downloaded audio file via a file manager or app

Open it with the "Open with" prompt and choose YouTube Music from the options

You will see a small music player along with a black overlay and YouTube Music branding

On the first use, it will ask if you want to provide access to locally stored files

Once you close the player, the audio playback will stop and the files will not appear in YouTube Music

But it is important to use the latest version of the app to try this feature.

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28-year-old man in Hyderabad injured after smartphone explodes in pocket News oi-Karan Sharma Hyderabad man sustains burns and injuries after his Oppo smartphone explodes in his pocket while commuting. All you need to know.

There are many cases of smartphone explosions in India and today a new incident has taken place in Hyderabad where brand new mobile phone get exploded in the pocket of-28-year-old man. According to the report, the victim was riding his two-wheeler when his Oppo branded smartphone explodes leaving him with injuries in his leg.

Md Imran is an electrician and the incident took place in the Alwal area. Imran was travelling from Lothkunta to Bolarum when the mobile explosion happened. According to police, Imran was using the Oppo smartphone.

"Due to this (blast), Imran received burn injury in his leg and fell down from the scooter and received head and eye injuries. Victim's condition is declared out of danger," Ramesh Reddy, Circle Inspector, Bollaram Police Station, quoted by ANI as saying.

"We have suggested the victim should complain in the consumer court against the local dealer of the mobile phone. It has come to notice that that the phone may have exploded due to heat," he added.

Imran was immediately rushed to the hospital for the treatment. Later the doctors declared that the victim is out of danger. Imran is also expected to lodge a complaint against the dealer of the mobile phone in the consumer court.

This is not the first incident of mobile phone explosion, there are many such incidents which has taken placed due to overheating and overcharging issues. Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was banned on airlines because of increasing cases of mobile phone explosion.

Source

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Waltman, a 22-year-old from Kiln, said he had didn't know who the ESPN and former MSNBC commentator was until he tweeted to his 1.1 million followers about Waltman. "I didn't like the idea of that too much," Waltman told the Clarion Ledger. "I don't think a lot of people would like to be called out on social media like that, especially (by someone) with so many followers. They text me all kinds of stuff. If he (Olbermann) hadn't done that, none of this would have happened."
Huawei Mate 30 to launch in second half of 2019 with 5G support: Richard Yu News oi-Vivek Huawei Mate 30 to feature the next generation Kirin 990 SoC

Huawei recently launched the Huawei P30 and the Huawei P30 Pro with a new quad-camera setup, offering 5x optical zoom and 50x digital zooming capability. Now, Huawei's CEO Richard Yu has officially confirmed that the company is already working on the Huawei Mate 30 prototype.

Richard Yu, in an interview with Digital Trends, has officially confirmed that the company Huawei Mate 30 will natively support 5G network, and will launch in the second half of 2019.

Huawei Mate 30 features

Yu has confirmed that the Huawei P30 and the Huawei P30 Pro smartphones were not ready to equip 5G network, and the company will include the 5G network support in the next series of flagship smartphones, aka, the Mate 30 series.

Huawei has already launched two 5G smartphones, the Huawei Mate X and the Huawei Mate 20 X with HiSilicon Kirin 980 SoC with Balong 5000 Modem, which supports 5G network. The Huawei Mate 30 is most likely to be the first smartphone to feature the HiSilicon Kirin 990 SoC with next-generation Balong 5G modem. The Huawei Mate 30 is expected to feature improved camera features, compared to the Huawei P30 and the Huawei P30 Pro, and the Mate 30 is most likely to feature a 2K OLED display.

It is very early to talk about the specifications of the Huawei Mate 30, as the company is yet to launch the Huawei P30 and the Huawei P30 Pro in India. However, the company has officially confirmed that the Huawei P30 and the Huawei P30 Pro series of smartphones will be available exclusively on Amazon.

Considering the 5G connectivity support, the Huawei Mate 30 is most likely to cost more than the Huawei Mate 20 Pro or the Huawei P30 Pro, like most of the 5G smartphones. Stay tuned to GizBot to know more about the Huawei Mate 30, the upcoming flagship Huawei flagship smartphones.

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Oppo Reno has a slant pop-up cam with bezel-less display design News oi-Vivek Oppo Reno will come in two variants

Oppo Reno is the upcoming flagship smartphone from Oppo, which is expected to offer top of the line specifications at affordable pricing to compete against other affordable flagships like the Xiaomi Mi 9 or the Honor View20. Thanks to a case maker, the Oppo Reno has been spotted online, which reveals the complete design and features of the smartphone.

According to the case render, the Oppo Reno has a pop-up camera, which does look completely different from the already existing popup camera. The Reno has a slant design selfie camera, which does look a bit different.

The case render of the Oppo Reno suggests that the smartphone will have a dual camera setup on the back, and according to the render, the smartphone missed out on the 5x or 10x optical zooming capability, which was showcased at MWC 2019.

Oppo Reno design and specs

On the bottom portion, the smartphone has a single speaker grill with a USB type C port and a 3.5mm headphone jack. On the top, the device has a pop-up selfie camera. According to renders, the Oppo Reno looks a lot different from the typical flagship smartphones with dated design language.

The entire front of the device is covered with the display, and the smartphone is most likely to come with an in-display fingerprint sensor with FHD+ or QHD OLED display. According to the render, the device has a notch-less, bezel-less screen with a higher screen to body ratio.

The Oppo Reno is most likely to use the Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 SoC for the base variant, whereas the high-end flagship variant will come with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC with up to 12 GB of RAM. The Snapdragon 855 variant is expected to support 10x optical zoom with a primary Sony IMX 586 sensor to offer high-resolution photography. Stay tuned to GizBot to know more about the Oppo Reno.

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Oppo Reno Pro to feature Snapdragon 855 SoC and copper tube liquid cooling News oi-Abhinaya Prabhu Oppo Reno Pro details have been confirmed.

Oppo is slated to unveil the first smartphone under the Reno sub-brand on April 10. In the meantime, we have come across several reports regarding this smartphone shedding light on what we can expect from it. One of the reports suggested that there will be five variants and one will arrive with the Snapdragon 710 SoC.

Fresh reports have revealed some interesting aspects about the flagship variant of the Oppo Reno. Going by a recent Weibo post shared by the Oppo Vice President Shen Yiren Brian, the Reno Pro, which is the most powerful variant will arrive with the flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC.

He has further confirmed that the smartphone will feature copper tube liquid cooling. With this heat sink, the device will not face any significant heating issues even when subjected to heavy use.

Oppo Reno Pro rumors

The Reno Pro is likely to arrive with the model numbers CPH1919 and CPH1921, as per the Bluetooth SIG certification. This device is believed to feature a 6.65-inch FHD+ display with 93.1% screen-to-body ratio. It is likely to come with triple rear cameras with 48MP + 8MP + 13MP sensors and a 16MP selfie camera. The device might be launched with ColorOS v6.0 topped with Android 9 Pie. There are claims that the CPH1921 could be the 5G variant featuring the X50 5G modem.

The Reno Zoom is said to arrive with 10x lossless camera with impressive camera capabilities. And, the Reno Lite or Reno Youth is believed to come with the Snapdragon 710 SoC. As per Bluetooth SIG, this smartphone might come with the model number CPH1917. This smartphone is believed to flaunt a 6.4-inch display with a FHD+ resolution and come with dual cameras at its rear with 48MP + 5MP. The smartphone is said to feature a 16MP selfie camera and feature heat-conducting gel as well as graphite sheet for heat dissipation.

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Select Nokia smartphones get March security updates in India News oi-Abhinaya Prabhu Update to Nokia 7 Plus, Nokia 7.1, Nokia 6.1 and Nokia 6.1 Plus brings March security patch.

Select Nokia smartphones including Nokia 7 Plus, Nokia 7.1, Nokia 6.1 and Nokia 6.1 Plus have started getting the March Android security updates in India. All are OTA updates and are expected to reach all the smartphones in the coming days. And, these updates bring the March security patch and improvements to the user interface.

Update to Nokia phones in India

All these four smartphones receive the version 3.51F build and are based on Android 9 Pie. So, there is no change in the version of Android OS. As per individual reports on Nokia Power User, the update for Nokia 7 Plus weighs in at 375.3MB, that of Nokia 7.1 weighs in at 342.9MB, the update for Nokia 6.1 Plus weighs in at 339.8MB and that of Nokia 6.1 weighs at 530.7MB.

Talking about the changelog of the version 3.51F update, it rolls out the user interface enhancements and security patch as mentioned above. Also, it brings some notable system stability improvements to these Nokia smartphones. There is no word regarding when this update will be rolled out to all the others in the other markets. Given the track record of HMD in rolling out the updates, we can expect it to be happen soon.

Nokia 1 update

The Nokia 1 smartphone has also received an update in Iraq. This update brings the version 1.550 build and brings the March security patch along with system stability improvements. As of now, this device runs Android 8.1 Oreo and it is yet to be known when it will get the Pie update. This update weighs in around 816.4MB, reports the same source.

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Toy shopping has transformed over the past 100 years, whether because of advancements in the products themselves or the marketplace. Using national toy archives and data curated by The Strong , from 1920 to today, Stacker searched for products that caught hold of the public zeitgeist through novelty, innovation, kitsch, quirk, or simply great timing, and then rocketed to success. Here are the top holiday toys from the year you were born, counting up from 1920 to today. May they fill your heartand stockings!with joy. Visit thestacker.com for similar lists and stories.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Velocity Minerals Ltd. (TSXV: VLC) (Velocity or the Company) announces that drilling and exploration activities at the Rozino gold deposit (Rozino), southeast Bulgaria, have resumed and are ongoing as planned (previous news release March 1, 2019). Several drill holes have been completed and the first results from the 2019 drill program are expected in the coming weeks.



A total of 12,000m to 14,000m of drilling is planned to be completed at Rozino, which will include exploration drilling to expand the resource base as well as resource definition and infill drilling. The drill program includes both exploration drilling and infill drilling aimed at increasing the existing mineral resource base (previous news release dated September 17, 2018) and improving resource definition.

The Rozino drill program is also intended to support additional metallurgical and comminution studies as well as hydrogeological and geotechnical work, all of which will be carried out in parallel. Environmental data collection is ongoing and will continue.

The Company plans to complete an additional 1,000m of drilling regionally to begin testing structural targets located close to the Rozino deposit. It is anticipated that discoveries within several kilometres of the Rozino deposit could potentially add value by utilizing common infrastructure.

Stock Option Grant

The Company also announces that it has granted 925,000 common share stock options (each, an "Option") to various employees and consultants of the Company and its affiliates. The Options entitle the holder to purchase shares at a price of $0.28 per share for a period of 24 months from the issue date.

Qualified Person

The technical content of this release has been approved for disclosure by Stuart A. Mills, BSc, MSc, CGeol, a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 and the Companys Vice President Exploration. Mr. Mills is not independent of the Company.

About Velocity Minerals Ltd.

Velocity is a gold exploration and development company focused on Bulgaria. The Company envisions staged open pit mining of satellite deposits and processing in a central, currently operating carbon-in-leach (CIL) plant. The Companys management and board includes mining industry professionals with combined experience spanning Europe, Asia, and the Americas as employees of major mining companies as well as founders and senior executives of junior to mid-tier public companies. The team's experience includes all aspects of mineral exploration, resource definition, feasibility, finance, mine construction and mine operation as well as a track record in managing publicly listed companies.

About Rozino

Velocity began exploring and drilling at Rozino in August 2017 and completed a Preliminary Economic Assessment in September 2018 (the PEA). The PEA provides a base case assessment of developing Rozino by open pit mining and on-site crushing, milling and simple flotation to produce a 30 g/t gold concentrate. The concentrate would then be trucked 85km on existing roads to the currently operating CIL plant where saleable gold dore would be produced. Mineralization remains open for expansion.

The Rozino gold deposit is located within in the Tintyava property (the Tintyava Property), which is one of several exploration projects located within an Exploration and Mining Alliance between Velocity and Gorubso-Kardzhali AD (Gorubso). Velocity, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Kibela Minerals AD, holds a 70% interest in Tintyava Exploration EAD (Tintyava Exploration), a corporate joint venture company that holds the Prospecting and Exploration Licence for the Tintyava Property, with Gorubso holding the remaining 30%.

About Bulgaria

Bulgaria is a member of NATO (2004) and a member of the European Union (2007). The local currency (BGN) has been tied to the Euro since 1999 (1.956 BGN/EUR). The country is served by modern European infrastructure including an extensive network of paved roads. Bulgaria boasts an exceptionally low corporate tax rate of only 10%. The countrys education system is excellent with good availability of experienced mining professionals in a favourable cost environment. Foreign mining companies are successfully operating in Bulgaria. The countrys mining law was established in 1999 and updated in 2011. Mining royalties are low and compare favourably with more established mining countries.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

Keith Henderson

President & CEO

For further information, please contact:

Keith Henderson

Phone: +1-604-484-1233

E-mail: info@velocityminerals.com

Web: www.velocityminerals.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION:

This news release includes certain forward-looking statements under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: future exploration and testing carried out on the Tintyava property; use of funds; and the future business and operations of Velocity. Often, but not always, forward looking statements can be identified by words such as pro forma, plans, expects, may, should, budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates, believes, potential or variations of such words including negative variations thereof, and phrases that refer to certain actions, events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. Forward looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors include, among others, operating and technical difficulties in connection with mineral exploration and development and mine development activities for the Tintyava property, including the geological mapping, prospecting and sampling programs for the projects, the fact that the Companys interests in the Tintyava property is only an option and there is no guarantee that the interest, if earned, will be certain, actual results of exploration activities, including the program, estimation or realization of mineral reserves and mineral resources, the timing and amount of estimated future production, costs of production, capital expenditures, the costs and timing of the development of new deposits, the availability of a sufficient supply of water and other materials, requirements for additional capital to fund the Company's business plan, future prices of precious metals, changes in general economic conditions, changes in the financial markets and in the demand and market price for commodities, possible variations in ore grade or recovery rates, possible failures of plants, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated, accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry, delays in obtaining governmental and regulatory approvals (including of the TSX Venture Exchange), permits or financing or in the completion of development or construction activities, changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting mining operations, hedging practices, currency fluctuations, title disputes or claims limitations on insurance coverage and the timing and possible outcome of pending litigation, environmental issues and liabilities, risks related to joint venture operations, and risks related to the integration of acquisitions, as well as those factors discussed under the heading. "Risk Factors" in the Company's annual management's discussion and analysis and other filings of the Company with the Canadian Securities Authorities, copies of which can be found under the Company's profile on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward looking information. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking information in this news release or incorporated by reference herein, except as otherwise required by law.
TORONTO, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Compass Gold Corp. (TSX-V: CVB) (Compass or the Company) is pleased to provide an update on the results of the one diamond drill hole completed on extensive artisanal workings at the Ouassada exploration permit on its Sikasso Property in Southern Mali.



Highlights

Identified three discrete mineralized zones within an 18 m-wide interval 4 m @ 83.82 g/t Au (from 63 m) 4 m @ 7.04 g/t Au (from 69 m) 3 m @ 4.18 g/t Au (from 78 m)

1 m interval (with a 45 cm true thickness vein) contained 329.92 grams per tonne gold (g/t Au)

Mineralization correlated well with adjacent reverse circulation (RC) drill holes and a 1,600 m target structure identified during recent ground geophysics

1,000 m drill program planned at Farabakoura to test additional structures.

Compass CEO, Larry Phillips, said, The results from our first diamond drilling thus far at Farabakoura are exceptional. While the 330 g/t Au (10.6 troy ounces per tonne) interval reflects the nuggety nature of the gold, it is important to note that the three mineralized structures around it correlated with what we found in the adjacent RC holes drilled in December. Looking at the larger picture, we also see that the mineralization drilled to date at Farabakoura is coincident with structures identified from our ground geophysical surveys. Were looking forward to starting to further drill test these trends soon, which are up to 1,600 m in length, to determine the full extent of the mineralization in this highly prospective portion of our permits.

Diamond Drilling (Farabakoura)

As previously announced (see Compass news releases dated January 10 and February 14, 2019), a single 201 m inclined diamond drill hole, OUDD001, was drilled in early January 2019 beneath the artisanal gold working at Farabakoura, Ouassada permit. The purpose of the hole was to provide information on rock types, structure and the nature of mineralization encountered in two adjacent, 10 m away, reverse circulation (RC) drill holes (OURC004 and OURC005). OURC004 contained a 37-m mineralized zone with 0.87 grams per tonne gold (g/t Au), which included intervals of 10 m @ 2.25 g/t Au (from 29 m), and 9 m @ 0.84 g/t Au (from 59 m). OURC005 contained two broad mineralized zones. The first zone was a 46-m mineralized zone with 0.66 g/t Au (from 18 m), which included intervals of 6 m @ 0.53 g/t Au (from 18 m), and 13 m @ 1.97 g/t Au (from 51 m). The second zone was 27 m @ 0.92 g/t Au (from 96 m), which included 16 m @ 1.47 g/t Au (from 96 m).

Figure 1. Location of OUDD001 (red text) in relation to the adjacent drill holes at Farabakoura.

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6f3400a8-b680-4e21-a8b8-acf472220d13

Drill hole OUDD001 was drilled 10 m to the southeast of OURC005 using the same angle (60) and azimuth (050). Upon completion, the hole was surveyed, the recovered core logged, and samples (with an appropriate number of standards, blanks and duplicates) sent to the assay laboratory (SGS, Bamako) for geochemical analysis. The most significant intervals are presented in Table 1.

Table 1. Drill intersections from OUDD001 at Farabakoura

Mineralized

Zone 1Interval and 2,3Gold Grade From Depth

(down hole) 1 1 m @ 4.54 g/t Au 22 m 2 18 m @ 20.69 g/t Au 63 m including 4 m @ 83.32 g/t Au 66 m [Including 1 m @ 329.92 g/t Au 66 m] including 4 m @ 7.04 g/t Au 69 m including 3 m @ 4.18 g/t Au 78 m 3 9 m @ 0.23 g/t Au 102 m 4 7 m @ 0.20 g/t Au 138 m 5 1 m @ 0.39 g/t Au 164 m

1True thicknesses are interpreted as 60-90% of stated intervals

2No top-cut has been used on analyses

3Intervals use a 0.2 gram per tonne gold cut-off value

Mineralization was present in seven discrete zones, with the highest grades present within the top 81 m of the core (or 70 m from surface). Numerous instances of visible gold were observed between 63.2 m and 72.2 m and this is reflected in the extremely high gold grades determined by assaying. A reanalysis of the 329.92 g/t Au (10.6 oz/t Au) interval returned a grade of 361.48 g/t (11.6 oz/t Au). Gold enrichment caused surficial oxidation is unlikely, since unaltered bedrock was encountered at 31 m and the pyrite does not show signs of alteration. The 18 m @ 20.69 g/t Au mineralized interval in OUDD01 appears to correlate with the 13 m @ 1.98 g/t Au interval in OURC05.

Geological Interpretation

Logging of chips from OURC004 and OURC005 suggested that mineralization was present within a granodiorite, at the contact between a granodiorite and metavolcaniclastics, and within the metavolcaniclastic unit. The preliminary interpretation was that mineralization was both controlled by the intrusion of the granodiorite, and later faults cutting the units. The field relationship of the mineralization to the host rock was not known, and the true thickness of mineralization could not be determined.

Logging of the diamond hole indicated that the mineralization is generally hosted within a thick intercalated sequence of volcaniclastic metasedimentary rocks that vary from coarse- to fine- grain-size, which have been extensively deformed due to regional metamorphism. A weakly metamorphosed granodiorite is present at the top of the hole. Mineralization takes two forms: zones of silicified, pyrite-rich (5-8%) metasedimentry rock generally conformable to foliation (60-65), and slightly lower-angle (40-45) discordant mineralization in thin (2-5 cm) quartz-carbonate veins. This could indicate gold remobilization due to later structural events. Core measurements indicated that mineralization is dipping steeply to the southwest. This is in good agreement with the previously drilled RC holes, and also the recently interpreted ground geophysics (Compass news release dated March 26, 2019).

Three zones of low-grade gold mineralization are noted at depths greater than 102 m. In each case, the gold is associated with a chlorite-rich schist unit in the rock package that is sometimes cut by fragmented and discontinuous quartz-sulphide veins. This pyrite appears to be stratabound (occurring between layers), and probably represents primary gold mineralization. It is likely that the 9 m @ 0.23 g/t Au (from 102 m) interval correlates with a 16 m @ 1.47 g/t Au (from 96 m) interval in OURC05. The presence of sulphide- and/or graphite-rich lithologies are indicated from the IP survey data, and structures (faults) and intrusions are interpreted from the ground magnetic survey data (see Figure 2). These targets could host gold mineralization, and are the focus of a planned short drilling program.

Next Steps:

As noted in the Companys news release dated February 26, 2019, a 1,000-m RC drilling program will be initiated shortly at Farabakoura. The purpose of this program is to determine whether mineralization is present in the structures recently identified using detailed ground geophysics. These structures can be traced for up to 1,600 m and have geophysical signatures similar to areas where gold mineralization was encountered. Additional bedrock drilling will take place on the remaining targets on the Ouassada and Faraba-Coura permits once the permit wide IP survey is completed and interpreted.

Field teams are continuing to perform sampling at nine artisanal gold sites on the Yanfolila South block, and assay results will be released once this program is complete. It is anticipated that limited bedrock drilling can take place on some of these workings prior to the beginning of the rainy season in late June.

Figure 2. Results of the filter-enhanced high-resolution ground magnetic survey with target structures (yellow lines) superimposed at Farabakoura. The locations of the IP lines are also identified.

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/250362e6-898f-490e-a497-ae390e87c4b0

About Compass Gold Corp.

Compass, a public company having been incorporated into Ontario, is a Tier 2 issuer on the TSX- Venture Exchange (TSX-V). Through the 2017 acquisition of MGE and Malian subsidiaries, Compass holds gold exploration permits in Mali that comprise the Sikasso Property. The exploration permits are located in three sites in southern Mali with a combined land holding of 854 km2. The Sikasso Property is in the same region as several multi-million ounce gold projects, including Morila, Syama, Kalana and Kodieran. The Companys Mali-based technical team, led in the field by Dr. Madani Diallo and under the supervision of Dr. Sandy Archibald, P.Geo, is executing a technically-driven and comprehensive exploration program. They are examining numerous anomalies noted for further investigation in Dr. Archibalds August 2017 *National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report on the Sikasso Property, Southern Mali.

Qualified Person

This news release has been reviewed and approved by EurGeol. Dr. Sandy Archibald, P.Geo, Compasss Technical Director, who is the Qualified Person for the technical information in this news release under National Instrument 43-101 standards.

ForwardLooking Information

This news release contains "forwardlooking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements regarding the Companys planned exploration work and management appointments. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forwardlooking information. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by such information. The statements in this news release are made as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forwardlooking information except as required by applicable law.

For further information please contact:

Compass Gold Corporation Compass Gold Corporation Larry Phillips  Pres. & CEO Greg Taylor  Dir. Investor Relations & Corporate Communications lphillips@compassgoldcorp.com gtaylor@compassgoldcorp.com T: +1 416-596-0996 X 302 T: +1 416-596-0996 X 301

Website: www.compassgoldcorp.com

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.




Mt. Pleasant, SC, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As a committed and innovative entrepreneur, clinic owner Joe Hinkley saw a need for advanced lice treatment services in North Charleston and opened his first clinic in January 2018. "The more I looked into the head lice treatment options provided by Lice Clinics of America, the more interested I became," Joe said. "I was struck by just how big a problem this is. But the good news was that technology had finally caught up to the issue.



Technology is precisely what sets Lice Clinics of America apart from at-home lice treatmentstheir signature AirAlle medical device is clinically shown to kill both head lice and their nits in a single treatment more than 99% of the time. Using precision-controlled heated air, the standard treatment takes about an hour, and patients can get on with their day lice free.



After witnessing the success of his North Charleston clinic over the last year, Hinkley is now opening a second clinic in Mt. Pleasant with the hope that these treatments will continue to provide families relief from lice infestations. The clinic offers a range of services including screening, diagnosis, and the AirAlle treatment, in addition to products for purchase to use with at-home maintenance and care. The clinic is also staffed by certified operators of the AirAlle device.



Lice Clinics of America  Mt. Pleasant is located at 1111 McKnight Rd, Suite A, Mt. Pleasant, SC, 29466. The clinic is open seven days a week by appointment only. To schedule, please call (843) 508-0648.





# # #



With more than 330 clinics worldwide in 35 countries, Lice Clinics of America (www.liceclinicsofamerica.com) is the largest network of professional head lice treatment centers in the world. Its patented heated-air device, AirAlle, has effectively performed more than 500,000 head lice treatments. Lice Clinics of America and AirAlle (www.airalle.com) are brands owned by Larada Sciences, Inc., which is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CUV Ventures Corp. (TSX-V: CUV) (the Company) is pleased to announce that it has activated, on March 27th 2019, over 18,000; Tours, Excursions, Theme Parks, Day-Trips and, event tickets in over 130 countries, at 1,342 of the worlds most popular destinations. The ensemble of this first tranche of Vacation extras are now bookable, in real-time, across the RevoluVIP members only Travel Club.



About Vacation Activities

Booking Flights and Accommodation are not the only services required by today's informed traveler. Booking things-to-do, while on vacation, are equally as important. Sophisticated travelers plan their trips with family and friends meticulously. An integral part of any pleasurable holiday is; sightseeing, visiting, museums, theme parks, big bus tours, events, concerts, city tours, waterparks, etc. Whether it be Cirque du Soleil in Vegas, Pyramids in Egypt or, paragliding in Ibiza, a holiday is all about doing things beyond the resort. From today, an initial assortment of 18,000 vacation activities are now directly bookable on RevoluVIP in; Albania, Andorra, Anguilla, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Dutch Antilles, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji Islands, Finland, France, French Polynesia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Oman, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Republic of Panama, Reunion Island, Romania, Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin Island, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad And Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turks And Caicos Island, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Uruguay, USA, Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Islands (U.K.), Virgin Islands (USA), Zambia, Zimbabwe. The in-house IT team is working on adding more vacation experiences and, activities, in the coming weeks.

RevoluVIP Adds 8 Extra Airlines

As explained to shareholders in the 25 March 2019 News Release, RevoluVIP will gradually add more airlines to the platform, over the coming days and, weeks. The following airlines were therefore added to RevoluVIP on March 27th 2019 and, members may now book with these airlines;

Air China, Boliviana de Aviacion (BoA), Aegean Airlines, KLM, Air France, Olympic Air, LATAM AIRLINES, ASIANA AIRLINES

Gradual Launch of RevoluVIP

As explained to shareholders in the 22nd March 2019 news release, RevoluVIP will incorporate a gradual launch. The Company had previously planned to be able to release travel activities and, tours and excursions, in a maximum of 30 days, however, the incorporation of this and, other services, is being achieved quicker than anticipated. The Company hopes to also bring forward Car Rentals and, other services, in a shorter term than previously announced. The Company already possesses certified technological access to all of the travel services, however, the incorporation into a retail environment, namely the web publishing of the offers, requires further in-house IT involvement. The Company will continue to rely upon live beta testing, as increased services are aggregated to the platform. In the end, RevoluVIP travel offers will be indistinguishable from those offered today by the worlds largest travel retailers, with the only difference being, a member pricing disparity unseen in the current, almost trillion-dollar travel industry.

About CUV Ventures Corp.:

CUV Ventures Corp. is a multi-asset, multidivisional publicly traded Canadian company deploying advanced technologies in the; Online Travel, Vacation Resort, Mobile Apps, Money Remittance, Mobile phone top-ups, Invoice factoring, Blockchain Systems, and Fintech app sectors.

Our flagship technology is RevoluPAY, the Apple and Android multinational leisure payments and remittance app, powered by blockchain protocols, and aimed at the worldwide + $595 billion family remittance market. Click here to read more.

For further information on CUV Ventures Corp. (TSX-V: CUV) visit the Companys website at www.cuvventures.com. The Company has approximately 134,523,337 shares issued and outstanding.

CUV VENTURES CORP.

Steve Marshall

______________________

STEVE MARSHALL

CEO

For further information contact:

Don Mosher

CUV Ventures Corp.

Telephone: (604) 685-6465

Toll Free: 800-567-8181

Facsimile: 604-687-3119

Email: info@cuvventures.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This release includes certain statements that may be deemed to be "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that management of the Company expects, are forward-looking statements. Although management believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements, include market prices, exploration and development successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Please see the public filings of the Company at www.sedar.com for further information.




POINT ROBERTS, Wash. and DELTA, British Columbia, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Investorideas.com , a leading investor news resource covering hemp and cannabis stocks releases a snapshot looking at how, as CBD gains momentum in the US, companies are eyeing the next potential markets; mainly south of the border in Mexico and South America.



In November 2018, Mexico announced approval for the importation and sale of cannabis products at pharmacies and retailers across the country to service the Mexican population of 130+ million. Sixty product licenses have been initially approved by the COFEPRIS thus far, and it is expected this decision will make cannabis products like hemp-derived CBD available on the shelves of general retailers across the nation.

CannaOne Technologies ( CSE: CNNA ), a company that develops and markets various digital tools to service various segments for the cannabis industry in Canada, with its flagship product BloomKit, is taking advantage of this new southern market potential. The company recently announced entering into a formal agreement with Manna Health Services SA de CV of Mexico City, to undertake the development, launch, and operation of an industry-leading, online CBD product purchase and delivery marketplace for the Country of Mexico. The agreement was signed on March 5, 2019, with a contract term of 36 months and an option to renew for an additional 60 months at the conclusion of the initial period.

"BloomKit, our enterprise software solution, will give Manna the capability to offer a flagship and fully operational online CBD marketplace once Mexican regulations are finalized. For example, it will offer Manna the ability to inherently monitor and track pick-up and delivery logistics, and the capability to deliver historical and current trending analytics to ensure optimal management of all CBD sales channels. It will provide this all with the benefit of a simple and easy to use built-in eCommerce solution."

Currently, Manna Health is approved by the Mexican government to buy, sell, lease, distribute, import, or export any products related to health and wellness. Once this CBD marketplace has launched, Manna has further committed to CannaOne to jointly study, analyze and utilize all market and consumer data that is collected and retained through the marketplace."

CANNAMERICA BRANDS CORP. ( CSE: CANA ) ( OTCQB: CNNXF ) is also looking into Mexico for CBD, having announced that it has entered into a binding letter of intent to create a joint venture with Sericea Labs S.A. de C.V. and CBDistribution Company Ltd., with the intention of building a facility in Mexico for importing and warehousing licensed CBD products as well as CBD oils and tinctures destined for refining.

When and if permitted under Mexican laws, the Company, SERICEA and CBDC also plan on acquiring, importing and cultivating industrial hemp biomass for extraction into CBD isolate to be used for multiple product lines which utilize CBD. Subject to Board approval from the Company and completion of satisfactory due diligence, the JV Parties intend to enter into a definitive joint venture agreement on or before April 30, 2019.

Khiron Life Sciences Corp. ( TSXV: KHRN ) ( OTCQB: KHRNF ), a vertically integrated cannabis leader is focused not only on Mexico, but all of Latin America, having recently announced participating in Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna, which took place March 14-17 in Bologna, Italy.

Kuida, the first consumer brand for Khiron's wellness unit, brings the benefits of cannabidiol (CBD) to a comprehensive portfolio of skin and body care products for women. Launched in Colombia in October 2018 through retail, wholesale and online channels, Kuida will now target the global skincare market which, according to Euromonitor International is expected to reach US$131 Billion in 2019.

SOL Global Investments Corp. ( CSE: SOL ) ( OTCQB: SOLCF ) also put a focus on international CBD in February, when the company announced the formation of a new international hemp-focused subsidiary, Heavenly Rx Ltd.

From the news:

"We are launching Heavenly Rx with the aim of acquiring a portfolio of battle-tested and proven hemp/CBD companies while also acquiring certain unique brands for which we believe CBD and hemp-infused products could drastically change their growth," added SOL's chief investment officer Andy DeFrancesco. "We are more bullish than ever about the future of the hemp and CBD industries globally, and Heavenly Rx will without a doubt be the vertically integrated leader in the space. Heavenly Rx is not simply an investment company, but rather a laser-focused global Hemp and CBD company only for all operations under the Heavenly Rx banner."

CBD is already on the tip of everyones tongue in the US at the moment and it seems this hype is extending outward into the Latin American community and Europe. The import/export of US CBD is expected to take off in 2019, and companies looking South and East could gain a sizeable advantage due to the massive consumer populations available.

For investors following cannabis stocks, Investor Ideas has created a stock directory of publicly traded CSE, TSX, TSXV, OTC, NASDAQ, NYSE, ASX Marijuana/Hemp Stocks

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VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ascot Resources Ltd. (TSX.V:AOT, OTCQX:AOTVF) (Ascot) and IDM Mining Ltd. (IDM), announce that they have completed their previously announced plan of arrangement (the Arrangement) under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia), pursuant to which Ascot acquired all the issued and outstanding common shares of IDM (each, an IDM Share), and, in exchange, shareholders of IDM received 0.0675 of a common share of Ascot for each IDM Share held (the Transaction). The Arrangement consolidates Ascots Premier gold project (Premier) and IDMs Red Mountain gold project (Red Mountain), creating the leading high-grade gold and silver development and exploration company in northwestern British Columbias Golden Triangle.



Derek White, President & CEO of Ascot, commented: The acquisition of IDM bolsters our goal of creating a company with multiple high-quality, high-grade gold resources based near existing infrastructure and the town of Stewart, British Columbia, at the southern end of the Golden Triangle. The combined company has a number of development options and synergy opportunities that aligns with our vision of creating low-cost production, and expanding resource base through future development and exploration in one of the best mining districts in the world. The combined team looks forward to delivering this value and progressing our combined assets for the benefit of all shareholders and stakeholders, including the citizens of Nis g aa Nation, the community Stewart, British Columbia and Hyder, Alaska. We welcome IDM shareholders and employees to Ascot, as we continue to grow and create significant, long-term value.

On behalf of the team at IDM, I am grateful for the contributions and support all of our shareholders as we advanced the Red Mountain Project over the past several years through engineering and permitting milestones, as well as exploration success, said Rob McLeod, former President & CEO of IDM Mining. The potential synergies between the two asset bases are very significant, and the combined company hosts the best exploration ground for further high-grade discoveries in the Golden Triangle. I look forward to the revitalization of my hometown of Stewart to support multiple operations and for the growth of Mining as a cornerstone industry for my Nis g aa friends. Lastly, I am proud of and grateful for our tremendous team at Red Mountain, that has operated safely, efficiently and effectively to find gold in a challenging operating environment.

Ascot appoints Rob McLeod as Advisor

Mr. Rob McLeod will be retained by Ascot as a consultant to provide transitional advice with respect to his local knowledge and relationship with the Nis g aa Nation. In addition, Mr. Dave Green will be appointed as Ascots Mining Manager, and Mr. Ryan Weymark will join as the VP of Project Development.

Andree St-Germain appointed to Ascot Board

In connection with the closing of the Arrangement, Ascot increased the size of its board of directors to eight, appointing former IDM independent director Ms. Andree St-Germain. Ms. St-Germain is the Chief Financial Officer of Integra Resources Corp. and is an experienced mining finance executive with an extensive background in banking, mining finance and financial management and most recently received the Young Mining Professionals (YMP) Eira Thomas Award. Ms. St-Germain is also a director of Barkerville Gold Mines Ltd.



Delisting of IDM shares

It is expected that the IDM Shares will be de-listed from the TSX Venture Exchange and the OTCQB as of the closing of the market on March 27, 2019 and that IDM will cease to be a reporting issuer under applicable Canadian securities laws and will file to suspend IDMs reporting obligations under U.S. securities laws.



Ascots deposits that comprise the Premier project and Red Mountain project are located within separate mineralized trends and have separate NI 43-101 mineral resource estimates (Table 1). The combined resources would include 5.55 million tonnes of measured and indicated resources averaging 7.68 g/t gold (Au), totaling 1.37 million ounces gold, with additional inferred resources of 6.35 million tonnes averaging 7.12 g/t gold, totaling 1.45 million ounces gold.

Table 1

Class Deposit Tonnes Average Grades Contained Ounces Au g/t Ag g/t Au Ag Measured Red Mountain 1,827,900 8.92 28.3 524,000 1,663,300 Indicated Premier 1,250,000 6.97 30.2 281,000 1,220,000 Big Missouri 539,000 8.19 20.5 142,000 355,000 Silver Coin 859,000 8.01 20.5 221,000 566,000 Martha Ellen 130,000 5.47 48.0 23,000 201,000 Indicated Ascot All Zones 2,780,000 7.46 26.2 667,000 2,340,000 Indicated Red Mountain 943,400 5.95 12.0 180,600 363,500 Total Indicated All Above 3,721,400 7.07 22.6 847,600 2,705,500 Total M&I Total 5,549,300 7.68 24.5 1,371,600 4,368,800 Inferred Premier 1,740,000 5.95 24.2 333,000 1,350,000 Big Missouri 2,250,000 8.25 18.4 596,000 1,330,000 Silver Coin 1,160,000 7.78 22.1 289,000 821,000 Martha Ellen 653,000 6.12 34.3 129,000 720,000 Dilworth 235,000 6.13 56.0 46,000 424,000 Inferred Ascot All Zones 6,030,000 7.18 24.0 1,390,000 4,650,000 Inferred Red Mountain 316,000 6.04 7.6 61,400 77,200 Total Inferred All Above 6,354,000 7.12 23.2 1,454,400 4,722,200

 Red Mountain resources are reported at a 3.0 g/t Au cut-off

 Please refer to IDMs press release dated June 19, 2018 for Red Mountain Project Mineral Resource Estimate details and disclosure

 Premier resources include the Northern Lights Deposits

 Premier resources are reported at a 3.5 g/t AuEq cut-off

 Please refer to Ascots press release dated December 3, 2018 for Premier Project Mineral Resource Estimate details and disclosure

 Numbers may not sum due to rounding

Qualified Persons

John Kiernan, P.Eng., Chief Operating Officer of Ascot Resources Ltd., and Robert McLeod, P.Geo., former President and CEO of IDM Mining Ltd; are each Qualified Persons (QP) as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and have reviewed and approved the scientific and technical contents of this news release.

Subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange, Ascot will issue Haywood Securities Inc. 315,226 common shares as partial consideration for advisory services performed in connection with the Arrangement.

Other Ascot Business

Ascot has also entered into a development services agreement with NAI Innovation Ltd. to facilitate, among other things, relationship building with corporate and institutional parties in the greater China region. Subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange, Ascot has agreed to pay an engagement fee of CDN$55,000, of which CDN$40,000 is payable in common shares in two separate tranches based on the 20-day VWAP prior to each date of issuance. Ascot has also agreed to pay certain success fees to NAI Innovation Ltd. in connection with certain transactions to be facilitated by NAI Innovation Ltd. to Ascot payable in cash and warrants exercisable for common shares of Ascot. Any securities issued to NAI Innovation Ltd. will be subject to a four month hold period from the date of issuance.

Advisors and Counsel

Haywood Securities Inc. acted as financial advisor and Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP acted as legal counsel to Ascot.

About Ascot Resources Ltd.

Ascot is a Canadian-based junior exploration company focused on re-starting the past producing historic Premier gold mine, located in British Columbias Golden Triangle. The Company continues to define high-grade resources for underground mining with the near-term goal of converting the underground resources into reserves, while continuing to explore nearby targets on its Premier/Dilworth and Silver Coin properties (collectively referred to as the Premier project). Ascots recent acquisition of IDM Mining Ltd., adds the high-grade gold and silver Red Mountain project to its portfolio and positions the Company as a leading consolidator of high quality assets in the Golden Triangle.

For more information about Ascot and IDM, please refer to each companys profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com .

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Ascot Resources Ltd.

Derek C. White

President & CEO

For further information, please contact:

Ascot Resources Ltd. Kristina Howe VP, Investor Relations Tel: 778-725-1060 ext. 1019 Email: khowe@ascotgold.com

The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

All statements, trend analysis and other information contained in this press release about anticipated future events or results constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as seek, anticipate, believe, plan, estimate, expect and intend and statements that an event or result may, will, should, could or might occur or be achieved and other similar expressions. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, including, without limitation, statements regarding anticipated benefits of the Transaction, are forward-looking statements. Although Ascot and IDM (the "Companies") believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements and/or information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements since the Companies can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements, including the risks, uncertainties and other factors identified in the Companies' periodic filings with Canadian securities regulators, and assumptions made with regard to: the estimated costs associated with construction of the Premier and Red Mountain Projects; the timing of the anticipated start of production at the Premier and Red Mountain Projects; the ability to maintain throughput and production levels at the Premier Mill; and the Companies' ability to achieve the synergies expected as a result of the Transaction. Forward-looking statements are subject to business and economic risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results of operations to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Ascot or IDMs expectations include risks associated with the business of Ascot and IDM; risks related to exploration and potential development of Ascot and IDMs projects; business and economic conditions in the mining industry generally; fluctuations in commodity prices and currency exchange rates; uncertainties relating to interpretation of drill results and the geology, continuity and grade of mineral deposits; the need for cooperation of government agencies and native groups in the exploration and development of properties and the issuance of required permits; the need to obtain additional financing to develop properties and uncertainty as to the availability and terms of future financing; the possibility of delay in exploration or development programs and uncertainty of meeting anticipated program milestones; uncertainty as to timely availability of permits and other governmental approvals; and other risk factors as detailed from time to time and additional risks identified in Ascot and IDMs filings with Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR in Canada (available at www.sedar.com). Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and opinions of management at the date the statements are made. Neither Ascot nor IDM undertakes any obligation to update forward-looking statements.
AMITYVILLE, NY, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NEWMEDIAWIRE -- Iconic Brands, Inc. (OTC PINK: ICNB) announced today that Green Grow Farms Inc, which is under LOI for Iconic Brands to acquire a majority interest in, has secured a processor and material supplier agreement with one of the largest vertical Hemp processors in the world.



This agreement is for an initial 2-year term and allows for a minimum of 2 million pounds of biomass to be processed to CBD isolate, and sold under a revenue sharing agreement. With average CBD percentage and processing efficiency rates from Green Grows farming operations, two million pounds should process into approximately 40,000 kilograms of CBD Isolate. Todays current wholesale market rates for bulk sales of isolate are between $5,000 and $7500 per kilogram.

Green Grow Farms is projecting 2019 first year biomass of 1 million pounds and is hopeful to exceed that amount by a multiple in 2020. Iconic Brands is completing its final due diligence including current lease agreements and farming contracts and hopes to move to definitive closing documents over the next 2 weeks.

Mr. Richard Decicco stated, This agreement was a significant step for the Green Grow team, while there is some work to do before we close, based on the prospects thus far we are very motivated to bring this transaction to a close for our company.

About Iconic Brands, Inc.

Iconic Brands Inc. ("Iconic") is a beverage company with the highest expertise of developing, from inception to completion, alcoholic beverages for itself and third parties. Iconic Brands markets and places products into national distribution through long standing industry relationships. Iconic is a leader in "Celebrity Branding" of beverages, procuring superior and unique products from around the world and branding its products with internationally recognized celebrities. Currently offering Bivi Vodka, www.BiviVodka.com and Bellissima Prosecco, www.BellissimaProsecco.com. Iconic Brands is a developer of private label spirits for established chains and brands both domestically and Internationally. Under the newly formed subsidiary, Hempology Inc., Iconic Brands is, to the extent the law allows, developing liquor based products infused with Hemp and CBD

Please visit our website and follow us on twitter @BellissimabyCB and on Instagram @BellissimaProsecco: View Christies appearance schedule which we will continue to update, and great new recipes; www.bellissimaprosecco.com

Forward-Looking Statements

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Gov. Matt Bevin on Tuesday signed into law a measure that that will cost Kentucky's $11 billion General Fund an estimated $106.6 million a year once fully implemented.House Bill 354 contains changes to parts of the tax code that will mean less revenue for the state in coming years in exchange for tax cuts for banks, among others. It also includes an exemption to the state's Open Records Act, sought by the Kentucky Department of Revenue, so the public no longer can request certain tax-related documents, such as final tax rulings and requests for tax guidance.General Fund revenues already are expected to fall $22.1 million short of projections in the fiscal year that ends June 30, according to the state budget office, so another round of tax breaks is likely to mean more cuts to come in state programs, such as education and social services.On a related note, the legislature has not acted on another measure, House Bill 517, that would have generated nearly $498 million in Fiscal Year 2021 for the state's road fund by raising the state's gas tax and fees on electric cars and license plate renewals. The bill was filed Feb. 20 but never left the House Transportation Committee despite requests for passage from the Bevin administration.House and Senate negotiators put their tax cut plan in HB 354 together this month with assistance from the state budget office and the Revenue Department, as well as Frankfort lobbyists representing industries who want to pay fewer taxes.Among those interests was the Kentucky Bankers Association, which has paid more than $180,000 since Jan. 1, 2017, in state political donations, spreading its money between Republican and Democratic members of both legislative chambers. Without any previously filed bill or public debate, it won a change in the tax code worth an estimated $56 million a year when it takes effect in 2021.The KBA told lawmakers it wanted them to repeal the bank franchise tax, which is based on the size of net capital, in favor of the corporate income tax that most businesses pay. The corporate income tax is typically 5 percent, but the franchise tax, combined with local deposit taxes, can hit banks with an effective tax rate of more than 13 percent, the KBA told lawmakers.Other states in the region tax their banks more lightly, putting Kentucky-based banks at a disadvantage, the KBA said.Lawmakers sounded sympathetic."We've seen some (bank) buyouts because of that," Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, told other members of the free conference committee that wrote the tax bill. "It's a fairness issue and an equity issue to transition them from a franchise tax."KBA President Ballard Cassady did not respond to a request for comment for this story.But a critic of the tax bill said federal reports show that Kentucky bank profits topped $600 million in 2017, having strongly recovered from the Great Recession. Before the legislature gave away $56 million in annual revenue, it should have heard testimony at hearings to justify the change, said Pam Thomas, a tax analyst for the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy in Berea."The banks are essentially going to see a 50 percent tax cut," said Thomas, who previously wrote tax legislation as a staffer for the General Assembly."By keeping this all secret and hidden from the public until the very end, they pretty much negated the ability of anyone to push back and question any of it. The fact that it was passed this way -- by sticking it into a free conference committee report at the 11th hour -- tells you something," Thomas said.Another big tax break was $52.2 million a year in income tax cuts. This included changes affecting a variety of taxpayers. Some are lower-income individuals who owe more because of changes the legislature made to the tax code in 2018. Others are multistate and multinational businesses that owe more under the "combined reporting" model the state adopted last year to reduce tax avoidance by companies that shift their income between related entities to find the lightest tax rate available.Corporations have been lobbying against Kentucky's combined reporting model from the moment it passed, although more than two dozen other states already use it, Thomas said."This bill essentially weakens the law we passed just last year, which already was pretty weak to start with," Thomas said.The bill also forgoes about $3.1 million a year in sales and use taxes, partly due to a tax break given to nonprofit groups for their special events. Lawmakers said they erred last year when they covered nonprofits with the expanded sales and use tax. But the bill also gives a tax break to fishing tournament fees and boat ramp fees, even when for-profit entities are involved.
The New Rules

Changes to the Carryover Exemption

Is There Enough Job Training?

Conservatives have long sought to make it harder for people to receive food stamps. They almost achieved that goal last year, but a proposal for stricter work requirements was ultimately removed from the final farm bill that passed in December.In light of that legislative loss for conservatives, the Trump administration is revamping the food stamps program, otherwise known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), to reflect conservative values and ideas.The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a rule in December that, if enacted, will cause 755,000 people to lose food stamp benefits, according to the federal agency. The proposed rules are currently undergoing a 60-day comment period, which ends on Tuesday. The federal government will then weigh public comments before submitting a final rule.Meanwhile, new research sheds light on the people at risk of losing food stamps.According to data released this month from the nonpartisan Mathematica Policy Research , the vast majority of those expected to lose their benefits currently live below the poverty line -- 88 percent make $500 a month or less if they are a single person. Researchers also found that 164,000 of them are between the ages of 18 and 21.SNAP serves the poor, but the people likely impacted by this rule are disproportionately poor," says Giridhar Mallya, senior policy officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which worked on the report with Mathematica. "Its shown to reduce hunger, so hunger will likely increase.SNAP's current rules require nondisabled, childless adults to work or participate in job training for at least 20 hours a weekif they receive food assistance for more than three months in a three-year period. States can request exemptions from this ruleif they are struggling with high unemployment, and many have. The USDA's new policy will make it harder for states to qualify for those exemptions.Alaska, Louisiana, Nevada and New Mexico currently exempt their childless population from work requirements; 29 states have a partial waiver; and 17 have no waiver at all, according to Mathematica.Under the current rules, states can receive waivers if they prove part of their state has an unemployment rate of 20 percent above the national average. States will often clump together certain areas that are struggling and have an unemployment rate, once combined, of 20 percent above the national average.Taking an exemption was especially popular in the years following the Great Recession. In fact, Delaware is the only state that hasn't sought a waiver of this kind since 2010. But the USDA's new rules will restrict cities and counties from banding together for this purpose.Congressional Republicans want to reign in the $4-billion-a-month program, which they say is prone to government waste. Around 40 million Americans receive food assistance. The USDA expects the new rule to save $15 billion over a decade. Democrats, meanwhile, say that these type of exemptions are necessary because counties within states have different employment prospects.New Mexico officials are debating the best way to prevent coverage losses in the event that it loses its statewide waiver. They are considering two paths: Updating and expanding their employment and training programs, which would cost the state $6 million, or partnering with community organizations that might be able to take on additional caseloads to help people secure jobs or job training.Either way, the rule is of huge concern, says Angela Medrano, deputy director of the state's human services department. We provide services to 900,000 people, almost half of the state.New Mexico has the third-highest poverty rate in the nation, and large swaths of rural area, making it difficult for many residents to comply with a work requirement.I worked on the county level, where people would hitchhike to their [government] appointments. Theres inadequate infrastructure. People lack access to phones and internet, says Karmela Martinez, the acting director of the Income Support Division of the New Mexico Department of Human Services.The USDA's new proposal also modifies the "carryover exemption. Right now, a state can exempt up to 15 percent of childless adults from the three-months-in-three-years time limit. If they dont use up that 15 percent, they can roll over the remainder to the next year.Based on that equation, states had a combined 7.4 million exemptions available during 2018, according to the USDA The proposed rule would subject states to a new calculation based on how many exemptions they used in the previous year before allotting them exemptions for the next year, making it harder to roll over.Human services advocates say it's an unnecessary and harmful change.States feel very strongly to have that flexibility to respond to local needs. Also there is not evidence that states are misusing this power, says Ann Flagg, director of the Center for Child and Family Well-Being at the American Public Human Services Association.At the heart of this debate is the goal of employment, which is harder to achieve in some places than others. How much the government spends on job training is a factor.According to The Council of State Governments , the federal government allocates around $10 billion to states for job training, technical education and rehabilitative programs -- but some of that goes to larger programs that spend the money on other things.State spending, on the other hand, varies. New Mexico spent around $12 million in 2017, but Washington state spent $59 million -- almost five times as much.The success of a work requirement is contingent on the strength of these training programs," says Flagg. "Its creating a work requirement that lacks adequate funding to create meaningful pathways to work.
SPEED READ:

On Wednesday, a federal judge struck down Medicaid work requirements in Arkansas and Kentucky.

The governor of Arkansas urged the Trump administration to appeal the ruling.

Indiana, which already started phasing work requirements in, doesn't plan to stop.

On Friday, CMS approved Utah's work requirement waiver.

On Wednesday, a judge struck down Arkansas and Kentucky's Medicaid work requirement programs, throwing the future of the conservative health policy -- and Medicaid expansion at large -- into question.U.S. District Judge James Boasbergs ruling blocks Kentucky from implementing its program -- which was the first approved by the Trump administration in January 2018 -- and puts an end to Arkansas program, which has been running since Juneand has led to the loss of health care for tens of thousands of people.In a case expected to reach the U.S. Supreme Court, Judge Boasberg ruled that Medicaid is an entitlement and that the defendants did not address ... how the project would implicate the 'core' objective of Medicaid: the provision of medical coverage to the needy."The federal government signaled on Wednesday that the rulings wont slow down its approval of states requests for work requirements. In fact, on Friday, the feds approved Utah's work requirement waiver , which could overrule a ballot measure passed by residents in November to expand Medicaid without work rules. Six other states -- largely ones that didnt expand Medicaid -- still have work requirement waivers pending with the federal government.States are the laboratories of democracy, and we will vigorously support their innovative, state-driven efforts to develop and test reforms that will advance the objectives of the Medicaid program, said Seema Verma, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), in a statement on Wednesday.The Republican governor of Arkansas, Asa Hutchinson, urged the Trump administration -- the defendant in the case -- to appeal the ruling.I contend that the judge is wrong, he said during a press conference Thursday. If we want to continue the fight, the best course is to appeal.Hutchinson acknowledged that 18,000 people have lost health coverage since the work requirements went into effect, but he said 90,000 people have also "moved off" Medicaid since the state expanded the program in 2013.Gov. Matt Bevin of Kentucky, also a Republican, has previously vowed to end the entire Medicaid expansion program -- which would cut 400,000 people off from their health insurance -- if he can't implement work requirements. He has yet to comment on the latest ruling.Work requirements for Medicaid, the nation's health insurance for the poor, sprang up after the passage of the Affordable Care Act, President Barack Obama's signature legislation. The law allows and helps states offer Medicaid to more low-income people. The federal government initially pays 100 percent -- and eventually 90 percent -- of the costs of expanding eligibility to people earning 138 percent of the federal poverty line.Most of the early adopters of Medicaid expansion were Democratic-led states. Some Republican-led states have slowly expanded coverage, but most of them have added a work requirement for nondisabled people -- a policy that the Obama administration repeatedly rejected. Under the Trump administration, CMS has approved work requirement waivers for Arkansas, Arizona, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, New Hampshire, Ohio and Wisconsin.Work requirements are in effect in two other states -- Indiana and New Hampshire.New Hampshire implemented work requirements in March, but they are being challenged in court by the National Health Law Program, the New Hampshire Legal Assistance and the National Center for Law and Economic Justice. The lawsuit was filed earlier this month.Indiana phased in work requirements in January, but beneficiaries dont have to start reporting their hours until July and those in noncompliance wont start losing coverage until January 2020. For that reason, officials say their program has better protections in place and that they arent changing their course of action.We worked with providers, stakeholders and members to develop the Gateway to Work program and continue to take feedback to make improvements. We are using an extended ramp-up period to educate and engage members how to successfully report work, job training, education or community engagement activities, said Jim Gavin, spokesperson for Indianas Family and Social Services Administration, in an email onThursday.Its not just the future of Medicaid thats uncertain. Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Justice reversed course and threw its support behind a recent ruling that the entire Affordable Care Act should be struck down. If this case goes back to the Supreme Court, the fate of the landmark law would be in jeopardy.
In Massachusetts and Oregon, Democrats hold supermajority control of both legislative chambers. In each state, minority Republicans have been given greater deference or authority than their sheer numbers would command. But neither state can be described as a bipartisan paradise as a result.Theres long been a rule in the Massachusetts Senate to require roll call votes when 20 percent of the members ask for them. But Republicans dont hold 20 percent of the seats in the state Senate, which would equate to eight out of 40. When their numbers slipped to just seven senators, the rule was changed to allow any seven to require a roll call vote. After the Senate GOP caucus slipped to only six members, the rule was amended to say that the total number of Republican senators, however small, would suffice.The point of this courtesy is that it allows the minority party to put the Senate as a whole on record when it comes to controversial policies. Thats the theory, anyway. In practice, both chambers in Massachusetts hold fewer recorded votes than they did in past decades. Theyve dramatically dropped what we call the significant votes, says Paul Craney, spokesman for the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance, a conservative watchdog group. Now what they do more frequently is voice votes, in which bills pass without individual votes being recorded.Megan Montgomery, a spokeswoman for Massachusetts Senate President Karen Spilka, says that the raw numbers dont support such complaints. But the fact is that over the past six years, the Senate has held, on average, fewer than 300 recorded votes per year. Thats not a lot of roll calls, especially considering that many of them were legally required in response to line-item vetoes. Many other matters are settled informally, without the scrutiny that recorded votes might bring. In December, for example, Gov. Charlie Baker signed a bill to tax and regulate short-term housing units, such as those rented through Airbnb. Both chambers passed the bill without taking a recorded vote. This after a handful of newly elected Democratic legislators had run pledging to push for greater transparency on Beacon Hill, including more recorded roll calls.In Oregon, the dynamic is a little different. Theres no rule, formal or otherwise, that guarantees the minority party any say in advancing or blocking legislation. But Democratic Senate President Peter Courtney prefers not to bring legislation to the floor without at least some Republican support, particularly revenue-raising bills. His fear is that Republicans will sit out votes if theyre not included in the process, depriving the body of a quorum. When you really beat someone and you really put them down, you know, you can train an anger and a hatred thats so violent, that theyll go to every extreme they can think of to stop you, he said in the aftermath of his partys success in the November elections.Courtneys respect for members of the other party angers some people in his own. Progressives are more than frustrated with the manner in which bills are not allowed to come to the floor of the Oregon state Senate, says Dan Jensen, who chairs Progressive Oregon, an advocacy group. Why do we work so hard to elect the people we want in office if it doesnt make a difference?Oregon and Massachusetts illustrate two perennial realities of legislative life. The first is that minorities still count, even if their numbers are meager, when there is disagreement within majority ranks. And the second is that regardless of what the rulebooks say, what really matters is how leaders choose to manage the process.
A federal appeals court led by a Trump appointee Monday unanimously upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit against San Francisco for failing to alert immigration authorities of the release of the immigrant who killed Kate Steinle.The suit, brought by Steinle's parents, alleged that San Francisco was negligent for failing to comply with a 2015 request by Immigration and Customs Enforcement representatives to hold the jailed immigrant until federal authorities could take custody.Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez, also known as Jose Inez Garcia Zarate, shot and killed Steinle, 32, near Pier 14 of San Francisco's Embarcadero in July 2015 as she walked with her father.The lawsuit, which sought unspecified damages, said a memorandum written in 2015 by then-San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi violated various laws.Mirkarimi's memo said employees could provide information to ICE only if it was already public, or if federal authorities obtained a warrant or court order and employees first checked with the sheriff's legal counsel.A three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals said San Francisco violated no state, local or federal law."Our holding today makes no judgment as to whether or not the policy established by the memo was wise or prudent," Judge Mark J. Bennett, a Trump appointee, wrote for the court. "That is not our job."Lopez-Sanchez, who was in the country without legal authorization, shot Steinle about 2 1/2 months after being released from San Francisco jail.In upholding the suit's dismissal, the 9th Circuit said Mirkarimi had the legal right to enact his policy, even if it adversely affected ICE's ability to do its job."The tragic and unnecessary death of Steinle may well underscore the policy argument against Sheriff Mirkarimi's decision to bar his employees from providing the release date of a many times convicted felon to ICE," the panel decided."But that policy argument can be acted upon only by California's state and municipal political branches of government, or perhaps by Congress -- but not by federal judges applying California law," the panel said.A San Francisco jury in 2017 acquitted Lopez-Sanchez, a Mexican immigrant, of homicide charges, finding him guilty instead of being a felon in possession of a gun.His lawyer argued that he found the gun, which was wrapped in cloth, on the pier, and the weapon accidentally discharged when he unwrapped it.The lawyer cited evidence that the bullet bounced off the pavement before striking Steinle.The gun that killed her was owned by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and had been stolen from an agent's car four days before the shooting.Steinle's death ignited a firestorm of criticism over sanctuary city policies, which prohibit local and state law enforcement from holding immigrants for federal immigration authorities unless ordered to do so by courts.Supporters of the policies say they encourage immigrants who entered the country without authorization to cooperate with police without fear of deportation.
(TNS)  The New Braunfels, Texas, City Council passed an ordinance Monday night that indefinitely bans shared mobility devices, like electric bikes and scooters, from being used in the city.The ordinance, which was passed in a 6-1 vote, extends the 90-day temporary ban that was put on such devices in January after a pair of Unicorn Rides scooters appeared in town without regulations in place to manage them.People caught using a shared mobility device on any public sidewalk or right-of-way in New Braunfels could be charged with a Class C misdemeanor that comes with a fine of up to $500, according to the ordinance.Shared mobility devices are described in the ordinance as rentable motor-assisted scooters, bikes, electric bikes and other transportation services that use GPS and can be locked with or without a place to dock it.Residents will still be able to ride their personal scooters and bikes, said City Engineer Garry Ford.New Braunfels will revisit the ban once San Antonio City Council receives a completed report on that city's dockless vehicle pilot, which should happen in three to four months, Ford said. San Antonio's six-month pilot program went into effect on Oct. 19 Ford said New Braunfels engineering officials might also give City Council and the city's Transportation and Traffic Advisory Board periodic updates on how other cities, like Austin, are handling its dockless devices."We'll be monitoring this as technology advances and as the concerns are addressed," he said.During the 90-day ban and in meetings about the dockless devices, Ford said New Braunfels residents were relatively quiet on the issue. Most used social media to express they didn't want scooters in town, but not many showed up to the meetings to voice concerns."We were expecting some folks," he said.In Austin, more than 14,000 scooters have been deployed around town. Like New Braunfels, it is still working out how to regulate the devices. On Thursday, Austin City Council is expected to vote on an ordinance that would authorize police to write tickets to dangerous scooter drivers and would extend city law about texting and driving to scooters. Scooter users will have to travel "at a reasonable and prudent speed" while riding on sidewalks if the ordinance is passed.It also says that scooter users cannot leave a device on private property without permission, in front of an accessibility ramp meant for people with disabilities, in a place that obstructs a bus stop, in front of a building entrance or in front of a public bench.
Jackson reportedly fled to Waterman, where he was involved in a domestic disturbance with his girlfriend, police said. He allegedly took his girlfriends car without her permission and left the town. Shortly after that, the Sugar Grove Police Department responded to a single-vehicle crash involving Jackson, according to reports.
(TNS)  The chairman of the Senate health committee on Tuesday backed new federal regulations to remove roadblocks patients can face in obtaining copies of their electronic medical records.These proposed rules remove barriers and should make it easier for patients to more quickly access, use and understand their personal medical information, Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said in a statement prepared for a hearing on the rules that kicked off Tuesday morning.The rules, proposed last month by the Department of Health and Human Services, take aim at so-called information blocking, in which tech companies or health systems limit the sharing or transfer of information from medical files.Alexander said HHS believes the new rules should give more than 125 million patients easier access to their own records in an electronic format.This will be a huge relief to any of us who have spent hours tracking down paper copies of our records and carting them back and forth to different doctors offices. The rules will reduce the administrative burden on doctors so they can spend more time with patients, Alexander said.The proposal requires manufacturers to fashion software that can readily export a patients entire medical record  and mandates that health care systems provide these records electronically at no cost to the patient.Congress jump-started the nations switch from paper to electronic health records in 2009 using billions of dollars in financial stimulus funding to help doctors and hospital purchase the equipment. Officials expected the shift to cut down on medical errors, reduce unnecessary medical testing and other waste and give Americans a bigger role in managing their health care.Yet in the decade since the rollout, critics have argued that the government spent billions financing software that can cause some new types of errors and typically cannot share information across health networks as intended.Botched Operation, a recent investigation published by KHN and Fortune, found that the federal government has spent more than $36 billion on the initiative. During that time, thousands of reports of deaths, injuries and near misses linked to digital systems have piled up in databases  while many patients have reported difficulties getting copies of their complete electronic files.Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., ranking member on the committee, cited two patients profiled in the article to illustrate the potential dangers from EHRs that cant exchange information.Its patients who get hurt. Like the man in California, who suffered brain damage after his diagnosis was delayed because a hospitals software couldnt properly interface with a labs software, she said at the hearing. Or the woman in Vermont, who died of a brain aneurysm that might have been caught if a software problem hadnt stopped the order for a test she needed.Jonathan Lomurro, a medical malpractice attorney in New Jersey, said his clients usually have to go to court to get their complete medical record. The information that health care providers fight most bitterly to keep from them, he said, are the audit logs  or the data that show every time a record has been accessed or edited, and by whom and when.That metadata, he and other plaintiff attorneys argue, is critical for patients to understand the history of their care, particularly in cases where something has gone wrong.In an interview before Tuesdays hearing, Lomurro criticized the HHS proposal, saying it limits a patients ability to obtain these logs. While the proposed rule requires the systems to share most data from a medical record with a patient, it excludes audit trails from that classification.While the proposal talks about the need of patient access  they then strip the greatest protections from the patient, said Lomurro. I am at a loss on how this could ever be a beneficial change to the rules and help patients.Seema Verma, who heads the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, agreed that patients should be entitled to audit log information. At the end of the day, its all of the patients data. If it affects and touches their medical record, then that belongs to them, Verma said in an interview last month.The HHS proposal also encourages doctors and other users of EHR technology to share information about software problems they encounter by prohibiting gag clauses in sales contracts. Critics have long argued that the clauses have prevented users from freely discussing flaws, including software glitches and other breakdowns that could result in medical errors and patient injuries. In 2012, an Institute of Medicine report blamed the confidentiality clauses for impeding efforts to improve the safety of health information technology.But a major remaining problem in wiring up medicine is the lack of interoperability across rival data systems, said Christopher Rehm, chief medical informatics officer of LifePoint Health, a hospital system in Brentwood, Tenn. In testimony prepared for the Tuesday hearing, Rehm called it the equivalent of telling people they must buy cars and move those cars from place to place, but there are no roads and no agreed-upon design for the roads, let alone the funding to actually pay for the construction.According to Rehm, the average-sized community hospital (161 beds) spends nearly $760,000 a year on information technology investments needed to meet federal regulations. He said the costs are crushing our industry where margins are already thin.
(TNS)  Preparing for the 2020 elections, when Florida is sure to be a pivotal state again in the race for president, Orange County commissioners unanimously granted Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles appeal for $1.7 million to upgrade voting equipment now.Cowles hopes to roll out new machines in time for Floridas presidential preference primary on March 17, 2020, when Democrats and Republicans will help choose their parties White House nominee.He said his office decided not to put off the request until the next fiscal year, which starts Oct. 1, because of lessons learned during the 2018 general election, which featured for the first time ever three statewide recounts.The recounts included high-profile races for U.S. Senate and governor.Florida's recount process, tossed into the national spotlight during the 2000 presidential race between Al Gore and eventual winner George W. Bush, was again marred last year by charges of incompetence, antiquated technology and a faulty ballot design.Cowles, first elected in 1996, wants to upgrade the countys voter-registration database system, which is nearly three decades old.Developed in-house in 1991, the countys system has been expanded, reprogrammed and improved by the elections offices information-technology experts several times and soon would be an outlier in the state.Of Floridas 67 counties, all but three now use a software system provided by VR Systems, which was designed to interface with the Florida voter-registration system based in Tallahassee.Cowles said two other counties, Palm Beach and Sarasota, are expected to convert to the system before years end.We do not want to be that one county in the state not on this system, he said.Cowles said the new software is more of an administration tweak that wont affect voters directly.Voters will not see a difference in the registration process, he said.The software conversion is expected to take about nine months and cost $880,000.The county also will pay an annual licensing fee of $185,000.As the population increases, Orange Countys voter rolls continue to surge  from 604,000 in 2008 to 822,000 as of Tuesday, a 36-percent increase in the past decade.But the way people vote is slowly changing. Orange County voters also are increasingly casting ballots by mail.In 2008, about 118,000 voters in Orange cast voted absentee or by mail. Cowles estimates about 300,000 voters  one in three  will opt to mail in a ballot in 2020.Figuring in ballots cast during the countys early-voting period, about half the votes counted in Orange County elections are cast before the polls open on Election Day.Cowles request also sought $724,000 for additional voting equipment to sort and tabulate votes.He wants three more high-speed counters and 60 more tabulators, which are used on Election Day and at early-voting sites.When you see my budget proposal for the next fiscal year, were going to be increasing the number of early voting sites because thats how voters want to vote, he said.Cowles said the county must fork out another $104,000 to replace 3G modems with 4G versions as Verizon is retiring the third generation of wireless mobile telecommunications technology with the fourth generation of broadband cellular technology.The modems transmit results from polling places on election night to election headquarters.Cowles said the upgraded equipment can be installed in late summer or early fall when the devices ordinarily would be serviced under an existing maintenance contract.He said he doesnt envision legislators allowing electronic voting any time soon.I believe the elections of 2018  and the three recounts that we went through  validates the fact that Florida wants to remain a paper-based state so we can use the paper [ballots] to recreate any election at any time, he said.Since 1936, Floridians' pick for president has lined up with the overall winner in 18 out of 20 elections.That track record, the state's growing diversity and its 29 electoral votes make the Sunshine State a perpetual target of campaigns.The last time Florida's pick for president didn't win was 1992, when Florida voters picked incumbent George H.W. Bush over winner Bill Clinton.The only other difference in the past 80 years was when voters picked Richard Nixon over John F. Kennedy in 1960.
If we get serious with this, we are prepared to do remediation identified by the city inspector, but if there is more than we know about it's another story, McKnight said.
The Japanese logistics provider Yamato, which is celebrating its 100-year anniversary this year, has ordered 500 electric light utility vehicles from StreetScooter, a subsidiary of Deutsche Post DHL Group.

As part of the close development partnership between the two companies, the electric vehicles have been modified to meet both Japanese standards and the specific needs of Yamato. That means these Made in Germany e-transporters will be sporting a steering wheel on the right. Delivery is scheduled for operation during fiscal year 2019.





While restructuring a sustainable last mile delivery network for TA-Q-BIN, it has been a big challenge for us to develop new delivery vehicles with the consideration of our employees point of view. This encounter with StreetScooter is truly exciting to us, and were looking forward to our first step towards a resolution through joint development. Yutaka Nagao, Representative Director, President and Executive Officer of Yamato Transport

TA-Q-BIN provides next day (or two day) shipping services for residents in Japan to anywhere in the country.

Yamato ordered 500 Work Pure. This model is StreetScooter at its most basic since the variant has no truck body. Truck bodies will be assembled and installed on Work Pure chassis by the Japanese company Toprec, and will also be suitable for cold-chain applications.

Maintenance and repair will be performed by the Yamato Transports group company, Yamato Autoworks, which is responsible for the groups delivery fleet and also functions as a fleet services provider for third parties.

Yamato Transport is the leading logistics company in Japan and number one on the domestic parcel market. In fiscal year 2018, the company transported some 1.8 billion items.

With the help of Yamatos TA-Q-BIN service, customers can send parcels, merchandise (even cold-chain items) as well as bulky goods and luggage to nearly any address in Japan, including hotels and airports.

In addition to last-mile delivery, the Yamato Group also offers a range of commercial options: Logistics services for major customers (BIZ logistics), appliance installation and moves (home convenience) as well as IT solutions (e-business), financial services (financial) and vehicle services (Autoworks). Yamato is the official logistics partner of the Olympic Games and the Paralympics in Tokyo in 2020.
MAN Energy Solutions is acquiring 40% of the shares of the electrolysis technology company H-TEC Systems. The contract also makes provisions for a majority or complete takeover of H-TEC Systems at a later date. The company will continue to be independently represented on the market with no change in the level of commitment to its customers. The parties have agreed not to disclose the price of the acquisition.

H-TEC Systems has more than 20 years experience in the research and development of hydrogen technology. Across sites in Lubeck, Braak and Augsburg, a team of 20 employees develops and produces stacks and electrolyzers for manufacturing hydrogen with electricity. Since 2010, H-TEC Systems has been a subsidiary of GP JOULE, a project developer specializing in renewable energies and sector coupling that retains around 60% of the remaining shares.

MAN Energy Solutions is receiving two seats on the newly established H-TEC advisory board. The management team, consisting of Heinrich Gartner, Dr. Joachim Herrmann and Frank Zimmermann, will continue to manage the business operations.

We view this partnership with H-TEC Systems as a strategic milestone and as our entry into the hydrogen economy. Hydrogen can be obtained from renewable energy sources in a climate-neutral fashion, and forms the basis for the production of a variety of synthetic fuels using power-to-X technology. These e-fuels, as they are known, are urgently required to bring about a change in energy policy, since they allow renewable energy sources to be used even outside of electricity grids. The production of hydrogen consequently constitutes an important interface in the coupling of the energy, transportation and heating sectors. Dr. Uwe Lauber, CEO of MAN Energy Solutions

MAN Energy Solutions has been a leading supplier of methanation reactors and a pioneer of power-to-X technology that has come to offer plants on an industrial 50 MW scale. Besides H-TEC Systems, MAN is working together with other partners in the area of electrolysis. This collaboration will also continue into the future.

At present, we see this commitment as a developmental partnership. As the electrolysis market matures commercially, we estimate that it will become medium- or long-term in nature. By acquiring a stake in H-TEC Systems, we are positioning ourselves in this strategic future market at an early stage. Dr. Lauber

H-TEC Systems will be able to continue to focus on developing and producing series production-ready technologies for converting electricity into hydrogen in a cost-efficient manner. In doing so, we will be able facilitate a rapid transition from fossil fuels to energy sources that are renewable and free of CO 2 . Heinrich Gartner, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of GP JOULE

This acquisition marks another step in the strategic direction MAN Energy Solutions had already decided upon back in 2017the realignment of the business to focus on sustainable future markets. At that time, the company announced that its business activities concerning sustainable technologies and solutions would be expanded to become the main source of revenue by 2030.

Strategic acquisitions and partnerships would also play an integral role in expanding the companys own range of products and touching on the global trends of decarbonization and digitalization. In 2017, MAN Energy Solutions acquired a 40 percent stake in Aspin Kemp Associates, a Canadian company specializing in battery technology. Two years prior to this, it had additionally acquired the maritime division of Cryo AB, a Swedish company manufacturing cryogenic equipment for the storage, distribution and handling of liquid natural gas.

Last year, in collaboration with ABB, MAN also introduced the trigeneration storage solution ETES (Electro-Thermal Energy Storage system) to the market. ETES stores electricity and thermal energy (for both heating and cooling) in significant quantities and distributes these to consumers.
MONET Technologies Inc., a joint venture between SoftBank Corp. and Toyota Motor Corporation, announced that it concluded an agreement for a capital and business partnership with Hino Motors, Ltd. and Honda Motor Co., Ltd. to increase the value of its MaaS (mobility-as-a-service) business and enhance mobility service levels for users.

Hino and Honda each plan to invest 249.95 million (US$2.26 million) in MONET and acquire 9.998% of its shares.
Volkswagen and Amazon Web Services (AWS) will develop the Volkswagen Industrial Cloud together. Both companies announced a multi-year, global agreement jointly to develop this project.





In the future, the Volkswagen Industrial Cloud will combine the data of all machines, plants and systems from all 122 facilities of the Volkswagen Group. This will create new prospects for the optimization of processes in production and support considerable productivity improvements at the plants.

In the long term, the global supply chain of the Volkswagen Group with more than 30,000 locations of more than 1,500 suppliers and partner companies could also be integrated.

By leveraging Amazon Web Services technology and services, Volkswagen is creating its Industrial Cloud as an open industry platform which other partners from industry, logistics and sales may use in the future.

Volkswagens industrial cloud, which will reinvent its manufacturing and logistics processes, is yet another example of how Volkswagen continues to innovate and lead. Volkswagens and AWS collaboration will have a profound impact on efficiency and quality in production throughout Volkswagens global supply chain, as Volkswagen gains access to the broadest and deepest cloud with the most functionality, the most innovation, the highest performance and security, and the largest community of partners and customers of any other infrastructure provider. We are tightly aligned across Volkswagens businesses to help them reimagine the future of automobile manufacturing by taking advantage of all the benefits the cloud can deliver. Andy Jassy, CEO of AWS

IT in production to be standardized and networked within cloud. Through the development of the Volkswagen Industrial Cloud, the Volkswagen is laying the foundation for the seamless digitalization of its production and logistics. IT at the production level of machinery, equipment and systemsfor example for production planning and inventory managementis to be standardized and networked across all 122 production plants of the Volkswagen Group. To date, there have been differences between the individual plants.

Volkswagen has chosen the AWS portfolio of services including Internet of Things (IoT), machine learning analytics and compute services, which were developed especially for production environment and will be extended to the requirements of the automotive industry.

The architecture will be the new Digital Production Platform (DPP) from Volkswagen in future. All the Groups plants and companies outside the Group will dock their system architectures onto this platform. This platform will standardize and simplify data exchange between systems and plants.

Process optimization and fast integration of new technologies. With its Industrial Cloud, Volkswagen intends to open up new possibilities for further improving the efficiency and flexibility of production. The combination of data from all plants will provide new prospects for process optimization. These include more efficient control of material flow, the early detection and elimination of supply bottlenecks and process disruptions, and the optimized operation of machinery and equipment in all plants.

In addition, the cloud-based platform with its simplified data exchange is an essential prerequisite for Volkswagen to provide new technologies and innovations rapidly across its various locations. These include smart robotics, and data analysis functions to analyze and check shopfloor processes from plant to plant. With the cloud-based platform, new applications, for example in IT-security for shopfloor systems, can be scaled up direct to all locations throughout the world. Volkswagen will leverage AWS innovation best practices to become more agile and react faster on industry trends.

Open Industry platform. Volkswagen is creating the Industrial Cloud as an open platform. The objective is to integrate companies from the entire value stream and to build up a network of industrial partners with a database and information that will bring benefits to all concerned.

In the long term, the global supply chain of the Volkswagen Group with more than 30,000 locations of over 1,500 suppliers and partner companies could also be integrated. It is also conceivable that the cloud platform will generally be accessible to other car manufacturers. This will create a steadily growing global industrial ecosystem.

Specific negotiations with major industrial companies interested in migrating to the Volkswagen Industrial Cloud are already in progress.

Volkswagen Industrial Cloud will be advanced at several IT centers. Teams from Volkswagen and Amazon Web Services are forging ahead with the Volkswagen Industrial Cloud together. In the medium-term, about 220 specialists are to work on the project. They are based at several Volkswagen IT competence centers, as well as a projected joint Industrial Cloud Innovation Center in Berlin. Experts in Dresden, Munich and Wolfsburg are to support further. Work is to begin immediately. The teams have already set 140 projects for integration.

For example, these include a system for tracing the transfer of goods in- and outside the factory, e.g. by trucks (vehicle locating service) and services for the cross-plant analysis of system efficiency (overall equipment effectiveness, OEE). The goal is to put the Industrial Cloud and the first concrete services and functions into operation by the end of 2019.
The Genesis Alkali trona mine west of Green River hosted a tour for U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., and Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta Tuesday.

According to Enzi, he invites the secretaries he meets to visit Wyoming and when Enzi invited Acosta during his confirmation hearings, he took the senator up on the offer. The two spent two days in Wyoming, touring the North Antelope Rochelle Mine south of Gillette, the Wind River Job Corps Center near Riverton, as well as the trona mine.

Acosta said he has visited other mines in the past, but admits the scale Wyoming mines operate at is much larger than the previous mines he toured.

Im delighted to be here, Acosta said.

Enzi and Acostas tour also gave the two the opportunity to discuss the importance of skilled trades and labor in the economy.

Acosta said jobs in skilled trades like carpentry and truck driving, which are offered at the Wind River Job Corps Center, are in demand.

That is a fantastic program, Enzi said. Its a very impressive place.

Acosta said Enzi had a hand in helping establish the center, which has been the third highest in job placement since Acostas department started tracking the statistic in 2017. Acosta said he has worked with the senator with other projects, including a new association health plan program that helps provide healthcare coverage to people in related industries.

These plans have grown to include plans offered throughout Nevada chambers of commerce to member organizations employees and Land O Lakes offering an association health plan to its employees in multiple states.

Enzi said the association plans have the opportunity to cross state lines, which can help lower costs to people living in lower population states like Wyoming.

Acosta also praised Genesis Alkalis safety record, as well as the continued improvements in mine safety.

Its important to realize the safety of mining is always improving, he said.

He said the jobs provided in the areas trona mines allow people to support their families and have a great quality of life.

Acosta also said wages in skilled labor trades have increased by 3.6 percent.
Two Rawlins residents were arrested last week in connection to burglaries in Wamsutter earlier this year.

Antonio Pacheco, 26, and Nathan Gallant, 27, were arrested in Rawlins March 21 by the Rawlins Police Department. The department, along with other law enforcement agencies, served a search warrant on the residence the two occupied on the northeast side of Rawlins. The warrant came after the Sweetwater County Sheriffs Office investigated a series burglaries involving two businesses and a private residence in Wamsutter reported in February. According to the sheriffs office, stolen goods from the burglaries totaled more than $50,000. Items stolen included industrial and transportation equipment, as well as fuel.

During the initial investigations, Deputy Sheriff Derek Morrell and Deputy Sheriff Brandy Dick found physical and digital evidence which ultimately pointed to Gallant and Pacheco. Other leads the deputies obtained were followed up on by Detective Jeff Sheaman when he took over the investigation in early March.

As law enforcement served the search warrant, officers reportedly located stolen property, including a flatbed trailer, tools and tool boxes, which were returned to their respective owners. Officers also located two partial big game carcasses, which were turned over the the Wyoming Game and Fish Department for further investigation.

As of press time, the case is under review and charges may be filed in Sweetwater County. Gallant and Pacheco are in custody at the Carbon County Detention Center.
Dennis Lee Watts was born Oct. 6, 1951, to Ernistine and Oran Eugene Watts in Flint, Mich. After a long, hard fought battle with illness, Dennis passed away on March 17, 2019.

Dennis was more than a man, he was a legend. Some called him Tiger and some called him Denny, and he simply referred to all of those cherished friends as Brotha'. As for his children, we called him Papa.

He was our Papa Bear, sometimes a grizzly when we needed his protection but mostly he was a teddy bear, impossible not to love. When a man's stories are remembered he is immortal and my father's life brought so many tales that he will forever be remembered! Dennis' life was more of an Epic than just a life. He was a roller-skater before he could even walk and competed as a child. He was a Golden Gloves champion who was deadly in the ring. Dennis was a soldier not only defending his country by the ones that he loved. He was a determined man who conquered anything he set his mind to. Dennis was a carpenter, trona miner, a fishing guide, a mountain man, a man who loved Motown, the blues and so much more in his 67 years on this Earth! He was a hopeless romantic who believed love was always worth the risk. A million pages could be written in his honor and it would still fall short in explaining the impact he had on those around him. He believed "when you do something you should burn yourself completely, like a good bonfire, leaving no trace." -Shunryn Suzuki. My father lived his life that way up until his last breath.

Dennis is survived by his two sisters, Debra Watts of Flint, Mich., her children Robbie and Traci Polovina, and Lynda Watts and her daughter Lesa Daigneau of Las Vegas, Nev.; his daughter Laura Pavey, son-in-law AJ Pavey and their children Oran Dane, Vincent Ocean and Reese Autumn; his son Timothy Watts, daughter-in-law Graciela Watts and their children Jasper Lee and Zoe Renea, as well as, many great nieces and nephews and his Aunt Glenda Knott of Bellaire, Mich.

Dennis was preceded in death by his mother and father, his grandmothers Emma Williamson of Florida and Hilda Knott of Michigan, his adoring uncle Robert Knott of Michigan and loving nephew Curtis Polovina.
Nash said that in addition to ramping up security this week, the district is encouraging students to report any threatening or concerning behavior they observe.
WASHINGTON  Connecticut Democratic lawmakers are pushing for release of the full report of special counsel Robert Mueller.

But they are also looking toward other investigative avenues involving President Donald Trump, mindful that Democrats face potential voter blowback if their probes appear to be purely partisan.

The president is far from out of the woods, said Rep. Jim Himes, a member of two House committees  Financial Services and Intelligence  that will pursue investigations involving Trump.

Even so, Himes said, we also need to make progress for the American people on jobs, retirement and health care.

Mueller last Friday delivered a long-awaited report on his nearly two-year probe of Trump 2016 campaign connections to Russia.

In a four-page summary delivered Sunday to Congress, Attorney General William Barr wrote that Mueller had concluded that Trump and his staff did not conspire with Russia to help Trump beat Democratic contender Hillary Clinton.

But on the question of whether Trump obstructed justice to thwart investigators, Barr quotes Mueller as saying: While this report does not conclude that the president committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.

Barrs interpretation

Barr said he and Rod Rosenstein, who supervised the Mueller probe before Barr won Senate confirmation last month, decided not to pursue an obstruction case, which would have been based primarily on Trump firing then-FBI Director James Comey in May 2017, then telling a television interviewer that he was bothered by this Russia thing.

As a private lawyer, Barr last year wrote a memo in which he argued that the president cannot be charged with obstruction for actions that are within his powers as chief of the executive branch. He called Muellers inquiry fatally misconceived.

Why should we accept an interpretation of the Mueller report by an attorney general who was appointed by the president for his hostility to the investigation? Sen. Chris Murphy said Monday during a roundtable on gun violence at New Britain High School. Maybe Barr is right, maybe hes wrong, but thats up to Congress to decide.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, himself a former Connecticut state attorney general and U.S. attorney, also cast doubt on whether Barr can be trusted to correctly interpret the Mueller report.

Barr is a Trump appointee, he said. What is necessary is for the American people to see the full report with all the underlying facts and evidence  and not just the Barr summary or some other abridged version.

Proposed change

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., on Monday called for passage of legislation that would require full release of the Mueller report. Blumenthal introduced such a resolution in January with a Republican co-sponsor, Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa. It would require release of any special counsel report to Congress and the public when an investigation is complete, or the counsel resigns or is fired.

Blumenthal on Monday said release of the Mueller report is key.

No intelligent reaction is possible without the Mueller report and the underlying facts and evidence, he said.

Among the issues not addressed so far is why Mueller did not compel the president to answer questions under oath. After negotiations with Trumps lawyers, Mueller agreed to let the White House answer written questions in place of an interview.

Since criminal intent is a part of any obstruction inquiry, direct questioning of Trump would have been a necessary step to determine whether charges were warranted, Blumenthal said.

The American people want transparency, he said, noting that Trump himself on Monday said release of the report wouldnt bother me at all.

During a meeting Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump portrayed himself as victim of a probe he frequently denounced as a witch hunt.

In apparent reference to Democrats, Trump said that those people are to be looked at.

Theyve done so many evil things, he said. It was a false narrative, it was a terrible thing. We can never let this happen to another president again.

Himes said: Its fair to say the president has been cleared on the part about conspiracy with Russians. I always said a Hollywood ending, with suitcases changing hands, was unlikely.

The House Financial Services Committee and the House Intelligence Committee will continue to probe different aspects of Trumps financial entanglements and his conduct in office. Among them: The role of Deutsche Bank in financing various Trump projects and whether Trump has benefited financially as president, for instance, through his Washington hotel near the White House used as a virtual watering hole by foreign officials and business executives seeking to cozy up to Trump.

But ultimately, Democrats run the risk of losing public support if they focus too heavily on Trump and not enough on the needs of everyday Americans.

I dont give Democrats and A-plus for the last three months on kitchen-table issues, said Himes, a centrist and former chairman of the center-leaning New Democrat Coalition.

dan@hearstdc.com
GREENWICH  The six-member Odyssey of the Mind team from Greenwichs Hamilton Avenue School are crowdfunding to raise the money needed to travel to the World Finals held in Michigan this May.

As of Thursday, the GoFundMe has raised nearly $2,000 of its $7,500 goal, which would cover housting, food, transportation and additional shipping costs for the teams props and set.

For the past three years, Hamilton Avenue students have participated in Odyssey of the Mind, an international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college. This March, the team won second place in the statewide competition, receiving an invitation to the world finals.

The program involves math, science, physics and chemistry, and the kids learn about the different characteristics of materials, and about how products can be reused or recycled.

Children who participate learn how to speak publicly, act, be spontaneous and work under pressure, parent Erline Collazos said. They also learn to cooperate and respect others, evaluate ideas, make decisions and work within a budget.

Over the last three years, Collazos and her fellow parents have watched participants gain self-confidence and increase their self-esteem.

Principal John Grasso has worked so hard to entice the kids to participate in the program, Collazos said. The kids have worked very diligently to get into the finals.

The Greenwich Alliance for Education sponsored the program, which is run by STEM teacher Catherine Byrne.

Collazos son, fifth-grader Giorgio Michailides, played Leonardo da Vinci in the competition. This is his second year participating, and the program has made him more cultural and creative, his mother said.

Its improved his self-esteem, I can tell, she said. Her younger son also participated in Odyssey, and while his team did not advance, he is excited to try again next year, she said.

Byrne is a great mentor for the kids, and allows her students to have a say in how they prepare for the competition, she said.

Were very thankful, she said. He is excelling at Hamilton Avenue School, and looking forward to joining Western Middle School and participating in the Odyssey of the Mind.

The students headed to finals are also members of the Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich, which has pledged to help sponsor their trip to Michigan. The children will also be selling snacks after school.

For more information, or to make a donation, visit the GoFundMe page at www.gofundme.com/a-trip-to-odyssey-of-the-mind-world-finals.

jo.kroeker@hearstmediact.com
We do not have enough police officers on the street, said Clark, who estimated that between three and four patrol officers work per shift in a city of approximately 25,000 people. One of the key parts of deterrence is visibility, but there is very little, if any, visibility with the amount of officers that we have on the street.
Utah authorities said the owners of a dog that bit off a 4-year-old boys hand have agreed to surrender their two huskies, which will live out their days with an animal rescue group.

Animal control officials said Wednesday that they dropped citations against the owners in exchange for their agreement to give up both their huskies, since it was unclear which animal bit the boy.

Authorities have said the child lived next door to the dogs in Layton, and was bitten March 3. The boy stuck his sock-covered arm in a gap between the ground and a solid vinyl fence in his backyard.

The boy lost an entire hand and part of his arm. The hand was never found and is believed to have been ingested by the dog.

At the time, Rhett Nicks, the director of Davis County Animal Care and Control, told ABC 4 it was possible the huskies, named Polar and Bear, could be put down.

"There's a severe injury to a human," Nicks said. "So, we are doing a dangerous dog investigation, which could range from nothing being done up to and including euthanasia."

Officials have said it was the animal's first reported bite.

Jessica Nusz, a friend of the dogs' owner, said the owner relies on the dogs for support and called the incident a "freak accident."

"Bear, who was playing with what he thought was a toy, bit down too hard and didn't see that there was a child on the other side of the fence. With him being a dog he thought it was a game of tug of war and he bit down too hard and took a lower portion of his arm," Nusz wrote in a petition to save the pups. "This situation is unfortunate on both sides."

The petition ultimately garnered more than 240,000 signatures.
The discovery of dozens of noncitizens found in an overcrowded residence in south El Paso, Texas, led to the arrest of a Mexican man accused of alien smuggling charges, authorities said.

Fifty-four people, including two unaccompanied teenagers, were found in the "smuggling stash house," Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said.
A 22-year-old man has been blinded and left with no memory after he was sucker punched outside a bar in Daytona Beach, Florida, according to investigators.

Police are hoping someone can help identify the suspect in the Jan. 26 assault.

Surveillance video outside Coyote Ugly Bar on Seabreeze Boulevard shows the suspect punching Derrick Tibado in the face, breaking his jaw, blinding him and knocking him out.

The victim's mother, Deanne Tibado, said her son will never be the same.

"He really doesn't know anything, you have to keep reminding him that he's blind now. He doesn't know how old he is, he can't eat on his own," Tibado said.

Police said Tibado, with a backpack, and the suspect in a red cap and jacket standing alongside a dark sedan, had been talking when things got ugly.

Tibado walked across the street, and police said the suspect followed.

"The suspect comes back into, comes back into the video frame, just unprovoked, just one punch, punches the victim right in the face," Detective Dave Dinardi said.

The suspect and his friends took off. A man who had only known the victim a few hours called 911.

"I have a friend of mine who got hit, he actually got punched in the face and he got knocked out," the friend told dispatchers.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Daytona Beach Police Department.

"It's hard not having anybody to put this on, not that it would bring back my son's sight or his life," Deanne Tibado said.
The latest offense from Apple is in the News+ app. Specifically, the way that Apple lets users sign up. It offers a Try it now button that takes you directly to the payment screen. Apples guidelines say Make sure users know that once the free trial is over, a payment will be automatically initiated for the next subscription duration, and they can cancel any time.

Hey @apple, your auto-renewing subscription screen is in violation of guideline 3.1.2 and your app should be rejected.



For starters no links to privacy policy or support page; no info on how to cancel. pic.twitter.com/drvAZRZzqi  Dave DeLong (@davedelong) March 26, 2019

The screen in question features no link to a privacy policy, no link to a support page, and offers no information about how to cancel - this according to iOS developer @davedelong, who tweeted the violation on Monday. The screen below is how Apple expects auto-renewing subscriptions screens to look like. Apples News+ sign up page is embedded in the tweet above.

Other app developers in the Tweets thread recall times when the text Try it Free on a subscribe button was immediately rejected by Apple since it as to ensure that users are not misled as per Apples own guidelines below.

This isnt the first time that Apple was caught breaking its own rules. It also has previously pushed unwanted notifications promoting Apple Music when it first launched, as well as for Carpool Karaoke.

In mid-March, Spotify publicly called out Apple and filed a complaint with the European Commission for its anti-competitive practices. The complaint was directed at the 30% tax that Apple charges subscription-based apps for signing up with iTunes billing, among other anti-competitive practices.

The main takeaway of the complaint is that Apple doesnt follow the rules it sets for other app developers, which makes it difficult for them to compete with Apples own services.

Via
Vining teaches a course on communications studies with a focus on political communication. He said that technology advances and social media expose people in their late teens and early 20s to endless streams of debate on a variety of issues, but that its unsettling that more of the commentary he sees among people of all ages is of an extreme or volatile nature.




Haiti - FLASH : The procession of the Embassy of Chile attacked with weapon of war





Wednesday, the Chilean Ambassador in Haiti, Patricio Utreras Diaz accompanied by his wife Brenda Iriarte Rojas, the representative of the NGO "America Solidaria" and representatives of the National Directorate of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DINEPA) went to the Boutin area, located between Thomazeau and Croix-des-Bouquets, to assess the progress of the work undertaken as part of the implementation of the drinking water project for the benefit of this community, funded by the Chile, according to Olga Regueira, General Director of America Solidaria in Haiti.



A visit that was brutally interrupted around 11:30 am when 5 individuals armed with AK-47 attacked and opened fire on the procession of the Embassy of Chile (about 18 people) leaving many bullet impact on the vehicles.



The security agents of the Chilean Embassy responded and managed to put the aggressors to flight.



As a result of this attack, a Haitian volunteer from the NGO "America Solidaria", a Haitian citizen, Frantz Eliancin, died while the ambassador's driver was shot in the wrist. Olson Regis, co-director of cooperation, was also slightly injured.



In Chile, Interior Minister Andres Chadwick, reacting to the attack of the diplomatic convoy and members of the NGO "America Solidaria" said "We do not know the motivation of this attack but there would be indications that it could be of a criminal nature" emphasizing "It is a very exceptional fact that has occurred and we all know that in Haiti there is a significant level of violence and that we must therefore take all precautions."



Sebastian Zulueta, executive director of America Solidaria Internacional, said following the attack in Haiti "We do not think it was a premeditated or planned event, we think it was perhaps the attraction of the high-value vehicles that prompted these individuals to come and steal certain goods through this attack [...] We do not think it was an act against the State of Chile or against a Chilean authority."



Chile's Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned the attack and confirmed that it will continue with the support it has always given to Haiti.



In Haiti, Jean Claudy Pierre the Minister of Planning and External Cooperation in a note "expresses his desolation at the deplorable act he condemns with the utmost vigor. Also, he urges the Embassy of Chile in particular, the diplomatic community and the Technical and Financial Partners in general, to receive his feelings of regret and no doubt that all efforts will be made by the police to find the culprits who will have to answer for their acts."



For his part, Rony Colin, the Mayor of Croix-des-Bouquets learned with amazement and anger the attack of armed individuals attacked, in the Boutin area, between Thomazeau and Croix-des-Bouquets and "condemns this barbaric act with the utmost firmness, and expresses its sympathies to the victims and to the whole delegation for the traumas caused by this serious incident," indicating that the police and judicial authorities of the commune were instructed to identify, apprehend and bring to justice the perpetrators of this act, giving the guarantee to the Ambassador of Chile and members of the procession that this act will not remain unpunished.



SL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Politic : The adviser of President accuses Ceant to have financed the demonstrations





Jude Charles Faustin, the adviser to President Jovenel Moise, said on a radio of the capital, that the former Prime Minister Jean Henry Ceant before his departure, had facilitated the release of 1.3 billion gourdes to finance Opposition demonstrations scheduled for March 29.



In addition, Faustin accuses Ceant of conspiring against President Moise and funding the February protest movements to overthrow the Head of State.



Charges strongly denied by a note from the private secretariat of former Prime Minister Jean-Henry Ceant :



Note of Disclaimer :



"The Private Secretariat of former Prime Minister Jean-Henry Ceant denounces an unhealthy and systematic campaign of smearing orchestrated against the person of the former Head of Government. Indeed, since the resignation of the former tenant of the Primature, ill-intentioned individuals indulge loosely in an enterprise of lynching and murder of character against him by allegations as misleading as defamatory.



The most unusual case of this saga of ominous is this statement of Jude Charles Faustin on the air of several radio stations of the capital making believe that 'former Prime Minister Ceant would have facilitated the disbursement of 1.3 billion gourdes to the profit of private sector to support the protests scheduled for March 29, 2019. Pushing imposture and ridicule to the extreme, this former Deputy even referred to the latest insurrectional movements called 'Peyi Lok' as the work of former Prime Minister Jean-Henry Ceant.'



Subject to the legal proceedings he may take in connection with these far-fetched and deceptive statements, the former Prime Minister intends to despise them, and in fact despises them while taking refuge, for the moment, in his silence as a statesman.



Private Secretariat of former Prime Minister Jean-Henry Ceant.



Done at Port-au-Prince, this 27th day of March, 2019"



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Economy : USA will help Haiti to meet the challenges of cross-border trade





Illegal and uncontrolled cross-border trade deprives the Haitian and Dominican governments of fiscal resources for their citizens. Faced with this situation, accredited US Ambassador to Haiti Michele Sison and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID - Haiti) met with Haitian and Dominican leaders, as well as experts in politics and the private sector to disseminate the report of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) funded by USAID on challenges to cross-border trade along the Haitian-Dominican border.



To support the two countries' efforts towards self-sufficiency, USAID's Customs Support Project will modernize Haiti's customs service processes for revenue collection, and the Department of State's Bureau of Drug Control and Law Enforcement (INL), will enhance security by providing support to the Haitian Border Police (PoliFront) and cooperate with the US customs and border patrol to provide specialized training in the coming months.



Download the CSIS report (PDF) : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/190320_Haiti_DR_layout_WEB.pdf



Download the Haitian private sector position on the CSIS report (PDF in French) : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/Position-SPH-Mars-2019-CSIS.pdf



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-27300-haiti-economy-towards-a-haitian-dominican-summit-on-smuggling.html



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Security : Acting Prime Minister Lapin intends to ensure the real security of the population





On Wednesday, March 27th, the Prime Minister Jean Michel Lapin, reunited in his official residence, the Superior Council of the National Police (CSPN).



At the end of this important meeting Lapin held a press briefing to reiterate his desire to secure the country for the coming days and to talk about the main measures that his Government intends to implement to ensure the real security of the population, while stating that this meeting was not motivated by the announcement of the next demonstrations announced for March 29.



The Prime Minister said that the Police will spare no effort to fulfill its mission of ensuring public order, ensuring the safety of lives and property, in a general way regardless of trends or positions. Stressing that security must be ensured not only during the demonstrations but every day, throughout the national territory "from Monday to Sunday, a climate of security must reign in the country."



In his intervention, the Head of Government, while recognizing that it was legitimate for the citizens to produce their demands and organize demonstrations within the limits of the law, specified "The State has the responsibility to protect all those who claim against the dear life, just as it is his responsibility to protect citizens who want to go about their business [...] the national life must not be interrupted. Public administration, commerce and schools must function normally."



Concluding "The public authorities will operate with the utmost rigor against troublemakers and all violators of the law."



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Anne Bradstreets poem To My Dear and Loving Husband, a favorite at weddings, is one of the most anthologized examples of early American verse. But few realize its author was also an extraordinarily courageous woman whose spirit and faith helped shape the America we know today.

Bradstreet was only 18 when she arrived in Salem harbor in 1630 on the Arbella. She had been reluctant to say goodbye to her elegant home in England, but her husband, Simon, and stern father, Thomas Dudley, were determined to leave a country whose government was increasingly hostile to critics of the Anglican Church. Later in life, when she wrote that her heart rose as she set foot in America, she meant not that she rejoiced, but that she retched.

Not surprisingly, she was horrified by the harshness of the New World: the hungry wolves, stormy rains, and rugged stones that she would one day describe in her poetry. Few Englishmen, and even fewer Englishwomen, had ventured to America. When the Arbellas party disembarked, they discovered that the little band of settlers sent to Salem the year before to prepare for the rest of the colonists had been almost obliterated by disease and starvation. The leaders of Bradstreets group, including her father, husband, and the colonys future governor, John Winthrop, took one look at the miserable little settlement and headed south.

While Winthrop crossed the Mystic River, settling on the hilly peninsula the Puritans called Boston (after the Lincolnshire town they had left behind), Dudley led his family and a few others to a spacious plain near the Charles River where they founded a tiny village originally known as New Towne. The Bradstreets built their first of many new homes across from the cow pasture. Six years later, the site became the yard for the colonys first college.

That initial winter in America would later be called the starving time. Two hundred of the thousand or so emigrants died, and another 200 streamed back to England. Bradstreet, only recently recovered from a severe bout of scarlet fever, survived along with the rest of her family. But instead of rejoicing, she wept because she could not conceive. That she was malnourished and exhausted did not matter: to Bradstreet, her barrenness was a sign that God did not deem her worthy. And what if her beloved husband rejected her as an unfit wife because she could not have children?

In fact, Simon remained devoted to Anne throughout their life together, but still she prayed and grieved, fruitlessly. The next winter, she fell gravely ill. While convalescing, she wrote her first poem, Upon a Fit of Sickness, declaring both her faith in God and her belief that through poetry she could draw closer to the divine. Immediately, she conceived. According to Puritan logic, her pious words had won Gods blessing. Bradstreet was elated when she bore a healthy son; she would bear seven more children in the next 18 years.

Her impatient father, meanwhile, pressed to expand the colony. During her second pregnancy, her family hiked through pine forests to build new homes in a tiny outpost named Ipswich. Twelve years later, she and Simon and their children helped found Andover, a settlement even more remote. Rather than complain, Bradstreet seems to have been inspired by the challenges of the wilderness. She began to write poetry that explored important subjects of the day as well as private matters, such as her sadness when her husband was away on colony business.

Yet his frequent travel gave her the opportunity to grow in confidence as she was forced to shoulder many of his responsibilities and raise their children single-handedly. Miraculously, she still found time to write. Her poetry became more muscular over time, reflecting an encyclopedic knowledge surpassing that of most men of her generation and touching on science, history, politics, and religioneven though experts believed scholarship could endanger womens physical and spiritual well-being. John Winthrop famously wrote, [A] godly young womanwas fallen into a sad infirmity, the loss of her understanding, and reasonby occasion of her giving herself wholly to reading and writing.

Bradstreet did not hide her identity, although she realized, I am obnoxious to each carping tongue/Who says my hand a needle better fits. Rather, she created strong female characters who debated serious issues. Her poem A Dialogue between Old England and New (1642) is the first to declare New Englands superiority, describing Old England as a wailing, trodden down woman whose vigorous, virtuous daughter must nurse her back to health. By the late 1640s she had composed enough poems to fill a volume. Although it was her brother-in-law who actually submitted her manuscript to a publisher, it seems unlikely that Bradstreet was entirely unaware of his plan.

In 1650 The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America appeared in the bookstalls of London. It was an astonishing success. Bradstreet became renowned for her writing and her piety, viewed as an icon of feminine virtue: an image fostered by her language of self-deprecation. Instead of seeking the bays of male literary fame, she asked only for a simple wreath of the humble kitchen herb thyme. It was eternal, not temporary, fame to which she aspired. More than 350 years later, when most of her male contemporaries have been forgotten, she appears to have triumphed.

Historian and poet Charlotte Gordon 84 has written Mistress Bradstreet: The Untold Story of Americas First Poet, just published by Little, Brown.

[See accompanying PDF: An imagined, modern portrait of Bradstreet from Saint Botolphs Church in Boston, Lincolnshire, near the poets childhood home.]
We do have some concern about the proposed legislation in that we do not have a clear understanding of the fiscal implications of the proposed actions, Walsh and Winfrey wrote. We are asking you to hold this legislation until further information can be collected from the impacted township clerks and the Will County clerk.
From Farm Services Agency

Montana Farm Service Agency has listed upcoming deadlines in programs.

Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP)

Producers who suffer livestock deaths due to an eligible loss condition including eligible adverse weather events, eligible disease and eligible attacks from Jan. 1, 2019, through Dec. 31, 2019, must submit a notice of loss within 30 calendar days of when the loss of livestock is first apparent. Livestock producers suffering livestock losses may submit the notice of loss to FSA by phone, fax, and email or in person.

CRP Spring Managed Grazing Period: March 16 May 14, 2019

The Conservation Reserve Program 2019 Spring Managed Grazing Period is March 16 to May 14. Livestock must be removed when the calculated AUMs have been utilized but no later than May 14. Summer/Fall Managed Haying and Grazing period begins July 16 following Montanas Primary Nesting Season and ends no later than Sept. 13 for grazing and Sept. 30 for haying. Producers are reminded to sign up at their local FSA office and complete the required paperwork before conducting any managed haying and/or grazing activity.

Agricultural producers are asked to pick up spring FSA certification maps at the office.

The Hill County Farm Service Agency would like to remind all producers to stop by the office and pick up their spring certification maps.

The spring crop certification deadline is July 15. People are asked to bring in their completed maps and return their signed FSA-578 commodity report to the office before July 15. Acreage reports must be filed for all spring seeded crops.

If people do not report by the deadline, late-file fees will be assessed and physical evidence of the crop must exist and be verified by a field visit before the report may be accepted. It is important to promptly report any changes in the farming operation to FSA. These changes can include, but are not limited to, changes in address, phone, or email, name changes, changes to entity membership or shares, formation or dissolution of any entity such as a trust, partnership, LLC, LLP or corporation that owns or operates land or owns other farming assets used in the operation, sale or purchase of land, adding or dropping leases, and any changes to financing or equipment.
A Rocky Boy business that helps tribes preserve and protect sacred tribal lands received a national award this week.

National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development, an American Indian business and economic development organization for Indian Country across the country, presented iResponse with the American Indian Business of the Year Award.

iResponse CEO Alvin Windy Boy Sr. said he feels good about receiving the award and wants to grow his businesses to assist with tribes across the country.

We want to take iResponse to another level, he said.

The award was presented Monday during National Center for American Indian Enterprise Developments Reservation Economic Summit, which is running Monday through today this week in Las Vegas.

Windy Boy said he is proud about what iResponse has accomplished and the work he and his employees have done. He added that his employees are important to him, and his employees have a variety of backgrounds and are not all tribal members.

He said that while he is in Las Vegas he plans to acknowledge at least 30 members of iResponses past and present employees. He added that he is proud of the people he has had over the years, with many of his former employees either going back to school or advancing in their own careers after leaving the company.

iResponse is an online resource tribal communities can use to identify historic and sacred lands to prevent them from being damaged or destroyed by construction, Windy Boy said. It also provides consultation and archaeological research and creates a platform for tribal communities to speak with companies prior to construction.

Windy Boy worked with software engineers to create the tool to simplify tribal consultation requests as required by Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, the iResponse website says.

Section 106 of the act requires federal agencies to determine if federally funded projects will impact historic properties  which includes Native American historical and sacred sites.

Windy Boy added that it is very important that tribes are involved with these projects.

Since it first began, iResponse has had thousands of successful requests and acceptances by both the government and specific industries, the site says.

What we are seeing is that a lot of these projects have already destroyed sacred sites that are important to tribes, Windy Boy said from Las Vegas in a telephone interview.

Windy Boy said that iResponse is open to any federally recognized tribe in the country.

Currently, iResponse is primarily used by the Chippewa Cree and Eastern Shoshone tribes. Windy Boy said that, for the Eastern Shoshone Tribe, his business doesnt get directly involved in the projects but does serve as a platform and a resource.

Between the two tribes, more than 23,000 projects have come through the iResponse system, he said, with more than 500 companies being involved since iResponse began.

Windy Boy said it is important that tribes get involved in any building process because, before construction on potentially historic land begins, archaeological reports are not always complete.

How iResponse came to be

Windy Boy, the Chippewa Cree Tribes historic preservation officer, said he wanted to start iResponse after noticing large amounts of unprocessed paperwork from companies and communication departments across the country in 2005. He said that within an eight-hour day, he was able to review five different projects, only a small fraction of what needed to be done.

Windy Boy said that he had a conversation with Montana State University-Northern Institutional Research Director Jay Howland on creating a system more conducive to processing the large number of projects in a more effective manner.

He added that they later created a database system for recording these documents and historical archives, which has now become iResponse.

The issue of tribes not being involved in federal projects is very important to him, he said, as a former tribal leader and tribal chairman he was part of an initiative involving this issue back in 1995. He helped with an executive order signed by former President Bill Clinton and spent many hours considering how to get tribes involved with any projects that affect historic land. He said he wanted them to have a voice. Since then, though every president has ratified the initiative, tribes being involved has rarely happened.

Windy Boy said iResponse cant provide tribal leadership with any information if the federal system doesnt allow them access.

I dont blame this administration for wanting to create change, he said, but positive change has to have tribes involved.

He said companies failing to consult tribes before construction has caused a great deal of damage to historical and sacred tribal lands. For example, at the site of a cell tower in the Sweet Grass Hills, people can still see sacred Native stone features impacted by the construction.

Thats why it was so important for industries to bring tribes to the table, he said. So we can lend our eye.

He said that in several cases the destruction of these sacred sites could have been avoided if tribes were involved.

One project that came out better with tribal involvement was in Saco, he said. Verizon wanted to build a cell tower, but after looking through the iResponse system, his team asked if they could go out and do a visual inspection of the land where they were planning to build.

Sure enough, it was, essentially, going to be (disturbing) an old grave site, Windy Boy said.

He said after working with iResponse, Verizon decided to move the project 100 yards to the west.

Were not about stopping projects, he said. Were just lending credence. Someone was there, someone did something.

Expanding iResponse

Windy Boy said he wants to grow iResponse to serve all the reservations in the United States.

If I could get iResponse to service the 573 federally recognized tribes just on the system, Windy Boy said, for those tribal leaders to acquire the information on all these federal projects.

He said he is working on taking iResponse to the U.S. Department to the Interior, Bureau of Land Management and the Bureau of Reclamation because they all have a number of ground-disturbing projects which could involve a number of historical sites.

We as tribes arent really privy to a lot of those projects, he said.

He added that modern technology is so advanced, elected officials have no reason not to know what these projects are and have some kind of correspondence.

He said that during the Reservation Economic Summit, he will also be speaking with tribal leaders from Canada about iResponse providing services to them as well.

Windy Boy said that after researching and reading into their situations it would be a whole different world to work in, however, he is excited for the opportunity.

iResponse is also working toward expanding its educational scope, with Windy Boy saying he will be debuting iResponses new educational plan during his trip to Las Vegas.

He said that his office has collaborated with the University of Montana and Stone Child College to make a Two-Plus-Two program available for students. Students would be able to attend Stone Child College while being involved with cultural resource management through iResponse for two years before transferring to the University of Montana for their final two years.

Its a great opportunity, Windy Boy said.
The North Central Montana Relay for Life Committee is hosting a free-will donation spaghetti lunch and silent auction event Sunday at the Havre Eagles Club at noon.

Almost a year after last years unexpected cancellation of the Relay for Life event, local volunteers have worked hard to bring the fundraiser back for the Hi-Line community.

Committee member Donna Tilleman said the Relay for Life event is the American Cancer Societys premier fundraiser, raising millions of dollars every year to support cancer patients and critical cancer research.

We need to find a cure for cancer, Tilleman said. Im tired of hearing, seeing, reading about people being diagnosed with cancer.

The spaghetti lunch will include salads, rolls and desserts with all of the money going to the Relay for Life, Tilleman said. She added that she will be making the sauce, for which her parents-in-law, Richard and Vernelia Tilleman, have donated 20 pounds of hamburger. Gary & Leos Fresh Foods have also given Relay for Life a discount on the rest of the ingredients needed for the sauce.

Come have spaghetti, she said.

Tilleman said that other members of the committee have volunteered to make the other items on the menu, with many of the members making different desserts for the event.

Eagles Club Manager Tom Farnham has also donated the use of the hall at no cost for the event, in addition to the use of the kitchen, Tilleman said. She added that the Hill County Tavern Association made a $100 donation to Relay for Life and a booze basket to be raffled off at the lunch.

The booze basket will include five to six bottles of liquor, and tickets for the raffle set at $5.

The event will end at 4 p.m., Tilleman said, with the silent auction ending at 3:30. Some of the items in the silent auction will have minimum bid amounts.

She said she is very grateful to all of the people and businesses which have donated to the silent auction.

Im looking forward to seeing people coming out and supporting Relay for Life, she said.

Tilleman said that the Relay for Life has hosted lunches like the spaghetti lunch in the past but not to this extent. She added that the committee hopes to make the lunch a new tradition for the future.

The committee started planning the lunch in February at their monthly meeting, she said.

She said the Eagles Club will also be hosting a pool tournament at 2 p.m. and competitors are welcome to attend the lunch.

Information on how people can sign up for teams, register as survivors and purchase luminaries which can be bought in memory of or in honor of someone who was diagnosed with cancer, at the lunch.

Tilleman said that the goal of the fundraiser is to raise $1,500 with the lunch and silent auction.

She added that she hopes people are able to come out and attend the lunch.

Please come and support Relay for Life, she said.

For more information on the Relay for Life or how to sign up for teams or as survivors contact Tilleman at [email protected] or 265-6507.
What does this mean?

Editors note: This is the second part of an editorial discussing American Prairie Reserves stated goal of assembling private land in the Northern Great Plains north of the

C.M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge that can be managed with public land to provide wildlife conservation, including re-introduction of bison, and public access.

The second action that makes American Prairie Reserve not popular among local communities is their current land acquisition and their future plans to amass 3.5 million acres in order to create the largest park in the Northern Great Plains. This is 26.6 percent of the total 13,143,680 acres of the five-county region where the APR plans to operate. What does this mean for the people who already live in this region, within the bounds of this planned park?

The APR currently owns 400,000 acres of private land. According to their website, this land supports 8 families and returns $1.9M to the local economy. Contrast that to 400,000 acres of privately owned land in Phillips County that supports 124 families and returns $9.6M to the local economy. Can the local counties, businesses, schools, and families afford for APR to achieve their ultimate land ownership vision? It is time for the Montana Legislature to stop this by limiting the number of acres that can be owned by non-profit organizations.

Furthermore, the APRs claim that they are opening up land for public access is inflated to say the least. When you examine the map of the APR project area, 3 million acres of the APR vision, or 86 percent of the total APR vision of 3.5 million acres, are already accessible public lands (BLM, CMR NWR). What gives APR the right to claim ownership of the Upper Missouri Breaks National Monument and the Charles M Russell National Wildlife Refuge? Is it because they believe that they have a better idea or a higher use of the land, than a working landscape? APR is openly playing on the ignorance of U.S. citizens and potential donors about public land accessibility and uses.

We must remember that in Montana, agriculture is our leading industry. Im not saying that there is not a place in Montana for tourism, because there is, but I wholeheartedly believe that tourism cannot replace our ag economy. For example, the ranchers that are still there and not affected by the APR, cannot all open dude ranches and glamping operations, or that market will get flooded as well. Again, my challenge to everyone in Montana is to realize how much revenue the ag industry brings to the state coffers of Montana as compared to the tourist industry, which has no real tax mechanism to capture these dollars.

A question was posed to me, what would happen to central and eastern Montana if the APR was stopped, and quit buying up all these acres? What does that change? There are still wealthy landowners that are not traditional ranchers that will buy these properties. In my opinion, a certain percentage of these inflated land values would drop to a more realistic point. However, even if land prices stay inflated, and these lands are bought by private individuals with enough money to purchase these ranches for hunting or recreation, chances are, that ranch will be leased back to a local family, and cattle will continue to be raised in the area with all the economic benefits.

Moreover, these ranches often change hands again within less than 20 years, making them available for new agriculture operations in the future. The non-profit status of the APR makes it doubtful that these properties will ever enter the market again in the future, which means they are permanently removed from agriculture. Yes, the APR is leasing to cattle producers for now, but, this is temporary while they build their bison herds to the point that would not allow this land to be grazed by cattle in the future.

It boils down to a simple matter of economics for rural Montana Communities. I recently attended a CMR Community Working Group meeting where I listened to what Mark Haggerty of Headwaters Economics had to say about rural communities dying. He had some good points, but in all reality, rural Montana has always struggled. We understand hardship, and know what it is like to fight the weather, the markets, and infringements from local, state, and federal governments and encroaching special interest groups. But in my opinion, that does not mean that rural Montana is dying off.

In conclusion, the simplest way that I can explain the difference between ag dollars and tourism dollars to people, is to describe what one piece of machinery sold at the local equipment dealer means to the community. When a farmer or rancher purchases a combine and a new header at the estimated price tag of $480,000, that money turns over seven times in that local community. That equals $3.3Million. So, my question is how many tourists have to visit Winifred, Winnett, and Big Sandy to replace $3.3Million? And that is just one piece of machinery! If you dont like my economic analysis, then provide me with real numbers based on research. At least you now understand the concerns of citizens living in these areas, and we can start to have a factual conversation about the impacts of the APR. I will leave you with these thoughts of mine to ponder, agree with, disagree with, but at least there will be 2 sides to the story and you will have something to think about from top to bottom as I see what is transpiring in our Montana agriculture lifestyle.

Thank you,

Dana Darlington

Fourth-generation rancher

Big Sandy
The political tactics in the contest were less of a surprise to Brendan Houlihan, 56, of Palos Heights. He previously was elected to serve one term on the Cook County Board of Review in 2006. When an objector challenged the petitions of five candidates in the Moraine Valley race, he wasnt shocked.
This marks the first time a bacteria-infecting virus, otherwise known as a bacteriophage or just phage, has been observed inducing the immune system to mount an antiviral response and, in doing so, causing it to ignore the bacterial infection. When the scientists generated a vaccine directed at the virus, they showed that it dramatically lowered the bacterias ability to infect wounds in mice.

Detailed in a study published March 29 in Science, the findings could fuel new ways of preventing chronic, intractable infections by keeping antibiotic-resistant bacteria from getting a foothold in the first place. The discovery that phages foster bacterial infections also adds a previously unexpected layer of complexity to the relationship between us and the billions of bacteria inhabiting our gut and other organs.

Paul Bollyky, MD, PhD, assistant professor of infectious diseases and of microbiology and immunology, is the studys senior author. The lead author is former graduate student Johanna Sweere, PhD.

Quadrillions of phages in body

Weve long known that youve got up to 10 quadrillion phages in your body, but we just figured whatever they were doing was strictly between them and your commensal bacteria, Bollyky said. Now we know that phages can get inside your cells, too, and make you sick.

Theres currently no approved vaccine targeting P. aeruginosa, an increasingly drug-resistant pathogen that infects the lungs of most adults with cystic fibrosis and accounts for a sizeable percentage of all infections of diabetic ulcers, bedsores and burn wounds.

What starts off as a little cut cant heal as a result of a persistent, drug-resistant bacterial infection. The toll in terms of sickness, death and dollars is enormous.

In 2017, the World Health Association named P. aeruginosa one of the critical priority pathogens posing the greatest threat to human health.

I see this every day in my clinical practice, Bollyky said. What starts off as a little cut cant heal as a result of a persistent, drug-resistant bacterial infection. The toll in terms of sickness, death and dollars is enormous. Infected diabetic foot ulcers are the single biggest cause of amputation, he said.

P. aeruginosa is itself frequently infected with a phage called Pf. This phage lives inside the bacteria but can be shed from the bacterial surface into the surrounding environment (such as a wound), much like the virus herpes lives in our cells and is shed from cold sores. In the study, Bollykys team showed Pf was common in wounds infected with P. aeruginosa. The researchers examined 111 patients with microbially infected, non-healing wounds and found that 37 of them were infected with P. aeruginosa. Two-thirds of those wounds infected with P. aeruginosa were carrying Pf  a fraction that grew the longer a wound persisted.

To prove Pf actually promotes P. aeruginosa infections rather than merely co-exists with them, the scientists inoculated small wounds in the skin of mice with P. aeruginosa strains that either did or didnt contain Pf. They observed that the two strains differed greatly in their ability to establish wound infections. The inoculation dose necessary to result in a reliable P. aeruginosa infection was 50 times larger if it lacked Pf.

Next, the scientists looked to see what Pf might be doing to immune cells that could affect P. aeruginosas ability to sustain an infection. In a lab dish, they found that the presence of the phage in P. aeruginosa reduced by 10-fold the number of invading bacteria that were engulfed by either mouse or human phagocytes  immune cells that ingest, then digest, invading bacteria.

The phagocytes lost their appetite, Bollyky said.

Tripping molecular detectors

Bollykys team determined that stretches of the phages genomic material trigger molecular detectors in the phagocytes, steering the immune systems response from an antibacterial to an antiviral one.

When a phagocyte encounters bacteria, the appropriate response is to gobble them up, chew them up and call in more troops. But phagocytes response to a virus is different, Bollyky said. If youre an immune cell, ingesting a virus is absolutely the worst thing you can do, because now youve let it get inside of you  youre infected by it.

So its only sensible for a phagocyte that comes in contact with a virus to shut down phagocytosis. The appropriate antiviral immune response involves the generation of antibodies to tag virally infected cells and to signal other types of immune cells to home in on and destroy any virus-carrying cell they come across.

What Pf does inside phagocytes, Bollyky said, is like somebody pulling the fire alarm when they should have called the police. If 20 fire engines pull up to the scene of the crime, it makes it easier for the thief to get away, he said.

The investigators generated a vaccine containing a component of a Pf protein and noted that it cut the incidence of wounds infected with Pf-positive P. aeruginosa by half. They also generated antibodies that specifically target the same protein component and showed that they worked at least as well as the vaccine.

Bollyky and his colleagues have filed for a patent on intellectual property associated with the vaccine, and they plan to test it in large animals as a step toward eventual clinical trials.

Bollykys vision is to vaccinate people against Pf when theyre first diagnosed with cystic fibrosis or diabetes, as well as people in nursing homes and hospitals, in order to protect them from P. aeruginosa infections. Since a vaccine takes time to arouse the immune system, he suggested that Pf-targeting antibodies (which can be produced in bulk and stored for long periods) could be useful in burn cases, when theres no advance warning.

The Pf vaccine might turn out to be effective against other pathogenic bacteria, such as E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, which can also carry Pf and tend to co-infect wounds colonized by P. aeruginosa, Bollyky said.

Other Stanford co-authors of the study are postdoctoral scholar Jonas Belleghem, PhD; former postdoctoral scholars Vivekananda Sunkari, PhD, Xiou Cao, PhD, and Christiaan de Vries, MD; research scientists Gernot Kaber, PhD, and Robert Manasherob, PhD; Stanford Health Care affiliate physician Gina Suh, MD; technicianDung Lam; lab manager Heather Ishak; graduate students Michelle Bach and Medeea Popescu; medical student Payton Marshall; the late MD-PhD student Maria Birukova; former undergraduate Ethan Katznelson; and former medical student Daniel Lazzareschi, MD.

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, the University of Washington and the University of Montana also contributed to the study.

Bollyky is a member of Stanfords Bio-X, Maternal & Child Health Research Institute and Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute.

The work was funded by the National Institutes of Health (grants R21AI133370, R21AI133240, R01AI12492093, K22AI125282, R01AI138981, P20GM103546, P30DK116074 and R01GM111808), Stanford SPARK, the Falk Medical Research Trust and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Stanfords departments of Medicine and of Microbiology and Immunology also supported the work.
BRCC names Small Business Director

Blue Ridge Community College has named Ben Smith director of BRCC's Small Business Center.

Smith succeeds Ben Kish who is now teaching full-time for the college in the business administration associate degree program.

Smith is responsible for administering the Small Business Center Program, providing confidential and free counseling to existing and aspiring entrepreneurs, orchestrating instruction for seminars and workshops, and serving as the college liaison to the small business community in both Henderson and Transylvania Counties. He recently served as Director of Entrepreneurship and Education and Director of Small Business and Workforce Solutions for the Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce in north Alabama. He is a graduate of the University of Alabama and holds a Bachelor of Science in Commerce and Business Administration with a focus in Entrepreneurship.

It's an honor to join Blue Ridge Community College to provide high-quality small business resources to our students and the local community," Smith said. "It's our intention to serve as an open door to any individual looking to pursue their dream of initiating or operating their own startup or small business.

Blue Ridge Community College Small Business Center is part of the Small Business Center Network, comprised of 58 Small Business Centers throughout North Carolina that support the development of new businesses and the growth of existing businesses by being a community-based provider of training, counseling, and resource information. North Carolina Community College System recently ranked Blue Ridge Community College Small Business Center #2 of 58 for the amount of service and support provided to the community.
A MUSIC festival held near Henley every year has been given permission to expand but not as much as organisers wanted.

Rewind South, which is held on Temple Island Meadows in Remenham over a weekend in August, wanted to gradually increase the audience capacity from 20,000 to 30,000 a day by the year 2022.

But Wokingham Borough Councils licensing panel decided that the festival would only be allowed to admit a maxium of 23,000 people, starting this year.

Broadwick Live had wanted to admit 26,000 people in 2020, 29,000 in 2021 and up to 29,999 in 2022 and beyond.

It was given permission to begin the festival early on the Friday this year at 11am rather than 6pm, as has happened in previous years.

Organisers will be permitted to play recorded music and serve late-night refreshments at the campsite bar until 1am instead of 3am, which had been requested.

Broadwick Live said it wanted to cause as little negative impact to neighbours as possible.

But residents of Remenham were concerned about the extra traffic and disruption coming only weeks after Henley Royal Regatta and the Henley Festival, which both last five days.

John Halsall, who represents Remenham on the council, said: Were absolutely delighted that the licensing panel took the concerns of the residents seriously and conditioned the licence.

Remenham is used extensively during the course of the year and the proposal was just a proposal too far. We asked the borough council to keep it as it is and thats pretty much what they have done.

I think Rewind is as big as it should get in Remenham. If they want to get bigger they should find a site thats better served by communications and roads.

Mike Dudley, of Remenham Farm Residents Association, which also objected, said: I think Wokingham Borough Council was equally unhappy with the decision to take it to 30,000 and we werent alone in saying that was too much.

We would have preferred no increase but Wokingham has said 23,000 is what were going to impose and we have to live with that.

I wouldnt say its either acceptable or manageable  it will be noticeable. Its busy and its going to be even more busy.

Each time its bringing more traffic and more people into a very limited area. Its not just Rewind, all the other events as well.

Rewind Festival director Joe Drape said: My business is delivering festivals across the UK. We have an interest in making sure Rewind is here for years to come. What we have demonstrated is that we can improve the issues around traffic.

The application was supported by the Culden Faw Estate, boat hire firm Hobbs of Henley, the official river taxi provider, SRB Boat Hire/Moorings and Henley Charter and the Copas Partnership, which owns the land.

The festival, which features Eighties pop stars, began in 2009 and usually sells out. This years event will take place from Friday to Sunday, August 16 to 18.
I am running for public office partly because I have the rare opportunity to run for a 2-year term on the ballot. For those who dont much follow our municipal government, Elgin had a city councilman, Rich Dunne, who, due to a job transfer, had to resign his council seat. His term was good for two more years, hence this one-time, 2-year spot opened up, allowing me to run alongside the city council incumbents, not against them. My hope is to join their team. I know all the current council members. Ive worked with them all on this or that community project or initiative. I am running to give back to the city I love, the city that has given so much to me throughout my life. I feel I have a lot to offer and the time is right for me to help this city and its residents be all that we can be. I am a people person; by the people, for the people. Im a strong speaker, but I want to become a great listener. I am a good communicator, trying to understand and help everyone in most situations. I think I will bring a sense of positive energy to the council. I said at the recent candidates forums: Monday is my favorite day of the week, for it allows me a whole week of opportunity!
If approved, the villages local portion of the sales tax increases from one-half percent to one percent. The projected $1.5 million in new annual sales tax revenue would go toward road repair and improvements, bumping its overall road repair budget closer to $3 million. Super has argued South Elgin needs to maintain its road repair budget at this level to address aging neighborhood streets that will sooner or later require resurfacing, reconstruction or renovations. An earlier start will likely save residents tax dollars in the long run, he said.
Copper Face Jacks: The Musical is back, and Johnny Ward will be swapping the sequins for a GAA jersey as he returns as Dublin captain Gino Wildes.

The Walkinstown actor, who was a runner-up in Sunday's Dancing With The Stars final, hasn't had much time for a breather as he's gearing up for his return to the Olympia Theatre in July.

Johnny plays Gino, who falls head over heels for a Kerry girl he meets on a night out in Coppers only days before the All-Ireland final clash between Dublin and the Kingdom.

Blessing

Johnny (31) is looking forward to stepping back into Gino's shoes, especially as he got the Dubs' blessing for the role.

Johnny said the Boys in Blue and their captain Stephen Cluxton arrived at the final night last summer to see the play, written by Paul Howard.

When Johnny arrived at the actual Coppers for the after-party, he was greeted by the players saluting him.

"All of them, led by Stephen Cluxton, came to see the last show last year and we went into Coppers afterwards and they were all there, down on one knee, saluting me," said Johnny.

"I was basing it on so many of them and it's funny because it was slapstick, but they were all saying, 'A lot of that stuff is true'.

"Stephen Cluxton is such a nice guy and of course I've got to know Denis Bastick through Dancing With The Stars."

Johnny will be joining Michele McGrath, who plays Gretchen Ackerman, and Roseanna Purcell, as Noeleen Nic Gearailt, on stage.

"He falls in love with a girl called Noeleen and she's from Kerry, and then it becomes like Romeo And Juliet and West Side Story all in one," said Johnny.

Meanwhile, it's back to normality for the former Love/Hate star, who said it felt strange not to have rehearsals with pro partner Emily Barker this week.

"I'm OK. It's strange to get back to normal life," he said.

"It's weird because you get nervous because you think you've a dance to learn but you don't have a dance to do."

Johnny, who lost his dad during the show, said his mum had been unwell this week and as a result was in hospital for a few days.

"I feel like I'm cursed. My mum's in hospital at the moment," he said.

"She had something wrong with her heart. She seems to have had a panic attack or something like that. She went in on Tuesday.

"I don't think it's anything serious. She's in Tallaght Hospital. It's like someone has put a curse on us."

Guilty

Johnny said he would be moving back into the family home to help his mum in the next few weeks as they begin to clear out his dad's belongings.

"It's difficult being in the house. We're trying to get everything that was my dad's and clear out his clothes. You feel so guilty for doing it but you have to do it," he said.

Copper Face Jacks: The Musical will return to the Olympia Theatre from July 10 and will run until August 10.

Tickets costing from 26 plus booking fee and 1 Olympia restoration levy are on sale now.
Homeless numbers could be even higher, said Peter McVerry. Photo: INM

The number of homeless people in Ireland has broken the 10,000 mark for the first time.

The Department of Housing said nearly 4,000 children are among the number living in emergency accommodation.

Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy said the increase of 277 people for the February report was "hugely disappointing".

A total of 10,264 are now living in homelessness across the country - 1,707 families comprising 6,480 adults and 3,784 children.

Disappointing

January's figures had come close, reaching 9,987.

"The increase in homelessness in February is hugely disappointing," Mr Murphy said.

"Our plans to fix the supply of social and private housing are working and this is borne out by the build figures.

"The latest RTB report also shows rent falling at the end of 2018, and yet still we see more people entering emergency accommodation."

The minister said further protection for those renting from private landlords would go before the Cabinet "in the coming days".

However, homelessness campaigner Fr Peter McVerry said the figures may be closer to 15,000 when 'sofa-surfers' and rough sleepers were included.

He said the number of children who have experienced homelessness was a matter where the Government needed to provide details.

"I find the figures very unsatisfactory," he said, adding that there could be as many as 6,000 to 7,000 children who have experienced homelessness in that period.

Depaul chief executive Kerry Anthony said the figure going above 10,000 was "hugely disheartening".

"It indicates that many chall- enges remain with regards to homelessness in Ireland," she said.

"We need to be continuously looking at the reasons behind these increases.

"However, it is not enough to identify the reasons. We must also act upon this knowledge.

"For any person or family to find themselves homeless can have a detrimental impact on their lives, no matter how brief their stay in homelessness is."

Labour's housing spokeswoman Jan O'Sullivan said Fine Gael's housing policy had failed and the crisis was an emergency requiring emergency action.

"The last two months have shown the Government is not on top of this and the problem is getting worse," she said.

"There appears to be no end in sight, and three years into this Government the volume of social housing needed has not been delivered."
Cate Blanchett has warned of the perils of social media when it comes to claims of sex abuse.

The Australian actress, a supporter of the #MeToo movement, said "intelligent discussion" was vital, but social media did not allow for "nuanced conversation - it doesn't allow for processing time".

Her comments came in an interview on the BBC podcast Books To Live By... With Mariella Frostrup.

The Oscar-winner (49) said: "I think it's really, really important that long-term deep time strategic thinking is allowed to take place, along with the very real and understandable immediate response with people who have been placed in a position where they have had to be subservient.

Witch

"It's very, very difficult now to find a place where you can have nuanced conversation. It's the downside of social media."

Frostrup suggested there was currently the sense that there was a "mob that moves in a kind of Monty Python-esque way whenever someone shouts, 'He's a witch'."

"There has to be discussion," said Blanchett. "We can't move forward without intelligent discussion and debate. Debate is different to hate speech.

"But the problem is sound bites won't solve it and finger pointing won't solve it.

"I believe the judicial system is a fundamental building block of democracy and if we pull that out of the Jenga block it's all going to collapse."
Do you think U46 schools have enough security measures in place? Do you think the public perception is that U46 schools are safe? If you think more should be done, what would you propose and how would it be funded? If teachers wanted to be licensed to carry guns, would you support it? I believe were on the right track and have the right foundations in place. The U46 director of safety is constantly reviewing practices and procedures, evaluating what may have led to specific incidents and what could be done to avoid future incidents. He works with district administrators and teachers looking for best in class policies within the district and via partnerships with other area school districts. With respect to our Student Code of Conduct and Discipline, policies are intended to ensure there are consequences, but also with an eye towards understanding root causes for bad behavior and taking a rehabilitative approach with academic and behavioral supports instead of solely focused on punishment. Ultimately, there are huge economic costs to suspensions, huge economic costs associated with dropping out, and on a related note, huge costs associated with incarceration  so it makes good sense from a human level and it makes good sense from an economic level. Ive spoken with teachers and principals on this subject  I believe the consensus is that there are not issues with policies, but in faithful and consistent adherence to the policies in terms of resourcing, reporting, and consequences. Ultimately, we need to be vigilant, we need to review our policies, evaluate differences from one school to the next and ensure that were doing all that we can to make sure that were providing a safe learning environment for students and staff across all of our schools. With that objective in mind, we need to make sure that staff are properly educated and trained in relevant ways and, make sure that buildings are properly staffed with counselors, MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports) personnel, assistant principals and others. Generally, we need enough adults in the right places  to monitor, to engage with students, and/or to address conduct issues at the point of occurrence and on an ongoing basis. Further, programs like PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports) are good and we can look to further educate students in areas and promote the idea of upstanders, whereby we equip students with tools and information on how to be allies when they witness bullying or are aware of such situations.
'So much we want the public to know': Meritus COVID cases surge again
In the race for mayor of Zion, candidate Ron Molinaro claims current city officials have allowed his opponent Billy McKinney to park his RV in the City Hall parking lot. Mayor Al Hill countered that at one time there was also an RV with Molinaro signs on it in the City Hall lot. (Courtesy of Ron Molinaro)
Its been almost nine months since Vais Italian Inspired Kitchen and Bar opened its doors on Route 59 in Naperville in the location that formerly housed Jimmys Charhouse. And while Vais is new to the Naperville dining scene, Michael Vai  the restaurants namesake  brings more than four decades as an experienced restaurateur to the table.
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Beijing : China on Thursday accused the US of undermining the authority of the UN anti-terrorism committee by forcefully moving a resolution in the UNSC to list Pakistan-based JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, saying Americas move only complicates the issue.

The US, supported by France and the UK, has moved a draft resolution in the UN Security Council to blacklist the Pakistan-based terror groups chief, two weeks after China put a hold on a proposal to list Azhar under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the Council.

Asked about the development, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a media briefing that Washington move only complicates the issue.

This is not in line with resolution of the issue through dialogue and negotiations. This has reduced the authority of the committee as a main anti-terrorism body of the UNSC and this is not conducive to the solidarity and only complicates the issue.

We urge the US to act cautiously and avoid forcefully moving forward this resolution draft, Geng said.

Two weeks after China put a hold on a proposal to list Azhar under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the Council, the US on Wednesday circulated the draft resolution to the powerful 15-nation Council to blacklist the leader of the Pakistan-based terror group and subject him to a travel ban, an assets freeze and an arms embargo.

Meanwhile, US secretary of state Mike Pompeo made an apparent reference to China blocking the proposal to designate Azhar as a global terrorist at the UN Security Council when he said Wednesday that China abuses over a million Muslims at home, but protects violent Islamic terror groups from UN sanctions.

The world cannot afford Chinas shameful hypocrisy toward Muslims. On one hand, China abuses more than a million Muslims at home, but on the other it protects violent Islamic terrorist groups from sanctions at the UN, Pompeo said in a tweet, without mentioning the JeM or the outfits chief.

First time

UN sources said that this is the first time the US, the UK and France have moved a draft resolution directly in the Security Council to designate Azhar a global terrorist. The previous have been listing proposals in the sanctions committee of the Council to designate Azhar.

Unlike a listing proposal, which is generally under a 10-day no objection period, the draft resolution is not under any no-objection provision.

Sources said that the draft resolution will be discussed informally and then it goes to the Council.

However, its not yet decided by when a vote would be held on the draft resolution, during when it could again face a veto by China, which has in the past blocked bids to blacklist Azhar.

Sources said the draft resolution would condemn in the strongest terms the heinous and cowardly suicide bombing on February 14 in Jammu and Kashmirs Pulwama district that killed 40 CRPF personnel.

An annex to the draft resolution says Azhar is associated with the Islamic State terror group, al-Qaida for participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing, or perpetrating or supplying, selling or transferring arms and related material or supporting acts of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).

It says that Azhar founded JeM after his release from prison in India in 1999 in exchange for 155 hostages held on an Indian Airlines flight that had been hijacked to Kandahar, Afghanistan.

It adds that Azhar was previously the leader of the terrorist group Harakat al Mujahadin, also known as Harakat ul-Ansar, and that most of these groups members subsequently joined Jaish under Azhars leadership.

In 2008, JeM recruitment posters contained a call from Azhar for volunteers to join the fight in Afghanistan against Western forces.

The Sanctions Committee makes its decisions by consensus of its members. However, for a resolution in the Security Council to pass, it needs nine votes in favour and no vetoes from any of its five permanent members  China, Russia, the United States, France and the UK.

France, the UK and the US on February 27 moved a proposal to designate Azhar under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee.

It was under the no-objection period and Committee members had a period of 10 working days to raise any objections to the proposal.

More than a dozen member states had co-sponsored the proposal. About an hour before the no-objection deadline was to expire on March 13 at 3 PM, China blocked the proposal by putting a hold on it.

India expressed disappointment by the outcome, saying in a statement this has prevented action by the international community to designate the leader of JeM, a proscribed and active terrorist organisation which has claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir on 14 February 2019.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made an apparent reference to China blocking the proposal to designate Azhar as a global terrorist at the UN Security Council when he said Wednesday that China abuses over a million Muslims at home, but protects violent Islamic terror groups from UN sanctions.

The world cannot afford Chinas shameful hypocrisy toward Muslims. On one hand, China abuses more than a million Muslims at home, but on the other it protects violent Islamic terrorist groups from sanctions at the UN, Pompeo said in a tweet, without mentioning the JeM or the outfits chief.

The February proposal was the fourth such bid at the UN in the last 10 years to list Azhar as a global terrorist.

In 2009, India moved a proposal by itself to designate Azhar. In 2016 again India moved the proposal with the P3  the US, the UK and France in the UNs 1267 Sanctions Committee to ban Azhar, also the mastermind of the attack on the air base in Pathankot in January, 2016.

In 2017, the P3 nations moved a similar proposal again. However, on all occasions China, a veto-wielding permanent member of the Security Council, blocked the proposals from being adopted by the Sanctions Committee.

A UNSC designation will subject Azhar to an assets freeze, travel ban and an arms embargo. An assets freeze under the Sanctions Committee requires that all states freeze without delay the funds and other financial assets or economic resources of designated individuals and entities.

The travel ban entails preventing the entry into or transit by all states through their territories by designated individuals.

Under the arms embargo, all states are required to prevent the direct or indirect supply, sale and transfer from their territories or by their nationals outside their territories, or using their flag vessels or aircraft, of arms and related materiel of all types, spare parts and technical advice, assistance or training related to military activities, to designated individuals and entities.

Source : TOI
Pune : A report of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) panel said the online heist on the city-based Cosmos Banks switches was motivated from North Korea.

This is the first report by any agency confirming the widely held suspicion that the attacks could have links to the Democratic Republic of Korea. The panel has submitted the report to the council for further action by the member states.

TOI first reported, citing cyber experts, on August 15, 2018, that the North Korean hacker group, Lazarus, could be behind the Cosmos Bank attacks when there were near simultaneous withdrawals over two days and had cost the bank Rs 94.42 crore.

The Cosmos attack was a more advanced, well-planned and highly coordinated operation that bypassed three main layers of defence contained in International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) banking/ATM attack mitigation guidance, said the report.

Not only were the actors able to compromise the SWIFT network in the Cosmos case to transfer the funds to other accounts, but they simultaneously compromised internal bank processes to bypass transaction verification procedures and order worldwide transfers to almost 30 countries, where funds were physically withdrawn by individuals in more than 10,000 separate transactions over a weekend, the report read.

The observations are part of the wider report by the UN panel of experts established pursuant to resolutions to impose sanctions on North Korea for its nuclear programme.

Cyber frauds North Korea tool to skirt sanctions : Report

The panel observed that the countrys cyber hackers had resorted to multiple cyber frauds to mitigate the sanctions imposed on the nation.

Cyberattacks by the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea to illegally force the transfer of funds have become an important tool in the evasion of sanctions and have grown in sophistication and scale since 2016, according to the report.

Apart from attacks on fiat currencies of several countries, the report also mentions that the North Korean hackers were able to deal in cryptocurrency crimes and use the same to demand ransom, as was observed during the WannaCry ransomware attack.

On August 11 and 13, 2018, a series of malware infections attacked the Cosmos Banks ATM switch (an interface to the banks core banking solution [CBS] or another core financial system, and connectivity to regional, national or international networks) and then made adjustments to target account balances to enable withdrawals.

It is absolutely possible that the attacks originated from North Korea and withdrawals happened elsewhere across 31 countries. It is a well-oiled syndicate, said Milind Kale, chairman, Cosmos Bank.

He said he had learnt from the cyber cell in Pune that the investigations were at advanced stages and that they were very close to getting to the mastermind.

The cyber cell of the Pune police could arrest 12 persons  mostly money mules  so far from different cities in the country. The police also recovered a card cloning machine from Mumbai, allegedly used to clone the cards used in India. So far, it has recovered about Rs8 lakh from people who withdrew the money.

Deputy commissioner of police (EOW), Sambhaji Kadam, said, We shall take cognisance of the report once we access it from the appropriate authorities.

Another senior police officer said, We have studied 40 cases across the globe having similar features as in the Cosmos Banks online heist.

The Pune police said they had received positive response from 18 of the 28 countries it wrote to regarding the Cosmos Bank heist. These countries have requested more information on the case.

The suspects in such cases keep rotating the money stolen from one account to another and at this moment of time, we cannot predict where the money has finally settled, police said.

Muslim Koser, co-founder, Volon Cyber Security said, We have been monitoring Lazarus for some time with our focused research on the group. Last year, we had concluded that TTPs (modus operandi) used in Cosmos Bank attack was similar to that of the groups previous targets such as Bank of Bangladesh or Tien Phong Bank from Vietnam. We had intercepted recruitment advertisement for SWIFT access to an Indian bank in darkweb from September 2017 till February 2018. Indias Citi Union Bank was affected in the similar fashion in February 2018, much before Cosmos Bank attack.

Source : TOI
Actor Kangana Ranaut may be an established name today but she had to struggle quite a bit before she found success. Recalling one such story, she said on a chat show, Sit With Hitlist that her parents always warned her against showbiz and living in a big city. She said her parents had heard stories of girls being sexually exploited and were afraid of her moving to Mumbai.

Talking about one such time when she almost fell into a similar trap, Kangana said, The fact that people met, and promised to guide and help me, but then I was put under house-arrest. And then Pahlaj Nihalani had offered me a film called I Love You Boss. They had a photoshoot where they gave me a robe to wear, and no undergarments. So I just had a satin robe for a show-girl pose, from which I had to stick my leg out, coming out of darkness.

She went on to share, They should at least have given some tapes. I was supposed to play a young girl lusting after her middle-aged boss. So it was a soft-porn sort of character. And I had this epiphany that I cant do this. I felt like this is exactly what my parents were talking about. I actually went through the photo shoot, but then I disappeared. I changed my number.

After some time, Kangana landed a role in her debut film, Gangster that also won her a Filmfare award for Best Debut. She was also signed for Puri Jagannadhs Pokiri. Both the films released in 2006.

Also read: Kangana Ranaut attacks Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, says star kids will discuss their sex lives but not their country

Kangana played Rani Laxmibai in Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi and had also shared the directors credit with Krish. She will now be seen in Mental Hai Kya alongside Rajkummar Rao and also has Ashwiny Iyer Tiwaris Panga in her kitty. She recently made headlines for being chosen to play J J Jayalalithaa in her biopic and reportedly being paid 24 crores for the role.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
Actor Kangana Ranaut recently revealed on a show that she was once asked to dress in just a robe for a photoshoot for a Pahlaj Nihalani film. The producer has responded to her claims, warning her not to play with me.

On being asked for a reaction to Kanganas story, Nihalani told Cineblitz, I had spent one-and-a-half crore on that picture advertisement and shot for three songs. She did the reading post the photoshoot, but with my advertisement and the poster she got Mahesh Bhatts film (Gangster) and backed out of my film as she requested me to let her do Gangster as we were under a three-movie deal.She should not play with me, otherwise I have a lot of things to play with her.

Nihalani also spoke about the film in question and claimed that he had also approached Amitabh Bachchan with a role. It was a youth film; she was married in that movie. I had approached Amitabh Bachchan for that role. It was on the lines of Cheeni Kum. I gave the narration to Amitji too; he pulled out due to him already doing something similar. It was never a porn film and neither am I interested in those kinds of movies, he said.

Kangana had told Mid-Day, The fact that people met, and promised to guide and help me, but then I was put under house-arrest. And then Pahlaj Nihalani had offered me a film called I Love You Boss. They had a photoshoot where they gave me a robe to wear, and no undergarments. So I just had a satin robe for a show-girl pose, from which I had to stick my leg out, coming out of darkness.

Calling the role a soft-porn character, she added, They should at least have given some tapes. I was supposed to play a young girl lusting after her middle-aged boss. So it was a soft-porn sort of character. And I had this epiphany that I cant do this. I felt like this is exactly what my parents were talking about. I actually went through the photo shoot, but then I disappeared. I changed my number.

Also read: Kangana Ranaut says she was asked to dress in just a robe and no underwear for a role in a Pahlaj Nihalani film

Also read: Kangana Ranaut says Padmaavat was offered to her first, also Priyanka Chopras Ram Chahe Leela song

The actor had also revealed that soon after this incident, she finally landed roles in two-three projects, including her debut film, Gangster. Kangana won several awards for the film.

The Manikarnika actor is currently working on her upcoming film, Mental Hai Kya. She will be seen alongside Rajkummar Rao for the second time after the two worked together in the 2014 film Queen. She also has Ashwiny Iyer Tiwaris Panga and the J Jayalalithaa biopic in her kitty.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
Disselhorst said he regularly has officers in the area, but they are focused on Pennoyer traffic. However, he said he could have his officers stick around to help near the condos. Village President Jame Chmura suggested trying that for a couple of weeks will allow village officials to get first-hand information on what is going on.
Kangana Ranauts Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi got a stamp of approval from actor Rajkummar Rao and thanking him was her sister and manager Rangoli Chandel. Sharing his tweet on her Twitter timeline, Rangoli said that she hoped Laxmi Bai, the queen of Jhansis sacrifice is realised by all Indians.

She tweeted: thanks @RajkummarRao ... hope every Indian realises her sacrifice and values her blood ...

thanks @RajkummarRao ... hope every Indian realises her sacrifice and values her blood ...  https://t.co/qfbYt2v9Pb  Rangoli Chandel (@Rangoli_A) March 27, 2019

Rajkummar, speaking about Manikarnika, had written: Just watched #Manikarnika. An amazing film that chronicles the life of the queen of Jhansi. Kangana,as always, was phenomenol as Rani Laxmi bai. Now cant wait for you guys to watch #MentalHaiKya.

Also read: Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah to get a new Dayaben as makers plan to replace Disha Vakani

In Manikarnika, Kanganas performance as Queen Laxmi Bai, who took on the might of the British East India Company forces, was appreciated. The film was among the moderate successes of 2019. Calling it a semi-hit was trade analyst Joginder Tuteja, who had tweeted in March to say: #Simmba - Blockbuster #Uri - All Time Blockbuster Manikarnika - Semi-hit #GullyBoy - Hit #TotalDhamaal - Superhit #LukaChuppi - Set to be Superhit 10 weeks - 6 successes | Aur kitne achche din chahiye in Bollywood?

#Simmba - Blockbuster#Uri - All Time Blockbuster #Manikarnika - Semi-hit#GullyBoy - Hit#TotalDhamaal - Superhit#LukaChuppi - Set to be Superhit



10 weeks - 6 successes



Aur kitne achche din chahiye in Bollywood?  Joginder Tuteja (@Tutejajoginder) March 4, 2019

Kangana will now be seen with Rajkummar in Mental Hai Kya, pictures and posters of which have intrigued all with their quirkiness. While little is known about the films storyline, from the look of the posters, it seems anything but conventional. Rajkummar and Kangana are coming together for the second time after Queen for the film.

Kangana also signed her next film, a biopic on Tamil actor-politician J Jayalalithaa. The film will be a bilingual and will be directed by Tamil director Vijay. Kangana has also said that she will learn Tamil for the project. When asked about her preparation for the role, Kangana said, The scenes will be in Tamil, and I will learn the language to understand the character better and feel closer to her. I will begin my language classes once I honour my commitments to Panga and Mental Hai Kya. The actor is reportedly being paid 24 crore for the biopic. The deal makes her the highest paid female actor in India.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
The Jahanpanah City Forest in south Delhi  one of the last dense green patches in the capital, sprawling over 435 acres  is under threat, the state forest department has said.

In a report prepared after an inspection in January this year, the department said illegal activities such as felling of trees, dumping of garbage, encroachment and open defecation by locals were rampant.

The department hinted at the apathy of the authorities as the boundary wall was found to be broken, there were no guards at the gates and the rainwater harvesting system was lying defunct because of lack of maintenance.

The forest department prepared a report on the state of affairs in the Jahanpanah City Forest, a dense forest, after an inspection in January this year. The report and some suggestions have been sent to the Delhi Development Authority for action, a senior official of the forest department said. Hindustan Times has a copy of the report.

Senior officials of DDA refused to comment. The commissioner of DDAs horticulture department, to whom the report was sent, could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.

When this Hindustan Times reporter visited the spot, he found domestic waste dumped by locals from across the boundary wall. Heaps of polythene bags with waste inside them could be spotted in one corner. Construction and demolition waste was scattered in many places.

In some places, the base of trees was concretised. There were hardly any guards at the gates and people were seen consuming drugs inside the forest area. The toilets were found abandoned, giving rise to open defecation.

The report has highlighted all these violations.

During the inspection, it was found that a large number of trees had been felled mainly because of the absence of security guards. At least two religious structures had encroached on the vacant spaces; the boundary wall was broken illegally and two gates were built, the forest official said.

The India State of Forest Report 2017 had said that even though there was a minuscule increase in forest and tree cover in Delhi between 2015 and 2017, the city had lost at least 54 sq km of dense forest during the same time.

Scientists say this is a bad sign because it is actually the dense forests and their thick canopies that help to remove carbon dioxide from the air.

Garbage is being dumped from the Dakshinpuri side, all along a two-km stretch of the boundary wall. At least three drains carrying sewage from adjoining areas flow into the forest. Pools of waste water have formed and it has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes, said Navin Chopra, secretary, Friends of Jahanpanah City Forest.

At least 60-70 acres of plantation have been completely destroyed and the authorities have not taken action such as new plantations.

This is a city forest. But the authorities are gradually and systematically turning into a park. At least four open air gyms have been built, said SM Agarwal, president of the organisation named above and a member of the Supreme Court monitoring committee of the city forest.

The forest department suggested a slew of measures that need to implemented to maintain the forest. These include posting of more security guards, police patrol, removal of garbage and debris by the civic body and repairing of the boundary walls.

City forests like the Jahanpanah forest, which is home to several native plants, should be conserved rather than being converted into a manicured park. Delhi needs more of such forests, which help to clean up the air, said Padmavati Dwivedi, an activist who conducted Delhis first tree census in a south Delhi neighbourhood.
Narendra Modi officially kicked off his campaign for the Lok Sabha elections on Thursday with a rally in Meerut in Uttar Pradesh (UP). While the Prime Minister has addressed multiple mass meetings across the country in recent months, many with a strong political overtone, the Meerut rally gave a clear indication of what would be the Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) key campaign messages. With the party acutely conscious that it can overcome opposition alliances only by making the election about national leadership, the rally was all about Mr Modi. From the repeated chants of Phir ek baar, Modi sarkar (Modi government once more) to the PM himself declaring that each vote for local candidates must be seen as a vote for him, the Modi brand was strongly projected.

But beyond that, delving into the substance of Mr Modis speech, it appears that three key themes will dominate the partys campaign over the next seven weeks. The first is Vikas or development. The PM said he would give an account of his performance, and his report card on governance primarily revolved around welfare and infrastructure. He cited rural housing, toilet construction, gas cylinders, health insurance, income support to farmers, and electrification as his achievements. And in case of west UP and Meerut in particular, he also claimed to have taken steps to enhance its connectivity through roads, rail and air and thus embed it firmly within the National Capital Region.

The second theme, which drew the most applause, was Mr Modis emphasis on how he had, through decisive steps, improved Indian capabilities in the realm of security. He took credit for launching surgical strikes on land, in air and even in space  a reference to Wednesdays anti-satellite missile test. He repeated how India had entered Pakistan, killed terrorists and dismantled terror camps, as the crowd got more excited. But he went on to then juxtapose this with the oppositions stance. Mr Modi claimed that the opposition had been indecisive when in power; it had protected terrorists; and its current scepticism about Indian actions was against Indian armed forces. By doing this, not only was the PM projecting himself as the only strong leader capable of keeping India secure, but also painting the entire opposition as either terror sympathisers or weak on terror.

And the third theme, building on the second, was attacking the opposition  both the Congress and the Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party-Rashtriya Lok Dal alliance in UP  as incoherent, opportunistic, self-serving, nepotistic, with no development and law and order record, and catering only to narrow caste and religious interests. It was by attacking their track record that Mr Modi mocked promises, including the Congress minimum income guarantee scheme, as an instance of it deceiving people. In contrast, he presented himself as a chowkidar (watchman)  another term which energised the crowd  and as someone who was only committed to the nation, development and a corruption free system.

The ball is now in the oppositions court to challenge Mr Modis claims on development, national security, and of providing decisive and honest government. Whoever wins the debate on these three issues among the electorate will be smiling on May 23.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the successful test of an anti-satellite (ASAT) missile by India. With this test, India has joined a select group of nations which have demonstrated this capability. The last country to do a successful test was China in 2007. The test by China was widely censured by the international community. In contrast, life for India has been much more comfortable after Wednesdays test.

Pakistans response has been critical, that is, Pavlovian. But Chinas response has been guarded and it has simply expressed the hope that peace and tranquillity in outer space will be maintained. Most importantly, the response from the United States has been cautiously supportive. In its response to Indias test, the US State Department invoked shared interests in space and scientific and technical cooperation, including collaboration on safety and security in space. While noting its concerns on space debris, the US has taken cognisance of Indias statement that the test design addressed debris issues. The reaction of the acting US defence secretary Patrick Shanahan was much sharper on the debris issue but he too avoided blaming India at all. The US is reportedly still tracking the fragments created by Indias test.

One of the reasons for lesser concern with Indias test has to do with the height of the test. At 300 kilometres, the debris may survive just for months, if not weeks, before decaying. At 800 kilometres, the Chinese satellite debris has already survived for more than a decade and may survive for a few more. Second, unlike China, India is seen as a more responsible country that respects international laws and institutions. New Delhi has done well to exploit this image to enlist itself into this elite space powers club. Indias test  or a future test by any country  may push the global community to enforce a freeze on further tests. India missed the bus when the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) decided January 1, 1967, as the cut-off date for becoming a legitimate nuclear weapons state. When India tested a nuclear device in 1974, the global community responded by developing export control regimes like the Nuclear Suppliers Group which specifically targeted India. The ASAT missile test may just have saved India from repeating old mistake.
This years QS World University Rankings and Times Higher Education rankings featured several universities from unlikely countries. Romania, Armenia, Croatia, Slovakia, Lithuania, Hungary and Qatar all had institutions that placed in the top 1,000.

The University of Split and the University of Zagreb in Croatia, Central European University in Hungary and Qatar University are ranked in top 1000 in Times Higher Education (THE) rankings this year.

These universities are partnering with older more established counterparts from the US, the UK, Australia, Canada to offer world-class education and also niche courses in medicine, metallurgy, economics and engineering. Theyre also welcoming more international students with more wide ranging degrees.

We assess the universities on their teaching environment, research environment, citations (research influence), and international outlook, says Phil Baty, World University ranking editor at Times Higher Education. These universities are ranked high this year because they are consistently producing research papers, catering to more international students and have a good teacher: student ratio.

Should they be on your list of possible destinations when you make your study-abroad plans? Experts and students offer some insights.

GLOBAL REACH

Richa Gokhale, 19, secured admission into Armenian State University of Economics (ASUE) to get her Bachelors of Economics for this year. She aims to specialise in food commodity research and quality expertise. The course has scope in India, I can work with Nestle India, for instance, after graduation, says Gokhale. The tuition is much lower compared to the US and UK. There was also less paperwork required for admission, and the visa process was smooth. Gokhale says that one of her reasons for choosing Armenia was that the university has international faculty and tie-ups with universities in Canada, Australia and the US.

We are seeing more students, especially from tier-2 and tier-3 cities inquiring about Eastern European countries, says Bakhtawar Krishnan, education counsellor and managing director, Inspirus Education, a study abroad consultancy. This is because of the cost of education is lower than the West. Also most of these countries allow students to travel for free within their borders and have marketed their courses well through education fairs and counselling sessions.

Shashank Tiwari, 17, a science student from Ranchi is planning to go to Qatar University to study engineering next year. The universitys website and social media handles are very active, they answer all our questions, there are details about all the research work that is going on in the fields of aeronautical and mechanical engineering on the website, says Tiwari. The biggest plus is that the tuition is low and the university provides us with global exposure.

FURTHER AFIELD

Karan Gupta, education consultant and founder of Karan Gupta Consulting says the low fees are only part of the allure. Some students, who do not get admission into MBBS and medicine courses in India, go to study in Croatia or Hungary, he says. You just need to make sure that the course is recognised by the Medical Council of India.

And these countries are keenly looking at what students want when they study abroad. The government of Slovakia offers several scholarships for students from Asia and the Middle East. Economics is a popular course choice for students choosing to study in Slovakia, says Gupta. And in Lithuania, you can get scholarships for and take up integrated study programmes that combine bachelors degrees, masters degrees and PhD. These programmes are popular in the fields of law and medicine.

Baty says that universities in Croatia offer degrees in chemical engineering, social sciences, health sciences, forensics, and kinesiology (the study of the mechanics of body movements). You can apply for public life scholarships here, it means that you can work for community development initiatives taken by the university to waive your tuition.

Eastern Europe offers a good mix of public and private universities. The cost of living is lower, people are mostly bilingual and tolerant, says Gupta. Plus, its beautiful. There are lush green forests, rivers and mountains, so a popular choice for the Instagram generation.

Qatar University attracts students who want to make a career in the fields of energy, environment, population and sustainability. There are 45 bachelors degrees, 25 masters degrees and various diplomas on offer at the university, says Nainika Ajani, manager of Early Advising at The Red Pen, an education consulting firm. The university also offers the first-ever PhD programme in Gulf Studies. Through this programme, you can learn about and help solve issues in the region. The courses are taught in both Arabic and English so sure the course you apply for is in the English language.

The universities in Eastern Europe and Qatar are working on increasing diversity on campuses by making policies favourable for international students. But you need to be mindful of what you are getting into. Language can become a major problem when staying in an Eastern European country, for instance, so learn the language of the country you are going to, says Krishnan. The weather is also an issue for students who come from tropical countries.
The governments recent advisory asking states to clamp down on e-cigarettes may not be enough to root them out, say experts, advocating a special mechanism to ensure a blanket ban on the devices that many users mistakenly view as a safer alternative to combustible cigarettes. Terming e-cigarettes poisonous and as dangerous as regular cigarettes, the experts said the Centre and state have made efforts but clandestine online portals and dingy shops selling them in nooks and crannies across Indias towns continue to function.

Even if the advisory of the government asks states to curb the sale of e-cigarettes in their jurisdiction, it is very difficult to keep a check at the ground level if the sale is happening through small vendors, Dr P C Gupta, director of HEALIS-Sekhsaria Institute for Public Health, Mumbai, told PTI.

There is need for a special mechanism by the government to keep a tab on the vendors from time to time, he added.

On March 12, the Central Drug Standard Control Organisation wrote to all drug controllers in states and Union territories to not allow the manufacture, sale, import and advertisement of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS), including e-cigarettes and flavoured hookahs, in their jurisdictions.

The move was in concert with several other organisations.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, too, proposed an amendment to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines) Rules 2018 to ban the advertisement of e-cigarettes.

The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs also issued a circular recently, directing that all import consignments of e-cigarettes must be cleared first by the drug controller.

There is no legislation to regulate the sale of e-cigarettes in the country, experts have said while calling for a blanket ban.

E-cigarettes are just a mechanism to deliver nicotine in an attractive format. They are marketed as a harm reduction product which is contrary to the truth. They do not fall within the scope of existing national legislation on tobacco production, distribution and use yet pose significant health risks that are frighteningly similar to those of conventional cigarettes, said Bhavna B Mukhopadhyay, chief executive, Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI). Twelve states have already banned e-cigarettes, she said, stressing on the need for a total ban. Drugs Controller General S Eswara Reddy is hopeful states will fill the existing gaps in the policy on banning e-cigarettes.

We have already given an advisory to all the states and expect the states to take strongest action against the sale of e-cigarettes, Reddy told PTI.

Union Health Secretary Preeti Sudan has written to Commerce Secretary Anup Wadhwan to block JUUL, a western company manufacturing sleek vaping devices like e-cigarettes, from entering India. Smoking e-cigarettes is called vaping.

Sudan said the entry of JUUL products, if not prevented, could undermine the efforts taken by the government towards tobacco control.

Other experts have also called for a special arrangement by the government to keep a tab on unorganised vendors and the online sale of e-cigarettes.

According to Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi of Mumbais Tata Memorial Hospital, people consuming e-cigarettes will add to the cancer burden of India.

Any nicotine product should be taken under strict medical supervision for controlling withdrawal symptoms during cessation therapy. I laud the government of India for taking a tough stand against these newer nicotine delivery devices, he said.

However, it should ensure there are no loopholes at the ground level by leaving a space for small vendors to sell it illegally, he said. E-cigarettes are also fast becoming a fashion statement for the young.

The constant introduction of new products, each with its own list of ingredients, that are marketed as smart alternatives to smoking pose a huge challenge.

Studies have found that the percentage of students who initiate e-cigarettes and hookah smoking before 10 years of age has increased from 26 per cent to 45 per cent in the last one and half decade.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), there were 14 lakh cancer patients in 2016. Of these, the highest number of cases was of lung and oral cancer, which is often caused by tobacco and smoking.

The VHAI, which is a New Delhi-based public health organisation, has also taken up the cause. A recent study by the American Heart Associations Scientific Sessions in Chicago, investigated the effect that e-cigarettes have on the endothelial cells, that line the inside of the bodys blood vessels.

Endothelial cells produce nitric oxide, a molecule that helps keep the blood vessels healthy and controls blood pressure levels.

Several countries, including Mauritius, Australia, Singapore, Korea (Democratic Peoples Republic, Sri Lanka and Thailand among others, have banned ENDS in their countries.

M C Misra, former director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, said the government should come down hard upon the companies for advertisements that show e-cigarettes as less harmful than tobacco.

It is proved that e-tobacco cannot be used as cessation method. The advertisements that say this should be banned and face actions, Misra said.

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Three militants were killed in south Kashmirs Shopian by security forces after a gun battle, Indian Army officials said on Thursday.

According to officials, weapons have also been recovered during the search and cordon operation in Yarwan area of Keller of Shopian district.

Three terrorists eliminated in Op Yarwan Forest in Shopian. Weapons also recovered and the operation is in progress, an army spokesperson said.

Another encounter began in Yaroo area of north Kashmirs Handwara. Area under cordon. Details will follow. @JmuKmrPolice @HandwaraP, Jammu and Kashmir police tweeted.
Four militants were killed in two separate gunfights with security forces in Kashmir on Thursday.

While three militants of a joint group of Hizbul Mujahideen and Lahkar-e-Taiba were killed in south Kashmirs Shopian; the fourth militant Danish Ahmad Dar was killed in north Kashmirs Handwara in Kupwara district.

The first gunfight started in Yawran area of Keller in Shopian after police, army and CRPF started a cordon and search operation, following inputs about the presence of militants in the area.

As the searches were going on, the search party was fired upon by the terrorists. The fire was retaliated leading to a gunfight. In the ensuing encounter, 3 terrorists were killed and the bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter, read a statement from the police.

The militants have been identified as Sajad Khanday, Aqib Ahmad Dar and Basharat Ahmad Mir, all residents of Pulwama; while the fourth militant Danish Ahmad Dar was a resident of Sopore.

They were wanted by law for their complicity in a series of terror crimes, including attack on security establishments and for civilian atrocities, he said.

The police said that Aqib had a long history of terror crime records and several cases were registered against him while Sajad and Basharat were also involved in many terror attacks.

Incriminating material, including 3 AK rifles, was recovered from the site of encounter. A mention of the same has been made in the case records for further investigation, the police said.

People in Shopian took to streets after the gunfight and threw stones on security forces as the news of militant killings spread. The forces responded by lobbing tear gas shells and firing pellets to disperse the protesters.

Another encounter followed in north Kashmirs Handwara after a cordon and search operation was launched by police and other security forces in Yaroo area of Langate.

According to police records, the killed terrorist was affiliated with proscribed terror outfit JeM and was wanted by the law for his complicity in a series of terror crimes including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities, the police said.

Security forces have been aggressively pursuing militants particularly those from Jaish-e-Mohammad group after the Pulwama attack.

Since February 14 Pulwama attack, 30 militants including, 20 from JeM, have been killed in 14 encounters across the Kashmir valley. So far the year has been a witness to the killing of 59 militants which also led to death of 57 security forces personnel  43 CRPF personnel including those of Pulwama attack, 8 army men and 6 police personnel. As many as 12 civilians have also lost their lives in various incidents of violence.
Finance minister Arun Jaitley said in a blog that the constitutionally vulnerable Article 35A has denied the people of the state of Jammu & Kashmir a booming economy, economic activity and jobs, even as he cautioned Opposition parties in the state for being being soft in criticizing separatism.

He also said most Indians believe that the Nehruvian course, which the State had embarked, was a historical blunder

Jaitley wrote that Article 35A was surreptitiously included in the Indian Constitution in 1954 and the law allows the State Government to discriminate between citizens. He pointed out that millions of Indians in J&K vote in Lok Sabha elections but not in other polls. Their children cannot get government jobs. They cannot own property and their children cannot get admitted to governmental institutions. The heirs of ladies marrying outside the State are disinherited from owing or inheriting property, he added.

Article 35A, part of the constitutional special status granted to the state restricts property ownership and other benefits to the states domiciled residents.

The finance minister also said that due to Article 35A, the state does not have adequate financial resources and that its ability to raise more funds are crippled.

No investor is willing to set up an industry, hotel, private educational institutions or private hospitals since he can neither buy land or property; nor can his executives. Their wards cannot get government jobs or admission to colleges. This prevents enrichment, resource generation and job creation, Jaitley said.

Article 35A has become the subject of a fierce political debate between the BJP and the Opposition parties. The BJP and some of its affiliates want the article to be diluted while the Opposition has warned the government against what it has termed a misadventure.

Reacting to Jaitleys comment, NC vice-president and former J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah said that if everything is J&K is so rosy why has Modi Sahib become the 1st PM since 1996 unable to have assembly elections in the state on time? He also vowed to protect Article 35A and Article 370.

Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress president Ghulam Ahmad Mir alleged that under BJP-rule the state has witnessed erosion in everything. Since BJP came to power situation turned bad and people are fed up with the BJP. Our party has given Article 35A and 370 and will defend it.

BJP has no real issues so they are raising these issues, he said. Suhail Bukhari, media advisor to PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, maintained that the PDPs stand on the issue of 35A and 370 is clear.

These are articles of faith for us and we are here to defend this status at any cost. BJP has only worsened the situation on ground denting any prospects of reconciliation. For their electoral theatrics, they have been raking up issues against Kashmir and Kashmiris Jaitley also hit out at the Congress, PDP and NC indirectly, without taking their names: Three families, since 1947, dominated that mainstream space. Two of them are based out of Srinagar and one in New Delhi. Regrettably, they let down the people of the State.

He alleged that the two major mainstream parties, even when they condemned terrorism, it was always with ifs and buts.

It is only their absolute distancing from separatism, violence and terrorism that can create an alternative space. Being soft in criticizing separatism does no good. It is for this reason that their own space has shrunk. This is the countrys disappointment with them, he said.

Maintaining that the Centre always wanted to give more space to the mainstream parties in the Valley to shrink the separatists space, he also wondered, Why should the rule of law that applies to the rest of the country not apply to the State? Should violence, separatism, mass stone throwing, vicious ideological indoctrination be allowed on the plea that if we check it, it will have a negative effect. Narrating the steps taken by the NDA government, Jaitley said, The separatists and the terrorists have been badly hit. The two mainstream parties are only giving television bytes and their activities are confined to social media.

The rule of law is being enforced in the Valley and is ensuring people a safe and peaceful life, the finance minister concluded.
A 12-year-old student of a missionary school was battered to death by two of his seniors in Ranipokhri area of Uttarakhands Dehradun district after he allegedly stole a packet of biscuits from a shop, police have said.

The incident happened on March 10 and the school authorities buried the Class 7 student inside the school campus on March 11 after his father said he will not be able to take his sons body home.

Police arrested the two Class 12 students and three school staff on Tuesday after the boys post-mortem examination revealed on March 23 that he died of internal injuries due to physical assault. The five accused were sent to jail on Wednesday.

According to police, the minor boy was a resident of Meerut and the senior students, both 19, are from Dehradun.

The two accused students were booked for murder while the school staffers were booked for causing the disappearance of evidence, station house officer of Ranipokhri PD Bhatt said.

The other three accused have been identified as school manager Praveen Messi, PTI teacher Ashok Solomon, hostel warden Ajay Kumar, police said.

The two accused senior students had beaten him with bats and wickets on March 10 after the school management prohibited all students from going out of the school premises without permission, Bhatt said.

They gave the order after a nearby shopkeeper complained against the deceased boy of stealing a packet of biscuits from his shop, while he along with other students were going to visit a nearby church on the same day, he said.

Bhatt said that the two senior students were angry with the boy after the order. After beating him for several hours, Bhatt said, the two senior students took him to the school buildings terrace, where they bathed him with cold water and then fed him.

The two then left him in the study room where he was spotted by the school warden in the evening. While sitting there with other students, he started vomiting after which the warden along with other staffers took him to a nearbyhospital where he died during treatment, Bhatt said.

The doctors there told them that the boy died of food poisoning after seeing the initial symptoms. It was then the school management informed his father, who lives in a leprosy shelter home in Meerut. The boys father reached Dehradun on March 11 where the hospital authorities also told him his son died of food poisoning citing the bouts of vomiting.

Later, when the postmortem examination report came on March 23 stating internal injuries, the actual incident came to light followed by investigations and arrest of the accused, claimed Bhatt.

Chairperson of the State Commission of Protection of Child Rights Usha Negi claimed she came to know about the burial of the boy after some locals informed her about the incident.

She then confronted the school management along with his parents following which they revealed the incident.

As the father of the boy are not much educated, the school management got him to sign some papers after which they buried him in the school premises in haste. It was done clearly to hide the evidence for which the school management is solely responsible. Strict action should be taken against other staffers too apart from the three accused, she said.

The post-mortem examination report stated that he sustained serious injuries in his torso and head due to brutal beating. I want justice for my son, the boys father said while speaking to the media.

When contacted, school principal MM Chandiwal refused to take responsibility for the incident.

The incident happened in the hostel and not in school. I am not responsible for the hostel, the manager for the hostel is someone else, Chandiwal said.
Vijay Mallya has attacked public sector banks once again, a day after more than 74 lakh shares held by the fugitive liquor baron in United Breweries Holdings Limited (UBHL) were sold for over 1,000 crore.

So much so for branding me a thief who stole PSU Bank money and ran away. Banks have made a substantial recovery in the past and also today. All included in my settlement proposal too. Damned if you do and Damned if you dont is how I am treated, he tweeted.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) said on Wednesday that the sale of 74,04,932 shares held by Vijay Mallya in the United Breweries Holdings (UBHL) Limited by Bengaluru-based Debt Recovery Tribunal fetched 1,008 crore.

Also read: Double standards: Vijay Mallya tweet attacks Centre after Jet Airways loan

The shares attached by the agency as part of its money laundering probe against the liquor baron were with Yes Bank and the Karnataka High Court had recently ordered the bank to surrender these in favour of the tribunal. These shares of United Breweries Limited were held by UBHL and kept with the Yes Bank as security in lieu of a loan taken by Kingfisher Airlines, it said.

Officials said this was the first such sale of shares in this case and few more will be sold in the days to come.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and ED have launched probes against him over allegations levelled by a consortium of 17 banks that provided loans to the now-defunct airline.

The controversial businessman, who is contesting Indias extradition bid in UK courts, had tweeted on Tuesday offering to return the money he owns several banks as he hit out at the NDA government for its double standards for not helping him out.

In a series of tweets, Vijay Mallya pointed out that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance government did nothing for him even though he invested crores of rupees into his now defunct Kingfisher Airlines. The tweets came a day after a consortium of lenders led by the State Bank of India took control of Jet Airways to save the airline from bankruptcy.

The 63-year-old businessman is on bail on an extradition warrant executed by Scotland Yard in April 2017 after Indian authorities brought fraud and money laundering charges amounting to 9,000 crore against him. The former Kingfisher Airlines boss flew out of India to the United Kingdom in March 2016 around the same time, the government says, agencies closed in on him for bank fraud.

Vijay Mallya became the first Indian businessman to be declared a fugitive economic offender by a special court in Mumbai on January 5.

(With agency inputs)
Islamabad on Thursday said it has found no links between militants detained during a recent crackdown and the February 14 suicide bombing in Pulwama, prompting New Delhi to say that Pakistan continues to be in denial about terrorists operating from its soil.

Pakistans Foreign Office said it conducted investigations on the basis of a dossier provided by India on February 27, which included a list of 90 members of proscribed groups and 22 locations of alleged training camps, but has established no links to the Pulwama attack. It also sought additional information from India. In a response late on Thursday, external affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said India was disappointed at Pakistans response to our detailed dossier on the Jaish-e-Mohammeds complicity in the Pulwama attack and the presence of its terror camps and leadership in Pakistan.

Regrettably, Pakistan continues to be in denial and even refuses to acknowledge Pulwama as a terror attack. It has not shared details of credible action, if any, taken by it against terrorists or terrorist organisations based in territories under its control, he added. The exchange reflected the underlying tensions between the two sides despite a recent de-escalation. The Pulwama attack, which killed 40 Indian troopers, was followed by Indias air strike on a JeM facility at Balakot in Pakistan and an aerial engagement along the Line of Control during which an Indian jet piloted by Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was downed. The spiralling tensions eased after Pakistan freed Varthaman on March 1, though India has insisted Pakistan should act on terrorists based on its soil. This was reiterated by Kumar, who said: Pakistan should take immediate, credible, irreversible and verifiable actions against terrorists and terror organisations operating from territories under its control. Pakistan shared the preliminary findings of its investigations with India on Wednesday. The Foreign Office said an investigation team had been formed, a number of people detained and technical aspects of social media content looked into.

The Pakistani investigators also examined the confessional video of suicide bomber Adil Dar, JeMs claim of responsibility, Whatsapp and Telegram numbers used to share videos and messages in support of the Pulwama attack, the list of 90 suspected militants and 22 locations of training camps.

While 54 detained individuals are being investigated, no details linking them to Pulwama have been found so far. Similarly, the 22 pin locations [of training camps] shared by India have been examined. No such camps exist. Pakistan is willing to allow visits, on request, to these locations, the Foreign Office said in a statement. Service providers were requested for data, including details of activities and contacts of a GSM number provided by India and a request for assistance from WhatsApp was made to the US government, the statement added. Additional information and documents from India would be essential to continue the process of investigations. Pakistan remains committed to taking this process to its logical conclusion, it said.

While expressing Indias disappointment, external affairs ministry spokesperson Kumar said Pakistan followed an identical script after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks and the 2016 assault on Pathankot airbase.

Kumar said it was well-known the JeM, a UN-designated terrorist group, and its leader Masood Azhar are based in Pakistan.
A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker was shot dead allegedly by Trinamool-backed miscreants on Wednesday night.

The incident triggered a roadblock by BJP supporters in Harishchandrapur area of Malda district, about 405 km away from Kolkata.

According to the complaint filed with the police, Patanu Mondal (28) was sleeping with his wife and eight-month-old daughter when a few men entered the house and opened fire.

We have received a complaint of murder against two persons, but they are on the run. Central paramilitary personnel will conduct route march in the area to restore confidence among the locals before the election, said a senior police officer of the Malda district.

Incidentally, Mondal became the third person to be killed in political clashes in West Bengal since the elections were announced on March 10. On March 12, a 28-year-old Congress worker was killed in Chopra of North Dinajpur district. On March 18, a 45-year-old Trinamool worker was hacked to death in Murshidabad district.

On Thursday morning, BJP supporters staged an agitation in the area and prevented the police from taking away Patanu Mondals body for autopsy.

The murder triggered a blame game.

Mondal used to work as a civic police volunteer for Harishchandrapur police station. Earlier, Trinamool workers framed him in a false case and he lost his job. Thereafter, he became a BJP leader in the area and a couple of days ago he was instrumental in organising a rally in the area where more than 1,000 people gathered, unnerving the ruling party workers. Trinamool-backed goons have killed Mondal, alleged Malda district BJP president Sanjit Mishra.

Mishra also said that in 2018, Patanus elder brother Utpal won a gram panchayat seat on a BJP ticket in the Doulatnagar gram panchayat (where the family lives).

Since that victory last year, the family has been facing pressure from local Trinamool leaders. After Utpals victory, Trinamool workers set fire to his (Utpals) house and damaged the jute that he cultivated. Ruling party workers were also putting pressure on Patanu to join the Trinamool, added Mishra.

Dismissing the BJP leaders claim, the working president of Trinamools Malda district, Dulal Sarkar, said, The brother of the victim, Utpal, has already joined the Trinamool, and has been appointed the pradhan of local gram panchayat. Inspired by the development spree of the state government, Patanu, too, was also planning to join the Trinamool. BJP-backed goons killed him because of this.

Mishra said the assailants fired four rounds and a bullet pierced Mondals neck.

In her complaint, the victims wife, Ruma Das Mondal, alleged that she was woken up by the sound of gunfire and saw two persons exiting the room. She named Sumit Mondal, a resident of the village, as one of the two. But she could not recognise the other assailant.

A few days ago, Sumit threatened my father that he would kill my husband, alleged Ruma Das Mondal.
Syria and India have strong security cooperation and intelligence-sharing and any India-origin Islamic State fighters captured in the war-torn country will be handed over to New Delhi, Syrian ambassador Riad Abbas said on Thursday.

Any efforts by New Delhi to resolve differences between Syria and Israel as well as in the overall Middle East peace process will be welcomed by Damascus, Abbas said during an interaction with reporters. He also called on Indias public and private sectors to invest in the reconstruction of Syria.

The envoys remarks came against the backdrop of Islamic State members acknowledging the death of Shafi Armar, a resident of Bhatkal in Karnataka, on March 19 during fighting in the terror groups last remaining stronghold of Baghouz in Syria.

Abbas said he didnt have details of the situation on the ground but added: I can tell you we have cordial and strong relations in intelligence-sharing with India. We are sharing intelligence on all issues. If the Syrian government captures any Indian-origin Daesh member, they will hand him over to India.

Expressing appreciation for Indias position on the Syrian crisis, Abbas said, We have full faith in the Indian policy towards the Middle East, and we highly trust the Indian position, especially if they want to play any pro-active role inside Syria or in the Middle East peace process. We will be happy to see an Indian role.

India is uniquely placed to play such a role as it has never been a coloniser or aggressor, and was instead a victim of colonisation, he added.

India, Abbas said, has contributed to the rebuilding of Syria and the government has now invited firms from Indias public and private sectors to invest in the country, especially in oil, gas, power, infrastructure such as highways, airports and cities, and low-cost housing.

Syrias public sector has been devastated and it is a virgin country for development. We are ready to share our mineral and natural resources with friendly countries for mutual benefits, he said, adding UN agencies had estimated $400 billion to $600 billion will be required to rebuild the country.

Though Syrias membership of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has been suspended, Abbas said his country backed full membership for India at OIC. Syrias position within OIC was always in support of India and Syria had reservations about any resolutions or declarations that condemned India. We would welcome India as a full member as it has the second largest Muslim population, he said.
Economist Jean Dreze was on Thursday detained for two hours at Bishunpura in Jharkhands Garhwa district for organising a meeting without permission, police said.

Dreze said he was detained along with two others as the programme (on the Right to Food) was about to begin. Police came and picked me along with my two other associates, Vivek Gupta and Anuj Kumar, the organiser of the programme, saying we do not have the permission, said Dreze, who was a member of the now-defunct National Advisory Council (NAC) .

The previous Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government set up the NAC to advise the prime minister in 2004; it helped draft laws like the Right to Education Act. The NAC ceased to exist after Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office in 2014.

Bishunpura police station incharge Vijay Kumar Singh said the programme was being conducted in violation of the model code of conduct (MCC) as it had no permission from the sub-divisional magistrate. The MCC prohibits anything that could influence voters in the run up to elections. Jharkhand minister Saryu Roy condemned Drezes detention and asked the government and the Election Commission to cognizance and take appropriate action against the police. The MCC conduct does not apply to people like Dreze even if he criticises the government

Dreze, who has been raising issues such as the alleged anomalies in the implementation of various government schemes, said the police asked the three to sign a bond saying they did not have any complaint against the government. But we refused to sign any such bond. Later, they changed their mind and released us without any condition, said the Belgian-born Indian economist. Dreze said the organisers sought permission for the programme around 10 days back and that they were neither denied nor granted it.
Union minister and BJP candidate from the Nagpur Lok Sabha seat Nitin Gadkari Wednesday claimed that he is getting phone calls from Congress workers pledging support to him.

The BJP stalwart kick-started his campaigning and said he will seek votes on the basis of development work done by him in the constituency, which will vote on April 11.

Gadkari said he is getting best wishes from non-BJP parties, including the opposition Congress.

I have worked for all irrespective of their caste, religion, language and party affiliation. A huge number of Congress workers and office-bearers phone me and tell me not to worry, claimed Gadkari.

They say though we are physically there (in the Congress), our hearts are with you (Gadkari) and hence I have support from all, he added.

He asked the BJP workers to reach out to the people with confidence and advised them to be humble in their conduct. He also told them to understand the difference between confidence and arrogance.

One should have confidence but not arrogance. Hence, reach out to the public with humility and tell them about the work done by the party, he said.

Seeking re-election from Nagpur, Gadkari said he will win the upcoming poll with a bigger margin than in 2014 and announced that he had initiated developmental projects worth 70,000 crore in the constituency.

I have decided not to take the name of opposition candidates and not criticise any party. I will tell the people about the work that I have done and will seek the votes on the basis of work done by me, said Gadkari.

We have completed the works promised in the last manifesto. We should not give false assurances to public. We will do what we have assured. We will say what we have done, said the Union minister.

The Union minister inaugurated the Central Election Campaigning Office of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies in Nagpur and asked the workers not to comment on anyones statements.

The public is intelligent and knows everything. We have done our work and won the trust of people. People love us irrespective of caste, religion, community and party and this love for us will ensure our victory, said Gadkari.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi began the BJPs poll campaign in Uttar Pradesh with a mega rally in Meerut on Thursday. Modi targeted the coming together of Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and Rashtriya Lok Dal by calling it an opportunistic alliance.

They have just changed the signboard, the shop remains the same, said Modi. The Prime Minister, who said the people of India have made up their mind on who to vote for in 2019, asserted that Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati have nothing new to offer.

In a swipe at the SP-BSP combine, Modi said it seems they are in a hurry. The prime minister also compared the alliance to the Congress-SP tie-up that was stitched by Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi just before the 2017 UP assembly polls.

Watch: Confused A-SAT with a theatre: PM Modis jibe at Rahul Gandhi

It didnt take them much time to go from UP ke do ladke (Congress-SP alliance) to Bua Babua (SP-BSP). But changing the signboard doesnt mean the shop is new, PM Modi said.

He also coined an acronym SARAB (alcohol) for the Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Lok Dal and Bahujan Samaj Party alliance and urged people to stay away from SARAB in the polls for the good health of Uttar Pradesh.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adfityanath came in for praise from the PM who said the law and order situation in Indias most populous state has improved since the BJP came to power. He also said there were many riots in UP during the rule of Samajwadi Party.

Randeep Surjewala of the Congress hit back at the prime minister within minutes, accusing PM Modi of lowering the standard of political discourse by comparing an alliance of three parties to alcohol. Surjewala said the Congress and Mayawati may have differences but he did refer to her as Mayawatiji.

Read more| Surgical strikes on land, sky and space, says PM Modi at Meerut rally

SP, BSP and RLD have joined hands in Uttar Pradesh to contest 78 of 80 Lok Sabha seats leaving out Amethi and Rae Bareli, represented by Congress president Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi respectively. The alliance presents the biggest challenge to BJP in the state, where it had won 73 seats in 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

The PMs rally in Meerut was aimed at galvanising the BJPs support base in the western Uttar Pradesh belt, which votes in the first phase of parliamentary polls.
The City Sessions Court on Thursday sentenced a 42-year-old man to death for rape and murder of a two-and-a-half-year-old pavement dweller in Kolkata in 2013.

On Tuesday, chief judge of the court held Suresh Paswan guilty of kidnapping (IPC section 364), rape (IPC section 376), murder (IPC section 302) and section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

While announcing the quantum of punishment on Thursday, chief judge Siddhartha Kanjilal, who is also the judge designated for the special POCSO court, described the incident as rarest of rare cases.

The trial was conducted at the special POCSO court.

The judge heard 32 witnesses, including the coroner, before passing the order, said Tamal Kanti Mukherjee, the chief public prosecutor.

The incident took place on the intervening night of July 20 and 21, 2013. The family of the victim used to live on a pavement under the Vidyasagar Setu and used to get by through begging.

It was the grandmother who first realised that the child was missing when she woke up late in the night to feed the child bottled milk. The childs body was found at a nearby spot the next morning.

Paswan had fled to his ancestral home in Bihar soon after the incident. We arrested him from Bihar and found the missing undergarment of the victim in his possession, said police officer Atanu Banerjee, who was part of the investigation.

The victims mother was mentally challenged and was deserted by her husband.

The family registered a complaint with the police the day after the crime, naming Paswan as the suspect.

The complaint alleged that Paswan was spotted roaming near the area, with mud covering his legs.

Paswan was a casual employee at a prominent club in Kolkata.

The childs body was found in a drain near the house with injuries on the head, chin and private parts.

The post-mortem confirmed rape. Death was caused by strangulation.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh credited former Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar of reviving the contentious Rafale deal and helping its completion.

Speaking at the state level condolence meeting held on the 12th day since Parrikars passing, Singh who was a special invitee on the occasion said Parrikar who was chosen to be the countrys Defence Minister due to his unblemished record and decisiveness helped the country get the next generation fighter jets which were in the pipeline for more than three decades.

For a long time, India did not have the next generation fighter plane. It was natural that a country of our kind needed the next generation fighter planes. The Rafale deal was pending for many years. And the Prime Minister gave Parrikar the responsibility and in 2016 the deal was announced with the French Defence Minister. Parrikar too had an important role in quickening the deal, Rajnath Singh said.

The Light Combat Aircraft, which we call Tejas, which some months back were given operational clearance by Air Force, even for this Parrikar played a very important role to bring it where it is, Singh recalled.

Watch: Manohar Parrikar played a crucial role in two air strikes: Rajnath Singh

The opposition has consistently claimed that the Prime Minister unilaterally changed the pricing of the Rafale aircraft and that he bypassed his then defence minister Manohar Parrikar in signing the deal.

Singh also recalled how Parrikar alone solve the one rank one pension issue.

I personally know how much of an important role Parrikar played in resolving that issue.

The Prime Minister told him that it is his responsibility you see how it can be solved. That job too he solved, Singh said.

Earlier Goa Governor Mridula Sinha while praising Parrikar said she hoped that he was reborn.

We all know that everyone who is born also dies. But it is also true in our society, that the dead person also comes back in another form. The personality is born again. We all hope that Manohar is born again. This can happen, but the anticipation that it will happen is less, she said.
Maoists blew up the house of a former member of the Bihar Legislative Council (MLC) and BJP leader Anuj Kumar Singh in the states Gaya district late on Wednesday as they called for the boycott of Lok Sabha election 2019, police said on Thursday.

Singhs uncle and his family member were beaten up during the attack in Bodhibigha village, about 80km away from the district headquarters, according to police.

An armed squad of the outlawed CPI(Maoist) also threatened the villagers with dire consequences if they failed to ensure a total boycott of the Lok Sabha election 2019 across the Magadh division of the state. Their raid of the village under the Dumaria police station continued for two hours.

They threw handbills and pamphlets calling for a boycott of the Lok Sabha election 2019 and raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Maoists also threatened the villages youth and asked them to stay away from the ongoing election campaigns of the political parties.

Gayas senior superintendent of police Rajeev Mishra confirmed the incident and said that police teams reached the spot early on Thursday morning and investigation is still on. The local police will lodge an FIR with this regard after their preliminary investigation.

When asked about the Maoists posters and handbills dropped in the village, Mishra said police have recovered some papers which were being circulated by the Maoists calling for a poll boycott.

Gaya Police and the central forces have also launched a search operation to flush out the rebels gathered along the Jharkhand-Bihar borders to create trouble during the elections, the SSP said.

This is not the first time that Maoists have struck the former MLCs house at his ancestral village of Bodhibigha. They had attacked the house in 2007 and threw bombs. They had also blown up the house of Singhs personal assistant and beaten him up him in public.

Before that, Maoists had attacked Singhs nephew who was on his way to Dumaria from Gaya. His driver was shot dead and the nephew had sustained serious bullet injuries.

The former MLC has been on the hit list of the Maoists since 2006 for his continuous campaign against the left wing extremists across Magadh division.

I had earlier demanded a police station at the village and the issue was raised in the assembly. The then chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi had approved the opening of a police station at Bodhibigha in 2014. But, despite the government decision neither a police outpost nor any police station came into existence so far, Singh said.

Mishra, however, said that there is no infrastructure in the village and the police station there would not be viable. There have been adequate forces in Dumaria-Imamganj areas to control the situation, he said.

Maoists have carried out their anti-election campaign in the past as well. Last month, the they had torched a government middle school which was turned into a police camp for the election.

The rebels had dropped handbills and called for a poll boycott. The district administration and police stepped up security and intensified patrolling to ensure regular classes at the school.

Gaya Police and central forces have launched a massive combing operation in the sensitive areas of the region and the Maoists are carrying out such raids out of frustration, a senior police officer said.
Scotland Yard on Wednesday arrested one man in connection with the fatal stabbing in the London suburb of Pinner on Sunday of shop owner Ravi Katharkamar, as concern grows over the increasing number of stabbing incidents in the capital.

Katharkamar, 54, was stabbed to death at 6am on Sunday when he opened his shop. A passerby found him collapsed inside the shop suffering from stab injuries. The London Ambulance Service pronounced him dead at the scene.

A 44-year-old man [A] was arrested in Harrow borough on Wednesday, 27 March. He has been taken to a London police station where he remains in custody, read a statement from the police.

Detective chief inspector Simon Stancombe said: This was a vicious and unwarranted attack on a completely innocent man. Ravis attacker got away with a few pounds worth of coins, but he leaves behind a family utterly devastated and a close-knit community asking who could do such a thing.

Home secretary Sajid Javid has sought increased funding for the police to deal with the growing incidents of knife crime in London and other parts of the UK.
Pakistan has said it is investigating 54 people detained over the Pulwama suicide attack but claimed that no details linking them to the bombing have been found so far. The February 14 terror attack that killed 40 CRPF soldiers triggered a major stand-off between India and Pakistan.

A statement by the Pakistan Foreign Office said they have examined the 22 pin locations of alleged training camps shared by India and said no such camps exist. Pakistan is willing to allow visits, on request, to these locations, the statement said.

Indias dossier had contained extensive evidence on JeMs involvement in the bombing carried out by a 22-year-old man from Jammu and Kashmir. It also had information on JeMs Pakistan-based chief Masood Azhar and other leaders of the banned terror group. The dossier was shared after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan promised to act if actionable evidence was provided.

All aspects of the information provided by India have been thoroughly examined including the confessional video of Adil Dar, claim of responsibility for the attack, WhatsApp and Telegram numbers used to share videos and messages in support of Pulwama attack, list of 90 individuals suspected of belonging to a proscribed organization and 22 pin locations of alleged training camps, the Pakistan Foreign Office statement said.

Pakistan said service providers have been requested for data and a request for assistance from WhatsApp has also been made to the US government.

Read more| On Pulwama attack, Pakistan asks India for more evidence and information

Islamabad has sought more information and evidence from India to take forward cooperation in the investigation into the Pulwama attack.

Pakistans latest demand was similar to its response to the 2008 Mumbai attacks and the 2016 assault on Pathankot airbase, when Islamabad had sought more evidence from New Delhi.
With Jet Airways preparing to resume flights with 41 aircraft grounded on account of non-payment to lessors, SpiceJet hoping to get more aircraft on lease following the grounding of 12 Boeing 737 MAX planes over safety concerns, and IndiGo seeking to reduce the number of cancellations due to pilot shortages, the coming months could see a fall in air fares or, at the least, a return to normalcy, spelling relief for passengers.

February and March have seen high airfares, with an average increase of 35-40% on airfares across key sectors. The partial closure of Mumbai and Bengaluru airports and daily cancellations and grounding of planes by airlines led to a 5% decrease in seat capacity, said Aloke Bajpai, CEO and co-founder of ixigo, a travel website.

That resulted in a sharp increase in fares  by 40-50% for same-day fares and, in some cases, up to 200% for last-minute fares, according to airline executives. That is expected to change now. With Jet announcing operations of 75 planes by next month and airlines tackling pilot shortage issues, airfares are expected to normalise soon. Our data shows that if grounded planes resume operations, airfares can dip by 15-20% April onwards, Bajpai added.

Caught in a financial crisis, Jet, with at least 8,000 crore of debt on its books, started grounding aircraft in January. It is estimated to have grounded 41 planes. IndiGo, Indias largest airline by passengers flown and flights operated, has also announced cancellations of 30 flights per day until March 31.

Then came the crash of the Boeing 737 MAX in Ethiopia that resulted in the grounding of all of the new-generation Boeing aircraft. SpiceJet grounded 12 aircraft and scrapped 30 flights a day.

Spokespersons for Jet Airways, IndiGo and SpiceJet did not respond to queries e-mailed to them.

Airfares are expected to come down given that constraints on the supply side will ease out with deployment of additional aircraft by airlines, as also the reopening of the runway in April, leading to an eventual stabilisation of both domestic and international schedules, said Indiver Rastogi, president and country head, corporate travel, Thomas Cook India Ltd.

During the worst of the crisis, a last-minute ticket to Pune from Delhi was costing around 35,000-40,000. It normally costs around 7,000.

Jet Airways executives said that while operations to Bhuj, Mangalore, Bhopal and Aurangabad, which were completely shut following grounding of aircraft, will resume from March 31, the frequency of flights to metro cities, which had been curtailed, will also increase.

The initial impact borne by consumers in terms of inflated price due to reduced seat availability owing to various reasons will moderate. This is mainly because of companies restarting operations; with increased flight options the fare hike of 15-20% noted initially will get adjusted. Additionally, with summer travel around the corner, the capacity expansion will come as a relief to individuals looking to travel during this time, said Sharat Dhall, chief operating officer (B2C), Yatra.com, a travel website.

Executives at IndiGo and SpiceJet confirmed that the number of flight cancellations will go down from April 1, leading to more seat availability and a reduction in fares.
Punjab National Bank (PNB) has rejected fugitive billionaire Mehul Choksis allegation that the banks chairman Sunil Mehta instigated PNB executives and created a malicious case against his company Gitanjali Gems Ltd and him without any tangible proof.

All action taken by the bank against those involved in the fraud is as per the rules and regulations defined by law and is without any prejudice, a PNB spokesperson said on Thursday. The diamantaire, who is absconding, is a co-accused in the 13,500-crore PNB fraud along with his nephew Nirav Modi.

PNB said that the investigating agencies are working on the case, which is currently subjudice. The bank has and continues to provide full cooperation to all investigating agencies working on the matter, it said.

The bank, however, chose not to comment on Choksis accusations. A statement issued by Choksis lawyers on Wednesday accused the chairman of PNB of falsely implicating the diamantaire. Despite no tangible proof, the PNB authorities, instigated by a panic-stricken chairman, Sunil Mehta, created a malicious case against a high-profile targetGitanjali Gems and its proprietor Mr Mehul Choksi, the statement said.

Mehta did not respond to the query on the specific accusation made against him. The banks actions are not against any individual, a PNB executive said on condition of anonymity.

The Wednesday statement issued by the lawyers of the accused said that Choksi was innocent as he was not a partner in any of the firms under the scanner of the investigative agencies for the biggest banking scam in the country.

The basis of the raids was an old and dated Know Your Customer (KYC) document which had been submitted by Mr Choksi to the Punjab National Bank as far back as 1995. Mr. Choksi sought to correct the details of this KYC on several occasions. He was not a partner in any of the firms under scrutiny for the purported scam being investigated at that time. In fact, Mr Choksi quit all these firms way back in 2000, the statement said.

The lawyers claimed PNB not only chose to ignore repeated requests and calls of Choksi to resolve the KYC issue but also made the old and out of date KYC document the basis of allegations.

For PNB, it was obviously a desperate attempt to save their own skin by diverting attention away from the role of the bank and the cracks in their own system of not having updated all relevant information in their central server their central reporting system to the Reserve Bank of India, the statement said.

Choksi allegedly secured a passport from Antigua and Barbuda about two months before a case was registered to declare him a fugitive economic offender in January 2018. In its submission to the court, the Enforcement Directorate has said that Choksi fled the country to avoid arrest.

Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi allegedly colluded with some employees of PNB to fraudulently secure guarantees against which they borrowed from overseas branches of mainly Indian banks. In its submission to the finance ministry, PNB said that the fraud escaped the notice of the inspection audit team of the bank even though it was going on from 2011. It was detected in the third week of January 2018. The bank immediately initiated an investigation and reported the fraud to the central bank. First information reports (FIRs) were lodged with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in late January.

By then, Choksi had fled. The bank filed complaints with the Enforcement Directorate on February 13, 2018 and with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs on February 19.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national general secretary Ram Madhav on Wednesday said the party wants early elections to the state assembly in the Jammu and Kashmir.

Speaking at the press conference in Srinagar, Madhav said the BJP has conveyed to the Election Commission of India (EC) to hold assembly elections in the state as soon as possible. He charged National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with creating hindrance in the states development.NC and PDP are happy contesting the Lok Sabha elections while the BJP wants to have assembly election in the state, Madhav said.

Madhav said the party has a good base in the Jammu and Kashmir and will win all the six seats. He said the regional parties are resorting to old tactics to reap political gains.

The regional political parties (NC, PDP) had boycotted the municipal and urban local bodies elections which were held last year owing to the Article 35 A. But when it comes to Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, both the parties are ready to contest Lok Sabha polls. These leaders are only concerned about politics and not people, he said.

PARTY CONVINCING LAL SINGH TO WITHDRAW NOMINATIONS

Meanwhile, the BJP national general secretary said the partys state unit was trying to convince rebel BJP leader Choudhary Lal Singh to withdraw his nomination from two Lok Sabha seats of the Jammu region.

Though we are confidant of winning both Jammu-Poonch and Udhampur-Doda seats with big margins, the local leadership of the party is talking to Lal Singh to convince him to withdraw from both the seats.
Rajasthan police on Thursday booked a 31-year-old man identified as Naveen Swami slapping sedition charges against him for allegedly posting a death threat to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Facebook on Thursday.

Swami, a resident of Barkat Nagar in Jaipur, works at a book store located near Triveni Nagar.

According to the police, Naveen created a fake profile on Facebook posing as Naveen Swami Dual. He posted a death threat to PM Modi on his Facebook wall. Swami wrote on his post, Kya koi he jo mujhe Modi ke murder ki supari de sakta he. Mere pass full proof plan he (can somebody hire me to kill Modi. I have a full-proof plan).

The cyber team of Jaipur police commissioners office informed commissioner Anand Shrivastava about the post after which Srivastava then directed DCP east Rahul Jain to take action.

Jain said, A team of police officials tracked the IP address of the Facebook account with the help of the cyber police team. After tracking Swamis location, a team from Bajaj Nagar police station was rushed to his residence at Barkat Nagar on Thursday and was arrested.

Accused Swami said, I know I have committed a mistake and within 10 minutes, I had deleted the post. I was abused by some trolls on my post and as a reaction, I had uploaded the post.

The station house officer of Bajaj Nagar police station Manwendra Singh said that Swami was arrested under section 124(A) (whoever attempts to excite disaffection towards the government), 505(B)( intent to incite, or which is likely to incite, any class or community ) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of Indian Penal Code.

Police are further interrogating him and will present him in the court on Friday.
Nirav Modi, one of Indias most wanted lodged in a UK prison, is likely to appear in the Westminster magistrates court on Friday via video link to seek bail, marking the beginning of case management hearings as part of extradition proceedings.

Modi, 48, was denied bail on March 20 after being arrested the previous day on a warrant issued by the court after British home secretary Sajid Javid certified Indias request to extradite him to face charges of bank fraud amounting to over 14,000 crore.

Denying Modi bail is significant given the history of Indians sought to be extradited since the 1992 India-UK treaty. Almost all of them were granted bail, including former Dawood Ibrahim aide Iqbal Mirchi, as well as others such as Vijay Mallya, Sanjeev Chawla and Ravi Shankaran.

Modi offered to pay 500,000 pounds as the security deposit for bail but was denied due to what judge Marie Mallon called the high value of amount involved in the allegations and the likelihood of his escaping.

A team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is expected to be present in the court on Friday.

The extradition case of both Modi and Mallya relate to loans worth thousands of crores of rupees secured from Indian banks; from a consortium of banks that includes IDBI and SBI in the Mallya case, and the Mumbai branch of the Punjab National Bank in Modis case.

However, there are key differences in the nature of charges of financial impropriety. Mallyas main contention was that there is no prima facie case against him, since the inability of his Kingfisher Airlines to return loans, according to him, was due to a genuine business failure.

The case was described by the judge as a jigsaw puzzle, while Mark Summers, lawyer representing India, accused Mallya of three chapters of dishonesty: Misrepresentations made to banks to secure loans, what was done with the loans secured, and what he and his companies did when banks recalled the loans.

After over a year of hearings involving thousands of pages of documents and witnesses, chief judge Emma Arbuthnot upheld Indias case that there is a prima facie case for him to answer in India, dismissing other grounds such as risk to human rights in jail and abuse of process.

In contrast, Modis case may be decided over a shorter time-frame, given the different, seemingly clearer charges of impropriety and fraud against him, his family and others, including some PNB officials, as outlined in CBIs chargesheet filed in Indian courts.

As in the Mallya case, Modis defence team is likely to raise issues in court to prevent his extradition, such as risk to his human rights in Indian jails, political persecution and alleged infirmities in the Indian judicial system that prevent delivery of justice.

India successfully countered such claims in the court with documentary and visual evidence in the Mallya case, including a sovereign assurance from the Union home ministry that there would be no risk to his human rights.

Indias charges against Modi, as provided to Interpol, are: Punishment of criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust by public servant, or by banker merchant or agent, cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property, prevention of corruption act, money laundering.

The Westminster Magistrates Court, which deals with several extradition cases every day, is also hearing the case of suspected Dawood Ibrahim aide Jabir Motiwala, who is facing extradition to the United States to answer charges related to money-laundering, among others. He has so far appeared in the court through the video link.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today justified Prime Minister Narendra Modis televised address to the nation to announce Indias entry into the elite club of nations that have the ability to shoot satellites in low orbits. The announcement was absolutely fine, Rajnath Singh said in an exclusive interview with Hindustan, a sister publication of HT.

This is a great achievement and only prime minister should have conveyed the good news to countrymen, the home minister said.

Home Minister Singh said it was PM Modi who gave a green signal to this very important research and had all the right to convey it to the nation.

Watch: India now a space power: PM lauds successful anti-satellite missile test

It is matter of pride that India has joined this club which had only three members till yesterday morning, Rajnath Singh said.

Asked how he would justify PM Modis unprecedented announcement after the model code of conduct had kicked-in, Rajnath Singh said the event itself was unprecedented.

Also Read | Tilting against windmills: Pakistan responds to Indias Mission Shakti

He said the prime minister is aware of the sensitivities and the security interests of the nation involved. When DRDO sought the governments approval to work on the project, he had taken no time and immediately approved it.

This is not a development that has taken place in days or weeks, our scientists have being working on it day and night. Nobody should link defence and security-related issues to elections, he said.

If you noticed, the former DRDO chief has disclosed that the Congress government had denied permission to the same proposal to test A-SAT (anti satellite missile) in 2012, but it was Modi who okayed it without a second thought, Rajnath Singh said.

The BJP claims that it will get more seats in 2019 as compared to the 2014 parliamentary elections. Asked if the NDA partners too would make similar commitments, Rajnath Singh said: We are all committed to united NDA. Its a commitment, and there were no compulsions. We know that BJP will get a majority on its own but next government will be constituted by NDA, not BJP alone.

Rajnath Singh, to a question on the NDAs leadership, made it clear there was no chance of any other leader leading the NDA government.

Narendra Modi ji is our undisputed leader and all party members including allies have great faith in him, he said. For sure, no one else but he would be NDAs prime minister and your question is based on speculation, he stressed. The home minister was replying to a question on the possibilities in case the BJP does not get a majority on its own and allies exert pressure for an alternate candidate for the prime ministers role.

On the home ministry that has overseen the internal security situation under his watch, Rajnath Singh said he was satisfied with the ongoing task of ending Maoist violence and insurgency in the Northeast. He claimed that peace was returning to Jammu and Kashmir and his government should be able to eliminate terror from the state in next tenure.
The Election Commission (EC) on Thursday removed former director general of the Border Security Force (BSF), KK Sharma, as special police observer for West Bengal and Jharkhand.

The order - which replaced Sharma with Vivek Dube, a former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of 1981 batch - came less than a day after Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee sought Sharmas removal.

The EC, in its order, said that Sharma will now be assigned the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It however, did not give any reasons for doing the same.

Election Commission of India has nominated Vivek Dube (IPS AP 1981 Retd) as the Central Police Observer for the States of West Bengal and Jharkhand during General Elections 2019. K K Sharma (IPS 1982 Retd DG Border Security Force) who was earlier nominated for these States has now been assigned the States of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana instead, read a press release from the EC.

The press statement added that these Observers would oversee the deployment and other security related issues in the respective states.

Earlier, the Bengal CM alleged that Sharma had attended an RSS meet in uniform in the presence of Rantideb Sengupta, Bharatiya Janata Partys Lok Sabha candidate from Howrah. How can we expect neutrality from this officer? she said. Banerjee also showed the media a photograph purportedly showing Sharma attending the event.

A man who attended a meeting of RSS in uniform has been appointed as special observer for West Bengal and Jharkhand! I respect his khaki uniform. It should be used for the safety of people. He forgot everything... We will write a strong letter to the ECI and seek his removal, she said.

Rantideb Sengupta said he saw no reason for stirring a controversy over the RSS event. The RSS is not a political organisation. It was a social event. I was there as an RSS member but he (Sharma) went there to support the cause the organisation espouses, Sengupta said.

Sharma was not available for comment.

On Tuesday, the poll panel appointed Sharma, a 1982-batch IPS officer, as Special Central Police Observer for West Bengal and Jharkhand to oversee the deployment of security forces and other security related issues in the two states.
For the first time in the history of parliamentary elections in Mizoram, a woman candidate has filed nomination for the states lone Lok Sabha seat.

Sixty-three-year-old Lalthlamuani will be contesting as an Independent candidate against five male rivals in the constituency reserved for scheduled tribes (ST). Mizoram, which has a total electorate of 770,395, goes to the polls on April 11.

It feels awesome to be the first woman candidate from Mizoram, said Lalthlamuani, speaking over the phone from Aizawl, adding that she decided to contest after getting a signal from God.

Lalthlamuani had contested the Aizawl South-I constituency in last years assembly polls as well but secured just 69 votes. This time, she will contest the lone Lok Sabha seat, currently held by the Congress.

The grandmother of five runs a non-government organisation (NGO) called Chhinlung Israel People Convention (CIPC), which comprises Mizo Jews who believe they are one of the 10 mythical lost tribes of Israel.

A Christian-majority state, Mizoram is also home to around 20,000 Jews who claim to be descendants of these tribes and the state has three synagogues, one of them run by Lalthlamuani.

We are fighting for our identity and I want to make sure that the voice of the lost tribe of Israel is heard at the Centre. As a woman I would like to show that even a simple woman can take on male candidates, she said.

Although woman voters (4,02,408) outnumber men (3,81,991) in Mizoram, they dont have enough representation in legislative bodies.

In the run-up to the November 2018 assembly polls, the states largest womens organization, Mizo Hmeichhe Insuihkhawn Pawl (Mizo Women Welfare Federation), which has branches all over the state and has over 285,000 members, had appealed to women electorate to vote for women candidates. But none of the 15 candidates in the fray in the states 40 seats won. The previous assembly had just one woman legislator.

In Mizoram, there are few women in senior positions in political parties. Not many women think of politics as a career option. And theres just one parliamentary seat from the state, hence parties prefer giving tickets to candidates who have a better chance at winning, said MHIPs general secretary T Lalthangpuii.

The situation isnt much different in other states in the north-east. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the region elected only two women MPs, Sushmita Deb [Congress] from Silchar and Bijaya Chakrabarty [BJP] from Guwahati  both from Assam  from the total 25 seats in the eight states.

With regards to employment and business, women in Mizoram are on a par with men. But when it comes to elected representatives, voters seem to prefer male candidates. Part of the reason could be political parities not fielding strong women candidates and also voters choosing candidates based on their political experience and winning chances rather than gender, said J. Doungel, professor of political science at Mizoram University.
The rest of the Peter Pan cast includes area middle school and high school talents as well as young actors with home school educations. The cast includes Aidan Boyle of Highland; Derek Diehl of Steger, Illinois; Sky Feminella of Schererville; Marta Frank of East Chicago; brothers Luke and Michael Fugger of Lansing, Illinois; Ariana Kanaya of Schererville; Zach Kettle of Crown Point; siblings Anna and Jimmy Kirsch of Fair Oaks; Aidan McGuire of Mokena; Vanessa Merola of Chicago; Jane Potter of Munster; Karah Sikora of Schererville; Ella Snyder of Hammond; Ava Tomkey of Schererville; Nora Wragg of Lansing. The student assistant director is Abby Watts of Hammond.
Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah on Thursday alleged that the Congress has a secret understanding with the All India United Democratic Front for the coming Lok Sabha polls.

Addressing two public rallies in Kaliabor and Jorhat constituencies, Shah urged voters to reject the opportunistic alliance and vote in favour of BJP and its allies in all the 14 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

It appears that Congress is contesting alone. But I want to warn people of Assam not to get fooled, during day they campaign on their own, but at night they start their love talk, he said at a rally in Teok in Jorhat to drum up support for BJP candidate and state minister Tapan Gogoi.

While there has been no formal tie-up between the Congress and perfume baron Badruddin Ajmals AIUDF, the latters decision to contest only three seats, thus making things easier for the former in five Lok Sabha constituencies, has given the BJP reason to allege a secret deal between them.

In 2014, the Congress and AIUDF won three seats each while the BJP secured seven Lok Sabha seats in Assam. Ajmals party relies heavily on votes of Bengali Muslims, a section seen by many in Assam as infiltrators from Bangladesh.

Significantly, this time the AIUDF has not fielded any candidate from Kaliabor, a seat represented by Congresss Gaurav Gogoi, son of veteran Congress leader and former chief minister Tarun Gogoi.

What is the meaning of these two (parties) coming together? Congress leaders should answer what is the meaning of going for a tie-up with Ajmal, asked Shah while suggesting that the alliance would lead to increase in illegal infiltration to Assam.

In order to secure a win for his son, (Tarun) Gogoi has been forced to fall at the feet of Ajmal, he stated in his address in Kaliabor, the Lok Sabha seat that has remained with the Congress for close to 30 years.

The Asom Gana Parishad, an alliance partner of the BJP-led government in the state, has fielded Moni Madhab Mahanta against Gaurav Gogoi.

The Congress returned the favour in the same style. Party spokesperson Apurba Bhattacharya said, I have just one question for Amit Shah. If we have a secret understanding with AIUDF, how does BJP know about it? The BJP is just trying to polarize voters by making such baseless statements. Voters will not get fooled by such tactics.

While Shah didnt mention the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in his speeches, he assured that if voted to power again, the BJP would ensure all illegal immigrants are deported.

In the last five years, the Modi government has provided Rs 3 lakh crores to Assam. In comparison, Manmohan Singh, who represented Assam in the Rajya Sabha for 20 years and was prime minister for 10 years, gave just Rs 50,000 crores over the same period, the BJP president said.
The Election Commission will be going back to ballot papers in Telanganas Nizamabad Lok Sabha seat as the EVM can accommodate only 16 names and constituency has 185 candidates in fray, among them Telangana Rashtra Samithi president and Chief Minister Chandrashekar Raos daughter Kalvakuntla Kavitha.

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The Delhi BJP wants Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hold at least four election rallies in the national capital.

Confirming at least two mega rallies, Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari on Wednesday said the state unit was pursuing the top BJP leadership to approve four big gatherings of Modi in the city.

We have requested for four public meetings of the PM but we are certain that we will get at least two rallies. We are pursuing (the central leadership) to conduct four huge public gatherings to garner support for our candidates, Tiwari said.

Modi had addressed three to four public rallies in Delhi in the run-up to 2014 general elections.

Tiwari, who represents North East Delhi in Parliament, said the state leadership had identified five places  Nirankari ground in Burari, Shastri Park, Japani Park in Rohini, and grounds in Dwarka and Mehrauli  where Modi was likely to conduct rallies. The list would be shared with the central leadership for approval.

He said the Nirankari ground is huge and can accommodate three to four lakh people.

Keeping in mind the possibility of an alliance between the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Tiwari said the BJP would release its list of its candidates for Delhi before April 4.

We are busy shortlisting candidates. We are waiting for AAP and the Congress to take a final call on their alliance and then accordingly we will finalise the candidates. But we will announce the names before April 4, he said.

Digital Rath campaign

The BJP will soon launch a Digital Rath campaign to take on AAP and the Congress. Video clips regarding alleged fake promises and lies of the AAP will be shown to voters across Delhi during the campaign.

The campaign is almost ready and will be launched after the candidates are declared. With the help of video messages, we will tell people about the lies spread by AAP on various issues, be it development, promises of not forging an alliance with the Congress, etc. Around 140 videos are ready, Tiwari said.

Tiwari said the main focus of the campaign would be central governments welfare schemes.

We will tell the public how Arvind Kejriwal government stopped the implementation of welfare schemes such as Ayushman Bharat and 10% quota for the economic weaker sections of the general category. Delhi people should know who is stopping welfare schemes for them, he added.

EC notice

Delhis chief electoral officer (CEO) on Wednesday issued a show cause notice to BJPs national election committee member Neeraj for sharing an audio-visual advertisement titled, Main Bhi Chowkidar Hun, on social media showing defence personnel.The Election Commission had directed political parties not to show defence personnel in advertisements.

The CEO office has asked Neeraj to furnish a reply within three days. Neeraj could not be contacted for a response but Om Pathak, member of national executive BJP, said: Neeraj would soon send his response to the Delhi CEO. But in many cases such allegations have been found to be false.
Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Wednesday said the Congress party stood united in Haryana and would win all 10 Lok Sabha seats in the upcoming elections. The former CM, accompanied by Congress general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad, state Congress president Ashok Tanwar and CLP leader Kiran Choudhry, toured Mahendragarh, Charkhi Dadri and Bhiwani on the second day of their Parivartan Yatra.

When their rally reached Hisar in evening, former MP and Adampur MLA Kuldeep Bishnoi was not present to welcome them. Hisar is considered as stronghold of Congress leader Kuldeep Bishnoi, who has kept himself away from the yatra so far.

Ghulam Nabi Azad also did not turn up to talk to mediapersons when they reached the Congress Bhawan.

Earlier in the day, while addressing a gathering at Charkhi Dadri, Hooda reminded the audience of the development work carried out by his government during his tenure as CM. We waived electricity bills of Rs 1,600 crore, ensured fair prices to farmers, gave 100-square yard plots to the poor, ensured cheap grains and gave scholarships to children from poor families, he added.

The former CM, also appointed the chairperson of Congress coordination committee, accused the BJP government of usurping the land of farmers at dismal rates.

He said Congress president Rahul Gandhi had assured the farmers that their loans will be waived when the Congress returns to power.

Every Indian would be entitled to minimum annual income of Rs 72,000 and Congress has proved that it delivers on its pre-poll promises after implementing loan-waiver scheme for farmers in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan within two days, he said.

Congress general secretary and Haryana in-charge Azad said Congress had fought for the freedom of the country and continued to work for farmers and poor sections after independence.

It was under the Congress that MSP was declared and our party led the country into the green revolution. The farmers of Haryana are 24 carat gold and I am sure that they would avenge the anti-farmer policies followed by the BJP government, he said.

Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee president Ashok Tanwar said the Congress was promising Rs 6,000 per month to poor farmers and people against BJPs promise of Rs 6,000 per year. It is clear through these promises who cares more about the poor section of the society, he said.

The party leaders campaigned for ex-MP Shruti Choudhry, who is going to contest again from the Congress ticket in Bhiwani-Mahendragarh constituency.

Choudhry, the daughter of CLP leader Kiran Choudhry, had lost to Dharambir Singh of the BJP in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

For complete coverage of Lok Sabha Elections 2019, click here
BJP president Amit Shah Thursday said only Prime Minister Narendra Modi can protect the borders of the country, not the Congress party and its chief Rahul Gandhi.

He also criticised the Congress for asking proof of the casualty in the air strike at Balakot in Pakistan and claimed that India under Modi has become the third country in the world after the US and Israel to take revenge of its soldiers blood.

Should we not take revenge of our soldiers blood? The Congress cannot protect the countrys border. Only Narendra Modi and BJP can do that, Shah told an election rally in Kaliabor.

India under the leadership of Modi took revenge of the blood of the soldiers after the Uri and Pulwama attacks by Pakistan-based terror elements, the BJP president said.

Watch: They want to be Paks heroes: Modis jibe at Balakot air strike doubters

In 10 years of Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh government, our soldiers heads were chopped off. But there was no reply from India side, he alleged while campaigning for BJPs ally AGPs Monimadhab Mahanta who is contesting from Kaliabor Lok Sabha seat.

Shah also slammed the erstwhile Tarun Gogoi-led Congress government in the state for allegedly settling illegal immigrants inside the Kaziranga National Park.

It was Sarbananda Sonowal and Himanta Biswa Sarmas BJP government which dared to evict all the immigrants from Kaziranga. Make Narendra Modi the PM again and I assure you that we will detect and deport every single illegal immigrant out of Assam, he added.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had its first member elected to the Kerala assembly in 2016 when it won the Nemom assembly seat. Will 2019 give the BJP its first Lok Sabha member from Kerala? The BJP lost the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha seat to the Congresss Shashi Tharoor by less than 2% of the total votes polled in 2014.

The 2019 general election is the first major one after the Supreme Courts September judgment allowing the entry of women of childbearing age into the Hindu shrine of Sabarimala, angering traditionalists who believe the presiding deity, Lord Ayyappa, is celibate .

The top courts order and the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) governments decision to implement it has led to huge protests in the state, which have been backed by both the Congress and the BJP.

An HT analysis looking at the 2014 Lok Sabha and 2016 assembly elections in Kerala suggests that the BJP might not be in the fray in any Lok Sabha seat other than Thiruvananthapuram in the state. The analysis looked at alliance-wise vote shares of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led LDF and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) in the state.

The NDA finished a distant third in 19 out of the 20 Lok Sabha constituencies in the 2014 elections. The vote share of the winning candidates in 15 of these constituencies was at least 30 percentage points more than the NDAs. In another four seats, the difference was between 20 and 30 percentage points. In these 19 constituencies, even the vote share of the runners-up was at least 18 percentage points more than the NDAs.

Things did not change much for the BJP in 2016 assembly elections as well. Even as the NDAs vote share rose by four percentage points between 2014 and 2016, if the votes were to be extrapolated at the Lok Sabha constituency level, the NDA would again end up winning no seat in the state.

The NDA also lost support in the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency in the 2016 elections, as per the extrapolated results. It finished third with a vote share of 27%, 11 percentage points less than the LDFs and five percentage points less than the UDFs.

Do these numbers mean that the BJP has not gained any ground in the state in the post-2014 phase? Even as the headline vote share numbers suggest that it did increase its vote share by four percentage points between the 2009 and 2014 parliamentary and between the 2011 and 2016 state elections, this increase is not enough to take it past the victory mark in all Lok Sabha seats except one.

The question is whether the Sabarimala protests would lead to a drastic realignment of the 55% Hindu vote in the state. If that happens, and there is no way to use historical statistics to analyse this, things could change.

What also needs to be kept in mind is even a small shift of erstwhile UDF and LDF voters towards the BJP could have a large effect on the fortunes of the two major political poles in the state. In 2014, the 20 Lok Sabha members were elected from Kerala with a median average of just 4% vote share margin, compared to the all-India average of 14%. This means the contest between the winner and the runner-up was quite close in a majority of the seats in Kerala.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi is all set to sound the poll bugle in Haryana from Friday by addressing a rally at Jagadhri in Yamunanagar, said party state president Ashok Tanwar on Wednesday.

This will be Rahul Gandhis first such event in the state since he took over as the AICC chief on December 16, 2017.

Tanwar said the state unit had requested its party president to address gatherings in Haryana couple of days ago to which he formally gave his consent on Wednesday.

Rahul will address a gathering at Jagadhri on March 29 at 1.30pm. Then he would take part in a roadshow to Karnal. He, along with Haryana senior leaders and party in-charge Ghulam Nabi Azad, will interact with workers and address small gatherings at Ladwa, Indri and Karnal, Tanwar added.

The Congress had started its six-day Parivartan Yatra from Gurugram on Tuesday and with the announcement of Rahul Gandhis rally in Jagadhri, the route of yatra was diverted to Jagadhri from Kurukshetra. All programmes related to the yatra were cancelled in Ambala.

Rahuls rally will set tone for elections

Rajya Sabha member Kumari Selja said Rahuls rally will set the tone for the 10th Lok Sabha polls in Haryana.

Rahul has a vision to eradicate the poverty from the country. He has already announced to provide 72,000 per year to 20% of the poorest families across the country. His rally will make way for BJPs exit from Haryana and the Centre, she added.

Announcement of candidates in April

On being asked about the announcement of Congress candidates for the elections in the state, Haryana Pradesh Congress committee (HPCC) chief Ashok Tanwar said they will declare the names by the first week of April.

Most of our senior leaders will contest the Lok Sabha elections. I have expressed my desire to the high command for contesting the polls. If they finalise my name, I will definitely fight elections, he added.

Meanwhile, former deputy speaker and two-time MLA Akram Khan will join the Congress in the presence of Rahul Gandhi on March 29 . He was about two months ago expelled from the BSP over antiparty activities in the mayoral elections.

I have decided to join the Congress after getting inspired from its ideology. I will work for the people of Jagadhri in my political career, Khan said.

Lok Sabha election 2019: All you need to know about Haryana
Just like the mercury, the political battle is heating up in Vidarbha, which goes to polls in the first two phases  April 11 and 18. Facing drought, farmer suicides and Maoists, will the region give another chance to the ruling Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) combine that managed a clean sweep in 2014? Or will there be a mixed mandate like 2009, when the BJP-Sena and Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) got five seats each?

THE REGION AND ITS DYNAMICS

The region is broadly divided into two parts  eastern and western Vidarbha. Eastern Vidarbha comprises Nagpur, Bhandara, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Gondia and Wardha districts, while Akola, Amravati, Buldhana, Yavatmal and Washim constitute the western Vidarbha.

The ruling BJP-Shiv Sena combine, which won 10 seats in 2014, had won nine of the 10 seats in 2004. Apart from the Modi wave, their victory was attributed to the sense of being neglected, which began during the Congress-NCP governments tenure in the state. Irrigation backlog (provision of less than required funds for irrigation projects) compared to other regions, especially western Maharashtra, load-shedding and poor infrastructure were seen as prime examples of it.

The ruling BJP-Sena government tried to change the perception.

Sudhir Mungantiwar, state finance minister, who hails from Chandrapur, said they brought about many changes in the past five years.

The BJP governments at the Centre and in the state constructed more national highways than what were built since 1960. The government reduced power tariffs for industries, giving relief to the sector. We focussed on completing long-pending irrigation projects such as Gosikhurd, which will help turn the dry land into irrigated, and benefit farmers, he said.

The government also improved rail connectivity, by starting new routes and work on developing airports in Akola, Amravati and Chandrapur.

While the BJP-Sena is banking on development, the Congress and NCP have formed United Progressive Grand Alliance (UPGA) with a few like-minded parties to win back the territory.

THE GROUND REALITY

Amid the claims and blame game, the real question is  Have things really changed for farmers, who are battling agricultural crisis for several years now? Not much, say farm activists.

Nothing has changed for rural economy in the past five years. All promises of 50% profit over input cost and higher minimum support price (MSP) for farmers have remained just on paper. Even today, the farmers are selling tur at 5,000 a quintal, which is far less than the 5,650 a quintal MSP declared by the Centre. This is the case for almost all farm produce, said Vijay Jawandhia, a farm activist from Nagpur.

In 2018, the region saw 1,297 of the total 2,244 farmer suicides in Vidarbha and Marathwada. Between January 2015 and December 2018, in the tenure of the current state government, 12,006 farmers committed suicides, according to the data compiled by the state relief and rehabilitation department.

Mungantiwar insisted that relief efforts were on. Farmer suicides are a result of bad policies of the previous Congress-NCP government. We are trying our best to reduce them. It will take some time, as things have gone out of hands, he said.

THE BIG FIGHTS

The region will decide the future of several political heavyweights such as union transport minister Nitin Gadkari (Nagpur), Hansraj Ahir, minister of state for home affairs (contesting for the fifth time from Chandrapur) and former state Congress president and deputy chairman of the state legislative council Manikrao Thakre (Yavatmal-Washim).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will kick off the campaign from Wardha district on April 1, and is expected to hold several rallies in the state.

In western Vidarbha, the BJP-Sena is hoping to retain all four seats, mainly on PM Modis popularity. Of the four seats, Amravati will witness a close contest between five-time Shiv Sena MP Anandrao Adsul and former Telugu actor Navneet Rana, a candidate of Yuva Swabhimani Party (YSP) that has joined the Oppositions alliance, which also includes the Rajendra Gavai-led Republican Party of India (RPI). The RPI has a significant presence in the constituency. Both Adsul and Rana are contesting against each other for the second time. In 2014, Rana was defeated by more than 1.37 lakh votes.

Yavatmal-Washim, which has seen a high number of farmer suicides, will see a fight between Thakre and Shiv Senas two-term MP Bhawna Gawli.

The contest between the two alliances will be crucial in eastern Vidarbha, especially in Nagpur.

The Congress has fielded former BJP MP Nana Patole to challenge Gadkari, a popular leader from Nagpur. Patole comes from the Kunbi community, which has a strong presence in Nagpur and many other constituencies. Patole rejoined the Congress after resigning as a BJP MP from Bhandara-Gondia in December 2017.

He has also helped the NCP win a bypoll from the seat. Patole defeated NCPs stalwart Praful Patel in the 2014 elections.

Vidarbha elections are also known for caste politics.

The outcome of many seats in the region will be decided by how Kunbi-Maratha, Teli and other communities vote. The minority community, too, can influence the outcome of the elections in some constituencies.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday referred to Mission Shakti, a day after India shot down a live satellite in space, at an election rally in Uttar Pradeshs Meerut to assert that he has led a decisive government at the Centre in the last five years.

Zameen ho, aasmaan ho ya phir antariskh, surgical strike ka saahas aapke is chowkidar ne dikhaya hai (This chowkidar has shown the courage to carry out surgical strike, be it on land, in the sky or space), said PM Modi as he kick-started election campaign in this western Uttar Pradesh district.

Watch: Confused A-SAT with a theatre: PM Modis jibe at Rahul Gandhi

PM Modi targeted previous regimes at the Centre saying that the governments in the past believed in slogans instead of taking right decisions to ensure safety and security of the nation. Nation has seen many governments that gave slogans but it has for the first time seen a government that takes prompt decisions, he said.

Also Read | Lok Sabha elections 2019 LIVE updates: India has made its mind on 2019 polls, PM Modi in Meerut

The prime minister took a potshot at Congress president Rahul Gandhi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee after they criticised announcement of successful launch of anti-satellite missile on Wednesday.

Gandhi, while taking a dig at PM Modi after he announced success of Mission Shakti in a televised address to the nation, had wished him Happy Theatre Day. On the other hand, Banerjee had called PM Modis announcement as limitless drama.

In his comeback, PM Modi said, They got confused A-SAT with set used in theatres. Whether we should cry or laugh at their intellect for confusing space mission with theatre.

He also attacked the Opposition parties for seeking clarification from the government over strike by the Indian Air Force at Balakot in Pakistan. Do we need sapoot (obedient son) or saboot (evidence), said PM Modi responding to the Opposition.

The IAF targeted a Jaish-e-Mohammed camp on February 26 in the aftermath of Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed. The Jaish-e-Mohammed had claimed responsibility for the Pulwama attack.

At his Meerut rally, PM Modi said he will present his governments report card in the coming days while fixing accountability of the rival parties. I will give an account of my work but at the same time seek an account from my opponents. Sabka hisab hoga, baari baari se hoga, tabhi to hisab barabar hoga (Everyone will be accounted for, one by one, only then justice will be served), PM Modi said.

He also targeted the grand-alliance of the Samajwadi Party, the Rashtriya Lok Dal and the Bahujan Samaj Party formulating an acronym SaRaB (picking the initial letters of the three parties) and translating it as liquor. PM Modi said, Stay away from SaRaB in the election for the good health of Uttar Pradesh.

The BSP, the SP and the RLD have joined hands in Uttar Pradesh to contest 78 of 80 Lok Sabha seats in the state leaving out the constituencies of Amethi and Rae Bareli represented by Congress president Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi respectively. The grand-alliance presents the biggest challenge to the BJP in the state, where alliance led by the ruling party had won 73 seats.

The prime ministers public rally was aimed at galvanising the BJPs support base in the entire western Uttar Pradesh, which votes in the first phase of parliamentary polls.

The BJP has nominated Lok Sabha MP Rajendra Agrawal in Meerut parliamentary constituency. He is a two-time sitting from Meerut. Lok Sabha MPs of Baghpat (Satya Pal Singh), Muzaffarnagar (Sanjeev Baliyan) and Bijnor (Kunwar Bhartendu Singh) also attended the BJP rally in this western Uttar Pradesh district.

Satya Pal Singh is the Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development. The sitting MPs of these four constituencies have been re-nominated by the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha election.

The constituencies of Meerut, Baghpat, Muzaffarnagar and Bijnor will vote in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections on April 11. Uttar Pradesh will vote in all seven phases of the national election that ends on May 19. Counting of votes will take place on May 23.
Nine-time MLA from Rampur Azam Khan is fighting his first Lok Sabha election from his home turf, and is pitted against former Rampur MP Jaya Prada, who joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday. In an interview with Hindustan Times, he says he wants to ask Pakistan why no funeral was held for those killed in the Indian air strike in Balakot and that the country is passing through one of the worst phases of communal disharmony. Excerpts:

Q: There is a perception that the BJPs chances of retaining power have improved after the air strike in Pakistan.

A: I am not questioning our government on the attacks in Pakistan. Rather, I want to know from Pakistan why no funerals were held for over 300 persons who, according to the BJP, were killed in Indian airstrikes. I also believe that our government delayed the response to the Pulwama attack. Had I been the prime minister, I would not have taken more than 40 seconds to respond.

Q: Considering this is the first time you will contest the Lok Sabha election, how big a challenge is it?

A: Contesting an election is always a challenge. The Samajwadi Party has a considerable vote base in the district. It doesnt matter who contests from the BJP, because the party has lost the trust of the public.

Q: What about Shivpal Yadav? What impact will his party have on the election?

A: A party is made by the workers who put blood and sweat into it. SP workers are feeling cheated by Shivpal Yadavs defection and it will harm him.

Q: Did you meet SP patron Mulayam Singh Yadav? Will you invite him to campaign for you?

A: No, I didnt get time to meet netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) recently. I dont have any differences with him, but I am against his wish for Narendra Modi to become PM.

Q: How many seats do you expect the BJP and the SP-BSP-RLD alliance to get in UP?

A: Considering the despair and anger among the public against the BJP, even by conservative estimates the alliance in UP will win between 65-70 seats.

Q: Do you think Congress candidates will disturb the Muslim vote base of the alliance?

A: It may have been a possibility a decade ago but times have changed now.
We have worked diligently to increase our local funding budgets for road improvement projects, Mayor David Uran said. We have gone from only being able to address two miles of roads per year to over six miles in 2018. With the extra grant awarded, that number should be closer to approximately eight miles in 2019.
The Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) will soon give rights to agencies for advertising on barges around the Bandra-Worli Sea Link (BWSL), Juhu Koliwada and Versova. The board, which plans to boost maritime infrastructure and increase revenue, has invited tenders for the same and has got a response from an advertising agency.

The board will assess the response of barge advertisement at the locations before extending the concept to other areas.

Maharashtra is one of the largest states in India with a coastline of around 720 km. This coastline is regulated by the MMB.

In March, the board released a request proposal for contractors who can provide illuminated advertising on barges at the seafront. The proposal states, In its endeavour for the development of maritime infrastructure in the state of Maharashtra, MMB has decided to grant permissions for putting up advertisements at the assets under its jurisdiction along the coastline of Maharashtra.

Captain Sanjay Sharma, the chief port officer, said the board has finalised a policy for granting advertising rights. We have invited tenders to assess the response and got a response from one agency, Sharma said.

The board, however, is looking at more players to come in. The board is expecting a minimum revenue of 112 per square feet for illuminated advertising and 65 per square feet for non-illuminated advertising space.

Mihir Palan, a digital marketing professional based in Mumbai, welcomed the move. It will definitely be a great chance for advertisers as the space provided will be one-of-its-kind in the country. Plus, brands who opt for these spaces will gain in terms of recall value for their product and the seafront itself will get a boost in terms of its whole look, he said.
A 19-year-old was arrested from Chakan on Thursday in a joint operation by the Bihar and Maharashtra anti-terrorism squad (ATS) for alleged terror links, police said.

The accused identified as Shariyat Mandal, who worked as a labourer at a construction site in Chakan, was allegedly involved in recruitment of cadres for Islamic State Bangladesh (ISBD) terror outfit, according to ATS officials.

The arrest came two days after two Bangladeshi nationals with alleged links to terror outfits were arrested in Patna, police said. Shariyat, who hails from West Bengal, was allegedly continuously in contact with the earlier two accused arrested by the ATS identified as Abu Sultan and Khairul Mandal. Both Sultan and Khairul are residents of Chhapatalla, Jhenaidah district, Bangladesh. ATS officials said they are affiliated with the banned Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and ISBD terror outfit.

Shariyat was on Thursday produced in the Pune Sessions court and has been sent to Bihar on transit remand. He will be produced in a Bihar court since the case is being investigated by the Bihar ATS. According to the Bihar police ATS chief, Sushil Khopde, during the raid, his team recovered two cell phones and a micro secure digital (SD) card, which is being examined.

Shariyat is an active member of ISBD. He was tasked to set up ISIS India branch and strengthen the terrorist organisation here. He was arrested based on specific inputs provided by the two arrested JMB terrorists from Patna junction on Monday. He is being brought to Bihar on transit remand, Khopde said.

Bihar ATS arrested two Bangladeshi terror suspects near Patna Junction railway station on Monday and seized photocopies of letters related to deployment of central forces in Jammu and Kashmir after the Pulwama attack, fake voter identity cards, PAN cards, and ISIS posters from them. The ATS said the two men had entered India without valid passports and had procured fake voter and PAN cards to conceal their identities. They were nabbed on specific inputs from the intelligence bureau (IB).

The accused has been charged under Sections 18, 38 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Sections 420, 467, 468, 471, 34 of Indian Penal Code and Section 14 of the Foreigners Act, 1946.
A 24 year old woman delivered a baby on a moving Ahmedabad- Howrah superfast express train near the West Singhbhum-Rourkela (Odisha) border on Wednesday. It was the fourth such incident under the Chakradharpur railway division since May 2017.

Devika Purty, along with her husband Chamru Hembrom, resident of Devsarangi village under Karaikela police station in Chakradharpur, were coming from Bharuch district in Gujarat to Chakradharpur in West Singhbhum. She started experiencing severe labour pain when the train reached near Bhalulata railway station. She rushed to the toilet and other women co-passengers accompanied her. With the help of Dr RA Khan, a co-passenger, the woman gave birth safely.

Sources said that the train ticket examiners (TTE), the Railway Police Force (RPF) personnel, other railway staff, and co-passengers ensured their best services to the woman. Railway staff informed their senior officials about the incident and the train was stopped for half an hour at Bhalulata railway station to ensure safety of the woman and the infant. Eventually, both of them were rushed to the nearest Bandamunda railway hospital for further medical assistance.

Bhaskar, the senior divisional commercial manager (SDCM) of Chakradharpur railway division said that the railways has always imparted best service to the passengers during emergencies.

Sources said that during the last two years, four women have delivered babies on trains under the Chakradharpur railway division. In the previous three cases too, railways had transported the mother and the infant to the nearest hospital for their safety, sources added.

However, railway officials said that fortunately in all the four cases, safe deliveries were ensured. They have also appealed pregnant women to avoid long journeys, especially via trains or flights, as it could be dangerous for them.

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Popular Tamil actor Vishal, who recently got engaged to Anisha Reddy, was severely injured while shooting for a chase sequence for filmmaker Sundar Cs upcoming project. The accident occurred while Vishal was filming an action-packed chase sequence involving a four-wheeler bike in Cappadocia, Turkey.

Vishal was shooting for an action scene in Turkey when the accident happened.

According to a statement released by the makers, Vishal was tossed along with his bike when he took an unexpected turn, much to the shock of the entire team. Following the accident, Vishal had to be immediately rushed to the hospital where he had to be treated for a severe injury on his leg.

The film is produced on a big budget by R Ravindran of Trident Arts. Tamannaah Bhatia and Aishwarya Lakshmi are playing female lead leads in the film. It has 50-day shooting schedule planned in Turkey.

Also read | Soni Razdan on Alia Bhatts relationship with Ranbir Kapoor: Im just happy if she is happy

The film marks Aishwaryas Tamil debut. In September last year, speaking to Times of India, she had said: I play a lovable, family-girl type of role in the film. Ive been waiting for a sweet role like this to debut in Tamil, and Im glad to be debuting with Sundar C sirs film.

The principal shooting of the film, which marks the third collaboration of Vishal and Sundar C, commenced last week in Turkey. Actor Jagapathi Babu, who has predominantly worked in Telugu films and was last seen in Ajiths Viswasam, has been roped in to play the antagonist. Vishal currently awaits the release of Tamil actioner Ayogya, the remake of Telugu film Temper. He plays a cop in the film, which also stars Raashi Khanna.

Follow @htshowbiz for more

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China on Thursday said the US has complicated the issue of listing Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by moving a separate resolution at the UN Security Council (UNSC), bypassing the anti-terror committee in the UN itself where Beijing has repeatedly blocked the listing process.

Beijings sharp reaction came after the US, supported by France and the UK, moved a draft resolution at the UNSC to list the Pakistan-based terror groups chief.

Asked about the development at Thursdays ministry briefing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said Washingtons move complicates the issue.

Watch: Opinion I Pak dictating Chinas decision on UN sanctions on Masood Azhar?

This is not in line with the resolution of the issue through dialogue and negotiations. This has reduced the authority of the Committee as a main anti-terrorism body of the UNSC and this is not conducive to the solidarity and only complicates the issue, the spokesperson said.

As recently as on March 13, Beijing had put a technical hold on a US, UK, and France-backed resolution to list Azhar as a global terrorist at the 1267 sanctions committee focussed on anti-terrorism.

After blocking the move for the fourth time, Beijing said it wanted more time to study the matter of listing Azhar.

The new resolution moved by the US directly at the UNSC could force Beijing to veto the move  if it wants to stop Azhar from being listed -- instead of taking the more diplomatic way of putting a technical hold, the reasons for which arent made public.

Azhars JeM claimed responsibility of the Pulwama suicide attack in February, the worst such attack in Kashmir.

The international community has supported Indias calls to list Azhar as a global terrorist, which will subject him to travel ban and asset freeze.

Beijing snapped at the US move, saying it undermines the authority of the 1267 committee and complicates the issue.

We urge the US to act cautiously and avoid forcefully moving forward this resolution draft, Geng said.

Since China needs more time to conduct an in-depth and comprehensive review, we put forward a technical hold to the relevant listing on March 13th. This is in line with the rule of procedures of this committee and there are some precedent cases of such technical holds, he added.

Geng couched Chinas annoyance at Washingtons move by saying the matter is complex.

The listing of Masood involves a series of complex factors and China has also been working to seek proper solutions through dialogue and consensus. The Security Council should act in a prudent way to play a constructive role and create necessary time and space for the relevant parties to conduct dialogue and negotiations, he said.

Chinas repeated blocking of Azhar has been interpreted not the least to be dictated by its all-weather strategic partnership with Pakistan.

Foreign ministry spokesperson, Lu Kang had then said that China had conducted a comprehensive and thorough evaluation but still needed more time to consider the proposal.

China had previously prevented the committee from sanctioning Azhar in 2016 and 2017.
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Google CEO Sundar Pichai, whom hed previously accused of indirectly boosting Chinas military, has reassured him that he is totally committed to US security.

Just met with @sundarpichai, President of @Google, who is obviously doing quite well, Trump tweeted after a White House meeting. He stated strongly that he is totally committed to the U.S. Military, not the Chinese Military.

Earlier this month Trump complained that Googles business activities in China were helping China and their military.

There was also criticism from General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who told Congress the work that Google is doing in China is indirectly benefiting Chinas armed forces.

Americas top military officer has also urged US tech giants to step up work on next generation 5G wireless technology so that US markets are not reliant on Chinese innovators, like leading telecom firm Huawei.

Dominating 5G is in our national interest, the general said.

The US government though has deep suspicions that Huaweis technology would potentially open the doors to Chinese government penetration of US communications.

A Google spokesperson said Pichai had productive conversations with Trump about investing in the future of the American workforce, the growth of emerging technologies and our ongoing commitment to working with the U.S. government.
Islamabad said Wednesday it had handed New Delhi preliminary findings over a major suicide attack in Kashmir claimed by Pakistan-based militants, adding it would now seek more evidence from India for its investigation into the bombing.

Relations between the two nuclear-armed South Asian countries nose-dived after a suicide bombing in Indian-administered Kashmir last month killed 40 Indian security personnel and was later claimed by the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad.

Pakistan has denied any role in the Pulwama attack, and Prime Minister Imran Khan offered cooperation in investigation if credible evidence was provided by India.

The Government of Pakistan has shared preliminary findings with the Government of India after examining the Indian report on Pulwama incident, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

We have sought further information/evidence from India to take the process forward, it said without giving further details including the nature of evidence sought.

The information was shared with the Indian high commissioner, who was summoned to the foreign ministry for the purpose.

Days after the Pulwama attack, New Delhi -- which has long accused Islamabad of harbouring militants who launch attacks on its soil -- demanded Pakistan take credible and visible action.

Soon after it launched a cross-border air raid on Pakistan that kicked off a quick succession of attacks and dogfights between the arch-rivals over the disputed Kashmir frontier that spurred fears of wider war erupting.

Pakistani and Indian soldiers have continued to fire over the Line of Control -- the de-facto border dividing Kashmir, killing several civilians on both sides.

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British colonial rule in 1947.

Both claim the Himalayan territory in full and have fought two wars over it.
Politically hobbled by Brexit exigencies, Prime Minister Theresa May plans to hold another vote on the withdrawal agreement on Friday, the deadline by which the House of Commons needs to pass it to meet the May 22 deadline set by the European Council.

The council last week set two dates before the May government: to secure support for the agreement and leave on May 22; if not, let Brussels know by April 12 how it would like to proceed with the objective to leave the European Union.

As with previous occasions, uncertainty continued on the wording of the motion that May intends to table on Friday: focussing on the withdrawal agreement alone or the overall package of the agreement as well as the related political agreement on future relations with EU.

Tabling a motion on the agreement alone could be a way to circumvent speaker John Bercows ruling that the same motion defeated twice cannot be brought in the same session until it has undergone a fundamental change. But Labour insisted the two cannot be delinked.

Questions remained about the motions admissibility and also whether it would have enough support to ensure its passage, with Conservative rebels and the Democratic Unionist Party remaining opposed to supporting it.

May offering on Wednesday to resign in exchange for rebel MPs in her party supporting the agreement predictably hit the headlines, but there are several ifs before it can happen and she embarks on the short journey to Buckingham Palace to resign.

First, the speaker has to agree to admit the motion. Secondly, a big if continues to hang over the level of support it can get the third time it is brought before the house. There is little evidence of a large number of MPs changing minds.

Most of the rebel Conservative MPs, coalesced in the European Research Group, remain opposed to it. Some have come to believe that the agreement is better than Brexit not happening at all, could support it, but the numbers are nowhere near enough to ensure its passage.

May and her team again sought support for the agreement on Wednesday night after the house rejected all eight options in a unique vote to decide which option has the most support among MPs. Its outcome was anyway not binding.

The vote reinforced ennui and worse in Brussels, among business leaders and others that it is again the case that MPs know what they dont want, but not what they want, setting the stage for another round of uncertainty.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday denounced Chinas shameful hypocrisy over its treatment of Muslims as he met a former prisoner and relatives who recounted abuses as part of Beijings widespread detention of its Uighur minority.

China must release all those arbitrarily detained and end its repression, Pompeo tweeted.

The world cannot afford Chinas shameful hypocrisy toward Muslims. On one hand, China abuses more than a million Muslims at home, but on the other it protects violent Islamic terrorist groups from sanctions at the UN, he said.

Pompeo was referring to Chinas efforts at the United Nations to prevent the blacklisting of Islamist extremist Masood Azhar, based in Beijing ally Pakistan. Azhars group Jaish-e-Mohammad claimed responsibility over a deadly attack last month on Indian troops in Jammu and Kashmirs Pulwama.

The top US diplomat met Tuesday with Mihrigul Tursun, a Uighur who has spoken publicly in the United States about what she said was widespread torture in Chinas prisons for the minority group.

She has said she was separated from her children and detained in a cramped cell with 60 other women, suffering electrocution and beatings during round-the-clock interrogations.

The State Department said that Pompeo also met with three other Uighurs whose relatives are held by China, which according to a UN report has detained a massive one million Uighurs as it seeks forcibly to integrate the minority group.

Pompeo, speaking to reporters on Tuesday, said that certainly at least hundreds of thousands of Uighurs had been detained.

Were working to convince the Chinese that this practice is abhorrent and ought to be stopped, Pompeo said.

According to the State Department as well as international human rights groups, China has confiscated Korans from Uighurs and forced them to drink alcohol and eat pork, which are forbidden by Islam.

Its one of the most serious human rights problems in the world today, State Department official Michael Kozak said of the Uighurs detention as he presented the latest annual human rights report.

China denies the accounts of mass detention, saying it is running educational training centers as part of a fight against Islamic extremism in the northwestern region of Xinjiang.
Acting US defence secretary Patrick Shanahan warned any nations contemplating anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons tests like the one India carried out on Wednesday that they risk making a mess in space because of debris fields they can leave behind.

Speaking to reporters in Florida during a visit to the US militarys Southern Command, Shanahan said the United States was still studying the outcome of a missile India said it launched at one of its own satellites.

My message would be: We all live in space, lets not make it a mess. Space should be a place where we can conduct business. Space is a place where people should have the freedom to operate, Shanahan said.

Experts say that anti-satellite weapons that shatter their targets pose a space hazard by creating a cloud of fragments that can collide with other objects, potentially setting off a chain reaction of projectiles through Earth orbit.

Indias foreign ministry played down any risk of debris from its missile test on Wednesday, saying the impact occurred in low-Earth orbit and that the remnants would decay and fall back on to the Earth within weeks.

Read more| Mission Shakti: How and when other countries conducted anti-satellite weapons

In Washington, a senior U.S. military official told lawmakers that the United States was tracking about 270 objects from Indias test, a number that would likely grow as the fragments spread out.

Lieutenant General David Thompson, vice commander of US Air Force Space Command, added the International Space Station was not at risk at this point.

Also Watch: Mission Shakti: Watch visuals of launch of Indias anti-satellite missile

NASA chief Jim Bridenstine said in testimony before the House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday that the consequences of anti-satellite weapons tests could be long-lasting.

If we wreck space, were not getting it back, he said, without mentioning India by name.

India would only be the fourth country to have used such an anti-satellite weapon after the United States, Russia and China, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.

The United States ran the first anti-satellite test in 1959, when satellites themselves were rare and new.

Shanahan noted that given the increasing global reliance on space, it was important to create rules of the road for space.

I think not having rules of engagement is worrisome. So, how people test and develop technologies is important, he said, adding: I would expect anyone who tests does not put at risk anyone elses assets.
An ex-girlfriend who stayed with Fontaine shortly after Mehta-Pauls disappearance said the residence was empty, dirty and did not look lived in, according to the affidavit. Fontaine was never worried about his mother being gone, never tried to find her and that he would sleep and drink all day, the affidavit states.
The US, Britain and France initiated a renewed effort at the UN Security Council to designate Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist on Wednedsay  a move that China strongly objected to, indicating the growing chasm between the two sides on the issue.

The US circulated a resolution, drafted with backing from the UK and France, among the 15 members of the Security Council to sanction Azhar, whose group claimed the Pulwama terror attack on February 14 that triggered a stand-off between India and Pakistan. It was not immediately clear when the resolution could be put to a vote after informal discussions.

Soon after the suicide bombing killed 40 Indian troopers, the US and Britain had backed a proposal spearheaded by France to sanction Azhar through the UN Sanctions Committee. Such a listing requires consensus among all 15 members of the committee, and China placed a so-called technical hold on the move on March 13.

Read more| Put de-escalation as condition to allow Masood Azhar ban: Pakistan to China

People familiar with developments in New Delhi said the draft resolution at the Security Council was aimed at bypassing Chinas block at the Sanctions Committee and also forcing an open debate within the Security Council. Discussions and votes will take place in public view and China will have to explain any veto.

While a decision at the Sanctions Committee depends on consensus, the passage of a resolution at the Security Council requires nine votes in favour and no vetoes by the five permanent members  China, Russia, the US, France and Britain.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang told a media briefing in Beijing that Washingtons move would complicate the issue.

This is not in line with the resolution of the issue through dialogue and negotiations. This has reduced the authority of the [Sanctions] Committee as the main anti-terrorism body of the UN Security Council and this is not conducive to solidarity and only complicates the issue, he said.

We urge the US to act cautiously and avoid forcefully moving forward this draft resolution, he added.

Wednesdays move reflects the frustration and disappointment among Indias international interlocutors and partners over Chinas persistent blocking of efforts at the Sanctions Committee to blacklist Azhar, the people said. It is also a way of expressing solidarity with India in the fight against terrorism, they added.

Members of the Sanctions Committee have a 10-day period to object to a proposal but there is no similar provision at the Security Council. Though there are no timelines, UN diplomats said it will definitely not be nine months, the time China can take under the Sanctions Committees rules to either lift its hold, block the proposal or let it go through.

The draft resolution is part of a clinically framed process to escalate the listing of Azhar at the Security Council, UN diplomats close to the process said. It is also the first step of other actions the US, Britain and France said they will initiate if China doesnt allow the listing through talks in search of a compromise.

US secretary of state Mike Pompeo made a reference to Chinas block on the proposal to designate Azhar while criticising Chinas treatment of its Muslim minority.

Also Watch: Opinion I Pak dictating Chinas decision on UN sanctions on Masood Azhar?

The world cannot afford Chinas shameful hypocrisy toward Muslims. On one hand, China abuses more than a million Muslims at home, but on the other it protects violent Islamic terrorist groups from sanctions at the UN, Pompeo tweeted without naming JeM or Azhar.

Geng, however, reiterated Chinas position that more time is needed to examine the proposal at the Sanctions Committee. Since China needs more time to conduct in-depth and comprehensive review, we put a technical hold to the relevant listing on March 13, he said.

The listing of Azhar involves a series of complex factors and China has been working to find a proper solution through dialogue, he said. The Security Council, he added, should act prudently and play a constructive role in creating the time and space for dialogue and negotiations on the issue.

Pakistans Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal told a news briefing in Islamabad that it was not feasible to involve the Security Council on the issue of listing Azhar.

We regret that a resolution has been circulated in the Security Council at a time when the matter was under consideration by the 1267 Sanctions Committee. Such efforts to circumvent the established mechanism for this purpose will only weaken the 1267 regime, he said.

The draft resolution uses publicly available material, which cannot be disputed or re-litigated, such as the Security Councils 2001 listing of JeM that described the Pakistan-based group as being founded by Azhar after his release from an Indian prison 1999 in exchange for 155 passengers of a hijacked Indian airliner.

The draft cites the February 21 statement of the Security Council that denounced the Pulwama attack, such as the phrase condemning in the strongest terms the heinous and cowardly suicide bombing and the need to to hold perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice.

A UN diplomat said the idea was to put forward language already approved by China, which cleared the 2001 listing of JeM and the February 21 statement.

The listing of Azhar will subject him to a travel ban, an asset freeze and an arms embargo. China has so far blocked four attempted to blacklist Azhar at the Sanctions Committee since 2009.
Board member William Godwin said he believes the Port Authority could have its own website up some time during April, and he said officials have been working with Gary municipal governments IT department for technical advice on how to go about creating a website.
The three males forced their way into the home and made everyone lie on the living room floor as they ransacked the house, according to the affidavit. The victims said they were raped and forced to perform sexual acts as the males held guns and a knife up to them, the affidavit states.
Road-improvement projects with Community Crossings funds, he said, will include Bracken Road, between Indiana 51 and Old Hobart Road; Lake Park Avenue, from the railroad tracks to 37th Avenue; 41st Avenue, near the Early Learning Center; and 83rd Avenue, from Grand Avenue to Clay Street.
At this time we dont believe the contamination has gotten off the site above the 11 parts per billion, but were waiting on the results, Marshall said, adding later that depending on the groundwater samples collected over the year, if the hexavalent chromium levels show a decreasing trend, U.S. Steel would not need to continue the quarterly testing.
Eric Deggans will be the lunch keynote speaker during an education conference called Exploring Partnerships for the Future. It will run from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Savannah Centers Bergland Auditorium on the Gary campus.
Now Open

28 March 2019

The company brings the brand's renowned comfort and convenience to Asuncion's commercial district

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), one of the world's leading hotel companies, today announces the opening of the newly-built 116-room Holiday Inn Express Asuncion Aviadores hotel located in the business and commercial district of Paraguay's capital city. The property will be the first Holiday Inn Express hotel in Paraguay and the second IHG brand in the country, joining the Crowne Plaza Asuncion.

Located in the vibrant Carmelitas neighborhood, the Holiday Inn Express Asuncion Aviadores hotel is just 10 minutes away from the Silvio Petirossi International Airport, as well as close to many of Asuncion's popular shopping centers, restaurants and bars. The hotel's modern, unique design and high technology complement the exclusive, personalized service and attention for each guest.

As homage to its unique geography, Holiday Inn Express Asuncion Aviadores has incorporated elements of ancient Paraguayan culture into its design features. Throughout the hotel, guests will find works of Nanduti (translated as "spider web"), a typical Paraguayan needlepoint that is woven on racks in radial circles, embroidering geometric or zoomorphic motifs, in white thread or in bright colors. The hotel also boasts exquisite images of some of the country's most emblematic natural wonders throughout its main lobby.

All the rooms in the hotel have a piece of Nanduti framed and hung in the room. The Holiday Inn Express Asuncion Aviadores hotel is owned by Ventura Inversiones S.A. and managed by Cell Motion S.A. The hotel is part of IHG's diverse family of brands in nearly 100 countries and territories.

Designed to provide guests with everything they need and nothing they don't, the hotel's amenities include complimentary Express Start breakfast buffet, a 24-hour convenience store, fitness center, an outdoor swimming pool and a business center with two modern meeting rooms. The hotel also offers complimentary coffee in the lobby and accepts off-site restaurant delivery.

Guestrooms have modern design, comfortable king-sized or two queen-sized high-quality beds with a choice of firm or soft pillows for a restful night's sleep, flat-screen TV, iron and ironing board, mini refrigerator and coffee machine with complimentary coffee.

The complimentary Express Start breakfast buffet features a full range of breakfast items, including a rotation of egg and meat selections, pastries, yogurt, fruit, coffee, juices, and regional dishes.
Appointment

28 March 2019

Trosien brings a creative touch, Four Seasons-style management and leadership chops, and culinary worldliness nurtured through assignments in Asia and the Middle East to his new position. Originally from Livonia, Michigan, Trosien began working his way up the line at 15 years old, before honing his skills at Le Cordon Bleu Miami and going on to work for a famous James Beard award-winning chef in multiple restaurants. As a young, talented chef in the city, he caught the attention of both the Food & Beverage Director and Hotel Manager of Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach and soon after landed his first Four Seasons appointment there as a Sous Chef in 2012. A natural fit, Trosien has been with the company ever since, bringing his culinary skills to Singapore and Dubai before landing in Toronto. He's the type of chef whose passion in the kitchen is both in the food and the people.
Appointment

28 March 2019

Kopano is an expert in opening hotels, branding and building a strong hospitality focused employee culture, and managing property operations. She will serve as Area General Manager at Santa Monica Proper Hotel, the first high-end lifestyle hotel to open in Santa Monica in two decades. The 271-room project fuses a circa-1928, Arthur E. Harvey designed Spanish Colonial Revival building with sleek, new construction to create the city's freshest, most invigorating luxury hotel. Chefs Jessica Koslow (chef/owner of Sqirl) and Gabriela Camara (restaurateur/ chef of Contramar) are coming together for the first time to oversee the ground floor restaurant.

Most recently, Kopano was the General Manager at Hotel 50 Bowery in New York City where she led all aspects of the hotel's pre-opening including budget, project management, design, branding, culture development and owner relations. She has held various positions at esteemed companies such as Morgan's Hotel Group, Hyatt Hotels and Resorts, Two Roads Hospitality, Baron's Cove, and Gansevoort Hotels. She is passionate about developing young talent and was part of the Women's Leadership Committee with Two Roads Hospitality and created a management training program to mentor aspiring hospitality professionals during her time with Gansevoort Hotel. In June 2018, Kopano was awarded General Manager of the Year by Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) at the 25th Annual Frank W. Berkman Tourism Achievement Award Dinner. Kopano was born in Istanbul, Turkey and attended Florida International University's hospitality management program.
Appointment

28 March 2019

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), one of the world's leading hotel companies, welcomes hospitality veteran Jamie Cole as Senior Vice President of Global Channels.

Cole is charged with maximising IHG's revenue delivery across all customer touch-points and creating a more seamless experience. Reporting to George Turner, Chief Commercial and Technology Officer, Cole leads a team responsible for all digital and voice channels and the company's third-party distribution strategy.

With an impressive range of experience, Cole brings a deep global commercial and operational knowledge spanning digital innovation, product management, distribution and eCommerce. His experience at large scale brands, and track record of innovation, will strengthen IHG's channels muscle, particularly in the luxury segment.

Cole joins IHG from Mandarin Oriental where he most recently led digital and eCommerce, delivering transformational change across digital marketing and guest experience for the luxury brand. Prior to this, he ran a specialised consulting business serving hospitality and travel clients. He also held leadership roles at Travelport Inc., Travelocity and Hilton Worldwide, where he developed the corporate digital strategy for the Hilton portfolio of hotels. Jamie has worked extensively across Europe, Asia and the U.S.
At trial, Hill wanted to call Thomas Vanes, a former Lake County deputy prosecutor, to testify, but was unable to do so, according to the appeal. Vanes would have been able to testify that Michael Solan, who was the lead supervisor in Hills case, never told Vanes about the 1981 confession, the appeal states. Solan testified at trial that he did not give the confession to prosecutors in the 1980s, according to the appeal.
Event

Hotel Technology Innovation Summit 2019 (HTIS) is an exclusive platform for NEXT- GENERATION Hotel Technology Services. HTIS Amsterdam is an executive platform to discuss the key industry challenges of hoteliers to find technology related solutions to boost their Average Daily Rate (ADR), Revenue per available room (RevPAR), and the occupancy of the hotel.



HTIS is an invitation only event which helps the senior hotel tech professionals to forge strong and everlasting business relationships to share best practice and knowledge about the latest trends affecting the global hotel industry. Its a cooperate gathering of decision-makers and industry influencers to come together to network with like-minded professionals.

Hotel Technology Innovation Summit 2019 (HTIS) is organized by
Press Release

28 March 2019

PHOENIX -- Industry innovator and thought leader David Kong is celebrating his 15th year as President and CEO of Best Western Hotels & Resorts. As he hits the anticipated milestone, Kong becomes the longest-running CEO of a top 10 major hotel chain and Best Western finds itself poised for its most exciting year yet.

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"David Kong is a visionary in our industry, but perhaps more importantly, he is one of the nicest people I know," said Chip Rogers, president and CEO of the American Hotel & Lodging Association. "Best Western and the entire lodging industry are lucky to have his leadership. I look forward to many more years working alongside David."

Driving change through innovative thinking

Starting in the hospitality industry as a busboy, Kong spent decades climbing the ranks, learning and working his way through positions in nearly every department and every chain scale segment. In his time leading Best Western - which has included serving as executive vice president of international operations, senior vice president of marketing and development, and senior vice president of strategic services and operations - he has cultivated a leadership team and company that has become a leader in innovation, as is evident in the evolution of the brand and industry recognition.

During Kong's tenure, Best Western has completely reimagined its brand identity, signaling the modernization and evolution of the brand and emerging as a global hospitality powerhouse with 16 individual brands across every chain scale segment. Kong has put innovation at the forefront of the company's transformation, implementing programs like the Best Western Virtual Reality Experience (BWVRE), which uses virtual reality to reinvent the way guests view and shop for hotels. The I Care Every Guest Every Time employee training initiative leverages virtual reality to transform communications between front desk staff and guests. These programs, led by Kong and his stable and progressive leadership team, have established Best Western as the first company of its size and scale to utilize cutting-edge technology in ways that drive increased satisfaction scores. As a result, the company has seen significant financial achievements and unprecedented performance in guest loyalty and hotel satisfaction scores, achieving a record high Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 62. Importantly, these achievements have resulted in Best Western being named one of Fast Company's Top 10 Most Innovative Companies last year.

Creating longevity, and scale, with a diversified portfolio

As Best Western has evolved over the years, so has the company's portfolio. When today's travelers began seeking fresh new design options at a value-oriented price point, Best Western introduced Vib and GLo, two boutique brands thoughtfully designed for the midscale market. As the industry has recently seen a shift away from new construction to conversions, Best Western has responded in full force, launching an edgy, imaginative and creative pair of boutique brands, SadieSM and AidenSM. Both Sadie and Aiden present the opportunity for independent hoteliers or developers with branded hotels to reposition their property in a unique way, taking advantage of a cost-effective, turnkey and customized design and renovation program, all implemented under Kong's leadership.

Best Western's economy option, the SureStay Hotel Group, has differentiated itself in the industry by focusing on customer care and product experience. The brand prides itself on its ability to consistently meet guest expectations as reflected in its impressive 3.91 average TripAdvisor rating. Since the brand's launch in 2016, it has grown at a rapid pace to more than 200 open properties globally.

Today's Best Western - A rebirth to be celebrated

Sadie Hotel, Aiden Hotel and the SureStay Group are just a few of the brands that represent Best Western's now expanded portfolio. Just last month, Best Western announced their acquisition of WorldHotels, further enhancing the company's breadth of offerings to include the upper upscale and luxury segments. An initiative conceived and driven by Kong, the acquisition underscores Best Western's commitment to innovation and evolution.

Kong has played an instrumental role in the evolution of Best Western, leading the legacy brand through a full refresh across multiple areas of operation, including: expanding innovative sales and marketing programs, launching a new digital platform, redesigning Best Western's powerful loyalty program, and implementing a renovation program at every hotel - completely reimagining the look of the brands with new logos and signage. Together with the executive team, Kong has molded the company into "Today's Best Western" - a brand infused with innovation and excitement, consistently achieving its strongest performance for the past three years.

"I feel very fortunate to have played a role in building Best Western into the brand it is today," said Kong. "To think about where we started 73 years ago as a single brand and now, to see Best Western positioned as a global powerhouse with hotels in every single chain scale segment - is outstanding. Supported by a truly remarkable leadership team, I'm deeply proud of what we've accomplished. Our journey has been a special one, and a large part of that for me has been the incredible team I am surrounded by on a daily basis, including our exceptional group of hoteliers. Together, we look forward to maintaining the momentum that has been built and enjoying further progress in the months and years ahead."
Press Release

28 March 2019

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), one of the world's leading hotel companies, has again been named as a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality, earning a perfect 100 percent score on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Corporate Equality Index (CEI) for the fifth year running.

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Elie Maalouf, Chief Executive Officer, Americas, IHG, said: "As a global hospitality company, we nurture a diverse and inclusive culture, where our guests and colleagues feel respected and valued. We are proud to promote inclusion and respect in the broader business community and applaud the tireless efforts of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation in LGBTQ equality."

IHG has hotels and corporate offices in more than 100 countries and our colleagues represent multiple nationalities, cultures, religions, races, sexualities, backgrounds and beliefs. In 2018, we became a signatory of the UN LGBTI Standards for Business, which focus on tackling discrimination against lesbian, gay, bi, trans and intersex people. We also continue to develop a culture of inclusion through key initiatives in the US and around the world:

Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), such as IHG Out & Open, provide colleagues with a forum to get involved in LGBTQ-focused conversations and activities.

Local Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Councils are IHGmade up of senior leaders from across the business and allow us to develop our culture and D&I agenda across different regions.

Support for the LGBTQ community in Atlanta, headquarters of IHG's Americas business, includes Rainbow-level sponsorship of the annual Atlanta Pride Festival; Gold-level sponsorships of the Georgia Diversity Council and Atlanta Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, and membership in Georgia Prospers.

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation's CEI is a national benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices relating to LGBTQ workplace equality in the US. This year it rated more than 900 businesses in its report, which evaluates LGBTQ-related policies and practices including non-discrimination workplace protections, domestic partner benefits, transgender-inclusive health care benefits, competency programs and public engagement with the LGBTQ community.

For more information on the 2019 Corporate Equality Index, and to download the full report, visit www.hrc.org/cei.
Performance

28 March 2019

HENDERSONVILLE, Tennessee  The Canadian hotel industry recorded negative year-over-year results in the three key performance metrics during the week of 17-23 March 2019, according to data from STR.

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In comparison with the week of 18-24 March 2018, the industry reported the following:

Occupancy: -5.7% to 61.2%

Average daily rate (ADR): -1.8% to CAD145.03

Revenue per available room (RevPAR): -7.4% to CAD88.73

Among the provinces and territories, Prince Edward Island reported the only increases in occupancy (+18.9% to 42.1%) and RevPAR (+29.7% to CAD48.64) as well as the highest jump in ADR (+9.1% to CAD115.50).

New Brunswick posted the only other lift in ADR (+0.9% to CAD120.80).

The Northwest Territories saw the largest decline in occupancy (-34.9% to 59.7%), which resulted in the steepest drop in RevPAR (-36.2% to CAD100.30).

Newfoundland and Labrador registered the largest decrease in ADR (-5.5% to CAD121.74).

Saskatchewan experienced the second-steepest declines in occupancy (-11.8% to 54.6%) and RevPAR (-13.2% to CAD63.78).
New leader appointed to IHGs Commercial & Technology leadership team

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) welcomes hospitality veteran Jamie Cole as Senior Vice President of Global Channels.

Cole is charged with maximising IHG's revenue delivery across all customer touch-points and creating a more seamless experience. Reporting to George Turner, Chief Commercial and Technology Officer, Cole leads a team responsible for all digital and voice channels and the company's third-party distribution strategy.

With an impressive range of experience, Cole brings a deep global commercial and operational knowledge spanning digital innovation, product management, distribution and eCommerce. His experience at large scale brands, and track record of innovation, will strengthen IHG's channels muscle, particularly in the luxury segment.

George Turner, Chief Commercial and Technology Officer, IHG,commented: "We are thrilled to have Jamie join our team to lead our integrated channels strategy moving forward. With his broad commercial background, Jamie's leadership will be essential as we work to maximise revenue delivery across channels, while also creating the very best experience for our customers."

Cole joins IHG from Mandarin Oriental where he most recently led digital and eCommerce, delivering transformational change across digital marketing and guest experience for the luxury brand. Prior to this, he ran a specialised consulting business serving hospitality and travel clients. He also held leadership roles at Travelport Inc., Travelocity and Hilton Worldwide, where he developed the corporate digital strategy for the Hilton portfolio of hotels. Jamie has worked extensively across Europe, Asia and the U.S.

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 2021 Hotel News Resource
IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) today announced the opening of the newly-built 116-room Holiday Inn Express Asuncion Aviadores hotel located in the business and commercial district of Paraguay's capital city. The property will be the first Holiday Inn Express hotel in Paraguay and the second IHG brand in the country, joining the Crowne Plaza Asuncion.

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) today announced the opening of the newly-built 116-room Holiday Inn Express Asuncion Aviadores hotel located in the business and commercial district of Paraguay's capital city. The property will be the first Holiday Inn Express hotel in Paraguay and the second IHG brand in the country, joining the Crowne Plaza Asuncion.

Located in the vibrant Carmelitas neighborhood, the Holiday Inn Express Asuncion Aviadores hotel is just 10 minutes away from the Silvio Petirossi International Airport, as well as close to many of Asuncion's popular shopping centers, restaurants and bars. The hotel's modern, unique design and high technology complement the exclusive, personalized service and attention for each guest.

Gerardo Murray, Regional Vice President Marketing, Commercial and Revenue Strategy, Mexico, Latin America and Caribbean, IHG, said: "The smart, simple travel of Holiday Inn Express is a perfect pairing with the charming capital of Paraguay, Asuncion. An ideal hotel for both business and leisure travelers, Holiday Inn Express Asuncion Aviadores is a fresh addition to the city and is close to the best of what Asuncion has to offer."

As homage to its unique geography, Holiday Inn Express Asuncion Aviadores has incorporated elements of ancient Paraguayan culture into its design features. Throughout the hotel, guests will find works of Nanduti (translated as "spider web"), a typical Paraguayan needlepoint that is woven on racks in radial circles, embroidering geometric or zoomorphic motifs, in white thread or in bright colors. The hotel also boasts exquisite images of some of the country's most emblematic natural wonders throughout its main lobby.

All the rooms in the hotel have a piece of Nanduti framed and hung in the room. The Holiday Inn Express Asuncion Aviadores hotel is owned by Ventura Inversiones S.A. and managed by Cell Motion S.A. The hotel is part of IHG's diverse family of brands in nearly 100 countries and territories.

Designed to provide guests with everything they need and nothing they don't, the hotel's amenities include complimentary Express Start breakfast buffet, a 24-hour convenience store, fitness center, an outdoor swimming pool and a business center with two modern meeting rooms. The hotel also offers complimentary coffee in the lobby and accepts off-site restaurant delivery.

Guestrooms have modern design, comfortable king-sized or two queen-sized high-quality beds with a choice of firm or soft pillows for a restful night's sleep, flat-screen TV, iron and ironing board, mini refrigerator and coffee machine with complimentary coffee.

The complimentary Express Start breakfast buffet features a full range of breakfast items, including a rotation of egg and meat selections, pastries, yogurt, fruit, coffee, juices, and regional dishes.

As IHG's largest and fastest growing hotel brand globally, Holiday Inn Express currently has 85 properties located throughout Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean. IHG has 239 hotels across all brands and more than 40,216 rooms throughout Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean.

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In what can only be described as the 2nd most peculiar guest spot in A$AP Ferg wide-ranging catalog, "Redlight" begins in a futuristic landscape brought to life by NGHTMRE's desolate expression. The EDM producer's foray into rap is absolutely enhanced by Fergie's ability to assume an unapologetic character on the song - the likes of which you'd find looting a town without a deputy to give it order.

NGHTMRE spoke to Complex about how the collaboration came to be, and why he chose A$AP Ferg amid all the options. "ASAP Ferg is one of the hip-hop icons I've always dreamed of working with," NGHTMRE said. "It took a lot of time and effort to really make this record come together, but throughout the process, I've gained even more respect for Ferg and his vision."

What NGHTMRE is alluding to when he says "took a lot of time" relates to the years it took for the song to come together. The process is pretty well-documented across the Internet, specifically in EDM forums. Although he might seem like small fish compared to the A$AP Mob, NGHTMRE is actually kind of a big deal within his own gilded community. Don't believe me, check out the production value on this music video.

Quotable Lyrics:

Any beef come to me get sauteed

Yeah, the fake ones runnin' with the hard face

Bet that pump to your tongue make your heart race

And I hope you take it all the wrong way

Leave you slumped near the pump, near the bar place

This red light put your ass in a dark place.

- A$AP Ferg
As The Wu-Tang Clan once pondered, can it all be so simple? At this point, fans of Marvel's ongoing Infinity Saga are chomping at the bit for the upcoming conclusion, which arrives on April 26th with Avengers: Endgame. The circumstances need no explanation, but in short, the "Mad Titan" Thanos has laid waste to the Earth, leaving fifty-percent of the world's population (and some of Marvel's most bankable heroes) left to fates unknown. The culmination of the saga will find the surviving heroes banding together for a last stand, in an effort to reverse the damage caused by Thanos' fateful snap.

But how is he to be bested? We've already seen Thanos leave the Hulk snoozing on the mat, and not even the combined forces of Dr. Strange, The Guardians, Iron Man, and Spider-Man were enough to take him down. Even the almighty Thor tried and failed, though some blame poor accuracy for that one. Perhaps it will be Ant-Man, as played by the dryly comedic Paul Rudd, who holds the key to victory. At least, that's what a contingent of Marvel fans have been theorizing.

The solution is simple. Ant-Man shrinks, crawls up Thanos' butt, and expands to a gargantuan size. Of course, the deranged brilliance of the theory is not without a certain twisted logic, though a few detracting factors are likely at play. For one, as cited by a few astute users below, Thanos is simply able to move his bowels on command. Second, the strength of Thanos' sphincter muscles have yet to be tested - is Ant-Man really willing to play the guinea pig in that doomed experiment?

https://twitter.com/_/status/1108041783072690176

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For what it's worth, the theory has been floating around for a minute, even eliciting a response from Ant-Man himself. For the most part, Rudd was quick to acknowledge the possibility of a successful operation, though he did cast doubts about Disney's willingness to explore such unholy ground. "I almost think it's a question for Thanos," says Rudd, upon being told of the theory for the first time. "If its one thing we learned from Infinity War, its that Thanos could take a lot of punishment. Now my mind is racing."

https://twitter.com/_/status/1020660381105250310


Although Charlamagne Tha God and Wendy Williams don't speak anymore, their history is pretty deep. He's given Wendy credit for helping him launch his career in radio. However, his relationship with Wendy and her husband Kevin is much more personal. In wake of the recent drama surrounding Wendy Williams, Charlamagne decided to spill all the tea on why he fell out with Wendy and Kevin.



Robin Marchant/Getty Images

Charlamagne spoke about his beef with Kevin Hunter on the Breakfast Club before but he gave the Brilliant Idiots audience the full scoop. The reason he fell out with Wendy and Kevin is because of Kevin's sidepiece, Sharina. He explained he was on a trip with Wendy and Kevin in Jamaica when Kevin flew out Sharina. He explained that Sharina wanted to hook up with one of his friends but Kevin found out and got upset over the whole thing, even though Wendy Williams was with him.

"Wendy doesn't know this so when Wendy goes on Elvis Duran's show and Wendy says, 'who?' in reference to me when my name comes up... I can't even be mad at Wendy because I don't even know what the fuck he told Wendy," he said, suggesting Kevin probably lied to her about what went down on the trip.

Peep the clip below.
Hip-hop has a long and storied history of taking a familiar song or sound, stripping it down, and putting a new spin on it to create something entirely new. From jazz, soul, and funk to emo, punk, and metal, nearly every corner of the musical spectrum has been mined and repurposed by rappers at one point or another. So of course, it was only a matter of time before someone willed country trap into existence. But like with any genre of music, the lines are blurry when it comes to determining what specifically makes something country. Does it depend on the vocal style? The lyrics? The instruments used? Is the mere presence of a cowboy on an album cover or in a music video enough?

Whether its an actual infusion of the genre itself or simply a use of western tropes, the history behind raps recent obsession with country music and cowboy culture is actually a lot longer and more complicated than you might think, dating back to the historical erasure of black and Native cowboys in place of the traditional whitewashed American cowboy narrative we know today. It would take an entire book on the history of roots music and black and Native cowboys to show how it all ties into the current fashion and musical trends encompassing whats being dubbed the yeehaw agenda (there are a number of fantastic pieces out there on the subject already), but below youll find a selected chronology of songs that help show country and cowboy cultures history in rap music.

The Beastie Boys - Paul Revere (1986)

Paul Revere doesnt sound like a country song in any capacity, but its silly western narrative told in classic Beastie Boys fashion is one of the earliest and most prominent examples of rappers making use of cowboy tropes in their lyrics.

Mo Thugs Family & Bone Thugs-n-Harmony - Ghetto Cowboy (1998)

With a harmonica-based instrumental, an interpolation of Kenny Rogers The Gambler as its chorus, and lyrics laced with references to gunslingers, saloons, and stolen gold, Ghetto Cowboy successfully taps into a country-cowboy aesthetic. The music video doubles down on this, opening with old-timey title cards and playing like an old western flick.

Will Smith, Dru Hill, & Kool Moe Dee - Wild Wild West (1999)

If youve never seen it, Wild Wild West is a movie from the late 90s about Will Smith and Kevin Kline being sent by President Ulysses S. Grant (who is also played by Kevin Kline, for some reason) to hunt for an ex-confederate general through a fictional reconstruction-era south. The key word here is fictional because stopping the creation of 80-foot-tall mechanical spiders in a place called Spider Canyon is a large plot point in the film. Unsurprisingly, the movies titular song is Will Smith at his Jiggy Era-est.

Eminem & Dr. Dre - Bad Guys Always Die (1999)

Also included on the Wild Wild West soundtrack, Bad Guys Always Die was one of Eminem and Dr. Dres earliest collaborations, released even before Whats the Difference? and Forgot About Dre off of Dres seminal 2001. Though not as celebrated as the aforementioned songs for obvious reasons, its still a prime example of the playful chemistry that made the duos collaborations in the late 90s and early 00s so great. A song that partially recounts the plot of Wild Wild West has no business being listenable, let alone enjoyable.

Master P - Ooohhhwee (2001)

Theres nothing particularly country-twinged about the song itself, but Master Ps Ooohhhwee music video has hay bales, Harleys, and cowboy hats aplenty.

Keak Da Sneak - The Farm Boyz (2002) / The Farm Boyz Starring Keak (2006)

Keak Da Sneak album cover

Bay Area rapper Keak Da Sneak released an album called The Farm Boyz in 2002, as well as a 2006 sequel titled The Farm Boyz Starring Keak. Its kind of confusing whether or not The Farm Boyz is supposed to be a group or not, but its clear Keak was going for, um, something here. The 2006 album is at least notable for having perhaps the worst use of a Michael Jackson sample of all time.

Nappy Roots - Po Folks (2002)

Nappy Roots are probably the most famous rap group from Kentucky, a state which in part birthed Appalachian folk music, a precursor to what we know as country music today. With an album name like Watermelon, Chicken, & Gritz, its no surprise the group isnt shy about celebrating their country roots.

Mac Dre - Out There (2004)

The late, great Mac Dre was ahead of his time in a lot of ways but even so, a song where he sings and raps in a country accent probably wasnt one youd expect to have any sort of lasting impact.

Nelly & Tim McGraw - Over & Over (2004)

At this point, there are kind of a lot of country-rap crossovers, but the Country Grammar rapper's first true country collaboration is of note for obvious reasons. Songs with Jason Aldean and Ludacris as well as Snoop Dogg and Willie Nelson would soon follow to middling success.

Kevin Gates - Careful (2013)

Like Mac Dre before him, Careful sees Kevin Gates rapping in a country accent in its second verse. Gates would continue to experiment with this country cadence in songs like "Showin' Up."

Keith Frank & Boosie Badazz - Haterz" (2014)

Zydeco artist Keith Frank enlists fellow Louisiana native Boosie Badazz for Haterz its not country, but both zydeco and country fall into the broad category of roots music. Haterz is worth a mention simply because it demonstrates how broad and versatile both hip-hop and roots music can be plus, unlike most of the more traditional country-rap crossover cash-ins, it has the added bonus of actually being a good song.

Futures Cowboy Hat (2015)

Future at the BMI Awards - Maury Phillips/Getty Images for BMI

He knew exactly what he was doing.

Post Malone - I Fall Apart (2016)

Country-trap was sort of Post Malones whole schtick from the beginning (how else would you get a sponsorship from Bud Light?), and theres quite a few moments on his lukewarm debut, Stoney, where he makes a go at the genre. He never really gets it quite right, but I Fall Apart is the best of the bunch.

Young Thug & Millie Go Lightly - Family Dont Matter (2017)

YEEHAW!

Sold Out Dates neither utilizes cowboy tropes nor does it particularly sound like any kind of roots or country music, but Gunna and Babys continued use of acoustic guitar-based trap production is of note with regard to this trend nonetheless.

Lil Tracy - Like a Farmer / Lil Tracy & Lil Uzi Vert Like a Farmer Remix (2018)

If Young Thug's "Family Don't Matter" was the first successful attempt at country-trap, Lil Tracys Like a Farmer was its most blatant. The song made enough waves last year that the relatively silent Lil Uzi Vert came out of his reclusion to hop on the remix.

FlyRich Double - Yup (On My Tractor) (2018)

This is where it starts to get a little on the nose.

Lil Nas X - Old Town Road (2018)

Though the song was released in December 2018, Lil Nas X made Billboard history earlier this month when his viral hit Old Town Road simultaneously charted on the Billboard Hot 100, Hot Country and Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs charts. Apparently, some country fans are just as worried about saving real country music as some rap fans are about saving real hip-hop, calling for the song to be removed from the country charts.

DaBaby - Walker Texas Ranger (2019)

DaBaby showed that cowboy culture was here to stay in 2019, ringing in the new year with his campy music video for Walker Texas Ranger, a track from his exceptional debut album Baby on Baby.

Lil West - Barn (2019)

Lil West is an up-and-coming rapper from Delaware, which is pretty much as far from the west as you can be in the continental United States. Still, West's "Barn" goes to show just how wide-reaching and permeating the country-trap trend is in hip-hop music.

Most of Juice WRLDs sophomore album, A Death Race For Love, owes its sound to emo and drill, but album standout Flaws & Sins throws country music into the mix. Similarly to Lil West, Juice WRLD is from a city with no real cowboy or country roots (Chicago) but if anything, the fact that both an up-and-coming rapper from Delaware and an immensely popular rapper from Chicago are riding the country-trap wave indicates that the genre will continue to grow and evolve.
The website for the National Vaccine Information Center, an independent clearinghouse for information on vaccine science, policy and laws, lists pertinent questions to ask in regard to vaccinations. Such as, have I or my child had a bad reaction to a vaccination before? Do I or my child have a personal or family history of vaccine reactions, neurological disorders, severe allergies or immune system problems? And do I know the disease and vaccine risks for myself or my child?
With all the hubbub surrounding Jussie Smollett and his allegedly staged attack, it was surprising to hear that he had gotten off scot-free this week. After being charged with sixteen counts of filing a false police report, Smollett's criminal case was dropped entirely by the Chicago Police Department, leading many to voice their frustrations online. For the majority of those commenting on the case, it was apparent that Jussie had staged his own hate crime but with the expulsion of his charges from a criminal court, Chicago PD was basically implying that he did nothing illegal. Donald Trump appears to believe that Smollett was in the wrong, agreeing with many others in America, and calling for the FBI and DOJ to re-intervene.



Paul Zimmerman/Getty Images

In a tweet published today, Trump commented on the hectic happenings in Smollett's case, noting that he has told the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice to re-open the search. "It is an embarrassment to our Nation," said the President of the United States after stating that he has called on both parties to review the findings.

Jussie Smollett has been a hot topic for several months, making waves in both the entertainment and political worlds. After his associates reportedly asked Kim Foxx to defend the Empire star, people started to believe that because of his close relations to people in power, Smollett had an easier time getting off without serving any time behind bars. Do you think things will go differently after the review?

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Since the U.S. government is doing little to help Flint, Jaden Smith's taken it upon himself to try and bring clean water to the Michigan town. Earlier this month, he announced that he'd be teaming up with First Trinity Missionary Baptist Church to introduce a mobile water filtration system. More recently, the rapper and his mom, Jada Pinkett Smith, went to Flint to unveil their new filtration system.

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Jaden and Jada Smith went to Flint to rollout their revolutionary mobile water filtration system called "The Water Box" in collaboration with 501CTHREE. The filtration system works to reduce lead and other contaminants that have been affecting residents during the current water crisis. They rolled out the system at First Trinity Missionary Baptist Church earlier this month. Residents could bring jugs to The Water Box on Thursdays from 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

First Trinity Missionary Baptist Church has worked heavily over the years to bring clean water to Flint, previously donating reportedly 5M water bottles to the residents of the city, USA Today reports.

Jaden has also teamed up with The Last Kilometer, Rethink H2O, Black Millennials for Flint, and 501CTHREE to help bring the water filtration system to Flint.

In addition to the Water Box, Jada Pinkett Smith pledged to donate money to Flint for long-term solutions for the water crisis.

Peep Jada Pinkett Smith's recap video below.
Within the month and a half period since Jussie Smollett initially came out with claims that he was the victim of a hate crime, he went from the victim to the suspect and ultimately, had all charges against him dropped. He's maintained his innocence throughout the investigation but clearly, even with the charges being dropped, it wasn't enough to convince Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel that the Empire actor is innocent. But regardless of the lack of faith in Smollett, he was reportedly "confident" that he would've won in court.



Scott Dudelson/Getty Images

According to The Blast, Jussie Smollett never considered copping a plea deal in the case as he was positive all sixteen felony charges against him would've been dropped. Apparently, the prosecutors turned over the evidence they had against the actor but that didn't even have him shook about the future of his case.

Smollett's legal team reportedly had doubts that the Osundairo brothers would be credible witnesses at the trial, claiming there were inconsistencies in their story.

Additionally, Smollett's team were confident the prosecutors were not ready for primetime."

Following news that the actor was in the clear, the Cook County State's Attorney office issued a statement which said: After reviewing all of the facts and circumstances of the case, including Mr. Smolletts volunteer service in the community and agreement to forfeit his bond to the City of Chicago, we believe this outcome is a just disposition and appropriate resolution to this case.
There are multiple Air Jordan 1 x Nike SB collabs in the works, including two Air Jordan 1 Highs that change colors when they are worn down, as well as a collection of Nike SB x Air Jordan 1 Lows.

Nike officially introduced each of the upcoming SBs today, including a special pair that nods to both the Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls.

Image Via Nike

The high-top kicks come dressed in a purple and gold colorway, featuring a white leather upper but when they're worn down, the kicks reveal a Chicago Bulls-themed colorway underneath the Lakers colors.

A similarly styled "Light Bone" rendition, which serves as a nod to New York and Paris, will release alongside the LA/Chicago colorway on May 25.

Additionally, four Nike SB x Air Jordan 1 Lows are on tap to release starting April 1.

Check out official images of the upcoming Nike SB x Air Jordan 1 collection below, courtesy of Nike.
In celebration of 2019 being the 30th anniversary of the Air Jordan 4, Jordan Brand will be re-releasing a handful of classic colorways, as well as some never before seen iterations of the iconic silhouette.

One of the Air Jordan 4s set to drop this Fall will reportedly be of the "What The" variety, featuring elements of each of the four original Air Jordan 4 colorways, including the "White Cement," "Bred," "Military Blue," and "Fire Red."

https://www.instagram.com/p/BvgwWhfAaA7



Images of the "What The" Air Jordan 4 have not yet surfaced, but rumors are swirling that the special edition sneakers will be available on November 23. It remains to be seen how much the kicks will cost and how many pairs will be available but we already know they'll be among the most coveted 4s to drop in 2019.

Check out the upcoming "Bred" Air Jordan 4 here, while we await a first look at the "What The" rendition.

"What The" Air Jordan 4/@HouseOfHeat
Nearly 600 employees learned last week they would be laid off at Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center on the heels of its parent company's decision to convert the full-service hospital into a free-standing emergency room, according to state documents and hospital officials.

The unusual conversion comes when the free-standing emergency industry in Texas is under increased scrutiny by lawmakers because of high prices, patient confusion about insurance coverage and the potential for unexpected medical bills. Health policy experts Wednesday said they were concerned about the shift from hospital to free-standing emergency center.

Ive never heard of anything like it, said Vivian Ho, a health economist at Rice Universitys Baker Institute for Public Policy.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Decade of promises fails to halt surprise medical bills crushing thousands of Texans

Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center, a 181-bed hospital serving the north Houston suburbs, was acquired less than two years ago by HCA, a for-profit health system headquartered in Nashville, Tenn. HCA decided to re-purpose it now as part of a larger reshuffling of facilities, company officials said.

HCA is always evaluating how we can best serve the community. The realignment of select service lines at our northwest Houston hospitals we believe will help us better serve the communities in the northwest region, said Sean Burnett, vice president of strategic communications for HCAs local division, HCA Houston Healthcare

The conversion is expected to be complete by April 18. HCA has yet to finalize a name for the emergency center.

300 offered jobs

HCA notified the Texas Workforce Commission that it would lay off 586 workers beginning May 17. Efforts, however, are under way to offer those employees similar positions within its health care system, Burnett said in a statement.

About 300 affected employees have accepted or been offered jobs and some will remain at the new emergency room, HCA officials said. The remainder are still in the recruitment process or have chosen to leave, the company said.

HCA has made an aggressive push into the Houston market, recently becoming the areas largest health system. It already has a dominant footprint in the northwest Houston area where it owns three other hospitals and six stand-alone emergency departments , the company said.

In total, HCA Houston Healthcare owns 15 hospitals, nine outpatient surgery centers, eight freestanding emergency centers and a dozen freestanding diagnostic imaging facilities in Greater Houston, according to the company.

Related: HCA Healthcare adds four hospitals to expanding network

The switch to a free-standing emergency room comes at a time of great change in the nation as health care systems shift away from traditional in-patient services to outpatient centers, retail locations, and telemedicine to find more affordable ways to treat patients.

Still, Ho, the health care economist, is puzzled by this particular conversion plan since emergency rooms are often the most expensive treatment venue, especially for minor conditions.

Wild West

State lawmakers and patient advocacy groups have recently pushed for more transparency in the states burgeoning free-standing emergency industry, both those independently-owned and those affiliated with large health care systems. At issue is insurance coverage, not only for facility fees, but also the separate doctor charges. While an emergency room can be an in-network facility, meaning lower costs for members, the doctors treating them can be out-of-network, potentially leaving patients on the hook for thousands of dollars in surprise medical bills.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Blindsided: Patients squeezed in feud between doctors, insurance companies

Stacey Pogue, a senior health analyst for Center for Public Policy Priorities in Austin, said Texas patients too often step into the Wild West of billing once they step inside the door of a free-standing emergency room.

Lawmakers this year are currently working on several pieces of legislation that aim to end surprise billing. Texas has one of the worst record of surprise billing in the United States, according to health economists.

Andrea Leinfelder contributed to this report.
The number of Texans who signed up for health plans through the Affordable Care Act dipped only slightly for 2019 despite a rocky enrollment period that culminated with the entire law being ruled unconstitutional by a federal court in Texas.

Statewide, just under 1.1 million people enrolled for health coverage through the federal insurance exchange during the sixth annual enrollment period, according to new figures from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which oversees the process. That is a drop of just under 40,000 from the previous year.

In Harris County, about 227,000, people signed up, down about 1 percent or 2,500 from the previous year. Nationally, about 11.4 million people enrolled in health plans offered through ACA exchanges, down roughly 300,000.

Local backers of the embattled health care law known as Obamacare were cheered by the relatively steady enrollment, but remained wary of the new assaults building from those determined to repeal the law.

These numbers put into perspective whats at stake if the ACA goes away, said Brian Sasser, a spokesman for Houstons Episcopal Health Foundation, which released an analysis of the enrollment numbers on Wednesday. About seven in 10 Texas enrollees are returning customers, the analysis found.

Texas leads the nation with about 4.7 million uninsured.

Court ruling

On Monday, the Department of Justice issued a two-sentence letter to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit stating it supported the December ruling from Texas federal judge Reed OConnor, who declared the health law unconstitutional.

Passed in 2010 by a Democrat majority in Congress, the ACA relied on the requirement that most everyone in the country carry health insurance. That individual mandate was designed to expand the risk pool enough to make possible another piece of the law, which prohibits insurers from denying coverage or charging much higher premiums for those with chronic or pre-existing conditions.

But in late 2017 Republicans in Congress passed sweeping tax overhaul that included stripping away the penalty for going without coverage which, in essence, made the individual mandate meaningless. Soon after, a coalition of states, led by Texas, filed suit in federal court in Fort Worth arguing that without the mandate, the entire law was invalid.

On HoustonChronicle.com: The journey from Wisconsin to Texas and the ruling that struck down the ACA

On the eve of the last day of enrollment, Dec. 14, 2018, OConnor sided with Texas and struck down the eight-year-old law. He has since ruled that those who signed up for plans will remain insured until the issue is sorted out in the courts.

OConnors decision was immediately appealed to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans by another coalition of states, this one led by California. Many believe the battle over Obamacare will ultimately end up in the U.S. Supreme Court  for a third time.

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump again supported killing the entire health care law, calling it horrible and too expensive. He vowed to replace it with something better if the Supreme Court strikes down the law, but offered no details.

I mean it 100 percent, I understand health care now, especially very well, he told reporters in the Oval Office. He said Democrats let the people of the United States down and that the Republicans would become the party of great health care.

Even before OConnors ruling, the Trump administration had taken aim at the law by chipping away at it, including drastically slashing the advertising budget to remind people of the enrollment period, cutting the number of days to sign up by half, and reducing the funding for groups that help people enroll. His administration has said such measures were unneeded.

Surge in favorability

In the past year, the law has enjoyed a surge in favorability among those who worry about its demise and say they would be uninsured without it. Polling showed that support for the law and its protections for people with pre-existing conditions, helped Democrats regain control of the House of Representatives.

On HoustonChronicle.com: ACA still law of the land but consumers confused and worried after judges ruling

The Episcopal Health Foundation analysis showed that over the past five years, the largest group of Texas enrollees are 55 to 64, followed by those 45 to 54.The majority of those who signed up had lower incomes. Overall for 2019, 88 percent of Texas enrollees received federal assistance to pay for health insurance premiums.

A separate Episcopal Health Foundation poll found previously that 59 percent of Texans said the state was not doing enough to help the poor get access to the health care they needed. That same poll showed that 88 percent thought health insurers should be required to provide coverage for people with pre-existing conditions.

jenny.deam@chron.com

twitter.com/jenny_deam
Perhaps there is a comedy cemetery where Tom, Jerry, Laurel, Hardy, the Three Stooges and Mr. Beans career share a grave, but wherever that is, its far, far away from contemporary American humor.

As such, The Play That Goes Wrong, essentially two-plus hours of people getting smacked in the face by doors, is difficult to review. If you force 10 random people to see it, about four will love it, four will hate it and two will have forgotten they even saw it by the time you ask.

This extremely British play, on national tour after a successful Broadway run (the Hobby Center engagement ends Sunday), is both impressive and annoying in the way it commits to a single shtick. I found about a third of it funny and sat stonelike for the rest. I recommend it for all audiences under 8 or over 80  the rest of the population, lacking neither the purity nor nostalgia to enjoy face-smacking, is better off YouTubing clips of Americas Funniest Home Videos.

The setup: An amateurish theater troupe is putting on a play that closely resembles The Mousetrap, and nearly every scenic element of the show turns into a disaster. All the gags are in the same genre of Face-in-the-Door. These include Mispronouncing Words, Cat Fight, Making People Laugh by Saying Stop Laughing, Jab at Rival City (you know which one). Thats it. Thats The Play That Goes Wrong. As a wise person once said, it is what it is. Hooray?

The Play That Goes Wrong When: Through Sunday Where: Hobby Center, 800 Bagby Details: $30 and up; 713-315-2525 and 800-982-2787, thehobbycenter.org and broadwayatthehobbycenter.com. See More Collapse

Yaegel T. Welch plays an actor who is very bad at being a dead Mr. Haversham, who is murdered at the top of a fake murder mystery called The Murder at Haversham Manor. When the actor realizes he screwed up, he overcompensates, making his alive-ness more obvious and hilarious. This formula works well in The Play That Goes Wrong  a screwup, followed by a disastrous attempt by the actor to save the moment.

One actress, played by Jamie Ann Romero, gets hit so hard she passes out, but she re-enters later in her underwear. This is presented with no explanation. Theres a scene where shes knocked out again, and four men must cram her body through a window like a rag doll. In these sensitive times, the scene toes the line. So does the cat fight at the end, when she violently (yet sexily?) battles the female stage manager (Angela Grovey), who also wants to read as the seductive Florence Colleymoore. The Gen Z crowd would cancel this scene faster than a Michael Jackson biopic.

But nothing else offends. Sometimes, a small prank escalates into the realm of Impressive Stunt  the actors handle pretending to be hurt very well. Still, its strange to see a British piece of physical comedy be imported to a country where the form died long ago. One realizes Englands theater culture has been much more welcoming of the lowbrow. Everyday Americans, on the other hand, are often afraid of the theater, assuming its not for them. The Play That Goes Wrong is a refreshing change of course.

And its success proves that, more than anything else, audiences want to laugh. It doesnt matter if the premise stinks, as long as the execution is so over-the-top that, well, the entire night balances out to a solid B-minus.

wchen@chron.com
Despite citizens needs and desires for regulatory agencies that assure as much safety and fairness as humanly possible, we have a love-hate relationship with regulations. We love protection. We hate paying for it. Accordingly, the level of regulatory strength swings like a pendulum over the decades. The current administration hates regulation like few before it, so we have not only witnessed a general diminishment of oversight, we have bought heavily into self-policing. For starters, we have entrusted the integrity of our financial systems to bankers and the agencies that watch out for the environment to captains of industry known for despising regulations. Cliches, like pictures, can substitute for a thousand words. This time, imagine foxes guarding the hen house.
It's March 30, 1969, and our beloved president, Dwight Eisenhower, has died.

We at KHCN-AM 4747 are deeply saddened by this news, especially since it could be argued that Ike was the father of NASA.

He was our leader when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik in 1957, and as the country panicked --envisioning a world in the not-too-distant future where communists ruled outer space and used it for military purposes -- Ike kept his cool.

Not surprising since he was a military hero.

2 1 of 2 Houston Chronicle Show More Show Less 2 of 2 Paul Schutzer/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images Show More Show Less



In November of that year, Ike appointed Dr. James R. Killian, Jr., the president of MIT, as his Special Assistant for Science and Technology.

That was just the first step toward creating a civilian space agency. The next came in April 1958, when he gave a speech in Congress calling for the creation of a civilian space agency.

It later would be known as NASA: The National Aeronautics and Space Agency.

Eisenhower signed NASA into law in July 1958, and by Oct. 1, NASA opened its doors for business.

NASA

Our beloved Ike won't get to see humans take the first steps on the moon -- which, God willing, will happen soon -- but we wouldn't be where we are today without him.

Rest in peace, Ike. The nation owes you a great deal.

Alex Stuckey writes about NASA and the environment for the Houston Chronicle. You can reach her at alex.stuckey@chron.com or Twitter.com/alexdstuckey.
Trump is hell-bent on having the leading Democrats apologize to him and the American people for investigating (him). Wait a minute, he wasnt found innocent, and there are more investigations ongoing. There were 34 people and three companies convicted or with guilty pleas, including top advisers to the president and Russian spies and hackers tied to the Kremlin. How is this a waste of time and and money?
Detectives are searching for a masked robber who puzzled his victim before stealing cash.

The man walked into the Subway location in the 14000 block of the Northwest Freeway shortly before 9 p.m. on Jan. 14. He walked up to the employee behind the counter and asked if the employee liked his mask, according to the Houston Police Department.

BREAKING NEWS UPDATES: Get your Houston breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox

The man then placed his hand in his pocket, making the employee believe he had a gun, and demanded money from the cash register, HPD said.

Now Playing: Police are searching for a masked robber who held up a northwest Houston Subway in January 2019. Video: Houston Police Department

The employee gave up the cash, and the robber fled on foot, police said.

RELATED: Off-duty HPD officer fires pistol at suspect who was rummaging through her car

He's described as a Hispanic or white male, between 5 feet, 8 inches and 5 feet, 10 inches tall. He weighs somewhere between 120 and 130 pounds and was wearing a black shirt and black pants during the robbery, police said.

Anyone with information is urged to call Houston Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS (8477).

Jay R. Jordan covers breaking news in the Houston area. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com | Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan | Email him at jay.jordan@chron.com | Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message
Houston City Council disposed of a proposed garbage collection fee in a pair of 16-1 votes Wednesday.

Councilman Dwight Boykins, who floated the monthly fee as a way to help offset the cost of mandated pay raises for city firefighters, was the only person who voted in favor of the idea.

Most of the council's members, including Mayor Sylvester Turner, previously had said they would not support the idea, which they called "regressive" and framed as a new tax on Houston homeowners.

Members including Turner reiterated those stances Wednesday before scuttling Boykins' proposal in two separate votes.

Let me be clear: the administration is not supporting this, he said.

Boykins had offered three versions of the measure, with fees of $19, $24 and $27 a month. Council combined the two higher-rate options in one measure before rejecting it in a 16-to-1 vote.

Mayor Pro Tem Ellen Cohen was among those who criticized the idea. Asking homeowners to pay the fee, she said, could force them to forgo other expenses, including medicine.

Boykins maintained that the fee is a fiscally responsible option, and said after the meeting that some council members had engaged in a scare tactic by saying the fee effectively was a tax.

Its easy to criticize, but its hard to bring a solution to the table, he said.

The votes came amid continued tensions among council members over the impending costs of Proposition B, a voter-approved charter amendment that grants Houston firefighters pay equal to city police officers of corresponding rank and experience.

Turner has said that paying for Prop B will require laying off hundreds of firefighters and other city employees unless the raises are phased in over five years. Some of those layoffs could come in the next few weeks.

The mayor, who for months has been in a heated public fight with the Houston Professional Firefighters Union over the implementation of Prop B, also has directed city departments to cut their budgets by 3 percent as a way to help finance the raises and eliminate an additional $100 million shortfall.

The mayors relationship with Boykins has become increasingly fraught in recent weeks due to disagreement over Prop B. During the councils two previous meetings, Boykins delayed votes on most of the agenda items in protest over Turners refusal to promote 60 Houston Fire Department cadets amid a citywide hiring freeze the mayor implemented last September.

The delays, using a parliamentary maneuver known as a tag, have irritated other council members, as was made clear by their comments on Wednesday.

District G Council member Greg Travis, one of Boykins most persistent critics in recent weeks, accused his colleague of using the tag in part to get his garbage fee placed on the agenda.

Apparently, if you want to get something on the agenda, all we have to do is tag the items for two weeks, Travis said. That's the lesson I've learned. No matter how bad the ideas are.

Vice Mayor Pro Tem Jerry Davis said nearly every constituent with whom he has spoken has objected to the garbage fee. Davis also said Boykins focus on the proposal has made his constituents wonder why Boykins is going to bat for the firefighters and not us.

Boykins denied that that was true.

I respect the will of my constituents, he said. What I was trying to do is what the mayor requested, (which) was finding a funding source for Prop B.

Boykins first pitched the idea in December. Under his proposal, the fees collected from Houston homeowners would have gone to the citys Solid Waste Management Department, freeing up general fund money to pay for the firefighter raises.

The fees could have allowed for more frequent garbage collections as well, Boykins said.

Houston is the only major city in Texas that does not charge residents a garbage fee.

robert.downen@chron.com

twitter.com/RobDownenChron
AUSTIN  The Texas House Wednesday night called for an additional $9 billion to better fund schools, raise teacher pay and reduce property taxes, though debate in the Capitol on how to accomplish those feats is far from over.

The House and Senate are still far apart in their plans to tackle the three signature issues agreed upon by top state leaders, setting up a potential faceoff between the two chambers. The last time the Legislature convened, in 2017, the House passed a $1.8 billion boost to education funding, but it died because of differences with the Senate, as did a sweeping measure for property tax reform.

Leaders in the House seemed to leave little room for negotiation when they unveiled their education plan three weeks ago. If we dont do this, were failing our kids, the bills architect, State Rep Dan Huberty, R-Houston, told his colleagues.

The House spending plan, approved 149-0 after nearly 13 hours of debate, includes $6.3 billion in new funding for education and $2.7 billion for property tax relief over the next two years. The budget totals $251 billion in combined state and federal spending, $116 billion of which is state-funded. Though the final vote on the budget had not been cast as of 9 p.m., members of the House were plugging along, batting down so-called hostile amendments and making minor tweaks.

Huberty on Wednesday defended the Houses strategy for reducing property taxes, which would decrease tax bills by 4 cents per $100 valuation for all homeowners. That amounts to $80 a year for the owner of a $200,000 house.

"This actually provides real property tax relief," Huberty said, adding the Senates 2.5 percent per year proposed cap on property tax hikes enacted by schools and local governments wouldn't offer all Texans tax relief and could open the state up to lawsuits. It is not equitable.

The House is further along than the Senate in determining how the additional education funds would be spent. A detailed plan to increase how much money the state spends per student, and how to lure educators to struggling schools is expected to go before the full 150-member chamber next week.

Texas Take: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox

Lawmakers say they expect school districts to use some of the additional education funds to give teachers and other school staff raises. The House plan allows school districts to distribute such raises as they see fit.

So far, the Senates education plan consists of $3.9 billion for across-the-board $5,000 raises for the states 350,000 teachers and librarians.

The Senate has yet to bring its budget and property tax plan to a full-chamber vote. The Senate proposal would place a 2.5-percent limit on property tax increases by cities, counties, school districts and special districts without voter approval. The measure won approval by a Senate tax committee in February.

While the Texas Comptroller estimated Texas will collect enough money over the next two years to cover the Houses $9 billion plan, lawmakers are considering ways to raise additional revenue to offset the costs. Proposals include raising the sales tax, as well as closing sales tax loopholes that exempt over-the-counter drugs, ice cream, e-cigarette vapor fluid and other items.

For subscribers: Texas lawmakers call for a swap: Higher sales tax, lower property tax

Lawmakers have until Memorial Day to finalize legislation.

As budget deliberations began Wednesday, House members quickly approved spending $9 billion to shore up the current years state budget, which included funds for school districts negatively affected by Hurricane Harvey. The plan would pull $4.3 billion from the states reserves, often referred to as its rainy day fund, including nearly $11 million for school safety improvements in the Santa Fe Independent School District, where a mass shooting last spring at Santa Fe High School left 10 people dead and 13 others wounded.

Allie Morris contributed to this report from Austin.
The site of the Intercontinental Terminal Co. chemical fire is still too precarious for the Harris County Fire Marshals Office to start its probe into what caused the destructive blaze, officials said Wednesday in opposing a request to preserve potential evidence.

It will be Monday at the earliest before fire investigators can enter the Deer Park industrial plant, Harris County Fire Marshal Laurie Christensen Christensen told a Harris County judge.

Until then, a temporary restraining order filed Wednesday to demand the immediate sampling of chemicals, soil and tank residue would present a safety hazard, she said.

Its unsafe to make entry right now, Christensen said. The site is considered a hot zone.

The order was requested hours after authorities reopened the Houston Ship Channel to vessels at slower speeds because of a chemical spill following the March 17 fire. Ships are being checked for traces of oily product being dragged in their wake.

The motion was filed in connection to a lawsuit from 75-year-old Deer Park retiree Refugio Reyes.

Christensen argued the order was worded in a way that could mean the removal of chemicals, even as a safety precaution, would mean the destruction of evidence.

The reality is, we may need to move product around to safely enter, she said.

The fire marshal stood among about a dozen lawyers representing ITC, Harris County and the plaintiffs suing the petrochemical company who surrounded Judge Steven Kirkland in the 334th Civil Court to debate the order. Kirkland declined to sign the order and asked the lawyers to work together to draft a new document that would require additional sampling without impacting the county investigation.

The lawyers tried compiling a revised motion in a small conference room adjacent to the courtroom until a bailiff asked them to quiet down. The meeting stopped after about 10 minutes before Kirkland was told the order would be ready by Friday.

Among the attorneys was Michael Goldberg, who is representing ITC. He contends the company is cooperating with local, state and federal authorities to secure the terminal site along Independence Parkway.

We cant and wont force the government to violate safety concerns, Goldberg said. Safety, not lawsuits, is our concern.

Another ITC lawyer, Russell Lewis, echoed Christensens sentiments that the Deer Park plant is not ready for operations beyond securing the tanks.

We are still moving product from the damaged tanks to secure the site and make it safe, Lewis said. (The order) would prevent the agencies and ITC from continuing to get the site safe for access so the fire marshal can come in and begin an investigation.

Meanwhile, the transfer of chemicals and clean-up at the plant where the fire razed 11 storage tanks is progressing, ITC incident commander Brent Weber said during a press conference Wednesday morning. Four compromised tanks are now secure, meaning the chemicals contained in them have been relocated.

All of the tanks that contained pygas, which has concentrations of the carcinogen benzene, are included in the count of secured tanks, he said.

Company officials declined to comment on a separate lawsuit Harris County filed Tuesday against the company. The litigation alleges that ITC violated the Texas Clean Air Act, as well as county floodplain regulations and other rules. The officials also refused to comment on allegations of illegal structures on site, out of compliance with the floodplain regulations.

ITC President and CEO Bernt Netland, who had failed to publicly address the fire in the 10 days since it erupted, issued his first statement Wednesday night in a video.

The majority of our employees live in the community that surrounds our facilities, said Netland, whose Texas-based company is part of the Japanese group Mitsui & Co. All of us are profoundly upset that the incident happened and its impact on the surrounding community since the incident started.

I pledge to you that we are making all available resources to resolve this, he added.

During the court hearing Wednesday, Benny Agosto Jr., who is representing a Denver Harbor family in a separate ITC lawsuit, double-downed on the need for more chemical sampling as the clean-up continues. The best evidence, he said, is in the tanks and soil.

I ask specifically for samplings as they go. Theyre moving product out of these things I want to know whats in these tanks. I want to see the resisdue at the bottom of the tanks, Agosto told the judge.

In response, Harris County Assistant County Attorney Graylon Wells said the results of the fire marshal investigation, once complete, would be made available..

We dont want somebody sitting over our shoulder and testing things while were doing our investigation, Wells said. We ask that we do our investigations and then the plaintiffs attorneys can go in there.

nicole.hensley@chron.com

samantha.ketterer@chron.com
A safety-net health clinic for low-income people will open at the University of Houston Monday, a key component of its planned medical college.

The university is partnering with Georgetown-headquartered Lone Star Circle of Care, which already operates 19 such clinics around the state. The clinics, known as federally qualified health centers, provide health care to patients regardless of their ability to pay.

This is really a win-win all the way around, said Dr. Stephen Spann, founding dean of the UH medical school. It helps us in our mission to provide care to this community. It provides us with a clinic on campus where we can train students and where our faculty can be involved in the care of patients. And it partners us with an excellent FQHC.

Lone Star Circle of Care officials estimate that at full capacity, the UH clinic will see about 37,500 patients annually, many at follow-up appointments. The clinic will focus on primary care and behavioral health.

The clinic should help UHs bid for accreditation of the medical college, which would be the first in Houston in nearly half a century. UHs plan was approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in November, but still needs accreditation by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education.

Spann said he plans to submit accreditation application materials this week. The liaison committee process typically takes nearly a year, which would allow UH to begin enrolling students in fall 2020 if the submission is approved.

Federally qualified health centers charge patients without health insurance on a sliding scale, much needed in areas such as the Third Ward, which UHs medical school would serve. Third Ward residents experience higher percentages of chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension than the greater Houston population.

Federally qualified health centers, a nearly 50-year-old program, took on an increased role under the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare. There are currently 72 such FQHC organizations in Texas  Lone Star Circle of Care counts as one  operating more than 300 sites.

RELATED: UH to build medical school on campus

The centers receive better Medicaid reimbursement and are eligible for federal grant money because of the safety-net role they play. Lone Star has no such grant money for the UH clinic yet.

Rhonda Mundhenk, Lone Stars CEO, called it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to partner with a medical school getting off the ground.

The Third Ward is definitely in need of more primary-care and behavioral health services, said Mundhenk. This clinic will help reduce health inequality in the community where the university sits while giving student learners the opportunity to participate firsthand.

Federally qualified health centers are typically not affiliated with medical schools, though Lone Star has sites at Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin and the Texas A&M College of Medicines clinical campus at Round Rock. Medical schools frequently are affiliated with safety-net hospitals  Baylor College of Medicine and McGovern Medical School at UTHealth staff the Harris Health Systems Ben Taub and Lyndon B. Johnson hospitals, respectively, for instance.

UH will lease the clinic space to Lone Star and the two institutions will supply staff: five primary care doctors provided by UH and 10 behavioral health specialists to be hired by Lone Star. UH will supplement the behavioral health staff with its own faculty leaders and students in psychology, counseling and social work.

Plans call for the UH school to focus on training primary care physicians to practice in underserved areas, a huge need in Houston and the state, given projected shortfalls.

Funding for the school will come from a combination of philanthropy, tuition and state money, which would include regular funding from the Texas Legislature. The Legislatures current appropriations bill includes a $20 million rider for the UH medical school.

Lone Star, founded in 2001, currently sees about 322,000 patients around the state. Forty-seven percent of its patients are on Medicaid or the Childrens Health Insurance Program, 29 percent are uninsured and 5 percent are on Medicare.

todd.ackerman@chron.com

twitter.com/chronmed
Latino Victory Fund, a national advocacy group that began in San Antonio, is putting more pressure on U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro to leap into the Senate race against Texas GOP Sen. John Cornyn.

On Friday, Latino Victory put up a Run, Joaquin, Run website urging Castro, D-San Antonio, to seek the Democrats' 2020 nomination to challenge Cornyn, a three-term Senate veteran.

Backing the drive were four Texans in Congress, Reps. Veronica Escobar of El Paso, Sylvia Garcia of Houston, Filemon Vela of Brownsville and Vincente Gonzalez of McAllen.

Today, an additional five names were added to that list backing a Castro candidacy: State Reps. Gina Hinojosa, Celia Israel, Mary Gonzalez, Lina Ortega and Leticia Van de Putte, of San Antonio, who was the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor in 2014.

Castro said recently he is nearing a decision on whether to run but has not given a timetable.

Texas take: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox

Cornyn, who has hired a campaign manager and begun preparing for the race, told reporters today that he doesn't expect a smooth path to re-election.

"As much as people in my position would like to have easy races and not be in a battleground state, it's just not meant to be," he said.

"Republicans, I think have become complacent in Texas and expect that just because we haven't elected a statewide Democrat since 1994 when President Bush was elected governor that it would always be that way, and it's not."
Trade representatives from China and the United States will hold a new round of trade talks in Beijing on Friday, China's Ministry of Commerce announced on Thursday. The American delegates are set to arrive in the city this afternoon.

The national flags of China and the United States. [Photo: IC]

Vice Premier Liu He has recently held multiple rounds of talks on trade with the American side by phone. Some progress has been made but a great deal of work remains to be done, according to Commerce Ministry spokesman Gao Feng.

The vice premier will visit Washington next week to attend the ninth round of China-U.S. high-level trade consultations, said Gao.

"China believes that cooperation is the best option for the two nations, as it benefits not only the two countries and their people, but also the whole world," Gao added.




Having regained control of one chamber of Congress, Democrats cant let their disappointment in the Mueller reports apparent conclusions distract them from taking care of other pressing concerns, including two that President Donald Trump promised voters he would address: crumbling infrastructure and high prescription drug prices.

Trump ignored those promises this week to launch yet another attack on the Affordable Care Act, which wasnt surprising. It was the next chess move in his strategy to keep Democrats off balance and his core supporters united behind a goal he believes could win him a second term. Killing Obamacare was the biggest campaign promise Trump made behind building a border wall.

The president smelled blood after the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller didnt prove his campaign colluded with Russians to win the presidency. He pounced when he sniffed the Democrats division on the ACA. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi introduced legislation this week to repair holes the Trump administration has punched in the law, but Sen. Bernie Sanders, who co-sponsored Obamacare, said he didnt support the bill.

No, I support the Medicare for all single-payer system, Sanders said when asked by an MSNBC reporter if he would vote for Pelosis bill. He said he no longer supported making incremental changes to a health care system that needs a massive overhaul. Health care is a right, Sanders said. It has to be comprehensive. The current system is dysfunctional. It is enormously wasteful.

Other progressives agree with Sanders that its time to replace a system powered by private health insurance with one mostly financed by the government. Its important to Sanders to be the loudest voice for that change among the 17 announced Democratic candidates for president. Further motivating Sanders may be the growing popularity of newer progressive voices in Congress, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Despite her reputation as a firebrand, the New Yorker struck a more moderate tone after U.S. Attorney General William Barr cleared Trump on obstruction of justice allegations after Mueller failed to reach a conclusion. She urged fellow Democrats to put a leash on their desire to impeach Trump: I dont think we should be running on the president. Right now, in the short term, what we have control over is bringing bills to the floor that embody our values.

Getting any bill passed into law will be impossible for Democrats without enough bipartisan support to get it through the Republican-controlled Senate and signed by the president. With GOP senators increasingly wary of the strong grip polls show Trump still has on Republican voters loyalty, Democrats must figure out where they can work with the president. Infrastructure is a good place to start.

Calling for roads and bridges to be repaired in his State of the Union speech, Trump said, This is not an option. This is a necessity. Of course, he sounded just as enthusiastic when he was running for president, but has not followed through. Many Democrats and Republicans agree that raising the federal fuel tax, which hasnt been hiked since 1993, would be the best way to finance infrastructure improvements. They should work together to make that happen.

They should also find common ground to reduce drug prices. Legislation sponsored by Sanders and Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., would allow Medicare to directly negotiate prices with drug makers, put more generics on the market and let consumers import lower-priced drugs from Canada. If Trump dismisses all of those ideas, it will show hes completely in the thrall of the pharmaceutical industry.

Comprehensive immigration reform appears out of reach, but the effort to achieve it should continue. Trump keeps dangling the possibility of permanent legal residency to the so-called Dreamers, who were brought to the United States illegally when they were children. Democrats and Republicans should put a stop to those games by sending a bipartisan bill to his desk that ensures Dreamers dont have to leave the only country they know as home.

It might be even more difficult to take any meaningful action on gun control. All we in the United States could do is look on in amazement when less than a week after a massacre in New Zealand that left 50 people dead, that country banned so-called assault rifles and started a national government buyback program to get those weapons off the streets. This isnt New Zealand, but a bipartisanship effort could push past the gun lobbys barricades.

Bipartisanship will be harder to achieve as the 2020 election gets closer and compromise is treated like surrender. Democrats and Republicans need to work together now.
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Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met Wednesday with Ban Ki-moon, chairman of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA), as well as some members of the BFA board of directors in Boao, Hainan Province.

Li congratulated the BFA board of directors on its achievements last year. He said the theme of this year's BFA annual conference is "Shared Future, Concerted Action, Common Development," which means countries should help each other, enhance communication, coordinate their actions, uphold inclusive rather than exclusive development, share achievements and realize win-win results.

Since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, particularly after the reform and opening up drive in 1978, China has underscored huge economic and social development achievements, said Li, adding that China remains the world's largest developing country and it still has a long way to go to comprehensively achieve modernization.

"China advocates maintaining multilateralism, respecting diversity of civilizations and allowing countries to explore their own development path according to their national conditions," Li said.

The premier said China will continue to deepen reform and further open up, which will not only help China achieve its goal of modernization, but also contribute to global development and prosperity.

Ban Ki-moon, former Russian prime minister Viktor Zubkov, and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines and former Philippine president, congratulated China on the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and said China's development achievements are unparalleled in human history.

They said unilateralism and protectionism are challenging globalization and multilateralism, and amid world uncertainties, China has responded by advancing structural reform and expanding opening up, setting an example for other countries.

The future of China, Asia, and the world is closely connected and the forum stands ready to work with all parties to promote Asian economic integration, and contribute its wisdom and strength to an inclusive development among all countries, they said.
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This post was done in partnership with Land OLakes. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own, and Im incredibly excited to work with Land OLakes because of their high-quality butter and dairy products. Thank you for supporting Hummingbird High and the sponsors who keep the lights on!

Im very, VERY excited to share this recipe for Filipino ensaymadas today! When I choose what recipes to bake and share on Hummingbird High, I usually pick the recipe because it sounded tasty and like something Id want to eat. Im sad to admit this, but Im not one of those food bloggers whose recipes come from a deep and rich family history, each with a story of its own. Truth be told, Im the first serious baker in my family (though my mom is a great savory cook, and my grandma made a killer leche flan). But in addition to being tasty as heck, todays recipe actually has some cultural and historical significance to me too.

First of all: what are ensaymadas? Theyre a Filipino pastry, often eaten as breakfast or a sweet afternoon snack in the Philippines. Ensaymadas are made with brioche dough that is rolled with butter and sugar to make a small bun; each bun is then topped with more butter, sugar, and a special type of Edam cheese called queso de bola (which tastes a lot like mild cheddar cheese). Ensaymadas are actually based on ensaimadas, a Spanish Mallorcan pastry; this is likely due to the fact that Spain colonized the Philippines for over 300 years. However, the cheese topping is a uniquely Filipino twist  many Filipino dishes often have both sweet AND savory elements, and ensaymadas are no exception.

Now, why are ensaymadas a big deal for me? If youve been reading my blog for a while, youll know that I was born in Manila, the capital city of the Philippines, and lived there up until I was 9. My family then moved to the Netherlands, and then to Houston, Texas, where I attended high school before moving to Portland for college. I was very lucky to have grown up internationally; from a young age, I was exposed to many cultures and international customs that I eventually embraced as my own.

But food is what keeps me tied to my Filipino heritage. Even while living in the Netherlands, the US, and England (my parents moved to London after I graduated from high school; I spent many of my college breaks and summers there), my mom made sure to cook Filipino food on an almost nightly basis. I was also lucky to live in both San Francisco and New York, both of which have large Filipino communities. While there, I frequently dragged Erlend to hole-in-the-wall restaurants in Daly City and Woodside, just so I could have a taste of Filipino classics like adobo, crispy pata, and more.

And as the years have gone by, Ive also found myself trying to recreate my moms recipes and many Filipino dishes at home too. While nothing can really compare to my moms cooking, Ive found a lot of success in incorporating Filipino flavors like ube in desserts (see: this babka, these cinnamon rolls, and this layer cake) and baking traditional Filipino sweets like leche flan and giving the recipe my own twist to match my personal tastes.

These ensaymadas are one such example. This recipe is actually adapted from I Am A Filipino, and is based on a traditional Filipino ensaymada recipe that uses shortening to enrich the dough. Ive tried making ensaymada dough with butter before  while delicious, the butter version doesnt have the classic ensaymada flavor I remember from the Filipino bakeries of my childhood. This was disappointing since I usually avoid using shortening in my baking; I just dont think its as delicious as using butter. Unfortunately, the shortening really is a MUST to capture that authentic ensaymada taste.

But I did find another way to rein the recipe in. Ensaymada recipes traditionally have a frosting recipe that you then use as both a filling and topping for the dough. Nicole and Melvins recipe instructs you to use a stick butter for their recipe; instead, I used Land O Lakes Butter with Canola Oil. This product is MUCH easier to spread than stick butter, whipping into the perfect texture straight from the fridge. The canola oil also helps cut down on the richness of the overall recipe, making what I consider to be the ideal ensaymada: rich but light, sweet with a little bit of salt from the cheese, and really freakin delicious. Enjoy!

Some bakers notes:

To make these ensaymadas, youll need two jumbo muffin pans and baking cup liners to fit. In a pinch, you can substitute with a regular muffin pan, but youll need to portion out the dough to 1.5 ounces (as opposed to 3 ounces each), and scale down the frosting and cheese needed for each bun accordingly. If you go this route, youll end up with 20 smaller buns.

I mentioned this earlier in the post, but traditionally, Filipino ensaymadas are topped with queso de bola cheese, a type of Edam cheese. I wasnt able to find any in Portland; I ended up substituting it with a mild cheddar cheese (buy the kind that comes pre-grated, to save you time in the kitchen), but Ive also seen other recipes that use a mild parmesan cheese.

Because I hate waiting for dough to rise, I stuck my dough in the fridge to let it rise overnight as I slept. It was ready for me to shape the next morning. You can expedite this recipe and make it all in one day too  after making the dough, let rise at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours, or until doubled in size. Proceed with the recipes instructions for shaping the buns and letting rise a second time before baking.

Some of you will notice that these buns are cooked at a lower-than-usual oven temperature for bread recipes  this is not a mistake, but instead how traditional ensaymada recipes roll (haha, see what I did there?). Because the temperature is on the lower side, the buns wont brown or crust like bread traditionally does in the oven. It can be hard to tell when the ensaymadas are done. Look for a very lightly browned top thats still very soft and squishy; if you have a food thermometer, the inside of the center of one of the buns should be around 200F.
Everything You Need To Know About Article 13

The Article 13 copyright directive passed the European Parliament this week, bringing with it sweeping copyright reform, limits to Safe Harbor and an end to YouTube as we know it, at least in the EU. The legislation is complex, so here is Everything You Need To Know About Article 13.

________________________

Guest post by Tony Li, Co-Founder of ACRCloud

[Editors note: This was written just prior to the directive's passage this week.]

If you happen to spend most of your life surfing websites like YouTube, Facebook, and Twitch, you may have already seen the term Article 13 many times since last September. Many Internet content creators, especially those active on YouTube, have already made hundreds of videos explaining the hazardous effects and outcomes of this legislation on copyright infringement, claiming that it would likely to kill YouTube, memes culture, creativity, and even freedom of speech. So, what is Article 13 anyways? Why are the Internet influencers and content creators so worried about it and desperately call for the fellow Internet community to protest? Are we, as the general users of these websites, really doomed according to those opinion leaders? While the campaign against Article 13 is ongoing, this article tries to make sense of the whole situation by listing four things that you need to know.

Article 13 is about dealing with copyright infringement.

Compared to the rest of the world, the European Union seems to have a more ruthless legal system monitoring issues regarding copyrights. Under the Digital Single Market (DSM) project, all EU member states need to follow the same laws on telecommunication, digital marketing, and e-commerce, in order to be harmonized and more efficiently serving the EU as a community. As the European Commission website explains, the DSM project has helped bringing down many barriers to ensure the fair competition, consumer and data protection, and removing geo-blocking and copyright issues. It is under this backdrop that the EU Copyright Directives which contains the notorious Article 13, has become a focal point for many EU Internet users for its potentially enormous influence on peoples daily activities on the Internet.

Simply put, Article 13 belongs to the larger proposal of the EU Copyright Directives, which the European lawmakers have voted for a version in September 2018, and passed the final texts in February 2019. Article 13 requires Internet companies and content operator platforms (such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and other sharing sites supporting and disseminating user-generated content) to tighten their copyright supervision by regulating the mass sharing of copyrighted materials. For example, suppose an Instagram account named whales_collection has been collecting other photographers photos of whales and posting them on its page with the credit listed in the caption; however, under Article 13, the administrator of whale_collection is now infringed every copyrighted author featured on its regardless that the credit has been marked. Moreover, it is Instagram that is liable for the users action of piracy. And for video game streamers, the strike of Article 13 could be devastating as they must use the copyrighted footage from video games to do streaming and consequently, make money. Yet, with the implementation of Article 13, it is likely that the streaming videos will directly become cases of copyright infringement.

The Internet giants are not happy about it.

Though content creators on the Internet have shown their dissatisfaction with Article 13, the platforms hosting these creative works are even more distressed about it. For one thing, platforms like YouTube and Twitch are now the ones held accountable for discovering their users copyright infringements, which not only leads to further censorship and blocking of content, but also means they will pay for the users illegal deeds; for another, if the platforms cannot come up with decent solutions to keep their users feel protected and free, it is likely that the frustrated users would choose to leave the platform and find alternatives to post and watch contents. With remarkable number of users on these websites, the potential consequences for them means losing subscription and revenues. That is why the CEO of YouTube, Susan Wojcicki, made a post in November 2018, addressing the effects of Article 13, and the website has also established a special page with the hashtag #saveyourinternet to keep users up-to-date with the legislating process. The latest update was posted on March 4, 2019, answering top questions and suggesting users to take actions by popularizing the crisis and reaching out to Members of Parliament. Similarly, Twitch has published a blog post addressing Article 13s potential harm to the content creators and tell them that its not too late to take actions.

Smaller platforms and content operators face more challenges.

Protecting copyrights is nothing new for the online business world. For many Internet moguls, they have used some strategies and services to protect creators rights to abide by copyright laws. The notorious example is YouTubes usage of Content ID, which is a digital fingerprinting system developed by Google to help identify and manage copyrighted content. Although it has been criticized by YouTubers for its lack of accuracy in targeting and attesting copyright infringements, it was still a strong proof showcasing the companys keen awareness and protection of copyrights for its users. If Article 13 eventually passes and be applied to the EU member states, it only means that YouTube and the like may need to spend more money and resources in installing and perfecting its upload filters. Nevertheless, for middle or small-sized websites featuring user-generated content or providing sharing services, the impairment brought by Article 13 would be more devastating, since they may not have enough money, staff, and the infrastructure comparable to the larger sites to monitor the copyright infringements. As a result, they may also face greater probability of being punished and fined.

The somewhat good news at this point for people on the opposing side of Article 13 is that even though the content of the Copyright Directive was finalized in February of this year, it still needs to go through a final vote. However, looking at the calendar, we are already in the end of March heading towards Aprilthe time is quickly running out.

But even if Article 13 were passed, its not the end of the world

Even with the criticism and opposition to Article 13 led by Internet giants and opinion leaders, it needs to be stressed that it is not harmful if you are the copyright owner. Because if you are, you are getting paid when other people use, or even refer to, your content in their creations. Thus, this new legislation could be beneficial for authors, artists, and small music labels, who used to be highly susceptible to copyright infringements. In addition, there are voices supporting Article 13 by pinpointing that the fuss around the legislation is mostly exaggeration and is largely the Internet giants strategies to disturb the market and stifle the Internet users in order to gain support from the public discourse and to protect their own benefits.

As April approaches, perhaps it is also time for Internet companies, especially the middle and small-sized ones, to consider the possibility and strategies to live with the intensified copyright laws in EU. Basically, what these companies need to do to follow the requirements of Article 13 is to construct more efficient content filters with the awareness of copyright protection. Luckily, there are companies that use mature algorithm and content recognition cloud services to help ease the pressure of catching piracy activities on Internet platforms.

Take the services like Audible Magic and ACRCloud as examples, they are mastering in many telecommunication services such as automatic content recognition, audio fingerprinting, content filtering, and copyright compliance, etc. With a large and well-established database and global business experience, their technologies and expertise come as a handy solution to crack a lot of hassles for Internet content operators that dealing with numerous user-generated content. By collecting and running audio, video, and recording sources through its comprehensive fingerprint database, both services collect the results and reports to the clients about the copyright infringements. Moreover, ACRCloud has been working with many transnational corporations with user-generated content such as Record Union, , Audiomack, Routenote and Coub, to help them save manpower costs and respond to their needs in near real-time. It seems that for Internet companies and content operators, this is something that is urgently needed if the Article 13 eventuallyand is very likelypasses.

[Editors note: This was written just prior to the directive's passage this week.]

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China Development Bank (CDB), a major policy bank, has financed more than 600 Belt and Road (B&R) projects totaling 190 billion U.S. dollars since the Belt and Road Initiative was proposed in 2013, said CDB president Zheng Zhijie Wednesday. [Photo/China.org.cn]

China Development Bank (CDB), a major policy bank, has financed more than 600 Belt and Road (B&R) projects totaling 190 billion U.S. dollars since the Belt and Road Initiative was proposed in 2013, said CDB president Zheng Zhijie Wednesday.

The bank's outstanding loans for international projects to B&R countries hit 105.9 billion U.S. dollars by the end of last year, accounting for 34 percent of its total outstanding loans for international projects, Zheng said at a panel discussion of the ongoing Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) annual conference.

In May 2017, the CDB set up a three-year special lending scheme worth 250 billion yuan (about 37.23 billion U.S. dollars) to support B&R cooperation on infrastructure, industrial capacity and financing. By the end of February this year, lending via the special loan reached 480.7 billion yuan, of which 139 billion yuan was for infrastructure construction, Zheng said.

"This has provided sustainable and risk-controlled financial support for the construction of the Belt and Road in the long-term," Zheng said.

Zheng also said the financing for B&R infrastructure construction should be promoted. "We need to build a more open and inclusive financing platform and give full play to all sorts of capital, whether it's state-owned, private, or foreign," he said.

The BFA annual conference runs from March 26 to 29 in Boao, a coastal town in China's southern island province of Hainan.
Chinese local government bonds worth 1.4 billion yuan ($208.5 million) were snapped up by retail investors within a single day, after counter sales in banks were made available for the first time. The fundraising will help supplement a broader fiscal deficit this year, analysts said.

On Monday, individuals in China were able to purchase bonds issued by the Zhejiang provincial government (five-year term, 3.32 percent coupon rate) and the Ningbo city government (three-year term, 3.04 percent coupon rate). Proceeds from the sales will be used for land purchases (300 million yuan) and shantytown renovations (1.1 billion yuan), according to a notice on the website of China Central Depository and Clearing, a clearinghouse under the central bank.

The minimum investment amount for retail investors is 100 yuan, lower than most wealth management products issued by commercial banks. Previously, individual investors could only purchase bonds issued by the central government, known as treasury bonds. And before Monday, local government bonds were traded mainly in the interbank market.

According to the Ministry of Finance, local governments in Sichuan, Shaanxi and Shandong provinces as well as Beijing will eventually be able to sell bonds at counters in commercial banks directly to retail investors, and the practice will be expanded nationwide after an additional period of time.

The ministry said individuals do not need to pay taxes on the bonds' interest income, and this policy is likely to attract more investors.

Selling local government bonds to retail investors should facilitate liquidity in the secondary market, improve the market-oriented bond pricing mechanism and push issuers to enhance the quality of information disclosure, said Amanda Du, a Moody's vice-president and senior analyst.

"Higher coupon rates compared with treasury bonds, and the tax exemption on the interest income, make local government bonds more attractive for retail investors," she said. "The fast takeup by retail investors also indicates that the bonds have won high recognition among individual buyers, supported by the local governments' high credit ratings."

Currently, all special purpose local government bonds are domestically rated "AAA", the safest level. The sale to individual investors is mainly of project-linked special-purpose bonds, a type of local government bond vigorously promoted by the government in recent years. The cash flows generated from the underlying projects will be used as the primary repayment sources.

In China, there are two types of local government bonds: general bonds and special purpose bonds. According to the country's 2019 budget report, which was approved by the top legislature earlier this month, the budgeted deficit for local governments is 930 billion yuan, up 100 billion yuan compared with 2018, and this fund gap will be supplemented by general bonds.

In the meantime, 2.15 trillion yuan of special purpose bonds will be issued to support large infrastructure projects, such as shantytown renovation projects and railways, said the ministry.

Letting individual buyers invest in local government bonds is a way to narrow the government's financing gap, said Hu Yijian, a tax professor at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. The gap is expected to expand, as policymakers decided to cut about 2 trillion yuan in taxes and fees this year while at the same time increase spending on investment.

Finance Minister Liu Kun said at a forum on Sunday that the government plans to accelerate local government bond issuance this year. "We are trying to complete the issuance of the new bond quota of 3.08 trillion yuan by the end of September."

"We will urge local governments to inject funds into projects quickly in order to stabilize investment and expand domestic demand," said Liu.

In the first two months, issued local government bonds totaled at 782.1 billion yuan. Among this, 326.1 billion yuan was raised through special purpose bonds, a type just like United States municipal bonds, the ministry said.
Hollywood producer and maritime historian Mike Harris said on Monday in Beijing that he believes the Belt and Road Initiative will not only benefit the Chinese people, but also all of humanity.



Mike Harris, 83, a writer, explorer, film producer and international maritime historian, led major expeditions around the world, including the first-ever expedition to search for the Titanic.

On Harris' first expedition, he led a group of divers to Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands where they explored American, German and Japanese warships that were sunk by atomic bomb tests after World War II. In 1980, Harris assembled a group of marine scientists and oceanographers and led them on the first-ever expedition to search for the Titanic in the North Atlantic. His film "Search for the Titanic" featured legendary actor Orson Welles as his on-camera host and narrator. On his second Titanic expedition, Harris produced "Return to the Titanic." He is a member of The Explorer's Club of New York and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society in London.

This year marks the sixth anniversary for China's Belt and Road Initiative since it was first proposed in 2013. The second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation will be held in Beijing in April. The Pangoal Institution, a renowned Chinese think tank, invited Harris to Beijing to give a speech at a lecture on "The Grand Voyage of Zheng He and the Development of the 21st-century Maritime Silk Road."

Zheng He, the Chinese mariner, explorer, diplomat and naval fleet admiral during China's early Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), commanded voyages to Southeast Asia, South Asia, Western Asia, and East Africa from 1405 to 1433. Yu Hongjun, a senior academic advisor to the Pangoal Institution, the former Chinese ambassador to Uzbekistan and a member of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said Zheng's voyages were a monumental maritime achievement that took place decades before the great discoveries of Western explorers. Zheng's expeditions opened up a new era of marine diplomacy in the ancient world, and promoted the development of the Maritime Silk Road.

Remembering how he first heard of Zheng He, Harris recounted, "One day, a fellow explorer came up to me and said, 'Mike, you lead expeditions and produce films of your expeditions, why don't you produce a film on the greatest explorer who ever lived!' I had no idea who he was talking about, but asked if he was talking about Marco Polo," Harris recollected. "The fellow explorer said 'No' and clarified that he was talking about a Chinese admiral named Zheng He. I still had never heard of him, but I became intrigued. " In 1981, Harris started to work with Chinese experts to conduct extensive research on Zheng He and related historical developments. He now chairs a Zheng He international research institute.

Starting in 1983, Harris began making trips to Beijing and speaking with Ming Dynasty historians who told him all about China's great maritime explorer. He also learned more about Zheng after reading a Chinese report by Ming Dynasty experts. Much to his amazement and interest, he learned that Zheng was a Muslim and a eunuch for Zhu Di, also known as Yongle, the Third Ming Emperor of China, and led seven trade and exploration expeditions sixty years before Columbus discovered America.
The website of Suarausu.co was shut down from March 20 to 23 after the Chancellor of the University of Sumatra Utara (USU) disbanded the student press of Suarausu.co after the publication of a fictional story about discrimination of LGBTI people. The International of Federation Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate the Alliance of Independent Journalists Indonesia (AJI) in condemning USU for impeding on freedom of expression and the press.

On March 12, Suarausu.co published a short fictional story highlighting discrimination LGBTI people face. On March 18, the story was shared on Suarausu.co social media channels, which was widely criticised. The following day, the rectorate of USU demanded a meeting with Suarausu.co chief editor and chairperson. During the meeting, the university told the outlet that the student press shouldnt be publishing content related to LGBTI issues. The rectorate wanted the editorial team to focus on the achievements of students rather than criticizing the university.

On March 24, the rectorate called a second meeting between the editorial team and the university chancellor. Prior to the meeting on March 25, the editorial team were asked not to bring their mobile phones. During the meeting the chancellor demanded that the editorial team follow the values of the university and cease publishing content related to LGBTI issues or pornography. At the end of the meeting, the chancellor said that he had decided to disband the student press. They were told to empty the Suarausu.co offices by March 28. The chancellor said that the next elections for the editorial team would be conducted under his direction.

Suarausu.co is the only student press association in the university and was established in 1995.

AJI condemned the decision of the university. As stated on the Law No.12 on the Higher Education, managing the universities should be done in a democratic process and against the discrimination also respect the human rights. The rectorate should stop the intervention and make sure this type of intimidation will not happen again in the future, AJI said.

The IFJ said: Student press has an important role to determine the development of journalism in the future. Aside of that, in Indonesias history, we can see that student press a leader to demand reformasi in the 1990s. We stand AJI condemning the intervention and ask the university to protect free speech as well as the democratic process and diversity of thought.
Umno leaders and supporters harassed two Malaysiakini interns as they covered a talk by the former Prime Minister in Kuala Lumpur on March 22. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate the National Union of Journalists, Peninsular Malaysia (NUJM) have strongly criticized the attack and demanded an investigation.

The two interns, Mariam Nazar and Ramieza Wahid, were verbally and physically harassed as they covered a talk by former Prime Minister Najib Razak. Nazar was harassed by the Chief of Umno Petaling Jaya Selatan Mutalib Abdul Rahim and Umno Supreme Council Member Lokman Noor Adam. Wahid was shoved by supporters and also verbally abused.

Mariam said Lokman, one of the harassers, put his face near her face. She told Lokman to move aside and respect her personal space. She then contacted Malaysiakinis desk editor Jimadie Shah Othman to alert him on the situation. While Mariam was doing that, Mutalib, the second harasser, snatched his name card from her hand and injured her finger.

Umno supported were angered with a Malaysiakini article about several Najib supporters who confronted a group of University Malaya students.

Malaysiakini editor-in-chief Steven Gan, condemned the harassment. "They have crossed the line by verbally and physically attacking our interns who were just doing their job. We must send a loud and clear message that such violence will not be tolerated," he said.

President of National Union of Journalists Malaysia (NUJ) Taufek Razak said all parties should understand the task of a journalist attending any program strictly to cover and not get personally involved in that program. All parties, he added, must respect the role and duty of journalists and not take irrational actions. No one can take the law in their own hands.

"NUJ condemns the action of the unruly mob and said it was uncalled for, that journalists become victims. NUJ calls the police to act promptly as the victim has already made the police report. NUJ insists that journalists adhere strictly to the journalists' code of conduct and maintain its role as government watchdog and cannot be seen to side any faction nor conform to any political agendas.

The IFJ said: Harassment of journalists hinders free media from operating as it should, which ultimately harms the democratic process. We urge all political actors to take concrete measures in order to protect the press freedom and freedom of expression.
N1, a cable, regional news channel operating in Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, is facing a targeted campaign of pressures and threats by state officials.

The International and European Federation of Journalists (IFJ and EFJ) have joined their Serbian affiliates, the Independent Union of Serbias Journalists (NUNS) and the Journalists Association of Serbia (UNS), in condemning the attacks on media freedom and urged the authorities to stop targeting and labelling media.

In a letter sent to the IFJ, N1 management states that the governments objective is to compromise and intimidate N1 by labelling it as an anti-Serb TV. N1 is exclusive CNN news affiliate channel for the Western Balkans.

They also claim the campaign, which began in early 2014, has grown since N1 started to report on the current anti-government protests in the country.

N1 media workers have been constantly labelled as traitors and foreign mercenaries and received hundreds of insults and threats of physical violence through social media. One person who sent abusive messages to N1 was arrested and officially charged.

The situation of Serbian media is becoming increasingly difficult. On Saturday 16 March, a group of protesters stormed the national broadcaster RTSs offices.

The IFJ and EFJ believe that threatening media is unacceptable and urge both the government and the opposition leaders to stop harassing, insulting and attacking media whose coverage they dislike. Both organisations published an alert on the Council of Europe warning about the death threats received by N1 workers.

Zeljko Bodrozic, president of the NUNS, said: We call on all state officials to stop spreading animosity towards professional media. Such pressures and targeting almost always result in actual attacks on journalists and media.

UNSs president, Vladimir Radomirovic, said: "We support N1 TV and its journalists and are appalled by what has become the standard practice of both government officials and opposition politicians in Serbia to smear media whose reporting they don't like. UNS is urging leaders of government and the opposition to refrain from commenting on journalists' work in this manner. We are encouraged by the recent sentencing of a person who sent a threatening letter to N1 and commend the police and prosecutors for their quick action in resolving this case".
Imperial Valley News Center

Innovative Research Provides Greater Insights into Congressional Reforms for Military and Overseas Voters

Arlington, Virginia - The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) is pleased to announce the publication of groundbreaking research that yields greater insights into congressional reform amendments to the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act in 2009. The Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act required states to offer the military, their eligible family members, and overseas citizens the opportunity to receive ballot materials electronically and for election officials to transmit balloting materials no later than 45 days prior to each federal election.

The Council of State Governments partnered with FVAP in 2014 to foster the development of a new data reporting standard for election jurisdictions. This new reporting standard is intended to focus on the individual voters experiences and identify drivers for success, said David Beirne, the FVAP Program Director. FVAP is committed to customer service and this new data reporting standard provides a rich source of new information to better identify areas of effectiveness and guide future program improvements, he added.

During the 2016 General Election, the following observations about our military, their family members and overseas citizens validate Congressional reforms quantitatively:

More than 65% of all ballot requests were received at least 45 days prior to the election;

Voters who received their ballots earlier were slightly more likely to return them;

Voters who received their ballots early were less likely to have these ballots rejected; and

Voters who received their ballots by mail were more likely to return them than those who received them electronically.

This new data standard focuses on transactional information to identify the specific timing and methods that work best to support the absentee voting rights of these military and overseas citizens. The 2016 data collected and analyzed is based on information provided directly from states and localities. With this initial round of research complete, FVAP intends to expand the collection of these data in 2020 to yield research that provides the greatest level of accuracy.
Imperial Valley News Center

Top Navy, Marine Corps Leadership Visit Exercise Pacific Blitz 2019

Camp Pendleton, California - Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson and Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Robert Neller visited Sailors and Marines participating in exercise Pacific Blitz (PACBLITZ) 2019 throughout the southern California operating area.

PACBLITZ is a scenario-driven, amphibious exercise designed to train and integrate the staffs of I Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF), Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet (C3F), and major subordinate commands to include Expeditionary Strike Group Three (ESG 3). The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps team is an integral component to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

During the visit March 19, Richardson and Neller met with multiple PACBLITZ participants and were able to observe various exercise operations.

From the Revolutionary War to today, Sailors and Marines have fought side-by-side in every clime and place, projecting power on and from the sea, said Richardson.

Great power competition demands that the Navy and Marine Corps continue to commit to the proven power of our warfighting team.

One of the important ways the services contribute to this effort is through a joint maritime campaign that maintains a ready and lethal force capable of conducting expeditionary operations across the globe.

Use of the sea as maneuver space remains as vital today as any time in our history, said Neller. The amphibious fleet allows the naval force to do three basic things: each day assure our friends and deter adversaries around the world, execute a global cost imposition strategy if we have to fight, and project and sustain the force in a contested environment.

The training environment for PACBLITZ is dispersed across the coast of southern California, including Naval Base San Diego, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Port Hueneme and Naval Air Station (NAS) Point Mugu. The exercise involves command and control of simultaneous amphibious and maritime prepositioning forces, distributed maneuver, fires, intelligence and logistics support.

Richardson and Neller met with I MEF leadership at Camp Pendleton before paying a visit aboard USS Somerset (LPD 25) to discuss well deck, flight deck, and command center operations. They also made stops at San Clemente Island and NAS Point Mugu to observe forward deployed air base and expeditionary advanced base logistics.

This exercise represents an opportunity to assess our ability to conduct littoral operations in a contested environment, said Rear Adm. Cedric Pringle, ESG 3 commander, who accompanied Richardson and Neller during the visit and operates as deputy commander for the exercise. As a Littoral Combat Force, our primary role is to provide decentralized command and control of both maritime and ashore assets in support of a wide range of military operations.

PACBLITZ is designed to improve naval amphibious core competencies necessary for global crisis response. Leadership highlighted the importance of lessons learned from the exercise and how they will impact the Navy and Marine Corps moving forward.

Our joint force will complete this exercise with increased proficiency in expeditionary operations, said Vice Adm. John D. Alexander, commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet. Our Navy and Marine Corps team is focused on employing all available assets that assist in littoral operations. What we take away from this experience will significantly enhance our readiness, our partnerships, and our lethality for the future.

Third Fleet leads naval forces in the Pacific and develops applicable training that is needed for an effective global Navy. Third Fleet coordinates with U.S. 7th Fleet to plan and execute missions based on their complementary strengths to promote ongoing peace, security, and stability throughout the entire Pacific theater of operations.
Imperial Valley News Center

President Trump at Presentation of the Congressional Medal of Honor for Staff Sergeant Travis W. Atkins, U.S. Army

Washington, DC - Remarks by President Trump at Presentation of the Congressional Medal of Honor for Staff Sergeant Travis W. Atkins, U.S. Army:

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. Please. Thank you. And thank you  please, sit down. Please. Thank you, Chaplain Solhjem, Vice President Pence  thank you, Mike  members of Congress, and distinguished military leaders. We are here today to award Americas highest honor to a fallen hero who made the supreme sacrifice for our nation: Staff Sergeant Travis Atkins. Please join me in welcoming the entire Atkins family to the White House. Thank you very much. (Applause.) Thank you very much.

Joining us to accept the Congressional Medal of Honor on behalf of Travis is his son, Trevor. Thank you very much, Trevor.

Were also grateful to be joined by Traviss parents, his mother Elaine, as well as his father Jack, who served as an Army paratrooper in the Vietnam War. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. (Applause.)

Also here with us is Traviss sister Jennifer, along with his uncle, Sumner, and cousin, Douglas. Both are military veterans of great distinction, I might add. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you very much. (Applause.)

To the entire Atkins family: We can never measure the true depth of our gratitude or the full magnitude of your loss, but we can pay everlasting tribute to Staff Sergeant Travis Atkins  his truly immortal act of valor. It was indeed. Thank you.

Were also joined for todays ceremony by Acting Deputy Secretary of Defense David Norquist. Thank you, David. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff  somebody who is doing a fantastic job  General Joseph Dunford. Thank you, General. Thank you, Joe. Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Paul Selva. Paul, thank you. Secretary of the Army, Mark Esper. Mark  thank you, Mark. Army Chief of Staff, General Mark Milley. Thank you, General. Thanks, Mark. Chief of the National Guard Bureau, General Joseph Lengyel. And Sergeant Major of the Army, Daniel Dailey. Thank you. Thank you all. Thank you very much. Great people. Theyre doing an incredible job. I have to say that.

Thank you as well to Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester. Thank you. Thank you. Jon, thank you. And Representatives Jim Banks, Greg Gianforte, Elise Stefanik, Pete Stauber, and Michael Waltz. Thank you all. Thank you, fellas. Thank you. (Applause.)

And, finally, we are privileged to be in the presence of five previous Medal of Honor recipients: Ty Carter, Harvey Barnum, William Swenson, Ronald Shurer, and Brian Thacker. Thank you very much. (Applause.) Brave people. Thank you.

Today, the name of Staff Sergeant Travis Atkins will be etched alongside of the names of Americas bravest warriors and written forever into Americas heart.

Travis grew up on a farm in Bozeman, Montana. He was also and always most at home in the middle of the wilderness. He loved the wilderness. He loved to camp and to fish and to hunt. And he loved to race that snowmobile, as you know. Right?

After Travis graduated high school, he worked as a painter and mechanic before he joined the Army at the age of 24. In March of 2001, his parents went to his basic training graduation ceremony at Fort Benning, Georgia. When they reunited with their son, he told them, This basic training was the best time Ive ever had in my life. In other words, he loved it. (Laughter.)

Travis quickly excelled in the Army. He was offered a number of different assignments, but always he chose the infantry. He loved the infantry. Thats where he wanted to be, defending freedom on the frontiers with his fellow foot soldiers, and they were all his great friends.

In 2003, Travis served on his first deployment in Iraq with the historic 101st Airborne Division and participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

After he completed the harrowing deployment, Travis returned to civilian life. But not for long. The fact is he was bored. You know that. He was very bored. He wanted back in. As his mother Elaine has said, Travis loved the Army and he loved everything about being with the troops. He just loved it.

In 2005, he re-enlisted and joined the legendary 10th Mountain Division, based at Fort Drum, New York, where he [I] was honored to visit last year.

In August of 2006, Travis left his second deployment to Iraq. He was stationed in a hotbed of terror and terrorist activity known as the Triangle of Death. Not a good place.

On the morning of June 1st, 2007, in a town outside of Baghdad, Travis and his three-man squad received a report that several suspected terrorists were walking toward an intersection nearby. Nothing good was going to happen. They all knew it.

Travis directed his squad immediately to the location. When they arrived, he got out of the Humvee and walked toward the two suspicious men. And he knew right from the beginning.

As Travis began to search one of the insurgents, the man resisted and became totally violent. Travis engaged him in hand-to-hand combat. As Travis wrestled to get the enemys hands behind his back, the man began to reach for something, and Travis knew what it was. He realized the man was wearing a suicide vest.

Just as the terrorist was about to set off the deadly explosives, Travis wrapped his arms and his entire body around him and threw him to the ground, away from his troops, who were right next to him. He put himself on the top of the enemy and he shielded his men from certain death. The terrorist detonated his suicide vest and Travis was instantly killed.

In his final moments on Earth, Travis did not run. He didnt know what it was to run. He did not hesitate. He rose to the highest calling. He laid down his life to save the lives of his fellow warriors.

In so doing, he embodied the deepest meaning of the motto of the 10th Mountain Division: He climbed to glory. Now Travis is looking down from above on all of us  on all of his fellow warriors, on his great family  wrapped in glory, the loving glory of Almighty God.

Were grateful to be joined by the three squad members that Travis saved: Private First Class Michael Kistel. Michael. Where are you, Michael? Thank you. Please, stand. Stand. Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you. Specialist Travis Robertshaw. Travis, where are you? Travis, thank you. (Applause.) Thank you, Travis. And Specialist Sand Aiyo. Sand, thank you very much. Good. (Applause.) Thank you. Appreciate it.

Today, we are privileged also to be joined by more than 50 soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division, including those who served alongside Travis  knew he was brave from day one. They really loved him. They wanted to be here. Would you please stand? (Applause.) Thank you very much. Thank you for being here.

Your lives of service do honor to our country, to Army values, and your fallen brothers-in-arms like Staff Sergeant Travis Atkins. And hes looking down. He loves you all.

Just a few days before that June morning when Travis left on his last mission, he called his son Trevor to wish him a very, very special eleventh birthday. Trevor didnt know that he would speak to his dad for the last time.

But in the 12 years since, hes always known that his father gave his life for our nation and for our freedom. He knew that his father was a hero right from the beginning, long before today. Trevor has said that he wants our nation to remember his dad as the best father and best soldier that anyone could ask for.

Trevor, that is exactly how well  your Dad will be remembered. He will be remembered truly as the best father and he will be remembered as the best soldier. You cant get better than the Congressional Medal of Honor. You just cant. So thank you very much.

And Id like you to come on up. Please come up. (Applause.) Please come up. Please.

Your fathers courage and sacrifice will live for all time. And every time we see our stars and stripes waving in the sky, we will thank our great Travis and we will think of every American hero who gave their last breath to defend our liberty, and our homeland, and our people, and our great American flag.

Now, Id like to ask the military aide to read the citation. And I would also like, perhaps, in honor of your father, perhaps you could say just a few words. Would you like that? Please.

MR. OLIVER: Thank you, everyone, for being here, first off. Its an absolute honor to have every single one of you here. Its something that I cant really put into words. Its something thats surreal. And I still  I still havent fully accepted it yet.

So, just all over appreciation for his men. Everything you have said to me over the last few days has meant the world to me, and it changes my life every, every day.

Thats  the medal is something that I take very  a lot of pride in, but its the words that are the real prize and what really means the most to me.

And, when it comes to my dad, he always had the funniest stories about you guys. And seeing you guys throughout  I was a young kid, but he let me know. (Laughter.)

And  no, I just  I feel so close with you and to him every  every story I get to hear. And Im just  Im glad that you got to enjoy his love and his energy. Thank you.

THE PRESIDENT: Beautiful. Thank you. (Applause.)

MILITARY AIDE: The President of the United States has awarded, in the name of Congress, the Medal of Honor posthumously to Staff Sergeant Travis W. Atkins, United States Army.

Staff Sergeant Atkins distinguished himself by conspicuous acts of gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty on 1 June, 2007, while serving as a Squad Leader with Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

While manning a static observation post in the town of Abu Samak, Iraq, Staff Sergeant Atkins was notified that four suspicious individuals, walking in two pairs, were crossing an intersection not far from his position. Staff Sergeant Atkins immediately moved his squad to interdict them. One of the individuals began behaving erratically, prompting Staff Sergeant Atkins to disembark from his patrol vehicle and approach to conduct a search.

Both individuals responded belligerently toward Staff Sergeant Atkins, who then engaged the individual he had intended to search in hand-to-hand combat.

When he noticed the insurgent was reaching for something under his clothes, Staff Sergeant Atkins immediately wrapped him in a bear hug and threw him to the ground, away from his fellow soldiers. Maintaining his hold on the insurgent, he pinned him to the ground, further sheltering his patrol. The insurgent then detonated a bomb strapped to his body, killing Staff Sergeant Atkins.

In this critical and selfless act of valor, Staff Sergeant Atkins acted with complete disregard for his own safety, saving the lives of the three soldiers who were with him and gallantly giving his life for his country.

Staff Sergeant Atkinss undaunted courage, warrior spirit, and steadfast devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, and the United States Army.

(The Medal of Honor is presented.)
The Africa Netpreneur Prize Initiative (ANPI) backed by co-founder of Alibaba Group Jack Ma was on Wednesday launched in Kenya to help boost Sino-Africa ties, organizers said.



Sam Gichuru CEO of Nailab, which is the continental and Eastern Africa partner of the ANPI, told journalists in Nairobi that the competition was designed for Africans doing business in Africa.

"The initiative will help to further cement Sino-Africa ties because it shows that China is a close partner of Africa and is concerned about playing a role in lifting people out of poverty through entrepreneurship," Gichuru said.

The online application for ANPI was launched simultaneously in Nigeria, Egpyt, Kenya and South Africa.

The prize competition for African entrepreneurs was founded by the Jack Ma Foundation and for the next 10 years, the ANPI will host an annual pitch competition across Africa culminating in a finale where 10 finalists will compete for 1 million dollars.

Gichuru said that the prize seeks to support and reward entrepreneurs in all sectors of the economy who have a huge positive impact in their communities.

"In order to be inclusive, women and youth entrepreneurs are also encouraged to apply in order to get a chance to win the grants," he added.

He observed that ANPI will officially begin collecting applications starting from March 27 up to June 30.

Gichuru said that the 10 finalists of the competition will also receive mentorship from the Netpreneur community of African business leaders on how to scale up their businesses.

The ANPI will seek to create a community of about 100 young African entrepreneurs who will receive a total of 1 billion shillings (about 10 million U.S. dollars) grants by 2030.
Imperial Valley News Center

First Lady Melania Trumps Visit to West Gate Elementary School in Palm Beach

Palm Beach, Florida - First Lady Melania Trump visited West Gate Elementary School in Palm Beach County today. In line with the First Ladys Be Best initiative, West Gate Elementary School has a special program designed to eliminate bullying in the classroom.

As part of her initiative, Mrs. Trump has placed a heavy emphasis on the well-being of children and continually seeks out programs that help to improve the daily lives of children. West Gate Elementary School dedicates itself to removing bullying from the academic environment by blocking out time for biweekly meetings between teachers and students in an effort to develop emotional skills, including empathy, in peer-to-peer interactions.

Mrs. Trump visited several classrooms ranging from second grade to fifth grade. The First Lady joined the students as they came together as a class to talk about empathy, teamwork, and positive attitudes. The lower grades participate in daily social and emotional learning initiative meetings while the upper grades come together a couple times a week.

Thank you to the teachers and students at West Gate Elementary for such an enjoyable visit, said First Lady Melania Trump. I believe it is important for schools to focus on the overall well-being of our youngest citizens, which will help them develop in their earliest years so that they can reach their full potential as our next generation.
Governor Newsom Announces Appointments

Sacramento, California - Governor Gavin Newsom Tuesday announced the following appointments:

Michael Sicilia, 60, of Sacramento, has been appointed Deputy Press Secretary for Juvenile Justice at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. He served as a public affairs strategist at the California State Teachers Retirement System from 2012 to 2019 and as assistant deputy director of the California Department of Public Health, Office of Public Affairs from 2009 to 2011. Sicilia was public affairs manager at the Governors Office of Emergency Services from 2003 to 2009 and deputy director of communications, broadcast and news media in the Office of Governor Gray Davis from 1999 to 2003. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $115,008. Sicilia is a Democrat.

William Prezant, 72, of San Francisco, has been appointed to the California State Teachers Retirement Board. Prezant has been a partner at Prezant & Mollath since 1987. He was a member of the Hambrecht Partners Holding, LLC Board of Directors from 2014 to 2017 and director of Forward Management from 2005 to 2016. Prezant was a member of the Strategic Hotels and Resorts Board of Directors from 2006 to 2015. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Georgetown University Law Center. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Prezant is a Democrat.

Tine Sloan, 54, of Santa Barbara, has been appointed to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Sloan has served as an associate teaching professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara Gevirtz Graduate School of Education since 2012 and as faculty since 2000, where she was director of the teacher education program from 2005 to 2017. Sloan was a lecturer at the National Institute of Education in Singapore from 1996 to 1997 and a teacher at Lewis Avenue Elementary School in 1988. She is a member of the American Educational Research Association, the California Council on Teacher Education and the World Education Research Association. Sloan earned Master of Art and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in education from the University of California, Los Angeles. This position requires Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Sloan is a Democrat.

Susan Bonilla, 58, of Sacramento, has been appointed to the California Alcoholic Beverage Control Appeals Board. Bonilla has served as California state director for the Council for a Strong America since 2017. She served as an Assemblymember in the California State Assembly from 2010 to 2016. Bonilla earned a Master of Education degree in educational leadership from Concordia University. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $25,500. Bonilla is a Democrat.

Edward Campbell, 80, of Ventura, has been appointed to the California Veterans Board. Campbell was an architect at USA Architects and Engineers from 1974 to 2014. He was a Senior Airman in the U.S. Air Force. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Campbell is a Republican.
Memorandum on Federal Housing Finance Reform

Washington, DC - Memorandum on Federal Housing Finance Reform:

MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY

THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE

THE SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

THE SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET

THE DIRECTOR OF THE BUREAU OF CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION

THE DIRECTOR OF THE FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY

THE ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT FOR ECONOMIC POLICY

THE ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT FOR DOMESTIC POLICY

SUBJECT: Federal Housing Finance Reform

The housing finance system of the United States is in urgent need of reform. During the financial crisis of 2008, the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac)  collectively known as the Government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs)  suffered significant losses due to their structural flaws and lack of sufficient regulatory oversight. To prevent their failure, the GSEs received support from the Federal Government and were placed into conservatorship in September 2008. The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 enacted important reforms to the supervision, oversight, risk management, and governance of the GSEs. The GSEs remain in conservatorship, however, and the housing finance system continues to face significant and fundamental challenges. To date, the GSEs are the dominant participants in the housing finance system and lack real competitors. The lack of comprehensive housing finance reform since the financial crisis of 2008 has left taxpayers potentially exposed to future bailouts, and has left the Federal housing finance programs at the Department of Housing and Urban Development potentially overexposed to risk and with outdated operations. Accordingly, it is time for the United States to reform its housing finance system to reduce taxpayer risks, expand the private sectors role, modernize government housing programs, and make sustainable home ownership for American families our benchmark of success. In order to resolve these ongoing challenges and by the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby direct the following:

Section 1. Framework to Reform the GSEs. (a) The Secretary of the Treasury is hereby directed to develop a plan for administrative and legislative reforms (Treasury Housing Reform Plan) to achieve the following housing reform goals:

(i) Ending the conservatorships of the GSEs upon the completion of specified reforms;

(ii) Facilitating competition in the housing finance market;

(iii) Establishing regulation of the GSEs that safeguards their safety and soundness and minimizes the risks they pose to the financial stability of the United States; and

(iv) Providing that the Federal Government is properly compensated for any explicit or implicit support it provides to the GSEs or the secondary housing finance market.

(b) The Treasury Housing Reform Plan shall include reform proposals to achieve the following specific objectives:

(i) Preserving access for qualified homebuyers to 30 year fixed-rate mortgages and other mortgage options that best serve the financial needs of potential homebuyers;

(ii) Maintaining equal access to the Federal housing finance system for lenders of all sizes, charter types, and geographic locations, including the maintenance of a cash window for loan sales;

(iii) Establishing appropriate capital and liquidity requirements for the GSEs;

(iv) Increasing competition and participation of the private sector in the mortgage market, including by authorizing the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to approve guarantors of conventional mortgage loans in the secondary market;

(v) Mitigating the risks undertaken by the GSEs, including by altering, if necessary, their respective policies on loan limits, program and product offerings, credit underwriting parameters, and the use of private capital to transfer credit risk;

(vi) Recommending appropriate size and risk profiles for the GSEs retained mortgage and investment portfolios;

(vii) Defining the role of the GSEs in multifamily mortgage finance;

(viii) Defining the mission of the Federal Home Loan Bank system and its role in supporting Federal housing finance;

(ix) Evaluating, in consultation with the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and the Director of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection, the QM Patch, whereby the GSEs are exempt from certain requirements of the Qualified Mortgage (QM) determination;

(x) Defining the GSEs role in promoting affordable housing without duplicating support provided by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) or other Federal programs; and

(xi) Setting the conditions necessary for the termination of the conservatorships of the GSEs, which shall include the following conditions being satisfied:

(A) The Federal Government is fully compensated for the explicit and implicit guarantees provided by it to the GSEs or any successor entities in the form of an ongoing payment to the United States;

(B) The GSEs activities are restricted to their core statutory mission and the size of investment and retained mortgage portfolios are appropriately limited; and

(C) The GSEs are subjected to heightened prudential requirements and safety and soundness standards, including increased capital requirements, designed to prevent a future taxpayer bailout and minimize risks to financial stability.

(c) For each reform included in the Treasury Housing Reform Plan, the Secretary of the Treasury must specify whether the proposed reform is a legislative reform that would require congressional action or an administrative reform that could be implemented without congressional action. For each administrative reform, the Treasury Housing Reform Plan shall include a timeline for implementation.

(d) In developing the Treasury Housing Reform Plan, the Secretary of the Treasury shall consult with the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the Director of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection, the Director of the FHFA, the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, and the FHFAs Federal Housing Finance Oversight Board.

(e) The Treasury Housing Reform Plan shall be submitted to the President for approval, through the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, as soon as practicable.

Sec. 2. Framework to Reform the Programs of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the FHA, and the Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA). (a) The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development is hereby directed to develop a plan for administrative and legislative reforms (HUD Reform Plan) to achieve the following housing reform goals:

(i) Attempting to ensure that the FHA and GNMA assume primary responsibility for providing housing finance support to low- and moderate-income families that cannot be fulfilled through traditional underwriting;

(ii) Reducing taxpayer exposure through improved risk management and program and product design; and

(iii) Modernizing the operations and technology of the FHA and GNMA.

(b) The HUD Reform Plan shall include reform proposals to achieve the following specific objectives:

(i) Addressing the financial viability of the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage program;

(ii) Assessing the risks and benefits associated with providing assistance to first-time homebuyers, including down-payment assistance;

(iii) Defining the appropriate role of the FHA in multifamily mortgage finance;

(iv) Diversifying FHA lenders through increased participation by registered depository institutions;

(v) Enhancing GNMA program participation requirements and standards to ensure its safety and soundness and to protect borrower and investor interests; and

(vi) Reducing abusive and unsound loan origination or servicing practices for loans in the GNMA program, including, if appropriate, by providing for cooperation with other loan program sponsors and regulators.

(c) For each reform included in the HUD Reform Plan, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall specify whether the proposed reform is a legislative reform that would require congressional action or an administrative reform that could be implemented without congressional action. For each administrative reform, the HUD Reform Plan shall include a timeline for implementation.

(d) In developing the HUD Reform Plan, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall consult with the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the Director of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection, the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, and the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy.

(e) The HUD Reform Plan shall be submitted to the President for approval, through the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, as soon as practicable.

Sec. 3. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this memorandum shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b) This memorandum shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c) This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

(d) The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.

DONALD J. TRUMP
United States Announces Additional Humanitarian Assistance for Afghans Affected by Conflict

Washington, DC - The United States announced more than $61 million in additional humanitarian assistance to meet the needs of vulnerable communities, displaced persons, and returning refugees across Afghanistan, as well as Afghan refugees in the region.

Ongoing conflict and frequent natural disasters continue to force people to flee their homes and generate humanitarian needs throughout Afghanistan. This new funding will provide emergency food assistance, nutrition services, hygiene kits, safe drinking water, access to latrines, and protection for people in the most affected regions of Afghanistan, including Afghan refugees who face the challenge of reintegrating into Afghan communities.

With this new funding, the United States is the single largest donor of humanitarian assistance to help the people of Afghanistan, providing more than $293 million since Fiscal Year (FY) 2018. This additional funding complements ongoing U.S. support, such as the provision of safe drinking water, improved sanitation, shelter, relief supplies, food, livelihoods opportunities, nutrition and health care for refugees, returnees and people displaced by natural disasters, drought and conflict. The U.S. calls on other donors to contribute as well to help meet growing humanitarian needs.
Vice President Mike Pences Meeting with Iraqi Council of Representatives Speaker Muhammad al-Halbousi

Washington, DC - Vice President Mike Pence met yesterday with Speaker of the Council of Representatives of Iraq, Muhammad al-Halbousi. Vice President Pence commended Speaker Halbousi for his strong leadership in the Government of Iraq and welcomed the Speakers insights on ways for the U.S. and Iraq to work more closely following the territorial defeat of ISIS, including encouraging American businesses to invest in Iraq and creating economic opportunities for the thousands of Iraqis who remain displaced.

The two leaders also discussed the need for a continued security partnership in Iraq to counter terrorism and establish security across the country as well as improving the security and economic situation for Iraqs religious components.
Under Secretary of State Hale's Meeting With the Republic of Cyprus' Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides

Washington, DC - Under Secretary Hale met with Republic of Cyprus Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides to discuss the recent progress in the U.S.  Republic of Cyprus security relationship. They reaffirmed commitment to strengthen cooperation across a range of shared interests, including in combatting terrorism, countering malign influence, enhancing maritime and border security, and promoting peace, stability, security, and prosperity in the Eastern Mediterranean region.

The Under Secretary reaffirmed the longstanding U.S. policy on resources in the Republic of Cyprus Exclusive Economic Zone. He also reaffirmed U.S. support for the Cypriot-led, UN-facilitated efforts to reunify the island as a bizonal, bicommunal federation, which would benefit all Cypriots.
It's 2019, and Christine Hunsicker finally admits that her company, Gwynnie Bee, was a massive experiment. The company, which was founded in 2011 as a plus-size clothing subscription rental service, and has now shipped more than five million boxes of clothing sized 0-32, was Hunsicker's way of testing her more ambitious business hypothesis: Could you build a technology and warehouse engine so that any retailer could rent out its clothes? In other words: software-as-a-service, but for clothing.

"Our investors all knew, and employees knew on a high level," says Hunsicker. "But, even in the office, we didn't talk about it a ton for the first three years."

Rent the Runway, now valued at a billion dollars, is credited with pioneering the high-end clothing rental economy. But Hunsicker, a serial COO who's previously scaled and sold two technology companies, has long had a vision to democratize that concept for any clothing brand. Eight years after kicking off her "pilot," the New York City-based company, now called CaaStle (a play on the phrase "clothing-as-a-service"), has 500 employees spanning Mountain View, California, to Delhi, India, more than $100 million in funding, and an emerging client base of retailers.

Ironically, it wasn't other upstarts tinkering with the retail-clothing model that first prompted the idea. "Stitch Fix didn't give us hope the model would work," Hunsicker says. "Airbnb did." Her logic at the time: If people were willing to rent out one of the most intimate possessions--their pillow--then certainly they'd wear worn-but-well-laundered clothing. Fashion, applied to a subscription model like that of Netflix, had massive potential. She thought: "We can make a ton of money."

But, back in 2011, investors weren't as confident--and they wanted proof of concept. Thus began the ruse: a business-to-business model born by masquerading as a consumer business. "Our sole purpose" at the time, says Hunsicker, "was to first build this brand."

Fashion Goes to the Lab

Hunsicker has always been more of an operations geek than a brand builder. After attending toy-design school, a decision she credits to "wanting to build things but not being able to code," she became the eighth employee at Right Media in the mid-2000s. She ascended to COO, growing the company to 350 employees and helping to navigate a pivot to become the first ad exchange, ultimately selling to Yahoo for $850 million in 2007. Not ready to retire at 32, she went to Drop.io, where she took the same role, steering growth of the company and helping it sell to Facebook for another tidy sum. At that point, Hunsicker realized: "I'm actually good at this, and I shouldn't be cleaning up other peoples' messes."

The Right Media whirlwind stuck with her. Hunsicker suspected if the company had built a more technologically robust platform from the start, it could have avoided many of the problems it faced when transitioning to B2B. In brainstorming future company ideas with a few friends, mostly former colleagues, she began thinking about it in the context of fashion retail, which by 2010 was beginning to experience its own turmoil. She thought: "If you want to wear something, you have to own it--that's a problem. If you could bring along an access model along with a buying model, you could solve a lot of the core issues in the industry."

When Hunsicker launched Gwynnie Bee in 2012, leading an online retailer of a consumer-facing brand was way out of her comfort zone. The team's goal was to have 25 customers in the first month, but after 60 days, they had just 19. "At that point, I had a massive panic attack," Hunsicker admits. It turned out the site's photography wasn't great--an obvious detail to anyone who comes out of retail. "We ended up reshooting everything overnight," she says. "Hey, we weren't 'consumer' people!"

After six years building Gwynnie Bee, Hunsicker finally had the technology platform and infrastructure in place, including fulfillment centers and massive dry-cleaning operations in Groveport, Ohio, and Phoenix. She also had all the data she needed to demonstrate that the business model was viable. "Customers were proving nice lifetime values, and we were very gross-margin positive at that point," she says. It could only get better--once the company transitioned from consumer-facing to powering other companies' subscriptions, most of the significant financial strains like acquiring customers and investing in inventory would disappear. "In B2B, those costs go away," she says.

Taking the Experiment Public

By 2017, Hunsicker started quietly meeting with brands: CaaStle could help them monetize latent inventory, introduce them to valuable new Millennial customers, and help forge deeper relationships with the people already shopping at their stores. By November--with Gwynnie Bee now operating as one of CaaStle's brands--Hunsicker had signed five clients onto its platform, including Ann Taylor, Express, Rebecca Taylor, New York & Co., and Vince. (In early 2019, American Eagle joined too.) The new clothing subscription services range from $49.95 to $160 per month, depending on the brand.

Late last year, fashion brand Vince launched Vince Unfold, its new subscription service, which offers customers four items a month for $160. Vince CEO Brendan Hoffman says he was eager to experiment with CaaStle's service as a customer-acquisition tool--and it's working. "Fashion is about that emotional connection with the customer," Hoffman says. "Now they have unlimited ability to interact with the brand."

Another client, Ann Taylor, is already seeing that 50 percent of the people signing up to subscribe to its new $95 per month service, Infinite Style by Ann Taylor, are first-time customers. And of those who aren't, the subscription is increasing the customers' spending by 100 percent.

As CaaStle begins to take off, it now finds itself in a bustling category. The "apparel leasing" category has grown from almost non-existence in 2012, to an anticipated $4.4 billion by 2028. In 2016, Rent the Runway launchplaceholdered Unlimited, which sends customers four designer items of their choice at a time. Le Tote, founded in 2012, also offers rental clothing box subscriptions that offer a variety of brands, with an option to purchase.
A new excerpt of Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile has been unveiled, further teasing out Zac Efrons performance as serial killer Ted Bundy.

The scene occurs at a diner and sees Efrons Bundy answer his girlfriends questions as he prepares to defend himself in court  just like the real-life Bundy did.

Elizabeth Kloepfer, Bundys one-time partner, played by Lily Collins in the biopic, asks him why a woman picked him out of a line-up, thus implicating him.

Bundy offers excuses, at one point telling Collinss Kloepfer: Do you see that car out there? Its been following me since I got back.

Either Im going crazy, or Im being set up.

Best films of 2019 (so far) Show all 49 1 /49 Best films of 2019 (so far) Best films of 2019 (so far) The Favourite Macabre and fraught though The Favourite gets, this isnt so much a film about sex or power as it is about plain mischief. Its a hilarious, buffoonish pleasure, right down to the sets and costume design, and a breeze to spend 120 minutes with. Christopher Hooton Fox Searchlight Pictures Best films of 2019 (so far) Beautiful Boy Casting Chalamet as Nic was a very clever move. The young actor from Call Me by Your Name and Lady Bird has a natural charm and charisma. He still engages an audiences curiosity and sympathy even when his behaviour is at its most selfish and erratic. Geoffrey Macnab Amazon Studios Best films of 2019 (so far) The House by the Sea Guediguians storytelling style is deceptive. At first, it seems as if this is low-key social realism in the Dardennes or Ken Loach mould, albeit set on the French Riviera. Gradually, though, we realise how stylised and theatrical his approach really is. Geoffrey Macnab Best films of 2019 (so far) Stan & Ollie Director Jon S Baird, whose previous film was scabrous Irvine Welsh adaptation Filth, wrings every last drop of pathos he can from his material. This is very much a case of the tears of the clowns. Geoffrey Macnab Entertainment One Best films of 2019 (so far) Vice Vice is bravura storytelling. McKay isnt only taking us through Cheneys life and career but is giving us a whistle stop tour through US politics from the Nixon administration almost right to the present day. Geoffrey Macnab Annapurna Pictures Best films of 2019 (so far) Can You Ever Forgive Me? Playing Lee Israel, McCarthy manages something very special: she makes a character who is odd, obnoxious, difficult and alcoholic seem lovable and even heroic. The rest of the world is at fault, not Lee. Geoffrey Macnab Fox Searchlight Pictures Best films of 2019 (so far) Green Book "Green Book flatters the audience about its own good sense and tolerance. It deals with racism and homophobia but still has a fairytale, fantasy feel to it. Whatever humiliations Don endures on their road trip, we know no real harm will ever come to him as long as Tony is at his side. Geoffrey Macnab Universal Pictures Best films of 2019 (so far) Velvet Buzzsaw The golden age of bonkers horror movies is gloriously evoked by Netflixs latest feature length presentation. Beginning as a satire of the arts world, Velvet Buzzsaw swiftly and gleefully descends into a savage splatter-fest, smeared in paint, viscera and garishly-bright blood. Ed Power Netflix Best films of 2019 (so far) If Beale Street Could Talk The setting is New York in the 1970s. Anyone who has watched Martin Scorseses Taxi Driver knows this was an era of violence, corruption and sleaze on a monumental level, but [Barry] Jenkins somehow makes the city seem like a modern-day Eden. Geoffrey Macnab Annapurna Pictures Best films of 2019 (so far) All Is True Written by Ben Elton and directed by its star Kenneth Branagh, the film plays so fast and loose with the playwrights final years that they neednt have bothered fitting Branagh with a prosthetic nose  accuracy is clearly not the priority here. Alexandra Pollard Sony Pictures Classics Best films of 2019 (so far) The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part "The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part is the doomed progeny of a celebrated genius  brilliant but slightly stunted by the knowledge they will never live up to their predecessor. Clarisse Loughrey Warner Bros. Pictures Best films of 2019 (so far) Piercing Nicolas Pesces sleek and stylish horror comedy is repulsive and funny by turns. In adapting Ryu Murakamis cult novel, Pesce strikes just the right balance between humour and Grand Guignol-style shock tactics. Geoffrey Macnab Universal Pictures Best films of 2019 (so far) Capernaum "The best moments here are remarkable. Labaki elicits an astonishing performance from her young lead. Hes an irrepressible figure with such an inbuilt sense of moral decency the film seems upbeat and optimistic, even at its darkest moments. Geoffrey Macnab Sony Pictures Classics Best films of 2019 (so far) The White Crow "Ralph Fiennes combines thriller elements with poetic flashbacks to ballet legend Rudolf Nureyevs childhood and keeps a tight focus on the dancer. When he is most at risk, Nureyev makes decisions with his artistic future more in mind than his personal safety. As Fiennes reminds us again and again in what is his best film yet as a director, the 'white crow' will do anything to put himself in the limelight, the one place he is convinced he belongs." StudioCanal Best films of 2019 (so far) Border "Border reverses the perspective taken by most other horror films. In more conventional genre fare, Tina and Vore would be portrayed as malevolent outsiders, but in the world conjured up by director Ali Abbasi, the humans are the monsters. Tina is the innocent  a visionary who hardly understands her own powers but who can sense human venality and corruption wherever it appears." TriArt Film Best films of 2019 (so far) Fighting with My Family "Certain scenes feel very trite and predictable but the film gets you in a choke hold early on and wont let you go. It is far more gripping than its subject matter might suggest. Who ever would believe a story about a wrestling family from Norwich could have quite such heart and resonance?" James Field Best films of 2019 (so far) Us "Doppelgangers abound in Jordan Peeles weird, creepy and ingenious new horror film. As in his Oscar-winning 2017 feature Get Out, Peele leavens matters with ironic humour but the joking becomes increasingly uncomfortable once the main characters come face to face with dark shadows of themselves which wish them extreme harm." AP Best films of 2019 (so far) Avengers: Endgame "The Avengers cycle comes to a rich and very satisfying conclusion with Endgame, surely the most complex and emotional superhero movie in Marvel history. At 181 minutes, this is a veritable epic, but with so many characters and plot strands, it fully warrants its lengthy running time." AP Best films of 2019 (so far) Eighth Grade "Its a rare and precious feeling when a film completely dismantles you. Eighth Grade  the directorial debut of US comedian Bo Burnham  breaks down every delusion we have about ourselves and burrows deep into those parts weve made such an effort to lock away. You may cry. You may shudder as every awkward social interaction thats kept you up at night replays in your head all at once. You may feel the sharp pain associated with those moments when you feel completely isolated from the world. Burnham may have crafted a simple story about the most ordinary of teenage girls, but it speaks with the emotions of a true cinematic epic." A24 Best films of 2019 (so far) Vox Lux "Natalie Portman gives her fiercest, most memorable performance since Black Swan in Brady Corbets enjoyably subversive satire about a troubled pop star whose loss of innocence mirrors the fall from grace of the US itself. Portmans character, Celeste, is certainly one of the most objectionable figures she has played: a pampered, hard-drinking drug-taking floozy whose appearance and high-handed behaviour rekindle memories of Liz Taylor and Joan Crawford at their monstrous worst." Neon Best films of 2019 (so far) High Life Robert Pattinson gives one of his most striking performances as Monte, the death-row criminal in outer space, tricked into making a voyage described at one stage as a class-one suicide ride. The former Twilight star makes his shaven-headed, gaunt-faced character seem hyper naturally sensitive and feral at the same time. A24 Best films of 2019 (so far) Amazing Grace Amazing Grace is as uplifting a film as you will see all year. Its a concert movie filmed over two nights and featuring Aretha Franklin, the first lady of soul, performing gospel standards in a church in Los Angeles in 1972, with a huge backing choir and an enthusiastic congregation. Neon Best films of 2019 (so far) Aladdin Disneys live-action remake of its 1992 animated feature is a rip-roaring, old-fashioned matinee-style spectacle that turns out far better than we had any right to expect. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Best films of 2019 (so far) Booksmart Olivia Wilde is a visually inventive director, who keeps the tempo here so brisk that we hardly notice how glib the storytelling sometimes becomes. We can tell exactly how the film will end, but it still feels original both in its screwball energy and in the deft way it continually reverses stereotypes and gender cliches. Geoffrey Macnab Annapurna Pictures Best films of 2019 (so far) Late Night Late Night is a caustic satirical comedy that turns into an unlikely tearjerker. Its by turns snide and uplifting, and often very funny too. Its writer/producer/star Mindy Kaling makes vicious observations about the inanity, narcissism and corruption of the mainstream US media at the same time as she celebrates the professionalism of many of those who work within it. The film has a glorious performance from Emma Thompson and a very sly one from Kaling. Thompson is at her most imperious as Katherine Newbury, a legendary entertainer, the only female in a male-dominated field, but one whose career is beginning to slide. Geoffrey Macnab Amazon Studios Best films of 2019 (so far) Gloria Bell Gloria Bell is somewhat exhausting  both unbearably intimate and at a constant remove  but it is endlessly pulled back into focus by Moore, who has a firm understanding of the delicate balance between contentment and yearning, joy and pain, recklessness and spontaneity. In a remake that could have felt indulgent in the hands of people less skilled, she more than justifies its existence. Geoffrey Macnab Curzon Best films of 2019 (so far) Toy Story 4 "The brilliance of the new film lies in the surefooted way it caters both for children too young to have seen its predecessors and for adults whove grown up (or grown older) watching the previous instalments. It takes some kind of genius for the Pixar animators to give such a searing emotional charge to a story in which one of the main characters is a single use plastic spork retrieved from the trash." Pixar/Disney Best films of 2019 (so far) In Fabric In Fabric feels like Peter Strickland at his most free and playful, drawing as much from the British sense of humour  dry and morbid to a fault  as from Italian glamour. Curzon Artificial Eye Best films of 2019 (so far) The Flood "Perhaps The Flood isnt quite the urgent, profound film a crisis of this scale deserves, but in a culture where refugees are so rarely shown any empathy in mainstream media, maybe this is the film we need right now." Best films of 2019 (so far) Midsommar "Ari Aster's follow-up to Hereditary serves up much of the same: its a break-up movie wrapped up in pagan horror. Its also bound to be one of this years most memorable films, proving that Aster is far from a one-hit wonder." A24 Best films of 2019 (so far) The Lion King "The Lion King is undoubtedly a technological marvel that, much like Avatar, will come to be viewed as a milestone in special effects history, yet its just as interesting to see how all this innovation has been employed." AP Best films of 2019 (so far) Varda by Agnes "For a film thats almost entirely narrated by Agnes Varda's own voice, it doesnt feel driven by ego, but by pure intellectual and emotional curiosity." Best films of 2019 (so far) Animals "Animals treats its subjects with patience and generosity. Youll find no life lessons here. Its main characters are free to pursue their desires, to whatever end." Best films of 2019 (so far) Blinded by the Light "Blinded by the Light offers not only a reminder of Springsteens lyrical genius, but of how hes always served as a beacon for the disenfranchised." Warner Brothers Best films of 2019 (so far) Good Boys Lined up against some of this years other more heartfelt offerings, including Booksmart, Good Boys offers further proof that putting a little humanity in our comedy always gets the best results. Best films of 2019 (so far) Hustlers "Hustlers is an electrifying response to the deluge of stories weve had over the years about very rich, very bad dudes. Finally, we can turn the tables on every film thats used women, specifically strippers, as decorative accessories to drape over businessmen as they conduct their illicit backroom meetings. Or, failing that, to shake their out-of-focus tits in the background of a shot." AP Best films of 2019 (so far) For Sama For Sama is one of the most profoundly intimate depictions of the Syrian conflict ever put to film. Its the push to help those on the outside process something so incomprehensible in the depth of its horrors. Republic Film Distribution Best films of 2019 (so far) Ad Astra The real drama here is not whether or not apocalypse can be avoided but whether Brad Pitts character can reconcile himself with his father and overcome his own extreme emotional repression. In other words, in spite of all the jargon and the hardware, this is an intimate family melodrama at heart. Thanks to Pitts performance and Grays delicate direction, it turns into a very moving one. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Best films of 2019 (so far) The Farewell Wrapped up in all the intricacies of immigrant identity and family politics, The Farewell is a comedy of warmth and bracing honesty. Simply put, its one of the best films of the year. A24 Best films of 2019 (so far) Judy This is Renee Zellwegers Judy. It doesnt belong to Rupert Goold, its director. Nor does it belong to Tom Edge, its screenwriter. Its a performance of such overwhelming force that it wrests authorship from every other hand that guided the films creation. Pathe Best films of 2019 (so far) Ready or Not As absurd and self-indulgent as Ready or Not can get, it doesnt mess around with its social commentary. The class system is the game we never asked to play, dont get a fair chance at, and have no hope of winning. Its a timeless metaphor. 20th Century Fox Best films of 2019 (so far) A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon Despite its mouthful of a title, A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon is an utter delight  proof that good storytelling and strong craft are what matters, however familiar the packaging. Studio Canal Best films of 2019 (so far) The Beach Bum Clearly, Harmony Korine is steered by his attraction to the theatrical, the absurd and the grimly nihilistic. The Beach Bum is all of that and absolutely none of it, too  a leisurely, neon-soaked stroll through chaos and hazy bohemia, full of slapstick and pathos. It is as much Korines most mature film as it is his most juvenile. Neon/Vice Best films of 2019 (so far) The Last Black Man in San Francisco Its a beautiful, frightening and tragic vignette of the urban nightmare, though The Last Black Man in San Francisco isnt really an angry film. Its less of a rallying cry against gentrification than a rumination on the kind of pained acceptance those who suffer its effects must face. A24 Best films of 2019 (so far) The Irishman Scorseses signature camerawork goes down like a glass of fine whisky, as smooth and as elegant as youd expect. The violence arrives in short, sharp shocks. Steven Zaillians screenplay even nails the mobster patter, with arguments about fish, tardiness, and business shorts that feel destined to one day be quoted to death. Netflix Best films of 2019 (so far) Le Mans '66 The films greatest trick is saved for its final reel. For much of its running time, youd be easily fooled into thinking Mangold had made a grand ode to the American dream. Its a film about an immigrant worker who, through perseverance and toil, gains the respect of one of the richest men in the country. And then the rug is pulled right out from underneath you. Le Mans 66 may relish in the high life, but its final moments feel devastatingly hollow. AP Best films of 2019 (so far) Marriage Story The film never loses its sense of humour and absurdity. Somehow, in spite of the bleakness of the subject matter, it feels more redemptive than despairing. Best films of 2019 (so far) The Report Adam Driver plays Jones, Annette Bening Senator Feinstein, and director Scott Z Burns captures the events in a cold, rigorously factual, and largely dispassionate manner. But thats the point. The Report chooses to value the truth over bombastic displays of morality. AP Best films of 2019 (so far) Knives Out Casting an ensemble film is a little like perfecting a cocktail blend, balancing flavours until they sing together in harmony. Knives Out hits the mark here: the actors all feel well-suited to their roles and they bounce off each other with ease. Lionsgate

The real Bundy was executed in 1989 aged 42. At the time of his death, he had confessed to killing 30 women and girls across seven states, though the actual death toll might be higher.

Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile premiered in January at the Sundance Film Festival.

 Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile: Official trailer

It is scheduled to be released in some theatres and has been acquired by Netflix. The film will be available on Sky in the UK in May.

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The trailer of the biopic received mixed reactions earlier this year, leaving some viewers worried that the film would glorify Bundy. Director Joe Berlinger has dismissed those concerns as naive.
Jussie Smolletts lawyer has condemned Chicago officials, following news that charges against the actor have been dropped.

Patricia Brown Holmes issued a statement claiming they were conducting a smear campaign against Smollett, asking agencies to live up to the ethical tenants of their office.

The 36-year-old was accused of hiring two men to stage a racist and homophobic attack on him in downtown Chicago on 29 January. All 16 counts of disorderly conduct have been dismissed.

In a statement on Smollett, the prosecutors who dropped the accusations said: After reviewing all of the facts and circumstances of the case, including Mr Smolletts volunteer service in the community and agreement to forfeit his bond to the city of Chicago, we believe this outcome is a just disposition and appropriate resolution to this case. We stand by the Chicago Police Departments investigation and our decision to approve charges in this case. Smollett will forfeit his bond of $10,000 and do some community service as part of the cases disposition.

However, several officials have questioned the decision. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel told ABC: The states attorneys office is saying hes not exonerated, he actually did commit this hoax. Hes saying hes innocent and his words are true. They better get their stories straight, because this is making fools of all of us.

Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson also expressed outrage at the decision.

In her statement, Patricia Brown Holmes said: We are disappointed the local authorities have continued their campaign against Jussie Smollett after the charges against him have been dropped. The facts are clear. The Assistant States Attorney appeared in court and dismissed the charges. Mr. Smollett forfeited his bond. The case is closed. No public official has the right to violate Mr. Smolletts due process rights.

Mr. Smollett, like every citizen, is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Mr. Smollett is entitled to the same Constitutional protections as any citizen charged by the government with a crime including the right to speak freely about his innocence, the right to be viewed as innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, and the right to hold the State to its burden of proving him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Brown continued: None of that has occurred in this case. We respectfully request all government agencies involved live up to the ethical tenants of their office, state and local law, Supreme Court Rules on Trial Publicity as well as the Rules of Professional Responsibility for lawyers and prosecutors. We will not try this case in a court of public opinion. There is no case to try. The case was dismissed. We should all allow Mr. Smollett to move on with his life as a free citizen.
The FBI has reportedly opened an investigation into the circumstances in which the charges against Jussie Smollett were dropped.

Two law enforcement officials confirmed to ABC7 that the federal agency is reviewing the decision to dismiss the charges, the Chicago-based station reported on Wednesday  one day after prosecutors announced their decision to drop the accusations against the Empire actor.

The Independent has contacted the FBI for comment.

Chicago prosecutors announced on Tuesday that all 16 felony counts against Smollett had been dismissed, in a surprise reversal of the case in which the actor had been accused of allegedly lying to the police about being the victim of a racist, homophobic attack in Chicago this January.

Smollett has maintained his innocence and he, along with his legal team and supporters, has presented the authorities decision as a personal vindication.

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. 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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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Others, such as Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson, have criticised the dismissal.

Smolletts attorney issued a blistering statement on Wednesday accusing Chicago officials and police of trying to smear Smollett even after the case is closed.

We are disappointed the local authorities have continued their campaign against Jussie Smollett after the charges against him have been dropped, said attorney Patricia Brown Holmes. We should all allow Mr Smollett to move on with his life as a free citizen.

Smollett had paid a $10,000 bond earlier in the case to get out of jail, and has now forfeited the sum.

 Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

The Cook County States Attorneys Office told The Independent in a statement after it was revealed that the charges had been dropped: After reviewing all of the facts and circumstances of the case, including Mr Smollets volunteer service in the community and agreement to forfeit his bond to the City of Chicago, we believe this outcome is a just disposition and appropriate resolution to this case.

We stand by the Chicago Police Departments investigation and our decision to approve charges in this case.

Additional reporting by agencies
In order to promote the high-quality development of its metropolitan areas, China needs to optimize the structure of these areas through the building of micro-centers and node cities, said Gu Qiang at a sideline forum of the Boao Forum for Asia on March 27. Gu is the head of the Industry Research Institute under the Shanghai-listed China Fortune Land Development (CFLD) Co Ltd, the operator of the Gu'an "new industry city".



China's metropolitan areas have seen significant development in recent years. The growth of the Beijing-Tanjin-Hebei region, the integration of the Yangtze River Delta area, and the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area are all key examples. These areas are fast becoming key pillars of China's economic growth and as a result, regional development in metropolitan areas has become one of the hot topics at the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2019.

Metropolitan areas are regions which surround a big city and are within an hour's commute. Because of the growing population in these regions, micro-centers and node cities have become critical parts of the metropolitan areas. After decades of rapid growth, China's metropolitan areas are finally taking shape in terms of population growth, employment, commuting, spatial expansion and industrial connections. The Beijing metropolitan area, for example, is home to more than 360,000 people who are working in Beijing. In the Shanghai metropolitan area, there are 5, 12, and 10 node cities with populations of over one million, 200,000 to one million, and 50,000 to 200,000 respectively.

When comparing the scale of Beijing's micro-centers and node cities with that of Tokyo's, Gu concluded that the number of China's micro-centers and node cities are far smaller than those of the metropolitan areas in developed countries.

"Rather than planning the urban system in accordance with the local administrative region, the metropolitan areas should be planned as a whole," Gu noted, adding that "In order to promote the high quality development of the metropolitan areas, we must first integrate the surrounding micro-centers and node cities into our metropolitan area planning."

According to the guidelines issued by China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) last month, the country aims to build several metropolitan areas that can become global models of development by 2035. Gu believes that the way to ensure the projects' success is to allow the market to play a leading role, under the guidance of the government.

Due to government deleveraging, the financing channels for the development of metropolitan areas have been reduced. Gu suggested looking into ways to increase financing channels through innovative methods.

"We should encourage social capital to participate in the development of metropolitan areas through the Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) model, asset securitization, financial leasing and other channels. Such practices can not only reduce the government debt risk, improve the development of metropolitan areas, but can also improve the level of urbanization in peripheral areas," said Gu.

Speaking on the specific functions of the micro-centers and node cities, Gu cited examples of high-tech industries, airport-related industries, and healthcare services. He also mentioned comprehensive new urban areas such as the Gu'an New Industry City.

He further explained that under the explorational PPP model, with Gu'an as a typical case, social capital is responsible for the planning, design, construction, industrial development, and urban operation of the city. The government, on the other hand, is responsible for the top-level design, administrative approval, and public service supervision, etc. He added that this structure of cooperation won't add to government debt. After the period of cooperation is over, all public infrastructure and services will be handed over to the government, which is an innovative evolution of the PPP model.

Jia Kang, chief economist with the China Academy of New Supply-side Economics, also noted the CFLD's innovative way of developing industrial clusters.

"Mechanism innovation is a premise to ensure equitable access to basic public services. The CFLD has done an impressive job in this aspect. With its cooperation with local government, industrial clusters with high production capacity and well-developed transportation system can emerge within a dozen years. Such win-win cooperation merits our reference and study," Jia said.
Efforts to cut emissions from British homes have stalled  even as official figures reveal overall greenhouse gas levels dropped by three per cent last year.

Campaigners have warned against complacency in the face of climate disaster, as the steady drop in emissions over the past six years appears to be levelling off.

Immense progress has been made in cutting pollution from the energy sector, in large part due to a shift away from coal-fired power towards renewable sources.

But with housing and transport lagging, experts say there is an urgent need for policies to clean these sectors up.

The government announced carbon emissions are now at their lowest level since Queen Victoria was on the throne, and heralded it as evidence of successful clean growth policies.

Climate strike: See the best signs from the protest here Show all 29 1 /29 Climate strike: See the best signs from the protest here Climate strike: See the best signs from the protest here The protest in Parliament Square, London on February 15 AFP/Getty Climate strike: See the best signs from the protest here The protest in Parliament Square, London on February 15 Getty Climate strike: See the best signs from the protest here The protest in Parliament Square, London on February 15 EPA Climate strike: See the best signs from the protest here The protest in Manchester on February 15 Getty Climate strike: See the best signs from the protest here The protest in Manchester on February 15 Getty Climate strike: See the best signs from the protest here The protest in Parliament Square, London on February 15 Getty Climate strike: See the best signs from the protest here The protest in Brighton on February 15 Getty Climate strike: See the best signs from the protest here The protest in Parliament Square, London on February 15 AFP/Getty Climate strike: See the best signs from the protest here The protest in Parliament Square, London on February 15 AFP/Getty Climate strike: See the best signs from the protest here The protest in Parliament Square, London on February 15 Reuters Climate strike: See the best signs from the protest here The protest in Parliament Square, London on February 15 PA Climate strike: See the best signs from the protest here The protest in Parliament Square, London on February 15 PA Climate strike: See the best signs from the protest here The protest in Parliament Square, London on February 15 PA Climate strike: See the best signs from the protest here The protest in Parliament Square, London on February 15 PA Climate strike: See the best signs from the protest here The protest in Parliament Square, London on February 15 PA Climate strike: See the best signs from the protest here The march in Brussels, February 14 Reuters Climate strike: See the best signs from the protest here The march in Brussels, February 14 Reuters Climate strike: See the best signs from the protest here The march in Brussels, February 14 AP Climate strike: See the best signs from the protest here The march in Brussels, February 14 AP Climate strike: See the best signs from the protest here The march in Brussels, February 14 Reuters Climate strike: See the best signs from the protest here The march in Brussels, February 14 AP Climate strike: See the best signs from the protest here The march in Brussels, February 14 AP Climate strike: See the best signs from the protest here The march in Brussels, February 14 Reuters Climate strike: See the best signs from the protest here The march in Brussels, February 14 Reuters Climate strike: See the best signs from the protest here The march in Brussels, February 14 Reuters Climate strike: See the best signs from the protest here The march in Brussels, February 14 Reuters Climate strike: See the best signs from the protest here The march in Brussels, February 14 Reuters Climate strike: See the best signs from the protest here The march in Brussels, February 14 Reuters Climate strike: See the best signs from the protest here The march in Brussels, February 14 AP

Energy minister Claire Perry said: We can be proud that we continue to lead the way in reducing emissions while growing our economy.

More than half of our electricity comes from low carbon sources thanks to more than 52bn of government support for renewable projects in the UK since 2010  all part of our modern industrial strategy.

But Mike Childs, head of research at Friends of the Earth, said authorities must not ignore the fact the energy transition is slowing.

All the backslapping from government on very modest improvements shows that they have not yet grasped the scale and speed of change needed, he said.

Housing has made slow progress towards decarbonisation, largely due to reliance on natural gas for heating.

Last year there was a three per cent rise in residential emissions  a trend that can partly be attributed to cold weather during the first few months, as well as slow progress cleaning up the sector.

While chancellor Philip Hammond recently pledged to ban gas boilers in new homes from 2025, experts say to achieve significant cuts ministers must also make drastic changes to existing buildings.

The governments block on gas boilers in new homes is very welcome, but the climate emergency demands rapid retrofitting of our existing stock  the leakiest, draftiest housing in Europe, said Morten Thaysen, climate campaigner for Greenpeace UK.

Among the changes suggested are a shift towards electric heating systems, induction hobs and solar panels in homes.

But the most vital technology is also the simplest, cheapest and oldest  insulation, said Mr Thaysen.

Successive governments failure to pick this lowest of low-hanging fruit, a low-tech economic miracle that cuts carbon and energy bills while creating jobs in every part of the nation, is an enduring mystery which urgently needs to be solved.

The overall drop in emissions was largely the result of a seven per cent reduction in pollution from energy supplies, with transport  now the highest-polluting sector  dropping three per cent.

While overall greenhouse gas emissions have fallen 44 per cent below the UKs 1990 baseline, transport pollution has hardly been cut at all across the same period.

Government advisers on the Committee on Climate Change (an independent non-departmental public body) have previously warned that if drastic policies are not introduced, the UK will miss its legally binding targets for emissions cuts.
Encroachment by people into one of Africas most celebrated ecosystems is squeezing the wildlife in its core, by damaging habitation and disrupting the migration routes of animals, a major international study has concluded.

Boundary areas of the Serengeti-Mara region in East Africa have seen a 400 per cent increase in human population over the last decade, while more than three quarters of the populations of some of the larger species of migrating animals like wildebeest, zebra and gazelle have been wiped out, scientists revealed after examining 40 years of data.

Despite being one of the most protected ecosystems on Earth, the influx of people and livestock around both the Serengeti and Masai Mara has had a detrimental impact on plants, wild animals and soils.

This has occurred in two main ways, the study found. Firstly, the protected areas or buffer zones where more livestock including cattle are being reared, are leaving less and lower quality grasses for wildebeest, zebra and gazelle to graze.

Secondly, the presence of people and farm animals has also reduced the frequency of natural fires, which in turn impacts the variety of vegetation, altering grazing opportunities for wildlife in the core protected areas.

Conservation success for the Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique Show all 8 1 /8 Conservation success for the Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique Conservation success for the Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique Tourists observe elephants Left devastated by Mozambique's civil war, Gorongosa National Park is now thriving Bob Poole / Gorongosa National Park Conservation success for the Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique Waterbuck graze in the open floodplains A restoration project with government backing has battled poachers who were depleting the already slim animal populations AFP/Getty Conservation success for the Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique Hippos take a dip In 2008, there were around 10,000 large animals in Gorongosa; today there are over 100,000 J Da Silva / Gorongosa National Park Conservation success for the Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique Wild dogs in Gorongosa National Park Tourism is an important part of the restoration project Gorongosa National Park Conservation success for the Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique Waterbuck on the savannah Tourists create jobs for locals, expanding the conservation workforce, and safaris in Gorongosa are used to educate visitors about the project Getty Conservation success for the Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique A lioness The civil war killed 95% of Gorongosa's lion population, today there are 104 lions who are monitored by conservationists Ticky Rosa / Gorongosa National Park Conservation success for the Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique Sunset over the Gorongosa National Park Getty Conservation success for the Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique Tourists in Gorongosa National Park Bob Poole / Gorongosa National Park

Publishing their findings in the journal Science, the authors said the impacts were cascading down the food chain.

Animals were forced to eat less palatable herbs and therefore the beneficial interactions between plants and microorganisms that enable the ecosystem to flourish were being altered.

There is an urgent need to rethink how we manage the boundaries of protected areas to be able to conserve biodiversity," said the study's lead author, Dr Michiel Veldhuis from the University of Groningen. The future of the worlds most iconic protected area and their associated human population may depend on it.

The effects could potentially make the ecosystem less resilient to future shocks such as drought or further climate change, his team warned.

They also ecommended the consideration of alternative strategies to maintain the coexistence and livelihood of local people and wildlife in the landscapes surrounding protected areas.

The current strategy of increasingly hard boundaries may be a major risk to both people and wildlife, they said.

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Another member of the team, Dr Kate Parr from the University of Liverpool, said: Our results show that we cannot rely on the sheer extent of protected areas to conserve biodiversity  human impacts are pervasive and threaten even our most iconic reserves.

Dr Simon Mduma, Director of the Tanzanian Governments Wildlife Research Institute added: These results come at the right time, as the Tanzanian government is now taking important steps to address these protected areas boundary issues on a national level. This paper provides important scientific evidence of the far-ranging consequences of the increased human pressures around the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem, information that is now urgently needed by policymakers and politicians.
Google has been dropped from an influential LGBTQ equality index after failing to remove a controversial "conversion therapy" app.

The Human Rights Council, the largest LGBT+ rights group in the US, said it was suspending its endorsement of the tech giant, after it did not remove an app designed by a conservative, Texas-based religious group accused of promoting so-called conversion therapy, from the Google Play Store.

We have been urging Google to remove this app because it is life-threatening to LGBT+ youth and also clearly violates the companys own standards, the HRC said in a statement.

Google, whose parent company is Alphabet Inc, has previously scored a perfect 100 on the HRCs annual corporate equality index, which has been released this week, highlighting 517 companies that had reached the highest score possible.

Americas leading companies and law firms are continuing to advance vital and increasingly rigorous policies and practices to protect their lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer workers around the world, the HRC said.

Google staff stage walkout over handling of sexual misconduct Show all 15 1 /15 Google staff stage walkout over handling of sexual misconduct Google staff stage walkout over handling of sexual misconduct New York, US Google employees hold signs outside 14th street park after walking out as part of a global protest over claims of sexual harassment, gender inequality and systemic racism at the tech giant Reuters Google staff stage walkout over handling of sexual misconduct Dublin, Ireland Google employees at its European headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, join others from around the world PA Google staff stage walkout over handling of sexual misconduct London, Britain Google staff stage a walkout at the company's UK headquarters in London AFP/Getty Google staff stage walkout over handling of sexual misconduct New York, US Reuters Google staff stage walkout over handling of sexual misconduct Zurich, Switzerland People gather next to the Google office to attend the Google Walkout in Zurich Googlewalkout/Tedonprivacy/Twitter/Reuters Google staff stage walkout over handling of sexual misconduct New York, US AFP/Getty Google staff stage walkout over handling of sexual misconduct Dublin, Ireland PA Google staff stage walkout over handling of sexual misconduct New York, US Getty Google staff stage walkout over handling of sexual misconduct Dublin, Ireland Reuters Google staff stage walkout over handling of sexual misconduct New York, US Reuters Google staff stage walkout over handling of sexual misconduct Dublin, Ireland Reuters Google staff stage walkout over handling of sexual misconduct New York, US Reuters Google staff stage walkout over handling of sexual misconduct Dublin, Ireland A man wearing a Google slogan T-shirt hands out doughnuts to workers standing outside Google's European headquarters Reuters Google staff stage walkout over handling of sexual misconduct New York, US Reuters Google staff stage walkout over handling of sexual misconduct London, Britain Google staff stage a walkout at the company's UK headquarters in London AFP/Getty

This year, 571 businesses earned the top score of 100, meeting new and higher benchmarks  including a record number offering transgender-inclusive health care policies  in the most comprehensive assessment of workplace LGBT+ inclusion in the 17-year history of the report.

Bloomberg News said a high score on the equality index is frequently used by companies as they seek to attract new employers, especially millennial and younger workers.

The app was developed three years ago by Living Hope Ministries (LHM), a church group based in Texas and headed by executive director Ricky Chelette. Last year, a petition on change.Org by a group Truth Wins Out urged major tech companies to remove the LHM app, which it claimed falsely portrayed being gay as an addiction, sickness, and sin.

The gay rights group, which is headquartered in Philadelphia, said on Thursday it welcomed the HRCs decision to suspend Google from its equality index.

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Google needs to stop digging a hole with the LGBT+ community before its too late, said the groups executive director, Wayne Besen. The company, whose motto was once Dont be Evil, has recklessly chosen to let its reputation die on the hill of an evil ex-gay app. For all the smart people who work at Google, its amazing that no one at this company has thought this through.

Google said it had no comment to make on the HRC's decision. It said all apps had to comply with its Google Play policy and that these policies were constantly being reviewed. LHM did not respond to enquiries.

LHM has denied it is involved in so-called conversion therapy, a widely condemned treatment that some conservative and Christian groups have over the years sought to use to try and force people to change their sexuality.

Its website reads: "Living Hope Ministries hosts the largest, world-wide online support groups for men and women impacted by same sex attraction. Our online forums provide a free, safe, and moderated opportunity for accountability, encouragement and support from people who understand your struggle.

In a recent newsletter, Mr Chelette criticised a decision by Microsoft and Apple to remove the app.

We are a ministry that for nearly thirty years has helped individuals resolve their feelings they deem incongruent with their faith. We help people deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ, he wrote
There may be a vast and active system of water running underneath the surface of Mars, scientists have said.

Groundwater on Mars may run much deeper than previously thought, with streams flowing invisibly under the surface, a new study has found.

The discovery may help fundamentally change our understanding of the red planet, as well as informing our search for life.

Last year, scientists working with the Italian Space Agency found the presence of a dee-water lake on Mars, under its south pole. The new study suggests that groundwater could still be flowing in active system, and that it could lead to streams flowing on the surface in parts of the planet near the equator.

The researchers found the groundwater probably exists in areas much broader than the plus and that the system could run as deep as 750 meters.

Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Show all 30 1 /30 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Solar Flare An image from Nasa's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) shows a 200,000 mile long solar filament ripping through the Sun's corona in September 2013 Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Nasa Celebrates 50 Years of Spacewalking For 50 years, NASA has been "suiting up" for spacewalking. In this 1984 photograph of the first untethered spacewalk, NASA astronaut Bruce McCandless is in the midst of the first "field" tryout of a nitrogen-propelled backpack device called the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space A Hubble Cosmic Couple The spectacular cosmic pairing of the star Hen 2-427  more commonly known as WR 124  and the nebula M1-67 which surrounds it ESA/Hubble & NASA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Veil Nebula Supernova Remnant Nasa's Hubble Space Telescope has unveiled in stunning detail a small section of the Veil Nebula - expanding remains of a massive star that exploded about 8,000 years ago Nasa's most stunning pictures of space The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launch The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday, Nov. 24, 2014, carrying three new astronauts to the International Space Station. It also took caviar, ready for the satellite's inhabitants to celebrate the holidays Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Earth from the ISS From the International Space Station, Expedition 42 Flight Engineer Terry W. Virts took this photograph of the Gulf of Mexico and U.S. Gulf Coast at sunset Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Black Hole Friday Nasa celebrated Black Friday by looking into space instead  sharing pictures of black holes Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space NuSTAR X-rays stream off the sun in this image showing observations from by NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, overlaid on a picture taken by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Cassiopeia A c A false colour image of Cassiopeia A comprised with data from the Spitzer and Hubble Space Telescopes and the Chandra X-Ray observatory Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Orion Capsule splashes down The Orion capsule jetted off into space before heading back a few hours later  having proved that it can be used, one day, to carry humans to Mars Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Earth Observations From Gemini IV in 1965 This photograph of the Florida Straits and Grand Bahama Bank was taken during the Gemini IV mission during orbit no. 19 in 1965. The Gemini IV crew conducted scientific experiments, including photography of Earth's weather and terrain, for the remainder of their four-day mission following Ed White's historic spacewalk on June 3 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Frosty slopes of Mars This image of an area on the surface of Mars, approximately 1.5 by 3 kilometers in size, shows frosted gullies on a south-facing slope within a crater. The image was taken by Nasa's HiRISE camera, which is mounted on its Mars Reconaissance Orbiter Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Yellowstone from space NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman shared this image of Yellowstone via his twitter account Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Saturn This near-infrared color image shows a specular reflection, or sunglint, off of a hydrocarbon lake named Kivu Lacus on Saturn's moon Titan Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Worlds Apart Although Mimas and Pandora, shown here, both orbit Saturn, they are very different moons. Pandora, "small" by moon standards (50 miles or 81 kilometers across) is elongated and irregular in shape. Mimas (246 miles or 396 kilometers across), a "medium-sized" moon, formed into a sphere due to self-gravity imposed by its higher mass Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Solar Flare An X1.6 class solar flare flashes in the middle of the sun in this image taken 10 September, captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy An image of the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy seen in infrared light by the Herschel Space Observatory. Regions of space such as this are where new stars are born from a mixture of elements and cosmic dust Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Mars Rover Spirit Nasa's Mars Rover Spirit took the first picture from Spirit since problems with communications began a week earlier. The image shows the robotic arm extended to the rock called Adirondack Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Morning Aurora From the Space Station Nasa astronaut Scott Kelly captured this photograph of the green lights of the aurora from the International Space Station Nasa/Scott Kelly Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Launch of History - Making STS-41G Mission in 1984 The Space Shuttle Challenger launches from Florida at dawn. On this mission, Kathryn Sullivan became the first U.S. woman to perform a spacewalk and Marc Garneau became the first Canadian in space. The crew of seven was the largest to fly on a spacecraft at that time, and STS-41G was the first flight to include two female astronauts Nasa's most stunning pictures of space A Fresh Perspective on an Extraordinary Cluster of Galaxies Galaxy clusters are often described by superlatives. After all, they are huge conglomerations of galaxies, hot gas, and dark matter and represent the largest structures in the Universe held together by gravity Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Hubble Sees a Galactic Sunflower The arrangement of the spiral arms in the galaxy Messier 63, seen here in an image from the Nasa Hubble Space Telescope, recall the pattern at the center of a sunflower ESA/Hubble & NASA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Pluto image Four images from New Horizons Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) were combined with colour data from the Ralph instrument to create this enhanced colour global view of Pluto Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Fresh Crater Near Sirenum Fossae Region of Mars The HiRISE camera aboard Nasa's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter acquired this closeup image of a "fresh" (on a geological scale, though quite old on a human scale) impact crater in the Sirenum Fossae region of Mars. This impact crater appears relatively recent as it has a sharp rim and well-preserved ejecta Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Hubble Peers into the Most Crowded Place in the Milky Way This Nasa Hubble Space Telescope image presents the Arches Cluster, the densest known star cluster in the Milky Way NASA & ESA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space An Astronaut's View from Space Nasa astronaut Reid Wiseman tweeted this photo from the International Space Station on 2 September 2014 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Giant Landform on Mars On Mars, we can observe four classes of sandy landforms formed by the wind, or aeolian bedforms: ripples, transverse aeolian ridges, dunes, and what are called draa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Expedition 39 Landing A sokol suit helmet can be seen against the window of the Soyuz TMA-11M capsule shortly after the spacecraft landed with Expedition 39 Commander Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Soyuz Commander Mikhail Tyurin of Roscosmos, and Flight Engineer Rick Mastracchio of NASA near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan (NASA/Bill Ingalls) Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Jupiter's Great Red Spot Viewed by Voyager I Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system and perhaps the most majestic. Vibrant bands of clouds carried by winds that can exceed 400 mph continuously circle the planet's atmosphere Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Chandra Observatory Sees a Heart in the Darkness This Chandra X-Ray Observatory image of the young star cluster NGC 346 highlights a heart-shaped cloud of 8 million-degree Celsius gas in the central region

The researchers made the discovery after analysing the characteristics of the Mars Recurrent Slope Linea, which are like dried, short streams of water that appear on the walls of some of the planet's craters.

Previously, researchers thought those features were the result of flowing water across the surface or just underneath it. But now the researchers believe they are actually coming up from a deep pressurised source from where water is pushed up.

"We propose an alternative hypothesis that they originate from a deep pressurised groundwater source which comes to surface moving upward along ground cracks," said Essam Heggy, one of the co-authors on the new paper.

Researchers came to the conclusion after seeing similar mechanisms at work on Earth.

"The experience we gained from our research in desert hydrology was the cornerstone in reaching this conclusion. We have seen the same mechanisms in the North African Sahara and in the Arabian Peninsula, and it helped us explore the same mechanism on Mars," said Abotalib Z. Abotalib, the paper's first author.

Some of Mars craters have fractures in, and the scientists say those allow water springs to rise up to its surface, pushed up by the pressure deep below. Those springs then leak out onto the surface, which leads to the clear features that can be seen in images of the walls of those creators.

That would explain why the water features seem to fluctuate according to Mars' seasons, the researchers say as part of the new study published in Nature Geosciences.

Scientists should consider those exposed parts where the water springs out as primary candidates when looking to explore Mars and understand how habitable it could be, the researchers say. Water of this kind is likely to key to the question of whether Mars could support life  either future human exploration, or basic life that could have lived there in the past or even survive now.

New probing methods would allow scientists to explore those fractures and understand any potential water system that is lurking beneath the surface, the scientists write in the study.

As well as shedding light on the possibility of living on the planet, the new findings are convincing evidence that Mars has important similarities to our own Earth.

"Groundwater is strong evidence for the past similarity between Mars and Earth  it suggests they have a similar evolution, to some extent," said Heggy.

That could help shed light on our own planet and its evolution, as much as the red planet itself.

"Understanding how groundwater has formed on Mars, where it is today and how it is moving helps us constrain ambiguities on the evolution of climatic conditions on Mars for the last three billion years and how these conditions formed this groundwater system," said Heggy in a statement.

"It helps us to understand the similarities to our own planet and if we are going through the same climate evolution and the same path that Mars is going. Understanding Mars' evolution is crucial for understanding our own Earth's long-term evolution and groundwater is a key element in this process."
Twitter is considering labelling Donald Trump's tweets that violate its rules, an executive for the social media firm has revealed.

Vijaya Gadde, head of legal, policy, trust and safety at Twitter, said that tweets by public figures that break the firm's guidelines could be annotated to explain why they are not deleted.

The company has faced criticism for allowing hateful and offensive content on its platform, particularly in tweets by the US President.

Twitter has consistently argued that such tweets should not be removed because they are newsworthy.

"One of the things we're working really closely on with our product and engineering folks is, 'How can we label that?'," Ms Gadde said at an event on Wednesday.

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. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Tulsi Gabbard The Hawaii congresswoman announced her candidacy in January, but is likely to face tough questions on her past comments on LGBT+ rights and her stance on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Andrew Yang The entrepreneur has announced his presidential candidacy, and has pledged that he would introduce a universal basic income of $1,000 a month to every American over the age of 18. AFP/Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Marianne Williamson The author and spiritual advisor has announced her intention to run for president. She had previously run for congress as an independent in 2014 but was unsuccessful. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? John Kerry The former secretary of state has said he is still thinking about whether to run. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? 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

"How can we put some context around it so people are aware that that content is actually a violation of our rules and it is serving a particular purpose in remaining on the platform?"

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She continued: "When we leave that content on the platform there's no context around that and it just lives on Twitter and people can see it and they just assume that is the type of content or behaviour that's allowed by our rules."

Ms Gadde didn't rule out the possibility of tweets from Trump or other public figures being deleted, saying, "an example would be a direct violent threat against an individual that we wouldn't leave on the platform because of the danger it poses to that individual."

There have been several high-profile calls for Trump's Twitter account to be deactivated, including from US Congressman Keith Ellison who called the president a "social media bully" in 2017.

When Trump threatened to launch an attack on North Korea that same year, numerous more calls were made for his account to be deactivated and the tweet deleted.

Earlier this year, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey refused to say whether Trump would be banned if he publicly called for his followers to murder journalists.

"That would be a violent threat. We'd definitely... You know we're in constant communication with all governments around the world. So we'd certainly talk about it," he said.

"I'm not going to talk about particulars. We've established protocol, it's transparent. It's out there for everyone to read. We have, independent of the US president, we have conversations with all governments. It's not just limited to this one."
Actor Seth Rogen has announced he is launching his own cannabis company..

The Canadian company, called Houseplant, has been the result of "five years of hard work", between Rogen and co-founder Evan Goldberg, the Pineapple Express star wrote on Twitter on Wednesday evening.

It has been launched in collaboration with Canopy Growth, a cannabis company based in Ontario, Canada.

"Houseplant is a passion we've brought to life through drive and dedication," Rogen said.

"Every decision we've made for the business reflects the years of education, first-hand experience and respect we have for cannabis."

Houseplant is due to release three strains of cannabis over the next few months.

These strains of the drug are called Houseplant Sativa, Houseplant Hybrid and Houseplant Indica.

Houseplant Sativa, will be available to purchase from early April 2019.

Cannabis around the world Show all 13 1 /13 Cannabis around the world Cannabis around the world Morocco Farmers destroy cannabis plantations under Moroccan police supervision in the northern Moroccan Larache region, pictured here in 2006 AFP/Getty images Cannabis around the world Colorado Growing business: Cannabis on sale at River Rock Wellness Sam Adams Cannabis around the world Oakland Oaksterdam in Oakland, California, is the world's only university dedicated to the study and cultivation of cannabis Alain Jocard/AFP/Getty Images Cannabis around the world Seattle A cannabis smoker marks the start of the new law by the Space Needle in Seattle Getty Images Cannabis around the world China Cannabis growing wild in China, where it has been used to treat conditions such as gout and malaria Cannabis around the world Uruguay Uruguay has voted to make the country the first to legalize marijuana AFP/Getty Cannabis around the world Colorado A groundswell of support from the public led to full legalisation in Colorado Getty Images Cannabis around the world Berlin A man smokes licenced medicinal marijuana prior to participating in the annual Hemp Parade, or 'Hanfparade', in support of the legalization of marijuana in Germany on August 7, 2010 in Berlin, Germany. The consumption of cannabis in Germany is legal, though all other aspects, including growing, importing or selling it, are not. However, since the introduction of a new law in 2009, the sale and possession of marijuana for licenced medicinal use is legal. Sean Gallup/Getty Images Cannabis around the world UK The UK latest figures show 2.3 million people used cannabis in the last year AP Cannabis around the world Amsterdam Tourists visiting Amsterdam will not be banned from using the citys famous cannabis cafes Getty Images Cannabis around the world Merseyside These 25 cannabis plants, seized in Merseyside police, could have generated a turnover of 40,000 a year Cannabis around the world San Francisco April 20, 2012: People smoke marijuana joints at 4:20 p.m. as thousands of marijuana advocates gathered at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California. The event was held on April 20, a date corresponding with a numerical 4/20 code widely known within the cannabis subculture as a symbol for all things marijuana. Reuters Cannabis around the world Spain A cannabis users' association will pay the town of Rasquera more than 600,000 a year for the lease of the land

The other two strains will be released in Canada later on in the year, in addition to cannabis soft gels and pre-rolled joints.

Screenwriter Goldberg said he and Rogen, who became friends when they were 13 years old, are "excited to be able to share our passion for cannabis with Canadians in this way".

In October 2018, Canada became the first industrialised nation and the second country in the world to legalise marijuana.

Under the new law, Canadian citizens are allowed to carry up to 30 grams of cannabis in public, and each household can grow up to four marijuana plants.

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Several people have expressed their excitement over the launch of Rogen and Goldberg's company.

"I am here for this content," tweeted Bridesmaids actor Chris O'Dowd.

"I dont smoke and yet this news still made me emotional and happy for you," said Parks and Recreation actor Ben Schwartz.
US pharmacy chain Walgreens will begin selling a range of cannabidiol (CBD) products in nearly 1,500 of its stores.

According to a spokesperson for the company, the range will include everything from CBD-infused creams to patches and sprays.

Walgreens will sell the products in select states, including Oregon, Colorado, New Mexico, Kentucky, Tennessee, Vermont, South Carolina, Illinois and Indiana.

This product offering is in line with our efforts to provide a wider range of accessible health and wellbeing products and services to best meet the needs and preferences of our customers, Brian Faith, a spokesperson for the company, told CNBC on Wednesday.

A non-psychoactive chemical compound found in the marijuana plant, CBD doesn't contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) - the main psychoactive perception and mood-altering component of cannabis.

Cannabis around the world Show all 13 1 /13 Cannabis around the world Cannabis around the world Morocco Farmers destroy cannabis plantations under Moroccan police supervision in the northern Moroccan Larache region, pictured here in 2006 AFP/Getty images Cannabis around the world Colorado Growing business: Cannabis on sale at River Rock Wellness Sam Adams Cannabis around the world Oakland Oaksterdam in Oakland, California, is the world's only university dedicated to the study and cultivation of cannabis Alain Jocard/AFP/Getty Images Cannabis around the world Seattle A cannabis smoker marks the start of the new law by the Space Needle in Seattle Getty Images Cannabis around the world China Cannabis growing wild in China, where it has been used to treat conditions such as gout and malaria Cannabis around the world Uruguay Uruguay has voted to make the country the first to legalize marijuana AFP/Getty Cannabis around the world Colorado A groundswell of support from the public led to full legalisation in Colorado Getty Images Cannabis around the world Berlin A man smokes licenced medicinal marijuana prior to participating in the annual Hemp Parade, or 'Hanfparade', in support of the legalization of marijuana in Germany on August 7, 2010 in Berlin, Germany. The consumption of cannabis in Germany is legal, though all other aspects, including growing, importing or selling it, are not. However, since the introduction of a new law in 2009, the sale and possession of marijuana for licenced medicinal use is legal. Sean Gallup/Getty Images Cannabis around the world UK The UK latest figures show 2.3 million people used cannabis in the last year AP Cannabis around the world Amsterdam Tourists visiting Amsterdam will not be banned from using the citys famous cannabis cafes Getty Images Cannabis around the world Merseyside These 25 cannabis plants, seized in Merseyside police, could have generated a turnover of 40,000 a year Cannabis around the world San Francisco April 20, 2012: People smoke marijuana joints at 4:20 p.m. as thousands of marijuana advocates gathered at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California. The event was held on April 20, a date corresponding with a numerical 4/20 code widely known within the cannabis subculture as a symbol for all things marijuana. Reuters Cannabis around the world Spain A cannabis users' association will pay the town of Rasquera more than 600,000 a year for the lease of the land

This means that products containing CBD wont lead to hallucinogenic effects like recreational use of marijuana is known to.

Instead, the ingredient is becoming increasingly mainstream in health and beauty products that advertise benefits such as pain relief and reducing anxiety.

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As CBD continues to surge in popularity, more and more retailers are beginning to evaluate the market and produce their own cannabis-derived products.

In 2018, it was reported that the number of CBD consumers doubled following a rise in readily-available products around the world.

Earlier this month, David Klein, who invented the original Jelly Belly bean in 1976, revealed that he has created a new line of gourmet CBD-infused jelly beans, which are being sold through his company Spectrum Confections.

Similarly, luxury department store Barneys announced plans to open a cannabis lifestyle and wellness section inside its Beverly Hills store.

The new section is expected sell a number of lifestyle products including vaporiser pens and pastilles, as well as CBD-infused beauty products from brands such as, Foria, Boysmells, Malin + Goetz and Body Vibes.

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Perhaps the most surprising addition to the CBD world comes from culinary expert Martha Stewart who announced she is launching her own range of products designed for humans and their pets.

In March, the 77-year-old has announced that she will be teaming up with Canopy Growth one of the worlds largest marijuana producers  to develop a line of CBD health products.
Thousands of women living with mental health problems across England are to receive help from a new project backed by the Government's Tampon Tax Fund.

The Tampon Tax Fund allocates money generated from the VAT on sanitary products to projects to improve the lives of disadvantaged women and girls. It is open to charitable, benevolent and philanthropic organisations from across the United Kingdom.

Through the 1.8m initiative, which is called Women Side by Side, it is hoped the women will be able to find community-based peer support set up through around 70 projects.

The initiative is being spearheaded by mental health charity Mind and Agenda, an alliance which campaigns for women and girls at risk and last year received a share of the 15m Tampon Tax Fund from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

The projects will try to tackle mental health problems, homelessness, drug and alcohol misuse, abuse and violence, family breakdown, offending or a combination of these through the "pioneering peer support initiative.

William Doan's art tackling mental health Show all 13 1 /13 William Doan's art tackling mental health William Doan's art tackling mental health William Doan's art tackling mental health William Doan's art tackling mental health William Doan's art tackling mental health William Doan's art tackling mental health William Doan's art tackling mental health William Doan's art tackling mental health William Doan's art tackling mental health William Doan's art tackling mental health William Doan's art tackling mental health William Doan's art tackling mental health William Doan's art tackling mental health William Doan's art tackling mental health

Minds director of external relations, Sophie Corlett, says the latter will offer a "safe, non-judgemental and collaborative space for women from all walks of life who need support for their mental health - whatever the reason.

Five new hubs, including four in England and another in Wales, will act as learning centres supporting every project and run by women's organisations who have links to community groups.

Agenda chief executive Jemima Olchawski, predicts the initiative could make "a real difference to the lives of thousands of women.

"Mental health problems among women are on the rise, yet too many are unable to get the support they need, when they need it, Olchawski says.

The new projects will help to increase the availability of mental health peer support that recognises and responds to women's specific needs and experiences.

"Poor mental health among women is often closely linked to difficult life experiences like abuse and poverty, which is why this programme's focus on reaching the most disadvantaged and marginalised women is vital."

Clean Break women's theatre organisation, which works in prisons and other communities across the UK, and The Survivors' Forum, which is an online community providing peer support for women affected by domestic abuse, are among the projects.

The Ethiopian Women Empowerment Group, which is an organisation helping address mental health problems in women affected by the Grenfell Tower disaster, is another project involved with the initiative.

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The organisation primarily works with women from Ethiopian, Moroccan, Egyptian, Eritrean, Somalian and Asian communities, helping them to gain independence, education and employment, and access to mainstream services.

Other organisations that have received funding include Rape Crisis England & Wales, Womens Aid Federation of England, and One Parent Families Scotland.

Tracey Crouch, former Minister for Sport and Civil Society, says of the funding: The money generated from sanitary products is being invested in good causes that tackle the serious issues that women of all ages face. It will be used to support vulnerable women and girls and help build a Britain fit for the future.

Over 70 charities are already receiving grants through previous rounds of the fund, with a total of 32m of funding having been announced since the Autumn Statement 2015.

Earlier this month, Chancellor Philip Hammond pledged to end period poverty in schools in his spring statement.

Hammond said that in response to growing concern from head teachers over access to period products, he will fund the provision of free period products in secondary schools and colleges across England from next year.

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A survey of 1,000 girls and women aged 14 to 21 carried out for the charity Plan International in 2017 found that one in 10 had been unable to afford sanitary wear and 12 per cent had had to improvise protection because of the expensive cost.

In August 2018, the Scottish government became the first in the world to make sanitary products available free to all pupils and students at schools, colleges and universities.

Since it was announced in 2015, the Tampon Tax Fund has been met with criticism from several women's groups who argue that women shouldnt be taxed for their own safety and wellbeing.

In 2017, it was exposed that quarter of a million pounds from the tampon tax would go to Life, a charity that campaigns against abortion.

At the time, Sophie Walker, the former leader of the Women's Equality Party, said it was a "shock" to find out the Government was planning on using the tampon tax fund to support a charity whose mission is anti-choice and aims to make abortion a thing of the past.
Adam Marshall, the director general of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), launched a furious blast at the those in Westminster today over the current political turmoil.

In his keynote speech to the BCC's annual conference at the Queen Elizabeth Centre, within a hop skip and jump of the House of Commons, Marshall said: We are frustrated. We are angry. You have let British business down.

And there was more: You have focussed on soundbites, not substance. Tactics, not strategy. Politics, not prosperity. Listening without hearing.

And as a result businesses and communities in every part of the UK are still unsure about when the future starts  let alone what it holds.

He went on to single out a no deal Brexit - which he referred to as a messy and disorderly Brexit - by saying it would not just be deeply irresponsibles. - it would be a flagrant dereliction of duty.

And he demanded MPs stop chasing rainbows.

The anger was raw. And his attack on no deal was well made. It remains a very real threat to Britain, one that is being held over it by a Conservative Party that has closed its ears to its natural allies and pursued its current course purely to satisfy its own bizarre ideological cravings and those of the baying mob in the Tory ecosystem.

Marshall did not make his blast party political. But he might just as well have. The mess Britain is in, the uncertainty that dogs his members, was made in the Conservative Party. It was inflicted on the country by the Conservative Party. The no deal Marshall fears is advocated purely by a section of the Conservative Party, and has been kept alive by the worst Prime Minister in British history purely to appease it.

Theresa May has put the interests of the Conservative Party ahead of those of the nation and its business community at every step of this depressing process.

Even her dismal deal, should she find a way of ramming it through, will not end the uncertainty. Yes there will be a two-year transition, and thus the creation of some breathing space. But its just the starting point for a negotiation which some of the ultras still hope will end up with an inward looking UK sailing off into the Atlantic.

Michael Gove, supposedly a moderate Brexiteer and a favoured candidate to replace May, has made plain his view that the UK could seek to alter whatever agreements it enters in to.

Business news: In pictures Show all 13 1 /13 Business news: In pictures Business news: In pictures Flybe collapses Airline Flybe has collapsed. All future flights on the Exeter-based airline have been cancelled  leaving more than 2,300 staff facing an uncertain future, and wrecking the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers. The chief executive, Mark Anderson, said: Europes largest independent regional airline has been unable to overcome significant funding challenges to its business. AFP via Getty Business news: In pictures Future product placement will be 'tailored to individual viewers' Marketing executives say that product placement in films and televison shows on streaming services such as Netflix may be tailored to individuals in future. For instance, if data shows that a viewer is a fan of pepsi, a billboard in the background of a shot would host an advert for pepsi, while for a viewer known to have different tastes it could be for Coca-Cola Paramount Business news: In pictures Corbyn wishes Amazon a happy birthday In a card sent to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on the company's 25th birthday, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn writes: "You owe the British people millions in taxes that pay for the public services that we all rely on. Please pay your fair share" Business news: In pictures No deal, no tariffs The government has announced that it would slash almost all tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Notable exceptions include cars and meat, which will see tariffs in place to protect British farmers Getty Business news: In pictures Fingerprint payment NatWest is trialling a new bank card that will allow people to touch their hand to the card when paying rather than typing in a PIN number. The card will work by recognising the user's fingerprint NatWest/PA Wire Business news: In pictures Mahabis bust High-end slipper retailer Mahabis has gone into administration. 2 Jan 2019 Mahabis Business news: In pictures Costa Cola Coca-Cola has paid 3.9bn for Costa Coffee. A cafe chain is a new venture for the global soft drinks giant PA Business news: In pictures RIP Payday Loans A funeral procession for payday loans was held in London on September 2. The future of pay day lenders is in doubt after Wonga, Britain's biggest, went into administration on August 30 PA Business news: In pictures Musk irks investors and directors Elon Musk has concluded that Tesla will remain public. Investors and company directors were angry at Musk for tweeting unexpectedly that he was considering taking Tesla private and share prices had taken a tumble in the following weeks Getty Business news: In pictures Jaguar warning Iconic British car maker Jaguar Land Rover warned on July 5, 2018 that a "bad" Brexit deal could jeopardise planned investment of more than $100 billion, upping corporate pressure as the government heads into crucial talks AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures Spotif-IPO Spotify traded publically for the first time on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday. However, the company isn't issuing shares, but rather, shares held by Spotify's private investors will be sold AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures French blue passports The deadline to award a contract to make blue British passports after Brexit has been extended by two weeks following a request by bidder De La Rue. The move comes after anger at the announcement British passports would be produced by Franco-Dutch firm Gemalto when De La Rues contract ends in July. The British firm said Gemalto was chosen only because it undercut the competition, but the UK company also admitted that it was not the cheapest choice in the tendering process. Business news: In pictures Beast from the east economic impact The Beast from the East wiped 4m off of Flybes revenues due to flight cancellations, airport closures and delays, according to the budget airlines estimates. Flybe said it cancelled 994 flights in the three months to 31 March, compared to 372 in the same period last year.

The rest of the Westminster, meanwhile, the vast majority of MPs from all the other parties of whatever hue, are fiercely opposed to no-deal madness. Their ideas range from a much softer Brexit to the best option of all: a final say vote on whatever deal emerges.

We might be in a better place had Labour mounted a more effective opposition, and not chased the occasional rainbow of its own. But its sins pale by comparison to those of the governing party, the sensible wing of which has, until recently, too easily surrendered to the extremists.

Still, you can forgive Marshall's, and his members', reluctance to engage in party politics. They are, after all, in business. And they want to focus on doing business. It isn't hard to sympathise with the frustration, indeed the fear, that prompted Marshall to speak to speak as he did. He and his members are far from alone in feeling it.
MPs would be guilty of a flagrant dereliction of duty if the UK crashes out of the EU without a deal a leading business group has said.

UK firms are frustrated and angry at Parliament's handling of Brexit, Adam Marshall, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), will say in a speech on Thursday.

In a blistering attack aimed directly at MPs, Mr Marshall will say: You have let British business down. You have focused on soundbites, not substance; tactics, not strategy; politics not prosperity,

As a result businesses and communities in every part of the UK are still unsure about when the future starts  let alone what it holds.

Businesses have spent three years going round in circles, Mr Marshall is expected to tell an audience at the QEII conference centre in Westminster, a stones throw from the House of Commons.

Too many critical questions remain unanswered.

Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Show all 15 1 /15 Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Pork There will be tariffs on pork in order to protect British farmers Getty Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Cheese There will be tariffs in place on some cheeses including 22.10/100kg of cheddar, 19.10/100kg of processed cheese and 18.60/100kg on some blue cheeses Getty Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Milk There will be no tariffs in place on milk Getty Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Car Parts There will be no tariffs on car parts imported from Europe PA Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Cars However finished cars will face tariffs of 10.6% Getty Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Alcoholic drinks There will be no tariffs on alcoholic drinks - except on some rums due to ingredients used in their distilling process Getty Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Beef There will be tariffs on beef in order to protect British farmers Getty Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Fish There will be no tariffs on many types of fish including cod, haddock, salmon and sea bass Getty Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Fruit and vegetables There will be no tariffs on almost all fruit and vegetables Getty Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Chocolate There will be no tariffs on chocolate or other cocoa products Getty Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Poultry There will be tariffs on poultry in order to protect British farmers Getty Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Ceramics There will be some tariffs in place on ceramis Getty Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Steel There will be no tariffs on steel Getty Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Coal There will be no tariffs on coal Getty Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Lamb/Mutton There will be tariffs on the meat of sheep in order to protect British farmers Getty

No one would run a business like this  and it is no way to run a country.

The government has until 12 April to propose a new Brexit plan if Parliament does not vote through Theresa Mays proposals.

If it cannot agree, the UK will leave with no agreement, an option which is widely predicted to cause large-scale problems for businesses.

It cannot be right that we leave in a way where government itself predicts there will be mass disruption to businesses and communities, Mr Marshall is expected to say.

It cannot be right that some in Westminster shrug off the possibility of shortages that could affect the well-being and the jobs of many people.

A messy and disorderly exit would not just be deeply irresponsible  it would be a flagrant dereliction of duty.

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The BCC chief will demand that politicians stop chasing rainbows and start making difficult decisions , however personally or politically difficult they might be.

Because all of us in business want to move on from this and get back to talking about creating the best possible environment for businesses to thrive, in every part of the United Kingdom.
You are here: Business

China's Commerce Ministry (MOFCOM) said on Thursday that the U.S. delegation will arrive in Beijing for the eighth round of high-level China-U.S. economic and trade consultations later Thursday.



"A working dinner will be held tonight and the talks are expected to last for a full day on Friday," Ministry spokesperson Gao Feng said at a regular press conference.

"Both sides have achieved some progress during previous phone calls," added Gao.

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin were invited to visit China for the new round of trade talks.

This round of high-level consultations is scheduled to take place on Thursday and Friday.
UK cybersecurity inspectors found "significant" technical flaws in Chinese telecom supplier Huawei's software that pose security risks for the country's mobile networks.

It's the latest salvo in a global battle over Huawei, which the US says could give the Chinese government backdoor access to sensitive data worldwide.

The report said it's only possible to give "limited assurance" that long-term national security risks from Huawei's involvement in critical British telecom networks can be adequately managed.

The US government wants its European allies to ban the company from next-generation mobile networks set to roll out in coming years over fears Huawei gear could be used for cyberespionage. However, Britain has so far resisted, saying it can manage the risks without resorting to a boycott.

Thursday's report from an oversight body that includes GCHQ staff noted that cybersecurity authorities did not believe the defects were a result of "Chinese state interference."

Meng Wanzhou, daughter of Huawei's founder, is accused of breaking American sanctions on Iran. China believes her arrest was politically motivated (AP)

Since 2010, Huawei equipment used by British mobile phone companies has been inspected by the evaluation center, which is funded by the Chinese company and overseen by a board headed by a British official.

The oversight's board annual report also criticised Huawei for making "no material progress" in fixing technical shortcomings noted in last year's report.

Huawei denied that the report suggests British mobile networks are more vulnerable than last year.

The Pentagon has banned the sale of Huawei devices on US military bases (Screenshot)

"We understand these concerns and take them very seriously," the company said in a statement. The issues that have been identified "provide vital input for the ongoing transformation of our software engineering capabilities," which the company pledged in November to spend $2 billion on, it said.

The oversight board, however, said it hasn't seen anything that gives it confidence that Huawei has the capacity to carry out the transformation.

AP
US economic growth slowed sharply in the last three months of 2018 as the effects of Donald Trumps massive corporate tax cuts began to fade.

Growth was revised down to just 2.2 per cent from 2.6 per cent, the government said on Thursday.

The adjustment came after consumer spending, business investment, government spending and housebuilding all came in lower than had previously been predicted.

Fears are also growing that the American economy is faring even worse in the first quarter of this year as a trade dispute with China and a global slowdown take their toll.

The news will cause a headache for Mr Trump who has presented himself as a business-friendly president and has repeatedly boasted about his administrations positive impact on the economy.

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

Now analysts believe growth may have slowed down to an annual rate of just 1.5 per cent, little more than half the pace of 2018.

If that is reflected in official data the government will find it difficult to fund its spending proposals.

The presidents new budget forecasts that the economy will grow by 3 per cent a year or better for much of the next decade  well in excess of most independent predictions.

US growth surged in the middle of 2018 after Mr Trump slashed taxes on corporate profits and income for high earners.

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The tax cuts handed a $1.5 trillion boost mostly to US companies that helped to propel growth to 4.2 per cent in the second quarter of last year.

But the positive effect appears to have been short-lived. GDP growth fell to 3.4 percent in the third quarter and 2.2 per cent in the final quarter.

During his State of the Union address last month, Mr Trump received a standing ovation from Republicans when he said: The US economy is growing almost twice as fast today as when I took office and we are considered far and away the hottest economy anywhere in the world. Not even close.
A good-natured Scottish pensioner who experiences virtually no pain has superhuman healing and remains unflappable in life-threatening situations may sound like a Marvel spin-off but has just been reported in a leading scientific journal.

UK researchers have discovered Jo Cameron's, now 71, remarkable abilities are apparently down to a previously unreported genetic mutation.

The case, published in the British Journal of Anaesthesia, could open the door for a host of new treatments to help people recover from surgery, manage chronic pain and anxiety disorders.

Ms Cameron first caught doctors attention when, aged 65, she sought treatment for a hip problem, which doctors later found to be severely arthritic and needed replacing.

The discomfort would usually have been debilitating and after a second painless surgery doctors at Raigmore Hospital, Inverness, decided it needed further investigating.

Health news in pictures Show all 40 1 /40 Health news in pictures Health news in pictures Coronavirus outbreak The coronavirus Covid-19 has hit the UK leading to the deaths of two people so far and prompting warnings from the Department of Health AFP via Getty Health news in pictures Thousands of emergency patients told to take taxi to hospital Thousands of 999 patients in England are being told to get a taxi to hospital, figures have showed. The number of patients outside London who were refused an ambulance rose by 83 per cent in the past year as demand for services grows Getty Health news in pictures Vape related deaths spike A vaping-related lung disease has claimed the lives of 11 people in the US in recent weeks. The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has more than 100 officials investigating the cause of the mystery illness, and has warned citizens against smoking e-cigarette products until more is known, particularly if modified or bought off the street Getty Health news in pictures Baldness cure looks to be a step closer Researchers in the US claim to have overcome one of the major hurdles to cultivating human follicles from stem cells. The new system allows cells to grow in a structured tuft and emerge from the skin Sanford Burnham Preybs Health news in pictures Two hours a week spent in nature can improve health A study in the journal Scientific Reports suggests that a dose of nature of just two hours a week is associated with better health and psychological wellbeing Shutterstock Health news in pictures Air pollution linked to fertility issues in women Exposure to air from traffic-clogged streets could leave women with fewer years to have children, a study has found. Italian researchers found women living in the most polluted areas were three times more likely to show signs they were running low on eggs than those who lived in cleaner surroundings, potentially triggering an earlier menopause Getty/iStock Health news in pictures Junk food ads could be banned before watershed Junk food adverts on TV and online could be banned before 9pm as part of Government plans to fight the "epidemic" of childhood obesity. Plans for the new watershed have been put out for public consultation in a bid to combat the growing crisis, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said PA Health news in pictures Breeding with neanderthals helped humans fight diseases On migrating from Africa around 70,000 years ago, humans bumped into the neanderthals of Eurasia. While humans were weak to the diseases of the new lands, breeding with the resident neanderthals made for a better equipped immune system PA Health news in pictures Cancer breath test to be trialled in Britain The breath biopsy device is designed to detect cancer hallmarks in molecules exhaled by patients Getty Health news in pictures Average 10 year old has consumed the recommended amount of sugar for an adult By their 10th birthdy, children have on average already eaten more sugar than the recommended amount for an 18 year old. The average 10 year old consumes the equivalent to 13 sugar cubes a day, 8 more than is recommended PA Health news in pictures Child health experts advise switching off screens an hour before bed While there is not enough evidence of harm to recommend UK-wide limits on screen use, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health have advised that children should avoid screens for an hour before bed time to avoid disrupting their sleep Getty Health news in pictures Daily aspirin is unnecessary for older people in good health, study finds A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has found that many elderly people are taking daily aspirin to little or no avail Getty Health news in pictures Vaping could lead to cancer, US study finds A study by the University of Minnesota's Masonic Cancer Centre has found that the carcinogenic chemicals formaldehyde, acrolein, and methylglyoxal are present in the saliva of E-cigarette users Reuters Health news in pictures More children are obese and diabetic There has been a 41% increase in children with type 2 diabetes since 2014, the National Paediatric Diabetes Audit has found. Obesity is a leading cause Reuters Health news in pictures Most child antidepressants are ineffective and can lead to suicidal thoughts The majority of antidepressants are ineffective and may be unsafe, for children and teenager with major depression, experts have warned. In what is the most comprehensive comparison of 14 commonly prescribed antidepressant drugs to date, researchers found that only one brand was more effective at relieving symptoms of depression than a placebo. Another popular drug, venlafaxine, was shown increase the risk users engaging in suicidal thoughts and attempts at suicide Getty Health news in pictures Gay, lesbian and bisexual adults at higher risk of heart disease, study claims Researchers at the Baptist Health South Florida Clinic in Miami focused on seven areas of controllable heart health and found these minority groups were particularly likely to be smokers and to have poorly controlled blood sugar iStock Health news in pictures Breakfast cereals targeted at children contain 'steadily high' sugar levels since 1992 despite producer claims A major pressure group has issued a fresh warning about perilously high amounts of sugar in breakfast cereals, specifically those designed for children, and has said that levels have barely been cut at all in the last two and a half decades Getty Health news in pictures Potholes are making us fat, NHS watchdog warns New guidance by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the body which determines what treatment the NHS should fund, said lax road repairs and car-dominated streets were contributing to the obesity epidemic by preventing members of the public from keeping active PA Health news in pictures New menopause drugs offer women relief from 'debilitating' hot flushes A new class of treatments for women going through the menopause is able to reduce numbers of debilitating hot flushes by as much as three quarters in a matter of days, a trial has found. The drug used in the trial belongs to a group known as NKB antagonists (blockers), which were developed as a treatment for schizophrenia but have been sitting on a shelf unused, according to Professor Waljit Dhillo, a professor of endocrinology and metabolism REX Health news in pictures Doctors should prescribe more antidepressants for people with mental health problems, study finds Research from Oxford University found that more than one million extra people suffering from mental health problems would benefit from being prescribed drugs and criticised ideological reasons doctors use to avoid doing so. Getty Health news in pictures Student dies of flu after NHS advice to stay at home and avoid A&E The family of a teenager who died from flu has urged people not to delay going to A&E if they are worried about their symptoms. Melissa Whiteley, an 18-year-old engineering student from Hanford in Stoke-on-Trent, fell ill at Christmas and died in hospital a month later. Just Giving Health news in pictures Government to review thousands of harmful vaginal mesh implants The Government has pledged to review tens of thousands of cases where women have been given harmful vaginal mesh implants. Getty Health news in pictures Jeremy Hunt announces 'zero suicides ambition' for the NHS The NHS will be asked to go further to prevent the deaths of patients in its care as part of a zero suicide ambition being launched today Getty Health news in pictures Human trials start with cancer treatment that primes immune system to kill off tumours Human trials have begun with a new cancer therapy that can prime the immune system to eradicate tumours. The treatment, that works similarly to a vaccine, is a combination of two existing drugs, of which tiny amounts are injected into the solid bulk of a tumour. Nephron Health news in pictures Babies' health suffers from being born near fracking sites, finds major study Mothers living within a kilometre of a fracking site were 25 per cent more likely to have a child born at low birth weight, which increase their chances of asthma, ADHD and other issues Getty Health news in pictures NHS reviewing thousands of cervical cancer smear tests after women wrongly given all-clear Thousands of cervical cancer screening results are under review after failings at a laboratory meant some women were incorrectly given the all-clear. A number of women have already been told to contact their doctors following the identification of procedural issues in the service provided by Pathology First Laboratory. Rex Health news in pictures Potential key to halting breast cancer's spread discovered by scientists Most breast cancer patients do not die from their initial tumour, but from secondary malignant growths (metastases), where cancer cells are able to enter the blood and survive to invade new sites. Asparagine, a molecule named after asparagus where it was first identified in high quantities, has now been shown to be an essential ingredient for tumour cells to gain these migratory properties. Getty Health news in pictures NHS nursing vacancies at record high with more than 34,000 roles advertised A record number of nursing and midwifery positions are currently being advertised by the NHS, with more than 34,000 positions currently vacant, according to the latest data. Demand for nurses was 19 per cent higher between July and September 2017 than the same period two years ago. REX Health news in pictures Cannabis extract could provide new class of treatment for psychosis CBD has a broadly opposite effect to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main active component in cannabis and the substance that causes paranoia and anxiety. Getty Health news in pictures Over 75,000 sign petition calling for Richard Branson's Virgin Care to hand settlement money back to NHS Mr Bransons company sued the NHS last year after it lost out on an 82m contract to provide childrens health services across Surrey, citing concerns over serious flaws in the way the contract was awarded PA Health news in pictures More than 700 fewer nurses training in England in first year after NHS bursary scrapped The numbers of people accepted to study nursing in England fell 3 per cent in 2017, while the numbers accepted in Wales and Scotland, where the bursaries were kept, increased 8.4 per cent and 8 per cent respectively Getty Health news in pictures Landmark study links Tory austerity to 120,000 deaths The paper found that there were 45,000 more deaths in the first four years of Tory-led efficiencies than would have been expected if funding had stayed at pre-election levels. On this trajectory that could rise to nearly 200,000 excess deaths by the end of 2020, even with the extra funding that has been earmarked for public sector services this year. Reuters Health news in pictures Long commutes carry health risks Hours of commuting may be mind-numbingly dull, but new research shows that it might also be having an adverse effect on both your health and performance at work. Longer commutes also appear to have a significant impact on mental wellbeing, with those commuting longer 33 per cent more likely to suffer from depression Shutterstock Health news in pictures You cannot be fit and fat It is not possible to be overweight and healthy, a major new study has concluded. The study of 3.5 million Britons found that even metabolically healthy obese people are still at a higher risk of heart disease or a stroke than those with a normal weight range Getty Health news in pictures Sleep deprivation When you feel particularly exhausted, it can definitely feel like you are also lacking in brain capacity. Now, a new study has suggested this could be because chronic sleep deprivation can actually cause the brain to eat itself Shutterstock Health news in pictures Exercise classes offering 45 minute naps launch David Lloyd Gyms have launched a new health and fitness class which is essentially a bunch of people taking a nap for 45 minutes. The fitness group was spurred to launch the napercise class after research revealed 86 per cent of parents said they were fatigued. The class is therefore predominantly aimed at parents but you actually do not have to have children to take part Getty Health news in pictures 'Fundamental right to health' to be axed after Brexit, lawyers warn Tobacco and alcohol companies could win more easily in court cases such as the recent battle over plain cigarette packaging if the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights is abandoned, a barrister and public health professor have said Getty Health news in pictures 'Thousands dying' due to fear over non-existent statin side-effects A major new study into the side effects of the cholesterol-lowering medicine suggests common symptoms such as muscle pain and weakness are not caused by the drugs themselves Getty Health news in pictures Babies born to fathers aged under 25 have higher risk of autism New research has found that babies born to fathers under the age of 25 or over 51 are at higher risk of developing autism and other social disorders. The study, conducted by the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment at Mount Sinai, found that these children are actually more advanced than their peers as infants, but then fall behind by the time they hit their teenage years Getty Health news in pictures Cycling to work could halve risk of cancer and heart disease Commuters who swap their car or bus pass for a bike could cut their risk of developing heart disease and cancer by almost half, new research suggests  but campaigners have warned there is still an urgent need to improve road conditions for cyclists. Cycling to work is linked to a lower risk of developing cancer by 45 per cent and cardiovascular disease by 46 per cent, according to a study of a quarter of a million people. Walking to work also brought health benefits, the University of Glasgow researchers found, but not to the same degree as cycling. Getty

Alongside her extensive medical history, the authors said: She reported numerous burns and cuts without pain, often smelling her burning flesh before noticing any injury, and these wounds healed quickly with little or no residual scar.

In tests she could also eat fiery Scotch bonnet chillis without any discomfort, but a short-lasting pleasant glow in her mouth.

I had no idea until a few years ago that there was anything that unusual about how little pain I feel  I just thought it was normal," Ms Cameron said.

"Learning about it now fascinates me as much as it does anyone else.

Ms Cameron didn't realise she was so different until she needed a hip replacement (Jo Cameron ) (Jo Cameron)

Referring her to pain geneticists at University College London and the University of Oxford they identified two mutations of note. One in a gene called Faah (Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase), which is well known to pain researchers.

The FAAH gene plays a role in the bodys endocannabinoid system, the parts of the central nervous system which play a role in pain, memory and mood and which the compounds in cannabis act on.

They also found a second gene, which had previously been written off as junk DNA with no useful purpose. It now appears this gene, which they dubbed Faah-Out, controls the Faah gene and in Ms Cameron switches it off.

As well as her wound healing and pain insensitivity the woman scored a zero in tests of anxiety and depression, and said she never panics in dangerous situations  like in a recent car accident.

If there is any kryptonite (apart from occasionally smelling your own sizzling flesh) it is that she was moderately absent minded and has always been prone to forgetting keys or losing her train of thought.

The implications for these findings are immense, said Dr Devjit Srivastava, the Raigmore pain consultant who diagnosed her.

Half of patients recovering from surgery still experience moderate to severe pain, despite modern painkillers.

It could be the case that the Faah-Out gene is the key to unlocking the pain reducing potential of the Faah gene where other attempts have failed.

The findings point towards a novel pain killer discovery that could potentially offer post-surgical pain relief and also accelerate wound healing, Dr Srivastava said.

We hope this could help the 330 million patients who undergo surgery globally every year.

Ms Cameron said she would "be elated if any research into my own genetics could help other people who are suffering,

There could be many more people living with this mutation unnoticed and they appealed for more people to come forward as it could help drive these research efforts on.
The BBC is to pay considerable damages to Ukraines president over false allegations he authorised a corrupt payment to arrange talks with Donald Trump.

Petro Poroshenko took legal action after the broadcaster wrongly claimed Michael Cohen, the US presidents former personal lawyer, received a $400,000 (305,000) payment to help secure "substantial talks" with the US president.

The story ran on the BBCs website and as a headline news item on the News At Ten on 23 May last year.

Mr Poroshenko has accepted an apology and a substantial sum by way of compensation from the corporation, which has agreed to pay his legal costs and publish a correction, the High Court in London heard on Thursday.

The Ukrainian presidents solicitor, Graham Atkins, told judge Julian Knowles the allegation that Mr Poroshenko procured or authorised a corrupt payment was seriously defamatory.

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. 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He added: Put simply, this allegation and the facts on which it purported to be based are simply false.

Mr Poroshenko did not authorise or procure any payment to Mr Cohen of any kind, nor was any such payment ever made to Mr Cohen or any other individuals for that purpose.

Mr Poroshenko did not instruct close associates to open up any back channel with Mr Trump in order to secure substantial talks with him, far less did he do so through Mr Cohen.

Mr Atkins told the court Mr Poroshenko deeply regrets that it took the BBC so long to accept liability and to remove the article from its website, adding: He believes that the resulting delay will inevitably have increased the damage caused to his reputation by the publication of this allegation.

It has certainly added to the distress and embarrassment that he has felt since the story was first published.

The lawyer added: The allegation that Mr Poroshenko was guilty of serious corruption is self-evidently an extremely grave and damaging one ... especially so given the emphasis which he has chosen to place during his presidency on the promotion of a number of anti-corruption measures.

He said the BBCs reports were clearly likely to undermine the hard work undertaken by the president during his time in office, and to cause him very considerable political embarrassment not only in Ukraine, but in the United Kingdom and across the global stage.

In this connection it is relevant that inevitably, given the serious and sensational nature of the allegation (especially as it also related to the US president, Mr Trump), and the prominence given to it by the BBC, the allegation was picked up and republished in other media publications.

Jane Phillips, counsel for the BBC, said: The BBC is happy to acknowledge that these claims about the claimant are completely untrue, and it is here, through me, to apologise to the claimant for any distress and embarrassment caused to him by the article and the broadcast.

The figure to be paid by the BBC was not disclosed in court.

 Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

A BBC spokesman said in a statement following the hearing: In our News At Ten bulletin and in an online article published on 23 May 2018 we incorrectly reported that Petro Poroshenko, the president of the Ukraine, had procured or authorised a corrupt payment of $400,000 to be made to Michael Cohen, the personal lawyer of Donald Trump, to extend a brief meeting between Mr Poroshenko and President Trump, that had already been agreed, into more substantial talks.

We believed that the publications made a less serious allegation against Mr Poroshenko, but in the light of a finding by the High Court that the allegation was as set out above, we are happy to accept that this allegation was untrue.

We apologise to Mr Poroshenko for any distress caused and have agreed to pay him damages, legal costs and have participated in a joint statement in open court.
The Boeing 737 is the most produced commercial aeroplane in history: more than 10,000 have been built since it first flew in 1967, with thousands more on order. Even the UKs Royal Air Force is to put them into service as the P8a Poseidon.

An aeroplane which flies that much will have accidents. The 737 has had over 200 that have led to the loss of the aeroplane, resulting in more than 5,000 fatalities over its 51 years.

But statistically, this nonetheless is a very safe aeroplane. In the newer Next Generation 737, youd have to take about a million flights to reach a 25 per cent chance of being present at a hull loss accident (hull loss doesnt even mean fatalities, just that the aeroplane is beyond economic repair).

By comparison, the British annual average for road traffic fatalities is 13 per million inhabitants. In Britain, which has some of the worlds safest roads, your chance of dying as a car passenger per year is about four times greater than being in a serious accident if you fly in a Boeing 737 every month.

Air Europes first Boeing 737 in April 1979 (Getty) (Getty Images)

Evolution

Unsurprisingly, the Boeing 737, which has been with us for nearly half the time powered flight has existed, has seen many upgrades. The first model  the 737-100  arrived in 1967, while the 737 Max series entered service in 2016. So far, nearly 400 of the Max aircraft have been delivered and more than 5,000 ordered.

Over its lifetime, the 737 has stretched from 29 metres to 44 metres long, fuel capacity has risen from 14.7 tonnes to 21.3 tonnes and passenger seats have increased from 118 to 230. With these developments have come demands for greater safety, reduced noise, particulate and greenhouse gas emissions and lower running costs. So while all 737s are certified as a single aeroplane type, the changes have been massive.

Most recently, the big push has been to reduce fuel consumption. For both economic and environmental reasons, this led to the latest 737 Max 8 models  along with the competitor Airbus A320 Neo  being fitted with new, larger and more efficient CFM Leap engines. These must be mounted higher and further forward than previously, creating a handling problem that wasnt unique to this aeroplane, but had to be addressed.

Safety

Angle of attack is the angle between the wing chord (an imaginary line between the leading and trailing edges of the wing) and the airflow. To generate lift, this is typically around two degrees in cruising flight. But to create lift at low airspeeds during take-off, landing and some manoeuvres, it must be much higher  often more than 10 degrees.

If the angle of attack is too great, the aeroplane loses control  or stalls. This has nothing to do with stalling an engine and will usually cause a sudden descent. The larger, repositioned engines initially created a handling problem at a high angle of attack, particularly at low speeds, which could pitch the aeroplane nose-up into an even greater angle of attack, potentially worsening the loss of control.

Boeing addressed this by introducing an automated system called Manoeuvring Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS). This automatically forces the nose down from high angles of attack, removing the aeroplane from the stall condition. It does this by rotating the tailplane, effectively changing the shape of the aeroplane. This was necessary  stalling under these circumstances has been a serious, even fatal, problem in some previous airliners.

Two sensors at the bottom measure the angle of attack (Getty) (Getty Images)

So far so good. But then we hit a problem that is alleged to have contributed to the October 2018 Lion Air 737 Max 8 crash in Indonesia. While this aircraft had the MCAS system, the pilots allegedly didnt know about it. It has been said a decision had been made not to include the system in pilot training, in particular, that if the system received incorrect signals from the aeroplanes angle of attack sensors the aeroplane could pitch steeply nose-down into a potentially unrecoverable dive.

All pilots train to recognise and deal with a wide range of instrument and equipment failures. On my own commercial pilots licence test, I had several real and simulated instrument failures and was expected to deal with them while continuing the flight; all commercial pilots are reassessed on this regularly.

But pilots can best deal with failures theyve been trained for. We dont yet have full reports on the Lion Air crash nor on the more recent Ethiopian Airlines crash of another 737 Max. But there is growing evidence that the crew didnt fully understand the MCAS system and that the system could malfunction when a single instrument feeding it information fails. The aeroplane could allegedly put itself into a steep dive due to an instrument failure and the pilots perhaps werent fully trained to recognise and correct for that.

Britain's top ten gripes about travelling by aeroplane Show all 10 1 /10 Britain's top ten gripes about travelling by aeroplane Britain's top ten gripes about travelling by aeroplane Getty Images Britain's top ten gripes about travelling by aeroplane Getty Images Britain's top ten gripes about travelling by aeroplane Getty Images Britain's top ten gripes about travelling by aeroplane Getty Images Britain's top ten gripes about travelling by aeroplane Getty Images Britain's top ten gripes about travelling by aeroplane Getty Images Britain's top ten gripes about travelling by aeroplane Getty Images Britain's top ten gripes about travelling by aeroplane Getty Britain's top ten gripes about travelling by aeroplane Getty Images Britain's top ten gripes about travelling by aeroplane Getty Images

What next?

In a very new aircraft type, 339 people have died in two, apparently similar, accidents  this is intolerable. Fortunately, the aviation industry, thats mindset often goes back to the 1950s Comet disasters, is extremely prompt in dealing with serious safety issues.

Around the world, aeroplanes of this type were grounded within a few days, and will remain so until Boeing and its stakeholders find and certify solutions to both the aircraft control software and the pilot training issues.

These events show the aviation industry at both its best and worst. Its right that manufacturers and airlines should be seeking more efficient, safer aircraft. But making progress at an acceptable cost could potentially risk corners being cut.

In the US, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been accused in the past of delegating too much oversight of their own work to Boeing, and those of us in this community are concerned that when governments seek to reduce budgets, aviation authorities may not be well enough resourced to adequately do their jobs.

Additionally, any aviation company may necessarily suffer conflict between engineers and pilots, whose objective is to create the best and safest product, and business managers, who must ensure profitability.

So what now? The 737 Max will remain grounded while Boeing develops a software fix that eliminates this potential problem, and then works with the FAA and international authorities to certify it. There should also be new MCAS training that all 737 Max pilots around the world will receive before they fly the aeroplane again. Indeed, this will hopefully also lead to a broader debate about the level of training provided to airline pilots.

After these two tragedies there will likely be a number of court cases. The families will rightly want closure. But we also need to ensure that similar disasters dont happen in the future  and this involves aviation professionals working to find new safety solutions. Focusing too much on legal outcomes could potentially prevent the best safety outcomes from being pursued.

Guy Gratton is a visiting professor at Cranfield University. This article originally appeared on The Conversation
Three former Labour Party members have been arrested over alleged antisemitic hate crimes.

The Metropolitan Police said two men and a woman had been arrested on suspicion of publishing or distributing material likely to stir up racial hatred.

Investigators had examined a dossier handed to commissioner Cressida Dick, which contained cases of alleged antisemitism by Labour activists and members.

It is alleged that the documentation included evidence of antisemitic hate crimes, a spokesperson for Scotland Yard said.

The contents have been examined by specialist officers. A criminal investigation has commenced into some of the allegations within the documentation.

Protests against Labour antisemitism Show all 14 1 /14 Protests against Labour antisemitism Protests against Labour antisemitism Protesters clashed during the demonstration Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism Members of the Jewish community hold a protest against Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn and antisemitism in the Labour Party AFP/Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism Protesters hold placards and flags during a demonstration, organised by the British Board of Jewish Deputies for those who oppose antisemitism, in Parliament Square Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism Hundreds of people gathered in Parliament Square to protest against antisemitism in the Labour Party EPA Protests against Labour antisemitism Labour MP Luciana Berger speaks during the protest PA Protests against Labour antisemitism A protester blows through a shofar during the demonstration Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism Members of London's Jewish community protest in support of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn outside parliament EPA Protests against Labour antisemitism Labour MP John Mann speaks during a protest against antisemitism PA Protests against Labour antisemitism People protest against antisemitism in the Labour Party as Jewish community leaders have launched a scathing attack on Jeremy Corbyn, claiming he has sided with antisemites again and again PA Protests against Labour antisemitism Labour politicians Stella Creasy and Chuka Umunna leave after attending the demonstration Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism A pro-Jeremy Corbyn protester holds a placard during a counter-protest Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism A support of the Labour Party hold up a placard during the demonstration Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism Jeremy Corbyn supporters during the demo Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism A protester holds up a sign reading For the many, not the Jew AFP

Advice regarding these allegations was received from the Crown Prosecution Service and has been considered.

The suspects are a man in his fifties who was arrested on 7 March in Birmingham, a second man, also in his fifties, who was arrested on 14 March in Tunbridge Wells, and a woman in her seventies who was arrested on 21 March in Wandsworth, London.

They were all interviewed under caution and released under investigation.

The Independent understands that the three suspects have been subject to disciplinary action by the Labour Party and are no longer members.

A Labour Party spokesperson said: We welcome the police investigating these individuals alleged crimes. Antisemitism has no place in our society and we are committed to challenging and campaigning against it in all its forms.

The arrests come after police statistics showed increasing reports of religiously-motivated hate crime in England and Wales.

Ms Dick was handed the dossier following a radio interview with LBC Radio in September.

In November, she said that her officers were not investigating the Labour Party itself, but individual allegations that could amount to criminal offences.

 Labour MP Chris Williamson filmed telling activists party is too 'apologetic' about antisemitism

We would always want institutions and political parties and similar to be able to regulate themselves, the Metropolitan Police commissioner added.

However, if somebody passes us material which they say amounts to a crime we have a duty to look at that and not just dismiss it.

Jeremy Corbyn has asked Labour general secretary Jennie Formby to make rooting out prejudice her priority. However, Jewish groups have accused the party of failing to take action quickly enough.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews has accused Mr Corbyn of failing to address a deeply embedded culture of antisemitism in parts of the Labour party.

The party has been embroiled in a long-running row over antisemitism within its ranks and launched a probe in 2016.

Baroness Chakrabarti's investigation concluded Labour was not overrun by antisemitism, Islamophobia or other forms of racism but made a number of recommendations to confront ignorant attitudes among some party members.

Last year there was a lengthy struggle over the adoption of the full internationally recognised definition of antisemitism.

Last March, major Jewish community groups held a joint demonstration outside parliament to demand Labour do more to tackle anti-Jewish hatred.

Some of Mr Corbyn's supporters have claimed the furore is an attempt to smear the party and damage its electoral prospects.
Two protesters who allegedly planned to dress as zombies and throw maggots at Prince William on the day of his wedding to Kate Middleton were arrested before they could carry it out, court documents have revealed.

Officers did not violate international law by detaining the pair, and six others who had planned to take part in republican protests, to stop them joining London demonstrations the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) found.

Judges said police were concerned that the protesters might cause a breach of the peace and held them for several hours during the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Large numbers of foreign royalty and other heads of state had gathered in London for the celebrations on 29 April 2011, a summary of their judgement said.

Thousands of citizens were expected and the threat level from international terrorism was assessed as severe, it added.

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The police had received intelligence that activities were planned to disrupt the celebrations. The applicants were taken to different police stations and released without charge once the royal wedding was over.

Brian Hicks had wanted to attend a Not the Royal Wedding street party in Red Lion Square, London, while Edward Maltby, Patrick McCabe, Hannah Thompson, Daniel Randall and Daniel Rawnsley planned to join a republican protest in Trafalgar Square.

Fellow appellants Hannah Eiseman-Renyard and Deborah Scordo-Mackie had intended to take part in a zombie picnic.

The ECHR said: According to information received by the police, those dressed as zombies would attempt to throw maggots as confetti at the royal wedding procession.

The eight demonstrators were detained for between two and five-and-a-half hours.

They previously launched a legal challenge in Britain, but the UK Supreme Court ruled in the polices favour in 2017.

The appeal to the ECHR argued that their human rights had been violated by preventative detention, which they said was disproportionate and could not be justified.

The European Court found that the UK courts had struck a fair balance between the applicants right to liberty and preventing them from disturbing the public order and causing danger to the public, the ECHR said after a committee of three judges from the UK, Czech Republic and North Macedonia considered the case.

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They found the arrests were necessary to prevent the likelihood of an imminent breach of the peace, taking into account the crowd size, international interest and severe threat level on the day of the royal wedding.

Judges noted that the protesters had been released as soon as the imminent risk had passed and that their applications were inadmissible as manifestly ill-founded.
A cross-party group of MEPs has written to the BBC accusing it of normalising white supremacist language in its reports on the Conservative Party and Brexit process.

In a letter to the corporations director of news and current affairs, the MEPs asked for guidance to be issued to journalists about the use of extreme right dog-whistles.

They cited two incidents this week in which BBC correspondents reported that Brexiteer Tory MPs had taken to calling themselves The Grand Wizards  a reference to the leadership of the white supremacist Ku Klux Klan  without any explanation of context and appeared to find the use of this phrase amusing.

The 14 MEPs to sign the letter come from Labour, the Lib Dems, Greens, SNP, Plaid Cymru. Two independent MEPs who were elected as Conservatives but who left the party over Brexit and its support for Viktor Orban also signed.

In recent days we have noted a rise in the use of language associated with the white supremacist movement in our public debate and by BBC journalists and we are writing to ask you to nip this disturbing development in the bud, the MEPs wrote.

They add: As a communication professional, I am sure you understand the process of dog-whistling, whereby supporters of a particular position use specific cues or phrases to signal to their supporters in a manner subliminal to the main discourse. It is unfortunate that in this case the BBC is conveying such extreme right dog-whistles.

The use of such terminology is also part of the normalisation of the idea of political violence, which is another disturbing sign of the rise of far-right tropes and behaviours in our political culture.

On Monday the BBCs political editor Laura Kuenssberg tweeted that the Grand Wizards was the new name being used by senior Brexiteers attending meetings with the prime minister. After criticism on social media she added: Just catching up on timeline, for avoidance of doubt, couple of insiders told me [they are] using the nickname informally, no intended connection to anything else. The tweets received thousands of comments, a large number critical of the framing.

The next day on the BBCs flagship Today radio programme another report again referred to the Grand Wizards without acknowledging that it was a term exclusively used by the KKK.

The MEPs add: While it might seem light-hearted and entertaining to white journalists we can assure you that it will cause dismay and distress to many in our ethnic minority communities who feel increasingly fearful and vulnerable.

An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Show all 20 1 /20 An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Maria, 31, holds her daughters, Elena, two, and baby Ioana, weeks old, in her London home A few months after Britain voted to leave the European Union, Maria was told her to go back to her native Romania whilst in hospital by an elderly English woman. You are a foreigner, your place is not here recalls Maria, who was stunned Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Maria and her husband Adi, 37, take their daughters for a walk in Hampstead Heath near their home The couple are preparing to leave Britain later this year with their two children, fed up with what Maria says is xenophobia and the rising cost of living in London Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Elena holds up British passports belonging to her and her sister. Both children have dual citizenship, but their parents do not want to apply for this despite having permanent residency in Britain Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Maria holds daughter Ioana, who is less than a week old, while Elena wipes a table Maria had never faced direct abuse over her nationality in her 10 years in the country until that moment at the hospital Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Adi spends time with his daughters Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Adi plays hide and seek with his daughter Elena Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Food is served Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Adi takes his daughter, Elena, to nursery Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Adi's sister, Nicoleta, 34, carries her niece Elena in a restaurant after a trip out Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Adi and Maria cook together at their home Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Adi holds his baby daughter, Ioana Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Adi and wife Maria take their daughters for a walk in Hampstead Heath Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Berwyn, a neighbour of the couple, who moved to the UK in the 1980s from Australia, says goodbye to Maria after a visit at her home. Berwyn has dual citizenship - Australian and Irish as she lived in Ireland for a few years before moving to Britain. She calls the family her 'dearest Christian Romanian friends' Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Religious pictures including a portrait of Arsenie Boca, a Romanian Orthodox monk, theologian and artist (top), hang on the wall at the home of Adi and Maria Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Maria dries Elena after giving her a bath after nursery Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Maria holds her baby daughter Ioana Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Adi works with his colleague Alexandru, who is also from Romania, for a removal company Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Maria holds her daughter Elena Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Neighbour, Berwyn, holds baby Ioana Reuters An immigrant's tale: Leaving Britain to escape Brexit hostility Adi and Maria, along with their daughters, leave St Andrews church in Kingsbury after attending a service Reuters

A spokesperson for the BBC told The Independent: We have received the letter and will respond directly in due course.

The MEPs to sign the letter were Richard Ashworth (independent, former Conservative), Jude Kirton-Darling (Labour), Catherine Bearder (Lib Dem), Julie Girling (independent, former Conservative), Claude Moraes (Labour), Julie Ward (Labour), Alyn Smith (SNP), Richard Corbett (Labour), Molly Scott Cato (Green), Theresa Griffin (Labour), Clare Moody (Labour), Jill Evans (Plaid Cymru), Seb Dance (Labour), and Mary Honeyball (Labour).
With 100 days to go until 29 March 2019  set out as the date on which Britain would leave the European Union  The Independent began our Brexit Explained series, answering a key question a day until the UKs departure.

But with 29 March almost upon us, the Brexit date has been pushed back. The decision that the UK would be staying in the EU for at least another two weeks was formally taken in Brussels by the leaders of the other 27 member states on Friday last week.

This was embarrassing because Theresa May asked for the extension of the two-year notice period, but it had to be agreed unanimously by the other leaders. So much for taking back control. It was doubly embarrassing for our prime minister because she did not want to delay the Brexit date, but she had to bow to the will of parliament, rather late in the day.
Namibia exported the first 21 tonnes of beef to China on Thursday, in a move that is set to diversify the southern African nation's destinations for export.

At a send-off event in Windhoek, meat processing and marketing entity, Meatco Board Chairperson, Martha Namundjebo-Tilahun said, the entity and the nation at large is excited about entering into an alternative market.

"Despite the challenging times producers are faced with, such as the economy and recurring drought, we would like to commend you the producers for providing us with quality produce," she added.

Charge d'Affaires of Chinese Embassy in Namibia Yang Jun said at the event that Namibia is the only African country to export beef to China.

"This Namibian beef is of high quality," he said, adding that the export of beef to China is set to further open other potential avenues for business and trade.

Meanwhile, Namibia's Minister of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, Alpheus Naruseb said the first consignment is irrefutable proof that the relationship between China and Namibia is one of give and take and is mutually beneficial.

In 2016, Namibia and China signed a milestone agreement that would see A-grade beef enter the massive Asian market, making it the only country in Africa to export beef to that country.
Theresa Mays Northern Irish DUP partners in government have said they will not support her Brexit deal if it is put to a vote again in the House of Commons.

The announcement deals a devastating blow to Ms Mays hopes of getting her Brexit deal through the House of Commons at the third time of asking, with her government relying on DUP MPs for its majority.

It came just hours after Ms May had told Conservative MPs desperate to see the back of her that she would quit if it meant they backed her deal.

Recommended May says she will resign if it means her Brexit deal passes

Any boost the prime minister received from her pledge was quickly neutralised when Arlene Foster told Sky News in an interview that her party will not be following Ms May through the voting lobby.

The DUP leader said: What we cant agree to is something that threatens the union, that has a strategic risk to the union.

For us in the Democratic Unionist Party, the union will always come first and that has been the issue right from the beginning of all of this.

The partys leader in Westminster later underlined that the DUP would not simply abstain, but would vote against the deal again, making it incredibly difficult for it to pass even if Tory rebels change their minds.

In a statement the DUP said it had had good discussions with the government in recent days and some progress on domestic legislation had been made.

Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Show all 15 1 /15 Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Nigel Farage has spent his political career campaigning for the UK to leave the EU. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Boris Johnson's support for Brexit took many by surprise before the EU referendum. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises The UK and EU are yet to agree on a withdrawal deal. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises This was taken from a 2012 speech delivered by Mr Davis. He does not currently support a second Brexit referendum. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Boris Johnson now supports a hard Brexit and resigned from the cabinet in 2018 over Theresa May's strategy. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises The US recently issued trade negotiation objectives for future talks with the UK. The country made clear that it expects access to the UK's agriculture industry, reviving the debate about chlorinated chicken. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Nigel Farage does not support the current campaign for a second Brexit referendum. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Despite this quote, in February 2019 Boris Johnson said a no deal Brexit "may yet be the best option for the UK". Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises The UK and EU are yet to begin negotiating a deal regarding their future relationship. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Theresa May announced that the UK would be leaving the Single Market in her Lancaster House speech in January 2017. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Theresa May triggered Article 50 on 29 March 2017. Her withdrawal deal is yet to be passed. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises A classic from the 2015 general election campaign. David Cameron resigned on 24 June 2016, following the EU referendum result. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises David Davis resigned from his post as Brexit secretary in July 2018 after disagreeing with Theresa May's negotiation strategy. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Michael Gove was one of the most influential Leave voices during the EU referendum campaign. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Jacob Rees-Mogg, a prominent backbencher, does not support a second Brexit referendum. He has called the use of this quote "fundamentally dishonest" as it was taken from a 2011 speech discussing the option of referendum before David Cameron entered negotiations with the EU. Such a vote was never held. Twitter/Led By Donkeys

It went on: All concerned recognise the need to ensure that as we leave the European Union the economic and constitutional integrity of the United Kingdom is maintained.

However, given the fact that the necessary changes we seek to the backstop have not been secured between the government and the European Union, and the remaining and ongoing strategic risk that Northern Ireland would be trapped in backstop arrangements at the end of the implementation period, we will not be supporting the government if they table a fresh meaningful vote.

They argued that the backstop  an arrangement that comes into play if the UK and EU have failed to agree a deal by December 2020  has the potential to create an internal trade border down the Irish sea.

The party added: We want to secure the United Kingdoms departure from, and our future relationship with, the European Union on terms that accord with our key objectives to ensure the integrity of the United Kingdom.

In our view the current withdrawal agreement does not do so and the backstop, which we warned this government against from its first inception, poses an unacceptable threat to the integrity of the United Kingdom and will inevitably limit the United Kingdoms ability to negotiate on the type of future relationship with the EU.
Labour will oppose any "desperate" attempt by Theresa May to split a crucial vote on her Brexit deal in two, Sir Keir Starmer has said.

The shadow Brexit secretary's remarks came amid speculation MPs could be asked to approve the Brexit withdrawal agreement, but not the political declaration setting out plans for a future trade and security relationship with the EU.

Sir Keir said such a move would amount to asking MPs to vote for a "blindfold" approach to the next phase of talks - which could be led by a different prime minister.

He also pointed out that Ms May herself has already made clear there can be no separation of the two Brexit documents.

"Yet now she may ask the Commons to pretend they can," he told delegates at the British Chamber of Commerce annual conference in central London.

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He continued: "I want to clear  Labour will not support this latest desperate attempt by the PM. To now to split the withdrawal agreement and political declaration would leave us with the blindest of blindfold Brexits.

Labour will not countenance that.

It comes after the cabinet minister Andrea Leadsom, paved the way for the government to bring back the prime minister's twice-defeated deal.

The Commons leader effectively booked a slot for a debate on Friday, but is yet to confirm Downing Street will bring back the "meaningful vote" for a third time.

Speaking at the QE II centre in central London, Sir Keir also responded to the announcement from the prime minister that she would leave Downing Street if she secures MPs' approval for her Brexit deal.

"It's even more of a blindfold Brexit," he said. "We now know that the outcome of our future relationship with the EU is not going to be determined by her.

"My biggest fear is that, unless Parliament takes a stand now, the outcome of the negotiations is going to be determined by the outcome of next Tory leadership contest.

Recommended May lays ground for third attempt to pass her Brexit deal tomorrow

"It could be a Boris Johnson Brexit. A Jacob Rees-Mogg Brexit. Or a Michael Gove Brexit. That should give anyone considering supporting May's deal on Friday serious concern."
Theresa Mays plan to secure Tory MPs backing for her Brexit deal by promising to resign has been blown apart after her DUP partners in government vowed to block it in a new vote.

Ms May announced she will resign within weeks if Tory rebels desperate to see the back of her, allow the Brexit deal she struck with Brussels to pass through the House of Commons.

The move did see Boris Johnson and other rebels finally fall into line, but within hours the boost was wiped out when DUP leader Arlene Foster branded the prime ministers Brexit plan an unacceptable threat to the UKs integrity.

With the success of Ms Mays final gambit now heavily in doubt, MPs held a series of votes to determine if any compromise can be found to break the parliamentary deadlock  but none of the eight options tested gained a majority.

Earlier in the day cabinet ministers went on the airwaves to show support after Ms Mays pledge and to urge MPs to get behind her Brexit deal, but several will now ramp up preparations for a leadership contest with the PM looking fatally weakened.

Several Conservatives told The Independent that with her Brexit plan on its last legs and parliament having so far failed to find an alternative, a new election now appears a very real possibility.

The prime minister revealed her pledge to resign at a closed meeting of the backbench Conservative 1922 Committee, telling those present: I have heard very clearly the mood of the parliamentary party. I know there is a desire for a new approach  and new leadership  in the second phase of the Brexit negotiations  and I wont stand in the way of that.

I know some people are worried that if you vote for the withdrawal agreement, I will take that as a mandate to rush on into phase two without the debate we need to have. I wont  I hear what you are saying.

Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Show all 15 1 /15 Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Nigel Farage has spent his political career campaigning for the UK to leave the EU. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Boris Johnson's support for Brexit took many by surprise before the EU referendum. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises The UK and EU are yet to agree on a withdrawal deal. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises This was taken from a 2012 speech delivered by Mr Davis. He does not currently support a second Brexit referendum. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Boris Johnson now supports a hard Brexit and resigned from the cabinet in 2018 over Theresa May's strategy. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises The US recently issued trade negotiation objectives for future talks with the UK. The country made clear that it expects access to the UK's agriculture industry, reviving the debate about chlorinated chicken. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Nigel Farage does not support the current campaign for a second Brexit referendum. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Despite this quote, in February 2019 Boris Johnson said a no deal Brexit "may yet be the best option for the UK". Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises The UK and EU are yet to begin negotiating a deal regarding their future relationship. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Theresa May announced that the UK would be leaving the Single Market in her Lancaster House speech in January 2017. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Theresa May triggered Article 50 on 29 March 2017. Her withdrawal deal is yet to be passed. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises A classic from the 2015 general election campaign. David Cameron resigned on 24 June 2016, following the EU referendum result. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises David Davis resigned from his post as Brexit secretary in July 2018 after disagreeing with Theresa May's negotiation strategy. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Michael Gove was one of the most influential Leave voices during the EU referendum campaign. Twitter/Led By Donkeys Brexit billboards: Campaigners remind MPs of past promises Jacob Rees-Mogg, a prominent backbencher, does not support a second Brexit referendum. He has called the use of this quote "fundamentally dishonest" as it was taken from a 2011 speech discussing the option of referendum before David Cameron entered negotiations with the EU. Such a vote was never held. Twitter/Led By Donkeys

Ministers had set the scene for an all-or-nothing third vote on her deal to potentially take place on Friday 29 March  the day Britain was originally supposed to leave the EU.

While the prime minister did not give an exact date for her departure, the thinking inside Downing Street earlier in the day was that if the deal were to pass, a leadership contest would begin on 22 May, the day of Brexit under more recent plans.

I have heard very clearly the mood of the parliamentary party. I know there is a desire for a new approach  and new leadership  in the second phase of the Brexit negotiations  and I wont stand in the way of that Prime Minister Theresa May

It would mean the critical next phase of negotiations would have been taken up by a new Tory leader, one who will have been elected by the vehemently Eurosceptic party membership.

Other Tory rebels who following Ms Mays announcement said they would now back the PMs deal included Iain Duncan Smith, John Whittingdale, Conor Burns, Pauline Latham, Shailesh Vara, Robert Courts, Charlie Elphicke and Sheryll Murray.

Others were less convinced, such as Steve Baker, deputy chair of the Brexit-backing European Research Group, who raged during the meeting that those backing the deal are fools and knaves and cowards.

Mr Baker said: I could tear this place down and bulldoze it into the river.

 Indicative votes: MPs reject all 8 different Brexit options

Nonetheless, for a few hours there was hope that Ms May might just get the support she needed until the DUP put out its statement of opposition.

Ms Foster said: What we cant agree to is something that threatens the union, that has a strategic risk to the union.

For us in the Democratic Unionist Party, the union will always come first and that has been the issue right from the beginning of all of this.

The government is also still yet to set out how it will get round Commons speaker John Bercow, who has said he will not allow another vote on Ms Mays deal unless it is a significantly different proposition.

Home secretary Sajid Javid, justice secretary David Gauke and communities secretary James Brokenshire were among those who put out comments of support for the PM.

But Mr Javid, Mr Johnson, environment secretary Michael Gove, ex-Brexit secretary Dominic Raab, foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt and Commons leader Andrea Leadsom are among those likely to be in the running now that Ms May has publicly contemplated the end of her tenure.

 John Bercow issues another warning to Theresa May that Brexit deal still needs changes before third meaningful vote

One cabinet source gave a blunt appraisal of the PMs speech, telling The Independent it was quite sad, but necessary.

In an apt demonstration of just how deadlocked parliament is, MPs also failed to find a Commons majority for any Brexit plan despite voting on eight different options.

The eight options put to a vote included a second referendum, a no-deal scenario, a customs union, revoking Article 50 and membership of the European Economic Area.

The options that were closest to securing a majority were a customs union and a new referendum, and MPs will try again on Monday to negotiate something that might enjoy a majority.

But Brexit secretary Stephen Barclay said the results underline why Ms Mays deal is still the best option, as it is already a compromise.

The impasse served to heighten the expectation of a new election, with one senior Tory telling The Independent: Its grim and no one wants one, but what do you do?

Anything that comes out of the MPs process is going to be a grubby compromise. But weve already got one of those and its been rejected.
Having twice failed to get her Brexit deal approved by MPs, Theresa May is now trying a different approach.

MPs will vote again on the plan on Friday, but this vote will be significantly different to the first two, as the prime minister tries one last throw of the dice to secure backing for her deal.

The House of Commons was not initially due to be sitting on Friday  the day that Britain was supposed to leave the EU  but MPs have been told to stay in Westminster so the government can hold this crunch vote.

The vote will take place at around 2.30pm.

Is this another meaningful vote?

No. The term meaningful vote was coined to describe a Commons vote on both parts of the deal that Theresa May has negotiated with the EU: the Withdrawal Agreement and the Political Declaration. The two documents are very different. The Withdrawal Agreement is a legally-binding treaty laying out how the UK will leave the EU, while the Political Declaration is not binding and instead is simply a statement of aims regarding the future relationship between the UK and EU after Brexit.

Recommended May to hold vote on EU withdrawal agreement

British law, in the form of the EU Withdrawal Act (2018), states that for the UK to ratify the exit deal with the EU, both the Withdrawal Agreement and the Political Declaration must have been approved by the House of Commons via a vote on a motion tabled by a government minister. This is what has become known as the meaningful vote.

On Friday, MPs will vote only on the Withdrawal Agreement, not the two parts of the deal together  hence why this is not a third meaningful vote.

Why is the government holding a vote on only one part of the deal?

The previous two votes on Ms Mays exit plan have seen both parts of her deal voted on together. The prime ministers decision to put only the Withdrawal Agreement back in front of the Commons is a direct result of a European Council ruling last week. The Council, which is made up of EU heads of state, said it would be willing to delay Brexit to 22 May only if parliament approved the Withdrawal Agreement this week. Crucially, it did not say the Political Declaration also had to be signed off.

The government is desperate to keep the 22 May date on the table because the most likely alternative is a lengthy delay to Brexit.

The front pages on what would have been Brexit Day Show all 12 1 /12 The front pages on what would have been Brexit Day The front pages on what would have been Brexit Day March 29 2019 - The original date for Britain's departure from the EU, what do the newspapers have to say about it? The front pages on what would have been Brexit Day Daily Express The Daily Express focuses on the fact that today was the original day for Britain's departure from the EU The front pages on what would have been Brexit Day Daily Mail The Daily Mail warns MPs that they have "one last chance" to back the Prime Minister's Brexit deal The front pages on what would have been Brexit Day The Independent The Independent Daily Edition reports that the Prime Minister is gambling as she holds a vote today on the withdrawal agreement The front pages on what would have been Brexit Day The Sun The Sun reports that the Prime Minister last night sought to convince DUP leader Arlene Foster to back her deal The front pages on what would have been Brexit Day The Guardian The Guardian reports that some ministers want the Prime Minister to step down now, while Michael Gove becomes the favourite at the bookies to replace her The front pages on what would have been Brexit Day The i The i reports that Boris Johnson is preparing his leadership bid for when the Prime Minister resigns The front pages on what would have been Brexit Day The Times The Times reports that Brexit may be delayed for a further year The front pages on what would have been Brexit Day The Daily Telegraph The Daily Telegraph reports that the Prime Minister is making a "desperate final plea" to pass her Brexit deal through the house of commons The front pages on what would have been Brexit Day Financial Times The Financial Times reports on the Brexit Betrayal march that will reach London today after setting off from Sunderland with the intention of reaching London on Brexit day The front pages on what would have been Brexit Day Daily Mirror The Daily Mirror reports on the Prime Minister's difficulty passing her deal through the commons The front pages on what would have been Brexit Day Daily Star The Daily Star calls on its readers to shut up about Brexit

That is why, in a last-ditch bid to meet the conditions set out by the EU, the government is holding a vote only on the Withdrawal Agreement.

The Political Declaration will also need to be approved before Britain leaves the EU, but ministers are gambling that they can cross that bridge at a later date.

The other reason for splitting the vote is to circumvent a ruling by John Bercow, the Commons speaker, that the government cannot simply call another vote on its unchanged deal. Deciding to hold a vote only on the Withdrawal Agreement allowed ministers to successfully argue to Mr Bercow that this was substantially different to the first two votes.

Is the Withdrawal Agreement likely to pass?

No. Despite extensive lobbying and fresh concessions from government ministers, the DUP has said it will still not vote for the deal. At least 20 Conservative Eurosceptics are also still vehemently opposed to the backstop part of the Withdrawal Agreement, which spells out how the Northern Ireland border will be kept open if no trade deal is agreed.

Labour will also vote against the proposed exit deal. While its main criticism is of the Political Declaration rather than the Withdrawal Agreement, the party says the two documents cannot be divided and so it will order its MPs to vote against the government.

A few Labour rebels who represent Leave-voting areas might back the plan, but there are not expected to be enough to outnumber the DUP and Tory Brexiteers.

What happens if Ms May wins?

If the Withdrawal Agreement unexpectedly passes the Commons on Friday, the prime minister will have met the key deadline laid out by the European Council. She would then have until 22 May to secure parliaments backing for the second part of the deal: the Political Declaration.

This is no easy task, given parliament is deeply divided about how closely the UK should remain tied to the EU after Brexit. However, the strongest opposition from her own party and her governing partners in the DUP relates to the backstop, which is in the Withdrawal Agreement. Having the more contentious part of the deal approved would therefore be a major boost for the prime minister. The fact that the Political Declaration is not legally-binding means some MPs might be willing to vote for it in the knowledge that its contents could be amended by a new prime minister at a later date.

 Labour won't vote for 'unacceptable' tactic of splitting withdrawal agreement and political declaration, says shadow Brexit secretary Kier Starmer

Securing MPs backing for the Withdrawal Agreement would also allow the government to introduce the Withdrawal Act Bill, which implements the provisions of the agreement. This would edge the UK closer towards leaving the EU by the new deadline 22 May. It is thought that the government could seek to have the Political Declaration approved during the votes on this bill.

Ms Mays own future also rests on what happens on Friday. She announced this week that she will step down if her Brexit deal is approved by parliament. A Commons vote in favour of the Withdrawal Agreement would bring that much closer.

What happens if she loses?

Not a great deal would change.

The European Council ruling says that, if the Withdrawal Agreement is not approved this week, the UK will have until the 12 April to either leave with no deal or put forward an alternative plan.

MPs are almost certain to block a no-deal exit, so the most likely alternative is for the government to request a long delay to Brexit so parliament can work out what kind of deal it would be able to support. An increasing number of MPs think that only a general election will break the deadlock.

The group of senior backbenchers that seized control of the Commons agenda on Wednesday to hold a series of indicative votes on Brexit will do so again on Monday. They hope that this will narrow down the eight options MPs voted on this week and that it will become clearer what type of Brexit parliament might be willing to support.

This could give Ms May the basis of a new proposal to take to the EU. But she has made clear that she is not willing to delay Brexit any further  raising the prospect of her resigning and allowing a new prime minister to reopen talks with Brussels.

What does it mean for a Final Say referendum?

It does not have a direct impact, but supporters of a fresh Brexit referendum believe it is most likely to happen once all of the other options have been exhausted. If the Withdrawal Agreement passes, that would appear less likely to happen.

If MPs again reject the Withdrawal Agreement, however, the possibility of another referendum will remain on the table and will likely be voted on against in Mondays second round of indicative votes.
Strictly speaking, Theresa Mays Brexit deal with the European Union, now once again the focus of attention, comprises two main parts.

The difference between the EU-UK withdrawal agreement and the future trade and other relationships, at present only a draft political declaration, is the difference between a legally binding defined divorce agreement, on the one side, and a rather more imprecise declaration of future intentions  a sort of pre-nup that cannot be enforced in a court on the other side.

So the first, substantive, legally-binding part is the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement  the divorce settlement. This was signed by Ms May at the European Council summit last November, and has been confirmed by all the other EU member states. It settles the rights of UK and EU citizens; the financial settlement of about 39bn; and much else besides.

The trickiest part is related to the Irish border  the backstop that potentially ties the UK into the EU customs union indefinitely, and from which the UK cannot unilaterally leave (or could but we leave Northern Ireland behind in the customs union). This is the part that has proved hugely problematic.

The second component concerns the UKs future trade and security relationship with the EU. This is only a political declaration, and has no great legal force. It is useful as a guide, and if the parties are acting in good faith it would lead to quota and tariff-free trade, but none of that is guaranteed.

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In the first two meaningful votes, the government put both of these components as a package to parliament, in the second case with an added legally forceful letter of reassurance from the EU, signed by the president of the Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, and by the president of the EU Council, Donald Tusk. It made little difference. Both times the package of documents  treaty, political declaration and letter  were voted down heavily.

This time, the government has exploited a technicality in that the EU only requires the UK to ratify the Withdrawal Agreement now (not the political declaration) in order to achieve a Brexit date of 22 May. Friday 29 March is the last date on which this can be done.

Splitting the deal package in two also helps persuade Speaker Bercow the new motion is substantially different to her previous attention to win approval, and is therefore in order according to House of Commons rules.

The problem for the government is that the Withdrawal Agreement is the document that has within it the backstop poison pill the Democratic Unionists and their Conservative allies find so objectionable. Ms May would need a large number of Labour rebels to counter that force of dissent on her own side, and there seems little chance of that.

The backstop also pre-empts the kind of trade relationship the UK will have with the EU more widely  frictionless as now within the customs union, or a more distant free trade agreement. This linkage effectively means the Withdrawal Agreement is a proxy for the future trade agreement anyway. The two documents, in other words, although separate, are intimately related in reality.

 Banksy parliament artwork unveiled at Bristol museum in time for Brexit

Another point is that the political declaration would lack some force for the future, leaving the UK exposed ironically because it refused to agree to its own protections  a truly blind Brexit.

If, as seems likely, the vote is lost by the government once again, minds will have to turn to finding a new way forward by the new deadline of 12 April. The indicative votes by the Commons suggest one or two ways forward:

A permanent UK-EU customs union, as suggested by veteran MP Ken Clark, which has impressive support;

Plus a confirmatory public second referendum on whatever deal (including Ms Mays, but possibly other models) parliament eventually decides to put to the people (the Beckett amendment)

For the future, by the way, remember this: while the draft agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, the divorce agreements full official title, can be agreed by EU heads of government plus the EU and UK parliaments, a future as yet unknown UK-EU deal needs many more mandates.

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A future UK-EU trade treaty will require approval by 40-plus national and regional assemblies from Lisbon to Bratislava. Consent cannot be assumed: not so long ago the Walloon Parliament, covering Francophone southern Belgium, vetoed and delayed the EU-Canada trade deal, Ceta. It would be surprising if the Dail Eireann or the Cortes Generales didnt try to get some last minute concessions on Northern Ireland and Gibraltar.

If the withdrawal agreement is thrown out, there may not even be a new UK-EU trade treaty, or at least not for many years. It is not much of an exaggeration to say that in substance we are not much further ahead than we were on that sunny historic morning in June 2016.
Jeremy Hunt has fired the first shot in the battle to succeed Theresa May, vowing to fight for the Tories not to be seen as the money, money, money party.

The foreign secretary appeared to set out his stall to be the candidate for one nation Conservatism  while insisting it was too early for anyone to throw their hat into the ring.

His call came as two other likely candidates  ex-Brexit secretary Dominic Raab and Liz Truss, the Treasury chief secretary  demanded a tougher stance in talks with the EU.

Meanwhile, the prime ministers spokesperson hinted Ms May would stand down even if her deal fails to pass  having told Conservative MPs she would go if the agreement was approved.

Asked if she would stay on if the deal did not get through, the spokesperson replied: The prime ministers focus is on getting the deal through.

Recommended Labour vows to oppose any attempt to split Brexit vote

She is very clear there is a job to be done to deliver on the verdict of the British people.

Despite her dramatic announcement on Wednesday night, Ms May has yet to set out a detailed timetable for her departure, even if  as seems unlikely  a third meaningful vote fails.

Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Show all 24 1 /24 Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent Put It To The People march: Best of The Independents pictures Angela Christofilou/The Independent

Nevertheless, a crowded field of at least half-a-dozen candidates is already being formed for a leadership contest expected this summer.

Ms Truss used a speech to the British Chambers of Commerce conference to argue for a hard Brexit Canada-style trade deal with the EU, which would require breaking free of the Irish backstop.

She urged MPs to back the prime ministers deal, but added: Im a free trader, I believe that we need to open our economy to the rest of the world. I would like to see us do a Canada-style free trade deal once we have left.

Mr Raab burnished his credentials to the Tory right by demanding a willingness to accept a no-deal Brexit, if the EU just wont move on the deal on offer.

I think we should have sensible conversations over the two weeks weve got left over the suite of no-deal arrangements that can be made to mitigate any of the potential damage on either side, he told the BBC.

In a wide-ranging interview, Mr Hunt admitted his party needed a social mission, saying: People have got to see that we are not the money, money, money party.

We have consistently failed in my political lifetime to win the battle of values.

Mr Hunt argued the painful battles, since 2010, to repair the public finances and deliver Brexit had denied David Cameron and Ms May a chance to show the British people what One Nation Conservatism can be.

That I think has to be our mission because, if we dont win the battle of values, we wont win over young people, and young people are not just the future of the country, they are the future of the Conservative Party, he told the London Evening Standard.

Rising backbencher Johnny Mercer urged his party to look beyond Brexit to choose its next leader, reflecting fears the contest will be dominated by the immediate crisis.

Calling for Tory members to choose from a slate of four, not two, candidates, he said: If its two, Brexit will again define the debate, yet the country wants a leader who is not going to be defined by that one issue.

It will force candidates to lay out what a modern Conservatism that can invigorate our movement truly is  beyond Brexit.
Catherine Meyer, a Conservative peer, has denied being Theresa Mays personal friend in an awkward broadcast interview.

Personal friend makes me laugh, the baroness said, when introduced as such by Victoria Derbyshire during an appearance on the BBC.

I know her, I know her well, but personal friend... she added, when asked if the description was inaccurate.

She is a very... shy  not shy, but you know shes a closed person, so personal friend feels a bit...

Not how we would necessarily define personal friends? Derbyshire said, leaving Baroness Meyer nodding in reply.

Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Show all 9 1 /9 Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Boris Johnson Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson has long been hopeful, he previously stood in the leadership contest that followed the Brexit vote and has at many times since been thought to be maneuvering himself towards the goal. He remains a darling of the party's right wing, particularly those in the ERG, and is the most popular choice among Tory voters but his leadership bid would be fiercely opposed by many MPs PA Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Michael Gove Environment secretary Michael Gove is another member who has long wanted to be leader. He has lately been known for rousing his party in the commons, his recent speeches on the Brexit deal and Labour's no confidence motion have overshadowed the Prime Minister's. He has been loyal to the Prime Minister, partly to shed his reputation as a backstabber who abandoned Boris Johnson to stand against him in the 2016 leadership election Getty Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Dominic Raab Former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab has emerged as a favourite to be the Brexiteer candidate in a contest to succeed to Ms May. He displayed a grip on detail in his role as Brexit secretary. When asked recently if he would like to become prime minister he replied "never say never" Getty Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Rory Stewart International development secretary Rory Stewart is pitching himself as the sensible candidate, promising to rule out both a second referendum and a no-deal Brexit. He was only recently promoted to the cabinet, previously serving as prisons minister, where he caught headlines with a pledge to resign if he could not reduce levels of violence within a year PA Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Esther McVey The former work and pensions secretary announced that she will be standing for the leadership when May leaves. McVey is the first to explicitly state that she intends to stand. She resigned from the cabinet in protest over May's Brexit deal AFP/Getty Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Sajid Javid Home secretary Sajid Javid is said to have a plan in place for a leadership race. He made headlines over Christmas when he declared that people smuggling over the English channel was a "major incident" and more recently when he revoked the citizenship of ISIS bride Shamima Begum. Son of a bus driver, he wants the Conservatives to be seen as the party of social mobility PA Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Jeremy Hunt Foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt was recently thought to be the favourite in the event of a leadership race as he could sell himself as the man to unite the party. Critics worry that his long stint as health secretary could return to haunt him at a general election. He has reportedly been holding meetings with Tory MPs over breakfast to promote his leadership PA Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Andrea Leadsom Following the Prime Minister's second defeat over her Brexit deal, Leader of the house Andrea Leadsom hosted a dinner party at which "leadership was the only topic of conversation", The Times heard. Leadsom ran against Theresa May in the 2016 leadership election before dropping out, allowing May to become Prime Minister AFP/Getty Who could succeed Theresa May as Conservative leader? Priti Patel Former international development secretary Priti Patel is thought to be positioning herself as a contender. One MP told The Independent "she knows she's from the right of the party, the part which is going to choose the next leader, so she's reminding everyone she's there." Patel left the government late in 2017 after it emerged that she had held undisclosed meetings with Israeli officials PA

Sam Coates, the deputy political editor of The Times appeared alongside Baroness Meyer during the exchange.

Ouch, he said afterwards on Twitter, describing the peer's comment as a "curious moment".

In 2016 the baroness wrote an article in The Telegraph supporting Theresa Mays bid to become prime minister.

I first met Theresa May some 12 years ago, she wrote at the time, describing the politician as a warm human being with a sympathetic and practical interest in the problems of others.

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She is lively in private with a good sense of humour  as Conservative MPs have just appeared to discover.

During her BBC appearance on Thursday, Baroness Meyer went on to say that the PM's pledge to resign on Wednesday took place at an emotional meeting of the 1922 committee.

The prime minister spoke and she was actually very emotional and so were many of her MPs she had tears in her eyes, she said.
Boeing says it has developed software fixes for an automated flight-control system on its 737 airliners, which are under scrutiny after two deadly crashes in five months.

The aircraft manufacturer is under pressure from victims families, airlines, US politicians and regulators worldwide to prove the automated systems aboard its 737 Max aircraft are safe and pilots have the training required to override the system in an emergency.

Earlier this month, 157 people were killed when a 737 Max jet of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed minutes after take-off.

In October, Lion Air Flight 610 crashed just minutes into a flight from Jakarta, Indonesia, killing 189 people. It was the first fatal accident involving a 737 Max.

Preliminary evidence has suggested similarities between the two accidents, and investigators are examining whether an automated system designed to help the plane avoid stalling may have been partly to blame.

Boeing 737 MAX grounding: Ethiopia Airlines Flight 302 in pictures Show all 9 1 /9 Boeing 737 MAX grounding: Ethiopia Airlines Flight 302 in pictures Boeing 737 MAX grounding: Ethiopia Airlines Flight 302 in pictures This picture taken on March 11, 2019, shows debris of the crashed airplane of Ethiopia Airlines, near Bishoftu, a town some 60 kilometres southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. - An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 crashed on March 10 morning en route from Addis Ababa to Nairobi with 149 passengers and eight crew believed to be on board, Ethiopian Airlines said. (Photo by Michael TEWELDE / AFP)MICHAEL TEWELDE/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Boeing 737 MAX grounding: Ethiopia Airlines Flight 302 in pictures Family members mourn the victims at the crash site of the Ethiopian Airlines operated Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, at Hama Quntushele village in the Oromia region, on March 13, 2019. - A Nairobi-bound Ethiopian Airlines Boeing crashed minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa on March 10, 2019, killing all eight crew and 149 passengers on board, including tourists, business travellers, and "at least a dozen" UN staff. Families of the victims were taken to the remote site on March 13, 2019, where the plane smashed into a field with 157 passengers and crew from 35 countries, leaving a deep black crater and tiny scraps of debris. (Photo by TONY KARUMBA / AFP)TONY KARUMBA/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Boeing 737 MAX grounding: Ethiopia Airlines Flight 302 in pictures A page of a Boeing flight crew operations manual is seen at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, near Addis Ababa, Ethiopia March 12, 2019. REUTERS/Baz Ratner REUTERS Boeing 737 MAX grounding: Ethiopia Airlines Flight 302 in pictures epa07434278 Rescue workers search the site for pieces of the wreckage of an Ethiopia Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft near Bishoftu, Ethiopia, 13 March 2019. Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 302 carrying 149 passengers and 8 crew was en route to Nairobi, Kenya, when it crashed on 10 March 2019 by yet undetermined reason. All passengers and crew aboard died in the crash. The Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft has come under scrutiny after similar deadly crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia within a few months. Several countries have banned the plane type from their airspace and many airlines have grounded their 737 Max 8 planes for safety concerns after the Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed minutes after take-off on 10 March. EPA/STRINGER EPA Boeing 737 MAX grounding: Ethiopia Airlines Flight 302 in pictures A grounded Boeing 737 MAX 8 passenger plane of the Norwegian low-cost airline Norwegian is parked at the tarmac at Vantaa airport in Vantaa near Helsinki, Finland on March 13, 2019. - A number of countries have banned Boeing's 737 MAX 8 medium-haul workhorse jet from their airspace in response to the Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed all 157 people on board. (Photo by Heikki Saukkomaa / Lehtikuva / AFP) / Finland OUTHEIKKI SAUKKOMAA/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Boeing 737 MAX grounding: Ethiopia Airlines Flight 302 in pictures Rescue workers search the site for pieces of the wreckage of an Ethiopia Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft near Bishoftu, Ethiopia, 13 March 2019. Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 302 carrying 149 passengers and 8 crew was en route to Nairobi, Kenya, when it crashed on 10 March 2019 by yet undetermined reason. All passengers and crew aboard died in the crash. The Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft has come under scrutiny after similar deadly crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia within a few months. Several countries have banned the plane type from their airspace and many airlines have grounded their 737 Max 8 planes for safety concerns after the Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed minutes after take-off on 10 March. EPA/STRINGER EPA Boeing 737 MAX grounding: Ethiopia Airlines Flight 302 in pictures A heap of debris from the wreckage of an Ethiopia Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft are piled at the crash site near Bishoftu, Ethiopia, 13 March 2019. Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 302 carrying 149 passengers and 8 crew was en route to Nairobi, Kenya, when it crashed on 10 March 2019 by yet undetermined reason. All passengers and crew aboard died in the crash. The Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft has come under scrutiny after similar deadly crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia within a few months. Several countries have banned the plane type from their airspace and many airlines have grounded their 737 Max 8 planes for safety concerns after the Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed minutes after take-off on 10 March. EPA/STR EPA Boeing 737 MAX grounding: Ethiopia Airlines Flight 302 in pictures A crew working with an investigative team to clear the site after the Sunday crash of the Ethiopian Airlines operated Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, carry debris at Hama Quntushele village in the Oromia region, on March 13, 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. Families of the victims were taken to the remote site on March 13, 2019, where the plane smashed into a field with 157 passengers and crew from 35 countries, leaving a deep black crater and tiny scraps of debris. (Photo by TONY KARUMBA / AFP)TONY KARUMBA/AFP/Getty Images AFP/Getty Images Boeing 737 MAX grounding: Ethiopia Airlines Flight 302 in pictures FILE PHOTO: An American Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8, on a flight from Miami to New York City, comes in for landing at LaGuardia Airport in New York, U.S., March 12, 2019. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/File Photo REUTERS

A Boeing official in Seattle said on Wednesday the timing of the software upgrade was 100 per cent independent of the timing of the Ethiopian accident, and the company was taking steps to make the anti-stall system more robust.

We are going to do everything that we can do to ensure that accidents like these never happen again, said Mike Sinnett, vice president for product strategy and development at Boeing.

Boeing will offer the software fix to airlines free of charge, and it will be released only after it is certified by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Seattle Times reported.

The company previously charged airlines extra for some safety features, the New York Times has reported.

A spokesperson for the FAA said it had not reviewed or certified the software upgrade yet.

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Southwest Airlines, which is the first major airline to cut its financial outlook for the year after being forced to pull its 34 Max jets out of service, said it supported Boeings decision.

Additional reporting by agencies
Police in the Dominican Republic routinely subject women sex workers to rape, beatings and verbal abuse, a chilling new report has found.

Campaigners called for the country to bring in a law to stop the discrimination  arguing it could encourage the rest of the Caribbean to follow their lead.

A 52-page report by Amnesty International found the criminalised status of sex workers, coupled with profound machismo sentiment, drives arbitrary detentions by police and allows them to carry out serious human rights violations with impunity.

The report, called If they can have her, why cant we?, traces the stories of 46 Dominican cisgender  someone who identifies as a woman and was assigned female at birth  and transgender women sex workers.

Many of them reported suffering various forms of violence  with campaigners saying much of this constitutes gender-based torture.

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 report found the abuse is used to wield social control over the women and penalise them for transgressing social norms of acceptable femininity and sexuality.

Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas Director at Amnesty International, said: The harrowing testimonies that Amnesty International has gathered from the Dominican Republic reveal that police routinely target and inflict sexual abuse and humiliation on women who sell sex with the purpose of punishing and discriminating against them.

Under international law, such treatment can amount to gender-based torture and other ill-treatment. By passing a law to prevent discrimination against some of the countrys most marginalised women, the Dominican Republic could set an example for the rest of the Caribbean to follow in the fight against stigma, machismo, and other drivers of extreme violence against women.

She said gender-based violence is epidemic across Latin America and the Caribbean, and women sex workers are at particular risk from state officials and other individuals.

The Dominican Republic has a deeply machismo culture and is one of the few countries in the world which has a complete ban on abortion. The procedure is illegal in all cases, including when the life of the woman or girl is at risk.

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The women had chosen to do sex work for a range of reasons  such as its ability to offer flexibility, control over their working hours, higher wages or provide them with financial autonomy. Others were forced to turn to sex work to cover their basic needs due to having limited options.

One woman told researchers she was raped one night in October 2017.

There were three of them. I was on a corner waiting for clients and they abused me, she said. They pulled me onto the [police] van They saw that the area was empty They started to grope me, take of my clothes. They ripped my blouse. One after the other".

She continued: I was afraid. I was alone. I couldnt defend myself. I had to let them do what they wanted with me They threatened me, that if I wasnt with them they would kill me. They [said] that I was a whore, and so why not with them? They called me a 'bitch' and used many offensive words. They saw me, I guess, and they thought Well, if they [clients] can have her, why cant we?

Researchers spoke to multiple women who described having been gang raped by armed and uniformed police officers in similar circumstances  late at night, on dark street corners, often in the back of police vehicles. At least ten of the 24 cisgender women they spoke to said police officers had raped them - often at gunpoint.

Around half of the women interviewed by researchers were cisgender women, the other half were transgender women.

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The report also looked at how women sex workers who live with multiple discriminated identities  such as transgender women  experience even more marked exclusion and are at greater risk of torture.

The acute stigma and discrimination which limits Dominican transgender womens access to formal employment means they are heavily represented in sex work. This is the same in many other countries.

Most of the transgender women researchers spoke to had been forced to endure discriminatory and violent treatment at the hands of the police, that could amount to torture or other ill-treatment.

They said they were called fags and devils by police officials  saying they felt they were deemed to be aliens or animals. Numerous transgender women reported that police punished them by burning their wigs or making them clean prison cells covered in excrement.

The report found impunity for sexual torture is typical  with the Dominican Republic failing to gather any data that would help to ascertain the scope and severity of the problem of gender-based torture and ill-treatment by police.

It is rare for the authorities to take sex workers complaints seriously.

If you go to the police station to make a complaint, they treat you like a whore. They ignore you. They dont pay you any attention, one woman said.
The National Rifle Association has opposed a bill which protects women in the US against violence because it includes a measure which would give law enforcement officials the power to confiscate guns from those who have committed domestic abuse.

The largest gun lobbying group in America has said they will issue a key vote alert against the Violence Against Women Act which warns members of congress their vote on the legislation will be scored and included in their NRA rating, which voters may use to choose whether to support them.

The NRA has long graded state and national candidates from A to F based on how sympathetic they are to its agenda and their record of opposition to new gun control laws.

The Violence Against Women Act, which was first passed in 1994, is up for reauthorisation this session and aims to tighten gun laws for domestic abusers, as well as improving services for victims of domestic and sexual violence.

After choosing not to weigh in on reauthorisations of the act in recent years, the NRA has come out against the bill because of its red flag provisions which expand the list of misdemeanour convictions that lead to permanent firearm prohibitions.

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 fact that Nancy Pelosi and her minions of anti-gun zealots insist on adding a gun-control poison pill to an otherwise good bill is just another example of the shameful politics Americans hate and why they have such a negative view of politicians, NRA spokesperson Catherine Mortensen told Huff Post.

While those convicted of domestic violence offences against their spouses or family members are already barred from owning firearms under federal law, the law does not apply to individuals who abuse partners they are not married to.

The bill hopes to address what is known as the boyfriend loophole which allows convicted stalkers to buy and possess guns, and permits abusive partners to have guns simply because they are not married to their victims.

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The bill also includes a provision that would make it illegal for people subject to temporary protective orders to own a firearm. At present, federal law stipulates that only abusers subject to permanent protective orders  which are granted after a full court hearing where the accused individual can state his case  lose the right to own or buy a gun.

It is well known that women are at the greatest risk of homicide at the point of separation or after leaving a violent partner. In the UK, 152 (76 per cent) of women killed by their ex-partner or ex-spouse between January 2009 and December 2015 were killed within the first year that followed their separation.

A recent study in the American Journal of Public Health found victims were five times more likely to be killed if their abuser has access to a gun. Other research has demonstrated partners and spouses often take the gun away from the victim and use it against them in instances of domestic abuse.

Domestic violence assaults which involves a firearm are 12 times more likely to end in the victim dying. In America, a woman is killed by a current or former intimate partner with a gun every 16 hours. Intimate partner homicides have dropped by seven per cent in states which have implemented laws allowing confiscation of firearms from domestic abusers.

Just as many women are killed by dating partners as by spouses, and while there are laws to keep guns from spouses who commit acts of domestic violence, the same cannot be said for dating partners or stalkers, Everytown for Gun Safety tweeted.

#RedFlagLawsSaveLives by preventing gun violence tragedies before they happen, they added.

The NRA donated more than $30m (21.4m) to Donald Trumps presidential campaign, meaning he received the most gun lobby funding of any presidential candidate.

Researchers point to the NRAs capacity to wield power by mobilising the electorate and pushing Republican primary elections in favour of pro-gun candidates.
Meng Hongwei, former vice minister of public security, has been expelled from the Communist Party of China (CPC) and dismissed from public office over serious violations of Party discipline and laws, the top anti-graft body announced Wednesday.





The CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) and the National Supervisory Commission (NSC) said in a statement that the NSC first conducted an investigation of Meng's illegal conduct and found that he was also suspected of violations of the Party's code of conduct, which led to a CCDI investigation.





The investigation found that Meng had completely lost his Party consciousness and sense of organizational rules. He failed to report relevant personal information to the Party and had refused to implement decisions of the CPC Central Committee, the statement said.





It said that Meng entertained a serious prerogative mentality and used his power for personal purposes capriciously. He was also found to have lavished public funds for the extravagant life of his family.





The statement said that Meng used the influence of his posts to secure a job for his wife and let her take advantage of her posts to seek private benefits.





It further accused Meng of a "distorted idea for power" and of taking advantage of his posts to seek benefits regarding promotions, personnel arrangements and business operations for others, accepting huge amounts of money and gifts in exchange.





Meng severely violated the Party's political discipline and rules, as well as the Party's rules on frugality, organization, clean governance, work and life, the statement said, adding that he is also suspected of crimes of bribe-taking.





He showed no signs of restraint even after the 18th CPC National Congress, and his conduct seriously smeared the Party's image, undermined the country's interests and caused harmful influences, it said.





The statement said his illicit gains should be confiscated, and his suspected crimes will be transferred to the procuratorate for further investigation and prosecution.




Russia has said its troops will remain in Venezuela for as long as needed in a blunt rejection of Donald Trumps demand they leave immediately.

In the latest indication the crisis in Venezuela is taking on elements of a proxy battle between the former Cold War rivals, a spokeswoman for Russias foreign ministry said the troops had been dispatched to fulfil military contracts.

They are involved in the implementation of agreements in the sphere of military and technical cooperation, said Maria Zakharova, according to the AFP, adding that the troops would stay there for as long as needed.

Russia is not changing the balance of power in the region, Russia is not threatening anyone, she said.

Russias comments came after Mr Trump this week told Russia to get out of Venezuela. At an event at the White House on Wednesday where he met Fabiana Rosales, wife of Juan Guaido, the Venezuelan opposition leader who in January declared himself president and was quickly recognised by the US and around 50 nations, Mr Trump was asked about the presence of Russian troops.

Venezuela aid protests: Civilians demand food and medicine Show all 5 1 /5 Venezuela aid protests: Civilians demand food and medicine Venezuela aid protests: Civilians demand food and medicine Demonstrators push a bus that was torched during clashes with the Bolivarian National Guard AP Venezuela aid protests: Civilians demand food and medicine Demonstrators are seen through the cracked windshield of a torched bus AP Venezuela aid protests: Civilians demand food and medicine A woman moves away from the flames of a burning bus AP Venezuela aid protests: Civilians demand food and medicine A bus that was torched during clashes with the Bolivarian National Guard AP Venezuela aid protests: Civilians demand food and medicine Demonstrators push away a bus that was torched during clashes AP

Russia has to get out. Whats your next question, he said. Asked if that message had been delivered to Moscow, he replied: They know. They know very well.

The US has been seeking to force from office Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, who has accused Washington of trying to orchestrate a coup. Mr Maduro was sworn in for a second term in January, following an election last year that was boycotted by elements of the opposition.

The US, UK and other Western nations claimed the election was not fair. Mr Maduro and his supporters have pointed to the testimony of independent election observers who said it was, and claim the main opposition intentionally boycotted the ballot in order to be able to allege it had no legitimacy.

The US and Mr Guaido have been seeking to use the issue of aid as a lever against Mr Maduro, who has until now critically retained the support of the armed forces.

 Journalists allegedly detained by Venezuelan president Nicholas Maduro after showing him a video of people eating rubbish

Last month, Mr Maduro refused to allow US aid into the country, pointing to previous incidents in Latin America when the US had smuggled weapons to anti-government forces in such shipments. His country has been working with the UN to increase the distribution of food and other supplies, amid claims of shortages of basic necessities.

On Thursday, Reuters said an internal UN report suggested about a quarter of Venezuelans were in need of humanitarian assistance.

The report painted a dire picture and estimated 94 per cent of its 28.8m people were living in poverty. It said 3.4m people had fled, with a further 1.9m expected to follow in this year.

Much more action is required to meet the growing needs of the Venezuelan people, it said.

At the same it, it called on both Mr Maduro and Mr Guaido not to allow the issue of aid to become politicised. The politicisation of humanitarian assistance in the context of the crisis makes delivery of assistance in accordance with the principles of neutrality, impartiality and independence more difficult, it said.

In recent days, the misery for many in the country has become worse amid a second major power blackout this month. Up to 24 people died during the previous blackout in public hospitals.

Mr Maduro, whose government accused Mr Guaidos supporters of sabotaging the power system, announced a load management plan for the coming days.

Meanwhile, Mr Guaido called for more protests. The time has come to agitate in every state, in every community, to get water back, get electricity back, get gas back, he said.

At least 100 Russian troops and 35 tonnes of equipment were seen landing in Caracas last weekend. The BBC, quoting Russias Sputnik news agency, said they were there to fulfil technical military contracts.
A 10-year-old girl has died two days after she was injured in a fight with a fellow pupil at her primary school.

RaNiya Wright was found unresponsive by staff at the Forest Hills Elementary School in the South Carolina of Walterboro, after she got into an altercation with another Year 5 student on Monday.

They called the emergency services and RaNiya was taken to hospital where she remained alive, until she passed away on Wednesday.

The other student involved in the fight, who has not been identified, has been suspended from the school, according to NBC News.

Because this is an ongoing investigation, we ask that the community understands that the information we can share is limited, district officials said in a statement.

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

Ash Wright, the 10-year-olds mother, posted a photograph of the RaNiya in hospital on her Facebook page.

This is what bullying cause, she wrote.

She later confirmed her daughter had died. "My baby girl has gain her wings, she wrote.

We are devastated by this news, and we want our communities to keep their thoughts and prayers with the students family at this time, a spokesperson for Colleton County School District (CCSD) said, adding that officials were continuing to "focus on providing needed support services to our students, teachers, staff, and community.

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Parents in the school district voiced their concerns about violence in schools at a meeting on Wednesday night, according to NBC 11 News.

Im very sorry to hear that there are parents out there who feel like this, said William Bowman Jr., a Colleton County school board member. "We (the district) have provisions in place for parents to disclose their concerns to district and school administration.

I would also suggest they bring those concerns to the attention of their respective board representatives with the expectation of the democratic process, and true representation, being effective in addressing their issues of concern.
Two police officers in America were injured and a suspect killed during a shootout at a Scientology church where the man had entered the building carrying a gun and a sword.

The police were called to the building in Inglewood, California, on Wednesday afternoon after the man reportedly arrived at the church in a white Bentley and entered the building with the weapons.

Gunfire erupted inside the entrance hall of the building when police approached the man, who was wearing a hooded sweatshirt and wielding the sword, police said.

One officer was shot in the hand, and another shot in the arm. The suspect was shot in the head and died of his injuries.

Both police officers were hospitalised and are said to be in a good condition.

Scientology's 'heretic': How Marty Rathbun became the arch-enemy of L Ron Hubbard devotees Show all 10 1 /10 Scientology's 'heretic': How Marty Rathbun became the arch-enemy of L Ron Hubbard devotees Scientology's 'heretic': How Marty Rathbun became the arch-enemy of L Ron Hubbard devotees rathbun1024x768.jpg Michael Zamora Scientology's 'heretic': How Marty Rathbun became the arch-enemy of L Ron Hubbard devotees 5370834.jpg Scientology's 'heretic': How Marty Rathbun became the arch-enemy of L Ron Hubbard devotees 4630589.jpg Getty Images Scientology's 'heretic': How Marty Rathbun became the arch-enemy of L Ron Hubbard devotees 5371638.jpg Getty Images Scientology's 'heretic': How Marty Rathbun became the arch-enemy of L Ron Hubbard devotees 5371639.jpg Rex Features Scientology's 'heretic': How Marty Rathbun became the arch-enemy of L Ron Hubbard devotees 5371588.jpg Getty Images Scientology's 'heretic': How Marty Rathbun became the arch-enemy of L Ron Hubbard devotees 5371634.jpg Rex Features Scientology's 'heretic': How Marty Rathbun became the arch-enemy of L Ron Hubbard devotees 5371635.jpg Rex Features Scientology's 'heretic': How Marty Rathbun became the arch-enemy of L Ron Hubbard devotees 5320715.jpg AP Scientology's 'heretic': How Marty Rathbun became the arch-enemy of L Ron Hubbard devotees 5370835.jpg Michael Zamora

The police did not say who fired first or whether a gun was recovered from the suspect.

The Church of Scientology released a statement thanking the Inglewood Police Department for its rapid response in protecting our parishioners and staff members.

The organisation said it offered its full support to the authorities investigating the incident.

Inglewood is a city in the Los Angeles metropolitan area and has a population of just over 100,000 people.

The Scientology Church in Inglewood was opened in 2011, since then it has also opened a community centre to work alongside other civic institutions, businesses and individuals, the churchs website says.

Scientology, a controversial religion set up in the 1950s by science fiction author L Ron Hubbard, is considered a cult in Chile and by some French authorities, and has been designated as an anti-constitutional sect in Germany.
A three-year-old boy shot his four-year-old brother with his father's gun, police in the Texan city of Dallas said.

The elder sibling was hit in the abdomen in the early hours of Wednesday morning, investigations said.

They added that boys mother called emergency services as his father tried to drive the two boys to the hospital himself.

He was stopped just a short distance away from his home and an ambulance took the child to Childrens Medical Centre Dallas, where he is expected to make a full recovery.

Police are now investigating how the toddler managed to get hold of the handgun. The make and model is unknown.

Students walk out of US schools to protest gun violence Show all 10 1 /10 Students walk out of US schools to protest gun violence Students walk out of US schools to protest gun violence Young people march from the White House to Capitol Hill while participating in the national school walkout over gun violence. EPA Students walk out of US schools to protest gun violence Thousands of local students march down Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House to the US Capitol during a nationwide student walkout for gun control. AFP/Getty Students walk out of US schools to protest gun violence A student has the words,'don't shoot,' written on her hands as she joins with other students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School after walking out of their school to honor the memories of 17 students and teachers that were killed. Getty Students walk out of US schools to protest gun violence Students take part in a walkout at General McLane High School. AP Students walk out of US schools to protest gun violence Students from Harvest Collegiate High School stand in Washington Square Park in New York to take part in a national walkout to protest gun violence. AFP/Getty Students walk out of US schools to protest gun violence Students rally in front of the White House in Washington after walking out of school to protest gun violence in the biggest demonstration yet of the student activism that has emerged in response to last month's massacre of 17 people at Florida's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. AP Students walk out of US schools to protest gun violence Airport High School juniors Tony LaFata, 16, left, and Noah Doederlein, 17, stands for a moment of silence during a walkout at General McLane High School. AP Students walk out of US schools to protest gun violence Young people rally on the West Front of the US Capitol to participate in the national school walkout over gun violence, in Washington. EPA Students walk out of US schools to protest gun violence Students from Passaic High School hold photos of some of the 17 victims killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. AP Students walk out of US schools to protest gun violence Students join hands as they take part in a student walkout in Lafayette. AP

Child abuse investigators later discovered the father had recently bought the gun used in the shooting, the NBC Dallas-Fort Worth news channel reported.

He could face charges for injury to a child and making a firearm accessible to a child.

According to the Gun Violence Archive - a not for profit corporation that provides free online public access to accurate information about gun-related violence - more than 120 children under the age of 11 have been killed or injured by a gun in the US since the start of the year.
Donald Trump Jr has hinted at a possible future bid for political office, telling a radio programme this week, I never want to rule it out.

The eldest son of Donald Trump and an executive to his fathers Trump Organisation, Mr Trump Jr said Wednesday on Bloomberg Radio about launching a political campaign, We have a lot of time ... My father decided to get into politics at 68.

Im 41, Ive got plenty of time, he added.

The eldest first son has become an influential voice among the Republican Partys conservative faction and often posts right-wing content to his ever-growing following of Trump loyalists and supporters of his fathers presidency.

I definitely enjoy the fight, he said Wednesday. I definitely like being out there and I love being able to see the impact and the difference that it makes on these peoples lives that I get to see all over the country.

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. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Tulsi Gabbard The Hawaii congresswoman announced her candidacy in January, but is likely to face tough questions on her past comments on LGBT+ rights and her stance on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Andrew Yang The entrepreneur has announced his presidential candidacy, and has pledged that he would introduce a universal basic income of $1,000 a month to every American over the age of 18. AFP/Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Marianne Williamson The author and spiritual advisor has announced her intention to run for president. She had previously run for congress as an independent in 2014 but was unsuccessful. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? John Kerry The former secretary of state has said he is still thinking about whether to run. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? 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

Talk of Mr Trump Jr running for office has grown ever since hes hit the campaign trail for his fathers re-election, bringing along his girlfriend, former Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle, and touting the White House administrations America First agenda.

Hes received praise from the likes of Brian Kilmeade, a co-host of the Fox News morning show Fox & Friends, who said after interviewing the first son in February that he would have a great political future if he were ever to run for office.

Clearly hed have a great political future should he ever run, he said.

Hes also reportedly told members of an elite gun club that he was considering launching a gubernatorial campaign in New York.

It's not something I'm doing now, he told the Associated Press about a campaign in November last year.

But you never know, it's fascinating stuff, he added.

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Mr Trump Jr also said Wednesday there was some relief among the Trump familys inner circle after Attorney General William Barr reported there were no further indictments from the conclusion of Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Ivanka Trumps attorney requested Michael Cohen read off a list of false statements about her involvement in a project her fathers private business was considering in Russia during the 2016 presidential election as he spoke to legislators probing the deal, according to an explosive new report.

Emails between Cohen and his lawyer Stephen Ryan discuss a series of points Ms Trumps lawyers wanted the presidents former attorney and fixer to make ahead of his public testimony to Congress, Vanity Fair reported on Thursday.

Those included statements that Ms Trump was not in any meetings or calls with people putting it together, and that she had grown sceptical of Cohen during the time the deal was being discussed between he and Felix Sater, who has been accused of laundering millions of dollars through real estate projects linked to the president.

Abbe asks for us to affirmatively address in our statement on the 25th, Cohens lawyer begins in the email chain, referring to Ms Trumps lawyer, Abbe Lowell. [Ivanka] was not involved in the backs and forths with FS [Felix Sater] and MC [Michael Cohen].

She did not know FS was involved in the possible project in that country, Mr Ryan continued, listing off the demands presented by Mr Lowell. And maybe that, by then, MC knew she was at least sceptical about him.

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

Cohens lawyer reportedly responded to Ms Trumps attorney saying that it may be perceived as awkward to go as specific as your requests.

Ms Trump has sought to distance herself from the Trump Tower project in Moscow, claiming in an interview this year she knew literally almost nothing about the ongoing negotiations during the 2016 election.

That goes against Cohens explosive second testimony to Congress in which he confessed he lied to lawmakers and admit he had briefed members of the Trump family  including Ms Trump  approximately 10 times on the deal.

Ms Trump would have been provided sprawling oversight of the project if it had gone into effect, including all interior design elements of the spa or fitness facilities and a self-titled spa inside of the tower.

Ms Trump was not included in a list of 81 contacts and entities close to the president who lawmakers demanded additional documents and information from amid their newly-launched investigations into Mr Trumps financial dealings and connections to Russia.

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Meanwhile, it remains unclear what exact lies were the cause of Cohens indictment, though it does not seem the points listed in the emails in question are the cause of his charges.

Rather, its likely the charges stemmed from his lies about the timeline of conversations surrounding the Moscow project: whereas he initially claimed talks ended in February of 2016. The discussions have been found to have carried out into June, however.
Jared Kushner was spotted by reporters leaving a secretive Senate Intelligence Committee hearing just six days after Special Counsel Robert Mueller concluded his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

The Senate committee, which is still carrying out a probe into Russias actions during the election, apparently met with the White House senior adviser during a closed-door hearing on Thursday afternoon in Washington.

A reporter for BuzzFeed News snapped a photo of Mr Kushner leaving the hearing, posting it to Twitter with the caption, Jared Kushner appears from a closed door Senate Intelligence Committee hearing room this afternoon, six days after Mueller submitted his report on to AG Barr.

Mr Kushner declined to respond to questions from reporters on the scene about why he was meeting with the Senate Intelligence Committee.

He also did not answer any questions about Attorney General William Barrs four-page summary of the special counsels report. He was in the closed-door hearing for nearly three hours, according to Mr Leopold.

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

The meeting was held in a secure space, known as a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility, or SCIF, and began at 9:30am local time.

The Senate Intelligence Committee is just one of several government committees and state agencies investigating Donald Trumps 2016 campaign and Russias purported connections, as well as the presidents finances and dealings with the controversial Deutsche Bank.

Recommended All the other probes Trump has to be worried about

Mr Kushner, who has previously been interviewed by the Senate Intelligence Committee, is among at least 81 contacts surrounding the president who were the subjects of requests for information from Democratic lawmakers conducting probes into the 2016 election and Mr Trumps finances.

The White House recently rejected a request from the House Oversight Committee for additional information on the administrations security clearance process.

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It had been previously reported Mr Trump stepped in to order Mr Kushner and the presidents daughter, Ivanka Trump, receive top-level clearances, defying the counsel of experts and the agency tasked with overseeing security clearance applications.
The governor of Puerto Rico did not mince his words this week when he learned that the Trump administration have doubled down on their refusal to grant the island funding for its recovery from Hurricane Maria.

Gov. Ricardo Ros Rossello said he will not let Puerto Rican officials be taunted and bullied by the White House.

If the bully gets close, Ill punch the bully in the mouth, Mr Rossello said on CNN on Thursday, referring to Donald Trump.

The Puerto Rican governors comments came in response to news that President Trump told Republican lawmakers at a closed-door congressional meeting on Tuesday that the island territory received too much money in the aftermath of the hurricane.

The amount of funding is way out of proportion to what Texas and Florida and others have gotten, Mr Trump said, according to Republican Senator Marco Rubio.

Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Show all 20 1 /20 Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Crew chief Kenney shelters under the blade of an HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit preparing to take off during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Isla Grande, Puerto Rico, October 6, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico An HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit takes off behind Crew Chief Alexander Blake and his fellow soldiers during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Morovis, October 5, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Crew member Bynum stands in tropical rain as a HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit prepares to take off during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Isla Grande, October 6, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter pilot Chris Greenway receives a hug from a woman thanking him for water as he works with the First Armored Division's Combat Aviation Brigade during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Verde de Comerio, October 7, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico A man carries a case of water away from an HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter after soldiers working with 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit dropped off relief supplies during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Jayuya, October 5, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Crew chief Alexander Blake from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit loads water into a helicopter during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Isla Grande, October 5, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Residents wait for soldiers in UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters from the First Armored Division's Combat Aviation Brigade to deliver food and water during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in San Lorenzo Reuters Bringing aid to Puerto Rico An HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit lands in a field to avoid lightning during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Manati, October 5, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Residents hold their hands aloft to signal that they need water as UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters from the First Armored Division's Combat Aviation Brigade fly past during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, near Ciales, October 7, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Tropical rain splashes on a runway as HH-60 Blackhawk helicopters from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit wait for weather to clear during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Isla Grande, October 6, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Pilot Eldwin Bocanegra Torres speaks with residents isolated by landslides in the mountains after unloading water and food from a helicopter during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, near Utuado, October 10, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Residents stand in front of wind-damaged trees as they wait for soldiers in UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters from the First Armored Division's Combat Aviation Brigade to deliver food and water during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in San Lorenzo, October 7, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico The contents of a home are seen from the air during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria near Utuado, October 10, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Thomas looks out of the window of an HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit, loaded with relief supplies, during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria in Isla Grande, October 6, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico A message written on the rooftop is seen from the air during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria near Humacao, October 10, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico A HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit lands in a field during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria in San Sebastian, October 6, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Sergeant First Class Eladio Tirado, who is from Puerto Rico, looks for a landing spot for a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from the First Armored Division's Combat Aviation Brigade, during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria near Ciales, October 7, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Boys carry water away from an HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter after soldiers working with the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit dropped off relief supplies during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Jayuya, October 5, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Sergeant First Class Eladio Tirado from the First Armored Division's Combat Aviation Brigade, who is from Puerto Rico, speaks with residents as he helps during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in San Lorenzo, October 7, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson Bringing aid to Puerto Rico Residents peek through a fence at helicopters from 101st Airborne Division's "Dustoff" unit that had parked in a locked field during recovery efforts following Hurricane Maria, in Lares, October 6, 2017 Reuters/Lucas Jackson

Mr Rossello is also receiving backlash from his constituents and colleagues for his recent hostile comments involving the president. Some critics question why he didnt use the same type of fervour in defending Puerto Rico when Mr Trump first visited the island in October 2017.

While visiting Puerto Rico, the president said the aftermath of the hurricane left the country was not a real catastrophe like Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.

Recommended Puerto Rico mayor blames Trump for soaring Hurricane Maria death toll

Mr Trump also repeatedly refused to meet with Mr Rossello privately to discuss disaster relief about a year and a half after Hurricane Maria killed at least 2,975 people in 2017. The hurricane was the deadliest natural disaster in the US in the last century.

Mr Rossello attempted to defend himself by saying, it would be a mistake to confuse courtesy with courage.

San Juan Mayor Yulin Cruz, who has recently announcing she will be running for Puerto Rico governor against Mr Rossello in the 2020 election, called him out on Twitter.

The governor is desperate because he knows that history will remember him as a coward, Ms Cruz, tweeted. When he had to, the governor of Puerto Rico praised the President. Realising [now] that his complacent attitude towards Trump is hurting him politically, the governor pretends to be taking Trump on.

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Senior white House officials told Mr Rossellos top officials that the islands representatives were too aggressive and insisted too much on setting up a meeting with Mr Trump, CNN reported.

Mr Rossellos remarks were made on the same day he announced his support for new legislation that would make Puerto Rico the nations 51st state in the country. The bill was introduced on Thursday by Democratic Rep. Darren Soto of Florida.

Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, displacing nearly 200,000 people who left for the mainland and resulting in approximately $90bn in damages.
A county official in Texas apologised for insulting a local judge for speaking in Spanish during a press conference.

Commissioner Mark Tice faced backlash for calling Judge Lina Hidalgo a joke for answering questions from reporters in Spanish.

Ms Hidalgo, however, was actually speaking and translating between both Spanish and English.

On Tuesday, Mr Tice apologised to Ms Hidalgo and the Hispanic community and said he regretted his words.

Ms Hildago is a judge in Harris County, which is home to the city of Houston where 43 per cent of the nearly 5 million residents identify either has Hispanic or Latina, according to the US Census Bureau.

Families belong together protests over Trump immigration policy Show all 8 1 /8 Families belong together protests over Trump immigration policy Families belong together protests over Trump immigration policy Mishawaka, Indiana AP Families belong together protests over Trump immigration policy Washington DC AFP/Getty Images Families belong together protests over Trump immigration policy New York Mayor Bill De Blasio speaks in Tornillo, Texas alongside the many other US mayors who have called for detained immigrant children to be reunited with their families AP Families belong together protests over Trump immigration policy Albuquerque Mayor Tim Kelle leaves a teddy bear as a gift for detained immigrant children in Tornillo, Texas AP Families belong together protests over Trump immigration policy Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti leave sandals as gifts for detained immigrant children in Tornillo, Texas AP Families belong together protests over Trump immigration policy San Diego, California EPA Families belong together protests over Trump immigration policy US embassy, Mexico City AFP/Getty Images Families belong together protests over Trump immigration policy San Diego, California EPA

She is also the first Latina and woman to be elected as Harris Countys top official.

The controversy stemmed from Ms Hidalgo appearing in a live streamed Facebook live video where she was answering questions regarding a chemical fire cleanup in Spanish and English.

During the livestream, while Ms Hidalgo was speaking, Mr Tice commented: She is a joke. Speak English this is not Mexico.

He doubled down on his comments when speaking to the Houston Chronicle.

its real simple, Mr Tice said to the local paper. This is the United States. Speak English.

In response to the swift backlash, Mr Tice walked back on his comments. He apologised for his over-emotional response and said he had thought there was no English translation given to the questions and answered asked in Spanish.

If that is not the case, then I sincerely apologise, Mr Tice wrote on Facebook. I recognise how my response could have been interpreted in a derogatory manner and for that I am sorry.

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Kiran Khalid, Ms Hidalgos director of communications, told the Houston Chronicle that the judge will continue to speak both in Spanish and English despite Mr Tices original objections.

The judge represents all of Harris County and given the countys composition and her bilingual skills, Ms Khalid said, she will continue to communicate as broadly as possible especially when public safety is at stake.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced it is suing Facebook over alleged discrimination in the social media companys advertising practices.

Although the HUD announced its lawsuit against the social media giant on Thursday, it filed a formal complaint against the Menlo Park company on August 13, 2018 in regards to Facebooks alleged discriminatory advertising practices.

The agency said in a statement that Facebooks advertising practices encouraged, enabled and caused housing discrimination through the companys advertising platform.

The HUDs charges against Facebook is based on how the social media giant enabled advertisers to exclude people whom Facebook classified as parents; non-American-born; non-Christian; interested in accessibility; interested in Hispanic culture; or a wide variety of other interests that closely align with the Fair Housing Acts protected classes.

What is the Fair Housing Act?

The Fair Housing Act is federal law considered to be one of the pinnacles in the civil rights campaign championed by Martin Luther King Jr and signed into law one week after his assassination by former President Lyndon B Johnson.

The federal act protects buyers or renters from landlord discrimination based on seven protected classes: race, colour, religion, national origin, sex, familial status, and disability.

How to stop Facebook from revealing everything about you Show all 9 1 /9 How to stop Facebook from revealing everything about you How to stop Facebook from revealing everything about you Lock your profile down If you havent done this already, do it now. In Settings, hit the Privacy tab. From here, you can control who gets to see your future posts and friends list. Choose from Public, Friends, Only Me and Custom in the dropdown menu. How to stop Facebook from revealing everything about you Limit old posts Annoyingly, changing this has no effect on whos able to see your past Facebook posts. Instead, on the Privacy page, you have to click on Limit Past Posts, then select Limit Old Posts and finally hit Confirm on the pop-up. How to stop Facebook from revealing everything about you Make yourself harder to find You can stop completely random people from adding you by selecting Friends of Friends from the dropdown menu in the Who can send you friend requests? section of the Privacy page. Its also worth limiting who can find your Facebook profile with your number and email address. At the bottom of the page is the option to prevent search engines outside of Facebook from linking to your profile. How to stop Facebook from revealing everything about you Control access to your Timeline You can limit who gets to post things on your Timeline and who gets to see posts on your Timeline too. In Settings, go to Timeline and Tagging and edit the sections you want to lock down. How to stop Facebook from revealing everything about you Block people When you block someone, they wont be able to see things you post on your Timeline, tag you, invite you to events or groups, start conversations with you or add you as a friend. To do it, go to Settings and Blocking. Annoyingly, you have to block people on Messenger separately. You can also add friends to your Restricted list here, which means theyll still be friends with you but will only be able to see your public posts and things you share on a mutual friend's Timeline. How to stop Facebook from revealing everything about you Review tags One of Facebooks handiest privacy features is the ability to review posts youre tagged in before they appear on your Timeline. Theyll still be visible on the News Feed while theyre fresh, but wont be tied to your profile forever. In Timeline and Tagging, enable Timeline review controls. How to stop Facebook from revealing everything about you Clean up your apps You can view a list of all of the apps youve connected to your Facebook account by going to Settings and Apps. The list might be longer than you expected it to be. Its worth tidying this up to ensure things you no longer use lose access to your personal information. If you dont want to log into websites and apps with your facebook account, scroll down and turn Platform off. How to stop Facebook from revealing everything about you Change your ad preferences You can view a list of everything Facebook thinks youre into and tinker with your ad preferences by going to Settings and Adverts. A lot more information is displayed on the desktop site than the app, so wed recommend doing this on a computer. How to stop Facebook from revealing everything about you Download your data Facebook lets you download all of the data it has on you, including the posts youve shared, your messages and photos, ads youve clicked on and even the IP addresses that are logged when you log in or out of the site. Its a hell of a lot of information, which you should download to ensure you never over-share on the social network again.

How is Facebook violating the Fair Housing Act?

HUD said in a statement that Facebook allowed landlords and home sellers to use its advertising platform to engage in housing discrimination. Secretary Ben Carson added that the social media company is discriminating against people based upon who they are and where they live by allowing advertisers for housing and rental companies select who they can exclude from seeing their ads. The agency said through Facebook, advertisers were actively excluding people who identified as non-Christian, non-American-born, and individuals with disabilities among many other factors.

Using a computer to limit a persons housing choices can be just as discriminatory as slamming a door in someones face, Mr Carson added.

Did Facebook make any changes in the past to prevent discriminatory practices by housing and credit advertisers?

The social media platform have made some recent strides aimed at preventing or curbing discrimination within their advertising systems. Last week, Facebook reached agreements with organisations like the National Fair Housing Alliance and the American Civil Liberties Union to remove age, gender and zip code targeting from housing, employment and credit advertisements, Yahoo! Finance reported. In August 2018, Facebook also removed thousands of targeting options to prevent advertisers from excluding, or discriminating, against audiences who fall within a certain demographic.

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Did Facebook shares drop in result of the lawsuit?

Facebook shares fell 0.95% to $164.30 on Thursday morning, the Associated Press reported.

How did Facebook respond?

The social media company said in a statement to Yahoo! Finance on Thursday that it was surprised by HUDs decision, as weve been working with them to address their concerns and have taken significant steps to prevent ad discrimination.

Adding, while we were eager to find a solution, HUD insisted on access to sensitive information  like user data  without adequate safeguards. Were disappointed by todays developments, but well continue working with civil rights experts on these issues.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 28)  The anticipated wax figure of Miss Universe 2015 winner Pia Wurtzbach has been unveiled to the public online on Thursday.

The wax figure which bares an uncanny resemblance to the beauty queen, immortalized the moment Wurtzbach crowned her successor Iris Mittenaere. It will be displayed at Hong Kong's Madame Tussauds museum.

The piece shows Wurtzbach donning her blue Michael Cinco-designed gown holding up the crown. She later revealed Cinco recreated the same dress just for her figure to wear. She also shared that the measurement process in the making of the statue took about four hours to complete.

In her Instagram account's livestream of the reveal, the beauty queen herself is seen taking photos with the figure, wearing the same gown and exact makeup style as her waxed double. She was joined by Madame Tussauds General Manager Jenny You and representatives from Cathay Pacific at a press launch in EDSA Shangri-La in Mandaluyong City.

Wurtzbach said she was pleased with the replication.

"I just felt really good at the time so I guess that radiates," she said.

Wurtzbach later posted a photo with her wax figure on Instagram, thanking her loved ones for their support.

"Dedicating this to my family, loved ones, and to all Filipinos! Maraming salamat sa suporta [Thank you so much for the support] all these years," she said.

The wax figure will be displayed at the Mega Fashion Hall, SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City for public viewing on Friday.
A total of 2,806 projects involving 20 billion yuan (around 2.97 billion U.S. dollars), supported by partners across China, have been implemented in Tibet Autonomous Region since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) was held in 2012.

The assistance came from 17 supporting provinces and cities, 16 centrally-administered state-owned enterprises, and over 70 CPC Central Committee departments and state ministries and commissions.

Over the past seven years, these groups have also sent more than 3,000 officials and professionals to Tibet.

Assistance provided by education and medical professionals, in particular, has delivered quality teaching and medical services to the plateau region.

It has been hailed a "revolution" in achieving remarkable progress in the development of Tibet's education, medical and health fields. It has also successfully rallied public support and promoted ethnic unity.

Thursday marks the 60th anniversary of democratic reform in Tibet that abolished ruthless theocracy and serfdom and established a socialist system that has seen booming economic, political, religious, cultural and social development on the plateau.

China's State Council Information Office on Wednesday issued a white paper on democratic reform and the leap of development in Tibet over the past six decades.

The white paper, titled "Democratic Reform in Tibet -- Sixty Years On," lauded the democratic reform as "the greatest and most profound social transformation in the history of Tibet."

In 2018, Tibet's GDP was 147.76 billion yuan (22 billion U.S. dollars), soaring from the 1959 figure of 174 million yuan.

In old Tibet, education was largely the preserve of the privileged aristocracy. In 2018, the net enrollment rate in primary schools in Tibet was 99.5 percent, while gross enrollment rates in junior high, senior high and higher education were 99.5, 82.3 and 39.2 percent, respectively, with the per capita length of education reaching 9.55 years in the region.
Donald Trump has launched into an early morning Twitter tirade, lashing out against a number of perceived adversaries, including the media, Mexico and actor Jussie Smollett.

"The Fake News Media is going Crazy! They are suffering a major 'breakdown,' have ZERO credibility or respect, & must be thinking about going legit," Mr Trump tweeted at 6.13am. "I have learned to live with Fake News, which has never been more corrupt than it is right now. Someday, I will tell you the secret!"

It comes amid attempts by Mr Trump and his allies to cast many mainstream media outlets who reported on the special counsel investigation as biased, in the wake of a brief summary of Robert Mueller's findings by the attorney general, who concluded the president has not committed a crime.

"Mexico is doing NOTHING to help stop the flow of illegal immigrants to our Country. They are all talk and no action," Mr Trump continued, without providing evidence for the claim.

"Likewise, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador have taken our money for years, and do Nothing. The Dems dont care, such BAD laws. May close the Southern Border!"

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Although the three Central American countries cited by Mr Trump do receive aid, according to his own government, in 2017 both Honduras and El Salvador received less than the average amount given that year to recipient nations. Guatemala was slightly above the average.

Mr Trump has also previously threatened to close the US side of the border with Mexico. Late last year he tweeted it would be a profit-making operation because the country loses soooo much money on trade with its neighbour.

The president next criticised the decision by Chicago police to drop charges against Smollett, who was accused of faking an attack on himself by supposed Trump supporters in order to raise his profile.

"FBI & DOJ to review the outrageous Jussie Smollett case in Chicago. It is an embarrassment to our Nation!" he wrote.

 'There is something in there' Mueller report will implicate Trump, Judge Napolitano says

Mr Trump also renewed his attack on Adam Schiff, Democratic chair of the House intelligence committee, which is investigating Mr Trump on a number of fronts. The president said he should be "forced to resign" from Congress having "spent two years knowingly and unlawfully lying and leaking".

There is in fact no evidence Mr Schiff, who earlier this week insisted there was "undoubtedly" collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, has lied or said anything unlawful.

"Wow, ratings for 'Morning Joe,' which were really bad in the first place, just 'tanked' with the release of the Mueller Report," Mr Trump tweeted, apparently wrapping up his outburst. "Likewise, other shows on MSNBC and CNN have gone down by as much as 50%. Just shows, Fake News never wins!"

Although ratings on a number of shows on Msnbc and CNN have dipped in recent days, it is not clear where Mr Trump got the 50 per cent figure from.
A Fox News legal analyst has warned viewers Robert Muellers report undoubtedly contains evidence of collusion with Russia and an attempt by Donald Trump to obstruct justice.

Andrew Napolitano, a former New Jersey superior court judge whose views have previously been parroted by Mr Trump, also said the document ran to 700 pages, a detail previously unknown and yet to be confirmed by the Department of Justice.

A four-page summary of the report written over the weekend by attorney general William Barr cleared the Trump campaign of conspiracy and concluded there was insufficient evidence to prosecute the president with obstruction.

In the 700-page summary of the 2 million pages of raw evidence, there is undoubtedly some evidence of a conspiracy, and some evidence of obstruction of justice, Mr Napolitano told Fox Business on Wednesday, adding Mr Barr would have concluded it failed to pass the standard of reasonable doubt.

He continued: Once the 700 pages comes out, Democrats and the presidents other opponents will have a field day with what is in there.

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If there were no evidence of conspiracy, and no evidence of obstruction, the attorney general would have told us so. He didnt, so there is something in there that the Democrats and opponents of the president want to see. They will see it, and they will make hay out of it.

The judges comments come amid a concerted effort by the White House and Republicans to cast the special counsels findings as a total exoneration of the president, despite the fact the report is yet to be released.

Mr Trump and his allies, including many Fox pundits, are also using Mr Barrs summary to double down on their attacks against mainstream media outlets who reported on Mr Mueller's investigation.

For two years theyve indulged in an orgy of hatred (for Trump) that coloured absolutely everything, one Fox presenter said, in a clip tweeted by Mr Trump on Wednesday evening.

 Trump on Mueller Decision: People Have Done Evil, Treasonous Things

Earlier on Wednesday, House judiciary chairman Jerrold Nadler revealed Mr Barr had told him in a phone call he would not commit to turning over Mr Muellers report in full to Congress, and would almost certainly miss a 2 April deadline set by House Democrats.

Im very disturbed by that, Mr Nadler told reporters, adding the date was a hard deadline.

Backing up Mr Napolitanos claim, Mr Nadler said the reports length was very substantial - confirming it was fewer than 1,000 pages.
Donald Trump has once again repeated misleading claims about energy powered by wind turbines during an interview with Fox News.

The US president has long claimed renewable energy sources like wind are not effective and incapable of consistent output, due to issues like a lack of ever-constant wind and sunlight.

He was at it again on Wednesday night, telling conservative host Sean Hannity, You look at the fact that we would have been powered by wind, which wouldnt have worked by the way because it only blows sometimes and lots of problems come about.

The president was defending himself against accusations that he has not been tough enough on Russia when he brought up wind turbines. Nobody has been tougher, nobody, on Russia than me, he began.

It's what we have done with energy and oil and gas, he continued. That's all competition from, for Russia. You look at the Ukraine. You look at so many different levels. You look at our military.

10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Show all 10 1 /10 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A group of emperor penguins face a crack in the sea ice, near McMurdo Station, Antarctica Kira Morris 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Floods destroyed eight bridges and ruined crops such as wheat, maize and peas in the Karimabad valley in northern Pakistan, a mountainous region with many glaciers. In many parts of the world, glaciers have been in retreat, creating dangerously large lakes that can cause devastating flooding when the banks break. Climate change can also increase rainfall in some areas, while bringing drought to others. Hira Ali 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Smoke  filled with the carbon that is driving climate change  drifts across a field in Colombia. Sandra Rondon 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Amid a flood in Islampur, Jamalpur, Bangladesh, a woman on a raft searches for somewhere dry to take shelter. Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable places in the world to sea level rise, which is expected to make tens of millions of people homeless by 2050. Probal Rashid 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Sindh province in Pakistan has experienced a grim mix of two consequences of climate change. Because of climate change either we have floods or not enough water to irrigate our crop and feed our animals, says the photographer. Picture clearly indicates that the extreme drought makes wide cracks in clay. Crops are very difficult to grow. Rizwan Dharejo 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Hanna Petursdottir examines a cave inside the Svinafellsjokull glacier in Iceland, which she said had been growing rapidly. Since 2000, the size of glaciers on Iceland has reduced by 12 per cent. Tom Schifanella 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A river once flowed along the depression in the dry earth of this part of Bangladesh, but it has disappeared amid rising temperatures. Abrar Hossain 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A shepherd moves his herd as he looks for green pasture near the village of Sirohi in Rajasthan, northern India. The region has been badly affected by heatwaves and drought, making local people nervous about further predicted increases in temperature. Riddhima Singh Bhati 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A factory in China is shrouded by a haze of air pollution. The World Health Organisation has warned such pollution, much of which is from the fossil fuels that cause climate change, is a public health emergency. Leung Ka Wa 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Water levels in reservoirs, like this one in Gers, France, have been getting perilously low in areas across the world affected by drought, forcing authorities to introduce water restrictions. Mahtuf Ikhsan

It was just a throwaway line, but reflects a years-long theme the president has espoused about wind energy.

He criticised wind turbines again last year during a fundraising event in which he wrongly called them windmills while claiming coal is indestructible.

You know, the windmills [makes a shooting gun noise]. That's the end of that one. If the birds don't kill it first, he said at the time.

Recommended Donald Trump Jr considering running for office

He then mocked the Green New Deal at this years Conservative Political Action Conference, also known as CPAC, in which he derided wind turbines and Democratic efforts pushing for renewable energy.

I think the New Green Deal or whatever the hell they call it  the Green New Deal  I encourage it, he said mockingly. I think its really something that they should promote. They should work hard on it. ... No planes, no energy. When the wind stops blowing thats the end of your electric.

Lets hurry up, darling, Mr Trump continued. Is the wind blowing today? Id like to watch television, darling.

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Like other renewable energy sources, wind turbines are capable of storing and preserving produced energy.

Federal loans are currently providing researchers money to build utility-scale storage units for renewable energy sources, including wind ands solar.
Donald Trump called on Rep. Adam Schiff to resign from his position as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee on Twitter, alleging the California Democrat knowingly and unlawfully lying and leaking information regarding special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

On Thursday morning, Mr Trump tweeted: Congressman Adam Schiff, who spent two years knowingly and unlawfully lying and leaking, should be forced to resign from Congress!

Mr Schiff has come under fire for continuing to launch investigations into the president and the Trump campaign to determine whether there was any possible collusion with the Kremlin and if Mr Mueller had any limitations during his investigation.

Since Mr Muller did not find the Trump campaign had colluded with Russia, according to a letter sent to Congress by Attorney General William Barr, many Republicans believe the California Democrats continue investigation of the president to be an act of congressional overreach and an abuse of power to knowingly promote false information.

In addition to the president, nine other Republicans sitting on the House Intelligence Committee signed a letter calling on Mr Schiff to resign.

The letter read: Your willingness to continue to promote a demonstrably false narrative is alarming. The findings of the Special Counsel conclusively refute your past and present assertions and have exposed you as having abused your position to knowingly promote false information, having damaged the integrity of this Committee, and undermined faith in U.S. government institutions.

Rep. Mike Conaway, the Republican leading the House Intelligence Committees Russia investigation, echoed calls for Mr Schiffs resignation at the beginning of the public committee hearing on money laundering.

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Your actions both past and present are incompatible with your duty as chairman, Mr Conway said. We have no faith in your ability to discharge duties.

Who is Adam Schiff?

Mr Schiff is a Democrat representative of Californias 28th congressional district. He first assumed congressional office in January 2001 representing the Golden States 27th District and then the 29th District.

He was tapped to serve on the House Intelligence Committee in 2008 until earlier this year when he became chairman of the committee.

What is the California Democrats political background?

Mr Schiff graduated from Stanford University in 1982 with a degree in political science before earning his law degree from Harvard University in 1985.

In Los Angeles, Mr Schiff made headlines as an assistant US attorney for his successful prosecution of Richard Miller. Mr Miller was an FBI agent who leaked confidential US documents to the former Soviet Union.

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What was his role as House Intelligence Committee chairman like?

Until recently, among Democrats, Mr Schiff was often seen as a heroic figure as a ranking member of the House Select Committee on Intelligence, using his political prowess to bring forward concerns about the president and his campaigns possible collusion with the Kremlin.

Mr Schiff was also credited for standing up against former House Intelligence Chairman Republican Rep. David Nunes. Despite working alongside him in the committee, Mr Schiff called on California Republican to step aside as the head of the Russia investigation after Mr Nunes appeared to safeguard the Trump administration.

How is Mr Schiff responding to the president's call for his resignation?

The California Democrat brushed it off. He said: "It's nothing new from this president.:
At least 19 people have died and many others were trapped and injured after a major fire broke out in a high-rise building in Dhaka, the Bangladeshi capital.

Dramatic footage from the scene, where flames engulfed the ninth and tenth floors of a 22-storey building, showed people trying to climb down cables between air conditioning units. Local media reported that at least six people had tried to jump to escape the flames.

Police confirmed the rise in death toll and said 70 others had been injured. The fire broke out shortly after midday on Thursday in the FR Tower, an office building on a busy street in the capitals Banani business district.

An intense operation to tackle the blaze lasted several hours and included at least 20 fire crews as well as the military, which supplied helicopters to dump water on the tower from one of the citys lakes.

In the early evening, fire service deputy director Debashish Bardhan said the situation is under control, and that while the operation continued most of those trapped on the upper floors without an escape route had been rescued.

Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building Show all 30 1 /30 Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building A huge fire tore through a Dhaka office block killing at least five people with many others feared trapped in the latest major fire to hit the Bangladesh capital AP Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building A survivor reacts after being rescued by firefighters from a burning office building in Dhaka AFP/Getty Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building AFP/Getty Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building Firefighters rescue a man from a burning office building in Dhaka AFP/Getty Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building Firefighters attempt to rescue a person from the building AFP/Getty Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building Fire Department control room official Ershad Hossain said by phone the FR Tower in Dhaka's Banani commercial district caught fire Thursday afternoon and at least 19 fire fighting units joined the operation to douse the blaze and rescue the people trapped inside Reuters Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building Firefighters work to douse the fire AP Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building AFP/Getty Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building People react as fire broke out REUTERS Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building AFP/Getty Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building A man stuck in the multi-storied office building speaks on his mobile phone AP Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building A person is being rescued as fire broke out at a multi-storey commercial building in Dhaka, Bangladesh Reuters Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building A trapped person waves to be rescued Reuters Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building AFP/Getty Images Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building Reuters Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building AFP/Getty Images Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building Firefighters work to douse the fire AP Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building Reuters Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building AP Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building AP Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building Reuters Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building Reuters Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building Abu Sayed Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building MD Sharid Ahammad Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building AP Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building Reuters Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building Max Secure Limited/Reuters Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building Reuters Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building Reuters Dhaka fire: blaze rips through Bangladesh building Reuters

At the height of the blaze, witness Sajib Hasan said people were seen shouting for help from windows on the upper floors of the building. Thick plumes of smoke impaired the efforts of firefighters, but Mr Hasan said he watched at least a dozen people get rescued by hydraulic cranes.

A Facebook Live video taken by Roy Pinaki showed five people scaling down from windows while building materials fell around them. One person slipped from what appeared to be a rope that people were using to escape, bounced off utility wires and fell to the ground.

And a correspondent for The Daily Star, Bangladeshs largest English-language newspaper, reported that at least six people had been seen trying to jump to safety. They were all reportedly rushed to hospital and their condition was unknown.

The 19 dead included one Sri Lankan citizen, Banani police chief Forman Ali told reporters at a media briefing.

Workers at Vivid Holidays, a tourism business based on the first floor, said all their employees were accounted for but we dont know what happened to the people who work on the upper floors.

One woman at the scene told The Daily Star that her daughter, Aparajita Barua, works in an office on the 12th floor of the building.

During our last contact, she told us there were huge fumes in the building and that she was finding it difficult to breathe. Now, we cant reach her on the phone, she said.

Bangladesh suffers frequently from major building fires, in part due to poor enforcement of regulations. Last month, a fire killed at least 81 people in the capital.

In 2012, a fire raced through a garment factory on the outskirts of Dhaka, killing at least 112 people trapped behind its locked gates. Less than six months later, another building containing garment factories collapsed, killing more than 1,100 people.
A Bangladeshi woman has given birth to twins less than a month after delivering a premature baby boy, according to reports.

Arifa Sultana Iti, 20, gave birth to her first child in February but learned she was still pregnant after being rushed to hospital with stomach pains 25 days later.

Medics performed an emergency Caesarean to deliver the twins, who were healthy, on 22 March.

Doctors said Ms Sultana, who is from a rural village in Jessore district, southwest Bangladesh, was found to have two uteruses.

The first baby was born from one womb. The two babies born here are from the other womb, Sheila Poddar, head of Ad-Dwin Hospitals gynaecology department, told Bangladeshi news website bdnews24.com. Its a rare incident. I have seen such a case for the first time. I hadnt even heard about such an incident before."

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 a separate interview with the BBC, Dr Poddar said Ms Iti and her husband Sumon Biswas were very poor and had never had an ultrasound before.

She added: "She had no idea that she had two other babies. We carried out a caesarean and she delivered twins, one male and female."

Ms Iti from gave birth to her first baby at Khulna Medical College Hospital on 25 February. She told the Agence France Presse news agency that she was happy all three of her children were healthy but concerned about how the family would live on her husband's 6,000 taka (54) monthly salary.

"I don't know how we will manage such a huge responsibility with this little amount," she said.

Mr Biswas, a labourer, added: It was a miracle from Allah that all of my children are healthy. I will try my best to keep them happy.

Uterus didelphys - a congenital abnormality which causes the development of two wombs - is rare, affecting about one in 1,000 women in the UK. A fifth of pregnancies in women with the condition lead to premature birth.

In 2006, a British woman with two uteruses gave birth to three babies.

Hannah Kersey, 23, from Northam in Devon, was thought to be the first woman with the condition to deliver viable triplets.
When the gunman began to attack the Al Noor mosque, Ahmed Alayedy scrambled to get to the nearest emergency exit. He was the first one there.

I tried to open the door, he said. But it doesn't open.

Mr Alayedy and other survivors of the 15 March mosque attacks in New Zealand described to The Associated Press a scene of confusion and terror at the door on one side of the main prayer room, in the first accounts of the role the door played.

Mr Alayedy said so many people began crushing him against the door that some of his ribs cracked. Another survivor, Khaled Alnobani, says he thinks as many as 17 people may have died trying to get out through the door.

Investigators have likely examined a new electric locking system installed on the door in the days before the attack. The mosque says an electrician disabled that system the day before the attack, although some of those who escaped question whether that was the case.

New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Show all 11 1 /11 New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Zakaria Bhuiyan People gather hoping to find out information about Zakaria Bhuiyan who is still missing after the mosques shootings in Christchurch. David Moir/AFP New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Mucad Ibrahim Three-year-old Mucad Ibrahim, the youngest known victim of the mass shooting at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, on 15 March 2019. Abdi Ibrahim via AP New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Nadeem Rasheed Nadeem Rasheed, brother of Pakistani Naeem Rashid who died alongside his son Talha Naeem, 21, who were killed in shooting at a Mosque in Christchurch, at their home town in Abbottabad, EPA New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Omar Nabi Omar Nabi speaks to the media about losing his father Haji Daoud Nabi, 71, in the mosque attack REUTERS New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Ash Mohammed Ash Mohammed, right, talks to a police officer about his father and two brothers who are missing near the Masjid Al Noor mosque AP New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Akhtar Khokhur Akhtar Khokhur, 58, shows a picture of her missing husband Mehaboobbhai Khokhar, 65. AP New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Wasseim Alsati A note is seen on a window of a door at the family home of Wasseim Alsati in Christchurch on 17 March 2019. AFP/Getty Images New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Haroon Mahmood Relatives offer condolences to nephew (centre) of Haroon Mahmood, a Pakistani citizen who was killed in Christchurch mosque shootings. AP New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Farid Ahmed Farid Ahmed (pictured) survived the Al Noor mosque shootings but his wife Husne was killed. AFP/Getty Images New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Syed Areeb Ahmed A relative shows a picture of Syed Areeb Ahmed, a Pakistani citizen who was killed the Christchurch mosque shooting. AP New Zealand shootings: Victims of Christchurch mosque terror attacks Naeem Rashid A relative looks at a picture on a mobile phone of Pakistani nationals Naeem Rashid and his son Talha Naeem (right) who died in the Christchurch shootings. AFP/Getty Images

What is clear is that nobody managed to open the door that afternoon.

With the gunman in the middle of the room, the door represented the only escape route for those on one side of him, at least until people started smashing windows to get out.

Fifty people were slaughtered by the gunman at two Christchurch mosques during the attack, including 42 who died at Al Noor. Mr Alayedy and others say that if the door had been wide open like it typically was during Friday prayers, many more people might have escaped.

Shagaf Khan, the president of the Muslim Association of Canterbury which oversees the mosque, said the door was closed and latched much like the front door of a house. He said it wasn't locked, although worshippers may have believed it was in the confusion.

He said an electrician had tested the new electric locking system on Thursday, and then disengaged it for Friday prayers. He said that to open the door, somebody needed to turn a lever. It was just coincidence, and perhaps the cool weather that day, he said, which meant the door wasn't wide open as usual.

On any other Friday, the door would be open, he said. But on this Friday, nobody opened that door.

He said he agreed that more people would have escaped if the door had been open.

If it had been completely open, it would have been easy for people to get out, he said. But nobody was prepared for this.

"We were prepared for an emergency like a fire or an earthquake, and people would still have time to get out.

"This is something totally different. You don't put this in your emergency plan.

Mr Alayedy said that in the confusion, he can't be sure if he simply failed to turn the lever properly or if something else stopped the door from opening.

Mr Alnobani, said he, too, tried to open the door and it didn't work, and he's familiar with the lever. He said he believes the door was electronically locked.

Simply pushing a button next to the door would have unlocked it, he said, but nobody knew about the new system.

 New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern vows not to say Christchurch shooters name

Mr Khan said the mosque was in compliance with regulations, which require emergency exits to be clear from objects, easily accessible, and unlocked.

Police said the scene examination is part of their investigation and they will not be commenting while the investigation is ongoing.

Robert Wright, the Christchurch City Council head of building consents, said in an email the mosque was in compliance with the Building Act at the time of the attacks and had a valid certificate known as a Building Warrant of Fitness.

Mr Alayedy, 30, said that on the day of the attack, he'd been listening to a holy speech by imam Gamal Fouda when he heard six or seven shots. He thought it was an electrical fault at first but then heard screaming and ran for the door.

All the brothers come in behind each other, on top of each other, he said.

Christchurch left devastated on New Zealand's 'darkest day' Show all 16 1 /16 Christchurch left devastated on New Zealand's 'darkest day' Christchurch left devastated on New Zealand's 'darkest day' 562600.bin REUTERS Christchurch left devastated on New Zealand's 'darkest day' 562599.bin REUTERS Christchurch left devastated on New Zealand's 'darkest day' 562598.bin AP Christchurch left devastated on New Zealand's 'darkest day' 562597.bin GETTY IMAGES Christchurch left devastated on New Zealand's 'darkest day' 561983.bin Getty Christchurch left devastated on New Zealand's 'darkest day' 562261.bin AP Christchurch left devastated on New Zealand's 'darkest day' 561923.bin REUTERS Christchurch left devastated on New Zealand's 'darkest day' 561921.bin GETTY IMAGES Christchurch left devastated on New Zealand's 'darkest day' 561882.bin GETTY IMAGES Christchurch left devastated on New Zealand's 'darkest day' 561982.bin Getty Christchurch left devastated on New Zealand's 'darkest day' 561985.bin Getty Christchurch left devastated on New Zealand's 'darkest day' 561986.bin Getty Christchurch left devastated on New Zealand's 'darkest day' 561987.bin Getty Christchurch left devastated on New Zealand's 'darkest day' 561988.bin Getty Christchurch left devastated on New Zealand's 'darkest day' 561984.bin Getty Christchurch left devastated on New Zealand's 'darkest day' 561981.bin Getty

Because he couldn't open the door, he said, he tried punching the hexagonal piece of glass in the lower part of the door. When that didn't work, he drove his knee through it, shattering the glass, and then kicked it out. He crawled through and ran for safety.

Mr Alayedy, a chef from Jordan who moved to New Zealand nine years ago, said he thought about his family back at their house as he ran. His pregnant wife, his 3-year-old son, and the baby daughter they hope to have within the next couple of weeks.

Behind the mosque, Alayedy said, he began helping people to escape over a fence but couldn't get over it himself because of his injured ribs.

Another survivor provided a second escape route near the door by diving through a window with his arm wrapped around his eyes. Tarik Chenafa said he heard a "tat-tat-tat-tat-tat" and knew right away it was a semi-automatic weapon from his two years of compulsory military training in the Algerian army.

I know someone is coming to kill us, he said.

Mr Alnobani said that when he first came to the mosque that Friday, he'd noticed the side door was shut and considered opening it but then saw there were some older worshippers. It was a little cold and windy outside, he figured, so he left it alone.

Mr Alnobani said he also managed to crawl through the door's smashed glass and run. He returned to help rescue a young boy whose father was shoving him through the opening, he said, and then helped the father as well.

I tried to save the child, and I thought maybe I lose my life, he said. But I am just alone, he said, adding He had more than me to lose.

When he tried to help a third person through the opening, Mr Alnobani said, that man was shot. The gunman walked out of the mosque to get another gun from his car, Mr Alnobani said, and began shooting at him when he returned.

But he managed to escape, and then drove two injured people to the hospital.

The gunman acted quickly, mowing down people on both sides of the mosque. On the side opposite from the closed door, some worshippers were able to escape, but the gunman also killed many others as they tried to leave.

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And he was actually standing behind them, and he was shooting and shooting and shooting and shooting, Mr Fouda, the imam, told the AP after the attack. Tragedy. Tragedy.

Brenton Tarrant, a 28-year-old Australian, has been charged with murder in the attack. His next court appearance is scheduled for April 5.

Mr Chenafa said he's still sad and confused, and finds it hard to sleep. And he doesn't know what to believe about the door.

There will be a lot of waiting to find out the truth, he said.

AP
A British hobby farmer who kidnapped and raped a backpacker is likely to be deported back to the UK, an Australian court has heard.

Gene Charles Bristow, 54, appeared at South Australia District Court in Adelaide on Thursday after a jury found him guilty earlier this month.

Bristows lawyer Chris Weir said his client did not accept the findings, which had put his family relationships under strain.

He said: He is likely to have lost his marriage. He is estranged from all of his children and, unless his wife is able to manage the mortgage, its very likely that the family will lose the property.

Mr Weir said Bristows marriage was never really quite the same after the death of his stepson in a road accident in about 2010.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

He told the court that Bristow, a father of four, was born and raised in the UK and moved to Australia in the early 2000s.

What is likely to happen at the end of his non-parole period is that he will be taken into immigration custody and then...deported back to the United Kingdom, he said.

Bristow was found guilty of one count of aggravated kidnapping, two counts of rape, two counts of indecent assault and one count of attempted rape.

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The charges stemmed from a Gumtree advert the 24-year-old backpacker posted in search of temporary farm work in February 2017.

Bristow took her to his hobby farm at Meningie, 90 miles south-east of Adelaide, before chaining her up and raping her inside an old pig shed.

He released her the following day, after police swarmed the area in search of the missing woman.

Prosecutor Michael Foundas said the crime was particularly serious because it was premeditated, and Bristow held the woman for two days.

He said Bristow made repeated threats of violence and led her to believe he was involved in a kidnapping and human trafficking operation.

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He added: The fear and apprehension he must have invoked in the victim was no doubt significant and adds to the severity of the circumstances of the offending.

The woman came face to face with Bristow when her victim impact statement was read out in court days after the verdict was handed down.

She said she felt like an animal or slave throughout the ordeal, which left her terrified, miserable and feeling powerless.

I was locked in chains, held against my will and had to endure things that nobody should have to endure, she said.

He took everything from me. Not only did he take my clothes and belongings, but also my freedom, my mind, my family and my friends.

Judge Geraldine Davison remanded Bristow in custody for sentencing in May.

If you have been affected by sexual violence, you can find help via the NHS. Rape Crisis offers specialist support for women and girls; and the The Survivors Trust supports people of any gender.
A British man who spent almost two years in jail has been acquitted of raping an American woman at a retrial after new DNA evidence came to light.

Scott Harry Richardson, 27, from Bristol, had been accused of attacking the 23-year-old backpacker as she slept during a house party in Sydney, Australia, on 12 December 2015.

He denied the allegations but was found guilty on 13 December 2016 and was ordered to serve at least two years and three months in prison.

Mr Richardson always maintained that he jumped on top of a duvet covering the woman, believing it to be his friend underneath, and left immediately when he realised his error.

After spending more than 21 months behind bars, his conviction was overturned by appeal judges at New South Wales Supreme Court in July last year.

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

And on Thursday a jury at Sydneys Downing Centre court returned verdicts of not guilty on two counts of sexual intercourse without consent following a retrial.

The judges heard that DNA tests using a more advanced method than that used during his trial had found profiles of two men, rather than one.
The European Union has been accused of leaving refugees to die at sea in an effort to deter migration, following reports that it will downgrade its maritime rescues in the Mediterranean.

Operation Sophia has been credited with saving tens of thousands of lives since it was launched in 2015, at the height of the migrant crisis. The EU mission was aimed at disrupting people traffickers and rescuing migrants attempting to make the dangerous crossing from north Africa in rickety boats.

But diplomats said this week that the operation will no longer carry out maritime patrols after Italy refused to continue receiving those rescued at sea. It will instead rely on air patrols and closer coordination with Libya, according to diplomats.

The move has been roundly condemned by charities and rights groups, which said cancellation of rescue missions move will lead to more deaths in the Mediterranean.

It shows again that the EU considers it acceptable to let people die at sea as a deterrence for migration, said Hassiba Hadj-Sahraoui, of Doctors Without Borders, which until recently operated its own rescue mission.

Meanwhile, European countries continue to support the Libyan coastguard despite their clear lack of responsiveness to distress calls, and knowing that those people the Libyan coastguard do intercept will end up in horrible and inhumane detention centres, she added.

Migrants stranded on Greek island Show all 11 1 /11 Migrants stranded on Greek island Migrants stranded on Greek island Afghan Abdul Samad travelled to Greece on a dinghy Reuters Migrants stranded on Greek island A refugee carries his lunch provided by the Greek authorities Reuters Migrants stranded on Greek island A Syrian family sits around a bonfire at a makeshift camp Reuters Migrants stranded on Greek island The Moria camp for refugees and migrants on the island of Lesbos Reuters Migrants stranded on Greek island Iraqi refugee Shahed Naji, 22, who arrived in Moria five months ago Reuters Migrants stranded on Greek island Tombstones for refugees and migrants near the village of Kato Tritos Reuters Migrants stranded on Greek island Arebi, a Syrian refugee, at the makeshift camp next to the Moria camp Reuters Migrants stranded on Greek island A migrant makes his way to the makeshift camp next to Moria Reuters Migrants stranded on Greek island A girl walks next to a self-made shower Reuters Migrants stranded on Greek island Refugees and migrants line up to receive their lunch provided by the Greek authorities Reuters Migrants stranded on Greek island Syrian refugee Muhammad, 42, fishes in the city of Mytilene Reuters

Amnesty International called it an outrageous abdication of EU governments responsibilities.

Having already used every excuse in the book to banish NGO rescue boats from the Mediterranean, and having already stopped carrying out rescues several months ago, EU governments are now removing their own ships, leaving no one to save the lives of women, men and children in peril, said Matteo de Bellis, Amnesty Internationals migration researcher.

This shameful decision has nothing to do with the needs of people who risk their lives at sea, but everything to do with the inability of European governments to agree on a way to share responsibility for them.

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Operation Sophia has rescued almost 49,000 people trying to reach Europe, according to the EU.

While the number of refugees crossing the Mediterranean has steadily declined in recent years, more than 11,000 have made it across since January, according to the UN.

Almost 2,300 people died in 2018 trying to make the journey, compared to 3,000 in 2017. So far this year, an estimated 283 have perished during the crossing.

The downgrading of the EU mission appears to have come as a result of pressure from Italy, where anti-refugee sentiment is high and a populist government has cracked down on charity rescue missions operating off its coast.

Italys deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini has said his country would no longer be the main point of disembarkation for people trying to cross the Mediterranean by boat and rescued by Sophias patrol ships.

 More than 200 migrants on German rescue ship stuck at sea for six days after EU dispute

Rome called for other countries to open up their ports instead, but no other EU states came forward. Diplomats said countries including Spain, France and Germany signalled they were not willing to host more rescued people  most of whom are fleeing wars and poverty in Africa and the Middle East.

The missions mandate was due to expire this week, and needed the agreement of all EU governments to continue. With Italy reportedly threatening to veto unless the maritime rescues were halted, a tentative deal was reached for it continue for another six months without them.

The new arrangement will involve more training of the coastguard in Libya, where lawlessness has allowed smugglers to openly operate sending people to Europe by sea.

Additional reporting by Reuters
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A Chinese graft fugitive returned to China and turned himself in Thursday, 17 years after fleeing overseas, according to the country's top anti-graft agency.

Yu Shanfu, former vice president of Jianlibao Group, took advantage of his position to embezzle state-owned assets with others in 2000 and fled overseas in August 2002, said a statement carried on the website of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China and the National Supervisory Commission.

In September 2002, prosecutors filed Yu's case for investigation.

Yu returned his illicit gains, the statement said.
A French spy has been shot dead after being implicated in the attempted assassination of an exiled Congolese opposition figure.

The body of Daniel Forestier was discovered last week by police in a car park in the remote Alpine town of Ballaison, close to the French border with Switzerland.

The 57-year-old had been shot five times in the head and chest. Prosecutors said the calculated nature of the shooting meant it was being treated as a professional hit.

French media have widely reported Mr Forestier was a retired agent for the DGSE, Frances external intelligence agency, comparable to MI6.

Mr Forestier had been under investigation by authorities in connection with a plot to kill Ferdinand Mbahou, an exiled military general and high-profile opponent of the Congo-Brazzaville 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. 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 former agent was charged with criminal conspiracy and possession of explosives last year, following an attempt on Mr Mbahous life in 2015.

Speaking to Euronews, Mr Forestiers lawyer, Cedric Huissoud, said his client had firmly contested the charges against him and accusations of his involvement in the plot were unfounded.

This connection has however led to speculation his apparent execution may be linked to the failed assassination attempt and detectives reportedly believe the killing may have been a revenge attack.

Its hard to believe that this murder bore no connection with his implication in the Mbahou affair, an anonymous source close to the investigation told French news agency AFP.

However, another unnamed investigator told Le Parisien links to parallel activities in Russia and Asia were also being probed.

Mr Mbahou served as director of security to then-Congolese president Pascal Lissouba until 1997, when both were ousted by forces loyal to socialist leader Denis Sassou Nguesso.

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With Mr Sassou Nguesso still in power, the general has spent the past 20 years exiled in France and has become an outspoken political opponent of the regime.

He narrowly escaped a separate assassination attempt in 2015, when he was shot outside his home in northern Paris.

Mr Forestier is thought to have been living in the village of Lucinges, around seven-and-a-half miles south of where his body had been discovered.
The 28 member countries of the European Union have unanimously declared that they do not recognise Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights region, despite a change in policy by the United States.

This week Donald Trump signed a presidential proclamation officially recognising Israels control of the area, which it has occupied since 1967 when the Golan Heights was captured from Syria during the Six Day War.

But in a statement approved by the European Councils 28 members, the EUs high representative for foreign affairs said: The position of the European Union as regards the status of the Golan Heights has not changed.

In line with the international law and UN Security Council resolutions 242 and 497, the European Union does not recognise Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights.

The territory is widely internationally recognised as belonging to Israels Arab neighbour.

Recommended US formally recognises Israeli sovereignty over Golan Heights

Mr Trump said: After 52 years it is time for the United States to fully recognise Israels sovereignty over the Golan Heights, which is of critical strategic and security importance to the State of Israel and regional stability.

Israels prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Mr Trumps recognition was historic, while Syria said it was blatant attack on its sovereignty and pledged to take the territory back by all available means. Turkey and Russia also voiced opposition to the move.

The change in US policy is likely to prove a domestic political boost to Mr Netanyahu, who faces elections on 9 April.

The recognition is the latest policy unveiled by Mr Trump to break with longstanding policy over Israel. Last year the president announced he was moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Israel says Jerusalem is its capital, but most foreign embassies are based in Tel Aviv because of the holy citys disputed political status.

Israel launches airstrikes in Gaza Strip Show all 10 1 /10 Israel launches airstrikes in Gaza Strip Israel launches airstrikes in Gaza Strip Fire and smoke rises from a building hit by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City AFP/Getty Israel launches airstrikes in Gaza Strip Smoke rises above buildings in Rafah in the Gaza Strip following Israeli airstrikes AFP/Getty Israel launches airstrikes in Gaza Strip Palestinians are reflected in a mirror as they stand by the rubble of the office of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh after it was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City Reuters Israel launches airstrikes in Gaza Strip A Palestinian stands by the rubble of the office of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh after it was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City Reuters Israel launches airstrikes in Gaza Strip Palestinian boys watch as others inspect a mosque that was damaged in a nearby Israeli air strike in Gaza City Reuters Israel launches airstrikes in Gaza Strip Palestinians inspect their home after it was damaged in a nearby Israeli air strike in Gaza City Reuters Israel launches airstrikes in Gaza Strip Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City AP Israel launches airstrikes in Gaza Strip Palestinian men point to an insurance sign amid the rubble of a building destroyed in Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City AFP/Getty Israel launches airstrikes in Gaza Strip Gaza City in the late afternoon on March 25 shortly before Israel launched airstrikes in the city AFP/Getty Israel launches airstrikes in Gaza Strip Fire and smoke rises from a building hit by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City AP

That decision saw the Czech republic, Hungary, and Romania follow the USs lead and announce varying degrees of recognition for Jerusalem as Israels capital.

This week Israel launched more airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, another area under its military occupation, after Palestinian militants fired rockets into Israeli territory. Local authorities say the strikes hurt at least 15 Palestinians, including two women and a child.
Video footage captured the moment a man flew through the air clutching on to a patio umbrella during severe winds.

Sadik Kocadalli can be seen stepping on to the base of the large umbrella in the video as he tries to hold it down with the help of two other men in Osmaniye, southern Turkey.

But a gust of wind sweeps the piece of furniture off the ground instead, lifting him into the air.

Mr Kocadalli said he escaped uninjured despite rising about three or four metres into the air.

He told reporters: Im fine actually. After I realised the umbrella was going to keep going up, I jumped off.

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

However another man, Mehmet Ali Bicakci, was knocked unconscious and suffered a broken foot and ribs after the umbrella landed on him.

Some Twitter users joked the widely shared video showed Turkey sending its first astronaut up into space, while others said the men were members of Osmaniye Airlines cabin crew.
A Maltese special operations team has seized a tanker that had been hijacked by migrants it rescued at sea, armed forces said.

They returned control to the captain, who was sailing towards a Maltese port with the migrants and crew on Thursday.

Armed military personnel stood guard on the ships deck, and a dozen or so migrants were also visible, as the vessel docked at Boiler Wharf in the city of Senglea. Several police vans were lined up on shore to take custody of the migrants for investigation.

Authorities in Malta and Italy said the migrants had hijacked the cargo ship on Wednesday after it rescued them in the Mediterranean Sea and forced the crew to put the Libya-bound vessel on a course north towards Europe.

Italys interior minister Matteo Salvini said the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1 had rescued about 120 people and described what happened with the alleged hijackers as the first act of piracy on the high seas with migrants.

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

It had been heading towards Italys southernmost island of Lampedusa and the island of Malta when Maltese forces intercepted it.

The captain had told Maltese armed forces he was not in control of the vessel and that he and his crew were being forced and threatened by a number of migrants to proceed to Malta.

A patrol vessel stopped the tanker from entering Maltese waters, they said.

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The special team that restored control to the captain was backed by a patrol vessel, two fast interceptor craft and a helicopter.

There was no immediate word on the condition of El Hiblu 1s crew.

AP
On Wednesday evening, tens of millions of Ukrainians tuned in to catch a glimpse of their political future.

The premiere of the third series of comedy drama Servant of the People offered some immediately recognisable faces.

There was Dmitry Surikov, a cynical, scheming milk-baron president (read: Ukraines chocolate-baron president).

There was Jeanne dBorisenko, a manipulative operator worried that she might be runninrg out of time to become presidient (read: Ukraines own Jeanne dArc, Yulia Tymoshenko, trying for the third time to become president).

And there was Vasily Goloborodko, teacher-turned-president and man of the people, played by none other than comedian and real-life presidential frontrunner Volodymyr Zelensky.

The hints were far from subtle.

The show shows a president thrown into jail  a nod to a joke made by Mr Zelensky last month that Petro Poroshenko was only running for a second term to avoid getting a first [prison] term.

Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Show all 32 1 /32 Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Activists of opposition parties burn flares during a rally demanding to break an agreement with Russia on the use of the Azov Sea and the Kerch Strait, in front of the parliament building in Kiev Reuters Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Volunteers with the right-wing paramilitary Azov National Corps light flares during a rally on the snowy streets in front of the Ukrainian parliament in Kiev after Russia seized two of their armored artillery vessels and a tug boat in the Black Sea AP Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Ukrainian Nationalists demand to break the diplomatic relations with Russia and nationalization of Russian property in Ukraine EPA Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Ukrainian activists burn flares during their rally in front of Russian Consulate in Kharkiv EPA Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Reuters Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Seized Ukrainian ships, small armoured artillery ships and a tug boat, are seen anchored in a port of Kerch Reuters Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 AP Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 The President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, announced, on 25 November, at a meeting of the National Security and Defense Council that they will introduce martial law in Ukraine for a period of 60 days and appeal to the Parliament to consider the move Reuters Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Russia seized two small-sized 'Berdiansk' and 'Nikopol' armored artillery boats. The 'Yany Kapu' tugboat has forcibly been stopped Reuters Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Children from an orphanage volunteer to help the city defenders strengthen trenches on Ukraine's Army positions near the village of Rybatske 25 km from Mariupol AP Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 AP Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Policemen guard at Russian consulate during a protest action in the Black Sea Ukrainian city of Odessa AFP/Getty Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 EPA Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 AFP/Getty Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 With relations still raw after Russias annexation of Crimea and its backing for a pro-Moscow insurgency in eastern Ukraine, the capture of three Ukrainian naval vessels risks pushing the two countries towards a wider conflict. Graphic explains how the naval incident unfolded on a map Graphic News Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Activists of far-right parties burn flares in front of the parliament building in Kiev during a rally to support the Ukrainian navy Reuters Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 A Ukraine army APC moves toward on position at an undisclosed location in eastern Ukraine AP Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Ukrainian Nationalists sign a banner with a slogan reading like 'Not retreat and not surrendering!' EPA Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 AFP/Getty Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Activists glue Ukrainian flag on the fence of Russian consulate AFP/Getty Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 A volunteer with the right-wing paramilitary Azov National Corps during a rally on the snowy streets in front of the Ukrainian parliament in Kiev AP Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 AP Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 EPA Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Reuters Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 A National Guard serviceman extinguishes a torch thrown by a protester during a rally against the seizure by Russian special forces of three of the Ukrainian navy ships Reuters Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 A protester throws a smoke grenade during a rally in front of the embassy of Russia in Kiev AP Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Protestors set up paper ships on the tires during their rally near of Russian embassy building in Kiev EPA Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Reuters Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 A man extinguishes a burning car of the embassy of Russia Reuters Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Paper boats are seen placed during a protest Reuters Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 EPA Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 EPA

Then, Jeanne dBorisenko (Tymoshenko) makes it to the presidency on the back of promising everything to everyone. (If I said Ill do it, Ill do it is her catchphrase, never fulfilled.)

Alas, DBorisenko falls out with the oligarchs who control her, and she is pushed out of office after 50 days.

The nation is bankrupted and a Maidan revolution awaits.

By the time our hero Goloborodko is released from jail, the country has been split into 28 independent states. Ukraine is limited to the city bounds of Kiev. And even the suburbs of Troyeshchina have broken off to form their own splinter state.

At a minimum, it was a master class in trolling. But there seemed to be much more to Mr Zelenskys latest television offering than just jokes.

Blurring political reality with dramatic fiction, it offered a new blueprint about how to engage with and influence voters in the Trumpian, post-truth world.

Recommended The showman whose next act may be taking the Ukrainian presidency

The candidacy of Mr Zelensky is far from the first time a showman has used their popularity and face recognition to enter politics.

From the get-go, international media have connected the obvious dots between Mr Zelensky and Donald Trump. After all, both men rose on a wave of disillusionment and as anti-politics politicians.

Mr Zelensky, on his part, prefers to talk about Ronald Reagan.

But his candidacy goes much further into the postmodern than either of the American showmen. Arguably more than any presidential candidate in history, it has been impossible to set man apart from mask, character from candidate, and voter from television viewer.

His team, for example, have derided the idea of a traditional election campaign, preferring instead to hold free concerts.

There has been precious little in the way of policy discussion. The comedian is certainly not the only candidate to limit media engagement. The other two frontrunners have been even less willing to talk to independent journalists. But without a significant political history behind him, you have to work very hard to understand what Zelensky the candidate really stands for.

And the merging of man and mask has also allowed the candidate to evade responsibility for what he has said.

Jeanne DBorisenko, a character that closely resembles Mr Zelenskys fellow candidate Yulia Tymoshenko (1+1 / Sluga naroda)

Mr Zelenskys strategist Dmitry Razumkov, for example, was at pains to distance his candidate from the Poroshenko two-terms joke. That, he told The Independent, was a joke said in character. The president Zelensky would not even joke about such things.

But like the 24 minds of Billy Milligan, it is never clear where character Goloborodko ends and the candidate Zelensky begins.

You can only imagine what Mr Trump would have done to be able to present a pick-and-mix vision of the future on prime time TV, to show himself to the nation as a national saviour, and in direct juxtaposition to a group of pathetic, corrupt and dishonest opponents.

It isnt, of course, enough to simply develop new levers of manipulation. The brilliance of Mr Zelenskys campaign  and what, incidentally distinguishes it from Mr Trump  is that his candidate character is fundamentally a good guy, a unifier, and with moderate positions. In Ukraines polarised, militarised media space, the moderate ground generally isnt well catered for, and Mr Zelensky-Goloborodko does much to fill that gap.

So the president character is an ordinary guy fighting against corruption. He is for the idea of Ukraine having two languages, but Ukrainian remaining the state language. He is for Russians but against Putin. He is for paying pensions to the impoverished pensioners left behind in the conflict zones of eastern Ukraine.

And he takes an eminently reasonable stance on Crimea, admitting the obvious: that it wont be returned to Ukraine while Vladimir Putin remains in power.

Mr Zelensky isnt calling Mexicans awful things, and he isnt talking about building walls, says the journalist and editor Natalya Gumenyuk.

This, she adds, is what makes it a difficult choice for democratically minded Ukrainians who understand not everything is real.

Volodymyr Zelenskys comedy drama depicts a cynical, scheming milk-baron president clearly resembling Ukraines chocolate-baron president Petro Poroshenko (1+1 / Sluga naroda)

We all see the deception, and wonder about his relationship with the trickster oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky, she says. But we also wonder whether the sensible positions of a virtual president might actually make the reality more palatable.

On Sunday, Mr Zelensky will offer his various selves to the Ukrainian electorate in what promises to be the least predictable elections of a generation.

On the one hand, the vote will be a test of Ukraines post-Maidan history: whether voters are happy with Mr Poroshenkos record; angry about rising utility prices; or worried about who will best defend the country.

But it also promises to be a battle between two systems of voter manipulation, one old and one new.

If local media is to be believed, the defending presidents team has reverted to many of the old-school tricks: going heavy on militaristic threats; election alliances with regional godfathers; pension bungs on the eve of elections; and looking to limit turnout among those less likely to vote the right way  according to Mr Zelenskys team, these include threats of military conscription officers at polling booths to limit the youth vote.

One of the very last polls published before the election suggested the presidents tactics have enjoyed some success. According to these figures, Mr Poroshenko is in line for a strong second place finish behind Mr Zelensky, 22.1 per cent compared to 24.1 per cent. This is a major and largely unexpected uptick in his numbers,

It remains to be seen whether the strong finish can be converted into eventual victory. If it isnt, and instead Mr Zelensky becomes president, it may well be that the election is writing a new page not only in Ukrainian but world history.
Wow Air has closed down, leaving thousands of passengers stranded  and wrecking the travel plans of hundreds of thousands more.

The troubled Icelandic airline was heavily in debt and has been seeking a backer for months. Talks with a US financier and the rival carrier, Icelandair, broke down in the past few days.

As dawn broke at Keflavik airport outside Reykjavik, the airline announced it was in the final stages of finalising equity raise with a group of investors.

All of Thursdays flights were cancelled until documentation with all parties involved have been finalised.

But that was an empty promise; by 8.18am GMT the airline announced: End of Operation of Wow Air.

Airlines that went bust Show all 12 1 /12 Airlines that went bust Airlines that went bust Air Berlin Air Berlin, which operated flights to and from Berlin Tegel, went bankrupt in 2017 Getty Airlines that went bust Small Planet Lithuanian airline Small Planet filed for insolvency at the end of 2018 Igor Dvurekov Airlines that went bust Monarch Airlines The airline ceased operations in October 2017 AFP/Getty Airlines that went bust VLM Antwerp-based VLM went bankrupt in September 2018 Flo Weiss Airlines that went bust Germania German airline Germania filed for insolvency in February 2019 Getty Airlines that went bust Kingfisher Founded in 2005 ceased flying in October 2012 AFP/Getty Airlines that went bust Cobalt Cobalt, based in Larnaca, Cyprus, stopped flying in October 2018 Steve Lynes Airlines that went bust Mexicana An airline that had been in operation since 1921, went bust in August 2010. It was Mexico's largest airline AFP/Getty Airlines that went bust WOW Air Icelandic Wow Air ceased operation in March 2019 Getty Airlines that went bust Primera Primera, known for its cheap transatlantic fares, went bust in October 2018 Getty Airlines that went bust Transaero A privately-owened airline founded in Russia, 1990 lasted until October 2015 Getty Airlines that went bust Malev After 66 years, Hungary's national airline went stopped flying in 2012 AFP/Getty

Wow Air has ceased operation. All flights have been cancelled.

Passengers are advised to check available flights with other airlines.

Some airlines may offer flights at a reduced rate, so-called rescue fares, in light of the circumstances. Information on those airlines will be published, when it becomes available.

Passengers whose ticket was paid with a credit card are advised to contact their credit card company to check whether a refund of the ticket cost will be issued.

Passengers who bought their ticket from a European travel agent (within the European Economic Area) as a part of a package tour (a package which includes flights and accommodation or other services) are protected by the Package Travel Directive. Those passengers are advised to contact their travel agent to arrange an alternative flight.

Passengers who may have bought travel protection, or those passengers whose credit card terms may include such protection, may be entitled to claim compensation and assistance due to delays or travel disruption. However, such compensation is often limited.

In case of a bankruptcy, claims should be filed to the administrator/liquidator.

The airline may have some value in the slots that it owns, but its brand value has collapsed over the past days and weeks.

Ground stop: departure screen at Reykjaviks international airport (Isavia)

Wow Air is believed to owe around 150m.

The Icelandic budget airline was founded by an Icelandic entrepreneur, Skuli Mogensen. It first flew to Paris on 31 May 2012 and later that year took over an existing airline, Iceland Express.

The carrier employed around 1,000 people and flies an all-Airbus fleet. In 2018 it carried 3.5 million passengers.

The main business model was to connect Europe and North America through its hub at Reykjavik, in competition with the long-standing incumbent, Icelandair.

Route map: the Wow Air network (Wow Air)

Another rival, Primera Air, went bust in 2018.

Thousands of passengers are on the wrong side of the Atlantic. From Baltimore-Washington International, Suheradi tweeted: My flight out of BWI was delayed twice for a total of 5 hours and then just cancelled.

Many passengers are stranded without any place to stay tonight or any idea of whats going on.

Wow Air currently has flights scheduled between Gatwick and Reykjavik, with services due to switch to Stansted on Sunday. Edinburgh is another summer destination.

Over the past few days a one-way flight from Stansted to Reykjavik was priced at 756. On the same day, easyJet has a flight from Luton to the Icelandic capital for 57.

Increasing fares to astronomic levels to deter bookings has been used as a technique in the past by failing airlines, notably Monarch in 2017.

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Passengers have a wide range of rights under EU legislation, which Iceland also abides by, but if an airline fails these entitlements become academic.

Previous passengers who have claims against Wow Air for previous delays and cancellations, and the costs associated with them, are being told: Your claim is with the accounting waiting to be finalised.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the payment process will, unfortunately, take longer than expected.

We can assure you that your claim is still active and will be processed as quickly as possible.

Laura de Beus tweeted: I see that you have been ignoring me and taking that time to respond to new customers that you have disappointed.

Please just handle my payment before your company falls. You owe me 2,000.

Wow Air built its UK-Iceland-US business partly through fake claims about its fares, asserting it would fly passengers from Gatwick via Reykjavik to New York for 99 when the lowest fare was actually 170.
President Trump has promised repeatedly to end endless wars, during both his campaign and his tenure so far in office. Despite this rhetoric, endless  and, frankly, pointless wars are, sadly, still the American norm.

Two more Americans were just killed in Afghanistan  a war that the Trump administration realises needs to end, but seems in no hurry to actually do so. In December 2018, Trump announced that all US troops would be withdrawn from Syria, only to later rescind that declaration in favour of a small force of 400 to 1,000 troops to stay behind indefinitely, complementing the more than 5,000 troops in Iraq, who are there to satiate the administrations obsession with Iran.

Soldiers who were children when the Afghanistan war began are dying. Its well past time to bring all of our troops from Afghanistan, Syria, and Iraq home.

My uncle fought in Vietnam. After his deployment, he called my grandmother and said she needed to do everything possible to ensure that my father, who was several years younger, did not eventually find himself sent to South Asia. An easy way to avoid the draft would have been enrolling in college, but in Appalachian Ohio in the 1970s, college wasnt exactly an option for everyone.

Fortunately, the Vietnam War ended before my father was eligible for the draft, so it was a bridge they never had to cross. Im not sure what my uncles thoughts were when he made that phone call  he died in the mid-90s, so I never got to ask. But its reasonable to assume he thought there was something wrong about what the US was doing overseas, and wanted to spare his brother the risk of dying in a pointless war.

We assume that American soldiers die in defence of our rights and freedoms, as they protect us from existential threats. We thank veterans for their service and revere the dead as martyrs. By and large, we never dig deep into why they actually fight and die. After all, no grieving mother wants to think her child gave their life for nothing. But in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan, thats exactly whats happening.

 President Donald Trump speaks to U.S. troops in Iraq

Consider Syria. The small contingent of US troops will be be posted there with the primary goal of containing Iranian influence, but also to continue to combat Isis after the fall of the so-called caliphate.

Can you imagine sorting out the mess of spillover effects from the Syrian civil war and balancing against the adversarial regional power with only 400 troops? Hubris that unique can only be found in US foreign policy. Playing politics with peoples lives is an overused and oft-abused phrase, but in this case, its quite literally true. Four Americans were killed in Syria in January. Of those troops who remain: how many of their lives are worth a set of unobtainable objectives?

Just across the border in Iraq, there are still more than 5,000 troops present for the same reasons that troops are remaining in Syria: to help the Iraqis fight Isis, but mainly to keep an eye on Iran. Its not a wise policy move, since Isis has largely been defeated (although terrorism is a fact of life and can never be fully eradicated) and yet thousands of troops are stuck in one of the most dangerous places on the planet because the president wants to be able to watch Iran.

The Trump administration always fails to mention that Iran is too weak to project meaningful power at the expense of its neighbours, and the International Atomic Energy Agency says they are still in compliance with the 2015 deal struck by the Obama administration that limits their nuclear capabilities, even despite the USs exit from that agreement. Its not clear just what the president thinks hes keeping watch over. Meanwhile, 17 Americans were killed in Iraq in 2018, according to iCasualties.org.

In Afghanistan, the US has accomplished very little, despite a lot of sacrifice. The Taliban has steadily regained control of significant swathes of the country, while the Afghan government is weak, seemingly corrupt, and completely dependent on US support. Civilian deaths were at record highs in 2018.

War hawks argue that America needs to stay in Afghanistan to prevent a repeat of September 11. But those attacks were aided by multiple US intelligence failures and orchestrated across the globe, including at flight schools right here in the US. As international security expert Patrick Porter has said, there is no straight line from Helmand to Manhattan. Counterterrorism doesnt require occupation.

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

Trump has reportedly made plans for a major drawdown in Afghanistan, and US envoys are attempting to facilitate peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban. In the meantime, US forces muddle along, and, too often, die in a conflict that should have ended years ago.

Make no mistake: future American casualties in either of these conflicts will not occur on behalf of our safety or our liberty  whose constitutional rights are threatened by Iranian proxies in Syria? Instead, US forces are held hostage by a path-dependent foreign policy that either aims for the impossible (such as the total defeat of terror) or refuses to see the entire world as anything other than a US protectorate.

Imagine the US left Iraq or Syria tomorrow. Imagine yourself tasked with notifying the family of the last American soldier to die there. For what would you tell them that he or she had died?

Jerrod A. Laber is a Washington-based foreign policy writer and journalist, and a Senior Contributor for Young Voices. His work has been published in The National Interest, Defense One, and the Columbus Dispatch, among other outlets. Follow him on Twitter @JerrodALaber.
It is bizarre to think that a substantial proportion of MPs, including Theresa May, would prefer no deal to holding European elections.

But as the European Council made clear, if Article 50 is revoked or extended for a long period, this would mean holding them. If the UK does participate, the polls suggest that Labour will do well, and this could affect the political balance of the European Parliament, helping to stem the rise of right-wing populists.

These elections will be the first in which a pan-European debate about the kind of Europe people want is likely to displace national debates. This is partly a consequence of Brexit. The far-right has a continent-wide strategy, and the rise of the populist right has also led other parties to put more emphasis on European reform.

The elections therefore represent an opportunity for a democratic debate about the nature of the European Union  something that has been painfully absent in the parochial Brexit debate.

The Party of European Socialists (PES), which represents socialist and social democratic parties in the European Parliament, recently published a radical manifesto for the European elections, greatly influenced by the British Labour Party.

Best signs from the Put It To The People protest Show all 50 1 /50 Best signs from the Put It To The People protest Best signs from the Put It To The People protest A cheerful reminder Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best signs from the Put It To The People protest I will always love EU EPA Best signs from the Put It To The People protest Naughty Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best signs from the Put It To The People protest Bridget Jones vox populi Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best signs from the Put It To The People protest Anyone fancy a spot of birdwatching? Reuters Best signs from the Put It To The People protest Not the only one EPA Best signs from the Put It To The People protest 800sqm banner of a David Davis quote in Parliament Square Led By Donkeys/PA Best signs from the Put It To The People protest Does anyone? Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best signs from the Put It To The People protest Prime concern Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best signs from the Put It To The People protest Managing well to keep their wigs on Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best signs from the Put It To The People protest Name a more moronic duo. I'll wait EPA Best signs from the Put It To The People protest Is telekinetic intervention the only way out of the Brexit mess? Tom Bell Best signs from the Put It To The People protest The sane voice of youth Angela Christofilou / The Independent Best signs from the Put It To The People protest EPA Best signs from the Put It To The People protest Needs must Angela Christofilou / The Independent Best signs from the Put It To The People protest Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best signs from the Put It To The People protest The scarier sequel Angela Christofilou / The Independent Best signs from the Put It To The People protest 'Tis only a flesh wound EPA Best signs from the Put It To The People protest Put the kettle on Reuters Best signs from the Put It To The People protest What's scarier - a shark attack or Brexit? EPA Best signs from the Put It To The People protest An artistic take Reuters Best signs from the Put It To The People protest A cryptic one Angela Christofilou / The Independent Best signs from the Put It To The People protest As a matter of fact EPA Best signs from the Put It To The People protest A windy one Angela Christofilou / The Independent Best signs from the Put It To The People protest A pioneering solution Angela Christofilou / The Independent Best signs from the Put It To The People protest Analogies EPA Best signs from the Put It To The People protest A joyful image EPA Best signs from the Put It To The People protest Generation Z priorities Reuters Best signs from the Put It To The People protest You're never too young to march for change PA Best signs from the Put It To The People protest A cheesy line PA Best signs from the Put It To The People protest The number one single Getty Best signs from the Put It To The People protest Quite the point Angela Christofilou / The Independent Best signs from the Put It To The People protest Do you? Angela Christofilou / The Independent Best signs from the Put It To The People protest Allegedly Angela Christofilou / The Independent Best signs from the Put It To The People protest Let's be considerate PA Best signs from the Put It To The People protest Something smells foul Angela Christofilou / The Independent Best signs from the Put It To The People protest Stuck in the middle with EU Reuters Best signs from the Put It To The People protest Decked out Angela Christofilou / The Independent Best signs from the Put It To The People protest Is it too late? Reuters Best signs from the Put It To The People protest Ikea's set the bar high Getty Best signs from the Put It To The People protest This picture puzzle is pretty darn clear Reuters Best signs from the Put It To The People protest Witty wordplay EPA Best signs from the Put It To The People protest Wonder Woman's battle cry for unity Reuters Best signs from the Put It To The People protest No one can question the wisdom of Spock PA Best signs from the Put It To The People protest The younger generation has spoken AP Best signs from the Put It To The People protest Throw us a bone here AP Best signs from the Put It To The People protest Canine stay in the EU? AP Best signs from the Put It To The People protest Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best signs from the Put It To The People protest Angela Christofilou/The Independent Best signs from the Put It To The People protest AP

It demands European solidarity for the Many not the Few, an end to austerity policies, a green transition, a digital revolution, tax justice, Europe-wide unemployment insurance and more. It includes far-reaching proposals for combating climate change, as well as inequality and poverty. It also calls for a feminist Europe.

The PES manifesto represents a return to the roots of the European project.

During the Second World War, those engaged in the European resistance dreamed of a united socialist Europe. One of the founding documents of the European Union is the Ventotone Manifesto drawn up in 1943 by Altiero Spinelli, Eugenio Corlorni and Ursula Hirschman, who were interned by Mussolini on the island of Ventotene. It was adopted by resistance leaders across Europe. The manifesto called for a break with Europes past through the restructuring of politics and social transformation.

Nowadays, the European Union is rightly condemned by the left for its market emphasis and its neo-liberal policies. But this is not a reason to leave the European Union, it is a reason to stay in to change it.

Britain, after all, is the European country that probably bears the most responsibility for the neo-liberal character of todays EU, beginning with Margaret Thatchers enthusiasm for the single market. Neo-liberalism has gone much further in Britain than any other country. A Britain outside Europe, dominated by Brexit style politics, is likely to be even more committed to a deregulatory neo-liberal free for all.

The overwhelming majority of Labour members favour a strategy of remain and transform. Jeremy Corbyn has supported a public vote but he continues to talk of a better Brexit deal  something that sits rather uneasily with the traditions of the Labour Party. In 1975, the left including Jeremy Corbyn and Tony Benn, voted against joining Europe because they were against the Common Market, although many of them professed support for a socialist Europe.

Now Jeremy Corbyn seems to favour the most neo-liberal bit of the European Union, the customs union but not democratic participation in European institutions and not freedom of movement.

There is something profoundly undemocratic about British politics at the moment. The Prime Minister feels she can bring her deal back to parliament for as many times as it takes to get the answer she wants. And yet she claims it is undemocratic to hold a public vote.

The people will lose trust in politics, she said in her Downing Street address last week. But why are the people likely to trust a Prime Minister whose primary tactic to get MPs on board with her deal is bullying and name-calling, and refusing to give the people a say?

In a democracy we are supposed to change our minds through a process of continuous debate and deliberation.

The Speaker of the House of Commons vetoed the third meaningful vote on the grounds that the substance had not changed. But in the case of Brexit as a whole and the principle of a public vote, the substance has changed. No-one knew what Brexit meant in concrete terms when they voted in the 2016 referendum. So why is it undemocratic to vote on Theresa Mays specific version of Brexit?

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This matters, not just for us in Britain or in Europe more widely, it also matters for the world. The European Union is surrounded by proto-fascist states  Russia, Turkey and Trumps America  that are behaving in very dangerous ways, whether we are talking about saving the planet, preventing violence or preserving human rights and development.

The young people protesting climate change are showing the way. We have a responsibility to contribute to building a Europe that could help us deal with these dangers.
So now that MPs have decided theyre against every possible Brexit option, what do we do? Where do we go?

There is one school of thought that says its time to end this. Back the deal. Give the country the certainty its crying out for and let its unloved prime minister ride off into the sunset so someone else can get on with the long neglected job of fixing it.

In some respects this is understandable. But it is also profoundly wrong.

War metaphors have abounded during this grim chapter of Britains story. Theyve typically been misused by conmen and charlatans who spent their history lessons flicking spitballs at each other.

But, if you forgive me, its possible to see one here if you look back to the period before the Brexiteers beloved Second World War and to the Treaty of Versailles, which played such an important role in the creation of the 20th centurys greatest disaster.

How newspapers reported Theresa May's promise to resign Show all 13 1 /13 How newspapers reported Theresa May's promise to resign How newspapers reported Theresa May's promise to resign How newspapers reported Theresa May's promise to resign Daily Mail How newspapers reported Theresa May's promise to resign Daily Mirror How newspapers reported Theresa May's promise to resign The Sun How newspapers reported Theresa May's promise to resign The Times How newspapers reported Theresa May's promise to resign The Independent How newspapers reported Theresa May's promise to resign The Daily Telegraph How newspapers reported Theresa May's promise to resign Daily Express How newspapers reported Theresa May's promise to resign Financial Times How newspapers reported Theresa May's promise to resign i How newspapers reported Theresa May's promise to resign Metro How newspapers reported Theresa May's promise to resign City AM How newspapers reported Theresa May's promise to resign The Scotsman

As it eventually did in Germany after the First World War, signing off on Mays deal could be expected to usher in a period of relief. A Tory Weimar Republic. But it is one that would evaporate with the dawning of reality, and with far greater speed.

Mays deal will see Britain out of the EU, and in a transition period, during which it will be required to shell out 39bn while negotiating a new trading relationship with no leverage. To do this, the Conservatives will (likely) install a hard-right wing leader even more in hock to the Brexiteer ultras than May has been.

To keep them onside, they will feel the need to play the role of the action hero facing down the Brussels baddies. So get set for a lot of pointless and counterproductive huffing and puffing that could end up blowing us all down.

Before too long, business will be screaming blue murder again, as the certainty it hoped for evaporates. The country will remain paralysed, with Brexit continuing to dominate the agenda.

Schools will be sacking teachers, kids will carry on getting stabbed on the streets, the NHS will creak, the social care system will move closer to collapse, more local authorities will be declared bankrupt. Weimer didnt exactly have a party by comparison, but you get the picture.

Compromise is a word that is used a lot right now. Most of the time its laudable. Conflicting positions emerge throughout life, and people mostly meet somewhere in between them, with each taking something away from the process.

But there is such a thing as a bad compromise. That is what the May deal is. A very bad one. It represents the worst of all worlds. It is the one thing upon which Remainers and Brexiteers actually agree, hence not one but two historic House of Commons defeats.

It strips the UK of its privileged position in the EU and replaces it with a host of new problems for an incompetent government and its exhausted and put upon civil servants to try and solve.

No, parliament didnt find a way through the quicksand. But at least one of the proposals tabled by MPs last night came close to finding support: Ken Clarkes plan for a customs union.

It is an improvement upon what Mays offers, created as it was through the foolish imposition of red lines born of bigotry and Tory dogma. It solves the vexed question of the Irish border, and the infamous backstop. But it otherwise has many of the same flaws.

The better, more democratic plan of putting the situation back to the people, of asking us what we want, wasnt that far behind.

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Compromise requires conversation, and thats what MPs havent had, because our prime minister hasnt allowed one. Instead she has indulged in badgering and bullying. She has had to be hauled back by the courts on at least one occasion, and by parliament on others. As a result, she took to inciting violence against MPs. Successfully, it should be pointed out.

Her latest gambit, maybe her last gambit, is her attempt to sell her country down a polluted river to satisfy the cynical careerism of the likes of Boris Johnson and Michael Gove by promising to resign if they and their allies will hold their noses and back her.

To indulge that sort of a behaviour because people are a bit tired and fed up would be a dangerous folly.

MPs should remember where Versailles ended up.

They have an opportunity here to put democracy first and let the people resolve the messy situation their leaders have created. Eventually someone will have to find a way forward. Whatever it is demands that the people are given a say. It is our future after all.

For the sake of the country, MPs must recognise that and seize the day.
Robert Mueller, the special counsel appointed to investigate collusion between Donald Trumps election campaign and Russia, was presented by US Democrats and much of the US media as a paragon of the honourable and careful lawyer. If anyone could get to the bottom of the supposedly murky relationship between Trump and Russia, he was your man.

Well, he was. And he did.

After investigating for the best part of two years  during which he issued more than 2,800 subpoenas, executed nearly 500 search warrants made 13 requests to foreign governments for evidence, and interviewed approximately 500 witnesses  he found there was little there.

In his summary for Congress, US attorney general William Barr, said: The investigation did not establish that members of the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities. As the president himself had insisted, and could now boast in triumph, there was no collusion.

Now I admit to writing this with a degree of vindication as one of few media sceptics on the matter. And what we are now seeing, in the US at least, is some soul-searching about how the presumption of guilt replaced the presumption of innocence when it came to Trump and Russia. But that is not the whole story. After the initial shock, we are also seeing a good deal of wriggling from Trumps enemies along the lines of: well, weve only seen the summary; as a presidential appointee, the attorney general has most likely spun the report in his patrons favour; its wrong to say he was exonerated, and Russia  well, Russia, with or without Trump, was guilty as hell.

Mueller investigation: The key figures Show all 12 1 /12 Mueller investigation: The key figures Mueller investigation: The key figures Robert Mueller is the special counsel overseeing the investigation into Russia's meddling in the 2016 election, and potential obstruction of justice by the president. Mr Mueller has a pristine reputation in Washington, where he was previously in charge of the FBI. Throughout his investigation, he and his team have been notoriously tight lipped about what they know and where their investigation has led. REUTERS Mueller investigation: The key figures Former FBI director James Comey was the catalyst that led to the appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller. Mr Comey was fired by the president after Mr Trump reportedly asked him to drop his own Russia investigation. Mr Trump has long maintained that the investigation is a "witch hunt". AFP/Getty Images Mueller investigation: The key figures Deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein had authority over the special counsel investigation for much of the two years it has been active. Mr Rosenstein found himself with that responsibility after then-attorney general Jeff Sessions recused himself from that oversight. AP Mueller investigation: The key figures Attorney general Jeff Sessions's decision to recuse himself from oversight of the special counsel investigation may have cost him his job in the end. Mr Sessions resigned last year, after weathering a contentious relationship with Donald Trump who vocally criticised his attorney general for taking a step back. Mr Sessions recused himself from the oversight citing longstanding Justice Department rules to not be involved in investigations overseeing campaigns that officials were apart of. AP Mueller investigation: The key figures Attorney General William Barr is currently responsible for oversight of the special counsel investigation. Mr Barr's office will be the first to receive the Mueller report when it is finished. His office will then determine what portion or version of that report should be delivered to Congress, and also made public. EPA Mueller investigation: The key figures Michal Cohn is the president's former personal lawyer, who has been helping the special counsel investigation as a part of a plea deal over financial crimes, and campaign finance crimes, he has pleaded guilty to. Among those crimes, Cohen admitted to facilitating $130,000 in hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 campaign. Cohen has said he did so at the direction of Mr Trump. Cohen has also admitted that he maintained contacts with Russian officials about a potential Trump real estate project in Moscow for months longer than Mr Trump and others admitted. The talks continued well into 2016 during the campaign, he has said. AP Mueller investigation: The key figures Stormy Daniels has alleged that she had an affair with Donald Trump in 2006, soon after Melania Trump gave birth to Baron Trump. The accusation is of particular importance as a result of the $130,000 hush money payment she received to keep quiet about the affair during the 2016 campaign. AP Mueller investigation: The key figures Paul Manafort was Donald Trump's former campaign chairman. Manafort was charged alongside Rick Gates for a slew of financial crimes, and was convicted on several counts in a Virginia court. He then pleaded guilty to separate charges filed in a Washington court. Manafort has been sentenced to just 7.5 years in prison for his crimes  in spite of recommendations from the special counsel's office for a much harsher sentence. AP Mueller investigation: The key figures George Papadopoulos was one of the first individuals associated with the Trump campaign to be charged by the Mueller probe. He ultimately received a 14 day prison sentence for lying to investigators about contacts he had with Russian officials. AP Mueller investigation: The key figures Roger Stone is a well known political fixer and operative, who has made a name for himself for some dirty tactics. He has been charged by the Mueller probe earlier this year, and he has been said to have had prior knowledge that WikiLeaks planned on publishing stolen emails from the Hillary Clinton campaign in 2016. Getty Images Mueller investigation: The key figures Rick Gates was charged alongside former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort for a range of crimes. Gates, who worked alongside Manafort for a pro-Russia Ukrainian political party. The two were charged with conspiracy and financial crimes. Gates pleaded guilty. AP Mueller investigation: The key figures Former national security adviser Michael Flynn was one of the first casualties of the Russia scandal, and was forced out of his position in the White House weeks after Donald Trump took office. Flynn pleaded guilty in 2017 to "willfully" making fraudulent statements about contacts he had with Russian officials including former Russian ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Flynn then lied to Vice President Mike Pence about that contact. REUTERS

These counter-charges need to be addressed before they become as unquestioned as the collusion allegation. Absolutely, the report as a whole should be published, but I doubt it will all ever see the light of day, given that some evidence was solicited from foreign governments. There will be crucial redactions on security grounds that will leave inevitable doubts  including about any role played by the UKs GCHQ which reportedly supplied the tip-off about Russian interference.

As for Barr, he may be in Trumps camp, but he has included several less comfortable findings, including that Trump was not exonerated of trying to obstruct the course of justice and that Russia did interfere, just not in cahoots with the Trump campaign.

How serious these points are can be disputed. If not on collusion, but on the separate claim of obstructing justice that Trump was not exonerated. And the reason for the ambivalence here is that Trumps innocence of collusion makes it moot whether there was any justice for him to obstruct. What court would convict someone of perverting the course of justice to get out of a crime they had not committed?

There must be questions, too, about Muellers findings on Russian interference  what sort and how much  which may or may not be answered by the full report. Given the strange opaqueness of the last US presidential campaign, it would have been a derelict intelligence service that did not try to penetrate the main campaigns. And what might have been found if the same diligence had been applied to identifying UK, or French or Israeli attempts to discover what was going? There is also a big difference between trying to find out what is going on beneath the surface of a campaign and trying to influence the outcome.

So far as there is any information in the public domain, it suggests that any influence attempts via the social media were pathetically small and amateurish, with possibly commercial, rather than political, intent. Also, it is all too often forgotten that everyone  and I would include in that everyone the Kremlin itself  assumed until election night itself that Hillary Clinton would win. To credit Russia with swinging the result is to exaggerate Russian power in the same way that Soviet military capability was overestimated too.

This stereotypical misperception also feeds into the answer to the much bigger question: how was it that Trump-Russia collusion evolved so quickly from hypothesis to fact. Why were so many in Washington so quick to accept that US had been tricked into electing a traitor as president?

The exaggeration of Russias capabilities reach has to be part of it, along with the pervasive legacy from Soviet times, according to which Russia is still essentially the Soviet Union and still enemy number one. Then there was the rank disbelief among Democrats that their fine compatriots could ever have elected Donald Trump. Hillarys victory had to have been stolen.

And last but not least was Trumps single, clear, campaign pledge  to explore the prospect of improving relations with Russia  which seems to have scared hawks in all corners of the US capital. Join the dots Trumps adversaries cried  the media did especially, casting normal diplomatic meetings as treason and inserting a non-existent Russia link into standard American crimes, such as tax evasion, money-laundering, and lying under oath, which were the only crimes, in the end, that Mueller actually uncovered.

So with the Trump clan now cleared of collusion  and Trumps legitimacy as president thereby affirmed  has Trump now received a green light to revisit his campaign pledge and set a date for a full-dress, olive-branch, summit with Vladimir Putin.

Well, yes  and no. Trump is flaky enough and self-willed enough to ignore the inevitable objections from Congress and the intelligence services and do just that. But the objections from the Washington establishment will not be so easily assuaged.

The fallout from what has become known as Russiagate runs wider. First there is the extent to which the political atmosphere has been poisoned against Russia. With the skirmishing for the next presidential race already beginning, Trump may also have run out of time, with any rapprochement with Russia having to wait for a second term. Nor would Russia necessarily respond favourably. For many months, Putin remained above the fray, in the apparent hope of a mood change in Washington. Now that Russia has essentially rearranged its foreign policy to cope with a hostile, but declining, United States, he may not be open to a new detente.

Second, Trump has to deal with a Democrat majority in the House of Representatives for the second half of his term. Those elections took place amid a Russia-frenzy that was now found to be false. It may be asked who is illegitimate now but the balance of power has changed.

Third, the whole Russiagate saga carried hopes (for Trumps opponents) of eventual impeachment and more. Its very dominance, though, served to divert attention from some of the real flaws that cast doubt on Trumps credentials for the presidency: his business dealings and his attitude to women, to name but two. Now, Trump has only to chant there was no collusion for doubt to be cast on the rest.

And lastly, there was the international fallout. Following Washingtons lead in assuming Trump-Russia collusion, other countries also found latter-day reds, if not under their beds, then somehow engaged in electoral malpractice. The Brexit referendum and the French presidential elections were prime examples, even though none of the claims has been verified. Still the search, and the vilification, goes on.

There are those now comparing Trump-Russia collusion to Iraqs weapons of mass destruction in terms of baseless claims that have shattered trust in Western establishment elites. The merciful difference so far is that there has been no war. What there has been, however, is a big opportunity lost to defuse a key source of international tension  a chance that may have gone for ever.
A worker with an Irish aid charity has described scenes of desolation in southern Africa in the wake of recent floods.

Gavin Douglas, from Concern Worldwide, has visited towns and villages cut off by high waters along the Malawi/Mozambique border.

Communities are trying to piece their lives back together following the disaster triggered by Cyclone Idai.

We passed endless abandoned villages, said Mr Douglas.

The scale of the devastation in the wake of #CycloneIdai.



Support those affected by the worst weather disaster to hit the southern hemisphere. Donate today: https://t.co/WcWKOLpwwE pic.twitter.com/lBXdrCSE0S  Concern Worldwide (@Concern) March 21, 2019

Only the skeletal remains of wood houses remained, some still sitting in four or five feet of water.

It was complete desolation. Whole villages have just been swept away.

During his trip to an area south of Nsanje on the southern tip of Malawi, Mr Douglas said he met local people who had returned to fish for food and to start repairing their homes.

They were too frightened to bring their families back with them in case the floods would return, he said.

The floods came so fast, they left with only the clothes on their backs and a few bits and pieces. They have lost everything. The strength of the floods took everything with it. There is nothing left on the ground, only soaked earth. They have lost vast amounts of crops they were relying on.

It was very hard to process the sheer scale of the destruction.

Concern said more than 800,000 people have been affected by the flooding in Malawi, with 87,000 displaced, 59 dead and 672 injured.

The charity is working in displacement camps to construct latrines and bathrooms and to provide safe water supplies.

Mr Douglas described the dire situation in one of the camps.

Expand Close Patrick Ghembo, of Monyo village, Malawi, standing in his field, destroyed by the floods (Gavin Douglas/Concern Worldwide) / Facebook

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Aid is slow in coming to the camp, he said.

The people have not received a food delivery in six days.

There are more than 11,000 people staying there  mainly women and children. The camp, in the grounds of a school, has less than 20 toilets for the entire camp population.

There is a real threat of cholera and other water-borne diseases. It is very apparent a bigger crisis is looming.

This week, Concern plans to distribute emergency kits containing essential items such as plastic sheeting, cooking utensils, mosquito nets and soap to those who are displaced.

Concern is aiming to provide relief support to tens of thousands of people in the coming days and weeks.

Concern Worldwide chief executive Dominic MacSorley said: Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world, with very little capacity to respond to a natural disaster of this scale.

Concerns team on the ground in Malawi are responding but support from the public and the international community is desperately needed to raise five million euros to fund this work.

For more information about Concerns Malawi flood appeal visit www.concern.net
The Government has been accused of failing to tackle homelessness after the number of people in emergency accommodation hit 10,000 for the first time.

Figures released on Wednesday showed a total of 10,264 people were in emergency accommodation in February. This statistic includes more than 3,700 children.

During Leaders Questions in the Dail on Thursday, Fianna Fail deputy leader Dara Calleary asked the Government to finally confess that its housing policy Rebuilding Ireland was not working.

The truth is there are more families and individuals coming into homelessness now than I think any of us in this house predictedTanaiste Simon Coveney

He said only 72 social houses had been built in the capital last year and claimed that 64% of the houses supplied were bought off-market.

Theyre houses people were looking for, first-time buyers, families, and the Government is muscling them out of the market, he said.

Funds are pre-buying before they even go to market. Funds are in buying apartments on block then driving up rental prices.

.@PearseDoherty has accused the Government of failing to tackle the housing crisis. Thier policies work for landlords and vulture funds but not for ordinary people.



A Sinn Fein Government would enshrine the right to housing in the constitution & implement real rent certainty! pic.twitter.com/CVQNloo7HQ  Sinn Fein (@sinnfeinireland) March 28, 2019

Tanaiste Simon Coveney said the Government was not disputing that the figures were far too high.

If you look at the number of people were taking out of homelessness its a higher figure than ever before, he said.

The truth is there are more families and individuals coming into homelessness now than I think any of us in this house predicted.

The Tanaiste said supply was being increased and that the Government was committed to creating 50,000 new social housing units by 2021.

Rebuilding Ireland was a five-year housing plan  we are three years into that. There are serious issues to deal with but it is simply not true to say that housing output isnt increasing, that the rental market isnt changing for the better, he said.

Over 10k people&almost 4k children #homelessness while IRES REIT landlord boss pays herself 680,000 last year&developers Cairn profits up 267%. "Are you not ashamed of yourselves?" I ask Tanaiste. Speculators profiting from human misery. All out for #RaiseTheRoof demo May 18  Richard Boyd Barrett (@RBoydBarrett) March 28, 2019

Sinn Feins Pearse Doherty said the figures were an absolute and utter disgrace and represented a national scandal.

Mr Doherty said there were almost 4,000 children in emergency accommodation whose lives had been wrecked before theyve ever really begun.

Yet he said Fine Gael had the audacity to say that the housing plan was working.

The Sinn Fein finance spokesman called on him to do the right thing and support his partys proposed legislation aimed at improving the housing market.

We have proposed that you should double the amount of social investment in social homes and affordable homes and youve rejected that, he said.

Youve a decision to make today that the major causes of homelessness in this state is landlords evicting their tenants into homelessness.

Mr Coveney responded that he was not hearing him any clearer because he was shouting.

The truth is that what youre proposing today wont work. We know it wont legally or in practical terms, he said.

If we thought it would we would support it.

Instead, he said the Government would be introducing proposals that they thought would work.

Solidarity People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Tanaiste: Are you not ashamed of yourselves?

He said it was not acceptable that thousands of children did not have a home.

Those childrens lives will be irredeemably scarred and marked by the experience of living in emergency accommodation, he said.

Since Rebuilding Ireland was published, the number of adults in emergency accommodation is up 117%, the number of children in emergency accommodation is up 247%, the number of children since Fine Gael entered government in 2011 is up 470%. Are you not ashamed of that?

Mr Coveney replied: Im focusing on solutions, youre focusing on drama as usual.

Of course, Im very conscious of the fact that we have 10,000 people in emergency accommodation tonight. Im not happy about that and the Government should not be either and we are going to change it.
Minister for Health Simon Harris confirmed that an independent review would be carried out into the deaths of Marie Downey and her son Darragh (Brian Lawless/PA)

An independent review will be carried out into the deaths of a mother and her newborn son at a hospital in Cork.

Marie Downey and her baby Darragh were found lying on the floor of her room at the Cork University Maternity Hospital earlier this week.

Ms Downey was pronounced dead on Monday in an incident that is being described by the hospital as a tragic accident.

This is an extraordinary tragedy, it's so upsetting and devastating to have a mother and her newborn baby pass away in one of our hospitals.Simon Harris

Her baby was pronounced dead on Tuesday.

Minister for Health Simon Harris confirmed that an independent review would be carried out into the deaths and expressed his sympathies to Ms Downeys family, including her husband and two sons.

He said: This is an extraordinary tragedy, its so upsetting and devastating to have a mother and her newborn baby pass away in one of our hospitals.

I certainly dont want to say anything that in any way adds to the grief or indeed intrudes further on that family at this time.

Asked whether it is enough for the hospital to carry out its own review, Mr Harris replied: No, that wouldnt be enough, it certainly wouldnt be enough that a hospital or hospital group would examine this matter.

He added that following a separate tragic maternal death some time ago, he changed the procedure which now means that in such cases automatic independent reviews are carried out under the Women and Infants Health Programme.

He added that while the hospital will carry out its own review, there will certainly be an independent aspect to that too.

The funeral of Ms Downey and her son will take place on Saturday at St Michaels Church, Ballyagran in Co Limerick.
Josie Daly, who has to close Kiddies Kingdom in Bagenalstown, Co Carlow Pic: Mark Condren

TWO play centres in Dublin and Co Carlow have been forced to close this week after their insurance costs soared by 300pc, resulting in the loss of dozens of jobs.

Claire Doyle and Tracy Smullen, owners of Kidspace in Rathfarnham, Dublin, announced the news to their "heartbroken" staff and customers on Tuesday night.

Kidspace's insurance is up for renewal this weekend and they received a quote representing a 25,000 increase on last year's premium.

Only one broker, Leisure Insure, which is based in the United Kingdom, would give them a quote.

They are now left with no option but to close down the business as they simply can't afford the insurance.

The pair run another play centre in Rathcoole, Co Wicklow, where the premium only increased by a couple of thousand, despite being a much bigger premises.

Kidspace in Rathcoole will continue to operate but they fear it is only a matter of time before it too will shut down.

Speaking to Independent.ie, Ms Doyle slammed the lack of consistency and transparency in the insurance industry.

"We've ran this business for five years and have only had one claim in that time, which involved an adult, not a child," she said.

"There is absolutely no reason why our insurance should have went up 25,000. It's so sad... My dad works there doing maintenance and my husband was also helping out. It was our little baby and now it's been taken from us."

Over 25 staff at the Rathfarnham branch now face being out of work due to the closure.

Ms Doyle warned that hundreds more face losing their jobs as play centres are on the brink of extinction.

Expand Close Crisis: Linda Murray with her children Elle (4) and Savannah (3) at her play centre in Navan, Co Meath Photo: Steve Humphreys / Facebook

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"There's a lot of people going to be out of work, we could only give them a week's notice and it's horrible.

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"Our customers are just going crazy, you see the comments on Facebook, there'll be nothing for children to do soon."

Another play centre which closed its doors this week after 15 years in business is Kiddies Kingdom in Bagenalstown, Co Carlow.

Owner Josie Daly has decided to run in the local election for Fianna Fail as she believes Ireland "is heading for disastrous times" due a "compo culture".

"This government does not seem to care that businesses are closing down across the country and it makes me so angry," she said.

"My insurance went from 8,500 a few years ago to 47,000 and I've endured months of stress over all this, it has tormented me.

"Maybe the government will care when thousands are unemployed and everyone has to sign-on. There is no future for people in the play centre business at the moment.

"I've had two claims in 15 years so why would my insurance go up so high? It makes me so mad... you can't even be honest about these things as they'll sue you for that aswell," she said.

A new group made up of the operators of 86 play centres, facilities for special needs children and pet farms has been formed to lobby for radical reform to deal with the claims culture operators say is strangling their businesses.

Businesswoman Linda Murray, who is heading up the group, says she is currently unable to get a quote for her play centre Huckleberry's Den in Navan, Co Meath.

Her insurance increased from 2,500 to 16,500 and with only 37 days to go until her next renewal, no company will give her a quote.

"I can't get insurance at the minute due to an ongoing claim... that's what one claim can do to a business," she said.

Other play centre owners who have had no claims against them say they are "living in fear" as "it can be the difference in getting a quote and not getting a quote."

Elaine Mullally opened Clown Around in Portarlington, Co Offaly in 2008 and has had no claims in 11 years of business, yet her insurance increased from 3,500 to 14,500.

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"We're being held over a barrel as there's a monopoly in the insurance industry as nobody in Ireland will insure us," she said.

"We're a vital resource for the area and it's a safe environment for kids to come and have fun in. We have lots of groups with special needs and people with disabilities and it is vital.

"This year when I asked a broker why insurance was going up so much, I was told 'you're lucky to be getting anything'.

"The figures just do not add up. I have two teenage daughters, they have grown up in that business, it's part of their lives, they were only three and four and now they're teenagers and working there and helping out. People rely on play centres and the government just doesn't seem to care."
Bank of Ireland plans to bundle up 375m of mostly restructured mortgages linked to buy-to-let property investments for a so called securitisation in the latest move by a lender to cut its stock of soured loans.

The bank has kicked off an investor roadshow to assess appetite for the deal and has mandated Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets and Morgan Stanley to arrange the process.

The portfolio has a gross value of 375m and the proposed transaction is expected to result in a reduction in the banks non-performing exposure (NPE) ratio from 6.3pc at 31 December 2018 to around 5.8pc. Along with other Irish banks, Bank of Ireland, is under pressure from regulators to cut its stock of bad loans to the euro area average, which is around 3.4pc and falling.

Bank of Ireland already has the lowest level of bad loans on its books of any Irish bank, and has avoided the large scale loan portfolio sales undertaken by rivals including AIB and Ulster Bank.

In a statement, Bank of Ireland said the majority of the loans involved have been restructured and are performing in line with restructuring arrangements agreed.

Despite that, the mortgage loans are classified as non-performing in alignment with European Banking Authority (EBA) and European Central Bank (ECB) Regulatory Guidelines.

The securitisation proposed means the bank will continue to service the loans, existing restructuring terms will continue to be honoured by the lender, and customers will not have to take any action, the bank said.

There will be no change to the protections currently afforded to customers under the relevant Central Bank of Ireland statutory codes of conduct, including the Consumer Protection Code, the bank said.

Furthermore, there is no transfer of servicing or legal title currently planned in respect of the portfolio and Bank of Ireland expects to continue to service these mortgage accounts. This means Bank of Ireland will remain the contact point for customers in all queries regarding their loan, as is the case today.

Customers do not need to take any action but any borrower seeking more information can contact a dedicated customer phone line, the bank said.
A cross-party group of MEPs has written to the BBC accusing it of normalising white supremacist language in its reports on the Conservative party and Brexit process.

In a letter to the corporations director of news and current affairs, the MEPs asked for guidance to be issued to journalists about the use of extreme right dog-whistles.

They cited two incidents this week in which BBC correspondents reported that Brexiteer Tory MPs had taken to calling themselves The Grand Wizards  a reference to the leadership of the white supremacist Ku Klux Klan  without any explanation of context and appeared to find the use of this phrase amusing.

The 14 MEPs to sign the letter come from Labour, the Lib Dems, Greens, SNP, Plaid Cymru. Two independent MEPs who were elected as Conservatives but who left the party over Brexit and its support for Viktor Orban also signed.

In recent days we have noted a rise in the use of language associated with the white supremacist movement in our public debate and by BBC journalists and we are writing to ask you to nip this disturbing development in the bud, the MEPs wrote.

They add: As a communication professional, I am sure you understand the process of dog-whistling, whereby supporters of a particular position use specific cues or phrases to signal to their supporters in a manner subliminal to the main discourse. It is unfortunate that in this case the BBC is conveying such extreme right dog-whistles.

The use of such terminology is also part of the normalisation of the idea of political violence, which is another disturbing sign of the rise of far-right tropes and behaviours in our political culture.

On Monday the BBCs political editor Laura Kuenssberg tweeted that the Grand Wizards was the new name being used by senior Brexiteers attending meetings with the prime minister. After criticism on social media she added: Just catching up on timeline, for avoidance of doubt, couple of insiders told me [they are] using the nickname informally, no intended connection to anything else. The tweets received thousands of comments, a large number critical of the framing.

The next day on the BBCs flagship Today radio programme another report again referred to the Grand Wizards without acknowledging that it was a term exclusively used by the KKK.

The MEPs add: While it might seem light-hearted and entertaining to white journalists we can assure you that it will cause dismay and distress to many in our ethnic minority communities who feel increasingly fearful and vulnerable.

A spokesperson for the BBC told The Independent: We have received the letter and will respond directly in due course.

The MEPs to sign the letter were Richard Ashworth (independent, former Conservative), Jude Kirton-Darling (Labour), Catherine Bearder (Lib Dem), Julie Girling (independent, former Conservative), Claude Moraes (Labour), Julie Ward (Labour), Alyn Smith (SNP), Richard Corbett (Labour), Molly Scott Cato (Green), Theresa Griffin (Labour), Clare Moody (Labour), Jill Evans (Plaid Cymru), Seb Dance (Labour), and Mary Honeyball (Labour).
British MPs are to vote on the government's EU Withdrawal Agreement on Friday, but the motion will not count as a third attempt to pass a "meaningful vote" on Theresa May's deal because it will not cover the future relationship with Europe.

House of Commons Speaker John Bercow cleared the motion for debate, ruling that it complies with parliamentary conventions which bar ministers from asking MPs to vote repeatedly on the same proposals.

If passed by MPs on Friday, the vote would qualify the UK to be granted an automatic delay to May 22 of the formal date of Brexit.

But it would not allow the UK parliament to go ahead and ratify the withdrawal package, as Brexit legislation allows this only after the passage of a "meaningful vote" on both the Withdrawal Agreement and a Political Declaration on the future relationship.

Moving the motion to enable the debate to take place on March 29 - which was initially slated as Brexit day - the Leader of the House of Commons Andrea Leadsom urged MPs to back the deal "so that we can leave the EU in an orderly way that gives businesses and people the certainty that they need".

Having lost control over the UK parliament and her party, Mrs May yesterday begged MPs to approve the Withdrawal Agreement in return for her resignation.

Expand Close Last chance: Theresa May leaves 10 Downing Street yesterday. Picture: Getty / Facebook

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But just as hope of the deal passing emerged, the DUP emphatically ruled out supporting it.

And as chaos reigned in Westminster, the House of Commons last night voted down every alternative, including a softer Brexit, no deal and a second referendum.

Mrs Mays announcement was seen as tectonic in Dublin, where ministers were pleased by the prospect of the deal getting one last chance  but concerned the next phase of the Brexit negotiations could now be led by a hardline Brexiteer.

Among those being tipped to take the keys of Downing Street is Boris Johnson.

Having previously called for the backstop to be "surgically removed" from the deal, Mr Johnson will now support it.

But Arlene Foster's 10 MPs will vote against the prime minister because they fear Northern Ireland could be "trapped" inside the so-called backstop indefinitely.

A statement warned it had the "potential to create an internal trade border within the United Kingdom and would cut us off from our main internal market, being Great Britain".

The DUP leader this morning outlined that the party wouldn't be able to approve of the withdrawal deal because of the backstop provision - designed to prevent a hard border - but which the DUP say would break up the United Kingdom.

Ms Foster said that the party never consider abstention on the vote as it would be the "worst of all worlds".

"I don't enjoy delivering news like this at all but I have to stay true to what I am true to - the democratic union," she said on RTE Morning Ireland.

"We had to take a decision, I believe it is the only decision to take, I communicated that to her (Mrs May) and I believe that was the right thing to do.

"The most important thing for us is the maintenance of the union, I don't make any apologies for that."

"We want to see Brexit delivered - but if it is a Brexit that keeps all the UK together, that is the most important thing."

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Responding to the DUP last night, Tanaiste Simon Coveney said: "I think the EU has gone as far as it can in relation to providing reassurance and clarification. It seems to be enough for everybody else, but these are decisions the DUP have to make for themselves and I don't think anything I say is going to make a huge difference to that."

The UK government indicated it wants to hold a third vote on the Withdrawal Agreement tomorrow. However, even that is uncertain as the House of Commons Speaker John Bercow wants the proposal to be substantially changed from what was already defeated twice.

There are now indications that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is ready to order his MPs to back a plan for any Brexit deal to be put to a "confirmatory" referendum.

But the idea of second referendum received 268 votes in the parliament last night compared to 295 against.

The closest any alternative proposal came to getting a majority was a motion calling for the UK to remain in a customs union with the EU. Some 264 MPs backed this, while 272 voted it down.

While Mrs May's departure will not alter the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement, it could give Conservative Eurosceptics who have opposed it a greater say in negotiating the terms of Britain's future relationship with the EU.

Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg will support Mrs May's deal if the DUP abstains. He praised her resignation announcement, saying she acted "exceptionally gracefully".

However his colleague Steve Baker said he was in a "ferocious rage" after Mrs May's "pantomime" announcement. "I could tear this place down and bulldoze it into the river," he said.

Mr Coveney said the Irish Government's focus "continues to be on the deal for us rather than on the personalities".

"It's a matter for the prime minister to manage the internal politics of her own party and, of course, her own premiership," he said.

Mrs May's office said there would be a contest to replace her after May 22 - assuming her plan gets through parliament - to provide new leadership. It is expected her successor will be in place in mid-July.

Addressing her MPs behind closed doors, Mrs May said she had heard "very clearly the mood" of the party: "I know there is a desire for a new approach and new leadership in the second phase of the Brexit negotiations and I won't stand in the way of that."

Mrs May had already promised to step down before the next election, due in 2022, but by agreeing to go sooner, she increases the chances of her Brexit deal passing before the new April 12 deadline.

"I am prepared to leave this job earlier than I intended in order to do what is right for our country and our party," Mrs May said.

Speaking to the European Parliament earlier in Strasbourg, EU Council President Donald Tusk told MEPs they should be "open to a long extension, if the UK wishes to rethink its strategy".

He criticised MEPs who told him that UK participation in European elections would be "harmful or inconvenient".

"Let me be clear, such thinking is unacceptable," said Mr Tusk. "You cannot betray the six million people who signed the petition to revoke Article 50, the one million people who marched for a People's Vote, or the increasing majority of people who want to remain in the European Union.

"They may feel that they are not sufficiently represented by their UK parliament, but they must feel that they are represented by you in this chamber because they are Europeans."

In the Dail, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar insisted Northern Ireland would have to be treated differently to the rest of the UK in the event of a no-deal Brexit. He said: "When I talk about special arrangements I mean treating Northern Ireland differently from the rest of the UK."
Proposal: Michael Gove has admitted some countries may challenge thelegality of the UKs tariff plans.. Picture: Reuters

The UK's Environment Secretary Michael Gove has suggested checking Irish goods in continental Europe as a possible way around a hard Border between the Republic and North.

While Mr Gove said he was not advocating it, and that it would be a decision for the EU and Ireland, he suggested it would be a way around the imposition of Border inspection posts.

"I'm not advocating or saying this is the right thing to do," he said.

But he suggested that products that come from the island of Ireland could be checked at a border inspection post in continental Europe.

Mr Gove also conceded that the UK's current no-deal Brexit plans would disadvantage Northern Ireland's agri-food sector.

Prices

Under the plans, EU goods arriving from the Republic and remaining in Northern Ireland would not be subject to tariffs.

The Ulster Farmers' Union has said that this would drive down prices and hit producers in Northern Ireland.

It could also potentially open the door to illegal trade, which would seriously affect the integrity of the Northern Ireland agri-food industry.

Speaking at a UK environmental and rural affairs committee hearing, Mr Gove said "it certainly puts Northern Ireland's agri-food industry at a disadvantage".

He further conceded that other nations may yet challenge the legality of the UK's current proposals around tariffs.

Commentators say the continued movement of animals across the Irish Border is the biggest area of concern for the EU ahead of a no-deal scenario.

Officials believe that arrangements can be put in place for tracking ordinary goods brought into the Republic from Northern Ireland to help avoid a hard Border.

Sources say EU agencies are looking at a version of 'maximum facilitation', which was previously derided by the Irish Government and EU as "magical thinking".

The 'max fac' system involves the use of technology to electronically track goods belonging to 'trusted traders' crossing the Border.

However, it will not resolve the question of how to monitor livestock and food products moving between the two jurisdictions.
British Prime Minister Theresa May is to sacrifice her political career in a final desperate effort to get the Brexit deal through the House of Commons.

Having lost control over the UK parliament and her party, Mrs May begged MPs to approve the Withdrawal Agreement in return for her resignation.

But just as hope of the deal passing emerged, the DUP emphatically ruled out supporting it.

And as chaos reigned in Westminster, the House of Commons last night voted down every alternative, including a softer Brexit, no deal and a second referendum.

Mrs Mays announcement was seen as tectonic in Dublin, where ministers were pleased by the prospect of the deal getting one last chance  but concerned the next phase of the Brexit negotiations could now be led by a hardline Brexiteer.

Among those being tipped to take the keys of Downing Street is Boris Johnson.

Having previously called for the backstop to be "surgically removed" from the deal, Mr Johnson will now support it.

But Arlene Foster's 10 MPs will vote against the prime minister because they fear Northern Ireland could be "trapped" inside the so-called backstop indefinitely.

A statement warned it had the "potential to create an internal trade border within the United Kingdom and would cut us off from our main internal market, being Great Britain".

The DUP leader this morning outlined that the party wouldn't be able to approve of the withdrawal deal because of the backstop provision - designed to prevent a hard border - but which the DUP say would break up the United Kingdom.

Ms Foster said that the party never consider abstention on the vote as it would be the "worst of all worlds".

"I don't enjoy delivering news like this at all but I have to stay true to what I am true to - the democratic union," she said on RTE Morning Ireland.

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"We had to take a decision, I believe it is the only decision to take, I communicated that to her (Mrs May) and I believe that was the right thing to do.

"The most important thing for us is the maintenance of the union, I don't make any apologies for that."

"We want to see Brexit delivered - but if it is a Brexit that keeps all the UK together, that is the most important thing."

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Responding to the DUP last night, Tanaiste Simon Coveney said: "I think the EU has gone as far as it can in relation to providing reassurance and clarification. It seems to be enough for everybody else, but these are decisions the DUP have to make for themselves and I don't think anything I say is going to make a huge difference to that."

The UK government indicated it wants to hold a third vote on the Withdrawal Agreement tomorrow. However, even that is uncertain as the House of Commons Speaker John Bercow wants the proposal to be substantially changed from what was already defeated twice.

There are now indications that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is ready to order his MPs to back a plan for any Brexit deal to be put to a "confirmatory" referendum.

But the idea of second referendum received 268 votes in the parliament last night compared to 295 against.

The closest any alternative proposal came to getting a majority was a motion calling for the UK to remain in a customs union with the EU. Some 264 MPs backed this, while 272 voted it down.

While Mrs May's departure will not alter the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement, it could give Conservative Eurosceptics who have opposed it a greater say in negotiating the terms of Britain's future relationship with the EU.

Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg will support Mrs May's deal if the DUP abstains. He praised her resignation announcement, saying she acted "exceptionally gracefully".

However his colleague Steve Baker said he was in a "ferocious rage" after Mrs May's "pantomime" announcement. "I could tear this place down and bulldoze it into the river," he said.

Mr Coveney said the Irish government's focus "continues to be on the deal for us rather than on the personalities".

"It's a matter for the prime minister to manage the internal politics of her own party and, of course, her own premiership," he said.

Mrs May's office said there would be a contest to replace her after May 22 - assuming her plan gets through parliament - to provide new leadership. It is expected her successor will be in place in mid-July.

Addressing her MPs behind closed doors, Mrs May said she had heard "very clearly the mood" of the party: "I know there is a desire for a new approach and new leadership in the second phase of the Brexit negotiations and I won't stand in the way of that."

Mrs May had already promised to step down before the next election, due in 2022, but by agreeing to go sooner, she increases the chances of her Brexit deal passing before the new April 12 deadline.

"I am prepared to leave this job earlier than I intended in order to do what is right for our country and our party," Mrs May said.

Speaking to the European Parliament earlier in Strasbourg, EU Council President Donald Tusk told MEPs they should be "open to a long extension, if the UK wishes to rethink its strategy".

He criticised MEPs who told him that UK participation in European elections would be "harmful or inconvenient".

"Let me be clear, such thinking is unacceptable," said Mr Tusk. "You cannot betray the six million people who signed the petition to revoke Article 50, the one million people who marched for a People's Vote, or the increasing majority of people who want to remain in the European Union.

"They may feel that they are not sufficiently represented by their UK parliament, but they must feel that they are represented by you in this chamber because they are Europeans."

In the Dail, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar insisted Northern Ireland would have to be treated differently to the rest of the UK in the event of a no-deal Brexit. He said: "When I talk about special arrangements I mean treating Northern Ireland differently from the rest of the UK."
Status quo: San Francisco is a not in my backyard locale where the amount of new construction just isnt that high, for legal and regulatory reasons

It is a commonplace observation that the rent is too damn high, at least in Manhattan, San Francisco, London, Vancouver and many of the world's other glamour spots.

Not only is this observation true - it's worse than you think.

Complaints about the status quo tend to focus on how much renters have to pay out of pocket, or how hard it is to get on the home-ownership track, or the problems businesses have in attracting talent.

But another huge problem is one of political economy: As time goes on, governance in high-rent cities is likely to get more and more dysfunctional.

To see why, step back and consider two 19th-century "classical economists" who focused on high rents: David Ricardo and Henry George. Both built models where land is so scarce that the cost of renting land absorbs most of the social surplus. We are not (yet?) at that point, but these models give insight into where today's most expensive cities are headed.

Consider an increase in the quality of public services - say, garbage collection, or perhaps in San Francisco the elimination of public urination. You might think that would make life much better for everyone.

Newly created surplus

But in a Ricardo-George model, that is not the case. Mainly what happens is that rents go up and landowners capture most of the newly created surplus.

How would this work? Take the example of San Francisco; with nicer streets, even more people might want to move there.

That would push up rents by an amount roughly equal to the value created - putting the gains from the higher quality of life into the pockets of landowners. In a normal market economy, those higher rents would then induce more construction and, eventually, a corresponding decline in rents.

But San Francisco is a "not in my backyard" locale where the amount of new construction just isn't that high, for legal and regulatory reasons.

Again, as both Ricardo and George realised, the incidence of the benefit falls upon the very scarce factor, namely land.

The political economy problem now should be obvious: Why exactly would non-landowners press for improvements in their cities? The value of those improvements will be captured mainly by other parties.

By the same token, the incentives are skewed when it comes to the cost of problems. Say air pollution or homelessness gets worse. You might think that would degrade the quality of life in a city. But don't leap to that conclusion too quickly: to the extent land is truly scarce, the main effect would be a decline in rents and real estate prices.

Landowners would be worse off, but the typical city resident might find that the cheaper cost of living offsets the deterioration in conditions.

The political economy problem here again is that residents just won't care enough about the quality of life in their city.

A ride on the New York City subway system, or a walk through central San Francisco, will confirm the view that two of America's greatest cities are grossly underinvesting in the quality of life.

You might think that landowners would care about urban quality, and use their clout to push through all sorts of policy improvements. Partly they do, but landowners are not such a numerous group, and they tend to focus their limited political influence in support of NIMBY policies most of all.

Once you think about these cities in terms of the Ricardo-George model, it is remarkable how many orthodox views get revised. What about an increase in the minimum wage, for example? Any initial gains for workers will eventually be offset by higher rents.

Like most economic adjustments, these effects are more potent in the long term than in the short term. But the upshot is the same: In a NIMBY-controlled world, many of our most glorious cities will slowly but surely fall apart.

Voters just won't care enough about the quality of public services, and furthermore many voters might end up using their votes to express their ideology (even more so than usual) rather than to elect leaders to solve problems.

Dysfunctional major cities

Fine, you might say: So what if major cities decay, especially if most of the burden is borne by landowners rather than workers. Unfortunately, dysfunctional major cities have negative effects on the nation as a whole. America needs its best cities to be centres of national and international innovation - to serve as role models and sources of new ideas.

A rotten San Francisco or Manhattan is not acceptable simply because otherwise, the rent would be even higher.

If America's cities continue to deteriorate in so many areas, the social costs of building restrictions and high rents will spread - even to the most development-friendly parts of America and the world.

(Bloomberg Opinion)
It's almost certain that changes to the EU's Common Agricultural Policy will be delayed beyond 2020.

While EU agriculture chief Phil Hogan insists a deal can be done by the end of next year, EU officials and MEPs are less confident.

Sinn Fein's Matt Carthy says the European Commission and Parliament are being "too ambitious" in their thinking, and that it's likely discussions will not conclude until the new Parliament and Commission are in place next year.

He also says a new agriculture commissioner, who is due to take office later this year, will want to put his or her "own stamp" on the talks.

Agriculture MEPs will vote on their negotiating position next Tuesday, though the Parliament as a whole is unlikely to vote on it before the May elections. Its final pre-election sitting begins the week of April 15.

"The chances of it being signed off this mandate are almost nil," said Mr Carthy (pictured), one of three Irish MEPs on the Parliament's agriculture committee.

Mr Hogan said last week the moves would "seriously undermine" the CAP and reduce public support.

"We have set the general principles at EU level, which should be common and binding to all," he told ministers.

"It is for you to define the concrete implementation arrangements with a much greater leeway compared to today."

MEPs are voting on three separate legal proposals to reform the post-2020 CAP. The most controversial is a new law requiring governments to submit annual "strategic plans" setting out how they intend to spend EU subsidies - with penalties for those who fail to meet EU objectives.

Most EU countries fear that the extra paperwork and reporting required under the strategic plans (and accompanying progress reports) will overcomplicate an already labyrinthine system.

"The CAP, under the guise of simplification, is being made even more complicated, bureaucratically," Mr Carthy told the Farming Independent. "Farmers find themselves in a tug of war between the European Commission and national governments."

The other two proposals include a rejigged law on emergency aid and market intervention (known as the 'common markets organisation') and a 'horizontal' law on how CAP money is paid out (including advances, sanctions and exemptions).

They are also squabbling over what defines a 'genuine farmer' and what type of land will qualify for future subsidies, as well as a controversial 60,000-100,000 limit on direct payments.

The cap is seen as the only way to ensure a fairer redistribution of CAP money from bigger to smaller farmers, and between EU countries (known as internal and external convergence, in EU jargon).

Ireland already applies a voluntary upper limit of 150,000 on CAP payments, and Government figures show that 99pc of eligible Irish farmers received basic payment below 60,000 in 2018.

A group of largely eastern European countries - led by the Czechs - is also lobbying the Commission to double the amount of money set aside for specific sectors and products ('voluntary coupled support').

However, the discussions on the future CAP are inextricably linked to discussions on the EU's 2021-27 budget, which EU leaders want to wind up by this autumn.

Mr Carthy says the Irish Government "has played their hand very badly" in the budget talks - particularly with the threat of a 'no-deal' Brexit looming.

"I don't think you can [agree] on the new CAP process without having the budget locked down," he said.

"And I don't see any way the Irish people will support a European budget where they're getting less back."

Along with EU farmers' organisations, Mr Carthy is pressing for an emergency Brexit fund to help specific regions and sectors dealing with Brexit.

"The Irish Government refuses to place that demand on the European Commission - they have adopted a wait and see approach," Mr Carthy said.

"They are talking about existing instruments but Brexit is beyond anything we've seen before.

"In a no-deal scenario the Irish exchequer would not be in a position to provide, on its own, this type of assistance."
The President of ICMSA met EU Agriculture Commissioner, Mr. Phil Hogan, today in Brussels to discuss the ongoing uncertainty over Brexit and the crippling effect the chaos is having on Irelands farming and wider agri-food sector and the financial losses being suffered by farmers.

Pat McCormack said that the whole sector had been in a state of suspended amination for going on three years since the Referendum had put a massive question mark over our traditional markets in Britain but he was categorical that it is the primary producer  the farmer - who is taking the financial hit.

We have been unable to make the kinds of decisions that are urgently required for a forward-planning business like farming because we just dont know whether our multi-billion British market for beef and dairy is going to be feasible the other side of Brexit, said Mr McCormack.

There is a consensus now that confidence has effectively collapsed in beef and ICMSA has no doubt whatsoever that the losses suffered do come under the heading of Brexit. This is why farmer anger is growing given the complete lack of support to-date and the fact that Brexit is already damaging Irish farming, he said.

The ICMSA President said that he had asked Commissioner Hogan to accept that fact and act immediately to publish the supports that will be available to EU farmers already suffering demonstrable Brexit-related losses.

Were well past the question of whether or not Brexit will cost Irish farmers money; it already has cost us money  and is continuing to do so every day. The EU Commission and our Government need to immediately set out their supports to restore a level of confidence amongst farmers regarding their futures, concluded Mr McCormack.
Workers make their way along rows of daffodils removing any rogue varieties at Taylors Bulbs in Holbeach, Lincolnshire.

A drop in seasonal workers driven by Brexit uncertainty has left daffodil growers struggling to harvest their fields amid warnings crops will almost certainly be lost as the year progresses.

The daffodil season, which lasts from January to April, provides around 45 million a year to the UKs economy.

But growers and the National Farmers Union (NFU) say uncertainty over the value of the pound and the future ability of staff to work in the UK after Brexit has resulted in a significant drop in pickers choosing to come here.

Almost certainly there will be crops lost as a result of these shortages.National Farmers Union chief horticulture adviser Lee Abbey

Last month Matthew Jarrett, the managing director of agricultural recruitment agency Pro-Force, told the BBCs Farming Today that a lack of workers had already impacted on daffodil growers.

He said: Were at sort of a crisis point and were really seeing it on the ground. Unfortunately weve seen loss of crop already in 2019 and I think thats going to be a theme throughout the coming year.

The NFUs chief horticulture adviser Lee Abbey said there had been labour shortages of around 12.5% across horticulture, equating to between 8,000 and 10,000 people, so its absolutely significant.

Mr Abbey said: Almost certainly there will be crops lost as a result of these shortages.

In 2018 over half of members experienced shortages and nearly half said they had at least some of their crop lost as a result of not having enough labour. So almost certainly this will be the case again this year, and we anticipating that it will be significantly worse.

He said recent clarity around a no-deal Brexit scenario on labour movement had come too late for many workers, who would have decided where they would work this season by the end of last year.

And he warned that the Governments new pilot scheme, announced in September to bring 2,500 seasonal workers to UK farms, nowhere near scratched the surface of existing shortages and ought to be about 10,000.

Does your farm or food business employ seasonal workers from the EU? EU citizens can continue to come to the UK for work in 2019 and 2020 after the UK leaves the EU: https://t.co/4g6X1FvDA0 #Brexit #businessandbrexit #prepareforEUexit pic.twitter.com/SeoY8wP9Lu  Defra UK (@DefraGovUK) March 15, 2019

Matthew Naylor, managing director of Naylors Flowers, which grows more than 50 million stems of cut flowers in the UK and mainland Europe from its base in Spalding, Lincolnshire, said: There are lots of factors at play. The uncertainty that we face with leaving the EU is certainly not helping.

Mr Naylor said the drop in the value of the pound had reduced wages for pickers, while a few had gone to work in other European countries because they know theyll be able to continue to do so.

On the ground, as a British employer, we dont have the reputation we used to have as a place to better yourself. I dont think thats what it was.

They are skilled people. I would never call this an unskilled job. We have some people earning 1,000 a week. Were having to work a lot harder with advertising and perks to retain them.
Tony Cummins, an ESB volunteer on Business in the Community Irelands 'Time to Read' literacy volunteering programme partnered with Amber and Rhianna Skerritt from St. Marys school in Fairview, Dublin

Some 60 companies in Ireland last year contributed more than 30m and 264,735 hours to charities.

This is according to research from Business in the Community Ireland (BITCI), a business network that advises Irish companies on corporate social responsibility and sustainability.

Over 13m was given in cash donations, while 11.7m was contributed through in-kind donations.

Elsewhere, over 5.5m was raised through employee fundraising.

Meanwhile employees volunteered over 264,735 hours to local groups and projects during the year.

Tomas Sercovich, BITCI chief executive, said: Employees want to work for companies that encourage volunteering as part of everyday business and crucially want to work where their values align with their employer.

Employee engagement is a critical tool to attract and retain the best talent as employees now expect their employers to have a community strategy in place as standard, Mr Sercovich added.

In terms of where the money raised is going, last year the areas of health, social inclusion, education, and children and youth were the best supported.

Over 4m was donated to health, with a further 3.8m being donated to social inclusion.

Meanwhile 3.3m went towards both the area of education and children and youth.
A Dublin-based startup has secured 3.2m in an oversubscribed seed financing round led by HBAN MedTech and Irrus Syndicates.

CroiValve is expected to use the funds to continue to develop its minimally invasive treatment for tricuspid regurgitation (TR), a life-threatening heart condition.

Other investors in the round, who believe in the potential of the company's treatment, include Atlantic Bridge University Fund, Enterprise Ireland, SOSV and a group of cardiologists.

Led by 48 angel investors, this is the largest ever number of HBAN members to contribute to one funding round; together they invested 1.5m in CroiValve, a spinout from the Trinity Centre for Bioengineering.

CEO Dr Lucy OKeeffe said that all treatment options for TR too date have been either too invasive or merely symptom management.

With the vast majority of TR patients elderly and too frail for open-heart surgery, CroiValves device specifically addresses the challenges associated with the disease.

"We welcome the investors support in accelerating our development efforts and look forward to working together to bring this exciting technology to patients," she said.

CroiValve are currently building its team, particularly in the area of research and development, with an intention on having an employee headcount of 10 people by year end.

HBAN MedTech syndicate member, and CroiValve Chairman, Bernard Collins said the company is dedicated to transforming the way tricuspid regurgitation is treated.

"This [funding] will help to open doors for CroiValve and enable the company to scale and commercialise its device. As chairman and an investor, I am extremely excited to be involved in this game-changing company dedicated to transforming the way tricuspid regurgitation is treated," he said.
The State has paid a further 500m to buy and tear up a batch of bonds linked to the liquidation of the former Anglo Irish Bank.

The debt was bought from the Central Bank. It was issued in 2013 as part of the liquidation of Irish Bank Resolution Corporation (IBRC). Around 14.5bn has been spent buying the bonds.

The complex 'Prom Night' IBRC liquidation saw the Central Bank compensated for money it was owed by the former Anglo using a mix of taxpayer-funded IOUs including 25.03bn of Floating Rate Notes (FRNs), and 3.461bn of the Irish Government bonds. Taxpayers are on the hook for debt plus interest.

The National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA), headed by Conor O'Kelly, has been buying the bonds in order to tear them up. Controversially, the Central Bank destroys the money it receives from the State when the purchases happen as part of its management of money in circulation.

With the latest deal the original 25bn has been cut to 10.5bn. The Central Bank originally received the bonds as part of the liquidation of the IBRC in February 2013 - the so-called 'Prom Night'. It must sell them off because it is not supposed to lend to the State which, in reality, is what holding bonds means.

In the latest transaction, the NTMA bought and cancelled of 500m of debt due to mature in 2049. If the bonds were sold to another buyer interest would have to be paid.

Meanwhile, the European Union's Court of Auditors is to probe State aid given to banks in the European Union.

The probe will only cover state aid given since 2013 - and so excludes the worst period of the financial crisis.
Josie Daly, who has to close Kiddies Kingdom in Bagenalstown, Co Carlow Pic: Mark Condren

JUSTICE Minister Charlie Flanagan has described the insurance industry as highly profitable and said there was scope to cut premiums.

He said jobs were at risk from soaring premiums and the inability of some companies to get cover.

The level of awards in personal injury cases was too high and needs to be addressed, the minister said.

Addressing the Seanad on a bill that aims to cap injury awards, Mr Flanagan said the latest data for the industry showed insurers making profits.

The annual profits of ten major insurance companies amounted to between 6.1m and 201m at the end of 2017 with the total assets of insurance corporations reported by the Central Bank to be 305bn at the end of last year.

There is clearly scope to reduce insurance costs for consumers and I am calling on the industry to act.

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He was commenting on the Civil Liability (Capping of General Damages) Bill 2019 proposed by his party colleague Senator Tony Lawlor.

The Justice and Equality Minister added: The insurance industry in Ireland is very profitable and, while I commend the companies involved for their success, I believe it is incumbent on them to consider the onerous costs of premiums.

In my view there is not a proportionate relationship between the claims made and the constant hiking of insurance costs which are threatening livelihoods at this stage.

He said the level of awards in personal injury cases needs to be addressed.

Mr Flanagan said the Law Reform Commission has committed to conducting a detailed analysis of awards to come up with caps that a constitutionally sound.

The Minister said that the Government would not oppose the Civil Liability (Capping of General Damages) Bill 2019 as it was important to facilitate a debate.

However, there were many difficulties with the proposed bill, including constitutional difficulties which would need to be addressed at committee stage, he said.

His comments came as two play centres in Dublin and Co Carlow have been forced to close this week after their insurance costs soared by 300pc, resulting in the loss of dozens of jobs.

Claire Doyle and Tracy Smullen, owners of Kidspace in Rathfarnham, Dublin, announced the news to their "heartbroken" staff and customers on Tuesday night.

Kidspace's insurance is up for renewal this weekend and they received a quote representing a 25,000 increase on last year's premium.

Another play centre which closed its doors this week after 15 years in business is Kiddies Kingdom in Bagenalstown, Co Carlow.

Only one broker, Leisure Insure, which is based in the United Kingdom, would give them a quote.
The majority of prospective home buyers see prices rising for the type of home they want, a survey has found.

Those in the market to buy say that it is harder to find a suitable home to purchase than a year ago. More than half of those surveyed think it is harder to find a home to fit their needs, while 18pc think it is easier.

However, concerns about spiralling house prices have eased, according to the KBC Bank homebuyer sentiment survey, which reported that the strong demand is being driven by changes in personal circumstances.

Potential first-time buyers are reaching a stage in life when they want to stop renting, with growing families another factor which is pushing up the demand from purchasers.

According to the study, for which Cere Research questioned 2,000 people, there are 85,000 homebuyers in a position to buy immediately.

This means that there is an effective backlog of unsatisfied demand equivalent to about a year-and-a-half worth of transactions, KBC said.

Responses to the survey were filtered to focus on those in the market to buy a home.

Some 66pc of those surveyed reckon prices are rising for the type of property they want to buy. However, this is down on the figure for last year.

Six out of 10 feel it is harder to find a suitable home to buy than a year ago.

KBC Bank economist Austin Hughes said the surge in housing demand reflected the fact that large numbers of people were in accommodation that no longer meets their needs.

Many of those surveyed have reached a stage in life where they need to buy, while others cite changing family circumstances such as changes in household size.
Few industries have ever been transformed so quickly as the Irish property sector. A decade ago Irish property was on its knees. We had a cohort of indigenous developers who were basically broke. House prices were tanking. Rents were tanking. Ireland Inc was in deep trouble and was still two years away from the beginning of an IMF bailout.

But behind that layer of detritus, the make-up of the property sector was very different to today. Irish banks had been over-exposed to lending into it. They would not do it again because they would not be allowed to do so by regulators.

House prices had moved out of reach for the average couple and the solution had been to lend them more money. Never again.

Rents had gone up to new records in the boom years but looking back with hindsight were not as off the charts as they are now. The rental sector was made up of thousands of amateur landlords who owned an average of two properties each. Long-term renting was not the norm.

The industry was dominated by a relatively small number of indigenous players who ran their own businesses like personal fiefdoms. They sat at the top of large complex webs of corporate structures where they were directors of dozens and at times even hundreds of companies. Nobody, not even the banks, knew how much they owed and what their real net worth was.

There was a logjam when the whole system collapsed with the loss of tens of thousands of jobs. The move to attract new foreign capital into the sector was spearheaded by Nama, with the help of incredibly lavish tax breaks.

The aim was to have a new kind of institutional property investment class with solid overseas balance sheets and an eye towards long-term investment.

Initially, hedge funds arrived to make a killing and they did. Now the picture is becoming a little more nuanced. They have sold out at substantial profits and other investors, such as pension funds, or quoted property Reits are increasing their presence.

The old developers appear to be back, in so far as they are involved in lots of commercial property and housing plays, but in many cases they are not in the driving seat. Because they don't have the money, they have international backers who will earn the lion's share of the profits. Familiar developers are often promoters of projects and their reward is based on a fee structure which can include marketing fees, success fees and bonuses. But many of them no longer have much equity in the ventures they are promoting.

The new kingpins are international investors such as Kennedy Wilson, Hammerson or listed firms such as Cairn Homes, Glenveagh or Green Reit. Throw in the country's biggest landlord, Ires Reit and the picture has really changed. In order to reflect this radical shift in the make-up of the sector, some of these institutional property firms have set up their own lobby or representative group called Irish Institutional Property (IIP).

Directors include Kevin Nowlan of Hibernia Reit and Brian Moran, managing director of Hine Ireland. Pat Farrell, the head of group communications at Bank of Ireland, is set to join as its first chief executive when he leaves his current job shortly. The fact that institutional property companies need or want their own lobby group speaks volumes about the presence they now have in the Irish market.

They obviously believe they have enough in common, even though some only build houses while other don't do residential at all, to be able to form a unified voice to government on policy matters.

And there is no better man for the job than Mr Farrell. IIP isn't the first lobby group he has run. He is a former head of the Irish Bankers Federation. He knows the political and policy landscape very well.

The likely members of this new group are very much in the driving seat in the industry. They have the cash to make projects happen. They have the scale and they represent much of what government policy seems to want to achieve. They are developers building houses with a view to selling them off in advance in large blocks for rent. Increasing the long-term rental market seems to be a major building block of where the Government wants the sector to go.

Mortgage-funded first-time buyers are becoming an endangered species. Only a certain number can raise the deposit and qualify for a mortgage under Central Bank rules.

If these institutional players are in such a strong position, why do they need to come together and form a single lobby group? One view is that they believe they are getting bad press. They see themselves as long-term investors in the property market, in pursuit of reasonable long-term returns.

Yet, they are often associated with vulture funds which are seen as large faceless organisations eyeing up a quick buck. The problem for the Government is who to listen to when it comes to policy. It still doesn't want to be seen to be close to the previous generation of individual developers, who are still associated with the worst days of the Galway Races tent. Although I am sure for anyone who was in the tent, those were the best days.

Government doesn't want to be cosying up to international vulture funds who are blamed for everything from avoiding taxes to throwing people out of their homes. Yet, from a lobbying point of view, it should listen to somebody. Industry players all have their own agenda, but they also know what is going on and may have workable solutions.

So, if the institutions could establish their long-term commitment to the market, and shed some of the negative image, they might believe they will get a better hearing. That seems to be the plan.

The IIP says it purpose is to "educate legislators" and other stakeholders about the sources of members' money. It wants to show how much of this emanates from pension funds.

There are some positives around these new players. Listed property companies are much more transparent than old-style fiefdom developers. Their international capital has helped kick-start a building boom which has generated tens of thousands of construction jobs. We did have too many smaller amateur landlords.

Yet, the property market in Ireland is changing fundamentally. Young couples cannot buy a home. The Government should plug the social housing gap by building and owning more social houses - not outsourcing it. Rents are at rip-off rates. Not enough houses are being built. Some long-experienced Irish developers argue the problem is getting worse not better, yet they are not listened to.

Because property and housing is so important to society and the economy, there should be a clear roadmap of what the desired future of the industry should look like. Do we want to be a nation of renters or owners? If a mix is best then what is the mix and how is that best achieved?

What is the quickest way to resolve the housing crisis and what part do the industry stakeholders have to play in achieving that?

The Government should not simply dismiss every industry perspective on the solutions but should have an open mind and an open ear. The trick is to not get too close.
A body that represents pension trustees has been granted leave to apply for a judicial review of moves by the Social Protection minister to impose new EU regulations on one-member pension schemes.

Up to 100,000 self-directed pension schemes, which are favoured by directors and family-owned firms, are in existence.

The Association of Pension Trustees of Ireland wants to block parts of the IORP II directive, which effectively restrict one-member schemes from investing in property, typically buy-to-lets.

The new European Union IORP II (Institutions for Occupational Retirement Provision) directive is due to be signed into law here by Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty.

The directive will ban the schemes from long-term borrowing, and restrict their freedom to hold unregulated investments.

This will have the effect of blocking these one-member schemes from investing in property, something that has enraged the Association of Pension Trustees of Ireland (APTI).

The State decided not to seek a derogation on the parts of the new directive that refer to borrowings and the percentage of investments that must be regulated investments, as it did in the case of IROP I in 2005.

Applying to bespoke executive pensions and small self-administered schemes, regulators want the same governance standards for the single-member schemes as for much larger occupational plans.

But on Monday the Association of Pension Trustees of Ireland was granted an ex-parte motion for leave to apply for a judicial review of the transposition of the IORP II directive. The full hearing is due on May 28 next.

It is highly unusual for any body in this country to use the courts to block new regulations.

APTI's move effectively puts a stay on the parts of the directive in relation to borrowing in self-administered schemes and the level of regulated assets in the plans being signed into law.

APTI chairman Kevin Coghlan said it was disappointed the department would not meet it before the directive was transposed into law here.

He complained that the rollout of the directive was "indiscriminate".

The typical self-directed fund only has 450,000 in it.

The new rules mean this would restrict the investment in a buy-to-let to just 225,000, with no borrowings allowed to purchase the property.

He said: "Contrary to what has happened in other EU countries, Ireland's implementation of the directive will work contrary to its primary purposes of protecting consumers."

Mr Coghlan also said the new regulation would add an expensive regulatory burden to schemes.

But the department said the transposition of the directive will mean improvements to the regulation and governance of funded pension schemes.

The value of investments held in many schemes fell substantially during the financial crisis, it said.

This highlighted the need for stricter regulation and greater protections.

The department insisted that 98pc of single-member schemes are already compliant with the new rules.

Under the provisions of the directive assets must be predominantly invested on regulated markets.

The spokesperson said the new directive means small self-administered schemes, which are the only schemes currently allowed to borrow, will not be allowed to enter into new borrowing arrangements.
Cheered: Richard Yu, CEO of the Huawei Consumer Business Group, unveils the new Huawei P30 and P30 Pro smartphones during a well-received launch event in Paris, France. Photo: Reuters

The president of Huawei's handset arm, speaking at this week's P30 Series launch, made no mention of the latest recommendation by the European Commission on tackling cybersecurity risks in next-generation 5G networks.

While pressure has been heaped on Europe by the US not to use Huawei products in 5G networks over security concerns, the EC's advice on Tuesday did not include a ban on the Chinese tech giant's products.

Following the official launch of the new P30 and P30 Pro, Kevin Ho was asked about the 5G capabilities - or lack thereof - on its handsets having a potential impact on sales as consumers may wait for the next instalment of the series.

"We have a plan to support 5G across models in our portfolio... but this is not expected to happen until maybe the end of this year," he said.

He added that the desire for 5G would be more apparent from the Mate X and Mate 20 X "business" consumer demographic than the "lifestyle" user the P30 targets, while admitting the gap between the two distinct market audiences is closing with each release of the respective series.

Both the flagships P30 and P30 Pro, unwrapped at the Paris Convention Centre on Tuesday afternoon, include a number of upgrades on their predecessors: better battery life, a smaller notch on the curved Oled, an integrated fingerprint scanner that makes the most of the 6.47 inch screen size among them.

But, apart from the new colour range - Amber Sunrise, Breathing Crystal, Black and Aurora - it's the redesign of the camera, a new Leica Quad, that has pushed the 'rewritetherules' marketing agenda and drew gasps from the audience in France.

"We moved to a camera that can make art... I agree that when we say smartphone, perhaps we should have said smart camera," said Mr Ho.

"But the consumer is always looking for a better camera, so we moved it, step-by-step, to be more in line with the professional camera."

In additional to the 20MP wide angle lens, a 40MP 'superspectrum' camera, and an 8MP 5x periscope zoom, Huawei changed greens for yellows in its Bayer filter which it says allows 40pc more light to reach the sensor.

Putting the functionality to the test in front of a packed convention centre, which included no small amount of bloggers and influencers, CEO Richard Yu compared P30 snaps, namely the zoom lens and night mode, with its competitors on the market.

Received by a cheer, matched only when the handsets' fancy new colours were revealed, a clearly amused Yu made a play on the word 'galaxy' when revealing obvious comparisons of stars and moon shots taken by the top mobile phone players on the market.

The geographic setting of the launch was, of course, perfect for trying out the full extent of the P30 Pro's capabilities of the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower for the very many social media posts from attendees.

Directly after the Apple launch earlier this week, the official Huawei account tweeted: 'thanks for the warm-up, now on to the main event'.

And this overt challenge was wholly apparent at the launch.

Alas, there was no side-by-side contrast of a juicy red apple. I'm not sure the overexcited crowd could have handled it.

The Huawei P30 Pro will be available from 79.99 on Bill Pay and 999 sim-free, and the P30 will be available from free on Bill Pay and 739 sim-free at Vodafone, Three, Eir, Carphone Warehouse, Virgin and Harvey Norman in Ireland.
Initial estimates of 500m for the rural rollout of the governments National Broadband Plan were abandoned because they were based on a scheme that was not fit for purpose, says one of the governments top civil servants.

Mark Griffin, Secretary General of the Department of Communications, declined to say how much the National Broadband Plan would now cost for "commercial sensitivity reasons".

However he told the joint Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee that there is a figure now established for the likely cost.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar recently said that the plan would cost a multiple of the initial 500m estimate.

Asked whether he thought the National Broadband Plan would proceed, Mr Griffin declined to offer any assurance.

"Im confident that the project as presented will deliver on a lot of the governments objectives," said Mr Griffin. "But the decision on whether to proceed or not is a government decision."

Communications Minister Richard Bruton told the Dail this week that he would bring a recommendation to Cabinet on the issue within the next three weeks.

The scheme, which is die to provide high speed broadband to 1m people in 540,000 rural households, was due to be decided on last year but has been repeatedly delayed.

Social Democrat TD Catherine Murphy asked whether the process was at risk by only having one remaining bidder, Granahan McCourt, for the state contract.

"Its not usual to have a single bidder although its not ideal," said Mr Griffin. "If you look at the UK equivalent of the National Broadband Plan, there was only one final bidder, BT, after Fujitsu pulled out. But its always better if you have more bidders in terms of competitive tension."

Ms Murphy asked whether there were any parallels with the National Childrens Hospital from a cost analysis.

"The fundamental difference between this and the National Childrens Hopsital is in how we reached a situation where a cost estimate was very different from what we thought at the start. The Childrens Hospital is an issue around how cost escalated when construction had commenced."

Mr Griffin said that the basic speed of a National Broadband Plan service would be 150 megabits per second, with 1,000 megabits per second for schools and businesses.

Asked about timelines, Mr Griffin said that his officials would "finalise the evaluation work and bring a memorandum to government with a recommendation for the appointment of a preferred bidder" but that "there would be a number of contractual issues" outstanding.

He said that if and when a preferred bidder is agreed upon, it would then take "weeks" or longer to sign a contract.

The current delay makes the possibility of connections to a new National Broadband Plan service unlikely in 2019.
Hewlett-Packard botched its $11.1bn acquisition of Autonomy and then tried to cover up its own mismanagement by accusing the British software company's founder of fraud, a UK court was told.

HP is suing Mike Lynch, once hailed as Britain's answer to Bill Gates, along with former finance chief Sushovan Hussain for more than $5bn after the 2011 Autonomy deal went wrong. Mr Lynch denies wrongdoing and says HP's mismanagement was responsible for the failure of the acquisition. Mr Hussain also denies any wrongdoing.

HP wrote down Autonomy by $8.8bn, saying it had uncovered improprieties. HP's lawyers told the court Autonomy had inflated its true value through a series of fraudulent transactions - masterminded by Mr Lynch.

In his opening argument for Mr Lynch's defence, Robert Miles QC said HP had only discovered a small number of historical deals which were said to have some or other wrongful feature, despite spending several years and huge sums of money on its search.

"All the deals now attacked were real commercial deals with real counterparties. The suggestion that Dr Lynch was in the business of conning HP is unreal," he told London's High Court. "HP, on the other hand, was a vast but floundering company."
Raid: The headquarters of Swedbank located in Sundbyberg, outside Stockholm. The Swedish Economic Crime Authority reported it searched the offices of Swedbank, one of the countrys major banks, over a money-laundering scandal. Photo: Getty

The Swedbank money-laundering scandal widened as Sweden's main broadcaster published a report alleging the bank misled US authorities.

Former Trump campaign chairman and convicted felon Paul Manafort was among those to have received suspicious payments made through the Stockholm-based lender, the SVT network reported yesterday, amid intensifying scrutiny of Russian cash that passed through the bank's Estonian unit.

Separately, the bank's headquarters were raided by Sweden's Economic Crime Authority, as part of a probe into whether it breached insider information rules by giving its biggest shareholders advance notice of an SVT report on money laundering that was broadcast on February 20. The bank's shares declined about 8pc, bringing losses since the scandal broke last month to more than 20pc - roughly equivalent to 5.3bn. The allegations pile pressure on Sweden's oldest bank after reports that it was used to handle more than 8.8bn in potentially suspicious transactions tied to the Danske Bank Estonian laundering case. SVT says the sums could be much greater: Up to 20bn a year between 2010 and 2016.

CEO Birgitte Bonnesen, who has been criticised for giving evasive answers is likely to face tough questions at the annual shareholder meeting tomorrow. The Swedish press has expressed concern over those overseeing Swedbank, amid career ties and friendships that link the regulator, the bank, its board and some of its largest shareholders. The bank says it is co-operating with "relevant authorities".
Luke Goss has said he was blown away after the hit documentary about his band Bros was nominated for three Baftas.

Bros: After The Screaming Stops proved to be such an unlikely iPlayer hit that TV bosses decided to broadcast it on BBC Two.

Comments in the film on everything from hindsight and the meaning of home to superstition by twins Matt and Luke Goss prompted giggles from viewers and were mocked online.

The documentary followed the brothers, briefly one of the biggest bands in the world, before they reunited for two 30th anniversary gigs.

It initially aired on BBC Four in December and became a huge talking point, with viewers searching it out on iPlayer.

It has been nominated for the best specialist factual programme at the Baftas, as well as gongs for directing and editing.

Nominated for the Specialist Factual award 



 Bros: After the Screaming Stops

 Grayson Perry: Rites of Passage

 Suffragettes with Lucy Worsley

 Superkids: Breaking Away From Care #BAFTATV pic.twitter.com/uLKwvDCSNP  BAFTA (@BAFTA) March 28, 2019

Luke wrote on Twitter: What an amazing dayjust got a call. @BAFTA just announced our film received 3 nominations!

Blown away! #BAFTA have made our night! @mattgoss Congrats brother. Sincerely honored!

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Other nominees also celebrated their recognition, with Louis Theroux  nominated for the best factual series prize for Louis Therouxs Altered States  writing: Very proud to be part of the #alteredstates team. Congrats all round for the nom.

Very proud to be part of the #alteredstates team. Congrats all round for the nom. https://t.co/HwrQbCEiif  Louis Theroux (@louistheroux) March 28, 2019

Author David Nicholls, who penned six-time nominee Patrick Melrose, wrote: Delighted by the six #BAFTATV nominations for #PatrickMelrose, and to find ourselves nestling amongst so many fine programmes.

Particularly pleased to see #BenedictCumberbatch nominated for that incredible performance. Thank you, @BAFTA.

Playwright Jack Thorne, who wrote Channel 4 drama Kiri  which is nominated for best mini-series while star Lucian Msamati is nominated for leading actor  wrote: Never know what to say about these things, so mostly never say anything, but this means a lot and so chuffed Lucian was nominated too.

Never know what to say about these things, so mostly never say anything, but this means a lot and so chuffed Lucian was nominated too. https://t.co/p5ccw6JTep  Jack Thorne (@jackthorne) March 28, 2019

First Dates star Fred Sirieix, who stars opposite Gordon Ramsay and Gino DAcampo in Gordon, Gino And Freds Road Trip, shared a photo of the trio and wrote: #gordonginoandfred has been nominated for a #bafta #baftatv What fun we had! thank you for your support.

The Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards will be handed out on May 12 at the Royal Festival Hall on Londons Southbank.
Shane Lynch, Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating and Keith Duffy of Boyzone on stage at the SSE Arena, Belfast, as part of the band's Thank You & Goodnight farewell tour. Niall Carson/PA Wire

BOYZONE have said that band member Keith Duffy was taken to hospital in Thailand earlier this evening.

The Dubliner was due to perform with the band in Bangkok as part of their world tour, but was admitted to hospital "on the advice of the local medical team".

His bandmates Ronan Keating, Mikey Graham and Shane Lynch said that their "brother will be back on his feet as soon as possible" and thanked fans for the support.

Boyzone took to the stage as a trio at the Thunder Dome, with their next tour date scheduled for March 30 in Perth, Australia.

The band are currently halfway through their 25th anniversary tour in south east Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

In January, the band said a bitter farewell to Irish fans as they played their last ever gig in the 3Arena.

Expand Close Shane Lynch, Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating and Keith Duffy of Boyzone on stage at the SSE Arena, Belfast, as part of the band's Thank You & Goodnight farewell tour. Niall Carson/PA Wire / Facebook

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Whatsapp Shane Lynch, Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating and Keith Duffy of Boyzone on stage at the SSE Arena, Belfast, as part of the band's Thank You & Goodnight farewell tour. Niall Carson/PA Wire

42-year-old Ronan Keating thanked fans for their support over the years and paid tribute to former band member Stephen Gately, who passed away in 2009.

"The four of us, the five of us, want to thank you," he said.
One step beyond: Fred Cooke and Giulia Dotta put on a great show in Dancing With The Stars but missed out on the final. Photo: Kyran O'Brien

RTE whining about its funding is nothing new, with the broadcaster frequently claiming it cant survive due to the lowly 160 it charges for its licence fee.

It often says that unless it gets an increase in the fee, it cant guarantee being able to maintain its output of home-produced shows.

Its rather like a morbidly obese person who complains they cant afford the tons of food they like to eat, considering the cure to be more money to buy food rather than perhaps cutting down on the mountain of junk they shovel down their throat.

RTEs problem is not income, its expenditure. Its bloated wage bill is a disgrace.

Expand Expand Previous Next Close Finale: Jennifer Zamparelli and Nicky Byrne on Dancing With The Stars Week nine: Jennifer Zamparelli and Nicky Byrne during Dancing With The Stars / Facebook

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Whatsapp Finale: Jennifer Zamparelli and Nicky Byrne on Dancing With The Stars

Im not talking about the dozen or so highly-paid stars.

The average RTE employee earned 71,610 in 2017, and nearly 10pc of those on the payroll didnt turn up for work anyway as they were being paid to take a career break.

However, the national broadcaster now has an unlikely ally in its campaign to have more taxpayers money thrown at it.

In an exercise in scaremongering that Donald Trump would be proud of, the company behind Dancing With The Stars, Shinawil, warned that the show might have to be cancelled unless RTE gets an increase in its licence fee.

The producers sounded like they were reading a press release prepared by RTE itself.

It is impossible for RTE to keep delivering the level of output, they claim, with a reducing amount of money.

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Its a classic exercise in misinformation. RTE doesnt have a reducing amount of money.

What it has is the same amount of money with rising costs each year.

Rather than deal with the costs  the biggest of which is staff wages  the lazy solution is to throw more public money at the problem.

The main difficulty, according to Shinawil, is the cost of accommodation, saying: We have so many people involved that we have to fly in from all over the world. You have to get very expensive short-term accommodation.

Of course, accommodation isnt the biggest factor.

Its probably a small fraction of the shows overall costs, but as the high cost of rented accommodation is currently in the news, its an easy excuse to wheel out.

Without naming them, and bearing in mind that the presenters and contestants are all Irish, Shinawil is obviously talking about the dancers.

DWTS is a huge success, and superbly run.

However, the irony that this home-grown programme should be at risk because of the cost of flying in participants from abroad seems to be lost on the producers.

RTE needs to get its finances in order, but in the meantime, maybe Shinawil can address this relatively minor issue?

If its beyond its abilities to find a solution, let me do it.

With the greatest respect to the current crew, who do a great job, why not hire only Irish dancers? There, thats the next series sorted.
Copper Face Jacks: The Musical is back, and Johnny Ward will be swapping the sequins for a GAA jersey as he returns as Dublin captain Gino Wildes.

The Walkinstown actor, who was a runner-up in Sunday's Dancing With The Stars final, hasn't had much time for a breather as he's gearing up for his return to the Olympia Theatre in July.

Johnny plays Gino, who falls head over heels for a Kerry girl he meets on a night out in Coppers only days before the All-Ireland final clash between Dublin and the Kingdom.

Johnny (31) is looking forward to stepping back into Gino's shoes, especially as he got the Dubs' blessing for the role.

Expand Close Johnny at Coppers with co-stars Roseanna Purcell, Michele McGrath, Rachel OConnell and Kelly Marie Ni Cheallaigh. Photo: Leon Farrell / Facebook

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Whatsapp Johnny at Coppers with co-stars Roseanna Purcell, Michele McGrath, Rachel OConnell and Kelly Marie Ni Cheallaigh. Photo: Leon Farrell

Johnny said the Boys in Blue and their captain Stephen Cluxton arrived at the final night last summer to see the play, written by Paul Howard.

When Johnny arrived at the actual Coppers for the after-party, he was greeted by the players saluting him.

Expand Close Some of the cast of Copper Face Jacks: The Musical. Picture: Arthur Carron/Julien Behal Photography / Facebook

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Whatsapp Some of the cast of Copper Face Jacks: The Musical. Picture: Arthur Carron/Julien Behal Photography

"All of them, led by Stephen Cluxton, came to see the last show last year and we went into Coppers afterwards and they were all there, down on one knee, saluting me," said Johnny.

"I was basing it on so many of them and it's funny because it was slapstick, but they were all saying, 'A lot of that stuff is true'.

"Stephen Cluxton is such a nice guy and of course I've got to know Denis Bastick through Dancing With The Stars."

Johnny will be joining Michele McGrath, who plays Gretchen Ackerman, and Roseanna Purcell, as Noeleen Nic Gearailt, on stage.

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"He falls in love with a girl called Noeleen and she's from Kerry, and then it becomes like Romeo And Juliet and West Side Story all in one," said Johnny.

Meanwhile, it's back to normality for the former Love/Hate star, who said it felt strange not to have rehearsals with pro partner Emily Barker this week.

"I'm OK. It's strange to get back to normal life," he said.

"It's weird because you get nervous because you think you've a dance to learn but you don't have a dance to do."

Johnny, who lost his dad during the show, said his mum had been unwell this week and as a result was in hospital for a few days.

"I feel like I'm cursed. My mum's in hospital at the moment," he said.

"She had something wrong with her heart. She seems to have had a panic attack or something like that. She went in on Tuesday.

"I don't think it's anything serious. She's in Tallaght Hospital. It's like someone has put a curse on us."

Johnny said he would be moving back into the family home to help his mum in the next few weeks as they begin to clear out his dad's belongings.

"It's difficult being in the house. We're trying to get everything that was my dad's and clear out his clothes. You feel so guilty for doing it but you have to do it," he said.

Copper Face Jacks: The Musical will return to the Olympia Theatre from July 10 and will run until August 10.

Tickets costing from 26 plus booking fee and 1 Olympia restoration levy are on sale now.
Tragic Limerick mother-of-three Marie Downey (36) was "a gorgeous girl" with a "heart of gold", a close family friend said.

They described as "unbelievable" news of her death along with the heartbreaking death of her four-day-old baby son Darragh, at Cork University Maternity Hospital.

Now Ms Downey is expected to be buried with her infant son cradled in her arms.

Locals in north Cork and south Limerick spoke of their utter devastation at the tragedy.

Ms Downey was hailed as a wonderful mother and a valued work colleague, employed as a laboratory technician with pharmaceutical giant Novartis in Cork.

A post-mortem examination was carried out yesterday but results will take time to compile.

The infant's post-mortem is scheduled to take place later today.

Ms Downey lived with her husband Kieran and two sons on the Cork-Limerick border at Knockanevin outside Kildorrery.

She was originally from Ballyagran in Co Limerick.

Just three weeks ago she was one of the proud parents at Kildorrery National School to welcome a visit by members of Limerick's All-Ireland-winning hurling team with the Liam MacCarthy Cup.

Limerick Camogie County chairperson Liz Hennessy paid tribute and offered "condolences" to the family.

Councillor Jerome Scanlan, a friend of Ms Downey's Limerick family, said the entire community was shocked by what happened.

"They are a hugely respected family here and everyone in the community is heartbroken for them. Everyone is shocked by the scale of the tragedy."

Novartis issued a special statement, saying: "Marie Downey was a valued member of our team here... Our thoughts and prayers are with Marie's family and friends during this very difficult time. Marie will be fondly remembered here at Novartis Ringaskiddy."

In Kildorrery, not far from the Downeys' home in Knockanevin, parish priest Fr Eamon Kelleher said everyone was shocked.

"They are a very close community and take great care of each other and everyone feels the Downey tragedy and they are gathering here every morning to pray for the Downeys and to pray for Marie and the little boy Darragh.

"They are being surrounded by support but at the same time the whole community feels helpless."

Another friend said: "It's unbelievable, she was a gorgeous girl. She had a heart of gold, she was very caring."

The South South-West Hospital Group of the Health Service Executive (HSE) has described the incident as a tragic occurrence.

Counselling and support services are now in place for the family.

Cork Coroner Philip Comyn has requested the services of a specialist neonatal pathologist to determine the cause of death for little Darragh.

It is believed his mother fell ill and tumbled unconscious out of her hospital bed on to the floor.

Ms Downey was discovered by shocked staff shortly before 8am last Monday - and was pronounced dead at the scene despite desperate efforts to revive her.

Her baby son was critically ill and lost his 36-hour battle for life on Tuesday evening.
Lawyers for a man found floating in the ocean next to 65 bales of cocaine have told the Court of Appeal that their client was a bungling stevedore in one of Ireland largest ever drugs hauls, rather than a lieutenant.

Englishman Martin Wanden (58), with a last address in South Africa, had pleaded not guilty to his role in a 440 million drugs haul which went awry at Dunlough Bay on the Mizen Peninsula, West Cork on July 2 2007.

The case began when a rigid inflatable boat (RIB) carrying 1.5 tonnes of cocaine got into difficulties off the south-west coast. One of its petrol engines was mistakenly filled with diesel, causing the craft to flounder and sink in unseasonably rough July seas.

Wanden was found floating in the Atlantic Ocean encircled by 65 bales of cocaine, subsequently found to be 75 per cent pure, by life boat crews, who had come to the aid of the sinking RIB.

The cocaine had been transferred to the RIB from a Catamaran named Lucky Day after a rendezvous at a buoy 30 miles off the Cork Coast.

There was evidence at the trial that customs officials who went to Dunlough Bay came across two of Wandens accomplices making their way up from the cliffs. Both men were arrested two days later.

Wanden was found guilty by a jury at Cork Circuit Criminal Court following a 42-day trial and sentenced to 30 years imprisonment by Judge Sean O Donnabhain on July 23, 2008.

Moving to appeal the severity of his sentence today, Wandens barrister, Brian McCartney SC, said his clients 30-year sentence was crushing.

He said Wandens role was that of a bungling stevedore rather than a lieutenant. Wanden was not the organiser, planner or financier and displayed no trappings of wealth, counsel submitted.

Shortly before the offence, Mr McCartney said Wanden had lost a young child and his wife in tragic circumstances. His other daughter was eight years old when he came to be sentenced and she was now a university law student, the court heard.

Mr McCartney asked that Wandens sentence be reduced to allow him be rehabilitated with his daughter.

He said Wanden had asked him to express gratitude to the emergency services today because they saved his life, after spending two-and-a-half hours in the Atlantic.

Counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions, Siobhan Lankford SC, said the suggestion Wanden played a minor role was not borne out by the evidence.

Ms Lankford said all four men involved in the haul were fully committed members of the gang. She said the operation spanned three continents and 300,000 was spent on logistics.

She said Wanden had come to Ireland from South Africa, via Britain, in a blue jeep carrying the RIB. He had three passports and a phone in the name of one of the false passports, she added.

Ms Lankford said Wanden had some nautical knowledge although it may not have been at the level that was anticipated given the filling of the petrol engine with diesel.

She said the Court of Criminal Appeal had reduced the sentence of Wandens coaccused, Perry Wharrie, to 17-and-a-half years but the Supreme Court subsequently found the court was not correct to do so. The DPP had appealed the Court of Criminal Appeals decision on a point of law, which meant Wharries 17-and-a-half year sentence remained the same.

The Court of Appeal heard that Wharrie had a previous conviction for the murder of an off-duty Police Officer, Frank Mason(27), who had intervened during an armed robbery in England. Wanden had a relevant previous conviction for drugs smuggling in France.

Mr Justice John Edwards, who sat with Ms Justice Marie Baker and Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, said the court would reserve its jugdment.

Wanden, Wharrie and Joe Daly (51), were each found guilty following a trial. Warrie was originally sentenced to 30 years imprisonment, like Wanden, while Daly was given 25 years.

A fourth man, Gerard Hagan (34), had pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine for sale or supply and was sentenced to 10 years on account of his plea.
Nikita Somerville, of Peadar Kearney House, Railway Street, Dublin 1 pictured leaving the Four Courts after she appeared before the Dublin District Court.Pic: Collins Courts

A DUBLIN woman has been spared jail after a malnourished dog was found chained to a bathtub in her home.

Nikita Somerville with an address at Peadar Kearney House, Railway Street, Dublin 1 claimed she had to bring her child to hospital just when she was about to give her dog a bath.

Judge Anthony Halpin said her story seemed far fetched but held that she had been reckless and had not intended to neglect her dog Buster who has since been re-homed.

While it was horrific it was not the worst animal welfare case he had dealt with, he said.

He noted she had received hate mail and abuse on social media since the case came before he court. Her barrister said she was giving an undertaking not to own another pet for the next two years.

She pleaded guilty at Dublin District Court today to one count under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013.

In an outline of the evidence, Hazel Fannon BL, told the court that on November 14, 2017 Garda Ciaran ONeill called to the womans address and found Buster, a small brown Pomeranian inside chained to the bathtub.

Counsel said the dog had no access to food or water.

The garda contacted the Dublin Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA) which brought Buster to a vet for an examination.

It was found to be under-weight, there had been muscle wastage and he was effectively malnourished.

The dog was then placed in the care of the DSPCA and regained weight. He has since been given a new home, DSPCA inspector Liam Kinsella told the court.

Photos of the dog chained to the bath were also handed in to the judge.

A conviction on the charges can result in a fine of up to 3,000 as well as a sentence of up to six months.

The court also has the power to give an indefinite ban on owning any animal.

In mitigation pleas for leniency, defence counsel Patrick Jackson BL, furnished the court with documentation to show his client had got her pet micro-chipped and vaccinated. Photos of the dog taken a number of months before were also furnished to the court by the barrister and the judge remarked that Buster seemed very happy in those pictures.

Mr Jackson said single mother Somerville was from a good family and was supported in court by relatives.

On the day Buster was found she had to bring her child to hospital and gardai entered the home on an unrelated matter at around the same time.

Her intention had been to bathe the dog and for that reason he had been tied up.

When her dog was taken by gardai she later went to Store Street Garda station and agreed to surrender him.

He asked the judge to note the garda agreed the home was a clean dwelling and there was dog food in the kitchen.

Somervilles first instinct was to fight the case because she had believed she had done her best by her dog and had done a lot of things that were not the normal feature in these type of cases, the barrister said.

A conviction would make it difficult for her to obtain employment and the court heard that she had done a number of courses to find work.

Mr Jackson said Somerville had never come before the courts before and was undertaking not to own a pet for the next two years.

He provided the court with samples of abusive correspondence she had received in the post and online and added that various threats were made to her.

The barrister wanted to make it clear it was a case of being reckless which distinguished this prosecution from other similar matters that come before the court.

Judge Halpin asked witness, veterinary surgeon Lorna White, to put the condition of the dog at time of rescue on a scale of one to 10, with one representing bad and 10 being deaths door.

The vet placed it at number three.

But the court also heard she placed it at number four on the Tufts scale assessment in which five was equal to emaciated.

Judge Halpin said Somervilles story seemed somewhat far fetched but, he had to accept the court had not heard anything to say otherwise.

He said he did not think the dog was given enough food and it was a case of carelessness and recklessness.

Animals were no different to people and needed care, attention and food, he said.

He took into account the guilty plea and evidence of the care she had previously given the pet and said he would not give her a life ban.

He noted she was promising not to have a pet for the next two years and fined her 200 which has to be paid within six months. She was also ordered to pay 100 toward prosecution costs.
A judge jailed a teenage motorist for careless driving causing the death of a 16-year old girl, as he warned that some drivers were treating public roads like race tracks.

Judge Eugene O'Kelly jailed Edward O'Shea (19) for 14 months. He noted that crash victim Katie Murphy had sent a Snapchat video to a friend just seconds before the Waterford crash in which she warned: "Probably going to die in the car."

An unidentified male voice replies: "Yeah, probably." A female voice then commented: "Cheeky - going over the speed limit." An unidentified voice replied: "Cheeky - going twice over the speed limit."

A Waterford Circuit Criminal Court jury was not shown the social media videos during the trial because of the hearsay rule.

"Some drivers, particularly young men, treat the roads as their own private race tracks and do so without any regard for the potentially catastrophic consequences for other road users and indeed for themselves," Judge O'Kelly said.

He noted that the so-called Clancy Amendment about unaccompanied learner drivers did not apply as the collision occurred before it was passed into law.

"Such driving is not only illegal it is dangerous," he added.

The heartbroken Murphy family claimed they lost their only daughter because O'Shea, driving while unaccompanied on a learner permit, lost control of a powerful modified Japanese car while showing off to his friends.

He was acquitted by the jury last February of dangerous driving causing death.

Katie died when the car with a specially lowered suspension and low-profile track tyres, driven by O'Shea, spun out of control and crashed side-on with a wall by a Tramore housing estate, Co Waterford, on October 5, 2016.

The area had a 50kmh speed limit but, because there were no brake marks, it was impossible for gardai to determine what speed the Toyota was travelling at.

However, locals had noted the sound of a car travelling at speed that day along the winding Cliff Road.

One woman was so alarmed by the engine sound she got out of the armchair in her home to investigate - and seconds later heard the impact.

Two other teenage occupants of the car, Joseph Walsh and Jessica Fynn, suffered horrific head and chest injuries in the accident at the Cliff Road, Newtown, outside Tramore.

The imported Japanese car, with a twin-cam engine, was registered to the O'Shea Garage business.

The defendant was driving under a garage insurance policy that day.

"It was extraordinary and blatantly irresponsible for the O'Shea Garage business to facilitate the driving of such a car," Judge O'Kelly said.

Remorse

O'Shea, who appeared in court wearing black slacks and a navy shirt and tie, sat with his head bowed as victim impact statements were delivered by Katie's parents and her brother Scot.

The defendant, in a letter handed in to Judge O'Kelly, apologised for what happened.

"If I could change what happened, believe me I would change everything," he said.

O'Shea now suffers from survivor's guilt, depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.

"I hope that one day you [the Murphy family] will be able to forgive me but I want you to know that I am truly sorry.

"So many people have been affected by my bad judgment that day," he said.

O'Shea, of Magnh, Fenor, Waterford, was jailed for 14 months and disqualified from driving for six years.
A THIRTEEN month old toddler was accidentally strangled after getting caught in a blind string in the bedroom of her Cork home.

A Cork Coroner's inquest issued a special safety plea after hearing harrowing details of the death of little Leah Troy for all parents to be aware of the potential dangers posed by blinds, curtains, draw cords and support strings.

Coroner Philip Comyn heard that while the homemade blinds in the Delaney Park, Dublin Hill, Cork home of Leah's parents, Michael Troy (32) and Alice O'Sullivan (28), were fully equipped with a special safety cleat for the main draw cord, the Roman-style blinds also had support strings to the rear of the blinds.

It was one of these three support strings that little Leah accidentally got tangled in after being placed in a travel cot in her bedroom for a nap shortly before lunch on September 11, 2018.

Leah's heartbroken mother, Alice, wept as she recalled the tragic events of that morning to the inquest.

Her four year old son, Alex, was feeling unwell so she kept him home from school.

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Both Alex and Leah were playing together at the family's new Delaney Park home and their mother then gave them some food.

She then brought Leah upstairs to her bedroom for a nap before going back downstairs with her son.

The toddler was carefully placed in a travel cot between her bed and the window.

"I went up to check on Leah," she sobbed.

"I knew when I went in (to the bedroom) there was something wrong. She was just staring out the window. She was almost in a kneeling position....almost standing. Her head was in a tilt."

The young mother was horrified to realise the Roman blind support string was tangled around her neck.

"I tried to snap it but I couldn't. I was screaming," she said.

Eventually, she managed to free the toddler from the string, brought her downstairs and began cardiac pulmonary resuscitation after alerting the emergency services.

Her distraught partner, Michael Troy, was contacted at work and he was advised to rush straight to Cork University Hospital (CUH).

Tragically, despite desperate efforts to revive the toddler, she was later pronounced dead in CUH with her heartbroken family by her bedside.

"She was just my gorgeous baby girl - always up to mischief, curious, fun and beautiful."

The young woman's step-mother, Jude Hogan-O'Sullivan, had been asked by the couple to help make Roman blinds for their new home.

With the assistance of the couple and other family members, the blinds were installed at the family home.

All the blinds were carefully installed with special safety cleats for the main draw string.

The safety-conscious family ensured the metal cleat was installed quite high and well out of reach of the two children.

However, the blinds also had three other support cords to the rear of the blind as part of its general structure and it was one of these that the toddler somehow got tangled in.

Mrs Hogan-O'Sullivan said she feels terrible guilt over the tragic accident.

"I never thought that when the blind was closed she could get caught in the vertical support blind (cord).

"My world fell apart - if I hadn't made this blind, she would be alive. I feel very guilty," she sobbed.

"I know I have told them before but I want to say again that I am very sorry."

Mrs Hogan-O'Sullivan said Michael and Alice were fantastic parents, always checking on their children's welfare.

Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster said Leah died from cardiac arrest due to ligature strangulation.

Dr Bolster said that due to pressure on the Vagal Nerve, the toddler would have blacked out immediately.

"The little girl did not suffer," she said.

The jury recorded a verdict of accidental death and asked the media to highlight the incident to make other parents and families aware.

The coroner echoed that recommendation and urged everyone to be aware of the potential dangers posed by such blinds.

"This has been a very distressing inquest," he said.

"I can only begin to imagine the anguish the family are going through. This was a complete accident. There is very little solace I can offer but Dr Bolster's evidence is that Leah would have blacked out immediately and would not have suffered and would have been in a coma.

"I would ask the media present here to highlight the dangers with blinds and also the National Standards Authority of Ireland who have very good (safety) information dealing with blinds."

Mr Comyn said such information can be accessed from www.nsai.ie.

Alice O'Sullivan used her birthday this month to issue a special social media appeal for people to support FirstLight, a support service for bereaved parents and families.

"For my birthday this year I am asking for donations to FirstLight - I have chosen this non-profit because their mission means a lot to me."
Children of Sean Quinn (left-right) Sean Jr, Aoife and Brenda at the Four Courts. Photo: Collins Courts

A judge said yesterday that there was nothing in statements filed by the children of former tycoon Sean Quinn to suggest they were "overborne by their father" in business dealings.

Mr Justice Garrett Simons made the comments as he rejected applications from the five Quinn siblings to amend their statement of claim in their high-stakes legal action against the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation (IBRC).

In a significant ruling, the judge also refused to allow them to file supplementary written statements.

The decision is a major blow to the case being pursued by Sean Jr, Colette, Ciara, Aoife and Brenda Quinn.

Following the ruling, the judge was informed by the Quinns' counsel Bernard Dunleavy SC that their representatives had been in talks with the IBRC in recent days in a bid to settle their dispute over 415m in loan guarantees.

He agreed to adjourn proceedings until this morning to facilitate further talks.

As part of their case against the IBRC, in which they deny liability for loan guarantees and share pledges, the siblings initially claimed the former Anglo Irish Bank exercised undue influence over them.

But when the case came to trial just over a fortnight ago, they sought to argue that their former billionaire father, rather than the bank, had exercised undue influence.

They applied to amend their statement of claim and to file new written statements.

However, Mr Justice Simons said this would be inconsistent with the manner in which the litigation had been conducted to date.

He gave a number of examples of this, including the content of the statement filed by Brenda Quinn.

He said this statement did not contain any suggestion that the will of the individual children "was overborne by their father".

The judge said that had this been their position from the outset, it would have been inconceivable that this was not included in their witness statements.

He added that when their counsel was asked why this material was not included in their original witness statements, counsel conceded there was "no good reason".

Mr Justice Simons also said if it had been the position of the children from the outset that their father was "the principal wrongdoer" whose undue influence resulted in what they allege are catastrophic financial losses, it was inconceivable that he was not named as a defendant.

Were he to grant their application, it would amount to introducing an entirely new claim, he said. He also said if he granted the orders, IBRC would suffer prejudice as it would delay matters.
Ireland is seeking to block a European plan to make it easier for banks to sell off their bad loans.

European Union ambassadors agreed the proposals yesterday, according to Romania's Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici, who chaired the negotiations among the 28 countries.

The new rules are expected to lower regulatory barriers to making cross-border purchases, although in Ireland in practice there have been little or no hurdles to US funds buying loans worth billions of euro.

However, the EU-wide plan is being opposed by Ireland amid concerns that it will allow loans to be sold to entities not regulated by the Central Bank here.

A spokesman for the Department of Finance said: "The Irish Ambassador to the EU made a strong intervention today against the proposal outlining how the approach was not in line with our domestic policy approach on the matter. Once the file is brought to a council, Ireland will be voting against it."

The European move is also effectively on a collision course with Sinn Fein's proposed legislation to restrict the sale of mortgages to vulture funds, dubbed the No Consent, No Sale Bill.

This legislation has secured wide support in Leinster House despite opposition from the Government and would prevent banks selling mortgages without explicit consent in advance from borrowers.

At EU level however, there is a move to clear stocks of bad loans held by banks, in some cases since the financial crisis.

Regulators have also toughened their stance, demanding that banks in Ireland cut their stocks of bad loans towards a euro area average of around 3.5pc.

Selling such loans is controversial, and not just here in Ireland. The UN this week condemned what it called the financialisation of housing markets.

This process has accelerated as a result of the entry of US investors and so-called vulture funds who have gobbled up swathes of property and property loans in the decade since the crash.

The agreement reached is expected to favour the purchase and servicing of so-called non-performing loans "which will lead to the development of efficient secondary markets", said Mr Teodorovici.

Details of the overhaul have yet to be finalised, and will require agreement from the European Parliament.

However, there is likely to be resistance in the parliament to any move that makes it easier for private equity and vulture funds to buy assets.

Although the scale of EU banks' bad loans problem has been steadily decreasing in recent years, there is still a backlog of more than 700bn hanging over EU banks' balance sheets. This is especially the case at lenders in Italy, Greece, Ireland and Cyprus.

In a less positive development for banks, EU states failed to reach a deal on proposals put forward by the European Commission that would make it easier for lenders to repossess assets from borrowers who default.

The proposal was to introduce a mechanism to bypass the courts in order to speed up banks' recovery of collateral.
Gardai are trying to identify a gang of burglars who assaulted a family of five during a terrifying armed raid.

One line that detectives are investigating is that the raiders targeted the house because they believed there was gold inside.

The aggravated burglary took place at 9.50pm on Tuesday in Sheen, near Portlaoise, Co Laois.

Up to four masked men armed with sledgehammers and screwdrivers broke into the property and threatened the family.

The father of the family, a businessman in his 50s, was attacked and suffered serious injuries.

His wife, aged in her 40s, and their children, aged between 12 and 15, were also assaulted but were not treated for serious injuries.

The father, who is a Pakistani national, remained in hospital last night having suffered a collapsed lung in the savage attack.

The businessman was "marched and beaten" around his home as the thugs demanded gold and money from the family. Items of jewellery and a sum of cash were handed over.

The man and his wife run a phone accessory store in Co Laois. It is understood that the gang fled after a teenage nephew of the family returned to the house and disturbed them.

Gardai carried out forensic examinations and searches near the home yesterday.

No arrests have yet been made in the investigation which is being led by gardai based in Portlaoise.

"Four masked men armed with what is described as sledgehammers and screwdrivers entered the house and assaulted the occupants - three females and two males," a Garda spokesman said yesterday.

"The suspects stole jewellery, cash and other items.

"One of the injured - a male - was taken to the Midland Regional Hospital in Portlaoise where he is being treated for injuries."

Separately, gardai are appealing for information about a serious assault and robbery in Limerick on Saturday night.

A 51-year-old man was attacked at Carrig Drive in the Dooradoyle area at around 9pm.

The victim had just got out of his 06-DL-registered blue Suzuki Swift when he was set upon by a group of up to three men. He was struck on the head and had his car keys, mobile phone and a sum of money stolen.

Gardai have appealed for witnesses to the incident to contact Roxboro Road garda station.
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People often associate Tibet with its high altitude, frigid weather and oxygen deprivation, but Nyingchi seeks to offer tourists a different experience, said Tenzin Samdrup, head of Nyingchi's Tourism Development Office on Saturday.





Nyingchi is located at the lower section of the Yarlung Tsangpo River in the southeastern part of China's Tibet Autonomous Region. It has an average altitude of around 3,000 meters and is only 900 meters above sea level at its lowest point.





The city boasts a mild climate, sufficient oxygen, abundant natural resources and is also home to unique ethnic minorities, thus becoming a fascinating destination for tourists, Tenzin Samdrup said in an exclusive interview with China.org.cn.





He said that Nyingchi's tourism sector has developed rapidly and brought significant benefits to locals in recent years. Given its growth, he added that tourism could soon become one of the city's key industries.





International tourist town sees growth in local homestay economy





The Lulang International Tourism Town lies alongside the China National Highway 318, which is dubbed "one of China's most beautiful highways." Within the 10-square-kilometer scenic area, one can find wide-ranging natural landscapes, including glaciers, mountains, canyons, forests and lakes.





Xie Binhui, deputy director of the Lulang Scenic Area Management Committee, said that the tourism town was constructed with investment from the Guangdong provincial government as a support to the development of Tibet.





Since it opened to the public in 2016, the resort has received more than one million arrivals, which has boosted local economic growth and raised the income of people living in surrounding rural areas, Xie said.





Lhapa Tsering, who was once a construction worker before 2011, now runs a homestay inn with 24 rooms that can accommodate 44 guests in Lulang Town.





The 42-year-old said that he earned about 500,000 yuan (US$74,450) from his homestay business last year, a significant increase compared to his previous annual income of 30,000 yuan (US$4,467) to 40,000 yuan (US$5,956) at his former job.





"I now have seven employees working in my inn," Lhapa Tsering added. "My younger sister and brother also run their own homestay business nearby."
Drinking a bottle of wine a week increases the lifetime risk of cancer by the equivalent of smoking five to 10 cigarettes, research suggests.

For women, drinking one bottle of wine per week increases the absolute lifetime risk of cancer to the same extent as smoking 10 cigarettes a week, mostly due to an increased risk of breast cancer caused by drinking.

For men, drinking a bottle of wine a week increases the absolute lifetime risk of cancer equivalent to smoking five cigarettes.

This is due to the risk of cancer in parts of the body such as the bowel, liver and oesophagus, according to the team of researchers from the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Bangor University and University of Southampton.

The team estimated that if 1,000 non-smoking men and 1,000 non-smoking women each drank one bottle of wine a week across their lifetime, around 10 men and 14 women would develop cancer.

And if 1,000 men and 1,000 women drank three bottles of wine a week, around 19 men and 36 women could develop cancer as a result.

The team said three bottles a week is equivalent to smoking roughly eight cigarettes a week for men and 23 cigarettes a week for women.

Writing in the journal 'BMC Public Health', the team said alcohol is generally perceived by the public as being far less harmful than smoking, despite being directly linked to several different types of cancer.

In terms of absolute risk, the researchers said one bottle of wine a week is associated with an increased absolute lifetime cancer risk for non-smokers of 1pc (men) and 1.4pc (women).

Dr Theresa Hydes, who worked on the study, said: "It is well established that heavy drinking is linked to cancer of the mouth, throat, voice box, gullet, bowel, liver and breast.

"Yet, in contrast to smoking, this is not widely understood by the public. We hope that by using cigarettes as the comparator we could communicate this message more effectively to help individuals make more informed lifestyle choices."

She added: "We must be absolutely clear that this study is not saying that drinking alcohol in moderation is in any way equivalent to smoking. Our finds relate to lifetime risk across the population.

"At an individual level, cancer risk represented by drinking or smoking will vary and, for many individuals, the impact of 10 units of alcohol (one bottle of wine) or five to 10 cigarettes may be very different."
Lynsey Bennett who was supposed to travel to Iceland with WOW Air

Jennifer Shreve, from Annapolis, Maryland, USA, who was booked on cancelled WOW Air fllight to Baltimore USA via Reykjavik this morning, pictured with her rebooking confirmation made this morning for a flight on 30th March. Picture: Caroline Quinn

A mum-of-two, who is recovering from cancer, was devastated to discover a bucket list trip to Iceland had been cancelled when Wow Air collapsed.

Lynsey Bennett (30) from Enybegs in Longford said she was really looking forward to the holiday with a friend in April after treatment for cervical cancer.

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It was supposed to be so special. It was supposed to be the trip celebrating that I had the all clear, she told Independent.ie

I have only spent five weeks out of the last two years and three months where I havent been in hospital.

Lynsey has been in hospital all week receiving treatment and said she was really disappointed with the news.

In January 2017, I was diagnosed with cervical cancer even though I had a smear the previous year, which said I was fine.

About nine months later I had all different operations including a hysterectomy. Then doctors said my cancer was gone, but by September 2017, I wasnt feeling well again. It took until March last year that the biopsy showed it was back again.

Lynsey said that she received chemotherapy and radiotherapy and she finally got the all clear from doctors two weeks ago.

She and a friend had booked a holiday to Iceland with WOW Air to take their minds off the tumultuous year and to celebrate the good news.

The beauty therapist has two young daughters Zoe (10) and Hailee (5) and she had arranged for them to be looked after while she went away.

Now they are looking at what alternative options are available - but everything is extremely expensive as it is short notice.

She had contacted WOW Air for confirmation that the flights would go ahead just a few days ago but they confirmed that there were no flights cancelled in April.

She has yet to receive any email from WOW Air and found out the news via social media.

I am very disappointed as to what happened, she said. This was supposed to be a treat. My friend treated me to the holiday in Iceland.

It was a bucket list trip. That and Ibiza. I turned 30 in July and it had been in my bucket list to celebrate my 30th - but because I was recovering from chemotherapy and radiation, we just had a small party in the house.

Lynsey said she is still hoping to go to Ibiza with another girl that she met in hospital  via her Instagram page Cancerwithgratitude .

Jennifer Shreve from Annapolis in Maryland was also in tears this morning over the sudden collapse of Wow Air.

She found out about her flight being cancelled by email, and ended up travelling to Dublin Airport to try and find out what was happening.

Its awful, its awful. I have been to Thailand, China, Japan, Canada. I have been all over the world. I have never in my wildest dreams, come up with scenario, that my airline disappeared in the middle of my travels, Jennifer told Independent.ie

We were due to fly back to Baltimore, Washington with Wow. Everything connects through Iceland, she explained.

If the flight had gone ahead as scheduled, she would have had a two- and- a half hour flight to Iceland, followed by break for two hour, before travelling the final leg of the flight home to the States.

She said that she got an email from the airline at 6am when she woke up, and it said her flight was cancelled, which I wasnt really concerned about because these things happen.

Jennifer said she called Wow Air to find out what was going on. She understood that her money would be refunded or her flight could be rebooked for March 30 at 10.45am.

She and her travelling companion Kelly Freeburger, her former college roommate, were initially excited because they would get a bit more time in Ireland  they had done a mini-European break taking in a number of cities.

Then we find out there is no flight. The website now says that it has ceased operation, and all flights are cancelled.

I have been in tears, after I realised that I have no way home.

I dont know what we are going to do, said the mum-of-one.

She said that she had booked the flight originally on their airlines website.

Her travel companion, Kelly, was this morning back at their hotel on the computer trying to work out something, while Jennifer went to the airport to try and get information. But she said that she had not found any representation from the Wow airline on the ground.

She said that staff at another airline was left dealing with angry people, and she felt bad for them because they were doing the best they could, and it was not their fault.

I just want to know how I am going to get home and then I will be okay. I am due back to work on Monday, and I planned to have a few days at home, so I have a little cushion before I am back to work.

Also at Dublin Airport, Ursula Collins and Jim OBrien, had been due to depart with Wow Air to Reykjavik in Iceland this morning, having booked it last December through a travel agent.

They were hoping to see the Northern lights and do some trips. We are a bit in the air now,  said Ursula.

We came up from Cork last night, and stayed in the Clayton hotel because our flight was relatively early. When we arrived at the airport this morning we went to the information desk to check where the Wow check-in desk is.

It was then they found out the news about the airline.

That was the first we heard of this. Ursula said she couldnt believe this was happening.

There was no indication this was going to happen.

Their travel agent was today trying to sort out another booking for them to leave today for their trip. Hopefully we can get something sorted, she said.

However, Ursula said that she was not happy with the lack of notification. Even if we had been told yesterday, we could have stayed put and done our homework. We wouldnt have incurred the extra cost of the hotel, and parking. So really its the lack of notification from Wow Air that would be my biggest issue.
POLITICIANS were accused of stealing young peoples future and leaving them to clean up your mess due to inaction over tackling climate change.

In a powerful address to TDs and Senators - who are finalising a report on climate action - school student Sumaya Mohammed warned that they have just ten years to make a difference and said: I hope you make that count.

It comes after a protest in recent weeks that saw school children around the world go on strike in protest at a lack of action by adults to address global warming.

Ms Mohammed told the Committee she wasnt there to bore you with my life story because thats not why Ive come here."

But she said: You guys grew up worrying what jobs youd get, how you were going to do in exams, and who youd fall in love with.

We grow up worrying about the same things but on top of that we grow up worrying how long we have left to live.

She added: We should be enjoying life having care-free thoughts, not worrying about the future of the world yet we are here telling you guys how to do your jobs.

Ms Mohammed argued that the root of the problem is greediness and money.

She added: You know earth has already warmed by 1.1 degrees Celsius since the end of the Industrial Revolution yet you continue to look at us and saying to us that we are proud of you.

"But the moment you walk out of this room the fact that you dont do anything makes us wonder are you thinking of your image more than youre thinking of us?

She said: Were beyond furious. We shouldnt have to be doing this, we shouldnt be giving up one of our basic human rights, education, to clean up your mess.

You give us compliments on how amazing it is that school children are standing up for their futures. You said you were inspired and enthused.

Your compliments are worthless to us without actions.

You signed up to the Paris Agreement yet by the looks of it everyone has forgotten.

Ms Mohammed added: Youre stealing my future.

Im sorry if this offends you in any way but you have to face the reality. You arent realising your delay is harming our very existence

You arent realising that if we fail there is no undo button.

If we are capable of changing the climate then we are definitely capable of fixing this mess.

She said the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has said the next ten years will be the most important years in history in terms of tackling climate change and added: I hope you make that count.

Ms Mohammed was among a number of students who spoke at the committee this afternoon.
The brother of a man who was brutally murdered by his own wife delivered a powerful and emotional plea to politicians to bring in a law that means killers can't benefit from their crime.

Noel Byrne's brother Paul was stabbed more than 60 times by his estranged wife Tanya Doyle, who admitted to gardai that she killed him for his house and money.

Addressing TDs and senators, Mr Byrne hit out at the lack of political action to change the law, saying he finds it "unbelievable" it hasn't been done sooner.

And he said that given the number of women killed by their spouses, many families must have had experiences similar to his.

His testimony came as the Oireachtas Justice Committee examined 'Celine's Law' - a bid to end the situation that sees a convicted killer able to benefit financially by inheriting the victim's part of a joint tenancy. The law is named after Celine Cawley, who was killed by her husband Eamonn Lillis. He was convicted of manslaughter. The family of murdered Clodagh Hawe have also recently been outspoken in their calls for changes to the law.

Tanya Doyle, of Pairc Gleann, Trasna, Aylesbury, Tallaght, Dublin, was found guilty of Paul Byrne's murder and she was sentenced to life in prison.

She was convicted of the 2009 murder in 2013 and is due to be considered for parole this year.

Noel Byrne gave a harrowing account of his brother's death and the impact it has had on his family who feared that Doyle could benefit from her horrific crime.

Mr Byrne said his brother worked for a well-known company and his income was more than 100,000 at the time of his death.

He gave an explanation on the background of how Paul and his wife had split up.

He said his brother was previously stabbed in the back by Doyle in 2006. She wasn't prosecuted over that incident but Paul was hospitalised for two months and they separated in its aftermath.

Mr Byrne told how Paul continued to support his estranged wife financially and later arranged flights home to Ireland for her after she had moved to Portugal but ran into difficulties there.

At this point, she moved into his home where they had separate bedrooms.

They were still in the process of going through a legal separation and had reached an agreement on the terms of the settlement. It was due to be signed just days after Paul's death.

Mr Byrne said his brother's murder was "pre-planned" with Doyle buying a carving knife in a local shop.

Mr Byrne said: "In the coroners' report that was read out in court, Paul was stabbed over 68 times. Five vital organs were punctured. Any one would have caused his death.

"He dialled 999 and the eight and three quarter minutes of the remainder of his life was recorded."

Mr Byrne had to pause to compose himself at this point in his address to the committee. He said he wouldn't outline the conversation from the 999 call made while his brother died.

Doyle was arrested at the house and Mr Byrne told how "that evening under questioning Tanya admitted to the guards that she killed Paul for the house and for his money."

Mr Byrne said that after the conviction the Byrne family got legal advice recommending that a settlement was needed to purchase her tenancy of the house the couple had shared.

Otherwise she would be entitled to return there after her release from prison.

He said the financial controller at the company where Paul worked gave the family an undertaking immediately after his death that no monies would be paid to Ms Doyle.

However, the financial controller - who was also the chair of the pension - changed a number of years later.

The new controller told the family there was an obligation on them to pay her the spouse's portion of the benefit from the pension. The family has estimated this to be worth 1m to Doyle over her lifetime. He said that in 2016 the trustees of the pension contacted the family to say that they had come to an agreement that no monies would be paid.

Mr Byrne said the family hopes that Doyle won't go to court to contest this decision, but added: "At least we have been given some sort of an assurance."

On the current laws, Mr Byrne said: "It's a shame to think that this September will be 10 years [since Paul's death] that a person that commits murder for gain is still in a position to receive that gain.

"We, as a family, have been consistently struggling with the events of this murder since 2009.

"We can't understand how a person who admitted murdering someone for money can benefit from their crime."

He added: "It's unbelievable that you as Dail members haven't done something sooner."

Mr Byrne said research shows 10 women a year are killed by a partner or spouse.

He added: "Since 2009, over 100 people have been murdered by partner or spouse probably finding themselves in the same position as us and having to battle through with the same legal jargon and issues surrounding their death.

"I really find this very, very distressing... nothing has been done about it."

Committee chairman Caoimhghin O Caolain thanked Mr Byrne for his "very courageous address". Fianna Fail TD Jim O'Callaghan spoke of how killers can still benefit from their crimes and referring to Noel's testimony and the Cawley and Hawe cases, said: "We need to introduce legislation to prevent this."
Victoria Page with her three-month-old son Alexander at her home in Glenageary, Dublin. Picture: Caroline Quinn

A mother was left very upset after a member of staff at the Department of Foreign Affairs told her to move to another room when she was breastfeeding her baby earlier this week.

Victoria Page (37) was breastfeeding her three-month-old baby Alexander on Wednesday in the waiting room of the passport office when a member of staff approached her.

"My son woke up and I was feeding him, and a man comes over and says 'you can't do...' But he didnt finish his sentence and then he said 'I'm going to show you somewhere that you'd be more comfortable."

"I said I really don't mind feeding him here. My baby was happy, he was comfortable, and you don't stop feeding a three-month old baby without them losing their minds."

Victoria said that before the staff member approached her she had sought out the seating in the passport office because the waiting area of the consular services office was closed. It was here, to this empty waiting area, that the staff member ushered her to.

"I thought he was going to show me to a mum and baby room, but no."

"The manner I felt wasn't just that he was uncomfortable. He just didn't want me feeding there.

Victoria had arrived 35 minutes early at the consular services office, but she felt that other members of the public who arrived later were allowed take their ticket for an appointment ahead of her while she was breastfeeding.

The Equal Status Act (2000) protects mothers from being discriminated against or harassed because they are breastfeeding. Mothers are entitled to breastfeed in public places and dont have to ask anyone for permission because of this act, the HSE says.

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I was very upset but if anything it'll make me breastfeed basically everywhere, Victoria said.

I've never had an issue anywhere, you always get funny looks, but I wasn't expecting this from someone in a public office. This is the Department of Foreign Affairs which is full of diplomats.

You can't have someone like that without training, if he can't deal with that situation

She added: If he wanted to help, he could have brought me a glass of water, that's how you help a breastfeeding mother.

A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs told Independent.ie that it apologised and the situation has been resolved.

The Department contacted the individual concerned and the issue has been resolved. The Departments approach to breastfeeding is to support and welcome members of the public and staff in this regard, the spokesperson said.

But Victoria, who works in multilingual tech support, described the apology as tepid.

I didn't receive anything from the department saying we'll speak to this person or he'll receive training, and that's what would have made the apology believable.

They said he didn't mean anything by it, and we want everyone to feel welcome at the department.

La Leche leader and breastfeeding counsellor Jan Cormie described the encounter as very unfortunate.

Its one thing to offer a woman who is breastfeeding another room but shes entitled to be where she wants to be.

Theres a lack of understanding and given that Department of Health recommends that mothers breastfeed exclusively for six months, and then alongside complementary foods for two years as does the World Health Organisation, its an awful pity that another government department is [not leading by example].

Far from asking her to move, he should have been asking her is there anything she needed.

Meanwhile, Irish Aid, which is the Irish Government's official aid programme and is a division of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade states that it is committed to the goal of promoting breastfeeding in partner countries such as Vietnam, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Mozambique.
It is a simple fact and yet apparently it bears repeating: in Ireland, you are legally entitled to breastfeed anywhere you want.

That means on the bus, at the theatre, in public waiting room, at a restaurant, in the library  wherever. And your right to do so is enshrined in law, specifically The Equal Status Act (2000), which protects people, including breastfeeding mums, from discrimination and harassment, including sexual harassment.

And yet few people are aware of this, even in places where you might reasonably expect them to be  for instance, at the Department of Foreign Affairs, where nursing mum Victoria Page was asked to remove herself and her three-month-old baby to another room for her comfort.

Hmm. Did the department really have Victorias comfort to the front of their minds when they treated her like this? Or were they trying to make themselves more comfortable? Or were they thinking of other members of the public, who might be troubled by the perfectly ordinary sight of a mum feeding her hungry baby?

My heart goes out to Victoria: how humiliated she must have felt, being asked to move from a public space like that. And how her blood must have been boiling, when she came to her senses and realised what had happened. How bitterly she must regret refusing to leave.

I breastfed my own two babies in public locations on hundreds of occasions, everywhere from the pub to the playground, and bizarrely, the only place I was ever asked to move to somewhere more comfortable was in Crumlin Childrens Hospital, when a nurse moved me from a busy public corridor and into a quieter waiting room.

Even when I protested that I was quite happy in the corridor, she insisted that I must relocate.

Its entirely likely that she was trying to be helpful. And its also likely that the employee who asked Victoria Page to move simply thought he was doing the right thing, and had no idea of how upsetting the experience might be for a new mum.

But every time a breastfeeding mum is asked to move somewhere else  no matter how politely  it reinforces the notion that breastfeeding is in some way shameful, and needs to be hidden away.

If we want fewer mothers to breastfeed, this is an excellent way to go about it. But official Government policy is exactly the opposite: it wants more mums to do it, for all the obvious health benefits it brings. So it would be nice to see them take a more decisive lead on the issue  starting by making their own offices a genuinely welcoming place for nursing mums.
Direct flights from Ireland to Iceland have dropped below 50 each-way as competition sees two airlines battle it out on the route.

Before 2015, Irish holidaymakers looking to visit Iceland needed to fly via the UK, or wait for the occasional charter. Now, there are upwards of a dozen direct flights every week from Dublin Airport.

The route got its latest boost this week, with Icelandair launching new direct flights - a six-times weekly, year-round service connecting Dublin with Reykjavik.

Prices start from 125.65pp return on a basic economy fare - meaning one-way fares break down at around 63, with taxes, fees and charges included.

Checked baggage is extra, from 44 per 23kg piece on the basic fare.

"With the expansion of our route network in recent years, and in particular the increasing number of destinations in North America, we embraced the opportunity to add Dublin to our service," said Bjorgolfur Johannsson, CEO of Icelandair.

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Not to be outdone, WOW air, which has flown direct to Reykjavik from Dublin since 2015, has issued a sale this week with flights starting from 49.99 each-way - for basic fares in May, June, September and October.

That's not including seat selection of bags, of course.

Carry-on bags with WOW cost from 23.99 per leg between Dublin and Reykjavik, while a 20kg bag starts from 31.99 each way.

Both Icelandair and WOW are also encouraging passengers to use Keflavik as a hub for affordable, one-stop transatlantic travel - Icelandair connects with 22 North American destinations, and WOW a further 10 with one-way services from Ireland starting at 129.99 each-way (via Reykjavik).

Both airlines also offer free stopovers in Iceland.

The new route also provides North American based travellers with more options to get to Ireland, which is great news for the Irish tourism sector and the many businesses that it supports throughout the country, added Dublin Airport's managing director, Vincent Harrison.

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Icelandic low-cost carrier WOW air has suspended all flights for Thursday, March 28, it has announced.

Cancellations include flight WW853 from Dublin to Keflavik (10.45am), and the inbound WW852 which was due to have arrived at 09.30.

"WOW air is in the final stages of finalising equity raise with a group of investors," the airline says in a statement on its website. "All flights have been postponed until documentation with all parties involved have been finalised."

Further information will be given at 9am Icelandic time, WOW says (10am GMT).

The airline has apologised for the disruption to travel plans, and informed passengers via text messages or email, it adds.

Passengers whose flights are cancelled are entitled to a refund or re-routing and certain care and assistance, under EU regulations.

"Passengers scheduled on flights to/from Iceland with WOW air on Thursday March 28th are entitled to cancel their reservation for a full refund or change their reservation to the next available WOW air flight," the airline says.

WOW began flying between Ireland and Iceland in June 2015, and has rapidly expanded in the period since - offering several, budget-friendly one-stop routes to North America via its hub in Keflavik, near Reyjavik.

The airline is heavily indebted however, and has been seeking a backer. Talks with rival carrier IcelandAir fell through in recent days.

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 Flash

Theresa May on Wednesday agreed to step down as British Prime Minister after Brexit deal is delivered.

She made the statement when addressing the 1922 Committee, the Conservatives' parliamentary group in the House of Commons.

"I know there is a desire for a new approach -- and new leadership -- in the second phase of the Brexit negotiations -- and I won't stand in the way of that," she said.

"But we need to get the deal through and deliver Brexit," she added.

"I am prepared to leave this job earlier than I intended in order to do what is right for our country and our party," May told her fellow MPs.

She urged the committee to back the deal to "complete the historic duty", according to a statement from the prime minister's office.

The latest development came before MPs are set to vote on changing the Brexit date in UK law from March 29 and also vote on eight possible Brexit options in the indicative votes.
Icelandic carrier WOW air has ceased to operate this morning, grounding all flights and leaving affected passengers stranded.

What's going on?

WOW Air has collapsed, cancelling all flights with immediate effect.

Thousands of passengers are reported to have been left stranded as a result, with affected routes including a popular Dublin-Keflavik service.

Read the details of WOW air's collapse here.

What flights have been affected?

All of them. WOW has stopped operating as an airline, so anybody travelling now, or booked to travel with the airline, faces disruption.

WOW is offering some advice on its website here.

What can I do if my flight is cancelled?

Normally, when flights are cancelled, airlines must offer you the choice between re-routing or a full refund.

However, the situation differs when an airline collapses.

On its website, WOW has advised passengers that have booked with it to "check available flights with other airlines".

"Some airlines may offer flights at a reduced rate - so-called rescue fares - in light of the circumstances," it says, adding that "information on those airlines will be published, when it becomes available".

"If you did not purchase your ticket as part of a package, you are advised to self-repatriate by booking directly with other airlines," adds the Commission for Aviation Regulation (CAR).

What are 'rescue fares'?

'Rescue' or repatriation fares are voluntarily provided by airlines when a carrier goes bust - they are aimed at helping a situation, so should be reasonably priced.

Aer Lingus will offer rescue fares from Ireland to the US or Canada for customers booked to fly with WOW up to April 11, it says (those wishing to avail should call 1890 800 600 after 18.30 on March 28).

Norwegian has also said it will offer "repatriation fares" from tomorrow, set at a 25pc discount off net economy fares. The fares will be available to April 8 to customers that can show a valid WOW air booking on certain routes.

IcelandAir is also worth watching, as is easyJet.

If you booked through a code-share partner of WOW air, CAR (flightrights.ie) advises contacting them directly to see if they can help with refunds or re-routing.

Can I get my money back?

If you booked your flights using a debit or credit card, your first step should be to contact the card provider - chargeback options exist to allow you to reverse a transaction if there is a problem with the purchase.

As a rule, credit cards tend to offer more protections than debit cards. Terms & Conditions may apply to such cover, of course.

If you booked your flights through a travel agent or tour operator, you should contact them directly now - package holidays are protected precisely for reasons like this, but agents should also be able to help you with any re-routings.

Can I claim compensation?

That is unclear at this time.

"Passengers who may have bought travel protection, or those passengers whose credit card terms may include such protection, may be entitled to claim compensation and assistance due to delays or travel disruption," WOW has said.

If you booked directly with WOW, however, you may not be able to claim added compensation - as is usually the case when airlines cancel flights cancel flights for reasons like weather events or industrial action.

Will my travel insurance help?

If you have 'scheduled airline failure' cover on your policy, you will be able to claim, but not all policies offer this as standard.

It's best practice in situations like this to call your insurer off the bat, keep a note of details, and keep hold of receipts (see below).

Is it too late to take out travel insurance?

Yes, for this case - but it's always a good idea for the future.

Travel Disruption cover can be added retrospectively to a policy, for example, but not to claim on an event that has already happened (or been forecast).

Any other tips?

If you go ahead and rebook flights yourself, and buy meals or accommodation as you seek to overcome travel disruption, keep the receipts. You may need these for any compensation or insurance claims.

Bear in mind that receipts should be for "reasonable expenses". A five-star hotel or Michelin Star meal may not be a reasonable expense!

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These days, San Francisco is just as famous for its food as it is for its beatnik poets, suspension bridges and cable cars.

It's a place where buzzy restaurant openings abound, where food trends are born (we have these guys to thank for the recent sourdough revival), and where locals will queue around the block for a Mission District burrito.

A recent nod of approval from the Michelin Guide has nudged the city ahead of New York and LA in the food stakes, with the ratings guide hailing San Francisco as the fine-dining capital of the US. Eight of its restaurants have earned three Michelin stars, more than any other region in the country, and locals are spoiled with a whopping 80 stars in this year's hallowed list.

San Franciscans take their food seriously, but the key is knowing where to go. Beyond the tourist traps selling Dungeness crab and Bay shrimp, you can find some of the most exciting dishes you'll ever eat. Here's a culinary map of the neighbourhoods you should tick off on your next visit.

Mission District

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In the 1990s, The Slanted Door (an award-winning Vietnamese outfit) put this district onto the map. Now the area has more restaurants per square mile than any other in the city, and while the original Latin American community still has a foothold, tech workers have brought rapid gentrification. The streets are super eclectic as a result; bric-a-brac bodegas and hole-in-the-wall cheap eats are propped up against boujee restaurants and hipster cocktail bars covered in street art.

You'll probably hear people talk about Tartine Bakery (tartinebakery.com) - a lot. It's something of a San Francisco institution. Locals will wait in epic queues outside the Guerrero Street outpost to get their hands on a legendary morning bun; flakey, buttery, baked dough from the gods that's spiked with cinnamon, dusted in sugar and should come with an addiction warning.

No visit to Mission is complete without sampling its famous burrito, invented in the 1960s at either El Faro or La Cumbre (depending on who you ask). Taqueria (taqueriasanfrancisco.com) is probably the most popular ($9.50 per burrito), but there are some hot contenders following closely on its heels, like Taqueria Cancun (2288 Mission St) and Papalote Mexican Grill (papalote-sf.com).

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If you can handle eating elbow-to-elbow with your fellow diners, try local favourite Yamo (3406 18th St). This cash-only, Burmese hole-in-the-wall is where you'll find simple but moreish salads, spring rolls and samosas (appetisers cost a wallet-friendly $4.50 and mains $6.50). Tacolicious at 741 Valencia Street, meanwhile, makes the most incredible Baja-style fish tacos (four for $20). They're fried in a light and crispy beer batter, doused in Mexican crema and come with a fiery, salt-rimmed margarita to wash it all down with.

If your budget is more accommodating, try Commonwealth, the newly-starred establishment in the Michelin guide that's well worth the hype. You can eat a la carte at the Asian-inspired restaurant, but the seven-course tasting menu ($95, or $160 with wine pairings) really demonstrates just how inventive San Franciscans can be.

Plates are beautifully designed and made with locally-sourced Californian produce, and a proportion of the cost of each tasting menu is donated to a local charity. The American Wagyu poached in smoked beef fat with turnip cream is seriously good.

Pacific Heights and Nob Hill

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These shouldering neighbourhoods are where tech billionaires take up residence in their Painted Ladies (the slang name for San Fran's colourful Edwardian houses, above). As a result, Pacific Heights and Nob Hill have some of the best restaurants in their area codes.

Noosh (nooshsf.com) is a vibey new spot that's just opened at 2001 Fillmore Street and already has chatty queues trailing out of the door every night. The modern Mediterranean kitchen serves up comforting dishes like Turkish kebabs ($7), Instagrammable pork flatbreads (have fun forking at the whole egg yolk; $15) and, in my opinion, the creamiest baba ganoush ($6) you'll ever eat.

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The well-heeled Pacific Heights crowd is also lucky enough to have Lord Stanley (lordstanleysf.com) in its arsenal. We opt for the five-course tasting menu ( $105, or $180 with wine pairings) at the restaurant, which owners Carrie and Rupert named after their favourite British pub. Here, the Californian-European small plates are as pretty as they are tasty; earthy hen of the woods mushroom tossed in creamy, aged Gouda and pistachio, and - my personal favourite - delicate morsels of Dungeness crab, topped with salty and finely-sliced marble potato.

If you can squeeze in a night cap, it's a short walk to Eno (enowinerooms.com) in Union Square to nose at some of California's best bottles, alongside cheese and artisan chocolate. Bliss.

Japantown

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A seriously overlooked foodie hotspot in San Francisco, the Nihonmachi area is one of only three remaining Japantowns in the US. This tiny enclave, which has existed since the early 1900s, is now just six square blocks in size, but there are plenty of culinary treasures to check out in the area.

I recommend booking an three-hour food tour with Edible Excursions (edibleexcursions.net). It costs $110 per person plus $2 booking fee, and includes everything you eat on the way. We made six food stops in total, so come hungry.

Highlights from the tour include sampling the famous sweet potato latte from YakiniQ Cafe (1640 Post St), a caffeine-free hot drink made from the orange tuber. It's sweet, it's strange, but it's kind of delicious. If you're skipping the tour, Ramen Yamadaya (ramen-yamadaya.com/san-francisco) should still be on your radar. Here, they ladle out steaming bowls of hearty Tonkotsu ramen, made with the richest bone broth you'll ever slurp at.

Another Japanese favourite on our hit list is okonomiyaki (Japanese frittata) from a small food cafe in Japantown's shopping mall. Once you can get your head around the fact the bonito flake topping appears to be moving (the hot steam makes the flakes rise and fall), it's actually very tasty indeed. It's made by frying cabbage with bacon, flour and egg, and it's topped with a lattice of mayonnaise, and a thick Worcestershire-style sauce.

One of Japantown's first businesses, Benkyodo Confections (benkyodocompany.com) is still the beating heart of community, where you'll see old friends catching up over something sweet. Here, they're famed for their sweet and savory mochi, and their handmade fried doughnut balls are like tiny pieces of heaven.

Chinatown

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This lively neighbourhood is one of San Francisco's most visited, and for good reason. It's easy to spend a whole day here, getting lost in the maze of streets and tiny alleys. The residents here are almost all Chinese, and speak very little English, which can make it intimidating to know where to go.

Food is a big part of Chinatown's history (Chop Suey was invented here), and Stockton Street is a good place to start. The Chinatown end is as big a culture shock as you can get; a noisy, bustling, colourful and fragrant food market, piled high with fresh veg, herbs and spices.

A word of warning: The animal markets can take a strong stomach - expect to see still-moving fish on the chopping blocks and exotic delicacies like armadillo and tortoise. It feels a world away from the corporate Financial District, which is just a few blocks away.

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Make sure you stop at the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory in Ross Alley too, which was once notorious for its gambling dens in the late 19th century. The tiny factory has been making thousands of authentic fortune cookies every day for years, filling and folding the assembly line by hand.

China Live (chinalivesf.com) is a modern Chinese marketplace that serves up a little bit of everything; dim sum, blistered greens, comforting mapo tofu and the most incredible barbecued pork belly.

It's all great for sharing, although if you're you're like me, you'll struggle to find the generosity to go halves on anything in this city.

How to get there

Aer Lingus (aerlingus.com) flies direct from Dublin, while Virgin Atlantic (virginatlantic.com) flies twice daily from London Heathrow direct to San Francisco.

Rooms at Hotel Emblem (viceroyhotelsandresorts.com/en/emblem) in Nob Hill are available from $127 per night (room only).

Visit sftravel.com for more information.

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For the first time since last summer, the chances of a no-deal Brexit have receded. In my view, the probability of the worst possible outcome for this island remains alarmingly high, and developments over the past few days have not reduced the risk by very much, but the momentum has shifted.

The political dynamics in London have changed in so far as the many prominent pro-Brexit figures in the Conservative Party are looking defeated.

More widely, the relatively high level of support among the British public for a no-deal exit does not appear to be rising and/or hardening.

By contrast, pro-Remain forces have become more mobilised. A petition for a second referendum has gathered six million signatures and counting. A huge anti-Brexit rally (the exact number of attendees is contested) took place in London last weekend.

But a lot still has to happen - on both the EU side and the UK side - if the worst is to be avoided.

Listening to much of the debate in Britain, one might think that delaying Brexit (again) is a decision to be taken by British politicians. It is not. All 27 remaining members of the EU must agree unanimously to any further extension.

Late last Thursday night, the Taoiseach and his 26 counterparts agreed to extend the original deadline, which had long been set for tomorrow night.

But the extension was far from unconditional. They made clear that if the terms of departure agreed with UK Prime Minister Theresa May last year, which include the Irish backstop, were not accepted by the House of Commons in the coming days, a new cliff-edge would be set for April 12.

The 27 leaders also put the ball very much in the UK's court. They told Mrs May, and the British political system more broadly, that to avoid a no-deal exit in just two weeks they would have to come up with some viable plan.

In the very next paragraph of their post-meeting communique, they explicitly stated that any plan put forward by London could not contradict the existing agreement reached between the EU and Mrs May.

That agreement has been voted down twice by the Commons. Even if it is put to a third vote, which is by no means certain, it will be defeated again on the basis of the current positions of the DUP, a few dozen Conservative MPs and the main opposition party.

Nor does it appear that the British are about to "indicate a way forward", as the EU 27 leaders have demanded.

Last night British MPs failed to give a majority to any of eight separate 'ways forward'. As of this morning, the paralysis continues and the clock, although reset by two weeks, continues to tick down.

One of the more likely outcomes over the next two weeks is that the British will seek a further extension of the Brexit deadline even if they have not agreed a plan that is acceptable to the EU side.

As discussed here last week, there are very good reasons for the EU 27 to prolong the saga in order to prevent a no deal. But as the weeks and months have passed, frustration has grown and with it the costs of dragging the process out.

EU leaders are trying to think 10 steps ahead in an effort to anticipate how those costs could multiply in the event of another year or more of having the UK as a member of the bloc.

Although there is no evidence that the British have used their EU membership to disrupt EU business, or have threatened to do so, concerns exist that this could happen in the event of a long extension.

If the UK holds elections to the European Parliament in May, it is perfectly possible that candidates will seek a mandate to use all means possible to achieve Brexit.

It is even more likely that the next leader of the Conservative Party will be a pro-Brexiteer, as all of the favourites for the role are on that side of the party.

Any contest for the leadership will see lots of tough talking on Europe to appeal to the strongly Eurosceptic base of the party, which has the final say if there is more than one candidate. Promises will be made and red lines drawn.

A nightmare prospect is having Boris Johnson representing the UK at EU leaders' meetings later this year and into next year. However much trust has been lost in Mrs May, it would be an understatement to say that Mr Johnson is actively distrusted.

Brexiteers were once fond of describing the UK's membership of the EU as being "shackled to a corpse".

They may not use it much any more, but Europe's leaders think along similar lines - they fear being shackled to a lunatic with a wrecking ball for the foreseeable future.

Let me conclude with a clarification. A letter writer to this newspaper on Saturday claimed that I had advocated "throwing Northern Ireland under a busto serve some sort of economic gain". Anyone who has read this column regularly since the backstop was put on the table 16 months ago knows that I have never advocated anything of the sort.

The on-going crisis in the Brexit process has been focused on the backstop. That in turn has very significantly increased the risk of a no-deal Brexit which would, despite denials and obfuscation from the Government, mean an EU obligation to impose a border on the Republic's side of the frontier. In other words, the backstop always risked bringing about that which it was designed to prevent.

Although there is absolutely no sign that other countries are urging Ireland to back down on the backstop, it may be the least bad option for everyone on this island in the days before the next potential cliff edge in just over two weeks.

An agreed five-year time limit on the backstop, for instance, would guarantee no change to the Border for at least seven years (the backstop would not kick in for almost two years). That would surely be better - for the North and the Republic - than a border in two weeks' time which would come with blame heaped on Ireland for bringing about a no deal and the potential for conflict with the EU 26 for failing to protect their common market.

Accusations of betrayal over Brexit have become commonplace in Britain. It would be a pity if those whose analysis differs from the consensus here were to be tarred with that brush.
It says much about the downfall of Theresa May that the only real power she now has is to leverage her own resignation as an inducement to vote.

The British prime minister has long been superfluous to whatever steps are taken to salvage Brexit, if such steps exist.

For if there is one thing we now know for sure about Brexit, it is that we still know very little.

Where to date we have been looking into a bush, thanks to the House of Commons' indicative votes, we are now looking into a hedge.

So while getting to the root of the problem is still some way off, the possibility that there may actually be a root - somewhere in the thick, dark recesses in Westminster - must be a type of progress.

Where we ought to be startled by the fact the initiative has been snatched from Mrs May, Brexit has in fact given us so many shocks that we have become numbed despite the historical magnitude of the collapse in leadership.

The mood of resignation may be born out of the recognition that such a cascading shambles could only have occurred if Mrs May never had any initiative to begin with.

It is no longer about kicking the can up or down the road; if there was anything left of the can, it got lost in the melee some while back.

That political loutishness has taken us to such a momentous pass is quite unforgivable.

For politicians to have wilfully visited such potential economic and social havoc on millions of people will in time surely be recognised as one of the greatest betrayals of political responsibility in recent times.

And so the UK parliament has wrested control and Mrs May can only watch as MPs grapple with the shards of the splintered Brexit dream.

Few believe they can find enough of substance around which to coalesce.

Despite the fusillades from all sides, it is hard to see how much ground on reaching agreement can be gained.

If a Plan B materialises through the acrid smoke of Westminster debate and Mrs May rejects it, the cross-party group of backbenchers plans to turn the House of Commons compromise - probably a soft Brexit - into legislation mandating the government to implement it.

Despite Mrs May's insistence that she will not be bound by the votes, no less an authority than Michael Gove has pointed out: "If a majority of MPs vote for something, she is compelled to obey the law."

Labour wants a confirmatory public vote, saying any deal agreed by parliament "needs further democratic approval".

Oliver Letwin, whose proposal ushered in the votes, feels the only way leaving the EU with no deal can be prevented is by crystallising an alternative majority and carrying it forward.

Which is all wise and commendable if a bit late in the day. But as to whether we are looking at an election, an abdication or a catastrophic crash, Brexit itself remains in the lap of some very giddy gods.
Housing minister Eoghan Murphy seems not to be aware that adequate shelter is a constitutional right that by law must be provided, no matter what his other ministerial priorities.

Reading that AIB is selling, and other banks have sold, thousands of non-performing loans and homes to financial funds when those houses should belong to depositors (AIB set to close 1bn distressed loan sale to US giant Cerberus, Irish Independent, March 27), its no surprise we have homelessness.

Banks dont own these deposits, so cant use them as collateral to borrow against.

Peoples personal savings can only be used in the interest of those bank savers; so non-performing loans  originally financed by those depositors savings/collateral  rightly belong to depositors.

The State has a constitutional duty to house those living in homes whose mortgages are regarded as non-performing loans.

This would enable the sale of those houses to savers who have not been able to get a home.

When banks, financial funds, and property companies make housing unaffordable for citizens, they violate the constitutional right to shelter of those who cant afford to rent or buy because the few individuals have made it impossible for them.

Michael McPhillips

Ballymun, Dublin

Great start for Mick...shame FAI is showing him the door

Great start to the Euro campaign with six points in the bag. I like Mick McCarthy and Im delighted he is the new manager. Hes a decent bloke and he will give the job 100pc.

But I cant understand why John Delaney appointed two managers, one to succeed the other. What does the FAI do if Mick and the team qualify for the Euro finals and perform well there? How can you sack him then?

Eamonn Kitt

Tuam, Co Galway

Let there be no confusion as to who is to blame for chaos

Ian ODoherty tells us that nobody knows how and why we have the present chaos surrounding Brexit (As we hurtle towards the Brexit cliff edge, Irelands caught in trap..., Comment, March 26).

Later in the same article, however, he says it is hard to disagree with the assertion that the EU is throwing us under a bus. Both statements cannot stand up to scrutiny.

The reason we have Brexit chaos is straightforward and has nothing to do with the EU throwing us under a bus.

The simple fact is that Brexiteers have torn up the agreements the UK signed with nearly 30 other European democracies.

They have also torn up the Good Friday Agreement which drew a line under centuries of colonial rule. This despite the fact that the GFA was endorsed in joint referendums on both sides of the Irish Border. It is a tragedy. But those are the facts and blaming anyone else for the chaos is wrong.

A Leavy

Sutton, Dublin 13

Flogging a dead horse is not going to trouble Trump

Robert Mueller, he of the unimpeachable credentials, darling of the Democrats and scourge of Donald Trump, has, after an investigation lasting nearly as long as Ken Starrs against Bill Clinton, found Trump innocent of all charges. Unimpeachable even.

So now what do the Democrats do? Continue to flog a dead horse and run the very serious risk of alienating not only the Trump hardliners, but reasonable middle-of-the-road Americans as well? Or back off and resort to discussing the issues?

I recently wrote that only Beto ORourke could possibly take on Trump and win.

Now I am not so sure, especially as ORourke is also continuing like the headless chickens in the rest of his party, in spite of all, to turn over every stone in an attempt to nail Trump on Russian collusion and obstruction of justice.

Trump has not been the perfect president: he has torn up the Iran treaty, has provocatively approved the transfer of the Israeli capital to Jerusalem, and listens to hawks like John Bolton and Elliot Abrams who want to invade Venezuela.

Yet he has made sensible and positive moves by talking to North Korea and by seeking detente with Russia. No amount of wishful thinking by the West is going to defang Putin.

Maurice OCallaghan

Stillorgan, Co Dublin

A moment of excitement and the joy of a great headline

In the letter from Patrick Dillon headlined Waless overwhelming victory reveals the joy of six, (Letters, March 26), I experienced a short exciting moment when I misread an i for an e.

Ciaran Clarke

Co Fermanagh
The Sultan of Brunei, who rules by absolute monarchy, has introduced a series of criminal punishments based on Sharia law.

Brunei is set to permit the stoning and whipping to death of LGBT+ people under a series of reforms to its penal code that are attracting international condemnation.

New laws due to come into effect next Wednesday will see the tiny kingdom become the first nation in south-east Asia to impose the death penalty for those found engaging in same-sex intercourse.

Homosexuality was already illegal and carried a long jail sentence in Brunei. However, the country is in the process of introducing a Sharia law-style system for criminal punishment.

Human rights groups have denounced the move, including Amnesty International, which described the new punishments as "heinous" and "inhumane".

It said same-sex relations would become a capital offence that could be carried out by whipping or stoning.

Amnesty warned other new laws would permit amputation as a punishment for robbery or theft and would be carried out on children.

"Some of the potential 'offences' should not even be deemed crimes at all, including consensual sex between adults of the same gender," said Rachel Chhoa-Howard, a Brunei researcher for the organisation.

"Brunei must immediately halt its plans to implement these vicious punishments, and revise its penal code in compliance with its human rights obligations."

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, who rules Brunei as an absolute monarch, first introduced measures under the Sharia Penal Code in 2014, imposing fines or jail terms for offences such as pregnancy out of wedlock or failing to pray on Fridays.

Laws targeting LGBT+ people were shelved following international protests, including a boycott of the sultan's exclusive Beverly Hills Hotel in California.

But it appears he will now implement the legislation, which he has in the past said should be regarded as "special guidance" from God.

Around two thirds of the oil-rich nation's 420,000 inhabitants are Muslim, home to significant Christian and Buddhist communities.
North Korea is conducting activity "inconsistent" with its pledge to denuclearise, the commander of US forces in South Korea said yesterday.

After Donald Trump's first summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un last June, the US president claimed to have made progress towards persuading Pyongyang to give up its nuclear arms.

However, a second summit between the pair in Hanoi last month broke down as the US called for denuclearisation and North Korea demanded relief from international sanctions imposed on it because of its nuclear and missile tests.

Yesterday, General Robert Abrams told a House Armed Services Committee hearing: "Their activity that we have observed is inconsistent with denuclearisation."

Gen Abrams, who did not provide further details, had been asked if the US had seen a change in North Korea's production of nuclear weapons, material and missiles.

Gen Abrams also said that despite a reduction in tensions, there had been little to no verifiable changes in its military capabilities.

"North Korea's conventional and asymmetric military capabilities along with their continued development of advanced conventional munitions and systems all remains unchecked," he said.

Early this month, American think tanks and South Korean officials reported that satellite imagery showed possible preparations for a launch from the Sohae rocket launch site at Tongchang-ri, North Korea.

The site has been used in the past to launch satellites.

There have also been reports from South Korea's intelligence service of activity at a factory that produced North Korea's first intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the United States.
India has shot down one of its satellites in space with an anti-satellite missile.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the country's first test of such technology as a major breakthrough that establishes it as a space power.

India would only be the fourth country to have used such an anti-satellite weapon after the United States, Russia and China, said Mr Modi, who heads into general elections next month. "Our scientists shot down a live satellite 300km away in space, in low-earth orbit," Mr Modi said in a television broadcast.

"India has made an unprecedented achievement," he added, speaking in Hindi. "India registered its name as a space power."

Anti-satellite weapons allow for attacks on enemy satellites, blinding them or disrupting communications, as well as providing a technology base to intercept ballistic missiles.

This has raised fears of the weaponisation of space and setting off an arms race.

After the news, China's foreign ministry said it hoped all countries "can earnestly protect lasting peace and tranquillity in space". The United States and Russia declined to comment.

India's arch-rival Pakistan said space is the "common heritage of mankind and every nation has the responsibility to avoid actions which can lead to the militarisation of this arena".
Security: A police officer stands guard after the massacre in Christchurch, New Zealand. Photo: AFP

The Christchurch mosque massacre gunman donated cash to a far-right movement in Austria, it has been revealed.

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz disclosed the link between the killer and the hardline Identitarian Movement - and said the country was looking into banning the extremists.

"We can now confirm that there was financial support and so a link between the New Zealand attacker and the Identitarian Movement in Austria," Mr Kurz said.

Hansjoerg Bacher, the spokesman for prosecutors in Graz, said Martin Sellner, head of the Identitarian Movement - which says it wants to preserve Europe's identity - received 1,500 in early 2018 from a donor with the same name as the man accused of the Christchurch atrocity.

He added an investigation was under way into whether there were criminally relevant links between Mr Sellner and the mosque attacker.

Prosecutors say they stumbled across the donation as part of a probe against Mr Sellner in connection with possible financial offences.

Mr Sellner published a video on YouTube in which he confirmed the donation and said police had raided his house over the possible links to the Christchurch attacker.

In the video, he said: "I'm not a member of a terrorist organisation. I have nothing to do with this man, other than that I passively received a donation from him."

Mr Sellner said police searched his apartment on Monday and seized electronic devices after he received a "disproportionately high donation" from a person named Tarrant.

Australian Brenton Tarrant (28) is in custody charged with murder over the mosque attacks, in which 50 people died.

The Austrian Interior Ministry declined to comment.

However, Mr Kurz said that Austria was looking into the possibility of dissolving the Identitarian Movement.

"Our position on this is very clear, no kind of extremism whatsoever - whether it's radical Islamists or right-wing extremist fanatics - has any place in our society," he said.

On Tuesday, Mr Kurz said on Twitter that the connection between the Christchurch attacker and members of the Identitarian Movement in Austria needed to be fully clarified.

The Austria Press Agency reported that the chancellor said after a Cabinet meeting that there can be "no tolerance for dangerous ideologies, wherever they come from".

He added that Austria will apply the "full force of the law".

Meanwhile New Zealand police launched a "high-priority" investigation yesterday to find out whether a man who died after an early morning standoff with officers had links to the mosque attack, in which 50 men, women and children were killed.

Police raided the 54-year-old man's home on Tuesday night and found a cache of firearms after receiving a tip-off from the public about "suspicious behaviour", police commissioner Mike Bush said in a statement.

Officers stopped the man in his car just outside Christchurch and began negotiations that lasted for about three hours.

Police eventually approached the vehicle and found the man critically injured with a stab wound.

"A high priority investigation is under way to determine whether or not the deceased man posed a threat to the community," said Mr Bush.

In a separate development in Austria yesterday, authorities said that they have arrested an Iraqi man suspected of carrying out unsuccessful attacks on trains in neighbouring Germany last year and sympathizing with the Islamic State group.

The 42-year-old was arrested on Monday in Vienna, where he lives.

Vienna prosecutors yesterday said he is suspected of "carrying out terrorist attacks on railway lines in Germany in October and December 2018".
 Flash

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Wednesday accused the United States of plotting a bio-chemical war against it.

The official Minju Joson daily said in a commentary that the U.S. Defense Department has worked out a "bio-chemical defense program for fiscal 2019" to introduce a 15.6 percent year-on-year increase in the budget for "Jupiter Plan," a bio-chemical war scenario against the DPRK.

The United States pushed ahead with the scheme in the past, and has spent a huge amount of money for the plan in a bid to turn South Korea into a big testing ground for bio-chemical warfare, Minju Joson said.

"This shows that the U.S. remains unchanged in its black-hearted intention to strain the situation on the peninsula and stifle the DPRK by force," it added.
Eddie Stobart Logistics posted a 35% rise in full-year revenue to 843.1m in the 12 months to November 30 (Eddie Stobart/PA)

Eddie Stobart Logistics saw sales and profits jump last year as the road haulier was boosted by new contract wins.

The firm posted a 35% rise in full-year revenue to 843.1 million in the 12 months to November 30, ahead of market expectations, while pre-tax profit more than doubled from 9.9 million to 23.6 million.

Chief executive Alex Laffey said: We were pleased with our strong performance in 2018, during which we made significant progress in delivering our strategy of becoming a full-service logistics and supply chain organisation.

Whilst we remain mindful of the current political and economic uncertainty, we are confident that our unique operating model provides us with the flexibility to respond rapidly to changing market conditions.

The haulier signed new contracts with the likes of PepsiCo Walkers, Britvic, Cemex and Tarmac, and renewed deals with Johnson & Johnson, Unilever and Coca-Cola.

In total, Eddie Stobart gleaned 162 million from new contracts across all its sectors.

Excluding contributions from subsidiaries  iForce, Speedy Freight and The Pallet Network (TPN)  like-for-like sales were up 18%.

Underlying earnings, the groups preferred measure, were broadly in line with market expectations, rising 14% to 55.3 million.

Net debt as at period end was 159.7 million, up from 109.5 million, reflecting working capital investment.

The increased investment is needed to support the significant levels of sales increase and the additional debt associated with the acquisition of TPN, the company said.

Eddie Stobart Logistics added that profit margins improved in the second half of the year, following costs incurred in the first half in implementing major new customer contracts.

We remain committed to evaluating all of our options around our name and leading brandEddie Stobart Logistics

Last year the firm said bosses are reviewing whether or not to keep the renowned British brand.

On this front, the company said: We remain committed to evaluating all of our options around our name and leading brand. We have engaged with a brand specialist and talked to customers, shareholders and employees regarding our brand and their perceptions of the value it brings.

The board remains confident that, whatever the outcome, value will be created and retained in the long term for all key stakeholders.

Eddie Stobart Logistics, which was spun out of Stobart Group in 2014, has to pay royalties to its former owner for using the name until the current licensing deal ends in 2020.
A bungling burglar who cut himself while breaking into a Pizza Hut restaurant then returned to the scene of the crime to try and wash away the trail of blood with a bottle of Pepsi has been jailed.

William Trotter, 37, was caught on CCTV smashing his way into the chains Sunderland branch in the UK in the early hours of December 17.

He got away with 100 from the till but went back to the scene of the crime after realising he had cut himself and tried to sluice the evidence away using a large bottle of cola.

But despite his attempts to clear up, he was traced from blood spatters he had missed.

Expand Close CCTV of William Trotter mopping up blood prior to trying to wash away a trail of blood with a bottle of Pepsi Photo credit: Northumbria Police/PA Wire / Facebook

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Whatsapp CCTV of William Trotter mopping up blood prior to trying to wash away a trail of blood with a bottle of Pepsi Photo credit: Northumbria Police/PA Wire

Trotter, of East Vines, Sunderland, was jailed for four years and one month on Wednesday at Newcastle Crown Court, Northumbria Police said.

He had admitted to three other burglary offences as well as the Pizza Hut break-in.

He also pleaded guilty to a common assault charge related to one of the burglaries, when he attacked homeowners who caught him in their property.

He was traced by his DNA after he left a hat at that scene.

Speaking after the case, Detective Constable Stu Havery, of Northumbria Police, said: William Trotter went on what can only be described as an inexplicable burglary spree that caused widespread misery to both residents and businesses.

He continually showed a blatant disregard for the law as he broke into both homes and commercial premises across the city to satisfy his own greed.

Trotter is the latest in a line of serial burglars whove been locked up in Sunderland and South Tyneside this year, and I hope his sentence sends out an important message to other opportunistic offenders  you will be caught, and you will be brought to justice.
Migrants sit in a police bus after disembarking from the merchant ship Elhiblu 1, in Senglea, in Valletta's Grand Harbour, Malta, March 28, 2019. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi

Migrants disembark from the merchant ship Elhiblu 1, in Senglea, in Valletta's Grand Harbour, Malta, March 28, 2019. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi

A migrant child is carried off the merchant ship Elhiblu 1, in Senglea, in Valletta's Grand Harbour, Malta, March 28, 2019. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi

A Maltese special forces soldier guards a group of migrants on the merchant ship Elhiblu 1 after it arrived in Senglea, in Valletta's Grand Harbour, Malta, March 28, 2019. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi

Maltese special forces soldiers guard a group of migrants on the merchant ship Elhiblu 1 after it arrived in Senglea, in Valletta's Grand Harbour, Malta, March 28, 2019. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi

Migrants sit in a police bus after disembarking from the merchant ship Elhiblu 1, in Senglea, in Valletta's Grand Harbour, Malta, March 28, 2019. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi

A Maltese special forces soldier guards a group of migrants on the merchant ship Elhiblu 1 after it arrived in Senglea, in Valletta's Grand Harbour, Malta, March 28, 2019. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi

Police officers help migrants to disembark from the merchant ship Elhiblu 1 in Senglea, in Valletta's Grand Harbour, Malta, March 28, 2019. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi

Maltese special forces soldiers talk with members of the crew of the merchant ship Elhiblu 1 after it arrived in Senglea, in Valletta's Grand Harbour, Malta, March 28, 2019. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi

A migrant is seen on the merchant ship Elhiblu 1, in Senglea, in Valletta's Grand Harbour, Malta, March 28, 2019. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi

Police officers help migrants to disembark from the merchant ship Elhiblu 1 in Senglea, in Valletta's Grand Harbour, Malta, March 28, 2019. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi

A Maltese special forces soldier guards a group of migrants on the merchant ship Elhiblu 1 after it arrived in Senglea, in Valletta's Grand Harbour, Malta, March 28, 2019. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi

A migrant child disembarks from the merchant ship Elhiblu 1 in Senglea, in Valletta's Grand Harbour, Malta, March 28, 2019. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi

Maltese special forces soldiers are seen on the merchant ship Elhiblu 1 after it arrived in Senglea, in Valletta's Grand Harbour, Malta, March 28, 2019. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi

A group of migrants is seen on the merchant ship Elhiblu 1 after it arrived in Senglea, in Valletta's Grand Harbour, Malta, March 28, 2019. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi

A migrant child is carried off the merchant ship Elhiblu 1, in Senglea, in Valletta's Grand Harbour, Malta, March 28, 2019. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi

A Maltese special forces team has boarded a tanker that had been hijacked by migrants rescued at sea, and returned control to the captain, before escorting it to a Maltese port.

Armed troops stood guard on the ship's deck, and a dozen or so migrants were also visible, as the vessel docked at Boiler Wharf in the city of Senglea.

Several police vans were lined up on shore to take custody of the migrants for investigation, and four were led off the ship in handcuffs.

Authorities in Italy and Malta on Wednesday said that the group had hijacked the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1 after it rescued them in the Mediterranean Sea, and forced the crew to put the Libya-bound vessel on a course north towards Europe.

Expand Close A group of migrants is seen on the merchant ship Elhiblu 1 after it arrived in Senglea, in Valletta's Grand Harbour, Malta, March 28, 2019. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi / Facebook

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Whatsapp A group of migrants is seen on the merchant ship Elhiblu 1 after it arrived in Senglea, in Valletta's Grand Harbour, Malta, March 28, 2019. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi

Italian interior minister Matteo Salvini said the ship had rescued about 120 people and described what happened as "the first act of piracy on the high seas with migrants" as the alleged hijackers.

Malta put the number of migrants rescued at 108.

The ship had been heading towards Italy's southernmost island of Lampedusa and the island of Malta when Maltese forces intercepted it.

Troops established communications with the captain while the ship was still 30 nautical miles off shore. The captain told them he was not in control of the vessel "and that he and his crew were being forced and threatened by a number of migrants to proceed to Malta".

Expand Close A Maltese special forces soldier guards a group of migrants on the merchant ship Elhiblu 1 after it arrived in Senglea, in Valletta's Grand Harbour, Malta, March 28, 2019. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi / Facebook

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Whatsapp A Maltese special forces soldier guards a group of migrants on the merchant ship Elhiblu 1 after it arrived in Senglea, in Valletta's Grand Harbour, Malta, March 28, 2019. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi

A patrol vessel stopped the tanker from entering Maltese waters, they said.

The special forces team that restored control to the captain was backed by a patrol vessel, two fast interceptor craft and a helicopter.

Humanitarian organisations say migrants are mistreated and even tortured in Libya, and have protested over protocols to return migrants rescued offshore to the lawless northern African nation.

Italy and Malta have refused to open their ports to humanitarian ships that rescue migrants at sea, which has created numerous standoffs as European governments haggle over which will take them in.

Expand Close A migrant is seen on the merchant ship Elhiblu 1, in Senglea, in Valletta's Grand Harbour, Malta, March 28, 2019. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi / Facebook

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Whatsapp A migrant is seen on the merchant ship Elhiblu 1, in Senglea, in Valletta's Grand Harbour, Malta, March 28, 2019. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi

Mediterranea, a private group that operates a rescue ship and monitors how governments treat migrants, urged compassion for the group on the hijacked vessel and said it hoped European countries would act "in the name of fundamental rights, remembering that we are dealing with human beings fleeing hell".

Mass migration to Europe has dropped sharply since 2015, when the continent received a million refugees and migrants from countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa.

The surge created a humanitarian crisis in which desperate travellers frequently drowned and leading arrival spots such as Italy and Greece struggled to house large numbers of asylum-seekers.

Along with the dangerous sea journey itself, those who attempt to cross the Mediterranean risk being stopped by Libya's coastguard and held in Libyan detention centres that human rights groups have described as bleak places where migrants allegedly suffer routine abuse.

Expand Close Maltese special forces soldiers talk with members of the crew of the merchant ship Elhiblu 1 after it arrived in Senglea, in Valletta's Grand Harbour, Malta, March 28, 2019. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi / Facebook

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Whatsapp Maltese special forces soldiers talk with members of the crew of the merchant ship Elhiblu 1 after it arrived in Senglea, in Valletta's Grand Harbour, Malta, March 28, 2019. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi

EU members "alert the Libyan coastguard when refugees and migrants are spotted at sea so they can be taken back to Libya, despite knowing that people there are arbitrarily detained and exposed to widespread torture, rape, killings and exploitation", said Matteo de Bellis, an international migration researcher for Amnesty International.

EU countries, responding to domestic opposition to welcoming immigrants, have decided to significantly downscale an operation in the Mediterranean, withdrawing ships and continuing the mission with air surveillance only.

"This shameful decision has nothing to do with the needs of people who risk their lives at sea, but everything to do with the inability of European governments to agree on a way to share responsibility for them," Mr de Bellis said.
SchoolsS reopened in southern Israel and traffic clogged Gaza's streets yesterday amid signs of a de-escalation from the most serious cross-border fighting in months.

While violence eased thanks to Egyptian mediation, Israeli forces and Palestinian militants were on hair-trigger footing, with rocket attacks from Gaza and Israeli air strikes in the enclave briefly resuming late on Tuesday.

Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile interceptors have destroyed some of the rockets and Palestinian militants vacated facilities targeted in the air strikes.

Towns in southern Israel, where rocket-warning sirens have disrupted daily life since the current round of fighting began, reopened classrooms. In Gaza, schools were also operating and cars filled the streets.

The Gaza border remained tense, however, with Israeli troops and tanks deployed along it. Both Israel and Gaza's ruling Hamas militant group made clear attacks by the other side would not be tolerated.

Even if the crisis subsides, it could shadow Israel's April 9 election, in which right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has campaigned on a tough security platform.

The fighting has added to tensions that were building ahead of the first anniversary on March 30 of the start of weekly Gaza protests at the border. Some 200 Gazans have been killed and thousands wounded by Israeli fire during those protests, and one Israeli soldier has been killed.
A Boeing 737 Max with an engine problem made a safe emergency landing in Florida, the US Federal Aviation Administration said yesterday.

The Max, one of hundreds worldwide grounded after two fatal crashes, was being ferried to California, where Southwest Airlines is storing its planes while they are out of action.

The Southwest crew declared an emergency after taking off from Orlando at about 2.50pm on Tuesday.

The 737 Max was grounded in the US on March 13 after 157 people died in a crash involving one of the planes in Ethiopia on March 10.

It was the second fatal crash involving the aeroplane in five months. Last October, 189 people were killed in a crash in Indonesia.

US airlines are allowed to shuttle the planes but cannot carry passengers. The FAA says it is investigating the Florida incident but the emergency was not related to anti-stall software that is suspected as a cause of the two fatal crashes.

Airport spokeswoman Carolyn Fennell says one of the airport's three runways was shut down for cleaning after the landing.

She explained it is standard procedure to check a runway for debris after an emergency landing. It was not clear if any parts actually fell off the plane.

The other two runways remained open, and normal operations were not affected.

Southwest said the plane's pilots reported a "performance issue" with an engine shortly after taking off for Victorville, California.

The Max 8 jet is now being moved to Southwest's Orlando maintenance facility to be checked, a company statement added.
Unvaccinated children have been banned from all public spaces in a New York county as the state battles its largest measles outbreak in decades. (stock picture)

Unvaccinated children have been banned from all public spaces in a New York county as the state battles its largest measles outbreak in decades.

Officials in Rockland County, about 65km from Manhattan, have declared a state of emergency to stop the spread of the disease.

Children who have not been vaccinated will not be permitted in public places, such as churches, schools and shopping centres, though outdoors spaces such as playgrounds are not included in the ban.

Hundreds of confirmed cases of measles have been reported across the state, more than 150 of them in Rockland County.

More than 82pc of patients had not received a single dose of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, health officials said.

The ban will remain in place for 30 days or until the unvaccinated children receive the MMR vaccine, they added.

"We must not allow this outbreak to continue," Ed Day, the county executive, said. "We will not sit idly by while children in our community are at risk."

The announcement comes as outbreaks have also hit areas in California, Illinois, Texas and Washington, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. In New York City, more than 180 cases have been confirmed.

In Rockland County, data shows that the largest number of cases - 46pc - were seen in children aged four to 18. Of those, 39pc were in children younger than three.

Mr Day said the authorities will not be searching for children who are not vaccinated but are expecting parents and legal guardians to step up and get children vaccinated.

Parents and guardians who are found to be in violation will be held accountable and their cases will be referred to the district attorney's office.

Such a violation will be considered a misdemeanour, punishable by a $500 (444) fine or up to six months in jail.

Mr Day added that children unable to be vaccinated for documented medical reasons are exempt.

"Rockland will lead the way in service and safety to the people here," he said.

Amid concerns about the growing incidence of measles, Rockland County tried something similar last year.

Public health officials barred unvaccinated children from attending schools with vaccination rates lower than 95pc.

Months later, the parents of more than 40 banned children at Green Meadow Waldorf School sued the county health department to allow the students to return to class.

This week, a US district court judge denied their request, ruling that it was not in the public interest to allow the children to go back to school.

Measles is highly contagious and the consequences include pneumonia, brain damage, hearing loss and even death.

Before the introduction of the vaccine in 1963, most children contracted measles, with 400 to 500 in the US dying annually. ( The Washington Post)
Support: Mr Trump meets Fabiana, wife of Juan Guaido, who he backed as leader of Venezuela. Photo: AFP

Nancy Pelosi has urged Democrats not to accept the verdict of attorney-general William Barr on the Mueller report - as President Donald Trump continues to gloat over his "vindication".

The House Speaker pointed out that the special counsel's report itself remains secret, with Mr Barr's four-page summary the only information publicly available so far.

"We cannot make a judgment on the basis of an interpretation by a man who was hired for his job because he believes the president is above the law and he wrote a 19-page memo to demonstrate that," Ms Pelosi reportedly told party members in a private meeting.

The Speaker also called for calm and a return to policy matters.

Meanwhile, with renewed talk of impeaching Mr Trump in the air, the House Judiciary Committee voted unanimously to call on the Justice Department to release all FBI files relating to obstruction of justice, kick-starting the Democratic fightback in earnest.

It was also revealed yesterday that Deutsche Bank has been cooperating with the House Financial Services Committee's investigation into Mr Trump's finances.

Expand Close Nancy Pelosi: Barr hired because he believes President is above the law. Photo: Josua Roberts / Facebook

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Whatsapp Nancy Pelosi: Barr hired because he believes President is above the law. Photo: Josua Roberts

Democratic congresswoman Maxine Waters, who chairs the committee and is leading the probe, confirmed the bank was now providing its records of the president's finances.

It had previously rebuffed the Democrats' call for the documents throughout 2017 and 2018, when they were the minority party in the House.

But Ms Waters said she was satisfied with the bank's level of co-operation since the Democrats assumed majority power after sweeping the House in the 2018 midterm elections.

She told reporters that the committee was probing "everything" involving Mr Trump's financial dealings with the bank, which was recently fined in a major Russian money laundering scheme.

Mr Trump and Deutsche Bank were "deeply entwined" throughout his rise to prominence as a New York real estate mogul, according to a major New York Times report published earlier this month.

The report also alleged that the president had inflated the value of his financial assets by as much as 70pc.

The extent of Mr Trump's potential involvement in criminal misconduct with Deutsche Bank remains unclear, as investigators probe other possible financial crimes in addition to the bank's money laundering.

The bank was previously accused of violating international sanctions, along with money laundering, market manipulation and other illegal practices.

It was forced to pay $630m (559m) in fines to the US Justice Department in 2017.

At least two congressional committees are currently looking into the president's dealings with Deutsche Bank.

The House Intelligence Committee has also launched an investigation into the president's finances, including his connections with the bank.

Deutsche Bank has been reported to have lent money to Mr Trump at a time when few other financial institutions were willing to work with him.

The president has urged Americans to forget the whole Russia investigation as a waste of time.

He claimed that he was "totally exonerated", despite Mr Barr quoting Mr Mueller as saying: "While this report does not conclude that the president committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him."

The special counsel did find that the Kremlin directed a large-scale effort to helping Mr Trump during the 2016 election.

Meanwhile, Mr Trump told Russia to "get out" of Venezuela yesterday after 100 of its troops landed to help President Nicolas Maduro, escalating a war of words between Washington and Moscow.

The US president's rebuke was delivered as he held talks in the White House with Fabiana Rosales, the wife of Juan Guaido, the Venezuelan opposition politician who had declared himself interim president.

America, along with many European and South American nations, supports his claim to the presidency while Russia and China back Mr Maduro.

The political crisis escalated on Saturday when two Russian air force planes touched down outside Caracas carrying the Russian troops. Cyber experts

were reportedly among the "special forces" dispatched.
People queue to get water from a truck in Caracas (Natacha Pisarenko/AP)

More power outages have hit Venezuela after the nations worst blackouts earlier this month, knocking out water pumps and forcing some Caracas residents to spend hours searching for bottled water or to fill up containers at springs in the citys hills.

Frustrated Venezuelans wondered how long they would have to endure the new outages, which started on Monday and again shut down schools, offices and factories.

The power crisis has sharpened a political struggle between President Nicolas Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaido, who urged supporters to protest as a response to Venezuelas deteriorating infrastructure.

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Whatsapp A woman fills a container with water from a truck in Caracas, Venezuela, (Natacha Pisarenko/AP)

We cant be passive, said Mr Guaido, who announced a protest campaign titled Operation Liberty that includes planned demonstrations on Saturday and on April 6.

On Wednesday morning, a new disruption to the power grid left 91% of the country offline, reversing a partial recovery since the start of the latest nationwide blackouts, according to Netblocks, a group that monitors internet censorship.

By afternoon, the flow of power remained erratic, returning in some areas only to go off again in a pattern that is now familiar.

It comes and goes. Last night it came back at 10 oclock at night and at five oclock in the morning it left again. It hasnt come back since, said Luis Jose Vargas, a 48-year-old baker carrying a container of water filled from a brook.

With water, Mr Vargas said, its the same.

Expand Close A men collects water from a brook in Caracas, Venezuela (Boris Vergara/AP) / Facebook

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Whatsapp A men collects water from a brook in Caracas, Venezuela (Boris Vergara/AP)

As the outage stretched into evening, people howled with anger in the street and from apartment windows in one neighbourhood where the power, which had returned for some hours, went out yet again. Some cursed Mr Maduro.

Nancy Villasinda said she spent more than four hours trying in vain to find a shop selling water. The government had said city water pumps were starting to work again, but then another power cut hit, Ms Villasinda said.

I suppose thats why we still dont have water, she said.

Mr Maduros government said schools and state offices and industries were closed on Wednesday as workers tried to restore electricity.

Few shops in Caracas, the capital, were open and many streets were clear of the usual weekday traffic. The government ordered schools and businesses to remain closed on Thursday.

Mr Maduro said the outage was caused by a sniper attack on the nations electrical system using a long-range gun in a telephone call broadcast on Venezuelas state television Wednesday.

He said the damage was worse than any Venezuelan could have imagined but that he hoped to have good news about the restoration of power in the coming hours.

He also announced a march Saturday to rival Mr Guaidos, dubbed the Operation in Defence of Liberty, and urged pro-government groups, some of which are armed, to ensure there is zero guarimba, a reference to opposition protests.

Were never going to give up, he vowed.

What's happening there should not be happeningDonald Trump

After the last blackouts started on March 7, the situation became increasingly desperate for many Venezuelans when water pumps stopped working without power.

Looters ransacked hundreds of businesses in the city of Maracaibo. The blackouts eased nearly a week later, but many areas only had intermittent power even after the government said the problem was solved.

Mr Maduro, who is backed by Russia, says he is the target of a US-led coup plot and accuses the US and the Venezuelan opposition of sabotaging the countrys decrepit power system.

US officials and Mr Guaido say the accusation is an attempt to divert attention away from years of government mismanagement.

The United States was the first nation to recognise Mr Guaido as interim president, asserting that Mr Maduros re-election last year was illegitimate, and has stepped up sanctions and other diplomatic measures in hopes of forcing him to give up power.

On Wednesday, Mr Guaidos wife was welcomed at the White House as part of a tour to rally international support for the Venezuelan opposition.

We are with Venezuela, President Donald Trump said at the start of a meeting with Fabiana Rosales, the wife of opposition leader Mr Guaido, and other opposition figures.

Whats happening there should not be happening.
Sir Louis Gluckstein stands next to the Queen as she reviews renovations on the Royal Albert Hall (Archive/PA)

A New York City councillor from Brooklyn has been named the tallest politician in the world.

Robert Cornegy Jr, who is 6ft 10in, was honoured for that distinction at a City Hall ceremony after being officially certified by Guinness World Records as the worlds tallest male politician on January 14.

Honored to celebrate @gwr tallest politician today w/family, colleagues, @nycmayor & delivering important message: No one should feel limited by their appearance pic.twitter.com/3rDOIsOCMW  Robert E. Cornegy Jr. (@rc4bk) March 27, 2019

Mr Cornegy said he went for the title two years ago after a constituent jokingly told him you have to be the tallest politician ever.

Mr Cornegy says being tall has its challenges, especially shopping for shoes and clothes.

The previous record holder was a British MP named Sir Louis Gluckstein, who measured 6ft 7in.

He died in 1979.
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China stands ready to work with Sao Tome and Principe to push their comprehensive cooperative partnership to a new level, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said Wednesday in Boao, Hainan province.

The remarks came as Li met with Sao Tome and Principe Prime Minister Jorge Bom Jesus, who is attending the Boao Forum for Asia annual conference.

China appreciates that Sao Tome and Principe upholds the one-China principle, which serves as the political foundation of the bilateral relations, said Li, applauding the constantly deepening political mutual trust and remarkable achievements of pragmatic cooperation in various fields since the two countries resumed diplomatic ties in 2016.

Li said China stands ready to work with Sao Tome and Principe to strengthen bilateral exchanges and cooperation and provide aid within its capacity to support Sao Tome and Principe's pursuit of sustainable development, so as to achieve win-win results.

The prime minister of Sao Tome and Principe said his country and China are close like brothers. The resumption of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2016 has injected new vitality into the friendly bilateral ties. Sao Tome and Principe firmly support the one-China principle and are willing to learn from China's development experience.

He said Chinese enterprises are welcomed to invest in Sao Tome and Principe and hope to strengthen cooperation with China in fields including fisheries, tourism and infrastructure.
Salt stalactites hanging from the ceiling in the Malham Cave (Ariel Schalit/AP)

Israeli researchers have surveyed what they now believe to be the worlds longest salt cave, a network of twisting passageways at the southern tip of the Dead Sea.

A recently completed survey of the Malham Cave determined the labyrinthine cavern stretches more than six miles in length.

That puts it well ahead of Irans Namakdan Cave, previously thought to be the longest salt cave.

The survey was conducted by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a collection of Israeli, Bulgarian and international volunteers.

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Boaz Langford, a researcher at the universitys Caves Research Centre, and Antoniya Vlaykova, a Bulgarian cave explorer from the European Speleological Federation, headed the expedition.

Whats unique about this cave, as opposed to other salt caves in the world, is that its the longest in the world, Mr Langford said, resting in a chamber of the cave dubbed the Wedding Hall for its salt stalactites.

Mr Langford and Ms Vlaykova said they plan to publish the complete map of the cave in a professional publication in the coming months.

There is no official record for the longest salt cave, and such designations are generally decided by consensus among cave researchers after an underground chamber is mapped and published.

All the stalagmites and stalactites, their beauty, their colour, they're really white, they're shining, they're amazingEfraim Cohen

Namakdan, which is about four miles in length, was identified as the longest salt cave after a study by Czech and Iranian scientists in 2006.

Salt caves are unusual and rare geological features.

Because salt is highly water soluble, large salt deposits do not normally survive long on the surface.

Only a handful of salt caves are larger than half a mile in length.

Salt caves tend to only exist in highly arid regions, like the area around the Dead Sea, which is located at the lowest point on earth and is too salty to support animal life.

The Dead Sea and Mount Sodom were formed by tectonic activity, the shifting of the Earths plates at the northern end of the 4,000-mile Afro-Arabian Rift Valley.

Over millions of years, successive flooding of the deep depression lay down thick layers of salt.

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The salt layers are squeezed out from the sub-surface, where they are deposited a few kilometres underground, and while being squeezed out they form a mountain, which is rising still today, at a rate of about one centimetre per year, said Amos Frumkin, a Hebrew University geologist who has studied the cave for decades.

The Malham Caves main outlet yawns not far from a salt pillar named Lots Wife, after the biblical character who was petrified for looking back at the destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.

On the mountainside above, Mr Langford, Ms Vlaykova and their colleagues have identified at least 19 openings where seasonal floods have percolated through Mount Sodoms rock salt to form the cave.

Yoav Negev, founder of the Israeli Cave Explorers Club, said that over two years, his group and a total of 80 volunteers from nine countries spent around 1,500 workdays measuring and mapping the caverns recesses.

Its above and beyond what we expected, he said.

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Efraim Cohen, one of the Hebrew University cave explorers, described the process of locating the caves entrances from the surface, rappelling down into surface shafts, squeezing through tight passages, and measuring each of the caverns serpentine branches with lasers.

Despite the difficult environment, he said the caves splendour makes it worth it.

All the stalagmites and stalactites, their beauty, their colour, theyre really white, theyre shining, theyre amazing, Mr Cohen said.

Radiocarbon dating of wood fragments found inside the cave have helped date its formation to around 7,000 years ago, making it extremely young by speleological standards.

The reason why its so young is because its made of salt, Mr Frumkin explained.

Limestone caves are much slower to form. They are usually much older.

But this one is developing very fast so its one of the youngest caves in the world.

Mr Frumkin said that studying the caves formation has provided researchers with information about the climate of the region over the past 7,000 years, and how that has affected the emergence of civilisation.

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Jericho, one of worlds first cities and an epicentre for the development of agriculture, is around 50 miles north of the Malham Cave.

Because the salt is so soluble, that means that every change in the climate leaves its mark in the cave, Mr Frumkin said.

If there is more water, more rainfall, the cave is enlarged, and Dead Sea level changes, and this makes a huge difference in the morphology of the cave.

Although the scientists have completed their study, there is still more of the cave that is undiscovered, he said.

There are some more parts, especially upper levels, which have not been surveyed yet because they are difficult to reach, Mr Frumkin said.
From left to right: Craig Middlebrook, Deputy Administrator, U.S. Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation; Joel Szabat, Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs, U.S. Department of Transportation; Marc Garneau, Canadian Minister of Transport; Paul Pathy, President and CEO, Fednav; Terence Bowles, President and CEO, The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation; and Chantal Rouleau, Quebec Minister of Transport, at the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway's 2019 navigation season. March 26, 2019. St. Lambert Lock, Montreal. Photo Credit: Chamber of Marine Commerce

(March 26, 2019) WASHINGTON  The U.S. Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC) joined with its binational partner, the Canadian St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC), to mark the opening of the Seaway's 2019 navigation season. 2019 marks the 60th anniversary of the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway.

"The Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System is a vital maritime transportation system and a driver of economic development and job creation in the region," said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao.

Today's opening ceremony of the binational waterway took place at St. Lambert Lock in Montreal, Canada. Canadian Transport Minister Marc Garneau, U.S. Department of Transportation Assistant Secretary Joel Szabat, SLSDC Deputy Administrator Craig H. Middlebrook, and SLSMC President/CEO Terence Bowles all addressed the gathering.

"As the binational waterway turns 60, it is resilient and ready for the future," said SLSDC Deputy Administrator Craig H. Middlebrook. "New technologies, an exceptional reliability record, and significant investments in infrastructure are enhancing efficiencies and keeping the Seaway safe and competitive."

In 1959, the St. Lawrence Seaway opened North America's heartland to global markets. Since 1959, nearly three billion tons of cargo with an estimated value of over $450 billion has moved through the St. Lawrence Seaway to and from Canada, and nearly 50 other nations. In addition to being hailed as an engineering marvel essential to international trade and transportation, the waterway has long been recognized as a model of international cooperation between Canada and the United States. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and President Dwight D. Eisenhower attended the Seaway opening in 1959.

More than 237,000 jobs and $35 billion in economic activity are supported by movement of various cargoes on the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System.
The tribal casino industry continues to enjoy steady growth, with revenues reaching $32.4 billion , according to the latest figures from the National Indian Gaming Commission

But in terms of actual gaming sites, Indian Country has "largely plateaued," Dave Palermo reports in Global Gaming Magazine. Between 2015 and 2017, tribes were only able to open another 20 facilities.

When figures from the Indian Gaming Industry Report , an independent analysis, are taken into account, tribes have only seen a 1.2 percent growth in the number of facilities, Palermo notes.

The Wilton Rancheria will be opening a casino in Elk Grove, California, after overcoming numerous hurdles.

With some exceptions, the Indian gaming market is fully developed, Bryan Newland, the chairman of the Bay Mills Indian Community , says in Palermo's writeup

Entirely new facilities include ones owned by the Spokane Tribe and the Cowlitz Tribe , both in Washington state. Notably, both tribes had to overcome years of political, legal and regulatory hurdles.

In the immediate future, the Shawnee Tribe is close to opening a casino in Oklahoma. The Wilton Rancheria and the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe are also on track to joining the industry, in California and Massachusetts, respectively.

Of the 573 federally recognized tribes in the U.S., 243 operate casinos pursuant to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act , according to data from the NIGC , a federal agency.

Read More on the Story

Growing Up (Global Gaming Magazine March 22, 2019)

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As the descendants of Ponca Chief Standing Bear recover from disastrous flooding in Nebraska, a federal judge has cast doubt on their new gaming facility in neighboring Iowa.

In a 36-page decision issued on Tuesday, Judge Stephanie M. Rose said the National Indian Gaming Commission must take another look at the process used to approve the Prairie Flower Casino . The federal agency's analysis was "arbitrary and capricious" because it did not take all the evidence into account, the ruling stated.

As a result, "this matter must be remanded to the commission for further consideration," Rose wrote. It's the second time that has happened in the course of litigation over the casino, which opened last October following the NIGC's favorable review.

We enjoyed today's visit from the Cornhusker Run bus tour! Thanks for visiting us and we hope to see you again soon! pic.twitter.com/3h5vxa0LEb  Prairie Flower Casino (@PFlowerCasino) March 26, 2019

Rose's decision does not require the facility to be closed. But it represents a setback for the Ponca Tribe , whose leaders have been fighting for the right to engage in gaming on their homelands for more than 10 years.

Prairie Flower is located on tribal trust land in Carter Lake, Iowa. It is named for a daughter of Chief Standing Bear who died when her people were forced to leave their homelands by the federal government in 1877

Thanks to the advocacy of Chief Standing Bear , the Ponca were allowed to return home only to see their federal status terminated by the United States a century later. The tribe's recognition was restored in 1990, which the NIGC considered when it determined, first in 2007 and again in 2017 , that the casino could open on "restored" lands in Carter Lake.

Prairie Flower is being litigated by the state of Iowa and the city of Council Bluffs, where non-Indian gaming facilities are located. The state of Nebraska also intervened, citing impacts on its interests -- the city of Omaha, the most populous in the region, is next door to Carter Lake.

The same governments sued the NIGC after the original 2007 decision, which resulted in the first remand in the long-running matter.

Prairie Flower has not been impacted by the historic flooding in Nebraska but the tribe and its citizens elsewhere in the state have been negatively affected

National Indian Gaming Commission Documents

8th Circuit Court of Appeals Decision

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Sharice Davids and Deb Haaland could make history yet again

There are open U.S. Senate seats in Kansas, New Mexico #NativeVote20

Indian Country Today

Could Deb Haaland or Sharice Davids make history again?

Haaland and Davids are the first American Indian women to ever serve in the U.S. House. And no Native woman has ever served in the U.S. Senate. And now there are open seats for the Senate in both Haaland and Davids home states.

Sen. Tom Udall, D-New Mexico, announced last week that he would not run for re-election, creating an open seat. Its likely that there will be a lot of competition so politicians in both parties are considering what it would take to run and win.

Thank you for love and encouragement New Mexico! I hear you, and Im giving the Senate race a lot of thought and consideration. I'll let you know when we've got news to share! #nmpol #nmsen #befierce  Deb Haaland (@Deb4CongressNM) March 26, 2019

Haaland, Laguna Pueblo, D-New Mexico, tweeted a strong maybe. She wrote: Thank you for love and encouragement New Mexico! I hear you, and Im giving the Senate race a lot of thought and consideration. I'll let you know when we've got news to share!

Udall and his colleague in the U.S. Senate, Martin Heinrich, each won their seats in races without an incumbent, it is exceedingly rare for that to happen in New Mexico, wrote Matthew Reichbach and Andy Lyman in The New Mexico Political Report . So its no surprise that the list of Democrats who could run to replace Udall is lengthy 

At least five major Democratic officeholders are considering entering the race as well as several Republicans, including former U.S. Reps. Heather Wilson, Steve Wilson, and candidate for Secretary of State Gavin Clarkson, Choctaw.

It could be an expensive race -- especially if both parties see it as a potential win. The last race for Senate in next door Arizona nearly hit $50 million.

Thank you, Governor! Its an honor to serve alongside you as we work for the people of Kansas. https://t.co/RNZT0jPmqj  Sharice Davids (@sharicedavids) March 27, 2019

While Haaland is a strong maybe, Davids has been silent. She is laser focused on serving her congressional district, something reflected throughout her social media feeds.

Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts, a Republican, announced his retirement. Kansas is a state that has not sent a Democrat to the Senate since 1932. Then Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told the Kansas City Star that he would not be a candidate. That means it's a wide open race, even if the favors a Kansas Republican.

But Davids, Ho Chunk, has already defied history with her election to the House, defeating a Republican incumbent in Johnson County, Kansas.

This week the new Governor Laura Kelly, a Democrat, tweeted recognition for Davids as a dynamic colleague and friend for her historic election. She used the hashtag, #womenshistorymonth

The last election had many firsts for Democrats in Kansas. And, as Kansas Public Radio reported: Next years races could launch Democrats on a new path to political relevance in Kansas. Or it could leave the party withering into the triviality of the recent past, when Republicans held all the statewide offices, congressional seats and huge majorities in the statehouse.

There are other potential Native American candidates considering campaigns for the Senate in Alaska and Arizona.

Mark Trahant is the editor of Indian Country Today . He is a member of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes . Follow him on Twitter @TrahantReports

This story originally appeared on Indian Country Today on March 28, 2019.

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SpaceX, a renowned space exploration firm, has been spearheading the modes of transportation to be used in the future inside as well as outside of the earths atmosphere. One such concept by the company comes as the hyperloop. To support the development of functional prototypes, the firm holds a global annual competition called Hyperloop Pod Competition. The exciting part? This year, a team from India has made its way to the finals.

The competition saw a total of 1500 teams participating to create a pod or the travelling vessel for the hyperloop concept. The goal is simple, your pod should attain maximum speed and should correspondingly have comparative deceleration. No other criteria is put up in order to not put a limit on the creativity of the participants.

In this years competition, Team Avishkar Hyperloop from India has reached the list of top 21 teams shortlisted to be the finalists. As one of the finalists, the team will be visiting the SpaceX facility in California in July to test their version of the pod on the Hyperloop tunnel.

Team Avishkar Hyperloop (Image: Facebook)

Also read: CycleLoop  Indias Own Eco Friendly And Healthier Version Of The HyperLoop

A team of 30 members, all hailing from various departments of IIT Madras, Avishkar Hyperloop is the only team from Asia to reach the finals. For their finals, the team has decided to use a linear-induction motor built by them on an electric powertrain. The system will be backed by a high-power battery pack and the team aims to achieve speeds of over 400 kmph with it. As for the deceleration part, the team is planning on using pneumatic brakes.

The pod developed by the team runs on four wheels on a single race track. To counter instability that might result out of a single track use, the team has also equipped the system with a stabilisation mechanism. At the finals, the team will have to demonstrate a run of the pod within a 1 mile long vacuumed Hyperloop tunnel and successfully decelerate it within the length.

For this, all the finalists will be allowed to test their implementation to make final refinements a week prior to the finals.

Interestingly, most of the other teams are returning finalists in the competition while the team from India has made it for the first time. The total budget of the team for the competition has come close to Rs 1 crore, raised mostly through in-house funding, alumni, tech companies and crowdfunding.

As the competition draws closer, we wish the team all the best for their finals.
(CNN)  "What We Do in the Shadows" won't be everybody's cup of tea -- or warm blood -- but like the little-seen independent movie upon which this FX series is based, it should work its spell on a devoted cult following. Quirky, droll and surprisingly dry given its preoccupation with drinking, the show serves up an amusing riff on vampire lore, and as a bonus, living in Staten Island.

The rather simple premise involves a quartet of vampires -- hundreds of years old -- who have improbably settled in Staten Island, where they share a house. Like any roommates, there are some issues, although when one gripes about finding people "half drunk" in the house, it takes on a very different meaning.

Nandor (Kayvan Novak), the lead vampire, also has a human attendant to safeguard him during the day, or "Vampire's familiar," a relationship described as "like being a best friend ... who's also a slave." Said aide, Guillermo (Harvey Guillen), dreams of becoming a vampire himself, but for now endures the indignities of servitude, which includes having to hang out with other familiars when vampires assemble.

The other bloodsuckers, Laszlo (Matt Berry) and Nadja (Natasia Demetriou), operate as a kind of team, albeit a squabbling one. Finally, there's Colin (Mark Proksch), a "psychic vampire," who doesn't drink people but rather drains their energy, hilariously, by boring them with his mind-numbing dullness.

Produced by Jemaine Clement (half of "Flight of the Conchords"), director Taika Waititi and Paul Simms (FX's "Atlanta"), the series employs a documentary-style format that has the vampires delivering direct-to-camera testimonials. It's not the most novel device but nevertheless works. (The undead cast no reflection, but it turns out they photograph just fine, if a little pale.)

Perhaps foremost, the show is unpretentious in its just plain silliness, which in later episodes includes a turf war with werewolves, the challenge of finding virgins to feast upon for a special occasion and an encounter with the vampire (guest Nick Kroll) who lords over Manhattan and is, naturally, a bit of an imperious snob.

The dark streak running through FX's dramas has translated into a fairly bleak brand of comedy, yielding several shows which are very good (see the aforementioned "Atlanta") but few that are laugh-out-loud funny.

"What We Do in the Shadows" might be a strange title for a show whose main attribute is its lightness, but in its small way, it offers an antidote to that, while demonstrating that there's room for a fresh spin on funny monsters. And it's probably even better if you're half-drunk.

"What We Do in the Shadows" premieres March 27 at 10 p.m. on FX.
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China will encourage its enterprises to deeply participate in Laos' economic development based on market principles, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said Wednesday in Boao, Hainan province.

Li made the remarks during his meeting with Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith, who is attending the Boao Forum for Asia annual conference.

China and Laos have a particularly close relationship, which is showing a good momentum of development and has led to fruitful pragmatic cooperation, said Li.

Noting that this year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation between the two countries, Li said China is willing to work with Laos to carry out closer high-level exchanges, strengthen experience exchanges in state governance and concentrate on building a community with a shared future of strategic significance between the two countries.

Li said China is willing to better dovetail the Belt and Road Initiative with Laos' development strategies, hasten the completion of cooperation documents on the China-Laos Economic Corridor, and ensure the construction of the China-Laos Railway will be finished on time and with good quality.

Thongloun said Laos and China are a community with a shared future sharing weal and woe. He said Bounnhang Vorachith, general secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee and president of Laos will visit China next month and attend the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.

The Lao side is willing to push forward the construction of the economic corridor and the Laos-China Railway to better benefit both people, he said.
The BJP Central Election Committee, which also includes PM Modi and party president Amit Shah, has surprised the Karnataka leadership by choosing Tejasvi Surya, a 28-year-old law graduate as partys candidate from the upcoming general election from Bangalore South, which is one of the high profile constituencies in the state.

The move also made a lot of buzz that Tejasvi Surya is a millennial and the party is looking to get the vote of the youngster especially the first time voters. The weight of young law graduate has seen a massive increase as the state BJP had recommended former union minister Ananth Kumars wife Tejaswini for the seat.

If sources are to be believed PM Modi and Amit Shah have handpicked him personally and its one of the strongest seats of the BJP as the party has been holding since 1991.

Tejasvi will face BK Hariprasad of Congress-JD (S) alliance and Prasad who lost to Ananth Kumar in 1996.

The RSS appointed office bearers suggestion to go for the new faces plus the state BJPs initial inhibition to name Tejaswini unanimously are said to be the main cause of PM Modi and Amit Shah handpicking him. Plus Tejasvi has always taken an extreme right-wing stance during various appearances in debates and public address and Amit Shah is said to be personally impressed with the youngster's oratory skills.

I am humbled. Grateful. Overwhelmed. I thank PM @narendramodi for giving me this opportunity. I can't thank you enough, Modi Ji. I promise you that I shall work ceaselessly for our motherland till my last breath. That is the only way I can repay this debt of gratitude. THANK YOU!  Chowkidar Tejasvi Surya (@Tejasvi_Surya) March 25, 2019

A BJP source was quoted by The New Indian Express. Tejaswini has been in social service for decades. She is proud of it and doesnt mind flaunting it. This was another reason that made the leadership sceptical on whether she would toe the party line, a BJP office-bearer involved in the process of shortlisting candidates said.

The law graduate has also started clearing his image as he deleted a tweet he had made five years ago against the women reservation. "With the exception of Women's Reservation in Parliament, Modi govt agenda is inspiring. Dread the day when women's reservation becomes reality," he tweeted in June 2014.
Yesterday, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), in partnership with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) hit a milestone and made the country proud.

The two successfully tested a missile that allows us to target threats in orbit around the earth, making us a space superpower through Mission Shakti's ASAT technology.

DRDO

So here we recount recent major contributions made by ISRO and DRDO to keep India on the cutting edge of scientific and strategic breakthroughs in the matters of space exploration and national security.

In 2017, the DRDO unveiled RoboSen, a robot that could be used for security at crucial government or military facilities. It was basically a mobile automaton that could be remotely controlled or set to a patrol path. Then, it would use its camera and sensors to photograph suspicious objects and the like and relay it to a nearby wireless command center.

In an aircraft, the black box stores data from the plane so that, in the event of a crash or other interference, a cause can be determined. However, it's not always possible to find the black box in the event of a crash, or if a flight has just gone missing. DRDO therefore developed a black box capable of ejecting itself in the event a plane crashes, and initiating a distress beacon when in contact with water.

DRDO

That same year the defense group debuted Muntra, an unmanned tank. In three versions, for surveillance, mine detection and reconnaissance, it could be remotely operated from 15km away.

Early last year, DRDO successfully tested India's home-built military drone on its maiden flight. Rustom 2, as it was named, was built to replace imported drones from the US and Israel as an unmanned aerial surveillance vehicle.

The EMISAT is yet to be launched next month, but it will be another milestone for DRDO. Aside from collecting topographical imagery, the satellite will also be capable of detecting enemy communication systems.

ISRO

Not only was the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) India's first major foray into space, it also broke other records. For one, it was the cheapest space mission to Mars ever, with ISRO spending only Rs 2.61 crore of a Rs 460 crore budget.

Thanks to the GSAT satellite network still being launched by ISRO, India should eventually be able to get up to 100Gbps Internet. Additionally, the network is also designed to augment the communication and surveillance capabilities of the Indian military, among other things.

ISRO

The first Hyperspectral Imaging Satellite for India was launched by ISRO late last year. And advanced earth-observation satellite, it has a range of applications like agriculture, forestry, soil survey, geology, coastal zones, inland water studies, environmental studies and detection of pollution from industries, not to mention military surveillance.

Among ISRO's planned missions is one to send a satellite to Venus in 2023. Since they're planning it to be as frugal as possible, ISRO has also invited other countries and research groups to send their own satellites on the rocket.

ISRO

Before that however, ISRO has planned to make India's first manned spaceflight in 2022, just three years from now. It will carry a three-man team of "Vyomnauts" (including one woman) into low-earth orbit, where they will stay for at least a week, and then return them to Earth.

And finally, with yesterday's Mission Shakti announcement, DRDO and ISRO successfully launched an Agni V missile to shoot down a live Indian satellite 300 km into the low earth orbit, a feat described as more difficult than shooting a moving bullet through another bullet. In doing so, India joined an elite club of nations with this kind of space munitions capability -- US, Russia and China.
A lot of us suffer from 'I have lots of clothes but nothing to wear' syndrome. The symptoms include being an avid clothes shopper, to the point where we have no more room in our wardrobes.

Welcome to the vortex of retail boom which lures us into buying more. Like us, Sujata Chatterjee from Kolkata was also caught in this web of abundance. But, she decided to break the rut and came up with a more sustainable way to declutter - just in case you are going berserk over the Marie Kondo method.

Speaking to Indiatimes, Chatterjee said, "The way we consume things isn't just limited to it being 'need-based'. There was a time when we'd only go on a shopping spree during a festival. But that culture has faded out."

"This constant lure led to my wardrobe being filled to the brim. My friends and family faced the same problem."

This is exactly what inspired Chatterjee to do something about clothes that keep piling up, and she decided to set up a sustainable way to upcycle them.

For a generation that's addicted to e-commerce, Chatterjee was well aware that minimalism was not going to happen overnight. So, she looked for a middle ground and came up with 'Twirl'.

Sujatha Chatterjee's unique online portal called Twirl.Store is aimed at making fashion more sustainable and environment-friendly, while empowering women in the process. The name 'Twirl' signifies spinning the wheel of sustainability, where everyone from the makers to consumers feel rewarded.

She set out on her entrepreneurial journey in 2017 and has single-handedly set up the all-woman organisation. At present, there are 60 women who are working with Twirl from all over Kolkata.

Chatterjee went out of her way to look for women who were willing to join her mission, "There was no ready-made place, each every unit and person has been handpicked."

The women who work with Twirl are more than happy that their skill is being used for something meaningful and is part of a bigger movement. Chatterjee says that most of these women come from the outskirts of Kolkata and her manufacturing units are spread across the city.

According to the online portal, Twirl.store believes in minimizing wastage. "The clothes you send to us are either provided to those in need through our donation drives, or upcycled. Our aim is that all fashion should benefit society and the environment." The women are also encouraged to work in self-help groups.

Speaking about how Twirl functions she said, "People who send unwanted clothes are not merely sending them as charity, they get points that can be redeemed to buy new gifts, accessories, and they are all upcycled products on the online store."

She also added that Twirl offers free home pickup across the country.

The organisation has been able to create more than 10,000 upcycled products out of 3500 clothes, and has donated around 1500 garments to people across slums and villages of Shantiniketan, Sundarbans.

The 37-year-old who started her career with an IT company with a degree in engineering battled the odds to establish Twirl. Eyebrows were raised when she conveyed her idea of an all-woman team and the concept of Twirl.

"People were doubtful about how, as a woman entrepreneur, was I going to start this offbeat company and that too Kolkata," said Chatterjee.

But she has come a long way. Her initiative has been felicitated by IIM Calcutta and DST, Govt of India, Tata Social Enterprise Challenge, India Future Leadership Award At Infocomm 2018 and Swayam Siddha Eastern Chamber of Commerce and Rotary Club of Calcutta.

Sujatha Chatterjee's story is proof that change always starts small, but if you really believe in your goal, it will one day become a monument to marvel at.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (right), Indian political leader and the Congress party's general secretary for eastern Uttar Pradesh, smiles as she appears for supporters as she returns after visiting the Kashi Vishwanath temple, during her three-day boat trip from Allahabad to Varanasi along the Ganges river as part of the election campaign, in Varanasi on March 20, 2019. (Sanjay Kanojia/AFP/Getty Images)
Hoboken, N.J., Mayor Ravinder Singh Bhalla and his wife, Navneet Kaur Bhalla, executive director of Manavi, a New Jersey-based womens rights organization  pictured above with their kids  will be honored at the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Funds 2019 gala to be held April 6 in Tysons, Virginia. (Navneet Bindya Bhalla/Facebook photo)
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Chinese President Xi Jinping's first overseas visit in 2019 has elevated China's ties with Italy, Monaco and France to a new level, and injected new impetus into China-Europe comprehensive strategic partnership, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said.

When the world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, Xi's Europe tour, hailed by the international community, is dedicated to deepening partnership for cooperation, improving global governance, and upholding multilateralism, which shows China's sense of responsibility as a major country, Wang said.

In six days, the Chinese president attended over 40 events during his visit to five cities including Rome, Palermo, Monaco, Nice and Paris, Wang noted, adding that it is a trip of friendship, cooperation and exploration that has delivered fruitful results.

Friendship & mutual benefit

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the China-Italy comprehensive strategic partnership, and next year will witness the 50th anniversary of China-Italy diplomatic relations.

At meetings with Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, Xi agreed with them to further intensify high-level exchanges, consolidate political mutual trust, and elevate bilateral relations, Wang said.

This year marks the 55th anniversary of China-France diplomatic ties. During their meetings, Xi agreed with French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Edouard Philippe to forge a more solid, stable and vibrant China-France comprehensive strategic partnership, and continue to explore the way for major countries to get along with each other, which should feature independence, mutual understanding, foresight, mutual benefit and win-win outcomes, Wang said.

In the joint statement issued by China and France on jointly safeguarding multilateralism and improving global governance, the two sides pledged to build international relations of mutual respect, equality, justice, and win-win cooperation on the basis of respecting international laws and the basic principles of international norms, Wang said.

Speaking of Xi's visit to Monaco, Wang said leaders of the two countries have agreed to firmly stick to the correct direction of bilateral relations, adhere to openness and cooperation, and pursue more win-win results so as to jointly elevate the China-Monaco relations into a new era.

During Xi's talks with Prince Albert II, head of state of the Principality of Monaco, the Chinese president said both sides should adhere to openness and cooperation and pursue more win-win results, adding that China welcomes Monaco to actively participate in the joint development of the Belt and Road.

Buiding Belt & Road, Deepening practical cooperation

Wang hailed Italian government's forethought and pragmatism over its decision of endorsing the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), saying Xi and Mattarella agreed that China and Italy, which are at the two ends of the ancient Silk Road, are natural partners in constructing the Belt and Road.

Conte, according to Wang, said the BRI will bring great opportunities to Italy. He also agreed to attend the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation to be held in Beijing next month.

France is one of the earliest European countries that have expressed the willingness to take part in the BRI cooperation. During Xi's visit to France, the two countries signed agreements on the third round of the BRI-related demonstration projects in third-party markets and kicked off a third-party market fund, Wang said.

At the closing session of a global governance forum co-hosted by China and France, Macron said the BRI is significant and can play an important role in world peace, stability and development, adding that the EU could align its development strategy with the BRI in an innovative way and jointly promote Eurasian connectivity.

Promoting China-EU ties

Following his visits to Spain and Portugal in late 2018, Xi came to Europe again in his first overseas trip this year, manifesting the great importance China attaches to Europe, Wang said.

In a world of unprecedented transformations, Xi noted that a stable, strategic and reciprocal China-EU relationship is urgently needed.

Wang said during his visit, Xi had in-depth communication with the European leaders to discuss cooperation in international issues and reached important consensus of adhering to multilateralism, and discarding isolationism and unilateral moves.

He also said Xi and the European leaders agreed to enhance coordination and cooperation within the UN system, give full play to the constructive role of global and regional multilateral mechanisms such as the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and Group of 20 and the EU, and actively contribute to solving international conflicts, combating climate change and promoting sustainable development.

In his keynote speech at the global governance forum, Xi raised "four deficits" in global affairs including governance deficit, trust deficit, peace deficit and development deficit. To address these deficits, he proposed a four-pronged approach of fairness and reasonableness, consultation and understanding, joint efforts and mutual assistance and mutual benefit and win-win results.

It is advisable to pursue an innovation-driven, well-coordinated and inter-connected, and fair and inclusive approach and forge a growth model of vitality, a cooperation model of openness and win-win results, and a development model of balance and common benefits, so that people from across the world could share the benefits of economic globalization, Xi said.

Shared opportunities

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Wang said.

During his visit, Xi, based on China's just-concluded Two Sessions earlier this month, illustrated to the European leaders the fine performances of the Chinese economy which had overcome multiple challenges in 2018.

Wang said Xi also introduced the newly-adopted foreign investment law, emphasizing that it is necessary to use legal means to better protect intellectual property rights and attract foreign investment.

Xi pointed out that China will continue to push forward all-round reform and opening-up, promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, so that European friends can better share China's development opportunities.

The European leaders said they are glad to see a greater development in China, and the EU welcomes China's willingness to share its development opportunities.

Chinese enterprises are welcome to invest in European countries, said the European leaders, adding that they will not adopt restrictive measures against specific companies, and are willing to provide a fair, open and transparent business environment for all foreign enterprises.

During the visit, Peng Liyuan, Xi's wife, also attended a number of events aimed at deepening cultural and educational exchanges between China and the European nations.

As a special envoy of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for the advancement of girls' and women's education, Peng was invited to visit the headquarters of the UNESCO in Paris.

Wang said Peng's visit highlighted China's image of a hardworking, responsible major country that actively participates in international education, gender equality and other affairs.
Dr. Venkat Aachi admitted that from Sept. 18, 2017, through July 2, 2018, he wrote hydrocodone-acetaminophen prescriptions that were outside the scope of his professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose, according to a statement by the U.S. Attorneys Office in the Northern District of California. (representational image/pixabay.com)
Bhartiya Janata party members take selfie pictures as they listen Prime Minister Narendra Modis speech during a rally in Meerut in Uttar Pradesh on March 28. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on a campaign blitz on March 28 with three huge rallies where he declared voters would reward his decision to test new weapons and bomb Pakistan with a thumping election victory. (STR/AFP/Getty Images)
We now offer lithium prices and coverage free for reference. Click here to read all about it. Join our growing community of participants who want to learn more about electrification and how this market is developing.
Infosys (NYSE: INFY), a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting, today announced a strategic partnership with ABN AMRO, the third largest bank in the Netherlands headquartered in Amsterdam. This partnership strengthens Infosys position as a leading technology and business process management provider across the mortgage services value chain, improving experience and operational efficiencies, and further enhances the companys strategy to help clients navigate their next digital transformation journeys.

As part of the announced partnership, Infosys will acquire 75% of the shareholding in Stater N.V., a wholly owned subsidiary of ABN AMRO Bank N.V., that offers pure-play, end-to-end mortgage administration services in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. ABN AMRO will continue to hold the remaining 25% of the shareholding.

Stater is a market leader in the Benelux region, operating across the mortgage and consumer lending value chain with deep capabilities in digital origination, servicing and collection. Stater also brings deep European mortgage expertise and a robust digital platform to drive superior customer experience. Infosys will drive the digital transformation roadmap of Stater with accelerators such as dynamic workflow, API layers, RPA and analytics. The current management team of Stater will continue to steer the company.

Mortgage services is a focus area for large corporations in the financial sector, given the importance of the asset on a banks balance sheet. The specialized knowledge and experience of Stater in the mortgage services market, combined with the global reach, AI, digital transformation and automation capabilities of Infosys, can potentially create differentiated solutions for the market.

Mohit Joshi, President, Infosys, said, This transaction strengthens our approach to offer clients digital platforms and industry focused solutions. It brings together our complementary capabilities to enhance the value we offer to our financial services clients. We are excited to welcome Staters talented team to the Infosys family, thereby enhancing our presence in Europe.

Christian Bornfeld, Member of the Executive Board of ABN AMRO, said, While mortgages are a key product for ABN AMRO, providing administrative mortgage services is not a core activity. Thats why we are very pleased with Infosys as Staters new majority shareholder. ABN AMRO will keep a strategic interest of 25% and will continue to be an important client to Stater.

Erwin Dreuning, Managing Director, Stater, said, We are eager to welcome Infosys as a new shareholder. As they are already active in mortgage administration services, Infosys offers specific expertise. With the combined forces of ABN AMRO, Infosys and Stater ensures we have a solid basis to pursue our plans to for further development of our service offering. Furthermore, it opens up opportunities for us to grow and service other clients.

The transaction is expected to close during the first quarter of fiscal 2020, subject to customary closing conditions.

Disclosure under Regulation 30 of SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015

About Stater

Stater is the largest mortgage service provider of the Benelux. Stater services 1.7 million mortgage and insurance loans for approximately 50 clients in The Netherlands and Belgium. Stater was founded in 1997 and has a solid client base. Several of the largest Dutch and Belgian banks see Stater as a trusted partner for their most important product, mortgages. Stater offers a complete range of mortgage services and is a front runner in digital services regarding mortgages and in developing a digital ecosystem for mortgages.

About ABN AMRO

ABN AMRO is a Dutch based bank for retail, corporate and private banking clients. We are a relationship-driven, knowledgeable and digitally savvy bank, active in Northwest Europe and with expertise in selected sectors globally. Our purpose is Banking for better, for generations to come. Headquartered in Amsterdam, ABN AMRO employs around 19,000 people worldwide. Please visit at www.abnamro.com

About Infosys

Infosys is a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. We enable clients in 45 countries to navigate their digital transformation. With over three decades of experience in managing the systems and workings of global enterprises, we expertly steer our clients through their digital journey. We do it by enabling the enterprise with an AI-powered core that helps prioritize the execution of change. We also empower the business with agile digital at scale to deliver unprecedented levels of performance and customer delight. Our always-on learning agenda drives their continuous improvement through building and transferring digital skills, expertise, and ideas from our innovation ecosystem.

Visit www.infosys.com to see how Infosys (NYSE: INFY) can help your enterprise navigate your next.

Safe Harbor

Certain statements in this release concerning our future growth prospects are forward-looking statements regarding our future business expectations intended to qualify for the safe harbor under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding fluctuations in earnings, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, our ability to manage growth, intense competition in IT services including those factors which may affect our cost advantage, wage increases in India, our ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, restrictions on immigration, industry segment concentration, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks or system failures, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies in which Infosys has made strategic investments, withdrawal or expiration of governmental fiscal incentives, political instability and regional conflicts, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, and unauthorized use of our intellectual property and general economic conditions affecting our industry. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our United States Securities and Exchange Commission filings including our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2018. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. Infosys may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the companys filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. In addition, please note that the date of this press release is mentioned at the beginning of the release, and any forward-looking statements contained herein are based on assumptions that we believe to be reasonable as of this date. The company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the company unless it is required by law.
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At least 11 people were killed and 16 others injured when a huge car bomb hit a busy restaurant at Makka Al-Mukarrama street in the Somali capital Mogadishu on Thursday, police and witnesses said.

Police officer Ahmed Jama told Xinhua that a car packed with explosives detonated near Filsan restaurant at the busy street.

"The death toll could rise in any time," Jama said.

Witnesses said that heavily armed forces arrived at the scene, preventing the public from approaching.

Aamin Ambulance, a free ambulance service in Mogadishu, said they had conducted swift rescue operations and confirmed the death toll, saying 16 others who sustained injuries were rushed to the hospitals in Mogadishu.

"Sixteen injured and 11 dead in Mogadishu car bomb outside a restaurant on Makka Al-Mukarama Road in Mogadishu," Aamin Ambulance director Abdulkadir Abdirrahman said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.
This message echoes that one of Townsville Deputy Mayor Les Walker, who stressed the importance of engaging local tradies in the recovery to ensure the money stays in the community and that the entire community benefits.

There are more than 15,600 technicians and trade workers and 10,900 labourers in Townsville.

It makes sense to employ local tradespeople so that they can get back on their feet while also helping to rebuild their own community, Aon said. Supporting local trade businesses will also directly stimulate the local economy. Its very clear that local trades are more accessible to respond to and handle call-outs or return visits to sites to deal with additional repairs. The same can be said for replacement of flood-affected motor vehicles.

Aon said a number of insurers have already committed to include local trades as part of the normal tender processes, and cost and scope verification wherever possible.

Aon also backs the Insurance Council of Australias (ICA) call for the federal government to increase flood mitigation funding to at least $200 million a year, and to treat the construction of mitigation infrastructure as nation building projects.

Read more: Flood mitigation is nation building, says ICA

A recent ICA research identified the top 20 most affected Australian electorates  16 are in Queensland and four are in New South Wales.

We need an environment in which Australian businesses can get ahead, Aon said. With support, these businesses, which employ six out of every seven workers, can expand, invest, innovate, pay higher wages, and create new jobs in communities. This is a community with strong endowments in terms of the skills of its people and the resources available throughout the area. The challenge is to

make sure we build on this and create a sustainable future for the community. Thats about big and small business investing and coming together to strengthen Townsville now and into the future.
As a partner with national law firm Mills Oakley, Connell has offered expert policy interpretation to countless clients  she says certain areas which were once sorely misunderstood now seem to be sinking in more effectively.

Previously, there was a lot of misunderstanding about the difference between flood damage and storm damage, but I think that the public is better educated about what they are purchasing and the considerations of including flood damage in their coverage, she told Insurance Business.

I think the media and brokers have done a great job in providing education to consumers in that regard.

Of course, while understanding is on the rise, Connell says insurance can still be a complicated space  one which still throws curveballs at her, even after 20 years in the business.

I specialise in providing my clients with policy interpretation advice  which was a key driver in my decision to join the specialist insurance team at Mills Oakley  and it never ceases to amaze me how frequently policy interpretation issues arise, even with standard form or mandatory wording, she said.

Connell, who is also president of Women in Insurances Victoria branch, said that factors which seem straight-forward on the surface can have hidden difficulties.

Insuring clauses are usually fairly straightforward - however, when you delve into endorsements, exclusions and conditions, a labyrinth of issues can arise, she said. Thats not ideal for either the insurer or the insured (or their broker), but the English language is such that nuances and ambiguities will always arise.

Ive had the unfortunate experience of having to advise clients that although they didnt write a premium for a particular risk, it is actually covered under the policy due to the wording that is used.
Based in Rotterdam, the now operational subsidiary at World Port Centre will also be used by other clubs managed by Thomas Miller.

UKNV is led by chief executive Hugo Wynn-Williams with the support of chief financial officer Paul van den Brom and chief risk officer Rene Doff. Aside from the management team, a five-member supervisory board chaired by Onno Paymans has also been announced.

Read more: UK P&I Club reveals post-Brexit pick

We have been assiduous in our planning to ensure the UK P&I Club, together with other Thomas Miller managed clubs, are able to continue our European operations once the UK leaves the EU, commented Wynn-Williams.

With the expected loss of passporting rights, we have put these plans in place to ensure our members can continue to conduct their business with little or no disruption.

Meanwhile Thomas Miller P&I CEO Andrew Taylor said continuity of service will be provided regardless of the outcome or timing of the UK-EU divorce.

Our long-term planning has ensured we have the relevant authorisations in place prior to the UK leaving the EU, noted Taylor.

However, this is not a brass plate exercise and our Rotterdam subsidiary will be a fully functioning office to ensure our members continue to receive the same excellent standard of service they are accustomed to.
Alliant has hired NY-based property and casualty insurance expert Francis Rossi to serve in the role of vice-president.

Rossi joins Alliant from Rossi Capital Partners, a finance company in New York which he founded and served as president and CEO. Prior to this, he held the position of president of insurance brokerage with a leading private equity firm in New York. He has worked with several of the largest global investment banking firms, insurance agencies, and carriers over the span of his more than 30-year career.
Abuse of AOBs in Florida has evolved over the past decade, said James Lynch, chief actuary and vice president of research and education at the III. It started primarily with no-fault auto insurance claims, but over the past few years it has spread over to homeowners insurance and more recently into auto physical damage claims, particularly involving damaged glass.

I think insurers are probably most concerned with regards to AOB abuse in homeowners insurance. Most typical homeowners insurance companies will cover water damage claims. If the piping in your home suddenly springs a leak, you, as an insured, have an obligation to get that leak fixed as quickly as possible. You call up a contractor who asks you to sign an AOB. Some contractors might then be abusing that AOB by doing a poor job or an overly expensive job and then billing the insurance company an excessive amount.

Insurers who choose to dispute inflated AOB bills are up against it in Floridas unique legal system because it tends to reward plaintiff attorneys. If the insurance companies fight in court and lose, they must pay compensation to the plaintiffs attorneys, but the opposite is not true if the insurers win their case. So, the cost of the legal expense is prohibitive for the insurance company either way, which is why many insurers opt to settle.

Inflated claims and massive volumes of lawsuits have the predictable result of driving up insurance companies legal costs  and insurers are forced to pass those costs on to consumers. In its recently published Assignment of Benefits Report for Florida, the III estimates that Floridas auto and homeowners policyholders have paid about $2.5 billion more for insurance over the past dozen years to cover the increase in legal costs triggered by AOB lawsuits.

The broker and agent force is on the frontline when it comes to explaining why premiums might be creeping up, Lynch explained. While the problem primarily revolves around personal lines insurance, its equally important for commercial lines brokers to understand the problem.

At the moment, abuse of AOBs is not such an issue in commercial insurance because commercial policies tend to be more complex and more complicated in terms of who might be eligible to sign an AOB contract, Lynch told Insurance Business. That being said, theres a lot of creativity in the plaintiffs bar, so that potential is always there. Business owners should be fully protecting themselves by making sure that when they do suffer damages, theyre fully in control of the process of securing contractors and making sure no AOB is undertaken lightly.

Also, in their trusted advisor role, brokers are often seen by clients as experts in personal insurance as well as commercial insurance, so they might be getting questions about their clients personal lines accounts. Therefore, its important for all brokers to educate themselves about how the problem of AOB abuse has spread.
USA Herald reported that the state charges against the defendants include corrupt organizations, dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities, criminal conspiracy, insurance fraud, and identity theft. The federal charge against the defendants is conspiracy to commit fraud. The lawsuit was announced earlier this week by Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro and First Assistant US Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Jennifer Williams.

The complaint was filed against the defendants following an 18-month investigation in Liberation Way by the 41st Statewide Investigating Grand Jury.

The investigation reportedly found that Gerner and Fetterman generated millions of dollars through a multilayered insurance fraud scheme using their treatment center.

According to the Grand Jury, Liberation Way targeted out-of-network insurance carriers such as Independence Blue Cross in Philadelphia for its scheme. The alcohol and drug treatment center then billed the insurance companies more than $115 million, including $17 million in overbilling from July 2015 and early 2018.

Co-founders Gerner and Fetterman also allegedly devised a complex kickback scheme which involved sending thousands of medically-unnecessary urine tests to the lab in Florida for analysis. That lab allegedly excessively billed insurers, then sent a cut of the payouts to Gerner and Fetterman.

It is also alleged that Gerner and Fetterman harassed and threatened patients when insurers refused to pay the lab fees.
Read more: Alera Group picks up NC-based specialty risk management firm

In a statement, Alera emphasized Phalanxs expertise in highly specialized, complex formations and deal structures. It added that all Phalanx employees will continue operating out of the firms existing location under the name Phalanx Healthcare Solutions, an Alera Group Agency, LLC.

We are excited to welcome Phalanx to Alera Group, said Alan Levitz, CEO of Alera Group. The addition of their med-mal expertise, particularly throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, compliments our practice in the west and the Midwest. The Phalanx team combines professionalism, collaboration and industry experience to create exceptional outcomes for their clients. This approach is aligned with Alera Groups goal to create exceptional client experiences throughout the region and across the nation.

As part of Alera Group, our team will be able to expand our dynamic and highly analytical approach through a network of national resources and partners to meet the complex and evolving needs of our clients, said Paul Curtis, managing partner of Phalanx. We are excited to be an Alera Group company and look forward to our future collaboration.
Lockton Affinity will be the new program administrator for the Westport/Swiss REs Lawyer Professional Liability insurance in Pennsylvania, effective June 1, 2019.

This program offers a comprehensive professional liability product for lawyers through Westport with program administration from Lockton Affinity.

Features of the Westport and Lockton Affinity Lawyer Insurance Program include:

Competitive pricing

Free CLE credits

Auto renewal

Quick applications

Claims processing through in-house licensed attorneys

Free extended reporting period available for retiring attorneys

Pennsylvania attorneys seeking renewal or more information, or insurance agents/brokers looking to place law firms in the program should contact Lockton Affinity Lawyer Program Manager, Nathan Borghardt, at (913) 652-7674 or nborghardt@locktonaffinity.com.

Lockton Affinity, an affiliate of Lockton Companies, was formed in 1987 and offers insurance for affinity groups, non-profits, associations and franchises. Lockton serves an array of industries ranging from small business, financial institutions and franchise businesses to fraternal organizations and common-cause groups, working as a program administrator.

Westport Insurance Corporation, now Swiss Re Corporate Solutions, underwrites Lockton Affinity Lawyers Professional Liability products for California, Kansas, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Texas. Swiss Re is the worlds second-largest reinsurer, with offices in more than 25 countries.

Topics Lockton Pennsylvania Professional Liability
The Concord Group Insurance Companies has appointed Daniel L. McCabe as the president and CEO of the Concord, N.H.-based company. McCabe will serve on the board and executive committee.

Most recently, McCabe acted as senior vice president and chief operating officer. He joined the company in early 2017 and brings a range of experience from his more than twenty year career in the insurance industry. Throughout his career, he has held senior leadership positions in underwriting, product development, marketing and operations at Chubb, Travelers, The Hanover, MAPFRE and Lexington Insurance.

The Concord Group Insurance Companies has simultaneously appointed Michael P. Nolin Jr. as senior vice president and chief operating officer.

Most recently, Nolin served as vice president and chief underwriting officer. In addition to oversight of key business functions and corporate steering activities, Nolin will serve on the board and executive committee in his new role.

Nolin is a 35-year veteran of The Concord Group.

Concord General Mutual began in 1928 and operates in the New England area, including Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont.

Source: The Concord Group Insurance Companies
Alera Group, a national insurance firm, has acquired Phalanx Healthcare Solutions LLC, effective March 1, 2019.

Located in New York City, Phalanx is an insurance and reinsurance broker of medical malpractice insurance for healthcare facilities, large physician groups and individual physicians predominately in New York and New Jersey.

With more than 10 years of experience, the firm focuses on insurance and reinsurance structures, captives, self-insurance plans, insured trusts and risk retention programs.

All Phalanx employees will continue operating out of the firms existing location under the name Phalanx Healthcare Solutions, an Alera Group Agency LLC.

Based in Deerfield, Ill., Alera Group serves clients in employee benefits, property and casualty, risk management and wealth management.

Source: Alera Group

Topics Mergers New York
Britains political standoff over Brexit escalated further, with even Theresa Mays announcement that shell quit as prime minister doing nothing to move closer to a resolution.

It leaves the country entering another critical 48 hours after Parliament signaled its more willing to back a softer departure from the European Union or even another referendum than the deal struck by May after two years of negotiations. But those options also dont command majority support.

The U.K. has two weeks to go to the EU with a plan for its next steps or face the prospect of leaving without a deal, something Parliament also opposes. The likeliest outcome is that May will ask for a longer delay to Brexit, but she will have to convince European leaders that Britain is on a path to solving its apparently intractable problems.

Hours after May promised her Conservative members of Parliament on Wednesday that shed step down if they back her Brexit deal, she still looked short of having the numbers needed to win. Its already been overwhelmingly defeated twice.

Meanwhile, votes in the House of Commons intended to break the deadlock by finding a consensus also saw every proposal rejected. The pound fell.

May must decide on Thursday if she is going to bring her deal back for another vote and meet the EUs Friday deadline for getting it passed. The government declared that it was still the only option in play. Yet it too appears to be doomed despite the capitulation of some Brexit hard liners.

Liz Truss, a member of Theresa Mays cabinet, told ITV television that Wednesdays votes show there are no other serious options than the one already negotiated with the EU, and that has focused minds.

There has been a significant shift now of people recognizing the reality of the options, she said. What we have seen today is Parliament does not have an option apart from the prime ministers deal that is really a viable option for the future.

DUP Opposition

Indeed, Mays desperate gamble seemed at first to be working, as several pro-Brexit Conservatives  including Boris Johnson and Iain Duncan Smith  told colleagues they would support her divorce agreement, according to people familiar with the matter.

But the Democratic Unionist Party, the small Northern Ireland group that props up Mays minority government, issued a statement saying it will oppose the deal if its put to another vote in Parliament. Its almost impossible for May to get it through without them.

Adding to her woes, influential Brexit cheerleader Jacob Rees-Mogg, who earlier in the week appeared to be wavering towards supporting her deal, told ITV hed be guided by how the DUP votes. Even if her deal fails, shes promised her colleagues she will resign.

I am prepared to leave this job earlier than I intended in order to do what is right for our country and our party, May told a packed meeting of Conservative MPs inside one of Parliaments oak-paneled rooms. I ask everyone in this room to back the deal so we can complete our historic duty  to deliver on the decision of the British people and leave the European Union with a smooth and orderly exit.

According to people in the room, an emotional May made her pledge in an attempt to persuade Tories to vote for her agreement before its too late. The EU has set Britain a deadline of Friday to ratify the divorce agreement, so the country can then leave the bloc on the later-than-planned date of May 22.

Long Delay

If May cant get her deal through a vote in the House of Commons by Friday, the U.K. will be forced to choose between a potentially long delay to its departure  including an unpalatable participation in European elections  and falling out of the EU without a deal on April 12.

A no-deal Brexit threatens the kind of economic crash that would hit the pound, disrupt trade and trigger a major slump in house prices, according to official analysis. That suggests the most likely outcome would be a long extension to the negotiations, potentially lasting more than a year, during which time pro-Brexit campaigners increasingly fear their dream of leaving the EU could be brought to a halt.

After Parliament seized control of proceedings from the government to hold a series of votes on different Brexit Plan B models, the result was one that many had predicted: the politicians rejected all options.

The closest any of them came to winning a majority was a proposal to keep the U.K. in a customs union with the EU, which lost 272 votes to 264. A plan to submit any Brexit deal to a confirmatory referendum secured the most support  268 MPs voted for it.

Both of these proposals secured more support than the 242 lawmakers who voted for Mays deal the last time around. But in a further complication, both were rejected by huge majorities in the Conservative Party. Only two options were supported by a majority of Tories. The most popular one was to leave without a deal.

The votes suggested that unless May can get her deal through, any other route to a parliamentary majority will be opposed by a majority of Conservative MPs, making it unacceptable to a Tory prime minister.

It also suggests that the race to succeed May will see candidates trimming for a harder Brexit in order to win Tory votes. The winner will then have to find a way to square that with a Parliament that wants a softer departure.

The House of Commons is slated to hold another round of voting on Plan B options, to narrow the choices down further. But in the long term, asking voters to force a change, either through another referendum or another election, looks an increasingly likely course.

With assistance from Jessica Shankleman, Kitty Donaldson and Thomas Penny.

Related:

Copyright 2021 Bloomberg.

Topics Europe Uk
A truck service shop in North Mankato, Minnesota, is contesting federal fines levied after a natural gas explosion last November that injured two workers.

The explosion happened Nov. 14 at Allstate Peterbilt when natural gas that leaked from a garbage truck ignited.

A 59-year-old Ellendale man was taken by helicopter to Regions Hospital in St. Paul with first- and second-degree burns. A 41-year-old Gibbon man injured his hand and was treated at the scene.

The Mankato Free Press reports the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined the business $14,000 for safety violations after an investigation. The truck shops parent company, Allstate Sales and Leasing Corp., is contesting the penalties.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Auto Workers' Compensation Minnesota
The U.S. Supreme Courts conservative justices expressed doubts about a precedent that business groups and the Trump administration say gives federal agencies too much power to change regulations without notice.

In an hour-long argument in Washington on Wednesday, the court signaled it will divide along ideological lines in the case, which centers on a 1997 ruling that requires judges generally to defer to federal agencies interpretations of their own regulations. The clash is one of the top business cases of the courts nine-month term.

Conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch said overturning that ruling, known as Auer v. Robbins, would prevent people from being sideswiped by shifting rules issued by bureaucrats. Liberal Justice Stephen Breyer said that step would amount to the greatest judicial power grab since Marbury v. Madison, the 1803 ruling that established the Supreme Courts power to review federal statutes.

A ruling overturning Auer could give home builders, manufacturers and miners more confidence they wont be exposed to penalties when a change in administrations leads to a shift in agency thinking. Courts have deferred to new federal agency interpretations on animal habitat, drugmaker exclusivity and workers wages, among other issues.

Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Gorsuch, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Brett Kavanaugh have all questioned the Auer ruling in the past. Thomas has twice written that Auer deference was on its last gasp.

Gorsuch, Alito and Kavanaugh all seemed willing to overturn Auer, while Roberts was more equivocal in his questions. Thomas, as is his usual practice, asked no questions.

The high court debate was an unusually lopsided one in which neither lawyer gave a full-throated defense of the 1997 ruling. Solicitor General Noel Francisco, whose office normally defends the authority of administrative agencies, urged the court to limit use of the Auer ruling without tossing it out altogether.

Scalias Regrets

The Auer ruling was written by the late Justice Antonin Scalia, a conservative icon who later came to regret the decision.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor said U.S. courts have been deferring to expert administrators since the early 1800s. She said deference gives the public confidence that an agencys interpretation is the governing standard.

Regulated parties need to have a starting point of understanding how their conduct will be viewed, she said.

Justice Elena Kagan said the underpinning of the Auer decision was a recognition that federal agencies are experts in their subject areas.

Its underpinning is an idea that judges are far less suited to make these kind of minute decisions of agency policy than agency decision-makers are, she said.

But Gorsuch said there was value in having an independent judge decide what the law is. That seems to me a significant promise, especially to the least and most vulnerable among us, he said.

Veterans Benefits

The case before the justices involves James Kisor, a Vietnam War veteran who says he suffers from post-traumatic stress syndrome and is seeking retroactive benefits.

Kisor says the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs should reconsider its denial of his 1982 claim for benefits because it didnt consider important evidence about his combat service. The case turns on a VA regulation that requires reconsideration if relevant service records come to the departments attention.

Kisors lawyer, Paul Hughes, said agencies that change the meaning of their regulations should be required to go through a formal notice-and-comment process, as set out in the 1946 Administrative Procedure Act.

The Auer ruling involved a Labor Department regulation on overtime pay. The court said administrative agencies are entitled to deference unless their interpretations of their regulations are clearly wrong.

It extended a 1945 ruling, known as Bowles v. Seminole Rock, that deferred to a World War II price-control board in its interpretation of a regulation that governed building materials.

Overturning Auer might hurt some business interests in the short term, undermining efforts by President Donald Trumps administration to roll back rules governing pollution, drilling and the workforce. Critics say the long-run benefits of restraining agencies are worth the short-term disruption.

A victory could embolden agency critics to turn their attention to a better-known legal doctrine, known as Chevron deference, which requires courts to yield to agencies on the interpretation of federal statutes.

The court will rule by the end of June. The case is Kisor v. Wilkie, 18-15.

Copyright 2021 Bloomberg.

Topics Agencies Legislation USA
A Houston-area petrochemical storage company that was heavily damaged by fire has received hundreds of compensation claims from residents seeking lost wages and other damages, a company executive said.

Brent Weber, a senior vice president for Intercontinental Terminals Company, told reporters that about 2,000 people have called an ITC claims hotline and another 300 submitted claims in writing. He didnt specify how many callers to the hotline made a formal claim.

Coast Guard Lt. Commander Caren Damon said a portion of the Houston Ship Channel remained closed Tuesday but that ships have navigated the restricted portion of the channel without a gas component tainting their hulls. She did not say when all of the commercial waterway will be reopened, explaining that the channel will reopen when theres no visible product still in the water.

The Deer Park facility caught fire March 17 and burned for days, sending waves of thick, black smoke thousands of feet into the air. Schools and roads were closed and gasoline and other materials seeped into nearby waters. Air monitors last Thursday detected elevated levels of benzene in the air, prompting public officials to order people living in the area to remain indoors.

The next day, a dike failed adjacent to the tank farm, allowing flammable chemicals to seep into nearby bayous and then into the ship channel. The tanks at ITC contained components of gasoline and materials used in nail polish remover, glues and paint thinner.

Harris County commissioners on Tuesday, in their first meeting since the fire, said theyll hold ITC accountable for the hazards unleashed by the blaze. They gave approvals for the county to sue ITC.

Seven people who live near the storage facility earlier filed what was believed to be the first civil lawsuit against ITC over the fire. The suit was filed in state district court in Houston. The residents are asking for at least $1 million in damages, accusing ITC of negligence. They allege they suffered a variety of illnesses due to the fire and the release of chemicals into the air, including, bronchitis, pneumonia and itchy, burning eyes.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against ITC on Friday and said the state must hold the company accountable for the damage it has done to our environment.

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Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Texas Claims Chemicals
Texas officials on Tuesday sued owners of a Houston area petrochemical storage facility over a fire last week, alleging violations of environmental laws and seeking damages to cover response costs for the disaster that burned for days, releasing chemicals into the air and waterways.

The county and state jointly filed suit in a county court against Mitsui & Cos Intercontinental Terminals Co. (ITC). The suit seeks reimbursement for emergency responders, temporary air and water monitoring systems, and health care workers. An auditor will determine costs, officials said.

We have been working with state and federal partners to hold ITC responsible for the damages, Harris County Chief Executive Lina Hidalgo said on Tuesday at a hearing where local residents pushed for a response to the disaster that sent tons of carbon monoxide into the air and chemicals into waterways. Schools were closed and visits to area hospitals and clinics spiked.

Federal and state officials were already investigating the company as emergency workers pumped fuels from 11 damaged or destroyed tanks that spilled fuels out of the site. The fire began March 17 and spread among rows of giant tanks that can hold up to 80,000 barrels of fuel.

An ITC executive declined to comment on the lawsuit, and defended the companys handling of the disaster.

ITC and our ERT (emergency response team) responded immediately and we called both CIMA (an industry mutual aid group) and surrounding municipalities for additional firefighting resources, said ITC Senior Vice President Brent Weber. Right now, were just focused on the recovery effort.

Ship Traffic Disrupted

The spill of fuels, water and fire suppressant foam from the site halted traffic on a stretch of the Houston Ship Channel connecting Houston to the Gulf of Mexico. Restrictions on travel near the ITC site forced at least two refineries to curb production this week. The disruptions sent U.S. fuel prices higher and cut crude exports.

A tanker containing oil was inbound Wednesday to Royal Dutch Shell Plcs Deer Park refinery adjacent to the ITC terminal, according to the Houston Pilots, whose members guide ships in and out of the channel. Shell faced a potential shutdown if it did not get crude by the weekend, people familiar with operations said.

Three tankers also were moving to other plants along the channel, said JJ Plunkett, port agent. The U.S. Coast Guard on Wednesday lessened travel restrictions on a portion of the channel nearest the ITC terminal, but there were still dozens of ships waiting for permission to pass either way.

Last week, schools in Houston suburbs were closed for several days after air quality monitors detected elevated levels of benzene, a cancer-causing chemical that was contained in ITC tanks that burned.

More than 1,100 local, state and federal workers and contractors working at the site and waterways have removed 16,000 barrels of a fuel-and-water mix from the ship channel and another 33,000 barrels from ITCs grounds, said Adam Adams of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Until these people find themselves placed in jail, youre not going to see what needs to be done to keep these communities protected, said County Commissioner Steve Radack at a hearing where officials approved the lawsuit.

Health Problems, Market Impact

More than 1,000 people visited a county health clinic last week, many with symptoms related to respiratory issues, headaches, skin irritation and nausea, Dr. Umair Shah, executive director of the countys public health department, said in an interview.

Air monitors in the area detected a spike in benzene levels last week, but they were were not high enough, long enough to cause long-term health effects, he said. The county is continuing to monitor air quality levels, he said.

U.S. conventional gasoline in the Gulf Coast on Tuesday rose to 1.75 cents per gallon above futures, the highest since Feb. 15. U.S. crude exports last week fell 506,000 bpd, government figures showed, a decline blamed in part on shipping curbs.

(Reporting by Collin Eaton and Erwin Seba; writing by Gary McWilliams; editing by David Gregorio)

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Topics Lawsuits Texas USA Pollution Chemicals
Some buildings were damaged in central Alabama as storms moved across the state.

Chilton County Emergency Management Director Derrick Wright told news outlets the damage in downtown Clanton on Monday afternoon appears to be from straight-line winds, not a tornado.

No serious injuries were reported when the storms moved across the state.

The roof collapsed on a barber shop and some traffic lights were out after the storm. Some trees were also down. There also were reports of pea-sized hail in Clanton.

Alabama Power reported about 540 customers without service during the height of the storm. About 330 customers were still without power early Tuesday.

Clanton is about 38 miles (60 kilometers) northwest of Montgomery.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Windstorm Alabama
An insurance company is suing a business whose chief executive was flying a plane that crashed in Georgia, killing him and three passengers.

Federal court records show Zurich American Insurance Co. of Illinois is suing Sunshine International Corp. in relation to a plane crash that killed pilot Wei Chen and three business associates in Atlanta in December.

Chen was a Memphis resident and CEO of Sunshine, which distributes Chinese construction and industrial equipment.

Zurich claims Sunshine answered no when asked if it owned or operated aircraft on a workers compensation coverage application. The lawsuit claims a Sunshine subsidiary, Chen Aircraft, owned the plane.

Zurich wants the court to decide if the application is void and whether another insurance company that helped Sunshine with its application is actually liable for claims.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits Georgia
A California jury has awarded $9 million to the family of a woman fatally shot seven times by police in Long Beach in 2017 in what the familys attorneys say is the largest such award in city history.

The federal jury reached the verdict in favor of 37-year-old Sinuon Preams parents and her four children on Friday. Pream was shot by Long Beach Officers Bradley Muhlenkamp and Elieser Domingo on Jan. 15, 2017, after she refused repeated orders to drop a knife.

At the time, Long Beach police said Pream had tried to cut and stab several civilians with the knife, swung it at officers and advanced on them. They said both Muhlenkamp and Domingo used their stun guns on Pream to no effect before they shot her.

Preams family said she suffered from mental illness and that officers should have done more to de-escalate the situation.

She needed help, not bullets, said Rodney Diggs, one of the Pream familys attorneys. The family is pretty torn up because their mother and their daughter suffered from a sickness that wasnt her fault.

Diggs also pointed to an autopsy report that showed that three of Preams bullet wounds were to her back.

Howard Russell, the lead attorney for Long Beach, said in a statement that hes reviewing the citys options, which include appealing the jurys verdict.

The city had argued that the officers use of force was reasonable under the circumstances.

There is no evidence that either officer acted with an improper motive or with any other purpose than the legitimate law enforcement objective of taking Pream into custody while defending themselves and the public, according to a court document filed by the citys attorneys.

Muhlenkamp, who fired the majority of shots that hit Pream, said in a court deposition that he shot Pream because he felt an immediate threat to my life.

She took a lunge towards me, he said. Im telling her to drop the knife and she looks at me, like, dead in the eyes, lunges at me  fully extended, with her hand angled down so that the knife is completely at me, not up at all, just right at my chest.

Under questioning by Diggs, Muhlenkamp said he stopped firing on Pream only when she fell to the ground because she couldnt stab him from that position.

Jurors rejected the citys and the officers arguments, finding that the shooting shocked the conscience.

We hope that this verdict will save lives and change the way that the officers in the Long Beach Police Department and other police departments respond to people that are suffering from mental illnesses, attorney Brian Dunn, who also represents Preams family, said in a statement.

An investigation by the Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office concluded with no charges against Muhlenkamp and Domingo, who are both still on the force. The officers were placed in reasonable fear of death or great bodily injury by Preams actions and acted lawfully in self-defense and defense of others when they used deadly force against her, prosecutors said in a March 7 memorandum to Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna.

The city said in a statement that the verdict was unexpected, citing the district attorneys conclusion and facts of the case. Officials are considering appealing, the statement said.

Regardless of any verdict, officer-involved shootings leave a traumatic and lasting impact on everyone involved  the family, the officers, and the community, the statement said. For that reason, every critical incident goes through multiple reviews  both internal and external  to evaluate legal, policy, tactical, and equipment considerations. The goal of these reviews is to thoroughly evaluate the incident, and ensure we are continually using best practices while policing our community.

Preams family said in a statement that they were grateful to the jury for believing our story and understanding our familys perspective.

Receiving this verdict makes us feel like we have finally received justice, her family said. We hope Sinuons soul can finally rest in peace.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics California Law Enforcement
Federal mine safety officials have cited an Idaho-based company for inadequate safety controls at a gold mine it operates in northeast Nevada where a worker was killed in an underground collapse in October.

The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration released its final report Monday on the Oct. 25 fatality at Small Mine Developments Lee Smith Mine near Elko.

The accident occurred because mine management policies, procedures and controls were inadequate to ensure the establishment and maintenance of safe ground conditions where persons work or travel, the agency said.

Management engaged in aggravated conduct constituting more than ordinary negligence in that they failed to implement an adequate quality control process, it said.

Jason Holman, 42, of Goshen, Utah, was loading explosives into drill holes to blast away rocks to access ore when the collapse occurred, burying him in an estimated 67 tons of cemented rock fill (CRF) designed to reinforce the underground tunnels about 50 miles north of Elko.

Holman had more than eight years of mining experience. Investigators concluded he had been trained properly.

The cause of the accident centered on the handling of the rock fill, which is made of aggregate and slurry. Ideally, it remains on the surface for 30 minutes between mixing and delivery, MSHA said. Investigators found the operator had stockpiled the material on the surface for up to two hours before loading it into trucks for delivery underground.

CRF should always be laid in position soon after mixing to avoid setting and stiffening, the report said.

Underground bulldozer operators are supposed to report any deficiencies in the fill, but MSHA found inconsistencies in how inferior material was handled when reported.

Mine management has revised policies, procedures and controls for producing the CRF and provided training on the policies, procedures, and controls for the employees, the agency said.

The Elko Daily Free Press first reported the agencys findings on Tuesday.

Small Mine Development General Manager Keith Jones in Battle Mountain did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press. He told the newspaper MSHA failed to incorporate some of the companys responses into the final report.

We take exception with the root cause analysis and their conclusions, Jones said. The procedures at Smith at the time of the incident were very much industry standard.

Testing of cylinders in the area had indicated acceptable strengths. We have installed about 2.6 million tons of CRF at this particular mine without incident.

Small Mine Development operates the mine for the Toronto-based Jerritt Canyon Gold.

Jones said the mine received the accident citation within the past couple of weeks. He said it usually takes about six weeks after the citation is issued for a penalty to be assessed.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Mining Nevada
March 28, 2019 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Peter Epstein of Epstein Research profiles a company with a lithium project in Arkansas and enumerates the advantages he sees.

Lithium stocks were hot a year ago, now they're not. Brine projects in Argentina commanded rapt attention, now no one cares. Clay-hosted lithium projects were non-starters two or three years ago, now they're in the "maybe" column. Clay-hosted lithium projects are "unconventional," meaning untested, and therefore difficult or impossible to fund. However, "unconventional" need not mean difficult to move forward or impossible to fund. What if I told you about a company with a project that had relatively low-grade lithium, is pre-PEA, and is located in southern Arkansas? Sounds attractive, right? No, it sounds highly.. "unconventional." Last I checked, Arkansas was not in the heart of the Lithium Triangle.

Sometimes unconventional is not all bad. Standard Lithium Ltd. (SLL:TSX.V; STLHF:OTCQX) is a company like no other, and that's a good thing. Although pre-PEA (PEA now underway), Standard's 150,000 acre Arkansas lithium project, called the LANXESS project, has been de-risked in a surprising number of important ways. For instance, while other mining juniors talk about being near, "past producing mines," the LANXESS project is currently in operation, at massive commercial scalebut producing bromine from brine, not lithium (yet). It is a past producer, but also a present and future producer!

The LANXESS project is hardly early stage. All of the project's infrastructure is in place and currently in use. Power, rail, gas, water, tanks, chemicals, pumps, tankers, trucks, drilling equipment, wells, roads, pipelines, etc. 24/7/365, dozens of wells are pumping billions of gallons of brine (salty water) annually, containing bromine, lithium and other elements, through three nearby processing facilities. The LANXESS project happens to be smack in the middle of North America's largest brine production and processing facilities. These facilities have been in operation for decades.

Think about the risks avoided here. The project is in the U.S., thousands of experienced workers are in place working, there's no discovery or resource expansion risk (the resource is already large enough), the project is by and large already permitted, it's in environmental compliance. There's local community support (no Aboriginal or First Nations issues).

Year-round operations, port access in the Gulf of Mexico, workers go home each night (no fly-in/fly-out). Best of all, the project is in commercial-scale operation right now, albeit for bromine. These are logistical items that lithium companies in Argentina and Chile, not to mention Australia and Canada, would die for, milestones that can take years and hundreds of millions of dollars to obtain.

Not only are operations in place at a large commercial scale, but pumping history, hydrology and geology are all readily available to Standard Lithium for review. This and other data enabled the company to estimate a 3.1 million metric tonne Lithium Carbonate Equiv. (LCE) Inferred resource at the LANXESS project. So, we can be reasonably certain that there's considerable resource size. However, to be safe, we await the Inferred resource being converted to Measured and Indicated, which is expected later this year.

One might think that pulling lithium out along with the bromine would be straightforward; it's not, it proved to be quite a technical challenge. However, a challenge on the verge of being solved, as Standard Lithium is operating a mini pilot plant that has already produced battery-grade lithium carbonate. However, this process needs to be scaled up very significantly.

I've mentioned several ways in which the company's project is de-risked, taking that theme to a whole new level is a prospective JV with LANXESS (hence the project name). Standard Lithium signed a MOU with LANXESS in May 2018 and a JV term sheet in November. LANXESS is a giant German chemical conglomerate that would provide substantial help on the technical, operational, sales/marketing and R&D fronts.

Assuming reasonable project economics, LANXESS has committed to finance 100% of the commercialization of the project. LANXESS' (through its wholly owned subsidiary) Great Lake Chemicals operations in Southern Arkansas encompass more than 150,000 acres, 10,000 brine leases and surface agreements and 250 miles of pipelines. LANXESS extracts brine from wells located throughout the area and transports it to three Arkansas processing plants through a network of pipelines.

Executing the JV would be huge, LANXESS would own a majority of the project, but funding is without question the largest risk factor these days. LANXESS funding would be the biggest de-risking event of them all. Several world-class brine projects in Argentina are all but stalled due to a lack of project funding. That's even though those projects are "conventional," proposing to use conventional solar evaporation ponds. And then there's Quebec's Nemaska Lithium; it was billed as fully funded until it found a ~C$400 million hole in its funding basket. Nothing against Nemaska, lithium projects are complex and unique. Delays and cost over-runs are the norm.

Standard Lithium's processing technology, if operating at commercial scale, would process enormous volumes of brine in days vs. over a year for solar evaporation ponds. The technology is designed to be easily and conveniently scalable, it's modular. If need be, the company could plan production based on market conditions. Management is not going to run into a ~C$400 million cap-ex problem; the amount of operating data available is immense and remember, most of the infrastructure is already in place.

So, what does all of this mean for Standard Lithium? Assuming LANXESS comes on board (LANXESS named Standard Lithium and the Arkansas lithium project during the opening minutes of its 4th Quarter earnings call), it has many risk factors covered, including the biggest risk, project funding. Instead of facing the daunting task of having to raise hundreds of millions in equity capital to fund a commercial development, the company is probably looking at raising closer to C$25 million over the next 18 months. It just closed a C$11 million bought-deal financing.

Risk Factors

The main risk factor is scaling its proprietary technology from pilot to commercial scale. With regard to this risk, I think it's a question of when, not if, the company achieves this milestone. A moderate delay would be disappointing but would not deliver a fatal blow. Standard Lithium hopes to eventually reach a run-rate of ~20,000 tonnes/year LCE. That will likely take several years, after first achieving limited commercial production potentially as early as 2021. Ultimately, production of 30,000+ tonnes/year LCE for decades is a possibility, by optimizing the well fields and tapping into the company's nearby TETRA Project area.

What might the mid-year PEA show? We don't know yet, but we can make some educated guesses. Cap-ex? In Argentina, the average lithium brine project cap-ex requirement from among six well-known projects is C$540 million. The LANXESS project will be built in stages, so the cap-ex will be substantially lower. Remember, most of the infrastructure is already in place and in operation.

Op-ex should be on the low side as well. For example, the company has ready access to some of the cheapest chemical reagents in the world. And, the lithium operations will be sharing some costs with the bromine operations. Brine exits the bromine operations at 70 degrees Celsius, so no extra energy needs to be added as it enters the lithium facilities. Management's goal is to be in the bottom quartile on the cost curve.

Look at "conventional" brine producer Orocobre Ltd.: it's in year 4 of commercial operation, but is still running at ~70%80% of nameplate capacity. This is no knock on Orocobre, it was the first new brine project in Argentina in 20 years; it just demonstrates how very difficult each unique brine (chemistry) project is. And the weather, it has been surprisingly rainy this year and last, which is bad news for solar evaporation ponds. Global warming?

In the early-to-mid 2020s there will be fierce competition for scarce resources in Argentina (labor, executives with brine project building experience, consultants, water, power, mining services and equipment, environmental work and construction activities (at 4,000 meter elevations), access to governmental agencies for permits and approvals). Among the 610 brine projects in Argentina at PEA stage or more advanced, several might never reach production. Several others could be delayed by 1,2,3,4 years in reaching nameplate capacities of 20k35k tonnes/year LCE.

Conclusion

Standard Lithium (TSX-V: SLL) / (OTCQX: STLHF) will not be fighting for scarce resources, (another risk avoided), there should be no operating or infrastructure bottlenecks, the weather is not a factor. There won't be cost blowouts. If a Bank Feasibility Study calls for first production in mid-2021, and LANXESS is committed to project finance, operations and off-take, it will likely happen pretty much on time and on budget.

For hard rock producers in western Australia my understanding is that the situation is a lot better, but we could still see bottlenecks as many hard rock producers try to ramp up supply at the same time. Instead of companies failing, perhaps we will see a wave of M&A in Western Australia.

That higher degree of certainty is worth a lot in the Wild West of lithium project development. And, if the brine projects in the Lithium Triangle can't deliver close to nameplate capacity in the early-to-mid-2020s, there's going to be tremendous demand for Standard Lithium's output, and lithium prices will likely be high. Who knows, maybe even the "unconventional" clay-hosted lithium producers will have their day in the sun?

Peter Epstein is the founder of Epstein Research. His background is in company and financial analysis. He holds an MBA degree in financial analysis from New York University's Stern School of Business.

Disclosures: The content of this article is for information only. Readers fully understand and agree that nothing contained herein, written by Peter Epstein of Epstein Research [ER], (together, [ER]) about Standard Lithium, including but not limited to, commentary, opinions, views, assumptions, reported facts, calculations, etc. is not to be considered implicit or explicit investment advice. Nothing contained herein is a recommendation or solicitation to buy or sell any security. [ER] is not responsible under any circumstances for investment actions taken by the reader. [ER] has never been, and is not currently, a registered or licensed financial advisor or broker/dealer, investment advisor, stockbroker, trader, money manager, compliance or legal officer, and does not perform market making activities. [ER] is not directly employed by any company, group, organization, party or person. The shares of Standard Lithium are highly speculative, not suitable for all investors. Readers understand and agree that investments in small cap stocks can result in a 100% loss of invested funds. It is assumed and agreed upon by readers that they will consult with their own licensed or registered financial advisors before making any investment decisions.

At the time this article was posted, Peter Epstein owned shares of Standard Lithium and the Company was an advertiser on [ER]. Readers understand and agree that they must conduct their own due diligence above and beyond reading this article. While the author believes he's diligent in screening out companies that, for any reasons whatsoever, are unattractive investment opportunities, he cannot guarantee that his efforts will (or have been) successful. [ER] is not responsible for any perceived, or actual, errors including, but not limited to, commentary, opinions, views, assumptions, reported facts & financial calculations, or for the completeness of this article or future content. [ER] is not expected or required to subsequently follow or cover events & news, or write about any particular company or topic. [ER] is not an expert in any company, industry sector or investment topic.

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Coca-Cola is considering building a milk processing plant in Cork.

The global drinks giant has held a number of meetings in Ireland in recent months to learn about the Irish dairy sector.

Coca-Cola launched a premium milk in the US five years ago, which costs twice as much as regular milk.

Senior executives from Atlanta have reportedly been to Ireland to learn about the Irish dairy industry, according to the Farmers Journal.

They are believed to have a particular interest in the research and development capabilities in the Irish dairy sector.
Network Cork is reminding female entrepreneurs that Friday, April 5, is the deadline for Cork women to put themselves forward for an award in the Network Cork Businesswomen of the Year Awards 2019.

Although we see numbers of entries increase every year, there is still huge scope across the categories for more businesswomen to enter or nominate a colleague, whether youre a solopreneur or managing a team of 200, said Network Cork President Gillian Hennessy.
Wow Air has ceased operation.

The Icelandic budget airline made the announcement on its website this morning.

Last year the company announced a loss of 30 million for the first nine months of the year - and let go of over 100 staff in December.

The airline, which employs around 1,000 people, has now confirmed that it has entirely ceased operations.

It operated a number of flights to and from Dublin, with its main Reykjavik services allowing connections to several North American airports.

The airline has advised passengers to check if so-called 'rescue-fares' are available with other providers in light of the circumstances.

Wow Air said in a statement: Wow Air has ceased operation. All Wow Air flights have been cancelled.

Passengers are advised to check available flights with other airlines.

Some airlines may offer flights at a reduced rate, so-called rescue fares, in light of the circumstances.

It added: Passengers may also be entitled to compensation from Wow Air, including in accordance with European regulation on Air Passenger Rights.

In case of a bankruptcy, claims should be filed to the administrator/liquidator.
A man on trial at the Special Criminal Court gave no reply when asked by gardai to account for the presence of 150kg of explosives in a car in which he was a front seat passenger, the court has heard.

The three-judge court has previously heard that armed gardai found four bags of explosives in the boot of a black Skoda Fabia car and 18 detonators under the front passenger seat when they stopped the vehicle on the Naas Road.

John Brock (46), with an address at Cushlawn Park, Tallaght, Dublin 24, and John Roche (55), of Bridgefoot Street, Dublin 8, have pleaded not guilty to possession of 57kg of homemade explosives, consisting of ammonium nitrate fuel mix, and 38 2.5kg rolls of Kemegel industrial explosives at Naas Road, Dublin 12, on April 13, 2016.

Detective Sergeant Thomas Power, of the ballistics section at the Garda Technical Bureau, told prosecuting counsel Anne-Marie Lawlor SC that he went to Cathal Brugha Barracks in Rathmines on April 14 and met Commandant Oisin Dawson of the Army Disposal Unit.

Comdt Dawson showed him a number of bags which contained "38 sausage-shaped packets" with Kemegel branding on them, which were all the same size and shape, he said. Det Sgt Power said he placed a sample of this in a container.

Two animal feed bags were also produced and a sample of this was taken, said Det Sgt Power, adding that he was also given 18 discharged detonators.

The witness testified that he went to the Glen of Imaal with Comdt Dawson on April 15, who placed the packets of Kemegel explosives in a hole and detonated them with a small charge. They all exploded and were destroyed, he indicated.

Forensic scientist Dr John OShaughnessy told the non-jury court that he works in the chemistry section of Forensic Science Ireland (FSI) and analyses explosives. The witness said he examined a number of items given to him by the Special Detective Unit (SDU), which had been recovered from a Skoda car. These samples included a wet and grey-like mixture called Kemegel, which is associated with industrial slurry-type explosives as well as hydrocarbon accelerants.

The purpose of the examination was to determine if there were explosives present in the samples, the court heard. Dr OShaughnessy said he was satisfied that the samples examined were all explosives under the Explosive Substances Act 1883.

Sergeant Raymond Tadhg, of the SDU, told prosecution counsel John Byrne BL that he interviewed Mr Brock at Ronanstown Garda Station on April 15. The court heard that in Mr Brocks subsequent interviews the gardai invoked Sections 18, 19 and 19(a) of the Criminal Justice Act and told him that a court may draw inferences from his failure or refusal to account for certain matters.

Sergeant Tadhg asked Mr Brock to account for the presence of 18 detonators, 57kg of homemade explosives and 38 2.5kg rolls of Kemegel industrial explosives in a car, which he was a front-seat passenger in on April 13. Mr Brock gave no reply.

Mr Brock was also asked to account for his presence at Behan's Quarry on Windmillhill in Rathcoole, Co Dublin at 6.59pm on April 13. The accused man again gave no reply. Following this, he declined to sign the memorandum of interview.

Ms Lawlor told Mr Justice Tony Hunt, presiding, sitting with Judge Patricia Ryan and Judge Ann Ryan, that the prosecution had closed its case. The trial continues tomorrow.
An Bord Pleanala has refused planning permission for the development of a major housing development near Bishopstown in the south-west of Cork city.

Developers, Ardstone Homes sought approval for the construction of 240 new units at Ardarostig, located just south of the N40. The proposals included a mix of houses and apartments, as well as a creche and new entrance onto Waterfall Rd.
Eight sexual health groups in Cork have joined forces to make their services more visible.

The Cork Sexual Health Centre said they hope the united approach will reach more people.

The centre also said the increase in the number of people seeking its help was a sign that the stigma around sexual health is reducing. They have also seen an increase in the number of people seeking post-abortion counselling, in the wake of the legalisation of abortion here.

One client who approached the centre recently was seeking help more than a decade after having had an abortion.

The details emerged at the launch of the first inter-agency online portal to unite all eight sexual health organisations in Cork. These are: the Sexual Health Centre; the citys Youth Health Services; the Gay Project; LINC; the Sexual Violence Centre Cork; the citys Sexual Assault Treatment Unit and STI/GUM clinic at Corks South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital (SIVUH), and the Cork HIV Treatment Clinic in CUH.

The groups all work in the areas of sexual health and wellbeing, sexually transmitted infections (STI) testing, sexuality, HIV treatment and support, sexual violence, and healthy relationships.

Their new website, mysexualhealth.ie, is a one-stop-shop for easy and direct access to the organisations and their services, which cover all matters of sexual health, healthy relationships, and wellbeing.

They said this website is the first, fully dedicated site of its kind in Cork to provide this range of information.

It was developed thanks to Healthy Ireland funding, made available through the Local Community Development Committee and Cork City Council.

Dr Martin Davoren, the executive director of the Sexual Health Centre, said all the groups share common goals and the inter-agency approach should help them get their message out more widely and, ultimately, make their response more effective.

Sexual health is an integral part of everyones life. It is fantastic to see the launch of this interagency resource for the people.

The centres spokesperson, Nadia Reckmann, said that last year the centre saw a dramatic increase in the number of people calling its helpline, seeking advice, and looking for STI screening. The figures will be published in its annual report in a few weeks.

There is a strong stigma when it comes to sexual health, but the fact that more people are ready to come forward, and ask for help, is a good sign.

People feel more free to come forward and talk about the issues, she said.

Daniel Quealey, the clinical nurse manager in genito-urinary medicine at the STI/GUM clinic at SIVUH, said the website will create greater awareness and understanding of the full range of sexual health services and supports available in the city.

Each organisation will bring their own unique level of expertise to the forum and we will all strive to create a reliable, evidence-based resource for those seeking information on any sexual health-related concerns, he said.

Lord Mayor Cllr Mick Finn, who launched the website, said the united approach will help make the services more visible in the community.
The father of a toddler who was left with serious injuries after a hit-and-run in Cork has said that he is absolutely blown away by the support from friends and family.

Zac Higgins, 2, suffered a broken collarbone and shoulder blade, as well as a bleed to the brain after being struck by a car while playing at about 3.50pm on Monday in Castle Meadows estate on the Skehard Road in Mahon.

He required plastic surgery on his hand and is in an induced coma in Temple Street Childrens Hospital in Dublin.

He was hit by a blue Mazda 6, which failed to stop.

The car was recovered at Ballinure GAA pitches, about 1km from the scene of the accident.

A teenage suspect, who was arrested in connection with the hit-and-run, was released from Garda custody in the early hours of yesterday morning.

A file will now be prepared for the information of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

It is understood that two others contacted gardai in relation to the incident.

Zacs father Paul and mother Aishling have travelled to Dublin to be by their sons side.

His siblings Max, 7, and Belle, 4, are staying with relatives.

Paul said they are absolutely blown away by the response from friends and family, as well as the support from people they dont know who have reached out via social media.

A Facebook post that was shared by Paul on Monday night has now been liked by almost 4,000 people, with over 1,300 comments.

He described their time at Temple Street as emotional and said that there had been one or two setbacks.

Reading all [the] well wishes coming in on [my] phone has helped us through the most difficult time of our lives, Paul stated on Twitter.

He had previously described the accident as the worst feeling I ever had in my life.

Anyone with information or who may have dash cam footage from around Skehard Road on Monday is asked to contact Anglesea St Garda Station 021 4522000 the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.
A grandmother who severed a vein in a man's neck after she swung a glass at him has been given a suspended sentence on condition she pay 3,000 as a token of remorse.

Sarah English (59) believed that Paul Clarke had ridiculed her late husband and deceased son while the pair were drinking in the house of a mutual friend. The glass shattered cutting the victim's head and face and slicing a vein in his neck.

An ambulance was called to the scene after Mr Clarke lost consciousness due to the amount of blood he lost. He required surgery and has been left with a five-inch scar on the right-hand side of his face.

The court heard he later told gardai he had no idea why English had smashed the glass at him.

English, of Primrose Grove, Darndale, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm to Mr Clarke at Belcamp Green, Priorswood, on July 12, 2016. She has no previous convictions.

Judge Martin Nolan said that English heard words which she understood were related to her late son, and in her own mind they were upsetting and probably ridiculing, and she reacted.

The court heard her husband died 30 years ago and her son died of an overdose when he was 18 years old. She has four other children and six grandchildren, and she assists in caring for her grandchildren and her 86-year-old mother.

The judge said that the victim lost a considerable amount of blood and lost consciousness. He said it was lucky for everyone that the emergency services arrived very quickly.

He accepted that English pleaded guilty, was remorseful, and said it was highly unlikely she will re-offend.

She is a mother and grandmother who contributes to society and is invaluable to her children. She is no doubt very sorry for what she did, Judge Nolan said before he acknowledged the impressive testimonials handed up on English's behalf.

He said that English had swung her hand with a glass in it and there was a possibility that the glass could shatter and cause substantial damage. Judge Nolan imposed a four-year sentence which he suspended in full on strict conditions.

The conditions included that she pay 1,400 immediately as a token of remorse, and collect a further 1,600 in the next year.
A coroner has issued a fresh warning about the dangers of window blind cords after hearing harrowing details about the death of a toddler in a freak accident.

Cork City Coroner Philip Comyn has also urged parents to consult the National Standards Authority of Ireland website for guidelines on blind cord safety after the inquest this morning in relation to the death of little Leah Troy, aged 13-months, at the family's new home at Delaney Park in Dublin Hill on the northside of Cork city last September.

The jury returned a verdict of accidental death after hearing how little Leah died after she was found by her mother, Alice O'Sullivan, entangled in a support cord attached to the back of Roman blinds in the main bedroom on September 11 last.

The blinds were a handmade gift from Alice's step-mother, Jude Hogan O'Sullivan, who had made many blinds for family and friends over the years.

The blinds had been installed in Leah's house just the week before as Alice, her partner, Mike Troy, and their children, Leah and her brother, Alex, who was four at the time, were settling in to their new home.

The inquest was told that the family had taken precautions to secure all the blind draw-strings in the house by attaching metal cleats to the wall higher than usual, to keep the strings out of reach of the children.

But the inquest established that Leah became entangled in one of three vertical cords attached to the back of a Roman blind which are involved in the folding mechanism of the blind material.

Alice said she had put Leah down for a nap in a travel cot close to her bed and near the window in the main bedroom at around 11.45am.

But when she checked on her around midday she said she knew immediately that something was wrong.

She discovered Leah in an almost leaning position in the cot, with her head tilted to the side, her neck entangled in the cord.

"I rushed towards her screaming her name," she said.

She told the coroner how she made frantic efforts to remove the cord but couldn't snap it.

She dialled emergency services and carried Leah downstairs and started CPR while paramedics rushed to the scene.

Mr Troy said he got a phone call at work from Alice to come home and knew immediately that something was wrong.

As he rushed home, he was told to go straight to Cork University Hospital (CUH) as Leah was now being rushed by ambulance under garda escort to CUH.

Michael Troy, father of the late Leah Troy pictured at Cork Coroners Court.

But despite the best efforts of medical staff to resuscitate her, she was pronounced dead a short time later.

Assistant state pathologist, Dr Margot Bolster, said the cause of death was acute cardio-respiratory arrest due to ligature strangulation. She told the parents that Leah would have blacked out and wouldn't have suffered.

Alice said the family had hung the blind pull-string cords higher than usual and that she knows her step-mother blames herself for the tragedy.

"There are so many ifs and buts," she said.

Leah was a beautiful girl, curious and up to mischief. She was never sick. She was just my gorgeous baby girl.

Ms Hogan-O'Sullivan wept as her deposition was read into the record.

"I thought it was safe. I never thought if the blind was closed she'd get caught," Ms Hogan-O'Sullivan said.

"They were so excited, they had waited so long for the house.

"They had gutted it and put so much work into making it a home and making memories there."

She said her world fell apart when she heard that morning what had happened to Leah.

"I feel guilty for this. If I hadn't made this blind she would be alive," she said.

"They are great parents, Alice is a great mother, running around after the children checking on them.

"I know I've told them before but I want to say it again. I am sorry."

Coroner Philip Comyn said it was one of the most difficult and distressing inquests he and his staff have dealt with in recent years.

Addressing Leah's parents, he said: "I can only imagine the anguish you are going through.

"This was a complete accident. There is very little solace I can give you other than to consider the evidence of Dr Bolster, than Leah would have blacked out immediately and wouldn't have suffered."

A US study in 2015 found that nearly 17,000 young children were injured in accidents involving window blinds while almost 300 died, in most cases after becoming entangled in the cords.

There have been several tragedies in Ireland involving children getting entangled in blind cords.

In February 2009, a two-year-old boy died when he became entangled in a blind cord while playing at his family home in Carrigtwohill in east Co Cork.

His parents later called for legislation, similar to that introduced in the US and Australia which makes blind cord safety devices mandatory, to be introduced in Ireland.

An inquest in 2010 into a similar tragedy in Co Kilkenny heard that on average, since 2005, three children a year have died here from asphyxiation after getting caught in blind cords.

A European standard on the performance requirements and safety of internal blinds has existed since 2009.

But in 2012, the NSAI addressed safety concerns here by developing a specific Irish standard which set out additional safety requirements pending the outcome of wider research on European-wide standards.

Updated European standards were later published setting out the requirements that internal blinds should fulfil when they are fitted to a building to provide protection from strangulation, on the test methods used to verify that a window blind conforms to certain requirements, and on specified safety requirements for test methods for safety devices that can help to improve the safety of window blinds and prevent accidents.

These safety devices can be fitted to window blinds during the manufacturing process or fitted to window blinds that have already been installed.

However, in December 2016, a 17-month-old boy died of asphyxia after he became entangled in a blind cord at his home in Dublin.
Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan has said the insurance industry needs to do more to address the cost of premiums.

Mr Flanagan said that the constant hiking of costs are threatening livelihoods and is calling for reform.
Latest: There are large gaps in local state services that are creating a barrier for effective community policing, an Oireachtas committee has said.

In a new report, the Oireachtas justice committee said one of the most pertinent issues was the lack of primary health care and other services outside of business hours.

It called for a multi-agency response, involving police and various health professionals, to deal with local crime and mental health issues.

The report, Community Policing and Rural Crime, followed public hearings last October with rural organisations and academics, as well as senior gardai and members of the PSNI.

Committee chair Caoimhghin O Caolain TD said they were very impressed with responses on this area in Northern Ireland, including custody suites (integrating nurse-led healthcare) and multi-agency hubs.

The report said:

The committee believes that, whilst some collaboration does exist between An Garda Siochana and other organisations to provide community-based services in Ireland, much more needs to be done to implement a properly structured and effective multi-agency model."

It said that in England, Scotland and Wales there was a statutory requirement for agencies to work together in partnership and said serious consideration should be given to introducing similar laws here.

The committee said many of the dealings at the frontline involved interventions with people self-harming or harming others because of mental health issues.

Resources must be made available to ensure that members of An Garda Siochana are adequately trained to deal with these complex situations and that they have 24/7 access to the supports of appropriate specialist services when required," the report said.

The committee backed the district community policing model recommended in the report of the Commission on the Future of Policing.

The report said rural communities must be compensated for the social isolation people living in them experience and for the closure of garda stations by having more gardai on patrol in rural areas.

It said the real extent of rural crime was not accurately known and also suggested that Garda HQ consider the establishment of a rural task force along the lines of some UK police forces.

The report also said that, with Brexit, a full review of operational structures along the border should be conducted.

Speaking at the launch, Assistant Commissioner Michael Finn, who has responsibility for implementing the Garda divisional policing model, said that both he and the commissioner would examine the committee's report.

He said many of the recommendations, particularly those relating to community policing, were similar to those in the Policing Commission report and that they were being acted on by the organisation.

The Garda Siochana later issued a statement in which it pointed out that two of the four divisions they were piloting the new policing model covered rural areas  Galway and Mayo.

It said:

This will see in each division a superintendent dedicated to community policing and working under that superintendent will be community policing teams whose role will be to liaise with local communities to identify and address their particular issues."

The statement added: A notable feature of the Commissions report was the recognition that An Garda Siochana is not solely responsible for policing issues. As emphasised in the report, there is a requirement for joint agency responses to a range of issues such as recidivism, youth crime and dealing with people with mental health issues.

In this regard, An Garda Siochana works with other a range of Governmental and non-governmental agencies in the areas of youth crime and youth diversion, and that work will continue to jointly address these issues.

Earlier (12:18pm): Justice Committee report says more resources needed for rural garda stations

Rural areas that lost garda stations during the economic crash should get more resources and have vacant positions filled.

It is one of the recommendations in a new report from the Oireachtas Justice Committee on community policing and tackling rural crime.

It says Gardai need more training and support to deal with people suffering from mental health problems.

The report also recommends more patrols in rural areas, increased funding for text alert systems and better use of social media by Gardai to improve engagement with isolated communities.

Last month, Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan ruled out the widespread re-opening of rural garda stations closed as part of cost-cutting and efficiency programmes over the past decade.

"I don't believe that all the garda stations that had been closed over the past number of years will re-open," he said at the time.

"It is important we that we acknowledge and recognise that there is more to gardai than bricks and mortar."

Digital Desk
Lawyers for a man found floating in the ocean next to 65 bales of cocaine have told the Court of Appeal that their client was a bungling stevedore in one of Ireland largest ever drugs hauls, rather than a lieutenant.

Englishman Martin Wanden (58), with a last address in South Africa, had pleaded not guilty to his role in a 440 million drugs haul which went awry at Dunlough Bay on the Mizen Peninsula, West Cork on July 2 2007.

The case began when a rigid inflatable boat (RIB) carrying 1.5 tonnes of cocaine got into difficulties off the south-west coast. One of its petrol engines was mistakenly filled with diesel, causing the craft to flounder and sink in unseasonably rough July seas.

Wanden was found floating in the Atlantic Ocean encircled by 65 bales of cocaine, subsequently found to be 75% pure, by life boat crews, who had come to the aid of the sinking RIB.

The cocaine had been transferred to the RIB from a Catamaran named Lucky Day after a rendezvous at a buoy 30 miles off the Cork Coast.

There was evidence at the trial that customs officials who went to Dunlough Bay came across two of Wandens accomplices making their way up from the cliffs. Both men were arrested two days later.

Gardai loading the 55 bales of drugs into a garda van at Baltimore.

Wanden was found guilty by a jury at Cork Circuit Criminal Court following a 42-day trial and sentenced to 30 years imprisonment by Judge Sean O Donnabhain on July 23, 2008.

Moving to appeal the severity of his sentence today, Wandens barrister, Brian McCartney SC, said his clients 30-year sentence was crushing.

He said Wandens role was that of a bungling stevedore rather than a lieutenant. Wanden was not the organiser, planner or financier and displayed no trappings of wealth, counsel submitted.

Shortly before the offence, Mr McCartney said Wanden had lost a young child and his wife in tragic circumstances. His other daughter was eight years old when he came to be sentenced and she was now University law student, the court heard.

Mr McCartney asked that Wandens sentence be reduced to allow him be rehabilitated with his daughter.

He said Wanden had asked him to express gratitude to the emergency services today because they saved his life, after spending two-and-a-half hours in the Atlantic.

The remains of the ill fated rib floating partly submerged in the sea near Mizen Head.

Counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions, Siobhan Lankford SC, said the suggestion Wanden played a minor role was not borne out by the evidence.

Ms Lankford said all four men involved in the haul were fully committed members of the gang. She said the operation spanned three continents and 300,000 was spent on logistics.

She said Wanden had come to Ireland from South Africa, via Britain, in a blue jeep carrying the RIB. He had three passports and a phone in the name of one of the false passports, she added.

Ms Lankford said Wanden had some nautical knowledge although it may not have been at the level that was anticipated given the filling of the petrol engine with diesel.

She said the Court of Criminal Appeal had reduced the sentence of Wandens coaccused, Perry Wharrie, to 17-and-a-half years but the Supreme Court subsequently found the court was not correct to do so. The DPP had appealed the Court of Criminal Appeals decision on a point of law, which meant Wharries 17-and-a-half year sentence remained the same.

The Court of Appeal heard that Wharrie had a previous conviction for the murder of an off-duty Police Officer, Frank Mason(27), who had intervened during an armed robbery in England. Wanden had a relevant previous conviction for drugs smuggling in France.

Mr Justice John Edwards, who sat with Ms Justice Marie Baker and Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, said the court would reserve its jugdment.

Wanden, Wharrie and Joe Daly (51), were each found guilty following a trial. Warrie was originally sentenced to 30 years imprisonment, like Wanden, while Daly was given 25 years.

A fourth man, Gerard Hagan (34), had pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine for sale or supply and was sentenced to 10 years on account of his plea.
The Culture Minister believes the proposed changes to the divorce laws aren't that radical.

At present, couples have to be living apart for four years if they want to divorce.
Former Minister of State for Housing and Planning, Labour TD Jan OSullivan says that Rebuilding Ireland is not fit for purpose and she is calling on the Government to admits its housing policy is failing.

Instead, the Government should take an approach to keep people in their homes, she told RTE radios Morning Ireland.

They need to ensure that people cannot be thrown out of their homes, Deputy O'Sullivan said.

She made the comments as the number of people homeless has exceeded 10,000 for the first time as a new report shows a year-on-year rise in rents.

Department of Housing figures for February show 10,264 adults and children without a home, staying in emergency accommodation, up from 9,987 in January.

After three years and with record levels of people homeless, that surely is an indication of the failure of Rebuilding Ireland, she added.

Eoghan Murphy is the Minister and he needs to change things, said Ms OSullivan.

There is plenty of public land social housing could be built on.

Funding could be available through the Rainy Day Fund and the Government could borrow from the European Investment Bank.

There are ways money can be found. We need to see greater determination from the Government. There have to be better ways to do it.

As more and more Irish people rely on the rental sector it is important to keep them in their homes, she said.

There is a need to stop evictions for spurious reasons.

Deputy O'Sullivan's comments come as a homelessness charity says it expects 15,000 to be homeless by the end of the year.

CEO of Inner City Helping Homeless Anthony Flynn says the latest figure of 10,264 people living in emergency accommodation is unacceptable.

He says there isn't a quick enough reaction to the number of people entering homeless services.

- Additional reporting Digital Desk
A foreign student was robbed after being led down a lane way by a woman she had stopped to ask directions from, a court has heard.

Sandra Warren (43) led the student, who had only been in Ireland for four days, down the lane way before grabbing her and robbing her bag containing her wallet, bankcards and phone.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard Warren, who was using drugs at the time, was under pressure from a man to get money but has since ended that relationship. She wishes to undergo a drug rehabilitation course.

Warren, of Reuben Street, Rialto, pleaded guilty to robbery of the young woman at O'Curry Avenue, Dublin 8 on May 23, 2016.

Judge Sinead Ni Chulachain said this was a nasty offence on a guest in our country which left the victim without access to funds, without the address she was looking for and unable to contact anyone.

She adjourned sentencing to allow a psychiatric assessment and for an assessment of supports Warren will need to take place. She said Warren could also come forward with a proposal for restitution of the victim. She adjourned the case until July 1, 2019.

Garda Daniel Hanlon told Fergal Foley BL, prosecuting, that the victim was a foreign student seeking accommodation and was using her mobile phone to navigate to a flat she wished to view.

She was having difficulty finding it and stopped to ask directions of Warren. She believed Warren was assisting her as she was brought down a lane way. Warren then grabbed her and robbed her bag containing money, her bankcards and phone. Warren ran away in the company of a male.

Gda Hanlon said the victim was left confused, upset and in a state of disarray. He said she was traumatised by the incident and has trouble trusting people. The victim said she was left with whiplash injuries as a result of the attack.

He said she continued her studies in Ireland but did not like going out or being in unfamiliar areas.

Gda Hanlon said he was on mobile patrol nearby and was alerted to the incident. He received a description of the culprit and arrested Warren a short distance away on Donore Avneue.

He said he was aware Warren had a troubled background, a difficult upbringing and had struggled with addiction. Warren has eight previous convictions for offences including robbery, burglary and theft.

Rebecca Smith BL, defending, said her client wanted to apologise to victim, court and Gardai for what she did and was willing to try and compensate the woman.

Ms Smith said her client was under the influence of a man at the time and under pressure to obtain money to give to him. She said this relationship had now ended.

She said Warren needed to be reviewed by psychiatric services and was asking to have a chance to undertake drug rehabilitation course. She said this would be of benefit to Warren in dealing with her addiction issues, as well as moving forward with her life.
A woman who is terminally ill with cancer and who has sued over the alleged misinterpretation of her smear slide yesterday told the High Court she never thought for one second she had cervical cancer because she had no signs or symptoms.

The mother of two who was told just a few days before Christmas 2015 she had cervical cancer said she was crying when she was putting her children's presents under the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve 2015.

"I was crying. I did not know what was ahead of me," she told Mr Justice Kevin Cross.

It came as a shock to me. I had no symptoms of anything being wrong. I never thought for one second I have cervical cancer. I had no signs or symptoms.

The woman who cannot be identified by order of the court said she was given the cancer news over the phone when she told the nurse calling her in to the consultants office "to tell her straight" and asked had she cancer.

"She said I'm afraid you do."

The mother who is in her 40s now has Stage 4 cancer and has had palliative chemotherapy and her prognosis is between 12 months to 22 months.

The woman along with her husband has brought an action against the HSE and three laboratory companies including the one in Austin Texas which tested her smear slide in 2010 and reported it as negative.

Her counsel Patrick Treacy SC told the court the womans  whole life in every respect has been devastated.

He said she found out she had Stage 1b cervical cancer in December 2015 and Christmas "was off" as she had to tell her family which counsel said was a traumatic event.

Counsel said the rubicon moment was in September 2018, when she was told her cancer was inoperable but she has since had a new drug, which cleared her lung and reduced her pelvic cancer. However, Counsel said the woman does not now feel right in herself and requires another scan.

Mr Treacy told the court the real tragedy is of the womans smear test in 2010 had been correctly reported, she would have had an investigative procedure and would have been treated appropriately. Her side contends a pre cancerous lesion could have been excised and there was at that stage a 95 per cent chance of a cure and a less than one per cent chance of the cancer developing.

In September 2017, the woman was diagnosed as having a recurrence of the cancer and she had radical chemotherapy.

In April last year the woman had a further relapse and by August 2018 she has secondary cancer in the lungs.

The couple have sued the HSE along with two companies which provided medical diagnostic services in the State, Sonic Healthcare (Ireland) Ltd with registered offices at Sandyford Business Park, Dublin and Medlab Pathology Ltd with offices at Sandyford Business park, Dublin and US laboratory Clinical Pathology Laboratories Incorporated of Austin, Texas. It is claimed they all owed the woman a duty of care in the provision of the cervical screening programme and in the provision of all services associated with it.

The woman on September 17, 2010 underwent a cervical smear test as part of the national cervical screening programme. Her sample was sent for review and a laboratory report showed the sample was satisfactory for assessment and there was no evidence of the presence of abnormal tissue.

It is claimed there was an alleged failure to correctly report and diagnose and there was an alleged misinterpretation of the woman's smear slide taken in 2010 and that her cancer was allowed to develop and spread unidentified, unmonitored and untreated until she was diagnosed with cervical cancer in December 2015.

It is further alleged there was a failure to report the smear sample was inadequate for assessment and the woman was allegedly deprived of the opportunity of treatment at a time when the disease was amenable to curative treatment.

The woman's life expectancy, it is claimed to has been permitted to be significantly reduced.

The defendants deny all the claims. The case before Mr Justice Kevin Cross continues.
Leaving the EU will not lessen regional communities sense of alienation from the centres of power, says Raghuram Rajan

Britain is teetering toward Brexit. No-one knows what will happen over the next few months.

Yet one-third of British voters support a no-deal departure from the European Union, which risks inflicting an economic disaster on the country.

Many of these no-deal Brexit supporters are older and modestly educated, and live in economically depressed, semi-urban communities and small towns, concentrated in northern England.

Although they are anxious about the deterioration in their economic prospects, trade and immigration are not their only concerns.

Brexiteers also resent their loss of control over policy, first to a distant, national capital, London, full of well-educated global elites, and, in recent years, to an even more remote EU.

EU-mandated immigration rules are just the most obvious sign of their powerlessness. Brexit supporters voted to leave the EU to take back control.

Unfortunately, Brexit, whatever form it takes, may not give them what they want, and that will fuel further resentment. Can anything quell their anger?

The disempowerment of communities is not a British phenomenon. As markets expand across political borders, participants prefer a common governance structure that eliminates annoying regulatory differences and transaction costs. Historically, such integration happened within countries.

As inter-regional trade and capital flows increased, demands for seamless regional borders and harmonised national regulation became louder. National governments, therefore, increased their powers and functions at the expense of regions and local communities.

In turn, as globalisation has accelerated in recent decades, national governments have acceded to international agreements and treaties that limited their sovereign powers. They have also ceded some powers to international bodies. For example, the European Commissions harmonisation of economic regulations across the EU limits the regulatory discretion of individual member states. This has catalysed movements seeking to reclaim national sovereignty, like that of the Brexiteers.

But even as power (and often funding) has moved from local to national and then international level, the effects of globalised markets and technological change have varied greatly.

Strikingly, mega-cities have prospered, while semi-rural communities have experienced diminishing economic activity and opportunity. The Great Recession, which began in 2008, accentuated this trend, with cities bouncing back quickly, while semi-rural areas languished.

Such an uneven impact calls for responses that are suited to local needs and conditions. But formulating these responses is much harder when communities are disempowered.

Disempowerment causes further collateral damage. When opportunity leaves economically marginal communities, despair and social dysfunction typically set in.

The number of broken families increases, as do rates of substance abuse and crime. Those who can leave move away. Far from being a source of pride and social cohesion, the community becomes a repository of collective sorrow, if not shame.

And its members look to alternative sources of identity and social solidarity, including nationalism.

A woman with her face painted in the EU flag attends the Put it to the People march in London, England, at the weekend. Hundreds of thousands of people marched, calling for a referendum on the final Brexit deal. Picture: EPA/Neil Hall

Populist nationalist leaders pledge to make their country great again by ridding it of the constraints imposed by international agreements and bodies. Of course, as they grab power back from the international arena, such leaders are tempted to resist the further devolution of power and funding to regions and communities.

Instead, populist nationalists could turn more dangerously against the international system, presenting their supporters with a continuous parade of external villains to blame for their plight. This is a path that leads nowhere good.

To be sure, there are numerous other types of nationalism; many Brexiteers want Britain to remain open to trade, while severely restricting immigration, for example.

But as growth slows and their populations age, developed countries will need both export markets and some immigration: the first to support demand, and the second to pay for the pensions and health care of aging populations. Balkanising the world by erecting barriers is a sure way to convert unequal prosperity today into collective poverty tomorrow.

The nationalists are right, however, that we have moved too far toward standardising and harmonising laws and regulations across countries. In this age of artificial intelligence, companies and traders can surely handle some national regulatory differences.

Could we not bring some powers back to the country level, provided global markets remain open? Why must unelected technocrats decide the rules in closed rooms far away? The globalisation of governance may be a step too far for globalisations own good.

But Brexiteers take note: the devolution of power will not stop at the national level, as suggested by the murmurs in Scotland and Wales. Declining local communities desperately need new economic activity, while their members have to become more adaptable to globalisation and technological change.

This often requires local engagement and solutions, aided, where necessary, by national governments. Political parties could play a constructive role in restoring powers, funding, and health to many communities.

Rebuilding a strong community identity would likely make adversarial nationalism less appealing. At the very least, when people are more able to shape their own futures, they are less likely to be convinced that others are to blame for their plight.

To the extent that it weakens support for virulent nationalism, devolution may make the world a little more prosperous, and a lot safer.

Raghuram G. Rajan, governor of the Reserve Bank of India from 2013 to 2016, is professor of finance at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and the author, most recently, of The Third Pillar: How Markets and the State Leave the Community Behind. Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2019.
Last week, the Irish Examiner published an opinion piece from the Russian ambassador marking the fifth anniversary of the annexation of Crimea. Olena Shaloput of the Ukrainian Embassy responds

In December 1991, 92,3% of Ukrainians, including those in Crimea and Donbass, overwhelmingly cast their votes for independence from the Soviet Union. As a result, the borders of Ukraine were registered at the United Nations and recognised without reserve by all nations of the world, including Russia.

One could hardly imagine that in 2014 the world would witness Russia launching flagrant aggression against its sovereign neighbour, Ukraine, by occupying Crimea and setting off hostilities in its eastern regions. This marks the first time since World War II that military force has been used to try to re-draw the borders of a European nation.

Five years have passed and still the Kremlin continues spreading lies to justify its illegal invasion of my country.

Let me be honest, I was not surprised to be subjected to another barrage of lies from a Russian ambassador. Russias diplomatic corps is utterly instrumental in helping the Kremlin to mask its crimes. However, I did not expect it to take place in Ireland, where the Government has unambiguously condemned Russias aggression and supported Ukraines sovereignty, independence and inviolability of its borders.

Trolling the Irish people with disinformation about my country and my compatriots, including those, who live here, sharing Ukrainian culture and traditions and enjoying Irish heritage, is not diplomacy, its propaganda.

Over the past five years Russia has killed 13,000 of my compatriots, wounded tens of thousands and forced nearly 1,5 million people from their homes. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights reported 3,023 civilians were killed during the period of April 2014February 2019. We should also remember those 298 innocent women, men and children, nationals of many countries, who were on board Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 shot down by Russian militants over eastern Ukraine on 17 July 2014.

Their loss brings the total number of civilian deaths to 3,321 people, with an estimated 7,000 additional injured civilians suffering because of Russias hostile actions in Ukraine. At the same time, more than 70 Ukrainian nationals, have been illegally detained in Crimea and or transported to Russia under politically motivated charges.

Amongst those are the famous Ukrainian filmmaker Oleh Sentsov, who won the EUs Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought for simply having opposed Crimeas annexation. Today, they all remain imprisoned in Russia.

In an effort to deprive political prisoners of their right to defence the Kremlin resorts to intimidation and persecution of their lawyers and human rights defenders.

Recently, our Embassy received a letter in which the Human Rights Committee of the Council of the Bar of Ireland expressed its deep concern on the administrative detention of Emil Kurbedinov, a human rights lawyer defending the rights of Crimean Tatars.

Another alarming trend that requires strong international reaction is ongoing militarisation of Crimea and the whole area of the Black and Azov Seas. Since 2014, Russia has almost tripled its military personnel from 12,500 to over 32,000, as well as its armaments and military equipment.

Alarmingly, Russia has established and modernised an infrastructure for swift deployment of nuclear weapons after Ukraine put its nuclear arsenal beyond use and joined the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in 1994. Russian military build-up in the region may be used for expanding the area of Russian aggression against Ukraine with the possible occupation of the Sea of Azov and southern parts of the country.

Such military activities, including the unilateral re-introduction of nuclear arms in the region, are fraught with far-reaching consequences for the security of Ukraine, Europe and the world.

Fresh in our minds are the shocking events of November 25, 2018 in which Russian military forces operating in the Kertch Strait fired upon 3 Ukrainian vessels, wounding sailors and taking 24 more prisoners. These Ukrainian sailors were deprived of fair trials and are still held in captivity in Russia. Due to concerted efforts of the world community, the status of Crimea as an integral part of Ukraine remains unchanged.

Ukraines sovereign territory has confirmed by any number of international documents, including UN Resolution 68/262  Territorial Integrity of Ukraine, Resolutions 71/205, 72/190, 73/263  Situation of Human Rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol, Ukraine, as well as resolution 73/194  The Problem of the Militarization of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol, Ukraine, as well as Parts of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

Ireland co-sponsored these significant resolutions, thereby gaining the appreciation of the people of Ukraine and the community of nations.

Ukraine is strengthened by the unceasing support from people all over the globe, including the people of Ireland.

Ukrainians continue to defend our homeland against further Russian aggression in Donbas and will spare no efforts to liberate Crimea, and restore the peace, even if it takes decades to do so.

Olena Shaloput is Charge dAffaires a.i. of Ukraine
Nasa astronauts Anne McClain and Christina Koch were about to make history tomorrow by becoming the first pair of female astronauts to conduct a spacewalk together outside the International Space Station.

But, as they prepared to boldly go where no female duo had gone before, it emerged there was only one spacesuit to fit either of them. The others were man-sized which means that male astronaut Nick Hague will go in McClains place.
Asia Thailand's Opposition Parties Form Alliance, Demand Junta Step Aside

Sudarat Keyuraphan, Pheu Thai Party's prime ministerial candidate, Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, leader of the Future Forward Party, and leaders of other parties hold up agreements during a news conference to form a "democratic front" in Bangkok on Wednesday. / Reuters

BANGKOK  Thailands opposition democratic front of seven parties on Wednesday said it had won a majority in the lower house of parliament after a messy election, and had the right to try to form a government after five years of military rule.

But the opposition alliance would still be unable to elect a prime minister, as parliamentary rules, written by the ruling military junta, require backing from a majority of upper and lower houses combined.

Parliaments upper house, entirely appointed by the junta, is expected to endorse the pro-military party.

With unofficial results of Sundays vote still delayed, the ruling junta showed no sign giving up on its goal to keep former army chief and coup leader Prayuth Chan-ocha as prime minister.

The post-election standoff could raise tensions just as the Southeast Asian country prepares for the elaborate coronation of its new king in May.

Sudarat Keyuraphan, the main prime ministerial candidate of the Pheu Thai party ousted by the 2014 army coup, said the seven parties in the opposition alliance would take at least 255 seats in the 500-member House of Representatives.

We declare that the democratic front which opposes military rule commands the majority in the House, Sudarat told reporters.

The largest alliance in the lower house should be given the right to try to form a government, she added.

Parties in the democratic front gained the most trust from the people, Sudarat said, adding that the alliance would start courting more parties on Wednesday.

Pheu Thais secretary-general, Phumtham Wechayachai, told reporters the democratic front now included the Future Forward, Pheu Chart, Prachachart, Seri Ruam Thai, Thai People Power and New Economy parties.

Missing was the Bhumjaithai Party, another key vote getter that has not yet aligned with either side.

Responding to speculation that Pheu Thai would offer the top post to Bhumjaithais leader, Anutin Charnvirakul, to win him over, Phumtham said, We havent made him that offer.

He added, Premiership is something we will discuss later Its not a pre-condition for us.

A fuller picture of the lower house make-up could emerge on Friday, when the Election Commission releases vote tallies for each constituency, used to determine the allocation of the other 150 party seats under a complex formula.

After the news conference, the alliances party leaders petitioned the Election Commission to immediately release complete tallies, demanding transparency.

Ittiporn Boonprakong, the commissions chairman, said the votes were all counted in the open and announced at polling stations the night of the election.

Still time yet

The pro-military Palang Pracharat party has also claimed the right to form the next government, based on its early lead in the popular vote, saying the count could still give it a majority.

Its leader, Uttama Savanayana said Palang Pracharat was taking its time as there are six weeks until official results are published on May 9.

Weve started talking to other parties, but theres still time yet, Uttama told reporters. Well try to get as many seats as possible. Were confident we can form a government.

Party secretary-general Sontirat Sontijirawong dismissed the claim by the democratic front.

Stop claiming to be on the side of democracy, Sontirat said. This election was democratic. Are the 7.9 million who voted for Palang Pracharat not democratic?

The partial count suggests Palang Pracharat could win enough elected lower house seats, combined with votes from the junta-appointed Senate, for Prayuth to stay on as prime minister.

However, Prayuth could face parliamentary deadlock if the opposition controls the lower house, and would be vulnerable to a confidence vote.
Burma Child Rapists Now Face Life in Prison

A banner calling for the death sentence for rapists is displayed outside North Dagon Township Court in Yangon in February 2018. / Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy

NAYPYITAWThe President of Myanmar on Tuesday signed into law an amendment to the Penal Code allowing courts to jail child rapists for life.

Upper House lawmaker U Aung Thein submitted the amendment proposal to Parliament late last year. The new provision was published in the March 26 issue of the state run newspaper Kyemon Daily.

I submitted the proposal to impose sentences of 20 years to life imprisonment for those who rape children under 12 years of age, U Aung Thein told The Irrawaddy.

The amendment also defines a life sentence as imprisonment until death.

The amendment supplements Article 376 of the Penal Code, which imposes a minimum of 20 years and a maximum term of life for rapists.

U Aung Thein said he submitted the proposal because he felt the maximum sentence for child rapists of 20 years in prison prescribed in the original version of the law was not sufficient.

As lawmakers had differing views on his proposal, it was put to a vote in the Union Parliament. It has finally come into effect some four months after I submitted the proposal, U Aung Thein said.

Most womens rights activists have welcomed the new provision. There were even demands for capital punishment to be imposed on rapists after an alarming increase in child rape cases in the former capital of Yangon and elsewhere in the country early last year.

This amendment will be a deterrent. It will help protect women and girls, said Mai Thant Zin Oo, the founder and director of the Asho Women Organization.

Child rape cases accounted for 61 percent of all rape cases nationwide in 2016; 64 percent in 2017; and 68 percent through April 2018, Deputy Home Affairs Minister General Aung Thu told the Lower House of Parliament in June last year.

The child-rape victims in cases reported from January through April last year included children aged as young as 2 to 5. Girls aged 14-16 were the most vulnerable. Most of the perpetrators were aged between 19 and 50.

Along with stepfathers and other relatives, some rapes were even perpetrated by fathers. Most of the offenses were committed by strangers.

The Myanmar Police Force claimed to have brought 96.72 percent of the offenders in child-rape cases to trial in 2016; 97.99 percent in 2017; and 67.17 percent from January through April last year.

Twenty-year prison terms were handed to 18 perpetrators in 2016 and to 25 perpetrators in 2017. One was sentenced to death in 2018.
Burma Military Reprimands Rebel Group Over Drug Seizure, Detentions in Mon State

Two members of the MNLA burn kraton leaves the armed group seized from alleged drug traffickers in Mudon Township, Mon State, on March 21. / Min Joi Seik / Facebook

Mon States border affairs minister has rebuked the New Mon State Party (NMSP) for conducting anti-narcotics operations in areas under the governments control in Mudon Township.

Col. Nay Htut Oo sent a letter to the NMSPs liaison office in the state capital of Moulmein on Friday accusing the group of violated the terms of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) it signed with the government.

On March 20, fighters for the groups armed wing, the Mon National Liberation Army (MNLA), detained eight people and seized about 500 amphetamine tablets and about 6.5 kg of kraton, a leaf that some locals boil in water to produce an illicit narcotic.

In his letter, Col. Nay Htut Oo said the NCA stipulates that the MNLA could not interfere in government affairs in areas under government control. He asked the MNLA to release the eight detainees but the group refused, raising tensions in the area.

An NMSP source said one of the detainees was a son of a Myanmar army officer with Light Infantry Battalion 209, based in Mudon, and was carrying 90 amphetamine tablets when caught.

On March 21, the Myanmar army sent two truckloads of soldiers to the scene of the MNLA operation, a former base of the groups, and occupied the site for two days, according to local rubber farmers.

The spokesman for the NMSP could not be reached for comment.

Drug use is widespread in Mon State, but the government and military have refused to let the NMSP combat the drug trade outside of its areas of control since it singed the NCA last year, leaving traffickers with less to worry about. Local police have made few arrests.

The Mon Young Monks Network (MYMN) said in a statement on Wednesday that it supported the NMSPs anti-narcotics efforts as an effective way to combat the social ills of the states drug trade and suggested the government work with the group rather than against it.

The government should find the best way to cooperate with the NMSP, it said.
Burma Naga Group Leaders Charged with Unlawful Association

An NSCN-K peace delegation led by U An Kam (3rd from left) and U Kyaw Wan Sein (2nd from left) meet Peace Commission chairman Dr. Tin Myo Win on the sidelines of the 21st Century Panglong Union Peace Conference in Naypyitaw in July 2018. The group attended the conference as an observer. / Peace Commission

Police in Khamti, Sagaing Region on Tuesday charged five leaders of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang with violating Article 17/1 of the Unlawful Association Act. The five were detained by the Myanmar military earlier this month following a January raid on the groups headquarters in Taga.

NSCN-K Peace Committee leader U An Kam, spokesman U Kyaw Wan Sein, official U Saw Htein and officers Major-General Aung Mai and Lieutenant-Colonel Aung Sai were arrested during the March 9 raid on their liaison office in Khamti Township. They had come into town to attend a meeting with Naga civil society groups, according to sources close to the NSCN-K.

They came to join the meeting organized by the Naga Cultural Central Committee on March 8, three weeks ago, to discuss peace in the Naga region, but were arrested the following day; it should not have happened that way, said a Naga civil society member who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The person told The Irrawaddy on Thursday that the NSCN-K leaders were transferred to police custody on March 26 and informed they were to be charged under the Unlawful Association Act.

The Myanmar military (or Tatmadaw) seized the NSCN-Ks headquarters in late January. Most of the armed groups troops withdrew from the base, but a few Naga leaders remained in the area to try and resolve the tensions.

At a press conference in Naypyitaw on Monday, Tatmadaw spokesman Major-General Soe Naing Oo said that since it occupied the headquarters, the military had arrested 36 people in NSCN-K areas and discovered one body. The Tatmadaw repeated its stance that it would not tolerate rebel groups staging hostile activities against Myanmars neighbors, in this case India, from its territory.

The Tatmadaw accused the NSCN-K of helping Assam and Manipur (known locally as ethnic Kathae/Meiti) rebels in their fight against India by sheltering and allowing them to run military training schools. The Tatmadaw accused the NSCN-K of violating the bilateral ceasefire agreement it signed on April 9, 2012 with the Sagaing regional government.

Last month, U Kyaw Wan Sein, NSCN-K spokesman and Central Executive Member, told The Irrawaddy the group did not violate the bilateral ceasefire and urged the Tatmadaw to leave its area.

Naga civil society members, including elders and members of the Council of Naga Affairs, sent a letter to the National Reconciliation and Peace Center seeking its intervention.

U Zaw Htay, spokesman for the Myanmar Presidents Office and the Myanmar State Counselors Office, which oversee peace negotiations, said on Thursday he could not comment on the charging of the NSCN-K leaders over the phone. He said the governments response would be announced at a press briefing expected on Friday at the Presidential Palace.
World U.S. Studying India Anti-Satellite Weapons Test, Warns of Space Debris

Teachers and students release colored smoke as they celebrate after India shot down one of its satellites in space with an anti-satellite missile in a test, inside their school premises in Ahmedabad, India, on Wednesday. / Reuters

MIAMI  Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan warned any nations contemplating anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons tests like the one India carried out on Wednesday that they risk making a mess in space because of debris fields they can leave behind.

Speaking to reporters in Florida during a visit to the U.S. militarys Southern Command, Shanahan said the United States was still studying the outcome of a missile India said it launched at one of its own satellites.

My message would be: We all live in space, lets not make it a mess. Space should be a place where we can conduct business. Space is a place where people should have the freedom to operate, Shanahan said.

Experts say that anti-satellite weapons that shatter their targets pose a space hazard by creating a cloud of fragments that can collide with other objects, potentially setting off a chain reaction of projectiles through Earth orbit.

Indias Foreign Ministry played down any risk of debris from its missile test on Wednesday, saying the impact occurred in low-Earth orbit and that the remnants would decay and fall back on to the Earth within weeks.

The U.S. militarys Strategic Command was tracking more than 250 pieces of debris from Indias missile test and would issue close-approach notifications as required until the debris enters the Earths atmosphere, Pentagon spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Dave Eastburn said.

The New Delhi government and Washington, which have generally close relations, have been in talks regarding the event, and India publicly issued an aircraft safety advisory before the launch, Eastburn added.

Lieutenant General David Thompson, vice commander of U.S. Air Force Space Command, added the International Space Station was not at risk at this point.

NASA chief Jim Bridenstine said in testimony before the House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday that the consequences of anti-satellite weapons tests could be long-lasting.

If we wreck space, were not getting it back, he said, without mentioning India by name.

India would be only the fourth country to have used such an anti-satellite weapon after the United States, Russia and China, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.

The United States ran the first anti-satellite test in 1959, when satellites themselves were rare and new.

Shanahan noted that given the increasing global reliance on space, it was important to create rules of the road for space.

I think not having rules of engagement is worrisome. So, how people test and develop technologies is important, he said, adding: I would expect anyone who tests does not put at risk anyone elses assets.
Thursday, March 28th, 2019 (7:51 am) - Score 5,063

More than 20,000 homes in the large UK town of Milton Keynes (Buckinghamshire) have now been reached by Cityfibres 40 million roll-out of a new 1Gbps capable Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) broadband network, which is being supported by strategic ISP partner Vodafone.

The Milton Keynes project was the first residential focused city-wide deployment to be announced by the operator at the start of last year (here), which now forms part of their wider 2.5bn plan to reach 1 million UK premises by the end of 2021 and 5 million by the end of 2024 via 37 UK cities (here). As such it makes sense that this is the one where theyve also made the most progress to date.

The new fibre is being built outward from their existing 162km long Dark Fibre network (acquired from KCOM at the end of 2015), which since March 2018 has now doubled to over 350km. CityFibre has so far built in Bancroft, Blue Bridge, Bradville, Great Linford, Willen, Bletchley and Fenny Stratford, and will be accelerating across the city to reach almost every home and business (they tend to aim for 85-90% coverage or more).

Apparently the local build is still on track to complete by the end of 2020 and Cityfibre recently opened a new office in city. On top of that they also intend to bring their Engineering Centre of Excellence to the city. The operator is currently in the process of gradually ramping-up their deployment pace across the United Kingdom.

Jean Gowin, CityFibres MK City Development Manager, said: Milton Keynes is a growing city and full fibre is going to play a vital role in underpinning that expansion. Were so proud of what has been achieved over the past year and it is fantastic to see so many homes within reach of full fibre. 2019 will be a huge year for the city and I cannot wait to see the difference made by improved digital connectivity.

A recent report from Regeneris forecast that bringing full fibre to the city could be worth 62m to the local economy in terms of greater innovation and productivity within businesses, while the value of local homes could rise by 119m. As usual its wise to take all such predictions with a pinch of salt because it remains notoriously difficult to accurately model the economic impact of faster broadband speeds.

The Gigafast Broadband packages from Vodafone currently cost from 28 per month for an unlimited 100Mbps (symmetric speed) service on an 18 month contract, including free installation (you also get a very good wireless router), which rises to 48 for their top 900Mbps (Gigabit) tier. This is much more attractive than the alternative FTTP and G.fast based services currently being offered by Openreach (BT) based ISPs in the area.

NOTE: Cityfibres MK deployment has now reached a similar or better level of local coverage to Cityfibres MK deployment has now reached a similar or better level of local coverage to Openreach s existing FTTP network.

UPDATE 9:18am

Cityfibre seem to have removed the press release from public display, albeit without any explanation. We are trying to find out why but Thinkbroadbands data suggests that it might be because the 10,000 premises passed figure they gave was too low (we think theyre much closer to 20,000).

UPDATE 10:30am

The operator has confirmed that they got the original announcement wrong and the figure should be over 20,000.
Thursday, March 28th, 2019 (9:51 am) - Score 1,329

Gigabit broadband ISP speeds will soon be on their way to all 129 properties in the remote rural Welsh village of Llancarfan (Vale of Glamorgan), which is thanks to a new co-funded Community Fibre Partnership (CFP) project with Openreach (BT). This is said to be the largest full-fibre  deal of its kind in Wales.

In the CFP approach Openreach offers to help co-fund the cost of upgrading digitally isolated communities to receive their superfast Fibre-to-the-Cabinet (FTTC) or ultrafast Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) based broadband network, with the rest of the funding coming from residents, businesses and or Government voucher schemes. Areas with a school or charity are also eligible for a related grant of up to 30,000 from the operator.

In this case it sounds like the remaining funding gap that the community would have needed to fill has been significantly reduced after locals were able to harness the Welsh Governments Access Broadband Cymru (ABC) scheme, which offers vouchers to homes in areas that arent currently planned to benefit from the Superfast Cymru project or its follow-on scheme (i.e. 400 for 10Mbps+ or 800 for 30Mbps+).

Martyn Hughes, Chairman of Llancarfan Community Council, said: Were incredibly excited about finally securing ultrafast broadband for Llancarfan and the surrounding community. The delivery of this project will see the entire village connected  including more than 25 businesses and a large number of people who work from home. It will without question digitally transform every aspect of our lives. It will enable an elderly resident to have video calls with her family in Australia, allow children and students to access educational material online at home, farmers to conduct their business, much of which is internet based, and of course allow access to many other online streaming services enjoyed by most residential households elsewhere. I would encourage all communities across Wales who are struggling to access an acceptable or cost effective broadband service to investigate the options an Openreach Community Fibre Partnership like ours can offer. For us as a Community Council, leveraging the Access Broadband Cymru grant from the Welsh Government and engaging with the Openreach CFP team became an incredibly straightforward and expedient process. The key to the success of this has been the strength and support from the local community.

Connie Dixon, Openreach Partnership Director for Wales, said: Its great that weve been able to work with Martyn and the Llancarfan community to find a broadband solution that works for them. Partnerships like this help us bring high-speed connections to those areas that broadband providers, for a variety of reasons, struggle to upgrade alone.

Sadly the announcement doesnt include any information about the costs for the work, although we did a little digging and were able to uncover that the final quote for the deployment came to 66,563 (January 2019 figure). Apparently some 94 properties had each agreed to contribute 708 towards this cost and we assume that most or all of that may now have been covered by the voucher scheme.

The first properties are now expected to get the ultrafast service in March 2020, which reflects a fairly common roll-out window of 12 months.
Thursday, March 28th, 2019 (12:12 pm) - Score 2,230

Chinese-based IT company Huawei, which supplies a good chunk of the broadband ISP and mobile network kit being used by UK providers (routers, cabinets etc.), is under increased pressure after the fifth annual report from the Huawei Cyber Security Evaluation Centre (HCSEC) oversight board found new risks and limited progress.

The HCSECs oversight board was originally setup in 2010, largely as part of an agreement between the Government and Huawei to mitigate any perceived risks arising from their involvement in parts of the UKs critical national infrastructure. The board provides security evaluations for a range of related products.

However last years annual HCSEC report (here) caused concern after it identified shortcomings in Huaweis engineering processes, which it said had exposed new risks in the UK telecommunication networks and warned of long-term challenges in mitigation and management.

Unfortunately this years report similarly noted that further significant technical issues had been identified in Huaweis engineering processes, leading to new risks in the UK telecommunications networks. At the same time it also said that no material progress has been made by Huawei in the remediation of the issues reported last year. No doubt adding fuel to the fire for those who would like to see the company banned.

HCSEC Report Summary As reported in 2018, HCSECs work has continued to identify concerning issues in Huaweis approach to software development bringing significantly increased risk to UK operators, which requires ongoing management and mitigation; The Oversight Board continues to be able to provide only limited assurance that the long-term security risks can be managed in the Huawei equipment currently deployed in the UK. The Oversight Board advises that it will be difficult to appropriately risk-manage future products in the context of UK deployments, until the underlying defects in Huaweis software engineering and cyber security processes are remediated. At present, the Oversight Board has not yet seen anything to give it confidence in Huaweis capacity to successfully complete the elements of its transformation programme that it has proposed as a means of addressing these underlying defects. The Board will require sustained evidence of better software engineering and cyber security quality verified by HCSEC and NCSC. Overall, the Oversight Board can only provide limited assurance that all risks to UK national security from Huaweis involvement in the UKs critical networks can be sufficiently mitigated long-term.

In reality its virtually impossible for ordinary folk to judge such things as the crucial detail is a secret matter for the intelligence agencies and we wouldnt be so bold as to assume we know better. Furthermore it seems unlikely that so many countries would be creating such a fuss if there wasnt a serious concern.

Naturally the company has already strongly denied many of the accusations and in a public letter posted earlier this year said, Huawei has never and will never use UK-based hardware, software, or information gathered in the UK or anywhere else globally, to assist other countries in gathering intelligence. We would not do this in any country.

On the other hand critics of the company often point toward Chinas new National Intelligence Law, which was passed in 2017 and demands that organisations support, co-operate with and collaborate in national intelligence work. The absence of true democracy in China might thus, they argue, make it very difficult for any company to refuse such a request.

Furthermore the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, has previously warned that the USA may cease to exchange secret intelligence info. with countries that allow kit from Huawei into their core networks, which is a significant consideration for the UK. A separate report from the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) warned that allowing Huaweis participation [in such networks] is at best naive, at worst irresponsible.

The challenge for telecoms operators is that Huawei makes very good kit and they do so at a more affordable price than many of their competitors. A lot of operators had already planned to work closely with the Chinese firm in order to deploy new networks (e.g. 5G and fibre broadband) and any new restrictions would thus impact their plans (i.e. the potential for much higher costs, worse performance and significantly slower roll-out).

A few major operators have already taken some action. For example, BT (EE) are removing related kit from their core mobile network (here) and Vodafone are pausing deployments into their core network (here). Mind you this wont affect more benign parts of their infrastructure outside of the core, such as masts. But other operators are continuing to use the companys kit.

On the other hand its not like the operators didnt have any forewarning. Back in 2013 a report from the governments Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) noted that Openreachs deployment of broadband ISP and telecoms equipment supplied by Huawei could have implications for national security (here).

At the time GCHQ acknowledged that the risk of unauthorised access cannot be entirely eliminated, but this is arguably true of any telecoms equipment no matter what its source. It is just impossible to go through that much code and be absolutely confident you have found everything, said GCHQ.

So far the Government has seen plenty of smoke, thus ruling out the presence of fire may be unwise. Nevertheless it remains to be seen whether they will take the leap toward banning the company, particularly with future trade and Brexit issues currently being the biggest concerns. Lest we forget that operators cant do 4G without 5G and any impact on the supply chain would thus have far reaching consequences.
They will be honored at a reception April 9 at Juniper Hills Country Club. One will be selected for the ISU Distinguished Teacher Award and will be recognized at commencement on May 4.

The faculty members receiving these awards are Tyler Burch, assistant professor of marketing and management; Tera Cole, associate lecturer of English; Diana Livingston Friedley, professor of voice; Wendy Mickelsen, clinical assistant professor radiographic science; and Marco Schoen, professor of mechanical engineering.

Teaching is the cornerstone of the institution, said Laura Woodworth-Ney, executive vice president and provost for academic affairs, and we are very fortunate that these master teachers work in ISU classrooms, labs, and throughout the University community.

Biographies of honorees are listed below.

 Tyler Burch  Burch, who earned his Ph.D. from the University of Washington, is an assistant professor of management. He is absolutely passionate about teaching courses related to organizational behavior, loves the outdoors and is enamored with his wife Erin and their three children. His primary research interests include individual psychological withdrawal and embeddedness in organizations, management pedagogy, the work-family interface, and employee voice.

His research has been published in such outlets as the Journal of Organizational Behavior, Journal of Business Ethics, Human Resource Management Review, Management Teaching Review, Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, and Journal of Leadership Studies.

 Tera Joy Cole  Cole, a Los Angeles native, received her Bachelor of Arts degree in American literature from the University of California at Santa Cruz. She moved to Pocatello in spring 1999 and eventually pursued her Master of Arts degree in English from ISU.

She has taught in several capacities at ISU including as a graduate teaching assistant, adjunct and lecturer. In 2015, she was promoted to associate lecturer.

Cole has taught a range of classes for the Department of English and Philosophy including composition, literature, American cultural studies, business communication and technical writing. Most recently, she was asked by the University Honors program to teach Honors Humanities II.

She has been honored several times in the past for her dedication to teaching, including receiving a 2016 nomination for the Distinguished Teacher Award, and during the years of 2011-2017 her students consistently won awards for outstanding writing in composition.

In addition to teaching, Cole writes creatively and has had several of her short stories published in literary journals.

 Diana Livingston Friedley  Livingston Friedley has appeared as a guest soloist with numerous organizations throughout the United States, Italy, Germany and Taiwan. In addition to recital and concert work, she has also performed many operatic roles. Current projects at Idaho State University include recording The Vocal Chamber Music of Howard Boatwright to be released on the Centaur Record label.

Her directorial projects for The College of Arts and Letters Summer Musicals since 2014 include The King and I, Anything Goes, Oliver!, Fiddler on the Roof and Hello, Dolly! She said she is thrilled to announce this years summer musical, Bye-bye Birdie!

She completed a Doctor of Musical Arts at Rutgers University's Mason Gross School of the Arts under Judith Nicosia, a Master of Music at Indiana University under Lynn Luciano and Bachelor of Music at Westminster Choir College under Suzanne Pratt. She is honored to be considered for this years Distinguished Teacher award.

 Wendy Mickelsen  Mickelsen has been teaching in the radiographic science program since 2002. She mentors and advises students at both the Pocatello and University Place campus in Idaho Falls. She delivers her courses with a passion and zest which takes students beyond the books to increase their level of learning, clinical competence and effective health care delivery.

In radiographic pathology, her students actively perform a mock biopsy, and as part of her pediatric radiography class, the students travel to Primary Childrens Medical Center in Salt Lake City to experience the gold standard in pediatric medical imaging practices.

In addition, Mickelsen is instrumental in aiding graduates in pursuing advanced imaging modality opportunities in computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, angiography, mammography, bone densitometry and the newly approved diagnostic medical sonography program. She has served as the president-elect, president and chair of the Board for the Idaho Society of Radiologic Technologists and is a former Idaho delegate to the American Society of Radiologic Technologists.

 Marco Schoen  Schoen, who has been at ISU for 18 years, teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in both the mechanical engineering and the measurement and control engineering programs. Schoen graduated from the Swiss College of Engineering with a bachelors degree in mechanical engineering. While working as an engineer at Habasit Inc. in Switzerland, he was invited to participate with an employee training program. Working with and instructing new employees kindled his interest in furthering his education, which led him to the United States, where he obtained a Master of Engineering degree in mechanical engineering and a doctorate in engineering mechanics.

Schoens undergraduate classes at the senior level are tuned to prepare the students to enter industry successfully, focusing on a balanced mix of theoretical knowledge of the subject and skills, and techniques for a practical-industrial setting. All of his classes  including at the graduate level  contain hands-on projects that allow the students to bring their ingenuity and creativity to the classroom experience. Schoen maintains an undergraduate research experience program.
Ron Gauci: "AI has the potential to address a number of government service delivery challenges, especially in the social services sector."

The Australian Information Industry Association claims a lack of relevant local skills and an effective Research and Development Taxation Incentive (R&DTI) program is holding back the local ICT industry.

In a statement on Thursday, the AIIA said government, industry peers, educators and researchers should collaborate to maximise the opportunities presented by artificial intelligence products and services in Australia, and to ensure that solutions were available for some of the anticipated challenges.

The organisation claimed that through implementation of AI technologies, consumers could benefit from personalised products that met their individual needs, online product recommendations based on assessments of consumers buying patterns and product preferences, and improved customer service from more efficient digital supply chain networks.

AIIA chief executive Ron Gauci said if an effective R&DTI program were in place, it would create an environment that would encourage innovation, commercialisation and export of high-quality Australian AI products and services.

The creation of a favourable business environment where Australian industries are empowered to innovate, develop and deploy AI solutions, and contribute to Australias overall productivity, is essential to Australias continued economic growth," he said.

AI has the potential to address a number of government service delivery challenges, especially in the social services sector, such as service provision to an ageing population and the implementation of the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

In order to harness this potential, we need to focus on AI capability and skills development now and encourage innovation and commercialisation of AI products and services through an effective R&DTI program. Without this government support, Australia will struggle to develop globally competitive AI products and services.

Furthermore, the government should carefully assess the suitability of existing regulatory frameworks on AI products and services before creating new regulations. The AIIA would like to see a principles-based approach adopted, rather than a regulatory approach - and be included in discussions on any proposed AI policy development activities."

Citing a symposium on AI and human rights held by the Australian Human Rights Commission recently, and its submission to the AHRC, the AIIA said government regulation in AI should be three-fold:

"Government should build upon and augment existing legal and ethical frameworks and oversight bodies to support the growth of the AI industry in Australia. This approach will mitigate the risk of over regulating which can have the effect of limiting both innovation and participation by all members of Australian society in developing, implementing and using AI products and services.

"Develop AI principles and standards that build upon existing industry experience. For example, through the Information Technology Industry Council, the technology industry has already aligned itself to leverage off a set of principles and policies to guide AI developments.

"There should be an integrated approach to encouraging the development of the necessary skills for AI in Australia, with some of the skills including ethics, policy, data analytics, change management and human-centred design."

The AIIA is hosting an event named AIIA Navigating Artificial Intelligence Summit on 6 June in Canberra to discuss these issues.

It will bring together AIIA members, global and local experts in AI from industry, government agencies, research institutes and start-ups, to explore the challenges, opportunities and potential pitfalls that an AI-aligned future may present.
A British report into Huawei's operations in the UK has found "concerning issues" in the company's approach to software development, significantly increasing risk to operators and needing ongoing management and mitigation.

However, the report said that it was not part of its functions to advise UK telcos on their purchasing decisions and did not recommend a ban on the use of Huawei equipment.

The report, the fifth annual publication from the Huawei Cyber Security Evaluation Centre Oversight Board, added that the company had not made material progress to rectify issues identified in 2018.

The HCSEC opened in November 2010 and aims to mitigate any perceived risks arising from the use of Huawei equipment in parts of the UK critical national infrastructure. The centre provides security evaluation for a range of products used in the UK telecommunications market.

For nearly two years, the US has been pushing countries it considers allies to avoid using equipment from Chinese companies, Huawei foremost, in 5G networks. But the US has produced no proof to back up its claims that these products could be used to spy for China.

Only Australia and New Zealand have fallen in line with Washington's dictates, but Wellington has indicated that the initial refusal for telco Spark to use Huawei gear is not the end of the matter. Huawei sued the US on 7 March, seeking to be reinstated as a telco supplier in the country.

The report said it would be difficult "to appropriately risk-manage future products in the context of UK deployments" until underlying defects in Huaweis software engineering and cyber security processes were fixed.

"At present, the Oversight Board has not yet seen anything to give it confidence in Huaweis capacity to successfully complete the elements of its transformation program that it has proposed as a means of addressing these underlying defects," it said.

"The Board will require sustained evidence of better software engineering and cyber-security quality verified by HCSEC and NCSC (the UK National Cyber Security Centre);

"Overall, the Oversight Board can only provide limited assurance that all risks to UK national security from Huaweis involvement in the UKs critical networks can be sufficiently mitigated long-term."

Last month, as iTWire reported, Ciaran Martin, the head of the NCSC, said that any likely risk posed by Huawei was manageable.

"Because of our 15 years of dealings with the company and 10 years of a formally agreed mitigation strategy which involves detailed provision of information, we have a wealth of understanding of the company," Martin said.

One of the main problems identified in the report is Huawei's use of version 5.5 of Wind Rivers VxWorks real-time operating system, which has reached its end-of-life, in much of its network equipment. Though the company has developed a new operating system based on Linux, the report says that its security cannot be guaranteed due to existing deficiencies in engineering processes.

The company has obtained an extended support contract from VxWorks, but that runs out in 2020.

The report said British operators would have to manage any risk in their own networks with support from Ofcom, the NCSC and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. The DCMS is currently involved in carrying out a review of telecommunications supply arrangements.

Contacted for comment, a Huawei spokesperson said: "The 2019 HCSEC Oversight Board Report again recognises the effectiveness of the HCSEC. As the report says, 'The oversight provided for in our mitigation strategy for Huawei's presence in the UK is arguably the toughest and most rigorous in the world. This report does not, therefore, suggest that the UK networks are more vulnerable than last year'.

"The report details some concerns about Huawei's software engineering capabilities. We understand these concerns and take them very seriously. The issues identified in the 2019 HCSEC Oversight Board Report provide vital input for the ongoing transformation of our software engineering capabilities.

"In November last year, Huawei's Board of Directors issued a resolution to carry out a company-wide transformation program aimed at enhancing our software engineering capabilities, with an initial budget of US$2 billion.

"A high-level plan for the program has been developed and we will continue to work with UK operators and the NCSC during its implementation to meet the requirements created as cloud, digitisation, and software-defined everything become more prevalent. To ensure the ongoing security of global telecom networks, the industry, regulators, and governments need to work together on higher common standards for cyber security assurance and evaluation."
The Federal Government has taken the easy way out in dealing with issues around its encryption law and kicked it down the road , leaving it for the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor to deal with by April 2020.

Importantly, from the government's point of view, the intelligence and police agencies, the main constituents whom it has sought to please, can continue to use provisions of the law, with no sign of any amendments in sight  yet. Not that these would help a great deal  the legislation is so flawed that it cannot be rescued.

On Wednesday, for the umpteenth time, there was a cry of protest from the tech industry, with a Sydney forum, organised under the name Safe Encryption Australia, outlining the negatives of the law.

Towards the end of the two-hour session, when the chairman of encryption technology company Senetas, Francis Galbally, got up to offer some closing remarks, there was a sign that his patience had worn thin.

He urged the tech industry to speak to the government with one voice about the law, pointing out that there were too many bodies making representations.

And then he brought up the way the Opposition of the time had tackled the mining and resources rent tax. True, this was hardly a civil exercise, with Tony Abbott, backed by the mining industry, using every tactic in the book to cow down the government.

Galbally probably isn't asking for anyone to be that rude and abrasive. But as head of a company that brings in a sizeable portion of the tech industry's $3.2 billion-odd annual revenue, one senses that he is under the most pressure as he sells a very sensitive product: encryption technology.

Over the years, Senetas has managed to sell its technology to a number of very finicky clients: the Israeli Knesset, the US military, the Australian Signals Directorate and the Australian Federal Police.

Forget the locals, those foreign clients would walk away in a trice if there was the slightest suspicion that any of the technology they were buying had been tampered with. Paranoia is rife in the US; this is the same country which recently claimed that German cars  yes, German  were a threat to its national security.

One can, thus, understand Galbally's frustration and his appeal for the industry to become a little more robust in dealing with the government.

Whether that will happen or not remains to be seen. The best option at this juncture, as I have pointed out before, is to make repeal of the encryption law an election issue.

Rather than wait for Labor to keep its promises  no doubt, made in all sincerity by Shadow Minister for Human Services and the Digital Economy, Ed Husic, on Wednesday  the better option would be for the tech industry should take its own ball and run with it.

Remember it is a Labor man, Anthony Byrne, who joined with Andrew Hastie, the head of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, to kick any action on the encryption law down the road. There is a compact between the parties when it comes to national security and Labor is generally quite happy to do what it often, on reflection, says it should not have done. Mark Dreyfus was singing that tune earlier this year, about the same encryption law.

No, it is time for the tech industry to go on the front foot. Else, Galbally, and others too, should start looking for office space, maybe in New Zealand, or else Canada.
Australian start-up community Fishburners has appointed senior leader and "social enterprise champion" Nicole OBrien as its new chief executive.

OBrien will take over the role in April from Pandora Shelley, who completes her successful eight-year career at Fishburners in March to pursue overseas opportunities.

OBriens most recent role has been with ACON Health, as company secretary and head of strategic and business planning functions, commercial operations, finance, HR, IT, risk management, and marketing and fundraising. Established in 1985, ACON works to end HIV transmission among gay and homosexually active men, and promote the lifelong health of LGBTI people and people with HIV.

Prior to joining ACON, OBrien spent a decade at YWCA NSW as director of Marketing.

Fishburners board chair Dr Katherine Woodthorpe said OBrien was chosen after an extensive executive search, standing out amongst an outstanding selection of candidates for her powerful track-record within the areas of community-building, partnerships and non-profit.

Nicole received unanimous support from our board as the right person to lead Fishburners into its next decade, as we support and champion the interests of our diverse community of Australian entrepreneurs.

She has enormous passion for improving lives and communities and has worked to create a powerful impact with social enterprises in the not-for-profit sector since 1989. Nicole is also very accomplished in creating financial sustainability in the non-profit sector, commercial services, strategy, governance and risk, and marketing and fund-raising.

We were thrilled with the overwhelming interest and response to the Fishburners role. Its a testament to the impact Fishburners has had both in Australia and internationally since it launched in 2011, and we have enormous gratitude to Pandora for her contribution to building such a powerful community brand in her many leadership roles over the past eight years.

OBrien said she was looking forward to applying her leadership skills to foster the growth of start-ups, enabling them to create their own success stories.

Start-ups are critical to Australias ongoing economic success and global competitiveness, they bring innovations that improve lives, generate employment and contribute to our wealth, she said.

Fishburners has such a generous and authentic commitment to helping inspire, nurture and grow Australian startups. I feel incredibly privileged to be joining the Fishburners team and to be given the opportunity to play a role in guiding and supporting our vibrant start-up community.

OBrien joins Fishburners after what the company says has been a record-breaking year of growth.

With a talented and expanding team, the Fishburners membership has grown significantly, supported by the expansion of new offices in Brisbane, Sydney and the launch of Fishburners virtual platform. Fishburners also boasts numerous partnerships established or strengthened with the community over the past 18 months, including Google for Start-ups, Jobs for NSW, Brisbane City Council, UTS, Optus and Chartered Accountants ANZ, Fishburners said.
Toby Gardner, chief executive and co-founder of fintech startup Finch, has been appointed by Victoria's Swinburne University as the first adjunct professor of Fintech in Australia.

Gardner will also join as Swinburne's entrepreneur-in-residence, and will spend time mentoring staff, researchers, students and alumni.

His appointment follows as Swinburne launches Australias first post-graduate course in financial technology that it says will provide graduates with an understanding of the major emerging technologies and how they affect products, services and business models across financial services industries.

Gardner brings over 15 years' experience in technology mergers and acquisitions and strategy, and corporate innovation from Silicon Valley and Australia to the role.

The university said that combined with his academic history including an MBA from the University of California, Berkeley, and being a CFA Charterholder, Gardners unique blend of finance, corporate innovation and startup experience would provide valuable, practical insights to students.

"I'm honoured to be appointed to this role and I look forward to sharing my experience as a fintech entrepreneur. With changes in regulation and open banking on the horizon, there couldn't be a more exciting time to be in the industry. It's great to see Swinburne University collaborating with the local fintech ecosystem to prepare the next generation of fintech professionals," Gardner said.

Professor Michael Gilding, faculty Pro Vice-Chancellor of the Faculty of Business and Law said: "We are excited by Tobys appointment, which is a perfect fit with our new Master in Financial Technologies and Swinburnes mission in innovation, entrepreneurship and industry engagement. Toby will bring practical real-world insights into the challenges of start-up creation, building trust in new technologies and lagging regulatory frameworks into the classroom.
Database manufacturer Oracle Corporation has told the US Supreme Court that Google's appropriation of code from its Java programming language for use in the Android mobile operating systems undercut Oracle's chances of competing in this sector of the tech industry.

The company was responding to a submission made by Google in January, seeking to have a verdict issued in Oracle's favour in the copyright case between the two companies sent back for a judicial review. In that submission, Google claimed that its use of 37 Java application programming interfaces in Android constituted "fair use".

Oracle's submission on Wednesday US time was relatively brief, weighing in at 46 pages, against the 343-page Google submission. It said it had spent "years and years" writing a software platform that Google had then refused to license and copied into a competing platform "for the express purpose of capturing Oracle's fan base".

Java, Oracle explained, was meant to solve a common problem faced by programmers - having to port applications to different platforms. Instead, with Java, it was possible to write once and run anywhere. But Google had gone against this principle by making Android apps incompatible with Java.

It said the makers of small apps were granted a free licence by Oracle to use Java. "Oracle recoups its investment in the Java platform mainly by licensing it to (1) hardware manufacturers who copy the platform onto their devices (eg., PCs, phones, or tablets) to run the wide variety of apps from app programmers and (2) competing platform developers who want to use Oracles programs to commercialise their own platforms," its submission said.

Oracle claimed Google faced an existential threat in 2005. "People with mobile devices were not using Googles search engine, causing Google to lose significant advertising revenue," it said.

"It [Google] needed to quickly develop a platform tailored to mobile devices that would promote Google search. Google believed success turned on attracting Java programmers to build apps for it."

But in licence talks, Google had rejected the condition that Oracle insisted on for all commercial licensees: to make Android compatible with Java and inter-operable with other Java programs.

"Instead, without any licence, Google copied thousands of lines of Oracles declaring code and the structure and organisation of the 37 API packages it considered 'key' to attracting Java mobile-app developers," Oracle claimed.

"Google also undermined 'write once, run anywhere' by deliberately making Android incompatible with the Java platform, meaning Android apps run only on Android devices and Java apps do not run on Android devices."

Oracle also pointed out that Google could have developed a competing platform for its mobile devices as Apple and Microsoft had done. "Googles theory is that, having invested all those resources to create a program popular with platform developers and app programmers alike, Oracle should be required to let a competitor copy its code so that it can co-opt the fan base to create its own best-selling sequel," it said.

"That argument would never fly with any other copyrighted work. And as Google told the Court of Appeals, '[t]here is no reason to treat software differently'," it said, asking the court to deny Google's petition.

The case between the two software firms has been going on since 2010 when Oracle sued Google shortly after it acquired Sun Microsystems and became the owner of Java, claiming that the search engine company had violated its copyright and patents.

That case ended in 2012 with Google being largely the victor. The presiding judge, Justice William Alsup, ruled that APIs could not be copyrighted.

But an appeal gave Oracle what it wanted: a ruling that APIs could be copyrighted.

In a second trial that ended in May 2016, a jury found that Google's use of the Java APIs in Android was covered under fair use. As expected, Oracle was not happy with the verdict.

Oracle initiated an appeal in February 2017, having indicated after the May 2016 verdict that it would not take a backward step. Prior to that, Oracle tried to get the verdict set aside in August 2016, but was this was refused by Justice Alsup. Later the same year, the database giant filed the necessary papers to prolong the battle.

Finally, on 28 March 2018, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit concluded that Google's use of the Java APIs was "not fair as a matter of law". Google had no option but to approach the Supreme Court to seek a review.

Thanks to The Register for a link to Oracle's submission.
Optus says it has successfully secured funding to build 49 new mobile sites as part of Round 4 of the Federal Government's mobile black spot program.

Announcing the funding on Thursday, Optus said the new sites would deliver much needed mobile coverage and connectivity to regional communities.

The 49 sites are located across New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia and the Northern Territory and will cost $27.8 million to build, including $10.3 million in federal funding, $3.5 million in state funding and a co-contribution of $14 million from Optus.

Andrew Sheridan, Optus vice-president Regulatory and Public Affairs, said, We are incredibly happy with the result of this round of Mobile Black Spot funding, which has seen Optus awarded a significant number of sites. In the three years that we have taken part in the Program we have delivered more than 70 sites benefiting more than 6,900 properties in regional and rural parts of Australia, enabling them to stay connected with their friends and family.

The sites have carried over 4.5 million calls and over 658,000 individual users have taken advantage of this new coverage. This includes in locations in some of the most remote parts of Australia including William Creek in South Australia and Tjuntjuntjara in Western Australia.

Our priority at Optus is always to deliver the best service, value and choice to our customers and the Mobile Black Spot Program has played an important role in helping to facilitate this in often very remote parts of the country.

We acknowledge the important contribution of the Federal and State Governments in funding this additional network infrastructure and coverage.

Optus says the 49 sites it has secured by will improve coverage in regions including Fraser Island in Queensland, West and Eastern MacDonnell Ranges in the Territory, the mid north of South Australia, outback Western Australia and Central West New South Wales.

These are all areas in need of improved mobile coverage. We worked closely with State and Territory Governments as well as some communities in selecting these sites. For us, this is about more than mobile coverage, its about giving Australians in rural areas the dedicated coverage that they need to stay connected with their family and friends and deliver for their business, Sheridan said.

As part of the Program each of the new sites will be fitted with battery back-up capability of 12 hours helping to mitigate potential power outages at an additional government-funded cost.

Mobile coverage is an essential service and it is vitally important that Australians in rural and remote locations do not miss out, said Regional Communications Minister Bridget McKenzie.

The announcement of successful Round 4 locations shows that Optus is partnering with the Government for 49 sites across the country.

Our commitment of over $25 million to Round 4 together with the $14 million Optus contribution is enabling the delivery of much needed coverage to areas where it would otherwise not be commercially viable.

Optus is currently rolling out 126 federal funded sites across Australia as part of the second round of the program and priority round program, with over 70 Optus co-funded Black Spot sites already live.
Elfin (aka APT33), a hacker group affiliated with the Iranian government, is described by Symantec as one of the most active groups currently operating in the Middle East. They have been linked with a string of attacks on U.S. and Saudi Arabian companies, particularly in the aerospace and energy sectors.

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However, where previously the group mainly conducted data destruction-based attacks, Symantec is now reporting that Elfin has switched its modus operandi to focus on spear phishing and known vulnerabilities in common software. The groups targets remain largely the same, but their goals seem to have changed.

Instead of using wipers, Symantec reports that the groups recent attacks are aimed at data exfiltration using vulnerabilities in a common piece of software. The main point of entry in recent attacks has been spear-phishing emails capable of delivering malware to the recipients computer, says Dick OBrien, researcher at Symantec's Security Response. The group has also attempted to exploit the recently patched WinRAR vulnerability attacks.

After sending phishing emails to targeted companies, the victim is encouraged to download a file, JobDetails.rar, which then tries to exploit vulnerability CVE-2018-20250 in WinRAR. A successful infection on an unpatched system allows an attacker to install any file on the computer.

What is Elfin and what do they want?

According to FireEye, Elfin/APT33 has been around since roughly 2013 but rose to prominence in late 2016 after using targeted phishing attacks and domain-spoofing to deliver the Shamoon wiper malware. The group has been tied to Iran, given the targeting of Saudi and U.S. companies and the fact the group leverages hacker tools and DNS servers used by other suspected Iranian threat groups, including Shamoon, StoneDrill, Dropshot, Turnedup and others. FireEye has noted that APT33s activities suggests that they were operating in a time zone that coincides with Irans Daylight Time

Based on its tactics and targets, our assessment is that Elfin is a state-sponsored espionage group, says OBrien. Given the nature of the group and its targets, we can only speculate that the information in question is likely to be of a strategic or economic interest to Elfins sponsors.

Your organization needs to adopt a multi-layered approach to security to best ensure that any point of failure is mitigated by other defensive practices, says OBrien. This should include not only regularly patching vulnerabilities, but also employing multiple, overlapping, and mutually supportive defensive systems to guard against single point failures in any specific technology or protection method.

The group generally focuses on aerospace [both defense and commercial] and energy companies located in the U.S.  of which 18 have been attacked over the past three years  Saudi Arabia and South Korea. It has also hit engineering, chemical, research and healthcare organizations in countries across Europe and MENA.

Traditionally, the group scans for vulnerable websites and to identify potential targets, either for attacks or creation of command and control (C&C) infrastructure. Malware associated with the group include Shamoon 2.0 and StoneDrill, both of which are generally used in data destruction/wiper attacks.

Elfin moves on from Shamoon

Elfin has long been linked Shamoon, which was first used to conduct a sabotage attack on Saudi Aramco in 2012 but has been regularly used by Iran-linked APTs since 2016. While the group is not thought to be the creators of Shamoon, it is responsible for an uptick in its use using a modified version, sometimes known at Shamoon 2.0, since 2016. Italian oil services firm Saipem (of which Saudi Aramco is a customer) was hit with a Shamoon attack in December 2018 that Symantec had linked to Elfin.

The group has previously registered domains impersonating many companies in its targeted industries including Boeing, Alsalam Aircraft Company, Northrop Grumman and Vinnell, and featured recruitment-themed lures.

Elfin was first linked to Shamoon when a Shamoon victim in Saudi Arabia was also attacked by Elfin, and infected with the Stonedrill malware, says OBrien. Because the Elfin and the Shamoon attacks occurred so close to each other, there has been speculation that the two groups may be linked.

More groups likely to use the WinRAR exploit

The Elfin group is not the only one looking to take advantage of WinRAR. Though a patch for the CVE-2018-20250 vulnerability  originally discovered by Checkpoint  has been issued, the software does not contain an auto-update feature. FireEye is reporting multiple campaigns underway exploiting the vulnerability. The security firm predicts more in the future due to the softwares popularity and the fact many will likely be running older version.

While this vulnerability has been fixed in the latest version of WinRAR (5.70), WinRAR itself does not contain auto-update features, increasing the likelihood that many existing users remain running out-of-date versions, FireEye Researcher Dileep Kumar Jallepalli explains in a blog post. Because of the huge WinRAR customer-base, lack of auto-update feature and the ease of exploitation of this vulnerability, we believe this will be used by more threat actors in the upcoming days.
Bollivar 88 Receives Communication Innovator Award

March 27, 2019

BLOOMINGTON, Ill.  Linda Bollivar 88, executive director of the Multicultural Leadership Program (MCLP), was recently awarded the Communication Innovator Award, one of three Crystal Awards from the Association for Women in Communications - Bloomington/Normal.

The Communication Innovator Award recognizes a woman who has achieved excellence in communicating a project, mission, or event that benefits the Bloomington-Normal community. Recipients are marked by their leadership abilities, civic engagement and ability to connect with and inspire audiences.

To me, effective communication involves finding the right amount of detail for each situation, said Bollivar. I've worked in a wide variety of settings with people of different ages, religions, cultures, abilities, etc. I always try to think about what information my audience already has, and what is most relevant to them so that I can adapt my message accordingly.

For several years, Bollivar has guided the growth of the Multicultural Leadership Program, a non-profit organization that offers professional leadership development for current and aspiring community leaders. Throughout the nine-month program, MCLP participants come to better understand their own leadership style and how to work within a diverse team through seminars, discussions and hands-on experience leading a project to benefit local non-profits.

MCLPs location less than a block away from Illinois Wesleyans campus has facilitated a steady connection between the two organizations, linked by shared values. Because of IWU's commitment to diversity and inclusion, the University has been a strong supporter of the Multicultural Leadership Program since it was started in 2009, said Bollivar, who also maintains her ties to the University through her husband, Miner Linnaeus Sherff Endowed Professor of Botany David Bollivar. Our offices have been on IWU's campus since the fall of 2014, which has provided the opportunity for us to partner with wonderful interns over the years.

Linda Bollivar has held a number of leadership positions before MCLP, such as director of Faith in Action and program director of Sugar Creek Alzheimer's Special Care Center. Bollivar, who graduated from Illinois Wesleyan with degrees in psychology and French, has found that her broad liberal arts education at Illinois Wesleyan has given her the skills to be successful in a range of leadership roles.

In my nonprofit leadership career, I've been amazed at how much of my time is spent writing in a wide variety of formats such as emails, and press releases, in addition to one-on-one communications, presentations and even media interviews, Bollivar shared. The strong liberal arts focus really prepared me well for being able to communicate effectively with a wide variety of audiences.

By Rachel McCarthy 21
South Africa: Government sets record straight on S. Sudan oil deal

South Africas intention to invest $1 billion in South Sudans oil sector is still in the feasibility stage and is guided by the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two governments.

The MoU on the Joint Investment Project, which was signed last year, spans across the oil value chain in South Sudan, starting from an exploration block to a pipeline, a new refinery and finally, to a new terminal, Energy Minister Jeff Radebe said on Thursday.

This project will unlock the reserves of South Sudan to be self-sufficient, serve regional markets and bring value, financially and strategically, for South Africa and South Sudan, Radebe said.

This is not only for South Sudan but for the East African region, including Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya, with Sudan creating a robust market that facilitates trade and other investment opportunities, the Minister said.

Briefing the media on Thursday, Radebe said the project is still at the feasibility stage, where a number of assessments are still being made.

This feasibility has been approved by the SFF [Strategic Fuel Fund Association] Board. However, at this stage, the project does not require any Cabinet or National Treasury approvals.

The stated $1 billion is the estimated cost of the full project, including the oil block, pipeline and refinery which will be spread over a period of 10 years. The amount is an indicative figure at this stage.

As with similar projects of this nature, upon completing the feasibility study, the project has a potential to attract other strategic partners and investors, which may include South Sudanese and South African companies, Radebe said.

He was responding to weekend newspaper reports, which alleged he led a team to South Sudan to sign a R14.5 billion oil deal with the Sudanese government last year.

Radebe, who dismissed the news report as baseless political scoring, said a project of this magnitude passes through various phases of approval and execution.

No more than R2.2 million has already been spent on the project, which has been used mainly on personnel and travel cost.

Radebe attributed the travel cost to the coordination between various divisions within the Central Energy Fund (CEF) Group and their counterparts on the South Sudanese side, hence the travelling of experts from both sides is necessary for prudent and timely execution of the project.

The Minister said there are six experts assigned to the South Sudan Project and 12 to the Saudi Arabia Refinery and Petrochemical Project, who are also all sourced from within the CEF Group.

The development of such a project requires key critical skills, which are scarce on the continent such as geologists, refinery specialists, process engineers, economists, financial modellers, petroleum industry experts, business analysts, investment and funding specialists, said Radebe.

Responding to the removal of Luvo Makasi as the chairperson and a member of the CEF Board, Radebe said he was dismissed in his role following serious allegations relating to corruption.

Radebe said South Africas political position to support South Sudan in its social and economic development came long before he was the Minister of Energy.

Government-to-government cooperation had been years in the making and technically cast in stone  certainly, not by my own doing.

South Africa is a net importer of crude oil and the governments strategy has been to source oil and gas for domestic use internationally where possible.

South Sudan on the other hand has is a significant oil producer, with estimated reserves of 3.5 billion barrels of crude oil.

It also has three trillion cubic feet (tcf) of natural gas in its estimated reserves, making it the third largest on the African continent after Nigeria and Angola.

To illustrate the magnitude of the gas reserves, the PetroSA Gas to Liquids Refinery has over the past 20 years only used one tcf of gas.

The country is landlocked and to get its oil to the market, it is dependent on a pipeline passing through Sudan and incurs significant logistical costs.

It is envisaged that a Joint Investment Project with South Africa will assist South Sudan in finding an additional export route and in turn, bring strategic oil reserves to other markets including South Africa.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2019-03-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Manila (CNN Philippines Life)  The modern woman, in many ways, exists differently in our heads. Often though, it alludes to a version of perfection on who she must be, leading to a lot of definitive insecurities that undermines our strength and capabilities. This creates a need for a conversation that gives importance to women being able to recognize their power and using it to amplify their voices. CNN Philippines second Womens Summit entitled, Taking Charge: #BalanceforBetter aims to celebrate women and their individualities, and to further deepen the dialogue on gender equality and empowerment.

The speakers relayed their experiences and wisdom regarding their areas of expertise, and for women in the workplace, taking leadership was a consistent issue that women struggle with. For the first panel, Merlee Jayme, Chairmom and CEO of advertising company Dentsu-Jayme Sayfu explains, In my industry, women are hesitant to become a leader because they know that this industry requires a lot of time. If you really wanna go on top, you have to push yourself like hell. And they want to have a family, they want to be engaged, they want to have children. They automatically think that it will be tough on them to do that.

On the first panel, the speakers discuss the hurdles women face in rising up the career ladder. From left to right: Abba Napa, Cecile Dominguez-Yujuico, Pauline Juan, and Merlee Jayme. Photo by JL JAVIER

Merlee Jayme, Chairmom and CEO of advertising company Dentsu-Jayme Sayfu shares: In my industry, women are hesitant to become a leader because they know that this industry requires a lot of time. Photo by JL JAVIER

What hinders women from stepping up is usually motherhood  the idea that you have to pick one between career and family. Ive met so many mothers who decided not to pursue a career in favor of raising a family, said Pauline Juan, executive director of the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM). A lot of the struggle that comes from working mothers are from the guilt that youre not giving your all to your family.

Evidently, there are still issues within feminism that need more light. Among these matters are inclusivity, underrepresentation, and workplace harassment. Cecile Dominguez-Yujuico, CEO and founder of Evident, talks about acknowledging your privilege. When we talk about womens participation and success in the workplace, I think in the Philippines, we also have to layer it with challenges in inequality when it comes to socioeconomic background. If somebody comes from a position of privilege, those barriers may not be the same as someone, for example, who wasnt able to finish high school.

There are also efforts of combating harassment, and in the case of Dominguez-Yujuicos company, it is implementing gender sensitivity workshops. Jayme adds that her agency created a readily available app and chatbot that assists an individual in case of a harassment incident.

When we talk about womens participation and success in the workplace, I think in the Philippines, we also have to layer it with challenges in inequality when it comes to socioeconomic background, says Cecile Dominguez-Yujuico, CEO and founder of Evident. Photo by JL JAVIER

Find something you are good at and be the best at that. Work hard at it. I believe that if you work hard and present excellent results, that is when people notice you, says Pauline Juan, executive director of the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM). Photo by JL JAVIER

Dominguez-Yujuico also encourages young women to pursue a career in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), as there is still a considerable imbalance when it comes to the ratio of men and women in the said department. The panel closed with the speakers echoing the sentiments that we know but bears repeating  work hard, take charge, and lift each other up.

Abba Nappa, restaurateur and co-founder of The Moment Group emphasizes the importance of camaraderie, saying, Find good people to live your life with. Know who are the people that will make you become a better person because who you grow up with  no matter how strong you are at the beginning  will largely be affected by the context of your surroundings and who you chose to hang out with.

Pauline Juan adds, Find something you are good at and be the best at that. Work hard at it. I believe that if you work hard and present excellent results, that is when people notice you. That is when you build credibility and is able to find your voice.

Find good people to live your life with, says The Moment Group co-founder Abba Napa. Know who are the people that will make you become a better person because who you grow up with  no matter how strong you are at the beginning  will largely be affected by the context of your surroundings and who you chose to hang out with. Photo by JL JAVIER

At the second panel, which centered on raising young women to recognize and act on gender imbalance, a Q&A with the audience members provided a space for panelists to address common misconceptions regarding gender biases. Photo by JL JAVIER

The second panel asks the nature of why these imbalances are created, and how we can raise young women who are able to recognize and act upon these inequalities. Dr. Michele Alingay, psychologist, guidance counselor, lecturer and author highlights the power of words and labeling. We have to be non-gender biased [for this]. These are the unconscious things that our parents have been conditioned culturally  that there are certain things for boys and certain things for girls.

Giving children the right to choose is essential in their capability to stand up for who they are. Marla Darwin, co-founder of Grrrl Gang Manila, talks about how crucial small, nuanced conversations are to children. You start in little increments and it becomes a lifelong thing. There is no playbook. She adds, You start chasing things because of values. When you lead with interest and values and do away with the playbook, everything starts opening up.

AHA Learning Center executive director Jaton Zulueta, Grrrl Gang Manila co-founder Marla Darwin, and psychologist and author Dr. Michele Alingay share the stage for a discussion on raising strong women. Photo by JL JAVIER

Dr. Michelle Alignay on the influence of words and labels on young children: We have to be non-gender biased [for this]. These are the unconscious things that our parents have been conditioned culturally  that there are certain things for boys and certain things for girls. Photo by JL JAVIER

However, as mentioned in the first panel, inequality plays a vital role in how imbalance works, and how divisive social class can be. Jaton Zulueta, executive director of AHA Learning Center points out this concern. The gender bias is more prevalent when you go down the lower classes. It was interesting because in conversations like these, having attended the session this morning and seeing so many empowered women, I kept wondering, is there a venue in the Philippines where we can have the same conference but with people of lower classes. Isnt that a voice that should be heard?

At the Q&A with the audience members, common misconceptions were also dismantled. One case is the notion of the effects of letting boys and girls play with toys that are traditionally deemed not for their gender, thus, making them gay or lesbian. Alignay counters, saying, The malice is not with the children, it's with the adults. There should be equal opportunity for play.

Marla Darwin says small, nuanced conversations with children are a lifelong task. You start in little increments and it becomes a lifelong thing. There is no playbook. Photo by JL JAVIER

Jaton Zulueta on the need to acknowledge the prevalence of gender imbalance in other social classes: It was interesting because in conversations like these, having attended the session this morning and seeing so many empowered women, I kept wondering, is there a venue in the Philippines where we can have the same conference but with people of lower classes. Isnt that a voice that should be heard? Photo by JL JAVIER

Another is the issue of chivalry, as one question raised was how men are not gentlemen anymore. Darwin comments, The idea of feminism is that we would extend the same courtesy to everybody. So when a man wants to open the door for you and you accept it, its because you would open the door for him too.

The discussion ends with a clear-cut message of finding the worth in each woman, and how we should always make choices out of love and not out of fear. Darwin concludes, If you are a woman, follow the womans story. If you follow the story, you will be able to piece together solutions to our problems in this world.

After the final keynote by CNN International correspondent Paula Hancocks, attendees explored the marketplace in the Samsung Hall lobby. The mini market featured a number of brands run by women entrepreneurs, such as wellness brand Neutra Organics, and bags and accessories shop MCV designs, and companies dedicated to uplifting women makers and artisans such as Akaba Ltd. Design Co., Likhaya by Virlanie, Silnag, and more.

After the summit, attendees got to explore the mini market which featured items such as accessories, bags, beauty and wellness products, and food. Photo by JL JAVIER Golden Monstera is a jewelry brand based in Siargao. Their handmade collection includes the Monstera earrings. Photo by JL JAVIER The Farm at San Benito is an eco-luxury holistic medical wellness resort located in Lipa, Batangas. Photo by JL JAVIER Likhaya by Virlanie Foundation is a social enterprise composed of women from Quiapo and Tondo, specializing in crafting bags, eco-friendly jewelries, and decor that are made of upcycled magazines. Photo by JL JAVIER Linen & Homes sells affordable and comfortable bed sheets and sleepwear made from properly woven 100 percent Viscose from Bamboo  a textile with the perfect mix of properties that are best suit beds in the Philippines. Photo by JL JAVIER The Manila Collectible Co. (TMCC) is a culturespace  a gallery, gift shop, and heritage tour/workshop provider in the heart of Intramuros, Manila. Photo by JL JAVIER Silnag is a jewelry brand whose pieces are made of carabao horns that are by-products of food and farm trade. Their products are made of handmade, natural materials and they make limited pieces per design. Photo by JL JAVIER Neutra Organics provides handcrafted and locally produced plant-based products  from hair care, skin care, and wellness. Photo by JL JAVIER MCV Designs is a brand that creates bags and accessories made with locally sourced materials, such as rattan, raffia, pandan, etc., and contribute to industries located in the Negros province. Photo by JL JAVIER CMV Txokolat is a chocolate brand that was established in 2012 by Christian Valdes, whose homemade creations had become a popular gift giveaway among family and friends. Photo by JL JAVIER Ivy's Original makes fresh, home-made food products with no preservatives. They recently launched their Ginataang Labong, a healthy Bicol dish. Photo by JL JAVIER Akaba Ltd. Design Co. is a travel bag brand that collaborates with artisans and community-based enterprises in creating timeless designs that showcase the talent of Filipinos. Photo by JL JAVIER Magnolia also sold their cage-free brown eggs at the marketplace. Photo by JL JAVIER Another product up for grabs was the Mighty Mom dishwashing liquid. Photo by JL JAVIER Some of the goodies attendees got to take home from the summit. Photo by JL JAVIER Previous Next

Catch the full special presentation of CNN Philippines Taking Charge #BalanceforBetter on Friday, March 29, at 8 p.m. Watch the Female Leaders panel (featuring Merlee Jayme, Abba Napa, Cecile Dominguez-Yujuico and Pauline Juan) and the Bringing Up Strong Women panel (featuring Dr. Michelle Alignay, Marla Darwin, and Jaton Zulueta) on March 30, April 1, and April 3 from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. Meanwhile, the keynotes of Sec. Berna Romulo-Puyat and Paula Hancocks will be aired on March 31 and April 2 from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m.
I first met Dr. Janet Bishop, author of How Much Joy Is In Your Journey? A Creative Guide To Your Fearless Vision, through a Center for Wom
OAKVILLE, Ontario, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Giyani Metals Corp. (TSXV: EMM, GR: A2DUU8) (Giyani or the Company) is pleased to announce that it has completed its response to the comments provided by the Botswana Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) on the Companys initial environmental management plan for K Hill (EMP). The updated EMP was submitted to the DEA on March 26, 2019. The Company expects to submit the updated Otse and Lobatse EMPs in the very near future.

Robin Birchall, CEO of Giyani commented:

I am very pleased with the pace of progress of our EMPs. The Giyani team, in partnership with our environmental consultants in Botswana, has been very diligent in providing a comprehensive response to the DEAs comments and has completed this part of the process in a timely fashion. We will share further developments on the progress of our EMPs as they become available.

About Giyani

Giyani is a Canadian based junior exploration company focused on creating shareholder value by accelerating the development of its battery-grade manganese projects in the Kanye Basin, Botswana, Africa.

Additional information and corporate documents may be found on www.sedar.com and on Giyani Metals Corp. website: http://giyanimetals.com/.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Giyani Metals Corp.

Robin Birchall, CEO

Contact:

Giyani Metals Corporation

Robin Birchall

CEO, Director

+447711313019

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles, potential mineral recovery processes, the financial picture of the Company etc. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore, involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statement.

GIYANI METALS CORP.

277 LAKESHORE ROAD EAST, OAKVILLE, Ontario L6J 1H9

T:289-837-0066 F: 289-837-1166

www.GIYANIMETALS.com TSX.V-WDG
CITIC Metal and Zijin Mining invested more than C$800 million to advance Ivanhoe's three world-scale mine projects in Southern Africa





Fast-tracking of development at the initial Kakula Copper Mine in D.R. Congo among highlights of Ivanhoe's 2018 achievements





New, ultra-high-grade copper discovery at Kamoa North highlights potential of making significant new discoveries at the Kamoa-Kakula Project and on Ivanhoe's wholly-owned Western Foreland exploration area

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - March 28, 2019) - Ivanhoe Mines (TSX: IVN) (OTCQX: IVPAF) today announced its financial results for the year ended December 31, 2018. All figures are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated. Ivanhoe Mines is a Canadian mining company focused on advancing its three mine-development projects in Southern Africa: the Platreef palladium-platinum-nickel-copper-gold-rhodium discovery in South Africa; the Kamoa-Kakula copper discovery in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC); and the extensive upgrading of the historic Kipushi zinc-copper-lead-germanium mine, also in the DRC.

HIGHLIGHTS

On September 19, 2018, China-based CITIC Metal completed a long-term, strategic cooperation and investment agreement that saw its direct subsidiary, CITIC Metal Africa Investments Limited (CITIC Metal Africa), invest C$723 million ($555 million) to advance Ivanhoe's three projects in Southern Africa. Under the terms of the investment agreement, CITIC Metal Africa acquired a 19.5% stake in Ivanhoe Mines through a private placement at a price of C$3.68 per share.

Also on September 19, 2018, Zijin Mining Group, Ivanhoe's joint-venture partner at the Kamoa-Kakula Project, exercised its anti-dilution rights at a price of C$3.68 per share, generating additional proceeds for Ivanhoe of C$78 million ($60 million). This resulted in Zijin retaining a 9.7% ownership stake in Ivanhoe Mines - its level of ownership prior to the completion of CITIC Metal Africa's strategic investment.

Pursuant to the terms of the strategic cooperation and investment agreement with CITIC Metal, Yufeng "Miles" Sun, President of CITIC Metal Group Limited, and Tadeu Carneiro, former Chief Executive Officer of Brazil-based Companhia Brasileira de Metalurgia e Mineracao, joined the Ivanhoe Mines Board of Directors. Mr. Sun was appointed Co-Chairman of Ivanhoe, alongside Robert Friedland.

Underground development at the planned initial Kakula copper mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo is making excellent progress. Construction of the twin northern declines has been completed, with ongoing underground development activities now focused on constructing lateral access drives and ventilation raises. In addition, development of a ventilation decline on the southern side of the Kakula orebody is underway.

On February 6, 2019, Ivanhoe announced an independent pre-feasibility study (PFS) for the Kakula Mine. The stage one, six million-tonne-per-annum (6 Mtpa) operation at Kakula, with estimated development capital of $1.1 billion, yields an after-tax NPV8% of $5.4 billion and an IRR of 47% over a 25-year mine life. Initial production is scheduled for early 2021, and the mine is expected to average 6.8% copper over the first 5 years, with mine-site cash costs of $0.43 per pound of copper.

Discussions for financing the construction of the initial 6 Mtpa mine at Kakula are progressing well with international and China-based financial institutions. CITIC Metal, Ivanhoe's largest shareholder, is assisting with the discussions.

On February 6, 2019, Ivanhoe also announced an updated independent preliminary economic assessment (PEA) for an expanded Kakula-Kamoa production rate of 18 Mtpa, supplied initially by a 6 Mtpa mine at Kakula, followed by two 6 Mtpa mines at Kansoko and Kakula West, and a direct-to-blister smelter. The PEA envisions the staged mine expansions and smelter will be funded from internal cash flows and yields an after-tax NPV8% of $10.0 billion and an IRR of 41%. All figures in the PFS and PEA are on a 100%-project basis.

Once the expanded PEA production rate of 18 Mtpa is achieved, Kamoa-Kakula is projected to become the world's second largest copper mine, with peak annual production of more than 700,000 tonnes of copper.

On January 30, 2019, Ivanhoe reported a 22.3-metre intersection of 13.05% copper (at a 2% cutoff) in a shallow, flat-lying discovery within 190 metres of surface at the Kamoa North exploration area on the Kamoa-Kakula mining licence. The drill hole (DD1450) is the thickest, highest-grade copper intersection drilled to date at Kamoa-Kakula, highlighting the potential for significant additional resource expansion.

Additional drilling is underway to test the strike and width of the east-west trending fault structure that hosts the bonanza-grade copper in hole DD1450. Nine holes now have been completed in the discovery area, and assays are pending for eight of the holes. Based on visual interpretation of massive bornite and chalcopyrite in the recent drill intersections, the new, high-grade zone of shallow, thick, flat-lying, copper mineralization has been extended over a strike length of at least 200 metres, a width of up to 80 metres, and drilled thickness of between 13 and 30 metres. The new discovery zone is approximately 170 to 200 metres below surface.

Discovery hole DD1450 is associated with an east-west trending fault structure that allowed copper-rich fluids to flow into the stratigraphy above the conventional, Kamoa-Kakula mineralized zone and into a pyrite-rich, siltstone zone called the Kamoa Pyritic Siltstone (KPS). The shallow depth, remarkable thickness and massive copper mineralization in the KPS discovery could prove extremely significant if targeted early from a future Kamoa North decline.

The controlling east-west striking fault responsible for the massive copper sulphide mineralization in the KPS is visible on airborne magnetic images and can be traced over a distance length at least 10 to 20 kilometres. It trends west of Kamoa-Kakula for a considerable distance onto the adjacent Western Foreland exploration licences that are 100%-owned by Ivanhoe Mines. Additional rigs will be added to accelerate the drill testing of this mineralizing structure.Assays for the outstanding drill holes have been expedited and Ivanhoeplans to provide an update on this important exploration program in the near future.

A second rig will be added to expedite the drill testing of this mineralizing structure.

Kamoa-Kakula geologists also are exploring another zone of shallow, high-grade copper mineralization in the far northern region of the Kamoa-Kakula mining licence. This mineralized corridor trends north and south for more than nine kilometres before swinging to the northwest and is projected to continue onto the adjacent Western Foreland exploration licences.

Ivanhoe's DRC exploration team is continuing with its regional drilling program targeting Kamoa-Kakula-style copper mineralization in the Western Foreland region, just to the west of the Kamoa-Kakula mining-licence area.

On October 1, 2018, Ivanhoe announced the Makoko Copper Discovery at Western Foreland. Makoko, Ivanhoe's third major copper discovery in the DRC, shows similar geological characteristics to the tier-one Kamoa-Kakula discoveries.

On July 30, 2018, Ivanhoe announced a new Mineral Resource estimate for the Kipushi Mine in the DRC that increased zinc-rich Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources by 16%, from 10.2 million tonnes to 11.8 million tonnes. The new estimate also increased Kipushi's zinc grade from 34.89% to 35.34%. In addition, the mine's copper-rich Measured and Indicated Resources increased by 40% from 1.6 million tonnes to 2.3 million tonnes, with a slight increase in the copper grade from 4.01% to 4.03%.

The updated Mineral Resource will be used in the preparation of the Kipushi definitive feasibility study (DFS), which is expected in the first half of this year. The DFS will update and refine the findings of the PFS issued in December 2017. Similar to the PFS, the DFS will focus on the initial mining of Kipushi's Big Zinc Zone.

The December 2017 PFS analyzed the plan to bring Kipushi's Big Zinc Zone into production in less than two years, with a life-of-mine, average annual production rate of 225,000 tonnes of zinc and cash costs of $0.48 per pound of zinc. The planned return to production would establish Kipushi as the world's highest-grade, major zinc mine.

Discussions are continuing with potential strategic partners and lenders to support Ivanhoe's continuing advance toward a new era of production at Kipushi. Ivanhoe has made significant progress in upgrading the mine's underground infrastructure and the company now has a much clearer path to a resumption of production from the high-grade Big Zinc orebody.

On October 8, 2018, Ivanhoe announced that the sinking of Shaft 1 at the Platreef palladium-platinum-nickel-copper-gold-rhodium discovery in South Africa reached the top of the Flatreef orebody, at a depth of approximately 780 metres. The orebody is 29 metres thick where Shaft 1 intersected it. Sinking now has reached a depth of 855 metres and will continue to its planned final depth of 982 metres. The Platreef mining team delivered the first ore from the underground mine development to surface stockpiles for metallurgical sampling.

Surface construction for Platreef's Shaft 2 is progressing. Construction now is focused on the concrete hitch for the headframe, which is expected to be completed by mid-2019. Shaft 2 will have an internal diameter of 10 metres and will be equipped with two 40-tonne rock-hoisting skips with a capacity to hoist a total of six million tonnes of ore per year - the single largest hoisting capacity at any mine in Africa.

On December 18, 2018, Ivanhoe announced that Ivanplats has finalized a long-term agreement with the Mogalakwena Local Municipality for the supply of local, treated waste water to supply most of the bulk water needed for the first phase of production at the Platreef Mine.

Based on the findings of an independent DFS issued in July 2017, the Platreef Mine is projected to be Africa's lowest-cost producer of platinum-group metals, with a cash cost of $351 per ounce of platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold, net of by-products, including sustaining capital costs.

On February 18, 2019, Ivanhoe announced that the weighted price of the 'basket' of metals contained in the ore at the Platreef Project had risen to a new, three-year high.

Ivanhoe continues to advance the arrangement of project financing for the development of the Platreef Project. Negotiation of a term sheet is progressing well with the Initial Mandated Lead Arrangers (IMLAs).

At the end of 2018, Kamoa-Kakula had recorded 12.31 million work hours free of lost-time injuries, Kipushi 165,576 work hours, and Platreef 887,097 work hours.



Photo 1: Ivanhoe Mines' Executive Co-Chairman Robert Friedland and CITIC Metal Group President Yufeng "Miles" Sun signed the landmark agreement to complete CITIC's C$723 million equity investment in Ivanhoe during a ceremony in Beijing on September 19, 2018.



Principal projects and review of activities

1. Platreef Project

64%-owned by Ivanhoe Mines

South Africa

The Platreef Project is owned by Ivanplats (Pty) Ltd, which is 64%-owned by Ivanhoe Mines. A 26% interest is held by Ivanplats' historically-disadvantaged, broad-based, black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) partners, which include 20 local host communities with approximately 150,000 people, project employees and local entrepreneurs. A Japanese consortium of ITOCHU Corporation; Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation and Japan Gas Corporation, owns a 10% interest in Ivanplats, which it acquired in two tranches for a total investment of $290 million.

The Platreef Project hosts an underground deposit of thick, platinum-group metals, nickel, copper and gold mineralization on the Northern Limb of the Bushveld Igneous Complex in Limpopo Province, approximately 280 kilometres northeast of Johannesburg and eight kilometres from the town of Mokopane.

On the Northern Limb, platinum-group metals mineralization is hosted primarily within the Platreef, a mineralized sequence that is traced more than 30 kilometres along strike. Ivanhoe's Platreef Project, within the Platreef's southern sector, is comprised of two contiguous properties: Turfspruit and Macalacaskop. Turfspruit, the northernmost property, is contiguous with, and along strike from, Anglo Platinum's Mogalakwena group of mining operations and properties.

Since 2007, Ivanhoe has focused its exploration and development activities on defining and advancing the down-dip extension of its original discovery at Platreef, now known as the Flatreef Deposit, which is amenable to highly mechanized, underground mining methods. The Flatreef area lies entirely on the Turfspruit and Macalacaskop properties, which form part of the company's mining right.

Health and safety at Platreef

As at the end of 2018, the Platreef Project had reached a total of 887,097 lost-time, injury-free hours worked in terms of South Africa's Mine Health and Safety Act and Occupational Health and Safety Act. At the end of 2018, it had been nine months since the last lost-time injury occurred at the Platreef Project, which continues to strive toward its workplace objective of an environment that causes zero harm to employees, contractors, sub-contractors and consultants.

Positive independent, definitive feasibility study for Platreef's first-phase development; Platreef projected to be Africa's lowest-cost producer of platinum-group metals

On July 31, 2017, Ivanhoe Mines announced the positive results of an independent, definitive feasibility study (DFS) for the planned first phase of the Platreef Project's palladium-platinum-nickel-copper-gold-rhodium mine in South Africa.

The Platreef DFS covers the first phase of development that would include construction of a state-of-the-art underground mine, concentrator and other associated infrastructure to support initial production of concentrate. As Phase 1 is being developed and commissioned, there would be opportunities to refine the timing and scope of subsequent phases of expanded production.

The 2017 DFS highlights include:

Indicated Mineral Resources containing an estimated 41.9 million ounces of platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold, with an additional 52.8 million ounces of platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold in Inferred Resources.

Increased Mineral Reserves containing 17.6 million ounces of platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold following stope optimization and mine sequencing work.

Development of a large, safe, mechanized, underground mine, with an initial four-Mtpa concentrator and associated infrastructure.

Planned initial average annual production rate of 476,000 ounces of platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold (3PE+Au), plus 21 million pounds of nickel and 13 million pounds of copper.

Estimated pre-production capital requirement of approximately $1.5 billion, at a ZAR:USD exchange rate of 13 to 1.

Platreef would rank at the bottom of the cash-cost curve, at an estimated $351 per ounce of 3PE+Au produced, net of by-products and including sustaining capital costs, and $326 per ounce before sustaining capital costs.

After-tax net present value (NPV) of $916 million, at an 8% discount rate.

After-tax internal rate of return (IRR) of 14.2%.

All figures are on a 100%-project basis unless otherwise stated. The DFS was prepared for Ivanhoe Mines by principal consultant DRA Global, with economic analysis led by OreWin, and specialized sub-consultants including Amec Foster Wheeler E&C Services (Amec Foster Wheeler), Stantec Consulting, Murray & Roberts Cementation, SRK Consulting, Golder Associates and Digby Wells Environmental.



Photo 2: The northern excavation at Shaft 1's 750-metre station, showing the large scale of the underground workings  ideal for safe, mechanized mining.

Shaft 1 now extends to a depth of 850 metres below surface

Shaft 1 reached the top of the high-grade Flatreef Deposit (T1 mineralized zone) at a depth of 780.2 metres below surface in Q3 2018 and has since been extended to the 850-metre level with the 850-metre-level station development underway.

The thickness of the mineralized reef (T1 & T2 mineralized zones) at Shaft 1 is 29 metres, with grades of platinum-group metals ranging up to 11 grams per tonne (g/t) 3PE (platinum, palladium and rhodium) plus gold, as well as significant quantities of nickel and copper. The 29-metre intersection yielded approximately 3,000 tonnes of ore, estimated to contain more than 400 ounces of platinum-group metals. The ore is stockpiled on surface for metallurgical sampling.

The 750-metre-level station, including the steelwork and concrete construction, was successfully completed in Q4 2018. The 750-metre-level and 850-metre-level stations will provide initial, underground access to the high-grade orebody, enabling mine development to proceed during the construction of Shaft 2.

As sinking of Shaft 1 advances, one more station will be developed at a mine-working depth of 950 metres. Shaft 1 is expected to reach its projected, final depth of 982 metres below surface in early 2020. Shaft 1 ultimately will become the primary ventilation shaft during the project's initial four-Mtpa production case.



Photo 3: Ongoing development work at Shaft 1's 850-metre-level mine access station, showing the northern top-cut excavation.





Photo 4: Spraying shotcrete over 6.5-metre anchor bolts and wire mesh to reinforce the brow at Shaft 1's 850-metre-level mine access station.

Shaft 2 early-works construction progressing

Shaft 2, to be located approximately 100 metres northeast of Shaft 1, will have an internal diameter of 10 metres. It will be lined with concrete and sunk to a planned, final depth of more than 1,104 metres below surface. It will be equipped with two 40-tonne rock-hoisting skips capable of hoisting a total of six million tonnes of ore a year - the single largest hoisting capacity at any mine in Africa.

The headgear for the permanent hoisting facility was designed by South Africa-based Murray & Roberts Cementation. Nine blasts were successfully completed in 2018 enabling the excavation of Shaft 2's box cut to a depth of approximately 29 metres below surface and the construction of the concrete hitch (shaft collar foundation) for the 103-metre-tall concrete headgear that will house the shaft's permanent hoisting facilities and support the shaft collar. Excavation of the box cut and construction of the hitch foundation is expected to be completed in Q2 2019, enabling the beginning of the pre-sink, that will extend 84 metres below surface.



Photo 5: Ongoing construction of the foundation that will support Shaft 2's 103-metre-tall concrete headframe.



Figure 1: Schematic section of the Platreef Mine, showing Flatreef's T1 and T2 thick, high-grade mineralized zones (red and dark orange), underground development work completed to date in shafts 1 and 2 (white) and planned development work (gray).



Underground mining to incorporate highly productive, mechanized methods

Ivanhoe plans to develop the Platreef Mine in phases. The initial annual production rate of four million tonnes a year is designed to establish an operating platform to support future expansions. This is expected to be followed by a potential doubling of production to eight Mtpa, and then a third expansion phase to a steady-state 12 Mtpa, which would establish Platreef among the largest platinum-group-metals mines in the world.

The mining zones in the current Platreef mine plan occur at depths ranging from approximately 700 metres to 1,200 metres below surface. Shaft 2 will provide primary access to the mining zones; secondary access will be via Shaft 1. During mine production, both shafts also will serve as ventilation intakes. Three additional ventilation exhaust raises are planned to achieve steady-state production.

Planned mining methods will use highly productive, mechanized methods, including long-hole stoping and drift-and-fill mining. Each method will utilize cemented backfill for maximum ore extraction. The ore will be hauled from the stopes to a series of internal ore passes and fed to the bottom of Shaft 2, where it will be crushed and hoisted to surface.

Platreef project financing continuing to advance

Ivanhoe continues to advance the arrangement of project financing for the development of the Platreef Project. Negotiation of a term sheet is progressing well with the Initial Mandated Lead Arrangers (IMLAs).

In addition, preliminary discussions are underway with leading South African financial institutions regarding the financing of the black economic empowerment partners' contribution to the development capital which would thereby reduce the amount that would otherwise have to be contributed by Ivanhoe on their behalf.

Long-term supply of bulk water secured for the Platreef Mine

On May 7, 2018, Ivanhoe announced the signing of a new agreement to receive local, treated water to supply most of the bulk water needed for the first phase of production at Platreef. The Mogalakwena Local Municipality has agreed to supply a minimum of five million litres of treated water a day for 32 years, beginning in 2022, from the town of Mokopane's new Masodi Treatment Works. Initial supply will be used in Platreef's ongoing underground mine development and surface infrastructure construction.

Under terms of the agreement, which is subject to certain suspensive conditions, Ivanplats will provide financial assistance to the municipality for certified costs of up to a maximum of R248 million (approximately $19.6 million) to complete the Masodi treatment plant. Ivanplats will purchase the treated wastewater at a reduced rate of R5 per thousand litres for the first 10 million litres per day to offset a portion of the initial capital contributed.

Ivanplats received its Integrated Water Use Licence in January 2019, which is valid for 30 years and enables the Platreef Project to make use of water as planned in the 2017 DFS.

Development of human resources and job skills

Work progressed on the implementation of Ivanhoe's Social and Labour Plan (SLP). The company has pledged a total of R160 million ($11 million) during the first five years, culminating in November 2019, of which R98 million ($7 million) already had been spent by December 2018. The approved plan includes R67 million ($5 million) for the development of job skills among local residents and R88 million ($6 million) for local economic development projects.



Photo 6: A digital trainer from Ivanplats (right) demonstrates the use of the free Wi-Fi system to a local resident. The Ivanplats Maru a Mokopane initiative - a digital communication system - is designed for people living in Mokopane, Limpopo to learn more about the Platreef Project, and provides complimentary access to wireless internet.



2. Kipushi Project

68%-owned by Ivanhoe Mines

Democratic Republic of Congo

The Kipushi copper-zinc-germanium-lead mine, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, is adjacent to the town of Kipushi and approximately 30 kilometres southwest of Lubumbashi. It is located on the Central African Copperbelt, approximately 250 kilometres southeast of the Kamoa-Kakula Project and less than one kilometre from the Zambian border. Ivanhoe acquired its 68% interest in the Kipushi Project in November 2011; the balance of 32% is held by the state-owned mining company, La Generale des Carrieres et des Mines (Gecamines).

Health, safety and community development

At the end of 2018, the Kipushi Project reached a total of 165,576 work hours free of lost-time injuries. One lost-time injury occurred in November 2018 when the Kipushi Project had reached 2,092,924 work hours - more than a year since a lost-time injury had previously occurred.

The Kipushi Project operates a potable-water station to supply the municipality with water. This includes power supply, disinfectant chemicals, routine maintenance, security and emergency repair of leaks to the primary reticulation. The Kipushi Project also installed and commissioned new overhead powerlines to the pump station. Other community development projects continued during Q4 2018 included the Kipushi women's literacy project, the setup of a new sewing training centre, scholarships and more water boreholes drilled and equipped for community use.

Kipushi Mineral Resources

The Kipushi Project's current Mineral Resource estimate was updated with an effective date of June 14, 2018, and was prepared by the MSA Group of Johannesburg, South Africa, in compliance with 2014 CIM Definition Standards. Ivanhoe plans to file an updated National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101) technical report for the Kipushi Project covering the June 2018 Mineral Resource estimate by the end of March 2019. The technical report will be filed on the company's website and under the company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.

Zinc-rich Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources, primarily in the Big Zinc Zone total 11.78 million tonnes at grades of 35.34% zinc, 0.80% copper, 23 g/t silver and 64 g/t germanium, at a 7% zinc cut-off - containing an estimated 9.2 billion pounds of zinc. Zinc-rich Inferred Mineral Resources total an additional 1.14 million tonnes at grades of 33.77% zinc, 1.24% copper, 12 g/t silver and 62 g/t germanium. The Inferred Mineral Resources are contained partly in the Big Zinc Zone and partly in the Southern Zinc Zone.

Copper-rich Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources contained in the adjacent Fault Zone, Fault Zone Splay and Serie Recurrente Zone total an additional 2.29 million tonnes at grades of 4.03% copper, 2.85% zinc, 21 g/t silver and 19 g/t germanium, at a 1.5% copper cut-off - containing 144 million pounds of copper. Copper-rich Inferred Mineral Resources in these zones total an additional 0.44 million tonnes at grades of 3.89% copper, 10.77% zinc, 19 g/t silver and 55 g/t germanium.



Figure 2: Schematic underground section of the Kipushi Mine.



Pre-feasibility study for Kipushi completed in December 2017; definitive feasibility study expected in Q2 2019

The Kipushi Project's PFS, announced by Ivanhoe Mines on December 13, 2017, anticipated annual production of an average of 381,000 tonnes of zinc concentrate over an 11-year, initial mine life at a total cash cost of approximately $0.48 per pound (lb) of zinc.

Highlights of the PFS, based on a long-term zinc price of $1.10/lb include:

After-tax net present value (NPV) at an 8% real discount rate of $683 million.

After-tax real internal rate of return (IRR) of 35.3%.

After-tax project payback period of 2.2 years.

Pre-production capital costs, including contingency, estimated at $337 million.

Existing surface and underground infrastructure allows for significantly lower capital costs than comparable greenfield development projects.

Life-of-mine average planned zinc concentrate production of 381,000 dry tonnes per annum, with a concentrate grade of 59% zinc, is expected to rank Kipushi, once in production, among the world's largest zinc mines.

All figures are on a 100%-project basis unless otherwise stated. Estimated life-of-mine average cash cost of $0.48/lb of zinc is expected to rank Kipushi, once in production, in the bottom quartile of the cash-cost curve for zinc producers internationally.

The planned primary mining method for the Big Zinc Deposit in the PFS is sublevel long-hole, open stoping, with cemented backfill. The crown pillars are expected to be mined once adjacent stopes are backfilled using a pillar-retreat mining method. The Big Zinc Deposit is expected to be accessed via the existing decline and without any significant new development. The main levels are planned to be at 60-metre vertical intervals, with sublevels at 30-metre intervals.

The Kipushi Project's definitive feasibility study is progressing and is expected to be completed in Q2 2019.

Project development and infrastructure

Significant progress has been made in modernizing the Kipushi Mine's underground infrastructure as part of preparations for the mine to resume commercial production. In Q4 2018, the Kipushi Project successfully hoisted previously mined ore from Shaft 5 to surface. This was the first time that ore had been hoisted to surface since the mine was placed on care and maintenance by Gecamines in 1993.

Earlier in 2018, the Kipushi Project successfully completed initial, pre-production testing as part of the equipment commissioning process for the new, large-capacity rock crusher that has been installed 1,150 metres below surface. The Sandvik jaw crusher has a maximum capacity of 1,085 tonnes an hour. The 54-tonne machine was re-assembled and installed in the crusher chamber after it was disassembled on surface and its pieces were lowered down Shaft 5, which is the Kipushi Mine's main production shaft.



Photo 7: Kipushi's fully-assembled Sandvik jaw crusher, capable of crushing up to 1,085 tonnes of ore an hour.



Photo 8: Construction of the rock load-out facility on Kipushi's 1,150-metre level. Ore from the Big Zinc Deposit will be unloaded here, for crushing and hoisting to surface.

Ivanhoe completed the upgrading of a significant amount of underground infrastructure at the Kipushi Project, including a series of vertical mine shafts to various depths, with associated head frames, as well as underground mine excavations and infrastructure. A series of crosscuts and ventilation infrastructure still is in working condition and has been cleared of old materials and equipment to facilitate modern mechanized mining. The underground infrastructure also includes a series of pumps to manage the influx of water into the mine and water levels are easily maintained at the bottom of the mine.

Shaft 5 is eight metres in diameter and 1,240 metres deep. It now has been upgraded and re-commissioned. The main personnel and material winder has been upgraded and modernized to meet international industry standards and safety criteria. The Shaft 5 rock-hoisting winder now is fully operational with new rock skips, new head- and tail-ropes and attachments installed. The two newly manufactured rock conveyances (skips) and the supporting frames (bridles) have been installed in the shaft to facilitate the hoisting of rock from the main ore and waste storage silos feeding rock on the 1,200-metre level.

The main haulage way on the 1,150-metre level between the Big Zinc access decline and Shaft 5 rock load-out facilities has been resurfaced with concrete so the mine now can use modern, trackless, mobile machinery.

With the underground upgrading program nearing completion, the project's focus now will shift to modernizing and upgrading Kipushi's surface infrastructure to handle and process Kipushi's high-grade zinc and copper resources.



Photo 9: Modern, new control room at Kipushi's Shaft 5.



Photo 10: New electrical panels installed underground at Kipushi.



Photo 11: High-volume water pipes to keep Kipushi's underground workings dry.



Photo 12: Kipushi Project's proposed site layout.



3. Kamoa-Kakula Project

39.6%-owned by Ivanhoe Mines

Democratic Republic of Congo

The Kamoa-Kakula Project, a joint venture between Ivanhoe Mines and Zijin Mining, has been independently ranked as the world's fourth largest copper deposit by international mining consultant Wood Mackenzie, with adjacent prospective exploration areas within the Central African Copperbelt in the Democratic Republic of Congo, approximately 25 kilometres west of the town of Kolwezi and about 270 kilometres west of Lubumbashi.

Ivanhoe sold a 49.5% share interest in Kamoa Holding to Zijin Mining in December 2015 for an aggregate consideration of $412 million. In addition, Ivanhoe sold a 1% share interest in Kamoa Holding to privately-owned Crystal River for $8.32 million - which Crystal River will pay through a non-interest-bearing, 10-year promissory note. Since the conclusion of the Zijin transaction in December 2015, each shareholder has been required to fund expenditures at the Kamoa-Kakula Project in an amount equivalent to its proportionate shareholding interest in Kamoa Holding.

A 5%, non-dilutable interest in the Kamoa-Kakula Project was transferred to the DRC government on September 11, 2012, for no consideration, pursuant to the 2002 DRC mining code. Following the signing of an agreement with the DRC government in November 2016, in which an additional 15% interest in the Kamoa-Kakula Project was transferred to the DRC government, Ivanhoe and Zijin Mining now each hold an indirect 39.6% interest in the Kamoa-Kakula Project, Crystal River holds an indirect 0.8% interest and the DRC government holds a direct 20% interest. Kamoa Holding holds an 80% interest in the project.

Kamoa-Kakula surpassed 12 million hours worked without a lost-time injury in 2018, and recently broke the 13-million-hour mark

At the end of 2018, the Kamoa-Kakula Project had achieved a total of 12,305,545 work hours free of lost-time injuries. It has been approximately seven years since the last lost-time injury occurred at the project. During 2018 the project achieved three significant milestones in safety which include 10-, 11- and 12 million hours free of lost-time injuries. This outstanding achievement reflects the dedication to a safety-focused culture of the entire Kamoa-Kakula exploration and development teams.



Photo 13: In March 2019, Kamoa-Kakula celebrated achieving more than 13 million work hours free of lost-time injuries.





Photo 14: Also in March 2019, members of Kamoa's drilling team marked the completion of the 1,500th exploration hole drilled at the Kamoa-Kakula Project.





Map 1: Map of the Kamoa-Kakula mining licence showing the Kakula and Kansoko mining areas, as well as Kakula West, Kamoa North and drill hole DD1450, and a portion of Ivanhoe's adjacent, 100%-owned Western Foreland exploration area.



PFS for Kakula and updated PEA for an expanded Kamoa-Kakula production rate of 18 Mtpa announced

On February 6, 2019, Ivanhoe announced the results from the Kakula 2019 PFS. The study assesses the potential development of the Kakula Deposit as a 6 Mtpa mining and processing complex. The Kakula mill would be constructed in two smaller phases of 3 Mtpa each as the mining operations ramp-up to full production of 6 Mtpa. The life-of-mine production scenario provides for 119.7 million tonnes to be mined at an average grade of 5.48% copper, producing 9.8 million tonnes of high-grade copper concentrate, containing approximately 12.4 billion pounds of copper. All figures are on a 100%-project basis unless otherwise stated.

On March 22, 2019, Ivanhoe filed an updated NI 43-101 technical report for the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Project covering the independent pre-feasibility studies for the development of the Kakula and Kansoko copper mines, and an updated, expanded preliminary economic assessment for the overall integrated development plan for the project. The report, titled Kamoa-Kakula Integrated Development Plan 2019, is available on the company's website and under the company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.

Highlights of the PFS, based on a consensus, long-term copper price of $3.10/lb include:

Very high-grade, stage-one production is projected to have a grade of 7.1% copper in the second year of production and an average grade of 6.4% copper over the initial 10 years of operations, resulting in estimated average annual copper production of 291,000 tonnes.

Annual copper production is estimated at 360,000 tonnes in year four.

Initial capital cost, including contingency, is estimated at $1.1 billion.

Average total cash cost of $1.11/lb of copper during the first 10 years, inclusive of royalties.

After-tax NPV, at an 8% discount rate, of $5.4 billion.

After-tax internal rate of return (IRR) of 46.9%, and a payback period of 2.6 years.

Kakula is expected to produce a very high-grade copper concentrate in excess of 55% copper, with extremely low arsenic levels.

Ivanhoe also announced an updated independent PEA for an expanded Kakula-Kamoa production rate of 18 Mtpa, supplied initially by a 6 Mtpa mine at Kakula, followed by two 6 Mtpa mines at Kansoko and Kakula West, and a world-scale direct-to-blister smelter.

Highlights of the PEA, based on a consensus, long-term copper price of $3.10/lb include:

Very high-grade initial phase projected to have a grade of 7.1% copper in the second year of production and an average grade of 5.7% copper during the first 10 years of operations, resulting in estimated average annual copper production of 386,000 tonnes.

Recovered copper production is estimated at 740,000 tonnes in year 12, which would rank the Kamoa-Kakula Project as the second largest copper producer in the world.

Initial capital cost, including contingency, is $1.1 billion, with subsequent expansions at Kansoko, Kakula West, and other mining areas, as well as the smelter, to be funded by cash flows from the Kakula Mine.

Average total cash costs of $0.93/lb of copper during the first 10 years, including sulphuric acid credits.

After-tax NPV, at an 8% discount rate, of $10.0 billion.

After-tax IRR of 40.9% and a payback period of 2.9 years.



Figure 3: Kamoa-Kakula 18 Mtpa PEA long-term development plan. (Figure by OreWin 2019.)



Figure 4: Projected 18 Mtpa Kamoa-Kakula PEA production (year-12 peak copper production shown) compared to the world's projected top 20 producing mines in 2025 by paid copper production.



Note: Kamoa-Kakula 2019 PEA production based on projected peak copper production (which occurs in year 12) of the 18 Mtpa alternative development option.

Source: Wood Mackenzie (based on public disclosure, the Kakula 2019 PFS has not been reviewed by Wood Mackenzie).

Kamoa-Kakula Mineral Resources

Ivanhoe issued an updated Mineral Resource estimate for the Kamoa-Kakula Project on February 6, 2019. Details of the updated Mineral Resource estimate are contained in the March 2019, independent NI 43-101 technical report for the Kamoa-Kakula Project.

The updated Mineral Resource estimate includes an updated Kakula Mineral Resource estimate and was prepared by Ivanhoe Mines under the direction of Amec Foster Wheeler E&C Services Inc. of Reno, USA, in accordance with the 2014 CIM Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves. The Qualified Persons for the 2019 Kamoa-Kakula Mineral Resource estimate are Dr. Harry Parker, RM, SME and Gordon Seibel, RM, SME both of Amec Foster Wheeler E&C Services Inc.

Indicated Mineral Resources for the combined Kamoa-Kakula Project now total 1,387 million tonnes grading 2.64% copper, containing 80.6 billion pounds of copper at a 1.0% copper cut-off grade and a minimum thickness of three metres. Kamoa-Kakula also has Inferred Mineral Resources of 316 million tonnes grading 1.76% copper and containing 12.2 billion pounds of copper, also at a 1.0% copper cut-off grade and a minimum thickness of three metres.

The Kakula Mineral Resource estimate covers a mineralized strike length of 13.3 kilometres and is based on results from 323 holes completed by November 1, 2018. Indicated Mineral Resources total 628 million tonnes at a grade of 2.72% copper, containing 37.6 billion pounds of copper at a 1% copper cut-off. At a 2% copper cut-off, Indicated Mineral Resources total 319 million tonnes at a 3.99% copper grade, containing 28.1 billion pounds of copper. At a 3% copper cut-off, Indicated Mineral Resources total 164 million tonnes at a grade of 5.50% copper, containing 19.9 billion pounds of copper.

Inferred Mineral Resources total 114 million tonnes at a grade of 1.59% copper, containing 4.0 billion pounds of copper at a 1% copper cut-off. At a 2% copper cut-off, Inferred Mineral Resources total 23 million tonnes at a 2.62% copper grade, containing 1.3 billion pounds of copper. At a 3% copper cut-off, Inferred Mineral Resources total 5.0 million tonnes at a grade of 3.52% copper, containing 0.4 billion pounds of copper.

The average true thickness of the selective mineralized zone (SMZ) at a 1% copper cut-off is 10.5 metres in the Indicated Mineral Resources area and 6.9 metres in the Inferred Mineral Resources area. At a higher 3% copper cut-off, the average true thickness of the SMZ is 4.9 metres in the Indicated Mineral Resources area and 3.9 metres in the Inferred Mineral Resources area.

The Kakula Mineral Resources are defined within a total area of 27.4 square kilometres at a 1% copper cut-off. At the same cut-off grade, the areal extent of Indicated Mineral Resources is 21.5 square kilometres and the areal extent of the Inferred Mineral Resources is 5.9 square kilometres.

Underground development progressing at the Kakula Deposit

Development of the twin access declines at the northern side of the Kakula Deposit started with the first blast on November 16, 2017. At the end of 2018, each of the twin declines at Kakula had been advanced more than 1,180 metres from the portal face toward the mineralized zone for a total advancement of 3,430 metres. Both declines currently are passing through the lower diamictite, approaching the high-grade mineralization. Construction of the 1,050-metre-level dam and the two access drifts also were initiated in Q4 2018.



Photo 15: Preparing an explosive charge underground at Kakula. The main twin declines intersected the northern edge of the mineralized reef in January 2019. Lateral underground mine development now is progressing toward the initial, high-grade mining area.



A system of 'through-ventilation' has been constructed with fresh air being pulled down the service decline and exhausted up the conveyor decline. This will allow the project to increase the underground work force to four development crews and will enable fresh air to be pushed further into the mine than had been possible with forced vent ducts from surface.

A single decline also is being developed on the south side of the Kakula Deposit to provide bottom access to Ventilation Shaft 2, enabling this shaft to be constructed by raise boring instead of sinking. This decline also will be used as a second means of egress from the mine.



Photo 16: Construction is underway on a third decline tunnel on the southern side of the Kakula Deposit to provide access and ventilation to the high-grade copper.



The design for the main Kakula decline conveyor system and initial two truck tips at the bottom of the decline is well advanced. Most of the major procurement packages had been ordered by the end of 2018, including steel fabrication, conveyor drives, idlers and apron feeders. Construction is expected to start in late-March 2019 and it is scheduled to be operational by the end of 2019. This will reduce the truck traffic in the declines with consequent reduction in costs, congestion and ventilation requirements.

The contract for raise boring of Ventilation Shaft 1 was awarded in November 2018. The shaft will be 5.5 metres in diameter and 200 metres deep.



Figure 5: Kakula 2019 PFS mine development plan prepared by Stantec.



Photo 17: Contractors wiring up explosives for Ventilation Shaft 1 that will provide fresh air to Kakula's underground workings.

Exploration activities continue at Kakula and Kamoa North

Exploration drilling in Q4 2018 was completed with eight contractor drill rigs and two company-owned drill rigs. The number of drill rigs was gradually reduced in December 2018 to allow for a shut down over the holiday period and for scheduled reduction in drilling for 2019. A total of 85,593 metres were drilled in 2018 from 272 diamond drill-holes.

Exploration drilling during Q4 2018 was split between Kakula and Kamoa North, with 21,198 metres drilled for exploration purposes in 58 holes. The reduction from the previous quarter was due to geotechnical drilling for the decline and planned tailings storage facility site. A total of 36 holes, totalling 16,178 metres, were completed in Kamoa North in which two rigs were drilling shallow holes.

Unprecedented exploration drilling results at Kamoa North

On January 30, 2019, Ivanhoe released assay results from ongoing exploration drilling at Kamoa North. Assays for 22 holes were released. The results included an unprecedented 22.3-metre intersection (true thickness) of 13.05% copper at a cut-off of 2% copper, in a shallow, flat-lying discovery at the Kamoa North copper exploration area.

Drill hole DD1450 includes multiple one-metre intersections with copper grades higher than 20% copper, including a 40%-copper interval.

At a cut-off of 5% copper, DD1450's intersection is 15.92% copper over 16.8 metres (true thickness). Using a lower cut-off grade of 1% copper, the intersection is 10.29% copper over 29.4 metres (true thickness), beginning at a depth of only 190 metres below surface.



Photo 18: One of two rigs currently drilling in the Kamoa North area. One rig is pursuing extensions of high-grade mineralization intersected in the far northern region of the Kamoa-Kakula mining licence, while the other rig is targeting extensions of the ultra-high-grade copper intersected in drill hole DD1450.



Figure 6: Mineralization profile for drill hole DD1450 at Kamoa North, beginning at a depth of only 190 metres below surface.



Additional drilling is underway to test the strike and width of the east-west trending fault structure that hosts the bonanza-grade copper in hole DD1450. Nine holes now have been completed in the discovery area, and assays are pending for eight of the holes. Based on visual interpretation of massive bornite and chalcopyrite in the recent drill intersections, the new, high-grade zone of shallow, thick, flat-lying, copper mineralization has been extended over a strike length of at least 200 metres, a width of up to 80 metres, and drilled thickness of between 13 and 30 metres. The new discovery zone is approximately 170 to 200 metres below surface.

Discovery hole DD1450 is associated with an east-west trending fault structure that allowed copper-rich fluids to flow into the stratigraphy above the conventional, Kamoa-Kakula mineralized zone and into a pyrite-rich, siltstone zone called the Kamoa Pyritic Siltstone (KPS). The shallow depth, remarkable thickness and massive copper mineralization in the KPS discovery could prove extremely significant if targeted early from a future Kamoa North decline.

The controlling east-west striking fault responsible for the massive copper sulphide mineralization in the KPS is visible on airborne magnetic images and can be traced over a distance length at least 10 to 20 kilometres. It trends west of Kamoa-Kakula for a considerable distance onto the adjacent Western Foreland exploration licences that are 100%-owned by Ivanhoe Mines. Additional rigs will be added to accelerate the drill testing of this mineralizing structure.Assays for the outstanding drill holes have been expedited and Ivanhoeplans to provide an update on this important exploration program in the near future.

Kamoa-Kakula geologists also are exploring another zone of shallow, high-grade copper mineralization in the far northern region of the Kamoa-Kakula mining licence. This mineralized corridor trends north and south for more than nine kilometres before swinging to the northwest and is projected to continue onto the adjacent Western Foreland exploration licences.



Photo 19: David Edwards, Kamoa-Kakula's Geology Manager (right) identifies the location of the next drill hole at Kamoa North with one of Kamoa's contract drillers.



Ongoing upgrading work enables Mwadingusha hydropower station to supply clean electricity to the national grid

Ongoing upgrading work at the Mwadingusha hydropower plant in the DRC has significantly progressed with the major equipment being delivered on site. The power station was shut down to replace sections of penstocks that were found to be in an advanced stage of corrosion. The progressive re-commissioning of the turbines, fully refurbished and modernized with state-of-the-art control and instrumentation will start in 2019 and be completed in Q3 2020. The refurbished plant will deliver an output increased by 10% to a capacity of approximately 72 megawatts (MW) of power.

The work at Mwadingusha, part of a program to eventually overhaul and boost output from three hydropower plants, is being conducted by engineering firm Stucky of Lausanne, Switzerland, under the direction of Ivanhoe Mines and Zijin Mining, in conjunction with the DRC's state-owned power company, La Societe Nationale d'Electricite (SNEL). Once fully reconditioned, the three plants will have a combined installed capacity of approximately 200 MW of electricity for the national grid, which is expected to be more than sufficient for the Kamoa-Kakula Project.

The Kansoko Mine, Kakula Mine and Kamoa camp have been connected to the national hydroelectric power grid since the completion of a 12-kilometre, 120-kilovolt, dual-circuit power line between Kansoko and Kakula in December 2017. The design of permanent, 11-kilovolt reticulation to the vent shafts and mine has started, which includes substations, overhead lines and surface cables.



Photo 20: Construction has commenced on a 220-kilovolt electrical substation at the Kakula Mine that will allow the mine to be powered by clean, sustainable hydro-generated electricity from the country's national power grid.





Photo 21: Surveying and construction is underway on a new, 20-kilometre by-pass road linking the Kamoa-Kakula Project to the Kolwezi airport, located approximately six kilometres south of Kolwezi. When completed, this new road will significantly improve the transportation corridor between Kolwezi and Kamoa-Kakula.



Continued focus on community and sustainability

The Kamoa-Kakula Sustainable Livelihoods Program is committed to sustainable development in the communities within the project's footprint. The main objective of the livelihoods program is to enhance food security and the living standards of the people who reside within the project's footprint. The program is mainly implemented through fish farming and food crops, including farming of maize (corn) and vegetables, plus poultry production and beekeeping.

Additional non-farming-related activities for 2018 included education and literacy programs, the completion of a community water program, the continuation of the brick-making program and the creation of unskilled job opportunities.

The resettlement and fencing for the 16-kilometre mine perimeter fence was completed in October 2018. A total of 45 households were successfully resettled in newly constructed houses in the Muvunda village and a new school was constructed in Muvunda.



Photo 22: Farmers weeding newly-planted cabbage at one of the new community farms established near the Kamoa-Kakula Project. Two fish-farming ponds are in the background, where local community members raise tilapia until they are big enough to harvest. The initiatives are part of Kamoa-Kakula's Sustainable Livelihoods Program to support and expand food production in nearby communities.

4. Western Foreland Exploration Project

100%-owned by Ivanhoe Mines

Democratic Republic of Congo

Ivanhoe's DRC exploration group is targeting Kamoa-Kakula-style copper mineralization through a regional drilling program on its 100%-owned Western Foreland exploration licences, located to the north and west of the Kamoa-Kakula Project.

During Q4 2018, exploration drilling continued with three rigs. A total of 7,339 metres in 19 diamond drill holes were completed during the quarter, bringing the total to 29,271 metres in 66 holes.

Drilling continued at Makoko throughout the quarter, with 13 holes completed. Ivanhoe commissioned a Toyota Landcruiser-mounted drill rig during September 2018 that is being used to test for geochemical anomalies and prospective stratigraphy along the margin of the Western Foreland, where access is difficult. Seven of the 13 completed Makoko holes were drilled by the Landcruiser rig for a total of 821 metres.

Processing of seismic data has been ongoing through the quarter with additional processing completed at Velseis Integrated Seismic Technologies in Brisbane, Australia. The 2D sections are being combined with detailed ground gravity data, airborne magnetics and drilling data to create a predicted geological interpretation from Kakula to Makoko. This work is providing an intricate insight into the behaviour of the mineralizing system in the Western Foreland area.

Makoko Copper Discovery

On October 1, 2018, Ivanhoe announced the Makoko Copper Discovery on its 100%-owned Western Foreland exploration licences, near Kamoa-Kakula in the DRC. The Makoko Discovery is Ivanhoe's third major copper discovery in the DRC and shows characteristics identical to Ivanhoe's tier-one Kamoa-Kakula discoveries.

Selected drill holes at the Makoko Discovery include:

DD004 (the Makoko discovery hole) intersected 3.94 metres (true width) of 5.46% copper, at a 2.0% copper cut-off, and 3.94 metres (true width) of 5.46% copper at a 1.0% copper cut-off, from a downhole depth of 306 metres.

DD010 intersected 3.21 metres (true width) of 6.78% copper, at a 2.0% copper cut-off, and 3.95 metres (true width) of 5.81% copper at a 1.0% copper cut-off, from a downhole depth of 441 metres.

DD017 intersected 3.19 metres (true width) of 6.49% copper at a 2.0% copper cut-off, and 4.64 metres (true width) of 4.88% copper, at a 1.0% copper cut-off, from a downhole depth of 471.7 metres.

DD025 intersected 3.00 metres (true width) of 7.61% copper at a 2.0% copper cut-off, and 3.00 metres (true width) of 7.61% copper, at a 1.0% copper cut-off, from a downhole depth of 406 metres.

DD046 intersected 7.44 metres (true width) of 7.81% copper at a 2.0% copper cut-off, and 9.39 metres (true width) of 6.51% copper, at a 1.0% copper cut-off, from a downhole depth of 523.51 metres.

The initial discovery hole at Makoko, DD004, was drilled in September 2017; follow-up and infill drilling has been ongoing since then. Drilling to date at Makoko has defined a flat-lying, near-surface stratiform copper deposit, similar to the Kamoa and Kakula deposits. The structure contour map indicates that the mineralized formation in the Makoko area is within 1,000 metres of surface.

The majority of the drilling to date at Makoko has intersected the copper-rich zone between 400 metres and 800 metres below surface. The mineralized zone at Makoko strikes approximately south-southeast. It has been tested over a strike length of 4.5 kilometres and a dip extent of between one and two kilometres. Copper mineralization remains open both along strike and down dip.



Photo 23: A drill rig in action at the Makoko Discovery.



Photo 24: Silstone-hosted mineralization in Makoko drill holes DD004, DD017 and DD010. DD004 is one of the holes where chalcocite is the dominant copper sulphide mineral. The purple-coloured copper mineral is bornite.



SELECTED ANNUAL FINANCIAL INFORMATION

This selected financial information is in accordance with IFRS as presented in the annual consolidated financial statements. Ivanhoe had no operating revenue in any financial reporting period and did not declare or pay any dividend or distribution in any financial reporting period.



Table 1

DISCUSSION OF RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Review of the year ended December 31, 2018 vs. December 31, 2017

The company recorded a total comprehensive loss of $13.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2018, compared to a total comprehensive profit of $247.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2017. The profit in 2017 was attributable mainly to the reversal of the impairment of mineral property and other items of the Kipushi Project of $286.3 million.

When excluding the 2017 reversal of impairment of $286.3 million, the company's total comprehensive loss for the year ended December 31, 2017, would have amounted to $38.5 million. This is $24.9 million higher than the total comprehensive loss of $13.6 million for the same period in 2018. The decrease mainly was due to the company recording its share of a profit from the Kamoa Holding joint venture of $19.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2018, compared to a loss of $27.5 million in 2017.

The costs associated with mine development are capitalized as development costs in Kamoa Holding, while the exploration expenditure is expensed. Capitalization of costs at Kakula commenced during Q2 2017, coinciding with the start of the Kakula box cut. Expenditure attributable to exploration at Kamoa North, Kakula West and in the saddle area between Kakula West and Kakula still was expensed in 2018.

The interest expense in the Kamoa Holding joint venture relates to shareholder loans where each shareholder is required to fund Kamoa Holding in an amount equivalent to its proportionate shareholding interest. The company is advancing Crystal River's portion on its behalf in return for an increase in the promissory note due to Ivanhoe.

With the Kamoa-Kakula Project quickly advancing towards production and as supported by the excellent economics in the recently completed pre-feasibility study on Kakula, future taxable income now is deemed probable at the Kamoa-Kakula Project and the previously unrecognized deferred tax asset has been recognized by the Kamoa Holding joint venture as a result. Furthermore, with revenue deemed probable, the Kamoa Holding joint venture also has reversed the impairment of previously impaired VAT receivables that will be available for set-off once income tax is payable.

The company's total comprehensive loss included an exchange loss on translation of foreign operations of $33.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2018, resulting from the weakening of the South African Rand by 17% from December 31, 2017, to December 31, 2018, compared to an exchange gain on translation of foreign operations recognized in 2017 of $13.8 million.

Exploration and project expenditure for the year ended December 31, 2018, amounted to $11.5 million and was $29.0 million less than for the same period in 2017 ($40.5 million). Exploration and project expenditure for 2018 related solely to Ivanhoe's 100%-owned Western Foreland exploration licences, while $36.7 million for 2017 related to the Kipushi Project.

Finance income for the year ended December 31, 2018, amounted to $49.9 million, and was $17.2 million more than for the same period in 2017 ($32.6 million). The increase mainly was due to interest earned on loans to the Kamoa Holding joint venture to fund operations that amounted to $40.4 million in 2018, and increased by $13.0 million as the accumulated loan balance increased.

Financial position as at December 31, 2018 vs. December 31, 2017

The company's total assets increased by $613.5 million, from $1,271.3 million as at December 31, 2017, to $1,884.8 million as at December 31, 2018. The increase mainly was due to the proceeds received on completion of the equity investment by CITIC Metal Africa Investments Limited (CITIC Metal Africa) and Zijin exercising its anti-dilution rights, for gross proceeds of $555 million and $60 million respectively.

Cash and cash equivalents increased by $392.6 million. The company utilized $14.7 million of its cash resources in its operations, which includes interest of $7.1 million received during the year ended December 31, 2018.

The company's investment in the Kamoa Holding joint venture increased by $129.3 million from $552.4 million as at December 31, 2017, to $681.7 million as at December 31, 2018, with each of the current shareholders funding the operations equivalent to their proportionate shareholding interest. The company's portion of the Kamoa Holding joint venture cash calls amounted to $69.3 million during 2018, while the company's share of comprehensive profit from the joint venture amounted to $19.6 million.

The net increase of property, plant and equipment amounted to $96.4 million, with a total of $127.9 million being spent on project development and to acquire other property, plant and equipment. Of this total, $59.9 million and $69.1 million pertained to development costs and other acquisitions of property, plant and equipment at the Platreef Project and Kipushi Project respectively.

The main components of the additions to property, plant and equipment including development costs at the Platreef and Kipushi projects for the year ended December 31, 2018, and for the same period in 2017, are set out in the following table:



Table 2

Costs incurred at the Kipushi Project subsequent to the finalization of its pre-feasibility study, have been capitalized as property, plant and equipment. Costs incurred at the Platreef Project are deemed necessary to bring the project to commercial production and are therefore also capitalized.

The company's total liabilities increased by $6.2 million to $66.0 million as at December 31, 2018, from $59.8 million as at December 31, 2017. The increase was mainly due to a $2.9 million increase in trade and other payables and a $2.0 million increase in borrowings resulting from un-paid interest.

SELECTED QUARTERLY FINANCIAL INFORMATION

The following table summarizes selected financial information for the prior eight quarters. Ivanhoe had no operating revenue in any financial reporting period and did not declare or pay any dividend or distribution in any financial reporting period.



Table 3

Review of the three months ended December 31, 2018 vs. 2017

The company recorded a total comprehensive profit of $28.4 million for Q4 2018 compared to a profit of $285.3 million for the same period in 2017. The profit in 2017 was attributable mainly to the reversal of the impairment of mineral property and other items of the Kipushi Project of $286.3 million as described above, while the profit in 2018 mainly was due to the company recording its share of a profit from the Kamoa Holding joint venture of $41.3 million for the three months ended December 31, 2018, compared to a loss of $10.2 million for the same period in 2017.

Finance income for Q4 2018, amounted to $16.5 million, and was $7.5 million more than for the same period in 2017 ($9.0 million). The increase mainly was due to interest earned on loans to the Kamoa Holding joint venture to fund operations that increased by $3.6 million as the accumulated loan balance increased and increase in interest received on cash and cash equivalents due to a higher cash balance during Q4 2018.

The company's total comprehensive profit for Q4 2018 included an exchange loss on translation of foreign operations of $9.1 million for the three months ended December 31, 2018, resulting from the weakening of the South African Rand from September 30, 2018, to December 31, 2018, compared to an exchange gain on translation of foreign operations recognized in Q4 2017 of $12.4 million.

Exploration and project expenditure for the three months ended December 31, 2018, amounted to $4.9 million and was $6.1 million less than for the same period in 2017 ($11.0 million). The decrease in exploration and project expenditure is attributable to the capitalization of costs incurred at the Kipushi Project that began following the finalization of its PFS in December 2017.

With the focus at the Kipushi and Platreef projects being on development and the Kamoa-Kakula Project being accounted for as a joint venture, the total $4.9 million exploration and project expenditure for the three months ended December 31, 2018, related to exploration at Ivanhoe's 100%-owned Western Foreland exploration licences. In Q4 2017, $8.3 million of the total $11.0 million exploration and project expenditure related to the Kipushi Project.

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

The company had $574.0 million in cash and cash equivalents as at December 31, 2018. At this date, the company had consolidated working capital of approximately $562.9 million, compared to $182.0 million at December 31, 2017.

On September 19, 2018, Ivanhoe announced the completion of a major strategic equity investment totalling C$723 million ($555 million) in Ivanhoe Mines by CITIC Metal Africa, a direct subsidiary of CITIC Metal Co., Ltd. (CITIC Metal), one of China's leading international resources companies. Ivanhoe Mines issued 196,602,037 common shares to CITIC Metal Africa through a private placement at a price of C$3.68 per share. Zijin exercised its anti-dilution rights, generating additional proceeds for Ivanhoe of C$78 million ($60 million). The exercise by Zijin of its anti-dilution rights also was at a price of C$3.68 per share.

The Platreef Project's restricted cash, which were funds of $290 million invested by the Japanese consortium of ITOCHU Corporation, Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation and Japan Gas Corporation, has been fully utilized and the project's current expenditure is being funded solely by Ivanhoe as the Japanese consortium has elected not to contribute to current expenditures. Since the Platreef Project's restricted cash was fully utilized, Ivanhoe has contributed a total of $11.2 million on behalf of the Japanese consortium through an interest bearing loan to Ivanplats.

Since December 8, 2015, each shareholder in Kamoa Holding has been required to fund Kamoa Holding in an amount equivalent to its proportionate shareholding interest. The company is advancing Crystal River's portion on its behalf in return for an increase in the promissory note due to Ivanhoe.

The company's main objectives for 2019 at the Platreef Project are the continuation of Shaft 1 construction and the completion of early-works construction of Shaft 2. At Kipushi, the principal objectives are the completion of the feasibility study and continued upgrading of mining infrastructure. At the Kamoa-Kakula Project, priorities are the continuation of development at Kakula and the completion of the feasibility study for Kakula. The company has budgeted to spend $90 million on further development at the Platreef Project; $57 million at the Kipushi Project; $16 million on regional exploration in the DRC; and $30 million on corporate overheads for 2019 - as well as its proportionate funding of the Kamoa-Kakula Project, expected to be $101 million for 2019.

This news release should be read in conjunction with Ivanhoe Mines' audited 2018 Financial Statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis report available at www.ivanhoemines.com and at www.sedar.com.

Qualified Person

Disclosures of a scientific or technical nature in this news release have been reviewed and approved by Stephen Torr, who is considered, by virtue of his education, experience and professional association, a Qualified Person under the terms of NI 43-101. Mr. Torr is not considered independent under NI 43-101 as he is the Vice President, Project Geology and Evaluation. Mr. Torr has verified the technical data disclosed in this news release.

Ivanhoe has prepared a current, independent, NI 43-101-compliant technical report for each of the Platreef Project, the Kipushi Project and the Kamoa-Kakula Project, which are available under the company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com:

The Kamoa-Kakula Integrated Development Plan 2019 dated March 18, 2019, prepared by OreWin Pty Ltd., Amec Foster Wheeler E&C Services Inc. (a division of Wood PLC), SRK Consulting Inc., KGHM Cuprum R&D Centre Ltd., Stantec Consulting International LLC, DRA Global, Golders Associates, and Epoch Resources (Pty) Ltd., covering the company's Kamoa-Kakula Project;

The Platreef 2017 Feasibility Study Technical Report dated September 4, 2017, prepared by DRA Global, OreWin Pty. Ltd., Amec Foster Wheeler, Stantec Consulting, Murray & Roberts Cementation, SRK Consulting, Golder Associates, and Digby Wells Environmental, covering the company's Platreef Project; and

The Kipushi 2017 Prefeasibility Study Technical Report dated January 25, 2018, prepared by OreWin Pty Ltd, The MSA Group (Pty) Ltd, SRK Consulting (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd, and MDM (Technical) Africa Pty Ltd, covering the company's Kipushi Project.

These technical reports include relevant information regarding the effective dates and the assumptions, parameters and methods of the mineral resource estimates on the Platreef Project, the Kipushi Project and the Kamoa-Kakula Project cited in this news release, as well as information regarding data verification, exploration procedures and other matters relevant to the scientific and technical disclosure contained in this news release in respect of the Platreef Project, Kipushi Project and Kamoa-Kakula Project.

Information contacts

Investors

Bill Trenaman +1.604.331.9834

Media

North America: Kimberly Lim +1.778.996.8510

South Africa: Jeremy Michaels +27.82.772.1122

Website www.ivanhoemines.com

Forward-looking statements

Certain statements in this news release constitute "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the company, its projects, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. Such statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "expect", "believe", "plan", "anticipate", "estimate", "scheduled", "forecast", "predict" and other similar terminology, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. These statements reflect the company's current expectations regarding future events, performance and results and speak only as of the date of the company's MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2018.

Such statements include without limitation, the timing and results of: (i) statements that one more station will be developed at a mine-working depth of 950 metres at Shaft 1; (ii) statements regarding Shaft 1 reaching the planned, final depth at 982 metres below surface in early 2020; (iii) statements regarding the timing of Shaft 2 development; (iv) statements regarding the operational and technical capacity of Shaft 1; (v) statements regarding the internal diameter and hoisting capacity of Shaft 2, including that the excavation of the box cut and construction of the hitch foundation is expected to be completed in Q2 2019, enabling the beginning of the pre-sink, that will extend 84 metres below surface; (vi) statements regarding the company's plans to develop the Platreef Mine in three phases: an initial annual rate of four Mtpa to establish an operating platform to support future expansions; followed by a doubling of production to eight Mtpa; and then a third expansion phase to a steady-state 12 Mtpa; (vii) statements regarding the planned underground mining methods of the Platreef Project including long-hole stoping and drift-and-fill mining; (viii) statements regarding supply of treated water from the town of Mokopane's new Masodi treatment plant including that it will supply 5 million litres of treated water a day for 32 years; (ix) statements regarding the development of a single decline on the south side of the Kakula deposit to provide bottom access to Ventilation Shaft 2 enabling this shaft to be constructed by raise boring and the use of this decline as a second means of egress from the mine; (x) statements regarding the timing, size and objectives of drilling and other exploration programs for 2019 and future periods; (xi) statements regarding exploration on the Western Foreland exploration licences; (xii) statements regarding the timing and completion of a definitive feasibility study at the Kipushi Project in Q2 2019; (xiii) statements regarding the progressive re-commissioning of the turbines, fully refurbished and modernized with state-of-the-art control and instrumentation at Mwadingusha power station, will start in 2019 and be completed in Q3 2020 with an output increased to a capacity of approximately 72 MW of power; (xiv) statements regarding expected expenditure for 2019 of $90 million on further development at the Platreef Project; $57 million at the Kipushi Project; $16 million on regional exploration in the DRC; and $30 million on corporate overheads in 2019 - as well as its proportionate funding of the Kamoa-Kakula Project, expected to be $101 million for 2019; (xv) statements regarding Platreef projecting it to be Africa's lowest-cost producer of platinum-group metals; (xvi) statements regarding Ivanhoe plans to file an updated NI 43-101 technical report for the Kipushi Project covering the June 2018 Mineral Resource estimate by the end of March 2019; (xvii) statements regarding the construction of a 1,050-metre-level-dam at the Kakula deposit to be commissioned in mid-2019; (xviii) statements with respect to adding additional rigs to accelerate the drill testing of the mineralizing structure at Kamoa North; and (xv) statements regarding Ivanhoes plans to provide an update on the Kamoa North exploration program in the near future.

As well, all of the results of the pre-feasibility study for the Kakula copper mine and the updated and expanded Kamoa-Kakula Project preliminary economic assessment, the feasibility study of the Platreef Project and the pre-feasibility study of the Kipushi Project, constitute forward-looking statements or information, and include future estimates of internal rates of return, net present value, future production, estimates of cash cost, proposed mining plans and methods, mine life estimates, cash flow forecasts, metal recoveries, estimates of capital and operating costs and the size and timing of phased development of the projects. Furthermore, with respect to this specific forward-looking information concerning the development of the Kamoa-Kakula, Platreef and Kipushi projects, the company has based its assumptions and analysis on certain factors that are inherently uncertain. Uncertainties include: (i) the adequacy of infrastructure; (ii) geological characteristics; (iii) metallurgical characteristics of the mineralization; (iv) the ability to develop adequate processing capacity; (v) the price of copper, nickel, zinc, platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold; (vi) the availability of equipment and facilities necessary to complete development; (vii) the cost of consumables and mining and processing equipment; (viii) unforeseen technological and engineering problems; (ix) accidents or acts of sabotage or terrorism; (x) currency fluctuations; (xi) changes in regulations; (xii) the compliance by joint venture partners with terms of agreements; (xiii) the availability and productivity of skilled labour; (xiv) the regulation of the mining industry by various governmental agencies; (xv) the ability to raise sufficient capital to develop such projects; and (xiv) political factors.

This news release also contains references to estimates of Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves. The estimation of Mineral Resources is inherently uncertain and involves subjective judgments about many relevant factors. Estimates of Mineral Reserves provide more certainty but still involve similar subjective judgments. Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. The accuracy of any such estimates is a function of the quantity and quality of available data, and of the assumptions made and judgments used in engineering and geological interpretation (including estimated future production from the company's projects, the anticipated tonnages and grades that will be mined and the estimated level of recovery that will be realized), which may prove to be unreliable and depend, to a certain extent, upon the analysis of drilling results and statistical inferences that ultimately may prove to be inaccurate. Mineral Resource or Mineral Reserve estimates may have to be re-estimated based on: (i) fluctuations in copper, nickel, zinc, platinum group elements (PGE), gold or other mineral prices; (ii) results of drilling; (iii) metallurgical testing and other studies; (iv) proposed mining operations, including dilution; (v) the evaluation of mine plans subsequent to the date of any estimates and/or changes in mine plans; (vi) the possible failure to receive required permits, approvals and licences; and (vii) changes in law or regulation.

Forward-looking statements and information involve significant risks and uncertainties, should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results and will not necessarily be accurate indicators of whether or not such results will be achieved. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements or information, including, but not limited to, the factors discussed under "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in the company's MD&A, as well as unexpected changes in laws, rules or regulations, or their enforcement by applicable authorities; the failure of parties to contracts with the company to perform as agreed; social or labour unrest; changes in commodity prices; and the failure of exploration programs or studies to deliver anticipated results or results that would justify and support continued exploration, studies, development or operations.

Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the company believes are reasonable assumptions, the company cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Subject to applicable securities laws, the company does not assume any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this news release.

The company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of the factors set forth in the "Risk Factors" section and elsewhere in the company's MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2018 and its Annual Information Form.
TORONTO, March 27, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Red Pine Exploration Inc. (TSX-V: RPX) (the Company or Red Pine) is pleased to announce the results of its annual and special meeting of Shareholders (the Meeting) held today in Toronto, Ontario.

At the meeting, all resolutions were passed with the required majority:

The shareholders elected Drew Anwyll, Andrew Baumen, Robert Dodds, Peter Kampian, and Quentin Yarie as directors of the Company;

The shareholders appointed MNP, LLP, Chartered Accountants as auditors of the Company to hold office until the next annual meeting of shareholders, and to authorize the directors to fix their remuneration;

The shareholders approved a resolution re-approving the Companys stock option plan.

Following the Meeting, the Board of Directors made the following appointments to committees of the Board:

Audit and Corporate Governance Committee Peter Kampian (Chair), Drew Anwyll and Andrew Baumen;

Compensation Committee  Drew Anwyll (Chair), Peter Kampian and Robert Dodds;

Technical Committee Andrew Baumen (Chair), Drew Anwyll and Robert Dodds

About Red Pine Exploration Inc.

Red Pine Exploration Inc. is a gold and base-metals exploration company headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Company's common shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "RPX".

Red Pine has a 60% interest in the Wawa Gold Project with Citabar LP. holding the remaining 40% interest. Red Pine is the Operating Manager of the Project and is focused on expanding the existing gold resource on the property.

For more information about the Company visit www.redpineexp.com

Or contact:

Quentin Yarie, President & CEO, (416) 364-7024, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Or Mia Boiridy, Investor Relations, (416) 364-7024, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Gaza has for nearly a year been the scene of massive protests and clashes between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers along its demarcation line with the Jewish state.

In that time, more than 250 Palestinians have been killed, along with two Israeli soldiers.

Here is a recap:

 First deadly day 

Protesters stage a mass rally on March 30, 2018, demanding the right to return to homes, now inside Israel, that Palestinians fled or were expelled from in the late 1940s as the Jewish state was created.

Tens of thousands of Palestinians converge along the barrier that separates Gaza from Israel.

Officially organised by civil society groups, The Great March of Return is backed by Islamist militant movement Hamas, which runs Israeli-blockaded Gaza.

Several groups of protesters face off with Israeli soldiers, throwing stones and Molotov cocktails.

Israeli snipers respond with live fire, killing 19 Palestinians.

 Kites on fire 

On April 6, thousands of Palestinians gather again near the security barrier. Nine Palestinians are killed and nearly 500 injured.

Four days later, the Palestinians employ a new tactic, sending kites across the border, some carrying explosive devices, to set fire to farmland.

Similar kites and balloons have since torched thousands of hectares of land and caused hundreds of thousands of dollars-worth of damage.

 Bloodbath 

On May 14, tens of thousands of Palestinians return to the barrier as the US opens its controversial embassy in Jerusalem after recognising the disputed city as Israels capital.

At least 62 Palestinians are killed by Israeli fire in the ensuing violence, with more than 2,400 wounded.

On June 13, the United Nations General Assembly adopts a resolution, opposed by Washington, condemning Israel for the violence.

 Summer of violence 

On July 14, Israel unleashes dozens of air strikes, killing two Palestinians, while 200 rockets target Israel.

Overnight August 8-9, Hamas fires some 180 rockets and mortars from Gaza, according to the Israeli army, which says it responded by targeting 150 of the movements military sites.

After a brief respite, 10 Palestinians are killed in clashes with the Israeli army during demonstrations on September 28 and October 5.

 Aid from Qatar 

On November 9-10, as mediation efforts progress, Palestinian civil servants in Gaza receive millions of dollars in salary arrears, funded by Qatar.

Since then, four instalments of Qatari aid have been distributed to Palestinians in Gaza.

Under UN auspices, Qatar has also financed deliveries of fuel to the territorys only power plant.

 Escalation 

On November 11, an Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip leaves seven Palestinians and one Israeli soldier dead.

In revenge, Hamas the next day attacks an Israeli bus, severely wounding a soldier.

It is the beginning of one of the worst escalations in years, with hundreds of rockets and mortars fired at Israel and dozens of Israeli strikes against Gaza positions.

Seven Palestinians are killed.

On November 13, an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire is agreed. A day later, Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman resigns, saying Israel is capitulating to terror.

On November 21, four Palestinians are killed by Israeli soldiers.

 UN probe 

On February 28, 2019, a UN probe says Israel may have committed war crimes or crimes against humanity in responding to unrest in Gaza, as snipers intentionally shot civilians, including children.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejects the report outright.

 Rockets and strikes 

On March 14, rockets are fired from Gaza towards the region of Tel Aviv.

Overnight, Israeli aircraft and helicopters strike dozens of Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip.

The organisers of Friday protests along the Gaza-Israel demarcation line say they are calling off this weeks rallies.
There are not many people in the courtroom this Thursday March 21 at the Tunis Court of First Instance where the transitional justice chamber is sitting. Yet todays trial is emblematic of the security obsession of former President Ben Ali, who was in power between 1987 and 2011. At the beginning of the 1990s, his paranoia wreaked havoc on the Tunisian army. This is the third hearing in the case, in which 140 victims are represented, mostly senior officers, non-commissioned officers and soldiers. The lives of these people and their families became a nightmare just because of the presidents suspicion.

Manipulation and lies

In May 1991, 244 soldiers were arrested and charged with an attempted coup detat. According to the authorities, they met in the village of Barraket Essahel, near Hammamet, in January 1991 to devise their plot. The army members were handed over by their superiors to the Interior Ministry and tortured in its jails by State security agents. A press conference organized by the Minister of the Interior finally convinced the public that there had been a coup plot. In 1992, 93 judgments were handed down, resulting in sentences of 18 months to 16 years imprisonment.

Colonel Major Hedi Kolsi, who chaired the INSAF association (Justice for Former Military Personnel) until 2018, looked back at this tragedy caused by a state lie that lasted 20 years, up to the Revolution in January 2011. All military personnel, even those released, were dismissed and stripped of their military ranking. Ben Alis apology through his then Minister of the Interior, Abdallah Kallel, to some 20 senior officers did not change their situation. They will never return to their units again, explained the Colonel Major.

I was handcuffed and treated like a criminal

Hedi Kolsi and his friend Colonel Mohsen Mighri, current president of INSAF, told of twenty years of administrative control, police harassment, poverty, and being banned from travel or being treated in public hospitals. At 35 and 37 years of age, they both found themselves in a situation of forced early retirement. Their children were not spared from reprisals by the regime: they were unable to access public universities or work in state-owned companies.

The other victims tell the same story. Fethi Chtioui was a sergeant major in 1991. His bosses seemed satisfied with his seriousness and hard work. When he was arrested on his way home, no one explained the reasons for his arrest. I was handcuffed and treated like a criminal, Your Honour, he told the judge in a voice affected by widespread cancer.

As a vigorous young man at the time, he was the main provider for his family, especially his elderly parents. At the Ministry of the Interior, he was asked about names he knew well because they were his colleagues. However, he knew nothing about the supposed plot on which they questioned him. This stirred the anger of his interrogators and led to the worst forms of abuse against him, including introduction of an object into his anus. Considered an outcast in his region, Fethi Chtioui was forced to work on construction sites as a handyman.

Impact on the families

Warrant Officer Hedi Dkhailiyas wife also testified. Her husband died in a car accident in 1997. Released in 1991 after fifteen days of arbitrary detention and torture, he had kept records of the abuse and malnutrition until his death. Neither he nor any of the family had access to any administrative documents. Close relatives avoided us for fear of being associated with the charges that stuck to my husband, she says. The mother hid everything about the alleged plot from her children. The daughter only learned the truth after the Revolution, when the case was brought to light again and drew interest from the media which were also freed from the yoke of fear and censorship. My daughter fell into depression when she learned about the Barraket Essahel case. Despair continues to pursue us, Your Honour, she said, in tears.

The interminable wait

The Court has named 14 accused: President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, his minister Abdallah Kallel, his Director of Military Security Mohamed Farza, his Army Chief Mohamed Hedi Belhassine, his President of the Military Tribunal Mohamed Ben Mohamed Guezguez, his Director of Special Services Mohamed Ali Ganzoui, as well as several torturers from the Ministry of the Interior. According to Hedi Kolsi, the Ministry of Defence and its top officers, including General Moussa Lekhlifi and General Farza, are primarily responsible for this violation because they failed to protect their men.

Over the months, however, public and media interest in this historical injustice has waned. A lawyer for the civil parties regretted this, recalling that the first hearing, held on 25 October 2018, saw a record attendance, which prompted the judicial authorities to install a giant screen outside the courtroom so that those present in court could hear the victims testimonies.

Hedi Kolsi also seems sceptical, especially concerning the slow pace of procedures for the officers to recover their rights. This is despite an official apology by President Moncef Marzouki in June 2012 and a law published in 2014 in their favour. In June 2012, the military victims began proceedings with the Ministry of Defence and obtained military care cards, the registration of their status on their identity card, the recovery of their contributions to the army insurance fund and an access card to the messes. But for eight years they have been waiting for their careers to be rebuilt and for the whole truth to be told about the Barraket Essahel case.

The trial is likely to be very long. Out of the 140 victims, the Tunis Specialized Chamber has only heard 20 people so far. When will we ever get justice? asked Hedi Kolsi.
GRANTS PASS, Ore. -- New Rural Metro firefighters are getting more hands on training when it comes to rescuing crash victims out of cars. Rural metro held an extrication training with AMR. They practiced two different ways to save patients trapped in their cars. One on call firefighter played the role of the patient in both scenarios. Michael Leib said even though this was just a training, it was incredibly scary.

"[The firefighters] were very reassuring and kept talking to me so I really thought I was in an accident," added Leib.

You want to help them, said recruiting firefighter Alan Zeltvay. You want to be that person that they are calling for to be there to help them and not make the situation worse and calm them down.

Rural Metro Fire holds a training like this annually. Cascade Metal Recycle donated the cars used in this training.
MEDFORD, Ore.  A coordinated raid on a White City marijuana grow led to the seizure of more than 6,000 illegally-cultivated plants and the arrest of the suspected operator, according to the Medford Police Department (MPD).

Officers swarmed a property in the 1300-block of Antelope Road on Wednesday in the culmination of a 2-month-long investigation into "black market marijuana sales" by the Illegal Marijuana Enforcement Team (IMET) and Medford Area Drug and Gang Enforcement team (MADGE).

At the property, MPD said that investigators found a "large-scale indoor marijuana grow, which was not licensed or legal." Officers detained 14 people at the scene  including the suspected operator, 56-year-old Saleh Shalomi of Beverly Hills, California.

Investigators reportedly removed and destroyed just over 6,000 marijuana plants, weighing 2.75 tons

"The approximate street value is $7,800,000, which would be after the marijuana was fully processed," MPD said.

According to MPD, Shalomi was on-site at the time of the raid and was arrested without incident. He has been lodged in the Jackson County Jail for Unlawful Possession, Delivery and Manufacture of Marijuana, as well as Money Laundering. Total bail was set at $75,000.

The other people detained at the site were "identified and released."

"In addition to the illegal operation, Jackson County Code Enforcement and Fire District 3 noted several code and safety violations," MPD said.

This bust marks IMET's first outing, according to MPD. The task force is funded by a grant from the Criminal Justice Commission, "with the goal of dismantling and disrupting the black market marijuana trade." It consists of members from the Jackson County Sheriff's Office, Medford Police Department, and the Jackson County District Attorney's Office.

"There is a new drug team in town, called IMET, designed to target black market marijuana. This is their first case. Great Job," MPD said in a Facebook post.
By LISA BAUMANN and GENE JOHNSON Associated Press

SEATTLE (AP)  A bus driver hailed as a hero for steering his bus away from a gunman who opened fire in Seattle on him and his passengers says he was just doing his job but is "glad to be alive."

Eric Stark was hit in the torso by a bullet but authorities have said he still managed to turn the bus around and drive his passengers to safety from the gunman walking in a neighborhood who went on to kill two men, apparently at random, before he was taken into custody

Stark ,53, "saved lives and took action even after being harmed," said Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkin.

But Stark, recovering Thursday in a hospital, told ABC's "Good Morning America" Thursday "it's what any other driver would be able to do if they were physically able,"

Just leaving Harborview where our Metro Transit operator is being treated for gunshot wounds. Spoke with Transit Union officials on site. Wounded driver acted heroically in the face of extreme adversity to protect his passengers this afternoon in Lake City.  Dow Constantine (@kcexec) March 28, 2019

The events unfolded at about 4 p.m. Wednesday in Seattle's Lake City neighborhood, when the gunman walked up to a 56-year-old female driver, shooting and wounding her. The man, who police had still not identified Thursday, then walked on and fired at the bus, hitting Stark, authorities said.

"I ducked down really quick for some cover, did like a two-second assessment of my injuries and figured  well, I can breathe, I can think, I can see, and I can talk," Stark said from his hospital room. "So for me that was enough to go, 'OK, we're getting out of here. I've gotta get these people out of here.'"

The gunman then approached a second motorist and opened fire, police said, killing a 50-year-old man. After officers arrived, the suspect fled in the that victim's vehicle. He drove a few blocks and then collided with another car, killing the 70-year-old male driver, fire department officials said.

The 33-year-old suspect was taken into custody after a brief standoff. He was transported to a hospital with minor injuries, police said.

Witness John Barrett told the KOMO television station that he was in his garage when he heard what sounded like fire crackers.

He went outside and saw a man with a gun pointing it at people as he walked down a street "just firing at anything just without any regard."

None of the passengers aboard the bus driven by Stark were hurt, the King County Metro Transit agency said.

Stark managed to get off the bus and walk to a gurney so paramedics could take him to the hospital, said Kenneth Price, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 587, which represents drivers.

Stark has worked for the transit agency seven years and "acted heroically in the face of extreme adversity to protect his passengers," said King County Executive Dow Constantine said has worked for King County Metro for seven years.

Stark, the woman who was shot and the suspect were taken to Seattle's Harborview Medical Center. None suffered life-threatening injuries, said hospital spokeswoman Susan Gregg.

"Our thoughts now are with families of those killed and those injured," said Durkan. "The entire city of Seattle is pulling for them."
Manila (CNN Philippines Life)  In Metro Manila, going to the hospital is a lot more inconvenient than it should be.

Its standard procedure for a person to block off an entire day just for a doctors appointment. Government hospitals are severely understaffed and lack certain facilities, which result in ridiculously long lines in hot humid waiting areas. Private hospitals are frequently found in traffic-congested, downtown areas. If worse comes to worst, your doctor will also happen to be stuck in traffic as well. The waiting time for a medical consultation becomes longer than the actual appointment. And inconvenience aside, parents have also expressed their fear in exposing their children to the recent measles outbreak and find it safer to not leave the house.

Fortunately, there have been medical innovations made to address exactly those inconveniences. Telemedicine, defined by the World Health Organization as the delivery of health care services at a distance through the use of information and communication technologies, has gradually made its way to our phone screens. In other parts of the world, telemedicine has reached as far as providing at-home medical assistance for specific conditions such as type 2 diabetes and asthma.

The Philippines is not too far behind as well. Medical consultations can now be done in the comfort of ones own home using various mobile platforms. Filipinos also have access to several health care services, such as medical deliveries, at-home vaccinations, and laboratory results interpretations, with just a few swipes on their phones.

Telemedicine still has its limits. Its important to keep in mind that these digital medical services should be used for ambulatory or outpatient circumstances. Hospital visits are still the best option for more severe cases.

Below are just a few telemedicine services to keep in mind.

Medgate Philippines

In 2016, Medgate Switzerland extended their mobile services to Philippine shores. Medgate Philippines main offer is a 24/7 hotline for medical consultations with an efficient team of Filipino telemedicine assistants and licensed physicians available for multiple service carriers.

Medgate Philippines is one of the more popular medical assistance apps with a high rating of 4.6 out of 5 on their Facebook page. Kriz Solis, a 35-year-old mother of one, was wary of using the telemedicine app for the first time. I didn't expect they'll be able to connect me to a [pediatrician] right away, she explained in her review.

Without experiencing the long holding times of most customer care hotlines, Kris was accommodated with a courteous pediatrician who gave her a well-detailed diagnosis of her child's condition and even offered a follow-up call. Customers can also opt to send images or conduct a video call to further the accuracy of the consultation.

Medgate Philippines services also include laboratory results interpretations, e-prescriptions, and medicine deliveries. Their team of doctors can also refer users to customer clinics or suggest care plans with their roster of established partner insurance companies, such as Intellicare, Cocolife Healthcare, and AXA Philippines.

Medgate Philippines' subscription plans range from 999 to 2,695 per year, depending on how many members the user would like to include in the plan. These subscriptions include unlimited teleconsultations at any time of the day, medicine deliveries, and medical certificates.

For more information visit medgatephilippines.com

KonsultaMD

If going to the hospital for a checkup might not be an option, you might be tempted to search your symptoms and self-diagnose your condition. Even with the vast amount of medical information that can be found on the internet, a doctors advice is still the best option.

Powered by Globe Telecom, KonsultaMD is one of the more recent telemedicine innovations by Filipinos. You can connect to any of their licensed Filipino doctors any time of the day by dialing their hotline or landline number.

Its the aim of the company to really allow the public to have access to licensed Filipino doctors 24/7, KonsultaMD Chief Medical Officer Dr. Gia Sison shared in a video.

Operating as just a hotline, KonsultaMDs services are limited to first aid or primary care consultations, health and wellness counseling, and ambulance referrals for emergency cases. Customers should still exercise caution as serious conditions cannot be properly diagnosed merely through phone call.

Many users have also pointed out the downside of its pricing system. Upon the first call, prepaid Globe users automatically deducted a weekly rate of 15 on top of the 1 per one-minute call rate. Other service carriers are only offered yearly subscriptions for 60 per month. Globe postpaid users might be able to get the most with their money with a plan of 150 per month with a 1 per one-minute call rate, which can be extended to four more members.

Subscriptions can be made by visiting their online website, calling their hotline, or going to a Globe store.

For more information visit konsulta.md

AIDE

House calls have grown to be considered a luxury accessible only to well-off patients or those with doctors for relatives. Telemedicine app AIDE is making house calls a norm once again through modern-day technology.

User Madoka Tomas had expressed fear of exposing her daughter to the ongoing measles outbreak in a post. Instead, she had a pediatrician arrive ather doorstep to administer the MMR vaccine through an online appointment she made through AIDE.

AIDE can also easily book other medical practitioners such as nurses, physical therapists, and caregivers. Users fill up a form for their medical history and check specific ailments for an initial diagnosis. The app will then filter through their team of 500 practitioners, whose CVs and ratings are displayed for you to see and book the appointment.

Other AIDE services are blood extraction (with results to be emailed later), laboratory results interpretation, medicine delivery, and even animal care.

However, as with most booking apps, online ratings can sometimes fall short. Caution still should be observed  especially where your health or your loved ones health are concerned.

A booking fee of 200 is added on top of a professional fee that can range from 1,500 to 5,000 varying per practitioner and the patient's location.

For more information visit aide-app.com

MyPocketDoctor

Operating since 2006, MyPocketDoctor is one of the oldest online telemedicine platforms in the Philippines. One of the simpler telemedicine apps, MyPocketDoctor only offers phone or video call consultations with their 50 medical practitioners whose specializations range from general surgery, dermatology, to pediatrics.

A short description of your concern (and photos if you have any)  is all you need and MyPocketDoctors team will schedule an appointment within minutes at any time of the day. Language also doesnt seem to be a barrier as physicians can speak English, Filipino, and Cebuano.

This app is ideal for those who just need a quick appointment or for those who cannot afford weekly or monthly plans offered by other apps. Their one-time consultation fee is charged at 450, just below the standard consultation fee of 500.

MyPocketDoctor conveniently offers several methods of payment for the patient to choose from: PayPal, credit card, or their Medicard or AXA health care plan. You can also opt for a plan of 900 per year for unlimited consultations or you can include two more family members for 1,995.

For more information visit mypocketdoctor.com

HeyPhil

Paying for these apps and services may not be as cost-effective for those who already have health insurance plans. Some health maintenance organizations (HMO) are catching onto these technological advances and created their own apps for the convenience of their members. PhilCare is one of these HMOs and has invested in their own telemedicine app: HeyPhil.

HeyPhil was relaunched in 2018 to include phone call consultations and e-prescriptions that include a team of 30 physicians who are available from 6 a.m. to 12 midnight. However, the user must have an updated iOS in order to download the app and prevent it from frequently crashing, which is a common complaint among users.

HeyPhil also helps customers in going to a hospital by tackling common on-site inconveniences. Members can find their nearest PhilCare-affiliated hospital and create a letter of authorization for procedures and consultations. This way, PhilCare members can skip the long lines in hospitals and go straight to their doctor.

For more information visit philcare.com.ph/v2/hey-phil
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Back in the 70s, Dr. Denton A. Cooley would do eight or so heart operations a day often on babies and children with heart defects. One day, he operated on four babies. Three of them died. It was around eight oclock at night, and as Dr. Cooley walked down the hall with his team, he said, Today was a bad day, but tomorrow will be a better one.

Twenty years later, Dr. Cooley and Dr. Bud Frazier, a protege of his, were talking together about a case. Dr. Cooley said, Well, this reminds me a lot of Stacy Jones who was one of the three babies who died. He said, Remember when Baby Jones died? This is exactly what happened. Twenty years later, he still remembered every detail of the case. Dr. Cooley never forgot because it meant so much to him, but he always moved forward. He persevered and became the stuff of legend.

***

I first heard an iteration of this story as a volunteer at St. Lukes Episcopal Hospital (now Baylor St. Lukes Medical Center) from Dr. Frazier himself when he visited a group of us at the main office. We had just seen an open heart surgery in a private room, with see-through glass covering much of the floor, directly above the operating room. A decade later at my alma mater, myself and several pre-med students were told this story by Dr. Todd K. Rosengart.

Rewind to July 2010, I had the honor of meeting Dr. Cooley after he spoke at the 20th Anniversary of the Texas Heart Institute at St. Lukes Episcopal Hospital. At the time, St. Lukes was ranked number four in the nation for heart & heart surgery. Eugene Andrew Cernan, a patient of THI where he had his heart surgery done by one of Dr. Cooleys colleagues, was the last person to walk the moon. As Dr. Cooley was introducing Mr. Cernan, he made several light comments that made the entire audience laugh. I was sitting in the very back row, just in awe that I was in the presence of giants.

I remember after the ceremony concluded, I slowly made my way up to the stage where you were standing. I was wearing my short sleeve volunteer shirt, and khaki pants with my Nike backpack slung over my back. My St. Lukes badge was clipped to my shirt at chest level. I saw your badge too, nestled neatly outside your white coat pocket. Above it, Cooley was etched in maroon red cursive. I shook your hand, and up until that moment, no one has ever shaken my hand with such strength as you did.

I remember our conversation like it was yesterday.

Hi Dr. Cooley, my names T.J., its an honor sir.

Nice to meet you T.J. Are you a volunteer?

Yes, I am.

I notice the purple shirt anywhere, are you a pre-med student?

I am. I will be a senior this fall at DeBakey High School for Health Professions.

Good for you and youre going to a great school. Dr. DeBakey was a great man and dear friend to me, and medicine is a noble path youre on.

Thank you so much, Dr. Cooley.

Do you want a picture?

He didnt need to ask me twice, and I pulled out my iPhone 4 from my back pocket.

Dr. Cooley passed away at the age of 96 on November 18, 2016. When I heard the news, it was hard for me not to cry. He was a great Texan, and moreover a Houstonian. He was the first ever to perform an implantation of a total artificial heart. He was the mastermind behind the Texas Heart Institute. He and his team performed over 100,000 open heart surgeries, the most in human history. Through decades of medical practice and innovation, he impacted the lives of millions: patients, friends, family members, medical staff, and students.

Today, every so often I remember Dr. Cooleys words to me and the photo we took together.

I promise to always persevere and dedicate my life to the patients that I will care for as Dr. Cooley did for his.

Ton La, Jr. is a medical student and student editor, The New Physician.

Image credit: Ton La, Jr.
SALEM, Ore. (AP) -- Hundreds of teens spent their spring break pleading with Oregon state lawmakers to consider lowering the voting age to 16, saying young people deserve a say on issues that will directly shape their future including gun control and global climate change.

The decisions our election officials make now will affect us for the rest of our lives, which is why we need a say, Jeremy Clark, a 14-year-old from Portland, testified on Wednesday. We are tired of waiting for the adults to take action.

Legislators are considering changing the state constitution to lower the voting age to 16 in all elections, including for federal office. The move would ultimately need approval from voters in the 2020 ballot.

RELATED: Oregon to consider plan to lower voting age to 16

Teens around the country have emerged as a powerful political force since a school shooting at Parkland, Florida, that left 17 students and teachers dead. Students have since staged multiple school walkouts calling for more gun control, and have separately staged political demonstrations demanding action on climate change.

The idea to lower the voting age has picked up some national support, gaining the endorsement of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. A push to lower the voting age on the federal level fell short earlier this month.

The move to lower the voting age in Oregon also has the approval of Democratic Gov. Kate Brown and U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer.

Sixteen-year-olds are legally permitted to work, required to pay income tax on their earnings, permitted to drive motor vehicles on their own, and can be tried as adults in the criminal justice system, Blumenauer said in written testimony. It stands to reason that they should be able to shape their future by participating in the political process as well.

But opponents say that teens arent mature enough to understand the political process, and that theyre too young to own property or enlist in the military. Republicans add that the move is a Democratic bid to get more liberal voters.

People are not legally considered adults in this country until they are 18 years old, and I believe they shouldnt be able to vote until then either, said Oregon Senate Republican Leader Herman Baertschiger, Jr., of Grants Pass. This is nothing more than an attempt to expand the voter rolls to sway elections.

The 26th amendment to the U.S. Constitution lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 in 1971. While states cannot raise the minimum voting age, they can lower it in state and local elections. Thirteen states have introduced measures to let teens vote, though none have passed.

Two Maryland cities, Takoma Park and Hyattsville, let 16-year-olds vote in city council elections.

Oregon is one of 14 states to let 16-year-olds pre-register to vote, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures . At least 195,500 young people preregistered in the state since the program began in 2007, with nearly half of them preregistering between 2016 and 2018. At least 18,800 of those pre-registered voters who turned 18 before the 2018 midterm elections cast a ballot, according to a report from the Center for American Progress.

Being young doesnt mean we cant make educated decisions, said Amira Tripp Folsom, a junior at La Salle Catholic College Preparatory near Portland. The changes being made to our future should be decided by those actually impacted.

What do you think about allowing 16-year-olds to vote? Let us know in the comments below.
Kilkenny Colleges senior debating team has won the war of words at the 2019 All-Ireland final of the Gael Linn debating competition, Comortas an Phiarsaigh.

Students Molly Parmeter, Iseult Ni Chathail and Rachel Ni Chaomhanaigh were yesterday declared winners over teams from St Geralds College, Castlebar, Laurel Hill Secondary School, Limerick and Eureka Secondary School, Kells.

The event took place in the Lucan Spa Hotel, and was the culmination of this years competition, organised annually by Gael Linn, and funded by Foras na Gaeilge, for second-level schools nationwide, in which over 150 schools have taken part since October last.

The high standard of debating on the night posed a considerable challenge to the five adjudicators, Sean Mac Labhrai, Mairin Ui Mhuiri, Aine Maire Ni Ghioballain, Fergus O Conghaile and Antoin Delap, in their task of selecting the winners.

The motion up for debate was particularly appropriate for the age group  Ba cheart an aois votala in Eirinn a isliu o 18 go 16 (The voting age in Ireland should be reduced from 18 to 16).

Passionate speeches were made by the young orators, with plenty of point-scoring and rebuttal from both side. In the end, the winning words of the Kilkenny College team, Molly , Iseult and Rachel, ensured their victory. Its the first time a team from the local school has gone all the way to the top, and there was great jubilation among the supporters when the Kilkenny girls lifted the Gael Linn cup.

Regina Ni Riain is the teacher who guided the pupils on the journey to their All-Ireland title, and she was justifiably delighted and proud of her teams success.

Earlier on in the evening, Athlone Community College won the junior section of the competition against strong opposition.

Guest chairperson on the night, Peter Kavanagh, Green Party Irish Language spokesperson, praised the participants in both debates for their command of current affairs and excellent oratorical skills. He expressed great interest in the discourse, and challenged the large audience in attendance with his own thoughts on the subjects.

The winning teams in both the junior and senior sections of the competiton were presented with perpetual trophies, along with a prize 1,000, and an award of 250 went to each of the other finalists. The winners also received a part Gaeltacht scholarship to a Gael Linn Summer College in Donegal.

Congratulating the winners on their accomplishment, Gael Linn CEO Antoine O Coileain thanked the teachers for their help and dedication in preparing the teams.

The Gael Linn debates are very popular with schools because they give students the opportunity to research topics and to present their case in Irish before an audience, he said.

Comortas an Phiarsaigh cultivates young Irish speakers and we are delighted that the competition is going from strength to strength.

Notable participants in Gael Linn debating down through the years include a host of high profile journalists and broadcasters such as Claire Byrne, Marian Finucane, Mary Kennedy, Harry McGee and Kilkennys own Evanne Ni Chuilin. Many have credited the Gael Linn debates with fostering their love of Irish and with giving them confidence in public speaking.
DUBAI/LONDON/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia is having a hard time convincing Russia to stay much longer in an OPEC-led pact cutting oil supply, and Moscow may agree only to a three-month extension, three sources familiar with the matter said.

Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak told his Saudi counterpart Khalid al-Falih when the two met in Baku this month that he cannot guarantee an extension to the end of 2019, the sources said.

Novak told Falih that he will extend in June but can only do it until the end of September as he is under too much pressure internally to end the cuts, a source familiar with Russian oil policy said.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Russia and other non-OPEC producers - an alliance known as OPEC+ - agreed in December to reduce oil supply by 1.2 million barrels per day from Jan. 1 for six months.

We can extend for three months when we meet in June and then see if we need to extend later, an OPEC source said.

We really dont know now, and we may not know until the last minute before we meet in June, whether the Russians will stay.

The OPEC+ alliance was formed in 2017. Since its inception, oil prices have doubled to more than $60 per barrel - mainly as a result of a series of production cuts by its members.

Should Russia pull out of the latest agreement on cutting output, oil prices would drop.

Saudi Arabia and other OPEC members could be forced to consider continuing the cuts alone if Russia opted not to stay, the OPEC source said.

It was unclear whether Russias tough stance was a negotiation tactic or a real threat to quit the agreement as Novak faces mounting pressure from Russian oil companies that no longer want curbs on their production, the sources said.

Igor Sechin, head of Russian oil giant Rosneft and an ally of Vladimir Putin, told the Russian president that the deal with OPEC is a strategic threat and plays into the hands of the United States, Reuters reported in February.

On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump called for an OPEC production boost to lower oil prices.

There is no guarantee Putin will back Sechins view. The president sees the pact with OPEC as part of a bigger puzzle involving dialogue with OPECs de facto leader, Saudi Arabia, over Syria and other geopolitical issues.

But Russia knows Saudi Arabia wants oil at a minimum $70 a barrel for its budget requirements, while Moscow needs just $55 a barrel to balance its books, the sources said.

Moscow has always kept its cards close to its chest when it comes to extending supply agreements with OPEC, only to agree later to what Riyadh has advocated.

Russia and Saudi Arabia are both bluffing now and are trying to play the same card that we saw in December, a Russian industry source said.

Novak is threatening to end the deal, but later he will ask Putin for permission to extend the cut.

This month, OPEC and its allies scrapped a planned meeting in April. They will decide instead whether to extend output cuts in June, once the market has assessed the impact of new U.S. sanctions on Iran due in May.

Russia was among the countries that recommended cancelling the April meeting, OPEC sources said.
* European banks lower as bond yields slide

*

By Agamoni Ghosh

March 28 (Reuters) - European shares rose on Thursday as signs of progress in U.S.-China trade talks helped investors look past worries over global growth and Britain's chaotic effort to leave the European Union.

The pan-region STOXX 600 index rose 0.2 percent with Frankfurt's trade-sensitive index climbing about 0.4 percent.

China has made unprecedented proposals on issues like forced technology transfers as it works with the United States to end their trade war, U.S. officials told Reuters on Wednesday. In addition, Premier Li Keqiang said China would expand market access for foreign banks and insurance companies. Basic resources led gains on the STOXX, but banking stocks fell as bond yields, and what they say about expectations for global growth, continued to decline.

"European stocks are slightly higher. It seems almost a battle of ideas," said Teeuwe Mevissen, senior market economist, eurozone at Rabobank in Utrecht. "In the background you have Brexit and not less important are trade talks between China and the U.S. and the slowdown in China."

Britain's exporter-heavy FTSE 100 rose 0.6 percent as sterling weakened after Prime Minister Theresa May failed to sway hard-line opponents of her proposed Brexit agreement, leaving the process deadlocked.

"In general, markets still assume that a Brexit deal will take place or you will get a prolonged delay. The 'no deal' is not completely ruled out, but it's certainly not the basic scenario for market participants," said Mevissen.

Efforts to persuade lawmakers to back May's deal will continue on Thursday, but it remains uncertain how, when or even if Britain will leave the EU. In the euro zone, German biotech company Evotec lead gains on the STOXX, rising 4.5 percent after its results beat expectations. Tobacco stocks Imperial Brands and British American Tobacco gained about 2 percent after Citi upgraded each to "buy".

Car makers extended gains from Wednesday but Fiat Chrysler Automobiles slid 1 percent after Nissan Motor Co's chief executive said he was unaware of discussions about its French partner Renault SA making a bid for the company. Adding to its woes, the Italian carmaker's German rival Volkswagen said it was not interested in a partnership with the company.

Shares of 1&1 Drillisch, a unit of United Internet, fell 12 percent after the telecom service provider issued a disappointing profit outlook. Debenhams dropped 23 percent after the retailer said its bondholders agreed to change the terms of some of their bonds, a move that could end a bid from Mike Ashley's Sports Direct and wipe out shareholders.

(Reporting by Agamoni Ghosh and Medha Singh, editing by Larry King)
(Recasts throughout with protests, government negotiators turned away)

By Marco Aquino and Mitra Taj

LIMA, March 27 (Reuters) - A government negotiating team sent to Peru's southern copper belt to calm rising tensions at a Chinese-owned mine was repelled by indigenous protesters who hurled rocks at its helicopter on Wednesday, a government official said.

Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra's government had tasked the team, led by three ministers, with finding a peaceful end to a 51-day road blockade that has choked off access to Chinese miner MMG Ltd's Las Bambas mine, one of the country's largest copper producers.

However, protesters used slingshots to hurl rocks at the ministers' helicopter when it arrived at the blockade, where they had hoped to restart talks with representatives of the indigenous community of Fuerabamba, Development Minister Paola Bustamante, part of the team, said in a televised interview.

Fuerabamba, an Andean village relocated to make way for the mine, started the blockade in early February to demand compensation from MMG for transporting copper from Las Bambas on a road on its farmland. MMG has said it is open to talks.

However, Fuerabamba is now demanding freedom for its leader and three lawyers who were jailed last week over accusations they organized the blockade to extort MMG, which is controlled by state-owned China Minmetals.

Fuerabamba villagers say the men were set up to discredit their demands and have summoned other villages to back them in broader protests against the arrests.

The dispute has evolved into region-wide complaints and calls for justice. Hundreds of protesters, many Quechua-speaking Indians from villages near Las Bambas, marched at an entry road to the mine on Wednesday to call for the release of Fuerabamba's leaders, according to media reports and videos provided by Fuerabamba.

The government's negotiating team returned to the regional capital, Cusco.

"We went with a disposition for dialogue and that's why we're going to continue with that disposition and see how things shape up tomorrow," Bustamante told state TV channel 7 late on Wednesday. "We're not going to retreat in this process."

Vizcarra has ruled out clearing protesters by force.

Fuerabamba's vice president, Edison Vargas, told Reuters there would be no negotiations with the government or an end to protests until the four men were released.

The government said it cannot tell an independent judicial system to release prisoners.

PM DEFENDS ARRESTS

The government's failure to restart talks promises to prolong a dispute that has already halted Las Bambas exports. The company is also preparing to declare force majeure on sales.

Las Bambas, MMG's flagship mine, produced nearly 400,000 tonnes of copper last year, about 2 percent of the world's copper and 1 percent of Peru's gross domestic product.

Prime Minister Salvador Del Solar denied the government was behind the arrests, which he said had thwarted talks.

"We lack a representative to speak with due to a decision by the prosecutors' office which may be completely legitimate but which was not ours to make," he told a news conference. "In the meantime, our efforts to find a window of dialogue continue."

Del Solar defended the arrests as the work of an independent criminal probe by public prosecutors. The arrests have been condemned by local mayors and officials as the "criminalization" of protest.

Wednesday's protest was made up of representatives of more than 50 communities, a Fuerabamba spokesman said.

Vargas is also sought for arrest by police, an interior ministry source said.

"How are we supposed to talk when they're trying to arrest me?" Vargas said, describing an incident on Tuesday in which he alleged intelligence agents tried to capture him. "What dialogue are they talking about?"

Peru's police department did not respond to requests for comment.

(Reporting by Marco Aquino and Mitra Taj, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)


By Jung Min-ho







The head of a Tokyo pension office has lost his job over hateful tweets against Koreans.





Yukihisa Kasai, head of the Japan Pension Service's (JPS) office in Setagaya Ward,

said on Twitter that "Korean residents should be purged from Japan and new entries refused" and called them "cowardly people with vassal-like spirits."





The incident came only days after a high-ranking official at Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare was dismissed as head of its wages division for allegedly assaulting a Korean Air employee at Gimpo International Airport in Seoul.





Kasai admitted to posting the tweets and, after the issue emerged, deleted them all.





He was dismissed from his post and transferred to JPS's human resource division.


Leo Morris, columnist for The Indiana Policy Review, can be contacted at leoedits@yahoo.com.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 28)  President Rodrigo Duterte welcomed a ranking Chinese official during a courtesy call in Davao City Wednesday.

Song Tao, Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (IDCPC) Central Committee, along with other delegates from China met with the President at the Matina Enclaves.

According to the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), Duterte and Song discussed "issues that would further strengthen the relationship between the two countries," as well as matters of mutual interest including the West Philippine Sea.

During the meeting, the President clarified his administration had no hand in the recent filing of a case by former government officials against Chinese President Xi Jinping at the International Criminal Court.

Duterte, however, clarified the Philippines is a democracy and therefore "cannot stop people from just filing cases."

It was unclear how Song responded to the President's statement. No further details on the meeting have been released.

RELATED: Palace backs 'political motive' claim behind ex-officials' ICC complaint vs. China

Last week, former Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Albert del Rosario and former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales filed a communication before the International Criminal Court outlining the crimes Chinese President Xi Jinping and other Chinese officials supposedly committed in their "systematic plan to control" the South China Sea.

After learning of the filing, Duterte said both former officials were "entitled" to file the case.

"They are Filipino citizens. And I think we just also have to defend our position vis-a-vis sa kanila. They think they have a good case, and I would say that there is no jurisdiction over this country and of China. Mas lalo na sa [Especially with] China. We will just go along that line," he said.

However, the President added whether the case would prosper or not was a different matter.
By Wang Keju, China Daily | Mar. 28, 2019

China's civil aviation regulator has temporarily stopped issuing airworthiness certificates for Boeing 737 Max 8s because of safety concerns, a move an expert said will bring huge economic losses to Boeing.

Two Boeing 737 MAX 8s have crashed in the last five months. All 157 passengers and crew members of a 737 MAX 8 operated by Ethiopian Airlines died on Mar 10, including eight Chinese nationals. In October, the same model of plane, operated by Lion Air, went down over the Java Sea, killing 189.

"Considering that the aircraft faces uncertainties in its airworthiness, after looking into the matter, the administration decided to suspend Boeing 737 MAX 8 airworthiness certifications immediately," the Civil Aviation Administration of China said in a statement unveiled on Tuesday, adding that the ongoing investigation had not ruled out design flaws in the aircraft.

"A certificate is granted by the country's regulator after an aircraft has been inspected and meets the requirements for safe operation," said Li Xiaojin, a professor of aviation economics at Civil Aviation University in Tianjin, "It's a long process to determine whether an aircraft is airworthy."

It took Boeing 15 months to get an airworthiness certificate for the first 737 MAX 8 from the administration, he said, adding that the certificate was issued in October 2017.

The administration has sent experts to participate in investigations and will review the model's airworthiness with a focus on alterations to the jet engine design and placement. It will resume accepting applications for the certificate after the aircraft design is found to meet the requirements.

"Considering that the two accidents took place after new Boeing 737 MAX 8s were delivered, and went down just minutes after taking off, within five months of each other, they have some degree of similarity," the administration said in its statement. The administration grounded all Chinese Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets on March 11.

"With China suspending the airworthiness certificate for the Boeing 737 MAX 8, domestic airlines are unable to purchase this model," Li said, adding that it will undoubtedly cause great economic losses to Boeing.

As of the end of January, the Boeing 737 MAX family had 5,011 orders worldwide, of which 350 had been delivered. More than 420 orders came from China, with 96 already in commercial operation.

The future of the commercial aviation market in China is very exciting, Li said, and no other country has more demand for aircraft. But safety questions are hindering Boeing, Li said.

A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 heading to the California desert for parking during a global ban of the aircraft made an emergency landing on Tuesday due to an engine-related problem shortly after takeoff, according to the carrier.

Over the next two decades, China is expected to remain the world's only trillion-dollar airplane market, and it will require 7,690 new airplanes, valued at US$1.2 trillion, according to Boeing's forecast in September.
By Promit Mukherjee, Reuters | Mar. 27, 2019

GMR Infrastructure said bit.ly/2UbRphT a consortium of Tata Group, an affiliate of Singapore's sovereign wealth fund GIC, and SSG Capital Management will invest 80 billion rupees (US$1.16 billion) in GMR Airports Ltd, which operates India's biggest airport in New Delhi.

The deal will help the company cut its debt and also provide an exit for private equity investors such as Macquarie, Standard Chartered PLC and JM Financial Ltd from the company's airports business, it said on Wednesday.

GMR Infra's airports business - under which it manages airports in New Delhi and south Indian city of Hyderabad - is the cash cow of the group with over two-thirds of revenue and half the profit coming from the business.

After the deal, the company's net debt will fall to 120 billion rupees, from 200 billion rupees in December 2018, while GMR Airports' debt will halve to 10 billion rupees.

Under the terms of the deal, GMR Infrastructure will hold a 54 percent stake in GMR Airports and keep management control, while Tatas will hold about 20 percent, GIC 15 percent and SSG nearly 10 percent.

Business Restructuring

After the deal, which will take 2-3 months to complete, the debt-laden infrastructure company will go to its board for approval to "restructure and demerge" the airports business which will lead to its listing on stock exchanges, a company executive said.

"Airport is not an infrastructure play. It is a consumer play. We want to give minority investors exposure to pure play airport business also," said Sushil Kumar Modi, Group CFO for strategic finance.

The company plans to create two different verticals under GMR Infrastructure - one that will be formed with the demerger of airports business and the other with remaining businesses of roads, power, its coal mining assets in Indonesia and its industrial land holdings, Modi said.

"Both the verticals will operate as separate listed companies in future and help unlock value in each," said Saurabh Chawla, Executive Director (Finance & Strategy), GMR Infrastructure.

Over the next few years, the New Delhi-headquartered company will also look at monetising the road assets, industrial land and the coal mines.

The demerger and restructuring of the company depends on getting requisite board approvals, which will be sought "very soon", Modi said.

Private equity investors in GMR Airports that had long been looking to cash out will now have a chance to exit the business in less than 12 months.

GMR Infrastructure said it would start talks with the investors "very soon".

Shares of GMR Infrastructure climbed 9.8 percent to touch a near 7-month high on news of the deal. They gave up most of the gains to end 0.3 percent higher in a Mumbai market that lost 0.3 percent.
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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 28)  Officials in a Leyte school have suspended work and classes after a school official and several students received a bomb threat via text message.

The Visayas State University (VSU) in Baybay City, Leyte called off work and classes on Thursday citing a "security threat." Work in offices will resume Friday while students can attend classes again on Monday.

On Wednesday, the university's Vice President for Research and Extension and a few students reportedly received text messages from an alleged member of the New People's Army at 1 p.m., warning of a bomb implanted in the school.

Students and employees were immediately instructed to vacate their dorms and offices and to remain vigilant.

Leyte police are also conducting a campus-wide sweep in search of possible explosives. PLt. Col. Ricky Reli said they will continue coordinating with school authorities and the military during the investigation.

A diversion?

The Leyte police chief said they cannot yet confirm if the NPA is responsible for the bomb scare. However, they are not discounting the possibility of the NPA using the threat to draw attention away from possible attacks in other areas.

"We are not discounting the possibility that this is just a diversionary [tactic]. Maybe they will focus their unlawful activities to some other parts of the region," Reli told CNN Philippines' Newsroom.

Reli said the security threat is limited to the school's premises saying there is no urgent need to secure surrounding areas. He urged the public to remain calm.

"It is only limited to Visayas State Universityof course we are not being complacent, all necessary precautionary measures are being made and of course we are encouraging the public to remain calm. The situation is normal," he added.
Chris Argentieri is President and Chief Operating Officer of the Los Angeles Times, overseeing all the business operations of The Times.

After joining the company in late 2014, Argentieri has led initiatives to extend The Times brand and its journalism to additional platforms, collaborate with other businesses and organizations, and refine the product portfolio and marketing offerings to better serve clients.

Argentieri brings more than 20 years of media industry experience to his role at The Times. He was previously President of The Enthusiast Network (TEN), the countrys largest collection of special-interest media, which includes more than 75 publications, 100 websites, 800 branded products and 50 annual events. Prior to that, he served as TENs Chief Operating Officer overseeing technology, consumer marketing and brand development.

Earlier in his career, Argentieri held a variety of operational roles at Hearst Magazines.


In a global season void of clear paths, Oprah Winfreys new book, The Path Made Clear: Discovering Your Lifes Direction and Purpose, is a welcome lesson. After all, if theres anyone who has carved out a successful rose path from weedy ground, its Winfrey, whose early traumatic life in poor rural segregated Mississippi stacked the odds flamboyantly against her thriving anywhere, let alone lifting her to the heights she has risen to.

Its also keen to note just how so very Oprah the book is; and if youre of the few who dont know what that means, think familiar, positive, warm with just enough personal emotive anecdotes to showcase her singular wisdom. And its all wrapped in a lovely package just for you. Its a tone and style the former talk show queen has perfected for her legions of fans.

Yet, in many ways, that O vibe is the perfect voice for this think-positive, compilation book. In it, Winfrey pens a dozen short essays on her life principles  or as she sometimes refers to them, spiritual laws  peppered with quotes from luminaries as varied as Jimmy Carter, Cindy Crawford and RuPaul. Her goal: To help you find your path  or in vintage parlance what used to be termed ones calling.

There is no real doing without first being Oprah Winfrey

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Says Winfrey from the outset: There is no real doing without first being, which also perfectly sums up even the books cover photo of a small pensive Winfrey walking a wild  yet well-worn path  amid mountainous trees as shes clad simply in jeans, sneakers and oversize navy sweater with her hair pulled back into a ponytail and miles from her glam-ed self.

The book flows through various adages:

The Seeds: When you pay attention to what feeds your energy, you move in the direction of the life for which you were intended.

The Roots: I dont believe in luck. For me, luck really means preparation meeting the moment of opportunity.

The Whispers: Your life is always speaking to you.

The Clouds: For every dream, there is automatically going to be resistance.

The Give: Every single moment is an opportunity to be of service to another human being.

The Reward: All these years later, I am still keenly aware that I am not my salary.

While these might at first seem like AA slogans or self-help bromides, they are not. The wisdom in this book comes in its easy reading, which allows you to re-read and re-use it, placing it perhaps on a nightstand or diving into it during an early morning quiet time. A slowed mind and attention are required to hear what is being said.

Book jacket for The Path Made Clear: Discovering Your Lifes Direction and Purpose by Oprah Winfrey. (Flatiron Books)

Winfreys core insights  and the moments that best illuminate her passion-driven inner self  are seen in two key stories she tells.

First, we learn much from the time when Winfrey  a self-proclaimed fearless public speaker  has the jitters after Harvards then-president, Drew Faust, asks her to give a commencement address.

At the time, Winfrey was in the beginning stages of her OWN television networks roughshod debut and the press was slapping her down, complaining that her golden foot was slipping, with headlines such as: Oprah Winfrey Isnt Quite Holding Her OWN.

That one stung, she says. I had enjoyed a long stretch at the top and was proud to be known as a powerful businesswoman. So when Harvard reached out, all I could think was, What can I teach about success when Ive stopped succeeding?  She says it was a particularly frustrating time. And to be frank, I was embarrassed.

Winfrey says she struggled with the fear for a while, learned why it had appeared, and then made the speech anyway. Take-away lesson: Winfrey listens and learns from her fear and pushes through it.

Another glimpse into Winfreys central character happens as shes confronted by a reporter relaying critical comments from naysayers when she opened the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa. The negative comments said the school would not last, which surprised and clearly irritated Winfrey.

Her response: People have no idea of my tenacity. Once I commit to something and I have a full-hearted desire to see it work, I cant imagine what it would take to make me quit. Dont bet against me. You cannot defeat someone who knows who they truly are. I know who I am and why I am doing this, so I would not bet against me. The school still thrives.

Near the books end we meet up with Winfreys longtime staple refrain in her re-telling of the story of The Wizard of Oz: If you want to know yourself and live your best life, youll find that path when you sharpen your gaze and attention inside yourself and listen, and importantly, keep listening.

Its a potent reminder of whats ever more necessary these days inside a whirlwind of blasting social media, shouting pundits and much hand-wringing over vertiginous world affairs. And if thats the only lesson heard by anyone, thats enough; we say thank you, Oprah.

::

The Path Made Clear: Discovering Your Lifes Direction and Purpose

Oprah Winfrey

Flatiron Books, 208 pp., $27.99

Kinosian is the author of The Well-Rested Woman.
Its as a 27-year-old Catholic-schooled writer teaching in Southern California that Carolyn Forche first opens her door to an enigmatic Salvadoran man, Leonel Gomez Vides. With his polymath mind and dimless passion for his countrys survival, he entices the sheltered young woman to follow him to El Salvador to see for herself what is happening to his country during the lead up to the Salvadoran Civil War, the years the stranger refers to as the silence of misery endured.

Renowned poet and human rights activist Forches new memoir, What You Have Heard Is True: A Memoir of Witness and Resistance, is a lyrical, potent book specific to a time and place. Its focus is the relationship between Forche and her mentor Gomez  a cousin of Claribel Algeria whose poetry Forche was translating  that is the central pole on which swirls a cascade of often bizarre and cryptic meetings with corrupt high-level military officers, disenfranchised campesinos and endless safe houses. She becomes involved with movie plot-like intrigue, witnessing first-hand the murders, massacres, and relentless drone of violence that was El Salvador at that historical moment.

Carolyn Forche with Grandpa Goodmorning in an image from the book What You Have Heard is True: A Memoir of Witness and Resistance. (From Carolyn Forche)

Gomez wants Forche to see, truly see his country. Of course, its not all dim violence; El Salvador is a geographically beautiful country, and theres plentiful prose as Forche describes its famed volcanoes, black sand beaches, cane, cotton and coffee fields; its beautiful light and cathedrals, monkeys and iguanas as well as the papayas and coconuts even the thousands of desaparecidos  the disappeared  once took comfort in.

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Forches subsequent and formidable career in both human rights and poetry grew directly from these Salvadoran experiences and it is years later when she coins the phrase poetry of witness. This term is now used to describe poets who pen lyrical dispatches as witness to the tsunami of barbarity that was the 20th century, prior and now beyond. She would edit two such volumes of witness poetry: Against Forgetting: Twentieth-Century Poetry of Witness (1993) and Poetry of Witness: The Tradition in English, 1500-2001 (2014).

By the end of the war (Forche makes multiple trips back to the country but is not there for the years of the official conflict) 75,000 were killed, more than 550,000 Salvadorans had been internally displaced with 500,000 becoming refugees. Many relocated to Los Angeles where a thriving Salvadoran community exists today.

Throughout the necessary grisly recounting of what she witnessed, we hear Gomez constantly admonishing Forche to: pay closer attention. Someday you will be talking to your own people. Writing for your own people. I promise you that it is going to be difficult to get Americans to believe what is happening here. For one thing, this is outside the realm of their imaginations. For another, it isnt in their interest to believe you. For a third, it is possible that we are not human beings to them.

What You Have Heard Is True: A Memoir of Witness and Resistance by Carolyn Forche. (Penguin)

The question remains: Why did she go? Even by the end of the story we are still not certain; as Forche readily admits its something she ponders all these decades later, even though its this one decision that gave trajectory to her lifes work.

It was as if he had stood me squarely before the world, removed the blindfold, and ordered me to open my eyes, she says. This remarkable book is the world she saw.

::

What You Have Heard Is True

Carolyn Forche

Penguin Press, 400 pp., $28.00

Kinosian is a Los Angeles-based journalist.
Disneyland Resort is too popular for its own good. Raising prices, charging extra for high-demand days and adding blackout dates for annual passholders havent been enough to thin the throngs that increase every year.

Now with the expected onrush of fans for the May 31 opening of Star Wars: Galaxys Edge  the biggest expansion in the parks history  Walt Disney Co. managers are going even further to squeeze more people into the same boundaries.

Theyre coming for your cigarettes and your wide-load strollers.

Disney is eliminating the last smoking areas inside Disneyland and California Adventure as of May 1. The Burbank media giant also is banning strollers wider than 31 inches, which includes some double strollers by well-known brands such as Baby Jogger, and childrens push wagons. (Wagons that are pulled, such as the classic Radio Flyer, already are banned.)

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Disneyland has been a crowd-control pioneer since the parks earliest days, when it used stanchions and tape to create the kind of line switchbacks that are now common at airports and other queue-heavy spots. The Anaheim parks, hemmed in on all sides, dont have much ability to expand, so new ways must be constantly devised to eliminate bottlenecks.

The latest restrictions join a series of policy changes and park upgrades in anticipation of the $1-billion, 14-acre land, which features two rides, four eateries, one space-themed cantina and five retail shops. The Star Wars land is being replicated at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., which will have an Aug. 29 opening.

For the first three weeks after the Star Wars land opens, only visitors with reservations will be allowed. Guests at the three resort hotels during those three weeks will automatically receive reservations.

Everyone else can make no-cost reservations online.

But many of the details for the opening of the land have yet to be unveiled, such as when the resort will begin to accept reservations and whether those reservations will be taken on the Disneyland website, on the Disneyland app or both. Disney representatives also declined to discuss the capacity of the new land.

How to avoid long lines at Disneyland 

After the first three weeks, Disneyland will employ a virtual queueing system, in which parkgoers will get a boarding pass and will be called to enter the land when there is enough room, representatives said. They offered no other details on how that system would work.

To ease pedestrian congestion, the resort will slice 5 inches off its current stroller-width limit of 36 inches and will prohibit those ubiquitous wagons that many parents use to push children through the parks.

Outside the security screening areas, visitors will have some way to measure their strollers  probably with lines painted on the sidewalk, 31 inches apart, park representatives said.

If their strollers are too wide, visitors can rent strollers for $15 a day. Owners of offending strollers might be able to stow them in lockers that cost as much as $15 a day, otherwise they would probably need to trek back to their cars.

We are not trying to be so restrictive, said Kris Theiler, vice president of the Disneyland park. We want to find a compromise.

A replica of the Millennium Falcon will be featured at Stars Wars: Galaxys Edge. (Disney Parks)

Four designated smoking areas will be removed at the resort to clear walkways and improve traffic flow, a move that will make both Disneyland and neighboring California Adventure Park smoke-free for the first time.

One smoking area, a collection of benches near Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, is along one of three walkways that will serve as entrances to the new Star Wars land. The park has no other unused space where the smoking area can be moved, Theiler said.

We have no great options to relocate this, she said.

Another smoking area in the California Adventure Park, near the Silly Symphony Swings, one in the esplanade between the two parks, and a fourth in the Downtown Disney shopping district will also be eliminated.

Once all four smoking areas are removed, park visitors who want to smoke will have to either use the smoking areas near the three resort hotels or go to open areas beyond the security screeners near the edges of the resort.

Inside Disneyland, a walkway to enter from the center of the park into Adventureland and continue toward the Star Wars land will be widened and the queueing area for an eatery along the walkway will be relocated to make more room for pedestrians.

The Disneyland Resort plans to add 5,500 parking spaces with the opening at the end of July of a new structure called Pixar Pals. (Walt Disney Co.)

The resort is also adding thousands of parking spaces, but most of those wont be available for use until June at the earliest.

Also, the most anticipated attraction, an immersive experience called Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, will not be ready for the public until later this year, Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger told shareholders this month.

The second attraction in the new land, the interactive Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, will be in operation when the land opens.

In 2016, Disney adopted demand pricing at Disneyland, California Adventure and its other U.S. theme parks to better control crowds, charging less on low-demand days and boosting gate prices on high-demand days.

Disneyland raised prices to shorten waits. Here are the results. 

In January, Disneyland unveiled several other low-tech fixes to ease congestion, such as shrinking or eliminating tree and flower planters, moving lines and designating areas for stroller parking.

Despite all of the efforts, Disneyland representatives concede that queues for the attractions in the new land probably will be long.

The park has already begun discussing plans to make the idle time in the lines less frustrating by adding snack vending machines and interactions with costumed actors and others.

We are going to be working really hard to deliver for the guests, Theiler said.

Among other fixes to improve traffic flow:

Curb cuts will be added to the sidewalk around the central plaza surrounding the statue of Walt Disney.

Fixes will be made to the Fastpass ride reservation system that will change what happens when a ride goes offline. Instead of letting visitors whose ride reservations are canceled immediately get on any other attraction in the park, the system will disperse parkgoers to similar attractions in other areas, thus reducing crowding.

A new parking structure, dubbed Pixar Pals, is scheduled to open at the end of July, adding 5,500 parking spaces.

More than 2,000 parking spots will be freed up at the Toy Story lot by the end of June by relocating spaces used by employees.

hugo.martin@latimes.com

To read more about the travel and tourism industries, follow @hugomartin on Twitter.
Some of the biggest players in distressed debt are proposing a $35-billion plan that would allow California utility giant PG&E Corp. to emerge from bankruptcy within a year, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Pacific Investment Management Co., Elliott Management Corp. and Davidson Kempner Capital Management have been meeting with California lawmakers and other stakeholders to discuss the proposal, the sources said, asking not to be identified because the discussions are private. The plan would establish a $14-billion cash trust to pay for claims tied to the deadly 2017 and 2018 wildfires that forced the utility to declare bankruptcy, according to the proposal seen by Bloomberg News.

Since making a Chapter 11 filing in January, PG&E has become the target of investors wrestling for control over the companys incoming board and chief executive officer. The company is facing liabilities that may exceed $30 billion from wildfires its equipment may have caused. Its bankruptcy case, the biggest for a utility in U.S. history, is expected to be contentious and complex as creditors, shareholders, wildfire victims and state officials weigh in on the remake of the power giant.

Pimco didnt immediately respond to requests for comment left after business hours. Davidson Kempner also couldnt immediately be reached for comment. Elliott and PG&E declined to comment.

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The plan that Pimco, Elliott and Davidson Kempner are pitching on behalf of an ad hoc committee of PG&Es senior unsecured noteholders would also establish a statewide wildfire fund of at least $13 billion that would be financed by PG&E, other California utilities, statewide bonds and other state funding, according to the sources.

Under the plan, PG&E would be recapitalized through contributions totaling $8 billion, allowing the company to refinance its debtor-in-possession loan and other maturities. In all, roughly $18.5 billion in funds would be provided by the creditor group  about half in equity and half in debt-linked securities, the sources said. An additional $2 billion would come from insurance proceeds, they said.

In the term sheet, the creditors describe the proposal as a fresh capital commitment of unprecedented scale by existing PG&E creditors, including leading financial institutions and investors in the U.S. regulated utility industry. It would have PG&E exiting bankruptcy by March 31, 2020, and would be mainly neutral for consumers, according to the document.

The creditors arent asking for action by California legislators outside of the establishment of the statewide wildfire fund  a move that could expedite PG&Es exit from bankruptcy, the sources said.
The billionaire owners of Purdue Pharma were sued by New York state Thursday in a complaint accusing them of triggering a U.S. addiction epidemic with their marketing of the Oxycontin painkiller, two days after the company agreed to pay $270 million to settle similar claims by Oklahoma.

The amended complaint adds the embattled Sackler family to the states lawsuit against Purdue and its biggest competitors and distributors, including Johnson & Johnson and Cardinal Health Inc. New York says the defendants pushed doctors to issue prescriptions, lied about the risk of addiction and ignored red flags from suspicious pharmacies.

Simply put, they put profit over patients, New York Atty. Gen. Letitia James said Thursday at a news conference in Manhattan announcing the new claims. The Sacklers profited off the suffering, the death of New Yorkers, she said.

The suit in New York state court, which James said is the most extensive of its kind in the United States, adds to the potentially massive legal liability that has led Purdue to threaten to file for bankruptcy protection. Meanwhile, states and local governments have targeted the Sackler familys wealth in an effort to recoup billions of dollars spent on the social costs of opioid addiction. More than 1,600 suits against opioid makers have been consolidated in federal court in Ohio, and other cases are pending in state courts.

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One of the manufacturing defendants  Purdue  undoubtedly tipped the first domino, James, a Democrat who took office in January, said in the complaint. The others quickly went in on the scheme to expand the opioids market through a predatory campaign of lies, payoffs and high-pressure sales tactics.

The Sackler family denied the allegations.

Expanding this baseless lawsuit to include former directors of Purdue Pharma is a misguided attempt to place blame where it does not belong for a complex public health crisis, the family said in a statement Thursday. We strongly deny these allegations, which are inconsistent with the factual record, and will vigorously defend against them.

James said she was particularly concerned about Cardinal Health, which she described as the biggest distributor of opioid drugs in New York since 2010.

Cardinal Health has sent a total of 780 million oxycodone pills to pharmacies in the state, James said, including pharmacies the company repeatedly flagged for suspicious orders. Cardinal Health also disregarded the concerns of its own employees and failed to properly train compliance personnel or sales representatives, she said.

Cardinal Health reported nearly $130 billion in annual revenue last year, James said.

In a statement, Cardinal Health said it cares deeply about the opioid epidemic and shares the judgment of top policymakers and many others that too many prescriptions have been written for too many opioid pills over the past decade. Cardinal Health will continue, as we have for over a decade, to make a meaningful difference by raising awareness about the dangers of over-prescribing.

Blizzard of prescriptions

James also accused the Sacklers of attempting to hide the vast fortunes they earned from the alleged scheme in order to keep it from being clawed back through legal actions or investigations.

In an attempt to shield these fortunes from the families of loved ones who have been killed by their products, we allege that the family has illicitly transferred funds from Purdue to personal trusts so they are potentially outside the reach of law enforcement and our efforts to seek restitution and penalties, James said.

Among the details in James 258-page complaint are quoted remarks from the 1996 launch party for OxyContin, where former Purdue Chief Executive Richard Sackler allegedly asked the audience to imagine a series of natural disasters, such as earthquakes, erupting volcanoes and blizzards.

The launch of OxyContin tablets will be followed by a blizzard of prescriptions that will bury the competition, Sackler said, according to the complaint. The prescription blizzard will be so deep, dense and white.

James calls the defendants unrepentant and lays out how each of the individuals and companies allegedly participated in a scheme that ballooned out of control. The defendants have denied wrongdoing.

New York will seek financial penalties from the family and the disgorgement of wrongfully obtained profits, she said at the news conference.

Other cases

The Sacklers have also been sued by a group of more than 500 cities and counties, filed in New York and Massachusetts. The family has denied any wrongdoing in both cases, but the publicity has led some in the art world to protest museums that have received donations from the Sacklers.

About 400,000 Americans have died since 1999 from opioid-related overdoses, with an additional 130 perishing each day, Massachusetts said in its suit.

The Oklahoma settlement by Purdue and the Sacklers came two months before the scheduled start of a trial against the company, Johnson & Johnson, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and other opioid makers. The trial is set for May against companies other than Purdue.

The drugmaker defendants in New Yorks case:

J&J, based in New Brunswick, N.J., and its Janssen Pharmaceuticals subsidiary. Mallinckrodt, an Irish company headquartered in Staines-Upon-Thames, Britain. Endo International, with global headquarters in Dublin. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., with headquarters in Petah Tikva, Israel, and units Cephalon Inc. and Actavis Pharma Inc. Allergan, which is based in Dublin.

The distributor defendants:

McKesson Corp., based in San Francisco. AmerisourceBergen Corp., based in Chesterbrook, Pa. Cardinal Health Inc., based in Dublin, Ohio. Rochester Drug Cooperative Inc., based in Rochester, N.Y.
Wells Fargo & Co.s embattled chief executive, Tim Sloan  who has struggled to get the giant San Francisco bank past a seemingly endless series of customer abuse scandals  retired suddenly Thursday.

He stepped down as CEO, president and board member effective immediately, with his retirement taking effect June 30, Wells Fargo said.

His interim replacement will be C. Allen Parker, who has served as the companys general counsel since March 2017 after joining the bank from an outside law firm. Wells Fargo said a permanent chief executive would be hired from outside the bank.

Sloan, a low-key Wells Fargo veteran of 31 years, took over the top job in 2016 amid the fallout over the banks acknowledgement that employees had opened millions of checking, savings and credit card accounts that customers never authorized.

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He was a top executive at Wells Fargo when the accounts were being created as early as 2002, including stints as chief financial officer, chief operating officer and president. That led critics to argue he should have known about the problems long before they became public and was thus ill-suited to lead the bank out of its mess.

Sloan said Thursday that he was confident he could do the job but decided it was best to step aside. Theres just been too much focus on me and its impacting our ability to move forward, he said during a conference call with analysts.

Betsy Duke, chairwoman of Wells Fargos board of directors, said in a statement that Sloan had served the company with pride and dedication and worked tirelessly since becoming chief executive for all of our stakeholders in the best long-term interest of Wells Fargo.

In the conference call, she later said that seeking someone from outside is the most effective way to complete the transformation and acknowledged the bank has a lot more work to do.

Sloan is leaving with a retirement package worth about $52 million, according to a securities filing.

Ed Mierzwinksi, a consumer advocate with the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, said bringing in a new chief executive from outside Wells Fargo was needed to get past the scandals.

The bank needs to be shaken up, he said. The bank needs new leadership that is responsive to both consumers and workers. Its making a lot of money but its not changing its practices quickly.

Spokesmen for the banks two main federal regulators, who have been highly critical of Wells Fargo, declined to comment Thursday.

Wells Fargo announced Sloans retirement after markets closed on Thursday, sending shares up more than 2% in after-hours trading.

The Los Angeles Times first reported Wells Fargos high-pressure sales tactics in 2013.

Wells Fargos pressure-cooker sales culture comes at a cost 

The controversy was the first of several revelations about bank practices that have led it to pay about $4 billion in settlements with regulators, as well as plaintiffs who have brought private lawsuits. The Federal Reserve last year also hit Wells Fargo with an unprecedented cap on its growth until it could prove it had improved its corporate governance.

Sloan was tapped by the banks board of directors to try to repair Wells Fargos reputation and restore customer trust.

He replaced John Stumpf, who resigned as the banks longtime chief executive and board chairman in October 2016 just weeks after he was unable to defuse the anger of lawmakers at incendiary House and Senate hearings examining the fake-accounts scandal.

Sloan, the second Wells Fargo CEO to be felled by the scandal, could not stop the tide of troubles for the nations fourth-largest bank by total assets.

His struggles were highlighted at a contentious House Financial Services Committee hearing on March 10. Democrats and Republicans angrily rejected his message of contrition for the banks scandals and commitment to treating employees and customers right.

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles), the committee chairwoman, ended the hearing by declaring that Wells Fargo has failed to clean up its act. She said regulators should consider removing Sloan as chief executive and that she would reintroduce legislation directing regulators to downsize or even shut down banks with a pattern of violating consumer protection laws.

In a rare move, even one of the banks regulators, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, joined in the criticism, with a spokesman saying it was disappointed with [Wells Fargos] performance under our consent orders and its inability to execute effective corporate governance and a successful risk management program.

The next day, Wells Fargo said in a securities filing that Sloans pay increased 4.9% last year to $18.4 million.

The news, in the wake of continued revelations about the banks bad behavior, led to more outrage. Waters called for Sloan to be fired, joining Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who has been making that call since 2017.

The twin developments appeared to seal Sloans fate.

About damn time, Warren tweeted about Sloans departure. Tim Sloan should have been fired a long time ago. He enabled Wells Fargos massive fake accounts scam, got rich off it, & then helped cover it up. Now  lets make sure all the people hurt by Wells Fargos scams get the relief theyre owed.

About damn time. Tim Sloan should have been fired a long time ago. He enabled Wells Fargo's massive fake accounts scam, got rich off it, & then helped cover it up. Nowlet's make sure all the people hurt by Wells Fargo's scams get the relief they're owed. https://t.co/l7dYmBWRBo  Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) March 28, 2019

Ken Leon, bank analyst at CFRA, said that the OCCs remarks about the slow pace of change at Wells Fargo were extraordinary and signaled that Sloans leadership was in trouble.

He said the board will probably wait to make a decision on a new chief executive until it receives more details from the Fed and OCC about their review of bank practices, which should provide guidance about how far along Wells Fargo is in changing its culture.

The bank is not a distressed company, but it does need forward thinking, Leon said. This is a large bank that will not change quickly.

The first signs of big trouble at Wells Fargo came in late 2013, when a Times investigation found that the banks relentless pressure on employees to cross-sell checking and savings accounts, credit cards, mortgages and other financial products led to ethical breaches, customer complaints and labor lawsuits.

To meet sales quotas, employees opened accounts customers did not need, ordered credit cards without their permission and forged customer signatures on paperwork, according to a review of internal bank documents, court records and interviews with workers at bank branches.

Theyd just tell the customers: Youre getting a credit card, Erick Estrada, a former Wells Fargo personal banker and business specialist at a Canoga Park branch, told The Times. He admitted to opening unneeded accounts, though he said never without a customers knowledge.

The Times article caught the attention of Los Angeles City Atty. Mike Feuer, who launched his own investigation. Also, in mid-2013, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau began looking into Wells Fargos practices after receiving whistleblower tips.

In September 2016, Wells Fargos problems exploded into public consciousness when the bank agreed to pay $185 million to settle a lawsuit filed by Feuer and investigations by the consumer bureau and the Comptroller of the Currency.

The bank did not admit any wrongdoing even as it said its employees had opened as many as 2.1 million unauthorized accounts over a four-year period that ended in mid-2015. Wells Fargo publicly apologized to customers, vowed to pay refunds for fees on those accounts and announced steps to change its sales practices.

But the problems were just starting.

In the spring of 2017, Wells Fargo agreed to settle several class-action lawsuits over fake accounts for $142 million. That summer, the bank publicly said it might have created as many as 3.5 million unauthorized accounts going back to 2009.

Troubling revelations continued last year. The bank announced it would pay $80 million in refunds to hundreds of thousands of auto-loan borrowers who were forced to pay for bank-purchased auto insurance policies despite having coverage of their own.

Lawsuits were filed alleging other problems, including improperly changing the terms of mortgage loans for bankrupt borrowers, signing up customers for unauthorized life insurance policies and overcharging small businesses for credit- and debit-card processing services.

The accumulating troubles led one of the banks regulators to take a major step early last year.

The Fed ordered Wells Fargo to cap its growth and improve its corporate governance as a punishment for widespread consumer abuses and other compliance breakdowns.

We cannot tolerate pervasive and persistent misconduct at any bank, and the consumers harmed by Wells Fargo expect that robust and comprehensive reforms will be put in place to make certain that the abuses do not occur again, then-Fed Chairwoman Janet L. Yellen said in imposing the penalties.

Apparently in response to the Feds move, Wells Fargo said it would replace four board members.

As Wells Fargo settled suits and investigations, the price tag for the scandal continued to rise.

In September, a federal judge in San Francisco signed off on a $480-million settlement in a class-action shareholder lawsuit over the banks unauthorized-accounts scandal.

Three months later, Wells Fargo agreed to pay $575 million in a settlement with all 50 states and the District of Columbia to resolve investigations for practices dating to 2002. They included the fake accounts as well as charging improper mortgage rate-lock extension fees and forcing insurance policies on auto-lending customers.

To try to prevent future problems, Wells Fargo changed the way it paid tellers and other employees.

The bank announced in early 2017 that it was overhauling the system of incentives at the root of the unauthorized-accounts scandal. Wells Fargo said it would stop rewarding workers simply for opening accounts and judge them instead on how often customers used their accounts and on customer satisfaction.

But the day before Sloans March 12 congressional testimony, a report contended that the bank was backsliding on those reforms and has not fixed its culture of fear and intimidation.

Some current and former employees said new customer-unfriendly sales incentives were reemerging, according to the report from the Committee for Better Banks, an advocacy group.

Honestly, its perceived as a joke  Oh yeah, theyve changed things,  said Meggan Halvorson, 35, who works in Wells Fargos private mortgage banking division in Minneapolis. I havent met anybody, personally, who believes what theyre saying or that its the case.

Wells Fargo spokesman Mark Folk disputed the thrust of the report, and in his testimony, Sloan acknowledged the banks troubles but said it was making progress in fixing them.

We have more work to do and that is an ongoing commitment by all of Wells Fargos 260,000 team members  starting with me  to put our customers needs first, to act with honesty, integrity and accountability; and to strive to be the best bank in America, Sloan told the House committee.
Insanity, they say, is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the president of the United States.

The Affordable Care Act, which extended health coverage to about 20 million uninsured Americans and protected patients with preexisting conditions, is a disaster for our people, President Trump said Wednesday, following up on a tweet in which he called on Republicans to once again try to repeal the healthcare-reform law.

His renewed interest in healthcare comes as his administration announced this week that it supported a conservative judges December ruling to wipe out Obamacare completely, based on a technicality involving the individual mandate, which Trump already has eliminated.

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If the Supreme Court rules that Obamacare is out, we will have a plan that is far better than Obamacare, Trump said Wednesday, a day after declaring that the Republican Party will soon be known as the party of healthcare.

This would be the same Republican Party that already failed to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act on Trumps watch, and, when President Obama was in power, unsuccessfully voted more than 70 times to scrap or modify the healthcare law.

And here we are again.

Another run at getting rid of protections that polls say most Americans like.

Another attempt to strip coverage from millions of people.

Another reckless move to screw up the healthcare system without a viable replacement on the table.

I asked Vivian Ho, director of the Center for Health and Biosciences at Rice Universitys Baker Institute for Public Policy, if it made sense to strike down a law that touched the lives of a huge number of Americans without having something better to offer.

She countered: Does it make sense to start a hip replacement surgery without the prosthesis ready to insert when its time to be implanted?

Which is to say, only a fool would operate under such conditions.

Again, I give you the president.

Trumps pledge this week to draw up a plan thats far better than Obamacare echoed his promises during the campaign that he would provide insurance for everybody and everybodys going to be taken care of much better than theyre taken care of now.

An added benefit: Trump said during the campaign that his healthcare plan would be a lot less expensive than the roughly $3.5 trillion currently spent annually on healthcare in this country.

To date, he hasnt proposed a single change that would accomplish any of these goals.

On the other hand, Republican lawmakers had their you-know-whats handed to them by voters in the last election largely because of their misguided efforts to mess with healthcare.

Its such a spectacularly bad idea to trudge down this road again that you have to wonder if Trump has contempt for the American people.

That includes members of his base, whom hes obviously trying to please politically but who would get reamed just as badly as everyone else, maybe more so.

Mark Duggan, a healthcare economist at Stanford University, pointed me toward last years Obamacare enrollment numbers. A little over 253,000 people in New York found coverage via an Obamacare exchange.

In Florida, meanwhile, the number of enrollees topped 1.7 million.

I dont think most people understand this, Duggan said. You take away the Affordable Care Act and youre going to really hit Trump country.

He added: Florida is kind of an important state for anyone thinking about being reelected in 2020.

A 2017 analysis by the Associated Press found that nearly 70% of those who benefited from cost-sharing subsidies under Obamacare lived in states Trump won the year before.

Meanwhile, polls consistently show that members of both parties support Obamacares protections for people with preexisting conditions, as well as other provisions such as a cap on out-of-pocket expenses and parents being able to cover their kids until they turn 26.

Trump wants to do away with all that, without any new safeguards to keep people from being wiped out financially by a medical problem.

And the millions of people who now rely on Obamacare for coverage? Yeah, whatever. Cry me a river.

Nobody is arguing that the Affordable Care Act is perfect. Clearly there need to be measures to limit price increases, although that became significantly harder after Trump ditched the individual mandate, which keeps costs down by spreading risk across the greatest number of people.

Democrats have been saying for years that theyre open to working with Republicans to improve the law  something Republicans have steadfastly refused to even consider.

Now Democrats are growing bolder in calls for a Medicare-for-all system, which Trump and his allies deride as socialism but which is in fact the same approach taken by nearly every other developed country.

Were coming up with plans, Trump ambiguously said Wednesday, just as hes been saying for years.

Yet neither he nor any other Republican has detailed a healthcare plan that would cover as many people as Obamacare or offer people as much protection. Thats not fake news. Thats just a fact.

It seems trite to comment that if youre not part of the solution, youre part of the problem. But the sentiment is apt.

Republicans controlled the White House and both chambers of Congress for two years and were unable to come up with a workable healthcare plan.

They dont have any specifics because its hard, Duggan said. Healthcare is hard. Theres no silver bullet.

Jonathan Skinner, a healthcare economist at Dartmouth College, said the Affordable Care Act had already become the status quo, so repealing it at this point could be catastrophic for the healthcare system.

Its not just patients who will suffer, he said. Hospitals are reaping large benefits from treating Medicaid patients who, prior to the ACA, were uninsured. Medicaid may not pay much compared to commercial rates, but its better than no payment at all.

Terminating the law, Skinner said, would be a Brexit-sized transformation of healthcare, with providers, patients and insurance companies upended.

Kind of crazy, in other words.

David Lazarus column runs Tuesdays and Fridays. He also can be seen daily on KTLA-TV Channel 5 and followed on Twitter @Davidlaz. Send your tips or feedback to david.lazarus@latimes.com.
Danny Elfman thrives on your resentment.

He did it when he crashed into film scoring in 1985, the flame-haired bandleader of Oingo Boingo daring to write for orchestra and vie against conservatory-trained composers. Elfman poured their skepticism and hate into his tank, taught himself how to write symphonically and became one of the most successful composers in Hollywood  with four Oscar nominations under his belt.

Now hes trying it again, crashing into the staid concert hall and writing ambitious works for orchestra and ballet. His two latest, a violin concerto and a piano quartet, were just released as a single album on Sony Classical. The concerto, Eleven Eleven, will be performed April 4 at the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts in Northridge.

Theres still the same problem getting through the institutions, and there will be for a while  but theyre going to have to get used to it, Elfman, 65, said of the classical world. Because, come three years, Im going to have a lot more stuff out there, and Im just going to be hitting them from all sides  he laughed  and Im just not going to stop. I will eventually batter these doors down, in the same way I did with film and everything else Ive done.

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Elfman is known for mischief, in his personality and his music. His film scores include the wackadoodle Pee-wees Big Adventure (1985), the garishly gothic Batman (1989) and the macabre songbook for The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)  all for Tim Burton, his consistent collaborator. Their latest project is Disneys Dumbo, which hits theaters Friday.

But the composer has taken his venture into concert music seriously, respecting the disciplines and traditions of the repertoire  though without losing his signature impishness. The piano quartet, performed on the album by the Philharmonic Piano Quartet Berlin, is based on the timeless childrens taunt: Nya, nya, nya, nya nya!

I said, You know, composers have always taken folk melodies, and done variations on traditional melodies,  Elfman recalled. And the one that was in my head was  he sang the taunt  which Ive discovered is quite universal, because I asked the Germans, Does this mean anything to you? And they were like, Oh, yes. 

Danny Elfman at his studio in Los Angeles. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Im just not going to stop. I will eventually batter these doors down, in the same way I did with film and everything else Ive done. Danny Elfman on his entry into the world of classical music

Elfman wrote the violin concerto for Sandy Cameron, whom he first met in 2012 when she performed solos in his score for the Cirque du Soleil show Iris. At the time, she didnt know anything about Elfman other than that he was famous.

I kind of lived under a rock, as far as pop culture is concerned, said Cameron, who lived from Army base to Army base growing up. She started taking lessons in Germany when she was 8, and she gave her first solo performance in the Netherlands when she was 12. Once I became acquainted with his writing, it kind of turned me into an addict, I guess.

Elfman had never written a violin concerto before he was approached by the Czech National Symphony Orchestra in 2014. (The work is a co-commission with Stanford Live and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, who will accompany Cameron in Northridge.) He also realized hed never heard one.

When it comes to classical music offers, Im a total slut, he said. I just go Yes, and then I go, What does that really mean? And then, Ill figure that out later.

He made a playlist of about 30 classic concerti, narrowed that down to 20 and listened obsessively. He studied the tricky double stops in Leonard Bernsteins, and the four-movement structure and majesty in Shostakovichs. (For me, he said, that was the holy grail.)

When I tell myself, Youre not supposed to have fun, then I go, Wait a minute  listen to Shostakovich,  Elfman said. Listen to the second movement of his first violin concerto, which is almost like cartoon music for me, its so insane. Its like this constant reminder: There are no rules.

SPRING ARTS PREVIEW: Critics recommendations and profiles of emerging artists to know 

He collaborated with Cameron throughout the writing process, workshopping ideas and phrases and incorporating improvisations she did based on note patterns he gave her. Elfman wondered if that was cheating, but Cameron showed him the score for Brahms concerto  marked up with violinist Joseph Joachims notes and suggestions.

I grew up on stories about violinist and composer relationships, said Cameron. The two biggest ones being Johannes Brahms with Joseph Joachim and Dmitri Shostakovich with David Oistrakh. Youre taught that almost all violin concertos are written for a specific person, and usually the best ones are based on some kind of fabulous working relationship. As a kid, I dreamed of that.

Cameron is a fitting interpreter for Elfmans extroverted music. She has an electric stage presence and wears custom outfits for each concerto or program she plays. She was also game for anything the composer threw her way.

If you want to get Sandy really engaged in a piece, Elfman said, you just go, Oh, this is just too hard. Immediately she goes: Its not too hard. I will nail that. 

I remember he was a little bit frantic about it, Cameron said. He was like, I dont know much about this. Why do you want me to write a violin concerto? I was like, Well, then just write it really, really hard, and Ill tell you whats impossible.

VANGELIS: Chariots of Fire and Blade Runner composer trades synthesizers for piano and finds life after the film score 

Elfman bookended the concerto with movements where his familiar musical voice would shine through. The second movement, which features an extended cadenza between violin and percussion, and the third are both a little further off to the left.

He is always conscious of his two audiences: fans who have never stepped foot in a concert hall, and conservative, subscription crowds who will naturally view his name with a stink eye. And hes keenly aware that his concert music was invited to the Soraya, not Walt Disney Concert Hall.

He has a barrage of new works in store over the next three years, including a cello concerto, percussion concerto and a piece for the Third Coast Percussion ensemble. That last one will premiere at Philip Glass Days & Nights Festival in Carmel this fall.

The classical world is very often divided into simply two categories: modern and classical, Elfman said. They see them as just two completely different things. And Im coming in this weird zone, that theyre like, What is that? And who is this  coming from film?

That part I like, he said, a Cheshire Cat grin spreading across his face, because anybody whos like, Whos this coming from this world, daring to come into ours? gets me excited.

The composer in his L.A. studio. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

         

Royal Scottish National Orchestra and violinist Sandy Cameron

Where: The Soraya, 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge

When: 8 p.m. April 4

Tickets: $49 and up (subject to change)

Information: (818) 677-3000, TheSoraya.org

Support our coverage of local artists and the local arts scene by becoming a digital subscriber.

See all of our latest arts news and reviews at latimes.com/arts.
The Los Angeles County Museum of Arts $650-million building project has cleared a major hurdle with the release of the countys environmental impact report, paving the way for LACMA to receive crucial funding, acquire building permits and begin construction on the Peter Zumthor-designed building spanning Wilshire Boulevard.

Whether the latest changes to the Zumthor design trigger excitement or criticism, the release of the EIR will refocus attention to key questions, including to what extent rising construction costs prompted a 10% reduction in the buildings size, how feasible a new opening target of early 2024 may be, and what next steps must be taken to carry the project forward.

The 575-page EIR, which was executed by the consultancy firm Eyestone Environmental, documents how the Zumthor building will temporarily and permanently affect the community and its environment. The report found no permanent environmental impacts created by the proposed building. The museum said it will institute a mitigation plan to address temporary impacts, such as emissions and noise from construction vehicles, and parking and traffic congestion.

LACMA released a statement to The Times that said its thrilled to have reached a major milestone in our new building for the permanent collection project and our goal to create a world-class center for arts and culture in Los Angeles.

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The EIR will go to the county Board of Supervisors for certification as early as April, at which point the board is expected to vote to release more funds. In 2015 the county dispersed $7.5 million to LACMA for pre-construction costs. The April vote will allow the county, which will own the new building, to disperse the remaining $117.5 million earmarked for the museum, likely by June 30, the county said.

After the county grants final approval, the city of Los Angeles, which owns the airspace over Wilshire Boulevard where the building will span, will begin its approval process.

The environmental document is a huge milestone. Its a huge deal for the constituents of L.A. County, said Brad Bolger, senior manager in the office of county Chief Executive Sachi A. Hamai. It means we can move to completion of design and start of construction.

Rendering of Peter Zumthors revised design for LACMA looking north, with the existing BCAM building and Urban Light sculpture on the left. (Atelier Peter Zumthor & Partner)

THE CRITICS TAKE: Troublesome signs in LACMAs risky reorganization plan 

Bolger implied that a reduction in size of the Zumthor building reflects an attempt to contain costs and not raise the budget from $650 million. The EIR outlines design tweaks that make the building about 10% smaller than the design announced in October 2017. The building has been reduced to 347,000 square feet; the combined square footage of the current LACMA buildings is 392,871 square feet.

Construction costs have escalated dramatically, and LACMA and the county are very, very serious about staying within their means, financially, Bolger said. Theres so much construction going on in L.A. that builders have their choice of what they want to work on and their costs are at a premium  and LACMA wanted to make sure they stayed within the budget.

LACMA said museum Director Michael Govan was unavailable to comment. A LACMA spokeswoman said that the design changes were made to improve the design while staying within budget.

In December, Govan had said construction costs were not rising fast enough to be a major concern. Were not worried, he said.

This week a museum representative would only echo his earlier comments: Were on track to stay on budget. The construction budget includes an escalation allowance to cover any rising costs in construction.

The buildings reduced size did concern some skeptics.

Theyre shrinking  what LACMA sold to us, and told us for years was an expansion, is an abridgment, art critic Tyler Green said. I cant recall an American art museum  certainly not one of LACMAs stature  tearing down a building and replacing it with less gallery space. Thats unusual to the point of unique.

Art writer and author William Poundstone said the reduced size was disappointing.

Im not as greatly concerned as some people are. Its going to be a major improvement on, frankly, these terrible buildings they have there now, Poundstone said. But this fundraising has been going on for some time, and a lot of other museums are fundraising at the same time, and I think theyve just hit a wall. They had to make some decisions. In this case, that it had to be a little smaller.

The view of Peter Zumthors LACMA design, looking northwest across Wilshire Boulevard. (Atelier Peter Zumthor & Partner)

REVIEW: LACMAs Charles White pinpoints the power of an underappreciated black artist 

Last July fundraising stood at $550 million, and by years end the total had risen to only $560 million, all against a backdrop of major fundraising campaigns at the adjacent Academy Museum of Motion Pictures as well as the Hammer Museum across town in Westwood, not to mention projects such as Frank Gehry-designed concert halls for the Colburn School and the YOLA youth orchestra. LACMA said it will soon kick off a public fundraising campaign, reaching out to community members through mailings, phone calls and events.

LACMA is planning satellite locations to display its collection. It has announced plans for two exhibition spaces in South L.A., one on an 80,000-square-foot, city-owned space in the South Los Angeles Wetlands Park area and the other at the Earvin Magic Johnson Park, close to Watts Towers. The latter has been put on hold because of expensive environmental cleanup needed on the site.

LACMA also has a partnership with the Autry Museum of the American West in Griffith Park, raising the intriguing question of whether LACMA could play a role in the future of the Autry-owned Southwest Museum, although that Mount Washington site would need repairs running into the tens of million of dollars.

LACMA would only say it has not entered discussions to occupy the Southwest space.

Michael Govan has always wanted to decentralize the museum, Architecture + Design Museum Director Anthony Morey said. So the desire to scale back [the Zumthor building] is maybe to be able to scale forward and expand into the city, later on. Which is kind of ambitious.

Morey praised the fact that recent design tweaks appeared to be responses to feedback from community members concerned about some of the early details of the plan, including an inky black exterior that has since been gradually lightened to a sand color, similar to the museums current BCAM and Resnick Pavilion buildings.

LACMAs EIR has been more than 2 years in the making  a process that started in August 2016. The EIR process for the Academy Museum took two years.

If you were to look at projects of this magnitude and measure it against other $650 million programs, I think they actually created this EIR pretty expeditiously, Bolger said. They had a lot of public meetings to make sure the community was on board.

In mid-April LACMA will open an exhibition on the ground floor of its Ahmanson building showcasing the latest Zumthor designs, with a model, renderings and timelines.

Groundbreaking on the building is planned for early 2020, with building completion targeted for the end of 2023. LACMA pushed the public opening of the new building from late 2023 to early 2024.

SPRING ARTS PREVIEW: Critics recommendations and profiles of emerging artists to know 
The title character in Diane, played by a wonderful Mary Kay Place, spends most of her time tending to the needs of others, a job that requires generosity, compassion, stamina  and a fair amount of driving. We go on some of those drives with her. The picture will quickly dissolve to a snow-lined road or highway before whisking her to her destination, whether its a house alive with the chatter of lifelong friends and family or a hospital room where a cousin who means everything to her is slowly expiring from cancer.

Those brief transitional shots reveal something of the western Massachusetts town where Diane lives, the steady accrual of back-and-forth mileage even within a small, close-knit community. They also reveal something about the methods of the writer-director Kent Jones, who takes a sentimental old maxim  the one about the journey mattering as much as the destination  and renews it with rare philosophical conviction and fresh eyes. His movie, a wise, captivating and continually surprising character study that won three prizes at last years Tribeca Film Festival, knows the distances we travel, often alone, to become who we are.



For the record: An earlier version of this review incorrectly stated that Mary Kay Place won a prize at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival for her performance in Diane.

Who is Diane? Shes a widow, a mother and a retiree, someone who goes about her tasks with good-natured grit and a quiet but unmistakable air of regret. More than anything, shes a consummate vessel for Place, an actress whose sterling character work in movies (The Rainmaker, The Big Chill) and television (Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman) should have earned her more leading roles this rich and beautifully layered by now. You may not encounter a more achingly human character in a movie this year.

Place commands nearly every frame with a kind of hard-bitten luminosity. Her Diane is a radiantly careworn soul and a natural-born worrier, which you may initially chalk up to the overwhelming nature of her circumstances. When we first meet her, shes nodded off during a visit with her gravely ill cousin, Donna (Deirdre OConnell), a mistake for which she quickly apologizes. It wont be the last time she succumbs to exhaustion or asks for forgiveness.

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But her fatigue doesnt stop her from delivering a casserole to a friend (who naturally has a tray of food ready for her in return) or volunteering with an even closer pal (Andrea Martin) at a local soup kitchen. The camera lingers on hushed, intimate conversations and noisy, anecdote-strewn gatherings, all of which reveal how much strength Diane draws from her loved ones, the toughest and most dependable of whom are invariably women. (The cast alone, which includes the wonderful Estelle Parsons and Phyllis Somerville as two tough-and-tender relatives, reminds you that Place is hardly the only great actress working far too seldom in American movies.)

But all this kindness, which Diane has a harder time receiving than dispensing, can be a burden as well as a blessing. The storys most acutely painful moments are those in which Diane is forced to make breezily vague small talk about her son, Brian (a savagely good Jake Lacy), whos struggling with substance abuse. The others might not inquire so casually if they knew the truth. Dianes toughest visits are those she pays to Brian in his squalid apartment, where it becomes frighteningly clear that his addiction is destroying his life and making hers impossible.

And if life is an impossibility, perhaps there is some consolation in the knowledge that it will one day be over. More than one character pauses to remind Diane of this eventuality (You think were all going to live forever?), and if those nudges seem a touch emphatic, its because the movie knows how easily the inevitable can catch us off-guard. Its own narrative, compressing several years into little more than an hour and a half of screen time, is expansive and unpredictable enough to ensure that not everyone we meet will make it to the end.

Deirdre OConnell, left, and Mary Kay Place in the movie Diane. (IFC Films)

Jones, a film critic and programmer who serves as director of the New York Film Festival, has made several documentaries on directors including Val Lewton, Elia Kazan and Alfred Hitchcock. His first narrative feature has more than its share of cinematic antecedents, though the glancing thematic echoes of Paul Schrader, Yasujiro Ozu and Monte Hellman, among others, never feel obtrusive; they well up from within. At times I was reminded, surely by accident, of the thorny, contemplative humanism of Lee Chang-dongs Poetry, and not just because Diane begins keeping a journal, transmuting her regrets and desires into the written word.

The poetry we see her reading and writing nudges the story toward a central theme of personal atonement, as Dianes altruism turns out to be at least partially rooted in her anguish over a past betrayal. But reconciliation is a tricky, painful business, rarely as easy as the movies like to make it appear, and you suspect that the gift of total absolution  whatever that would look like  would neither fully comfort Diane nor begin to explain her.

In one brilliant scene, in which she engages in a long, drawn-out family argument about religion, my own inner Jesus freak didnt know whether to wince at the movies ruthless skewering of a certain strain of evangelical Christianity or marvel at how accurately Jones had nailed the language of strident belief. Dianes rebellion isnt against God; its against the human selfishness and superiority that so often masquerade as concern, and also the one-size-fits-all thinking that would seek to diminish her heartache.

And the triumph of Diane is that the movie, no less than its heroine, refuses to be diminished. What looks at first like a solid, well-carpentered exercise in downbeat indie realism ends up, by dint of its unexpected tonal and temporal leaps and sudden formal ruptures, in less easily definable territory.

There are sudden, eerie dissonances on the soundtrack and equally sudden gazes heavenward. There are encounters of such unexpected, benedictory beauty that you may wonder, at first, if theyre mere visions or dreams. The most magical of these may be the moment when Diane, after a drunken bender, seems entirely alone and on the verge of total collapse  only to have a few of her closest loved ones materialize behind her, shouldering her weight so that they can bring her home.

RELATED: TV and film veteran Mary Kay Place finds a connection in Diane 

Diane

Not rated

Running time: 1 hour, 35 minutes

Playing: Nuart Theatre, West Los Angeles

FOR THE RECORD (March 28): An earlier version of this review incorrectly stated that Mary Kay Place won a prize at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival for her performance in Diane.

justin.chang@latimes.com | Twitter: @JustinCChang
Mike Leigh famously makes films his own way, with no creative interference. The acclaimed British writer-director has no time for Hollywood and will not work with producers who favor star casting or suggest changing his ideas for any given film.

He chooses the actors he wants for specific roles and works with his cast as an ensemble, piecing together the films story and developing its characters with his chosen actors through long periods of improvisation and rehearsal.

This is how Leigh has sealed his reputation over more than three decades with some 20 films, the vast majority made on modest budgets. They tend to be heartfelt, contemporary stories, often with a comic edge, about ordinary British people.

READ MORE: Kenneth Turan on why there will never be another Mike Leigh 

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His new film, Peterloo, breaks this mold in several ways. It is conceived on a far larger scale and is more ambitious and expensive than anything he has tackled. It is also based on a historical incident.

Leigh grew up in Salford, a district in the northern city of Manchester  and only a short walk from St. Peters Field, site of an infamous massacre of working-class pro-democracy demonstrators by government cavalry troops 200 years ago.

The rally, which had been peaceful, drew a crowd of 60,000 people, protesting against poverty and urging electoral reforms: At the time, less than 3% of Britains population was allowed to vote. Eighteen people died that day, most slashed by sabre-wielding soldiers on horseback who deliberately barged into the crowd.

My house was very close to where it happened, Leigh recalls. But a lot of people from the area had never even heard about it. At school, we dealt with it for about four seconds  when I was studying for history at [school exam] O level back in 1959.

Yet no one from school, no teacher, ever marched the class down there and said to us: This was a major event. It happened right here  in these streets that you know well. 

A scene from Mike Leighs film Peterloo. (Simon Mein / Amazon Studios)

The massacre swiftly became known as Peterloo  a name that referenced both St. Peters Field and Waterloo, the famous major battle between English and French armies in 1815, four years previously.

The notion of making a film about Peterloo has long been on Leighs mind  probably since the 1970s, he says. I read a book about Peterloo, which sat on my shelves for years  and I remember thinking then that someone should make a film about this.

But at that time, I assumed I would only ever make contemporary films.

He has departed from this formula just twice before. In 1999, Leigh released Topsy-Turvy, a story about the stormy relationship between Gilbert and Sullivan, the gifted British composers of operettas in the late 19th century. And 2014s Mr. Turner was his account of the life and career of the great British painter J.M.W. Turner, starring Timothy Spall, seen frequently in Leighs films. Both titles required bigger budgets than what he calls the normal generic Mike Leigh film.

The director finally took the plunge and committed to making Peterloo some five years ago: When we decided to do it, it seemed it would have things to say which would be relevant  the interesting thing being that in the five years since I made that decision, curiously it has become even more prescient and relevant. He refers here to a sense of inequality between classes in the U.K., intensified by government austerity measures  and a sharp divide in British society, heightened by almost three long years of Brexit negotiations.

Leigh concedes he failed to understand the significance of the Peterloo massacre until he was well into adulthood.

I didnt really get it until later, when I started to read about stuff, he recalls. And even when we were working on the film, there were a huge number of people ranging in age from the 20s to my age [he is 76] who had never heard about it  and certainly hadnt learned about it in school. And some of them were actually from the Manchester area.

Big, but not huge

Leighs film could help change that awareness. The London Film Festival, breaking with tradition, screened the films British premiere not in the capital but in Manchester. And Leigh used the occasion of the films British release in November to urge that the story of the massacre form part of the history curriculum of British schools: This was a major event, he insists. It should be taught nationally. His views made headline news here.

Peterloo, which opens April 5 in the U.S. and has received mostly positive reviews, is a significantly larger production than anything Leigh has undertaken. There are 160 actors named in its credits, and the films budget has been estimated at around $18.6 million  a figure Leigh describes as big, but not huge.

But then Leigh can make a budget go a long way. The cast of Peterloo is littered with first-rate British actors whom he admires, including Maxine Peake, who plays a working-class woman who joins the demonstrators, and Rory Kinnear as the glib orator Henry Hunt, who addresses the crowd as it gathers.

Maxine Peake as Nellie in a scene from Peterloo, directed by Mike Leigh. (Simon Mein / Amazon Studios)

ALSO: Mike Leigh explains what was terrifying about filming Mr. Turner 

Several other names and faces are recognizable to British audiences, even some in minor roles, but none commands or expects huge sums for their work. In British acting circles, working with Leigh is often considered a reward in itself.

Its also true that a significant role in a Leigh film can enhance an actors standing. Sally Hawkins appeared in two of his films before he cast her in the lead role of a single schoolteacher in Happy-Go-Lucky (2008); her career has subsequently soared. And Spall, of course, who first made an international impact in Leighs Life Is Sweet (1990), has had a hugely successful career.

Although Leigh is a quintessentially British director and always makes his films in the U.K., his work travels well. He is well-regarded in mainland Europe, where he is a festival favorite; he won a Palme dOr at Cannes for Secrets and Lies (1995) and the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival for Vera Drake (2004). Hes also been nominated an Oscar seven times  five for his screenwriting  between 1997 and 2011.

ALSO: Vera Drake, a 1950s England that is unmistakably Mike Leighs 

Given the international respect he commands, its no surprise that Hollywood keeps calling. But Leigh has stubbornly rejected overtures from the studios. Its nothing personal, he insists, while adding: Hollywood is a fantasy.

Besides, he feels committed to the creative path he has taken: Theres Hollywood on the one hand  and then theres European and world cinema, which is what I feel a part of. My films come out of all that. Its a very natural thing for me to make films in Britain and about Britain.

Leigh also understands enough about the studio system to know its not for him; for one thing, he reacts strongly against being told how to make his films.

Ive had offers, he says. But as soon as someone suggests something like, Well back this film as long as we can cast an American star  he pauses to reflect  at that point I simply walk away. Ive done it more than once. Its like telling an author what to put in his novel.

Ill only do a film if its clear that no ones going to interfere with it.

Not for the faint-hearted

No actor would suggest that its easy making films with Leigh  in part because of the rules he lays down. He insists actors spend long periods of time researching, improvising and rehearsing while he gradually formulates a script around the progress they make. Its commonplace for cast members to spend six months engaged in this process before shooting starts.

Director Mike Leigh (center, right) setting up a scene for Peterloo. (Simon Mein / Amazon Studios)

1993 REVIEW: Kenneth Turan on Mike Leighs Raw, Naked Truth 

And Leigh has other rules individual to him: In the past he has insisted that his actors know nothing about the unfolding story beyond what their characters know at any given point.

He makes this clear from the outset: Most of my contemporary films have started with my saying to actors: Take part in this film. I cant tell you anything about it. It will evolve during the process of manufacture. We will discover what the film is on the journey of making it. 

He doesnt say as much, but this invitation probably deters the more faint-hearted candidates.

His period films  Mr. Turner, Topsy-Turvy and now Peterloo  are somewhat different, based as they are on historical fact. Potential cast members at least had a sense of how these stories would play out in the context of a film.

But even then, Leigh always sticks to his guns, insisting on improvisations and intensive rehearsals over a long period, while shaping and refining his script.

Peterloo, such a personal story for Leigh and a film of unparalleled scale for him, might seem a suitable occasion to end his long career.

Not for him, though. Im not retiring, he says with a shrug. We carry on.

calendar@latimes.com
In the opening sequence of Alison Klaymans documentary, The Brink, former White House senior strategist Stephen K. Bannon is in the midst of a rambling story when his demeanor suddenly changes, and he begins to recall visiting Auschwitz.

Klayman, the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, listened intently as Bannon ruminated that while Auschwitz was converted to a concentration camp, the Birkenau section had been built for its gruesome purpose. He goes on to imagine the designers, humans that are not devils but just humans.



For the record: An earlier version of this article said Stephen Bannon describes the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in the documentary The Brink. It is the Birkenau section of Auschwitz that he mentions. Also, it is zl, not the solo letter L, that is shorthand for the Hebrew sentiment May the memory be a blessing and appears in the films end credits.

He was giving me my thesis, Klayman remarks in an interview in early March in New York City.

Bannon was a strategist for the Trump campaign and a close advisor to the president for the first seven months of his term. For The Brink, Klayman trailed him for a year, beginning in 2017; it was before Bannon and President Trump parted ways, and after Bannon began plans to unite American and European alt right groups under a common banner.

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A close friend asked Klayman why she wrote and directed The Brink. She admits to having to think about her answer. Why her? She recalled the opening sequence with Bannon: As he started to edge closer, thematically, to the banality of evil  well, thats what this movie is about for me.

The Brink is dedicated to her maternal grandparents, Polish survivors; their names in the end titles are accompanied by the letters zl, shorthand for the Hebrew sentiment: May the memory be a blessing.

Klayman has written and directed two feature documentaries about artists, The 100 Years Show (2015), a profile of Carmen Herrera, and Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry (2012). Her 2018 Netflix documentary, Take Your Pills, is about Adderall, the amphetamine of choice for college students.

All are meticulously researched, multi-layered and journalistic in approach. In The Brink, Klayman follows Bannon to fundraising events, the Conservative Political Action Conference, meetings with far-right European politicians, and to a dinner with European leaders of white supremacy groups. Producer Marie Therese Guirgis, who worked with Bannon at the film distribution company Wellspring Media, asked Klayman to direct after Bannon agreed to reasonably unfettered access.

Steve Bannon in the documentary The Brink. (Magnolia Pictures)

Klayman explains that she and Guirgis never considered any style except fly-on-the-wall. It is a flawed premise to think that sitting down in an interview with Bannon is going to be revealing, the 34-year-old filmmaker says. You see how dishonest he is. He doesnt enter a conversation in good faith.

A case in point is a scene shot in Venice, in which Paul Lewis from the Guardian conducts an interview with Bannon and a representative from the hard-right Brothers of Italy party. In the course of Lewis contentious interview, his Italian interpreter interjects, inappropriately, to defend Brothers of Italy.

Lewis tries to restore order, and Bannon criticizes him for shutting down the interpreter. My hope is that the film can be a deconstruction of him, Klayman says, and while sometimes it is gratifying to see Bannon challenged, that is a fleeting victory. I agree that what you are watching in that scene is the way he does things  some call it gaslighting, but its more than that.

After filming a chilling dinner sequence later in the documentary, Klayman took a half-bottle of wine to her room and called her husband. I told him I think I just filmed the Wannsee Conference, she says, referring to the 1942 Nazi Final Solution meeting held in Berlin. The scene is reminiscent of The Wannsee Conference, Heinz Schirks 1984 dramatization of the event. Asked if the resemblance was intentional, Klayman, who describes her Jewish ethnicity as foundational to her personality and work, replies that she has visited the villa where the conference took place and thinks she saw the movie in college.

Klayman describes Bannon as respectful of her, although she confesses to being impervious to what others describe as his charm. Though she was initially amused by Bannons self-deprecating remarks, her feelings changed in the course of filming. A half-dozen times, male supporters asked Bannon to pose for pictures with them. In each instance, he placed a woman in the middle and said: A rose between two thorns. I didnt pick up on that because it was funny, Klayman says, but because of his casual misogyny.

To add to Klaymans feelings of unease, she received some surprising news a few months into production in April 2018 when Guirgis met with Bannon to discuss his travel schedule: He disclosed, in passing, his interview with Errol Morris for the filmmakers own documentary on Bannon, American Dharma. Luckily, Klayman says, executive producers at Magnolia, The Brinks distributor, were committed to the project.

Errol Morris film was made with many times our budget, she observes, and with very powerful producers, as well by a very well-respected filmmaker.

AMERICAN DHARMA. Trailer, one-sheet coming up. The movie that everyone was afraid to show.  errolmorris (@errolmorris) February 27, 2019

Klayman takes note of Morris series of Twitter posts in February in which he wrote that he would self-distribute the film, claiming distributors were afraid to release it.

I felt when he was talking about his [film] not having distribution, I was being erased, Klayman says. This idea that his film isnt getting distribution because in a film about Bannon no one can handle the truth  well, I wish he would directly engage, rather than never acknowledging [on Twitter] that there is another movie.

The writer-director observes that the two documentaries take very different approaches. Morris interviews, Klayman says, but my film is longitudinal, a longer study of Bannon.

Morris did not respond to The Times request for comment on Wednesday afternoon.

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calendar@latimes.com

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Say what you like about the Trump administrations supporting players  and people will  they do change with startling rapidity. Whether its Hope Hicks, Reince Priebus or the Mooch, its hard to remember who was who without a scorecard  or a documentary.

Alison Klaymans The Brink returns the spotlight to Stephen K. Bannon, the former White House chief political advisor who in the not too distant past was featured on the cover of Time magazine as The Great Manipulator and very much seen, depending on your point of view on the president, as either the hero or the ogre of the moment.

Bannon was so on everyones lips he was also the focus of documentarian Errol Morris American Dharma, which played on the fall festival circuit but has yet to make it to theatrical screens.

While that film was an extended interview, Klaymans is cinema verite all the way, a classic fly-on-the-wall documentary that follows Bannon for about a year as he flies hither and yon on private jets, taking meetings, bolstering supporters and attempting to turn his brand of fervent nationalism into a global movement.

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That The Brink (named after a quote from Abraham Lincoln about society being on the brink of destruction) works as well as it does is thanks to the determination of two filmmakers, not only director Klayman but also producer Marie Therese Guirgis.

Documentarian Alison Klayman takes the long view on Stephen Bannon in The Brink 

It was Guirgis, a Bannon employee during the years his investment group owned the film distributor Wellspring, who had the initial connection to the man and was persistent enough to gain his cooperation.

And, obviously, it was Klayman who did the heavy lifting, often literally, as she served as her own cinematographer and sound person as well as directing a film that reminds us of who Bannon is and why hes a person of interest.

Best known for Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, a Sundance prize-winning look at the celebrated Chinese dissident, Klayman is intent not on taking obvious sides but rather on providing an intimate sense of what Bannon is like as a person from moment to moment and day to day.

The first thing to know is that, despite or maybe because of his rumpled clothes and all-around shaggy look, Bannon turns out to be possessed of considerable personal charm, a charismatic individual who can easily be imagined in the Hollywood he once was part of. (A clip from his documentary Torchbearer, about Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson, is included.)

Not only is Bannon capable of defusing a hostile audience (as we see him doing in Toronto), but he also serves up the random self-deprecating comment on the order of when people see I drink kombucha, the stock will drop 50%.

On the other hand, Bannon can also be obtuse, witness his apparent genuine shock when he realized after a public appearance that you dont have to be a left-wing zealot to dislike a president he considers to be a historical figure, a transformative figure.

The Brink begins in fall 2017, just a few months after Bannons abrupt departure from the White House, a place he says he was happy to be rid of because it gave off bad karma in addition to having no glamour.

What Bannon is up to on screen is both traveling to Republican fundraisers to energize the base and meeting with random conservative billionaires like Blackwaters Erik Prince and Miles Kwok.

His remarks are about what you might expect, proclaiming that the elites are comfortable managing our decline and revealing a weakness for the phrase a rose between two thorns when placing women in the center of frequent grip-and-greet photos.

We also see Bannon in Europe, meeting a rogues gallery of right wingers from Italy, France and Britain as he attempts to start a global coalition he calls the Movement.

The most incendiary exchange Bannon has is with journalist Paul Lewis of the Guardian, who lays into him for what he calls dog whistle nod-and-wink language intended to incite anti-Semites, a charge Bannon has trouble deflecting.

The Brink really kicks into gear in its final segment, taking place in the weeks and days leading up to the 2018 midterms as Bannon gets increasingly short-tempered as he realizes that his party is going to lose the House.

This town, he says just after the election, is going to be very different, and in that sentiment at least he proved to be prophetic.

------------

The Brink

Not rated

Running time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Playing: Landmark, West Los Angeles

kenneth.turan@latimes.com

@KennethTuran
For those who went through it, the 1994 Northridge earthquake was plenty big enough. Fifty-seven were killed, 8,700 were injured, and the damage was in the tens of billions. Freeways collapsed. The scoreboard of Angel Stadium fell onto (unoccupied) seats. The shaking reverberated throughout the Greater L.A. area in the middle of the night, and it was terrifying. But it wasnt a Big One.

That designation refers to a quake measuring 7.8 or larger in magnitude (Northridge was a 6.7), which tends to happen  or come close to happening  in the southern section of the San Andreas fault approximately every 100 years. There hasnt been one there since 1857.

The last time one struck, there was no Union Station, no Hollywood, no freeways to destroy or skyscrapers to crumble, no fifth-largest economy in the world to cripple, Jacob Margolis warns gently in the KPCC podcast The Big One: Your Survival Guide.

We dont know when the Big Ones gonna hit, Margolis says. It could be in a year, it could be a week, or literally any minute now. But we do know that when it does, youll have an overwhelming feeling that Mother Nature doesnt care. That youre small.

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ALSO: The Wild Thing podcast is like Serial for Sasquatches 

Margolis is a first-time podcast host and also a first-time father. He and his wife, Rachel, feature as characters in The Big One, with their household conversations being played back as they prepare themselves, physically and mentally, for a massive earthquake that almost certainly is going to hit within their young childs lifetime.

Youre featured in the podcast as well: The central structure of the recently concluded nine-part series is a second-person hero narrative detailing what it would be like to go through a Big One, from initial impact to societal rebuild. Its supposed to rattle you and to wake you into action (no matter how much water you have stored, get more), but its not supposed to scare you. At least not too much.

The Big One: Your Survival Guide podcast host Jacob Margolis at KPCC studios in Pasadena. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)

Fear is incredibly fatiguing, and we also know from the research we did that its not effective, says KPCC head of podcasting Arwen Nicks, sitting in a radio studio, flanked by Margolis on one side and Big One lead producer Misha Euceph on the other.

To fearmonger and be like, 1,800 people could die and the city will be on fire  two things that are also very likely  is not going to motivate you.

The three speak soothingly, in dulcet public-radio tones, about the inevitable destruction of the city. They cite offhand the U.S. Geological Surveys ShakeOut report, from 2008, which predicts that a Big Ones impact on Los Angeles would be, generously, an estimated 1,800 dead, 50,000 injured, and $200 billion in damage.

We dont know when the Big Ones gonna hit...But we do know that when it does, youll have an overwhelming feeling that Mother Nature doesnt care. Jacob Margolis, The Big One podcast host

Youll burn out on that really quickly, Margolis says. And thats kind of what I found reading this stuff. You could do a three- or four-minute radio piece on just the disaster, and that would be enough for most people. But I think that drove us toward finding that [second-person] narrative so that we could tell it in a way that wasnt just like, Blegh, heres all this terrible stuff. 

The resulting podcast is one with a scientific core, covered in a sugary, disaster-movie outer shell.

To give an idea of how that fits together, the Big One crew is just as keen to discuss the career of Lucy Jones, a real-life superhero in the earthquake community who served as a consultant on the show, as they are to discuss the merits of various earthquake-movie protagonists (Tommy Lee Jones in Volcano as a dedicated public servant; Dwayne Johnson in San Andreas as a questionably AWOL search-and-rescue commando). I mean, Ive got an oil painting of Bruce Willis as John McClane on my desk, Nicks says with a laugh.

ALSO: Looking for a comedy podcast? Earwolf has dozens to make you laugh 

It was Euceph, Nicks says, who predominantly sculpted the sound of the show, who found the best way to merge those worlds.

I asked Lucy Jones, Can you make a noise to explain the difference in magnitudes?  Euceph remembers. (A 7.8-magnitude earthquake would be 44 times stronger, and last more than a minute and a half longer, than Northridge.) Like, Can you just drum on the table or rip up some paper or whatever? And she was like, Actually, the perfect way to do this is by playing the viola da gamba, which I play. 

Not the viola, notes Margolis. The viola da gamba.

Jones stringed demonstration of just how comically large a Big One will be is one of the shows most compelling  and unsettling  moments. It also creates an eerily fitting context for the shows cinematic score, composed by Andy Clausen.

We wanted to make sure people were entertained, but we also wanted to make sure the journalism was unimpeachable, Margolis says.

Fear is incredibly fatiguing, and we also know from the research we did that its not effective. Arwen Nicks, KPCC head of podcasting

Disaster-movie narrative notwithstanding, theres no dramatic blockbuster finale by series end, no culminating scene in which our hero miraculously emerges from the rubble. Instead, the producers chose to impart practical lessons of preparedness (store water in every room, and have earthquake kits in your home and car), as well as emphasize a few hard-earned lessons of human nature in the event of a disaster.

Even if we dont have the infrastructure, Euceph says, and the emergency responders, and the resources to perfectly meet this disaster, we do have people helping each other, and weve seen that time and time again. I bet you anything we will see it when this earthquake does strike.

Margolis also recommends reading Jones recent book, The Big Ones, for further information on natural disasters and how to prepare for them.

Maybe take a break, Nicks says, and watch, like, The Good Place before reading that.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and environmentalists are at war over the agencys latest plan to strip gray wolves of their federal protections and turn management of the often-reviled predators over to states and tribes.

If the agencys proposal gets finalized, we will see them in court, Michael Robinson, a spokesman for the Center for Biological Diversity said on Wednesday. Delisting is simply out of the question.

Surprisingly, however, in the latest chapter of a long-running battle to keep an estimated 6,000 gray wolves safe from trophy hunters and trappers, the center and the Humane Society of the United States are suggesting a compromise.

We are proposing an alternate path forward  downlisting the gray wolf from federally endangered to threatened status, said Brett Hartl, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity. That action, he said, would maintain federal protections the animal needs to survive in certain areas, while allowing states to share management oversight.

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His organization doesnt oppose state management of wolves, but it does oppose hunting wolves for sport, he said. Free-for-all hunting of wolves is not management, its slaughter.

Similarly, Nick Arrivo, an attorney with the Humane Society of the United States, said, We dont oppose the idea of state management. The problem is that certain states like Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan have shown that they are not inclined to maintain healthy populations of gray wolves.

Federal wildlife authorities removed protections from gray wolves in the Great Lakes region in 2011, allowing thousands of gray wolves in those three states to be hunted or trapped. The protections were restored by federal court decisions in 2014.

The prospect of removing wolf protections aroused rage yet again earlier this month when the Fish and Wildlife Service touted the species recovery as one of the greatest comebacks for an animal in U.S. conservation history, a characterization that some conservation groups called misguided and premature.

David Bernhardt, acting secretary of the Department of Interior, said the plan to delist the species puts us one step closer to transitioning the extraordinary effort that we have invested in gray wolf recovery to other species who actually need the protections of the Endangered Species Act, leaving the states to carry on the legacy of wolf conservation.

However, the Humane Society, in a statement, warned that the plan catered to a narrow group of special interests: the trophy hunters and trappers who want to kill wolves for bragging rights, social media opportunities and to increase deer and elk populations.

It pointed out, for instance, that in November, Americans were heartbroken by the killing of the famous Yellowstone black wolf, Spitfire, by a trophy hunter in Montana.

It also argued that gray wolves are worth millions of dollars to the economies of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, studies show, because of the visitors they attract to national parks in the northern Rocky Mountains.

Beyond that, animal protectionists say, gray wolves slain for their fur or bragging rights cause suffering and social disruption among these highly organized and rare creatures.

At stake is a federal recovery program designed to bring gray wolves back to the top of the food chain in much of the nations public lands. With wolf packs now loping through a patchwork of forests from Michigan to Lassen County, Calif., significant repercussions are being recorded throughout the regions wildlife hierarchy.

Before they were vanquished by government-backed poison-and-trapping campaigns in the 19th and 20th centuries, wolves thrived in nearly every region of North America.

Once numbering in the millions, only 6,000 wolves are left in the Lower 48 and as many as 12,000 in Alaska, where they are legally hunted as big game.

Their absence disrupted the natural predator-and-prey relationships throughout the Rocky Mountain region and resulted in a population explosion of deer and elk.

The species is only beginning to recover in other areas, such as Oregon, Washington and California, where a handful roam in and out of the Lassen County area. In California, the gray wolf is listed as a state endangered species.

In any case, gray wolves occupy a small fraction of their historic range. Scientists say a comprehensive recovery plan encouraging their return to suitable habitats is vital to restoring the natural rhythms of life among countless other animal and plant species that evolved with them.

Wolves are vital to their ecosystems, but thousands of square miles of still-wild habitat havent felt a wolfs paw for a century, Robinson said. True wolf recovery will lead to healthier deer herds, leftover carrion for bears, eagles and badgers, and natural control of coyotes with resulting benefits for foxes and other small mammals.

Louis.Sahagun@latimes.com

@LouisSahagun
Major highways are closing for emergency repairs after a series of winter storms caused damage, according to the California Department of Transportation.

Topanga Canyon Boulevard between Pacific Coast Highway and Grand View Drive is closing at 10 p.m. Friday and will reopen at 5 a.m. Monday. Workers are repairing an eroded embankment along Topanga Creek, Caltrans officials said in a news release this week.

Several rock- and debris slides plunged onto Topanga Canyon Boulevard this winter, forcing officials to close the road several times for multiple days. Drivers can instead use the 101 Freeway, Las Virgenes Road and Malibu Canyon Road, Caltrans said.

Motorists should expect delays and are strongly advised to use alternate routes or avoid the area, officials said. The town of Topanga will remain open to drivers.

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The 97,000-acre Woolsey fire that erupted Nov. 8 and spread through Ventura County and Malibu was followed by an unusually rainy season for Southern California, leading to numerous mudslides, rockslides and debris flows throughout the winter.

Angeles Crest Highway from Rincon Red Box Road to west of Upper Big Tujunga Canyon Road is also closed to repair damage from a major rockslide caused by February storms. Officials expect the closure to last through the first week of April.

The slide has been blocking the roadway since Feb. 15, and crews will have to place metal netting around the area and build a new catchment wall at the base of the slope, Caltrans said.

Update: SR-2 remains closed in #Angeles Nat'l Forest from Mt. Wilson Rd to 300' west of Upper Big Tujunga thru first week of April. Slope is stabilized. We still need to place metal netting for rock slides & build new "catchment" wall at base of slope. https://t.co/xbyTKqK844 pic.twitter.com/BsHTGNVttO  Caltrans District 7 (@CaltransDist7) March 25, 2019

The rainy season hasnt been the only thing to damage Southern Californias roads.

The California Highway Patrol said ground squirrels burrowed under Gilman Springs Road near San Jacinto, and over time rainwater ran through the squirrel den and out the other side of the roadway.

Enough dirt was washed away to create a cavern, causing a hole to appear in the pavement this week and forcing the Riverside County route to be shut down.

The road reopened early Thursday after a contractor excavated the site and replaced loose soil with concrete.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

alejandra.reyesvelarde@latimes.com

Twitter: @r_valejandra
A leader in a Mexican drug cartel was sentenced Thursday to 18 years in prison for his role in a massive drug money-laundering scheme with the Juarez cartel.

Juan Jose Alvarez-Tostado Galvan, also known as El Compadre, pleaded guilty in January to transporting cocaine and other narcotics to the U.S. and laundering drug proceeds.

Alvarez-Tostado was indicted in 1998 with more than 100 other people and three major Mexican banks. Federal prosecutors said he managed the collection, laundering and distribution of at least $24 million and more than a ton of cocaine.

He was arrested in Mexico in 2005 and charged with operating a continuing criminal enterprise, money laundering and conspiracy. He was extradited to the U.S. in 2018.

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His capture was part of a Los Angeles-based investigation  Operation Casablanca  into drug-money laundering by Mexican banks that was launched in 1995. Undercover officers from what was then the U.S. Customs Service set up shop in an L.A. warehouse and posed as freelance money launderers seeking assignments from Mexican drug dealers and bankers. The sting was once billed as the largest drug-money-laundering investigation in U.S. history.

The 1998 indictment alleged Alvarez-Tostado collected more than $40 million from narcotics sales in the U.S. and transferred the money into Mexican bank accounts on behalf of Amado Carrillo Fuentes, reputed chief of the Juarez cartel until his death in 1997 during plastic surgery.

According to his plea agreement, Alvarez-Tostado supervised the collection and laundering of drug proceeds from distributors in the U.S. The money was transferred to his suppliers in Colombia, often through wire transfers to U.S. bank accounts he controlled.

At the sentencing hearing, Alvarez-Tostado apologized to Americans for the harm I caused, consciously or unconsciously, to the citizens.

City News Service contributed to this report.

alejandra.reyesvelarde@latimes.com

Twitter: @r_valejandra
In a different city, in a different decade, the news would have changed Davids life forever.

Instead the graduate student, who dreams of someday acting and teaching, told himself one thing as he waited for test results in the San Francisco General Hospital emergency room: If it comes back and its positive, just do what you can to stay healthy.... If it comes back negative, be even more careful.

Two days later, he met with a social worker in Ward 86  the first dedicated HIV clinic in the U.S., founded in 1983. He got help, that same day, to sign up for insurance he can afford. He got a starter pack, that same day, of antiretroviral therapy and a prescription for more.

When his pharmacist told him there would be a $1,195 copay, his social worker made the copay go away. David, who is 33 and asked that his last name not be used, takes two tablets each day: Descovy, a sky blue rectangle with rounded corners, and Tivicay, a small circle of corn-silk yellow.

After two weeks, the virus was undetectable in Davids blood. As long as he stays on medication, HIV will not determine his future. Just as important, he will not transmit the disease to anyone else.

Davids success is San Franciscos success. This city is on course to be the first in the country to eliminate new HIV infections  or at least come close. President Trump pledged in his State of the Union speech that the U.S. will eliminate the HIV epidemic  within 10 years. San Francisco is poised to get there first.

Mount Zion nursing assistant Michael Wollflair examines patient David Earl in 1994. (UC San Francisco) AIDS patients carry a banner up Market Street during the 1983 Gay Freedom Day Parade in San Francisco. (Eric Risberg / Associated Press) A man weeps in front of a makeshift memorial to AIDS victims during the 1990 AIDS Candlelight Memorial in San Francisco. (Bill Beattie / Associated Press) A man gets a "No AIDS" armband wrapped around his arm at the Gay Freedom Day Parade in San Francisco in 1983. (Eric Risberg / Associated Press) Clockwise from top left: Mount Zion nursing assistant Michael Wollflair examines patient David Earl in 1994; AIDS patients carry a banner up Market Street during the 1983 Gay Freedom Day Parade in San Francisco; a man gets a "No AIDS" armband wrapped around his arm at the 1983 parade; and a man weeps in front of a makeshift memorial to AIDS victims during the 1990 AIDS Candlelight Memorial in San Francisco. (UC San Francisco; Eric Risberg / Associated Press; Bill Beattie / Associated Press)

More than 2,300 new, full-blown AIDS cases were diagnosed here in 1992, the peak of the epidemic. In 2017, the most recent official statistics available, 221 people were diagnosed with HIV, the virus that can lead to AIDS. When the 2018 statistics are released in September, that number is expected to drop to around 190.

San Francisco is a model for the rest of the nation, said David C. Harvey, executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors. Some states and cities  do not have the resources of San Francisco and will have a problem replicating the exact model. But places like San Francisco, New York City and Seattle  with San Francisco leading the pack  are important jurisdictions at showing the rest of the country what is possible.

The immediate goal of the citys ambitious Getting to Zero campaign is to reduce new HIV diagnoses by 90% between 2013, when there were 394 cases, and 2020. San Francisco is only about halfway there but is moving faster than the nation as a whole and any other big city.

San Francisco is a model for the rest of the nation. David C. Harvey, executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors

The first step in its three-pronged approach is rapid testing and antiretroviral therapy to keep people healthy and stop the spread of infection. Next is the widespread prescription of PrEP, a.k.a. pre-exposure prophylaxis, a pill that keeps healthy people from getting infected. And finally, a network of outreach workers find people who have stopped regular HIV testing and work to get them back into care.

The citys greatest success has been in reducing the rate of infection among gay men. And the biggest challenges? Reaching African American men, whose infection rate is the highest, and making sure infected homeless people receive the medical care they need. That effort was strengthened last week with the announcement of San Franciscos first POP-UP clinic, under the direction of Dr. Monica Gandhi, medical director of Ward 86; the UP stands for Unstably Housed People.

Trumps State of the Union address devoted just 81 words to the subject of HIV. But his pledge to eradicate the disease resonated here in the city where AIDS mowed down so many young lives and galvanized generations of scientists, doctors and activists.

Dr. Diane Havlir, a co-founder of Getting to Zero, was a young medical resident here during the epidemics darkest days.

Nurse Guy Vandengerg works at Ward 86, an outpatient HIV clinic, at San Francisco General Hospital. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) Nurse Edward Jacobs works at Ward 86, an outpatient HIV clinic, at San Francisco General Hospital. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) Nurses Guy Vandengerg, left, and Edward Jacobs work at Ward 86, an outpatient HIV clinic, at San Francisco General Hospital. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

The AIDS patients she saw were her age, she said, and they were sick and they were dying and some were blind and some had purple spots all over their bodies and we knew about some of the infections, but we had no treatment. And once we started getting treatment, the treatment was very, very rough on the patients.

Shaffer Grubb / Los Angeles Times

Havlir, who is a professor at UC San Francisco and head of the HIV program at San Francisco General, was heartened by Trumps pledge, which she said broke the silence this administration has had about HIV. But pledges alone arent sufficient, she said. We need science. We need community involvement. We need funding.

Trumps 2020 budget asks for $291 million for the effort in its first year. But it also proposed cuts to Medicaid and other programs that are central to the fight against HIV. The result, said the Act Now: End AIDS Coalition, is a federal budget that fundamentally undermines the ambitions laid out by the administration.

However, Harvey noted, the administration has since said it will reallocate some funding to its HIV eradication effort in the 2019 fiscal year. This is good news, he said.

David, who is working toward his master of fine arts degree, received care through the Rapid ART Program Initiative for HIV Diagnoses. Its goal is to make sure people who test positive are offered antiretroviral therapy within five days of diagnosis.

RAPID has had significant effects. Between 2013 and 2016, the percentage of patients linked to care within one month of being diagnosed with HIV has jumped from 72% to 83%. The median number of days between starting medical care for the infection and receiving antiretroviral therapy dropped from 27 days to zero, according to the San Francisco Department of Public Health.

And then there is PrEP.

I never had a gay reality without HIV, and now Im immune. Rand Hunt, activist in San Franciscos leather culture

Rand Hunt takes PrEP in his bedroom in Oakland. Hunt was born the year HIV was identified, and has lived his entire life in the shadow of the AIDS epidemic. Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

When Rand Hunt talks about the pre-exposure medication, he sounds as if he has just witnessed a miracle.

He was born in 1984, the year HIV was identified as the cause of AIDS, and has lived his entire life in the shadow of the epidemic. He is a web designer, an activist in San Franciscos leather culture and HIV-negative. He does not foresee his status changing.

All because of a small blue pill, brand name Truvada. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that when it is taken consistently it has been shown to reduce the risk of HIV infection in people who are at high risk by up to 92%. When used with a condom, it is even more effective.

I never had a gay reality without HIV, and now Im immune, Hunt said. The awareness is like the dawn, the sun coming up, the plague being over. For me, it means that I can be present when I have sex instead of being, like, The condoms gonna break and Im gonna die.

Dr. Susan Buchbinder, who directs the health departments Bridge HIV program and co-founded Getting to Zero, said the city has gone from an estimated 4,400 people on the drug in 2014 to between 16,000 and 20,000 people today.

Among the largest providers is Magnet, a mens sexual health clinic in the Castro District run by the nonprofit San Francisco AIDS Foundation. Because it is not government funded, there are no restrictions on whom it can serve, although it tends to focus on what Pierre-Cedric Crouch describes as clients on the gay, bi and transmasculine spectrum.

Crouch, who is Magnets director of nursing, said half of what we do every day is PrEP. Theres a big demand.

In an effort to serve the citys hard-to-reach populations, the foundation kicked off a weekly event that allows queer and trans people of color to get tested for HIV and receive PrEP on the spot.

But the most difficult people to reach for HIV prevention and care are homeless.

A rose lies on a memorial with engraved names of AIDS victims in 2003 at the National Aids Memorial Grove in San Francisco. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images)

Although homeless people make up just 1% of the citys population, they account for 14% of the newly diagnosed HIV cases, according to the health department. While 70% of housed people with HIV have the virus under control, only a third of homeless people do.

Ebony, Dacquri and their 9-year-old son have bounced among shelters and friends sofas, the occasional motel and the street for at least the last nine months.

Both women are HIV-positive. Ebony has diabetes and untreated Stage 4 cervical cancer.

For a week in mid-February, they had had a motel room paid for them in the Mission District. But when that week ended, they didnt know what to do.

For people infected with HIV, homelessness can mean the difference between sickness and health. If you have no roof over your head, your medication can get lost or stolen or confiscated in a police sweep. If you do not know where your next meal will come from, keeping a doctor appointment isnt the highest priority.

So at 9 a.m on a rainy Thursday, the two women called Midori Harvey, an outreach worker with a program called LINCS, which connects people with HIV who have fallen out of care to clinics and medication.

Harvey, who has worked with the family since August, helped persuade the women to go on antiretroviral therapy and got them on a list for more permanent shelter. But the wait is long.

At 4 p.m., Dacquri, 32, and her son stood on Grove Street outside the Compass Family Services office. The familys belongings lay piled on the damp sidewalk. Ebony, who is 36, was inside trying to get a place for the night.

Our health aint that good, Dacquri said. Our boy cant be out here in the cold.

Ebony burst out of the Compass office, holding their little black dog. They had secured a motel room for another week.

I have my fingers crossed until something better comes along, Ebony said.

Something to call a home. Let their son enroll in school.
Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. Its Thursday, March 28, and heres whats happening across California:

TOP STORIES

Clark and Jeanette Parker of Beverly Hills have cast themselves as selfless philanthropists, telling the California Board of Education that they have devoted all of our lives to the education of other peoples children, committed many millions of our own dollars directly to that particular purpose, with no gain directly to us. But the couple have, in fact, made millions from their charter schools. Financial records show the Parkers schools have paid more than $800,000 annually to rent buildings the couple own. The charters have contracted out services to the Parkers nonprofits and companies and paid Clark Parker generous consulting fees, all with taxpayer money, a Times investigation has found. Presented with The Times findings, the Parkers did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Read Part 1 of a three-part series this week. Los Angeles Times

Part 2: Hit hard by the recession and declining enrollment, some of Californias smallest school districts have been approving charter schools in exchange for fees. The practice, which is legal, has given districts an incentive not to monitor misbehaving charters. Los Angeles Times

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Questions about the Census

Roughly 3 million people of Southwest Asian, Middle Eastern or North African descent live in the United States, according to a Los Angeles Times analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data. No county is home to more of these communities than Los Angeles, where more than 350,000 people can trace their roots to a region that stretches from Mauritania to the mountains of Afghanistan. In past census surveys, more than 80% in this group have called themselves white, The Times analysis found. But many in those communities think there should be a separate category for people of Middle Eastern or North African descent. Los Angeles Times

Trying to make history

San Francisco is on course to be the first city in the country to eliminate new HIV infections  or at least come close. President Trump pledged in his State of the Union speech that the U.S. will eliminate the HIV epidemic  within 10 years. San Francisco is poised to get there first. Los Angeles Times

A rose lies on a memorial with engraved names of AIDS victims at the National Aids Memorial Grove in San Francisco. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images)

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More shoes drop

A major Silicon Valley venture capital firm broke ties with its founder after he informed partners that the mastermind of the sweeping college admissions scandal helped get his son into college. Chris Schaepe has not been charged in the ongoing federal investigation, and his spokeswoman said he did nothing illegal. Los Angeles Times

L.A. STORIES

Watch: Video shows L.A. County Sheriffs Deputy Caren Carl Mandoyan trying to break into a womans home, leading to his firing after officials determined he had repeatedly lied about the incident. He was reinstated by Sheriff Alex Villanueva. The case set off an unprecedented legal battle between the sheriff and the Board of Supervisors. Los Angeles Times

Making up for mistakes: The Los Angeles City Council has agreed to pay $12 million to Susan Mellen, who spent 17 years behind bars for a murder she didnt commit. Los Angeles Times

At the race track: Santa Anita might abolish the use of whips by jockeys. Los Angeles Times

Opening day! Taste-testing Dodger Stadiums new food, including a brazen $21 sandwich. Los Angeles Times

In Beverly Hills: Cannabis and Barneys: High times and high-end style. Los Angeles Times

IMMIGRATION AND THE BORDER

Change afoot: The Orange County Sheriffs Department says it will end its agreement with federal immigration officials to hold some prisoners in the county jail system. Los Angeles Times

Plus: South Bay law-enforcement leaders Tuesday put forward a proposal to change Santa Clara Countys sanctuary policy, allowing the notification of federal immigration agents when undocumented immigrants with violent criminal histories are released from local jails. Mercury News

Amazing visualization: From Guatemala, Mexico and California come the stories of lives altered by Trumps crackdown on immigration. Washington Post

Housed under a bridge: The head of Customs and Border Protection on Wednesday said his agency was facing a humanitarian crisis at the southern border, as migrant families are being held in a makeshift encampment under a bridge in El Paso, Texas, waiting to be processed by immigration officials. BuzzFeed News

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Nepotism allegations: A former state government administrator allegedly engaged in gross misconduct by using the influence of her position to circumvent Californias civil service employment process in hiring and promoting her daughter, an audit found. Los Angeles Times

Where should the line be drawn? As San Francisco moves to ban electronic cigarettes, many, then, are left wondering: Why are some sins tolerated but others not? Should city officials outlaw traditional cigarettes while theyre at it? San Francisco Chronicle

Life on the street: Recently publicized emails between property owners and the LAPD illustrate the lengths landlords are willing to go to displace the homeless, and the ways in which law enforcement is complacent. L.A. Taco

CRIME AND COURTS

Basta! Michael Avenatti is not backing off accusations that Nike paid associates of prep players. Los Angeles Times

Outbreak: California officials are investigating cases of Legionnaires disease at a prison in the Central Valley after an inmate died of the disease. Los Angeles Times

Officers shot: Two Inglewood police officers were shot Wednesday when responding to reports of a man with a sword at the Church of Scientology of Inglewood, authorities said. Los Angeles Times

Whoops! An intoxicated woman who had been kicked out of a posh Laguna Beach resort was arrested after she mistakenly walked into Justin Biebers hotel room, police said. Los Angeles Times

Coming soon: Force of Law, a new podcast on the debate over police shootings in California. CALmatters

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

Big food awards: The James Beard Foundation has announced this years nominations for its chef, restaurant and media awards in a ceremony in Houston. There are some notable Californians on the list. Los Angeles Times

At the movies: How Americas biggest theater chains are exploiting their janitors. Variety

Underfoot: A man is working to save Huntington Beachs last historical sidewalk markings. Los Angeles Times

RIP: Poinsettia family matriarch Elisabeth Jinx Ecke is remembered as a mom, friend, businesswoman and philanthropist. San Diego Union-Tribune

Shes everywhere! Elizabeth Holmes has generated a hundred new ways that professional disgrace can be parsed in the multiplatform digital universe and, in doing so, proved that many people would rather obsess over a persons hair than contemplate the fact that we are a nation easily conned, writes columnist Mary McNamara. Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

Los Angeles area: partly cloudy, 67, Thursday; partly cloudy, 71, Friday. San Diego: partly cloudy, 67, Thursday and Friday. San Francisco area: showers, 58, Thursday; partly cloudy, 60, Friday. San Jose: partly cloudy, 63. Thursday; sunny, 64, Friday. Sacramento: showers, 60, Thursday; partly cloudy, 66, Friday. More weather is here.

AND FINALLY

Todays California memory comes from Michael Beard:

Its that time of year: My father and uncle were both hard-working people, usually with a second job and often, in my fathers case, with a third. Sometime in May 1962 they had picked up a gig driving busloads of lodge members up to Los Angeles where the new Dodger Stadium was located in Chavez Ravine. On this trip I got to tag along. The parking lot ordeal, which hasnt changed much during ensuing decades, was typical and another story. On this particular Friday night it was a full house  Dodgers versus Giants.

Once the passengers were delivered and the buses parked, we were allowed in for free at the gate on the fourth level. I remember my uncle saying, the kids with us. There was standing room only and by the time we were in position it was the top of the third inning. The view at that level is spectacular, both inside and out of the ball park. In those days center field had two 410-feet markers just to the left and right of dead center. As my eyes became accustomed to the disorienting angle and height, I realized that the bases were loaded with two outs, Willie Mays was coming to bat and Stan Williams pitching for the Dodgers.

It was a full count when Mays swung at a pitch and by the time the report of the bat reached the fourth level, Willie Davis was already running, sprinter fast, to center. When he hit the warning track, he left his feet and pirouetted as he reached high and caught the ball at the top of the fence, then dropped to the ground. Fifty-seven thousand fans went crazy with delight, and in the evening twilight of Southern California with the glow of Dodger Stadium lights, I was hooked for life.

If you have a memory or story about the Golden State, share it with us. Send us an email to let us know what you love or fondly remember about our state. (Please keep your story to 100 words.)

Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints and ideas to Benjamin Oreskes and Shelby Grad. Also follow them on Twitter @boreskes and @shelbygrad.
Nearly a century after it was introduced to Congress, the Equal Rights Amendment is closer to passage than seemed possible just a few years ago. And the state that might make history as the 38th to ratify the constitutional amendment  47 years after Congress passed it  is Arizona.

Congress passed the Equal Rights Amendment in 1972 and sent it to the states for ratification. But only California and 34 other states ratified it by the June 1982 deadline set by Congress, leaving it three short of the required three-fourths. And five of them have since voted to rescind their support.

The deadline and the rescissions are hurdles that ERA supporters will ultimately have to overcome. Nevertheless, in 2017, the ERA was suddenly back in the news when the Nevada Legislature ratified it. Last year, Illinois did the same, a fitting tribute to womens rights in the #MeToo era.

Afterward, ERA supporters turned their attention to states that hadnt yet ratified. Virginia seemed poised to be 38th, but passage failed last month by one vote. Now, its Arizonas turn. So far, a ratification vote has been blocked by the thin Republican majority. But ERA supporters are using every option to force a vote, which they think they will win, before the session ends in April.

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Good luck to them. We hope Arizonas Republicans get out of the way and let legislators vote  if not for women, then at least for the sake of their own political careers. The Grand Canyon State might have been staunchly conservative for decades, but Arizonans have been leaning liberal in recent elections. In November, for example, Democrats came within spitting distance of parity on the Arizona Legislature, and Kyrsten Sinema was the first Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate from Arizona in 30 years. (Sinema also happens to be the first woman to represent the state in the Senate, and is the bodys first openly bisexual member.)

Opponents of the ERA say that this 70s-era amendment proposal has been rendered unnecessary in modern times because courts have extended constitutional protections to women. If its redundant and merely symbolic, then why the fierce opposition to a ratification vote? Because there are still forms of discrimination against women that the 14th Amendment may not protect against but an ERA would. The amendment would also be a bulwark against any diminution of the rights women have won thus far.

We hope that Arizona gets a chance to join its neighboring states and vote for ratification. Doing so would not only be the right thing to do, it would allow the ERA to move on to the next critical stage of debate: whether Congress can extend the 1982 deadline retroactively, and whether the states that withdrew their ratification votes had the constitutional authority to do so.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
Ryan Zinke was an embarrassment as secretary of the Interior, making headlines for his prolific personal and political use of airplanes and helicopters at government expense, and for various displays of pomposity, such as raising and lowering the flag over department headquarters depending on whether he was in the building. All the while, though, the Trump administrations business of shrinking national monument lands and opening up precious and sensitive areas to oil drilling and mining was carried out by Zinkes lower-profile and much more dangerous deputy, oil industry attorney and lobbyist David Bernhardt.

Bernhardt is now Trumps nominee to succeed Zinke and comes before the Senate on Thursday. He should be rejected.

There is no doubt that Bernhardt is a subject matter expert on issues within the purview of the Department of the Interior. The problem is that his expertise is in circumventing the departments rules and regulations, and undermining its mission of environmentally responsible stewardship of federal public land.

As an attorney for the huge Westlands Water District in the San Joaquin Valley, Bernhardt repeatedly sued the department and drafted legislation to undermine protections for salmon and other endangered species. He was registered as a Westlands lobbyist until 2016.

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His law firms lobbying clients include Cadiz Inc., which continues to push a controversial plan to pump groundwater out of an environmentally sensitive portion of the Mojave Desert.

At the department, where he has served as acting secretary since Zinke stepped down in December, Bernhardt has sought to expand coastal oil drilling and weaken protections for endangered species such as the sage grouse. He worked to open up drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and near archaeological and sacred sites adjacent to Chaco Canyon, the Stonehenge of the U.S. Southwest.

Rather than protecting air quality, he protected coal-fired power plants from regulation.

On Tuesday, the New York Times reported that Bernhardt blocked the release of a report finding that three pesticides jeopardize the continued existence of hundreds of threatened bird, fish and plant species.

Bernhardt has moved back and forth over the years between the department and the law firm of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, which represents numerous clients that interact with the Department of the Interior. He started at the firm in 1998 and went to Interior in 2001, working in several department positions during the George W. Bush administration before becoming the departments top lawyer. He went back to the firm after Barack Obamas election, and then returned to the department after Trump took office.

He is the ultimate symbol of regulatory capture  in which a rule-making agency is taken over by the very industry it was supposed to regulate. He was the wrong choice to become deputy secretary of the Department of the Interior two years ago, and is the wrong choice to succeed Zinke in the departments top job.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
From his opening campaign declaration that the American dream is dead, to his creatively capitalized warning just last month that without strong Borders we dont have a Country, Donald Trump has proven again and again that an apocalyptic style works in contemporary American politics.

The presidents 2020 challengers, alas, have followed Trumps lead.

We are at an inflection point in in the history of our world, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) pronounced when kicking off her candidacy in January. We are here because the American dream and our American democracy are under attack and on the line like never before.

Voters in the 1864 primaries might beg to differ, but thats not stopping the presidential primary field from serial declarations of catastrophe.

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Humans are hardwired to believe that the sky will fall, no matter how much cleaner, healthier and richer our environs become over time.

Today, millions and millions and millions of American families are  struggling to survive in a system that has been rigged by the wealthy and the well-connected, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said last month when announcing her presidential bid. Millions of families can barely breathe.

Imagine the tracheal stress if unemployment was above 4%!

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has been hurling paranoiac thunderbolts at the oligarchy for as long as hes been in politics. We have created a system which is basically out of control, he lamented in February to CBS John Dickerson, which is why Now its time to complete that revolution.

We have grown accustomed to politicians of both parties, especially those not in power, drastically overselling what Barack Obama (channeling Martin Luther King) was fond of calling the fierce urgency of now  calls to action that need immediate attention  usually in the form of voting for the politician sounding the alarm. Republicans heading into the 2016 election breathed a manic new energy into the tradition, beginning with Trumps first rant about Mexican rapists, which set off a bidding war to see who could bring the most crazy to the visa-policy debate. (My favorite came from first generation Indian American Bobby Jindal: Immigration without assimilation is an invasion.)

With his bottomless reservoir of hellscape hyperbole, Trump demonstrated daily that the apocalyptic style was a ticket in alienated America for leapfrogging more staid establishment politicians.

Those conservative intellectuals who didnt leap off the Trump train learned by the time of his nomination to love the hyperbole, including most notably in the Claremont Review of Books Flight 93 Election. That article, written under a pseudonym by Michael Anton, who later joined and then left the Trump administration, analogized a Hillary Clinton presidency to a plane hijacked by suicidal terrorists. Charge the cockpit or you die, Anton counseled. You may die anyway.  [But] if you dont try, death is certain.

Since every winning strategy in Americas two-party political system ends up being copied by the losing side, the Democrats march toward a paranoid dystopia should not surprise.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Burbank) has been amply rewarded in the media ecosystem for making casual suggestions that the president of the United States is working for another team. Fellow committee member Eric Swalwell (D-Dublin) told Vanity Fair in January that over the last six months, there has only been more evidence that the president has been acting on Russias behalf.

And if early response to the Mueller report summary is any guide, dont expect much left-of-center walkback from the past two years of increasingly conspiratorial speculation about Trump/Russia.

Heading into 2020, we should expect more and louder howling into the wind, even from the most professionally upbeat 2020 Democrats.

Enter the Fray: First takes on the news of the minute 

Society does not value work anymore, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) warned in South Carolina on Saturday. We have a real crisis in this country over financial stability.

Even Beto ORourke, in between countertop jumps and motivational rah-rah, is accessing the dark side. The civil war in Syria, the wildfires in California  we literally are making it happen, the toothsome Texan said in New Hampshire last week. And unless we act in the next 12 years  there will be a hell visited upon our kids and grandkids and the generations that follow.

Why do people talk like this? Because it speaks to our species. Humans are hardwired to believe that the sky will fall, no matter how much cleaner, healthier and richer our environs become over time. Our evolutionary parents and grandparents, after all, survived precisely because they suspected that that rattle in the bushes might well be a sabertooth tiger.

But the moral of The Boy Who Cried Wolf is not that there is no wolf, but rather that warnings should be saved for when the beast actually arrives. The presidents apocalyptic fantasia is disreputable on its face, and leads to bad policies. Democrats should resist the temptation to emulate what they despise.

Matt Welch is editor-at-large at Reason magazine and a contributing writer to Opinion.
To the editor: As an intersex woman and director of interACT: Advocates for Intersex Youth, Im writing in support of Californias SB 201, which would ban medically unnecessary genital surgery on intersex children.

The bill aims to end the physical and emotional harms resulting from unnecessary intervention suffered by children born with variations of sex characteristics. The quote Dr. Lane Palmer, president of the Societies for Pediatric Urology, that patients who have early surgeries heal better if theyre young, is unsupported. Id like him to follow his patients into adulthood to see the outcomes of these operations.

The government needs to protect vulnerable children from harm perpetrated by a subset of specialists operating under the guise of honoring parents rights. I call upon the California Legislature to pass SB 201 and be the first state to stand on the right side of history.

Kimberly Zieselman, Sudbury, Mass.

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To the editor: Dr. Palmer appears more concerned with parents ignorant neuroses than with the welfare of intersex kids and adults whose bodies have been changed cosmetically as infants.

If a procedure is medically necessary, it is excluded from the legislation and is not a part of this discussion. State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) is targeting cosmetic procedures only.

No parent or doctor knows the adult that a child will become, so no parent or doctor should ever meddle with a childs body for cosmetic reasons. This is true for bowed legs, straightened by a doctor for no valid medical reason (my own experience), or genitals removed or added to force the child into a gender-conforming mold.

Cosmetic changes to a child too young to consent are destructive and should be made illegal across the board. They do far more harm than good to a community already burdened by discrimination and marginalization and are, by definition, medically unnecessary.

Matthew Enger, Pasadena

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
To the editor: Republican advisor Scott Jennings assumes that the only thing about Donald Trumps presidency that has been dividing this country is Justice Department special counsel Robert S. Mueller IIIs investigation.

As for the ways President Trump has divided this country, do I really need to list them?

Lets start with the withdrawal from the Paris climate accord. Then there are his efforts to roll back environmental regulations, his approbation of dictators, his continued dishonorable snipes at the late Sen. John McCain, his derogatory remarks about women, his demonizing of immigrants, his demonizing of Muslims, and his ho-hum responses to the actions of white nationalists. I could go on.

My disgust for Trump did not begin with the Mueller probe, nor does it end there. I think that millions of Americans who are disgusted with Trump would agree.

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Catherine Crook, Camarillo

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To the editor: The deflating fizzle of the Mueller report could be a gift to Democrats, if theyre smart enough to accept it. Now, instead of pursuing impeachment pipe dreams, they can turn a hard focus on real issues relevant to ordinary Americans.

Trumps Republican Party stands for tax cuts for the wealthy, reducing access to healthcare, gutting environmental protections and abandoning traditional U.S. allies while cozying up to dictators.

If Democrats can unify the public around these issues, they win in 2020. If they continue to let Trump distract and divide, they lose.

Jon Goetze, Pearblossom, Calif.

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To the editor: What a lot of claptrap from Jennings. Did someone whose behavior prior to the election alarmed U.S. intelligence agencies truly deserve the benefit of the doubt?

Trump, not the Democrats, made the issue of collusion central to his presidency through his suspect behavior.

No doubt President Obama could have done more to alert us about Russian interference. But how interesting that Jennings fails to mention Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnells (R-Ky.) role in watering down the statement that was issued by the federal government or the Republicans refusal to fund election security measures.

Why didnt Trump immediately impanel a team to address foreign election interference? The only mess is of Trumps making.

Jennifer Pinkerton, Glendale

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To the editor: I have to disagree with Jennings. Surely Trump must take some of the blame for the mess we went through these last two years.

The president could have saved himself and the country a lot of stress if he had done several normal things, like showing his federal income tax returns. Or not meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in private and not telling anybody what was said. Or not inviting Putin to the White House. Or not believing Putin over our own intelligence agencies that said Russia did in fact meddle in our election.

Of course, any Democrat or journalist is going to wonder what Trump was up to by acting so friendly with the Russian president. In my view, he can share in the blame.

Suzanne Wojcik, Claremont

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
To the editor: Lets take the long view on environmental issues. The public is made to feel that things we do or not do  like use a straw or get a paper receipt, which is the latest target of environmental legislation in California  make a difference for our environment.

I do not discourage doing your part, but this is not as effective as bigger changes we need to make. Cruise ships release tons of sewage directly in the ocean, for example, and much of the plastic we use is not recyclable.

The expectation that nearly all customers will want receipts to be sent to their phones or computers just passes costs on to consumers, who will have now allowed their purchase histories to be used and exploited. Ill take a paper receipt, please.

Allison Johnson, Ventura

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To the editor: I am not in favor of AB 161, a bill in the state Assembly to phase out the use of paper receipts. In this day and age of scammers, robocalls and who knows what else, this bill would put out more information and open up another arena for misuse.

I am not interested in getting multiple emails and phone calls regarding special deals from stores and restaurants. How can we ever maintain some privacy when we keep giving out our information?

Marie Wade, Hermosa Beach

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
James Comey, the former FBI director who started the Russia investigation, expressed confusion over why special counsel Robert S. Mueller III didnt conclude whether President Trump tried to obstruct justice.

In an interview with Lester Holt of NBC Nightly News on Wednesday, Comey said it is the role of the special counsel to make a judgment so political appointees, such as the attorney general, arent left to make the call. That Mueller left it up to Atty. Gen. William Barr to decide on obstruction of justice doesnt make sense on its face, Comey said.

I dont know why he didnt and dont know what combination of law and fact led him to that, Comey said, who urged that Muellers final report be made public.

Comey also weighed in on Holts now-famous 2017 interview with Trump soon after he was fired. In that conversation, Trump admitted to Holt that he had this Russia thing on his mind when he fired Comey.

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Comey told Holt that when he saw that Trump interview he thought, thats potentially obstruction of justice and I hope somebody is going to look at that.  Comey has made similar comments in the past regarding whether Trump obstructed justice by firing him.

While Republicans have been very critical of the investigation after Mueller did not establish there was a conspiracy between Russia and the Trump campaign, Comey believes the report actually rehabs the FBIs image by showing that the organization is not a nest of vipers and spies, but an honest group of people trying to find out what is true.

Some Republicans, including Trump ally and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), have suggested opening a congressional probe into the FBIs handling of the Russia investigation.

Trump has said that the two-year investigation was a disgrace and should never happen to a president again.

But Comey posited this scenario when asked whether he should have opened an investigation in the first place:

Imagine the Iranians interfere in the election to help elect Barack Obama, an Obama aide meets with the Iranians to talk about the dirt they have, then President Obamas national security advisor lies to the FBI about his communications with the Iranians, then President Obama asks Comey to drop the investigation of that, fires Comey and said he did so while thinking about the Iranian thing. Then he invited mullahs to the Oval Office and told them he lifted a lot of pressure by firing Comey.

Who on Earth doesnt think the FBI should investigate that? Comey asked. The hypocrisy is revealed just by changing the names.
The Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday backed up conclusions from U.S. intelligence agencies that Moscow interfered in the 2016 election with the aim of helping President Trump win, releasing an unclassified report which called the intelligence assessment solid.

The Committee has spent the last 16 months reviewing the sources, tradecraft and analytic work underpinning the Intelligence Community Assessment and sees no reason to dispute the conclusions, said a statement from Sen. Richard M. Burr (R-N.C.), the panels chairman.

The committees statement is not a surprise  Burr and the panels Democratic vice chairman, Sen. Mark R. Warner of Virginia  have both made previous statements supporting the intelligence communitys assessment. But the strong endorsement nonetheless marks a significant milestone in the continued debate over Russias role in the 2016 campaign.

The report puts the panel at odds with Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee, who issued their own report this year, and the president, who has continued to denigrate the intelligence agencies assessment. Just last week, he did so once again, on Twitter.

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Russia continues to say they had nothing to do with Meddling in our Election! Trump tweeted, then questioned whether law enforcement had adequately investigated the issue. So many questions, so much corruption!

The Senate committees bipartisan conclusion comes at a potentially awkward time for Trump, who is scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on July 16 in Helsinki, Finland.

The report not only backs up intelligence officials assessment that Russia acted deliberately to help Trump, but also that Putin personally ordered the efforts to meddle in the U.S. campaign. Putin last week met with Trumps national security advisor, John Bolton, and told him that there had been no interference by the Russian state, Bolton said in a Fox News interview over the weekend.

The Senate committee, however, said the scope of Russian interference has only become clearer in the years since the campaign.

Further details have come to light that bolster the assessment, the report said.

Follow the latest news of the Trump administration on Essential Washington 

The Senate report diverges from an earlier one released in March by House Intelligence Committee Republicans, who said officials were mistaken to conclude that Moscow wanted Trump to win. The House Republicans report also emphasized the lack of public evidence that Trumps allies conspired with Russians, something that remains under investigation by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III.

The new Senate committee report does not address the issue of collusion. It did say, however, that intelligence agencies were on solid ground by saying Moscow developed a clear preference for Trump.

Officials relied on public Russian leadership commentary, Russian state media reports, public examples of where Russian interests would have aligned with candidates policy statements, and a body of intelligence reporting, the Senate report said.

In addition, the report said there were no signs that President Obamas administration improperly tried to interfere with intelligence agencies analysis.

The Committee heard consistently that analysts were under no politically motivated pressure to reach any conclusions, the report said.

The report is another example of how the Senate Intelligence Committee has diverged from its House counterpart.

The House Intelligence Committee has been split along partisan lines, releasing Republican and Democratic versions of various reports. Democrats rejected its March report on Russias activities.

The House panels chairman, Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Tulare), has also proven to be much more willing to jump to Trumps defense, dedicating significant time to examining how the Justice Department has handled the Russian probe.

Meanwhile, the Senate committee has maintained bipartisan cooperation and expressed little interest in Nunes theories about allegations of investigator misconduct.

chris.megerian@latimes.com

Twitter: @chrismegerian

UPDATES:

2:05 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details about the Senate report.

This article was originally published at 12:45 p.m.
Only three years ago, Silicon Valley was riding so high that Hillary Clinton seemed truly stumped when asked on The Ellen DeGeneres Show whether shed rather have George Clooney as a running mate or Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg.

Oh, thats hard, Clinton said at the time.

It is hard to imagine any Democratic presidential candidate hedging on the question today. Many might bristle at even being asked to pose for a selfie with a Facebook executive, much less run with one.

Silicon Valleys standing in presidential politics has fallen many notches amid big-tech privacy intrusions, platform vulnerability to election interference and perceived corporate excess. The community that not long ago had candidates pining for its approval now finds its political reputation stuck somewhere between that of Wall Street and Big Pharma.

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If the question is what role will Silicon Valley have in picking the next president, the answer is probably a lot less than it thinks, said Bradley Tusk, a venture capitalist who has worked as a political strategist for Uber and campaign manager for former New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. There are few tech leader endorsements you would even actively covet.

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren has taken the most aggressive posture toward the tech industry, recently launching a proposal to break up Amazon, Google and Facebook through aggressive use of antitrust laws and strictly regulate how firms amass personal data. But even the most tech-friendly candidates have adopted some of Warrens adversarial posture, if not her precise policy prescription.

Republicans offer the industry little relief. Erstwhile Silicon Valley boosters in the GOP have joined President Trump in threatening the firms over a perceived conspiracy to censor conservative voices.

Yet even if this crop of Democratic candidates does not want to be associated with the oligarchs and politically aloof innovators of Silicon Valley, it needs them just the same. Much like the bankers and brokers on Wall Street, the entrepreneurs of Silicon Valley have assets the candidates want  in this case knowledge of digital campaigning tools, policy expertise and big bank accounts that can be crucial to a White House bid.

The iPhones of wired Silicon Valley politicos are still ringing, with calls from the same campaigns that are using the valley as a political pinata.

Every day here in San Francisco, there is another presidential candidate coming through, said Chris Lehane, the longtime Democratic strategist who now heads global policy and public affairs at Airbnb. There are two or three here this week.

They are just circumspect.

No candidate this time around has sought a media moment by opening a satellite campaign office in a cubicle of a San Francisco incubator, as Republican Sen. Rand Paul did in the last presidential race. None are trying to prove their tech savvy by hailing an Uber en route to an appearance at the office of a gig-economy platform for plumbers, as Jeb Bush did in 2015.

Yet most of the top candidates this cycle have already been hosted by tech executives at fundraisers and are enlisting tech industry bundlers  well-connected supporters who can tap their networks of friends and business associates to raise tens, even hundreds, of thousands of dollars for campaign accounts.

The latest look at the Trump administration and the rest of Washington 

Operatives who have been around a few presidential cycles have seen similar episodes of industries falling out of political favor.

Former President Clinton aggressively and publicly courted Wall Streets approval. By the time Hillary Clinton ran, holding a campaign rally near the New York Stock Exchange, as her husband did, was extremely ill-advised for a Democrat.

Silicon Valley is feeling itself under the spotlight in a negative way for the first time since the dot-com bubble of the late 1990s, said Maria Salamanca, a venture capitalist and Democratic activist who helped launch Swing Left, one of the most successful new fundraising platforms for progressives. Yet at this early stage in the campaign, she said, tech leaders are not so much panicked as looking to sort out candidates who are attacking tech because it is a hot talking point versus candidates bringing the appropriate amount of attention to issues of concern to everyone.

Even as tech entrepreneurs say the hearings lawmakers are holding in Washington to berate companies like Facebook and Google have done little more than highlight how ill-prepared Capitol Hill is to regulate the sector, they are chastened by the problems that have been exposed. Their posture toward regulation is no longer resisting it at all cost. Many are eager to see the giant firms that have generated the most unwanted attention forced to improve their business practices.

I spent my life in Silicon Valley, and I will be the first to say a lot of the larger firms here have lost the trust of the American people, said venture capitalist Steve Westly, former California state controller and one of the tech industrys most prolific Democratic fundraisers. They need to do a better job protecting their customers.

Westly has already enlisted to raise money for former Vice President Joe Biden, who is expected to enter the race at some point in April. Another star tech fundraiser, Amy Rao, is working to fill the campaign coffers of Sen. Kamala Harris. Silicon Valley power broker Ron Conway said in an email that hell be backing Harris, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey and likely others.

Many candidates running have relationships with Silicon Valley leaders and an understanding of the innovation economy, even if they dont always agree with the tech sectors perspective, he wrote.

Beyond stealthy fundraisers in the living rooms of tech titans, even candidates who are among the most sharply critical of tech have been quietly traipsing the tech circuit, stopping in at incubators, visiting the Stanford campus and meeting people at intimate events at Mannys, a social hub for innovators in San Franciscos Mission District.

Even Sen. Bernie Sanders, the self-described democratic socialist, eager to redistribute some of the wealth that big-tech executives amass, has signed on Silicon Valley Rep. Ro Khanna as a top advisor. Khanna argues that some of the hostility candidates are directing toward his district is misguided.

It displays a total lack of intellectual curiosity about the digital revolution, said Khanna, a progressive who has championed an internet bill of rights and antitrust rules opposed by some of the big firms in his district. Candidates should be focused on spreading the innovation economy to struggling parts of the country, rather than attacking it, he said. The companies, unlike Wall Street firms, remain extremely popular with voters, he added.

Its a mistake in the candidate messaging, Khanna said. They are disconnected from what people in Middle America want. Those voters want to partner with tech leaders to create economic opportunity. I have been with them in these places. Often, the tech leaders are treated like rock stars.

More stories from Evan Halper 
A new poll found that Californians, by a 2-to-1 margin, support sentencing first-degree murderers to life in prison rather than the death penalty, an indication that Gov. Gavin Newsoms recent decision to impose a moratorium on executions may align with public sentiment against capital punishment.

The poll results could potentially revive efforts to abolish the death penalty in California, including a proposed constitutional amendment being considered in the state Legislature that could land on the 2020 ballot, and embolden Newsom to take additional action against capital punishment. The Democratic governor already is considering prohibiting any new death sentences in local criminal cases.

The Public Policy Institute of California poll found that 62% of Californians, in cases of first-degree murder, favored a penalty of life imprisonment with absolutely no possibility of parole, compared with 31% who favored death sentences. Support for the death penalty in the state has steadily declined since 2000, when Californians were evenly divided on the issue, according to the institutes polling over that time period.

This is a case where public opinion continues to shift, and shift support away from the death penalty, said Mark Baldassare, the institutes president and chief executive.

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However, the survey runs counter to recent statewide votes on capital punishment. Californians rejected proposals to abolish the death penalty in 2016 and 2012.

(Shaffer Grubb / Los Angeles Times Graphics)

Baldassare said the dissonance between recent polls and the outcome of two ballot measures was driven largely by the successful campaigns by death penalty supporters to highlight some of the most brutal and heinous killers on Californias death row.

The campaigns in 2012 and 2016 were very effective in bringing up examples of horrible crimes that were committed, and it raised questions in peoples minds about whether they were prepared to make that decision, Baldassare said. Voters are always more willing to vote no than yes. 

In the 2016 election, death penalty supporters aired ads featuring Sandra Friend of Yuba City, whose 8-year-old-son was sexually abused and killed by Robert Boyd Rhoades in the 1990s in what she described as a parents worst nightmare. Californians in that election not only rejected a ballot measure to abolish the death penalty, Proposition 62, they approved a competing measure to accelerate the appeals process in capital cases, Proposition 66.

Michael Rushford of the pro-death penalty Criminal Justice Legal Foundation, said the PPIC poll results historically have been misleading since the survey only asked Californians what penalty they favored for first-degree murder.

They should have asked the right question: What should the penalty be for the worst of the worst murderers  not what it should be if they kill someone in a bar fight, Rushford said.

Rushford said his foundation and some law enforcement organizations, including the California District Attorneys Assn., are looking into what options they may have to challenge the governors moratorium on executions. The Republican caucus in the California Senate on Wednesday also issued a scathing rebuke against Newsoms death penalty moratorium.

The Republicans posted a video on its Facebook page featuring Marc Klaas, the father of Polly Klaas, a 12-year-old who was raped and murdered in 1993. The man convicted of killing her, Richard Allen Davis, is on death row.

The death penalty now is all about Gavin Newsom and what a wonderful guy he is for sparing these poor men that just didnt get enough hugs from their moms and dads when they were little kids, Klaas says in the video.

Two weeks ago, Newsom signed an executive order granting a blanket reprieve to all 737 condemned prisoners in California, the state with the largest death row in the nation. Newsom also ordered the dismantling of the execution chamber at San Quentin State Prison and ended the states ongoing efforts to devise a constitutional method for lethal injection.

My ultimate goal is to end the death penalty in California, Newsom said, vowing that California will not execute any death row prisoners while he is governor.

The PPIC poll was being conducted when Newsom announced the moratorium, and Baldassare said the pollsters were able to add the death penalty question quickly enough to record the opinions of 1,110 Californians.

Baldassare said Newsoms advocacy against the capital punishment could also be a catalyst to increase support for abolishing the death penalty in California. The poll found Newsoms approval rating to be high among likely voters at 45%, compared to 36% who disapprove. Among Democrats, 65% approve of the job hes done thus far.

The PPIC poll revealed a sharpening partisan divide over the death penalty, with 76% of Democrats and 56% of independents supporting life imprisonment and 64% of Republicans favoring the death penalty.

That by itself indicates that public support for abolishing the death penalty may continue to increase. California is a solidly Democratic state and GOP voter registration has been on a steady decline, so much so that no party preference voters now outnumber Republicans in the state.

The survey found that a sentence of life without the possibility of parole also was favored by both men and women and across a spectrum of ethnic groups, ages and education levels.

Californias divide on the death penalty was narrower among likely voters than it was for the population as a whole. Among likely voters, the survey found that 58% supported life imprisonment for those convicted of first-degree murder, compared with 38% who favored a death sentence.

On the day Newsom announced his moratorium on executions, Assemblyman Marc Levine (D-San Rafael) introduced a proposed constitutional amendment to ban the death penalty in California. The measure will appear on the 2020 ballot if approved by the Democratic supermajorities in both chambers of the California Legislature.

phil.willon@latimes.com

Twitter: @philwillon
Gavin Newsom announced Thursday that he would travel to El Salvador next month in his first international trip as Californias governor to better understand the forces driving immigration to the United States.

At a Los Angeles healthcare clinic founded by Salvadoran refugees, Newsom described the trip as an opportunity to exert Californias leadership, learn about the migration problem and communicate it to the public, and help change the conversation on immigration and move away from responding to the president of the United States, [who] simply doesnt get it and does not get much done.

You cannot solve the migrant issue by building walls, Newsom said. And I fear things will only get much, much worse unless we fundamentally address these issues in a more systemic way. And to the extent that the state of California can exercise its moral authority and can lead in that conversation anew, I think thats a healthy thing, and I think thats part of the role and responsibility of a governor.

Newsoms embrace of the Central American country stands in contrast to President Trumps efforts to rescind deportation protections for Salvadorans and threats to cut off foreign aid, actions that could weaken the economy of a nation dependent on the flow of migrants to the U.S. and the financial support they send families back home.

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The governors visit could serve as a symbolic counterweight to Trumps immigration policy, reassuring El Salvador that close ties remain between the two nations, said David Pedersen, associate professor of anthropology at UC San Diego.

Theres no other political representative who could stand for more Salvadorans in the U.S. than the governor of California, Pedersen said.

At the event Thursday, Newsom said he believed California had a role to play in building relationships with other countries.

America needs leadership internationally, he said. California will assert itself if this administration wants to walk away.

Newsom announced the trip at Clinica Monsenor Oscar A. Romero, a healthcare facility named for the assassinated Salvadoran archbishop and social justice champion, in the governors first media event in Los Angeles since his January inauguration. Los Angeles County is home to the largest population of Salvadoran immigrants in the country, with estimates topping more than 250,000.

The governors schedule for the four-day trip, which is set to begin April 7, has not been publicly released.

El Salvador is one of the most violent countries in the world, with a homicide rate of 51 per 100,000 people in 2018. In February, the State Department renewed its travel warning advising Americans to reconsider visiting El Salvador due to crime.

Seeking to escape poverty, gang violence and corruption, nearly 22,400 Salvadorans began the process to seek asylum in the U.S. in fiscal year 2018, according to data from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on affirmative asylum applications and interviews.

Information from Syracuse Universitys Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse shows U.S. immigration courts rejected more than 75% of 8,235 asylum cases involving Salvadorans decided that year  more denials than any other country.

Experts say that in El Salvador, Newsom will encounter a country in strife, a product of systemic inequality and the lasting consequences of civil war.

Long-simmering tension over low wages for agricultural workers and huge profits for landowners came to a head in 1980, when Romero, an advocate for the poor whom Pope Francis canonized as a saint last year, was shot and killed by a right-wing death squad. The assassination fueled a 12-year war between leftist rebels and a Salvadoran military trained and backed by the U.S. government. In the end, 75,000 people were killed.

The idea was to quash rebellion at any cost, said Leisy J. Abrego, associate professor in Chicana/o studies at UCLA. In El Salvador, it meant that anyone who might be affiliated with the leftist organizations, who might be questioning the status quo, would be used to make a statement. Those people would be disappeared. Their families would be tortured and killed.

Young boys were forced to serve in the war, and families scrambled to send their children away, leading to an increase in immigration to the U.S. and other countries in the 1980s, Pedersen said. Government leaders recognized the limitations of agriculture as the battle dragged on and embraced the remittances Salvadorans living in the U.S. sent home to their families as a future bedrock of the economy, he said.

What this shift did is that it locked in the reality that Salvadorans would migrate to the U.S., work and send money home, Pedersen said. In the aftermath of the war, the country was a U.S. ally and it couldnt withstand the end of migration to the U.S. Theres a history of various provisions put in place to allow for continued migration.

The World Bank reported that remittances from Salvadorans living abroad accounted for nearly 20% of the countrys gross domestic product in 2017.

Abrego and Pedersen said the war traumatized a generation of young Salvadoran men, who were taught violence and had few other skills by the time the civil war ended. Living in the U.S. in poor and low-income neighborhoods with few opportunities, some Salvadoran immigrants formed and joined gangs, including MS-13, which has origins in Los Angeles. U.S. policies to deport gang members spread MS-13 to El Salvador, which became a corridor for drug trafficking, Abrego and Pedersen said.

By 1994, you could not go outside anymore after dark, Abrego said. Now its just a part of life there.

Trumps policies have tested the relationship between the two countries.

His administration has attempted to end protections for more than 200,000 Salvadorans living in the U.S. under a program that allows residents of countries experiencing political violence or natural disasters to work and live in the U.S. on a temporary basis. A federal judge in San Francisco halted the administrations rollback of temporary protected status last year amid pending litigation.

In October, the president also tweeted a threat to cut off aid to Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador in response to a migrant caravan traveling toward the U.S.-Mexico border. A report from the Congressional Research Service, a think tank for Congress, said the U.S. appropriated $57.7 million in assistance to El Salvador to promote economic prosperity, improve security and strengthen governance in fiscal year 2018.

Abrego said she didnt expect Trumps actions to stop Salvadorans from immigrating to the U.S.

I think that the situation is so unlivable right now that people are going to come no matter what, Abrego said. A lot of folks are leaving, and as much as they understand that its not a welcoming place, they have this hope that theyll be the lucky ones to get through.

As the Trump administration accepts fewer asylum-seekers, Newsom has accused the president of manufacturing a crisis at the southern border with Mexico and has sought to cast California as a safe haven for immigrant families.

The governor helped pass a bill this year to appropriate $5 million from the current state budget for nonprofit organizations providing shelter to asylum-seeking migrant families in the San Diego area. Hes also requested that the Legislature approve another $20 million in aid over the next three years.

Newsom is expected to tout his budget proposals on his trip to El Salvador, where he plans to meet with Central American leaders, his office said.

More stories from Taryn Luna 

taryn.luna@latimes.com

Follow @tarynluna on Twitter.
Theres nothing wrong with hyphenating multi-cultural. Theres nothing wrong with not hyphenating multicultural. Theres nothing wrong with doing it both ways in a single document.

But its very wrong to do it both ways in a single document youre trying to pass off as well-polished writing.

In the world of professional publishing, theres one thing thats more wrong than being wrong: being inconsistent. And perhaps no element of editing creates more opportunities for inconsistency than prefixes.

Some prefixes use hyphens to attach to a word. Some dont. Some work better with an en dash than a hyphen. Many have strict rules on whether to hyphenate them. Others leave it at your discretion. Still others are subject to rules that change depending on which editing style you want to follow.

Take co-worker, for example. Lots of places write it coworker, which is technically acceptable even though it conjures the idea of someone who spends 40 hours a week irking cows.

Book publishers dont agree. Their resource guide, the Chicago Manual of Style, states expressly that coworker doesnt take a hyphen. Neither does coauthor, coeditor or coequal.

Newspaper types see the prefix co- differently. Retain the hyphen when forming nouns, adjectives and verbs that indicate occupation or status, the Associated Press Stylebook advises, with examples that include co-author, co-defendant, co-host, co-star and co-worker.

But both styles agree that coequal, cooperate and coordinate take no hyphen.

I know what youre thinking, but this is not a vast conspiracy to annoy writers. Its just the result of different wordsmiths applying their best judgment about when a hyphen helps the reader see more quickly how the prefix is working.

Both styles agree that, as a rule, prefixes should not be hyphenated. But there are tons of exceptions. For example, have you ever seen anyone use coopt as a verb? Not likely. Co-opt is the preferred form because, as AP puts it, a hyphen is used if a prefix ends in a vowel and the word that follows begins with the same vowel. Chicago agrees.

So why dont you see hyphens in cooperate and coordinate? Well, as weve seen when good-bye and teen-ager became goodbye and teenager, long-term use has the effect of closing up compounds, giving us hypertension, macroeconomic and cyberspace.

Lots of prefixes have special rules and, in many cases, the authorities disagree on what those rules should be.

Take anti, for example. Antiaircraft would be almost unintelligible without a hyphen: anti-aircraft. The same would be true of antigun, antieducation or antitelevision. Thats why AP says that most uses of anti- take a hyphen, with exceptions for words often found in dictionaries, like antibiotic, antidespressant and antithesis.

Chicago makes similar exceptions, but their blanket rule for anti- is the opposite of APs: In general, dont hyphenate it.

Chicago style has a rule for attaching a prefix to a number, like pre-1950s. In that style, you dont use a hyphen. You use an en dash, which is sort of halfway between a hyphen and a regular dash.

In AP, you use a hyphen to attach a prefix to a number. Yet both styles agree that these terms never end up closed forms like pre1950s. Punctuation is not optional here.

And youll never see antiAmerican, preE.U. or proNATO as a closed compound. Styles agree that when youre attaching a prefix to a proper noun or anything that begins with a capital letter, thats another case where you cant drop the hyphen.

For lay users who dont want to look up every prefix every time they need to use one, the simple rule is never hyphenate it unless the results are too weird looking. If youre faced with an unsightly option like exhusband, unBritish or subsubparagraph, trust your eye and write it ex-husband, un-British or sub-subparagraph.

JUNE CASAGRANDE is the author of The Joy of Syntax: A Simple Guide to All the Grammar You Know You Should Know. She can be reached at JuneTCN@aol.com.
The majority of Americans see science and religion in conflict, according to a Pew Research Center report. But as it turns out, when people are asked about their specific beliefs, theyre less likely to see conflict.

Nearly 60% of the 2,002 adults surveyed found conflict in 20 issues of science and religion, the Religion News Service reports. However, when pressed about their personal beliefs, only about 30% reported any conflict.

The perception gap highlighted by the Pew analysis can be addressed by building bridges between both groups so that they dont rely on media stereotypes, said Jennifer Wiseman, program director for the Dialogue on Science, Ethics and Religion.

Q. The report seems to suggest that the perceived divide between science and religion isnt as wide and unmendable as its portrayed in the national dialogue. Do you agree with the findings? Where do you think this divide comes from?

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We can begin to answer this weeks questions with the very first words in the Bible: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

God created all of the universe, all of the life in it and all of the natural laws that govern them. He is the truth, and all truth points to him. His handiwork never denies him.

As Paul said in Romans 1:20: since the creation of the world his invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they [those people who deny Him] are without excuse.

Any disparity between what is believed about God and what is believed about the natural world can be attributed to ignorance about one or the other, or both. The more truth a person knows about both, the more they will be shown to be in harmony.

Jesus Christ is the unique union of all things in question. He is the Creator, for All things came into being through him, and apart from him nothing came into being that has come into being (John 1:3). He currently possesses a physical body, now eternally resurrected after his death on the cross for our sins. Having taken on human nature in full through the incarnation He is a man. He created us with souls and minds to know him and to appreciate his handiwork in nature, and with an inquisitive nature that we might seek to know more about both.

Pastor Jon Barta

Burbank

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Religion and science do overlap when religion attempts unsuccessfully to answer questions that should be left to science. And, contrarily, the evolution of religious thought has been profoundly reshaped by facts revealed through scientific discovery.

Religion is supposed to disseminate and investigate philosophy and moral truths. It is a salve for humans who feel anxious confronting unanswered questions and difficult situations. One reason it overlaps with science is that so much of what is written conflicts with proven science. Therefore, since many people dedicate their lives to and, indeed, define their lives by religion, in order to keep up their faith, they have no choice but to shove a square peg into a round hole and conform their beliefs to scientific truth or deny it altogether. As a humanist, I think it is only through science, the objective search for truth by observation, investigation and experimentation, that we can find answers to both empirical and ethical questions.

Many believers are intelligent and well-meaning, but since religious practice itself often employs deception and prejudice by denying scientific facts like evolution, preventing life-changing technologies, denying women the right to control their own bodies, marginalizing the LGBTQ community, etc., science should, as Steven Weinberg and others contend, help free people from religious superstition.

Religion has evolved so successfully that, there are, as the article pointed out, many who simply reject scientific truth altogether and, even if science proves something as fact, they would "...continue to hold to what their religion teaches. Some scientists themselves, inconceivably, are of faith.

Finally, the world is filled with so much turmoil and strife, and, as fallible and emotionally driven humans, many of us feel we need the comfort provided by the magical thinking of religion, regardless of truth. So, the answer to the question is that, even though religion and science are not compatible, for the foreseeable future, it appears they will continue to intermingle.

Joshua Lewis Berg

Humanist Celebrant

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The perceived divide between religion and science is portrayed by those who, for their own needs, continue to portray it as unmendable. Religion has become a political tool of the conservative right  the abortion controversy is a good example  while the ultra-liberal left worships at the throne of human endeavor, for example, misquoting the first sentence in Genesis as In the beginning he (man) created God.

We moderate liber-religionists would like to remind both groups that even the most religious of peoples still go to practitioners of medicine for treatment, whether they be Western or Asian, and the most scientifically minded parent still marvels at the birth of a healthy child.

With all due respect to physicians, may I quote a joke that epitomizes the continuing discussion over which is more powerful, God or science?

What is the difference between a doctor and God?

God doesnt want to be a doctor!

May all your doctors be religious and may God watch over all your computers.

Rabbi Mark Sobel

Temple Beth Emet

Burbank

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Since modern science is so hyper-naturalistic, it leaves little room for spiritual variables such as God. And this is funny, given all the speculation that goes on in science; from the hypothetical and invisible dark matter, to the unobservable theory of evolution  things postulated as fact rather than possibility  and I think this is where our two sides run afoul of one another.

Certainly there are scientists who are Christians, but they seem to be squelched in their careers: They dont get the grants, and theyre simply marginalized and considered politically incorrect by those in power. Dont get me started on the subject of creation science, where believing scientists provide facts to evidence God, only to have the atheist scientific elite scoff and ridicule its mere suggestion. All creation science does is to understand the world in light of a necessary being such as God, rather than saying the whole thing just popped into existence out of nothing; without design, order or material.

As Christians, we want to see our Bible and our scientific discoveries supporting one another, but even among ourselves we will forever debate such issues as the age of the universe (which may or may not be strengthened by the knowledge of current science).

Of course, science is not God, but to our modern culture it is almost regarded as such, with its scientists tantamount to priests. This is the default religion of all those who have none. And so we find ourselves constantly in a battle to defend the Bible against atheistic science attacks, despite the fact that much of the attack is on perceptions about religious dogma rather than on actual biblical teachings. However, the Bible does teach that there is a God. If science cant even bring itself to countenance that possibility, that hypothesis (if you will) then well always be at odds.

Christians do not hate science, just some of its theoretical conclusions that deny God, which are the exact opposite of the conclusions that should be drawn. For since the creation of the world Gods invisible qualities  his eternal power and divine nature  have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people (scientists?) are without excuse (Rom 11:20).

Science should lead us to see God, not blind us from the truth about him.

Rev. Bryan A. Griem

Tujunga

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I agree that the gap between science and religion is not as wide as it is portrayed, and that reasonable discussion could make it narrower still. But too often, as Wiseman suggests, the debate is framed through stereotypes that highlight the most extreme positions.

Science and religion have very different purposes. Science seeks to explain minute details of how our universe, and life within it, function. Religion does not. For the most part, it focuses on our relationships with God and with one another. Conflicts arise when people try to make religion conform to sciences purpose.

Those who are religious tend to assume that God has the answers that science seeks, and that someday he may share them with us. They realize that for the time being, it is challenge enough to master love one another. People who have this perspective are less likely to see a conflict when scientists announce a discovery that appears to contradict religious teaching. They recognize the new knowledge as simply one more piece of the larger, still-unfolding picture.

In a response to an In Theory question about creationism some time ago, I offered the example of Henry Eyring to illustrate the compatibility of science and religion. Eyring, a devout Mormon, won honors including the National Medal of Science and the Wolf Prize for his work in theoretical chemistry. He saw little conflict between his faith and his devotion to scientific truth. I believe that both the scientific and religious communities have much to learn from his example.

Apparent contradictions between religion and science often have been the basis of bitter controversy, he wrote. Such differences are to be expected as long as human understanding remains provisional and fragmentary. Only as ones understanding approaches the divine will all seeming contradictions disappear. In the meantime, we can only continue our quest for the balanced view that comes from weighing all evidence carefully in the search for enduring values.

Michael White

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

La Crescenta
Fascination 2 is by far the tiniest vessel docked at the Newport Beach Yacht Club.

But the amount of healing it does is massive.

The 24-foot sailboat belongs to Sailing Fascination, a nonprofit whose mission is to provide the joy of sailing for free to adults and children with physical and development disabilities.

In 2013, the volunteer-run organization reached out to veterans groups, wanting to expose those struggling with PTSD to the tranquility and serenity the sport offers.

While Sailing Fascination still serves the special needs community, one day a week is devoted to veterans.

Craig Charron, a 32-year-old Air Force vet, was left emotionally, physically and mentally fractured from deployments to Central America and the Middle East. He saw a flier about Sailing Fascination at the Orange County Veterans Center.

Charron, whose best friend died during a deployment, has been out on Fascination 2 at least five times, and he said sailing counters the debilitating anxiety he sometimes feels.

Its really relaxing, said Charron. Just getting out there and being on the water with a small group of people  There is the part about getting out and being more social. That is the therapeutic part.

The Fascination 2 belongs to Sailing Fascination, a nonprofit whose mission is to provide the joy of sailing to veterans and the disabled that could benefit from the serenity sailing brings. (Photo by Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

Tom Tolbert, president of the Sailing Fascination Foundation, points out that the nonprofit doesnt simply take veterans out for a ride.

This is a foundation that teaches sailing, said Tolbert, an experienced sailor who suffered a brain aneurysm in 1994 and became one of the foundations first students.

The Newport Beach-based Oasis Sailing Club provides certified, experienced skippers who serve as volunteer instructors for the veterans.

Tolbert figures Sailing Fascination has gotten about 100 veterans into a sailboat over the years.

Sharing peace, serenity, sunshine, fresh air and many other things that we dont control normally leaves our students with the feeling that there is something out there bigger than they are, Tolbert said. Being able to navigate that and share the experience with others brings a sense of confidence and joy.

Recently the Brain Treatment Center of Newport Beach began partnering with Sailing Fascination to get sailing lessons for their clients.

The center serves veterans whove been afflicted with variety of maladies, such as PTSD, sexual trauma, anxiety, depression and sleep disorders, said Tom Woods, military care coordinator at the organization.

Woods believes sailing serves as perfect adjunct to therapy.

We want them to get out and not isolate, Woods, a veteran himself, said. These folks are coming into our treatment center for 45 minutes or so during the day, [but] what are they doing with the other 23 hours of the day? So filling their time when they are not in the treatment center with recreational therapy like Sailing Fascination is a perfect fit.

Veterans who show up at the Brain Treatment Center are typically reserved and have difficulty transitioning back to civilian life, Woods said. Some feel no sense of purpose after leaving the military.

Woods makes it a point to send two veterans at a time for hour-long excursions on the water.

You just watch them come into the clinic with a smile on their face saying how much a great time they had on the water  something theyve never done before, Woods said. They are getting out and mingling with people and feeling more comfortable in community settings and society as a whole.

For more information on Sailing Fascination, visit sailingfascination.org.

Lou Ponsi is a contributor to Times Community News.
The identical twins grew up sharing the same room, surfing the same waves and playing on the same teams.

But one favored Polo, the other sweats.

Today, brothers Alex and Mike Faherty, who are 33, operate the New York-based Faherty clothing brand, which reflects both of their aesthetics.

The beach-inspired, ready-to-wear line for men and women opened a retail shop in late August at Lido Marina Village, marking its fourth brick-and-mortar store in the U.S. and second in California.

I was the kid who loved back-to-school shopping, Mike said on a recent morning in the shops waterfront location in the newly renovated Newport Beach shopping center. I always had to dress Alex.

Its a dual role for twins who wanted to pursue a lifelong dream in creating a clothing line inspired by their love of the ocean.

They wanted a line of shorts, shirts and sweaters that could be worn every day, whether around a bonfire, at an outdoor party or running errands.

Clothing should feel easy, comfortable and luxurious, said Mike, who has always appreciated that vintage, weathered look.

The Fahertys grew up an hour from New York City in a New Jersey beach town, Spring Lake. They surfed Montauk, N.Y., and flew to California for sessions in Newport Beach and Huntington Beach.

After high school, Mike majored in fashion design and graduated from Washington State University in St. Louis. He worked at Ralph Lauren for eight years, designing for the Double RL line, which was inspired by the rugged outdoors on a ranch in Colorado.

Alex, who graduated from Yale University, pursued a career in private equity on Wall Street.

Though they were in different fields, they wanted a business of their own. At age 30, in 2013, they quit their jobs and started their line.

Its really fun to run a business together because youre making decisions with your best friend, Mike said. We love our job.

Faherty is about a relaxed style for ease and wearability  clothing for a casual weekend.

The fall collection for men is about zip pullovers that can be layered over collared shirts, rugged plaid flannels, knit ponchos and tailored shorts.

Women can find reversible bomber style jackets, shirt dresses, Bohemian-inspired jackets, striped pants and tops, and fedoras.

With locations in Malibu, Nantucket, SoHo and now Newport Beach, the Fahertys said having family contribute to all aspects of the growing business builds its history, lifestyle and creation.

Their mother, an interior designer, left her job to work with the Faherty brand. The shop is designed with indigo-colored floors, blond wood tables and scrimshaw paintings.

Alexs wife, Kerry, a lawyer, also quit her job to help further the company. They often bring in their youngest member of the family, daughter Ava, where she toddles around the shops.

We want people to feel like theyre coming into a family beach house, Mike said. Were so happy to be working right near the water.

Faherty is at Lido Marina Village, 3416 Via Oporto, Newport Beach. Store hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays. For more information, call (949) 612-7146 or visit fahertybrand.com

kathleen.luppi@latimes.com

Twitter: @KathleenLuppi
Orange County supervisors authorized funding this week to develop a unit at a Costa Mesa hospital to serve people experiencing a mental health crisis.

Tuesdays vote by the Board of Supervisors approved a three-year, $13.3-million contract for the crisis stabilization center at College Hospital, an acute care facility at 301 Victoria St. The unit is expected to operate year-round and serve an average of 18 people per day, according to the county.

Board Vice Chairwoman Michelle Steel  whose Second District includes Costa Mesa  said the creation of the CSU in my district will help provide vital mental health services for all the citizens in the county of Orange.

The help that will be administered at College Hospital will go a long way, she added in a statement Wednesday.

Board Chairwoman Lisa Bartlett, who represents the countys Fifth District, called the boards action an important step  toward ensuring that we have more emergency beds for those experiencing a mental health crisis.

This additional crisis stabilization unit will prove to be an asset for those individuals and their families during their time of greatest need, she said in a statement.

County officials said the center will help patients access psychiatric assessment, crisis intervention, therapy, medication and other services they require.

The facility also will help the city of Costa Mesa fulfill an agreement made this month to settle a federal lawsuit filed on behalf of homeless people cleared from a former encampment along the Santa Ana River.

As part of that pact, city officials committed to securing 62 emergency and transitional housing beds for the homeless  enough to serve 60% of the local unsheltered population documented during a 2017 countywide count.

The crisis stabilization unit at College Hospital will account for 12 of those. The remaining 50 will be provided at a new homeless shelter located initially at Lighthouse Church of the Nazarene, 1885 Anaheim Ave.

The shelter at the church is expected to operate for about a year starting in early April before moving to a more permanent site elsewhere in the city.

No city money is going toward the facility at College Hospital, according to Costa Mesa spokesman Tony Dodero.
An Orange County judge ruled Tuesday that there is enough evidence to hold a 28-year-old woman for trial on charges of murder and driving under the influence in connection with a crash in March that killed three Las Vegas teenagers in Huntington Beach.

Superior Court Judge Derek Johnson said during a preliminary hearing that he was particularly struck by statements from witnesses that Bani Duarte declined a ride from another driver before the fatal crash. She did that, he said, despite later telling officers that she had lots of problems with her vehicle.

I think these facts are terribly aggravated and contain malice, Johnson said.

Friends and family members of the three people killed in the crash  A.J. Rossi, 17, Brooke Hawley, 17, and Dylan Mack, 18  applauded after Johnson delivered his ruling. A group of women huddled on a bench outside the Westminster courtroom and wept.

Duarte, of San Clemente, faces three counts of murder and one count of driving under the influence causing injury, as well as a possible sentencing enhancement on allegations of inflicting great bodily injury. She has pleaded not guilty to all charges, according to Superior Court records.

Debra White, Duartes defense attorney, argued during the hearing that the murder charges should be dismissed. She contended that prosecutors dont have enough evidence to prove Duarte knew the risks of driving under the influence and had a conscious disregard for human life.

Miss Duarte did not harbor malice and she was not subjectively aware of the risks of her actions, White said. In the past, [she] was able to drink and drive and was stopped by an officer and it was fine. Nothing ever happened.

Duarte was arrested in 2016 on suspicion of DUI, but because of a processing error the case never got to prosecutors, according to Orange County Sheriffs Department officials.

White said three men in a car were following Duarte at the time of the crash.

She was driving like she was trying to get away from someone, White said.

The men had called 911 to report Duarte as a possible drunk driver, authorities said.

Matthew Nixt, who works for the Orange County Crime Lab, testified Tuesday that Duartes blood, which was drawn more than an hour after the crash, had an alcohol content of 0.28%, more than three times the legal limit. Nixt estimated that someone with that blood-alcohol level would have nine or 10 drinks in his or her system.

Huntington Beach police said in a document attached to an arrest warrant that officers found a partially empty 1-ounce bottle of vodka in Duartes purse and that her Hyundai Sonata contained an empty 24-ounce can of a malt beverage that its manufacturer says has 8% alcohol content.

Duarte, a single mother of four children, told officers she had gone out for sushi with a friend and then stopped at Stag Bar + Kitchen and Baja Sharkeez on the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach, where she had a total of two vodka sodas and one gelatin shot, according to law enforcement reports.

Duartes Hyundai crashed into a Toyota containing the teenagers shortly after 1 a.m. March 29 at the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Magnolia Street in Huntington Beach. The Hyundai was traveling 79 mph when it slammed into the back of the Toyota, which was stopped at a red light, authorities said.

The impact pushed the Toyota through the intersection and into a pole, and it burst into flames. Three of the four teenagers inside, who were visiting Southern California from Las Vegas for spring break, were killed.

The fourth teen, Alexis Vargas, survived the crash and was taken to a hospital for treatment.

Duarte is in Orange County Jail with bail set at $4 million. Her next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 9.

hannah.fry@latimes.com

Twitter: @HannahFryTCN
A former Laguna Beach resident who authorities say befriended small-business owners and stole more than $1.5 million from them was sentenced Monday to more than five years in federal prison.

U.S. District Judge David Carter sentenced Elizabeth Jane Mulder, 34, of San Juan Capistrano to 63 months in prison and ordered her to pay more than $1.53 million in restitution to seven victims, including small-business owners and the Internal Revenue Service.

Mulder pleaded guilty earlier this year to wire fraud and subscribing to a false tax return, both felonies, as part of a deal with federal prosecutors in exchange for a potentially reduced prison sentence. She originally faced up to 23 years in prison, according to court documents.

According to authorities, Mulder devised a scheme in which she gained the trust of local small-business owners, agreed to act as their accountant and then embezzled money from them between July 2009 and May 2016.

Mulder told the business owners she was an accountant and president of Mulder Financial Consulting, authorities said. Actually, however, she was a saleswoman for a soil and fertilizer company, Laguna Beach police said.

Police alleged Mulder deceived clients into making checks payable to a phony business she created called Income Tax Payments under the guise that those payments would satisfy the clients outstanding federal tax obligations.

By developing and continuing personal friendships with the victims, [Mulder] was able to assume responsibilities for their small-business accounting needs and then proceeded to steal from them, prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum filed with the court.

[Mulder]s conduct resulted in various levels of financial loss and emotional distress to the victims, many of whom were required to drain their personal bank accounts or retirement funds in an attempt to avoid bankruptcy.

Mulder became the subject of a fraud investigation in January 2016 after the owner of San Clemente-based JAC Wines told police that he suspected his accountant had stolen $200,000 from him.

During the 18-month investigation, police identified other businesses that Mulder is believed to have embezzled from, including Toni & Guy Hair Salon in Newport Beach, the Kurtz-Ahlers travel agency in San Juan Capistrano, Bella Pilates in San Clemente, Andra Builders Inc. in Costa Mesa and California Print 2 Copy in Irvine.

According to federal prosecutors, Mulder used the money for personal expenses, including a luxury rental home in Laguna Beach, cosmetic surgery, vacations and an Arabian horse.

Mulder also was accused of filing tax returns from 2011 to 2016 that did not show her true income for those years, according to court documents.

hannah.fry@latimes.com

Twitter: @HannahFryTCN
Newport Beach firefighters performed a double rescue when they got a cat out of a smoke-filled apartment after pulling a woman from her balcony.

The Fire Department responded to the Park Newport Apartments at about 11:55 p.m. Tuesday and found a woman standing on her fourth-floor balcony after a fire broke out in her apartment, said department spokesman Justin Carr.

About 15 neighboring residents were evacuated from fourth-floor units, the Fire Department said.

Because of heavy smoke in her apartment, the woman was rescued via a ladder extended to her balcony.

She told firefighters that her cat was still in the apartment, prompting a rescue of the pet, which was found alive and was taken to the citys animal services facility, the Fire Department said.

The woman was treated for smoke inhalation and was taken to a trauma center, the department said.

The fire, which was contained to the kitchen of the one-bedroom apartment, was believed to have been caused by a cooking incident involving a microwave, Carr said. It is still under investigation.

The blaze was knocked down within 15 minutes, though firefighters stayed on the scene for about two hours, the Fire Department said.

The other residents were allowed back into their homes.
Polyester leisure suits were the fashion statement at Pacific Symphonys 40th anniversary gala March 2 at Hotel Irvine. It was back to the 1970s era of disco for some 400 symphony patrons, who raised an impressive $1.5 million for education and music programs after a night of dancing to the music of the Bee Gees. The Staying Alive theme echoed throughout the crowd celebrating 40 years of growing and prospering and spreading amazing performances in Orange County.

The gala chairs of the grand evening were Ruth Ann Evans and her husband, John Evans. John and I love Pacific Symphony and have been committed to its support for 32 seasons out of its 40-year history, Ruth Ann Evans said. John has been on the board since 1987 and is a past chairman. I have chaired two other galas and three opening nights for the symphony because I find it to be creative and satisfying.This gala is a wonderful, festive celebration of the Symphonys Ruby Anniversary.

Pacific Symphony President John Forsyte commended the Evans family for their leadership and dedication. They were passionate about making this 40th year celebration one of our most memorable, Forsyte said.

Leslie and Scott Seigel attend the 40th anniversary gala for the Pacific Symphony. (Photo by Ann Chatillon) (Hand In / Daily Pilot)

The party began with a red-carpet cocktail reception at dusk, unfolding in a set designed to resemble the symphonys own iconic Studio 78, a recreation of New Yorks former Studio 54. The crowd entered past faux paparazzi and was greeted by an ABBA tribute band. A champagne tower flowed, aerialists flew by and the obligatory glimmering mirrored disco ball reminded many of a long-past youth. Organizers even hired Liza Minelli and Bette Midler lookalikes to mingle with guests as disco-attired wait staff served hors doeuvres reminiscent of 70s food favorites, such as cheese fondue, mini slices of quiche and beef Wellington.

Four hundred strong, the crowd streamed into the ballroom for a dinner that began with a bay shrimp cocktail on Boston lettuce, followed by a presentation of Main lobster bisque and an entree of filet mignon in morel mushroom sauce.

John Forsyte, President of the Pacific Symphony, Ellie Gordon, Mike Gordon and Music Director of the Pacific Symphony Carl St.Clair at the 40th anniversary gala at the Hotel Irvine. (Photo by Ann Chatillon)

Pacific Symphony musicians led by concertmaster Dennis Kim entertained throughout dinner. During the meal a video tribute was presented honoring Eleanor Ellie and Michael Gordon, who were named Philanthropists of the Year. The Gordons have served the symphony for decades, establishing an endowment to recruit and retain concertmasters, including Kim. Others recognized and honored on the 40th anniversary evening were former board chairs, including Doug Freeman, John Stahr, John Daniels, Sally Anderson, Michael Kerr, as well as John Evans and Michael Gordon. The current Symphony board chair, Joann Leatherby, was also lauded.

Pacific Symphony maestro Carl St.Clair bestowed his appreciation upon so many of the dedicated patrons in attendance, going table to table and personally thanking as many people with whom he could shake hands. As the dinner service concluded St.Clair invited students from the Pacific Symphony Santiago Strings Program for a rousing performance as a dessert of brown butter chocolate chip cookie topped with vanilla ice cream got the crowd in the proper mood for bidding on an auction. A John Travolta impersonator transitioned the audience from bidding to dancing as the big band sounds of JT & Friends performed familiar disco hits by Donna Summer, the Bee Gees and so many others.

Spotted in the crowd were David and Benicia Zeng, Ling and Charlie Zhang, Brandon and Melissa Mazzcavallo, Jaynine and Dave Warner and Leslie Seigel and Scott Seigel.

B.W. COOK is editor of the Bay Window, the official publication of the Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach.
One hundred days in office has come and gone and honestly Ill admit I was too busy to make much of the milestone. Being elected to City Council has been exciting, eye-opening, rewarding and, occasionally, exhausting.

As youve likely read in these pages, your City Council has been tackling the issue of homelessness head-on. Ive toured shelters, read studies, called experts and read everything I could get my hands on about shelter operations. Mayor Katrina Foley and Councilwoman Arlis Reynolds, in particular, have done extensive community outreach, talking to anyone and everyone about our plan and educating neighbors and businesses.

That education piece cannot be underestimated. As a mechanical engineer working in renewable energy, this issue couldnt be any further from my area of expertise and I know thats probably true for most of you reading this. A huge thank you to everyone who has learned along with us and to city staff for its tireless efforts to get things done on insanely fast timelines.

Costa Mesa Sanitary District approves $50,000 for restrooms at temporary city homeless shelter 

Next week, well open our temporary shelter at the Lighthouse Church with a unique, hybrid operations model that includes our own city staff. I could not be more proud to be on a council that voted to make that happen. Thats been the exciting part of serving on City Council.

Ive also dedicated these first few months in office to meeting with as many community leaders as I possibly can, from the school district to the Costa Mesa Sanitary District. As a relative newcomer to Costa Mesa politics, one of my priorities is to build great working relationships with all of our city partners. The same goes for regional and state organizations like the Orange County Council of Governments and the League of California Cities.

If we work together, our impact can be greater than simply the sum of our parts. Frankly, thats been the eye-opening bit  previous councils have simply not been as actively engaged at the regional level and I think thats been to our own detriment. I plan to change that.

Stay tuned for an event on June 5 with the Chamber of Commerce that Im excited to host. Our Costa Mesa businesses are the lifeblood of our city, and Im excited to find opportunities to support them when and where I can. Thats been pretty exciting too.

And last but certainly not least, Ive had the privilege of meeting with dozens of local residents. Thats the really rewarding part of my job. Some problems take a few days to solve. Others will take years. But if you see me smiling as I walk home from City Hall, it might just be because I was able to help someone. And at least for me, theres simply no greater reward in life.

I wont talk about the exhausting part. That comes with the territory and its a small price to pay for the privilege of serving this beautiful community. Drop me a line at andrea.marr@costamesaca.gov if you want to meet. Ill bring the coffee.

Andrea Marr is a Costa Mesa city councilwoman.
In Glendale, theres a Dublin Drive, a Calafia Street, a Baghdad Place and an Eulalia Street  all named after places in the world, some of which have a connection to the city and others that dont. But despite being home to the largest Armenian population outside of Armenia, Glendale has no streets named in honor of Armenian American contributions, according to at least one city official.

That will change soon, after the City Council made the historic 4-0 vote Tuesday to move forward with changing the name of a two-block portion of Maryland Avenue between Harvard Street and Wilson Avenue to Artsakh Street after the Republic of Artsakh, a disputed territory between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Its overdue to have some sort of street naming, not a part, not an alley, but a modestly sized street with reference to the current Armenian American community, said Councilman Ara Najarian after reciting a long list of street names in Glendale, pointing out how arbitrary some name changes can be. Folks, we have changed street names before. Its nothing new.

The decision follows weeks of contentious debate among business owners, Glendale residents and Unified Young Armenians, a group of activists who proposed the name change in February.

More than 60 speakers were present at Tuesdays meeting, which overflowed into the lobby, leading city officials to make room in the Glendale Police Department across the street for people to watch the meeting via television. The majority of attendees were members of Unified Young Armenians, donning black shirts with the organizations logo. Few business owners and other opponents attended, despite having a strong presence at a Planning Commission hearing in May.

Some speakers at the meeting said business owners didnt attend because they faced intimidation by some members of Unified Young Armenians. One UYA member reportedly posted boycotting signs on businesses after their owners voiced opposition during the Planning Commission meeting.

Those who did attend Tuesdays meeting said they supported a street name change or plaza in honor of their Armenian neighbors, but they opposed the location, because it would be costly to businesses.

I understand the reason for wanting a commemoration of Artsakh, said Pamela Spiszman, chief executive of Pegasus Home Health Care, which has offices in the stretch of Maryland that would be affected. I know what its like to have a history of genocide. As a Jewish American, I understand how important it is to maintain a cultural identity  [But it] does not need to also harm a whole group of business owners.

The resolution passed Tuesday included an appropriation of $131,000 for businesses  $1,000 for each of the 131 businesses on the two-block portion of the street  to help cover costs of reprinting materials with new addresses. Also, businesses would have one year to make the changes.

Business owners, however, said that amount isnt enough. They said they would incur thousands of dollars in costs, though the specific amounts cited varied from $7,000 to $40,000.

Some council members and public speakers said those numbers seemed to be exaggerated and a small price to pay to honor a group of people so important to the community. Supporters of the name change also argued that it would bring tourists to the area that would make up for any costs.

One speaker said that by changing the name to Artsakh Street, Glendale would be taking a political position because the Republic of Artsakh, more commonly known by its formal name Nagorno-Karabakh, is a disputed territory.

Members of Unified Young Armenians said the proposal to change the name was meant to highlight Glendales diversity and unite the community. That feeling was shared among some community members.

As a lifelong Glendale resident, Im absolutely honored to have the opportunity to speak on behalf of my Armenian friends and neighbors, said resident Edgar Gonzalez during the meeting. Changing the name of two city blocks  I see as simply a small gesture. Glendale needs to be an example to everyone about inclusion and respect.

But at times the debate became divisive.

Following public comments, Mayor Zareh Sinanyan expressed his disappointment with messages he said he and other council members have received. He read some aloud.

This individual writes the following: We have a wonderful history here already. The name Artsakh has nothing to do with the history and well-being of Glendale. We have already given them property for a museum.

Sinanyan appeared to be baffled and angry as he read the comments.

Apparently, the wonderful history here already doesnt include the 40 years of presence and contribution by the Armenian American community, he said. This community just doesnt exist for this individual  To deny an entire people any inkling of their presence in Glendale, people who are here in large numbers and who have contributed so much to this city, its just not fair.

Councilwoman Paula Devine was the only member who opposed the name change, and she abstained during the vote. She said supporting the name change is counter to her support of small businesses, and suggested creating a plaza named after Artsakh that would be a win-win for businesses and the Armenian American community.

Ultimately, the council decided it should not be a big deal to officially name a street in honor of the Armenian American community. While the majority of the council supported the name change, members agreed, however, that there should be concern over how it will affect businesses.

I think this city is offering to change the name of a street, so we have to take the responsibility to ... pay for the expenses, said Councilman Vrej Agajanian. They can bring their receipts, whatever cost they are going through, and we have to accept.

There was no further discussion about how exactly the city would cover the costs and to what extent.

alejandra.reyesvelarde@latimes.com

Twitter: @r_valejandra
More than 80 applicants, most hailing from Hoover High School, have applied for admission into the first joint Glendale Community College-Hoover Early College Academy, set to debut this summer.

Paul Schlossman, the colleges vice president of student services, said last week during a Glendale Community College board meeting that the number was 84, which has been revised to 81 due to three duplicate applications.

We have a very healthy application return for that first cohort, Schlossman said. I think were in great shape to find the very first early college academy class.

Of those 81 students, 75% are from Hoover High, 11% from Clark Magnet High, 6% from Glendale High and 4% from Crescenta Valley High. There was also one student from the Verdugo Academy, one out-of-district candidate and even one ineligible eighth-grade applicant.

Non-Hoover High students accepted to the academy would have to transfer to Hoover to be in the program.

About 60 to 70 will be accepted in the first academy class, according to the colleges dean of student affairs, Tzoler Oukayan.

The Early College Academy will start this summer at Hoover and offer students a way to earn college credits while in high school.

The academy will begin with 10th-graders, who will enroll in a one-credit student-development class during the summer.

From there, a sophomore in the academy can take regular high school classes, along with 10 units of college courses, consisting of history, speech and music.

The workload will increase significantly during each students junior year, with 16 units of college coursework, followed by 18 units during their senior year.

Like college, academy students will have access to a Glendale Community College counselor, a built-in study hall, supplemental instructions and all programs and services available to students at the local college, and the courses will be free.

The courses also follow the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum, better known as IGETC, needed for transfer to most University of California, California State universities and many private schools.

By high school graduation, an academy student should have completed all college-entry requirement classes.

Academy students will also have the option to take additional coursework through summer and winter sessions or through after-school dual enrollment to be able to complete an associate-transfer degree, should they wish.

If everything goes the way it should and they follow all the rules, they could end up with an associates degree, a certificate degree as well as a high school diploma by the completion of their time in high school, David Viar, superintendent/president of Glendale Community College, said. That is something that is very exciting, and were looking forward to putting it all together and making it work well.

Enrollment of the first class of students will cap two years of work on the academy project.

Discussions of a possible joint venture between Glendale Community College and Hoover date back to spring 2017 with a planning team of Hoover principal Jennifer Earl and Narineh Makijan, Glendale Unified career technical education coordinator, on the high school side working with Glendale Community Colleges Nahal Ghodousi, a transfer center counselor, student outreach services interim program manager Meg Chil-Gevorkyan and Oukayan.

andrew.campa@latimes.com

Twitter @campadresports
Glendale Community Colleges art gallery was named by Los Angeles Weekly magazine as one of the top 15 art galleries operated by a Southern California college or university.

LA Weekly compiled a list in August of the 15 best art galleries enlivening SoCal college campuses and the Art Gallery @ GCC was one of three in the San Fernando Valley to earn the distinction.

I have to tell you, it was a surprise, first of all, said David John Attyah, director of Glendale Colleges gallery. We didnt know it was coming out. It was definitely a pleasant surprise.

LA Weekly stated that Glendale Community College hosts exhibitions reflecting the diversity and talent of not just the students but the professors, too.

The periodical also listed a few of the gallerys highlights, including the Pinck Oogen sound installation by Los Angeles-based artist Silvie Deutsch and displays of faculty projects and artwork.

It was Deutschs project that Rhona Blaker, Glendale Community Colleges faculty coordinator for contextualized teaching and learning, thought not only garnered attention, but recognition from LA Weekly.

Silvie Deutsch turned the entire gallery into a harmonic harp that students from the music division were then able to come and play, and I think some of them even composed on that enormous room-sized harp, Blaker said during a college board meeting earlier this month.

Blaker added that the award was impressive, given that it was designated for colleges, not just community colleges, but colleges.

The Art Gallery @ GCC just opened a new exhibition, titled Four Artists in Paint, on Monday, which includes artist Nicole Petrous She, Zach Mendozas Sincerity, Katelyn Dorrohs 1% Brown Paintings and Argineh Zadoorians Otherness.

Attyah said hes struggled getting the Art Gallery @ GCC noticed in an area that lacks a central artistic hub.

Because Glendale doesnt have its own dedicated art museum like other communities do, weve really been trying to kind of increase the quality of the gallery program, Attyah said. Wed like to be telling people that youre seeing the same thing in Glendale that youd be seeing if you went to other parts of Los Angeles.

Cal State Northridge and Los Angeles Pierce College, located in Woodland Hills, joined Glendale Community College as San Fernando Valley galleries lauded by LA Weekly.

andrew.campa@latimes.com

Twitter @campadresports
Downtown Glendale shoppers on Thursday afternoon  largely unaware that voters approved a 0.75% local sales tax increase earlier in the week  grappled with how it might affect their shopping habits.

The tax hike, known as Measure S, passed Tuesday with 53% of the vote and will raise the combined local sales tax to 10.25% in April, up from the current 9.5%.

Proponents, including the full Glendale City Council, say the $30 million it is projected to generate annually will be used to fund essential services, such as affordable housing, street repairs and police service.

Several people, including 18-year-old Shelby Gutenberg, said they might second-guess non-necessity purchases.

Ill be more careful about the things I purchase. Ill be more considerate if I want an extra cup of coffee one day, said Gutenberg, who was enjoying a beverage at Philz Coffee.

Acknowledging that hed still have to buy many of the items he needs, Jose Agramonte, 72, said his fixed income will inevitably be stretched thinner because of the tax hike.

My resources will be shorter because of the increase, said Agramonte, a longtime Glendale resident.

Out-of-towners highlighted the relative nature of taxation.

Amanda Elliott and Mariam Keita, both 29 and visiting from New Jersey, said the number sounded high to them, given that their state has a 6.6% sales tax rate, but felt it wouldnt drastically change their spending habits.

It might make me more cognizant of my shopping  but if I need to buy something, Im going to buy it, regardless of taxes, Elliott said.

Meanwhile, Andre and Panos Koufos, both 33 and visiting from Greece, said taxes in America are generally much lower here compared to their native country.

The forthcoming tax is normal, Andre Koufos said. Its little.

Tommy Ardolino, owner of Frame of Mind Gallery in Glendale, said in a phone interview that customers are fine with the plus-tax idea until they come to the counter to make a purchase.

They dont do the calculation until they get the bad news, Ardolino said, adding that customers have started to complain more as taxes continue to rise.

Ken Grayson, owner of Graysons Tune Town, which opened in Montrose in 1953, said over the phone that brick-and-mortar stores are already struggling to compete with online retailers, and the new tax will only compound their problems.

People are wise shoppers today, and they look at the bottom line, said Grayson, who was a vocal critic of the tax prior to its passage.

Another impetus for raising taxes was maintaining local control of generated funds, according to city officials.

If the state or county raises taxes before Glendale does, those funds will funnel out of the city, Councilman Vartan Gharpetian said late last month.

Under state law, a combined sales tax in any city cannot exceed 10.25%.

lila.seidman@latimes.com

Twitter: @lila_seidman
After the Glendale school board denied a petition Tuesday that would have allowed Options For Youth to establish a charter school within Glendale Unifieds boundaries, questions linger over the charter schools La Crescenta campus.

The Options For Youth site, located at 2626 Foothill Boulevard, is part of the San Gabriel Unified School Districts jurisdiction because that school district authorized the charter.

Glendale school officials, however, question the legality of Options For Youth operating a campus within Glendale Unified because local school officials never granted approval for Options For Youth to establish the site.

For the first time last month, representatives from Options For Youth proposed establishing a charter school in Glendale. Thats when some Glendale school board members learned that Options For Youth has been operating in La Crescenta.

I was shocked to find out they were here. They came within our boundaries without us even knowing, said Glendale school board member Greg Krikorian. Technically, they were operating illegally in our area.

I was shocked to find out they were here ... Technically, they were operating illegally in our area. Greg Krikorian

The states education code states that a petition for the establishment of a charter school shall identify a single charter school that will operate within the geographic boundaries of that school district.

A 2016 court decision affirmed the law after the Anderson Union High School District sued Shasta Secondary Home School  now known as Shasta Charter Academy  for operating a resource center within the Anderson school district.

In light of whats known as the Shasta decision, John Pappalardo, superintendent of the San Gabriel Unified School District, said the San Gabriel school board voted April 11 to file a waiver with the state board of education regarding Options For Youth-San Gabriel, which includes the La Crescenta campus.

We understand that if the waiver is approved, Options-San Gabriel will have one year in which to transition these classes, Pappalardo said.

San Gabriel school officials are still waiting to hear the states decision on the waiver, he added.

Options For Youth first opened a site in La Crescenta in 1994, said its spokeswoman, Kimberly Brown, in an email. Its a charter school for students in seventh through 12th grades

Another Options For Youth representative, Lori Butler, told the Glendale school board the charter campus has 150 students.

Brown said 33 of those students are from the Glendale Unified district.

has

Glendale school officials said they cannot confirm how many Glendale students attend Options for Youth in La Crescenta because they dont have the ability to track students who leave the district.

Until the Shasta ruling, the [Options For Youth] La Crescenta school site was within legal standards of operation, Brown said.

Now, as a result of the Glendale school board denying Options For Youth to charter a school within Glendale Unified, Brown said she is uncertain if the charter will continue to operate its La Crescenta site.

We do not know yet, Brown said, but our intentions are to continue operating the school site.

The Glendale school board voted to deny the recent Options For Youth petition following a staff recommendation that found the charter proposal was unsound.

Statistics in the report show that 27% of Options For Youth-San Gabriel students graduated, compared to 92% of Glendale Unified students.

During a public hearing May 9, one student and one teacher voiced support for opening the charter in Glendale. The teacher was Desirae Dickinson, who teaches at the La Crescenta campus.

We have been part of the Glendale community, and we would like to continue and cement that, she said.

With the denial of the petition, its uncertain how long the La Crescenta campus will continue to operate.

Glendale Unified Asst. Supt. Kelly King said school officials will help current Options For Youth students navigate whatever may come next.

We will definitely work with any GUSD families who may be enrolled in [Options For Youth] regarding next steps for them, she said.

kelly.corrigan@latimes.com

Twitter: @kellymcorrigan
Every year they appear, flags with three equal stripes of cardinal red, bright blue and goldenrod. Draped over fences, hung in shop windows, wrapped around rearview mirrors, and mounted on little sticks, they flutter in the breeze as drivers pass. If you arent looking for them, they easily escape your notice.

Some may raise patriotic questions. Shouldnt all Americans fly one flag, the stars and stripes?

But if you are familiar with their people and history, the flags warm your heart, as they do mine. The flags of April are the flags of Armenia. Since I am not Armenian, it took some effort to learn even that. Armenian history was not part of the curriculum, so I didnt learn it in school.

The history of Armenians as a distinct people goes back 4,300 years. Armenia became the first officially Christian state in the world in 301, beating Constantine to the punch by about 12 years. Ancient Armenia was invaded frequently and battled fiercely with numerous other nations. Invasions by Arab nations started in the 7th century, coincident with the establishment of Islam. Then came a dizzying roster of invasions, battles, defeats, concessions and occasional victories.

Over and over Armenians were abducted and slaughtered, their towns destroyed, then painstakingly rebuilt by survivors. To stand there, until the next time. Sometimes Armenians formed alliances with European co-religionists, to find any help short-lived or worse, predicated on unreasonable sectarian demands. This went on for hundreds of years.

The Armenian Genocide, which started on April 24, 1915, and continued into the early 1920s has been not just neglected but actively denied, a cause of great anguish. But to focus exclusively on that disaster would be grossly incomplete. In fact only 20 years earlier, approximately 250,000 Armenians were massacred in anti-Christian pogroms in the Ottoman Empire.

The Armenian diaspora was slow. For centuries fast travel was by horse cart. Later there were ships and trains. Yet emigration meant you would never again see those you left behind  extended family, friends, acquaintances and rivals.

Centuries of life under the boot heels of conquerors is difficult for many to understand. Imagine the agony of defeat, followed by grim subjugation and frequent reprisals for achievements made against the odds. Although every nation has suffered privations and wars, rarely has there been such consistent hardship.

So with a history like that, why April? Perhaps because that genocide was so lengthy and methodical. Perhaps because technology has made information more available since then  radio, films and television. And perhaps because of another genocide a generation later, the brain child of a dictator who famously remarked: Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?

Here is what the flags of April say to me: We are still here. You did not destroy us. The flags of April seek no villains; they only celebrate life. The flags of April inspire me. Trust me: You dont have to be Armenian to relate and to rejoice.

Susan Wolfson, a Glendale resident for 10 years, is a member of the Glendale Parks Recreation & Community Services Commission.
Southern California Edison is making big plans to reduce the chances of fire ignition in high-risk areas like La Canada Flintridge, proposing to spend more than $118 million throughout its service area on enhanced vegetation management between now and 2020.

As part of a 119-page Wildfire Mitigation Plan, required by state law and submitted to the California Public Utilities Commission Feb. 6, the utility aims to reduce threats posed by falling trees and hanging limbs near power lines by removing at least 7,500 trees (with funding being sought for the removal of up to 15,000) in 2019 and maintaining a 12-foot clearance around all electrical wires.

Contracted work crews have been busy on the streets of La Canada and neighboring Altadena in recent months, trimming or topping trees to accommodate the new radial requirement, far greater than the 4 feet standard previously imposed.

The results of their labor  visible on several La Canada residential streets north of Foothill Boulevard  is causing concern among residents and at least one arborist who fear such extreme pruning could imperil the health of certain tree species.

Theyre topping trees, which are going to go into a permanent state of decline, said Rebecca Latta, a longtime arborist who has clients in La Canada. They need to do a better job of explaining to us why they need to go to 12 feet.

Vegetation poses a threat

In a Wildfire Town Hall forum held last week at Pasadena High School officials from Edison International and the CPUC explained maintaining vegetation was a chief concern.

We collect statistics on ignitions, said Elizaveta Malashenko, deputy executive director for CPUCs Office of Safety and Enforcement. At 25%, the top No. 1 cause is vegetation contact with power lines.

Local arborist Rebecca Latta on Hook Tree Road with a topped off deodar cedar behind her. "Theyre topping trees, which are going to go into a permanent state of decline, she says. (Tim Berger / La Canada Valley Sun)

Between 2015 and 2017, 132 ignitions occurred in the distribution voltage infrastructure that carries power from substations to customers in Edisons high risk fire areas, the utilitys mitigation plan indicates. Of those, contact from vegetation accounted for 22 fires, or 17%.

Vegetation-related ignitions in higher voltage transmission infrastructure, which carries power from power plants to substations, was lower with only one instance during the same two-year period, accounting for 5% of fires.

Pedro Pizarro, president and chief executive of Edison International, told the town hall audience his utility inspects and trims more than 400,000 trees in high risk fire areas each year.

We know that homeowners care deeply for their surrounding environment and foliage, and we want to respect that, he said. However, we will prioritize safety of your home and our communities first and foremost, so we will trim trees when needed.

Crews on the march

Following orders to maintain adequate clearance, some 400 contractor work crews consisting of at least one groundsman and one foreman are inspecting private trees on residential streets throughout Edisons territory and notifying customers when work is needed.

La Canada is an area of high concern, according to David Guzman, who oversees Edisons vegetation management program.

There are a lot of trees in that area, it has a dense population, and its at an interface with the [Angeles National] Forest, so its definitely something we look at closely, he said.

In the past, branches were trimmed back to a 4-foot radius around trees, with fast-growing species receiving at least 6 more feet of pruning, Guzman said. But since the CPUC passed a new regulation in December 2017 recommending a 12-foot clearance for all vegetation in high-fire-risk areas  even when lines are covered or insulated  the particular species of a tree no longer factors into the pruning.

We have a basic, across-the-board trim area of 12 feet, Guzman said, adding arborists pre-inspect trees and perform quality control work of about 30% of grid work to ensure clearance.

Latta worries over-trimmed trees may suffer and become even greater fire hazards.

If you top the tree you expose the whole upper canopy to sunburn. And if you have any other issues going on, root rot or other health problems, the tree doesnt have enough resources to defend itself, she said, naming deodar cedars and some pines as particularly vulnerable.

The arborist also claimed some homeowners were not receiving proper notice before trim work was done on their property.

Guzman said customers receive door hanger notifications from inspectors at least 30 days in advance and a second notice days before trimming is scheduled. If people cannot reach the number provided, Guzman recommended calling Edison at 1 (800) 655-4555 and asking for a vegetation management manager who can look up properties and report details.

Despite the established notification process, Pizarro warned residents at the Feb. 21 Wildfire Town Hall public safety trumps standard operating procedures.

Of course we want to give advance notice, but if we see something we think is a hazard well take it on the spot, he said.

Locals want more input

Edisons enhanced vegetation management plan just doesnt sit right with La Canada resident Taylor Carbonetti, who had a crew perform some trimming at her Hill Street home but was shocked to see what she considers over-pruning in several other parts of town.

It looks like if you were making paper trees and you just took scissors and took all the tops off  its intense, said Carbonetti, who went on Facebook to inform neighbors. Youre walking around and start noticing all these trees are chopped. And were seeing the trucks everywhere.

Meanwhile, Latta said she appreciates Edisons efforts to keep at-risk foothills communities safe, but wishes they would have developed a more collaborative approach with input from stakeholders. Shes currently trying to raise awareness in local arborist circles.

Its not my intention to do anything other than get their attention and get them to develop some options, she said. Why is it were not being allowed to be part of the conversation?

sara.cardine@latimes.com

Twitter: @SaraCardine
Jimmy A. Williams, a now-deceased Flintridge Riding Club instructor, molested multiple girls and young women at the center between the mid-1950s and early 1990s, according to an investigative report published in the New York Times.

The newspaper interviewed 38 students, trainers, grooms and equestrian officials who described experiencing or witnessing groping, kissing and sexual assault by the decorated instructor.

A smaller number of associates said he acted with consent and wasnt alive to defend himself against the allegations.

Williams, who worked at the historic club on Oak Grove Drive from 1956 until his death in 1993, was a celebrated figure in the sport, training future Olympians and the children of Hollywood and business elite.

Because of his celebrity-like status he was able to kiss and grope girls publicly and with impunity, the newspaper reported.

More serious assaults allegedly took place in less visible locations, such as horse stalls.

He penetrated me when I was 11, Anne Kursinski, an Olympic equestrian, told The Times. I was a little kid. And he was God.

Williams would continue to rape and molest her for six years, according to her account.

Gigi Gatson described narrowly escaping sexual assault. She told several adults but said, Everyone always turned the other cheek. It was a system.

Williams allegedly used emotional coercion to get his way.

Karen Herold, who is now 58, told The Times that riders who stayed silent received access to better horses.

The unspoken rule was of not saying anything, not divulging anything, Herold said.

The Flintridge Riding Club did not agree to an interview with The Times, but on April 19 members received a letter that said the club would remove from our publicity the affiliation with him.

All pictures and paintings of Williams, as well as his trophies, have been removed from the riding club. The show jumping stadium, which was named for him, is now called Ring 1.

Some past club members defended Williams, saying they witnessed what they consider consensual kissing and touching in an era with different social mores.

I think he was a great horseman; he was a legend in his time, said equestrian Hap Hansen, who rode at Flintridge as a youth and later became a grand prix champion. In my mind, he still is. I just think those things are stupid to bring up whether they are true or not.

Susan M. Hutchison, a former student who lived with Williams before his death at age 76, said in another published report that the allegations were untrue.

The Los Angeles Times obituary described Williams as a ladies man who had been married six times.
I used to run around looking for the perfect farmers market, but it turns out that the La Canada Farmers Market is one of the best in the area.

It feels wonderful to make a salad from greens purchased that morning and harvested the day before.

Nothing beats a fruit salad from the freshest fruit, or chicken braised with fresh rosemary and oregano. And its all here, in La Canada Flintridge, at the weekly market on Foothill Boulevard.

The market officially opens at 9 a.m., but I often sneak over at 8:20 a.m.

Blode Kuh sells hand-crafted, dairy-free, often-cashew-based yogurts and spreads.

The young man from Country Fresh Herbs sells lettuces, chives, basil, zucchini and heirloom tomatoes. Due to the water shortage, we didnt plant tomatoes this year, so the herb guy, like Obi-Wan Kenobe, is our only hope.

My hands down favorite is Nicholas Family Farms, certified organic and always open for business when I arrive early. They sell stone fruit, apples, almonds, berries and citrus and they take American Express. Their stall is staffed by the extended Nicholas family. Toddlers, brothers, cousins. They drive down each week from Orange Cove in the Central Valley. We have relatives in Dinuba. Its a long drive.

Last week, the fish guy from Fishermans Daughter Salmon wasnt at the market, but he sent his helper. Last month he told me that he would be going fishing. He fishes for salmon in Alaska. We expect his return in August with more pole-caught, flash-frozen salmon. In the meantime, his helper will staff the market.

There are other places to shop. Goldsteins near Cafe Sole, under the freeway on Verdugo, still has the best bagels. The Lotte Market has fresh eggs and gluten-free soy sauce. Gelsons sells Stumptown Coffee in case you cant get to Downtown Los Angeles. Trader Joes sells everything else.

Last week, the United Food and Commercial Workers voted to authorize a strike against Ralphs, Albertsons, Vons, Pavilions and Safeway in Southern California. The union and the stores are still in negotiations. The union says a strike is the last resort.

(By the way, did you know both Donald Trump and the AFL-CIO are boycotting Nabisco products made in Mexico? Trump said hes never eating an Oreo again.)

Bottom line: you might see more folks at the Farmers Markets, Gelsons, Sprouts and Trader Joes.

Everything we need is right here, all through this hot summer, in La Canada Flintridge.

--

ANITA SUSAN BRENNER is a longtime La Canada Flintridge resident and an attorney with Law Offices of Torres and Brenner in Pasadena. Contact her at anitasusan.brenner@yahoo.com. Follow her on Instagram @realanitabrenner, Facebook and on Twitter @anitabrenner.
Santa Anita Park reopens Friday after nearly a month without racing, having closed to investigate the deaths of 22 horses in a little more than two months. But racing resumes under scrutiny, the California Horse Racing Board on Thursday taking the first steps to abolish the use of the whip and race-day medications.

The CHRB passed a rule that would restrict jockeys from using a riding crop  often called the whip  except in cases when the safety of jockeys or horses is in question.



For the record: Clarification: An earlier version of this story may have implied there was a complete ban on using the whip.

Also at Santa Anita and Golden Gate, Friday ushers in the eventual elimination of race-day medication, including Lasix, a drug given to horses to aid breathing.

On Thursday, horses could be given 10cc of the drug on race days. On Friday it drops to 5cc and next year all 2-year-olds will be prohibited from race-day medication. Only the U.S. and Canada allow race-day medication.

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There is a 45-day public notice period, and a second vote, before it becomes official throughout the state.

The ruling on the whip was a surprise to the Jockeys Guild, which was working on a compromise agreement that would have allowed limited use.

Representatives of the Guild had asked that the vote be delayed because it believed there hadnt been enough time to research the topic and present scientific evidence. They also said the materials submitted to the board for the meeting were inadequate. Jockeys contend that the new cushioned riding crop is more about making noise and focusing a horse than forcing them to run harder.

This brought a strong rebuke from Madeline Auerbach, vice-chair of the CHRB.

You are quite mistaken, Auerbach said. We have done our due diligence.

She also contradicted the premise that the riding crop played no role in the death of any of the horses.

I was standing by the side of the track when one of those unfortunate things happened, Auerbach said. And I was watching someone who was not as skilled as they should be  going after a horse with the whip when it was obvious that the horse in question had nothing else to give is something that I never want to see again.

Belinda Stronach, chief executive of The Stronach Group  which owns the track  also spoke on behalf of banning the use of the whip.

She read excerpts from a letter from Jerry Bailey, a retired Hall of Fame jockey. In the letter, Bailey explained why he has changed his view on use of the whip through the years and  while saying he did not believe it played a role in any of the deaths  felt its use should stop.

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The vote to abolish use of the whip by the board was unanimous. The board did amend an earlier proposal that if a jockey uses the whip, the horse could be disqualified. Instead, the jockey could be stripped of purse money, fined and suspended.

Joe Harper, chief executive at Del Mar, said the anxiety level has escalated at Santa Anita and throughout racing.

Its pretty high. Harper said. Are there going to be any more fatalities at Santa Anita? The odds tell you yes. But, if the death rate stays low, they are going to run their meet and hopefully the other tracks can follow suit and keep the injuries down low. Thats very important now.

Alan Balch, executive director of the California Thoroughbred Trainers, echoed the importance of safe racing at Santa Anita this weekend and beyond.

Santa Anita is at the pinnacle of the worlds race tracks and certainly there is going be tremendous attention, Balch said. Were going to have to treat every horse that goes out to gallop, exercise or race like they are in the Kentucky Derby because all the eyes are on them.

The racing office has to be that way. The horsemen have to be that way. The veterinarians have to be that way, and we are going to take every conceivable precaution to see to it that the track is safe.
Vancouver, Canada, teems with tourists in the summer, including many who come here to board Alaskan cruises. My husband and I visited during the off-season. Though the weather in February was chilly, the sun shimmered off the snow-capped peaks of the North Shore mountains, a dramatic backdrop for the city skyline. We strolled through historic Gastown, where artisanal coffee houses, hip restaurants and made-in-British Columbia boutiques line the cobblestone streets. The Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia was the high point of our stay. Its vast collection includes ethnographic objects from around the world, but we focused on those of the indigenous people of Canadas western coast. It was a peek into the original culture of a region now known for its diverse population.The tab for two for two nights: hotel $300, food $250, transportation $75, museum admission $27, plus airfare and taxes.

(Lou Spirito For The Times)

THE BED

The new Exchange Hotel is in a landmark 1929 building that was the original home of the Vancouver Stock Exchange. Our room, with a king-size bed, was compact but chic, and a continental breakfast and evening wine and cheese were included. The hotel was within easy walking distance of public transportation, the waterfront and Gastown.

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Its about the animals on a weekend escape to Orange Countys canyon country 

THE FOOD

I was in foodie heaven at the Granville Island Public Market. The colorful pavilion houses more than 50 vendors that tantalize with offerings as diverse as wood-fired Montreal-style bagels, Asian noodle dishes and fresh local seafood. The maple-smoked Canadian salmon nuggets and Canadian smoked salmon candy were unexpectedly delectable. (Think sweet and salty salmon jerky.) We had dinner at the lively Miku Vancouver, where the food was as dazzling as the view overlooking Vancouver Harbour. We enjoyed traditional sushi as well as Mikus signature Aburi sushi, which is seared with a blowtorch before its served.

1 / 9 Guests at Miku Vancouver dine on Japanese sushi and other delicacies while enjoying a dockside view of Vancouver Harbour. (Paul Boorstin) 2 / 9 In historic Gastown, tourists check out the iconic steam clock that whistles on the hour. (Paul Boorstin) 3 / 9 Mini ferry boats cruise up and down False Creek, carrying up to 20 passengers to top Vancouver tourist sites. (Paul Boorstin) 4 / 9 Mini ferry boats cruise up and down False Creek, carrying up to 20 passengers to top Vancouver tourist sites. (Paul Boorstin) 5 / 9 The Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia is home to a vast collection of ethnological objects and art made by the indigenous people of British Columbia. (Paul Boorstin) 6 / 9 The Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia showcases the sculptures of native Haida artist Bill Reid. Raven and the First Men was carved from local yellow cedar. (Paul Boorstin) 7 / 9 The Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia showcases the sculptures of native Haida artist Bill Reid. Raven and the First Men was carved from local yellow cedar. (Paul Boorstin) 8 / 9 Miku Vancouver restaurant serves traditional Japanese sushi along with their signature Aburi sushi, which is quickly flame seared before it is served. (Paul Boorstin) 9 / 9 The Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia is home to a vast collection of ethnological objects and art made by the indigenous people of British Columbia. (Paul Boorstin)

THE FIND

The Museum of Anthropology is on the campus of the University of British Columbia, a 30-minute drive from downtown. It was worth the trek. We were drawn into the Great Hall, where the 50-foot-tall glassed-in space is filled with majestic wooden poles, figures, masks and ceremonial objects carved mostly in the 19th century by the indigenous people of the region. Contemporary indigenous sculptures include an especially astounding one by acclaimed Haida artist Bill Reid that depicts the mythic moment when the legendary Raven opened a clam shell and out scrambled the first humans.

In Phoenix, a weekend trip filled with prickly pear margaritas and super-sized saguaro cactuses 

THE LESSON LEARNED

What? No Uber or Lyft in Vancouver? We quickly got over it and were happy walking, riding the SkyTrain and summoning taxis by an eCab app. The ride-share behemoths are hoping to win government permission to set up shop here by the end of the year, but naysayers predict it will take longer than that.

Exchange Hotel Vancouver, 475 Howe St., Vancouver, Canada; (604) 563-4693. Wheelchair accessible.

Granville Island Public Market,1689 Johnston St., Vancouver, Canada; (604) 666-6655. Open 9 a.m.-7 p.m. daily. Wheelchair accessible.

Miku Vancouver, 200 Granville St., No. 70, Vancouver, Canada; (604) 568-3900. Wheelchair accessible.

Museum of Anthropology, University of British Columbia, 6393 N.W. Marine Drive, Vancouver, Canada; (604) 827-5932. Wheelchair accessible.
Wow Air, the low-cost Icelandic carrier that gave us $99 fares from the U.S. to Iceland, has ceased flying, leaving thousands of customers holding worthless tickets. What do you do if youre one of them?

Call your credit card company immediately, assuming you paid with a credit card. Thats standard advice and also what Wow is advising on its website.

Credit card companies are your champion if you have an issue, but there is often a 60-day window in which to seek that help.

If you purchased your flight more than 60 days ago, your first move should be to find out if your card offers travel protection coverage that includes bankruptcy or insolvency as a covered event, Arielle OShea, personal finance expert for NerdWallet, said in an email. If it doesnt, try disputing the charge online, then call the card issuer and explain the situation. They may be willing to work with you, given the circumstances.

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If you bought travel insurance, also call to find out whether you are covered.

The best chance consumers have for getting their money back hinges on whether they purchased travel insurance, or purchased their tickets with a credit card that offers travel insurance, OShea said. Travel insurance may cover financial insolvency or bankruptcy.

You typically must file a written claim within 60 days of the incident, and be ready to show all receipts and the cancellation notification from the airline. Its a tedious process that wont resolve the issue overnight, but its worth it to recover the ticket cost.

If you booked with the travel app Hopper, you will be covered, the site announced today. We have decided to reimburse all Hopper customers who booked a Wow Air flight in full, said a statement from Frederic Lalonde, chief executive and co-founder of Hopper. We have also decided that Hopper will cover the full cost of rebooking for all of our stranded passengers in transit. Our team is currently getting in touch with our customers in transit via SMS and in-app push notification for more information.

If you booked with a travel agent, make that call a No. 1 priority.

If you have neither a travel agent nor travel insurance, youll need to begin dealing with the domino effect on your other plans.

The problem is if youre holding a ticket for next week and you paid $300 for a round trip to Europe and booked a bunch of hotels that maybe you prepaid for, said Seth Kaplan, aviation journalist and founding editor of Airline Weekly. You cant replace that flight for $300. And you may not be able to get refunds for the rest, he added.

Sometimes, hotels and others will show mercy if you explain youre still planning to visit but need to do so later. They may allow you to transfer to another date.

Check to see whether you can get a rescue fare. Icelandair is offering discounted economy fares for stranded passengers en route to, from or through Iceland, it announced. The fares are for those who are already traveling and have a Wow return ticket for between March 28 and April 11, its website said.

It has set the price for those tickets at $100 to or from North American, which includes one carry-on bag of 23 pounds or less and one checked bag 50 pounds or less.

Aer Lingus also is offering reduced economy fares to Wow customers flying between Thursday and April 11.

Also check Norwegian Air, Hungarian airline WizzAir and Easyjet, the Loyalty Traveler reported.

If you havent prepaid you hotel, rental car, etc., youll still need to cancel your plans if you cant get a flight in time.

To find out more about what you can do, go to Wow Airs PDF file.

Going forward, keep an eye on aviation news. Wows struggles were a clear indicator that it was wobbly. An early sign: The airline ceased flights from LAX and San Francisco earlier this year.

The bigger surprise would have been had they managed to stay in business, Kaplan said. Its a low-cost, long-haul [airline] and that is a tough business to be in.

Its also tough if the scope of your business is just one country that isnt a great tourist attraction in the winter. It was way too much seat supply for a small market, Kaplan said.

Norwegian Air also has struggled of late, but it has a more diverse route structure, Kaplan said, serving London, Paris and Madrid, among other destinations, from LAX and other large airports.

travel@latimes.com

@latimestravel
A Maltese special operations team boarded a tanker Thursday that had been hijacked by migrants rescued at sea and recaptured control of it before escorting it to a Maltese port. Italys hard-line interior minister slammed the migrants as pirates, but aid groups rejected that label, saying the European Unions policy of sending migrants back to lawless Libya was to blame.

Armed military personnel stood guard on the ships deck, and a dozen or so migrants were also visible, as the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1 docked Thursday at Boiler Wharf in the city of Senglea. Five suspected ringleaders were led off in handcuffs.

In all, the Turkish tanker rescued 77 men, 19 women and 12 minors, including toddlers, Malta officials said. One pregnant woman and one child were being treated at a hospital as a precaution.

Authorities in Italy and Malta on Wednesday said the group had hijacked the vessel after it rescued them in the Mediterranean Sea off Libya and forced the crew to put the Libya-bound vessel on a course north toward Europe.

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Maltese armed forces established communications with the captain while the ship was still 30 nautical miles offshore. The captain said he was not in control of the vessel and that he and his crew were being forced and threatened by a number of migrants to proceed to Malta, the armed forces said.

No details were given of what force or threats were used, and there was no immediate word on the condition of El Hiblu 1s crew.

A military official not authorized to speak to the media said the migrants did not have weapons but that the captain and crew were outnumbered and compelled to surrender.

Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini on Wednesday described the takeover as the first act of piracy on the high seas with migrants as the alleged hijackers.

Salvini, who insisted the ship would not be allowed to dock in Italy on Thursday praised the interception by Malta.

Immigration is managed by criminals and should be blocked by any legal means necessary, Salvini was quoted as saying by the Italian news agency ANSA.

Humanitarian organizations rejected Salvinis characterization of piracy, saying that migrants have been repeatedly mistreated, raped and tortured in Libya. They have long protested EU protocols to return migrants rescued offshore to the lawless northern African nation.

The aid group Sea Watch said the migrants actions were in self-defense against the deadly consequences forced upon them by Europes inhumane border policy.

The ship had been heading toward Italys southernmost island of Lampedusa and the island nation of Malta when Maltese forces intercepted it. The special team that restored control to the captain was backed by a patrol vessel, two fast interceptor craft and a helicopter.

Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said on Twitter that the nations armed forces had conducted a sensitive operation on high seas.

A Maltese special operations officer guards migrants aboard the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1 in Valletta, Malta. (Rene Rossignaud / Associated Press)

We do not shirk responsibility despite our size, he said, pledging to follow international rules.

Still, both Italy and Malta have refused to open their ports to humanitarian ships that rescue migrants at sea, which has created numerous standoffs as European governments haggle over who will take them in.

A private group that operates a rescue ship and monitors how governments treat migrants, Mediterranea, urged compassion for the group on the hijacked vessel in Malta. It said it hoped European countries would act in the name of fundamental rights, remembering that we are dealing with human beings fleeing hell.

Mass migration to Europe has dropped sharply since 2015, when the continent received 1 million refugees and migrants from countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. The surge created a humanitarian and political crisis in which desperate migrants frequently drowned at sea when overloaded smuggling boats capsized. Key arrival spots such as Italy and Greece have then struggled to house large numbers of asylum-seekers.

Along with the dangerous sea journey itself, those who attempt to cross the Mediterranean risk being stopped by Libyas coast guard and held in Libyan detention centers where human rights groups say beatings, rapes, abuse and torture are routine.

EU members alert the Libyan coast guard when refugees and migrants are spotted at sea so they can be taken back to Libya, despite knowing that people there are arbitrarily detained and exposed to widespread torture, rape, killings and exploitation, said Matteo de Bellis, an expert on migrants for Amnesty International.

European Union countries, facing some domestic opposition to welcoming immigrants, have decided to significantly downscale an EU rescue operation in the Mediterranean and have decided in principle to withdraw their ships, which would mean continuing the mission with air surveillance only. A formal decision has to be made by Sunday, when the missions mandate expires.

This shameful decision has nothing to do with the needs of people who risk their lives at sea, but everything to do with the inability of European governments to agree on a way to share responsibility for them, De Bellis said.

Commercial ships have been increasingly caught between European governments hostile to taking in new migrants and the international maritime laws obligation to save people needing help at sea.

In November, dozens of migrants seized control of a container ship that had picked them up in the Mediterranean, barricading themselves inside and refusing to disembark in the Libyan port of Misrata. After 10 days, Libyan authorities forcibly removed them from the ship and brought them to a detention center.

During the standoff, several migrants on the vessel told the Associated Press that six commercial ships had seen their rickety boat foundering but passed them by before they were picked up by the seventh.
In a new Bollywood epic, the hero leaves home as a young man to assume an ascetic life in the wilderness. He brandishes a giant Indian flag in the midst of a gun battle, yelling patriotic slogans as bullets fly around him, and later appears to carry a child to safety amid deadly riots.

The identity of this intrepid action star? Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

A flattering but factually questionable biopic of the Indian leader was set to hit theaters this week  just days before voting begins in a weeks-long general election in which Modi is battling for a second term.

But after two weeks of controversy during which critics slammed the film  PM Narendra Modi: Story of a Billion People  as political propaganda with the primary intent of influencing the vote, its release has been delayed.

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This is to confirm, our film PM Narendra Modi is not releasing on 5th April, producer Sandip Ssingh tweeted Thursday. Will update soon.

This is to confirm, our film 'PM Narendra Modi' is not releasing on 5th April. Will update soon.  Sandip Ssingh (@sandip_Ssingh) April 4, 2019

The postponement came after Modis chief rival, the opposition Congress Party, urged Indias Election Commission to block the films release, saying its purpose is to get some extra mileage in the elections. There are concerns that its release would violate government guidelines that prohibit the use of mass media to bolster the ruling partys political campaign in the run-up to voting.

The Election Commission has not made a clear ruling, but Indian news media reported Thursday that Indias Supreme Court would hear the oppositions complaint next week.

Last month, two airlines and the national railways had to withdraw boarding passes that featured Modis picture. And electoral officials reprimanded two newspapers for running full-page ads for the biopic.

But another Indian government body that oversees movie releases reportedly had no problem with the film hitting the big screen during the election.

Indias Central Board of Film Certification, known as the censor board, often restricts content it deems sensitive, banning almost 800 films from 2000 to 2016 for a variety of reasons including politics, sex and violence. But the Modi biopic is part of a recent wave of political films amplifying pro-government sentiment that earned the boards approval.

The new films trailer, with its overheated scenes of a valiant Modi, has been viewed more than 20 million times since March 20, delighting the prime ministers partisans. Modis personal popularity drove his Bharatiya Janata Party to power in 2014, and five years later his appeal is still high and his presence wide  its hard to go anywhere in India without seeing his face on billboards, newspaper ads and television screens.

This movie will be a large-screen version of what Modi has been doing on TV, said Shubhra Gupta, a film critic and columnist for the Indian Express newspaper. I imagine it will be 360 degrees, playing in practically every theater around.

The movie will give him much more visibility  as if he needed any more.

Although there have been no advance screenings of the film, the trailer suggests it will reinforce themes frequently cited by Modis supporters: The 68-year-old is singularly focused on serving the nation, a strong leader who gets things done and a man who overcame humble beginnings and the disdain of elites to become prime minister.

Many say this image is exaggerated and that the movie takes liberties with the facts.

From what Ive seen, it paints a larger-than-life picture of Modi thats distorted to project an image thats far away from the truth, says Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, the author of an authoritative 2013 biography of Modi.

Its making him into some sort of superhuman with divine powers, or somebody whose heart bleeds for the downtrodden and victims of various forms of violence.  But his actions in the last five years as prime minister show hes normally the last one to speak on such issues.

The trailers depiction of the 2002 religious riots in Gujarat, a state Modi then led, is particularly controversial. At least 1,000 people, mostly Muslim, were killed in the violence. Some accuse Modi  a longtime Hindu nationalist  of not doing enough to stop the bloodshed.

From the archives: Indian Muslims wary of man poised to take reins 

Modi has never been charged in connection with the violence. But in scenes featured in the trailer, Modi is seen looking helpless and despondent as the riots unfold, at one point lamenting emotionally, My Gujarat is burning!

Amid this chaos, the scene appears of him carrying a child, evidently to safety.

Nothing like this ever happened, Mukhopadhyay said.

He was comfortably in his chief ministers office and bungalow. He didnt act as promptly as he should have. He allowed the situation to escalate.

Mukhopadhyay also said there was no evidence that some other scenes in the trailer actually occurred, such as Modi being caught in the middle of a gun battle involving security forces.

Those behind the film deny it is propaganda.

Because its coming out at this point of time, people are talking like that, Omung Kumar, the movies director, told reporters last week. Asked whether he should delay the release, he said: Why should I? The film is ready. Had it not been ready, it would have been a different story.

A former chief election commissioner of India, N. Gopalaswami, said in an interview that he believed the timing of its release was the only issue  not the allegations of embellishments and inaccuracies.

Nobody can put a restriction on human imagination, he said.

Other films that passed muster with the censor board included a September blockbuster that glorified a 2016 Indian counterattack on a militant camp in Pakistan that the Modi government called a surgical strike.

And in January, a film about Modis predecessor Manmohan Singh portrayed Singhs Congress-led government in an unflattering light. Critic Uday Bhatia blasted it as an unsubtle hit job and a political ad. Cast as Singh was veteran actor Anupam Kher, who once said he had no problem being called Modis chamcha, or stooge.

Many other Bollywood actors have openly praised Modi, including Vivek Oberoi, who played him in the biopic and campaigned for him in 2014.

In January, after the prime minister held a meeting with more than a dozen Bollywood stars, reportedly to discuss nation building, the group took a selfie that garnered more than 2.6 million likes on Instagram.

To a large degree, Bollywood and the censor board  whose members are appointed by the government in power  tend to follow the prevailing political trends. Indias film stars, the biggest of whom are revered almost as demigods, rarely weigh in on controversial issues.

In 2015, when Bollywood megastar Aamir Khan, who is Muslim, said he was alarmed at what he perceived to be growing religious intolerance under Modis watch, there were widespread calls to boycott Khans films.

Few others have dared to make the same mistake.

Bollywood people feel Modi is here to stay, Mukhopadhyay said, and they want to be on the right side of him.

Directors and producers are also reluctant to criticize elected officials, especially popular ones such as Modi, fearing retaliation from the censor board.

You cannot make a film in this country without the state, said Gupta, the columnist, who was a censor board member under the Singh government.

Funding can come from anywhere. But if you want to get your film out into theaters, you will only get certification through the censor board, she said. Its the final bastion.

Gupta acknowledged that when the Congress Party was in power, it also used the board to its political advantage. Still, she called the recent trends unprecedented.

Its never happened that in the run-up to elections so many films have come out one after the other [where] the optics are clearly all in favor of the ruling party, she said. This has ratcheted things up to a level we havent seen before.

Malhotra is a special correspondent.
Late one night in December 2017, a black handyman named Joseph Mona was asleep when his white employers woke him up and instructed him to turn on a pump connected to a sewage pit on the property.

Mona tried but reported back that the pump was broken.

In his telling, thats when three members of the family proceeded to restrain him, pour sewage down his throat, shove him into the pit and cover it with corrugated iron  all the while berating him using a vicious racist slur.

Last month, South Africas Equality Court, which hears civil cases of discrimination and harassment, ruled that Harry Leicester and his wife and son had committed a gross violation of Monas rights, drawing particular attention to the racial slur as hate speech and a violation of his constitutional rights to human dignity and equality.

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The judge ordered the family to apologize, attend a program on race relations and pay Mona about $14,000 in damages  a decision the family, which denies the incident ever happened, is appealing. A criminal case against the family is pending.

Such cases have fueled widespread support for establishing a special category in South African law for crimes motivated by prejudice or intolerance. A hate crimes bill making its way through the Parliament would do just that.

More controversially, it would also criminalize hate speech.

Deputy Justice Minister John Jeffery called the proposal a small part of the fight against racism.

Like many countries, South Africa has been grappling with how to contain hate speech as ugly tirades from private individuals and public figures ricochet around Twitter and Facebook with disturbing regularity.

But unlike other places, South Africa is stalked by the vestiges of apartheid, giving these outbursts a unique existential weight.

The democratic era that Nelson Mandela helped usher in in 1994  the year the nations first free elections were held  restored political and personal freedoms to millions, but it has not wiped out the toxic legacy of the system of racial segregation enforced by a white-run government for most of the 20th century.

In 2017, the Equality Court received 328 hate speech complaints, up 36% from a year earlier, according to the Department of Justice. Of those, 125 were related to race.

The proposed law defines hate speech as any communication that intends to harm, incite harm or propagate hate on the basis of race, gender, religion or nationality, among other inherent characteristics.

First-time offenders could be sentenced to up to three years in prison, and repeat offenders could get as many as five years.

Proponents of those restrictions say that hate speech has become much more dangerous in the age of social media, which has become a megaphone for opinions that were usually expressed only in private.

Before, people would say things to each other and there would be no record, said Jeffery, the deputy justice minister. With social media, there is a record. We do feel the need for there to be consequences.

But opponents argue it is unnecessary, given the existing legal remedies to tackle the problem of hate speech.

In addition to the Equality Court, where individuals can bring civil cases, courts have allowed criminal prosecution of hate speech under a common law offense known as crimen injuria  the act of unlawfully and intentionally impairing the dignity or privacy of another person.

Others worry the hate speech section of the law is too vague and will have an unintended chilling effect on political debate and free speech.

Sometimes when you create these laws, they are used by the powerful to silence the powerless, says Pierre de Vos, a constitutional law expert at the University of Cape Town. If I say white people are privileged or stole land, that might be hate speech.

Phephelaphi Dube, an independent legal analyst who specializes in constitutional law, said the language used to define hate speech is clumsily drafted, particularly in defining speech that is intended to harm.

Regardless of whats said, if I feel that Ive been harmed, then youd be guilty of an offense, Dube says. Even saying something like Men are trash, the ordinary reading of the act would mean thats hate speech.

The hate crimes bill has been many years in the making. It was a series of high-profile incidents on social media  starting in 2016  that ignited the current debate about speech.

That January, a white real estate agent named Penny Sparrow complained in a Facebook post about the crowded beaches around her home, repeatedly referring to black South Africans as monkeys.

Subsequently, Velaphi Khumalo, a member of the ruling African National Congress, who is black, responded to Sparrows post by writing on Facebook that white people in south Africa deserve to be hacked and killed like Jews.

The next month, a white woman named Vicki Momberg was caught on video using a racial slur more than 40 times against a black police officer trying to help her at a crime scene.

Sparrow was convicted of crimen injuria and ordered to pay a fine. Khumalo was ordered by the Equality Court to issue an apology to all South Africans. Momberg was also found guilty of crimen injuria and became the first person to serve time for it.

Hateful language has even crept into the political discourse, where discussions of race have usually been framed around transforming South Africa into a land of racial equality.

In February, a case was filed against Andile Mngxitama, the black leader of a small opposition party called Black First Land First, after he allegedly threatened white people at a rally of party supporters in December.

We will kill their women, we will kill their children, we will kill their dogs, we will kill their cats, we kill anything that comes for us, Mngxitama said, according to documents published by the South African Human Rights Commission, which helped file the case.

Mngxitama later said his comments were taken out of context and were made in the spirit of self-defense after an earlier threat a white businessman allegedly made toward black South Africans. A group representing the rights of the white minority has since taken Mngxitama to the Equality Court.

William Bird, who heads Media Monitoring Africa, a group that promotes ethical journalism, said that the government should do more to stop racist speech.

But he also that has expressed concern that the law could be used to limit press freedoms.

Are you going to stop racists from being racist and sexist by criminalizing them? he said. It doesnt stop people. The bigger focus needs to be how to prevent them. How do we combat those things in society?

Mahr is a special correspondent.
The Venezuelan government on Thursday said it has barred opposition leader Juan Guaido from holding public office for 15 years, though the National Assembly leader brushed off the measure and said it would not derail his campaign to oust President Nicolas Maduro.

The announcement by state comptroller Elvis Amoroso, a close ally of Maduro, cited alleged irregularities in Guaidos financial records and reflected a tightening of government pressure on an opposition movement backed by the United States and its allies.

Guaido, who was elected to the assembly in 2015, has taken 90 international trips without accounting for the origin of the estimated $94,000 in expenses, Amoroso said. He also accused the opposition leader of harming Venezuela through his interactions with foreign governments, dozens of which support Guaidos claim that he is the countrys interim president.

Were going to continue in the streets, Guaido said soon after Amorosos statements on state television. He dismissed the comptrollers announcement as irrelevant because, in his view, Maduros government is illegitimate.

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The power struggle between Maduro and Guaido has intensified the sense of crisis in Venezuela, which suffered its worst blackouts this month, followed by another round of power outages that paralyzed commerce this week.

Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez said Thursday that electricity had been restored in most of the country, though some areas remained without power.

Schools and public offices were still closed, but there was more traffic in the streets of Caracas and many people were able to make electronic payments for the first time in days.

Both the opposition and the government plan demonstrations on Saturday as they try to project resolve in a debilitating standoff in what was once one of Latin Americas wealthiest countries. More than 3 million Venezuelans have fled the country in recent years, escaping dire economic conditions that left many without adequate food or medicine.

Maduro, who is backed by Russia, says he is the target of a U.S.-led coup plot and has accused Washington and Guaido of sabotaging Venezuelas power grid. Both the U.S. and the Venezuelan opposition, as well as many electricity experts, believe neglect and mismanagement are the cause of the countrys electricity woes.

Venezuelan authorities this month arrested Guaidos chief of staff, Roberto Marrero, and accused him of involvement in a terrorist scheme to overthrow the government.

The United States was the first nation to recognize Guaido as interim president, asserting that Maduros re-election last year was rigged. It has stepped up sanctions and other diplomatic measures in the hopes of forcing him to give up power.
- INEC has declared President Buhari the winner of presidential election held in Niger state

- Buhari polled a total number of 612,371 to defeat Atiku

- The candidate of PDP, Atiku, secured a total number of 218,052

The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari has defeated his main challenger and the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, in the Saturday, February 23, presidential and the National Assembly elections held in Niger state.

Legit.ng reports that the total valid votes were 851,937 and Buhari polled 612,371 while Atiku secured 218,052.

APC results in Niger state. Credit: Nnenna Ibeh

Source: Original

READ ALSO: Live updates: INEC begins official declaration of presidential election results

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday, February 25, said it had rejected the presidential election result in Akwa Ibom, declared by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the collation centre in Uyo.

It was reported that in the result announced by collation officers for the election, the PDP's candidate, Atiku Abubakar, won in 28 local government area out of 31 in the state.

READ ALSO: LIVE UPDATES: Day 2: Buhari continues to lead as results of more states are released

He polled 391,844 votes to defeat President Muhammadu Buhari of the APC, who scored 158,788 votes.

PDP result in Niger state. Credit: Nnenna Ibeh

Source: Original

But, APCs agent for the election at the state collation centre, Samuel Akpan, told newsmen that he had the mandate of his party to reject the entire result as announced by INEC.

READ ALSO: 2019 election: APC defeats PDP to wins federal constituency in Bauchi

NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have updated to serve you better

2019 Election: Nigerians reveal what Buhari did to them| Legit TV- on Legit TV

Source: Legit
- Nigerian politician and former minister Femi Fani-Kayode has weighed in on the news of the death of an ex-beauty queen who died after bum enlargement surgery

- According to reports, former beauty queen, Onwuzuligbo Nneka Miriam had the procedure done by an unlicensed plastic surgeon and it cost her life

- FFK recently shared his thoughts about it and called it 'vanity upon vanity'

Legit.ng had earlier shared details of how a Nigerian ex-beauty queen, Onwuzuligbo Nneka Miriam, died tragically after undergoing a bum enlargement surgery in Lagos.

According to reports, Onwuzuligbo, approached an unlicensed plastic surgeon identified as Anu for a BLL, liposuction and fat transfer but died due to complications from the procedure. It was gathered that the ex-beauty queen had most of the fat stuck in her lungs which led her straight to the intensive care unit before she gave up the ghost.

Just recently, Nigerian politician, Femi Fani-Kayode, weighed in on the news of the ex-beauty queen, Miriam, dying after getting a quack perform a bum enlargement procedure on her. In a post which he shared on Twitter, the former minister stated that such is 'vanity upon vanity' and added that it is a sad way for anyone to die.

READ ALSO: Come back to gospel music, God is about to use you - Minister says in response to Waje's outburst

Read his post below:

His post got many reactions in which many agreed that women who are not satisfied with their bodies are suffering from low self esteem and need to learn to love themselves and accept how they have been made.

Here are some reactions below:

PAY ATTENTION: Get your daily relationship tips and advice on Africa Love Aid group

Meanwhile, Belgian billionaire identified as Ehud Arye Laniado has passed on tragically. Reports claim that 65-year-old Ehud died of heart attack during manhood enlargement surgery in Paris. The middle-aged man was a successful diamond trader and owned many pricey properties

Did you know? NAIJ.com (naija.ng) is now-> Legit.ng We have updated to serve you better.

PAY ATTENTION: Read best news on Nigeria's #1 news app

Femi Fani Kayode reveals details of his talk with President Buhari on Legit TV

Source: Legit
Minister of transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, on Thursday, March 27, paid a surprise inspection visit to the Seme-Karke joint border post in Cotonou at the border of Nigeria and the Republic of Benin.

Amaechi's visit was ahead of the high level meeting of ministers of transport, infrastructure and health of Benin Republic, Ghana, Cote DIvore, Nigeria and Togo, in collaboration with Abidjan Lagos Corridor Organization (ALCO), taking place on Friday, March 28 28th March, in Cotonou.

Amaechi discussing with a senior Immigration officer during the visit. Photo credit: Israel Ibeleme

Source: Facebook

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) with the assistance of the European Union (EU), established the Seme-Krake joint border post with the aim of facilitating trade and transit and cross-border movement of people, vehicle and goods in line with the relevant ECOWAS protocols acceded to by Heads of States and Government of ECOWAS.

READ ALSO: Senate orders DPR to submit comprehensive list of newly recruited staff

In order to facilitate trade and free movement, all road blocks that constitute barriers to transit are expected to be removed with the operations at the border post of the neighbouring ECOWAS members states.

Amaechi inspecting the Nigerian offices at the border. Photo credit: Israel Ibeleme

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Nigeria's ministry of transportation is Nigerias focal point and doubles as the chair of the joint border post management committee in line with the act setting up the JBP. The ministry is also responsible for the maintenance of the facility.

Operations at the JBP are carried out by select border agencies of both countries working with sub-committees which constitute a management committee of operatives chaired by the Customs Services of the two countries.

The Republic of Benin and Federal Republic of Nigeria as stipulated by the ECOWAS Act, have the responsibility of oversee the general administration of joint border post.

READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda

Meanwhile, the minister of state Aviation, Hadi Sirika, has urged the National Assembly to approve $461.8 million for additional work on the new terminals ongoing across the country.

Sirika made the request when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Aviation on Monday, March 25, in Abuja for his ministrys budget defence.

He said the required amount, which was needed in addition to the $500 million loan already gotten from China Exim Bank for the purpose would help to solve some challenges encountered during the process of building the terminals.

NAIJ.com (naija.ng) --> Legit.ng: We have upgraded to serve you better!

Nigerians raise money for Airport worker who returned millions after Legit.ng's report | Legit TV

Source: Legit.ng
- In a bid to strengthen bilateral relations, Nigeria and Ghana are set to explore more areas of business opportunities

- A delegation from Ghana is in Abuja to sign a MoU with the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture

- The Ghanaian high commissioner to Nigeria said the MoU will strengthen the economic opportunities between both countries

Nigeria and Ghana are set to explore more areas of business opportunities to further strengthen relations between both countries.

The Ghanaian high commissioner to Nigeria, Rashid Bawa, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) when he received a business delegation from Ghana in Abuja.

READ ALSO: INEC presents return certificate to Abia governor

Legit.ng gathers that Bawa said the delegation from the Secondi-Takoradi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (STCCI) had visited the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry and was in Abuja to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

According to the Ghanaian envoy, the MoU is between STCCI and the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA).

He said: This is the first time that we have a regional chamber of commerce from Ghana coming into Nigeria to network with the various chambers here in the federation.

The delegation met with the Lagos chamber and they had fruitful discussions and agreed on various areas that will strengthen both chambers and therefore promote business between the two countries.

The first assignment when the delegation arrived Abuja was to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the vice president of NACCIMA and the chairman of Secondi-Takoradi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (STCCI).

Of course, it brings closer, these two chambers and it promotes networking among them as a body and also introduces their various businessmen to the business opportunities that exist between the two countries.

By so doing, it will strengthen the economic opportunities between both countries.

The envoy explained that the MoU would introduce Ghana to a new network which brings together almost all business opportunities and presenting flexibility to deal with any business opportunity.

He added that it would also present the businessmen with the opportunity to compare businesses from various angles before going into them.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the Nigerian high commissioner to Ghana, Ambassador Michael Abikoye, protested the inhumane treatment of Nigerians by the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) with the deportation of 723 Nigerians between 2018 and 2019.

Abikoye said this at a meeting between him and the comptroller-general of GIS, Kwame Takyi, in Ghana.

The high commissioner said that 723 Nigerians were deported on alleged illegal stay, cybercrime and prostitution between the January 2018 and January 2019.

NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng: Same great journalism, upgraded for better service!

Laolu Akande speaks on how presidency is tackling economy - on Legit TV:

Source: Legit.ng
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Thursday, March 28, issued a bench warrant for the re-arrest of the fugitive leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

In a judgement presided over by Binta Nyako, Premium Times reports that the court also revoked the bail previously granted to the IPOB leader.

Legit.ng gathers that the judgement was made following the failure of Kanu to appear in court after his bail was granted in April 2017.

READ ALSO: I'll end huger, suffering - Late Audus son promises as he declares for Kogi governorship

Justice Nyako, according to the report, also ruled that the trial of the runaway IPOB leader must continue even in his absence before adjourning the case to June 18.

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Legit.ng had previously reported that Anthony Nwoko, an activist, had berated Nnamdi Kanu, and his Biafra Independent Movement (BIM) counterpart, Ralph Uwazuruike, for compromising the Biafra struggle for personal profit.

Nwoko also raised heavy allegations against the duo among which was collecting money from Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in February 23 election.

Speaking at a press briefing in Enugu on Friday, March 23, aggrieved Nwoko also said Kanu had failed and was inconsequential to the movement.

NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng: Same great journalism, upgraded for better service!

THE SCOOP: IPOB proscribed, Nnamdi Kanu vanishes, 2600 rifles from Turkey | Legit TV

Source: Legit.ng News
The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, Nigerias capital, in the evening of Thursday, March 28, affirmed the victory of Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti as the duly elected in the governorship election that was held on July 14, 2018 in the state.

The Nigerian Tribune reports that a three-man panel of the appeal court led by Justice Stephen Adah, gave the unanimous judgment.

READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda

The judges dismissed the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the election, Olusola Eleka.

Eleka and his party had appealed the judgement of the election petition tribunal set up to handle the governorship exercise in the state.

The tribunal had ruled in favour of Kayode Fayemi, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Legit.ng earlier reported that an appeal court in Ekiti state capital recently confirmed the judgement of the Federal High Court which held that Kayode Fayemi was eligible to have contested the partys primary.

The court sitting in Ado-Ekiti area of the state held that Fayemi, though a public servant, was not an employee of the public service and thus not under compulsion to resign his position as minister 30 days to the party primary.

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The court also aligned with the lower court that Fayemis indictment by a judicial panel of Inquiry does not amount to conviction by a court of competent jurisdiction and will be actionable in the case as determined.

NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng. We have upgraded to serve you better.

2019 elections: Do you still trust INEC to conduct fair elections? - Nigerians speak| Legit TV

Source: Legit.ng
A man who served as principal at a Diocese of Allentown school and parish in Berks County, and his wife, are accused of taking $150,000 earmarked for school business.

Thomas Murphy and Ann Marie Murphy surrendered to Berks County detectives on Thursday, and were awaiting preliminary arraignments in their criminal cases, the Berks County district attorneys office said.

The diocese said Thomas Murphy will be charged with theft by deception, theft by failure to make required deposits and conspiracy. Ann Marie Murphy will be charged with receiving stolen property and conspiracy.

Thomas Murphy previously served as principal at St. Francis Academy and as a deacon with the Most Blessed Sacrament Parish, both in Bally, Berks County.

Irregularities were found during an audit in August of the parish and elementary school, the diocese said.

Prosecutors said the routine audit was ordered after administrative and personnel changes.

Berks County detectives were notified last September by the diocese of a misappropriation of funds of more than $150,000, and began reviewing financial records from 2010 to July 2018. At the same time, Thomas Murphy was removed as principal, the diocese said in a statement.

Thomas Murphy, as principal, had a credit card issued to him in the name of the school.

But prosecutors said Ann Marie Murphy also had a Chase credit card issued to her from the same account, and Thomas Murphy had the lone access to a checking account funded by donations and reimbursements for school business.

Prosecutors would only say the Murphys used the credit cards and account for personal expenses.

The cards billing address was the couples home, which was a conscious effort and attempt to cover up this wrongdoing and prevent anyone from discovering this fraudulent behavior, the district attorneys office said.

Our financial audits are designed to ensure that the funds entrusted to us by parishioners, school parents and donors are used for the intended purpose, said Mark E. Smith, chief financial officer for the diocese.

The diocese will seek restitution in the case, he added.

Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fettermans statewide listening tour on recreational marijuana legalization is finally coming to the Lehigh Valley.

The Northampton County stop is scheduled for 5 to 6:30 p.m. April 7 at ArtsQuests SteelStacks, 101 Founders Way in Bethlehem. It is free and open to the public.

Fetterman hopes to visit all 67 counties in the Keystone State on the tour announced in January, to gather public input on legalizing cannabis. The lieutenant governor is scheduled to stop in Armstrong County Thursday, his 27th county in the tour.

If you cant make a stop, residents can submit their feedback online here.

The visit comes after New Jersey lawmakers announced they would not vote on legalizing adult recreational marijuana use and sales.

Meanwhile, Pennsylvania state Sens. Daylin Leach and Sharif Street said March 18 they would soon introduce a bill to end Pennsylvanias prohibition on cannabis.

Pennsylvania and New Jersey are part of the 34 states, plus the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, that have medical marijuana programs, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Fettermans visits have drawn crowds eager to talk about the topic:

20 minutes till start time till Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman holds his marijuana town hall meeting at the American Legion Post #109 in Mechanicsburg, Pa, and its already a full house. pic.twitter.com/dR0YkUMoeU  Jason Malmont (@Jmalmont) February 13, 2019

Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman in Meadville tonight for his listening tour regarding legalizing marijuana. pic.twitter.com/NsfzemV6Yo  JET/FOX/YourErie.com (@JET24FOX66) February 27, 2019

Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Easton officials Wednesday unveiled their first choice for getting something built on three city-owned properties, now used for parking Downtown, that they want developed.

Bethlehem-based Peron Development was among four developers who responded to a city request for proposals for the city parking lot at 56 N. Third St., where the Boyd Theatre once stood.

Architect Paul Swartz, with Easton-based USA Architects, described the project as 84,000 square feet spread over five stories -- in scale with the nearby Santander Bank building and YMCA apartments. There'd be a mix of one- and two-bedroom apartments, with two retail spaces on the first floor fronting on North Third Street.

Peron is looking at no fewer than 70 apartments and proposes paying the city $1.1 million for the lot, Easton City Administrator Luis Campos said during Wednesday nights meeting of city council where the proposal was presented.

The city last November asked developers to present ideas for this 70-space parking lot, in addition to the Pine Street Garage that needs to be replaced and a lot along Church Street off North Fourth Street where officials envision building a new parking garage.

An eight-person committee has been reviewing the proposals in a process derided by some in the city as too secretive.

Mayor Sal Panto Jr. on Wednesday defended the process, calling the request-for-proposal process the fairest way to go. The review needed to be limited to the committee to foster negotiations, he said.

Downtown resident Laini Abraham, one of the critics of the process, asked council on Wednesday to put an end to the committee's review of the developers' proposals. She wants more public involvement, particularly in the decision on building the garage on North Fourth Street.

"You're a conspiracy theorist," Panto told Abraham in a back-and-forth during public comment. "You think everything's a conspiracy."

Abraham replied that she's not alone in her concerns.

"They're also the people who vote, they're the people who live in this city," she said.

Peron Development and USA Architects on Wednesday, March 27, 2019, presented to Easton City Council these conceptual renderings of a mixed-use apartment building with first-floor retail proposed for 56 N. Third St. in Easton.

Wednesday marked only a preliminary step in the Peron plan, which would be built by Boyle Construction.

If approved by city council, the proposal would go through the city's development process and, if that is approved, Peron then would purchase the lot, Campos said. Once approved, the developer described a construction timeline of about a year.

"You're not making a decision today," the city administrator told council. "The purpose is to absorb this information. It's a lot of information and it's going to take some time."

Central to the city's decision on developing the three Downtown parking properties is construction of a new parking garage. Based on a 2012 study by Desman Associates, the city applied for and received $2 million in state grants to build the garage at the Church and North Fourth streets lot.

A new parking study by Walker Consultants is scheduled for presentation April 10 before council, Panto said.

"That'll lead into discussions on future recommendations to council on the Fourth Street lot and Pine Street Garage," Campos said.

The North Third Street lot was described numerous times as a "missing tooth" parcel.

"Urban planning 101 says fill in missing teeth," Panto said.

Peron Development and USA Architects on Wednesday, March 27, 2019, presented to Easton City Council these conceptual renderings of a mixed-use apartment building with first-floor retail proposed for 56 N. Third St. in Easton.

Peron Development was founded by Phillipsburg area attorney Michael Perrucci, a partner in the development of Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem. Representing the company, John Callahan described other projects his company has done, including the 110-apartment Five10 Flats in Bethlehem that is 80 percent occupied with mostly Millennials and empty-nesters paying up to $1,800 a month for two bedrooms. The North Third Street project is projected to be worth $16 million, he said.

This is an opportunity to bring 100 people into Downtown, said Callahan, a former two-term Bethlehem mayor. This is an opportunity to bring folks with discretionary income and put feet on the street in Downtown Easton.

The North Third Street lot is in a Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance zone that cuts its tax bill 100 percent in the first year, followed by a 10 percent reduction in the abatement annually over a decade.

Taxed at the full rate, the project would be worth an estimated $200,000 in city real estate taxes, said Mark Lysynecky, the citys finance director and a member of the committee reviewing the parking parcel proposals. Assuming 103 bedrooms, Lysynecky projected new earned-income tax revenue of $75,000 a year and another $65,000 in parking garage revenue.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
UPDATE: Driver who left scene of wreck on Airport Road was suffering from medical issue and crashed twice more, police say

INITIAL POST: A vehicle crashed into a pole about 6:45 a.m. Thursday in the 4200 block of Airport Road in Hanover Township, Northampton County, knocking down wires and shutting the street during rush hour, authorities said.

The red pickup truck fled after the crash but was stopped in Allentown, Pennsylvania State Police report.

The wreck caused some local power outages, police added.

The road was closed between Orchard Lane and Schoenersville Road, a Northampton County emergency dispatch supervisor confirmed.

The closure altered Bethlehem Area School District bus service.

Please expect delays this morning as residual traffic is causing a bigger concern on other roadways, the district said in a message.

Colonial Regional police responded and are investigating the crash.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter@TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Iceland-based budget airline WOW Air abruptly ceased all operations overnight, canceled all flights and advised booked passengers to seek seats on other airlines, according to an announcement posted on the companys website Thursday morning.

Some airlines may offer flights at a reduced rate, so-called rescue fares, in light of the circumstances. Information on those airlines will be published, when it becomes available, the airline said in its closure announcement.

WOW Air destinations in the United States included Newark Liberty International Airport, which had one arrival from Reykjavik scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, followed by a departure to Reykjavik at 7:05 p.m.

Those without travel insurance may be able to seek reimbursement, though the announcement on WOW Airs page included the possibility of a bankruptcy filing.

Passengers may also be entitled to compensation from WOW AIR, including in accordance with European regulation on Air Passenger Rights, the announcement said. In case of a bankruptcy, claims should be filed to the administrator / liquidator.

Other U.S. destinations included Boston, Detroit and Washington, D.C.

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A sheriffs deputy was wounded Wednesday when her firearm accidentally discharged in the Berks County Courthouse, according to media reports.

The shooting was reported at about 1:30 p.m., and was in the basement of the courthouse in downtown Reading, WFMZ reported.

The deputy was not identified, but Berks County Sheriff Eric Weaknecht told the Associated Press the wounded deputy was rushed to Reading Hospital, where she was reported in good condition.

The Reading Eagle said the deputy suffered an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound to her abdomen in the cellblock area. The Berks County district attorneys office is investigating the incident.

#BREAKING: report of a shooting in the area of the sallyport of the Berks County Services Center. Large PSP, Sheriff presence... police officers running around. Ambulance leaves with Reading and PSP behind. This happened moments ago. More details to come @69News pic.twitter.com/hD7P6uAUJq  Jim Vasil (@JimVasilWFMZ) March 27, 2019

Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Reports of a substantial fireball came in to the American Meteor Society from Lehigh Valley residents Thursday.

"It was very large! Much bigger than any type of shooting star I have seen. The flames around it were evident!" one report from Bethlehem read.

The reports to the American Meteor Society put the fireball's appearance as around 6:15 a.m. EDT. Sunrise on Thursday was 6:46 a.m.

The nonprofit society lists dozens of reports of this fireball as pending on its website, amsmeteors.org.

The society says it receives hundreds of fireball reports each year from around the world. A fireball is described by the group as another word for a very bright meteor, about as bright as Venus in the morning or evening sky.

On Thursday, reports of a fireball spotted around the same time were filed from the Lehigh Valley as well as parts of Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey (including High Bridge), New York, Rhode Island and Vermont, in addition to a few from Virginia, Washington, D.C., and as far south as Florida.

"I have never seen anything like this - definitely not a plane," a report from Easton read.

Most of the Lehigh Valley reports said the fireball was visible for about 3 1/2 seconds, with one report saying it was seen for around 7 1/2 seconds.

At least two teachers, one from Easton and one from Bethlehem, were among those who filed reports. One teaches high school astronomy and planned to use the sighting for a discussion with students Thursday. The other teacher was driving at the time, and said the fireball was visible through the windshield.

"It did not terminate before dropping below the treeline," a report from Bangor says.

The American Meteor Society welcomes reports of fireball sightings on its website, and offers the following tips:

"Please, don't report sighting that lasted more than 30 seconds: the vast majority of fireballs are only visible for few seconds.

"Please, don't report recurring events: seeing a fireball is extremely rare and often an once in a lifetime event.

Please, dont report slow blinking objects or lights crossing the sky ... a fireball looks like a big shooting star.

Looking to learn more about the night sky? The Nurture Nature Center in Easton from 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday is hosting a discussion about light pollution and its impact, to kick off International Dark Sky Week running Sunday through April 7.

As part of International Dark Sky Week, the center invites residents to turn off the lights at their home during Earth Hour 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. local time Saturday.

The American Meteor Society via Twitter shared the following fireballs caught on camera:

A video showing the smoke trail from the #Meteor over the Bering Strait last December, produced using data from @JMA_kishou's #Himawari satellite.

The orange meteor trail in the middle, shadow above-left.



Hi-res copy: https://t.co/EXn8sFb556 pic.twitter.com/X54InkvMnl  Simon Proud (@simon_sat) March 19, 2019

#Fireball caught over Elmira Corning Regional Airport, NY last night.

68 reports so far: https://t.co/ZHOkMko7UX

If you saw this event, please report it: https://t.co/N0EuOVkOgj pic.twitter.com/QQVTB5DOYA  AMSMETEORS (@amsmeteors) March 19, 2019

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
A 34-year-old man who was sought for months after allegedly shooting three people last summer on an Easton street is being held without bail as he awaits further court appearances in four cases.

Oris Alvin Barner Jr., who was wanted in two drug cases from earlier in 2018 before the Aug. 9 shooting in the 1200 block of Washington Street that left two women and a man wounded, was arrested March 12 in Petersburg , Virginia.

City police nearly caught up with him on Sept. 2 as he fled an early-morning shooting in which he was the target on the South Side, police said. He nearly ran over four officers as he drove a damaged Chevrolet Tahoe across the city before crashing on Wood Avenue near the Wilson Borough border, police said. When responding officers got to the crash scene, Barner was gone, they said. Two handguns, one with an inserted 30-round clip, were recovered from the crashed SUV, police said.

Subsequent drug raids in Wilson Borough and South Side Easton sought additional evidence against Barner. He remained on the run into the new year.

But just before 10 a.m. Thursday, Barner, dressed in a blue denim shirt, dark blue pants and black boots, arrived with his feet and hands shackled at District Judge Richard Yetter IIIs court in Wilson Borough to face charges in a variety of cases.

After a brief period in an anteroom where Barner refused to comply with search warrants for DNA swabs in two of the cases, he eventually complied and was brought before the judge.

Charges in heroin delivery cases from March 23, 2018, and April 19 each drew $200,000 bails. Both cases involved confidential police sources making controlled buys from Barner, court papers say.

The shooting and the chase cases resulted in refusal of bail as Yetter cited public safety and concern Barner would run again.

After Yetter completed reading the first set of drug charges, Barner quietly interrupted, saying, Not guilty, not guilty, not guilty, not guilty.

The judge told him that was his right, but they were only in court on Thursday to read the charges and set bail, so the judges efforts continued.

In the shooting case, Barner is charged with three counts of attempted homicide, three counts of aggravated assault and four counts of recklessly endangering another person. In the chase case, he is charged with two counts of possession of a firearm when prohibited due to a previous felony conviction, two counts of carrying a concealed weapon without a license, one count of fleeing a police officer and four counts of recklessly endangering another person. In the drug cases, hes charged with delivery of heroin and using a cellphone to facilitate a crime.

His preliminary hearings on all the cases -- even though only two of them are in Yetters jurisdiction; the other two are out of the South Side court of Daniel Corpora -- are tentatively scheduled 9 a.m. April 8.

Barner, whose most recent, but no longer valid address was in the the 100 block of Canal Park in Easton, has been held on a state parole violation at the new state prison in Montgomery County called Phoenix and is expected to be returned there to await his next court appearances.

The affidavit of probable cause in the shooting case remains sealed so only the charges were read during that arraignment. In the other cases, Yetter read additional details from the other affidavits, including that the four officers Barner allegedly nearly struck on Sept. 2 were collecting evidence of a shooting in the area of West Wirebach and Davis streets.

Easton police Lt. Matthew Gerould said the shooting affidavit remains sealed by a Northampton County judge as to not risk the integrity of the ongoing investigation into the incident.

If convicted of all counts, Barner faces as much as 241 years in prison and $800,000 in fines. He said he will be represented at further appearances by private counsel.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
A Bucks County jury decided a man who raped, murdered and dismembered 14-year-old Grace Packer should die for his crimes.

The jury announced its death penalty decision for Jacob Sullivan on Thursday morning, after deliberating since Tuesday in the penalty phase of the case. A decision for death must be unanimous.

Sullivan had no reaction as the verdict was read. Pennsylvania has a moratorium on the death penalty, but juries can still impose the sentence.

Sullivan, 46, pleaded guilty to all charges last month in a case that raised questions about the child welfare systems failure to protect Grace, who spent years in an abusive home before she was raped, drugged, bound and gagged for a dozen hours and then, finally, strangled in July 2016 in the attic of a home outside Quakertown.

Graces remains were found months later, on Oct. 31, by hunters in Luzerne County.

The butchery in this case was beyond my ability to describe, Bucks County Judge Diane Gibbons told jurors, thanking them for their service. Imposing the jurys sentence on Sullivan, she declared: You have no soul.

Graces adoptive mother, Sara Packer, plotted the crime with Sullivan and watched him violate and kill her daughter, prosecutors said.

Sara Packer, a former foster parent and Northampton County adoptions supervisor, has agreed to plead guilty in exchange for a life sentence and testifying against Sullivan. The plea hearing has been postponed while prosecutors waited for the jurys verdict in Sullivans case.

Closing arguments wrapped up Tuesday in the sentencing hearing.

Grace Packer's life ended in horror at the hands of Jacob Sullivan. She was just 14. For his crimes, Sullivan has been sentenced to death in accordance with a Bucks County jury's verdict. His co-defendant Sara Packer is expected in court at 1:30 p.m. Friday. pic.twitter.com/lcesKRcnw5  Bucks Co DA's Office (@BucksDa) March 28, 2019

Sara Packer testified at the sentencing hearing that she went along with Sullivans fantasy to rape and murder Grace, WFMZ-TV 69 reports.

Sullivans defense counsel asked the jury to consider Sara Packers plea deal sparing her from the death penalty, according to WFMZ. Bucks District Attorney Matthew Weintraub, in his closing argument, told jurors 'not all murders are equal,' and the death penalty is reserved for the worst, according to the report.

Sara Packer and her husband at the time, David Packer, adopted Grace and Grace's younger brother in 2007. The couple cared for dozens of foster children before David Packer was sent to prison for sexually assaulting Grace and a 15-year-old foster daughter.

Sara Packer lost her job as a Northampton County adoptions supervisor in 2010 and was barred from taking in any more foster children. But child welfare authorities did not remove Grace from the home, despite evidence of abuse.

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services launched an investigation after Graces murder, but its findings have not been made public.

Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
I read that El distinguido presidente of Mexico has asked the Vatican and Spain to apologize for the conquest of Mexico some 500 years ago.

I feel that Mexico should apologize to the United States and other countries, as well as the law-abiding citizens of the presidents country, for allowing tons of cocaine and other illegal drugs to cross the borders into the United States and be shipped out to other countries because of the military and political corruption in Mexico. President President Andres Manual Lopez Obrador should apologize to the law-abiding Mexican people, who have endured bloody drug cartel wars that have claimed the lives of many innocent people.

Obrador also should apologize for having the distinction of having five of the six most dangerous and crime-filled cities in the world. (Caracas, Venezuela is the other), and apologize for allowing illegal immigrants to cross Mexicos borders and inundate the United States. Obrador should apologize ad infinitum for the horrors and atrocities done to your people and those of the U.S. and other countries.

Robert Ruggiero

Roseto
A glamping site in Laois which took off on the back of the Electric Picnic and property crash has received the green light to stay in business and expand.

Glamping under the Stars site at Cullenagh near the village of Ballyroan, which is run by Kyra and Barry Fingleton, has received conditional permission from Laois County Council to retain and add to their business.

The couple lodged permission in August 2018 and had to go through an almost eight-month process before conditional planning was finally granted in late March 2019.

The application included the retention of the existing self-catering glamping site which is made up of three canvas bell tents, two wood lodges and a shepherd's hut, a communal kitchen/dining area with BBQ deck, a campfire area, and a three unit bathroom block.

The couple also had to get retrospective planning permission for an existing stable outbuilding with a self-contained one bedroom living unit.

The couple had also relocated an enlarged garage/outbuilding, existing pizza hut/outbuilding. Permission was also sought for the relocated position of the family house and, septic tank/percolation area.

A final part of the application covers expansion.

Laois County Council planners were asked to grant permission for six new grass-roofed glamping accommodations, a new camper's kitchen and toilet block building, car parking, landscaping, new septic tank and percolation area for the complete glamping facilities, and all ancillary site works.

In their application, the Fingletons said their target market was families and adult groups celebrating parties.

They say the site was originally set up as an experiment partly caused by the downturn in the building trade during the property crash which left Barry Fingleton needing to find work.

They said the business started 'organically' as a B&B for Electric Picnic visitors. By January 2018 they said they were fully booked for the year ahead and into 2019.

They said that the demand far exceeded expectations for the business which opens from Easter to the end of September. They are fully booked in July and August.

They claim the business has been good for Laois as it has attracted people from all over Ireland to the county mainly from Cork and Dublin. They say their business also promotes other events in Laois through social media.

The couple say they hope to target the international visitor market. They have also applied to Laois Partnership to help source grants to fund the expansion.
Laois Gardai have renewed their appeal for the public's help in tracking down those responsible for a vicious attack on a man near Portlaoise who is set to remain hospitalised for a number of days.

Gardai hope anyone with information, no matter how insignificant they think it may be, to contact them in relation to a burglary in which four masked men set upon a man with a sledgehammer in his home at about 10 pm on Tuesday night, March 26.

The victim was attacked in his home in front of his wife and family by the raiders during a burglary on the house located just off the busy Portlaoise to Portarlington Road in the Shaen area.

The victim, who is originally from Pakistan, suffered extensive injuries that are understood to have included fractures to his ribs. He also suffered lung injuries.

Gardai in Portlaoise have continued to investigate the incident but have so far not been able to establish a definite line of inquiry into who might have been responsible.

The raiders, who are understood to be Irish, made their escape after being disturbed by visitors to the home during the incident. It is believed that they made their escape through fields. It is not clear if they used a car to get to the scene.

Gardai confirmed on Wednesday that that four masked men armed with 'sledgehammers and screwdrivers' assaulting the occupants, three women and two men during an aggravated burglary. Gardai said the one man had been subject to a 'vicious' attack.

The injured man was taken to Portlaoise hospital for treatment.

Gardai are appealing for anyone with information to contact them at Portlaoise Garda Station (057) 867 4100, the Garda Confidential Telephone Line 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.
The whole community in Portarlington is being urged to come together for a huge spring clean of the town and particularly residential areas around the town centre this weekend.

This year's 'Spring Clean' of Portarlington will take place at 10 am on Saturday, April 6. Over 30 separate small groups of volunteers will have cleanups around the town and surrounding areas.

Portarlington Tidy Towns are asking people to give an hour or two of their time on the day to help in this voluntary effort to clean up your local area.

This annual clean up has taken place every year for the last 12 years to leave the town spick and span. Three pick up trucks will be around to carry all of the collected litter.

The rubbish will be taken away on Monday by Laois County Council as part of Clean Up Laois Week. Between 150 and 200 people usually take part in the cleanup to get the town as clean as possible.

Co-ordinator of the cleanup for Portarlington Tidy Towns, David Maher, said there is a lot of illegal dumping in Portarlington to be cleaned up.

We have a lot of illegal dumping, there are whole housing estates in Portarlington where no one pays for waste removal, this is the case all over Ireland and Portarlington is no different. It hasnt been as bad in the last two years, he said.

David said that up to 10 tonnes of rubbish have been collected at the clean up in recent years.

Small groups of people get together to pick up the litter that has been dumped in their own areas.

Portarlington Tidy Towns is working with a small committee and this is an opportunity for many more people to get involved.

Contact David Maher at 086347535 to get involved.

MORE: New waste warning letters sent to Laois households to combat illegal dumping.
A first look at the plans for the new 130 million cheese manufacturing factory in Portlaoise has been revealed.

A digital image of the planned factory has been revealed by Construction Information Services which said: "Works are underway on the development of a 130m food manufacturing facility in Co Laois."

A spokesperson for Glanbia told the Leinster Express that the site is being prepared for construction to begin.

"Preparatory works have commenced at the site at Togher National Industrial estate, in advance of the commencement of construction. The new facility is expected to begin production in 2020, with a production capacity of 45,000 tons per annum," they said.

The huge new factory is a partnership between Irish food giant Glanbia plc and the American-based Leprino Foods and Enterprise Ireland.

It was announced in July 2018 that it would create 80 jobs based at Togher National Industrial Estate in Portlaoise.

In March 2019 the way was cleared for the construction of the factory near Portlaoise, following the withdrawal of an appeal made to An Bord Pleanala against the plans.

Laois County Council granted permission at the end of last September to Glanbia to develop the facility.

The development will comprise a main building which will facilitate a cheese blending process, an office block for administrative and technical support staff and external buildings to service the proposed facility.

Also included is a car park for staff and visitors with 94 spaces and a trailer parking area of six spaces.

The picture below shows the multi-storey building planned for the Togher National Industrial Estate in Portlaoise.

The 40,000-metric ton facility will require significant amounts of dairy ingredients - the equivalent of 400 million litres of milk a year.

Nearly 80 jobs are to be created at the new pizza cheese manufacturing facility which will also deliver some 250 construction jobs in the process.

A total of 130 million will be invested in this world-class facility, which is supported by Enterprise Ireland.

Based in Denver, Colorado, and founded as a small, family-run cheese business 65 years ago, Leprino Foods now claims to be worlds largest mozzarella cheese maker and top producer of whey protein and dairy ingredients.

Still family-owned, the company prides itself on having a reputation of being a dairy industry pioneer, supplying the highest-quality products to food and nutrition companies around the globe.

Glanbia employs over 6,600 people across 32 countries and our products are sold or distributed in over 130 countries with revenue of 2.4 billion in 2017.

In August 2000, Glanbia plc entered into the joint venture, worth almost 30 million, with the Leprino Foods Company to expand further into the fast-growing European pizza cheese market.

Leprino operates a plant with Glanbia in Co Down.

MORE: Good news for growing glamping business in Laois.
A young Laois team of three hurlers have come up with a winning solution for tidying up hurls and helmets.

The three Transition Year students in St Mary's CBS are senior winners in the Laois LEO Student Enterprise Awards 2019, for a smart business idea that mammies everywhere will thank them for.

Cousins Simon and Noah Fingleton with Marc Ramsbottom are all proud players on the Ratheniska GAA Minor hurling team.

For their mini company project, they designed and hand made wall-mounted metal holders for hurls and helmets, calling their business Hurl Standz.

"Often hurls and helmets are thrown in the corner, left on the ground, so we thought we could make a product that doesn't take up floor space and is light and cheap," said Noah.

They made the metal holders in Marc's family's garage, retailing at 15 for a twin hurl holder and 20 for three hurls. They have sold 42, and with word spreading by social media, customers are from as far as Cork and Wexford.

"We are totally surprised and excited to win, we are looking forward to the national final in May in Croke Park," said Marc.

Below: CBS mini-company teachers Emma Lynch and Deirdre Moore with Marc, Simon and Noah.

The three competed with seven other Laois schools, 32 teams in all, in the county final of the 2019 Laois Enterprise Office Student Enterprise Awards in the Midlands Park Hotel on March 28.

In second place was Ebony Onalimi from Scoil Chriost Ri, for her company Ebony's Kitchen, and in third was MK Stitching, Jake Kirwan and Darragh Mc Spadden from Mountrath Community School.

In the Intermediate category, newcomers Dunamase College scooped the top prize, for their project Rudai Beag, making festive gifts and selling them in Portlaoise Christmas fair. Second years Sorcha Tiernan, Nisha Cullen, David Jakubowski, Killian Newman and Alexandru Podvisevschii were delighted to win. They will represent Laois at the final in their category.

"My mom is going to be very proud," said Alexandru.

The Creative Design award was won by Jessica McDarby of Colaiste Iosagain Portarlington for her business Personalised Hand Painted Shows.

The Technology award was won by Portlaoise College for Game Changer Kits, with the team being Caoimhe Dunne, Jade Brennan, Norbert Burnos, Nathan Dowling and Alomide Olotu. The Innovation award was won by the Mountmellick Community School team Magic Fairy Doors, of Arianne Conroy, Taylor Culliton Conroy, Eve Tarpey, Aimee Cousins and Joshua Gill.

The judges were Gemma Purcell of Carlow IT, and Paul Muldowney from Bank of Ireland.

"Hurl Standz demonstrated true commercial potential with their innovative storage stands for hurls. They had a very strong business ethnic both for the creation and execution of their business proposition," said Gemma, a Business Development Engineer in the Design and Technology Gateway.

Guest speaker was entrepreneur and social media expert Joanne Sweeney, who told the students to follow their passions, surround themselves with people who build them up, and never pull anyone else down.

Laois County Council Cathaoirleach Cllr John King had the honour of presenting the prizes.

"You're all very talented, it is striking how confident young people are now, you should be very proud of yourselves," he said.

Evelyn Reddin CEO of Local Enterprise Office Laois congratulated the students.

We have a very successful student enterprise programme here in Laois, with over 280 students from 8 local schools taking part this year. Our national finalists are excellent ambassadors for the programme and we wish them the very best of luck in Croke Park on May 3," she said.

What our students are learning from the programme is that with the right supports and encouragement, they can take an idea from the classroom and develop it into a real-life business. The skills they learn along the way, such as business planning, market research, selling and team-work, will help them become more entrepreneurial throughout their future careers," Ms Reddin said.

Below: the CASE scrunchie team from Scoil Chriost Ri; Emma Roche, Anna Mulvaney, Sheena Moore and Ciara Brennan.
Entries are been now open for the 2019 SuperValu TidyTowns competition.

Last year the competition saw record numbers of committees participating. In addition to the main competition, there is an increased number of Special Awards for 2019.

Speaking at the launch of the 2019 competition in Co Meath, the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Michael Ring, praised communities who get involved.

The dedication and commitment shown by generations of volunteers and community groups throughout the TidyTowns competitions 60-year history is extraordinary. The efforts of these TidyTowns committees have made Irelands towns and villages not only attractive and welcoming for visitors, but have created a sense of place for those who live and work and raise families there.

With 60 years behind us and looking forward to the next 60 years, we see the competition going from strength to strength. Last year, as we celebrated the 60th anniversary of TidyTowns, a record 883 communities entered the competition, he said.

Full details of the Special Awards are available on the TidyTowns website, www.tidytowns.ie.

The closing date for receipt of entries for this years competition is Friday, May 17.

Entry forms to the SuperValu TidyTowns competition can be obtained from the TidyTowns Unit in the Department of Rural and Community Development (Phone: 076 100 6912) or by visiting www.tidytowns.ie or www.supervalu.ie.
County Kildare Chamber has been shortlisted for two 2019 national chambers awards.

Ahead of the official awards ceremony on April 10, Chambers Ireland has announced the official shortlist for the 2019 Chamber Awards.

Returning for the first time in 10 years, the awards seek to recognise the outstanding work of chambers around the country. They are a chance for chambers to showcase their achievements in a variety of categories, from innovative projects to successful events to collaborations with local and national government.

The shortlist features projects from 21 chambers, exemplifying the wide-ranging work being done around the country.

Allan Shine, CEO of County Kildare Chamber said, We are delighted to be nominated in the two categories that we entered. Our Ambassadors Lunch was one of the highlights of our busy event calendar in 2018 and was hugely beneficial for our Corporate Partners. We had 36 Ambassadors to Ireland from across the globe attend the lunch in The K Club along with all key stakeholders in Kildare. We are also shortlisted in the Local Authority Collaboration category. Our Health and Wellbeing Week last year was attended by over 700 members and guests. We hosted a series of events in all key towns in Kildare.

Colm Blake, Head of Insurance Marketing at Zurich Ireland, the main sponsor of the awards, commented: Zurich is delighted to be the title sponsor of the Chamber Awards 2019. As a passionate insurer of Irish businesses, we are proud to be associated with these awards designed to recognise and celebrate excellence across the Chamber network and the challenging and important work Chambers and their members do on behalf of business in their communities and for the wider Irish society.

Siobhan Kinsella, Chambers Ireland President said: "I am delighted to reveal the shortlist for the Chamber Awards today. This is an ideal forum to profile, commend and award the brilliant work being produced by local Chambers on a regular basis.

"Through their work in fostering entrepreneurship and supporting local economic development, Chambers take the lead in launching innovative campaigns, projects and policy proposals. Our goal in hosting this national awards ceremony is to promote the creativity and hard work being done throughout the network every single day.

"We look forward to the awards ceremony in April and in the meantime I would like to wish all of the shortlisted Chamber applicants the very best of luck.

The Chamber Awards winners will be announced at the official awards at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Northwood, Santry. Awards will be presented for excellence in five different categories and one Chamber will be awarded the overall award of Chamber of the Year 2019.
Sean Mulryan the founder, Chairman and Chief Executive of the Ballymore Group has accepted an invitation to join the Advisory Board of the National Centre for Family Business at Dublin City University (DCU).

The National Centre for Family Business was established in 2013 and is a leading source of knowledge on family businesses. Family businesses account for 75% of all businesses registered in Ireland, spanning industry, services and farming. Family businesses are found in every village and town throughout Ireland and form the backbone of the economy. It is estimated that over 720,000 people are employed in family businesses in Ireland.

The National Centre for Family Business at DCU is the main source of education, research/insights and networking for family businesses.

The advisory board sees its role as a supporter and catalyst and seeks to assist the longevity, harmony and prosperity of families and their businesses.

The Chair of the board Paul Keogh said:  The advisory board is delighted that someone of Seans caliber has agreed to join the advisory board. He is passionate about the role family businesses play in the prosperity and employment of the Irish Economy. His business Ballymore has three next generation family members working alongside Sean and he wants to encourage other family businesses to use the resources of the National Centre for Family Business.
Former Irish Rugby International, Alan Quinlan, has said a lack of understanding and education about mental health issues meant that, when he experienced them himself as a successful young man, "I didnt really know what to do , I didnt know who to turn to."

Speaking at Leitrim's Health Is Wealth in Carrick-on-Shannon tonight he said: "I was really, really good at sport.sport was a great distraction for me when I had anxiety, when I felt depressed when I was younger."

However, he said, as he got older he didn't know "how to share (the fact he felt unwell) with someone".

"I had no understanding what depression and anxiety was. I had a belief you had to toughen up.show no emotion, never cry.

At 22 I went to my doctor I knocked on his door...and I wasnt sure what was wrong with me. I was living the dream, I was playing rugby and I just didnt feel well. I said I think Im depressed and theres something not right. He had a quick chat with me and marched me out of the room and he said 'its just the blues and everyone get's them'.. and I left thinking I had to toughen up.

Mr Quinlan said that when he spoke about his struggles with anxiety and depression in his book in 2010, it came as a shock to many people.



I was living the dream he said, "and people didn't know I ever felt like that".

He said what is key is giving people hope.

Sometimes people have really tough lives, they face difficult challenges and. they have every right to be depressed, to be sad. But what we want to do with that person is to get them to share that sadness and we want to try and find a solution . We want to try and create a tiny bit of hope," he said.

Mr Quinlan said that the words there is light at the end of a tunnel is very positive noting if we can see some sort of light we just naturally move towards it, its an instinctual thing.

He stressed the importance of encouraging people to talk, to try and have conversations which will help break the stigma surrounding mental health.

Referring to a recent study by St Patricks Mental Health Hospital in Dublin, Mr Quinlan noted 61% of those of us in this room.believe that having a mental health problem is a sign of failure.

Its alarming really isnt it. Most of us would probably say Im not one of that 61%....but thats in our general society. Weve got to change that mentality and say its not a sign of failure its a sign of strength. Its a sign of courage. Its a sign of hope, of light, of integrity, of honesty, of passion.

Ive had to work very, very hard to try and understand myself better and try to appreciate myself more he said.

He encouraged people to get help. To seek help and to talk. Have the conversation. Take off the mask.

"That light is there at the end of the tunnel."

If you or anyone you know has been affected by any of the issues discussed in this article, you can contact the following organisations for advice and support:

-Samaritans Free call: 116 123

-Northwest Stop: for counselling Callsave: 1850 211 877

-Aware Freephone 1800 80 48 48 (Available Monday - Sunday 10am to 10pm)
A YOUNG musician has been described as a "force to be reckoned with in the future" in an impressive video of her showing off her adept drumming skills.

In the video, posted this Wednesday, 18-year-old Laura Drennan is seen displaying a flurry of percussive techniques at the Peter Dee Academy of Music.

The school describes the young drummer as "one of the finest drummers" in Limerick city.

"Laura also is very proficient on Guitar and Piano and has also taken a keen interest in saxophone."

Laura is also one of the key members of one of Ireland's fast-emerging alternative rock groups, PowPig.

The zany four-piece all-female outfit recently just released two tracks via Out On A Limb records and Strange Brew, which has garnered positive reviews from critics.

<a href="http://outonastrangebrew.bandcamp.com/album/powpig-junior-brother">PowPig/Junior Brother by Out On A Strange Brew</a> <a href="http://outonastrangebrew.bandcamp.com/album/powpig-junior-brother">PowPig/Junior Brother by Out On A Strange Brew</a>

The Drennan clan has a notably strong pedigree of musicians, as Laura's grandfather is the great Tommy Drennan, of Tommy Drennan & The Monarchs, one of Limerick's most successful showband acts.

"A force to be reckoned with in the future. Great playing Laura and an absolute pleasure to watch how you have progressed over the years," the school said on their Facebook page.
A YOUNG man has been jailed for five years for dangerous driving causing the death of his friend in a road crash on the outskirts of the city just over a year ago.

Gearoid Sheehy, 17, from Ballinacurra Weston (pictured below) was a rear-seat passenger and died instantly in the collision at Tubberyquinn, Ballyneety shortly after midnight on March 20, 2018.

Anthony Curtin, 19, of Crecora Avenue, Ballincurra Weston was the driver of the Mazda car which had been bought for 300 in cash a number of hours earlier.

During a sentencing hearing last month, Sergeant Cathal ONeill told Limerick Circuit Court the Mazda was being driven at high speed when the defendant lost control and crashed into a field at a T-junction.

The car, which at one point reached speeds of around 220km/h, became airborne and struck a telegraph pole before landing in the field.

Another passenger sustained serious injuries in the crash while a third was not seriously injured.

Mr Curtin, who has more than 60 previous convictions for road traffic offences, was not insured and did not have a drivers licence.

In a victim impact statement which was read to the court last month, Mr Sheehys parents appealed to young men to slow down, saying cars are not toys.

Judge Tom ODonnell was told gardai were pursuing the Mazda at the time as it had failed to stop at Hyde Road around half an hour earlier when they noticed a defective light.

A GSOC investigation found no fault with the actions of gardai on the night.

Imposing sentence this Thursday, Judge O'Donnell said he was extremely conscious of the tragedy that had occured and that he could not turn the clock back or dilute the pain of the loss sustained.

He said it was not the courts job to seek retribution and that he had to impose an appropriate and proportionate sentence.

Judge ODonnell said the speed at the which the vehicle was travelling was a critical factor and that Mr Curtins previous convictions were an aggravating factor.

He said his admissions and guilty plea were of great significance as was the fact that he will have to live with the loss of friend for the rest of his life.

He imposed a five year sentence which he back-dated to September 4, 2018.

Mr Curtin was also disqualified from driving for 15 years.
A SECTION of Limerick city is now a designated rent pressure zone, which means landlords will not be allowed to increase rent by more than 4% per year.

The announcement was made by the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Eoghan Murphy this Thursday morning.

Limerick City East is included in the rent pressure zone, it has been announced.

This includes Castletroy, Annacotty, Monaleen, St Patrick's Road, Old Cork Road parts of the city, and Childers Road.

Minister Murphy said that change, which also newly-applies to Navan, has come into effect "immediately".

"The Housing Agency continues to monitor the rental market and will make recommendations for further inclusions as areas meet the criteria," he said.

Labour TD Jan O'Sullivan, who is a former Housing Minister, welcomed the inclusion of Limerick to rent pressure zones "which will mean that private rents in this part of our city will not be able to increase by more than 4% per year".

However, she said, it will give "it gives no relief to other parts of Limerick where rents have escalated in recent years".

"I am still calling for the entire country to be given this kind of protection from unfair rent hikes. I have been consistently raising the Limerick case with Minister Murphy and am pleased that at least some households will now be included," Deputy O'Sullivan said.
A WOMAN who rang the gardai after finding her sister drunk behind the wheel said it was the hardest thing I ever had to do.

Eleanor Hogan said Anne OGrady could have wiped out somebodys family.

Ms OGrady, aged 55, of Gortaclareen, Oola pleaded not guilty to being in charge of a vehicle while under the influence of an intoxicant, and failing/refusing to provide a breath specimen.

Garda Brian McNamara said he attended the scene of an incident at Main Street, Oola at 3.30pm on Thursday, April 5, 2018.

A Nissan Qashqai was stopped at the junction of Cullen Road and Main Street. There was a lady in the drivers seat who I later established was Anne OGrady. I also met Eleanor Hogan who said she was a sister of Anne OGrady.

Ms Hogan outlined to me that she had earlier observed her sister driving in Oola. Ms Hogan informed me Ms OGrady was drunk. She took the keys of the car and contacted gardai. I established from Ms Hogan that Ms OGrady was driving at 2.31pm, said Garda McNamara.

The former Murroe-based garda said Ms OGradys eyes were glazed, speech was slurred and he detected a strong smell of alcohol.

He said he arrested the defendant at 3.40pm.

I was at the scene on my own in a Ford Transit van. I decided it was not to safe to transport her in a van, which is designed for prisoners, due to her intoxication.

I called for assistance and a patrol car arrived. We arrived in Bruff garda station at 4.25pm, said Garda McNamara, who introduced Ms OGrady to Garda Geraldine McCarthy, who is trained to use the intoxalyser machine.

After the 20 minutes waiting period he accompanied Ms OGrady and Garda McCarthy to where the machine is kept.

I ordinarily wouldnt have gone in but I did so on this occasion due to the condition of Ms OGrady, said Garda McNamara.

He said Garda McCarthy informed Ms OGrady that she required two specimens of breath and opened a sealed mouthpiece.

Ms OGrady made three attempts to provide a specimen but on each occasion she failed to provide a complete sample, said Garda McNamara.

Colin Morrissey, solicitor for Ms OGrady, asked if his client tried to give a sample or if she refused.

She did try, said Garda McNamara.

Mr Morrissey asked if any inquiries were made why she wasnt able to give a breath sample.

She didnt indicate any issues to me, said Garda McNamara.

Kilmallock Court heard that a doctor was called but as she would not have arrived in the three hour timeframe to take a sample they were cancelled.

Mr Morrissey asked about the delay in taking Ms OGrady from Oola to Bruff. Garda McNamara said he didnt put Ms OGrady in the back of the garda van for her own safety as she could barely walk.

Mr Morrissey asked why he didnt bring Ms OGrady in the front seat.

Garda McNamara said she could have been injured and it was dangerous for him as well because she was very unsteady. He said the best course of action was to call for a patrol car.

Mr Morrissey said he could have put handcuffs on Ms OGrady and fastened the safety belt.

Handcuffs were not going to help. I liked her, she was very obliging, I didnt want to handcuff her, said Garda McNamara.

Mr Morrissey said the delay taking her to Bruff was an unreasonable detention and his client ran out of time for the doctor to be called because of it.

Eleanor Hogan said she was travelling to Doon when she spotted her sister in Oola.

She said the defendant was only four feet from the stop line to drive onto the main road. Ms Hogan said her sister was seriously intoxicated.

She didnt know who I was. I took the keys from the ignition. I gave out to her. I said, Youre drunk, youre going to kill somebody. I couldnt get her out. She tried to stick a pen in the ignition.

She could have wiped out somebodys family. Thats why I rang the gardai. Its the hardest thing Ive ever had to do, said Ms Hogan.

Citing case law, Mr Morrissey said the charges against his client should be struck out on a number of grounds.

The solicitor said there was unreasonable detention in Oola while awaiting for the patrol car to come. Mr Morrissey said his client should have been asked by gardai if there was a special or substantial reason for not providing a breath sample.

Lastly, he said gardai were entitled to detain Ms OGrady until a sample was taken and his client was prejudiced by cancelling the doctor. The State opposed all three points.

Judge Marian OLeary adjourned the case to consider Mr Morrisseys arguments. In Kilmallock Court this month, the judge said she didnt hold with any of Mr Morrisseys points and Ms OGrady has a case to answer.

Mr Morrissey said his client had recently been diagnosed as an asthmatic and used inhalers.

He said his client suffered from chest infections and this was a special or substantial reason for Ms OGrady not providing a breath sample despite trying to do so.

Sergeant Michelle Leahy said there was no evidence to show an illness on the day of the arrest and the obligation is on the defendant to provide a reason why they cant give a breath sample.

Judge OLeary held with the State and found Ms OGrady guilty of being in charge of a vehicle while under the influence of an intoxicant, and failing/refusing to provide a breath specimen.

In mitigation, Mr Morrissey said his client is a 55-year-old lady with no previous convictions.

She is a mother of two adult children who resides in Oola. She will have to make arrangements in relation to her employment, said Mr Morrissey.

Judge OLeary fined Ms OGrady 500 and disqualified her from driving for four years on each charge. The driving ban is concurrent.

Recognisance was fixed in the event of an appeal.
LIMERICK will strike the right chord this Friday lunchtime in the Milk Market to mark World Piano Day.

For two hours between midday and 2pm, the first ever Piani Luimni festival will take place.

Organised by local musician Mark OConnor, a grand piano will be erected in the covered market to allow people to come and share their musical talents, or just listen.

Mark, who organised the Piano for Dolores event in January to mark the anniversary of the passing of the Cranberries frontwoman, said it has long been a dream of his to have regular sessions like these in public places.

We encourage all ebony and ivory tinklers, bringers of nocturns, ragtime, jazz, trad and beyond and voices with come all yes to join us. The piano will be upstairs at the Milk Market, and we hope to launch more pianos at other city centre locations in the future, he explained.

The aim of Piani Luimni is to place pianos of excellence in several public places, to invite players and listeners to gather, share songs, stories and time together.

Mark added: Weve reached out to all the music educators in Limerick, all of whom have responded very positively to the idea, including the Irish World Academy at the University of Limerick, Limerick School of Music, as well as Peter Dee, Redemptorist and Croagh Schools of Music, Music Generation, the Learning Hub, Sing Out with Strings and more to partake in the experience.

Mark paid tribute to Jules Hackett, who designed the logo for Piani Luimni, as well as Khoushhall Kakar for his generous donation of the piano, plus staff and traders at the Limerick Milk Market for hosting the event.

All are welcome to tinkle on the ivories from noon until 2pm on Friday.

For more information, telephone the Milk Market at 061-214782.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 28)  The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) is urging TV networks to conduct surprise, mandatory drug tests on their actors and actresses.

"Sana itong mga artista magkaroon rin ng internal cleansing rin. For example, 'yung Channel 2, Channel 7, Channel 5, kung ano mang channel, mga artista 'yan, dapat gumawa sila ng initiative na 'yung mga artista nila, ipa-drug test nila," PDEA chief Dir. Gen. Aaron Aquino told CNN Philippines' The Source on Thursday.

[Translation: Hopefully these artists should continue their internal cleansing. For example, Channel 2, Channel 7, Channel 5, whatever channel, their artists, they should have an initiative to have their artists tested for drugs.]

Aquino made this call amid a revelation from the drug agency that there are 31 celebrities on their drug watchlist.

He said among these celebrities, 11 are actresses and 20 are actors. He said most are in their 20s and 30s, while some are in their 40s and 50s.

However, Aquino said these are still unverified reports. "It means kailangan pa nilang dumaan sa isang proseso ng [these need to undergo another round of] validation to confirm reports," he said.

He also said that there could be up to a hundred celebrities who are into drugs as the PDEA list does not yet include information from the Philippine National Police, the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, the National Bureau of Investigation and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

He added that the PDEA will not release the list of celebrities who are allegedly into drugs.

"Pero huhulihin namin sila [But we will catch them.] Time will come, we'll catch up on you," Aquino said.

The government had previously released two drug lists: One ahead of the barangay polls and another one ahead of the midterm elections in May.

Authorities admitted that there is not enough basis to file criminal charges against people on the lists.
VICKY Phelan, the Limerick woman who continues to campaign for cervical cancer patients, has spoken of her anger after her car was clamped while she attended hospital treatment on Wednesday.

Ms Phelan is currently appealing the decision to clamp her car an hour and six minutes after she parked in a one-hour parking space in a church car park near a Dublin hospital while she had bloods taken.

The campaigner then had to pay 125 to have the clamp removed from her vehicle, despite there being a ten minute grace period in such cases.

Soooo, I got clamped today. My first time getting clamped. In the grand scheme of things, this is not the end of the world and I am lucky that I could afford to pay to be declamped BUT I have to have a vent about this and get feedback from all my friends here on Twitter...1/6  Vicky Phelan (@PhelanVicky) March 27, 2019

I submitted my appeal not because of the money, but on the principle of the matter, Ms Phelan said.

What if I didn't have the money to pay on the spot to be declamped? What if I had literacy issues (and) was unable to understand the complicated parking rules in the car park?

What if I was not educated enough to formulate the grounds for an appeal?

According to Ms Phelan, she originally parked in the church car-park as there were no spaces left in the hospital she was attending.

What if I didn't have the money to pay on the spot to be declamped? What if I had literacy issues & was unable to understand the complicated parking rules in the car park? What if I was not educated enough to formulate the grounds for an appeal? Rant over! Feedback welcome 6/6  Vicky Phelan (@PhelanVicky) March 27, 2019

So, I parked at 10.06am, the time is important here, paid my fee and walked to the hospital to have my bloods done, Ms Phelan said on Twitter.

I returned to my car at 11.16 to find my car had been clamped at 11.12. The clamper, or enforcing agent as they are known, was still there, clamping others.

I pleaded my case but he was having none of it so I had to call the NCPS to pay the 125 quid so that I could have my car declamped while yer man was still in the car park, Ms Phelan tweeted.

That done, and with my blood boiling, I moved my car and vowed to appeal while I was having treatment.

Ms Phelan, who lifted the lid on the CervicalCheck scandal in 2018, has been named on the BBC 100 Women list which shares inspirational, difficult and surprising stories from women all over the world.

As a result of Ms Phelan exposing the controversy, it emerged that more than 1,500 women were potentially affected, prompting an external expert examination by UK expert, Dr Gabriel Scally.

She is a former Limerick Person of the Month and received a Special Achievement Award for her campaigning over the last year.
THE FIRST confirmed candidate for Peadar Toibins new political party Aontu in the local elections in the city and county is Michael Ryan.

The principal of Our Lady Queen of Peace Primary School, Janesboro since 2007 will be running in Limerick City East. Aontu, which means unity and consent, was started by the former Sinn Fein TD at the beginning of this year.

Mr Ryan, from Pallasgreen, says the three tenets of the party are a united Ireland, pro-life and social justice. He agrees with all three. After being approached by Aontu, Mr Ryan said he was delighted to accept as he has had a life-long passion for politics.

Mr Ryan says he is the ideal candidate to represent the urban and rural parts of the municipal district as he works in the city but is from the county. The area stretches all the way from Mulgrave Street to Montpelier.

I have worked hard to develop the school and to support the surrounding communities in every way possible, said Mr Ryan. The building of a new school extension is due to start in the coming months.

I have been a community activist in my native Pallasgreen for over 40 years. I was a member of the community council which built the community centre and now Im chairman of the council which has recently provided a new playground. I hope to bring this vast experience to Limerick City East, said Mr Ryan, who was a member of Limerick County Board from 2011 to 2016.

If elected his priorities include enhancing local communities through building sporting and leisure facilities; broadband as well the dangers of the internet for children; affordable housing for young men and women; health and mental health; scourge of drugs, vandalism, anti-social behaviour; and promoting the Irish language.

Education, special education and disability issues are close to his heart.

As a father of a grown-up daughter with an intellectual disability I am strongly committed to pushing for proper services for those with disabilities, especially as their parents grow older, said Mr Ryan, who is married to Teresa and they have five grown up children. He officially launched his local election campaign on Wednesday night as he bids to be one of the seven councillors to represent Limerick City East.




Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has once again blamed the past administration for wasting Nigerias resources while in office.

The Vice President who spoke today during the 11th Bola Ahmed Colloquium said that Nigerias main problem is not lack of ideas or projects but lack of integrity in leadership.

Nigerias main problem is not the lack of ideas, project or programmes, it was most of the time especially with the leadership in the past was lack of integrity in leadership and corruption, in particular, was the reason why we were finding it difficult to make any progress.

He explained that over the last four years Nigeria has earned $383bn which he said is the highest that the country has attained in its history.






Travelstart, Africas largest online travel agency, is celebrating seven years of providing cheap flight deals in Nigeria with Sale-A-Brate promo.

Kicking off March 25 2019, the seven-day sale which ends on March 31, gives customers cheap flights to various destinations including Dubai, London, New York, Johannesburg, Toronto, Monrovia as well as local flights.

Since their opening in 2012, Travelstart customers have enjoyed booking cheap flights online on the website www.travelstart.com.ng to their favourite local and international destinations. The online travel agency entered the market to relieve the stress and inconvenience customers had to go through from booking the traditional way. By using Travelstart, intending travellers no longer have to sit through traffic to get a quote, search the market tirelessly or wait for a call to get a price. As the solution provider, Travelstart believes that every customer that is capable and wants to travel should be able to do so. By making the flight buying process easier, cheaper and more secure, Travelstart customers are able to spend the rest of their time on other more important activities.

Commercial Manager, Travelstart Nigeria, Bukky Akomolafe noted that through the Sale-A-Brate promo, Travelstart will be providing even cheaper flights to their customers favourite destinations in partnership with Emirates Airlines, Air Namibia, Air-France, KLM, Etihad Airways and more.

This year, our campaign is simply tagged, Sale-A-Brate with us. Because we have recorded huge wins over the last seven years, we have decided to celebrate our most important people, our staff and customers. Akomolafe stated. She adds through this campaign, we will also be giving our Day 1 customers lounge access and spa vouchers for use at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, Nigeria. Just another way, we are saying thank you to our loyal customers

With international return flights as low as N144,899, Travelstart is bringing their customers' even more savings from a wide selection of flights for their next trip.

The Sale-A-Brate promo ends at 8pm on 31 March 2019. Book now on the website at www.travelstart.com.ng or call 01-280-0661 before the sale ends!




The wife of a member of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Nasarawa State, Mrs Yahanasu Abubakar, and three other women have been abducted by gunmen.

Suleiman Abubakar, who is the Chairman of Correspondents Chapel of NUJ in the state, confirmed the incident to Channels TV. He said the women were abducted by the gunmen following an attack on Wednesday evening along the Gudi-Garaku Road in Akwanga Local Government Area on their way to Lafia, the state capital.

According to Abubakar, the assailants shot at the unions bus conveying the victims from Keffi, where his wife had gone to register at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camp. He explained that their bus ran into a ditch after they were chased by gunmen numbering more than 30.

The journalist added that the gunmen shot sporadically in the air few metres from a police checkpoint and forcefully made away with his wife and the other women into the bush. The other victims included the wife of a former member of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, whom they had given a lift, as well as two other women from another vehicle.

Abubakar said the gunmen have demanded N5 million from him before his wife would regain freedom. The State Police Command has also confirmed the incident saying the command had already mobilised officers to the area for a search and rescue operation.
A Nigerian man, Aminu Muhammad, has taken to social media to pay tribute to his brother, Akeem, a Nigerian soldier, who was killed while fighting Boko Haram members on Monday March 25th.

Posting pictures of Akeem, Aminu wrote

''I remember like yesterday when you were born in 1992. I with our father buried your placenta. I dug the ground, placed it in the hole and covered the hole while Baba watched.

Growing up, all you wanted so passionately to do was serve Nigeria as a soldier. All efforts to discourage you failed. After trying thrice and failing, we thought you would give up especially since you were already earning money in Minna. But again, you tried the 4th time and succeeded. You finally got what you had always wanted from childhood.

Your first major posting was to go face Boko Haram. Many felt you should leave but, you would always say "its a job I took for Nigeria". Four times you escaped deadly attacks with many of your colleagues killed in some cases. All the times, you would ask us to keep praying for you rather than asking you to leave because you won't.

Again, this Monday evening, your team of FIFTEEN men came under attack. The vehicle you were travelling in was bombed by Boko Haram. All your colleagues we were told died except you. While most were beyond recognition, you survived with shattered legs. We found a way to thank God that at least, you survived. We didn't know your survival was going to be brief. We were to be told later again that you couldn't carry on. The Nigeria you were passionate to serve, you died for her. How could I have imagined that you would go before me when I buried your placenta 27 years ago. Thank you for your passionate service to Nigeria.

Rest in peace my brother. Akeem my brother, its painful to bid you farewell. But, who are we when God has taken a decision. May Allah in His infinite kindness turn all your suffering in the Army which you severally narrated as restitution for all your sins. May He grant you His Rahama and forgive all your shortcomings.




Korapay makes it easier for people in the US to send Money to anyone in Nigeria.



Every day thousands of Nigerians in the diaspora send money to their friends, family or business associates in Nigeria. Even with the large inflow of money into the country, sending money online to Nigeria can be very daunting, considering the expensive fees charged by large electronic money issuers like Western Union, Moneygram, and Ria. Hence, the need for an easy-to-use, cheap, and fast money transfer platform like Korapay.

According to Dickson Nsofor, Founder and CEO of Korapay, Korapays regulation of remittance flow is key in assuring families and friends of Nigerian migrants receive the money sent to them with ease.

Korapay is currently open to 12 states in the United States (Texas, Nevada, California, Pennsylvania, Newyork, Michigan, Georgia, Illinois, Florida, Connecticut, New Jersey & Massachusetts) and has a record transaction delivery time of about 60 minutes. Anyone in these states can send money directly to the naira bank account of their folks in Nigeria; for up to 6x cheaper rates.

Others states in the US, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Europe will be opened in the coming weeks. Therefore, regardless of where you are right now, you can sign up on www.korapay.com to start sending money or register to get early access when your location is live.
With its successful test of an anti-satellite missile, India, once a critic of Americas Strategic Defense Initiative, has joined a club of four countries that can accurately hit moving targets in space. Under Mission Shakti, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared, India has shot down a defunct low-earth orbit micro satellite of its own. Recall that in 2007, China had downed its FengYun orbiter in a strike whose accuracy was touted as that of a bullet shot by a bullet". Exaggeration apart, as that technology could potentially knock out nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles, it was interpreted as Beijings shield against long-range nukes.

While the Indian Prime Minister has said that Wednesdays test was a breakthrough aimed at no other country, defence analysts are hailing it as a space-combat deterrent. To be sure, it does serve as a stiff warning to enemy spy satellites. Whether it helps secure the country against a nuclear attack, however, is far less certain. Indias adversaries are within relatively close range, after all. Their nukes need not gain any altitude to hit targets here. India, thus, still has no iron dome". But the country is now on par with other powers in a futuristic theatre of war.

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"We believe this is now a new era of superconductivity," Russell Hemley, a materials scientist at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., told a crowd of researchers March 4 at the American Physical Society's March meeting.

Images lit up the screen behind him: a schematic of a device for crushing tiny things between the superhard points of opposing diamonds, graphs of temperature and electrical resistance, a glowing ball with a rough, black "X" slashed across its center.

That last image was the embodiment of the new era itself: a tiny sample of lanthanum superhydride (or LaH10) squeezed to pressures similar to those found partway through Earth's core and heated with a laser to temperatures approaching a brisk late-winter day in New England. (That's scalding heat by the standards of superconductivity research, usually conducted in extreme laboratory cold.) Under those conditions, Hemley and his team had found, LaH10 appears to stop resisting the movement of electrons between its atoms. It apparently becomes, as Hemley termed it in his APS talk and in a paper published Jan. 14 in the journal Physical Review Letters, a "room temperature superconductor." [6 Important Elements You've Never Heard Of]

Frozen science

Back in 1911, the Dutch physicist Heike Kamerlingh Onnes discovered that at extremely low temperatures, certain substances exhibit unusual electrical properties.

Under normal circumstances, an electric current passing through a conductive material (like a copper wire) will lose some intensity along the way. Even the very good conductors we use in our electric grids are imperfect and fail to transport all the energy from a power station to your wall outlet. Some electrons just get lost along the way.

But superconductors are different. An electric current introduced into a loop of superconducting wire will continue to circle forever, without any loss. Superconductors expel magnetic fields, and therefore powerfully push away magnets. They have applications in high-speed computing and other technologies. The problem is that the sorts of extremely low temperatures at which superconductors usually operate make them impractical for common use.

Hunting without a map

For more than a century, physicists have hunted for superconductivity in warmer materials. But finding superconductivity is a bit like striking gold: Past experience and theories might tell you broadly where to look for it, but you won't actually know where it is until you do the expensive, time-consuming work of checking.

"You have so many materials. You have a huge space to explore," said Lilia Boeri, a physicist at Sapienza University of Rome, who presented work after Hemley exploring the possibility of superconductors even warmer than LaH10, and explaining why materials like this are superconductive at extreme pressures.

In 1986, researchers uncovered ceramics that were superconductive at temperatures as high as 30 degrees above absolute zero, or minus 406 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 243 degrees Celsius). Later, in the 1990s, researchers first looked in earnest at very high pressures, to see if they might reveal new kinds of superconductors.

But at that point, Boeri told Live Science, there still wasn't any good way to determine whether a material would turn out to be superconductive, or at what temperature it would do so, until it was tested. As a result, critical temperature records  the temperatures at which superconductivity appears  stayed very low.

"The theoretical framework was there, but they didn't have the ability to use it," Boeri said.

The next big breakthrough came in 2001, when researchers showed that magnesium diboride (MgB2) was superconductive at 39 degrees above absolute zero, or minus 389 F (minus 234 C).

"[Thirty-nine degrees] was pretty low," she said, "but at that time was a major breakthrough, because it showed you could have superconductivity with a critical temperature that was twice as high as what was previously thought possible."

Crushing hydrogen

Since then, the hunt for warm superconductors has shifted in two key ways: Materials scientists realized that lighter elements offered tantalizing possibilities for superconduction. Meanwhile, computer models advanced to the point where theorists could predict in advance precisely how materials might behave in extreme circumstances.

Physicists started in the obvious place.

"So, you want to use light elements, and the lightest element is hydrogen," Boeri said. "But the problem is hydrogen itself  this cannot be made superconducting, because it's an insulator [a material that doesn't typically allow electricity through]. So, to have a superconductor, you first have to make it a metal. You have to do something to it, and the best thing you can do is squeeze it."

In chemistry, a metal is pretty much any collection of atoms bonded together because they sit in a free-flowing soup of electrons. Most materials that we call metals, like copper or iron, are metallic at room temperature and at comfortable atmospheric pressures. But other materials can become metals in more-extreme environments. [The World's Most Extreme Laboratories]

In theory, hydrogen is one of them. But there's a problem.

"That requires much higher pressure than can be done using existing technology," Hemley said in his talk.

That leaves researchers hunting for materials containing lots of hydrogen that will form metals  and, hopefully, become superconductive, at achievable pressures.

Right now, Boeri said, theorists working with computer models offer experimentalists materials that may be superconductors. And the experimentalists pick the best options to test out.

There are limits to the value of those models, though, Hemley said. Not every prediction pans out in the lab.

"One can use calculations very effectively in this work, but one needs to do that critically and provide ultimately experimental tests," he told the assembled crowd.

Hemley and his team's "room temperature superconductor," LaH10, appears to be the most exciting result yet from this new era of research. Crushed to about 1 million times the pressure of Earth's atmosphere (200 gigapascals) between the points of two counterposed diamonds, a sample of LaH10 appears to become superconductive at 260 degrees above absolute zero, or 8 F (minus 13 C).

A diagram shows the diamond-anvil cell device used to crush the lanthanum and hydrogen together, along with the chemical structure they form under those pressures. (Image credit: (Left) APS/Alan Stonebraker; (Right) E. Zurek, adapted by APS/Alan Stonebraker)

Another run of the experiment described in the same paper appeared to show superconductivity at 280 degrees above absolute zero, or 44 F (7 C). That's a chilly room temperature, but not too difficult a temperature to achieve.

Hemley ended his talk by suggesting that, down the road, this high-pressure work might lead to materials that are superconductors at both warm temperatures and normal pressures. Perhaps a material, once pressurized, might remain a superconductor after the pressure is released, he said. Or perhaps the lessons about chemical structure learned at high temperatures might point the way to superconductive low-pressure structures.

That would be a game changer, Boeri said.

"This thing is basically fundamental research. It has no application," she said. "But let's say you come up with something that works at pressure, say, 10 times lower than now. This opens up the door to superconducting wires, other things."

Asked whether she expects to see a room-temperature, room-pressure superconductor in her lifetime, she nodded enthusiastically.

"For sure," she said.

Originally published on Live Science.
Imagine smelling your flesh burning before feeling it.

A 71-year-old woman in Scotland has lived her entire life like that, not only not feeling the pain of burns but any other pain as well. Her extremely rare insensitivity to pain is caused by a mutation in a gene previously thought to be useless in the body, according to a new report of her case, published yesterday (March 27) in the Journal of Anaesthesia.

Doctors first realized that there was something different about the woman when she had hand surgery and reported feeling no pain before or after the procedure. She later told doctors that a year earlier, she was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in her hip and scans showed she had severely degenerated joints  yet she felt no pain. [5 Surprising Facts About Pain]

The revelations prompted a group of researchers at the University College London and the University of Oxford to carry out genetic tests to see what could be driving her pain insensitivity.

The team found two specific mutations in her genes.

One mutation was a tiny deletion in a not-well-documented "pseudogene"  a segment of DNA that is thought of as a nonfunctional copy of a parent gene  called FAAH-OUT. The second was a mutation in the original gene, called FAAH.

After being duplicated from the FAAH gene, the FAAH-OUT pseudogene accumulated a number of mutations that prevent it from coding for a protein like the FAAH gene does, said co-senior report author James Cox, a senior lecturer in pain genetics at University College London. As a result of these mutations, FAAH-OUT "has probably evolved a whole new function," though it's unclear what that function is.

(These FAAH-OUT mutations aren't unique to the woman in Scotland, however. What is unique in her case is the tiny portion thats deleted from the pseudogene.)

Another group of researchers at the University of Calgary in Canada confirmed the genetic findings by analyzing the woman's blood. They found that she had higher blood levels of compounds that are typically broken down by the FAAH protein. One such compound is a neurotransmitter called anandamide, which has been shown in previous research to reduce anxiety and pain, Cox told Live Science.

Indeed, the woman also said that she has very little anxiety and never panics, even in dangerous situations, according to a statement from the University College London. Her wounds also tend to heal very quickly, a result consistent with previous research conducted on mice that lack the FAAH gene.

It is "very likely" that other people with this specific set of mutations in the FAAH-OUT and FAAH exists, Cox said. "It is often the case that when a particular disorder is first reported, other patients with [similar symptoms] come forward."

However, these mutations arent the only cause of pain insensitivities; there are other mutations in other genes that are known to cause pain insensitivity such as a rare hereditary condition called "congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis," or CIPA.

Now, the researchers hope to learn about how the FAAH-OUT pseudogene functions. To do so, they plan on using gene-editing technology to mimic the mutation seen in the woman, Cox said. This might lead to potential treatments that could reduce pain or accelerate wound healing after surgery, or even aid in chronic pain and anxiety disorders, the researchers wrote in the report.

"I would be elated if any research into my own genetics could help other people who are suffering," the woman said in the statement. "I had no idea until a few years ago that there was anything that unusual about how little pain I feel  I just thought it was normal.

"Learning about it now fascinates me as much as it does anyone else," she added.

Originally published on Live Science.
Instead of a dim, crowded library, Laredo College students now have a place to study and collaborate in an open, bright area with new technology. The facility also features a conference center.

The college has reopened the Harold R. Yeary Library and Executive Conference Center after it underwent renovations beginning in October 2016. The renovations and additional construction were finished in March.

A grand opening ceremony for the library is set for April 10. Laredo College President Ricardo Solis said he thanks the board of trustees and the community for supporting the project.

This is not your traditional library, Solis said. Its really a unique learning center, a professional environment that allows the students to excel in their learning by being more open and with creative work sessions. Which is now a big part of the curriculum as designed by our student faculty.

In May 2014, voters approved a $100 million bond for LC through a special election. About $13.8 million of the bond was spent on construction of the library and $1.5 million for its furniture.

LC board of trustees president Mercurio Martinez Jr. said the library has come a long way since he was a student.

I was a student in 1956, he said. And the library was at that time the chapel. And all we had were the books. The buildings were the old barracks, there was absolutely no air conditioning.

He said the library has the latest technology and its doors are open to everyone in the community, as well.

It is now being available to our community, he said. After all, they were the ones that approved bond issue, and were very grateful that they came through. And this is just a reflection of what has been invested. The library is now a shining example of the technology that we now have.

Yara Valdez, a freshman, said the seating areas are more comfortable and quiet. She said she used to study in the Kazen Student Center, but it was usually too loud.

(The Kazen is) more like a break area for students, Valdez said. Since they opened (the library) here, Im going to come here, and I like it better.

About 52,000 square feet was renovated of the old library, with 26,000 square feet added. There are still more than 8,000 print books, but there are also about 4,000 electronic books.

Additions include 16 study rooms, an innovative center, a learning center and a computer lab with 34 devices.

In the computer lab, students can work on group projects by sitting around a large screen monitor attached to the end of a table of computers.

The library also has the Palomino Cafe and a bibliographic instruction lab. Health science freshman Suzanna Bryand and nursing freshman Marco Jimenez were studying together at a high table on Wednesday.

Its very modern, Bryand said. We would study at the Kazen most of the time, but it was very noisy.

Jimenez said its more peaceful than studying elsewhere on campus.

My favorite part would probably be those little cubicle (sitting areas) because you can charge anything there and you can hang out with your friends, he said. Also the computer lab is super open and peaceful. Id like just to hang out here than anywhere else and just to lounge during your free time or study.

The learning center will hold tutoring services, TRIO advising and a testing center. TRIO is a government program which helps disadvantaged students with post-secondary education career opportunities.

The innovation center is for the Increasing Minority Participation in Academics and Career Trajectory, or IMPACT, Program. It will have a station to help students transfer their credits to a four-year university. It will also help students with non-credit programs and job placements.

Businesses can also use the innovation center to come up with Texas Workforce Commission grants and programs to train their workforce.

Outside agencies could also hold presentations in this center to try to recruit students.

The Laredo College Economic Development Center, which oversees the certification programs for cybersecurity analyst and the Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, will use the center for workshops and conferences.

The Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification program uses the lean six sigma technique, which is six methods to prevent defects in a project, product or process. This program will also use the innovation center space.
A 10-year-old girl was hit by a vehicle in a neighborhood near an Humble ISD elementary school Thursday morning, authorities said.

She is expected to be OK, authorities said.

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The child was struck around 7:30 a.m. in the 15000 block of Sierra Sunset Drive, which is off Woodlands Hills Drive just north of Beltway 8. She was on her way to attend classes at nearby Ridge Creek Elementary when she was struck, although it is unclear if she was walking to the school.

RELATED: Off-duty Houston police officer fires pistol at suspect who was rummaging through her car

The girl was rushed to Texas Children's Hospital in the Texas Medical Center in good condition as a precaution, according to HCSO Senior Deputy Thomas Gilliland. Humble ISD spokesperson Jonathan Frey said she was conscious and breathing when she was loaded into the ambulance.

A school counselor rode with her to the hospital, while her mother followed the ambulance, Frey said.

The driver who struck the child remained on scene and was questioned by Harris County Sheriff's Office deputies. It is unclear if the driver will be cited, authorities said.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this story reported that the child was 9 years old, based off initial information from the Harris County Sheriff's Office.

Jay R. Jordan covers breaking news in the Houston area. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com | Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan | Email him at jay.jordan@chron.com | Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message
Who could blame Education Secretary Betsy DeVos if she was surprised by the public bashing she took this week for proposing to cut millions of dollars in special education funding, including to Special Olympics?

The Trump administration's proposed Education Department budget for 2020 includes the cuts - but earlier budgets also sought to zero out Special Olympics, and there was far less public reaction then. What's more, Congress refused to do it, and a key lawmaker said Congress will refuse to do it in the 2020 budget.

Still, the proposed elimination of Special Olympics funding - $17.6 million - along with more than $20 million in cuts to programs for blind and deaf students proved to be especially contentious when lawmakers grilled DeVos on Tuesday.

"I still can't understand why you would go after disabled children in your budget," Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., said at a House Appropriations subcommittee meeting. "You zero that out. It's appalling."

Social media exploded with criticism, including some tweets that were not accurate. One, for instance, said DeVos had unilaterally wiped out Special Olympics funding; instead, the cut is a budget proposal on which Congress must pass judgment.

Lawmakers and governors jumped in to the discussion to criticize the proposed cuts, including some Republicans, such as former Ohio governor John Kasich and California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

That led DeVos to send out a four-paragraph statement defending the Trump administration's record on funding special education. It said in part:

"Make no mistake: we are focused every day on raising expectations and improving outcomes for infants and toddlers, children and youth with disabilities, and are committed to confronting and addressing anything that stands in the way of their success.

The President's budget reflects that commitment."

The president's proposed budget for the Education Department also reflects an acknowledged effort by President Donald Trump and DeVos to reduce the federal footprint and cut government agencies. Congress has consistently refused to go along.

For 2020, DeVos has proposed cutting the department's budget by 10 percent. For the 2019 budget, she had proposed cutting 11 percent (about $7.7 billion), but Congress rejected it and instead provided a record $71.5 billion, $581 million more than the year before. A similar pattern occurred with the 2018 budget: Trump and DeVos sought to cut the department budget, but Congress instead boosted funding by $2.6 billion.

One of the reasons the special education cuts drew fire this week was because DeVos had found money to support her own pet projects. She proposed creating a controversial new federal tax-credit program, which, capped at $5 billion, would allow the use of public money for private and religious schooling. She also proposed adding $60 million to the Charter Schools Program, which funds the creation and expansion of charter schools.

Some critics said they were angered that DeVos found money to support the expansion of alternatives to traditional public school districts, which enroll most U.S. schoolchildren, while cutting special education.

Still, the programs that DeVos proposed to cut in 2020 are not the major source of federal funding for students with disabilities.

The vast majority comes from Part B of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, a federal law designed to support the needs of students with disabilities from ages 3 to 21.

It is important to note that Congress has always left the federal law massively underfunded. Under the IDEA legislation, first passed in 1975, the federal government committed to pay 40 percent of the average per pupil expenditure for special education. That pledge has never been met, and current funding is at 14.7 percent of the average expenditure per pupil.

This week, a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers introduced legislation in the House and the Senate that would require the federal government to fully fund IDEA.

Trump and DeVos proposed spending the same amount for IDEA Part B in 2020 as in 2019: $12.3 billion for IDEA formula grants to states to support special education and early intervention services. They also kept level for 2020 a request for $226 million for IDEA discretionary grants to support research, technical assistance and other things.

DeVos mentioned the IDEA funding when she was questioned Tuesday about Special Olympics at a House appropriations subcommittee hearing about the budget proposal. It didn't go well.

DeVos was asked by Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., about non-IDEA cuts she was proposing:

- Eliminating the $17.6 million the agency gives Special Olympics (a private organization to which DeVos has personally donated).

- A $7.5 million cut to the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (which Pocan incorrectly identified as being for blind students), which would bring federal funding to $70 million.

- A $13 million cut for Gallaudet University in the District, which would bring federal funding for the school for the deaf and hearing-impaired down to $121 million.

- A $5 million cut for the American Printing House for the Blind, a federal program that produces books for blind students. That would leave the federal funding to that program, which produces print books for blind students, to about $25 million.

The conversation went like this:

POCAN: Do you know how many kids are going to be affected by that [Special Olympics] cut, Madame Secretary?

DeVOS: Mr. Pocan, let me just say again we had to make some difficult decisions with this budget.

POCAN: Okay, this is a question of how many kids. Not about the budget.

DeVOS: I don't know the number of kids.

POCAN: Okay. It's 272,000 kids. . . .

DeVOS: I think Special Olympics is an awesome organization, one that is well supported by the philanthropic sector as well. . . .

POCAN: I have two nephews with autism. What is it that we have a problem with children who are in special education? Why are we cutting all of these programs over and over within this budget?

DeVOS: Well, sir, we have continued to retain the funding levels for IDEA and held that level. So in the context of. . .

POCAN: I'm sorry, I don't think I brought up IDEA. I believe I brought up Special Olympics, special education grants to states, the National Technical Institute for the Blind, Gallaudet University, the federal program for printing books. So if you could address those? That's the question I would really appreciate.

DeVOS: I will address the broader question.

POCAN: Or if you could actually address the question I asked. That's even a better way to answer a question.

DeVOS: Supporting students with special needs. We have continued to hold that funding level . . . and in the context of a budget proposal that is a 10 percent reduction.
More than one-third of bridges and tunnels deemed to be at the most serious level of disrepair currently have no prospect of being removed or fixed, mostly due to a lack of financial resources or opposition from local residents, according to a Yomiuri Shimbun survey.

As the cost of maintaining and operating the nation's aging infrastructure continues to mount, the survey has revealed even removing these bridges and tunnels will not be easy.

Since fiscal 2014, the central and local governments have been required to check tunnels and bridges for signs of aging once every five years. The end of this month will mark the end of the first five-year cycle, and the second cycle will begin in April. According to the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry, a total of about 740,000 bridges and tunnels dot the nation. About 80 percent had been checked during the four years to the end of fiscal 2017.

Of them, 580 bridges and tunnels were classified as "Level 4"  the most serious level of disrepair. The Yomiuri Shimbun asked the central government and local governments in charge of this infrastructure how they were dealing with the issue as of the end of 2018. According to this survey, 273 bridges or tunnels (47 percent) had been repaired or work had started on replacing or removing them. However, work had not started at 307 locations (53 percent).

Of the Level-4 bridges and tunnels on which work had not started, authorities were considering some sort of remediation for 97 locations, such as by taking steps including allocating money for this work in the budget plan for next fiscal year. However, there was no sign of repair work beginning at 210 locations (36 percent).

When asked the reasons for this lack of progress, the most common answer, which was given for 96 locations, was a "shortage of financial resources." Respondents could give more than one answer. In cases where removal was considered, opposition from residents who would face less-convenient traffic routes was often cited as a reason. In 58 locations, authorities said they "were having difficulties finding a solution with residents." Other reasons mentioned included a "shortage of staff with the necessary technical expertise" and "making arrangements with a neighboring municipality."

Steps have been taken to close tunnels and bridges on which repairs have not started. However, floorboards have fallen through on some bridges, and at others the piers have collapsed. Residents have also crossed some bridges without permission. The longer repair work is delayed, the greater the risk of an accident or the bridge collapsing.

The city of Yubari, Hokkaido  the only municipality to undergo financial reconstruction under government supervision  is home to one Level-4 bridge. The city plans to remove the bridge but has been unable to make budgetary provisions for this work, so there is no timeline for when the removal will proceed.

"There are limits to how much funding can be raised," a Yubari city government official in charge of the issue said.

The village of Totsukawa in Nara Prefecture has 12 Level-4 bridges, the most of any municipality in Japan. Repairs have been completed for two bridges, but it remains unclear when the remaining 10 will be fixed. "We must sort out an order of priority and repair or remove the bridges, but we never get around to doing that," a Totsukawa village official explained.
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Thursday that "no one will lose coverage from this day forward," after a Washington federal judge blocked rules that compelled many poor people to work in exchange for public health insurance.

But calling the previous day's court ruling "a great disruption of the status quo," Hutchinson,a Republican, pledged to fight vigorously to continue the first-in-the-nation work requirements that Arkansas imposed last year on people in a part of Medicaid that expanded under the Affordable Care Act. He said he had urged the Trump administration to swiftly appeal the judge's decision and seek a stay that would allow the state to resume the program while the legal case continues.

Neither the Justice, nor Health and Human Services departments would comment on the legal strategy the administration intends to pursue in response to a pair of opinions handed down by U.S. District Judge James Boasberg late Monday afternoon. In the twinned opinions, Boasberg, an appointee of President Barack Obama, wrote that HHS officials had failed to properly consider the effect of the work requirements on people who need coverage when they approved such rules for both Arkansas, where they have been in effect for nearly 10 months, and Kentucky, where they had been delayed by his own previousruling.

An HHS spokeswoman said "no appeal decisions have been made yet." But the spokeswoman, Caitlin Oakley, confirmed that the Arkansas governor has conferred with the department's deputy secretary and other senior officials. A Justice spokeswoman declined to comment.

At a news conference in the state capitol in Little Rock, Hutchinson said that to comply with the judge's ruling, Arkansas had immediately closed the online portal for people to report their work hours - and would not remove anyone else from the program. But he emphasized, "I remain fully committed to a work requirement, and we are in this for the long haul because we believe it is the right policy."

President Donald Trump's senior health advisers also appeared undeterred by the judge's disapproval.

Seema Verma, administrator of HHS's Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is poised to permit Utah to become the ninth state to win federal permission to require workin exchange for Medicaid coverage, according to individuals who spoke on condition of anonymity about a decision that is not yet public.

"We will continue to defend our efforts to give states greater flexibility to help low-income Americans rise out of poverty." Verma said late Wednesday immediately after the rulings.

The administration and GOP governors, including Hutchinson, contend that requiring poor and working-class people to work, prepare for jobs or volunteer as a condition for Medicaid coverage puts them on a path towards self-sufficiency. Critics on the left counter that such requirements merely deprive people of access to health care - and in some cases, make it impossible for them to work.

In Arkansas, about 18,000 people have lost coverage through Arkansas Works, as the state calls the part of Medicaid it expanded through the ACA.

- - -

The Washington Post's Devlin Barrett contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON - Attorney General William Barr is expected to miss House Democrats' deadline to provide Congress the full report documenting special counsel Robert Mueller III's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, increasing the likelihood lawmakers will subpoena the Justice Department.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., said that during a Wednesday phone call with Barr, the attorney general said it would be "weeks, not months" before lawmakers can see the report, making it "apparent that the department will not meet the April 2nd deadline that we set" earlier this week.

Barr would not promise "an unredacted full report with the underlying documents, evidence, would be provided to Congress and to the American people," Nadler said. "We're not happy about that, to put it mildly."

Though Nadler would not commit to issuing a subpoena, he told reporters that April 2 was "a hard deadline that we set and we mean it."

A Justice Department spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Barr informed Congress Sunday of Mueller's main findings, writing in a four-page letter to the heads of the House and Senate Judiciary committees that the special counsel did not establish a criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia to sway the election and offered no conclusion on whether the president sought to obstruct justice during the probe.

The report is several hundred pages - though less than a thousand, Nadler said - and Democrats believe it is vital to see its details before they can determine whether they agree with Barr's assessment, believing there may evidence of collusion that Mueller did not consider as part of his findings.

On the question of obstruction, Barr wrote in his summary for lawmakers that he and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein had decided that the evidence was "not sufficient" to conclude Trump had "committed an obstruction-of-justice offense." Nadler said he did not discuss with Barr why he made that determination, but Democrats have vowed to look further into the evidence.

Barr did pledge that he would make himself available for an interview with the Judiciary Committee, Nadler told reporters, and that that would happen "reasonably soon." Barr is expected on Capitol Hill for a budget hearing with the House Appropriations Committee on April 9.

"We may very well want Mueller after Barr," Nadler added.
The British government on Thursday released a scathing assessment of the security risks posed by the Chinese telecom company Huawei to Britain's telecom networks, as London weighs whether to heed U.S. calls to bar the firm from the next-generation 5G network over fears it will enable spying by the Chinese government and potential cyberattacks.

This is the second consecutive year the Government Communications Headquarters, or GCHQ - the British spy agency equivalent to the U.S. National Security Agency - has identified serious problems. This year, officials said they have found "further significant technical issues" in the firm's engineering processes, as well as continued "concerning issues" in Huawei software, "leading to new risks" in Britain's 4G telecom networks.

Most ominously, the spy agency, which oversees a center that vets Huawei hardware and software for bugs and security vulnerabilities, said it can provide "only limited assurance" that the long-term national security risks can be managed in the Huawei equipment deployed in Britain, and that "it will be difficult" to manage the risk of future products until the current defects are fixed.

The United States has mounted a full-court press to urge partners worldwide to refrain from including Huawei in their 5G networks in coming years. National security officials say Huawei's ties to the Chinese government, along with recent laws in China that require Chinese firms, if directed, to assist the government in intelligence collection, and allegations that it has engaged in intellectual property theft, make it an untrustworthy vendor - one whose access to telecommunications networks could open the door to espionage or perhaps, even worse, disruptive operations.

The GCHQ report focused not on the Chinese state, but on the engineering and software failings of gear made by Huawei, the world's largest telecommunications equipment maker. The firm has been present in Britain's telecom network since 2003.

GCHQ officials also seemed to offer Huawei some wiggle room, concluding that "Huawei's transformation plan" to fix its problems "could in principle be successful," and cited Huawei's estimate of three to five years.

However, the government would require evidence of "sustained change," they said.

The intelligence agency oversees the Huawei Cybersecurity Evaluation Center or "the cell," a facility in Oxfordshire that belongs to Huawei. The center employs Huawei personnel, but it is run by GCHQ. Its findings are advisory, and the oversight board's job is not to decide whether Huawei should be barred from the networks.

Still, its findings are likely to influence the 5G strategy that the British government announces this spring. The new 5G network is designed to be up to 100 times faster than the current 4G system, fueling autonomous cars, smart cities, more effective and potentially lethal military operations, but also opening up new concerns about network cybersecurity and espionage.

"This report's stark conclusion should give pause to any country considering using Huawei for 5G,'' said James Lewis, a cyberpolicy expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "It's pretty damning for the U.K., a country that has done more than any other to reduce the risks of using Huawei, to say it can't manage the risk of using future Huawei products."

Congress last year banned Huawei and another Chinese firm, ZTE, from U.S. government and contractor networks, and the four major telecom providers - AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile - have pledged not to use the firms in their 5G networks.

Australia last year effectively blocked Huawei and ZTE from its future 5G networks by requiring that telecom firms not use vendors that are "likely to be subject to extrajudicial directions from foreign governments that conflict with Australian law" - a strong allusion to the Chinese firms, which, like all Chinese companies, are required to assist the government, if directed, in intelligence activities.

Britain is still deciding what its 5G strategy will be. The GCHQ report will inform deliberations. The agency has presented options ranging from a full ban on companies such as Huawei to various mitigation techniques. A decision by other ministries and the prime minister is expected later this spring.

Huawei, in particular, is said to have close links to Chinese security services. The company was founded in 1987 by Ren Zhengfei, who spent about 20 years in the People's Liberation Army, serving in a military-technology division, and built the company from a staff of three to a multibillion-dollar behemoth. Ren is alleged to have close ties to the PLA and Huawei's former vice chairwoman was an officer in the Ministry of State Security, China's premier intelligence agency.

Huawei accounts for roughly one-third of the British telecom system's radio-access components, with Nordic firms Nokia and Ericsson making up the other two-thirds. There are no indications that similar software-engineering issues have arisen with the other two firms.

The Huawei security center opened in 2010, and the oversight board was created in 2014 to address concerns that the center, with its Huawei personnel, was vulnerable to Chinese influence. The center is run by the head of the GCHQ's National Cybersecurity Center, who also chairs the oversight board.

The report concluded that the center had "significant concerns about vulnerability management in the long term" and that Huawei's software-component management is defective, "leading to higher vulnerability rates and significant risk of unsupportable software."

Matthew Green, a computer scientist at Johns Hopkins Information Security Institute, said GCHQ is essentially saying that "Huawei can't write software to save their lives." According to the report, he said, the GCHQ cannot even verify that the software running on its 4G LTE cell towers is actually the same software provided by Huawei for source-code review.

A source-code review, he said, "is only worthwhile if the source code scrutinized is actually the same code installed on devices. This is a serious issue."

The report points to duplicate code, in one case 70 copies of four different versions of OpenSSL software, one of the most commonly used types of software. "This is problematic because some older versions of OpenSSL have vulnerabilities, meaning that the cryptography may not be reliable," Green said.

Huawei officials have repeatedly defended their record, saying that they have not and never will plant "back doors" in their products. However, the presence of serious software flaws could make the systems vulnerable to compromise even without a deliberately planted back door.

Currently, Huawei equipment is not used in Britain's 4G network core, in government networks or in any sensitive systems that run electricity, transportation or other critical functions.
In broad daylight in late February, just days before President Donald Trump met with North Korea's Kim Jong Un in Hanoi, a group of masked men forced their way into North Korea's Embassy in Madrid. The intruders tied up staff and took computers and mobile phones before fleeing.

The raid was initially a mystery, but the culprit was soon revealed: Free Joseon, an organization that calls for the overthrow of Kim's dynasty and had emerged publicly after the 2017 killing of the North Korean ruler's brother.

The covert group was behind the remarkably brazen act of defiance against the North Korea government. But as details of the raid became publicly known over the past few days, the group has pushed back against media attention, apparently fearful not only of the Spanish legal system but also the potential to be targeted by North Korea.

Other activists and human rights groups are expressing concern that they too could face retaliation and other difficulties because of the raid.

More details emerged this week as a Spanish judge lifted a secrecy order on the embassy raid case and claimed that one of the perpetrators had later shared stolen material from the raid with the FBI. In a statement released soon afterward, Free Joseon said this was true and that the information was shared "on their request, not our own."

More startling still to North Korea watchers, however, was one of the names of the suspects Spain would reportedly seek to extradite from the United States: a Mexican citizen by the name of Adrian Hong Chang. To many, that name rang a bell.

Adrian Hong had been a prominent figure in the tightknit world of defectors and activists in Washington and Seoul a decade earlier.

Hong had spent some of his childhood in Mexico and later studied at Yale, where he formed a now well-known NGO that campaigned for change in North Korea. He was a regular at government events and in newspaper op-eds.

Some said that the statements by Free Joseon fit in with the man they knew. "For years, Hong has sought to establish a government in exile for North Korea," said Kim Jung-bong, a South Korean academic who worked at Seoul's National Intelligence Service (NIS) until 2007.

"He asked Kim Jong Nam multiple times to serve as the insurgent leader, only to be met with rejection," the former NIS official said, referring to Kim Jong Un's brother.

Hong did not respond to a number of attempts to contact him. On Thursday, Free Joseon released a short statement that said the group's activities were suspended after "speculative" articles in the media and that the media should refrain from focusing on individual members of the group.

"Bigger things are ahead," the group said.

Lee Wolosky, a lawyer with Boies Schiller Flexner and a former State Department official, issued a statement on the group's behalf Wednesday that said that "the United States and its allies should support" groups that oppose the North Korean government.

"The reported comments of the Spanish judge are misinformed in critical respects and the decision to disclose the names of those opposing a regime that routinely assassinates its opponents is deeply troubling," Wolosky said on behalf of "Provisional Government of Free Joseon."

Free Joseon first gained widespread attention two years after the assassination of Kim Jong Nam at an airport in Kuala Lumpur.

The group, which also calls itself the Cheollima Civil Defense, released a video that purported to show Kim Han Sol, the son of Kim Jong Nam, and later said they had helped the young man to "a safe place."

But while that action drew praise from activists and defectors, the embassy raid drew a mixed reaction. Though many also oppose Kim's harsh rule in North Korea and worry that human rights had been sidelined in ongoing U.S.-North Korea and inter-Korean talks, some worried that the tactics used in Madrid could blow back on them.

The provocation angered the North Korean government needlessly and "puts other defectors and activists like myself in more danger," said one North Korean human rights activist who works with defectors in Washington. The activist requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the raid.

As a young activist in Washington, Hong's sometimes brash style had earned him both friends and foes, with some admiring his passion and the personal risks he took to help North Koreans in the past - including being arrested in China in 2006 along with two fellow activists and six North Korean refugees.

David Hawk, an expert on North Korean human rights abuses, recalled Hong as a "terrific guy" who was "very bright," but said he had not heard from him in years. Others expressed similar positive memories of working with Hong.

In an interview with VOA Korea this month, U.S.-based defector Joseph Kim described his gratitude to Hong for his aid in helping him escape North Korea. "I was really moved when he came to see us and listened to each one of us as we shared our escape journey to China," he said.

While studying at Yale University in 2004, Hong had formed the group Liberty in North Korea (LiNK), now a well-known group that primarily works with defectors. But Hong left the group "abruptly" in 2008 and has not been involved since, LiNK's president and CEO Hannah Song said.

Later, Hong formed Pegasus Strategies, an advisory firm, and was listed as president of a North Korea-focused group called the Joseon Institute. He appears to have broadened his interests to include the Middle East, traveling to Libya in 2011.

"I consider the Arab Spring a dress rehearsal for North Korea," he said in an interview with the National that year.

Though he was low-profile, Hong kept his links to the North Korea-watching world, testifying in front of Canada's Senate in 2016 about Pyongyang's human rights abuses in 2016. Park Sang-Hak, a prominent North Korean defector, said that he had last seen Hong in Washington in June 2018, when they both attended a meeting at the Director of National Intelligence.

Park said Hong was a "a smart guy with bold thoughts" and that he "engaged in radical activities to bring down dictatorships."

There has been widespread speculation in both the Spanish and South Korean media that the group has ties to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. South Korea's Munhwa Ilbo newspaper, the country's main evening conservative newspaper, published an editorial Thursday that said the "U.S. seems to be unofficially involved and providing support" to Free Joseon.

State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said Tuesday that the U.S. government "had nothing to do" with the embassy incident.

Kim Jung-bong, the former NIS official, said that while he thought that the Free Joseon movement was probably in contact with the CIA, he doubted that the U.S. intelligence community would have supported the embassy raid.

"Their moves were too sloppy," Kim Jung-bong said.

It wasn't immediately clear how the group could have afforded to carry out raids in a foreign country or hire a prestigious law firm such as Boies Schiller Flexner.

Park Sun-young, a former South Korean lawmaker who runs an advocacy group called Dream Makers for North Korea, said she had been surprised by the group's approach but understand the motivation.

"Campaigning for human rights in North Korea can be exhausting, given how it's so hard to get our voices heard," Park said. "The frustration leads many to give up activism, while some turn to radical pursuits. Free Joseon apparently chose the latter path, and created an international spectacle."

- - -

Kim reported from Seoul.
ESPN's Keith Olbermann has apologized "unreservedly" to a Mississippi wild turkey hunter who had bagged a rare white gobbler for a critical tweet in which Olbermann called the hunter "a pea-brained scumbag" and added that "we should do our best to make sure the rest of his life is a living hell."

Olbermann, in a tweet Wednesday night, acknowledged that he had crossed the line. "I am an opponent of trophy hunting and remain so," he wrote, "but nobody should feel threatened. This was anything but my intent, so I unreservedly apologize to Mr. [Hunter] Waltman for this tweet."

Olbermann's original tweet came Tuesday in reaction to a Clarion Ledger story by Brian Broom about the rare accomplishment and was removed by Twitter for being in violation of its rules for users. "It be rare and beautiful so me [sic] should kill it," Olbermann wrote (via the Clarion Ledger). "This pea-brained scumbag identifies himself as Hunter Waltman and we should do our best to make sure the rest of his life is a living hell. And the nitwit clown who wrote this fawning piece should be fired."

ESPN, in a statement, said, "We have spoken to him about not making personal attacks."

Waltman, a 22-year-old from Kiln, said he had didn't know who the ESPN and former MSNBC commentator was until he tweeted to his 1.1 million followers about Waltman. "I didn't like the idea of that too much," Waltman told the Clarion Ledger. "I don't think a lot of people would like to be called out on social media like that, especially [by someone] with so many followers. They text me all kinds of stuff. If he [Olbermann] hadn't done that, none of this would have happened."

Waltman, who said he'd "be glad" if Olbermann were fired for going "overboard," found a great deal of support on Twitter, where one user whose bio says he's from Pass Christian, Mississippi, wrote that Waltman "is not just a 'trophy hunter.' He and his family use "hunting to subsidize their freezer. You should've never threatened him and you definitely shouldn't have encouraged others to do so. That, sir, is reckless!"

Another from Dedeaux, Mississippi, wrote: "I personally know Mr. Hunter Waltman and that 'pea-brained scumbag' is one of the best guys I've ever met! You can't judge someone for a tradition they have been doing for years! We can't help we were raised different. Looks like you were raised ignorant."

Broom's story noted that the turkey Waltman bagged may be "among the most unusual ever taken" in the state. "I've been having him on camera all year since back in October," Waltman said. "My neighbor told me about him. When I bought the property, he said he'd seen a white gobbler out there before. He's been hanging around for three years."

The bird, with solid white plumage, spurs and nails, had a black beard and eyes the typical color of a turkey's. Since that seemed to rule out full albinism, it appears to have been just an "anomaly," Broom wrote. "Man, it was awesome," Waltman told Broom. "I was shaking I was so nervous. It was one of the hardest turkeys I've ever killed."

A Louisiana taxidermist declared the bird "100 percent wild turkey," Waltman said, addressing criticism on social media that the turkey was a pet or livestock like one sees on turkey farms.

"The naked head and neck do not appear to be as ornate as one would expect in a domestic turkey gobbler," Bob Eriksen, a certified wildlife biologist and Natural Resources Conservation Service technical service provider, told Broom. "Even in a first-generation cross between an eastern wild turkey and a domestic bird there would be evidence of domestic traits such as a very large, ornate head and neck and an excessively large dewlap. In addition a F1 would exhibit short lower legs that would be heavier than those of a wild eastern."
Days after President Donald Trump declared the Islamic State's caliphate had been eliminated in Syria, the prime minister ofone of West Africa's most turbulent nations urged the United States to shift attention to a rising extremist threat in the Sahel.

Malian Prime Minister Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga visited Washington this week to ask U.S. officials to bolster support for his country's fight against terrorism, warning that the weakened Islamic State in Iraq and Syria could jump-start the flow of extremists across the Sahel, Africa's arid northwest, worsen the region's security and jeopardize American interests there.

"The United States should have the same engagement in the Sahel as it does in the Middle East," he said in an interview. "Malian security is the essential key to international security."

Extremist groups, including some affiliated with the Islamic State and al-Qaida, have wreaked havoc across parts of West Africa and the Sahel. In 2012, al-Qaida-linked extremists infiltrated Mali, taking control of some of the country's territory. A French intervention eventually beat them back, but parts of Mali remain a hotbed for extremists.

In December, the White House unveiled a broad Africa strategy that included prioritizing efforts to counter "radical Islamic terrorism." But the Pentagon has also announced plans to slash by 10 percent its presence in Africa, where about 7,200 U.S. troops and personnel are stationed.

Maiga said Mali is "not demanding a massive presence of American soldiers" but wants Washington to supply training and equipment to help its military counter violence that has claimed the lives of hundreds of civilians this year. After Maiga met with White House national security adviser John Bolton on Wednesday, Bolton tweeted that he had "reiterated our commitment to partnering with Mali to defeat threats from terrorist groups in the Sahel."

The White House did not respond to requests for comment on the nature of the commitment.

Maiga's visit came days after one of the deadliest attacks on civilians in Mali in recent years,asIslamist extremism, reactionary ethnic violence and heavy-handed security forces have led to a deteriorating security situation there.

On March 23, gunmen targeted members of the Fulani ethnic group in central Mali, killing at least 157 people - many of them children. The United Nations and the International Criminal Court are sending experts to investigate the massacre.

The attack may have stemmed from a conflict between Islamist extremists, who have successfully recruited some Fulani, and anti-extremism vigilante groups. Conflicts between Fulani, who are predominantly Muslim herders, and other ethnic groups have erupted across West Africa as competition over land and resources has grown.

In Mali, extremist recruitment of Fulani has amplified those tensions, human rights groups have documented, and self-defense groups have in some cases responded by targeting Fulanis over perceived allegiances to extremists.

The mounting violence between Malian communities has worsened the crisis in parts of Mali that were already prone to extremist attacks. Earlier this month, militants attacked the Malian military, killing at least 23 troops in the same region where Saturday's attack took place.

Insecurity has spread despite the presence of French troops and a U.N. peacekeeping mission in Mali.

A third of all attacks and 12 percent of related deaths in the Sahel since November occurred in Mali, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, a nongovernmental organization.

Militants have targeted civilians 145 times over that period - a 150 percent increase compared with the same window the year before.

The government is ill-equipped to deal with the surging violence, analysts say. Mali is nearly two-thirds desert, with porous borders, and does not have enough soldiers to patrol a nation nearly twice the size of Texas.

The stage was set for Mali's unrest in 2011 after Libya collapsed with the fall of Moammar Gaddafi, said Adotei Akwei, deputy director for advocacy and government relations at Amnesty International USA. Fighters fled to the south and west, and weapons poured into the Sahel.

The undoing of the Islamic State in Syria has raised fears the group's downfall in the Middle East could fuel a similar rush of chaos in North and West Africa.

"That turns small groups that could do a little damage into really destructive forces," Akwei said. "ISIS may have lost its territory, but you don't know where they're going to reappear, and West Africa is clearly a porous place."

Maiga acknowledged the government's resources are spread thin, and that lack of infrastructure and equipment has made it difficult for the military to control the widespread violence.

The country has long relied on France for backup, and about 4,500 French troops are based throughout the Sahel. The U.N. peacekeeping mission has nearly 15,000 military and police personnel in Mali alone.

Now Mali wants extra support from Washington.

The flow of U.S. military hardware to Mali dropped off after the 2012 coup d'etat that set off a long period of instability. (Previously, the Pentagon provided more than $5 million in new vehicles, including 37 Land Cruiser pickup trucks and communications equipment to Malian troops.)

Marc Porter, an American special adviser to the Malian prime minister, said that the government soon plans to ask the United States for equipment, including C-130 and Black Hawk aircraft, to assist it in the fight against extremism. Cmdr. Candice Tresch, a Pentagon spokeswoman, said she could not "discuss specific content of internal conversations, including pre-decisional intentions."

But experts warned against providing further equipment to the Malian military, which has faced accusations of widespread human rights abuses in its crackdown on extremist violence.

Judd Devermont, director of the Africa program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Mali wants to "outsource security responsibilities to the U.S. and France while doing as little as possible to address underlying matters."
(CNN)  Social media rumors of child abductions by members of the Roma ethnic minority have sparked a wave of violence in France, although authorities have dismissed the claims as baseless.

French police called for calm Monday and said crowds had been attacking people they believed were responsible for the rumored abductions.

In a tweet, police said rumors of a white van driving around the Paris suburbs of Nanterre and Colombes attempting to snatch young women had resulted in the false accusation and "lynching" of two people.

"Do not share this false information," the police tweet continued.

The pair were left with minor injuries after an attack involving around 20 people on March 16, the AFP news agency reported.

Police said the rumors were "completely unfounded" and "no kidnapping has been confirmed" in another tweet Tuesday.

The rumors were focused on people from the Roma ethnic minority, and police arrested 20 people after a number of attacks on the community, a police source told AFP.

In a statement Tuesday, Roma advocacy group La Voix des Rroms said the racist stereotype of a Roma child-thief has been around in France since the Middle Ages.

The group likened anti-Roma aggression to the massacre of the Rohingya in Myanmar, and called on people to form citizen protection groups to guard those whose lives are in danger.

CNN has contacted the group for further comment.

More violence took place on Monday in Bobigny and Clichy-sous-Bois, disadvantaged suburbs northeast of Paris, the source told AFP. There were no reports of injuries in that unrest.

The agency said the rumors appeared to originate from Facebook and Snapchat.

The attacks are "unacceptable," AFP reported government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux as saying. The incidents provided further evidence of "the absolute need to fight 'fake news,'" he added.

"Spreading such rumors in a highly organized and viral way on social media results in violence (and) the stigmatization of a community," he said.

In December, police in Versailles, 12 miles south of Paris, tweeted about the punishment for posting false rumors online.

Under French law, you can be fined 45,000 to 135,000 ($51,000 to $153,000) for circulating fake news on the internet.

The spread of rumors and fake news on social media is a growing problem worldwide. In July 2018, a spate of lynchings was triggered in India by rumors shared on the WhatsApp messaging service.

Over six weeks, nearly a dozen people were killed in separate incidents after being falsely accused of child abduction based on WhatsApp rumors.

This story was first published on CNN.com "Fake news sparks anti-Roma violence in France"
In the week after a gunman opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, killing 17 students and staff members and renewing calls for gun control, the National Rifle Association fell silent.

But the day after the Feb. 14, 2018, shooting, an NRA training coordinator based at the group's headquarters in Fairfax, Virgini, sprang into action behind the scenes. He sought information countering the official version of the grisly, and familiar, events, which involved a lone gunman and a legally purchased firearm.

For support, he turned to Wolfgang Halbig, a conspiracy theorist intent on proving that the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, which left 26 students and staff members dead in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012, was a hoax.

"You have included me with a lot of Information since the Sandy Hook Incident and I do appreciate it very much," the NRA coordinator, Mark Richardson, wrote on Feb. 15, 2018, according to emails published by HuffPost on Wednesday. "Concerning what happened in Florida yesterday, I have been asking the question and no one else seems to be asking it."

He pushed the idea that the gunman, a former student at the school, had not acted alone, posing questions about how he had gained entry and where he had kept his equipment.

"To pull the fire alarm, he had to already be inside. Correct?" he wrote. "When my Children were in school the only way into the school was through the front door and past the main office."

As with Sandy Hook, Richardson observed, "There is so much more to this story. He was not alone."

Halbig, a former Florida state trooper and school administrator, replied the following day, inviting Richardson to call him to discuss the incident.

The subject line of his emailed response included, in all caps, the name Avielle Richman, one of the 20 students killed in Newtown. For years, Halbig has accused Richman's parents of falsifying the first-grade girl's death, writing on his website that their intention was "to steal money from hard-working Americans."

Jeremy Richman, her father, a neuroscientist who had founded the Avielle Foundation in his daughter's name, died in an apparent suicide on Monday, following the apparent suicides of two teenage survivors of the Parkland shooting.

The deaths returned the nation's focus to the two communities, which have been besieged by online abuse and threats stoked by conspiracy theories that depict the victims as "crisis actors."

But the correspondence shows how an officer of the NRA saw these theories as potentially useful to his cause. The inquiry, sent from Richardson's work email, was evidence of the curious handshake in which the gun-rights organization has found itself with the most extreme purveyors of Internet falsehoods.

"The NRA literally drives conspiracies about school shootings to fear monger gun owners to buy more guns," David Hogg, a survivor of the Parkland shooting who has become a prominent advocate for gun control, wrote on Twitter.

Richardson didn't return an email seeking comment. He defended himself to HuffPost, saying he was posing a "legitimate question" about how the shooter had entered the school. The NRA didn't immediately return a request for comment.

The revelation came as the NRA was already facing criticism on Wednesday for saying it would oppose the Violence Against Women Act because of a provision designed to keep guns away from men who batter women. The legislation, first approved in 1994, is up for reauthorization in Congress.

"It is a shame that some in the gun-control community treat the severity of domestic violence so trivially that they are willing to use it as a tool to advance a political agenda," a spokeswoman for the NRA told National Journal, which reported that GOP lawmakers had sought the input of the gun lobby to give them political cover for opposing the act.

The move by the NRA was condemned by Democrats. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, who has put the cause of gender equality at the center of her presidential bid, wrote, "Leaders who put NRA blood money over women's lives shouldn't be anywhere near our laws."

And Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, another Democratic presidential contender, became emotional in a CNN town hall on Wednesday evening when he answered a question about gun violence.

"I am tired of going to funerals where parents are burying their children," he said. "We are going to bring a fight like the NRA has never seen."

Halbig, for his part, was eager to play informal adviser to the NRA after the Parkland massacre. He saw the exchange as a validation of his years-long campaign to get the organization's attention.

"After 4 years of emailing the NRA I finally got a response in light of the Broward County School Shooting," he wrote, according to HuffPost.

Halbig is an associate of Alex Jones, the far-right provocateur and founder of the conspiracy site Infowars. Although not as grandiose as Jones, who has been banned from numerous online platforms, Halbig is no less avid a spokesman for the alternate universe peddled on Infowars, where he has been a frequent guest, introduced as a "leading expert" on Sandy Hook.

Citing his credentials in law enforcement and school security, Halbig has asserted unique insight into what happened in Newtown. (An e-book about him, called "Wolfgang Halbig: The Hoax of a Lifetime," has raised questions about his past, including his claim that he was involved in the investigation into the 1999 shooting at Columbine High School.)

He became famous among hoaxers for a set of 16 - sometimes expanded to 34 - questions that, he says, reveal official accounts to be faulty. He argues that the authorities are suppressing evidence that would support his case, and has pressed for information about "blood, bodily fluids, brain matter, skull fragments and around 45-60 gallons of blood" for which he claims the police have never accounted.

The family members of students and staff who perished at Sandy Hook blame the bogus claims propagated on Infowars and related platforms for the stalking, death threats and online vitriol that they have faced in the years since the 2012 shooting. Ten families are pursuing defamation lawsuits against Jones. The discovery process in one of the lawsuits yielded the email exchange made public by HuffPost.

A complaint filed last year in a Connecticut court, which also names Halbig as a defendant, details his campaign to sow doubt about the Sandy Hook shooting. It describes how he has testified at public meetings in Newtown, filed Freedom of Information Act requests seeking police documents and other records, videotaped children entering and exiting a church in the community and raised more than $100,000 on GoFundMe to bankroll his efforts.

In court filings, Halbig, who is representing himself, has called the accusations against him "spurious." He is contending that they should be dismissed because the claims are not sufficiently specific and because Connecticut courts lack jurisdiction over him as a resident of Florida.

At the same time that relatives of Sandy Hook victims were training their ire on him, Halbig was earning praise for his work from other sources.

"Thank you for all the information," the NRA officer wrote. "And for what you do."

Richardson concluded in all caps, "STAY SAFE."
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WASHINGTON - Three glasses shattered, to the sound of hundreds of cheers and "mazel tovs," and three couples under three chuppahs kissed their first kiss of their married lives. All three were now legally wed, in the eyes of Jewish tradition and of the United States -- a wedding that none of them could have in their native country.

"Israel is the only democracy that doesn't give all Jews the freedom to marry," marveled Rabbi Rick Jacobs, the head of the Reform movement, which is the largest Jewish denomination in the United States but marginalized in Israel.

To protest Israel's strict marital law, a policy that some candidates in the country's upcoming election have pledged to overhaul, more than two dozen American rabbis and hundreds of congregants gathered at Washington Hebrew Congregation in Northwest on Tuesday night for a very unusual sort of political demonstration. A demonstration with a six-tiered white cake, a hora, a first dance and six brides and grooms.

Israel does not have any option for civil marriage, explained one of the organizers of this wedding, Anat Hoffman, who served 14 years on Jerusalem's City Council and now leads the Israel Religious Action Center, a Reform organization fighting for civil rights in Israel.

That means that every couple who marries in the country must go through religious institutions. Pastors for Christians. Imams for Muslims. And for the country's Jewish majority, whether religious or secular, Orthodox rabbis.

The Israeli government has only granted authority over marriage to the Orthodox rabbinate, not Reform, Conservative or any other more liberal denomination. And the Orthodox rabbinate's strict rules bar many secular and Reform Jews from getting married at all.

Hoffman said polling shows Israelis strongly desire an option for civil marriage, and she thinks taking this fight to America will exert pressure on Israeli leaders. "I don't know how any Jew can be asked to leave the table when Jewish values are discussed," she said.

Aviad and Tsion Raz, one couple who married at Washington Hebrew Congregation on Tuesday, cannot marry in Israel because they are gay men; while Reform and Conservative Judaism have long approved of same-sex marriage, homosexuality is condemned in Orthodoxy.

Sahar Malka-Rabkin and Ilia Rabkin are Reform Jews who believe strongly in gender equality, and refused to participate in an Orthodox ceremony in which Sahar would have been forbidden from speaking under the marriage canopy and their marriage contract would have treated her like her husband's property. Though they married in a Reform ceremony in Israel, the nation did not recognize their marriage as legal. (Foreign marriages, like the ones performed in Washington on Tuesday, are recognized by the state of Israel. Cyprus has a booming industry performing weddings for Israeli couples who can't marry at home.)

And Anat and Shmuel Carmel, who met as middle schoolers and have been a couple for nearly 10 years, expected they could marry legally. Shmuel's mother converted to Judaism as a young woman in Romania and immigrated to Israel, where she lived an observant Jewish life and raised her son Jewish. Only when she died did Shmuel learn, with horror, that the Orthodox rabbinate did not consider her Jewish -- because she was deaf, a rabbi told him, she could not properly observe the commandment to "hear" the words of Torah, so her conversion was invalid. That meant Shmuel was not Jewish either, and did not qualify for marriage.

On Tuesday, all three couples were blessed by American Reform and Conservative rabbis, then spoke under three adjacent chuppahs, bringing to tears many Washingtonians who packed the sanctuary to witness the weddings of six strangers.

Aviad said to Tsion, "For a long time, when I was figuring out who I was and what I was, I believed this kind of happiness could never be mine. But here I am before you, the happiest man alive."

Sahar said to Ilia, "I am thankful for the mazel, the luck, that you walked into my life. I know with all my heart and soul I've found my other half." She beamed, her sparkling wedding gown glittering, as he replied, "Your wisdom, the way you see life, and your beauty does not stop to amaze me."

And Shmuel told Anat, who blushed beneath her veil, "You are the greatest adventure of my life. It will make me so proud to call you my wife and to call myself your husband."

More than 20 synagogues contributed to help fund the wedding, along with a long list of individual contributors. Businesses offered some wedding services free or discounted, like the elaborate wedding cake topped with six bride and groom figurines, the dresses and suits that the couples picked out mere hours after getting off the plane from Israel last week, and the customized wedding contracts that each couple signed.

And congregants at Washington Hebrew flocked to help, from baking challahs to hosting the couples in their homes to rushing up each time either bride's long train needed adjusting.

The toasts at the wedding reception were given by Israeli and American politicians. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., toasted, "I want to thank you for bringing so much joy to Washington, D.C., because that's something we're in desperate need of here. ... We are looking forward to a day when everybody on Earth can marry the person they love."

Merav Michaeli, a member of the Knesset, said, "Since we're all going back home in a short while to Israel, I want to toast to equality, justice and peace in the state of Israel... To next year in an equal Jerusalem!"

The timing of the wedding, coming at the conclusion of the AIPAC policy conference that brought many rabbis to Washington to discuss their support for Israel, was not a coincidence, Jacobs said. "We care about Israel's security and well-being, and we also care about the integrity of her democracy."

Rabbi Bruce Lustig, who leads Washington Hebrew Congregation and was one of six clergy officiating the wedding, described himself as a "passionate Zionist" and said his decision to host this protest was borne out of desire for a better Israel. "We love Israel and we want people to be able to love in Israel," he said. "The same issues we struggle with here today -- issues of inequality, issues of injustice -- they resonate equally deeply for us wherever they take place in the world. Certainly in a place you want to call your homeland."

He heard hope for a better homeland on Tuesday night in the winsome strains of a klezmer band, and the breaking of a glass.
MAGARO, Mozambique - The smell of death hovered in the air by the river.

Stephen Fonseca looked up at a tree branch 30 feet above the crocodile-infested water and saw the source of the stench - a decomposing body, hanging upside down, its arms outstretched.

Fonseca, the head forensic analyst in Africa for the International Committee of the Red Cross, wasn't sure whether the body was that of a man or woman, adult or child. But it was clear that it had been lodged in the tree in this small farming village almost two weeks ago by the torrent of water released by Cyclone Idai.

Rains from the storm engorged rivers that burst and then relentlessly rose, turning into tsunamis that raced toward the sea, miles wide and taller than any building in their paths.

The work of recovering bodies across this vast area has just begun, and the process is beset by seemingly insurmountable obstacles: Countless people were not just killed but washed great distances from their homes, where they came to rest in fields or in trees, or were eaten by crocodiles. And many of the dead have already been buried by villagers, without being identified first.

The flooding is estimated to have affected nearly 2 million people in Mozambique, where the official number of dead stands at 468. But the actual death toll from Cyclone Idai may never be known.

Fonseca is essentially a one-man operation, and he is the only forensically trained body recovery specialist working in rural Mozambique in the aftermath of the cyclone. He came to Magaro because local reports indicated a high body count nearby - 156 so far, mostly in the muddy cornfields, half-covered by debris.

The water is still receding here, two weeks after the storm, and now destruction is everywhere. Cornstalks drape power lines, and fields are coated with deep layers of silt. The crest of the flood can be measured by the line of mud in treetops.

Downstream areas closer to the coast are still underwater, meaning efforts there might not start for weeks, when bodies will have almost totally decomposed.

Looking up at the body in the tree, Fonseca lamented that he wouldn't be able to recover it, let alone identify it.

"Eventually it is going to separate and fall once the ligaments loosen up," he said. "But there's no way to get it without someone getting hurt, or falling to the crocs."

None of the bodies found in Magaro and the surrounding areas had been reported to the national authorities - there is no central coordination. And all but one, the as-yet unrecoverable one in the tree, had already been buried, many in customary homemade bamboo coffins.

"It's a dilemma," Fonseca said. "We can't exhume the bodies, because these communities have gone to such effort to give a dignified burial. But that means we also can't identify the bodies and try to match them with families that are searching. It is a matter of showing respect versus having dozens, hundreds, maybe thousands of families that never know for sure if their loved one is dead."

The work is arduous. A truck carrying Fonseca's team was stuck in mud for a day and a night, and a car carrying reporters was damaged and knocked off a dirt road by a frightened bull.

Without a trained dog, Fonseca does the sniffing himself. His nose is particularly attuned to the chemical compounds that emanate from a decomposing body. One waft led to a deflated carcass of a pig. Another led to a more sobering scene.

There, locals had recently covered the body of an unknown person in debris and banana leaves.

Fonseca took its coordinates down, affixed a fluorescent glove to a makeshift tombstone and told a crowd of locals that the body would need to be reburied under at least 4 feet of soil. Otherwise, dogs could dig it up, or a farmer could accidentally uncover it during the next harvest, or the water table could rise again and carry it farther from wherever it came.

"The smell is what makes us bury people quickly," said Victor Machava, 34, a farmer from Magaro. "We know it is not the best solution. Many people even from here are missing. People here will not accept 'missing.' They will search forever. So many people will search forever."

Machava had returned to Magaro from a mining job in South Africa one day before the storm hit, simply because, he said, he got an inexplicable bad feeling. In the early morning hours after the cyclone passed over his home, the water outside was rising about an inch a minute, he said. His fateful decision saved his family.

"It was either stay and die or walk through the rising water," Machava said. "I put one child on each of my shoulders, held my mother's hand and my two sisters followed behind us."

"We lived," he said. "Many died."

The storm's timing was cruel: Idai landed on the eve of the harvest. When the water subsided and survivors returned to their fields, they found the entirety of their livelihoods ruined. Many are eating nothing but oranges from the tops of trees - the only crops that survived.

Beyond the work by Fonseca's team, villagers who survived are carrying out their own recovery efforts.

A local village chief organized 11 teams of two men to search for more bodies. The urgency is personal. People from the area around Magaro, known as Dombe, have reported 51 missing people, and some villages on the banks of the Lucite River are still unreachable.

The teams go out in canoes and bring back news each day of new bodies and haphazard burials, said Basilio Sinalo Charles, Dombe's chief. But they recover bodies using their bare hands and have no equipment.

When Fonseca offered Charles material support from the Red Cross, the chief was defensive. He said he understood the importance of recovering and identifying bodies.

"This disaster happened almost two weeks ago - of course it would be ideal if we had body bags and gloves, but we have to bury the bodies as soon as possible," he said. "It is the dignified thing to do."

They travel through a landscape that would be bucolic if it weren't for the destruction wrought by the cyclone. People are salvaging muddy corn from fields. Communities are disconnected from one another - and from receiving aid - by washed-out bridges. Malaria and cholera are expected to be breeding in the ubiquitous pools of standing water, raising fears of a second disaster. Drinkable water is scarce; a glass offered to a reporter in Dombe was boiled but filled with little insects.

The people of Magaro are still coming to terms with the calamity.

Amid the detritus, they found the bodies of people rendered unrecognizable by the rage of the flood. And they saw more float down the Lucite River.

"As soon as the water left our fields, we went to see the damage and to look at the river," said Moises Timei, one of Magaro's survivors. "By that time, you could go to the river and see bodies floating. But they would just keep going and going down the river."
A spokesman for President Donald Trump's reelection campaign on Thursday fired back at Democrats who have criticized the administration's proposed Special Olympics budget cut, suggesting that abortion rights supporters cannot be "sincerely concerned" about the issue because they "see abortion as the cure for Down syndrome."

For the third consecutive year, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos had proposed cutting the $17.6 million federal appropriation for the Special Olympics. The announcement this month triggered a swift, bipartisan backlash, including denunciations from Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and other 2020 presidential contenders as well as Republican Sens. Mitt Romney of Utah and Roy Blunt of Missouri.

In an abrupt reversal, Trump late Thursday afternoon announced he was rescinding the proposed cut, telling reporters outside the White House, "The Special Olympics will be funded."

Earlier Thursday, Matt Wolking, deputy communications director for Trump's reelection campaign, had defended the proposed budget cut in a tweet, arguing that the Special Olympics "is a private charity with $61.3 million in net assets that gets only 10% of its funding from taxpayers and enjoyed a $1.8 million surplus in FY2016."

But it was his counterattack on Democrats that prompted a wave of outrage online. Wolking contended that it is "the Democrats' position" that killing children with disabilities is "just fine" and that their party's outrage over the proposed budget cut was "so fake."

"I'm sure Democrats who see abortion as the cure for Down syndrome and other disabilities are sincerely concerned about kids having the chance to be in the Special Olympics," he said in a tweet.

Wolking later added: "The Special Olympics proves people with disabilities can live meaningful, fulfilling lives. It's a powerful monument to the value of all lives - the same lives Democrats are fine with seeing snuffed out."

Among those sharply criticizing Wolking for his claim were Democrats with children or other family members who have disabilities.

On Twitter, Wolking shared several news stories about Democrats in Utah and other states voting against legislation that would make it a crime for a doctor to perform an abortion if the woman is seeking one solely because the fetus has Down syndrome. Such measures have become a new front in the battle over abortion rights in the states.

The Supreme Court in 1973 recognized a woman's right to the procedure; critics of the bills say they are unconstitutional and designed to restrict abortion, not protect people with Down syndrome. Down syndrome advocacy groups, for the most part, have stayed out of the debate.

According to a March 6 news release from the Trump campaign, Wolking's role involves "leading the campaign's aggressive rapid response team, refuting attacks and exposing the fake news media."

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The Washington Post's Ariana Eunjung Cha contributed to this report.
TAMPA, Fla. - Four years, nine months, billions of dollars and tens of thousands of allied fighters' lives. As the U.S.-backed Syrian forces declared a triumphant end last weekend to the battle against the Islamic State, Gen. Joseph Votel, the head of U.S. Central Command, took a mental inventory.

Millions of Iraqi and Syrian civilians have died or been displaced in the conflict, which erupted less than three years after Washington declared victory in a previous insurgent war. U.S. combat casualties stand at 14. From that grim tabulation, Votel drew one central conclusion: America cannot afford to take its counterterrorism gains for granted.

"I think that the lesson learned from that is we really have to be very careful when we step away from our interests, and if we try to do it too quickly, that's the cost," he said in an interview from Centcom headquarters on the eve of his retirement.

The closure of the campaign to eliminate what the extremist group calls its caliphate coincides with the end of Votel's nearly 40-year military career, about half of which was spent immersed in the counterinsurgency operations that have consumed the Pentagon's attention since 2001. Like other Centcom leaders before him, he steps down at a moment when the militant threat, while seemingly abated, remains unvanquished with political objectives elusive.

He spoke as the Pentagon prepares to reduce its troop presence in Syria in keeping with orders from President Donald Trump, who has sought to end U.S. military involvement in the Middle East. While national security leaders appear to have secured permission to continue ground operations for some period of time in Syria as they have in Afghanistan, how long those counterterrorism missions will continue remains in doubt.

The U.S. force in Syria now stands between 2,000 and 2,500 troops, officials have said, down from a high in February of close to 3,000. Votel declined to discuss troop numbers.

Trump's announcement in December that he would swiftly withdraw all troops took military leaders by surprise and generated widespread concern. The president later agreed to allow a smaller residual force to help Syrian partner forces stabilize areas recaptured from militants.

The military effort reaches a milestone as U.S. diplomats struggle to make progress toward a peace process to end Syria's larger civil conflict and the State Department seeks to reduce funding for rebuilding former militant strongholds, in another indication of Trump's desire to wash his hands of the war.

Votel said the end of the battle - announced Saturday by the U.S.-allied Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) near the village of Baghouz - was not a surprise to the Islamic State. Experts say the group is already morphing back into an underground insurgent organization.

"We shouldn't look at this as a surrender," he said, but rather a "deliberate effort to evacuate people, to take their chances in internally displaced persons camps and in SDF prisons, and try to export out their capabilities as much as they can."

Up to 20,000 fighters are believed to have dispersed across Iraq and Syria. Already, the group, which was declared defeated in Iraq in late 2017, has mounted assassinations and explosive attacks.

While it's unclear what role the group's fugitive leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, retains in commanding the group, Votel said the militants "still have leaders, still have resources . . . they still have ideology."

He said one sign of the persisting threat could be found among the women who defiantly sang songs in support of the Islamic State as they were being evacuated from Baghouz in recent weeks. "They are not broken. They are very radicalized," Votel said. "We cannot not do something about this."

Votel, who previously commanded Special Operations Command and the secretive elite troops under Joint Special Operations Command, described a two-pronged mission for a residual force that will remain in Syria: helping the SDF battle militant remnants and secure cleared areas. As part of that operation, the United States will continue to conduct airstrikes in Syria, though at a slower pace than in recent months.

He said the U.S. government has proposed several arrangements for keeping the peace in northern Syria, where officials fear that Turkey, a NATO ally, could clash with the Kurdish-dominated SDF, which Ankara considers a terrorist threat. Military officials including Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who resigned in December over differences with Trump, expressed concern that the U.S. departure would leave the SDF at the mercy of the better-armed Turkish forces.

Saturday's celebration near Baghouz, where musicians played a Kurdish national anthem and "The Star-Spangled Banner," held echoes of December 2011, when military leaders gathered in Baghdad to mark the end of the earlier U.S. military mission in Iraq. There, Pentagon leaders' praise for the sacrifices troops had made to secure Iraq after the 2003 invasion was mixed with worry about whether the country could maintain stability after an abrupt U.S. withdrawal. Less than three years later, much of Iraq's military collapsed in the face of an Islamic State onslaught.

Votel made reference to Iraq's elite counterterrorism force, which received continued U.S. assistance after the 2011 withdrawal from a small special operations team. "To me, that just is a very clear bell-ringer, that staying engaged at the right level, the right size, with the right partners - it is really important to us," he said.

Officials hope to keep a force of more than 5,000 troops in Iraq to help local forces contain insurgent threats. They view the situation as even more stark in Afghanistan, where the Taliban controls large areas of the countryside.

The United States has had tens of thousands of troops in other allied countries, including South Korea and Germany, for decades.

Military leaders' challenge in managing counterterrorism threats - which they have long described as a "generational" issue - is compounded by the Pentagon's attempt to shift its focus to competing with the large, advanced militaries of China and Russia.

"We shouldn't do anything forever," Votel said. "We always have to look at the size and the commitment and make sure that it matches our interest. But we also have to be very cautious stepping away too quickly."

The general spoke about other conflicts that have proved more lasting and complex than American leaders expected. In Afghanistan, Votel said, any troop drawdowns should be tied to advances in the hoped-for peace process with the Taliban. There are now about 14,000 troops in Afghanistan. Late last year, Trump issued an initial order for a significant troop reduction there, but senior officials persuaded him to hold off on that move while diplomats seek to kindle peace talks.

Votel also warned against cutting off U.S. assistance to a Saudi-led coalition battling Houthi militants in Yemen, which critics say has exacerbated the world's largest humanitarian crisis. The Senate recently passed a measure that, if enacted, would cut off military support to that campaign. But military leaders say they can better steer the gulf coalition toward a more responsible operation if they remain involved.

"It doesn't get better if we step away," Votel said.
Houston firefighters were quick to extinguish an excavator that caught fire at the new HEB construction site Thursday.

A Houston police officer passing by the site off Texas 288 and North MacGregor Way spotted the excavator engulfed in flames and radioed it in around 4:30 p.m., the officer told Chron.com on scene.
An MS-13 gang member from El Paso is now among the top 10 most wanted fugitives in the state, with a $7,500 reward for information leading to his arrest, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Rodrigo Flores, 34, is wanted for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and assault of a family or household member. His criminal history includes a 2012 conviction of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after an incident in El Paso, DPS said in a news release.
A truck driver minding his own business might have saved the life of a suicidal teenager in dramatic video released by police in North Texas.

BREAKING NEWS UPDATES: Get your Houston breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox

On Wednesday morning, police in Arlington received a 911 call reporting that a teenage boy was threatening to jump off an overpass along Interstate 20 near Kelly Elliot Road, the police department said in a Facebook post. When officers arrived, they found the teen straddling the overpass barriers threatening to jump, police said.

Acting quickly, Arlington Police Department Corporal Deric Sheriff flagged down a passing trucker on the highway and enlisted him to park underneath the overpass, so if the teen were to jump, he would land on the trailer.

RELATED: Off-duty HPD officer fires pistol at suspect who was rummaging through her car

The officer planned on getting more trailers to line up underneath the bridge, but just as the first truck pulled underneath the bridge, video shows the teen jumping to the top of the trailer. Police said he was uninjured.

"A special thanks to our commercial drivers who (lent) a helping hand this morning," the police department posted. "We were able to get the teen some help during this crisis intervention."

Jay R. Jordan covers breaking news in the Houston area. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com | Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan | Email him at jay.jordan@chron.com | Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message
A suspect accused of fatally shooting a man as he was walking out of his East Side home during a drug deal last year was arrested Wednesday.

Nadiv Williams, 23, faces a murder charge in the death of Luis Guerrero III, San Antonio Police Department spokesman Officer Carlos Ortiz said.

Guerrero, 20, was found shot to death at about 2 a.m. on Nov. 25 in the 4300 block of Skelton Drive, Ortiz said.

FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox

Williams was arrested Wednesday morning at a motel on the access road of Loop 410 near Evers Road.

Police said the two had arranged the deal over social media, and that they met outside Guerreros house. As Guerrero was walking out with the narcotic, Williams shot him once in the chest, Ortiz said.

RELATED: Photos show evidence in case of S.A. man whose wife is still missing

Paramedics found Guerrero in the doorway of his home, where he was pronounced dead.

Investigators have not yet determined why Guerrero was shot during the deal.

When we brought him (Williams) here, he decided he didnt want to speak to detectives, Ortiz said.

Although Williams had fled the scene in a dark-colored vehicle with another person, Ortiz said they are not looking for a second suspect.

As far as suspects goes, we have who we want, he said.
The Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office on Thursday identified the man who police said was shot to death while assaulting a man on San Antonio's North Side.

Sidney Smith, 34, of Tyler, went to a home in the 12400 block of Walthampton at 12:30 a.m. Tuesday to confront a woman who lives there, according to San Antonio police.
Lem Londos Railsback was born in Menard, Menard County, Texas, on September 5, 1936, to Esther Edna Gage Railsback and Lem (NMI) Railsback. His mother Esther had worked as a ranch hand on the Menzies Sheep Ranch in Menard after high school, and his father Lem was a cook at the Bevans Hotel in Menard.

Dr. Railsback attended school in Brady, Texas, where he graduated in 1955. He received his Bachelors Degree and later a Masters Degree from what is now Sul Ross State University.

He taught in public schools until the early 60s, then taught at the Job Corps Center in San Marcos. He also attended college in San Marcos receiving another Masters Degree. After the Job Corps, he worked for the Texas Education Foundation. Along the way, while still in San Marcos, he commuted to Austin to study towards a Doctorate. He received a Ph.D. degree in the 70s and came to Laredo to be a professor at LSU, which eventually became what is now TAMIU, where he taught for 35 years. Before retiring he continued taking courses using the Great Courses Series online.

He is preceded in death by his parents and grandparents.

He is survived by his sister Mary Esther Armistead of Laredo, Texas; one nephew William Les Armistead of Orlando, Florida; one cousin he considered as a little sister, Georgia Buckingham of Lovington, New Mexico. He is also survived by numerous cousins, and other loving relatives and friends.

The family will be receiving condolences on Friday evening, March 29, 2019, from 5 to 9 p.m. at Joe Jackson Heights Funeral Chapels & Cremation Services, 719 Loring at Cortez.

Funeral Services will be held on Saturday morning, March 30, 2019, at Joe Jackson Heights Funeral Chapels at 10:00 a.m.

Interment will follow at the Laredo City Cemetery, where he will be provided with military honors by the U.S. Navy.

You may express your condolences, share your favorite memories, and sign the guestbook online at: www.joejacksonfuneralchapels.com.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the care and direction of the funeral service professionals at Joe Jackson Heights Funeral Chapels & Cremation Services, 719 Loring at Cortez, Laredo, Texas 78040; (956)722-0001.
3 1 of 3 Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Marvin Pfeiffer /Staff photographer Show More Show Less 3 of 3





In a JB Media phone survey conducted in July, Texans were asked if the Cenotaph should be moved from its current location. An astounding 60 percent of people said that the Cenotaph should stay where it is on the battlefield where the Alamo defenders died for our freedom. Only 5 percent of those surveyed wanted the Cenotaph to be moved, with 35 percent not having enough information or having no opinion.

Most Texans agree that the Alamo and the Cenotaph should be preserved and protected. Unfortunately, agreements were signed and votes taken against the will of the people. Despite the many letters that I and other legislators submitted, our attendance and personally speaking out during City Council meetings and news conferences, the peoples will has been denied. This is unacceptable, and we will continue to stand firm that the battle remains the focus of the Alamo.
By now, its become clear property taxes and state spending on public education are linked.

The portion of the states funding for public education has fallen over the years, down from 46 percent in 2008 to about 36 percent in 2018, according to the Texas comptroller. In response, local districts have made up much of the difference, raising rates, or at least reaping the rewards of rising property values.

Hate your property tax bill? Look at that declining percentage of state support for what is inarguably one of the states chief functions  ensuring quality public education. And even if the Texas Supreme Court  in error, we believe  ruled that the way Texas funds public education is constitutional, it said so with a huge caveat. It said that it is an egregiously inadequate system. If you have trouble reconciling those two concepts, join the club.

But, put simply, since public schools are the principal drivers of property tax bills, there is no way to provide relief without the state increasing funding for public education. And a House proposal would do just that, dedicating more than $6 billion to public education and another $3 billion toward property tax relief.

Much of this $9 billion would come from the existing state budget. But to provide even more property tax relief, lawmakers are considering a tax swap. The idea is to raise sales taxes and then correspondingly reduce property taxes.

This is as bad an idea as a Texas court simultaneously noting how inadequate the school finance system is but deeming it constitutional.

We get the motivation for the sales tax. The property tax benefits from this bill would be modest  about $100 for a home valued at $250,000. The state sales tax is at 6.25 percent, and local governments can add another 2 percent. Adding a penny to the sales tax could generate billions a year, which could then be offset with even bigger property tax cuts. Maybe even big enough for property owners to notice?

The political benefits speak for themselves. But there are problems with this argument. First, its not really a savings, right? Taxpayers would still be paying the same amount in taxes, just with a shift to sales tax.

And this is problematic because sales tax is regressive and volatile. It hits lower-income Texans harder than wealthier Texans because everyone pays the same regardless of income level. Not only would lawmakers be swapping taxes, they would be placing greater financial strain on lower-income Texans, many of whom probably dont own property. Not good.

Sales tax is also prone to economic swings. When times are good, people buy stuff. But times arent always good, and when economic downturns hit, people shop less. This is an invitation to volatility.

There are other options to create more revenue for schools, and, in turn, lower property taxes. The Houston Chronicles recent investigation of the Texas Permanent School Fund found the endowment is shorting public education. If it paid out at a 5 percent rate, which is fairly normal, the return to public education would have been an additional $720 million in 2018, the Chronicle found.

Another idea? Disclosing sale prices for commercial properties to allow more accurate appraisals.

And if lawmakers are intent on making changes to the states sales tax, a more nuanced approach would be to close some tax loopholes for items such as ice cream or over-the-counter medicines.

But raising the sales tax to lower property taxes? That would be a foolish swap, even if it is politically expedient.
The beginning of the school year when you got to show off your new duds, new cars, new looks!

Sports! Playing, cheering, watching high school athletics.

The arts: Dramatic arts, musical groups and shows, graphic arts groups, debate, etc.

The prom! No dancing the night away or punch bowl antics.

The daily interactions. Just being with the group, hanging with friends and classmates.

Access to college recruiters and advisors  its harder to line up higher education.

Walking onstage to get a diploma while all the family is watching with everyone elses family.

Vote

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Mike Glennon outlined the significance of the Irish forest product sector, the importance of trade between the UK and Ireland, and the potential impacts of Brexit, at the recent Timber Trade Federation UK Softwood Conference in London.

Mike stated: The Irish forestry and forest products sector supports 12,000 rural jobs and contributes an estimated 2.3 billion to the Irish Economy. The key market for Irish timber exports has always been the UK. Over half of the Irish sawmills output is exported, with 95% going to the UK. 90% of panel products produced in Ireland are exported, with two thirds going to the UK. Exports, from the forest products sector, in the Republic of Ireland in 2017, totalled 423 million.

He also highlighted the importance of Irelands trading relationship with the UK. 60 billion is traded between the UK and Ireland annually, and over 40%, of indigenous Irish companys exports are to the UK. He went on to outline the risks to this trade caused by Brexit, including the impact a hard border would have on the island of Ireland and on the 30,000 people who cross the border each day.

Looking toward the future, Mike referred to Forest Industries Ireland, a new trade association launched in early 2019. He also outlined the opportunities that exist, with the significant growth in log supply from the private sector.

He also concluded by saying: We have a robust and resilient processing sector, and whilst we face uncertainty over Brexit, the Irish sawmilling sector has always been committed to the UK and that will not change. Ireland has all the conditions in place for a world class forest products sector, our industry has overcome many challenges before, and I am confident that if we work together, we can do it again.
The Garda chief who headed up a 40 strong team of officers involved in the successful prosecution of a drug dealer for the murder of a Polish father-of-two outside Longford Shopping Centre in 2016, has hailed the 'very professional' manner in which the case was handled.

Supt Jim Delaney was speaking in the wake of an eight day trial at Dublin's Central Criminal Court which saw 26-year-old Rihards Lavickis sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Akadiusz Arik Czajkowski (31) on November 1, 2016.

I would like to extend my deepest appreciation and acknowledgement to the members of Longford District for their commitment and the very professional way in which the investigation was handled under very high public scrutiny.

Murder is the most serious offence on our Statute books and we, as an organisation, are acutely aware of the effect that such an incident occurring at the time if did in broad daylight can have.

Supt Delaney was only in the post a matter of months when Longford and its surrounding environs was thrust onto the national stage.

Within a short space of time, however, an arrest was made, something the experienced garda boss said could not have happened without the support of the local community.

Community and public safety is a priority for us as is community engagement.

This was obviously an engagement of different kind but it I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the assistance and cooperation we received from the community and especially to those people who gave evidence at both trials.

Supt Delaney said such backing, allied to the inter agency support he and his team of officers received throughout went a long way towards bringing about the investgation's successful conclusion.

Setting those assertions aside, Supt Delaney was keen to stress the more sobering aspects to the case.

We have to remember that there is a victim in all of this and a family has suffered as a result of the actions of one man.

Although they are not resident in this country I would hope it will provide some level of assurance and closure.

He is some mothers son after all and there are people who are grieving his loss.

Read more: Father-of-one sentenced to life in prison for murdering fellow Longford drug dealer
The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) have joined the campaign against the proposed 24-turbine wind farm at Derryadd, Co Longford.

It has been confirmed that the IWT have submitted an official objection to An Bord Pleanala against the development. The organisation have noted that although they are not opposed to wind energy generation, which is necessary to meet greenhouse gas reduction targets, they have expressed their concern at the proposed location of the farm which is predominantly peatlands.

Also read: Longford man arrested for crime spree

In particular, the presence of turbines can be at odds with biodiversity protection, the restoration of which is equally as important as addressing climate change. They spoke of their disappointment for community members that the preferred Shannon Wilderness park will not be developed and said many ecologists chose this as the perfect site for the reintroduction of long-extinct Irish birds such as crane and bittern.

"Were very disappointed that the hard work and hopes of local communities for the Shannon Wilderness Park are being swept aside by Bord na Mona in their pursuit of this wind energy project," IWT Campaigns Officer, Padraic Fogarty said.

"Theres a huge opportunity in creating a distinct and unique identity for this part of Longford, something people would travel from far and wide to experience.

It was also hoped that white-tailed sea eagles would colonise the shores of Lough Ree. IWT say Bord na Mona should be working with locals to deliver this much sought-after project.

"Bord na Mona should be working with local people and ecologists in trying to deliver this, rather than working against them to impose an unwanted wind farm. We hope An Bord Pleanala can refuse permission. Padraic Fogarty concluded.
Local News, Crime, Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: March 28 2019

One Defendant, Charged as a Major Trafficker, Allegedly Distributed Cocaine from Residence in Close Proximity to Local Church.

Riverhead, NY - March 29, 2019 - Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy D. Sini and the Suffolk County Police Department today announced the indictment of three alleged drug dealers for trafficking cocaine in Suffolk County.

It is our mission with these cases to clean up our communities and to stop the sale of dangerous drugs throughout the county, District Attorney Sini said. In this particular case, we seized three kilograms of cocaine from the main target of this investigation, which he had purchased from a supplier in Texas and was attempting to bring back to distribute in Suffolk County. Thats three kilograms of drugs that never made it onto our streets and into our communities because of the extraordinary work of the Suffolk County Police Department and prosecutors in my office, particularly the members of our Special Narcotics Unit.

This indictment charging this trio in connection with trafficking cocaine in Suffolk County marks the success of a nearly year-long investigation by the Suffolk County Police Department and the Suffolk County District Attorneys Office, Suffolk County Police Commissioner Geraldine Hart said. The department is dedicated to pursuing and stopping dealers who are fueling the spread of narcotics to the most vulnerable, drug-addicted people, harming not only the addicts but also their families and the community as a whole.

Jonny Giron, 25, of Copiague, is charged with Operating as a Major Trafficker, an A-1 felony; Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree, as an A-1 felony; Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree, as an A-1 felony; eight counts of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Second Degree, as an A-2 felony; Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, a B felony; 10 counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, a B felony; and Conspiracy in the Second Degree, a B felony.

Victor Alzate, 35, of Wyandanch, is charged with Conspiracy in the Second Degree, a B felony.

Santos Rene Canales Gutierrez, 35, of Wyandanch, is charged with Conspiracy in the Second Degree, a B felony; three counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, a B felony; and Endangering the Welfare of a Child, an A misdemeanor.

An investigation by the District Attorneys Office and the Suffolk County Police Department into the defendants alleged illegal trafficking of narcotics began in April 2018 and involved the use of undercover officers as well as physical and electronic surveillance.

One of the most dangerous investigative tactics that law enforcement utilizes is the use of undercover police officers. Those officers risk their lives every time they make a drug purchase from a criminal, District Attorney Sini said. I want to thank the Suffolk County Police Department, and in particular the fine detectives who put their lives on the line to make our streets safer.

The investigation revealed evidence that the defendants were allegedly selling powder cocaine on a daily basis in Suffolk County, particularly in the Copiague, Amityville, Wyandanch, and Bay Shore areas, as well as in Nassau County. During the course of the investigation, Giron allegedly sold cocaine to undercover police officers on 10 occasions.

The investigation revealed evidence that one of Girons cocaine suppliers was located in Houston, Texas. Earlier this month, Giron and Alzate allegedly traveled to Houston to purchase three kilograms of cocaine to bring back and distribute in Suffolk County.

As Giron was traveling from Houston back to New York after Alzate left separately, he was apprehended by the Meridian Police Department in Meridian, Mississippi, on March 12 and was found in possession of the three kilograms of cocaine in the trunk of his vehicle.

Giron is also alleged to have supplied cocaine to resellers on multiple occasions from his residence, located at 41 Simmons Street, which is located in close proximity to Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Copiague.

This location is a stones throw away from one of the oldest, most respected churches on Long Island, District Attorney Sini said. Whenever you have a criminal operating in a particular area, there are all sorts of issues for that community: Theres an increased chance of violence and there are a lot of quality of life issues that come along with these drug houses. Because of the hard work of our prosecutors and the Suffolk County Police Department, we were able to take these dangerous individuals out of that location near that church.

Gutierrez, who is alleged to have sold cocaine on behalf of Giron, is charged with Endangering the Welfare of a Child for allegedly possessing cocaine in the presence of a two-year-old child.

If convicted of the top count, Giron faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison. If convicted of the top count, Alzate and Gutierrez each face a maximum sentence of eight and one-third to 25 years in prison.

Giron and Alzate were arraigned on the indictment today by Suffolk County Court Judge Philip Goglas. Bail was set for Giron at $2 million cash or $4 million bond. Bail was set for Alzate at $500,000 cash or $1 million bond.

Gutierrez was arraigned on the indictment on March 26 by Judge Goglas. Bail was set at $500,000 cash or $1 million bond.

Alzate and Gutierrez are due back in court on April 3. Giron is due back in court on April 19.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Tisha Burrows, of the Narcotics Bureaus Special Narcotics Unit, with assistance from Assistant District Attorney Jonathan Gutierrez, of the Narcotics Bureau.

The Special Narcotics Unit, launched in 2018, focuses on the development of long-term investigations in an effort to effectively dismantle groups and organizations whose illicit activities largely impact the safety and security of Suffolk County and its residents. The Special Narcotics Unit focuses on investigating major drug traffickers operating in, and affecting, Suffolk County in collaboration with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, including the Suffolk County Police Department. Since its inception in July 2018, the Unit has seized approximately 19 kilograms of narcotics.
Authorities on Wednesday afternoon identified the 54-year-old man stabbed to death in Everett Tuesday night, the second stabbing on Bradford Terrace in 10 days, and released a sketch of the suspect, asking for the publics help.

Michael Starr was walking home after shopping at a convenience store just after 9 p.m. Tuesday when he was assaulted on the sidewalk, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said during a press conference.

Starr was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead. No one is currently in custody in connection with the stabbing, Ryan said.

It appears based on our preliminary investigation now 12 hours or so out from what happened that it was a random incident and based upon the possessions that Mr. Starr had with him it does not appear robbery was a motive, Ryan said.

Ryan released a sketch of the suspect, who investigators believe is a man in his late 20s, about average height with a tan complexion, narrow nose and thin build. He was wearing glasses, a black hooded sweatshirt, a black knit cap and black gloves.

Starrs killing is the second stabbing that has occurred on Bradford Terrace in the last 10 days.

On March 16, a man in his 20s was walking home around 9 p.m. when he was stabbed.

That victim survived serious injuries and has since been released from the hospital, Ryan said.

Authorities are working to determine if the two incidents are connected. Ryan said the sketch of the suspect was created based on a description from the surviving victim as well as information gathered in the investigation of Starrs death.

For this reason the District Attorneys Office and Police are also asking the public to think broadly and report any suspicious activity they may have seen over the past several weeks including people acting strangely in the areas of Ferry Street, Cedar Street or Bradford Terrace, Ryan said in a news release.

Investigators ask anyone who was in a car or on foot on Bradford Terrace on either March 16 or 26 between 8:45 and 9:15 p.m. and may have seen someone matching this description to immediately contact the Massachusetts State Police at 508-820-2121 or the Everett Police Department at 617-394-2368 or online at Everettpolicema.com. Members of the public should not approach this individual.

Everett police have increased their presence near Bradford Terrace.

Authorities are asking Everett residents to be vigilant and aware of their surroundings.
The phone rings off the hook at Ivan Espinoza-Madrigals office with complaints from immigrants about federal agents stalking local courthouses across Massachusetts.

His organization, Lawyers for Civil Rights, has tracked more than 100 arrests in the past year by Immigration and Customs Enforcement at local courthouses. One of those include the arrest of an undocumented 21-year-old Cape Verdean man in a Boston courthouse in January.

Alfeu Barbosa was facing cocaine trafficking charges and had a prior record when he was arrested, according to police. But Espinoza-Madrigal says ICE activity is also deterring victims of domestic violence and other crimes from coming forward. And its impacting witnesses cooperating with prosecutors.

This is a growing and persistent problem that prevents access to justice, said Espinoza-Madrigal, executive director of Lawyers for Civil Rights.

A memorandum released this week by District Attorney Rachael Rollins attempts to address concerns about ICE arrests in Suffolk County courthouses. Several attorneys and advocates, including Espinoza-Madrigal, welcomed the guidelines but said some details remain unclear. One the top questions is what exactly will the District Attorneys Office do the next time ICE arrests someone inside the courthouse, and how the federal agency will react.

In her memo, Rollins asked assistant district attorneys, witness advocates or other employees to notify her if they see ICE agents arresting people scheduled to appear in court or asking them about their immigration status.

She also said her office will take immigration status into account when charging and sentencing as even misdemeanor convictions could get someone flagged by immigration agents. The office will consider certain post-conviction motions if a defendants attorney didnt have correct advice about how a case would affect someones immigration status when it appears that doing so would be in the furtherance of justice.

The memorandum did not elaborate on how the office would react if ICE agents are seen making arrests or interrogating people in local courthouses.

The memo doesnt say what the district attorney is going to do once shes notified, said Doug Ligor, a senior policy researcher for the RAND Corporations Boston office. Ligor used to work as a government trial attorney in immigration courts.

Nor does the memo appear to stop ICE agents from monitoring people in or around courtrooms or making arrests outside of the buildings.

Rollins office did not respond to requests for clarification.

Todd M. Lyons, acting field director of enforcement and removal operations for ICE in Boston, said Rollins memo promotes an overall fear or suspicion of law enforcement officers.

The men and women of ICE work hard every day with the highest level of professionalism to enforce our laws and help keep our communities safer, Lyons said. There is never any reason for anyone to fear or distrust ICE law enforcement officers.

But attorneys and immigration advocates say that fear already exists. They argue ICEs presence in local courtrooms is causing a chilling effect." Immigrants fear that they will be detained if they go to court, whether they are fighting criminal charges, testifying as witnesses or coming forward as victims of a crime.

At least 875 people were arrested by immigration agents in the fiscal year 2018 in Massachusetts, according to the latest figures recorded by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University. Almost all of the arrests were in Suffolk County, and nearly half of those detained had no convictions.

About 46 had a traffic offense, and 40 had assault convictions. The others had convictions ranging from illegal re-entry to drug trafficking to sexual assault.

ICE agents have also targeted undocumented immigrants who were applying for legal status. Some 17 people  including mothers Lilian Calderon and Lucimar Souza  were detained around New England at government offices where they appeared for a marriage verification interview with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

A lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts later revealed internal emails showing that the federal agency coordinated with ICE agents to set up what some described as a trap to arrest the immigrants.

Immigration authorities say courthouses are fair game  unlike schools, churches or other places ICE considers sensitive locations  and that its safer for agents to make an arrest in a place that screens civilians for weapons.

Peter Elikann, a Boston-based criminal defense lawyer, said several clients have asked him what the likelihood is that they will be detained by ICE agents in the courthouse. Some of his colleagues have seen clients get arrested.

These are not just little random isolated acts, he said. Its really forefront in every criminal defense lawyers mind when they come to court.

Sarang Sekhavat, policy director at the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, said he found the memo to be encouraging but also short on details.

At the same time, to be able to track whats going on is one of the most useful things that can be done, Sekhavat said, adding that he hopes any data collected by Rollins office is made public.

Theres only so much a district attorneys office can do to limit immigration enforcement at courthouses, Sekhavat said. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court denied a petition in September to bar ICE agents from making arrests in and around courthouses.

Espinoza-Madrigal said theres no way to ensure immigration agents wont target people inside courthouses. Hes also concerned about other communities with immigrant populations such as Worcester, Malden and Linden. His organization is considering litigation to fight the ICE activity in courthouses across the state.

The protections the DAs office are talking about are great," he said, "but we also need to make sure that we continue at the community level and also through other legal options to explore ways to prevent this type of enforcement from taking place.
Nearly two years after a Jeep careened out of control at the Lynnway Auto Auction Inc. in Billerica, killing five people, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan announced Thursday that manslaughter indictments have been returned against the corporation and its president and owner.

Both Lynnway Auto Auction and its president and owner, James Lamb, were indicted Thursday on five counts of manslaughter each, Ryan announced at a press conference.

OSHA investigated the Billerica auto auction in 2014 and suggested adding safety measures to keep cars driving through the auction floor away from pedestrians. Lamb signed a certification saying those changes would be made, and they never were, Ryan alleged.

The indictments allege that the company and Mr. Lamb are criminally responsible for having consciously failed to take those appropriate actions that would have prevented this tragedy, Ryan said during the press conference.

This is the first time her office has charged a corporation with manslaughter.

As the person responsible for Lynnways day-to-day operations, Mr. Lamb was aware of the shortfalls and the safety measures that took place at the facility, which included a 2014 incident where a worker had been seriously injured," Ryan said. "He did not implement the safety measures that would have protected the pedestrians mingling and maneuvering between and around the moving vehicles as they were on the day of the crash.

Lynnway employee Roger Hartwell was driving a 2006 Jeep Cherokee at the weekly auction at 10:11 a.m. on May 3, 2017, when the vehicle went out of control, struck a crowd of people and crashed into the building.

The crash killed Ruben Espaillat, 55, of Methuen; Leezandra Aponte, 36, of Lowell; Elliott Rowlands Jr., 50, of Buzzards Bay; and Brenda Lopez, 48, and Pantaleon Santos, 49, both of Rhode Island.

Santos and Aponte were pronounced dead at the scene. Lopez was taken to an area hospital where she died from her injuries. Rowlands and Espaillat later died of their injuries.

Nine other people were taken to the hospital with injuries.

Video surveillance of the crash determined the Jeep pulled up to the auctions garage door and within seconds rapidly accelerated, leaving the red-colored vehicle travel lane and crossing into the blue-colored pedestrian lane, Ryans office said.

The Jeep continued, moving at a speed of 32 miles per hour inside the building, until it crashed through a cinder block wall, authorities said. The Jeep crossed the entire length of the facility in fewer than four seconds.

Billerica Deputy Police Chief Roy Frost remarked Thursday that it was a terrible scene.

Hartwell had a suspended license at the time of the incident but is not facing charges because he was driving on private property and not on a public way, Ryan said.

Hartwell will not face criminal charges.

Although the operator of the Jeep was driving with an expired drivers license, under Massachusetts Law, an individual is allowed to operate a motor vehicle on private property without a license, Ryans office wrote in a statement. The Lynnway facility is not a public way; therefore the Commonwealth has determined that it would not be able to meet its burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt that the driver of the vehicle acted recklessly, and therefore he has not been charged with manslaughter.

In 2014, Lynnway was cited for two serious level violations.

A worker was seriously injured in one of those incidents. The investigation has revealed that Lamb failed to implement safety measures like installing barriers to cordon off the auction lanes and protect the pedestrians mingling near the cars, Ryans office said.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Lynnway for 16 violations following the fatal 2017 incident.

Last year, the U.S. Department of Labor reached a settlement with Lynnway, which ordered the company to pay $200,000 in penalties, as well as install barriers, crosswalks and other safety measures inside the auto auction area.

Court documents show that Hartwell is facing three wrongful death lawsuits filed in Middlesex Superior Court in connection with the deaths of Espaillat, Aponte and Rowlands.

Hartwell also faces a civil lawsuit for motor vehicle negligence and personal injury/property damage, also filed in Middlesex Superior Court.

Lamb will be arraigned in Middlesex Superior Court at a later date.
A 58-year-old Lawrence man facing charges in connection with the death of his 11-year-old great-niece Precious Wallaces has been indicted on murder and rape charges, officials said Wednesday.

An Essex County grand jury on Wednesday returned indictments against Miguel Rivera for first-degree murder, rape of a child with force, rape of a child aggravated by age difference, indecent assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and distributing a Class E substance to a minor, according to statement.

Rivera is not accused of three sexual assaults. Rather, the three sexual assault charges reflect the three different legal theories on which prosecutors will seek to prove the single sexual assault Rivera is accused of, according to a statement from the office of Essex District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett.

The statement from Blodgetts office did not name the victim.

In December, officials from Blodgetts office announced an investigation into the death of 11-year-old Precious Wallaces.

Rivera is currently held without bail. He will be arraigned in Essex Superior Court at a later date.

Lawrence police responded to Riveras residence at 233 Jackson St. on Dec. 15 and found Wallaces unresponsive.

She was taking to Lawrence General Hospital and then flown to Tufts Medical Center, where she died.

Wallaces was was a student at Consentino Middle School in Haverhill.

Rivera is Wallaces great-uncle. She was sleeping at his apartment when she became ill.

Wallaces tested positive for having fentanyl in her system.

Rivera was first charged in Lawrence District Court with permitting substantial bodily injury to a child and misleading a police investigation in connection with Wallaces death.

Later, Rivera was charged in District Court with rape, though the alleged rape victim was not identified during Riveras arraignment.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution Thursday condemning President Donald Trumps proposed transgender military ban.

The measure - which was brought forward by Rep. Joseph Kennedy III, a Massachusetts Democrat who is the chair of the Equality Caucuss Transgender Equality Task Force, passed 238-185 on Thursday.

We do not need in this country another message to marginalized populations saying that they do not count, saying that they are worth less, Kennedy said in an interview with Bloomberg TV shortly after the vote. Weve got a commander in chief saying Not you. Not this country. We dont want you. And that is just wrong.

A May 2014 study by UCLAs Williams Institute shows that the military may be the single largest employer of transgender people. More than 15,000 currently serve in the military, according to the study. More than 134,000 veterans identify as trans.

The resolution passed shortly after the Trump administration announced members of the military would be required to serve as the gender they were assigned at birth starting April 12, according to The Hill. This undoes an Obama administration policy from June 2016.

On Tuesday, a federal appeals court lifted an injunction against the ban, allowing for the April roll out of the new policy.

The resolution, co-sponsored by 216 Democrats and Rep. John Katko, a Republican from New York says the reversal hurts our national security by undermining our ability to recruit and retain the talented personnel and claims attempting to justify President Trumps ban are based on flawed scientific and medical assertions, according to The Hill.

Four lawsuits against the policy are still pending. While courts have lifted four holds placed on the ban, they have not ruled on the merits of the case, according to The Hill.

Trumps policy mandates any service member who enlists after April 12 or has not already come out as transgender serve in the gender they were assigned at birth. Any person diagnosed with gender dysphoria would not be allowed to join unless a doctor proves that person has been stable in their biological sex for 36 months, according to the policy.

Service members diagnosed after enlisting can be discharged if they are unable or unwilling to adhere to all applicable standards, including the standards associated with their biological sex, according to a Pentagon memo on the policy.

Those who have already come out will be grandfathered in, meaning they can continue to be open about their gender and receive medical care.
The Massachusetts State Retirement Board suspended pension benefits for Gregory Raftery, the retired Massachusetts State Police trooper who was sentenced Tuesday for his role in the departments overtime scandal.

The state board discussed Raftery, 47, of Westwood, during an executive session meeting Thursday morning and decided to halt the former troopers pension benefits, according to the state treasurers office. Raftery, who retired last year amid the investigation, receives a monthly payment of $6,017.07.

One of dozens of troopers flagged for alleged overtime abuse, Raftery was sentenced on Tuesday to three months in prison and a year of supervision. He also was ordered to pay a restitution of $51,337, the amount of money he made for overtime hours he skipped.

The former trooper pleaded guilty in July to one count of embezzling a state agency thats receiving federal funds. Sources told MassLive that he was the only trooper who skipped triple-digit shifts on the Accident Injury Reduction Effort patrols, or AIRE, the specialized overtime patrols on the Massachusetts Turnpike.

Eric Chin, the former state trooper who was sentenced on Monday, skipped fewer overtime shifts and pocketed $7,125 for the hours he didnt work.

In an internal audit, Massachusetts State Police flagged 46 troopers who had earned money for overtime hours they didnt work. The overtime investigation focused on the now-disbanded Troop E, which exclusively worked the AIRE shifts.

Raftery not only skipped AIRE shifts, but planned the coverup during his regular shifts, federal prosecutors said. He spent part of his regular shifts writing down license plate numbers on cars that passed him on the Massachusetts Turnpike. Then he cited those in fake tickets he claimed to have given out during the overtime shifts he skipped.

According to the sentencing memorandum for Raftery, he submitted those falsified citations to his superiors and destroyed copies that should have gone to the Registry of Motor Vehicles, so that the tickets wouldnt actually be recorded with the registry.

U.S. Attorneys Mark Grady and Dustin Chao, who prosecuted the case, stated in the sentencing memorandum that the troopers misdeeds resulted from a quota. Members of Troop E were required to give out at least eight citations during the specialized overtime patrols they were assigned.

The state retirement board sent Rafterys case for review under a hearing officer, who will hold a hearing and investigate whether he is eligible for pension forfeiture, according to the treasurers office. Once the hearing officer submits his findings and recommendations to the board, members will make a determination about what happens to Rafterys pension.

Under state law, public employees who are convicted of a criminal offense relevant to their office of position are subject to pension forfeiture. If the board finds they must forfeit their pension, the public employee will only be allowed to receive money he or she already contributed to the fund but lose out on the interest that other retirees typically receive.

The state retirement board also sent Chins case for review, according to the treasurers office. Chin was fired in December and has not applied for retirement benefits, but the state retirement hearing officer plans to investigate Chins eligibility for forfeiture as well.

Chin, who was fired in December, was sentenced to three months of house arrest, followed by nine months of supervision.

Eight troopers have pleaded guilty to embezzlement in federal court. Three troopers are also facing state charges. Lt. David Wilson is the only trooper in the group who is facing both state and federal charges.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 28)  The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said sacked cop Eduardo Acierto  who surfaced from hiding with charges that a former aide of President Rodrigo Duterte is deep into the drug trade  has no credibility, but despite this, a probe on his claims continue.

PDEA chief Dir. Gen. Aaron Aquino told CNN Philippines' The Source that he doubts the credibility of the former drug operative, who went into hiding at the height of an 11-billion methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu) smuggling scandal that he was implicated in.

TIMELINE: 11B-worth of shabu slips past PH customs days after 4.3B worth of shabu was intercepted

"Na-dismiss siya sa PNP (Philippine National Police) because of 'yung 1,000 pieces ng AK-47 na naibenta sa NPA (New People's Army) ... Tapos nagkaroon siya ng issue sa ... mga firearms licenses. Ngayon nagkaroon siya ng issue dito, na-involve siya sa illegal drugs sa magnetic lifters," Aquino said Thursday.

[Translation: He was dismissed from the PNP because of the 1,000 pieces of AK-47 that he sold to the NPA  Then he had this issue  on firearms licenses. Now, he had an issue with this, he was involved in illegal drugs on magnetic lifters.]

"So in terms of credibility, kayo na siguro mag-iisip kung credible siya o hindi [you decide if he is credible or not,]" Aquino continued.

He suspects that Acierto is only out to "discredit" the President and is being backed by certain individuals, whom he refused to name.

But despite this, Aquino said he is continuing to investigate Acierto's claims, having contacted the directors of the regional offices of the PDEA in Region I and Region XI, and having sent the former cop's 10-page intelligence report to Malacanang.

Acierto has come forward accusing Michael Yang  a Chinese businessman who was Duterte's former economic adviser until his contract expired in December  of involvement in the drug trade.

He said Yang was involved in a clandestine shabu laboratory in Dumoy, Davao City which he and other law enforcement authorities raided in 2004.

Acierto said he submitted his report to authorities and to Malacanang, but this fell on deaf ears.

However, Aquino said a Michael Yang had never been the target of their 2004 operation on that drug laboratory.

"Ni-review ko 'yung [case operation] plan namin, never did I see the name Michael Yang. Mayron kaming target doon, 13 ang aming target, iba-iba ang mga pangalan, mga Chinese, mga Filipinos, and yet wala akong nabasang Michael Yang," said Aquino, who said he was part of the team that raided the drug lab.

[Translation: I reviewed our case operation plan, never did I see the name Michael Yang. We have targets there, we had 13 targets, they had different names, some are Chinese, some are Filipinos, and yet I never saw any Michael Yang.]

Many Michael Yangs, none an ex-Duterte aide

Aquino said he began verifying Acierto's report when it was first given to him in the third quarter of last year.

In the course of the PDEA's investigation, Aquino said several individuals named Michael Yang and Hong Ming Yang, the Chinese name of the former Duterte aide, turned up  but none were the same Michael Yang with close ties to the President and his longtime aide, Christopher "Bong" Go.

He said a Michael Yang, an alleged drug pusher, from Sual, Pangasinan appeared in the PDEA's drug list in 2004, but this "appears" to be a different person from the former aide of the President.

"Ang problema, hindi na niya (PDEA Region XI director) makuha dahil ang tagal-tagal na nga. 'Yung mga neighbors, tinanong na niya. Chineck na rin niya sa DTI (Department of Trade and Industry) and everything. Mukhang ibang Michael Yang ito," Aquino said.

[Translation: The problem, he can't get it anymore because it's been so long. He asked his neighbors. He also checked with the DTI and everything. It appears that this is a different Michael Yang.]

Another Michael Yang that turned up is a businessman from Bulacan involved in transportation, while a mining operator from Samar named Hong Ming Yang and a teacher from Caloocan City with the same name also turned up in the PDEA's search.

Yang owns the Davao City Los Amigos shopping center. He was once Duterte's economic adviser, after being tapped by the President as his "consultant" under a contract that only paid him 1 a year.

Go, Duterte's former special assistant who is now gunning for a Senate seat, admitted that he and the President have known the Chinese businessman for a long time.

"Matagal na naming kilala ni then Mayor Duterte sa Davao 'yan. May negosyo po siya doon (sa Davao). May mall po siya at alam po namin na legal ang kanyang negosyo," Go said in a statement.

[Translation: Then Mayor Duterte have known him for a long time in Davao. He has a business in Davao. He has a mall and we know that his business is legal.]

Go said Duterte would not associate himself with anyone who is into the drug trade. Acierto came out with photos showing Yang, Duterte and Go together. In their defense, Go said many people come to take pictures with them.

Duterte had also lashed out at Acierto, saying in a speech that the former cop should not be believed and implicated him in kidnapping Chinese citizens, killing a Korean national in Camp Crame and selling firearms to rebels.

The President also asked the police and the military why Acierto is still alive. The former drug operative has said that a 15 million bounty is on his head.

The PDEA, the PNP and Malacanang have cleared Yang of involvement in the drug trade.

Despite this, senators and candidates have called on authorities to probe Acierto's allegations.
WINDSOR LOCKS  Frontier Airlines began service Thursday to and from Bradley International Airport to Denver.

The airline said it is offering fares as low as $59 one-way as a promotion at FlyFrontier.com.

Frontier will begin other flights from Bradley to Orlando International Airport and Raleigh-Durham International Airport Apr. 30.

Frontier and the Connecticut Airport Authority ceremonially opened the Frontier Ticket counter Thursday.

Frontier has flown in and out of Bradley before, offering service there in 2007 and 2008 before stopping when the company went into bankruptcy. It flew from Bradley to Milwaukee for a year in 2010 and 2011 before stopping the flights after fuel prices spiked.

The new Frontier flights to Denver flights will be Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, leaving Bradley at 1:37 p.m. and arriving in Denver at 4:04 p.m. Return flights leave Denver at 7 a.m. and arrive in Hartford at 12:47 p.m.

Frontier will fly Airbus A320 jetliners on the route.

Bradley International Airport serviced more than 6.7 million passengers in 2018, up 3.6 percent from 2017 and its sixth consecutive year of year-over-year passenger growth.

Via Airlines announced it will debut nonstop service to Pittsburgh in July 2019.

The Connecticut Airport Authority, which runs the airport, is also beginning construction this year on a $215 million ground transportation center at Bradley, a project made possible by the reconfigured road network.

We are pleased to officially welcome Frontier Airlines to Bradley International Airport and the region, said Kevin A. Dillon, executive director of the Connecticut Airport Authority. Todays inaugural flight is an exciting addition to our menu of non-stop flights and we very much look forward to our ongoing partnership with Frontier Airlines and their growing footprint at Bradley Airport.
LEE  Lane Construction Corp. has agreed to rebuild the bank of the Housatonic River at its gravel pit and asphalt plant in Lee, to stop stockpiling gravel where it can wash into the protected waterway and to pay $100,000 to settle a federal Clean Water Act case brought last year by the state.

The payments and a detailed restoration plan are outlined in a proposed consent decree filed this week by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey.

Lane, based in Cheshire, Connecticut, also has major operations in Massachusetts in Westfield, Amherst, Northfield and elsewhere. Its owned by Salini Impregilo, a global infrastructure and construction company.

Lane didn't respond to questions Wednesday or Thursday.

A federal judge has 45 days to review the consent decree before it can become official, according to court papers.

The suit in U.S. District Court in Boston includes photos showing runoff at the Lane gravel pit and asphalt plant at 1 Willow Hill Lane. The site is across the river from the Lenox Dale Post Office, 37 miles west of Springfield.

The Housatonic is famously the subject of long-running and controversial cleanup efforts. General Electric Co. polluted the river with PCBs from its once extensive Pittsfield plant. GE proposed disposing of dredged PCBs at the gravel pit.

The Housatonic is a state-listed impaired water body, meaning it faces pollution threats and is worthy of special protections similar to those offered an endangered species.

According to the lawsuit, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection learned in 2018 that material was eroding from the piles of washed gravel Lane collected near the riverbank. The Lane property includes about a third of a mile of river bank, the suit said.

Excessive sedimentation in the river harms endangered species including freshwater mollusks like the creeper, triangle floater and boreal marstonia and fish like the bridle shiner and the longnose sucker, according to court papers.

Lane hired GZA Environmental in July after getting notice of the problem from MassDEP and the attorney Generals office.

GZAs plan, included in the report, includes moving the gravel piles, rebuilding the slope, seeding it with ground cover plants, mulching it with a protective biodegradable erosion control blanket and then planting native woody shrubs: pussy willow, sweet fern and witch hazel.

The settlement includes a $25,000 civil payment to the state and $25,000 to the group Greenagers in South Egremont. Greenagers provides jobs and volunteer opportunities for teens and young adults in the fields of conservation, sustainable farming and environmental leadership.

There is also a $50,000 charge to defray the costs incurred by the attorney generals office in the case.

Storm water pollution threatens our states waterways and wetlands, which are vital natural resources that provide flood control and habitats for our wildlife. The proposed settlement will bring this company into compliance and help improve water quality in the Housatonic River, said Chloe Gotsis, spokeswoman for Healey.
A 28-year-old New Hampshire man is facing animal cruelty charges after authorities said he threw a dog in a dumpster in Wareham over the weekend.

The Wareham Department of Natural Resources said officers were called to Lakeside Trailer Park on Sunday after receiving a report of a man who had thrown a dog into a dumpster on the property. After a brief investigation, they arrested James M. Balboni of Dover, New Hampshire.

Authorities said upon arrival to the trailer park, they found a man removing a small black and white dog from a commercial dumpster. Police said the visibly upset man was the dogs owner and told officers that Balboni, who was staying at his house, had thrown his dog into the dumpster.

The dog was not injured, according to authorities.

A witness also reported seeing a man leave the dog owners house and heave the dog into the dumpster, police said.

Officers determined that Balboni had been staying at the dog owners house and threw the dog into the dumpster because he was tired and the dog would not stop bothering him as he tried to sleep, he reportedly said, according to the Department of Natural Resources.

Balboni was arrested and charged with cruelty to animals, authorities said. He is scheduled to be arraigned in Wareham District Court at a later date.
Police are investigating the discovery of a body Thursday morning in a section of Elwell State Park along the Connecticut River near the Norwottuck Rail Trail in Northampton.

Mary Carey, spokeswoman for Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan, said the body appears to be that of a woman in her 40s. The death does not appear to be suspicious, she said.

The office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death.

Northampton police and state police assigned to Sullivans office are investigating.

The Daily Hampshire Gazette reports the body was found along the river near the elevated bike path crosses the river.
SPRINGFIELD  Hilda Figueroa would give anything to her family. The last thing she gave her granddaughter was a good push.

The push allowed the granddaughter, Hilda Sanchez, to barely escape being hit by a speeding Amtrak train along a section of track in the citys Brightwood section.

Figueroa, 79, was not as fortunate.

The train struck her and sent her flying more nearly 50 feet. Although conscious briefly, she died of injuries in the ambulance en route to the hospital.

She pushed me out of the way, said Sanchez, 26, who is named for her grandmother.

When she saw what was happening, she tried to reach back and pull her grandmother to safety. But she was too late. She rolled up her sleeve to show the back of her right hand. Theres a scratch and a bruise that Sanchez says is left over where the front of the train struck her as she reached out.

I tried to pull her from it, but I was too late, she said. There was no time.

Figueroa and Sanchez were heading back to their home on Plainfield Street, an apartment thats maybe a hundred yards from where she was struck. The two had just come from shopping and a clinic on Main Street in the North End and were heading home.

Sanchez said the train was on them like a shot.

There was no whistle, no horn, she said. It was just too fast and she pushed me out of the way.

She said she and her grandmother had crossed over the section of track dozens of times  just as pretty much everyone else in the neighborhood has.

The crossing point is considered unauthorized. Its not marked, and unlike other crossing points along the Amtrak line, there are no warning lights or a gates. There are signs warning people to stay off the lines.

Amtrak considers those who use the crossing to be trespassers.

Railroad property is private property, said Amtrak spokeswoman Beth K. Toll. If you are on railroad tracks or railroad property without the expressed permission of the railroad property owner, you are trespassing.

People can report suspicious items, persons, or activity immediately to the Amtrak Police Department by approaching a uniformed officer, calling 800-331-0008, sending a text to APD11 (27311), or by calling 911, Toll said.

Toll provides an Amtrak Police report from May 4, 2018, that says Figueroa and three others were given a verbal warning for trespassing on the tracks. Everyone stopped was also educated on the dangers of being around and on active railroad tracks, the report states.

Sanchez said just about everyone in Brightwood has crossed the tracks there at one time or another.

Its the shortest way, she said.

With a rail line and a highway cutting right through the North End, getting from Brightwood to Main Street is no easy task by car or by foot.

Pedestrians have the choice of walking all the way down to Route 20 and up over the elevated roadway, or walking down to Wason Street, where there is a train warning light and gate.

Theres also a tunnel under the Chestnut Accelerated Middle School on Plainfield Street through the German Gerena Community School to Main Street, but that is open only when the school is open.

Most people just use the unauthorized crossing.

If Amtrak didnt what people using the crossing, Sanchez said, They should put in a fence.

There are three schools in the vicinity and most of the kids walk that way home, she said.

How can they say it was trespassing when they have a crossing guard right there on Birnie Avenue? she said.

By labeling them trespassers, Amtrak is playing the blame game, she said.

The state Department of Transportation, after years of planning and design, is scheduled to begin construction on a $6.3 million tunnel in the same spot that will allow residents to safely avoid crossing the rail lines and prevent future tragedies.

Sanchezs mother, Maria Nieves, was there to witness Figueroa being struck. She described running over to her and finding her dying.

My mother smiled at me and then closed her eyes, she said.

Sanchez estimated the train was going 100 mph at the time of impact.

Toll said the incident remains under investigation and the exact speed of the train has not yet been determined. The track has a speed limit of 50 mph. She noted that it takes a train going that speed as much as a mile to come to a stop.

A man who was standing by Sanchez as she spoke said he has seen trains routinely going much faster than 50 mph on that section of track.

He asked whose idea it was to put a high-speed rail line through a residential neighborhood. There are children commonly walking along the tracks at the beginning and end of the school day, he said.

The speed limit for that stretch should be capped at 20 mph until trains get past Wason Avenue, he said.

As cars whizzed by on Plainfield Street, which runs parallel to the tracks, the man said if anyone were to do 50 mph through the residential neighborhood, the police would pull them over.

Sanchez said her grandmother lived in Plainfield Street for 30 years, and everyone knew and loved her.

People are devastated, she said. People cant believe it. Its been tough.

A Gofundme account has been set up to help the family raise the $6,500 for Figueroas funeral. The address to contribute is https://www.gofundme.com/hildafigueroa.
Massachusetts farmers and their supporters gathered at the Statehouse on Wednesday for their annual Agriculture Day celebration.

They held a reception showcasing the states locally produced food, ranging from ice cream to honey, cranberries and meat.

According to state figures, there are approximately 7,800 farms in Massachusetts, which maintain nearly 523,000 acres of open space, employ more than 28,000 workers and contribute $492 million to the state economy.
HOLYOKE -- A 55-year-old city resident accused of stabbing and seriously injuring another man was arrested on Thursday.

Victor Acevedo, who goes by the name Ito, was arrested at about 2:15 p.m. in front of 100 Hampshire St. He is charged with attempted murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, a knife, said Police Lt. James Albert.

Acevedo is accused of stabbing a man in the alleyway behind Williams Auto Sales on High Street at about 3 p.m. on Tuesday, he said.

The victim received a life-threatening wound and remains in serious condition at the hospital, Albert said.

Holyoke Police detectives, who made the arrest, investigated the stabbing the assistance of Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to Hampden County District Attorney Anthony Gulluni, Albert said.

Acevedo is to be arraigned in Holyoke District Court on Friday, he said.
WESTFIELD  A Hampden Superior Court judge has fined the Westfield Fire Commission $1,000  the maximum allowed under state law  citing an intentional violation of the states Open Meeting Law.

The decision also refers to City Solicitor Susan Phillips obvious attempt to circumvent the law related to legal advice she provided the commission.

On the advice of Phillips and municipal attorney Jeffrey Krok, the commission Aug. 6 met behind closed doors and set in motion the termination of three firefighters. The firefighters sued later that month and their termination was blocked by Judge Constance Sweeney, who ruled the commission had violated the Open Meeting Law.

Sweeney levied the $1,000 fine against the commission on Monday. Her decision came six months after an evidentiary hearing in the firefighters lawsuit.

It is clear from the evidence that the commissioners knew that they were violating the Open Meeting Law when they voted to go into executive session excluding the plaintiff-employees, who had a right to be present with or without counsel, Sweeneys four-page decision says. The commissioners intentional violation of the law is not excused by the city solicitors advice that the meeting should be held in executive session. Her obvious attempt to circumvent the Open Meeting Law does not immunize the commissioners from their equally willful violation of the law.

Phillips, in a statement to The Republican, said the city disagrees with Sweeneys decision and is reviewing its options.

The memorandum accompanying (the) order delved into issues which were not before the Court as they are well beyond the scope of an open meeting law complaint and have not been adjudicated, Phillips wrote. The Courts memorandum and order on its own are not reflective of the entire matter.

Unfortunately, a City Councilor has put this document out on social media without accurate context, she added, in an apparent reference to Matt Emmershy, who wrote on Facebook Thursday: Unfortunately the Legal Dept and the Fire Commission knew they were breaking the law and residents will be left paying for it.

Westfields Assistant City Solicitor, Attorney John Garber, represented the city during the Sept. 18 evidentiary hearing, during which commission Chairman Albert Masciadrelli testified under oath.

Sweeneys ruling says: Remarkably, (Masciadrelli) insisted he did not know that the reputations, characters and mental health of the plaintiff-employees were going to be discussed, despite having provided advanced notice of the executive session to the City Clerk for posting and despite convening and presiding over the closed meeting, the sole purpose of which was to discuss the reputations, characters and mental health of the plaintiff-employees.

In their lawsuit, Westfield Fire Capt. Rebecca Boutin and Firefighters David Kennedy and Kyle Miltimore alleged the city retaliated against them for speaking with state police detectives investigating alleged sexual misconduct by then-Deputy Chief Patrick Egloff. No criminal charges were ever filed against Egloff, who in January was promoted to temporary chief.

Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gullunis office denied a request by The Republican for any investigatory records involving Egloff, saying it would not confirm that any such investigation has been undertaken or conducted.

Minutes from the Aug. 6 executive session, obtained by The Republican, state: It has been confirmed through Westfield Police Department and through district attorney, there is no victim to the alleged charges.

The city of Westfield hired outside attorney Dawn McDonald to investigate the allegations against Egloff and the involvement of Boutin, Kennedy and Miltimore and other members of the fire department. Mayor Brian Sullivans office approved spending $46,000 for the probe, according to documents provided by the city.

At the September hearing, Masciadrelli said the commission did not hire McDonald. He said no one outside of the fire department notified him in advance about the investigation, and that he was told by the citys law department that action needed to be taken against the fire fighters.

He testified Phillips didnt get into any detail" on Aug. 6, adding, We were left totally in he dark on this whole investigation.

This whole process was set up by our law department, he said, according to a recording of the evidentiary hearing. They were, basically, if I may use the term, running the show. We just had to authorize them to move forward.

Sweeney, in her decision this week, wrote: In his testimony, Mr. Masciadrelli said that it was clear to him that the city solicitor was trying to keep the subject matter of the meeting secret. The subject matter that the officials were attempting to keep secret from the plaintiff-employees was the investigators onslaught of conclusory and extremely damaging claims against the plaintiff-employees that directly attacked their characters, their reputations and their mental health.

Emmershy until January was the councils liaison to the Westfield Fire Commission. In a statement he decried the fire department investigation and attempt to terminate the three firefighters.

It is unfortunate that some City Officials have led us down a damaging path that fails to resolve the underlying issues, he said. Everything stemming from the original complaint has resulted in significant financial expenses, damage to department morale and preparedness. Operating in secret will not calm the department or the public and transparency is critical.

Councilor Andrew Surprise said he was disheartened by the judges ruling against the fire commission.

The reprimand of members of the Law Department is also unsettling, he said. Westfield governmental entities have a poor reputation when it comes to transparency and public access. Too much is done behind closed doors, and this needs to change. We must restore the public trust in our local government.

It is rare for a public body to be fined for violating the states Open Meeting Law. According to the attorney generals website, no municipal boards or commissions were fined in 2018, and three were fined the previous year.
The Massachusetts House voted Wednesday to authorize up to $8 million in state spending over a little more than a year to reimburse family planning clinics for any money they lose under a new federal rule.

We want to be prepared to make sure that these facilities are operating and that they can provide health services for women, said House Speaker Robert DeLeo, D-Winthrop.

The vote was 140-14 on the bill, with six representatives not voting.

Republicans were split, with 21 voting for the bill and 11 voting against it. Three Democrats  Ludlow Rep. Thomas Petrolati, Boston Rep. Angelo Scaccia and Boston Rep. Russell Holmes  voted against the bill.

The bill was a reaction to President Donald J. Trumps proposed changes to Title X, a federal program that provides money to family planning clinics.

DeLeo said he was disappointed and outraged, but not surprised, at Trumps proposed rule change.

Already, federal money cannot be used to pay for abortion. Under Trump's proposal, federally funded health clinics would no longer be required to mention abortion as an option to a pregnant women, and they would be banned from providing referrals to abortion clinics. The rule would require a physical separation between a clinic that gets federal funding and one that performs abortion.

Many Planned Parenthood clinics offer abortions and other health services in the same location.

The rule, which is set to go into effect in May, is being challenged in court.

According to a court brief filed by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, who is part of a lawsuit challenging the Trump administrations rules, Massachusetts got $4.3 million in fiscal 2018 from Title X money. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health got $2.11 million of that, Action for Boston Community Development received $1.25 million and Health Imperatives received $921,000.

These organizations then distributed grants to nearly 100 service sites, which include community health centers, Planned Parenthood clinics, hospitals, school-based health clinics and family planning health centers. These sites serve around 75,000 Massachusetts residents, primarily low-income women.

Title X money is used to provide health care services like pregnancy testing, contraception, gynecological care, infertility services, cancer screenings and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases.

The House bill would earmark up to $800,000 for DPH, $428,500 for Action for Boston Community Development and $375,750 for Health Imperatives to ensure that they maintain their current funding levels, even if they lose federal money under the new rules. This is the amount they stand to lose in fiscal 2019, which ends June 30, 2019.

The rest of the money could be used in fiscal 2020, if the new Title X rules withstand a court challenge and remain in effect.

House Ways and Means Chairman Aaron Michlewitz, D-Boston, said Trumps proposed policy change would constrict peoples health care and take away services thousands of people have been relying on for decades.

Where Washington falls short, we in the commonwealth need to be ready and willing to step up and fill the needed gap, Michlewitz said. We cant allow peoples health care to be put at risk because of the narrow-minded politics of the Trump administration.

Senate President Karen Spilka, D-Ashland, said the Senate is prepared to take up the bill Thursday and send it to Gov. Charlie Baker.

Baker, a Republican who supports abortion rights, has said he supports the bill.

Baker said Monday, I think theres unanimity among us that we should make sure that the federal policy change here does not affect womens ability to access reproductive services in Massachusetts, period.
Massachusetts lawmakers are renewing their push to allow residents to list their gender as X on state drivers licenses.

People know what gender they are. This bill simply allows their official documents to match how they self-identify, said Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton, who introduced the bill.

Last year, now-Senate President Karen Spilka, D-Ashland, introduced a bill that would require the Registry of Motor Vehicles to let people list their gender as male, female or X when they apply for a learners permit, license or state identification card.

The bill passed the Senate, but not the House.

Rep. David Linsky, D-Natick, said the House was prepared to vote on the last day of the legislative session.

But Rep. Jim Lyons, an Andover Republican who opposed the bill, introduced 25 amendments, each of which would add a different option for gender in addition to X  such as cisgender female, neutrois or androgyne, which all refer to various permutations of gender. Lyons now chairs the Massachusetts Republican party.

Linsky called Lyons amendments a delaying tactic, frivolous and mean-spirited. Linsky said on the last day of the session, when lawmakers had a lot of work to do, Lyons amendments would have taken up too much time, and the House was unable to vote.

Now, Linsky and Comerford have reintroduced the bills, H.3070/S.2055, which had a hearing Thursday before the legislative Transportation Committee.

Spilka said the idea for the bill came from a constituent who now goes by the name El. El, 17, a high school junior from Natick, identifies as nonbinary  neither male or female.

El, who is now taking driving classes, told the committee that they do not want to choose male or female when applying for a license. To not be given a choice of X, El said, would be to carry a document that depicts a person Im not.

A license with only two options, El said, is a painful reminder of the labels society tries to force on me and many other people.

El said if the X option is not available, they do not know whether they would choose male or female. I dont think that the state should be making me choose between two options that dont represent myself, El said.

The Senate version of the bill would also allow an adult to change the gender listed on their birth certificate, or a parent to change the gender on their childs birth certificate.

The Senate bill would also ask the attorney general to provide a report on all state forms that ask for gender, so lawmakers can consider whether others should be changed.

Spilka said the Senate could take up the bill within the next few weeks and send it to the House.

I think this is a really important state policy ... to show not only all of our residents but the country and the world that we are a state that officially accepts people for who they are, Spilka said.

Several other states, including Maine, Minnesota, Colorado, Oregon, California, New Jersey and Arkansas, allow a gender-neutral option on state licenses.

Opponents of the bill last year, including the socially conservative Massachusetts Family Institute, said identification documents are legal documents, which should reflect objective facts, like biological sex. The group objected to the fact that no documentation would be needed to prove gender identity.

Proponents of the legislation provide no answers to the many practical and philosophical questions it raises, said Andrew Beckwith, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute, in a statement. If our state starts discarding biological sex from our identity documents, it will impact facets of society from Amber alerts to childrens sports teams, to the draft.

Sen. Don Humason, R-Westfield, who voted against the bill, said at the time that the designations are based solely on self-identification, and there are practical implications. "How can we expect our police officers or other government officials to keep up with this ever changing and ever-expanding list of gender expression designations?" Humason said.

Linsky, an attorney who is active on criminal justice issues, said he has not heard concerns from law enforcement about the shift. He said a license picture provides the police with more information than the gender designation.

Registrar of Motor Vehicles Erin Devaney said the RMV has installed and is currently testing new software that would let customers pick a gender option other than male or female.

This story was updated with a recent comment from Beckwith.


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Vostok cosmonaut Valery Bykovsky, who flew three missions, dies



March 27, 2019  Soviet-era cosmonaut Valery Bykovsky, whose first of three spaceflights was a joint mission with the world's first woman to fly into space, has died. He was 84.



Bykovsky's death on Wednesday (March 27) was confirmed by Russia's federal space corporation Roscosmos.



"Bykovsky belonged to the first generation of Soviet cosmonauts, who wrote many bright pages in the glorious history of Russian manned cosmonautics," officials at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City said in a statement.



Bykovsky was selected for the Soviet space program alongside Yuri Gagarin as a member of the first group of cosmonaut trainees in March 1960. He flew three times to space, logging a total of 20 days, 17 hours and 47 minutes in Earth orbit.



Bykovsky launched on his first mission on June 14, 1963, as the pilot of Vostok 5, the former Soviet Union's fifth spaceflight and the 11th worldwide. Once in orbit, he radioed to the ground that he was "feeling fine."



Bykovsky spent his time conducting basic science experiments, using a camera to film Earth's horizon and observing the growth of peas. He exercised and recorded his body's reaction to the microgravity environment.



Two days into his flight, on his 31st orbit of Earth, Bykovsky was joined by another cosmonaut in space. "Have started carrying out joint spaceflight," radioed the pilot of Vostok 6.



Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space, flew in tandem with Bykovsky, with their two spacecraft coming as close as 3.1 miles (5 kilometers) of each other.



"Dependable radio communications established between our ships. Are at close distance from each other," they reported.



Bykovsky had originally planned to be in space for eight days, but increased solar flare activity resulted in his Vostok 5 mission coming to an end after 4A days, 23 hours and 7 minutes. The duration was long enough to set a new record for time in space and Bykovsky's retains the title for the longest solo spaceflight in history.



His landing on June 19, 1963, three hours after Tereshkova, also marked the end of the Vostok program.



Bykovsky's next mission came 13 years later, with his liftoff on Sept. 15, 1976 as commander of Soyuz 22, a refurbished spacecraft that had been a backup to the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project jointly flown with the United States the year prior.



Flying with his Soyuz 22 crewmate Vladimir Aksyonov, Bykovsky spent a week observing Earth, taking more than 2,400 photos of the planet with a multi-spectral camera that could take six images simultaneously. The two captured photographs of Siberia, Central Asia and Kazakhstan, as well as the moon as it rose and set through Earth's atmosphere.



Bykovsky's third and final spaceflight was an Interkosmos mission with Sigmund Jahn, Germany's first citizen in space.



Bykovsky and Jahn lifted off on board the Soyuz 31 spacecraft on Aug. 26, 1978, on a week-long flight to deliver supplies to the Salyut 6 space station. The two joined the orbiting outpost's two person crew to conduct experiments before returning to Earth on Soyuz 29, leaving their Soyuz 31 capsule behind to land with a later crew.



Valery Fyodorovich Bykovsky was born on Aug. 2, 1934 in the town of Pavlovsky Posad, located about 40 miles (65 kilometers) east of Moscow. Initially interested in being a sailor from a young age, a talk at school attracted him to learn to fly and he joined the Moscow City Aviation Club.



Bykovsky graduated from the Kachinsk Military Aviation Academy in 1955 and, after a year-long assignment to a jet fighter unit, began serving as chief pilot and a parachute instructor with the 23rd Interceptor Flight Regiment of the 17th Air Division in the Soviet Air Force. In 1959, prior to testing to become a cosmonaut, Bykovsky was promoted to promoted to senior lieutenant and achieved the rating of military pilot, 3rd Class.



In addition to his three spaceflights, Bykovsky served as a backup to the Vostok 3 and Soyuz 37 missions. Between his first and second launches, Bykovsky was assigned to the prime crew of Soyuz 2, but that mission was canceled after Soyuz 1 ended in tragedy. He then trained for a circumlunar mission slated for March 1969, but that too was canceled as a result of technical problems and the success of NASA's Apollo 8 mission in December 1968.



Following Soyuz 31 and his Soyuz 37 backup assignment, Bykovsky served as a cosmonaut trainer before leaving the space program in 1988 to serve as the director of the House of Soviet Sciences and Culture in Berlin. He retired in 1990 at the age of 56.



For his service to his country's space program, Bykovsky was named a Hero of the Soviet Union and awarded the Order of Lenin and the Order of the Red Star, among numerous other Russian and international honors.



Bykovsky was preceded in death by the pilots of the first four Vostok missions (Gagarin in 1968, Gherman Titov in 2000, Andriyan Nikolayev in 2004 and Pavel Popovich in 2009), who died in the same order they flew. Of the original group of 20 cosmonauts, only Alexei Leonov and Boris Volynov are still living.



Bykovsky was married to Valentina Mikhailovna Sukhova, with whom he had two sons, Valery (who preceded Bykovsky in death in 1986) and Sergei.



"The leadership of the Cosmonaut Training Center, pilot-cosmonauts of the USSR and Russia and the whole team offer their condolences to the families and friends of Valery Fyodorovich," the training center leadership said.



Soviet cosmonaut Valery Bykovsky, seen here wearing his Vostok 5 spacesuit, died on March 27, 2019 at the age of 84. (Roscosmos)





Valery Bykovsky (back row, second from right) with his fellow cosmonauts in 1964. Back row, from left to right: Gherman Titov, Yuri Gagarin, Bykovsky, Andrian Nikolayev; front row: Pavel Popovich, Boris Yegorov, Valentina Tereshkova, Vladimir Komarov and Konstantin Feoktistov. (Roscosmos)





Valery Bykovsky (at left) with fellow Vostok cosmonauts Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman to fly in space, and Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space. (Roscosmos)





Valery Bykovsky (left) with his Soyuz 31 crewmate Sigmund Jahn, the first German in space. (Roscosmos)



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SPRINGFIELD  MGM Springfield announced Thursday it is committed to investing millions of dollars into the proposed $55 million redevelopment of the long-vacant, historic Elm Street block at Court Square to include market rate apartments.

Seth Stratton, vice-president and general counsel for MGM Springfield, announced the commitment at the Massachusetts Gaming Commission meeting in Boston, saying the final details are still being discussed with the private developers and city.

MGM Springfield had proposed investing $11 million in the Elm Street project as part of its commitment to the city and state to provide at least 54 units of market rate housing in the downtown-South End area. That proposal, however, was contingent on negotiations over the past year and the need for the project to gain private and public funding.

Massachusetts Gaming Commission members praised the news, and directed MGM Springfield to keep the commission informed as details are finalized.

Commission member Bruce Stebbins said that while it is a little early to blow the trumpets and horns," he was very happy to hear the news.

The six-story block at 13-31 Elm St. has been mostly vacant for the last 30 years, and has been described by city officials as a critical component of downtown revitalization efforts.

The building is across the street from the $960 million MGM Springfield resort casino, which opened last August. On the north side, it is across the street from the historic Municipal Group buildings  City Hall, Symphony Hall, and the Campanile.

The co-developers, Opal Real Estate of Springfield and WinnCompanies of Boston, are planning to renovate the building into 59 units of market rate housing and 15 workforce apartments restricted to tenants earning up to 80 percent of the area median income.

In addition, there would be retail on the first floor.

In February, a representative of WinnCompanies told city councilors that the developers were on the brink of securing full financing of the project.

The state Gaming Commission gave MGM Springfield additional time to make its decision on investing in that project or securing an alternate site for its housing commitment.

City Solicitor Edward Pikula, in a letter to the Gaming Commission, said the Elm Street property is far and away, one of Springfields priceless historic gems.

"The property has been vacant for decades, a victim of time, age, weather, extensive water damage, hazardous materials, and vandalism, Pikula said.

Stratton said the project is a very complex but critical project for downtown revitalization.

There is still a need to amend the Host Community Agreement between MGM Springfield and the city, to detail how it will meet its commitment for market rate housing including the construction schedule, Pikula and Stratton said.

WinnCompanies and Opal Real Estate were selected as the preferred developer of the Elm Street block in 2017 by the Springfield Redevelopment Authority, which owns the property. Under the agreement, the developers will purchase the property from the authority and use private and public funds and historic tax credits for the redevelopment.
LONGMEADOW  Citing health, safety and environmental concerns, public officials and residents Wednesday night voiced their opposition to the Tennessee Gas Pipeline Companys plans to expand a natural gas pipeline in Agawam and build a meter transfer station on the Longmeadow Country Club property.

The hearing was facilitated by members of the state Energy Facilities Siting Board and a representative from the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act Office.

The meter station, proposed in a residential neighborhood near Wolf Swamp Road Middle School, would serve Columbia Gas of Massachusetts and Holyoke Gas and Electric. Both utilities are Tennessee Gas customers.

State Sen. Eric P. Lesser said hes filed a formal letter of opposition with the Energy Facilities Siting Board and said that after the Merrimack Valley gas explosions last year, residents are right to be concerned.

Metering stations continually emit methane and other harmful contaminants that contribute to human health risks such as cardiovascular and respiratory disease, fetal/neonatal illness, and brain lesions that cause neurobehavioral abnormalities, he wrote in a letter to the board, read at the hearing by Michael Clark, a representative from Lessers office.

Tennessee Gas has said the expansion and meter station are necessary to meet customer demand. Columbia Gas imposed a moratorium on new service in a number of communities in 2014, citing what it said was insufficient capacity on the south-to-north Northampton Lateral. Holyoke Gas & Electric followed suit with its own moratorium earlier this year.

But both residents and public officials said they want more information from Tennessee Gas demonstrating the need, and Select Board Chairman Mark Gold said he would like to see timely and accurate communications about the project.

Columbia Gas has also not provided information about the causes of recent of gas leaks in town, including one last year that affected dozens of households, despite requests from the Select Board, Gold has said at Select Board meetings over the last several months.

Select Board member Thomas Lachiusa said hed prefer to see investments in renewable energy like solar and wind power rather than building more natural gas infrastructure.

Residents also spoke against the project.

Natural gas is not the clean or safe fuel weve been lead to believe, said Karen Tallman, a chemistry professor and member of the Longmeadow Pipeline Awareness Group.

Tallman said shes aware of three gas leaks that have happened in town since January, including one in which the police were called to a friends property after a reported leak of gas underground. That person didnt have gas service at their home  it had migrated and traveled underground to her house, following trench lines.

What happens if gas travels underground to the school? said Tallman, who teaches at Asnuntuck Community College.

I worry that Longmeadow school children ... may face a source of danger, one they cannot see or smell, said Debra Levy. We need to protect our children until they can advocate for themselves.

New fossil fuel infrastructure is immoral at this point in time ... the costs are too high, said Patricia Hawkins of Easthampton, arguing that the pipeline doesnt fit into the states goal of looking to renewable energy sources moving forward.

Numerous residents also pointed to the high rates of asthma in the Pioneer Valley. Elaine Tourtelotte referenced a recent report ranking Springfield as the city with the fifth highest rate of asthma in the country.

Some were concerned these pollutants will travel through the Pioneer Valley and make health problems worse, said Chris Tallman.

Communities nearby have echoed similar concerns; the Boards of Health in Longmeadow, Amherst, Chicopee, Holyoke, Northampton, Westfield, West Springfield and Springfield have all requested that the Gov. Charlie Baker stop the expansion of gas pipeline infrastructure until a statewide study on the health effects of natural gas can be conducted.

The metering station could also have impacts on noise levels in the neighborhood, since it would use machines called pig launchers  said to be as loud as a Boeing 747 airliner  for cleaning and maintenance, Sen. Lesser said in his letter.

State officials said theyll send resident comments, both from the hearing and written comments they receive through email and sent to their offices, to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which will review and recommend measures to avoid, minimize or mitigate negative environmental impacts.
A group of lawmakers introduced legislation Thursday that would admit Puerto Rico into the union as the 51st state without a referendum on the islands territorial status.

The bill was unveiled by U.S. Rep. Darren Soto, a Florida Democrat who represents parts of Orlando. He discussed the bill at a press conference in Washington attended by the islands Gov. Ricardo Rossello, a vocal proponent of statehood.

Im exited about the possibility of finally ending this historic injustice. Its time for all Puerto Ricans to be united behind a noble and Democratic effort, Soto told CBS News. Its time to let the old battle lines fade away. Its time to end 120 years of colonialism.

Joining Soto and Rossello were U.S. Reps. Don Young, R-Alaska; Ruben Gallego, D-Arizona; and Jamie Raskin, D-Maryland, as well as Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon, the islands non-voting delegate.

The bill faces an uphill climb with the prevailing wisdom being that statehood for Puerto Rico would increase the number of Democratic lawmakers in Washington. Statehood would likely be embraced in the Democratic-controlled House, but opposed in the Republican-led Senate. President Donald Trump opposes statehood for Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico has been under U.S. sovereignty since 1898, and its residents have been U.S. citizens since 1917 despite having no representation in Congress and not being able to vote in presidential elections.

In a 2017 referendum in Puerto Rico, 97 percent of those who cast ballots favored statehood, though turnout was low because of a boycott led by status quo proponents. A poll conducted by the newspaper El Nuevo Dia that year found statehood was supported by 52 percent of respondents.

The Trump administration and Rossello have been at odds over relief efforts in the wake of the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria.

Rossello's top aides told CNN that during a tense encounter at the White House on Wednesday they were warned by administration officials that representatives for the island were pushing too hard to arrange a meeting aimed at discussing the islands situation with Trump.

Despite their requests, Trump has declined to schedule a meeting with Rossello to discuss recovery efforts that are ongoing nearly two years after the storm hit.
SPRINGFIELD  The City Council this week rejected a special permit for a Connecticut organization seeking to open a dog rescue kennel after several animal activists criticized its plans and its ties to the troubled Puppy Place pet store company.

Save All Dogs, a nonprofit animal rescue organization based in Manchester, Connecticut, was seeking to open a kennel at a commercial plaza at 1380 Boston Road, adjacent to an existing Puppy Place.

The council vote was 13-0 to reject the special permit after animal activists and representatives of the Thomas J. OConnor Animal Control and Adoption Center raised concerns including how the animals would be transported and treated.

Attorney James F. Martin of Springfield, representing Save All Dogs, questioned how anyone could oppose the mission of saving animals for adoption.

This is a labor of love for these people, Martin said prior to the vote. This is nothing more than a stroke of the heart.

Puppy Place closed its West Springfield shop last year after numerous customer complaints. Some customers said they were being given sick dogs, with ailments ranging from parvovirus to kennel cough to trouble walking. Puppy Place denied any wrongdoing.

The store reopened last July at the Boston Road location in Springfield.

At Mondays City Council hearing, resident Brian Banks said the store is at the citys busiest intersection, Boston Road and Parker Street, and does not have adequate open space for fresh air and exercise for the animals.

"To squeeze this into a strip mall on the busiest intersection in Springfield next to a puppy store really doesn't make any sense," Banks said.

Animal activist Barbara Johnson of Springfield said that Save All Dogs, the nonprofit, and Puppy Place, the for-profit company, have the same board of directors and officers. The organization and business have side-by-side locations in Connecticut, she said.

The principals of Save All Dogs and The Puppy Place/The Dog House are listed as Christopher Carty, Richard Carty and Prudence Carty, all of Connecticut.

Martin said the animals are being saved, transported from kill shelters in Tennessee, where animals are kept and euthanized if they are not adopted. The fact that the planned site is next door to a Puppy Place and that some of the people are involved in both groups is not relevant to the council consideration, Martin said.

In addition, he said the location was deemed appropriate by the Planning Department staff, and said the animals are not being jammed into some little place.

The Planning Department had recommended the hearing be continued, rather than the permit be granted, due to concerns raised by officials from the OConnor center.

Center Director Pam Peebles said she and the animal control supervisor visited Save All Dogs at its Manchester location and had some concerns addressed, but left with other concerns. She said she felt the operation was focused on quantity, not quality.

Peebles said her real concern was the lack of enrichment activities for the dogs she saw. She also was concerned about egregious violations of animal care by Puppy Place. The new location has also been cited by the OConnor center, she said.

Katie Kelleher, who said she was a volunteer with Save All Animals, said the organization is a legitimate rescue with a legitimate purpose and (wants) to save as many animals as possible, hence the intention to expand to the second location.

Last August, she was identified as the manager of the Puppy Place in Springfield, and said then that the criticisms of the business were unfounded.

Kelleher said the connection between Save All Dogs and Puppy Place is that the Puppy Place owners "donate a lot of money to make rescues possible.

One of the opponents who spoke, Steve Brown of Sterling, who also described himself as a long-time animal activist, said there are hundreds of dogs in Massachusetts that need to be adopted.

"If you really care about dogs, lets start with dogs in Massachusetts, Brown said, adding that keeping dogs in tight spaces creates a host of behavioral issues.
SPRINGFIELD  A nationally acclaimed literacy program will now be run by the Springfield City Library.

Reading Success by 4th Grade is an initiative of the Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation. It was recognized at the national Grade-Level Reading Week conference in Denver in 2017 for initiating citywide strategies that raised the level of third-grade reading proficiency from 33 percent to 44 percent.

Jean Canosa Albano, assistant director for public services for the Springfield City Library, said former Reading Success by 4th Grade manager Sally Fuller was instrumental to the programs success and her retirement last year brought an opportunity for the library to expand its reach to families through the literacy program.

We certainly believe in the mission of the initiative to provide better opportunities for families and children and that is in strong alignment with what we do here, offering families a broader view through civic engagement, further education, workforce development and our focus area which is early literacy," she said.

From teaching children how to hold a book or how to read from left to right and learning letters, the library represents a safe, neutral space where families can come for help, Canosa Albano said.

The work of improving the reading skills of children in Springfield is critically important and requires the entire community to embrace, said Davis Foundation Directors Steve and John Davis in a statement. We are gratified that the small effort started with the help of the Davis Foundation has grown to incorporate so many stakeholders.

Davis Foundation directors were moved to launch an early literacy initiative (in 2009) as a result of the data on third grade reading proficiency," said Mary E. Walachy, executive director of the Davis Foundation. The foundation takes a strategic and data-driven approach in its investments around education, and our efforts with Reading Success by 4th Grade are at the core of the measurable improvement in Springfields reading scores.

The foundation cited the Springfield library system as an organization connected with the community. It hosts more than 615,000 visitors a year who borrow 630,000 items and attend 5,300 programs, and it has more than 20,000 cardholders under the age of 18. The library has been supportive of the literacy initiative since it began, including founding the Springfield Early Literacy Coalition, helping to implement the #413Reads campaign, and it is a lead partner in the #413Families / #413Familias texting program.

I think they were looking for this initiative to be more community owned, said Canosa Albano. The national Grade-Level Reading initiative focuses on how cities are doing to improve early literacy and one of the cities, Philadelphia, is a place where the library plays a key role in implementing a strategy around family engagement and everyone getting on the same page about the development of early literacy skills and how that is key to a childs success in reading and in life. We strive to do the same in Springfield.

Although the library will now manage the program, the Davis Foundation hopes to continue partnering with it on literacy issues.

The foundation will continue its commitment to the grade-level reading proficiency of Springfields third graders and the communitys work that begins with a childs birth, Walachy said. We will continue to make an investment in Reading Success by 4th Grade through the City Library and believe this is the most appropriate organization to take on the work and expand community ownership.
SPRINGFIELD  A city man faces up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to selling crack cocaine near his home.

Alonzo Williams Jr., 31, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to two counts of distribution of crack cocaine in U.S. District Court. Federal Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled his sentencing for June 26, said Christina DiLorio-Sterling, spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling.

Williams admitted he sold crack cocaine to a government witness twice in October 2017. He was arrested in August 2018 and was out of jail on conditions when he entered a plea, she said.

He faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years supervised release and a $1 million fine, she said.

The arrest was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods that brings together local, state and federal law enforcement and the local community to develop local strategies to fight violent crime, she said.

Agencies involved in the case include the U.S. Attorneys Office, the FBI, Massachusetts State Police, Hampden and Berkshire Sheriffs Departments and police from Springfield, Holyoke, Chicopee and West Springfield, she said.
BOSTON  Bruce Landsberg, vice chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, traveled to Boston Thursday to urge lawmakers to pass Gov. Charlie Bakers road safety bill.

Landsberg said the government agency supports Bakers call to ban the use of handhold phones while driving, require first-time drunk drivers to use an ignition interlock device, and allow the police to pull someone over for not wearing a seat belt.

Motor vehicle crashes make up 95 percent of transportation deaths.  NTSB refers to them as crashes, not accidents, because theyre completely predictable, Landsberg said, testifying at a public hearing before the state Legislatures Transportation Committee.

Today, Massachusetts has the second lowest rate of seat belt use in the country, after New Hampshire. According to state statistics, 74 percent of Massachusetts residents buckled up in 2017, compared to a national average of 90 percent.

Police in Massachusetts can only ticket someone for not wearing a seat belt if the person is pulled over for another offense. Bakers bill would make not wearing a seat belt a primary offense, which it is in 34 states, so the police could pull someone over solely for not wearing a seat belt.

Nationally, primary-offense seat belt laws reduce fatalities by seven to 10 percent, Landsberg said.

According to Massachusetts Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack, of 207 car occupants who died in Massachusetts crashes in 2017, 129 were not wearing seat belts.

State transportation officials estimate that 21 lives could be saved annually, 828 serious injuries could be avoided and $169 million in costs could be avoided by increased seat belt use if the law changes.

Another feature of Bakers bill would make Massachusetts the final New England state to ban the use of handheld phones while driving. Phones could be used hands-free.

Science says humans do not multitask well, Landsberg said. While Landsberg said the distraction of a phone is mostly cognitive and also occurs with hands-free devices, he called banning handheld devices a good first step.

If you could go farther, that would be very good. Youd see better results, he said.

Landsberg said roughly 10 percent of fatal crashes nationally are caused by distracted driving. The figure is around 8 percent in Massachusetts, according to state statistics.

Massachusetts already bans texting while driving, but police say that is hard to enforce because they do not know if a person is texting or making a call. Jeff Larason, MassDOTs director of highway safety, said the policy is also outdated because many people on their phones today are using apps, not texting.

One concern raised by lawmakers during the hearing was that racial profiling could be a problem. Civil rights advocates say police are more likely to pull over black or Latino drivers for minor offenses than white drivers.

Pollack said Bakers bill does not include anything about racial profiling. But she said the administration is willing to work with the Legislature, and with the police and civil rights advocates, to develop language that addresses the issue  for example, by requiring certain data to be collected to track if racial profiling is a problem.

We dont think we should wait on critical safety legislation to address a very important issue around racial profiling, Pollack said. We can get both done.

Transportation Committee member Rep. Paul Tucker, D-Salem, a retired police chief, urged lawmakers to carve out racial profiling as something to never be tolerated.

But dont let that be the enemy of getting this done and saving lives, he said.

Bakers bill would also require first-time offenders convicted of operating under the influence to use ignition interlock devices for six months after getting their license back. These devices today are used in Massachusetts only for repeat offenders. Every other state uses ignition interlock devices for at least some first-time offenders.

An ignition interlock records blood alcohol content when someone blows into it, and if alcohol is detected, the car will not start. As of March 1, nearly 6,000 Massachusetts residents had ignition interlocks.

In 2017, Landsberg said, one-third of traffic deaths were related to alcohol. Your citizens have the right not to die at the hands of a drunk or distracted driver, he said.

The ignition interlock proposal has been made before but never passed. One concern has been cost.

Landsberg said he did not have data on cost, but, If you think interlocks are expensive, try having an accident.

The ban on handheld phones while driving has also come up before. Rep. Denise Provost, D-Somerville, has filed similar bills for years.

When I used to walk my kids to school, I saw commuters cruising through marked crosswalks, sometimes with crossing guards and children in them, glued to their devices. That hasnt changed, Provost said.
AMHERST -- Two students were assaulted at gunpoint during an attempted marijuana sale in a University of Massachusetts dormitory Wednesday afternoon.

An initial confrontation occurred at about 2:40 p.m. in a room at Dwight Hall, which is designed for first-year students. The altercation continued into a parking lot where the two suspects brandished a gun, police said.

Neither student was injured. The suspects fled in a red car, but witnesses were not able to give a make or model of the car, police said.

"The male suspects are known to one the UMass students who is cooperating with police," officers said.

The suspects were caught on video and witness gave police a description of them. One is a college-aged white man who is between 5 feet, 9 inches and 5 feet, 10 inches tall. He has short, blond hair, facial hair and was wearing a white t-shirt and blue jeans. The second is a white college-age man who is about 6 feet, 1 inch tall, thin, with brown hair. He was wearing a red sweatshirt, blue jeans and white or grey Nike sneakers, police said.

Police are asking for help to identify and locate the suspects to prevent "further harm to the community." Anyone who sees them or knows anything about the crime is asked to call the campus police immediately at 413-545-2121.

Students are also cautioned to take extra safety precautions including avoiding letting anyone without a key card into their dorm and to lock their doors even if they leave their rooms for a few minutes.
University of Massachusetts officials on Wednesday advanced a 1.5 percent tuition hike for medical school students, and shined a bit more light on what in-state undergraduates across the other four campuses might expect to pay next year.

At a hearing in Fall River last week, UMass senior vice president of administration and finance Lisa Calise told lawmakers that if they include the university's full $568.3 million funding request in next year's budget, UMass would be able to freeze tuition and fees for in-state undergraduate students.

UMass President Marty Meehan reiterated that point Wednesday at a meeting of the Board of Trustees' Administration and Finance Committee and added, "If not, our fiscal 2020 budget assumes a 2.5 percent increase for in-state undergraduate tuition."

Gov. Charlie Baker, in his fiscal 2020 spending plan, recommended funding UMass at $558 million, which Meehan said fully funds the state's share of collective bargaining costs. He said he hopes the House and Senate follow Baker's lead in that area.

"Uncertainty over state funding for our collective bargaining contracts has been a significant issue in previous contract cycles and has had a direct impact on student costs, so full funding of collective bargaining in this budget recommendation is significant, and it's important," Meehan said.

Meehan said UMass officials are monitoring the state budget process and working with the Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, Lowell and medical school campuses on developing the university's fiscal 2020 budget, which will come before the UMass Board of Trustees in June.

Because third- and fourth-year medical students start their academic year in May, UMass sets tuition rates for its Worcester medical school earlier than for the rest of the system.

The medical school tuition and fee hikes approved by the Administration and Finance Committee Wednesday, set to come before the full board for a vote next week, would bring costs for in-state medical students to $38,346, with out of-state students paying $64,276.

For the Graduate School of Nursing, tuition and fees will total $15,454 for Massachusetts students, $18,834 for New England regional students, and $20,620 for other out-of-state students.

In a letter to Meehan outlining the student charges proposal, Medical School Chancellor Dr. Michael Collins wrote that senior campus leadership had made a "strategic decision...to limit total tuition and mandatory fee increases to 1.5 percent across all graduate schools and academic programs."

Collins said the non-mandatory fee for supplemental health insurance would drop by 7 percent, or $307, between this fiscal year and the next, a move he described as "the result of our team's tremendous efforts to negotiate a meaningful decrease in rates with the health insurance carrier."

House leaders plan to pass their state budget bill in April, with the Senate tackling its budget in May.
Despite Need to Impeach and other groups recent efforts to push U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfield, to immediately request President Donald Trumps tax returns, a new poll suggests that only half of Americans see the issue as a high priority for Congress.

A POLITICO/Morning Consult survey released this week found that only 50 percent of voters think its a priority for Congress to force the release of Trumps tax information, including 34 percent who see it as a top issue.

By contrast, 17 percent of respondents said they dont see Trumps tax returns as a "too important a priority and less than a quarter of voters said Congress should not force the president to release such information.

Ten percent, meanwhile, said they had no opinion on the issue.

As expected, the issue fell primarily along party lines with more than three-quarters of Democrats, 49 percent of independent voters and 19 percent of Republicans offering that the presidents tax returns should be a priority, according to the polls results.

The findings come just one week after Need to Impeach delivered petitions to Neals Springfield office and launched a billboard campaign urging the Democrat to use his power as the House Ways and Means Committees chairman to immediately request Trumps tax information.

The organization, which billionaire Tom Steyer launched in October 2017, has targeted the Springfield Democrat in recent months over his approach to seeking the presidents tax returns.

The congressman, who pledged to make the request after the 2018 midterm elections, has stressed that hes still working with House counsel on how to best seek the information and withstand an expected legal challenge.

The POLITICO/Morning Consult poll surveyed nearly 2,000 registered voters from March 25 to 26. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.
The Springfield City Council is questioning Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gullunis handling of the Nathan Bills assault investigation and has accused the district attorneys office of neglecting to complete a thorough investigation.

Justin Hurst, council president, issued a scathing statement one day after the state attorney generals office secured indictments against one dozen Springfield police officers, a trooper who formerly worked for Springfield police and a retired Springfield police sergeant in connection with the alleged attack on a group of men outside Nathan Bills Bar and Restaurant in April 2015.

In response to Hurst's statement, a spokesman for Gulluni said the district attorney's office referred the Nathan Bill's case to both the U.S. Attorney's Office and the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office in October of 2016 for a "review of the larger circumstances of the incident."

MassLive has learned that video footage from a Bank of America near the bar was not obtained by Springfield Police investigators or the DAs Office during the initial investigation. That evidence was discovered, however, by the FBI and was included in evidence that led to the indictments by the grand jury.

Two men affiliated with Nathan Bills Bar and Restaurant -- co-owner John Sullivan and manager Joseph Sullivan -- are also facing indictments for misleading investigators.

Seven men have been accused of participating in the alleged attack and are facing charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery with serious bodily injury, assault and battery and conspiracy.

The remaining people indicted are accused of lying about or covering up the attack.

Indictments were handed up by a Worcester-based statewide grand jury Wednesday. The state attorney generals office brought the case to a grand jury beginning in February 2018.

One year earlier, in February 2017, Gullunis office declined to press charges. The district attorney said the men allegedly attacked by a group of off-duty Springfield cops were victims of an assault, but the mens descriptions of the alleged attackers were inconsistent and would not hold up in court.

District Attorney Anthony Gullunis failure to press charges against any of the 14 police officers further illustrates a dereliction of duties and leads citizens to question his role in this most recent scandal, Hurst said. The District Attorney neglected to do a thorough investigation at the outset, and unfortunately, this is not the first time. His failure to investigate and prosecute brazen police officers only reinforces to the entire police department that they are above the law and will not be held accountable for their actions.

Hurst said Gulluni could have convened a grand jury.

In fact, the State Attorney General issued indictments against the 14 officers just as fast as the District Attorney dismissed the victims accusations, he wrote.

Gullinis office issued a response to Hursts statement.

Once again Councilman Hurst has demonstrated his lack of understanding of the events and actions of this office. The District Attorney found the victims to be credible and to have suffered serious injury, James Leydon, spokesman for Gullunis office said. The facts known at the time as relayed by the victims themselves did not offer clarity as to who perpetrated the attacks and therefore charges could not be brought. This office then referred the case to both the U.S. Attorney's Office and the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office in October of 2016 for a review of the larger circumstances of the incident. These agencies have the scope and available resources to investigate a matter of this kind and, in fact, subsequently discovered evidence with which the Hampden District Attorney's Office was not furnished and now forms the basis of the indictments issued yesterday."

Acting Springfield Police Commissioner Cheryl C. Clapprood issued a statement after the indictments were announced. All of the Springfield officers were suspended without pay. Nathanael Perez, the former Springfield officer who joined the Massachusetts State Police in April 2016, was relieved of duty Wednesday pending a duty status hearing Friday.

Perez left in October 2015. He then joined the Massachusetts State Police after graduating from the academy in April 2016. After working in Troop B, Perez then began working for the unit assigned to the Hampden DAs office in December 2017, according to state police.

Clapprood said her department will move forward with disciplinary action on each officer as soon as the grand jury evidence is available for the department to review. She also will notify the citys Retirement Board.

Hurst contends the Springfield Police Department, which has been plagued by a series of issues, can only be fixed by bringing in a commissioner from outside the department.

The Mayor cannot continue to appoint Commissioners from within the department who have been immersed in a culture of impunity and cronyism and expect a different result, he said. There must be a national search for a police chief to lead the department, and in absence of that, systemic change to our police department will continue to be an uphill battle.

The Nathan Bills case has resulted in the city paying $885,000 in settlements.

The alleged victims in the attack, Herman Paul Cumby, Jozelle Ligon, Jackie Ligon and Michael Cintron claim the officers set upon them after an incident inside Nathan Bills in April 2015.

An argument began between Jozelle Ligon and a group of off-duty officers at the bar. One off-duty officer thought a man was whistling at his then-girlfriend, who was also a Springfield officer. The alleged victims say the man was whistling at the bartender for a drink.

The men left the bar and reunited around 2 p.m. Cumby, in an interview with MassLive, said a group of 10 to 15 men headed toward them and a fight broke out with the off-duty officers.

One officer claims, through his attorney, that Cumby was the aggressor. Six of the people indicted in the case were first charged in Springfield District Court on assault and battery and conspiracy charges.

Seven of those indicted will have their cases heard in Hampden Superior Court. The others will appear in Worcester Superior Court, where they testified before the statewide grand jury.

Indictments show several of the officers are accused of misleading investigators on various dates throughout 2015. The perjury charges involve testimony in 2018.

The seven men were indicted on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery with serious bodily injury, assault and battery and conspiracy are:

- Springfield Police Officer Daniel Billingsley, 30, of Springfield

- Springfield Police Officer Anthony Cicero, 29, of Hampden

- Springfield Police Officer Christian Cicero, 28, of Longmeadow

- Springfield Police Officer Igor Basovskiy, 34, of Springfield

- Springfield Police Officer Jameson Williams, 33, of East Longmeadow

- Springfield Police Officer Jose Diaz, 54, of Springfield

- Nathan Bills Bar & Restaurant Owner John Sullivan, 34, of Springfield

The bar owners and Diaz along with eight other people are also accused of lying about or trying to cover up the alleged attack. They are:

- John Sullivan: Misleading a federal agent/investigator

- Springfield Police Officer Jose Diaz: Misleading a police officer/investigator

- Springfield Police Officer Darren Nguyen, 40, of Holland: Perjury, misleading a police officer/investigator, filing a false police report

- Springfield Police Officer Shavonne Lewis, 29, of Springfield: Perjury, misleading a police officer/investigator, filing a false police report

- Retired Springfield Police Sergeant Louis Bortolussi, 57, of East Longmeadow: Perjury, misleading a police officer/investigator, filing a false police report

- Springfield Police Officer Derrick Gentry-Mitchell, 29, of Springfield: Perjury, misleading a police officer/investigator, filing a false police report

- Springfield Police Officer James DAmour, 42, of Hampden: Perjury, misleading a police officer/investigator, filing a false police report

- Springfield Police Officer John Wajdula, 34, of Springfield: Perjury, misleading a police officer/investigator, filing a false police report

- Former Springfield Police Officer, current Mass. State Police Trooper Nathanael Perez, 27, of West Springfield: Perjury, misleading a police officer/investigator, filing a false police report

- Springfield Police Officer Melissa Rodriguez, 32, of Springfield: Perjury

- Bar Manager Joseph Sullivan, 42, of Hampden: Perjury, misleading a police officer/investigator, filing a false police report
The 12 Springfield police officers who were indicted on allegations they were either involved in the 2015 off-duty beating of a group of men or lied to cover it up have all been suspended without pay.

Also indicted in the case is a retired Springfield police sergeant as well as a former Springfield cop who has been a member of the Massachusetts State Police for a just a few years. All were indicted by a statewide grand jury convened in Worcester following an investigation by the state attorney generals office.

The former Springfield police officer who is now a trooper assigned to Hampden County District Attorney Anthony Gullunis office, Nathanael Perez, was indicted on perjury and misleading a police officer/investigator Wednesday.

The 27-year-old left Springfield police in October 2015. He then joined the Massachusetts State Police after graduating from the academy in April 2016. Perez was first assigned to Troop B.

As a member of the state police, Perez began working for the unit assigned to the Hampden DAs office in December 2017, according to state police.

Gulluni declined to press charges in the case in February 2017.

A state police spokesman confirmed Perez was relieved of duty Wednesday. His work status will be determined at a Friday hearing, the spokesman said.

The Massachusetts State Police demand and expect that all personnel be truthful at all times and maintain the highest standards of conduct, state police spokesman David Procopio said. The charges against Nathan Perez as alleged in the indictment, if proven, are a stark violation of departmental regulations and the oath to serve honorably."

Acting Springfield Police Commissioner Cheryl C. Clapprood released a statement after the indictments were filed Wednesday by a Worcester-based statewide grand jury. The Attorney Generals Office first put the case before a grand jury in February of 2018.

Since April of 2015, multiple agencies, including the Springfield Police Department, have investigated what happened with regard to the incident outside of Nathan Bills, Clapprood said. New information provided to a grand jury in Worcester has led to these indictments years later. The indictments will begin to bring some closure to a four year old incident that has damaged the reputation of the Springfield Police Department.

The acting commissioner will move forward with disciplinary action on each officer as soon as the grand jury evidence is available for the department to review.

The citys Retirement Board will be notified as well, Clapprood said. All of the officers are suspended without pay.

Along with the officers and the trooper, the two co-owners of Nathan Bills Bar and Restaurant, John and Joseph Sullivan, were also indicted on charges.

Seven men were indicted on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery with serious bodily injury, assault and battery and conspiracy.

Those men are:

- Springfield Police Officer Daniel Billingsley, 30, of Springfield

- Springfield Police Officer Anthony Cicero, 29, of Hampden

- Springfield Police Officer Christian Cicero, 28, of Longmeadow

- Springfield Police Officer Igor Basovskiy, 34, of Springfield

- Springfield Police Officer Jameson Williams, 33, of East Longmeadow

- Springfield Police Officer Jose Diaz, 54, of Springfield

- Nathan Bills Bar & Restaurant Owner John Sullivan, 34, of Springfield

The bar owners and Diaz along with eight other people are also accused of lying about or trying to cover up the alleged attack.

Those people are:

- John Sullivan: Misleading a federal agent/investigator

- Springfield Police Officer Jose Diaz: Misleading a police officer/investigator

- Springfield Police Officer Darren Nguyen, 40, of Holland: Perjury, misleading a police officer/investigator, filing a false police report

- Springfield Police Officer Shavonne Lewis, 29, of Springfield: Perjury, misleading a police officer/investigator, filing a false police report

- Retired Springfield Police Sergeant Louis Bortolussi, 57, of East Longmeadow: Perjury, misleading a police officer/investigator, filing a false police report

- Springfield Police Officer Derrick Gentry-Mitchell, 29, of Springfield: Perjury, misleading a police officer/investigator, filing a false police report

- Springfield Police Officer James DAmour, 42, of Hampden: Perjury, misleading a police officer/investigator, filing a false police report

- Springfield Police Officer John Wajdula, 34, of Springfield: Perjury, misleading a police officer/investigator, filing a false police report

- Former Springfield Police Officer, current Mass. State Police Trooper Nathanael Perez, 27, of West Springfield: Perjury, misleading a police officer/investigator, filing a false police report

- Springfield Police Officer Melissa Rodriguez, 32, of Springfield: Perjury

- Bar Manager Joseph Sullivan, 42, of Hampden: Perjury, misleading a police officer/investigator, filing a false police report

In 2017, Gulluni said civilians, Herman Paul Cumby, Jozelle Ligon, Jackie Ligon and Michael Cintron were victims of an assault, but their description of their alleged attackers was too inconsistent to hold up in court.

The Nathan Bills case cost the city of Springfield $885,000 in settlements.

The three civilians were at the bar when an argument began between Jozelle Ligon and a group of off-duty officers at the bar in April 2015. Cumby and Ligon said Jozelle was whistling at a bartender for a drink, but Billingsley believed he was instead whistling at his then-girlfriend, Rodriguez.

Eventually, Cumby and his group left the bar. Cumby was walking down the street while speaking to his girlfriend on the phone and the Ligons and Cintron waiting in the parking lot of a nearby store for Cumby to return and drive them home, according to interviews with the alleged victims.

The group reunited around 2 a.m. when they saw 10 to 15 men heading toward them, Cumby said in an interview.

The civilians said the off-duty officers were the aggressors when a fight broke out. Billingsleys lawyer contends Cumby was the aggressor.

Cumby suffered a broken leg and loosened teeth in the fight, according to medical records reviewed by MassLive.

Six of the Springfield police officers and one of the bar owners were first charged in Springfield District Court on charges of assault and battery and conspiracy in the case.
Antioxidants are a group of molecules that can slow down or prevent cell oxidation. This group of vitamins, minerals, and other phytochemical substances serve as a barrier against free radicals, molecules that harm cells and cause premature aging of the skin, as well as different ailments and illnesses. Antioxidants are a common ingredient in many skin care and personal care products.

Market Dynamics:

Antioxidants are used in the cosmetic industry for mainly two reasons. They prevent degradation of natural ingredients (proteins, sugars, lipids) in the cosmetic product. On the other hand, antioxidants protect the skin cells from being damaged and slow down the aging process. Antioxidants are used in cosmetics products for many desirable purposes such as Anti-inflammation, Skin firming, Scar treatment. Antioxidants in Sunscreens are used to protect the skin from the effects of pollution.

Increasing average population age and growing demand for anti-aging products will drive the demand for cosmetic antioxidants market. The demographic changes in developed countries are expected to continue and hence the demand for anti-aging products will continue to increase. In developing countries, economic growth is causing the emergence of substantial cosmetic industry.

Antioxidants are delicate and must be packaged in containers that will ensure they remain effective. A low shelf life of antioxidants represents a challenge for the market. Natural antioxidants derived from plant sources will gradually replace synthetic antioxidants which are known to be possible carcinogens.

Segment Analysis:

Cosmetic Antioxidants Market is segmented by Type, function, and application. By type, Cosmetic Antioxidants Market is segmented into Natural and synthetic. The natural segment is further divided into Vitamins, Polyphenols, and Enzymes. Vitamin A, C, E are widely used in Cosmetic Antioxidants Market. Coenzyme Q10 is a widely used enzyme for antioxidant properties. Hydroxytyrosol, oleuropein, resveratrol are a common polyphenolic compound used as antioxidant is cosmetic industry. Natural anti-oxidants are becoming increasingly popular due to consumer preference for natural products. Synthetic antioxidants include BHA, BHT. BHA & BHT are banned in U.K., Japan, and many European countries except for the US. Market share of Synthetic antioxidants is expected to decrease due to possible health concerns associated with these chemicals.

By Function, Cosmetics antioxidant market is segmented into Hair Conditioning, Anti-aging, UV-protection, Moisturizing, Hair Cleansing, Anti-inflammatory. Cosmetic antioxidants are commonly used as the Anti-aging agent. Antioxidants may reverse the effects of aging by improving skin health and rejuvenating its appearance. Coenzyme Q-10 is a common skin-firming antioxidant and is great for use in eye creams and products that are meant to tone the skin. Vitamins C and E are especially beneficial for reducing the appearance of wrinkles.

By application, Cosmetics antioxidant market is divided into Skincare, Haircare, and makeup products.

Geographical Analysis:

By region, Cosmetic Antioxidants Market is segmented into North America, South America, Asia-pacific, Europe, and rest of the world. Asia-pacific accounted for largest market share due to the wide use of skin care products in Japan, South Korea as well as an increase in the use of cosmetic products in China, India caused by economic growth. In India, China per capita consumption on cosmetics products is still very low, and it is expected to increase during the forecast period. This will contribute to the growth of cosmetic antioxidants market. In general, the use of cosmetic products corresponds to economic prosperity. In Europe, Germany, France, UK, Italy spend most on cosmetics & personal care products. In North America, the US and in South America, Brazil contributes most to the Cosmetic Antioxidants Market.

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Key Players:

Global Cosmetic Antioxidants Market is very competitive comprising of many small firms specializing in beauty products industry. Some of the notable players in the Cosmetic Antioxidants Market are BASF, Kemin Industries, Croda International, Eastman Chemical Company, Lonza Group, Merck & Co., Nexira SAS, SEPPIC, Ashland Inc., Wacker Chemie, and DSM.

In August 2018, Spec-Chem Industry Inc. has launched an ascorbic acid-derivative (3-O-ethyl ascorbic acid) with whitening, antioxidant, anti-aging and anti-inflammation properties.

Why purchase the report?

Visualize the composition of the Cosmetic Antioxidants Market across each indication, in terms of type, function, application highlighting the key commercial assets and players.

Identify commercial opportunities in the Cosmetic Antioxidants Market by analyzing trends and co-development deals.

Excel data sheet with thousands of data points of the Cosmetic Antioxidants Market level 4/5 segmentation

PDF report with the most relevant analysis cogently put together after exhaustive qualitative interviews and in-depth market study

Product mapping in excel for the key Cosmetic Antioxidants Market products of all major market players

Target Audience

Raw Material Suppliers/ Buyers

Product Suppliers/ Buyers

Industry Investors/Investment Bankers

Education & Research Institutes

Research Professionals

Emerging Companies

Manufacturers

Table of Content

Global Cosmetic Antioxidants Market  Methodology and Scope Global Cosmetic Antioxidants Market  Trends Global Cosmetic Antioxidants Market  Industry Analysis Global Cosmetic Antioxidants Market  By Type Global Cosmetic Antioxidants Market  By Function Global Cosmetic Antioxidants Market  By Application Global Cosmetic Antioxidants Market  By Geography Global Cosmetic Antioxidants Market  Competitive Landscape Global Cosmetic Antioxidants Market  Company Profiles

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Laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis, or LASIK, is a form of laser eye surgery that alters the shape of the cornea to reduce or eliminate the need for glasses and contact lenses in case of severe myopia (nearsightedness). This surgery acts as a long-term alternative to contact lenses and eyeglasses. LASIK is also being used to treat hyperopia (farsightedness) and astigmatism. Rise in aging population is expected to positively impact the LASIK treatment market.

Increase in demand for laser eye surgeries and rise in awareness about LASIK in populace drive the market growth. Furthermore, surge in prevalence of myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism boost the LASIK treatment market. However, stringent and unclear government regulations towards LASIK treatment, insufficient reimbursement policies, and high costs associated with the LASIK procedure hamper the market growth.

The global LASIK Treatment market is growing with significant CAGR value during 2019-2025.

This report focuses on LASIK Treatment volume and value at global level, regional level and company level. From a global perspective, this report represents overall LASIK Treatment market size by analyzing historical data and future prospect. Regionally, this report focuses on several key regions: North America, Europe, China and Japan.

At company level, this report focuses on the production capacity, ex-factory price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer covered in this report.

The following manufacturers are covered:

Abbott Medical OpticsAMO

Bausch&Lomb Surgical, Inc

Carl Zeiss, Inc.

Nidek, Inc.

Alcon Laboratories, Inc.

Wavelight AG

VISX, Inc

Lasersight Technologies,Inc

Summit Automonous, Inc

MO Manufacturing USA LLC

Segment by Regions

North America

Europe

China

Japan

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Segment by Type

LASER

Surgical Blades

Anesthetics

Eye Holders

Suction Rings

Segment by Application

Hospitals

Ophthalmology Clinics

Ambulatory Surgical Centers

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

1 LASIK Treatment Market Overview

2 Global LASIK Treatment Market Competition by Manufacturers

3 Global LASIK Treatment Production Market Share by Regions

4 Global LASIK Treatment Consumption by Regions

5 Global LASIK Treatment Production, Revenue, Price Trend by Type

6 Global LASIK Treatment Market Analysis by Applications

7 Company Profiles and Key Figures in LASIK Treatment Business

8 LASIK Treatment Manufacturing Cost Analysis

9 Marketing Channel, Distributors and Customers

10 Market Dynamics

11 Global LASIK Treatment Market Forecast

12 Research Findings and Conclusion

13 Methodology and Data Source

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Scope of the Report of Pectinase

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Market Drivers

Increase in Digestion-Related Diseases

Advance Market Analytics published a new research publication on Global Pectinase Market Insights, to 2025 with 178 pages and enriched with self-explained Tables and charts in presentable format. In the Study you will find new evolving Trends, Drivers, Restraints, Opportunities generated by targeting market stakeholders. The growth of the Pectinase market is mainly driven by the increasing R&D spending across the world. Some of the key players profiled in the study are Novozymes (Denmark), Genencor Biotechnology Company (DuPont) (United States), Amano Enzyme (United States), DSM (Netherlands), AB Enzymes (Germany), Verenium Corporation (BASF) (United States), Shandong Longda Biology Engineering Co., Ltd. (China), Zhangjiagang City Jinyuan Biochemical Co., Ltd. (China), Sunson (China) and Challenge Group (United Kingdom).

Market Trend

Advancements in the Biotechnology Sector

Restraints

Government Stringent Regulations for Approvals

Opportunities

Rise in Advancement in Food and Textile Industries

The Pectinase Market report provides a basic overview of the industry including its definition, geography segment, end use/application segment and competitor segment and manufacturing technology. Then, the report explores the international major industry players in detail.

According to the Regional Segmentation the Pectinase Market provides the Information covers following regions:

*North America

*South America

*Asia & Pacific

*Europe

*MEA (Middle East and Africa)

The key countries in each region are taken into consideration as well, such as United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, South Africa, Nigeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Germany, United Kingdom (UK), the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Austria, Turkey, Russia, France, Poland, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, China, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, India, Australia and New Zealand etc.

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The titled segments and sub-section of the market are illuminated below:

The Study Explore the Product Types of Pectinase Market: Protopectinases, Polygalacturonases, Pectin Lyases, Pectinesterase

End User Industry: Food Industry, Aquaculture Industry, Winemaking Industry, Textile Industry

Channel: Direct Sales, Distributor

Top Players in the Market are: Novozymes (Denmark), Genencor Biotechnology Company (DuPont) (United States), Amano Enzyme (United States), DSM (Netherlands), AB Enzymes (Germany), Verenium Corporation (BASF) (United States), Shandong Longda Biology Engineering Co., Ltd. (China), Zhangjiagang City Jinyuan Biochemical Co., Ltd. (China), Sunson (China) and Challenge Group (United Kingdom)

List of players also available in Coverage: Shanghai Youtell Biochemical Co., Ltd (China) and Shandong Sukahan Bio-Technology Co., Ltd. (China)

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Strategic Points Covered in Table of Content of Global Pectinase Market:

Chapter 1: Introduction, market driving force product Objective of Study and Research Scope the Pectinase market

Chapter 2: Exclusive Summary  the basic information of the Pectinase Market.

Chapter 3: Displaying the Market Dynamics- Drivers, Trends and Challenges of the Pectinase

Chapter 4: Presenting the Pectinase Market Factor Analysis Porters Five Forces, Supply/Value Chain, PESTEL analysis, Market Entropy, Patent/Trademark Analysis.

Chapter 5: Displaying the by Type, End User and Region 2013-2018

Chapter 6: Evaluating the leading manufacturers of the Pectinase market which consists of its Competitive Landscape, Peer Group Analysis, BCG Matrix & Company Profile

Chapter 7: To evaluate the market by segments, by countries and by manufacturers with revenue share and sales by key countries in these various regions.

Chapter 8 & 9: Displaying the Appendix, Methodology and Data Source

Finally, Pectinase Market is a valuable source of guidance for individuals and companies.

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Market Overview:

Global Vaccine Conjugates Market is expected to register a CAGR of approximately 14.5% during the forecast period, 2018 to 2027. Conjugate vaccines are formed by covalently bonding a weak antigen to the strong antigen.

It boosts the hosts immune response. Conjugate vaccines are germ specific and can identify targeted germ only, so it can be used as a preventative measure to provide additional protection.

Conjugate vaccines are used to treat Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b) disease, Hepatitis B, HPV (Human papillomavirus), Whooping cough (part of the DTaP combined vaccine), Pneumococcal disease, Meningococcal disease, and Shingles.

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The rising occurrence of diseases caused by microorganisms, increasing awareness about prevention of infectious diseases, and an increasing number of regulatory approvals to the vaccines are expected to drive the growth of the market. Moreover, rising R&D spending and aggressive strategies adopted by top players such as new product launches are contributing to the growth of the market.

The complex manufacturing procedure, low accessibility of vaccines to rural or remote areas, and recent incidents regarding frauds and malpractice of top vaccine manufacturers may hinder the growth of the market during the assessment period. For instance, in July 2018, Chinese vaccine manufacturer Changchun Changsheng Life Sciences Limited (second largest vaccine manufacturer in China) found guilty of fabricating its manufacturing records and faced legal action.

Top Players:

The key players that are involved in Global Vaccine Conjugates market are GlaxoSmithKline plc. (U.K), Merck & Co., Inc.(U.S), Fablife. (India), SutroVax Inc.(U.S), Sanofi Pasteur SA.(France), Pfizer (U.S), Sinovac Biotech Ltd. (China) and Others.

Segmentation:

The global vaccine conjugates market is segmented based on type, disease indication, pathogen type, patient stage, and end-user.

Based on type, the global vaccine conjugates market can be segmented into monovalent conjugate vaccines and multivalent conjugate vaccines.

Based on disease indication, the global vaccine conjugates market can be segmented into pneumococcal, influenza, DTP, meningococcal, and others.

Based on pathogen type, the global vaccine conjugates market can be segmented into bacterial conjugate vaccine, viral conjugate vaccine, and combination (viral and bacterial).

Based on patient stage, the global vaccine conjugates market can be segmented into pediatrics conjugate vaccine and adults conjugate vaccine.

Based on end-user, the global vaccine conjugates market can be segmented into research institutes, academic institutes, pharmaceutical industries, and others.

Regional Analysis:

The global vaccine conjugates market consists of four regions, namely, America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa.

The Americas are likely to dominate the global conjugate vaccine market owing to the rising prevalence of infectious diseases, increase in awareness about vaccination, and technological advancement and government initiatives for vaccination programs.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) vaccination is the most effective medium to prevent disease and it reduced the impact of various life threating diseases. In the year 2016, more than 90% of the US population was vaccinated for Diphtheria, influenza, measles, mumps, rubella, and hepatitis A and B.

Extensive research and development activities in the field of biotechnology and vaccine conjugates in European countries favor the demand of the vaccine conjugates technology market in the European region. The European market is also growing continuously and slowly catching up with the American market soon. With the demand for genetically modified organisms, the European market for vaccine conjugates is a growing market with huge potential.

The market in Asia-Pacific is expected to show steady growth in vaccine conjugates during the forecast period. Increasing aging population and prevalence of infectious diseases favor the growth of this market in the Asia-Pacific region, especially, in countries such as Singapore, Japan, and China which offer immense growth opportunities to vaccine conjugates providers in the recent years. Medical institutes in Asia-Pacific are mainly focused on the use of vaccine conjugates education and research activities. Thereby, the overall market is expected to experience sustained growth during the forecast period.

The Middle East and Africa consists of countries, namely, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the Rest of the Middle East and Africa. The demand for vaccine conjugates is found to be low as compared to other regions.

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by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, March 27, 2019

A new feature will reportedly tell Google Chrome smartphone users when a website is trying to access and collect data transmitted from the sensors inside the phone.

A pop-up will alert the user each time a site tries to access one of the device settings, providing an option to turn it off or block it. It's not clear whether it also detects when an app is trying to obtain data.

The tool has been spotted in a test bed that Google calls Canary, where the company tests potential new features or checks for bugs and code issues, according to one report.

The process could put a glitch in ad targeting, and even search.

The sensors in the phone provide a wealth of information ranging from location to browsing and buying habits. Google Maps also offers up an itinerary as it tracks places visited until the user goes into their privacy settings to delete it.

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The plethora of data provides a ton of information to brands that want to serve messages and advertisements.

For now the feature, which works in a similar way to an on-and-off switch, blocks all motion and light sensor data.

Some have discussed the change in Googles Chromium message board, which notes that access to the device's sensors is enabled by default. Google wants to disable that access if needed.

Some analysts note the opposite. They believe Google will do little or go light to change the way Chrome protects consumer privacy when it comes to data.

Stifel analyst John Egbert thinks Google will want to improve Chrome data privacy protections in some way, but the approach might be less "heavy-handed" than Apple's considering how much revenue Google gets from ads, reports SeekingAlpha.

The report suggests that the move to lighten privacy constraints will be good news for companies like Criteo and LiveRamp.
by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, March 27, 2019

Anticompetitive behavior really hasnt sunk into the minds of decision makers at Google. Not even after the European Union fined the company $1.7 billion for unfairly restricting how third-party websites could integrate ads sold by Google competitors into the search results on those sites and specific pages.

Now, the BBC has removed its podcasts from the Google Podcasts app -- which makes them inaccessible to users of Google Assistant and Google Home -- and reduced choice, wrote Kieran Clifton, director of BBC distribution and business development, in a blog post.

Google launched its own podcast app for Android users last year. A browser version will soon launch for computers.

But Clifton wrote Google has been directing people who search for a BBC podcast into its own podcast service, rather than BBC Sounds or other third-party services available elsewhere. Granted, BBC Sounds is not available outside the UK, but the lack of choice is an approach the BBC is not comfortable with and has consistently expressed strong concerns about, Clifton wrote. We asked them to exclude the BBC from this specific feature, but they have refused.

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BBC is a public-service company and wants the content to become available to as many people as possible. Thats why it makes the podcasts available for free to a range of third-party apps. In fact, its distribution policy requires the public service company to do so.

The two companies are in ongoing discussions to try and resolve the situation, but until that occurs, the BBC has removed the content from all Google services.

Google received three fines in two years from the EU.
by Sara Guaglione , March 27, 2019

De Correspondents English language site, The Correspondent,is shutting down its new U.S. office to concentrate on building its team in Amsterdam, as it gears up to launch this fall.

The reader-funded, Netherlands-based news site raised $2.6 million from 45,888 members in over 130 countries for its campaign to launch an English version of the Dutch site, based in New York City.

Since that campaign ended, an additional 3,200 members have backed the ad-free site.

The Correspondent has now decided to be based out of Amsterdam entirely.

Cofounder-CEO Ernst Pfauth wrote in a Medium post: "We've closed our campaign office in NYC, and we have decided we won't open a newsroom in the U.S. for now."

We dont aim to be a national U.S. news organization (we have founding members from more than 130 countries around the world!) but instead want to cover the greatest challenges of our time from a global perspective  in English, he continued. For that vision, Amsterdam is as a great place to start.

Some 56 staffers work out of the newsroom in Amsterdam.

The Correspondent plans to launch its English language site on September 30, with correspondents based all over the world.

Theyll work from places that make most sense to their respective beats, and well catch up with them in our Amsterdam newsroom multiple times per year (well compensate our travel emissions tenfold), Pfauth wrote.

Some members who believed they had contributed funds for the English language sites home in the U.S. are not happy, voicing their confusion on Twitter.

One of the main reasons behind the decision to stick to The Netherlands, according to Pfauths post, was the difficulty of fostering one company culture across the Atlantic Ocean.

We learned during the past year this is a challenge when the distance between teams grows. Remote working is perfectly possible, of course, but only if you have a shared sense of a company home, he wrote.

Simply, De Correspondent wanted its leadership team in one office for better collaboration.

Pfauth also touted Amsterdams advantages as a great place to work and live.

Theres a great public infrastructure and a robust public health-care system, the cost of living is relatively low compared to other global cities, and almost everyone speaks English," he wrote.

A Correspondent spokesperson echoed this sentiment to Publishers Daily, noting that setting up a second office means extra costs, like rent.

De Correspondents founding editor Rob Wijnberg assured Publishers Daily via email that this decision does not affect the media companys mission.

"We have not changed our promise to our members to launch an English language journalism platform, with correspondents based in both the U.S. and several other places in the world, he said. What we have decided is to locate our core supporting roles (for example our membership director and member-support team) in our existing HQ in Amsterdam. In short, we will definitely have a U.S. presence, just not a second office," he notes.
by Melynda Fuller , March 27, 2019

WowYow has launched a visual AI solution today for publishers and advertisers. The suite is something of a Google Adsense for video and images, creating a global marketplace capable of leveraging visual content.

We knew that in order for a solution to be adopted across an entire industry of publishers and advertisers, it had to be built for scale from the beginning, said Jarett Boskovich, cofounder-Chief Marketing Officer at WowYow. Thats when we identified the need for an AI-based solution.

The tools come during a high point for the image recognition market, which is expected to reach a value of $77.69 billion by 2025.

WowYows new suite of products, called Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Images, is automated and uses AI to analyze every image on a page through four key computer-science fields. They include computer vision, artificial intelligence, visual search and visual augmentation to identify and index everything seen.

The tools then create metadata and generating ad inventory, unlocking the images searchability, marketability and profitability.

Boskovich said: We wanted to focus on nonbranded content, because thats where the attention is online.

"We knew that if we unlocked video and images for audiences to explore, discover and shop their favorite content, that brands and the advertising community would instantly see the value in connecting to hyper-targeted and engaged audiences.

On average, WowYow reports engagement rates that perform 500 times better than other monetization solutions and high-than-industry-standard click-through rates of 8.5% (based on 2018 numbers).

By implementing AI for Images, advertisers can launch campaigns and deliver ads in five formats: visual search, call to action buttons, banner overlays, video overlays and fully immersive experiences.
by Tanya Gazdik , March 27, 2019

Peeps and Dunkin are partnering to offer fans new ways of consuming the iconic candy.

Beginning April 1, the candy will be featured in the Peeps Donut and new Peeps Marshmallow-flavored coffee and espresso drinks.

Dunkins Peeps Donut includes white icing, a special green and egg-shaped sprinkle blend and a mini yellow Peeps Marshmallow Chick on top. New Peeps Marshmallow-flavored coffee brings the taste of classic Peeps Marshmallow to Dunkins hot and iced coffee, espresso drinks, frozen coffee, and frozen chocolate.

From April 2-4, Dunkins custom-sculpted coffee car will travel alongside the Peepsmobile, starting from the hometown of Peeps in Bethlehem, Penn. and heading toward Dunkins birthplace of Quincy, Mass. Along the route, both cars will stop at six Dunkin restaurants.

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When the cars arrive, the first 250 guests will be offered a free small Peeps Marshmallow Flavored Iced Coffee, Peeps Donut and other giveaways.

Peeps has also joined with International Delight to offer a Peeps-flavored coffee creamer.

Peeps is also conducting a social media promotion, asking consumers whether they prefer the spongy candies to be in the shape of a bunny or a chick. The brand, around since 1953, is finishing up an ultimate experience contest. Through April 8, consumers who text PeepsUnited to 40403 and donate $5 to the United Way, will be entered to win a trip for four to Peeps headquarters where they will take a factory tour and go on a $250 shopping spree.

Dunkin is adding some new limited-time menu items for spring, including a chocolate cherry cold brew, iced tea lemonade and frozen lemonade, and a sweet sriracha bacon breakfast sandwich.
by Tanya Gazdik , March 27, 2019

Pemco Insurance is launching its first campaign in a decade for the company, which offers auto, home, renters, umbrella and boat insurance.

The effort, from Periscope, focuses on the companys pledge to the people of the Northwest and their pursuit of life, liberty and doing cool things, according to the company.

The new marketing strategy highlights why it matters to have people who understand you in your corner and how the brands allegiance to the Northwest offers an advantage over competitors.

Northwest people are unique, and we want to celebrate that, states MJ Vigil, Pemcos chief people and brand officer. No other insurance company can say they know Northwesterners like we do.

The campaign includes a new website, connected TV, digital video, social media and out-of-home. For this strategic audience, the OOH comes to life through unique placements on messenger bikes, fitness centers, elevators, the walkway to stadiums, movie theaters and a colossal wall in Portland, along with a domination of King Street train station in Seattle.

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"From skateboard commuters to entrepreneurs to snowboard addicts, the campaign celebrates the diversity and uniqueness of what it means to be a Northwesterner," states Periscope Creative Director Ryan Peck.
by Alex Weprin , March 28, 2019

At its annual upfront presentation in New York Wednesday evening, A+E Networks turned to A-list celebrities, and a former U.S. President, to outline its upcoming programming slate and tout its success.

President George W. Bush opened up the presentation, where he discussed his appreciation for history and took some not-so-subtle jabs at the current occupant of The Oval Office.

The institution of the President is more important than the occupation of the office, Bush told the crowd. Therefore, I am optimistic about our future, because I understand that democracy is self-correcting.

Bush was introduced by Paul Buccieri, president of the A+E Networks Group. It was his first upfront since taking the helm of the group last July.

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He said he was looking forward to watching the History channel when he returned home to Dallas.

Could you get a better endorsement for buying the History channel when he is watching the History channel? joked A+E Networks executive vice president, ad sales Peter Olsen after Bush left the stage. We have one high-income viewer, at least.

Bush is the second former President to speak at A+Es upfront in the past three years. In 2017, President Barack Obama addressed the audience of media buyers and advertisers, in what was his first public appearance since leaving office.

A+E revealed new extensions of the History brand at the event, including a History-branded live speaker series, a HistoryCon convention, and a podcast series called "History Speaks."

The company also turned to a series of high-profile presenters to announce other programs on its slate, with action star Sylvester Stallone, country-music legend Garth Brooks, Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman, the hip-hop duo Salt-n-Pepa, and Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts all making an appearance.

Stallone will executive produce a drama series for History with the working title The Tenderloin about an NYPD squad leader. Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin is also working with History on a docudrama about President George Washington, while William Shatner will produce a series exploring strange and inexplicable mysteries.

Brooks will be the focus of a four-part Biography series about his life and career, including exclusive interviews and access to his stadium tour.

Roberts, who is the executive producer of an upcoming Lifetime movie about kidnapping victim Kamiyah Mobley, announced the channel is committing to 150 new original movies, including a documentary event produced by actress Leah Remini and Olympian Aly Raisman that will give a platform to victims of sexual assault.

The entire presentation lasted only about an hour, with a brisk pace. One media buyer at a large agency told Television News Daily they appreciated the focus on talent and (relatively) short run time, adding that the company has been holding meetings in agency offices to discuss more specific details.

We at A+E Networks are committed to original content, Olsen added in brief comments to close out the presentation. That is what drives our company, and it drives this whole industry. We are committed to innovating to meet your challenges. A year ago we were the first ones to step up and say we were going to guarantee on business outcomes, and we arent stopping there.
by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, March 28, 2019

The Beatles' John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote the song, but Google licensed it as the soundtrack to tell the world how the company will "Help!" make this world a better place for users of its products, as well as advertisers, tech partners, and society overall.

The campaign  featuring one 60-second and several 15-second spots  was created by Googles in-house Brand Studio.

On Thursday, Google will debut the 60-second spot during the MLB Opening Day and the NCAA Sweet 16.

The spot, Here to Help, features user-generated content to show real, relatable life moments where Google products help make life better, such as directions to an airport, instructions on un-sending an email, or finding a way around heavy traffic.

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The 15-second spots created by users, from Guilty dog to Cymbal, will roll out across TV and online throughout the rest of the NCAA tournament and MLB Opening Week.

The TV ads will run for four weeks across select markets and will continue through the summer across a variety of online channels such as YouTube, ESPN, VOX, Twitter, among others.

The ads also will run in print publications such as The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and others.

Googles mission during the past 20 years, according to the company, has been to help people live better in their everyday lives through its products and technology such as search.

The company helps entrepreneurs start businesses by building a free website or helping people find timely information about evacuation routes during times of tragedies such as forest fires. It also invested in building a search engine for veterans to help them find work after returning from active service duty.

On March 20, Google celebrated the one-year anniversary of its Google News Initiative, a $300 million project to support digital journalism, as more content gets indexed in its search engine and increasingly publishers fight the battle of misinformation in articles and advertisements.

Given all the work Google has done in the past two decades to provide accurate information, the song Help! seems fitting as a theme to highlight the achievements, even challenges. Whether the songwriters ever thought the song would end up in a spot like this is unlikely, but the lead phrase Wont you please, please help me? seems fitting.
by Sara Guaglione , March 28, 2019

BuzzFeed has an addition to its line of licensed products. It is diversifying its revenue to supplement its ad business, a focus of the company since the end of 2017.

BuzzFeed has partnered with spice company McCormick to develop a seasonings line branded with BuzzFeeds recipe and cooking vertical Tasty.

For McCormick, a longtime Tasty partner, this new deal is an opportunity to reach millennials and access BuzzFeed's data on their cooking and shopping trends and behavior.

The co-developed line of seasonings, called Tasty Seasoning Blends, launches in five flavors: Fiery, Zesty, Savory, Jazzy and Hearty. The full kit with all five pucks is available for purhcase in the U.S., U.K., and Canada; it runs $29.99 for the set in the U.S.

Individual spice pouches and pucks will go on sale for $1.99 each at U.S. retailers nationwide (and Canada) starting June 2019, and in the U.K. next year.

McCormick used BuzzFeeds data on recipes and flavors favored by millennials to develop the spice blends, according to an AdExchanger reported.

McCormick and BuzzFeed will advertise the spice blends with sponsored posts on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and newsletters, as well as use the spices in Tasty video

Two years ago, BuzzFeed CEO Jonah Peretti said he would reorganize the media company's ad sales department and focus on its lifestyle and service-journalism brands and evolve them into multiple revenue stream opportunities.

Peretti called this "pursuing the Tasty model of success across our business.

The cooking brand expanded beyond its viral videos to cookbook deals and kitchen products. Tasty and Goodful brands are licensed for home and kitchen products sold at Walmart and Macys.

At the end of last year, Peretti revealed Chief Commerce Officer Ben Kaufman and his 65-person team generated $50 million in revenue by successfully combining commerce and advertising. About of one-quarter of that comes from Tasty products.
by Ray Schultz , March 28, 2019

Mailchimp has acquired LemonStand, said to be a minor competitor of Shopify, prior to breaking with Shopify. But Mailchimp denies that the events are linked.

TechCrunch reports that the acquisition quietly took place in February.

Mailchimp confirms the news, saying in a statement: "Yes, Mailchimp acqui-hired the team behind LemonStand at the end of February."

It adds: "Mailchimp helps small businesses grow, and our e-commerce customers have been asking us to add more functionality to our platform to help them market more effectively. The LemonStand team is helping us build out our e-commerce light functionality.{

The firm continues: "Our decision to discontinue our partnership with Shopify last week is unrelated to LemonStand. Shopify knew we were working on e-commerce features long before we hired the LemonStand team. In fact, we launched Shoppable Landing Pages last fall in partnership with Square, and Shopify chose not to partner with us on the launch.

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Five people are joining Mailchimp from LemonStand.

For its part, LemonStand appeared to be going out of business. Its website says: It is with heavy hearts that we announce LemonStand will be shutting down on June 5th, 2019.

It adds: As of March 5th, 2019, we have stopped billing all LemonStand customers, and will refund all annually prepaid customers for the portion of the services they have prepaid beyond this date.

The Vancouver-based LemonStand is an ecommerce platform.

As reported, Mailchimp announced on March 22 that it had killed its integration with Shopify over concerns regarding data security. In a post, Mailchimp cited updated terms on the part of Shopify that would negatively impact our business and put our users at risk.

Shopify responded that it has had growing concerns about Mailchimps app because of the poor merchant experience and their refusal to respect our Partner Program Agreement. Our terms require app partners to share all important data back to the merchant using Shopifys API to help them run their businesses.
by Fern Siegel , March 28, 2019

New York City hopes to sink the digital billboards it calls floating eyesores.

Mayor Bill de Blasio says the Ballyhoo Medias LED billboards, which travel on a barge along the Manhattan and Brooklyn waterfronts, are breaking local laws.

The city filed suit Wednesday in Manhattan federal court against Ballyhoo Media. It alleges the double-sided, 60-foot screen blaring high-def seafaring signs along the Hudson and East Rivers create a public nuisance, spoil the citys splendor and violate zoning regulations.

The city seeks penalties of up to $25,000 per violation, per day against the invasive marketing. Our waterways arent Times Square, stated Mayor de Blasio. Officials also claims the ads pose a safety hazard on the waterfront highways.

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The billboards, which have carried ads for Heineken and Universal Pictures film Dr. Seusss The Grinch, among others for several months, usually follow a route from the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum on Manhattans West Side, head south around Battery Park and up the East River.

Ballyhoo Media describes itself as the newest and most effective form of beach advertising" on its Facebook page.

Adam Shapiro, Ballyhoos CEO, countered the citys claim, stating his company consulted various law firms to ensure it was in legal compliance before beginning operations.

However, Department of City Planning director Marisa Lago stated: Just because technology makes these ads more visible, doesnt make them legal.
A substance present in the popular coralberry plant may halt the development of eye cancer. The scientists previously thought that these findings were impossible.

Share on Pinterest Coralberries could eventually help stop the spread of eye cancer.

Survival rates for eye cancer are generally high , according to the American Cancer Society.

However, when it becomes metastatic  that is, when cancer cells break away and travel elsewhere in the body to form more tumors  this rate can drop significantly.

Finding a way to slow down the progression of eye cancer is therefore crucial.

Researchers in Germany believe that they might have found such a method, and it is all thanks to one plant.

The coralberry originates in Korea. Its bright red fruit makes it an ideal decoration, especially during the holiday season. Due to this popularity, scientists have examined its parts in great detail.

Its leaves contain bacteria that result in a form of natural insecticide called FR900359 (FR). This has been on the science communitys radar for 30 years.

The substance protects the coralberry from insects and has been the focus of a study that claimed that FR could treat asthma more effectively than standard medication.

FR is also the subject of a new study, the results of which appear in the journal Science Signaling.

Alongside colleagues in the United States, researchers from the Universities of Magdeburg and Bonn, both in Germany, believe that they have found a new use for the toxin.
The scientists published their findings in the journal Heliyon.

Now, a new study suggests that musical training may also have an effect on attentional control. Researchers led by Paulo Barraza, Ph.D.  from the Center for Advanced Research in Education at the University of Chile in Santiago  examined the link between musical training and attention.

More recent research has shown that listening to music may even  motivate  the brain to learn by stimulating neural networks associated with reward processing.

Some studies have suggested that musical training improves blood flow in brain areas involved in language processing.

The benefits of music for the human brain are numerous.

Having had several years of musical training may yield some unexpected cognitive benefits. A new study suggests that musical training may improve a persons ability to focus and tune out distractions.

In their paper, Barraza and colleagues explain that the brains attentional system consists of three subsystems, each with their own anatomically distinct neural network.

These three subsystems correspond to the alerting, orienting, and executive control networks.

The alerting brain network keeps us ready for action. The orienting network helps us distinguish between relevant and irrelevant sensory information and helps us switch focus. The executive control network helps us block out distracting information and is also involved in top-down attentional control.

For their study, the researchers asked 18 professional musicians and 18 nonmusical participants to take a standard attentional network test. The musicians were trained pianists who had been practicing music for 12 years.

As part of the test, the participants had to look at various images that quickly flashed before their eyes.

The team measured the participants reactive behavior by measuring how long it took for them to respond to the image changes. A longer reaction time indicated less efficient attentional control.

On average, the trained musicians scored 43.84 milliseconds (ms) for the alerting subsystem, 43.70 ms for the orienting one, and 53.83 for the executive network.

By comparison, nonmusicians scored 41.98 ms, 51.56 ms, and 87.19 ms, respectively. Importantly, attentional control improved proportionally with the number of years in musical training the participants had.

Our findings, Barraza points out, demonstrate greater inhibitory attentional control abilities in musicians than nonmusicians.

He goes on, Professional musicians are able to more quickly and accurately respond to and focus on what is important to perform a task, and more effectively filter out incongruent and irrelevant stimuli than nonmusicians. In addition, the advantages are enhanced with increased years of training.

The scientists also explain that their findings add to the mounting evidence that musical training boosts extra-musical cognitive skills.

Study co-author David Medina, from the Department of Music at the Metropolitan University of Educational Sciences in Santiago, Chile, also comments on the results.

He says, Our findings of the relationship between musical training and improvement of attentional skills could be useful in clinical or educational fields.

For instance, he adds, in strengthening the ability of [people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder] to manage distractions or the development of school programs encouraging the development of cognitive abilities through the deliberate practice of music.

Future longitudinal research should directly address these interpretations, concludes Medina.
There is no doubt that smoking damages health and increases the risk of many diseases and premature death. However, a study that followed hundreds of older adults for more than 10 years found no link between tobacco smoking and raised dementia risk. Share on Pinterest A new study suggests there is no causal link between smoking and the risk of developing dementia. Dementia is the general name for conditions that diminish the capacity to think, remember, reason, and interact with others. These symptoms can progress to the point that people are no longer able to carry out their daily activities and take care of themselves. The recent finding contradicts many earlier studies that have tied smoking to higher risk of dementia. This could be because, for the new investigation, researchers from the University of Kentucky in Lexington analyzed the data in a different way. They used a statistical method called competing risk analysis to allow for the strong effect that smoking has on risk of death. In a paper that now features in the Journal of Alzheimers Disease, first study author Erin L. Abner Ph.D., an associate professor in the universitys Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, and her colleagues describe their approach and findings. Dr. Abner explains that while previous dementia studies had used solid data, they had not taken into account the idea of competing risk of mortality.

Dementia is a growing global health issue According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 50 million people were living with dementia worldwide in 2015. The WHO expect this number to triple to 152 million by 2050. Although dementia arises mainly in older people and is a main cause of disability for them, health experts do not consider it to be a normal consequence of aging. Alzheimers disease is the most common cause of dementia and likely accounts for 6070 percent of cases, globally. In the United States, estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that the number of people aged 65 years and older with Alzheimers disease is set to grow from 4.7 million in 2010 to 13.8 million in 2050. Over this period, the biggest growth will be in those who are 85 years of age and older. A burgeoning cost of care accompanies these figures. The CDC calculated that the total cost of health, long-term, and hospice care for people with dementia was $277 billion in 2018.

Need to account for competing risk Dr. Abner remarks that competing risk analysis is a recognized investigative tool, and scientists have used it successfully in many other fields. Yet, even though the competing risk of death is an important consideration when studying diseases in older adults, dementia studies rarely use it. Dr. Abner gives the example of how to investigate ties between smoking and cancer deaths. How should the analysis deal with deaths from another condition, such as heart disease? In the case of our study, she adds, if smoking kills someone before they show signs of dementia, how can you accurately count that person? So, the team sought to address this in its own analysis of data from a University of Kentucky Alzheimers Disease Center study that followed 531 older people for an average of 11.5 years.
Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Sia Anagnostopoulou received today a delegation of today French MPs who are members of the French National Assemblys European Affairs Committee, namely MPs Sabine Thillaye, President of the European Affairs Committee, Liliana Tanguy, Vice President, Andre Chassaigne, Secretary, Marietta Karamanli, Secretary, and Pierre-Henri Dumont, Member, participated in the delegation.

At the meeting, which was held in an especially friendly climate, confirming the excellent relations between the two countries, views were exchanged related to current developments both on a European and regional level.

More specifically, the Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs presented Greece's positions related to BREXIT, immigration, and the enlargement process for the Western Balkan countries to join the European Union, emphasising the case of North Macedonia, subsequent to the Prespa Agreement. At the same time, she referred also to the great challenges that the European Union faces, such as, inter alia, the new Multiannual Financial Framework and deepening Europe's Economic and Monetary Union, while underscoring the importance of the upcoming European Parliament elections for the future of the European Union.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Development, Mr Yannis Dragasakis, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Giorgos Katrougalos, decided on the creation of a new financial instrument for strengthening the activity of Greek enterprises in the Balkans and Southeastern Europe, as well as for supporting synergy schemes in the wider region.

The goal of the new instrument is to strengthen economic and trade relations in terms of regional cooperation and co-development.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is hence transferring to the Ministry of Finance and Development funds amounting to 198 million from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs former code of Hellenic Plan for the Economic Reconstruction of the Balkans.

The new financial instrument will supplement existing ones, providing credit, guarantees etc. to enterprises in the region of the Balkans and the Southeast Mediterranean.

The funds will be utilised for the development of economic relations with neighbouring countries and the forging of business ties and cross-border connections to further bolster Greeces outward-looking nature (e.g. scholarships, further education, strengthening of start-ups and female entrepreneurship, infrastructure, participation in international fora, cross-border connection programmes, initiatives for vulnerable groups, technology infrastructure actions, upgrading of digital infrastructures etc.)

With the creation of this new financial instrument, which can serve Greek entrepreneurship in the wider region, Greece is upgrading its position and showcasing its promotional role in regional cooperation schemes and initiatives.
Under the chairmanship of the Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sia Anagnostopoulou, a meeting was held today at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, regarding the border station at Laimos in the Prespa Municipality.

The meeting was attended by the coordinator of the Decentralized Administration of Epirus - Western Macedonia, Vasileios Michelakis, the Environment, Energy and Transport Deputy Head of Western Macedonia, Konstantinos Gerou, and the Mayor of Prespa, Panagiotis Paschalidis as well as representatives of co-competent ministries.

"I am pleased that the importance of the Prespa Agreement for the local community is becoming obvious," the Alternate Minister noted, while she also called on "each co-competent agency to do in the best possible way whatever must be done to facilitate the implementation of the Agreement regarding the border station". The Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs informed the participants that the agreement between Greece and Northern Macedonia regarding the establishment of a border crossing point in the Prespa Lake area will be ratified by the Greek Parliament next week, and will be followed by the adoption of a Joint Ministerial Decision and a relevant Presidential Decree.

During the meeting, it was stressed that the creation of a border station in the region is a long-standing demand of the local Prespa society, which is supported by the Prespa Municipality and the Regional Unit of Western Macedonia, with a view to improving the wider region, and promoting sustainable tourism development.

Participants presented the progress of studies (road connections, building facilities for police and customs authorities, etc.) while a proposal to join the European program INTERREG was also discussed.

As stipulated by the agreement, within 30 days of its ratification, a Joint Committee of Experts, consisting of representatives from Greece and North Macedonia, will be set up to implement the agreement.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 28)  President Rodrigo Duterte's eldest son advised his father to take a break on his 74th birthday and even promised to handle his critics so he would not have to mind them for a day.

In a Facebook post Thursday, presidential son and former Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte greeted his "Pa," and thanked him for spending time with the family despite his busy schedule.

"Happy Birthday Pa! Gaano ka man ka-busy sa iyong trabaho, minsan wala ka ng tulog, pero makahanap ka pa rin ng oras para sa amin. Maraming Salamat Pa! Andito lang kami sumusuporta sa iyo," the younger Duterte said in the Bisaya caption of their family photo.

[Translation: Happy Birthday Pa! No matter how busy your work is, you sometimes have no sleep, you still find time for us. Thank you, Pa! We are here to support you."]

He said he and his sister, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, will handle enemies as their father takes some rest.

"Pahinga ka naman minsan, 'wag mo nang intindihin yong mga tao dyan na pabright-bright, si Inday na bahala sa kanila (Find some time to rest, do not mind those people who try to look bright, Inday will handle them)," he said. He added he will take on people he called "mad dogs."

He also wished for his father's good health so he can continue to serve the public. "We love you Pa!" he said.

Duterte-Carpio also greeted the President using a photo of him and his grandson Stingray.

"A lecture on responsible gadget use by Lolo Digong. #HappyBirthdayPRD! I wish you good health and happiness," the caption on Instagram read.

A video sent to Malacanang reporters, meanwhile, revealed some of the President's own birthday wish.

"My wish is that we will just continue to progress and prosper Hindi tayo kasali diyan sa gulo gulo sa ibang bayan (We are not part of any chaos in another country)," he said.

Duterte earlier said he had no plans of throwing a grand celebration for his birthday but just spend the entire day at home and get some sleep.
UPPER THUMB -- The Huron County Health Department recently issued the following information about Hepatitis A.

What is hepatitis?

Hepatitis A is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis A Virus. Hepatitis A is spread through contaminated food or water and close contact with persons who are infected. Since 2016, outbreaks have taken place across many states, including Michigan, where Hepatitis A is still present at higher levels than normal.

According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the outbreak in Michigan that began in August 2016 had the highest hospitalization rate of over 80 percent, and 28 deaths, as of Feb. 27, 2019.

Although the number of cases reported are slowly dwindling each month, it's important that individuals still understand the dangers of Hepatitis A and how to prevent it in order to keep on this downward trend.

Prevention

Frequent hand washing with soap and warm water after using the bathroom, changing a diaper or before preparing or eating food can help prevent the spread of Hepatitis A. The best way to protect against Hepatitis A is to get the Hepatitis A vaccine.

Who is at risk

Anyone can get Hepatitis A, however in the United States, certain groups of people are at a higher risk, such as:

 People with direct contact with someone who has hepatitis A.

 Travelers to countries where hepatitis A is common.

 Men who have sexual encounters with men.

 People who use drugs, both injection and non-injection.

 Household members or caregivers of a recent adoptee from countries where hepatitis A is common.

 People with clotting factor disorders.

 Anyone who wants to obtain immunity.

Where to get vaccinated

To learn more, or schedule an appointment to be vaccinated, call the Huron County Health Department at 989-269-9721.
UPPER THUMB  Concerns grow as more measles exposure locations are identified in a measles outbreak in Southeast Michigan.

So far no measles cases have been reported in Huron or Tuscola counties.

According to information released Wednesday by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, that as of that afternoon, 22 cases of measles have been confirmed in Oakland and Wayne counties. The first person became ill on March 10. That individual arrived in Michigan after having spent time in New York City, the site of an ongoing outbreak in the Orthodox Jewish community.

No deaths or hospitalizations have been associated with the Southeast Michigan outbreak.

If an outbreak occurs in the Thumb, there is an action plan in place, according to Ann Hepfer, who is the health officer for both Huron and Tuscola county health departments.

"If a measles case is detected in a local school age child, or preschool, we will exclude all unvaccinated children from that school until the measles threat is no longer an issue, Hepfer explained.

Hepfer urges unvaccinated individuals to get vaccinated. If you do not have a record of two measles (MMR) vaccines, or you're unsure if you have been vaccinated, or unsure if you have had measles in the past, contact your healthcare provider.

Because measles is a highly contagious disease that is spread by direct person-to-person contact and through the air, anyone who has symptoms needs to call their doctor or emergency room ahead of the visit so precautions to prevent exposure to others can be taken.

Our unvaccinated school percentage here is around 5 percent, said Hepfer.

The virus can live for up to two hours in the air where the infected person was present. Symptoms of measles usually begin seven to 14 days after exposure, but can appear up to 21 days after exposure and may include: a high fever, cough, runny nose, red and watery eyes and white spots on the inner cheeks, gums, and roof of the mouth followed by a red, raised, and blotchy rash.

For more information about measles, or to inquire about getting vaccinated, call the Huron County Health Department at 989-269-9721 or the Tuscola County health department at 989-673-8117.
SEBEWAING  The arrival of warm weather means mosquito season is not far behind.

APM Mosquito Control will be doing mosquito suppression control in the village and township of Sebewaing, and in the city and township of Caseville, this season. This will be Sebewaings second year of using the company for mosquitos suppression, and it will be Casevilles first time.

We will have a crew of guys out working this Wednesday in Sebewaing to apply altosid briquets on the ice around phragmites in the Bay Shore Camp and airport area, said Ben Seago, the regional manager for APR Mosquito Control - North. Sebewaing has significantly more phragmites than the Caseville area does.

The clerk for the city of Caseville said they treated for phragmites a few years ago. And from our surveillance, there are significantly less phragmites in Caseville than in the Sebewaing area, but we will treat phragmites in Caseville as we find them.

There are several varieties of mosquitos. The mosquitos found in phragmites is the Coquillettidia perturbans variety, also called cattail mosquitos.

Those mosquitoes hatch out over winter and attach to phragmites. They saw into phragmites roots and breed as larvae throughout the winter. Then, in the spring, they will detach and grow, said Seago. They emerge as adult mosquitos about the Fourth of July.

Last year, they emerged about two weeks early, which happened to be during the Sugar Festival.

Because there are about 60 different species of mosquitos, treatment material differs, as does the hatching time.

We are waiting for Mother Nature to make her progression (of seasonal weather), but it would be this week or on into next week before we will start inspecting woodland pools for spring Aedes mosquitoes, Seago said.

Standing water and woodland pools in the spring are treated for that mosquitoes larvae. That is the main focus until about two weeks before Memorial Day.

For the Aedes mosquitoes in woodlots, APR Mosquito Control uses the suppression material BTI, which is a naturally occurring bacterium found in soils. Altosid briquets are used for the Coquillettidia perturbans mosquito that burrows in phragmites.

In treating standing water and woodlots, APR uses powered backpacks for boots on the ground application, explained Seago, noting truck sprayers are not used until about Memorial Day.

Although the Caseville area was added to the suppression companys area, APR is ready.

We have people in place to cover the Caseville area. There are no concerns right now for the labor needed for that, Seago said. Everything should go off just fine. We are excited to work in the Thumb.

During the November 2018 election, voters in Caseville Township approved levying .4 of a mill for four years to cover the suppression programs cost. The millage is expected to generate about $76,500 the first year, and Sebewaing levies a special assessment to fund the program.

APM Mosquito Control is a privately-owned company serving about 28 municipalities in Michigan

There are mosquito suppression programs in Tuscola, Saginaw, Bay and Midland counties.

The Tuscola County Mosquito Abatement program was originally formed in 1997, after a millage proposal was passed to fund it.
Change is difficult. And change, particularly when its something new and unfamiliar, can be scary.

Thats why we at Standard Solar are going to work with the Killingworth community to make sure everyone understands the solar project were working on, and why its the best option for the community and state.

For those unfamiliar with the project, we are going to be developing 13 acres of the Chatfield property to create a nearly 2 MW solar project on undeveloped land. This site is tied to two previous approvals: one from the utility for interconnection, and another to meet the states renewable energy requirement program.

Weve heard the concerns from residents, and weve gone out of our way to assuage some of them. After all, when Standard Solar gets involved in a project, we have a long history of working with stakeholders at all of our projects to make sure they meet everyones needs.

Standard Solar isnt in this for short-term gains. Weve committed to seeing this project through to completion, and beyond as long-term owners and operators of the solar plant. We are not building this project to flip it to some outsider who doesnt understand the sensibilities of Killingworth residents. Well be your partners on this project for a long time.

We know there have been concerns raised about how many trees be cleared to accommodate the more than 6,000 solar modules well be putting in the field. But the solar farm carbon offsets are monumental, and will go a long way toward lowering the towns carbon footprint, despite the loss of some trees.

For example, the amount of solar energy produced will offset: greenhouse gas emissions from 484 passenger vehicles driven for one year; CO2 emissions from 256,700 gallons of gasoline consumed; CO2 emissions from the 2.5 million pounds of coal burned; as well as greenhouse gas emissions avoided by 99,536 trash bags of waste recycled instead of landfilled.

Weve completed a third-party environmental impact study and are proud to announce it indicates little or no impact on the environment, while at the same time producing low-cost energy for the towns grid.

We are sensitive to the environment when we build a project, too. We dont use herbicides or other pesticides to clear the land, leaving it untouched by unnecessary chemicals.

And unlike other energy production methods, solar energy doesnt use water or produce waste. Finally, solar panels dont disturb wildlife because they dont move or make noise.

We understand concerns about the farm destroying the scenic nature of the drive, but its important for you to know the solar farm will not be on a scenic road. It will be bordered by a natural fence, enhancing the look and feel of the site.

Progress can often challenge our deeply held beliefs. But those beliefs shouldnt stop us from moving forward on a project that will take a small slice of land and turn it into a little powerhouse for the town and surrounding community.

It will help Connecticut reach its admirable goal of generating 40 perent of its energy from a renewable sources by 2030.

We look forward to working with all of you to bring this project to a successful conclusion  and move the Killingworth into a bright, solar future.

Scott Wiater is president and CEO of Maryland-based Standard Solar.
The U.S. Air Force has grounded the entire B-1B Lancer bomber fleet, marking the second fleetwide stand-down in about a year.

Officials with Air Force Global Strike Command said that, during a routine inspection of at least one aircraft, airmen found a rigged "drogue chute" incorrectly installed in the ejection seat egress system, a problem that might affect the rest of the fleet.

"The drogue chute corrects the seat before the parachute deploys out of the seat," said Capt. Earon Brown, a spokesman with Air Force Global Strike Command.

The issue is "part of the egress system," or the way airmen exit the bomber in an emergency, Brown told Military.com on Thursday. The problem does not appear to be related to the issues that occurred last year, AFGSC said.

"There are procedural issues of how [the drogue chute is] being put into place," Brown said.

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Officials will "look at each aircraft [para]chute system and make sure they are meeting technical order requirements to employ" the drogue chute appropriately, he added. The B-1 has four seats, for the pilot, co-pilot and two weapons systems officers in the back.

AFGSC commander Gen. Timothy Ray on Thursday directed the stand-down for "a holistic inspection of the entire egress system," according to a press release. "The safety stand-down will afford maintenance and Aircrew Flight Equipment technicians the necessary time to thoroughly inspect each aircraft."

Brown said the Air Force does not have a timeline for when fleet will be back in the air, but said the fixes are a "high priority."

The bombers will return to flight "as the issues, any issues, get resolved," he said, adding that B-1s are not currently deployed overseas.

Last year, the command grounded the fleet over safety concerns related to the Lancer's ejection seats. The stand-down was a result of an emergency landing by a B-1 on May 1, 2018, at Midland Airport in Texas.

Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson confirmed speculation at the time that the B-1, out of Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, had to make an emergency landing after an ejection seat didn't blow.

The B-1 crew "were out training," she said during a May speech at the Defense Communities summit in Washington, D.C.

Local media reported at the time the B-1B was not carrying weapons when it requested to land because of "an engine flameout." Weeks later, images surfaced on Facebook purporting to show the aircraft with a burnt-out engine. Photos from The Associated Press and Midland Reporter-Telegram also showed the B-1B, tail number 86-0109, was missing a ceiling hatch, leading to speculation an in-flight ejection was attempted.

Officials ordered a stand-down on June 7, 2018, which lasted three weeks while the fleet was inspected. Months after the incident, UTC Aerospace Systems, manufacturer of the bomber's ACES II ejection seat, said the seat itself is not the problem.

After coordinating with the Air Force, UTC determined "there's an issue with the sequencing system," said John Fyfe, director of Air Force programs for UTC.

It had been implied "that the ejection seat didn't fire, when in fact the ejection seat was never given the command to fire," Fyfe told Military.com in September.

"This particular B-1, [the sequence system] was not ours," he said, adding that there are multiple vendors for the sequencing systems.

-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214.
The Air Force has proposed permanently moving its F-22 Raptor training schoolhouse to Virginia.

The service wants to make Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, the formal training unit base for its stealth fighter jets and associated T-38 Talon aircraft, according to a statement released this week.

Pending an environmental survey in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act, which will take 24 to 48 months to complete, the service will move the fifth-generation jets to JBLE. The F-22 training unit, originally housed at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, was relocated to Eglin Air Force Base after the base sustained heavy damage from Hurricane Michael last year.

Relocating the unit will help achieve maximum performance and use of the jet, the Air Force said, in turn boosting readiness goals.

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Last July, the Government Accountability Office said the F-22 is rarely employed to its fullest potential, due to maintenance challenges and fewer opportunities for pilot training, as well as the fleet's inefficient organizational structure. Consolidating the fleet into larger squadrons and/or wings would create a higher aircraft availability rate, the GAO said.

The news comes after Virginia Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, both Democrats, began petitioning Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson in February to consider moving F-22 formal training units (FTU) such as the 43rd Fighter Squadron to their state for training and maintenance operations, as well as potential recruiting efforts.

"Beyond the existing ramp space and infrastructure at Langley that would allow it to quickly receive aircraft at minimal additional cost, a decision to move the F-22 FTU to Langley would leverage a number of key benefits that Langley and the surrounding areas have," the lawmakers said in a letter Feb. 15.

"The Hampton Roads area has a long history of supporting our nation's military and their families, and would provide strong recruiting and retention ability," they wrote.

Following Hurricane Michael, which damaged most structures at Tyndall as well as dozens of stealth jets, the Air Force moved its remaining F-22 fleet, dividing the aircraft between Langley-Eustis; Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska; and Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.

Eglin, located roughly 60 miles from Tyndall in the Florida panhandle, also took some of Tyndall's F-22s and T-38 trainers.

If the move is approved, the F-22s from Florida would join up with the Virginia Air National Guard's 192nd Fighter Wing, which flies F-22 Raptors.

JBLE would allow for more collaboration and exercises with nearby F-15 Eagle/Strike Eagle units as well as F-16 Fighting Falcon units, the lawmakers said.

"We ask that you give full consideration to Joint Base Langley-Eustis as a host to this mission," they wrote.

-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214.
The Air Force has picked Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, to be its first operational B-21 Long Range Strike bomber base. It will also host the bomber's first formal training unit.

The service on Wednesday announced that Ellsworth, which currently houses B-1B Lancer bombers, was chosen as the "preferred location" for the B-21 mission. Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, a B-2 Spirit base, and Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, another B-1B base, "will receive B-21 Raiders as they become available."

"These three bomber bases are well suited for the B-21," Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson said in a press release. "We expect the first B-21 Raider to be delivered beginning in the mid-2020s, with subsequent deliveries phased across all three bases."

Last May, the service said it favored Ellsworth, Dyess and Whiteman for future B-21 operations because they already accommodate bomber missions.

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"Ellsworth was selected as the first location because it provides sufficient space and existing facilities necessary to accommodate simultaneous missions at the lowest cost and with minimal operational impact across all three bases," the release states.

The Air Force said last year it will start retiring its Spirit and Lancer bombers in the 2030s as it builds up its B-21 fleet. The B-1s will stick around until 2036 and the B-2 until at least 2032, according to the service's "Bomber Vector" strategy, unveiled last year.

"We are procuring the B-21 Raider as a long-range, highly survivable aircraft capable of penetrating enemy airspace with a mix of weapons," said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein. "It is a central part of a penetrating joint team."

Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, and Minot Air Force, North Dakota, will continue to carry out the B-52 Stratofortress mission, keeping the heavy bomber operational through the 2050s, the Air Force said.

In December, the B-21 program cleared a developmental milestone. Officials confirmed the B-21, designated the Raider in honor of the World War II Doolittle Raiders, completed its critical design review. Weeks prior, the service announced it had selected Edwards Air Force Base, California, and Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, to be the lead facilities for test and evaluation and maintenance and sustainment, respectively, for the program.

Ellsworth was home to the three units that conducted the raid on Japan during World War II. The 34th and 37th Bomb Squadrons and 432nd Attack Squadron all participated in the famed Doolittle Raid, named for Lt. Col. James Doolittle, who led 16 B-25 bombers and 80 crew members from an aircraft carrier in the western Pacific on a strike to target factory areas and military installations in and around Tokyo on April 18, 1942. The mission helped boost morale after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

"The Air Force will make its final B-21 basing decision following compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act and other regulatory and planning processes," officials said Wednesday. "That decision is expected in 2021 and is part of the overall Air Force Strategic basing process."

-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214.
Airmen Have Five Days to Get Immunized After Vaccine Exemption Is Denied or They Face Punishment, Air Force Says

The service required all active-duty troops to become fully vaccinated by Nov. 2 after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in...
After the Huffington Post publicly identified five military service members and two Reserve Officers' Training Corps cadets as part of a well-known white nationalist organization earlier this month, military officials say they're investigating the allegations, and broadening the probe to see whether other troops might be involved.

In a March 17 story, the publication named an Air Force airman, two Army ROTC cadets, two Marine reservists, an Army reservist and a member of the Texas National Guard as members of Identity Evropa, which has been labeled a white nationalist organization by the Anti-Defamation League.

Huffington Post reported that it had linked the troops to the organization through online chat logs.

So far, military officials say they are not ready to punish or process out any of the troops named in the story, but they continue to investigate.

The Office of Special Investigations at the 39th Air Base Wing at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, is still investigating Airman First Class Dannion Phillips, who was identified as being involved with Identity Evropa.

Lt. Col. Davina Petermann, a spokeswoman for U.S. Air Forces Europe-Africa, could not say what actions the service has taken in regard to Phillips.

The U.S. Air Force has not found any other airmen tied to the alt-right extremist group, officials said.

The service "has not been made aware of any other members tied to this group," spokesman Maj. Nick Mercurio told Military.com on Wednesday.

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The National Guardsman allegedly linked to the group was identified as 25-year-old Joseph Kane, the Huffington Post said.

"We can confirm that Joseph Ross Kane is a member of the Texas Army National Guard, assigned to the 636th Military Intelligence Battalion," Texas Guard spokeswoman Laura Lopez said in a statement Tuesday. "He joined the Texas Guard in June 2016. We are looking into this matter and remain committed to excellence through diversity."

"Participation in extremist organizations and activities by Army National Guard personnel is inconsistent with the responsibilities of military service," added Master Sgt. Michael Houk, a National Guard Bureau spokesman. "It is the policy of the United States Army and the Army National Guard to provide equal opportunity and treatment for all soldiers without regard to race, color, religion, gender, or national origin."

The Huffington Post story also identified Army reservist Lt. Col. Christopher Cummins as a physician who allegedly bragged about putting up Identity Evropa posters in southern states. The Reserve did not respond to Military.com's request for additional details by press time.

Maj. Roger Hollenbeck, spokesman for Marine Forces Reserve, said the service's investigation into Lance Cpl. Jason Laguardia and Cpl. Stephen Farrea -- both identified by the Huffington Post -- was still underway as of Wednesday.

"The Marine Corps is investigating the allegations and will take the appropriate disciplinary actions if warranted," Hollenbeck said in an email. "Because the investigation is ongoing, it would be premature to speculate and further comment on the outcome or the timeline."

He continued, "Should an investigation substantiate that any Marine is advocating, advancing, encouraging or participating in supremacist, extremist, or criminal gang doctrine, ideology, or causes, including those that advocate illegal discrimination based on race, creed, color, sex (including gender identity), religion, ethnicity, national origin, or sexual orientation, or those that advocate the use of force, violence, or criminal activity, or otherwise advance efforts to deprive individuals of their civil rights, then they will have violated the Marine Corps Prohibited Activities and Conduct Order."

Anyone in violation of those rules "would be subject to criminal prosecution and/or administrative separation," Hollenbeck said.

He did not say whether the investigation has identified other Marines with ties to Identity Evropa.

The Army identified one of the ROTC cadets as Jay Harrison of the Montana Guard, but did not offer additional information. Huffington Post identified the other cadet as Christopher Hodgman, a member of the Army Reserve.

The individuals named in the article were looking to connect with other group members or spreading anti-Semitic speech or other racial or derogatory content, according to the published logs.

The news comes as U.S. officials and experts who track violent extremism have seen an upward trend in white nationalism and its rhetoric in the U.S. and overseas, including the military.

Earlier this year, the Anti-Defamation League said that domestic extremism killed at least 50 people in the U.S. in 2018, up from 37 in 2017, The Associated Press reported.

A Military Times poll last year demonstrated the uptick of extremism in the ranks.

According to the survey, roughly 22 percent of service members have witnessed white nationalist behavior while on duty. Roughly 35 percent of those surveyed in the fall of 2018 said they believed white nationalism poses a significant threat to the country and national security, Military Times said in February.

Coast Guard Lt. Christopher P. Hasson, who previously served in the Army National Guard and the Marine Corps, was arrested Feb. 15 on drug and gun possession charges, and was accused of plans to "murder innocent civilians on a scale rarely seen in this country."

According to documents filed in Maryland District Court, Hasson created a targeted list of media personalities, as well as prominent lawmakers such as Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York; Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts; Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey; and Sen. Kamala Harris, D-California.

Hasson appeared to blame "liberalist/globalist ideology for destroying traditional peoples, especially white. No way to counteract without violence," he allegedly wrote, according to the documents.

-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214.
I've had the pleasure of writing for, and about, America's military personnel, veterans and their families for 42 years, the last 25 years through this weekly news column for daily newspapers near military bases and online at Military.com.

My intent always was to produce clear and accurate explanatory journalism for military and veteran communities, the emphasis on news impacting their financial security -- pay, health care, shopping discounts, retirement plans and veteran benefits.

Having turned 67, demands of a weekly deadline have grown more difficult. I also desire, while I can, to focus on other writing projects long neglected. As a result, I planned to announce in the coming weeks that I would retire my Military Update in early May, completing a 25-year run without a deadline missed.

Fate intervened. My wonderful wife, Barb, "executive vice president for everything," as I like to proclaim, suffered a stroke while we visited friends in Mount Gretna, Pennsylvania, to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.

Thanks to extraordinary neurosurgeons at Penn State's Hershey Medical Center, and the technology of a comprehensive stroke center, the brain clot was removed. Barb has fully recovered. However, a heart condition, undiagnosed since childhood, will need repair.

This, then, will be my final Military Update, which otherwise would cover the Department of Veterans Affairs' decision Tuesday not to appeal the recent federal appeals court decision in Procopio v. Wilkie, therefore presumably allowing access soon to Agent Orange benefits for "Blue Water Navy" veterans of the Vietnam War.

I want to use this last column, however, to extend a heartfelt note of appreciation to readers who might have found my coverage useful or interesting. I was blessed with a long journalism career focused entirely on news for those who serve or who supported our armed forces. It's been remarkably rewarding.

It's a readership pool dominated by highly trained, well-traveled patriots. On leaving service, many of them stay engaged in what occurs in Washington and around the world. What I tried to provide was news or analyses on issues they care about, issues routinely re-examined by policymakers, Congress or the courts. The task is forever challenging because our volunteer force and our veterans have been graced with arguably the most complex compensation packages ever devised.

Terms familiar to large segments of the armed forces perplex civilians: Final Pay, Redux or BRS to describe retirement plans; concurrent receipt; with-dependents Basic Allowance for Housing; separation pay; selective re-enlistment bonuses; SBP; DIC; CRDP; Former Spouses Protection Act and so on.

To write about these topics, I relied on the cooperation and patience of experts -- at the Pentagon and VA, in veterans' groups and military associations, think tank scholars and legal advocates in law firms. And, of course, on the concerns of military folks, veterans, families and survivors. They turned me into an expert, if only for a week, to be able to write a fresh column confidently.

The easiest columns to write often were the most emotional because they dealt with the courage of warriors or the trials of their families. Some stories still inspire or jar me on remembrance. One that a friend recalled was based on the letters of elementary school children of soldiers who had deployed multiple times in a seemingly unending war, revealing how their families coped, or didn't.

One featured an Army Reserve trauma surgeon who as a civilian had treated gunshot victims in Camden, New Jersey, the "murder capital" of America, and yet was stunned in Iraq by injuries to military and civilians, including children -- "penetrating trauma to the nth degree.  Tissue destruction like nothing I'd ever seen before."

For solace, he needed solitude anywhere he could find it, sometimes on the hospital's roof, where he would think about his family, safe and back home.

A column seven years later, with U.S. forces still in Iraq and careerists stuck with worrisome cycles of deployments, recounted the participation of another Army doctor on a panel of badly wounded veterans, discussing post-traumatic stress. It took most of the hour-long talk to understand that the surgeon on stage was not sharing her medical experiences through two violent tours in theater, but revealing her own mental wounds from the cruelty she witnessed and tried to relieve.

Some news column can help to correct wrongs, and some can even help to change laws or policies to be more equitable. I hope Military Update did that from time to time. I feel certain that almost every week, at a minimum, it educated readers on developments that could touch their lives in some way. I relied on facts and took pains to give them context, which hopefully made the work credible.

Military folks and veterans deserve the best information available. They deserve facts; they need the truth. Therefore, I can't close down this column without an appeal to the current commander-in-chief, regardless of who it might offend:

President Trump, treat troops and veterans with respect. Don't lie about a military pay raise because "10 percent," in the moment, just sounds better. Don't let the VA become a propaganda machine, exaggerating veterans' gains under your watch. Don't denigrate war heroes like John McCain who, unlike you, served and sacrificed. Don't publicly side with a Russian dictator over your intelligence teams. Don't label our cherished freedom of press, a foundation of democracy, as "enemy of the people."

As journalist, as a veteran, I've been appalled.

I had the honor in 2003 of attending, on assignment, the funeral mass and life celebration of Bob Hope, another wealthy celebrity with a huge ego. Hope had entertained generations of U.S. troops with his comedy. He used his ego and talent not to dishonor or divide but to elevate their spirits with USO shows far from home.

During that remembrance of Hope's life, Mort Lachman, his longtime friend and gag writer, referred to Hope's courage. Lachman said it wasn't the mortar shells or stalled airplane engines or the bombing of one of their hotels that showed Hope's bravery. It was his visits to infirmaries to meet young men with the most grievous wounds imaginable. Lachman said he personally dreaded those stops, and carried a camera to hide behind. Hope marched in, knowing the horror he would see, but also his duty as a comedian and American to ease the pain.

"Don't get up fellas,'' he would say. "It's only me."

And the laughter would begin.

None of us is Bob Hope. But whether we are politicians, military leaders, news reporters or fellow citizens, we owe our troops a bit of their own bravery -- a commitment to the truth and a vow to be upset when the troops don't hear it.

To comment, write Military Update, P.O. Box 231111, Centreville, VA, 20120 or email milupdate@aol.com or twitter: Tom Philpott @Military_Update
The number of military children receiving transgender-related care within the military health system increased significantly following a Defense Department policy change that gave them access to non-surgical treatment, according to a report published Monday in JAMA Pediatrics.

Between October 2009 and April 2017, 2,533 young people out of the roughly 1.7 million eligible for medical care through the military health system received transgender-associated care, increasing from 135 in all of 2010 to 528 in the first four months of 2017 alone.

In October 2016, the DoD began providing coverage to dependents and military retirees for mental health counseling and hormone therapy for gender dysphoria, the clinical diagnosis for those for whom identifying with their birth gender causes significant distress.

According to the study, the majority of youths seeking transgender treatment under the military health program were born female (65 percent) and the median associated age for gender-related treatment was 17 years old. But roughly a quarter of the children seeking gender-related care were younger than 14.

While the policy went into effect in late 2016, patients previously could seek treatment by requesting a waiver. Under the policy, military medical facilities and Tricare provide hormone treatment and counseling. Surgery is authorized only when deemed medically necessary, such as in cases of ambiguous genitalia.

Related: Defense Department Releases New Tricare Transgender Policy

According to the study, of those receiving hormone therapy, 4 percent were prescribed puberty suppression treatments at a median age of 15; 11 percent were given female hormones (median age 19); and 20 percent were administered testosterone therapy (also a median age of 19).

Co-author Dr. Elizabeth Hisle-Gorman of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, told Reuters Health that the study shows "transgender care, which was only officially available to military dependents in 2016, is used and needed."

"We hope to explore how changes in availability of transgender-related care can impact the overall health and well-being of military connected children," she said. "We also think it is important to understand how other factors related to military life, including parental deployment and frequent moves, may affect these children and adolescents."

-- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @patriciakime.
WASHINGTON -- Two senators are attempting to revoke a law that Congress approved last year to launch a nationwide review of Department of Veterans Affairs facilities to determine which ones to close and where to invest.

Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Mike Rounds, D-S.D., introduced legislation Wednesday to eliminate the VA Asset and Infrastructure Review Commission. The commission, which has yet to be formed, was put into law in 2018 as part of the VA Mission Act, a major bipartisan reform bill.

The nine-member commission is supposed to review VA facilities, consult with veterans organizations and make realignment recommendations to the president. The recommendations would also be sent to Congress, as well as posted for public comment on the Federal Register.

Opponents of the idea have compared the commission-style process to the Defense Department's unpopular Base Realignment and Closure program. The Mission Act was approved by the Senate with a 92-5 vote, Manchin voting for it and Rounds against it.

"I do not support the creation of a BRAC-like commission that seeks out facilities to close down -- with no input from Congress," Rounds said in a statement. "In fact, it's part of the reason I voted against the VA Mission Act in the first place."

If the asset-review commission determines a facility no longer meets the VA's needs, it's supposed to recommend how it could be reconfigured, repurposed, consolidated, realigned, exchanged, leased, replaced, sold or disposed, the law states.

The commission's work is intended to occur in 2022 and 2023, but VA Secretary Robert Wilkie wants it to start sooner. Wilkie told the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee on Wednesday that he plans to ask permission from Congress to speed up the timeline.

"I think I'm going to come to you and ask to accelerate the beginning of that commission so that it moves more rapidly than the timeline this committee has given," he said during a public hearing. "I expect to ... ask for an accelerated beginning of the deliberations, because we have to go where the veterans are."

Wilkie told committee members that more than half of VA buildings range from 50 to 100 years old. In his written testimony, he said the VA has repurposed or disposed of 175 vacant or mostly vacant buildings since June 2017. The department is working on repurposing or disposing of another 255.

Since lawmakers first introduced the idea of an asset-review commission for the VA, there have been concerns that divesting facilities could create gaps in access to VA medical care and cause the agency to send more veterans into the private sector.

Those concerns linger, as the VA is preparing to expand veterans' access to private doctors in June.

"At a time when the VA is investing heavily in community care through their new access standards, we have to be especially sure that our existing infrastructure needs are met in rural states like West Virginia," Manchin said in a statement.

Concerned Veterans for America, a conservative group in the Koch brothers' political network, voiced their opposition Thursday to Manchin's and Round's attempts to eliminate the asset-review commission. CVA described it as "counterproductive."

"It is hard to overstate how bad this legislation is," CVA Executive Director Dan Caldwell wrote in an email. "One of the key drivers of the problems with health care access at the VA over the last decade has been the fact that the VA's medical infrastructure is out of alignment with the needs and demands of the current veteran population."
The first Air Force C-130 Hercules landed in Maputo, Mozambique, on Wednesday in support of the U.S. response to Cyclone Idai, which left nearly 1.8 million people struggling for survival.

Chest-high mud, roofs stripped from 80 percent of buildings, residents left homeless in an area nearly the size of Rhode Island -- these are the conditions seen by Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa troops as they scout the storm-ravaged country to provide humanitarian relief.

Air Force Col. Jason Terry, commander of the 435th Contingency Response Group, said task force members are assessing airfields to determine whether they can support the aircraft needed to move supplies into areas devastated by the cyclone, which struck western Africa on March 14.

According to Terry, runways are highly susceptible to ground shifts caused by floodwaters, and task force responders must decide whether airfields can accommodate the C-17 Globemaster, which can carry more than twice the cargo than a C-130, or whether they can support smaller planes or rotary aircraft only.

Terry said teams are looking at cargo handling, unloading capabilities, parking and refueling support.

"Is it going to hold the plane? ... You have some concerns," he said on a call with reporters from an airfield in Mozambique.

Army Maj. Gen. James Craig, commanding general of the task force, landed in Mozambique Monday to meet with U.S. Ambassador Dennis Hearne, U.S. Agency for International Development responders and World Food Programme representatives to coordinate delivery of goods, including food, medical supplies and other materials.

Craig said U.S. troops provide "unique military capabilities and expertise that will support U.S. government and humanitarian assistance efforts," referring to the Defense Department's expertise in logistics support and humanitarian operations.

"We are responding as quickly and safely as possible to help bring relief from the devastation," Craig said in a statement released Tuesday.

According to The Associated Press, more than half a million people in the port city of Beira -- the hardest-hit area -- have been displaced, with little access to clean water and sanitation services.

Five cases of cholera have been confirmed -- with more expected, given the overcrowded conditions in shelters and lack of infrastructure.

The World Health Organization on Tuesday said the risk of cholera and malaria presents an opportunity for a "second disaster." It is transporting 900,000 doses of cholera vaccines and setting up three cholera treatment centers, as well as distributing up to 900,000 bed nets to guard against the post-storm onslaught of mosquitoes.

The death toll is at least 783, with 468 in Mozambique, 259 and 56 in Malawi; however, the United Nations expects those numbers to rise as relief workers reach remote regions struck by the storm.

Army Brig. Gen. Leonard Kosinski, director of logistics for U.S. Africa Command, said it's too early to determine how many U.S. troops will be needed for the response or the scope of the assistance.

Right now, he added, the Contingency Response Group is "setting up mobility operations, inspecting airfields and best practices to get things going.

"We will be there in the capacity where we are needed, as requested by the ambassador there and the Republic of Mozambique," Kosinski said. "There are still determinations on what are those unique needs the U.S. military can support."

-- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @patriciakime.
Army Launches New App to Help Reservists Find Each Other

U.S. Army Reserve Command recently launched its first mobile app, designed to allow users to connect with other Reserve members using the app in their immediate area, whenever the need arises. Lt. Gen. Charles Luckey, chief of the Army Reserve, called the new Double Eagle App a "tremendous capability" that will allow Reserve soldiers and family members to more effectively support each other in the future. A video presentation on the app is located on the new Double Eagle App webpage on the Army Reserve's website, which explains how soldiers can download it. The new app will also give Reserve soldiers information on important topics such as how to prepare for the new Army Combat Fitness Test, a new physical fitness evaluation that will replace the current Army Physical Fitness Test in October 2020. Read more about the app on Military.com.
No matter who you are or how you were injured, the process to heal, retrain and get ready for the next fitness test is a long...
The Espionage Act of 1917 defined espionage as the notion of obtaining or delivering information relating to national defense to a person who is not entitled to have it. The Act made espionage a crime punishable by death, but there are always men and women willing to risk it  for country, for honor, or maybe just for some quick cash.

Whether they infiltrated the enemy's ranks or sweet-talked the details out of careless persons who ignore all those "loose lips sink ships" posters, these are the most notorious spies with the most successful espionage missions in history, ranked by the operations they disrupted, the damage they dealt, and the odds stacked against them.

10. Aldrich Ames  COLD WAR

Aldrich Ames is a 31-year CIA veteran turned KGB double agent. In 1994, he was arrested by the FBI for spying for the Soviets along with his wife, Rosario Ames, who aided and abetted his espionage. Following his arrest and guilty plea, Ames revealed that he had compromised the identities of CIA and FBI human sources, leading some to be executed by the Soviet Union.

During a nearly year-long investigation into his subterfuge  and his subsequent trial  it was revealed that Ames had been spying for the Soviets since 1985, passing details about HUMINT sources, clandestine operations against the USSR, and providing classified information via "dead drops" in exchange for millions of dollars.

It was, in fact, the Ames' lavish spending that finally led to their downfall, but by then, he had already nearly destroyed the American intelligence program in the Soviet Union.

Ames is currently serving his life sentence, while his wife, as part of a plea-bargain agreement, served only five years and walked free.

9. Virginia Hall "The Limping Lady"  WWII

Virginia Hall was one of the most successful espionage operatives of World War II, earning not only the contempt of the Gestapo, but the Distinguished Service Cross  the only civilian woman to be so honored. As a spy, she organized agent networks, recruited the local population of occupied France to run safe houses, and aided in the escape of Allied prisoners of war.

Oh, and she did it all with a wooden leg named 'Cuthbert.'

Known by the Nazis as "The Limping Lady," she was recruited by British spymaster Vera Atkins to report on German troop movements and recruit members for the resistance in France. Posturing as an American news reporter, she encoded messages into news broadcasts and passed encrypted missives to her contacts.

She signed up with the U.S. Office of Strategic Service and in 1944 she organized missions to sabotage the Germans. She is credited with more jailbreaks, sabotage missions, and leaks of troop movements than any other spy in France.

8. Harriet Tubman  CIVIL WAR

Everyone knows that Harriet Tubman helped slaves reach freedom through the Underground Railroad after her own escape in 1849. When the Civil War broke out 11 years later, she continued the fight by becoming a spy for the Union Army.

Though she was unable to read or write, Tubman was exceptionally bright. Her time spent with the Underground Railroad taught her to keep track of complex details and information, scout transportation routes, and arrange clandestine meetings.

She used these skills to build a spy ring, mapping territory, routes, and waterways, and collecting human intelligence about Confederate movements and weaponry. She was the first and only woman to organize a military operation during the Civil War, overseeing the transport of Union boats through Confederate-mined territory based on intel she had collected.

During the same raid, she helped to free 700 local slaves, 100 of whom would take up arms for the North.

7. George Blake  WWII-Cold War

George Blake was recruited to the Secret Intelligence Service, otherwise known as MI6, during World War II. During the Korean War, he was taken prisoner by the Korean People's Army, and during his three year detention he became a communist and decided to betray his country.

In 1953, he returned to Britain a hero, but secretly began his work as a double agent for the KGB, wherein he would compromise anti-communist operations and reportedly betray over 40 MI6 agents and dismantle MI6 operations in Eastern Europe.

In 1961, he was exposed by a Polish defector, arrested, and sentenced to 42 years of imprisonment, but in 1966 he broke out and fled to Moscow, where he was awarded the Order of Friendship by Vladimir Putin.

6. Agent 355  AMERICAN REVOLUTION

There were several Patriot spy rings that worked to overthrow British occupation during the Revolutionary War, but very few of these secret groups had women who actively took part in the espionage. The Culper Spy Ring, however, is known mainly for a very unusual agent, a spy known then and now only as '355'  the group's code number for the word 'woman.'

The mystery woman's identity was kept secret to protect herself and likely her family, but her daring contributions to the American cause have been remembered in history. She took part in several counterintelligence missions, including spy operations that resulted in the arrest of major John Andrew  the head of England's intelligence operations in New York  and the discovery of Benedict Arnold's treason.

Some historians guess that Agent 355 was likely a shopkeeper or a merchant who learned information about Red Coat military operations from chatty British customers, and that she would then divulge this information to George Washington. Regardless of her methods, Agent 355 made critical contributions to the Revolutionary cause.

5. Rose Greenhow  CIVIL WAR

Confederate spy Rose Greenhow is credited with obtaining critical intelligence about the Union's plans to attack in Manassas, Virginia. She established her spy network in Washington DC at the beginning of the Civil War, and it quickly proved its worth when Greenhow uncovered details about Union General Irvin McDowell's plans in 1861. Greenhow spirited intelligence to Confederate General Pierre G.T. Beauregard, who requested extra troops when he met Union forces at Bull Run on July 21st.

The Battle of Bull Run was the first major land battle of the Civil War and, as a result of Greenhow's intelligence, the South was able to achieve a major victory and launch their rebellion with momentum. Confederate President Jefferson Davis himself sent Greenhow a letter of appreciation after the battle.

Federal authorities were soon able to trace Greenhow's activities, however, and she was placed under house arrest before an incarceration in the Old Capitol Prison. After her release, she would continue to fight for the Southern cause until her death at sea while transporting Confederate dispatches aboard a British blockade-runner.

4. Oleg Gordievsky  COLD WAR+

Oleg Gordievsky has been given credit for shifting the balance of power during the Cold War. For 11 years, he spied for MI6 while working as a high-ranking KGB officer in London. In 1968, Gordievsky was a junior spy working abroad for the KGB when the Soviet Union invaded Czechoslovakia.

He resolved himself to fight the communist system from within. In 1972, Gordievsky was recruited by MI6 after he was referred by a Czech spy who had defected to Canada.

Over the next decade, Gordievsky would provide details of current and former KGB operations as well as the KGB's attempts to influence western elections. He was exposed to Moscow by Aldrich Ames and managed to survive a KGB interrogation despite being drugged. MI6 managed to recover Gordievsky and smuggle him safely out of the country.

He is one of the highest-ranking KGB officers ever to operate western espionage missions and for this he was sentenced by Soviet authorities to death in absentia.

3. Francis Walsingham  TUDOR ENGLAND

Most spies work in secret, but Francis Walsingham served Queen Elizabeth I with the badass title of Spymaster. A staunch Protestant, Walsingham served as Principal Secretary of State for the Tudor queen before joining her Privy Council, where he devised an intricate spy network during her reign. He uncovered what became known as the Babington Plot of 1586, which lead to the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots the following year.

Encouraged by her supporters, Anthony Babington wrote a letter to Mary concerning "the dispatch" of Queen Elizabeth during Mary's incarceration in England. Mary's reply was intercepted by Walsingham and Thomas Phelippes, who copied the letter and forged a damning postscript to the end. Walsingham used the copied letter and the cipher text of the original to convince Elizabeth that for as long as Mary lived, she posed a threat to the Protestant throne.

Elizabeth reluctantly signed Mary's death warrant and she was beheaded on February 8, 1587. Elizabeth safely reigned until her own death in 1603.

2. Robert Hanssen  COLD WAR+

Former FBI agent Robert Hanssen spied for Soviet and Russian intelligence services from 1979 to 2001 and remains one of the most damaging double agents in American history. His espionage activities included delivering thousands of pages of classified material to Moscow, revealing the identities of human sources and agents and details about America's nuclear operations.

One of his first acts as a Soviet spy was to expose Dmitri Polyakov, a Soviet general and CIA informant who was then executed. During his espionage tenure, he would receive over $1.4 million in cash and diamonds to betray his country.

The FBI discovered Hanssen's treachery and he was indicted on 21 counts of spying for the Soviet Union and Russia. He would finally plead guilty to 15 counts of espionage and conspiracy in exchange for 15 consecutive life sentences in prison over the death penalty.

1. The Rosenbergs  COLD WAR

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were the first U.S. citizens to be convicted and executed for espionage during peacetime after they were found guilty of delivering classified information about the atomic bomb to the Soviet Union. Julius was an engineer for the U.S. Army Signal Corps and his wife Ethel worked there a secretary.

In 1950, they were implicated by David Greenglass, Ethel's younger brother, who worked at Los Alamos, a secret atomic bomb laboratory in the States and who confessed to providing classified intelligence to the Soviets.

The Los Angeles Times reported that not only did the Rosenbergs do "their best to give the Soviets top atomic secrets from the Manhattan Project, they succeed in handing over top military data on sonar and on radar that was used by [Moscow] to shoot down American planes in the Korean and Vietnam Wars."

After a controversial trial and global speculation, they were executed via electric chair on June 19, 1953.

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Key

Select Mineral List Type Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Dana Chemical Elements

Detailed Mineral List:  'Clinoptilolite' Formula: M 3-6 (Si 30 Al 6 )O 72  20H 2 O Reference: Smale, D. (1968). The occurrence of clinoptilolite in pan sediments in the Nata area, Northern Botswana. Transactions of the Geological Society of South Africa, 71(2), 153-172.

Gallery:

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification Unclassified Minerals, Rocks, etc.  'Clinoptilolite' - M 3-6 (Si 30 Al 6 )O 72  20H 2 O

List of minerals arranged by Dana 8th Edition classification Unclassified Minerals, Mixtures, etc.  'Clinoptilolite' - M 3-6 (Si 30 Al 6 )O 72  20H 2 O

List of minerals for each chemical element H Hydrogen H  Clinoptilolite M 3-6 (Si 30 Al 6 )O 72  20H 2 O O Oxygen O  Clinoptilolite M 3-6 (Si 30 Al 6 )O 72  20H 2 O Al Aluminium Al  Clinoptilolite M 3-6 (Si 30 Al 6 )O 72  20H 2 O Si Silicon Si  Clinoptilolite M 3-6 (Si 30 Al 6 )O 72  20H 2 O

References

Sort by Year (asc) Year (desc) Author (A-Z) Author (Z-A)

Smale, D. (1968) The occurrence of clinoptilolite in pan sediments in the Nata area, Northern Botswana. Transactions of the Geological Society of South Africa: 71(2): 147-152.

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This page contains all mineral locality references listed on mindat.org. This does not claim to be a complete list. If you know of more minerals from this site, please register so you can add to our database. This locality information is for reference purposes only. You should never attempt to visit any sites listed in mindat.org without first ensuring that you have the permission of the land and/or mineral rights holders for access and that you are aware of all safety precautions necessary.

A small village located northwest of Francistown en route to Zambia.Nata is a village in the Central District of Botswana. It is located in the northern part of the district and is served by Nata Airport. The village of Nata lies along the Nata River, which carries its rainy season flow to the Makgadikgadi Pans, a seasonal hypersaline lake.
It hit the internet like a bakers dozen of day old bagels, and brought exclamations of blasphemy from across the nation. Its the St. Louis Slice, and if there could be controversy in the bagel universe, it would manifest itself as this.

This bagel-gate was exposed by an innocent tweet from one Alek Krautmann, who was excited to share the signature slice of St. Louis with his co-workers.

Today I introduced my coworkers to the St Louis secret of ordering bagels bread sliced. It was a hit! pic.twitter.com/XNGbljtpYz  Alek Krautmann (@AlekKrautmann) March 26, 2019

This obviously set off a storm on Twitter. Of course, with its own hashtag #bagelgate.

So the deal is that you request the bagel to be sliced like a loaf of bread. Instead of getting a nice meaty chunk of dense, chewy flavorful bagel, you now get what essentially amounts to a bagel chip, albeit one that hasnt been toasted.

What? Why? Who would do this a perfectly good bagel, except for someone who bought way to few bagels for the office party and had to feed thousands with just a dozen. Or, someone from St. Louis.

John Gonzalez stopped by the Bagel Beanery on Michigan Street in Grand Rapids, to see if the controversial slicing had hit Michigan yet. Sounds like a big no. Thank goodness weve at least retained some respect for our boiled and baked friends. However, Kevin from the Bagel Beanery, was game enough to attempt the special, vertical thin cut.

We liked what Detroit Institute of Bagels had to say on Facebook about the whole situation. They were named one of the top bagel shops in America by Thrillist in 2018, so they know what theyre doing. Theyve decided, you do you when it comes to your bagel. You can get two cuts per bagel (three if you ask very nicely) and theyll cut that little ball of dough any way you like. Seems practical, and somewhat rogue, much like Detroit city itself.

Nantucket Baking Company in Grand Rapids, one of our top picks for Michigans Best Bakery in 2018, told us that while not opposed to bagel chips, we prefer it the old fashioned way".

So what are your thoughts, Michigan? Is it an abomination to slice your bagel like a loaf of bread? Or is it a new and exciting way to deliver cream cheese to your mouth? Let us know in the comments.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- The Fox news show Fox & Friends will broadcast from The Omelette Shoppe on Michigan Street in Grand Rapids from 6-9 a.m. Friday, March 29, the morning after President Donald Trump appears at a rally at Van Andel Arena.

Producers will film their Breakfast With Friends segment at The Omelette Shoppe, according to reps from The Omelette Shoppe.

The public is invited.

On its Facebook Event Page is reads:

Pete Hegseth will be chatting with locals about the news of the day. Come on out for a delicious breakfast and for a chance to be on National Television! See you Friday! No reservations are required. Just wake up early and come on by! See you soon!

We talked to reps from the Omelette Shoppe today who said they are setting up logistics for the show, which airs from 6-9 a.m. weekdays on the Fox News cable channel.

We here at Omelette Shoppe are honored to have Fox & Friends here broadcasting their show Breakfast with Friends! Were so excited that Grand Rapids is getting national attention and blessed to be a part of it, said Scott Parkhurst, operating partner at Restaurant Partners, which owns The Omelette Shoppe as well as other Michigan restaurants.

As a company, we remain neutral and again, simply love the fact that our local, Grand Rapids Omelette Shoppe was chosen. We are proud to play a small part in GR getting national recognition.

The Omelette Shoppe is location at 545 Michigan St. NE, Grand Rapids, Mi 49503.

Learn more about Fox and Friends at foxnews.com/shows/fox-and-friends

See MLives complete coverage at mlive.com/politics.
Last years action to keep Enbridges Line 5 pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac and form the new Mackinac Straits Corridor Authority is unconstitutional, Attorney General Dana Nessel wrote in a formal opinion issued Thursday.

The opinion - Nessels first as Attorney General - states the controversial plan signed into law late last year tasking a new authority with determining how best to encase the pipeline in a tunnel is unconstitutional because its provisions go beyond the scope of the acts title.

The opinion bases that finding around the title-object clause, a part of the Michigan Constitution that states a bill shall have only one object, which shall be expressed in its title.

Nessel wrote that significant amendments to the legislations language transferring power over the tunnel from the Mackinac Bridge Authority to the Mackinac Straits Corridor Authority before it was signed into law as PA 359 meant the title didnt match the bill.

It is plain from the body of Act 359 that this transfer is a component of the central, and significantly different, purpose of the body of the act - authorizing the Corridor Authority to almost immediately enter into a specific type of agreement with a private party to acquire and operate a utility tunnel, she wrote.

Nessel concluded in her opinion that any court determination that Act 359 is unconstitutional would likely apply that decision retroactively, and conclude that the Mackinac Straits Corridor Authority, its Board, and any action taken by the Board are void from their inception.

Nessel was asked to weigh in on the constitutionality of PA 359 by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Following the announcement of Nessels opinion, Whitmer signed an executive directive ordering state departments and agencies to halt work on anything to do with the law.

I agree with the conclusion reached by Attorney General Nessel, Whitmer said in a statement. The Great Lakes are our most precious resource in Michigan, and because of their significance, Ive instructed state departments and agencies to halt any actions in furtherance of this law.

Republican state Rep. Triston Cole, R-Mancelona, called the move a flimsy legal opinion that shows disregard for the needs of Michigan families outside of the states major cities.

To suggest that lawmakers werent clear on the details of the plan they voted for last December is outrageous, he said in a statement. This plan was put forward after months of debate, public testimony and rigorous investigation. There were few issues discussed more publicly than constructing a tunnel for Line 5.

Nessels opinion earned initial praise from Line 5 critics and environmental groups.

Oday Salim, staff attorney for the National Wildlife Federation Great Lakes Regional Center, praised Nessels decision in a statement, noting it is not surprising that this brazen attempt to satisfy interests, subvert the democratic process, and tie the hands of Gov. Whitmer does not meet the requirements of the Michigan Constitution.

Jim Olsen, founder and president of the group For Love of Water, said in a statement the opinion should be followed by an immediate and full review of the Snyder administrations handling of Line 5 and the potential risks of the existing pipeline on the Straits of Mackinac and surrounding communities. For Love of Water also called on Whitmer to begin the process of decommissioning the existing Line 5 pipeline.

Outgoing Gov. Rick Snyder took action on the pipeline in the final days of his administration, signing into law a plan that created the Mackinac Straits Corridor Authority to take ownership of a utility tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac to house a replacement for the current Line 5 oil and gas pipeline, which has garnered controversy due to its age and sensitive location.

The controversial law has already faced challenges on another constitutional issue - the law stipulates that members of the authority serve six-year terms. Earlier this month, a Court of Claims judge determined the six-year terms for authority members were unconstitutional, but did not invalidate the rest of the law.
LANSING, MI -- Lansing police have arrested a woman wanted for questioning in connection to the death of her 6-day-old daughter whose body was found in a car earlier this month, according to the Associated Press.

Ashley Shade, 35, was arrested without incident according to police, whove been searching for her since the newborn was found on Mar. 19.

The baby was inside Shades Toyota Camry, which was parked in Lansing. Shade and the baby had been missing since the night before when police were called to an apartment for a report of an unresponsive infant.

Shade and the baby were not in the apartment when police arrived.

Shade is currently in jail, arrested on several previous charges pending against her from various jurisdictions.

The investigation into the newborns death revealed no signs of injury or trauma on the babys body, according to police, but a cause of death was still pending.
Less than a year after coming to Detroit, budget Icelandic airline WOW air posted an alert to its website that it had ceased operations and cancelled all flights on Thursday, March 28.

The airline doesnt give too many details outside of advising passengers to check available flights with other airlines.

Some airlines may offer flights at a reduced rate, so-called rescue fares, in light of the circumstances, WOW writes on its website.

Related: WOW air offering free flights to Iceland to anyone named Valentine

CNN reports that WOWs sudden decision not to exist anymore has stranded its passengers on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. A passenger set to fly from Toronto to Reykjavik Wednesday night said that they were given confusing information before having their flight canceled.

The passenger told the outlet that they were not provided accommodations or offered refunds, and that "this really scared everyone. Saurabh Aggarwal told CNN that she and other passengers didnt receive an email from WOW until the next morning.

20 min to board, @wowairsupport cancels the flight. But then sends an email that its just delayed until 9pm. Oh but the crew left because it was cancelled. Updates coming from the guy in the middle of this crowd. pic.twitter.com/bRmnQUXvz4  Mike Wendling (@WendlingMike) March 27, 2019

Passengers may also be entitled to compensation from WOW AIR, including in accordance with European regulation on Air Passenger Rights. In case of a bankruptcy, claims should be filed to the administrator / liquidator, the airline writes on its website in a notice to passengers.

Related: Budget airline offering $129 flights to 11 European cities out of Detroit, Chicago

Alex Spence told CNN that she was set to return to Toronto from Berlin on March 30, but now has to book a last-minute flight with another airline just to make it home.

Honestly the worst part is that WOW hasnt even reached out to inform passengers like myself, Spence said.

The airline first expanded into the U.S. Midwest when it started offering the $69 one-way trips to Reykjavik out of Chicago OHare International Airport. After taking off from the Windy City, Wow added service in New York, Miami, Pittsburgh, Washington D.C, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and, of course, Detroit.

Related: Budget Icelandic airline now operating out of Detroit with $69 one-way flights

WOW reported in the past that connected 39 U.S. and European cities with the Icelandic capital, and that it enjoyed a 69 percent increase in passengers to the tune of 2.8 million people in 2017.
PITTSFIELD TOWNSHIP, MI - A man suspected in a seemingly random attack at an Ann Arbor Starbucks has been found incompetent to stand trial.

Chaquile McKinney, 25, was referred for treatment when he appeared Thursday in Washtenaw Countys 14A-1 District Court.

Its believed that his competency can be restored, Assistant Washtenaw County Prosecutor John Vella told Judge J. Cedric Simpson on March 28.

"The finding is that Mr. McKinney is currently incompetent, but that Mr. McKinney has a substantial likelihood of becoming competent in the time allowed by statue," he said.

The statute mandates that the state has 15 months or a third of the maximum prison sentence for the crime charged, whichever is less, to rehabilitate a defendant found incompetent to stand trial. McKinney faces up to 10 years in prison and officials, therefore, have 15 months to rehabilitate him.

McKinney, believed to be homeless, is accused of hitting a woman over the head with a chair about 9 p.m. Feb. 9 at Starbucks, 222 S. State St. Officials say the two didnt know each other and the woman required multiple stitches.

McKinney is charged with assault with intent to do great bodily harm and assault with a dangerous weapon.

He was previously convicted of attempting to resist and obstruct a police officer and has not been following orders of his probation, police said at his arraignment.

McKinney, for his part, asked to see video evidence of the Starbucks attack.

Im supposed to wait here and be sentenced for something I didnt do?" McKinney said. I dont even know when this happened ... I am being bullied.

McKinney remains held on a $25,000 cash or surety bond. He is now scheduled for a May 30 competency hearing.
Update: The victim has died of his injuries at an area hospital, Washtenaw County sheriffs officials revealed about 6:30 p.m.

SCIO TOWNSHIP, MI - Police are on scene of an Edward Jones office west of Ann Arbor in connection with a fatal stabbing.

Authorities were called about 1:25 p.m. Thursday, March 28 to the financial advising business at 6113 Jackson Road in Scio Township, said Matt Rose of Huron Valley Ambulance.

One person was taken to the University of Michigan hospital in critical condition later died, sheriffs officials said.

The victim, who has not been identified, arrived at the business with injuries from a stabbing, said Washtenaw County Sheriffs Lt. Lisa King. The stabbing is believed to have taken place at a nearby residence in the township.

One person was taken into custody during a traffic stop with help from Michigan State Police following the incident, said Lt. Darren Green of the MSP First District.

Further information was not immediately available.

The scene came as a shock to Dianna Wilson, owner of the School of Rock music school in the adjoining building. She arrived to find her business surrounded by police vehicles Thursday afternoon.

"It was pretty scary," she said. "It was right in front of my building so I thought it was my building (where the incident occurred)."

Classes at the school are expected to continue as planned Thursday, she said.

The Edward Jones office remained surrounded by police tape Thursday afternoon. Employees declined to comment.

A vehicle on a nearby street was also surrounded by police tape.
TECUMSEH, MI - Tecumseh Public Schools is attempting to hire its third superintendent in two months.

The board of education decided Thursday, March 28, to begin negotiations with Brad Hamilton, a retired educator whos served as superintendent of multiple area districts, to see if he would take on the interim position for no more than six months.

If you want me to help you, I think I can, Hamilton said to the more than 60 people gathered for Thursdays special board meeting. But if you dont want me to, if you think you have all the answers, I cant help you.

Hamilton has 40 years experience in education, spending 13 years as superintendent of Grass Lake Community Schools before he retired. He has since held interim superintendent positions at Onsted Community Schools and Manchester Community Schools, and he currently does consulting work.

Tecumsehs previous interim Superintendent Ryan Rhoades is currently on paid, non-disciplinary leave pending the outcome of an investigation into allegations against him made by five Tecumseh school administrators.

Rhoades was hired in Tecumsehs technology department in December and has no K-12 education experience.

Tecumseh High School Principal Griff Mills, who was appointed interim co-superintendent with Rhoades and then interim assistant superintendent, resigned from that position Monday at the end of an especially volatile school board meeting.

The Tecumseh Public Schools community has been divided over changes an entirely new school board has made since taking office in January, at which point they cut ties with previous Superintendent Kelly Coffin.

The new board was galvanized by a desire to slow rapid changes at Tecumseh schools after the district implemented a series of 21st Century learning strategies in the 2017-18 school year, moving away from the more traditional education approach the board members preferred.

Hamilton, who has relatives who live in the school district, said the disagreement over instructional strategies has turned into a crisis of credibility and trust within the school community.

The differences that this community has have nothing to do with curriculum and everything to do with credibility and trust and climate, he said, to a round of applause from the audience. We can work on curriculum and we can work on competency-based and project-based learning all day long and never solve the issues that are going on in this community -- until you start having trust and until you start establishing some more credibility and until you listen to teachers.

How did we get here?

Bean bag seating in her daughters eighth-grade classroom was Rebecca Brooks first sign things would be different in the 2017-18 school year.

Her daughter attended one of Tecumsehs STEAM learning centers, which emphasized a new project-based learning approach that encourages students to work in groups to investigate a real-world challenge for weeks at a time, with guidance from a teacher.

The STEAM learning center for seventh and eighth graders was itself a new idea, part of the districts re-organization of grade levels at different school buildings with new names.

The youngest students now attended early learning centers, and second through sixth graders went to Compass Learning Center, where they gradually began doing more independent learning.

Two-teacher teams would work with up to 60 elementary-aged students at a time, pulling out small groups with similar ability levels to give them individual attention while the rest of the class worked at their own pace.

To Brooks, the STEAM center looked chaotic, and she recalled seeing kids sitting on a windowsill and using their phones during class when she toured the school that fall. It bothered her that teachers were now called facilitators or mentors, and students were called learners.

It was very foreign, and it felt like it was being forced, she said.

The new instructional approach didnt work for her daughter, Brooks said, and the girls grades tanked in eighth grade, even though she made the honor roll in seventh grade.

Brooks connected with other parents who shared her concerns, including Tim Simpson, who has children in sixth, eighth and 10th grade at Tecumseh Schools this school year.

Simpson thought project-based learning was leaving holes in his kids education. Rather than diving into projects, students should first read textbooks or participate in class discussions to get a basic understanding of a concept, he said.

They dont get the core subjects, per se, individually, Simpson said. Theyre trying to learn about these subjects and doing a project at the same time.

He also was concerned about the use of software to track students progress in mastering concepts, rather than leaving it to teachers to assess each students strengths and weaknesses.

Competency-based grading, which ranked students mastery of a concept on a scale of 1 to 4, rather than assigning them letter grades, was another failed experiment, he said.

Simpson said his children still did well in school under the new format of instruction, but they werent engaged in their classes.

My kids are pretty high-performing, so theyre going to perform pretty well, he said. Theyre just bored and just going through the motions.

A group of parents talked to teachers, building principals, the superintendent and finally the school board about their reservations with all the school changes, Brooks said.

I never felt like we were being heard, she said. They were dead set on what they were going to do and there was no compromise.

In May 2018, as the first year of Tecumsehs new instructional approach was coming to a close, Simpson spearheaded an effort to recall four members of the school board.

Brooks supported the recall campaign, and she and Simpson eventually decided to run for the school board. In addition to the four trustees that were recalled, the other three board seats also were up for grabs in the November election, and a whole new school board was elected.

Things happened quickly once the new trustees took office Jan. 7, with Simpson named board president and Brooks vice president.

Now, community members -- and the school board -- arent sure where to go from here.

Whats next?

Simpson said the new direction of Tecumseh Schools is yet to be determined, and priorities will be established based on feedback from community surveys and recommendations from the school boards committees.

He and Brooks hope to see the district implement a combination of traditional teaching and some project-based learning and customized instruction.

We dont envision going back to the 1950s, where all the kids are in rows and the teachers stand at the front and lecture for 90 minutes, Simpson said.

Simpson thought Rhoades was the right person to lead the district through revamping its instructional approach, saying his experience as a corporate executive made him overqualified for the superintendent position.

Prior to joining Tecumseh Schools, Rhoades spent the past four years working in Mexico and Austria as a director and department head for Skidata, a company that installs systems to transport people to ski areas and other large venues like shopping centers and airports.

He has more than 20 years of management experience and holds masters degrees in psychology and business administration. Hes working on a doctorate in business administration.

We really needed somebody who could come in and make some changes to our district, and we felt like he was someone who could do that, Simpson said.

But the allegations that Rhoades was intimidating and threatening staff and creating hostile work environment derailed that plan.

The day after agreeing to a contract to pay Rhoades $115,000 a year as interim superintendent, the board placed him on paid, non-disciplinary leave, pending the outcome of an investigation into the allegations against him.

When we hear an allegation like that, we have to investigate, Simpson said.

The board voted Thursday to hire Recon Management Group to complete an investigation of the allegations against Rhoades, as well as accusations Rhoades made against other school staff. The initial fee for the investigation was $2,500 for 10 interviews, Simpson said, but he expects more interviews will be required, due to the number of accusations that have been made.

Brooks said it was important for Tecumseh Schools to have a superintendent in place to give the district stability going into the 2019-20 school year, which is why the board decided to give an interim superintendent a one-year contract, rather than conduct a search for a permanent superintendent.

The combination of Rhoades executive experience and Mills background as a school administrator made them a good leadership team, Brooks said. But Mills has since resigned as assistant superintendent, saying he did not sign up for the drama.

Some have disputed Rhoades qualifications for the superintendent position and fear the new school board will move the district backward.

Several people who spoke during public comment at Thursdays board meeting said they think Hamilton is the right person to lead Tecumseh Schools for the next few months.

Lisa Michelin, the parent of a second grader and eighth grader, asked the trustees to consider whether they are capable of carrying out their duties.

You are impacting not just the livelihoods of the people who are in the school system as employees, but the people who are business owners, homeowners (and) the reputation of this community overall, she said.

Michelin said there were hurdles in adapting to the new school format at first, but the changes ended up helping her children mature and take more responsibility for their learning.

Jake Larson also had initial concerns about some of the changes, especially the team-teaching approach and large class sizes for his fourth grader. But now he appreciates the individualized attention one teacher can give small groups of students while a second teacher leads the class.

I dont want my kid to have the same education I have. I want him to have a better education than I did, Larson said. It was messy the first year and things were pushed kind of fast, but I want those opportunities for my son.

Trustee John Benzing assured the public the trustees are invested in the future of Tecumseh schools and the community as a whole.

We are the homeowners, we are the parents, were the business owners, he said. We have everything invested in this community, and thats why were up here.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI  Meijer has voluntarily changed its policy for filling prescriptions after a pharmacist in July refused to provide a woman with medication to treat her miscarriage, the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan announced Thursday.

The ACLU filed a complaint with Meijer after the woman, Rachel Peterson, said a pharmacist refused to provide her with Misoprostol. The pharmacist allegedly told her that as a good Catholic male he could not in good conscious fill the prescription.

My whole goal in this was to make sure no one had to endure the humiliation and horror that I went through last year, and with this new policy, it sets a precedent and puts pharmacies on notice, said Peterson, an Ionia resident who was denied her prescription at a Meijer she visited in Petoskey while on vacation with her family.

According to the ACLU, Meijers new policy requires the following:

If a customer calls in or presents a prescription to a pharmacist who has a religious objection to filling the prescription, a second pharmacist will take over and immediately fill the prescription.

In the very rare instance that a second pharmacist is not present, the on-duty pharmacist will call the prescription into another nearby Meijer pharmacy, which will immediately deliver it to the original pharmacy. In most cases, it will take no more than 30 minutes or an hour to deliver the medication and the longest time it would take is two hours.

Customers will receive their prescriptions seamlessly without knowing that a pharmacist had an objection and no Meijer employee will shame customers for taking a medication prescribed by their doctor.

Further, Meijer is currently training all pharmacy staff on the new policies and new employees will be trained as part of their orientation.

Misoprostol can be used to treat an array of medical issues, including to to induce labor, and treat ulcers and miscarriages. In combination with another drug, it can also be used to induce an abortion.

After the ACLU announced its complaint against Meijer in October, Meijer issued a statement, saying that a pharmacist may refuse to fill a prescription based on religious beliefs but that its policy calls for another pharmacist to then fill the prescription.

If no other pharmacist is available, Meijer stated, the pharmacist must work with the patient to arrange for the prescription to be filled at a pharmacy convenient for the patient.

Merissa Kovach, a policy analyst at the ACLU, said Meijers new policy helps ensure that a pharmacist on duty has been fully trained to not provide the customer service and shaming that Rachel went through.

It also emphasizes that its the responsibility of Meijer as the pharmacy to prescribe and give the prescription to any customer and to not discriminate against customers, she said.

Meijer, when asked by MLive.com about the new policy, said its always focused on providing the best service to all of our pharmacy patients, while also ensuring our pharmacists work in a supportive environment. The company declined further comment.

The pharmacist identified by the ACLU has not worked for Meijer since early July, the company said.

Peterson said she had a phone call on Tuesday with Meijers Vice President of Pharmacy, Jason Beauch. She said he was very apologetic and empathetic about the situation and seemed actually quite appalled about what me and my husband went through.

He definitely talked about the policy and clarified any discrepancies or concerns Ive had with the policy, she said. He made me feel a lot more comfortable that they are doing everything they can to make sure this does not happen to anyone again.

While the ACLU did not file a lawsuit against Meijer in response to the incident, the pharmacists actions violated the Michigan Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act, which prohibits sex discrimination in the provision of public services, said Michael Steinberg, legal director of the ACLU of Michigan.

Steinberg said if a man had gone to the same pharmacy as Peterson with a prescription for Misoprostol, which can be used to treat ulcers, he would have been provided with it. But because Peterson is a women, she was denied the medication, he said.

That is in direct contradiction to the Michigan civil rights act, he said.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Lindsey Parker slept four hours Wednesday night, drove another two and then prepared to stand in line for 13 hours.

It was the Coldwater residents first time seeing President Donald Trump, and she wanted to get as close as she could during his rally Thursday, March 28, at the Van Andel Arena.

Its just so exciting to be here, Parker said. Hes done such great things.

When Parker got in line at 3 a.m. Thursday, she said there were already 22 people in front of her. Trump is slated to speak at 7 p.m., and doors open at 4 p.m.

Its the presidents first rally since the U.S. Special Counsel investigation cleared him of collusion with the Russian government.

By 1:30 p.m., the line stretched more than seven city blocks in downtown Grand Rapids and was packed with hundreds of people donning their red Make America Great Again hats.

Merchants, wheeling carts up and down the streets, hawked flags, hats and shirts. A band near the arena played a variety of cover songs to amp up the crowd. An occasional derogatory shout from a passing car drew chants of USA.

Every time a Grand Rapids police bicycle patrol passed, people clapped and cheered.

Vicki Finegan, a Palos Heights, Illinois resident, is a veteran of Trump rallies; its her fifth one since Trump announced his bid for president in 2015.

Finegan, a Marine veteran, said she hopes Trump talks about where things stand with the border wall, veterans benefits and health care reform.

I want to see things for myself, and Trump tells it straight, she said. I dont want a filter (between me and his message).

The mother of two booked a hotel in Grand Rapids, woke up early and headed down to the Van Andel at 5 a.m. Though she came alone, she was among friends.

I usually find people I can relate to, Finegan said. Its a great experience. I always think of it as a tailgate party."

She said rallies are the only place she can wear a MAGA hat without fear of retaliation.

Luciano Delo, a Grand Rapids resident, attended Trumps last rally in the city that took place the night before the 2016 election. By early afternoon, it appeared the crowd would be even larger, he said.

This is pretty impressive," Delo said. I think hes gotten a lot more support from when he first ran.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- No Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA! a crowd of more than 200 protesters chanted at President Donald Trump supporters as they entered Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids Thursday afternoon to hear the president speak.

I came here to stand up for what I believe in, said Grand Rapids resident Cam Deen, and thats anti-racism, anti-bigotry and anti-sexism. I feel Trump embodies the opposite of those things.

The protesters on Fulton Street in front of the arena were contained within a city block by salt trucks on either end and were separated from Trump supporters by barriers and police officers on bicycles.

Protesters gathered at 4 p.m., just as doors opened to allow people in for the presidents remarks scheduled for 7 p.m. The line to enter the Van Andel stretched numerous city blocks, and some die-hard supporters staked their place in the early-morning hours.

Another counter rally, staged by the Michigan Democratic Party, was held nearby in Rosa Parks Circle.

We want to show Trump that theres strong opposition in Grand Rapids, said Philip Snyder, the branch organizer for Socialist Alternative that staged the Fulton Street protest. I want him to reconsider coming back. I want people to get organized, get involved, and not just every election cycle: I want people to have their voices heard.

Snyder said Trump is representative of the right-wing billionaire class that attacks immigrants, working people and people of color.

The rally is Trumps first since the U.S. Special Counsel investigation cleared him of collusion with the Russian government. Its his second in Michigan since becoming president, although he visited multiple times during the 2016 campaign.

Though some moments between Trump supporters and protesters were heated, the atmosphere was generally calm.

A number of Southern rock classics, with some Queen, Village People and Rolling Stones sprinkled in, comprised the soundtrack played over the outside speaker at Van Andel. When Village Peoples song Y.M.C.A. played, numerous people on both sides broke into the choreography.

At times, a PSA told Trump supporters not to touch or harm protesters that crossed the divide. Instead, the PSA announced, supporters should hold their rally signs above their heads and say, Trump, Trump, Trump, to alert police to the matter.

One Trump supporter, Sand Lake resident Steve McBride, walked the protest lines with a megaphone.

Having seen Trump twice before, this time around he decided to let other people take it in and try instead to communicate with protesters.

McBride said although he doesnt agree with everything Trump does, the country is coming to a crucial breaking point with mass shootings and immigration at the border shared with Mexico.

Just like the friend thats on heroin, crack, fentanyl, I know how hatred can be an addiction, he said. I refuse to crucify him for the small matters that have been exposed about his attitude, his brashness, his lack of political correctness.

Dee Holton, an Eaton Rapids resident, looked on at the protesters before getting in line for the rally. He and a friend held a flag that read Donald Trump / Make America Great Again.

Everybody is entitled to their own opinion, he said of the protests.

Mary Byrne traveled from Wayland with a group of eight friends to join the protest, hoping those on the other side of the dividing line wake up and realize the middle class is being squeezed out, because theyre going to lose everything were going to lose, she said.

We have a dishonest president, Byrne said. Hed love to be a dictator, and those people are following him like a cult.
EATON RAPIDS TWP., MI  Police are investigating the discovery of a womans body Wednesday evening in the woods north of Eaton Rapids.

Police received a 911 call at 6:41 p.m. March 27, from a person who found what appeared to be human remains near the intersection of Wilber Highway and Spruce Road in northern Eaton Rapids Township, according to an Eaton County Sheriffs Office statement.

The body, believed to be that of a woman, was found in an advanced state of decomposition, police said.

Detectives and evidence technicians assisted by the Michigan State Police Crime Lab and Michigan State University Anthropology Department processed the scene and recovered the remains which were turned over to the Medical Examiners Office for evaluation, police said.

The discovery of the body is still under investigation. The identity of the deceased woman is unknown at this time and there is no further information available regarding the cause or manner of the womans death, police said.

Anyone with information that may assist in this investigation is asked to call Eaton County Det. Rick Buxton at 517-323-8484.
JACKSON, MI  Gov. Gretchen Whitmer decided last week that she wont remove Jackson County Sheriff Steven Rand from office.

But thats not deterring Jackson Mayor Derek Dobies, who has sent a large packet of documents to the governor asking her to reconsider.

An accordion folder with 264 pages of material was submitted by Dobies to the governors office on Monday, March 25. Less than a week earlier, Whitmer determined she wouldnt remove the countys embattled sheriff from office  going along with advice from Attorney General Dana Nessel.

Documents include a five-page letter from Dobies, a signed affidavit with a list of 15 allegations against the sheriff, copies of two lawsuits filed against Rand by a pair of sheriffs office employees, letters from the city and county asking the governor to remove Rand and 50 news articles.

The packet was formally served to Rand earlier this week, Dobies said, as is required by the state.

Allegations listed include Rand mocking an employee for his disability, making a comment about a snuff film with a female courthouse employee, using racial slurs, discharging his gun in his office and not filing a report on it and calling a county judge a scatterbrained c---.

Proper procedure wasnt followed in Jackson Countys request for removal, the attorney generals office wrote  a claim county officials dispute. Rands statements alone arent enough to warrant removal, the AGs office said.

Dobies didnt consult county officials about sending the packet, Jackson County Board of Commissioners Chairman James Steve Shotwell Jr said. County attorneys asked Shotwell not to speak further about the sheriff, as a trial against Rand and the county is scheduled to start in September.

By satisfying all procedural requirements and giving more information, Dobies said hes hoping for a different answer from Whitmer and Nessel.

Rands actions in office meet the standard of official misconduct, Dobies said in the letter. Thats one of the six grounds for removal, per state statute.

"He has also tainted, perverted and corrupted the Jackson County Sheriffs Office by his behavior and by allowing other officers to participate in racist, sexist and discriminatory behaviors," Dobies said in the letter. "These actions clearly meet the definition of misconduct in office."

Rands comments  many of which are backed up by audio recordings  violate various laws, Dobies argues, like the Elliott Larsen Civil Rights Act, the Persons with Disabilities Civil Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. It also violates the citys non-discrimination ordinance and the sheriffs own internal policy, the letter states.

Dobies cites state court decisions, that misconduct is defined asthe commission of a wrongful act, commission of a lawful act in a wrongful manner or failure to do an act required by the duties of the office"  also known as malfeasance, misfeasance and nonfeasance.

No timeline is set for a response from the governor, but Dobies said he believes it should be quicker than the last request. He hopes presenting the additional documents shows Whitmer the weight of the issue.

Its such a prominent issue that unfortunately has defined Jackson, Dobies said. The thickness of the package that was delivered is an attempt to convey the depth of the problem in our community and the weight that its burdened our community with.
(UPDATED 12:25 P.M., March 29)

JACKSON, MI  Three Jackson Police Department officers were justified in using deadly force against a man who opened fired on them two months ago, according to a report released Thursday by the Jackson County Prosecutors Office.

Officers Patrick Rose and Tyler Carpenter and Sgt. Wes Stanton were cleared in the death of Joey Ramirez, who died in an early-morning shootout on Jan. 28, Jackson County Prosecutor Jerry Jarzynka said in the report released on March 28.

In light of the totality of the circumstances, the officers involved were legally justified in shooting at Joey Ramirez under either the doctrine of self-defense or defense of others, Jarazynka said in the report.

It is my opinion that the actions of Joey Ramirez would also have led a reasonable person to believe a serious risk of great bodily harm or death was imminent and deadly force was required as self-defense by the officers to protect their own lives.

At 2:41 a.m. Jan. 28, Ramirezs on-again-off-again girlfriend called 911 stating Ramirez had a gun and was trying to break into her apartment in the Southridge Park Apartment complex.

Prior to this, Ramirez, 29, had called her 45 times and threatened to put a bullet in her head, Jarzynka said in the report. The pair had been separated for three weeks because of his increasingly violent behavior toward her, which she attributed to cocaine use, the report stated.

Ramirez fled when police arrived at the apartment complex. Rose spotted him on foot, chased him south but lost track of him, according to Roses body camera video, as well as surveillance video from the scene.

Ramirez opened fire at Rose after Rose, using a flashlight, spotted Ramirez hiding in a recessed area of the apartment building, according to an investigation by the Jackson County Major Crimes Task Force.

Rose fell to the ground and returned fire. As the two exchanged shots, Ramirez ran away and was shot in the back and fell on a cement patio on Cooper Street.

At that time, Carpenter and Stanton spotted Ramirez on the patio and ordered him to drop his gun, Jarzynka said. Ramirez raised the gun and shot again before the officers returned fire, shooting Ramirez six more times, killing him at the scene, he said.

Ten days before the shooting, Ramirezs mother had talked with police stating she was concerned about her son after he told her he was going to get in a shootout with police and hoped to die, Jarzynka said.

She went to the police seeking help for Ramirez after being turned away by multiple mental health organizations which told her Ramirez had to seek the help for himself, his family said.

His family added that he suffered from untreated mental health issues and was abusing illegal drugs.

Ramirez was charged twice in 2010 for domestic violence and again for the third time in 2012, making it a felony offense. He openly admitted to his actions and pleaded guilty with each case, court records show.

Ramirez was sent to prison in 2013 on the felony domestic violence charge and released in 2017, Michigan Department of Corrections records show.

When Joey is off his medications and high, he does these types of things, Ramirezs attorney Cory McCord said, according to a transcript of his 2013 sentencing before Circuit Judge John McBain. He needs treatment.

Ramirez got outpatient treatment through the mental health court, but it wasnt working and he would self-medicate with a variety of drugs, McCord said.

I realize I have a lot of problems that I need help with, Ramirez said, according to the 2013 court transcript. When Im not high Im a good guy.

Ramirez admitted to abusing alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, Xanax and heroin to treat himself, records show.
LESLIE, MI  A Michigan State Police trooper killed in the line of duty 37 years ago is officially being memorialized Friday with a portion of U.S. 127 being named in his honor.

Effective March 29, U.S. 127 from exit 56 in Leslie south to the Jackson County line is being named the "Trooper Craig A. Scott Memorial Highway, according to Senate Bill 940, which was passed and signed by outgoing Gov. Rick Snyder in December.

On Feb. 9, 1982, while patrolling that area of U.S. 127, Scott made a routine traffic stop for speeding, unaware the vehicle he pulled over was reported stolen and its occupants had a loaded gun, according to Michigan State Police.

While Scott was arresting the driver, a passenger sneaked up behind him and shot him in the back three times before getting back in the stolen car and fleeing, police said. Scott returned fire and died at the scene, records show.

The men who killed Scott, Juivonne Littlejohn and Dennis Wynn, both of Detroit, were caught later the same day after stealing another car at gunpoint in Leslie, records show. They both were convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison where they remain.

Scotts death initiated a redesign of the bulletproof vests troopers were using at the time and also changed the Michigan State Police Training Academys curriculum to enhance safety protocols, officials said.

Scott served four years with Michigan State Police, spent three years as an active-duty U.S. Army Military Police ofcer and was inducted into the American Police Hall of Fame, receiving both the Police Medal of Honor and the Michigan Police Cross.
VALLEY TOWNSHIP, MI  A 23-year-old Allegan County man died Thursday after a fire broke out at his mobile home.

The Allegan County Sheriffs Office assisted firefighters at a fatal fire around 12:15 a.m. Thursday, March 28 on 117th Avenue near 43rd Street in Valley Township, the sheriffs office said in a news release. There, a sheriffs deputy found a man with burn injuries lying about 15 feet from the home.

The officer and several family members moved him to safety because he was unable to move on his own, according to the sheriffs office. He was taken to a local hospital but later died from his injuries.

Family members told police they were at home when a fire started in the kitchen. They were trying to get everyone out of the home when they found the victim and pulled him from the home. Others who were in the home at the time suffered from varying degrees of smoke inhalation and received treatment at the scene and at the hospital, according to police.

Police have identified the man as William Hedges, 23. He lived at the home with his parents.

Clyde Township, Lee Township and Hamilton firefighters were able to extinguish the fire before it destroyed the mobile home, according to police. The Michigan State Police fire marshal is investigating the fire.
OSHTEMO TOWNSHIP, MI -- Two people were injured when a motorcycle collided with a deer on Stadium Drive near Fourth Street, police said.

Kalmazoo County sheriffs deputies said the crash happened about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 27.

The motorcycle was going west in Stadium Drive when the deer came into the road. Two people on the motorcycle were taken to a hospital for unspecified injuries.

Once struck, the deer continued into the eastbound lanes. It was stuck by a Chevy Malibu.

Deputies said that multiple off-duty medical professionals stopped to assist at the scene until ambulance workers arrived. The Malibu driver was not injured.
KALAMAZOO, MI -- Chad Watson is unlike other Western Michigan University graduate students who teach while pursuing their degree.

His classroom is behind a razor-wire fence, and his students are inmates of a state prison.

Watson is one of two graduate students at Western Michigan University working to build the Prison Education Outreach Program to educate inmates at the Lakeland Correctional Facility in Coldwater.

Dale Brown, a doctoral student at WMU, started the initiative two years ago and continues the work to secure funding and expand the program.

The pair of students, under the direction of faculty supervisor Fritz Allhoff, want to help incarcerated people prepare to be reintegrated into society. Education is a key factor in their success, the instructors say.

Watson, who is working toward a masters degree in philosophy, makes the hour-long commute to Coldwater weekly for two and half hours of classroom time with a group of 25 men, he said. Another 80 inmates are on a waiting list for a seat in the classroom.

Teaching in a prison means far different circumstances, Watson said, than a traditional classroom. Considered a volunteer by the prison, Watson underwent a background check and must go through a much higher level of security to access his students.

After arriving at Lakeland Correctional Facility and passing through security, Watson is escorted to the prisons school, where classroom attendance rates among prisoners are much higher than a traditional college, he said.

Watson teaches philosophy. The primary benefits to his students do not come directly from the contents of the course, but the experience of attending a college class and learning to think about the world in a different way, he said.

Students are taught life skills including critical thinking, critical reading, writing and analysis, Watson said.

Despite those benefits, the prisoners are not receiving college credit for their work in Watsons class. The class is currently classified more as a mentoring program, Watson said.

It would need a lot more funding and accreditation through the Higher Learning Commission in order to provide tuition-free college credits to the inmates, according to faculty supervisor Allhoff.

Better for everyone

Brown, who is currently pursuing a doctorate degree in interdisciplinary studies and his second masters degree, teaches a course about prison ethics to undergraduates at WMU.

Much like the national conversations around prison education, students in his course often debate funding of courses like this, Brown said. Some question whose responsibility it should be to help rehabilitate former offenders.

They see us putting time into people who have committed crimes, Brown said.

People ask why their own kids have to pay for college, but free education is being offered to the incarcerated population.

Us giving resources to incarcerated people is not taking away from others, Brown said. Giving education is better for everyone, better for society.

Programs like this one are a good idea for society as a whole, he said. He cited studies that show prisoners who participate in educational courses are less likely to reenter the prison system later. The benefits include a reduced economic burden on the taxpayers, Brown said.

But there is more to consider than just the economic impact, he said.

These people are human beings, Brown said. Everyone has messed up. It doesnt mean at their core theyre a bad person.

Though Browns own father spent time in jail during Browns upbringing, participating in the program has opened his eyes further to the need to treat everyone with respect and dignity.

Its changed how I see incarcerated people, Brown said.

Watson said the program is a chance for individuals to be back in a classroom-like setting for the first time in many years. If they choose to pursue higher education after their release, the prisoners will have a better understanding of what to expect from a college course, he said.

Brown said the program is founded on the idea that were all citizens, and these prisoners will be returning home as neighbors, family and friends of those around them. This gives them the skills to interact with others and empowers them to return to society, he said.

Theres a national consensus we should be doing something to reform prisons, Brown said.

Philosophy is a skill set of thinking and reasoning that applies to every area of someones life, he said. The courses teach the students about societal obligations to others and about logic. The courses are an opportunity for discussion and the exchange of ideas, something Brown said may be lacking in the undemocratic environment of a prison.

Funding needed

The program needs funding to continue, Brown said. As the two graduate students near their own graduation dates, the hope is to leave behind a program future students can continue, he said.

They are pursuing a variety of funding sources, Allhoff said. Last year, the program received a grant from Western Michigans College of Arts and Sciences, which helped to fund Browns administrative role in the program.

The philosophy department funds a graduate stipend for Watson, which pays his teaching salary and reimburses him for his tuition dollars spent pursuing the masters degree, much like other graduate students in more traditional teaching roles.

Following the example of programs like the Northwestern Prison Education Program, the ultimate goal is to fund tuition for the inmates so they can receive college credits while in prison, Allhoff said.

Inmates can earn college credits through a partnership between Northwestern University in Illinois and the Illinois Department of Corrections, according to the programs website. Students there are not charged tuition or for the cost of course materials. The first cohort of students were admitted into the program in 2018, the website said.

National organizations like The Inside Out Prison Exchange Program would allow for the department to bring Western students to Lakeland to learn alongside the prisoners, Allhoff said. The Inside Out program is also a source of training for graduate students like Brown to better understand their role as a prisoner mentor.
NORTON SHORES, MI  After more than a decade of drinking water that recently was determined to have high levels of PFAS and related compounds, Steven and Patsy Lamb believe the forever chemicals were behind the untimely death of their son and their own health problems.

The couple own one of seven homes in Norton Shores near the Muskegon County Airport that were in 2018 and early 2019 found to have high levels of PFAS, including two compounds known as PFOS and PFOA, in their drinking water pulled from underground wells.

Steven Lamb was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2016. Both he and Patsy have reported cases of high cholesterol, and their son, Jason Lamb, 41, died unexpectedly in spring 2018 of a heart attack. They believe all of those health ailments came from ingesting water tainted with high levels of PFAS.

PFAS -- per and polyfluoroalklyl substances -- have shown up in drinking water systems across the state and are linked to certain types of cancer, high cholesterol, hypertension in pregnancy, thyroid disease and other health problems. The primary route of exposure is ingestion.

We think we got hurt a bit, Steven Lamb said in an interview with MLive/Muskegon Chronicle. But theres nothing we can do about it. Were not even thinking about lawsuits. We dont feel like its warranted."

However, the couple did have one clear demand from city and county leaders.

Hook us up to city water so we can sell the place and move on, Steven Lamb said. That was our main concern.

Now, after months of pressure, the Lambs may be getting what they hoped for as Muskegon County and the city of Norton Shores are working to connect six of the seven homes to city water.

Muskegon County Administrator Mark Eisenbarth and Norton Shores City Manager Mark Meyers are hoping to secure a portion of $4 million in emergency grant funding set aside by state legislators and former Gov. Rick Snyder for drinking water contamination remediation.

Even if they dont get the grant that requires a 20 percent local match, Eisenbarth said the county will make sure the six homes are connected to the Norton Shores water system. The project is expected to cost a little more than $112,000, according to a project plan provided to the Muskegon County Board of Commissioners on Thursday, March 21.

For the Lambs, the project cant start soon enough. The couple anticipated some sort of action from the county, and took it upon themselves over the last few months to ready their indoor plumbing for a connection to city water.

They still have things to figure out, so all we can do is wait," Steven Lamb said. "We have a buyer whos interested and now that well have city water, we can move on.

Patsy Lamb said they lived in the home in the 500 block of Porter Road where they raised their children from the early 1980s until the mid-1990s. Jason Lamb became the Porter Road homes sole occupant until the time of his death, Patsy said.

Steven Lamb said the home previously belonged to his grandmother.

A vacant home in the 500 block of Porter Road in Norton Shores owned by Steven and Patsy Lamb shown Thursday, March 21, 2019.Kayla Renie | MLive.com

The couple currently live on Heinicke Street in a home that is connected to city water.

An ongoing investigation by the county and Michigan Department of Environmental Quality determined that the Norton Shores Fire Department had previously used a location on Porter Road to conduct training exercises using AFFF firefighting foam, which contained PFAS.

Now the Lambs wonder how long they were ingesting the PFAS and other chemicals they believe had a role in their health issues and the death of their son.

Its been really hard to accept his death, Patsy Lamb said. No one knew, but I feel guilty. I feel like as a mother, I should have known.

The Lambs and others affected by PFAS begged Muskegon County officials to fast track water main connections for their homes.

County officials planned to wait for more data before deciding to hook homes to municipal water. But Eisenbarth said county officials changed their minds once they heard the residents concerns at a February public meeting to discuss the PFAS contamination.

DEQ began sampling well water around the airport in the summer of 2018, and at least 114 homes have been tested for PFAS. More than 20 of the homes tested positive for some level of PFAS and six had test results above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys lifetime health advisory level of 70 parts-per-trillion (ppt) for PFOS and PFOA combined.

Each of the seven homes with high levels of PFAS were offered bottled water supplies and in-home water filters soon after county health officials received the test results.
MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI -- A 52-year-old officer at Earnest C. Brooks Regional Correctional Facility has died from bacterial meningitis and a prisoner also came down with the illness, state prison officials said.

The officer was a 20-year employee of the prison system, Chris Gautz, a spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Corrections, said Wednesday, March 27.

The prisoner became ill late last week and is now recovering at a prison health center in Jackson.

Gautz said the officers illness started with streptococcus and developed into meningitis. He last worked March 18 and apparently went to the hospital late last week.

Tests are being done to see if the officer and inmate had the same strain of meningitis.

Prison administrators held a town hall session with Brooks employees on Wednesday. The intent to was to educate the staff. An MDOC medical officer and state Department of Health and Human Services epidemiologist were there to answer questions.

The germs that cause bacterial meningitis are contagious. But Gautz said the illness involving the officer typically only develops into meningitis with a compromised immune system.

He said certain areas of the prison have been cleaned with bleach and both employees and prisoners will be provided medical masks upon request. But he said both efforts are more an attempt to lower anxiety levels than anything else.

Neither the officer or prisoner have been at the facility for several days, so the chance of contracting a contagion from them is not likely.

Gautz said the officer who died was well-liked and grief counselors are being made available to co-workers.

They lost a very well-respected and well-loved employee," he said.
MIDLAND, MI  Beagles that were used for animal testing at a laboratory in Michigan will soon be available for adoption.

Corteva AgroScience, a division of DowDuPont, is working with the Michigan Humane Society to place the 36 dogs into homes, according to a press release from the Humane Society of the United States.

Corteva officials said March 18 that the testing was no longer required by the Brazilian government and would cease immediately.

The move came after an undercover investigation by the Humane Society of the dog testing being done for Corteva at Charles Rivers Laboratories, in Mattawan, Michigan.

Humane Society of the United States released the following statement on Thursday:

Dow AgroSciences (now known as Corteva Agriscience) has announced plans to work with Michigan Humane Society, a shelter partner of the Humane Society of the United States, on the release of beagles from Charles Rivers Laboratories in Michigan.

Nearly 500,000 members of the public urged Corteva to end the test and HSUS applauded the company when it chose to do so. Corteva also committed to releasing the dogs from the laboratory, but had not announced a decision about releasing the dogs until last night. HSUS supporters overwhelmingly urged Corteva to release the beagles into safe hands, sending thousands of messages to the company over the past several days.

Corteva AgroScience said in a statement on Twitter it will take several weeks to find homes for the dogs due to the process of proper socialization and vaccination. Also, each dog will be spayed or neutered.

We fully appreciate the concern for the well-being of the dogs and we take their rehoming very seriously, the company said in the statement.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- President Donald Trumps campaign is poised to defend Michigan in 2020 from Democrats seeking to reclaim the state after it swung for blue candidates in the 2018 midterm elections.

Ahead of the presidents Grand Rapids rally on March 28, campaign National Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Michigans support for Trump, the first time it supported a Republican since 1988, is no fluke. The campaign considers Michigan a Trump state," not Republican state, and plans to keep it that way.

Q&A with Trump's 2020 National Press Secretary Talking with Kayleigh McEnany the National Press Secretary for Donald Trump's 2020 relection campaign: Posted by MLive.com on Thursday, March 28, 2019

President Trump uniquely connects with people in Michigan, McEnany told MLive outside Van Andel Arena. President Trump was the first Republican president who was willing to tackle issues other Republican presidents had ignored, trade being the optimal issue here in Michigan to talk about."

Trump frequently returned to Michigan 18 times during and since the 2016 election, McEnany said, repeating promises to protect blue collar workers and the auto industry. The president narrowly won Michigan by 10,704 votes in 2016, but several counties Trump won went to Democratic candidates in last years midterm elections, setting up Michigan to be a competitive battleground in 2020.

McEnany said Trump will continue to focus on the economy and keeping auto jobs in the United States. There is no doubt that the economy will be Trumps number one issue in the 2020 election, she said.

In a Thursday morning tweet, the president teased topics for the evening rally, including auto manufacturing.

McEnany made a connection between the presidents economic message and President Ronald Reagan, who also earned Michigans vote in 1980 and 1984. Experts have said working-class Reagan Democrats came out for Trump in droves and will be an important group for the president in 2020.

Manufacturing communities will be key constituencies, McEnany said. Trump flipped Macomb County, the states third-largest county, in 2016 after aggressively campaigning there.

Democratic voters in Michigans heavily blue-collar Macomb County werent as energized to hit the polls in 2016. Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton earned 31,700 fewer votes in Macomb County than President Barack Obama did in 2012.

McEnany said voters were looking for something different after manufacturing jobs hemorrhaged during the Obama years.

Obama betrayed the people of Michigan and when President Trump came and said Im going to tackle trade relations across this globe, Im going to bring back auto plants, Im going to bring back manufacturing, the people of Michigan listened, they believed him and hes delivered," McEnany said.

Hundreds of Trump supporters gathered outside Van Andel Arena Thursday hours before the rally was scheduled to begin.

I think that the American people have seen all the good things hes accomplished in the last two years. Why stop winning? said Lindsey Parker, a Coldwater resident.

Meanwhile, Democrats arent likely to give up Michigan without a fight. U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, said in an interview this week Michigan will play a pivotal role in the next presidential election. Stabenow said Michigan will be a bellwether for other states in the region.

Democratic presidential hopefuls who visited the state or announced upcoming events include New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, California Sen. Kamala Harris, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, former Texas U.S. Rep. Beto ORourke, former Maryland U.S. Rep. John Delaney and entrepreneur Andrew Yang.

Democrats have so far focused early campaign stops around metro Detroit. Trump will be the first to engage voters in West Michigan, where he enjoyed strong support in 2016.

Kent County was another familiar stomping ground for the president. Grand Rapids hosted a rally on the eve of Election Day, which spilled into the early morning. McEnany promised Trump will hold as many rallies as we can across Michigan.

I think (Trump) being here shows we want Michigan to help bring us back to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., McEnany said.
Russias Foreign Ministry criticized Lithuania's trial on the 1991 riots in the country, which was then a part of the Soviet Union, claiming it was politically motivated and violated basic principles of law.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Lithuanian court sentenced to 67 people to jail, including Russian nationals, over their alleged role in civilian deaths in the January 1991 riots near the Vilnius TV center. Among them was 94-year-old former Soviet Minister of Defense, Dmitry Yazov, who was jailed for 10 years in absentia for exercise of Soviet aggression, and the then-head of the KGB special purpose unit, Alpha, Mikhail Golovatov who got 12 years in absentia.

During the court proceedings, the basic principles of law were violated, most importantly that of inadmissibility of retroactive application of law, the ministry said in a statement. The evidence proving that Soviet officers were not involved in civilian deaths on that tragic day has been ignored.

While Russian diplomats and journalists werent allowed at the court hearing, the ministry called the decision extremely unfriendly and provocative action, proving political motivation of the despicable trial.

READ MORE: Russia announces sanctions over Lithuanian memorials policy

Moscow also promised to provide all the necessary assistance to Russian nationals who fell victim to Lithuania's lawlessness.

Since commencement in 2016, the court hearings on the so-called January Events of 1991, in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, became one of the highest-profile cases in the country.

Back in March 1990 the Republic of Lithuania became the first to declare independence from the Soviet Union, but Moscow considered it unlawful. After the protests reached climax in January 1991, the tank columns entered Vilnius to contain disorder. Soviet troops captured many administrative buildings in the capital and other Lithuanian cities, but the storming of the Vilnius TV tower resulted in violent clashes, where 14 civilians were killed and hundreds were injured. Lithuanian prosecutors claim people were killed by the Soviet troops, though many participants insisted that shots were fired from the roofs.

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Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the West, particularly the United States, of manipulating its national currency rates as the country gears up for elections this weekend.

The lira slid nearly six percent last Friday, prompting Erdogan to call for a crackdown on market manipulations and Turkish regulators to open a probe into investment banks.

After recovering losses early this week, the lira fell again by around five percent on Thursday to 5.59 against the US dollar. Last year, the currency collapsed 30 percent after the United States imposed sanctions and increased tariffs on some Turkish products.

Erdogan said the currency fluctuations are part of a plot by the West to corner Turkey, particularly by the US. He said Turkey needed to discipline speculators in the market, adding that the alleged interventions would not succeed.

READ MORE: Putin vows to launch first Russian-built nuclear plant in Turkey in 2023

Turkeys central bank figures showed a dramatic $10 billion decrease in the countrys foreign reserves in the first three weeks of March to 142 billion lira ($24.7 billion). The banks governor Murat Cetinkaya said the regulator continues to implement its reserve-building policy.

Although reserves may fluctuate due to periodic factors, there has been a consistent uptrend in reserves in the medium term, Cetinkaya said. Over the last week, our gross reserves have increased across all items by $4.3 billion and by March 27 reached $96.7 billion. During the same period, our net reserves also rose $2.4 billion to $28.6 billion, he added.

For more stories on economy & finance visit RT's business section
Despite criticism from the US and some EU countries, work on Russias natural gas pipeline to Europe is in full swing and on schedule. An RT correspondent visited the Nord Stream 2 construction site in Germany.

The Nord Stream 2 pipeline, stretching along the seabed of the Baltic Sea to supply Russian gas to Europe, has caused division in the EU, with some fearing that it will make countries overly dependent on Russian energy. Those concerns were further fueled by Washington, which warned its allies to ditch the project.

Nevertheless, six kilometers of pipeline is being added every day, with the project expected to be finished by the end of this year, RTs Maria Finoshina reported from the pipelines landfall site in Lubmin, Germany. She managed to speak to the project spokesman, who said that it will diversify European energy supplies.

If the domestic production in Europe decreases by half within the next 20 years, you definitely need more imports. Nord Stream 2 will be part of this solution, Jens Mueller told RT. Nord Stream 2 cannot fill the gap completely, in general [it] will increase the number of options for the consumers and we should be happy about it.

Russia already supplies just under 40 percent of Europes national gas, and Nord Stream 2 aims to satisfy the continents growing appetite. The US opposes the plan, with President Donald Trump excoriating Germany for its commitment to the pipeline last year. The House of Representatives ratified a bill on Monday to assist European countries in switching to US natural gas, an expensive option due to the cost of getting the gas across the Atlantic.

For more stories on economy & finance visit RT's business section
Malta deployed patrol boats and a helicopter to capture a migrant-packed Turkish tanker after it was hijacked by asylum seekers rescued by the crew near Libyan shores.

The hijacked ship was seized by the Maltese special operations unit on Thursday morning. It is currently being escorted to Malta where all the migrants are due to be handed over to the police. Several patrol boats and a helicopter participated in the operation to intercept and capture the vessel.

The migrants hijacked the Palau-flagged Turkish tanker El Hiblu 1 around 5pm local time on Wednesday after its crew had rescued them off the coast of Libya. The ship was then making its way to the Libyan port of Tripoli, apparently aiming to drop the migrants off there, but suddenly turned around just six nautical miles (11 km) from the shore and headed north, towards Malta.

The Maltese authorities confirmed the hijacking and put the nations armed forces on standby to confront the pirated ship.

There are believed to be 108 migrants on board, around 77 of which are adult men, the Times of Malta reported, citing government sources. Other reports suggested that the number of migrants may be as high as 120. It is unclear how many asylum seekers participated in the hijacking.

Also on rt.com British special forces storm migrant-hijacked container ship off English coast

Malta wasnt the only Mediterranean nation to put its forces on alert. Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said that Rome was prepared to intercept the tanker if it sailed to the island of Lampedusa or the countrys mainland.

He reiterated that nations ports remain closed to the ship just like they have been to NGO rescue vessels.

Im telling the pirates: forget about Italy, Salvini stated in a live video on Facebook.

These are not migrants in distress. They are pirates. They will only see Italy through a telescope.

Meanwhile, the migrant-rescue NGO Mediterranea Saving Humans had earlier appealed to everyone not to return the asylum seekers to Libya and to assign a safe port for them to disembark instead.

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A major fire has broken out at an office building in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Firefighters are on scene and are desperately trying to free several people still trapped in side. Several workers have already leapt from the building.

Horrifying footage of the fire at the FR Tower at approximately 12:52pm local time Thursday shows helpless onlookers gathered on the streets below as firefighters continue to tackle the blaze.

Footage from inside the building shows workers fleeing the blaze and calmly evacuating the scene.

"Seventeen firefighting units of the Dhaka Fire Service and Civil Defense are trying to douse the fire," a senior Fire Service official told the Dhaka Tribune.

Three units of the Bangladeshi Navy are assisting efforts to bring the blaze under control.

Some six people have reportedly been seen leaping from the building to escape the flames, but their condition is not known at this time.

Last month, a fire in Dhaka's old quarter killed at least 70 people and injured a further 50.

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British MPs have voted against eight Brexit options introduced on Wednesday night, rejecting the oppositions plan and soft Brexit scenarios. It comes after they agreed to delay the divorce until at least April.

In a series of indicative votes, MPs voted down eight separate Brexit proposals, ranging from an extreme no-deal option to the so-called Norway-plus scenario, one of the softest versions of what has turned into a bitter separation between the EU and UK.

Motion B  No deal . Introduced by Conservative MP John Baron: 400 against, 160 for

. Introduced by Conservative MP John Baron: 400 against, 160 for Motion D  Common market or the so-called Norway+ model . Introduced by Conservative MP Nick Boles: 283 against, 188 for

. Introduced by Conservative MP Nick Boles: 283 against, 188 for Motion H  EEA-EFTA Norway option without customs union . Introduced by Conservative MP George Eustice: 422 against, 139 for

. Introduced by Conservative MP George Eustice: 422 against, 139 for Motion J  Customs union . Introduced by Conservative MP Ken Clarke: 272 against, 264 for

. Introduced by Conservative MP Ken Clarke: 272 against, 264 for Motion K  Customs union and alignment with single market . Introduced by Labors leader Jeremy Corbyn: 307 against, 237 for

. Introduced by Labors leader Jeremy Corbyn: 307 against, 237 for Motion L  Revoke Article 50 . Introduced by MP Joanna Cherry, SNP: 293 against, 188 for

. Introduced by MP Joanna Cherry, SNP: 293 against, 188 for Motion M  Confirmatory referendum on any withdrawal deal . Introduced by Dame Margaret Beckett, Labour: 295 against, 268 for

. Introduced by Dame Margaret Beckett, Labour: 295 against, 268 for Motion O  Put in place contingent arrangement while negotiating a trade deal. Introduced by Conservative MP Marcus Fysh: 422 against, 139 for

Before the vote on Brexit options, MPs agreed to shift the date when the UK leaves the EU to at least April 22. It can be further delayed up to 22 May if the Brexit deal negotiated by PM Theresa May and the EU continues to fail with MPs.

Speaking after the results of the indicative votes were revealed, Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay again urged the MPs to reconsider their steadfast opposition to the deal negotiated by the May government, calling it the best option left on the table.

Also on rt.com DUP says it wont back Mays Brexit deal, while Conservative rebels change their minds

The results of the process this house has gone through today strengthens our view that the deal the government has negotiated is the best option, he said.

Earlier in the day, May offered herself as a sacrifice in the Brexit proceedings, promising to step down once her deal is backed by lawmakers. While the pledge struck a chord with a group of hardline Brexiteer MPs from Jacob Rees-Moggs European Research Group caucus, their approval would not have been enough to sway the vote without the support of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). The DUP has categorically rejected backing the deal while it has an Irish backstop in it, stating on Wednesday that the agreement poses a threat to the integrity of the UK.

Indicative votes were proposed by the Exiting the EU Committee after MPs and the UK government found themselves in a deadlock over Brexit. They are a series of votes on non-binding resolutions that test MPs' sentiment towards different options, in this case, on leaving the EU, with an ultimate goal of narrowing them down.

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Tacloban City (CNN Philippines, March 28)  Three members of New People's Army were killed and one was captured on Thursday when they attacked a police station in a town in Northern Samar province.

The police report said at least 50 members of the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines attacked the police station of Victoria, Northern Samar at 3:30am. The NPA allegedly arrived in the town aboard a truck and several members were dressed in military fatigues and used yellow strips of cloths as countersign. The police report added that several NPA members that stormed the station were women.

Fifteen PNP personnel on duty at the station, led by Police Lieutenant Eladio Alo, put up a firefight with the communist rebels by occupying the rooftop of the station, leading to their victory.

Two policemen sustained minor injuries caused by shrapnel. Four civilians were also injured after the NPA fired at their vehicle, according to 803rd Infantry Brigade Civil Military Operation Officer Captain Ryann Velez.

Philippine National Police Chief Oscar Albayalde praised the police officials for being fearless and alert.

"We would like to commend the Victoria Municipal Police Station doon sa Samar at nagpakita talaga sila ng tapang... Initially ang sabi pumunta  which is a good instinct  they occupied the high ground. Pumunta sila sa 2nd or 3rd floor ng kanilang station at doon sila nakipaglaban, nakipagpalitan ng putok. In any firefight, ang sabi nga nila you always occupy the high ground," he said.

Earlier this month, NPA said it will intensify attacks against government forces as it celebrates its 50th founding anniversary on March 29.

CNN Philippines stringer Wil Mark Amazona contributed to this report.
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Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone, a part of the Adani Group, may be eyeing GMR's Kakinada Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Andhra Pradesh, according to sources who told Moneycontrol.

An official of GMR said there would be an announcement regarding the sale of Kakinada SEZ soon, though he declined to give specifics such as the time-frame in which the sale would be completed, or the parties that have evinced interest.

A second person with knowledge on the matter said that Adani had sent out feelers for a possible deal. A spokesperson for the Adani Group however, denied any such development.

We have not shown interest or taken part in this project, said the spokesperson.

GMR owns 51 percent in Kakinada SEZ Ltd, which is developing a multi-product special economic zone spanning over 10,000 acres near Kakinada. GMR also has a license to build a multipurpose all-weather deep-draft port as a part of the SEZ at an investment of Rs 2,123 crore.

GMR is focusing on its airports and energy business, and is trying to offload stakes in non-core businesses such as the Kakinada SEZ,roads, and a coal mine in Indonesia where it holds a 30 percent stake.

The deal would give Adani a huge parcel of land, and a license to build a port located strategically in the heart of India's east coast.

Kakinada has two ports, the state government-run anchorage port with a cargo handling capacity of four million tonnes, and a deep-water port with a cargo handling capacity of 14 million tonnes per annum being operated by Kakinada Seaports under the private public partnership (PPP) model.

Adani had earlier evinced interest at acquiring Gangavaram port in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, but dropped its plans due to the high price quoted by the operator.

The company last year won a bid to develop the Bhavanapadu Port at Srikakulam, located at the northern coast of Andhra Pradesh. Adani operates a terminal under the PPP model for the handling of steam coal in the inner harbour of the Visakhapatnam Port.

Adani is Indias largest private port operator which runs 10 domestic ports in Gujarat, Goa, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Odisha with a capacity to operate 378 million metric tonnes of cargo.
Indias largest shoe retailer, Bata has set a of target of opening 500 franchisee stores over the next four-to-five years, according to its Chief Executive Officer Sandeep Kataria.

In an interview to Moneycontrol, Kataria said the company will continue to open more company-operated and franchise stores, which will help it to increase its footprint in more towns.

Kataria was speaking on the sidelines of India Fashion Forum 2019 held in Mumbai.

At present, Bata has 1,500 stores that also sells brands like Power and Hush Puppies.

Edited excerpts:

A:We witnessed double-digit demand growth in the first three quarters.

A: The third quarter was one of our better quarters. In the fashion industry, we do see the effect of the festivals and seasonality. It is too early for us to predict how the year will pan out.

A: We have seen growth coming in from Tier III and IV towns, including some franchise stores that we have opened in the recent past. The source of growth is slightly different. Its coming through a different set of products and brands that we are able to take to towns.

A: One of our major strategies in the last few years has been premiumisation. By bringing in new ideas and offers, we have been able to charge little bit more.

A: We have been here for 85 years. There is huge runway to grow in Tier IV and V towns. In metros and Tier I towns, we are undertaking value upgradation and premiumisation. We want to be in the right malls as we go forward.

A: We have expanded to several categories besides footcare and shoecare like ladies and mens bags. We will continue to focus on these categories.

A: We have roughly opened about 100 stores over the last few years and will continue with that.

A: As far as our strategy is concerned, both engines have a role to play. We will continue to open company-operated stores as we have done in the past. We are targeting opening 500 franchisee stores over the next four-to-five years. This will help to increase our footprint in many more towns.

A: I do not see too much of an impact from general elections in the medium term.

A: None that I can talk about right now.
Three years after starting international cruise operations, Costa Cruises, is all set to flex its maritime muscle.

Headquartered in Italy, Costa Cruises operates the 48,200 tonne neoRiviera cruise ship from the Mumbai international cruise terminal to Cochin and Male.

Following growing demand from the domestic market, Costa will be replacing the neoRiviera with an even bigger ship - Costa Victoria - in the upcoming season, which will kick off in November.

Speaking to Moneycontrol, Nalini Gupta, Managing Director, Lotus Destinations, said: We had 13,000 guests in 2018 and this season the number shall be even higher considering we are getting a ship that has 50 percent more capacity."

While the neoClassica has a capacity of 1,500 guests the Victoria has a guest capacity of 2,300. The average room occupancy for the ship during 2018 shot up to 85-90 percent from 60-65 percent in 2017.

"When we started in 2016, about 80-85 percent of our guests were non-Indians, mostly from Europe. Costa is a big name in Europe, where it is also the biggest cruise company. Today, 35-40 percent of guests are Indians. There is a growing number of Indian middle class who are willing to pay to enjoy the cruise experience," added Gupta.

Costa charges Rs 47,000 (one-way) per person on a seven night trip from Mumbai to Male with stopovers at Mangalore (now Mangaluru) and Cochin. A four nights trip to Cochin from Mumbai will cost Rs 25,000.

The costs include accommodation, dining at select restaurants, entry into the theatre, casino and discotheque to name a few. Indian nationals dont need a visa to travel to Maldives as there is the facility of visa-on-arrival.

Mumbai Port Trust has earmarked Rs 300 crore for developing a new international cruise terminal in the financial capital. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari had laid the foundation stone in January last year.

Effort are under way by the central government to expand the capacity of the terminal to 5000 passengers and the vessel handling capacity to 160. The expansion work will be complete by end of 2019. During 2018, a Mumbai-Goa cruise liner 'Angriya' was flagged off from Mumbai, making it the only ship to connect the two states via the waterway.

Already two cruise companies that connected Mumbai have shut down in the last 3-5 years as per Gupta. But the tide is turning.

Though Mumbai gets its share of cruise ships which connects it with international destinations such as Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malayasia and the Middle East, the traffic of cruise ship in the coming sailing seasons is expected to grow multi-fold.

As data shared by the Mumbai Port Trust during September 2018 and May 2019, around 61 cruise ships are expected to berth at Mumbai. In the next season, which kicks off in September 1 and will last till May 31, 2019, 161 ships are expected to berth in the city.

There are also plans to expand operations to the east coast as well but there is nothing concrete as of now. "We have received interest for the east coast from guests. Till now there was a ban on foreigners going to the Andamans because it is a naval site," said Gupta.
According to the EOW, the accused colluded with the former promoters of Religare Enterprises, Malvinder Mohan Singh and Shivinder Mohan Singh. (Image: Reuters)

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The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Delhi Police on March 28 said they had booked Malvinder Singh and Shivinder Singh and two others on charges of cheating, criminal conspiracy and breach of trust, based on a complaint filed by Religare Finvest (RFL), a subsidiary of Religare Enterprises last week.

"Case FIR 50 /19 u/s 409, 420,120B IPC was regd on complaint of Religare Finvest (RFL) that Malvinder M Singh, Shivinder M Singh & others having control on REL, put RFL in poor financial condition by disbursing loans to entities controlled by them causing loss of Rs 2,397 Cr to RFL," the Economic Offences Wing of Delhi Police tweeted.

Malvinder Singh and Shivinder Singh referred as Singh brothers are promoters of Religare, which is into financial services. The two others part of first information report (FIR) are Sunil Godhwani, former Chairman and Managing Director of Religare and NK Ghoshal, an associate of Singh brothers.

Earlier this month, stock market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) directed Religare Enterprises and Religare Finvest to recover loans worth Rs 2,315.09 crore from the Singh brothers and entities related to them.

SEBI's investigation found diversion of funds of Rs 2,315.09 crore from RFL for the ultimate benefit of the promoters and their related entities.

SEBI gave three months for Religare to recover the dues.

Singh brothers in February 2018 stepped down from Religare board, in the wake of reports about them syphoning off around Rs 500 crore from Fortis Healthcare, which is also promoted by Singh brothers.

After their exit, the boards of Religare and Religare Finvest were re-constituted with new directors. While Singh brothers continue to be classified as promoters of Religare, but their holding has come down to less than a percent.

Religare has already initiated the recovery proceedings through corporate insolvency resolution process under Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code, 2016 against Singh brothers and their entities.
Representative image

Iceland's WOW air said on March 28 it had ceased operations and all its flights have been cancelled, the latest budget airline to go out of business.

WOW, focused on low-cost travel across the Atlantic, advised passengers to check available flights with other airlines.

The announcement from WOW came after it had earlier postponed flights on March 28 as it entered the final stages of an equity raising with a group of investors.

WOW had ended talks with rival Icelandair last Sunday.

WOW is the latest budget airline to go out of business as the European airline sector grapples with over-capacity and high fuel costs. Recent failures include Britain's Flybmi and Primea Air.

Founded in 2011, the airline uses smaller single-aisle planes to fly between Iceland and many destinations in the United States and Europe.

Norwegian Air has a little over half of the market share in the fast-growing, low-cost, long-haul transatlantic market, while WOW controlled a quarter in 2018 when it flew a total of 3.5 million passengers.
Pakistan on Thursday said it has examined 22 "pin locations" shared by India but found no terror camps and claimed that there are no links to nail 54 people detained in connection with the Pulwama terror attack as it shared the "preliminary findings" with New Delhi.

Pakistan is willing to allow visits, on request, to these locations, the Foreign Office (FO) said.

"While 54 detained individuals are being investigated, no details linking them to Pulwama have been found so far," it said.

"Similarly, the 22 pin locations shared by India have been examined. No such camps exist. Pakistan is willing to allow visits, on request, to these locations," the FO said.

It said that in consistent with its commitment to cooperate, Pakistan on Wednesday shared preliminary findings of its investigations with India along with a set of questions.

India handed over the dossier to the Acting High Commissioner of Pakistan in New Delhi on February 27 with specific details of Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)'s complicity in the Pulwama attack that killed 40 CRPF personnel on February 14 and the presence of JeM terror camps and its leadership in Pakistan.
The wave of populist nationalism sweeping countries globally can be traced to political worries arising out of challenges posed to economic progress by technology, says economist Raghuram Rajan.

In an interview with Moneycontrols Gaurav Choudhury, Rajan said governments can cope with this by empowering local communities, which he dubs as the third pillar in the economic system, after the state and markets.

The former Reserve Bank of India governor, and professor at the Chicago Booth School, has released a book by the same name, in which he talks about the need for the three pillars to play an equally important role.

Even in India, over the decades, we have tried to empower local governments through systems such as the Panchayati Raj [but it is not enough], he said. Even municipalities are not empowered [to the extent they should be].

In his book, the outspoken Rajan, whose term as RBI governor ended in 2016 after the Narendra Modi government did not offer him an extension, does not shy away from warning about the dangers of rising populist nationalism.

In particular, he termed the RSS, the ideological parent of the ruling BJP, as a serious threat to a liberal, tolerant, innovative India.

In a democracy, it is good to have all views, Rajan explained in the interview. But if there is an over-representation of one view, and if that view is intolerant of other views, that is a problem.

He also talked about the relationship between the Reserve Bank of India and the government, saying they tend to be conflictual in nature, but the differences between the two should be constructive and not destructive.

Rajans successor at the RBI, Urjit Patel, resigned midway through his tenure amid concerns that the government was meddling excessively with the central banks decisions.

In his book, the economist has written at length about the idea of universal basic income. When asked about the Congress minimum income guarantee promise for the poor, Rajan said the idea would work if such a scheme is effectively targeted, and is fiscally prudent  that is, other welfare schemes, which are less effective, are rolled back and overall spending is contained.

Rajan echoed concerns raised by other economists on the quality of economic data in India, saying that the lack of jobs data and the perceived unreliability of the GDP data could pose challenges to policymakers and undermine investor confidence.

We need better data and better confidence in data, he said. You cant operate such a large economy on the basis of data, which nobody knows is correct or not.
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India's second largest IT services firm Infosys on Thursday said it will acquire 75 percent stake in ABN AMRO Bank's wholly-owned subsidiary, Stater, for 127.5 million euros (about Rs 989 crore).

Both the companies have signed an agreement to this effect.

Founded in 1997, Stater provides end-to-end mortgage administration services in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.

As part of the deal, Infosys will acquire 75 percent of the shareholding in Stater, while ABN AMRO will continue to hold the remaining 25 percent, Infosys said in a statement.

Infosys said the partnership is in alignment with its strategy to strengthen its mortgage servicing capabilities in Continental Europe.

The transaction is expected to close during the first quarter of fiscal 2020, subject to customary closing conditions, it added.

"This transaction strengthens our approach to offer clients digital platforms and industry focused solutions. It brings together our complementary capabilities to enhance the value we offer to our financial services clients," Infosys President Mohit Joshi said.

The current management team of Stater will continue to steer the company, it added.

"While mortgages are a key product for ABN AMRO, providing administrative mortgage services is not a core activity. That's why we are very pleased with Infosys as Stater's new majority shareholder.

"ABN AMRO will keep a strategic interest of 25 percent and will continue to be an important client to Stater," Christian Bornfeld, Member of the Executive Board of ABN AMRO, said.

Infosys said mortgage services is a focus area for large corporations in the financial sector, given the importance of the asset on a bank's balance sheet.

"The specialised knowledge and experience of Stater in the mortgage services market, combined with the global reach, AI, digital transformation and automation capabilities of Infosys, can potentially create differentiated solutions for the market," it added.

In a regulatory filing, Infosys said it will have the rights of a majority shareholder as part of the terms of the shareholders' agreement.

This includes the right to appoint majority of directors in the supervisory board, right to subscribe to new shares, right of first refusal in the event of transfer of shares, right to restrict amendment of articles, issuance, redemption and repurchase of shares, merger, demerger, bankruptcy or Liquidation among others, it added.
The Railways has incurred loss of over Rs 16 crore per day due to the farmer agitation in Punjab

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State-owned miniratna company Rail Vikas Nigam is set to launch its initial public offering for subscription on March 29.

The dilution of stake by the Ministry of Railways is part of the divestment target set by the government every year. The government has already surpassed its FY19 divestment target of Rs 80,000 crore.

Yes Securities (India), Elara Capital (India) and IDBI Capital Markets & Securities are the book running lead managers for the issue, while Alankit Assignments is the registrar to the issue.

Equity shares after the issue are proposed to be listed on BSE and National Stock Exchange of India.

Here are 10 things you should know before subscribing the issue:

Company Profile

Rail Vikas Nigam (RVNL) is a wholly-owned government company, was incorporated with the objective to undertake rail project development, mobilisation of financial resources and implementation of rail projects pertaining to strengthening of golden quadrilateral and port connectivity and raising of extra-budgetary resources for project execution.

However, in 2004, the Ministry of Railways decided that company should restrict itself to project execution. The role of RVNL for mobilisation of finances is restricted to forming of project specific SPVs with private participation.

RVNL is in the business of executing all types of railway projects including new lines, doubling, gauge conversion, railway electrification, metro projects, workshops, major bridges, construction of cable stayed bridges, institution buildings etc.

Public Issue Details

Rail Vikas Nigam after consultation with book running lead managers fixed the price band at Rs 17-19 per share for issue which will close on April 3.

The public issue comprises an offer for sale of up to 25,34,57,280 equity shares by the Government of India, which includes a reservation of 6,57,280 equity shares for eligible employees. The net public offering stands up to 25,28,00,000 shares.

Out of total issue, 50 percent of the net offer will be available for allocation on a proportionate basis to qualified institutional buyers, 5 percent of the QIB portion will be reserved for mutual funds only.

Further, not less than 15 percent of the net offer will be available for non institutional bidders and not less than 35 percent of the offer for retail individual bidders.

The offer would constitute 12.16 percent of the post offer paid-up equity share capital of the company.

Bid Lot and Discount on Offer Price

Minimum bid lot is 780 equity shares and in multiples of 780 equity shares thereafter.

A discount of 50 paise per share on the final offer price will be offered to retail investors and eligible employees.

Funds to Raise

The government will raise Rs 430.88 crore at Rs 17 per share, the lower end of price band and Rs 481.57 crore at Rs 19 per share, the higher price band.

Objectives of the issue

The company will not receive any proceeds from the offer and all proceeds will go to the selling shareholder, the government of India.

Financials

RVNL's revenue from operations has increased at a CAGR of 29.36 percent from Rs 4,539.85 crore in the financial year 2016 to Rs 7,597.36 crore in the financial year 2018, and net profit has increased at a CAGR of 15.20 percent from Rs 429.43 crore in FY16 to Rs 569.92 crore in FY18.

Orderbook

RVNL has an order book of Rs 77,504.28 crore as on December 31, 2018 which includes 102 ongoing projects.

During the financial year ending March 31, 2018, RVNL has completed a total of 885.50 rkm of project length which included 315.20 rkm of doubling and 425 rkm of railway electrification.

Since its inception in 2003, Ministry of Railways has transferred 179 projects to RVNL of which 174 projects are sanctioned for execution. Out of these, 72 projects have been fully completed totalling to Rs 20,567.28 crore and the balance are ongoing.

Currently company does not have any national project on its order book.

Competitive Strengths

> Expertise in undertaking all stages of project development and execution from conceptualisation to commissioning

> Established financial track record

> Undertaken diverse categories of projects with an asset light model

> Empowerment by Ministry of Railways for sanctioning project estimates and award of contracts

> Standardisation of operating procedures resulting in faster decision making

> Experienced Board and Key Managerial Personnel and skilfully trained workforce

Promoter Holding

Promoter the Ministry of Railways currently hold 100 percent of the pre-offer paid-up equity share capital of the company. After this offer, promoter will hold 87.84 percent of the post-Offer paid-up equity.

Management

Pradeep Gaur is the Chairman & Managing Director of the company.

Other members, who are part of Board of Directors list, are Ajay Kumar (Director Personnel), Vijay Anand (Director Projects), Arun Kumar (Director Operations), Sukhmal Chand Jain (Government Nominee Director) and A P Dwivedi (Government Nominee Director).

Sabita Pradhan, Shiv Kumar Gupta, Vinayak Bhalachandra Karanjikar, Rajen Habib Khwaja, Dr L V Muralikrishna Reddy and Dr Anil Kumar are Independent Directors on the board.
Vayudoot | 1981-1997 | The regional airline was set up in New Delhi as a joint venture between Indian Airlines and Air India and operated on 30 destinations. However, due to low occupancy and consistent financial problems, Vayudoot ceased operations. (Image: Wikimedia)

Sahara Airlines | 1993-2007 | The passenger and cargo airline, was set up under Subrata Roy's Sahara India Pariwar. It was rebranded Air Sahara in 2000. It controlled 12 percent of India's domestic flight market at its peak. Later, Jet Airways acquired Sahara for $340 million and renamed it JetLite. (Image: Wikimedia)

East-West Airlines | 1992-1996 | This was India's first scheduled private airline after the Open Sky policy was announced in 1991. Thakiyudeen Wahid was the chairman of the carrier. He was shot dead in 1995 near his office. The airline was drowning in debt and finally after a year, ceased all operations. (Image: Wikimedia)

ModiLuft | 1993-1996 | Indian industrialist SK Modi launched this airline in partnership with German carrier Lufthansa. It was the only airline of its time to have First, Business and Economy class for domestic routes. However, the two companies had a falling out as ModiLuft accused Lufthansa of not honouring its funding commitment. Shortly after their relationship soured, the airline shut down. (Image: Wikimedia)

Damania Airways | 1993-1997 | Founded by Parvez and Vispi Damania, this airline was launched in Mumbai when private participation had just been allowed again in aviation. To control competition in the sector, the Aviation Ministry came up with many regulations which the airline could not keep up with and hence, succumbed to the pressure. (Image: Xplane.org)

NEPC | 1993-1997 | This private airline was headquartered in Chennai, founded by Ravi Prakash Khemka. Due to huge debt and non-payment of dues, they were suspended by the International Air Transport Association. (Image: Wikimedia)

Archana Airways | 1993-2000 | This was yet another regional airline based out of Delhi which became a victim of huge losses due to high cost of operation and low occupancy. (Image: PTI)

Air Deccan | 2003-2007 | Founded by GR Gopinath, this was the first low-cost airline in India, with 30-40 percent lower fares than its competitors. Later, Vijay Mallya, founder of Kingfisher Airlines, expressed interest in the airline and bought it in 2007. It was first rebranded as Simplifly Deccan and then as Kingfisher Red. (Image: Wikimedia)

Paramount Airways | 2005-2010 | The airline was set up in Chennai and launched the Embraer 170/190 Family series aircraft in India. Due to legal issues between Paramount and Embraer, it ceased operations as all its fleet was grounded and seized by all leasing companies. (Image: Wikimedia)

Kingfisher Airlines | 2005-2013 | Founded by liquor baron Vijay Mallya, Kingfisher was based in India. The airline was piling up losses since it was launched till the time it got finally caught up in 2012. Mallya fled to the UK to dodge creditors. (Image: Wikimedia)

MDLR | 2007-2009 | This is another short-lived airline based in Gurugram. The carrier fell victim to the climbing oil prices in 2008, even as the Indian aviation sector was booming. (Image: Reuters)
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Companies in the aviation space are unlikely to invest in cash-strapped Jet Airways, which will be put up for auction soon, Business Standard reports.

Tata group, SpiceJet and InterGlobe Aviation (Indigo) will most likely skip bidding for Jet Airways, sources told the publication.

Major Indian airlines will not be participating in the bid due to the high cost of acquisition, uncertainty over corporate governance and weak financial conditions, they stated.

Moneycontrol could not independently verify the news.

On March 25, a State Bank of India (SBI)-led consortium of lenders agreed to provide Rs 1,500 crore in funding. The consortium owns about 50 percent of the airline after founder Naresh Goyal lowered his stake to below 10 percent.

Under the current conditions, I see only major conglomerates as potential bidders, an investment banker told the newspaper.

Also read: Naresh Goyal & Vijay Mallya: The contrasting tale of two aviation entrepreneurs

Tata Sons, the holding company of Tata Group, has decided that there will be no negotiations for a deal with Jet Airways without a complete due diligence, the report said.

'Legacy issues' and the origin of the airlines funding have been said to be cited as issues by the Tata Group. The conglomerate already operates Vistara and AirAsia India along with foreign players.

If SpiceJet were to invest Jet Airways, it would only add to its existing liabilities. SpiceJets own current liabilities are at a historic high. Acquiring Jet Airways, which is almost twice its market capitalisation, will kill the company, a source told the newspaper.

If IndiGo were to acquire Jet Airways, it would raise monopoly issues, since it already commands a 40 percent market share.

Etihad, which owns a 24 percent stake in Jet Airways, will decide on March 31 if it should make a fresh investment or exit its stake in the cash-strapped airline.
Paytm is in the process of raising $1.5-2 billion from existing investors --SoftBank's Vision Fund and Alibabas financial affiliate Ant Financial, according to a report by The Economic Times.

Japanese conglomerate SoftBank has a 19 percent stake, while Ant Financial owns 38 percent of Paytms parent company - One97 Communications.

While SoftBank and Ant Financials capital is already in, the company is engaging with other investors and may look to take the round to $2 billion. But it is most likely to be an internal round, a source told the paper.

Moneycontrol could not independently verify the news.

When Warren Buffets Berkshire Hathaway invested $300 million in Paytm last year, the company was valued at $10 billion. A secondary round of financing a few months valued Paytm at $16 billion, sources told the newspaper.

A fresh round of financing will give Paytm more ammunition to beat competitors: Google Pay, Amazon Pay and PhonePe.

Paytm has been looking to expand its services and has in the past few months launched two new products  Paytm Postpaid and mutual funds platform Paytm Money.
Net asset value (NAV) of an equity mutual fund scheme reflects the value of underlying securities an investor holds when he or she invests in it. Similarly, a debt funds NAV is also quite realistic to the value of its underlying securities.

So far, the securities that matured in 60 days and less were not marked to market. Further, if the credit rating of debt securities fell below investment grade rating (BBB rating), then fund houses were asked to value them as per their internal guidelines.

On March 22, the capital market regulator, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) increased the threshold for fund houses to value their underlying securities more realistically.

It said that all securities that mature in more than 30 days must be marked to market. Further, it rationalised the way debt funds value securities whose credit rating falls below investment grade.

So far, SEBI had given a broad guideline as to by how much and how soon should debt funds write down the value of their securities whose credit rating falls below investment grade.

As per a circular, it had issued in 2000, it said fund houses should mark the security down by 10 percent after six months past the due date of interest. In comparison, a security is declared non-performing asset (NPA) if interest is not paid for three months.

The guideline further says another 20 percent of the securitys value should be marked down after nine months past the due date. Then, another 20 percent of the securitys value should be marked down after 12 months past the due date. Finally, the remaining 25 percent of the book value of the asset should be written off 15 months past the due date.

The fund houses have been proactive in following the guideline, as much as writing down values of securities that have defaulted even before the mandated time period.

The idea is why to wait for 15 months if the security has been declared an NPA and when we know for sure that the payment is not going to come, said the head of compliance of a fund house requesting anonymity.

Thats fine, but heres the problem. Different fund houses used to mark down their securities depending on their internal guidelines. When debt securities of Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS) and some of its subsidiaries was downgraded in August-September 2018, different fund houses had marked down the securities by different margins.

For instance, one small state-owned fund house marked down an IL&FS security by around 24 percent. But a large private sector fund house marked down the same security by 48 percent.

Now, SEBI has said that the rating agencies will provide the values of even the downgraded securities to all the fund houses. All fund houses will need to mark down their securities accordingly.

Every day, two rating agenciesCrisil and ICRAcollate the values of all securities (rated above investment grade) that all fund houses have invested in. They send this list to fund houses who then use the data to value their respective securities to ascertain their schemes NAVs.

But till date, Crisil and ICRA value only rated securities. Once the ratings of securities fall below investment grade rating, the fund houses internal guidelines take over and value such securities, keeping in mind SEBI circular mentioned above.

Sebis original guidelines to value NPAs allowed fund houses time till 18 months past due date to completely mark down their securities. But the recent IL&FS crisis has shown that fund houses have felt the need to mark down their securities swiftly and dont need to wait for so long. The next step is to modify SEBI circular that it had issued in 2000, says Joydeep Sen, founder, wiseinvestor.in.
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State-owned Power Finance Corporation (PFC) on Thursday completed the acquisition of majority stake in REC Ltd by transferring Rs 14,500 crore to the government, an official said.

The transaction has helped the government meet its disinvestment target of Rs 80,000 crore for the current financial year.

"The entire consideration of Rs 14,500 crore for acquiring 52.63 per cent equity of the Government of India in REC is paid by PFC through RTGS (real-time gross settlement) mode this morning," the official told PTI.

The official said PFC Chairman and Managing Director Rajeev Sharma handed over the RTGS advice to Power Secretary A K Bhalla on Thursday to complete the acquisition.

The money has been transferred into the government's account online.

The official further said the government's 52.63 per cent equity in REC would be transferred in the name of the PFC by the closing of the stock market on Thursday.

PFC has raised money from Bank of Baroda, Life Insurance Corporation and State Bank of India, among others, to make the payment.

Earlier on March 20, PFC had inked a share purchase agreement to acquire 103.94 crore equity shares of Rs 10 each of REC Ltd.

This deal was in pursuance to the in-principle approval from the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs for strategic sale of 52.63 per cent of paid-up equity shareholding of REC held by the government to PFC, along with the transfer of management control.

Both PFC and REC are navratna central public sector enterprises with a combined annual revenue of about Rs 50,000 crore and this acquisition is a step towards consolidation of companies operating in the same space.

PFC bought REC shares at Rs 139.50 per piece with total acquisition cost of about Rs 14,500 crore.
Thousands of disgruntled homebuyers are mulling the None of the Above (NOTA) option in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. While some have been waiting to get their homes for over a decade, others are upset that regulatory mechanisms such as Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) have not lived up to their expectations.

Experts say that the pain and frustration among homebuyers is understandable, but the NOTA option may not serve any purpose because eventually the candidate with highest votes still wins. The solution lies in bringing about electoral reforms, especially the vote recall option wherein homebuyers actually have the power to recall a candidate who does not fight for their cause or meet their expectations.

Flat buyers under a registered umbrella body, Noida Extension Flat Owners Welfare Association (NEFOWA), and other associations have launched the No Home, No Vote campaign through which they have decided to express their anguish over delays in getting possession of flats.

In 2014, a total 3,836 votes were polled for None of the Above (NOTA) in Gautam Buddh Nagar constituency, less than one percent of the total votes cast that year.

Abhishek Kumar of NEFOWA says that over 50,000 homebuyers from the Greater Noida West have enrolled for the campaign. This is expected to impact over 2 lakh buyers from across the country as those who have invested in the area are from several states. Some are residing in Bihar, some in other parts of Uttar Pradesh or Madhya Pradesh. We had a lot of expectations from the current government but it has not been able to solve our problems, he says.

Priti Nath, a buyer who had invested in a project in Gurugram way back in 2011 and has still not received possession, as the company has gone into liquidation says that "Nobody is willing to lend us an ear and that is the reason why we have decided to go in for the NOTA option. Through this we want to send out the message to all parties that if they do not give priority to homebuyers concerns, we will not vote for them. NOTA, therefore is the best option for us right now," she says.

Abhay Upadhyay, president Forum For People's Collective Efforts and member, Central Advisory Council, RERA, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India, has a contrarian view.

He agrees that homebuyers are today a frustrated lot. Expectations from RERA have not been met. Also, instead of solving problems, it has created a lot of confusion. There is still no clarity on whether buyers grievances can be addressed better by a consumer court or under the RERA platform. If possession was promised in 2021, under the revised builder-buyer agreements, the possession date has now been pushed to 2024. The middle class has lost confidence in the system.

"My view is if you exercise the NOTA option, you are indirectly favouring the second candidate who may be worse than the first. Homebuyers should rather vote for a fresh face who once elected may be motivated enough to work for their cause," he says.

Another buyer Raghu from Bengaluru is of the opinion that the NOTA option does not make sense. It will not bring the results for which the action is being undertaken. The system does not record the reason why somebody has exercised the NOTA option. It does not record what their grievance is. The NOTA option when exercised only states that it is an invalid vote but it does not impact the outcome of the electoral system. Unless there are electoral reforms that provide for options that say why you are exercising this option, it does not make sense.

What is important is to have a system in place that offers the option for right to recall. The system should be able to register, give reasons as to why a buyer is exercising a NOTA and there should be an electoral reform that states that if 50 percent have rejected a candidate, then the party should file a fresh set of candidates or fresh elections should be conducted. The right of citizens to recall a candidate if their grievances are not addressed or expectations not met, should be there. Only then will NOTA become effective. Right now it is a namesake tool and not an effective tool, he says.

Kumar Mihir, a senior lawyer is also believes that NOTA will not serve any purpose. "Even if you use this as a way to register your protest, the candidate who gets the highest number of votes will win. Even if you register your protest by voting for NOTA, it does not mean that no one will win from Greater Noida or Navi Mumbai. Someone is bound to win and be declared as the next member of Parliament.

"What you need now is to choose a candidate who can take a policy decisions on behalf of homebuyers. What is required is the right to recall. This means that if majority of voters in a constituency feel that their elected representatives are not working for them, they should have the right to recall their elected representatives. By majority vote, citizens can actually remove their elected representatives before their term finishes. That is the best way that does not require you to wait for another five years to recall the elected candidate, he adds.

Interestingly, a recent media report spoke of the launch of a Right to Recall party in Uttar Pradesh. A computer operator Rakesh Suri is contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Ghaziabad on a Right to Recall party ticket. The partys aim, as the name suggests, is to spread awareness among citizens on the proposal for recalling political leaders who do not fulfill their promises.

NOTA was introduced to empower the citizens to indicate their disapproval for all contestants.

vandana.ramnani@nw18.com
In an interesting turn of events, Sonia Dhawan who was under judicial custody for five months for allegedly being a part of an extortion bid against Paytm's founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma, is expected to join back the company holding the same position as earlier, according to a person privy to the development.

Dhawan was reintroduced to the senior executives of the company on Tuesday in Paytm's Noida office, according to the source quoted above.

Dhawan, who has been a long time secretary of Sharma, was promoted last year as Vice President of Corporate Communications and public relations.

She was arrested in October along with her husband Rupak Jain and an administration department resource Devender Kumar and was released on bail by the Allahabad High Court only earlier this month.

Ajay Shekhar Sharma, brother of Vijay Shekhar Sharma, had earlier told Moneycontrol that a person named Rohit Chomwal from Kolkata had tried to extort Rs 20 crore by threatening to leak "some photos and personal financial details" of his brother at the behest of Dhawan.

Chomwal had apparently taken the names of Dhawan, Jain and Kumar as the people behind the plot, which led to their arrest.

Even as Dhawan, Jain and Kumar were arrested, Chomwal had managed to get a stay on his arrest from the Allahabad High Court.

It wasn't immediately clear if Ajay Shekhar Sharma, who filed the case, will also be taking the case back. The company did not respond to email. Dhawan couldn't be reached out to for a comment. Her family did not respond to calls made.

Soon after her arrest, Dhawan's lawyer had alleged that the promoters of Paytm were pressurising her to sell her stake in the company and that she had been framed.

According to data shared by PaperVc with Moneycontrol, Dhawan has employee stock option plans (ESOPs) to the tune of 0.004 percent in One97 Communications and 0.02 percent in Paytm E-commerce Pvt Ltd, the two companies held under the group.

The cumulative value of the shares as per Paytm's current valuation stood around Rs 3.2 crore.

She is expected to have more ESOPs in other group entities.
Shares of Bank of Baroda surged nearly 6 percent intraday on March 28 after the government decided to infuse Rs 5,042 crore into the state-owned bank.

The finance ministry through its notification on March 27 conveyed its decision to infuse a capital of Rs 5,042 crore in BoB, the bank said in a BSE filing.

The influx of funds from the centre happens ahead of BOB's merger with two other public sector lenders Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank. The merger of the three public sector banks will be effective from April 1.

At 1324 hours, Bank of Baroda was quoting at Rs 128.40, up 5.59 percent on the BSE.
Suzlon

Shares of Suzlon Energy fell almost 3 percent intraday on March 28 after the renewable project developer completed the sale of two of its subsidiaries to CLP Wind Farms (India) Ltd (CLP).

The company in its BSE release said that it was selling the remaining stake in its subsidiaries Gale Solar Farms Limited (Gale) and SE Solar Limited (SE Solar) for consideration of Rs 22.54 crore and Rs 76.55 crore, respectively.

The Pune-based company also said that the turnover for Gale for FY18 was Rs 72 lakh, while SE Solar posted a turnover of Rs 54.43 crore.

At 1511 hours, Suzlon Energy was quoting at Rs 6.53, down 1.8 percent on the BSE.
The Election Commission of India (EC) informed the Supreme Court Wednesday that it had written to the Centre saying the changes made in several laws relating to political funding will have "serious repercussions" on transparency.

It also said that the changes in the FCRA 2010, will allow unchecked foreign funding of political parties which could lead to Indian policies being influenced by foreign companies.

EC, which has filed affidavit in the apex court, said that on May 26, 2017 it had written to the Ministry of Law and Justice about its views that the changes made in the Income Tax Act, the Representation of People Act and the Finance Act would be against the endeavour to have transparency in funding to political parties.

The affidavit, filed by Director (Law) of the EC Vijay Kumar Pandey, said the EC had informed the ministry that "certain provisions of the Finance Act, 2017 and the corresponding amendments carried out in the Income Tax Act, the RP Act, 1951 and the Companies Act, 2013 will have serious repercussions/impact on the transparency aspect of political finance/funding of political parties".

The reply was filed in petitions challenging the issuance of electoral bonds by the government.

Referring to its communication with the ministry, it said: "It is evident that any donation received by political party through an electoral bond has been taken out of the ambit of reporting under the contribution report as prescribed under section 29 C of the RPA.

"In a situation where electoral bonds were not reported, it cannot be ascertained whether the political party has taken any donation from government companies and foreign sources."

On changes to the Foreign Regulation Contribution Act (FCRA) 2010, it said they allowed donations to be received from foreign companies having majority stake in Indian companies provided that they follow the guidelines pertaining to foreign investment in the sector in which they operate.

"This was a change form the existing law barred donations from all foreign sources as defined under the FCRA. This would allow unchecked foreign funding of political parties which could lead to Indian policies being influenced by foreign companies," it added.

In response to ADR's plea which also sought directions that no political party should accept any donation in cash, ECI said that the Income Tax Act has been amended with a new clause stating that no cash donation exceeding Rs 2000 was received by such political party.

"ECI has been relentlessly working towards curbing the abuse of power during elections for which purpose it has time and again issued several instructions in the past to candidates as well as to political parties for furnishing the correct information relating to donations received and expenditure," it said.

The poll panel said that it has also proposed certain electoral reforms over the years for the purpose of bringing about more transparency and fairness in the electoral process in the country.

It said that all political parties (regional or national) were expected to observe transparency and accountability with respect to the funds raised and its expenditure, both during elections and otherwise, particularly when concerns have been expressed.

"Political parties are major stakeholders in a democracy and they should be accountable to the public.

A perusal of the electoral reforms clearly revealed that the EC has taken appropriate action to get the political parties to maintain proper accounts of their income and expenditure and make the same available to the general public in order to bring about transparency and accountability," it said.

ADR's plea has sought stay on the Electoral Bond Scheme, 2018 which was notified by the Centre in January last year.

It has said amendments carried out in relevant Acts have "opened the floodgates to unlimited corporate donations to political parties and anonymous financing by Indian as well as foreign companies which can have serious repercussions on the Indian democracy".

The plea has claimed that government's decision entitles political parties to receive unlimited donations without recording its source.

It has sought striking down of amendments made through the Finance Act, 2017 and the January 2, 2018 notification issued by the Ministry of Finance, whose cumulative effect is that political parties are entitled to receive unlimited donations from individuals and corporations, including loss-making and foreign corporations, without having to record or report the sources of such funding.

The NDA government had announced electoral bonds in the earlier budget, claiming that the scheme would clean up political funding.

The move was resisted by opposition parties. EC had also expressed its reservations initially.
Facebook apologised for erroneously naming Kashmir as a separate country in a blog post that mentioned countries targeted by an Iranian network and said it has removed the reference.

The social media giant, on Tuesday, had said it has removed 513 pages, groups and accounts for engaging in "coordinated inauthentic" behaviour as part of multiple networks tied to Iran.

It had added that they operated in Egypt, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan or broadly across the Middle East and North Africa. The blog post had mentioned Kashmir among the list as well.

"We mistakenly included 'Kashmir' in our blog post when listing the countries and regions impacted by the Iranian network we disrupted for coordinated inauthentic behaviour," Facebook said in a statement on Wednesday.

The US-based company explained that "Kashmir was the subject of some of the content shared by this network, but it should not have been included in that list. We have corrected this in the blog post and we apologise for any confusion caused".

According to the blog post, the page administrators and account owners (that have now been removed) represented themselves as locals and made-up media entities, often using fake accounts  and they impersonated real political groups and media organisations.

"They posted news stories on current events and frequently re-purposed and amplified content from Iranian state media about topics including sanctions against Iran; tensions between India and Pakistan; conflicts in Syria and Yemen; terrorism; tensions between Israel and Palestine; Islamic religious issues; Indian politics; and the recent crisis in Venezuela," it had said.

Facebook pointed out that although the people behind this activity had attempted to conceal their identities, the company's review linked these accounts to Iran.
National Conference president Farooq Abdullah will fancy his chances of entering Lok Sabha for the fourth time from the prestigious Srinagar Lok Sabha seat in Jammu and Kashmir as archrivals PDP and BJP have fielded political greenhorns against the stalwart.

Abdullah had lost to PDP candidate Tariq Hameed Karra in Srinagar in the 2014 general elections but won the 2017 bypoll to the constituency defeating Peoples Democratic Party's Nazir Ahmed Khan. Karra has since joined the Congress, which has decided not to field any candidate against 83-year-old Abdullah.

The main challenge to Abdullah's bid this time is from PDP's Aga Syed Mohsin, who had contested the 2014 Lok Sabha elections as an independent candidate. The Shia leader had then secured 16,000 votes out of the 3.12 lakh votes polled.

The Congress had not fielded a candidate against Abdullah in the 2017 byelection to Srinagar Lok Sabha seat necessitated by Karra's resignation from Lok Sabha and the PDP in 2016 over the handling of the situation in Kashmir by the PDP-BJP coalition government.

People's Conference led by Sajad Gani Lone is trying to project itself as an alternative to the NC and the PDP in regional politics. The party, which moved out of the separatist camp in 2009 to return to electoral politics, won the Mayoral elections to Srinagar Municipal Corporation.

People's Conference has fielded businessman Irfan Ansari, another newbie in electoral politics, against Abdullah.

Ansari, however, has his elder brother -- Shia leader and former minister Imran Ansari -- to guide him through. The businessman is confident that he would be able to connect better with the youth.

"I represent the younger generation and I believe I am more in touch with the problems and realities faced by today's generation and would be able take on the challenges confronting this generation. I will not only be able to understand them well but also try and find a way to resolve those problems," he said.

Political observers feel that by fielding a "weak" candidate in Mohsin, the PDP might have conceded the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat to the National Conference president. The other notable candidate in the fray is BJP spokesman Khalid Jehangir, who has never contested elections before.

His only claim to prominence was his stint as vice chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Project Construction Corporation, a state PSU, during the PDP-BJP coalition government in the state.

While Mohsin will be banking on significant Shia votes and support base of the PDP for staging an upset, for BJP's Jehangir, it will be a tough initiation into electoral politics of Kashmir which has been dominated by the National Conference for many decades.

PDP spokesman Harbaksh Singh said it would be wrong to write off Mohsin in the electoral battle. "He had contested 2014 Lok Sabha polls and taken significant number of votes. He is a prominent Shia leader and scholar. Moreover, he has the backing of the biggest political party of the state," Singh said.

Farooq Abdullah has lost an election only once in his 42-year political career since his debut in electoral politics in 1980.

The three-time former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir was first elected as member of Lok Sabha in 1980. However, Abdullah returned to state politics in the wake of failing health of his father and National Conference leader Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah in 1981.

He succeeded as chief minister of the state in September 1982 following his father's death. Farooq Abdullah stayed in state politics till 2002 when he handed over the presidency of National Conference to his son, Omar Abdullah, hoping that he would succeed him as chief minister as well.

However, Omar Abdullah's loss in the 2002 assembly election put paid such hopes as the National Conference decided to sit in the opposition, despite emerging as the single largest party.

Farooq Abdullah stayed away from active politics for several years but made a comeback by first winning Rajya Sabha elections in early 2009 and then entering Lok Sabha for the second time in May 2009.

His only election loss came in 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

The notification for elections to Srinagar Lok Sabha seat was issued on March 20 while the polling will be held on April 18 in the second phase of polls.

The Srinagar Lok Sabha seat is spread over three districts of Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal.

It has 12,90,318 voters who are eligible to cast their votes at 1,716 polling stations to be set up in the constituency. As many as 26 polling stations will be set up for migrant voters of the Lok Sabha constituency including 21 in Jammu, one in Udhampur and four in New Delhi.
June 02, 2019 / 09:01 AM IST

Welcome to the Lok Sabha election 2019 coverage. This blog tracks the latest developments from the general election.

The BJP reacted with jubilation at the exit polls, which forecast a return of the NDA government, saying that they show a huge positive vote for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but opposition parties rejected the forecast.

Narendra Modi is returning to power with a bang,
File Image: Actor Sumalatha during a press meet in Bengaluru. (Image: ANI)

The battle for Karnatakas Mandya Lok Sabha constituency has become interesting with the candidature of four women named Sumalathas.

Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil is also contesting from the seat.

The four Sumalathas includes multi-lingual film actress and widow of three-time Congress Member of Parliament (MP) from Mandya, Ambareesh Sumalatha. She decided to contest the polls from Mandya after Congress left the seat for its ally Janata Dal (Secular). She is contesting as an independent candidate.

The actress turned politician is fighting three namesakes -- all of whom are contesting as independents. While the actress has given her addresses as JP Nagar in Bengaluru and Dodda Harasinakere in Maddur in Mandya district, the other three are from Mandya and Ramanagar districts.

In an apparent reference to her political opponents, Sumalathas said: they have resorted to backdoor politics.

"There is fear behind it. They have resorted to backdoor politics out of fear of losing the elections. It is evident they don't have the strength for a straight fight," Sumalatha said.

She further rejected that it was a coincidence and said that she had received this information at least a month back. "People told me a month before that such things will happen. It is their strategy. They told me to field namesakes against them, but I said no," she added.

The actress, who is directly competing against CM Kumaraswamys son, has alleged there was a threat to her life and requested the Election Commission to provide her security.

(With inputs from PTI)
The Shiv Sena, a constituent of the BJP-led NDA, Thursday announced that it would contest 15 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal and claimed that the saffron party is now an extended part of the Trinamool Congress (TMC).

The Shiv Sena is contesting Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal for the first time.

"Today we announced candidates for 11 seats. Within a few days we will declare candidates in four more seats. The BJP leadership in Bengal can never fight the TMC. That is why Shiv Sena has entered the fray," said the party's state general secretary Ashok Sarkar.

"All the tainted leaders of the TMC have joined the BJP making it an extended part of the ruling party," he claimed.

Several sitting MPs and an MLA of the TMC have joined the BJP in recent times.

Shiv Sena announced candidates from Tamluk, Contai, Midnapur, North Kolkata, Purulia, Barrackpore, Bankura, Barasat, Bishnupur, North Malda, Jadavpur.

The BJP has made inroads in some of these seats in the past few years.

Sarkar said he would be contesting Midnapur Lok Sabha seat against the BJP state president Dilip Ghosh and the TMC's Manas Bhunia.

In 2016 state assembly election, the Shiv Sena had contested 18 seats but failed to make an impact.
The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to stall the release of film 'Ram Ki Janmabhoomi' which is scheduled to hit the screens across the country on March 29.

A plea seeking to stall the release of the film was mentioned before a bench headed by Justice S A Bobde and the petitioner claimed that the release of the movie will vitiate the ongoing mediation proceeding in the Ayodhya land dispute case.

"There is no connection between the mediation proceeding and the release of the movie," the bench said and listed the plea for hearing after two weeks.

The film 'Ram Ki Janmabhoomi', directed by Sanoj Mishra, revolves around the controversial issue of Ram Mandir.

Hearing a similar petition filed before it, the Delhi High Court said Wednesday that people will have to be tolerant if the freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under the Constitution has to survive.

The court's observation came while hearing a plea filed by Prince Yakub Habeebuddin Tucy, who claimed to be a descendant of Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar, seeking to stop the release of the same film, 'Ram Ki Janmabhoomi'.
The US is working with India to provide potential alternatives to S-400 air defence systems that New Delhi has decided to purchase from Russians, a top Pentagon official said.

India inked an agreement with Russia in October last year to procure a batch of the missile systems at a cost of Rs 40,000 crore. India went ahead to seal the deal notwithstanding the US' warnings against it.

There were apprehensions about the payment mechanism for the deal in the wake of the US sanctions against Russia.

"We are very keen to see them (India) make an alternative choice. We're working with them to provide potential alternatives (to S-400)," Randall Schriver, Assistant Defence Secretary for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs told lawmakers during a Congressional hearing.

Responding to questions on the potential sanctions on India for making such a purchase from the Russians, Schriver said, "it would be an unfortunate decision" if New Delhi chose to pursue S-400 from Russia.

"Of course, we have the (CAATSA) legislation hanging over all of that," he said referring to the punitive CAATSA legislation that imposes sanctions on countries that purchase substantial military equipment from Russia.

Schriver said CAATSA legislation is not designed to be in impediment in the growing strategic partnership that the US has with India.

"It's designed to impose cost on Russia, consequence to Russia. One way or the other, we want to work through it because India is an emerging partnership for us," the top Pentagon official said.
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Of the 273 bills introduced in the 16th Lok Sabha, 240 were passed and 23 remained pending, according to a report by election watchdog Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) released.

Seven MPs from Delhi had the highest average attendance and on an average, they attended 289 out of the 312 sittings, the report stated.

On an average, MPs asked 251 questions and attended 221 out of the 312 sittings.

Two MPs from Nagaland attended 88 sittings on an average, the lowest in the last five years.

With 264 sittings, two Indian National Lok Dal MPs had the highest average attendance. Two MPs from NPP attended 85 sittings, the lowest.

Among states, 50 MPs from Maharashtra asked the maximum number of questions (534 each), while two MPs from Nagaland asked the least number of questions, 12 each.

Supriya Sule from the NCP, a MP from Baramati in Maharashtra, asked the maximum number of questions - 1,181 .

Among political parties, the maximum number of questions were asked by 18 Shiv Sena MPs, each of them on an average asking 639 questions.

Two MPs belonging to the National People's Party asked the least number of questions. On an average, they asked only 10 questions.
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An all-women polling booth will be set up in every Lok Sabha constituency of Maharashtra during the next month's polls in a bid to encourage more female voters to exercise their franchise.

As per the Election Commission's (EC) directions to set up polling stations entirely managed by women, such booths will be set up in all 40 Lok Sabha seats of the state, a release issued by the election office here said.

"All those deployed at such polling stations - police, election officers and other employees - will be women. These booths, an initiative towards gender equality and involving women's participation in the electoral process, will be called as 'Sakhi Matdan Kendras'," it said.

As per the EC's guidelines, there would be no specific colour code for such polling stations, the release said, adding that their security will be a top priority.

Sensitive polling stations will be kept out of this experiment while those near tehsil office or police stations will be considered to be managed by women, it said.

Rangoli and other art forms would be used to make these booths more attractive and to lay emphasis on cleanliness, it added.

The number of women voters this time hasincreased to 911 per 1,000 men, as against 889 per 1,000 men in 2014, as per official figures.

Out of the total 8,73,29,910 voters in the state, 4,57,01,877 are men, 4,16,25,950 women and 2,083 third gender voters.

Lok Sabha elections will be held in Maharashtra in four phases on April 11, 18, 23 and 29 and results will be declared on May 23.
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, in a blog, said Article 35A was surreptitiously included in the Indian Constitution, terming it a historical blunder committed by former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

Jaitley wrote that Article 35A discriminates between permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and all other Indian citizens living elsewhere, saying there are lakhs of Indian citizens living in J&K who can cast their vote in Lok Sabha elections but not in Assembly, municipal or panchayat polls.

Their children cannot get government jobs. They cannot own property and their children cannot get admitted to governmental institutions. The heirs of women marrying outside the state are disinherited from owning or inheriting property, he added.

The Union minister also pointed out that the Article hurts the people of J&K since it cripples enrichment, resource generation and job creation by preventing investments by foreign players. No investor is willing to set up an industry, hotel, private educational institutions or private hospitals since he can neither buy land or property nor can his executives do so, he wrote.

Also Read | What is Article 35A and the 3 petitions challenging it

He hit out at the three parties [PDP, NC and Congress] that have ruled J&K since 1947 for mollycoddling with separatists instead of absolutely distancing them, saying it has denied space to alternate mainstream political parties.

Stating that the government has decided that the rule of law is in the interest of the people of J&K, he cited examples of the National Investigation Agencys (NIA) crackdown on separatists, terror funding in the state and banning of outfits such as Jamaat-e-Islami and Jammu & Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF).

Why should the rule of law that applies to the rest of the country not apply to the State? Should violence, separatism, mass stone throwing, vicious ideological indoctrination be allowed on the plea that if we check it, it will have a negative effect? It is this misconceived policy that has proved to be counter-productive, Jaitley wrote in his blog.

The Union minister also boasted of the Centres achievements in the state such as extension of various legislative measures such as the SC/ST Act, creation of 42,000 news posts, making the state open defection free and a slew of infrastructure projects such as Mass Rapid Transit Corporation and setting up of AIIMS, IIT and IIM in the state.

J&K has been under Governors Rule, and subsequently Presidents Rule, after the PDP-BJP government fell apart in June last year.

Lok Sabha polls will be conducted in the state in four phases starting April 11. However, Assembly polls have been postponed citing security concerns.
Viju Cherian

On March 26, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) rebel leader and founder of Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) TTV Dhinakaran faced a major setback, which could test his capacity as a key player in the Tamil Nadu elections. The Supreme Court not only refused his plea for granting the Pressure Cooker symbol for the AMMK but also made it clear that if any AMMK candidates won the election, he/she would be considered an independent because the AMMK is not a registered political party under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

In addition to the loss of the AIADMKs Two Leaves symbol, the probability of losing the Pressure Cooker symbol has come as a blow to TTV, as Dhinakaran is commonly referred to. However, there is a sliver of hope for TTV as the court has asked the Election Commission of India (ECI) to allot any one particular free symbol to all AMMK candidates.

A common symbol will help the AMMK in smoothening its election campaign strategy, but it is doubtful if this will be of any help in a post-poll scenario. In other words, there is nothing that would stop an AMMK MP or MLA from crossing sides and joining the AIADMK and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).

This weakens TTVs power as a third force that can upset the two Dravidian giants, the AIADMK and the DMK. TTVs importance, ever since he was appointed deputy general secretary of the AIADMK on February 15, 2017, has been under constant threat. Between then and now, TTV was arrested and sent to jail for allegedly bribing ECI officials, the AIADMK factions headed by O Panneerselvam and Edappadi K Palaniswami merged and the duo also won bragging rights over the party and its Two Leaves symbol.

On April 18, Tamil Nadu will be voting its 39 Lok Sabha representatives and 18 MLAs as well. The bypolls to the 18 seats are crucial for the AIADMK government which requires to win a majority of these seats to stay in power. These 18 seats fell vacant after the Tamil Nadu Assembly speaker disqualified MLAs who swore allegiance to TTV. The rebel leader is confident of winning in these 18 seats but in light of the court judgment, there is no guarantee that the MLAs would stay with him. Since the winning candidates from the AMMK camp will be treated as independents, there is no whip that binds them to toe the AMMK line. This could work to the benefit of either the AIADMK or the DMK, depending on who plays their cards right.

Thus, it has to be seen how TTV will play his cards. A weak AMMK does not guarantee a victory for the AIADMK, because the DMK could benefit from an AIADMK-AMMK clash in the 18 bypoll seats.

That said, it must not be forgotten that TTV is no pushover. Time and again he has proved that he is the David fighting against the Dravidian Goliaths. His spectacular win in the RK Nagar byelections, at a time when he did not have a proper party setup, showed that TTV was not wet behind the ears.

For more Opinion pieces, click here
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With two days left for withdrawal of nominations for the first phase of Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka, Congress leaders are making all attempts to pacify the party's rebel candidates and ask them to withdraw from contest against former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, the ruling alliance's nominee in Tumkur.

Defying the electoral arrangement under which Tumkur was allotted to JD(S), sitting Congress MP SP Muddahanumegowda filed his papers on Monday both as party candidate and also as an independent.

KN Rajanna, another Congress leader and former MLA, has also filed his nomination from Tumkur as an independent candidate, opposing Gowda. Both leaders are upset against Congress' decision to cede the Tumkur seat to JD(S), despite the party having its sitting MP there.

Pradesh Congress Chief Dinesh Gudu Rao expressed confidence about solving the issue amicably.

"We are confident that it will be fine. I'm talking to him (Muddahanumegowda), I have hundred per cent faith that there won't be any problem," he said.

Responding to a question on Rajanna, he said, "I'm in touch with him and he has said that he will abide by the party's stand and won't take any decision against the Congress party...We will solve it definitely."

Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara, who hails from Tumkur, also expressed confidence that Muddahanumegowda would withdraw in the larger interest of defeating the BJP.

"I have spoken to Muddahanumegowda. I have alsoinformed our high command and they will also speak to him. I'm confident that Muddahanumegowda being a gentlemen politician will withdraw in the larger interest to defeat the BJP," he said.

Muddahanumegowda is determined to contest, as he is the only member among 10 sitting Congress MPs from the state who have not got the ticket this time.

JD(S) bagged Tumkur seat after a hard bargain with Congress as the grand old party did not concede Mysore, another seat it had demanded, due to strong resentment from CLP leader Siddaramaiah, as it is his home turf.

Mysore and Tumkur both come under old Mysuru region, where the Vokkaliga community, seen as a strong vote bank of the JD(S), is dominant. Congress too has considerable presence there.

Speaking to local news channels in Tumkur, Muddahanumegowda said that he will not backtrack and will contest the polls as per the wish of his voters and supporters.

Stating that he has filed his nomination, both Congress candidate and an independent, he said, "I did not get the Congress ticket till Tuesday evening (last day to file nomination), but both alliance partners still have a chance to declare me as their candidate."

Speaking to reporters Rajanna said his decision would depend on what Muddahanumegowda agrees to. Stating that he supports Muddahanumegowda, hesaid "I will wait for his decision...

There is pressure on me to withdraw, but I have not decided yet...", he said.

Deve Gowda opted for Tumkur seat over Bangalore North, another option that was available before him, after giving up Hassan Lok Sabha seat that he had been representing tohis grandson Prajwal Revanna.

If Muddahanumegowda contests from Tumkur as a rebel candidate, it will add to the Congress-JD(S) coalition woes as the alliance is facing a backlash at several places,including Mandya and Hassan, with party workers unhappy with the seat arrangements.

Tumkur will go to the polls in the second phase on April 18. The last date for withdrawal of nominations is March 29.
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The Indian elections commence from April 11 and are due to take place in seven phases, with more than 900 million voters. The election process is conducted and overlooked by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Stretching over a period of more than five weeks, followed by counting of votes, the world's largest democratic institution seeks to follow a compact structure to elect the next batch of parliamentarians and more importantly the Prime Minister.

As India heads towards 17th Lok Sabha polls, we attempt to answer some important questions that help us understand the electoral process better:

Also Read: How to check if your name is on the voter list

Who governs the election process in India?

The ECI is an autonomous constitutional body, which primarily functions to supervise and coordinate electoral tasks, inclusion of rightful voters and execution of the colossal process. This year over a million polling booths will be set up across the country, with massive deployment of security forces and government officials to conduct the voting process. Also Read: What is postal ballot and proxy voting The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) presides the ECI and is nominated by the President of India for a tenure of six years. Sunil Arora is the current CEC of India. Each year, the ECI releases a renewed set of guidelines, pertaining to the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) that enable smooth and fair polls.

Also Read: How to use an electronic voting machine to cast your vote

What are electoral rolls?

Each Lok Sabha constituency has a registered list of eligible voters, above the age of 18 years, to vote particularly in that jurisdiction, listed under the electoral roll. Electoral rolls, also known as the voters poll, is a comprehensive mechanism to evade voter frauds that lead to discrepancy in the election results. Voter ID cards based on these electoral rolls are issued to eligible voters. Voters need to produce their Voter ID cards as identity proofs while casting their ballots.

Also Read: Want to cast your vote? Check out simple steps to apply for voter ID card online

Also Read: Know these steps to cast your vote the right way

Who forms the government after polls?

The counting of votes of the upcoming general elections will be held on May 23, and the results shall also be declared on the same day. The party holding the maximum number of Lok Sabha seats elects the Prime Minister. The Lok Sabha, constitutes the lower house of the Indian Parliamentary system and currently holds 545 seats, 2 of which are nominated by the President from the Anglo-Indian community. A just majority to form the next government requires attainment of one seat more than half of total seats in Lok Sabha i.e. 273. All candidates, essentially, have to be either a member of the Rajya Sabha or the Lok Sabha, which they attain by contesting from a particular locality.

What if no political party attains a majority?

In case of lack of majority by a single political party in the Lok Sabha, two or more parties collaborate to attain majority to form a coalition government. Parliamentarians have a couple of weeks to negotiate coalitions based on mutual decisions and elect the Prime Minister. The need for a new parliamentary cabinet also arises if the existing cabinet is affected due to national emergencies or political crises. For instance, if the coalition collapses due to internal political strife, a motion of no confidence or a confidence vote is taken.

Also Read: Why NRIs can't cast their vote online

Whom does the President invite to form a government in case of no absolute majority?
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More than 10,000 Muslim voters have been removed from the electoral rolls in Harbour Assembly segment of Chennai Central parliamentary constituency in Tamil Nadu, a Hindu report stated citing local MLA PK Sekar Babu.

The move was called unintentional by the Chennai District Election Officer G Prakash, who assured to look into complaints of deletion of voters.

According to the MLA, he received petitions alleging that the names of several Muslims in his constituency were missing. After finding the complaints valid, he appealed to the District Election Officer to include the deleted names on the rolls again.

The voters have submitted applications for inclusions of their names in the list, said Babu. It is expected to be included in the supplementary roll, he added. The supplementary rolls will be released in a few days.

Asked about the missing names of voters, Prakash said any exclusions had neither been intentional nor done with any ulterior motive. It was possibly a result of voters having moved houses without updating the voter list, he told the publication.

Across the country, more than 3 crore Muslim voters and 4 crore Dalit voters are missing from electoral rolls, the report suggested, citing data compiled by the Centre for Research and Debates in Development Policy (CRDDP).

In view of the data, the organisation and its allies have launched a countrywide campaign to include such missing voters on the electoral rolls ahead of the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.
The Congress on March 27 demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for comparing opposition parties to liquor.

Addressing a rally in Meerut, Modi hit out at the Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Lok Dal and Bahujan Samaj Party alliance, calling it 'mahamilawat' (adulterated).

The first letters of the three parties stand for 'sarab' (the Hindi word for liquor is 'sharab'), which is bad for health, he said.

Reacting to the remarks, Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, "You should apologise to the country as you have insulted the poor by comparing opposition political parties to liquor. You should either take back your words or apologise."

Surjewala accused Modi of not doing anything and making tall claims.

"Don't make fun of the poor, the country will not forgive you. You have lowered political discourse in the country," he said.
Hailing India's successful successful anti-satellite missile test, the Shiv Sena on Thursday said it was possible because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi being at the helm of affairs in the country.

Modi on Wednesday announced India demonstrated the anti-satellite missile capability by shooting down a live satellite, describing it as a "rare" achievement that puts the country in an exclusive club of space super powers.

Lauding the country's achievement, the Sena, in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana', said, "Modi hai to mumkin hai...on land and in space."

"Till yesterday, India was a nuclear power...(former) prime ministers - from Indira Gandhi to Atal Bihari Vajpayee - worked very hard for the purpose. However, during Modi's tenure we have become a space super-power. It has all been done by our scientists," it said.

It said amid Lok Sabha poll campaign melee where leaders are indulging in mud-slinging and hurling charges against each other, Modi gave a "pleasant news" of the success of scientists, even as there was an unprecedented suspense over what he was going to announce in his address to the nation.

After the government's demonetisation decision in November 2016, there was a lot of curiosity among people, who on Wednesday waited with bated breath to listen to Modi's address, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party said.

"Some thought Indian jawans again struck Pakistan, killed (JeM chief) Masood Azhar, brought his body here and dumped it in the Arabian sea off the Gujarat coast," it said.

Another speculation was that fugitive businessmen Vijay Mallya, Mehul Choksi and Nirav Modi were brought back together overnight in the same plane to Delhi. There were also talks that fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim was captured and brought either to Mumbai or Delhi.

Some even went on to think that to counter Congress president Rahul Gandhi's scheme of depositing Rs 72,000 annually in bank accounts of poor families, Modi's promise of depositing Rs 15 lakh into people's accounts was being reshaped, it quipped.

"However, contrary to the expectations, Modi's announcement of the anti-satellite missile being successfully tested made the country proud," said the Sena, which is an ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Maharashtra.

It noted that Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan were launched into the space in 2008 and 2013, respectively.

The Marathi publication also recalled that key institutions like the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) were set up during the then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru's tenure.

"Scientists working there have ensured the Indian flag flies high in space," it said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to address eight election rallies in Maharashtra where voting in total 48 Lok Sabha seats will be held in four phases starting April 11, a senior BJP leader said on Thursday.

Modi's first rally is scheduled to be held on April 1 in Wardha constituency, where polling will be held in the first phase, he said.

"He is likely to hold eight rallies in the state. The number may go up as more constituencies will go to polls in the third and fourth phases as compared to the first two phases," the leader said.

As of now, two rallies each have been planned for the four-phase Lok Sabha polls, to be held on April 11, 18, 23 and 29 in the state, he said.

Asked about Modi's public address schedule in Mumbai, which has six Lok Sabha seats, he said, "Only one rally has so far been planned in the city where Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray will share the stage with the prime minister."

The BJP-Sena alliance won all the seats in Mumbai in the 2014 Lok Sabha election.

This time, state Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Thackeray have agreed to hold separate rallies of their respective parties.

"We want to create more impact, so instead of holding joint rallies, it is better to address separate public meetings so that we can cover more areas," the leader said.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday told the Supreme Court that it will hold by-elections on vacant assembly seats of Tiruparankundram, Ottapidaram and Aravakurichi in Tamil Nadu within a reasonable time.

The counsel appearing for the ECI told this to a bench of Justices S A Bobde and S A Nazeer which was hearing a plea filed by the DMK seeking a direction to the poll panel for holding the by-elections on these three vacant assembly seats.

The bench, while taking on record the submissions of the ECI's counsel, disposed of the petition and observed that the court cannot determine the timing of elections and it was for the poll panel to decide.

The counsel appearing for the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) had earlier told the apex court that there are 21 vacant assembly seats in Tamil Nadu but the poll panel has notified by-polls for only 18 seats.

The DMK's counsel had said that by-polls on 18 vacant seats are scheduled to be held on April 18 along with the Lok Sabha polls in the state.

He had said that the ECI should be asked to hold the by-elections on the remaining three assembly seats along with the general elections.

On March 15, the apex court had asked the ECI to respond to the DMK's plea seeking by-polls for Tiruparankundram, Ottapidaram and Aravakurichi assembly constituencies.

The poll panel had earlier told the court that the by-polls for three assembly seats were not announced as some election petitions were pending in the Madras High Court.

The Ottapidaram constituency is represented by disqualified AIADMK MLA Sundararaj, while Aravakurichi is represented by Senthil Balaji, an AIADMK legislator who is now with the DMK.

Thiruparankundram legislator A K Bose died last year.
GATE, a virtual card issuing platform, released its Mobile Wallet Trends Annual Report. The report highlights trends of both mobile wallet and mobile payment usage across global markets.

Mobile wallets are still in the nascent stages in most countries, where some areas are starting to see an uptick in success. Worldwide, 2.07 billion consumers will use a mobile wallet to make a purchase in 2019; this is up nearly 30 percent from the 1.6 billion consumers recorded at the end of 2017. China is currently the largest adopter of mobile payments, but other countries are starting to catch up.

"Trends in the ecosystem have clearly shown China leading the adaption of wallets such as Alipay and WeChat, with QR codes playing a crucial role in their growth. However, the usage abroad for these wallets seems hampered via the lack of QR acceptance points, as NFC remains the method of choice for the Western world. Technologies such as GATE could actually solve this problem, as it would allow Alipay or WeChat to enable NFC acceptance globally without any merchant integration, allowing them to become the most versatile payment methods on the planet," said Mark Gerban, chief commercial officer of GATE.

India has also seen increases in mobile payment usage due to governmental demonetization and the African market has seen strong growth as well due to factors such as low barriers to market entry.



Growth Opportunities: generational differences greatly influence payment mechanisms, as well as the availability of technology.



Online Merchant Needs: fraud reduction and compliance regulations, which vary from country to country, play a role in the creation of new payment mechanisms.



Offline Merchant Needs: increased efficiency, cost savings to the merchant and increased customer loyalty are all benefits to entering the mobile payment space.



Despite the growth seen in these regions, other markets will need to consider several factors to also become key players in the mobile payment industry, such as:

The report goes on to highlight the potential mobile wallets represent to the globally underbanked population. Over 1.7 billion adults (21 percent of the world's total population) do not have access to a traditional bank account. A billion of these adults do have access to a mobile phone, though, and are potential customers for mobile wallets.

"Payments is a critical part of the value chain that allows for continuous customer engagement. As we have seen with many types of e-wallets and mobile payment systems, offering a relevant payment experience for specific cohorts will help uptick activity and brand loyalty. This ultimately leads to higher customer satisfaction, increased revenue and a better product experience," added Gerban.

Mobile wallets may still be in their infancy in many countries, but the use of technology and features that improve user experience will drive higher adoption and engagement.
Apart from being the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha, and the Congress' voice on many issues in the Lower House, Mallikarjun Kharge has also been the party's man Friday for several years.

A trusted lieutenant of the party and, particularly, the Gandhi family, Kharge has been at the centre of a number of messy situations, including in Mumbai, where Congress has often been divided and subject to infighting. Kharge has been called in to resolve the situation a number of times.

According to Congress leaders in the state, Kharge has the ability to juggle between several veterans in Maharashtra, including state Congress chief Ashok Chavan and former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan. It is the ego tussle between senior leaders that has troubled the state's Congress for long, and Kharge has the ear of each one of them. That is also probably the reason why he was appointed as the Maharashtra state in-charge for the party in 2018.

However, Maharashtra is not the only state where Kharge has proved his mettle as a deft negotiator who listens to local leaders and bridges the gap between them and the high command. Recently, in Karnataka, after the announcement of the seat-sharing pact between the Janata Dal (Secular) and Congress, many party leaders were reportedly unhappy with the high command's decision to hand over Mandya and Tumkur seats to the JD(S). Kharge, according to reports, had been the man who again bridged the gap between the party's central leadership and the state-level leaders, negotiating on behalf of both to come to a conclusion acceptable to all.

The 75-year-old, who hails from Karnataka, was being considered a CM probable during the Karnataka Assembly polls in 2017, with reports suggesting that his background as a Dalit leader and his seniority worked in his favor. Kharge, however, had said he would much rather be the CM because of his seniority than his caste, a comment that had drawn appreciation.

Appreciation and a taunt also came from Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself, who, during a speech in Lok Sabha, said while Kharge is a "decent" and "simple" human being, he keeps on "dissent"-ing. Kharge and Modi have been associated otherwise, as well, in that both served on the selection panel, comprising the PM, Kharge and Justice AK Sikri, that sacked former Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) chief Alok Verma. Kharge had voted against the sacking, the rest voted for.

Born in 1942, Kharge's career started off as a student union leader and then as a labour organiser in Karnataka. He joined the Congress in 1969, and gradually rose through the ranks of the party. Observers point out that rising in a Karnataka unit dominated by Vokkaligas and Lingayat was no mean feat, but Kharge had enough political acumen and ability to rise on to become the party's trusted man in both the national and the state capitals.

Entering the assembly for the first time in 1972 from the Gurmitkal constituency, Kharge has never been defeated and has held a number of ministerial posts in the state government. He entered Parliament in 2009 after winning Gulbarga Lok Sabha constituency, a feat he repeated in 2014.

While Kharge has helmed the Ministry of Railways and the Ministry of Labour and Employment before, he missed out on a CM post for his home state three times: once, in 1999 to SM Krishna, then in 2004 to N Dharam Singh and finally in 2017, to HD Kumaraswamy. According to reports, Kharge extended support to all of them, but has largely remained out of the recent Karnataka coalition politics.

The Congress veteran has also been embroiled in controversy in his home state recently and has been accused of playing "divisive politics" to build a career for his son Priyank. A number of senior Congress leaders and legislators from Karnataka have recently resigned from the party, all citing Kharge and his politics as the reason. The latest to resign was A B Maalakaraddi, and before him went former ministers Malikayya Guttedar, Baburao Chinchansur and Vaijanth Patil, all joining the BJP.

Kharge is a representative of the Congress within the Mahagathbandhan as well, as was displayed when he was sent to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's United Opposition rally in Kolkata. He has, however, indicated that the coming elections might be his last. If that is the case, Congress will lose an undefeated Member of Parliament, with an eye and an ear on and for everyone.
Manas Chakravarty

The Congresss income support scheme lays bare a serious problem -- the Indian economy is simply not capable of providing jobs to new entrants into the workforce and to the underemployed trying to escape underemployment on unviable farms. Politicians of all hues have thrown up their hands and, instead of jobs, now promise more doles.

Consider the prime ministers brave words in early 2015, when, flushed with a momentous victory, he declared in Parliament that MNREGA was a living memorial to the UPA governments failures. What he meant was that instead of jobs, all the UPA government had done was give subsidies to the poor. Four years later, the spending on MNREGA is being proudly advertised as the highest ever, the government has announced a rather meaningless reservation policy for the upper castes and it has hurriedly started an income support scheme for small and marginal farmers.

And yet, in survey after survey, the latest being the one conducted by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), the masses have said their top priority is jobs. The governments suppression of the NSSO data indicates that it has a lot to hide about the jobs situation. It knows its bad, which is why it is now rolling out sops for the masses.

Of course, the inability to create good jobs is not just a failure of the present government, nor is it limited to India.

The assumption used to be that, with development, industrialisation and urbanisation would move surplus workers out of stagnant agriculture to more productive sectors. This used to be called the Lewisian transformation, after Arthur Lewis, the economist who propounded the theory.

Instead, what has happened is that as farms get subdivided into handkerchief-sized plots and as industrialisation fails to take off, migrant labour struggles to eke out a living from construction jobs or as pakoda vendors or security guards in cities.

These are low productivity, low wage, no-hope jobs. As urban theorist and historian Mike Davis wrote in his celebrated book Planet of Slums, vast shanty towns have proliferated in cities across the world where a marginalised population live precariously in sub-human conditions. The Lewisian transformation has now become a Lewsisian trap. The BJPs chowkidaar slogan is a travesty. Nobody, given a choice, would be a chowkidaar.

It is true that several economies have managed to make the transformation to an industrialised economy in recent times, China being the shining example.

It is also true that reforms aimed at making the Indian economy more competitive will help, as economists are never tired of pointing out. But how much will they benefit the poor?

A recent paper by Nitin Bharti and Lucas Chancel of the World Inequality Lab says that since 1980, the top 0.1 per cent of earners in India captured a higher share of total growth than the entire bottom half of the Indian population, while the top 1 percent received a higher share of total growth than the middle 40 percent of the population.

India, unlike the East Asian nations that had growth spurts, is a democracy and that increases redistributive pressures, particularly when inequalities are so high.

The high noon of globalisation may already have passed, closing or at least narrowing the window of opportunity for late-developing nations. New technology, including robotics, threatens to create a new wave of job losses, which is why the notion of a Universal Basic Income is finding so much support in the developed economies.

Simply put, if you cant give the masses jobs, you have to keep them quiet by giving them bread and circuses.

For more Opinion pieces, click here
Image for representation

Picture this: A three month paid vacation every year and no cares in the world to bog you down. What would you do? Scale a rocky terrain? Make a beach shack your holiday home? Or just laze around and spend time with your loved ones while you learn something new?

Seems too far-fetched? Well, not really! The Australian arm of accounting firm Ernst & Young will be offering its employees 12 weeks of life leave annually, as it looks to capitalise on the growing desire for the perfect work-life balance among millennials. The new policy goes into effect on April 1.

Notably, the competition to acquire young, skilled talent keeps getting tougher and tougher, especially as the demand for flexible work conditions becomes a major concern among the new-age employees.

Speaking to Consultancy.com, Kate Hillman, a partner in EYs People & Organisational Change advisory practice, said: These policies are intended to address a growing demand for flexible work environments in general, not just working parents.

Commenting on this innovative initiative to retain and attract the best brains of the company, Hillman told The Independent: Were innovating so we dont lose these people while they pursue passions outside of work.

Now, employees will have the option of splitting it into two smaller vacations, instead of going on one long leave. However, if the employee chooses to travel and explore in the given time, the trip will not be sponsored by the company. Either way, it is a better option than quitting a job to go for that dream bag-packers trek and coming back broke and needy!

And thats not all. The company will also give employees the option to opt for lesser work hours or for a part-time schedule, for three months annually.

According to EY research, flexibility at workspace boosts employee engagement by 11 per cent.
Image for representation

A Bengaluru-based school's questionnaire went viral across social media platforms after a strange exam MCQ pitted Bengaluru's former CM BS Yeddyurappa and present CM HD Kumaraswamy against earthworms.

The question was - Who is a friend of the farmer?

The question was part of an MCQ exam questionnaire of the annual examinations meant for the students of Standard VIII.

The students and their guardians too were taken aback by the question. While the students knew the right answer would be earthworms, others were left to wonder how the politicians featured in the question paper.

Netizens, on the contrary, are questioning the hidden agenda behind the questionnaire right ahead of the 2019 general elections.

Notably, in the 2018 state election, both Yeddyurappa and Kumaraswamy fought on the promise of easing farmers distress. Both the veteran politicians try portraying themselves as pro-farmer leaders.

While it may crack us up, the incident landed school - Mount Carmel English High - in Rajarajeshwarinagar in a soup, since the question paper went viral on the internet.

According to an India Today report, the staff member responsible for the goof-up was sacked by the school management. Additionally, the school has also clarified that it does not support any political party.



Kannada question paper, Mount Carmel English High School, Rajarajeshwarinagar:

"Who is the friend of the farmer?" Options:

a. BS Yeddyurappa

b. HD Kumaraswamy

c. Earthworm Hahahahahaha href="https://t.co/mYIv9NXApl">pic.twitter.com/mYIv9NXApl  Karthik (@beastoftraal) March 28, 2019



8th std question paper (Carmel School, R R Nagar, Bangalore) has one social question.

Who is farmers' friend? Answers:

1) Kumaraswamy

2) Earthworm

3) Yeddyurappa pic.twitter.com/DNOHduQA5V  Narayana Prasad (@NprasadIndia) March 27, 2019



STUDENTS IN KARNATAKA ASKED POLITICAL QUESTION IN EXAMS

Who is the Friend of the Farmer? HD Kumaraswamy

Earthworm

BS Yeddyurappa  ElectionAdda (INDIA) (@electionaddaEN) March 27, 2019



Class 8th Kannada exam question paper at a school in Bangalore.

9th Question: Who is the friend of a farmer? Option 1. Kumaraswamy Option 2: Earthworm Option 3: Yeddyurappa (via WhatsApp) pic.twitter.com/PwF1wIx5pw  Kishor Cariappa (@KishorCariappa) March 27, 2019

However, Twitter users didnt seem satisfied with the clarification and roasted the school on the micro-blogging platform. This wasn't taken very well by some students of the institute.

Earthworm is the correct answer. The other two are chameleons. Shashi Shekhar (@Shashi_S_Pandey) March 28, 2019
President Donald Trump that Google CEO Sundar Pichai, whom he'd previously accused of indirectly boosting China's military, has reassured him that he is "totally committed" to US security.

"Just met with @sundarpichai, President of @Google, who is obviously doing quite well," Trump tweeted after a White House meeting. "He stated strongly that he is totally committed to the US Military, not the Chinese Military."

Earlier this month Trump complained that Google's business activities in China were "helping China and their military.

" There was also criticism from General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who told Congress "the work that Google is doing in China is indirectly benefiting" China's armed forces.

America's top military officer has also urged US tech giants to step up work on next generation 5G wireless technology so that US markets are not reliant on Chinese innovators, like leading telecom firm Huawei.

Dominating 5G is "in our national interest," the general said.

The US government though has deep suspicions that Huawei's technology would potentially open the doors to Chinese government penetration of US communications.

A Google spokesperson said Pichai had "productive conversations" with Trump about "investing in the future of the American workforce, the growth of emerging technologies and our ongoing commitment to working with the U.S. government."
The United States on March 27 circulated a draft resolution to the UN Security Council that would blacklist the leader of a Pakistan-based Islamist group as a terrorist, setting up a potential clash with China over the move. China earlier this month put on hold a request to put , leader of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) on the UN sanctions list, over his alleged ties to Al-Qaeda.

That request stalled in a UN sanctions committee, prompting the United States to turn directly to the Security Council with the proposed resolution blacklisting Azhar.

Jaish-e-Mohammad has claimed responsibility for the February 14 attack in Kashmir that killed 40 Indian troops and stoked tensions between India and Pakistan.

The draft resolution obtained by AFP condemns the suicide bombing and decides that Azhar will be added to the UN Al-Qaeda and Islamic State sanctions blacklist.

That would subject Azhar, considered the founder of JeM, to a global travel ban, an assets freeze and an arms embargo.

It remained unclear when a vote would be held on the draft resolution, which could face a veto from China, one of the five permanent council members along with Britain, France, Russia and the United States.

There have been four attempts through a UN sanctions committee to add Azhar to the blacklist. China blocked three previous requests and put a technical hold on the latest one, which could last up to nine months. JeM itself has been on the UN terror list since 2001.

Azhar is linked to terrorism for "participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing, or perpetrating of acts or activities" carried out by JeM, according to an annex to the draft.

The draft resolution is backed by France and Britain, which joined the United States earlier this month in pushing for sanctions against Azhar in the Al-Qaeda and Islamic State committee.

China has been accused by Western diplomats of protecting Pakistan's interests in the latest standoff with India.

But Beijing has defended its decision by arguing it had adopted a "responsible attitude" in dealing "with this issue with relevant parties via thorough consultation," foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said.

The Chinese mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Tensions between India and Pakistan have soared since last month's attack in Kashmir that prompted tit-for-tat air raids, fueling fears of an all-out conflict between the two nuclear-armed countries.

Pakistan has denied any role in the Pulwama attack, and Prime Minister Imran Khan offered cooperation in the investigation if credible evidence was provided by India.

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British colonial rule in 1947.

Both claim the Himalayan territory in full and have fought two wars over it.
The economic offences wing (EOW) of Delhi Police has booked Malvinder Mohan Singh and Shivinder Mohan Singh, promoters of Religare Enterprises, Ltd and two others on charges of cheating, criminal conspiracy and breach of trust.

Case FIR 50 /19 u/s 409, 420,120B IPC was regd on complaint of Religare Finvest (RFL) that Malvinder M Singh, Shivinder M Singh & ors having control on REL, put RFL in poor financial condn by disbursing loans to entities controlled by them causing loss of ? 2397 Crs to RFL.  Economic Offences Wing, Delhi (@EOWDelhi) March 27, 2019

Last week, Religare Finvest Ltd (RFL) a subsidiary of Religare Enterprise had filed first information report against the Singh brothers as well as the company's former chairman and managing director (CMD) Sunil Godhwani and NK Kaushal, an associate of the Singh brothers.

According to a report from the Economic Times , the complaint was lodged on the basis of internal inquiries, including an independent forensic review, undertaken by the board and management of RFL. The complaint was registered on various charges of cheating, conspiracy, forgery and fraud.

Through the inquiries undertaken by the new RFL board and management, it has discovered siphoning and misappropriation of funds of RFL amounting to about Rs740 crore, in aggregate, through loans to entities that are controlled by, connected to or known to the promoters or their associates.

Last week, the Supreme Court told Fortis's Shivinder Singh that since he had come back from 'sanyas', he should focus on paying along with his brother Malvinder Singh Rs3,500 crore awarded to Japanese drug-maker Daiichi Sankyo by a Singapore-based arbitration tribunal.

"Now you have come (back) to world, then pay," said Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi who, along with Justice Deepak Gupta and Justice Sanjiv Khanna, told both, the brothers to inform the Court how they are going to secure the arbitration tribunal award.

Daiichi Sankyo has moved the top court contending that the two brothers have sold their stakes in Fortis Health Care to Malaysia's IHH Health and were also liquidating their other assets to escape the liability to pay Rs3,500 crore arbitration award to Daiichi.

"How do you intend to pay in the event of an order upholding the arbitration award?" the Court asked Malvinder Singh, telling him that his brother has 'renounced' the world and had 'nothing to do with it.'
Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has clarified that investors can continue to hold shares in physical format after 1 April 2019. However, transfer can take place only for shares that are dematerilised, it added.

In a statement, SEBI says, "...investor has the option of holding shares in physical form even after 1 April 2019. Any investor who is desirous of transferring shares, which are held in physical form, after 1 April 2019 can do so only after the shares are dematerialised."

"The transfer deeds once lodged prior to the 31st March deadline and returned due to deficiency in the document may be re-lodged for transfer even after the deadline of 1 April 2019," it added.

This decision, according to SEBI, is not applicable to cases related with demat of shares, transmission or transfer of title of shares by way of inheritance or succession and transposition or re-arrangement or interchanging of the order of name of shareholders.

Last year in March, the market regulator had announced that securities and shares held in physical form will become illiquid after 5 December 2018 and anyone intending to trade physical shares will be able to do it only via a dematerialised or demat mode with a depository. This deadline was extended till 31 March 2019 after several representations and requests were made to SEBI by scores of investors still holding scrips in physical form.

The SEBI mandate to dematerialise physical shares does not apply in case of transmission or transposition of securities. However, if an investor needs to transfer or sell or trade shares, it has to be held in a dematerialised form with a depository.
In a new twist to the Rs20 crore extortion allegations, Paytms former executive Sonia Dhawan, who was in jail for almost five months, has reportedly re-joined the company after receiving bail. She is former secretary of Paytm Founder and Chief Executive Vijay Shekhar Sharma.

Quoting sources, a report from the Economic Times says Ms Dhawan had re-joined the company earlier this week after Allahabad High Court granted bail to the former vice president for communications and public relations at Paytm.

Ms Dhawan was arrested on 22 October 2018 along with her husband Rupak Jain, who is a property dealer, and Devendra Kumar, an employee of Paytm, for trying to blackmail and attempting to extort Rs20 crore from the Paytm founder. The three had been charged with theft, extortion, cheating, criminal breach of trust and conspiracy. Paytm's senior vice-president and the company founder's brother Ajay Shekhar Sharma, had lodged a first information report (FIR) against these three.

Ms Dhawan still maintains her innocence and claims she never stole any confidential data and nor did she threaten the Sharma brothers regarding the alleged extortion. In her bail application, she was quoted saying, There is no independent witness against me. I have been implicated in collusion with the police with the objective of spoiling my career.

In its order, the High Court had noted: "There is no active role assigned to the applicant. Suppositional charges have been levelled, which allegations cannot stand concrete. The applicant being lady may be given advantage of provisions contained under Section-437 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC)".

Sonia Dhawan had been associated with Paytm for almost a decade, starting as a personal assistant to the company founder Mr Sharma and rising to become the head of public relations over the years.

Interestingly, last month, Mr Jain, husband of Ms Dhawan was granted bail by the Allahabad High Court due to lack of proper evidence. Similarly, there is no trace of a bail application being filed by one of the accused, Devendra Kumar.

Ms Dhawan is alleged to have passed on data to a fourth man named Rohit Chomal, who is the prime accused in the case. He is believed to have made the extortion call to Ajay Shekhar Sharma, senior vice president of the company and brother of the Paytm founder. Mr Chomal, however, has gotten a stay on his arrest by the Allahabad High Court.

Adding another twist to the case, Manoj Kumar Pant, who was station house officer (SHO) at Noida's sector 20 police station and probing the Paytm case was recently arrested for allegedly taking bribes. He was arrested along with three journalists.
India's largest car maker Maruti Suzuki has decided to source its mini SUV Brezza from Toyota as part of its 2017 MoU which has been expanded to include joint production, sources said.

Brezza, a sub-four metre urban SUV, will be manufactured in one of the two factories of Toyota Kirloskar Motors from 2022. As per the plans, Toyota, too, would sell Brezza after making some modifications.

This will be the second model after Maruti Suzuki's Baleno which Toyota would start selling from later this year.

Maruti Suzuki's board gave its approval for sourcing Brezza from Toyota as part of its MoU in February 2017 which was expanded last week.

The expanded partnership includes joint production, promotion of electrified vehicles, sharing of engines, among others. The MoU is aimed at technology partnership in environment, safety and information, and mutually supplying products and components.

Maruti Suzuki has decided to continue being the sole manufacturer of Baleno, a derivative of which will be sold by Toyota Kirloskar to increase the total sales for the company.

The board also approved a three-year extension of its Managing Director and CEO Kenichi Ayukawa from April 1, 2019.

"We hereby intimate that the board approved the following the reappointment of Kenichi Ayukawa as Managing Director and CEO of the company for a period of three years with effect from April 1, 2019 on the existing terms and conditions including remuneration," the company said in a statement.

Disclaimer: Information, facts or opinions expressed in this news article are presented as sourced from IANS and do not reflect views of Moneylife and hence Moneylife is not responsible or liable for the same. As a source and news provider, IANS is responsible for accuracy, completeness, suitability and validity of any information in this article.
Our list of Wealth Creator mutual fund (MF) schemes of the decade ended 31 October 2018 was a mixed bag. If you have not read it, click here . Broadly, mid- and small-cap and sector-oriented schemes created the maximum wealth in the past decade. Even the few multi-cap schemes in the Wealth Creators list were originally mid- and small-cap oriented and were later reclassified as multi-caps.
Australias premier lithium miner, Galaxy Resources Ltd [ASX:GXY], has seen its share price sink over 40% during the past 12 months.

The market has struggled to find value in the global miner despite reasonable financial results and a slew of what should have been perceived as good news.

Revealed: Dont buy a single lithium stock until youve read this free report. Download our free guide to learn more.

What has caused Galaxys share price to drop?

Source: Trading View

From the two graphs above we can see that the GXY price (below) closely follows that of the lithium price (above) since January 2018.

However, we can seem some divergence from this relationship starting in January of this year, where the lithium price has begun to bounce back but GXYs share price continues to slide.

What gives?

Well, amongst other things, there seems to be a lot of people betting against Galaxy. After seemingly good news yesterday about coming to an agreement with the Cree Nation at their James Bay project, over two million shares were shorted.

But their bet could pay off. Its still unclear where the share price will stop  but it seems it still has a way to go.

Right now, Galaxys assets are tied up in red tape and the company has been forced to sell off some of its non-core assets to fund its core operation.

In February, GXY sold off its tenements located on the northern portion of the Salar del Hombre Muerto to South Korean miner POSCO for about US$280 million to develop its Sal de Vida project.

However, they have had issues with finding a strategic joint venture partner to operate the Sal de Vida project. The company also has to worry about a new 12% exports tax that came into effect in Argentina at the beginning of this year.

The low lithium price has also caused concerns about the size of the cash flows from GXYs Mt Cattlin project in WA.

It makes sense why investors are pessimistic about the short-term future of the company. GXY will have to spend significantly to get its Sal de Vida project off the ground  in an adverse tax environment too  and dwindling cash flows will mean haemorrhaging the bank account.

Now, with news announced yesterday with GXY entering into a pre-development agreement with the Cree Nation regarding the development of the James Bay Lithium Mine Project, the company must outlay more money to begin development.

Whats next for Galaxys share price?

Galaxy hit a new 52-week low today at $1.815, but, despite the bad run, the company does have a lot of upsides.

Galaxy holds some very attractive and high-quality assets around the world and has a solid cash balance (for now). Pushing forward with the James Bay project will further diversify the companys cash flow streams once the mine is operational, providing more long-term value.

But unless the lithium price improves, its unlikely well see any significant improvement in the Galaxy share price in the near-term.

Regards,

Ryan Clarkson-Ledward,

For Money Morning

PS: If youre looking to add lithium to your portfolio, then you need to check out this free investor report on how to get started investing in lithium. Download now to find out more.
At time of writing, shares in Leigh Creek Energy Ltd [ASX:LCK] stand at 36 cents a share, down 12.2% since its surge yesterday.

The latest news comes after a change in the classification of its Syngas plant in SA from a 2C contingent resource to a 2P reserve. The Leigh Creek energy project is now the largest undeveloped 2P gas reserve on the east coast of Australia.

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A milestone for the company?

Described as a milestone for the company, the new classification is a result of the success from the Pre-Commercial Demonstration  the process of converting coal to its gas form  which was independently certified last month.

This means that Leigh Creek are now one step closer to funding a commercial facility. They are also continuing negotiations with possible partners on future coal-seam investments.

Given the unease about gas shortages and climbing prices, as well as concern that current reserves will not be able to meet growing demand, it could be considered encouraging for investors.

The reserve area is said to be as large as the entire Cooper Basin, and faces the prospect of increasing over time as further testing is completed.

As the company stated in yesterdays update:

based on the transaction metric of acquisition price to 2P reserves alone this would potentially provide Leigh Creek Energy with an implied valuation that exceeds $2 billion.

Leigh Creek looks forward

Leigh Creek has had a fairly great 12-month period thanks to strong earnings growth, and with the rumours of this classification change floating around since February, the share price has risen almost 250% in that time.

And according to the company, this now puts Leigh Creek on the same page as BHP Group Ltd [ASX:BHP] in terms of expansion.

Despite the fluctuations in the share price, the company says it is now working on multiple paths toward commercialisation, including the sale of natural gas to the east coast market, as well as a plan to use the gas to manufacture ammonia based fertiliser products as a further market spinner.

The company will no doubt be hoping to benefit from both endeavours simultaneously.

Regards,

Ryan Clarkson-Ledward,

For Money Morning

PS: Discover these three in-house small-cap stocks that Money Morning experts are watching in 2019. Read more about here for free.
Prince William will visit Christchurch next month, Kensington Palace has revealed.

A statement says the visit will be on behalf of the Queen to "honour the victims of the Christchurch mosques terror attack".

The visit will be late next month, and comes at the request of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
One of the UK's most famous chef's, Heston Blumenthal, has shared his top tip when it comes to making even the cheapest wine or prossecco taste expensive.

And surprisingly - or unsurprisingly - it all comes down to your brain.

Speaking to a journalist in Sydney, the celebrity chef told the journalist to take a sip of her wine while picturing someone she "loved dearly".

He then asked her to take another sip and picture someone she really disliked.

The difference is marked, the journalist wrote in the Sydney Morning Herald.

In the second there's a bitter taste not apparent in the first.

Heston explained that it shows how closely our brains and emotions are linked to taste.

"I only discovered this about a month ago, he said. It might be the single greatest discovery that I've made."
(CNN)  Away from the often partisan debates in Washington, there is much discussion about a flower.

Specifically, lots of people want to know when some of the USA capital's most precious flowers will reach "peak bloom."

The blooming of Washington, DC's cherry blossoms is now predicted to reach its peak on April 1, two days earlier than the start of the original predicted peak bloom dates of April 3-6, according to the National Park Service and the city's Cherry Blossom Watch.

Cherry blossom experts define peak bloom as the day when 70% of the Yoshino variety cherry blossoms are open on the cherry trees surrounding the Tidal Basin.

"The National Park Service's Peak Bloom Update!" announced the park service's National Mall and Memorial Parks Twitter account. "Determining the peak bloom date requires checking both the forecast and where the trees are in the blooming process."

With 280 characters rather than Twitter's previous limit of 140 characters, the park service could go on: "The indicator tree is in full bloom & with temps forecast for the upper 70s this weekend, we now predict peak bloom will occur April 1!"

The National Cherry Blossom Festival starts on March 20 and runs through April 14 this year.

Washington's cherry blossoms typically peak between the last week of March and the first week of April, but warmer or cooler temperatures can lead to earlier than usual blooms (March 15, 1990) and later than usual blooms (April 18, 1958).

A gift of 3,000 trees

Washington's annual festival celebrates Tokyo's 1912 gift of 3,020 cherry trees to the city.

The first trees actually arrived in 1910, partially in response to the advocacy of Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore, one of National Geographic Society's first female board members.

When they were found to be diseased, they had to be destroyed. In 1912, first lady Helen Herron Taft planted a replacement tree, one of more than 3,000 new trees sent from Japan.

While the 1912 gift of trees included 12 varieties, just two varieties -- the Yoshino and Kwanzan -- dominate.

The first official festival wasn't held until 1935, and now it's a celebrated annual event.

The white blossoms of the Yoshino are found close to the northern part of the Tidal Basin near the Washington Monument, while the pink blossoms of the Kwanzan trees are usually found in the East Potomac Park area.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Cherry blossoms to reach 'peak bloom' in Washington."
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T. Rowe Price Overseas Stock's many strengths remain intact; it retains its Morningstar Analyst Rating of Silver.

This foreign large-blend fund has two inherent advantages over the majority of its rivals. First, like most international-equity offerings in its family, it has below-average costs and thus enjoys a performance head start over most of its peers year after year. Second, T. Rowe Price is an excellent parent, and it has had considerable success with its actively run international-equity funds. (Eight of the firms nine other active international-stock funds with Analyst Ratings are Morningstar Medalists.)

This fund also has a personnel edge over the most of its peers. In addition to running this fund since it opened 12 years ago, Ray Mills has managed a foreign large-blend separate account since it opened in early 2000 and delivered good long-term total and risk-adjusted returns there, so he is more seasoned and skilled than the majority of foreign large-cap skippers. Further, Mills has T. Rowe's well-respected squad of more than 160 sector and regionally focused equity analysts to draw upon for investment research ideas as well as the firm's other international-equity managers. This group of managers is quite experienced and talented overall.

Mills is relying on the same sensible and repeatable process here as he has employed successfully at his foreign large-blend separate account. Specifically, he is making full use of the style spectrum by buying a healthy mix of traditional bargain stocks, classic core holdings, and mainstream growth names. He is allowing his selection to lead to moderate country and sector over- and underweightings while avoiding oversized ones, and he is paying ample attention to issue diversification.

Finally, although Mills has posted unexceptional results with this process during the past years tumultuous climate, he has earned good results with his approach in various conditions in in the past. This fund, therefore, boasts earned superior three-, five-, and 10-year, and since-inception total and risk-adjusted returns.

Positive

| William Samuel Rocco 03/19/2019

Ray Mills pursues companies with fundamental strengths and long-term prospects that are better than their stock prices indicate. He looks for such attributes as accelerating earnings and cash flows, healthy financials, barriers to entry, and managements with sound strategic and operational vision. When it comes to valuations, he examines a variety of earnings, cash flow, sales, and asset-based metrics; he emphasizes different metrics for different industries and stocks; and he evaluates them from historical, relative, and absolute perspectives. Mills executes this strategy in a patient manner. Annual turnover, in fact, has averaged just 15% over the past decade. He normally spreads the portfolio across 140-180 names. And he consistently makes full use of the style spectrum. Indeed, the portfolio always includes a number of deep-value stocks and a set of fast growers as well as a plethora of classic core equities. Mills allows his stock selection to drive the portfolio's sector, country, and regional weightings, but he tends to avoid extreme over- and underweightings and cannot deviate more than 10 percentage points from the weightings of this fund's MSCI EAFE Index benchmark. Although that index does not include any emerging-markets stocks, he has the freedom to invest in such names and regularly puts around 4%-8% of the portfolio in such issues. This approach is sensible and repeatable, so this fund earns a Positive rating for Process.

This foreign large-blend fund remains quite diversified by issue. It owned 159 stocks and devoted 18% of its assets to its top 10 holdings as of Dec. 31, 2018, versus 100 equities and 22% in the top 10 for its typical actively run rival and 919 stocks and 12% in the top 10 for its MSCI EAFE Index benchmark.

This fund has an assortment of moderate sector overweightings and underweightings. It owns 37 financial-services stocks, including top-25 holdings Munich Re MUV2, AXA CS, BNP Paribas BNP, DNB DNB, and Tokio Marine. It has a 24.0% weighting in that sector overall versus 18.9% for its average peer and 19.3% for the MSCI EAFE Index. It also has modestly more exposure to technology and healthcare stocks than both its typical rival and the benchmark. Conversely, manager Ray Mills hasn't found all that many attractive opportunities in the basic-materials, industrials, and consumer-defensive sectors, so this fund has somewhat less exposure to all three sectors than its average peer and the index.

This fund also has modest overweightings in the United Kingdom, Norway, and certain other markets as well as moderate underweightings in Spain, Hong Kong, and certain other markets. It has a 8.1% stake in emerging-markets stocks, whereas its average peer has a 10.2% position in such equities and the index has no exposure to such names.

Positive

| William Samuel Rocco 03/19/2019

This foreign large-blend fund has posted unexceptional results as most international markets gyrated their way to sizable losses over the past 12 months. Several consumer-defensive and other picks by manager Ray Mills performed well during the period, but a number of his technology and other holdings struggled. All told, this fund fell 7.2% for the year ended Feb. 28, 2019, while the typical foreign large-blend fund dropped 6.5% and the MSCI EAFE Index declined 6.0%.

Mills' stock selection has been on the mark in various investment climates in the past, which has helped this fund earn superior three-, five-, and 10-year and since-inception returns. For example, it delivered a 10.7% annualized return over the 10 years through Feb. 28, whereas its typical peer posted a 9.2% annualized return, and the MSCI EAFE Index produced a 9.6% annualized return during the period. It earned a 2.4% annualized return since opening at the end of 2006, whereas its typical peer produced a 1.9% annualized gain and the benchmark posted a 2.0% annualized gain during the period. It also delivered fairly average volatility along the way, so it has superior Morningstar Risk-Adjusted Returns over all four periods.

Because of its medium- and long-term success, this fund merits a Positive Performance rating.

Positive

| William Samuel Rocco 03/19/2019

T. Rowe Price International Value Equity

Lead manager Ray Mills has managed this foreign large-blend fund since it opened at the end of 2006. Mills, who is based in Baltimore and has a doctorate in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from Stanford, joined T. Rowe Price in 1997 and started off as a generalist in equity analysis. He managed Neutral-ratedfrom December 2002 through June 2010 using a similar but more value-oriented strategy and produced good results there. He has 21 years of investment experience overall.

Unlike some T. Rowe Price skippers, Mills does not work with an associate portfolio manager. He collaborates with the firm's 14 other foreign-stock managers, who have 14-27 years of investment experience each, including the skippers of Bronze-rated T. Rowe Price International Stock (PRITX), Silver-rated T. Rowe Price European Stock (PRESX), Silver-rated T. Rowe Price Emerging Markets Stock (PRMSX), and Bronze-rated T. Rowe Price New Asia (PRASX). Mills also makes extensive use of T. Rowe's team of more than 160 sector and regional specialists spread across six offices around the world.

Because of Mills' considerable investment experience and skill, plus the size and strength of his support team, this fund earns a Positive People rating. (The Feb, 25, 2019, report on this fund mistakenly listed the people rating as Neutral.)

Positive

| 10/01/2018

Positive

| William Samuel Rocco 03/19/2019

T. Rowe Price remains best-in-class, earning a Positive Parent rating. The firm's success is rooted in its fundamental approach to active management and deep analyst bench. Investors benefit from managers' generally long tenures at the firm, well-planned manager transitions, reasonable costs, and attention to capacity. Many top executives, including CEO Bill Stromberg, rose from the analyst ranks, which helps keep a focus on investors at the forefront, even as the firm expands its distribution footprint outside the United States and bolsters its technology resources. The investment side has received resources, too. The multi-asset team has grown in size, reflecting its importance to the firm's future beyond the esteemed target-date lineup. Despite headwinds facing active managers, T. Rowe remains a powerhouse within U.S. and international equities. Fixed income is an area to watch. Several long-tenured managers have recently retired or will do so soon. Sound succession planning has smoothed the transitions, but the firm needs to ensure the bench remains deep. While high-yield and municipal bonds remain bright spots, the fixed-income team has not yet shown sustainable success in inching beyond its conservative bottom-up approach at some core strategies. Plus, the firm's foray into alternatives is unproven. Overall, though, T. Rowe Price retains the sensible and investor-focused culture that has long driven its success.The fund earns a Positive Price rating because of its attractive cost structure. This no-load share class, which has roughly 60% of the assets, has an expense ratio of 0.83%, 17 basis points below the median for no-load foreign large-cap funds; ranks in the 31st percentile; and receives a Morningstar Fee Level of Below Average. The Institutional share class, which has roughly 38% of the assets, has an expense ratio of 0.67%, 20 basis points below the median for institutional foreign large-cap funds; ranks in the 22nd percentile; and gets a Below Average fee level. The tiny Advisor share class has an Above Average fee level. This fund's moderate annual turnover rate serves to limit trading costs.
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There are so many mortgage industry events happening throughout the year, its tough to find time on the calendar to hit them all. Make time for this one thoughtheres only one week until the inaugural Power Originator Summit, and it promises to be different than any other mortgage event this year.

The Power Originator Summit provides the chance to hear from top producers and industry experts, and connect with product specialists, all in one place. The best part? All of the stellar content and game-changing strategies are absolutely free and unaffiliated with any one particular organization or brand, solely focused on connecting originators with the best information and products available today to help grow their business.

The Summit wouldnt be complete without the Top Originator panel, where top producers in the country will discuss overcoming common weaknesses and obstacles, and what all originators can do to dominate their market in 2019. Other highly anticipated sessions include the State of the Industry panel, a no-holds-barred conversation with top women industry executives on the biggest upenders in the mortgage space, and Going Independent, a presentation about the growth of the mortgage broker channel. Attendees can also attend sessions to learn about: the increasingly popular fix and flip and investor loans; niche products that are setting some originators apart from the crowd; the best way to add hot leads to a pipeline; and what non-QM is really all about.
Youve got to figure out how to delegate because if you dont delegate you cant prospect, you cant market, you cant spend time doing the business building-type stuff, Brasil said. Introduce your team, make the client aware of the fact that youre going to be speaking to other team members throughout the process, who are going to be helping me get you from locked to closing. Delegating became a huge part of being able to get to the next level of production. Luckily for me, I have Roger, my brother and business partner who knows his products/guidelines better than most underwriters, which allows me to get out of the office two to three days a week.

While face time and delegation are evergreen, many other aspects of origination have changed over the past 17 years. Brasil still goes to broker open houses, for example, but not for the same reasons he did at the beginningand he gets a bit of a different reception as well.

The way I used to market 10-15 years ago is totally different than the way we market now. Honestly, Ill do a broker open house just to post pictures and a video from the broker open, and I wont even care if anyone shows up to eat a sandwich or a cookie. If five people come, great, but Im going to get 500-1,000 views on my video, Brasil said. The marketing piece has really changed how we prospect, how we engage with clients and realtors a lot, so really embracing that has allowed us to position ourselves where we can get greater exposure and greater interest from the real estate community.

A competitive market creates more separation between originators who simply do the job and those who are good at the job. This not only comes from knowing product guidelines, but also being able to interpret the information on an application and convey that to partners.

Being able to say yes, well get you approved, no issues, or were going to have to work on that and position you accordingly, or youre going to have to put more money down, thats huge now. I think realtors, industry professionals, attorneys, theyre not going to give you much leeway to make mistakes in a competitive market like Boston.
Spring has arrived, and with it the heaviest storm season of the year for West Texas.

Permian Basin residents got a sneak preview of severe weather last week, which brought some heavy rains, high winds and even tornadoes to the area.

Insurance residents are urging residents to be prepared before the next storms hit.

Last week was a wake-up call for everyone, said Mark Hanna, spokesman for the Insurance Council of Texas, visiting Midland-Odessa as part of his annual storm tour reminding residents to prepare. He noted that across the state, there were more than 1,000 wind claims filed totaling about $60 million in damages as the weather service in Midland said gusts last week hit about 63 miles per hour and Dallas-Fort Worth recorded gusts reaching 109 MPH.

A lot of people said they had never witnessed a storm like that. People in Amarillo said they had not seen high winds sustained for eight hours or so, he said.

RELATED: Allstate: Midland County among Texas' stormiest counties

The last major storm to hit this area was the hail storm that blew through Odessa in 2017, causing $450 million in damages. Chris Wray, a State Farm agent in Odessa, said his office is still seeing cars being repaired from that store.

Wray urged residents to never assume there hasnt been any damage from a storm, especially a hail storm.

Always have someone come and look, because after 12 months the statute of limitations runs out, he said. Too, he noted, hail damage may not be immediately apparent.

Said Hanna, I cant stress enough, if you do have a claim, if you do have damage, the No. 1 thing to do is pull out your cell phone, go outside and take photos or take video of all the damage you can see outside, and of any hailstones inside. Then contact your agent ASAP. The No. 2 thing is to continue documenting  document the adjuster when he comes, get the name, when theyre supposed to come, when they do come, the conversations you have, the promises they make, what they say to do from that point on.

Wray and Hanna both urged residents to be cautious in hiring contractors to repair damage, especially roofs. Residents should avoid what they called storm chasers at all cost.

You have no idea of the quality of their work, the quality of the materials they use, if theyre even going to show up, said Hanna. Thirty days later, if your roof starts to leak, where will you find these people?

Said Wray, After the 2017 storm, we had some customers who cashed our checks and paid the roofer, who then never showed up. Ive seen that problem.

He said agents can recommend four or five contractors theyve worked with in the past, noting there are 10 to 12 roofers in Midland and Odessa who are pretty good.

Above all, he said dont rush to repair or replace a damaged roof.

Unless you have damage to the interior of the house, you dont want to rush roof repair anyway, he said.

The two agreed that the same caution applies to those whose cars are damaged in a storm.

But before any storms are on the horizon, they urge policyholders to get prepared. That begins with a phone call to their agent to make sure their insurance is adequate, to see just what damage would be covered, what their deductibles would be and how to file a claim. An extensive home inventory beforehand is also advised.

After a storm, Wray said, have plastic handy to cover any damaged areas, document the damage, file a claim as soon as possible and make any temporary repairs needed to prevent further damage.

Storm season has begun, said Hanna.
The Midland County Commissioners Court announced Wednesday that the recently renovated downtown branch of the public library would be called Library at the Plaza.

Commissioners asked residents to vote on the name, according to a previous Reporter-Telegram article. There were five names to choose from  Discovery, Heritage, Innovation, Legacy and Millennium. Residents also had the option to write in a name in online voting that took place from March 6-22.

County documents indicated 1,202 people participated in the voting and Heritage received the most votes of the five choices. It received 91 votes, while the runner-up, Legacy, received 67 votes.

However, 956 votes cast were for write-in choices, which was 80 percent of the vote.

The five write-in suggestions that received the most votes were Heidelberg, Laura Bush, Kat Copeland, Ed Todd and Downtown. The suggestion Heidelberg was in honor of Officer Nathan Hayden Heidelberg.

About 80 percent of write-in votes were for Heidelberg Library, or 762 of the total votes cast.

The commissioners said at Wednesdays meeting theyd previously stipulated the library couldnt be named after any individual. They also clarified that they werent obligated to follow residents suggestions.

Commissioner Scott Ramsey suggested Library at the Plaza and said they werent tied to the ballot choices.

However, he said he thought if his choice would have been an option, the public would have voted for it.

Other commissioners said they didnt think residents choice of Heritage fit with the library.

This is not a Heritage library, said Commissioner Robert Donnelly at the meeting. This is a modern library for the future.

Ramseys suggestion was derived from Centennial Plaza, which he said encompassed the area around Centennial Park and the new Barbara and George H.W. Bush Convention Center.

My main thing is, I wanted to tie the new library to downtown, he said in an interview after the meeting. Every time people had talked to me about the park or the convention center, they called it Centennial Plaza, so I thought the name plaza ties the library to all thats going on.

He said that plaza is another name for town square, and I believe downtown is a plaza area.

Donnelly said in an interview the name was an effort to tag onto what the city is doing.

In response to those who participated in the vote, Donnelly said, We appreciate their participation when we reviewed the information, we decided this was more in accord with what the city was doing.

City of Midland officials said they dont have any plans at this time to rename any part of downtown Centennial Plaza.

At the Wednesday meeting, Commissioner Luis Sanchez suggested the name Heritage Plaza Library to honor the public vote.

All I can say is I tried, Sanchez said in an interview. I tried to at least put it out there because that was the whole point of the vote.

The commissioners unanimously voted for Ramseys suggestion, Library at the Plaza. Midland County Judge Terry Johnson did not participate in the vote because he was not present at the meeting.

The library will host a rededication event on April 4 for the public to see the renovations. It will officially be open within a few weeks after the event, said library director John Trischitti.
AUSTIN  Nearly 50 people who work at the Texas Capitol have been vaccinated this week because a page contracted whooping cough, a health scare that comes as legislatures around the country grapple with the extents to which parents should be allowed to not vaccinate their children.

Texas health officials have been offering the vaccinations since Monday, three days after lawmakers were notified that a page had come down with the highly infectious disease. At least two House members and their staffs received vaccinations, and one representative who often takes her 9-month-old to work called her pediatrician to check what precautions she should take.

The whooping cough case is being held up as a warning in the Texas House, where politically active vaccination opponents have tried to claim territory.

"I know it's on people's minds," said state Rep. Gene Wu, a Democrat from Houston. "People speculate about which members are going to come down with it because they didn't get vaccinated."

Vaccinations are a recurring fight in statehouses, including in Washington state, where a measles outbreak has lawmakers trying to limit vaccine exemptions. A bill in New York would let minors get vaccinated without parental consent, while a California proposal would give state health officials  instead of local doctors  the power to decide which children can skip vaccinations before attending school.

Whooping cough is a bacterial infection also known as pertussis that often starts with what feels like a mild cold, followed by weeks of intense coughing fits. The disease gets its name from the sound some people make at the end of a coughing jag when they gasp for breath. There are about 10,000 to 40,000 cases of pertussis reported each year, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control.

Forty-seven people in the Texas Capitol received pertussis vaccinations supplied by state health officials Monday and Tuesday, said Lara Anton, a spokeswoman with the Texas Department of State Health Services. She said she could not disclose any details about the person who contracted whooping cough, citing privacy, but House pages are typically children around middle-school age.

"It was a large number of people who were potentially exposed," Anton said.

In Texas, the number of schoolchildren claiming vaccine exemptions has surged from about 2,300 students in 2003 to more than 56,000. Some legislation filed this year would make it easier to opt out of vaccines or prevent state health officials from tracking exemption data.

On Wednesday, worries over vaccination exemptions in Texas could even creep into a vote over a new $250 billion state budget. A Democrat filed one amendment that would study vaccination levels at child-care facilities.

"That a case of pertussis was confirmed on the House floor should be a wake-up call," said Rekha Lakshmanan, director of advocacy and public policy for The Immunization Partnership, based in Houston. "The fact it happened inside lawmakers' own house should give everyone a reality check."
IC film fest

continues

Illinois Colleges Tournees Film Festival celebrating French cinema will continue Tuesday with screening of the classic film Little by Little.

The 1971 comedy by French filmmaker Jean Rouch is a subversive film disguised as a farce in which immigrants from Niger travel to Paris and live a lavish lifestyle while gaping at the paradoxes of Western society.

It was festival organizer Devin Brysons classic-film pick because of what Rouch meant for French and African cinema, he said.

He was really the one who brought cinema to Africa, Bryson said of Rouch.

Bryson also felt a film with French and African roots would connect with central Illinois own French-speaking African community and help others in the region connect to that community.

This isnt just weird stuff thats happening in a movie or in a country halfway around the world, he said. It does pertain to us here in central Illinois.

The screening will be at 7 p.m. in ICs Kirby Learning Center, Room 6. Admission is free.

The festival will wrap up April 4 with a screening of Ismaels Ghost.
It's as plump as a goose, has the face of an owl and waddles like a duck. It sleeps in the day and is active at night. And it can climb just about anything but can't fly anywhere.

No wonder people call the kakapo the strangest parrot on Earth.

Once found in large numbers all over New Zealand, kakapo (pronounced caw-caw-poe) have been perched on the edge of disappearing for more than a century. What humans started, by reducing the birds' habitat and food supply, predators such as cats, rats and weasel-like stoats nearly finished.

As of 1977, trackers counted just 18 kakapo left in the entire country - all of them males. The end seemed in sight.

Then something amazing happened. A previously unknown kakapo population was found. It included the first females seen in more than 60 years. This exciting discovery stirred government-led efforts to help the parrots by moving them to three small, predator-free islands.

New Zealand is an isolated island nation in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. Many of its plants and animals - like the kakapo - are found nowhere else. Protecting them is a matter of national pride as well as urgency.

"As the largest parrot on Earth, (they are) quite the sight in person," said Wes Sechrest of Global Wildlife Conservation, which is helping the kakapo recovery program. "They have a teddy-bear quality to them with their soft feathers, wide eyes and owl-like expressions."

Today the recovery program counts 147 adult birds, nearly triple the number since its start in 1995. And that number will soon grow, as the current breeding season is expected to set a record and add 30 to 50 healthy chicks.

In New Zealand's native Maori language, "kaka" means parrot and "po" is night. The Maori (rhymes with cow-ree) people could have added "old," because kakapo can live 60 to 90 years.

And no two are alike. "Some are quiet, some noisy. Some are bold, some timid. Some run away from us, some approach us," said Andrew Digby, the recovery team's science adviser. "There's no other bird - or animal - like them."

Kakapo breed when rimu and other trees bear lots of fruit to eat. Some years that doesn't happen, which means no breeding. But when conditions are right, male kakapo dig and sit in shallow bowls, puff out their chests and boom like bullfrogs. The din can be heard three miles away. Curious females come to watch the males boom, strut and dance in a courting ritual called a lek.

If nature fails, scientists can try assisted (artificial) breeding, much as Washington's zookeepers do with giant panda Mei Xiang.

Females lay one to four eggs per season, and chicks hatch in about 30 days. Males play no role in raising them.

To improve kakapo breeding, recovery team members watch and track the parrots using nest cameras, infrared beams, microchips and radio transmitters in small "backpacks" fitted snugly under the birds' wings.

Individual feeding stations supply extra pellet food and clean water. The stations have electronic scales to check weight and are programmed to open only for the target bird, automatically locking if a parrot wearing the "wrong" transmitter tries to poach from another parrot's station.

Eggs are often removed from the nest and put in incubators, machines that help them develop. In their place, team members leave 3-D-printed "smart eggs" that make noise and get the moms ready to raise their chicks once they hatch and are brought back.

Digby recalled one female that left her nest with a fake egg in it and returned to find a fluffy chick. She had never seen a chick before and was "very clumsy" with it, he said, "dragging it upside down around the nest. I was worried she'd kill it. But fortunately she tucked it under her, and an hour later fed it well. Phew!"

Recovery team caretakers are very dedicated. They hike the forest all day with equipment and supplies weighing nearly 50 pounds, then curl up at night in tents near the birds. Like new parents, they awake several times each night to tend to their assigned nest.

Every new chick is celebrated. A few years ago, when a female accidentally crushed her egg, team members patched it with tape and glue. Days later, they watched excitedly as the first kakapo chick in three years hatched. Success!

---

THE KAKAPO

Scientific name: Strigops habroptilus (Latin-to-English translation: owl-face, soft-feathered)

Where they live: New Zealand

Size: 22-25 inches long; adult males weigh nine pounds or more

How many are left: 147 adults

Status: Critically endangered

Fun fact: Kakapo can't fly. They are the world's only flightless parrot.

---

TELL ME MORE

Readers 10 and older will enjoy "Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World's Strangest Parrot," by Sy Montgomery. The author and photographer Nic Bishop spent 10 days on Codfish Island during breeding season and then turned their adventure into an award-winning book.

---

HOW CAN I HELP?

The government of New Zealand posts kakapo news at doc.govt.nz/our-work/kakapo-recovery. Find out how to support recovery work by clicking on "Get involved." But remember to get an adult's permission before going online.

"Kakapo are amazing birds, unlike anything else on Earth," said scientist Andrew Digby. "But there are lots of other endangered species, including some near where you live. Once these species are gone, we'll never get them back. . . .

"If you're interested, get involved in conservation. The best way to start is to volunteer at a reserve or sanctuary near where you live" and to join or learn about conservation groups.
WINCHESTER  A Missouri man accused of shooting into a vehicle in 2016 has been found not guilty by a Scott County judge before the defense presented a case to the court.

Robert L. Carter Jr., 41, of Florissant, Missouri, was charged with attempted first-degree murder after a shooting incident Aug. 1, 2016. Defense attorney John Coonrod said Carter cooperated with the investigation and maintained his innocence throughout the process that left him in custody for close to two years.

Obviously, Mr. Carter was relieved and left today with his family, Coonrod said Wednesday.

Carter was arrested after police said someone tried to kill Dylan Whicker of Scott County by shooting into his vehicle along U.S. 67.

Carter was arrested in Pike County the same day as the shooting on charges that included aggravated discharge of a firearm, which Coonrod said was dismissed after grand jury proceedings issued an indictment and Carter was charged with attempted first-degree murder. The indictment was filed in June 2017, according to court records.

The bench trial began Tuesday and ended Wednesday morning after Judge David Cherry granted a motion by the defense seeking acquittal and found Carter not guilty after hearing only the evidence presented by States Attorney Michael Hill.

Cherry wrote in his ruling on the motion that the evidence presented by the state did not prove each element of an attempted first-degree murder offense beyond a reasonable doubt.

The judge wrote that the state had not presented evidence to prove that Carter had discharged a weapon or had a gun in his possession, independent testimony to corroborate Whickers testimony on details, or identification of Carter as the shooter.

Dylan Whickers testimony was clear that he could not see the face of the driver of the white Ford SUV when he looked left after hearing a loud bang, Cherry wrote.

He noted that there was no gunshot residue found on Carter or his clothes by a crime scene investigator.

Dylan Whickers grandfather, Bill, said the family was disappointed with the outcome, but praised Hills work on the case.

Coonrod said that Carter was in custody from his arrest in Aug. 2016 until May 2018  around 22 months.

Carter was unable to post bond for a considerable period of time, Coonrod said. His bond was originally set at $500,000 and was modified a couple of times. At $25,000, Carter was able to post the 10 percent cash bond, or $2,500.

Bond Carter paid will be returned to him, Cherry wrote in his ruling.

Coonrod said there is no compensation from the court for the time Carter spent in custody.
Sacramento, CA  Who should have the say on child vaccinations is a question California lawmakers are taking up.

The legislation announced Tuesday may give state public health officials instead of local doctors the power to decide which children shouldnt be vaccinated before attending school. It would also let state and county health officials revoke medical exemptions granted by doctors if they are found to be fraudulent or contradict federal immunization standards. That legislation is needed, according to supporters, to crack down on some unscrupulous doctors who are helping parents avoid vaccinating their children.

Measles outbreaks in New York, Washington and elsewhere have fueled the call for the proposed changes. In fact, last week a health alert sent out by the Calaveras County Health Department, as reported here, detailed a confirmed case of the viral disease in a girl that had recently returned to Valley Springs from a trip overseas. Due to the childs contact with others and their possible exposure, residents in neighboring Amador County were also notified.

On Tuesday, Calaveras County Health Officer Dr. Dean Kelaita revealed more details surround the case. He updated, as reported here, that the girl was recovering and no secondary cases had been reported.

Opponents of the measure argue that this isnt needed because Californias immunization rate already is high. However, data from 2017 showed that while between 88-89 percent of children in Tuolumne and Calaveras counties were vaccinated, that lags behind the state average of nearly 96-percent. California eliminated non-medical immunization exemptions in 2016.
Kayla White ACPD Booking Photo View Photos

Angels Camp, CA  A physical fight turned ugly that sent a victim to a local emergency room resulted in felony assault charges against a 19-year-old local woman.

Angels Camp Police officials reported Tuesday afternoon that they were notified on Monday morning around 4:30 that a victim had arrived for emergency care after being involved in a physical fight within the 600 block of Stanislaus Avenue, Angels Camp.

Speaking with the victim, police learned that Kayla White of Angels Camp had allegedly attacked the victim with a rock, which resulted in major head injuries. Officials say White was located a short time later and subsequently booked into the Calaveras County Jail.

White the investigation is still underway, White currently faces three felonies: assault with a deadly weapon, battery with serious bodily injury and mayhem. Under California Penal Code, mayhem is defined as unlawfully and maliciously disabling, disfiguring, or rendering a human beings body part useless.
Road Closed Sign View Photos

Mariposa County, CA  Due to the passing storm system, Caltrans has opted to close a section of Highway 140 near the Ferguson Fire burn scar.

Caltrans says it is taking this pre-emptive move for the publics safety due to possible mudslides and debris such as rocks falling onto the roadway. Crews will close the roadway at 6 p.m. for a stretch of about 17 miles from Bear Creek near Midpines to Foresta Road in El Portal, which is nearly 4 miles west of the Yosemite National Park entrance. Caltrans notes that after the storm has passed, crews will clear any debris and inspect the road before reopening it to traffic.
AUSTIN  The U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform is investigating Texas botched effort to purge suspected non-citizens from the voter rolls.

We are disturbed by reports that the secretary of states office has taken steps to remove thousands of eligible American voters from the rolls in Texas and that your office received referrals for possible criminal prosecution based on flawed data about Texas voters, Rep. Elijah Cummings, a Maryland Democrat who chairs the committee, wrote Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in a letter Thursday.

The committee is requesting a slew of documents from the Texas secretary of state, including any correspondence with Trump administration officials and Paxtons office. The letter notes the congressional committee has broad power to investigate any matter at any time.

Since Democrats took control of the House in January, they have flexed their muscles on a number of issues, including what they broadly describe as voter intimidation efforts such as state-imposed voter ID laws and purges. They havent had the capacity to call for such investigations over the last eight years, while Republicans in power used their position to raise alarms about suspected voter fraud.

Texas First Assistant Attorney General Jeff Mateer said the office is still reviewing the letter and looks forward to providing the committee with information that demonstrates our compliance with the law while ensuring free and fair elections.

The secretary of states office didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.

In late January, the office announced it had identified nearly 100,000 suspected non-citizens on the states voter rolls. Paxton spread the word on Twitter with the proclamation VOTER FRAUD ALERT. President Donald Trump also chimed in, wrongly claiming that all 95,000 people on the list were non-citizens registered to vote.

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Secretary of State David Whitley sent the data to Paxtons office for possible criminal prosecution of non-citizens who may have voted in past elections.

But within days, county election officials, charged with vetting the list, found tens of thousands of people had been wrongly flagged. After several lawsuits were filed by voting rights groups, a federal judge in February ordered a halt to the effort, saying it created a mess that intimidated naturalized citizens.

Top elections official may lose job

The controversy is now threatening Whitleys political future, with Democrats in the state Senate pledging to block his confirmation. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott nominated Whitley  his former aide  to the post in December, but he still needs Senate approval.

Abbotts office also did not respond to a request for comment.

The congressional committee calls its investigation one of several into voter irregularities during the 2018 midterm election, which drew record turnout in Texas that helped Democrats flip seats in the state House and Senate. At the top of the ticket, Democrat Beto ORourke came within three percentage points of unseating Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, an unusually tight margin. No Democrat has won a statewide election here since 1994.

Cummings also opened an investigation into the relocation of the single polling place in Dodge City, Kan., where Latinos make up a majority of the population, to outside city limits. In Georgia, the committee launched an investigation into reported problems with voter registration, voter access, and other matters.

Congressional Democrats are sending a strong signal they want our elections to be free, fair and accessible, said Myrna Perez, director of the Voting Rights and Elections Project at The Brennan Center for Justice at New York University Law School.

I think they have gotten the very clear message from what happened in the 2018 elections about what people are wanting, she said.

Two Texas Republicans, Reps. Chip Roy and Michael Cloud, are on the House Oversight Committee. Roy, who won his first term in 2018 to represent a district that includes part of San Antonio, wasnt immediately available for comment.

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston, said she is pleased that the Democratic majority in Congress has taken notice of what she called this dastardly act to challenge American citizens with false accusations. Jackson Lee took part in a congressional hearing last month in Brownsville in which she recommended an investigation.

Everybody knows that this issue of voter fraud is a fake news issue. This voter suppression is whats keeping people from voting, she said. I applaud Chairman Cummings because we are getting prepared for this kind of snake oil to be used going forward.

In federal court this week, plaintiffs in the lawsuit over the Texas purge and representatives of the secretary of states office said they have each submitted settlement offers that they will discuss on Monday. U.S. District Judge Fred Biery of San Antonio called for an April 29 status conference in his chambers.

Allie Morris covers politics and policy in Austin. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | amorris@express-news.net | Twitter: @MorrisReports
Houston liquefied natural gas company Mexico Pacific Limited has cleared a regulatory hurdle after getting permission from the U.S. government to export LNG from its planned facility south of the border to non-free trade agreement nations around the world.

The U.S. Department of Energy approved Mexico Pacific Limited's request on Wednesday, the company reported.

Permission to export to non-free trade agreement nations such as China, Japan and South Korea is desirable status to LNG exporters because due to higher natural gas prices in East Asia.

"We're applying disciplined focus to deliver a world class project with highly competitive landed pricing into Asia," Mexico Pacific Limited President Josh Loftus said in a statement.

Milestone: KBR lands design contract for LNG export terminal in Mexico

Working to secure permission from regulators in the United States and Mexico, the Houston company is seeking to build an LNG export terminal in Puerto Libertad, Sonora.

Located along the Pacific Coast about 250 miles southwest of the border town of Nogales, the facility is permitted by Mexican officials to produce up to 12 million metric tons of LNG per year.

Described as a midscale plant, the export terminal plans to take natural gas from the Permian Basin of West Texas and send it to Puerto Libertad via an existing natural gas pipeline.

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In a statement, Loftus said securing permission to export to non-free trade agreement nation will allow the company to stick to a goal of making a final investment decision for the project during the first half of 2020 and begin production in the second half of 2023.

"We are pleased to receive the ongoing regulatory support of the U.S. and Mexican governments," Loftus said.
Contributed Photo / Contributed Photo

The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office is warning the public about scam calls from a Sacramento, California number purporting to be leasing properties that the caller does not actually own.

The scam uses the phone number 916-936-3964, the email address davfreemnnn@gmail.com and online advertisements. According to the sheriff's office, the scammer falsely claims to be living in either California or Arizona and leasing a house in Texas.
(CNN)  A former National Security Agency contractor accused of the largest security breach in U.S. intelligence history is expected to plead guilty on Thursday, his lawyer told CNN.

Harold "Hal" Martin, 54, had worked for 23 years as a contractor for companies that contracted with various intelligence agencies and maintained a government clearance throughout his career.

Prosecutors described him as a hoarder who took home a whopping 50 terabytes of files, including a number of classified ones he stored on drives in his home and car. They have not publicly accused him of trying to leak that information.

His lawyer, Jim Wyda, had previously argued in court that his client "isn't Edward Snowden" and followed "no system" or "spycraft" in taking home those files.

Martin's arraignment is scheduled for Thursday afternoon in Baltimore, where he will enter a guilty plea, Wyda told CNN. The details of his plea deal weren't immediately made clear.

In 2017, Martin was arrested at his Maryland home and charged with 20 counts of stealing a host of classified files for years and across various jobs.

The files he stole, according to charging documents, included a number of NSA files, including reports on future plans, spy tools, and technical descriptions of an NSA communications program.

While Martin is accused of being the most prolific of them, the NSA has experienced a number "insider threats" in recent years, in which agency employees and contractors have violated classification laws to remove agency files.

In 2014, Edward Snowden, who like Martin did NSA work through consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton, famously stole more than a million pages of NSA documents which he gave to a handful of journalists in the name of exposing programs that exploited privacy. He has been charged with a violation of the Espionage Act and currently resides in Moscow.

A Booz Allen Hamilton spokesman, James Fisher, told CNN the company "closely cooperated with the federal government throughout" the Martin case.

In 2017, Nghia Pho, an employee with NSA's Tailored Access Operations, pleaded guilty to taking home classified work files for five years. Also in 2017, Reality Winner, an analyst upset about skepticism that Russia had attempted to interfere with the 2016 US election, leaked raw NSA intelligence to the Intercept that showed an apparent effort by Russian military intelligence to hack U.S. election systems. Both Pho and Winner accepted a plea deals and are serving a five-year sentences.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Former NSA contractor accused of largest security breach in US history expected to plead guilty."
Jurors on Thursday began deliberating in the sprawling federal case against four men charged in a "shoot-first-rob-later" scheme, including one deadly armored-truck heist that resulted in the shooting death of a security courier and a thwarted robbery attempt in which the gang's suspected leader was killed in a shootout with police.

Several family members of the slain courier, David Guzman, 25, sat in the front row of the Houston courtroom, as prosecutors and defense attorneys delivered closing arguments. One woman dabbed at tears.

"This plan was meticulous and it was methodical... it was well thought out as to every detail," Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Winter told jurors in her closing argument.

She walked them through highlights from eight days of gripping court testimony about a ruthless scheme to gun down guards stocking ATM machines and then grab bags of cash.

Prosecutors believe that Redrick "Red" Batiste fatally shot Guzman from a distance on Aug. 29, 2016, as he was stocking an ATM at a Wells Fargo branch at U.S. 290 and Hollister. As the courier lay dying, robbers moved in and took $120,000 cash.

"Guzman wasn't killed because someone had animosity toward him, someone was angry with him," Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard D. Hanes said as he paced past the jury box while holding the rifle that investigators traced to the shooting. "David Guzman was killed for $120,000 by people he didn't even know. He was killed for money."

Two defendants are charged with "aiding and abetting" in that deadly heist and the use of a firearm in the commission of a violent crime, based on phone records and an alleged confession. All four defendants are charged with "aiding and abetting" in a violent attempted robbery on Dec. 7, 2016 as well as use of a firearm. Batiste was fatally shot by law enforcement officers during that incident.

Law enforcement had been tipped off about Batiste in September 2016 and began tracking his cell phone via wiretap. Police launched a sting operation, which included setting up a tracking device as well as video and audio recording equipment inside a stolen rental car that Batiste apparently drove on the day of the failed heist.

FBI Special Agent Jeffrey Coughlin testified that Batiste's crew was trying to rob a courier at the Amegy of Texas Bank branch on Imperial Valley Drive when they were surprised by officers in an armored Brink's truck. Jurors heard audio of phone calls between Batiste and each of the various defendants and viewed surveillance footage from inside Batiste's car and of two men  whom the agent identified as two of the defendants  fleeing the scene.

Defense attorneys argued that Batiste shared very little of his plans with the defendants. They couldn't have known he intended to harm the couriers, several lawyers argued.

"We know what he did, and the planning that he went through to manipulate the throwaway human beings around him that had the misfortune to cross his path," said Nicole DeBorde, the lawyer for Nelson Alexander Polk, 40, who is charged with four felony counts and is suspected of being the getaway driver in both heists. "He (Batiste) was a one-man crime spree."

The government's case against Polk relied on cell phone data, surveillance footage and testimony about a confession that Polk allegedly made after he was apprehended during the December heist.

"What the the government is trying to do is take little bits and pieces of evidence and mold it to convict four people of something they're just not guilty of," said Neal Davis III, who represents Polk's uncle, 48-year-old Marc Anthony Hill, who faces four felony counts arising from his alleged role as the lookout in both crimes.

Davis quoted a text from his client to Batiste in October 2016 about a meeting where they would discuss adding "more nuts" to their "trail mix." Prosecutors contend that this was coded language meaning the crew was gearing up to plan its next heist. The defense attorney said Hill's voice is a deep baritone, whereas the caller whom jurors heard in recordings of phone conversations registered in the soprano range. Davis reminded the jury of testimony that Hill ran a legitimate gourmet popcorn business, saying the defendant's cell phone had been traced to the area of one of the robberies because he was scouting out new retail locations.

"It makes no sense that this businessman, this family man would be robbing banks...that this man would be involved in a capital murder," Davis told jurors.

John Edward Scott, 43, is accused of driving a decoy car, helping rent a car for the December 2016 heist and securing a hotel room for a man who later confessed to being the intended "crash dummy" who would grab the bags of cash. That man, Trayvees Duncan-Bush, pleaded guilty and testified for the prosecution at trial about his role in that heist attempt.

Scott's lawyer, Michael DeGeurin, said in his closing argument that there wasn't a single witness who testified that his client knew of Batiste's plan or knew that Batiste had a gun. He called Scott an "unwitting pawn" in his friend's elaborate scheme.

Bennie Charles Phillips, Jr., 31, is accused of arranging for Duncan-Bush to take bags of cash from the Brink's truck that carried the officers who foiled the alleged plan.

His lawyer, David Cunningham, also called Phillips a unknowing pawn in Batiste's grand plan: "Bennie Phillips is not the brightest light on the porch," he said.

According to a law enforcement official familiar with the case, Batiste is also suspected in several deadly robberies dating back to 2015, including the fatal March 2016 shooting of Loomis security courier Melvin Moore, who was gunned down while refilling an ATM at the J.P. Morgan Chase on Airline.

Jurors will resume their deliberations Friday morning.

Gabrielle Banks covers federal court for the Houston Chronicle. Follow her on Twitter and send her tips at gabrielle.banks@chron.com.
The annual San Jacinto Day Festival has been canceled because of the ongoing investigation and cleanup of the nearby Intercontinental Terminals Co. chemical plant fire, according to park officials.

The closure of roads to the San Jacinto Battleground has left Texas Parks and Wildlife staff unable to access facilities at the historic site for nearly two weeks since the start of the massive petrochemical blaze.

Even if the park were to reopen in the coming days, there's not enough time to prepare the 1,200-acre property for the thousands of people who attend the festival and battle re-enactment each year, said Bill Irwin, superintendent of the San Jacinto State Historic Site Complex.

The festival, which celebrates Texas winning its independence from Mexico was scheduled for April 13. The decisive battle was fought on April 21, 1836.

"We hate cutting off such a wonderful event that has been ongoing for so long but there were too many unknowns," Irwin said.

This is the second cancellation in the festival's 35-year history, organizers said.

ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Deer Park fire a blemish for the petrochemical industry's image

Postponing the event was out of the question as well, according to Irwin.

A cocktail of firefighting foam and an unknown mixture of chemicals that has flowed down the Houston Ship Channel from the ITC terminal has impacted up to 2 miles of shoreline along the park, along with the park's Santa Anna Bayou, which weaves from the battleship and through the marshland directly north of the monument, Irwin said.

The superintendent said he and his staff have not been allowed to return to the site to see the contamination first-hand and does not know the extent of its impact.

"We know that there is material in the ship channel and weve been told there is material that is potentially affecting the shoreline," Irwin said.

He will know more of the impact once the area has been determined safe for him and his staff to return. Visitors and employees were forced to evacuate in the hours after the March 17 fire started down the road at ITCs Deer Park storage facility on Independence Parkway.

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Balcones Heights will soon begin searching for a new police chief to replace Darrell Volz, who is leaving to helm the Windcrest Police Department.

Balcones Heights Police Lt. John Jahanara has been appointed the interim chief following the resignation of Volz, effective Friday.

Windcrest Mayor Dan Reese said Volz will begin his job there on Monday. He credited him for his desire for community policing, and Windcrest is a place that likes to interact with the police force.

Former Chief A.O. AL Ballew retired in January, having led the department since February 2012.

Volz had retired from SAPD after 35 years in June 2014. He became the Balcones Heights chief in March 2015.

He took the reigns of the force after city officials dismissed former chief Henry Dominguez. Officials said Dominguez ignored warning signs that officer Julian Pesina had gang ties leading up to his death on May 4, 2014.

Jahanara, who currently oversees criminal investigations, began his career with the Bexar County Sheriffs Department in 2004 and joined Balcones Heights police in 2008.

Ive been given a lot of opportunities to grow within different areas of the department. I think it has made me a well-rounded leader. Im honored for this opportunity and for all of the other opportunities I have been provided with by the City of Balcones Heights, Jahanara said in a statement.
A capital murder suspect arrested on Wednesday and a teen recently killed by San Antonio police shot and killed a man from whom they planned to buy drugs, according to an arrest affidavit.

Nadiv Williams, 22, was charged with capital murder in connection to the shooting death of Luis Guerrero. Guerrero was found dead on his porch in the 4300 block of Skelton Drive on Nov. 25, 2018.

Williams, who goes by "El Kapo" on Facebook had planned to buy narcotics from Guerrero and the two communicated online before the shooting, the affidavit says.

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Williams went to the home on Skelton Drive with three other men and a woman, police said. One of the men was identified as Jeremy Ponce, a 17-year-old who was shot and killed by police months later on March 4.

Williams and Ponce were the only two who got out of the vehicle to complete the drug deal, according to the affidavit.

Guerrero, Williams and Ponce walked into Guerrero's home to get the narcotics, when a gunshot was heard, according to the affidavit. Guerrero's girlfriend could not see who shot him, but she told police the drugs were stolen.

READ MORE: San Antonio police shoot, kill robbery suspect accused of opening fire on officers

One of the occupants in Williams' car told police that a few days later Williams told him he had shot someone, the affidavit says.

Police interviewed Williams at the Bexar County Jail, where he was being held for an unrelated charge, according to the affidavit.

Williams told police Ponce was the one carrying the gun, but later said he didn't remember what happened that day. He requested an attorney and ended the interview shortly after, police said.

Ponce would be fatally shot by police months later after he allegedly robbed a man in the 700 block of Iowa Street and shot him in the leg.

Police tried to pull Ponce, who had a woman and young child in his car, over but Ponce ran out of his vehicle and shot at police before he was shot by two officers, police officials said.

No additional charges are expected in Guerrero's slaying, police said Wednesday.

"As far as suspects goes, we have who we want," Officer Carlos Ortiz said, a police spokesperson.

Williams' bail was set at $500,000, jail records showed.

Fares Sabawi covers crime in San Antonio and Bexar County. Read him on our breaking news site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | fsabawi@mysa.com|@FaresInSA
A man who nearly stabbed a Walmart employee to death during a shoplifting attempt was sentenced to 25 years in prison, according to the Bexar County District Attorney's office.

Travis Cobb was caught putting merchandise into his backpack at the Walmart in the 8000 block of Bandera Road on July 22. When an employee confronted him outside the store, Cobb pulled out a knife and sliced the employee several times on his arms and torso, officials said.
Two suspects were arrested Wednesday in the February shooting death of a man at a North Side apartment complex.

Dakota Vale, 21, and Walter Scott, 28, each face a charge of capital murder in the death of Rey "Mingo" Quiroga.

RELATED: 'Blood was everywhere': Woman stabbed to death, deputies say

San Antonio Police Department spokeswoman Jennifer Rodriguez said Quiroga, 23, was fatally shot on Feb.17 in the pool area of the Redland apartments, 18979 Redlands Road.

Vale was arrested by Texas DPS troopers in Cibolo. Scott was arrested at about 4:30 p.m. by authorities in Milwaukee, Wisc. and is awaiting extradition to Bexar County, which police say could take days or weeks.

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An image of Vale taken via the apartment's security cameras was released hours after the shooting in hopes of identifying her.

She then helped lead investigators to Scott, who they determined to be the shooter, Rodriguez said.

Police said it appears the three had arranged to meet the apartment for unknown reasons.
Ask yourself this simple question: When you heard the news that special counsel Robert Mueller concluded that President Donald Trump had not engaged in a criminal conspiracy with Russia, were you relieved or disappointed?

Be honest.

If the answer is the latter, then its time for a little introspection. Every American should be thankful that, as Attorney General William Barr explained in his letter to Congress, the Special Counsel did not find that the Trump campaign, or anyone associated with it, conspired or coordinated with the Russian government  despite multiple offers from Russian-affiliated individuals to assist the Trump campaign.

It would have been devastating for our country if the president of the United States had engaged in a criminal conspiracy with a foreign power to undermine our democracy. Muellers finding that he didnt should be cause for celebration by Trump supporters and opponents alike. You do not have to believe Trump is a good president to know that it is good that the president did not betray the country.

But the sad truth is that many Democratic presidential wannabes were hoping Mueller would find evidence the president had conspired with Russia. Some were almost salivating in anticipation of the Mueller report. In February, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., crowed that by the time we get to 2020, Donald Trump may not even be president. In fact, he may not even be a free person. Last month, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., tweeted, A campaign for President of the United States should never be in the business of scheming with foreign adversaries to tamper with our elections. And just this Saturday (one day after Mueller delivered his report exonerating Trump), Beto ORourke assured us that you have a president who, in my opinion, beyond a shadow of a doubt, sought to, however ham-handedly, collude with the Russian government, a foreign power, to undermine and influence our elections.

No, he didnt. As Barr notes, the special counsel issued more than 2,800 subpoenas, executed nearly 500 search warrants, obtained more than 230 orders for communication records, issued almost 50 orders authorizing use of pen registers, made 13 requests to foreign governments for evidence, and interviewed approximately 500 witnesses. Mueller found no evidence of conspiracy or even coordination with Russia. Thank God.

It is understandable that Trump believes the Mueller investigation should never have happened. But the probe may end up being the best thing that ever happened to him. If even career prosecutors in his own Justice Department had cleared Trump of conspiracy charges, Democrats would never have accepted their conclusions. But after embracing Mueller  even launching a campaign to pass legislation protecting him from being fired by Trump  Democrats now will look ridiculous if they refuse accept his determination that there was no Trump-Russia conspiracy.

Moreover, keep in mind that Mueller was not simply investigating Trump; he was also investigating the Russian government. He exonerated Trump but not Vladimir Putin. Mueller indicted 13 Russian nationals and three Russian companies on charges of conspiracy and identity theft. There was a conspiracy to influence the 2016 elections. Trump just wasnt a part of it.

With the collusion fallacy behind us, Republicans and Democrats should be working together to address that ongoing threat. But instead of focusing on countering those efforts, Democrats seem to want to continue spending their time on Trump. On Sunday, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., stood by his claim that there is significant evidence of collusion and said he plans more hearings.

Those who continue to push the false collusion narrative are the ones inadvertently assisting Russia. The intelligence community report noted that Russias objectives in 2016 included undermining public faith in the US democratic process  faith in the US Government and fuel(ing) political protest. In this sense, it worked like a charm.

For the past two years, the Mueller probe has hung like a cloud over Trumps presidency. Instead of the presumption of innocence, Democrats and many in the media have presumed his guilt. Trump said over 200 times that there was no collusion. He was mocked. But it turns out he was right the whole time.

And if you dont think thats good news, you are part of the problem.

@marcthiessen
Of all the political issues that divide us, health care is the one with the greatest impact on ordinary Americans lives.

If Democrats hadnt managed to pass the Affordable Care Act, around 20 million fewer Americans would have health insurance than currently do.

If Republican-controlled states hadnt refused to expand Medicaid and generally done as little as possible to support the act, national progress might have tracked progress in, say, California  so another 7 million or 8 million people might have coverage.

You obviously know where I stand on this political divide. But Im starting to believe that I misjudged Republican motives.

You see, I thought their behavior was cynical and strategic: They opposed Obamacare because they thought there was political mileage in scaring people about change, and also in denying Barack Obama any successes.

Oh, and their donors really hated the taxes on the rich that pay for the ACAs subsidies. And right up through 2016 they could hope to convince voters that they had a secret plan for something much better than Obamacare.

Indeed, all of these things surely played a role in GOP health care strategy. But at this point theyve clearly lost the political argument.

In 2017, Republican attempts to repeal Obamacare made it clear to everyone that their party didnt have any better ideas, and never did; everything they proposed would have devastated the lives of millions.

Then health care became the top issue in the 2018 midterms, and voters who considered it the most important issue went Democratic by a 3-to-1 ratio.

So you might have expected Republicans to cut their losses. Maybe Trump could have done what he did with NAFTA: keep Obamacare basically intact, but make a few minor changes, give it a new name  the Yuge Maga Care Awesomeness, or something  and claim that it was totally different and better.

But no. Most Republican-controlled states are still refusing to expand Medicaid, even though Washington would bear the vast majority of the costs.

Utah held a direct referendum on Medicaid expansion, which passed easily  so the will of the voters was clear, even in a very conservative state. Yet GOP legislators are blocking the expansion anyway.

And now the Trump administration, having failed to repeal the ACA when Republicans controlled Congress, is suing to have the whole thing declared unconstitutional in court  because what could be a better way to start off the 2020 campaign than taking insurance away from 20 million Americans?

Its no longer possible to see any of this as part of a clever political strategy, even a nefariously cynical one. It has entered the realm of pathology instead.

Its now clear that Republicans just have a deep, unreasoning hatred of the idea that government policy may help some people get health care.

Why?

The truth is that I dont fully get it. Maybe its anger at the thought of anyone getting something they didnt earn themselves, unless its an inheritance from Daddy.

Maybe its a sense that a lot of gratuitous suffering is or should be part of the human condition, or Gods plan, or something.

I try to understand how others think, but in this case I really do find it hard.

Whatever the reason, however, the fact is that whatever they may claim, todays Republicans hate the idea of poor and working-class Americans getting the health care they need.
A ZIMBABWEAN truck driver is battling for life at a hospital in Durban, KwaZulu Natal province in South Africa after he was caught up in suspected fresh xenophobic attacks in the neighbouring country.

More than 100 foreigners, among them Zimbabweans, were forced to flee their homes and seek refuge at Sydenham Police Station.

Zimbabwes Consul General to South Africa, Mr Batiraishe Mukonoweshuro yesterday confirmed that the truck driver, Mr Tineyi Takawira, was admitted to King Edward Hospital after he was stabbed during an attack.

I can confirm that Tineyi Takawira, a Zimbabwean truck driver is admitted to King Edward Hospital in Durban after he was attacked by protesters in Durbans Springfield Park informal settlement.The protesters barricaded roads and intercepted truck drivers demanding to see their identity documents and those found to be foreigners were attacked, he said.

Mr Mukonoweshuro said a Zimbabwean woman married to a Malawian truck driver was among the people who fled to the police station after she was attacked and badly injured.

He said they were yet to ascertain the exact number of Zimbabweans who were attacked and were working with police and relevant authorities in the neighbouring country.

We believe that there could be a substantial number of our people who were injured during the attacks but we are yet to ascertain the figures. Police have assured us that the situation has calmed down but we will continue to monitor the situation, said Mr Mukonoweshuro.

The first wave of violence broke out in the Kenville area, north of Durban on Sunday at about 11PM when mobs of protesters burst into the homes of foreigners grabbing property that included beds ,TV sets, pots and baskets before targeting foreign-operated shops.

The protesters, numbering about 100, blocked Sea Cow Lake and Inanda roads using rubble from burnt tyres.

The attacks left three people dead and they are all South Africans.

Two of the victims were shot by a foreign tuckshop owner who opened fire on the mob that was looting his shop.

The attacks on foreigners flared up in Durban between Sunday night and early Tuesday, forcing over a 100 foreigners to flee their homes and seek refuge at a police station.

KwaZulu Natal provincial police spokesperson Colonel Thulani Zwane yesterday confirmed that more foreign nationals sought shelter at Sydenham Police Station on Tuesday night.

About 70 foreign nationals went to Sydenham Police Station for help on Tuesday night but no serious injuries were reported, he said.

According to South African media reports, unemployed informal settlement residents are angry because foreign nationals are employed by local companies.

The Durban attacks come barely three days after the South African government launched a national action plan to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and ethnic intolerance .

The attacks targeted at foreign shop owners began on Sunday night at Kenville residential area in northern Durban.

Residents woke up to screams and chants as a mob of people walked through the area overturning refuse bins, cutting down tree branches, burning tyres, looting shops and stoning cars and homes.

Two suspects aged 22 and 28 years have been arrested for public violence and have since appeared at the Durban magistrates court

A video is also circulating on social media showing foreigners being attacked and one man is heard speaking in Zulu, saying foreigners are working and the locals are not working.

On Monday, South Africa launched a national action plan to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and ethnic intolerance.

It was launched by the Justice and Constitutional Development Deputy Minister John Jeffery at the St George Hotel in Irene and the event was attended by civil society organisations and government officials among others.

The document was approved by Cabinet last month and will be revised every five years.

The latest attacks evoked ugly memories of the deadly xenophobic attacks of 2015 which displaced thousands of Zimbabweans and other African immigrants living in South Africa following alleged inflammatory remarks by Zulu King, Goodwill Zwelithini, who had called for the expulsion of foreigners.

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The Thokozani Khupe-led MDC-T has said it is probing why its national spokesperson Linda Masarira was pictured wearing Zanu PF regalia.

All registered political parties in Zimbabwe have paraphernalia that contain symbols and colours which identify them distinctively and also undoubtedly help in many ways to enhance their respective political campaigns across the length and breadth of the country.

Masarira was pictured at her supposed in-laws in a rural setting, wearing a wrap-over commonly called Zambia with Zanu PF party symbols and colours, usually used to decorate campaign grounds, party meetings and many other places.

This triggered an avalanche of responses from different people who said the move confirmed widespread rumours that she has been working with Zanu PF ever since she parted ways with the Nelson Chamisa-led MDC.

This comes as the Khupe-led MDC has just headed-off accusations by exiled former Cabinet minister Jonathan Moyo that the party was in bed with Zanu PF. While Khupe has since her ascendancy to the MDC-T presidency frantically tried on numerous occasions to shake off the Zanu PF link tag, it has somehow proved futile.

The latest pictures for Masarira clad in Zanu PF regalia seem to have added salt to an already blistering wound, with the party president indicating Masarira has to explain what could have happened.

The MDC-T has noted the pictures of its spokesperson which have gone viral on different platforms.

The party has not yet met with Ms. Masarira, and we will only be able to give a full statement once we have had the opportunity to engage with her on the disturbing and confusing pictures.

We implore the media and the public in general to afford us the opportunity to engage with Ms. Masarira, on this matter, Khupe said through her spokesperson Khaliphani Phugeni.

He said the party will follow the provisions of the constitution in dealing with the matter before referring questions to party national chairperson Abednico Bhebhe.

We are very disturbed indeed and we shall deal with that in the best interest of the party and our supporters, in fact, not only our supporters, but for the generality of Zimbabwean opposition voters.

We have no link with Zanu PF and we will never in a lifetime be linked to an evil political party, Bhebhe told the Daily News.

Contacted for comment, Masarira told the Daily News that the hullaballoo about a Zanu PF waist cloth she was wearing was ill advised and uncalled for.

She rejected inferences about the symbolisms or symbolic meanings of the Zanu PF identity symbols and colours she was wearing.

First and foremost, I see an insatiable appetite for skulduggery.

Zimbabweans have been divided along political and tribal lines for a very long time which has had an adverse effect on social relationships and transformation of our communities.

Our social fabric is broken and all politicians have a mandate to mend the brokenness in our society, Masarira said.

Its sad that Zimbabweans are polarised to the extent of creating enmity even in family structures because of differing political opinions or preferences.

While the followers throw insults and abuse at each other, political party leaders mix and mingle, have coffee and whisky together and even have businesses together.

 DailyNews

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Things are bad in Brexit land and yesterday illustrated how the press has played a big role in that.

What was the lead story pretty much everywhere, including the Wall Street Journal? That Theresa May said shed go if her deal was approved by Parliament this week.

This is like watching pilots argue over who will man the plane on the next leg of a flight plan when if you look out the windshield, you can see its going to crash into a mountain. This should have been the biggest Brexit news of the day:

In a spectacular display of indecision, the House of Commons has voted against remaining in the EU and every version of leaving the EU.  James Cleverly MP (@JamesCleverly) March 27, 2019

As well discuss, the odds are still solidly against Mays deal passing. Under any scenario save becoming physically incapable of serving, May will still be Prime Minister as of April 12, the current crash out date. Parliament hates Mays deal yet still has no plan of its own as to how to escape a no deal Brexit.

Why Mays pledge to resign is news is beyond me, since she made that offer the last time she was toying with Meaningful Vote 3. Was this commitment deemed to be more serious because the 1922 Committee demanded a meeting on when exactly May intended to leave and they supposedly wrested this concession from her? Or was it the fact that the Maybot reportedly got tearful?

Frankly, even though I do not fathom why she still wants the job, it looks like May played everyone. Admittedly, she does still appear to be clinging to the delusion that her deal might pass. And if that were to happen, Mays rigidity would in a flash of revisionism, become courage and tenacity. And if her deal fails, shes made no promise as to when shell clear out of No. 10.

May has managed to get some members of the ERG, in particularly media hounds Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees-Mogg, to say theyd support her deal. But the DUP has not budged, consistent with earlier accounts that they are people of principle.just not very lofty ones. And Rees-Mogg has flip-flopped:

So even with ERG solidarity buckling, it does not appear that May can get enough Labour votes to get her Withdrawal Agreement approved.

May is out of time. But even the reading above charitably assumes John Bercow would allow Mays pact to come up for a vote. He is still holding fast to his position, that the bill needed to be substantially different to be considered in the current Parliamentary session.

He is, at this point, simply being a dick. https://t.co/ypJqmRorNd  James Ball (@jamesrbuk) March 27, 2019

Richard Smith provided quite a few tweets showing that MPs were flummoxed. Examples:

One clerk just texted me, unsolicited: "Why even have procedure anymore, apparently we're making it up as we go along"  Esther Webber (@estwebber) March 27, 2019

Extraordinary that only now is the Government waking up to the fact that the only safe way to get around the Bercow ruling is with legislation  a point that was clear to some of us nine days ago. How can they be so incompetent? https://t.co/9VOCtqBDdx  Jo Maugham QC (@JolyonMaugham) March 27, 2019

Having said that, the Financial Times suggests that there could be another finesse:

Theresa May is considering a dramatic move to bypass a blockade on her Brexit plan by House of Commons Speaker John Bercow, by splitting her deal in two and presenting only one half to MPs for a vote. The prime minister is looking at holding a vote only on the 585-page draft withdrawal treaty  the legally binding divorce agreement with the EU while spinning off the 26-page non-binding political declaration on future relations with the bloc.

So the point is that the Government could have circumvented Bercow, either by proroguing Parliament or via legislationbut if he doesnt budge, it seems highly unlikely that theres enough time for either alternative now. And would he approve her simply splitting the bill? He seemed awfully cheeky yesterday.

Parliament is also being inattentive about the clock. At risk of going into Sentence first, verdict afterward, mode, well focus on process and get to substance next.

The current no deal date is April 12, a Friday, but the EU Council said dont come to us at the last minute asking for an extension. So we will charitably assume that April 11 (and best early that day) is the last day the EU Council would consider an extension.

Parliament is bizarrely not going to hold its next round of indicative votes until next Monday. Why it is holding another vote this week or at worst over the weekend is beyond me.

Let us make the most optimistic scenario: the MPs manage to agree on an option on Monday that is not a unicorn. All of these options are indicative. They are just 50,000 foot sketches. They still do not map onto a specific request to the EU Council for an extension. Does Parliament decide that? Does May?

May said she was skeptical of the indicative vote process, and in particular, that Parliament might decide on a unicorn, concluding:

So I cannot commit the Government to delivering the outcome of any votes held by this House.

She also has made clear that she isnt keen about an extension beyond May 22:

No Brexit must not happen. And a slow Brexit, which extends Article 50 beyond May 22, forces the British people to take part in European elections and gives up control of any of our borders, laws, money or trade is not a Brexit that will bring the British people together.

And as we said, it is May and not Parliament which deals with the EU:

EU senior source pointing out again that  whatever #Brexit outcome Parliament may lean towards in indicative votes -Brussels interlocutor remains Theresa May, not MPs  katya adler (@BBCkatyaadler) March 26, 2019

So what if Parliament actually agrees on a napkin-doodle level idea next Monday? How do they reduce it to a concrete ask of the EU, which would include a specific extension date? Who is in charge? Does the more detailed language also require Parliamentary approval? And when do the MPs driving this particular bus intend to include the Government?

I can imagine the to-ing and fro-ing easily going till Thursday. It might then become clear that May will need to be compelled, and only way to do that is via legislation.

But if I understand procedure correctly, it takes only one object from an MP to kill a private bill. And aside from the MP from Clives mother-in-laws district who always objects, the most bloody-minded Ultras would also do so.

Now I assume just the way Parliament revoked the Standing Order that gave the Government control over Parliamentary time, it too can revoke the provision that allows MPs to nix private bills. But how likely is it that they remove that impediment in time to get the legislation passed (again charitably assuming that converting the napkin doodle to a bill, which requires adding detail, doesnt lose so many votes in the process as to put Parliament back at square zero)?

Now it is conceivable this all gets done, but hopefully you see the problem: there are many moving parts, and the more steps a process has to go though for completion, the greater the odds of failure.

The various motions themselves show that Parliament has a poor grip on Brexit, and the top pick is no solution. Here is a recap:

No Deal (Proposed by John Baron)

AYES: 160 NOES: 400 Common Market 2.0 (Proposed by Nick Boles)

AYES: 188 NOES: 283 EFTA/EEA (Proposed by George Eustice)

AYES: 65 NOES: 377 Customs Union (Proposed by Ken Clarke)

AYES: 264 NOES: 272 Labour Plan (Proposed by Jeremy Corbyn)

AYES: 237 NOES: 307 Revoke Article 50 to prevent No Deal (Proposed by Joanna Cherry)

AYES: 184 NOES: 293 Second Referendum (Proposed by Margaret Beckett)

AYES: 268 NOES: 295 Contingent Preferential Arrangements (Proposed by Marcus Fysh)

AYES: 139 NOES: 422

One vote that is striking is the large margin of failure on Revoke Article 50 even with a significant number of abstentions. So the cleanest path out, a retreat, is still deemed to be unacceptable. The Second Referendum vote failed, despite having Labours support, due to 27 Labour MPs defying the whip. You will see that is also the margin of loss.

The Customs Union scheme failed by only eight votes, so it is conceivable that it could win approval in subsequent voted. But as weve pointed out, a customs union does not solve any of the problems UK pundits and pols think it does. It does not put the UK in the internal market, so it neither prevents the disruption of non-tariff trade barriers, nor does it solve the Irish border problem.

Let us turn the mike over to Richard North:

Last night, parliament decided to vote stupid The only way of ranking the eight options voted is by referring to the number of negative votes, the one with the least votes coming first. Thus, first in the rankings, on the basis of the least overall negative votes, was a permanent and comprehensive UK-wide customs union with the EU, tabled by Kenneth Clarke. This got 264 votes against 272, giving it a score of -8. This confirms the utter fatuity of the House of Commons, which has managed to favour most (or disfavour least) an option that would turn the clock back to 1957 and the Treaty of Rome (or 1973 if you prefer), before the advent of the Single Market. It would not provide frictionless trade and would not solve the Irish border problem, essentially offering not very much more than a no-deal Brexit. Seriously, that is the considered view of the House  an utterly vacuous option which some probably think takes in the Single Market, many MPs seemingly having trouble telling the difference between it and a customs union. Coming second was the option calling for a referendum to confirm any Brexit deal. This was not another in-out re-run, but simply a vote on any deal which was agreed by parliament, rendering it rather moot if parliament (as on current form) is unable to agree any deal. Nevertheless, this was only voted down by 268 votes to 295, scoring -27. Third was Labours alternative plan, taking us firmly into unicorn territory with a permanent customs union, close alignment with (but not membership of) the single market and commitments on participation in EU agencies and funding programmes, which are not within the gift of the UK government. This got 237 with 307 against, scoring -70.

I am not certain this version of a second referendum would be acceptable to the EU if they understood what the UK meant (as oppose to a second referendum happening first, to inform Parliament and the Government as to what to do next). Does the EU want to spend another year plus negotiating a new version of Brexit, and then be subject to the uncertainty of the minimum of 147 days more for the UK to hold a referendum? Recall that what the EU wanted from the UK was a way forward, which is either a low bar or a fudge to mask divisions among EU leaders. Even assuming the former, saying Well let the voters have a say simply ignores the looming question of What type of Brexit do you want?

Scott sent a fitting conclusion:

I am an Indian and I can tell you that Brits take forever to leave. #Brexit #BrexitShambles  Deepak Saxena (@deeply_social) March 25, 2019

But will the EU tolerate forever? Politcos morning newsletter says Donald Tusk is lobbying hard for that:

BUT DONALD TUSK HAS A STRONG STOMACH: The European Council president urged the European Parliament to grant a long extension if the U.K. wishes to rethink its Brexit strategy. Speaking in front of the Strasbourg plenary Wednesday, Tusk said (in a personal remark) that a long extension of the Article 50 period would of course mean the U.K.s participation in the European Parliament elections.

But Robert Peston has been reporting for some time that a significant number of EU leaders regard having the UK participate in the European Parliament again would be toxic and damaging to the EU. It isnt clear yet how much impact Tusks charm offensive is having on the skeptics. The worst scenario is that the UK come to the EU just before the April 12 deadline with a half-baked extension request. The whole point of the carefully crafted compromise was to give the Brexit hot potato back to the UK. Its all too probable that the UK will try to toss it back.
Yves here. Like Lambert, I am a bit distracted by the Russiagate aftermath, particularly who is recanting and who is doubling down. So I feel even more behind that usual.

In addition, Colonel Smithers, who graciously provided his perspective on the forced deportation of Chagos residents (a sordid bit of British colonial history described long form in a Craig Murray post), asked if Thuto or any other South Africa residents could provide an update on the SA elections.

Monster alligator strolls on to Georgia golf course BBC

It Was 70 Degrees in Alaska This Week Gizmodo (furzy)

Worlds longest salt cave found in Dead Seas Mt. Sedom, biblical Israel Jerusalem Post (David L)

74% of US Coal Plants Threatened by Renewables, But Emissions Continue To Rise arstechnica

I Rode an E-Scooter as Far From Civilization as Its Batteries Could Take Me Gizmodo. Starting in San Francisco, there is no way you will get far from civilization unless that scooter is capable of riding on/under water.

Bacteria can travel thousands of miles through the air on its own Earth (resilc)

Monsanto Ordered to Pay $80 Million in Roundup Cancer Case New York Times (David L)

UPS eyes in-home health services with U.S. vaccine project Reuters (resilc)

New York county declares measles outbreak emergency BBC

The Anti-Vaxxer Movement Is Getting More Organized and Powerful Than Ever Before Daily Beast (resilc)

China?

North Korea

Judge Identifies CIA Related Man Who Led The Raid On North Koreas Embassy In Spain Moon of Alabama (Kevin W)

Brexit

Venezuela

Trump tells Russia to get its troops out of Venezuela Reuters (resilc)

Syraqistan

Big Brother is Watching You Watch

Imperial Collapse Watch

Trump Transition

During the 90s, the influencers said millions of lost jobs for the sake of free trade and globalization were worth it. Now, they tell us the loss of several hundred thousand jobs in the insurance industry for the sake of Medicare For All is intolerable. pic.twitter.com/krGH9kdHgC  corey robin (@CoreyRobin) March 24, 2019

Senators Demand To Know Why Election Vendors Still Sell Voting Machines With Known Vulnerabilities TechCrunch

RussiaGate

2020

Driver in deadly car attack at Charlottesville white nationalist rally pleads guilty to federal hate crimes NBC (furzy)

The Trouble With Stephen Moore AIER (resilc)

1/ Sorry Im late guys :D  Ill comment here as a factory owner, buyer of many machine tools, and industrial history buff. First, its true that today only a few countries make all the machine tools today, so lets look at that history. Thanks for indulging me :-)  Nick Pinkston  (@NickPinkston) March 25, 2019

Making Amazon Look Bad: Microsoft Is Backing a Major Tax On Itself and Amazon Gizmodo. This comes after Amazon but not Microsoft lobbied against a homeless tax in Seattle.

Lyfts insurance problem FT Alphaville (Harry Shearer)

Class Warfare

Antidote du jour:

And a bonus (guurst):

Chukotka Polar bears in brilliant pictures by Viktor Nikiforov pic.twitter.com/hd2xiIcxi0  The Siberian Times (@siberian_times) January 23, 2019

See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here.
Nature has manufactured the perfect machines. Only the fastest, toughest, and most cunning creatures have endured. We examine how animals have evolved and how we can benefit from their evolution.

Sundays from 8:30pm AEDT.
NATO Allies agreed today (28 March 2019) to extend the mandate of Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg by a further two years, until 30 September 2022.

Allies expressed their support for the Secretary General's work to adapt and modernise NATO and ensure it remains fit for the future.
The NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jens Stoltenberg will travel to the United States, Washington DC, on 2-4 April 2019. The Secretary General will chair the meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs (3-4 April 2019), celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Alliance, and will have a series of engagements ahead of the ministerial meeting.

On 2 April 2019, the Secretary General will have a bilateral meeting with the President of the United States, the Hon. Donald Trump, at the White House.

On 3 April, Mr. Jens Stoltenberg will address a Joint Meeting of the two Houses of the United States Congress, on Capitol Hill. The Secretary General will also meet the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States, The Hon. Nancy Pelosi, and other bipartisan leaders.

On the same day, NATO Secretary General will give a speech at the conference NATO Engages: The Alliance at 70, co-organized by the Atlantic Council, the German Marshall Fund and the Munich Security Conference in partnership with NATOs Public Diplomacy Division.

Mr. Stoltenberg will also have a bilateral meeting with the Secretary of State, Mr. Michael R. Pompeo.

In the evening, the Secretary General will participate in a reception hosted by the US Secretary of State, Mr. Michael R. Pompeo, to celebrate NATOs 70th anniversary.

On 4 April, the Secretary General will chair the meeting of the North Atlantic Council in Ministers of Foreign Affairs session at the State Department.

Media Advisory

Local time:

2 April

15:10 Secretary Generals press spray with the President of the United States / White House

The event will be available live on the NATO website and on satellite (TBC).

3 April

11:00 Secretary Generals address to a Joint Meeting of the two Houses of the United States / Congress

The event will be available live on the NATO website and on satellite (TBC).

15:00 Secretary Generals speech at NATO Engages: The Alliance at 70 / The Anthem

The event will be available live on the NATO website and on satellite.

18:00 Reception to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of NATO

The event will be available live on the NATO website and on satellite.

4 April (all events will take place at the State Department / Harry S. Truman Building)

08:10 Secretary Generals doorstep

08:30 Start of the meeting of the North Atlantic Council in Ministers of Foreign Affairs Session

10:20 Secretary Generals press conference

14:45 Secretary Generals press conference

All events will be available live on the NATO website and on satellite.

* Full program of the ministerial meeting will be available on the NATO website.
Big tech has long since caved to the power of big journalism. The spread of the Russia collusion hoax, fully approved of by Microsoft partner NewsGuard, is only the latest example.

(Natural News) (Article by Allum Bokhari republished from Breitbart.com)

At the behest of left-wing activist writers from mainstream sources, YouTube deliberately suppressed pro-life videos in its search results. After months of hitpieces from the likes of CNN and BuzzFeed, Silicon Valley united to ban Alex Jones and InfoWars across every major social media platform.

Facebook is even funding mainstream journalism now. So are YouTube and its parent Google. Microsoft is in bed with NewsGuard, an establishment project that purports to rate quality journalism, but in reality just puts a green trustworthy tick next to links to mainstream news websites and stories as you browse the web, regardless of whether the stories are true or false.

The impetus behind the abandonment of the old ideal of cyberspace as an equal playing field was the panic whipped up by the mainstream media about the proliferation of conspiracy theories online. YouTube unleashed a conspiracy theory boom, howls the New York Times. Techs biggest companies are spreading conspiracy theories,thunders CNN. Why your Facebook feed is full of conspiracy theories, explains the Washington Post.

A leaked briefing from Google, published exclusively by Breitbart News last year, showed similar concerns inside the tech companies themselves. Chillingly titled The Good Censor, it complained that the level playing field of cyberspace allows have-a-go commenters to compete with authoritative sources like the New York Times.

The mainstream media is right  over the past two years, big tech has been promoting conspiracy theorists. They give them algorithmic perks, promote their content, and even fund them. But the conspiracy theorists arent the have-a-go commenters that Google is now determined to suppress. Its the mainstream media themselves.

Silicon Valley, which has dutifully complied with the legacy medias demands to suppress its competitors, has at the same time knowingly and deliberately the people responsible for one of the greatest conspiracy theories perpetrated on the American people: the Russian collusion hoax.

This now proven conspiracy theory, the impetus behind an achingly long, multi-million dollar investigation that achieved little beyond the indictment of largely decent people for process crimes, was largely the product of fantasies from deranged Trumpophobes in the left-wing and conservative establishment who believed that only a foreign power could be responsible for what was, in their minds, the inexplicable Trump election.

This narrative was taken up by the corporate-owned press, which did everything they could to promote the fiction that President Trump and his team colluded with a foreign power. It included BuzzFeed and CNN promoting a fake story about Trump using Russian prostitutes. It included a fake story from CNN about Wikileaks passing emails to Donald Trump Jr. It included a fake story from BuzzFeed about Trump directing his lawyer to lie to Congress.

The stories were fake, fake, fake. Russiagate, as those outside the liberal bubble have long known, was driven largely by a collective delusion.

And yet, the media outlets which trumpeted the misinformation for two years are today given a privileged position on the webs most powerful tech platforms. Every journalist who pushed the Russiagate hoax has a blue checkmark on Twitter. The media outlets who published fake stories purportedly linking Trump to Russia, now totally debunked, are artificially boosted in YouTube and Google and Facebooks algorithms. And with the NewsGuard browser plugin installed and activated (it comes pre-installed on Microsoft Edge mobile browsers only requiring activation), just watch as your web browser adds a green trustworthy tick next to these demonstrably false stories.

Silicon Valley is also pouring money into the likes of CNN to prop them up, while banning their competitors. All the while insisting that it is clamping down on conspiracy theories and misinformation.

Do conspiracy theories exist in alternative media? Sure. But are any of them as damaging as the regular collective catastrophes wrought by the mainstream media? Thats debatable.

Just a few months ago, the media nearly ruined the lives of innocent high school kids from Covington Catholic with unfounded smears asserting their bigotry. Only a concerted pushback by alternative media and Trump supporters was able to kill the narrative. NewsGuard still rates those sites as trustworthy of course.

And in 2012-14, a media panic about a wholly fabricated rape epidemic on Americas campuses contributed to miscarriages of justice up and down the country.

More disastrously, in 2003, fake news about Saddam Husseins WMDs pulled America into one of the costliest wars in its history.

Beyond these high-magnitude fake news incidents are a host of smaller, regular lies. The constant smears about Breitbart News and other conservative media and personalities, for example  the false charges of racism, sexism, homophobia, islamophobia, and allegiance to the alt-right.

And along with the big lie of Russian collusion were a host of smaller made-up scare stories about Russia. The Intercept recently collected them in a list. They include Fortunes claim that Russia hacked C-SPAN (later rebutted by C-SPAN), the Washington Posts claim that they hacked the Vermont power grid (later retracted), CNNs claim that Anthony Scaramucci was involved in a Russian hedge fund and under Senate investigation (retracted, with three resignations from CNN).

Think of anyone who has been attacked as a conspiracy theorist in the past two years. Have the paranoid fantasies of the mainstream media really been any better? Has anyone in the alternative media released anything as ridiculous as Bin Ladens Mountain Fortress, a farcical image of a Bond-villain style hideout published by no less than The Times of London?

How many mainstream journalists apologized for the panic they caused during the George W. Bush era, which led to one of Americas most disastrous wars? How many mainstream journalists will apologize today for their two-year deception of the American public over Russiagate?

And dont think they didnt know what they were doing. Over a year ago, Project Veritas caught some of their leading lights  including Van Jones  on camera, admitting that Russiagate was likely a nothingburger.

It wasnt just deception, then  it was willful deception. Here is a case where the word misinformation truly applies.

And hasnt Silicon Valley promised to stamp out misinformation?

Well, were waiting!

Read more at: Breitbart.com
(Natural News) Your tax dollars, believe it or not, are (or at least were) being used by the federal government to research crazy sci-fi concepts like warp drives, wormhole travel, high-energy laser weapons, and invisibility cloaking, newly-declassified documents reveal.

Thanks to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) was forced to make public the details of some 38 formerly top-secret government projects, which had been classified and sent to Congress last year.

Steven Aftergood, director of the Federation of American Scientists Project on Government Secrecy, made the request to see what the DIA was up to, only to learn that all sorts of hair-brained projects were being conducted using tens of millions of dollars in taxpayer funding.

I think anyone who looks at these titles will scratch their heads and wonder what on earth the Defense Intelligence Agency was thinking, Aftergood reportedly told Motherboard (VICE).

Among these titles was a research endeavor entitled, Traversable Wormholes, Stargates, and Negative Energy, which was headed up by Eric Davis from the Austin, Texas-based EarthTech International Inc. This project was described as an effort aimed at exploring the forefront reaches of science and engineering, with a focus on the theories of spacetime, studies of the quantum vacuum, and the governments search for extraterrestrial intelligence, aka UFOs and space aliens.

Another project was entitled, Invisibility Cloaking, and was led by German scientists Dr. Ulf Leonhardt from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. This one focused on theoretical quantum optics, and the theoretical creation of an invisible hole in space, inside which objects can be hidden.

Yet another, entitled, Warp Drive, Dark Energy, and the Manipulation of Extra Dimensions, focused on researching technologies that will enable breakthroughs in interstellar travel. Richard Obousy, the man behind the project, was reportedly credited by Gizmodo back in 2009 for developing a scientifically accurate warship design that could hypothetically use dark energy to propel itself through space.

The list of research papers tells us something more than previous reporting did about this odd program, Aftergood added in an email to Motherboard. Now we have a better idea of exactly what the Defense Intelligence Agency was up to, and what it produced.

For more news about space, be sure to check out Space.news.

Harry Reid secretly funded these crazy UFO space projects with $22 million stolen from taxpayers

As far as the American public was concerned, such projects didnt exist. But now that the media has grabbed hold of them, thanks to Aftergoods FOIA request, we now know a bit more about what was going on, and how much it was costing taxpayers.

Then-Senate majority leader, Democrat and Big Pharma hack Harry Reid, it turns out, had secretly allotted $22 million in taxpayer funding  without taxpayers consent, its important to note  for the program, though it remains unclear how the individual projects within the program were selected.

These are the kinds of topics you pursue when you have more money than you know what to do with, points out Aftergood about this gross abuse of the public coffers.

Not surprising is the fact that most of this $22 million budget went to Reids buddy, a UFO hunter by the name of Robert Bigelow of the Nevada-based Bigelow Aerospace company. Bigelow, as you might recall, was the protagonist in the documentary Hunt for the Skinwalker, which told of the billionaire entrepreneurs extraterrestrial Skinwalker Ranch.

I loved science fiction when I was younger, Aftergood says. Today, I love good government. So I was not especially amused, he added, jokingly.

Screenshots of the now-declassified documents containing a complete list of all of Harry Reids pet UFO and space projects are available at this link.

Sources for this article include:

DailyMail.co.uk

Motherboard.VICE.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Several times over the past two-plus years, the so-called mainstream media, which long ago became a propaganda organ for the Democratic Party, published bombshell stories about POTUS Donald Trump and his administration, alleging that they were doing Vladimir Putins bidding.

For 675 days, CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, and NBC engaged in a fake news binge unlike anything that we have ever seen before in all of U.S. history, noted Michael Snyder at End of the American Dream blog. They relentlessly pushed out news story after news story touting that we would soon have evidence that Trump had colluded with the Russians when there was no evidence at all.

The cable and network news outlets werent alone, of course. The New York Times, the Washington Post, USA Today, The Associated Press, McClatchy Papers and scores of other newspapers and wire services repeated the same lies as well  over and over again. They are all propaganda organs for the Democrat Party and the Deep State.

But as special counsel Robert Muellers report noted, which he filed with the Justice Department on Friday, there was no collusion. And given the amount of fake news that had been reported by the mainstream papers and networks up to that point, it was obvious there was never any collusion.

If only the outlets had been curious enough to ask tougher questions and demand more corroboration for what they were being told by Deep State sources who burned them time and again.

Snyder adds:

They kept telling us that indictments are coming, that the noose is tightening and that the walls are closing in on this administration when none of that was ever true. The entire Russian collusion narrative was a piece of fiction created by Hillary Clintons campaign team to explain her shocking election loss, but once it was embraced by the mainstream media and pro-Clinton members of federal law enforcement agencies it quickly snowballed out of control.

An ominous warning

Now, the bill has come due, so to speak. As The National Sentinel reported, the same outlets that breathlessly reported, The indictments are coming! The indictments are coming! have begun to shed audiences following Muellers official findings of no collusion. On MSNBC, Rachel Maddows program, which had become the networks prime-time crown jewel, shed 500,000 viewers in just a few days; no doubt that CNN, whose ratings are already bad, will suffer as well. The daily newspapers are libel to take a hit as well. (Related: Nolte: We can never trust the media, FBI, or intelligence community again.)

Not just NBC as a corporation made huge amounts of profit off this scam, but so did their stars & personalities. They become unimaginably rich for life by peddling a fraudulent story for 3 years while purposely ensuring their audience never heard from those who questioned it.  Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) March 27, 2019

The winners will be the networks, few they may be (Fox News, Newsmax TV, One American News) who were honest and upfront with their viewers about what was really going on with the Mueller investigation.

But now what? Should Americans just walk away? Or shouldnt the networks and fake newspapers be held accountable, perhaps legally so, for such blatantly erroneous reporting, which obviously inflated their viewership and circulation (and added to their advertising dollar haul)?

The Guardian, no fan of the president, reports that there is a rising sentiment among a vocal group of Americans to hold the press accountable for pushing a false narrative that not only padded their bottom lines and bolstered their audiences but which drove the country further apart  perhaps irreparably so. They include Fox News host Sean Hannity, who is in frequent touch with POTUS Trump. He ominously tweeted:

CNN, MSNBC, and the mainstream media have lied to the the [sic] American [sic] for [two] plus years. Now they will be held accountable.

Time will tell. While the very same media who got it so wrong are now patting themselves on the back for their very excellent reporting, the payback could just be in the form of a greatly diminished audience.

Live by fake news lie, die by it.

Sources include:

EndOfTheAmericanDream.com

TheNationalSentinel.com

TheGuardian.com
(Natural News) Using artificial hormones to try to change ones gender is hardly a risk-free endeavor, as new research reveals some serious health problems that can possibly arise in its aftermath.

Though it might be politically-incorrect to say so, cross-sex therapies that involve trying to chemically-alter a persons sexual composition, including the off-label prescription and use of puberty blockers in developing youth, have the potential to cause serious and lifelong side effects, some of which can eventually become fatal.

Its already scientifically known that puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and sex reassignment surgeries come with irreversible consequences, typically in the form of permanent bodily impairment. But what about their impact on day-to-day health?

Researchers from The Netherlands recently published a study looking at precisely this issue. They discovered that messing with drugs and other interventions that alter the bodys normal and natural production of estrogen, testosterone, and other endogenous hormones greatly increases a persons risk of suffering an acute cardiovascular event such as a heart attack, stroke, or deep vein thrombosis.

After tracking the lives of some 2,517 men who were trying to transition to a more female appearance, with a median age of 30 and an average of nine years on hormone therapy, as well as 1,358 women with a median age of 23 and an average of eight years on hormone therapy trying to look more like men, the team learned that the health impact of this transition process is tremendous.

Men who took hormone drugs were found to suffer nearly twice as many strokes as regular men, and more than twice the number of strokes as regular women. These same hormone-taking men also suffered more than five times the number of deep vein clots compare to women, and 4.4 times as many as regular men. In the heart attack department, hormone-taking men suffered twice the number compared to regular women.

Compared to regular women, women taking hormone drugs were similarly found to suffer nearly four times the number of heart attacks, suggesting that the bodies of both men and women suffer major side effects when bombarded with artificial hormones that contradict their natural biology.

For more related news about cross-sex hormones and other drugs that are causing prolific damage to public health, be sure to check out Chemicals.news and ChemicalViolence.com.

George Washington University scientists discover that trans people have much higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease

Acute symptoms arent the only risk associated with cross-sex hormones, as researchers from The George Washington University last year found that chronic diseases are also a major risk factor.

People who try to change genders using chemical hormones, their published study revealed, have an increased risk for myocardial infarction and death due to cardiovascular disease.

Though the usual special interest groups are trying to fight back against such findings, even going so far as to bully a Brown University scientist by the name of Dr. Lisa Littman into withdrawing all publicity for a similar study she published on the psychological factors associated with Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria (ROGD), a condition that afflicts some young teenagers who suddenly decide that theyre the opposite sex, science like this is unbiased, and facts are facts.

Decent people should be aghast that anyone would try to discredit those findings, Littmans ROGD study, or any other research that is carried out honestly and professionally, writes Jane Robbins for The Federalist.

The activists claim to be fighting for the rights and welfare of gender-dysphoric individuals, but their true motives are revealed by their vicious dismissal of any scientific, evidence-based suggestion that transitioning may be harmful.

If gender activists truly care about the lives of people who want to transition, theyll take these studies seriously

What it all comes down to isnt whether or not someone agrees or disagrees with taking cross-sex hormones. Its about whether or not this increasingly common form of therapy is helping or hurting those who are choose to undergo it.

Research like this is few and far between as it is, and comes with immense political weight  meaning those who conduct it take a major risk every time they come forward with their often disturbing findings.

If activists really cared about individuals caught up in gender dysphoria, they would welcome all research to determine the best way of healing them, Robbins adds. Their refusal to do so demonstrates that patient welfare isnt a high priority.

Truth be told, many of those who are being pushed into accepting that they were born into the wrong bodies, and who thus take chemical and surgical steps in order to transition, arent fully informed about the risks involved because theyre not being told about these risks for political correctness purposes.

Its all the manifestation of living in a world where, as our own editors explain, obvious truth is being increasingly abandoned in favor of deeply weird, antiscientific ideology.

Sources for this article include:

TheFederalist.com

TheFederalist.com

AHAJournals.org

Springer.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) In the United States people who believe in geoengineering are largely viewed as conspiracy nuts. Nonetheless, mainstream media outlets around the world have recently been reporting on it as a normal, logical governmental intervention that they believe shows great promise in the fight against climate change. In fact, as far back as 1965, scientists began urging the U.S. government to manipulate the atmosphere to offset the changes caused by the release of carbon dioxide and the burning of fossil fuels.

The U.K.s Royal Society calls this type of interference deliberate large-scale manipulation of the planetary environment, and countries around the world are involved in it, whether they admit it or not. While some hope to manipulate the planets environment as part of their perceived fight against global warming, many other countries have been involved in geoengineering for decades for military purposes.

As reported by the South China Morning Post, China and Russia recently collaborated on a series of controversial experiments to manipulate the Earths atmosphere in a bid to control the ionosphere, the part of the atmosphere that contains high levels of ions and free electrons which allow radio signals to bounce long distances. (Related: New research exposes the risks of geoengineering to artificially intervene in global warming.)

The race to control the ionosphere

As reported by the Post, scientists from the two countries carried out five experiments in June last year in an attempt to modify the ionosphere.

Military powers across the globe have been trying for decades to gain control of the ionosphere. The ability to manipulate this part of the atmosphere would enable high-end communication with submarines, facilitate interference with enemy satellite communications, allow for manipulation of the weather and the production of natural disasters, and even affect the operation of human brains. (Related: Geoengineering programs to accelerate methane release, pushing planet toward doomsday.)

The Post reported as follows on the experiments that were conducted:

A total of five experiments were carried out in June. One, on June 7, caused physical disturbance over an area as large as 126,000 sq km (49,000 square miles), or about half the size of Britain.

The modified zone, looming more than 500km (310 miles) high over Vasilsursk, a small Russian town in eastern Europe, experienced an electric spike with 10 times more negatively charged subatomic particles than surrounding regions.

In another experiment on June 12, the temperature of thin, ionised gas in high altitude increased more than 100 degrees Celsius (212 degrees Fahrenheit) because of the particle flux.

The particles, or electrons, were pumped into the sky by Sura, an atmospheric heating facility in Vasilsursk built by the former Soviet Unions military during the cold war.

The Post went on to explain that the Sura base proceeded to send high-powered antennas and microwaves into the high atmosphere. Information was then collected by Zhangheng-1, a Chinese electromagnetic surveillance satellite, using special high-speed sensors which can analyze samples every half second.

The researchers reported in their study, published in the journal Earth and Planetary Physics, that the experiment results were satisfactory. They noted that, The detection of plasma disturbances  provides evidence for likely success of future related experiments.

Despite the controversy associated with the experiments and the unusual nature of the Chinese/Russian cooperation in this study, the research team insists that they are not playing God, and that the experiments are pure scientific research.

Still, there are real ethical concerns about studies like these. As noted by the Post, theoretically even the sound of a butterfly flapping its wings could be amplified by a sophisticated geoengineering system and cause a storm several weeks later in a distant location.

For this reason, Professor Gong Shuhong, a military communication technology researcher at Xidian University, stresses the need to strictly follow ethical guidelines in conducting such research.

But thats not likely to happen, is it?

Learn more at Geoengineering.news.

Sources include:

SCMP.com

ScientificAmerican.com
(Natural News) In a column for Fox News on Tuesday, former U.S. district attorney and national security prosecutor Andrew McCarthy asked a question that the American people deserve an answer to: Just how long did former special counsel Robert Mueller know that the Trump-Russia collusion narrative was a hoax?

Noting that the word collusion became highly elastic, having been slung about by Democrats angry about Hillary Clintons loss to someone they consider to be no better than a carnival barker, a sideshow, a joke, there was never any substance to it.

In fact, as McCarthy wrote, collusion as it began as an allegation involved two separate non-criminal incidents: The infamous Trump Tower meeting which lasted only as long as Donald Trump, Jr. and Jared Kushner determined that the Russian lawyer meeting with them had no dirt on Hillary; and incoming National Security Adviser Michael Flynns pre-inaugural conversation with a Russian diplomat.

The only collusion prosecutors care about is conspiracy; a criminal agreement to violate a federal penal statute  such as the laws against hacking, he wrote. There was never any such evidence. There was just unverified, sensational, hearsay nonsense  the Steele dossier generated by the Clinton campaign.

So a) Why was Mueller even appointed; and b) Why did it take him so long to figure out that there was never any collusion?

Some people believe they have discovered the reason: Robbing the president of power.

Never forget that the real reason Mueller was appointed had nothing to do with collusion and everything to do with getting rid of POTUS Trump. As such, it makes perfect sense that Mueller would wait until the most opportune time for the presidents opponents, not for the president, before he released his findings. (Related: Kingpins behind Russiagate conspiracy theory, James Clapper and John Brennan, both lied to Congress  will they be held criminally liable?)

True Pundit reported, quoting unnamed Justice Department sources, that the significant portion of the investigation was done by August 2018. An insider source claimed, (Rod) Rosenstein was briefed and it was common gossip and well-known nothing had been pinned on Trump and it was wrapping up.

Mueller knew for months there was nothing to the collusion allegations, and yet

That gibes with something former federal prosecutor Joe diGenova revealed in September, that Mueller was privately telling some people that he was handed a piece of crap regarding the initial Russian collusion allegation against POTUS and his 2016 campaign, The National Sentinel reported.

This is going to be a bad next 30 days for a bunch of people in the FBI and DoJ under Obama, diGenova predicted.

The Mueller probe is coming to an end with no indictments about collusion whatsoever. There will be one further indictment regarding a false statement made to the FBI, but other than that, its over, and Mueller has told very close associates he was handed a piece of crap on collusion. They knew it from Day One, he added.

DiGenovas timing was off some, but there was an additional indictment: Roger Stone, POTUS Trumps long-time confidant. He wasnt charged with lying to the FBI, however, he was charged, in part, with lying to Congress.

Still, what diGenova said about Mueller knowing this was a crap sandwich from day one is telling given the fact that, as McCarthy notes, there were never any illegalities alleged against the Trump campaign or the president himself. In fact, in an April 2018 interview, diGenova noted that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein created a special counsel where none is authorized by law.

As for robbing POTUS of power, notice how Mueller waited until after the 2018 midterms, allowing the hoax to become part of the Democrats campaign strategy. And it worked, like a charm.

When Special Counsel Mueller closed his investigation last week, he almost certainly knew for about a year and a half that there was no collusion case. Indeed, the indictments that he did bring appeared to preclude the possibility that the Trump campaign conspired with the Kremlin, McCarthy wrote. Yet the investigation continued.

Why?

Sources include:

FoxNews.com

TheNationalSentinel.com

TruePundit.com
(Natural News) For decades the Southern Poverty Law Center has served as less of a clearinghouse for information about groups and organizations that pose a danger to our constitutional republic and more as a Left-wing hate factory.

The organizations infamous hate map has been weaponized for years by Leftist media and Democrats to use as a figurative cudgel against Republicans, as well as a vehicle to smear conservative groups and create the false impression that they are most responsible for political violence in our country.

But in recent months reports have begun to surface that the SPLC is also something else  corrupt.

In August 2017, the Washington Free Beacon reported that the organization had transferred millions of dollars to offshore accounts in the Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands, and Bermuda. The news site reported that the SPLC had turned into a fundraising powerhouse, recording more than $50 million in contributions and $328 million in net assets, according to 2015 tax forms.

About a year later, the WFB reported that SPLC had parked $92 million in offshore accounts, as its assets rose to $477 million with $132 million in donations for the 2017 tax year. (Related: SPLC caught faking numbers of Muslim hate groups in U.S. to fundraise off Trump hate.)

Now, the organization appears to be imploding, and frankly, it couldnt be happening to a bigger bunch of hypocrites and bigots.

Just a week after the groups co-founder, Morris Dees, was tossed out over allegations of sexual misconduct, the head of the SLPC, Richard Cohen and its legal director, Rhonda Brownstein, suddenly resigned.

Cohen, as Zero Hedge notes, had been with the SPLC for 33 years and was very prominent within the organization and the Left-wing hate circles in which it slithers.

The Los Angeles Times noted:

At 5:03 p.m. Friday, Cohen sent a message to staff, with the subject line Stepping Down, announcing that he, too, would be leaving the organization that he and Dees had turned in to a research and fundraising juggernaut.

Whatever problems exist at the SPLC happened on my watch, so I take responsibility for them, Cohen wrote, while asking the staff to avoid jumping to conclusions before the board completes an internal review of the Montgomery, Ala., organizations work culture.

Money, hypocrisy, and status have taken their toll

Whats notable is that the groups extreme Left-wing bent isnt going to change. Before Cohen stepped down and after Dees resigned, the SPLC board appointed Tina Tchen, former chief of staff to Michelle Obama, to lead the investigation into the claims of sexual misconduct. Tchen, it should be further noted, also tried to get the Jussie Smollett case transferred out of the hands of the Chicago PD and to the FBI, despite the fact that the feds were in on the probe from the beginning.

Brownstein, the Montgomery [Alabama] Advertiser reported, had also been with the SPLC for more than three decades.

The paper noted further:

A review of the centers 2019 board and senior staff reveals that senior leadership at SPLC remains largely white. Last week, multiple employees sent a signed letter to SPLC leadership outlining concerns about workplace culture as well as sexism and racism, according to a Los Angeles Times report.

Dees had been criticized before over allegations of racism  how apropos.

Writing for the Washington Examiner, Becket Adams describes the SPLC as a scam that has taken  no care whatsoever for the reputational and personal harm it causes by lumping Christians and anti-extremist activists with actual neo-Nazis.

The group is nothing more than a cynical money-making operation, as described by a former staffer, Bob Moser, in a story for the New Yorker.

More than anything, while the organization may once have been a necessary tool of justice in a racially charged South, the SPLCs success and perception as the countrys premier social justice crusader appears to have been its undoing.

Money and status, along with a healthy dose of hypocrisy, will do it every time.

Read more about the Lefts domestic terrorist group Antifa at AntifaWatch.news and Terrorism.news.

Sources include:

MontgomeryAdvertiser.com

WashingtonExaminer.com

FreeBeacon.com

TheNationalSentinel.com
(Natural News) Mercury is listed as one of the top 10 chemical concerns for public health, as per the World Health Organization (WHO). Over half of Swedish lakes have very high mercury levels, and eating fish from these bodies of water can pose a threat to peoples health and wildlife. The matter seems hopeless, but results from a recent study look promising since this problem could soon be blown away by the wind.

Kevin Bishop, from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) and one of the researchers in the Swedish-Chinese-Swiss team behind the study, explains: Our research shows that Swedish freshwater fish might be on their way to becoming safe to eat in decades with current mercury pollution control measures, rather than in centuries as was previously believed.

The team of researchers from SLU spent at least ten years developing a sensitive technique to measure the movements of mercury gas between the atmosphere and landscape, and now they have published the first annual mass balance of mercury inputs and outputs for a peatland. Aside from the major technical accomplishment of successfully measuring mercury gas going into or out of the peatland 10 times a second for a year, the result of the mass balance is also exceptional.

Mats Nilsson from SLU explained that in the first full year of measurements on a peatland, they determined that it loses twice as much mercury gas back to the atmosphere that is being deposited on the peatland by rainfall. This is a significant update because it implies that the latest reductions in atmospheric mercury concentrations, with at least a 50 percent decrease in the last 20 years, have somehow reversed the direction of mercury flows between the atmosphere and the peatland.

The research team from SLU believe that based on the rate that the peatland is now losing mercury back to the atmosphere, all of the mercury pollution accumulated in the peatland can soon disappear after only several decades, with most of it going back to the atmosphere. Since peatlands hold so much accumulated mercury pollution, this is good news because fish in downstream lakes eat it by accident.

Now that nature seems to be resolving the mercury pollution issue on its own, researchers can then focus on how to deal with new contaminants that are out there instead of worrying about the established health threat from mercury in freshwater fish that appeared impossible to solve.

Bishop concluded, A seemingly eternal problem suddenly seems like it is on its way to being solved much, much faster than we could have hoped, so long as the successes in reducing mercury pollution are not reversed. (Related: Mercury levels on the rise in California rivers could pose threat to wildlife and agriculture.)

It just remains to be seen if the findings can also apply to other peatlands, which can definitely be of use to the U.N.s efforts to reduce global mercury pollution in Sweden and in countries that have similar problems with mercury in freshwater fish, such as Finland, Canada, and the U.S.

Tips to prevent mercury poisoning

Aside from not eating fish or seafood contaminated by mercury, here are more tips to help prevent mercury poisoning:

Be careful with the amounts and types of seafood that you eat.

Try to occasionally eat larger types of fish.

Do not eat fish with high levels of mercury if you are pregnant.

Observe fish and seafood serving guidelines for children. Children younger than three years old can eat an ounce of fish, while the serving size for children aged four to seven is two ounces.

Be careful when eating sushi. A lot of popular sushi rolls are made with fish that contain mercury.

Get your blood tested for mercury before conceiving.

Wash your hands immediately if you think youve been exposed to other forms of mercury.

You can read more articles about other toxins and how to avoid them at Toxins.news.

Sources include:

SLU.se

Healthline.com
Striga hermonthica, also known as purple witchweed, is an invasive parasitic plant that threatens food production in sub-Saharan Africa. It is estimated to ruin up to 40 per cent of the region's staple crops, the equivalent of $7-10 billion, putting the livelihoods and food supplies of 300 million people in danger.

Striga has an Achilles' heel: it's a parasite that attaches to the roots of other plants. If it can't find a host plant to attach to, it dies. Scientists have found a way to exploit Striga's Achilles' heel to eradicate it from farmers' fields.

Salim Al-Babili, associate professor of plant science at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, and colleagues found that they could trick Striga seeds that a host plant was growing nearby. When conditions are right, the Striga seeds germinate, but without a host plant to attach to, they cannot survive.

The scientists take advantage of plant hormones called strigolactones, which are exuded by plant roots. It is these hormones that trigger Striga seeds to germinate. By treating bare crop fields in Burkina Faso with artificial strigolactones, the scientists found that they were able to reduce the number of Striga plants by more than half.

The scientists' solution can be applied to crop fields over the course of a crop rotation, and doesn't require additional water - the treatment begins to work when the rains fall. This has obvious advantages in a region where water is scarce. Al-Babili has been awarded a $5 million grant by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to continue developing real-world solutions to the Striga problem.

This new method will allow farmers and scientists to work together to combat the spread of the invasive Striga plant and help protect the food security of 300 million people in sub-Saharan Africa. The work will be published in Plants, People, Planet.
In the lush, lowland rainforests on the island of Borneo lives a rather common, drab brown bird called the Cream-vented Bulbul, or Pycnonotus simplex. This bird is found from southern Thailand to Sumatra, Java and Borneo. In most of its range, it has white eyes. On Borneo, however, most individuals have red eyes, although there are also a few with white eyes. For 100 years, naturalists have thought the eye-color difference on Borneo was a trivial matter of individual variation. Through persistent detective work and advances in genetic sequencing technology, Louisiana State University Museum of Natural Science researchers have discovered that the white-eyed individuals of Borneo in fact represent a completely new species. Their discovery of the Cream-eyed Bulbul, or Pycnonotus pseudosimplex, was published recently in the scientific journal, the Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club.

"One of the reasons we knew we had a new species as opposed to just a variant of another species was because the two populations -- the red-eyed and white-eyed populations -- actually occur together on Borneo. You can go to a site and see both of these birds. One of the theories of speciation is if two birds co-occur in the same area, and they are not interbreeding, then that's a definitive sign that they are different species," said Subir Shakya, lead author and LSU Department of Biological Sciences Ph.D. student.

Shakya made the discovery after he had returned to LSU from an expedition to Sumatra. Back at LSU, he was sequencing the DNA of several bird specimens from Sumatra and comparing them to specimens from other sites in the region to determine the degree of genetic relatedness of various species from the different islands and the mainland of Asia, which is a common practice after returning from fieldwork. Several bulbuls from Borneo and the surrounding region were among the specimens he compared; however, the white-eyed Cream-vented Bulbuls from Borneo appeared genetically distinct from all the other white-eyed and red-eyed Cream-vented Bulbuls he examined. Further work to understand this discrepancy led to the conclusion that the white-eyed birds from Borneo were, in fact, a new species.

"We had found white-eyed individuals of the bulbul in old-growth hill forest in Crocker Range National Park in 2008 and in Lambir Hills National Park in 2013, and a group from the Smithsonian found them in Batang Ai National Park in 2018. All of these areas are in Malaysian Borneo," said co-author Fred Sheldon, the LSU Museum of Natural Science curator of genetic resources and Shakya's Ph.D. advisor.

Specimens are preserved at the LSU Museum of Natural Science, which houses the world's largest collection of genetic samples of birds from Borneo and Sumatra as well as the Smithsonian and University of Kansas Museum. White-eyed and red-eyed individuals look almost exactly the same, except for eye color.

"This discovery was made due to Subir's dogged detective work, and a little serendipity," Sheldon said.
Coffee grown under a tree canopy is promoted as good habitat for birds, but recent University of Delaware research shows that some of these coffee farms may not be as friendly to our feathered friends as advertised.

Working with geographer Robert Rice of the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center (SMBC), University of Delaware Professor of Entomology Doug Tallamy and former UD graduate student Desiree Narango studied canopy tree preference of birds in shade-coffee farms with a particular focus on the implications for migratory birds that spend the winter in neotropical coffee farms. The research was published in the journal Biotropica.

Americans drink a lot of coffee -- 64 percent of those aged 18 or over had at least one cup per day. That's more than 150 million people in the U.S. and we all know one cup is a light day for many of our friends and family. This incredible demand for coffee means a lot of land in tropical zones is used to grow coffee beans in neotropical countries like Colombia and Nicaragua (where the UD study took place). Across central and South America, land converted to coffee agriculture occupies more than five million hectares of what was once prime overwintering natural habitat for migratory birds.

"Coffee grows right at the altitude that most of our neo-tropical migratory birds are spending the winter, particularly species that are losing one to two percent of their population every year like the cerulean warbler, Canada warbler and wood thrush," said Tallamy. "A lot of this land has been leveled for coffee farms."

In these and other countries in the tropical zone, forests are being cut down and turned into ecological deserts at an alarming rate. In traditional coffee agriculture, farmers clear-cut an area, remove all trees, and plant coffee plants in direct sun. In that case, the cultivated area provides almost no habitat for species of birds and insects. An alternative method for growing coffee is shade-grown coffee. The beans are grown in the shade of a mature tree canopy, which can also provide ecosystem services for the farmer (like shade) as well as habitat for local wildlife.

"Sun coffee produces more yield, but is not as sustainable," said Narango, who now works for Advanced Science Research Center at City University of New York and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. "Shade-coffee farms can produce just as high quality coffee beans as the direct sun approach and with added benefits for people and wildlife. First, it's more comfortable for the workers. Second, the tree canopy protects the coffee. Third, it provides critical habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife."

Important to note, the insects that are attracted to these trees (and attract the birds to forage) do not pose a threat to coffee plants because they don't feed on them.

Most coffee farms are still sun-grown. Fortunately, some farmers have gone to the shade-coffee route. They can earn a Bird Friendly coffee certification from the Smithsonian through a combination of foliage cover, tree height and biodiversity to provide quality habitat for birds and other wildlife. SMBC has advocated the use of shade trees in coffee systems since the 1990s, when Smithsonian staff discovered the habitat quality of such systems in southern Mexico. But, until now, no one asked an overlooked question. Which types of trees are bird friendly? Tallamy's short answer: Non-native, exotic trees do little to nothing for birds and the insects they feast on, but certain native plants do wonders.

"The research all started here in Delaware when we realized how different plants are in producing food that drives bird populations," said Tallamy, who conducted previous research with Narango and SMBC on non-native plants on bird populations.

The Smithsonian's Rice added, "We had yet to understand which trees actually provide the better food resources in terms of insects for birds. Doug Tallamy has researched the association of tree species and the insects that make a living on them in the U.S. After talking with Doug, we thought that investigating that association within the shade-coffee systems would yield valuable insight as to which trees are the most beneficial for birds. Diverse, native trees act very much like local forest and do so with the economic advantage of having coffee produced beneath the shade canopy."

The researchers quantified bird foraging activity on 22 tree species in two coffee farms. Specifically, they used timed observations to determine tree preferences, foraging bird abundance, foraging time and species richness of birds using each canopy tree species. Results indicate that birds do not forage randomly, and instead exhibit preferences for particular native tree species, especially legumes. The UD-Smithsonian findings indicate that coffee farms can serve as habitat refuge for wildlife, evidence that agroforestry land can be improved for birds of conservation concern by prioritizing canopy tree species that not only help birds, but also farm productivity.

"Farmers often select tree species that are beneficial to them and produce other products to sell in addition to coffee," said Narango. "Some farms might prioritize walnut trees because they produce lumber or mango trees to produce fruit. There are so many choices. The goal of this project was to get more information to help farmers make that decision."

In an effort to get dual crops out of the land, eucalyptus trees are another popular choice as they are a great source of lumber. But these trees are native to Australia, not central and South America. And these non-natives trees don't jive with local insects in these critical migratory bird zones.

"A very common scenario on these farms is to have eucalyptus, pine, mango and citrus," Tallamy said. "All of these are non-native trees that support few insects -- critical food for birds -- or not nearly enough insects to make a difference. If you have a substantial amount of land with non-native plants, we're not helping the birds at all. Biodiversity-wise, it's a real scourge."

So farms with these non-native trees would not get certified as bird friendly, but are still growing shade-coffee.

"The public reads shade-coffee and thinks it's automatically bird friendly. That's not necessarily the case," said Tallamy. "But the growers don't know. It's not that they are trying to pull a fast one. They think insects are everywhere. They don't know that the type of plant matters, so of course they use the plant that produces the highest amount of income. We can now correct that misinformation."

Attracting birds could also serve as a boon to coffee production because birds attracted to the canopy trees can also protect the coffee crop by providing pest control. The plants that tended to be highly preferred, native legumes, also simultaneously provide nitrogen to the coffee crops increasing production.

"The preferred tree species for birds' foraging tended to be native, which makes sense from an evolutionary point of view," Rice said. "Insects have co-evolved with native trees over millennia, so our findings that birds preferred the native species, while not surprising, is clearly confirming. Our challenge for future studies will be to determine which trees are providing the greatest diversity and abundance of insects."

SMBC's long-term relationship with coffee producers throughout Latin America positioned the researchers well to help find the countries and regions within countries to conduct this research. With funding from the Disney Conservation Fund, Rice found local collaborators in Colombia and Nicaragua.

The study points strongly to the recently publicized topic of global insect decline.

"The decline is not new. What's new is that the public is beginning to recognize it. People are writing about it. They write about climate change, pesticides, and habitat loss, but they aren't being specific enough," Tallamy said. "The fact that humans are taking away the plants that allow insects to thrive and replacing them with plants that do not is something that has not been mentioned in any articles. Habitat is not just a location to live; it's the food that you eat. Insects need particular plants. Taking those plants away is, in my opinion, a major cause of insect decline, which is what we are going to study next."

Undergraduate research opportunity

Wildlife ecology and conservation major Kerry Snyder, who graduated in 2015, is also a co-author on the research paper. As a UD junior, she began working on undergraduate research with Tallamy and formed her honors thesis around the topic.

"Research gave me an opportunity to travel abroad and learn how environmental problems affect farmers in Central America. In addition to the technical experience the work gave me, set me up well for my assignment in the Peace Corps," said Snyder, who studied for two summer sessions under Tallamy and works for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. "Doing research allowed me to connect what I was learning in the classroom with real environmental conservation issues and allowed me to learn about the importance of coffee certification programs. It would have been impossible to take a class that would have taught me everything I learned through this experience."
California's Department of Motor Vehicles didn't properly prepare for customers lining up to get new federally approved drivers' licenses, leading to hours-long wait times last year, state auditors said Wednesday.

But the long lines that angered motorists and state lawmakers alike merely highlighted significant underlying weaknesses including outdated computers and problems with scheduling appointments, the auditors said.

The finance department auditors said the DMV had "significant deficiencies in planning and implementation" as Californians began updating their drivers' licenses to meet new federal security standards known as Real ID. Airport security checkpoints won't accept cards without special markings required by the federal government after Oct. 1, 2020. California residents must apply in person at DMV offices to get the new cards.

The resulting delays were symptoms of the department's "significant weaknesses in its underlying governance structure and organizational culture," auditors found.

They found a long list of problems including inconsistencies in overseeing field offices, ineffective communications, poor budgeting, inadequate staffing of service windows, missed opportunities to improve customer service, and a lack of employee training.

It is difficult for customers to quickly and consistently reserve appointments, auditors found, with variations in availability depending on location and problems with motorists reserving duplicate appointments.

Outdated computers, poor connections and inadequate maintenance led to computer failures that stalled customers' ability to get services, the auditors said.

"Without strengthening the underlying foundation supporting its operations, DMV will continue facing challenges in efficiently and effectively delivering services to its customers," auditors concluded.

Department officials agreed with the audit findings. They are required to submit a detailed correction plan within 60 days and update it every six months until the problems are solved.

Acting director Kathleen Webb said the department is "committed to reengineering business practices and reducing wait times" and is already taking steps including increasing self-service options and better monitoring its computer system.

Auditors said the department could accept credit card payments and use more text message notifications to improve customer service.

Webb said the DMV will seek more money to carry out some of the recommendations.

Republican Assemblyman Jim Patterson of Fresno said DMV officials had years to prepare yet started making Real ID a priority only months before the rollout in January 2018.

He was upset by findings of delays due to staffing shortages and scheduling problems and questioned the department's claim that wait times are down to 30 minutes. There still are regular reports of longer waits before customers can even start the process, he said.

"This audit explains what the public and the Legislature have known for some time  the DMV directors were asleep at the switch for a decade leading up to the Real ID rollout and customers paid the price with exploding wait times," he said in a statement.

Patterson said the state needs to reform the department "from the ground up" or "the DMV will continue to fail."

Former Gov. Jerry Brown ordered the audit in September because of long lines and wait times at DMV field offices. He acted a day after a computer outage hampered more than a third of DMV offices for several hours, preventing about 70 offices from processing driver's license, identification card and vehicle registration matters.

New Gov. Gavin Newsom also has a "strike team" looking at ways to improve the DMV.

The audit examined the DMV's information technology and customer service, but the department also mishandled about 23,000 voter registrations under the state's new "motor voter" law, which took effect nearly a year ago and lets residents automatically register to vote. The DMV sent the secretary of state's office incorrect information for thousands of voters, mostly affecting customers' vote-by-mail, language and political party selections.
As Special Olympics officials prepared for the Spring Games in the Bay Area, they were blindsided Wednesday with the prospect of an uncertain future.

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has proposed to slash the event's federal funding, about $18 million a year, as part of her education budget cuts. It comes as the Special Olympics Spring Games are just a little more than a month away, slated to take place at Fremont High School in Sunnyvale.

Bay Area advocates say theres more at stake than winning medals, and Cupertino's Stephanie Ching is a shining example. Ching, 35, is proud of her Special Olympics medals and becoming an ambassador for the organization.

She appeared on NBC Bay Areas "Asian Pacific America" and talked about what Special Olympics does for 130,000 Northern California students from 500 schools.

Ching was stunned to hear about the cuts proposed by DeVos, whom Ching met at an event in Washington, D.C.

"I think that the Special Olympics is an awesome organization, one that is well supported by the philanthropic sector as well," DeVos said.

"I was so sad, and I was really worried about cutting all of the funding because we need all that stuff because its for transportation," Ching said.

Special Olympics officials said federal money also leads to matching funds and other support, and they emphasize their programs help integrate students, mixing those with disabilities and those without.

Ching's mother agrees.

"Were not just talking about playing sports," Susana Ching said. "Were talking about end bullying, have more respect for people."

On the heels of the proposal, a fight is brewing in Congress, and DeVos and her critics do not appear ready to team up anytime soon.
What to Know Edwin Hardeman, 70, is the second plaintiff to go to trial of thousands who claim Monsanto's weedkiller caused their cancer

In August, a jury awarded another man $289 million after determining Roundup caused his non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

A U.S. jury on Wednesday awarded $80 million in damages to a California man who blamed Roundup weed killer for his cancer, in a case that his attorneys say could help determine the fate of hundreds of similar lawsuits.

The six-person jury in San Francisco returned its verdict in favor of Edwin Hardeman, 70, who said he used Roundup products to treat poison oak, overgrowth and weeds on his San Francisco Bay Area property for years. The same jury previously found that Roundup was a substantial factor in Hardeman's non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Agribusiness giant Monsanto says studies have established that the active ingredient in its widely used weed killer, glyphosate, is safe. The company said it will appeal.

"We are disappointed with the jury's decision, but this verdict does not change the weight of over four decades of extensive science and the conclusions of regulators worldwide that support the safety of our glyphosate-based herbicides and that they are not carcinogenic," according to a statement from Bayer, which acquired Monsanto last year.

A different jury in August awarded another man $289 million, but a judge later slashed it to $78 million. Monsanto has appealed.

Hardeman's trial may be more significant than that case. U.S. Judge Vince Chhabria is overseeing hundreds of Roundup lawsuits and has deemed Hardeman's case and two others "bellwether trials."

The outcome of such cases can help attorneys decide whether to keep fighting similar lawsuits or settle them. Legal experts said verdicts in favor of Hardeman and the other test plaintiffs would give their attorneys a strong bargaining position in any settlement talks for the remaining cases before Chhabria.

Many government regulators have rejected a link between cancer and glyphosate. Monsanto has vehemently denied such a connection, saying hundreds of studies have established that the chemical is safe.

Monsanto developed glyphosate in the 1970s, and the weed killer is now sold in more than 160 countries and widely used in the U.S.

The herbicide came under increasing scrutiny after the France-based International Agency for Research on Cancer, which is part of the World Health Organization, classified it as a "probable human carcinogen" in 2015.

Lawsuits against Monsanto followed, and thousands are now pending nationwide.

Monsanto has attacked the international research agency's opinion as an outlier. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says glyphosate is safe for people when used in accordance with label directions.
Residents along San Francisco's prized Embarcadero have launched a GoFundMe campaign to keep the city from opening a homeless navigation center at Seawall Lot 330.

Mayor London Breed is pushing the site near city landmarks such as the San Francisco Ferry Building and Oracle Park, and the community has pushed back.

The GoFundMe effort solicits residents of South Beach, Rincon Hill, Bayside Village, East Cut and Mission Bay for financial contributions to a legal fund to fight against the navigation center.

The campaign, dubbed Safe Embarcadero For All, had collected $62,550 toward a $100,000 goal as of Friday morning. But it has competition.

A counter-campaign called "SAFER Embarcadero for ALL" was started Thursday by William Fitzgerald. It has raised $35,000 of a $50,000 goal towards San Francisco non-profit Coalition On Homelessness in 20 hours, after raising its target.

"We're fighting an effort by residents of one of the richest neighborhoods in San Francisco to block a homeless shelter on a parking lot," Fitzgerald wrote on the campaign.

Breed proposed the location earlier this month, saying the site fills a need: helping homeless residents nearby and offering certain amenities to them. Neighborhood politics, she said, shouldnt play a role.

"Every part of the city has to share in on what we need to do in terms of providing shelters, providing affordable housing, providing more housing in general," Breed said at a March 12 Port Commission meeting.

The Port of San Francisco owns the property.

Resident Cory Tan, for one, is concerned about safety. "There will be no drug use inside, but they allow drug users, so where do you think they're shooting drugs?" Tan said.

Adam Thomas, a who lives in the area, said he would be more interested in a smaller center.

"It depends on the size," he said. "At a small navigation center, a case worker can focus on a case-by-case basis."

The Port Commission will consider a lease agreement in April. Final approval of the mayor's shelter crisis legislation, which clears the way to build shelters faster, is expected Tuesday.
Police with guns drawn broke down the door of an Arizona home and ordered three children into the custody of the Department of Child Safety because the parents had refused to take their son who has a fever to the hospital.

Sarah Beck brought her 2-year-old son to Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine and was told he had a temperature of more than 105, according to reports by the Chandler Police Department.

The doctor believed the child could be suffering from a "life-threatening" illness that could not be tested for at the clinic, so she told Beck to take the toddler to the hospital, a police report said. The mother was reluctant because the boy wasn't vaccinated and she feared "possible repercussions," the report said.

When the doctor found out the child had never made it to the hospital, she called the DCS who contacted the Chandler Police Department because "there was a present danger to (the childs) health/wellbeing and that he required immediate medical attention," police said.

When police arrived, Beck and her husband, Brooks Bryce, wouldn't let them into the house.

"While on scene, DCS obtained a court order for the temporary custody of the two-year-old child," said a statement from police. "The parents continued to ignore all attempts from DCS and officers to speak with them on the telephone or at the front door."

After one final warning, police broke down the front door.

"They said Brooks, you have to come out of your house right now  We have to check on them, and I said, 'hes doing fine, his temperature is 100 degrees. He's safe, hes asleep, could you please just leave us alone, Bryce told NBC affiliate KPNX.
What to Know All criminal charges against "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett were dropped Tuesday, his legal team said

Smollett pleaded not guilty to 16 counts of disorderly conduct earlier this month

Chicago police alleged he staged a hate crime attack on himself in January

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Justice will review the case involving "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett, President Donald Trump tweeted early Thursday.

"FBI & DOJ to review the outrageous Jussie Smollett case in Chicago. It is an embarrassment to our Nation!" Trump tweeted at 6:34 a.m. CST.

Both the FBI and the Department of Justice declined to comment on the case Thursday morning, according to NBC News.

All criminal charges against Smollett were dropped Tuesday, nearly two months after the actor was accused of orchestrating a hate crime attack on himself. The surprise decision to dismiss the charges was celebrated by Smollett and his legal team and blasted by Chicago's mayor and police department, who raised questions about the circumstances of the deal.

In an appearance on "Today" Thursday, Smollett's attorney Tina Glandian said his legal team was "not at all" concerned about a potential FBI investigation into the circumstances surrounding the dismissal of charges.

"We have nothing to be concerned about because there was nothing on our end to request this, to do anything improper, and to my knowledge, nothing improper was done," Glandian said.

The news that charges would be dismissed came during an "emergency court appearance" where prosecutors not only dropped the charges against Smollett but agreed to expunge the actor's record. Prosecutors later said the charges were dismissed in exchange for Smollett's forfeiture of his $10,000 bond and his performance of community service.

Smollett pleaded not guilty to multiple disorderly conduct charges earlier this month. He was initially charged with one felony count of disorderly conduct in filing a false police report in February, with Chicago police alleging that he staged the attack the month before because he was "dissatisfied with his salary." A Cook County grand jury then indicted Smollett on 16 felony counts.

"Jussie was attacked by two people he was unable to identify on January 29th. He was a victim who was vilified and made to appear as a perpetrator as a result of false and inappropriate remarks made to the public causing an inappropriate rush to judgment," Smollett's attorneys Glandian and Patricia Brown Holmes said in a statement.

Smollett maintained his innocence, saying after court that he has been "truthful and consistent on every single level since day one."

Smollett reported the alleged attack to police on Jan. 29, claiming to have been beaten by two men who shouted racist and homophobic slurs, beat him, put a noose around his neck, and poured bleach on him, according to the indictment.

Initially investigating the incident as a possible hate crime, Chicago police said new information "shifted" their approach to the case, leading them to allege that Smollett orchestrated the assault by hiring two brothers who worked on "Empire" to execute it.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Police Supt. Eddie Johnson hammered the decision to dismiss charges against him, saying they were unaware it was happening.

"At the end of the day it's Mr. Smollett who committed this hoax. Period. If he wanted to clear his name the way to do that was in a court of law so that everyone could see the evidence," Johnson said. "I stand by the facts of what we produced. If they want to dispute those facts the place to do that is in court."

Emanuel called the decision a "whitewash of justice."

"Where is the accountability in the system? You cannot have because of a persons position, one set of rules apply to them and another set of rules apply to everybody else," he said.

In response to Trump on Thursday, Emanuel said in a radio interview that he should "sit this one out," a spokesman for the mayor tweeted.

In a statement, the Cook County State's Attorneys office said the decision came after reviewing all of the facts and circumstances of the case, including Mr. Smollets volunteer service in the community and agreement to forfeit his bond to the City of Chicago."

"We believe this outcome is a just disposition and appropriate resolution to this case," the statement read.

In an interview Wednesday, Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx defended her office's decision to drop charges and denied that she had any involvement after recusing herself from the case in February.

"I did not want, as this investigation changed, for there to be any question about my impartiality so I removed myself," she said, echoing earlier statements from her office that the decision to drop charges was not uncommon in disorderly conduct cases.

"Over the course of the last two years, we've had 5,700 people go through our pretrial diversion process, people who have non-violent offenses and who have no violence in their background," Foxx said. "And so I think when people see this one particular case it feels like an outlier where in fact, it's consistent with how we treat people charged with similar offenses with the same background."

Documents obtained earlier this month via Freedom of Information Act request showed that Foxx had asked Johnson to turn the investigation over to the FBI. The documents also showed correspondence between Foxx, an unknown person and Tina Tchen, a one-time assistant to former President Barack Obama and Chief of Staff to Michelle Obama.

"It was not unusual for me to talk to a victim in a case," Foxx said. "At the time that I engaged with this family member, Mr. Smollett was a victim."

Tchen said in a statement she knew members of the Smollett family from "prior work together" and that "as a family friend," she contacted Foxx "to put the chief prosecutor in the case in touch with an alleged victims family who had concerns about how the investigation was being characterized in public."
The Trump administration imposed sanctions Friday on six high-ranking members of the Venezuelan security forces and revoked the visas of other officials and their relatives in the latest effort to pressure President Nicolas Maduro into leaving office.

The sanctions are in response to the blocking of humanitarian aid convoys last week while the visa revocations on "numerous" individuals are intended to punish people who have flourished amid the South American country's dire economic crisis, Elliott Abrams, the special representative for Venezuela, told reporters.

"Maduro supporters that abuse or violate human rights, steal from the Venezuelan people or undermine Venezuela's democracy are not welcome in the United States," Abrams said. "Neither are their family members who enjoy a privileged lifestyle at the expense of the liberty and prosperity of millions of Venezuelans."

The measures were the latest by the Trump administration to increase the international pressure on Maduro, whose re-election last year is seen as illegitimate, to resign and turn power over to the opposition leader Juan Guaido, who has been recognized by the U.S. and 50 other government as interim president.

Abrams declined to release the names, or even the number, of people whose travel visas are being revoked, citing privacy regulations. He said the list included "dozens" of Venezuelans who could be subject to deportation if they are in the country.

The U.S. already has travel bans on other high-ranking Venezuelan officials connected to Maduro who are accused of committing human rights abuses or corruption.

Separately, the Treasury Department imposed financial sanctions on six officials from the National Guard and police who are allied with Maduro and played a role in closing Venezuela's borders with Brazil and Colombia to prevent assistance from countries opposed to his continued rule from entering.

Maduro's forces fired tear gas and buckshot on activists trying to deliver humanitarian aid in violent clashes on Feb. 23, leaving two people dead and about 300 injured.

Friday's action targets six security officials "who control many of the groups that prevented humanitarian aid from entering Venezuela, thereby exacerbating the humanitarian crisis that has left millions of Venezuelans starving and without access to medical care under the Maduro regime," Treasury said in a statement.

The sanctions block any assets they have in U.S. jurisdictions and bar Americans from conducting financial transactions with them.

Those targeted are Richard Jesus Lopez, the commander of Venezuela's National Guard; Jesus Maria Mantilla, the commander of Venezuela's Strategic Integral Defense Region Guayana; Alberto Mirtiliano Bermudez, the general in charge of Venezuela's Integral Defense Zone in Bolivar State, which borders Brazil; Jose Leonardo Noronom, the general in charge of Venezuela's Integral Defense Zone in Tachira State, which borders Colombia; Jose Miguel Dominguez, a national police commander in Tachira; and Cristhiam Abelardo Morales, another commander in Tachira.

The men are part of security forces that have remained loyal to Maduro and are essential to his hold on power of the once-prosperous country.

Guaido had announced that last weekend's attempt to deliver U.S.-supplied humanitarian aid from Colombia into Venezuela would be politically decisive, but Maduro called the aid part of a scheme to overthrow his government.

Maduro has denounced his opponents as killers and criminals in fiery speeches reminiscent of the style of his predecessor and mentor, Hugo Chavez.
With representatives of several New England police agencies watching on, a Vermont man was sentenced to a year in prison Wednesday for his role in the death of a longtime Massachusetts officer.

He taught us to live our lives with grace, compassion, and a damn good sense of humor, Kathleen Rebello said of her late husband, Joe, in a victim impact statement read at the sentencing of Frank Sargent. Joe was a man of action and purpose, who led by good example. He was the type of person who elevated all around him to his high standards.

Joe Rebello had retired from a more than 30-year career in Massachusetts law enforcement, including jobs as chief of police in the towns of Kingston and Stow, when he and several buddies went on a motorcycle trip to Vermont in June 2014.

Who would have thought that doing the thing that he loved would be death for him, Donna Arsenault, Joe Rebellos sister, asked rhetorically in her victim impact statement.

The longtime officer was killed when Sargent crossed the center line on Route 14 in Woodbury and crashed into the group.

No one knows exactly what happened, but prosecutors insist Sargent was negligent.

The office of the Washington County States Attorney said Sargent failed to take an anti-seizure medication and was driving a substandard car while very tired.

Retired Hudson, Massachusetts police chief Richard Braga was on that motorcycle ride, too, and lost his left leg below the knee.

Braga delivered a victim impact statement that described the lasting emotional, physical, and financial impacts to losing his close friend and suffering life-altering injuries in the crash.

Id argue that delayed justice is no justice, Braga told Judge Mary Morrissey, referencing how nearly five years have passed since the crash. In short, Frank Sargent ruined my life.

In a prior hearing, Sargent pled no contest to negligent operation with death resulting and told Judge Morrissey that he is a good and hardworking person, who never intended for any of this suffering.

I am very sorry for the loss and pain I have caused, Sargent told the court, as well as friends and family of Joe Rebello.

Sargent noted in a letter he read aloud that he, too, has been forever changed by the crash, and recognized that he caused heartbreak and several serious injuries.

A friend of Sargents also addressed the court, asking the judge for leniencyarguing that the crash was an accident likely caused by a medical concern, and adding that she is certain Sargent wouldnt intentionally hurt someone.

After taking a recess to consider all the victim impact statements and other information she was presented, Judge Morrissey imposed a sentence of one year and one day in prisonand a longer term of probationwhich was the maximum prison time called for under a plea agreement.

After Sargent is released from prison, hell have to take a safe driving course and prove that he stays on his medications for two years before he can get his driving privileges back, Judge Morrissey said.

Friends and relatives of Joe Rebello hugged after the sentence was announced.
Chicago police provided a six-night hotel stay with separate rooms and 24-hour security to two brothers who said they were paid by "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett to stage a racist, anti-gay attack on him, according to investigative reports released Wednesday to several media outlets.

The hotel rooms were part of an effort to avoid the media last month as detectives investigated Smollett's report that he was assaulted in January by a pair of men in downtown Chicago, the reports said.

The heavily redacted reports blacked out the names of Abimbola Osundairo and Olabinjo Osundairo, but the context makes it clear that the brothers were put up from Feb. 15 to Feb. 21 at the Chicago South Loop Hotel near the city's McCormick Place convention center. Police paid for the hotel and the security. "Assistance for food and incidentals were also provided," one report said.

Police met with the men at the hotel, stopped at restaurants to get meals for them and drove the pair and their attorney to court, taking them into the courthouse through a back entrance to avoid the media, according to the reports.

A judge on Wednesday sealed the investigative documents, and police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said he was awaiting a written copy of the order to determine if he could comment, including disclosing how much the stay cost the department.

After learning Tuesday that prosecutors had dropped charges against Smollett, a furious Mayor Rahm Emanuel said the $10,000 bond payment that Smollett agreed to forfeit did not begin to reimburse the city for the costs of the investigation, which began Jan. 29.

That's when Smollett, who is black and gay, claimed he was attacked and beaten by two masked men who shouted slurs and yelled, "This is MAGA country," an apparent reference to President Donald Trump's campaign slogan, "Make America Great Again." Smollett also said the men doused him with a chemical and put a noose around his neck. He told a detective that at least one of the attackers was white, according to Chicago police.

After using surveillance cameras and other methods, police identified the Osundairo brothers as suspects and learned that they had flown to Nigeria the same day as the reported attack. The men were arrested Feb. 13 at O'Hare Airport but within two days were released without charges after detailing the alleged plot orchestrated by Smollett. The deal included a $3,500 payment to help stage the attack, which Smollett hoped would help promote his career, police said.

The brothers were taken to the hotel after their release, when police found out news organizations were at the men's residence, according to one investigative report.

Cook County First Assistant State's Attorney Joseph Magats told reporters that he still believes Smollett staged the attack but prosecutors dropped the case because they needed to focus on violent crimes. Besides forfeiting his bond payment, Smollett also did community service, Magats said.

Smollett was not required to admit wrongdoing or apologize, and he immediately told reporters that he was innocent. He has said the $3,500 paid to the brothers was for fitness training.

Now Smollett's attorney is trying to shift attention back to the brothers, saying investigators should look into their role in the alleged attack.

"The two men who attacked him have indicated that they attacked him, so we already know who attacked him," attorney Patricia Brown Holmes said after all 16 charges against Smollett were dropped.

On Wednesday, another Smollett attorney, Tina Glandian, told "Good Morning America" that the two brothers were lying. She said Smollett was a crime victim who "just wants his life back."

A spokeswoman for the Cook County State's Attorney's Office did not immediately return a phone call and email seeking comment.

The brothers testified before a grand jury, and Smollett was charged last month with filing a false police report about the attack. An attorney who has represented the brothers, Gloria Schmidt, said that the pair did not testify as part of any plea deal and that they were not granted any immunity from prosecution.

On Tuesday, Schmidt said in a statement that the two "were fully prepared to testify in any criminal proceeding" in the Smollett case.

In an interview with AP earlier this month, she said the brothers regretted their involvement.

"It started by them having a relationship with Mr. Smollett. Mr. Smollett being in a position of power over them  him being this celebrity person who could pull strings for them and help them in their career," Schmidt said.

"They were thinking, 'I'm going to help my friend. He's asking for this,'" she said.

The brothers could not be reached for comment Wednesday. A phone number associated with their home had a voicemail box that was full.

Smollett's lawyer said the brothers had backed up the actor's version of events.

"The Osundairo brothers said more than once that the $3,500 check they received was for exactly what Jussie said. They were his trainers," Holmes said.

During her interview Wednesday, Glandian acknowledged that Smollett talked and texted with the brothers in the hours before the attack. She said they discussed training and nutrition as Smollett was waiting on a delayed flight to Chicago.

But she said Smollett had no idea who attacked him until the brothers were later identified by police.

Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx defended her staff's decision to drop the charges. She told Chicago's CBS station that she believed the matter was handled properly, calling it "an outcome that we could expect with this type of case."

Also Wednesday, a conservative Illinois state lawmaker filed paperwork asking the state attorney general to review the circumstances under which the charges were dismissed. A spokeswoman for the attorney general did not reply to a request for comment.
What to Know All criminal charges against "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett were dropped Tuesday, his legal team said

Prosecutors said despite dropping the charges that they "did not exonerate" Smollett. Still, the actor has maintained his innocence.

Smollett completed community service and forfeited his $10,000 bond to the city, prosecutors said

The Illinois Prosecutors Bar Association on Thursday called the dismissal of charges against "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett "highly unusual."

The association, which says its represents nearly 1,000 prosecutors across the state, said the handling of the case and the events of the past few days are "not condoned."

"The manner in which this case was dismissed was abnormal and unfamiliar to those who practice law in criminal courthouses across the state," the association said in a statement. "Prosecutors, defense attorneys, and judges alike do not recognize the arrangement Mr. Smollett received. Even more problematic, the States Attorney and her representatives have fundamentally misled the public on the law and circumstances surrounding the dismissal."

Among the issues the association said it had with the case were the fact that Foxx did not appoint a special prosecutor from outside her office to handle the case following her recusal, that the public was not notified of what was happening and that her office "falsely informed the public that the uncontested sealing of the criminal court case was 'mandatory' under Illinois law."

Their statement also slammed the statement that such an arrangement is "available to all defendants" and "not a new or unusual practice."

"These statements are plainly misleading and inaccurate. This action was highly unusual, not a statutory diversion program, and not in accordance with well accepted practices of States Attorney initiated diversionary programs," the association wrote.

"This irregular arrangement was an affront to prosecutors across the state, the Chicago Police Department, victims of hate crimes, and the people of the city of Chicago and Cook County," they added.

Cook County Commissioner Sean Morrison called the decision a "slap in the face" and called for Foxx to appear before the Cook County Board of Commissioners.

All criminal charges against Smollett were dropped Tuesday, nearly two months after the actor was accused of orchestrating a hate crime attack on himself to further his career. The surprise decision was celebrated by Smollett and his legal team and blasted by Chicago's mayor and police department, who raised questions about the circumstances of the deal.

The news that charges would be dismissed came during an "emergency court appearance." Prosecutors later said the charges were dismissed in exchange for Smollett's forfeiture of his $10,000 bond and his performance of community service.

In a statement, the Cook County State's Attorneys office said the decision came after reviewing all of the facts and circumstances of the case."

"We believe this outcome is a just disposition and appropriate resolution to this case," the statement read.

In an interview Wednesday, Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx defended her office's decision and denied that she had any involvement after recusing herself from the case in February.

"I did not want, as this investigation changed, for there to be any question about my impartiality so I removed myself," she said, echoing earlier statements from her office that the decision to drop charges was not uncommon in disorderly conduct cases.

"Over the course of the last two years, we've had 5,700 people go through our pretrial diversion process, people who have non-violent offenses and who have no violence in their background," Foxx said. "And so I think when people see this one particular case it feels like an outlier where in fact, it's consistent with how we treat people charged with similar offenses with the same background."

Documents obtained earlier this month via Freedom of Information Act request showed that Foxx had asked Johnson to turn the investigation over to the FBI. The documents also showed correspondence between Foxx, an unknown person and Tina Tchen, a one-time assistant to former President Barack Obama and Chief of Staff to Michelle Obama.

"It was not unusual for me to talk to a victim in a case," Foxx said. "At the time that I engaged with this family member, Mr. Smollett was a victim."

Smollett pleaded not guilty to multiple disorderly conduct charges earlier this month. He was initially charged with one felony count of disorderly conduct in filing a false police report in February, with Chicago police alleging that he staged the attack the month before because he was "dissatisfied with his salary." A Cook County grand jury then indicted Smollett on 16 felony counts.

With the charges dropped, Smollett continued to maintain his innocence, saying after court Tuesday that he has been "truthful and consistent on every single level since day one."

"We have nothing to be concerned about because there was nothing on our end to request this, to do anything improper, and to my knowledge, nothing improper was done," Smollett's attorney Tina Glandian said.

Emanuel and Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson hammered the decision to dismiss charges against him, saying they were unaware it was happening. Emanuel called the decision a "whitewash of justice."

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said the city plans to send a bill to the "Empire" actor for the cost of the investigation surrounding the case.

"The police are assembling the cost [of the investigation]," Emanuel said. "They'll do that and then the corporation counsel of the city of Chicago will communicate to Jussie Smollett and his legal team about recouping that cost in that effort. And, given that he doesn't feel any sense of contrition and remorse, my recommendation is when he writes the check, in the memo section he can put the word, 'I'm accountable' for the hoax."

"The finance is a piece of it and an acknowledgement that what he did at every level was wrong," he added.

A representative for Smollett's legal team said "it is the mayor and the police chief who owe Jussie - owe him an apology - for dragging an innocent mans character through the mud. Jussie has paid enough."

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Justice will review the case, President Donald Trump claimed in a tweet Thursday. Both the FBI and the Department of Justice declined to comment on the case Thursday morning, according to NBC News.

Smollett's attorney said Thursday the actor simply wants to "move on," claiming the aftermath of the alleged beating was "much harsher" than the attack itself.

"What that attack was pales in comparison to the attack on him by the mayor, by the CPD, by the press, by the public," one of Smollett's lawyers, Tina Glandian said in an appearance on TODAY.
Her family wanted a puppy, so Alicia Barnett dreamed they would find one that was smart, steady and a bit mysterious. She hoped their new addition could share a personality  and a name  with the man who has become her rather unlikely idol.

At Christmas, her teenage son brought home a 10-week-old chocolate Lab. "The strong, silent type," Barnett observed. And then she named him Mueller, an homage to the stoic special prosecutor appointed to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 election and whether members of the Trump campaign played any part.

For devoted Democrats like Barnett, Robert Mueller has become a sort of folk hero since his appointment in May 2017. To them, he represents calm in the face of a storm, quiet in a city of bombast, a symbol of hope that a presidency they view as dishonorable might soon face some type of consequences.

"He gives me reassurance that all is not lost," says Barnett, who lives with her family and Mueller the puppy in Kansas City, Kansas. "I admire his mystique. I admire that I haven't heard his voice. He is someone who can sift through all this mess and come up with a rationale that makes sense to everyone."

The special counsel  a 74-year-old registered Republican, Marine and former director the FBI  has even inspired his own genre of arts and crafts. One can buy Mueller paintings, prayer candles, valentines and ornaments. A necklace, earrings, keychains. A stuffed toy of Mueller in a Superman outfit, cross-stitch patterns, baby onesies  even an illustration of his haircut to hang on the wall.

"Stare at Special Counsel Mueller's crisp coiffure for three minutes and you will notice a sense of calm come over you," that artist, Oakland, California-based Wayne Shellabarger, wrote in his online listing for a $10 print. "That's a haircut you can set your watch to."

Mueller has become a boogeyman for many of President Donald Trump's most ardent supporters, as the leader of the investigation the president derides as a "witch hunt." But his fans often speak of him in soaring analogies. Barnett imagines him as a duck's legs: kicking heroically to keep things afloat but under the water, out of view. Karen Adler, a Placerville, California, crafter who sells a coffee mug with Mueller dressed as a saint and wearing a crown of laurels "for victory," describes him as "Paul Bunyan-esque," a man of superhuman labor. Shellabarger thinks of him "almost like Bigfoot," a mystical creature rarely seen in public.

Mueller has remained completely silent as the ceaseless speculation about his investigation turned him into one of the most famous men in America. He hasn't given a single interview, and his office does not leak.

When Kim Six posted her cross-stitch tribute to Mueller on her Facebook page, some people told her to keep politics out of crafting. The framed stitching featured the letters "M.A.G.A." down the side, a reference to Trump's "Make American Great Again" slogan but with these words substituted: "Mueller Ain't Going Away." Her critics assumed she was far-left, but she considers herself a centrist, having voted in the past for moderate Republicans.

Her husband is a "card-carrying Trump fan," says the resident of California's Bay Area. They agree to disagree, and she thinks Americans should be able to do the same. To her, Mueller represents a middle ground where facts exist, as opposed to the ideological rants that consume political discourse.

"Let's get all the facts on the table," she says, "and let this impartial person come in and tell us what the truth is  not spin, just truth."

She's imagined findings so thorough Congress and voters would be forced to act accordingly. But as the investigation has continued on, with 34 people charged and five sentenced to prison, she's noticed Americans retreating to their corners and rearranging the facts to fit their political position.

She's losing faith that Mueller's probe, whenever it does come to an end, will change anything at all.

"How naive I was," she says. "I have this fear, no matter what happens, either side is going to spin it the way they want to. So I don't know anymore if he's the coming savior we had hoped for."

Carmen Martinez feels doubt, too. She and her business partner in New York City have sold 500 Christmas ornaments and earrings with Mueller's face. They tend to get a rush of orders after major Mueller news: indictments, sentencings. Martinez saw him as the one person who could lead the country out of chaos with truth, and believed his report would push everyone to turn away from Trumpism.

But Martinez, a Peruvian immigrant, was shocked last year by the administration's policy of separating children from their parents at the Mexico border. She started to wonder: If images of children in cages don't sway many minds, how could Mueller's report, just words on paper?

Others remain hopeful: "I feel like we're in the middle of a book, like a saga," says Janice Harris, a textile artist in Detroit. "And we're just waiting for the climax."

She was never a particularly political person before Trump's election  much of her work featured kittens or dancers. But she was inspired to immortalize Mueller on handmade makeup bags. She had custom fabric printed with Mueller's face, stitched it into her pouches and sold around 50.

Wayne Shellabarger has sold two prints of his Mueller haircut illustration. One happy customer wrote that using the print as a meditation aide allowed her to stop taking anti-anxiety medication.

"The world has gone completely insane and topsy-turvy," Shellabarger says. "Mueller's hair is one little shining piece of sanity in a sea of madness, so precise and sober and straightforward and without deceit, absolutely by the book, the opposite of everything that's going on in the world."

He hung one of the haircut prints in his own living room in Oakland, California  close to the television, so when he watches the news and his heart starts to pound, he can glance up at it.

There is such a thing as fact, it reminds him.

"And that gives me hope," Shellabarger says, "that since he's in charge, the world can be normal again."
Police have identified the woman who died in a fire in a building in Danielson on Thursday morning.

Firefighters responded to 58 Main St, (Route 12) around 1:30 a.m., according to fire officials.

Around 3:22 p.m., crews determined one person, later identified as 27-year-old Kaleigh Rockwood, of Webster, Massachussetts, had died.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is expected to determine the cause and manner of her death.

Officials said the fire went up through the roof of the initial home and spread to the home behind it as well. The two people who live in the second home were able to get out safely.

It's not clear which home Rockwood was found dead was in.

There were two people in the second house in the rear and they did come out. The ambulance crew was able to get them out of bed, Jason Burgess, the deputy chief of the Danielson Fire Department, said.

Officials said most of the damage is to the first building and the roof collapsed. Its not clear if anyone lives there.

Mutual aid was called in.

The Killingly Fire Marshals Office and the Connecticut State Police Fire & Explosion Investigation Unit remain on scene to determine origin and cause.
Several people are displaced after a three-alarm fire on Watson Street in Willimantic.

No one is hurt, but 11 people, including four Eastern Connecticut State University students, are displaced.

School officials said student affairs staff members are reaching out to the four students to find out what they need, including any alternative housing arrangements.

School officials said the fire was on the upper floor and the four students were in a lower apartment. They did not lose any belongings but cannot return to their apartment because of smoke and water damage.

The university will arrange for on-campus housing and meal plans. They said the ECSU foundation has offered to fund other necessities.
The psychiatrist who treated the victim in a high profile patient abuse case took the stand on day three of the criminal trial of one of his caregivers.

Two years ago NBC Connecticut Investigates broke the story about the abuse at the Whiting Forensic Division in Middletown.

The psychiatrist provided insight the prosecution wanted to give the jury. But the defense spent a much longer stretch grilling him, suggesting patient Bill Shehadi was exceptionally difficult and staffers, including the one on trial, had little direction on handling him.

Dr. James Gusfa spent hours giving testimony in the trial of former forensic nurse Mark Cusson.

Cusson is accused, along with nine others, of abusing patient Bill Shehadi, a man in his 50s at the Whiting two years ago.

Gusfa described Shehadi as a difficult patient. He said, "...might become highly explosive, he might become aggressive, and start to threaten others.

Gusfa added none of that excuses actions including putting a mop on Shehadi's head, as the prosecution said Cusson can be seen doing on video surveillance.

Cusson's attorney Norm Pattis clashed with Gusfa.

Gusfa explained Shehadi had become less difficult to deal with as he advanced in years, "...as he has aged, his aggression has become less intense.

Pattis countered, compared to what? Since Shehadi had been such a difficult patient in the first place.

Gusfa admitted in spite of staff writing down what Shehadi did every 15 minutes, to his knowledge there was no summary of all Shehadi's violence involving staff , and Shehadi was not on any powerful prescriptions to curb his tendencies.

Gusfa said, "His symptoms, were so chronic, and treatment resistant, he didn't sufficiently respond to those.

The defense is expected to begin calling witnesses soon.
Windsor Locks police have made a second arrest in the murder of a 51-year-old man who was found dead in a plastic storage bin in his home in November.

Police previously arrested the mans daughter and they have now arrested her boyfriend.

Michael Keene, 51, was reported missing on Nov. 22 and police officers found his body on Nov. 27 when they responded to the mans Main Street home to investigate a report of a body found stuffed in a plastic storage bin in the home, police said.

Keene had been stabbed in the neck and chest and his death was ruled a homicide, according to police.

Days after police found Keenes body they took his daughter, 23-year-old Jessica Keene, of the same address, into custody at the Travel Inn Motel in Hartford, and charged her with murder. She remains in state Department of Correction custody, where she is being held on $1 million bond. She is due in court on May 16.

Police said they responded to the Keene home when Michael Keene was reported missing but they did not see anything that indicated a body could be concealed inside.

According to court papers, Jessica Keene confessed to police that she stabbed her father on Nov. 17, the night before she gave birth to a premature baby.

She told police there was an argument the night of her fathers death, he was intoxicated and she was defending herself, according to court papers. Jessica Keenes boyfriend was also there at the time.

Police said they also identified Jessica Keenes boyfriend, 24-year-old Quahzier Bouie, of the same address, as a person of interest and obtained an arrest warrant on March 26.

Police tracked him to New Jersey, where he was living and found him at a home on Stratford Avenue in Neptune, N.J. He now being held by New Jersey authorities and is awaiting extradition back to Connecticut to face charges of murder, conspiracy to commit murder and tampering/fabricating evidence, according to police.

Jessica Keenes attorney, Brian Woolf previously raised questions about his clients confession.

Shes extremely distraught. She unequivocally denies ever confessing. She says she had nothing to do with her fathers death, Woolf said.
What to Know A woman allegedly pretended to be a German heiress, living in luxury hotel rooms she couldn't afford and sticking friends with trip bills

Anna Sorokin, 28, was arrested in October 2017; she's scheduled to stand trial on grand larceny and theft of services charges

"She's born in Russia and has not a cent to her name as far as we can determine," a prosecutor said at the time of her arrest

Anna Sorokin traveled in celebrity circles and tossed $100 tips - all the more reason to believe she was the German heiress she said she was. But behind the jet-set lifestyle and pricey threads, prosecutors have said, was a fraudster who bilked friends, banks and hotels for a taste of the high life.

Sorokin, 28, lived in luxury New York City hotel rooms she couldn't afford, promised a friend an all-expenses paid trip to Morocco and then stuck her with the $62,000 bill, and peddled bogus bank statements in a quest for a $22 million loan, the Manhattan District Attorney's office has alleged.

On Wednesday, the one-time darling of the Big Apple social scene went on trial on grand larceny and theft of services charges alleging she swindled various people and businesses out of $275,000 in a 10-month odyssey that saw her jetting to the Midwest and Marrakesh before landing in a cell at Rikers Island.

"Her overall scheme has been to claim to be a wealthy German heiress with approximately $60 million in funds being held abroad," prosecutor Catherine McCaw said after Sorokin's October 2017 arrest. "She's born in Russia and has not a cent to her name as far as we can determine."

Sorokin's attorney said she never intended to commit a crime.

Lawyer Todd Spodek told jurors in an opening statement that Sorokin was exploiting a system that was "easily seduced by glamour and glitz" after she saw how the appearance of wealth opened doors. Spodek said she was merely buying time, so she could launch a business and repay her debts.

"Anna had to fake it until she could make it," Spodek said.

Sorokin, jailed since her arrest, faces deportation to Germany regardless of the outcome of the trial because authorities say she overstayed her visa. Her story, however, may stick around. Shonda Rhimes, the force behind "Grey's Anatomy" and "Scandal," has announced she is creating a television series about Sorokin, whose Instagram bio says: "soon on Netflix."

Sorokin arrived in the world of champagne wishes and caviar dreams in 2016 with a new name (Anna Delvey) and a wardrobe to match (Celine sunglasses, Gucci sandals and high-end buys from Net-a-Porter and Elyse Walker). She made a show of proving she belonged, passing crisp Benjamins to Uber drivers and hotel concierges, but she gave varying accounts for the source of her wealth, according to people who knew her.

At different times, they said, she'd claim her father was a diplomat, an oil baron or a solar panel muckity-muck. In reality, her father told New York magazine, he's a former trucker who runs a heating-and-cooling business.

At first, people around Sorokin didn't see a red flag when she asked them to put cabs and plane fares on their credit cards - she sometimes said she had trouble moving her assets from Europe, they said - and they laughed it off as forgetfulness when they had to hound her to pay them back.

"It was a magic trick," Rachel Williams, the friend from the Morocco trip, wrote in Vanity Fair. "I'm embarrassed to say that I was one of the props, and the audience, too. Anna's was a beautiful dream of New York, like one of those nights that never seems to end. And then the bill arrives."

As she ingratiated herself into the New York party scene, prosecutors said, Sorokin started talking up plans to spend tens of millions of dollars building a private arts club with exhibitions, installations and pop-up shops. She thought about calling it the Anna Delvey Foundation.

Sorokin kept up the heiress ruse as she went looking for a $22 million loan for the club in November 2016, prosecutors said. She claimed the loan would be secured by a letter of credit from UBS in Switzerland and showed statements purporting to substantiate her assets, according to an outline of the charges.

One bank rejected Sorokin because she "did not have sufficient cash flow to make loan payments," prosecutors said. She bailed on another firm when it pressured her for a meeting with a UBS banker who could verify her assets, prosecutors said. At the same time, Spodek said, one of the firm's executives sent Sorokin provocative texts, telling her she was "beautiful inside and out," that he was "forcing myself not to kiss you" and asking to come up to her hotel room.

While seeking the loan, prosecutors said, Sorokin convinced one bank to lend her $100,000 to cover due diligence costs. She ended up keeping $55,000 and "frittered away these funds on personal expenses in about one month's time," prosecutors said. A few months later, in May 2017, Sorokin allegedly chartered a plane to and from the Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, but never paid the $35,400 bill.

Broke and facing a big bill at a midtown Manhattan hotel in July 2017, Sorokin pleaded with a police officer that a bailout was on the way, prosecutors said.

"I have no money and no credit cards. I'm waiting for my aunt from Germany. She's going to pay," Sorokin said, according to court documents. "I'm not trying to run. Why are you making a big deal about this? Give me five minutes, and I can get a friend to pay."
After spending the winter in Mexico, monarch butterflies are beginning to head north, and Texas could see a lot more of them this year than in the recent past.

Texas A&M University researcher Craig Wilson said the number of monarchs this year appears to be up by as much as 144 percent. So far, the figures  typically measured in hectares  show the most area covered since at least 2006, Wilson told the university.

The monarchs are breeding over about 6 hectares in northern Mexico, up from a record low of 0.65 hectares in 2013-14, according to Wilson.

Read more from our media partner The Dallas Morning News.
Youve heard it time and again  this is the year lawmakers in Austin want to revise how the state funds school districts.

Districts across the area are hopeful more cash will start funneling in, but one of the plans to right the ship talks about cutting money from gifted and talented students. But school leaders say not to panic.

At Liberty High School in the Frisco Independent School District, gifted and talented students are studying literature and culture from communities around the world.

Theyre not just researching. They're making sure the information they look up comes from sources they can trust and put to good use. It all takes place at a fast pace.

"Were able to tailor our lessons to their needs, were able to move at a quicker pace or were able to dive deeper than youre able to in a traditional classroom," said teacher Sarah Wiseman.

Some of Wiseman's students can acquire skills twice as fast as peers of the same age. Its why having classes like this are just so important.

"Theyre absorbing so much," Wiseman said.

Why would lawmakers want to touch the money given to classrooms just like these?

Heres whats happening. Instead of the state giving a check to the schools for gifted students only, theyre writing a much bigger check to the district for all students.

The money for gifted and talented, or GT, is still there. The district gets one big check instead of several smaller ones for different programs.

"Everythings fine, were going to continue to have GT programs and were going to continue to fund them at a significant level," said Frisco ISD Superintendent Dr. Mike Waldrip.

Waldrip received calls from parents and even teachers who are worried the new proposal to streamline education funding was taking away money from gifted classrooms.

He assured them all appears safe for GT.

"Theyre trying to simplify the funding formula, make things more efficient," Waldrip said.

Of course the bill could change again, educators are staying plugged in to the proposals but say theyre confident these classes that gifted students and parents count on arent changing or going anywhere.

Several North Texas Superintendents echoed these sentiments about the GT funding allotment.
The lawyer for a woman severely beaten in Deep Ellum last week said Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot personally wants to interview her before deciding what charges the alleged attacker should face. Creuzot's office said he is out of town until Thursday.

The woman, L'Daijohnique Lee, returned Monday to the scene of the crime on Elm Street, with her lawyer Lee Merritt, to retrace her steps.

Lee said she has not recovered from her wounds and from the fear she could be attacked again.

"I haven't been able to eat, haven't been able to sleep. It's always on my mind. I'm scared," Lee said. "I don't know what's bothering me, who's behind me, who he has watching me."

The man accused of beating Lee, Austin Shuffield, is free on bond.

The woman said her attacker walked around her car, photographed her license plate and may have learned where she lived. Since the attack, Merritt said Lee felt unsafe at home and has stayed in hotels.

Shuffield was charged with misdemeanor assault, interfering with an emergency call and public intoxication after he confronted Lee early Thursday morning in an Elm Street parking lot. Shuffield worked at a nearby business and has since been fired.

Lee had just pulled in, to avoid driving the wrong way on one-way Elm Street. A bystander's video, which has been replayed around the world, recorded the beating.

Merritt said a gun the man was seen carrying in the video, his use of the N-word and Sheffield's past social media posts, all support making the case a hate crime felony, not just a misdemeanor.

"File appropriate criminal charges against this man and ensure that he is not able to hurt anyone else in the future," Merritt said.

Angry demonstrators supporting Lee went to the Dallas City Council Public Safety Committee meeting Monday. Councilman Adam McGough, the committee chairman, said he had seen the video.

"Men, fathers and just general human beings have a problem with what took place," McGough said.

Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings came into the chamber to listen as McGough allowed the demonstrators to speak.

Activist Olinka Green became emotional as she complained about the situation.

"You let this man walk. You let him walk. You let him out," Green cried.

Another group of demonstrators went to Dallas police headquarters and demanded Sheffield's charges be upgraded. Reverend Ronald Wright, with Justice Seekers Texas, said the case would have been handled differently if it had been black on white crime.

"We're going to ask that justice be done. Why is there a disparity in who should get treated a certain way?" Wright said.

Dallas Police Chief U. Renee Hall did not attend the Public Safety Committee Monday, but Friday she said police detectives would review the video and make adjustments to the charges, if necessary.

Merritt said Creuzot would have the opportunity to upgrade the case against Shuffield.

"Until he is rearrested, Miss Lee is not safe," Merritt said. "And so while we appreciate that it's a process, we want to see those charges move forward with all deliberate speed and steps taken to make sure he is not a danger to her or other members of the community."

Merritt said Lee would not publicly discuss details of the attack until she had spoken with the Creuzot or his investigators.

Lee said she suffered a concussion in the attack and other injuries including swelling in her jaw, a black eye and an injury to her ear. Merritt said Lee had been to the emergency room three times since the attack, most recently on Sunday, and had received referrals to a facial surgeon and a psychiatrist.

"My body still hurts. Everything still hurts," Lee said.

Merritt said he planned to file a civil rights claim against Shuffield and his former employer High & Tight Barbershop and Bar. Merritt said Shuffield's employer had a responsibility to protect the public and that Shuffield expressed a hostile and racist nature online.

Shuffield could not be reached Monday.

NBC 5's Vanessa Brown and Frank Heinz contributed to this report.
A Chicago-area woman was arrested after federal agents found 33 people they believed to be Guatemalan immigrants in a basement in an alleged forced-labor scheme, NBC News reported.

Concepcion Malinek was arrested for labor trafficking after FBI agents found 19 adults and 14 children in her home in Cicero, Illinois, on Tuesday, according to a 12-page federal criminal complaint filed in the Northern District of Illinois.

A lawyer for Malinek did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NBC News.
Hawaii would be the first state in the U.S. to ban most plastics at restaurants under legislation that aims to cut down on waste that pollutes the ocean.

Dozens of cities nationwide have banned plastic foam containers, but Hawaii's measure targeting fast-food and full-service restaurants would make it the first state to do so. The liberal state has a history of prioritizing the environment  it's mandated renewable energy use and prohibited sunscreen ingredients that harm coral.

A second, more ambitious proposal would go even further and prohibit restaurants, stores, wholesalers and government agencies from distributing and using plastic drink bottles, utensils, stirring sticks, bags and straws.

The Hawaii efforts would be stricter than in California, which last year became the first state to ban full-service restaurants from automatically giving out plastic straws, and broader than in Seattle, San Francisco and other cities that have banned some single-use plastics.

Activists believe the foam container measure has a better chance of passing in Hawaii.

"We have this reputation of setting the example for the world to follow, and that's what we're trying to do here," state Sen. Mike Gabbard, lead author of the more ambitious measure, said to the Senate. "Our state can once again take the lead in protecting our environment."

Gabbard, father of Democratic presidential candidate and U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, said 95 percent of plastic packaging worldwide is thrown out after being used once. In the U.S., 500 million plastic straws are used and thrown out every day, he said.

Discarded, slow-to-degrade plastic is showing up at sea, as in a massive gyre northeast of the Hawaiian islands, and on beaches.

Plastics also contribute to climate change because oil is used to make them, said Stuart Coleman, Hawaii manager for the Surfrider Foundation.

Eric S.S. Wong, co-owner of two fast-food establishments on Oahu, said not being able to serve food in plastic foam containers would drive up his costs at a time when he faces rising health insurance charges for his employees and a possible minimum wage hike that lawmakers also are considering.

He said he'll have to raise prices.

"Now all of the sudden, your family's $30 dining experience became $37 or $38," Wong said.

His Wiki Wiki Drive Inn takeout counter in Honolulu sells sandwiches, breakfast meals and Hawaii favorites like Loco Moco, which features white rice topped with a hamburger patty, fried egg and gravy.

A package of 200 foam boxes costs him $23, while the same number of biodegradable boxes would cost $57, he said.

Chris Yankowski of the Hawaii Restaurant Association, which represents 3,500 restaurants, said lawmakers are trying to do "too much too fast."

Yankowski, who is also president of Triple F Distributors, argued that good alternatives to plastic products are not yet available. Hawaii's cities and counties also don't provide composting facilities, so there is no organized place to dispose of compostable containers that lawmakers say restaurants should use instead, he added.

"It's almost like we want to do great things for the environment, but we're not ready to handle it when we change it over," Yankowski said.

The Hawaii Food Industry Association, which counts the state's biggest supermarkets and convenience stores as members, initially opposed the foam container ban but now supports it.

The group said in written testimony that it's encountered difficulties coping with varied local regulations and it wants the state to create a consistent standard. Two main counties  Hawaii and Maui  have already adopted plastic foam bans. Maui's took effect on Dec. 31, while Hawaii's takes effect on July 1.

The association still opposes the broader measure, which also would ban plastic garbage bags.

The president of Island Plastic Bags, a Hawaii company that makes plastic bags, said the legislation would prohibit his company from selling trash bags to nursing homes and hospitals as well as restaurants and hotels.

Grocery stores wouldn't be able to sell trash can liners, Adrian Hong said in written testimony. It would create a "public health crisis," he said.

Gabbard said his proposal was in the early stages so lawmakers have time to address such concerns.

The state Senate has passed both bills. They still must get through several House committees and the full House before heading to the governor.

Cindy McMillan, a spokeswoman for Gov. David Ige, said he hasn't stated a position on the measures yet.

Justin Macia, a pharmacist in Honolulu, said he would like people to use less plastic and stop using plastic foam entirely because of how long it takes to degrade. Cardboard containers would be a great alternative, he said.

"It's definitely something that's got to go," he said, after eating a sandwich from a foam takeout box.
What to Know A standoff at a hotel in Manchester, New Hampshire is over after nearly 15 hours.

Two people were found dead inside the barricaded hotel room.

Officials say Stephen Marshall, 51, was holding a gun and engaged with authorities when he was fatally shot on Wednesday night.

Two people were found dead inside a hotel room after a nearly 15-hourslong barricade situation in Manchester that started with the fatal police-involved shooting of another man, according to the New Hampshire attorney general's office.

The barricade started Wednesday evening at the Quality Inn Manchester Airport hotel and lasted until just after 10 a.m. Thursday, after a man was fatally shot by authorities when he allegedly opened fire on them. SWAT teams worked through the night to get two remaining people to come out of the hotel room, including using chemical agents, as at least one individual repeatedly shot at law enforcement agents for more than nine hours.

The Nashua police SWAT team were assisting Manchester police, and shortly after 10 a.m. Thursday they entered the first-floor hotel room and found a man and woman, dead, according to New Hampshire Attorney General Gordon MacDonald. They have not been publicly identified.

The man who was killed on Wednesday has been identified as 51-year-old Manchester resident Stephen Marshall, officials said in a press conference on Thursday afternoon.

"At the same general time that the police approached the first-floor room in the hotel where Stephen Marshall and the other male were staying, Marshall exited the hotel room via a west facing window," said MacDonald. "Once outside, Mr. Marshall engaged two U.S. drug enforcement administration agents and one Manchester police officer."

MacDonald said Marshall had a silver, semi-automatic handgun in his hand when a Manchester police officer and a Drug Enforcement Administration agent opened fire near the back of the John E. Devine Drive hotel at about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

"Mr. Marshall was struck by gunfire, taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead," said MacDonald.

An autopsy is scheduled for Thursday, according to officials.

Authorities did not release the names of the officer and DEA agent involved in the shooting pending the investigation but did say the officer was placed on administrative leave until further notice.

Crisis negotiators were initially successful in communicating with the barricade suspects several times, but the communication stopped around midnight.

Police first received a call of shots fired in the hotel at about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

"We heard six to eight gunshots," said Chris Jones. "Within, I don't know, a minute, minute and a half, we saw about 15 Manchester PD (cruisers) come flying in."

All hotel guests and employees vacated the hotel by 10:15 p.m., according to police.

"I opened up the door to a surprise to have officers in front of me and they just said, 'we need to get you out of here,'" explained John Ridgley who was staying at the hotel.

By 10:45 p.m., police said an individual had fired multiple rounds toward officers who were positioned outside of a room.

"I came down, there was a SWAT team. I've been up in my room two or three times, and the last time, they said I couldn't go back in my room," James LaCroix, a guest, said.

At approximately 3 a.m., the subjects opened fire for about 20 minutes as SWAT team members deployed a chemical agent into a hotel room, according to police.

The Manchester Police SWAT Team, state police and the Manchester Fire Department have been assisting police with the standoff.

"We cannot and will not tolerate when we have officers being shot at in an investigation like this," Manchester Police Chief Carlo Capano said.

No law enforcement agents involved in the barricade were injured, authorities said.

The area was closed to traffic, with closures on John E. Devine Drive, South Willow Street and March Avenue.

Marshall had an extensive criminal history, with most of the charges involving drugs, according to records obtained by the New Hampshire attorney general's office.

The investigation into the hourslong standoff is ongoing, and authorities say investigators will be at the Quality Inn for several days.
All northbound lanes of Interstate 35E are closed north of Waxahachie Thursday morning after an 18-wheeler crashed and caught fire.

The crash happened in a construction zone near Butcher Road.

Video from Texas Sky Ranger showed the charred wreckage of the truck. No other vehicles were involved.

The interstate will be closed for several hours as authorities remove the debris, police said. Traffic is being diverted onto the service road.

Despite the damage, no injuries have been reported.

No further information was immediately available.
A former money manager of the Juarez drug cartel faces sentencing Thursday in downtown Los Angeles on a federal conspiracy charge stemming from Operation Casablanca, once billed as the largest drug money-laundering investigation in U.S. history.

Jose "El Compadre" Alvarez-Tostado, 63, pleaded guilty in January to a single federal count of conspiracy to aid and abet the distribution of controlled substances, which carries a possible 20-year prison sentence.

Prosecutors are seeking a sentence of 18 years behind bars.

Alvarez -- the lead defendant in a 35-person indictment filed in Los Angeles federal court -- managed the collection, laundering and distribution of at least $24 million and more than a ton of cocaine. As part of the 1990s sting operation, undercover agents set up shop in a Santa Fe Springs warehouse and posed as money launderers to collect evidence.

Launched in 1995, Operation Casablanca linked some Mexican banks and banking officials with the laundering of cartel drug profits. The three-year Los Angeles-based probe resulted in more than 100 arrests and seizures of $50 million dollars in illegal proceeds from drug money laundering and more than two tons of cocaine and four tons of marijuana.

Alvarez collected more than $40 million from narcotics sales in the United States and transferred the money into Mexican bank accounts on behalf of Amado Carrillo Fuentes, the reputed chief of the Juarez cartel until his death in 1997 during plastic surgery, according to the 1998 indictment.

Alvarez had been on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's most-wanted list until he was arrested by Mexican authorities in 2005 and subsequently extradited to Los Angeles last year.
The wife of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido was welcomed Wednesday at the White House as she rallies international support for the ouster of President Nicolas Maduro.

President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence lavished praise on Fabiana Rosales, the wife of opposition leader Juan Guaido, who has emerged as a prominent figure in her husband's campaign to bring change to the crisis-wracked country.

"We are with Venezuela," the president said at the start of a meeting with Rosales and other opposition figures. "What's happening there should not be happening."

The United States was the first nation to recognize Guaido as interim president, asserting that Maduro's re-election last year was illegitimate, and has stepped up sanctions and other diplomatic measures in hopes of forcing him to give up power.

Trump said the Venezuelan people have been through "unfathomable" trials under Maduro as food and medicine have become scarce, crime has soared and, more recently, blackouts have struck most of the country. An estimated 3 million people have fled, most to neighboring countries but thousands to the U.S. as well.

"Today, in Venezuela it is freedom or dictatorship, it is life or death," Rosales said at the start of the meeting. "It is the children who are paying the price."

Pence called on governments around the world to stop supporting the Maduro government, singling out Russia for its deployment of military forces to the country over the weekend.

"The United States views Russia's arrival of military planes this weekend as an unwelcome provocation and calls on Russia today to cease all support for the Maduro regime," the vice president said.

Russia's Foreign Ministry says it sent the personnel in accordance with the Venezuelan constitution and a bilateral agreement with the government there.

Among those at the White House meeting were the wife and sister of Roberto Marrero, a top aide to Guaido who was taken from his home in the middle of the night by masked agents last week. The government says he was the ringleader of a plot to bring hitmen from Central America to Venezuela to carry out assassinations.

Rosales was scheduled to meet later with members of Congress and will speak at a conference with the ambassador recognized by the Trump administration.
What to Know Rockland County declared a countywide State of Emergency relating to the ongoing measles outbreak Tuesday

A ban went into effect at midnight, Wednesday, barring any unvaccinated minor from public places for 30 days or they are vaccinated

As of Wednesday, there are 155 confirmed reported cases of measles in the county, according to Rockland County

Confirmed cases of measles in Rockland County rose to 155 on Wednesday, hours after the county declared a state of emergency and banned children who are unvaccinated against the measles from public places.

A local outbreak of the measles entered its 26th week this week  the longest since the disease was eradicated in the United States in 2000, according to officials in the New York.

The ban went into effect at midnight, Wednesday, barring anyone younger than 18 who is unvaccinated against the measles from public places until they receive the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. The ban expires in 30 days. On Tuesday, recorded cases of measles in the area was 153.

The Department of Health was hosting free MMR vaccination clinics Wednesday from 1 to 3 p.m. -- one in Pomona and another in Spring Valley. News 4 witnessed a number of people showing up to local Rockland County clinics to get the MMR vaccine.

Those unable to be vaccinated for documented and confirmed medical reasons are exempt from the declaration.

"We believe this to be the first such effort of this kind nationally and the circumstances we face here clearly call for that," said Rockland County Executive Ed Day at a Tuesday press conference. "Rockland will lead the way in service and safety to the people here.

The outbreak started after seven unvaccinated travelers with measles entered the county in early October, Day said. Rockland County has been grappling with a measles outbreak in recent months affecting residents in Spring Valley, New Square and Monsey. Officials had previously asked students who are unvaccinated not to attend school.

Still, Day said county officials have been met with "pockets of resistance" from people unwilling to comply with health department advice and this played a part in the decision to enact a ban.



Anyone found in violation could face six months in jail and/or a $500 fine, Day said. However, he added that the county is not looking to arrest people, but rather a means to grab the public's attention.
What to Know Victoria Ruvolo was nearly killed in 2004 when a teen threw a frozen turkey through her car windshield; she died Monday at the age of 59

Every bone in her face was shattered and the steering wheel bent when the 20-pound turkey smashed through her car; she rehabbed for months

Ruvolo urged leniency for the teenager -- and because of that, the youth got six months in jail instead of up to 25 years in prison

A New Yorker who urged leniency for the teenager who nearly killed her in 2004 by throwing a frozen turkey through her car windshield has died. Victoria Ruvolo was 59 years old.

Anthony Ruvolo says his aunt died Monday. The cause is unknown, and it's unclear whether the old injuries contributed to her death.

Every bone in Ruvolo's face was shattered and the steering wheel bent when the teenager threw the 20-pound turkey at her car as she drove home in November 2004.

The Lake Ronkonkoma woman endured reconstructive surgery and months of rehabilitation; her jaw had to be wired shut and metals were used to rebuild her face. Despite that, Ruvolo lobbied Suffolk County's district attorney to give the teenager a plea deal. Because of her advocacy, the youth got six months in jail instead of a potential 25-year prison sentence.

A friend, Linda Anne Lynch, told Newsday that Ruvolo, who went on to become an author and motivational speaker, was a "believer in second chances."

She adds: "Forgive someone today in Vickie's memory."
North Korea leader Kim Jong Un was on a train Sunday to Vietnam for his second summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, state media confirmed.

Kim was accompanied by Kim Yong Chol, who has been a key negotiator in talks with the U.S., and Kim Yo Jong, the leader's sister, the North's official Korean Central News Agency reported.

Late Saturday, an Associated Press reporter saw a green and yellow train similar to one used in the past by Kim cross into the Chinese border city of Dandong via a bridge.

The Trump-Kim meeting is slated for Wednesday and Thursday in Hanoi.

Their first summit last June in Singapore ended without substantive agreements on the North's nuclear disarmament and triggered a months-long stalemate in negotiations as Washington and Pyongyang struggled with the sequencing of North Korea's nuclear disarmament and the removal of U.S.-led sanctions against the North.

Kim's overseas travel plans are routinely kept secret.

It could take more than two days for the train to travel thousands of miles through China to Vietnam.

Vietnam's Foreign Ministry announced Saturday that Kim would pay an official goodwill visit to the country "in the coming days" in response to an invitation by President Nguyen Phu Trong, who is also the general secretary of Vietnam's ruling Communist Party.

In his upcoming meeting with Trump, experts say Kim will seek a U.S. commitment for improved bilateral relations and partial sanctions relief while trying to minimize any concessions on his nuclear facilities and weapons.

While Kim wants to leverage his nuclear and missile program for economic and security benefits, there continue to be doubts on whether he's ready to fully deal away an arsenal that he may see as his strongest guarantee of survival.

Last year, North Korea suspended its nuclear and long-range missile tests and unilaterally dismantled its nuclear testing ground and parts of a rocket launch facility without the presence of outside experts, but none of those steps were seen as meaningful cutbacks to the North's weapons capability.

While North Korea has repeatedly demanded that the United States take corresponding measures, including sanctions relief, Washington has called for more concrete steps from Pyongyang toward denuclearization.

Hanoi has been gearing up for the summit with beefed-up security. Officials say the colonial-era Government Guest House in central Hanoi is expected to be the venue for the Trump-Kim meeting, with the nearby Metropole Hotel as a backup. Streets around the two places have been beautified with flowers and the flags of North Korea, the U.S and Vietnam.

Workers were also putting final touches on the International Media Center. Vietnam's Foreign Ministry says some 2,600 members of the foreign press have registered for the event.

Meanwhile, Vietnam has announced a traffic ban along Kim's possible arrival route.

The Communist Party's mouthpiece Nhan Dan newspaper late Friday quoted the Department of Roads as saying the ban will first apply to trucks 10 tons or bigger, and vehicles with nine seats or more on the 170-kilometer (105-mile) stretch of Highway One from Dong Dang, the border town with China, to Hanoi from 7 p.m. Monday to 2 p.m. Tuesday, followed by a complete ban Tuesday on all vehicles from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The People's Committee in Lang Son province, where the Dong Dang railway station is located, issued a statement Friday instructing the road operator to clean the highway stretch and suspend road works, among other things, on Feb. 24-28 as "a political task."
Two police officers were wounded and a sword-wielding man was killed Wednesday in a shooting inside the Church of Scientology in Inglewood.

Police responded to the building in the 300 block of S. Market Street after a report of a man entering the Church of Scientology carrying a sword. The man, who arrived at the building in a white Bentley and wore a hooded sweatshirt, was hospitalized in grave condition after being shot in the head and died a short time later, police said.

His identity was not immediately available. It was not immediately clear why the man was at the location.

One police officer suffered a hand injury, the other suffered an injury to an arm, police initially said.

Inglewood Chief of Police Mark Fronterotta told NBC4 that it was not clear if the officer wounded in the arm had been shot or sliced by the sword. The police chief said the other officer had been shot in the thumb.

It was not clear how the officers were struck by gunfire. Police did not say whether the man with a sword also had a gun.

Both officers were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries and in good condition. One officer has been with the department for 10 years and the other for four years.

The Church of Scientology released a statement thanking the Inglewood Police Department for its "rapid response in protecting our parishioners and staff members."

Market Street remained closed Tuesday night for the investigation.

No other injuries were reported.
One of Germany's richest families, whose company owns a controlling interest in Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Panera Bread, Pret a Manger and other well-known businesses, plans to donate millions to charity after learning about their ancestors' enthusiastic support of Adolf Hitler and use of forced laborers under the Nazis, according to a report Sunday.

In a four-page report, the Bild newspaper reported that documents uncovered in Germany, France and the U.S. reveal that Albert Reimann Sr. and Albert Reimann Jr. used Russian civilians and French POWs as forced laborers.

Family spokesman Peter Harf, who is one of two managing partners of the Reimann's JAB Holding Company, said recent internal research confirmed Bild's findings.

"It is all correct," he told the newspaper. "Reimann senior and Reimann junior were guilty ... they belonged in jail."

The father and son, who died in 1954 and 1984, did not talk about the Nazi era and the family had thought that all of the company's connection to the Nazis had been revealed in a 1978 report, Harf said.

But after reading documents kept by the family, the younger generation began to ask questions and commissioned a University of Munich historian in 2014 to examine the Reimann history more thoroughly, Harf said.

The expert presented his preliminary findings to the Reimann children and grandchildren, as well as Hanf, several weeks ago, he said.

"We were all ashamed and turned as white as the wall," he said. "There is nothing to gloss over. These crimes are disgusting."

In addition al Krispy Kreme Doughnuts and Pret a Manger, the Luxembourg-based JAB Holding Co. has controlling stakes in Keurig Green Mountain, Peet's Coffee & Tea, Caribou Coffee Co., Panera Bread and other companies.

Many German companies have acknowledged using slave laborers during the Nazi era and have conducted their own independent investigations.

In 2000, the German government approved a 10 billion mark (about 5.1 billion euro) fund to provide compensation, with half the money coming from companies like Bayer, Siemens, Deutsche Bank, Daimler-Benz, Volkswagen, and AEG.

Bild reported that even before the Nazis came to power, the Reimanns donated to the paramilitary SS.

During World War II, the company used forced laborers in its industrial chemicals company. It was not clear how many were used overall, but Bild said in 1943, 175 forced laborers were being used, about 30 percent of its workforce.

In addition to Russian and other Eastern European civilians, the company used French prisoners of war  about whom Reimann Jr. complained in a letter to the Ludwigshafen mayor in 1940 that they weren't working hard enough.

After the war, the two were investigated by the occupying Allied powers and initially banned by the French from continuing their business activities but then had the judgment overturned by the Americans, Bild reported.

Harf said the family would donate 10 million euros ($11.3 million) to a not-yet-determined charity as a gesture, and once the historian's report is complete, it would be released to the public.

"The whole truth must be put on the table," he said.
A Pennsylvania man who killed and dismembered his girlfriend's 14-year-old daughter as part of a rape-murder fantasy he shared with the teenager's mother was sentenced Thursday to death.

Jacob Sullivan, 46, pleaded guilty to the July 2016 torture of his girlfriend's daughter. Grace's adoptive mother, Sara Packer, pleaded guilty in exchange for a life sentence.

Her sentencing could come as early Thursday.

Sullivan had no reaction as the verdict was read. Pennsylvania has a moratorium on the death penalty, but juries can still impose the sentence.

"The butchery in this case was beyond my ability to describe," Bucks County Judge Diane Gibbons told jurors, thanking them for their service. Imposing the jury's sentence on Sullivan, she declared: "You have no soul."

District Attorney Matthew Weintraub had asked the jury to send Sullivan to death row, reminding them that Grace's life "ended in a house of horrors that became a hell on Earth."

The defense asked for a life sentence, insisting that Grace's mother, Sara Packer, masterminded the gruesome plot and controlled Sullivan. Sara Packer, who testified last week and admitted to jurors she wanted her daughter dead and took part in the plot, is due to plead guilty to first-degree murder in exchange for a life sentence.

Pennsylvania last carried out an execution in 1999, and Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf declared a moratorium on capital punishment in 2015. There are 142 inmates on the state's death row.

Warning: The details of this story are extremely graphic and could be disturbing to some readers.

Earlier this month, family members of a 14-year-old Pennsylvania girl who was gagged, raped and murdered said in court Wednesday that they remain haunted by her torture and excruciating death.

They described for jurors their unrelenting pain at a hearing that will determine whether Grace Packer's killer will face life in prison or the death penalty.

"It sickens me to know that Grace was abused, tortured and literally thrown away like she was a piece of trash," her cousin, Karie Heisserer, with whom Grace lived for a time in 2015, said in court. "Grace is in a better place now, free from evil and pain."

Jacob Sullivan, 46, pleaded guilty to the July 2016 rape, murder and dismemberment of his girlfriend's daughter. Grace's adoptive mother, Sara Packer, pleaded guilty in exchange for a life sentence.

Prosecutors painted a nightmare scenario inside the family's Quakerstown home. They said Sara Packer hated Grace, shared a rape-murder fantasy with Sullivan, watched as he sexually assaulted and strangled her in a hot attic outside Philadelphia, and helped hack up her body and dispose of it months later.

Sara Packer took the stand Wednesday and said Grace had a tendency to be a "very difficult child.

Grace had become, for lack of a better word, a non-entity, Packer said. She didnt exist anymore. I wanted her to go away.

Sara Packer, who wore a red prison jumpsuit, also said she has a degree in psychology and an IQ over 140.

Earlier in the week, Amy Adam, Grace's guidance counselor, said the teen got excellent grades but required emotional support. She said that a few months before Grace's death, Sara Packer had threatened to send her to foster care or to a residential center. That prompted Grace to write a "good-bye letter" to her family, Adam said.

The letter was displayed for the jury.

"I know that you guys are at your breaking point and I understand," Grace wrote. "I love you guys I always have and I always will."

Jurors saw photos of the bubbly but troubled teen in happier times: Sitting in the cab of her uncle's big rig, frolicking in the sand at her first trip to the beach, delighting in birthday cake at a pool party. But all of that happened with relatives, not with Sara Packer, a former county adoptions supervisor who, prosecutors said, spent years physically and mentally abusing the little girl she fostered and then adopted.

Bucks County District Attorney Matthew Weintraub told the jury that he agreed to a life sentence for Sara in exchange for her confession and guilty plea because the physical evidence against her was weak, because it was Sullivan who raped and killed Grace, and because her crimes did not qualify for the death penalty.

In a confession to police, Sullivan said he and Sara Packer plotted Grace's death. Sullivan admitted he punched and raped Grace as Sara Packer watched, bound her hands and feet with zip ties and stuffed a ball gag in her mouth.

I got wrapped up in Jakes fantasy, she said. I didnt think I could tell him no without losing him.

Prosecutors said Sullivan and Packer also gave the teen what they intended to be a lethal dose of over-the-counter medication and left her to die in a sweltering attic.

Grace eventually managed to escape some of her bindings and spit the gag out, but was unable to make it out of the house before Sullivan and Packer returned overnight  some 12 hours later  and Sullivan strangled her as Sara Packer watched.

The couple stored her body in cat litter for months, then hacked it up and dumped it in a remote area where hunters found it in October 2016, prosecutors said.

Sullivan told police he wanted the torture and death "to be fun" for the teen.

Grace's younger brother, Josh Packer, now 14, told jurors the only way he can bear his loss is if adults know her story and then act to prevent child abuse.

He said in a statement read by a detective that if his big sister was told she could save other kids' lives by giving her own, she would ask, "What do I have to do?"

"Watch out for all the kids so that a loss like Grace's loss never happens again," Josh wrote. "Do your best to help kids who can't help themselves."

That's not what happened in Grace's case.

Sara Packer and her husband at the time, David Packer, adopted Grace and Josh in 2007. Their biological parents lost custody of the children because they could not provide a safe home for them due to mental illness and her husband's intellectual challenges, The Morning Call reported.

The Packers, meanwhile, cared for dozens of children before David Packer was sent to prison for sexually assaulting Grace and a 15-year-old foster daughter at their Allentown home.

Sara Packer lost her job as a Northampton County adoptions supervisor in 2010 and was barred from taking in any more foster children. But child welfare authorities did not remove Grace from the home, despite evidence of abuse.

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services launched an investigation after Grace's murder. Its findings have not been made public.

Both Sara Packer and Sullivan survived suicide attempts in the months following the murder.
New Jersey regulators have seized more than $107,000 won by underage or otherwise prohibited gamblers at Atlantic City's Borgata casino.

As part of the action made public recently by the state Division of Gaming Enforcement, regulators also issued a fine of $81,000 for the Borgata's online gambling partner, bwin.party. The company agreed to the fine and did not contest it.

The cases involved gamblers who were under the legal age of 21 or those who voluntarily agreed to be barred from casino and online gambling for a period of time but were allowed to gamble sooner than they had been set out.

Those so-called self-exclusion lists are meant to help people who feel they have a gambling problem.

The Borgata says it takes gambling compliance seriously and notes that it discovered and reported the illegal gamblers to the state on its own.

"Borgata's team members are well trained on responsible gaming policies, and we approach these requirements with the utmost importance," said Marcus Glover, the casino's president. "Borgata consistently self-reports to uphold our operational integrity, as indicated by the instances of forfeited funds rather than fines. Our company's record of supporting regulatory efforts is unmatched and we will always strive to uphold the highest standards, not only in compliance, but in customer care and harm minimization."

Other casinos or their gambling technology partners were cited for similar but smaller cases. Bally's forfeited $1,398; Caesars forfeited $3,530 and Hard Rock was fined $1,000 for underage gambling. Gaming Innovation Group was fined $2,000 for an internet gambling rule violation, and SG Digital was fined $1,000 for violating self-exclusion rules.

Some of the cases cited by the gaming enforcement division stretch back as far as 2004 -- the year after the Borgata opened.

Part of the problem involved online gamblers who had signed up for a five-year self-exclusion being allowed to gamble online by bwin.party after just one year. The companies identified 15 such accounts, terminated them, and Borgata reported the matter to the state.

Bwin.party was fined for the violation after the state determined it incorrectly processed player requests to be removed from the self-exclusion list; Borgata was not. Instead, the casino had to forfeit the money it confiscated from the illegal gamblers.

When a casino discovers an illegal player, it stops him or her from further gambling and seize money and outstanding chips or vouchers that the gambler had won, holding onto it until the state rules on the case. In the vast majority of cases, these gamblers cannot or do not prove that they were gambling legally, and the state seizes the money, which is split between a fund for senior citizens and the disabled and programs to prevent or treat compulsive gambling.
What to Know Police are working to determine if a man who shot and killed his girlfriend's ex-boyfriend will be charged or if he acted in self-defense.

Police say the man killed Jamil Howell after Howell crashed into his car in Philly's Frankford section.

Police later arrested Howell's landlord who allegedly tried to sell his valuables.

A man was shot and killed by his ex-girlfriend's current boyfriend after ramming his car into their vehicle during a violent night in Philadelphia, police said.

The ordeal began at 8:52 p.m. Tuesday in the city's Frankford neighborhood when a man and his girlfriend went to pick up her baby at her ex-boyfriend's home on the 4300 block of Milnor Street.

The woman's ex, 32-year-old Jamil Howell, was also the father of her child, police said. When Howell saw her with her current boyfriend, he got into a physical altercation with her, according to investigators.

The woman and her boyfriend then went back into their car. Howell then entered his own vehicle and crashed it into his ex's car, causing it to slam into at least two other vehicles, according to police.

The woman's current boyfriend then pulled out a gun, got out of the car and fired multiple shots at Howell, striking him in the chest and torso, police said.

Jenna Petaccio, a witness, told NBC10 she ran over to Howell after the shooting and tried to save his life.

"I'm like in shock over it," she said. "I couldn't sleep last night. All I picture is his face, gasping for that last bit of air."

Howell was taken to Temple University Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 9:32 p.m. Tuesday.

Officials say the gunman fled the scene before being apprehended by police about a mile away on the 4500 block of Oakland Street. He was taken into custody and is cooperating with police. Investigators have not yet determined if the man will be charged or if he acted in self-defense.

Howell's father, Andrew Howell, is the founder of "Race for Peace," a group which stands up against racism, discrimination and violence. He told NBC10 his son was a hardworking father of two.

"He loved his children," Andrew Howell said. "That was his world. His children were his world. I was very proud of him."

Family Photos

Less than 12 hours after Howell's death, his own landlord was arrested. The landlord allegedly removed Howell's valuables from his home and tried to sell them to other people, sources told NBC10. Neighbors called police who took the landlord into custody.

Police arrest landlord outside deadly shooting scene from last night in Frankford. Neighbors watched him go in house and take victims stuff with another man. Police source says other man tried selling the valuables less than 12 hours after shooting. @NBCPhiladelphia at 11pm. pic.twitter.com/XJlur3AQDx  Aaron Baskerville (@ABaskerville10) March 28, 2019

Howell was one of four people killed in three separate shootings in Philadelphia Tuesday night. As of Wednesday there have been 76 homicides in Philadelphia this year, up from 69 on this same date in 2018.
Two sanitation workers were injured, one critically, when a trash truck exploded in Wilmington, Delaware Thursday morning.

The workers were loading trash onto the truck a little after 7 a.m. on Vandever Avenue when the truck started compressing the trash, which prompted the blast, the Wilmington Police Department said in a news release.

Right before the explosion, the men had noticed some sort of tank in the truck, the WPD said. According to police, the blast happened just as the compressor came down on the tank.

The explosion caused one of the workers, a 40-year-old man, to suffer a chest wound. He was airlifted to the hospital. The man was conscious and alert when paramedics arrived and is listed in critical condition with non-life threatening injuries, police said.

The other worker, a 42-year-old man, was taken to the hospital via ambulance with minor injuries.

Police continue to investigate the incident.
A roadside argument between two men Thursday morning over an attempted car theft ended in a shooting and the death of a man in El Cajon, police said.

The fatal shooting happened around 9:30 a.m. at the 1300 block of East Main Street, near El Cajon Inn and Suites, El Cajon police Lt. Royal Bates said.

An off-duty security guard interrupted a possible car theft or carjacking, Bates said. During the incident, the owner of the car was also involved in an altercation with the suspect, he said.

It looked like a scuffle between two people, Jeannette Gardina told NBC 7.

She was across the street when she saw a man holding a gun. He was facing another man while backing up at the same time, she said.

Police said at some point during the, the car owner fired a handgun, fatally hitting the suspect.

Gardina said there were two noises that sounded like a cap gun.

"The third time, the guy went down," she said.

Yser Hermes was working at a nearby tobacco store when he heard two noises that sounded like gunshots.

"Before I go around, I hear three other shots," he said. "I heard people saying outside, 'Stay down.'"

Both witnesses said El Cajon police arrived quickly and detained the man who was armed and performed CPR on the man who was shot.

The investigation shut down a stretch of East Main Street in both directions from Madison Avenue to Walter Way about 9:45 a.m., the El Cajon police said.

About a half-dozen patrol vehicles and a Critical Incident Response Team van were at the scene near the El Cajon Inn and Suites.

Vickie Bendixen, who claims to be the gunman's mother-in-law, said the man who was detained by police was defending his property.

When the man realized someone was stealing items from his car, he ran back to the motel room to grab his gun, she said.

The guy was in the car taking things, Bendixen said crying. Its come to the point where everybody has to take care of themselves. Its a shame that it happened.

The man, who had been living at the motel with his adult daughter, recently got a job after going through some hard times, Bendixen said.

The investigation was near a strip mall on Jamacha Boulevard and North Second Street that housed several small restaurants, a Walmart, a Walgreens and a Sprouts Farmer's Market.

On Friday, El Cajon police updated the case saying the investigation is ongoing into a "probable carjacking and vehicle burglary" according to a news release.

Investigators say no arrests have been made. They added that they do not believe the man who fired the gun and the man who was killed are acquaintances.
The characters on "Abby's" are upset that the Chargers left San Diego. They know what birds fly in the canyon behind their South Park homes and they hit up Sombrero's Mexican Food.

NBC's newest multi-camera comedy, which premieres Thursday at 9:30 p.m., is set in San Diego's South Park neighborhood and promises to be filled with familiarity for locals, even while the rest of the world may not be in on the joke.

"I learned of the existence of Mission Gorge Road. Is that a real thing?" said Neil Flynn, who plays Fred, the older patron of Abby's bar and father figure to the title character, portrayed by Natalie Morales.

The series -- co-created by Torrey Pines High School alumni Josh Malmuth -- centers around Abby (Morales), a Marine veteran who decides to open an illegal bar in her San Diego backyard after her return from serving two tours in Afghanistan.

The neighborhood spot draws an unusual cast of characters, from the neurotic landlord Bill (Nelson Franklin) to less-than-intimidating bouncer James (Leonard Ouzts).

In the pilot, Bill discovers the illegal bar but with some coaxing from the bar patrons, agrees to let Abby keep the bar, as long as she makes a few changes.

'Abby's' Star Natalie Morales Shines Spotlight on Diversity



Malmuth, whose previous credits include Fox's "New Girl" and NBC's "Superstore," grew up in the Del Mar area and thought that this wonderful, albeit at times "strange" city, would be the right location for his cast of characters.

"He has made sure that San Diego has become one of our co-stars at the bar," said actress Jessica Chaffin.

None of the actors on "Abby's" are from San Diego, or even have much knowledge of America's Finest City but they're learning, actress Kimia Behpoornia said.

"We also are mad about the Chargers," she adds.

"Furious about the Chargers," Franklin agreed.

San Diegans can relate.

The comedy is the first multi-cam show to be shot outdoors and in front of a studio audience. The show is filmed on Wisteria Lane in the Universal Studios Backlot; Abby's backyard-turned-bar used to be part of the "Desperate Housewives" set -- Eddie Britt's (Nicollette Sheridan) home.

Franklin said it's because of San Diego's laid-back vibe that a show set entirely in a backyard works so well.

"The vibe there is what I think lends itself so well to the show," he said. "Everybodys relaxed, this is like true Southern California and theres no judgment at this bar."

Malmuth said that the characters in "Abby's" will be relatable to everyone but hopes that the show's authentic San Diego style especially appeals to locals.

San Diegan's can watch Abby's 10-episode run every Thursday at 9:30 p.m. PST on NBC 7.
The San Diego Rapid Response Network (RRN) let local media tour its newest shelter for migrant families Wednesday, just hours after U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced a one-day record for apprehensions and encounters at the U.S. Mexico border.

The RRN repurposed an old courthouse building in Bankers Hill after the San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted in January to lease the building for $1.

County Supervisors said the new facility will help staff and volunteers process thousands of asylum-seeking families that have made their way into the U.S. The County says more than 11,000 families have been processed through its shelters since last November when the federal government stopped providing assistance to asylum seekers.

Last month, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill allowing $5 million to fund community organizations that provide service to asylum-seeking families.

The RRN will use $2.2 million of that allotted funding through the end of June, but says it needs hundreds of thousands more to get through the end of the year.

CBP tweeted that agents made 4,117 apprehensions or encounters along the border on Tuesday, dozens more than the 3,700 recorded the day before which CBP said was the most the agency had seen in 10 years.

Last week, President Donald Trump announced that asylum seekers would no longer be granted shelter in the U.S. and would instead have to wait south of the border until the courts are ready to hear their claims.

The administration hoped that making asylum seekers wait in Mexico would discourage weak claims and help reduce an immigration court backlog of more than 800,000 cases.

But advocates for the thousands of asylum seekers from Central America now camped in shelters or in the streets in Tijuana, many of whom complain of unsafe and unsanitary living conditions, say the policy change is to blame for the rising tensions at the border.

Immigration attorney Cesar Luna told NBC 7 he believes the policy change is a strategy the U.S. government has deployed to make things more difficult for migrants.

Unfortunately, the new procedures that have been recently established, we believe they're wrong. They are, perhaps, even illegal with regards to having people stopped at the border and having to wait for their turn in Mexico, Luna said.

Pedro Rios with the American Friends Service Committee says President Trumps policy change doesnt agree with international asylum procedure.

The U.S. is making it so difficult by posting agents at ports of entry denying people the ability to come in, to force them to get some sort of number and wait months in Tijuana -- it's inconsistent and violates those international agreements around asylum procedures, Rios said.

Supporters of the Trump administration's policy say the crisis at the border is evidence of the need for an extended border wall. Those on the other side say the U.S. should continue to help the impoverished countries where drug cartels are terrorizing citizens are driving them north out of apparent desperation.
As several thousand people, including firefighters from across the nation, gathered in Maine to honor the life of one of their own, a fire chief in attendance suffered a medical emergency and later died.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills says Oxford Fire Chief Gary Sacco died after attending Sunday's funeral for Berwick Fire Capt. Joel Barnes, who was fatally injured shielding a colleague while battling a four-alarm fire on March 1.

"Our hearts, already broken by the loss of Captain Joel Barnes, also mourn the loss of Oxford Fire Chief Gary Sacco. In a testament to his own character, Chief Sacco lost his life while honoring that of his fallen brother, fellow firefighter Captain Barnes," Gov. Mills said on Twitter. "I join with people across Maine in offering my thoughts and prayers to Chief Saccos family and friends, the Oxford Fire Department, and all of Maines first responders. The State of Maine has given two of its best to the Heavens."

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.

Sacco served in the Oxford Fire Department starting in 2017 after he retired from New Gloucester where he was fire chief for 12 years, affiliate WCSH reports. He also served in the Auburn Fire Department.

The staff of the Oxford Fire Department planned to gather Sunday evening to mourn the loss of Chief Sacco.

Sacco was among hundreds of firefighters from across New England who attended the public memorial for Barnes at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland.
Buoyed by word that the special counsel didn't find collusion with Russia, President Donald Trump is voicing new interest in policymaking, including a fresh effort to repeal and replace "Obamacare." But Trump has few detailed policy proposals to back up his words, suggesting he's as focused on highlighting issues that appeal to his political base as actually enacting legislation.

Trump stressed his desire to revive his failed effort to kill the Affordable Care Act on Wednesday, a pivot to health care that both broadens and complicates the administration's agenda. Many in the GOP remain skeptical that Trump can notch many policy wins in the divided Congress.

Speaking of a new health care proposal  still unproposed  Trump promised on Wednesday that "we're coming up with plans" and his GOP was the party of "great health care."

His administration this week surprised many when it asked a federal appeals court to strike down President Barack Obama's entire 2010 health care law, breaking with what had been a more modest effort to undo only parts of the act. The change in course by the Justice Department, backed by the White House, was encouraged by acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, a longtime Obamacare critic, said two people familiar with the deliberations who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations.

The idea was quickly embraced by Trump, the officials said. Trump, who met with aides to discuss the decision Monday, saw it as a way to deliver on his campaign promise to repeal and replace the law, as well as put pressure on congressional Republicans to act.

While aides expressed concern about a policy path forward  and many Republicans on Capitol Hill were reluctant to revisit such a thorny topic after repeal's spectacular failure in Congress in 2017  Trump happily discussed his plans to make the GOP "the party of health care."

Left unsaid was that Republicans couldn't tackle health care when they had unified control of Washington, and the prospects in divided government are even bleaker. Instead, aides said, Trump's rhetoric largely amounted to a recognition of the political significance of the issue to his re-election prospects. His failure to repeal the Affordable Care Act constitutes a broken promise to his base.

Aside from this return to health care, the White House is pursuing a limited legislative agenda, with reining in prescription drug prices and passage of a new trade agreement with Canada and Mexico as its priorities.

Some allies are optimistic about the idea of a shift to policy. South Carolina Sen. Lindsay Graham encouraged Trump over the weekend to get back to governing to capitalize on good will generated by the end of special counsel Robert Mueller's probe. But health care has not been atop the GOP priority list in the House or Senate.

In fact, many Republicans were downright alarmed, preferring to put the focus on Democrats' interest in "Medicare for All," an idea the GOP has sought to brand as "socialism." House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy phoned Trump to express his frustration with the administration's course reversal, warning that it made little political sense after the GOP's losses in the 2018 midterm elections, according to people familiar with the call. They spoke only on condition of anonymity to discuss private discussions.

Trump's White House had already been supportive in the lawsuit brought by Republican state attorneys general to challenge the law's requirement that insurance plans cover pre-existing conditions and certain "essential" health benefits, such as pregnancy. But the administration faced a deadline to stake out the extent of its request to undo the law after a Texas federal judge ruled that the entire Affordable Care Act had been invalidated.

The administration decision appeared rushed to some. Such a major change typically would involve considerable planning and discussion at the Department of Health and Human Services but that didn't happen, said a person familiar with the decision-making process. The person was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The suit appears destined for the Supreme Court, which could find itself issuing another election-year opinion on the issue. The court has upheld much of the law previously, and should it be undone in its entirety, about 20 million Americans who have insurance under the law could be left in the lurch, a political and policy reality the White House has yet to prepare for, aides acknowledged.

Trump on Wednesday described the lawsuit as "phase one."

"If the Supreme Court rules that Obamacare is out, we will have a plan that is far better than Obamacare," he promised.

On another health care issue, the administration's efforts to push the poor toward self-sufficiency were dealt a blow Wednesday when a federal judge ruled that Medicaid work requirements undermined the program's mission of providing health care for the needy.

AP's VoteCast survey of more than 115,000 voters in the 2018 midterm elections found that health care was identified as the most important issue by 26 percent of voters, including nearly 4 in 10 of those who voted for a Democratic House candidate. Overall the issue was a potent one for Democrats, for whom those concerned most by health care voted by a 3 to 1 margin.

A GOP senators' lunch on Wednesday brought little, if any, discussion of a new health care push, according to those familiar with the private session.

Sen. Collins of Maine, who has pressed her colleagues to stabilize Obama's health care law, said she was "vehemently opposed" to invalidating the entire law, urging the administration to work with Congress to make changes.

Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana said Obamacare should be struck down with "vengeance and furious anger." But he added "I don't think we should kill it until we have a replacement."

On other policy issues, Republicans have been exploring ways to reach across the aisle to make progress on reducing the cost of prescription drugs. White House staffers have been holding meetings with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's staff, but aides cautioned the talks were still in their infancy.

Trump has also been reaching out lawmakers directly to talk policy. He spoke to Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., about a number of policy issues Tuesday night, said a person familiar with the conversation who was not authorized to speak publicly.

Another issue Trump has talked about is infrastructure, raising it recently during a luncheon with Pelosi. But the White House has not planned to put out a proposal of its own, waiting to see what can develop on Capitol Hill. Discussions between the chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., and the White House continue.

Why are the issues now attracting Trump's attention?

"What is the number one issue still out there? It's jobs. The number two issue? Health care," said White House ally Rep. Mark Meadows. "And if we ignore both of those areas, and hope that the 2020 elections will be better somehow, without addressing real problems? Then we're making a mistake."

Associated Press writers Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar and Alan Fram contributed to this report.
When the gunman began to attack the Al Noor mosque, Ahmed Alayedy scrambled to get to the nearest emergency exit. He was the first one there.

"I tried to open the door," he said. "But it doesn't open."

Alayedy and other survivors of the March 15 mosque attacks in New Zealand have described to The Associated Press a scene of confusion and terror at the door on one side of the main prayer room, in the first accounts of the role the door played.

Alayedy said so many people began crushing him against the door that some of his ribs cracked. Another survivor, Khaled Alnobani, says he thinks as many as 17 people may have died trying to get out through the door.

Investigators have likely examined a new electric locking system installed on the door in the days before the attack. The mosque says an electrician disabled that system the day before the attack, although some of those who escaped question whether that was the case. What is clear is that nobody managed to open the door that afternoon.

With the gunman in the middle of the room, the door represented the only escape route for those on one side of him, at least until people started smashing windows to get out.

Fifty people were slaughtered by the gunman at two Christchurch mosques during the attack, including 42 who died at Al Noor. Alayedy and others say that if the door had been wide open like it typically was during Friday prayers, many more people might have escaped.

Shagaf Khan, the president of the Muslim Association of Canterbury which oversees the mosque, said the door was closed and latched much like the front door of a house. He said it wasn't locked, although worshippers may have believed it was in the confusion.

He said an electrician had tested the new electric locking system on Thursday, and then disengaged it for Friday prayers. He said that to open the door, somebody needed to turn a lever. It was just happenstance, and perhaps the cool weather that day, he said, which meant the door wasn't wide open as usual.

"On any other Friday, the door would be open," he said. "But on this Friday, nobody opened that door."

He said he agreed that more people would have escaped if the door had been open.

"If it had been completely open, it would have been easy for people to get out," he said. "But nobody was prepared for this. We were prepared for an emergency like a fire or an earthquake, and people would still have time to get out. This is something totally different. You don't put this in your emergency plan."

Alayedy said that in the confusion, he can't be sure if he simply failed to turn the lever properly or if something else stopped the door from opening.

Alnobani, said he, too, tried to open the door and it didn't work, and he's familiar with the lever. He said he believes the door was electronically locked. Simply pushing a button next to the door would have unlocked it, he said, but nobody knew about the new system.

Khan said the mosque was in compliance with regulations, which require emergency exits to be clear from objects, easily accessible, and unlocked.

Police said the scene examination is part of their investigation and they will not be commenting while the investigation is ongoing.

Robert Wright, the Christchurch City Council head of building consents, said in an email the mosque was in compliance with the Building Act at the time of the attacks and had a valid certificate known as a "Building Warrant of Fitness."

Alayedy, 30, said that on the day of the attack, he'd been listening to a holy speech by imam Gamal Fouda when he heard six or seven shots. He thought it was an electrical fault at first but then heard screaming and ran for the door.

"All the brothers come in behind each other, on top of each other," he said.

Because he couldn't open the door, he said, he tried punching the hexagonal piece of glass in the lower part of the door. When that didn't work, he drove his knee through it, shattering the glass, and then kicked it out. He crawled through and ran for safety.

Alayedy, a chef from Jordan who moved to New Zealand nine years ago, said he thought about his family back at their house as he ran. His pregnant wife, his 3-year-old son, and the baby daughter they hope to have within the next couple of weeks.

Behind the mosque, Alayedy said, he began helping people to escape over a fence but couldn't get over it himself because of his injured ribs.

Another survivor provided a second escape route near the door by diving through a window with his arm wrapped around his eyes. Tarik Chenafa said he heard a tat-tat-tat-tat-tat and knew right away it was a semi-automatic weapon from his two years of compulsory military training in the Algerian army.

"I know someone is coming to kill us," he said.

Alnobani said that when he first came to the mosque that Friday, he'd noticed the side door was shut and considered opening it but then saw there were some older worshippers. It was a little cold and windy outside, he figured, so he left it alone.

Alnobani said he also managed to crawl through the door's smashed glass and run. He returned to help rescue a young boy whose father was shoving him through the opening, he said, and then helped the father as well.

"I tried to save the child, and I thought maybe I lose my life," he said. "But I am just alone," he said, adding "He had more than me to lose."

When he tried to help a third person through the opening, Alnobani said, that man was shot. The gunman walked out of the mosque to get another gun from his car, Alnobani said, and began shooting at him when he returned. But he managed to escape, and then drove two injured people to the hospital.

The gunman acted quickly, mowing down people on both sides of the mosque. On the side opposite from the closed door, some worshippers were able to escape, but the gunman also killed many others as they tried to leave.

"And he was actually standing behind them, and he was shooting and shooting and shooting and shooting," Fouda, the imam, told the AP after the attack. "Tragedy. Tragedy."

Brenton Tarrant, a 28-year-old Australian, has been charged with murder in the attack. His next court appearance is scheduled for April 5.

Chenafa said he's still sad and confused, and finds it hard to sleep. And he doesn't know what to believe about the door.

"There will be a lot of waiting to find out the truth," he said.
Spain has issued two international arrest warrants for members of a self-proclaimed human rights group that allegedly led a mysterious attack on the North Korean Embassy in February before offering data stolen during the raid to the FBI.

National Court judge Jose de la Mata on Tuesday lifted a secrecy order in the case, announcing it had found evidence of various crimes, including trespassing, injuries, threats and burglary committed by "a criminal organization" at the embassy in a leafy northern Madrid neighborhood. He identified a Mexican, an American and a South Korean as main suspects in the case.

The judge named Adrian Hong Chang, a Mexican national and resident in the United States, as the leader of a gang of 10 people who escaped on Feb. 22 after stealing computers and documents from the embassy, where they shackled and gagged its staff.

De la Mata said the assailants identified themselves as "members of an association or movement of human rights for the liberation of North Korea" and that they urged So Yun Sok, the embassy's business envoy and only diplomat, to defect. He refused to do so and was also gagged.

That group is the Cheollima Civil Defense, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details of the incident. The shadowy activists have the self-declared mission of helping defectors of the North Korean regime.

The court document said Hong Chang flew to the U.S. on Feb. 23, where he got in touch with the FBI and offered to share material and videos with federal investigators. The Spanish investigation didn't say what the content of the material was, or whether the FBI accepted it.

The document added that most suspects were believed to be outside of Spain.

The FBI said in a statement that its standard practice is not to confirm nor deny the existence of investigations but added that "the FBI enjoys a strong working relationship with our Spanish law enforcement partners."

A police spokesman who wasn't authorized to be named in media reports confirmed to The Associated Press that arrest warrants had been issued against Hong Chang and one other suspect.

No formal charges have yet been brought into the attack.

So, the North Korean diplomat, didn't respond to written questions from The Associated Press and declined to talk to reporters during a recent encounter outside his embassy in northwestern Madrid.

Others identified as part of the assailants' group were Sam Ryu, from the U.S., and Woo Ran Lee, a South Korean citizen. Their whereabouts and their hometowns weren't immediately known.

The South Korean Embassy in Madrid said it had no knowledge of the events and couldn't offer further comment.

The assailants purchased knives and handgun mock-ups when they visited Madrid in early February, according to the investigation, and later used them for the attack.

While in Madrid, Hong Chang also applied for a new passport at the Mexican Embassy, the investigation found, and used the name "Oswaldo Trump" to register in the Uber ride-hailing app.

The North Korean Embassy hasn't pressed charges in Spain, and officials in Pyongyang haven't officially commented on the attack.

Spanish police first found out about the incident after the wife of one of the embassy's workers managed to escape by jumping from a window.

When confronted by Spanish police officers who went to check on the embassy, Hong Chang posed as an embassy official and said everything was normal. That paved the way for the group's escape in the embassy's cars.

The attack's timing, barely a week before a high-stakes U.S.-North Korea summit on denuclearization derailed in Hanoi on Feb. 28, had led many to speculate that it was an attempt to obtain data related to the North's former ambassador to Spain.

Kim Hyok Chol, who was expelled from Spain in September 2017 following Pyongyang's sixth round of nuclear tests and missile launches over neighboring Japan, has become North Korea's top nuclear negotiator with the U.S.

When asked if Washington had anything to do with the embassy raid, U.S. State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said Tuesday that "the United States government had nothing to do with this."

Palladino also said that "regarding the specifics of what's going on, the Spanish authorities are investigating. The investigation is still underway. For any details on their investigation, I would have to refer you to Spanish authorities."

Spanish authorities have kept the events of the embassy attack out of the public eye until Spain's El Confidencial news site first revealed some details on Feb. 27.

A police investigator with knowledge of the case told the AP that "this attack, whatever it is, would have gone unnoticed if it wasn't for the woman who escaped."

Last week, the rights group that allegedly led the attack posted a short video on its website allegedly showing a man shattering against the floor portraits of North Korean late leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il.

The group said the video had been filmed recently "on our homeland's soil," in what could be a reference to the North Korean Embassy in Madrid.

AP writers Deb Riechmann and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.
A fire broke out Wednesday night in Hull, Massachusetts, spreading between two buildings.

The Hull Fire Department confirmed a 2-alarm fire broke out on Nantasket Avenue, in the area of Duck Lane.

No injuries have been reported.

Footage from NBC10 Boston SkyRanger showed crews fighting flames shooting from the roof of one building. Another structure was badly burned and appeared to have been destroyed.
The New Hampshire Senate has passed a bill aimed at protecting consumers if the Affordable Care Act gets dismantled.

The bill, approved Wednesday by a vote of 22-1, would restore many provisions of state law that were already in place before they were superseded by the Obama administration's health care overhaul law. Supporters said it was important to ensure that people wouldn't be denied coverage due to pre-existing conditions and that insurers would still be required to cover essential health benefits if the federal law gets struck down.

President Donald Trump's administration is asking a federal appeals court to strike down the entire health care law.

Republican Gov. Chris Sununu said he wants the law to remain in place and has made that clear to the administration.
Suspects repeatedly fired at police officers after barricading themselves in a hotel Wednesday night in Manchester, New Hampshire, authorities said.

The standoff continued at the Quality Inn Manchester Airport into Thursday morning as the Manchester Police SWAT team said the suspects fired multiple shots for a period of 20 minutes at about 12:30 a.m.

Crisis negotiators actively communicated with the two barricaded subjects inside of the hotel room throughout the night, but there was a lull in contact with the suspects following the early morning barrage of gunfire, according to police.

Guests were evacuated from the hotel, where police responded to a report that shots were fired around 7:30 p.m. One person was taken to an area hospital and multiple subjects were barricaded inside the hotel, according to authorities.

"We heard six to eight gunshots," said Chris Jones. "Within, I don't know, a minute, minute and a half, we saw about 15 Manchester PD (cruisers) come flying in."

The Manchester Police SWAT team responded to the scene and helped evacuate guests.

"I came down, there was a SWAT team. I've been up in my room two or three times, and the last time, they said I couldn't go back in my room," said guest James LaCroix.

Around 10:15 p.m., police said that all guests had been safely evacuated, but that more shots had been heard inside. About 30 minutes later, police said suspects had fired multiple rounds toward officers who were positioned outside of a room.

No injuries to officers have been reported.

The area was closed to traffic, with closures on John E. Devine Drive, South Willow Street and March Avenue.

Crews from the Manchester Fire Department and New Hampshire State Police responded to help local police.
Pupils and teachers from The Clare School were treated to a special performance of The Wonder, Soul Church's Christmas spectacular, on Wednesday 8th December.

Pupils and teachers from The Clare School were treated to a special performance of The Wonder, Soul Church's Christmas spectacular, on Wednesday 8th December.

YMCA Norfolk needs a Project Lead  Wellbeing Matters YMCA Norfolk is looking for a Project Lead  Wellbeing Matters, to build relationships of trust with vulnerable and marginalised parents and families across Norfolk. Read more

Norfolk author sheds light on US abortion debate A book about respect for life, written by a parishioner from St Johns Cathedral in Norwich, sheds light on the current US abortion debate being considered by its Supreme Court. Read more

Music outreach boost for South Norfolk church St Marys Church in Attleborough has been awarded a grant from Youth Music to employ a music outreach worker for two years as part of the churchs music and building project. Read more

Christmas news and opening times at Revelation Merry Christmas from the staff, volunteers and trustees at Revelation Christian resource centre in Norwich. Read more

The joy of getting a booster! Andrew Frere Smith reminds us how much a word of encouragement can boost our spirits. Read more

Sister Wendy gives a voice to Julian of Norwich A recording of Sister Wendy Beckett reading Julian of Norwich's Revelations of Divine Love has been released to the public 28 years after it was first made. Read more

Could you support Yarmouth area youth outreach? As they go through a period of change, East Norfolk Youth for Christ are urging people to support them, both in prayer and by getting involved. Read more

Christmas and Advent events in Norfolk A roundup of some of the Christmas services, carol services, Christingles and other festive events organised by Norfolk churches this month. Read more

Festive highlights at Norwich Cathedral this Christmas From Christmas concerts to Midnight Mass and Carols in the Cloister, there is lots to look forward to at Norwich Cathedral this festive season. Read more

Norwich Youth for Christ jams for Christmas Norwich Youth for Christ is organising a Big Jam to launch their Christmas content. Nick Blanch reports. Read more

Care home careers at MHA Cromwell House, Norwich MHA Cromwell House in Norwich has career opportunities for a Care Assistant and Senior Care Assistant. Read more

Salvation Army in Diss gives out Christmas Toys and Tins As the countdown to Christmas begins, people in Diss are being asked to support The Salvation Armys annual Toys and Tins Appeal. Read more

The light shines in the darkness Philip Young urges us to remember how much God loves us as we light our Advent candles this year. Read more

Heather Nunn Business Services Ltd Based in Mid-Norfolk, Heather Nunn Business Services Ltd has an experienced, qualified, professional team and offers business services of bookkeeping and payroll to a variety of local sole traders, companies, charitable organisations and churches. Read more

Dave invites you to come into the garden church Some people are simply not interested in going to church, and Norwich minister Rev Dave Lloyd totally gets it. But he does have an alternative idea. Read more

Covid learning curve for Norwich School chaplain The challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic have meant a whole new learning curve for Norwich School and its chaplain, Rev Corin Child. Read more

Norwich organic food firm helps care for the planet Two young Christian entrepreneurs are trying to care for both the planet and for people across Norfolk through an online organic vegetable and fruit box scheme they launched during the pandemic. Read more
A collapse in price for NAND flash memory and a shrinking gap between the prices of PCI Express-based and SATA-based solid-state drives (SSDs) means the shift to PCI Express SSDs will accelerate in 2019, with the newer, faster format replacing the old by years' end.

According to the Taiwanese tech publication DigiTimes (the stories are now archived and unavailable without a subscription), falling NAND flash prices continue to drag down SSD prices, which will drive the adoption of SSDs in enterprise and data-center applications. This, in turn, will further drive the adoption of PCIe drives, which are a superior format to SATA.

SATA vs. PCI Express

SATA was introduced in 2001 as a replacement for the IDE interface, which had a much larger cable and slower interface. But SATA is a legacy HDD connection and not fast enough for NAND flash memory.

I used to review SSDs, and it was always the same when it came to benchmarking, with the drives scoring within a few milliseconds of each other despite the memory used. The SATA interface was the bottleneck. A SATA SSD is like a one-lane highway with no speed limit.

PCIe is several times faster and has much more parallelism, so throughput is more suited to the NAND format. It comes in two physical formats: an add-in card that plugs into a PCIe slot and M.2, which is about the size of a stick of gum and sits on the motherboard. PCIe is most widely used in servers, while M.2 is in consumer devices.

There used to be a significant price difference between PCIe and SATA drives with the same capacity, but they have come into parity thanks to Moores Law, said Jim Handy, principal analyst with Objective Analysis, who follows the memory market.

The controller used to be a big part of the price of an SSD. But complexity has not grown with transistor count. It can have a lot of transistors, and it doesnt cost more. SATA got more complicated, but PCIe has not. PCIe is very close to the same price as SATA, and [the controller] was the only thing that justified the price diff between the two, he said.

DigiTimes estimates that the price drop for NAND flash chips will cause global shipments of SSDs to surge 20 to 25 percent in 2019, and PCIe SSDs are expected to emerge as a new mainstream offering by the end of 2019 with a market share of 50 percent, matching SATA SSDs.

SSD and NAND memory prices already falling

Market sources to DigiTimes said that unit price for 512GB PCIe SSD has fallen by 11 percent sequentially in the first quarter of 2019, while SATA SSDs have dropped 9 percent. They added that the current average unit price for 512GB SSDs is now equal to that of 256GB SSDs from one year ago, with prices continuing to drop.

According to DRAMeXchange, NAND flash contract prices will continue falling but at a slower rate in the second quarter of 2019. Memory makers are cutting production to avoid losing any more profits.

Were in a price collapse. For over a year Ive been saying the destination for NAND is 8 cents per gigabyte, and some spot markets are 6 cents. It was 30 cents a year ago. Contract pricing is around 15 cents now, it had been 25 to 27 cents last year, said Handy.

A contract price is what it sounds like. A memory maker like Samsung or Micron signs a contract with a SSD maker like Toshiba or Kingston for X amount for Y cents per gigabyte. Spot prices are prices that take place at the end of a quarter (like now) where a vendor anxious to unload excessive inventory has a fire sale to a drive maker that needs it on short supply.

DigiTimess contacts arent the only ones who foresee this. Handy was at an analyst event by Samsung a few months back where they presented their projection that PCIe SSD would outsell SATA by the end of this year, and not just in the enterprise but everywhere.
Microsoft has introduced Azure Stack HCI Solutions, a new implementation of its on-premises Azure product specifically for Hyper Converged Infrastructure (HCI) hardware.

Azure Stack is an on-premises version of its Azure cloud service. It gives companies a chance to migrate to an Azure environment within the confines of their own enterprise rather than onto Microsofts data centers. Once you have migrated your apps and infrastructure to Azure Stack, moving between your systems and Microsofts cloud service is easy.

HCI is the latest trend in server hardware. It uses scale-out hardware systems and a full software-defined platform to handle virtualization and management. Its designed to reduce the complexity of a deployment and on-going management, since everything ships fully integrated, hardware and software.

It makes sense for Microsoft to take this step. Azure Stack was ideal for an existing enterprise. Now you can deploy a whole new hardware configuration setup to run Azure in-house, complete with Hyper-V-based software-defined compute, storage, and networking.

The Windows Admin Center is the main management tool for Azure Stack HCI. It connects to other Azure tools, such as Azure Monitor, Azure Security Center, Azure Update Management, Azure Network Adapter, and Azure Site Recovery.

We are bringing our existing HCI technology into the Azure Stack family for customers to run virtualized applications on-premises with direct access to Azure management services such as backup and disaster recovery, wrote Julia White, corporate vice president of Microsoft Azure, in a blog post announcing Azure Stack HCI.

Its not so much a new product launch as a rebranding. When Microsoft launched Server 2016, it introduced a version called Windows Server Software-Defined Data Center (SDDC), which was built on the Hyper-V hypervisor, and says so in a FAQ as part of the announcement.

"Azure Stack HCI is the evolution of Windows Server Software-Defined (WSSD) solutions previously available from our hardware partners. We brought it into the Azure Stack family because we have started to offer new options to connect seamlessly with Azure for infrastructure management services, the company said.

Microsoft introduced Azure Stack in 2017, but it was not the first to offer an on-premises cloud option. That distinction goes to OpenStack, a joint project between Rackspace and NASA built on open-source code. Amazon followed with its own product, called Outposts.
In a move that could upend how workers access data in the enterprise, Motorola has announced a broadband product that it says will deliver data at double the capacity and four-times the range of Wi-Fi for end users. The handheld, walkie-talkie-like device, called Mototrbo Nitro, will, importantly, also include a voice channel. Business-critical voice with private broadband data, as Motorola describes it on its website.

The company sees the product being implemented in traditional, moving-around, voice communications environments, such as factories and warehouses, that increasingly need data supplementation, too. A shop floor that has an electronically delivered repair manual, with included video demonstration, could be one example. Video could be two-way, even.

The product takes advantage of upcoming Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) spectrum. Thats a swath of radio bandwidth thats being released by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the 3.5GHz band. Its a frequency chunk that is also expected to be used heavily for 5G. In this case, though, Motorola is creating a private LTE network for the enterprise.

The CBRS band is the first time publicly available broadband spectrum has been available, Motorola explains in a white paper (pdf)  organizations dont have to buy licenses, yet they can get access to useful spectrum: A tiered sharing system, where auction winners will get priority access licenses, but others will have some access too is proposed by the FCC. The non-prioritized open access could be used by any enterprise for whatever  internet of things (IoT) or private networks.

Motorola's pitch for using a private broadband network

Why a private broadband network and not simply cell phones? One giveaway line is in Motorolas promotional video: Without sacrificing control, it says. What it means is that the firm thinks theres a market for companies who want to run entire business communications systems  data and voice  without involvement from possibly nosy Mobile Network Operator phone companies. Ive written before about how control over security is prompting large industrials to explore private networks more. Motorola manages the network in this case, though, for the enterprise.

Motorola also refers to potentially limited or intermittent onsite coverage and congestion for public, commercial, single-platform voice and data networks. Thats particularly the case in factories, Motorola says in an ebook. Heavy machinery containing radio-unfriendly metal can hinder Wi-Fi and cellular, it claims. Or that traditional Land Mobile Radios (LMRs), such as walkie-talkies and vehicle-mounted mobile radios, dont handle data natively. In particular, it says that if you want to get into artificial intelligence (AI) and analytics, say, you need a more evolving voice and fast data communications setup.

Industrial IoT uses for Motorola's Nitro network

Industrial IoT will be another beneficiary, Motorola says. It says its CBRS Nitro network could include instant notifications of equipment failures that traditional products cant provide. It also suggests merging fixed security cameras with photos and videos of broken machines and sending real-time video to an expert.

Motorola also suggests that by separating consumer Wi-Fi (as is offered in hospitality and transport verticals, for example) from business-critical systems, one reduces traffic congestion risks.

The highly complicated CBRS band-sharing system is still not through its government testing. However, we could deploy customer systems under an experimental license, a Motorola representative told me.
Hong Kong: Joshua Law visits Sai Kung

Secretary for the Civil Service Joshua Law today visited Sai Kung where he met young people and toured a staff quarters for customs officers.

He visited the Vocational Training Council's Youth College (Yeo Chei Man) to learn about its teaching facilities and spoke to the students about acquiring knowledge and skills in the interactive learning environment for further studies and employment.

Mr Law then toured the newly completed Yau Yue Wan Customs Staff Quarters and called on a family to find out how they are adapting to the new living environment.

The quarters provide over 130 units for the Customs & Excise Department's married rank-and-file officers.

Mr Law also met Sai Kung District Councillors.

This story has been published on: 2019-03-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 28) - A local official seeks the suspension of an integrated transport terminal in Paranaque just months after it opened.

Cavite Governor Boying Remulla said the Paranaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) is causing more inconvenience to passengers instead of easing commuting burdens.

"They should not force it upon the people now. It is a source of inconveniece for Cavitenos and it supposed to be completely intermodal including the train passing through and right now there are no trains," he said.

The Light Rail Transit One extension to Cavite is three years behind schedule.

The PITX is the first integrated and multi-modal terminal in the southwestern part of Metro Manila.

It functions as a transfer point among provincial buses from Cavite, Batangas and in-city modes of transportation.

PITX General Manager Chuks Arroyo said they are working with the Department of Transportation and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board to provide additional routes.

Speaking to CNN Philippines Thursday, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Undersecretary for Road Transport Mark de Leon said the number of complaints they received about PITX operations have gone down in the past months.

"The people have been acclimatized to the operations of the PITX...The DOTr has already done the evaluation, the analysis of the PITX. We have been addressing some of the problems sent by commuters," he said.

Around 20 new routes have also been opened, he said, and they are just waiting for operators to apply for these new routes.

The PITX was expected to reduce the number of provincial buses plying Metro Manila, specifically along Taft Avenue-Pasay, EDSA.

In a statement last year, Transportation Secretary Art Tugade said, "This is not just your ordinary terminal, but a landmark transportation hub that is set to uplift the overall terminal experience of our countrymen. Para po ito sa inyong lahat [This is for all of you]."

CNN Philippines correspondent Crissy Dimatulac contributed to this report.
NEW MILFORD  A New York man has been accused of stealing $48,000 worth of items from the Danbury Road Verizon store during an armed robbery in 2017.

Anthony Lauria, 27, of Yonkers, N.Y., was arrested Wednesday on charges of first-degree criminal liability to commit robbery and first-degree criminal liability to commit larceny.

New Milford police said in a statement released Thursday that Lauria pretended to be a customer, asking questions about items around 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 10, 2017. Police said security cameras showed Lauria leave the store and enter a black car.

Police said a few moments later an armed suspect entered the store and pointed a black gun at two employees.

Police said a second suspect entered the store and the two went into the inventory room where they filled bags with merchandise. Police said the suspected stole more than $48,000 worth of items.

In the days following the robbery, police released security footage of the two men stealing the items in the back room and ordering the employees to tie their own hands with zip ties.

Police said they identified Lauria as a suspect through witness statements, video footage and fingerprint evidence.

Lauria was held on a $350,000 bond and was scheduled to appear Thursday in Torrington Superior Court.

Police said warrants for more arrests are pending.

I want to commend our detectives for their hard work and tenacity, Chief Spencer Cerruto said. They spent countless hours on this case and brought a dangerous suspect to justice.
BRIDGEPORT  A Norwalk resident caught bringing a kilo of meth from New York to Connecticut faces up to 30 years in prison after taking a plea deal in federal court.

Rafael Lopez-Macias, 46, a Mexican citizen who had twice been deported from the country, pleaded guilty Wednesday before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden to one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and one count of reentry of removed alien.

In a prepared statement, U.S. Attorney John H. Durham said Lopez-Macias was convicted in California state court of a cocaine trafficking offense in 1998 and deported to Mexico in 2001.

In 2009, he was deported again after being arrested in Connecticut for a forgery offense.

Lopez-Macias again illegally reentered the U.S. and, between March and June 2018, he was intercepted on a court-authorized wiretap discussing the distribution of cocaine and methamphetamine, Durham said. On June 11, 2018, in New Rochelle, NY, Lopez-Macias and a co-conspirator sold a kilogram of cocaine and a sample of methamphetamine for $31,500 to an individual working with law enforcement.

Last June, Durham said, Lopez-Macias traveled from Norwalk to New Rochelle, where he picked up a kilogram of methamphetamine from a co-conspirator.

While driving back to Norwalk, Durham said, Lopez-Macias was stopped by law enforcement and arrested for an immigration violation. Officers searched the vehicle and found the kilogram of methamphetamine.

Lopez-Macias has been detained since his arrest. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.

Durham said the case was investigated by the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements Homeland Security Investigations, Connecticut State Police, and the New Rochelle, Norwalk and Stamford police departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony E. Kaplan and Lauren C. Clark.
Six University of Connecticut administrators, led by outgoing President Susan Herbst, collectively have amassed nearly 150 vacation days in excess of normal policy limits that are valued at roughly $214,000, UConn records show.

And while Herbst now says she will forfeit the 54 days she accrued above the 60-day limit, she still is eligible to receive $156,279 for the rest of the unused vacation time when she leaves state service.

Meanwhile, five other administrators hold 96 bonus vacation days worth a combined $73,287.

In addition, university records show 12 other management-level personnel were granted multiple exceptions to accrue more than 60 vacation days between 2013 and 2017, while two additional administrators received cash payouts in recent years that included unused vacation days in excess of the 60-day limit.

Rep. Carol Hall of Enfield, the ranking House Republican on the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee, said given the rising cost of tuition at public colleges and universities, there needs to be greater oversight on administrative compensation.

It flabbergasts me, Hall said of the repeated exceptions to the vacation policy. And then when you look at the tuition these kids are being saddled with. Theres got to be a better oversight system. How involved are the trustees?

On paper, UConn has a more restrictive vacation policy than the rest of state government. Most agencies allow their employees to accumulate up to 120 days of unused vacation before they begin losing time.

But while UConn sets the limit at 60, its policy does allow for a one-time exception.

The administration, under exceptional circumstances, may allow a manager  who receives 22 vacation days per year  to carry more than 60 days over from one year to the next, with the understanding that they will be used that year and the accrual will not exceed 60 again.

Herbst was granted five exceptions.

She first cleared the 60-day mark in unused vacation time when she closed 2014 with 60.75 days. Further exceptions granted after each of the subsequent four years steadily elevated her banked amount to its present level of 113.94 days.

Based on her annual salary of $711,072, her total vacation time is worth $296,768, and the 54 days in excess of the cap is worth $140,489.

When approached by the CT Mirror, Herbst said through spokeswoman Stephanie Reitz that she wont accept a cash payout for the overage, and that the 54 bonus days will be removed from the books when she leaves the presidency this fall.

But there are other administrators who have been granted multiple exceptions on their way to banking more than 60 vacation days.

Six exceptions to the 60-day vacation limit were awarded to: Rachel Rubin, who is Herbsts chief of staff; Pamela Schipani, executive director of residential life; and Susan Locke, executive secretary to the Board of Trustees.

Five exceptions were granted to C. Dennis Pierce, executive director of UConn Dining Services, while two exceptions were awarded to Michael Gilbert, vice president for student affairs.

University policy also makes no provision to pay out employees for more than 60 days of unused vacation time. In cases where unused vacation cannot be used, the individual will be paid for vacation accruals documented on the leave record up to a maximum of 60 days, it states.

But Reitz confirmed that two employees received payouts in excess of the 60-day limit over the past five years.

Katherina Sorrentino, who was assistant director for information technology services, received a $35,683 payout that represented 70.25 unused vacation days.

And Debora Romano-Connors, who was associate executive officer for IT projects, was paid $42,040 for 70 unused vacation days.

When the (IT) department reorganized and downsized, there wasnt enough time for them to take their excess vacation days before their departure dates, Reitz said, adding that demands on their time are frequent.

Where did the authority to grant these multiple exceptions and payouts come from?

Reitz wrote that the trustees can modify any policy, or delegate the power to modify. The current management policy, in part, reflects the delegation of authority to the president, she wrote.

Reitz added that Herbsts personal exceptions were approved by the chairman of the Board of Trustees.

Lawrence D. McHugh, who served as chairman of the Board of Trustees from 2009 through 2017, could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

His successor, Thomas Kruger, who took over the post in December 2017, issued a written statement.

The longstanding practice of the university has been to cap vacation-day accrual and payout at 60 days for UConn employees, subject to authority in the president, exercised on a case-by-case basis, to permit employees to carry forward more than 60 days in circumstances warranting an exception, Kruger wrote.

He added that the president acts under authority of a board resolution, adopted in 2013  which delegated to the president the authority to approve compensation and benefits of university employees.

When asked to provide examples of an exceptional circumstance that might warrant waiving the vacation time limit, Reitz offered a manager assigned to a major project, or otherwise assigned temporary, extra duties. She added these exceptions are awarded on a case-by-case basis.

Herbst, who has been president for the past eight years, wont be eligible to take any payout until she leaves state service, and that wont happen when she steps down as president this fall. Thats because she intends to begin teaching political science at UConn.

Her salary for that post isnt fixed yet, but Reitz said it would be equal to the highest faculty pay  excluding department heads and instructors at the UConn Health Center in Farmington.
HORSE of Connecticut in Washington will hold a 12th birthday celebration for Fiona, one of the organizations horses, March 30 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. A rain date of March 31 is planned.

Fiona is a registered thoroughbred mare that was rescued as a starvation case in 2013. Due to complications from her former neglect, Fiona can no longer be ridden. She is available for a sponsor.
Trinity Lutheran Church at 107 Kent Road in New Milford will hold a spring bazaar March 30 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The event will feature handmade goods, jewelry, crafts, an Easter basket raffle, food and more.
TheatreWorks New Milford will hold auditions March 30 from 3 to 6 p.m. and March 31 from 7 to 9 p.m. for its production of Christopher Durangs award-winning comedy, Vanya and Sonya and Masha and Spike.

A cast of two men and four women ages 20-60 is sought, with auditions set at the 5 Brookside Ave. theater. All roles are available, and both professionals and amateurs are welcome to the non-equity theater.
The American Croatian Lodge in Eastlake is hosting an evening with the Croatian Embassy March 29.

The event will begin with presentations by the economic development community of Northeast Ohio, two innovative Croatian businesses from Northeast Ohio and a keynote address by Croatian Ambassador Pjer imunovic.

Black tie attire is required. Tickets range from $20 to $150.

Cocktail hour begins at 6 p.m. with dinner and presentations beginning at 7.

Participants registering are asked to provide their names, organization they represent, their title, telephone numbers and email address. Call 440-946-3366 or email cleveland@croampro.com.

The evening is hosted by the Association of Croatian American Professionals  Cleveland and American Croatian Business Association (Cleveland).

The American Croatian Lodge is located at 34900 Lakeshore Blvd.
The Bells phenomenon, also called the palpebral-oculogyric reflex, refers to the movement of the eyeballs in an upward direction when the eyelids are forcefully closed. It was Charles Bell, a great British anatomist, who first observed this in 1823 when trying to close the eyelids of a patient with facial palsy. Both the facial nerve paralysis and the eyeball deviation observed in this condition are named after him.

In short, this phenomenon represents a reflex in which the eyes are seen to roll up and out when both eyelids are forcibly closed. The facial nerve carries the afferent fibers for this reflex, while the efferent fibers travel via the oculomotor nerve to the superior rectus muscle that controls upper eyelid movement. In Bells palsy, this movement is seen because the eyelids fail to close properly.

Bell's phenomenon Play

Why does the Bells phenomenon happen?

While nobody knows for sure, the Bells phenomenon is linked to the connections between the facial nerve nucleus in the pons, which forms a part of the brain, and the nucleus of the oculomotor nerve in another part of the brain called the midbrain. The facial nerve is responsible for eyelid movement, while the oculomotor nucleus controls the eye muscles which move the eyeball.

Some scientists think that these closure movements are unified in a single movement pattern, and that such integration involves the mesencephalic reticular nucleus.

However, the Bells phenomenon itself is a normal reflex seen in eight out of ten people. It basically protects the eyeball (especially the cornea) against sudden contact with a potentially traumatizing agent. For instance, when a person blinks or when the eye is threatened by any object, the eyeballs roll up.

This helps to ensure that the majority of minor traumatic impacts occur on the lower part of the cornea due to the reflex rolling up of the eyelids.

However, the Bells phenomenon remains unnoticed until the orbicularis, which is the circular muscle around the eye, weakens. This can happen with bilateral paralysis of the facial nerve, as for example in Guillain-Barre syndrome which causes post-viral neuropathy. The point is that the phenomenon is not a sign of disease in itself.

Why is the Bells phenomenon important?

The Bells phenomenon is important in evaluating facial palsy. In normal people, the eyes can be squeezed shut, such that the eyelashes are buried between the two eyelids. However, when the facial nerve is injured, only the unaffected eye can complete this action. On the other hand, the eye on the paralyzed side fails to close properly.

In testing the facial nerve function, the strength of the orbicularis muscle is assessed by attempting to open the eyes against resistance. In this situation the Bells phenomenon is observed.

In some situations, an inverse Bells phenomenon can be seen. This includes patients in the immediate post-operative period after eyelid surgery and in patients with ptosis (drooping eyelids) - either isolated, with myopathy or with complicated ptosis. The condition is more likely after repeated surgery for residual ptosis.

The duration of such inversion depends on the exact etiology. If it is due to post-operative edema of the tissues around the eyeball (limiting in turn the eyeball movement by the superior rectus), it usually resolves within weeks without treatment.

However, if inverse Bells phenomenon is caused by injury to the superior rectus and oculomotor nerve, during repeated surgery on the upper muscles moving the eyeball, it may lead to abnormal eyeball movement for years. The chief risk is of exposure keratitis, which must be prevented by training the patient to use lubricating eye drops properly and to come in for check-up frequently.

Further Reading
Exercise helps to prevent the degradation of cartilage caused by osteoarthritis, according to a new study from Queen Mary University of London.

The researchers show for the first time how mechanical forces experienced by cells in joints during exercise prevent cartilage degradation by suppressing the action of inflammatory molecules which cause osteoarthritis.

The study, published in the journal Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, demonstrates the benefits of exercise on the tissues that form our joints and how this is down to tiny hair-like structures called primary cilia found on living cells.

During exercise the cartilage in joints such as the hip and knee is squashed. This mechanical distortion is detected by the living cells in the cartilage which then block the action of inflammatory molecules associated with conditions such as arthritis.

The researchers show that this anti-inflammatory effect of physical activity is caused by activation of a particular protein, called HDAC6, which triggers changes in the proteins that form primary cilia.

Pharmaceutical drugs that blocked HDAC6 activation prevented the anti-inflammatory effects of physical activity, whilst other drug treatments were able to mimic the benefits of exercise.

Changes in length of the primary cilia, which are only a few 1000th of a millimetre, provided a biomarker of the level of inflammation. Cilia got longer during inflammation, but treatments that prevented this elongation successfully prevented inflammation.

Mr Su Fu, PhD student at Queen Mary University of London and study author, said: "We have known for some time that healthy exercise is good for you - now we know the process through which exercise prevents cartilage degradation."

Professor Martin Knight, lead researcher of the study added: "These findings may also explain the anti-inflammatory effects of normal blood flow in arteries which is important for preventing arterial disease such as atherosclerosis and aneurism."

The researchers hope that these findings will help in the search for treatments for arthritis which affects over three million people in the UK causing stiff and painful joints.

The researchers suggest the results may lead to a whole new therapeutic approach known as mechano-medicine in which drugs simulate the effect of mechanical forces to prevent the damaging effects of inflammation and treat conditions such as arthritis.
At Rockland county in New York City's northern regions, this week on Tuesday (26th March 2019), a ban was called into action. Children who are not vaccinated against measles are now banned to attend any public place. This comes as a result of the recent measles outbreaks which has caused more than 150 cases since last fall.

Measles virus illustration. Credit: Nobeastsofierce / Shutterstock

Measles is a vaccine preventable viral illness that has made a resurgence because of the worldwide anti-vaccination conspiracy theories that have prompted many parents to leave their children unvaccinated. Rockland County Executive Ed Day at a news conference said, It's an attention grab, there's no question about it. He agreed that this is the most extreme step that has ever been taken in the nation and hopes it would rouse parents into vaccinating their children and protecting them from the infection and its consequences.

Day said that in the Rockland County there has been a heavy outbreak of measles among Orthodox Jewish communities where the vaccinations rates are low. The declaration states that all individuals under the age of 18 years who are not vaccinated are banned from public gatherings including civic centres, schools, shopping malls, restaurants and places of worship. The ban comes into immediate effect and lasts for at least the next 30 days. A violation could be met with a punishment of up to six months in jail.

Day insisted that the intention was not to arrest people but raise awareness about the seriousness of the condition and the immediate efforts that need to be put in. He said, There will not be law enforcement or deputy sheriffs asking for vaccination records. That is ridiculous. However, parents will be held accountable if they're found to be in violation of this emergency declaration.

According to the World Health Organization, the only way to stop the spread of this infection is to ensure that at least 92 to 95 percent of the population is vaccinated. Day confirmed that at present at the Rockland County only 72.9 percent of individuals less than 18 years of age have been vaccinated. There is a population of 300,000 people in the county he said.

Michael Sussman, a Civil rights attorney represents parents of 44 children who were not vaccinated and were thus not allowed to attend a Waldorf School in the county. He said that this step is irrational. He said in a statement that the system was, punishing people who don't have the illness rather than quarantining people who are sick. He said that only measles patients and their close contacts need to be quarantined so that the disease spread is stopped. The lawsuit has said that this ban is violating the constitutional rights of the people. In a recent hearing a federal judge has denied the request of the parents that their unvaccinated children be allowed to return to the Waldorf School. The judge cited the unprecedented measles outbreak, as the reason behind his statement. Paediatric organisations have supported this legislation.

The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said that three or more cases around a county counts as an outbreak. Rockland County has seen 153 confirmed cases since last autumn said Day. Day added that upcoming religious holidays of Easter and Passover are considered when this ban was declared. He said, We want people to be able to celebrate. We don't want to see a repeat of how this outbreak started when we saw people gathered together and then fall ill last fall.
A pioneering clinical trial investigating medicinal cannabis as a potential treatment for people living with severe Tourette syndrome will be conducted by Wesley Medical Research, in Brisbane in Australia, with cannabis supply facilitated by Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics at University of Sydney.

The trial is the first of its kind in Australia and will take place at Wesley Medical Research in Brisbane led by Chief Investigator and neuropsychiatrist Dr Philip Mosley. Participants will complete two periods of treatment with either a medical cannabis drug or a placebo, with both investigators and participants unaware of treatment status until the end of the trial.

"There is already early evidence to support the successful treatment of Tourette syndrome with cannabinoids," said Professor Iain McGregor, Academic Director of the Lambert Initiative. "This clinical trial could have a major impact and greatly improve the lives of those living with Tourette syndrome."

"Given the public interest in therapeutic use of cannabis, it's important to conduct rigorous and methodologically-sound research," Dr Mosley said. "The purpose of this clinical trial is to investigate whether medicinal cannabis is a potential therapy for people with Tourette syndrome."

Tourette syndrome is a neurological disorder that develops in childhood and is characterized by involuntary movements and vocalizations (known as tics), which may be painful, embarrassing and functionally impairing.

There is currently no known cure for Tourette syndrome. Treatment aims to help control tics that inhibit everyday functioning, however current medication has been known to produce negative side effects such as weight gain, sleepiness and depression.

Chris Wright is the first participant in the trial. Chris developed Tourette syndrome in childhood and despite medication, his condition has persisted. Some people with Tourette syndrome experience side-effects to existing therapies including fatigue and weight gain.

At 31, Chris is working full-time in a customer service position in Brisbane and spends his day trying to regulate his tics. "Any reprieve would be very welcome. It is getting to the point where I don't know what to do, it feels as though it all gets too much sometimes," said Chris.

Participants in the clinical trial at Wesley Medical Research in Brisbane will complete two six-week "crossover" periods of treatment with active drug or placebo, with both participants and investigators unaware of treatment status until the trial is complete.

"Tourette syndrome has really been a blow to my confidence... my life in general, I often spend my days off sleeping and recovering just to do it all again," Chris said.

Medicinal cannabis, developed to pharmaceutical standards, contains a mixture of cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) - two active ingredients derived from the cannabis plant.

In collaboration with the Lambert Initiative, Bod Australia Limited will be supplying the pharmaceutical grade cannabis extract to be used in the trial.

The trial will examine the safety and efficacy of cannabinoids on tic frequency as well as the psychiatric and cognitive symptoms associated with Tourette syndrome.

"Our focus is to give people like Chris these opportunities to improve their quality of life. We offer hope and answers through medical research. We are fortunate to have dedicated front-line clinicians like Dr Mosley leading this important work and donors who continue to support this valuable work," said Dr Jennifer Schafer, Senior Clinical Trials Manager.
The ERC Advanced Grant is one of the most prestigious funding programmes for research in Europe. Per-Olof Berggren, professor of experimental endocrinology at Karolinska Institutet, is now awarded this grant for the second time.

It is the European Research Council that awards the ERC Advanced Grants, which are aimed at established and world-leading researchers who strive for ground breaking breakthroughs with the highest scientific quality. The researchers are being funded with up to EUR 2.5 million over a five-year period. Of the 2052 applicants in 2018, 222 have now been awarded the grant, of which 6 are from Swedish universities. The most successful country is the UK, with 47 awarded applicants.

Per-Olof Berggren's research is about understanding how the insulin producing beta-cells function under normal conditions and why they cease to work in diabetes. One major challenge when it comes to research on beta-cell physiology and pathology is to translate information obtained from isolated cells in a laboratory test-tube into the conditions that exists in the living human body.

Together with his colleagues, Per-Olof Berggren have established the anterior chamber of the eye (ACE) as a favorable environment for long term survival of islet grafts, and the cornea as a natural body window for non-invasive, longitudinal optical monitoring of islet function. ACE engrafted islets are able to maintain blood glucose homeostasis in diabetic animals, and the researchers are now starting up human clinical trials. Tissue engineering of native islets is technically difficult, and the researchers will therefore apply genetically engineered islet organoids.

Regenerative medicine approach

The objective in the current project, funded by the ERC, is to combine tissue engineering of islet cell organoids, transplantation to the ACE, synthetic biology, local pharmacological treatment strategies and the development of novel micro-electronic/micro-optical readout systems for islet cells. This regenerative medicine approach will follow the clinical trial programs and be transferred into the clinic to combat diabetes.

"We hypothesize that genetically engineered islet organoids transplanted to the ACE are superior to native pancreatic islets to monitor and treat insulin-dependent diabetes", comments Professor Berggren. "Our overall aim is to create a platform allowing monitoring and treatment of insulin-dependent diabetes in mice that can be transferred to large animals for validation."

Diabetes is one of the major and severe public health issues, spreading like an epidemic globally. Per-Olof Berggren was awarded the ERC Advanced Grant for the first time in 2013, and he has also received funding through the ERC Proof of Concept, a programme aimed at researchers who want to explore the commercial potential of their findings.
Scientists have mapped out how the body transports testosterone, and their surprising findings may explain low testosterone levels seen in men with diabetes or patients on certain medications.

Second-year graduate student Mateusz Czub and undergraduate chemistry student Barat Venkataramany analyze a testosterone binding site and discuss the possible medical implications of their finding with Wladek Minor, PhD.

The discovery lets scientists understand exactly how testosterone, the male sex hormone, binds to a protein called serum albumin and can be carried through the body.

The finding suggests that many drugs bind to serum albumin in the same way as testosterone, potentially explaining why the drugs interfere with normal testosterone transport. Further, the researchers report a similar overlap may explain why low testosterone is common in men with type 2 diabetes.

This represents a key finding from one of many albumin-related projects investigated in our laboratory. We study human and equine serum albumins but are interested in bovine, rat, mouse and rabbit serum albumins as well. These projects have been active for more than a decade in the lab. But we cannot stop our research here. We must address the next big challenge, which is the determination of albumin structures in complex with commonly used and abused opioids. We believe that the determination of these structures may be crucial in the development of new methods and treatments as our country combats the opioid crisis. Principal Investigator Wladek Minor, PhD, the University of Virginia School of Medicine

Potential Answers About Low T

The discovery represents a collaboration of Minors lab, in UVAs Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, with that of David Hage, PhD, of the Department of Chemistry at the University of NebraskaLincoln. Together, they developed the first 3D structure of serum albumin bound to a sex hormone with results of binding studies, which led to some unexpected findings.

Using an approach known as X-ray crystallography, the researchers were able to inspect the complex in unbelievable detail. But this was no easy task: First they had to capture the pairing inside a lab-made crystal  a tremendous challenge  and then they could bombard it with a stream of powerful X-rays. By tracking how the X-rays diffracted, they could determine the shape of something far too small for even the most powerful light microscopes to see.

What they found defied expectations: Testosterone was not bound in its previously predicted binding site but rather in two other sites, both with an affinity for fatty acids, various metabolites and certain drugs. That suggests that testosterone faces strong competition for transport inside the body  important information for doctors not just when prescribing existing treatments but also when looking for new treatments. (Serum albumin, for example, is an important carrier of cancer drugs.)

It is wonderful that we can use state-of-the-art techniques to study the transport of hormones and drugs in the blood on the molecular level. I hope to combine our results with the findings of other researchers from UVA so that we may collectively contribute to the development of personalized medical treatments. Mateusz P. Czub, a Graduate Student in the Minor Lab and Lead Author of the Groups New Paper Outlining the Discovery

I am thrilled to have contributed to a basic research project that can be later used for translational research and advancing the treatment of real patients in a clinic, said Barat S. Venkataramany, the second author and an undergraduate student in UVAs Department of Chemistry, who was recently admitted to medical school. The Minor lab, like many successful UVA labs, routinely involves undergraduates in its research, which benefits both the students and the research.
Alpha-1-antitrypsin is a protein produced by the liver. The protein gets secreted to the blood stream, where it circulates the body to protect the lungs.

However, some people are born with genetic disorders that hinders production of this protein. These patients can suffer from decreased lung function, liver diseases and shortness of breath.

In the US and other countries, the disorder is currently treated with fractions of human plasma containing Alpha-1-antitrypsin. Treatment requires an infusion of approximately four grams of protein pr. week. To obtain this dose, blood from 900 donors is needed, and the treatment amounts to approximately 100,000 Dollars a year pr. patient.

Now, a group of researchers from The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability at Technical University of Denmark has found a way to produce this protein in mammalian cells.

"The current production of Alpha-1-antitrypsin from blood requires a constant and large supply of blood from donors. With a recombinant alternative, you can both formulate the product, concentrate the protein, purify it, and avoid dependency of blood donors - so we would be able to ensure security of supply," says Bjrn Voldborg, Director of CHO Cell Line Development at The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability.

CHO-cells can produce over 1 gram

The researchers have successfully produced Alpha-1-antitrypsin in CHO cells - one of the most deployed cell lines for production of human therapeutic proteins. Normally, the CHO glycosylation profile of Alpha-1-antitrypsin is quite different from the human counterpart. The human version of Alpha-1-antitrypsin has a very specific sugar-structure, whereas if produced in CHO cells exhibits a variety of sugars, which renders the protein ineffective in the human body.

The researchers obtained this glycosylation profile by introducing a human gene encoding an enzyme capable of decorating the sugar backbones on the Alpha-1-antitrypsin proteins with the correct human moieties. Furthermore, they removed a number of the CHO cells natural glycosylation genes using CRISPR-Cas9.

This effort resulted in a cell line capable of producing over 1.2 grams pr. liter of cultured CHO cells, thereby making it possible to produce Alpha-1-antitrypsin from CHO cells at a scale that can eliminate the need for human donors in the future.

"This is definitely a step in the right direction when we are looking at production of glycosylated therapeutic proteins. We are quite confident that we can improve the yield even further, which will make this product commercially interesting to the pharma industry," says Bjrn Voldborg.

Today, CHO-cells with the best yield produce around 10-12 g/L of monoclonal antibodies. Hence, this Alpha1-antitrypsin producing cell line is still only producing around 10 % of this known maximum. One of the next steps is, therefore, to improve the yield even further.

Great perspectives going forward

The natural Alpha-1-antitrypsin is being degraded rather quickly in the body. Going forward, researchers wants to make the recombinant proteins more stable, so Alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency patients would need fewer injections. Hence, this new knowledge about glycosylation profiles opens a new window for optimizing human proteins to improve their stability and function.

"Our hope is to optimize stability and to become so good at designing glycans, that researchers and companies can order glycan structures on any protein from us. This will accelerate the production of new glycosylated proteins for therapeutic use," says Bjrn Voldborg.

Source: http://www.biosustain.dtu.dk/nyhedsbase/nyhed?id=3AA1F90B-3ECD-4093-AF56-420BD9F43D55
A collaboration between researchers from the UAB Institute of Neurosciences (INc) and the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline, published in March in Trends in Pharmacological Sciences, describes a mathematical model to quantify the activity of biased G-protein-coupled receptors.

The G-protein-coupled receptors are present in many neurological and psychological disorders thanks to the activation of G proteins. In addition to activating the G protein, they are also able to activate proteins responsible for other signalling routes, thereby achieving more than one effect at a time. These effects can be either beneficial or detrimental and for this reason controlling them by biasing the signal into the adequate direction is a therapeutic objective. One example of this type of therapy is chronic pain and therapy with opioid drugs. Morphine releases its therapeutic effects by binding to the -opioid receptor and activating the signalling route of the G-proteins, but also through the same receptor it produces the adverse effects through the -arrestin route. A current research line found in pharmaceutical laboratories is the design of drugs which bind to the -opioid receptor specifically to activate the G-protein route.

The innovation in the design of new drugs must go hand in hand with the development of new theoretical frameworks which permit defining reliable measures for the pharmaceutical properties needing improvement. In the study, researchers delved deeper into the quantification of the bias of the biological signal through the inclusion of the receptors' activity when not bound (constitutive activity or basal activity of the receptor). Thus, there is an increase in the pharmacological space accessible to the discovery and quantification of new drugs that are agonist, neutral antagonist and inverse antagonist (ligands which increase, do not alter or diminish the basal activities of receptors).

"Taking into account that for a specific receptor a signaling route could be linked to the therapeutic effects while another one can have adverse effects, the quantification of a biased signalling route of the receptors is fundamental for the design of more precise drugs with less side effects", says Dr Jesus Giraldo, coordinator of the study and head of the Laboratory of Molecular Neuropharmacology and Bioinformatics of the UAB Institute of Neuroscience (INc). Dr Giraldo adds that "the next step will be to incorporate the model into the routine and systematic analysis of new drugs to verify its degree of validity in real situations".

Source: https://www.uab.cat/web/newsroom/news-detail/x-1345668003610.html?noticiaid=1345785830190
Scientists say the study could help identify those most vulnerable to sepsis, which kills more than 50,000 people in the UK each year and is the leading preventable cause of death worldwide.

The study is being made possible thanks to vital funding from Sepsis Research - the UK's first sepsis research charity - which will provide 40,000 annually.

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh will compare DNA from people admitted to hospital who later die from sepsis with those who survive. They hope to isolate DNA signals from thousands of patients and use the information to identify future drug targets.

Sepsis occurs when the immune system reacts to infection, causing symptoms such as cold hands and feet, mottled skin and a quickened heart rate. It can quickly lead to multiple organ failure and death.

More people die from sepsis than the combined figure for breast cancer and bowel cancer.

Sepsis Research - also known as the Fiona Elizabeth Agnew Trust or FEAT - was founded by Craig Stobo in memory of his wife Dr Fiona Agnew and their unborn daughter, Isla, who both died in 2012 after contracting the illness.

Craig developed sepsis at the same time as Fiona but made a healthy recovery. The charity is committed to funding innovative research projects to better detect those at highest risk.

Craig Stobo, founder of Sepsis Research (FEAT), said: "Sepsis kills someone in Scotland every four hours and our charity is committed to helping find better treatments to help reduce these numbers.

"Our partnership with the University of Edinburgh is about looking to the future to help better understand how we can improve detection, treatment and recovery."

Dr Kenneth Baillie, Academic Consultant in Critical Care Medicine and Group Leader at the University of Edinburgh's Roslin Institute, said: "We know that people who have been adopted, whose biological parents have died of infection, are themselves six times more likely to die from infection. This link is not seen with adoptive parents, suggesting that genes are key to understanding sepsis treatments.

"We are grateful for this vital funding from Sepsis Research (FEAT) and hope it will help us to unlock some of the clues to how DNA governs sepsis recovery."
Researchers of the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) led by Dr. Montse Olive have described in Nature Communications a new muscular disease caused by a mutation in the myoglobin gene. The study has been possible thanks to a collaboration with a group of geneticists from the University of Western Australia (UWA), led by Prof. Nigel Laing, and researchers from the Karolinska Institute (Stockholm, Sweden).

Myoglobin, the protein that gives muscles their red color, has as its main function the transportation and intracellular storage of oxygen, acting as an oxygen reservoir when there are low levels (hypoxia) or a total lack thereof (anoxia). It also acts as scavenger of free radicals and other reactive oxygen species, avoiding cell damage due to oxidative stress.

"This is the first time that a disease caused by a mutation in the myoglobin gene has been identified", says Montse Olive, doctor at the Bellvitge University Hospital, responsible for the muscular disease area and researcher of the Human Molecular Genetics group of the Genes, Disease and Therapy at IDIBELL. "We have identified the same mutation in several members of 6 unrelated European families, all of whom had the same symptoms and showed very characteristic lesions - called sarcoplasmic bodies - in muscle biopsies," adds Dr Olive.

Myoglobinopathy, the name that has been proposed for the new disease, manifests between the fourth and fifth decade of life. It causes a progressive weakness of the axial and limb muscles, and in more advanced stages affects the respiratory musculature and the heart.

The study has also involved, among others, researchers from the ALBA synchrotron and the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB). The infrared microscopy of the MIRAS beamline at the synchrotron, which is able to characterize the chemical composition and structure of proteins, allowed researchers to demonstrate the presence of oxidized lipids in the damaged muscle cells. "We have observed that sarcoplasmic bodies correspond to oxidized lipids and misfolded proteins", says Nuria Benseny, a postdoctoral researcher at the ALBA synchrotron.

Finally, researchers from the universities of Modena and Vienna have identified an alteration in the biochemical and thermodynamic properties of the mutated myoglobin, including an alteration in the oxygen-binding capacity that contributes to the formation of the lipid and protein aggregates that are found in the muscles of the patients.

This discovery has allowed to establish the diagnosis for some patients after many years and will allow researchers to focus on finding a cure for this disease from now on.
It has been estimated by the World Health Organization that one in four people around the world will be affected by mental illness at some point in their lives, and around 450 million people currently already suffer from a mental disorder. This makes mental illness among the number one causes of disability and poor health worldwide. Mental illness is a term that encompasses a large variety of conditions that are not presently covered by a majority of travel insurers.

 noppawan09/Shutterstock.com

What is Mental Illness?

In terms of travel insurance, a mental illness can be defined as any sickness, disorder, or condition listed in the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Under this definition, mental illness includes nervous conditions, behavioural issues, and a variety of addictions and substance use. Some travel insurers insist that, to be considered to have a mental illness, one needs to have been given a clinical diagnosis by a medical practitioner. Often, insurers also require that a mental health treatment plan has been prescribed, though this is more of an exception than a rule.

What Should Travelers be Aware of?

It is only under the general exclusions section of the travel insurers Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) where mention of mental illnesses is found. This highlights the importance of reading through this document carefully. Moreover, unlike many other conditions that fall within the scope of pre-existing medical conditions, there is rarely any distinction between pre-existing mental illnesses and an undiagnosed mental disorder.

Such an issue was recently brought to light in a legal challenge where a trip was booked and paid for an overseas school trip late in 2011, but prior to departure, a student was diagnosed with major depression and was hence advised to cancel her trip. Even though she had no history of depression or any other mental illness, the claim for the canceled trip was denied by the travel insurance company. Sadly, this experience is not unique, with other travelers having similar claims relating to mental health incidents denied, despite the absence of pre-existing conditions, or ones that they were previously aware of.

While this particular legal challenge was successful, it unfortunately hasnt resulted in any major changes as to how mental health claims are treated by travel insurers. Interestingly, some insurers do now include cover  either as standard or as an extra policy  for claims arising from mental health issues. However, the responsibility lies on the traveler to check for this, which they can do using travelinsurance.com.au.

How to Travel with a Mental Illness

Individuals diagnosed with - or previously having being treated for - a mental illness should always look for a travel insurance policy that includes mental health-related claims cover. Equally importantly, they should also ensure the diagnosis comes from a fully qualified medical practitioner, while following all advice given by their doctor regarding travel (i.e. precautions, medication, etc.).

In some cases, individuals with a mental illness will be aware of triggers and situations they should avoid and should thus make all travel arrangements with these in mind. In situations where a mental health treatment plan has been prescribed, it should be followed for the duration of the trip, and individuals should always ensure they pack enough prescription medication for the duration of their travels.

All medication should be retained in their original packaging, and individuals must carry a copy of the prescription with their travel documents. Further, border crossings can be made simpler and less stressful by keeping the doctors letter that lists all prescription medication, along with what each drug is used to treat, and the dosages.

About Travelinsurance.com.au

Travelinsurance.com.au have been helping Australians buy travel insurance online since 1999. Their goal is to help you find the best policy for your needs and offer it at a discount price.

Travelinsurance.com.au has been designed to offer you the easiest way to compare and purchase your travel insurance, choosing from the major Australian brands such as; Suresave, QBE, CHI and Aussietravelcover travel insurance.

Sponsored Content Policy: News-Medical.net publishes articles and related content that may be derived from sources where we have existing commercial relationships, provided such content adds value to the core editorial ethos of News-Medical.Net which is to educate and inform site visitors interested in medical research, science, medical devices and treatments.
File photo of Manvendra Singh.



The Congress is blinded by its "anti-Modi approach" and has stopped thinking in the nation's interest, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in Jammu and Kashmirs Akhnoor on Thursday, raising issues of national security and terrorism and questioning the party's statements following the Balakot strike.



Addressing his first rally in the state after national elections were announced on March 10, Modi claimed the speeches of Congress leaders receive applause in Pakistan.



Congress president Rahul Gandhi today promised to ease business opportunities for entrepreneurs, saying that the party would free the new business from clutches of red tape, and allow easy access to bank credit if Congress is voted to power. He also promised that new ventures by youth will not require any permission to operate for three years.



BJP chief Amit Shah, meanwhile, promised to deport immigrants from Assam if the BJP and Prime Minister return to power, and said it was only the saffron party that brought development to the northeastern state. He also attacked the Congress over national security, and said only BJP and Modi can protect India's borders.



Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in Uttarakhand that the state did not witness any development before 2014 because of the policies of the Congress, which was also responsible for the corruption plaguing the state.



In Meerut, he said the people of India had decided the mandate for 2019 and were ready to bring the BJP back to power. Addressing an election rally, Modi said, I will give you an account of what I did...and I will also get you an account of what others have done...you know I am your chowkidar and I will do justice to you...there will be accountability and everyone will be made accountable. He also coined the acronym SARAB to hit out at the UP mahagathbandan, inviting Opposition ire.



Meanwhile, rebel BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha will join the Congress on April 6 after much dilly-dallying. Sinha was supposed to join the grand old party today but it was delayed after tussle intensified within the Bihar Mahagathbandhan over seat sharing. Veteran Congress leader Ramdeo Rai has reportedly told the top brass that the seat-sharing arrangement was not in favour of the grand old party and also questioned the Congresss decision to hold discussions on the seats it holds. He added that the Congress must not be considered a rookie player in coalition politics and the party would gain strength only if it wins in Darbhanga and Aurangabad.



The development comes a day after the Darbhanga Lok Sabha seat, represented by former test cricketer Kirti Azad who recently quit the BJP and joined the Congress, emerged as the new bone of contention in the Mahagathbandhan, with the RJD stating that it wished to field its veteran leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui from the seat. The Lalu Prasad-led party contended that its candidate had lost the seat to the BJP by a thin margin in 2014. State Congress president Madan Mohan Jha, when approached with queries about the RJD's claim, had said Darbhanga was an "important seat", but a final call will be taken by the party's high command.



In a pre-dawn swoop today, Income Tax officials along with CRPF personnel carried out raids at the residences of Karnataka Minor Irrigation Minister CS Puttaraju and his nephew. Speaking to a private news channel, JD(S) leader Puttaraju said three teams of Income Tax officials and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel carried out raids at his Chinnakurli residence in Mandya and his nephew's house in Mysuru.



The development came a day after, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy raised fears about possible raids on Congress and JD(S) functionaries in the state. He had claimed that CRPF personnel were brought from various parts of the country to carry out the raids in the state. Raids on Congress and JD(S) leaders can take place early Thursday morning using CRPF jawans instead of taking the help of the Karnataka Police in order to maintain secrecy, Kumaraswamy had claimed on Wednesday. "Three teams of I-T officials and CRPF soldiers comprising eight soldiers carried out raids at my Chinnakurli residence in Mandya and my nephew's residence in Mysuru," Puttaraju told the channel.
Wonder Woman "Trial of the Amazons" crossover to elevate Themiscyra to Gotham City and Metropolis status

Three of the masterminds behind DC's upcoming Woman Woman Trial of the Amazons crossover open up about what to expect
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New Delhi:

Indian origin based online taxi app Ola has introduced fleet of auto rickshaws manufactured by Bajaj, Piaggio in United Kingdoms Liverpool with an aim to overtake citys number one ride-hailing company, Uber. It will be fifth city in UK for Ola after it was launched in August 2018 in Cardiff, then to Bristol, Bath and Exeter and the company is looking to expand in the North of England in the year 2019.

Ola aims to increase the number of service users by offering the services at economical rates. It also offers 50 per cent off on the first ride to the customers who has downloaded the app before April ends.

Managing Director or Ola UK Ben Legg said, I have been driving passengers around the city today and have really enjoyed the chance to discuss the challenges that the community faces and how we can help with our new technology.

We are celebrating bringing more travel and employment choices to Liverpudlians with our ride-hailing app with the help of the community choir, he added.

Ola also says it offers the highest driver rates, charging 10 per cent commission to black cabs, compared with 25 per cent charged by competitors.
Mumbai:

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has directed banks to keep open their branches dealing with government business on the last day of the financial year (March 31), which happens to be Sunday.

"The Government of India has advised that all Pay and Account Offices will remain open on March 31, 2019 (Sunday) to facilitate government receipt and payment transactions. Accordingly, all Agency Banks are advised to keep all their branches dealing with government business open on March 31, 2019 (Sunday)," RBI said in a circular.

In a separate notification, the RBI said the Government of India has desired that all government transactions done by agency banks for the financial year 2018-19 must be accounted for within the same financial year and has requested that, as in previous years, certain special arrangements be made for this purpose.

"Accordingly, all agency banks should keep the counters of their designated branches conducting government banking open for government transactions up to 8 pm on March 30, 2019, and up to 6 pm on March 31, 2019," it said.

All electronic transactions, including RTGS and NEFT, will continue for the extended time on March 30 and March 31, 2019, for which RBI will issue necessary instructions, it said.

For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Delhis Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, which is one the busiest airport in India will soon witness a transformational change with the airport operator finalising the route of an air train connecting the terminals as well as Aerocity, the hotel centre. According to the Times of India report, the train will have four stations, including one at the cargo terminal. Delhi International Airport Pvt Ltd is currently working on financing the automated people mover (APM) project, expected to cost Rs 2,000-2,500 crore.

However, the passengers must note that the DIAL did not give a date for the projects completion but it is likely to be ready in three to four years. DIAL had first announced the air train project in 2016 and had said it would be in place by 2020.

The project which was scheduled to complete earlier was deferred due to the hugely delayed expansion of IGIA. Currently, the annual passenger handling capacity of T1, T2 and T3 is 2 crore, 1.2 crore and 3.4 crore, respectively.

DIAL says the expansion of T1 and T3, along with the fourth runway and elevated taxi track, will be complete by mid-2022. Once this happens, there will be greater transit passenger flow between T1 and T3/2. T2 is expected to be demolished in 2024 and in its place terminal T4 would be built in two phases by 2028, the airport operator said to The Times of India.

The 5.1km-long air train will be underground between T1 and Aerocity. From there to T3, the train will be mostly elevated. It will have four stations  T1, Aerocity, cargo terminal and a common terminal for T1 and T2/4.

With the fast growing passenger traffic across three passenger terminal buildings, there is a need to have a seamless commuting mechanism for inter-terminal passenger movement. This is also in line with (guidance from) the (aviation) ministry and other government agencies as well. Hence, DIAL has approached the worlds leading APM providers to explore the same. The route alignment has been finalised and various technologies from Europe and Asia are being explored by involving different agencies to assess the feasibility of the project, a DIAL spokesman said to The Times of India.

Asked why the project, which was supposed to be ready in 2020, got so much delayed, the spokesman said: DIAL has been proactively working to bring the safest and most passenger friendly APM solution. Since we have involved global leading companies from Europe and Japan, evaluating different technologies is taking some time. Further, the capital investment is significant. Hence, we are exploring various models for developing the APM, including low cost financing.
New Delhi:

A Delhi businessman was beaten to death by two youth including a juvenile with iron rods in national capitals Kapashera village. The victim has been identified as Bhoj Narayan (48) who had gone to collect a loan of Rs 30,000 from them. After murdering, the accused called the police saying that a man had been beaten up by some people and they had taken him to a hospital. However, they didnt give any details about the hospital or where the incident had occurred, the Times of India reported.

The police later found a trail of blood in a lane in Kapashera village. Hospital authorities in Dwarka later identified the accused as Nitin Yadav. The incident took place on March 21.

Yadav is an unemployed graduate. He was picked up for questioning on Tuesday. The juvenile accused was apprehended later. He told police that they had beaten the businessman to death, which forced Yadav too to confess to the crime. Yadav has been sent to judicial custody, Times of India quoted Deputy Commissioner of Police (southwest) Devender Arya as saying.

For all the Latest Crime News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

The UP B.Ed JEE examination schedule has been changed by the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Rohilkhand University, which is the official organiser of the examination. The decision is taken by the university due to UP B.Ed JEE date clash with the first phase of Lok Sabha elections 2019, which is scheduled for April 11. According to a notice published on the varsity, the decision has been made in order to avoid clashes between the state entrance exams and the elections. Now, UP B.Ed JEE, the state level Joint Entrance Examination for admission to B.Ed courses in Uttar Pradesh, will be held on April 15.

According to the official update, by the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Rohilkhand University, Bareilly, has called an advisory meeting to discuss the tentative dates for the UP B.Ed JEE 2019 examinations.

According to the official notice, the deadline to apply for the entrance exam was March 11, 2019, and the last day for the payment of the fees was March 13, 2019. The exam will be held in two shifts for Paper 1 and Paper 2 candidates. The timing for Paper 1 and Paper 2 candidates is 9 am to 12pm and 2 pm to 5 pm respectively.

The university will release further details regarding the exam on the official website of the UP B.Ed JEE 2019, upbed2019.in.
New Delhi:

The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), a Maharatna Public Sector Enterprise is looking to hire executives in Engineering and Geo-sciences Disciplines at E1 Level through GATE 2019. ONGC has released 785 vacancies for recruitment of executives in E1 level posts, Assistant Executive Engineers and other posts.

''We are looking for young, promising and energetic aspirants with bright academic records to join the organization as Class I executive (at E1 level) in Engineering and Geo  Sciences disciplines through GATE 2019,'' read an ONGC official release.

Also Read: NEET PG counselling 2019: MCC issues seat allotment letter, details here

In addition, the candidates will get a salary around Rs 19.48 lakh. We offer one of the best compensation packages in Cost to Company (CTC) terms in the country which comes to approximately Rs 19.48 lakh at E1 level, mentioned the ONGC release.



Out of total 785 vacancies, 550 are for Assistant Executive Engineer posts. As per the ONGC release, reservation of posts in respective categories viz PwD, SC, ST, OBC and EWS are applicable as per the Government of India instructions.

The detailed notification will soon be released on the official website- ongcindia.com, and in the newspapers- Employment news / Rojgar Samachar.

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New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the Lok Sabha Elections is addressing a public rally in Meerut. The upcoming general elections to the Lok Sabha is a matter of the people's dreams, aspirations and expectations, PM Modi said. He remembered former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh as he began the address. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was also present at PM Modi's campaign rally. PM Modi will also address a public rally at Rudrapur in the Udham Singh Nagar district of Jammu and Kashmir and a public meeting at Akhnoor in Jammu.



PM Modi rally in Meerut: Top 5 quotes
New Delhi:

Day after stunning success of Mission Shakti, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched his poll campaign at a mega rally in Uttar Pradeshs politically-sensitive Meerut on Thursday. In a powerful speech, the Prime Minister launched a scathing attack on the Opposition for demanding the proof of the Balakot air strike. Kya aapko saboot chahiye ya aapko sapoot chahiye (Do you want proof or do you want the good son of the soil), asked PM Modi in a sharp swipe at the Opposition leaders.

5 years ago, when I sought your blessings, you gave me a lot of love. I had said that I will return the blessings and the love with interest, and I had also said that I will give account of the work that I have done, the Prime minister said.

The Opposition has been saying that the government must issue clarification on number of terrorists killed in the February 26 air strike. Recently, Sam Pitroda, Congress chief Rahul Gandhis close aide questioned the death toll in the Balakot airstrike by the Indian Air Force in response to the Pulwama terror attack and said it was wrong to attack Pakistan. If they (IAF) killed 300, its ok. All I am saying is can you give me more facts and prove it, said Pitroda in a wide-ranging interview to news agency ANI.

I would like to know a little more because I read reports in the New York Times and other newspapers. Did we really attack? We really killed 300 people? I dont know that. As a citizen, I am entitled to know and if I ask it is my duty to ask, that doesnt mean Im not a nationalist, That doesnt mean I am on this side or that side. We need to know the facts. If you say 300 people were killed, I need to know that. We all need to know that, people of India need to know that and then comes global media which says nobody was killed. I look bad as an Indian citizen, Pitroda had said.

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 March 10. 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.
New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a public rally at Rudrapur in the Udham Singh Nagar district of Jammu and Kashmir for the ensuing Lok Sabha elections. He will also hold a public meeting at Akhnoor in Jammu and another at Meerut, aimed at garnering public support for the BJP in eight seats across western Uttar Pradesh. AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will visit Rae Bareli today.

23:36 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Congress releases list of 31 candidates for Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat. Manvendra Singh, son of former Union minister and veteran BJP leader Jaswant Singh, to contest from Barmer. Vaibhav Gehlot, son of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, will contest from Jodhpur.

20:58 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In

Congress leader Divya Spandana writes to Election Commission of India against social media pages for allegedly "offering free gifts to voters enticing them to support Modi" (file pic) pic.twitter.com/qMqE3a3XUp

 ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2019



20:29 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In According to sources, the names on all 25 seats in Rajasthan have been decided. The Congress is expressed to release the list late night today or early tomorrow.

19:34 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In

R Singh at condolence meet for M Parrikar in Panaji: After Uri, PM had called 2-3 of us. Anger was visible on Parrikar ji's face, he played an important role in that strike & observed ops all night. You may not know this, but he also played a crucial role in 2 air strikes. #Goa pic.twitter.com/aRm5Mkg0te

 ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2019



18:37 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In They (BJP) tried to persuade Kumaraswamy to form govt with the support of BJP. Before the election they extended huge money for the expenditure of JD(S), they tried to persuade him to meet them in Mumbai where money was kept but Kumaraswamy refused to budge, says H D Deve Gowda.

18:18 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In

Dhaurahra: Congress workers stage demonstration demanding Jitin Prasada be given ticket from the constituency. Prasada says 'I am a disciplined soldier of the party and will do what I am told' pic.twitter.com/FYfHXOHUFl

 ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 28, 2019



18:14 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Terrorists, outside and within country, should remember they will get befitting reply if they plot against nation, says PM Modi in Akhnoor.

18:05 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In

PM in Akhnoor(J&K): Congress ke naamdaar ke guru jo desh-videsh mein un ke sath rehte hain, Congress ki niti nirdharan karte hain, ve TV media ke saamne aatankiyon aur Pakistan ko clean-chit de rahe hain. Jab guru hi aisa hoga to chele kaise honge, aur chele ke sathi kaise honge? pic.twitter.com/Fn19GEFMk4

 ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2019



17:58 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Congress, National Conference and PDP ae responsible for the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir. It is because of them that the Kashmiri Pandits had to bear so much. They are also responsible for the terror that has spread in the state, says PM Modi

17:57 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In What is beyond comprehension is Congress' attitude. Is it the same Congress that Sardar Patel was a part of? Is it the same Congress that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was a part of, and fought for India's independence? asks PM Modi.

17:56 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In They have a problem in chanting Bharat Mata ki Jai but feel proud in praising those who promote terrorism. Today, Congress, National Conference and PDP have completed one full circle, says PM Modi.

17:53 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Today, terrorists and their leaders are praying to somehow get rid of this chowkidar and these mahamilawati sit in Delhi, says PM Modi.

17:51 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Whole country is talking in one voice and these Congress people are talking in a different voice. Do you accept this language of Congress? Of PDP? of NC? Pakistan applauds their language, says PM Modi

17:51 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In What is beyond comprehension is Congress' attitude. Is it the same Congress that Sardar Patel was a part of? Is it the same Congress that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was a part of, and fought for India's independence? says PM Modi

17:50 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In After the Balakot airstrike, Congress leaders are speaking in a way like they are not in Indias favour. Not only this, leaders living in Jammu and Kashmir are speaking the language which is not acceptable to villagers there, says PM Modi.

17:47 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Those running terror factories across the border are living in fear today. Fir the first time, terrorists sitting across the border are forced to think 100 times before emanating terror in India, says PM Modi

17:44 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In When you will push the EVM button on April 11, it will create a sense of fear in hearts of terrorists and their friends in the country, and will also echo across the border, says PM Modi.

17:41 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In I am lucky that while I have started seeking blessings of the country for the elections, I have got the bessings of Mata Vaishno on first day in Jammu, says PM Modi in Akhnoor

17:29 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Tej Paratp Yadav resigns as chief of RJD's student wing.

17:06 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to contest on all 26 seats in Gujarat.

16:51 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In

#WATCH BJP President Amit Shah in Jorhat says, "Din mein to Congress party ke Gogoi ji aur Ajmal (AIUDF Cheif Badruddin Ajmal) aamne saamne chunaav ladte hain. Magar jab raat hoti hai, dono ke beech mein ilu-ilu chalu ho jata hai." #Assam pic.twitter.com/kx6Sk0EWYE

 ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2019



16:46 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In

Samajwadi Party releases another list of candidates. Nasir Qureshi to contest from Moradabad, Bhagwat Sharan Gangwar from Bareily,Pooja Pal from Unnao, Shyam Sunder Yadav from Jhansi and Nathuni Prasad Kushwaha from Kushinagar. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/OJNTRjtMA4

 ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 28, 2019



16:35 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In I-T Dept has to work independently but it's working on the instructions of Modi and Amit Shah. After BJP came to power, it has become like a dictatorship. Do you think the IT Director in Bengaluru is innocent? I also have lot of records, says H D Kumaraswamy.

16:15 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In National Commission for Women has issued a notice to SP leader Firoz Khan over his remark on BJP Rampur candidate Jaya Prada.

16:05 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In

D Pradhan: Naveen babu (Odisha CM) has filed a wrong election affidavit, that's what we have come to know. When he was Coal Minister in 1998 he allotted coal block to a ghost company. How are you connected to the company? You didn't give info in affidavit that CBI questioned you? pic.twitter.com/XGV4a71RMk

 ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2019



15:59 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Biju Janata Dal (BJD) writes to Chief Electoral Officer of Bhubaneswar demanding action against BJP for alleged violation of Model Code of Conduct 'for surrogate advertising through a TV serial broadcast on a TV channel in which the characters talk about 'Atal Pension Yojana.'

15:48 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In

Bengaluru: Visuals of protest by Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy, Dy CM G. Parameshwara and other senior leaders outside I-T office, against Income-Tax raids at residence of JD(S) leader & Karnataka Minor Irrigation Minister CS Puttaraju in Mandya. pic.twitter.com/Ev2auhErBV

 ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2019



15:05 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Shatrughan Sinha likely to join Congress on April 6.

15:02 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In

Shakti Singh Gohil, Congress In-charge of Bihar: Shatrughan Sinha ji has decided that he will join Congress party and will work as our star leader and star campaigner.



14:58 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Every vote of yours will strengthen Modi, every vote will be for Modi, says PM.

14:55 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In UPA blocked Rafale deal for commission, says PM Modi.

14:54 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Congress sat over Rafale deal over the years, says PM Modi.

14:52 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Congress was never serious in implementing policies: PM Modi.

14:49 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Under the Congress, Uttarakhand suffered heavily. It is only under the BJP that the state is witnessing rapid strides in all-round development. Be it connectivity, tourism or industrial development, today Uttarakhand is scripting a new chapter: PM Modi.

14:48 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Youths of Uttarakhand were forced to flee the state. Congress responsible for that: PM Modi in Rudrapur, Uttarakhand

14:48 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Congress never understood the aspirations of the people, says PM Modi.

14:47 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In OROP program was implemented by our government, says PM Modi.

14:46 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Every defense deal under Congress regime was marred with corruption, says PM Modi.

14:44 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In This Chowkidaar is not scared of terrorists, says PM Modi.

14:43 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Should Modi stay quite after a terrorist attack? No, my upbringing is to give befitting reply to the enemies of the nation: PM Modi.

14:41 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Should the opposition parties question the surgical strike and Balakot attack: PM Modi.

14:39 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In A Former Uttarakhand CM who is also a candidate from here this time had only one job, to mark attendance in Delhi Durbar. He did not care about unemployment or other issues facing the youth in the state which forced people to migrate outside the state, says PM Modi.

14:39 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Who made people Majboor with their policies? says PM Modi slamming Congress party.

14:36 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Today, Uttarakhand has moved towards a new way of development: PM Modi.

14:35 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In My government is working reluctantly to change the face of the country, says PM Modi.

14:34 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In The land of Uttarakhand endorses fearless soldiers: PM Modi.

14:24 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Bengaluru: Congress and JDS workers protest against Income-Tax raids at the residence of JD(S) leader & Karnataka Minor Irrigation Minister CS Puttaraju in Mandya.



Bengaluru: Congress and JDS workers protest against Income-Tax raids at residence of JD(S) leader & Karnataka Minor Irrigation Minister CS Puttaraju in Mandya pic.twitter.com/73pqk8oqcq

 ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2019



14:20 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Odisha: Veteran leader Bijoy Mohapatra, who had resigned from the BJP four months ago, returned to the saffron party on Thursday. The 68-year-old stalwart said his move to come back to the BJP followed a detailed discussion with the partys national vice-president Baijayant Panda and Odisha in-charge Arun Singh.

14:18 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In

Delhi: Vivek Oberoi and Producer of film 'PM Narendra Modi', Sandeep Singh arrive at Election Commission.















Delhi: Vivek Oberoi and Producer of film 'PM Narendra Modi', Sandeep Singh arrive at Election Commission pic.twitter.com/JvCVLaJMvG

 ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2019



14:15 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Urmila Matondkar holds her first press meet in Mumbai on Thursday after being inducted into the Congress on Wednesday.

13:51 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Trouble for Gathbandhan, Bihar Congress leaders summoned to Delhi. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav meets Upendra Khushwaha and Jiten Manjhi.

13:50 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Goa Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar, who had joined BJP from MGP on Wednesday, has been appointed as the Deputy Chief Minister of the State.



Goa Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar, who had joined BJP from MGP yesterday, has been appointed as the Deputy Chief Minister of the State. (file pic) pic.twitter.com/OvaIpvVrD8

 ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2019



13:17 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Congress says PM Modi should apologise to Opposition parties.

13:14 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Congress leader calls PM Modi "flop actor of flop film."

13:31 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Delhi: Suspended Aam Aadmi Party leader from Punjab, Harinder Singh Khalsa joins Bharatiya Janata Party in the presence of Union Minister Arun Jaitley.



Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party leader from Punjab, Harinder Singh Khalsa joins Bharatiya Janata Party in the presence of Union Minister Arun Jaitley. pic.twitter.com/wyVoNDqzTD

 ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2019



13:11 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In PM Narendra Modi says in Meerut, "Sapa (SP) ka 'sha', RLD ka 'Raa' aur Baspa (BSP) ka 'ba', matlab 'sharab'...Sapa, RLD, Baspa, ye 'sharab' aapko barbaad kar degi."

13:09 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Accusations and counter-accusations flew thick and fast as BJP candidate in Tezpur parliamentary seat and minister Pallab Lochan Das referred to Congress nominee and former additional chief secretary MGVK Bhanu as salani maas (imported fish), drawing sharp criticism from the retired bureaucrat.

13:06 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Claiming there is no Modi wave in this Lok Sabha polls like in 2014, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi Thursday said a non-BJP, non-Congress front is likely to form the government at the Centre with a regional leader emerging as a prime minister.

13:05 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In RK Anand, Congress on reports that Shatrughan Sinha is joining the party: It will be decided after 2 pm, there is no fight on his joining or his seat, just a delay. Adjustments are happening.



RK Anand, Congress on reports that Shatrughan Sinha is joining the party: It will be decided after 2 pm, there is no fight on his joining or his seat, just a delay. Adjustments are happening. pic.twitter.com/WkxA8bzf0J

 ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2019



12:58 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In PM Modi says, if you press the button on the EVM for the BJP candidate (Rajendra Agarwal from Meerut), it will directly reach him.

12:52 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Our government working to fulfil visions of Chaudhary Charan Singh and Deendayal Chhotu Ram, says PM Modi.

12:44 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In PM Modi hits out at the SP-BSP alliance in Uttar Pradesh, says, "Old enemies are now friends. This speaks so much about their want for power."

12:41 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In "Our Air Force asked for new aircraft but they ignored the requests. They didn't even provide bulletproof jackets and neither did they allow our scientists to launch an anti-satellite missile. This is because the opposition wants to keep the nation week."

12:39 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Launching a scathing attack at Rahul Gandhi, PM Modi said, "You saw for yourself, yesterday, how our accomplishments in space were ignored by the opposition, There was also some confusion, regarding SAT looking like a theatre set to some."

12:33 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In PM Narendra Modi makes a veiled attack at Congress over the promise of Universal Basic Income.

12:31 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In The decision to give economically weaker sections 10% reservation was also taken by us, says PM Modi in Meerut.

12:26 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Land, sky or space, my govt has shown courage to conduct surgical strike in all spheres, says PM Modi.

12:24 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In "People who couldn't open bank accounts are now saying that they will directly transfer money to the poor, what will they possibly do?" asks PM Modi at a rally in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut.

12:18 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In For four decades our Jawans had been asking for OROP. The work was done by this Chowkidar, says PM.

12:17 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In I will give you an account of what I did and I will also give you an account of what others did, or didn't. We as a party are on the path to development. but others have no policy or vision, says PM Modi.

12:13 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In 5 years ago, when I sought your blessings, you gave me a lot of love. I had said that I will return the blessings & the love with interest, & I had also said that I will give account of the work that I have done: PM Modi.

12:16 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In I am a Chowkidar, and a Chowkidar never does injustice, says PM Narendra Modi in Meerut.





12:09 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In The upcoming general elections to the Lok Sabha is a matter of the people's dreams, aspirations and expectations: PM Modi.

12:09 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In PM Modi remembers former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh.

12:08 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In The Prime Minister has begun his address at Meerut.

12:07 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath is also present at Modi's campaign rally in Meerut and is currently addressing the gathering. "Development in UP and across the country has been possible because of Modi's poilices," he says, as he goes on to state that the BJP avenged the Pulwama terror attack by carrying out air-stikes in Pakistan's Balakot.

12:22 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In A massive turnout is observed at PM Mod's first campaign rally in Meerut.





12:02 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In WATCH | Sambhal SP leader Firoz Khan says,"Rampur ki shaamein rangeen ho jaayengi ab jab chunavi mahual chalega".BJP's Jaya Prada is the MP candidate from Rampur.He also says,"Ab koi (BJP's Sanghamitra Maurya) apne ko gundi batade koi naachne ka kaam kare woh unka apna pesha hai."



#WATCH Sambhal SP leader Firoz Khan says,"Rampur ki shaamein rangeen ho jaayengi ab jab chunavi mahual chalega".BJP's Jaya Prada is the MP candidate from Rampur.He also says,"Ab koi (BJP's Sanghamitra Maurya) apne ko gundi batade koi naachne ka kaam kare woh unka apna pesha hai." pic.twitter.com/duPJleE21E

 ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 28, 2019



11:57 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a public rally in Meerut.





11:44 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Veteran Congress leader Ramdeo Rai has reportedly told the top brass that the seat-sharing arrangement was not in favour of the grand old party and also questioned the Congress's decision to hold discussions on the seats it holds.

11:35 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Supreme Court refuses urgent hearing in a plea seeking a stay on the release of a movie Ram ki Janmabhoomi alleging it will prejudice the mediation process in Ram Mandir- Babri Masjid case. The Supreme Court posted the matter for hearing after 2 weeks.

11:34 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In EC informs the Supreme Court that it is considering holding by-elections in Aravakurichi, Ottapidaram & Thiruparankundram assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu within reasonable time. SC disposes DMK's plea seeking direction to EC to notify by-elections in the 3 constituencies.

11:31 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal will hold a roadshow in Vijayawada today.

11:02 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Reacting to the income-tax department raids in Karnataka, JD(S) leader Madhu Bangarappa, refers to CM Kumaraswamy's earlier statement on how secret raids with the help of CRPF personnel are being conducted against Congress and JD(S) leaders in the state. "The CM already spoke about this, because he got inputs from intelligence department. BJP is trying to play political game. Why no raids at BJP leaders' houses? I-T raids are common, but I am questioning their timing," he says.

10:36 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an official announcement on his rallies for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections starting today from Meerut (UP), Rudrapur (Uttarakhand) and Jammu (J&K) on Twitter.



Dear friends,



Over the next few days, I would be travelling across the country seeking your support for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.



Today, I would be addressing rallies in Meerut (UP), Rudrapur (Uttarakhand) and Jammu (J&K).



Watch the rallies live on the NaMo App.

 Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 28, 2019



10:30 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In An all-women polling booth will be set up in every Lok Sabha constituency of Maharashtra during the next months polls in a bid to encourage more female voters to exercise their franchise.

10:29 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to address eight election rallies in Maharashtra where voting in total 48 Lok Sabha seats will be held in four phases starting April 11.

09:18 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In 'Say no to Lok Sabha polls': Maoist blow up BJP leader's house in Bihar's Dumariya, leave with brazen warning. Read here



08:35 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Case filed against YSRCP MP V Vijaysai Reddy for levelling false allegations against police officer before Election Commission.



Case filed against YSRCP MP V Vijaysai Reddy for levelling false allegations against police officer before Election Commission. (File pic) pic.twitter.com/4zbdsEvmw5

 ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2019



08:23 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Goa minister Govind Gaude: Sudin Dhavalikar is the most corrupt person in Goa. An inquiry has to be conducted in JICA construction because it's a long-pending project and roads which have been considered under repairs and installation should be investigated as time-bound has been already completed.



Goa Min Govind Gaude:Sudin Dhavalikar is the most corrupt person in Goa.Inquiry has to be conducted in JICA construction because it's a long pending project&roads which have been considered under repairs&installation should be investigated as time bound has been already completed pic.twitter.com/7QbrU1deqQ

 ANI (@ANI) March 27, 2019



08:08 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Agartala: Tripura Congress chief Pradyot Kishore and INPT chief BK Hrangkhawl meet IPFT chief and state minister NC Debbarma. Kishore says, "We've come to appeal to him that in the interest of people of a state who want to defeat BJP, lets not divide our votes. Let's work towards united opposition against BJP."





07:23 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Several ministers, including those from the BJP, in Goa, did not attend the swearing-in ceremony of Dipak Pawaskar, who was inducted into the state cabinet within hours of he quitting the MGP and joining the saffron party Wednesday.

07:13 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In The Congress Central Election Committee to meet today.

07:12 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha is set to join the Congress today after quitting the BJP.

07:11 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will visit Rae Bareli today.
New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday officially blew the poll bugle for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradeshs Meerut. In a powerful speech, the Prime Minister launched a scathing attack on the Opposition in the presence of a massive sea of supporters.

Here are the five topics, Prime Minister Narendra Modi touched upon at the mega rally in the politically sensitive Uttar Pradesh town:

Dig at Congress NYAY scheme:

"People who couldn't open bank accounts are now saying that they will directly transfer money to the poor, what will they possibly do?" asks PM Modi.

On Monday, Rahul had announced that Rs 72,000 per year will be given as minimum income to poor families, benefiting around 25 crore people, if his party is voted to power in Lok Sabha polls. The name of the proposed scheme is 'Nyuntam Aay Yojana' or Nyay. The word 'Nyay' stands for justice in Hindi. Hitting back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for criticising the proposed scheme, the Congress chief said that the former mocked MGNREGA as he failed to understand Congress governments employment generation scheme.

Saboot vs Sapoot:

PM Modi attacked the Opposition for demanding the proof of the Balakot air strike. Kya aapko saboot chahiye ya aapko sapoot chahiye (Do you want proof or do you want the good son of the soil), asked PM Modi in a sharp swipe at the Opposition leaders.

5 years ago, when I sought your blessings, you gave me a lot of love. I had said that I will return the blessings and the love with interest, and I had also said that I will give account of the work that I have done, the Prime minister said.

PM Modi attacks the Mahagathbandhan:

These mahamilaavat leaders flourish when the country has cracks, when the country is weak, because they can exploit this to make their personal fortunes. But now they are scared because India is uniting, becoming stronger, and they now know that they can no longer exploit the people. I on the other hand have no fortune and no desire to create one either. Your love is all I need. I am not in this to create personal fortunes, said PM Modi in Meerut.

PM Modis reply to Rahul Gandhis Theatre Day tweet:

After the announcement of Mission Shakti by PM Modi on Wednesday, Congress president Rahul Gandhi had this to say: Well done DRDO, extremely proud of your work. I would also like to wish the PM a very happy World Theatre Day (sic).

On Thursday, at the Meerut rally the prime minister took a dig at Rahul Gandhis tweet and said, You saw for yourself, yesterday, how our accomplishments in space were ignored by the opposition, there was also some confusion, regarding SAT looking like a theatre set to some (sic).

PM Modi slams SP-RLD-BSP alliance in Uttar Pradesh:

PM Narendra Modi said, "Sapa (SP) ka 'sha', RLD ka 'Raa' aur Baspa (BSP) ka 'ba', matlab 'sharab'...Sapa, RLD, Baspa, ye 'sharab' aapko barbaad kar degi."
New Delhi:

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday accused BJP of staging drama of attack on Jaish-e-Mohammad camp in Balakot. He mocked the BJP saying only trees fell during the air strikes. Some say 300 were killed, some say 500 were killed while some say 700 were killed. No one was killed there. Not even a hen was killed. Only trees fell there and now, Pakistan have filed a case there that they should be given compensation for trees, he said while addressing party workers in Budgam district ahead of the Lok Sabha Elections.



On February 26, the Indian Air Force (IAF)'s Mirage 2000 fighters armed with SPICE 2000 satellite-guided bombs had struck the Jaish-e-Mohammed's Balakot training camp in response to the gruesome terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on February 14. Being touted as the Surgical Strike 2.0, the airstrike killed "a very large number of Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists, trainers, senior commanders, and groups of jihadis" at the alleged terror camp in Balakot, Indias foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale said.

Earlier, Farooq Abdullah filed nomination papers from Jammu and Kashmirs Srinagar-Budgam constituency. Farooq Abdullah filed the papers at Deputy Commissioners office in Srinagar and was accompanied by NC vice president Omar Abdullah, party general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar and various other party leaders.



Lok Sabha elections will begin on April 11 and polling would be held over seven phases through May 19, followed by counting of all votes on May 23. The assembly elections in four states  Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, Odisha and Arunachal Pradesh  will be held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls. Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir will not be held along with the general elections. Since the J&K 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 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.
New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday will kickstart his campaign for the first phase of polling for the general elections in Uttar Pradesh from Meerut. Later in the day, PM Modi will be addressing rallies in Uttarakhand and Jammu. In 2014 too, PM Modi who was then the BJPas PM candidate had begun his election campaign from Meerut on February 2, 2014, by addressing a meeting in Shatabdinagar.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also took to Twitter and wrote,"A Dear friends,A Over the next few days, I would be travelling across the country seeking your support for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Today, I would be addressing rallies in Meerut (UP), Rudrapur (Uttarakhand) and Jammu (J&K)."A

Dear friends,



Over the next few days, I would be travelling across the country seeking your support for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.



Today, I would be addressing rallies in Meerut (UP), Rudrapur (Uttarakhand) and Jammu (J&K).



Watch the rallies live on the NaMo App. a Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 28, 2019

aFive years ago, Modiji had addressed his first election meeting in the state and the BJP won 71 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh by reducing the opposition to political insignificance. This time too, the party will repeat the same success story to cut the mahagathbandhan to size,a said Gajendra Sharma, in-charge of partyas media cell in Meerut.

BJP leaders and workers performed a Bhoomi Pujan at the venue of Modias meeting along the highway Monday while the SPG teams have also took stock of the situation at the new venue. aSix SPs from neighbouring districts, 10 Additional SPas, 30 Deputy SPas, 50 inspectors, 150 sub-inspectors and 900 constables along with ten companies of PAC and RAF will remain deployed during a meeting of the PM,a said Meerut SSP Nitin Tiwari. aWe have decided that a route diversion plan, like we followed during the Kanwar Yatra, will remain in force on the highway from 7 am till afternoon as the PM is scheduled to reach the meeting venue around 11 am on March 28,a said SP (Traffic) Sanjeev Bajpai.

All the constituencies where Modi will speak are going to polls in the first phase on April 11. Assembly polls are being held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha elections in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
New Delhi:

Congress general secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh East Priyanka Gandhi is scheduled to visit Ayodhya on Friday  the last day of her second leg of campaigning in politically-crucial state.

The party has planned a 50-km road show in Faizabad-Ayodhya on Friday, during which she is expected to address two meetings. She will stop at over 30 other points during the road show, interacting with people, according to the schedule worked out so far.

According to reports, the party had initially planned a train journey for Priyanka, from Delhi to Ayodhya and then travelling to Amethi via Sultanpur by road.

However, the plan was later changed. Priyanka first flew to Lucknow on Wednesday from where she took a road trip to Amethi and met party workers in her brother and Congress president Rahul Gandhis parliamentary constituency.

On Thursday, she campaigned for her mother and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in the latters parliamentary constituency Rae Bareli.

According to sources quoted by News 18, Priyanka on Friday will also a pay visit to the Hanumangarhi and the Birla Mandir in the temple town, after which she will lead the roadshow from Tedhi Bazaar, through the Ranapoli-Avadhpuri colony, Beniganj, Sahabganj police station, Sahabganj Ram Janki temple -- all the way to Redganj -- where she will address a Nukkad Sabha organised by transwoman Gulshan Bindu, who recently joined the Congress.

Taking a swipe at Priyankas scheduled visit to Ayodhya, Union minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani said that the party that refused to believe in the existence of Lord Ram has now turned into an outfit of Ram followers.

"The Congress party which presented documents in the court saying there is no existence of Lord Ram... The leader of that very party Priyanka Gandhi is moving about as a 'Ram bhakt'," she said.

The Union Textiles Minister was apparently referring to the UPA government in 2007 withdrawing from the apex court an affidavit filed by the ASI claiming there was no historical or scientific evidence to establish existence of Lord Ram and Rama Setu as a man-made bridge.

From March 18 to 20, she undertook a 140-km-long boat ride from Prayagraj to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's parliamentary constituency Varanasi, interacting with people along the way and visiting prominent places of worship.

The Congress won only two seats out of UP's 80 in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and now faces both the BJP and the Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party-Rashtriya Lok Dal alliance.

With Priyanka's entry into active politics and Rahul Gandhi giving her the charge of 42 constituencies in eastern Uttar Pradesh, the Congress hopes to regain its lost ground in the politically crucial state.

However, the BJP believes that Priyanka's presence will not have any impact on the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Priyanka on Wednesday said that she will surely contest the Lok Sabha polls if the party wants her to. She, however, said no decision on the same has been taken as of now. Earlier, speculations were rife that Priyanka may contest from Rae Bareli -- the parliamentary constituency of her mother.

However, the rumours were laid to rest after the Congress' first list of candidates featured Sonia Gandhi's name from Rae Bareli.
highlights The BJP swept the state in 2014 LS polls but lost its majority in 2017 elections.

Polling will be held on North Goa and South Goa seats in the third phase.

After Parrikar's death, Pramod Sawant is heading the BJP-led government.

New Delhi:

Lok Sabha Elections 2019: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has finally sounded the poll bugle and declared the schedule for the Lok Sabha Elections 2019 on March 10. The Lok Sabha Elections 2019 will be held in seven phases, starting from April 11. The results will be declared on May 23. 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 third phase will be held on April 23 and fourth on April 29, fifth on May 6, sixth on May 12 and seventh phase on May 19. 115 constituencies will go for polls in the third phase, 71 in the fourth phase, 51 in the fifth phase, 59 in the sixth phase and 59 in the seventh phase. We are also gearing up for the elections and are coming up with a series: 2019 Lok Sabha Election Analysis: What happened in 2014 Lok Sabha Polls? What will happen this year? Let us look at the political scenario in the state of Goa.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept the state in 2014 Lok Sabha elections but lost its majority in 2017 Assembly elections. However, the party was able to form the government in Goa again under the leadership of Manohar Parrikar with the support of Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), Goa Forward Party (GFP) and some independents. In 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the party emerged victorious in both the parliamentary seats (North Goa and South Goa). In 2012 Assembly elections, the BJP was in an alliance with the MGP and managed to get the majority on its own. The party won 21 seats in the 40-member Assembly and Manohar Parrikar became the chief minister. Parrikar was the chief minister of the state between 2000 and 2002 and again from 2002 to 2005. In November 2014, Parrikar had to resign as the chief minister after Prime Minister Narendra Modi chose him to lead the Defence Ministry. BJP's Laxmikant Parsekar took over as the chief minister but lost the elections in 2017. Let's discuss state politics in detail. Also Read: Lok Sabha Elections 2019: When will you vote? Know poll dates of your seat here

Lok Sabha Elections 2019: When will Goa vote?

Goa will vote in a single phase on April 23. Polling will be held on North Goa and South Goa parliamentary constituencies in the third phase. Both the seats are currently held by the BJP.

What happened in Goa in 2014 Lok Sabha Elections?

In 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP won a decisive mandate in Goa and captured both the seats in the state. The party won the South Goa Lok Sabha seat only for the second time in 2014. BJP's Narendra Keshav Sawaikar defeated Congress party's Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco with a good margin. The party won the seat for the first time in 1999 when Ramakant Angle emerged victorious from the seat. The party also won the North Goa seat in 2014 when Shripad Yesso Naik defeated Congress party's Ravi Naik. Shripad Yesso Naik has been winning the seat since 1999.

The BJP received 4,36,679 votes with a massive vote share of 54.1 per cent. The Congress drew a blank in Goa also and received 2,98,750 votes with a vote share of 37 per cent.

According to our analysis, the BJP was ahead in 33 Assembly segments during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. The Congress was leading on just 7.

What was the result of Goa Assembly Elections in 2017?

The BJP failed to repeat its Lok Sabha poll performance in the 2017 Assembly elections in Goa and lost its majority in the state. The party managed to win just 13 seats in the state and the incumbent chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar also lost his own seat. The Congress emerged as the single largest party in the state with 17 seats but missed the opportunity to form the government in Goa after the BJP cobbled up a quick coalition with the MGP, the Vijay Sardesai-led GFP and some independents. The BJP with 9 legislators of these parties crossed the magic figure of 21 in the state Assembly. Manohar Parrikar returned to the state as the chief minister again.

The BJP received 2,97,588 votes with a vote share of 32.5 per cent. The Congress managed to get 2,59,758 votes with a vote share of 28.35 per cent. The MGP and the newly-formed GFP received 11.3 per cent and 3.5 per cent vote share in the polls respectively. Both the parties won 3 seats each. In 2012 Assembly polls, the Congress won 9 seats whereas the BJP was successful in 21 seats.

What is the current scenario in Goa in 2019?

After Manohar Parrikar's death, Pramod Sawant is heading the BJP-led coalition government in the state. Two MLAs of the MGP have recently defected to the BJP. Both Deepak Pauskar and Manohar Ajgaonkar left the MGP and joined the saffron party and raised the BJP numbers in the Assembly to 14. Sawant also decided to drop MGP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Sudin Dhavalikar from his Cabinet. The current strength of the Assembly is reduced to 36 as four seats  Mandrem, Panaji, Mapusa and Shiroda  are vacant. Two Congress MLAs Dayanand Sopte and Subhash Shirodkar split from the Grand Old Party and joined the BJP. Both Sopte and Shirodkar will be contesting bypolls in Mandrem and Shiroda, while Panaji and Mapusa are lying vacant due to the deaths of Parrikar and senior BJP leader Francis D'Souza. Vishwajit Rane, son of former Congress chief minister Pratapsingh Rane, defected to the BJP in March 2017 and was later re-elected as a BJP MLA.

Both the BJP and the Congress have declared candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in the state. The BJP has re-nominated both its lawmakers  Shripad Yesso Naik and Narendra Keshav Sawaikar  from North Goa and South Goa seats respectively. Congress partys Girish Chodankar will take on Naik in North Goa whereas senior leader Francisco Sardinha has been pitted against Sawaikar in South Goa.

What is News Nation Opinion Poll verdict in Goa?

According to News Nation Opinion Poll, the BJP is likely to get 44 per cent of vote share in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The Congress may get 39 per cent of votes, predicts the poll. The BJP may again win both the seats in 2019.
New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took down Congress chief Rahul Gandhi for his World Theatre Day wishes after Mission Shakti announcement. Addressing a massive rally in Uttar Pradeshs Meerut, PM Modi said, When I spoke about A-SAT, some confused it with theatre sets. These are the people who are always busy in drama.

For me India is before anything else. The opposition ignored our achievement in space (missile test). I suspect their intelligence, PM Modi said even as the Opposition complained to the Election Commission over the Mission Shakti timing.

On Wednesday, in one single tweet, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi not only congratulated the DRDO for Mission Shakti but also took a sharp swipe at PM Modi. Without saying much, Gandhi deftly drove home the point that the timing of space mission announcement was just a drama.

Well done DRDO, extremely proud of your work. I would also like to wish the PM a very happy World Theatre Day, Gandhi said on the micro-blogging site. Prior to this, the Congress had also said that while the Indian scientists must be hailed for the stellar work, but the nation must not forget Indias first Prime Minister.

We congratulate @isro @DRDO_India & the Govt on the latest achievement for India. The Indian Space Programme established in 1962 by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru & the Indian Space Research Organisation set up under Smt. Indira Gandhi has always made India proud through its achievements, the Congress said on Twitter.

PM Modi's announcement of India's anti-satellite missile capability on Wednesday was "limitless drama and publicity mongering", amounting to "gross violation" of the model code of conduct, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Wednesday.

The PM made the announcement ahead of the Lok Sabha polls to "reap political benefits", Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief, said. "There is no great urgency in conducting and announcing the mission now by a government past its expiry date. It seems a desperate oxygen to save the imminent sinking of the BJP boat. We are lodging a complaint with the Election Commission," she said.

Addressing the nation on the demonstration of India's anti-satellite missile capability, the prime minister said India had joined an exclusive club of space super powers by shooting down a live satellite, describing it as a rare achievement.
New Delhi:

Indias most iconic and popular animation character Chhota Bheem has been upgraded to become more stylish and powerful. With killer Kung Fu moves and a great amount of fun as its driving force, Chhota Bheem: Kung Fu Dhamaka 3D, releases in theatres on the 10th of May, 2019. Directed by Rajiv Chilaka & Binayak Das and produced by Green Gold Animation, the producers have partnered with Yash Raj Films to give the film the widest ever release for an animation title in cinemas across India. You can catch a short glimpse of this epitome of excitement.

The film is set in China and this time Bheem and his friends set out on an adventure in the Land of the Dragon to participate in the biggest Kung Fu competition of the world. However, the capturing of the princess by Chinas arch nemesis Zuhu hinders the competition as Bheem is called upon to rescue the princess.

Director Rajiv Chilaka, CEO and Founder of Green Gold Animation, says, Childrens favourite animated character is coming soon on big screens in 3D on May 10th. Chhota Bheem Kung Fu Dhamaka is an amalgamation of team effort and hard work over the last couple of years.

We hope our audiences enjoy the film and we wish to make an impact about the quality of Indian Animation throughout the world. Green Gold Animation has left no stone unturned in creating this enthralling feature and we are proud to present our work to the world.

Green Gold Animation is a pioneer in creating original Indian animation content and has been entertaining the young generation for over a decade. The shows produced by Green Gold have been hugely popular across all leading kids TV channels like Cartoon Network, Pogo, Discovery Kids, Hungama & Disney, drawing an active viewership of over 60 million kids.

The popularity of the characters like Chhota Bheem, Mighty Raju, Super Bheem, Kalari Kids created by Green Gold has transcended over the years and it has helped the company establish itself as a leading player in Licensing & Merchandising, Movie Production & Distribution, Digital Business, Retail Stores and Events.

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New Delhi:

Kesari starring Akshay Kumar and Parineeti Chopra in pivotal roles crossed Rs 100 crore mark in just seven days on Wednesday. The film has also become the "fastest 100 crore grosser of 2019," reports Bollywood trade analyst Taran Adarsh.A The period drama has even left behind Ranveer Singh's Gully Boy and Ajay Devgn's Total Dhamaal, which had crossed the 100-crore-mark on the eighth and ninth day of their release respectively.



Sharing the latest box-office figures of Kesari, Taran Adarsh wrote, ''#Kesari is now *fastest* a 100 cr grosser of 2019 [so far]a Crosses a 100 cr on Day 7a Thu 21.06 cr, Fri 16.75 cr, Sat 18.75 cr, Sun 21.51 cr, Mon 8.25 cr, Tue 7.17 cr, Wed 6.52. Total: a 100.01 cr. India biza a 100 cr in days: #GullyBoy [Day 8]. #TotalDhamaal [Day 9].a

#Kesari is now *fastest* a 100 cr grosser of 2019 [so far]... Crosses a 100 cr on Day 7... Thu 21.06 cr, Fri 16.75 cr, Sat 18.75 cr, Sun 21.51 cr, Mon 8.25 cr, Tue 7.17 cr, Wed 6.52. Total: a 100.01 cr. India biz... a 100 cr in days: #GullyBoy [Day 8]. #TotalDhamaal [Day 9]. a taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) March 28, 2019

Kesari collected Rs 21 crore on its opening day and emerged as the biggest opener of 2019. The film is based on the battle of Saragarhi fought between the British Indian armyas Sikh Regiment and Afghan tribesmen in September 1897. A total of 21 Sikh soldiers, who were part of the British Indian Army, were attacked by 10,000 Afghan tribal warriors. These 21 soldiers fought like lions to protect their country from the enemy.A

Recently, in a behind-the-scene video for the film, Akshay had revealed that the entire sets of Kesari was engulfed by fire in Wai and turned into ashes in a matter of minutes. ''We had already almost finished all the shooting and were about to shoot an important portion for our battle. We were all set, there were about seven cameras, but then suddenly, there was fire. Within seconds, the entire set was engulfed in fire, even before anyone could react. We didnat realise there was something that just took off and the entire set literally melted away,'' Akshay said in the video.A

Directed by Anurag Singh, Kesari also stars Siddhant Sharma, Ashwath Bhatt, Pawan Malhotra and Rana Ranbir. The film hit the screens on Holi on March 21, 2019.A

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New Delhi:

A part of aA missile, suspected to be that ofA Brahmos, was found on Wednesday washed ashore at Pudukudiyiruppu inA Ramanathapuram district. The part was retrieved by Marine police of the Coastal Security Group (CSG). They suspect it might have fallen into the sea from the skies during tests and got washed ashore by waves. The 'Q' BranchA Police, said the 12-foot part weighed 800 kg and had the logo of Brahmos on it. The engine had the date of October 24, 2016, implying the date of manufacture of the engine.

Marine police of the Coastal Security Group (CSG) retrieved a part of BrahMos missile that washed ashore on Panaikulam seashore in Ramanathapuram district yesterday. The local fishermen had noticed the cylindrical object and had alerted the authorities, reports ANI. pic.twitter.com/CcBgoEfhVu a News Nation (@NewsNationTV) March 28, 2019

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)A is likely to send a team to examine the engine. The recovered engine was kept at the shore and police picketing has been posted at the site, Marine police said.

The local Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) examined the aenginea with sniffer dog and opined that it posed no danger. Superintendent of Police Omprakash Meena, quoting BDDS personnel, said there was no suspicion about explosives in the cylindrical object, according to The Hindu report.

The BrahMos has been developed as a joint venture between theA Defence Research and Development Organisation(DRDO) of India and the Federal State Unitary Enterprise NPO Mashinostroyenia (NPOM) of Russia asA BrahMos Aerospacevia an inter-government agreement.

BrahMos was first test-fired on 12 June 2001 from the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur in a vertical launch configuration. On 14 June 2004, another test was conducted at ITR and BrahMos was fired from a mobile launcher. The vertical launch of BrahMos was conducted on 18 December 2008 fromA INS Ranvir.A The BrahMos I Block-I for the army was successfully tested with new capabilities in the deserts of Rajasthan, at a test range near Pokharan in December 2004 and March 2007.

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New Delhi:

A delhi court on Thursday reserved its order on Robert Vadra's bail plea anticipatory bail plea for April 1. The court has till then extended the interim protection granted to the brother-in-law of Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

Vadra, facing allegations of money laundering in purchase of a London-based property at 12, Bryanston Square worth 1.9 million pounds, was granted interim protection from arrest by a Delhi court till March 27.

The Enforcement Directorate told the court that it needed to question Vadra in the case and opposed his anticipatory bail plea, saying that he was not cooperating in the case.

Senior advocate K T S Tulsi, appearing for Vadra, had denied all allegations against him and said that he has not misused the liberty granted to him by the court.

Vadra had filed an anticipatory bail application in the case linked to allegations of money laundering in the purchase of a London-based property at 12, Bryanston Square worth GBP 1.9 million. The property is allegedly owned by him.

The agency had earlier said it has received information about various new properties in London which belongs to Vadra, including two houses of five and four million pounds, each, six other flats and more properties.

In his anticipatory bail plea, Vadra had said he was being subjected to "unwarranted, unjustified and malicious criminal prosecution which on the face of it is completely politically motivated and is being carried out for reasons other than those prescribed under law".

The plea had said Vadra's office was raided by ED on December 7, 2018 and therefore, he seriously apprehends that his liberty may be curtailed by the investigating agency.

"The petitioner (Vadra) is being subjected to a farce criminal prosecution which actually is beset with nothing else except political vendetta and most unfortunately the respondent (ED) being the law enforcement agency is a party to the unethical and illegal exercise.

"It is stated that the petitioner's (Vadra's) firm through its authorised representative Manoj Arora has already joined investigation with the ED conducting investigation into the affairs of the firm in Rajasthan with their offices at Jaipur on many occasions and has supplied all the relevant documents to the satisfaction of the officials of the ED," the plea had said.

Arora, an employee of Vadra's Skylight Hospitality LLP, was a key person in the case and he was aware of the latter's overseas undeclared assets and was instrumental in arranging funds, the ED had alleged.

Vadra had alleged that he is being "hounded and harassed" to subserve political ends.

"It is stated the the petitioner has highest regard for the due process of law and is always willing to cooperate with the investigation in the highly charged political atmosphere and political contours of the present investigation, he seriously apprehends arrest by the investigating authorities and in such circumstances, the petitioner by means of the present petition is also praying that while he is willing to join investigation with the ED authorities," his plea read.

Arora had alleged before the court that the case was foisted on him by the NDA government out of "political vendetta".

However, the ED had refuted the allegations, asking that "should no authority investigate any political bigwig because that will be called a political vendetta?"

The agency had told the court that it lodged the money laundering case against Arora after his role came up during the probe of another case by the Income Tax Department under the newly enacted Black Money Act and tax law against absconding arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari.

It had alleged that the London-based property was bought by Bhandari for GBP 1.9 million and sold in 2010 for the same amount despite incurring additional expenses of approximately GBP 65,900 on its renovation.

"This gives credence to the fact that Bhandari was not the actual owner of the property but it was beneficially owned by Vadra who was incurring expenditure on the renovation of this property," the ED had told the court.





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New Delhi:

A terrorist was killed in an encounter in Handwara area of north Kashmirs Kupwara district. In the morning, there were reports that two terrorists were trapped inside a house, according to reports. Jammu and Kashmir Police, Indian Armys 30 RR and CRPF are carrying out the joint operation.

Earlier in the day, three terrorists were killed in an encounter with security forces in Keller area of Jammu and Kashmirs Shopian district. CRPF, Army and Jammu and Kashmir police had launched a joint operation in the area. On Wednesday, terrorists shot dead a civilian in Kachdoora village of Jammu and Kashmirs Shopian district. He was identified as Tanveer Ahmed (24) from Bemnipora, Shopian. Police have registered case has been registered and an investigation has been started. Security forces have cordoned the area to nab the attacker.



On Monday, a terrorist hideout was busted in Jammu and Kashmirs Shermal Shopian. Incriminating material and other items have been recovered from the site, an official said. Hideout has been blasted so that terrorist can't use the hideout in future, he said. Jammu and Kashmir police has filed a FIR has and further investigation is going on, he added.



Earlier, the Jammu and Kashmir Police on Sunday arrested three terrorists affiliated to the proscribed terror organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) near a check-point at Narabal on the Srinagar-Baramulla Highway based on a credible input. Incriminating material, including ammunition and live rounds, were recovered. The police have registered a case.

"Three car-borne terrorists affiliated with proscribed terror outfit JeM (were) arrested by police and security forces at Lawaypora (on Srinagar-Baramulla road) (based) on a credible input today," a police spokesperson said.

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Srinagar:

Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Ramez Ahmad Dar was arrested on Thursday from Anantnag in South Kashmir, a senior security official said.

Acting on a credible input, security forces arrested Rameez Ahmad Dar, a resident of Kulgam, from the Bijbehara area of Anantnag district, a police spokesman said.



He said Dar was an active militant for the past one-and-half years and affiliated with the Hizbul Mujahideen.

"Arms and ammunition were recovered from his possession," the spokesman said.

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New Delhi:

India on Thursday expressed disappointment at Pakistans response to New Delhis detailed dossier on Jaish-e-Mohammeds involvement in the dastardly Pulwama terror attack.

India is disappointed at Pakistans response to our detailed dossier on the Jaish-e-Mohammeds complicity in the cross-border terror attack in Pulwama, the presence of its terror camps and leadership in Pakistan, said a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs.

The reaction came after Pakistan said it examined the 22 pin locations shared by India but found no terror camps there and also claimed that it could not establish any links between the 54 people detained by authorities in Islamabad and the Pulwama attack.

Regrettably, Pakistan continues to be in denial and even refuses to acknowledge Pulwama as a terror attack. It has not shared details of credible action, if any, taken by it against terrorists or terrorist organizations based in territories under its control, the MEA said in its statement.

We are hardly surprised, as this identical script was followed by Pakistan in the past, after the terror attacks in Mumbai in 2008 or in Pathankot in 2016. It is a well-known fact that the UN-designated terrorist organization Jaish-e-Mohammed and its leader Masood Azhar are based in Pakistan. This was again acknowledged recently to international media by Pakistans Foreign Minister. There's no dearth of sufficient actionable information and evidence in Pakistan itself to take action against them, if there is sincerity and intent to do so it added.

The MEA further said that Islamabad should abide by the commitment it gave in 2004 and should take immediate, credible, irreversible and verifiable actions against terrorists and terror organisations operating from its soil.

Pakistan-based JeM chief Masood Azhar's son and brother were among 44 members of the banned militant outfits arrested by authorities in Pakistan," Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Khan Afridi said on March 5.

Ministry of Interior Secretary Azam Suleman Khan said Hammad Azhar and Mufti Abdur Rauf were among those arrested on Tuesday. Hammad is the son of Masood Azhar while Rauf is his brother.

The Pakistan Foreign Office said, "Similarly, the 22 pin locations shared by India have been examined. No such camps exist. Pakistan is willing to allow visits, on request, to these locations."

It said that in consistent with its commitment to cooperate, Pakistan on Wednesday shared "preliminary findings" of its investigations with India along with a set of questions.

India handed over the dossier to the Acting High Commissioner of Pakistan in New Delhi on February 27 with specific details of JeM's complicity in the Pulwama attack that killed 40 CRPF personnel on February 14 and the presence of JeM terror camps and its leadership in Pakistan.





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Jaipur:

A 31-year-old man was arrested under sedition charges here on Thursday for uploading a post on social media seeking a contract to kill Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "We had received a complaint about the objectionable social media post on police control room, following which the accused was traced and arrested with the help of cyber cell," said DCP East Rahul Jain.

The accused Naveen Kumar Yadav, a resident of Rewari in Haryana presently living in Triveni Nagar, had demanded a contract to kill the prime minister, saying he had a full-proof plan.

"Is there anyone who can give me a contract to murder Modi? I have a foolproof plan," Yadav's March 26 post read on Facebook.

The DCP said the accused during interrogation accepted that he had posted the message on his Facebook wall and also withdrew it after several people raised objection to it.

The accused revealed he was unhappy with the work done by the prime minister and the central government and has ideological differences with the PM, the officer said.

Bajaj Nagar Police Station In-charge Manvendra Singh said Yadav had previously posted negative content against the PM and the Union government.

He was arrested under IPC section 124A (sedition), 505B (disturbing public peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation), he said. Yadav runs a book store in Triveni Nagar.

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New Delhi:

Month after the gruesome Pulwama attack, Pakistan has blatantly rejected Indias dossier full of proof and said that it has examined 22 "pin locations" shared by India but found no terror camps. The Pakistan foreign office also claimed that there are no links to nail 54 people detained in connection with the Pulwama terror attack as it shared the "preliminary findings" with New Delhi. Islamabad added that it is willing to allow visits, on request, to these locations. The Foreign Office said, While 54 detained individuals are being investigated, no details linking them to Pulwama have been found so far.

"Similarly, the 22 pin locations shared by India have been examined. No such camps exist. Pakistan is willing to allow visits, on request, to these locations," the FO said. It said that in consistent with its commitment to cooperate, Pakistan on Wednesday shared preliminary findings of its investigations with India along with a set of questions.

India handed over the dossier to the Acting High Commissioner of Pakistan in New Delhi on February 27 with specific details of Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)'s complicity in the Pulwama attack that killed 40 CRPF personnel on February 14 and the presence of JeM terror camps and its leadership in Pakistan.

The Indian Subcontinent has seen one of the most tense period among the two nuclear-armed nations in last one month. India avenged the Pulwama terror attack on February 26 in a pre-dawn air strike in Pakistans Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Though there has been no official confirmation, various reports have claimed that around 300 Jaish terrorists were killed in Balakot air strike.

India and Pakistan have seen the worst standoff in recent years ever since the Pulwama attack and Indian Air Forces subsequent air strike in Khyber Pakhtunkhwas Balakot. For the first time in more than four decades, India went deep inside Pakistan to destroy the terror camp. Though there has been no official statement on number of casualties, several reports have said that the number of terrorists killed in Balakot terror camps can range from anywhere between 250 to 300.

Latest media reports by two news channels have revealed how Islamabad tried to get rid of the terrorists bodies after the Indian Air Force air strike on the terror camp run by Jaish-e-Mohammed. According to Republic TV, an eyewitness have come forward and talked extensively about the way authorities across the border tried to doctor the site. Bodies of some terrorists were thrown in river while others were set on fire.

Meanwhile, Times Now, another news channel ha also aired some incriminating details about the Balakot air strike. According to the news channel, 263 terrorists had gathered at the terror camp. These terrorists were categorised according to a strict hierarchy, the channel reported. 18 senior Jaish commanders were present at Balakot facility to train the terror recruits. While 83 terrorists had assembled for Daura-e-Aam  the beginners training course, 91 terrorists had assembled for Daura-e-Khas  advanced training, the channel reported.

(With inputs from PTI)

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New Delhi:

The Pakistani Air Force (PAF) tried to carry out a Balakot-like attack against Indian military targets a day after the Indian Air Force (IAF) carried out aerial strikes on a Jaish e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorist camp in Balakot. However, the PAF was unsuccessful in its attempt. "On February 27, the Pakistani Air Force with its package of more than 20 planes led by the American F-16s along with the French Mirage-IIIs and Chinese JF-17, fired 11 H-4 1,000 kg bombs from ranges of around 50 km inside their territory at military targets at three locations but failed to hit any of them," government sources revealed to ANI.

The H-4 bombs fired by the PAFs Mirage-IIIs are classified as stand-off weapons which can be launched from a distance to aid in quicker evasive manoeuvres of jets that fire them, similar to the Spice-2000 bombs used by the Indian Air Force in the Balakot strikes. H-4 bombs are made by Pakistan with the assistance of South Africa.



"The H-4s are not very accurate and missed their targets. In one of the attacks on an army camp in Jammu and Kashmir, the building was protected by a tall and thick tree which suffered extensive damage but deflected the Pakistani bomb," the sources added.

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New Delhi:

Meghan Markle, who had to give up acting after marrying Prince Harry may make an onscreen return for one last time. Before her royal wedding, Markle who was best known to screen audiences for her role as Rachel Zane in the legal drama series Suits, may make a return to the previously scrapped Comedy Central pilot says her co-star Max Greenfield. The comedy about the 2011 Los Angeles party culture wasnt picked up until later this year.

The pilot episode was shot for a show titled The Boys and Girls Guide to Getting Down that starred Meghan Markle, Max Greenfield and Adam Pally. It was, however, scrapped off until its recent resurrection.

Speaking to James Corden on The Late Late Show, Max revealed that the footage was shot "maybe even more" than a decade ago and could potentially be aired soon. I got some sort of email recently saying: This person has bought it and theyre putting it out, Greenfield told Gordon.

I would assume they have their reasons as to why theyre putting it out, he added.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the pilot, which was called outrageous by IMDB was reportedly bought earlier this year by Artist Rights Distribution for North America. The distribution company now allegedly plans to release it this year, the outlet reported.

The show might probably be one of the last chances for viewers to see the now duchess on the big screen because even Suits creator had earlier stated that Meghan will not be coming back to the last season of Suits.
Toronto:

Playing games in virtual reality (VR) may help treat people with neurological disorders such as autism, schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease, a study claims. The technology, described in the journal Scientific Reports, could help the patients shift their perceptions of time, which their conditions lead them to perceive differently.

"The ability to estimate the passage of time with precision is fundamental to our ability to interact with the world," said Seamas Weech, a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Waterloo in Canada. "For some individuals, however, the internal clock is maladjusted, causing timing deficiencies that affect perception and action," Weech said in a statement.



The study will help researchers to understand how these deficiencies might be acquired, and how to recalibrate time perception in the brain. It involved 18 females and 13 males with normal vision and no sensory, musculoskeletal or neurological disorders. The researchers used a virtual reality game, Robo Recall, to create a natural setting in which to encourage re-calibration of time perception.



The researchers coupled the speed and duration of visual events to the participant's body movements. They measured participants' time perception abilities before and after they were exposed to the dynamic VR task. Some participants also completed non-VR time-perception tasks, such as throwing a ball, to use as a control comparison. The team measured the actual and perceived durations of a moving probe in the time perception tasks. The researchers found that virtual reality manipulation was associated with significant reductions in the participants' estimates of time, by around 15 percent.



"This study adds valuable proof that the perception of time is flexible, and that VR offers a potentially valuable tool for recalibrating time in the brain," said Weech. "It offers a compelling application for rehabilitation initiatives that focus on how time perception breaks down in certain populations," he said.

Weech said that while the effects were strong during the current study, more research is needed to find out how long the effects last, and whether these signals are observable in the brain. "For developing clinical applications, we need to know whether these effects are stable for minutes, days, or weeks afterward. A longitudinal study would provide the answer to this question," he said.
New Delhi:

The Central Railway directed all railway stall owners to immediately stop the sale of lime (nimbu pani), orange and Kala khatta drinks after a video of a stall owner preparing nimbu paniA under extremelyA unhygienic conditions at Kurla station went viral.

The video was shot by commuters at the Kurla station on the Mumbai suburban railway network. They then tagged Central Railways on social media asking them to intervene in the matter.A

A

The viral video caught the attention the higher railway authorities who supervised and immediately sealed the food stall on Kurla station's platform 7-8 on Monday after collecting samples and giving them away for bacteriological examination.

The video shows how the worker use his bare hands to stir the lemonade, a clear violation of food safety and hygiene guidelines as prescribed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).A

According to a report by PTI, a drive by health inspectors and officials from has been intensified to inspect hygiene and water quality of all the food stalls under the CR's Mumbai division in the wake of this incident.

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New Delhi:

Medical marvels do happen to which doctors have no answer and one happened recently in Bangladesh when a woman gave birth to three kids, a boy first and then twins within 26 days, something extremely rare in medical history

According to a new portal, Arifa Sultana Iti had on February 25 gave premature birth to a baby boy. On March 22 she was again rushed to the hospital after she fell ill and then delivered a girl and a boy through caesarean section

Sheila Poddar, the chief of the hospital's gynaecology department who attended the woman, said she discovered in an ultrasonography test that Iti has two uteruses.

The first baby was born from one womb. The two babies born here are from the other womb," she said. Poddar said that the mother and the babies are doing well.

"It's a rare incident. I have seen such a case for the first time. I had not even heard about such an incident before," she was quoted as saying by the website.

The woman, who hails from Shyamlagachhi village in Sharsha in Jessore, gave birth to the first baby at Khulna Medical College Hospital.

Iti's case is one in 500 million. Last year a US woman delivered twin, one baby, from each of her rare heart-shaped uterus. Remarkably, she became pregnant with twins when one egg was released into each uterus and they were both successfully fertilized at the same time.

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(CNN)  Unvaccinated people under age 18 are banned from public places in Rockland County, New York, as of midnight Wednesday, according to John Lyon, director of strategic communications for County Executive Ed Day.

Day announced the order Tuesday.

The declaration is an effort to contain an outbreak of measles that began in October; 153 cases have been confirmed in the county.

The outbreak began when an unvaccinated resident became infected while visiting Israel and returned with the disease. It has mostly affected observant Jewish neighborhoods.

New York City has reported 214 cases as of Wednesday from the outbreak, also in Orthodox Jewish communities, according to the city department of health.

"We're not punishing the people who are doing the right thing already and following the rules. We just want to encourage everyone to do the right thing so we can stop this outbreak," Rockland County's Lyon said. The step is "extremely unusual. [We] don't believe it's been done anywhere in the country before."

"State law gives health departments authority to broadly implement control measures in response to outbreaks," Jason McDonald, a spokesman for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, wrote in an email, noting that the CDC provides technical assistance to state and local health departments.

Measles is a highly contagious virus that is prevented with the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. The CDC recommends that the two-dose vaccine be given first at 12 to 15 months of age and then between ages 4 and 6.

This is the 26th week  the sixth month  of the outbreak in Rockland County, according to Lyon, who said it has been the longest outbreak in the United States since before measles was declared eliminated in 2000.

Day said the outbreak will not go on indefinitely. "This is a public health crisis, and it is time to sound the alarm, to ensure that everyone takes proper action to protect themselves and their neighbors; for the health and safety of all of us in Rockland," he said in a news release.

Public places include synagogues, churches, schools, restaurants, stores and public buses. "Public places are defined as: a place where more than 10 persons are intended to congregate," the news release says.

Children who are current with the vaccine schedule but not fully vaccinated against measles because they are not old enough are exempt from the order.

The order does not apply to people who are older than 18 because "we did not want to prevent anyone from going to work," but unvaccinated adults are also encouraged to get vaccinated.

It will be enforced the same way any law is enforced, according to Lyon: During the investigation into when and where an infected individual was exposed, those who are identified as unvaccinated and people in public places will be referred to the district attorney's office.

"The goal is not to prosecute people. We don't want to fine people. We want to encourage people to get vaccinated," he said.

In cases that are referred to the district attorney, Day said the penalty is six months in jail and/or a $500 fine.

"Just to be clear, this is not something we're looking to do. The emergency declaration, by law, comes with that assigned. It's the lowest crime there is." He admitted that police officers will not be walking around asking parents for proof of vaccination for their children. He also said this is just to draw attention to make people understand the seriousness of the situation.

Nearly 17,000 vaccinations have been administered in the county during the outbreak.

"As this outbreak has continued, our inspectors have begun to meet resistance from those they are trying to protect. They have been hung up on or told not to call again. They've been told 'we're not discussing this; do not come back' when visiting the homes of infected individuals as part of their investigations. This type of response is unacceptable and irresponsible. It endangers the health and well-being of others and displays a shocking lack of responsibility and concern for others in our community," Day said.

The outbreak has mainly been isolated in a couple of communities within Rockland County, which is just north of New York City, but the whole community is at risk, he said, noting that there have been complications among patients, including a premature labor and a handful of hospitalizations.

"Every new confirmed case is a roll of the dice that we'll see more complications. There's a lot that can go wrong with any case."

Statewide, there have been at least 378 cases of measles reported since October.

The CDC has reported 314 cases of measles nationwide this year as of Monday. That number reflects cases reported by state health departments as of Thursday but not cases reported since then.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "New York county takes 'extremely unusual' step to ban unvaccinated minors from public places amid measles outbreak."
New Delhi:

The anti-satellite weapon capability demonstrated by India was first developed by the US in 1959, primarily to counter the erstwhile Soviet Union.

What is an ASAT?

ASATs (Anti-Satellite Weapons) are aimed at destroying or disabling space assets, whether military or civilian, offensive or defensive, according to a document of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR).

They are generally of two types: kinetic and non-kinetic.

Kinetic ASATs:

They must physically strike an object in order to destroy it. Examples of kinetic ASATs include ballistic missiles, drones that drag an object out of orbit or detonate explosives in proximity to the object, or any item launched to coincide with the passage of a target satellite.

This means any space asset, even a communications satellite, could become an ASAT if it is used to physically destroy another space object.

Non-kinetic ASATs:

A variety of nonphysical means can be used to disable or destroy a space object.

These include frequency jamming, blinding lasers or cyber attacks. These methods can also render an object useless without causing the target to break up and fragment absent additional forces intervening.

Guidelines suggested for ASAT tests:

In 2018, the UNIDIR proposed three ASAT test guidelines. Under the 'No Debris' guideline, if an actor wishes to test ASAT capabilities, they should not create debris.

If an actor must create debris during an ASAT test, it should be carried out at an altitude sufficiently low that the debris will not be long-lived.

It also suggested that actors testing ASATs should notify others of their activities (even if they are not completely transparent on the motivation behind the test) to avoid misperceptions or misinterpretations.

However, there is no consensus among the space-faring nations on the guidelines.

"We are working on different measures, but nothing has been formally adopted," Daniel Porras, Space Security Fellow at UNIDIR, said.

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New Delhi:

The United States led global powers such as Britain and France to intensify their demand for the United Nations Security Council to blacklist Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar. This move comes after China, earlier this month, put on hold a request to put Masood Azhar on the UN sanctions list, over his alleged ties to al-Qaeda.

The United States circulated a resolution to the 15-member council that would designate Jaish-e-Mohammed leader Masood Azhar, subjecting him to an arms embargo, travel ban and asset freeze, diplomats said. The draft resolution was supported by Britain and France.

United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was critical of Chinaas stance and said, aThe world cannot afford Chinaas shameful hypocrisy toward Muslims. On one hand, China abuses more than a million Muslims at home, but on the other it protects violent Islamic terrorist groups from sanctions at the UN. He added, aChina has detained more than one million Uighurs, ethnic Kazakhs, and other Muslim minorities in internment camps in Xinjiang since April 2017. China must release all those arbitrarily detained and end its repression.a

The world cannot afford Chinaas shameful hypocrisy toward Muslims. On one hand, China abuses more than a million Muslims at home, but on the other it protects violent Islamic terrorist groups from sanctions at the UN. a Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) March 27, 2019

Jaish-e-Mohammad has claimed responsibility for the February 14 attack in Kashmir that killed 40 Indian troops and stoked tensions between India and Pakistan.

The United States, Britain and France initially asked the Security Councilas Islamic State and al Qaeda sanctions committee, which operates by consensus, to blacklist Azhar. However, China prevented the move.

China has been accused by Western diplomats of protecting Pakistan's interests in the latest standoff with India. But Beijing has defended its decision by arguing it had adopted a "responsible attitude" in dealing "with this issue with relevant parties via thorough consultation," foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said.

The Chinese mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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New Delhi:

More than a month after Indian Air Force destroyed Jaish-e-Mohammeds terror camps inside Pakistan, Islamabad remains in a state of panic and it is evident by the instructions given by Pakistani military establishment to commanders of terrorist groups.

The Pakistani military has advised terrorists to wear the uniform of the Pakistani army so that they can't be separately identified by Indians, reports DNA.

Hundreds of Fidayeen and their trainers were shifted to a five-star, resort-style camp in a hilltop forest in Balakot after the Pulwama attack, providing Indian forces with a sitting duck target when they carried out an air strike, reportedly killing up to 350 terrorists, sources said.

They said at least 325 terrorists and 25 to 27 trainers were at the camp, the biggest operated by the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad group, which had claimed responsibility for the February 14 suicide attack on a CRPF convoy in Pulwama, Kashmir that killed 40 jawans.

According to the report, the high-profile meeting was held at Nikayal between the terrorists and Pak military. In this meeting, two members from intelligence agency ISI, two from Army, Lashkar terrorists and Ashfaq, the guide who take terrorists to Indian side was present, the report said.

Pakistani agencies believe that Indian satellites are constantly monitoring the terror camps and this is why terror camps are being subsumed inside Pakistani Army camps.

Fighter and other aircraft took off from several air bases in Western and Central commands at about the same time, leaving Pakistani defence officials confused as to where they were heading, the sources said. A small group of aircraft broke away from the swarm and headed to Balakot where "the sleeping terrorists were sitting ducks for the Indian bombing," said one source.

Balakot is some 80 km from the Line of Control near Abbotabad where Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was killed in hiding by covert U.S. forces who had also sneaked into Pakistan to carry out the operation, catching the entire Pakistani military unawares.

There has been no official confirmation that Indian Air Force jets carried out the attack, although defence sources have said that Mirage 2000 planes pounded the camp with bombs and levelled it.

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New Delhi:

A massive fire broke out in a 19-storey building in Bangladesh capital Dhaka, latest foreign media reports on Thursday. According to Al Jazeera, several people were feared trapped inside the skyscrapper. The Al Jazeera report says that the blaze started in Dhakaas FR Tower. "Nineteen fire-fighting units are working at the scene. Bangladesh navy and air force have also joined to fight the fire," Duty Officer Mohammad Russel was quoted as saying by Al Jazeera.

A

According to the New York Times, there were people seen falling from the burning tower. Twitter user Tahsin Mahmood shared the gruesome video showing trapped individuals jumping out of the building. News Nation warns readers to watch the graphic content on their own discretion.A

Dhaka Tribune reports that the fire broke out just before 1 pm at FR Toweras ninth floor in the Banani area. Reports of the massive blaze comes weeks after a fire that killed 70 people.

A

Many are raising concerns over authoritiesa preparedness. Bangladesh had begun cracking down on chemical warehouses in an historic Dhaka district a week after a fire killed 70 people in buildings used for deodorant and plastics storage. Five task forces led by military officers, police and officials had raided Old Dhaka buildings and cut off utilities to at least 50 buildings in the past three days after chemical warehouses were found in their basement and under floors.

The owners of the buildings were ordered to relocate the flammable chemicals to safer places outside the capital as part of the initiative.

The crackdown was in response to a massive fire which broke out on February 21 at Chawkbazar, a 300-year-old historic Old Dhaka district, killing at least 70 people and injuring another 50.

The disaster recalled a June 2010 fire in the nearby neighbourhood of Nimtoli in which 123 people were killed. Again a blaze ripped through residential buildings that doubled as chemical warehouses.

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New Delhi:

The US has said it has taken note of Indias anti-satellite missile test but expressed concern over the issue of space debris. On Wednesday, India entered the elite club of global space power to have its own satellite weapon. In a highly-anticipated address to the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced about ultra-secretive Mission Shakti, which lasted for just three minutes. A while ago, India achieved a historic feat. India today registered itself as a space power. Till now, 3 countries of the world- America, Russia and China had this achievement. India is the 4th country to have achieved this feat, PM Modi said in his address to the nation.

To a question, US state department the spokesperson said that as part of our strong strategic partnership with India, we will continue to pursue shared interests in space and scientific and technical cooperation, including collaboration on safety and security in space.

However, the spokesperson expressed concern over the issue of space debris.

The issue of space debris is an important concern for the U.S. government. We took note of Indian government statements that the test was designed to address space debris issues, the spokesperson said.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the test was done in the lower atmosphere to ensure there is no space debris. Whatever debris that is generated will decay and fall back onto the earth within weeks, it said.

The MEA has also come out with a 10-point explainer to say the anti-satellite missile test was carried out to verify Indias capability to safeguard space assets and that it was not directed against any country.



Mission Shakti was led by the Defence Research and Development Organisation, was aimed at strengthening Indias overall security. The Prime Minister had advertised his address to the nation on Twitter, calling it an important message. Do watch the address on television, radio or social media, he said, setting off speculation across the country on what the topic was likely to be. Earlier on Wednesday, the Cabinet Committee on Security had met at the Prime Ministers residence.

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New Delhi:

Pakistan on Thursday told its all-weather friend China to lift the technical hold on the United Nations listing of Masood Azhar - chief of the Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed - as a global terrorist only if India agrees to carry out a military de-escalation on the Line of Control (LoC), reports Hindustan Times. The other condition set by it is that Delhi should resume bilateral dialogue with Islamabad on all outstanding issues including Kashmir.

The development comes as China has indicated that it won't support the unilateral draft resolution circulated by the US to the UN Security Council (UNSC) to declare Jaish as an international terrorist.

Slamming Washington for its move, Beijing also accused it of bypassing the UN 1267 Committee and eroding its authority.

The development comes two weeks after China put a hold on a proposal to list Azhar under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the Council, the US on Wednesday circulated the draft resolution to the powerful 15-nation Council to blacklist the leader of the Pakistan-based terror group and subject him to a travel ban, an assets freeze and an arms embargo.

UN sources told PTI that this is the "first time" the US, the UK and France have moved a draft resolution directly in the Security Council to designate Azhar. The previous have been listing proposals in the Sanctions Committee of the Council to designate Azhar.

Unlike a listing proposal, which is generally under a 10- day no objection period, the draft resolution is not under any no-objection provision. Sources said that the draft resolution will be discussed informally and then it goes to the Council.

However, it's not yet decided by when a vote would be held on the draft resolution, during when it could again face a veto by China, which has in the past blocked bids to blacklist Azhar.

Sources said the draft resolution would condemn "in the strongest terms the heinous and cowardly suicide bombing" on February 14 in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district that killed 40 CRPF personnel.

An annex to the draft resolution says Azhar is associated with the Islamic State terror group, Al-Qaida for "participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing, or perpetrating" or "supplying, selling or transferring arms and related material" or supporting acts of Jaish-e-Mohammed.

It says that Azhar founded Jaish after his release from prison in India in 1999 in exchange for 155 hostages held on an Indian Airlines flight that had been hijacked to Kandahar, Afghanistan.

France, the UK and the US on February 27 moved a proposal to designate Azhar under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee. It was under the no-objection period and Committee members had a period of 10 working days to raise any objections to the proposal.

More than a dozen member states had co-sponsored the proposal. About an hour before the no-objection deadline was to expire on March 13 at 3 PM, China blocked the proposal by putting a hold on it.

India expressed disappointment by the outcome, saying in a statement "this has prevented action by the international community to designate the leader of Jaish, a proscribed and active terrorist organisation which has claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir on 14 February 2019".

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United Nation:

The United States on Wednesday circulated a draft resolution to the UN Security Council that would blacklist the leader of a Pakistan-based Islamist group as a terrorist, setting up a potential clash with China over the move. China earlier this month put on hold a request to put Masood Azhar, leader of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) on the UN sanctions list, over his alleged ties to Al-Qaeda. That request stalled in a UN sanctions committee, prompting the United States to turn directly to the Security Council with the proposed resolution blacklisting Azhar.

Jaish-e-Mohammad has claimed responsibility for the February 14 attack in Kashmir that killed 40 Indian troops and stoked tensions between India and Pakistan. The draft resolution obtained by AFP condemns the suicide bombing and decides that Azhar will be added to the UN Al-Qaeda and Islamic State sanctions blacklist.

That would subject Azhar, considered the founder of JeM, to a global travel ban, an assets freeze and an arms embargo. It remained unclear when a vote would be held on the draft resolution, which could face a veto from China, one of the five permanent council members along with Britain, France, Russia and the United States.

There have been four attempts through a UN sanctions committee to add Azhar to the blacklist. China blocked three previous requests and put a technical hold on the latest one, which could last up to nine months. JeM itself has been on the UN terror list since 2001.

Azhar is linked to terrorism for "participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing, or perpetrating of acts or activities" carried out by JeM, according to an annex to the draft. The draft resolution is backed by France and Britain, which joined the United States earlier this month in pushing for sanctions against Azhar in the Al-Qaeda and Islamic State committee.

China has been accused by Western diplomats of protecting Pakistan's interests in the latest standoff with India. But Beijing has defended its decision by arguing it had adopted a "responsible attitude" in dealing "with this issue with relevant parties via thorough consultation," foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said.

The Chinese mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Tensions between India and Pakistan have soared since last month's attack in Kashmir that prompted tit-for-tat air raids, fueling fears of all-out conflict between the two nuclear-armed countries.

Pakistan has denied any role in the Pulwama attack, and Prime Minister Imran Khan offered cooperation in the investigation if credible evidence was provided by India. Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British colonial rule in 1947.

Both claim the Himalayan territory in full and have fought two wars over it.

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A man who was arrested for torturing a dog in Bani Jamrah village will remain in custody pending further investigation, it was announced yesterday. Northern Governorate Chief Prosecutor Mohammed Abdullah said yesterday that the case has been referred to the concerned court.

This came a day after the Northern Governorate Police General Director confirmed the arrest of the man, a few hours after he appeared in the footage, which showed him strangling and beating a dog on the rooftop of a building. The man was also seen filming the dog while it howled in pain.

It is not yet known whether the dog survived the torture as the animal is shown motionless towards the end of the footage, which was, apparently, secretly filmed by an unknown individual. Animal lovers and activists thanked security authorities for their swift action and demanded to impose tough punishment on the perpetrator, whos reportedly a Bahraini, and on all animal abusers in general.

Chairman of Bahrain Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BSPCA) Mahmood Faraj condemned the incident in a statement and stressed that its an act exclusive to the individual who committed the crime and does not reflect the values of the general Bahraini society. He added that this individual should be punished according to the full extent of the law.
More than 250 personnel from the Ministry of Health will provide medical support at Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, it was revealed. The Ministry of Health will take all the necessary measures to provide medical support for this years F1, Minister of Health Faeqa Al Saleh assured.

The minister made the statement at a workshop held at Art Rotana in Amwaj Islands to discuss the developments in marshaling, emergency and medical support at F1.

She confirmed that the Health Ministry team at F1 would include medical as well as administrative personnel, adding that 15 ambulances will as well be provided for emergency services. Meanwhile, the BIC announced yesterday that this years F1 Fanzone activities include F1 Esports, a Reaction Challenge, a Pitstop Challenge, and a TV Challenge, plus an appearance by driver Bobble Heads.

Each offers its own unique thrills, and they all add to the limitless fun and excitement this Thursday to Sunday at The Home of Motorsport in the Middle East in Sakhir.
His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa yesterday deputized HM the Kings Personal Representative, HH Shaikh Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa, to attend the ceremony marking the 200th anniversary of the Shree Krishna Hindu Temple in Bahrain. HRH Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, Shura Council Chairman, Ali Saleh Al Saleh, Foreign Affairs Minister, Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Mohammed Al Khalifa, Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Minister, Shaikh Khalid bin Ali Al Khalifa, former Chief Minister of Rajasthan of the Republic of India, Vasundhara Raje, ambassadors and senior state officials also attended the grand celebration, co-organised by the King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Coexistence and the This Is Bahrain Society.

HH Shaikh Abdulla bin Hamad conveyed HM the Kings greetings and appreciation to all the participants in the celebration, as well as HMs pride in the great role they have played in the Kingdoms progress in various fields.

HM, the Kings Personal Representative stressed that holding a ceremony to commemorate 200 years since the existence of the temple in the Kingdom proves the depth of the deep-rooted Bahraini-Indian relations, noting that the iconic temple is an excellent example of the feature of co-existence among civilizations and religions that has prevailed in the Kingdom for centuries. It also reflects Bahrains historical dimension in the region as a country of peace, love, tolerance, as well as religious and cultural diversity, he said.

HH Shaikh Abdulla bin Hamad said that the warm welcome accorded to him upon arrival, the speeches made in love and praise of Bahrain and the massive attendance of the event by senior religious figures and officials from brotherly and friendly countries, the officials of the temple and the expatriate communities testify to the participants great and sincere love for Bahrain  King, government and people, as the land of peace, love and religious and cultural tolerance.
Acting Pentagon chief Patrick Shanahan has authorized $1 billion to build part of the wall sought by Donald Trump along the US-Mexico border, the first funds designated for the project under the presidents emergency declaration. The Department of Homeland Security asked the Pentagon to build 57 miles (92 kilometers) of 18-foot (5.5-meter) fencing, construct and improve roads, and install lighting to support Trumps emergency declaration.

Shanahan authorized the commander of the US Army Corps of Engineers to begin planning and executing up to $1 billion in support to the Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Patrol, a Pentagon statement issued late Monday read. The acting defense secretary cited a federal law that he said gives the Pentagon broad authority to build infrastructure across international boundaries of the United States in support of counter-narcotic activities of federal law enforcement agencies.

The statement was released a day before Shanahan was due to testify in Congress to present and defend the Pentagons draft budget. The White House has laid out an ambitious 2020 budget proposal which contains $8.6 billion in new wall funding, above the $5.7 billion Trump sought for this year.

Frustrated by Congresss refusal to provide the budget he wanted, Trump declared a national emergency last month. The White House has signaled it will seek to repurpose some $6 billion from military funds, without specifying which Pentagon programs would be slashed.
Al Baraka Banking Group (ABG) and three of its subsidiary banking units will receive the Worlds Best Islamic Financial Institution Award for 2019, in various categories. The award was announced by the Global Finance magazine as part of its annual awards for international banks and financial institutions.

Al Baraka Banking Group is the winner of the Best Islamic Financial Institution in South Africa Award in the regional winners category, Al Baraka Bank Algeria, Al Baraka Bank Lebanon and Jordan Islamic Bank, all are winners in the Worlds Best Islamic Financial Institution 2019 in the Country category, in Algeria, Lebanon and Jordan, respectively. The winning of these awards by ABG and its three subsidiary banking units are for the seventh successive year.

The awards will be formally presented at their annual awards ceremony during the IMF World Bank annual meetings, which will be held this year in Washington, DC at the National Press Club on the morning of October 19, 2019. Board Member and President & Chief Executive of Al Baraka Banking Group Adnan Ahmed Yousif stated, We are very happy with the achievement of ABG and its three subsidiary banking units in winning this international award for the seventh successive year.
Connecticut students attending one of the states four regional universities will pay an average of $479 more next year in tuition and fees if they commute and $861 more if they reside at the university, according to a vote of the Board of Regents for Higher Education on Thursday.

The regents voted unanimously to increase tuition by 5 percent as they struggle to close the projected budget shortfall faced by the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities system. The increase will apply to tuition at Eastern, Western, Southern and Central Connecticut State universities.

I think thats reasonable, said Mark Ojakian, president of the CSCU system. Its not something you want to do. Nobody ever wants to raise tuition, but given the budgetary situation that we are in  We are still going to have cut costs and we are still going to have to dip into reserves at the end.

Even with the tuition increase, the state system will have a budget shortfall of about $20 million and will have to dip into its reserve account to cover much of that cost unless the General Assembly provides more funds to the system. Without a tuition increase, the budget gap would be $31.7 million.

Gov. Ned Lamont has recommended essentially flat-funding the CSCU institutions, which include the states 12 community colleges and Charter Oak State College. Ojakian said he doesnt anticipate having to revisit the 5 percent increase unless the legislature dramatically cuts funding to the system.

The increases will mean that in-state commuting students will pay $11,417 in tuition and fees next year, while residential students pay $24,716.

In the last ten years, tuition and fees at the university have increased by about 52 percent from $7,178 in 2008-09 to $10,938 this year.

Elena Ruiz, a student representative of the regents board and a junior at Eastern Connecticut State University, said she believes the increase is fair.

I think they are doing the best that they can with the money that Ned Lamonts government has provided Ruiz said. I firmly believe that they always strive to keep quality and affordability as the main interest for the students.

The board did not take action on an increase in tuition for the community colleges, but the boards finance committee is expected to address this next week.
BROOKFIELD  A home being rebuilt after last years macroburst is a total loss after a fire tore through it Tuesday afternoon.

Those are the words of Fire Marshal Jason DeSousa, one of the firefighters who responded to the blaze at 9 Parker Hill Road.

DeSousa said the house was unoccupied at the time of the fire, and no injuries were reported .

A little before 3 p.m., local firefighters responded to a reported brush fire in close proximity to a structure on the property according to a Facebook post by the Brookfield Volunteer Fire Company.

DeSousa said the exact cause of the fire remains under investigation, but no criminal aspect is apparent.

Emergency personnel from Brookfield and nearby towns  including Bethel, Danbury, New Milford, Newtown and Roxbury  responded.

Smoke from the single-family cape-style home could be seen from Tower Road.

Neighbors said the owners had been renovating the house after it was damaged in last Mays macroburst.

Over a year ago, they had a new roof put on and then the storm hit and a tree took down part of the house, said Steve Fusek, who lives across the street.

Fusek said the owners havent been living in the home but they had crews working on it.

The house was looking beautiful, and then this happens, he said.

kendra.baker@hearst.com
Russia to Bid for Malaysian Jet Trainer Contract



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Total revenue up 64% compared to prior year Q1, delivering positive Adjusted EBITDA

CALGARY, March 28, 2019 /CNW/ - Blackline Safety Corp. (TSX Venture: BLN), a global leader of gas detection and connected safety solutions, announced record first quarter results for the period ended January 31, 2019.

"Demand for Blackline's connected safety technology continues to gain momentum as we enter our fiscal 2019, generating a record $6.2M in overall quarterly revenue," said Cody Slater, Blackline CEO and Chairman. "Growth was driven through diversity across industries and geographic sectors with large orders announced during the quarter from the utilities industry and a government safety agency. After the close of Q1, we announced another utilities order  from Yorkshire Water  that affirms our commitment to delivering the best in gas detection for personnel in the field and throughout facilities."

Blackline's business model delivered an all-time high of $4.0M in recurring service revenue for the quarter, representing a 73% jump compared to Q1 FY2018. Mr. Slater said, "Blackline delivers the highest value to customers and our quarterly service growth underscores our client's commitment to G7 connected safety solutions. Approximately 25% of our service revenue is now derived from customers who adopted our three-year Blackline Complete lease. This program bundles our connected safety wearables with a broad range of services, including gas sensors, two-way voice calling and 24/7 live monitoring, into one easy monthly payment. At the end of the quarter, future customer lease commitments stood at $8.3M."

"Along with our highest service revenue yet, we achieved a record of $2.2M in global product sales, this helped Blackline to achieve a positive Adjusted EBITDA for the first time," said Mr. Slater. Blackline uses Adjusted EBITDA (a non-GAAP measure) to describe its financial results, excluding the impact of product development costs and stock-based compensation expense. "Combined with Blackline's robust balance sheet, this milestone reflects the strong trajectory of Blackline's growth."

"Blackline continues to invest in expanding its connected safety portfolio with a focus on two key development initiatives," said Mr. Slater. "Our new multi-gas pump cartridge is nearing certification and will soon begin shipping to customers as part of our revolutionary program for connected confined space entry and leak check surveys. Blackline is the only vendor in the world to offer comprehensive location-based data analytics, capable of providing full visibility of hazardous work being performed by personnel in the field." He added, "We continue to focus dedicated resources on our G7 Exo area monitoring system that will transform the way that businesses monitor tank farms, fence-lines, facility shutdowns and other locations where temporary gas monitoring is required."

Highlights

First quarter total revenue of $6.2M , a 64% increase over the prior year's Q1

, a 64% increase over the prior year's Q1 First quarter service revenue, including lease revenue, of $4.0M , a 73% increase over the prior year's Q1

, a 73% increase over the prior year's Q1 First quarter Blackline Complete lease revenue of $1.1M , a 101% increase over the prior year's Q1

, a 101% increase over the prior year's Q1 First quarter product revenue of $2.2M , a 49% increase over the prior year's Q1

, a 49% increase over the prior year's Q1 First quarter revenue grew by 94% in the United States and by 42% in Europe over the prior year's Q1

and by 42% in over the prior year's Q1 Achieved a positive Adjusted EBITDA for the first time

Total cash and short-term investments of $35.3M

Announced a $1.1M lone worker safety monitoring systems order from a provincial safety agency in Canada

lone worker safety monitoring systems order from a provincial safety agency in Announced a $1.4M gas detection order from a major utility company on the West Coast of the United States

gas detection order from a major utility company on the West Coast of Ranked on Deloitte's North American Technology Fast 500 for the first time

Financial Highlights

The subsequent values in this release are in thousands, except for percentages and per share data.



Quarter Ended January 31

2019 2018 Change Revenue $6,229 $3,803 64% Gross Margin $2,842 $1,693 68% Gross Margin Percentage 46% 45% 1% Net Loss ($1,745) ($1,604) (9%) Net Loss excluding stock-

based compensation expense ($1,617) ($1,501) (8%) Adjusted EBITDA $33 ($136) 124% Loss per Share ($0.04) ($0.05)



Key Financial Information

First quarter revenue was $6,229, an increase of 64% from $3,803 in the comparable quarter of the prior fiscal year. Revenue in the United States increased by 94% and in Europe by 42% respectively with these regions continuing their strong growth from fiscal 2018.

Product revenue during the first quarter was $2,180, an increase of 49% compared to $1,465 in the same period last year. Blackline also achieved an additional $1,377 of Blackline G7 connected safety products delivered through the Blackline Complete leasing program in this period, an equivalent of approximately $427 in hardware sales. Had customers purchased these units rather than adopting Blackline's lease program, product revenue would have been approximately $2,607, excluding the impact of price discounting.

Service revenue was $4,049, an increase of 73% compared to $2,338 in the same period last year, attributed to new service activations by end customers from product sales and increased adoption of the Blackline Complete leasing program with leasing revenues increasing 101% quarter-over-quarter.

Contracted future service revenue, representing the current value of future Blackline Complete lease commitments, was $8,331 as at January 31, 2019, an increase of 84% compared to the same quarter, prior year.

Gross margin for the first quarter was $2,842 compared to $1,693 in the comparable quarter of the prior year, an increase of 68%. This increase was driven by the growth of Blackline's product and service revenues quarter-over-quarter.

Adjusted EBITDA was $33 for the first quarter compared to $(136) in the comparable quarter of the prior year. The increase in the Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter was attributable to an increase in revenues and gross margin, offset by increased selling, general and administrative expenses quarter-over-quarter.

Blackline's unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements and management's discussion and analysis on financial condition and results of operations for the period ended January 31, 2019 are available at www.sedar.com. All results are reported in Canadian dollars. To learn more about Blackline Safety, visit www.BlacklineSafety.com and follow Blackline on Twitter @blacklinesafety.

About Blackline Safety: Blackline Safety is a global connected safety technology leader. Providing comprehensive live-monitoring and wireless gas detection, we help teams working in hazardous environments respond to emergencies in real-time and manage efficient evacuations, accounting for everyone's safety along the way. With millions invested in technology research and development, Blackline Safety is recognized for quality and innovation. Our talented team of designers and engineers create and manufacture in-house  from wearable technology and personal gas detectors to cloud-hosted infrastructure and web-based interfaces for global industry. We deliver the world's first turn-key, work-anywhere, connected safety monitoring solution with gas detection, 3G wireless, satellite communications, two-way speakerphone, push-to-talk, location-enabled data analytics and live monitoring to meet the demanding safety challenges and increase productivity of organizations in over 100 countries. For more information, visit www.BlacklineSafety.com.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Blackline Safety Corp.

For further information: Cody Slater, CEO, [email protected]; Blackline Safety Corp., Unit 100, 803 24 Avenue SE, Calgary, AB Canada T2G 1P5, Telephone: +1 403 451 0327, Fax: +1 403 451 9981, www.BlacklineSafety.com

Related Links

http://www.blacklinegps.com


TORONTO, March 27, 2019 /CNW/ - Sam McKinney, Principal of Upper Canada College, announced today a new appointment at the Toronto-based independent boys' school. Brendan Dellandrea '01 has been appointed Vice-Principal, Advancement. Brendan will join UCC in early May and be part of the College's Senior Leadership Team.

Dellandrea is an experienced leader in advancement and strategy with a proven ability to foster innovation and excellence in academic environments. Most recently, he served as the Executive Director of Strategic Planning and Development in the Faculty of Communication and Design (FCAD) at Ryerson University, where he led the planning and execution of new academic, research, entrepreneurial and capital initiatives. In this role, Dellandrea worked closely with the Dean of FCAD to advance Ryerson's mission and enhance its academic and research capabilities through securing public and private funding and support. Prior to that, he was Director of Marketing and Communications for Ryerson's Digital Media Zone (DMZ) and oversaw the transformation of the DMZ into a globally recognized business incubator and entrepreneurship program.

"It's an exciting time to be returning to UCC," says Dellandrea. "The College has been on a remarkable trajectory over the last decade, and its renewed strategic directions set out a bold vision for continued growth and excellence with great purpose. I look forward to sharing my experiences, innate curiosity, and passion for innovation  which dates back to my time at UCC  with our community as we build new and lasting initiatives that provide great value and distinction for the school."

Dellandrea also brings to the College extensive experience working with the University of Toronto, including directing digital strategy in support of U of T's successful Boundless campaign and working with alumni and donor communities to increase engagement and online giving.

Dellandrea holds an MBA from the Rotman School of Management and an honours bachelor degree from the University of Toronto.

The College congratulates Dellandrea on his UCC appointment.

About Upper Canada College: UCC is internationally recognized as one of North America's foremost boys' schools. Educating tomorrow's leaders and innovators since 1829, UCC enrolls more than 1,200 students in Senior Kindergarten through Year 12. UCC has one of the largest and most generous financial assistance programs, offering $5 million each year. With sports, arts and educational facilities on 16 hectares and boarding for 87 students, UCC has one of the broadest International Baccalaureate programs in the country.

SOURCE Upper Canada College

For further information: For interviews please contact: Andrea Aster, [email protected], 416 488 1125, ext. 3171

Related Links

www.ucc.on.ca


BRANFORD  The Connecticut Hospice is in the midst of an organizational shake-up designed to streamline the way the nonprofit operates as well as reduce its operating costs.

Anthony DaRos, chairman of the Hospice board, said the nonprofit has been running an operating deficit of roughly $4 million over the past several years. To help right its financial ship, DaRos said the board brought in Barbara Pearce, president and chief executive officer North Haven-based Pearce Real Estate, to serve as Hospices interim chief executive officer.

Also brought in to preside over the streamlining process as chief financial officer was Joseph Mooney, who retired last summer as deputy commissioner for the state Department of Revenue Services.

Pearce, who is taking a sabbatical from her familys real estate company, took over as interim chief executive officer at the end of January. She said some of the moves to improve the organizations operating efficiency include asking some of the nonprofits employees to reapply for their jobs as well as eliminating some of the office space it has around the state.

Pearce declined to say how many employees might be out of a job as a result of the shake-up. Connecticut Hospice has between 250 and 280 employees, she said, adding that there has been no target number set by the board in terms of running the organization more efficiently.

People were only asked to reapply for their jobs if their roles were changing, Pearce said. Weve put a new organizational structure in place in which we assessed which jobs were necessary and which ones needed to be restructured.

Some of the workers who had to reapply for their jobs will find out Friday whether they have been rehired, while others will learn their fate April 5, she said.

Connecticut Hospice has undergone a period of tremendous upheaval over the past year that contributed to the organizations financial difficulties. It essentially has operated since last September without a chief executive officer, a chief operating officer or a chief financial officer, according to Pearce.

The upheaval at Connecticut Hospice appears to have started last summer when longtime president and chief executive officer Rosemary Hurzeler retired, according to DaRos. The organizations board had begun taking a more active role in the operations of the Hospice, he said, and wanted to make changes that Hurzeler was unwilling to implement.

She had been in that role for 40 years and had a different philosophy about how to do things, DaRos said of Hurzeler. Thats a long time and I guess she was tired of doing it.

Hurzeler launched what became Connecticut Hospice in 1974 as an in-home hospice service that was funded, for the first three years, by the National Cancer Institute, according to a history of the organization detailed on its website.

But while Connecticut Hospice was the first of its kind in the United States when it started, the palliative care field has gotten more competitive, according to Pearce. There are dozens of palliative care organizations in Connecticut , she said.

We provide some things in terms of service to patients that other organizations dont, Pearce said. But Im not sure the public knows what we do because there hasnt been a marketing department.

A lack of awareness about how Connecticut Hospice operates also has hampered the organizations fundraising efforts in the past, she said.

The hospice is located on Double Beach Road in a building that sits on the shore of Long Island Sound. The Connecticut Hospice headquarters building, which once was the corporate headquarters of Echlin Corp., includes a 52-bed in-patient palliative care facility.

Both DaRos and Pearce stressed the goal of the organizational overhaul was to create a sustainable business model for Connecticut Hospice.

luther.turmelle@hearstmediact.com
HAMDEN  Residents have started a petition opposing a proposal to have the Police Department put school resource officers in elementary schools.

Mayor Curt B. Leng recommended adding funding for two SROs who would be placed in Hamden elementary schools, but some residents say police presence there would be harmful. Leng made the recommendation in his budget proposal for next fiscal year.

We are deeply concerned about funding police officers for our elementary schools for multiple reasons, according to the petition, which was started by leadership of the Hamden Progressive Action Network.

The petition cites studies that said police officers in schools have not been shown to make students safer and that police presence in schools increases the risk of punitive disciplinary approaches, including arrests, which disproportionately affect black and brown students and students with disabilities.

The U.S. Department of Education released a report showing black boys made up 25 percent of all students suspended out of school at least once in 2015-16 school year and black girls accounted for 14 percent, though they each only accounted for 8 percent of all students, while white boys and girls made up greater shares of overall enrollment but smaller proportions of all students suspended at least once.

Arrests get made for disorderly conduct where theres a great deal of subjective judgment on the part of the SRO so the fear is that it will increase the risk of school to prison pipeline for black and brown students, said Sean Grace, a member of the network that started the petition, speaking generally about SROs in schools.

The Hamden Progressive Action Network defines itself as a grassroots alliance designed to educate (and) organize residents on town, state (and) national progressive issues.

There is one SRO at Hamden Middle School and two at Hamden High School but this would be the first time that SROs would be in the elementary schools.

Were big on trying to get them in every school but thats a difficult task, Acting Police Chief John Cappiello said the day after Leng proposed the budget. Its not a huge step, but if we could at least move forward with these small steps, thats progress.

SROs serve as a community liaison and educator and participate in specialized training for working in a school setting, Hamden High School Principal Nadine Gannon said in a statement.

With the increase of threats to schools and school shootings, the SRO provides safety and security to the school environment, she said. SROs develop positive relationship with students and create strategies to resolve problems that affect our youth with the goal of protecting all children. Many students view the school SRO as a confidant, a person who will listen to problems and work to solve them.

Grace said the argument that having SROs in elementary schools fosters trust may make intuitive sense but there isnt much data to support it because the purpose of the SRO is to act upon law enforcement.

Theyre called to address disciplinary actions in schools and that typically involves students of color, he said. My children came up through the school system and are at the high school now, but they never had it at the elementary school level. It just wasnt needed. These are little kids and the disciplinary issues that pop up there should be handled by school administrators and social workers in schools.

A number of cities across the country and locally have put officers into schools in the wake of tragedies such as those in Sandy Hook and the 2018 mass shooting in Parkland, Fla.

In neighboring New Haven, eight sworn police officers work in the schools, according to New Haven Police Capt. Anthony Duff. West Haven and North Haven have SROs in all the school levels.

A report by the ACLU found schools with police reported 3.5 times as many arrests as schools without police. Students with disabilities were arrested 2.9 times more often than students without disabilities and in some state they were 10 times as likely to be arrested than their counterparts.

Leng said he recommended the additional SROs to build upon the middle school and high school programs.

SROs working in full cooperation with Principals and support staff can be very positive forces for good in our schools, serving as informal counselors and mentors, educating students on dangers from internet to guns, helping prevent violence big and small and serving when needed as law enforcement, Leng said in an email. It takes the right officer to do this effectively, one with the proper compassion, demeanor and training. Having these officers present in our buildings also has the potential of deterring the worst from occurring, something that I really wish we didnt have to think about - but we most certainly do.

West Woods elementary school Principal Daniel Levy echoed Leng, saying SROs can help build trusting relationships between students and police and work with school administrations on security concerns.

We understand that there is a need to engage in a thoughtful dialogue to address the overall wellbeing of students, not just their physical but also their emotional safety, he said in an email.

Hamden Progressive Action Network leadership said the intention to keep schools safe may be good, but the town doesnt know that it will prevent a tragedy, while data does show it can be associated with poor outcomes for students down the line.

The petition suggests that the salary support for these positions could be better used in a variety of ways that would afford greater benefit to the young students of Hamden, including additional teacher, social worker, school psychologist, speech and language pathologist, occupational therapist, and other key positions.

The Board of Education did not propose funding any additional SROs for the upcoming school year in its budget.

Were a town and school district thats strapped for resources and I think that money could be spent better on more teachers or social workers Grace said. We could probably get more social workers than school resource officers for the same money.

Leng said he appreciated the group starting the petition to further the discussion, but his recommendation isnt a political issue and shouldnt be treated like one.

This shouldnt be a debate about choosing between School Resource Officers or additional Mental Health and Social Work professionals, he said. This is not a time for a this or that discussion - its too important for that - we need both; done the right way, with the right people, with the right training.

Leng said his office will be organizing community conversations in partnership with key community stakeholders to discuss the issues.

As of Thursday evening, 104 users on change.org had signed the petition, which has a goal of 200.

mdignan@hearstmediact.com
ORANGE  A 25-year-old driver sustained life-threatening injuries after crashing into a tree on Racebrook Road Wednesday night.

A 6-year-old boy inside the vehicle received minor injuries.

Police responded at approximately 10 p.m. to a serious one-car crash on Racebrook Road (Route 114) near the Woodbridge line.

Preliminary investigation shows that a 2008 Toyota Rav4 was traveling southbound on Rt. 114 at a high rate of speed when the 25 year old driver lost control of the vehicle. The car crossed the center line into the northbound lane before leaving the roadway and crashing into a tree, police said in a release.

The driver suffered life-threatening injuries and was extricated from the vehicle by the Orange Volunteer Fire Department. There was also a 6-year-old passenger in the Toyota who was able to release his restraints and get out of the vehicle with only minor injuries.

The Orange police crash reconstruction team responded to take over the investigation.

The drivers name is not being released until the department is certain the drivers family has been notified.

Anyone who witnessed the crash or has any further information is asked to contact Lt. Raymond LaPlante at 203-891-2130, RF CN #19-9162.
More than 4,000 people signed a petition as of Thursday morning calling on NASA to reschedule the first all-female spacewalk after it was canceled earlier this week because there weren't enough available suits that fit.



"People around the world were ready to witness history. Unfortunately, NASA wasn't ready to make it," stated the online petition, which was posted Tuesday evening by Care2's advocacy and engagement team.

On Monday, NASA decided to cancel the spacewalk, which would have been conducted by American astronauts Anne McClain and Christina Koch, after McClain said she would feel more comfortable in a smaller suit.

The spacewalk was scheduled for Friday morning to replace old batteries on the International Space Station's solar arrays with more powerful, lithium-ion ones.

Initially, McClain thought she would be able to wear a large-sized hard upper torso  the spacesuit's shirt. Turns out, she was more comfortable in a medium and only one medium-sized torso could be made ready by Friday.



So, Koch will wear the medium this week, walking instead with NASA astronaut Nick Hague. McClain will wear the medium again on April 8, when she walks with Canada's David Saint-Jacques.

The announcement brought a major backlash on social media, eliciting shock, disappointment and, in some cases, anger from the scientific community.

In response, McClain tweeted Wednesday that NASA's decision to bump her from the walk "was based on my recommendation."

"Leaders must make tough calls, and I am fortunate to work with a team who trusts my judgement," she wrote. "We must never accept a risk that can instead be mitigated. Safety of the crew and execution of the mission come first."

She continued to tweet about the change throughout the day, telling followers to "Tune in  history is made every day up here!"

There currently are two medium, two large and two extra large spacesuits on the station. However, the other medium is a spare and could not be configured quickly enough for the Friday walk.

"To stay on schedule with @Space_Station upgrades, it's safer & faster to change spacewalker assignments than reconfigure spacesuits," NASA tweeted in response Tuesday.

But the petition writers called it "disappointing," adding that NASA should have enough suits to fit women on the space station.

"Canceling a spacewalk because there weren't enough suits to fit male astronauts is almost unheard of, probably because there are ample suits ready to go that fit the men of the ISS," the petition stated. "Women astronauts deserve to have the same courtesy."

NASA officials said in a statement Thursday that spacewalks are scheduled when important operations and maintenance need to be done on the station.

Though there currently aren't any spacewalks scheduled after April 8, the statement added, there are "multiple women assigned to upcoming missions to the space station, and we would not hesitate to assign two women to perform a spacewalk."

"We believe an all-female spacewalk is inevitable," the statement continued.

The all-female spacewalk would have drawn accolades for an agency that has been slow to make historic strides with women and minorities.

For example, the first female Mission Control chief flight director was only picked last year and the United States was 20 years behind the Soviet Union in putting a woman into space.

The U.S. also was behind in allowing women to conduct spacewalks. The first woman to do so was the Soviet Union's Svetlana Savitskaya in 1984. Only 13 women have conducted spacewalks since; Koch will be the 14th. Crewmembers aboard the space station have conducted 214 spacewalks since 1998, when construction of the orbiting laboratory first began.

Alex Stuckey writes about NASA and the environment for the Houston Chronicle. You can reach her at Twitter.com/alexdstuckey.
ALBANY  New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Thursday that her office has filed the nation's most extensive lawsuit against the makers and distributors of opioids, as well as the family behind Purdue Pharma, a firm that many hold responsible for America's worsening opioid epidemic.

The 258-page complaint, which amends an earlier lawsuit filed last August by the state against Purdue, follows a multi-year, industry-wide investigation by the attorney general's office and is unique among the wave of opioid litigation coming out of municipalities and states in recent years.

It's one of just a handful of lawsuits to specifically name the Sackler family, who made billions from the sale of extended-release OxyContin and other opioids manufactured by Purdue. It's also notable for the extensive allegations it lays out against opioid distributors, who have received far less attention for their supposed role in the epidemic than manufacturers have.

"The opioid epidemic has ravaged families and communities across New York," James said in a statement. "We found that pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors engaged in years of deceptive marketing about the risks of opioids and failed to exercise their basic duty to report suspicious behavior, leading to the crisis we are living with today.

"As the Sackler Family and the other defendants grew richer, New Yorkers' health grew poorer and our state was left to foot the bill," James continued. "The manufacturers and distributors of opioids are to blame for this crisis and it is past time they take responsibility."

The complaint alleges that, starting in the 1990s, opioid manufacturers followed a common "playbook" to mislead health care providers and the public about the safety, efficacy and dangers of prescription opioids in an attempt to corner a new and much larger market than the one that had previously relied on opioids for medical use  individuals living with chronic pain.

Without evidence, manufacturers pushed claims that long-term opioid use could improve quality of life and cognitive functioning and  contrary to evidence  that it carried a low risk of addiction, the suit says. They perpetuated these claims, it continues, through a vast network of sales representatives, paid "opinion leaders," advertisements and front groups such as the American Pain Foundation, which was almost exclusively funded by the opioid industry.

Those actions helped to unwittingly hook hundreds of thousands of Americans on prescription painkillers, the suit alleges, and fueled the first of three waves of overdose epidemics. The second wave occurred when cheaper heroin entered the market, and the third only recently  when illicitly manufactured and extremely potent fentanyl made its way into drug supplies across North America.

More than 72,000 Americans died of an opioid-related overdose in 2017, including more than 3,200 New Yorkers.

The manufacturers named in the complaint include Purdue, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Mallinckrodt, Endo Health Solutions, Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Allergan Finance and the companies' various affiliates.

The suit also places blame on the companies that "dispensed like candy" those opioids, including the national distribution companies McKesson, AmerisourceBergen and Cardinal Health, and the regional Rochester Drug Cooperative.

While manufacturers created the "initial surge in demand" for opioids, the suit says, the explosion of opioid overuse in New York "could not have been perpetuated and expanded over the past decade to such devastating effect" without distributors.

The suit says distributors, who are required under state and federal law to monitor and report suspicious orders of controlled substances like opioids, not only failed to implement effective anti-diversion policies, but also warned their pharmacy customers when they approached monthly opioid limits and helped them evade compliance reviews by "manipulating the timing and volume of their orders."

These tactics, the suit says, led to massive shipments of opioids to specific pharmacies in New York despite numerous "red flags"  such as a high percentage of prescriptions paid for in cash or written by a relatively small number of providers that had been charged with or convicted of illegal prescribing.

Also named in the complaint are members of the Sackler family and various trusts they control. As Purdue came under increasing fire for its role in the epidemic, the complaint alleges the Sacklers directed Purdue to pay significant money to the family's offshore companies in an attempt to shield the money from litigation and potential future settlements.

The Sackler family this week settled an opioid lawsuit with the state of Oklahoma for $270 million.

Through a spokesperson, the family responded to New York's lawsuit Thursday, calling it baseless and a "misguided attempt to place blame where it does not belong for a complex public health crisis."

"We strongly deny these allegations, which are inconsistent with the factual record, and will vigorously defend against them," they said.

The family also said that it is committed to combating addiction, and pointed to an agreement it reached this week with Oklahoma to help establish a National Center for Addiction Studies and Treatment at the state university.

Purdue Pharma issued its own statement, saying New York's amended complaint is part of a "continuing effort to try these cases in the court of public opinion" rather than the justice system. It said the state failed to show clear evidence to support its claims and instead seeks to "publicly vilify Purdue and its former directors."

The Healthcare Distribution Alliance, the national trade association representing distributors named in the suit, said Thursday that it "defies common sense" to blame distributors for the number of opioid prescriptions written and suggested that those bringing lawsuits "would be better served addressing the root causes" of the crisis, rather than trying to "redirect blame through litigation."

The lawsuit seeks financial compensation for the prevention programs and addiction and medical treatment New York has provided in response to the crisis, and seeks to recover the billions it says were conveyed to the Sackler family's offshore companies.

Read the full complaint here.
Remember nuclear weapons?

Remember when we were worried about them, before we had heard of climate change (and seen its effects) and before we got distracted by our countrys political polarization?

During the 1950s,60s, 70s and into the 1980s, many Americans did think about the threat of nuclear war and participated in actions, including large marches. In 1982, a throng estimated at about one million people marched through New York City to call attention to this peril.

While the anti-nuke movement lost momentum over the past 35 years, a small but very determined corps of activists continued their work to remind us the nuclear war threat remains as dire as ever, if not more so.

Frida Berrigan was raised in a family of these nonviolent activists and shared in their sacrifices. Its not easy when your father, Philip Berrigan, and your mother, Elizabeth McAlister, are sent off to prison for years (although at different times) because of their protests.

Berrigan came to the United Church Parish House in New Haven this week to talk about what this was like for her and to urge others to join the movement.

Thanks for coming out on a Tuesday night to talk about nuclear weapons, she told us. In a sign that this is an issue not now gripping many Americans, her appearance drew only about 22 people, not including the half-dozen volunteers on hand from groups such as the events sponsor, Promoting Enduring Peace.

Berrigan wrote the book It Runs in the Family: On Being Raised by Radicals and Growing into Rebellious Motherhood. She has three kids and lives in New London.

Her father, who died in 2002, less than a year after being released from prison, was arrested more than 100 times in civil disobedience actions. Her uncle, Daniel Berrigan, who died in 2016, led a similar life. Both of them were priests. Her mother, Elizabeth McAlister, a nun, is now incarcerated in Georgia, awaiting trial for working with six others to break into a nuclear submarine base in that state last April. McAlister is 79.

And heres your local angle: one of the other participants in that action, done on the 50th anniversary of the slaying of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., is New Havens own Mark Colville, 56. He and his wife, Luz Catarineau-Colville, run the Amistad Catholic Worker House in the Hill neighborhood, offering food and other donations to the community. They raised four children there.

Colville is also incarcerated while going through the long wait for a trial. Another New Haven peace activist, Stephen Kobasa, told the people at the parish house, Theyve spent nearly a year in jail without an announcement of a trial date. Their peace witness continues with their incarceration.

At the outset of Berrigans talk, she said, This is the story of my family: bucket-brigading sacrifice in an effort to douse the nuclear inferno.

Berrigan framed her story with a series of episodes, beginning with April 1, 1974: Im born to a nun and a priest in a row house in Baltimore, full of anti-nuclear activists. She noted the Doomsday Clock of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, that day stood at 12 minutes before midnight. The scientists periodically change that time according to how imminent they view the apocalypse of nuclear war, which would strike at midnight.

The Doomsday Clock would be an ever-present tick-tock throughout my life, she said. Im one of the few people who pays attention to it. I will always know what time it is.

Berrigans message is clear: all of us should know that time. She noted its now at two minutes before midnight, the closest its ever been to doom.

The danger is of our own making, Berrigan said. She noted that although nuclear catastrophe looms, polls show Its not in Americans top 10 fears.

Episode two in Berrigans narrative was March 28, 1979, the day the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania had a partial meltdown. My parents took my younger brother and me to West Virginia for two weeks because we lived less than 90 miles from the power plant. My parents then started to look at the connection between nuclear weapons and nuclear power.

Episode three came on Sept. 9, 1980, when Berrigan was 6. On that day, her father and uncle joined six others to begin the Plowshares Movement. Taking their inspiration from the Biblical idea of beating swords into plowshares, the group trespassed into the General Electric nuclear missile facility in King of Prussia, Pa., where they hammered nuclear warhead nose cones and poured their own blood onto documents. They were charged with more than 10 felony and misdemeanor counts.

Berrigan recalled a letter her father wrote to the family from prison: We love our children and all children. This is why we are in jail.

She said that she and her brother were just beginning school in Baltimore and instantly were objects of fascination and mild derision in the eyes of the other kids. Their teachers viewed them with pity. Their father spent that Christmas in jail.

Eventually, he was convicted of burglary, conspiracy and criminal mischief. He received a prison sentence of 5-10 years. Meanwhile, Berrigan welcomed a new sister into the world. The Doomsday Clock stood at four minutes to midnight.

Episode four: Nov. 20, 1983. We were usually only allowed to watch the nightly news but that night our parents let us watch a TV movie with them. It was The Day After, imagining a nuclear attack on the U.S. and what happens to the unlucky survivors.

When the movie ended, she recalled, Mom told us she was going to be in an action to try to stop a nuclear war from happening, to stop that suffering.

Four days later, McAlister was one of seven activists who invaded the Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome, N.Y. They hammered a B-52 bomber and poured their blood on it. When they were arrested and hit with multiple charges, they faced up to 25 years in prison. Were 9, 8 and 2, Berrigan said of the kids ages then.

In 1984, McAlister was sentenced to serve 26 months in a West Virginia federal prison. We traveled there once a month for a long weekend.

Episode five: on Dec. 19, 1999, Philip Berrigan is among four activists who cut through a fence at an Air National Guard base in Maryland, pour their blood on a bomber and hammer it. They are arrested on multiple charges.

I had said to him; Please dont do this, youre getting kind of old, Berrigan recalled. (He was 76). But he told her he couldnt forget the children and others killed by war. He served 30 months in prison.

Episode six came last April. Knowing their mother was preparing to join in another action, Berrigan and her siblings pleaded: Please dont, youre too old. Her reply: This is what I have to give.

On April 4, she became one of the Kings Bay Plowshares 7, breaking into that submarine base. If convicted on all charges, they will face up to 25 years in prison.

I asked Berrigan how people can be motivated to join the movement against nuclear weapons. She answered, Its not quite fun, all of this work. But you form very deep relationships with people. These are the relationships many in our culture are crying out for, that they are missing. Thats something we have to offer.

Berrigan concluded, Nuclear weapons ruined my life, but not in the way you might think. They ruined a kind of life, a life of individual achievement. Im extremely grateful for that. I hope theyve ruined your life, too  because thats the only way well ever get rid of them.

randall.beach@hearstmediact.com
KENT  A former nursing home on Maple Street will be converted into a private substance abuse facility, now that its owners have approval from the state health department.

The Kent, a nursing home that included a special floor for Alzheimers patients, was located at 46 Maple St. near the Kent firehouse and closed about 4 years ago. Birch Hill Recovery Center LLC announced in a statement Thursday that it had reached an agreed settlement with the state Department of Public Health, which clears the way for a new substance abuse treatment center in Kent, which will bring the highest level of substance abuse treatment to Connecticut, according to the statement.

Birch Hill Recovery Center plans to renovate the former nursing home and open an 85-bed substance abuse treatment facility that will usher in a new era in the battle against the ongoing opioid crisis, according to the statement.

BHRC will provide medically managed detoxification, which means the treatment facility will be equipped to accept the highest acuity patients suffering from substance abuse disorders, Birch Hill representatives said. This project has received a majority of support from a coalition of substance abuse experts, medical professionals, state lawmakers and community leaders.

In Kent, however, a petition was circulated on change.org that reflected residents opposition to a substance abuse center so close to the center of town. The petition gained more than 150 signatures in 2017. The petitioning group, Keep Kent Connecticut Safe, cited concerns about having drug-addicted men and women living so close to schools and other public facilities, and said the rehabiltation center was just a way to make money on the opioid epidemic, would be a strain on services, insrease traffic, and hurt property values.

Kent is home to High Watch Recovery Center, a residential treatment center located on the northern corridor of Route 7. High Watch was established in 1939 as the worlds first 12-Step treatment center, according to the website.

Ari Raskas, Birch Hills project developer, called the states approval tremendous news for Connecticut.

Its going to bring opioid addiction and substance abuse treatment to an entirely new level here, he said in a statement. Despite tireless efforts, the state continues to be plagued by the worst opioid crisis in state history and has a significant need for more treatment beds; the need is simply not being met. But with todays approval of Birch Hills CON, we take a major step forward in terms of addiction treatment and recovery.

The project includes renovating the 60,000-square-foot facility. According to Birch Hill, it has received project approval from the Kent Planning and Zoning Commission. Raskas said the facility could open by 2020. The new treatment center will have five medical triage beds, 27 detoxification beds and 53 intensive treatment beds.

Raskas said BHRC also plans to provide a minimum of 5 beds for those who are uninsured, or whose only source of payment is Connecticut Medicaid or government payment programs, according to the statement.

Birch Hill applied to the Planning & Zoning Commission in June 2017, and received approvals to take over the facility. According to Raskas, the commission asked the company to install fencing and a gate for safety and security.

The approval said we were going to take over (The Kent) facility, Raskas said. I think we have to go back to them for a few small things, like striping in the parking lot, but other than that, we are approved.

In spite of concerns raised by residents at the time, Raskas said, Birch Hill never had any contact with the petitioning group. We responded to the questions from P&Z as they were raised and we addressed them, he said.

Its a good thing for Kent, he said. Its good for taxes, and for people who come to visit people who are staying in the facility. Theyll spend money in town while theyre there.
The travelers from Maryland knew the Welcome Center on Interstate 84 in Danbury would be closed. They saw the signs as they crossed the border from New York Wednesday afternoon and approached Exit 2.

Undeterred, they stopped anyway because in Maryland the restrooms are separate from the welcome areas and can remain open when the other area is closed.

Instead we used the porta potty, Sarah Sayre said.

Lets just say, it was moderately gross, Phil Sayre said. We laughed at the word moderately  he was being a gentleman. The outdoor portable toilet hadnt been cleaned since the 12th, more than two weeks earlier, according to a sticker inside. (I took Phils word on that.)

The pleasant couple from the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay were on their way to Cambridge, Massachusetts, which means they would be traveling on I-84 through our state. I didnt have the heart to tell them that they wouldnt find an open rest area on that highway from one end of the state to the other  even though it was still daylight.

Is this the way to welcome visitors and encourage them to stay a while? Even if you live along I-95 or the Merritt where rest areas are open, you should care about the message we are giving potential tourists  dont stop here.

The state with the highest per capita income in the country cant afford to keep all of its rest areas open on the interstates. How embarrassing is that?

The small amount saved, about $2 million in a $20 billion state budget, is foolhardy given the public relations disaster and the loss of tourists spending.

But this is the way weve been operating since Sept. 30, 2016, when the state Department of Transportation restricted hours at seven rest areas across the state. Four of those are in border towns.

The idea was to save on employee salaries; the result is that those welcome centers and rest areas are closed longer than they are open. Even the highway signs are negative  stating the areas are closed from 3:30 p.m. to 8:30 a.m., instead of when they are actually open.

Welcome to Connecticut, the land of bathroom penny pinchers.

Wasted stop for weary traveler looking for a break during long hours on I84. Sad, a New Jersey man with the handle Chris C. wrote March 14 in a Yelp review of the Welcome Center in Danbury.

Make it happen

Ive written about this before. Yes, Im a woman on a crusade to put the welcome back in Welcome Centers. Now Im not alone.

The Blue Ribbon Panel on Tourism, initiated last fall by Speaker of the House Joe Aresimowicz, delivered recommendations Feb. 15. (Ill write about them sometime because theyre interesting and important, but for now lets stay focused on my mission.)

One of the recommendations is to reopen the centers.

For many their visit to our Welcome Center is their first impression of our State as a place to visit, live and/or work, and our opportunity to steer them to experiences we know they will enjoy and virally spread the word, the panel reported.

Staff the centers for hospitality and information services during peak travel hours, and keep restrooms open 24/7. While the DOT would remain responsible for operation and maintenance of the buildings, the hospitality services would be managed by the state Office of Tourism or regional destination marketing organizations (called DMOs).

This makes sense. You would immediately see plenty of brochures, suggestions for sights to see, activities to do, places to eat and stay. They could feature local produce for sale, such as maple syrup and apples, and works by local artists.

The Blue Ribbon panel dovetailed the work of the Arts, Culture and Tourism policy committee formed by then Gov.-elect Ned Lamont, one of 15 to help inform his transition.

Lisa Scails, the executive director of the Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut, was a member of that committee. So when Lamont came to the Greater Danbury Chamber of Commerces Eggs & Issues breakfast last Friday, she was ready with a question  about the Welcome Centers.

Lamont didnt hesitate his answer. Its an embarrassment! he said. What kind of a welcome is that?

Precisely. He drew applause.

If the governor wants it to happen, if a Blue Ribbon tourism panel and tourism groups want it to happen, what are we waiting for? It shouldnt require an act of the General Assembly to shift around DOT funding priorities.

New York gets it right. When you cross from our state west to New York on I-84, you see a huge I (heart) NY logo built into the median. Much better than a Welcome Center closed sign, eh?

The outside of the Welcome Center in Danbury is quaintly charming. Picnic tables and old-fashioned grills are scattered under trees. Rocks, plentiful in these parts, are stacked in cairns.

The American and Connecticut flags waved in a gentle breeze as Sarah and Phil Sayre got on their way to Massachusetts just before 6 p.m. Wednesday. I didnt have the heart to tell them that shortly they would be in bumper-to-bumper traffic heading east  happens like clockwork every day  for several miles.

Well, at least were not greeting them with tolls  yet.

Jacqueline Smiths columns appear Fridays in Hearst Connecticut Medias eight daily newspapers. Email her at jsmith@hearstmediact.com.
O ye who believe! stand out firmly for Allah, as witnesses to fair dealing, and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that is next to piety: and fear Allah. For Allah is well-acquainted with all that ye do. (Quran 5:8 - A. Yusuf Ali Translation)

Jesus (peace be upon him) reportedly said: Blessed are the pure in heart (Matthew 5:8). This concept of purity of heart is foundational to the theme of a national event held at Yale Divinity School last Saturday.

The event was an annual training and in-service conference that brought together chaplains, imams, other religious leaders, academics, activists and other service providers to the Muslim community. The theme was Protecting the Heart  Islam and Cross-Cultural Competency.

This theme is apt in the wake of the mass shootings of worshippers recently in Christchurch, New Zealand. Prior to the Christchurch massacre, the pains and memories of the mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh remained fresh. Additionally, similar occurrences at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, and at the at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C., remain etched in our collective consciousness. On a global scale, the fabric of our common humanity remains stained by the atrocities committed by groups such as ISIS and Boko Haram, and against groups such as the Rohingya and Uighurs.

The aptness of the theme is not just for religious leaders and service providers. It is also for all peoples of faith to be mindful of protecting our hearts from the ignorance and hatred that is currently prevalent in the world that lead to such acts of violence. Movie-maker Michael Moore best summed it up when he said: Ignorance leads to fear, fear leads to hate  And hate leads to violence.

Violence against people engaged in acts of communion with God or simply because of their beliefs and/or race is antithetical to faith. A heart that is filled with ignorance and hatred that leads a person to commit such acts of violence is a heart that is devoid of spiritual light. Spiritual light is what helps to distinguish between right and wrong.

According to prophetic tradition, the heart is considered the highest faculty of a human being in Islam. It is the faculty which helps to make this distinction between right and wrong. Spiritual masters expound that the heart is the epicenter a persons spiritual, emotional and mental capabilities and the essence of what makes a person fully human. Within the heart is the Divine Light which, when aglow, connects us with each other and to the Divine. Ignorance and hatred and the resultant violence are spiritual impurities which extinguish this light and sever us from our own selves and from God. God explicitly forbids injustice against people because of hatred and correlates justice with righteousness (Quran 5:8). Therefore, it is important to keep this light glowing by protecting the purity and soundness of the heart.

Three takeaways from the conference that can help us in protecting our hearts from spiritual impurities are:

That we acknowledge the oneness of our human family as creatures of One Creator-God with a common ancestry despite all perceived differences.

That we recognize that those perceived differences in race that people hold onto for pride and prejudice are illusions from a spiritual perspective.

That we maintain the best, positive ties of kinship with each other in our human family through mutual understanding and by mutually respecting each others rights (Quran 4:1).

Protecting the heart is important, not just as a hallmark of faith, but as a prerequisite for spiritual success. Jesus completes the blessing in Matthew 5:8 by saying that the pure in heart shall see God. The Quran affirms this beatitude from a different angle.

On the Day of Judgment when human beings will be held accountable for their deeds, the only thing that can avail a person who comes to God is a pure, sound or clean heart (Quran 26:88-89).

AbdulMalik Negedu is a community chaplain with Malik Human Services Institute Inc. in New Haven.
The Trump re-election campaign was on the offensive Monday morning, a day after Attorney General William Barr released a summary of special counsel Robert Mueller's findings on the possible collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign for presidency.

The campaign sent out a memo to a number of television news networks, warning them about the "credibility" of six of the president's more outspoken critics: Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.); Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), chair of the House Judiciary Committee; Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez; John Brennan, the former director of the Central Intelligence Agency; Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the chair of the House Intelligence Committee; and Rep. Eric Swalwell, (D-Calif.), who represents most of Alameda County.
A buyer can literally strike gold in Montana for $5.95 million. A modern riverfront home near Big Sky, MT, was constructed with elements brought in from a nearby gold mine.

There isn't any gold dust wafting around, but there are priceless beams on the ceiling and the old tin roof reclaimed from the mine. Oh, and some of the floors are from an old dance hall in Deer Lodge, MT.

"I kind of like having a story behind everything," says the owner/listing agent Scott Altman, who also built the house.

Altman bought the 23.33-acre property along the Gallatin River in 2007, and started building the home, near the world-famous Big Sky ski resort.

And when his builder heard that they were taking the nearby defunct Gold Coin Mine apart, Altman bought most of what was disassembled.

In addition to using the beams and metal roofing, they cut off the face of one of the rock crushers and used it as a fireplace, and used old bolts and chains for the mantel.

Family room realtor.com

Fireplace made with elements taken from an old mine. realtor.com

Then they took the crankshafts from those crushers, erected them vertically, capped them with another old beam, and formed a clever entry gate to the property.

Gate made with vertical crankshafts from an old mine realtor.com

They also repurposed the old rails the ore carts used for handrails on the stairs that lead down to the wine cellar.



Watch: Luxurious Wyoming Fly-Fishing Estate Casts a Line for a New Owner



Oh, and then they welded a valve and pipe over a Kohler top-fall faucet that fills the tub in the master bath, so it looks as if the water is falling down from an old mine pipe in the ceiling.

Master bath with unique faucet realtor.com

The plan was for the Altman family to head for this gold-flecked retreat as soon as their youngest son graduated high school. That's what they did, finishing and moving into the four-bedroom, 4.5-bath house in 2009.

Bunk room realtor.com

They also outfitted the 5,398-square-foot house with special features, like a pizza oven in the chef's kitchen (Altman's family is Italian), a 480-square-foot deck overlooking the water, a family room with an old-timey miners' bar, and the aforementioned wine cellar, accessed via trap door.

Kitchen realtor.com

Then there's the gigantic mudroom/gear room/laundry room, crucial in this location. "With all the rafting, hiking, biking, rock climbing, fishing, etc., that you do around here, you realize you need a lot of space for gear," says Altman.

Gear room realtor.com

The Montana mine house is surrounded by pines. realtor.com

Now, about a decade later, the house isn't as filled with visitors as it used to be. The Altmans have taken to traveling the country in their Airstream, and Scott says that when they come home, their mine house on the river just feels "too darn big."

So it's time to downsize, although the Altmans have every intention of staying in the Big Sky area.

"We've gotten a lot of interest from people who want to use it as a generational compound," says Altman. It's easy to see how the property could be ideal for a century or twoor for a celebrity in search of a little pristine privacy.

The post This Gorgeous Montana Home Is Made From Pieces of a Gold Mine! appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com.
Japan Data

Japans surviving premodern castles designated as important cultural properties display a range of architecture and individual features.

Many of Japans castles have been destroyed over the centuries, either due to government ordinances, natural disasters, or World War II air raids. As a result, only 12 castles built in Japan prior to the Meiji Restoration of 1868 have central keeps that survive intact to this day. This article presents the seven of these castles that have been designated as important cultural properties.

Hirosaki Castle





Hirosaki Castle was the residence of the Tsugaru clan, which ruled the former Hirosaki Province (present-day western Aomori Prefecture). The old fortifications, where the central keep stands, have been rededicated as Hirosaki Park. The site is also known for its many cherry trees, including more than 300 gigantic somei yoshino and shidarezakura on park grounds, some of which were planted over a century ago.

English-language website: https://www.hirosakipark.jp/en/

Maruoka Castle





According to a survey by the Fukui board of education, Maruoka Castle was built some time in the early seventeenth century. Unusually its roof is made up of stone tiles and the central keep is estimated as weighing between 75 and 120 tons. After the keep collapsed in the 1948 Fukui earthquake, it was restored using building materials similar to those used in its original construction, and has been thus preserved since.

Bitchu Matsuyama Castle





Bitchu Matsuyama Castle is located near the summit of Mount Gagyu, 430 meters above sea level. Imposing stone walls more than 10 meters in height rise sharply all around the slopes leading to the castle proper, which was once thereby considered impregnable. Based on a castle originally built in the Kamakura period (11851333), the present keep was repaired in 1683.

Fog banks frequently blanket the area near Mount Gagyu on early mornings between late September and early April, providing an unearthly view of the castle from nearby observation decks.

Marugame Castle





Marugame Castle represents the highest expression of techniques for building castle walls by stacking stones, which reached their peak in the early Edo period. While the keep is not particularly large, the castle is surrounded from base to summit by fourfold overlapping stone walls reaching a total height of 60 meters. These walls are indicative of the variety of methods employed in their assembly, including the loose and rugged nozurazumi (stacking dry, uncut stones) on the one hand and the more regular sangizumi (placing rectangular cut stones in regular reinforcing arrangements) on the other.

Iyo Matsuyama Castle





Iyo Matsuyama Castle served as the residence of the Matsudaira clan which traces a direct patrilineage to Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Edo shogunate. The trefoil hollyhock crest of the Tokugawa can be seen in the roof tiles and elsewhere in the castles construction. The greater and lesser keeps are connected to each other and to turrets and other structures by connecting corridors in this, the last castle fortification built in the Edo period. The castle was struck by lightning and burned to the ground in 1784, with reconstruction completed in 1854.

Uwajima Castle



(Courtesy Ehime Local Promotion Association)

Built by Todo Takatora, lord of Iyo-Imabari Province and a castle builder of some repute, Uwajima Castle fronts Uwajima Bay to the north and west, and draws seawater into a moat to the south and east. As these characteristics attest, the castle was built with defensibility in mind; another such feature is that the outer fortifications are in the shape of an irregular pentagon, ensuring a blind spot on the part of hostile forces attacking from any four directions. The castle as it survives today is the result of extensive renovations in 1671.

Kochi Castle





Kochi Castle was built in 1611 by Yamauchi Katsutoyo, a hero of the battle of Sekigahara (1600), in which Tokugawa Ieyasu won effective control of Japan. Most of the fortifications were destroyed by a great fire in its castle town in 1727, with rebuilding commencing in 1729. It is the only castle in all of present-day Japan to retain the structures in its main enclosure in practically pristine condition, including the grand house, the nishi-tamon-yagura (a continuous covered gallery between turrets to the western side of the castle), and the otemon (main gate), in addition to the central keep itself.

(Translated from Japanese. Banner photo: Bitchu-Matsuyama Castle wreathed in fog. Courtesy Okayama Prefectural Tourism Federation.)
Newsfrom Japan

Itirapina, Brazil, March 27 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Honda Motor Co. <7267> plans to release hybrid vehicle models in the Brazilian market by 2023, Operating Officer Issao Mizoguchi said Wednesday.

The move follows the Brazilian government's decision to introduce tax breaks for hybrid vehicles.

Mizoguchi, also chief officer of Honda's regional operations in South America, said the company may release about three hybrid vehicle models in Brazil within the next five years.

He revealed the plan at a ceremony to mark the start of operations of a Honda plant in Itirapina in the state of Sao Paulo in Brazil.

Meanwhile, Mizuguchi said Honda must take its time when it comes to releasing an electric vehicle in Brazil, citing infrastructure-related obstacles.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
A Bergen County judge on Thursday denied a convicted murderers request to skip a sentencing hearing in which members of his victims family would have a chance to address him in court.

But Judge Margaret M. Foti allowed Arthur Lomandos defense attorneys to withdraw from the case after it was revealed he told a therapist he wanted to kill them.

Lomando, 47, who was convicted in February of the brutal stabbing death of Suzanne Bardzell in Midland Park, was asked at a Paramus psychiatric hospital if he was suicidal, according to a pre-sentence investigation report.

No, I dont really feel like hurting myself but I would like to strangle my lawyers, said Lomando, according to the background report.

Lomando was convicted of first-degree murder last month. His sentencing was scheduled for Thursday afternoon, but delayed because his attorneys, headed by Anthony La Pinta of New York asked to withdraw from the sentencing portion of the case.

Ex-NYPD cop Arthur Lomando was convicted of first-degree murder in the brutal stabbing of Suzanne Bardzell of Midland Park. (File photos)

The convicted killer had written a letter to the court, saying he regretted hiring La Pinta. But Lomando later said he still wanted to be represented by him during the sentencing phase.

Lomando, who lost both of his feet after the murder when he jumped in front of a train, was wheeled into the courtroom wearing white-and-black sneakers and orange jail jumpsuit.

Before the judge entered, Lomando was heard speaking angrily to his lawyer.

Whats the issue? Lomando snapped. Youre still getting paid. Do the sentencing. You got paid. I dont give a ----

Defendant Arthur Lomando appears in superior court in Bergen County for a motion hearing. Lomando is convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend Suzanne Bardzell with a machete in 2015. March 28, 2019 (Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) March 28, 2019 (Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Later, Lomando interrupted La Pinta after the defense attorney told the judge his firm can no longer ethically represent Lomando.

Then you better return some money, Lomando said. Because you were paid the full amount.

Lomando told the judge he wished to skip the sentencing in part because he never met the victims family and friends, many of whom came to court Thursday hoping to speak.

Youre going to cause me to be disruptive, Lomando told the judge. I dont want to be disrespectful to anyone.

Foti denied the request, saying the family members were victims themselves and deserved the right to address Lomando on how the killing has affected their lives.

She allowed the lawyers to withdraw from the case based on allegations Lomando has made that they were ineffective and that he wished to strangle them.

There are reasonable grounds to believe the safety of defense counsel is an issue, the judge said.

In a March 21 letter to the judge, Lomando wrote I cant stand another day in court that I (am called) a monster and a no good piece of garbage.

Lomando, of Centereach, New York, drove 70 miles from his home and stabbed Suzanne Bardzell to death in her driveway more than three years ago. He was convicted of first-degree murder and related charges last month in Superior Court in Bergen County.

Prosecutors said the attack was revenge after the 48-year-old woman obtained a restraining order against Lomando just weeks before.

Mr. Lomando has a terrible temper, and this temper has gotten him into trouble over the many, many years, forensic psychiatrist Steven Simring testified during the trial.

When he was unable to get the restraining order dismissed, Lomando bought a knife and began researching how to inflict fatal wounds, according to testimony in the case.

He waited for Bardzell in a rented vehicle parked near her home. Security video showed Lomando walking up to Bardzells vehicle, smashing the window and stabbing her more than 30 times.

Investigators had said there was a history of domestic violence between the two and that Bardzell had made several complaints to police about him.

On Oct. 5, 2015, Bardzell accused Lomando of breaking into her home through the garage, pressing scissors to her neck and proclaiming that she now knew how easy it was for him to kill her. Four days later, Isabel Shoukas, director of The Community School in Teaneck, where Bardzell worked, called police as Bardzell sat in her office.

She has a restraining order on him and hes not supposed to be contacting her or her work, Shoukas told the police officer. And hes continuing to do it.

Bardzell was seeking a permanent restraining order against Lomando due to threats and because Lomando had tried to get her fired from her job.

Family and friends of victim Suzanne Bardzell listen during court proceedings. Defendant Arthur Lomando appears in superior court in Bergen County for a motion hearing on March, 28, 2019. Lomando is convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend Suzanne Bardzell with a machete in 2015. (Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) March 28, 2019 (Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

In a 911 call before her death, Bardzell told police Lomando had called her boss and said derogatory untruths about her.

After the call, police charged Lomando with violating the restraining order.

Bardzell was murdered on Oct. 22, 2015 as she sat in her vehicle, speaking with a friend on her cellphone. The friend overheard Bardzells chilling screams.

Lomando, a 10-year veteran of the NYPD, was fired in 2004 after several documented misconduct issues and mental health concerns.

After killing Bardzell, Lomando jumped in front of a train in New York City and lost both of his feet in the apparent suicide attempt.

Lomando later sued the city, saying that unsafe conditions at the train station led to him losing his balance and falling onto the tracks.

Defendant Arthur Lomando appears in superior court in Bergen County for a motion hearing. Lomando is convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend Suzanne Bardzell with a machete in 2015. March 28, 2019 (Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) March 28, 2019 (Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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Beginning at New Jersey college campuses in the fall, county prosecutors will hold public gatherings to discuss sexual violence and encourage victims to come forward, state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal announced Thursday.

Prosecutors and sex crime investigators will describe how the criminal justice system works and what counseling and support services are available, Grewal said.

We recognize that navigating the legal system can be challenging for anybody, and particularly challenging when you are the victim of a sexual assault and experience sexual violence on campus," Grewal, the states top law enforcement official, announced during a conference on campus sexual violence hosted by Rutgers University.

My message I want survivors to hear this morning is there are teams of people across this state who can guide them through these processes, he said. There are teams of prosecutors across this state and investigators working with them who dedicate their lives to prosecuting cases like yours.

Sexual assault on college campuses is on the rise.

In 2016, there were 138 reported rapes at New Jerseys four-year colleges and universities  a 24 percent increase over the previous year  as many schools stepped up efforts to encourage students to report sexual assaults on campus. The number of reported rapes rose at about half of the states 28 four-year residential college campuses, according to an NJ Advance Media review of campus crime reports.

Nine have been filed against Stockton University in the last year by sexual assault survivors who allege the school did not provide a safe environment while they were students. The attorney representing them, Robert Fuggi, says Stockton knows it has a sexual assault problem, but has done nothing to fix it and even tries to silence victims. The university has denied that allegation.

Grewal said he thought it was important to deliver a clear message that law enforcement agencies are dedicated to addressing the widespread issue of sexual violence at colleges. In November, the Trump administration announced new rules which bolstered the rights of students accused of sexual harassment and abuse.

Unfortunately, the policies coming out of Washington and the news of the day now make it necessary to reinforce this message that victims of campus sexual violence can trust law enforcement, Grewal said.

Grewal did not offer specifics about when the visits would take place.

Ill be directing all 21 of our county prosecutors to hold community forums on campus sexual violence. These events will bring prosecutors and law enforcement onto campuses around the beginning of the next school year to meet students and service providers where they are to discuss how we handle campus sexual assault cases and to learn how we can do better," Grewal said.

Not every allegation of sexual assault will lead to criminal prosecution. And not every criminal prosecution will lead to a conviction. But we all need to work together to dispel the idea there is no use in filing a complaint, he said.

An earlier version of this story says the announcement was made Wednesday; it was announced Thursday.

Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.
JERSEY CITY  The woman found dead in the lake in Lincoln Park is believed to have been jogging in the park Sunday morning when she was apparently strangled, a law enforcement source said Thursday.

The death of Carolina Cano, 45, of nearby Gautier Avenue in Jersey City, has been ruled a homicide by the Hudson County Prosecutors Office, based on the preliminary investigation.

Cano was recovered from the water at 7:30 a.m. Sunday morning and pronounced dead at 9:30 a.m. Park workers said Thursday that divers and at least one police dog had returned to the park Wednesday, apparently searching for evidence.

The law enforcement source said that it appeared that Canos body was not in the water for long, and that her neck showed signs of strangulation.

A man living in the building where Cano lived off West Side Avenue said Thursday that she emigrated from Peru and had lived at the location for about two years. He said Cano, who worked as a nanny, never caused a stir in the apartment building.

A neighbor said people from Canos church came to the residence to check on her because she missed the Sunday service.

She was a working woman, a good woman, her roommate said in an interview with NBC New York. She didnt bother anyone. She was a woman that was always with God, thats how she lived. She was really a beautiful woman. She had a very beautiful heart.

Freeholder Bill ODea and Jersey City Councilwoman Mira Prinz-Arey, who represent the West Side, plan to host a meeting Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in the Gallo Center to discuss the homicide and talk about security measures at the park.

Sharon Guarini, who lives two doors from Canos building, said she was not surprised to hear a resident of the neighborhood had been killed.

Its city life, said Guarini. You cant control city life. You have to be aware of your surroundings and whats going on around you.

She said the neighborhood is getting better, "but there is still drug dealing going on.

Guarini said she did not know Cano, but had probably seen her in the neighborhood and said hello when they crossed paths.

Robert Patterson has lived his entire 65 years in the neighborhood where Cano lived and he was shocked to hear she was killed.

Holy Christ. Holy Christ, said Patterson when told of Canos death Thursday. He too said the neighborhood has been good for a while, but added, The troubles are coming back. He did not know Cano, either.

Lincoln Park is bordered by Harrison Avenue, Kennedy Boulevard and Duncan Avenue and it extends westward to the Hackensack River. Canos home is two blocks from the park.

John Williams, a student at Snyder High School, said while walking through the park Thursday that he does not feel completely safe when in Lincoln Park.

I dont trust people around me, Williams said. This is New Jersey.

On the other hand, Leticia Dominguez and her husband Fernando said Thursday that they feel safe in the park as they took a stroll near the lake Cano was dragged out of.

I dont worry about the people here, Leticia Dominguez said. Ive never seen anything weird.

Canos death is being investigated by the prosecutors Homicide Unit with assistance from the Jersey City Police Department and the Hudson County Sheriffs Office.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the prosecutors office at (201) 915-1345 or leave an anonymous tip at: http://www.hudsoncountyprosecutorsofficenj.org/homicide-tip/. All information will be kept confidential.
A school board member charged with impersonating a police officer during a New Years Day incident in South Jersey will apply for pre-trial intervention (PTI), his attorney told a judge Thursday.

Robert W. McQuade, 53, was arrested Jan. 1 after police responding to a report of a fight in front of BoJos Ale House in Millville spotted him running from the scene.

An officer chased McQuade and tackled him. During the arrest, McQuade allegedly yelled that he was an off-duty, retired Millville officer. He was neither, police determined, but had served previously as a special officer for the city.

Police learned that as the fight broke out around 1 a.m. on Jan. 1, McQuade pulled up in his truck, parked in the middle of High Street and identified himself as a cop before running from the area.

He told the arresting officer that he was chasing someone who had run from the fight scene, but the officer reported seeing no one else as he ran after McQuade.

McQuade, who had served as a class-1 special officer several years ago in the Cumberland County town, showed the officer a department badge and photo ID indicating his special officer status. He was never reinstated to the position and the badge and ID should have been turned in when he completed his service with the department, an official noted after the arrest.

Its not clear why McQuade still had these items, but the badge, ID and a Millville Police Department hat in his possession were confiscated when he was arrested.

Special officers, who serve one-year appointments, do not have police powers when off duty.

McQuade was charged with impersonating a police officer, resisting arrest by force and flight and disorderly conduct.

He was due in court Thursday for a pre-indictment conference when his attorney, Joe Hoffman, told Judge Cristen P. DArrigo about the plan to apply for PTI, a diversionary program.

When the judge asked the prosecution what theyd offered as far as a plea deal to settle the case, Assistant Prosecutor Michael Forte told the judge they had offered PTI.

Forte, from the Salem County Prosecutors Office, was appointed by the state Attorney General to handle the case in an effort to avoid any appearance of conflict, because McQuade has worked with the Cumberland County Prosecutors Office law enforcement advisory board.

McQuade and Hoffman declined to comment after the hearing.

McQuade, who is serving his second term on the Millville school board, co-founded the Center City Crime Watch and leads volunteer clean-up efforts in the community.

In 2016, he was recognized by the city for tackling a man who was running from police, according to a Daily Journal article. He was no longer a special officer when he went above and beyond in that incident, the mayor said at the time.

Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us: nj.com/tips.

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Within the next week or so, the 34 second-graders at Woodbury Heights Elementary School will find out if they are finalists for the Philadelphia Zoos Albert M. Greenfield Foundation UNLESS Contest.

Spoiler alert: No matter what happens with the contest, these kids are already winners.

The young students have not only learned about protecting the environment and an endangered species known as the Guam kingfisher throughout the process, but their recent presentation before the Woodbury Heights Board of Education has resulted in significant change in the district.

At their request, the school will be switching from Styrofoam lunch trays in its cafeteria to more eco-friendly trays that are made from 100 percent recycled material and are 100 percent compostable.

The kids love this project and theyre really excited about it, said Stacey Wells, who is one of two second-grade teachers at the school and oversees the science curriculum. We talk about them being the future and being the ones who are going to be impacted by this stuff with the environment, so they really get into it.

Since starting seven years ago, the UNLESS Contest has inspired more than 10,000 students from 200 schools in the Delaware Valley to think about the future of the environment and wildlife. This year, students were asked to complete a project that either focused on reducing the amount of electricity they use, solve a water-related issue or reduce landfill waste.

Wells students decided to examine the trash in their lunchroom and collected the Styrofoam trays they were using for one week. At the end of the week they had 500 trays, which translates to about 18,000 for the entire school year.

Since the kids learned through the project that Styrofoam is harmful for the environment, they wanted to take action.

It was a lot of trays  I was really surprised how many we were using, said a student named McKenzie. We learned that a lot of animals die from people littering, especially Styrofoam.

Another student named Lucy added: We learned that Styrofoam takes 500 years to decompose. I told my parents about it and theyre going to try to stop using it too.

The class took its findings before the school board, and also had a petition signed by parents and other kids in school asking for Styrofoam to be eliminated from the school.

They really did their research and they did a great job, board member Rich Gambale Jr. said. The board is very supportive of this. We take environmental issues seriously and we always want to be more environmentally friendly.

Wells was informed last week from Chris Rodia, the school business administrator for Woodbury Heights/Westville, that their request was granted. Rodia surprised the kids by dropping off the trays Monday, and he said the plan is to eventually bring the eco-friendly trays to the other elementary schools in the district.

You hear a lot about the environment and climate change these days, and the kids thought it was important for us to change, Rodia said. They did a great presentation and did a lot of research into the reasons why we should change. Its a little bit of a cost for the district but its definitely something thats worthwhile.

In addition to teaching the students valuable lessons about how they can impact the environment, Wells has also made the process enjoyable.

We did a bunch of fun stuff with it too, she said. One week of lunch we saved trays and then we washed them. We made a video and all of the kids made funny, yucky faces. Instead of putting those trays to a landfill, we cut them into pieces and were masking a mosaic for our school with the help of our technology teacher. Its a big thing. Were trying to do well in the contest, but were really trying to help the environment and learn about it as well.

As part of the contest, the class was also invited to visit the zoo in January and got to see two Guam kingfishers, a species of bird that is only found in zoos now. They made a book about the animal, with each student producing a page, and presented it to the zoo.

The kids will make a return trip to the zoo if they are chosen as one of the finalists for the contest. In the two previous years that Wells had her students participate, they were finalists both times, taking second place the first year and receiving honorable mention accolades the next.

Its a fun day and its a great experience for the kids, Wells said. All the schools that are finalists walk around and talk about their projects. I tell the kids, This is your project, Im not doing any of the talking. Its really exciting to see them taking ownership of their project and explaining it to people.

I hope to be a finalist again, but even if were not its a good cause. Im so proud to be a part of it because really does promote environmental awareness, service and empathy toward an animal. Theres a lot to it; a lot more than just teaching out of a textbook. Its a lot of work but its so rewarding.

To learn more about the Woodbury Heights students project, visit https://sites.google.com/woodburyhtselem.com/unlesscontest/home.
A nonprofit organization that was found guilty of consumer fraud in New Jersey and ordered to disband for promoting gay-to-straight conversion therapy is operating under a new name and continues to make money from the discredited treatment, according to a new lawsuit.

The national civil rights advocacy group, the Southern Poverty Law Center, filed an injunction in state Superior Court in Hudson County Wednesday to stop the Jewish Institute for Global Awareness from engaging in and promoting conversion therapy in violation of a 2015 settlement agreement.

The Southern Poverty Law Center contends the Jewish Institute for Global Awareness is just a new name for JONAH, Jews Offering New Alternatives for Healing in Jersey City, which a jury found four years ago had engaged in unconscionable commercial practices."

JONAH promised clients they could overcome their sexual urges by requiring men to undress in front of other each and pummel effigies of their mothers, according to trial testimony. It was the first case in the nation to put the controversial and scientifically discredited practice on trial.

The organizations founders also agreed to pay a $3.5 million settlement and cease operations.

Attorney Michael Laffey of Holmdel, who represents the Jewish Institute, said his client categorically denies the allegation. It is not true, he said.

Arthur Goldberg, a JONAH founder who answered the telephone at Jewish Institute for Global Awareness, said he had not seen the lawsuit and referred questions to his attorney.

In thousands of pages of emails and other correspondence dating back to 2015, Goldberg continued receiving treatment requests from parents of children with SSA or same sex attraction, according to the centers court filing.

There is also written evidence of referrals to counselors outside the state and the fees Goldberg received for these referrals.

Across the country, we have seen a push to ban the harmful practice of so-called conversion therapy on minors, said David Dinielli, the law centers deputy legal director. Despite the bans, however, the practices continue, sometimes in the shadows, sometimes in violation of law, and sometimes outside the reach of the law.

Defendants in this case continued to promote conversion therapy even after a court ordered them to stop, which simply underscores the critical need to redouble our efforts to shut down all of these dangerous quacks once and for all, Dinielli said.

Conversion therapy, when used on minors, is illegal in 16 states including New Jersey.

Last month, Liberty Counsel, a religious legal organization, asked the U.S. Supreme Court for a chance to prove New Jerseys ban on conversion therapy violates the free speech rights of counselors who believe the treatment works.

Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.
A highly organized multimillion-dollar shoplifting ring has been smashed after a 14-month investigation, Jersey City Police Department leaders announced a new conference Thursday afternoon.

Deputy Police Chief Mark Miller said that 11 people were arrested, including two of the rings leaders, in the JCPD Special Investigations Units Operation Bag and Boost. A dozen more have been charged but are not yet in custody.

Police recovered $3 million in stolen goods -- all from chain-store pharmacies and a beauty supplies store -- and froze $4.5 million from two bank accounts, Miller said.

Miller said the stolen items were placed on the popular auction online auction website eBay and shipped to unwitting purchasers.

Stephan Williams, of Jersey City, was charged as the ringleader, while Arsen Murtov, of Long Island, New York, was charged as a high-ranking member of the group that victimed stores in seven New Jersey counties, Queens, Nassau County and Suffolk County in New York and Connecticut, Miller said.

Others arrested are Stephone Jordan, Gregory Lee, Chadra Adhar, Sasha Taveras, Zaria Pittman, Brian Ward, Marc Manno, Michael Roylance and Dalia Dellavale. Williams was charged with being the leader of the theft ring and other charges, while the others face multiple counts of theft and other offenses.

Miller said the ring was highly organized, with clearly defined roles.

Shoplifters were recruited by the leaders of the group and they were driven to specified targets  CVS, Duane Reade, Rite-Aid and Ulta Beauty  where they shoplifted specific items. The shoplifters would then be driven back to a home on Bidwell Avenue in Jersey City and paid for their services.

Miller said one shoplifter told police he was paid $675 for ones nights work.

The group had workers" at the Bidwell Avenue building organize the goods and list them on eBay. Once sold, other members packaged and shipped the goods to unsuspecting buyers, Miller said.

The investigation started when Bayonne police noticed a pattern of arrests in which the suspect told them they were given a catalog and paid to steal certain items. Jersey City police, who worked with Bayonne police, the Hudson County Prosecutors Office, the Suffolk County District Attorneys Office and Norfork Southern Railway, then initiated the probe.

On March 21 police executed three search warrants in Jersey City and another in West Babylon, New York. and made the 11 arrests. Police did not release the names of the 12 people being sought.
UNION CITY  The Board of Education is catching heat from law enforcement and the citys mayor for hosting an anti-drug discussion with an actor who served time in prison for his role in the fatal shooting of an off-duty New York City police officer.

District Superintendent Silvia Abbato issued an apology late Wednesday night, hours after Lillo Brancato, the Sopranos and A Bronx Tale actor, spoke to students at Union City High School.

Brancato, who was convicted of attempted burglary but was cleared of a murder charge in the 2005 incident, spoke about his drug addiction and recovery. He was released from prison in 2013.

The district expressed regret in his invitation in a statement, calling the decision a mistake. Several Union City organizations and officials, including Mayor Brian Stack and the citys Police Benevolent Association, derided the decision to invite him.

A flier for the event said the Substance Abuse Awareness Assembly was presented by Abbato, the board of education and city Director of Community Relations Mercedes Joaquin, in conjunction with New Jersey Reentry Corp.'s Rev. Bolivar Flores.

Lillo Brancato Jr. may have overcome the odds as a former substance abuser, but he is also a murderer. On December 10th, 2005, he murdered a police officer," the Union City Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 216 and Patrolmens Benevolent Association Local 8 said in a press release. Both Union City Police Unions stand by our brothers in the New York Police Department and continue to morn the loss of NYPD Police Officer Daniel Enchautegui."

Union City Police Chief Nichelle Luster said she unequivocally stands behind both Unions in their condemnation of Lillo Brancato as a choice to speak at our high school, while Stack added: An anti-drug message is one that our children need to hear over and over again  Brancato is just the wrong messenger.

As part of an initiative to combat drug abuse, the UCBOE resorted to a non-traditional method by inviting this individual to speak about his life of drugs and crime, and his recovery as a long-time addict, the school districts statement reads.

"Clearly, the decision to invite Lillo Brancato was a mistake."

The panel discussion included five speakers, among them a physician and addiction treatment specialist, and centered around the dangers of opioid addiction. Former Governor Jim McGreevy MC'd the event, which was sponsored by the New Jersey Reentry Corporation in cooperation with the school board.

We had no idea that the New Jersey PBA and FOP was strongly opposed to his participation, McGreevy said in a statement. I have always had an outstanding relationship with the PBA and FOP. We are grateful for all they do every day to keep our communities safe (and) I can assure them that Mr. Brancato will not be a participant on any future panel with which I work or organize.

In December 2005, the actor and another man, Steven Armento, broke into a residence in the Bronx. Off-duty New York Police Officer Daniel Enchautegui investigated the burglary, and was shot in the chest by Armento.

Brancato was found guilty of attempted burglary, but was acquitted of a felony murder charge. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Armento, meanwhile, was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison.

Hes since tried to use his experience to steer young people away from substance abuse. Hes been sober for more than 10 years and is now a national speaker with Steered Straight, an organization dedicated to helping steer youth in a positive direction, rather than reliving the mistakes they have made, according to the groups website.

Brancato could not immediately be reached for comment, but told Fox News in a interview last year that, after a visit from friends after getting sober, he had "made that decision in my mind I can never, ever have another drink or another drug in my life.

"Theres not a day that goes by I dont think and wish how I could change that and the outcome of that night. But I cant do that. What I can do is control myself and my own actions," he said.

I was a drug addict. I was at the wrong place at the wrong time," he said. And the fact that I have been on the right path and willing to help others and love doing so, I think that is worthy of a second chance and that is worthy of peoples support.

Law enforcement officials railed against the UCBOEs decision to bring him in, however.

I agree and support the law enforcement community and those who are critical of the decision to feature this speaker," Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said in a statement. "Surely we can find better role models to present an anti-drug message to our children.

(Brancatos) role in the death of New York City Police Officer Enchautegui should preclude him from this type of event," Stack said. I have reached out to the Union City FOP, Union City PBA, New York City PBA, NJ State PBA and FOP to express my concerns. My support of the men and women of the law enforcement community remains resolute.

This story has been updated to include new information.

Corey W. McDonald may be reached at cmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @cwmcdonald_. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
About seven people were displaced by a fire that ripped through a three-story North Bergen building Wednesday afternoon and investigators are looking into whether roofers may have sparked the three-alarm blaze.

Everything ashes before my eyes, said Gianella Brignoni, 18, as she sat on the curb across the street from her gutted out home on Kennedy Boulevard and Ninth Street, covered in blanket and clutching her silky terrier Marky with tears in her eyes.

All the memories, said Brignoni, who escaped her familys third-floor apartment with her mother. I took my first steps in there. I did everything in there.

North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue responded to the fire on a 1:30 p.m. alarm and found heavy flames coming through the roof, triggering the second alarm. A third alarm was called at 1:47 p.m. in order to bring more manpower. The fire was ruled under control after about 45 minutes, NHRFR Battalion Chief Mike Falco said at the scene.

Falco said residents of the two apartments on the second and third floors would not be returning home due fire and water damage. Its not clear if the medical office on the first floor would be able to open Thursday.

Falco said no conclusion has been made as to the cause of the fire, but workers had been on the roof and a propane tank and tools were also on the roof.

Brignoni said she smelled smoke and mustered a laugh after saying she realized it wasnt my mothers cooking. She said the roofers started banging on her window and on the door leading to the balcony at the front of the apartment.

I told my mom, Its a real fire, grab what you need and get the house keys in case its small, Brignoni said. I left with my laptop. Its all I could take."

Second floor residents Omar Abdeljabbar and his wife immigrated to the United States 10 months ago from Jordan and had lived in the apartment for just seven months before the blaze left them homeless.

I smelled smoke and I got our passports and other document and I ran out, said Lamia through a translator. I wasnt really scared but then I saw that the neighbors were afraid and I became afraid too.

Brignoni and the Abdeljabbars will seek the help of the Red Cross and the North Bergen Office of Emergency Management in finding temporary shelter. Another woman stood at the curb clinging to a dog but she did not want to comment.

Kennedy Boulevard was shut down in both directions in the area of the fire while firefighter fought the flames.
A reputed mob associate who directed a film about wise guys says the assault charge filed by a New York woman is pure fiction.

Daniel Provenzano was charged with assault in February, stemming from an incident that occurred in November, a New York Police Department spokeswoman said. The actor and director, who appeared occasionally on an early season of the Real Housewives of New Jersey, said he never struck the woman and the dispute is 1 million percent over money.

The alleged assault occurred on Nov. 26 and the charge was filed with the NYPD on Feb. 16. The alleged victim said that she didnt file earlier because she was trying to get back money that she said Provenzano borrowed.

Provenzano disputed that he borrowed the money, saying that the woman invested in an animated series he is working on called Wise Guys and Whack Jobs.

The 55-year-old wrote and directed This Thing of Ours, a 2003 film about the Mafia that starred Frank Vincent and Vincent Pastore. Provenzano pleaded guilty in 2002 for racketeering and failure to file a state income tax return. At the time Provenzano denied being involved in organized crime, the New York Times reported.

His uncle, Tony Pro, was suspected in the disappearance of Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa in 1975.

In her complaint, the New York woman told police she feared for her life, and suffered pain in her arm and her back in the assault.

Provenzano said he went to an NYPD precinct Tuesday on the charge and he was released on his own recognizance.
Six weeks after N.J. Catholic dioceses released the names of 188 priests and deacons accused of sexually abusing children, survivors of the abuse are calling for the church to release more names, including a priest brought under the watch of disgraced Cardinal Theodore McCarrick.

Mark Crawford, director of the N.J. chapter of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, stood in front of St. John Vianney church in Colonia and demanded New Jersey bishops take accountability to release all the names of accused priests.

The Catholic church came under massive pressure to identify the clergy accused of sexual misconduct following the release of a Pennsylvania grand jury report identifying 300 credibly accused clergy members, leading to N.J.'s five Catholic dioceses to release the names of priests credibly accused of sexual abuse against children.

But Crawford said there are several priests who ministered at St. John Vianney, even though they had known records of molesting young children, including Fathers John R. Butler, Edward M. DePaoli and Romano Ferraro.

The church has taken advantage of opportunities to release limited information, Crawford said, but more important than what they have told us, is what they have decided not to reveal.

Father Ferraro, although he is listed as having been at the staff at this parish, he is not one of the names the Diocese of Metuchen has put on this list, said attorney Patrick Noaker, who represents eight of Ferraros victims. When you look at these documents, you might understand why they might be scared to admit they welcomed him into this diocese.

Ferraro had one of the most egregious records on being sent to different dioceses following sexual abuse allegations, said Noaker, a Minnesota-based attorney.

Nobody in the parishes were told anything about Father Ferraros background so they could protect their kids from him. They unleashed him on a whole 'nother group of kids. An entire diocese of children," he said.

Ferraro was brought to the Diocese of Metuchen in 1984 under the watch of then-Bishop Theodore McCarrick.

In 2004, Ferraro was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for repeatedly raping a boy from 1973 to 1980 in Massachussets. During the trial, Ferraro admitted he sexually abused dozens of boys.

Ferraro has served 15 years of his sentence, and is up for parole on April 9.

Noaker revealed damning documents that show Ferraro was first brought to the attention of a bishop in 1964 at his first parish assignment in Brooklyn. In 1968, he joined the military and was dishonorably discharged for touching a young boy in bed, Noaker said.

Assignment records show Ferraro took a sick leave in 1973 before moving around dioceses in New York and Montana, and was admitted to a psychiatric facility in 1979.

(The doctor) said that there was very little that can be done with (Ferraro). He agrees that forceful action should be taken with him and that I should give him an ultimatum to stay away from all boys, a 1979 letter in Ferraros Brooklyn file states. The note also said the doctor would prefer to see Ferraro laicized, but should resign at the least.

Ferraro eventually landed at the Diocese of Metuchen in 1984, serving at St. James in Woodbridge, Our Lady of the Mount in Middlesex and St. John Vianney in Colonia. The assignment was granted by McCarrick, who was laicized in February.

It was a shell game, and New Jersey all too often was found to be a dumping ground for priests from other dioceses, moved here to minister after having abused children elsewhere," Crawford said.

He was kicked out of the Diocese of Metuchen two years later and joined dioceses in Staten Island, Queens and Maryland.

The 85-year-old is eligible for parole in April, though Noaker said many victims are trying to keep him from re-entering the community by sending letters to the judge.

Crawford commended the Attorney Generals Office for continuing their investigation into abuse by priests, which began in September following the bombshell report in Pennsylvania.

I dont think hes leaving any stone unturned to get to the bottom of this an expose the truth of what these institutions know, Crawford said.

He urged victims of sexual abuse at the hands of priests or anyone with information about other clergy members to call the Attorney Generals hotline at (855) 363-6548.

Crawford also championed for a bill that state legislators passed Monday which allows adults who were sexually assaulted as children to bring a civil suit against an individual or institution, up until the age of 55 or seven years after they make the discovery connecting their emotional and psychological injury to the abuse. The governor is expected to sign the bill.

Sophie Nieto-Munoz may be reached at snietomunoz@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her at @snietomunoz. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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A Morristown police officer will soon be getting a million dollar settlement following a civil jurys decision in his favor in the whistleblower retaliation case involving the towns police chief.

According to Officer Keith Hudsons attorney, Charles J. Sciarra of Sciarra & Catrambone, LLC, the settlement is for $1.15 million.

The settlement was approved at a recent Morristown council meeting.

Hudson will receive $600,000 from the town, and another $550,000 will come from the towns insurance fund, according to Morristown Mayor Tim Dougherty.

We are pleased to reach an agreeable settlement with Patrolman Hudson that will cost taxpayers far less than originally anticipated, said Dougherty.

To prevent similar instances from occurring in the future Public Safety Director Michael Corcoran has already enacted several key changes improve departmental oversight and handling of personnel We trust that Director Corcoran will make the right decisions to resolve this situation and enhance accountability.

In line with the the terms of the settlement, the town will drop their appeal to the civil jurys decision to award Hudson for compensatory and punitive damages in the case.

"We are pleased that the matter has now resolved. Keith looks forward to continuing his career of service to the public in law enforcement, said Sciarra.

The dispute between the Hudson, a 19-year veteran of the force, and Police Chief Peter Demnitz, a 36-year-veteran of the force, originated in 2014 after the officer reported the chief was working a number of freelance jobs while on the job.

Hudson and another officer reported allegations to the Morris County Prosecutors Office.

Demnitz worked for several entities, including Public Service Electric & Gas, Jersey Central Power & Light, Mill Creek Construction, Verizon and Morristown Medical Center during his normal work hours and while on duty for the town, Hudson charged.

Although he was working these side jobs, Demnitz still listed himself as present on the daily work sheet and "neglected his duties as chief of police, according to the complaint Hudson filed.

After reporting the allegations, Hudson said in his suit that he was demoted from the detective bureau, and suffered a pay cut and other forms of retaliation and harassment.

Chief Demnitz has been on paid administrative leave since December, according to various media reports.

Taylor Tiamoyo Harris may be reached at tharris@njadvancemedia.com. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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(CNN)  Two men were killed and two others were critically injured when a gunman opened fire in a Seattle street and then fled, leading to a fatal car accident.

The suspect, who has not been identified, was taken into custody Wednesday after a rampage that Seattle Police Deputy Chief Marc Garth Green described as a "random, senseless act."

Seattle police say that around 4:05 p.m. PT, a resident in the Seattle neighborhood walked outside with a gun and approached a woman who was driving. He tried to carjack the 57-year-old woman's car, and in the process shot her, leaving her critically injured, authorities said.

Then the gunman walked into the street and fired at a Metro bus.

The bus driver was hit by the gunfire, but was able to turn the bus around and get away, police said.

The gunman then carjacked a red Prius, shooting and killing the 50-year-old driver, police said. When officers arrived, they tried to talk to the gunman, Green said. But the gunman closed the car door and took off in the Prius, with officers pursuing him for about a block and a half "at a high rate of speed," according to police.

During the chase, the gunman collided with another car, killing the other driver, a 70-year-old man, authorities said.

After a brief standoff, officers took the gunman into custody. He was taken to Harborview Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries where he is under police guard.

"Our hearts go out to the families, the folks that are here, the folks who are affected by this and our community as a whole. We're outraged at what this suspect did," Green told reporters.

Dow Constantine, the King County executive, in a tweet praised the wounded bus driver for acting "heroically in the face of extreme adversity to protect his passengers this afternoon."

A resident, John Barrett, told CNN affiliate KOMO that he saw a man pointing a gun at people on the street, Sand Point Way.

"He was walking down Sand Point Way just firing at anything  just without any regard, just kept firing," Barrett said.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Two killed, two critically wounded after gunman's rampage in Seattle."




By Washington Examiner, March. 27, 2019





Sen. Rand Paul escalated his demand for an investigation into former Obama officials who concocted the anti-Trump Russia scandal, revealing that former CIA Director John Brennan was the key figure who legitimized the charges and discredited dossier against the president.





In an interview, the Kentucky Republican said the Senate Judiciary Committee should immediately ask Brennan about his involvement in the document that helped to kick off the Russia collusion investigation of President Trump.
By Bob Boikess

When I arrived in New Brunswick in 1968, Rutgers was a sleepy little place. Its transformation into a major public AAU research university was due, in part, to the creation of an AAUP collective bargaining chapter in 1970. The economic status rating of our faculty went from a C to an A+ as Rutgers professors advanced to among the top tier of the highest paid faculties of public universities in the United States.

Faculty members had strong enforceable protections against any unfair or arbitrary treatment. Explicit statements supporting academic freedom, prohibiting discrimination based on a broad range of criteria, and defending tenure were incorporated into collective bargaining agreements.

Despite the inherently adversarial nature of collective bargaining, the administration and the faculty were able to work cooperatively toward common goals. My experiences back then as chief negotiator for the faculty for two contracts were very rewarding.

During my years as a department chair, I was able to hire outstanding faculty members in competition with highly rated universities, in part because I could easily demonstrate that Rutgers was a great place to work.

Our administration recognized that the key to improving the quality of the university was to improve the quality of the faculty and that we were especially well-positioned to do so. They launched a number of successful programs to accomplish that goal.

One focused on hiring world class scholars, another on diversifying the faculty by hiring more high quality women and underrepresented minorities. We became a member of the academic elite in the Association of American Universities (AAU) because of the quality of our faculty.

Things look completely different today. While the AAUP/AFT faculty union remains more committed than ever to making Rutgers as good as it can possibly be, almost everything the administration is doing communicates the message that faculty arent that important.

Indeed, managements position in bargaining sends the message that the university would really improve if the tenured faculty would only go away. Their antipathy has become so apparent that a majority of faculty and graduate workers voted to authorize a strike.

After more than a year of negotiations, virtually no meaningful agreements have been reached and the administration has stonewalled a substantial number of critical proposals by the faculty, refusing to recognize how educational conditions have deteriorated under this administrations leadership.

Consider how the university has changed over the years.

Since 1998, the size of the undergraduate student body has gone from 35,705 to 49,861, an increase of over 14,000. Over this period of time, the number of full-time tenure track faculty has decreased slightly from 2,123 to 2,110. In the past five years, even the number of teaching assistants (graduate instructors with full benefits) has gone from 1,260 to 906.

These cuts have not been occasioned by lack of funds. The state appropriation has gone from just under $300 million in 1998 to just under $400 million in 2017. Tuition and fees for in-state undergraduates have gone from $4,562 in 1998 to $14,131 in 2018.

Where is all that extra money going? Not to the faculty.

The additional teaching needed for the increased number of undergraduates is being done by adjunct faculty. Most of these adjunct faculty earn as little as $1,726 per credit per semester and have no health benefits or job security. Less than 1 percent of the universitys budget goes to adjunct professors and graduate workers, who teach over 30 percent of the universitys classes.

At the same time, the number of administrators at Rutgers and their cost has increased stratospherically.

Last year, there were 247 administrators with salaries over $250,000 per year.

Is it any surprise that the faculty now believe they must do something drastic and unprecedented, at least at Rutgers, to convince the administration that we all need to work together toward our common goal of improving public education in New Jersey?

If they were really responsive to citizens who want a state university of which we can all be proud, students and parents who are paying tuition and political leaders who understand that a high quality state university will be the driver of substantial economic benefits, management would start working together with the faculty to get Rutgers back on the path to becoming a great university.

Bob Boikess is a professor of chemistry at Rutgers University.

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The praise continued to pour in for the North Bergen High School Drama clubs adaption of Alien this week with a big shoutout from the films iconic director, Ridley Scott.

Scott sent a letter to North Bergen High School Drama Club congratulating them on their production which was also touted this week by the movies star, Sigourney Weaver.

My hat comes off to all you for your creativity, imagination and determination to produce such an ambitious show, Scott said in the letter. Limitations often produce the best results because imagination and determination can surpass any shortfall and determine the way forward- ALWAYS.

Director Ridley Scott wrote a letter to the North Bergen High School congratulating them on their production of 'Alien.' (VIsion Media Marketing)

In addition to his kudos, Scott also said his production company, Scott Free, would also help fund an encore performance of their play.

The students play, which debuted on March 19 and exploded on social media, featured impressive space sets made largely from recycled material and an alien costume that Weaver praised as looking real" in a video she sent to the club.

Scott concluded his letter by giving the drama club some advice on what their next project should be.

How about your next TEAM production being Gladiator," Scott said.

Gladiator is one of Scotts most popular films and was named Best Picture at the Oscars in 2002.

The date for the drama clubs next performance of Alien has not yet been set in stone but with pledged funds from Scott and North Bergen Mayor Nick Saccos non-profit foundation, an encore performance could be on the way soon.

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A jury has deadlocked and a mistrial has been declared in a Northern Virginia murder case in which the defendant, a New Jersey man, said he thought his victim was a werewolf.

WRC-TV in Washington reports that the judge dismissed the jurors Wednesday after three days of deliberations in Alexandria Circuit Court in the trial of 34-year-old Pankaj Bhasin.

He was charged with murder in the July 13 death of 65-year-old Bradford Jackson, who managed a window store in Old Town Alexandria. His neck was broken and he was stabbed more than 50 times with a box cutter.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed Bhasin was mentally ill, but prosecutors disputed Bhasin was legally insane.

Bhasins lawyers said their client was suffering delusions after checking out of a mental hospital near his New Jersey home.

Bhasin was a resident of Turnersville, according to online court records.
Following a scathing report by federal inspectors last month on the failures that led to the deaths of 11 children at the Wanaque Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in a deadly viral outbreak, the states attorney general is being urged by a state legislator to launch a criminal investigation into the troubled facility.

State Sen. Richard Codey, D-Essex, said the center had no idea how to deal with the situation, waited far too long to take action, and should be held accountable.

One suffering child should be enough to demand action, but it took the loss of numerous lives before the facilitys leadership took this seriously, Codey wrote in a letter to state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal, calling for a criminal probe to determine who was responsible.

Three other legislators, state Sen. Gerald Cardinale, state Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi and Assemblyman Robert Auth, all R-Bergen, last November also asked the Attorney Generals office to investigate.

A spokeswoman for the Wanaque Center had no immediate comment. The Attorney Generals office did not respond to a request for comment, but has said previously that it does not confirm or deny if there is an investigation.

In the letter, Codey noted that the Wanaque Center cared for extremely vulnerable kids with serious medical challenges and betrayed the trust of their parents.

If a tragedy like this had befallen otherwise healthy young people from an upscale town, I believe it would have unfolded much differently, he said.

In its report in February, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services was harsh in its criticism of a facility it said was ill-prepared to react to the rapid spread of a deadly strain of adenovirus that swept through its pediatric wards. The center, said the report, was overseen by a medical director who was scarcely on site, and plagued by poor infection controls. The 118-page Statement of Deficiencies survey issued by CMS, also cited delays in seeking treatment of sick kids that led to significant medical complications, as well as inadequate administrative oversight.

The medical director, Maged Ghaly, had told investigators he was never given clear direction on his responsibilities.

I didnt understand what medical director meant, he said to federal inspectors.I have been here 11 years. I was one of several pediatricians and now Im the only one left. They all bailed on me. When they asked me to be the medical director I agreed. No one gave me a job description and I signed the contract.

The facility has been fined $600,000 for a litany of violations. Attorneys for Wanaque Center say they are contesting the findings.

The New Jersey Department of Health, meanwhile, is expected to release its own findings in a report later this year on what happened, amid continuing questions about how the long-term pediatric care nursing home responded when kids began dying.

State Sen. Joseph Vitale, D-Middlesex, chairman of the Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee which has already held a legislative hearing on the outbreak at Wanaque, has pledged changes, both regulatory and legislative. Codey is a member of the committee, where he expressed anger that the owners of the facility failed to appear and declined to answer questions.

According to state health officials, the first kids to come down with adenovirus at the Wanaque Center were diagnosed on September 26. In a matter of weeks, 36 had contracted viral infections. One staff member also was diagnosed, but recovered.

Adenovirus includes a number of respiratory virus strains that can cause mild or serious illness. But many of the children at the Wanaque Center were considered medically fragile  some on ventilators to help them breathe  and particularly susceptible to infection.

A cause of the outbreak has yet to be determined, although Wanaque was repeatedly cited for deficiencies in hand-washing and infection control, even after the outbreak, according to state and federal inspection reports. Adenovirus virus is spread through respiratory droplets or contact.

The health department this week finally lifted its ban on admitting new patients to the pediatric ventilator unit of the Wanaque Center that had been in place since the start of the outbreak .

Dondre Mills Jr. (l), Amaya Bryant (top right), and Dorcase Dolcin (bottom right), were among the 11 children who died in the viral outbreak. (Photos courtesy of the families)

Codey, in his letter to the attorney general, said what especially disturbed him were allegations that came from workers who spoke with NJ Advance Media and charged that administrators delayed sending kids to the hospital to make sure that Medicaid funds were not lost.

Serious allegations have been raised into the treatment of critically-ill young and vulnerable patients that demand further scrutiny, Codey, a former governor, said in the letter to Grewal. In particular, a closer look needs to be taken to determine whether children were not transferred to acute care hospitals because the nursing center wanted to continue to receive Medicaid reimbursements that would have been lost with empty beds.

He added that workers reported the facility, which is managed by Continuum Healthcare, was understaffed to save money.

In interviews with those who work at the Wanaque Center, along with family members, many complained the facility had long been beset by chronic understaffing that only grew worse after it was sold in 2014. Two pediatric workers who asked not to be identified over fears of retribution told reporters that the lack of adequate help on the pediatric floor often meant kids in soiled diapers, or routinely left unbathed.

Protecting profits over patient health is deeply disturbing, Codey said. The nursing and rehabilitation center appears to have failed in its mission to provide compassionate care for children with difficult health issues, if these allegations are true. Empaneling a grand jury with subpoena power should unveil the truth.

Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL. Facebook: @TedSherman.reporter. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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UPDATE: N.J. teens biological parents, 1 other charged in girls 5-day disappearance

A 17-year-old New Jersey girl who was missing for more than five days has been located and is safe, though questions remain about her disappearance.

Authorities confirmed Wednesday night that Toms River teenager Ashley Combs was located safe and sound by township police detectives. A spokeswoman for the Toms River police Thursday morning that they expect to release additional details around midday.

Her uncle and legal guardian, Rob Nieratko thanked Toms River police for their efforts but didnt comment further.

Attorney Jef Henninger, who represents the teenagers legal guardians, issued a statement Wednesday evening that said his clients were on their way to the Toms River police station to pick up Ashley.

There are a lot of unanswered questions and I know everyone is wondering where she was and how she was found, Henninger said. I do not know when I will receive more information or if I will be limited in what information I can disclose.

Henninger previously said that Ashley, a senior at Toms River High School North, left home Friday morning without her cell phone or any credit cards, bank cards, or additional clothing. The family believed she got into a car with someone and left the school at some point that day, Henninger said.

The lawyer later issued an ultimatum ordering the person or person his clients daughter was with to send drop her off at any police station by 9 a.m. Tuesday or face severe criminal consequences. That deadline passed without any additional clues.

Police repeatedly said that they were trying to find Ashely, adding that her disappearance was not suspicious and that there was a possibility she was with a friend.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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The parents of a disabled student at Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School are suing the school and district, alleging their daughter was bullied and harassed - by a school counselor.

The parents say their child continues to be harassed by the counselor and school officials due to her disability, according to a civil suit filed in Somerset County Superior Court in earlier this month. The parents accuse the school of disability discrimination, having a hostile educational environment and violating the New Jersey Anti Bullying Bill of Rights Act and the states Law Against Discrimination.

Since enrolling their child at the middle school, the parents said in the suit, theyve met numerous times with the schools administration, including with the counselor, the principal and superintendent about accommodations for the students disability, but have been met with more hostile treatment.

The parents listed some remarks they counselors have said to them or their child, including Your life is and will continue to be miserable because you have no friends." The suit was filed by Philip Stern of the law firm DiFrancesco, Bateman, Kunzman, Davis, Lehrer and Flaum.

The issues began when the student enrolled at the middle school at the beginning of the 2017-2018 school year, following the familys move from Morristown to Bridgewater, the suit says.

Prior to the students first day of school, the parents opted to meet with the schools counselor to discuss their childs disability.

However, a counselor allegedly laughed in their face saying, I have never heard of anything so ridiculous before, having anxiety and a fear of heat/fainting.

After the students first day of school, the parents reported their child committed acts of self harm and was subsequently admitted to a clinic where she was treated for a week. The clinic and the childs mental health therapist gave a recommendation for child to return to school a week later on a modified schedule.

However, the suit says, the counselor began harassing the student, telling her to come to school full time and on time saying, You can get to school, you just do not want to."

The counselor continued to discriminate, harass, intimidate and treat the student hostilely throughout the school year, and told the student I believe you do not have anxiety, but it is a learned behavior," the suit says.

As a result, parents said their child told them she felt unsafe and featured returning to school.

The parents say they met with the principal about their concerns with the counselor and during the meeting, the principal accused the student of making up all allegations about what the counselor said, the suit says.

Next, the principal told the parents they could contact the superintendents office for a separate internal investigation, and that he would switch the students counselor. However, the principal wanted the students record to still reflect the students current counselor, the parents claim.

The parents did contact the superintendent whose office did conduct an internal investigation, but reported no bullying or discrimination had occurred.

As a results of the schools actions, parents alleged in the suit their child continues to suffer irreparable harm educationally, socially, psychologically and physically.

Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District Superintendent Russell M. Lazovick did not immediately return a request for comment for this story.

Taylor Tiamoyo Harris may be reached at tharris@njadvancemedia.com. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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PATHs new boss is a commuter, just like you -- and says shes logged the hours that go along with it. Part of her 120-minute daily commute includes a PATH ride to Jersey City.

And when a PATH alert about a delay shows up on her phone, Clarelle DeGraffe, PATHs new general manager, said she feels the same frustration other riders do, and gets on the phone to find out what happened.

I dont just ride, I read the tweets, said DeGraffe, 57, during an interview on Monday, her first day on the job. Im a rider. I understand the frustration. The most important thing is reliability.

Whats going on with the path train? Is one coming to Hoboken? Its been over 35 minutes, board now posting a delay? Get your act together.  Jenna eve Smolinski (@EveSmolinski) March 17, 2019

In an interview with NJ Advance Media, DeGraffe outlined what she says shell do as the PATHs new boss:

Make it reliable.

Car equipment issues, signal and track problems often cause delays, DeGraffe said. To help fix them more quickly, she said, mechanics should be stationed at strategic locations along the line during rush hour. Mechanics are currently based at Journal Square in Jersey City, so travel to a trouble spot slows down response time, she said.

Other reliability strategies include projects to replace electrical substations that help power trains, as well as the ongoing, federally-funded rehabilitation of the track and other infrastructure in the tunnels between the World Trade Center and Jersey City, she said.

To her, reliability means a train should leave on time and arrive when it is scheduled to, especially if commuters have to catch a connecting train on another railroad, DeGraffe said.

Communicate better.

Information is power. That means getting information to riders so they can decide how to commute. Last year, countdown clocks were installed in stations that tell when the next train is coming. The service also launched the Ride PATH app. Later this year, riders will see digital station kiosks similar to those on the New York subway system to provide more information for passengers, she said.

Our riders are looking for as much information as they can get: is there a problem, what is the problem? People need that as they travel, DeGraffe said. It gives them options.

PATH passengers will see more people on the platform to help, too, she said.

Talk to riders.

DeGraffe said she plans to talk to riders, in person, at the twice-a-month PATH Thursdays forums and by starting a directors series. Both will take place at various PATH stations.

I invite them to please come and talk.Ill explain what happens behind the scenes, she said. Id love to hear what their concerns are. Ill have a pen and paper.

Address overcrowding.

PATH helped fuel the residential development boom in Hudson County by providing train access to and from New York. Now, record ridership has resulted in overcrowded trains and stations. Commuters complain they cant get on packed trains and of New York subway-like crowding.

The answer is to increase capacity, she said. But, adding more trains is a longer-term solution.

Computer Based Train Control -- a system that lets trains run closer together so more of them can be added -- was installed last year, simultaneously with Positive Train Control, a federally-mandated safety system, she said. But, reaping all the benefits of the new technology is still several years away.

Now, we are operating on CBTC, but the entire project is not completed, DeGraffe said.

A back-up system has to be installed. That will take a year or two, and cause service disruptions, she said.

Commuters wont see the full benefit of CTCB until 72 new rail cars that were ordered in December 2017 are delivered, she said. The first new cars could be delivered in 2021.

PATH officials are currently running computer models to determine the best times to add a few more trains to the schedule, DeGraffe said. Putting a train in the wrong place in the schedule could upset the entire circuit of trains, she said.

Once its all done, officials estimate that 7,480 more passengers could be moved per-hour during the commuting rush with the additional rail cars.

The agency also is trying to work with developers and municipalities, including Jersey City and Harrison, DeGraffe said, to address the additional strains population increases put on the rail system. Real Estate developers have been taken on tour of PATH to help them understand what the systems challenges are, she said.

We have a dialogue about the demands it puts on the system, she said.

The idea of having developers fund projects to offset the additional riders they put on the system may take more time. PATH is working with municipal officials on that idea, in addition to other Port Authority departments, she said.

The route we picked is to stay with our municipal partners and dialogue with them, she said.

Projects to extend the length of some station platforms to allow longer trains to be run and help with overcrowding are waiting for funding.

Weekend Service.

Round-the-World is the nickname for the disliked weekend service that sends 33rd Street-Journal Square trains through Hoboken. Though DeGraffe said she shares riders dislike for it, its probably not going to change anytime soon.

The World Trade Center line is closed on weekends to rehabilitate tunnel infrastructure. Riders asked why direct 33rd Street service isnt offered and complained that weekend trains are usually packed by the time the get to Hoboken.

We did look at direct 33rd Street service. The reason we cant have direct service is it reduces the amount of time for maintenance, she said. We still need to do heavy maintenance on the uptown lines."

Her background.

DeGraffe has been deputy director of PATH and she makes history as the PATHs first female general manager. She inherits a system that was built 109 years ago.

Her resume is impressive. A 29-year Port Authority veteran, DeGraffe oversaw PATHs $3.5 billion capital program and was responsible for the development, funding, and delivery of PATHs Hurricane Sandy Recovery Program.

DeGraffes salary is under negotiation, said a Port Authority spokeswoman.

We looked at potential candidatesno one was better equipped for the position, said Rick Cotton, Port Authority executive director.

Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips.

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The company, a major tax preparation firm, received a $2.8 million state incentive grant when it threatened to leave the state and take jobs out of New Jersey.

Then it applied for a second $2.67 million state grant, falsely claiming it was considering a move out of the state and planning to take those jobs to New York and Florida.

A former top executive of the firm said the threat to leave the state was a lie.

The decision to relocate to Jersey City was already a done deal, Gulsen Kama said.

Her testimony Thursday in Trenton kicked off the start of a series of public hearings by a governors task force into the states highly controversial tax incentives program administered by the Economic Development Authority.

The task force was formed by Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, in the wake of an audit by the state comptroller in January, which sharply criticized the EDAs oversight of a program that has given out tax credit incentives worth $11 billion since its inception.

The tax incentive program has long raised questions.

Supporters  including former Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican  have argued that it has helped create and retain employers and jobs in a high-cost state facing stiff competition beyond its borders. Opponents have argued the programs lacked proper controls. Brandon McKoy, president of New Jersey Policy Perspective, said the Christie-era subsidies were given out with little to no oversight.

A 2015 lawsuit that recently surfaced, meanwhile, revealed that political pressure was also put on the EDA by the Christie administration to approve hundreds of millions in subsidies. In that lawsuit, first reported by WNYC, another whistleblower claimed that he was ordered to change data to help companies obtain state tax breaks.

That complaint was never disclosed to auditors, said Philip Degnan, the state comptroller, in his own testimony before the task force.

According to the comptrollers report, auditor said the EDA may have improperly awarded, miscalculated, overstate and overpaid tax credits to a number of unidentified companies that it could not verify had created the jobs that were promised. It also said the agency could not evaluate whether its incentive programs generated any economic benefits to the state. In fact, the audit said the EDA certified projects and released tax credits, in violation of the law, even when projects did not meet the requirements.

The major incentive programs  the Grow New Jersey Assistance Program and the Economic Redevelopment and Growth Grant Program  are set to expire in July unless renewed by the Legislature, which has held its own hearings.

Philip Degnan, the state comptroller, who testified that his office "did find companies that did not meet their end of the bargain" in its examination of the state's tax incentives program.

Kama, who settled a whistleblower complaint in 2017 against the company, which she did not name, but court records show was Jackson Hewitt Tax Services, claimed she was fired when she raised questions about the alleged violations.

She said after the company received the state incentives and moved to Jersey City, it was still out of compliance with its promise to keep all of the jobs in New Jersey. As part of its relocation Jersey City, she said the company moved its human resources and payroll departments to Sarasota, Fla.

They fell behind the threshold of 69, she said, referring to the promised number of jobs that would be kept in New Jersey.

The company, in a statement, said it was in compliance with the states regulations.

Jackson Hewitt values its relationship with the state of New Jersey and intends to cooperate with the Task Force, as we would with any government inquiry," said the company. "Jackson Hewitt believes it provided an accurate and comprehensive application to the EDA and is in compliance with all applicable provisions of the Grow NJ and Economic Redevelopment and Growth programs.

Task force officials said another whistleblower had been prepared to testify on Thursday in connection with another firm that allegedly manipulated employment numbers to obtain tax credits, but backed out at the last minute.

There are hurdles whistleblowers face in coming forward to tell their stories," said Georgia Winston, a member of the task force.

Most of the companies that apply for the tax credits do so honestly, said Ronald Chen, the dean of Rutgers School of Law-Newark and the chairman of the task force. But he said there have been a number of companies that have applied for the tax credits that did not deserve them, adding that the EDA was supposed to have the staff in place to understand whether companies deserved or got to keep the tax credits.

A lot is riding on whether the EDA is doing it right, said Chen.

The authority has told the comptroller that it has beefed up its own auditing staff.

Degnan, in his testimony, said there was no statutory language setting out the level of oversight required of the EDA, and noted that the agency had failed to take action as issues were discovered. The audit questioned whether thousands of jobs that had been claimed to be saved or created were real.

We did not conclude whether these jobs did exist or didnt exist. Rather the information was not there to verify it, he told the task force. We did find companies that did not meet their end of the bargain."

How much did it cost taxpayers?

"I dontt know that we have the data, Degnan said.

Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL. Facebook: @TedSherman.reporter. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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The biological parents of the 17-year-old Toms River girl who went missing for five days have been charged after allegedly hiding her by moving her between homes while police were looking for the teen, authorities said Thursday.

Brian K. Combs, 44, of Jackson, the father of Ashley Combs, was charged with interference in child custody and obstruction of the administration of law after investigators found Ashley Combs at his home on Wednesday, Toms River police said.

Ashleys mother, Mechelle Combs, 39, of Freehold Township, was charged with obstruction and Linda Roszel, 70, of Jackson, described by police as an associate of Brian Combs, was charged with obstruction and interference from custody. Both women were released with a summons. Brian Combs is being held in the Ocean County jail.

Police also learned while investigating that there were concerns about Ashleys home environment. That aspect of the case has been referred to the Department of Child Protection and Permanency, officials said.

Ashley Combs left her Toms River home Friday morning without a cell phone and was missing until being located by Toms River detectives Wednesday.

The 17-year-old Toms River High School North senior lives with her uncle Rob Nieratko and his wife, who are Ashleys legal guardians.

The guardians attorney, Jef Henninger, issued a statement late Thursday morning saying his clients have taken good care of Ashley.

My clients fully expected that the birth parents would make false accusations against them in order to justify their actions, Henninger said. These false accusations have been made before. Ashley was placed with the Nieratkos because they could provide her with a loving home. They fully expect that these false accusations will be unfounded and the investigation will be closed quickly.

On Monday, Henninger had issued an ultimatum on social media demanding the teen be sent home.

If she is not returned by 9 a.m. on Tuesday, the family will not stop until she is found and she will be found. When that happens, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, Henninger wrote on his law offices Facebook page. "You cannot even begin to comprehend the legal nightmare that you could be facing. I encourage you for Ashleys sake and your own familys sake to do the right thing before Tuesday morning.

Toms River police stated on multiple occasions while Ashley was missing that her disappearance was not considered suspicious and that detectives were looking for her.

Henninger disputed that on Thursday.

My clients continue to believe that Ashley was in danger, he said. Without getting into specifics, the birth parents parental rights were terminated for a reason.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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By Vicki Clark

Business leaders, elected officials, students, environment organizations, and members of the community gathered in Cape May last week for a rallying cry against the expansion of offshore oil and gas activities. We denounced the Trump administrations plans to lock our beautiful Atlantic Coast into a future of dangerous oil exploration and dirty spilling. The message from the Jersey beachfront crowd rang clear: our oceans are not for sale.

In November of last year, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) authorized five companies to harm marine life, like dolphins and whales, while blasting the Atlantic in pursuit of oil and gas. These companies will use seismic airguns to look for oil in a stretch of the Atlantic thats double the size of California  all the while producing some of the loudest manmade sounds in our oceans. This extremely pervasive noise is so loud it can be heard underwater up to 2,500 miles away.

Companies are poised to repeatedly blast their airguns from the mouth of the Delaware Bay  off our very own Cape May  down south to Cape Canaveral, Florida. Since sound from these airguns is so intense and travels so efficiently underwater, ecosystems up the entire Jersey Coast will feel the effects.

For many marine animals, sound is their most important sense. They use it to find food, avoid predators, look for mates, navigate, and communicate  essentially every function necessary for survival. Its no wonder that noise from the exploration activities authorized by NMFS will cause harm to marine life throughout the Atlantic.

Seismic airguns can cause temporary or permanent hearing loss in marine mammals and fish. Airgun noise can significantly stunt catch rates for some commercial and recreational fish species  in some cases by as much as 80 percent. Its even been shown to kill zooplankton, which underpins the entire marine food chain.

When everything from tiny zooplankton to massive whales will feel the ramifications of seismic blasting, it doesnt bode well for the businesses and individuals that depend on healthy ocean ecosystems to make a living. In New Jersey alone, vibrant oceans support booming tourism, fishing, and recreation industries, generate roughly $6.9 billion in GDP annually. Each year, our white sand beaches and bustling boardwalks attract millions of visitors and New Jerseys commercial fishing ports bring in a reliable and lucrative catch year after year. Our ocean resources fuel the regional economy.

These jobs and incomes are only sustained so long as the Atlantic Ocean remains a clean body of water thats home to productive ecosystems. Whale watching companies cant stay in business if there are no whales to see. Fishermen cant put food on the table if fish stocks plummet. Business leaders and hardworking Americans in New Jersey understand the risks that offshore drilling activities pose. In fact, the entire East Coast understands it. The Business Alliance for Protecting the Atlantic Coast (BAPAC) was formed to ensure that East Coast businesses and communities are protected from such drilling and exploration. Today, BAPAC represents a diverse group of over 43,000 businesses and 500,000 fishing families from Florida to Maine.

Its not just the incessant and disruptive noise that Atlantic businesses and communities fear. Seismic blasting is the first step for offshore drilling to become a reality here. After polluting our waters with noise for months on end, companies need to drill test wells to see if any oil exists where they think it is. Exploratory drilling has all risks of full-blown commercial drilling.

When BPs Deepwater Horizon rig exploded and flooded the Gulf of Mexico with over 200 million gallons of oil, it was drilling an exploratory well. The effects of this disaster continue to unfold for gulf communities and the environment. Beaches were closed and fishing grounds were restricted after the spill. These closures led to the loss of roughly 10 million user-days of beach, fishing and boating activity. Real estate values in some Gulf Coast communities fell and interest in Gulf vacations dropped. Consumers were less willing to buy Gulf shrimp, crabs, and oysters due to health concerns.

A spill like Deepwater Horizon off New Jersey  or anywhere in the Atlantic  would devastate our coastal economies for years to come.

Clean shores and abundant salty waters define New Jerseys coast. Communities and businesses up and down the Atlantic dont want dangerous drilling. Theres simply no reason to move forward the equally risky exploration process of seismic airgun blasting. Elected officials throughout the state continue to back their constituents on this issue, opposing oil and gas activities alongside their coastal municipalities. Its time for the Trump administration to take notice, too. We said it at the rally last week in Cape May, and well repeat it until the federal government listens to us.

Healthy ocean resources  not oiled waters or polluted beaches  keep us in business here along the New Jersey Coast.

Vicki Clark is president of the Cape May County Chamber of Commerce.

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Contrary to legal doctrine, justice delayed is not justice denied  at least not in perpetuity  as long as you have a righteous cause and one indomitable lawmaker.

This instructive lesson in governance comes from a bill that extends the statute of limitations in civil actions for children who were victims of sexual abuse, which is now headed for the governors desk after passing the Assembly by a unanimous vote Monday.

The bill affirms that access to justice is a civil right, and that an arbitrary statute of limitations prevents it. It took 17 years for Sen. Joseph Vitale, D-Middlesex, to convince his colleagues that this was the moral calling of our age, and that it was inexcusable to look the other way while the Catholic Church shielded clergy who raped children.

Changing the statute was crucial. The existing window for civil action in New Jersey was ludicrously short, as victims had to bring a civil case before they turned 20, or within two years from the time they connected their trauma to the abuse.

The reality is that the vast majority of victims, if they disclose anything at all, do it during adulthood. The average age of such disclosure is 52. Roughly one-third of child sexual abuse cases are never reported at all.

Vitales bill, which Gov. Murphy endorses, allows child victims to sue until age 55, or from 7 years of the discovery of their abuse. It also gives those who have been time-barred another two-year window to pursue their civil case. And critically, it allows victims to hold both the abusers and the institutions who protected them accountable.

The impact is clear: New Jersey will now be a national leader for identifying hidden child predators, shifting the costs of abuse from the victims and the state to the ones who caused it, and educating the public about this pandemic, says Marci Hamilton, the leading expert on child protection legislation as CEO of CHILD USA.

Every state to pass meaningful statute of limitations reform for sex abuse victims needed a champion with determination, patience, and leadership. That has been Senator Vitale in New Jersey. I would rank him as one of the most effective and caring Senators on this issue in the United States.

That cannot be emphasized enough.

Sometimes legislation moves like a pregnant sloth dipped in molasses. Vitale has pursued this since 2002  the year of the Boston Globes Spotlight magnum opus  and each time was stonewalled by the monolithic power of the Church or by peers with feet of clay. Consider: One day in 2012, he had bipartisan support the day his bill was up for a vote, but four allies somehow forgot to show up for it.

By the time a grand jury uncovered rampant clergy sex abuse in Pennsylvania last year, however, the political momentum was irreversible. Suddenly, Vitale had 20-plus cosponsors for this bill.

Joe could have said long ago that were not going to get this done, but he never wavered, said Mark Crawford, the state director of Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP). He knew what survivors needed, he refused to back down from the Catholic Conference, and he never compromised. He had the fortitude to say, Theres a line here, its been trampled, and this is what is right. This couldnt have happened without Joe.

Vitale  direct, tenacious, and uncommonly wise when it counts - shuns the praise. He responded with similar modesty after extraordinary legislative successes that include needle exchanges, gun control measures, medical marijuana, restoring the Obamacare individual mandate, and many more.

In this case, he said, If you just watched the victims testify through their tears, you knew there could only be one ending.

It is the ending of a long journey for justice, now accessible to all sexual abuse victims for the first time in the history of our state. This is how government should work.

NJ Senate Committee passes SOL reform legislation with 2 year window! Thank you @senatorvitale for your leadership and all of the survivors who have been fighting for years. #WindowToJustice #SOLreform  CHILD USAdvocacy (@CHILDUSAdvocacy) March 7, 2019

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WASHINGTON  For Cory Booker, it was an early chance to show why he should be the Democratic nominee for president.

Booker, D-N.J., had the stage to himself at a CNN town hall meeting Wednesday night, fielding questions about criminal justice, gun safety and impeachment, among other issues.

He also was asked about his past support for charter schools, where he worked with current Education Secretary Betsy De Vos; and the campaign donations he received from employees of the pharmaceutical industry, a major employer in New Jersey.

The event was held in Orangeburg, South Carolina, a state with an early primary that is crucial to Bookers presidential hopes.

It came the night before the latest Quinnipiac University poll that placed Booker in seventh place in the Democratic presidential field with 2 percent of the vote, tied with U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.

Three candidates reached double figures, former Vice President Joe Biden, 29 percent; U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, 19 percent; and former Rep. Beto ORourke of Texas, 12 percent. The March 21-25 poll of 559 Democratic voters and those who said they leaned Democratic had a margin of error of 5.1 percentage points.

Here are nine of the subjects Booker was asked about:

1. Impeaching the president.

Booker said he first wanted to see the report by special counsel Robert Mueller, not a memo from President Donald Trumps attorney general.

I dont think we should come to any conclusions until weve seen the report, he said.

2. Gun control.

He said he would go after the National Rifle Association, the powerful gun rights lobbying group, for blocking legislation such as expanded background checks.

I am frustrated with politicians who all the best they can muster is to give thoughts and prayers, Booker said. We are going to bring a fight like the NRA has never seen. This is one that we are going to win together.

3. Building a national Democratic Party.

The Democratic Party withered when President Barack Obama was in the White House, losing control of Congress and dozens of statehouses.

Booker said that he would work to rebuild the party in all 50 states to compete in state and local elections.

Why are some states refusing to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act? These things are happening because were not taking back enough statehouses, Booker said.

4. Marijuana.

Booker, the author of legislation to remove the federal ban on marijuana, said he would consider pardoning or commuting sentences of those in prison on marijuana offenses.

Weve got to talk about expunging the records, Booker said. Right now, we have a lot of injustice in our criminal justice system. Im going to fight to have sane drug laws.

Booker cited his successful efforts in passing a criminal justice law that offered alternatives to incarceration for nonviolent offenders, primarily those convicted of drug possession.

The one infrastructure we were building out was a new prison every 10 days, Booker said. This is impacting communities of color. The war on drugs has been a war on people.

5. Expanding Social Security.

I will not cut Social Security, Booker said. That is a pledge. I will expand Social Security if I can find a coalition to do it.

Asking wealthier Americans to pay more in Social Security taxes would more than provide enough funding to maintain the program and perhaps provide more support to those who have no other retirement funds, he said.

He also called for expanding unions so that workers are paid more and can save for their retirement.

6. Voting rights.

The last two Republican presidents lost the popular vote but won the White House because they won more than 270 electoral votes, the number needed to be elected. Booker said that shouldnt be the practice.

In presidential elections, the person with the most votes should be the president of the United States, Booker said.

He urged the audience to go to the polls, pointing out that the Democratic victories last fall were due to large turnouts.

If more people vote, our democracy is better, he said. I see the way cynical Republicans are trying to make it harder and harder for people to vote.

7. Its more than just reparations.

Asked if he supported paying reparations to the ancestors of slaves, Booker said the answer was more complicated than just a box to check.

This is so much more of a serious conversation, Booker said.

Booker has proposed baby bonds, in which every child would get a $1,000 bond at birth and lower-income children would get additional payments every year. By the time they finished high school, they could have as much as $50,000 in their bank accounts.

8. On the defensive.

Booker has received $430,086 from employees of pharmaceutical companies, a major employer in New Jersey and his eighth largest source of industry donations, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a Washington-based research group.

Theres a lot of folks who live in my city who work for pharmaceutical companies, Booker said.

He has pledged not to accept money from drug company executives, registered lobbyists or corporate political action committees for his presidential campaign.

Booker also was asked about his work with current Education Secretary Betsy DeVos when both served on the Alliance for School Choice, which advocated using taxpayer dollars for charter, private and religious schools. He did vote against DeVos nomination.

As mayor of Newark, Booker said he was exploring alternatives to a failing school system, which included the use of public charter schools.

Local leaders need to find the best solutions for public education that works for them, he said.

9. Bookers boo.

The senator offered some additional details about his relationship with Rosario Dawson, who he called an incredible girlfriend."

Im very lucky to be in a relationship with someone who is just incredibly special, Booker said.

They first met last year at a fundraiser for Maryland Democratic gubernatorial Ben Jealous, and then saw each other at a later date. Booker said he went up to her at the second meeting and asked for her phone number, which she gave him.

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

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EDITORS NOTE: Entrepreneurs everywhere are eyeing the billion-dollar legal weed industry, an economic opportunity unrivaled in modern N.J. history. NJ Cannabis Insider features exclusive and premium weekly content geared toward those interested in the marijuana industry. View a sample issue.

Days after he shelved plans to expand medical marijuana to cover up to 200,000 patients in New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy said Thursday hell give the state Legislature until May to pass a bill legalizing recreational weed in the state or else hell turn his focus to medicinal pot.

Were not gonna wait around a lot, Murphy said at an unrelated news conference in Saddle Brook.

The comment came on the heels of a confusing week for those anxious to see the medical marijuana program expand beyond the roughly 42,000 patients already enrolled.

First, Murphy said increasing the number of people using medical marijuana would be his top priority after a recreational weed bill failed to get enough support for a planned vote Monday in the Democratic-controlled Legislature.

Legislative leaders have packaged the legal and medical pot bills together to garner more support for the former.

Well likely aggressively further open up the medical regime in the next day or two, the Democratic governor said at a town hall meeting Monday, just hours after the legal weed vote was called off.

He added the number of people enrolled in the program probably should be at 150,000 or 200,000.

Less than a day later, Murphy changed his tune and said hed hold off on those plans in an effort to appease leaders in the state Senate who have insisted the separate recreational weed bill and medical expansion bill should be voted on together in order to corral more support for legalization.

That move angered medical marijuana supporters, including Mike Honig, whose 7-year-old son, Jake Honig, used cannabis oil to control excruciating pain before he died from cancer last year.

We are putting patients in New Jersey behind pleasure-seekers, Mike Honig said in video he posted online. We are putting our own personal agenda ahead of the terminally ill child.

Murphy said the Honig family reached out to him personally this week.

Were holding back enormous demand for the medical regime and Jacks parents are right, the governor said. Im prepared to hold off for a short amount of time and I would say that the month of May would be the edge of that.

State Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester, and state Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, D-Middlesex, are adamant that until theyve secured enough votes to pass a bill legalizing marijuana for adults 21 and older, they will not post the medical expansion bill for vote.

Theyve publicly acknowledged they are tie-barring, or linking, the two bills, hoping support for improving the restrictive medicinal program will bring some yes votes for the recreational weed.

The "Jake Honig Compassionate Use Medical Cannabis Act would allow terminal and hospice patients unlimited amount of cannabis. Other patients would be able to buy 2.5 ounces a month for the first six months after the law takes effect and rise to 3 ounces six months later, according to the bill (S10).

If the delays in passing both bills continue, said state Sen. Joseph Vitale, D-Middlesex, one of the prime sponsors of the medicinal legislation, said he could envision portion of his bill could move separately.

Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or Facebook.

Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook

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The leader of the largest union of New Jersey state government workers said her middle-of-the-night tweet this week wishing U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos a horrible death was a regrettable expression of utter despair over proposed cuts to Special Olympics funding.

Hetty Rosenstein, state director of the Communications Workers of America, said she regrets her tweet, in which she responded to a NBC News story about Donald Trumps administration proposing to eliminate funding for Special Olympics by saying she hoped DeVos dies a horrible horrible death," according to the New Jersey Globe, which captured the tweet.

Trumps proposed federal budget would cut more than $7 billion in education spending, including $18 million for Special Olympics. DeVos has said while she supports the organizations mission, Special Olympics also raises private funds and the federal government cannot fund every worthy program.

Rosenstein said she was distraught by the news but should have found another way to express her despair," and that she does not advocate violence.

I dont know the last time I heard such horrible news or felt such despair. I had just posted that I couldnt sleep. And so I said something out of that despair that I regret. I should not have said it, she said in a statement Thursday.

I am a leader and I should have mustered something to help to inspire others to continue to fight for justice and to fight the power and privilege and immorality of the politics of DeVos. Instead I carelessly gave in to my own pain.

Every day, each and every minute of my life, I will continue to fight for justice, equality and peace and I will do better in my constructive resistance to evil and injustice in the future, she continued.

Rosenstein leads the state governments largest union of 32,000 workers.

Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @samanthamarcus. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

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Two men in a car were killed and a Jefferson Parish Sheriffs Office detective was wounded when undercover officers opened fire outside of an IHOP restaurant in Terrytown Wednesday night (March 27), according to Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joseph Lopinto.

The shooting occurred at 10:22 p.m., after JPSO detectives had blocked in a car during an undercover drug operation--and the cars driver put the vehicle in reverse, accelerated and struck one of the officers, Lopinto said. He also rammed a detectives vehicle, authorities said.

The two plainclothes detectives began firing at the car, killing the driver on scene and wounding a passenger who later died at the hospital, Lopinto said. During the shooting, a detective was struck by our gunfire, the sheriff said.

He (the deputy) jumped into one of our detectives vehicles and they transported him to University (Medical Center), Lopinto said.

The wounded detective, who was hit in the abdomen, was out of surgery and expected to recover, Lopinto said early Thursday. The deputy who was hit by the car did not go to the hospital, he said.

The shooting occurred in the side parking lot of an IHOP near the intersection of the Westbank Expressway and Terry Parkway.

At the scene, a mans body was lying face-down on the pavement just outside of the drivers-side door of a silver sedan, one of his feet still in the car.

A body shield was erected by the car, which had up to 20 evidence cones around it. Both the drivers-side front and rear windows were shattered.

Two pickups -- a blue Dodge Ram 4x4 and a black Ford F150 -- were blocking the silver car. One was pulled behind the car, as though to block it in. The other pickup was at an angle, facing toward the drivers side of the silver sedan.

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A dark-colored backpack and bloodied white T-shirt sat feet away, next to another silver sedan.

Late Wednesday, a detective was interviewing a distraught woman in front of the entrance to the La Quinta Inn directly across from the back of the IHOP.

Kimberly Van Diepen of Pensacola, Florida, said she was in her room at the hotel when she heard about 15 gunshots.

I got scared, Im not going to lie, she said. I heard the gunshots and then I immediately heard a boatload of sirens.

She said she then saw police cars streaming toward the IHOP parking lot.

Stay with NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune for developments to this breaking story.

NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune photographer Michael DeMocker contributed to this story.

Laura McKnight covers crime and breaking news for NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune and can be reached at 504-655-6571 and lmcknight@nola.com with tips.
A New Orleans man was arrested Tuesday (March 26) on suspicion of rape and sex-trafficking a child, among other charges, after a missing 16-year-old girl escaped from captivity, state police said.

Melvin Davis, 42, is accused of repeatedly beating and raping the teen while holding her against her will.

The victim, who was held captive for several weeks, is now safe, Troop B spokesman Monroe Dillon said in a news release.

Further arrests are expected as part of the ongoing investigation, Dillon said.

State police detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Davis after receiving a tip about the whereabouts of the missing girl. Investigators learned that she had escaped from a home in New Orleans.

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Davis was captured by troopers with the Louisiana State Police Bureau of Investigations Special Victims Unit and officers with the U.S. Marshals Service and New Orleans Police Department.

Davis was booked into the Orleans Justice Center jail with trafficking of children for sexual purposes, rape, felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile, false imprisonment, possession of a firearm while in possession of illegal drugs, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession with the intent to distribute illegal drugs within 2,000 feet of a school and possession of drug paraphernalia.

He remained in jail Wednesday evening with no bond yet set, Orleans Parish jail and court records show.

The National Human Trafficking Hotline is a national anti-trafficking hotline serving victims and survivors of human trafficking and the anti-trafficking community. The hotline can be reached by emailing help@humantraffickinghotline.org, submitting a tip through the online tip reporting form and visiting the website at www.humantraffickinghotline.org. You can also call 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733.

Laura McKnight covers crime and breaking news for NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune and can be reached at 504-655-6571 and lmcknight@nola.com with tips.
Authorities arrested a Ponchatoula man Wednesday (March 27) after they found 100 files of child pornography on a laptop computer at his home, Louisiana State Police said.

Darryl Crawford, 43, was booked into the Tangipahoa Parish jail with 100 counts of possession of pornography involving juveniles and one count of distribution of pornography involving juveniles, State Police said in a news release.

The investigation began Dec. 12 when an online undercover operation yielded information that a device at Crawfords home contained child pornography, police said. Investigators served a search warrant at his home and discovered the material, according to the news release.

The State Police Special Victims Unit investigated the case in partnership with the FBI, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Louisiana Attorney General, Louisiana Probation & Parole, and the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriffs Office.
Xavier University of Louisiana has selected Lt. Changamire Shanni Durall as the universitys new chief of police, according to Xavier officials.

Durall, who will be joining Xaviers faculty and staff on May 15, was also named the schools new assistant vice president of campus safety, according to a university news release Wednesday (March 27) night. The universitys announcement comes months after its former director of public safety, Jacques Battiste, submitted his resignation in December 2018.

In a statement, Xavier vice president for student affairs Curtis Wright said the university has expanded the former position of police chief in consideration of the work that needs to be done here at Xavier University.

Durall comes to Xavier from Norfolk State University, where she served as the Lieutenant in Charge of Investigations, Xavier stated. Prior to Norfolk State, Durall served as a Sergeant at Old Dominion University and as a police officer with the Department of Defense and Virginia Beachs Sheriffs Office. She holds bachelors and masters degrees in Criminal Justice from Saint Leo University and is pursuing a doctorate in Criminal Justice at Walden University.

Student career pipeline possible via Xaviers deal with group aiming to buy WBOK-AM

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Duralls appointment concludes the national search Xavier launched for a permanent leader. Battiste resigned following an incident in which two campus police officers pepper-sprayed students on campus after Xaviers midnight breakfast service. Since then, the officers involved have been fired and Wright has served as the interim public safety director.

Wright stressed that Durall comes highly recommended from staff in law enforcement on campuses and in municipalities.

Duralls official swearing-in ceremony is scheduled for later in the semester, during which she will outline her goals for the universitys police department. Wright stated Duralls portfolio will not only include campus safety and security, but it will help Xavier consolidate and lead campus-wide emergency management initiatives.

Durall brings a student-centered approach to campus law enforcement is and looking forward to serving our community, Wright stated.

Wilborn P. Nobles III is an education reporter based in New Orleans. He can be reached at wnobles@nola.com or on Twitter at @WilNobles.
Heres one from the something-you-dont-see-everyday category: A friar taking to a south Louisiana bayou to help fill church pews.

But thats just what the Rev. Antonio Maria Speedy did recently, the Daily Comet in Thibodaux reports. Speedy rang a bell while he cruised the bayou in Dulac, asking folks to come back to Mass!

The Comet said photos and videos spread across social media, and Speedy reported that the message had reached some people and boosted Mass attendance at Dulacs Holy Family Catholic Church. Dulac is a community in Terrebonne Parish.

When the bishop asked me to go to Dulac, we were praying about how to get people in church, Speedy told the Comet. A friend loaned me a pirogue, so I decided to try it. We knew the people would love it.
A copy of the proclamation of Frances approval of the Louisiana Purchase and a yearbook from Fidel Castros high school were rescued Tuesday (March 26) from a four-alarm fire at the Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum in St. Louis, NPR reports.

About 80 firefighters hauled out armloads of one-of-a-kind documents, manuscripts, statues and intricately carved wooden ship models as they battled 8-foot-high flames, NPR reported.

Read the full report here.

Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson told the St. Louis Post Dispatch, They knew they were in a museum. Its like, Dont leave empty-handed. Grab something and get it out of here.

Some history on the Louisiana Purchase:

When Thomas Jefferson was president, he needed to ensure American access to the Mississippi River, and the best way to do that was to buy New Orleans from France. As Mike Scott wrote for NOLA.com: So, in 1803, Jefferson set in motion a negotiation that would result in one of greatest real estate deals in history. For $15 million -- just $5 million more than he was willing to pay for New Orleans alone -- he ended up getting 828,000 square miles, including the Crescent City, from Napoleon Bonaparte, enough to double the size of the 27-year-old America. The news of Frances departure reportedly made some in New Orleans cry. But it also made them something else: It made them Americans.
The Rev. Samson Skip Alexander, a New Orleans minister who not only was active in the civil rights movement but also photographed its leaders to chronicle its history, died March 24 at his New Orleans home. He was 88.

He was part of the generation that was energized by the battles for justice, said former New Orleans Mayor Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League.

The Rev. Alexander, who also owned an insurance agency, was a cause person, Morial said. You saw that in many people in that generation. The cause permeated everything he did, whether it was photography or civil rights activism or his insurance agency, which was about financial independence. It animated everything he did.

He was there, with his camera, in 1957, when the Southern Christian Leadership Conference was incorporated at New Zion Baptist Church in Central City. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who was starting to attract national attention for his activism, most notably for his role in the Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott, was elected president.

The Rev. Alexanders association with King was a big influence in his life, said his son, Jerome Alexander.

He made sure to pass on those stories about the civil rights leader to people who were born after Kings assassination in 1968, said Renee Lapeyrolerie, a longtime political figure.

I liked his first-hand accounts, she said.

The Rev. Alexander had a political organization, Blacks Unified for Lasting Leadership, Morial said, and he was active in the political campaigns of Morials father, Dutch Morial, who was elected New Orleans first African-American mayor.

The Rev. Alexander, who also had a talk show on WBOK radio, was a man who wore many hats, Morial said. He was a man who was ever-present in the community for many, many years.

A lifelong New Orleanian, he graduated from Gilbert Academy and Booker T. Washington High School. His son said he earned a master of business administration degree at Clinton University and a doctorate in theology at A.P. Clay Theological College.

The Rev. Alexander became an active minister in the 1970s, his son said, and he preached at churches throughout the city. He was associate minister at Christian Unity Baptist Church.

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In addition to his religious duties, The Rev. Alexander worked with Total Community Action, a nonprofit organization formed in 1964 to help poor people with services such as weatherizing homes, job counseling and food distribution, and provide transportation to the elderly and disabled.

He also was active in the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, his son said.

The Rev. Alexander was an Air Force veteran who took up photography while he was stationed in Japan, Jerome Alexander said. When he returned to New Orleans, he set up a darkroom at the Dryades YMCA.

He had his camera with him in 2012, when he sprang from his chair to photograph marchers in the parade marking Kings birthday.

This is not a day for black people, he said that day in an interview. Its for all humanity.

Last summer, The Rev. Alexander was one of several people whom the Urban League of Greater New Orleans honored for upholding the values of that civil rights organization.

It was a special night, Morial said. He had a white tuxedo jacket on. He was as dapper and energetic as ever.

In addition to the Rev. Alexanders son, survivors include three daughters, Gloria Irvin of Marietta, Georgia, and Joanne and Jacqueline Alexander, both of New Orleans; six grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; and five great-great-grandchildren.

A funeral will be held at 10 a.m. April 5 at Christian Unity Baptist Church, 1700 Conti St. Visitation will start at 9 a.m.

Burial will be in Southeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery, 34888 Grantham College Drive in Slidell.

Rhodes Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Saturdays election ballot in St. Tammany Parish isnt particularly large but will have a huge impact on the city of Covington.

Voters in that city will cast ballots for a new mayor and four City Council posts. The Covington races highlight a ballot that also includes parcel fees for two parish fire districts, a property tax for a recreation district and elections for mayor and aldermen in the Village of Sun.

Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Any runoffs will be May 4.

St. Tammany Parish Registrar of Dwayne Wall said he expects a good voter turnout in Covington, likely in upper 40s (percent).

It should be very good, he said.

Wall said around 18 percent of Covingtons nearly 7,700 registered voters cast early ballots.

Part of that, Wall said, is because of the open mayors seat and several open City Council posts. Mayor Mike Cooper cannot seek re-election due to term limits and three candidates  Mark Johnson, Rick Smith and Candace Watkins -- jumped into the race to succeed him.

Smith currently is on the City Council and Watkins is a former mayor. This is Johnsons first run for elected office.

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(See more about the mayors race here.)

Voters will also cast ballots in several City Council races: two at-large seats; and for the District A and District E seats. The at-large seats are elected citywide.

(See more about the City Council races here.)

Wall said he expects voter turnout in the Village of Sun, where two candidates are vying for mayor and four candidates are seeking the three posts on the Board of Aldermen, to track closely with that in Covington.

Meanwhile, voters in two fire protection districts will decide on parcel fees. District 3 in the Lacombe area is seeking a $72 parcel fee and District 9 in the Bush are is seeking a $40 fee.

(See more about the parcel fees here.)

Recreation District No. 2 in the Bush area is seeking a 3-mill tax to help fund the district.
The 81st District is one of the more venerable seats in the Louisiana House of Representatives. And its a good example of whats about to happen when legislators sit down in February for the political task of redrawing the lines of districts from
The F.A.A. put the fox in charge of the henhouse, he said.

Boeing and the F.A.A. are playing defense on two fronts, as prosecutors, regulators and lawmakers investigate their responses to the crashes and their approval of the plane.

During his hearing, Calvin L. Scovel III, the Transportation Departments inspector general, said he was looking into how the F.A.A. handled the crisis. In the days after an Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed 157 people this month, global regulators grounded the jets, while the United States initially held off doing the same.

Clearly, confidence in F.A.A. as the gold standard for aviation safety has been shaken, he said. Mr. Scovel said he wanted to understand why the agency was the last major aviation regulator in the world to drive risk to zero by grounding the 737 Max.

Mr. Scovel also said he would investigate why the F.A.A. approved the software system, which is known as MCAS, including the decision not to include it in the operating instructions and not to require additional training for pilots. When the plane was introduced, pilots learned about the 737 Max on an iPad.

Robert L. Sumwalt, the chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, also said in the hearing that his agency was examining the U.S. design certification process.

The F.A.A. has long allowed plane makers to help certify that their new aircraft meet safety standards. In recent years, Boeing was able to choose its own employees to help regulators approve the 737 Max.

In a separate hearing with the Senate Appropriations Committees transportation subcommittee, the Transportation secretary, Elaine Chao, called the practice necessary.
In the Kentucky case, Judge Boasberg said the states plan, with only minor changes since his last ruling, has essentially the same features as it did before. He said that Mr. Azars review and approval of the Kentucky program were fatally flawed because federal officials did not adequately consider the coverage-loss consequences of the work requirements.

The rulings presented a serious setback not only for President Trump and Mr. Azar, but for Ms. Verma, who has led the call for conditioning government health coverage on work.

She has insisted that Medicaid must not be used as a vehicle to serve working age, able-bodied adults. And she affirmed her goals Wednesday evening after the latest rulings came out.

We will continue to defend our efforts to give states greater flexibility to help low income Americans rise out of poverty, Ms. Verma said. We believe, as have numerous past administrations, that states are the laboratories of democracy and we will vigorously support their innovative, state-driven efforts to develop and test reforms that will advance the objectives of the Medicaid program.

Both states plans are aimed at hundreds of thousands of working-age adults who became newly eligible for Medicaid when the Affordable Care Act allowed states to expand it starting in 2014. Arkansass version requires most Medicaid recipients between the ages of 19 and 49 to spend 80 hours a month at a job or in community engagement activities, like volunteering or training for a job. Kentuckys, which has not yet been rolled out because of the court case, does the same for people between 19 and 64.

Both the Kentucky and Arkansas rules allowed exemptions for people deemed too sick to work, pregnant women, full-time students or primary caregivers of dependent children or disabled family members.

The Trump administration had asserted that some people in Kentucky who lost Medicaid would gain commercial insurance coverage. But Judge Boasberg appeared skeptical, writing that federal officials cited no research or evidence that this would happen.
[Need help deciding what movies or TV shows to stream next? Subscribe to our Watching newsletter.]

Things pick up when baby Dumbo arrives in a makeshift birthing bed. Now a digital cutie with gargantuan ears that hang off each side of his head like heavy leather curtains, the newest, littlest circus addition is conspicuously more animal than his childlike antecedent. Like the original, this Dumbo doesnt speak, which perhaps is why Burton focuses on his unnaturally large, expressive eyes. (Hes an Indian elephant, so his trunk has one searching finger.) Those eyes moisten a lot, including when Holts drearily conceptualized and motherless  of course!  children (Nico Parker and Finley Hobbins) comfort Dumbo after his protective mom is sent to elephant jail.

In time, the kids help teach Dumbo to fly, coaxing him with a feather he snuffles into his trunk: He sneezes, and the exhalation sends him up. When he finally achieves genuine liftoff, soaring around the interior of the circuss one-ring tent, Burton does, too. Its ticklish fun to watch baby elephants of any kind, including an airborne one. Thats true even if Dumbos flights prove increasingly bleak because hes at the mercy of some very bad people. Humans are secondary attractions in the 1941 movie (its animals are people proxies) but they crowd the remake. Most are just generic placeholders, but a few are strikingly brutal exploiters, none more so than V. A. Vandevere, a subversive invention.

Played by Michael Keaton in full live-wire mode, Vandevere is a stereotypical Richie Rich screen villain with a shadowy lair; dark designs; a wolfish smile; and a silky, possibly fatal femme, Colette (Eva Green, who adds some steel filament to a bauble). Keaton makes the character more memorable than most anyone here; Vandevere seems ready to dangerously pop. What makes him particularly arresting, though, is that he owns a sprawling, impersonal amusement park named Dreamland that is filled with menace and with attractions  Nightmare Island, Wonders of Science, Rocket to the Future and the ominously named Colosseum  that suggest a Disneyland Bizarro World.
Overlooked is a series of obituaries about remarkable people whose deaths, beginning in 1851, went unreported in The Times.

Bessie Blount was about 7 when a teacher rapped her knuckles during a classroom assignment. The blow stung her, the reason even more so.

For writing with my left hand! Blount told The Virginian-Pilot newspaper in 2008, still incredulous more than 85 years later.

So she taught herself to write with her teeth and her toes, figuring, If it was wrong to write with my left hand, then it was wrong to write with my right hand.

That act of defiance  along with her inventiveness  would serve her throughout an eclectic international career, as a nurse, physical therapist, wartime inventor and forensic handwriting and document analyst. With each of these moves she had to overcome the obstacles facing a black woman in the job, although she resisted being defined by her race.
The heirs of Albert Reimann Jr., who built one of Germanys largest business empires, maintained for decades that Mr. Reimann and his father had been reluctant Nazis during World War II. Yes, they said, it was regrettable that the company employed slaves and prisoners of war in its chemical factories, but that was the nature of business during the war years.

This weekend the Reimann family decided to change its tune, offering an abject apology for the behavior of Albert Reimann Jr., who died in 1984, and Albert Reimann Sr., who died in 1954.

They belonged in jail, a family spokesman told the German newspaper Bild.

The current generation of Reimanns deserves credit for this striking apology. It cannot be easy to publicly condemn a father and a grandfather. Yet the timing of the apology, more than 70 years after the crimes in question  and long after most of the victims would have been able to hear it  raises hard questions about Germanys failure to hold corporations accountable for wartime crimes, and about the nature of corporate accountability for past misconduct.

The Reimanns, father and son, ran the chemical company now known as Reckitt Benckiser, or RB, probably most familiar to Americans as the maker of Lysol. New research, based in part on materials that have been in the family's possession for decades, shows the two men joined the Nazi Party in 1931, when it was still a fringe movement. They donated to the party and displayed its banner outside their factory. We are a purely Aryan family business that is over 100 years old, the younger Mr. Reimann wrote in a letter to Heinrich Himmler, the leader of the SS. The owners are unconditional followers of the race theory. During the war years, the business prospered  in part because a third of the work force was employed involuntarily.
We in the news media often whack politicians for not being serious about policy. And then we ignore their policy proposals.

So here, in the spirit of orgiastic wonkishness, is my Dummys Guide to Democratic Policy Proposals. I write it because something fascinating is underway: After decades of incrementalism, Democrats are now proposing a litany of exciting big ideas.

Heres my take:

Child allowances are among the best ideas to boost Americas future. They are used very successfully abroad to reduce child poverty. One proposal would give families with children $250 to $300 per month, in the form of a refundable tax credit . Luke Shaefer of the University of Michigan estimates that this would reduce the number of children living in poverty by more than one-third.

This version is called the American Family Act, sponsored by Michael Bennet and Sherrod Brown in the Senate and Rosa DeLauro and Suzan DelBene in the House. It is broadly backed by Democrats in the House and the Senate.
Everybody in Chicago is looking for a motive  is it a political connection, is it a family connection?

MARTIN PREIB, a vice president with the police union in Chicago, dismissing the explanation provided by prosecutors that cases similar to the actor Jussie Smolletts often do not go to trial.
A man convicted of murder for killing a woman when he drove into a crowd protesting a 2017 white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va., pleaded guilty to additional federal hate crime charges on Wednesday.

The man, James Fields Jr., 21, faced 30 federal charges for his actions at the Unite the Right rally. He pleaded guilty to 29 of them, including one count of a hate crime that resulted in the death of Heather Heyer, an anti-racism activist, and 28 counts for the injuries to nearly 40 other protesters. Each of the counts to which he pleaded guilty carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000.

In a letter submitted to the court, Attorney General William P. Barr directed federal prosecutors to forgo seeking the death penalty against Mr. Fields because of the plea agreement.

As part of the agreement, federal prosecutors dismissed one count of bias-motivated interference with federally protected activity resulting in death, referring to Mr. Fieldss act of violence during a state-sanctioned protest. It was the only count in the indictment that could have resulted in the death penalty, a Justice Department spokesman said.
A federal jury on Wednesday ordered Monsanto to pay more than $80 million in damages to a California man whose cancer it determined was partly caused by his use of the popular weedkiller Roundup.

The six-member jury found that Monsanto should be held liable for the mans illness because it failed to include a label on its product warning of the weedkillers risk of causing cancer.

The verdict, delivered in United States District Court in San Francisco, is a milestone in the continuing public debate over the health effects of Roundup and its active ingredient, glyphosate, the worlds most widely used weedkiller. Monsanto is currently defending itself against thousands of similar claims.

The plaintiff, Edwin Hardeman, 70, used Roundup to control weeds and poison oak on his property for 26 years. In 2015, he learned that he had non-Hodgkins lymphoma. The next year, after the World Health Organizations International Agency for Research on Cancer declared glyphosate a probable carcinogen, Mr. Hardeman sued Monsanto.
Both Mr. Bush, who died in November, and Ms. Fitzgerald denied any affair to the presidents biographer, Jon Meacham. I was very close to her for a while. And liked her, Mr. Bush told him. But did they have an affair? No, he said. As for Ms. Fitzgerald, she told Mr. Meacham: It simply didnt happen.

Mrs. Bush was a singular figure in American life, the only first lady to see her son become president as well. (Abigail Adams, the wife of John Adams, had died by the time John Quincy Adams was elected.) But she was a more complicated figure than her grandmotherly image suggested.

A product of the World War II generation, she changed along with society. She resented when Wellesley College students protested her selection as commencement speaker on the grounds that she owed her only achievement to her marriage. Ms. Page recalled encountering Mrs. Bush at a Kennebunkport picnic in 1990 when the first lady asked her, How can you work when you have young children?

But years later, when Mrs. Bush received a citation that made no mention of her work promoting literacy and other social causes, she bristled at the focus on her family role. I had not realized that I was a womens libber, she wrote in her diary, but I am now.

By the time Ms. Page interviewed her for the biography, Mrs. Bush boasted that all of her married granddaughters had children and worked outside the home. Still, she resisted activism. Do I believe in equal rights for women? Yes, she told Ms. Page. But I wouldnt put myself as a feminist, no.

She struggled over the abortion issue, drawing from her experience watching her 3-year-old daughter Robin die of leukemia. She came to believe that the question was when does the soul enter the body and decided it was when a baby takes its first breath.

Having decided that the first breath is when the soul enters the body, I believe in Federally funded abortion, she wrote in her diary. Why should the rich be allowed to afford abortions and the poor not? She added, Abortion is personal, between mother fathers and Dr. But after her husband joined Ronald Reagans anti-abortion ticket in 1980, she kept her views to herself.
WASHINGTON  In the days since Attorney General William P. Barr wrote to Congress describing the still secret report by the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, a mystery he introduced remains pressing: Why did Mr. Mueller take no position on whether President Trump obstructed justice?

Mr. Barr spoke briefly by phone on Wednesday with Representative Jerrold Nadler, Democrat of New York and the House Judiciary Committee chairman, who has criticized Mr. Barrs decision to step into the gap left by Mr. Muellers team and clear Mr. Trump himself. Mr. Nadler has called on Mr. Barr to swiftly turn over the entire Mueller report, but he said it was apparent after they spoke that the Justice Department would not meet his April 2 deadline and that he would not commit to making it public without redactions.

Were not happy about that, to put it mildly, Mr. Nadler said.

In the meantime, Mr. Barrs letter offered scant clues. He wrote that Mr. Mueller decided not to make a traditional prosecutorial judgment about whether the evidence was sufficient to establish whether Mr. Trump committed a crime but did not explain Mr. Muellers reasoning, beyond quoting the special counsel as stating that the question raised difficult issues of law and fact.
Mr. Sellner does not like the analogy. He prefers to compare his link to the mosque shooting suspect to that between leftist activists  his own parents once fell into that category  and leftist terrorists. Someone who talks about class struggle can hardly be held responsible for leftist militants then exploding a bomb, he said.

In his leather jacket and trendy horn-rimmed glasses, Mr. Sellner embodies the image makeover of the far right. He has admitted to once being a member of a neo-Nazi group, but these days, Gandhi and Martin Luther King share book shelf in his Viennese apartment. He calls himself a patriot and a democrat.

Experts like Mr. Neumann dont buy it.

The presentation has changed, but the message is still racist, Mr. Neumann said. When they talk about European identity, they mean white Christian identity. They use friendly, progressive language, but the content is the same old.

Whats genuinely new, he said, is that they are increasingly globally networked.

Mr. Sellner also personifies the reach of an increasingly global movement with his close links to activists across Europe and the United States: He is engaged to Brittany Pettibone, an American YouTuber with links to the alt-right who once claimed there was a white genocide in South Africa.

The couple routinely appear on videos together, recently expressing admiration for Hungarys increasingly authoritarian prime minister, Victor Orban, and Italys vice premier Matteo Salvini.

In the interview, Mr. Sellner described President Trump as a catalyst for the European right and expressed his admiration for Mr. Kurz, the Austrian chancellor, for daring to go into coalition with the far right.
Cholera, a potentially fatal disease that has come to symbolize the humanitarian crisis of the war in Yemen, has surged again in the country, health workers reported Wednesday, with some areas hit by as many as 2,000 suspected or confirmed cases per week.

Doctors without Borders, the medical charity, said in a statement that its teams had recently seen a dramatic increase in cholera cases, demonstrating the urgent need for humanitarian assistance to improve water and sanitation in the war-torn country.

The World Health Organization said that from the beginning of 2019 through March 17, nearly 109,000 cases of severe acute watery diarrhea and suspected cholera had been reported, with nearly 200 deaths. About one-third of the reported cases afflicted children underage 5, the organization said.

Spread by poor hygiene and contaminated drinking water, cholera can cause fatal dehydration without treatment. It has long been considered endemic to Yemen, the Arab worlds poorest country.
Artists can be reluctant to part with their work, especially if theyre not being paid. But on Thursday, the Hammer Museum at UCLA announced that more than 35 contemporary artists, including Ed Ruscha and Vija Celmins, will donate pieces to raise money for the museums new Artist Fund. Their work will be auctioned off in New York at Sothebys in May.

Ann Philbin, the director of the Hammer, said that support is a testament to the closeness between the museum and the artists it exhibits. Many of the artists in the auction have had long and deep relationships with the Hammer, she said by email. In a lot of cases we offered them their first museum show in Los Angeles. Ms. Philbin cited Mark Grotjahn, Kaari Upson, Jonas Wood and Kevin Beasley as examples.

She also mentioned Mark Bradford, a close friend and partner for the museum over the last 20 years, whose first solo exhibition in Los Angeles, Scorched Earth was at the Hammer. Mr. Bradfords contribution to the auction, a mixed-media painting titled Scratch Pink (2018), is estimated to sell for $2 to 3 million.

The auctions, set for May 16 and 17 at Sothebys New York, will be preceded by public exhibitions of the a work in Los Angeles at the UTA Artist Space April 17-20 and in New York at Sothebys York Avenue galleries beginning May 3.
Gilles Aillaud

Through May 11. Ortuzar Projects, 9 White Street, Manhattan; 212-257-0033, ortuzarprojects.com.

For decades, American art students have learned that the years around 1968 saw the triumph of conceptual art, process-based sculpture, environmental interventions and body-oriented performances  and only now, at half a centurys distance, are we admitting that figurative painting had its place too in the late-60s art world, especially in Western Europe. Gilles Aillaud (1928-2005) was a central actor of Narrative Figuration during Pariss years of student revolt , as well as a set designer at Europes top avant-garde theaters. But Paintings 1964-1976, with eight coolly composed portraits of animals in zoos, is the first showcase of his works in New York since a show at Gladstone Gallery in 1982.

Aillaud and two other young painters stormed to scandalous prominence in 1965 with the collective series Live and Let Die, or the Tragic Death of Marcel Duchamp, which pictured the young French artists assassinating the father figure of the avant-garde. (They were also, by symbolically murdering a Frenchman whod become an American citizen, spitting on contemporary Parisian envy of the New York School. ) By 1967 Aillaud had turned to zoos, and before and after the student uprising he painted tortoises, rhinos, porcupines and pythons under heat lamps or beside industrial pipes. In a bare blue cage we see two soporific lions, their eyes vacant, their fur painted with aloof strokes of white. Two hippopotamuses, their thick skin evenly rendered in bronze and burnt umber, float in an aquarium like corpses. The animals never do anything in these zoo paintings. They dont even meet our gaze; they just laze about on concrete and cinder blocks. It is a stifled view, conversant with the 19th-century tradition of animalier painting, but stripped of any allegorical comfort.

Back in left-wing Paris 50 years ago, Aillauds silent, unconsoling art appeared as the antithesis of gestural American abstraction, offering the most alienated view of an industrial capitalist society. They may be more moving today, in an era of climate emergency, when no distinction holds between the natural the man-made. JASON FARAGO
Our guide to new art shows and some that will be closing soon.

AFFORDABLE ART FAIR at the Metropolitan Pavilion (through March 31). Buying art can sometimes feel intimidating, but for 20 years the Affordable Art Fair has been doing its part to make art ownership more accessible. Contemporary paintings, photographs, prints and sculptures are on offer from more than 60 galleries and are priced as low as $100. The fairs democratic bent extends even to age: On Sunday, it will host a conversation between Monica Hernandez, 23, whose work is featured in this years Young Talent Exhibition, and Drew Beattie, a painter and lecturer at Hunter College, about Hernandezs life as an up-and-coming painter in New York. (Peter Libbey)

affordableartfair.com

HILMA AF KLINT: PAINTINGS FOR THE FUTURE at Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (through April 23). This rapturous exhibition upends Modernisms holiest genesis tale  that the male trinity of Kandinsky, Malevich and Mondrian invented abstract painting starting in 1913. It demonstrates that a female Swedish artist got there first (1906-7), in great style and a radically bold scale with paintings that feel startlingly contemporary. The mother of all revisionist shows regarding Modernism. (Roberta Smith)

212-423-3500, guggenheim.org

SIAH ARMAJANI: FOLLOW THIS LINE at the Met Breuer (through June 2). Born in Iran, Armajani has been living in the United States since 1960. This retrospective ranges from work he did as a teenage activist in Tehran to models of the many public sculptures he has produced across America over the past five decades. It introduces us to a sharp social thinker, a wry (and increasingly melancholic) metaphysician, a plain-style visual poet and, above all, an artist-ethicist. The show, which includes a wonderful large-scale sculpture, Bridge Over Tree, at Brooklyn Bridge Park (on the Empire Fulton Ferry Lawn through Sept. 29), is well-timed for our present era of sundering moral confusion and offers ways forward from it. (Holland Cotter)

212-731-1675, metmuseum.org

JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT at the Brant Foundation (through May 15). The opening of the Brant Foundation Art Study Center in the East Village, with an exhibition of nearly 70 works by Basquiat created from 1980 to 1987, serves as a fitting temporary shrine for this Brooklyn-born painter, who became a global sensation in the early 1980s and died at 27 of a heroin overdose. Basquiat sprayed poetic, enigmatic graffiti on walls in downtown Manhattan before moving to canvas, dated Madonna before she was famous and made paintings with Andy Warhol. Part of a group of Neo-Expressionist painters who were largely rejected by critics, he was embraced by an influential audience and a surging art market and ended up creating a brand of African-American history painting that still resonates today. Tickets to the exhibition have sold out, but you can add your name to the wait list by sending a request to ticketsnyc@brantfoundation.org. (Martha Schwendener)

212-777-2977, brantfoundation.org
BACHIR AND MUSTAPHA ATTAR at Roulette (March 30, 8 p.m.). The Master Musicians of Jajouka, a heritage band from a small village in Morocco, have become an influence on the rest of the world thanks to their work with Western stars such as Ornette Coleman, Bernardo Bertolucci and even the Rolling Stones. Theyre defined by the sharp scrawl of the ghaita, a double-reed instrument, and the resounding pound of the tebel drum, which is made of goatskin and struck with wooden sticks. Bachir and Mustapha Attar are the sons of Hadj Abdesalam Attar, who led the Master Musicians when they made their first recordings in the 1960s. At this concert, part of the continuing A World in Trance festival, the Attar brothers will perform alongside three improvising musicians based in the United States: the saxophonist and clarinetist Ned Rothenberg; the saxophonist, vocalist and visual artist Arrington de Dionyso; and the percussionist Ben Bennett.

917-267-0368, roulette.org

BROKEN SHADOWS at the Village Vanguard (through March 31, 8:30 and 10:30 p.m.). The alto saxophonist Tim Berne, an outre doyen of the New York music scene, writes runic, sharp-edged, fiercely desiccated tunes. Theyre a lot of fun if youre the type who likes to question the entire phenomenology of tunes or, better yet, fun. Broken Shadows, his new band, which is about to release an album on the subscription-only Newvelle Records imprint, is more immediately rambunctious. This music is easy to sing along with, and to move to, partly because the group mostly plays the compositions of Ornette Coleman, and partly because of the personnel: the underappreciated tenor saxophonist Chris Speed, the wily bassist Reid Anderson and the gallivanting drummer Dave King.

212-255-4037, villagevanguard.com

EDDIE HENDERSON at Smoke (March 28-30, 7, 9 and 10:30 p.m.). In big-band jazz and bebop, a trumpeter was often responsible for adding a flare of percussive energy to the upper reaches of a groups sound. In later forms of jazz, more heavily influenced by funk and soul, the instrument sometimes played more of a steadying role  holding sultry tones, projecting calm  while the rhythm section addressed questions of impact more directly. Eddie Henderson is comfortable in both circumstances, though he is more commonly associated with the jazz-funk movement of the 1970s, when he was known for work in his own bands and those led by Herbie Hancock. He performs here with Donald Harrison on alto saxophone, Peter Zak on piano, Essiet Okon Essiet on bass and Mike Clark on drums  most of whom appeared on Be Cool, Hendersons strong album from 2018.

212-864-6662, smokejazz.com

SUSIE IBARRA at H0L0 (March 31, 7 p.m.). Ibarra plays the drums with cool precision and a sense of architectural awareness that befits a great composer. After all, shes that too. Always blazing a new creative trail, she will present at H0L0 a fresh project, Bird Songs, featuring original music inspired by bird calls, with Jake Landau on guitar and keyboards and Jean-Luc Sinclair on electronics. The cellist Leila Bordreuil and the vocalist and performance artist Lauren Tosswill will open the show with separate solo performances.

h0l0.nyc

MARCUS MILLER at the Rose Theater (March 29-30, 8 p.m.). During the 1980s, Miller was the bassist and musical director in some of Miles Daviss final bands; he wrote and produced almost every tune on Tutu, Daviss Grammy-winning jazz-pop album from 1986. Here Miller will present a concert surveying the panorama of Daviss electric period, which stretches back to the late 1960s, in an octet featuring Brett Williams on keyboards, Alex Han on saxophone, Marquis Hill and Russell Gunn on trumpet, Vernon Reid on guitar, Alex Bailey on drums and Mino Cinelu on percussion. Each nights concert will be preceded by a discussion with Miller at 7 p.m.

212-721-6500, jazz.org

TWO WINGS: THE MUSIC OF BLACK AMERICA IN MIGRATION at the Stern Auditorium (March 30, 8 p.m.). The operatic mezzo-soprano Alicia Hall Moran and the pianist Jason Moran, a MacArthur fellow, like to think beyond the idea of multimedia performance. In 2012, with Bleed, they transformed a floor at the Whitney Museum of American Art into a zone of convergence and exchange, inviting dozens of performers, scholars and healers to collaborate over a period of days. And on Saturday they will debut Two Wings, a community-crafted project that uses the Morans own family lore to interrogate the history of Americas Great Migration. The Morans fellow performers will include the vocalists Pastor Smokie Norful, Toshi Reagon and Hilda Harris, and the Imani Winds quintet. The historian Isabel Wilkerson will read portions of her definitive account of the Great Migration, The Warmth of Other Suns. The concert is part of Migrations: The Making of America, a continuing festival produced by Carnegie Hall.

212-247-7800, carnegiehall.org

GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO
One reviewer has called it breathtaking and a building that leaves most state-of-the-art museums in the shade.

Other critics said it was extraordinary inside and out,  or, simply, astonishing.

The National Museum of Qatar  the kingdoms latest mega-project  opened to the public on Thursday. The museum tells the story of Qatar, from prehistoric times to the present day, including ongoing political events such as the blockade imposed by Saudi Arabia and other neighbors. But it will get most attention for its architecture.
The direction and mission of El Museo del Barrio, the oldest museum in the United States devoted to Latino art, continues to be the center of a roiling debate.

The museum announced this week that it is planning to hire a curator who will focus on the art and culture of historically marginalized Latinx communities in the United States. The statement, by the museums director, Patrick Charpenel, in an email to friends of the museum, appeared to be an effort to reaffirm El Museos commitment to its Puerto Rican roots and reach out to critics who have accused EL Museo of being out of touch with its Latinx heritage, which some define as people of Puerto Rican, Dominican and Mexican-American descent and living in the U.S.

Earlier this month the museum announced it had hired a new chief curator who had worked at the Sao Paulo Museum of Art in Brazil. That choice drew criticism from some members of the New York community who favor the museums original emphasis as distinct over a more global vision.

In his recent email, the director said the new hire will play an important role in increasing the visibility of Latinx cultural outreach, including but not limited to Puerto Ricans, Chicanos, Afro-descendants from the Americas and LGBTQ populations.
Theres a saying in journalism (and in other endeavors, with minor variations) that twice is a coincidence, three times is a trend. If thats true, we have a bunch of coincidences for you this week. There are two Supreme Court biographies: Evan Thomass First, about Sandra Day OConnor, and Joan Biskupics The Chief, about John Roberts. There are two spy books: the novel American Spy and the political history Spies of No Country. Two memoirs, by Carolyn Forche and Mitchell S. Jackson. And weirdly  which is to say, coincidentally  two books with the word betrayal in the subtitle. The lesson here may only be that eclecticism likes company. And that sounds like a trend.

Gregory Cowles

Senior Editor, Books

Twitter: @GregoryCowles

LOT: Stories, by Bryan Washington. (Riverhead, $25.) The subtle, dynamic and flexible stories in this debut collection play out across Houstons sprawling and multiethnic neighborhoods. About half of the stories are about a single family, and in particular about the coming-of-age of a teenager, the son of a black mother and a Latino father. The promise Washington displays is real and large, our critic Dwight Garner writes. He is an alert and often comic observer of the world.

WHAT YOU HAVE HEARD IS TRUE: A Memoir of Witness and Resistance, by Carolyn Forche. (Penguin Press, $28.) In 1977, someone Carolyn Forche had never met arrived at the poets door in California and convinced her to travel to El Salvador to document the perilous political turmoil there. Forche recounts the ensuing experience, and its lasting effect on her life and work, in this new memoir. Once Forches story gathers momentum, its hard to let the narrative go, our critic Jennifer Szalai writes. The shape of her memoir hews closely to what she herself saw and heard  and how, out of the horror, she began to discern what she needed to do.

FIRST: Sandra Day OConnor, by Evan Thomas. (Random House, $32.) OConnor, the first woman on the Supreme Court, was as practical, fearless and independent-minded off the bench as she was on it; in this intimate and admiring portrait, Thomas, a veteran journalist and biographer, expertly navigates both her pathbreaking career and fulfilling domestic life. Jeffrey Toobin, reviewing it, calls the book fascinating and revelatory, and concludes that Thomass book is not just a biography of a remarkable woman, but an elegy for a worldview that, in law as well as politics, has disappeared from the nations main stages.
(CNN)  Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan said Wednesday that the "breaking point has arrived this week" for the U.S. immigration system.

Speaking from El Paso, Texas, the head of the U.S. border security agency said that on Monday, CBP encountered the highest total number of migrants in years, with more than 4,000 in a single day, the vast majority of which were apprehensions of people illegally crossing the border.

That number was broken again on Tuesday.

McAleenan said the agency is on pace to apprehend and encounter "over 100,000" migrants this month. Ninety percent of those are expected to be for illegal border crossings.

"March will be the highest month since 2008," he said.

In March 2019 alone, almost 40,000 children will come into CBP's custody, McAleenan said, adding that the "potential for a tragic incident" during a border crossing or in overwhelmed agency facilities is "clear and present."

He said the danger increases as the weather gets hotter.

In December, two Guatemalan children died after they were detained with their fathers after crossing the border.

For months, administration officials have been warning that the changing demographics  more families, children and a majority of Central Americans arriving  were causing strain on resources, but the overall numbers of people arriving at the border are now set to reach levels not seen in a decade.

The last time the monthly number of border arrests was above 90,000 was in the spring of 2008. During the unaccompanied minor crisis of 2014, the highest monthly total number reached 61,357.

"This stark and increasing shift to more vulnerable populations, combined with the overwhelming numbers, and inadequate capacity to detain families and children at ICE and Health and Human Services, respectively, is creating a humanitarian crisis," said McAleenan.

CBP is taking over 60 migrants to the hospital each day and is encountering people with severe medical conditions, according to the commissioner.

For instance, in the past four days, CBP has seen infants with fevers of 105 degrees and a 2-year-old suffering from seizures in the desert.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Almost 40,000 children will be taken into federal custody this month, US border official says."
Subversion comes in many forms, and one of the most effective is dark humor. Charles Yus story Good News Bad News, a collection of headlines from the future, demonstrates how insurmountable our problems feel when presented in the chill language of journalese. As Yu rolls through the headlines, we learn that refugee families are settling on the moon; climate change is still being debated a millennium from now; scientists have confirmed that were living in a simulation; delegates from Kingdom Plantae, the worlds first nation-state of sentient trees, are going to the United Nations; and the 10-day forecast is:

Hot. Hot.

Hot.

Hot.

Hot.Really hot.

Dangerously hot.

What are we going to do about this hot.

Slightly less hot but still extremely troublingly hot.

Hot.

Yus future is as depressing as it is hot. The human race is still running on the hamster wheel toward doom. Except for the sentient trees, Good News Bad News seems like mostly bad news to me.

Unbearable heat is also the central motif of Catherynne M. Valentes story The Sun in Exile, a parable that illustrates the absurdity of climate change denial. The story opens in a scorched world, where everything is cooking down to its essence: Tomatoes simmered on the vine  and an entire city evaporated into steam like so much water in a copper-bottomed pot. Yet even as people fry, a leader named Papa Ubu denies that it is hot at all. He wears winter gear and gives speeches about the terrible cold, while his daughter, who is as beautiful and unmoving as carved ice, travels through the country handing out blankets to sweaty people who shone like their skin was made of diamonds. Soon the word hot is banned so as to not torment the suffering. Like The Emperors New Clothes, Valentes story is a study in how the powerful, through manipulation and the suppression of speech, create an alternate reality for the masses, one that contradicts both fact and lived experience. Such dystopian fairy tales reduce complexity to its lowest point, and can be frustrating to read, but Valente successfully lays bare the dangers of a leader who creates his own reality. One leaves A Peoples Future of the United States understanding that imaginary worlds can create a heaven or a hell, depending on your ideology. As N. K. Jemisin, whose work appears in this collection, is quoted in the publicity materials: Imagination is where revolution begins. 

While there is nothing particularly revolutionary about THE DEVIL ASPECT (Doubleday, $27.95), the beguiling and gruesome new horror thriller by the British novelist Craig Russell, it is a wildly entertaining story that grabs you on Page 1 and drags you into its dark world kicking and screaming. Thats a good thing, as far as Im concerned. Russell has created a truly frightening story, one that gets under your skin slowly, then goes deep, like the tip of a butcher knife. I read the novel one snowy night by the fire, unable to sleep until I finished, then unable to sleep once I had.

Czechoslovakia, 1935: We follow Dr. Viktor Kosarek, a dashing, brilliant psychiatrist, as he takes his new position at the Hrad Orlu Asylum, a gloomy castle in the town of Mlada Boleslav. Kosarek, a former student of Carl Jung, has developed an experimental treatment he plans to try on the six criminally insane patients confined at Hrad Orlu, all notorious killers known as the Devils Six. As Kosarek takes these killers back through their crimes via drug-induced hypnosis, a detective in Prague leads an investigation into a Jack the Ripper copycat killer. The hunt for the murderer merges with Dr. Kosareks experiments on the Devils Six, creating a suspenseful psychological mystery. Mladek, a clown whose alter ego Harlequin killed children, says at one point: The truth is the Devil comes into our lives, at least once, at one time or another. Everyone encounters him, but most dont know hes there.

While Harlequin would have you meet the Devil in person, every witch worth her grimoire knows that evil is best carried out by a spirit companion, or familiar. Stacey Hallss debut novel, THE FAMILIARS (Mira, $26.99), explores the power a group of witches wields over a small 17th-century English community. It is 1612 in the county of Lancashire, and the young and spunky Fleetwood Shuttleworth, wife of a rich country gentleman, desperately wants a child after three stillbirths. Pregnant and fearful, Fleetwood hires a midwife, Alice Gray, with connections to a group of women accused of witchcraft. For those acquainted with the history of English witch trials, and the famous conviction of the Pendle witches in Lancashire in 1612, Hallss novel offers a rich and atmospheric reimagining of a historical period rife with religious tensions, superstitions, misogyny and fear.

We experience the story through 17-year-old Fleetwoods perspective, with all her insecurities and ambitions. There are moments when Fleetwoods many conflicts  with her mother, her servants, her less than lusty husband  feel a tad, well, familiar. That said, through Fleetwoods dilemma we are privy to the atmosphere of paranoia and fear that accompanies a veritable mass hysteria. Now, with so many high-profile men claiming to be victims of a witch hunt, its good to understand what a real one looks like. In Pendle, 12 people were accused of witchcraft; 11 were tried. Nine were found guilty, one died awaiting trial and one went free. Not great odds, fellas.
THE OLD DRIFT

By Namwali Serpell

Something is happening in African literature: The women are coming. For decades now, a river of original and important writing by female authors has been flowing out of that continent  books by writers such as Marlene van Niekerk, of whose second novel Liesl Schillinger wrote in these pages, books like Agaat  are the reason people read novels; Tsitsi Dangarembga (Nervous Conditions); and, of course, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Now that river has burst its banks and become a flood. Namwali Serpells extraordinary, ambitious, evocative first novel, The Old Drift, contributes powerfully to this new wave.

Interestingly, many of the contemporary books overlap with and even echo one another. Petina Gappahs forthcoming novel, Out of Darkness, Shining Light, takes on the subject of the explorer David Livingstone and his African companions; The Old Drift also begins with Livingstone (but then moves on). Serpells novel is a multigenerational exploration of Zambias past, present and even its near future; another recent debut, Harmattan Rain, by Ayesha Harruna Attah, looks at the story of Ghana through the lives of three generations of women. And in September Maaza Mengistes The Shadow King will take on the subject of the Italian invasion of Ethiopia, moving beyond history to a kind of modern mythmaking, and looking at history primarily through the eyes of its female characters. The Old Drift, too, incorporates elements of fabulism into the history of Zambia, and, again, sees that history mostly through womens eyes. Novuyo Rosa Tshumas House of Stone, published in the United States in January, has already been highly praised in The Guardian for summing up not only  Zimbabwean history, but also all of African colonial history  a large claim on behalf of any novel. Equally large claims have already been made for The Old Drift, which early reviewers have garlanded with comparisons to Toni Morrison and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Meanwhile, another recent novel, Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbis Kintu, has been called a Ugandan One Hundred Years of Solitude. Trailing clouds of glory do they come.

Image

[ This book was one of our most anticipated titles of March. See the full list here. ]

The Old Drift is a strong and confident enough piece of writing to stand on its own two feet and is perhaps not well served by being placed on the shoulders of giants. Its structure is formal, three parts containing three sections each  The Grandmothers, The Mothers and The Children. Each of the nine sections is centered on one dominant character, all women in the first two parts, and, in the final section, two young men and one young woman. In between are to be found short, italicized sections narrated by an unnamed we, which work as a sort of Greek-chorus commentary on the action.
Under the rule of the Nigerian dictator Sani Abacha more than 20 years ago, a handful of high-ranking government officials looted billions of dollars from the countrys coffers.

Now the Nigerian government is demanding some of its money back  from JPMorgan Chase.

In a British court, lawyers for the country are suing a subsidiary of the largest United States bank, charging that it enabled corrupt former officials to extract nearly $900 million between 2011 and 2013 from a government bank account in London.

JPMorgan says it was following instructions it received from senior Nigerian government officials. The countrys attorney general himself wrote a letter attesting to the legitimacy of the instructions. But the bank has been unable to persuade a British judge to throw out the case, in part because of the unusual circumstances surrounding the money transfers  including the fact that two banks to which JPMorgan wired the money rejected the transfers because of concerns that they might violate money-laundering laws.

At the heart of the case is whether JPMorgan did enough to safeguard Nigerias money. Under British law, banks are required to act in their customers best interests, even if someone connected to a customer tries to get them to do otherwise. Even as it tried to send money to various recipients, JPMorgan reported to regulators its concerns that it might be transferring funds to a convicted money launderer. It made the transfers anyway.
Timothy J. Sloan, the embattled chief executive of Wells Fargo, abruptly stepped down on Thursday as one of the countrys largest banks struggles to recover from a series of self-inflicted scandals.

Mr. Sloan took over the top job in 2016 with a mandate to clean up the bank after his predecessor was forced to resign. Once regarded as among the nations best-run financial institutions, Wells Fargo admitted in 2016 that it had for years opened what may have been millions of fictitious accounts in customers names, improperly charged them fees and sold them unwanted products.

But Mr. Sloan, who has been at the company for 31 years, could do little to stem renewed criticism about the banks culture and sales practices. In fact, he became a lightning rod for criticism, including from members of Congress who called for his resignation.

I could not keep myself in a position where I was becoming a distraction, he said on a conference call with analysts.
Wow Air, an Icelandic budget airline that has been scrambling for money, ceased operations on Thursday after talks over financing fell apart.

Wow canceled all flights on Thursday morning and advised passengers to check for alternatives with other airlines.

Gudjon Helgason, a spokesman for Keflavik Airport near Reykjavik, Iceland, said no large groups were stranded at the airport because the airline had sent messages to passengers telling them that the flights would be canceled.

Theres no chaos or anything like that, Mr. Helgason said.

The airline, which in 2018 flew 3.5 million passengers to places like New York and Toronto, had been desperately trying to shore up its finances.
If confirmed by the Senate, Mr. Bernhardt will become one of two former lobbyists overseeing the nations top environmental agencies. The other is Andrew Wheeler, a former coal lobbyist who heads the Environmental Protection Agency. Like Mr. Bernhardt, Mr. Wheeler was a deputy who ascended to lead his agency after his former boss  Scott Pruitt, in the case of the E.P.A.  resigned amid allegations of corruption.

As a partner in the law firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, Mr. Bernhardt lobbied for the oil companies Cobalt International Energy and Samson Resources. His legal clients included the Independent Petroleum Association of America, which represents dozens of oil companies, and Halliburton Energy Services, the oil and gas extraction firm that was led by Dick Cheney before he became vice president.

As deputy secretary of the Interior Department, Mr. Bernhardt was the lead author of a revision of a program to protect tens of millions of acres of habitat of the imperiled sage grouse, a puffy-chested, chicken-like bird found in 10 oil-rich Western states. His final sage grouse plan, issued this month, would strip away protections from about nine million acres of the birds habitat, a move that, in a stroke, opened up more land to oil and gas drilling than any other single policy action by the Trump administration.

Mr. Bernhardt is also the chief author of a major plan, expected to be finalized and made public in the days or weeks after his Senate confirmation, that would allow the federal government to lease almost any part of the United States coastline to oil and gas companies for offshore drilling.

In Thursdays Senate hearing, Mr. Bernhardt also faced criticism for his actions during the 35-day government shutdown this year.

During that time, while thousands of federal employees were furloughed and government services shut down, Mr. Bernhardt brought back workers in offices that permit and inspect oil and gas drilling. In that period, those workers approved 15 new leases for drilling on public lands as well as 71 new permits for offshore drilling, and more than 50 recipients of the offshore drilling permits were companies that sit on the board of directors of the National Ocean Industries Association, a former client of Mr. Bernhardts.

Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, Democrat of Nevada, pressed Mr. Bernhardt as to why he led the push to continue the agencys work on drilling but not on conservation, maintaining national parks or permitting renewable energy programs.
Sweetness in wine can make people seem crazy.

Some of the most popular wines ever sold in the United States have had at least a few degrees of sweetness to them. Do you remember Blue Nun in the 1970s, Riunite Lambrusco in the 1980s and Kendall-Jackson Vintners Reserve Chardonnay in the 1990s (still going strong)? All had discernible sweetness.

So do more recent best-sellers, like Apothic Red and The Prisoner, which we tasted in January in our first foray into crowd-pleasing American wines.

Yet many American consumers swear they want only dry wines. They detest riesling, they say, because they think the wines are all sweet.

Wine trade observers for years have remarked on this chasm between what American consumers say they want in a wine and what they actually choose to drink. Its worth asking what on earth is going on. Why do consumers seem to have such an aversion to saying they like sweet wines?
Few regions are as important to understanding contemporary trends in wine as Burgundy, not only in France but throughout the world.

Thats a problem, because Burgundy is relatively scarce and fairly expensive. Nonetheless, its important to understand the history of Burgundy, as well as the thought that goes into making the wine.

Rather than studying its most famous regions, our approach at Wine School has been to snoop around the less-exalted edges, where the prices are a bit less daunting. Among the whites, we have looked at Chablis and aligote, while among the reds we have examined Marsannay.

Now its time to return to another peripheral area to Burgundy, the Cote Chalonnaise, a large area just south of the Cote dOr, Burgundys most celebrated region.
As investigators closed in on Purdue Pharma, the maker of the opioid painkiller OxyContin, more than a decade ago, members of the family that owns the company began shifting hundreds of millions of dollars from the business to themselves through offshore entities, the state of New York alleged in a lawsuit on Thursday.

The legal complaint, released at a news conference by the state attorney general Letitia James, was heavily redacted. Even so, it contains striking details alleging systematic fraud not only by the Sacklers but by a group of large but lesser-known companies that distributed alarming amounts of prescription painkillers amid a rising epidemic of abuse that has killed hundreds of thousands of people nationwide.

The major pharmaceutical distributors  Cardinal Health, McKesson and Amerisource Bergen  warned pharmacies when their monthly opioid limits were approaching, then helped them manipulate the timing and volume of orders to circumvent the limits, the complaint charged. On the rare occasion when a distributor would conduct surprise audits of its customers, it would often alert them in advance, the complaint says.

Over the past two decades, more than 200,000 people have died in the United States from overdoses involving prescription opioids, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 200,000 more have died from overdoses involving illegal opioids, like heroin.
Dr. Srivastava referred her to University College Londons Molecular Nociception Group, a team focused on genetic approaches to understanding the biology of pain and touch. They had some clues for her. In recent decades, scientists have identified dozens of other people who process pain in unusual ways. But when Dr. James Cox, a senior lecturer with that group and another author of the new paper, inspected her genetic profile, it did not resemble that of others known to live without pain.

Eventually he found what he was looking for on a gene the scientists call FAAH-OUT. All of us have this gene. But in Ms. Camerons, the patient has a deletion that removes the front of the gene, he said. Additional blood work confirmed this hypothesis, he said.

Ms. Cameron said she had been shocked by the interest in her case. Until her conversation with Dr. Srivastava, pain was not something she thought about. Perhaps it helped that even though she burned and cut herself quite often, her injuries rarely left scars  something else that scientists believe is connected to the mutation.

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A number of articles have been written about parents of children with similar conditions. Many live in fear that without pain, their children wont learn how to avoid hurting themselves. Her parents never made it an issue, she said. She suspects this may be because she inherited the mutation from her father.

I cant remember him needing any painkillers, she said. I think thats why I didnt find it odd.

Unfortunately, because he died before the discovery, it will remain unknown whether he carried the mutation. Her mother does not share it. Neither does her daughter. Her son has the same microdeletion in FAAH-OUT, but does not have the other mutation that confers reduced FAAH function, Dr. Cox said.

In other words, her son shares some, but not all, of her pain insensitivity.

Scientists are also intrigued by Ms. Camerons extraordinarily low anxiety level. On an anxiety disorder questionnaire, she scored zero out of 21. She cannot recall ever having felt depressed or scared.
In Nepal, many people believe that girls are impure when we are menstruating. We are often treated as untouchable during our periods. Some of us have been banished from our home and need to sleep outside in a cow shed or a mud hut. This process is called chhapaudi. We are forbidden from eating meat, milk products, and fruits or vegetables because it is believed that we will contaminate the source of those foods. We are not allowed to go in the kitchen, cook, or touch utensils and jars containing food. We are not even allowed to look at the faces of our father, brother, and other male member in the family. If we do, some believe it brings illness and perhaps death upon them. We live in Surkhet, Nepal. We range in age from 12 to 18. These are some of our menstruation stories. The first time I had my period, my grandmother told me to go to the river and bathe. It was cold, and the water was colder. I didnt want to bathe, but I had to. When I returned home, my grandmother told me to go into a dark room. I was not allowed to leave the room or touch anyone for 10 days. I was also forbidden from seeing the sun. I usually get lots of love from my family. But when I have my period, I am treated differently. I feel discriminated against and humiliated. Six two times? 12. When I started my period, my mom allowed me to go to school, but I had to hide from my brother because my family believed if I saw his face, his life would be shortened. During my first period, I stayed in my sisters home, but I could only be there in the nighttime. In the daytime, I stayed in a forest nearby. When I got my first period, I was afraid because my mom said I had to stay in the shed for 12 days. It was very cold, and the nights were long. I was also not allowed to go to school. When my older sisters were menstruating, our mother wouldnt allow them to enter our place because the witch doctor told her our home would be haunted if she wasnt strict about menstrual rules. My hope is that our generation will end the stigma against menstruation in Nepal. I hope people become educated about the fact that menstruation is a natural process. Girls and women are not polluted when they menstruate. I want the girls of next generation to be free of superstitious beliefs that isolate and humiliate them. I want future generations of girls to have access to sanitary napkins. I want them to be allowed to eat what they want, talk and touch the people they love, and live in all rooms of their home. I want them to be free of sin and fear during menstruation. I want the girls of future generations to have their freedom at all times. I also want this for me.
3. Why has Purdue Pharma been painted as the arch-villain of the opioid disaster, according to the article? What evidence is there that Purdue Pharma misled doctors and the public about the dangers of OxyContin?

4. How has the opioid crisis affected Oklahoma? Which example cited in the article do you find most significant?

5. Why is Purdue Pharma considering declaring bankruptcy? How many other lawsuits does the company face?

6. Where will the lawsuit settlement money be disbursed? How will the money help to address opioid addiction?

Finally, tell us more about what you think:

 What is your reaction to the article? Do you think the makers of OxyContin are responsible for the use and misuse of their product? Who do you think is responsible for the opioid epidemic? Doctors? Advertisers? Pharmacies? Distributors? The Food and Drug Administration? Consumers? How would you assign responsibility?

 What connections do you see between the Purdue Pharma settlement and other lawsuits against companies like gun manufacturers and cigarette makers? Are there any dangers in allowing lawsuits against companies, particularly pharmaceutical companies, for the products they make?

 How do we balance the medicinal benefits of painkillers with their highly addictive nature and with the death and devastation caused by their misuse and abuse? For example, the Democratic presidential candidate Kirsten Gillibrand recently proposed legislation to limit the supply of initial opioid prescriptions for acute pain to seven days, but the proposal was quickly criticized as infringing upon doctors ability to make case-by-case medical decisions.

 In a related article, Museums Cut Ties With Sacklers as Outrage Over Opioid Crisis Grows, Alex Marshall writes:

In a remarkable rebuke to one of the worlds most prominent philanthropic dynasties, the prestigious Tate museums in London and the Solomon R. Guggenheim in New York, where a Sackler sat on the board for many years, decided in the last week that they would no longer accept gifts from their longtime Sackler benefactors. Britains National Portrait Gallery announced it had jointly decided with the Sackler Trust to cancel a planned $1.3 million donation, and an article in The Art Newspaper disclosed that a museum in South London had returned a family donation last year. The Tates statement noted the familys historic philanthropy, then added: However, in the present circumstances we do not think it right to seek or accept further donations from the Sacklers.

What do you think of the decision by several museums to no longer accept donations from the Sackler family? Do you think other museums and other institutions doing business with the Sackler family should do so as well?
Update, Nov. 6, 2020: We have an updated version of this V.R. teaching resource.

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In late 2015, The New York Times released the NYT VR app and published the Magazine cover story Displaced, a multimedia journey in text, photographs and virtual reality that tells the stories of three child refugees.

Since then, The Times has published dozens of films that use V.R. technology on topics including exploring Antarctica and Pluto, civil rights issues and the Hiroshima bombing. The Times has also begun experimenting with A.R., augmented reality, which doesnt require the app.

To help us provide teachers with practical teaching strategies on using NYT VR in the classroom, weve teamed up with Travis Feldler, founder of TechRow Fund, a nonprofit organization that explores how to leverage immersive technology inside schools to improve learning outcomes. This post is part of a series of guest lessons we occasionally publish featuring partnerships with outside organizations who make especially good use of New York Times materials in their programming and curriculums.

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Virtual reality journalism, a medium that enables journalists to tell stories through an immersive, 360-degree audiovisual experience, can serve as a powerful educational tool to grab students attention and get them excited about a range of complex subjects. The V.R. experiences created by The New York Times combine the power of immersion with compelling first-person narratives and storytelling to allow users to explore a range of scientific, cultural and global themes. After students don their headsets, they enter a new environment  from Ethiopia and Mecca to a March for Our Lives protest and CERNs Large Hadron Collider  in which their senses of sight and sound are totally engaged.
What do you know about the Electoral College? What is its purpose? How does it work? (If you need more information, you might watch the two-minute video, The Electoral College Explained, or read the related article, How Does the Electoral College Work? from 2016.)

On March 18, at a CNN town hall in Jackson, Miss., Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts called for shutting down the Electoral College. I believe we need a constitutional amendment that protects the right to vote for every American citizen and to make sure that vote gets counted, she said.

Republicans responded:

The desire to abolish the Electoral College is driven by the idea Democrats want rural America to go away politically, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said on Twitter. His colleague Marco Rubio of Florida posted a similar note, calling the Electoral College a work of genius that requires candidates for president to earn votes from various parts of country. And it makes sure interests of less populated areas arent ignored at the expense of densely populated areas. President Trump weighed in as well: With the Popular Vote, you go to just the large States  the Cities would end up running the Country. Smaller States & the entire Midwest would end up losing all power  & we cant let that happen. I used to like the idea of the Popular Vote, but now realize the Electoral College is far better for the U.S.A.

What is your reaction to Ms. Warrens statement? Based on what you know right now, do you think the Electoral College is an important part of the United States election process? Why or why not?

Recently, two Times Opinion columnists have weighed in on the issue. In Getting Rid of the Electoral College Isnt Just About Trump, Jamelle Bouie makes an argument for why the Electoral College should be abolished:

In February, I wrote about the Electoral College, its origins and its problems. Whatever its potential merits, it is a plainly undemocratic institution. It undermines the principle of one person, one vote, affirmed in 1964 by the Supreme Court in Reynolds v. Sims  a key part of the civil and voting rights revolution of that decade. It produces recurring political crises. And it threatens to delegitimize the entire political system by creating larger and larger splits between who wins the public and who wins the states. Many readers disagreed, making arguments similar to those used by the president and his allies. But those claims  that the Electoral College ensures rural representation, that its counter-majoritarian outcomes reflect the intentions of the framers and that it keeps large states from dominating small ones  dont follow from the facts and are rooted more in folk civics than in how the system plays out in reality. Take rural representation. If you conceive of rural America as a set of states, the Electoral College does give voters in Iowa or Montana or Wyoming a sizable say in the selection of the president. If you conceive of it as a population of voters, on the other hand, the picture is different. Roughly 60 million Americans live in rural counties, and they arent all concentrated in rural states. Millions live in large and midsize states like California, New York, Illinois, Alabama and South Carolina. With a national popular vote for president, you could imagine a Republican campaign that links rural voters in California  where five million people live in rural counties  to those in New York, where roughly 1.4 million people live in rural counties. In other words, rural interests would be represented from coast to coast, as opposed to a system that only weights those who live in swing states. Totaling the 2016 numbers, Sam Wang, a molecular biologist at Princeton who also runs a widely read election website, found that out of almost 400 campaign stops made after the conventions, neither Hillary Clinton nor Donald Trump made appearances in Arkansas, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, the Dakotas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia or Vermont. It doesnt matter that Trump won millions of votes in New Jersey or that Hillary Clinton won millions in Texas. If your state is reliably red or blue, you are ignored. By contrast, under a national popular vote, the margin of your loss within a state matters as much as the size of your win. Democrats would have reason to maximize their share of the vote in the Deep South, and Republicans would see the same incentive in the Northeast (and the West for that matter). Still, you might argue, the Electoral College keeps large states from dominating small ones. If there were no such system, campaigns could win by focusing all their attention on the largest states. As a matter of math, that is unlikely. In 2016, New York, California, Texas and Florida cast about 35 million ballots, roughly a quarter of the total 137 million. Even if you somehow won every single one of those ballots, youd still have to campaign elsewhere for tens of millions more votes, assuming a 50 percent threshold. Take the total of 2016 presidential votes in the 10 largest states, and youd get only 71 million ballots, or about 52 percent of the vote. In the incredible event that a candidate won every ballot cast in those states, then yes, under a national popular vote, he or she could ignore the rest of the country and become president. But that isnt politically possible. Even an attempt to run up the score and retreat to the largest cities isnt viable  there just arent enough votes. Compare that with what we have under the Electoral College, where hypothetically a bare majority in the 11 largest states is all it takes to win 270 electors and become president  an actual instance of big-state domination.

And in A Case for the Electoral College, Ross Douthat counters:

Is there a case for a system that sometimes produces undemocratic outcomes? I think so, on two grounds. First, it creates incentives for political parties and candidates to seek supermajorities rather than just playing for 50.1 percent, because the latter play is a losing one more often than in a popular-vote presidential system. Second, it creates incentives for political parties to try to break regional blocs controlled by the opposition, rather than just maximizing turnout in their own areas, because you win the presidency consistently only as a party of multiple regions and you can crack a rival partys narrow majority by flipping a few states. According to this  admittedly contrarian  theory, the fact that the Electoral College produces chaotic or undemocratic outcomes in moments of ideological or regional polarization is actually a helpful thing, insofar as it drives politicians and political hacks (by nature not the most creative types) to think bigger than regional blocs and 51 percent majorities. Thus the electoral/popular split of 1888 pointed the way to William McKinley and Teddy Roosevelts national Republican majorities, and the near-splits of 1968 and 1976 pushed us toward Reagans nationwide landslides and Bill Clintons successful center-left campaigns. Time and again a close election leads to hand-wringing about the need for Electoral College reform; time and again, politicians and parties respond to the colleges incentives, and more capacious and unifying majorities are born. Does this theory fit our current situation? In a sense, yes. Donald Trump could win the presidency without a popular-vote majority only because both parties have been locked into base-turnout strategies that are partially responsible for our governments ineffectiveness and gridlock. And to the extent that Hillary Clintons campaign leaned into this polarization (writing off many constituencies that her husband competed for), she deserved her electoral-college loss. Trump could also only win the presidency without a popular-vote majority because a large region of the country, the greater Rust Belt and Appalachia, had been neglected by both parties policies over the preceding decades, leading to a slow-building social crisis that the national press only really noticed because of Trumps political success. In this sense, Clintons weird post-election boast that her half of the country was way more economically dynamic indicated the advantages of a system where a declining region can punch above its popular-vote weight  because it makes it harder for a party associated with economic winners to simply write the losers off.

Students, read both articles, then tell us:

 Has your opinion about the Electoral College changed at all? If so, how? If not, why not?

 What does democracy mean to you? Given your understanding, do you believe the Electoral College is democratic? Why or why not?

 The Electoral College has elected a president who did not win the popular vote twice in the past 20 years, in 2000 and 2016. Do you think this means the system is broken? Or is it working the way it is supposed to?

 Is the Electoral College a good way of making sure every citizens vote counts? Why or why not?

 Do you think the United States should get rid of the Electoral College? If so, why and what should replace it? If not, why not?
As progressive students equate Israel with racial discrimination, major American Jewish institutions have sought to counter this messaging. At the 2017 annual meeting of the Jewish Federations of North America  the umbrella group for hundreds of Jewish philanthropic organizations, which have a combined endowment of more than $16 billion  one of the panels convened was titled PRO-gressive and PRO-Zionist: Can You Be Both? A leading Israel advocacy group on campus, the David Project, has held outreach events for Latinos and African-Americans. After the 2015 divestment resolution at Stanford, the white Jewish Agency Israel fellow at Hillel was replaced by a black one.

At an earlier apartheid-wall protest at Michigan, Becca Lubow, the head of J Street U at the university, stood with other pro-Israel students, one of whom, because of J Streets criticisms of Israel, called her a kapo, a Jewish collaborator with the Nazis. Last fall, when asked by pro-Israel students if she was attending the demonstration, she said no. Hillel ignores us all year and then becomes our friend during pro-Palestinian events like the divestment vote, she told me.

Lubow said she felt a sense of personal responsibility for what Israel is doing to the Palestinians  like its almost the personal fault of me and my family and the communities Ive supported all my life, and theyre doing it in my and our name. She wondered if she should leave Hillel or J Street, which has resisted years of entreaties from some of its student leaders to move from rhetorical condemnations of Israeli policies to advocating economic and diplomatic pressure. For now, she said, she was staying in J Street U because she believed she could be more effective by influencing her own community. Theres an expression people use when something racist happens: White people, get your people. Im trying to get my people, she said. Three days later, she emailed me that J Street U had left the Israel cohort of the Michigan Hillel.

Politicians speaking on Israel-Palestine used to worry primarily about attacks from pro-Israel media and activist groups; now progressives are starting to feel some heat from the pro-Palestinian side. During the 2018 campaign, Tlaib, the first Palestinian-American woman to be elected to Congress, was denounced on the Electronic Intifada website by the sites co-founder, the Palestinian-American B.D.S. activist Ali Abunimah, for receiving an endorsement from J Street. She later declared her support for a one-state solution, though she denies that it was because of Abunimahs denunciation. J Street withdrew its endorsement. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez came under attack on social media from an otherwise adoring progressive base after she responded to a question about her massacre tweet by proclaiming herself a firm believer in a two-state solution and saying she absolutely believes in Israels right to exist.

At a town hall in 2017, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Senator Elizabeth Warren, each of whom is now running for president, came out against the Israel Anti-Boycott Act. Each faced pointed questions from members of Jewish Voice for Peace, which had organized a campaign to pressure politicians to oppose the bill on the grounds that it infringed on the First Amendment. Gillibrand withdrew her name as a sponsor of the bill, and Warren declared that she opposes B.D.S. but that outlawing protected free speech activity violates our basic constitutional rights. Later that year, in the House, Representative McCollum put forward a bill demanding that the secretary of state certify that United States funds do not support military detention, interrogation, abuse or ill-treatment of Palestinian children. Though it received no public support from J Street  previously considered the arbiter of the outer limit of what Democrats would back  30 Democrats co-sponsored the bill.

In December, after Tlaib won the Detroit congressional seat long held by John Conyers, she announced that she would not go on the free Aipac-led trip customarily taken by freshman members and would instead lead her own delegation to the West Bank, where her grandmother lives. She also declared her support for the B.D.S. movement, making her the second member of Congress to do so. The other is her fellow Muslim congresswoman, Ilhan Omar. In February, the bill sponsored by Senator Marco Rubio that would give federal backing to state anti-B.D.S. laws came up for a vote in the Senate. Though it passed, almost half of the 47 members of the Democratic Caucus in the Senate voted against it. The list included all the senators who had filed a statement of candidacy for president in 2020: Warren, Gillibrand, Kamala Harris and even Cory Booker, who has a largely pro-Israel voting record and is a sponsor of the Israel Anti-Boycott Act.

Were one moment away from this changing, once someone breaks through the fear factor, Rhodes said, referring to U.S.-Israel policy, when I spoke to him in October. He recalled that before Obamas first presidential campaign, Democrats were afraid to challenge the United States embargo of Cuba, particularly given the historical support for the embargo among many Cuban-Americans in Florida, a battleground state. Once we showed that we were willing to break that Cuba fear factor, the party fell in line behind a totally different Cuba policy. When I spoke to him again in March, he added: If you look beyond the Ilhan Omar controversy, too, Democratic candidates are comfortable strongly criticizing the prime minister and his policies. James Zogby, the Sanders appointee to the D.N.C. platform drafting committee in 2016, says that standing for Palestinian rights is guaranteed to be a major topic in the 2020 election: Its a smell-test issue. If you go to young people, they know you stink if you dont talk about it right. A senior Democratic staff member on Capitol Hill told me: People like Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib and Bernie Sanders have opened the floodgates on this issue. It may be painful for the party as we move in a more progressive direction. But well come out in a better place  a more moral and evenhanded place  in the end.
Men dont like candy thats been unwrapped, Norma admonishes her furiously flirting charge, a wild child with a yen for booze and barflies. Yet despite a thoroughly modern central character, this impeccably costumed, wishy-washy period piece feels like it emerged from a PBS storage trunk, wrapped in tissue paper and reeking of mothballs. McGovern is a lovely actor, but shes too gentle and self-effacing to convince as a Prohibition-supporting scold or provide an effective foil for a teenage tearaway. Most of the time shes simply repurposing her performance as the mild-mannered Lady Cora in Downton Abbey.

Dull and wooden, the men who circle Normas libidinal and feminist awakening mostly disappear into the furniture. Caught indulging a bliss of his own, her husband (Campbell Scott) barely musters a change of expression. Geza Rohrig fares better as the sweet German handyman who fixes her right up, even helping her solve a childhood mystery. The whole enterprise, though, has a made-for-TV patina and tonal primness that drain the melodrama. And though Richardson is a delight, her verve and sexual confidence only highlight the dreariness around her. A light goes out whenever shes offscreen.
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As New York edges closer to adopting congestion pricing, a major obstacle could stand in the way: the suburbs, where many lawmakers and commuters see the plan as benefiting the city at their expense.

Leaders in Albany announced this week that they had reached a consensus that a congestion pricing plan to charge drivers to enter Manhattans busiest neighborhoods was needed to raise billions of dollars for the failing subway.

But the details have yet to be worked out, and Long Island lawmakers want revenue from congestion pricing to flow to the commuter trains their constituents ride.

[Driving into Manhattan may soon cost well more than $10. Heres more on how congestion pricing would work.]
Mr. Shapiro said he did not believe that Ballyhoo was breaking the law. Before sailing its billboards in New York, he said, the company had gotten advice from law firms, and zoning and maritime experts.

They all said we did not infringe upon any zoning laws, Mr. Shapiro said.

Ballyhoos boat in New York, which carries a 60-foot-long and 20-foot-high LED screen, travels from the West Side of Midtown, down the Hudson River and around Battery Park, before heading up the East River toward Roosevelt Island.

The journey takes two hours before the boat reverses course, Mr. Shapiro said.

I want to be sympathetic to people and understand their point of view, he said. I just cant see how something passing by in a couple of seconds impacts someones day.

Mr. Shapiro confirmed that the freedom-affirming messaging on the billboard seen Friday was meant to push back against the lawsuit.

The screen sported an image of the Statue of Liberty, along with text celebrating the freedom of speech, commerce and innovation. It went on to thank the Coast Guard and New Yorks police and fire departments, then ended with a riff on the I Heart N.Y. campaign.

We are simply one boat cruising the harbor causing no harm to anyone or anything, he said, adding: Just because some dont like it, or the thought of it, doesnt mean it should be illegal.

Marcy Benstock, the executive director of the Clean Air Campaign and the Open Rivers Project in New York, said her organization had received complaints from people who live along the water that the light from the billboard had woken them.
Last fall, tenants at the Atlantic Plaza Towers, a rent-stabilized apartment complex in Brooklyn, received an alarming letter in the mail. Their landlord was planning to do away with the key-fob system that allowed them entry into their buildings on the theory that lost fobs could wind up in the wrong hands and were now also relatively easy to duplicate.

Instead, property managers planned to install facial recognition technology as a means of access. It would feature an encrypted reference file that is only usable in conjunction with the proprietary algorithm software of the system, the letter explained, in a predictably failed effort to mitigate concerns about privacy.

As it happened, not every tenant was aware of these particular Orwellian developments. New mailboxes in the buildings required new keys, and to obtain a new key you had to submit to being photographed; some residents had refused to do this and so were not getting their mail.

In order to let neighbors who might not have seen the letter know what was potentially coming, five tenants convened in the lobby of one of the two buildings on a late October morning to spread the word. A few days later, those five tenants  like most of the residents at Atlantic, black women  received a notice from property management with pictures of the gathering taken from a security camera; they were told that the lobby was not a place to solicit, electioneer, hang out or loiter.
Henry J. Stern, who presided over New York Citys emerald empire for 15 years as commissioner of parks and recreation under two mayors, surpassing all but the Napoleonic Robert Moses in tenure and enhancements to the citys greenswards and playgrounds, died on Thursday at his home in Manhattan. He was 83.

Mr. Sterns son Jared said the cause was complications of advanced Parkinsons disease.

A brilliant, combative grandstander who clowned in costumes, kissed catfish and crawled through the seal house in Central Park to get publicity, Mr. Stern was the commissioner under Edward I. Koch from 1983 to 1990 and under Rudolph W. Giuliani from 1994 to 2002. He was also a councilman at large for Manhattan for eight years and held other municipal posts in a four-decade career.

Civic historians generally give Mr. Stern high marks for his stewardship, although his eccentricities sometimes overshadowed his accomplishments, and in his last year in office a lawsuit accused him of discriminating against thousands of black and Hispanic employees  a case that the city settled years later for $20 million and sweeping changes in the parks departments salary and promotion practices.

As a liberal in Mr. Kochs Democratic administration in the 1980s, Mr. Stern was a general in charge of an army of nearly 5,000 workers, commanding generous public spending for city parks. But as a centrist under the Republican Mayor Giuliani, he had to manage with 2,400 employees and struggled to meet the needs of a department increasingly reliant on private donors, volunteers and civic groups.
Michel Bacos, the valiant French pilot who was forced by terrorists to fly his jetliner to Entebbe, Uganda, in 1976, but refused to abandon Jewish passengers before an audacious rescue by Israeli commandos, died on Tuesday in Nice, France. He was 94.

His death was announced by Christian Estrosi, the mayor of Nice, where Mr. Bacos lived.

Michel bravely refused to surrender to anti-Semitism and barbarism and brought honor to France, Mayor Estrosi said. Michel was a hero.

Celebrated in films and books, the swashbuckling rescue by Israelis disguised as Ugandan soldiers culminated a harrowing week in which hijackers from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and Germanys Baader-Meinhof Gang seized control of Air France Flight 139 less than eight minutes after it lifted off from Athens on June 27, 1976. The plane had stopped there on its way from Tel Aviv to Paris.

The plane, carrying more than 240 passengers and a crew of 12, was diverted to Libya to refuel, then directed to fly more than 3,500 miles to Entebbe, where it landed with only 20 minutes of fuel remaining.
Victoria Ruvolo, whose face was shattered when a teenager tossed a 20-pound frozen turkey through the windshield of her car in 2004 but who then insisted on mercy in his sentencing, died on Monday at her home in Ronkonkoma, N.Y., on Long Island. She was 59.

Her death was confirmed by her sister Jo-Marie Brennan, who said the cause had not been determined.

Ms. Ruvolos widely publicized kindness toward her attacker provided emotional counterpoint to a senseless act that began in the early hours of Nov. 13, 2004. She was returning home from watching a niece sing at a recital in Amityville, also on Long Island. Her friend Louis Erali was in the passenger seat of her car, a Hyundai.

As another car with three teenagers in it approached hers from the opposite direction on Portion Road, a passenger, Ryan Cushing, then 18, threw the turkey through the open window of the back seat. (The youths had purchased it with a stolen credit card, the authorities later said.)

The turkey crashed through Ms. Ruvolos windshield, crushing the bones in her cheeks and jaw, fracturing the socket of her left eye, causing her esophagus to cave in and leaving her with brain trauma.
In another appeal pending before the court, this one from Indiana, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit struck down a law that makes it a felony for a doctor to perform an abortion if the patient wants to terminate her pregnancy because the fetus has been diagnosed with Down syndrome or any other disability. In his opinion, Judge William Bauer wrote that the Supreme Courts unambiguous and controlling precedent made clear that before fetal viability, a womans right to an abortion was categorical and could not be blocked for this or any other reason.

Judge Bauer, a 92-year-old former chief judge of the circuit who was originally appointed to a Federal District Court by President Richard Nixon, expressed no unease about the status quo in a straightforward 20-page opinion. But Judge Daniel Manion, in a concurring opinion, took a very different path. He accused the Supreme Court of making abortion a more untouchable right than even the freedom of speech. While the outcome of this case was compelled, he said, it is at least time to downgrade abortion to the same status as actual constitutional rights.

Judge Manion, named to the Seventh Circuit by President Reagan and long one of the most conservative judges in the country, wrote that Indiana made a noble attempt to protect the most vulnerable members of an already vulnerable group but the Supreme Courts precedents proved an insurmountable obstacle. He added: This court is powerless to change that state of affairs. Only the Supreme Court or a constitutional amendment can do that.

Indianas appeal, Box v. Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky, arrived at the Supreme Court in October. The justices have taken it up at their private conference eight times and will consider it again at the conference scheduled this Friday. Ordinarily, such prolonged consideration would indicate that the petition has failed to get the requisite four votes needed to add a case to the courts docket for decision, and that justices who wanted to accept the case are crafting a dissent. But the justices conference is the black box of the decision process, and there is no way of knowing what happens there until the word granted or denied issues from behind the closed door  perhaps, in this case, on Monday.

So-called heartbeat bills, which would ban abortion as soon as ultrasound can detect a heartbeat  at as early as six weeks, when the embryo, not yet even considered a fetus, is one-quarter inch long  have received a good deal of public attention. Gov. Phil Bryant of Mississippi signed one into law last week, and a dozen other states are considering similar measures. These laws are too blatant, presenting too big a target, to catch favor with a Supreme Court that prefers moving toward a desired destination in more measured steps. (See last terms public employee union case, which reached a radical result after a series of intermediate steps that made that result appear all but foreordained.)

A more likely vehicle for the Supreme Court to use to cut back on the abortion right is another Indiana appeal, which the state filed last month from another ruling by the Seventh Circuit. The appeals court invalidated an Indiana law requiring women to undergo an ultrasound examination as part of the informed-consent procedure at least 18 hours before the abortion. Since Indiana had long had both an informed-consent requirement, during which a doctor must explain the procedure and advise on options if the woman decides to carry the pregnancy to term, and an ultrasound requirement, this law, enacted in 2016, sounds relatively benign.

But as Judge Ilana Rovner explained for the appeals court, the new law would seriously impair access to abortion for many women in the state. While under the old law, informed consent had to be given at least 18 hours in advance, the ultrasound could take place immediately before the abortion. That meant that women could receive the counseling at a clinic near their homes, and then travel at a later time to one of the handful of clinics in Indiana that perform abortions, where they could receive both the ultrasound and the operation. Only the clinics that provide abortions have the ultrasound equipment. So the new law means that women have to make two trips, hundreds of miles for some, because of the requirement of an 18-hour gap between the ultrasound and the abortion. This was a heavy burden without any corresponding benefit, the court concluded; hence, the burden was undue and the law was unconstitutional. The laws only effect, Judge Rovner wrote, is to place barriers between a woman who wishes to exercise her right to an abortion and her ability to do so. (Judge Rovner was named to the Seventh Circuit by President George H.W. Bush.)
PARIS  For some weeks now, Algerians have been taking to the streets for peaceful demonstrations. The now-historic protests climax every Friday, when people of all ages and backgrounds come together to march and chant slogans and songs.

At first, the protesters rallied to oppose a fifth term for President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who has been in power since 1999 and so sickly for years that he has been appearing in public only in the form of a framed portrait (before which numerous officials have bowed). Mr. Bouteflika  or the people who make decisions in his place  finally renounced seeking another extension, all the while announcing that he would continue to run the country to oversee a transition toward some eventual inclusive national conference. Then, the vox populi made itself heard again: No to an extended mandate, the protesters said this time, brandishing signs with 4+ crossed out.

On Tuesday, the army chief of staff, Gen. Ahmed Gaid Salah, called on Algerias constitutional court to consider whether Mr. Bouteflika is unfit to rule. The move appeared to be a bid to take responsibility for the popular discontent. General Gaid Salah, an ally of Mr. Bouteflika since 2002 who owes the president some major promotions , seemed rather menacing toward the protesters at first. But now here he is apparently suggesting that the army will side with the people. And by appealing to the constitutional court, General Gaid Salah seems to be signaling both respect for the rule of law and that no coup is in the offing.

The change of direction is significant. Then again, sidelining the president  assuming that Mr. Bouteflika does indeed go  will solve absolutely nothing.
Now there is another way in which ranked choice could be useful: Solving the Brexit mess.

Brexit is at a standstill because none of the options has the support of a majority of Parliament (or, it seems, of the British people). Yesterday, Parliament voted on eight different proposals under which Britain could leave the European Union. None got a majority. Prime Minister Theresa May has even offered to resign if Parliament passes her plan, knowing that would appeal to many members of Parliament. In previous votes, the May plan hasnt come close to passing.

So some observers have begun calling for a ranked-choice solution. In effect, it would winnow down the options to the two most popular and then force Parliament to choose between them. The great virtue of this voting system, Partha Dasgupta, a Cambridge University economist, writes in The Financial Times, is that it results in an outcome that is truly the majority winner. Part of the idea, as Ian Dunt, the editor of politics.co.uk, has written, is creating a process where tolerable compromises can be found.

Notably, one of the only proposals that came closest to passing yesterday was a kind of meta option, calling for the British people to get an up-or-down vote on any plan Parliament ultimately passed. Its a sign of how far Parliament remains from agreeing on the substance of Brexit.

Ill confess to being torn about my hopes here. On the one hand, I think ranked-choice voting is a fair way for Parliament to find the most acceptable version of Brexit. On the other, I wouldnt mind if Parliament were to find any acceptable version and then put the entire matter before the British public for a re-vote.

Related: On the latest episode of The Argument podcast, Ross Douthat, Michelle Goldberg and I talk about how to replace the Electoral College, and one option is a national popular vote with ranked choice. We also debate the meaning of the Mueller investigation  and who should be feeling vindicated by it.
When I heard that federal prosecutors were charging 50 people in six states for a college admissions bribery scheme and read the accounts that followed, outlining all of the other extensive, mostly legal, help that applicants from rich families get, it underscored how different the admissions experience was for me and my high school classmates in Canarsie.

The Canarsie neighborhood of eastern Brooklyn is an hour subway ride from the gleaming skyscrapers of Manhattan and a world away from the door-opening privileges enjoyed by the children of households in good school districts (much less the dirty-rich families implicated in the bribery scandal.) Many of us came from low-income families, and few had parents who had attended college. We vaguely knew that college was crucial for future success, but we had little understanding of how to get there  and no idea how difficult it would be to navigate the process.

We all knew of the SAT, for instance, but had no concrete idea of how to prepare for it. We knew that you had to apply to college, and for financial aid, but didnt know the necessary or smart steps. When youre 17, and pretty much doing it all on your own, the sight of all the hurdles you have to jump can be demoralizing, even paralyzing.
Tourism has been a bright spot for Cuba. From 2007 to 2017, visitors to the island doubled, largely thanks to the arrival of more Americans, whose numbers grew considerably after President Barack Obama eased diplomatic relations in 2015. But Hurricane Irma and the tightening of travel restrictions by President Trump (like barring American tourists from using hotels and restaurants run by Cubas military) and the alert declared by the administration after the sonic attacks on United States diplomats in Havana led to a drop in tourism during the end of 2017 and the first half of 2018. Tourism rebounded in September, driven by a cruise industry that offers customers lodging, meals and tours. Those visitors spend about 14 percent of what those arriving by air spend.

Since the revolution, Cuba has run a large annual fiscal deficit in its merchandise trade. But since the start of the century, it has benefited from a surplus on the services balance because of the growth in exports of medical and teaching services sold mainly to Venezuela. This surplus exceeded the deficit in the merchandise trade. But as Venezuelas economy weakened, the Cuban surplus decreased drastically. In addition, Venezuelas oil supply halved, and overall trade fell by 27 percent.

Cubas woes are a result of the inefficient economic model of centralized planning, state enterprises and agricultural collectivization its leaders have pursued despite the failure of these models worldwide. In his decade in power, President Raul Castro tried to face his brother Fidels legacy of economic disaster head on by enacting a series of market-oriented economic structural reforms. He also opened the door to foreign investment, but so far, the amount materialized has been one-fifth of the goal set by the leadership for sustainable development.

Unfortunately, the pace of reforms has been slow and subject to many restrictions, disincentives and taxes that have impeded the advance of the private economy and desperately needed growth. It is time to abandon this failed model and shift to a more successful one as in China and Vietnam.

In 2018, Miguel Diaz-Canel, the first of a new generation of leaders born after the revolution, took office. Trapped by Mr. Castros program, he has promised continuity. The new Constitution, approved on Feb. 24 through a referendum, doesnt introduce any significant change to its prevailing model of centralized planning and state dominance over the means of production and land.
The settlement also prohibits Facebook from continuing to use race and other protected categories in look-alike targeting in housing, employment and credit markets. That technique enables an advertiser to reach users whose characteristics resemble those of its existing customers. In other words, the broker for a co-op building that is predominantly white and middle-aged can no longer use the look-alike feature to post an apartment opening because it would effectively discriminate against people who do not fit the mold.

The devil will be in the details of execution, of course, but with these settlement terms, we have come a long way since Facebooks flat denials. The civil rights groups who filed the litigation will be monitoring the effects of Facebooks changes for the next few years.

Still, the reforms embodied in the settlement are hardly enough. First, even if Facebook substantially narrows the scope of targeting, there is no reason to believe that its algorithms might not revert to discriminatory ad distribution patterns. How will Facebook respond when, for example, its algorithms learn that mostly younger white men click through a housing advertisement in a predominantly white neighborhood?

We might suspect that Facebook could moderate against the possibility of algorithmic bias in instances like that by just editing the algorithm. But this points to another limitation in the agreement: Facebook does not have to be transparent about the actual workings of its algorithms.

Presumably, the lawsuit that HUD filed Thursday will ensure that a watchful eye remains on the companys advertising practices. The best the settlement does on the question of transparency is provide a process through which civil rights groups and researchers may intermittently evaluate the ways in which Facebook administers ads. It also requires Facebook to develop another portal through which all users may search and review all housing advertisements, whether or not Facebook serves them to their news feeds. But ultimately, none of these transparency reforms will ensure that Facebooks algorithms will stop engaging in illegal discrimination.

Despite these limitations, there is much in the settlement that is worth applauding. At a minimum, it sets out the blueprint for how to regulate big tech going forward.

For one, it acknowledges that Facebook can separate parts of its advertising service from other parts of its vast platform. It is possible to impose structural limits on how it and other big tech companies like Google and Amazon leverage the two-sided markets that they straddle. In light of recent proposals by at least one presidential candidate and excellent legal scholarship on the question, this aspect of the agreement should encourage policymakers to plausibly call for structural fixes to the services that big tech provides. Policymakers should consider limitations on what online companies may do with user data after they collect it, like the requirements of Europes new data protection law.
To the Editor:

Re Not All Medicare Cuts Are Bad (editorial, March 26):

While your editorial board and the Trump administration may not always see eye to eye, this editorial finds important areas of agreement.

The presidents 2020 budget takes thoughtful steps to strengthen and protect the Medicare program for Americas seniors. In fact, the budget does not harm beneficiaries. It does not cut their benefits, nor does it increase aggregate out-of-pocket spending.

Instead, the budget eliminates waste and inefficiencies in the Medicare program, in line with the presidents campaign promise. One prominent example cited in the editorial is our push toward site-neutral payment. Why should taxpayers or seniors pay higher rates for a service at an outpatient hospital clinic than for the same service at a doctors office?

For example, seniors pay about $34 for a clinic visit at an outpatient hospital and about $15 for the same services at a physicians office. This push is not a one-off occurrence; rather, it is something we have worked to embed in the system through the yearly payment process over the last two years.
This election season, Americans are going to hear a lot about regulating big tech. Senator Elizabeth Warren has already kicked off that debate, and it would be the tone-deaf candidate who wasnt alert to the increasing anxiety among the public over the power Silicon Valley giants wield. According to a 2018 survey by Pew Research Center, 57 percent of Democrats and 44 percent of Republicans feel that big tech companies should be regulated more than they are now.

A candidate who fails to address these issues in a meaningful way is not taking these concerns seriously. But how should we, as citizens, evaluate these proposals?

Any effort to regulate big tech will have to address two main issues. The first is consumer protection. When the private sector controls so much of our data, Americans should be able to know who has access to this data and how they use it. The second issue relates to platform companies, services that connect two or more sides of a transaction: Google Search connects people with websites, Amazon connects buyers with sellers, Apples iOS and Googles Android connect consumers with apps, and so on. The concern is that platforms can build services that compete with third-party services running on their platforms, and can easily give themselves an unfair advantage.

The more visible concern is consumer protection, particularly protections for privacy. Any regulation addressing consumer protection should, first, specify whether consumers have the right to access data that companies store about them and whether firms are allowed to share confidential data with a third party.
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That should be the central lesson from the epic media fiasco of Russiagate.

Lets specify what the fiasco is not. Its not that there was nothing for Mueller to investigate. Its not that he uncovered no wrongdoing. Its not that the president did not act in suspicious ways, epitomized by his appalling performance at Helsinki. Its not that he didnt lie and mislead, not least about his business ties in Russia. Its not that the Trump campaign wasnt studded with people who were, at a minimum, profoundly vulnerable to Russian blackmail. Its not that the Kremlin didnt actively seek to interfere in the election, with a favorable eye toward Trumps candidacy.

Pace the president and his sycophants  the ones who spent nearly two years casting aspersions on Muellers integrity, only to now hail his conclusions as dispositive  the nature and extent of Trumps ties to Russia required a thorough investigation. It got done. Barring some major discrepancy between the attorney generals summary of Muellers report and the report itself, its time to say: Case closed. Thank God the president is not a Russian stooge.

The fiasco was to assume that the result of Muellers investigation was a foregone conclusion. And to believe that the existence of dots was enough to prove that they had to connect. And to report on it nonstop, breathlessly, as if the levee would break any second. And to turn Adam Schiff into a celebrity guest. And to belittle or exclude contrarian voices.

Last July, I wrote of the special counsels inquiry: The smart play is to defend the integrity of Muellers investigation and invest as little political capital as possible in predicting the result. If Mueller discovers a crime, thats a gift to the presidents opponents. If he discovers nothing, it shouldnt become a humiliating liability.

Instead, as Matt Taibbi perceptively observed last week, what we have is a W.M.D.-size self-inflicted media disaster, which ought to require some extensive self-criticism before we breathlessly move on to Trumps latest alleged idiocy. Assume for a moment that Trumps odd Russia behavior, including the obsequiousness toward Vladimir Putin and the routine eruptions against Mueller, was merely a way of baiting journalists for years.
Over the next two years, multiple administration officials would work to circumvent Congresss prohibition on American involvement, first through fund-raising  soliciting $32 million from Saudi Arabia over several years  and then through illegal arms sales to Iran, spearheaded by a National Security Council staff member, Oliver North. In 1986, the scheme exploded into public view after the Lebanese magazine Al Shiraa published the story of the arms sales to Iran and Sandinista forces downed a cargo plane carrying weapons and other supplies for the contras.

The scandal implicated top cabinet and administration officials, with strong evidence tying Vice President George H.W. Bush to the conspiracy as well. Figures with direct involvement, like North and Adm. John Poindexter (who succeeded McFarlane as national security adviser), altered records and lied to Congress in an attempt to stymie investigators and insulate the president from culpability.

The particular twists and turns of Iran-contra dont mirror the Russia scandals. The politics, however, do. As with Trump and Russia, the White House itself was defiant. Admiral Poindexter and Colonel North put their careers on the line to protect our country, Pat Buchanan, then serving as White House communications director, said at a rally in Miami in December 1986. If Colonel North broke any rules, he will stand up and take it as the Marine he is. But I say, if Colonel North ripped off the ayatollah and took some $30 million to give to the contras, God bless Colonel North.

Most Republicans outside the administration also stood firmly behind the Reagan administration, even in the face of clear wrongdoing. I dont want you prosecuted, Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah said to North during the colonels testimony before a House and Senate select committee on the scandal in 1987. I dont. I dont think many people in America do. And I think theres going to be one lot of hell raised if you are.

The minority report of the select committee  written by its Republican members, including Dick Cheney, then representing Wyoming  was dismissive of claims of malfeasance. The bottom line, it reads, is that the mistakes of the Iran-contra Affair were just that  mistakes in judgment, and nothing more. There was no constitutional crisis, no systematic disrespect for the rule of law, no grand conspiracy, and no Administration-wide dishonesty or cover-up.
More than most, Churchill foresaw the opportunities and difficulties emerging in the Middle East. As a lifelong Zionist, he was acutely conscious of the capacity of the Jews to develop and irrigate Mandatory Palestine, but also the effect that Jewish purchase of Arab land might have on the rest of the population. He was also a supporter of the Iraqi Kurds, who he believed needed active protection in case an anti-Kurdish dictator emerged in Iraq. In some things Churchill had been surprisingly myopic  he had opposed women being given the vote before World War I, for example, although he supported it when it finally took place in Britain in 1918  but in others he was profoundly farsighted.

What he never lost sight of, however, was how important it was for the future peace of Europe that he and the other decision makers get the key decisions of 1919 right.

Churchills first major task  demobilization  might easily have gone terribly wrong. On the very day before he became secretary for war, angry troops marched on the War Office in Whitehall, protesting orders to go to France. How many troops have we to deal with them? Churchill asked Gen. Geoffrey Feilding , the commander of London District, and on being told that there were only a battalion of guards and three squadrons of the Household Cavalry, he nonetheless ordered the arrest of the mutineers, which in the event went smoothly. Four days later he completely changed the criteria on which men were demobilized, giving priority to those who had been wounded and those who had served longest. The protests dissolved, and by the end of January almost one million men had returned home.

There were other worries on Churchills mind in 1919  not least a looming sectarian civil war in Ireland  but the future of Britains relationship with a newly configured Europe, the perils of a resurgent, aggressive Russia, the danger of American isolationism and the likelihood of unrest in the Middle East were uppermost. None are without their modern parallels, a century later. Although his thoughts on all of these issues were listened to with respect, and indeed he had a front-row seat for all of the dramas as they played out, he was never in a position to exercise control, and would not be until two decades later.

Churchills attitude toward Germany and Russia were succinctly summed up in his phrase to his friend Lady Violet Bonham Carter: Kill the Bolshie, kiss the Hun. He wanted to reinforce and re-equip the small British military contingent in northern Russia, and then allow it to go on the offensive to help the half-million Tsarist White Russians to extinguish Lenin and Trotskys Bolshevik Revolution. If I had been properly supported in 1919, he was to recall years later, I think we might have strangled Bolshevism in its cradle, but everybody turned up their hands and said, How shocking!

In fact it would have taken a huge international effort to capture Leningrad and Moscow, which in the financial and political context of the period was unlikely to be forthcoming, not least because President Wilson and Prime Minister Lloyd George were profoundly opposed to the expenditure of any more lives and money. Churchill went to Paris to try to persuade Wilson to change his mind; he failed, and Wilson complained that sending supplies to the White Russians would be assisting reactionaries. The last chance of saving Europe and the world from a system that would ultimately cost 100 million lives in the 20th century was lost forever.
Eliot Ferguson, who is originally from Florida, arrived in New York as a drummer at the age of 22. He and his older brother bought a building in TriBeCa, gutted and rebuilt it, and opened a recording studio there. He lived on the top floor. Later, Mr. Ferguson bought a two-bedroom condominium in SoHo, where he lived with his wife, and sold the TriBeCa building.

Back then , SoHo felt out of the way. Most of our friends lived in the East Village, and no one wanted to come see us, said Mr. Ferguson, now 44.

Still, he thought the family would stay put for the long haul. But then life happened. His son was diagnosed with autism. Mr. Ferguson and his wife divorced, sharing custody of their two young children. He ended up in a smaller two-bedroom in the same building.

For three years, the children shared a bedroom when they were with him. And the smaller footprint made a big difference.
On Thursday, 41 scientists published the first worldwide analysis of a fungal outbreak thats been wiping out frogs for decades. The devastation turns out to be far worse than anyone had previously realized.

Writing in the journal Science, the researchers conclude that populations of more than 500 species of amphibians have declined significantly because of the outbreak  including at least 90 species presumed to have gone extinct. The figure is more than twice as large as earlier estimates.

Thats fairly seismic, said Wendy Palen, a biologist at Simon Fraser University who is a co-author of a commentary accompanying the study. It now earns the moniker of the most deadly pathogen known to science.

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Scientists first noticed in the 1970s that some frog populations were declining quickly; by the 1980s, some species appeared to be extinct . The losses were puzzling, because the frogs were living in pristine habitats, unharmed by pollution or deforestation.
There are big dinosaurs. There are old ones. And then there is Scotty, a giant among them all.

A Tyrannosaurus rex found in Saskatchewan, Canada, in the 1990s is the heaviest and oldest of its kind, paleontologists recently announced. The dinosaur, nicknamed Scotty, probably weighed about 9.8 tons and lived for more than three decades, they said. The results were published in a study last week in The Anatomical Record, a scientific journal, and posted online.

This is the rarest of rare dinosaurs, Gregory Erickson, a paleobiologist from Florida State University who was one of the studys authors, said in an interview Wednesday. We have a full, grown adult.

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Researchers estimated Scottys weight by measuring its hip, leg and shoulder bones, and comparing them to the skeletons of other T. rex specimens. The size and width of the femur bone suggest Scotty weighed 19,555 pounds, much larger than a male African elephant, which can grow to 14,000 pounds. In May, a new, updated cast of Scotty, which will reflect the scientists findings, will go on display at Royal Saskatchewan Museum in Regina, the capital of Saskatchewan.
In our series My Detox, T asks creative people to share the homemade recipes they count on to cleanse and refresh.

Some say exercise is the best way to beat jet lag. Eve Persak embraces that mantra. A triathlete, nutritionist and frequent flier, Persak typically clears customs and heads straight for the water  be it Hulopoe Bay when shes in Maui or the Atlantic Ocean when shes in Turks and Caicos  to swim. On her first trip to London, she explored the city almost entirely by jogging through the streets. A friend suggested I take a tour bus, she recalls, I was like, A bus? I like using my legs. These days Persak travels quite a bit; since 2017, she has overseen the nutrition and wellness-related programs for the Como hotel groups 15 destinations  the latest of which will open in Tuscany this spring. From her home base in Penestanan, in central Bali, she travels between the Como properties to advise on menus, offer nutritional counseling to guests and private clients, lead culinary-focused retreats and help shape SuperNature, Comos gourmet organic grocery line (sold in its Dempsey Marketplace in Singapore). Food can be therapeutic, she says to explain the philosophy that guides each of her projects. I really focus on ingredients that are minimally touched and respectful of the environment, and do something in the body.

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Image Eve Persak, photographed at The Slow in Canggu, Bali. Credit... Tommaso Riva

When cooking for herself, Persak, who grew up in Chicago, keeps it simple out of necessity. In Bali, I have fewer cooking utensils and appliances  you need to be very resourceful, she says. Her house is in a small village outside of Ubud, on a secluded path lined with frangipani, hibiscus and heliconia. Sometimes the electricity goes out, and, she says with a shrug, theres no one to call to fix it  you just have to wait for it to go back on. Persak often rides her motorbike to the local markets, where she stocks up on fresh produce, which she likes to puree to create vibrant, vitamin-rich soups. Her current favorite is a warm evergreen soup, made from healing bone broth and fiber-packed cruciferous vegetables  such as broccoli, cauliflower and kale  garnished with grated, anti-inflammatory turmeric. Sometimes she will stir in miso paste for a dose of probiotics (when Im feeling I need some digestive settling), or if her body demands more energy, she will add sliced avocado and a handful of pumpkin seeds (for a bit of a crunch and extra zinc for immunity).
Facebook now faces investigations into its business practices from a variety of federal agencies. Officials have opened inquiries into possible civil and criminal violations of laws related to privacy, corporate governance and discrimination.

Facebook has largely denied wrongdoing in each of the investigations and said it was cooperating with regulators and law enforcement.

Here are the agencies looking into Facebook, and some of the issues involved.

Federal Trade Commission

The top federal watchdog for consumer protection is investigating potential privacy violations by the social network. The inquiry began after reporting by The New York Times on the harvesting of Facebook user data by a political consulting firm, Cambridge Analytica. The investigation centers on whether Facebook broke promises it made in a consent decree in 2011, when it said it would tighten protections of user data and explain clearly to users how it handled sensitive data.

The company could face more than $1 billion in fines and tighter restrictions over its handling of data.
Garrett Marquis, a spokesman for the National Security Council, said the United States commended Britain for taking a hard look at its telecommunications vendors in order to ensure the maximum security of its networks. He added, We share many of the concerns listed in the Oversight Boards report.

The British authorities are trying to differentiate Huaweis security flaws from a broader effort by Beijing to infiltrate its networks. The report on Thursday described a company with poor engineering practices and problems stemming from those engineering flaws, more than one operating at the orders of Chinese authorities.

In the report, British officials determined that Huawei could not replicate much of the software it built, meaning that the authorities could not be sure what code was being introduced into the countrys wireless networks. They added that Huawei had poor oversight of suppliers that provided components for its products.

There remains no end-to-end integrity, the report said.

A senior American government official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive internal deliberations about Huawei, said the British finding of pervasive sloppy engineering underscored concerns about the security risks and hidden costs of using cheaper Huawei equipment in 5G networks.

The environment at Huawei could allow for the intentional introduction of an exploitable flaw that would be lost in the background noise of poor practices, the official said. The official added that the intelligence community did not expect to find overt, smoking-gun back doors in Huawei code clearly meant to permit illicit access to network data. Instead, it expects bug doors  flaws that can be explained away as a mere mistake if they come to light, but that can be exploited for the same purposes by China or by other sophisticated actors who discover them.

Since 2010, Britain has had an oversight board, now led by the National Cyber Security Center, tasked with overseeing Huaweis operations. The companys products and code are reviewed at a security lab about 70 miles outside London. In November, after British officials raised questions with Huawei about its practices, the company pledged to spend $2 billion over the next five years to improve its software and security processes.

The approach is seen as a potential model for other countries looking to add more safeguards over Huawei. Germany has opened a security lab in Bonn where Huaweis equipment and code can be reviewed. The company has also opened a facility in Brussels to appease the concerns of European Union officials.
In the beginning, there is nothing. And in the end, there is  nothing, once again.

Such is the way of all flesh, no? And, since the subject here is the accumulation of money, lets say the way of all cash, too. But in this case, out of nothing there emerges such a heaving ferment of aspiration, energy, tenacity and audacity that youre left reeling by the scope and vitality of it all.

That, in essence, is what the magnificent play The Lehman Trilogy, at the Park Avenue Armory, both is about and, more important, simply is. This genuinely epic production out of London, directed with surging sweep and fine-tooled precision by Sam Mendes, charts the history of the financial institution that would come to be known as Lehman Brothers, from its humble origins to its epical implosion, over a span of three centuries and many generations.

The script by the Italian playwright Stefano Massini, exquisitely adapted into English by Ben Power, follows the blossoming of a small Alabama clothing store in the 1840s, founded by three immigrant Jewish brothers from Bavaria, into an international powerhouse of the stock exchange, before its world-rattling collapse in 2008.

What is wrought by those three original brothers and their descendants is impressive, for sure, as they redefine the nature of getting and spending in the United States, while accumulating unbounded personal wealth.
A black Maryland lawyer who was detained in court earlier this month by a deputy who thought he was a suspect masquerading as a lawyer filed a complaint with the Harford County Sheriffs Office this week, alleging the action was racially motivated.

The lawyer, Rashad James, who works for Maryland Legal Aids community lawyering initiative, has asked the Sheriffs Department to begin an internal investigation and to record the complaint in the deputys personnel file.

Mr. James appeared at a hearing at Harford County District Court on March 6 on behalf of a client, who was not present. A sheriffs deputy approached Mr. James in the hallway after the hearing and called him by his clients name, according to the complaint.

Mr. James corrected him and provided his drivers license to prove his identity, but the deputy was not convinced. He directed Mr. James to an interview room and detained him for 10 to 15 minutes while Mr. James made phone calls to confirm his identity, his lawyers said.
One must presume those narcotics and people are coming straight up the highways now in the parts of Texas and New Mexico where the checkpoints are now closed  for all the talk of toughened border security.

Last month, I moved temporarily from Houston to the South Texas city of McAllen to help expand The New York Timess coverage of the border. I cant drive north back to Houston without passing a checkpoint, and I cant pass a checkpoint until I roll down my window and answer a Border Patrol agents question: Are you a U.S. citizen?

Sometimes the agents ask me where Im headed, and on at least one occasion they asked me to pop the trunk. Once, an agent joked about the Barbie and Trolls stickers my 6-year-old daughter had stuck on a back window. Another time, one of the Border Patrol dogs that sniff the vehicles responded to something in my trunk, and I had to pull over for a secondary inspection (which proved uneventful).

In a nation where police stop-and-frisk tactics are the subject of much debate, Americans who live on the border have normalized government intrusion.

Its destabilizing to the people who live in these regions, in subtle ways, nuanced ways, said Francisco Cantu, a former Border Patrol agent who is the author of The Line Becomes a River, a memoir. I think its part of creating the state of exception, creating this idea that the borderland is somehow other  other than the regular full United States.

The interactions at the checkpoints dont always go as smoothly as mine have. Numerous motorists and activists who have refused to answer the citizenship question have posted videos of the encounters on YouTube. One video shows a California teacher at a New Mexico checkpoint as she questioned an agents authority to stop her. Agents in those situations usually make reference to U.S. v. Martinez-Fuerte, the 1976 Supreme Court ruling that established that vehicle stops at the checkpoints were consistent with the Fourth Amendments restrictions on unreasonable search and seizure.

One thing I often wonder: I was born in Fresno, Calif., but would I get questioned as often at the checkpoints if I werent Mexican-American? Several white friends and colleagues have told me that agents have waved them through without questioning their citizenship status. That doesnt happen to me. Ive passed through several Border Patrol checkpoints in Texas dozens of times. I get asked whether Im an American citizen, every single time.
Federal authorities also must field a work force that by design reflects the heavily Hispanic communities across the Southwest they are expected to police. Agents sometimes have relatives, friends and neighbors whom they know or suspect are undocumented. In South Texas, one of the most heavily traveled migrant corridors in the country, Border Patrol agents or their spouses have sometimes hired undocumented housekeepers, as do many of their neighbors.

Mr. De La Garzas deception was unusual for Customs and Border Protection, the largest law enforcement agency in the country, with nearly twice the staff of the F.B.I. Yet it was not unprecedented. There have been at least three other cases of undocumented people working as Customs officers or Border Patrol agents who were prosecuted in federal court in recent years.

One of those cases involved Oscar Antonio Ortiz, a Border Patrol agent in the San Diego area, who first applied for work in the weeks after the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Like Mr. De La Garza, Mr. Ortiz was a Mexican citizen with a fraudulent birth certificate who had also served in the Navy. But once he was hired by Border Patrol, Mr. Ortiz got involved, along with another agent, in human smuggling: transporting migrants for money into the United States, sometimes in their Border Patrol vehicles, according to court documents. Mr. Ortiz, who had been assigned to the Border Patrol station in El Cajon, Calif., was sentenced in 2006 to five years in prison.

Mr. Ortiz was later deported and now lives in Mexico. His lawyer, Stephen P. White, said his client had believed, like Mr. De La Garza, that he was born in the United States, based on what his parents told him and the fraudulent birth certificate they had provided him.

Image A photo of Marco De La Garza submitted as part of a court filing.

He got security clearances, background checks multiple times and was as surprised as anybody else to find out that he wasnt a U.S. citizen when he got arrested on the alien smuggling charge, Mr. White said.

Mr. De La Garza worked at the port of entry in Douglas, Ariz., about 120 miles southeast of Tucson. He lived with his wife and children about 40 miles west of Douglas in the town of Hereford, and appeared to relish his job, filling his home with mugs, clocks and other trinkets bearing Customs or Navy logos.
An Arizona legislator resigned Wednesday amid an ethics investigation into reports that he was charged with sex crimes decades ago. Just months earlier, colleagues had called on him to step down over derogatory remarks he made about black people and immigrants.

The Republican state representative, David Stringer of Prescott, Ariz., came under fire in December after he told university students that black people dont blend in to society like European immigrants and always look different. Mr. Stringer refused to resign even though members of his own party called on him to do so.

In late January, Mr. Stringer began to face heightened scrutiny from fellow legislators after a local news outlet, The Phoenix New Times, reported that he had been charged with multiple sex offenses, including child pornography, when he lived in Maryland in the early 1980s.

Mr. Stringer, who could not immediately be reached for comment on Wednesday night, told another local news outlet, Prescott eNews, in January that he had been falsely accused and that there was no guilty plea, no conviction. (Mr. Stringer, a lawyer, is an investor in Prescott eNews.)
Along with that historic diversity, members of the generation also possess untraditional views about identity.

The New York Times asked members of Generation Z to describe, in their own words, their gender and race as well as what made them different from their friends. Thousands replied with answers similar to those of Melissa, Erik and Shanaya.

Its a generational thing, said Melissa, the preschool teacher. We have the tools and language to understand identity in ways our parents never really thought about.

More than 68 million Americans belong to Generation Z, according to 2017 survey data from the Census Bureau, a share larger than the millennials and second only to that of the baby boomers. Taking the pulse of any generation is complicated, but especially one of this size.

Generation Z came of age just as the Black Lives Matter movement was cresting, and they are far more comfortable with shifting views of identity than older generations have been.

More than one-third of Generation Z said they knew someone who preferred to be addressed using gender-neutral pronouns, a recent study by the Pew Research Center found, compared with 12 percent of baby boomers.

Identity is something that can change, like politics, said Elias Tzoc-Pacheco, 17, a high school senior in Ohio who was born in Guatemala. Thats a belief shared by a lot of my generation.
PARKLAND, Fla.  Kelly Plaur is still having nightmares almost every night. In the mornings, she recounts them to her mother, though the theme is usually the same: the horror she witnessed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School last year when a gunman opened fire in her classroom, killing two students and injuring four others.

A few weeks ago, Ms. Plaur, 18, had to withdraw from the paramedic training program she had started after she was overcome with anxiety while transporting a gunshot victim. Even the sight of certain window blinds can put her on edge, reminding her of the bullet holes that pierced the classroom blinds on the day of the rampage.

Little things trigger me that I wouldnt think would trigger me, she said.

For young people like Ms. Plaur, more than a year after the school massacre in Parkland, Fla., that killed a total of 17 people, life remains fraught with traumatic memories, an enduring byproduct of the nations epidemic of gun violence. For many, the worries emerged again last week when two teenagers who attended Stoneman Douglas took their own lives within a few days of each other. Then, on Monday, the father of a little girl killed in the 2012 shooting in Newtown, Conn., also died in what authorities ruled was a suicide.

Experts warn that the motivations behind suicide are complex, and the recent deaths remain under investigation. But the three highly publicized losses over 10 days in two towns defined by tragedy laid bare the painful emotional injuries that can persist long after the gunfire has stopped.
This young girl was forced to face not one abuser, but two, who were working together, for seven years, Mr. Shapiro said in a recorded statement. Thank you to this survivor in this case, who bravely shared her truth and will bring her abusers to justice.

Weissport is a small borough in Carbon County on the eastern side of the state, nestled between the Lehigh Canal and the Lehigh River. It is home to about 400 people. Mr. Getz was hired as a part-time officer for Weissport in 2017 and promoted to the chief of police in February, according to local news reports. The department is tiny, consisting of just one officer as recently as 2016.

It is unclear how many are on the force now. Neither the mayor nor the police department immediately responded to requests for comment on Wednesday evening, and borough council members could not be reached.

When the girl first reported the abuse to her teacher in 2012, she said she had been abused by Mr. Wagner, who was then 22, multiple times, according to the attorney generals statement. The teacher went to the Franklin Township Police Department, which opened an investigation.

But for reasons that remain unclear, no charges were filed at the time. The Franklin Township police did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday evening.
The findings of the special counsel conclusively refute your past and present assertions and have exposed you as having abused your position to knowingly promote false information. We have no faith in your ability to discharge your duties in a manner consistent with your constitutional responsibility and urge your immediate resignation as chairman of the committee. Mr. Chairman, this letter is signed by all nine members of the Republican side of the House of the committee, and I ask unanimous consent to be entered into the record at todays hearing. My colleagues may think its O.K. that the Russians offered dirt on the Democratic candidate for president as part of what was described as the Russian governments effort to help the Trump campaign. You might think thats O.K. My colleagues might think its O.K. that when that was offered to the son of the president, who had a pivotal role in the campaign, that the presidents son did not call the F.B.I. He did not adamantly refuse that foreign help. No instead, that son said that he would love the help of the Russians. You might think its O.K. that he took that meeting. You might think its O.K. that Paul Manafort, the campaign chair, someone with great experience in running campaigns, also took that meeting. You might think its O.K. that the presidents son-in-law also took that meeting. You might think its O.K. that they concealed it from the public. You might think its O.K. that their only disappointment after that meeting was that the dirt they received on Hillary Clinton wasnt better. You might think thats O.K. I think its immoral, I think its unethical, I think its unpatriotic, and yes, I think its corrupt and evidence of collusion. I will not yield. Mr. Ambassador  Will the gentlemen yield because you just made some  I will not yield. If youre going to say we think you ought to allow us to speak of what we think. You can use your five minutes to speak. You attacked me in your opening statement, and I responded. I have not have not had an opportunity to respond at all, especially to your statements of what we think because no one over here thinks that.
There are others vying for these voters attention. Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts was in the Mississippi Delta earlier this month talking about affordable housing. Senator Amy Klobuchar was in Florida, touting how she had been discussing 2020 strategy with Andrew Gillum, the African-American candidate who narrowly lost the Florida governors race in November. Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey has been a near-constant Southern presence the last couple of years, offering his endorsement and oratorical skills to a range of Democratic candidates.

This activity is a demonstration of the belief among 2020 contenders that the hearts and minds of black female voters are up for grabs in the Democratic primaries. Strong potential suitors are still weighing presidential bids, including former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Stacey Abrams, the popular black Democrat from Georgia. For now, Ms. Harris, 54, is one of two major black Democratic candidates  along with Mr. Booker  and many southern black and liberal voters are excited by the idea of the first black woman president.

While Ms. Harris has drawn enthusiastic audiences, she has also faced some criticism that as a former prosecutor and California attorney general, parts of her criminal justice record were insufficiently progressive. And Ms. Harris, whose father is from Jamaica and whose mother is from India, has been the target of offensive online memes about her race that have sparked questions among some voters.

On Sunday, as Ms. Harris prepared to introduce herself at Atlantas Ebenezer Baptist Church, a former New York state corrections officer named Lamarr Robinson brought up both matters. He criticized Ms. Harriss handling of a highly-publicized case of a black death-row inmate whose case was tainted by racism. And Mr. Robinson added, Shes more east Indian than African-American.
Just this month, Facebook noted, it had removed the advertisers ability to target housing, credit and jobs ads by age, gender, ZIP code and other characteristics in ways that could be considered discriminatory. Federal law explicitly prohibits advertising, including online, from discriminating in those categories. The social network also recently settled a lawsuit filed by the National Fair Housing Alliance, the American Civil Liberties Union and other civil rights organizations over its advertising practices.

A Twitter spokesman said the company doesnt allow discriminatory advertising on our platform. A Google spokesman said, Weve had policies in place for many years that prohibit targeting ads on the basis of sensitive categories like race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, disability status, negative financial standing, etc.

The housing agencys suit underscores how effective Facebooks ad-targeting tools are, and how they could perpetuate discriminatory behavior if used by those who want to exclude people based on race, religion, gender or other criteria.

Facebook collects a vast amount of information about its users, and uses its technology to draw additional inferences about them. In its pitch to advertisers, the complaint says, the company notes that most online advertising tools have limited targeting options including age, gender, interests and potentially a few others. But, the pitch continues, Facebook is different. People on Facebook share their true identities, interests, life events and more, according to the complaint.

The complaint also accuses Facebook of going further than advertisers may ask in targeting users. The companys ad delivery system will not show the ad to a diverse audience if the system considers users with particular characteristics most likely to engage with the ad, the complaint says, even if an advertiser wants the ad to be seen broadly by users.

If the advertiser tries to avoid this problem by specifically targeting an unrepresented group, the ad delivery system will still not deliver the ad to those users, and it may not deliver the ad at all, the complaint says.

The complaint does not name any advertisers who used Facebooks targeted ad tools.

HUDs lawsuit follows nearly three years of scrutiny of Facebooks ad-targeting practices that started with a 2016 investigation by ProPublica, whose reporters showed that the company made it simple for marketers to exclude specific ethnic groups for advertising purposes.
WASHINGTON  The Trump administration is expanding its efforts to block Chinese acquisitions in the United States, moving to force a Chinese firm that owns Grindr, the gay dating app, to relinquish control over concerns that Beijing could use personal information to blackmail or influence American officials, according to people familiar with the situation.

The action, which is being driven by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, is unusual given that the panel typically investigates mergers that could result in control of an American business by a foreign individual or company, judging whether deals could threaten national security. This appears to be the first case in which the United States has asserted that foreign control of a social media app could have national security implications.

The administration has not announced the move, which will require that Grindr be sold, or explained it. But officials familiar with the case, which was first reported by Reuters, say the concern focused on the potential for the blackmail of American officials or contractors, if China threatened to disclose their sexual orientation, or track their movements or dating habits.

Three years ago, a Chinese firm that owns both gaming and credit services businesses, Beijing Kunlun Tech Co. Ltd., a public company listed on the Shenzhen stock exchange, bought a 60 percent stake in Grindr, which is based in West Hollywood, Calif., for $93 million. Early last year, it bought the remaining shares for a little over $150 million.
Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota unveiled a plan Thursday to spend a trillion dollars in federal funds to upgrade the countrys infrastructure, the first policy announcement of her campaign for the Democratic nomination for president.

The proposal would use a combination of federal dollars, tax subsidies and loan guarantees for state and local governments to upgrade not only crumbling roads, highways and bridges, but also schools, airports, water systems, internet access, public transit and energy systems.

[Make sense of the people, issues and ideas shaping American politics with our newsletter.]

In a statement, Ms. Klobuchars campaign said the infrastructure plan would be her top budget priority as president, with the goal of turning it into reality in her first year in office through a combination of legislation and executive actions.

On the campaign trail, Ms. Klobuchar has presented herself to voters as a seasoned pragmatist who could bridge political divides to get policies passed in Washington.
WASHINGTON  The still-secret report on Russian interference in the 2016 election submitted last week by the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, was more than 300 pages long, the Justice Department acknowledged on Thursday.

Mr. Barr wrote to Congress on Sunday offering what he called the principal conclusions of the report  including that Mr. Mueller had not found that the Trump campaign had taken part in a conspiracy to undermine the election. But he had notably declined to publicly disclose its length.

The total of 300-plus pages suggests that Mr. Mueller went well beyond the kind of bare-bones summary required by the Justice Department regulation governing his appointment and detailed his conclusions at length. And it raises questions about what Mr. Barr might have left out of the four dense pages he sent to Congress.

Answering those questions is likely to prove difficult for lawmakers and the public. Mr. Barr has indicated to two congressional chairmen that it will most likely take weeks to redact the report for classified and grand jury information the department deems unfit for public consumption.
Easily solved, Mr. Kudlow said in a text message.

A lien for $75,328.80 from the 2014 tax year was entered against Mr. Moore at the request of the federal government in January 2018 in Montgomery County, Md., where he resides, the records show.

In a phone interview on Thursday, Mr. Moore said the lien was the result of a huge miscalculation on the part of the Internal Revenue Service, and that he had been frustrated by the agency in a yearslong effort to resolve the issue.

Mr. Moore said that for a single tax year, he had claimed both the value of alimony to his former wife, which is deductible on federal tax forms, and also the value of his child support payments to her, which are not eligible for a tax break. He said the child support amounted to about $18,000, which, given his tax bracket, worked out to about $6,000 in taxes that he owed but did not pay.

My accountant made a mistake, he said.

Following an audit, Mr. Moore said, the I.R.S. deemed his return for that year fraudulent and disallowed the full value of his deductions. With penalties and fees, that amounted to a tax bill of more than $75,000.

Mr. Moore said that he and his current wife have tried for years to resolve the issue with the I.R.S., including dispute resolution, but have not succeeded. He said he overpaid his taxes by $50,000 in a subsequent year in an attempt at resolution, and has not heard from the agency in nearly two years.
WASHINGTON  The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to block a Trump administration initiative banning bump stocks, the attachments that enable semiautomatic rifles to fire in sustained, rapid bursts.

The courts action, in a one-sentence order, means that the regulation will remain in force while challenges to it move forward in the courts. There were no noted dissents.

The case concerns executive power, not the Second Amendment. The lead plaintiff, Gun Owners of America, which describes itself as the no compromise gun lobby, argued that the administration had exceeded its authority by banning bump stocks under federal laws that largely ban machine guns. (The National Rifle Association was not a party to the suit.)

Bump stocks work by harnessing a firearms recoil energy to allow it to keep firing after a single pull of the trigger. The Justice Department has said this transforms semiautomatic weapons into fully automatic machine guns.
Im pleased to announce the U.S. & our Northern Triangle allies have reached a HISTORIC agreement to confront the root causes of the crisis on our border, Ms. Nielsen said on Twitter on Wednesday. Working with Central American govts to increase security & prosperity in the region has been one of my greatest priorities.

The countries agreed to continue having conversations about ways to counter human trafficking, smuggling, organized crime and gangs, and to improve border security throughout the region.

Mexicos president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, said on Thursday that his country was in constant communication with the United States and would maintain a very respectful relationship with its neighbor.

It was not immediately clear what caused Mr. Trumps outrage early Thursday, and later he wrote that Mexico, with the strongest immigration laws in the World, refuses to help with illegal immigration & drugs! The remarks came on the heels of House Democrats refusal to sign off on a Defense Department request to redirect funds to be used to help build the presidents border wall.

Instead of focusing on readiness, hurricane recovery and other genuine issues, the administration continues to spend billions of dollars on an imaginary crisis, Representative Adam Smith of Washington, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said in a statement on Tuesday.
Grand Rapids holds special meaning for Mr. Trump, as the site of his final campaign rally before his upset victory in 2016. He won Michigan by fewer than 11,000 votes  two-tenths of 1 percent  the first Republican to do so since 1988. It was one of three Midwestern states  along with Pennsylvania and Wisconsin  that cemented his victory over his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton.

Grand Rapids was also the hometown of another president, Gerald R. Ford, whose presidential museum sits across the river from the arena where Mr. Trump spoke  a monument to the moderate Republicanism that the president has banished and the Washington establishment that he has upended.

The timing of the rally so soon after Mr. Barrs disclosures prompted greater-than-usual concerns about security, given Mr. Trumps habit of stirring up the crowd and heaping abuse on reporters. At his last rally in El Paso, a member of the audience assaulted a BBC cameraman.

The signs of tighter security in Grand Rapids included more visible security personnel and sturdier barriers between the news media and the audience. In El Paso, reporters were seated in the stands, unprotected from the crowd.

The mood in the arena, however, was no more intense than at other Trump rallies. If anything, the crowd seemed a bit sedate as he began speaking. Many held up signs that said Jobs, Jobs, Jobs, reflecting the economic priorities that drive voting in this Rust Belt state.

And for all his indignation at the start of the speech, Mr. Trump lapsed into well-worn themes later in the one hour and 22-minute speech, even delivering a leisurely reminiscence about his election victory.

Bill Clinton said you better get up to Michigan, Mr. Trump said in an interlude that mocked the former presidents efforts to convince Mrs. Clintons advisers to pay more attention to the state. And do you remember, this was my last stop?
Good Thursday morning. Here are some of the stories making news in Washington and politics today.

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 How did President Trump come to support a court-ordered demolition of the Affordable Care Act? It happened after a heated Oval Office meeting, in which Mick Mulvaney, the acting chief of staff, prevailed over the vice president and the White House counsel. Many Republicans are worried that a health care fight could empower Democrats, like it did in the midterm elections.

 A decade ago, Senator Cory Booker was the rising-star mayor of Newark with a problem: crime. The way he handled it may offer insights into what kind of president he would be. Heres a look at Newarks police department under Mr. Booker.

 Days after Attorney General William P. Barr wrote his summary of the still-secret report by Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel, a pressing mystery remains: Why did Mr. Mueller take no position on whether the president obstructed justice?
A Massachusetts grand jury has indicted 12 current and two former officers of the Springfield Police Department who are accused of beating a group of four black men after a barroom dispute or participating in a cover-up of the assault.

The announcement by the state attorney generals office and the F.B.I. on Wednesday is the latest blow to the police force in Springfield, the states third-largest city.

Last fall, two other police officers in the city were indicted on charges of using unreasonable force while arresting two Hispanic boys. They have pleaded not guilty. Additionally, the Justice Department is investigating whether the Springfield narcotics unit routinely used excessive force and violated residents civil rights.

Wednesdays indictments stem from an April 2015 confrontation that began inside Nathan Bills Bar & Restaurant, when one of the black men whistled at a bartender to get her attention. One off-duty officer thought the man was whistling at his girlfriend, an officer who was also off duty at the time, according to a federal civil rights lawsuit brought by the four black men
Storm chasers can play a valuable role in helping to warn people about bad weather, Mr. Ball said Thursday. But he said they must abide by the law. The Weather Channel, he said, had sought to sensationalize the danger of the chase for television such that a viewer might watch and think maybe these guys will be killed.

The lawsuit filed this week claims that Mr. Jaeger had the right of way at an intersection about 55 miles east of Lubbock when the storm chasers sport-utility vehicle ran the stop sign and hit Mr. Jaegers Jeep, which was heading westbound, away from the tornado, on a rainy day. In his statement, Mr. Ball said the collision caused the S.U.V. to catapult over a five-foot fence, traveling 150 feet from the point of impact.

The lawsuit said that employees of the Weather Channel had been warned by other storm chasers that Mr. Yarnalls and Mr. Williamsons driving put others at risk, and that the employees had witnessed this dangerous driving on live video feeds of their storm chasing and in editing sessions for Storm Wranglers. A review of 14 of the more than 200 videos on Mr. Williamsons YouTube channel showed that the pair had run about 80 stop signs, four red lights and one traffic light that was out of service, the lawsuit says.

The Weather Channel encouraged the pairs recklessness, instructing them to barrel into dangerous weather conditions to obtain footage and setting the stage for this tragedy, the lawsuit says.

The lawsuit also describes a text message conversation between a producer for Storm Wranglers and a different storm chaser who appeared to warn that Mr. Yarnall and Mr. Williamson were very inexperienced and a liability. Then, less than a month before the crash, the producer wrote back that Mr. Williamson had put himself in a VERY bad spot after being shown on air traveling over 90 miles per hour to try to reach a storm, the lawsuit said.

God forbid if anything happened we would have seen it happen live on air, the producer wrote, according to the lawsuit. NOT GOOD.

According to the lawsuit, the storm chaser responded later that day, Im going to be honest with you  its only going to get worse, adding later in the message, I just hope he truly understands the risks associated.
While I understood the worries behind their questions, I didnt hesitate to let these parents know that I firmly agreed with their choices. As a psychologist, I believe theres a lot to be said for going out of our way for our children. For starters, it is one of the perks of parenting. Like all loving parents, I find that making my daughters happy makes me happy, too  and that these moments help balance the often-tedious work of being a conscientious parent.

Whats a joy for us can also be healthy for our children. An entire body of psychological theory maintains that our earliest relationships lay down patterns that are often replicated throughout life. In essence, we teach our children how they should expect to be treated. When we warmly extend ourselves at home, we point them toward friends and romantic partners who also enjoy serving as a source of support.

Finally, having a supportive relationship with our children can also help guide their behavior. Wanting to protect the good time they are having with their parents can help young people decide not to cross behavioral lines. Decades ago, one of my supervisors, the psychologist Neil Kalter, taught me that, having a positive parent-child relationship is money in the bank  and disciplinary checks are written against that account.

So, theres plenty of upside to helping our children. But how do we keep it from going too far and turning into harmful helicopter parenting? When were unsure, here are some questions we can ask ourselves.

Are we abetting dependency?

Sometimes parents will enable their childrens continuing dependency, perhaps by running over to school to drop off a forgotten lunch one day and a trombone the next rather than letting the child deal with the consequences of her forgetfulness. Providing this kind of help might ask little of us and solve the problem in the short term. All the same, we should be wary of falling into a pattern of rescuing our children from their own bad choices.
MOGADISHU, Somalia  A car bomb exploded on Thursday near a hotel and restaurant in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, killing at least 15 people, rescue services said, in a strike on a busy area that has been targeted by Islamist militants in the past.

The explosion sent a huge cloud of smoke into the sky and destroyed two restaurants and cars parked in the area, officials said.

So far, 15 people died, including five women. Seventeen others were injured in the blast, Abdikadir Abdirahman, the director of Amin Ambulance service, told Reuters. Another witness at the scene said she had seen 18 bodies.

The Islamist group the Shabab claimed responsibility for the bombing through its Radio al-Andalus website. The group, which is linked to Al Qaeda, previously targeted the same location, the Wehliye Hotel, which is along Maka al-Mukaram Road.

A police spokesman, Maj. Mohamed Hussein, told The Associated Press that the explosives-laden vehicle had detonated outside the restaurant.

The blast destroyed a restaurant and killed many who were inside and outside the restaurant, the same police captain told Reuters. The death toll may rise.

He said dozens of others had been injured in the blast, and that most of the casualties had been among diners at the crowded restaurant.

A Mogadishu resident, Aamina Ali, said she went the scene of the attack to help the victims and that she had seen many bodies and blood everywhere.

This is unacceptable, she said. We are mothers; we lost beautiful souls.

The Shabab are fighting to topple the Western-backed government protected by African Union forces. The group was ejected from Mogadishu in 2011 and has since been driven from most of its other strongholds.

On Saturday, Shabab gunmen stormed a government building in Mogadishu after a suicide car bombing, and the ensuing gunfight and blast killed at least 15 people, including the countrys deputy labor minister, the police said, Reuters reported.

On Tuesday, a bomb planted in a private luxury car exploded in Mogadishus Hodan District, killing the driver and injuring a nearby pedestrian, Col. Ahmed Abdi, a police official, told The A.P.

The United States military has increased the number of deadly airstrikes against the militants since Donald J. Trump took office as president. A number of multinational troops, including African Union force, Somali forces and Kenyan soldiers, are also fighting the Shabab.
TUNIS  The Truth and Dignity Commission of Tunisia released its final report this week on more than 50 years of dictatorship in the country, a devastating, 2,000-page archive of torture and human rights violations that is intended to prevent the return of authoritarian rule.

The president of the commission, Sihem Bensedrine, unveiled the document at a ceremony in Tunis on Tuesday and posted the entire Arabic-language document on the commissions website.

The report is the product of four and a half years of investigation by the commission, which was mandated by a Constitutional Assembly after Tunisias popular uprising of 2010 and 2011. That revolution inspired Arab Spring revolts across North Africa and the Middle East  most of which were followed by violent crackdowns and power struggles, if not civil war.

After the revolution in Tunisia, however, leaders sought to prevent a backslide to authoritarianism, creating the commission to unveil the truth of crimes in the country from 1955 to 2013, preserve the evidence for public memory and recommend cases for prosecution.
The moment was cathartic, inspiring women to share their stories publicly and privately. But while many accusers identified themselves and named the man they said had harassed or attacked them, fear of retaliation or social ostracism led most of them to remain anonymous or not name the attacker. Critics said this raised questions about whether the accusations would result in criminal prosecutions.

Ana G. Gonzalez, 29, who works as a political communications consultant and defines herself as a feminist, set in motion the explosion of accusations when she tweeted on March 21 that a writer, whom she had named in another message as Herson Barona, had beaten, manipulated, gaslighted, impregnated, and abandoned (on more than one occasion) more than 10 women.

Ms. Gonzalez said she had not been abused by Mr. Barona, but was speaking up on behalf of a close friend who said he had beaten her up a handful of years ago when they were in a relationship.

I knew several women that were just too afraid and not ready to come forth, but allowed me to speak for them and name this person, Ms. Gonzalez said in an interview.

Mr. Barona rebutted the accusations a day after they were made public. I want to categorically deny the accusations of violations and physical violence that I have been targeted with, he said on Twitter.
DHAKA, Bangladesh  A fire broke out on Thursday in a large office tower in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, killing at least 25 people and injuring several dozen others, officials said.

Videos circulating on social media showed large flames burning through the 24-story building, F.R. Tower. On the ground, witnesses said several people had fallen while trying to descend using cables along the periphery of the building.
HONG KONG  When Brunei announced in 2013 that it was bringing in harsh Islamic laws that included punishments of death by stoning for adultery and gay sex, the move was met with international protest. Some investments by the countrys sovereign wealth fund, including the Beverly Hills Hotel, were targets of boycotts and calls for divestment.

Following the outcry, Brunei, a sultanate of about 430,000 on the island of Borneo, delayed carrying out the harshest provisions of its Shariah law.

Now, it is quietly going ahead with them.

Beginning on April 3, statutes allowing stoning and amputation will go into effect, according to an announcement posted by the countrys attorney general last year that has only recently received notice.

That has set off a renewed outcry from human rights groups.

Bruneis Penal Code is a deeply flawed piece of legislation containing a range of provisions that violate human rights, Rachel Chhoa-Howard, a researcher for Amnesty International, said in a statement. As well as imposing cruel, inhuman and degrading punishments, it blatantly restricts the rights to freedom of expression, religion and belief, and codifies discrimination against women and girls.
MONTREAL  The Quebec government on Thursday proposed a bill barring public school teachers, judges, police officers and other public employees from wearing religious symbols including Muslim head scarves while working, a move that could aggravate simmering cultural tensions in the province.

The Quebec premier, Francois Legault, has said the bill, which also applies to Catholic crosses, Jewish skullcaps and Sikh turbans, was necessary to preserve Quebecs secular values and identity. It is expected to pass in the Quebec legislature, where his right-leaning party has a majority.

Religious and human rights advocates immediately attacked the legislation as a breach of religious freedom. Some said it conflicted with the image Canada has projected as an open, multicultural society.

Every young person who aspires to a be a judge, a teacher or a police officer and wears a head scarf will think that they have no future in this province and it will push Muslims away from Quebec, said Shahad Salman, a young lawyer who wears a head scarf and whose parents emigrated to Montreal from Iraq in the 1980s.
LONDON  Britains tottering efforts to leave the European Union remained at an impasse on Thursday as allies of Prime Minister Theresa May tried to keep her deal alive in the face of unbending opposition.

The deal, already defeated twice in Parliament, was given new life on Wednesday after Mrs. May promised Conservative Party colleagues who are hard-line supporters of leaving the bloc that she would step down if it were passed, and let someone else take over the next stage of talks with Brussels for the process known as Brexit.

[Who could be Britains next prime minister? Here are some contenders.]

But even her offer to resign was not enough to assuage hard-line Conservatives or her putative allies in the Democratic Unionist Party of Northern Ireland, or D.U.P., who hate the deal.

So the government tried a new tack on Thursday: Ministers said they would disassemble Mrs. Mays deal into its two parts  one called the withdrawal agreement, and the other the political declaration  and ask Parliament to vote Friday only on the first.
We have established a comprehensive program of environmental checks to fully assess the risks and take appropriate action, the statement said. Professor Stec is part of an independent group of scientists overseeing this work and her findings will inform the checks we are conducting.

The ministry urged residents with health concerns to speak to their local doctors, saying they would arrange for additional health checks.

The shift in the governments attitude parallels that seen in the United States after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Rescue and cleanup workers at the World Trade Center were at first allowed to toil there without respirators, and both New York City and federal officials were later accused of playing down the risks from inhaling dust and smoke from the site. In the following years, studies firmly linked the ailments of hundreds of people to that exposure.

Near the Grenfell site, residents responded to the latest evidence of contamination with anger and frustration, saying the findings of the study had confirmed their longstanding health concerns that were consistently dismissed by the authorities as paranoia.

I have questioned what immediate and long-term heath screening was being put in place to monitor what was locally becoming known as the Grenfell Cough, yet the response from officials has always been that the area was safe and that local G.P.s had not reported any increase in symptoms, said Judy Bolton, a former nurse and local resident.

Now, in March 2019, we are being told that our health has been put at risk and is likely to be in the future, she added. Who is being held responsible and accountable for, yet again, ignoring the entirely valid concerns of local residents? The authorities in question should hang their heads in shame.
VALLETTA, Malta  A Maltese special operations team boarded a tanker carrying more than 100 migrants on Thursday that the authorities said had been hijacked by several of the people who had been rescued at sea, returning control to the captain and escorting it to port.

Armed military personnel stood guard on the ships deck, and a dozen or so migrants were also visible, as the vessel docked at Boiler Wharf in the Maltese city of Senglea. Several police vans were parked on shore to take custody of the migrants for investigation. Four men who were led off in handcuffs were believed to be suspects in commandeering the vessel.

The authorities in Italy and Malta said on Wednesday that the group had taken over the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1 after being rescued in the Mediterranean Sea, and then forced the crew to put the Libya-bound vessel on a course north toward Europe.

In all, the Turkish tanker had rescued 108 people  77 men, 19 women and 12 minors, including toddlers, at sea, Maltese officials said. One pregnant woman and one child were being treated at a hospital as a precaution.
PARIS  The rumors  circulated on social media in recent weeks through worried messages, shaky videos or grainy screenshots  were alarming.

Groups of kidnappers were roaming the poorer suburbs of Paris in utility vans to snatch children. There was talk of organ trafficking. On Facebook, users posted pictures of purported abductors, urging people to be on the lookout. On Snapchat and Twitter, they posted videos of vans speeding away, proof of an attempted getaway.

Accusations focused on the Roma, sometimes called Gypsies  an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 of whom are from Eastern Europe, mainly Bulgaria and Romania, and who live in squalid camps on the fringes of Frances cities, where they face persistent discrimination, including stereotypes of rampant thievery.

It turned out that the rumors were false. No kidnappings or even attempted kidnappings have been reported to the police. But this week, the accusations were suddenly followed by an outburst of violence  the latest example of social media being used to fan prejudice  with dangerous, or even deadly, consequences.
LONDON  Prime Minister Theresa May of Britain has announced that she will step down as the Conservative Party leader on June 7, bringing into the open a party leadership struggle that has been underway on the sidelines for months.

But deep divisions within the party and the nation over Britains withdrawal from the European Union proved fatal to Mrs. Mays leadership, and it is not clear that a successor would fare any better. The race is already shaping up to be a crowded one, with near daily announcements from Conservative Party lawmakers throwing their hats into the ring.

Anyone seeking the job has to be nominated by two members of Parliament. If there is only one candidate, he or she automatically becomes the new leader. If there are more than two, lawmakers vote among themselves to narrow the field to two candidates, who then are put to a vote by the 120,000 mostly white, mostly aging Conservative Party members. The party said it expected to begin the nomination process in the week of June 10, after Mrs. May steps aside, and to complete the process by the end of July.
BEIRUT, Lebanon  Syrian militiamen paid by Iran have seen their salaries slashed. Projects Iran promised to help Syrias ailing economy have stalled. Even employees of Hezbollah, the Lebanese group that has long served as Irans closest Arab ally, say they have missed paychecks and lost other perks.

Irans financial crisis, exacerbated by American sanctions, appears to be undermining its support for militant groups and political allies who bolster Iranian influence in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and elsewhere.

The golden days are gone and will never return, said a fighter with an Iranian-backed militia in Syria who recently lost a third of his salary and other benefits. Iran doesnt have enough money to give us.

Across the Middle East, Irans allies are showing signs of financial strain.

Some of that strain may simply reflect the impact of the prolonged armed conflicts in Syria and Iraq. Hezbollah, which had focused resources on confronting Israel along Lebanons southern border, has been diverting fighters and weapons to Syria for years. Shiite fighters directed by Iran helped battle the Islamic State after the militant group overran parts of Iraq five years ago.
The group also said there were indications that other defendants could be released in the next few days, even as their trial proceeds.

The defendants, mostly female activists who had campaigned for the kingdom to expand freedoms for Saudi women, were arrested last spring and accused of acting as foreign agents and working to undermine the security of Saudi Arabia.

Branded as traitors, they were charged with making illegitimate contacts with foreign journalists and diplomats. But rights groups say the women are effectively on trial for their activism, and dozens of countries have called for their release. A panel of British members of Parliament and a group of nine United States senators have also asked Riyadh to let the women go.

Some of the womens supporters said on Thursday that they hoped the temporary releases were a sign that international pressure had worked, pushing the Saudi authorities toward granting them full freedom, perhaps by sentencing them to time already served.

But they cautioned that the handling of the cases had been unpredictable from the start.

While theyve been released, their sham trial is still going, said Rothna Begum, a Human Rights Watch researcher who has been tracking the cases. We really dont know what the authorities are going to do next. But we hope that the ordeal will be over soon.
Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier

Mayor Alan Casavant notes the city's successes but says there are problems and all must work together to solve them.


Ken Harding

FTI Consulting has joined Google News Initiative and Local Media Assn. to create the Digital Subscriptions Lab venture to help small and regional newspapers build online revenues.

The DSL will work hand-in-hand with publishers to examine existing and potential reader segments to understand the addressable market and readers willingness to pay for subs and various content.

FTI will perform a diagnostic evaluation of a participating publishers people, process, technology, marketing and content to benchmark current performance, identify short-term optimization opportunities and recommend longer-term transformation plans.

Ken Harding, FTIs senior managing director, and Peter Doucette, managing director in its publishing group, represent the firm in DSL. Prior to FTI, Doucette was chief consumer revenue offier at the Boston Globe, where he developed its paid subscription model.

Doucette said while large national news organizations have built strong digital models, success has been more elusive at the local and metro levels.

Independent publishers face a unique set of challenges, requiring both a strategy and a subscription model playbook tailored to their audience, said Doucette. "This unique, strategic partnership will provide publishers with the opportunity to learn from each other and enable us to develop a new digital subscription model blueprint for the entire industry.

Google provides data/technology expertise to the venture.

LMA, which has more than 3,000 members, will unveil the DSL findings to the publishing business at its Elevate joint conference with Local Media Consortium slated for Chicago on Sept. 18.
Social media is widely touted as a valuablealbeit accessible and inexpensiveway for companies to promote their business and interact with audiences, but its a marketing tool many small businesses still choose not to use, according to recent findings released by portfolio website Visual Object.

Visual Objects survey, which sought to gauge how small businesses are using social media today, discovered that while a majority (63 percent) of small businesses currently have some form of social media presence, more than a third (38 percent) forgo creating any social media pages for their business.

Nearly a quarter of small businesses without a social media presence (22 percent) said they plan to invest in social media at some point. However, 16 percent said theyre unlikely to ever use social media for their business in the future.



How small businesses manage their social media pages.

When it comes to the type of content small businesses are most likely to share, images or infographics are most popular (29 percent), followed by offers/promotions (22 percent) and video (16 percent).

Nearly a third of small businesses (30 percent) admitted sharing content multiple times a day, though nearly the same amount (29 percent) post multiple times a week, and 16 percent post once a day.

The survey also discovered that a majority of small businesses (56 percent) manage their social media accounts in-house, although more than a third (37 percent) hire freelancers and more than a quarter (28 percent) rely on an outside agency. Only 25 percent rely on the use of influencers.

Finally, the survey found that fewer than a quarter of small businesses (24 percent) track social engagement via likes, shares or comments. However, more than a third (37 percent) use some form of social media management software like Hootsuite or Buffer to oversee their social media presence.

The Visual Objects survey polled nearly 530 U.S. business owners and managers stationed at companies with 500 or fewer employees. Research was conducted at the end of 2018 using brand intelligence research company Survata.
A Midlands GP has launched a scathing broadside against the cowardly antics of graffiti vandals behind the desecration of his surgery last month, telling them their actions will not drive him out of town.

Longford based GP, Dr Syed Ali, broke his silence for the first time this week over an incident which he described as both terrifying and horrific for his family and patients alike.

And, in a thinly veiled attack at those involved in defacing his clinic with anti-abortion graffiti, Dr Ali called on Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to intervene.

I believe the people who are behind this nonsense were hoping to discredit and destroy my name but it hasnt worked, he said.

In a direct message to the perpetrators involved, Dr Ali said the countless messages he has received from colleagues, patients and the wider Longford community in the six weeks since, illustrated the level of public support that was now behind him.

You wanted to create a problem for me and destroy me but it will never happen. It has had the opposite effect, he said.

Dr Ali, who had been holidaying overseas at the time of the incident, told of the profound personal impact the episode has continued to have both professionally and on a personal level. And thats before any thought is given to the fact the incident and its prevailing fallout happened while he was thousands of miles away from home.

My wife was all alone. She had never been stressed like this before and she had to call my daughters from Dublin to come and stay with her. My surgery is not the same as it was either. When they made this mess that day my patients who were sick didnt know what to do and some of them went home without seeing the doctor who was there. They were afraid and terrified."

In reaffirming his own strongly held Muslim views that flies in the face of Irelands newly introduced abortion laws, Dr Ali said he remains convinced the incident was not the workings of anti-abortion vigilantes.

The anti abortion people themselves know that I am against abortion. It is against my religion, he said. I am 100 per cent sure that there was somebody behind this who knew I was on holidays and wanted to create this stress on me.

The local muslim leader also called on Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to step in and take a personal interest in his case given the extremely dangerous and divisory questions the incident has thrown up.

In doing so, he issued a heartfelt message of thanks to the umpteen messages of empathy and support which have come his way from GPs and patients both locally and further afield.

This was done to destroy me and destroy my name, he maintained. But it hasn't worked. It has had the opposite effect and in fact, strengthened my position and standing. These people must not win. They will not win.
An Offaly aid worker has made an appeal for urgent help for the people of Malawai in the wake of the devastation caused by Cyclone Idai which has left almost 1,000 people dead and many thousands more in dire circumstances.

Ronan Scully works with Self Help Africa and has spent time in Malawi and he has issued an appeal for people to help those who have lost everything and who are in desperate need of assistance. He writes:

Self Help Africa is calling on it's supporters and everyone that can in Leinster and the Midlands to support our new emergency campaign appeal for help after the devastation of Cyclone Idai in southern Africa. The death toll from the huge cyclone Idai that hit Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe is now close to 1,000 people and children. Many more are missing, while tens of thousands are stranded, cut off from roads, electricity and clean drinking water in mainly poor, rural areas.

The cyclone has affected more than 2.5 million people in the three southern African countries, according to government officials. The port city of Beira in Mozambique was hit the hardest, with the airport closed, electricity cut and many homes destroyed. The storm hit Beira and moved west into Zimbabwe and Malawi, affecting thousands more.

Close on a million people of Malawis population need emergency food and shelter assistance immediately. Prior to this crisis, Malawi faced significant challenges. Average life expectancy is just 58 years and three quarters of the population living on less than a Euro a day. Its the sixth poorest country in the world and Cyclone Idai has brought further suffering to communities that are poorly equipped to deal with it.

Floods and high winds have devastated homes, schools, businesses, crops, rural and farming communities, hospitals and communication stations. Thousands of people who were marooned by the heavy flooding abandoned their homes and possessions to seek safety on higher ground. Over a million people are in need of help. Families are being forced to eat meals of leaves and what little else they can find.

In addition to this devastating cyclone, they are faced daily with endemic poverty and chronic hunger. The HIV/AIDS epidemic that swept through sub-Saharan Africa in the 1990s hit Malawi particularly hard. Out of a population of 14 million people, about a million people are currently live with the condition.

It is the kind of crushing poverty that most of us can barely imagine. But to witness it first hand, as I did recently, is almost enough to make you weep. Taken together, the problems can seem insurmountable but today this challenge is especially compelling because we know we have the capacity to make a difference.

The organisation I work for, Self Help Africa has been working in Malawi for decades, focused on agricultural production, HIV/AIDS, nutrition, livelihoods, food and education. All our efforts are aimed at breaking the cycle of poverty, giving opportunities to communities that otherwise may not have them.

By building on past progress, we can create new opportunity for impoverished communities, although emergencies like Cyclone Idai pose great challenges. Our work brings hope - the promise that, with shared sacrifice, quality emergency responses, wise investment, and renewed commitment, we can reduce substantially the levels of poverty, hunger, and deprivation and give hope to countries like Malawi and southern countries in Africa in their hour of need.

This has been our focus in Self Help Africa - to reduce levels of poverty and hunger by focusing on agriculture, education, livelihoods, climate change alleviation, the credit union and co-op system, entrepreneurial advancement, the empowerment of women and, in recent years, emergency responses. And now we are asking for your help and support to join with us to help communities in Malawi cope with this new challenge. This is not a time for talk but for active and genuine commitment to help and support the people and children affected by Cyclone Idai.

There are, of course, many other urgent challenges for society - such as homelessness. Our world is hurting, shaken by corporate misconduct and greed, and its impact on workers and investors, as well as the broader forces of globalization, economic change and all too evident examples of climate change.

More than half of the world's population lives on less than two euros a day. Almost 1 billion people across the globe, most of them children, live with hunger, malnutrition and the effects of climate change. These numbers should not immobilise us. They should call us to reflection and action. And we need this mobilisation and action now for the suffering people of Malawi.

This is not one more thing to feel bad about, but rather an opportunity to put our care for humanity into action, to be the carers in society, to lift up the virtues and ethical principles that enhance human dignity. We can make a difference if we mobilise to combat poverty, because we have done so in the past. There is reason for hope and no excuse for inaction.

Were asking for your help so that together, we can alleviate suffering in Malawi, where weve teamed up with local organisations to provide relief to thousands of families affected by this disaster. While coastal Mozambique has to this point borne the brunt of the catastrophe, over 100,000 households in Malawi have been left homeless by the storm and consequent flooding.

Cyclone Idai has already killed hundreds, and flash flooding and rising water levels are putting even more lives at risk. Self Help Africa have been working with small farmers in Malawi for many years and we are now responding to this crisis at a local level. More than 162,000 households are in dire need of assistance. Flooded lands and ruined harvests mean that food security is an imminent problem facing many families across the region, as is shelter and a lack of clean drinking water.

If you would to help these families affected by this tragedy please visit our website at www.selfhelpafrica.org

I've spent over 25 years living in Africa and Asia. I'm quite proud to say, I work for an Irish development organisation supported and funded by Irish Aid and the Irish public. Its an organization that is dedicated to empowering rural communities across Africa to achieve economic independence.

A good example of this work is a program I visited in Balaka, Malawi that is designed to help a village diversify the crops it grows, moving from simply growing crops to eat to also sowing some alternative crops that can be sold for profit. One family I visited had received a loan of three types of seeds, and a crash course on crop diversification. To discharge their debt, the family simply had to pass on the first excess of crops and seeds to two other families, who signed up for the same deal. Any crops that came along after that were theirs, adding extra crops that they could sell and make an extra income as well as more food for the family.

Meanwhile, peanut farming, a cash crop well matched to both climate and market conditions, was introduced into the village for the first time. Properly bagged nuts are largely non-perishable, travel well, and do not have to be sold at peak harvest time, so they can be held back until better prices can be obtained. Program participants, who are treated like businessmen and not beneficiaries, pay for their initial seed stock and training by returning seeds the next season.

How do we in Self Help Africa know when it has succeeded? We know, when we can move on to the next village with a fresh load of seeds, crops and even poultry and animals, leaving profitable businesses behind. Broader initiatives include training programs to help turn small scale agribusinesses into investable enterprises that can attract outside capital and generate real economic growth - the basis for much of our success here in Ireland.

We would like to get to the point where we are not just asking people for charitable donations. We would love to be pitching people for their investment euros. Africa is not just a continent of need; it is a continent of opportunity.

Though I saw much tragedy, sadness and suffering on my last trip to Malawi, I also met some truly beautiful people  all of them friendly and welcoming. I came away feeling blessed to have met them and as though I was the one being helped, not the other way round.

By an accident of birth I am Irish, but I could have just as easily been Malawian. My trips to Malawi and indeed many of the other African countries I have lived and worked in have made me realize the numerous similarities there are between us all. We breathe the same air. We walk the same way. Our spirits need love and acceptance. Our bodies need food, water and sleep. We share the same humanity. We are really not so different.

My lasting impression of Malawi during my last visit was not the scale of its poverty, but the spirit of its people. Drought, climate change, hunger and physical suffering have not stolen their hope. They remain joyful when they have every reason to be depressed. You can hear hope in their songs: The Lord will bless someone today. It may be you. It may be me. It may be someone by your side.

My thoughts often go back to the beautiful children I saw at the Self Help Africa projects I visited, where knowledge is being passed on by local staff that will vastly improve their lives for the better. It brings me great comfort to know that these children will have the opportunity to grow up, thanks to your support.

Children are a precious human resource and it is in children that any country has its future. As the saying goes, A forest without young trees today will never be a forest tomorrow. It is imperative that children born today in Malawi must not only just survive, but are able to grow and develop to their fullest potential in order for the nation to prosper.

The work that Self Help Africa does in Malawi with your help, may seem like a drop in the ocean, but many drops make an ocean and Self Help Africa will continue to do what we can to help the rural farmer, both men and women and their families and especially people and families affected by Cyclone Idai.

If you would like to make a donation, get involved in an event or to organise an event to help us with our appeal for helping people, children and families in the aftermath of Cyclone Idia or just find out some more information about the work of Self Help Africa, you can do so by phoning (01) 6778880, visiting www.selfhelpafrica. org or simply send whatever you can afford to Self Help Africa, Westside Resource Centre, Seamus Quirke Road, Westside, Galway or drop me a line at ronan.scully@ selfhelpafrica.org
RTE News has announced the appointment of Sean Whelan as its new London Correspondent, replacing Killeigh native Fiona Mitchell who has held the post for four years.

Sean has held the role of Economics Correspondent with RTE News for almost nine years, extensively reporting the economic crash, the Troika bailout and the economic recovery.

Announcing his appointment, Managing Director, RTE News and Current Affairs, Jon Williams said: "There could be no more important moment for RTE to appoint its new London Correspondent - and I'm delighted that our audiences will benefit from Sean's insights. Given his experience in Brussels and Dublin, there's no one better suited to guide our audiences through the next chapter of Ireland and Britain's history."

Whelan will be responsible for reporting across RTE News' television, radio and digital platforms on political, social and economic affairs in London and the wider Great Britain.

Sean will be commencing his new role in the summer. Sean succeeds Fiona Mitchell who will be taking up a new assignment later this year when her four year posting in London comes to an end. She will continue to work wit RTE News.

Paying tribute to Fiona, Jon Williams said: "Fiona has been a vital presence on air and online as Britain has tried to navigate the Brexit process. She's been tireless in tracking every twist and turn at Westminster, as well as covering terror attacks in London and Manchester and dozens of other stories - we could not have been better served."

A graduate of UCD (History and Politics), Sean Whelan also has postgraduate diplomas in Journalism from NIHE (now DCU) and Accounting and Finance from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).

He started his career in journalism in the mid-eighties as a freelance feature writer with Magill Magazine and the Irish Independent, before moving to London, where he worked as a reporter on the weekly business newspaper, Marketing. He moved back to Ireland at the start of the nineties, working as a business journalist at The Sunday Tribune.

He joined RTE News in 1991 and has worked as a radio reporter on Morning Ireland and a reporter/presenter on This Week and World Report. He joined the foreign desk in TV news in 1994, and reported on the war in Bosnia. Later as Deputy Foreign Editor, he reported from the War in Kosovo, the return of Hong Kong to China, the election of new Labour in the UK and the attempted impeachment of Bill Clinton in Washington.



He spent a decade as Europe Editor, based in Brussels, filing stories from every state of the European Union. He was also heavily involved in RTE's coverage of the Lisbon Treaty referendums.

Reacting to his appointment Sean said: I am really grateful to be given this opportunity to get into the heart of a massive running story  the unfolding of Brexit and the changing relationships between Ireland, the UK and the EU that it is bringing about. Whats going on right now in our next door neighbours is a really important piece in the story of our own country, and for a journalist its a great privilege to be able to work on it  right there, where its happening. I look forward to receiving the baton from Fiona and continuing to serve RTEs viewers, listeners and readers from London and beyond during this extraordinary period."
New YorkOliver Wyman released its fourth annual social impact report this week highlighting the companys contributions during the past year. The entire report can be viewed here.

We are proud to devote substantial time and resources to the Oliver Wyman for Society program, said Oliver Wyman Chief Executive Officer Scott McDonald. Colleagues across the firm engage both in the office and in their communities every single day to make a difference.

Highlights from this years Oliver Wyman Social Impact report include:

Oliver Wyman worked on 61 social impact projects across a variety of sectors such as education, health, social inclusion, and social finance. Consulting services were provided to organizations such as Junior Achievement (Chicago), Plastic Conscious (Hong Kong), Ashoka (Stockholm), and Habitat for Humanity (Sao Paulo).

Employees at the firm donated more money ($600,000+) in charity auctions than ever before and committed over 27,000 volunteer hours to local organizations they care about.

Oliver Wyman employees are offered the chance to go on a Nonprofit Fellowship anywhere in the world. In this report we feature two stories by Galen Bertozzi at Rocky Mountain Institute in Puerto Rico and Sherry Wu at TechnoServe in Ethiopia. All employees can apply to work at a nonprofit of their choice for up to six months once they have been with Oliver Wyman for one year.

The report also features two stories looking back at some of our earliest social impact work in Toronto and Singapore and checks in with the Amici Camping Charity and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra to see how theyre doing years into implementing their strategies.

About Oliver Wyman

Oliver Wyman is a global leader in management consulting. With offices in 50+ cities across nearly 30 countries, Oliver Wyman combines deep industry knowledge with specialized expertise in strategy, operations, risk management, and organization transformation. The firm has more than 5,000 professionals around the world who work with clients to optimize their business, improve their operations and risk profile, and accelerate their organizational performance to seize the most attractive opportunities. Oliver Wyman is a wholly owned subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies [NYSE: MMC]. For more information, visit www.oliverwyman.com. Follow Oliver Wyman on Twitter @OliverWyman.
Kalinga Literary Festival, British Council Come Together For 5 Films for Freedom' In Bhubaneswar

Religious institutions in Bhubaneswar to reopen for devotees from this date

Odisha: Veteran leader Bijoy Mohapatra returns to BJP fold

Bhubaneswar

pti-PTI

Bhubaneswar, Mar 28: Veteran leader Bijoy Mohapatra, who had resigned from the BJP four months ago, returned to the saffron party on Thursday. The 68-year-old stalwart said his move to come back to the BJP followed a detailed discussion with the party's national vice-president Baijayant Panda and Odisha in-charge Arun Singh, who met Mohapatra at his residence here.

Mohapatra, who had resigned from the party on November 30 last year, said he also had telephonic conversation with other senior leaders, including BJP president Amit Shah.

The development comes ahead of the simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Odisha.

"As elections are approaching, we have decided to intensify our campaign and fight unitedly to bring about a change in Odisha by defeating the BJD and to build a new India," Mohapatra said.

Asked whether he would contest the polls, Mohapatra said the the party will take a decision on the matter. "The priority at present is to further strengthen the organisation to oust the BJD from power in the state," he said.

In Tejasvi Surya candidature, BJP sent out message, 'not a party of grandfathers, grandsons'

Expressing happiness over Mohapatra staging a comeback to the BJP, Arun Singh said the aim of the party was to "remove" the Naveen Patnaik government in Odisha and ensure another term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Centre.

Describing Mohapatra as a "seasoned politician", Baijayant Panda said the senior leader's re-entry into the BJP fold would boost the saffron party's fight against the BJD in Odisha.

Mohapatra along with another BJP national executive member and former Union minister Dilip Ray had resigned from the BJP on November 30 last claiming that they had been "sidelined" within the party. Though Ray is yet to join any party, he had met BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik recently.

The resignation of the two leaders from the BJP had sparked speculation that they might stage a comeback to the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD), of which both were founding members.

While Mohapatra was expelled from the BJD in 2000, Roy was thrown out from the ruling party two years later. In the 2014 elections, Mohapatra had contested from Mahakalapada Assembly seat in Kendrapara district on a BJP ticket and lost to BJDs Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak.

The simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Odisha are scheduled to be held in four phases on April 11, 18, 23 and 29.

PTI
How do naxals procure sophisticated weapons: It was the LTTE which aided them

After forces kill four naxals, their chief appeals for justice

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Mar 28: In the wake of the upcoming elections to the Lok Sabha, an audio clip has been circulated by the naxalites in Chhattisgarh.

The clip was released after the killing of four naxalites in an encounter with the The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) at Bastar. In the clip the chief of the South Bastar divisional committee, Vikas seeks for a judicial inquiry into the encounter.

In the four minute audio clip, he says that the CRPF surrounded a platoon of naxalites and sprayed bullets on them. Criticise the incident and also the oppression. Please pay your respects to the martyrs, he also goes on to say. I appeal to the people and the media to demand a judicial inquiry into the incident, he further adds.

2 naxals killed in encounter with CRPF troops in Vizag district

He also goes on to criticise the Congress government in the state. He says that the current government is following the same policy of suppressing the people's movement as was done by the previous BJP government.

On Tuesday, the CoBRA battalion of the CRPF raided a naxal camp in Sukma. In the gun battle that lasted 45 minutes, four naxalites were killed. The slain naxalites have been identified as Jagdeesh, Dudi Hidma, Vanjam Guddi and Mariam Sudhri.
ASAT technologies indigenously developed, says DRDO; NSA gave final clearence

India

oi-Vikas SV

New Delhi, Mar 28: A day after India sucessfully tested Anti-Satellite (ASAT) missile, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) said that they were in mission mode for the last six months, and the final clearence to go ahead with the test was given by National Security Agency (NSA) Ajit Doval in concurrence with the Prime Minister.

India conducted its first anti-satellite (ASAT) missile test on Wednesday, successfully destroying a low earth orbit satellite in space by using a missile which covered a distance of 300 km to engage the target.

What is Anti-satellite (ASAT) Missile?

DRDO Chairman GS Reddy told news agency ANI that the target was hit by a 'Kinetic kill' which means that the missile directly hit the satellite. Complex technologies are needed to ensure that a body in orbit is hit directly. The missile was guided by a radar all among its path. The radar first locates the target satellite and tracks its motion, then the information about the projected path is relayed to the missile.

"We have hit the target by 'Kinetic kill'- that means by directly hitting the satellite.This calls for many technologies which we have developed completely indigenously in the country and we have achieved accuracy within a few centimeters...a very high level of accuracy," Reddy said.

The target was a live satellite which was flying in a low earth orbit. The missile travelled a distance of almost 300 km from earth and hit the target within three minutes of its launch.

"A-SAT missile is capable of targeting all 'Low Earth Orbit' (LEO) satellites.We have the ability to handle LEO satellites but we have intentionally chosen at low altitudes as a responsible nation to see that all the space assets are safe and debris is decayed fast," he added.

After India's test, the United States had raised concerns about the debris of the destroyed satellite that can be left behind. The US, however, did not say whether it believed India's test left debris. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) played down any risk of debris, noting the test was in low-earth orbit, and said the remnants would "decay and fall back on to the earth within weeks."

'Clerical objections': Arun Jaitley hits back at Opposition over missile launch

Reddy said that the development for the A-SAT mission started a few years back and concerned team went into mission mode in the last 6 months.

"The NSA (Ajit Doval) whom we report to on strategic matters gave the direction to go ahead with the test and he had the concurrence from the PM. The development started a few years back and we went into mission mode in the last 6 months," he said.

India is the fourth country to have used such an anti-satellite weapon after the United States, Russia and China. The United States ran the first anti-satellite test in 1959, when satellites themselves were rare and new.
Azhar, Dawood, Saeed killed? When Modi kept the nation on tenterhooks

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Mar 28: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday that India had entered an exclusive power of space super powers. The run up to the announcement was an interesting one and there were speculations galore about what the announcement would be.

Modi began by creating ample suspense when he said that he had an important announcement to make. At 11.23 am the Prime Minister tweeted, " I would be addressing the nation at around 11.45 am to 12 noon with an important message. Do watch the address on television, radio or social media."

Seconds after the tweet, the country ( read social media) went into a tizzy. Some asked if demonetisation part 2 was being announced. WhatsApp too worked overtime with messages being received asking what exactly the announcement would be.

Also Read | What is Anti-satellite (ASAT) Missile?

Someone asked if Dawood, Masood Azhar or Hafiz Saeed had been killed. There were trends being readied which read, 'my Chowkidar the strongest.'

Some even asked if India had taken over Pakistan. There were others who decided to give a lighter spin to the entire suspense. Some asked if they should be heading out to the ATM or disposing their Rs 2,000 notes.

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, Omar Abdullah tweeted, " he is declaring the results of the Lok Sabha elections. Just saying."

India tests anti-satellite weapon A-SAT, establishes itself as major space power: Modi

The suspense did not end at 11.45. People were glued to their screens waiting for an announcement. Nothing happened at 12 either, which prompted a call to a source asking what exactly is happening. He and his colleagues are still inside and the Cabinet meet is on, the source said.

It was only at 12.17 that the actual announcement regarding the space feat was made. His followers were quick to trend #MissionShakti.
Chinas Uighur Muslim headache and the connection to the Azhar ban

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Mar 28: China's mass detention of the Uighur Muslims was termed as unfortunate by US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo. The statement comes in the wake of human rights activists accusing China of putting millions of Uighurs in detention camps.

China cites them as a terror threat and justifies the action, but continues to remain silent on groups such as the Lashkar-e-Tayiba or Jaish-e-Mohammad, which have proven track records of terrorism in India.

China in fact has blocked attempts by the world community to list JeM chief, Maulana Masood Azhar as a terrorist on several occasions. When it comes to the Chinese block on Azhar, there is a history to it.

In recent times, the Indian Intelligence has pointed out that Azhar's JeM protects Chinese interests in Pakistan from terror attacks. It began almost a decade back, when Pakistan was asked by China to return an Islamist Uyghur East Turkestan Islamic Movement. It was learnt that this terrorist traced to Pakistan was involved in the Xinjiang bombing. He was handed over in no time to China.

Since then there has been a bonhomie between the two nations and not to mention an unseen deal that the two countries had struck. The relationship between Pakistan and China is not just bi-lateral. China has interests in Afghanistan and the Taliban it may be recalled had recently said that it would not target the infrastructure projects. It is also a well known fact that the Taliban shares a close bond with the Jaish-e-Mohammad.

'Shameful Hypocrisy': Mike Pompeo blasts China over treatment of Muslims

The ties with Pakistan must also be seen in the Taliban context. At the time of the Soviet war, China had trained the Mujahideen extensively. However this came with a clause and that was the Taliban would never back the cause of the Uighur Muslims.

Any move by China on Azhar could also drastically change the equations with the Taliban, an outfit that is close to the JeM.

Experts say that on Azhar, China may eventually change its stand. The country had taken a similar stand in the case of Hafiz Saeed, the chief of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba. However there was huge international pressure on China after the Mumbai 26/11 attack. This forced China to change its stance on Saeed.

The experts also add that in Azhar, there is an added advantage for China. The JeM in particular has very often helped prevent attacks on the China Pakistan Economic Corridor.

China wants to protect its workers and interests at any cost and at such a time, the JeM comes in handy.
We cannot wait longer now: SC to hear Vijay Mallyas contempt case in January for final disposal

Damned if you do, damned if you dont: Vijay Mallya's latest attack on banks

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, Mar 28: Fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya on Thursday attacked public sector banks, a day after more than 74 lakh shares held by the liquor baron in United Breweries Holdings Limited (UBHL) were sold for over Rs 1,000 crore.

"So much so for branding me a thief who stole PSU Bank money and ran away. Banks have made a substantial recovery in the past and also today. All included in my settlement proposal too. Damned if you do and Damned if you don't is how I am treated," he tweeted.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) said on Wednesday that the sale of 74,04,932 shares held by Vijay Mallya in the UBHL by Bengaluru-based Debt Recovery Tribunal fetched Rs 1,008 crore.

Earlier this week, Mallya slammed banks for providing no assistance to pull out Kingfisher Airlines out of a similar financial mess.

Also Read | Take my money, save Jet Airways: Vijay Mallya urges banks



Lashing out at banks, he said: "Happy to see that PSU Banks have bailed out Jet Airways saving jobs, connectivity and enterprise. Only wish the same was done for Kingfisher."

"And I repeat once again that I have placed liquid assets before the Hon'ble Karnataka High Court to pay off the PSU Banks and all other creditors. Why do the Banks not take my money. It will help them to save Jet Airways if nothing else," Mallya added.

Vijay Mallya, who has currently appealed against his extradition to India, settled in the UK after fleeing from the country in March 2016. He is accused of defrauding a consortium of banks to the tune of Rs 9,000 crore. He is currently living in London.
Is China the reason why Pakistan opted to skip Summit for Democracy hosted by Biden?

Did Pakistan use F-16s in the aerial dog fight with India: There is ample proof

India

oi-Oneindia Staff

By Anuj Cariappa

New Delhi, Mar 28: Did Pakistan use its F-16 against India in last month's aerial dog fight? Pakistan has repeatedly denied using the aircraft in the aerial combat that took place last month a day after India hit a Jaish-e-Mohammad camp in Balakot.

Pakistan then identified two pilots involved in the battle and the same was revealed in the country's National Assembly. One of the pilots to be praised was Wing Commander Nauman Ali Khan.

A touch of Cold War: India's MiG-21 upgraded by Russia equal to Pak's US-made F-16, says analyst

India Today in a report said that it went through his background. The report cited images that were sourced from the US military which showed the Wing Commander taking part in a joint military exercise with the US Air Force in 2010.

Further the report also scrutinised images and videos from the Pakistan National Day of March 23 2018. In the clips, he is spotted patch displaying 2,000 hours of US supplied jets.

The patch that the pilot puts on the PAF chief's flight suit identifies the squadron as the Pakistan Air Force's F-16 equipped 5th squadron. Further the India Today report says that the open source images and videos that they have investigated show the Air Chief Marshal Anwar Khan greeting Nauman Ali with a pat, apparently for his role in the Indian intrusions.

Here is what US will do, if it finds that Pakistan misused the F-16s

The report says that this sums up that Pakistan had in fact used the F-16 in the combat and this is in violation of the end-user agreement that restrict its use in anti-insurgency operations.
Autoclave seized on Chinese ship by India could have been for nukes in Pakistan

Economist Jean Dreze released after being detained for 2 hours in Jharkhand

India

oi-Deepika S

Ranchi, Mar 28: Noted economist and activist Jean Dreze and two others were detained on March 28 by police in Jharkhand's Garhwa district for organising a meeting without permission from district authorities. All three were later released later.

Dreze was part of the National Advisory Council, at the time of the Congress-led UPA.

Reacting on the report of Dreze's detention, farm activist and political leader Yogendra Yadav tweeted: "Shocking beyond words! Jean Dreze is a saint-economist, a potential Nobel awardee who lived in slums, written and done more for the poor than any economist, shunned all power and glory, took up Indian citizenship, is a pacifist. Nothing can be more shameful than arresting him."

938 persons detained in Assam, 823 declared foreigners, Centre tells SC

Belgian-born Mr Dreze, now an Indian citizen, is known for his sharp criticism of the economic policies of the Narendra Modi government. He is currently an honorary professor at the Delhi School of Economics and a visiting professor at the Ranchi University.
'There is no UPA now': Mamata Banerjee takes swipe at Cong, calls for unity of regional parties against BJP

Cong accuses Mamata Banerjee of 'political opportunism' after her 'no UPA' jibe; Prashant Kishor says Cong leadership not divine right of individual

'He is just a kid': Mamata dismisses Rahul Gandhi's allegations

India

oi-Deepika S

Kolkata, Mar 28: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday dismissed Congress president Rahul Gandhi's attack on her government by calling him a "kid".

Speaking to reporters, Banerjee said, "Gandhi has said whatever he felt like. I won't like to make any comment on it. He is just a kid. What will I say about it?"

Launching his party's Lok Sabha poll campaign in the state, Gandhi at last week's rally in Malda charged both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief of failing to fulfil their promises.

Also Read | Lok Sabha elections 2019: 'Will contest If Cong asks me', says Priyanka Gandhi



He had alleged that nothing has changed in Bengal as there has been no development in the state under Banerjee.

Asked to comment on Gandhi's poll promise of minimum income, she said "They (Congress) have made an announcement and it would not be right for us to make a comment on it."

Gandhi had called his party's announcement as the "final assault" and a "surgical strike" on poverty.

The Congress and the TMC share a strained relation in the state after fighting the 2011 polls together and uprooting the 34-year-old Left Front regime.

Although the Congress have shared stage with the TMC at the national level, in Bengal it has maintained a distance with Banerjee's party, which was born out of it in 1998.

Congress' state unit has time and again accused the TMC of trying to "politically finish" it either by use of force or by poaching its leaders and elected representatives.

Also Read | Congress plans to involve Indians in making NYAY Logo



As many as 17 Congress MLAs and one MP have switched over to the TMC in Bengal since the state elections of 2016.

After Congress' victory in the three Hindi-heartland states last year, Banerjee stopped short of congratulating either the Congress or Gandhi by their names, drawing sharp reactions.

Senior state Congress leaders had asked if Trinamool Congress leaders were having "sleepless nights" dreaming Mamata Banerjee becoming the prime minister may not be fulfilled.
How the MYD factor in Uttar Pradesh is likely to hurt the BJP

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Mar 28: In this hotly contested battle, Uttar Pradesh will hold the key. For the road ahead is not exactly an easy one this time around, considering that the SP and BSP are contesting the battle together.

There are 80 parliamentary constituencies up for grabs in Uttar Pradesh and in order to make a difference, any party would have to win a maximum number of seats.

Lok Sabha Elections: BJP ropes in Bhojpuri actors to woo voters

C-Voter, a well known survey agency had said that the BJP could face trouble in 47 out of the 80 constituencies. This would be largely because of the fact that the Muslim-Dalit-Yadav (MYD) population is higher than 50 per cent. Further it also said that the MYD population in every UP seat is over 40 per cent.

This would mean that in order to succeed, any party would need to get the caste calculation right. The SP and BSP coming together would mean that each party would focus on its core area.

For instance the BSP has a strong base of both Muslim and Yadav voters and for the BSP it is the Dalits. The 2011 caste census data suggests that the Muslims comprise 19 per cent of the population, whereas the Dalits are 21 per cent in number. The Yadavs on the other hand represent 10 per cent of the population of UP.

The C-Voter survey says that 10 seats in the state has more than 60 per cent of the MYD population. These would include, Firozabad, Jaunpur, Ambedkar Nagar, Azamgarh, Ghosi, Domariyaganj, Bhadohi, Bijnor, Mohanlalganj and Sitapur.

In 2014, the scenario was entirely different. The BJP led NDA won 73 seats. While the BJP alone won 71, its ally the Apna Dal bagged 2. This incidentally is the best performance put up by any party in the past three decades. In that election, the BSP did not open its account, while the Samajwadi Party ended up with 5.

When doing a comparison of the vote share, it becomes clear that there was a strong reason why the SP and BSP tied up. The BSP secured 20 per cent of the votes, while the SP ended up with 22.5. Put together this was very close to what the NDA had bagged in the 2014 elections. It also must be noted that in the 10 constituencies, where the MYD population is more than 60 per cent, the votes polled by the BSP and SP was higher in number when compared to the NDA.

Cong's minimum income scheme a poll gimmick: Yogi Adityanath

In those seats where the MYD vote is more than 40 per cent, but less than 50 the NDA polled 23 per cent, while the BSP-SP ended up with 10 per cent. In the constituencies where the MYD population was more than 50 but less than 60, the NDA polled 14 per cent and the SP-BSP, 21 per cent. The Congress accounted for 2 per cent of the votes. In the 10 constituencies where the MYD population is more than 60 per cent, both the NDA and BSP polled 10 per cent of the votes.
Not for fashion but for people: Kumaraswamy on son, nephew contesting polls

Sumalatha Ambareesh wins, but is she Indias first independent woman MP

Congress and JD(S) protest against I-T raids

India

oi-Deepika S

Bengaluru, Mar 28: Income-Tax (IT) department conducted raids at multiple locations in Bengaluru, Hassan, Mandya, Mysuru at locations of 17 contractors and 7 officers from Public Works Department (PWD) and Irrigation Department.

Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy accompanied by several Congress leaders, including his deputy G Parameshwara, Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar are protesting against the raids.

IT sleuths have raided Karnataka Minister CS Puttaraju's house in Mysuru and Mandya. The slueths have begun search operations at residences belonged to three contractors, said to be close associates of PWD minister H.D. Revanna.

They also conducted search operations in the office and residence of PWD Executive Engineer C.S. Manju in Hassan.

Janata Dal-Secular (JDS) leader Puttaraju said three teams of Income Tax officials and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel carried out raids at his Chinnakurli residence in Mandya and his nephew's house in Mysuru.

The development came a day after, Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy raised fears about possible raids on Congress and JD(S) functionaries in the state.

He had claimed that CRPF personnel were brought from various parts of the country to carry out the raids.

"Three teams of I-T officials and CRPF soldiers comprising eight soldiers carried out raids at my Chinnakurli residence in Mandya and my nephew's residence in Mysuru," Puttaraju told the channel.

The minister said he was not afraid of the raids and instead, it had instilled confidence in him.

"I'm not deterred by the raids, which are election related. I would like to know which BJP leader's house in Karnataka has been raided," Puttaraju, who is in-charge minister of Mandya district, said.

The JD(S) has assigned him to oversee the electioneering of HD Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil Kumaraswamy, who is fighting his maiden election from the Mandya Lok Sabha seat.

The chief minister had on Wednesday warned that he would follow what his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Bannerjee did to counter the 'misuse' of central agencies.
IANS-CVoter 2019 survey shows NDA tally to touch 300 mark

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

New Delhi Mar 28: An opinion poll based on pre-poll alliances conducted by CVoter for IANS shows that Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance is likely to garner 42 per cent of the vote in the Lok Sabha elections 2019, while for the Congress-led UPA alliance the vote percentage would be 30.4 per cent.

The opinion poll released on March 24 was based on a sample survey of 10,280 this week, and a cumulative base of 70,000 respondents since January 1.

The survey shows that the multiple allies in the NDA camp is banking on the BJP's narrative on nationalism to deliver the elections for it. Although, there is an attempt in the NDA government to look into the increasing employment opportunities, alleviation of farm distress and economic growth, nationalism has always been its mainstay.The NDA includes the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Shiv Sena, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), the AIADMK, the Janata Dal-United (JD-U), the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), the Paattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) and other regional parties.

The UPA comprises the Congress, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S), the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the National Conference (NC), the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and other smaller parties.

Vote share projections:

In Uttar Pradesh, India's politically most important state with 80 Lok Sabha seats, the NDA is likely to get 35.4 per cent of the vote which is far fewer seats compared to 2014 as indicated by the CVoter opinion poll.

In Bihar, the NDA's vote share is expected to be 52.6 per cent and in Rajasthan, it is expected to get 50.7 per cent of the vote while in Gujarat, the NDA will get 58.2 per cent of the vote share.

In Maharashtra, the NDA is likely to garner 48.1 per cent of vote share while in Haryana, the NDA could get 42.6 per cent of the vote share.

Seat share projections:

The seat share projections for the NDA, based on pre-poll alliances, indicates it will fall short of a House majority with 261 seats -- the March 10 opinion poll said it had put this number at 264. The second survey shows that the BJP will get 241 seats on its own. The UPA, however, could fall way behind the NDA in seat share projections. However, the surge from post poll alliances would push it well above the majority mark of 272.
Atai Life Sciences, a Berlin, Germany- London, UK- and New York-based biotech platform dedicated to curing mental health disorders, completed its series B financing round of $43m (38m).

The round was led by Michael Auerbachs New York-based Subversive Capital, with participation from new and existing investors, including Apeiron Investment Group, Bail Capital, and Efrem Kamen, founder of Pura Vida Investments.

The company intends to use the new funds to further invest in its platform technology, to develop the existing drug pipeline, and to acquire additional compounds.

Founded in 2018 by Christian Angermayer, Lars Wilde and Florian Brand, Atai Life Sciences is a global biotech platform and company builder. It takes a decentralized and big data platform approach to drug development  leveraging expertise, access to talent, financial resources and technology, thereby accelerating the pace at which compounds move through early stage clinical trials.

The company focuses on developing paradigm-shifting and formerly stigmatized compounds with prior evidence for efficacy and safety in humans. Its initial focus is on developing solutions for the more than 300 million people who suffer from depression.

In January, Atai acquired Perception Neuroscience and is now developing an arketamine therapy for neuropsychiatric diseases. It is also the largest investor in Compass Pathways, which is developing psilocybin therapy for treatment-resistant depression and has received Breakthrough Therapy designation from the FDA.

In addition to drug compounds, the companys portfolio includes Innoplexus, which delivers big data and AI solutions to big pharma and biotech companies and provides the technology Atai will use to power its in-house drug discovery and development.

The company launched with initial seed backing totalling $12.6m (11.2m) from Apeiron Investment Group (Christian Angermayers family office), German investor HCS, Galaxy Financial (the family office of Mike Novogratz), and Ekaterina Malievskaia and George Goldsmith (Co-Founders of COMPASS Pathways).

In September 2018, Atai completed a Series A financing round in the amount of $24.4m (21.6m).

FinSMEs

28/03/2019
In Tejasvi Surya candidature, BJP sent out message, not a party of grandfathers, grandsons

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Bengaluru, Mar 28: After the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced that Tejasvi Surya would contest from Bangalore South, there has been a major debate over his candidature.

The big question was did the BJP err in not giving a ticket to Tejaswini Ananth Kumar, who had nurtured and won from this constituency for over 25 years. The analysts point out that this is an interesting gamble that has been taken by the BJP.

The choice by the BJP only proves that it wants to nurture the younger generation, says leader psephologist, Dr. Sandeep Shastri. He tells OneIndia that the BJP wants to send across a strong message especially in Karnataka that it is not a dynasty party.

There was a rumour earlier that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would contest from this seat. It is one of their safer seats, one must also bear in mind. The choice shows that the BJP is nurturing a younger generation, while retiring the older leaders, Dr. Shastri also adds.

Suspense ends: Tejasvi Surya is BJP's choice from Bangalore South

Given the whole debate around the Janata Dal (S) that one third of the candidates comprise the grandfather and grandsons, the BJP wanted to send a strong message that it is against dynasty politics, he further adds.

Though Anant Kumar has nurtured this constituency and also the fact that his wife wanted the seat does not automatically make her the justifiable candidate, the BJP has proven. The party sent out an important message that no person has a claim to the seat just because his or her relative was part of it, Dr Shastri says.

Moreover the choice of Surya also shows that the frontal organisations of the BJP have immense importance. He has both an ABVP and RSS background and these groups have played a vital role, he further adds.

With regard to the unhappiness among a section of the BJP, Dr. Shastri says that the BJP may have anticipated it. There is a lot of disquiet, but the saffron party would tide over it as it is a cadre based party. Tejaswini did say that she was shocked, but also added that all must work to ensure that Modi comes back to power.

It would be early to say that the unhappiness will out in the background. As I said that the distinct advantage that the BJP has is that it is a cadre based party, he further adds.

One must also not forget that Surya was part of the Ananth Kumar and Tejaswini team. He has worked with that team. It would now be interesting to see if the cadres would back the candidate or will silence play out in the background.
Shopian encounter: Here is why Army is initiating action against its men

J&K: 3 terrorists gunned down in Shopian, encounter underway

India

oi-Deepika S

Srinagar, Mar 28: Three terrorists have been killed in an encounter with security forces in Keller area of Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district.

The encounter broke out between terrorists and security forces in the wee hours after Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Indian Army and J&K Police launched a joint operation.

Bodies of three terrorists have been recovered from the encounter site so far even as the gunfight is underway.

Wanted dead or alive: Posters of terrorists at J&K

Security forces in the Valley have remained on high alert since the Pulwama attack in February, which claimed the lives of 40 CRPF paramilitary troopers.

On Monday, a terrorist hideout was busted in J&K's Shermal Shopian. "Incriminating" material and other items have been recovered from the site, an official said. Hideout has been blasted so that terrorist can't use the hideout in future, he said. J&K police has filed an FIR and further investigation is going on, he added.
Agree with Indian govt on need to safeguard citizens' privacy: WhatsApp

State vs national issues: Key lessons for the BJP to learn in Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Haryana

In a first, Shiv Sena to contest polls in West Bengal

India

oi-PTI

Kolkata, Mar 29: The Shiv Sena, a constituent of the BJP-led NDA, on Thursday announced that it would contest 15 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal and claimed that the saffron party is now an extended part of the Trinamool Congress (TMC).

"All the tainted leaders of the TMC have joined the BJP making it an extended part of the ruling party," he claimed.

The Shiv Sena is contesting Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal for the first time.

"Today we announced candidates for 11 seats. Within a few days we will declare candidates in four more seats. The BJP leadership in Bengal can never fight the TMC. That is why Shiv Sena has entered the fray," said the party's state general secretary Ashok Sarkar.

[Meet 63-year-old Lalthlamuani, Mizoram's first woman candidate among 6 in fray for lone seat]

Several sitting MPs and an MLA of the TMC have joined the BJP in recent times.

Shiv Sena announced candidates from Tamluk, Contai, Midnapur, North Kolkata, Purulia, Barrackpore, Bankura, Barasat, Bishnupur, North Malda, Jadavpur.

The BJP has made inroads in some of these seats in the past few years.

Sarkar said he would be contesting Midnapur Lok Sabha seat against the BJP state president Dilip Ghosh and the TMC's Manas Bhunia.

In 2016 state assembly election, the Shiv Sena had contested 18 seats but failed to make an impact.
As Mamata Banerjee takes swipe at Rahul Gandhi, Cong says such posturing for personal ambition will help BJP

Rahul Gandhi in centre of Cong posters for Jaipur rally; call for him to become party chief again

Lok Sabha Elections 2019 updates: Anti-BJP front gains momentum, Naidu meets Sonia Gandhi

India

oi-Oneindia Staff

By Anuj Cariappa

New Delhi, May 19: Andhra Pradesh Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday met BSP chief Mayawati and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow, continuing his efforts to put together a coalition to form the next government at the Centre. He reached Lucknow after meetings in New Delhi with Congress president Rahul Gandhi, CPI leaders G Sudhakar Reddy and D Raja, NCP chief Sharad Pawar and LJD leader Sharad Yadav. The Telugu Desam Party chief has already held several rounds of discussions with various opposition leaders, including TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his two-day visit to Uttarakhand today with a visit to Kedarnath shrine. The prime minister is also expected to offer prayers at Badrinath tomorrow before returning to Delhi in the afternoon. The prime minister's visit to the holy shrine came a day before the last phase of the marathon Lok Sabha elections.

Fifty nine parliamentary constituencies, including Varanasi, will go to polls in the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha elections and the results will be announced four days later, on May 23.

Stay tuned for the Lok Sabha elections 2019 UPDATES:
India takes up with Canada reports of threats to Indians, asks Canadian authorities to ensure safety

Grateful to US for its support: MEA on receiving COVID-19 consignment

MEA says India is disappointed at Pakistan's response over Pulwama dossier

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

New Delhi, Mar 28: Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said that India is disappointed at Pakistan's response to our detailed dossier on the Jaish-e-Mohammed's complicity in the cross-border terror attack in Pulwama that killed 40 CRPF jawans on February 14.

India is disappointed at Pakistan's response to our detailed dossier on the Jaish-e-Mohammed's complicity in the cross-border terror attack in Pulwama, the presence of its terror camps and leadership in Pakistan.

''Hardly surprised, as this script was followed by Pakistan in past, after the terror attacks in Mumbai in 2008 or in Pathankot in 2016 It is a well-known fact that Masood Azhar is based in Pakistan. Was again acknowledged recently to international media by Pak Foreign Minister,'' MEA further said.

The Indian government had handed over to Pakistan a dossier detailing terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed's role in the Pulwama attack that killed 40 CRPF jawans on February 14.

[No terror camps exist on 22 locations shared by India, says Pakistan]

The dossier also had details the presence of JeM terror camps as well its top leadership within the territory of Pakistan. The move comes after Pakistan had demanded India provide "actionable evidence" on the Pulwama terror attack.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan said it has examined 22 "pin locations" shared by India but found no terror camps and claimed that there are no links to nail 54 people detained in connection with the Pulwama terror attack as it shared the "preliminary findings" with New Delhi.

The Foreign Office (FO) said soon after receiving the dossier, Pakistan constituted an investigation team, detained a number of people for investigation and initiated work on the technical aspects of social media content, a main basis of the Indian documents.

The Indian dossier contains 91 pages and six parts, out of which only part two and three pertain to the Pulwama attack, it said. "Other parts are generalised allegations. Pakistan is focusing on those parts which relate to Pulwama incident," it said.

Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after the suicide bomber of JeM killed 40 CRPF personnel in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on February 14.

India launched a counter-terror operation against a JeM training camp in Balakot.

The next day, Pakistan Air Force retaliated and downed a MiG-21 in an aerial combat and captured its pilot, who was handed over to India on March 1.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Thursday, March 28, 2019, 20:55 [IST]
Supply of essential commodities getting normalised in Mizoram as trucks entering from Assam

Meet 63-year-old Lalthlamuani, Mizorams first woman candidate among 6 in fray for lone seat

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Aizawl, Mar 29: For the first time in the history, this time the Lok Sabha elections 2019 will see a woman candidate from Mizoram's lone parliamentary constituency. A 63-year-old Lalthlamuani, a Jew, will be contesting as an Independent candidate against five male rivals in the constituency reserved for scheduled tribes (ST).

In Mizoram's patriarchal society, the participation of women in politics is still minimal despite a high literacy rate and women playing key roles in almost all walks of life.

Lalthlamuani, a school dropout, currently heads Chhinlung Israel People's Convention, an NGO fighting to unite people belonging to the Chhinlung Israel tribe, who are scattered in the Northeast.

[BJP pits former Mizoram Governor against Shashi Tharoor in Thiruvananthapuram]

Lalthlamuani, a grandmother of five, is also a member of the Bnei Menashe community who claim to be descendants of the tribe and believe that they are one of the 'ten lost tribes of Israel'. Her main poll agenda is to pursue a memorandum submitted to the United Nations, seeking recognition of the Mizo Jewish community as the lost tribe of Israel.

She had earlier contested the Aizawl South-I constituency during assembly polls in 2018 as well but secured just 69 votes.

Ever since 1972, when the tiny tribal state elected its first MP, only one woman candidate has so far contested the parliamentary polls.

The state has so far seen only two women minister in 32 years. First was Lalhimpuii of Mizo National Front (MNF), who was elected in 1987 and the second women minister was Vanlalawmpuii Chawngthu, who was inducted in the erstwhile Lal Thanhawla's cabinet in 2014.

Eighty-three-year-old CL Ruala of the Congress is the sitting MP from the seat.

Meanwhile, calling Prime Minsiter Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the Centre "fake" as well as "hopeless", 17 BJP leaders of Mizoram unit, including former state president Khawvelthanga Ralte and three ex-MLA candidates, quit the saffron party on Thursday.

The mass resignation of BJP leaders is likely to have an impact on the BJP's prospect as the party has no strong base.

Mizoram, which has an electorate of 7,84,405, goes to the polls on April 11. Ironically, female voters outnumber their male counterparts by 20,417.
Mission Shakti: EC likely to take final call today whether PM's speech violated poll code

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

New Delhi, Mar 28: The Election Commission has set up a committee to examine the matter related to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech announcing the success of Mission Shakti in the light of the Model Code of Conduct which is in force for Lok Sabha polls.

The committee, which has met twice since Wednesday evening, is likely to finalise its report by Friday evening. It would then be placed before the commission for a final call.

The committee has held two meetings so far and also sought responses from Doordarshan and the All India Radio over the source of the feed.

Deputy Election Commissioner Sandeep Saxena, in charge of the Model Code division, said, "Matter requires proper assessment. Written to all stakeholders, including DD and AIR about the source of feed."

Meanwhile, Public broadcasters Doordarshan and Ali India Radio have responded to the Election Commission which had asked them about the source of feed of the Prime Minister's address to the nation.

The panel would go through the video and the transcript of the address. The PM addressed the nation after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security Wednesday morning which was apparently apprised of the development.

[Mission Shakti: EC sets up committee to probe whether PM's address to nation violated poll code]

On Wednesday, PM Modi, in a televised address, briefed the nation about the India's entry into the elite club of nations having capability to hit a target in space. India became the fourth nation after the US, Russia and China to showcase capability to strike down a satellite in the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) in space.

The opposition parties had raised a clamour after the announcement, claiming the Prime Minister was trying to gain political points two weeks before the national elections, and that it was a violation of the Model Code of Conduct.

The Model Code is a series of dos and don'ts for the caretaker government and political parties, which comes into effect as soon as the elections are announced.
Didnt think twice before getting into bed with Shiv Sena: Captain hits out at Congress

Sena targets NCB: Officers trying to extort money by framing youngsters must be arrested

Opposition front not possible without Congress: Shiv Sena leader Raut after meeting with Rahul Gandhi

Sanjay Raut on chopper tragedy: We claim to have modernised armed forces, how could this happen?

'Modi hai to mumkin hai': Sena on India's A-SAT missile launch

India

pti-PTI

Mumbai, Mar 28: Hailing India's successful anti-satellite missile test, the Shiv Sena on Thursday said it was possible because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi being at the helm of affairs in the country.

Modi on Wednesday announced India demonstrated the anti-satellite missile capability by shooting down a live satellite, describing it as a "rare" achievement that puts the country in an exclusive club of space super powers. Lauding the country's achievement, the Sena, in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana', said, "Modi hai to mumkin hai...on land and in space."

"Till yesterday, India was a nuclear power...(former) prime ministers - from Indira Gandhi to Atal Bihari Vajpayee - worked very hard for the purpose. However, during Modi's tenure we have become a space super-power. It has all been done by our scientists," it said.

It said amid Lok Sabha poll campaign melee where leaders are indulging in mud-slinging and hurling charges against each other, Modi gave a "pleasant news" of the success of scientists, even as there was an unprecedented suspense over what he was going to announce in his address to the nation.

'Ram temple movie won't stall mediation', says SC as it refuses to stall the film release

After the government's demonetisation decision in November 2016, there was a lot of curiosity among people, who on Wednesday waited with bated breath to listen to Modi's address, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party said.

"Some thought Indian jawans again struck Pakistan, killed (JeM chief) Masood Azhar, brought his body here and dumped it in the Arabian sea off the Gujarat coast," it said.

Another speculation was that fugitive businessmen Vijay Mallya, Mehul Choksi and Nirav Modi were brought back together overnight in the same plane to Delhi.

There were also talks that fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim was captured and brought either to Mumbai or Delhi. Some even went on to think that to counter Congress president Rahul Gandhi's scheme of depositing Rs 72,000 annually in bank accounts of poor families, Modi's promise of depositing Rs 15 lakh into people's accounts was being reshaped, it quipped.

"However, contrary to the expectations, Modi's announcement of the anti-satellite missile being successfully tested made the country proud," said the Sena, which is an ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Maharashtra.

It noted that Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan were launched into the space in 2008 and 2013, respectively.

The Marathi publication also recalled that key institutions like the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) were set up during the then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru's tenure.

"Scientists working there have ensured the Indian flag flies high in space," it said.

PTI
Casper Sleep Inc., a NYC-based online mattress retailer, raised $100m in funding.

The round valued the company at $1.1 billion and brought total funding raised to date to $340m.

Backers included Target Corp., New Enterprise Associates and Norwest Venture Partners, as well as new investors Dani Reiss, the chief executive officer of Canada Goose Holdings Inc. and Gordon Segal, co-founder and former chairman of Crate & Barrel.

The company plans to use the funds to accelerate international expansion and increase the number of its physical retail presence.

Founded in 2014 by CEO Philip Krim, Jeff Chapin, Neil Parikh, Luke Sherwin, Gabe Flateman, Casper is an e-commerce company that sells sleep products including mattresses, pillow, bedding, and furniture developed in-house by an R&D team in San Francisco.

Casper Labs is a platform which uses real-time user feedback, testing, and research to constantly iterate and improve upon existing companys products. Casper produces some of the best beds for athletes and business professionals.

With 5,000 square feet of workrooms, prototyping machines, testing equipment, and an experimental bedroom, the labs employs more than 50 researchers, scientists, and engineers.

The company has showrooms in New York City, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

FinSMEs

28/03/2019
From plotting a hijack to creating the JeM, why Pakistan guards Masood Azhar so much

What does the meeting between Taliban and Jaish-e-Mohammad mean for India

Pakistan first denies having terror camps, then shuts down a few

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Mar 28: While on one hand, Pakistan denied that there were any terror camps on its soil, on the other, it continued to shut down such camps in Pakistan occupied Kashmir.

The intelligence agencies have picked up information that instructions were given to the Lashkar-e-Tayiba by the ISI to shut down the camps. The instruction came in the wake of the Indian Army targeting Pakistan posts in the wake of ceasefire violations. The camps according to the intelligence were being run by Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorist Ashfaq Baral.

Earlier Pakistan said it has examined 22 "pin locations" shared by India but found no terror camps and claimed that there are no links to nail 54 people detained in connection with the Pulwama terror attack as it shared the "preliminary findings" with New Delhi.

No terror camps exist on 22 locations shared by India, says Pakistan

Pakistan is willing to allow visits, on request, to these locations, the Foreign Office (FO) said.

"While 54 detained individuals are being investigated, no details linking them to Pulwama have been found so far," it said.

"Similarly, the 22 pin locations shared by India have been examined. No such camps exist. Pakistan is willing to allow visits, on request, to these locations," the FO said.

It said that in consistent with its commitment to cooperate, Pakistan on Wednesday shared preliminary findings of its investigations with India along with a set of questions.

India handed over the dossier to the Acting High Commissioner of Pakistan in New Delhi on February 27 with specific details of Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)'s complicity in the Pulwama attack that killed 40 CRPF personnel on February 14 and the presence of JeM terror camps and its leadership in Pakistan.

Did Pakistan use F-16s in the aerial dog fight with India: There is ample proof

Reacting to this, a senior officer told OneIndia that Pakistan continues to live in denial about its camps. We have several times in the past shared information, but they have always denied it. Former officer with the Research and Analysis Wing, Amar Bhushan said that they had mapped the Balakot camp of the Jaish-e-Mohammad, 15 years back. Information regarding this had been shared several times, but no action was taken.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Thursday, March 28, 2019, 16:13 [IST]
PM Modis real surgical strike: Kumaraswamy on IT raids in Karnataka

India

oi-Deepika S

Bengaluru, Mar 28: Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy who made stunning claims about the Centre deploying The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel in Karnataka for I-T raids, has yet again slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleging that he is playing a "revenge game".

"PM Narendra Modi's real surgical strike is out in the open through IT dept raids. The constitutional post offer for IT officer Balakrishna helped the PM in his revenge game. Highly deplorable to use govt machinery, corrupt officials to harrass opponents during election time," the Chief Minister tweeted again this morning.

In today's pre-dawn searches, income tax officials along with CRPF personnel came to the homes of Karnataka Minor Irrigation Minister CS Puttaraju in Mandya district and his nephew's in Mysuru, news agency PTI reported. "I'm not deterred by the raids, which are election related. I would like to know which BJP leader's house in Karnataka has been raided?" said Mr Puttaraju, who is in charge of Mandya district from where the Chief Minister's son, Nikhil Kumaraswamy, is fighting his first election.

Also Read | IT sleuths raid Karnataka minister Puttaraju's residence, HD Revanna's aides



The searches are also reportedly going on in the homes of associates of Public Works Department Minister HD Revanna, brother of the chief minister and son of former prime minister HD Deve Gowda. Mr Revanna's son Prajwal is contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Hassan constituency.

Last month, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee staged a sit-in after a CBI team knocked on the doors of former Kolkata Police chief Rajeev Kumar to question him in chit fund scam cases, in what Ms Banerjee termed was the Modi government's alleged vindictiveness towards opposition-ruled states.

Karnataka will vote in the Lok Sabha elections on April 18 and 23. Results will be out on May 23.
'Power Star' Pawan Kalyan makes electoral debut but will he pose challenge to TDP, YSR Congress

India

pti-PTI

Amaravati (AP), Mar 28: In a popular on-screen persona, he loves calling himself 'lion' while in another the actor boasts that his opponents are scared of him. After five years in politics, it remains to be seen if Andhra Pradesh's top star Pawan Kalyan can pose a challenge to the TDP and the YSR Congress as his party Jana Sena fights the assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh in alliance with the CPI, CPI(M) and BSP.

His supporters say Kalyan, whom they call "Power Star", would outwit his political rivals and recreate the spectacular 1983 victory of N T Rama Rao, though both the TDP and the YSR Congress dismiss such claims saying that his party has little connect with the electorate. Making his debut in electoral politics this year after launching the party in 2014, Pawan Kalyan has made a slew of catchy promises like 33 per cent quota for women, creation of 10 lakh jobs and Rs 10 lakh worth health insurance, but not all are convinced that it is enough.

The 47-year-old actor, who is all set to contest from Gaujwaka and Bhimavaram constituencies, "is followed by a section of youths but it might not be comparable to the mass support that was enjoyed by NTR," G Haragopal, a retired professor of University of Hyderabad and political analyst, said. However, his supporters argue that Kalyan is "down to earth and accessible to all which" which has endeared him to the masses and it would translate into votes for the Jana Sena-led alliance.

"Our nayakadu (leader) has been raising issues and pressured the government to address them. He enjoys support of all sections of the people," said a die-hard supporter Yugandhar, based in Tirupathi. Pointing to his speeches in public meetings and rallies, the supporters of the actor, who called himself 'lion' in film 'Attarintiki Daaredhi', said that he has been a major crowdpuller.

However, Haragopal wondered if the star's on-screen popularity would translate into votes. "The enthusiastic youths are not the kind who will carry on Kalyan's philosophy or ideology. They are all fans. But political cadre are different," he said. The actor's support for the TDP-BJP combine in 2014 "helped" the alliance, claim his supporters. Pawan Kalyan enjoys a large number of youth fan following, inspite of acting in just over 25 films since his debut in 1996.

Pawan Kalyan's task appears herculean given the well entrenched TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu on one side and a raging YSR Congress chief Jaganmohan Reddy on the other. Kalyan is a sibling of actor-politician K Chiranjeevi, who unsuccessfully launched Praja Rajyam Party and later merged it with the Congress.

"Jana Sena is not even a full fledged party. I don't think they will make any impact. The fight is only between the TDP and the YSR Congress," said Lanka Dhinakar, TDP's spokesperson. YSR Congress leader Karunakar Reddy too said that people were not even aware of who was contesting from the Jana Sena combine. However, CPI state secretary K Ramakrishna is hopeful that he will be able to get votes of youths and people of his Kapu caste.

He said, "The actual fight would be among TDP, YSRCP and Jana Sena-led alliance. Pawan's major strength is the support of the youth and natural admiration his caste people have for him." He feels national parties -- the Congress and BJP -- would not be considered seriously because of backlash they face.

While the Congress is blamed for bifurcating the state, the BJP is targeted for denying the state Special Category Status, he said.

CPI(M) state secretary P Madhu said their alliance is going to pose a serious threat to both the TDP and YSR Congress party. Kalyan belongs to influential Kapu caste, which has dominant presence in regions including Godavari belt.

Though Kalyan himself tried to reach out to all sections of voters transcending the confines of his Kapu caste, observers say the actor cannot hope to even get full share of his own community votes.

"The Kapus votes would be divided between JSP and TDP. JSP has pitched for reservation to the community, while the TDP has already brought in 5 per cent quota for the community within the 10 per cent under the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) reservations, introduced by the BJP-led Centre," said an analyst.

Drawing parallels between Kapus and other intermediary castes in the country, professor of political science in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Ajay Gudavarthy said they would go with anyone who protects their interests. Politically, Kalyan made several right moves like backing the victims of water pollution in West Godavari and by working on solving the issue of kidney ailments in Srikakulam by roping in Harvard University researches.

Jana Sena is also enthused as many prominent persons including former Speaker Nadendla Manohar and former IPS officer V V Lakshminarayana joined the party. Kalyan has also organised 'Praja Porata Yatra' - a combination of walkathon, rallies and public meetings. NTR, after a spectacular career in the filmdom founded the Telugu Desam Party in 1982, and became the first actor from the undivided Telugu speaking state to become the chief minister in 1983 within nine months of forming the party.

The TDP and the YSR Congress will be going alone in the 2019 polls. In 2014, the TDP allotted 15 assembly and four Lok Sabha seats to its ally BJP, while its arch-rival YSR Congress contested on its own.

PTI
Many more leaders are in contact with me: Tejashwi Yadav after former MLA rejoins RJD from JD(U)

Rift in Bihar Mahagathbandhan over seat sharing

India

oi-Deepika S

Patna, Mar 28: Trouble brewing between the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in Bihar as a major rift has emerged between the Congress and RJD possibly over the seat-sharing formula.

Senior Congress leader Ramdeo Rai has expressed concern with party's leadership over the seat-sharing arrangement which was not in favour of the grand old party and also questioned the Congress' decision to hold discussions on the seats it holds.

According to the reports, The Congress party had staked strong claim on Darbhanga seat for Kirti Jha Azad, who recently had joined the party. The RJD had decided to field senior party leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui from Darbhanga. The RJD's move has reportedly annoyed the Congress party workers.

Only three women in NDA's list of Lok Sabha candidates for Bihar

Party chief Rahul Gandhi has called for a meeting of the Bihar Congress unit and other leaders of the grand alliance today.

Elections to all 40 Lok Sabha constituencies in Bihar will take place from 11 April onwards in which RJD will contest on 20 seats, Congress on 9, HAM on 3, RLSP on 5, VIP on 3 and CPI on 1 seat.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has already announced its seat-sharing pact -- the BJP and the JD(U) will contest on 17 seats each and six seats were allotted to the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP).

In the 2014 Lok Sabha election, the BJP had won 22 seats and the LJP was successful in six. Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP), which was a part of the NDA in 2014 has now joined the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan, won in three Lok Sabha seats. The remaining nine seats were bagged by the RJD (four), JDU (two), Congress (two) and Nationalist Congress Party (one).
Scientists wanted to test anti-satellite missile, but UPA didn't allow: Modi

India

oi-Vikas SV

Meerut, Mar 28: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the opposition, especially the Congress, during his rally in Meerut. He said that the earlier governments, in a veiled reference to UPA, kept delaying every important decision whether it was about buying modern fighter planes or allowing scientists to carryout ASAT missile test.

PM Modi is slated to address rallies in Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, Rudrapur in Uttarakhand and Akhnoor in Jammu and Kashmir. Sounding the poll bugle in Uttar Pradesh, Modi said that it is clear what the mandate of 2019 General Elections would be.

It was this Chowkidaar's government that had the courage to ahead with the Surgical Strikes, PM Modi said.

PM Modi unlikely to contest from Vadodara

In a bitter criticism of the governments before 2014 and the way India was governed, Modi asked people, "Tell me, were not bomb blasts and terrorist attacks common before 2014. Tell me.. were women safe under their regime, were not people afraid of goons and weak law and order situation."

PM terms the opposition as "Maha-Milawati" or adultrated alliance. He said how can you trust them when things were chaotic during their regime.

"We have worked very hard to bring about a positive change in India. So many things had to be changed, considering the bad state in which they (Congress) had left India. India has come a long way from there. Do you want to go back to dark old days? If they come to power, they will take India back to old days in no time," said Modi.

The kind of statements these people make are welcomed by Pakistan, said Modi in Meerut. "They have become popular in Pakistan. They are asking for proof (of Balakot Strike). How can they be so insensitive," he added.

He slammed the UPA regime for delaying important matters concerning the nation.

'PM Modi's real surgical strike': Kumaraswamy on IT raids in Karnataka

"Our air force asked for new aircrafts but they ignored the requests. They didnt even provide bulletproof jackets and neither did they allow our scientists to launch anti-satellite missile," Modi said.

Launching a blistering attack on Rahul Gandhi, Modi said, "You saw for yourself, yesterday, how our accomplishments in space was ignored by the opposition."

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Thursday, March 28, 2019, 13:17 [IST]
After Pak allows access, India says yet to decide on opening Kartarpur Corridor

Security concerns can't be ruled out in Kartarpur Corridor

India

oi-Hardeep Singh Bedi

New Delhi, March 28: The security concerns will be there in the ambitious Kartarpur Corridor Project, says an official associated with the project.

The Kartarpur Corridor will connect the Sikh shrines of Dera Baba Nanak Sahib in Gurdaspur, Punjab and Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur in Pakistan. The corridor will allow religious devotees from India to visit the Gurdwara in Kartarpur, 4.7 kilometres from the Pakistan-India border, without a visa.

Currently, an elevated platform has also been constructed on the Indian side, where people use high powered telescope to get a good view of Kartarpur Sahib.

No construction to take place 30 acres around Kartarpur Gurdwara, says Pakistan

The official, who is not authorised to speak to media, tells this scribe that despite all the clearances given by the security agencies, the security concerns cannot be completely ruled out in the ambitious project.

"It is a fact that unlike Americans, we Indians do not take security very seriously, and the Kartarpur Corridor Project will not be an exception," said the official.

Though India is committed to complete the corridor within time considering the religious sentiments of the millions of Sikhs around the world, it has reasons to be concerned as well.

New Delhi is concerned that the corridor might be used by Pakistan to undermine India's security and also to fuel Khalistan movement. Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee Secretary General Gopal Singh Chawla, a pro-Khalistan activist, is associated with the Kartarpur project in Pakistan.

According to the official, the work on the Indian side will be started in full swing very soon and will be completed before the 550th Birth Anniversary of Shri Guru Nanak Dev, first Sikh Guru.

"The work on the Pakistani side is on fast track. The work on the Indian side will be carried out day and night and will be completed before the 550th Birth Anniversary of Shri Guru Nanak Dev on November 23, 2019," the official said.

The construction includes a 'boarding terminal' from where shuttle buses will take the pilgrims from India to Kartarpur. There will be temporary accommodations and tents for the pilgrims. The pilgrims will need to obtain special permits, though no visas, for making the trip, and they will need to undergo biometric checks.

Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib is very sacred for the Sikh community as Shri Guru Nanak Dev had spent the last 18 years of his life at Kartarpur.

Permit system, Khalistan activities turning Kartarpur talks sour

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on November 22 last year approved the building and development of the Kartarpur corridor with Government of India funding, to provide smooth and easy passage, with all the modern amenities.

Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on November 26 last year laid the foundation stone for construction of Dera Baba Nanak - Kartapur Sahib corridor.

On 28 November 2018, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan laid the foundation stone for the Kartarpur corridor near the Narowal district of Punjab, Pakistan. Union Ministers Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Hardeep Singh Puri, Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu and Lok Sabha member from Amritsar Gurjeet Singh Aujla were also present on the occasion.
Be present in Lok Sabha, RS says BJP in 3 line whip to its MPs

BJP in talks with Amarinder, Dhindsa for alliance in Punjab: Amit Shah

Election expenditure: How much did BJP, Congress, DMK, CPI, TMC, AIADMK receive funds and spent during polls?

Suspended AAP MP Harinder Khalsa joins BJP

India

oi-Vikas SV

New Delhi, Mar 28: Harinder Singh Khalsa, a sitting MP who was suspended from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in presence of Union Finance minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday.

Khalsa is one of the four AAP MPs in the Lok Sabha. The AAP could manage to win just four seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and these four wins came from Punjab.

Jaya Prada joins BJP, may contest from Rampur

Khalsa was suspended from the AAP in 2015. Before that, he was in the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) which is an ally of the BJP and an NDA constituent.

Khalsa is a 1974 batch IFS officer. He was posted in Oslo, Norway, during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. He had quit the job in protest against the genocide of Sikhs.

In 1996, he was elected as MP from Bhatinda Lok Sabha seat on a SAD ticket.

After joining the BJP, Khalsa said that the BJP is the only party which can lead the country in the right direction.

Lok Sabha elections 2019: Cricketer Gautam Gambhir joins BJP

"I am joining the BJP without any conditions. I am an admirer of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he said.

The BJP is in alliance with the SAD in Punjab and will contest on 13 Lok Sabha seats in the state.
Agree with Indian govt on need to safeguard citizens' privacy: WhatsApp

State vs national issues: Key lessons for the BJP to learn in Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Haryana

Uttar Pradesh: Posters against Priyanka Gandhi come up in Rae Bareli

India

pti-PTI

Rae Bareli (UP), Mar 28: Posters against Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have come up in the city saying she and her mother Sonia Gandhi are seen here only in times of crisis.

The Congress general secretary is visiting Rae Bareli, the parliamentary constituency held by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, on Thursday to meet party workers and leaders.

The posters, spotted near the Congress office 'Tilak Bhawan' on Thursday morning, carried a photo of the mother-daughter duo.

One poster said the mother-daughter duo has never been seen in the city in times of crisis, but they are seen going to temples during election time.

Scientists wanted to test anti-satellite missile, but UPA didn't allow: Modi

On Wednesday also, some posters were spotted in Amethi carrying a sketch of Priyanka Gandhi and the picture of a leader from the Samajwadi Party's student wing.

"Kya khoob thagti ho, kyun paanch saal baad hi Amethi mein dikhti ho (Why do you fool us and show up in Amethi only after five years)," one poster said.

It said she should give an "account" for the past 60 years. Another poster suggested that she wore saris just to influence voters.

PTI
If normalcy to be brought in Kashmir, Article 370 has to be reinstated: Farooq Abdullah

JKSSB SI Recruitment 2021: Last date to apply for 800 Sub Inspector posts, direct link here

Wanted dead or alive: Posters of terrorists in J&K

India

oi-Oneindia Staff

By Anuj Cariappa

Srinagar, Mar 28: The posters carrying pictures of seven "wanted terrorists" affiliated with the Hizbul Mujahideen and the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) have come up in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district with an announcement for a cash reward and a job for anyone providing information leading to their arrest or killing.

The hilly Kishtwar district in this province, which was declared terrorism-free over a decade ago, was rattled by the killing of a senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and his brother in November last year and gun-snatching incident from a policeman recently.

J&K: Terrorist killed in Shopian encounter, gunbattle underway

"For any information leading to get hold live or dead - cash reward in lakhs & job," the poster, which was put up by police in Kishtwar at various places, reads.

The poster carries pictures of the "wanted terrorists" -- Mohammad Amin alias "Jahangir", Riaz Ahmed alias "Hazari", Mudassir Hussain, Jamal Din alias "Abu Bakar", Talib Hussain, Junaid Akram and Usama Bin Javed alias "Osama".

The poster ends with a message that the identity of the informant would be kept secret.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Kishtwar, Shakti Pathak said the terrorists are active in the region and six of them belonged to the Hizbul Mujahideen and one to the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

"People should be aware of such terrorists who are wanted. Those who wish to inform us about them can contact us. Informant's identity will be kept secret," he said.

Police sources said Jahangir and Hazari, affiliated with the Hizbul Mujahideen, are the longest surviving terrorists in the state.

They have never been caught since the inception of the terrorism in the state in early 1990's, they added.

Five others, including, LeT terrorist Osama have joined terror ranks last year, the sources said, adding they included two students who were pursuing studies in the Kashmir Valley.

They said Jahangir and Hazari are active in Dachin and Marwah areas and have managed to evade arrest as they are locals and fully know the topography of the region, mostly moving in upper reaches away from human habitations.

The counter-insurgency operation came under a review in the district following the killing of BJP state secretary Anil Parihar and his brother Ajeet Parihar on November 1 last year.

The Parihar brothers were returning home after closing their stationery shop in Kishtwar town when gunmen fired at them in the Tappal Gali area, a case which was taken over by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) after initial investigation by local police.

No one has been arrested by the agency so far, though earlier investigation suggested involvement of Osama in the killing but could not be collaborated by the investigation, the officials said.

The NIA had got some vital leads in the case which is expected to be cracked shortly, they said.

Civilian shot dead by terrorists in Pulwama

Earlier this month, unidentified gunmen snatched the service rifle of the personal security officer (PSO) of district development commissioner, Kishtwar, from his rented accommodation in the town.

Though police conducted a massive search for two days, no one has been arrested in connection with the rifle snatching incident so far, the officials said.

The PSO, Daleep Kumar, claimed that some masked gunmen intruded into his residence on the night of March 8 and decamped with his AK-47 rifle and three loaded magazines besides mobile phone after threatening him and his family.

The mobile phone of the policeman was later recovered from an isolated place near the house during the search operation but there is still no trace of the rifle and the culprits, the officials said.
2 fliers test Covid-19 positive in Tamil Nadu: TN Govt says tests will only ascertain if Omicron variant

Will hold by-poll in Tamil Nadu within reasonable time: ECI tells SC

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, Mar 28: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday told the Supreme Court that it will hold by-elections on vacant assembly seats of Tiruparankundram, Ottapidaram and Aravakurichi in Tamil Nadu within a reasonable time.

The counsel appearing for the ECI told this to a bench of Justices S A Bobde and S A Nazeer which was hearing a plea filed by the DMK seeking a direction to the poll panel for holding the by-elections on these three vacant assembly seats.

The bench, while taking on record the submissions of the ECI's counsel, disposed of the petition and observed that the court cannot determine the timing of elections and it was for the poll panel to decide.

'Ram temple movie won't stall mediation', says SC as it refuses to stall the film release

The counsel appearing for the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) had earlier told the apex court that there are 21 vacant assembly seats in Tamil Nadu but the poll panel has notified by-polls for only 18 seats.

The DMK's counsel had said that by-polls on 18 vacant seats are scheduled to be held on April 18 along with the Lok Sabha polls in the state.

He had said that the ECI should be asked to hold the by-elections on the remaining three assembly seats along with the general elections.

On March 15, the apex court had asked the ECI to respond to the DMK's plea seeking by-polls for Tiruparankundram, Ottapidaram and Aravakurichi assembly constituencies.

The poll panel had earlier told the court that the by-polls for three assembly seats were not announced as some election petitions were pending in the Madras High Court.

The Ottapidaram constituency is represented by disqualified AIADMK MLA Sundararaj, while Aravakurichi is represented by Senthil Balaji, an AIADMK legislator who is now with the DMK.

Thiruparankundram legislator A K Bose died last year.

PTI

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Story first published: Thursday, March 28, 2019, 12:54 [IST]


McDonalds Corporation (MCD) acquired Dynamic Yield, Ltd., a New York and Tel Aviv, Israel-based leader in personalization and decision logic technology.

The amount of the deal was not disclosed but some media outlets said it totalled approx. $300m.

Led by Liad Agmon, co-founder and CEO, Dynamic Yield is an AI-powered Personalization Anywhere platform that delivers individualized experiences at every customer touchpoint: web, apps, email, kiosks, IoT, and call centers. The platforms data management capabilities provide for a unified view of the customer, allowing the rapid and scalable creation of highly targeted digital interactions. Marketers, product managers, and engineers use Dynamic Yield daily for launching new personalization campaigns, running server-side and client-side A/B tests, leveraging machine-learning for product and content recommendations, and employing algorithms for smartly triggered email and push notifications. The company serves more than 300 brands across the world.

The acquisition aims to fast-tracks McDonalds digital transformation. The company will utilize this decision technology to provide a more personalized customer experience by varying outdoor digital Drive Thru menu displays to show food based on time of day, weather, current restaurant traffic and trending menu items.

The decision technology can also instantly suggest and display additional items to a customers order based on their current selections.

McDonalds tested this technology in several U.S. restaurants in 2018. Upon closing of the acquisition, McDonalds will begin to roll this technology out in the Drive Thru at restaurants in the United States in 2019 and then expand the use to other top international markets. The company will also begin work to integrate the technology into all of its digital customer experience touchpoints, such as self-order kiosks and McDonalds Global Mobile App.

Steve Easterbrook, President and Chief Executive Officer, McDonalds is a global foodservice retailer with nearly 38,000 locations in over 100 countries around the world.

Upon closing, McDonalds will become sole owner and will continue to invest in Dynamic Yields core personalization product and world-class teams. Dynamic Yield will remain a stand-alone company and employees will continue to operate out of offices around the world. Dynamic Yield will also continue to serve their current and future clients.

FinSMEs

28/03/2019
Will return if I can be of some use: Raghuram Rajan

India

oi-Oneindia Staff

By Anuj Cariappa

New Delhi, Mar 28: Amid speculation that he may be the finance minister if an opposition alliance wins the ensuing general elections, the former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan has said he is willing to return, to take an opportunity where he could be of use.

Rajan, a former chief economist at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) who was denied a second term as Reserve Bank governor by the BJP-led government, said he is "very happy" where he is, but is open to opportunities.

"I am very happy where I am. But if there is an opportunity to be of use I will always be there," he said at the launch of his new book 'The Third Pillar' on Tuesday evening.

Rajan, who is currently the Katherine Dusak Miller Distinguished Service Professor of finance at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business in the US, was asked if he would like to return to India in public service or even a political role.

Speculation in political circles has been that he may be a choice for finance minister if the 'Grand Alliance' of opposition parties such as TMC, Samajwadi Party, BSP and TDP were to win the April/May general elections.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi had on Tuesday stated that Rajan was among top economists that his party had consulted to draft its minimum income guarantee scheme, Nyuntam Aay Yojana or NYAY.

The scheme assures up to Rs 72,000 a year or Rs 6,000 a month income to 20 per cent of India's poorest families if the Congress is voted back to power in the Lok Sabha elections next month.

Raghuram Rajan confirms he advised Rahul on Nyay scheme, calls it 'Doable'

In an interview to CNBC TV18 on Tuesday, Rajan said it was "premature" to discuss if he was approached by any of the parties to take up a policy-making position if they were to win.

"I think it is premature to have this discussion. I really think that this is an important election for India and I also think we need a new set of reforms. I would be happy to push those ideas and we are trying to do that more broadly to anybody who listens," he had said.

Rajan, who is credited with taking some bold decisions on cleaning up of bank balance sheets as the RBI governor, when asked what his priorities would be if he was the finance minister of the country, he said "I think there are short-term issues".

"A number of economists, of which I was one, have put together a set of policy ideas and they are out there for anybody to read. They are coming out in a book but let me say very quickly that certainly, I would focus on short-term actions that could put a lot of projects back on track," he said.

Also, cleaning up the banks as quickly as possible and set them back on credit growth, and finding two or three key reforms that could unleash growth would be his focus, he said.

"Certainly one of them has to be how we review agriculture in a way that reduces distress. Second would be the issue of land acquisition. Can we learn from the best practices of the states and find methods that seem fair and in a sense also give states the freedom to pick the method that works best for them so that we learn from each other's experiments?

"Land acquisition and bank cleanup, as well as, trying to find some key policies that would revive agriculture - these would be top priorities," he said.

Rajan was the 23rd governor of the Reserve Bank between September 2013 and September 2016. Between 2003 and 2006, he was the chief economist and director of research at the IMF.
Is China the reason why Pakistan opted to skip Summit for Democracy hosted by Biden?

US using democracy as 'weapon of mass destruction' to stoke confrontation: China slams Summit for Democracy

China: Man who killed 5 was driven by revenge

International

pti-PTI

Beijing, Mar 28: A 44-year-old man who shot and killed five people in northern China earlier this week was motivated by revenge over "trivial matters" and targeted specific individuals, authorities said on Thursday.

The suspect was the deputy director of a local water plant, said the Kailu county government from Tongliao city in the Inner Mongolia region.

Citing local police, officials said the shooter, surnamed Liang, was driven by "conflicts created by trivial matters in work and life", without offering more details.

Police have seized the small calibre rifle used in the crime, said authorities on their official WeChat social media account. The suspect was in police custody and an investigation was underway, they added. Kailu county police declined to comment.

['Shameful Hypocrisy': Mike Pompeo blasts China over treatment of Muslims]

The shooting, which took place on Monday, was a rare case of gun violence in China, where the government tightly restricts ownership of firearms.

There are no official statistics on gun-related deaths. In November 2017, three people were shot dead and six others wounded in southern Guangdong province. I

n January that same year, a high-ranking city official in the southwestern province of Sichuan burst into a government meeting and shot and wounded the mayor and city party secretary before killing himself.

PTI
Crackdown on drugs: Vietnam arrests Chinese man with 300 kg of heroin

International

pti-PTI

Hanoi, Mar 28: Vietnam police have arrested a Chinese national found with a massive haul of heroin in Ho Chi Minh City, the second such bust in a week as the country cracks down on the illicit trade. Though communist Vietnam boasts some of the world's toughest drug laws, it is both a consumption hub and a popular thoroughfare for narcotics from the lawless "Golden Triangle" region straddling Laos, Myanmar and Thailand.

Vietnam has clocked several high-profile busts in recent months as it seeks to contain rampant drug trafficking. Police on Wednesday found 313 kilograms (690 pounds) of suspected heroin worth an estimated USD 8.6 million after stopping a "suspicious" pick-up truck in the southern commercial hub of Ho Chi Minh City.

"Authorities found many carton boxes with objects that looked like heroin blocks," according to Cong An Nhan Dan, the official mouthpiece of the Ministry of Public Security. "Two suspects were detained, including a Chinese person," it added in its report Thursday.

[Punjab: Rs 50 lakh worth Heroin seized, 3 arrested]

Police launched searches of several properties in Ho Chi Minh City after the bust and said the investigation would expand. A witness at the scene reported seeing "a lot of police... they surrounded a large area (and) took many boxes out of the car," according to state controlled VNExpress news site.

The bust follows a seizure in the city last week involving 16 Chinese citizens and three Vietnamese accused of running a major drug ring under the guise of a textile business. Police found 300 kilograms of methamphetamine in a luxury home in the bust and said the ring likely extended to other branches in the country.

Days later, authorities in the Philippines seized more than 270 kilograms of meth linked to the Chinese-run Ho Chi Minh City cartel. Though heroin and opium have long been the drug of choice in Vietnam, the use of synthetic party drugs is on the rise, especially among young people.

Drug laws in Vietnam are among the harshest in the world. Anyone caught with more than 600 grams (21 ounces) of heroin or more than 2.5 kilograms of methamphetamine can face the death penalty.

PTI
No terror camps exist on 22 locations shared by India, says Pakistan

International

oi-Deepika S

Islamabad, Mar 28: Pakistan has said that it has examined the 22 pin locations of alleged training camps shared by India but found no such camps exist.

A statement by the Pakistan Foreign Office said they have examined the 22 pin locations of alleged training camps shared by India and said no such camps exist. "Pakistan is willing to allow visits, on request, to these locations," the statement said.

"While 54 detained individuals are being investigated, no details linking them to Pulwama have been found so far," it said.

"Similarly, the 22 pin locations shared by India have been examined. No such camps exist. Pakistan is willing to allow visits, on request, to these locations," the FO said.

"All aspects of the information provided by India have been thoroughly examined including the confessional" video of Adil Dar, "claim" of responsibility for the attack, Whatsapp and Telegram numbers used to share videos and messages in support of Pulwama attack, list of 90 individuals suspected of belonging to a proscribed organization and 22 pin locations of alleged training camps," the Pakistan Foreign Office statement said.

Also Read | Did Pakistan use F-16s in the aerial dog fight with India: There is ample proof



It said that in consistent with its commitment to cooperate, Pakistan on Wednesday shared preliminary findings of its investigations with India along with a set of questions.

India handed over the dossier to the Acting High Commissioner of Pakistan in New Delhi on February 27 with specific details of Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)'s complicity in the Pulwama attack that killed 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel on February 14 and the presence of JeM terror camps and its leadership in Pakistan.
Seven US Lawmakers write to Mike Pompeo on Farmers' protest In India

'Shameful Hypocrisy': Mike Pompeo blasts China over treatment of Muslims

International

oi-Deepika S

Washington, Mar 28: United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday alleged that China abuses over a million Muslims at home, but protects terror groups from UN sanctions.

"The world cannot afford China's shameful hypocrisy toward Muslims. On one hand, China abuses more than a million Muslims at home, but on the other it protects violent Islamic terrorist groups from sanctions at the UN,"Mike Pompeo said.

Mike Pompeo was referring to China's move to block India's proposal at the United Nations to designate Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood as a global terrorist.

Azhar's group Jaish-e-Mohammad claimed responsibility over a deadly attack last month on Indian troops in Kashmir that triggered military skirmishes.

FS Gokhale calls on Pompeo, assert that Pakistan must deny safe haven to terrorists

Pompeo, speaking to reporters on Tuesday, said that "certainly" at least hundreds of thousands of Uighurs had been detained.

"We're working to convince the Chinese that this practice is abhorrent and ought to be stopped," Pompeo said.

According to the State Department as well as international human rights groups, China has confiscated Korans from Uighurs and forced them to drink alcohol and eat pork, which are forbidden by Islam.
Xealth, a Seattle, WA-based digital prescribing platform, raised $11m in Series A financing.

Backers included new investors McKesson Ventures, Novartis, Philips and ResMed and existing investors Threshold Ventures (formerly DFJ Venture), Providence Ventures, UPMC and Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin Health Network.

The company intends to use the funds to accelerate expansion of its platform.

Originally incubated and spun out of Providence St. Joseph Health in 2017, and led by CEO Mike McSherry, Xealth is a digital health prescribing platform that enables clinicians to integrate, prescribe and monitor digital health tools for patients from their EHR workflows. These can include patient education, online third-party apps and programs, device monitoring, and non-clinical services such as ride shares, food delivery and e-commerce product recommendations. Using the platform, care teams and physicians can monitor patient engagement and analyze the effects of more engaged patients.

Xealth works with UPMC, the Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin health network, Baylor Scott and White, Duke and other leading health systems.

FinSMEs

28/03/2019
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Opalesque Industry Update - OpZone.com, a new website designed to be the central resource for information about Opportunity Zones, launched today. The Opportunity Zone tax incentive was established by Congress to encourage long-term investments in low-income urban and rural communities nationwide. According to Tom Mullarkey, CEO and Co-founder of OpZone.com, "We believe that bringing an institutional mindset to Opportunity Zones is essential for the program to succeed. We are confident that our efforts will improve the efficient flow of information, and we hope that OpZone.com will assist the program in its mission of accelerating the flow of capital to communities in need." OpZone.com is a website dedicated to sourcing the best information about Opportunity Zones in one central location. OpZone.com is the hub for relevant news and information for all facets of the Opportunity Zone industry including investors, fund managers, real estate developers, lawyers, accountants, and government officials. Key features of OpZone.com include: News: The latest news stories from a wide range of media outlets posted daily.

Resources & Links: Essential information on how to invest, the tax benefits, social benefits, and who is eligible. Also, government resources, maps, lists of designated zones, industry resources, and Opportunity Zone funds currently in the market.

Local Websites: A list of available Opportunity Zone real estate investments state-by-state including territories like Puerto Rico.

Good Reads: Published articles, research, and white papers on the benefits of Opportunity Zones written by industry leaders. Additional features will be added over time. Go here to learn more: http://OpZone.com Opportunity Zones were added to the tax code by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act on December 2017 with the purpose of spurring economic development and job creation in certain communities with private capital. Over 8,700 census tracts were certified as Opportunity Zones throughout the United States, including Puerto Rico and other US territories. OpZone.com is a website dedicated to sourcing the best information about Opportunity Zones in one central location. OpZone.com is an affiliate of Shelter Rock Capital Advisors, a real estate capital advisory boutique offering capital raising and related services to investment managers, operators and investors.
Hodgkin's Lymphoma Drugs Market Size, Share, Development by 2024 Top Key players like Roche,Merck,Pfizer,Inc.

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Market Research Report Store offers a latest published report on Hodgkin's Lymphoma Drugs 5 Market Analysis and Forecast 2019-2025 delivering key insights and providing a competitive advantage to clients through a detailed report. The report contains 91 pages which highly exhibit on current market analysis scenario, upcoming as well as future opportunities, revenue growth, pricing and profitability.Click to view the full report TOC, figure and tables:Side-scan sonar (also sometimes called side scan sonar, sidescan sonar, side imaging sonar, side-imaging sonar and bottom classification sonar) is a category of sonar system that is used to efficiently create an image of large areas of the sea floor.According to this study, over the next five years the Hodgkin's Lymphoma Drugs market will register a xx% CAGR in terms of revenue, the global market size will reach US$ xx million by 2024, from US$ xx million in 2019. In particular, this report presents the global market share (sales and revenue) of key companies in Hodgkin's Lymphoma Drugs business, shared in Chapter 3.Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversPfizerRocheMerckBristol-Myers SquibbOno PharmaceuticalSeattle GeneticsMarket Segment by Type, coversTargeted TherapyChemotherapyMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoHospitalsClinicsOthersFor More Information On This Report, Please Visit @Related Information:North America Hodgkin's Lymphoma Drugs Market Growth 2019-2024United States Hodgkin's Lymphoma Drugs Market Growth 2019-2024Asia-Pacific Hodgkin's Lymphoma Drugs Market Growth 2019-2024Europe Hodgkin's Lymphoma Drugs Market Growth 2019-2024EMEA Hodgkin's Lymphoma Drugs Market Growth 2019-2024Global Hodgkin's Lymphoma Drugs Market Growth 2019-2024China Hodgkin's Lymphoma Drugs Market Growth 2019-2024Customization Service of the Report :Market Research Report Store provides customization of reports as per your need. This report can be personalized to meet your requirements. Get in touch with our sales team, who will guarantee you to get a report that suits your necessities.Contact USMarket Research Report StoreE-mail: info@marketresearchreportstore.comTel: +86-15521064060 00852-58197708(HK)Add: 17890 Castleton Street Suite 218 City of Industry CA 91748 United StatesWebsite:About Us:Market Research Report Store (MRRS) is a professional organization related to market research reports in all directions .To provide customers with a variety of market research reports, MRRS cooperates with a large of famous market report publishers all over the world. Owing to our good service and the professional market reports in the wide range, MRRS enjoys a good reputation in the market. In pace with the development of MRRS, more and more customers and market report publishers choose to cooperate with us. As a specialized platform, MRRS upholds the supremacy of customers and aims to provide customers with better service and richer select.
What's driving the Clear Aligner market Share ? Align Technology, Dentsply Sirona, Straumann Group, Danaher Corporation, Henry Schein, 3M, SmileDirectClub, Geniova Technologies

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The report titled Global Clear Aligner Market: Analysis By End Users (Teenagers, Adults), By Region, By Country (2018 Edition): Opportunities and Forecast (2013-2023) By Region (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, ROW), By Country (U.S., Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom, Germany, China, Japan, South Korea) has covered and analysed the potential of Global Clear Aligner Market and provides statistics and information on market size, shares and growth factors. The report intends to provide cutting-edge market intelligence and help decision makers take sound investment evaluation. Besides, the report also identifies and analyses the emerging trends along with major drivers, challenges and opportunities in the global Clear Aligner market. Additionally, the report also highlights market entry strategies for various companies across the globe.Request a sample of this premium report at:Company Analysis - Align Technology, Dentsply Sirona, Straumann Group, Danaher Corporation, Henry Schein, 3M, SmileDirectClub, Geniova TechnologiesA comprehensive research report created through extensive primary research (inputs from industry experts, companies, stakeholders) and secondary research, the report aims to present the analysis of Global Clear Aligner Market. The global clear aligner market has been analysed by end-users (teenagers, Adults), by region (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the world) and by country (U.S., Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom, Germany, China, Japan, South Korea). The report presents the historical market sizing and growth for the period 2013-2017 and the forecast period of 2018-2023.According to research report Global Clear Aligner Market: Analysis By End Users (Teenagers, Adults), By Region, By Country (2018 Edition): Opportunities and Forecast (2013-2023) By Region (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, ROW), By Country (U.S., Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom, Germany, China, Japan, South Korea) , global clear aligner market is projected to display a robust growth represented by a CAGR of 16.15% during 2018 2023.The segment of teenagers witnessed growth at a noteworthy rate over the past few years and in the forecast period due to of increasing adoption of western culture, conscientious about dental hygiene at young age and aesthetic concerns among the teenagers. During 2018-23, Clear Aligners Market is anticipated to grow at an increased rate due to up surge in the orthodontic patients, rising per capita healthcare expenditure, effective advertisement and marketing by key players across the globe. Amongst the regions, North America accounts for the largest regional share in the global Clear Aligner market in 2018. Key factors driving the robust growth rate of North America region include surging per capita healthcare expenditure, technological advancement in dental machines, rising cases of orthodontic treatments and increasing penetration of dental insurance for orthodontic patients.Scope of the ReportGlobal Market, By Value (Actual Period: 2013-2017, Forecast Period: 2018-2023)Clear Aligner Market Sizing, Growth, ForecastAnalysis By End Users Teenagers, AdultsRegional Markets North America, Europe, APAC, Rest of the World (Actual Period: 2013-2017, Forecast Period: 2018-2023)Clear Aligner Market Sizing, Growth, ForecastAnalysis By End Users Teenagers, AdultsCountry Analysis U.S., Canada, Mexico, Germany, United Kingdom, China, Japan and South Korea (Actual Period: 2013-2017, Forecast Period: 2018-2023)Clear Aligner Market Sizing, Growth, ForecastAnalysis By End Users Teenagers, AdultsOther Report HighlightsMarket Dynamics Drivers and RestraintsMarket TrendsPorter Five Force AnalysisPricing AnalysisCompetitive LandscapeCompany ShareRequest a discount on standard prices of this premium report at:Customization of the ReportThe report could be customized according to the client s specific research requirements. No additional cost will be required to pay for limited additional research.Table of Contents1. Research Methodology2. Executive Summary3. Strategic Recommendations4. Global Clear Aligner Product Outlook5. Global Clear Aligner Market: Growth and Forecast5.1 By Value (2013-2017)5.2 By Value (2018-2023)6. Global Clear Aligner Market: Segmental Analysis6.1 Global Clear Aligner Market Size, By End Users: Breakdown (%)6.1.1 Global Clear Aligner Market Size, By End User, 2017(%)6.1.2 Global Clear Aligner Market Size, By End User, 2023 (%)6.2 Global Teenagers Clear Aligner Market: Growth and Forecast6.2.1 By Value (2013-2017)6.2.2 By Value (2018-2023)6.3 Global Adults Clear Aligner Market: Growth and Forecast6.3.1 By Value (2013-2017)6.3.2 By Value (2018-2023)7. Global Clear Aligner Market: Regional Analysis7.1 Global Clear Aligner Market Size, By Region: Breakdown (%)7.1.1. Global Clear Aligner Market Size, By Region, 2017 (%)7.1.2 Global Clear Aligner Market Size, By Region, 2023 (%)7.2 North America Clear Aligner Market: Growth and Forecast7.2.1 By Value (2013-2017)7.2.2 By Value (2018-2023)7.2.3 By End Users, By Value (2013-2017)7.2.4 By End Users, By Value (2018-2023)7.3 North America Clear Aligner Market: Country Analysis ( U.S., Canada, Mexico )7.3.1 U.S Clear Aligner Market, By Value (2013-2023)More Details on this Report:About Us:Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management.Contact Us:Market Study Report LLC4 North Main Street,Selbyville, Delaware 19975USAPhone: 1-302-273-0910US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email: sales@marketstudyreport.comWebsite:Blog:
Stressful Modern Lifestyle A Key Driver to the Sleeping Aids Market Growth - P&S Intelligence

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The global sleeping aids market generated $69.5 billion revenue in 2017 and is projected to showcase a CAGR of 6.5% during 20182023, due to the growing prevalence of insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) disorders, rising use of portable sleep apnea devices, increasing government support for start-up companies, growing healthcare facilities, surge in demand for sleeping pills attributed to stressful modern lifestyle, and increasing geriatric population.Download free report sample at:Stressful modern lifestyle is a key driver to the sleeping aids market growth. Lifestyle changes such as, increased consumption of alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco that interrupts the sleeping patterns of an individual, lead to disrupted sleep. This disruption in sleep can cause various sleep disorders, which lead to high demand for sleeping pills. This also increases the risk of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, depression, heart diseases, and obesity. Obesity can lead to serious sleep disorders, such as insomnia and OSA. Furthermore, long working hours, working in different shifts, hectic work environment, and stressful conditions, along with excess workload also hampers the quality of sleep. All these factors lead to an increased adoption of over-the-counter sleeping pills that help an individual fall asleep.Most of the players in the global sleeping aids market offer products across various product types, namely mattresses and pillows, sleep laboratories services, medication, sleep apnea devices, and others. Tempur Sealy International Inc. and Serta Simmons Bedding LLC are major players offering a wide range of brands for mattresses and pillows for various sleep disorders. SleepMed Inc. provides diagnostic and therapeutic solution for sleep disorders and offers equipment and services for sleep laboratories as well as sleep apnea devices.Pre-Purchase Inquiry at:Players such as Sanofi, Merck & Co. Inc., Pfizer Inc., GlaxoSmithKline Plc, and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited provide sleeping aids medication. Furthermore, Koninklijke Philips N.V., Cadwell Laboratories Inc., Natus Medical Incorporated, DeVilbiss Healthcare LLC, and Compumedics Limited are the leading companies in the sleeping aids industry that provide sleep apnea devices. In addition to sleep apnea devices, Koninklijke Philips N.V. also provides head bands and ear plugs. Similarly, DeVilbiss Healthcare LLC is another major player that offers masks and interfaces in addition to its sleep apnea device offering.Browse full report:About P&S IntelligenceP&S Intelligence is a provider of market research and consulting services catering to the market information needs of burgeoning industries across the world. Providing the plinth of market intelligence, P&S as an enterprising research and consulting company, believes in providing thorough landscape analyses on the ever-changing market scenario, to empower companies to make informed decisions and base their business strategies with astuteness.Contact:P&S IntelligenceToll-free: +1-888-778-7886 (USA/Canada)International: +1-347-960-6455Email: enquiry@psmarketresearch.comWeb:
Craft Beer Market | Omer Vander Ghinste, D.G. Yuengling and Son, Stone & Wood Brewing Co., The Boston Beer Company, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

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Craft beer refers to the beer that is traditionally produced. Being a part of the microbrewery industry, craft beer forms a relatively smaller part of the global beer market. Exclusivity and high cost of manufacturing of the product results in its high cost. Expensiveness, clubbed with the fact that most micro-breweries have little international presence owing to the small scale of the industry, makes the craft beer industry one of the most specialized and small arms of the beer market, but one that accounts for a notable share.The global craft beer market is witnessing development at a robust pace owing to the rising interest of people in traditionally produced beers. Co-factors such as rising disposable incomes, increasing adoption of Western food habits and improving distribution networks are also catalyzing the rising global demand for craft beers.Get Brochure of the Report @The market, however, has witnessed stagnant growth in most established markets in the recent past. In the U.S., for instance, the largest market for beers, production as well as consumption volumes have steadily declined in the past few years. In other key markets such as France, Germany, and the U.K. as well, production and consumption volumes of craft beers have continued to decline over the years. A number of factors have contributed to the stagnant growth of the craft beer market in these regions, including the rising popularity of alternative beverages such as cider, wine, and other healthy drinks, financial slowdowns, and increasingly strict regulations.Global Craft Beer Market: OverviewThe global craft beer market is expected to grow at a significant rate in the next few years. The research study throws light on the key aspects that are predicted to encourage the growth of the overall market in the next few years. The challenges and limitations faced by the key players have also been discussed in the scope of the research study. Additionally, a thorough overview of the competitive landscape of the global craft beer market has been provided in the report.Global Craft Beer Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe rising demand for craft beer and the growing consumption across developed regions are the major factors that are projected to fuel the growth of the global craft beer market in the next few years. In addition, the rising demand for flavored beverages across the globe is likely to accelerate the growth of the global market throughout the forecast period. The acceptance of beer as a social drink is another vital factor predicted to supplement the growth of the craft beer market across the globe.On the other hand, the rising inclination of consumers towards substitutes is one of the key factors expected to hamper the growth of the global craft beer market in the coming years. Nonetheless, the rising consumption of craft beer and the improving distribution network are estimated to augment global beer market in the coming few years. Moreover, the introduction of new flavors is likely to generate promising opportunities for key players in the market.Global Craft Beer Market: Region-wise OutlookThe global craft beer market has been divided on the basis of geography in order to offer a clear picture of the market. Latin America, North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa are some of the key segments of the global craft beer market. As per the research study, the Asia Pacific market for craft beer is expected to lead the global market and is likely to maintain a dominant position in the next few years. A substantial contribution from Japan, Australia, and New Zealand is predicted to encourage the growth of this region throughout the forecast period.Furthermore, Europe and North America are expected to witness a healthy growth in the next few years. The rising popularity of craft beer and the easy availability across these regions are projected to fuel the growth of these segments in the coming years. The market share and the estimated growth rate of each segment have been provided in the scope of the research report have been included in the scope of the research study.Key Players Mentioned in the Research Report are:The research study talks about the competitive landscape of the global craft beer market. The prominent players operating in the market have been listed in the scope of the research study in order to offer a clear understanding of the market. The company profiles of these players have been discussed in the scope of the research study, along with their business policies, financial overview, SWOT analysis, and the latest developments. In addition, the mergers and acquisitions in the global craft beer market, if any have been mentioned in the research study.Get TOC for Detailed Facts and Numbers @Some of the key players mentioned in the research study are Omer Vander Ghinste, D.G. Yuengling and Son, Stone & Wood Brewing Co., The Boston Beer Company, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Deschutes Brewery, Chimay Beers And Cheeses, Feral Brewing Co., The Gambrinus Company, Bell's Brewery, Inc., Vagabund, Lagunitas Brewing Company, and New Belgium Brewing Company. The other players that are estimated to enter the market have also been included in the scope of the research study.Highlights of the report:A detailed analysis of key segments of the marketRecent developments in the markets competitive landscapeDetailed analysis of market segments up to second or third level of segmentationHistorical, current, and projected future valuation of the market in terms of revenue and/or volumeKey business strategies adopted by influential market vendorsOutline of the regulatory framework surrounding and governing numerous aspects of the marketGrowth opportunities in emerging and established marketsRecommendations to market players to stay ahead of the competitionAbout Us:TMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Contact Us:Rohit BhiseyHead Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050
Motorcycle Insurance Market 2025 Precise Outlook- GEICO, Farmers Insurance, Allstate, Aviva, Etc.

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Industrial Research Report 2025:The latest Motorcycle Insurance Market research report added by Garner Insights comprises thorough market perspectives outlining upcoming view of the market. The Motorcycle Insurance Market report analyses important aspects that assists the industry professionals, business analyst, and the decision makers accordingly to plan out the business policies and achievement anticipated over the business objectives.Avail a Sample Report @The Motorcycle Insurance Market report is equipped with plenty of graphical representations for a smooth understanding of the data which is presented in a chapter-wise format. The outlining of key market Segments also helps in defining the state and direction of the industry.Moreover, the study supports venture capitalists in getting to know the companies better and carry out informed decision making. The Motorcycle Insurance Manufacturing industry is rapidly becoming dynamic and innovative, with a significant number of private players coming into the industry.Leading players operating in the market:GEICO, Farmers Insurance, Allstate, Aviva, Allianz, AXA, CPIC, PingAn, Assicurazioni Generali, Cardinal Health, State Farm Insurance, Dai-ichi Mutual Life Insurance, Munich Re Group, Zurich Financial Services, Prudential, .Global Motorcycle Insurance (K Units) and Revenue (Million USD) Market Split by Product Type:Type I, Type II, .Global Motorcycle Insurance (K Units) by Application (2019-2025):Personal, Business, .Geographically, this report is segmented into various key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), and market share and growth rate of Motorcycle Insurance in the mentioned regions, from 2014 to 2025 (forecast), covering North America (USA, Canada and Mexico), South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia), Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy), and Middle East and Africa (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa).Check Discount Link:The Chapters talked about in the global Motorcycle Insurance market.Chapter 1, to describe Motorcycle Insurance Market Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to examine the leading manufacturers of Motorcycle Insurance, with sales, revenue, and price of Motorcycle Insurance, in 2017 and 2019;Chapter 3, to disclose the competitive scenario among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue, and market share in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 4, to demonstrate the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Motorcycle Insurance, for each region, from 2014 to 2019;Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to analyze the market by countries, by regions, by type, by application, and by manufacturers, with revenue, sales, and market share by key countries in these regions.Access full report @The Motorcycle Insurance Market report provides the principle locale, economic situations with the item value, benefit, limit, generation, supply, request and market development rate and figure and more. The report alongside offer new task SWOT examination, speculation attainability investigation, and venture return investigation.About Garner InsightsGarner Insights is a Market Intelligence and consulting firm with an all-inclusive experience and vast knowledge of the market research industry.Our vast storage of research reports across various categories, gives you a complete view of the ever changing and developing trends and current topics worldwide. Our constant endeavor is to keep on improving our storage information by providing rich market reports and constantly improving them.Contact Us:Kevin ThomasContact No: +1 513 549 5911 (US)+44 203 318 2846 (UK)Email: sales@garnerinsights.com
Global Basmati Rice Market to Report 11.0% CAGR between 2017 and 2022

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The global basmati rice market is a choc-o-bloc with companies both large and small that features a fragmented vendor landscape, as per a report by Transparency Market Research (TMR). Leading players such as McCormick & Co., Hain Celestial, Rice n Spice, REI Agro, LT Foods, East End Foods, and Amira Nature Foods serve local as well as global consumers, which is reflected in the growth of basmati rice market. Penetration into regional markets as rice is the staple food of more than half of the worlds population is likely to provide ample growth opportunities for leading players in the market. These players are penetrating regional markets through strategic partnerships, which is likely to make the market somewhat consolidated albeit more competitive, states the report.Get PDF Sample For More Information @The worldwide basmati rice market stood at a valuation of US$10.51 bn in 2017. Proliferating at a robust CAGR of 11.0% between 2017 and 2022, the market is anticipated to be worth US$17.74 bn by the end of 2022. By type, the demand for raw basmati surpasses than that for parboiled and steam, mainly because of superior taste and aromatic property of the former. Among the various sales channel, traditional grocery stores remain the key sales channel, with convenience stores following closely. Among the key regional markets for basmati rice, Asia Pacific excluding Japan acquires the leading position in the overall market thanks to high production of rice in the region.Among the various types of rice, basmati rice enjoys a premium position thanks to its superior taste and aromatic quality, says a TMR analyst. Almost 90% of production and consumption of basmati rice is centered in Asia, mainly because of its origin from the Indian subcontinent. The growth of the basmati rice market in Asia is powered by high production and export of this type of rice from India and Pakistan. As per records of the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority, India accounted for 59% exports to the overseas basmati rice in 2014, with the remainder exported from Pakistan.Read Report Overview @The emergence of local varieties of basmati rice is also aiding the growth of basmati rice market. Several countries are increasingly producing domestic variety of basmati rice at relatively low prices. This is to prevent complete dependence on import which is subject to climatic and trade uncertainties as well as to promote consumption of local varieties.Across several parts of the world, rising disposable income has benefitted the basmati rice market. Consumers are increasingly spending liberally on premium quality grains, lentils, and spices for a fulfilling eating experience. Basmati rice is increasingly becoming the choice across consumer groups mainly because of its superior taste and aroma that is highly pleasing to the senses.On the flip side, high price of basmati rice over other rice variants is a key challenge to the markets growth. Basmati rice remains a premium grain not affordable by the average consumer. In addition, increasing awareness about health ill-effects of consuming polished rice on an everyday basis is leading consumers to switch to unpolished rice varieties. This is challenging the growth of basmati rice market to some extent.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRas experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Website:
Cannabis Testing Market | Shimadzu Corporation, Agilent Technologies, Inc., PerkinElmer, Inc., AB SCIEX LLC, Waters Corporation, Millipore Sigma, Restek Corporation, LabLynx, Inc.(U.S.), Steep Hill Labs, Inc.,

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Cannabis testing entails detecting traces of the illicit drug in people. Also, referred to as grass, marijuana, dope, pot, weed, joints, hash, joints, and so on, it is often used in sports or medicine to reduce pain, bring about muscle relaxation, and reduce stress. Despite such benefits, it is not legalized since it has a high potential for abuse on account of the intoxication its leads to.A debate has been raging for decades now if cannabis should be made legal and used in medicines. However, certain long term disadvantages of it such as rising risks of respiratory diseases related to smoking, risk of cancer, reduced memory, and lowered concentration, has resulted in it being banned in most parts of the world. This has been the primary driver of cannabis testing market.Get Brochure of the Report @However, unlike alcohol testing which can be done with a breath analyzer, cannabis testing is more elaborate. It requires saliva tests, hair analysis, and urinalysis. Cannabis testing typically measure levels of THC or its metabolite, THC-COOH. Traces of cannabis can be found for months even after the last usage. However, these tests fail to detect the exact degree of impairment. Owing to the ban on the use of cannabis in most parts of the world and surging instances of intoxicated driving, demand for cannabis testing is rising. An emerging trend in the market is the luxury cannabis which contains limited amounts of it to prevent the ill-effects of smoking.Currently, North America is a key market for cannabis testing for reasons more than one. First it is home to many laboratories equipped to test cannabis. Second cannabis is legalized for medical purposes in the region. Third, rising knowledge about medical cannabis, increasing spends on its research, and presence of many key players in the market is also benefitting it.Global Cannabis Testing Market: OverviewCannabis testing includes a number of drug test methodologies pertaining to the use of cannabis in sports, medicine, and law. Unlike alcohol, which can be tested using a breathalyser, cannabis testing requires hair analysis, saliva tests, and urinalysis, and is a time consuming process. Moreover, these tests fail to detect the exact degree of impairment, although via cannabis testing it is possible to distinguish between active and passive exposure, duration from the time of use, and the extent. Owing to the ban on the use of cannabis in most parts of the world and increased cases of intoxicated driving, the need for proper cannabis testing is escalating. As a result, the demand in the global cannabis testing market is expected to expand at a healthy rate during the forecast period of 2017 to 2025.Global Cannabis Testing Market: Key TrendsWhile 25 states in the U.S. have already legalized the use of cannabis for medical purposes, several other states are expected to walk along similar path in the near future. This growing legalization of cannabis use is the primary driver in the global market for cannabis testing. In addition to that, escalating number of specialized laboratories for cannabis testing, growing awareness for the availability of these tests via workshops, conferences, and symposia, increasing demand cannabis testing for international travelers, and incremented number of drug influenced road accidents are some of the other factors augmenting the demand in the global cannabis testing market. On the other hand, presence of alternative technologies, high cost of cannabis analytical instruments, and the lack of skilled professionals are a few factors that are hindering the global cannabis testing market from achieving its true potential.Based on test-type, the global cannabis testing market can be segmented into terpene profiling, pesticide screening, potency testing, residual solvent screening, microbial analysis, genetic testing, and heavy metal testing. Research institutes, laboratories, cultivators and drug manufacturers are some of the categories of end user in the global cannabis testing market.Global Cannabis Testing Market: Market PotentialFor a long time, the lack of investments made towards the development of proper drug testing laboratories was obstruction the prosperity of this market but in the recent past, this has changed. For instance, Poseidon Asset Management, Delft Blue Horizons, and Phyto Partners collectively funded Steep Hill Labs, Inc. with US$2.0 mn in November 2015 in order to expand new research in this field and develop more sophisticated testing equipment. Along the similar lines, Agrinnovation invested US$1.0 mn into the ventures of Cannabi-Tech Ltd. in February 2017, aspiring to launch specialized medical cannabis dispensaries and labs. This financial encouragement is expected to lure new opportunities for the players in this market.Get TOC for Detailed Facts and Numbers @Global Cannabis Testing Market: Regional OutlookGeographically, North America is the most lucrative region for the players in the global market for cannabis testing, and is expected to remain highly profitable throughout the forecast period owing to factors such as growing number of laboratories equipped to test cannabis, legalization of cannabis for medical purposes, escalating awareness pertaining to medical cannabis, incremented funding, and presence of several prominent vendors in this market is propelling the demand in the cannabis testing market in North America.Global Cannabis Testing Market: Competitive LandscapeShimadzu Corporation, Agilent Technologies, Inc., PerkinElmer, Inc., AB SCIEX LLC, Waters Corporation, Millipore Sigma, Restek Corporation, LabLynx, Inc.(U.S.), Steep Hill Labs, Inc., Accelerated Technology Laboratories, Inc., SC Laboratories Inc., PharmLabs, LLC, Digipath Labs, Inc., and CannaSafe Analytics are some of the leading companies currently operating in the global cannabis testing market. Expanding their outreach in untapped regions and presenting the usefulness of these tests in order to gain new funding is the primary strategy of these players.Highlights of the report:A detailed analysis of key segments of the marketRecent developments in the markets competitive landscapeDetailed analysis of market segments up to second or third level of segmentationHistorical, current, and projected future valuation of the market in terms of revenue and/or volumeKey business strategies adopted by influential market vendorsOutline of the regulatory framework surrounding and governing numerous aspects of the marketGrowth opportunities in emerging and established marketsRecommendations to market players to stay ahead of the competitionAbout Us:TMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Contact Us:Rohit BhiseyHead Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050
Growth of Innovations in Wireless Keyboard Market by Major Players: Microsoft, DELL, Hewlett-Packard Development, Shenzhen Rapoo Technology etc

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Wireless Keyboard MarketThe keyboard is a command and data input device used to operate the equipment. It also refers to a set of function keys (such as typewriter and computer keyboard) arranged by the system to operate a machine or equipment.The high growth is due to continuous innovations and product developments in wireless technology, increasing per capita income of people across the globe, integration of various features and devices, increasing traction in smart TV applications and design innovations in wireless keyboards.The global Wireless Keyboard market was xx million US$ in 2018 and is expected to xx million US$ by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of xx% between 2019 and 2025.Get a Sample Copy of this Report @The key manufacturers in this market includeMicrosoft, DELL, Hewlett-Packard Development, Shenzhen Rapoo Technology, Logitech International, Apple, UnisenGroup, Matias, Riitek, Adesso, Targus, SMK-Link ElectronicsBy the product type, the market is primarily split intoWindows Platform, Mac OS Platform, Linux Platform, Android Platform, iOS PlatformBy the end users/application, this report covers the following segmentsResidential, CommercialGrab Your Report at an Impressive Discount ! Please click Here@@:Manufacturing cost structure:The Wireless Keyboard Market report also studies the manufacturing cost structure and presents the various details such as raw material, overall production process, and the industry chain structure. Every region key factors are provided which is attracting this market towards growth. The report also elaborates on the opportunities the emerging markets of Asia Pacific and Latin America offer and Globally.Important Facts About Wireless Keyboard Market Report:-This research report reveals Wireless Keyboard business overview, product overview, market share, supply chain analysis, demand and supply ratio and import/export details.-The Industry report features different approaches and procedures endorsed by the Wireless Keyboard market key players to make vital business decisions.-Wireless Keyboard market depicts some parameters such as production value, Wireless Keyboard marketing strategy analysis, Distributors/Traders and effect factors is also mentioned in this Wireless Keyboard research report.Key questions answered in the report include:What will the market growth rate of Wireless Keyboard market in 2025?What are the key factors driving the Global Wireless Keyboard market?Who are the key manufacturers in Wireless Keyboard market space?What are the market opportunities, market risk and market overview of the Wireless Keyboard market?What are sales, revenue, and price analysis of top manufacturers of Wireless Keyboard market?Who are the distributors, traders and dealers of Wireless Keyboard market?Detailed TOC and Charts Tables of Global Wireless Keyboard Market research Report available at :Reasons for Buying this Report:-Wireless Keyboard market report provides pin-point analysis for changing competitive dynamics.-It provides a forward looking perspective on different factors driving or restraining market growth.-It provides a six-year forecast assessed on the basis of how the market is predicted to grow.-It helps in understanding the key product segments and their future.-It provides pin point analysis of changing competition dynamics and keeps you ahead of competitors.About Us:Reports Monitor is a market research and consulting company that provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries including Healthcare, Technology, Chemicals, Materials, and Energy. With an intrinsic understanding of many business environments, Reports Monitor provides strategic objective insights.Contact Us:Jay MatthewsDirect: +1 513 549-591481 (U.S.)+44 203 318 2846 (U.K.)Email: sales@reportsmonitor.com
Leukocytapheresis Device Market Shares, Strategies and Forecast Worldwide, 2018 to 2028(Based on product type, leukocytopheresis devices market is segmented into: Adacolumn Cellsorba)

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Leukocytapheresis device is used in a nonsurgical treatment to reduce the quantity of white blood cells in the bloodstream. It may be indicated in patients with leukostasis which is resulted from microvascular obstruction by the white blood cells and may lead to hemorrhage in various tissues and organs. Leukocytapheresis device is increasingly adopted in the treatment for leukostasis to quickly reduce the white blood cell count. Additionally, the leukocytapheresis device is used to reverse the symptoms of severe inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohns disease caused by the release of inflammatory leukocytes. These key factors have led to the development of leukocytapheresis device market.Adacolumn and Cellsorba are two product types identified in the leukocytapheresis device market. Greater clinical efficacy of these products compared to conventional therapies is likely to increase the demand for leukocytapheresis devices. Growing number of patient pool suffering from Crohns disease is along with high adoption rate of advanced treatments, especially in the developed nations will possibly fuel growth of the leukocytapheresis device market. Various initiatives taken by the government and private companies for the development of advanced medical devices and for the delivery of effective treatment have been envisaged to shape the future of leukocytapheresis device market.Request Free Sample Report@Leukocytapheresis device is used in a nonsurgical treatment to reduce the quantity of white blood cells in the bloodstream. It may be indicated in patients with leukostasis which is resulted from microvascular obstruction by the white blood cells and may lead to hemorrhage in various tissues and organs. Leukocytapheresis device is increasingly adopted in the treatment for leukostasis to quickly reduce the white blood cell count. Additionally, the leukocytapheresis device is used to reverse the symptoms of severe inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohns disease caused by the release of inflammatory leukocytes. These key factors have led to the development of leukocytapheresis device market.Adacolumn and Cellsorba are two product types identified in the leukocytapheresis device market. Greater clinical efficacy of these products compared to conventional therapies is likely to increase the demand for leukocytapheresis devices. Growing number of patient pool suffering from Crohns disease is along with high adoption rate of advanced treatments, especially in the developed nations will possibly fuel growth of the leukocytapheresis device market. Various initiatives taken by the government and private companies for the development of advanced medical devices and for the delivery of effective treatment have been envisaged to shape the future of leukocytapheresis device market.Leukocytapheresis, also known as white blood cells removal is therapy to reduce the number of white blood cells in the bloodstream. White Blood Cells (leukocytes) are the part of immune system. They help the body to fight infections. There are three types of leukocytes which are involved in the inflammation of bowels. They are granulocytes, monocytes, and lymphocytes. It was found that inflammatory bowel disease is caused by the release of various cytokines from white blood cells, resulting in inflammation of the bowel. Ulcerative colitis and Crohns disease are the most chronic inflammatory bowel diseases. Leukocytapheresis is a method helps at ameliorating symptoms in patients with severe inflammatory bowel disease. In leukocytapheresis therapy, the leukocytes involved in inflammation are removed from the blood using extracorporeal treatment unit. During therapy, blood is pumped from the vein of arm or leg through leukocyte removal filter and leukocyte-reduced blood is returned in the body through opposite vein. Leukocytapheresis aims to reduce the number of leukocytes that are involved in inflammation to dampen the inflammatory reaction. According to the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation, 1.6 million Americans are affected yearly with inflammatory bowel disease.Leukocytapheresis Device Market: Drivers & RestraintsConventional therapy to treat inflammatory bowel diseases such as pharmacotherapy involves substantial adverse effects and the chance of recurrence is more. Leukocytapheresis therapy overcomes such problem which drives the market of leukocytapheresis devices. Increasing prevalence of inflammatory bowel diseases is the prominent factor responsible for the growth of leukocytapheresis devices market. Leukocytapheresis therapy mainly involves adult patients therefore growing elderly population responsible for the robust the growth of leukocytapheresis devices market. Leukocytapheresis therapy is more expensive than conventional therapy which degrades the leukocytapheresis devices market growth over forecast period. Furthermore, lack of awareness among patients in the under developing economies may deter the growth of leukocytapheresis devices market.Request/View TOC@Leukocytapheresis Device Market: SegmentationThe global Leukocytapheresis devices market is segmented on the basis of product type, end user and geography.Based on product type, leukocytopheresis devices market is segmented into:AdacolumnCellsorbaBased on end user, Leukocytapheresis devices market is segmented into:HospitalsSpecialty ClinicsAmbulatory Surgical CentersLeukocytapheresis Device Market: OverviewExcellent clinical efficacy of Cellsorba and Adacolumn increases the growth of leukocytapheresis devices market in Japan and other regions. The effectiveness and safety of leukocytapheresis therapy over conventional therapy increases the leukocytapheresis devices market growth in the overall forecast period. Leukocytapheresis therapy has adverse side effects, simple extracorporeal procedure, requires approximately lesser time compared to conventional therapy. The above all factors increases the wide adoption of leukocytapheresis therapy worldwide and hence increases the overall market growth. Favorable reimbursement policies allows the growth of leukocytapheresis devices market in low economic regions.Leukocytapheresis Device Market: Regional outlookGeographically, global leukocytapheresis devices market is classified into regions viz. North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific excluding China and Japan, China, Japan, Middle East and Africa. Currently, Japan is the leading market of leukocytapheresis devices because of leading manufacturers in this region. This is followed by North America due to higher adoption among the patients and technological advancement. Moreover, increase in geriatric population also increase the market growth in this region. Europe held the third position in leukocytapheresis devices market due to increase in healthcare expenditure per capita. Asia Pacific region has been expecting the growth in near future due to increase in the patients pool. Middle East Asia and Africa show the delayed growth due lack of awareness in these region hinders the growth of leukocytapheresis devices market.Leukocytapheresis Device Market: Key PlayersSome of the key players involve in the leukocytapheresis devices market includes: Asahi Kasei Medical Co., Ltd., JIMRO Co. Ltd. are some of the leading manufacturers of leukocytapheresis devices.The report covers exhaustive analysis on:Market SegmentsMarket DynamicsMarket Size AnalysisCurrent Trends/Issues/ChallengesCompetition & Companies involvedValue Chain AnalysisThe regional analysis includes:North America (U.S., Canada)Latin America (Mexico. Brazil)Western Europe (Germany, Italy, France, U.K, Spain, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland, Russia)Asia-Pacific Excluding China and Japan (India, ASEAN, Australia & New Zealand)ChinaJapanThe Middle East and Africa (GCC, S. Africa, N. Africa)The report is a compilation of first-hand information, qualitative and quantitative assessment by industry analysts, inputs from industry experts and industry participants across the value chain. The report provides in-depth analysis of parent market trends, macroeconomic indicators and governing factors along with market attractiveness as per segments. The report also maps the qualitative impact of various market factors on market segments and geographies.Report Highlights:Detailed overview of parent marketChanging market dynamics in the industryIn-depth market segmentationHistorical, current and projected market size in terms of volume and valueRecent industry trends and developmentsCompetitive landscapeStrategies of key players and products offeredPotential and niche segments, geographical regions exhibiting promising growthA neutral perspective on market performanceReport Analysis@About USFact.MR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; thats why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.Contact UsRohit BhiseyFact.MR11140 Rockville PikeSuite 400Rockville, MD 20852United StatesEmail: sales@factmr.comWeb:Blog:Read Industry News at -
Liquid Biopsy Market Forecast to Grow at 14.9% CAGR by 2025 | Industry Players - Roche Diagnostics, Illumina, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Myriad Genetics, Menarini Silicon Biosystems and Others

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The Global liquid biopsy market is anticipated to reach USD 3,051.1 million by 2025 with CAGR: 14.9% according to a new report published by Polaris Market Research. In 2017, by biomarker type, Circulating Tumor Cells (CTC) segment was observed to capture the largest market share in terms of revenue. Regionally, North America liquid biopsy market accounted for the majority share.Liquid Biopsy can be described as a traditional technique that is used in diagnosis of cancer at an early stage. It is also known as fluid biopsy or fluid phase biopsy. It is largely a non-invasive technique, which helps in proper tracking of tumors and mutations over a duration of time. Usage of these provides doctors with a range of information about the tumors future. Despite being a revolutionary technique, liquid biopsy has multiple challenges in terms of adoption over tissue biopsy.Request for a sample copy of this research report:Leading Companies Player - Roche Diagnostics, Illumina, Inc., Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc., Myriad Genetics, Inc., Menarini Silicon Biosystems, Genomic Health, Inc., QIAGEN N.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Biocept, Inc., Trovagene, Inc., RainDance Technologies, Inc., Guardant Health, Inc., and MDx Health SAThe liquid biopsy market is primarily driven by the increasing cases of patients being detected with various types of cancer. Also, considering number of free trails coupled with rising demand for liquid biopsy with minimal invasive surgeries is expected to enhance the market growth during forecast period. Also, liquid biopsy is observed to be the fastest emerging substitute for tissue biopsy due to reduced number of surgical invasions. Furthermore, increasing trend of strategic mergers and acquisitions by key players to support their focus on continuous research and development activities also positively impacts the liquid biopsy market.Make an inquiry for buying this report:On the basis of technology type, the report on global liquid biopsy market covers single gene analysis (PCR Microarrays), and multi-gene-parallel analysis (NGS). NGS multiplex testing helps in diagnosis of multiple diseases at a single time, while PCR helps in analyzing the mutation among genes. Based on sample type, the global liquid biopsy market is sub-segmented into blood, urine, saliva, and other body fluid. Blood sample is the most common sample type that is used by doctors for proper analysis as blood contains cell free DNA, circulating cell, and exosomes that can be detected easily eventually helping in easy diagnosis of the cancer cell in the human body. Moreover, saliva and other body fluids are other sampling types in this market which have significant market share.Based on the biomarker type, the global liquid biopsy market is further segmented into exosomes, Circulating Tumor Cells (CTC), and Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). CTC biomarker is expected hold the largest market share owing to its high awareness, and effective results for tracking the cancer cells in human body. In addition, it facilitates early detection of cells which in turn helps for appropriate diagnosis and clinical decisions related to detected cancer in the initial stage itself.Browse for full research summary:The global liquid biopsy market report covers molecular health monitoring, therapy selection for other meta cancer, and therapy selection for MBS applications. Various therapy for treating meta cancer application is observed to hold major market share owing to the rising number of metastatic cancer incidences, and rising number of therapies for its treatment. Additionally, increase in treatment commercialization for metastatic cancers to also drive growth in this market.North America region is observed to hold the dominating position as per geography in the liquid biopsy market during the forecast period. Factors such as increasing advanced accessibility for the diagnosis of cancer, and increasing number of patients suffering from cancer promote the growth of this market. Meanwhile, Asia Pacific is supposed to grow at a faster rate during the forecast period.Polaris Market Research has segmented the Global liquid biopsy Market on the basis of technology, sample type, biomarker, application, and region:Liquid Biopsy Market Size and Forecast, 2017-2025 by Technology TypesSingle Gene Analysis (PCR Microarrays)Multi-gene-parallel analysis (NGS)Liquid Biopsy Market Size and Forecast, 2017-2025 by Sample typeBloodUrineSalivaOther Body FluidsLiquid Biopsy Market Size and Forecast, 2017-2025 by Biomarker typeExosomesCTCCTCDNAsLiquid Biopsy Market Size and Forecast, 2017-2025 by Application typeMolecular Health MonitoringTherapy Selection for Other Meta CancerTherapy Selection for MBSLiquid Biopsy Market Size and Forecast, 2017-2025 by Region North America U.S. Canada Europe UK Germany France Italy Asia-Pacific China Japan India Latin America Brazil Mexico Rest of Latin America Middle East & AfricaAbout Polaris Market ResearchPolaris Market Research is a global market research and consulting company. We provide unmatched quality of offerings to our clients present globally. The company specializes in providing exceptional market intelligence and in-depth business research services for our clientele spread across different enterprises. We at Polaris are obliged to serve our diverse customer base present across the industries of healthcare, technology, semi-conductors and chemicals among various other industries present around the world. We strive to provide our customers with updated information on innovative technologies, high growth markets, emerging business environments and latest business-centric applications, thereby helping them always to make informed decisions and leverage new opportunities.Contact us-Mr. RohitCorporate Sales, USAPolaris Market ResearchPhone: 1-646-568-9980Email: sales@polarismarketresearch.comWeb:
Antibiotics Market Competitive Analysis to 2025: Pfizer, Janssen Inc., Abbott, GSK, Sanofi, Sanofi Genzyme, Novartis, Bayer, Bayer Pharmaceuticals, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Eli Lilly and Company

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Antibiotics Market research report gives strength to any kind of business whether it is large, medium or small for surviving and succeeding in the market. This report presents you with broader perspective of the market place with its comprehensive market insights and analysis. The report gives CAGR (compound annual growth rate) values along with its fluctuations for the specific forecast period. The estimations of CAGR values are very important which helps businesses decide upon the investment value over the time period.Antibiotic also called an antibacterial is a type of antimicrobial drug used in the treatment and prevention of bacterial infections. They may either kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria. A limited number of antibiotics also possess antiprotozoal activity. Antibiotics are not effective against viruses such as the common cold or influenza; drugs which inhibit viruses are termed antiviral drugs or antivirals rather than antibiotics.More than 15.0% of the deaths, in children below the age of five, are estimated to be due to pneumonia and according to the statistics provided by the WHO about 9.2 million deaths were recorded in 2015. Similar to tuberculosis, the highest prevalence of the disease is identified to be in the South Asian and Sub-Saharan regions. Currently, the required antibiotic treatment is available only to one third of the infected population, thereby increasing the disease burden.Some Of The Key Players Of The Global Antibiotics Market Include: Pfizer Pfizer Italia Janssen Inc. Abbott Abbott Diagnostics Business Abbott Nutrition Health Institute (ANHI) GSK GlaxoSmithKline Pharma GmbH Sanofi Sanofi Genzyme Sanofi Polska Sanofi Belgium Novartis Novartis Oncology Bayer Bayer Pharmaceuticals Bristol-Myers Squibb Eli Lilly and Company Astellas Pharma USRequest Sample Copy of the Report @This report studies the global market size of Antibiotics in key regions like North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Central & South America and Middle East & Africa, focuses on the consumption of Antibiotics in these regions.This research report categorizes the global Antibiotics market by players/brands, region, type and application. This report also studies the global market status, competition landscape, market share, growth rate, future trends, market drivers, opportunities and challenges, sales channels, distributors and Porter's Five Forces Analysis.Market Size Split by Type: Antibiotics Cephalosporins Penicillins Fluoroquinolones Macrolides Carbapenems Aminoglycosides Sulfonamides OtherMarket Size Split by Application: Antibiotics Hospital Clinics OthersRequest for Report Brochure for Latest Industry Insights @Major Table of Contents: Antibiotics Market1 Study Coverage2 Executive Summary3 Breakdown Data by Manufacturers4 Breakdown Data by Type5 Breakdown Data by Application6 North America7 Europe8 Asia Pacific9 Central & South America10 Middle East and Africa11 Company Profiles12 Market Opportunities, Challenges, Risks and Influences Factors Analysis13 Value Chain and Sales Channels Analysis14 Research Findings and Conclusion15 AppendixInquire More or Share Questions if any before the Purchase on This Report @The Study Objectives Of This Report Are:To study and analyze the global Antibiotics market size (value & volume) by company, key regions/countries, products and application, history data from 2013 to 2017, and forecast to 2025.To understand the structure of Antibiotics market by identifying its various subsegments.To share detailed information about the key factors influencing the growth of the market (growth potential, opportunities, drivers, industry-specific challenges and risks).Focuses on the key global Antibiotics manufacturers, to define, describe and analyze the sales volume, value, market share, market competition landscape, SWOT analysis and development plans in next few years.To analyze the Antibiotics with respect to individual growth trends, future prospects, and their contribution to the total market.Note: Any special requirements about this report, please let us know and we can provide custom report.About Research for Markets:Research for Markets indulges in detailed and diligent research on different markets, trends and emerging opportunities in the successive direction to cater to your business needs. We have established the pillars of our flourishing institute on the grounds of Credibility and Reliability. RFM delve into the markets across Asia Pacific, North America, South America, Europe, Middle East and Africa.Contact:Mr. A NaiduResearch for MarketsTel: +44 8000-4182-37 (UK)Email: alan.naidu@researchformarkets.com
Healthcare Security Systems 2019 Market Global Players Focusing on Top Participants are Avigilon Corporation (Canada), Cisco Systems, Inc. (US), Tyco Security Products, Nedap Security Management, etc

Healthcare Security Systems 2019 Market

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The Exhaustive Study for Global Healthcare Security Systems Market Research Report is added on Market Research Future. To provide detail analysis of the market structure along with forecast, about various segments and sub-segments of the Healthcare Security Systems. It is also cover country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future growth prospect.  Forecast till 2023Market Synopsis:Global Healthcare Security Systems Market that expects growth with 9.5% CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) for this market between 2018 and 2024. The key factors that drive the growth of this market include the availability of wide of surety systems, growing patient pool, improving quality of care provided in the hospital, increasing demand of security system with an increasing emphasis on patients security & wellness, and need for security of infants in hospitals.Healthcare Security Systems include the overall physical security solutions installed at numerous healthcare facilities. They play a crucial role in protecting the patient privacy and medical data that are valuable to the society.Request Free Sample Copy atTopPlayers:The key players in the global healthcare security systems market ADT LLC (USA), ADT Security Services (USA), Allied Telesis Inc. (USA), Atos SE (Germany), Avigilon Corporation (Canada), Bosch Security Systems (Germany), Cisco Systems, Inc. (USA), Honeywell International Inc. (USA), Johnson Controls (USA), Nedap Security Management (The Netherlands), Schneider Electric SE (USA), Seico Security (USA), Siemens AG (Germany), STANLEY Healthcare (France), and Tyco Security Products (India).Segmentation:The Global Healthcare Security Systems Market has been segmented on the basis of application, end user, surveillance system, type and lastly, region. As per the application-based segmentation, this market has been segmented into document & data file tracking, medical devices tracking, monitoring, patient tracking, surgical equipment tracking, and others. On the basis of end users, the market has been segmented into clinics, diagnostic centers, hospital, laboratories, pharmacy, and others. Based on the surveillance system, the market has been segmented into surveillance cameras, video surveillance, and others.By types, the market has been segmented into access control systems, CCTV system, infant security system, intrusion detection instruments, metal & explosive detectors, security alarm, Radio-frequency identification (RFID) Tags, and others. Access control systems have been further segmented into biometric systems, chipper locks, smart cards, and X-Ray screening system. A plastic card with a built-in microprocessor is called a smart card. Security alarm has been segmented into burglar alarms, carbon monoxide alarm, and fire alarm.Latest Industry News:A research team at McAfee has uncovered healthcare security risks by finding out that open network jacks and weak network protocols connecting IoT medical devices are susceptible to a man-in-the-middle attack that could be hazardous to a patient's health. 15 AUG 2018Hospital of Taipei Medical University (TMUH) has launched blockchain in order to create smart health passports to share medical data between health organizations. 4 SEP 2018Regional Overview:The regional segmentation of the global healthcare security systems market segments the market into regional markets namely The Americas (North America & South America), Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East & Africa (MEA). During the forecast period, the Americas are to dominate the global healthcare security systems market. The reasons for market growth include growing security risks in the healthcare industry and numerous healthcare organizations adopting the latest security systems within their facilities. Due to the availability of advanced medical facilities, and huge technological advancement in general, North America is a bigger market than South America. The most lucrative country-based markets in North America are the United States of America (USA) and Canada.The upsurge in healthcare security systems is expected to influence the rise in the prices of healthcare services in Europe, more so after Brexit as many hospitals in the United Kingdom (UK) are set to be the part of territory falling under soon to be independent Scotland. As the European economy is growing with a significant Gross Domestic Product (GDP), pricing will not always be likely (given the potential damage that Brexit can do to the economy), to be an issue for the European healthcare industry as long as good security and services are provided. The rise in the demand for healthcare security systems is also leading to the market growth in Europe. Due to the reasons same as the Americas, Western Europe is a bigger market than Eastern Europe. Apart from the UK, the other important country-based markets in Europe are France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the rest of Europe.With the rising number of healthcare facilities in the Asia Pacific region, especially in countries like China, India, and Thailand, the growth opportunities for the healthcare security system providers have been on the immense rise during the recent years and is expected to grow rapidly during the forecast period. Other important markets in this region include Australia and South Korea, followed by the rest of the Asia Pacific region. The MEA region is a small market due to lack of awareness, lack of education, lack of technological development, poor healthcare, and healthcare not considered a priority by most governments.Browse Complete 125 Pages Premium Research Report Enabled with 30+ Respective Tables and Figures atAbout Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.ContactMarket Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune  411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Military Thermal Imaging Market Size, Share, Development by 2024 Top Key players like Raytheon,Sofradir,Harris,Inc.

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Market Research Report Store offers a latest published report on Military Thermal Imaging 5 Market Analysis and Forecast 2019-2025 delivering key insights and providing a competitive advantage to clients through a detailed report. The report contains 91 pages which highly exhibit on current market analysis scenario, upcoming as well as future opportunities, revenue growth, pricing and profitability.Click to view the full report TOC, figure and tables:Side-scan sonar (also sometimes called side scan sonar, sidescan sonar, side imaging sonar, side-imaging sonar and bottom classification sonar) is a category of sonar system that is used to efficiently create an image of large areas of the sea floor.According to this study, over the next five years the Military Thermal Imaging market will register a xx% CAGR in terms of revenue, the global market size will reach US$ xx million by 2024, from US$ xx million in 2019. In particular, this report presents the global market share (sales and revenue) of key companies in Military Thermal Imaging business, shared in Chapter 3.Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversFLIR SystemsLockheed MartinRaytheonLeonardo DRSL3 TechnologiesTeledyne TechnologiesBAE SystemsSofradirNorthrop GrummanElbit SystemsHarrisGeneral Dynamics Mission SystemsWuhan Guide InfraredGuangzhou SATZhejiang Dali TechnologyMarket Segment by Type, coversMan-PortableFixed MountedMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoNavalAirborneLandFor More Information On This Report, Please Visit @Related Information:North America Military Thermal Imaging Market Growth 2019-2024United States Military Thermal Imaging Market Growth 2019-2024Asia-Pacific Military Thermal Imaging Market Growth 2019-2024Europe Military Thermal Imaging Market Growth 2019-2024EMEA Military Thermal Imaging Market Growth 2019-2024Global Military Thermal Imaging Market Growth 2019-2024China Military Thermal Imaging Market Growth 2019-2024Customization Service of the Report :Market Research Report Store provides customization of reports as per your need. This report can be personalized to meet your requirements. Get in touch with our sales team, who will guarantee you to get a report that suits your necessities.Contact USMarket Research Report StoreE-mail: info@marketresearchreportstore.comTel: +86-15521064060 00852-58197708(HK)Add: 17890 Castleton Street Suite 218 City of Industry CA 91748 United StatesWebsite:About Us:Market Research Report Store (MRRS) is a professional organization related to market research reports in all directions .To provide customers with a variety of market research reports, MRRS cooperates with a large of famous market report publishers all over the world. Owing to our good service and the professional market reports in the wide range, MRRS enjoys a good reputation in the market. In pace with the development of MRRS, more and more customers and market report publishers choose to cooperate with us. As a specialized platform, MRRS upholds the supremacy of customers and aims to provide customers with better service and richer select.
Space Launch Vehicles Market 2019-2026 Market Report - Recent Trends and Growth Opportunities Includes Major players - Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Airbus

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Up Market Research published a detailed report on Global Space Launch Vehicles Market Size Status and Forecast 2026. The report provides an in-depth overview of industry and competitive landscape, covering multiple market segments and elaborates market outlook and status to 2026.Get Sample Copy Of This Report @The report contains pages which highly exhibit on current market analysis scenario, upcoming as well as future opportunities, revenue growth, pricing and profitability.Space Launch Vehicles Market research report delivers a close watch on leading competitors with strategic analysis, micro and macro market trend and scenarios, pricing analysis and a holistic overview of the market situations in the forecast period. It is a professional and a detailed report focusing on primary and secondary drivers, market share, leading segments and geographical analysis. Further, key players, major collaborations, merger & acquisitions along with trending innovation and business policies are reviewed in the report. The report contains basic, secondary and advanced information pertaining to the Space Launch Vehicles Market global status and trend, market size, share, growth, trends analysis, segment and forecasts from 20192026.The scope of the report extends from market scenarios to comparative pricing between major players, cost and profit of the specified market regions. The numerical data is backed up by statistical tools such as SWOT analysis, BCG matrix, SCOT analysis, PESTLE analysis and so on. The statistics are represented in graphical format for a clear understanding on facts and figures.For More Information On This Report, Please VisitThe generated report is firmly based on primary research, interviews with top executives, news sources and information insiders. Secondary research techniques are implemented for better understanding and clarity for data analysis.The report for Space Launch Vehicles Market analysis & forecast 2019-2026 is segmented into Product Segment, Application Segment & Major players.Global Space Launch Vehicles Market Segmentation Includes:Region-wise Analysis covers:North AmericaEuropeChinaJapanIndiaSoutheast AsiaOther regions (Central & South America, Middle East & Africa)The Major players include:Lockheed MartinBoeingMitsubishi Heavy IndustriesNorthrop GrummanAirbusBellatrix AerospaceBigelow AerospaceMasten Space SystemsSpace Exploration TechnologiesVirgin GalacticBlue OriginArmadillo AerospaceProduct Type Analysis:Small-lift launch vehicleMedium-lift launch vehicleHeavy-lift launch vehicleApplication Analysis:CivilMilitaryThere are many other application and segment on which the study has been conductedGet Sample Copy Of This Report @Space Launch Vehicles Market Analysis and Forecast 2019-2026 report helps the clients to take business decisions and to understand strategies of major players in the industry. The report also calls for market- driven results deriving feasibility studies for client needs. UpMarketResearch ensures qualified and verifiable aspects of market data operating in the real- time scenario. The analytical studies are conducted ensuring client needs with a thorough understanding of market capacities in the real- time scenario.Key Reasons to Purchase:- To gain insightful analysis of the market and have a comprehensive understanding of the Global Space Launch Vehicles Market Analysis and Forecast 2019-2026 and its commercial landscape.- Learn about the market strategies that are being adopted by your competitors and leading organizations.- To understand the future outlook and prospects for Space Launch Vehicles Market analysis and forecast 2019-2026.Avail Discount On This Report @Customization of the Report:UpMarketResearch provides free customization of reports as per your need. This report can be personalized to meet your requirements. Get in touch with our sales team, who will guarantee you to get a report that suits your necessities.About UpMarketResearch:The UpMarketResearch () is a leading distributor of market research report with more than 800+ global clients. As a market research company, we take pride in equipping our clients with insights and data that holds the power to truly make a difference to their business. Our mission is singular and well- defined  we want to help our clients envisage their business environment so that they are able to make informed, strategic and therefore successful decisions for themselves.Contact Info:Name: Alex MathewsEmail: Alex@upmarketresearch.comOrganization: UpMarketResearchAddress: 500 East E Street, Ontario, CA 91764, United States.
Growing Factors of Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Market | Key Players - Baltimore Aircoil Company, Inc. (US), Daikin Industries, Ltd. (Japan), GEA Group AG (Germany), Emerson Climate Technologies (US)

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There has been a tremendous increase in agricultural and food exports and imports globally. Growth in production, consumption, and trade of perishable, processed, and packaged food items has driven the need to design and manufacture efficient and effective refrigeration equipment for the commercial sector. Refrigeration is one effective method to store and transport perishable food items across and within nations. Rise in income level has raised the spending capacity in economically developed as well as developing nations. Level of income in an economy has a huge impact on the spending capacity of the population on consumption of processed and packaged food items. Export of meat demands the need for effective transportation refrigeration equipment. Appropriate refrigeration equipment play a vital role in preventing food wastage due to spoilage during storage and transportation.Get a Free Report Sample Copy @Production, storage, and transportation of perishable food items require appropriate refrigeration equipment and the rise in food trade has increased the demand for refrigeration equipment in the commercial sector significantly. The rise in income levels of an economy also boosts the spending capacity of the population on leisure travel. To meet the accommodation and meals of travelling population, the hospitality industry has witnessed a tremendous growth. This industry also keeps pace with the changing food consumption patterns due to huge penetration of stored, processed, and packaged food in the food industry. Out of which arises the need to equip the restaurants and food storage areas with efficient and energy saving refrigeration and storage equipment. Hotel industry relies largely on refrigeration in order to maintain food supply. The Increasing number of restaurants also is a vital reason to drive the demand for efficient commercial refrigeration equipment.This research report provides an in-depth analysis of the Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Market in Latin America based on product type, application, refrigerant type, and country. On the basis of product type the commercial refrigeration equipment market in Latin America is segmented into transportation refrigeration equipment, refrigerator and freezer, beverage refrigeration, commercial refrigeration equipment parts, and others. On the basis of application the commercial refrigeration equipment market in Latin America is segment into food services, food and beverage retail, food and beverage distribution, food and beverage production, and others. On the basis of refrigerant type the commercial refrigeration equipment market in Latin America is segmented into fluorocarbons, inorganic, hydrocarbon/Natural.Complete Research report with Industry Key Players Analysis @The report segments the Latin American commercial refrigeration equipment market by country into Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, and Rest of Latin America. It also encompasses the key factors by country in the commercial refrigeration equipment market in Latin America. It further offers analysis of the factors that drive and restrain the growth of commercial refrigeration equipment market in Latin America. It discusses the prevailing market trends and prospective growth opportunities in the commercial refrigeration and equipment market country wise and segment wise. It provides market estimates and forecasts for all the segments in terms of revenue (in US$ Mn). Also provided in the report is the competitive landscape of the major players in the Latin American commercial refrigeration equipment market.The major players profiled in the report include Metalfrio Solutions SA, Beverage-Air Corporation, Illinois Tool Works, Inc., Dover Corporation, Daikin Industries, Ltd., United Technologies Corporation - (Climate, Controls and Security Unit), Hussmann International, Inc., Lennox International Inc. The company profiles offer a descriptive overview of the companies with respect to the company details, company description, SWOT analysis, revenue and regional market share, and strategic overview. The report also offers a competitive landscape of these players for the year 2016.The Latin America commercial refrigeration equipment market is segmented as below:By Product TypeTransportation Refrigeration EquipmentRefrigerator and FreezerBeverage RefrigerationCommercial refrigeration equipment partsOthersBy ApplicationFood ServicesFood and Beverage retailFood and Beverage distributionFood and Beverage ProductionOthersBy Refrigerant TypeFluorocarbonsInorganicHydrocarbons/NaturalBy CountryBrazilMexicoArgentinaChileRest of Latin AmericaEnquire now @About MRRSEMarket Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of Market Research Reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.Contact UsState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY  12207(USA)United States Telephone: +1-518-730-0559(Toll Free)Email: sales@mrrse.com
Safety Needles Market Presented in New Forecast Research Report 2027 - By MRRSE || Key Player - Dickinson and Company, Boston Scientific Corporation, Smith Medical, Argon Medical Devices Inc.

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A new report titled Safety Needles Market Presented in New Forecast Research Report 2027 By MRRSE has been included in the enormous research repository of Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) that compiles various facets of the Safety Needles Market at a global level portraying a holistic analysis of the marketplace along with intelligence on key participants. The report covers an unbiased analysis on various market aspects, emphasizing major trends giving direction to the market, key opportunities paving new growth avenues, key drivers pushing the markets growth and challenges and restraints hindering the market for Safety Needles Market across the globe.Request Free Sample Report @The global safety needles market is estimated to be valued at nearly US$ 4,000 Mn in 2017 and is anticipated to touch almost US$ 8,000 Mn by 2027 end, registering a CAGR of 6.9 % over the forecast period. North America is the largest regional market, which is estimated to cross US$ 1,200 Mn, or 31.1% share of the total market share in 2017 and is estimated to reach a market valuation in excess of US$ 2,500 Mn by 2027, registering a CAGR of 7.3% over the forecast period. APEJ is the fastest growing market, which is expected to grow from nearly US$ 540 Mn in 2017 to over US$ 1,100 Mn by 2027.As the global safety needles market is replete with continuous new innovative technology and novel product launches, companies in the safety needles market across the world are actively engaged in the process of mergers and acquisitions in order to strengthen their product portfolio and cement their position in the market. Top market players are adopting the strategy of mergers and acquisitions to enhance their brand value and to develop more effective and efficient products while meeting the global standards for safety and efficiency. This will help companies increase their market share and expand their consumer base in uncharted territories.In 2015, Boston Scientific reached an agreement announcing the acquisition of Xlumena, a company that manufactures minimally invasive devices to carry out endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) enabled transluminal drainage of specific target areas in the gastrointestinal tract. According to the terms and conditions of the deal, besides an initial upfront payment, Boston Scientific shall also pay an additional amount to Xlumena once the FDA gives clearance to Xlumenas HOT AXIOS device. In addition, sales milestones as per volume sales achieved in 2018 are also a part of the deal. The advanced HOT AXIOS Stent and Delivery System integrates cautery in the AXIOS stent that has been approved by the FDA. This strategic acquisition will help Boston Scientific establish its stronghold in the EUS segment.Browse Complete Report with TOC @In the year 1991, the Blood Borne Pathogen standard was established in the U.S. 1999 was a landmark year as anti-needle stick legislation was implemented in California, U.S. In the year 2000, Federal Anti-Needle stick legislation was passed in the U.S. In 2005, order 827/2005 was set by the Ministry of Health in Spain. In 2007, the National Health Service Reference Guide was implemented in the U.K. In the same year, Sharp Injury Protection was legislated in Germany. In 2008, Sharp Injury Protection was legislated in Canada. In the year 2010, a legislation was passed in Brazil regarding needle stick injuries. In 2011, the Amendment to Medical Care Act was passed in Taiwan that takes into account needle stick injuries. The year 2013 was the deadline for Sharps Legislation implementation in the European Union. More countries are expected to follow soon and enact legislations regarding needle stick injuries and their prevention.In order to avoid hospital acquired diseases such as HIV, Hepatitis C and Hepatitis B etc., governments in various countries are implementing stringent regulations as mentioned above. Needle stick injuries sustained from contaminated needles can result in infections from various harmful blood borne diseases. As per a report by the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH) published in 2005, due to the reuse of contaminated needles, 2 Mn Hepatitis C infections, 20 Mn Hepatitis B infections and 250,000 HIV infections are caused annually. Various government supported norms such as Needle stick Safety and Prevention Act, Needles Exchange Program and implementation of OSHAs blood borne pathogens standards are increasing awareness among the population about diseases caused by using contaminated needles, and this factor is likely to fuel the demand for better quality safety needles.Enquire about this Report @About Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE)Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of Market Research Reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.Contact UsState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United States Telephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite:
Labyrinthitis Market Treatment Analysis with Major Players Like Merck & Co., Inc., Sanofi S.A., Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Mylan N.V. Etc. During 2019-2023

Labyrinthitis Market

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Labyrinthitis also known as vestibular neuritis is an inflammation of the inner ear or the nerves that connect the inner ear to the brain. The exact causes of the disease is unknown but triggers include infection by measles, mumps, trauma, autoimmune, etc. If left untreated, it may result in hearing loss, speech problems, double vision, abnormal gait, dizziness, nystagmus (rapid and undesired eye motion), vertigo, ringing in the ears, etc. The Global Labyrinthitis Market is expected to reach USD 2.5 billion by 2023 at a CAGR of ~ 3.2% during the forecast period 2017-2023.The developments in the surgery segment such as minimal invasive laparoscopy surgery is driving the global labyrinthitis market. The drug segment is, however, suffering from market fragmentation, which has put pressure on the price margins. The loss of patents and the rise of counterfeited drugs has also restricted the market growth. The other market constrains are high cost of treatment and their side effects. Market expansion and ample of unmet needs in developing regions of the world such as China and India drive the market growth. The market is expected to witness a sound growth over the review period owing to developing diagnostic facilities.Better product development leads to the market growth since available drug have varied side effects as well, they are expensive. Thus, the development of selective antibiotics projected to boost the growth of the market. However, cost of the product will be a decisive factor in the developing regions such as Asia Pacific and Africa. Growing geriatric population and rising per capita income drive the demand for labyrinthitis treatment market.Increasing geriatric population, growing screening, rising awareness, and growing income are the major drivers of this market. On the other hand, hormonal treatment controversy, high cost and complications of the therapy such as side effects of drug treatment and misdiagnosis low healthcare expenditure in developing regions, etc.Get Free Sample Report @Global Labyrinthitis Market  Key PlayersSome of the key players profiled in the report are Merck & Co., Inc., Sanofi S.A., Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Mylan N.V., Eli Lilly and Company, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Shandong Taihua Bio &Tech Co., Cipla Inc., and others.Global Labyrinthitis Market  SegmentationThe Global Labyrinthitis Market has been segmented on the basis of types, diagnosis, treatment, and end user.Based on the types, the market has been segmented as autoimmune labyrinthitis, infective labyrinthitis, and other.Based on the diagnosis, the market has been segmented as physical examination, blood test, magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography, electroencephalogram (EEG) and electronystagmography (ENG) and others.Based on the treatment, the market has been segmented as antihistaminics and antiemetics, antibiotics, corticosteroids, and others.Based on the end user, the market has been segmented as hospitals & clinics, academic and research, and others.Global Labyrinthitis Market  Regional AnalysisThe Americas accounts for a significant market share owing to high expenditure on the health care. Additionally, the fastest uptake of new diagnostics and drugs in the US drives the labyrinthitis market. Furthermore, concentration of the major healthcare companies and large hospitals in the developed countries of this region coupled with large insurance penetration is adding fuel to the market growth. Moreover, the US expend high amount on healthcare in 2015, which accounted for 16% of total GDP that also increases the sale in labyrinthitis market.Europe is the second largest market in the world due to high income and strong healthcare penetration. The European market growth is led by countries such as Germany and France. The UK is expected to be the fastest growing market over the assessment period. However, the southern European nations have witnessed a greater incidence of infective labyrinthitis due to associated environmental conditional. The strong pharmaceutical industry in Germany is a strong driver behind the dominance of this country in Europe.Asia Pacific region is expected to grow rapidly; China and India are likely to lead this market due to the fast-growing healthcare sector and large unmet needs over the forecast period. South East Asian countries such as China, India, and Malaysia are projected to contribute highly to the market growth. The growing penetration of healthcare insurance in the Asia Pacific region is expected to drive the future labyrinthitis market in the region.Gulf nations such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE are estimated to drive the Middle East & African market. Other Middle East nations to watch out for are Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt, and Iran. The African region is expected to witness a moderate growth owing to poor economic and political conditions, and poor healthcare development. However, the poor countries and developing regions have the greatest unmet needs, which needs to be tapped.Taste the market data and market information presented through more than 50 market data tables and figures spread over 80 pages of the project report. Avail the in-depth table of content (TOC) & market synopsis on Global Labyrinthitis Market Research Report  Forecast till 2023.Browse Complete 110 Pages Premium Research Report Enabled with Tables and Figures @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune  411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: salesteam@marketresearchfuture.com
Tissue and hygiene Market Consumer Adoption, Technology & Competitive Status 2019.

Tissue and hygiene Market

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The personal care products market comprises hair care, skin care, toiletries, fragrances convenience products and others. Among all these segments toiletries and skin care comprises the major segments for the market, constituting with high market value with favorable perspective in the near future. Tissue and hygiene is the sub-segment of toiletries segment. Tissue and hygiene products help consumers to maintain healthy and hygienic lifestyle in day to day schedule. Tissue and hygiene products are further categorized as disposable razor or blades, sanitary pads, nappies, cleansers, sprays, cotton wool and others.Tissue and hygiene Market SegmentationTissue and hygiene market can be segmented on the basis of distribution channel which includes health and beauty stores, chemist/pharmacies/drugstores, supermarkets, convenient stores, e-retailing and others. Among all these distribution channel segments, sell out of tissue and hygiene products through supermarkets account for the highest market share in 2014 followed by convenience stores. Growing retail industry is fuelling the demand for sell out of tissue and hygiene products through supermarkets across the globe. Moreover, chemist/pharmacies/drugstores segment is also expected to show a potential growth in terms of sales of tissue and hygiene products during the forecast period. In addition, sell out through internet is expected to show a sustainable growth in the forecasted period. The growth of online purchasing is supported by the increasing penetration of internet and rising concern for convenience among the consumers across the globe.Get Sample Copy of Report @The tissue and hygiene market can also be segmented on the basis of product type. The segmentation includes cotton wool/buds/, incontinence products, nappies/diapers, sanitary protection, wipes and others. Among all these segments sanitary protection and nappies/diapers are collectively expected to account for the highest growth in terms of revenue followed by wipes. Increasing concern of women for healthy and hygienic lifestyle is expected to support the growth of sanitary protection product market across the globe. Moreover, wipes are also expected to show a tremendous growth in the forecast period due to continuous and aggressive promotion of the product.On the basis of geography, North America contributes to the largest in terms of revenue in tissue and hygiene market followed by Europe. In North America United States is the major contributor in tissue and hygiene market followed by Canada. In Europe, countries such as Germany and France accounts for the largest market share followed by United Kingdom. Whereas, Asia pacific is concerned it is expected to register a double digit CAGR growth by 2020. In Asia pacific region China is expected to be the most dominant market for tissue and hygiene followed by Japan. Rising awareness through various corporate advertisements and government educational campaigns coupled with increasing concern of women to be hygienic in their day to day life has fueled the growth of tissue and hygiene market in China. Moreover, women in China prefer for premium feminine hygiene product categories, which is expected to bolster the growth of feminine hygiene products in terms of revenue. In addition, India is also expected to witness a robust growth in tissue and hygiene market. Increasing number of working women in urban areas, rising awareness among the consumer for healthy and hygienic lifestyle has supported the growth of tissue and hygiene market in India. Furthermore, government educating and awareness campaigns in rural areas and in schools is expected to support the growth of tissue and hygiene market particularly in India.Tissue and hygiene Market DriversRising disposable income coupled with increasing consumer expenditure for health care products is driving the growth of tissue and hygiene market across the globe. In addition, consumer awareness through aggressive corporate advertisement and various government campaign programs in rural and urban areas especially in school and colleges is also fueling the tissue and hygiene market growth of tissue and hygiene market in the forecast period. In addition continuous launching of new product variant is expected to fuel the growth of tissue and hygiene market in the near future.Tissue and hygiene Market: Key PlayersThe major international players operating in tissue and hygiene market includes Sterling Hygiene Tissue Procter & Gamble, Gulf Manufacturing EST, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Johnson & Johnson Limited, Unilever and Hengan International Group Company Limited. among others.Request to Browse Full Table of Content, figure and Tables @ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705
Dental Practice Management Software Market Outlook 2018-2024| Prominent Players: Allscripts, Carestream Dental, Curve Dental, Inc., Datacon Dental Systems, Inc., DentiMax

Dental Practice Management Software Market

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Global Dental Practice Management Software Market is set to exceed USD 2.4 billion by 2024; according to a new research report by Global Market Insights. Rising prevalence of oral diseases including dental caries and periodontal diseases across the globe poses a huge healthcare burden. This is attributable to demographic changes such as rising elderly patient pool suffering from such diseases. According to oral health report by the U.S. Surgeon General, around 25% of people aged 65-74 years have severe periodontal disease that will augment the demand for dental practice management software in future.Request for a sample of this research report @Increasing focus on oral health and rising awareness among the elderly patient pool will drive the global dental practice management market growth. Additionally, favorable government initiatives conducted by various organizations such as American Dental Association to increase awareness regarding the importance of maintaining oral health will favor market growth. Rising investments by venture capital firms along with government regulations encouraging adoption of various healthcare IT solutions such as electronic medical records, patient management and practice management solutions will fuel industry expansion.Scheduling business segment dominated the global DPMS market with around 19% of revenue share in 2017. Growing awareness regarding oral health among geriatric population has resulted in increasing number of dental check-ups. Effective scheduling of these patients through software will enhance productivity and reduce inconsistency for the dental practitioners, thereby augment segmental growth. Patient communication segment will witness significant 11.7% CAGR over the forecast period owing to increasing usage of dental practice management software for connecting with patients and automating tasks such as appointment confirmations, recall reminders.Company profiled in this report based on Business overview, Financial data, Product landscape, Strategic outlook & SWOT analysis: Allscripts Carestream Dental Curve Dental, Inc. Datacon Dental Systems, Inc. DentiMax Dovetail - Dental Software Epic Systems Corporation Henry Schein Canada Inc. Patterson Companies, Inc. Quality Systems, IncA succinct outline of the regional DPMS industry: U.S. to be a pivotal investment hubCurrently, North America dental practice management software market, powered by the U.S., is one of the most remunerative regional markets of this fraternity. The region is witnessing rapid healthcare IT infrastructure developments and utility of tablets and mobile related solutions. U.S. is set to witness a soaring adoption of dental practice management software with the expanding healthcare IT sector. U.S. dental practice management software industry size, as per estimates, was pegged at SD 450.7 million in 2017 and is projected to emerge as a dominant market over 2018-2024, registering its name as the leading country contributing to North America business space. The contributions of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, which has allocated USD 25 billion to encourage the adoption of advanced technology and software in healthcare is also favoring the regional trends.Asia Pacific dental practice management software industry is anticipated to register a modest CAGR over 2028-2024, driven by China, Japan, and India. Several other regions including South Korea, Australia, and Singapore are at the forefront with regards to adopting advanced technologies and healthcare IT solutions. With growing deployment of quality healthcare IT infrastructure in the emerging economies, APAC dental practice management software is further anticipated to witness high growth potential over the coming years.Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @Some of the key industry players operating in global dental practice management software market are Patterson Dental, Henry Schein, Carestream Dental, Quality Systems and Curve Dental. The industry players resort to new product launch, distribution and marketing, mergers and acquisitions, and agreements and partnerships as their major strategies to stay ahead in the highly competitive market. For instance, in April 2015, Henry Schein launched upgraded version of its Dentrix G6 software. This upgraded software will offer customers new features that enhance the user experience and enables dentists to adopt paperless practices.Global Market Insights Inc. is a global market research and management consulting company catering to leading corporations, non-profit organizations, universities and government institutions. Our main goal is to assist and partner organizations to make lasting strategic improvements and realize growth targets. Our industry research reports are designed to provide granular quantitative information, combined with key industry insights, aimed at assisting sustainable organizational development.Global Market Insights, Inc.4 North Main StreetSelbyville, Delaware 19975 USAPhone: 1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email:sales@gminsights.com
Surface Concrete Vibrator Market Detailed Report With Growth Opportunity by Major Players - Exen, Wacker Neuson, Atlas Copco, Multiquip

SURFACE CONCRETE VIBRATOR

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A new business intelligence report released by Up Market Research on Global Surface Concrete Vibrator Market. Report provides a comprehensive market analysis with future prospects to 2026. Report focuses on the major drivers and restraints providing analysis of the market share, segmentation, revenue forecasts and geographic regions of the market.Get Sample Copy Of This Report @The report contains pages which highly exhibit on current market analysis scenario, upcoming as well as future opportunities, revenue growth, pricing and profitability.Surface Concrete Vibrator Market research report delivers a close watch on leading competitors with strategic analysis, micro and macro market trend and scenarios, pricing analysis and a holistic overview of the market situations in the forecast period. It is a professional and a detailed report focusing on primary and secondary drivers, market share, leading segments and geographical analysis. Further, key players, major collaborations, merger & acquisitions along with trending innovation and business policies are reviewed in the report. The report contains basic, secondary and advanced information pertaining to the Surface Concrete Vibrator Market global status and trend, market size, share, growth, trends analysis, segment and forecasts from 20192026.The scope of the report extends from market scenarios to comparative pricing between major players, cost and profit of the specified market regions. The numerical data is backed up by statistical tools such as SWOT analysis, BCG matrix, SCOT analysis, PESTLE analysis and so on. The statistics are represented in graphical format for a clear understanding on facts and figures.For More Information On This Report, Please VisitThe generated report is firmly based on primary research, interviews with top executives, news sources and information insiders. Secondary research techniques are implemented for better understanding and clarity for data analysis.The report for Surface Concrete Vibrator Market analysis & forecast 2019-2026 is segmented into Product Segment, Application Segment & Major players.Global Surface Concrete Vibrator Market Segmentation Includes:Region-wise Analysis covers:North AmericaEuropeChinaJapanIndiaSoutheast AsiaOther regions (Central & South America, Middle East & Africa)The Major players include:ExenWacker NeusonAtlas CopcoMultiquipFoshan YunqueWamgroupVibcoBadger MeterEnarcoWeberMinnichLaierKZWDenver Concrete VibratorRokamatAECShatalOztecProduct Type Analysis:High FrequencyMedium FrequencyLow FrequencyApplication Analysis:Architectural EngineeringDam EngineeringMine and Well EngineeringOthersThere are many other application and segment on which the study has been conductedGet Sample Copy Of This Report @Surface Concrete Vibrator Market Analysis and Forecast 2019-2026 report helps the clients to take business decisions and to understand strategies of major players in the industry. The report also calls for market- driven results deriving feasibility studies for client needs. UpMarketResearch ensures qualified and verifiable aspects of market data operating in the real- time scenario. The analytical studies are conducted ensuring client needs with a thorough understanding of market capacities in the real- time scenario.Key Reasons to Purchase:- To gain insightful analysis of the market and have a comprehensive understanding of the Global Surface Concrete Vibrator Market Analysis and Forecast 2019-2026 and its commercial landscape.- Learn about the market strategies that are being adopted by your competitors and leading organizations.- To understand the future outlook and prospects for Surface Concrete Vibrator Market analysis and forecast 2019-2026.Avail Discount On This Report @Customization of the Report:UpMarketResearch provides free customization of reports as per your need. This report can be personalized to meet your requirements. Get in touch with our sales team, who will guarantee you to get a report that suits your necessities.About UpMarketResearch:The UpMarketResearch () is a leading distributor of market research report with more than 800+ global clients. As a market research company, we take pride in equipping our clients with insights and data that holds the power to truly make a difference to their business. Our mission is singular and well- defined  we want to help our clients envisage their business environment so that they are able to make informed, strategic and therefore successful decisions for themselves.Contact Info:Name: Alex MathewsEmail: Alex@upmarketresearch.comOrganization: UpMarketResearchAddress: 500 East E Street, Ontario, CA 91764, United States.
North America Microgrid Market Global Analysis By AC Microgrid, DC Microgrid, Hybrid | Caterpillar Inc, Tesla, Virdity Energy Solutions, EnSync Inc, Toshiba

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MarketStudyReport.com Adds New North America Microgrid Market 2018  2024 research report providing information By Connectivity (Grid Connected, Off-Grid), By Grid Type (AC Microgrid, DC Microgrid, Hybrid), By Source (Diesel Generators, Natural Gas, Solar PV, CHP), By Storage (Lithium-Ion, Lead Acid, Flow Batteries, Flywheel), By Application (Healthcare, Educational Institutes, Military, Utility, Industrial/Commercial, Remote)North America Microgrid Market is predicted to reach over USD 7 billion by 2024. Aging grid infrastructure coupled with stringent government policies toward adoption of sustainable power technologies will stimulate North America microgrid market. Economic competitiveness, low power cost & transmission losses and reliability are key the parameters that will encourage the product penetration. In addition, ongoing funding toward the development of distributed generation technology will enhance the industry landscape.Flow batteries accounted for over 5% of North America microgrid market in 2017. Ongoing investment pertaining to the integration of sustainable grid coupled with innovations toward the development of cost-effective and efficient storage technologies will propel the industry growth. key features including long life cycle and higher efficiency will further encourage the product adoption over available substitutes.Request a Sample of this premium Research Report@Canada microgrid market is predicted to reach deployment of over 400 MW capacity by 2024. Growing electricity demand across remote and off grid areas along with upsurge in investments toward the adoption of clean energy technology will complement the business growth. Furthermore, ongoing development of distributed energy sources to minimize the dependency on conventional grid will enhance the industry outlook. In 2016 Canada government made an investment of USD 2.4 billion for developing wind and solar energy sources.Ongoing adoption of captive power plants across the manufacturing and industrial sector for ensuring regulated power production will foster North America microgrid market. Increasing investment toward the expansion of decentralized grid coupled with rising investments for the expansion of infrastructure and power sector will accelerate the business growth. For instance, in 2016, the government of Canada, announced an investment of about USD 900 million were financed toward installation of numerous energy sources and R & D across the country.Natural gas microgrid market will grow on account of stringent government measures pertaining to the adoption of lower emission fuel as a replacement for conventional fuel sources. Ongoing investment toward exploration of unconventional fuel reserves owing to escalating gas demand will enhance the industry outlook. Amren Corporation in 2017, developed an advanced microgrid which utilizes, solar, natural gas and wind energy as a source along with an integrated battery storage and automation system.Top Manufacturers in global market are given bellow: ABB, Schneider Electric, Alstom, Siemens, Honeywell, Caterpillar Inc, Tesla, Virdity Energy Solutions, EnSync Inc, Toshiba, Hitachi, Advanced Microgrid Solutions, Lockheed Martin, Exelon and Power Analytics Corporation.Request a Discount on standard prices of this premium Market Research Report@Increasing high-end power consumption across the industries on account of development of new HVAC systems and heavy load machineries will foster the microgrid market. Growing electricity demands across hospitals, retail outlets, automotive, manufacturing operations, offices and industries will encourage product penetration across commercial and industrial application. For instance, as per EIA, the commercial and industrial sector in 2017 accounted about 4.5% and 22.4 % of the primary energy consumption respectively.The above information is provided on a regional and country basis for the following:U.S., Canada, MexicoBy Connectivity Grid Connected Off-GridBy Grid Type AC Microgrid DC Microgrid HybridBy Source Diesel Generators Natural Gas Solar PV CHPBy Storage Lithium-Ion Lead Acid Flow Batteries FlywheelBy Application Healthcare Educational Institutes Military Utility Industrial/Commercial RemoteData TablesTABAL 1. North America Microgrid industry 360 degree synopsis, 2013 - 2024TABAL 2. Global North America Microgrid market, 2013 - 2024 (USD Million)TABAL 3. Global North America Microgrid market, by joint type, 2013 - 2024 (USD Million)TABAL 4. Global North America Microgrid market, by joint type, 2013 - 2024 (Units)TABAL 5. Industry impact forcesTABAL 6. Knee Replacement market by region, 2013 - 2024 (USD Million)TABAL 7. Knee Replacement market by region, 2013 - 2024 (Units)TABAL 8. Primary Knee Systems market, by region, 2013 - 2024, (USD Million)TABAL 9. Revision Knee Systems market, by region, 2013 - 2024, (USD Million)TABAL 10. Partial Knee Systems market, by region, 2013 - 2024, (USD Million)To View Full Report@About Us:Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management.Contact Us:Market Study Report LLC.4 North Main Street,Selbyville, Delaware 19975USAPhone: 1-302-273-0910US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email: sales@marketstudyreport.comWebsite:Blog:
What are the growth drivers of Baby Food Market? Nestle, RB, Abbott, Danone, HiPP-Gruppe, FrieslandCampina, PZ Cussons

Baby Food Market

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Baby Food Market will exceed USD 33 billion by 2025. Increasing infant population and corresponding rising food demand will propel baby food market size growth during the forecast period. According to world Bank, birth rates have remained highest in developing nations. Rapid urbanization, growth of middle class and increasing rates of female participation in labor force in many developing markets has encouraged adoption of convenience-oriented lifestyles, making prepared baby foods more wanted.Get a Sample Copy of this Report @Prepared food segment held the largest share of more than 40% in global baby food market in 2018. Prepared food is ready-to-serve and eat, hence has garnered attention globally. These are convenient for women who work outside their home, as it saves time. Frozen prepared food is increasingly becoming popular among parents and infants and the demand shall grow prominently during the forecast timespan. Convenience store distribution channels segment will grow moderately with a CAGR of 13.3% in global baby food market over the forecast period. These retail formats are prevalent in Asia Pacific and Latin America and consumers prefer buying baby food from here due to discounted rates.The baby food industry is highly regulated, right from ingredients to its packaging and labelling. As the industry is increasingly globalized, the need for guidance, monitoring and regulation is growing. There are standards and guidelines for canned food for babies, processed cereal-based foods for babies, hygiene practice for children and infant foods and complimentary foods for infants and children. The standards set by each country may differ for baby food, for example, it may differ on ingredients in infant nutrition such as carbohydrates, fats, minerals, vitamins, etc. percentage of pesticide residue in food, etc. Also, every product needs to be pathogen free.North America and Europe are prominent baby food markets. For instance, Europe accounted for more than 30% of the overall product demand amounting to USD 5.5 billion in 2018. Parents in these regions are more concerned about their infants nutrition and less about the cost. Thus, they are ready to pay for premium products which have necessary nutrients and minerals. Whereas in Latin America and Asia Pacific, price is an important buying consideration. Here, customers are less brand loyal and more inclined towards brands which provide essential nutrition at affordable prices.The baby food market is highly competitive, and many major multi-national companies are functional in this business such as Nestle, RB, Abbott, Danone, The Kraft Heinz Company, Hero Group, KEWPIE Corporation, Bubs Australia (ASX : BUB), HiPP-Gruppe, The Hain Celestial Group, Asahi Breweries Europe Group, SYMRISE PRIVATE LIMITED, DMK Deutsches Milchkontor GmbH, FrieslandCampina, Milupa GmbH, PZ Cussons. The entry barriers in this industry are moderately high as it is a capital-intensive market and needs a backbone of strong research & development department. Competition in this business is stiff and numerous brands and store branded products at various price points compete for consumer attention.Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @Established players such as Nestle, Danone and Mead Johnson Nutrition (now a part of Reckitt Benckiser) have years of experience and consumer loyalty in baby food market. These players have strong and wide supply chain network and have backward and forward integrated their businesses to some extent. For example, Nestle has food ingredients business as well, which caters to its baby food business. Companies merge and enter into joint ventures to make the product penetrate deep into local market.About Global Market Insights:Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.Contact Us:Arun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone: 1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb:Blog:
Luxury Wine & Spirit Market Current Business Trends & Growth Opportunities 2017-2024 | Pernod Ricard, Brown-Forman, Diageo, Bacardi, Bayadera Group, Beam Suntory

Luxury Wine & Spirit Market

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Luxury Wine & Spirit Market will witness significant growth due to increase in demand for applications in food and beverages industry. Rise in disposable income has enhanced the buying power of consumers, that in turn has helped them to opt for niche products. These have exceptional quality of raw materials that enhance customer satisfaction and spur its demand. Improved distribution channels of companies are anticipated to boost luxury wine & spirit market.There has been increase in health awareness regarding wines and institutes namely American Heart Association (AHA) has come up with its benefits for heart. AHA has stated that consuming them lowers the mortality rate by around 34%. Manufacturers have come up with variants including red and white that has given customers options to choose from. Its intake has spurred in social gatherings including parties and art exhibitions that have given positive outlook to luxury wine & spirit market.Request for a Table Content of Report @These are alcoholic beverages made from various raw materials namely grapes, cherry and plums. These are fermented without adding any foreign ingredients and lead to formation of yeast that consumes sugar content of raw materials and converts it into ethanol and carbon dioxide. These are being consumed from ancient times and have its roots in ancient Greek and Egypt. Their variants depend on its constituents and time of fermentation.Use of technologies for improving fermentation process and aging process will provide consumers better experience. Premium pricing of products has improved profit margins of manufacturers. Rise in number of bars and pubs in urban areas are attracting young generation and attributed to propel luxury wine & spirit market growth.Major restraint for luxury wine & spirit market is stringent government regulations for its sale in some part of the world. Its excess intake may lead to heart disease, diabetes, stroke and high blood pressure. Forgery, manipulation, adulteration and incidents of fraud in products have affected its sale and demand. Further, shifting of people from alcoholic beverages towards non-alcoholic may pose as a challenge in forecast period.Based on products, luxury wine & spirit market is classified as wine and spirits. Wines accounts for major share owing to larger consumer base and low alcohol by volume content as compared to others. These are further divided into red, white, rose, fruit, starch based and honey. Among them red and white have major with easy availability and higher popularity.Based on distribution channel, luxury wine & spirit market is classified into wholesale, retail stores, department stores and online retailers. Whole sale have substantial share as both urban and semi urban population prefer them due to ease in availability and better comparison between products. There has been considerable increase in number of whole sale stores commercial spaces including shopping malls.Spirit has moderate share and is anticipated to register substantial growth during forecast period and classified into gin, whisky, rum, vodka, brandy, tequila, natural and flavoured. Vodka and whisky have significant categories and will grow due to growing popularity of cocktail drinks at social gatherings. Cognac and tequila are gaining popularity with growing pub culture and in turn will positively drive luxury wine & spirit market.Retail stores have significant share and will witness extensive growth with increase in local demand. Online stores or E-commerce are new to this category and rise in online platforms, discount offers and easy delivery will propel luxury wine & spirit market growth.Asia Pacific accounts for significant share in luxury wine & spirit market and expected to show substantial growth with large number of whisky and rum consumers. Further, presence of key manufacturers namely ThaiBev and HiteJinro strengthens its contribution. Middle East & Africa and Latin America have nascent share and shall grow with rise in public spending and growing foreign tourism.Make an inquiry before purchasing report @Europe has substantial share in global luxury wine & spirit market with presence of Italy, France and Spain as largest producers in the world. In UK, more than 40% of youngsters (17-25 years) age and over 65% of adult population (25-45 years) consume alcoholic drinks that support its growth. North America has moderate share with present culture of serving drinks with meals.Luxury wine & spirit market is moderately fragmented with large presence of mutlinational and regional players. Prominent players include Pernod Ricard, Brown-Forman, Diageo, Bacardi, United Spirits of Mediterranean LLC, Campari Group, THE EDRINGTON GROUP LIMITED, Bayadera Group, William Grant & Sons, Beam Suntory. Companies are employing mergers and acquisition strategy to enhance their market penetration. In June 2016, Brown Forman acquired BenRiach Distillery Company, a well-recognized brand for malt whisky for consistent growth in whisky section.About Global Market Insights:Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.Contact Us:Arun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone: 1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb:Blog:
Mycophenolate Mofetil Market Analysis and Detailed Profiles of Top Players (Genentech, Teva, Sandoz, West Ward Pharmaceuticals, Accord Healthcare, Mylan) | Global Forecasts 2019  2023

Mycophenolate Mofetil Market

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The Report Global Mycophenolate Mofetil Market by Manufacturers, Countries, Type and Application, Forecast to 2023 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants.Global Mycophenolate Mofetil Market Synopsis:According to Market Analyst, The Global Mycophenolate Mofetil Market is expected to grow at an impressive Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) from 2019 to 2023.If you want to know more about Mycophenolate Mofetil, Get Sample Copy of Report @According to Market study, the Mycophenolate is used in combination with other medications to keep your body from attacking and rejecting your transplanted organ (such as kidney, liver, heart). It belongs to a class of medications called immunosuppressant. Mycophenolate Mofetil is immunosuppressant drugs (a class of drugs that reduce the strength of the bodys immune system) used in the treatment of several autoimmune diseases.Global Mycophenolate Mofetil Market has been segmented on the Basis of product, applications and Region. Based on product, Market can be sub segmented into Capsule, Tablet, Suspension, Injection. Based on Industry, Market can be sub segmented into heart transplant, liver transplant, kidney transplant.This report focuses on Mycophenolate Mofetil volume and value at the global level, regional level and company level. From a global perspective, this report represents the overall Mycophenolate Mofetil market size by analyzing historical data and future prospect. At the company level, this report focuses on the production capacity, ex-factory price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer covered in this report.Complete report on Mycophenolate Mofetil Market spread across 125 Pages and No. of Table of contents. Buy Research @The Market is segmented and projected on the basis of major key players:1 Genentech2 Teva3 Sandoz4 West Ward Pharmaceuticals5 Accord Healthcare6 Mylan7 Strides Pharma8 Jubilant Cadista9 Alkem LaboratoriesRequest a Discount on standard prices of this premium report @Key Questions Answered in this Report:1 What is the global market size for Mycophenolate Mofetil market in different countries?2 Which key developments are expected to have a long-term impact on the Mycophenolate Mofetil market?3 What will be the global Mycophenolate Mofetil market size in 2023?4 Who will be the top vendors in Mycophenolate Mofetil market?5 Whats going to be the growth speed?6 Which are the most potential countries and markets?TABLE OF CONTENTS1 Mycophenolate Mofetil Product Definition2 Global Mycophenolate Mofetil Market Manufacturer Share and Market Overview3 Manufacturer Mycophenolate Mofetil Business Introduction4 Global Mycophenolate Mofetil Market Segmentation (Region Level)5 Global Mycophenolate Mofetil Market Segmentation (Product Type Level)6 Global Mycophenolate Mofetil Market Segmentation (Industry Level)7 Global Mycophenolate Mofetil Market Segmentation (Channel Level)8 Mycophenolate Mofetil Market Forecast 2019-20239 Mycophenolate Mofetil Segmentation Product Type10 Mycophenolate Mofetil Segmentation Industry11 Mycophenolate Mofetil Cost of Production Analysis12 ConclusionAbout usBusinessindustryReports.com is digital database of comprehensive market reports for global industries. As a market research company, we take pride in equipping our clients with insights and data that holds the power to truly make a difference to their business. Our mission is singular and well-defined  we want to help our clients envisage their business environment so that they are able to make informed, strategic and therefore successful decisions for themselves.Media ContactBusiness Industry ReportsPune  Indiasales@businessindustryreports.com+19376349940
Big boom by Virtual Server Market 2019 with an impressive double-digit growth rate by 2025 | Top Leading Companys  OVH, AWS, United Interne, DreamHost, Kamatera, TekTonic, Bluehost, Sasahost

Virtual Server Market

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Kurt Widmer and his brother Rob quit their day jobs in 1984 and started what would become Widmer Brothers Brewing.

The list of what they would go on to accomplish is heady stuff:

In 1985, the brothers helped change Oregon law to allow brewpubs.

Widmer is one of the founding breweries of Beervana, and now its oldest survivor.

They created the legendary Hefe, a sessionable beer before there were sessionable beers.

The Widmers created the idea of seasonable rotating beers.

They helped start the Oregon Brewers Festival.

And for a time, Widmer was the largest draft-only brewery in the western hemisphere.

Over three decades later, the beer landscape has changed dramatically. Portland has become a world-renowned beer city, but legacy breweries  including Widmer  face various challenges that have doomed some.

We recently sat down with Kurt Widmer, who retired from operations three years ago, to discuss the beginnings of Widmer, how it evolved, what the current beer environment looks like, and what the future might hold.

His comments have been edited for brevity and clarity.

Hows retirement?

I highly recommend it. Its great. Every day is vacation.

In the early days, when you were starting in Northwest Portland, was it just you and Rob doing everything?

Oh no, from Day 1 family was involved. My dad was a critical piece of it. The original equipment was junk. It was dairy junk. Our whirlpool was a shrimp cooker from the coast somewhere. A couple of the heavy-duty tanks, including our kettle and hot-water tank, were built for the never-licensed Pebble Springs nuclear power plant. We got those out of a junkyard  sometimes its better to be lucky than smart.  We were looking at these tanks and (the junkyard guy) said, Yeah, ya know those are all X-grade nuclear welds on those, probably half-million dollars each, but Ill sell them to you for scrap.

22 Widmer Brothers Brewing

If this were a State of the Union speech, whats the state of Widmer Brothers Brewing?

We recently closed our pub, and that was very difficult because it was a place where I enjoyed eating and drinking, personally. Were not going to tear it apart, its going to be available for nonprofits to use for fundraisers, and our brewery people use it for various purposes. It doesnt go away. The brewerys doing great, it continues to evolve. We have multiple partners now, its not just Widmer Brothers. Thats been really a lot of fun, and those partnerships came about because of personal relationships. So thats been great.

If you could go back and do one thing differently, what would it be?

I would say be born to wealthy parents (laughs). We always would complain to our dad  of course in jest  why couldnt you have been wealthy and we wouldnt have to deal with this pile of junk. But he was so great, he was one of those self-taught mechanical engineers. Old farm boy Depression era. Rob and I would literally haul in a piece of junk and say, This is what wed like it to do, Dad, and hed say, OK, I got it. Days later it would work -- and be bulletproof.  As far as like a big mistake.  Rob and I are very cautious, so we built this brewery. We started at 20 barrels, and the fabricator said, Ya know, guys, think about it, youve outgrown two breweries, so they didnt push very hard, but would you consider doing a little bit bigger, so we said OK, 30 barrels, and we ended up doing what a lot of breweries were doing then, and we ran it at 40 barrels. Id say that we were maybe too cautious, but we didnt know what we were doing. There was no blueprint and the market was still unfolding, so maybe we were just overly cautious.

What do the recent closings signal for craft beer?

Weve been through plateaus before. Mid-90s there was another plateau. Its pretty obvious, when we started, BridgePort, ourselves, Portland Brewing, had pubs. Now I think there 110 in (the Portland area), so obviously increased competition. This location, it lent itself great to a brewery, but its a destination. You dont get walk-in at this location. Anyhow, it was originally intended years and years ago as a place where people could come and be introduced to our beers and the brewery, and meanwhile I think people are pretty aware of craft industry and Widmer Brothers place in it. But it was sad. I like this place.

Widmer is part of the Craft Beer Alliance, which is minority owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev, which has an option to buy the CBA in August. Any sense whats going to happen?

No, and you know I dont want to go to jail, so even if I did, I wouldnt tell you. But I dont have any. I wish I did.

How do old-school breweries survive this culture and stay relevant?

Its a challenge. You have to be committed to surprising and delighting and pleasing beer drinkers. Right now, (craft-beer drinkers are) kind of one and done, theyll come in and have several beers from several breweries in one evening, and the challenge is to be part of that set. Its pretty rare to find a craft drinker who is married to one beer and one beer style. Theyre promiscuous, Id say.

When you started, were you looking up at the old brands like Rainier and Henrys and trying to set yourself apart?

We were more looking at the imports  Oregon was one of the top 5 in the country in terms of percentage of beer that was draft, and draft beer drinkers are considered by the industry of being a little more sophisticated than average. So we had that going for us. And then as a percentage of sales that were imports, Oregon again was pretty far up the list. So we thought OK, theres already people that are a little bit more beer sophisticated and looking for something thats a little more flavorful.

But then we completely screwed that up by bringing out our altbier, at 65 IBUs. That was a blunder. Rob and I assumed that we couldnt be just the same thing people were used to in terms of flavor. So, we thought, OK well make it copper amber, and a little bit more hoppy. We didnt have a lab and we didnt have a photo spectrometer, so we couldnt measure IBUs, so we were just extrapolating off of our home brew experience with hops, so we didnt really realize and didnt want it to be at 65 IBUs.

So you guys started the hop wars, not BridgePort IPA?

In error. I mean, we came quickly to the conclusion that wed created a beer that was too dramatic a departure from what people were accustomed to. I mean, there were 12 hopheads in all of Portland at that point.

So is Hefe still a cult beer or is it a mainstream beer now?

Rob and I were just a little bit amused that, not to single anybody out, but in one part of the country its like theyve discovered cloudy beer, just. Rob and I were like, geez Louise, weve been at this for 30 effin years and these guys are now acting like they discovered hazy beer! So, I dont think its a cult beer. Certainly not here, not in the western U.S.

-- Andre Meunier

More beer coverage:
A lot of questions are swirling around the big brewery on North Russell Street.

Why did Widmer Brothers Brewing close the Gasthaus, its longtime brewpub, then turn it into a taproom?

Why did Widmer then a year later close that taproom, leaving nowhere to pour its own beers?

Will Anheuser-Busch InBev, minority owner of Widmer parent Craft Brew Alliance, exercise its option to buy the CBA outright come August? And if it does, what becomes of Widmer Brothers Brewing Co.?

The past year has been a bumpy ride for one of Oregons oldest and most fabled breweries, and the looking glass doesnt provide much clarity. With questions about ownership lingering, the creators of the legendary Hefeweizen have seen sales and status within the CBA shrink and direct contact with their beer-drinking customers slip away, and other long-beloved Portland breweries have turned out the lights.

That said, Widmers flagship Hefe remains the best-selling, most-widely recognizable craft beer in Oregon, leading the way to keep Widmer among the 50 highest-selling breweries in the nation. Its Omission brand of beers is popular among those on a gluten-free diet. And the young Innovation Brewery at Widmer is creating delicious experimental beers and developing new beverage lines -- pushing back against any stodgy perceptions of the brand.

We recently closed our pub, and that was very difficult, said Kurt Widmer, who founded the brewery with his brother Rob in 1984. But the brewerys doing great, it continues to evolve. We have multiple partners now -- its not just Widmer Brothers. Thats been really a lot of fun.

Widmer and the Craft Brew Alliance

Widmer began in 1984, when the homebrewing brothers quit their jobs and turned passion into career, scrounging together a brewing line from old dairy and junkyard equipment. They opened in an industrial part of Northwest Portland  before expansion forced a move in 1990 to their current address  and in 1986 created Hefe, an American version of the German hefeweizen.

Hefe changed their fortunes and made Widmer a household name synonymous with Portland craft beer. In 2008, Widmer merged with Seattles Redhook Brewery and created the Craft Brewers Alliance. In 2013, the CBA, which now also included Kona Brewing of Hawaii, sold a minority stake to Anheuser-Busch InBev.

The growth brought increased investment and distribution, but it also brought criticism among some in the craft-beer community that Widmer had sold out.

Sales for the CBA, which now includes eight breweries and cideries, have remained relatively steady over the past decade, but Widmer is no longer the groups dominant brand, handing that crown over to Kona.

Konas Longboard Island Lager has helped drive sales of the Hawaiian brand above 450,000 barrels last year. That success has prompted the CBA to begin construction on a $20 million, 100-barrel brewery on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Meanwhile, Widmers sales have seen a steady drop in the past 10 years, going from nearly 300,000 barrels in 2010 to about 100,000 in 2018, a year that saw a 20 percent drop.

Those numbers drove a change in strategy at the CBA, which, according to its 2018 Securities and Exchange Commission filings, has begun promoting Kona as a national and global brand and focusing the other breweries on their own regions. For Widmer and Redhook, that means strengthening their positions within the Northwest.

At this point, to think of it as the Widmer Brothers is wrong, says Jeff Alworth, a Portland-based beer author who has a book coming out next week, The Widmer Way, chronicling the brewerys and the CBAs history. Its the Craft Beer Alliance. CBA has this company and they have brands, and they are going to pay attention to brands that are selling and not pay attention to those that arent selling. Widmer is declining, so theyre not getting much attention.

But theyre not going anywhere. It would be crazy for the company to kill that brand.

New initiatives

The Innovation Brewery at Widmers North Portland facility is part of the plan to keep Widmer vibrant. The high-tech, 10-barrel system was installed more than two years ago as part of a $10 million brewery-wide expansion. Its designed so any recipe the crew in the experimental-focused brewery dreams up can be replicated across the street at the large-scale brewery.

Of course, part of the plan was to get those experimental beers into the hands of customers at the tasting room for immediate feedback. With the tasting room closed, Widmer is left to work with local establishments to get the kegs onto taps and get second-hand reactions.

And that, Alworth says, is a problem.

Theyre not going to get the feedback they need, he said during a recent interview. No way theyre going to place that much beer out there. There are 40 taps at (the Widmer taproom). Its clearly an abandonment of the R&D model. That just sends up all kinds of red flags.

Widmer closed the tasting room because it couldnt turn a profit there, said Kevin Bland, Widmers local marketing manager. The area gets little foot traffic, and with so many breweries and tap rooms in Portland now, the competition is fierce, he said.

We see where things are opportunities, and we see when things are a challenge, Bland said. Widmer as a brand, were doing fine.  But the future of craft is that everybody is adapting.

Widmer plans to use the space as the terminus for new public tours of its expanded brewery, where the public can taste its innovation beers. It will also be available for charity and community events and to brewery employees.

The pH Experiment

The CBA has begun developing new products at the Widmer Innovation Brewery as well. The pH Experiment, a venture to create new beverages with an eye on emerging tastes, began in March and this spring will put its first product into the market: the Pre Aperitivo Spritz. The 6.6 percent alcohol by volume beverage is described by CBA as a dry, botanical bubbly with an herbaceous bitterness that stays unapologetically true to a classic Italian aperitivo.

Six-pack cans or bottles will be available in grocery or liquor stores, said Shannon Riggs, a public relations representative for the CBA. The beverage, promoted as having 1 gram of sugar and being made from gluten-free apple wine, is a slightly less sweet version of a traditional Italian cafe cocktail.

The pH Experiments goal is to create $25 million in revenue by 2025 for the CBA, which had net sales in 2018 of $206 million.

Our goal is to provide long-term, sustainable growth for CBA, said Karmen Olson, the pH Experiments general manager. Well do that by combining the spirit and agility of an innovation startup with the muscle of a large craft brewer, working side by side with drinkers, retailers and wholesalers to quickly get products to market, listen to feedback, iterate, and either expand or fail fast.

An August date

Throwing uncertainty into the brew is Aug. 23, 2019, the deadline by which AB InBev, which holds a 32 percent stake in CBA, has the option to buy all the remaining shares at an agreed-upon price and own the operation outright. But AB InBev could also pass, leaving the status quo.

What will happen is an open question.

My guess is that yes they will buy it, said Alworth, the author. CBA has made decisions that would make it an attractive acquisition for AB InBev. The focus on Kona, shifting away from Widmer and Redhook, purchasing little regional breweries to give it regional diversity and potential growth down the line, investing in cider and pH, all of those things make it a valuable asset as a company.

And that could be bad for Widmer.

If bought outright, for Widmer, youre not 100,000 barrels out of a 700,000-barrel brewery, youre 100k out of whatever, Alworth said, referring to AB InBevs sales, which were about 600 million barrels in 2017. At that point youre not a valuable asset in the company.

If AB InBev doesnt exercise the option, Alworth said, thats a plus for Beervana.

People tend to focus on that the Widmers had become this big brewery associated with AB, Alworth said. The truth was the Widmers were always integral to the Portland beer scene.

(Portland) started making really good beer really early on and had lower tolerance for the off-flavors that were acceptable in other cities, Alworth continued. Widmer was responsible for that. Widmer was doing free (lab testing) for the entire city.  Their idea was well sell more beer in a city thats more sophisticated.

If that brewery closes down and the lab goes away and Kurt and Rob are no longer doing the collaborator project and kind of become invisible, you lose all that, he said. Theres a lot of stuff the Widmers were doing to support Oregon craft beer that werent so visible but will be missed.

Kurt Widmer is proud of that legacy  of helping Portland become a world-class beer city.

I hope that people will recognize our commitment to brewing high-quality beer, he said. And being perfectly willing to experiment and dump stuff that were not proud of. Over time that pays dividends.

-- Andre Meunier

More beer coverage:
A group of former employees has filed a lawsuit against IBM that accuses the tech giant of failing to comply with a federal law that requires companies to disclose the ages of people they lay off who are 40 or older. The suit, filed in federal district court in New York City, also alleges that the company has improperly prevented workers from combining to challenge their ousters.

It is the second broad legal action against IBM since a 2018 ProPublica story that documented widespread age discrimination by the company in its global restructuring. The former employees are asking the court to invalidate a written agreement that IBM requires its employees to sign to receive severance pay. Under the documents provisions, workers agree to give up any right to challenge their dismissal in court.

Until now, most age-related legal actions contesting an IBM layoff have been brought by the rare ex-worker who refused to sign the agreement and left without severance. If the district court were to agree that IBMs separation agreement is invalid, it could open the company up to lawsuits by tens of thousands of older workers IBM has laid off in recent years.

Todays lawsuit and the string of other cases filed in the wake of ProPublicas story face steep odds as a result of decisions by the Supreme Court and federal appeals courts that curtailed workers ability to challenge employers staffing decisions. The rationale is to limit what federal judges view as cumbersome, costly cases that hamstring both employers and the courts.

The Supreme Court is hostile to class action, to collective action and to employees, said Cliff Palefsky, a prominent San Francisco attorney who frequently represents employees. Congress needs to step in to preserve the integrity of its own civil right laws, not just involving age, but also race and gender. So far, it hasnt.

ProPublica reported in March 2018 that IBM, which had annual revenue of $79 billion last year, had ousted an estimated 20,000 U.S. workers ages 40 and over during the preceding five years. In some instances, it used money saved from the departures to hire young replacements to, in the words of one internal company document, correct seniority mix.

The new lawsuit follows legal action last fall by Boston class-action lawyer Shannon Liss-Riordan, who filed a class-action case on behalf of 60 ex-IBM employees who had not signed the severance agreement and argued they had been discriminated against because of their age. In tandem, Liss-Riordan filed scores of arbitration claims for ex-employees who had signed the document, which only permits workers to pursue age claims in individual arbitration hearings.

The New York lawsuit opens a new legal front, challenging the IBM agreements one-at-a-time restriction as a violation of workers rights under the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act. The law allows laid-off workers to take legal action against their employers as a group, either in court or arbitration.

IBM against one person is not a fair fight, said David Webbert, an Augusta, Maine, lawyer who, together with his partner, Jeffrey Young, and a Washington-based law firm, filed the new case. IBM against thousands of people whove been laid off because of their age, thats a legitimate legal proceeding.

IBM is afraid of a fair fight, Webbert said.

A spokesman said the company had no comment on the latest lawsuit. In response to ProPublicas initial findings in 2018, IBM said: We are proud of our company and our employees ability to reinvent themselves era after era, while always complying with the law. Our ability to do this is why we are the only tech company that has not only survived but thrived for more than 100 years.

The new suit is filed in the name of four ex-employees who were in their mid-50s when they were ousted by the company, including Cheryl Witmer of Firestone, Colorado.

Witmer said in an interview she began her career repairing IBM Selectric typewriters in 1984 and was a program manager in the companys cloud division in 2016 when she unexpectedly received a bad job-performance rating and was told she was retiring.

But Im not retiring, she said she told her manager.

Yes, you are, she quoted the manager as replying. ProPublica documented dozens of similar employee ousters that began as layoffs but were converted to retirements, a change that kept down IBMs layoff counts, where high numbers can trigger public disclosure requirements.

Witmer said she felt she had little choice but to sign the companys severance agreement because she needed the money while she looked for a new job. I couldnt afford not to sign, she said.

As it scrambled to compete in the internet world, the once-dominant tech company cut tens of thousands of U.S. workers, hitting its most senior employees hardest and flouting rules against age bias.

The ADEA requires that workers over 40 who are being laid off be told the job positions and the ages of the position holders who are being laid off with them so they can decide whether to pursue an age-discrimination case or to waive the right to do so.

IBM stopped providing this information to employees in 2014 when it rewrote its severance agreement. Under the previous agreement, departing employees could not receive severance unless they agreed to waive their right to pursue legal action. The new agreement employees were required to sign to receive severance did allow them to file claims of discrimination, but only in individual hearings before an arbitrator.

IBM executives appear to have concluded that this change in the document permitted them to stop providing the ages of employees were being laid off. Legal experts say this made it much harder to find evidence of age discrimination, which requires establishing a pattern drawn from large numbers of layoffs.

Until the newly filed suit, IBMs decision to stop disclosing age information has not faced legal challenge.

Talk to us: Do you have a story about age discrimination in the workplace? We want to hear from you. Heres how to get in touch.
UPDATED Friday, March 29: Pandora Jade Hertel has been found safe, Vancouver police said late Thursday.

***

Vancouver police are asking for help finding a missing, endangered 15-year-old girl.

Pandora Jade Hertel, who is autistic, walked away from school Wednesday and hasnt come home, according to Vancouver police.

Police described her as being 5-foot-3 and 150 lbs. She has brown hair and eyes and was last seen in a black hooded sweatshirt with a green circle screen print design, green sweatpants and white high-top shoes.

Police urged anyone who sees Hertel to contact authorities.

-- Jim Ryan; jryan@oregonian.com; 503-221-8005; @Jimryan015

Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox.
NEW YORK  Anna Sorokin traveled in celebrity circles and tossed $100 tips  all the more reason to believe she was the German heiress she said she was. But behind the jet-set lifestyle and pricey threads, prosecutors have said, was a fraudster who bilked friends, banks and hotels for a taste of the high life.

Sorokin, 28, lived in luxury New York City hotel rooms she couldn't afford, promised a friend an all-expenses paid trip to Morocco and then stuck her with the $62,000 bill, and peddled bogus bank statements in a quest for a $22 million loan, the Manhattan District Attorney's office has alleged.

On Wednesday, the one-time darling of the Big Apple social scene went on trial on grand larceny and theft of services charges alleging she swindled various people and businesses out of $275,000 in a 10-month odyssey that saw her jetting to the Midwest and Marrakesh before landing in a cell at Rikers Island.

"Her overall scheme has been to claim to be a wealthy German heiress with approximately $60 million in funds being held abroad," prosecutor Catherine McCaw said after Sorokin's October 2017 arrest. "She's born in Russia and has not a cent to her name as far as we can determine."

Sorokin's attorney said she never intended to commit a crime.

Lawyer Todd Spodek told jurors in an opening statement that Sorokin was exploited a system "easily seduced by glamour and glitz" after she saw how the appearance of wealth opened doors. Spodek said she was merely buying time, so she could launch a business and repay her debts.

"Anna had to fake it until she could make it," Spodek said.

Sorokin, jailed since her arrest, faces deportation to Germany regardless of the outcome of the trial because authorities say she overstayed her visa. Her story, however, may stick around. Shonda Rhimes, the force behind "Grey's Anatomy" and "Scandal," has announced she is creating a television series about Sorokin, whose Instagram bio says: "soon on Netflix."

Sorokin arrived in the world of champagne wishes and caviar dreams in 2016 with a new name (Anna Delvey) and a wardrobe to match (Celine sunglasses, Gucci sandals and high-end buys from Net-a-Porter and Elyse Walker). She made a show of proving she belonged, passing crisp Benjamins to Uber drivers and hotel concierges, but she gave varying accounts for the source of her wealth, according to people who knew her.

At different times, they said, she'd claim her father was a diplomat, an oil baron or a solar panel muckity-muck. In reality, her father told New York magazine, he's a former trucker who runs a heating-and-cooling business.

At first, people around Sorokin didn't see a red flag when she asked them to put cabs and plane fares on their credit cards  she sometimes said she had trouble moving her assets from Europe, they said  and they laughed it off as forgetfulness when they had to hound her to pay them back.

"It was a magic trick," Rachel Williams, the friend from the Morocco trip, wrote in Vanity Fair. "I'm embarrassed to say that I was one of the props, and the audience, too. Anna's was a beautiful dream of New York, like one of those nights that never seems to end. And then the bill arrives."

As she ingratiated herself into the New York party scene, prosecutors said, Sorokin started talking up plans to spend tens of millions of dollars building a private arts club with exhibitions, installations and pop-up shops. She thought about calling it the Anna Delvey Foundation.

Sorokin kept up the heiress ruse as she went looking for a $22 million loan for the club in November 2016, prosecutors said. She claimed the loan would be secured by a letter of credit from UBS in Switzerland and showed statements purporting to substantiate her assets, according to an outline of the charges.

One bank rejected Sorokin because she "did not have sufficient cash flow to make loan payments," prosecutors said. She bailed on another firm when it pressured her for a meeting with a UBS banker who could verify her assets, prosecutors said. At the same time, Spodek said, one of the firm's executives sent Sorokin provocative texts, telling her she was "beautiful inside and out," that he was "forcing myself not to kiss you" and asking to come up to her hotel room.

While seeking the loan, prosecutors said, Sorokin convinced one bank to lend her $100,000 to cover due diligence costs. She ended up keeping $55,000 and "frittered away these funds on personal expenses in about one month's time," prosecutors said. A few months later, in May 2017, Sorokin allegedly chartered a plane to and from the Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, but never paid the $35,400 bill.

Broke and facing a big bill at a midtown Manhattan hotel in July 2017, Sorokin pleaded with a police officer that a bailout was on the way, prosecutors said.

I have no money and no credit cards. Im waiting for my aunt from Germany. Shes going to pay, Sorokin said, according to court documents. Im not trying to run. Why are you making a big deal about this? Give me five minutes, and I can get a friend to pay.
While its true that TV suffers from a chronic case of revival and reboot fever, the upcoming new take on The Twilight Zone has prompted more excitement than eyerolls. Youd have to be a total cynic not to get a little giddy at the prospect of Rod Serlings classic sci-fi anthology franchise meeting new executive producer and narrator Jordan Peele, who has shown his talent for thoughtful, clever horror in the movies, Get Out and Us.

The new Twilight Zone has also been one of the spring schedules most anticipated shows because of the talent involved. The guest stars include such gifted performers as Kumail Nanjiani, Adam Scott, Sanaa Lathan, Greg Kinnear, Steven Yeun, Chris ODowd, Zazie Beetz, Seth Rogen, John Cho, Allison Tolman, and more.

So, how is the circa-2019 Twilight Zone? Based on four episodes available for preview, its a fantastic showcase for the actors, who look like theyre having the time of their lives as they dig into their roles. The ideas the episodes explore can be troubling and fascinating all at the same time. But, for all its pleasures, the new Twilight Zone has flaws.

As with Black Mirror, the Netflix anthology often described as a contemporary Twilight Zone, some episodes are stronger than others. Maybe thats to be expected with an anthology, where some ideas take flight, and others stumble around a little.

At times, The Twilight Zone also recalls The X-Files, which isnt surprising, considering it shares an executive producer, Glen Morgan, with that show, and films in British Columbia, as The X-Files did for several seasons (sharp-eyed X-Philes will also spot Nicholas Lea, who played Agent Krycek, as a pilot in Adam Scotts episode).

Maybe because The Twilight Zone is streaming on CBS All Access, the first episodes available for preview suffer from Netflix-itis, i.e., they tend to go on too long. The Twilight Zone has a lot to recommend it, but its hard not to feel that if the generally hour-long episodes were cut in half, the shows overall quality would zoom up several notches.

If Black Mirror finds inspiration in the dystopian ways that technology enters our lives, The Twilight Zone, so far, at least, homes in on human nature. Though there are sci-fi elements, the stories pivot on characters fears, weaknesses, vanity, ambition, and prejudices, and how those qualities have spread to society at large.

Two episodes stream on CBS All Access beginning April 1. In one, The Comedian, Kumail Nanjiani gives a terrifically intense performance as Samir, a stand-up comic whose material about gun control and the Second Amendment leaves audiences cold.

When he meets a legendary comedian (effectively played by Tracy Morgan), Samirs act totally changes. Not to give it away, but lets just say he finds his jokes have an impact he never imagined.

Adam Scott stars in Nightmare at 30,000 Feet, which sounds like it might be a remake of the famed original Twilight Zone episode, Nightmare at 20,000 Feet, in which William Shatner was a very nervous airplane passenger.

The new episode tells a different story, though Scott still plays an airplane passenger who tries to convince everyone that something very bad is about to happen. Though Scott is excellent, the updated touches (a podcast that plays way too central a role, for example) dont add much. And, in a problem common to all four episodes previewed, the episode doesnt quite stick the landing  the endings are weaker than they should be for stories that depend so much on twists.

The good news is, two more of the episodes available for screening are strong. Sanaa Lathan delivers a passionate, heartbreaking performance in a disturbingly timely story about a mother taking her son to college. And in another, set in a small Alaska town on Christmas Eve, Steven Yeun, Greg Kinnear, and Marika Sila are all outstanding.

The one performer we dont get enough of is Peele, who admirably fills Rod Serlings shoes as the onscreen narrator. With a rich, measured voice, and a steady gaze, Peele is so magnetic he immediately draws us in. And the credits, which evoke the originals classic music and voiceover intro (Youre traveling through another dimension) are a nostalgic delight.

All in all, The Twilight Zone is good enough to raise the profile of CBS All Access, the networks attempt to get viewers, who already watch CBS for free, to cough up streaming subscription money (plans start at $5.99 per month).

As the streaming wars heat up, the question is, how many viewers will decide to sign up with platforms beyond broadcast and cable TV?

If the show clicks the way CBS All Access wants it to, thats an offscreen mystery The Twilight Zone may help to solve.

The Twilight Zone streams two episodes on CBS All Access beginning April 1; subsequent episodes will drop weekly on Thursdays, starting April 11.

-- Kristi Turnquist

kturnquist@oregonian.com 503-221-8227 @Kristiturnquist

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Canadas prime minister, Justin Trudeau, is fighting for his political life over allegations that he improperly pressured his own attorney general to soft-pedal the fraud prosecution of an influential construction company. To make matters worse, he was accused of eating a bagel.

And it was a scurrilous, false accusation at that. The one about the bagel, that is.

Last week, during an all-night House of Commons session meant to resolve the influence scandal, Conservative Member of Parliament Scott Reid accused the Liberal prime minister of making a mockery of the Rules of Decorum of the House.

Mr. Speaker, we all know the rules of the House do not permit us to eat in this place, Reid said. I couldnt help but notice during the last vote that a number of people were eating in their seats, including the minister of defense, Canadian heritage and the prime minister, who appeared to be hiding a bagel in his desk. Mr. Speaker, the prime minister has already stained this place with corruption. He does not need to stain it with mustard as well.

Trudeau rose, shame-faced, and admitted hed been caught red-handed. Indeed Mr. Speaker, I apologize. It was a chocolate bar, but I apologize.

Canadians erupted in shock and horror.

How does it not go straight to his hips? That is the real scandal! @JustinTrudeau #Cdnpoli #BagelGate , mmmm chocolate 



Justin Trudeau accused of a hiding a bagel in the House of Commons https://t.co/ikJ2KVYoGN  ED (@ElaineDandy) March 21, 2019

As a fellow Montrealer I am sure you share my disappointment that it was not a bagel. https://t.co/ThOBFpowdQ  Anthony Housefather (@AHousefather) March 20, 2019

A chocolate bar masquerading as a bagel in the Peoples House! Americans in a certain Midwestern city observed this brouhaha from afar and said, Think thats a scandal? Hold my bagel...

And so, this week, an image was posted to social media  an image of sliced bagels in a box. This, were told, is a St. Louis-style bagel.

Dear God. If only it were a chocolate bar, everything would be OK.

A crime is being committed against bagels and its happening in St. Louis, the food website Eater wrote. ...Yes, bagels in St. Louis are apparently being sliced like a loaf of bread despite having a hole in the middle and being completely unlike a loaf of bread.

The response on Twitter suggests we will never be the same again.

Warning! If you are from New York, do not look at this tweet! I repeat! Do NOT look at this #Bagels tweet! #BAGELGATE https://t.co/rJyRnV1IKN  heykim (@heykim) March 27, 2019

Every idea has the potential to be the best idea since sliced bread or the worst idea since sliced bagels.

Its called taking things too far. #BAGELGATE https://t.co/X0kMb8W5oX  Jamie Baum (@JamieABaum) March 27, 2019

As a Jew from the Midwest I ask that you please respect my privacy during this difficult time. #BAGELGATE  Dustin Growick (@DustinGrowick) March 27, 2019

Mr. Prime Minister, go ahead and have a bagel after you finish your chocolate. We trust you wont put it through a bread slicer first.

-- Douglas Perry

@douglasmperry

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People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals filed a lawsuit this week to compel Oregon Health & Science University to release footage of experiments on monkeys at its Oregon National Primate Research Center.

PETA said in a statement that the experiments at the Hillsboro center were taxpayer-funded and video of those experiments should be released under Oregons open records law.

PETA filed a similar lawsuit against University of MassachusettsAmherst. The Oregon lawsuit was filed Wednesday in Multnomah County Circuit Court.

An OHSU spokeswoman said the university is reviewing the court filing and has no comment at this time.

The lawsuit asks OHSU to produce public records relating to maternal nutrition experiments conducted on mother-infant or mother-juvenile pairs of monkeys, and experiments relating to self-injurious behavior.

PETA said it previously obtained footage from an OHSU experiment in which young monkeys were deliberately frightened with a Mr. Potato Head toy.

PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo said in a news release that OHSU officials "are trying to hide video footage of experimenters terrorizing infant monkeys, possibly because they fear that it would jeopardize their cash flow. PETA is demanding the legally required release of this footage, and well see the university in court if necessary.

PETA also said OHSU has had 12 separate violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act since the beginning of 2017, including six critical violations, more than any other university over the same period.

Earlier this month, citing the same violations, animal rights group Stop Animal Exploitation Now named the OHSU lab the Worst U.S. Primate Lab.

Theres not a dispute about the 12 violations -- inspections and violations are listed on the United States Department of Agricultures website. In response to questions about those violations earlier this month, OHSU said they report all animal issues and solve those that are discovered, including the 12 violations in question.

Last October, PETA also asked the federal government to stop allowing experiments on animals at OHSU.
CHICAGO (AP)  President Donald Trump tweeted Thursday that the FBI and Department of Justice will review the outrageous case of Empire actor Jussie Smollett in Chicago, calling it an embarrassment to the country.

Prosecutors offered little explanation and infuriated Chicagos police chief and mayor this week when they dropped 16 felony counts against Smollett related to making a false police report, yet still insisted the actor faked a racist, anti-gay attack on himself in January.

Trump tweeted: FBI & DOJ to review the outrageous Jussie Smollett case in Chicago. It is an embarrassment to our Nation!

FBI & DOJ to review the outrageous Jussie Smollett case in Chicago. It is an embarrassment to our Nation!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 28, 2019

The two brothers who claim they worked with the actor to stage the January attack are lying, according to Smollett attorney Tina Glandian. She said Smollett, who is black and gay, had hired one brother as a personal trainer but had no idea who attacked him along a Chicago street until the brothers were later identified by police.

Police said investigators believe Smollett hired the brothers to stage the early morning Jan. 29 attack, and that Smollett hoped to gain attention to help advance his career. Police also allege that before the attack, Smollett sent a letter threatening himself to the Chicago television studio where Empire is shot. The FBI, which is investigating that letter, has declined to comment.

Smollett has repeatedly insisted the attack was real, saying two masked men used racial and homophobic slurs, wrapped a rope around his neck and poured an "unknown substance" on him. Police said Smollett also told detectives the attackers yelled he was in "MAGA country," an apparent reference to Trump's "Make America Great Again" campaign slogan.

Prosecutors initially charged Smollett with one felony count, in February. Then earlier this month, a grand jury indicted him on 15 more counts.

In a stunning reversal Tuesday, the Cook County state's attorney's office abruptly dropped all charges against Smollett, abandoning the criminal case only five weeks after the allegations were filed.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, right, and Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson appear at a news conference in Chicago, Tuesday, March 26, 2019, after prosecutors abruptly dropped all charges against "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett, abandoning the case barely five weeks after he was accused of lying to police about being the target of a racist, anti-gay attack in downtown Chicago. The mayor and police chief blasted the decision and stood by the investigation that concluded Smollett staged a hoax. (AP Photo/Teresa Crawford)AP

In return, prosecutors said, the actor agreed to let the city keep his $10,000 in bail. The dismissal drew a backlash and raised the question of why Smollett was not forced to admit any wrongdoing.

Among those sure to keep pressing for answers is Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. He appeared blindsided by the decision and visibly angry during a Tuesday press conference, calling it a whitewash of justice.
A 42-year-old man was arrested after shooting up a southwest Washington apartment complex he was recently evicted from, deputies say.

Daron T. Knight was arrested on suspicion of committing a drive-by shooting, eluding a police vehicle and other crimes. Hes being held in the Cowlitz County Jail.

Deputies said they were alerted about 7:30 p.m. that a man, later identified as Knight, had shot several rounds into the apartments, which are on 46th Avenue in the Longview area.

Kelso police saw his car a few minutes later, the Cowlitz County Sheriffs Office said, but he refused to stop when police tried to pull him over.

Police pursued him south on Interstate 5 but eventually lost sight of him.

Deputies deployed a drone equipped with night vision, as well as a pair of police dog teams, and found the car in Kalama.

A reverse 911 notification was sent to area residents, according to the sheriffs office.

A Vancouver police dog team found Knight hiding inside an industrial glass plant, deputies said, and he was taken into custody without incident.

Knight is suspected of shooting at least five rounds into the apartment complex, deputies said.

No one was hurt. The sheriffs office said it was reported that Knight had been recently evicted from the apartment complex.

-- Jim Ryan; jryan@oregonian.com; 503-221-8005; @Jimryan015

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Todays stories

PAY-TO-PLAY ALLEGATIONS: Nike funneled $10,000 to Deandre Aytons mother, Michael Avenatti alleges in a tweet. Read more.

NIKE ALLEGATIONS: Bol Bol avoids having to answer to Michael Avenattis allegation of receiving large sums from Nike. Read more.

PILFERED PICTURE: A portrait of disgraced former Oregon governor and Portland mayor Neil Goldschmidt has been stolen from the Portland mayors office. Read more.

POLICE OVERSIGHT: The director of Portlands police oversight office will become Gov. Kate Browns public safety adviser. Read more.

FOOD INTEL: Where to eat near the Moda Center. Read more.

BRIDGE PLUNGE: The Washington teen who pushed a friend off a bridge gets two days in jail. Read more.

PORTLAND COPS: Portland police Deputy Chief Robert Day will retire in early May. Read more.

MUSIC NEWS: Everclears Art Alexakis tells fans he has multiple sclerosis. Read more.

ABUSE COMPLAINTS: Multnomah County officials are out amid an investigation into the handling of abuse complaints. Read more.

FOOD NEWS: Portland dominates the Northwest region in the James Beard Awards 2019. Read more.

PUBLIC TRANSIT: The TriMet Barber has been jailed on suspicion of inappropriately touching a woman on a MAX train. Read more.

BLAZERS INJURY: Jusuf Nurkics leg injury: How might the rehabilitation go? When might he return? Read more.

BLAZERS LOVE: Trail Blazers fans raise money for a We love you, Nurkic billboard. Read more.

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AROUND THE WORLD: On March 28, 1979, Americas worst commercial nuclear accident occurred with a partial meltdown inside the Unit 2 reactor at the Three Mile Island plant near Middletown, Pennsylvania.
When Steve Novick was asked about one of the Democratic presidential candidates earlier this month, he drew a blank.

The long-time progressive activist, whos closely following his partys nomination sweepstakes, had to put the name into Google:

Marianne Williamson. Aha! An American spirituality teacher, author and entrepreneur.

She officiated at Elizabeth Taylors eighth (and last) wedding, a circus-like event at Michael Jacksons Neverland Ranch.

Shes been labeled Oprah Winfreys spiritual guru and has called herself a bitch for God.

Novick felt better that he couldnt place her name. Shes polling at zero right now.

I dont know how many people vote on spirituality, the former Portland city commissioner said. Nobody ever runs on it, so its hard to gauge.

His underlying point was clear: Williamson sounds like an interesting person, but how can we take her candidacy seriously?

Actually, as voters in early primary states are discovering, its not all that hard.

Williamson is a thoughtful and engaging speaker -- and shes offering an overarching message that many Americans seem eager to embrace.

We need a moral and spiritual awakening in this country, the 66-year-old Texas native told The Oregonian. Thats how we change our political dysfunction. Its not about going to the left or to the right. Its about going higher.

The crisis were facing, she added, is a crisis of meaning.

No, Williamson hasnt registered in national polling -- to be fair, her name isnt even being included in most of the questionnaires. But shes convinced shes gaining momentum.

Campaign stop by campaign stop, she says, were going from Marianne who? to Marianne wow! Thats what grassroots is.

Another sign of her success: Other, higher-profile candidates are beginning to steal her ideas.

***

An important part of presidential campaigning is biography. And Marianne Williamson has one thats already resonated with a lot of Americans.

A free spirit who didnt feel free, she was a directionless twenty-something in the 1970s, a college dropout who traveled around the country because she didnt know what else to do. She worked temp jobs, sang in cabaret clubs and even lived on a commune for a while, seeking relief in food, drugs, people or whatever else I could find to distract me from myself.

She finally found the distraction she needed in Helen Schucmans 1975 workbook A Course in Miracles, a spiritualism guide about God and the one true meaning of love. She embraced its teachings -- and then, in the 1980s, became its most dedicated and successful teacher. Seekers flocked to her, including movie stars such as Taylor and Richard Gere.

Her charisma is sexual and humorous, Psychology Today wrote of her ability to hold large lecture audiences rapt. Watching her perform is more like wrestling naked with Venus than kneeling with the saints.

The Los Angeles Times described Williamson during this period as a beautiful New Age vision [w]earing feathers in her hair, spike heels and a strapless evening gown.

But she wasnt just another Hollywood self-help guru. Williamson launched and led a non-profit that cared for AIDS and cancer patients. She co-founded a peace-advocacy group. She provided support for Los Angeles homeless.

She became overtly political, in her own unique way, during the scandal-plagued Bill Clinton years.

In her best-selling 1997 book Healing the Soul of America, she wrote about reviving the American idea with soulfulness and hope, arguing that, through apathy and mind death consumerism, citizens had given up the Founding Fathers rigorous vision for democracy. The San Francisco Chronicle called the book a wondrous surprise, writing that, thanks to an articulate, tough-minded and spirited narrative, she earns our respect on every page.

So its not just woo-woo higher-power rhetoric Marianne Williamson is offering. In fact, her metaphysical-intellectual approach to what ails the country has as much Albert Camus in it as Deepak Chopra. Perhaps even a little Jack Kemp, the late big tent Republican who believed that a rising tide lifts all boats.

People have to take responsibility for their own unhappiness and alienation, she insists. You have to look at yourself, she said recently. You have to look at your own character defects. You have to look at your own values. Your own principles.

Williamson, to be clear, proudly identifies as a progressive, outlining on her campaign website policy proposals for universal health care, free college education and non-military national service. But shes also seeking capitalism with a conscience, a revamping of the economy that obliterates corporate elites stranglehold on the political process and thus sets loose average Americans to reach their economic and social potential.

Corporatism -- the control of government and its largess by business elites -- is not conservative, she said. Its actually an attack on the free-enterprise system, on the individual.

And the economy isnt the only issue where shes carving out a distinctive, holistic policy approach -- and her competitors for the Democratic nomination have noticed.

She called for a serious discussion about slavery reparations long before Elizabeth Warren and Julian Castro took up the issue. She asked Americans to find personal meaning in their democracy long before Beto ORourke said he would bring out the very best from every single one of us.

Offers Williamson: We should have an integrative approach to politics like we have an integrative approach to medicine.

***

So why is Marianne Williamson running for president now, more than 20 years after she began talking about a new -- or, to be more accurate, so old its new again -- approach to democracy and governance?

Were living in an all-hands-on-deck moment, she said earlier this month, referring to both the toxic partisanship in the country and the various corruption investigations that dog President Donald Trumps administration. She felt she had no choice but to report for duty.

She added that committing herself to an all-consuming political campaign was better than screaming at the television for the next two years.

Marianne Williamson in the 1990s (Handout photo)

Williamson does believe that the Democratic presidential nominee in 2020 needs to be ready to handle Trumps signature bullying style -- and shes convinced she can put him in his place. (Her years-old bitch for God comment was half-facetious, a pointed response to allegations that she was tough on her staff and anyone who got in her way.) Shes counting on Americans to be tough too -- tougher than Trump gives them credit for being.

Trump looked out and saw a lot of fearful, angry people, and thought, Wow, we could change the country with that, she wrote on Twitter early in March. I look out and see a lot of decent, loving people and think, Wow, we could change the world with that. Game on.

Trump looked out and saw a lot of fearful, angry people, and thought, "Wow, we could change the country with that." I look out and see a lot of decent, loving people and think, "Wow, we could change the world with that." Game on.  Marianne Williamson (@marwilliamson) March 5, 2019

She means it. Game on. Williamson believes Americans will make the right choices if they embrace love instead of fear, if they realize they shouldnt settle for the easy way. Her most famous quote, stitched on throw pillows across the land, speaks directly to this:

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

Steve Novick, the former Portland city commissioner, says 2020 likely will be a brutal primary season for underdog candidates like Williamson, because Democratic voters are very focused on advancing a candidate who can beat Trump -- which, for a lot people, means an already well-known political leader.

But he admits that, if Williamson can survive until Oregons late-in the-process primary in May, she could make a splash in the Beaver State. She sounds quite Multnomah County, he wrote in an email.

If I were her, in the Oregon primary, Id focus on her message of peace, he added. Williamson would like to shift the governments funding focus from the military-industrial complex to peace-building efforts such as conflict mediation and humanitarian aid.

I think there has always been a very anti-war, anti-Pentagon constituency here, Novick said. I think there are voters who focus on that issue even when there is not a big, hot war underway. ... If she said, Stop the war machine, divert Pentagon spending to addressing climate disruption and other priorities, and made that her focus, I think its her best shot. And it seems a natural link to spirituality. Blessed are the peacemakers.

Williamson does indeed believe peacemakers are blessed. And she insists her campaign still will be going strong next May. She fully expects to reach the required number of donors for her to be included in the television debates, which begin this June.

Becoming a presidential candidate and moving voters to your candidacy takes time with an outsider candidate -- slow and steady wins our race, Williamson 2020 communications director Patricia Ewing told The Oregonian. We are encouraged by the interest in her candidacy by voters and that it's growing every day.

If Williamson ends up on the hustings in Oregon next spring, maybe she will focus on her peace platform. But as her website points out, The issues arent always the issue. Her campaign, at its core, is about Americans rediscovering their inner power.

We need to realize that whats happening to us on the outside is a product of whats happening on the inside, she said. We have to fall in love again with what this country can mean for each of us.

-- Douglas Perry

@douglasmperry

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Oregon child welfare officials are removing foster children from a Klamath Falls residential program located in a county juvenile jail, after lawyers and state lawmakers raised concerns that the girls did not have free access to tampons.

Girls recently were given access to three free tampons at a time, but only if they turned over their used hygiene products to staff.

Four girls in foster care were assigned to the program as of this week, and the state is moving all of them to other locations by April 1, a Department of Human Services spokesman said.

Lawyers who represent children in foster care first sounded the alarm about the hygiene products earlier this month, after one of the teenagers complained that staff would only provide tampons if she earned points for good behavior.

Lawmakers quickly got involved and started looking at passing a law to require more hygiene options at youth residential facilities, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported earlier this month. They are also considering a bill that would give state regulators the authority to license county-run residential programs for foster children, which they already do for private programs.

Sen. Sara Gelser, D-Corvallis, also asked regulators who oversee the youth residential facilities to look into concerns about Klamath Countys Youth Inspiration Program. On Wednesday, she praised them for acting quickly to investigate complaints and for not sending more girls there.

Thats the way it is supposed to work, she said.

The program also serves teenagers in the custody of the Oregon Youth Authority for committing crimes, and that agency plans to continue sending girls to the program. One of our community residential program reviewers just returned from a visit, spokeswoman Sarah Evans wrote in an email. After the visit, the OYA staff person felt confident that OYA youth were being cared for and were not being abused or neglected in any way.

It was not clear whether the hygiene products factored into the child welfare agencys decision to stop assigning girls to the program. Robert Oakes, a spokesman for the Oregon Department of Human Services, said the only rule violation he was aware of was Klamath Countys failure to provide a mandated weekly outing outside the facility.

The county ended its longstanding free-pads-only policy and began providing three free tampons at a time, provided the teenage girls turned in their used hygiene products to staff at the facility.

But the new approach was still concerning for Gelser, who emailed Klamath County Juvenile Department Director Dan Golden that requiring the teenagers to hand over used tampons compromises the dignity and privacy of girls. Golden explained that the girls toilets are in their individual rooms and they are not allowed individual trash cans. Golden could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.

Gelser also took issue with the use of jail cells as rooms for children who are in state care because they experienced abuse and neglect. Child welfare officials increasingly rely on programs in converted juvenile jails and other institutional settings to care for foster children, in an effort to comply with a 2017 agreement to phase out the use of hotels to house the most vulnerable and traumatized children, The Oregonian/OregonLive has reported.

Please help me understand the evidence-based program that suggests such practices are trauma informed and designed to support and nurture our vulnerable youth? Gelser wrote in an email to Golden.

The email chain had started out as a back-and-forth between Golden and lawyer Kathleen Megill Strek, who represents a girl at the facility, but Gelser said Golden added her and House Majority Leader Rep. Jennifer Williamson, D-Portland, to the discussion. Golden defended the county program, in part by referring to Streks client  who was named in correspondence he shared with the lawmakers and others  and then detailing what he said were her experiences and health challenges before she arrived at the program. Gelser said that move violated a state confidentiality law since the information was sent to lawmakers and others not involved in the girls case.

The situation could have a big-dollar backlash for Klamath County. County officials had been pushing lawmakers to award them $12 million to expand the program. Gov. Kate Brown proposed the funding to roughly triple the size of the program in her budget plan back in November.

But on Wednesday, Browns spokeswoman Lisa Morawski wrote in an email that the governor expects lawmakers to consider this new information as they make budget decisions.

Aaron Fiedler, a spokesman for Williamson, said she is reserving judgement until she meets with Golden.

As for Gelser, she is a firm no on the expansion project.

There is no way that program should expand, Gelser said.

 Hillary Borrud | hborrud@oregonian.com | 503-294-4034 | @hborrud

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An activist stole a portrait of disgraced former Oregon governor and Portland mayor Neil Goldschmidt from City Hall on Wednesday.

Portraits of Portlands 53 mayors, except for the several for which no portrait is known, hang in the foyer of the mayors office on the third floor of City Hall.

Goldschmidt was mayor from 1973 to 1979 before serving as the U.S. transportation secretary and Oregons governor. In 2004 he confessed to having sex with a then 13-year-old girl during his first term as mayor. He could not be prosecuted for rape because the statute of limitations had expired.

In a video posted to Facebook on Wednesday, a man approaches Goldschmidts framed photo in the mayors office and says lets take that off the wall before grabbing the photo and exiting City Hall.

Portland City Hall. #PatrickKimmons #SayHisName #WheelerIsShameless #NeilGoldschmidtIsDownForGood #NoJusticeNoPeace The only serious choice. Posted by Jeff Thomas Black on Wednesday, March 27, 2019

Did you guys see that? the man says once outside. He continues: You know guys, I thought I was getting arrested today and Im not, I dont think, because I just got away with it. That was pretty funny."

The man uses the name Jeff Thomas Black online and frequently posts material critical of President Donald Trump, Republicans and other politicians, including the current mayor, Ted Wheeler.

Black, whose social media profiles describe him as a civil rights activist, said he took the photo because images of Goldschmidt should not be on public display.

A spokeswoman for Wheeler confirmed the theft and said a police report had been filed.

Revelations of Goldschmidts abuse led to his political downfall and earned Willamette Week a Pulitzer Prize for exposing his sexual abuse. A painting of the politician was also removed from display at the Oregon Capitol.

-- Gordon R. Friedman
Portland might try to push landlords to be more forgiving of a potential tenants criminal history or credit dings through a set of new rental screening regulations.

The proposal, brought by Commissioner Chloe Eudaly and headed to the City Council next week, encourages landlords to use prescribed criteria that could double the number of renters getting approved compared with the industry standard.

If landlords chose not to follow the looser checks, they could do their typical tenant review but then would have to jump through some extra city hoops that add costs and processing time.

Beyond long-standing fair housing laws that bar discrimination against protected classes such as race, sex and familial status, few other U.S. cities have waded as far as this into how property owners may choose occupants for their housing.

Eudaly, who won her seat on a campaign that focused on tenant protections based on her own experience as a renter, has long sought to address screening criteria. She was set to bring forward a proposal in September but withdrew it for further development.

It doesnt solve all the problems, said Jamey Duhamel, Eudalys policy director. This is our best foot forward based on what we know: Housing is a basic need and a human right.

Tenant activists say good renters increasingly bump up against barriers that keep them from finding a home, and the problems only gotten worse with the citys recent rental housing shortage.

Not a day goes by that we dont hear from somebody who doesnt make enough money to qualify or their credits not high enough, but of course their credits not high enough because theyre paying the rent first, said Margot Black, an organizer for Portland Tenants United.

Landlords say the new rules will force some small operators out of the business, worsening the housing shortage. And the lower screening bar could put their properties or other tenants at risk, they say.

But Eudaly staffers say many common tenant screening principles  including criminal and credit history  actually have little bearing on whether renters pay rent on time or are ultimately evicted for bad behavior.

The proposal offers landlords two choices:

A low-barrier screening regimen thats more forgiving of older criminal convictions or past credit issues;

or the landlords own screening but with new demands. The landlord would, for example, have to weigh supplemental evidence submitted by the prospective tenant, say participation in credit counseling. If landlords deny the application, they must outline the reason for denying the application, specifically addressing any supplemental evidence.

Regardless of screening technique, the ordinance would require all landlords to advertise vacancies 72 hours before they begin accepting applications and to evaluate applications in the order theyre received, both new requirements.

They also cant require tenants to earn more than two times the monthly rent in income. Many landlords today require renters to make three times the monthly rent.

And it also restricts the extent to which landlords can dig into the criminal history of adult tenants who live in an apartment but arent responsible for paying rent. They can consider only one year of criminal and rental history.

The two-tiered proposal puts landlords in a tough situation, said Deborah Imse, the director of the landlords association Multifamily Northwest.

On the one hand, landlords can choose to use the citys low-barrier criteria. That could mean accepting renters with criminal convictions including some sex offenses, arson or burglary.

If youre letting folks with those kinds of backgrounds into the property, youre also putting the other 98 percent of residents that are in the property at risk, Imse said.

Black, the tenant organizer, dismissed those concerns as fearmongering.

The people who we know are more likely to reoffend in a way that poses a risk to the community still will not be in our apartment communities under the policy, Black said.

The low-barrier screening would limit checks to felony convictions within the past 7 years and misdemeanors within the last 3 years. Renters wouldnt be rejected for credit scores above 500, a court eviction order older than 3 years or insufficient credit history.

On the other hand, landlords can do their own assessment. But that could add costs for further background checks to review the supplemental evidence, for instance, and completing a required written notice describing why an applicant was denied, Imse said.

The written notice could introduce legal risks, she said.

Youre going to have to have an attorney, because how you write that denial and how you provide it is not something that somebody is going to take a risk doing on their own, she said.

Duhamel said the policy requires landlords to provide only a non-discriminatory business reason for an application denial and introduces no additional legal liability.

It ultimately makes discrimination harder to achieve, she said.

The low-barrier screening criterias timeline for the limits on criminal records were decided based on studies that showed recidivism declined after those periods of time, Duhamel said.

She also pointed to a later study of more than 10,000 households, funded by Minnesota affordable housing providers, that found criminal convictions were unlikely to predict evictions after two years for misdemeanors and five years for felonies.

Landlords who use the citys low-barrier tenant screening could find twice as many applicants would be approved, an analysis completed for Eudalys office found.

Lisa Bates, an associate professor of urban studies and planning at Portland State University, ran a database of local renters culled from the OneApp rental application portal through the proposed screening criteria.

The experiment found that at least 70 percent of applicants would clear that level of scrutiny, compared with 39 percent that would be approved by an industry standard developed by the landlords membership association Multifamily Northwest.

That didnt take into account income requirements, which vary based on the price of the rental.

The most common flags that accounted for the difference between the two screening approaches were credit scores, eviction history and criminal history, Duhamel said.

The proposal, if approved, would almost certainly face legal challenges.

The Seattle City Council in 2016 approved a first-come, first-served policy similar to part of Eudalys proposal. It was ultimately struck down under Washington states Constitution, with a judges finding that choosing a tenant is a fundamental attribute of property ownership.

Another Seattle law barring the use of arrest and conviction records altogether in tenant screening faces a court challenge.

A companion proposal going before the Portland City Council at the same time would restrict how landlords account for security deposits when the tenant moves out, and it would allow tenants to pay security deposits in installments over three months rather than entirely up front.

-- Elliot Njus

enjus@oregonian.com; 503-294-5034; @enjus

Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox.
Since the early 1980s, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has conducted a grim census, tracking reports of deaths from crashes of all-terrain vehicles, or ATVs. Now the body count has risen above 15,250, according to the agencys latest annual report, with more than one in five of the deaths suffered by children under 16.

The annual death count, which has sometimes exceeded 800, has mostly ranged from 550 to 650 in recent years. That seems like progress, but may actually be the result of riders switching to another type of off-road vehicle, called an ROV, that isnt included in the ATV fatality reports.

The problem has not been solved, said Rachel Weintraub, general counsel of the Consumer Federation of America. We are not seeing progress in terms of passing laws or even promulgating voluntary standards fully and broadly addressing safety issues.

Safety advocates say the most worrisome trend involves officials across the country, particularly in small towns and rural areas, bowing to requests from rider groups to allow off-road vehicles on public roadsdespite warnings from the manufacturers, the CPSC and safety groups that the vehicles are designed for trail use only. In some cases, allowing the machines on public roads has been sold as a way to bring in tourist dollars. Recently, for example, officials in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, approved an ordinance to open certain roadways to off-road vehicles.

Off-road vehicles can reach highway speeds but, with their low-pressure tires and high center of gravity, they are more prone to tip over or go out of control on pavement or gravel. Studies have shown that over half of ATV deaths occur on private or public roads.

While the CPSC regulates hazardous products and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration oversees traffic safety, neither can dictate where people operate their off-road vehicles, leaving the issue in state and local hands.

A coalition of groups, including the consumer federation, sends dozens of letters every year urging local and state governing bodies to reject ordinances increasing ATV access to roads. Manufacturers publicly oppose easing the restrictions, but as reported by FairWarning, some also fund riders clubs that lobby local governments to allow off-highway vehicles on public roadways.

CPSC officials declined to comment on the latest ATV report, which includes deaths and injuries through 2017. The ATV Safety Institute, an industry group based in Irvine, California, also declined an interview request, but said in an email that riders should follow its Golden Rules of safetyincluding avoiding riding on paved roads and wearing helmets.

The CPSC relies on such sources as death certificates, hospital records and news reports to assemble the annual ATV report. The agency says the figure of 15,250 fatalities through 2017 is an undercount, because some deaths go unreported and counting is still continuing for the years 2015 through 2017. The number of victims under 16 has fallen from more than one in three in the early years of the survey to closer to one in six more recently. Along with deaths, the annual reports show that ATV crashes result in more than 100,000 emergency-room treated injuries in most years.

The reports exclude crash deaths and injuries involving the increasingly popular trail machines called recreational off-highway vehicles, or ROVs. Unlike ATVs, which riders straddle like motorcycles, ROVs have bench seats for multiple passengers, and safety features such as seatbelts and roll cages. Polaris Industries, a leading manufacturer, recently reported that ROVs are outselling ATVs.

The consumer federation says it is aware of 646 deaths in ROV crashes since 2013, a less complete count based only on news reports, which dont cover all such incidents.

Last October, CPSC commissioners voted 3-2 against expanding the ATV surveys to include ROV casualties, a decision criticized by consumer advocates. Acting chairman Ann Marie Buerkle, who voted with the majority, said collecting the additional data would be a drain on staff time and resources.

Dr. David Gilkey, an associate professor at Montana Technological University who does research on ATV safety, said it would be useful for the CPSC to track ROV crash deaths. But he added that many off-roaders are hostile or indifferent to the safety culture advocates are trying to foster.

I hate to say it, but its about freedom of choice [for drivers], Gilkey said, along with a belief that anyone can safely use an ATV, even without training.

You wouldnt hand your keys to your car or your motorcycle to someone whos never been on one and say take it for a spin, but for some reason people dont have that same sense for ATVs, Gilkey said. So the tragedies just continue.
Lusk Albertson, a Michigan-based education law firm, announced today the launch of LA Human Resources Services. The service is designed to provide school leaders with human resources expertise specific to the unique issues confronted by school districts at a reasonable cost.

Cynthia Marchese has joined Lusk Albertson as Human Resources Advisor and will lead the firm's efforts. Marchese has more than 15 years of HR experience in education and most recently served as the director of human resources for Midland Public Schools.
The Michigan Municipal League honored Saginaw Mayor Pro Tem Brenda F. Moore with its Ambassador Award for exemplary service.

Moore received the recognition during the League's annual Capital Conference Awards Gala March 19 in Lansing.

The Ambassador Award is given to Michigan Municipal League members who successfully complete all four levels of the league's Elected Official Academy program. Moore is among just a handful of leaders to complete all four levels. Moore also is president of the Elected Official Academy Advisory Board and vice president of the Michigan Municipal League Board.

"Brenda has been a tremendous supporter of the League and an active participant in many League programs over the years. Accomplishing the highest level of the League's EOA program demonstrates her commitment to be the best public servant to her community and to the state," said Caro Mayor Joe Greene, vice president of the league's Elected Officials Academy Advisory Board. "This is a tremendous achievement that she has accomplished."

The goal of the Ambassador Award is to encourage and recognize the exemplary service of locally elected officials to their community, to the communities of the state of Michigan, and to the Michigan Municipal League. The Ambassador Award demonstrates the practical application of acquired education and skills and requires a portfolio of achievement reviewed by the Elected Officials Academy board.

"Reaching the highest level of the League's Elected Officials Academy has been a long-time goal of mine," Moore said. "It's a lot of work, but it's definitely been worth it as the training and knowledge I've received over the years has made me a better public servant for my community and state."
A Weaver's Journal of Endangered Wildflowers, an exhibit by Carol Irving, is on display in the Baber Room at Charles V. Park Library on the Central Michigan University campus in Mount Pleasant. The exhibit continues through May 20.

Rich texture with bold and colorful intricate detail depicts this artist's interpretation of Michigan endangered wildflowers through tactile weavings.
Unexpected Wilderness: Photography by Thor Rasmussen is on display now through May 10, at the Andersen Enrichment Center, 120 Ezra Rust, across from Ojibway Island in Saginaw. This exhibition explores the natural beauty of an exceptionally undeveloped portion of Michigan's western Upper Peninsula.

The photographic images were captured during a father, son, grandson trip summer of 2018 to a portion of Michigan wildness that is only accessible through small two lane highways, service roads, and narrow hiking paths. Rasmussen's photography showcases astonishing forests, waterfalls, and rock formations waiting for explorers willing to go a little further into the wild.
For the 26th straight year, Alma College students received top honors at the Midwest Model United Nations conference.

Competing in St. Louis, Missouri, Alma students representing the countries of Argentina and Indonesia received "outstanding delegation" recognition, the highest award at the conference. More than 600 students representing 75 delegations from colleges and universities throughout the Midwest participated in the conference.

Alma College teams have won 48 "outstanding" awards at the Midwest Regional since 1994.

Alma advances to the National Model UN Conference this week in New York City. Alma has won top honors at the national conference for 22 consecutive years -- the longest active wining streak in the nation.

Individual honors went to Midlanders Aubrey Root and Emily Wood, who both received honorable mentions.
The final phase of Winding Creek Estates, a development in Midland that already contains more than 50 homes, has been approved by the city.

Located at 7800 Perrine Road, near Midland City Forest Park, Winding Creek currently contains 58 single-family residential homes.

On March 18, Midland City Council approved an additional development of 17 units, which was initiated by the development company Mid-Michigan Development.

This will be the third and final phase of the Winding Creek development, after the first phase began around 2005.

The new development will be a site condominium, rather than a platted subdivision, but will look virtually the same. This was done intentionally for two reasons, said Richard Fosgitt, the engineer for the development.

Fosgitt said that site condominiums have an easier path to approval than subdivisions and the condominium laws also provide a legal structure for the required homeowners association.

"Most developments now are going the site condominium route," he said.

On Feb. 26, a public hearing for the condominium development was held at a Midland Planning Commission meeting. However, the planning commission didn't approve the plans until its following meeting on March 12, contingent upon the finalization of certain criteria.

For example, a final stormwater management plan and permit must be approved by the City Engineering Department and sidewalks must be installed on both sides of Winding Creek Drive with proper ADA ramps at the intersection of Perrine Road.

Nicole Wilson, Midland's community development planner, stated at the Feb. 26 meeting that contingency items are typical of most site plan approvals.

One of the concerns of the commission regarding this development, was the concern of flooding, since the site is located in and around wetlands.

Commissioner Gayle Hanna said, "I really really question that there will be enough drainage to keep these people dry year-round in heavy rains. I don't think it's necessary to put a house there, right beside a wetland."

Fosgitt addressed the concerns about flooding, stating that they were addressed within the previous development plans.

"The concerns about basements and other things are all valid concerns but they're no different here than pretty much anywhere else in the community," he said.

Three people spoke during public comment with concerns relating to the type of housing and recent flooding events. All three people were current residents of Winding Creek.

Resident Amy Shifflett commented that in 2017 her home, which will border the new development, was flooded with five feet of water and most of her neighbors experienced flooding as well.

"So, certainly, flooding is a concern," she said.

But Shifflett's main concern was the value of her property going down, to which Fosgitt stated that other condos in Midland had some of the highest property values.

"So, I think the concern about property values is well unfounded," Fosgitt said.

Another resident, Justin Kime, echoed Shifflett's flooding concerns, speaking of his experience with flooding every spring.

"Every single year - I've lived there for three years now - every spring, (Sturgeon) Creek itself, floods during the melt," Kime said. "I have water up to the back of my house every single spring so far. So, flooding is a huge concern for us as well."

Due do the close proximity of the Sturgeon Creek and the floodplain that exists there, Fosgitt said he wasn't surprised about water in backyards.

"I can understand their concern," he said.

While residents and some of the commissioners had concerns, the approval was granted on the basis that the application met all of the standard requirements.
St. John's Lutheran School recently conducted a Science Fair for students in grades 1-8.

Each student was required to present a project idea in September, and have incremental due dates on it throughout the year. The project must use proper scientific method, including a definition of the problem, a hypothesis, definition of procedure including materials list, record of data samples, and conclusion.

Projects were brought to the gymnasium where they were assigned numbers for judging purposes. Volunteer science experts came in to grade projects based on scientific method and display presentation. Each grade was awarded a ribbon for first, second, and third place. First-place students for each grade and their project topics:

Grade 1: Arie Schuitmann, How much does the ocean weigh?

Grade 2: Mikey Furrate, What melts an ice cube fastest?

Grade 3: Larson Putnam, Water quality and rock candy crystals

Grade 4: Hayden Rozewski, Remote control truck and angle and surface test

Grade 5: Kelly Derusha, Dog food preferences

Grade 6: Lena Smanzenka, Kitten weight

Grade 7: Lindsay Humburg, Dehydrating sweet potatoes

Grade 8: (tie) Jon Kempin, Magnetic fields; and Kaitlyn Zastrow, Pain reliever dissolving rates

In addition to viewing all of the projects, participants were invited to one of seven stations where science activities were taking place. Students in grades 5-8 worked in teams to demonstrate balloon rockets, elephant toothpaste, non-Newtonia fluid, or disappearing water.

Mark Koschmann, who heads up the science fair, teaches science classes to all students in grades 1-8. He uses a fun, hands-on approach to learning scientific principles. Students do not have traditional textbooks where they read about science, but rather a series of topical pages related to each unit. Students in grades 1-6 learn by investigation, often going outside to gather weather information, bug samples, or maple sap, as well as field trips that teach the principles of force and motion, water quality, and life cycles. The St. John's science classroom contains a host of plants and animals, including a corn snake, a rose hair tarantula, and more than three dozen Chinook salmon, which are being raised for release into the wild later this spring.

For the second year, Koschmann has been selected as one of only a few teachers in the state to be given a sea lamprey for his classroom. Students will learn about invasive species and how they affect the Great Lakes, before the eighth graders dissect it as a biology lesson.

St. John's Lutheran School also participates in a program called the "Chief Science Officer", organized by Adrianne Cole of Saginaw Valley State University and funded by DowDuPont. There are around 20 middle and high schools in the Great Lakes Bay Region that participate. St. John's is the only Lutheran middle school among the group. The Chief Science Officers program goals include cultivating the pipeline of diverse STEM leaders, enriching middle and high school STEM culture and career awareness, and enhancing the workforce and employability skills of secondary student CSOs.

The group's quarterly meetings are held at local area businesses where students receive a tour of the facility and learning about STEM field issues within that arena. Past meetings have been held at Dow Chemical, Michigan Sugar, Covenant Hospital, and Hemlock Semiconductor. Claire and Lindsay Humburg are the representatives for St. John's, with staff leaders Koschmann and Michael Hiddings. SVSU also hosts a two-day summer workshop on its campus for leadership training, sharing STEM-related information, and formulating plans for the upcoming school year.
FROM THE GROUND UP Hutchins is building success in the construction business
Contributed photo

The Paducah Police Department's newest K9, Don, shows off his new bullet and stab protective vest provided by nonprofit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. Their mission is to provide protective vests and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement and related agencies throughout the United States.
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The United Nations envoy and head of its support mission to Libya, Ghassan Salame, has accused 10 countries of "interfering in Libyan affairs", stating that he is working with the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, and informed him of developments to address the Security Council on the issue
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Chairman of the Presidential Council of the Government of National Unity, Fayez al-Sarraj, on Thursday briefed a delegation of 50 members of the House of Representatives (Parliament), headed by First Vice-President Fawzi al-Nuwairi, on his vision on the resolution of the Libyan crisis
Bamako, Mali (PANA) - The International Organization for Migration (IOM), in partnership with the Italian NGO International Cooperation (COOPI), officially launched on Wednesday in Bamako the Project to support Sustainable Reintegration of Returnees to Mali through psycho-social support, PANA reports
Nouakchott, Mauritania (PANA) - Several hundreds of people mobilized through the social networks over the past few days, held a sit-in in front of the Malian embassy in Mauritania, followed by a march in a boulevard of Nouakchott leading to the United Nations representation , to denounce the recurrent massacres of members of the Peul community in central Mali , PANA reported
Flic-en-Flac, Mauritius (PANA) - At a national workshop for the validation of the outcomes of the Adapt Action Programme set up by the Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD), Mr Nazir Soobratty, representative of the Environment and Sustainable Development ministry, spoke of the urgent need for bold and concrete actions in Mauritius to combat climate change
Saudi Arabia is positioning itself to become the new logistics hub for the Middle East. The region holds great opportunity for those who understand the market and its last-mile potential. Expert analysis from Dirk S van Doorn and Marek Rozycki (Last Mile Experts).

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The Middle East is located in the heart of the global trade routes between East and West. For years, the UAE has positioned itself as the premier entry point into the Middle East as well as the ultimate re-export point to Africa, the sub-continent and Europe.

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As international trade slows down in the Middle East, countries and sub regions are looking at ways to become more efficient and leverage their strategic positions within the global geography and trade lanes. Some countries represent a large domestic market opportunity and others continue to build on the back of their first-class infrastructure built during the boom times. It is therefore no surprise that the UAE continues to be an important link in the global supply chain, despite its relatively small population. Now, Saudi Arabia too is seeking to leverage its relatively large domestic market to expand its logistics capabilities in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

The Middle East has a young and smartphone-savvy local population who want better e-commerce services, specifically around customs clearance and last-mile delivery. There has been exponential growth in the number of companies tackling e-commerce last-mile delivery. As more competition enters the market there is a risk that ultimately delivery prices will be under pressure and this will shortly be followed by a reduction in service levels, as operators need to continue to make a profit. This will either result in customers leaving or changing providers, or providers having to merge to achieve a better economy of scale and become more cost effective while maintaining a certain service level.

With todays need for instant online track-and-trace capability, there are also significant investments required to provide in-transit visibility to the end customer. The net outcome of these developments is that some delivery companies will go out of business and others will be forced to merge with other local operators or will be purchased by external or domestic investors. To some degree this can already be seen in markets in Asia with companies such as Aramex in India who have divested their domestic e-commerce last-mile delivery business. Other well-known international delivery brands are also considering exiting the domestic last-mile e-commerce business in various markets.

What has also become interesting is that external investors dont always understand what they are buying into and what the growth prospects are like in these markets. While newspaper headlines and trade magazine articles talk about double digit e-commerce growth, this is all from a relatively low base when compared to Europe, parts of Asia or North America.

Yet foreign companies still venture to make acquisitions of last-mile delivery companies, integrators, and freight forwarders without having the necessary understanding of what is required to continue to build a sustainable and profitable business. There are a number of acquisitions made by foreign investors without taking the right due diligence approach or understanding the challenges of the market and its growth potential.

There are some major success stories too, such as the most recent acquisition of the remaining 49% of Namshi.com in the UAE by Emaar Malls. And now, with Amazon having entered the market through the acquisition of Souq.com in the UAE, there is no doubt that further acquisitions and investments will take place in the Middle East. Other brands such as The Modist continue to grow at a fast pace across the Middle East and beyond.

From the growing number of requests for advice on the local market weve received over recent months, it is clear that companies and investors are seeking to build capacity in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Some of these are by way of an outright purchase and others via greenfield operations. Some companies are seeking to have a reverse flow, meaning that the traditional approach of landing goods in the UAE and then distributing them across the GCC and Middle East is now being questioned and companies are now investigating landing goods in Saud Arabia and distributing them out of the Kingdom into the GCC and the rest of the Middle East. The Saudi authorities are working on creating a friendlier and more efficient environment in order for the private sector to use Saudi Arabia as a logistics distribution hub for the Middle East and GCC.

There is no doubt that the Middle East is ripe with opportunity, but it is about paying the right price for the right purchase or investment. After all, investors want a return on what they have invested in and dont want to hear of yet another investment that has gone awry due to a lack of understanding of the market or the due diligence having been done on an Excel sheet in a country far away with no real market understanding or market intelligence.

While the UAE (specifically Dubai) has traditionally been the entry point into the GCC and Middle East, the Saudi opportunity cannot be underestimated for investors as well as service providers seeking to play a role in the supply chain for the Middle East. The question that will need to be answered is: Will Saudi Arabia harness its potential and move quickly enough to accommodate the requirements of rapidly changing digital economy and the physical supply chain that supports it and the wider GCC and Middle East?

In the post mortem analyses it comes down to the fact that smart investors have done their homework and taken an informed decision on their investment supported by local know how and do how. Time will show who is successful here but we believe that rewards await informed investors in the Middle Eastern last mile.

Bios

Dirk S van Doorn is Last Mile Experts associated partner, Middle East & Africa.

Marek Rozycki is managing partner at Last Mile Experts, specializing in CEP and e-commerce last-mile advisory.
The 52FilmsByWomen hashtag isnt a new invention, but in the last few years, and especially 2017, its gained increasingly urgent relevance. Created and disseminated by Women in Film, a nonprofit outlet established to achieve parity and transform culture the tag translates into a simple pledge: Watch one movie directed by a woman each week for an entire year. Most years, completing that pledge would be the least one could do. Today, its a means of pushing back against rampant gender bias in the film industry.

To help those interested in putting their viewing habits to good use, Paste is highlighting some of Marchs best new movies in theaters, as well as on home video, directed by women.



Release Date: March 15, 2019

Director: Nietzchka Keene

The Juniper Tree is based on the fairy tale of the same name, collected by the Brothers Grimm but adapted into a narrative befitting the merciless beauty of Icelands environment and its brutal heritage. Maybe Keene could have told the story by changing nothing, and maybe The Juniper Tree would have worked as a film anyways. But when Keene shot it in the summer of 1986, she recognized Icelands otherworldliness and saw how the narrative could be hardened to suit the unforgiving climate. Here, there are no happy endings. People either perish in the elements or survive in whatever way they can. Andy Crump / Full Review



Release Date: March 8, 2019

Directors: Lev Kalman, Whitney Horn

If Whit Stillman got together with Sarah Violet-Bliss and Charles Rogers, and if they made a Western, that Western would look a lot like Two Plains & a Fancy, but without the self-awareness Lev Kalman and Whitney Horn bring to their work. Theirs is a satirical mission: Theyve inserted modern-day, know-nothing hipster narcissism into the American frontier circa 1893, where three friends roam Colorados plains and mountains in search of the best hot springs spa nestled in the Centennial States bosom. Close your eyes, listen to the dialogue, and picture these people blithely wandering about Iceland, the Azores or Finland, babbling with assumed expertise about local customs and geography, the truth, of course, being that theyre comically ignorant and too wrapped up in themselves to know it.

Two Plains & a Fancys chronicle of 20-or-30-something self-obsessive stupidity is endlessly hilarious, so long as viewers dont take said stupidity personally. Watching these three pompously named dimwitsAlta Mariah Sophronia (Marianna McClellan), Ozanne Le Perrier (Laetitia Dosch), and Milton Tingling (Benjamin Crotty)ooh and ahh at every rock they pass would grow tiresome quickly if Kalman and Horn lacked a knack for rendering the insufferable uproarious or an eye for photographing the American expanse, or if their cast wasnt game for dunking on vapid culture tourism and performative sophistication. Two Plains & a Fancy hits a sweet spot where oddity intermingles with pretense, the metaphysical meets the insipid, and as off the rails as the film takes its audience, it sustains the aesthetic as well as the joke. Andy Crump



Release Date: March 8, 2019

Directors: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck

It remains, when you think about it, absolutely insane that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has featured two new movies, one of which introduces an entirely new character, in between two halves of a nearly six-hour epic where half the cast dies in Part One. Talk about your flex moves! One thing Captain Marvel has going for it that Ant Man and the Wasp didnt is that it gives us a lead character we can care about and (even more importantly) an actor who rises to the occasion. In many of these Marvel origin storiesand by my count, this is the eighth one since the original Iron Manthe movie goes through great pains to explain to us why we should care about this new character, why, with everything else we have to keep track of, we should readily agree to adding one more to the mix. Captain Marvel, like many MCU movies, sometimes labors under the weight of having to tell its own story while still connecting to the larger, ongoing saga, but it has no issues with justifying its main character: We see in her eyes, from the first second, whats different about her. The movie has us on her side before she ever says a word. The key is Brie Larson, an instantly, almost subconsciously empathetic actress who finds a new, fascinating gear here as Vers who, when we first meet her, is a Kree warrior fighting in outer space with an elite force led by her trainer, Yon-Rogg (Jude Law). Vers has no memory of her past, but it returns to her when, in the midst of a battle, shes dumped onto a distant planet that turns out not only to be Earth, but also her home planet and in the year 1995. She ends up, rather conveniently, running into future S.H.I.E.L.D. head Nick Fury (a digitally de-aged, and convincingly so, Samuel L. Jackson) and a series of Air Force pilots who provide clues to her past through a supersecret initiative called Pegasus. The film is otherwise entertaining and exhausting in the equal measures we have come to expect from modern Marvel moviesif youve seen one bad guy bent on galaxy domination, youve seen them all. But this movie isnt about the supporting characters, or the setting, or even how well its big action set pieces play out. Its all about whether or not they can sell this Captain Marvel as someone who even the mighty Avengers can call to someday help them save the world. Will Leitch / Full Review



Release Date: March 29, 2019

Director: Alison Klayman

What could possibly possess anyone with a camera to tail Steve Bannon, that sentient cancerous tumor, across the United States during the build-up to the 2018 midterms and throughout Europe on a unite the fascists tour, buttressed from his unctuousness only by cinematic providence and the power of the lens? Alison Klayman is either the bravest or brashest documentarian to release new work this year, stoically shouldering the contentious but perhaps essential task of giving Bannon a stage equipped with rope enough to hang himself. The Brink is The Steve Bannon Show, unfiltered for the most part, though Bannon, being a shrewd manipulator, is adept at tailoring his image enough to strike a disarming fascist figure.

Watching The Brink will leave most with a powerful need to take a shower. It isnt the filthiest movie of the year to date, but its the most repugnant, a naked look at the levers and pulleys Bannon maintains access to at different levels and in different environments of power. Klaymans disciplined anti-vanity approach keeps her from tainting the narrative she forms around Bannon, or rather that Bannon forms about himself.

Yes, hes grimily charming if short on witty turns of phrase. (A fun but perilous drinking game: Take a shot whenever he utters the phrase a rose between two thorns to flatter fans, or potential donors, or allies.) Yes, hes self-deprecating. No, none of this offsets or obfuscates his pro-fascist agenda, and Klayman makes no moves to stem the tide of his hideous politics. She wants us to see. Whether viewers want to watch is another question, but theres no doubting the sheer unobtrusive balls of her filmmaking here. The Brink isnt just necessary. Its damn near heroic. Andy Crump



Release Date: March 19, 2019

Director: Barbara Loden

As pure an example of auteurism as one might find in cinema, and as unapologetic a portrait of self-disintegrating American identity as one might find in the 1970s, Barbara Lodens undersung Wanda now rightly occupies space on the shelves of the Criterion Collection among countless other masterpieces. Criterions lack of women represented among the cinephilic sausage party conga line sashaying throughout its archives is well-documented, and Wanda, admittedly, is just one new title among a scant few architected by female directors. Yet, Wanda is all the same a major acquisition, a watershed entry in Americas indie cinema movement from decades past: The film functions like a middle finger raised and aimed straight at the slick studio product churned out during its heyday, liberated from the formulaic constraints imposed on such films. Its a sovereign work of art.

Maybe thats too generous a characterization, given that Wandas title character is hardly ever bothered enough to take such meager action as removing her hair rollers before going to divorce court. This is not a woman to root for or take pride in or glean any sort of feminist message from, but a woman deprived of purpose, ormaybe put more accuratelyrobbed of purpose. Or maybe she has relinquished purpose of her own volition, because Wanda doesnt live in a world that gives half a goddamn about women when they dont fit into traditional gender roles molded for them by a society curated and governed predominantly by men.

Lodens work in the lead role is hypnotically unmoored, her writing nearly dreamlike in its atmospheric depression, her filmmaking grainy, sharp-edged, in a movie thats liable to leave knicks and scrapes all over its audience the closer they get to it. How much of Wandas plot, such as it has one, shaped by her abusive relationship with career asshole Elia Kazan, is a question no one will ever know an answer to. Loden died of breast cancer in 1980, ten years after Wanda announced her as a vital voice in American cinema. Shes the kind of filmmaking talent the culture looks for and embraces in 2019, and the kind that, nearly 50 years after the fact, we still rarely get to observe. Andy Crump
The Sackler family pays for their luxury billionaire lifestyle with blood money. They know its blood money. In fact, thats the whole point of their wealth. In 1997, Richard Sackler, one of the founders of Purdue Pharma, wrote in an e-mail that he didnt want the company to push back on the misconception that Oxycontin is weaker than morphine. Per Pacific Standard:

It would be extremely dangerous at this early stage in the life of the product, [Michael] Friedman wrote to Sackler, to make physicians think the drug is stronger or equal to morphine. We are well aware of the view held by many physicians that oxycodone [the active ingredient in OxyContin] is weaker than morphine. I do not plan to do anything about that.

I agree with you, Sackler responded. Is there a general agreement, or are there some holdouts?

In 2007, Purdue Pharma pleaded guilty to criminal misdemeanors for not fully divulging the risk of addiction to their product, and paid $600 million in fines. In 2008, Richard Sackler told the company to measure our performance by Rxs by strength, giving higher measures to higher strengths, meaning that he wanted to place a premium on selling high dosages of their most addictive product.

These are evil people. Full stop. They have clearly lost any sense of morality, as these decades of e-mails from a 2015 deposition prove beyond a shadow of a doubt. Because of efforts like this from Richard Sackler, for the first time in American history, we are now more likely to die from an opioid overdose than a car accident. Every 11 minutes, someone dies in America from an opioid overdose. In 2013, the United States accounted for 78% of the global consumption of Oxycontin. If ISIS had killed around 200,000 Americans in a span of 18 years, we would have already invaded every single Muslim country in the world, but because these senseless deaths are brought to us via capitalism, America just writes them off as the cost of doing business.

Although that may be changing. There is finally a tangible backlash against Americas least famous mass killers. Sackler moneylong a feature of museumsis now being rejected. Plus, while the federal government has done very little, states are beginning to fight back. Over 500 cities and counties filed suit, accusing Purdue Pharma along with eight members of the Sackler family of racketeering and misleading marketing for their profitable overdose drug. A few days ago, Purdue and the Sacklers paid $270 million to the state of Oklahoma over a lawsuit stemming from their well-known deceptive practices.

Today, the state of New York upped the ante by filing a lawsuit that could potentially strip these companies of their licenses and bar them from marketing their product in our fourth most populous state.

We're alleging that the manufacturers engaged in false, deceptive marketing practices about the dangers of opioids, and that the distributors failed to exercise their basic duty to report suspicious behavior & continued to provide pharmacies with opioids.  NY AG James (@NewYorkStateAG) March 28, 2019

The Sacklers are a stain on America. Not only did they knowingly fuel a crisis that has outpaced auto deaths as a central cause of death in this country, but they have contributed to our white supremacist politics by funding an anti-Muslim network. They embody everything that is wrong with this country, and them continuing to have both a billion-dollar death company and political power tells you all you need to know about Americas priorities.

This is an issue of capitalism, and yet another example of how capitalism has no moral center. Because we live in an economic system where profit, not economic value, is the primary concern, this type of situation is incentivized. Because capitalism needs more profits to sustain itself, the Sacklers are incentivized to push their most addictive product and lie about its dangers. If they are successful in doing so (which the 2015 deposition combined with the 200,000 deaths since 1999 proves they are), then that means that their most efficient path to make the most money goes through an Oxycontin graveyard. The logical conclusion of the capitalist rule of profits before all else leads us to a situation where companies are encouraged to do what the Sacklers and Purdue Pharma have done over the last few decades.

This is a crisis. Nearly 1.25 million people die from auto accidents each year, and the Sackler family has created a situation where dying from their product, or fentanyla crude, cheaper substitution for their productis more likely than being killed in a car crash. Plus, this doesnt describe the full depravity of the situation, given that overdose deaths are under-counted. The Sackler family has built an empire off of misery and pain, and if we lived in a just world, they would all be rotting in a jail cell by now. Instead, because America, the worst that will likely happen to the billionaire family is another million-dollar fine while escaping serious criminal liability, and maybe a rejection from a few more museums. As the Mueller Report proved yet again this week: it is impossible to prosecute powerful people in America for assaults on humanity. These crimes are just too profitable to punish.

Jacob Weindling is a staff writer for Paste politics. Follow him on Twitter at @Jakeweindling.
On Wednesday, Donald Trump gave his first one-on-one interview since the Mueller investigation concluded. He spoke over the phone with Sean Hannity for about 45 minutes, denouncing the Mueller probe, calling out fake news from CNN and MSNBC, complimenting Attorney General William Barr and heralding his own supposed triumphs. To spare you the grief of watching it, weve picked out some lowlights.

Trump blamed dirty cops for the investigation starting in the first place. He called the Mueller probe a disgrace and an embarrassment to our country; an insurance policy cooked up by the Democrats in case Hillary Clinton lost; an attempted takeover of our government by Dems; and, most frighteningly, treason, saying that those who would dare to investigate a president in such a manner in the future would likely spend the rest of their lives behind bars. Trump said of the investigation, Youre only allowed to do this legally if theres a crime. Never mind the fact that the whole point of an investigation is to see if and how a crime was committed.

The Fox News host rolled a clip of CNN presenters speculating about the outcome of the Mueller probe and predicting it would show coordination between Russia and the Trump presidential campaign, asking Trump how he felt about the montage. As expected, there were cries of fake news, criticism of both MSNBC and CNN, and glowing words for Foxs credibility.

The president also heaped praise on Barr, calling him a great gentleman and so incredible. Trump claimed that [h]ad he been there initially, this all would not have happened.

Hannity, nose as brown as ever, asked Trump if hed consider pardoning Michael Flynn and George Papadopoulos in the wake of the Mueller report. The president replied, Many, many people were hurt, incredibly hurt by this whole scam.

He did not rule out pardons, deflecting and saying, I dont want to talk about pardons now, but I can say its so sad on so many levels.

Trump claimed that the Mueller report shows there was no collusion, there was no obstruction. The question of obstruction of justice charges has still been left for Congress to deal with. By no means has Trump been cleared of obstruction. Considering his alleged non-cooperation with the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, its worth waiting to see how this plays out.

The president also decried House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), who just recently defended himself against the GOPs criticism of his stance that the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia during the 2016 election. Trump said, He should be forced out of office. He is a disgrace to our country.

Here are a few throwaway lines on topics unrelated to the investigation:

On healthcare: Were going to become the party of healthcare, the party of really good healthcare. And later, Were going to do great. Were going to have great healthcare.

On the Mexican-American border wall: We repaired, I mean, literally, many, many miles. I could give you numbers, but many, many miles.

On the Green New Deal (or New Green Deal to Trump and Hannity, apparently): Its ridiculous, alright. Its crazy. Itll cost 100 trillion dollars  more money than you have in the world!

On the state of our union: We are stronger now as a country than weve ever been.

In the words of Communitys Annie Edison, I want to rub Purell on my brain.
Samsung Electronics unveiled their new Galaxy A70, their latest smartphone in their 'Galaxy A' range. The A70 features a Super AMOLED 6.7 Infinity-U display (1080 X 2400), a 4,500 mAh battery with Super-Fast Charging at 25W and more.

Enhanced Triple Camera

Galaxy A70s enhanced triple camera comes with a 32MP super high-resolution front and rear lens take bright sharp shots that never sacrifice on image quality no matter where you are, or what time of day. The Depth lens enables you to adjust the depth of field to focus before and after taking a shot so people can choose what and where they want to highlight. Combined with the 8MP Ultra-Wide Lens, enjoy expansive photos that mirror the same viewing angle as the human eye.

For more details, read the full Samsung press release here.

Major Correction

While Patently Apple was officially closed for 90% of the day I did post one report in haste. The cover graphic that I originally used was from the Korea Herald's report that I saw at 3 a.m.

I didn't double-check with Samsung's Press release and I should have as it ended up that the Korea Herald was using an image from a concept graphic of the A70 obtained on YouTube. I apologize for presenting incorrect information on this story today based on that incorrect graphic.

Our new report is in-part based on Samsung's press release using their official image.

About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Those using abusive language or negative behavior will result in being blacklisted on Disqus.
Patna: Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday celebrated the second anniversary of imposition of prohibition in Bihar at a function held at the Adhiweshan Bhawan in Patna and attended by Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, Excise and Prohibition Minister Vijendra Prasad Yadav, and Rural Development Minister Shravan Kumar, among others.

Kumar, speaking on the occasion, tried to separate himself from other politicians saying he never worried about getting votes and was guided only by the welfare of the people.

"Unlike others, I do not believe in vote bank politics. It's the concern for the welfare of the people that motivates me and keeps me going. Prohibition has brought amazingly positive changes in Bihar as millions of lives and families have been turned around for the better. Unfortunately, opposition leaders refuse to see that," he said.

Without mentioning any name, Kumar took shots at his former supporter and ex-Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, who recently walked out of the NDA to join hand with Lalu-led Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and other opposition leaders, saying he could not suppress his laughter when someone claimed that more than one lakh people were lodged in prisons across the state for violating prohibition laws.

"I laugh at their knowledge. Even if you added the capacity of all jails in Bihar, you would find out that the number is much less than one lakh. At least find out the facts before making such silly claims," the Chief Minister said adding his detractors were more concerned about the welfare of those who were in prison for violating prohibition laws as opposed to those whose lives have dramatically changed for good due to ban on alcohol in the state.

On the occasion, the Chief Minister launched the toll-free number of a call center where one could call and report abuse and violation of prohibition laws.

"Tipsters' names and addresses will be absolutely confidential and quick action would be taken if the tips are found to be credible," he said.
A tragic, double-fatal crash remains under investigation in Tennessee, but this much is certain: A 23-year-old nurse from Pennsylvania on her way to a new job was killed by the side of a highway as another woman tried to help her.

As the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports, the young nurse was Sarah Kasunic, 23, of Butler County, Pa.

Both Kasunic and the woman who stopped to help got out of their vehicles along Interstate 40 and were struck by a third vehicle around 2 a.m. Saturday, police told the News Sentinel of Knoxville, Tenn.

Ashley Moore, 38, of Goodlettsville, Tenn., was identified as the woman who stopped to help Kasunic, who apparently had car trouble.

Moore was pronounced dead at the scene, while Kasunic was transported to University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville, where she later died, the newspapers report.

Police identified the driver of the third vehicle as McKenzie Lashley, 31, and his passenger as Cassidy Jones, 25, both from Knoxville. Both were unhurt.

Kasunics father told the Post-Gazette his daughters two passions were to travel and to help people.

(Story continues below)

Butler County woman, 23, killed in Tenn. crash https://t.co/Xf9g3tfvMX  Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (@PittsburghPG) March 27, 2019

The crash remains under investigation; police have not said whether charges will be filed.
Bryce Harpers opening day shirt is the stuff of legends.

The black tee features Gritty and the Phanatic aiming a t-shirt cannon and hot dog launcher respectively in a pose thats a nod to the film Pulp Fiction.

Its a lot of pop culture at once and its decidedly Philly.

The shirt, dubbed Phan Fiction, is the creation of Philadelphia store South Fellini, located at 1507 E. Passyunk Ave. It specializes in Philadelphia-themed gear -- everything from hats to shirts to pins to stickers.

The Phan Fiction shirt costs $25. You can order it on the stores Etsy page (etsy.com/shop/SouthFellini) or, once its back up, from the stores website, southfellini.com. You can also grab it in person at the stores 1507 E. Passyunk Ave. location.

The shirts journey to Harper was all the result of the Philadelphia Phillies player hitting up the store on Instagram a while back, sliding into its DMs to express his appreciation for the stores products. South Fellini owners Johnny Zito and Tony Trov then sent a few pieces to the Harper -- but they didnt necessarily expect him to wear them on TV anytime soon.

In fact, they figured the Phillies home opener was going to be a slow day.

We actually commented that, you know, theres less orders than usual today so lets head out and call it a day, Zito said.

No sooner had the joke been uttered than the order flood came in. Thousands of people tried to access their website at once, crashing it. Their phone line became a string of busy signals.

Harper had wore the shirt and it was going viral.

Zito learned about it through his fiance, who texted him the photo of Harper in the black tee. I was like, woah, hold on -- hes actually wearing it! Zito recalled. Hes wearing the shirt on opening day. How amazing!

The Phan Fiction shirt isnt South Fellinis first hit. Earlier this year it dropped an Anatomy of Gritty design that showed the Philadelphia Flyers mascot was fueled by Tastykake, had tough and salty pretzel skin and a five chamber kidney.

Its also known for its no one likes us, we dont care beanies and Wawa Jawn shirt (which uses a Wawa logo with the word Jawn on it instead of Wawa).

Zito and Trov have been screen printing since 1999. Both are originally from South Philadelphia and used their screen printing talents to pay for film projects in college. Post school, they landed jobs writing for DC comics where Zito says they learned that Batman comics dont make as much money as Batman shirts.

That led them to brainstorm ideas centered around Philadelphia memorabilia -- to see if they could make city-centric merchandise the same way businesses do for Mickey Mouse, Batman or any other character.

It is apparel for the Philadelphia lifestyle, said South Fellini co-owner Johnny Zito. These are the clothes you wear to identify yourself as a Philadelphian.

We just want to make sure people look cool and feel cool while theyre doing their thing in the city, he added later.

So far, the response to South Fellini has been superb. Zito and Trov started focusing on the project in 2008 and opened up their first store in East Passyunk in 2016. A second store is due to open this summer in Philadelphias upcoming fashion district.

The Philadelphia Phillies are playing the Atlanta Braves at 3 p.m. on March 28 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Its the teams home opener.
DEAR ABBY: My husband and I separated last year and reconciled several months later. When we decided to get back together, he broke it off with his girlfriend. A month later she contacted him to inform him that shes pregnant with his child. Shes due in a few months.

My husband and I disagree about how things should be handled when the child arrives. She says I'm not allowed to come to the hospital with him and meet the baby. I say that going without me is absurd, and any child that belongs to my husband is a part of my life, too. However, he says she is in charge of the situation. I'm worried that when the baby is born I'll be at home alone with a broken heart. Where should I draw the line with my husband? -- WORRIED WIFE IN THE SOUTH

DEAR WORRIED WIFE: Forgive me if this seems cynical, but is your husband absolutely sure that the baby is his? And, if it is, to what extent does he plan to be involved in the childs life? If he participates in raising him/her, then you are right, his child will become a part of your life. If he decides to do no more than write support checks, the impact on you will be much less.

Frankly, I dont blame you for feeling worried. If a paternity test hasnt proved hes the father of the baby, he should discuss this with a lawyer to insist there be one.

DEAR ABBY: When I was 19, I lost custody of my three children to the state. They were adopted out, and I have had no contact since. Over the years I tried to find them without success. Recently, I found their names and addresses using ancestry.com to search their birth records. My son, the oldest, is 18 now, but his sisters are only 15 and 16.

I want to write a letter to the adoptive mother, let her know my side of the story and offer to open a line of communication for her and the kids. Would that be selfish? What's the right thing to do here?

I was very young and stupid when I lost my children. I'm now in my 30s and much wiser. I have lived with this heartbreak for 15 years. I don't want to disrupt their lives, but I do want them to have my contact information if they would like to have it. I know this situation is delicate. I desperately want to avoid doing the wrong thing. Please advise. -- HEARTBROKEN IN FLORIDA

DEAR HEARTBROKEN: Your instincts are on target. The best way to accomplish what you have in mind would be to write to the adoptive mother and allow her to decide what to do with the information you give her. Most adopted children at some point want to know who their birth parents were, if only so they can get a complete medical history.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
Earlier this month, Harrisburg realtor, Jordan Collier said she would love to represent central Pennsylvania in the National Association of Realtors 2019 Class of 30 Under 30.

And now she will.

Collier was selected to be part of the group by Realtor Magazine and the National Association of Realtors. Collier, 26, has been a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerages Lower Paxton Township office since April of 2015. Collier focuses on residential sales in the Harrisburg area

Hundreds of real estate agents across the nation applied for the program and the field was narrowed to the top 100, then the top 75 and then the top 50. And finally, one more time to the top 30. Collier says that the process involved answering numerous in-depth questions about her career, providing letters of reference, making an audition video and later in the process doing a telephone interview. Judges selected 29 honorees from the field of finalists, and the 30th honoree was chosen in a Web Choice Award contest by the public.

Full profiles of each member of the class will be published in the May-June issue of Realtor Magazine.

Of the 30 honorees, two were from Pennsylvania. In addition to Collier, Sean Anthony, 29, of Athens, Pa. and a partner with Howard Hanna Realty Pioneers was also selected.

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The presence of two distinct species of vultures  black and turkey  in Pennsylvania often comes as a surprise to casual nature observers. We may see them at roadkill along our roadways or soaring over our fields and forests in search of something dead to eat. But, were likely to write them off as just another vulture or buzzard.

But, just how different the two species really are might be even more of a shocker. Heres a look at the two species, their differences and some of their commonalities.

Identification

Head color is the easiest way to tell the two species apart, if youre close enough and youre looking at adult birds. The head of the adult turkey vulture, as the name implies, is bright red, much like the face of a wild turkey. The head of an immature turkey vulture is ashy gray. The head of the black vulture is black.

A black vulture soars over ZooAmerica on March 27, 2019.Megan Lavey-Heaton | mheaton@pennlive.com

Overall, the black vulture is all black, except for silvery patches on the underside of the wing tips. The turkey vulture is dark brown with more feather-edging of light brown; the underside of its flight feathers and tail are gray.

Turkey vultures have wingspans up to 70 inches and bodies as long as 32 inches, while black vultures have shorter wingspans, up to 60 inches, and bodies as long as 26 inches. They weigh about the same.

In flight

When theyre soaring, turkey vultures have long, narrow wings and a relatively longer tail. Black vultures have fatter, more paddle-like wings and a shorter, more fanned tail.

Except when theyre launching, turkey vultures rarely flap their wings. They soar on thermals and updrafts. When they do flap, their wingbeats and slow and methodical.

Although they also soar with limited wingbeats, black vultures tend to flap their wings more frequently than turkey vultures and with flurries of more rapid wingbeats.

A pair of vultures fly over ZooAmerica on March 27, 2019.Megan Lavey-Heaton | mheaton@pennlive.com

Foraging behavior

Turkey vultures rely on their highly developed sense of smell to find the carrion they eat. Black vultures have a much more limited sense of smell and tend to find a lot of their food by sight. They often follow turkey vultures to the food and aggressively force the turkey vultures off the food.

Vultures will on occasion kill prey, such as young or sick birds and mammals. Black vultures do that more frequently.

Both species also eat plant material, ranging from grapes to pumpkins.

How are they doing?

The range and population of the black vulture, which is also known as the black buzzard and carrion crow, has been expanding northward since the 1940s, according to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary. The factors responsible for range expansion are not well understood, but might include a decrease in large-scale persecution, greater food availability, and recovery from declines which occurred in response to the widespread use of organochlorine pesticides, including DDT.

In the past, turkey vultures were shot because ranchers and farmers mistakenly believed that they spread disease, contaminated livestock watering holes and preyed on livestock. Environmental contaminants including lead, mercury and insecticides do poison them. Overall numbers remained stable during the DDT era of the 1940s to the early 1970s, although eggshell-thinning and reduced reproductive success due to pesticide contamination occurred in some areas.

While the worldwide population of black vultures is estimated at several million, the population of turkey vultures is thought to be more than 5 million.

Roosting

Outside of the breeding season, black vultures often gather in communal roosts of hundreds of birds, with family groups roosting together within the larger mass. Also outside of the breeding season, turkey vultures commonly roost with black vultures.

Nesting

Black vultures nest on the ground under some form of cover and in abandoned buildings. They do not build a nest, but lay their eggs in rocky crevices, tree cavities or hollow logs. Pairs remain together year-round, so long as both are alive. Both parents incubate the eggs  usually 2 per nesting  and brood the hatchlings for their first 2 weeks. The young birds fledge at 10-14 weeks, but require parental care for as long as 8 months.

Turkey vultures also do not build nests, but rather lay their eggs in dark recesses in ledges, caves, crevices and hollow logs, and on the ground. They also nest in the abandoned stick nests of birds, in mammal burrows, and in abandoned buildings. Pairs remain together year-round, so long as both are alive. Both parents incubate the eggs  usually 2  for about 5 weeks and then brook the nestlings for about 5 days. The young fledge at 60-80 days, continue to be fed by their parents for another 1-3 weeks and then, at 12 weeks or so, disperse from the nest site.

Proximity to humans

Black vultures are typically found in open or partly forested habitats, often close to human dwellings. Turkey vultures occur in a wide range of open and forested habitats, but tend to avoid urban and suburban areas.

Migration

According to Hawk Mountain, black vultures are sedentary, except in northern portions of their range. In winter, particularly during harsh weather, many individuals leave the northernmost portions of their breeding range in the U.S. Individuals sometimes undertake short-term local movements in advance of oncoming inclement weather and return when weather conditions improve.

Turkey vultures are partial migrants. Northern populations tend to be highly migratory, while southern populations are more sedentary. During migration northern birds leap-frog over and winter farther south than southern birds.

In North America, these Vultures are more migratory in the West than in the East, and many western birds are long-distance migrants that spend the winter in Central and South America.

More about vultures in Pennsylvania:

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Icelandic budget airline WOW Air ceased operations on Thursday, stranding passengers across two continents.

In a statement on its website the airline, which had earlier suspended all its flights, told passengers there would be no further flights and advised them to check flights with other airlines for ways to reach their destinations.

The airline, founded by entrepreneur Skuli Mogensen, began operations in 2012 and specialized in ultra-cheap flights between North America and Europe, with flights to airports in cities including Washington, D.C, New York, Paris, London and its Reykjavik hub.

Its bankruptcy comes after six months of turbulent negotiations to sell the low-cost carrier, first to its main rival and flag-ship carrier Icelandair and later to Indigo Partners, an American company operating the airline Wizz.

I will never forgive myself for not acting sooner, Mogensen said in a letter to employees Thursday. WOW was clearly an incredible airline and we were on the path to do amazing things again.

Tourism is Icelands largest industry and WOWs disappearance is set to have an effect on this summers high season.

In its early years the airline expanded fast to 37 destinations and reported up to 60 percent annual growth in passenger numbers. Its revenue per passenger, however, has not kept up and fell by about 20 percent in 2017, according to the last earnings report.

WOW grounded at least six planes in North America that were set to leave late Wednesday from Montreal, Toronto, Boston, Detroit, New York and Baltimore.

In Europe, Reykjavik-bound planes from seven cities  Amsterdam, Dublin, Paris, Brussels, Berlin, Frankfurt and Copenhagen  did not take off Thursday morning.
While attending Mass at the University of Notre Dame last fall, Maryann White saw something that horrified her: Leggings.

A group of young women, all clad in tight, clingy Spandex and short tops, were sitting directly in front of her and her family.

"I thought of all the other men around and behind us who couldn't help but see their behinds," the self-described Catholic mother of four sons wrote in a letter to the editor that was published by the Observer, Notre Dame's student newspaper, on Monday. "My sons know better than to ogle a woman's body - certainly when I'm around (and hopefully, also when I'm not). They didn't stare, and they didn't comment afterwards. But you couldn't help but see those blackly naked rear ends. I didn't want to see them - but they were unavoidable. How much more difficult for young guys to ignore them."

Begging female students to "think of the mothers of sons the next time you go shopping and consider choosing jeans instead," White explained in her letter that she had hoped that leggings would eventually go out of style, but that hadn't happened yet. Maybe, she proposed, Notre Dame women could be the first to start a trend by simply choosing not to wear the wildly popular stretchy pants.

Her plea appears to have had the opposite effect: By way of responding to her complaints, more than 1,000 students at the private Catholic University indicated that they planned on showing up to class in their leggings this week.

Debates over whether it's appropriate to wear casual, form-fitting yoga pants outside of the gym have been raging for years. Numerous high schools have courted controversy by banning leggings in recent years, claiming that they are "distracting" for male students and teachers. But college campuses, for the most part, have remained a safe haven for those who choose to wear comfortable Lycra or Spandex bottoms to class, meals and campus activities.

In her letter, titled The legging problem, White described the pants as a problem that only girls can solve. She claimed that the depiction of women in movies, video games and music videos made it harder for Catholic mothers to teach their sons that women are someones daughters and sisters and should be treated with respect. Though she acknowledged the main reason college students like to wear leggings - namely, theyre extremely comfortable - White went on to imply that it wasnt too different from walking around without any clothes on at all.

"We don't go naked because we respect the other people who must see us," she chastened her readers, adding, "I'm fretting both because of unsavory guys who are looking at you creepily and nice guys who are doing everything to avoid looking at you."

That line of argument didn't go over too well on the South Bend, Indiana, campus.

"Join in our legging wearing hedonism!" one student wrote on Facebook, informing the "legging lovers of the Notre Dame community" that Tuesday would be "Love Your Leggings Day" at the university. "Or not, because what you wear is completely your own choice!"

A student group, Irish 4 Reproductive Health, similarly declared Tuesday to be "Leggings Pride Day." On Facebook, the group explained that White's letter, though well-intentioned, "perpetuates a narrative central to rape culture" by implying that women's clothing choices are to blame for men's inappropriate behavior. People of all genders were invited to "make a conscious choice to wear leggings and thus affirm your right and ability to do so," then post photos on social media.

While more than 1,000 people responded to the groups Facebook event, its unclear exactly how many took part. Dani Green, a doctoral student in English at Notre Dame and a founding member of the group, told The Washington Post in a Twitter message that it had been a little difficult to tell what was protest and what was everyday legging-wear, in part because the two arent necessarily mutually exclusive.

Yet another informal demonstration took place on Wednesday, the Observer reported. Named "The Legging Protest," it was organized by Kaitlyn Wong, a senior who wrote, in parody of White's letter, "I'm just a Catholic woman who feels the need for one specific type of pant that provides utmost comfort: leggings." She asked people of all genders to express their solidarity by wearing their favorite pair of leggings that day. Again, more than 1,000 people expressed interest.

"Unfortunately," one participant wrote, "I could not find Maryann on [Facebook] to invite her and her four sons to ogle us on Wednesday."

Wong told the paper that she had organized the event in hopes that it would lead to a larger campus discussion about White's comments, which she had found troubling. "You know, we were having these conversations in my class, but I wanted this to be a more widespread conversation," she said. "Even if it's not a 'protest,' having people talk about it is better than sitting around and doing nothing."

The Washington Post was unable to locate White or her sons for comment on Wednesday night.

While some online commenters suggested that the letter could have been the work of a troll trying to stir up outrage, or an early April Fools' Day joke, Green told The Post that it was "unfortunately [ . . .] kind of on brand" for the campus community. She pointed to a 2011 letter to the editor titled "Ladies, be decent," in which a then-junior man railed against an unnamed woman who supposedly displayed a "lack of class and common sense" by wearing a skintight outfit to the dining hall. "[I]f a woman apparently doesn't respect herself enough to present herself in a non-risque manner in everyday life, I cannot trust her to respect me," the letter said. "I'd be wary about pursuing anyone like that."

But those views evidently don't represent the majority of the 12,393 students who attend Notre Dame. Several male students told the Observer that they felt that White's letter had unfairly maligned men, while others wrote rebuttals of their own, arguing that college students should know how to behave and be capable of treating women with respect regardless of what they're wearing.

"To my female classmates, wear what you want," Shane Combs, a senior at the university, wrote in a letter to the editor that was published on Wednesday. "How you dress for Mass is not a reflection of your character, nor does it disqualify you from dignified and respectful treatment from the rest of us."

Amid the flurry of letters condemning White's views, two freshmen did spring to her defense, arguing that her complaints about leggings were simply representative of a generational divide, and not an indication that she believes that women who wear revealing clothing are asking to be sexually assaulted.

"Custody of the eyes and chastity of thought are difficult to accomplish for any man," Maria Keller and William Gentry wrote. "We members of the Notre Dame community have obligations of love to one another, which includes being our brothers' keepers. It is no assault on women's rights to suggest that we ought to dress modestly to help our brothers out, just as we should consider what we eat around our Muslim friends when they are fasting for Ramadan."

Meanwhile, another Notre Dame mother, Heather Piccone, questioned whether White's sons had ever taken their shirts off at the beach.

Women find male chests and abs attractive like men find womens legs attractive, she wrote in a letter published Tuesday. By her own definition and logic, any male out playing on a sunny day at the park with his friends should be ashamed of himself, and as a mother she should have properly raised her son not to tempt my daughter with his body.
After candidates submitted petitions to appear on the 2019 primary election ballot in Cumberland and Dauphin counties, PennLive researched each county-wide office candidate to check for criminal history or tax delinquency.

The background checks revealed no such problems involving any Cumberland County candidates, but three Dauphin County candidates have faced criminal charges and/or previous tax issues.

PennLives analysis did not include traffic violations.

The most recent criminal case was filed against Cole Goodman, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for Dauphin County Recorder of Deeds.

Police have cited Goodman, 24, with possession of marijuana or marijuana paraphernalia three times in the past year, most recently on March 15.

Goodman said the first incident was an effort to derail his political aspirations, but the other two were his responsibility because he allowed people in his car who may have left items behind. He said he was going to be much more careful who he allows in his car in the future.

In the most recent traffic stop, Middletown police wrote Goodman a summary violation for disorderly conduct for possession of a small amount of marijuana, according to a court official. The official said officers can use their discretion to write this off-label borough citation instead of a misdemeanor state charge for marijuana possession. The officer also wrote summary violations for driving an unregistered vehicle and having an open container of alcohol.

On Jan. 20, a Susquehanna Township police officer approached Goodman in the Progress Plaza parking lot as he was leaving work about 12:50 a.m., according to Goodman and court records.

The officer said he found a small amount of marijuana in a plastic bag and two marijuana smoking bowls in Goodmans car, but Goodman said he was not shown anything removed from his car. Goodman was charged with two misdemeanors. Those cases are still pending.

Last year, Susquehanna Township police cited Goodman with a summary violation for possession of marijuana paraphernalia stemming from a Feb. 26, 2018 traffic stop.

After that summary offense was filed, Goodman issued a statement denying that he ever possessed drugs or paraphernalia. His statement blamed political enemies for possibly planting the glass smoking pipe, marijuana grinder and eyeglass case containing marijuana residue in his car.

I strongly suspect this may have been placed in my car to derail my campaign for State Democratic Committee, he said at the time. Such shoddy tactics will not work. The voters will not be duped by such underhanded and despicable tactics.

Goodman pleaded guilty to the summary charge on July 23.

On Wednesday, Goodman reiterated that he does not use marijuana, and that he still believes the evidence from the first citation was planted.

The first incident has everything to do with a right-wing extremist who targeted me and said he would do anything to destroy my political career, Goodman said.

As far as the other incidents, Goodman said he has many different people inside his car on the campaign trail.

I do have many people in my car and its possible something was left behind of which I was unaware, he said. Im a law-abiding citizen trying to help my community and Im engaged in the political process to make things better.

Goodman also addressed the fact that he had been stopped or approached by officers at least three times in the past year, which is not unusual for young African-Americans, he said. He noted that the officer in the latest traffic stop confiscated an Indian pipe that he bought at a museum gift shop as possible paraphernalia.

The other candidate with a criminal charge in his past is Democrat Brad Koplinski, a former Harrisburg city councilman, who is running against the Republican incumbent for Clerk of Courts.

Koplinski was charged with burglary in 2016 after police said he entered a building at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia and tried to take some parking passes and food vouchers.

Koplinski was allowed to enroll in Philadelphia countys Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program for first-time offenders. If he completes the program successfully, the charges would be erased from his public record.

"As many people know, Koplinski told PennLive, I collect a great deal of political memorabilia. Unfortunately, I made a serious mistake at the 2016 Democratic National Convention and took parking passes and other items issued by the United States Secret Service. While I only wanted them for my collection, the authorities wanted to be sure that I was not potentially using the items to pose a threat to the convention. Although the authorities soon realized that I was simply an 'extreme collector,' charges were still filed.

Koplinski also had two tax issues in his past, including a state tax lien filed last year for $4,948 and failure to file an earned income tax report 12 years ago.

Koplinski said the earned income tax form was an oversight that was quickly corrected and that he is making payments on the lien filed last year.

"Working as a consultant and not receiving a traditional paycheck with taxes removed, I did not effectively estimate anticipated earnings to account for the necessary taxes, he said. I am making payments on this debt and it will be remedied by the end of the summer."

Koplinski said he has made mistakes and takes responsibility for them.

None of us is perfect and I am far from it, he said. I continue to learn from these experiences. I believe my previous public service has been beneficial to the City of Harrisburg and to Dauphin County as a whole. I hope that the voters will give me the opportunity to serve them again.

Dauphin County Commissioner George Hartwick, a Democrat seeking to retain his position on the board, was arrested on drunken driving charges in 2003 and failed to file an earned income tax report in 2005.

After the DUI charge, which occurred while Hartwick was mayor of Steelton, Hartwick applied for the ARD program and was accepted, so the charge was erased from his public record.

As far as the tax violation, Hartwick said he had moved from Steelton to Swatara Township that year and the notice of a small amount due to Steelton did not reach him. Once the problem was identified, he said he quickly paid the taxes with additional interest, costs and penalties.

Staff Writer Sean Sauro contributed to this report.

Editors Note: Cole Goodman is the son of Joyce Davis, PennLives opinion editor. This story was updated to add Hartwicks DUI arrest.
A Boy Scout leader who was convicted of sexually molesting one of his teenage charges repeatedly is right where he should be  in prison  a state Superior Court panel has concluded.

The court reached that conclusion in an opinion by Judge Mary Jane Bowes, who rejected Krzysztof Mozdzoneks contention on appeal that his 10- to 20-year jail sentence is excessive.

As Bowes noted, Mozdzonek, now 59, was accused of starting to sexually abuse the then 15-year-old boy in November 2013 when he and other Polish scouts attended a house party in Philadelphia. Investigators said Mozdzonek gave the boy alcohol until the teen blacked out, the sexually abused him.

Weeks later, Mozdzonek gave the boy marijuana and molested him again, Bowes wrote, and there were 10 to 20 more incidents of abuse after that. She cited evidence that Mozdzonek gave the boy gifts and money during the course of the abuse and would punish the teen for refusing his advances by taking away a privilege.

The teen told his mother about the abuse in 2016. A jury convicted Mozdzonek on charges of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, unlawful contact with a minor, corruption of minors and child endangerment in November 2017.

On appeal, Mozdzonek argued that the Philly judge who sentenced him didnt consider his own traumatic upbringing as an orphan or his role as a positive force in the Philadelphia-area Polish community.

In rejecting those arguments, Bowes noted the Philadelphia judge did consider Mozdzoneks background, but deemed it highly relevant that (Mozdzonek) utilized his position as a Boy Scout leader to victimize the teen.

Bowes also cited the conclusion of the Philly judge and Mozdzoneks probation officer that he lacked remorse for his crime.
The principal of a Berks County Catholic school, who also serves as a deacon at the church, is accused of misappropriating roughly $150,000 of funds from the Diocese of Allentown.

According to the Berks County District Attorneys Office, Thomas J. Murphy, 65, along with his wife, Ann M. Murphy, 61, of Macungie, have been charged in connection with the case dating back to 2010.

Thomas Murphy is facing charges of theft by deception, theft by failure to make required disposition of funds received, receiving stolen property, secure execution of documents by deception and criminal conspiracy.

Ann Murphy faces charges of receiving stolen property, secure execution of documents by deception and criminal conspiracy.

According to Berks County Chief Detective Michael Gombar, the investigation unfolded like this:

In August, the Diocese conducted an audit of the Most Blessed Sacrament Parish and the St. Francis Academy Regional School in Bally, where Thomas Murphy was a principal and a deacon, and alerted authorities of some apparent irregularities.

Detectives searched the financial records of both the school and church between January 2010 through July 2018, leading them to a credit card and checking account solely funded by donations and reimbursements through the school and church, but used by the Murphys for personal use.

As principal, Thomas Murphy collected money and deposited these funds into an account he alone had access to. The funds collected and deposited into the account were earmarked for school business. Both had credit cards linked to the account using their home address.

Detectives believe the Diocese suffered a $150,000 loss.

Both were charged Wednesday and are awaiting preliminary hearings.
WILLIAMSPORT  The convicted murderer of a Union County yoga master has accepted $30,000 to settle his six-year-old civil suit over his criminal prosecution and treatment in three jails.

Terms of the settlement agreed to by Joel R. Snider in November in return for dropping his suit were disclosed Thursday.

Among the 68 initial defendants were former Gov. Tom Corbett, former Attorney General Kathleen Kane and two county judges.

Most of the original defendants, including the state officials, were dropped when the Pennsylvania Institutional Law Project began representing Snider and filed a second amended complaint.

U.S. Middle District Judge Matthew W. Brann last year narrowed the list further to the Clinton County Correctional Facility and nine of its staff.

Excessive force claims against them stemmed from a fall and cell extraction on Feb. 28 and April 5, 2013, respectively, while Snider was there as a pretrial detainee. The fall occurred while he was being taken in handcuffs and shackles to another part of the prison while his cell was being searched. The extraction was necessary because he refused to submit to being handcuffed. Guards used pepper spray on him.

Under terms of the settlement, the Law Project will hold the $30,000 in a trust account until any Medicaid liens in connection with medical benefits paid arising from injuries that were subject of the suit are satisfied.

Attorney fees also will be deducted before Snider receives any money.

Snider, 42, who suffers from depression and chronic paranoid schizophrenia, in 2014 pleaded guilty but mentally ill to third-degree murder.

He said he shot a yoga master in Union County known as Sudharman because he heard voices and delusions that Sudharman was evil. Snider is serving a state prison sentence of 30 to 60 years.

The plea was entered after the state attorney generals office dropped plans to seek the death penalty.

The arrest affidavit called the shooting an assassination and part of a methodical plan by the former St. Louis, Missouri, man to kill Sudharman.

Sudharman, born as J. Joseph Fenton, was shot multiple times in his New Berlin center in July 2010. His body was found on the living room floor wrapped in two sheets and a comforter.
Legislation that seeks to end permanently a program that provides $200 in monthly general cash assistance to low-income Pennsylvanians starting on July 1 withstood six attempts to give the program at least a partial lease on life.

After a House debate on Wednesday, the bill is teed up for a vote by the full House when members return to legislative session the week of April 8.

Several Democratic members tried unsuccessfully to salvage pieces of the program that restarted just five months ago. They offered amendments that would preserve it for limited segments of the population including veterans, pregnant women, those with Lymes disease, non-parental caretakers of children under 13, and vo-tech students.

Only the amendment that would have kept the benefit for veterans drew any support from the chambers GOP majority. That one drew a single Republican vote from Rep. Tom Murt of Montgomery County. House GOP leaders pledged to work with the Democrats to try to find other ways to help veterans who relied on the program to get by.

The program benefits mostly single men with no dependents who need help but dont qualify for traditional welfare. WHYY reported that in January about 6,700 people were enrolled in the program. Many of them are disabled temporarily or permanently and await a determination of their eligibility for a disability claim through Social Security.

The program ended in 2012 for cost saving reasons. At the time when former Gov. Tom Corbett signed the law to eliminate it, the state was spending $150 million to provide benefits to about 68,000 individuals. Republicans argued back then it was rife with fraud and abuse and maintain that view as evidenced by remarks made during Wednesdays debate.

The state Supreme Court last summer overturned the 2012 law based on a technicality that had to do with the legislative process but not the program itself.

Gov. Tom Wolfs administration subsequently reinstated the program and began issuing cash payments in November.

Rep. George Dunbar, R-Westmoreland County, in his argument in support of his bill to permanently end the program questioned Wolfs authority to reinstate the program, noting he did so without consulting the General Assembly. The administration is using money that was appropriated for other public assistance programs to pay the benefits.

Dunbar also questioned the rationale behind the move to try to salvage pieces of the program saying no one introduced legislation over the past seven years to try to restart the program after it ended. After hearing that point made several times over, Rep. Jason Dawkins, D-Philadelphia, responded, we were waiting for the courts decision.

Wolf opposes the legislation. His spokesman J.J. Abbott called it inhumane and inappropriate governing.
Facebook will begin banning posts, photos and other content that reference white nationalism and white separatism, revising its rules in response to criticism that a loophole had allowed racism to thrive on its platform.

Previously, Facebook only had prohibited users from sharing messages that glorified white supremacy - a rhetorical discrepancy, in the eyes of civil-rights advocates, who argued that white nationalism, supremacy and separatism are indistinguishable and that the policy undermined the tech giant's stepped-up efforts to combat hate speech online.

Facebook now agrees with that analysis, according to people who've been briefed on the decision. The new policy also applies to Instagram.

The rise and spread of white nationalism on Facebook were thrown into sharp relief in the wake of the deadly neo-Nazi rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017, when self-avowed white nationalists used the social networking site as an organizing tool.

The following year, Motherboard, a tech publication owned by Vice, obtained internal documents meant for training and guiding content reviewers that revealed Facebook treated the terms differently: The materials showed that Facebook permitted praise, support and representation of both white nationalism and white separatism as an ideology. The policy drew sharp rebukes from civil-rights advocates, who have argued for years that the terms are interchangeable.

Facebook's decision comes one week after the company made another announcement to appeal to longstanding complaints from civil rights advocates: The company prohibited advertisers from excluding minorities and other protected groups from ads for housing, employment and credit.

Civil rights groups applauded the move. "There is no defensible distinction that can be drawn between white supremacy, white nationalism or white separatism in society today," Kristen Clarke, the president and executive director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, said on Wednesday.

The organization had pushed Facebook for months to change its policies, pointing to pages such as "It's okay to be white," which has more than 18,000 followers and has regularly defended white nationalism. Another, called "American White History Month 2," often posted white supremacist memes, according to the Lawyers' Committee. A cached version of the page from late February showed it had more than 258,000 followers before it went offline.

Facebook's new policy comes as the company continues to struggle to take down other content that attacks people on the basis of their race, ethnicity, national origin and a host of other "protected characteristics." Between Jan. 1 and Sept. 30, 2018, Facebook took action against eight million pieces of content that violated its rules on hate speech, according to its latest transparency report. Facebook is not legally required to remove this content, but its rules prohibit it.

To help enforce its policies, Facebook has developed and deployed artificial intelligence tools that can spot and remove content even before users see it. But the technology isn't perfect, particularly when it comes to hate speech. The company only removes about 50 percent of such posts at the moment users upload them, it said last year. As a result, such harmful, extremist content still can go viral on Facebook - a reality the company confronted earlier this month when users continued to upload videos of the mass shooting in New Zealand that left 50 people dead. The shooter specifically sought to target Muslims.

To that end, civil-rights groups said Facebook still had considerable work to do to address the spread of hate speech on its platform.

As we have seen with tragic attacks on houses of worship in Charleston, Pittsburgh, New Zealand, and elsewhere, there are real world consequences when social media networks provide platforms for violent white supremacists, allowing them to incubate, organize, and recruit new followers to their hateful movements, Clarke said.
After years of failed efforts to reform Pennsylvanias child sex crime laws, a pair of House lawmakers this week served up the latest attempt at addressing remedies for thousands of adults who were sexually abused as children  and are looking for quick action on it.

Historically, victims of abuse have been among the most strident supporters of such efforts. This time, however, the proposals are engendering mixed reactions among victims, including outrage.

On Wednesday afternoon, state House Representatives Mark Rozzi (D-Berks) and Jim Gregory, (R-Blair) introduced House bills 962 and 963 respectively. Leaders ushered the bills swiftly into the House Judiciary Committee without seeking co-sponsors or holding a press conference.

Rozzis bill, House Bill 962, would eliminate the criminal statute of limitations on child sex crimes going forward; victims now must pursue criminal complaints by age 50. The bill would also raise the age limit for filing a civil claim arising out of child sexual abuse to 55, from the current age of 30.

However, Rozzis bill does not include what he and victims have long demanded: a retroactive window for victims to file civil suits even if they are beyond the statute of limitations.

Gregorys House Bill 963 calls for a constitutional amendment to the remedies clause, which would pave the way for a retroactive window for victims who have timed out of the court system. The measure is designed to address concerns that such retroactive windows are unconstitutional, an argument that has been the main sticking point of detractors in efforts to reform child sex abuse laws.

Both bills are scheduled for consideration by the judiciary committee on April 8, which could tee them up for a possible vote by the full House as soon as April 10.

Ive been working closely with House leadership and the prime sponsors to make sure that we expeditiously address the issue for the victims in Pennsylvania, looking at the best way to address the grand jury report, said House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rob Kauffman, R-Franklin County. This is the way we fashioned to move forward obviously to get the best product and move it in a speedy fashion.

Victims and advocates on Thursday were stunned about the seemingly dramatic change in strategy.

Over the years, Rozzi, a victims of clergy sex abuse, has vigorously argued and pushed in favor of a retroactive window. This time, he lets Gregorys bill deal with the retroactive provisions through a constitutional amendment.

But amending the constitution is a much longer and more arduous process. It requires identical bills to pass the House and Senate in two consecutive sessions before going to voters for ratification. So even if there is support for amending the constitution to allow for a retroactive window for victims, it will take at least three years.

Rozzis decision to drop the retroactive window from his bill has raised eyebrows.

I want to support all past goals that get us to the end game but my concern is that when you split them apart there is a lot of risk there, said Jennifer Storm, the Pennsylvania Victims Advocate. When you untangle the issues there is a lot of risk.

She said victims were reaching out to her office to voice concern and outrage.

Waiting for justice

Rozzi called the pair of proposals a win-win option.

Im thinking in the best interest of victims what would be constitutional and what would be upheld, Rozzi said. What would give public and private victims and survivors the best path forward? We cant keep doing the same things over and over and expect different results. Its not going to happen. A two-year window is not going to happen anytime soon. Why not get this moving? We can do a constitutional amendment to actually move forward and get the House and Senate onboard standing with victims.

Most lawmakers in the General Assembly have supported proposals for changing the statute of limitations for future cases.

Storm said her office is concerned that splitting off the retroactivity piece jeopardizes the chance of that ever coming to fruition.

Weve followed the lead over the years holding back for the window, waiting for the window of justice, waiting for the real deal, Storm said. This is putting us in an interesting position.

Rozzis bill would also remove sovereign immunity in civil claims, meaning that if an institution has known about child sex crimes, they would be held responsible. Last year, some lawmakers fought for provisions that would shield institutions - including the Catholic church - from liability in decades-old child sex abuse cases.

Pennsylvania last year became ground zero in the global conversation on clergy sex abuse with the release last summer of the findings of the 40th Statewide Investigating Grand Jury.

The grand jury found widespread historic sexual abuse of children at the hands of priests and the cover-up by church officials, and called for a change in the laws that determine the accessibility of the courts for victims. The scathing report found that more than 1,000 children were sexually abused in Catholic dioceses across the state over a period of seven decades.

The grand jury recommended the elimination of criminal statutes for child sex abuse and the creation of a two-year retroactive window to file civil suits.

Like Rozzi, Gregory, a freshman legislator, was also abused as a child by two peers.

Rozzi: Bills reflect reality

The proposed bills are the result of considerable behind-the-scene negotiations with leadership and an understanding of the political landscape, Rozzi said.

I dont consider this a dramatic turn, he said. I consider it an understanding of where the leaders are on this issue. For the previous 15 years between myself and [former Rep. Mike] McGeehan we have tried to pass the standard two-year window in the House and Senate and it has not been able to get across the finish line.

The House approved measures to reform child sex abuse laws last year, but the legislation stalled in the Senate over the retroactive provision.

A spokesman for Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati, R-Jefferson County, called the pair of bills interesting" and an improvement from earlier legislation, but said the senator is not ready to endorse them.

Im not at the point where I can say its acceptable, said Drew Crompton, Scarnatis chief of staff. Were to the point where we can acknowledge its better than the prior product.

He said the Senate would likely take a "wait and see approach to the process.

I don't have any sense of what the environment is in the Senate yet, Crompton said. I don't want to be too dismissive of the product because we do think it's a substantial improvement from prior drafts or prior pieces of legislation. On the other hand, we just think this process has a lot of incremental steps and we don't want to step out and endorse a product when we don't know a lot of the other moving parts."

To move forward, the proposed pieces of legislation would require the support of the General Assembly, Gov. Tom Wolf, and ostensibly Attorney General Josh Shapiro, whose office conducted the 18-month-long investigation into six Catholic dioceses.

On Thursday, Joe Grace, Shapiros spokesman, said the attorney general stood with the survivors of sexual abuse in urging the Legislature to pass the four reforms recommended by the grand jury.

Those reforms have strong support in the Legislature and would strengthen mandatory reporting laws, clarify the law on confidentiality agreements to ensure victims know they can speak with law enforcement, eliminate the criminal statute of limitations for sexual abuse, and open a window in the civil statute of limitations so victims can finally have their voices heard in court," Grace said.

Victim: Remain diligent

Shaun Dougherty, who was abused by his priest as a child, signaled a willingness to remain open-minded about the reform efforts.

The window legislation has passed our state House overwhelmingly twice, and has gone nowhere in the Senate, he said. Speaking as a victim, I look forward to exploring all resources that are available to move the window legislation forward in order to protect future generations of Pennsylvania children. We must remember that this is a long process and we, the victims, should remain diligent.

Michael McDonnell, another victim of clergy sex abuse, said a two-year window was the only remedy that would allow victims to hold accountable perpetrators and those who covered up the abuse. He added that he recognized that the process by which to reach that goal was complex and at times difficult to navigate.

Its a lot to absorb and process, said McDonnell whose abuse case came out of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. To say that this is uneasy and anxiety triggering is an understatement. However, I trust in the process and I have no reason to believe that those who have brought us this far have forgotten survivors. As it has been all along with this, more will be revealed.

Rozzi, who made the account of his abuse by his priest public 10 years ago, said he has long been waiting for this opportunity.

I think this truly is win-win, he said. The other option is doing nothing. And doing nothing is just not an option anymore. We must start this process to give victims a path forward.

Some say lawmakers ought to be talking about reform involving all sex abuse crimes. Storm said eliminating the criminal statute of limitations shouldnt apply solely to child sex crimes. She said its time to abolish the statute of limitations in sex crimes involving adults.

We strongly appreciate the degree of sexual violence that happens on college campuses and that those victims only have two years to file civil suit is unacceptable and it flies in the face of all the data and science we know about, she said.

Newly elected Sen. Katie Muth, D-Montgomery County, is circulating a co-sponsorship memo that would lift the statute of limitations for adults who were sexually abused at any age, further broadening the debate over reforming Pennsylvanias sex crime laws.

This story has been updated to include comments from McDonnell and Shapiros office. It was corrected who Rep. Gregorys abuser was.
An Allentown School District administrator accused in a lawsuit of sharing photos of minors engaged in sex acts never had the photos in the first place, according to the school districts law firm.

King, Spry, Herman, Freund & Faul issued a statement Wednesday in response to a lawsuit filed Monday in federal court by Harrison Morton Middle School assistant Principal Joseph LiCausi. In the lawsuit, LiCausi accuses District Equity Coordinator Lucretia Brown of sharing images of minors engaged in sex acts with Raub Middle School parents between November 2016 and January 2017.

The statement from the law firm disputes that claim.

Allegations of distributing pornography are a blatant distortion of an incident involving a student misconduct in which some video evidence was turned over to the police. The administrator accused never had possession of the video evidence, the statement says.

According to the lawsuit, a school resource officer reported Brown but a supervisory police official  intervened on Browns behalf to prevent charges from being filed. A spokesman for the City of Allentown and the city solicitors office have yet to respond to requests for comment on this allegation.

LiCausis lawsuit mentions a U.S. Department of Justice investigation of five cases of sexual harassment involving children ages 6 or 7 in the school district between 2006 and 2009. LiCausi claims he was mistreated in the school district because he is white and because he complained about perceived mishandling of issues such as the sexual harassment allegations.

The statement from the school districts law firm says the Department of Justice has helped make the Allentown School District more accountable in the areas LiCausi says the district is deficient.

In the last several years the Allentown School District has made tremendous strides in programs and processes to enhance diversity and comply with federal and state regulations on sexual and other harassment, the statement says. The district completely revamped its policies and procedures under the tutelage of the U.S. Department of Justice.

The district hired staff to address equity concerns and is more responsible about reporting incidents of wrongdoing, the statement says. The district has improved training on equity and harassment. A safety task force with community members has been operating for more than 10 years, the statement says.

The statement says the 418-paragraph lawsuit makes unsubstantiated and wild allegations of retaliation on the part of school district officials against LiCausi.

The school district will aggressively defend the baseless allegations of this lawsuit and will vindicate the integrity of those administrators so scurrilously attacked, it says.

The lawsuit was filed Monday in federal court by Allentown attorney Frederick Charles. He didnt immediately return a message seeking comment.

Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.
Lebanon County residents will get an opportunity to share their thoughts about whether Pennsylvania should become a state that legalizes recreational adult-use marijuana on April 10.

Lt. Gov. John Fetterman announced on Thursday the latest stops to be scheduled on his statewide tour to take the pulse of Pennsylvanians on this issue. It includes a visit to Lebanon on that Wednesday at Hebron Catering & Events Inc., starting at 6 p.m.

The lieutenant governor is using the stops on this listening tour to gather input that he will share with Gov. Tom Wolf to inform his policy-making decisions on this topic. Wolf directed Fetterman to launch the tour out of awareness of the issue gaining momentum elsewhere in the country, including in New York and New Jersey.

Views on this issue vary among state officials. Republican leaders in the GOP-controlled General Assembly oppose it, saying it is a gateway drug and a move that would exacerbate the opioid addiction crisis in the state. Fetterman is a supporter and so is Auditor General Eugene DePasquale, a Democrat, who favors regulating and taxing it to address a variety of other fiscal problems facing the state.

Already, Fetterman has visited Cumberland, Dauphin, Perry, York and Lancaster counties, along with nearly two dozen others on his way to having listening tour stops in all 67 counties. At these sessions, views on both sides of the issue have been expressed but most often the majority of attendees favor legalization.

That also was the findings in a new Franklin & Marshall College poll released today, which indicated 59 percent of voters said pot should be legal in Pennsylvania. Support for the idea was strongest among Democrats and independent voters.
This story is an updated version of an article that ran in The Patriot-News on April 7, 1999, in the aftermath of the 20th anniversary of the Three Mile Island accident. Twenty years later, it felt like an appropriate time to recall Mr. Mehlers role.

The 1986 accident at a nuclear plant in Chernobyl in the former Soviet Union left scores of deaths, lingering health problems and swaths of uninhabitable land around the site.

Three Mile Island is not Chernobyl.

For that, we may have the late Brian Mehler to thank.

Mehler, who died in 2014 at age 73, was a shift supervisor at the plant who does not show up regularly in media coverage of the accident.

But, over the years, several anti-nuclear activists and NRC investigators have singled him out as the true unsung hero of the accident at the Londonderry Township nuclear power station, or the person who made the first major correct move in response to the accident.

He stopped the accident," said Thomas M. Gerusky, who was director of the state Department of Environmental Resources Bureau of Radiation Protection at the time of the accident.

Mehler, interviewed by The Patriot-News in 1999 about his role, said he was summoned to the plant early on March 28, 1979, and arrived on scene about two hours after a malfunction tripped the Unit 2 reactor.

It was Mehler who found the failed valve that was allowing water, which was supposed to cover and cool the fuel core, to bleed out of the system. He quickly directed another worker to shut a back-up valve, stopping the leak at 6:18 a.m.

That was the most significant positive action they (TMIs operators) took during the accident," said Gerusky, who retired in 1997 from the federal Department of Energy.

Had he not figured that out, and he figured that out at a time of incredible confusion and near panic in the control room, the reactor would have no doubt proceeded to a full melt, said Paul Leventhal, a director of the U.S. Senates probe of the TMI accident.

The molten fuel would have exceeded the melting temperature of the reactor vessel... fallen into the floor of the containment building where all this water was, there would have been steam explosions and containment would have ruptured, and radioactive poison would have been spewing forth, said Leventhal, who went on to become president of the Washington D.C.-based Nuclear Control Institute.

Leventhals doomsday scenario, it should be noted, is not accepted by everyone.

Many experts believe the reactor vessel in Unit 2s containment building would have held the molten fuel, and the steam explosions would never have occurred.

From the NRCs special inquiry report:

The most likely probability is that the reactor building would have survived in this accident scenario (a full meltdown), and the vast majority of the radioactive material released from the fuel would have been retained within the building, not released to the surrounding environment.

Thanks to Mehler, however, no one had to find out.

Mehler was among the first workers accepted for training to run the nuclear plant, which began producing power from the Unit 1 reactor in December 1974. Unit 2 went on line in December 1978.

"The opportunities were down at the island, and I was getting in at the initial ground floor, said Mehler, who had been working for TMI owner Metropolitan Edison Inc. at its Crawford Generating Station, a now-defunct coal-fired power plant in Middletown.

By March 1979, Mehler was a supervisor, and unwittingly, headed toward the vortex of what is now acknowledged to be the worst commercial nuclear accident in American history.

Hes now enjoying retirement and his grandchildren at his North Londonderry Township, Lebanon County home.

The unsung label fits Mehler well. Hes avoided talking publicly about the accident until now.

The only interviews I did were the ones I had to give - the investigations, he said.

Mehler said his reticence stemmed, in part, from his distaste for how others were telling the TMI story.

He seethes at what he saw as unfair characterizations of the training and dedication of TMI workers. He bristles at descriptions of a near panic in the control room.

I didnt sense panic or anything like that, Mehler said. "There was concern. They couldnt comprehend what was going on... What really occurred during the accident was altogether different than what the training had showed us.'

Mehler said his discovery of the failed valve was more a result of paying attention to details than anything else.

Once he determined the relief valve was open, Mehler concedes, he thought the worst was over. However, operators didnt know then that as much as one-third of the water had bled from the cooling system.

Before he could get a crew together to arrange an entry into the reactor building, on-site radiation alarms sounded, and it became clear that mornings hiccup was more serious than anyone realized.

in the days to follow, it would take a collaborative effort of some of the best minds in industry, government and academia to ease the crisis. But it was Mehlers discovery that preserved the platform from which they could do that.

Asked about Mehlers role, a GPU Nuclear spokesman said the company has never songled out the actions of a specific worker during the accident.

Everyone who responded to the accident was focused on what they needed to do at the time, Dave Carl said.

For Mehler, the weeks and months after the crisis were worse than the accident itself, what with the finger-pointing, recriminations and lampooning of nearly everyone associated with TMI.

Prior to the accident, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission thought we were one of the best plants in the country, and overnight we became the worst, he said.

Mehler, whose last job was managing the monitoring program for the now-closed Unit 2 reactor, is convinced TMIs crew did as well as it could with what they knew at the time.

This spring, he couldnt help but pay attention to coverage of the TMI anniversary, just to see what other people had to say... to see if their recollections were correct.

He is bemused by the hero tag.

If the cooling system went empty, I dont know what would have happened, he said. "My gut feeling is that the vessel could have held it... Im not sure that there would have been any (further) release (of radiation) to the public."

Mehler has his own ideas about who the real heroes were that day.

I think everybody who was there that morning (are heroes)... Some of the people that were made out to be the goats stepped in and responded when nobody else wanted to.
A majority of Pennsylvanians say it should be legal to buy marijuana for recreational purposes, according to the new Franklin & Marshall College poll.

The poll, which was released this morning, found 59 percent of voters said pot should be legal in Pennsylvania. The findings underscore a remarkable shift in public opinion on marijuana in a little more than a decade. In 2006, only 22 percent of registered voters supported legalizing marijuana, said G. Terry Madonna, the F&M polls director.

Support is strongest among younger voters, with 80 percent of those under 35 saying pot should be legal.

Millennials are all in on it, said Madonna, a professor of political science at F&M.

While the poll found a majority supports legalizing marijuana, its not necessarily a front-burner issue for many Pennsylvanians. Only 5 percent of voters said its the top priority for Pennsylvania.

Gov. Tom Wolf has said Pennsylvania should explore the idea of making marijuana legal.

To that end, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman has undertaken a listening tour across the commonwealth to gauge public opinion on the issue. Many of the events, including those in Harrisburg and around central Pennsylvania, have found broad support for allowing legal sales of pot.

Plenty of opposition remains in the Republican-led General Assembly. Many in the Legislature have said they dont support legalizing marijuana, with some voicing concerns that pot serves as a gateway drug to other narcotics, including heroin.

Other states are considering measures to allow sales of marijuana. In New Jersey, a bill to allow adults over 21 to buy pot seemed poised for passage but the measure failed to garner enough support.

Ten states and the District of Columbia allow sales of small amounts of pot for recreational use.

Other key findings

The F&M poll also covered a host of other issues. Some highlights:

Minimum wage

More than two in three voters (69 percent) said the minimum wage should rise from $7.25 per hour to $12 per hour.

President Trump

Just over one in three voters (36 percent) say Trump deserves re-election, while 61 percent say it is time for a change. Madonna noted that former President Barack Obama had similarly low numbers in 2011, but he went on to capture the Keystone State on his way to winning re-election in 2012.

You cant rule out the idea that Trump can carry Pennsylvania, Madonna said.

Gov. Tom Wolf

So far, theres no indication of buyers remorse as Wolf begins his second term. More than half of registered voters in Pennsylvania (51 percent) said Wolf is doing an excellent or good job.

In addition, 49 percent said Pennsylvania is headed in the right direction, the poll found.

Climate change: About two out of three voters (67 percent) said climate change is causing problems, while 68 percent of those surveyed said the state should do more to combat climate change.

About the poll

The F&M poll surveyed 540 registered voters from March 18-24. The margin of error is 5.5 percent.
It has been almost 18 years since Ronald Harshman was convicted of killing his wifes lover, Melvin Snyder. Even longer since Snyder was last seen alive.

But on Tuesday, U.S. District Court Chief Judge Christopher C. Conner ruled that Harshmans Franklin County conviction be vacated due to an evidentiary violation that occurred during Harshmans trial.

Snyder disappeared in 1985, and was formally declared dead in 1993. Several years later, Harshman was charged in connection Snyders disappearance. A jury convicted Snyder of first degree murder in the case in 2001.

Snyders body was never found.

Judge Conner ordered that Harshman, 69, be retried in the case within 90 days or be released.

Franklin County District Attorney Matt Fogal gave a statement via email on Wednesday: The District Attorneys Office is analyzing the current state of the evidence and will proceed forward as appropriate.

Snyders disappearance

Harshman became an early suspect in Snyders 1985 appearance, due to Harshmans wife Teresa engaging in an affair with Snyder the year prior, according to court documents. The two couples lived in Franklin County, and Snyder and Harshman worked together at Grover manufacturing in Shady Grove.

In June 1984, Harshman crashed his vehicle into Snyders vehicle and fired two shots into it, according to court documents.

Snyder was not hurt at the time, but was quite distressed by the confrontation, court records show. Harshman was charged in the case, but Snyder ultimately convinced the state to withdraw the charges.

Harshmans wife filed for divorce in March of 1985, and three days later Harshman bought a .25 caliber handgun, according to court documents.

During 1984 and 1985, Harshman made threats against Snyder to Snyders wife and son, court records show.

On Mary 25, 1985, Snyder disappeared, court records show. Snyders pickup truck was found two days later in Maryland, with a loaded rifle in the back, keys in the ignition, and the windows rolled down.

His wallet and checkbook were in the car, and had been wiped clean of fingerprints, according to court documents.

Investigators searched Snyders barn and found signs of a disturbance. Court records show a single .25 caliber shell casing was found in the barn and turned over to state police because there was no record of Snyder owning a .25 caliber gun.

Court documents state the day of Snyders disappearance, neighbors witnessed a truck matching Harshmans truck parked next to the Snyders barn.

In June 1985, police searching Harshmans house found a partially empty container of .25 caliber ammunition, but Harshman was never able to produce his gun for investigators, according to court documents.

After Snyder disappeared and was officially declared dead, the case went cold for several years. In 1999, then Franklin County District Attorney Jack Nelson ordered a search of the farm where Harshman lived at the time of Snyders disappearance. A single .25 caliber shell casing was found buried one inch underground on the property.

A forensic examination of the casing found that it was shot from the same gun that fired the casings investigators previously found on Snyders property 14 years earlier.

Harshman was arrested in 2000, and tried by jury in 2001. It was during the trial that federal courts say the problems began.

Evidentiary issues

The evidence that the federal courts cited as the cause for vacating Harshmans conviction were testimonies from inmates who were housed in Franklin County Jail alongside Harshman. Each inmate discussed comments Harshman made that were either full admittances to the killing or references to the killing, according to court documents.

Judge Conner said the testimonies were improperly used during the trial, in what is called a Brady violation.

Court records state the government must disclose to a criminal defendant any evidence in its possession that is favorable to the defendant and material to guilt or punishment.

Conner cited several pieces of supporting evidence that these testimonies from fellow inmates were give in exchange for favors such as getting out of prison early or helping out someone, at the inmates request.

However, during trial, Nelson and the inmates denied that there were any deals made with them, according to court documents. This meant Harshmans attorney could not question these inmates on the effect these favors were having on their testimonies.

During the course of several years of appeals and post conviction relief efforts, one of those inmates fully recanted his testimony, while another refused to say anything despite evidence showing Nelson wrote letters to the parole board on his behalf.

Not only did the commonwealth not disclose these deals" Conner said, but the Nelson also emphasized how deals were not in effect to validate the inmate testimonies during the trial.

Because of the lack of disclosure, Conner ruled that there was a reasonable probability that if the defense did know this and brought it up at trial, the result of the trial could have changed.

The evidence from the start of the case while not insubstantial, is far from overwhelming," Conner wrote in his decision.

In the end, Conner said the commonwealth violated Harshmans right to due process by failing to disclose the material evidence in its possession, and had to vacate Harshmans sentence.
Pennsylvania on Wednesday put $15 million toward a new program to help people trying to recover from opioid addiction find places to live and connect with related supports.

Under the pilot program, the $15 million will be spread out among 16 organizations in counties which have some of the highest rates of people addicted to opioids and fatal overdoses. In applying for the funds, the organizations had to explain how they will use the money to help people find housing, stay in treatment and strive for self sufficiency.

In the Harrisburg region, Family Health Council of Central Pa. won a grant to participate in the program.

The $15 million is federal money from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The state estimates the program will help 2,200 people.

Tara Breitsprecher, Pennsylvanias deputy secretary of policy and planning, said the program is designed to address the fact that lack of housing is one of the most common obstacles faced by people trying to recover from opioid addiction.

She further said its designed to give organizations flexibility to come up with localized solutions, based on local need and what other local resources are available to address housing instability of people trying to recover from opioid addiction.

She said the grant money can be used for things including caseworkers to help people connect with housing programs and sources of funding, and in some cases to temporarily cover rent. It also can fund caseworkers to connect people to things such as food stamps or child care than can help them become self sufficient.

The funding was released to the organizations on Wednesday. State officials said they would soon release contact information for the organizations.
Pennsylvanias first new law of 2019 is a government reform measure that broadens the list of crimes that can cost public officials and employees their pensions.

Gov. Tom Wolf on Thursday signed into law a bill that cuts off pension benefits from elected officials as well as public employees who commit a job-related felony offense or one punishable by more than five years in prison. It takes effect immediately although the courts have 60 days to get a system in place to notify the pension system for cases where a forfeiture is to occur.

I commend the General Assembly for taking this first step towards greater ethics reform in state government. I look forward to continued progress in this area. Its frustrating when we know someone has committed a serious crime, but we still have to pay them a pension using taxpayer money. Thats just not fair to honest, hardworking Pennsylvanians, Wolf said in a statement. Closing this loophole is an important step in ensuring public officials and employees who betray the people of Pennsylvania are held accountable.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. John DiSanto, R-Dauphin County, requires the pension forfeiture to occur regardless of whether the official or employee is convicted, pleads guilty, or no contest to a forfeiture crime. This addresses a loophole that allowed individuals charged with a forfeiture crime to dodge the forfeiture law by pleading guilty to a non-forfeiture crime that allowed them to keep their pension.

Further, it calls for the forfeiture to take effect on the day the official or employee pleads guilty or no contest or is found guilty. Up until now, as a result of a court interpretation of the law, the forfeiture didnt occur until the person was sentenced, which sometimes can occur months after guilt is found or admitted or a no contest is entered.

With the enactment of SB 113 as Act 1 of 2019, we are putting elected officials and public employees on notice that they will no longer be able to abuse their power and walk away with a lifetime taxpayer-funded pension, DiSanto said in a statement.

This legislation ensures felons face a financial penalty for violating the public trust and helps restore peoples faith in our government institutions. I thank the governor and my colleagues in the general assembly for their support of this commonsense legislation and look forward to advancing further government reforms on behalf of the citizens of Pennsylvania.

The driving force behind DiSantos bill was a decision made by the State Employees Retirement System board in 2017 to restore the $245,000 a year pension of former longtime state Sen. Bob Mellow of Lackawanna County. Mellow regained his pension despite his guilty plea and serving prison time on federal conspiracy charges - which until now wasnt regarded as a non-pension forfeiture crime.

This bill broadens that forfeiture crimes to include federal offenses relating to fraud or a crime that occurs in another state that is substantially the same as a forfeiture crime that occurs in the commonwealth.

Among the crimes that the law previously listed as forfeiture crimes include tampering with evidence, theft, forgery, and false reports to law enforcement, among others.

Rep. Frank Farry, R-Bucks County, who chairs the House Ethics Committee and sponsored a similar bill to DiSantos, credited a former colleague, Scott Petri, who was the first to call for this change in the pension forfeiture act to stop corrupt public officials from receiving taxpayer-supported pensions.

"Unfortunately, Pennsylvania has a long history of public corruption. I was pleased to be able to continue Rep. Petris efforts to make sure our laws do not allow offenders to evade the consequences of their crimes, Farry said in the statement.
In 1953, when he was 15, Joseph Ligon participated in a killing spree in Philadelphia.

Two of the eight people he robbed and stabbed died. Ten months after his arrest, Ligon pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Ligon became eligible for immediate parole in 2017, however, the beneficiary of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling issued five years earlier that declared life without parole sentences unconstitutional for juvenile murderers.

At the time, Ligon, then 80, was the oldest living juvenile lifer in the world.

On Thursday, a state Superior Court panel decided that Ligon, who served 64 years behind bars, has received all the legal breaks he should get.

In an opinion by Judge Mary Jane Bowes, the state court rejected Ligons argument that his new sentences of 35 years to life in prison  those same resentencings that should set him free  should also be deemed illegal.

Ligon argued that the U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Miller v Alabama, should be interpreted as barring Pennsylvania courts from imposing a life tail during the resentencing of juvenile murderers. That tail allows the state parole board to revoke their paroles and yank them back to prison if they commit more crimes of otherwise violate the terms of their release. That possibility hovers over juvenile lifers for the rest of their lives.

Bowes noted that the life sentencing tail for juvenile lifers is supported by rulings from the state Supreme Court, which requires that sentence be imposed. She rejected Ligons claim that the life tail violates the Miller ruling. Ligon argued that because of the life tail, the parole board could choose to deny a rehabilitated inmate parole indefinitely."

Ligons intimation that the Pennsylvania Board of Parole cannot be trusted to do its job in a fair and equitable fashion is without support, Bowes countered.

The U.S. Supreme Courts ruling didnt guarantee juvenile lifers parole, she found, but merely made them eligible for consideration for freedom if they can show they have reformed. There is no requirement that juvenile murderers must be released at some point regardless of their fitness to rejoin society, Bowes wrote.

The Miller decision properly leaves the ultimate decision of when a defendant will be released to the parole board, she concluded.
A new poll shows Pennsylvanians are split on how to bail out the states flagging nuclear power industry as the state Legislature mulls the issue.

Fifty-five percent of 540 registered voters told Franklin & Marshall pollsters that nuclear should remain part of the states long-term energy strategy  a significant figure on this, the 40th anniversary of the partial meltdown of Three Mile Island, which turned many Americans against the energy source.

Another 32 percent of respondents opposed nuclear power while 14 percent remained neutral.

Respondents were more mixed when it came to a legislative proposal that would add nuclear to a law requiring electric utilities to buy a set amount of their power from sources that include solar, wind, hydropower and geothermal energy. Half supported the idea compared to 37 percent who opposed it.

The poll also showed a great deal of uncertainty among voters about nuclear power environmental benefits, safety and current standing in the pantheon of fuel sources.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, nuclear power represented 23 percent of all the energy consumed statewide as of 2016, the most recent full data set available. About a quarter of respondents correctly guessed the correct range when asked by pollsters while half didnt know.

That rate of consumption dwarfs all other renewables combined, something 54 percent of respondents correctly guessed when asked by pollsters.

Thirty-seven percent of respondents believe antural gas is the most environmental friendly energy source when their responses were limited to coal, natural gas and nuclear power. Coal and natural gas emit greenhouse gases that cause climate change while the country still has no permanent repository for nuclear waste. Even so, 35 percent of respondents offered another alternative rather than choose between the three. Twenty percent chose nuclear while 2 percent chose coal.

Once again, 35 percent of respondents offered another alternative when asked about the safety of coal, natural gas and nuclear power. Thirty-one percent settled on natural gas compared to 13 percent for nuclear and 10 percent for coal.

Wallace McKelvey may be reached at wmckelvey@pennlive.com. Follow him on Twitter @wjmckelvey. Find PennLive on Facebook and YouTube.

Read the TAPPED OUT special investigation of drinking water.
A vigil was held outside the Three Mile Island nuclear plant in Londonderry Township to observe the 40th anniversary of the accident that caused a near meltdown at the plant.

The timing of the vigil coincides with the approximate time of the accident.

At the end of the vigil, activist Gene Stilp crossed the yellow line that marks the boundary of the plant property, and was arrested by state troopers.

An equipment failure and operator errors led to partial core meltdown at the plant's Unit 2 reactor at around 4 a.m. on March 28, 1979.

This was the most serious accident in U.S. commercial nuclear power plant operating history.

Its aftermath brought about sweeping changes involving emergency response planning, reactor operator training, human factors engineering, radiation protection, and many other areas of nuclear power plant operations.

Today, the TMI-2 reactor is permanently shut down and all its fuel had been removed. The reactor coolant system is fully drained and the radioactive water decontaminated and evaporated.

The accidents radioactive waste was shipped off-site to a disposal area, and the reactor fuel and core debris was shipped to the Department of Energys Idaho National Laboratory.
Three Mile Island wasnt just a nuclear accident. It was a public relations debacle.

The power company, GPU's Metropolitan Edison, does not employ a single communications professional. Thus, there is no one within the company to ensure that information released to government officials and the public is accurate, consistent and understandable.

As a result, company, plant operators and government leaders at every level often arent on the same page in their statements to the public. Even when they are, their rhetorical attempts to minimize the ongoing public threat of the TMI accident arent accepted as credible.

The mixed messaging is so bad it eventually gives rise to a whole new public relations field  crisis communications.

But during the crisis, the many mixed singles and outright falsehoods trigger public mistrust, prompting an estimated 80,000 to 150,000 residents to pack up and leave with their families and just a few possessions.

Though no general evacuation order is ever given during the course of the crisis, the exodus escalates as the misinformation mounts.

Relive every tense twist and turn in the days long crisis by listening to Three Mile Island As It Happened: Partial Meltdown, Chaotic Response.

Part Two of the podcast series is here, click to begin listening now:

Part One: The crisis begins as central Pa. sleeps

Part Three: Central Pa. on precipice as president pays a visit

The three-part podcast series was specially produced for the 40th anniversary of the TMI disaster as part of a collaboration between PA Post, WITF and PennLive.

Your host is Tim Lambert of WITF. The series was written by John Luciew of PennLive. And the podcast was sound-designed and mixed by WITF editor Mitch Mathias.

Listen here to Parts One and Three.

See how the podcast series was produced in this behind-the-scenes video:
After reportedly raping a woman in a public park in Lancaster County, a Columbia man faces a half dozen criminal charges including felonies.

Todd M. Lingafelt Jr. met the woman through an online messaging app, and the assault occurred after she agreed to an in-person meeting at Park City Center in 2010, police said.

Last month, the woman visited the Lancaster police station, telling officers she had first spoken with Lingafelt through the social media app MeetMe, police said.

The woman agreed to meet Lingafelt at the Park City Center food court, and from the food court, they eventually walked to nearby Longs Park, police said.

When they were in the park, Lingafelt reached out and touched one of the womans breasts, and she told him that she didnt want him to touch her there, police said.

In a criminal complaint filed Tuesday, Lancaster police said Lingafelt initially apologized for touching the woman.

He told her that he was sorry, police said. It was because she was so pretty.

Lingafelt then continued to assault the woman, police said, reporting that he pulled down her pants, grabbed her from behind and dug his fingernails into her chest.

Lingafelt then raped the woman, police said.

Police said the woman cried and told Lingafelt no" during the assault.

Lingafelt told the woman to relax so it will stop hurting, according to police.

Police said they spoke with several people who the woman disclosed the assault to, and they saw scars on the womans chest where Lingafelt reportedly dug his fingernails into her.

Online court documents show that Lingafelt faces felony charges of rape by forcible compulsion and sexual assault, as well as two counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse by forcible compulsion.

He also faces misdemeanor charges of indecent assault without consent and simple assault.

Lingafelt was arraigned on his charges Wednesday morning before Magisterial District Judge Jodie E. Richardson.

He is to appear for a preliminary hearing at 9 a.m. April 10 before Magisterial District Judge Mary Mongiovi Sponaugle.
WOOLRICH  Woolrich no longer manufactures anything in the Clinton County village that bears its name, but the company is thriving, an executive says.

Manufacturing ceased at the end of 2018 when the oldest continuously operating vertical woolen mill in the United States shut down.

Except for the mill closing, nothing has changed, said Nicholas P. Brayton, president of Woolrich Inc., the American and Canadian subsidiary of Woolrich International thats now based in the United Kingdom.

Approximately 55 people are employed at Woolrich, which remains the headquarters for the subsidiary along with support facilities including legal, customer relations, catalogue sales and direct to consumer operations, he said.

The Woolrich Store remains open as does the distribution center near Jersey Shore, he said.

The sale of Woolrichs former water bottling facility, a warehouse and distribution center, all of which have been vacant for years, is pending, Brayton said.

The privately held company has opened a showroom in New York City where wholesale customers can view Woolrich products, he said.

A larger retail store is being opened in the Big Apple to replace a smaller one, he said.

Although audited results for 2018 are not yet available, Brayton said sales topped $200 million, an increase over 2017.

Nearly 40 workers were furloughed when the mill, which he said had been losing money for some time, closed. The manufacture of blankets has been outsourced.

Brayton, a descendant of the Rich family that founded Woolrich in 1840, said he still has hopes the new majority owners will want to modernize the mill on reopen it.

L-GAM Advisers, an investment company based in Luxembourg, last year bought the majority interest in Woolrich from W.P.Lavoi of Italy.

Less than 10 percent of the company remains owned by descendants of the Rich family, Brayton said.

Goldwin, a Japanese outdoor retailer that acquired a minority stake in 2017, remains a key investor, he said.
Thomas William Lewis, 97, passed away peacefully on March 2, 2019, in Petersburg, Alaska. Tom was born October 26, 1921 in Foster, Oregon, the son of Thomas Leroy Lewis and Bessie Olive Clark, and the oldest of four children. His two sisters, Myrtle and Irene, preceded him. His younger half- brother, Denny, lives in Sweet Home, Oregon.

He graduated from the 8th grade in Sweet Home and went to work in the logging industry. He had a cousin, Glenn, whom he used to hang out with that introduced him to his ever-ready pendulum. He believed in its helpfulness in matters of life up to the time of his death.

When WWII broke out in Pearl Harbor in December, 1941, he and 16 other Sweet Home youths joined the Navy in January, 1942. Tom is the last of those local heroes to pass. He volunteered for Patrol Torpedo boat duty and was stationed in Guadalcanal in the South Pacific. He served principally as a motor machinist on a 78' Higgins PT 268, but PT boat crews were trained to proficiently man each and every position on their boat. He mustered out in October, 1945. In 2014, he accompanied other Alaskan veterans on a sponsored Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. to visit the war memorials. These deserving veterans were honored for their service and Tom was humbled and proud of that recognition.

In 45 he returned to the logging industry and firefighting on the Oregon Coast. His marriage ended, and leaving his two children, Leroy and Sharon, he headed to Petersburg, Alaska in 1953 to pursue new logging opportunities. His son, Leroy passed in 1981 from cancer. His daughter, Sharon, lives in Bend, Oregon, and thoroughly enjoyed regular visits to Petersburg during the past 11 years.

He met Mildred Sandvik and they married in 1955. She had 3 sons, Bob, Steve & Ted, who now live in Alaska and Washington. Together, they had one son, Tommy. He passed in 2008. He also leaves behind 11 grandchildren and 12 (soon to be 13) great grandchildren.

When his health would not let him continue in logging, he began trapping, commercial fishing and panning for gold. In 1966, he started working for the Alaska Marine Highway system as an engineer and retired 20 years later in 1986.

He and Mildred then enjoyed traveling to California, Oregon and throughout Alaska, visiting his daughter, his sons and his grand & great grandchildren. They loved hunting, camping up in the interior, fishing for grayling and visiting longtime friends in the Tok area.

He collected a lot of diamond willow and enjoyed making coffee mug trees, carving names, fans and balls with chains out of solid pieces of wood, and could whittle flowers out of sticks. He continued this hobby until this past year when he got "trigger finger" and could no longer manipulate the carving knife. He would scout the area for blueberries and cranberries, which he loved to pick and add to his baking recipes. He has shared several of his favorite spots with friends in Petersburg.

In 2007, Mildred's health required she enter the local long-term care facility. Tom became a daily regular there, visiting Mildred and developing very strong feelings for the staff and the "inmates" as he lovingly called them. Even after Mildred passed in 2009, Tom continued to bake and deliver desserts every Monday until January of this year.

Tom's presence will be missed by many of the town residents. His stories were endless, his memory of events was appreciated by many, his humor and sayings will be remembered for years to come. When asked how he was feeling, he would reply, "better than a dead horse".

He affectionately referred to the wonderful physical therapists at the hospital as "the terrorists". He wondered why people would say "you're looking good, rather than saying "you're good looking"! He would sing his "ditty" songs learned in the Navy, and he was quite a dancer. Not only his humor, but his apple pies will truly be missed. When taking them to the Alaska Pioneers meetings, many would get a piece of pie with their meal fearing there wouldn't be any left at dessert time. His kelp relish was the secret ingredient in his delicious potato salad.

His stamina was amazing. He would be invited out to dinner and he would more than likely be one of the last people to leave; he never tired of chatting and sharing stories with the guests.

Tom Lewis, with his cap cocked on his head, with his red suspenders and his diamond willow cane, was a Tough Old Bird, as Old Doc Smith wrote on his chart one time. He will be sorely missed by his many close friends and by his loving daughter and his family. But he will always be with us, just lacking his hugs, his memory will live on.

And if you listen, you might continue hearing him say, "No Problem", in his quiet easy manner.

Please join us May 11th, 2019 from noon on at the "New" Beachcomber to help us celebrate his life and to share your stories and memories of Tom Lewis.
Turnover sink Petoskey in Saturday matchup with Menominee

PETOSKEY  The early portion of the season always comes with lessons and learning curves, some of which are learned the hard way.
In this photo taken with a fish-eye lens, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 airplane sits on the assembly line during a brief media tour in Boeing's 737 assembly facility, Wednesday, March 27, 2019, in Renton, Wash. The Federal Aviation Administration plans to revamp oversight of airplane development after the two deadly crashes of Boeing's new 737 Max 8 airplane, according to testimony prepared for a Capitol Hill hearing on Wednesday. Read more

(Bloomberg)  Boeing Co. was agonizingly close to a software fix for its 737 Max jetliner when an Ethiopian Airlines jet plunged to the ground March 10, the second deadly crash in less than five months.

The U.S. planemaker, working with regulators, has spent months refining the feature since flight data from the October crash of a Lion Air jet in Indonesia indicated that the flight-control system had repeatedly tipped the nose down before pilots lost control. The upgrade proved more complicated than the manufacturer initially estimated, according to a Boeing executive.

Among the challenges for Boeing flight-control engineers is girding against unknown, unknowns, the random and unlikely circumstances that could cause the so-called MCAS software to again overwhelm pilots, said Mike Sinnett, a Boeing vice president of product strategy and development. The updated system will never command more pressure on a stabilizer than pilots can counteract by pulling back on the control column, he said.

Pilots will always have the ability to override MCAS and manually control the airplane, Sinnett told reporters Wednesday. He spoke at a briefing near the Renton, Washington, factory where Boeing manufactures the Max, its all-time best-selling jetliner.

The Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System has emerged as a focus for investigators in both crashes, which killed a combined 346 people. U.S. lawmakers are probing how the system, activated without pilots knowledge by a single sensor reading, came to be approved on the Max.

Boeing intends to present U.S. regulators with the final documents for certification later this week, the last step in a process the company outlined for the Federal Aviation Administration on Jan. 21. Boeing will also have to convince skeptical regulators in Canada, Europe, China and elsewhere of the systems safety.

The shares rose 1 percent to $374.21 at the close in New York, erasing losses earlier in the session. Boeing has lost $27.5 billion in market value since the crash in Ethiopia.

Certification Process

Once the manufacturer has clearance from regulators, the plane could resume flying within days. The software patch takes about an hour to download, while airlines will also need to retrain pilots using new materials the company has refined.

Boeing has launched a communications blitz to restore confidence in the Max, the revamped version of its workhorse single-aisle jet, which has been deeply tarnished by the crashes less than two years after the planes debut. The company has been meeting with airlines and regulators worldwide, and it held detailed briefings for reporters and 200 pilots and industry officials on Wednesday.

The redesign, intended to prevent MCAS from deploying in normal flight, has gone through months of testing, starting with hundreds of hours of desktop simulation, Sinnett said.

Then it was tried out on hardware in a laboratory, on fixed-base simulators and then through ground and flight tests. Production aircraft, deliveries of which have been halted by the global grounding, have been flying the new version of the software for a couple weeks now, he said.

Added Safety

Before the crash in Ethiopia, Max operators including Southwest Airlines Co. had gotten wind that the long-awaited software change was in the works, without having received details.

Southwest, the largest operator of the 737 Max, said it was encouraged by Boeings proposal now. The planned software update appears to add yet another layer of safety to the aircrafts operation, Bob Waltz, Southwests chief pilot, said in a statement.

American Airlines Group Inc., the worlds largest carrier, also welcomed the changes.

We were confident flying the aircraft in its present state, said Roddy Guthrie, 737 fleet captain at American, who was at the Boeing briefings and has flown a simulator with the MCAS update. What was explained to us today in detail are significant enhancements to the system.

The improvements were needed. Theyve put some checks and balances in the system now that will make the system much better.

The update will compare readings from two angle-of-attack sensors, which measure the angle of a planes nose against onrushing wind. If they disagree by 5.5 degrees, MCAS wont activate, Sinnett said. The company also plans to activate a small indicator on a cockpit dashboard that shows when the sensors have different readings.

Boeing is also changing the way pilots train for the system. The flight-crew operations manual will describe the speed trim system that has been used on the 737 Next Generation family along with MCAS. Pilots will gain more training via a tablet, including a test.

But Boeing still doesnt see a need to require that pilots spend time in a flight simulator. When MCAS is operating properly, the 737 NG and Max fly identically. No simulator training is required because handling quality is considered identical, the company said.

(Updates with American Airlines pilot comment in 14th paragraph.)

To contact the reporters on this story: Julie Johnsson in Chicago at jjohnsson@bloomberg.net;Mary Schlangenstein in Dallas at maryc.s@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Brendan Case at bcase4@bloomberg.net, Tony Robinson

2019 Bloomberg L.P.
Wawa CEO Chris Gheysens kicks off the festivities at the company's newest store at 901 South Street. Read more

Customers going to Wawas newest store at 901 South St. on Thursday got to try the Broad Street Meatball hoagie recipe created by award-winning chefs Michael Solomonov and Steve Cook of Zahav, and Wawas chef Farley Kaiser.

This preview ahead of an April fund-raiser was part of Wawas grand opening at the South Street location, which also features free coffee all day.

The chefs created the new recipe by first putting garlic aioli and provolone cheese on an Amoroso roll and toasting it to basically make a cheesy garlic toast, Kaiser said at the event. Then they loaded the roll with meatballs in marinara, a little bit of hot chili pepper relish, and a dusting of grated Parmesan.

Were just a convenience store, but when you have James Beard award-winning chefs and restaurants, that those folks that have created them are here and have a collaboration with us, that makes us feel super special, Wawa CEO Chris Gheysens said at the grand opening. And this new item will help benefit a wonderful cause here in the city."

This item will be available Monday in Center City stores, and proceeds up to $10,000 will go to the Broad Street Ministry, a church and social-services agency that helps people experiencing homelessness and those in poverty. Wawa also recently completed an eight-week campaign in 14 stores raising funds for those experiencing homelessness and presented a $25,000 check Thursday to Project HOME, a nonprofit dedicated to helping this population.

Sister Mary Scullion, the nonprofits co-founder and executive director, said that the funds raised through this in-store campaign will support the Maguire Residence in Kensington.

Bob Spena, 72, a retired pastry chef, tried a sample of the new meatball sandwich. He dubbed it very good, and said he would get it again. As a motorcyclist, he said, he goes out of his way while on the road to stop at Wawa when he needs gas or something to eat and drink.

Im a dedicated Wawa guy. I love Wawa, he said. They make a good sandwich at a good price. Thats the bottom line."

On the Hoagies for Hope campaign, Wawa is partnering with the Rooster, one of Solomonov and Cooks restaurants, which has donated 100 percent of its profits to the Broad Street Ministry since opening in 2017. A ceremonial hoagie was built Thursday by Kaiser, Solomonov and Cook.

Were good Philadelphians," Solomonov said before the ceremonial building of the Broad Street Meatball hoagie. "Why would we not want to work with Wawa? Its the best thing ever.

Wawa is one of Cooks favorite restaurants in the city, he said.

To be associated with an institution like Wawa is an honor and almost like a sign that we sort of made it, Cook said.

This is the chains sixth store to open in 2019, a year in which Wawa is planning a record 63 new stores while remodeling 59 others in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida, and Washington. Wawa, which has more than 800 convenience retail stores with more than 600 offering gasoline, also recently launched catering services in Philadelphia.

Rashika Kaushik, 26, of Center City, was eating a Sizzli breakfast sandwich of sausage, egg and cheese on a croissant and an iced coffee Thursday morning. She came to this Wawa specifically to see the grand opening.

This is my dream come true. To be interviewed about Wawa for the Inquirer is the most Philadelphia thing, she said. Kaushik then remarked that when getting iced coffee, you just push on the machine and the coffee just fills your soul.

Her friend Ramon Lee, 29, lives across the street from the new Wawa and joined her in eating Sizzlis on Thursday morning. He noticed the store had bananas in it a couple days ago and thought that meant it was opening soon and he wanted to be there.

Ive been to Sixers draft parties, Ive been to games," Lee said. But this is truly the most Philly thing Ive ever been part of.
FILE- This April 23, 2018, file photo shows the logo for Verizon above a trading post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Verizon started rolling out a free service on Thursday to help wireless customers combat robocalls. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File) Read more

Verizon started rolling out a free service on Thursday to help wireless customers combat robocalls.

The wireless carrier also announced it has begun deploying technology on its network that verifies calls are authentic and not from fraudsters.

The free version of Call Filter allows Verizon customers to receive alerts when a call is likely spam, automatically block robocalls based on a preferred level of risk, and report unsolicited numbers, Verizon said.

Verizon offers a paid version of Call Filter that can identify unknown callers by name, among other additional features, for $2.99 per month.

The service is available to all postpaid wireless customers with a compatible device, though it could take about three weeks before its available to all customers with devices that qualify, a spokesperson said. Verizon customers can enroll here or through the Call Filter app, which is pre-loaded on most Android phones and some Blackberry devices, and can be downloaded on iPhones in the Apple App Store.

The rapid rise of robocalls has been driven in part by caller ID spoofing," in which scammers place calls that appear to come from local numbers or legitimate businesses. Nearly half of all mobile calls this year will come from scammers, according to First Orion, an Arkansas-based call management company.

Verizon also announced that is has begun deploying technology that lets consumers know that incoming calls are actually from the owner of the number listed on a caller ID.

The technology is called STIR/SHAKEN, which stands for the Secure Telephone Identity Revisited (STIR) and for Signature-based Handling of Asserted information using toKENs (SHAKEN), and is a protocol for authenticating phone calls.

In January, T-Mobile announced that it was the first carrier to implement the call authentication system.

Last week, AT&T and Comcast said that they expect to authenticate customer calls later this year.
Tim Sloan, former president and chief executive officer of Wells Fargo & Co. Bloomberg photo by David Paul Morris Read more

(Bloomberg)  Wells Fargo & Co. Chief Executive Officer Tim Sloan stepped down effective immediately, succumbing to mounting pressure over the lenders scandals, and will be replaced on an interim basis by the banks general counsel, C. Allen Parker.

The bank is launching an external search for its next CEO and president, the company said in a statement Thursday. Sloan, 58, spent more than 31 years at the San Francisco-based lender, rising to CEO after scandals began erupting in 2016. He now plans to retire at the end of June. The stock climbed in after-hours trading.

Sloan has long faced calls for his ouster from critics including Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democratic candidate for president. Theyve said a longtime insider couldnt be counted on to clean up scandals across its branch network and other divisions. The board had reiterated its support for Sloan as recently as last week.

Tim Sloan has served this company with pride and dedication for more than 31 years, the boards chair, Betsy Duke, said in the statement. He has worked tirelessly over this period for all of our stakeholders in the best long-term interest of Wells Fargo. His decision, and todays announcement, reflect that commitment and his belief that a new CEO at this time will best position the company for success.

Parker, 64, will be an unusual bank boss. He was a longtime lawyer for Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, one of Wall Streets preeminent law firms, where he started in 1984 and was presiding partner before joining the bank in 2017. He was among more than 10 senior hires from outside the company as it sought to clean up its image with regulators, investors and the public.

Sloan was promoted to the top job in October 2016 when John Stumpf stepped down amid intense blowback over the revelation that employees had opened millions of fake accounts to meet sales goals. Yet Sloan struggled to make headway in cleaning the companys image as additional problems emerged in other divisions, and as politicians, regulators and investors intensified their critiques.

Last year, Wells Fargo was dealt an unprecedented blow from the Federal Reserve as then-Chair Janet Yellens final act: The bank cant grow assets beyond their level at the end of 2017 until it addresses missteps to the regulators satisfaction. Thats in addition to billions in fines and settlement costs.

Throughout his tenure and during grueling hearings on Capitol Hill, Sloan faced questions about how a three-decade veteran could possibly turn the bank around. At one point Warren said his hands are too dirty from overseeing years of scams and scandals. Such attacks, compounded by criticism from regulators, landed him back in front of the House Financial Services Committee in March.

Sloan joined Wells Fargo in 1987 and began rising rapidly through the executive ranks after Stumpf became CEO in 2007. He was named chief administrative officer in 2010 and chief financial officer just five months later. By 2015, he was president and chief operating officer.

(Updates with background on criticism from first paragraph.)

To contact the reporter on this story: Hannah Levitt in New York at hlevitt@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Michael J. Moore at mmoore55@bloomberg.net, David Scheer, Josh Friedman

2019 Bloomberg L.P.
A task force investigating New Jersey tax incentive programs held its first public hearing March 28, 2019 at the Trenton War Memorial. Ronald Chen, center, is chairing the panel. Read more

A whistleblower testified at a public hearing Thursday that her New Jersey employer submitted false information to a state tax credit program for businesses  and then fired her after she raised concerns.

Gulsen Kama, who lost her job as a vice president at a tax preparation firm, was called to speak by a task force appointed by Gov. Phil Murphy to investigate New Jerseys troubled Economic Development Authority tax incentive programs.

In January, an audit ordered by Murphy found numerous significant deficiencies in EDAs oversight of nearly $11 billion worth of incentives  including a failure to tell whether 3,000 jobs promised in return for the tax credits had actually been created or retained.

The program steered more than $1.5 billion in tax breaks to companies that agreed to stay in or relocate to the long-struggling city of Camden. Three companies alone received $245 million in tax credits in 2017.

The tax credits are very much like money, said Ronald Chen, the task force chair and New Jerseys former public advocate, as the first of multiple hearings opened at the Trenton War Memorial. Companies can use the credits to reduce their tax bills, or even sell them. If state officials dont verify what companies tell them, then you have a situation that is ripe for abuse, he said.

The investigation is at an early stage, and has subpoena power, Chen said.

Kamas testimony centered on two tax grants that her former employer received. One of the awards  worth $2.6 million  required the company to keep a minimum number of employees in the state. But her employer failed to meet that minimum for at least 18 months, Kama said, and she learned it had reached a settlement with the EDA for about 10 percent of the awards value.

The firm, she said, applied for another incentive program in March 2015  and lied on its application. The company told the state it would move jobs to Sarasota, Fla., or to New York if it didnt get the state tax credit. But the firm was actually planning to stay in the state, and relocate to Jersey City, she said.

Her employer was acting with the advice of a consulting firm, she testified: The consultancy advised the tax prep company to include a credible out-of-state alternative on its application.

The company won the tax grant  but then moved some of its office functions and employees to Florida, and dropped below the grants minimum threshold for in-state employees. She said she alerted the company that it was out of compliance in December 2015, and was fired in February 2016.

Kama said that she filed a whistleblower suit against the company, and that the case was settled. She didnt identify her former employer during her testimony, but according to her LinkedIn profile, Kama was working at the time for Jackson Hewitt Tax Service, one of the largest tax preparations firms in the United States.

In a statement Thursday night, a spokesperson for Jackson Hewitt said the company intends to cooperate with the task force, and believes it provided an accurate and comprehensive application to the EDA and is in compliance with all applicable provisions of the tax credit programs.

A second whistleblower was scheduled to testify voluntarily Thursday, a lawyer with the task force said, but she changed her mind in the morning, partly out of concern that her former employer might attend.

Its extremely important" that whistleblowers come forward, said Jim Walden, another lawyer involved in the task force.

A whistleblower case that included a deposition by a former EDA official was reported last week by WNYC. That testimony described pressure to give out incentives from Gov. Chris Christies administration, which the former official said was back in the day... probably less concerned with the rules and regulations.

In a statement issued after the hearing, New Jersey state Senate President Steve Sweeney said anyone who committed fraud should be held accountable.

The hearing included assertions of misconduct that are completely unacceptable and should not have been allowed to go undetected, Sweeney said. "If any companies violated their agreements or defaulted on their promises to the EDA, they should be identified.
A railroad crossing is flooded with water from the Platte River, in Plattsmouth, Neb., Sunday, March 17, 2019. Hundreds of people remained out of their homes in Nebraska, but rivers there were starting to recede. The National Weather Service said the Elkhorn River remained at major flood stage but was dropping. Read more

When it came to climate change in the great state of Nebraska, spending a whopping $250,000  just one-quarter of a million dollars  on a study for how a flood-prone prairie state could prepare for the impact of the earths rising temperatures was simply too big a hill to climb.

The push for a climate plan in the Cornhusker State to be completed by next year emerged from a legislative committee, but it seemed dead in the water as recently as last month. Even though Nebraska had already experienced both record flooding and drought during the 2010s, some Republican lawmakers questioned the cost. The influential Nebraska Farm Bureau said the climate-change readiness bill is not a top issue for us.

At least until recently, its hard to imagine that Nebraskas Republican governor, Pete Ricketts, would have signed off on the paltry $250K anyway. In first seeking the job in 2014, Ricketts declared: I believe it is far from clear  despite what the other side is saying  it is far from clear what is going on with our climate. Just this January, Ricketts openly snubbed the novelist chosen for 2019 One Book, One Nebraska event because of the authors activism around climate and related issues like the Keystone XL pipeline.

Then the bomb cyclone struck.

Pelted by high winds and a week of near-biblical rainfall that melted snow and then cascaded across prairies frozen by the long winter, Nebraska has this month suffered at least $1.4 billion in flood and related damage. The rising rivers knocked down bridges, crumbled critical roadways, and destroyed 2,000 homes while crippling a strategically important U.S. Air Force base. Hardest hit were Nebraskas farmers, who lost cattle and suffered crop damage to the tune of more than $800 million.

Michael Mann, director of the Penn States Earth System Science Center, told Newsweek the Midwestern bomb cyclone  which also claimed three lives  was a kind of perfect storm made worse by the moisture from the overheated Gulf of Mexico, which has become something of a planetary hot tub in this era of global warming. Mann told the magazine "we expect even more extreme events of this sort if we continue to warm the planet by increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere from fossil-fuel burning and other human activities.

And thats how the Midwestern bomb cyclone" became a day of reckoning for Republican ... ha ha, almost had you going there, didnt I? In response to the growing evidence, from Nebraska to Mozambique, of the destructive and often deadly power of storms intensified by climate change, GOP lawmakers and leaders are doubling down  not just on the cynical nothingness of climate denial but on their dream that opposing not just environmentalism but basic science will be a winning strategy at the polls in 2020.

The rights environmental McCarthyism bobbed to the surface this week in the two capitals we follow most closely here  in Washington, where pro-business Republican lawmakers launched their crusade to brand the Green New Deal not as a blueprint for saving their grandchildrens planet but as socialism, and in Harrisburg, where the GOP legislative majority tossed the has keys on climate policy to Pennsylvanias leading proponent of doing nothing.

The Keystone State developments are especially alarming. In the Pennsylvania Legislature, ultra-conservative GOP Rep. Daryl Metcalfe  skeptical that man-made greenhouse-gas pollution is causing climate change, and calling proposals to curb that pollution a plot by leftists  was in January given the critical job as majority chair of the House Environmental and Energy Resources Committee. So far, Metcalfe is using his new platform to push a pro-industry agenda  waging war against a proposed fracking ban by the Delaware River Basin Commission  and also to give a platform to skeptics opposing established climate science.

On Wednesday, Metcalfe chaired an unusual hearing on climate change with only one witness  Gregory Wrightstone, a geologist (i.e., not a climatologist) and natural-gas consultant who self-publishes popular books expressing his deep skepticism about the widely accepted science of planetary warming. Metcalfe said the hearings goal was to debunk some of the myths that are out there in the public right now." His committee so far hasnt called actual experts on climate, like Penn States Mann, whove warned of worsening storms, drought and other severe impacts if humans dont curb greenhouse-gas pollution.

Basically what we have is a major Republican chairman, Daryl Metcalfe, who believes climate change isnt real  and hes using his position as a major chairman to spread that belief system, Rep. Leanne Krueger, Delaware County Democrat and a committee member, told me. Krueger and other Democrats like Philadelphia newcomer Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler pressed Wrightstone on the fact his books have not been peer-reviewed by other scientists, and his affiliation with the fossil-fuel-funded Heartland Institute. Krueger said Democrats hope to call actual experts later in the session. Gov. Wolf also weighed in with a tweet that called Metcalfes hearing a waste of time.

But thats the tragedy. Earlier this year, a United Nations panel warned that the world has just 11 years, or until 2030, to bring carbon pollution under control or face the worst consequences of global warming. Pennsylvania  which by the way, produces 1 percent of the worlds greenhouse-gas pollution  is about to waste two of those years with Metcalfes buffoonery.

Can things get any worse? Of course they can. In Washington, not only do we have a climate skeptic in the White House naming fossil-fuel lobbyists to key environmental posts, but a Congress that  like Harrisburg  is locked into two more years of delaying climate action. This week in the U.S. Senate, GOP Majority Leader Mitch McConnell brought up the Green New Deal  a broad blueprint that aims for the U.S. to meet those 2030 climate goals  not so much to seriously debate it but to mock it. Ignoring the rising flood waters in the Republican-dominated American Heartland, McConnell & Co. believe that branding the GND as socialism will terrify Fox News viewers off their couches and into the voting booth  assuming the road to their polling place isnt washed out.

Indeed, Pennsylvanias Metcalfe turned out not even to be the weeks biggest climate buffoon. That trophy goes to Utah Sen. (and hero of the Tea Party-era) Mike Lee, whose rejoinder to the Green New Deal was that Americans can fight climate change by falling in love and having "more babies, and then mocking environmentalists with a cartoon showing Ronald Reagan firing a machine gun while riding a velociraptor.

Lee and McConnell may have thought they were laughing at leftists and environmentalists like Green New Deal sponsor Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, whose youth, non-whiteness and non-maleness makes her a kind of fever dream for reactionary Fox News Channel producers. Instead they were merely spitting in the face of the misery of Nebraska farmers like Anthony Ruzicka, who lost his farmhouse and his familys first tractor in the flood and told the Times, Theres not many farms left like this, and its probably over for us too.

Im old enough to remember when Republicans (and Democrats) fought for the future of farmers like Ruzicka  before the Fox News era when politics became all about destroying the planet to own the libs, while rewarding their Big Oil and Gas Donors. Or about making babies wholl grow into a future that will be a lot more perilous, thanks to the nihilistic cynicism of Pete Ricketts, Mike Lee, and Pennsylvanias own Daryl Metcalfe.
Youth activists opposed to a policy mandating the use of metal detectors in all Philadelphia public high schools shut down a school board meeting Thursday night. Shown here is Philadelphia Student Union executive director Julien Terrell (in hat), with students, as they prepared for the meeting earlier in the week. Read more

First, the Philadelphia Board of Education voted 7-2 Thursday night to mandate metal detectors in all city high schools.

Then, in an explosive twist, activists  including students  shut the meeting down.

We do not recognize your vote, we do not recognize your legitimacy," Julien Terrell, executive director of the Philadelphia Student Union, a youth organizing group, shouted over board president Joyce Wilkerson. Wilkerson tried to continue the meeting, but Terrell persisted, while several school district and city police officers stood around him. After several minutes, and after Terrell had used profanity, Wilkerson recessed the meeting, leading the board out of the room.

Whose schools? Our schools! the crowd chanted.

It was by far the sharpest rebuke of the board since the district was returned to local control July 1, and perhaps the wildest meeting of any Philadelphia School District governing body since the SRC voted to shut two dozen schools in 2013. Arrests were made then. On Thursday night, despite heavy police presence, no one was arrested.

Still, it seemed that the boards honeymoon is over.

After the board left the room, members of the Philadelphia Student Union and the Caucus of Working Educators, an activist group of city teachers, then moved behind the school board dais, declaring themselves the peoples school board.

They invited speakers, and reiterated Terrells points  that they were disgusted with a governing body that promised to be different from the old School Reform Commission.

This is how they treat us  they say no, and then they walk away, said Charles Mitchell, a student at The Workshop School. They dont care.

All but three of the Philadelphia School Districts 49 high schools currently use metal detectors; three have them but do not use them. One of the three  the highly regarded magnet school Science Leadership Academy  is about to move into Benjamin Franklin High School, a neighborhood school that uses the security checkpoints, and the officials said they needed to create a standard experience.

Metal detectors make students feel like criminals waiting to happen, and not just kids," said Nayeli Perez, a student at the Academy at Palumbo, a high school that uses detectors.

Board members Angela McIver and Mallory Fix Lopez opposed the policy; Fix Lopez said metal detectors create a distrust among students, which affects their mental health and ultimately their academic achievement.

Nonvoting student board members Julia Frank and Alfredo Pratico said they were against metal detectors, but said they spoke with many students who said security checkpoints were necessary for safety.

After the disruption and recess, the board moved to a conference room and reconvened, voting on the rest of its agenda, including adopting the broad outlines of a $3.4 billion 2019-20 budget, Wilkerson said.

Late Thursday night, activists including the Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools said they believed the votes were taken illegally, in violation of the Sunshine Act.

Because of the disruption we were legally entitled to conclude the meeting, Wilkerson said. The board live-streamed its proceedings over the internet, and will invite speakers who did not get a chance to finish testimony to do so in April.

This is a board of education that has put an emphasis on public participation; it means a lot to us, said Wilkerson after the private session adjourned. We need for that dialogue to be mutually respectful. When that wasnt possible, we still had the business of the board to conclude, and so we recessed and came down here and finished up our meeting.

The board fully understood and appreciated students passion, Wilkerson said, and as a result of it, will now hold months of dialogue on how metal detectors are used. It will also mandate training for the school police officers who use them.

I dont want children feeling criminalized, or feeling like theyre entering prisons when theyre entering schools, Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. said after the meeting ended.

Both Hite and Wilkerson said they welcomed opposing viewpoints, but said they took issue with the public disruption of the board meeting.

What happened in todays meeting could set us back in terms of how that discourse occurs, Hite said.

In its unexpected private session, the board did give preliminary approval to the $3.4 billion spending plan for 2019-20, which would add funds for more math assistance, nurses, and teachers for English-language learners.

The budget represents a 7.1 percent increase in expenditures over the current $3.2 billion spending plan, with cost increases largely driven by payments to charter schools and planned salary increases driven by the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers contract.

It projects a modest fund balance at the end of fiscal 2020, but the picture is less rosy in the final years of the districts five-year plan. By 2022, the district is projecting a $30 million budget deficit.

Of the projected deficit, Uri Monson, the districts chief financial officer, he was not alarmed  yet.

We want people to be aware of it, so there are no surprises. Well keep trying to find ways to adjust and make those numbers better.

Hite said the 2019-20 budget, which is scheduled for final adoption by the school board at the end of May, would not recommend any school closures.

Theres still some consolidation we could do, particularly around our comprehensive high schools," Hite said at a news conference. We have many of those schools that are below capacity in terms of who is attending.

He said the district would look for creative ways to consolidate and use excess space, as it has with Benjamin Franklin High School. Science Leadership Academy, a popular magnet school, will relocate from rented space into Ben Franklin in the fall.

And while some schools are under-enrolled, others in Center City, South Philadelphia, and the Northeast are bursting at the seams.

The superintendent said the district would also look at how certain school boundaries are drawn, and possibly at how grades are configured.

We have to think about facilities writ large, said Hite.

Correction: A previous version of this story misstated the size of the districts projected budget deficit. It is $30 million, not $300 million.
Manatawny Still Works in Pottstown took home four awards this month from the the American Craft Distilling Institute, Read more

Manatawny Still Works took home four awards this month from the American Craft Distilling Institute, a national organization that judges spirits based on blind taste tests.

The Pottstown-based craft distillery won best of in two categories, nontypical whiskey and flavored whiskey, for its Pennsylvania Whiskey and Honey Whiskey, respectively. The panel of judges also awarded medals for Manatawnys 5-Year Anniversary Whiskey and Maple Whiskey.

The distiller won best nontypical whiskey in last years competition for its Keystone Whiskey.

Manatawny Still Works, which also operates tasting rooms at 1603 E. Passyunk Ave. and 1617 John F. Kennedy Blvd., is hosting a five-year anniversary celebration April 6 from noon to 11 p.m. at its headquarters at 320 Circle of Progress Drive in Pottstown. The party will include food trucks, live music, free T-shirts to the first 100 attendees, and a dog pageant. The distillery also will unveil its newest product, a limited-release Peated Whiskey.
Root Down Brewing in Phoenixville is one of the participating beer makers. Read more

Some of Pennsylvanias most prominent veteran-owned or operated beer makers have banded together to create a beer in honor on American military service members for Memorial Day.

Organized and announced by Pennsylvania beer culture website Breweries in Pennsylvania, the as-yet-untitled beer will serve as a collaborative beer between 20 veteran-owned or veteran-operated beer makers, including Phoenixvilles Root Down Brewing, Astons Aston Abbey Brewing, and Tattered Flag Brewing out of Middletown.

In addition to breweries, the beer will also feature contributions from beer-related companies like Glen Mills Deer Creek Malthouse, GEMS Hop Farm in Carlisle, and Pittsburghs First Sip Brew Box. A full list of participating companies is available on the Breweries in Pennsylvania website.

That group of military service members-turned-brewers will join forces at Harrisburgs Newfangled Brew Works, where they plan to brew a double IPA scheduled for release on Memorial Day Weekend. The beer will be available for purchase at all participating breweries, and a portion of proceeds to go to charity. The beers name has not yet been announced.

As Breweries in Pennsylvania announced last week, the upcoming release is being touted as Pennsylvanias first exclusively veteran-brewed collaboration beer made to honor other veterans. The goal, the site wrote, is to bring everyone together for a dedication brew for Memorial Day and Veterans Day.

Pennsylvania is the top beer-producing state in the nation, according to the Brewers Association, a beer industry trade group. Currently, the state is home to about 300 craft breweries who, in 2017, brewed about 3.7 million barrels of beer. California is the second biggest beer producer at 3.2 million barrels for 2017.

Veteran-owned or operated business who are interested in joining the brew can contact Breweries in Pennsylvania to join the roster.
Its time to pop some corks. Philly Wine Week returns Sunday evening with its annual kickoff event, this year at the Bellevue Hotel. Its followed by seven days of vino events tailored to oenophiles and wine novices alike, including rare tasting opportunities, boozy dinners, and meet-the-maker nights. There are plenty of deals for the taking, too. Here are some of the best budget-friendly reasons to raise a glass among Wine Weeks 100-plus events.

Philly Wine Week runs April 1-7. For a full list of participants and events, go to phillywineweek.org.

Philly Wine Week is all about expanding your grape-centric horizons, and a multi-glass tasting is one of the most efficient ways to do so. This Old City wine bar offers 30 different sommelier-selected flights every day, allowing you to sip on five high-quality 1-ounce pours for anywhere between $22 and $48. Panorama will discount all flights by $5 during happy hour next Monday through Friday.

5 to 7 p.m., April 1-5, Panorama Wine Club, 14 N. Front St., 215-922-7800, panoramawinebar.com

Put your taste buds to the test for a chance to win some free wine from the Ritz-Carltons restaurant. During Wine Week, stop in at Aqimero around dinnertime to sample an undisclosed wine. Tasters who correctly identify (or guess) the grape will get to take a bottle home on the house.

5 to 10 p.m., April 1-7, Aqimero, 10 Avenue of the Arts, 215-523-8200, aqimero.com

April 1 through 7, the Navy Yard outpost of the Italian staple will pour rose  the drink that took the wine world by storm  for $6 a glass. For $3 more, stick your straw into an early spring slushy by opting for Bar Amis frose.

11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, 4:30 to 10 p.m. Saturday, April 1-7, Bar Amis, 4503 S. Broad St., 215-282-3184, amistrattoria.com

On April 1, the French-inspired pub takes its weekly happy hour special up a notch, pairing Aubry champagne  the real deal  with all of the buck-a-shuck oysters you can handle. The good folks at the Good King Tavern will crack open a magnum of Aubry and pour it at $12 a glass until it runs out.

5 to 7 p.m. (until supplies last), April 1, Good King Tavern, 614 S. 7th St., 215-625-3700, thegoodkingtavern.com

Sample 35 wines from around the world, from a Napa cabernet to a Chilean merlot to a Tuscan Rosso di Montalcino, at this event by the Society Hill bistro. Pair your sips with small bites like artisanal cheeses, crab croquettes, grilled lamb belly, and burrata toast with broccoli rabe pesto. All featured bottles will be offered at a discounted price.

6 to 8 p.m., April 4, 120 Lombard St., 215-925-8880, bistroromano.com

Learn  and taste  the difference between champagne and sparkling wine with Moet champagne specialist Chris Baggetta. Hell be camping out at Walnut Street Cafe for a special happy hour: All the University City bars champagne (bottles and glasses) will be half-priced, and you can ask any bubbly questions that come to mind.

5 to 7 p.m., April 4, 2929 Walnut St., 215-867-8067, walnutstreetcafe.com

Spend the day outdoors with a Pennsylvania wine in hand at American Sardine Bars annual BBQ. Starting at 3 p.m., local offerings will run $9 to $15 a glass and $5 skewers of all sorts will flow from the grill. If the weather isnt springlike by then, dont worry: The fire pits will keep you warm, or the party will move inside.

3 to 10 p.m., April 7, American Sardine Bar, 1800 Federal St., 215-334-2337, americansardinebar.com

If youre looking to splurge a little but also score a steal, book a reservation for a.kitchens Sunday Supper. The Rittenhouse restaurant bids adieu to Wine Week with a four-course meal ($35) prepared by chef Eli Collins. In light of the occasion, youll want to add on the wine pairing  $20 for four 3-ounce pours.

5 to 9:30 p.m., April 7, a.kitchen, 135 S. 18th St., 215-825-7030, akitchenandbar.com
In this Feb. 25, 2018 photo, mourners bring flowers as they pay tribute at a memorial for the victims of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, in Parkland, Fla. The community is focusing on suicide prevention programs after two survivors of the Florida high school massacre there killed themselves this month. Read more

After two student survivors of the mass shooting in Parkland, Fla., took their lives this month, high school and community officials there are urgently searching for ways to prevent more loss.

Theyre concerned about suicide contagion  when the suicide of one person or multiple people contributes to a rise in suicidal behaviors among others, especially in the same community.

School administrators in Downingtown have been struggling with this same issue. Since February 2018, two current students and two recent alumni of Downingtown High School East have died by suicide.

Research shows that in communities where someone kills themself whether its a school, military unit, or close-knit town  everyone else is more at risk for suicide too. In recent years, clusters of suicide deaths have been seen in schools across the country, from Utah to Massachusetts. Suicide now is the second-leading cause of death among teenagers.

Unfortunately, theres not one optimal solution, said April Foreman, a licensed psychologist and board member of the American Association of Suicidology. Its an area which doesnt have a lot of research, so there really isnt a perfect standard for it, she said.

But there are a number of steps mental-health experts believe can help schools reduce the communitys risk.

In Parkland, the school district has offered an ongoing resiliency center in town with counselors and support groups since the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School last year. Officials are now discussing ways to offer additional therapeutic services for those affected by the recent suicides.

After the four suicides at Downingtown East, the school district provided extra counselors for students to speak with, held community forums for students and parents to voice their concerns, and offered training for students and teachers on how to recognize someone at risk for suicide. Administrators declined requests for an interview but wrote in an email that the district is reviewing the comments made at community meetings to inform ongoing efforts.

The most important thing schools can do is to be proactive, said Terri Erbacher, a suicide prevention consultant who has worked with more than 50 schools, including Downingtown East, and cowrote the book Suicide in Schools. Its about always thinking of the next person who might be at risk," she said.

What schools can do after a suicide cluster

A suicide cluster is generally considered a few related suicide deaths, Foreman said, but theres no standard number. The two students in Parkland could qualify as a cluster just as much as the four deaths in Downingtown.

What is certain, though, is the impact a cluster has on others in the community.

That group of students and teachers  those closest to the students who died  are going to be at elevated risk of suicide for the rest of their lives, Foreman said. Its a long-term problem, not a short-term crisis.

That doesnt mean everyone affected by a loved ones suicide will kill themself, but those who have previously thought about suicide or have a mental illness are at greatest risk.

Its crucial for schools to identify those students and faculty early on, Erbacher said. The size of that most at-risk group can determine the type of response needed. Maybe having a few extra counselors onsite for a week will help, or maybe students need to be referred to long-term therapy with someone outside the school.

One thing that should always be done, Erbacher said, is to train administrators, teachers, parents, and students in recognizing the warning signs for suicide and learning to ask individuals directly if theyre thinking of killing themselves.

That question can be uncomfortable, Erbacher said, but people need to be direct. She suggests language like: Youve been through a lot with the loss of your friend. Is suicide something youve thought about?

The student might say no right there, but they will remember you asking them, she said. Theyll know youre a safe person to talk to in the future.

This idea is the cornerstone of a national curriculum on suicide prevention called QPR  question, persuade, refer. In QPR sessions, participants practice asking each other about suicidal thoughts in an attempt to make it easier in the future.

QPR was used to train students and staff at Downingtown East earlier this year and is also used regularly to train college students and faculty at local universities.

Ideally these types of trainings are in place before a suicide occurs, Erbacher said. Incorporating mental health and suicide prevention into regular school curriculums would help address the problem before it begins.

You want to already have the policies in place, so you dont have to be reactive, she said.

In Pennsylvania, a law passed in 2014 requires all school districts to adopt a set of policies for suicide prevention and train educators in grades six through 12 in suicide prevention once every five years. But it does not set standards for teaching students about suicide prevention.

What schools should not do

While people generally mean well, some common actions taken after student suicides can have unintended consequences, Erbacher said.

Take candlelight vigils.

The large turnouts and the tributes glamorize suicide, Erbacher said. If someone else is considering suicide, they see that glamour and now suicide becomes a little bit more of an option for them.

While its important to give communities an opportunity to express their sorrow, there has to be a careful balance between healing and glamour, she said.

Foreman also advises people not to come up with a simple explanation for what caused the persons action. Suicide is rarely the result of any one factor like bullying or social media, she said. Simplifying it can blind people to the numerous warning signs.

Suicide is a complex and difficult problem to tackle, she said. Thats why there arent just one or two clear solutions that schools can use to prevent suicide clusters.

Much like any major medical condition, Foreman said, the best thing you can do is reach out to professionals for support.

If you or someone you know is thinking of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or text TALK to the Crisis Text Line at 741741.
The historic Christ Church in Old City. The church is raising money to repair the steeple, which is leaning to one side. Read more

The steeple of Christ Church, one of the most familiar features of the Philadelphia landscape for going on three centuries, has developed a pronounced list over time. It now leans 22 inches toward Trenton, said the Rev. Tim Safford, rector since 1999, thanks to rotting timbers and unstable load-bearing columns.

When I walk across the Ben Franklin Bridge, its frightening to see, he said.

Thats not to say that the steeple is likely to topple over onto the Arden Theatre if a major hurricane roars through. But it might.

Theres been worry at the church for some time  about 16 years, actually  that preservation of this historic structure, one of the oldest surviving wooden structures in the nation, needs some serious attention.

A 2003 report from the Keast & Hood engineering firm, addressing immediate needs of the tower and steeple of the church, noted some decayed and rotted wood, plus other issues. It concluded that while emergency repairs were not required, work should not be postponed for any significant amount of time.

The church is now closing in on action, and a grant announcement is scheduled for Thursday at a meeting called by the National Endowment for the Humanities at the church, at Second and Market Streets. Christ Church is slated to receive a $500,000 matching grant.

Church officials said they have raised $2.5 million (including the NEH grant) toward the $3.1 million cost of stabilizing and renovating the steeple and the brick tower on which it sits, and now hope the momentum is there to raise the rest of the funds and begin work as early as next month.

Ideally, wed like to start right away, as soon as we can, said Barbara Hogue, executive director of the Christ Church Preservation Trust. We think its a very expensive, but a very short project. She estimated that work would last six months.

NEH officials said they were meeting at Christ Church for their grant announcements to highlight $28 million in NEH grants nationwide, including 16 Pennsylvania grants totaling nearly $3 million. (One other Philadelphia organization is scheduled to receive a $500,000 grant: Eastern State Penitentiary, which will put the funds toward a new visitor center. A handful of other Philadelphia beneficiaries are getting grants ranging from $6,000 to $400,000.)

Christ Church, which counted Benjamin Franklin and George Washington among its congregants and is a National Historic Landmark, has occupied the same site since 1695.

In 1727, construction began on the current building, which was essentially an expansion of the original wood church. Its been subsequently modified and enlarged multiple times.

The steeple was designed by the great carpenter-architect Robert Smith and built from 1751 to 1754. Its appearance is virtually unchanged since completion. In 1908, lightning hit the top spire, igniting a fire, but a thunderstorm broke out and suppressed the flames. The spire, which sits atop an open arched loggia, was destroyed and rebuilt, but the rest of the structure was saved.

From 1754 to 1810, Smiths steeple, reaching 196 feet into the air, made Christ Church the tallest building in the country.

Without an intervention, todays list toward Trenton risks getting worse, Safford said.

I think the real concern is if we dont stop the lean, it will continue to collapse ... in the lower part of the structure," Safford said during a dusty climb up ladders and sharply winding staircases through the steeple interior this week.

As the lean progresses, Safford said, the weight of the steeple becomes more concentrated on one side, compromising the structural integrity of the steeple and the square brick tower that forms its base.

And then what you have to do is take it down and rebuild it or replace it, and thats what we dont want to do, he said. This was Robert Smiths greatest piece of work. It put Philadelphia on the map and it is unbelievably beautiful.

To passers-by, the steeple clearly needs a major paint job. Paint has peeled from cedar shingles and particularly from the copper cladding that covers the upper portions around the octagonal loggia.

A climb up into the steeple reveals more serious and clearly persistent problems.
Jacob Sullivan stood stone-faced as he was sentenced to death Thursday for the rape, murder, and dismemberment of 14-year-old Grace Packer of Abington.

You have no soul, Bucks County Judge Diane E. Gibbons told Sullivan as she sent him to death row. You are not human.

Sullivan, 46, admitted last month that he kidnapped, raped, and killed Grace, the adopted daughter of his girlfriend, in 2016. With the girls mother, Sara Packer, Sullivan said he attacked Grace and later choked her to death. The couple stored her body in kitty litter, cut up the remains with a bow saw, and disposed of them in the woods of Luzerne County.

On Thursday, in a crowded Doylestown courtroom, a jury of six men and six women recommended that he pay for his crime with his life. Graces relatives wept and jurors wiped away tears as they announced their decision after 11 hours of deliberation.

The jurors had said Wednesday afternoon that they were deadlocked, but Gibbons instructed them to keep working. Had they not reached a unanimous decision, Sullivan would have been sentenced to life in prison.

After the jury foreman read the sentence, Sullivan was handcuffed. His relatives  a few of whom had been in court on other days  were absent.

As the jurors were asked one by one whether they agreed on a death sentence, one man wept as he said, I agree. Others appeared emotional, too, wiping their eyes as the judge spoke.

Gibbons thanked them for their service, for sitting through the butchery in this case, but said this decision should not weigh on their conscience.

He is where he is by his choice, Gibbons said. He made that choice, and he has to live with the consequences.

Gibbons asked Sullivan whether he wanted to speak. He shook his head and said, No, thank you.

The judge then excoriated the hulking man, whom she called a coward with nothing redeeming about him.

There are no words for what you are, Mr. Sullivan. There are no words for what you did," she said. There are no words for what you would continue to do had you not been apprehended.

Sullivan will join 142 other inmates on Pennsylvanias death row. No one has been executed in the state since House of Horrors killer Gary Heidnik in 1999. But jurors were told not to consider Pennsylvanias moratorium on the death penalty and to assume that Sullivan would be executed if they sentenced him to death.

Graces relatives did not speak after the sentencing. District Attorney Matthew Weintraub said they just wanted to see justice for Grace, whom they described as a happy, artistic child who loved summertime and adored her little brother.

I dont think that they were hoping and praying for a particular verdict," he said. "They were comforted to know that regardless of the outcome, this man will never see the light of day. He will never be able to prey on a child again.

To prosecutors, a death sentence is the best way to ensure that Sullivan can never hurt anyone again, Weintraub said.

He got what he deserved, plain and simple," the district attorney said. You could not write a horror movie with a worse script than what was done to Grace Packer.

For the last week and a half, attorneys had argued over what sentence Sullivan deserved.

Sullivans defense attorneys, Jack Fagan and Christina King, said he should be given the same punishment as Sara Packer, who they said was the mastermind of the murder plot. Packer is set to plead guilty Friday and receive a life sentence as part of a plea deal. Prosecutors said Sullivan should be sentenced to death because he, not Packer, killed Grace.

Unshackled and dressed in plainclothes, Sullivan had remained quiet for most of the earlier proceedings, occasionally turning to whisper to his attorneys and at times talking with relatives seated behind him.

He chose not to testify in his own defense, but Packer did, speaking publicly for the first time about how she and her boyfriend had tortured and murdered her adopted child. She said the couple had originally planned to keep Grace alive in the attic, perhaps for years, for Sullivan to rape at will.

On the witness stand, Packer expressed disdain for the child. Grace had become, for lack of a better word, a nonentity, she said. "I wanted her to go away.

For weeks, Packer and Sullivan planned Graces torture. One July morning in 2016, they drove her from a home they rented in Abington to another they rented near Quakertown. There, Sullivan attacked Grace, punching her in the face as the girl looked to her mother for help.

Sullivan took Viagra, then raped the girl as Packer watched. Afterward, the couple drugged Grace, bound her wrists and ankles with zip ties, and put a ball gag in her mouth, leaving her to die inside a cedar closet in the hot attic. But when they returned the next morning, she was alive, having broken the ties and spit out the gag.

Sullivan then panicked," Packer said, and choked Grace to death. They stored her body in kitty litter until October, when police showed up at the house to question them about Packers report that Grace had gone missing.

Alarmed, Packer went out and bought a bow saw so she and Sullivan could dismember the body. After doing so, Sullivan and Packer drove 75 miles to a wooded area and dumped the remains, which were discovered by father-and-son hunters on Halloween.

As authorities ramped up their investigation, Sullivan and Packer attempted suicide, but survived. While recovering in the hospital, Sullivan confessed, telling hospital staff and then police that Gracie was a nightmare.

He and Packer were arrested days later. They have been held in the Bucks County Correctional Facility ever since. It was not immediately clear when Sullivan would be transferred to state prison to begin his sentence on death row.
The community got its first chance to speak out on what it thinks of a new VisionQuest program in North Philadelphia. This time the facility will house undocumented immigrant children. James Smith of VisionQuest speaks to the crowd. Read more

People in North Philadelphia spoke out Wednesday night about an Arizona-based youth agencys plan to house undocumented immigrant children in the neighborhood  and a lot of what they had to say wasnt good.

The only thing I get with VisionQuest are horror stories, said the first speaker, Sister Taleah Taylor of the City of Dreams Coalition. Whats going to change? Now were going to bring in kids from Mexico?

VisionQuest president Mark Contento responded: Obviously some very incendiary accusations. ... Its a different program.

About 170 people, one-third or more of them VisionQuest employees, filled almost every seat during a sometimes tense meeting at the Yorkhouse apartment building at 5325 Old York Rd., just up the street from the VisionQuest property. The meeting was led by City Councilwoman Cherelle Parker, who represents the area and said she was acting at the request of zoning officials.

The hearing lasted four hours, coming as the for-profit agency pushes for zoning approvals to open the center. A stenographer took down the record as people spoke, in case community comments should become part of a future lawsuit.

VisionQuest plans to house about 60 Spanish-speaking, undocumented immigrant boys at its Logan Plaza property, at 5201 Old York Rd. The children, ages 12 to 17, are among thousands of unaccompanied minors who turned up alone at the nations southern border, fleeing violence and poverty in El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico.

VisionQuest is under contract with the federal government to house the children.

The city government is paying close attention. More than half a dozen elected or appointed city officials, or their representatives, attended the meeting, including Councilwoman Helen Gym, Department of Human Services Commissioner Cynthia Figueroa, and Miriam Enriquez, head of the city Office of Immigrant Affairs.

We want to be a good partner with the community, said VisionQuests James Smith, who will be in charge of the Philadelphia program. Trust me, I will give everyone my cell phone number, and you can get in touch with me directly.

Questions flew at him and other VisionQuest executives about the agencys previous operation at the same site. It closed in 2017 after state inspectors found that staffers had struck and choked children. At least three VisionQuest employees were fired between 2011 and 2017 after hitting or physically handling children, state records show.

VisionQuest leaders promised that this program would be new and different, that the immigrant children would get education and health care  and that the community would gain real benefits in terms of 109 new jobs. They estimated the total positive economic impact of the new center at $107 million.

Thats the same argument we get to build more prisons, one woman in the audience responded. You never mentioned the children. Thats what we care about.

Part of the Wednesday night debate turned on whether the new facility was a detention center. VisionQuest officials insisted it was not, while others in the audience said it was, since the children cannot leave.

VisionQuest worker Joledson Delvalle said that he cared about children  and that he and his passionate coworkers would strive to ensure their health and safety. These are children, he said, who came to this country seeking the American dream.

Today VisionQuest operates in six states, providing housing and therapies to hundreds of juvenile offenders and other at-risk youths.

This week The Inquirer reported that agency founder and board chairman Bob Burton told new employees at the center, Stop speaking Spanish. He made the remarks as new hires underwent training at the VisionQuest property last month, preparing to house Spanish-speaking children.

Burton, who founded VisionQuest in 1973, apologized and said he was only trying to encourage a work environment that promoted open communication and understanding.

VisionQuest," local resident Sandra Broadus said to the crowd, has a very sketchy reputation in the community.
Jabir Kennedy, left, and his lawyer, David Nenner, in Nenner's Center City office Thursday, March 21, 2019. Kennedy was acquitted by a jury after he claimed self-defense in the shootings of four men, one of whom died. Read more

If you Google the name Jabir Kennedy, you will read about a fugitive wanted for gunning down four men, one fatally, during Christmas week 2017 in the Elmwood section of Southwest Philadelphia. You will read that the armed and dangerous fugitive turned himself in a week later and was charged with first-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder.

Thats all youll read about Kennedy, 23, because in a city that typically tallies more than 300 murders and more than 1,000 nonfatal shootings a year, his case quickly disappeared from the news cycle.

So when the case reached its conclusion this month, there were no headlines for what turned out to be a rarity in the criminal justice system: an admitted gunman in a quadruple shooting acquitted by a jury of all charges.

Kennedys weeklong trial at the Criminal Justice Center, which ended March 15, focused not on Stand Your Ground or the Castle Doctrine, but instead on old-fashioned self-defense, his lawyer said.

This was a fascinating case to me. It is truly the first homicide self-defense case that I ever tried, said David Nenner, a Center City lawyer for 34 years. Its rare.

Kennedy, a former car detailer from Elmwood with no criminal record, rejected a plea deal from the Philadelphia District Attorneys Office that would have sent him to state prison for 17 to 34 years. He said he opted to put his fate in the hands of a jury because he believed testifying about what happened that night in the 6600 block of Dorel Street in Elmwood, where he lived, would set him free.

I knew I was only guilty of wanting to live. Thats all I knew, Kennedy said during an interview last week in his lawyers office. I just felt like, these guys came  I dont know what they came to do  but they came with guns. And people were yelling, Shoot him! and stuff like that. Im just glad I got out of there with my life.

Assistant District Attorney Sheida Ghadiri argued during the trial that the gun Kennedy fired belonged to him, that he knew how to use it given that he shot four of the five men he fought with, and the number of bullets he fired  eight to 10  was too many to be self-defense.

But a key moment in the trial, Kennedy and Nenner said, came when Ghadiri was cross-examining Kennedy about why he fired repeatedly at the men.

Ms. Ghadiri, what did you want me to do? both recalled him saying. I dont understand. You want me to die? You want my mom to come see me with a hole in my head in the middle of the street? Thats not reasonable.

The DAs Office stands by its decision to prosecute Kennedy, said Ben Waxman, the offices spokesperson.

Five against one

Kennedys troubles on Dec. 21, 2017, started at 8:30 p.m., an hour before the shootings. While dropping off his 3-year-old daughter at the Southwest home of her mother, Matrea Thomas, an argument turned physical.

He says he shoved her after she grabbed him. Thomas, 23, called a male cousin, then another male cousin, and accused Kennedy of slamming her to the concrete basement floor and choking her. Within minutes, Malik Thomas-Thornton, 23, the second relative whom she had called, and his friends Linwood Garrett, 33, Quinzel Washington, 23, and Alijah M. Brown, 23, arrived at her home. The five quickly piled into a car and headed for Kennedys house.

They arrived at Dorel Street about the same time as Allen Ingram, 23, the other cousin, who was in a car driven by his girlfriend.

I did what any girl would do if somebody just put their hands on her and she calls her protectors, Thomas testified at Kennedys preliminary hearing.

After spotting Kennedy walking near his house, the five men bailed out of the cars and began to fight him, forcing him up a neighbors front steps, and pinning him in a corner, according to trial testimony.

Nenner argued that the group had brought a pair of brass knuckles, which police later recovered in the street, and two guns, one that was not fired and that police recovered and a second that was used to beat Kennedy over the head and that he wrested control of and fired repeatedly in the darkness.

Ingram was shot in the back and died hours later. A gun fell from his pants as his girlfriend and Thomas tried to lift him into his car, Thomas testified.

Thomas-Thornton, Garrett, and Washington were shot but recovered. Brown ran from the scene and was not injured. The four surviving men each testified that the gun Kennedy used to kill Ingram did not belong to them.

Police never recovered that gun.

Pennsylvania law justifies using force when someone believes that such force is immediately necessary for the purpose of protecting himself against the use of unlawful force."

Massad Ayoob, a Florida-based expert and author whose firm conducts self-defense classes around the country, said Kennedys actions were a textbook example of self-defense.

The key elements to a successful self-defense plea are that youre in a situation of immediate, unavoidable danger of death or great bodily harm that you did not provoke, Ayoob said in a telephone interview. To create that situation, you need three elements simultaneously present: ability, opportunity, and jeopardy.

Ability means your opponent has the power to kill or cripple, opportunity means the opponent is capable of immediately employing that power, and jeopardy means the opponent is manifesting by word or action the intent to cause you serious bodily harm or kill you, he said.

All three of those are present, and would justify [Kennedys] use of deadly force against every member of the group thats attacking him, Ayoob said.

Two veteran Center City criminal defense attorneys not involved in the case agreed, also noting the rarity of a defendant exonerated after being charged with shooting four people.

I cant think of anything offhand like this, said Michael Diamondstein. This guy is just trying to live his life, and four or five people start beating him up. If youre going to engage in that type of behavior, youre going to assume the risk of getting hurt.

Patrick Link said that it was appropriate for Kennedy not to be criminally punished for doing what anyone else would do, which is protect himself.

Kennedy spent 15 months jailed without bail awaiting trial and said he now wants to get his life back. That includes finding a job, reestablishing a relationship with his now 5-year-old daughter, and trying to come to terms with those headlines about his arrest.

They assassinated my character, he said. I felt really bad about that. I couldnt eat or sleep. They painted me as all bad news.
Emergency medical technicians carry a person on a stretcher into an ambulance outside the Quality Inn on Thursday, March 28, 2019, in Manchester, N.H. Two people had barricaded themselves in a first-floor room after one man was shot and killed there Wednesday night by police after he engaged Drug Enforcement Administration agents and police. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) Read more

MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP)  A 15-hour standoff at a New Hampshire hotel ended Thursday with three people dead, including two who had barricaded themselves inside a room and shot repeatedly at police and drug enforcement agents.

Authorities, including a SWAT team, swarmed the area around the Quality Inn in Manchester, closing off a bustling commercial neighborhood filled with car dealerships, a strip mall and several restaurants.

It began Wednesday evening when Stephen Marshall, 51, of Manchester, climbed out of a hotel window. Armed with an automatic handgun, Marshall "engaged" with a Manchester police officer and two Drug Enforcement Administration agents who had come there to serve a warrant on him and another man. They only would say it was drug-related.

A police officer and DEA agent shot Marshall, and he was pronounced dead at the hospital, according to the state attorney general's office. No law enforcement officers or bystanders were injured.

Meanwhile, two other people  a man and a woman whose names have not yet been released  holed up in a first-floor room of the hotel. For nearly nine hours, one of the two fired multiple times on law enforcement who were outside.

SWAT team members eventually deployed chemical agents inside the room. At the same time, MacDonald said Manchester police officers "attempted to speak with these individuals and seek a peaceful resolution."

The standoff ended Thursday morning after law enforcement officers managed to get into the Quality Inn. The attorney general's office said the pair were found dead but wouldn't say how they died.

"It's disheartening that we have to face incidents like what we had to deal with today," Manchester Police Chief Carlo Capano said. "When you think about a nine-hour period of officers being shot at as much as they were ... we are truly blessed that none of those officers were hurt today."

WMUR-TV reports that Marshall had a criminal history dating back 10 years that included multiple drug charges.

New Hampshire Attorney General Gordon MacDonald told reporters Marshall's shooting was being investigated by the New Hampshire State Police major crime unit under the direction of his office. The names of the two officers involved in the shooting were not released.

"This remains an active investigation. It is in its early stages and, as such, we are limited in the information we can provide," MacDonald told reporters, adding that the crime scene was "complex."

After Marshall was shot, a SWAT team arrived and the hotel and a nearby restaurant were evacuated. Police closed surrounding roads, and armored personnel carriers were stationed outside the hotel. Several firetrucks were also on the scene.

Michael Hughes, a shift manager at the Manchester Poker Room & Casino, which is next to the hotel, recalled how there were about 250 people inside playing bingo and other games when a few customers standing outside heard gunshots. That prompted the business go into a lockdown, eventually escorting customers five at a time past the heavy police presence around 9:30 p.m.

"It was chaotic," Hughes said, adding that the business opened as usual Thursday. "It was definitely not a normal occurrence."

After the standoff, roads and businesses were reopened. However, the hotel is not expected to reopen for several days to more than a week.

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Associated Press writer Kathy McCormack contributed from Concord, New Hampshire.

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This story has been corrected to show that the federal law enforcement agency that responded to the shooting is the Drug Enforcement Administration, not the Drug Enforcement Agency.
Freshman Republican State Representative Stephanie Borowicz, of Clinton County, chats with visitors during an open house at her new Milesburg office. Borowicz' passionate Christian opening prayer in the House March 25 drew complaints that it was divisive and inappropriate. (Abby Drey/Centre Daily Times via AP) Read more

HARRISBURG  The Republican state representative whose prayer on the House floor this week caused a controversy told listeners on a Christian radio program Thursday that she prayed as I always did and stood by the invocation she gave.

I dont apologize, but I stand by it, Rep. Stephanie Borowicz, of Clinton County, told the American Pastors Network.

Just before Philadelphia Democrat Movita Johnson-Harrell was being sworn in Monday afternoon as the states first Muslim female representative, Borowicz had delivered a nearly two-minute prayer that invoked Jesus name 13 times, at one point describing him as our only hope and professing that, as a nation, Weve lost sight of you.

She also briefly referenced Israel, President Donald Trump, and Gov. Tom Wolf, among others. She said, Every tongue will confess, Jesus that you are Lord, and ended abruptly after someone yelled objection.

Democrats, including Johnson-Harrell, quickly decried the prayer as offensive, Islamophobic, or both. On Thursday, Rep. Kevin Boyle of Philadelphia introduced a resolution calling on representatives who lead the daily invocation to follow guidelines that ask them to craft prayers that are respectful of all religions.

Critics in theological circles questioned whether Borowiczs remarks crossed the line from prayer into a political statement.

Borowicz said during her radio interview that she prayed on the House floor as she prays with her family every day. We pray for our nation. We pray for our president. We pray for our leaders, she said, adding later: I had no idea that that would cause controversy. It wasnt directed at anyone.

Borowicz said she was nervous to deliver the prayer.

I was just a weak vessel, she said. I was being obedient to the Lord, and excited and nervous at the same time to pray to my Jesus.
From left, Science Leadership Academy at Beeber senior Amir Curry, 18; Workshop School sophomore Charles Mitchell, 16; and Academy at Palumbo senior Nayeli Perez, 18, stand with one of their signs at the Philadelphia Student Union office in West Philadelphia. They are preparing to testify before the school board against a policy mandating the use of metal detectors in all Philadelphia School District high schools. Read more

The Philadelphia school board is slated to decide a tough topic Thursday night: Should every high school in the city require students to pass through metal detectors?

All 49 Philadelphia district high schools have the scanning equipment, but three dont use it. A proposed board policy would shift that, effectively requiring Science Leadership Academy, Science Leadership Academy at Beeber, and the Workshop School to use their metal detectors.

Amir Curry, a senior at SLA Beeber, thinks that metal detectors criminalize students and have no place in his West Philadelphia magnet school.

SLA Beeber students do not view this policy as a safeguard of their health and safety," said Curry, a member of the Philadelphia Student Union, a youth group against the policy change. To SLA Beeber students, this policy  is a clear violation of their power, voice and autonomy.

Walking through metal detectors, SLA senior Zoey Tweh said, sets the tone for students. It sets up a relationship between the school and the students that says, We dont trust you. 

Tweh, an officer with UrbEd, a student-led advocacy group, said each school should be able to set its own metal-detector policy.

The issue is timely because the original SLA is moving from rented space in Center City into an unused portion of Benjamin Franklin High Schoolon North Broad Street. The idea of having Ben Franklin students use scanners and SLA students skip them didnt sit well with officials, said school board chair Joyce Wilkerson.

We need to standardize things, Wilkerson said.

She said the controversy around mandated security checkpoints made clear the need for a broader conversation about security, but in the meantime, the board should err on the side of uniformity.

The policys passage is not assured. At a public discussion in February, board members Mallory Fix Lopez and Angela McIver said they would not support mandated metal detectors.

Julia Frank and Alfredo Pratico, the boards two student members, do not get a vote, but they urged a No vote. On a visit to The Workshop School, Frank, a senior at Northeast High, and Pratico, a senior at Masterman, said the lack of a security checkpoint led to a strong sense of trust and community.

We can never allow students to feel untrusted or suspect in a place where they should feel comforted and supported, Pratico said at the February school board meeting.

Julia Danzy, another board member, said safety issues are paramount but so are issues of liability.

Should any child be harmed, even if it was someone who spoke out against this tonight, there will be a lawsuit brought against the district, Danzy said last month.

For students in some schools, metal detectors bring a measure of comfort. Kevin Davis, a senior at Strawberry Mansion High, which sits in a neighborhood with the highest rates of homicides and shootings in the city, said that metal detectors are "a good thing.

You never know who could be bringing what into the building that were supposed to be safe in, said Davis. Its not meant to criminalize us; its meant to keep us out of harms way.

Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. said he wants to be careful to separate the instrument from behaviors that may make students feel unsafe, and that students who walk through metal detectors at Center City magnet schools should be treated the same way as those walking through neighborhood high schools in West Philadelphia.

Im sure if any of our students go to Disney World, no one feels criminalized by walking through a metal detector, said Hite, who supports the policy. If in fact there are issues about how young people are being treated, then we have to address those behaviors.
Jen Zavala helps to mark the two-year anniversary of the decriminalization of marijuana in Philadelphia at a "Pop-Up Weed Garden" near the Philadelphia Museum of Art Thursday, October 20, 2016. A recent Franklin & Marshall College poll showed 59 percent of those surveyed support legalizing marijuana for recreational use, a sharp reversal from when the poll first asked the question in 2006, when just 22 percent approved. Read more

Legalizing pot is popular in Pennsylvania. President Donald Trump is not.

Thats the conclusion of a new Franklin & Marshall College Poll released Thursday, based on telephone interviews with 540 registered voters in the state.

Fifty-nine percent of those polled support legalizing marijuana for recreational use, a sharp reversal from when the poll first asked the question in 2006, when just 22 percent approved.

Sixty-one percent of voters hold an unfavorable view of Trump, with 52 percent saying they feel strongly about that, while 38 percent hold a favorable view.

Both questions split down partisan lines. Support for marijuana legalization was strong among Democrats (71 percent) and independents (77 percent) while a majority of Republicans (54 percent) opposed it.

Age was a divider too. Voters under 35 (80 percent) and 35 to 54 (67 percent) supported the idea while voters over 55 (51 percent) did not.

Support for legalizing marijuana was strongest in Philadelphia, at 85 percent, and weakest in central Pennsylvania, where just 48 percent of registered voters approved.

Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, who is nearly halfway through a listening tour of the states 67 counties on marijuana legalization, said he has found support running close to 70 percent at the meetings hes held, even in counties where Republicans hold strong majorities.

Everyone is interested in talking about it, Fetterman, a Democrat who took office in January, said.

As for Trump, 91 percent of Democrats and 75 percent of independents said he was doing a poor or fair job as president, while 66 percent of Republicans said he was doing an excellent or good job. Trumps support was weakest in Philadelphia, with 85 percent disapproval, and strongest in Southwest Pennsylvania, with 59 percent approving the presidents performance. That region was the only part of the state where Trump won a majority of support in the poll.

Just 36 percent of voters polled said Trump deserves reelection, while 61 percent said he does not.

Pollster G. Terry Madonna conducted the survey, which is subject to a margin of error of plus or minus 5.5 percentage points, from March 18 to March 24. The last day of interviews coincided with U.S. Attorney General William Barrs letter to Congress summarizing the conclusions of special counsel Robert Mueller that Trump and his campaign did not conspire with Russia during the 2016 election but punting on the question of whether the president obstructed justice during the investigation.

Trump declared vindication. Madonna predicted moderate improvement in the short term for the presidents numbers, while noting Trumps polling averages show little variation over time compared with other presidents.

I dont think theres any doubt hes going to get a slight bump as a result of it, Madonna said of Barrs letter.

An average of national presidential job approval polls compiled Wednesday by the website Real Clear Politics showed Trump with a 51.9 percent disapproval rating and 43.6 approval.
Steph Irwin, left, and David Pianka, organizers of Sunday's Making Time PURE SPA party, pose for a portrait at Southampton Spa in Southampton, Pa., on Wednesday, March 27, 2019. The two are hosting their first spa party, which will offer a balance of relaxation and partying, early Sunday morning. Read more

David Pianka dipped his hand into the layer of white foam swirling atop the hot tub he had just sunk into at Southampton Spa, a Russian bathhouse in Bucks County, just north of the Northeast.

Feels great, the 43-year-old DJ better known as Dave P announced before submerging himself until only his head was visible. This is awesome.

Ten feet away from him, three bald men in towel robes peeled grapefruits and sipped hot tea from giant thermoses. They chatted over half-empty bowls of borscht.

Southampton Spa is perhaps not the most intuitive spot for a rave, but its the one that Pianka and Steph Irwin, his coproducer, have settled on for their first-ever spa party, happening in the wee hours of this coming Sunday. They envisioned light projections on the cavernous ceiling. Blissed-out partyers ladling hot water over each other in the Turkish hammam. Everyone hydrating with kombucha  all to ambient electronica.

Spa parties have kind of taken off around the world, but often theyre ragers, just set in a spa, said Pianka, who has been Phillys dance-party czar since he created the series Making Time in 2000. Over nearly two decades, he has produced more than 200 parties, finagling artists like the xx, Charli XCX, and Blood Orange to play in Philly clubs such as Voyeur and the Dolphin Tavern.

But for this rager-meets-spa day, Pianka is emphasizing balance over the usual hard-core party antics. Its a party, but also not, he said. We really wanted to lean into the space.

The chilled-out soiree takes place on March 31, from 1 to 6 a.m. After working up a sweat dancing at the Foto Club pre-party in Fishtown, spa-goers will load onto a bus that will take them to Southampton. It will deliver them to the doorstep of the bathhouse by 1 a.m. Towels are covered in the cost of the $65 ticket, but the bus ride is $5 extra and guests must bring their own swimsuit, sandals, a padlock for the lockers, and a robe.

A 30-minute yoga class from Amanda Medina of Yogi Noir will get everyone in the right mind-set. Then the relaxed revelers can romp in the 20-by-40-foot pool, festooned with inflatables; work out the knots in their backs using the powerful jets in the hot tubs; and detox in the herbal steam rooms and saunas. If you find yourself falling asleep because youre so chilled out, theres the cold plunge pool, kept at a brisk 47 to 55 degrees. DJs will be set up poolside.

Irwin is even planning to bring venik, a bundle of leafy dried twigs used to massage a bathers skin and improve circulation. She will sport her customary Russian spa hat in the sauna, to protect her head from the heat.

Irwin and Pianka are encouraging guests to bring their own snacks, though pierogies will be available for purchase, if all the relaxing works up appetites. Partygoers can also sip on their beverage of choice  Pabst Blue Ribbon, wine, champagne cocktails, Red Bull, or kombucha  at the open bar.

Keeping attendees hydrated is a priority at a party venue where one can waltz into a 200-degree sauna. Were not offering hard liquor because we dont want people to get dehydrated, said Pianka. We want everyone to drink lots of water.

He gestured toward the end of the pool, to a snack counter filled with bottled water and fresh fruits for sale. As if on cue, the spa employee in charge of venik massages dropped by the table to gift Irwin a carton of fresh blueberries.

Were combining self-care and partying, Irwin said. Even though weve thrown a lot of parties, weve never done one thats meant to create balance on such a huge scale. Its going to be transcendental in its own way.

Pianka and Irwin conceptualized the idea for Making Time Pure Spa after they threw a huge New Years Eve after-party at Kensington thrift store Thunderbird Salvage earlier this year. Pianka likes experimenting with multiple spaces, so the duo set up a chill-out room with ambient music, cushions, and inflatable beds for revelers who wanted breaks from the pounding techno music in the main space. It was a hit.

People loved it, Pianka, who has a soft spot for ambient music, said. We realized that not everything has to fall under the typical notion of partying. There has to be balance. When I throw a party, it has one facet  and thats typically loud music and energy and dancing. But this has so many different sensory facets.

Irwin is a regular at Southampton Spa and convinced owners Steven and Russel Nayflesh to permit the party when the spa would normally be closed. To Irwins knowledge, the bathhouse has only hosted private parties for the Philadelphia art collective Bangarang. No surprise there: Renting the space costs multiple thousands of dollars. Because of limited capacity, the pair said, they had to cap the number of attendees at 150.

If people like it, we would really love to do it again, Irwin said. I love partying, but its not like I can go out every weekend and stay up all night. I would burn out. But every time I come here, I always try to stay for three to five hours.

She tightened the belt of her towel robe, which she wore over her wet gym clothes, and pulled her spa hat down over her ears.

There doesnt have to be alcohol, Irwin said. My friends are bringing face masks and body scrubs. Were pushing the boundaries of what a party is. We just want to transport people into a whole other world  physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Making Time Pure Spa. Pre-party from 10 p.m. to midnight Saturday at the Foto Club, 3743 Frankford Ave. Party from 1 to 6 a.m. Sunday at Southampton Spa, 141 2nd St. Pike, Southampton. $65 for admission to the event, $5 for a bus ticket. 215-942-4646, southamptonspa.com
U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has come under fire for proposing to slash funding to the Special Olympics. But her departments budget contains other cuts that would affect school districts across the country, including Philadelphias.

The Philadelphia School District expects it will have to spend an extra $22.5 million starting in 2021 to make up for cuts in the proposed federal education budget. The district receives more than $100 million in federal grant funds each year, according to its chief financial officer, Uri Monson.

The federal money the district would lose under the Education Departments proposal would go toward teacher professional development, particularly around early literacy, as well as music and foreign-language programs, Monson said. He said the district wouldnt necessarily cut those programs but would fund them out of its operating budget  proposed to be more than $3.3 billion next year.

Money for teacher development under Title II has been targeted by the Trump administration in the past (as well as by Obamas administration, although it didnt propose ending it). The funding cut, along with others previously proposed to the education budget, hasnt passed Congress.

Nor has the proposed axing of federal funds for the Special Olympics, which has drawn by far the most blowback of the administrations education proposals. On Thursday, President Donald Trump said he would not cut Special Olympics funding, saying, I have overridden my people.

In total, the administration proposes to eliminate 29 education programs that have achieved their original purpose, duplicate other programs, are narrowly focused, or are unable to demonstrate effectiveness, including funding for after-school programs and literacy grants.

The budget would increase funding for charter schools. Outside of the education budget, the Trump administration also is pitching $5 billion in tax credits to fund scholarships to private schools.
Members of the United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps march in front of Independence Hall, where the Constitution was debated and adopted, during the opening ceremony of the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, PA on April 19, 2017. Read more

The College Board  those responsible for the SAT and Advanced Placement tests  has identified two important areas of study that prepare high school students for success in college and beyond: computer science and the U.S. Constitution.

The first seems obvious in a world where almost everyone has a super computer in their pocket. But how will a 231-year-old document help kids in the 21st century?

Simple, really. Constitutional issues impact our lives every day. And constitutional knowledge, especially in 2019, has a transformative power that allows young people to understand how they fit into the world around them  and the role civic responsibility plays in American society.

Ive seen it happen over and over during my dozen years of educating students about American rights and responsibilities rooted in the Constitution.

The Founding Fathers who gathered in Philadelphia bequeathed to us a representative form of democracy that functions best with an informed citizenry prepared to instruct the government, and not the other way around. Under our Constitution, individual rights are not granted by the government but protected by it. Without a working knowledge of our form of limited self-government, the people  from whom all power and authority emanate  can easily be left outside looking in.

Consider the recent power struggle between President Donald Trump and Congress over declaring a national emergency at the southern border. The result was a congressional rebuke  a rare show of bipartisanship  and a presidential veto. The immigration debate aside, citing a national emergency in order to reallocate funds is a complex constitutional issue.

Unfortunately, the debate was largely fueled by pure emotion, dictated not by constitutional nuances but by ones feelings about the president. Thats not good enough, and it serves our country poorly.

Were also regularly seeing emotion override free-speech protections, too often allowing a hecklers veto to drown out unpopular opinions. Just this year at Portland State University, a controversial blogger speaking to a meeting of College Republicans was interrupted for more than an hour by a protester with a cowbell. Campus police stood by. At Villanova University two years ago, faculty interrupted sociologist Charles Murray with the accusation of hate speech, a nebulous term with no objective definition. Anyone who truly understands the Constitutions First Amendment protections would know that the way to fight unpopular, controversial, or hurtful ideas is to engage and challenge with words and stronger arguments.

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. understood this, and reminded fellow ministers in his Letter from a Birmingham Jail that nonviolent civil rights protesters were in reality standing up for what is best in the American dream and for the most sacred values in our Judeo Christian heritage, thereby bringing our nation back to those great wells of democracy which were dug deep by the founding fathers in their formulation of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.

Arming citizens with a deeper understanding of the constitutionally defined roles of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, as well as the Supreme Court decisions that help interpret those roles, will help raise the level of political debate to a standard worthy of the promise and ideals of the founding. It would also offer significant protection against the manipulation of the public by demagogues in politics and on cable news.

The College Board is right. The Constitution is key to our success. Only in teaching a deep, abiding love for freedom can we ever hope to create zealous defenders of the ever-expanding liberty that defines what is best about this country.

So tonight, dust off your copy of the Constitution and read it again. Then pass it on to a young person in your life.

Jason L.S. Raia is executive vice president of Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge. jraia@ffvf.org
Sign advertising free measles vaccines and information about measles are displayed at the Rockland County Health Department in Pomona, N.Y., Wednesday, March 27, 2019. The county in New York City's northern suburbs declared a local state of emergency Tuesday over a measles outbreak that has infected more than 150 people since last fall, hoping a ban against unvaccinated children in public places wakes their parents to the seriousness of the problem. Read more

Last year was a big one for measles in the United States. This year is setting up to be even bigger, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Weve already seen notable outbreaks nationwide, including in New York City, Washington state, and New Yorks Rockland County, which on Tuesday declared an emergency blocking children and teenagers not vaccinated against measles from public places.

Indeed, every year since 2000, when measles was declared eliminated in the U.S., a traveler has brought measles from elsewhere. News reports and editorials that mention the elimination of measles make it sound as if we had reached zero cases, but now, these reports suggest, because of dangerous anti-vaxxer parents, we have hundreds.

But thats not true. There have always been some cases in this country. Pretending otherwise provides grounds for unfairly vilifying non-vaccinating parents.

With tens of thousands of cases in Europe and elsewhere, its no wonder we have some outbreaks in the U.S. They have occurred in diverse communities, including Orthodox Jews, the Amish, and Somali immigrants, among others. This fact suggests that vaccination concerns are varied, not limited to the monolith of anti-vaxxers often portrayed in media. Some of these people may only be vaccine hesitant  reluctant to give their children multiple vaccines at once, for example, or fine with the vaccines given to infants but unsure of the flu option, as my research found in Virginia. Other parents choose illness over vaccination because they think it will produce a better immune response; still others see vaccines as riskier than disease, a view vehemently opposed by mainstream medicine.

All vaccines have some risk. If that were not true, there would be no National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, no reduced liability for pharmaceutical companies through that program, no special arm of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims (the Vaccine Court) to settle claims of vaccine injury, and no Vaccination Information Sheets mandated by the federal government to inform parents and vaccine recipients of possible adverse reactions. Yet vaccines pose little risk to most individuals because that risk is spread throughout the population. Millions of people get vaccinated, so any one individuals risk of a bad reaction is small.

But ask parents who believe that their child has been injured by a vaccine whether that matters, and they would say that a hypothetically tiny risk feels big if it is your kid. Telling parents their lived experience is wrong doesnt get you anywhere. Moreover, forcing parents to vaccinate their children in the face of their deeply felt concerns may not be good public health policy or practice.

For one thing, its not clear that further restricting exemption from state school-entry vaccination mandates will quell the concerns of vaccine skeptics or improve this countrys excellent vaccination rates. For example, in 2016, national coverage for vaccines against polio, measles/mumps/rubella (MMR), hepatitis B, and diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis (DTaP) were over 90 percent for children aged 19 to 35 months.

In Pennsylvania, vaccines for DTaP, polio, MMR, hepatitis B, and varicella are required for school entry, with follow-ups in later grades for certain illnesses. Pennsylvania is one of 17 states that grant philosophical exemptions, along with the religious exemptions allowed in 47 states.

Across the U.S., mandatory vaccination has struck a delicate balance between personal freedoms and government requirements, echoing dominant themes in our history. Exemptions to school-entry mandates serve a social and political function. Nonmedical exemptions allow personal beliefs to matter. In doing so, they avoid forcing people to act against those beliefs and so prevent the ill will that stems from that pressure. Nadja Durbach writing about compulsory smallpox vaccination in Britain at the turn of the 20th century shows that legalizing conscientious objection largely deflated the anti-vaccination movement, avoiding social unrest.

Yet public conversations about vaccination  largely in the media, but also in the halls of Congress and in statehouses  often sidestep the crucial issue of personal belief by characterizing all vaccine dissent as wrongheaded and antiscience. The argument goes something like: Vaccines dont cause autism (because science has debunked that myth), benefits override the risks (because the risk per person is low), parents shouldnt consult the internet (because they cant identify fraudulent sources), and people shouldnt let their refusal to vaccinate endanger others (especially those with compromised immune systems, including children and people with chronic illness). Therefore, vaccine mandates should be strengthened (because people should be forced to do what is right).

Such an argument treats scientific evidence as the only basis for healthy civic behavior. It suggests we can all agree on what the relevant facts are and how to measure risk and benefit. There is no room for an acknowledgment of alternative experiences or belief systems, nor for a conversation about what we owe one another as citizens in modern societies. There are only facts vs. wackos.

That framing is a problem. While scientific data certainly offers us crucial information about how to live good lives, science is not the only knowledge that influences our lifestyles, decisions, and values. If scientific data were somehow always absolutely correct and appropriate to each situation, we would not need science and health policies to help us decide how to deploy those facts for the public good. We would not need the many federal advisory committees whose job it is to make recommendations based on scientific evidence and other matters  including ethical concerns, resource availability, and public sentiment.

And, of course, sometimes vaccines dont quite work as promised. In Philadelphia, the outbreak of mumps at Temple University is a case in point  the affected students may have received MMR vaccines as infants, but mumps vaccine coverage wanes over time, leaving young adults vulnerable to illness later when they live in close quarters.

To reframe our current conversations about vaccines, we could look at public controversies as opportunities to revisit the bonds that hold us together as communities. We could consult experienced public health authorities, who understand that trust in government workers is one of the most important elements in managing an outbreak. We could do the hard work of understanding other peoples views rather than pigeonholing them in convenient categories.

We could stop talking about those other people who are crazy, dangerous, stupid, and duped.

Or we could continue as we are, flinging accusations and getting nowhere with our mutual concerns about the health of ourselves, our children, our communities, our nation, and our world.

Bernice L. Hausman is chair of the department of humanities at Penn State College of Medicine and the author of the book Anti/Vax: Reframing the Vaccination Controversy, which will be published by Cornell University Press on April 15.
Nearly every element of the U.S. Constitution is a compromise resulting from long and often contentious arguments. There was one thing, though, upon which nearly all parties agreed: the Electoral College. Alexander Hamilton spoke to this in Federalist 68, writing that the appointment of the President is almost the only part of the system, of any consequence, which has escaped without severe censure, or which has received the slightest mark of approbation from its opponents.

The major point of contention at the time was the construction of Congress. Citizens from more populous states favored representation based on population. Citizens from less populous states wanted representation based on statehood. What emerged, the Great Compromise, combined both methods. Legislative power would be shared by a House of Representatives, based on the former, and a Senate, based on the latter.

The Electoral College raised no eyebrows because it was simply grafted to the Great Compromise. Each state would receive a number of electoral votes equal to the number of the states representatives and senators. Today, these range from a high of 55 for California to a low of three for each of the seven least populous states.

So how did we get to the point where Democratic politicians, most recently Elizabeth Warren, are calling for dismantling the only thing on which virtually all the Founders agreed? The answer is simple: Democrats believe they would have a better chance of winning without it. Expediency explains why politicians do just about everything they do. But for the nation, the important question is not about who might win with or without the Electoral College. The important question is whether, in principle, the Electoral College is still a good idea.

It is. The Electoral College is a good idea because there is more to representation than raw population. Population is important, but so, too, is geography.

As was the case when the Constitution was framed, rural and urban voters today have decidedly different interests. The Electoral College considers both. More than 80 percent of the Electoral Colleges votes are based on state populations, with the remainder based on geography. Because Democrats do well in urban areas, if geography no longer mattered, they would never again need to campaign in nor care about the countrys sparsely populated areas.

This is no guarantee of electoral victory, though. If geography didnt matter, Republican campaign strategies would change also. Whereas Republicans have long written off states like California under a popular vote model, Republicans would gain an incentive to campaign there. How all of this would affect the popular vote is anyones guess. What would happen to the attention paid to vast swaths of the country, however, is not. That attention would disappear.

But the move to scuttle the Electoral College is not about principle. Its about winning. How do we know? Because Democrats could achieve almost the same outcome as a popular vote without touching the Electoral College. Under the Constitution, each state has the power to decide for itself how to assign its electoral votes. Democrats control the legislatures in 18 states. They could propose tomorrow that those states electoral votes be allocated proportionally according to the states popular votes. Two states, Nebraska and Maine, already do something like this.

But Democrats wont propose this. If they did, solidly Democratic states like California, New York, Illinois, and New Jersey, would end up allocating some of their electoral votes to Republican candidates. This reveals the real motivation behind the push to eliminate the Electoral College: Democrats want to dictate to Republican states how those states assign their electoral votes.

While the current push to disband the Electoral College comes from a host of Democrats, the Republicans would do precisely the same thing were the situation reversed. How do we know? They care about winning exactly as much as their Democratic counterparts.

This lack of principle is reason enough not to take either party all that seriously. An even better reason is that the nature of representation itself is on the line. The Framers gave us a Constitution in which both population and geography mattered. Until there is a principled reason to shift away from this, we shouldnt. And wanting your preferred party to win is not a principled reason.

Antony Davies is associate professor of economics at Duquesne University. James R. Harrigan teaches in the department of Political Economy and Moral Science at the University of Arizona. They host the weekly podcast, Words & Numbers.
Lt. Gov. John Fetterman and Pennsylvania state Rep. Patty Kim (D., Dauphin) answer questions during the first stop on Fetterman's statewide listening tour designed to gather input on the possibility of legalizing recreational marijuana. Their first stop was on February 11, 2019 at the Jewish Community Center in Harrisburg, Pa. Read more

There are lot of things to worry about in Pennsylvania besides pot.

The Keystone States poverty rate is a little over the national average and ranks 23rd out of 50 states, along with a child poverty rate thats 17 percent. About 1 in every 8 Pennsylvanians are dealing with food insecurity, along with 1 in 6 children. Thats 40 percent of households with children that receive SNAP benefits, which is 62 percent of the total, according to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities.

It is the 14th most polluted state (out of all 56 U.S. states and territories), according to Pollution Information Sites Scorecard, in terms of total toxic chemical releases by state. Its flagship city, Philadelphia, ranks high on the American Lung Associations most polluted city lists, and as the state receives an overall grade of C- on the national infrastructure report card, drinking-water systems in the commonwealth received a D. And when compared with other states, Pennsylvania ranked 38th on a 2018 U.S. News & World Report state education performance list.

And these challenges dont begin to fully capture the poverty-stricken picture in Philadelphia, hotbed of some of the worst socioeconomic and environmental indicators in the country.

Philadelphia  particularly black Philadelphia  was largely responsible for giving Gov. Tom Wolf and running mate Lt. Gov. John Fetterman the electoral advantage he needed to win his second term over Republican nominee Scott Wagner in 2018. But a statewide listening tour on recreational marijuana, like the one Fetterman is currently doing, doesnt exactly say thank you.

In Philadelphia alone, black residents make up 76 percent of all marijuana-related arrests; in the Philadelphia suburbs, they are 40 percent of marijuana arrests while more than a quarter of all such arrests statewide. Thats an extension of the distressed state of black life in the city, its suburbs, and beyond, aggravated by the continued existence of worsening socioeconomic indicators. And yet, despite the fact that black Pennsylvanians represent a disproportionate share of the increase in marijuana arrests throughout the state, especially in the Philadelphia region, recreational legalization is not that crucial of a priority for them when faced with other challenges.

Thats why when Fetterman does show up here (something not yet scheduled), Philadelphia residents should give him an earful on a grisly list of problems that far outweigh the ideological clash over who gets to smoke weed. How about a statewide tour to address the struggles with public schools? What about talking to folks across the city and state about that poverty rate, or about jobs?

For sure, legalizing marijuana would have its benefits  such as an estimated $600 million in additional revenue that could be used to fund schools or infrastructure projects. Colorado and Washington saw an additional $250 million and $320 million, respectively, in cannabis-related taxes and fees in 2017, according to Forbes Nick Kovacevich.

Harrisburg is watching that closely, as well as the revenue trickling in to the 10 states that have legalized recreational use, something that could generate more money and prove less of a regulatory hassle than medicinal marijuana use. Last month a bill to legalize recreational marijuana was introduced in Harrisburg, with several Democratic cosponsors. Still, Republican leadership has opposed the idea, despite the fact that their constituents across the state have indicated they favor the change.

That constituent support highlights how pot could represent a creative bridge to the whitest, most rural, and suburban locations in the state, places typically unfriendly (and, at times, outright hostile) to blue-state overtures. Support for the legalized use of marijuana among Pennsylvania voters has climbed astronomically, from just 22 percent in 2006 to 59 percent in 2017, according to Franklin & Marshall College polling. It appears to defy partisan lines and polarization.

And yet, regardless of that bipartisan constituent support, marijuana is still not Pennsylvanias most pressing issue  unless youre a politician looking for something that could positively distinguish Democratic state leadership from bah-humbug Republicans among the white working- and middle-class voters heading to 2020 and beyond.

Marijuana legalization stumps well. Those listening-tour town halls have become standing room only with mostly white residents. They show that whites  contrary to long-held racial stereotypes  do use marijuana at roughly the same rate as blacks do. And now with relaxed law enforcement over marijuana in Pennsylvania, these same folks are looking to take advantage of a booming cannabis economy.

Thats an attractive proposition for Trump Country voters in Pennsylvania, and state Democrats are banking on it working as a defense mechanism to retake the state in the 2020 presidential election.

But lets get real: What Democrats really need to take back Pennsylvania in 2020 is black Philadelphia. African American voters who helped Barack Obama sail to victory in Pennsylvania stayed home in large numbers in 2016. Without them, Hillary Clinton lost the state  and the election.

A listening tour on quality of life in Pennsylvania, gauging the pillar economic and social challenges state residents face, would have been far more effective than a listening tour on pot.

Charles D. Ellison is executive producer and host of Reality Check, which airs Monday-Thursday, 4-7 p.m. on WURD Radio. Ellison is also principal of B|E Strategy. @ellisonreport. A version of this piece previously appeared in the Philadelphia Citizen.
President Donald Trump speaks with the media after stepping off Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House, Sunday, March 24, 2019, in Washington. The Justice Department said Sunday that special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation did not find evidence that President Donald Trump's campaign "conspired or coordinated" with Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Read more

The most troubling thing about the end of special counsel Robert Muellers investigation was the reaction of so many on the left when they learned that Donald Trump was not a Russian asset. They were, to put it mildly, disappointed.

Philadelphia native and MSNBC host Chris Matthews appeared apoplectic (admittedly not unusual for him) and went into a rant that ended with: How can they let Trump off the hook?

His colleague Joy Reid took aim at Attorney General William Barrs neutrality and referred to the seeds of a cover-up.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D., Calif.), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, gave an interview to the Washington Post, where he rejected Muellers findings, stating that undoubtedly there is collusion." He also said, We will continue to investigate the counterintelligence issues. That is, is the president or people around him compromised in any way by a hostile foreign power? It doesnt appear that was any part of Muellers report."

Rep. Jerry Nadler (D., N.Y.), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, continued to insist that despite the Mueller report clearing the president and his associates from colluding with the Russians, We know there was collusion  why theres been no indictments, we dont know."

And these were just some of the high-profile Democrats and Trump critics who were so invested in the Mueller investigations ability to take down the president that they lost sight of what was really important: confirmation that President Trump and members of his campaign did not conspire or coordinate with the Russian government to get him elected.

Instead of exulting in joy, many Democrats acted like kids who hadnt gotten everything on their Christmas list. Thats frightening. There is something twisted in the idea that Americans would rather have their partisan dreams fulfilled than be assured that the man who leads us  however repellent his character and policies might be  is not a traitor.

This surprised me, even after two years of suggestions that a Manchurian Candidate occupied the White House. My Facebook news feed regularly filled up with comments and articles on how Michael Flynn, Michael Cohen, Paul Manafort or fill-in-the-blank random Trump associate was the canary in the coal mine of the presidents demise, and that Mueller would expose the strings attached to Russian President Vladimir Putins puppet.

But still, I assumed that my fellow Americans were hoping that our country was not compromised and our president was not guilty of treason. For those who truly love this country and hope that it can withstand even the most troubling assaults on its institutional integrity, thats a no-brainer.

But when news of the report was released, something was unleashed on the left that convinces me there are people there who hate Trump more than they love this country.

The lefts barely concealed distress at seeing the president cleared of collusion and conspiracy with Russia and their insistence that this isnt over, and that he can still be found guilty of treason is proof positive to me that the real threat to this country is a willingness to sacrifice everything we hold dear  due process, presumption of innocence, and respect for our legal system  in a narrowly focused crusade to undo the results of an election.

I sympathize with those who reject this president and his policies. I am far from an apologist for his governance, as Ive stated on numerous occasions, to the chagrin of many of my fellow conservatives. I get as much hate mail from Trump loyalists as I do from those who want him gone yesterday.

But this is about something much more sinister than mere opposition to a political opponent. It is one thing to despise President Trump. It is quite another to be disappointed that our leader is not a Russian asset. I think some people need a refresher on the definition of traitor.
How do you lead a fight for human rights in a world where mass slaughter of civilians goes unpunished, where populists and autocrats are rising  and where the United States no longer leads a global pushback against human rights crimes?

This is what I asked Zeid Raad Al Hussein, a most unusual man who recently stepped down from four years as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (a separate office from the controversial U.N. Human Rights Council).

A Jordanian prince whose father is Arab and mother European, a Muslim who has visited Auschwitz and bicycled around Israel, he is a fervent believer in the human rights of each individual, everywhere. A soft-spoken man who talks with hard-edged eloquence, he took on an impossible job, challenging violators on all sides, whether American, Russian, Chinese, African, Arab, Israeli, or other. And doing it publicly.

He is reflecting on those difficult years as a Distinguished Global Leader-in-Residence at the University of Pennsylvanias Perry World House, where he shared some of his thoughts.

What surprised him most about the U.N. post?

I think I knew there would be strong pushback from governments, he replied, but I didnt anticipate the degree of human suffering, the feeling of inadequacy. I could give speeches, do reports and press conferences, but it was not equal to the need to alleviate the suffering.

So Zeid (as the prince is referred to) decided he had to just come out swinging, contrary to the U.N.s keep-your-head-down culture. Those whom he criticized pushed back harshly.

His arrival on the job coincided with the horrific beheadings that ISIS put online, and the sheer viciousness in Syria and Iraq was in full flower. There was the [civil war violence in] Central African Republic, Southern Sudan, then Myanmar and Yemen."

What worried him most was the absence of any constraints on human rights violations. You see the severest degradation. Bombs hit schools, hospitals, marketplaces, and law seems not to matter at all. All rules of war were cast aside.

The massive slaughter, suffering, and displacement of civilians breeds bitterness that has future implications, Zeid warns. Todays human rights violations will become tomorrows conflicts.

Those concerns are especially troubling, he says, as a crop of nationalist populist leaders emerges in the USA and Europe who stoke ethnic and racial divisions. He says President Trumps embrace of populist themes  and autocrats  has had a negative impact on human rights worldwide.

It seems President Trump is drawn by authoritarian leadership that shows little respect for human rights. This feeds the perspective that the U.S. doesnt care. When he attacks the U.S. media as enemies of the people, two days later [an autocrat like] Cambodias Hun Sen uses the same language.

Moreover, the U.S. withdrawal from its longtime bipartisan role as human rights defender gives autocratic regimes more leeway to repress with impunity, even on issues Washington cares about.

Zeid relates an episode in March 2018 where he was supposed to brief the U.N. Council on human rights outrages in Syria. When the United States supports such a briefing, as it did here, this used to guarantee the necessary votes for it to go forward. But given Washingtons current indifference to most human rights concerns, third-world council members felt comfortable abstaining or voting no.

This was a huge signpost of what has happened to U.S. influence on human rights, says Zeid. The occasional U.S. interest in particular human rights cases, such as Venezuela, has less impact because of its inconsistency.

The former UN official criticized U.S. human rights violations wherever he saw them. Its not like we gave a pass to the Obama administration, he notes, mentioning Guantanamo, torture, and killing of Afghan civilians. But we were able to talk to the U.S. administration under Obama. This doesnt apply to the Trump administration.

Zeid was as hard on violations by Arab states as those by Israelis. While he criticized Israeli killing of civilians in Gaza, he earned the ire of his own government with human rights critiques (despite being a former Jordanian ambassador to the United Nations and Washington).

Now he worries the world is drifting back to the complacency of the early 20th century, an age of globalization that was roiled by terrorism, populist nationalism, and a slow descent into unforeseen catastrophe. A student of the Holocaust (I felt as an Arab I needed to understand it better"), he fears the rise of populism could produce similar horrors with different victims.

As the U.S. withdraws, international institutions like the United Nations, cant cope with human rights issues. Nor do smaller countries have the clout.

Zeid sees the burden passing to individuals and civic organizations. He cites the students (including his daughter) who joined worldwide protests for climate change, begun by Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg.

This country, he says of America, has a rich tradition of civic action. This is the untapped power of the human rights movement. That may be the best hope as we pass through turbulent times.
FILE - Former state Senate Democratic Leader Robert J. Mellow leaves the William J. Nealon Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, Friday, Nov. 30, 2012 in Scranton, Pa. Robert Mellow, a former leader of Pennsylvania Democrats whose portrait hangs in the state Capitol, was sentenced Friday to 16 months in prison on public corruption charges. (AP Photo/Scranton Times & Tribune, Jake D. Stevens) WILKES BARRE TIMES-LEADER OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT Read more

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP)  Pennsylvania's first law of 2019 expands the list of crimes that would result in a convicted public official or government employee being stripped of their public pension.

Gov. Tom Wolf signed the bill Thursday, at a time when Pennsylvania's state and municipal pension funds face big debts.

The legislation expands the law to apply to state and federal felonies and other crimes that could result in at least five years behind bars, on top of an existing list of crimes related to public office or public employment.

It also requires the forfeiture of pensions when a defendant pleads guilty or no contest, or is found guilty by a judge or jury. The current law imposes pension forfeiture when a defendant is sentenced, leading to periods when someone who has lost their criminal case continues to receive benefits.

The bill passed both the House and Senate with just one "no" vote.

Part of the impetus for the bill was a 2017 decision by the State Employees' Retirement Board to reinstate the pension benefits of a former state senator who pleaded guilty to federal charges.

Former state Sen. Robert Mellow, D-Lackawanna, lost a $246,000-a-year pension after his 2012 plea to a conspiracy charge for using Senate staff to work on political campaigns.

His attorneys, however, successfully argued to the pension board that Mellow's case did not match up with state crimes that prompt pension forfeiture.

The change in law is expected to have minimal impact on the funds.

Pennsylvanias two major public employee pension funds face $70 billion in debt while municipal pension funds face almost $9 billion in debt, based on projections by the two retirement systems and the auditor generals office.
The scene outside the Border Patrol station in El Paso, Texas, where U.S. officials say they are becoming overwhelmed in the face of a migration surge. Read more

EL PASO, Texas - The nation's top border official warned that the U.S. immigration enforcement system along the nation's southern boundary is at "the breaking point" and said Wednesday that authorities are having to release migrants into the country after cursory background checks because of a crush of asylum-seeking families with children.

Kevin McAleenan, the commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said that for the first time in more than a decade, his agency is "reluctantly" performing direct releases of migrants, meaning they are not turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, they are not detained, and they are allowed to leave with just a notice to appear in court at a later date.

He said that this is a "negative outcome" but that it is "the only current option we have" because of overcrowding at detention facilities as Central Americans stream to the border knowing they will be able to gain entry with asylum claims.

The number of migrant families coming to the border has reached new highs month after month, a trend that dramatically accelerated after President Trump announced parents and children would no longer be separated, reversing course on his "zero tolerance" crackdown.

McAleenan said the agency detained more than 4,100 migrants Tuesday, the highest one-day total at the border in more than a decade, and agency projections have border apprehensions on pace to exceed 100,000 this month - an increase of more than 30 percent. By comparison, at the height of the last border crisis, in May 2014, agents apprehended more than 68,800 migrants that month.

The massive influx of families seeking asylum has strained almost every aspect of U.S. operations on the border, McAleenan said, nowhere more evident than here, along the Rio Grande. Crossings have been overwhelmed with hundreds of migrants seeking asylum daily; Border Patrol stations are crammed and have no space for detainees; the immigration court system is backed up with hundreds of thousands of cases; and health services are having to triage batches of patients who have a variety of ailments and communicable diseases.

"That breaking point has arrived this week," McAleenan said, standing in front of a border fence. "CBP is facing an unprecedented humanitarian and border security crisis all along our southwest border, and nowhere has that crisis manifested more acutely than here in El Paso."

McAleenan made an urgent call for Congress to provide additional emergency funding to house and provide medical care to migrants. But he also urged lawmakers to close legal "vulnerabilities" that make it nearly impossible to detain migrant families and unaccompanied minors long enough to determine whether they have a valid asylum claim. He urged Congress to expand detention space, allow for the detention of families for up to eight weeks instead of the current three weeks, and allow U.S. agencies to swiftly deport Central American families and unaccompanied minors who lose their immigration cases.

"If they don't have a valid claim, we'll repatriate," McAleenan said. "If they do, they'll be released with the certainty that they have asylum with the ability to plan, to invest in a business, to make these choices for schools. Right now, they don't have that. They live with uncertainty for years at a time because the system is broken and overwhelmed."

CBP officials say they are particularly alarmed by the soaring number of unaccompanied juveniles in crowded detention cells because Health and Human Services can't place them in shelters fast enough. CBP officials said they have 1,350 underage migrants in holding cells without a parent - and 20 percent are 12 years old or younger.

McAleenan said the overwhelming numbers and "inadequate capacity to detain families and children at ICE and HHS" is at the heart of the crisis.

By law, the minors should remain in CBP custody for the shortest amount of time as possible and not in excess of 72 hours. But CBP officials privately acknowledged Wednesday that they are keeping them in custody longer, in potential violation of a court order, because HHS doesn't have anywhere to put them, a situation leaving CBP with "no legal options."

The agency is reassigning agents to respond to and care for children, including U.S. agents who were sent south from the Canadian border this week.

But Evelyn Stauffer, an HHS spokeswoman, said the agency "continues to receive children referred to our care from the Department of Homeland Security and place them in an appropriate shelter as safely and quickly as possible." She said the agency could expand emergency facilities to handle an influx, as they also did under the Obama administration. There are 12,000 minors currently in HHS custody.

Near where McAleenan spoke Wednesday, an improvised holding pen beneath a highway overpass is serving as a processing center. U.S. agents have been interviewing hundreds of parents and children in a dusty parking lot. Just before the commissioner began speaking, a group of nine parents and children from El Salvador and Panama traversed the Rio Grande, and agents led them to the processing center on foot.

McAleenan's plea for help reflects the growing desperation among Homeland Security officials faced with a border influx that is on pace to be the largest in more than a decade, led by Guatemalan and Honduran asylum seekers who arrive with children and surrender to U.S. agents. McAleenan said his agency currently has more than 13,000 migrants in its custody.

"A high number is 4,000," he said. "Six-thousand is crisis level. Thirteen-thousand is unprecedented."

Some of the migrants have been seriously ill, including infants with 105-degree fevers, a 2-year-old suffering seizures in the desert, a 19-year-old woman with a congenital heart defect who needs emergency surgery and a 40-year-old man suffering multi-organ failure. Others have lice, the flu and chickenpox.

"We are doing everything we can to simply avoid a tragedy in a CBP facility," McAleenan said. "But with these numbers, with the types of illnesses we're seeing at the border, I fear that it's just a matter of time."

He blamed the surge on smugglers and U.S. laws that he said encourage illegal migration because migrants are virtually guaranteed to be released in the United States.

"There's no questioning why this is happening," he said.

The amount of resources needed to handle the surge is diverting Border Patrol agents from other duties, including security work aimed at drug interdiction and interior checkpoints. Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera, an associate professor of policy and government at George Mason University who researches migration, smuggling and criminal organizations, said it is risky to divert Border Patrol agents from their main security mission.

"They're supposed to look for real threats, to look for drug traffickers," she said. "Children and women are not a threat to the United States of America."

While McAleenan was emphasizing the need for more resources and legal authority to keep people from the U.S. interior, advocacy groups say the Trump administration should instead treat the migrants as refugees and invest in foreign aid. Migrants are streaming out of Central America for a complex set of reasons - including drought, poverty, violence and political instability - problems that will persist regardless of U.S. border policy.

"They don't need new money. They need a new strategy," said Frank Sharry, executive director of America's Voice, an immigrant advocacy group. "They think that if we're just tough enough, people will stop coming. That completely misreads what's happening."

As migrant numbers have surged upward, thousands more Central Americans are waiting in Mexico, at shelters in Ciudad Juarez, and U.S. officials say they probably will cross the river in coming days and weeks.

Though Border Patrol apprehensions remain below their annual peak of 1.6 million in 2000, the nature of the increasing migration flows has shifted dramatically, and that shift is driving the alarm. In prior eras, most of the migrants were adult men who could be easily deported to Mexico; now, many of those attempting to cross the border are asylum-seeking Central American families and, to a lesser degree, minors traveling on their own. Because those seeking asylum have a legal right to have their cases evaluated, most families are released into the United States to await hearings in clogged immigration courts, a process that can take months or years.

McAleenan's appeal came amid heated debate in Congress over the border situation. President Donald Trump declared a national emergency in February after a government shutdown failed to secure the funding he wanted for construction of a border wall. Congress sent Trump a bipartisan resolution that sought to nullify his declaration, but Trump vetoed it. On Tuesday, a House vote seeking to override the veto failed.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, called it a "sham emergency" on Tuesday.

"The Trump administration has withheld the money Congress appropriated to improve conditions in the Northern Triangle countries, wasted funds on an ineffective wall and refused to work with Congress on a comprehensive solution," Drew Hammill, a spokesman for Pelosi, said in a statement. "Every action this administration has taken over the past two years has increased the numbers of families, women and children coming to the border."

The migrants arriving in El Paso are crossing the Rio Grande, arriving in a place where the United States already has formidable, modern border barriers. By surrendering to agents on U.S. soil - the strip of land between the river and the tall U.S. fencing - the migrants can assert their legal right to seek asylum. Border Patrol holding cells in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas also are overcrowded, as are facilities in Arizona.

The most dangerous overcrowding is here in the El Paso area, where Border Patrol stations are at 300 percent to 400 percent capacity. Most parents who arrive with a child are issued an appointment with an immigration judge. But agents are so overwhelmed by the volume that they often do little more than a cursory screening, officials said.

CBP is supposed to be a fast-track system that books migrants into custody, checks their fingerprints and sends them to other agencies. Families and single adults are referred to ICE, which conducts additional checks and detains or releases them to await a court hearing. Families can be detained, but space is limited to roughly 3,000 people.

The border security compromise Democrats reached with President Trump last month includes $415 million to improve medical care and detention conditions for families and children in U.S. custody, including the construction of a new child-appropriate processing center in El Paso. But that facility is not likely to open for at least six months, CBP officials say.

Gil Kerlikowske, CBP commissioner under the Obama administration during the border surge of 2014, when officials were pitching emergency tents and holding large flows of unaccompanied minors in a converted warehouse near McAllen, Tex., cautioned Wednesday that the latest migration projections are "an amazing number."

"It really is a significant issue," said Kerlikowske, who headed the agency from March 2014 until January 2017. "Resources and space are going to need to be devoted to dealing with this."

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen met with senior Mexican officials in Miami on Tuesday for unannounced talks, telling her counterparts that cross-border trade and commerce are likely to suffer as more CBP officers are pulled away to cope with the migration surge.

CBP is preparing to temporarily reassign 750 blue-uniformed officers from its Office of Field Operations to help the Border Patrol, according to a senior DHS official, and Nielsen told Mexican interior minister Olga Sanchez Cordero that move likely will produce longer wait times for trucks and vehicles seeking to cross.

"Secretary Nielsen said very bluntly that if we didn't work jointly, our resources are pulled away, and that creates problems for us and on the Mexican side in terms of facilitating commerce, and we want to avoid that," said the senior DHS official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive negotiations.

Nielsen also is readying a plan to ask volunteers from the U.S. Coast Guard, Transportation Security Administration and other Homeland Security agencies to go to the border to help with the flood of Central American families, the official said, adding: "We are burning red hot right now, and we are looking everywhere for help."

Nielsen arrived in Honduras on Tuesday for meetings with Central American leaders aimed at increasing efforts to deter migration to the United States and to crack down on smuggling organizations.

Sacchetti reported from Washington.
Acura and Volkswagen dealerships that make up part of proposed development site in Ardmore. Read more

The owners of the Acura and Volkswagen dealerships near Ardmores commercial core want to redevelop the auto-showroom sites and adjacent land into what would be the largest apartment complex ever to rise in the suburban Philadelphia community.

Piazza Management Co.'s proposal calls for two connected buildings with the 257 apartments, 123,000 square feet of commercial space, and an 840-space, partially underground parking garage, Lower Merion Township assistant manager Bob Duncan said in an interview.

The project would span a block along the south side of Lancaster Avenue between Ardmore and Greenfield Avenues.

Ardmore, traditionally a quiet community of single-family homes, has been attracting developers and apartment dwellers with its walkable scale, increasingly eclectic shopping and dining, and proximity to a rail station serving Center City and New York.

Other projects include Philadelphia-based developer Carl Dranoffs 110-unit One Ardmore Place, which is scheduled to open next month, and the 158-unit apartment building that Suburban Square owner Kimco Realty Corp., of New Hyde Park, N.Y., wants to build at its outdoor shopping plaza.

Some in the community welcome the influx of residents, whom they see as helping to invigorate the areas commercial and cultural life by attracting new businesses.

But others say the big apartment projects are out of sync with what had been Ardmores small-town vibe and worry about overcrowding. Opposition to One Ardmore Place, for example, delayed the development for years, as legal challenges to the project went all the way to the state Supreme Court.

Marie Kramer, president of the Ardmore Progressive Civic Association, a neighborhood group whose sphere of activity includes the development site, said the unfriendliness toward development comes from fears that population growth will overtax area schools and clog roads.

It might be controversial, Kramer said of the Piazza Ardmore proposal in an interview Thursday. I dont think people want to see more apartments where they feel theyre impacting the schools. And traffic has been very challenging.

Lower Merion spokesman Tom Walsh said after an earlier version of this report was published that it was not yet known when township commissioners would consider the proposal. A township official had said erroneously that it could be considered Monday.

The easternmost portion of the project would be built on an empty lot at Lancaster and Ardmore Avenues where a much smaller apartment building with a lower-level Target Corp. store had previously been proposed by Bala Cynwyd-based RMC Developments LLC. A Target spokesperson said Thursday that the Minneapolis-based retailer continues to have a signed lease in Ardmore.

RMCs development site, which also includes a former car-wash property, was acquired by a Piazza affiliate for $10 million in October, according to Montgomery County property records. The affiliate, VMDT Partnership, already owned the IHOP restaurant and auto dealerships on the western half of the block, according to the records.

Piazza Ardmore would be completed in phases so the Acura and Volkswagen dealerships can continue operating as the five-story eastern building is constructed, said Duncan, who has reviewed the proposals planning documents. The dealerships, which would be displaced by a six-story western building, ultimately may become permanent occupants of the complexs lower-story commercial floors, he said.

Duncan said 100 of the projects 840 parking spaces, which will be located underground and in a structure between the two apartment buildings, will be available for public use, with the rest set aside for apartment tenants and users of the commercial space.

A message left with Piazza Management seeking additional details about the proposal was not immediately returned.
Stranded passengers set to travel with Icelandic airline Wow, wait in line at Iceland's international airport in Keflavik on Thursday, March 28, 2019. Icelandic budget airline WOW Air ceased operations on Thursday, stranding passengers across two continents. The airline told passengers that there would be no further flights and advised them to check flights with other airlines for ways to reach their destinations. (AP Photo/Egill Bjarnason) Read more

Icelands Wow Air announced early Thursday that the budget airline had ceased operations, canceling all its flights and stranding passengers around the world.

In a travel alert signaling the abrupt collapse, Wow Air urged its passengers to look elsewhere to complete their trips, noting that other airlines may offer "so-called rescue fares, in light of the circumstances."

Wow Air did not include any details about such fares but said, "Information on those airlines will be published, when it becomes available."

Irelands Aer Lingus said it would offer rescue fares to Wow Air passengers who were scheduled to fly between Thursday and April 11. Customers who have Wow Air tickets for trips after April 12 are eligible for value fares with Aer Lingus, the company said.

In a section of the alert with the heading What are my rights? the airline outlined how some passengers may be entitled to compensation for their canceled flights. People who purchased travel insurance or who bought their tickets using a credit card that comes with travel protection may be able to recoup some costs, Wow Air said, but added that such compensation is often limited.

The carrier said it may be obligated to compensate passengers in accordance with European regulations. "In case of a bankruptcy, claims should be filed to the administrator / liquidator," the company said.

On Twitter, stranded passengers expressed their frustration and tagged the airline and other carriers in an apparent efforts to get home.

The airlines customer support account on Twitter was hit with request after request for help. A litany of apologies in public messages Thursday instructed individual customers to send their booking information through private, direct messages for assistance. Customers complained about canceled flights, demanded refunds, and asked for new bookings to continue interrupted travel plans.

As of Thursday, the carrier was offering sub-$200 fares from Baltimore, Detroit, New York, and Boston. Wow Air also served Newark Liberty airport in New Jersey.

Last year, Icelandair reached an agreement to buy Wow Air. Both airlines had been struggling in the face of higher oil prices, slowed tourism to Iceland, and competition from rivals that offered direct flights to Europe. But the deal evaporated.

A private equity firm also recently discussed investing in Wow Air, but last week the airline announced that the suitor had ended the talks. In a last-ditch effort, just a week before Wow Air announced the end of its operations, the company said it had rekindled conversations with Icelandair for a potential takeover, the Financial Times reported.

Based in Icelands capital city of Reykjavik, Wow Air was founded in 2011, employing about 1,000 people, according to the companys website. The airline flew 3.5 million passengers last year, serving airports in Europe, the United States, Canada, and Israel.
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.
A carbon body and CroMo axle

At ISPO we found the Drift Products carbon flat pedal and now at Taipei we've found another pair, this time from Austrian brand Now8.Now8 have a fairly broad ranging catalogue featuring everything from bottle cages to cassettes but we found their flat pedals to be most interesting at this show. Whereas the Drift pedals looked out of place in the modern market, these MC44s look to be a bit more on trend. The platform is 100x100mm with a 7mm depth and each pedal has eight pins. The real selling point here is the weight though, a pair of these pedals tip the scales at 220 grams, that's 40 grams lighter than Drift's effort.Also promising is that, unlike Drift's $300 pedals, these come in at a much more reasonable price of 69.99.Also on show for Now8 were some new carbon bars. Now8 haven't traditionally been a gravity focussed outfit and that previously showed in their handlebars too. The widest on offer was 720mm, however, they were super-light with that model coming in at coming in at just 156 grams. Now they are introducing an 780mm version that weighs just 194 grams.- 780mm, 17mm rise, 31.8mm,- 720mm, 17mm rise, 31.8mm, 156 grams- 710mm, flat, 31.8mm, 148 grams- 620mm, flat, 31.8mm, 129 grams- 600mm, flat, 31.8mm, 126 grams
Danil Bukharin Leads Final 23 in PokerStars EPT Sochi Main Event

March 28, 2019 Will Shillibier

After six levels of play, a late surge from Danil Bukharin (lead photo) was enough for him to secure the overall chip lead after Day 3 of the PokerStars EPT Sochi Main Event. Returning from the final break of the day fifth in chips, he navigated the redraw and a tricky stint on the feature table and will take a stack of 2,340,000 into Day 4.

Close behind is Dmitry Yurasov (1,885,000) who was responsible for the last elimination of the day when his pocket eights cracked the pocket tens of Garri Tevosov to leave just 23 players remaining.

Other big stacks heading into the penultimate day's play at Casino Sochi include Vyacheslav Mizun (1,800,000), Ivan Ruban (1,570,000) and Vanush Mnatsakanyan (1,440,000). Mnatasakanyan's recovery from one of the shorter stacks with 40 players left to fifth in chips was aided by the elimination of Anatoly Zuev and Murun Ganzorig and a double up through Serafim Kovalevsky.

PokerStars EPT Sochi Top 5 Going Into Day 4

Position Player Country Chip Count 1 Danil Bukharin Russia 2,340,000 2 Dmitry Yurasov Russia 1,885,000 3 Vyacheslav Mizun Russia 1,800,000 4 Ivan Ruban Russia 1,570,000 5 Vanush Mnatsakanyan Russia 1,440,000

Early players to bust from Day 3 included Tatyana Barausova, Igor Grytsak, Matous Houzvicek, Yuriy Guliy, and defending champion Arseniy Karmatskiy.

The pace of eliminations became increasingly sporadic and more erratic as the day went on as players eyed the shrinking field and increasing pay jumps. For comparison, while 30 players were sent to the rail during the first four levels, just 20 followed in the final three levels of the day as 23 players advanced to Day 4.

Up under the lights of the feature table, start-of-day chip leader Aleksandr Denisov was having a hard time of it against Viktor Ustimov, with Denisov falling as low as 200,000 chips midway through the day. He soon recovered but will have to make do with a stack of 305,000 heading into Day 4, almost 200,000 less than the figure he bagged after Day 1A!

Start-of-day chip leader Danil Bukharin short to Day 4

As Denisov faltered and Ustimov flourished, other players started spying the seven-figure stack mark. These include Dmitry Yurasov, Serafim Kovalevsky, and Mikhail Aleksandrov, all of whom made it through to Day 4.

With 23 left, it appears that a long day is in store for Day 4 as the tournament plays down to the final six players. You can catch all the action right here on PokerNews.com with PokerStars EPT Sochi Main Event live updates in the PokerNews Live Reporting section.

The Stars Group owns a majority shareholding in iBus Media.
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Attorney General William Barr met with House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) and would not agree to turn over the full Mueller report which is at least less than 1,000 pages long.

Kyle Cheney of Politico tweeted:

Nadler says he and Barr spoke for 10 minutes. He said he defines very substantial as less than 1,000 pages.  Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) March 27, 2019

The Trump cover story is falling apart

Fox Newss Andrew Napolitano has said that the Mueller report is 700 pages long, So once the 700 pages comes out, and this is my criticism of the Attorney General, he shouldnt have even tipped his hands on this opens a new window. The Democrats will have and other Trump opponents will have a field day with what is in there. If there were no evidence of conspiracy and no evidence of obstruction the attorney general would have told us sohe didnt.

The report is huge, which blows apart the four page summary of the report by William Barr. How did the attorney general take a 700-page report, and boil it down to four pages that dont contain a full paragraph of Robert Muellers findings?

Bill Barr is refusing to turn over the Mueller report. Not even the House Judiciary Committee chairman has seen it.

The Trump cover story to bury the Mueller report is crumbling. Little by little the details are coming out, and what they reveal is looking like a massive cover-up by the White House.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

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Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has the Trump cover-up in high gear as he has refused to release the Mueller report for the third time.

Sen. Dick Durban (D-IL) said:

For the third time this week, Leader McConnell denied the Senate a chance to pass a resolution to release the full Mueller report. The same resolution has unanimously passed the House. If theres nothing to hide, Leader McConnell should allow this resolution to pass immediately.  Senator Dick Durbin (@SenatorDurbin) March 27, 2019

Everything that Trump has been saying about the report is an unproven potential lie

The spin that Republicans and the White House put on their summary of the report is that it exonerates Trump, but the behavior of Republicans and the growing consensus among experts suggests that the Mueller report is damning evidence, not an exoneration of this president. Muellers grand jury is still hard at work. The evidence and cases that the special counsel handed off are being investigated and prosecuted. Trump mounted a PR effort to end the Russia investigation, as what is really happening a cover-up.

Mitch McConnell refuses to support releasing the Mueller report

If the Mueller report is such a great development for Trump, why do Republicans continue to oppose it being made public? Why wont Mitch McConnell allow a vote on making the Mueller report public? The answer is that there are facts in the Mueller report that Republicans and Trump dont want the voters to know. If Trump has nothing to hide, McConnell should stop standing in the way, and let the Senate vote on a resolution to release the report.

The Republican spin has faded away and what is left are questions about what Trump is hiding.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

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Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), who serves on the House Appropriations Committee, said that there is no way that Congress will cut Special Olympics funding.

Rep. Lee said, Let me tell you this isnt the first year they proposed to eliminate funding. This is the third time weve seen this unbelievably appalling proposal and we did not go along with it and Congress rejected it. So I dont know when the secretary and trump administration will understand were not going to allow them to take away federal support for children with special needs. This support gives them a real chance to shine, Chris, and its no way that were going to let them it do that.

Video:

Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) said that there is no way that Congress is going to give Trump his cuts to Special Olympics. https://t.co/LvuELcbxgI pic.twitter.com/FjOHLaaent  Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) March 28, 2019

Lee pointed out that this is the third straight year that Trump has tried to do this, and she believes that the White House motivation is an effort to privatize public education and withdraw all federal funding from the public sector. The presidential budget is frequently described as a moral document and a statement of priorities. If this is true, it means that the Trump administration has no morals and their sole priority is the upward redistribution of wealth.

Cutting funding for Special Olympians is who Donald Trump is. It is what his administration embodies. Trump has managed to turn a pseudo-Mueller victory lap into the destruction of the healthcare system and a call to defund the Special Olympics.

For someone who claims to love winning so much, all Donald Trump ever does is lose.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

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Trump is so scared of House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) that he accused him of a crime and demanded that he be removed from office.

Trump cuddled with Sean Hannity and said about Schiff, Hes a bad guy, because I mean he knew he was lying, and for a year and a half he would just go on and lie and lie and leak and call up CNN and others. You know, I watch him, so sanctimonious and gets on says we want to talk about Russia. He knew it was a lie. He would get in the back room with his friends in the Democrat Party and they would laugh like hell at what they were doing, and he knew it was a lie, and therefore you could say in one way its a crime what he did, because he was giving, making horrible statements that he knew were false, and frankly, I heard they should force him off the committee or off the committee chair. He should be forced out of office. He is a disgrace to our country.

Video:

Trump called into Hannity to demand that Adam Schiff be removed from office. pic.twitter.com/ACNqX4eGji  PoliticusUSA (@politicususa) March 28, 2019

Trump fears Adam Schiff

Trumps comments on Adam Schiff are part of a recurring pattern of behavior. Trump tries to destroy the credibility of anyone who can investigate him or harm him. Trump did it with James Comey and Andrew McCabe. He did it with Robert Mueller. He did it Michael Cohen, and now that he thinks he has the Mueller report buried, he is going after Adam Schiff.

Donald Trump is scared of Adam Schiff, and his claims of crimes that should force Rep. Schiff out of office is the latest example of Trump projection.

Adam Schiff isnt going anywhere. He will get the Mueller report, and he will reveal the truth about Trump and Russia.
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House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) unloaded on Republicans after they called for him to resign as chairman of the committee.

After Trump accused him of a crime, and Republicans tried to pressure him to step down from the committee, Schiff said:

My colleagues may think its ok that the Russians offered dirt on the Democratic candidate for president in part of what was described as the Russian governments effort to help the Trump campaign. You might think thats ok. My colleagues might think that its ok that when that was offered to the son of the president who had a pivotal role in the campaign that the presidents son did not call the FBI. He did not adamantly refuse that foreign help. No, instead, that son said that he would love the help of the Russians.

You might think its ok that he took that meeting. You might think its ok that Paul Manafort the campaign chair someone with great experience to run that campaign also took that meeting. You might think its ok that the presidents son in law also took that meeting. You might think its ok that they concealed it from the public. You might think its ok that their only disappointment after that meeting was that the dirt they received on Hillary Clinton wasnt better. You might think thats ok. You might think its ok that when it was discovered a year later, they lied about that meeting and said it was about adoptions. You might think its ok that the president is reported to have helped to dictate that that lie.

You might think thats OK. I dont. I think its unethical. I think its unpatriotic. I think its corrupt and evidence of collusion.

I have always said that the question of whether this amounts to conspiracy is another matter. But I do not think that conduct, criminal or not, is OK. And the day we do think thats OK is the day we will look back and say that is the day America lost its way.

Video:

Adam Schiff isnt going to be bullied by Republicans into stepping down.

https://t.co/LUXINpKaBI pic.twitter.com/InthivPXkc  PoliticusUSA (@politicususa) March 28, 2019

Trump and the Republicans are terrified of Adam Schiff

Trump and the GOP are terrified of Adam Schiff because unlike Robert Mueller, he wont have a narrow mandate, and his findings wont be suppressed filtered or edited by the DOJ and White House.

The effort to remove Adam Schiff isnt coming from a position of strength, but fear. There are a reported 700 pages of Mueller collected evidence waiting to come to Adam Schiffs hands, and the former prosecutor isnt going to be bullied or detoured by scared potential criminals and their enablers who are trying to hide the truth and escape justice.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

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CNNs Joan Walsh has advised likely 2020 Democratic president candidate Joe Biden not to run, according to a report this morning in The Hill.

According to Walsh, it would be better if Biden would support a woman candidate. She said that Biden has been saying that he wants to change what the former vice president called a white mans culture. And the best way to do that would be to elect a woman as president.

CNN's Joan Walsh: Joe Biden shouldn't run in 2020 if he wants to change "white man's culture" https://t.co/Zh1QUhg01F pic.twitter.com/yQue8xuqBv  The Hill (@thehill) March 28, 2019

Walshs comments came during a discussion with CNN host Erin Burnett, who said:

Youve got Joe Biden as the white grandfather in all of this, the white man saying its a white mans culture. Okay. Its got to change.

Then Walsh, a longtime Democratic activist and feminist, responded by asserting:

I have an idea for how he can change it. Dont run.

Come out and support a woman. Theres six women in the race, four female senators. If you want to change it, thats a way to change it.

Yknow, I admire Joe Biden, Walsh added. I am a fond Democrat. He was a great vice president. But if you want to change it, dont run.

At the Biden Courage Awards in New York on Tuesday, Biden said he regretted his actions as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee at Anita Hills Senate hearing in Oct. 1991. During those hearings, which dealt with her sexual harassment accusations of then-Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas, Biden was accused of being sexist and insensitive.

So, in attempting to deal with the criticism he has been receiving, Biden defended himself by saying:

A brave lawyer, a really notable woman, Anita Hill, a professor, showed the courage of a lifetime talking about her experience being harassed by Clarence Thomas.

But she paid a terrible price. She was abused in the hearing. She was taken advantage of. Her reputation was attacked. I wish I could have done something.

Its an English jurisprudential culture, a white mans culture, Biden said. Its got to change.

Biden has been in first place in most polls of likely Democratic primary voters, but he has not yet formally announced his candidacy. He was encouraged to run by foreign leaders at an international conference earlier this year.

He also has been considering a very unusual move: naming his vice-presidential running mate at the same time he announces his candidacy. The rumor has been that he would name Georgia politician Stacey Abrams to run with him if he wins the 2020 nomination.
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For wacky conspiracy theories you cant beat Fox & Friends, Donald Trumps favorite morning television show. Earlier this year they said that lower tax refunds this year were the fault of the American taxpayers instead of the Trump administration.

And today they said that Former CIA Director John Brennan was behind the Mueller investigation, and he should now be targeted for revenge by the president and his administration.

Since Attorney General William Barrs false and misleading summary of the Mueller report was issued last Sunday, Trump and his cronies have been looking for payback.

They think that they unfairly suffered through special counsel Robert Muellers probe for the past 22 months.

So today Fox & Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade stated his opinion that the president and his team should now turn their attention to Brennan as they seek revenge.

According to Kilmeades warped mind, Brennans frequent appearances on cable news channels ranting about Trumps links to Russian President Vladimir Putin were inspired by his relationship with Christopher Steele.

Steele is the former officer of the British intelligence agency MI-6, and it was he who compiled and published the infamous dossier which claimed that Trump had been compromised by Russian intelligence agencies.

I do have somebody within the CIA who Ive gotten friendly with, to say to me that if you want to know where this goes, look at Brennans link to Steele, Kilmeade claimed. And that was the first time I even thought about that, but they have a long relationship.

Youre talking to a CIA spy?! exclaimed co-host Steve Doocy.

No, its the CIA working on our side, Kilmeade replied mysteriously.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) today also claimed that a high-level source tells me it was Brennan who insisted that the unverified and fake Steele dossier be included in the Intelligence Report and he demanded that the former CIA chief be hauled before the Senate.

BREAKING: A high-level source tells me it was Brennan who insisted that the unverified and fake Steele dossier be included in the Intelligence Report Brennan should be asked to testify under oath in Congress ASAP.  Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) March 27, 2019

CLICK HERE to watch the video of the Fox & Friends discussion about seeking revenge on John Brennan.

Trump & Friends Are Going On the Offensive, But It May Backfire on Them

After Barrs false letter appeared on Sunday, Trump and his right-wing allies have gone on the offensive, claiming that they have been greatly harmed, and that the perpetrators should be punished.

He sent out a letter to major news outlets demanding that they ban Trump critics from appearing on their shows.

He has compiled an enemies list, such as has happened in the past with dictators and autocratic leaders.

He is demanding that House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff be removed from his post, and punished.

However, what Trump & Friends are missing is that everything they are doing and demanding is based on a false narrative. They maintain that the Mueller report clears Donald Trump of both collusion and obstruction of justice, but it does neither.

Once the full Mueller report comes out Donald Trump will have to retract his criticisms and his calls for revenge.

And when that happens all of America  and the world  will see the truth about Donald Trump and how he sold out his own country.
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Heres an interesting question: if Donald Trump and his aides in the White House are claiming total exoneration from the Mueller report, why are they refusing to release the report that supposedly exonerates them?

And heres an equally interesting answer: because the Mueller report does NOT exonerate Donald Trump, but actually contains evidence of collusion and obstruction of justice.

In fact, a careful reading of the four-page summary written by Attorney General William Barr shows that it in effect ADMITS that the Mueller report contains evidence of Trump collusion and also Trump obstruction of justice.

Barr Said That the Mueller Report Does Not Exonerate Trump on Obstruction Charges

Point number one is that Barrs letter clearly emphasized that the full Mueller report did NOT exonerate Trump on obstruction of justice. Why would the Attorney General reveal that there was doubt on part of the U.S. government that the president has complied with the law? The only possible answer is that the evidence indicates that he did NOT comply with the law.

In such situations the logical approach is to present all the evidence in a courtroom (or in a congressional hearing) for a judgment to be made about the presidents guilt. That may yet happen, if House Judiciary Committee chairman Jerry Nadler is able to obtain the Mueller report and underlying evidence so that he can begin holding hearings.

Barr Said There Was Evidence of Collusion But Not Enough to Prove It Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

When Barr said in his four-page letter that the government could not establish the existence of a conspiracy he meant that it could not establish it beyond a reasonable doubt which of course is the standard to find guilt in a criminal trial.

But on the flip side, he is also saying that there is plenty of evidence of conspiracy between Trump and Russia. If there was no evidence at all Barr would have said that, but he didnt. All he said is that there wasnt ENOUGH evidence to prove conspiracy in a criminal trial.

Yesterday we reported that House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said that there was definitely collusion, and he can prove it. This is why Donald Trump and other Republicans are trying to get rid of Schiff and are demanding that he resign.

The Fox News Legal Analyst Agrees

Yesterday there was also an article in The Daily Beast which seems to confirm the existence of evidence of collusion in the Mueller Report. The article quotes Judge Andrew Napolitano, Fox News legal analyst, as saying the same thing.

According to Napolitano:

We saw on Sunday a four-page summary of a 700-page report which is a summary of two million pages of documents, of raw evidence.

In the 700-page summary of the two million pages of raw evidence, there is undoubtedly some evidence of a conspiracy and some evidence of obstruction of justice, just not enough evidenceIm thinking the way I believe Congressman Schiff is thinkingaccording to Attorney General Barr, not enough evidence to prove it beyond a reasonable doubt, which is the standard.

Napolitano went on to state that:

If there were no evidence of conspiracy and no evidence of obstruction, the attorney general would have told us so, but he didnt so there is something there that Democrats and Trump opponents want to see. And theyll have a field day with it.

On the conspiracy chargeMueller, Rosenstein, Barr are on the same page.There is something there, but it is not enough to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Then he added:

On the obstruction charge, Mueller did what a lot of prosecutors dothey kick it upstairs. Let the boss decide this. The evidence is equivocal. There is evidence of obstruction. There is evidence of no obstruction. Theyre equivocal.

A Race To Uncover the Truth

There is now a race to see who can get the truth out first. House Democrats will subpoena the Mueller report, subpoena Robert Mueller himself, and subpoena William Barr. Adam Schiff will use his position as Intelligence Committee chair to get the truth out about collusion.

At this point there is no reason to believe William Barr when he proclaimed there was no collusion.

As Attorney General, Barr might even have prevented Mueller from bringing collusion or conspiracy charges, which would add an entirely new angle to the investigations

The American People Also Believe There Was Collusion

Polls taken this week all show that large majorities of Americans do not believe William Barr or Donald Trump. The polls show that most voters believe there WAS collusion and also that there WAS obstruction of justice. And 84% of Americans surveyed want the entire Mueller report released.

Donald Trump has not yet been cleared of any charges, and has not been vindicated in any way. In fact, his day of reckoning will come at some point in the near future. And when it does, America at long last may be able to get a new president and put this dark chapter of American history behind us.
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MSNBCs Nicolle Wallace said that the Mueller report contains evidence against that anyone who reads it will view as damning.

On her MSNBC program Deadline: White House, Wallace said, Let me follow up with you and ask you about the evidence on both sides. I understand that the evidence on the side of not calling it a crime is really very much steeped in the law. That theyre understanding an analysis of the law was that the article 2 authorities gave the president a lot of running room. But that the evidence, what we may very well see, is conduct that will be clear to anyone who looks at it as pretty damning.

Video:

Nicolle Wallace reports that the Mueller report contains damning evidence against Trump, which is why the White House wont release https://t.co/CH6wns4LcU pic.twitter.com/trx2e4wQ44  PoliticusUSA (@politicususa) March 28, 2019

Nicolle Wallace has consistently demonstrated that she is well plugged into the intelligence community and government officials. Her understanding is based on what she has been told. It is also clear based on the lengths that Trump and his allies are going to in the efforts to bury the report that it contains damaging info on Trump and his relationship with Russia.

The Republican attack on House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff is part of the White House plan to kill investigations and hide evidence. Anyone who thought that Robert Mueller let them down needs to rethink their position because it looks like Mueller did his job. The problem is that Donald Trump wont let the American people see his work.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

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Adam Schiff has turned the Trump attack on him into a platform to make the case that Trump colluded with the Russians.

The Trump plan to remove Adam Schiff has backfired

Schiffs response to Republican claims that The findings of the special counsels conclusions refute past or present assertions and it exposed you as having abused your position to knowingly have false information. And undermine that. We have no faith in your ability to discharge your duties consistent with your responsibility and urge your immediate resignation as chairman of the committee.

Video:

Trump's plot to take down Adam Schiff has already massively backfired on Republicans. https://t.co/MUbz6vV4nj pic.twitter.com/GLbOlvA59M  PoliticusUSA (@politicususa) March 28, 2019

Rep. Schiff responded with a forceful case for Trump being compromised by the Russians:

I do not think that conduct, criminal or not, is OK. And the day we do think thats OK is the day we will look back and say that is the day that America lost its way.

And I will tell you one more thing that is apropos of the hearing today: I dont think its OK that during a presidential campaign Mr. Trump sought the Kremlins help to consummate a real estate deal in Moscow that would make him a fortune  according to the special counsel, hundreds of millions of dollars. I dont think its OK to conceal it from the public. I dont think its OK that he advocated a new and more favorable policy towards the Russians even as he was seeking the Russians help, the Kremlins help to make money. I dont think its OK that his attorney lied to our committee. There is a different word for that than collusion, and its called compromise.

Video of Schiff:

I say this to the President, and his defenders in Congress: You may think its okay how Trump and his associates interacted with Russians during the campaign. I dont. I think its immoral. I think its unethical. I think its unpatriotic. And yes, I think its corrupt. pic.twitter.com/nTdgRVfssQ  Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) March 28, 2019

Trump has moved the Russia scandal back into the spotlight

While trying to bury the Mueller report, Trump and his allies miscalculated when they attacked Adam Schiff. Trump thought that he could use Barrs interpretation of the Mueller findings to discredit and get rid of Rep. Schiff. He never thought that by fighting with Schiff he would bring the Russia questions back to the front and center of the news.

Trump thought that he could weaponize the Mueller report, but all he has done is shoot himself in the foot.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

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By Tom Miles and Tim Hepher

GENEVA/PARIS (Reuters)  The World Trade Organization said on Thursday the United States had ignored its request to halt a subsidized tax break for Boeing in its main planemaking state of Washington as a 15-year-old transatlantic trade row edges toward tit-for-tat sanctions.

The European Union said the WTO appeal ruling had vindicated its claims that Boeing continued to receive illegal subsidies, but the United States said only one measure, a Washington state tax break worth around $100 million annually, had been found still to violate the rules.

The trade powers have been battling since 2004 over mutual claims of illegal aid to plane giants Boeing and Airbus, with parallel cases generating thousands of pages of findings and dense litigation that put a burden on the already congested WTO.

Both sides have been caught paying billions of dollars of subsidies to gain advantage in the global jet business, and asked to stop or face potential sanctions. Thursdays appeal ruling showed that the United States did not stop all subsidies when asked to do so, echoing an earlier finding against the EU.

The WTOs Appellate Body, effectively the supreme court of world trade, ruled that the business and occupancy (B&O) tax rate reduction in Washington state had significantly cut Airbus sales in five particularly price-sensitive sales campaigns.

The Appellate Body has now settled this case definitively, confirming our view the U.S. has continued to subsidize Boeing despite WTO rulings to the contrary, European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said in a statement.

The U.S. Trade Representatives office called the ruling a major win for the United States, since it had found only one illegal subsidy remaining after it had complied with earlier rulings. Boeing said it would support the new decision.

Any sanctions could broadly target industries beyond aerospace, but the impact of the record trade dispute on Boeing and Airbus themselves has so far been modest.

Analysts have long predicted the case would peter out or be settled without a trade war, but the prospect of retaliation is grabbing more attention than before amid global trade tensions.

COUNTERMEASURES

Airbus said Boeing still received a raft of support and urged the United States to negotiate a fair-trade environment  a settlement proposal that Washington has so far rejected.

In a technical point, it said the WTO had resurrected a wider group of U.S. subsidies which could be challenged later.

But Boeing said the slate had now been wiped clean of any unlawful subsidies in the United States, except for the Washington-state measure which it agreed would now be amended.

We trust that our example will prompt Airbus and the European Union to immediately bring themselves into full compliance with the substantial rulings against these parties by the WTO, Boeing said in a statement.

In a parallel ruling last year, the WTO said the European Union had failed to remove illegal subsidies for two airplane programs, the A350 and the A380  the worlds largest airliner which Airbus has since decided to stop building due to poor sales.

That part of the row simmers on as Airbus argues the case against European government loans for the A380 no longer counts because of its plans to shut production. The United States says the partly unpaid loans continue to damage Boeing indirectly.

The two sides are now in arbitration to decide the size of any countermeasures, starting with a U.S. request for authorization to impose $11 billion in sanctions on EU goods.

(Reporting by Tom Miles and Tim Hepher, editing by Stephanie Nebehay and Toby Chopra)
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Next steps

The Joint Bond Review Committee's subcommittee is expected to meet again at 9 a.m. April 3 to hear from Charleston County on recent deal that revives the Interstate 526 extension project.

Once the subcommittee is done, the full committee is expected to vote on the deal.
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.
Political Reporter

Caitlin Byrd is a political reporter at The Post and Courier and author of the Palmetto Politics newsletter. Before moving to Charleston in 2016, her byline appeared in the Asheville Citizen-Times. To date, Byrd has won 17 awards for her work.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa  A sale expected to close in the second quarter of this year will transfer ownership of Iowa Premium, a Black Angus beef processing plant, to National Beef Packing of Kansas City, Mo.

Iowa Premium employs 800 people processing about 1,100 head of Black Angus cattle per day. The company markets beef products worldwide under several proprietary brands, including Iowa Premium Angus and Est. 8 Angus.

National Beef said in a news release it will own 100 percent of Iowa Premium when the transaction is finalized.

"I am excited to expand our beef operations with a processing facility in Iowa," Tim Klein, president and CEO of National Beef, said in the release. "We look forward to strengthening Iowa Premiums relationships with the family farmers who produce the highest quality Black Angus cattle in the United States."

Built in 1971, the 260,000-square-foot plant in Tama, about 60 miles west of Cedar Rapids, operates at less than half of its 3,000-head-per-day capacity. It was renovated in 2014 for $48.6 million, with the state providing $4 million in tax credits.

The renovation included a state-of-the-art wastewater treatment system and an animal handling facility designed by animal science professor and livestock industry consultant Temple Grandin.

Start up began in fall 2014 with a handful of employees. During the past five years, the workforce was expanded and cattle has been purchased from more than 1,400 Iowa farm families.

Iowa Premiums domestic customer base has grown to include nearly every region of the country. The company also is a certified and approved exporter of Black Angus beef to more than 50 countries.

National Beef, with more than 8,400 employees, has operations in Kansas, Missouri, Ohio and Pennsylvania. The privately owned company generated sales of $7.5 billion in fiscal year 2018.
NORTHWOOD, Iowa  The Worth County Extension Service will hold two private farm pesticide recertification meetings on April 15.

The first will be from 9 to 11 a.m. and the second will be from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Both will be at the Worth County Extension Office Community Room (Fairgrounds) in Northwood.

All area farmers who are taking recertification classes to maintain their private pesticide license need to attend a session by April 15.

For more information, call Lacey Waller at 641-324-1531 or Dennis Johnson at 641-390-0795.
MINNEAPOLIS  High water and strong currents on the lower Mississippi River are squeezing barge traffic and driving up the cost of agricultural shipping.

As the snow melts in the Upper Midwest and flows into the waterway, barge traffic is expected to slow even more, further limiting the movement of grain south and fertilizer north.

"High water is slowing transit, its limiting tow sizes, speeds are reduced; it creates some safety risks," said John Griffith, senior vice president of global grain at CHS Inc. "When everythings slower and everythings more dangerous, it consumes more resources, and frankly we havent gotten to the real spring thaw thats going to come and pump a bunch more water into the Mississippi River basin."

A towboat moving six barges crashed into a shipyard 60 miles upriver from New Orleans two weeks ago, and the U.S. Coast Guard closed the Mississippi River to all traffic near Baton Rouge for several hours on March 21 after a towboat sank in the swollen river. No one was injured.

Barge companies, which can usually tow 40 barges at a time on the southern stretch of the Mississippi River, have reduced tow sizes to 25 to 30 barges. Also, the Coast Guard is now only allowing southbound barge traffic during daylight hours at Memphis, Tenn.; Vicksburg, Miss.; and Baton Rouge.

This may persist for the rest of March, according to the U.S. Department of Agricultures weekly Grain Transportation Report.

Two weeks ago, grain movement by barge was down 58 percent compared with the same week in 2018, and the "less than ideal conditions" have driven up freight rates by more than 50 percent over the past three weeks, according to the report.

Though the Upper Mississippi is still closed for the winter as far south as Dubuque, Iowa, the higher cost of shipping is driving down local grain prices for farmers.

"When it becomes more and more difficult to move grain out your back door, grain handlers are less and less willing to accept grain through their front door," said Mike Steenhoek, executive director of the Soy Transportation Coalition. "The delivery locations will offer farmers less for their soybeans."

The deluge of water hitting the southern Mississippi is also carrying with it huge amounts of sediment, Steenhoek said, so even though the water is high the depth of the river is shallower in places, which further restricts how much grain can move down river.

"Normally you have about a 45-foot depth, but now were at 41 feet because of all this sediment," Steenhoek said of the lower Mississippi. "Every foot amounts to about 71,000 bushels of soybeans."

Griffith said he was in New Orleans last week and saw water from the Mississippi rushing into Lake Pontchartrain through the gates designed to release excess water.

"This isnt going to be cured by the end of March. I think weve got a crest estimated for early April," Griffith said. "Weve got another month of these conditions to navigate, no pun intended."

The backup is a headache for farmers because many planned to sell grain before they start preparing their fields and planting. Grain handlers lowering the price they offer to farmers is only one potential problem.

"Worse yet, they may even go no bid, because theyre plugged up," Griffith said. "Weve been struggling to sell grain to China and you add some of these frustrations on top of it, you know, its just a challenging time in the industry."

While the Ohio River reopened for traffic on Monday, several locks there had been closed after the river between Cincinnati and Evansville, Ind., reached its highest level since 1997.

On March 15, the Coast Guard closed a portion of the Missouri River from just south of Omaha to St. Joseph, Mo., because of high water and dangerous currents. The Coast Guard also requested shippers create "as minimal wake as possible" between St. Joseph and Kansas City to minimize levee damage.

Spring conditions on the Mississippi River tend to always be complicated for shipping, but this spring is worse than normal, said Al Kluis, a commodity broker in Wayzata, Minn.

"I think its extreme this year," he said.

Some grain is starting to be routed to the Pacific Northwest by rail or to ports near Houston, Kluis said.

After theyre unloaded in New Orleans, barges full of grain are typically filled with fertilizer in the spring for the trip back north to the Midwest. Fertilizer shipping likely will be restricted by river conditions, too.

"Theres already potential for a real crunch in fertilizer prices and delivery this spring because there wasnt much fall field work done and there wasnt much fertilizer put on," Kluis said.

Another thing farmers will have to deal with this spring is severely damaged gravel roads, said Steenhoek of the Soy Transportation Council.

"With the rain and the melt, gravel roads dont coexist well," he said. "Its just the fact that you need to replace it."
MILWAUKEE  A fight between beer giants escalated last week after MillerCoors filed a lawsuit against Anheuser-Busch that accused its rival of trying to "frighten" consumers into switching to Bud Light with "misleading" Super Bowl ads.

MillerCoors said in the lawsuit filed in Wisconsin federal court that St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch has spent as much as $30 million on a "false and misleading" campaign, including $13 million in its first commercials during this years Super Bowl. The ad showed a medieval caravan pushing a huge barrel of corn syrup to castles for MillerCoors to make Miller Lite and Coors Light. The commercial states that Bud Light isnt brewed with corn syrup.

Chicago-based MillerCoors and Anheuser-Busch have the biggest U.S. market share at 24.8 percent and 41.6 percent, respectively, but theyve been losing business in recent years to smaller independent brewers, imports, and wine and spirits, according to the Brewers Association.

Anheuser-Buschs ad drew a rebuke from the National Corn Growers Association, which thanked MillerCoors for its support. In its lawsuit, MillerCoors said its "not ashamed of its use of corn syrup as a fermentation aid."

Corn syrup is used by several brewers during fermentation. During that process, corn syrup is broken down and consumed by yeast so none of it remains in the final product. Bud Light is brewed with rice instead of corn syrup, but Anheuser-Busch uses corn syrup in some of its other beers, including Stella Artois Cidre and Busch Light.

Responding to the lawsuit, Anheuser-Busch said its campaign is truthful and designed to bring consumers "transparency" about whats in the beer they drink.

"MillerCoors lawsuit is baseless and will not deter Bud Light from providing consumers with the transparency they demand," said Gemma Hart, the vice president of communications at Anheuser-Busch. "We stand behind the Bud Light transparency campaign and have no plans to change the advertising."

MillerCoors maintains Anheuser-Busch is preying on health conscious consumers who have negative connotations of corn syrup, sometimes confusing it with the high-fructose corn syrup in sodas.

MillerCoors wants a judge to order Anheuser-Busch to stop the ads and to give MillerCoors any profits it earned as a result of the campaign. Besides the television commercials, Anheuser-Busch has spread its campaign through social media, full-page newspaper ads, and billboards placed in Milwaukee.
BILLINGS, Mont.  U.S. wildlife officials plan to lift protections for gray wolves across the Lower 48 states, re-igniting the legal battle over a predator thats running into conflicts with farmers and ranchers as its numbers rebound in some regions.

The proposal would give states the authority to hold wolf hunting and trapping seasons. It was announced March 6 by acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt at a wildlife conference in Denver.

Wolves had previously lost federal protections in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming, where hunters and trappers now kill hundreds of the animals annually.

Wildlife advocates and some members of Congress reacted with outrage to the latest proposal and promised to challenge any final decision in court.

Jamie Rappaport Clark, a former director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service now with the group Defenders of Wildlife, warned of an "all-out war on wolves" if the plan advances.

"We dont have any confidence that wolves will be managed like other wildlife," she said.

But government officials countered that the recovery of wolves from widespread extermination last century has worked and they no longer need the Endangered Species Act to shield them.

"Recovery of the gray wolf under the Endangered Species Act is one of our nations great conservation successes, with the wolf joining other cherished species, such as the bald eagle, that have been brought back from the brink," U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spokesman Gavin Shire said in an emailed statement.

Agriculture groups and lawmakers from Western states are likely to support the administrations proposal.

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall welcomed the move.

" The U.S. population of gray wolves far surpasses the recovery targets called for by the Endangered Species Act," he said in a statement. "Populations have reached critically high numbers in many states  so high, in fact, that wolves are not just preying on livestock, but pushing elk and deer onto U.S. farms and ranches, which leads to even more destruction."

Long despised by farmers and ranchers, wolves were shot, trapped and poisoned out of existence in most of the U.S. by the mid-20th century.

They received endangered species protections in 1975, when there were about 1,000 left, only in northern Minnesota. Now more than 5,000 of the animals live in the contiguous U.S.

Ryan Yates, director of congressional relations for the American Farm Bureau Federation, applauded the federal agencys plan and said many farmers and ranchers have lost livestock to wolf kills since the species was granted legal protections. The farmers and ranchers will respect state regulations aimed at managing wolf populations, he said.

"Some people like them, some people dont, but the laws the law," Yates said.

Lawmakers in Congress frustrated with court rulings maintaining protections for wolves have backed legislation to forcibly strip protections in the Great Lakes region and beyond. A similar effort by lawmakers ended protections for Northern Rockies wolves.
Reading about craft beer is lots of fun, even if the landscape is littered with a lot of bad content. If you can ignore the Instagram influencers who rave about beer with off flavors in blogs, and consume enthusiast websites with the understanding that theyre just there to pump up hyped breweries, youre in okay shape. But theres a better way! You should divert your attention to the reporters still putting in work to craft tales worth telling.

507 gathered a list of good beer reads a year ago, but since then, two excellent books on suds have been released: "Barrel-Aged Stout and Selling Out," and "The Widmer Way." In the fast-paced world of hot takes and blog after blog, theres nothing like sitting down with a good book. Take one of these along on your next solo brewery visit!

"Barrel-Aged Stout and Selling Out"

Chicago Tribune reporter Josh Noel knows Goose Island, the subject of his book. Beer is his beat, after all, and Goose Island is and was one of the most recognizable breweries in the world. And it also sold out to Anheuser-Busch. While the tale weaves in and around the sale, the picture painted isnt so black-and-white. While many craft breweries and fans dont like a brewery selling out, many of them still buy Goose Islands Bourbon County Brand Stout every year on Black Friday. That beer  considered the first barrel-aged beer in America  is a big reason the Chicago brewerys fame rose. The dynamic between John and Greg Hall, father and son, founder and brewmaster, is interesting enough on its own. The dichotomy between the two  John was more of a businessman, whereas Greg really cared more about the actual beer  is fascinating and sad, throughout. This is the type of book you get when someone absolutely owns their beat, is a good newspaper reporter, and knows how to weave a tale worth telling.

"The Widmer Way"

Jeff Alworth will be a name people know if theyve ever looked into top-tier books on beer. His latest is different in that he tells the story of two brothers who kickstarted Portlands craft beer scene. Widmer Brothers is known for its hefeweizen (much like New Glarus Dancing Man). Before all of that, the brewery was just an idea at a time when the nation had just 90 breweries. Brothers Rob and Kurt Widmer have legendary status in Portland, but it is amazing they were even able to start a brewery. The brothers his story is centered on did things the right way. While some brewers nowadays might dump a bad batch of beer, especially a first one, Widmer dumped 10 batches of an altbier until they got it right. Oh, and wouldnt you know it, but Anheuser-Busch also makes an appearance in this book. By the end of the book, Alworth hits home a valid point: craft beer would exist without the Widmers, but their contribution has been a good one that has shaped the industry. Alworth has great reporting chops and has lived in Portland for years, giving him an intimacy with the beer scene many writers lack.
Margaret Bengzon, the ousted chief executive of Guam Regional Medical City, on Thursday expressed optimism that her battle to regain control of the island's only private hospital will succeed.

In a statement through her Guam attorney, Bengzon said she "remains optimistic and hopeful of a positive outcome in the end."

"We may have experienced a temporary setback, but we are confident that the (Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission) will soon fairly and favorably resolve serious questions over the legitimacy of the share ownership of the Gonzales and Viva/Clermont group," Bengzon stated. "I look forward to returning to GRMC and continue advancing our mission of improving health and life on Guam and in our region."

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Bengzon was removed from office in November 2018 as part of an enterprise takeover led by Jose Xavier Gonzales and his Singapore-based partner, the Viva Holdings/Clermont group of companies. They're accused of using a fraudulent scheme to take over the controlling shares of GRMC's parent company, Metro Manila-based The Medical City.

Under her leadership, GRMC started as an idea and became reality at an estimated cost of close to $200 million.

In November 2018, the Philippine SEC charged the Gonzales and Viva/Clermont companies with numerous alleged violations of the country's Securities Regulation Code including those of fraud, according to Bengzon's statement.

The SEC found that the group may have "misrepresented their independence from each other," as they secured majority ownership of The Medical City to the prejudice of "unsuspecting stockholders whose share value and voting power have declined" as a result of the fraud.

Phil Torres, Bengzon's Guam legal counsel, believes local courts will ultimately take into consideration how the Philippine SEC resolves the broader shareholder dispute involving GRMC's parent.

Lawsuit dismissed

On Wednesday, Judge Elyze Iriarte of the Superior Court of Guam dismissed the lawsuit filed by Bengzon against GRMC. Bengzon on Nov. 29, 2018, filed a request for a temporary restraining order and both a temporary and permanent injunction against the hospital.

Iriarte ruled that Bengzon "lacks standing to raise claims concerning harm to GRMC." In addition, the judge found that Bengzon "fails to state a claim for relief concerning the termination of her employment" at GRMC.

"The court, therefore, grants defendant GRMC's motion to dismiss," the judge concluded.
Ombre Ga'chong

As we head into the Christmas and New Year season it is imperative that all residents take an extra moment and adjust and increase their perso Read more
LOWER POTTSGROVE  After years of discussion, the Pottsgrove School Board voted 5-2-1 Tuesday night to add French as a third world language to its curriculum.

Board members Bill Parker and Patricia Grimm voted against the measure, which was not on the meeting agenda and was brought to the floor at the request of Superintendent William Shirk.

Board member Charles Nippert abstained from voting, but did not give a reason for his abstention.

Shirk indicated that the board has been nibbling around the edges of the question, and asked that the board commit, so his administration could immediately begin looking for the best French teacher they can find.

If we wait until August, thats not going to work, he said.

If were going to do it, we should really commit to it and do it right, agreed board member Scott Hutt.

Currently, 66 students have already signed up and the cost has been built into the preliminary budget.

It might cost us a couple of extra bucks to get someone who has experience, said Shirk. But it might be worth it. We want someone who really knows how to build a program.

As of now, there has been little drop off in the other two languages offered in Pottsgrove  German and Spanish  said Shirk, noting that feeder programs in the middle school will fill those gaps.

Board member Jim Lapic also noted that some students intend on taking more than one language.

Pottsgrove used to have French as an option, but participation was poor.

In 2013, a parent and native French speaker filed a complaint with the Pennsylvania Department of Education against the district, arguing the teacher in charge of the program did not speak proper French.

The state rejected the parents complaint.

In other new program news, board member Ashley Custer, reporting on discussions in the boards Curriculum, Integration and Technology Committee, said the district may add an advanced science course at the middle school, most likely Biology.

This article first appeared as a post in The Digital Notebook blog.
Peter Baker, the talented New York Times journalist, frets that Robert Muellers investigation has erased a line drawn after Watergate. Baker writes:

After Watergate, it was unthinkable that a president would fire an F.B.I. director who was investigating him or his associates. Or force out an attorney general for failing to protect him from an investigation. Or dangle pardons before potential witnesses against him. But the end of the inquiry by the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, made clear that President Trump had successfully thrown out the unwritten rules that had bound other chief executives in the 45 years since President Richard M. Nixon resigned under fire, effectively expanding presidential power in a dramatic way.

Overall, I dont think Trumps conduct in response to this assault on his presidency was more norm-violating than Bill Clintons response when his presidency was at risk. Comparing Trumps behavior to presidents who didnt face an aggressive investigator whose findings might sink him makes little sense.

As for Bakers bill of particulars, I dont know that President Trump dangled pardons before potential witnesses against him. And though I wasnt happy about the way Trump treated Jeff Sessions, I think any president would be disappointed to see the Attorney General absent himself, whether for valid ethical reasons or not, from an investigation the president knew all along to be baseless, but that was undercutting his presidency.

How long would Eric Holder have lasted if he had been other than President Obamas wing man (as Holder described himself). No longer than Sessions did, I suspect.

The outcome of the Comey firing doesnt stand for the proposition that a president can fire with impunity an FBI director whos investigating him. If anything, it stands for the proposition that firing an FBI director under these circumstances will lead to a more searching investigation by a special counsel with seemingly unlimited resources and an open-ended mandate.

And even if there had been no special counsel, the firing of Comey was never going to end the investigation. Its also the case that, at the time he was fired, Comey had told Trump he hadnt found evidence of collusion. Comey was fired mainly, it seems, not because he was in the process of uncovering collusion, but because he was unwilling to tell the American public he had uncovered none.

I dont see the ruin in firing Comey for that reason.

Its true that Trump has shattered his share of presidential norms  a modicum of civility being one of them. But he hasnt shattered the ones Baker expresses concern about or any others that threaten the Republic.

Whats most striking to me about Bakers article is the shattered norms he seems unconcerned about. Its a norm, I think, that top intelligence and other officials from an outgoing administration do not peddle false stories suggesting that a candidate, much less the president-elect, has conspired with a foreign adversary.

This norm, we now know, was violated in 2016 and early 2017. There has been no serious reckoning. Peter Baker seems not to fret at all about this.
If you or a loved one uses tobacco or nicotine (like vaping products) and wants to quit, theres help.

Through age 25, Bricker explained, the brain is still developing its capacity to weigh long-term consequences when making decisions. While that process is still underway, young people are more likely to decide to use tobacco if presented with the opportunity, and they are more likely to become addicted if they use it.

So, he said, Washington state is now giving young peoples brains three more years to grow before theyre presented with that critical decision: Should I pick up this vape pen or that cigarette?

After the law goes into effect, tobacco and vaping products will still be legally available within the borders of Washington in tribal lands. But in habit formation, Bricker explained, proximity is key. For most of Washingtons 18- to 20-year-olds, it will be an out-of-the-way drive to get to a store where they can legally buy these products.

The law also widens the social gap between young people who can legally get tobacco products and those who cant, Bricker said. The Academies report cites data that shows the majority of underage tobacco users get it from family and friends. This law takes legal tobacco and vaping products out of high schools and out of the social circles of most teens.

Bricker emphasized that the change also denormalizes use of these products for people in that age range. Illegality is a powerful social signal, Bricker explained, especially for the high-achieving, straight-and-narrow kids whom data show are much more likely to try e-cigarettes like Juul than traditional, tobacco-burning cigarettes.

In recent years, there has been an explosion in youth vaping, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And although research demonstrates that e-cigarettes contain drastically lower levels of cancer-causing substances than traditional cigarettes, they do pack a giant wallop of nicotine, the addictive drug in tobacco. One Juul vape pod has as much nicotine as at least 26 cigarettes, one recent study found. (For context, a single pod isnt vaped all at once like a cigarette is smoked; a pod often lasts users one or more days.)

A 2018 study, however, showed that most young people dont realize that these products have nicotine at all. And research shows that after getting hooked on nicotine via e-cigs, many young people eventually switch to cigarettes.

I think the harms have been underplayed. Theyre real, Bricker said. He noted that we dont yet have good data on the health effects of using e-cigarettes, or how vaping compares to evidence-based methods for helping people stop using traditional cigarettes.

Brickers research group is testing several different methods  such as smartphone apps, chatbots, and telephone counseling  to help people overcome nicotine addiction and other harmful habits. They employ a mindfulness-based method known as acceptance and commitment therapy, or ACT, to help people cope with cravings. (Visit the HABIT groups website for more information about the studies and how to get involved.)

A growing momentum?

There have been numerous attempts to pass Tobacco 21 legislation in Washington state, with bills introduced in both chambers every legislative session since at least 2015.

The laws expected passage in the Evergreen state reflects a growing momentum across the country.

Two days before the Washington state legislature passed E.H.B. 1074, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert signed that states own Tobacco 21 law into effect. Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed Arkansas' version on Thursday. Arkansas, Utah and Washington now join California, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, Virginia and Hawaii, which passed the first statewide Tobacco 21 law in 2015. Now, New York and Illinois are considering their own. And Tobacco 21 laws have been passed in more than 450 cities, counties and other localities, including Boston, Chicago, San Antonio and Washington, D.C.

The Washington state legislature is now considering legislation that would tax vapor products, with the goals of reducing access by increasing price for consumers and of raising money for cancer research and public health efforts.

Its going to take a combination of policy efforts like these, joining forces with public health and research, to keep people from ever getting addicted to nicotine and to help those who use tobacco products to quit, Bricker said.

Its a marathon, Bricker said. For me, I hope that when I reach the end of this marathon, tobacco use will be near-zero. Maybe this is mile 13.
Our current immigration law must be reformed to prevent the refugee scam exploited by those crossing illegally from Central America, but its not even under discussion. The needed reform is a legal wall that could be erected at no cost, but it is of course a nonstarter with the Democrats. For the Democrats, illegal immigration is a religion that rivals climate change. A reader who asks to remain anonymous writes to report from El Paso:

I thought you might be interested in an update on where things stand on the border. I am forwarding one clip from Tuesday, in which we find the predictable result of the full court press against any attempt to enforce immigration law: the resources of Customs and Border Protection are so taxed that immigrants are actually being housed under one of the bridges that span the Rio Grande between El Paso, Texas and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. See the clip in the story Border Patrol holding migrants under Paso Del Norte bridge.

Today the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan spoke near the border in El Paso. Money quote: Two weeks ago, I briefed the media and testified in Congress that our immigration system was at the breaking point. That breaking point has arrived this week at our border.

Social services here are stretched beyond capacity. Were consistently reassured that immigrants are simply processing here, and then headed off to stay with relatives or other sponsors elsewhere around the country.Its important to note that none of these people has the right to work in the United States unless and until they have a successful asylum hearing. Which most dont, either because they dont show up, or dont fit the asylum criteria.
During the first term of George W. Bush, I attended a Passover Seder. One of the other guests delivered a long riff about some non-Iraq-related conspiracy Bush supposedly had formulated.

I deadpanned, Wow, that guy sounds like an evil genius. The guest, who did not know my political leanings replied, I wouldnt say genius.

More sophisticated Bush-haters solved the problem I raised with my quip through Vice President Cheney. He was the evil genius; Bush was his stooge. Thus, the left could have its cake and eat it too.

That wont work with President Trump. There is no Dick Cheney in his administration. Trump can be called a bumbling fool or an evil genius, but not both.

This problem is at the heart of Bret Stephens postmortem of the Russia collusion story. Indeed, Stephens calls the piece Is Trump Keyser Soze  Or Inspector Clouseau?

Stephens writes:

Maybe, in fact, Trump is the genius he claims to be, possessed  as he likes to boast  of a very good brain. O.K., I dont quite believe that. But going forward, it would be wise for all of his inveterate critics in the news media, including me, to treat it as our operating assumption. The alternative is to let him hand us our butts all over again, just as he did by winning the G.O.P. nomination and then the election, and then by presiding over years of robust economic growth. That should be the central lesson from the epic media fiasco of Russiagate.

Russiagate cast Trump as an evil conspirator who colluded with a U.S. adversary to steal the presidency. With the collapse of this narrative, some anti-Trumpers are falling back to the position that Trump is too much of a bumbler to have pulled that off. As Stephens describes this view:

Trump was never sophisticated enough to have been involved in some high-flown conspiracy with Russia. It would have required too much guile. Forget Soze; think Inspector Jacques Clouseau.

This is wrong. Trump could have colluded with Russia. It would not have required genius to do so, just a corrupt deal, which is hardly beyond Trumps capability. But he didnt collude.

Nor, as Stephens hypothesizes, did Trump cunningly induce the media to disgrace itself by running so far ahead of its virtually non-existent blocking with the collusion story. The media did that to itself.

In fact, Trump tried his best to tamp down a story that threatened to consume his presidency. His main reason for firing James Comey apparently was Comeys refusal publicly to say (as he said privately) that there was, at that point, no evidence of collusion.

Its obvious, though, that Trump possesses a very good brain. One does it accomplish what he has without one.

However, what he possesses above all is the instinct required to win. Hes not playing nine dimensional chess (or whatever), as his biggest fans like to claim, but hes playing to win, knows what winning takes, and is willing to push the envelope to get it done.

Trumps enemies should take Stephens concluding words to heart:
President Trumps Make America Great Again slogan put liberals in a bind. They didnt know whether to respond by saying, America is greater than everafter all, Barack Obama had been president for the last eight yearsor by saying what they really thought, America has never been great. Mostly they just fumed.

Yesterday on MSNBC, President Obamas self-described wing man, Eric Holder, came out of the closet:

host Ari Melber had asked him: There is a lot of talk about America being a leader as a democracy, quote unquote, in the 1800s when women and African-Americans couldnt vote. What kind of democracy is that? Holder, unprovoked, then used his answer to tear into Trumps campaign rally cry. Thats exactly right. And thats what I hear these things about lets make America great again and I think to myself, exactly when did you think America was great? he said on the show. It certainly wasnt when people were enslaved. It certainly wasnt when women didnt have the right to vote. It certainly wasnt when the LGBT community was denied the rights to which it was entitled. Melber then asked Holder if he believes Trumps 2016 campaign slogan had discriminatory undertones. Does that phrase echo as discrimination in your ears? the MSNBC host asked. It takes us back to what I think, an American past that never in fact really existed. This notion of greatness, Holder replied.

Glad you cleared that up, Eric.

I cant help noticing, though, that America has been pretty great to Eric Holder. He attended Columbia University (where he was a student radical), no doubt on scholarship, as well as Columbia Law School. He has spent much of his career working for the U.S. government, first in the Department of Justice, then as a judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, next United States Attorney for the District of Columbia and then Deputy Attorney General under Bill Clinton.

He then left the government for a while to work at Covington & Burling, perhaps Washingtons top law firm. No doubt he joined the firm as a partner and was able to forgo the long years working his way up as an associate that most partners have to put in.

Holder then served for six years as President Obamas Attorney General and wing man, after which he rejoined Covington & Burling, where he remains today. I would guess that a partner with Holders political connections and public profile earns at least $2 million a year. His job, which probably involves little or no actual legal work, leaves him plenty of time to pontificate on cable news shows.

At every stage of his career, Eric Holder has met with preferment and privilege. Through his life, he has been largely supported by the American taxpayers whom he detests. Eric Holder may not think America is great, but as I said, America has been pretty great to him.
Amber Athey of the Daily Caller has compiled a list of the worst offenders among news anchors and reporters who, as she puts it, gave breathless coverage to the alleged [Russia collusion] scandal and ultimately misled the public. She names 15 offenders.

Naturally, Rachel Maddow heads the list. She built her program around the phony collusion story. Below is a sampling of others singled out by Athey, but do read her entire piece.

Manu Raju/Jeremy Herb (CNN)

Raju and Herb were responsible for a fake news story at CNN claiming that Donald Trump Jr. had advance access to stolen Democratic documents and emails from WikiLeaks. According to the duos reporting, Trump Jr. received an email with an encryption key for the documents on Sep. 4, 2016.

As other outlets later clarified, Trump Jr. received the email on Sep. 14, one day after WikiLeaks had already released the documents publicly.

These two reporters were also behind another CNN story that required a major update, regarding former Trump attorney Michael Cohens 2017 testimony to Congress and alleged edits made by Trumps legal team.

Carl Bernstein/Jim Sciutto (CNN)

Bernstein and Sciutto reported in August 2018 that Michael Cohen was prepared to tell Congress that Trump knew about his son meeting with Russians in Trump Tower before the meeting occurred.

The story flew in the face of Cohens prior testimony that he did not know about the meeting in advance. Cohens attorney at the time, Lanny Davis, later said that he was a source for CNNs story and made a mistake by claiming Cohen had any information regarding the Trump Tower meeting.

CNN has refused to retract the story.

Ken Dilanian (NBC News)

Dilanian claimed in an August 2017 report that former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manaforts notes during the infamous Trump Tower meeting referenced political donations to the Republican National Committee (RNC).

A spokesperson for former Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley disputed the report, and Dilanians sourcing quickly fell apart. . . .

It is 100 percent false  Mr. Manafort provided the Senate Intelligence Committee with the facts and his notes so this speculation and conjecture is pointless and wrong, a spokesperson for Manafort told NBC News.

Dilanian also independently confirmed CNNs bunk story claiming Trump Jr. had advance access to WikiLeaks documents.

Jason Leopold/Anthony Cormier (BuzzFeed News)

Leopold and Cormier published a story in BuzzFeed claiming that President Donald Trump instructed Michael Cohen to lie to Congress in 2017 about efforts to build a Trump Tower in Moscow, Russia during the 2016 presidential campaign.

In an unprecedented move, special counsel Muellers office disputed the report, stating, BuzzFeeds description of specific statements to the Special Counsels Office, and characterization of documents and testimony obtained by this office, regarding Michael Cohens Congressional testimony are not accurate.

Cohen later testified to Congress in March 2019 and further undermined BuzzFeeds report when he said Trump never directly told him to lie to Congress.

Greg Miller (The Washington Post)

Miller withheld evidence he obtained through his own reporting that could have debunked one of the key claims in the Steele dossier.

The dossier alleges that Michael Cohen visited Prague in August 2016 to meet with Kremlin officials, which Cohen has repeatedly denied in testimonies to Congress and elsewhere.

Miller quietly revealed that CIA and FBI sources told him that they dont believe the trip ever happened during an event in October 2018. The event did not air on television until December on C-SPAN.

Weve talked to sources at the FBI and the CIA and elsewhere  they dont believe that ever happened, Miller, a Pulitzer-prize winner, said.

The information was never reported in The Washington Post and was not detailed in Millers book, The Apprentice: Trump, Russia, and the Subversion of American Democracy.

Brian Ross (ABC News)

Ross temporarily tanked the stock market in December 2017 when he erroneously reported that candidate Trump ordered then-national security adviser Michael Flynn to make contact with the Russians prior to his election. Ross cited a single anonymous source who claimed Flynn was prepared to testify about Trumps order.

Subsequent, accurate reporting revealed that it was actually President-elect Trump who asked Flynn to contact Russians about issues they could work on together when Trump took office, including targeting ISIS.

ABC News suspended Ross for his massive error.

I suspect that only space limitations spared other anchors and journalists from inclusion in Atheys Hall of Shame.
PR-Inside.com: 2019-03-28 09:10:28

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Natural waxes are obtained through ecological process of biogenesis without any involvement of chemical process. Natural waxes can be derived from plant as well as animal source and represents renewable source of wax. Thereby, gaining traction among wax manufacturers. Carnauba wax is plant-based resin wax, which is obtained from palm leaves of Copernicia prunifera, found exclusively in Brazil. The wax is attained by beating the dried leaves of palm and then refining it. Carnauba wax is considered to be naturally occurring hardest wax. Due to its durability and high melting point, carnauba wax finds extensive use in various sectors such as cosmetics, automobiles, pharmaceuticals among others. Carnauba wax consists various exclusive properties such as it swells when exposed to water, has potential to retain oil and exhibits prominent glossy characteristics differentiating it from other naturally occurring wax. Apart from natural source, carnauba wax can also be obtained organically by filtering the highest quality of untreated carnauba wax.Global Carnauba Wax Market: Drivers and Restraints Increasing inclination of consumers towards naturally-derived products is driving the market for carnauba wax. Carnauba wax is hypo allergic in nature and easy to swallow hence finds extensive use in pharmaceutical industry for pills coating. As food & beverage industry is under continuous innovation, product such as carnauba wax that exhibit excellent emulsifying properties and binding capacity for oils, are gaining traction. Moreover, due to its high melting point and glossy characteristics it is becoming a desired natural additive choice among manufacturers of cosmetic industry for manufacturing of lip balms, lipsticks, mascaras among others. Thus, broad spectrum applicability of carnauba wax is propelling the market growth. Moreover, due to its hardness and viscosity modifier properties, it is extensively used as polish wax in automobile industry. Carnauba wax is gaining traction among consumers over the bee wax due to broad base of application hence accelerating the market growth.Request Report toc @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-3867 However, the tropical variety of carnauba wax may cause some side effects such as skin rash, contact dermatitis, inflammation of hair follicle. Thereby, restraining the growth of carnauba wax market. Moreover, owing to less commercialisation, carnauba wax market offers low profitability margins to the manufacturers across the globe.Global Carnauba Wax Market: Segmentation Carnauba wax is used in the manufacturing of chewing gums, coated chocolates, lip balms, lipsticks, and dental floss, owing to its glossy and stabilizing characteristics. Moreover, due to its hardness characteristics it is extensively used as polish wax for car, furniture and surf board.Carnauba Wax Market Segmentation By End Use  Food & Beverages, Automobiles, Personal Care, Pharmaceutical, Others; By Source  Natural, Organic; By Basis Of Form  Powder, Flakes, PelletGlobal Carnauba Wax Market: Region wise OutlookThe global carnauba wax market is categorised into seven regions, namely, Western Europe, Eastern Europe Middle East and Africa (MEA), Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), Japan, Latin America and North America. Brazil accounts for the major share of the market as carnauba wax is exclusively cultivated in the North-eastern Brazil. Asia pacific region is considered to be prominent segment for growth due to opportunistic investment and manufacturing hub for various industries under which carnauba wax finds extensive use. North America exports its major share of carnauba wax from Brazil.Global Organic Hair Care Market: Key PlayersSome of the prominent players identified in the global carnauba wax market includes:Strahl & Pitsch, Inc.Poth Hille & Co LtdKoster Keunen, LLC.CalwaxKahl GmbH & CO. KGFrank B. Ross Co., Inc.Akrochem CorporationRequest Sample Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-3868
PR-Inside.com: 2019-03-28 14:02:23

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VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / March 28, 2019 / Cova is the point-of-sale (POS) solution of choice for nearly every major cannabis retailer entering the coveted Ontario market. The key province has proven a serious challenge for private cannabis retail, with elusive licenses, strict regulations, and high expectations. With no room for error, 20 of the 25 retail license winners, including The Hunny Pot Cannabis Co., Ganjika, Ameri, Superette, Hobo Recreational Cannabis Store, Fire & Flower, and Spiritleaf are putting their trust in Cova software to ensure smooth sailing when they open their doors.''Cannabis retail is far more complex than other retail environments, and compliance is a big factor,'' said Gary Cohen, CEO of Cova. ''We wanted to help our customers protect their hard-earned license and investment, that's why we carefully designed our product to align with the nuances of cannabis laws and regulations. Our POS is equipped with automated compliance features like age verification, sales limit alerts and batch tracking to help prevent human error.'' Cova's experience in technology and retail spans 20 years. Rooted in a successful enterprise environment, the passionate retail technology company brings robust resources and infrastructure, while remaining agile enough to incorporate customer feedback and keep pace with the evolving cannabis retail industry.Cova's advanced platform has earned industry favour largely because the easy-to-learn software is backed by comprehensive support. The company's premier launch team and ongoing help with processes and best practices was vital to retailers like The Hunny Pot Cannabis Co. and Spiritleaf.''We are very pleased to be opening our flagship Ontario Spiritleaf store in Kingston,'' said Darren Bondar, President and CEO of Inner Spirit Holdings, the company behind the growing Spiritleaf franchise. ''We trust Cova as our POS partner to support this milestone and power all our store operations. Having been in retail for 20 years, we know that an easy-to-use and reliable POS system is crucial for the success of a retail business. After spending over a year evaluating various POS systems, we chose Cova and have not looked back.'' The Kingston store marks the 6th location for Spiritleaf, Canada's largest cannabis retail franchise concept. The Calgary-based company is rapidly expanding, with 50 approved permits in Alberta alone, over 20 franchise agreements in Ontario with more than 100 potential stores in development across the nation. Cova will continue to serve as a close partner to ensure that successful expansion.In Toronto, The Hunny Pot Cannabis Co. - one of the first companies to be granted a license in the province - will open a 3500 square-foot store in the heart of downtown.''As we approach the finish line, we couldn't be more excited for April 1st and to welcome our first customers. As the first legal retailer to open its doors in the city of Toronto, we have a duty to set an example for current and future retailers, which means paying close attention to all of our vendors, from designers to POS software. We are confident in Cova's overall approach, service offerings and their dedication to compliance, which is incredibly valuable to us at The Hunny Pot," said Hunny Gawri, Owner of The Hunny Pot Cannabis Co.''Cova is very excited to work with such dedicated entrepreneurs who share our values and commitment to propel the cannabis industry forward,'' Cohen said. ''These retailers worked hard to make an incredibly challenging deadline and meet all the government requirements. We're committed to working hard and to continue earning their trust while we help them succeed in this incredibly exciting journey.'' About CovaCova is the leading POS solution in the cannabis industry. The Cova team's relentless pursuit of creating the industry's first lovable POS has led to solutions that help retailers simplify compliance, reduce operational costs, and increase revenue through automated compliance, inventory management, mobile reporting dashboards, and Cova's Express Checkout app. With a growing network of cannabis industry partners including Leafly, Baker, I Heart Jane, greenRush, springbig, Enlighten, GeekTek, and Budvue, Cova's seamless tech ecosystem gives retailers access to the best tools available to run their business. Cova's offices are located in Denver, CO, Vancouver, BC, Winnipeg, MB and Regina, SK. Learn more at www.covasoftware.com About Inner Spirit HoldingsInner Spirit Holdings is establishing a chain of recreational cannabis stores under its Spiritleaf brand. Supporting local entrepreneurs by applying its award-winning franchise and retail models, Inner Spirit has more than 100 franchise agreements in place for potential Spiritleaf locations and also plans to operate corporate outlets in certain jurisdictions. Developing a diverse portfolio of quality and curated lifestyle cannabis products -including Spiritleaf's own locally sourced lines - Spiritleaf is positioned to be an iconic Canadian brand and the most trusted source for recreational cannabis. More information can be found on Inner Spirit's website at www.innerspiritholdings.com About The Hunny Pot Cannabis Co.The Hunny Pot Cannabis Co. will be one of the first 25 legal retail cannabis stores set to open its doors in Ontario. The Hunny Pot Cannabis Co. is owned and operated by Hunny Gawri and is located at 202 Queen St West, Toronto. The doors are set to open on April 1, 2019. You can find more information about the store at thehunnypot.com and you can follow the store on Instagram at @thehunnypotcannabisco.ContactsFaai SteuerWork: 778-866-6649faai@ covasoftware.com LinksMedia ContactsCova | Faai Steuer | Faai@ covasoftware.com Spiritleaf | Heidi Gammuac | media@ spiritleaf.ca The Hunny Pot | Laura Fracassi | Pr@ thehunnypot.com SOURCE: Cova Software
PR-Inside.com: 2019-03-28 09:18:43

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Savory ingredients are kind of flavor enhancer which possess the property to modify flavors in food without contributing to any separate flavor of their own. Savory flavors are primarily used while manufacturing processed savory products such and snacks, frozen savory meal and others. Savory ingredient enables to provide pleasant sense of taste and smell especially by reason of effective seasoning. Savory ingredient play an important role in enhancing the umami flavor of the product which is supporting its growth in the current scenario.Savory Ingredient Market Segmentation: Savory ingredient market is segmented on the basis of form which includes liquid, powder, paste and spray dried. Among all these segments powder is expected occupy the major position on the pie. Easy usage and mixing properties with other ingredient is expected to drive its growth during the forecast period. Moreover, liquid is expected to show healthy growth in savory ingredient market in the near future. In addition spray dried savory ingredient is currently an emerging product in savory ingredient market, however it is expected to account for substantial growth within next five to six years.Request Report toc @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-915 Savory ingredient is also segmented on the basis of ingredient type which includes yeast extract, hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP), hydrolyzed animal protein (HAP), monosodium glutamate (MSG), nucleotides and others. Among all these segments monosodium glutamate is expected to contribute highest in terms of revenue. Monosodium glutamate properties such as it act as thickening and stabilizing agent in food products. Moreover it is cost effective which are supporting monosodium glutamate growth in the near future. In addition, yeast extract act as a fermenting ingredient. It also enables to reduce salt level from food content. Thus yeast extract is expected to account for substantial growth in next five to six years.Geographically, North America is expected to be the major contributor in terms of value followed by Europe. However these region is predicted to show a stable growth in the near future. Increasing awareness among the consumer regarding the ill effects of consuming processed food may affect the growth of savory ingredient in these regions. In developing countries of Asia Pacific region China is expected to dominate the market in terms of savory product consumption followed by India. Moreover Japan is expected to show a substantial growth during the forecast period. High volume consumption of sauces and noodles is predicted to be the supporting factor in the growth of savory ingredient market across the country.Rising disposable income in developing regions has led the consumer to get inclined towards processed savory and culinary food product which is predicted to support the growth of savory ingredient market in the near future. Moreover, savory ingredient is cost effective, due to which manufacturers is using it various reason such as stabilizer, emulsifier, thickening agent and others in food products which also expected to fuel its growth during the forecast period.Some of the key companies operating in savory ingredient market includes Tate & Lyle PLC, Kerry Group Plc., Lesaffre Group, Royal DSM, Synergy Flavors and Diana Group among others.Request For Report Sample: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-915
Sulfuric Acid Market: Expanding Agriculture Sector in Emerging Economies Slated to Uplift Fertilizer Industry: Global Industry Analysis (2013 -2017) & Opportunity Assessment (2018  2028)

Sulfuric Acid Market

PR-Inside.com: 2019-03-28 05:35:59

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The growing use of sulfuric acid as an additive in several applications is one of the core factors behind the progress of the global sulfuric acid industry. Sulfuric acid one of the most broadly used inorganic chemicals and it is utilized in the manufacturing of a wide range of products that find application across several vertical industries. It is a highly corrosive, oily, and dibasic strong acid which is colourless in the pure form.Meanwhile , China is expected to be a dominant region in terms of demand, and the countrys rapidly growing infrastructure sector coupled with growth of the agriculture sector has been a key regional driving force. The Indian agriculture sector also happens to be an important driving force in the Asia Pacific region for the sulfuric acid market.Request to Sample of Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-6753 In order to meet growing demand from several end-use industries, leading companies are focusing on maintaining a strong foothold in the market. The market is identified as fairly fragmented with the organized sector having a fair share in the global sulfuric acid market followed by Tier 2 and small scale manufacturers. The chief aim of the manufacturers has been expansion of market footprint via expansion of product portfolio and strengthening of sales and distribution network. Recently in November 2017, BASF SElaunched a new, cesium-based sulfuric acid catalyst with unique geometrical shape, with 30% greater catalytic surface area compared to conventional catalysts. This translates into higher conversion in catalyst beds, reduction in SO2 emissions and improved performance in plants with limited catalyst volumes. Product development can be leveraged to augment the in-house sulfuric acid production efficiency and help leading companies stay on the forefront.According to a new report published by Future Market Insights (FMI), the global sulfuric acid market is projected to witness a 2.5% CAGR from 2018 to 2028. In 2017, the market was worth US$ 8,368.4 Mn and is projected to touch US$ 11,670.6 Mn by the end of 2028.Growing Use in Mining Operation to Augur Well for MarketSulfuric acid finds applications in the production of various metals, such as copper, zinc and nickel. Of these, the production of copper dominates the sulfuric acid market in terms of consumption in mining application. Production of copper, zinc, and nickel metals is significantly high in the U.S. as compared to the rest of world. For instance, production of copper in 2012 was around 1,170 (000) MT, which increased to 1,380 (000) MT in 2015, whereas Zinc production rose from 738 (000) MT to 825 (000) MT during the same period. This increase in the production of metals in the North America region, especially in the U.S., has substantially affected the consumption of sulfuric acid for the leaching of metals from their oxide ores.High Demand for Organic Fertilizers to Pose Threat to MarketIn the last couple of years, there has been growth in awareness pertaining to health and environmental issues. The demand for organic food has grown manifold, especially in the U.S. and EU, over the last decade. Consumers are becoming more aware about the quality and safety of the food they eat. Consumer demand for organically produced food has exhibited double-digit growth over the past few years.Need more information about Report Methodology @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-6753 As a result, there has been a substantial increase in organic farmlands under cultivation in Europe and even greater in other regions. Thus, to meet the growing demand for organic products, large amounts of organic fertilizers are required, which, in turn, is expected to hamper the growth of inorganic fertilizers. Growing demand for organic fertilizers is expected to indirectly hamper the growth of sulfuric acid market globally.
A popular Nollywood actress, Oge Okoye, has visited South Africa-based Alleluia Ministries International.

The church is owned by a controversial pastor, Alph Lukau, who performed a viral resurrection hoax in February.

Mr Lukau, who broke the Internet when he reportedly resurrected a dead man, was slammed with several lawsuits for a spectacle he put up.

The actress appeared in a viral video which surfaced online on Thursday and could be seen weeping as she got a prophecy from the controversial man of God.

It is, however, unknown if the actress visited the pastor before or after the resurrection stunt.

In the video, he told the actress that she needed to pray against certain people in her life.

I am speaking accelerationsomebody gat to help you because there are some people we gat to root out because they do not want you to become a media story, do you understand. I just dont want media story. There are some people that we need to kick out then they will know that you came to see Alph Lukau (sic), he said.

Then he called out Oges daughter and asks, Is this your daughter? Oge replied, Yes, shes my daughter. He replied, Shes special, and Oge replied, I know so.

Then he asks her how many children she has, she said, Just two, a boy and a girl.

He also ministered to the actress during a prophetic session and told her about her problems and other issues she was facing.

Controversial media personality, Daddy Freeze, has weighed in on the video. He has also asked fans to reenact the video and get a chance to win a prize.

The actress got married to an Amsterdam-based businessman, Stanley Duru, in 2006 but they parted ways in 2012. The actress who has featured in over 100 films has gone under the radar since 2016.
FUJIFILM Corporation (President: Kenji Sukeno, Fujifilm) and the Designated National University Corporation Osaka University (President: Shojiro Nishio, Osaka University) are setting up a Joint Research Chair*1 within the Osaka University's Graduate School of Medicine in April 2019. Fujifilm and Osaka University will work to develop advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, such as AI-based medical diagnostic imaging support system and AI that can explain thought processes behind determining lesion locations. The AI that can explain these thought processes is called Explainable AI or XAI*2 .

[Objectives of setting up the Joint Research Chair]

In recent years, the use of AI technology has been attracting growing attention in the field of medical diagnostic imaging. Expectations are high on research and development (R&D) of a system that incorporates an algorithm capable of detecting and differentiating lesions at a high level of accuracy.

The Artificial Intelligence Diagnostic Imaging Joint Research Chair to be set up this time will work on building a massive database of medical images, captured with high-performance equipment of Osaka University Hospital and combined with annotation information*3 added by diagnostic imaging specialists. Such a high-quality and large-scale database is essential in R&D of high-precision AI technology that assists medical diagnostic imaging. The database will be used by the two partners to promote R&D and social implementation of cutting-edge AI technology that assists medical diagnostic imaging. The project strives to develop and achieve practical application of more advanced AI technologies such as XAI and X-shot learning*4 , which shows accurate performance in identifying potential diagnosis candidates even from very limited amount of case data.

[Diagnostic imaging research achievements of Osaka University]

Professor Noriyuki Tomiyama of Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine (Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology) is conducting an advanced level of clinical research and education, using precision diagnostic imaging devices such as latest multi-row X-ray detector CT scan*5 and high-field MRI*6 . In diagnostic imaging, Osaka University has excellent diagnostic imaging specialists in the head, chest and abdominal categories to offer highly specialized medical consultation and high-quality diagnostic imaging reports. The University has made numerous research achievements in computer-aided diagnosis, such as determination of benign / malignant pulmonary nodules and liver segmentation using CT scans. These achievements have contributed to the advancement of AI research.

[Fujifilm R&D in AI diagnostic imaging ]

Fujifilm has applied its organ segmentation technology, developed with machine-learning techniques, mainly to the preoperative simulation function of 3D image analyzers. The company is currently carrying out in-house development of AI technologies that can assist medical diagnostic imaging, support workflow at the medical frontline, and be utilized in the field of medical device maintenance services. It is also partnering with AI technology vendors with outstanding technological expertise in and outside Japan to develop solutions that streamline diagnostic workflow.

Fujifilm will provide these AI technologies globally under the REiLI brand as solutions catering to the needs and workflows of various markets.

Description of terms
Theres been a spate of building collapses in Lagos, Nigeria. In some cases, people have died. In one instance a building had been marked for demolition at least three times. There are also concerns about hundreds of other buildings in the city. The Conversation Africas Moina Spooner spoke to Ndubisi Onwuanyi about this.

How common is this in Lagos? What causes these collapses?

Building collapses in Lagos have become common in recent years. Numbers are hard to come by but a Lagos state of inquiry found that there were at least 135 cases between 2007 and 2013. In my research I found that at least 50 of those happened during the construction phase.

Buildings collapse for various reasons; they cant all be attributed to the same cause.

Some collapse after theyve been completed and are in use; some collapse during the construction stage. Collapses during the construction phase are common because of the high rate of urban expansion, new construction and a lack of monitoring.

Most of the buildings that collapse are multi-storey, which suggests problems of soil structure  some buildings may have been built close to a swamp and so the soil is wet  and weak foundations.

Other reasons include the quality of building supervision by builders and officials, design of foundation and structure and poor materials. Developers will sometimes cut corners on the materials they use, refuse to follow due processes and use inadequately skilled and qualified personnel.

While these are all factors, I think the most critical issue is a lack of enforcement by officials. Effective enforcement would detect poor material and faulty designs.

Who is responsible for regulating construction and are they doing a decent job?

The Lagos State Building Control Agency, set up in 2010, is responsible for building regulation. Until 2010, the Development Control Department of the Ministry of Physical Planning was in charge of building regulation.

While failures are preventable, they cannot be entirely eliminated. But the persistence and frequency of collapses in Lagos means that not enough is being done.

In the recent building collapse, where the school was involved, officials say the building was one of many that had been marked as unsafe years before. But no action had been taken.

Among the causes of this delayed action were lawsuits by the buildings owners to prevent its demolition. But this shouldnt distract from the fact that officials failed to carry out their duty. They are responsible for the identification and removal of distressed buildings to prevent collapse. Officials also failed to enforce building control regulations during the construction phase.

What else can be done?

Lagos has all the appropriate laws. But it needs to adopt the right procedures and see them through.

Theres also a serious governance issue that must be addressed. Building control should be a local government responsibility  but in Nigeria it falls under the state government.

Nigeria currently runs a three-tier federal system made up of federal, state and local governments. As a result of constitutional reforms made between the 1970s and 1990s some of these tiers responsibilities were arbitrarily altered. The building control function was transferred from local to state governments.

But state officials are handicapped in enforcing building regulations. Theyre located far away, in Ikeja which lies to the north of the state. This means theyre not familiar with residents and local officials or the situation on the ground. And even though there is a representative in each of the various local government councils, they dont have enough personnel to effectively cover the whole state.

For example in 2015 I found that the agency had fewer than 300 staff to cater to a population of 21 million. In 2017, 200 more were employed, but this is still not enough. Proper monitoring and enforcement becomes an impossible task, particularly when theres rapid urbanisation.

Building control must be returned to the local governments and they must ensure that they have enough qualified, quality personnel.

In addition to this, regulators must strictly monitor changes in the use of buildings. Its common to find buildings in Lagos being used for other purposes than that which they were built. This may increase stress on the foundation of buildings. In this recent collapse, the building was not designed as a school.

Lastly, officials must conduct themselves in an ethical and professional way and ensure theres no political interference in building regulation. Corruption is a major reason for the agencys ineffectiveness, because officials may be reluctant to arrest or persecute violators or people responsible for collapses.

Ndubisi Onwuanyi, Lecturer, University of Benin

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Prime Minister Theresa Mays government plans a third vote on Friday on the deal she has agreed to leave the EU, after parliament twice rejected it by large margins.

Andrea Leadsom, Mrs Mays leader in the Commons, parliaments elected main house, urged lawmakers to back the deal.

The speaker of the Commons, John Bercow, had warned that he might not allow the motion unless it differed significantly from the one that lawmakers had rejected.

But Bercow said the motion for Fridays vote was new and substantially different from the previous two meaningful votes on Brexit.

The government said the third vote will cover only Britains withdrawal agreement, or divorce settlement, and not the separate political declaration on future relations with the EU.

Labour, the main opposition party, said it will vote against the motion and opposes the governments separation of the two documents.

The motion said Britain wishes to leave the EU with an agreement as soon as possible and does not wish to have a longer extension than the agreed end date of May 22 if the withdrawal agreement is approved on Friday.

It said the EU remains open to negotiating changes to the political declaration but not the withdrawal agreement.

There were doubts earlier Thursday about whether the vote would go ahead, amid continuing strong opposition to Mays deal from opposition lawmakers and both pro-EU and eurosceptic members of her Conservative party.

Many eurosceptics were angered by Mays decision to request a short delay to Brexit last week.

EU leaders agreed to extend Brexit until May 22, provided the withdrawal agreement is approved by parliament this week.

If it is not approved, they agreed to an extension until April 12, requiring London to indicate a way forward before then.

If Britain requests a longer extension, it would have to participate in the EU elections scheduled in late May.

The only way we ensure we leave in good time on May 22 is by approving the withdrawal agreement by 11 pm on March 29, which is tomorrow (Friday), Leadsom said.

We do not want to be in a situation of asking for another extension and of course for the requirement to undertake European Parliament elections, she said.

Earlier Thursday, a senior Conservative lawmaker said parliament faces a choice between backing Mays deal or a slightly softer Brexit that would keep Britain in a customs union with the EU.

The lawmakers rejected eight non-binding motions on alternatives to Mays deal late Wednesday, compounding the uncertainty over Brexit.

Motions on a second Brexit referendum and a plan to stay in a customs union attracted the highest number of votes in favour, but both were narrowly defeated.

If you want to leave with a deal. the choice is now between the governments deal, which I will continue to vote for, or a customs union, Damian Green, Mays former deputy and long-term friend, said.

May told a meeting of Conservative lawmakers on Wednesday that she will step down once a Brexit deal is finalised, in a bid to rally support for her deal.

(dpa/NAN)
Gunfire was heard near the main military base in the Comoros capital on Thursday, hours after opposition candidates announced plans to unseat the president, whose re-election this week, they reject as fraudulent.

President Azali Assoumani was declared the winner in Sundays election with more than 60 per cent of the vote, enough to avoid a second-round run-off.

Observers from African monitoring missions have said the election lacked credibility.

The 12 opposition candidates said they had set up a body called the National Transition Council, chaired by one of them, Mohamed Soilihi, to remove Assoumani from office.

The mission of the National Transitional Council is to resolve the post-election crisis, to ensure a peaceful transition, to preserve peace, stability and national cohesion in our country, Soilihi said in a statement.

A diplomatic source said Mr Soilihi was arrested after releasing the statement and the military camp came under attack shortly afterwards.

In Me Soilihis statement, the opposition candidates set an April 3 deadline for the vote to be invalidated.

Otherwise, they called for civil disobedience and a general strike from April 4.

Observers from the AU, the Common Market of Eastern and Southern Africa and the African Standby Forces of the East said the voting process was riddled with irregularities that led them to conclude it lacked credibility or transparency.

Mr Assoumani on Tuesday said anyone wishing to contest the results should do so via legal means.

I hope that those that are contesting the results will follow the legal channels and wait for the final results to be announced by the Supreme Court, he said.

Authorities shut down a local newspaper, La Gazette, for publishing a story about the proposed transition council.

Mr Assoumani triggered months of protests in 2018 by extending term limits allowing him to stand for another consecutive term.

His decision particularly angered natives of the island of Anjouan, who argue that it is their turn to hold the presidency, traditionally rotated among leaders from the three main islands of the Indian Ocean archipelago.

A former army officer, Mr Assoumani has been in and out of office since taking power in a coup in 1999.

He has served as president for 10 of the past 20 years, winning elections in 2002 and 2016.

About 60 women leaders, who had marched to the Supreme Court to deliver a letter asking it not to validate the election results, were dispersed by police. Six of them were arrested.

They carried banners that denounced the heads of the military, the electoral commission and the Supreme Court as being accomplices of a coup detat. (Reuters/NAN)
A car bomb exploded near a hotel and restaurants in Mogadishu on Thursday, killing at least 15 people in a busy area of the Somali capital targeted by Islamist militants before, rescue services said.

The afternoon explosion sent smoke billowing into the sky and destroyed two restaurants and some cars parked in the area.

So far 15 people died including five women. 17 others were injured in the blast, Abdikadir Abdirahman, the Director of Amin Ambulance Service, said.

A witness at the scene said she had seen 18 bodies.

As a mother, it is shocking for me and I request those behind the explosions to stop.

We are crying every day over dead bodies, and it is very hard for us to talk about, the resident, who did not wish to be named, said.

Police earlier gave a death toll of eight.

The blast destroyed a restaurant and killed many, who were inside and outside the restaurant.

The death toll may rise, police official Mohamed Hussein said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab militants have in the past targeted the same location, the Wehliye Hotel, which is along the busy Maka al Mukaram road.

On Saturday, 15 people died in two explosions and a gunfight between al Shabaab militants and security personnel in Mogadishu.

Al Shabaab, which is trying to topple Somalias western-backed central government, was ejected from Mogadishu in 2011 and has since been driven from most of its other strongholds.

But it remains a threat, with fighters frequently carrying out bombings in Somalia and neighboring Kenya, whose troops form part of the AU-mandated peacekeeping force that helps defend the central government. (Reuters/NAN)
Seeking uncomfortable truths about atrocities perpetrated against citizens has become an integral part of rebuilding societies after the fall of authoritarian regimes or at the end of armed conflicts.

In West Africa, Nigeria (1999), Sierra Leone (2000), Ghana (2002), Liberia (2005) and Cote dIvoire (2012) are among countries that have walked this path.

The setting up of the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission in The Gambia is no different. It follows over 20 years of authoritarian rule under Yahya Jammeh marked by egregious violations of human rights. The crimes included torture, disappearances and extrajudicial killings of people perceived to be opponents by the dreaded National Intelligence Agency and Jammehs loyal death squad, the Jungulars.

It took the intervention of the West African regional powers to install Adama Barrow after his surprise electoral victory over Jammeh in elections held in 2016. When Barrow took over one of the first promises was to establish a truth commission to chronicle past atrocities. He considered this a necessary first step towards national reconciliation and peace-building. He said at the time:

Before you can act, you have to get the truth, to get the facts together.

After extensive consultations with ordinary citizens, civil society organisations and international human rights institutions, a new law was passed in 2017 to facilitate the setting up of a truth and reconciliation commission.

The act required that an historical record be put down of the nature, causes and extent of human rights abuses committed under Jammeh between July 1994 and January, 2017. The commissions mandate includes investigating violations and abuses of human rights and identifying who was involved; establishing the identity of victims, their fate and the extent of the harm suffered; and finally determining what evidence has been destroyed to conceal violations and abuses.

The process is to be welcomed because families will finally know how their relatives disappeared or were killed. In the course of the hearings, public apologies by perpetrators will be offered. But searching for truth is often difficult. Through testimonies and the collection of information from various places, the commission will come across many truths of what happened. The complex task will be how to establish whats truthful, and what is not.

The commissions remit

The Commission requires witnesses to be truthful in their evidence. For this reason, it has adopted a key International Criminal Court (ICC) procedure for getting its witnesses to testify on the truthfulness of their evidence. Article 69 (1) of this procedure states that witnesses shall

give an undertaking as to the truthfulness of the evidence to be given by that witness

This is an affirmation to witnesses that the nation is interested in nothing, but the truthfulness of the evidence.

The difficulty in The Gambias approach in search of truth is that people who committed crimes against humanity face prosecution. Under Article 19 (3) of the Gambia commission act,

Amnesty shall not apply to acts which form part of a crime against humanity.

Under the circumstance, some important disclosures by perpetrators could be concealed for fear of future prosecution.

The process followed by Ghana was quite different. It offered a blanket immunity to perpetrators of past atrocities. This could allow for important disclosures and also a good means to chronicle how most serious crimes were perpetrated which could be difficult through The Gambias approach.

The good thing about The Gambias approach is that allowing criminal trials for most serious crimes means holding perpetrators accountable for their crimes.

Extrajudicial killings

The commission begun sitting on 7 January, 2019. Since then it has conducted 87 sittings at which a number of former soldiers and past and present commissioned officers of the Gambia National Army have testified. Their testimony has mainly been on the events of the July 1994 coup which ousted the countrys first president Dawda Jawara.

Other officers have testified on the botched coup of 11 November 1994.

So far, a number of revelations on extrajudicial killings in the 11 November massacre have been laid bare. Some have made confessions about these killings, even within military barracks. An army colonel who was himself a victim of abuse supervised by his senior has also come forward. Another officer, a lieutenant-colonel, witnessed dead bodies of people shot in their barracks under the auspices of the military junta of Yahya Jammeh, and also the two mass graves in the Yundum barracks.

Justice in all forms

Speaking at the launch of the 11-member commission headed by a former senior official of the United Nations, Lamin Sise, President Barrow declared the dark days experienced under Yahya Jammeh were over. Typical of truth commissions, he rehashed the never again catchphrase stressing to his fellow Gambian compatriots not to revisit the countrys authoritarian past.

Barrow urged the commission to put victims at the centre of the process, arguing that the inclusion of reparations in the commissions work was to ensure that the victims of the past regime received justice in all forms.

The Gambian-born International Criminal Court prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, acknowledges the complexities and uniqueness of past truth commissions in Africa and elsewhere. However, she points out that setting aside accountability of perpetrators of the most serious crimes could have a negative effect on the long term sustainable peace and social cohesion.

From the sittings so far, there is no doubt the commission will unravel the circumstances of some extrajudicial killings and disappearances necessary for families to know how their relatives were killed and buried. What is unclear is how Yahya Jammeh, who has been the key person in the execution of these atrocity crimes, would have the opportunity to respond to allegations being made against him.

Abdul-Jalilu Ateku, Doctoral Researcher in conflict, peace and security, University of Nottingham

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

The conversation
Becky Malgwi, a paediatrician, says infant teething is not associated with diarrhoea.

She said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja.

Ms Malgwi, who spoke against the common belief by mothers that infant teething comes with diarrhoea, said teething was not related to any diarrhoea.

According to her, diarrhoea can be as a result of the dirty things that the baby put in the mouth to try to ease the discomfort in his mouth.

You know when the teeth are coming out the child will experience discomfort in the area that the teeth is coming out.

The teething child always tries to take anything they come across to chew and many of those things are not very clean.

It is the bacteria they put in their mouth that cause the diarrhoea, she said.

According to her, teething in infants can begin from three months of age, even though the first tooth usually does not appear until about six months of age.

She listed some of the symptoms of teething to include mild fever, sore gum, lack of appetite, sleeplessness and a slight rise in temperature.

The paediatrician said teething babies try to chew any object they find to help relieve the pressure on their gums.

She added that the child might refuse to sleep and eat due to the pain.

She advised parents to give pain killers and ensure to keep the teething baby hydrated.

Breastfeeding can be really soothing for a baby who is unhappy or in pain, she said. (NAN)
While Nigerias ruling party handed an indefinite suspension on Rochas Okorocha for supporting the governorship candidate of another party, it has not applied the same sanction on Rotimi Amaechi for doing something similar.

The APC, however, justifies its action, saying the issues of the two officials, though similar, are different.

In Imo, Mr Okorocha backed Uche Nwosu of the Action Alliance against Hope Uzodinma of the APC. Both candidates, however, lost to Emeka Ihedioha of the PDP.

In Rivers, the Supreme Court barred the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting candidates from the APC because of internal wrangling between two factions of the party. One APC faction in Rivers is loyal to the Minister of Transportation, Mr Amaechi, and another loyal to Magnus Abe, a senator.

While the APC headquarters in Abuja recognised Mr Amaechis faction, Mr Abes appealed the decision in court which eventually led to the Supreme Court decision.

When the APC realised its legal challenge to its disqualification by INEC had reached a dead end, Mr Amaechi urged party loyalists in Rivers to vote for the candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Biokpomabo Awara.

The AAC was unknown to many state residents until days to the election.

APC reacts

Speaking on its decision not to suspend Mr Amaechi, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Lanre Issa-Onilu, said that the minister had not engaged in any anti-party activities.

He disclosed this Wednesday at an interactive session with reporters in Abuja.

Though the APC does not have governorship candidate in Rivers, the people of the state were very important to the party, he said.

Whatever has happened in Rivers, and whatever Rotimi Amaechi has done, is completely normal and acceptable to this party, the official said.

If we have the opportunity of working with a party that will abide by our principles, it is within our right to work with such a party to ensure that we free the people of Rivers from hardship.

Okorocha Remains Suspended

Mr Okorocha, the outgoing governor of Imo State and Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State were suspended by the APC two days after President Muhammadu Buhari was announced the winner of February 23 Presidential polls.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC suspended the two governors for anti-party activities after a meeting.

The two governors were suspended for backing governorship candidates of other parties.

Mr Amosun backed Adekunle Akinlade, the governorship candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) against APCs Dapo Abiodun while Mr Okorocha supported his son-in-law, Mr Nwosu, against Mr Uzodinma of the APC.

While the APC still won the Ogun governorship election, it lost that of Imo to its main opposition, PDP.

On Wednesday, Mr Issa-Onilu reiterated that Mr Okorocha remains suspended from the APC and the party would not intervene in his dispute with INEC over Mr Okorochas senatorial election.

Rivers Election

The collation of results and other activities for Rivers State governorship and other state parliamentary elections was suspended on March 10 following widespread report of violence and other forms of intimidation that prevented electoral officers from seamlessly performing their roles.

The commission said Nigerian soldiers and armed gangs contributed to the charged atmosphere that made it difficult for electoral officers to continue with collation at the state INEC headquarters in Port Harcourt, the state capital, prompting the suspension of all electoral processes on March 10.

The postponement drove a wedge between major political parties and INEC, with the Peoples Democratic Party and the APC warning against subversion of the peoples will at the ballot box.

INEC has fixed the continuation of the collation and announcement of results in Rivers between April 2 and 5.

Supplementary elections will take place on April 13 in local government areas where elections could not hold.

The commission said it will hold security meeting in Rivers State on March 29.
Today, leaders and distinguished individuals across Africa are gathering in Nigerias capital for the 11th Bola Tinubu Colloquium.

The Tinubu Colloquium is usually held this day annually to mark the birthday of a leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and former governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu. The event usually focusses on tackling critical issues affecting the government and people of Nigeria.

President Muhammadu Buhari and other prominent leaders and politicians across the country are expected to attend the event holding at the International Conference Centre in Abuja.

This years colloquium which marks the 67th birthday of Mr Tinubu will focus on jobs and the economy.

According to organisers, the objective is to outline and showcase the governments efforts to add millions of jobs over the next four years through policies and investment in agriculture, industrialization, and technology/creative sector.

This will also highlight the Next Level initiatives to prepare our people for the jobs of the future through education and skills.

PREMIUM TIMES will bring you live updates of the event billed to start at 10:00 a.m.

10:00 am  arrival of guests.

The mood is upbeat at the internal conference centre in Abuja, the venue of the event.

Dancers and drummers whose sounds depict a typical Yoruba culture are currently setting the perfect ambience for the days event as they welcome dignitaries with their rhythmic beats and chants.

Among the guest that have arrived so far are Akinwunmi Ambode, the outgoing governor of Lagos State; Rauf Aregbesola, a former governor of Osun State and Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour.

Outgoing Lagos state governor, Akinwumi Ambode delivered the opening address.

He thanked those present for coming out to celebrate the don. 

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo just arrived. He was welcomed by a host of leaders of Nigerias ruling party, APC.

Also arriving is the Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

Addressing the audience, Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr Okechukwu Enelamah, shared the governments new initiative called Made in Nigeria for Export (MINE).

He said the project has set ambitious targets over the next 10 years.

Part of the targets include:

1. Boosting manufacturing share of the GDP to 20 per cent.

2. Creating 1.5 million jobs in manufacturing.

3. Generate 30 billion dollars in non-oil sector annually, among others.

He said the projects have already kicked off in three places:

1. Enyimba City, a partnership of the federal government, Abia State and partners. He said the design for first phase is ready.

2. Lekki Model Industrial Park which he called world class manufacturing zone. 

3. Funtua Cotton Cluster, Katsina

He said the cluster will aggregate cotton from 800,000 farmers.

The Managing Director of Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), U.G Muhammed, shared power sector objectives for the Next Level.

When the government took over (in 2015), the capacity of the grid was 4,000 megawatts, generation was 3,500 megawatts.

As at December last year, the capacity of the grids had increased to 8,000 megawatts, generation 7,500 megawatts.

11:20 am.  Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, the special adviser on industrialization to the African Development Bank (AFDB) is the second speaker called to make a presentation by Ikem Isiagwu, moderator of the event.

He speaks on Agro-industrialisation.

Oyelaran-Oyeyinka stresses the need for raising the standard of living of Nigerians through Agriculture.

He says the focus of any good government should be to provide employment opportunities.

Unemployment lowers efficiency and productivity of a nation, he says.

He further explains how agro-industrialisation can boost the economy.

He says apart from boost food yields, agro-industrialisation will include making of raw materials and imported goods such as leather, bags and shoes.

He listed some developed countries in the world who invest heavily on agro-industrialisation.

US, China and the Netherlands make a lot of money from agro-industrialisation. They have moved from small scale farming to industrialised farming.

By 2030 Agro market will become a trillion dollar market and Nigeria needs to key in. 

He further explains what the government is proposing in relation to Agro-industrialisation.

He explains how Agro-Zones will be created across the country.

The professor says agro-enhancement zones will be created in the plan which will, directly and indirectly, create jobs through cooperations.

Mr Oyeyinka says the plan will lead to the creation of about 3000 jobs.

He says through the zones, land expansion, partnerships and market proximity will be fortified.

Mr Oyeyinka coordinates the establishment of Agro-industrial processing zones and industrial policies in several African countries.

He served at a very high level within the United Nations systems for 20 years. He was the senior economic adviser, UN centre on trade and development in Geneva.

Mr Muhammed said the government is committed to expanding the grid under the Implementation of Transmission Rehabilitation and Expansion (TREP).

He mentioned some of the actions the government has taken to include frequency control and spinning reserve.

Before now contracts in this sector are done to enrich people, contracts are not done to be completed.

We have developed a strategy of dealing with such contractors. 

Part of such strategy is direct labour by TCN staff which he said has saved a lot of money.

He said the TCN has installed more transformers in the last two years than installed in 15 years.

Representing President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, takes the stage.

Hes not an engineer but his vision is what many of us have seen in Lagos today, Osinbajo says of Tinubu.

He praised him on his reforms in taxation, politics and other spheres.

Moses Babatope, the executive director of film house cinemas and Managing Director Filmone Distribution and Production Limited takes the stage.

He speaks on how the topic: Creative Industry as a job spinner.

He listed film, entertainment, music, fashion and lifestyle as the major drivers in the creative industry which has the ability to scale up job creation.

Mr Babatope says $23 million was created from 45 cinemas between 2016 and 2018.

He recalls that it was at a period when Nigeria slipped into a recession that the cinema industry generated such revenues in six zeros.

He says such achievement in the sector deserves a round of applause.

In 2016, Nigeria slipped into its worst economic recession in over a decade, figures from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed.

The statistics bureau in 2018 restated that the country was out of recession.

If we are making such money in the creative industry as well as topping the box offices  then we can create more jobs through this sector, he says

He urges the government to invest more money on the creative industry especially in the cinemas. He says Nigeria produces about 2000 movies annually.

If we build more cinemas, more jobs will be created.

He further stresses the need for the government to help in tackling piracy in the creative sector.

Mr Osinbajo recalled how he worked with Mr Tinubu on the legal battles of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

Hiring 63 thumb print experts, he said they were able to prove that there was over voting due to illegal thumb printing.

In the end, the ACN was able to get some some of the states that were stolen.

The only way that was achieved was not only the vision but by a rare leadership.

He also praised Mr Tinubu for his dynamism in appointment.

There is no other state, except some states in the north, where weve seen appointment of people from other states and Asiwaju pioneered that.

Nigerias main problem is lack of integrity in leadership and corruption in particular.

We cannot point to a single major infrastructure project completed after 10 years (referring to years of PDP rule).

He said infrastructure is critical in the Next Level.

Our focus on health care is on health insurance. We cannot finance health care on budget alone.

We are going to expand the Social Investment Program. The program is the biggest anywhere in African.  Osinbajo.

He said the government is planning to expand the N-power program.

The celebrant, Bola Tinubu, takes the stage to give his own remark. He gives votes to dignitaries present at the event.

He describes the vice president, Mr Osinbajo, as a man of many talents.

He also thanked traditional rulers and elders that graced the event.

Mr Tinubu while congratulating his party, the APC, on their victory in the last election, took shots at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

I am excited we walloped them (PDP) and won. I will not be happy standing here and celebrating my birthday if we lost so let me congratulate myself too.

After the vote of thanks, the former Lagos governor speaks on the governments Next Level plan.

He describes the Next Level as a plan with even a more deeper meaning than the initiators might have anticipated.

He, however, counters the governments proposed plan on increasing Value Added Tax (VAT). There should be a question mark on the VAT plan. We should be talking about widening the tax net instead of adding another layer on taxing.

He further speaks on how the government can increase the capacity of electricity in the country that will attract industrialisation and create more jobs.

He tasks the Buhari-led administration to take responsibility for creating sustainable electricity within the next four years.

We should manage electricity in such a way that Nigerians are charged accurately for what they consume.

He stresses the need for government to key into agricultural industrialisation and human development in the next level agenda.

Mr Tinubu further decried the level of unemployment in the country at the moment.

About 20.9 million Nigerians became unemployed between 2017 and 2018, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows.

The NBS Labour Statistics Report released last December showed that the total number of people classified as unemployed increased from 17.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2017 to 20.9 million in the third quarter of 2018.

The data revealed that the number of unemployed Nigerians increased by 3.3 million in the past year.

The APC leaders tasks the Buhari government to build policies around creating job opportunities and human development.

Born 29 March 1952, Mr Tinubu had his first stint in government when he was elected senator for the Lagos West constituency in 1993. The election was just prior to a military take-over in December 1993.

After the return to democracy, he was elected governor of Lagos State, holding office from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007.

2:10 PM  Colloquium ends with the reciting of the national anthem.

2:15 PM  Guests and dignitaries take pictures with the celebrant, exchange pleasantries.

2:17 PM  Event comes to an abrupt end.
An Abuja Division of the Federal High Court has revoked the bail earlier granted to the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

The court presided over by a judge, Binta Nyako, gave the order on Thursday and directed that a bench warrant should be issued for Mr Kanus arrest.

The court said it has given the order because Mr Kanu had failed to appear in court after his bail was granted in April 2017.

The court ruled that the trial must continue and directed that a fresh date for the continuation should be given by parties so that the matter will continue in Mr Kanus absence.

The case was adjourned till June 18.

Mr Kanu, a separatist leader calling for an independent Biafran country, jumped bail when he escaped out of the country.

He has since appeared in several videos online criticising Nigerian leaders and government.

Details later
Raymond Dokpesi, a Nigerian media executive and politician, was quizzed by immigration officials for two fundamental reasons bordering on alleged violation of the Nigerian immigration laws, Comptroller-General Mohammed Babandede, exclusively told PREMIUM TIMES Thursday.

Mr Dokpesi, the founder of AIT and a senior member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, was questioned on Wednesday at the Immigration Headquarters in Abuja.

The media executive was invited for questioning shortly after officials learnt he travelled and returned to the country in manners that are unclear.

Mr Dokpesi spoke with journalists shortly after he was grilled Wednesday, confirming his visit had to do with his latest trip overseas.

Mr Dokpesi said he was asked to submit his passport, but that he could not because he had returned it to the court which approved its release to enable him to travel for a medical procedure abroad.

The politicians passport has been in the custody of the Federal High Court since he was arraigned for allegedly receiving up to N2.1 billion from former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.

Details emerge

But Mr Babandedes explanation of what transpired contradicted what Mr Dokpesi told reporters Wednesday.

The politician did not say he was asked about how he left the country without his passport being stamped.

Extant Nigerian immigration regulations require that a person going out or coming into the country must be cleared to do so by authorities.

Mr Dokpesis passport was not signed by immigration officials before he left the country, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.

We do not know how he left the country  whether through the land, air or sea, Mr Babandede said.

Mr Dokpesi said he received clearance from the court to allow him travel out, but Mr Babandede told PREMIUM TIMES the Immigration does not have any information from the court in that respect.

Usually, court officials would notify us whenever someones passport is released to travel after a previous confiscation by the court, but we have no records showing that Mr Dokpesi was cleared to travel by the court, the Immigration chief added.

He also told PREMIUM TIMES an ongoing investigation would reveal more details.

Nigerians will know more of what happened when we conclude our investigation, the immigration chief said.

Mr Babandede also added, He (Mr Dokpesi) was only invited for questioning in respect of crossing borders based on the powers given to us by the Immigration Act 2015. He was never detained.

Also, this has nothing to do with the federal government of Nigeria. It has to do with the Nigerian Immigration Service under my leadership.

Mr Dokpesis headache

Mr Dokpesi did not immediately return requests for comments Thursday morning.

In his interaction with reporters in Abuja Wednesday, he acknowledged that the Nigerian government has the powers to retrieve his passport from him, but said the government itself has to be subservient to judicial pronouncement on the matter.

Mr Dokpesi said he voluntarily returned his passport to the Federal High Court shortly after he returned to the country, and he could be trusted to always do so as his medical treatment demanded.

Mr Dokpesi was arraigned in late 2015 for alleged violation of procurement law and benefitting up to N2.1 billion in shady media contracts for his associated outlets.

He strongly denied the allegations in court, saying the contracts were legitimate and that he had no way of knowing whether or not the payment was corruptly sourced by Mr Dasuki.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has assured passengers of free trolley and wheelchair services at the new terminal of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

Henrietta Yakubu, General Manager, FAAN Corporate Affairs, told News Agency of Nigeria this would cater for increased activities as more airlines relocate flight operations to the new terminal.

Ms Yakubu also said that a total of 1,000 trolleys were being expected to add to the existing number on ground.

Apart from free trolley, we are also bringing in wheelchairs in the next few days, in addition to the ones being provided by the ground handler.

We are expecting 1,000 trolleys and the Rotary Club of Falomo, also donated 18 wheelchairs for us and we will deploy some to Abuja terminal, she said.

A traveler, Julius Idegwu, commended the federal government for the completion and opening of the new terminal with the state of the art facilities.

Mr Idegwu said that it was the first time he had experienced high level of comfort in any Nigerian airport, adding that he had always paid to use trolley in Lagos and Abuja airports.

This is the best thing that has happened to Nigeria, as far as air travel is concerned and I must commend the government for this.

I also discovered that you dont have to pay to use trolley here, unlike the old terminal which is highly commendable.

There is also free Wi-Fi network here and I want to urge FAAN, to ensure that this is maintained and also extend it to other parts of the airport, he said.

Also, Patricia Akuriene, said the new terminal had added glory to Nigerian Airport, urging the authority to maintain the standard.

On the trolley and WiFi services, Ms Akuriene commended FAAN, urging that the same services be extended to the domestic terminal also.

This is good but I want to urge that attention should not only be on international terminal but the domestic travel also, she added.

The new terminal, which was inaugurated in December 2018, is equipped with free Wi-Fi with the capacity to process 15 million passengers annually.

It is one of the four terminal projects being funded under the 500 million dollars loan agreement between Nigerian government and Export-Import Bank of China.

The other three airports are: Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, which was inaugurated in October 2018, while those of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos and Malam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano are at various stages of completion. (NAN)
Two men, Ikechukwu Ozurumba and Chima Chukwuemeka, were on Thursday docked before an Igbosere Magistrates Court in Lagos over the alleged murder of a Taxify taxi driver.

Mr Ozurumba, 28, and Chukwuemeka, 34, were also charged with the theft of the taxi drivers car valued at N1.5 million.

They are facing a five-count charge bordering on murder, theft and accessory after the fact, preferred against them by the Federal Special Anti-Robbery squad.

The prosecutor, A.O Fadipe, told the court that the duo committed the offences on December 26, 2018, at 6.15 p.m. at Festa and Okokomaiko areas of Lagos.

He said that the first defendant conspired with one Kelechi (a.k.a Sunshine) still at large, and killed one Olufemi Ebenezer, Taxify driver, by hitting him with some tools which resulted to his death.

Mr Fadipe said after killing the victim, the defendant dumped his body at Jimoh Street, Okokomaiko, Lagos.

According to the prosecutor, the defendant also made away with the victims Toyota Camry car marked SMK-980 FM, valued at N1.5 million.

He said that the second defendant, Chukwuemeka, with the knowledge that the first defendant committed an offence, gave him shelter to prevent his arrest by the police.

The offences contravened Sections 1 (2) (b), 6 (b), of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, Laws of the Federation, 2004.

Also Section 233 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The plea of the first defendant, Ozurumba, was not taken but the second defendant, Chukwuemeka, pleaded not guilty to the charge of accessory after the fact.

Counsel to the defendants, Francis Agaoro, urged the court to admit the second defendant to bail, adding that the charge against the second defendant is a bailable offence.

The prosecutor, however, urged the court to remand both defendants.

He opposed the bail application made in respect of the second defendant, adding that he was charged under robbery and firearms law which was under the jurisdiction of the high court.

Magistrate O. O. Oshin remanded the first defendant in prison pending the outcome of the Director of Public Prosecutions legal advice.

She granted the second defendant bail in the sum of N250, 000 in like sum and adjourned the case until May 28, for mention. (NAN)
The National Pension Commission (PENcOM) on Thursday allayed fear over the management of the total assets under its purview, valued at N 8.67 trillion, as at December 2018.

Aisha Dahir-Umar, Acting Director-General of the commission, made the disclosure while fielding questions from journalists shortly after delivering a keynote address at the 2019 First Quarter Consultative Forum For States, held in Akure, the Ondo State capital.

Mrs Dahir-Umar, who was represented by Dan Ndackson, Head, State Operation Department, PenCom, said it became imperative to allay fear of Nigerians as regards the safety of the pension assets.

She said the clarification was also necessary in view of the misleading narratives in the social and conventional media about the safety of the pension assets.

She explained one that of the reasons the commission was in Ondo State was to assure Nigerians that their contributory pension was safe.

She said the commission had put measures in place to further guarantee the safety of the fund.

According to him, since the existence of the scheme in the last 14 years, the commission had never been found wanting in managing the fund.

So, we want to tell Nigerians today that pension fund asset is safe.

It is true that the federal government has been borrowing from the fund, but I want to assure you that every penny borrowed has been returned.

If you are conversant with the financial market in Nigeria, you will know that without the pension industry, most of the federal government bonds will not subscribe.

It is because of the accumulation of these funds that industries survive.

The scheme has been fueling the weak economy of this country, and without it, Nigeria will not be where it belongs today, Mrs Dahir-Umar said.

She said since the commencement of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) in the country, it had become a veritable tool for federal and state governments to accessing bonds for development purposes.

She noted that since the inaugural forum in 2014, many state had made tremendous progress towards adopting the CPS in their states.

She added that others had improved their compliance status in the implementation of the scheme.

She pointed out that the essence of the forum was to discuss issues associated with the implementation of contributory pension scheme in states.

What we are trying to do is to move around the states, particularly the states that have shown interest in the implementation of this scheme and Ondo State has taken meaningful steps on this and that is why we are here, she said.

However, the Acting D-G expressed dismay on the stagnating compliance of some states as regards the scheme and emphasised that such states risked the benefits therein.

As at February 2019, the commission observed with concern that the momentum in the adoption of Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) seems to be stagnating as many of the twenty-six (26) states that had enacted laws on the CPS had substantial compliance challenges with the provisions of their state laws.

We noted that seven (7) states were either remitting only the employees portions of contributions or had huge backlogs of both the employer and employee contributions.

However, where a state chooses to exercise its constitutional independence and refuses to adopt the CPS in accordance with the guidelines of the commission, the state shall deny itself the benefit of the CPS, she said.

Mrs Dahir-Umar also reeled out the benefits of the CPS to include, eradication of ghost worker syndrome, cultivation of a savings culture for old age, payment of pension as and when due, creation of a pool of investible funds for development in the economy and greater transparency in pension administration.

While declaring the forum opened, Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu said the pension scheme occupied a strategic position in economic development.

He stressed that it was not only an essential component of social security, but also a veritable tool for nation building.

Represented by the State Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Emmanuel Igbasan, the governor said the state had made efforts to ensure full implementation of the CPS.

He added that the state also intended to harness the funds for capital and development projects.

(NAN)
Isah Pantami, Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) says the federal government saves N24.7 billion monthly, through deployment of information technology.

Mr Pantami made the disclosure at the March 2019 Lunch Time Reform seminar organised by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms on Thursday in Abuja.

Under E-Governance today, so many leakages in government institutions have been blocked by IT (Information Technology) and that has integrated even the revenue of our country

With the implementation of Treasury Single Account (TSA) and Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) and BVN, the Federal Government of Nigeria has been saving a minimum of N24.7billion monthly, just because of the implementation of this IT software.

In addition, look at the confidence of our citizens today it has improved significantly in Nigeria, because many people today have trust in online banking.

The director general said IT had further enabled Nigerians to obtain International Passports, book appointment for biometrics online.

According to him, the Corporate Affairs Commission had automated its system, to enable companies get registered online without going to the organisations office.

Furthermore, he said IT had enabled Nigerians to run online courses without physically attending institutions.

Mr Pantami urged all public institutions to effectively utilise Information Technology for exchange of knowledge, boost creativity and inclusion.

He said low internet connectivity, lack of digital skills, low integration of business technology with IT as well as non-digitalisation of some public institutions accounted for huge loss of government revenue.

He warned that institutions which remained non-proficient in IT deployment were likely to be expired by 2020.

He further cautioned that public institution defaulters of IT clearance from NITDA would be punished through the agencys laws and with directives from the Presidency.

The DG, therefore, urged all public institutions to strive to create IT action plans, retain good IT staff while attracting more world class IT experts especially the indigent ones in foreign countries.

(NAN)
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has provided some information on its renewed negotiation with the federal government.

ASUU says the two parties returned to where they stopped their negotiation in May 2018.

Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES Wednesday night, the national president of ASUU, Biodun Ogunyemi, said the union hopes the process would not be truncated as it happened before.

We resumed the suspended renegotiation of the 2009 with the federal government team today. Weve started from where we stopped in May 2018. We hope the process would not be truncated as it happened before,  Mr Ogunyemi said.

Background

For almost 10 years between 1999 and 2013, ASUU and the FG have been at loggerheads, but a moment of truce came when Wale Babalakin was appointed in 2017 to renegotiate an agreement reached between the two parties.

However, in August 2018, the academic staff union said they want Mr Babalakin, a senior lawyer and businessman, out of the negotiation.

Meanwhile, in the 19 years since Nigeria returned to civil rule under the Fourth Republic, university teachers in the country have embarked on strike 14 times that saw them stay away from work for about 40 months.

The most recent strike by the union began in November 2018 and ended in February 2019.

ASUUs demands

The demands of the union include

-Funding for the revitalisation of public universities based on the FGN-ASUU MoU of 2012, 2013 and the MoA of 2017

-Reconstitution of the current government team to allow for a leader and Chairman of the FG-ASUU Renegotiating team who has the interest of the nation and the people at heart.

 Release of the forensic audit report on Earned Academic allowances (EAA), offsetting the outstanding balance of the EAA and mainstreaming of same into the 2018 budget.

 Payment of all arrears of shortfall in all universities that have met the verification requirements of the Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA)

Highlights of the MoA that led to the suspension of the 2018 strike include:

1. In addition to the N20 billion for 2018, the sum of N25 billion only would be released in April/May 2019, after which government would resume full implementation of the MoU of 2013.

2. Part-payment of the outstanding arrears of the earned academic allowances; defraying the balance up to 2018 in 4 tranches within 36 months, and mainstreaming further payments of EAA into the annual budgets beginning from 2019 budget.

3. PICA verification and the release of the arrears of salary shortfall at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, not later than 15th February 2019.

4. Strengthening the Consultative Committee on State-owned Universities (CCSOU), inaugurated on Monday, 28th January 2019 to look into the issues of proliferation, underfunding and governance to consistently deliver on its mandate.

5. Payment of the outstanding EAA arrears of all eligible staff in the University of Ilorin, especially the loyal ASUU members whose appointments were illegally terminated by today, 7th February, 2019.

6. Visitation to all Federal Universities would commence tentatively by 11th March 2019.

7. Provision of documented guidelines on procedures and roles of parties in the process of renegotiating FGN-ASUU Agreement of 2009 which would commence not later than 18th February 2019 and end by Friday 29th March, 2019.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the federal government and ASUU on Wednesday resumed talks on the 2009 agreement.

Mr Babalakin said both sides are determined to put an end to the lingering problems in the university system.
By Himanshu Kaul, University of British Columbia

A recent study shows that a gamechanger drug called Fevipiprant promises to lower patients risks of suffering an asthma attack and being admitted to a hospital.

This is the first time a drug reducing airway smooth muscle mass  a key clinical indicator of disease severity that increases the likelihood of more frequent asthma attacks and even deaths  has been reported.

Along with Rod Smallwood, fellow of the British Royal Academy of Engineering, I developed computer models that allowed us to simulate results from a Phase 2 clinical trial  to predict therapy outcomes in patients.

The original trial was led by Christopher Brightling, clinical professor in respiratory medicine at the University of Leicester and the principal co-ordinator of the European Lung Foundation AirPROM.

Asthma is increasingly common

Asthma affects around 339 million people worldwide, killing as many as 1,000 people every day, according to the Global Asthma Report 2018.

The prevalence of asthma is on the rise, with low- and middle-income countries suffering most  in part, because essential medicines are unavailable, unaffordable or are of unreliable quality.

Asthma is caused by complex set of interactions between a patients genes, cells and environment that lead to an increase in airway smooth muscle mass: a process referred to as remodelling.

Our airways are composed of several different cell types that exist together in a highly ordered state. The airway lumen is lined by epithelial cells and, further inside, the mesenchyme. The latter contains muscle cells that increase in mass during asthma. Another crucial feature of the airway are the inflammatory cells that are recruited in the event of a foreign challenge (such as an allergen or virus).

In health, these three elements work in harmony to ensure effective airflow and appropriate response to external challenges. In asthma, these harmonic interactions are compromised, resulting in increased muscle mass.

Developing a sound strategy to treat asthma requires a precise understanding of the factors that contribute to the emergence of the disease. We cannot achieve this through experimentation alone because so many factors contribute to the disease. With mathematical models, we can use hypotheses to help reduce the complexity of the system.

We made a virtual patient

In the clinical trial, Fevipiprant was observed to reduce the number of inflammatory cells and muscle mass.

To understand how, I developed a mathematical model that combined the epithelial, mesenchymal and inflammatory elements  to understand what is responsible for airway remodelling during asthma.

I used something called agent-based modeling  a mathematical approach that relies on rule-sets governing interactions between various model elements.

I developed a virtual patient with severe asthma and gave them virtual drugs. I made sure that the model was capturing biological reality by first administering virtual Mepolizumab, which killed inflammatory cells in the airways. The virtual patient performance was consistent with clinical results.

I then gave the virtual patient Fevipiprant. While it showed the same amount of reduction in inflammatory cells as the clinical trial, it failed to show the same amount of reduction in muscle mass as observed clinically.

This led to the conclusion that Fevipiprant acted not by reducing the inflammation alone, but by also directly impacting muscle mass. Experiments conducted by Ruth Saunders at the University of Leicester, with muscle cells taken from patients suggested that Fevipiprant reduced the recruitment of cells called myofibroblasts, which add to muscle mass during remodelling.

When this secondary feature was added to the model, the observed reduction in the muscle mass of the virtual patient was consistent with clinical data.

Reduced dependence on steroids

Fevipiprant could be a potential therapy to improve airway remodelling in asthma.

Using this drug could allow patients to reduce their dependence on high-dose steroids, whose side-effects include weight gain, diabetes and high blood pressure.

Secondly, the virtual patient can play a role in drug design and optimization, potentially lowering drug-development costs.

While this does need more testing with other therapies, it is a milestone in patient-specific models and promises a new era of precision within respiratory medicine.

Himanshu Kaul, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of British Columbia

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
The Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh, has expressed sadness over the unbridled importation of goods into Nigeria.

Speaking on Tuesday when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Agriculture in Abuja, the minister said some Nigerians import pizza from London.

He appeared before the committee to defend the ministrys budget for 2019.

The Cable newspaper reported the minister said those making the orders for pizza usually do so in the morning, through British Airways airline.

Do you know, sir, that there are Nigerians who use their cellphones to import pizza from London? They buy in London and bring it on British Airways in the morning to pick up at the airport, he said.

It is a very annoying situation and we have to move a lot faster in cutting down some of these things, Mr Ogbeh said.

There are over 50 pizza outlets in Nigeria, including Mario Pizza and Fast Food, Purple Stone Cafe, Ks Pizza, Burgers Pizza and Dominos Pizza.

One of the most famous Pizza outlets in Nigeria, Dominos Pizza, started an online promo in March 2019.

Mr Ogbeh lamented that Nigeria is a nation of importers.

Toothpick every year costs us $18 million; tomato paste costs us $400 million. Meanwhile, a basket of tomatoes is less than N2,000, he said.

The minister also lamented that farmers in Nigeria are losing a huge amount of money yearly as a result of the rate of import of food items.

The farmers are losing money because the processors do not have enough funds to set up factories, he said.

Two factories have started off. I am sure by the end of next year we can comfortably tell the importers of tomato paste to stop, he said

The chairman of the committee, Abdullahi Adamu, also lamented the high rate of importation of fruits and vegetables and called on the federal government to address the issue.

What is eating deep into our capacity to develop are the little things, he said.

Go to these major shopping malls in Abuja, Kano, Lagos; go to the sections where they sell vegetables, any of them, they are imported from South Africa.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday launched a micro pension plan for self-employed Nigerians.

The launch took place at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja.

Mr Buhari launched the programme by supervising the registration of a Keke NAPEP operator, Sagir Shawai, a resident of Karu village of the Federal Capital Territory.

The president said the programme was conceived for Nigerians in the informal sector of the country.

He appealed to trade associations, workers unions and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the informal sector to join hands with the government in enlightening their members on the importance of the scheme.

This initiative will capture those that are not fully captured in the existing pension scheme.

In the past three years, we have provided loans to farmers and others in the informal sector. The micro pension plan is the next step, he said.

Details later
The major problem facing Nigeria is lack of integrity on the part of its leaders, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said.

Mr Osinbajo said the ugly trend reared its head more especially with past leadership of the country.

He made these remarks while speaking at the 11th colloquium of the All Progressives Congress (APC) leader, Bola Tinubu, on Thursday.

Mr Osinbajo, representing President Muhammadu Buhari at the event, said bad leadership of the past cost the country major infrastructural development.

He blamed past governments for being wasteful in times of abundance.

I have said it before, Nigerias main problem is not a lack of ideas, its not. Most of the time, especially with the leadership of the past, it is lack of integrity in leadership and corruption in particular and it is the reason we are finding it difficult to make any progress.

That is why we earned $383 billion in four years  2010 to 2014  the highest ever in the history of our country and yet Lagos-Ibadan expressway not done, all of what is being done today not done.

We cannot point to a single major project, a single major infrastructure project that was completed in the ten years period despite the high wealth, including power. So, a government coming after so many years of waste must be a government that first, emphasises fiscal prudence, a government that emphasises integrity in public finance so that we manage the little resources we have to achieve the maximum that can be achieved and that is what President Muhammadu Buhari has set out to do.

Mr Osinbajo, who served as Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Lagos State during Mr Tinubus administration, eulogised the APC leader

We do it (the colloquium) in celebration of a man who has spent the last 30 years of his life in creative public service. Right from the days of being Lagos governor, he provided clarity of thought and rare vision in all aspects of life.

Once in a while, I think that history gives us people who are gifted transformative leaders and I believe that our country has been gifted by this transformative leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, he said.

Mr Osinbajo thereafter reeled out the aspirations of the Buhari administration under the next level mantra.

Describing it as biggest in Africa, he said the government is working to expand the Social Intervention Program (SIP).

On health, he said the focus of the government is on health insurance as the government cannot finance health care on budget alone.

Dignitaries at the event include outgoing Lagos State Governor, Akinwumi Ambode; his Kano State counterpart, Abdullahi Ganduje; Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello; Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari; Mr Tinubus wife and a senator representing Lagos Central, Oluremi Tinubu; APC chairman Adams Oshiomole, among many others.
Human rights group, Amnesty International, has called on the Nigerian government to investigate the violent attack on voters and journalists during the supplementary governorship election in Kano State on Saturday.

The group made the demand in a message posted on Twitter on Wednesday.

Amnesty International is calling Nigerian authorities @MBuhari @ProfOsinbajo to investigate allegations of widespread violence & intimidation unleashed on voters and journalists during Saturdays re-run election in Kano.

The unprecedented violence in Kano also led to fatalities, the group said through its Twitter handle@AmnestyNigeria.

There were reports of widespread violence during the supplementary election in Kano.

One report said some journalists covering the elections escaped being lynched by suspected thugs at Suntulma Primary School in Gama ward, Nasarawa Local Government Area of the state.

Abdullahi Ganduje, the governor of Kano, who ran on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), won the election. But the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the election result.

Several groups, including the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM), said the election was characterised by violence and other irregularities.

Extensive electoral security problems were observed in some areas, with groups of men with weapons intimidating and obstructing the process, and security agencies ineffective at protecting citizens right to vote, the EU said in its report sent to PREMIUM TIMES.

In particular, parts of Kano were largely inaccessible to EU observers, and citizen observers and journalists were also obstructed. EU observers also witnessed increased interference by party agents and cases of vote-buying.
The national leader of Nigerias ruling party has opposed the federal governments plan to increase the Value Added Tax (VAT).

He said an increase in VAT will reduce the purchasing power of Nigerian consumers and is capable of increasing hardship in the country.

This is why I appeal on Mr Osinbajo (Yemi) and his team to put a huge question mark on any increase on VAT please, Mr Tinubu said.

The APC national leader spoke Thursday during the 11th colloquium event marking his 67th Birthday celebration at the International Conference Centre in Abuja.

The comment by the former Lagos State governor is coming barely hours after Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, said the administration has concluded plans to increase revenue by introducing new taxes.

Mrs Ahmed who spoke at the public hearing on the 2019 budget organised by the Senate and House of Representatives committees on appropriation Wednesday said the federal government has devised a new revenue initiative to increase revenue to fund this years budget.

She said the initiative is segregated into three thematic areas and appealed for the support of the National Assembly.

Opposing any plan to increase taxes, Mr Tinubu said the government should rather widen the tax net and include those who are not yet being taxed. Lets make the nets get bigger so we take in more taxes.

That is what we must do in the country instead of putting an additional layer of taxes for now.

Voices Against Tax Increase

Apart from Mr Tinubu, many Nigerians, labour unions and civic groups have kicked against the plan to increase taxes, warning against its ripple effect on the masses.

They particularly questioned the wisdom behind the governments plan on increasing VAT to fund the minimum wage.

Days before the announcement by the finance minister, Budget and National Planning Minister, Udo Udoma, had explained that the government was planning on increasing VAT by 50 per cent to pay the new national minimum wage.

The Senate had passed for third reading a bill seeking to increase Nigerias minimum wage from N18,000 to N30,000.

Opposing the VAT plan, the President of the United Labour Congress (ULC) said the workers union would not accept any increase on taxes.

He said if the government was contemplating an increase in VAT to fund the new minimum wage, it should be discussed with stakeholders.

Also, Nigerias influential employers union warned that increasing VAT after approving a new wage would have far-reaching implications for the economy.

The VAT is currently being charged at five per cent.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is poised to suspend the multi-billion naira corruption probe of Bala Mohammed, succumbing to a constitutional provision that accords absolute immunity from criminal prosecution to an elected governor.

Mr Mohammed, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP), was elected governor of Bauchi State on March 9, defeating incumbent Mohammed Abubakar of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Since his exit as Abuja minister in 2015 and until his election this month, Mr Mohammed faced corruption trial arising from alleged land racketeering.

Following months of investigation, Mr Mohammed was first arrested in late 2016 in what anti-graft detectives suspected might have involved up to N1.6 trillion in questionable land allocations around Abuja, the nations most expensive real estate market.

Mr Mohammed was suspected of receiving bribes of N550 million to illegally allocate public properties to Aso Savings Limited. The governor-elect was also accused of receiving N314 million in separate suspicious payment from Aso Savings. He was the mortgage bankers board chairman at the time of the questionable transactions, prosecutors said in court filings.

He was subsequently slammed with an initial N864 million fraud. He was then arraigned on May 10, 2017, before Abubakar Talba of the Gudu Division of the Federal Capital Territory High Court and granted a bail, which he has enjoyed ever since, as his trial proceeded in court.

Multiple sources told PREMIUM TIMES there is a slew of other probes involving billions of naira pending against the politician as of Wednesday afternoon.

While his immunity would prevent prosecutors from bringing charges that may arise from further investigations, it would not prevent those investigations from proceeding on their own.

Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution is clear, that charges cannot be brought against a governor, EFCC spokesperson Tony Orilade told PREMIUM TIMES. Considering the fact that it will be practically impossible to get conviction before May 29th, the moment he is sworn in as governor, immunity clause is invoked.

Chris Uche, a senior lawyer who has been representing Mr Mohammed in the case, conveniently told PREMIUM TIMES he had nothing more to add to the position of the EFCC.

On the campaign trail, Mr Mohammed repeatedly dismissed the charges as politically motivated, saying the EFCC had not been able to pin anything on him.

He described himself as a victim of a vindictive crackdown on opposition elements, especially officials of the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

A different fate

While Mr Mohammed might have gotten a crucial reprieve from all corruption allegations against him for at least another four years  bar an impeachment or other outliers that could drive him from office  his son will continue to answer all outstanding cases of graft, the EFCC said.

Mr Orilade said Shamsudeen Bala is also being prosecuted, and his trial will continue as he has no immunity from prosecution, and will not be getting any by way of his father. Only the president, vice-president, governor, and deputy governor are bestowed immunity under the Nigerian Constitution.

The son was charged with laundering about N1.1 billion, using a mishmash of shady tech and agro firms, court documents alleged. Some of the firms included Bird Trust Agro Allied Ltd; Intertrans Global Logistics Ltd; Diakin Telecommunications Ltd and Bal-Vac Mining Ltd.

Mr Uche has also been providing legal services to Mr Bala in the matter, which had seen multiple adjournments since it commenced in 2017. The lawyer has vigorously defended his client, saying he was innocent of all allegations of corruption.
The Adamawa State governorship supplementary election in Yola South Local Government Area is underway in a peaceful atmosphere but with low voter turnout.

The Independent National Electoral Commission rescheduled the election for Thursday after a State High Court in Yola on Tuesday dismissed an application against the conduct of the election.

INEC initially scheduled the poll for March 23, alongside those in five other states where it had declared the March 9 governorship elections inconclusive.

Our correspondent observed that the exercise has been hitch-free. However, it is marked by voter apathy with a few voters exercising their franchise in the various polling units visited.

INEC officials, security agents and other stakeholders arrived the various polling units on time, prompting early commencement of the exercise.

The exercise, according to officials, commenced on time at Bako polling unit 008 Mustapha Primary School, Yola at exactly 8 a.m. as materials and officials arrived ahead of the exercise.

Security operatives took strategic positions to ensure the smooth conduct of the polls.

We are here to exercise our franchise, and as you can see now there is orderliness as INEC officials are waiting for voters to come, said Ibrahim Bappa Waziri, a voter.

A female voter at Bako ward, Hawwa Musa, expressed delight with the peaceful atmosphere under which the exercise is taking place.

We want to vote a candidate of our choice and I have cast my votes, no hiccup or molestation by either thugs or security operatives. Things are going smoothly for now, she said.

APC backtracks

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state had earlier threatened to boycott the supplementary election if INEC insists on conducting it on Thursday.

But in a swift backflip, the partys state Organising Secretary, Ahmed Lawan, said it will participate, hence agents of the APC were seen at the polling units.

Before the March 9 election was declared inconclusive, Ahmed Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had polled 367,471 votes, while the incumbent governor, Jibrilla Bindow of the APC had 334,995 votes.

Although Mr Fintiri has a lead with 32,476 votes, INEC declared the election inconclusive because ballot papers cancelled for various infractions were 40,988.

This was the reason INEC schedule a rerun in 44 polling units in 28 registration areas affected by the cancellation of votes.
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has announced a $2 million donation from Japan which it said will provide life-changing support to people and communities affected by insecurity in North-east Nigeria.

This information was contained in a mail sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday by WFP.

The region has been rocked by insecurity as a result of the activities of the dreaded Boko Haram, who are seeking to carve out an independent Islamic state. Thousands have died while many more have been displaced by the insurgents.

The WFP is aimed at saving lives in emergencies and changing lives for millions through sustainable development.

WFP works in more than 80 countries around the world, including Nigeria, feeding people caught in conflict and disasters.

The statement noted that as part of WFPs efforts to build stability across communities in North-east Nigeria, Japans contribution will support more than 48,000 women and men to rebuild their livelihoods.

It also said WFP will provide food purchased with these funds to help people growing crops, raising livestock and rehabilitating assets that may have been damaged during conflict in the region.

The government of Japan is committed to supporting Nigerian and international efforts to ensure that millions of people in need of food in North-east Nigeria do not go hungry, Shigeru Umetsu, Charge daffaires ad interim of Japan to Nigeria was quoted as saying.

Its expected that this funding will alleviate the suffering of people in the affected states.

The statement said Japans support will complement WFPs lifesaving efforts in Nigeria wherein some people will be provided cash or food assistance every month, and women and children receive supplementary nutritional support.

This funding from the Government of Japan is most welcome at this time, said Myrta Kaulard, WFP Representative in Nigeria.

In partnership with Japan, WFP can maintain its focus on protecting people and making them self-reliant again because ultimately, we want to stop these people from becoming dependent on food assistance, the official said.

WFP said it hopes other donors will follow suit to support the initiative.
The Police Command in Niger State says it has arrested 10 suspects linked to kidnapping, armed robbery as well as unlawful possession of firearms and other crimes in different parts of the state.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for the command, Mohammadu Abubakar, said this in a statement on Thursday in Minna.

Mr Abubakar said two of the suspects were responsible for the kidnap of a five-year-old child on March 15 at Osoto in Suleja Local Government Area of the state.

He said the suspects had called the father of the child but immediately switched off the phone after demanding N100, 000 as ransom for the kidnap.

Mr Abubakar said the suspects were arrested by a team of police officers from A Division, Suleja, adding that the suspects had confessed to being responsible for the kidnap.

The police image maker said two of the suspects were responsible for snatching motorcycles in Suleja and Minna.

According to him, the suspects were arrested at Osoto Kwamba and Ungwan Dawaki areas of Suleja and four motorcycles were allegedly recovered from them.

He said one of them had urged a commercial motorcyclist to convey him to an area (names withheld) in Minna but dispossessed the motorcyclist of the motorcycle after allegedly beating him to a coma.

Mr Abubakar added that on March 15, police detectives from Rijau Division in Minna arrested three other suspects with one locally made pistol and one live cartridge.

He said on March 12, acting on a tip-off, police detectives attached to Mashegu Division arrested one suspect in Kwankwaso village, Fulani Camp in Mashegu.

He said the suspect was allegedly found with one locally made revolver, one live ammunition, one Bajaj motorcycle, and N300,000 cash.

The suspect confessed that the items found with him belonged to another suspect now at large.

Also on March 16, policemen from Mokwa Division arrested another 27- year-old man in Mokwa in possession of N183,000 suspected to be counterfeit notes.

Investigation revealed that the suspect bought the fake currency with the N50, 000 from one Malam Yusuf, now at large, in Nassarawa area of Magama Local Government area,  he said.

He said all the suspects would soon be charged to court.

(NAN)
The Dunamis International Gospel Centre has denied reports that it ordered the ejection and burning of goods belonging to some traders who sell around its premises on Umaru Musa YarAdua Way (formerly Airport Road), Abuja.

The head, central administration of the church, Victor Stephen, said in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday that viral videos and reports linking it with the incident, were not true.

Some traders who sell around the church premises were on Tuesday ejected and their goods burnt by some unknown persons.

Describing the allegation as malicious, Mr Stephen said the senior pastor, Paul Enenche, did not order anybody to pull down the shops of the traders as the videos and reports claimed.

He said the church could not have done that because it empowered some of the traders to set up businesses as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility.

Mr Stephen said the church was geared towards the restoration of human lives and destinies and should not be associated with such heinous acts against indigent persons.

Our attention has been drawn to a video clip circulating the cyberspace concerning Traders properties being burnt down by Dunamis Church at the New Headquarters.

We wish to state, though with dismay, that the Church, Dunamis was not responsible for that kind of act and can never be. Dunamis is geared towards the restoration of human lives and destinies and can never be associated with such heinous acts to indigent persons, Mr Stephen said in the statement.

It is also worthy of note that some Traders selling outside the Church Premises were empowered by the Church as part of our Corporate Social Responsibility to set up their own businesses. It would, therefore, be mischievous for anyone to assume that Dunamis would authorize such an act.
The Kwara South senator, Rafiu Ibrahim and 18 others were on Thursday arraigned in an Ilorin Chief Magistrates Court over the February 19 pre-election violence in Ojoku, Kwara, where one person was killed.

Mr Ibrahim and eight others facing four-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy, inciting, disturbance of public peace and causing grievous hurt were granted bail by the court.

Nine others facing culpable homicide were remanded in prison but were later granted bail at the State High Court, Ilorin.

Justice E.B Mohammed had earlier granted bail to the nine accused persons, but the case was mentioned and adjourned at the Chief Magistrates court, until April 30.

The case of Mr Ibrahim and eight others were adjourned until April 8, for further mention.

Those granted bail along with the senator were Soliu Abdulazeez, Adigun Taofeeq, Wasiu Toheed, Garuba Mustapha, Kubura Wahab, Magaji Bashiru, Fatai Jamiu and Sherif Adisa all from Ojoku town in Oyun Local Government Area of Kwara State.

Chief Magistrate Jubril Salihu granted the defendants bail in the sum of N500, 000 each with two sureties each in like sum.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Aderemi Ajibola told the court that on February 19, the APC Senatorial candidate, Lola Ashiru and his campaign team were attacked on their way out of the palace of Olojoku of Ojoku by some unknown youths.

He said that during the attack, several gunshots were fired at the campaign team, resulting into killing of one Samuel Abidemi Adeosun, while several other people sustained injuries.

Several vehicles in the campaign team were also damaged, he said.

Ajibola said that police investigation led to the arrest of Sen. Rafiu Ibrahim, the PDP Senatorial candidate, who is an indigene of the community and suspected to have incited the said attack on his political opponent.

Further investigation also led to the arrest of one Kubura Wahab, PDP Women leader in Ojoku, who allegedly harboured three of the accused persons, who participated in the attack

Another discreet investigation also led to the arrest of the remaining four accused persons with suspected gunshot injuries believed to have been sustained at the scene of the crime, he said.

Mr Ajibola said the offences contravened provisions of Sections 97, 114, 327 and 247 of Penal Code.

He said investigation is still ongoing towards arresting other suspects still at large.

In his bail application, Mr R. Gold, counsel to Mr Ibrahim and eight other accused persons, said there was no concrete evidence that showed that the accused persons were guilty as charged.

Mr Gold said the first accused (Mr Ibrahim), was not at the scene of the crime and had not been found guilty in any way, while the third to ninth accused persons were arrested in the house of the second accused without any proof.

The nine accused persons, who were later granted bail for culpable homicide were Balogun Wasiu, Mudashiru Oyedele, Abdulkareem Jamiu, Yahya Kamilu, Olalaro Kehinde, Abubakar Ahmed, Shehu Olubolade, Rasheed Rahim and Usman Kolapo.

The prosecutor said the accused persons, armed with various dangerous weapons and suspected to be thugs of the PDP, caused the killing of one Samuel Abidemi Adeosun, through gunshot.

He also said several other people sustained varying injuries as well as vandalism of the APC campaign vehicles.

The IGP Special Tactical squad, Abuja on election security duties in the state swung into action and arrested the accused persons at Oyun Local Government Area, Kwara.

Discreet investigation conducted into the incident revealed that the accused conspired with other still at large to carry out the said attack which resulted in the killing of the deceased.

In the course of investigation, the second accused, Mudashiru Oyedele, confessed being at the scene of the incident with one Nurudeen of Ajase-Ipo still at large, who was in possession of one Pump Action Riffle and a locally made pistol, used for the attack, he said.

Mr Ajibola said the offences contravened the provisions of Sections 97, 113, and 221 of the Penal Code.

(NAN)
The Kaduna State Governor, Nasiru El-Rufai, has called on the people of the state to shun division and strife, but contribute to building more secured communities for enduring peace.

Mr El-Rufai made the appeal after receiving his Certificate of Return from INEC on Thursday in Kaduna.

He said the people should not allow the divisions and pains of the past to shape the states destiny, as the future can be better when people work together.

The governor said it is time for unity of purpose, as such the residents should not wallow in narrow divisions, but collectively work for progress in recognition of the states common heritage as children of Adam and Eve.

Our government is committed to uniting the people of this state, as diversity is no excuse for not working together.

We should see and embrace diversity as a source of strength, let us remove barriers and not allow religion or ethnic identities to deter us from respecting the rights of others, acknowledging their citizenship and obeying the law, he stressed.

The governor expressed gratitude to the people of Kaduna State for the verdict they delivered at the polls, adding, we shall always prove ourselves worthy of your trust.

Mr El-Rufai said that he appreciated the significance of his re-election as a mandate for putting people first in the discharge of his responsibility.

With their votes, the people of Kaduna State have shattered many myths of the entitled elites. They have demonstrated that they know who is standing up for their interest.

They have shown that they appreciate the difficult and top decisions intended to deliver for them the quality of opportunities, Mr El-Rufai said.

According to him, ordinary people in the state have eagerly embraced the idea of their children having quality education and treated in decent hospitals and not having their wives die while giving birth to the next generation.

In her address, while issuing certificates to the governor and elected lawmakers, INEC National Commissioner for North Central, Antonia Okoosi, said there is improved integrity in the electoral system after six successive elections without hitches.

The elections are becoming more competitive as the margins between winners and runners-up are decreasing to the extent that in many instances, elections into executive and legislatures are increasingly becoming inconclusive, she said.

She, however, lamented that the phenomenon of inconclusive elections can be attributed to the crisis of lack of internal democracy in the parties and the desperation of candidates and their supporters to win at all cost.
The Advance Peoples Democratic Alliance has approached the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court to challenge the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) regarding elections in Rivers State.

Following the various cases of violence during the March 9 elections in the state, INEC had announced a suspension of elections in the state on March 10.

The commission, however, resolved to continue collation of the results after a reported investigation into the issues that resulted in the suspension.

Over a dozen people were reported dead in the state following election violence.

Following the decision of INEC to continue the collation of results, APDA and its governorship candidate, Warigbani Zebulun, accused INEC of colluding with the Peoples Democratic Party and the African Action Congress to manipulate the outcome of the March 9 elections.

In a motion brought pursuant to order 3 rule 4 of the Federal High Court Rules 2009, the applicants are asking the court to initiate a response from INEC and the Attorney General of the Federation regarding a list of allegations against them.

APDA, through his lawyer, Adekunle Otitoju, is also asking the court to determine whether, in view of section 26 of the electoral act as amended, INEC was right to constitute itself into a committee to investigate the issues raised regarding the election, without involving the candidates who participated in the election.

They have also asked the court to determine whether the alleged decision of INEC to involve two parties: namely, the PDP and the AAC alone in its investigation was right.

Consequently, APDA has asked the court to declare that INEC had no right to have suspended the elections as well as constitute a committee to liaise with only a party in the election.

The applicant has also demanded a canceling of the results of 15 local governments where collation of results was pending before the suspension of results.

Mr Otitoju who had told journalists after the hearing on Thursday that his clients had asked the court to direct a fresh election, also wants the court to replace the returning officer, Obo Efanga from presiding over elections in the state.

Also on Thursday, the PDP indicated interest to be joined in the suit through its lawyer, Emanuel Ukala.

According to Mr Ukala, the court lacks jurisdiction to entertain the matter, because it is election related.

The judge, Inyang Ekwo adjourned the matter till April 2 for the hearing of the application.
A senator from Akwa Ibom, Godswill Akpabio, has said that his dream for the state lives on.

Mr Akpabio, who represents Akwa Ibom North-West District, lost his bid to return to the Senate for a second term. He was defeated by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chris Ekpenyong.

He is at the tribunal to challenge the election result.

Mr Akpabios party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), lost almost all the elections in the state, including the governorship and the presidential elections.

My dream for Akwa Ibom lives on. My love for Akwa Ibom and Nigeria waxes stronger, Mr Akpabio, a former governor of Akwa Ibom, said in a post-election article.

The article titled, The Lies and Liars of the Election, was forwarded to PREMIUM TIMES by Mr Akpabios media office.

He said in the touching article that men, including clerics, were paid to lie against him during the elections.

He said some persons went as far as lying that he equated himself to God and that he also planned to sell the state to Moslems for the establishment of cattle colonies.

I am happy that God is not like some of His priests, the senator said.

Ever since I decamped to APC, they have been praying against me and they have joined in peddling the lies about me.

Very well-known Church prelates and Bishops that dined with me for eight years while I was governor, despite my benevolence to them and their families joined the fray calling me killer herdsman for joining APC.

But some of these men of God were in this same country in 2012 when the farmers/herdsmen clashes claimed the lives of over 1000 people in the Benue/Plateau/Mambilla axis. At that time, a Christian was the President but was not accused of being a killer of Christians.

I am happy that God does not condemn a man based on one mans testimony, but He sees the heart and judges our motives and intentions. Whether one is a Christian or Muslim, we all worship the same God who will at the appointed time judge us from our deeds in words and actions, he said.

The senator said having enjoyed Gods mercies, there was no way he could have blasphemed God.

In 2015, my wife was in a coma for months and the best doctors in the world with the help of the best life-support equipment gave her less than five per cent chance of making it. Doctors and science gave up on her. The press wrote that she had died. But we held on to God and God brought her back to life. Science could not explain this awesome testimony.

In 2015, I was involved in an accident, which details are still suspect. I survived against all odds because God showed up for me.

Can a man who has seen so much favour from God, turn around to blaspheme him? Can such a man seek to play God or seek to share His glory with Him? Such a man can never say where was God when I made Udom Emmanuel governor? the senator said.

Mr Akpabio after leaving Government House, Uyo, in 2015, fell apart with his successor, Udom Emmanuel, whom he had helped to become governor against all the odds.

The senator in the article wrote about his relationship with Mr Emmanuel.

I met Udom Emmanuel performing the duties of a deacon in Qua Iboe Church, Surulere. I immediately adjudged that as a deacon, he would superintend over the affairs of the State with the fear of God.

Whether I was right or wrong is for history to judge. Nevertheless, I picked him to succeed me and by the grace of God and the votes of Akwa Ibom electorates, he won the election. So God made him governor.

Yes. I met enemies out of 28 other aspirants who desired that same office. That remains my cross, he said.

Mr Akpabio added, I call on those who have been sucked into this axis of evil to stop the lies, the smear campaigns, the propaganda, and the deliberate falsehood.

I wish to serve notice that I would remain undaunted and focused in serving humanity.
Godswill Akpabio, a senator from Akwa Ibom, has said that his dream for the state lives on.

Mr Akpabio, who represents Akwa Ibom North-West District in the Senate, lost his bid to return to the Senate for a second term; he was defeated by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chris Ekpenyong.

He is at the tribunal to challenge the election result.

Mr Akpabios party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), lost almost all the elections in the state, including the governorship and the presidential elections.

My dream for Akwa Ibom lives on. My love for Akwa Ibom and Nigeria waxes stronger, Mr Akpabio, a former governor of Akwa Ibom, said in a post-election article.

The article titled, The Lies and Liars of the Election, was forwarded to PREMIUM TIMES by Mr Akpabios media office.

Mr Akpabio said in the article that men, including clerics, have been paid to lie against him during the elections.

He said some persons went as far as lying that he equated himself to God and that he also planned to sell the state to Moslems for the establishment of cattle colonies.

I am happy that God is not like some of His priests, the senator said.

Ever since I decamped to APC, they have been praying against me and they have joined in peddling the lies about me.

Very well-known Church prelates and Bishops that dined with me for eight years while I was governor, despite my benevolence to them and their families joined the fray calling me killer herdsman for joining APC.

But some of these men of God were in this same country in 2012 when the farmers/herdsmen clashes claimed the lives of over 1000 people in the Benue/Plateau/Mambilla axis. At that time, a Christian was the President but was not accused of being a killer of Christians.

I am happy that God does not condemn a man based on one mans testimony, but He sees the heart and judges our motives and intentions. Whether one is a Christian or Muslim, we all worship the same God who will at the appointed time judge us from our deeds in words and actions, he said.

Mr Akpabio said having enjoyed Gods mercies there was no way he could have blasphemed against God.

In 2015 my wife was in a coma for months and the best doctors in the world with the help of the best life-support equipment gave her less than five percent chance of making it. Doctors and science gave up on her. The press wrote that she had died. But we held on to God and God brought her back to life. Science could not explain this awesome testimony.

In 2015, I was involved in an accident, which details are still suspect. I survived against all odds because God showed up for me.

Can a man who has seen so much favour from God, turn around to blaspheme him? Can such a man seek to play God or seek to share His glory with Him? Such a man can never say where was God when I made Udom Emmanuel governor? the senator said.

Mr Akpabio after leaving Government House, Uyo, in 2015, fell apart with his successor, Udom Emmanuel, whom he had helped to become governor against all the odds.

The senator in the article wrote about his relationship with his successor, Mr Emmanuel.

I met Udom Emmanuel performing the duties of a deacon in Qua Iboe Church, Surulere. I immediately adjudged that as a deacon, he would superintend over the affairs of the State with the fear of God.

Whether I was right or wrong is for history to judge. Nevertheless, I picked him to succeed me and by the grace of God and the votes of Akwa Ibom electorates, he won the election. So God made him governor.

Yes. I made enemies out of 28 other aspirants who desired that same office. That remains my cross, he said.

Mr Akpabio added, I call on those who have been sucked into this axis of evil to stop the lies, the smear campaigns, the propaganda, and the deliberate falsehood.

I wish to serve notice that I would remain undaunted and focused in serving humanity.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday issued certificate of return to Governor Udom Emmanuel and 25 legislators elected during the March 9 governorship/state assembly elections in Akwa Ibom State.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Mike Igini, presented the certificates to the governor-elect and the others in Uyo, the state capital.

Mr Igini said he could not announce the winner of the Essien Udim Constituency election because of the irregularities surrounding the result.

He said the result would be announced by the INEC headquarters in Abuja at a later date.

Mr Igini lauded the people of the state for giving INEC staff in the state the opportunity to serve them and their father land in the just concluded general elections.

In his remarks, Mr Emmanuel said the election had come and gone but Akwa Ibom people remained.

He said his reelection was a call to serve the people with strength and vigour.

The governor thanked God that no life was lost in the state during the 2019 general elections.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that out of the 25 house of assembly members-elect issued with certificate of return, 11 were returning members.

(NAN)
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday presented Certificates of Return (CoR) to the 24 House of Assembly members-elect in the March 9 governorship and state assembly elections in Ebonyi.

Godswill Obioma, INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Ebonyi, presented the certificates to the members-elect in Abakaliki.

Mr Obioma commended the electorate for the peaceful and orderly manner they conducted themselves during the election.

He said the election in Ebonyi had been adjudged one of the freest, fairest and most credible across the federation.

The official explained that election was a very critical aspect of democracy that enabled the citizens to participate in choosing their leaders.

He expressed gratitude to God for the peaceful conduct of the polls, noting that no lives were lost during the February 23 presidential and March 9 governorship elections respectively in the state.

If you listen to news and reports from some states, you will hear of killings, burning of houses and other forms of electoral violence.

In Ebonyi, we are grateful to God that such didnt happen and to the electorate for ensuring that the elections were peaceful and very credible.

We are also grateful to God that all of you who are successful at the election are alive to receive your certificates which have qualified you to have fulfilled the requirements as stipulated by law, Mr Obioma said.

He explained that CoR was an essential aspect of the electioneering process, stressing that only those who were issued with the certificates by INEC could legitimately claim to have completed all the requirements.

Francis Nwifuru, the Speaker of the Ebonyi House of Assembly and member-elect for Izzi West State Constituency, on behalf of others, commended INEC for the conduct of the election in Ebonyi.

Mr Nwaifuru also commended the people for electing the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), assuring them that the members-elect would respect the constitution of Nigeria in the discharge of their legislative duties.

He assured the people of a harmonious working relationship between the legislature and the executive to ensure provision of dividends of democracy to the people.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that all the members-elect comprising 21 males and three females were of the PDP. (NAN)
The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the Osun State election, Ademola Adeleke, has reacted to the protest held by a group called Osun Concerned Citizens in Osogbo on Wednesday.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the protesters expressed their displeasure over the judgement of the Election Tribunal that sacked Gboyega Oyetola as governor of the state.

Last week, the tribunal declared Mr Adeleke the winner of the September 22, 2018 governorship election. It held that the rerun conducted on September 27 was illegal.

While Mr Oyetola has proceeded to appeal, the law permits him to remain as governor until all appeals are exhausted up to the Supreme Court, if he wants.

Before Wednesdays protest, the PDP had accused the APC of planning to sponsor protests against the election tribunal verdict, an allegation which the APC tagged as fabrication.

They are paid protesters- Adeleke

While reacting to the protest, the dancing senator through a statement said, The handful of paid demonstrators rallying against the judgement restoring the stolen mandate cannot save Gboyega Oyetola and his band of usurpers.

He maintained that the court judgement that declared him the winner of the states governorship election is valid and lawful in law and the constitution as it flows from evidence and cross examinations throughout the duration of the hearing.

We note with confidence in God and people that the judgement is God given based on truth and dispassionate interpretation of the law and the constitution.

We affirm that the judgement restored the will of the people as openly expressed on September 22, 2018. The mobilisation of exploited O-Yes members to rally against a judgement that sets Osun people free from slave holders is reprehensible and a cowardly attempt to hoodwink the people.

We note that that there is nothing within the judgement that is not covered by law and the constitution. The ruling to nullify the rerun, the cancellation of results of some polling units and the declaration of Ademola Adeleke as the winner are all provided for by provisions of INEC Electoral guidelines, Electoral Act, the constitution of the Federal Republic and extant judgements of various courts in the land.

The demonstration is therefore the historic last kick of a dying horse; it is a manifestation of desperation and panic in the midst of ultimate defeat. We urge our teaming supporters to remain peaceful and law abiding. Our team is prepared to pursue this matter until ultimate judgement is granted planting the peoples Governor on the seat at Abere Government House, the statement read.
A 75-year-old woman, Elizabeth Otubambo, held in custody since February 15 at Ibara Prisons in Abeokuta for an alleged offence committed by her son has been released.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) learnt in Lagos on Thursday that Mrs Otubambo regained her freedom late on Wednesday after spending 41 days in prison custody.

Mrs Otubambos church member, Innocent Ogbogu, who facilitated her release told NAN in a telephone interview that police and prison authorities collected various sums from him before Mrs Otubambo could regain her freedom.

The policeman handling the matter collected N10, 000, while the warder collected N5, 000, excluding other charges that we settled before the woman was handed over to us.

The most annoying part was demanding that we produce receipts of home appliances, amounting to N500, 000 before Mrs Otubambo could be handed over to us, Mr Ogbogu said.

The ailing widow was clamped into custody after her only child, named Destiny Otubambo, for whom she stood surety jumped bail.

Destiny was earlier arrested by the Ogun State Police Command along with his three other friends for allegedly accumulating a bill of up to N1 million at a hotel in Agbara in Ogun.

The managers of the hotel, identified as Soultrag Hotel in Petedo, Agara, were said to have handed Destiny and his colleagues over to the police, who subsequently, arraigned them in court.

Destinys mum was said to have stood bail for her son but the man disappeared into thin air before a court hearing on February 15, a development that prompted the Ogun State Police Command to arraign the old woman, leading to her incarceration.

But after more than one month in custody, Mrs Otubambos neighbours and some public spirited individuals started raising dust of over the continued detention of the septuagenarian.

The woman, residing at Iyana Isashi community in Ojo, near Lagos, is however, billed to appear again at a magistrates court in Ilaro in Ogun on April 4.

(NAN)
An Iyaganku Senior Magistrates in Ibadan ordered that a 28-year-old conductor, Abolore Amzat, who allegedly kidnapped and murdered a five-year-old boy be remanded in prison, pending legal advice.

The judge, Patricia Adetuyibi, ordered that the case file should be sent to the Oyo State Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for legal advice.

Mrs Adetuyibi adjourned the case until July 31, for a mention.

The police charged Mr Amzat, who resides in Omilabu area of Orita-Aperin, Ibadan, with three counts of conspiracy, kidnapping and murder.

His plea was not taken.

According to the Police Prosecutor, Samad Aliu, the defendant committed the offence with some other persons, at large on March 23, at 10 p.m. at Adesola area, Aperin  Oniyere, Ibadan.

Mr Aliu said the defendant and his accomplices unlawfully caused the death of the boy.

The defendant reportedly kidnapped and caused the death of the boy when he tied him inside a sack

He alleged that the defendant took the sack containing the childs corpse to one of his accomplices fathers house in Aperin  Oniyere.

Mr Aliu said the offence contravened the provisions of sections 316, 324 Law of Oyo State, 2000, and Section 4 (1) of the kidnapping ( Prohibition) Law of Oyo state 2016. (NAN)
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has issued the certificates of return to the Ogun State Governor-elect, Dapo Abiodun; his deputy, Noimot Oyedele-Salako; and members-elect of the State House of Assembly.

The National Commissioner of INEC in Charge of Ogun, Ondo and Lagos, Adekunle Ogunmola, presented the certificates at a ceremony held at the headquarters of the commission in Abeokuta on Thursday.

Mr Abiodun, who was elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Mrs Oyedele-Salako were the first to be presented their certificates by Mr Ogunmola.

The members-elect of the State House of Assembly members, who are from the APC, Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and African Democratic Congress (ADC), were later in the afternoon handed their certificates by the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Abdulganyi Raji

In his remarks at the ceremony, the governor-elect said his election was a victory for Ogun people, saying it was the result of their collective efforts.

Today represents a further confirmation and validation of the collective resolve of Ogun people as expressed on March 9th, 2019. I am a privileged beneficiary of that resolve. I, therefore, commit myself to an all-inclusive, equitable and fair-minded approach to governance as pledged by me during the campaigns and in my acceptance speech of 11th March 2019, Mr Abiodun said.

In line with our slogan during the campaigns, Igbega Ipinle Ogun, ajose gbogbo wa ni, the time to start working together is now. There is more to gain as a people in collective efforts than otherwise, he said.

As I conclude this short address, I want to specially acknowledge and appreciate once again the very special support I received from the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo SAN, the Chairman of our great party, APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomole and members of the partys National Working Committee (NWC), our National Leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, our Baba and one of the foremost progressives in Nigeria, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, party stalwarts and members across Nigeria, especially in Ogun State, friends, associates, members of the Dapo Abiodun Campaign Organisation (DACO), volunteers, media men and women, youths, and everyone who made this collective victory possible, he said.
The Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, has asked the Court of Appeal in Abuja to reverse the March 22 majority judgment of Osun Election Tribunal which declared Ademola Adeleke winner of September 2018 election.

The tribunal had, by a majority judgment given by two of its three members, voided the election of Mr Oyetola, pronounced the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate winner and asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue him a certificate of return.

In a notice appeal filed on March 26, by his team of lawyers led by Wole Olanipekun, Mr Oyetola urged the appeal court to nullify the tribunal judgment given by Justices Peter Obiora and Anyinla Gbolagunte.

Mr Oyetola faulted the majority judgment on the grounds that it was perverse, replete with contradictions and not supported by evidence led by the petitioners.

The Osun governor, therefore, prayed the Court of Appeal to uphold his appeal, set aside the majority judgment and dismiss Mr Adelekes petition at the tribunal.

The governor said his complaint in the appeal was against the entire majority judgment, except where the tribunal held that it lacked jurisdiction to set aside INEC Guidelines.

Mr Oyetola contended that the majority judgment was a nullity because it was written and delivered by Justice Obiora, who did not participate in all the proceedings of the tribunal and who was not present when all the witnesses gave evidence.

He noted that Justice Obiora was absent on Feb. 6 this year when the respondents witnesses (RWs) 12 and 13  Ayoola Soji and Oladejo Kazeem  testified and tendered exhibits, which the tribunal admitted in evidence.

The appellant argued that Justice Obiora could not have seen the two witnesses and was unable to examine their demeanour, as required, and therefore, unlawful for the judge to have authored a judgment to review the evidence given by the witnesses.

Mr Oyetola also argued that the tribunal, in its majority judgment, erred in law and acted without jurisdiction when it accepted the petitioners complaint of non compliance with the provisions of Electoral Act in relation to the September 22, 2018 governorship election and on that basis proceeded to nullify the victory of Oyetola and APC.

The appellant noted that, nowhere in the entire petition, did Adeleke and the PDP complain about non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act in relation to the September 22, 2018 election.

He added that the only ground, in the petition, alleging non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act was in relation to the re-run election held on September 27, 2018.

Mr Oyetola noted that the tribunal contradicted itself in its conclusion, in page 191 of the majority judgment, to the effect that the information omitted by the election officers in the Forms EC8A in the 17 polling units, where the tribunal voided results, were essential to proving over-voting.

Mr Oyetola said: All petitioners witnesses testified and admitted that petitioners were not short-changed regarding the scores recorded for them in each Form EC8A tendered, and that no addition of votes was reflected in favour of the appellants.

By cancelling of elections in 17 polling units, the lower tribunal acted without jurisdiction. By deciding as aforesaid, the lower tribunal discountenanced Section 139(1) of the Electoral Act.

Mr Oyetola also faulted the tribunals decision to void the re-run election when the petitioners did prove that there were elections in the seven polling units where the re-run election took place and that the results were wrongly cancelled.

He noted that the petitioners did not plead nor adduce evidence that the presiding officers of the affected seven polling units had ab initio (on his own/without any prompting) approved of the elections at the polling units.

He added that the petitioners did not tender the results from the seven polling units.

The appellant also noted that the petitioners did not call in their agents from the affected polling units as witnesses; did not tender documentary evidence to show that it was the returning officer that unilaterally cancelled the elections.

Mr Oyetola also argued that the tribunal acted outside its jurisdiction, erred in law and arrived at a perverse decision when it engaged in calculating and subtracting from election results to arrive at proclaiming Adeleke and PDP as being victorious.

The appellant noted that, while the petitioners, in their relief, put the total votes of parties, after the deduction of the cancelled votes, at : APC 241,335 and PDP:246,634, the tribunal, in its judgment, after making its computation and deduction, allocated the parties: APC 253,452 and PDP 253, 777.

Mr Oyetola argued that where the petitioners failed to tender the press release they claimed INEC issued in respect of the cancelled elections, and also failed to tender results from the seven polling units, the tribunal was in error to have acceded to the petitioners prayer to void the said press release.

The appellant also argued that the tribunal contradicted itself when, on the one hand, it nullified the re-run election of September 27, 2018, but on the other hand, went ahead to void the election of the appellant on the same election.

He further argued: Having rightly held that it lacks the jurisdiction to strike down and nullify the approved guidelines and regulations for the conduct of the Osun governorship election 2018, made by INEC, the tribunal misdirected itself in law and came to a perverse decision by going ahead to nullify the re-run election.

Mr Oyetola also argued that the tribunal was wrong to have declared Adeleke winner of the election, held on September 22 and 27, 2018 on grounds of non-compliance rather than ordering a re-run election.

He noted that, not only did the decision disenfranchise the electorate in the affected polling units, it violated the provisions of Section 140(2) of the Electoral Act.

Mr Oyetola argued that, since elections were concluded in the polling units; results counted and recorded in the appropriate forms, and no one contested the quantum of votes scored by the parties, the reasons given by the tribunal to void the votes did not affect the result of the election.

He added: The lower tribunal wrongly disenfranchised the electorate in the said polling units after casting their votes and without any challenge to the scores generated from the voting exercise.

The appellant prayed the court to dismiss the petition by Adeleke and PDP, for being unmeritorious and set aside the majority decision of the tribunal, which he argued, is against the weight of evidence. (NAN)
Gollum or Smeagol, who will have the upper hand in the upcoming stealth-action adventure? Coming to PC and consoles in 2022
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.




The Daisy Lane Parade started in 1953 when Gertrude Whittle worked with the Long Beach City Council and Council of Churches to help decorate the grass median on Daisy Avenue with a Christmas Village and nativity scene, according to the...
GHENT, Belgium and VIZCAYA, Spain, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Barc Lab and OWL Metabolomics are pleased to announce they have entered into a global strategic partnership combining Barc Lab's industry leading central lab services with OWL Metabolomics' world class metabolomics technology.

This strategic partnership between Barc Lab and OWL Metabolomics will provide a broad range of clinical support solutions for the expanding number of biopharmaceutical companies active in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) research leveraging cutting-edge, metabolomic technology and expertise. Combining the unique strengths of a major international central laboratory (Barc Lab) with a metabolomics specialty laboratory (OWL) focusing on NASH and liver diseases will create valuable synergies for involved customers worldwide.

This partnership will support our clients through their quest to find the right therapies for their patients and gain additional insight into the true biological impact of their compounds. Despite the growing prevalence of NASH, there are currently no approved treatments for the disease beyond liver transplant.

The constellation of risk factors for NASH has generated a multitude of targets and there is an obvious need to bring promising treatments through clinical trials and to patients quickly. OWL Metabolomics' technology allows for the identification of over 1000 small metabolites in a single sample, hence providing a comprehensive picture of the metabolome. This type of next-generation precision metabolomics can yield a thorough assessment of NASH complexity by helping the analysis of metabolic alterations which play a main role in the progression of NASH.

Mario PAPILLON, Barc Lab's CEO declared: "This partnership is truly a powerful combination and is a natural progression from Barc Lab's leadership position in NASH research. It is my pleasure to announce that OWL technology platform can now be accessed from Barc Lab. OWL is known for their strength in the metabolomics field, particularly in liver disease, and offers valuable insight into biological systems. This collaboration will allow us to provide our customers with the solutions they need to develop tailored treatments for NASH patients and address this desperate unmet medical need."

"We are proud of having formed this exciting new alliance with Barc Lab as a major company milestone for OWL Metabolomics. We are confident that the two companies together will bring a very positive impact to the important field of NASH research and become valued reference service providers for clinical trials in liver disease research," said Pablo ORTIZ, CEO of OWL Metabolomics.

About Barc Lab

For over 35 years, Barc Lab has provided the pharmaceutical and biotech industry with central lab services both in routine and specialized testing across a wide range of fields including oncology, immunology, genetics, microbiology and clinical pathology. Barc's laboratories routinely conduct medical clinical testing, thus ensuring that the tests offered are also performed daily for diagnostic purposes, patient stratification, staging and follow-up.

With cutting-edge technologies at their disposal, Barc Lab's medical and scientific experts are specialists in their fields equipped for delivering more than just testing. At Barc Lab, they act as genuine partners for our customers. We encourage our scientific experts to become integrated into our customer's R&D processes, hence providing a critical advantage in the increasingly complex setting of clinical trials.

CONTACT: Head of Business Operations & Marketing (PhD), Sofie Vandevyver, svandevyver@barclab.com

More information: http://www.barclab.com / LinkedIn: barclab Twitter: @Barc_Lab Facebook: @barclab

About OWL Metabolomics

OWL is a global metabolomics service provider to the pharma industry with a main focus supporting clinical trials in liver diseases and other prevalent human diseases as well as research in indications where metabolomic plays a key role, including the identification of potential therapeutic targets involved in the development of such diseases. The company is one of the leading key players in the global NASH biomarker market.

Since its inception, OWL has pioneered unique diagnostic research within the fatty liver space, a field of considerable focus in new drug development. The 'OWLiver' and 'OWLiver Care' assays are the world's first metabolomics-based in-vitro tests for diagnosing non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) versus today's diagnostic gold-standard which mandates an invasive liver biopsy.

CONTACT: Chief Executive Officer, Pablo Ortiz, portiz@owlmetabolomics.com

More information: http://www.owlmetabolomics.com/liver-disease-diagnosis.aspx

LinkedIn owlmetabolomics

SOURCE OWL Metabolomics
RCU's Scholarship Programme grants applicants from Saudi Arabia's Al Ula the opportunity to build their skills and gain new experiences through studying abroad in the US, the UK and France through cultural exchange.

the opportunity to build their skills and gain new experiences through studying abroad in the US, the UK and through cultural exchange. RCU will host its first Mid-Year Summit from 27 March  6 April in Los Angeles , London and Paris to be attended by students, families and key partners.

, and to be attended by students, families and key partners. RCU's Scholarship Programme was created to equip young people with the skills and knowledge required to achieve the Kingdom's Vision 2030 in AlUla.

ALULA, Saudi Arabia, March 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Royal Commission for AlUla is hosting a mid-year summit for its Scholarship Programme, which provides successful applicants from AlUla, KSA the opportunity to pursue degrees at prestigious universities and academic institutions in the United States, the United Kingdom and France, in line with the strategic orientations of the region.

The mid-year summit will take place in Paris (27-28 March), London (29-30 March) and Los Angeles (5-6 April), and will bring together students, families and key partners including Kaplan and Campus France, the partner agencies working with and overseeing the UK and France based students respectively.

The Scholarship Programme, which plays a leading role in achieving the goals of the Kingdom's Vision 2030, was built to drive forward the long-term sustainable development for AlUla, which places locals and residents at the heart of all initiatives and projects in the region. It aims to equip students with the skills necessary to diversify Saudi's economy and build a vibrant and robust tourism and leisure sector.

The 165 students currently enrolled on the programme departed from Saudi Arabia to the USA, the UK and France in September 2018 and are participating in a range of programmes to obtain diplomas, bachelor's, and master's degrees in areas of study in alignment with the future state of AlUla including Agricultural Techniques, History and Archaeology and Tourism and Hospitality.

The Summit will facilitate engagement and networking between RCU, students and key partners and will feature a number of speeches and interactive sessions.

Commenting on the initiative and upcoming summit, Abdullah Khelaiwi, Chief or Economic and Social Development at the Royal Commission for AlUla said: "The skills and knowledge that our students are acquiring will be of upmost importance for the development of AlUla and the achievement of the Kingdom's Vision 2030. I am proud of the students who are not only gaining world-class education, but also actively engaging in new cultures and broadening their horizons."

He added, "This summit is excellent opportunity for the students to meet one another, network and learn more about their chosen country's history and culture, and it will be the first of many."

Notes to editors

About Alula

Located 1,100 km from Riyadh, in North-West Saudi Arabia, Alula is a place of extraordinary natural and human heritage. The vast area, covering 22,561km, includes a lush oasis valley, towering sandstone mountains and ancient cultural heritage sites dating back thousands of years to when the Lihyan and Nabataean kingdoms reigned.

The most well-known and recognised site in Alula is Hegra, Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site. A 52-hectare ancient city, Hegra was the principal southern city of the Nabataean Kingdom and is comprised of more than 100 well preserved tombs with elaborate facades cut out of the sandstone outcrops surrounding the walled urban settlement. Current research suggests Hegra was the most southern outpost of the Roman Empire after conquering the Nabataeans in 106 CE.

In addition to Hegra, Alula is home to a series of fascinating historical and archaeological sites such as: Ancient Dadan, the capital of the Dadan and Lihyan Kingdoms, which is considered one of the most developed 1st-millennium BCE cities of the Arabian Peninsula; thousands of ancient rock art sites and inscriptions; and Hijaz Railway stations.

About Royal Commission for Alula

The Royal Commission for Alula (RCU) was established by royal decree in July 2017 to protect and safeguard Alula, a region of outstanding natural and cultural significance in North-West Saudi Arabia. RCU is embarking on a long-term plan to develop and deliver a sensitive, sustainable transformation of the region, reaffirming it as one of country's most important archaeological and cultural destinations and preparing it to welcome visitors from around the world. RCU's development work in Alula encompasses a broad range of initiatives across archaeology, tourism, culture, education and the arts, reflecting the ambitious commitment to cultivate tourism and leisure in Saudi Arabia, outlined in Vision 2030.

For any media enquiries please contact the RCU Public Relations team at: PublicRelations@rcu.gov.sa

Related Links

https://rcu.gov.sa



SOURCE ROYAL COMMISSION FOR ALULA (RCU)
ATLANTA, March 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Following a 100-day national search, the Atlanta Housing Board of Commissioners today selected Gregory D. Johnson to serve as the organization's president and CEO, pending agreement on terms of employment.

"We interviewed a host of excellent candidates from across the nation," said Dr. Christopher Edwards, chairman of the AH Board of Commissioners. "Greg Johnson stood out as the candidate with the experience, background and temperament to propel the agency forward in expanding affordable housing in Atlanta."

Mr. Johnson grew up in public housing in Dayton, Ohio, and later served as CEO of his hometown's public housing authority, Greater Dayton Premier Management, for eight years. A business graduate of Tiffin University with a master's degree in organizational leadership from Quinnipiac University, he is currently CEO of the Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority, a position he has held since 2012.

Robert Rumley, vice chair of Atlanta Housing Board of Commissioners, joined board members in thanking Interim CEO Brandon Riddick-Seals for taking the helm of AH during the transition. "Mr. Riddick-Seals came into a challenging role at a difficult time and helped stabilize AH and bring us closer to the goal of building new affordable housing," Mr. Rumley said. "On behalf of the AH board, the staff and the citizens of Atlanta, we thank Brandon for his service and wish him a world of success in his future endeavors."

ABOUT ATLANTA HOUSING

The Housing Authority of the City of Atlanta, Georgia (AH), is the largest housing authority in Georgia and one of the largest in the nation.

Through its diverse portfolio of owned communities, collaboration with private developers, supportive housing arrangements and homeownership opportunities, AH provides and facilitates affordable housing resources for more than 24,000 low-income households. In FY 2018, AH invested $2.8 million in human development services, provided scholarships for 46 AH-assisted students and helped 177 families transition from homelessness. AH's programs are funded and regulated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Visit Atlanta Housing at http://www.atlantahousing.org or follow on Twitter at @housingatlanta.

SOURCE Atlanta Housing

Related Links

http://www.atlantahousing.org


WHIPPANY, N.J., March 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Bayer released the following statement in reaction to the phase two verdict in favor of the plaintiff in the case of Hardeman v Monsanto, a trial conducted in the federal glyphosate multi-district litigation before Judge Vince Chhabria in the Northern District of California.

"We are disappointed with the jury's decision, but this verdict does not change the weight of over four decades of extensive science and the conclusions of regulators worldwide that support the safety of our glyphosate-based herbicides and that they are not carcinogenic. The verdict in this trial has no impact on future cases and trials, as each one has its own factual and legal circumstances. Bayer will appeal this verdict.

"The jury in this case deliberated for more than four days before reaching a causation verdict in phase one, an indication that it was very likely divided over the scientific evidence. The legal rulings under which the court admitted expert scientific testimony from the plaintiff that it called 'shaky' is one of several significant issues that the Company may raise on appeal. Monsanto moved to exclude this same evidence before trial.

"We have great sympathy for Mr. Hardeman and his family. Bayer stands behind these products and will vigorously defend them."

"Roundup products and their active ingredient, glyphosate, have been used safely and successfully for over four decades worldwide and are a valuable tool to help farmers deliver crops to markets and practice sustainable farming by reducing soil tillage, soil erosion and carbon emissions. Regulatory authorities around the world consider glyphosate-based herbicides as safe when used as directed. There is an extensive body of research on glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides, including more than 800 rigorous studies submitted to EPA, European and other regulators in connection with the registration process, that confirms that these products are safe when used as directed. Notably, the largest and most recent epidemiologic study  the 2018 independent National Cancer Institute-supported long-term study that followed over 50,000 pesticide applicators for more than 20 years and was published after the IARC monograph  found no association between glyphosate-based herbicides and cancer. Additionally, EPA's 2017 post-IARC cancer risk assessment examined more than 100 studies the agency considered relevant and concluded that glyphosate is 'not likely to be carcinogenic to humans,' its most favorable rating. As Health Canada noted in a very recent statement, 'no pesticide regulatory authority in the world currently considers glyphosate to be a cancer risk to humans at the levels at which humans are currently exposed.'"

For more information on Roundup, visit https://www.bayer.com/en/glyphosate-roundup.aspx.

For more information on the Roundup litigation, visit http://www.glyphosatelitigationfacts.com/main/

Bayer: Science For A Better Life

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. Its products and services are designed to benefit people by supporting efforts to overcome the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. Bayer is committed to the principles of sustainable development, and the Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2018, the Group employed around 117,000 people and had sales of 39.6 billion euros. Capital expenditures amounted to 2.6 billion euros, R&D expenses to 5.2 billion euros. For more information, go to www.bayer.us .

Media Contact:

Chris Loder

Bayer U.S.

(201) 396-4325

[email protected]

SOURCE Bayer

Related Links

http://www.bayer.us


HOUSTON, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- CITGO Petroleum Corporation confirmed today it received $1.2 Billion in financing for its ongoing business operations. The five-year Term Loan B offering was well received by the institutional market with participation from approximately 35 financial institutions. As part of the transaction, both the $320 Million Accounts Receivable Securitization facility and the $900 Million Revolver, with maturities of May and July respectively, were retired.

"The significant interest in our debt offering reflects the underlying strength of our company - operationally, financially and in terms of our leadership," said CITGO Executive Vice President Rick Esser, "so we were able to finalize a deal that provides great stability and security for our business."

Since the U.S. Government imposed sanctions on Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA) on Jan. 28, 2019, CITGO has lawfully operated within the restrictions of those sanctions through General License 7. As of March 14, 2019, General License 7 was replaced by General License 7A, providing an 18-month authorization that renews automatically on a monthly basis. This rolling extension allows CITGO to maintain operations in markets that are based on long-term planning and contractual commitments and is a clear indication that the U.S. Government recognizes the importance of CITGO and its contributions to the U.S. economy.

"With our rolling license extension and now our refinancing firmly in place, our employees, marketers, retailers, business partners and the financial community can be confident in their dealings with CITGO," continued Esser. "As a company that is here today and here to stay, we will continue our efforts to strengthen our core business of refining and marketing quality products," he concluded.

About CITGO

Headquartered in Houston, Texas, CITGO Petroleum Corporation is a recognized leader in the refining industry with a well-known brand. CITGO operates three refineries located in Corpus Christi, Texas; Lake Charles, La.; and Lemont, Ill., and wholly and/or jointly owns 48 terminals, nine pipelines and three lubricants blending and packaging plants. With approximately 3,400 employees and a combined crude capacity of approximately 749,000 barrels-per-day (bpd), CITGO is ranked as the fifth-largest, and one of the most complex independent refiners in the United States. CITGO transports and markets transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and other industrial products and supplies a network of approximately 5,000 locally owned and operated branded retail outlets in 30 states and the District of Columbia. CITGO Petroleum Corporation is owned by CITGO Holding, Inc. For more information, visit www.CITGO.com .

SOURCE CITGO Petroleum Corporation

Related Links

https://www.citgo.com


SEOUL, South Korea, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Bo-young Park, Reporter from Daily Associated News of The World Network of SNS Press, recently interviewed co-host Mr.Jong-kyu Park, CEO of WikiLeaks Korea, about the purpose of the event 'National Assembly Forum' which will be held on April 30.

Korea's gross national income (GNI) per capita has officially exceeded $30,000 in Moon Jae-in's 3rd year of administration. Meanwhile government policies related to labor, financial, corporation and economy are still key concerns of Koreans.

This policy seminar on proposal of a solution to alleviate job insecurity, as well as boosting economic growth of the Republic of Korea, is attracting attention as to whether the forum in the National Assembly will be a solution.

Interview transcript as below:

Q : What are the economic achievements of Moon Jae-In Administration for the past 2 years?

Moon Administration which started from May 2017 just entered its 3rd year. One of its most notable economic records is that GNI per capita exceeded $30,000.

The Gross National Income (GNI) per capita of Korea, which was $28,000 when the administration started, is assessed to have exceeded $30,000 threshold at the end of last year.

Q : What are the factors to impede economic growth of a country so far? Can you provide an example in terms of growth rate, employment, exports, etc.?

It is indicated that there are many barriers lying ahead for Korea in moving toward GNI per capita of $40,000 and $50,000. Its growth rate is currently balking at 2%, and its employment and exports are struggling amid adversities. Experts point out that its outdating industrial structure, ever widening gap of income inequality, low birth rate and fast aging population are crippling Korean economy.

As revisions of various laws and investigations were aimed at large companies such as Samsung, Hyundai, SK, LG, Korean Air and Asiana, which are called 'heart of Korean economy', Korean companies have been discouraged, some argue that policy shift is urgently needed to boost the morale and entrepreneurship of Korean companies.

Q: What topics will be focused on and discussed at the forum?

Professor Seung-wook Kim of Chung Ang University will make presentation on 'Merits and Demerits of Jae-in Moon Administration's Economic Policies So Far and Direction for its 3rd Year in Office'.

In addition, Professor Ki-sung Park of Sungshin Women's University will make presentation on "Status of Government's Labor Policy So Far and its Future Directions", and Professor on Special Assignment, Jung-ho Kim of Yonsei University will present on 'Government Directions on Institutions for Companies'.

Besides, Jung-geun Oh, Chairman of Asian Finance Society, will present on 'Global Financial Market and Government Direction for Financial Policies in the Age of Information Revolution' and Dr. Jae-wan Jang on 'Government Direction for South-North Korean Economic Cooperation under Turbulent Conditions of Korean Peninsula'.

SOURCE Daily Associated News
FAIRFAX, Va., March 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Army Contracting Command  Aberdeen Proving Ground (ACG-APG) has awarded General Dynamics Mission Systems a contract to provide electronic and cyber warfare capabilities to the U. S. Army Program Executive Office Intelligence, Electronic Warfare, and Sensors (PEO IEW&S). The contract, known as R4, is an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ)-type contract with multiple awardees. It has a contract ceiling of $980 million over 10 years.

The new cyber warfare contract involves the delivery of new cyber capabilities, in addition to upgrades of existing cyber systems, along with training, documentation, and support activities. The contract will serve as the U. S. Army's primary source of cyber innovation and delivery.

"The Army must sustain its spectrum and cyberspace superiority to enable overmatch in every domain. General Dynamics is making major investments to leverage our entire portfolio of electronic warfare and cyber capabilities to deliver the advantages needed by our Army customers in cyberspace," said Bill Patterson, a vice president and general manager of General Dynamics Mission Systems. "Our team has partnered with the Army for more than 20 years and we look forward to meeting the challenge to provide dominance in the electromagnetic and cyber domains."

Under the contract, General Dynamics will lead a nationwide team composed of cyber technology companies responsible for integrating technology from multiple technical domains to achieve desired cyber effects. Additionally, General Dynamics will deliver a broad range of integrated intelligence, electronic and cyber warfare capabilities to enable freedom of maneuver on the battlefield.

General Dynamics Mission Systems is a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD). For more information about General Dynamics Mission Systems, please visit gdmissionsystems.com and follow us on Twitter @GDMS.

SOURCE General Dynamics Mission Systems

Related Links

http://gdmissionsystems.com


DUBLIN, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Sonar Systems Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2019-2024" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global sonar systems market was worth US$ 4.2 Billion in 2018

Sound navigation and ranging (SONAR) refers to a technique which employs sound waves for navigating, communicating, and detecting lost or hazardous objects. The sound waves are reflected from the objects and are detected by sonar systems which analyze the information contained in them. Sonar systems are generally divided into passive and active sonar.

Active sonar systems emit acoustic waves into the water and listen to their echoes underwater, whereas, passive sonars do not generate their own signals and listen to the sounds produced by other vessels. Nowadays, sonar systems are widely used for fishing, hydrography, oil exploration, marine observation and nautical charting activities.

Global Sonar Systems Market Drivers:

On account of the rising number of terrorist attacks, governments across the globe are increasing their defense budgets for building warships and deploying nuclear submarines as a part of their military strategies. Moreover, the growing applications of sonar systems in preventive defense processes and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) have boosted their demand across the globe.

In line with this, advanced systems are being developed, such as synthetic aperture sonar (SAS) which produces higher resolution images. In addition, consistent enhancements in the arena of autonomous underwater vehicles and rising demand for unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) for commercial exploration of oil and gas are also anticipated to bolster the growth of the market.

Looking forward, the market value is projected to reach US$ 5.3 Billion by 2024, exhibiting a CAGR of around 4% during 2019-2024.

Key Questions Answered in This Report:

How has the global SONAR systems market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?

What are the key regional markets in the global SONAR systems industry?

What is the breakup of the global SONAR systems market on the basis of mode of operation?

What is the breakup of the global SONAR systems market on the basis of product type?

What is the breakup of the global SONAR systems market on the basis of installation?

What is the breakup of the global SONAR systems market on the basis of operating frequency?

What is the breakup of the global SONAR systems market on the basis of application?

What are the various stages in the value chain of the global SONAR systems market?

What are the key driving factors and challenges in the global SONAR systems market?

What is the structure of the global SONAR systems market and who are the key players?

What is the degree of competition in the global SONAR systems market?

How are SONAR systems manufactured?

Key Topics Covered:



1 Preface



2 Scope and Methodology

2.1 Objectives of the Study

2.2 Stakeholders

2.3 Data Sources

2.4 Market Estimation

2.5 Forecasting Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Introduction

4.1 Overview

4.2 Properties

4.3 Key Industry Trends



5 Global SONAR Systems Market

5.1 Market Overview

5.2 Market Performance

5.3 Market Breakup by Mode of Operation

5.4 Market Breakup by Product Type

5.5 Market Breakup by Installation

5.6 Market Breakup by Operating Frequency

5.7 Market Breakup by Application

5.8 Market Breakup by Region

5.9 Market Forecast



6 Market Breakup by Mode of Operation

6.1 Commercial Active

6.2 Military Dual Mode

6.3 Military Passive



7 Market Breakup by Product Type

7.1 General-Purpose Hull Mounted Sonar

7.2 Seabed Imaging and Information Sonar

7.3 Stern Mounted Sonar

7.4 Dipping Sonar

7.5 Others



8 Market Breakup by Installation

8.1 Vessel Mounted

8.2 Towed

8.3 Hand-Held and Pole Mounted

8.4 Airborne

8.5 UUV

8.6 Others



9 Market Breakup by Operating Frequency

9.1 High

9.2 Medium

9.3 Low



10 Market Breakup by Application

10.1 Hydrographic Charting

10.2 Offshore Oil and Gas

10.3 Port and Harbour Management

10.4 Coastal Engineering



11 Market Breakup by Region

11.1 North America

11.2 Europe

11.3 Asia Pacific

11.4 Middle East and Africa

11.5 Latin America



12 Global SONAR Systems Industry: SWOT Analysis

12.1 Overview

12.2 Strengths

12.3 Weaknesses

12.4 Opportunities

12.5 Threats



13 Global SONAR Systems Industry: Value Chain Analysis

13.1 Overview

13.2 Research and Development

13.3 Raw Material Procurement

13.4 Manufacturing

13.5 Marketing

13.6 Distribution

13.7 End-Use



14 Global SONAR Systems Industry: Porters Five Forces Analysis

14.1 Overview

14.2 Bargaining Power of Buyers

14.3 Bargaining Power of Suppliers

14.4 Degree of Competition

14.5 Threat of New Entrants

14.6 Threat of Substitutes



15 Global SONAR Systems Industry: Price Analysis



16 Competitive Landscape

16.1 Market Structure

16.2 Key Players

16.3 Profiles of Key Players

16.3.1 Raytheon

16.3.2 Lockheed Martin

16.3.3 Thales

16.3.4 Kongsberg Gruppen

16.3.5 Ultra Electronics

16.3.6 L3 Technologies

16.3.7 Teledyne

16.3.8 Sonardyne

16.3.9 Atlas Elektronik

16.3.10 Furuno

16.3.11 Navico

16.3.12 JRC



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/z8m6ks/global_sonar?w=5

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

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For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets

Related Links

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CASABLANCA, Morocco, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- 16 companies were recognized earlier as the Best Places To Work in Morocco for 2019 according to the annual workplace survey driven by the global research firm Best Companies Group USA. The celebration event took place earlier in Sheraton Casablanca with the participation of over 150 guests from government and leading national and multinational companies operating in Morocco.

Faurecia, Resolution Call, Hilti, Comdata, Menara Holding, Teleperformance, DHL Express, Decathlon, EM Lyon Business School Casablanca, Payment Center for Africa, Averda, Societe Generale Africa Technologies & Services, Alten, Chaabi LLD, Hyundai made it to the list this year, receiving outstanding scores across several aspects of their workplace such as leadership, satisfaction and opportunities, personal growth of the employees resulting in their recognition as the employers of choice in Morocco for 2019.

Best Places to Work is an international program providing employers the opportunity to assess the engagement and happiness of their employees in order to recognize and honor those who deliver an outstanding work experience. Determining the Best Places To Work in Morocco is a two-step process: The first one is based on companies workplace policies and practices assessment. The second one is an employee's surveys aimed to evaluate the experiences and the engagement level. This year's research shows that engaged employees stay with their employers longer, serve customers more effectively and help to contribute toward a profitable company.

"At Comdata, we work on a daily basis to focus on our employees and offer them opportunities to grow and flourish through their professional activity," said Didier MANZARI, CEO of COMDATA Group Morocco.

"I am extremely proud of our teams, they knew how to challenge themselves, carry the strategy, and continue to make our organization a successful company: the best of France / Morocco system; a company where it is great to work," said Mazigh BENHALLA, Director for Resolution Call.

"Offering exceptional experiences to our employees is a crucial element in the Customer Relationship business where Every Interaction Counts," said Corinne Schamber, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Teleperformance Morocco.

"Human capital is the first pillar of our organization. Investing in it begins with transparency in communication and sharing values, a vision and a common ambition," said Taoufik LAAMIRI, site director for Faurecia Kenitra.

"We are grateful for the efforts made on a daily basis by all staff at all levels and we set ourselves the goal of meeting their expectations in order to make Menara Holding a company where it will be always great to work," said Mohamed AIT BENZAITER, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Menara Holding Morocco.

"Creating an added value in the satisfaction of my employees and my clients. We are there today, our growth is hardly a concern, it is a consequence that comes from it," said Amine ZAROUK, General Manager for Alten Morocco.

The satisfaction and safety of our employees are placed in the center of our interests along with the overall satisfaction of our customers," says Mohammed KHALED, site director for Faurecia Sale.

"Our strong corporate culture has made Decathlon what it is today. We have been sharing it for 42 years and today, it continues to give meaning to our actions," said El Mahdi JALAT, HR Manager for Decathlon Morocco.

"I am proud to be able to lead these men and women in their daily mission," said Clement Vernoud, General Manager of Hilti Morocco.

"It is a great honor and a pleasure to receive the Best Place To Work award in Morocco for 2019. Thank you to the organizing team who have chosen to honor Averda as an employer of choice in Morocco. Thank you to all of our employees who believed in Averda's vision and contributed to its success in Morocco," said Firas Arakji, General Manager for Averda Morocco.

"Joining the team is an opportunity both in terms of acquisition of new expertise and prospects for development within a group that operates internationally," said Widad AZZAM LAHLOU, General Manager for Societe General Africa technologies & Services.

"One of the primary tasks that a general manager must ensure is that employees are motivated. Indeed, a motivated employee can only enjoy his work and produce an excellent quality of service that will ensure customer satisfaction," said Mohamed IFRAH, general manager for DHL Express Morocco.

"Our people are the engine of our success and thanks to them that we can reach the peak of our business line year after year. We are extremely proud to receive this recognition, which reflects our continued commitment to create a stimulating work environment," said Anas Drihany, General Manager for PCA

"Companies recognized this year in Morocco offer excellent employee conditions, outstanding opportunities for learning and development and best-in-class HR practices," said Hamza Idrissi, Program Manager for Morocco.

About Best Places To Work Program

The Best Places To Work Program certifies and recognizes leading workplaces in several countries including leading programs in US, Africa, Europe, Middle East and Asia. The program focuses on 8 Workplace factors including culture, opportunities for growth and overall employee satisfaction with the company's people practices. An HR assessment is also conducted to examine HR practices within the organization. Further, the certification is only awarded to companies with the highest standards of excellence in regards to employee working conditions.

Contact:

Best Places to Work in Morocco Program

Tel: +212-5-37-68-36-14

Email : [email protected]

SOURCE Best Places To Work Limited
Dana's investment reinforces the strategic relationship between the two companies to advance vehicle electrification in the transportation industry. Mark Wallace, Dana's President of Commercial Vehicle Driveline Technologies, will join Hyliion's board of directors. The deal allows Dana to leverage Hyliion's extensive knowledge of advanced vehicle electrification dynamics and data analytics to provide fully integrated solutions to the industry. Going forward, Hyliion will utilize Dana components for driveline and electro-dynamic technologies, including motors, inverters, controls, gearboxes, and thermal-management systems in future product offerings and will gain access to Dana's global sales and service footprint, manufacturing expertise, and state of the art research and development facilities.

On the show floor, Hyliion CEO, Thomas Healy, shared, "Hyliion is the class 8 electrification leader with revolutionary advancements in battery technology and fully instrumented machine learning-based software enabling fuel savings and emissions reductions that substantially reduce operating costs of a trucking fleet. Hyliion's innovation combined with Dana's 115-year history of delivering efficient, high-performance drivetrain components will allow both companies to realize a greener future on an accelerated timeline."

"Our investment in Hyliion is emblematic of our commitment to innovative hybrid and electric vehicle solutions that are revolutionizing power conveyance and delivering efficiencies in operating costs while enabling decarbonization for fleets. The reception of our partnership at this conference demonstrates the demand we are seeing from fleets for real-world electrification solutions. Hyliion and Dana are perfectly positioned to deliver just that to the industry," said Mark Wallace.

Hyliion's new financing round is comprised of Dana, existing investors, and new financial and strategic investors. With this financing, Hyliion will have raised over $50 million since its inception. Funds raised will be used for fulfilling customer demand, furthering joint research and development with Dana, and expanding Hyliion's battery solutions for additional heavy-duty transportation applications.

About Hyliion Incorporated

Hyliion offers fleets an easy, efficient way to decrease fuel expenses and lower emissions by turning semi-tractors into intelligent electric hybrid vehicles. Hyliion's patented technology can be used on new or existing vehicles. Requiring no driver training, Hyliion products reduce fuel consumption, reduce emissions, and provide a positive return to fleets and the environment immediately. Hyliion was among the Top 20 Product Award winners from Heavy Duty Trucking Magazine for its 6X4HE Intelligent Hybrid Electric Truck Solution and was recently named to RED HERRING's prestigious Top 100 List. For more information, visit hyliion.com.

About Dana Incorporated

Dana is a world leader in highly engineered solutions for improving the efficiency, performance, and sustainability of powered vehicles and machinery. Dana supports the passenger vehicle, commercial truck, and off-highway markets, as well as industrial and stationary equipment applications. Founded in 1904, Dana employs more than 36,000 people in 33 countries on six continents who are committed to delivering long-term value to customers. The company reported sales of $8.1 billion in 2018. Based in Maumee, Ohio, USA, it is a people-centric organization and has been named a top employer of choice around the world, including significant honors in Asia, India, Italy, Mexico, and the United States. For more information, please visit www.dana.com.

SOURCE Hyliion Incorporated

Related Links

https://www.hyliion.com


It is flexible  with 40 percent of the hull easily reconfigurable, LCS is designed to serve today's missions and can be outfitted with additional and evolved capabilities, including over-the-horizon missiles, and advanced electronic warfare systems and radars.

 with 40 percent of the hull easily reconfigurable, LCS is designed to serve today's missions and can be outfitted with additional and evolved capabilities, including over-the-horizon missiles, and advanced electronic warfare systems and radars. It is lethal  standard equipped with Rolling Airframe Missiles (RAM) and a Mark 110 gun, capable of firing 220 rounds per minute.

 standard equipped with Rolling Airframe Missiles (RAM) and a Mark 110 gun, capable of firing 220 rounds per minute. It is fast  capable of speeds in excess of 40 knots.

 capable of speeds in excess of 40 knots. It is automated  with the most efficient staffing of any combat ship.

"LCS brings something really special to the Navy. There is no other class of ship that delivers this level of flexibility for future missions," said Joe DePietro, vice president and general manager of Small Combatants and Ship Systems. "LCS is minimally manned, so the U.S. Navy can efficiently project presence around the world. It really is a remarkable ship, and our team is so proud to begin construction on the future USS Marinette for the Navy."

LCS 25 will be the first U.S. Navy ship to bear the name Marinette, and is named to recognize the town's significant contributions to Navy shipbuilding. Fincantieri Marinette Marine began operations in 1942 to provide U.S. ships for World War II. Marinette is the birthplace of Lockheed Martin's Freedom-variant LCS, which Lockheed Martin and Fincantieri Marinette Marine have partnered to produce for more than 16 years. Each day, more than 1,500 residents of Marinette, Wisconsin and Menominee, Michigan, enter the Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard to build LCS.

"We are thrilled to build the future USS Marinette. As shipbuilders, we transform flat panels of steel into warships, and feel so much pride in the craftsmanship required to do this important work. It is an honor to be able to do that for the ship named after our hometown," said Jan Allman, president and CEO of Fincantieri Marinette Marine. "The Navy selected an incredible woman to sponsor our ship. Governor Jennifer Granholm represents a large number of our workforce coming from Michigan, and she has been an avid supporter of the LCS program since its inception."

LCS 25 will be the 13th Freedom-variant LCS, and will join a class of more than 30 ships. She is one of seven ships in various stages of construction and test at the Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard.

You can find the following multimedia resources of the keel laying ceremony at the below links:

For additional information, visit our website: www.lockheedmartin.com/lcs.

About Lockheed Martin

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 105,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.

About Fincantieri Marinette Marine

Fincantieri is the leading western shipbuilder with a rich history dating back more than 230 years, and a track record of building more than 7,000 ships. Fincantieri Marine Group is the American subsidiary of Fincantieri, and operates three Great Lakes Shipyards: Fincantieri Marinette Marine, Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding, and Fincantieri ACE Marine. Fincantieri Marine Group's more than 2,100 steelworkers, craftsman, engineers and technicians in the United States specialize in the design, construction and maintenance of merchant ships and government vessels, including for the United States Navy and Coast Guard.

About Gibbs & Cox

Gibbs & Cox, the nation's leading independent maritime solutions firm specializing in naval architecture, marine engineering and design, is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. The company, founded in 1929, has provided designs for nearly 80 percent of the current U.S. Navy surface combatant fleet; approaching 7,000 naval and commercial ships have been built to Gibbs & Cox designs.

SOURCE Lockheed Martin

Related Links

http://www.lockheedmartin.com


STAINES-UPON-THAMES, United Kingdom, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Mallinckrodt plc (NYSE: MNK), a leading global specialty pharmaceutical company, today announced that the company received a perfect score of 100 percent  for the third year in a row  on the 2019 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), a national benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) workplace equality, administered by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation.

"This recognition from the HRC Foundation is an exceptional honor and we are proud to earn this perfect score yet again on behalf of Mallinckrodt employees," said Mark Trudeau, President and Chief Executive Officer, Mallinckrodt. "Diversity and inclusion are fundamental tenets to our company's success and important to the communities in which we operate, and help us to better innovate to meet our focus on improving outcomes for underserved patients with severe and critical conditions."

Mallinckrodt's achievements in satisfying all of the CEI's criteria resulted in a 100 percent ranking and the designation as a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality. The company joins 571 other major U.S. businesses also earning top scores this year. The 2019 CEI rated 1,028 businesses in the report, which evaluates LGBTQ-related policies and practices including non-discrimination workplace protections, domestic partner benefits, transgender-inclusive health care benefits, competency programs and public engagement with the LGBTQ community.

"The top-scoring companies on this year's CEI are not only establishing policies that affirm and include employees here in the United States, they are applying these policies to their global operations and impacting millions of people beyond our shores," said HRC President Chad Griffin. "Many of these companies have also become vocal advocates for equality in the public square, including the dozens that have signed on to amicus briefs in vital Supreme Court cases and the more than 170 that have joined HRC's Business Coalition for the Equality Act. Time and again, leading American businesses have shown that protecting their employees and customers from discrimination isn't just the right thing to do  it's also good for business."

The HRC Foundation is the educational arm of America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community. For more information on the 2019 Corporate Equality Index, or to download a free copy of the report, visit www.hrc.org/cei.

ABOUT MALLINCKRODT

Mallinckrodt is a global business consisting of multiple wholly owned subsidiaries that develop, manufacture, market and distribute specialty pharmaceutical products and therapies. The company's Specialty Brands reportable segment's areas of focus include autoimmune and rare diseases in specialty areas like neurology, rheumatology, nephrology, pulmonology and ophthalmology; immunotherapy and neonatal respiratory critical care therapies; and analgesics. Its Specialty Generics and Amitiza reportable segment includes specialty generic drugs, active pharmaceutical ingredients and AMITIZA (lubiprostone). To learn more about Mallinckrodt, visit www.mallinckrodt.com.

Mallinckrodt uses its website as a channel of distribution of important company information, such as press releases, investor presentations and other financial information. It also uses its website to expedite public access to time-critical information regarding the company in advance of or in lieu of distributing a press release or a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) disclosing the same information. Therefore, investors should look to the Investor Relations page of the website for important and time-critical information. Visitors to the website can also register to receive automatic e-mail and other notifications alerting them when new information is made available on the Investor Relations page of the website.

CONTACTS

Investor Relations

Daniel J. Speciale, CPA

Vice President, Investor Relations and IRO

314-654-3638

[email protected]

Media

Daniel Yunger

Kekst CNC

212-521-4879

[email protected]

Mallinckrodt, the "M" brand mark and the Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals logo are trademarks of a Mallinckrodt company.  2019 03/19

SOURCE Mallinckrodt plc

Related Links

http://www.mallinckrodt.com


PARIS, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Meridiam announces today the closing of the reopening of its Meridiam Infrastructure Africa Fund (MIAF) for a total amount of 546 million, above its initial target of 510 million1. Launched in 2015, for an initial amount of 207 million, the initial commitment has already been fully invested two years before the end of the investment period. At the end of this closing, it is now 2.5 times bigger than at the beginning.

This operation demonstrates the strong enthusiasm and confidence of Meridiam's partners for this fund, the proposed projects and the important development prospects in Africa. With this closing, Meridiam consolidates its position as the leading investment platform on the African continent for greenfield infrastructure projects that have a positive impact on the climate, the environment and communities.

The Africa Fund is the first Meridiam portfolio to systematically apply to all its projects the sustainable development criteria and objectives established by the United Nations in 2015 (UN SDGs). 100% of the projects undertaken by Meridiam are SDG 9 certified according to UN standards. They aim to build a resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization that benefits all and encourage innovation. And nearly half of them are also renewable energy projects on the continent (SDG 7).

To support this commitment, Meridiam has developed its own methodology with clear principles and measurable indicators. The environmental, social and governance impact of all its projects are measured according to the geographical and/or socio-economic context, technical design and relations with public authorities. Results and indicators are monitored and evolve throughout the project, with a view to continuous improvement. They are regularly reported to investors.

This fund has already financed and developed 14 major projects for Africa amounting to more than EUR 3 billion, including:

4 solar power plants in Senegal for a total of 140 MWp. Two of them are part of the Scaling Solar initiative, jointly led by the Senegalese authorities and the International Finance Corporation (IFC, a member of the World Bank Group) in Senegal . These projects offer some of the lowest tariffs in Africa (4 cts/kWh) and address the challenges of local populations' access to clean and low-cost electricity.

for a total of 140 MWp. Two of them are part of the Scaling Solar initiative, jointly led by the Senegalese authorities and the International Finance Corporation (IFC, a member of the World Bank Group) in . These projects offer some of the lowest tariffs in (4 cts/kWh) and address the challenges of local populations' access to clean and low-cost electricity. The Tulu Moye geothermal power plant. With a final capacity of 500 MW, it is the first Independent Power Producer (IPP) in Ethiopia .

. The mineral port of Owendo in Gabon and the container port of Nouakchott in Mauritania , two strategic projects aimed at diversifying national economies and massively developing logistics capacities.

and the container port of in , two strategic projects aimed at diversifying national economies and massively developing logistics capacities. The Biokala biomass power plant in Cote d'Ivoire , the first biomass power plant in Sub-Saharan Africa. A true source of circular and inclusive economy, this project creates 1300 jobs and saves 178,000 tons of CO2 per year.

, the first biomass power plant in Sub-Saharan Africa. A true source of circular and inclusive economy, this project creates 1300 jobs and saves 178,000 tons of CO2 per year. The rehabilitation and extension work of Madagascar's two main airports, which will increase passenger capacity and local economic development by 50%.

two main airports, which will increase passenger capacity and local economic development by 50%. NEoT Offgrid Africa (NOA), a joint venture launched in 2017 by Meridiam, EDF and Mitsubishi Corporation dedicated to the development of distributed energy projects in Africa (including solar home installations and mini grids).

(including solar home installations and mini grids). The construction and operation for 30 years of a highway linking Nairobi and Mau Summit to Kenya , an essential road axis for freight transport.

Meridiam's MIAF fund is more than 70% supported by private investors, including leading European pension funds and insurers. As well as by leading development finance institutions, for the remaining 30%.

The reopening of the fund was subscribed to by 50% of the historical and existing partners, which demonstrates their confidence in the quality of the projects carried out but also in the prospects for future investments.

In Africa, Meridiam has a team of 20 people working in two regional offices in Dakar (Senegal) and Addis Ababa (Ethiopia).

For Thierry Deau, CEO of Meridiam: "The Africa Fund reflects our ambition, strategy and expertise: to develop and invest in sustainable and resilient infrastructure projects that improve the quality of people's lives and provide them with essential services. We are already involved in emblematic projects in Africa for a total amount of more than 3 billion. Today, by more than doubling the size of our fund, we are taking our ambition for the development of the continent even further and acting for future generations."

About Meridiam

Meridiam was founded in 2005 by Thierry Deau, with the belief that the alignment of interests between the public and private sector can provide critical solutions to the collective needs of communities. Meridiam is an independent investment firm specializing in the development, financing, and management of long-term and sustainable public infrastructure projects. With offices in, New York, Paris, Toronto, Luxembourg, Istanbul, Vienna, Addis Ababa, Dakar and Amman, Meridiam currently manages 7 billion Euros of assets, and more than 70 projects under development, construction, or in operation to date.

1 MIAF fund was reopened in november 2018

SOURCE Meridiam
NEW YORK, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM), operator of financial markets for 10,000 U.S. and global securities, today announced Oconee Financial Corp. (OTCQX: OSBK), the holding company for Oconee State Bank, has qualified to trade on the OTCQX Best Market. Oconee Financial Corp. upgraded to OTCQX from the Pink market.

Oconee Financial Corp. begins trading today on OTCQX under the symbol "OSBK." U.S. investors can find current financial disclosure and Real-Time Level 2 quotes for the company on www.otcmarkets.com.

"We are pleased to welcome Oconee Financial Corp. to the growing number of community banks trading on the OTCQX Best Market," said Jason Paltrowitz, Director of OTC Markets Group International Ltd. and EVP of Corporate Services at OTC Markets Group. "Founded in 1960, Oconee Financial has grown to $350 million in Oconee County, GA and joins the roster of investor-focused community banks on OTCQX that are distinguished by the integrity of their operations and diligence with which they convey their qualifications."

"Trading on OTCQX is a noteworthy milestone for Oconee State Bank and our holding company. It reflects the strong desire within our community for a more robust market for our shares and easily accessible information on the activities of our company," said T. Neil Stevens, President and CEO of Oconee State Bank.

D.A. Davidson & Co. acted as the company's Corporate Broker.

About Oconee Financial Corp.

Since the doors of the Main Street office opened in 1960, Oconee State Bank has proudly served the local community, providing an unparalleled commitment to personalized service, value added products, and a deep sense of responsibility to its customers. With more than 56 years of service, Oconee State Bank is the only locally owned and operated community bank in Oconee County.

About OTC Markets Group Inc.

OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM) operates the OTCQX Best Market, the OTCQB Venture Market and the Pink Open Market for 10,000 U.S. and global securities. Through OTC Link ATS and OTC Link ECN, we connect a diverse network of broker-dealers that provide liquidity and execution services. We enable investors to easily trade through the broker of their choice and empower companies to improve the quality of information available for investors.

To learn more about how we create better informed and more efficient markets, visit www.otcmarkets.com.

OTC Link ATS and OTC Link ECN are SEC regulated ATSs, operated by OTC Link LLC, member FINRA/SIPC.

Subscribe to the OTC Markets RSS Feed

Media Contact:

OTC Markets Group Inc., +1 (212) 896-4428, [email protected]

SOURCE OTC Markets Group Inc.

Related Links

http://www.otcmarkets.com


MIAMI, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE: RCL) announced today its commitment to the United Nations Global LGBTI Standards of Conduct for Business, a set of five codes of conduct created in order to protect lesbian, gay, bi, trans and intersex (LGBTI) people from discrimination across business sectors.

"Doing the right thing is one of our most important values, and that includes creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for all our guests and all our coworkers," said Richard D. Fain, Chairman and CEO, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. "These UN Standards are a meaningful way for us to support equality and inclusiveness, and we are proud to join this global effort."

Said Fabrice Houdart, United Nations Human Rights Officer and co-author of the Standards: "We are delighted to see Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd join 238 of the early supporters of the Global LGBTI Standards of Conduct for Business. RCL is recognized as a leader, and this is an area where leadership matters. Their participation also illustrates the increasing commitment of companies in the travel and tourism industry to contribute to tackle discrimination against LGBTI people."

RCL is well aware of the power of diversity and inclusion: the company's 75,000 talented employees represent 122 countries, and deliver memorable vacation experiences to 6,000,000 guests visiting 1,000 ports around the world.

Royal Caribbean has also been recognized by the Ethisphere Institute, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices, as one of the 2019 World's Most Ethical Companies. Royal Caribbean was also most recently recognized as one of America's Best Employers for Diversity in 2019 by Forbes.



About Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE: RCL) is a global cruise vacation company that controls and operates four global brands: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Azamara Club Cruises and Silversea Cruises. We are also a 50 percent joint venture owner of the German brand TUI Cruises and a 49 percent shareholder in the Spanish brand Pullmantur Cruceros. Together these brands operate a combined total of 60 ships with an additional 16 on order as of December 31, 2018. They operate diverse itineraries around the world that call on all seven continents. Additional information can be found on www.rclcorporate.com.

SOURCE Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

Related Links

http://www.rclcorporate.com


SINGAPORE, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- UBM (Seatrade) and the Singapore Maritime Foundation (SMF), in collaboration with PIER71 (Port Innovation Ecosystem Reimagined @ Block71), are introducing the new Innovation Arena onto the exhibition floor of this year's edition of Sea Asia.

Created as a platform to support innovation in the maritime industry, the Innovation Arena will feature 10 start-up companies, including Ocean Freight Exchange Pte Ltd, winner of Smart Port Challenge 2018, jointly organised by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and NUS Enterprise, the entrepreneurial arm of the National University of Singapore.

The start-up companies will each be showcasing their innovative and state-of-the-art solutions that aim to address key challenges affecting the maritime industry in an effort to propel the industry forward.

Mr Chris Hayman, Chairman of Seatrade, Informa Markets, shares that the introduction of the Innovation Arena reflects the maritime industry's recognition of the positive impact that start-up companies can have on their operations.

"With the combination of the rise of digitalisation and new regulations coming into force, both new challenges and opportunities are emerging within the industry. As a result it has never been more important for maritime leaders and companies to look at new ways to solve issues and ensure future business growth.

"Supporting novel and inventive solutions that start-up companies are coming up with to solve certain industry pain points can give rise to more growth opportunities for the maritime industry," said Mr Hayman.

The Innovation Arena is sponsored by InnoSpace, Panasonic R&D Centre Singapore and Wilhelmsen Ships Service.

Known as one of China's pioneer "New Generation Incubator" and having supported close to 400 start-ups, Innospace is excited about what the exhibitors at the Innovation Arena are bringing to the table.

"We are committed to providing a robust support ecosystem for start-ups in various industries, including maritime. We hope, through our support, to encourage more entrepreneurs and start-ups to push the boundaries of innovation and introduce new solutions to the maritime industry," said Mr Richard Tan, InnoSpace's General Manager and Partner of InnoSpace Fund.

Mr Nakul Malhotra, Vice President Technical Solutions and Marketing, Marine Products at Wilhelmsen Ships Service, said: "Start-ups are challenging the way the maritime industry has traditionally been working, and we believe this is important for the industry's continued growth in today's evolving landscape. We are honoured to be supporting the Sea Asia Innovation Arena, and look forward to seeing how solutions from the start-ups can take the industry to the next stage."

Mr Asashi Shimodaira, Managing Director, Panasonic R&D Center Singapore added, "In today's fast changing world, it is important for the industry players to gain a competitive edge through R&D and new innovations, while ensuring the smooth running of their businesses. The exhibiting start-ups provide key solutions for the maritime companies to grow their business respectively. We look forward to support and enhance their business operations.

In addition to the Innovation Arena, attendees will be able to catch new technologies such as virtual reality (VR) welding demonstration, and an additive manufacturing showcase  a collaboration with Nanyang Polytechnic, at the exhibition. There will also be a specialised feature area which will highlight new and innovative products and solutions in ship supplies.

Jointly organised by UBM (Seatrade) and the Singapore Maritime Foundation, Sea Asia 2019 will take place in Singapore from 9-11 April 2019 at the Marina Bay Sands.

Notes to Editors

About UBM

Sea Asia is organised by UBM, which in June 2018 combined with Informa PLC to become a leading B2B information services group and the largest B2B Events organiser in the world. Please visit www.ubm.com/singapore for more information about our presence in Singapore.

About Singapore Maritime Foundation

Established in 2004, the Singapore Maritime Foundation (SMF) is a private sector-led organisation that seeks to develop and promote Singapore as an International Maritime Centre (IMC). As the representative voice for the commercial players of the maritime industry, SMF seeks to forge strong partnerships with the public and private sectors of the maritime industry. SMF spearheads initiatives to promote the diverse clusters of the maritime industry in Singapore and at international frontiers, and to attract young talents to join the sector. SMF is directed by its Board of Directors which comprises prominent leaders in the Singapore maritime community.

For details, visit www.smf.com.sg.

About PIER71

Founded by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the National University of Singapore (NUS), through its entrepreneurial arm, NUS Enterprise, PIER71 (Port Innovation Ecosystem Reimagined at BLOCK71) aims to grow Singapore's maritime innovation ecosystem. PIER71 boosts innovation in the maritime and maritime-related industries by attracting talents, creating opportunities for the exchange of knowledge and ideas, attracting investments into start-ups and accelerating ventures.

PIER71 designs and delivers programmes to uncover opportunities within the industry and supports entrepreneurs from ideation to acceleration of their ventures. PIER71 provides access to various markets, demand drivers, technology solution providers, investors and more. PIER71 also represents a budding and increasingly vibrant ecosystem of stakeholders who are keen to digitalise and create the next wave of maritime innovation.

For more information, visit www.pier71.sg.

Sea Asia 2019 is held in conjunction with the Singapore Maritime Week 2019 (SMW). SMW is the leading maritime event in Singapore driven by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore. SMW gathers the international maritime community in Singapore for a week of conferences, dialogues, exhibitions and social events in celebration of all things maritime. These events reflect the vibrancy and diversity of Singapore as a major international maritime centre.

About the Singapore Maritime Week 2019 (6  12 April 2019)

Singapore Maritime Week (SMW) is one of the world's leading maritime shows and is organised annually and driven by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). Every year, SMW gathers the international maritime community for a week of flagship conferences, dialogues, exhibitions and social events in celebration of all things maritime. The range of activities and events organised by MPA, industry stakeholders and research and educational institutions, as well as the cosmopolitan profile of participants, reflects the vibrancy and diversity of Singapore as a global hub port and leading international maritime centre.

SOURCE UBM

Related Links

http://www.ubm.com/singapore


STOCKHOLM, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Nordic China Smart City Conference was held in Stockholm on March 26th. The conference was jointly initiated by the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Sweden, the Sweden-China Trade Council (SCTC), the Sweden-China Greentech Alliance (SCGA) and Swecare, and hosted by Swedish Environment Research Institute (IVL). Mr. Zheng Xinli, the Executive Vice Chairman of China Urban-townization Promotion Council (CUPC) and China Green Sustainable Development Association (CGSDA), delivered a keynote speech themed "The New Chapter of Green Sustainable Development - Philosophy and Opportunity of China Nordic cooperation".

Mr. Yang Zijian, the Vice President of CUPC and CGSDA, reported on "The Birth of Sino-Nordic Promotion Association for Green Sustainable Development (SNPA) - an International Cooperation Mechanism for Common Innovation", and joined the panel discussion on "How could a Nordic-China partnership contribute to the fulfilment of UN's Sustainable Development Goals".

Witnessed by Mr. Gui Congyou, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Sweden; and Svein Berg, Director of the Nordic Innovation, CGSDA and IVL from Sweden, State of Green (SOG) of Denmark signed the strategic MOU respectively on the initiation of SNPA. The birth of SNPA marked that China and Nordic countries would jointly promote green sustainable development under a new mechanism of international cooperation.

SNPA will build an innovative international cooperation model featuring "Government Support + Chamber of Commerce Implementation + Enterprise Participation". The mechanism will take the forum/expo as the platform for exchange and cooperation, with the joint research and intellectual support, the pilot projects as hands-on facilitators, and the enterprises as participants.

SNPA will build a new international cooperation ecosystem to create sound business environment and social services, combining the advanced experiences and expertise from Nordic countries with the huge market demand in China. SNPA will deepen international project cooperation in the areas like green urbanization, eco-environment, healthcare, education, industrial innovation, financing support and other areas related to sustainable development, helping to achieve the UN SDGs. China and Nordic counties will join to carry out international cooperation on green sustainable development, which will play an important role in guiding and promoting global sustainable development.

SOURCE China Green Sustainable Development Association (CGSDA)
BALTIMORE, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Despite advances in digital technologies, growing consumer demand and regulatory changes encouraging the use of telemedicine, less than 12 percent of the 12,660 practicing urologists within the United States participated in a telemedicine program in 2018; however, nearly 84 percent of those who currently do, expect telemedicine services to increase within the next three years. Further, 61 percent believe the use of these services offers individuals in underserved areas new opportunities for enhanced quality of care with reduced costs. This new data, as well as additional findings regarding the specialty of urology, are highlighted in the American Urological Association's (AUA) newly released 2018 Annual Census report, The State of the Urology Workforce and Practice in the United States.

The AUA Annual Census presents a comprehensive portrayal of the urologic workforce in the United States and remains a novel data source to explore the urologic profession and report both cross-sectional variations and trends. Results provide an array of information aimed at bridging knowledge gaps, meeting increased research needs and ultimately, improving patient care.

Key Highlights

U.S. urologists handled more than 45 million patient encounters in 2018; up from an estimated 41 million in 2016.

While the urologic workforce in the United States is predominantly male, the percentage of female urologists continued to rise in 2018 to 9.2; up from 8.6 percent in 2016.

is predominantly male, the percentage of female urologists continued to rise in 2018 to 9.2; up from 8.6 percent in 2016. Approximately 57 percent of practicing urologists in the United States work in private practice (down from 59 percent in 2016) while 42 percent practice in institutional settings such as hospitals or academic medical centers (up from 40 percent in 2016).

work in private practice (down from 59 percent in 2016) while 42 percent practice in institutional settings such as hospitals or academic medical centers (up from 40 percent in 2016). More than half of practicing urologists are over the age of 55, and nearly 30 percent are aged 65 years or older.

Nearly 38 percent of practicing urologists have a primary subspecialty; down from 40 percent in 2016. Oncology remains the most common subspecialty area.

Approximately 95 percent of practicing urologists used an electronic health records system in their practices in 2018, an increase from 91.9 percent when the Census initially launched in 2014. Lower utilization was found in male urologists 45 years of age or older and urologists in solo practices.

"The AUA U.S. Census seeks to take the pulse of the nation's urology workforce," said Steven M. Schlossberg, MD, chair of the AUA Data Committee. "In the last two years, physicians have had to process or respond to a profound series of new or ongoing events and the Census serves as a resource about the realities of practicing urology for health policy leaders."

Further data trends regarding work/life balance, patient visits, retirement details, as well as other practice characteristics can be found in the 2018 report. Copies of the full report can be found on the AUA Web site at www.AUAnet.org/CensusReport

About the American Urological Association: Founded in 1902 and headquartered near Baltimore, Maryland, the American Urological Association is a leading advocate for the specialty of urology, and has more than 22,000 members throughout the world. The AUA is a premier urologic association, providing invaluable support to the urologic community as it pursues its mission of fostering the highest standards of urologic care through education, research and the formulation of health policy.

SOURCE American Urological Association

Related Links

http://www.AUAnet.org


DALLAS, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Jacobs (NYSE: JEC) has received Notice to Proceed for a single-award contract from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Buffalo District for remediation services required at the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP) Shallow Land Disposal Area (SLDA) site in Parks Township, Pennsylvania. Support includes development of work site and safety plans as well as excavation, storage and transport processing of radioactively contaminated soils and waste.

USACE estimates the 10-year indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (ID/IQ) single-award task order contract (SATOC) to include a five-year base period and a five-year option period with a capacity value of $350 million.

"Winning this project involving challenging radiological waste remediation increases our global nuclear market presence and leverages our depth of environmental experience," said Jacobs Aerospace, Technology and Nuclear Senior Vice President Steve Arnette. "We are pleased to partner with USACE at the SLDA site to achieve cleanup with the highest regards to safety, quality and schedule as we provide remediation solutions for a more connected and sustainable world."

The SLDA site covers approximately 44 acres and is surrounded by residential communities, rural residences, farmlands, forest areas and light industrial properties. Radioactive materials, produced in the 1950's under Atomic Energy Commission at a nearby facility, were subsequently disposed of at the site in the 1960's.

Jacobs is a provider and integrator of technologically advanced, full lifecycle capability including design and construction; sustaining capital maintenance; cybersecurity; nuclear; and secure and intelligent asset management, development, modification, and testing processes for government, military, defense and consumer transportation assets.

Jacobs leads the global professional services sector delivering solutions for a more connected, sustainable world. With $15 billion in fiscal 2018 revenue and a talent force of more than 80,000, Jacobs provides a full spectrum of services including scientific, technical, professional and construction- and program-management for business, industrial, commercial, government and infrastructure sectors. For more information, visit www.jacobs.com, and connect with Jacobs on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Statements made in this release that are not based on historical fact are forward-looking statements. We base these forward-looking statements on management's current estimates and expectations as well as currently available competitive, financial and economic data. Forward-looking statements, however, are inherently uncertain. There are a variety of factors that could cause business results to differ materially from our forward-looking statements. For a description of some of the factors which may occur that could cause actual results to differ from our forward-looking statements please refer to our Form 10-K for the year ended September 28, 2018, and in particular the discussions contained under Items 1 - Business, 1A - Risk Factors, 3 - Legal Proceedings, and 7 - Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. We do not undertake to update any forward-looking statements made herein.

For press/media inquiries:

Kerrie Sparks

214.583.8433

Brian Morandi

720.286.0719

SOURCE Jacobs

Related Links

http://www.jacobs.com


The Dodge//SRT brand will return as title sponsor of the NHRA Dodge HEMI Challenge, marking the 19th consecutive year of FCA US LLC sponsorship of the popular NHRA Sportsman event at the historic NHRA U.S. Nationals.

The 19th annual NHRA Dodge HEMI Challenge will fire up August 29-30 at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis as part of the six days of race action at the 65th annual U.S. Nationals. The event showcases Super Stock/A-HEMI (SS/AH) NHRA Sportsman class competitors battling on the quarter-mile in 1968 Dodge Dart and Plymouth Barracuda machines powered by the Mopar 426 HEMI engine.



"The NHRA Dodge HEMI Challenge is a fan-favorite tradition at the U.S. Nationals, and we're proud to continue as title sponsor during one of the most prestigious events on the NHRA circuit," said Steve Beahm, Head of Passenger Car Brands, Dodge//SRT, Chrysler and FIAT, and Head of Parts and Service (Mopar)  FCA North America. "It speaks volumes about the legacy of our brand at the drag strip and the passion of our fans to see HEMI-engine-powered vehicles from more than 50 years ago side-by-side in the staging lanes next to our modern-day Dodge drag cars."



The legendary 1968 Mopar "package" cars  so named because they were purpose-built as a distinct "package" for use solely on the drag strip  serve as precursors to the modern-day package car, the Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak.



Competitors will vie for the unique 42.6-lb NHRA Dodge HEMI Challenge trophy, created as a callout to the 426 HEMI engine. All 16 drivers to reach the elimination rounds will receive cash rewards, with the winner walking away with the ultimate prize of the $15,000 winner's purse.



"Fans love the Dodge HEMI Challenge as much as our Sportsman racers do," said Brad Gerber, NHRA Vice President and Chief Development Officer. "The competition gets more intense every year thanks to the effort Dodge puts in to this event. We can't wait to see who walks away with the trophy this year."

Dodge//SRT in NHRA

In addition to the NHRA Dodge HEMI Challenge, the Dodge//SRT brand also utilizes its Dodge Top Finisher program, now in its third year, to recognize and reward dedicated and passionate Sportsman racers. The Dodge Top Finisher award includes $500 each for the Stock and Super Stock competitors who advance the furthest behind the wheel of a Mopar-powered vehicle. The award is given in both classes at all 24 NHRA Nationals events.



Dodge//SRT will also return as title sponsor of the Dodge Mile-High NHRA Nationals Presented by Pennzoil, scheduled for July 19-21, 2019, at Bandimere Speedway near Denver. The brand will also take over title sponsorship duties at the Dodge NHRA Nationals Presented by Pennzoil, the penultimate event of the NHRA season, scheduled for October 31 - November 3, 2019, at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.



Dodge//SRT and Mopar have also joined forces to reach passionate NHRA fans through a 4,800-square-foot exhibit, one of the largest on NHRA Manufacturers Midway. The combined display will visit 15 events during the 2019 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season.



NHRA Dodge HEMI Challenge: Roster of Champions

The inaugural HEMI Challenge was won by Bucky Hess at Indianapolis in 2001. Richard Beshore claimed the top prize the following year, Jerry Jenkins took the victory in 2003 and Pro Stock champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. triumphed in 2004. In 2005, Charlie Westcott Jr. of Parma, Michigan, began a run of six career HEMI Challenge wins (2005, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2012 and 2014).



His streak of victories was interrupted by Rick Houser in 2007 and 2013; his father Charlie Westcott Sr. in 2009; and Jim Daniels who took bragging rights in 2010. Lloyd Wofford claimed victory in 2015 at the 15th anniversary event. Jim Daniels' son, Jimmy Daniels, made history last year by becoming the first driver to triumph in three consecutive events, claiming the 2018 NHRA Dodge HEMI Challenge win to go along with his 2016-2017 victories.



About Dodge

Dodge//SRT offers a complete lineup of performance vehicles that stand out in their own segments. Dodge is America's mainstream performance brand and SRT is positioned as the ultimate performance halo of the Dodge brand, together creating a complete and balanced performance brand with one vision and one voice.



For more than 100 years, the Dodge brand has carried on the spirit of brothers John and Horace Dodge, who founded the brand in 1914. Their influence continues today. New for 2019, the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye is possessed by the Demon. Its 797-horsepower supercharged HEMI high-output engine makes it the most powerful, quickest and fastest muscle car reaching 0-60 miles per hour (mph) in 3.4 seconds and the fastest GT production car with a -mile elapsed time (ET) of 10.8 seconds at 131 mph. It also reaches a new top speed of 203 mph. Joining the Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye is the 2019 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat with its more powerful 717-horsepower engine, the Challenger R/T Scat Pack Widebody, which features fender flares from the SRT Hellcat Widebody and adds 3.5 inches of width to Scat Pack's footprint, as well as and the new Challenger R/T Scat Pack 1320. Infused with exclusive drag strip technology from the iconic Dodge Challenger SRT Demon, the Challenger R/T Scat Pack 1320 is a drag-oriented, street-legal muscle car and a blank canvas for the serious grassroots drag racer. The 2019 Dodge Durango SRT, America's fastest, most powerful and most capable three-row SUV with a best-in-class tow rating of 8,700 lbs. fills out the brands' performance lineup. These visceral performance models join a 2019 brand lineup that includes the Durango, Grand Caravan, Journey, Charger and Challenger  a showroom that offers performance at every price point.



About Mopar

Mopar (a simple contraction of the words MOtor and PARts) is the service, parts and customer-care brand for FCA vehicles around the globe. Born in 1937 as the name of a line of antifreeze products, the Mopar brand has evolved over more than 80 years to represent both complete care and authentic performance for owners and enthusiasts worldwide.



Mopar made its mark in the 1960s during the muscle-car era, with Mopar Performance Parts to enhance speed and handling for both road and racing use, and expanded to include technical service and customer support. Today, the Mopar brand's global reach distributes more than 500,000 parts and accessories in over 150 markets around the world. With more than 50 parts distribution centers and 25 customer contact centers globally, Mopar integrates service, parts and customer-care operations in order to enhance customer and dealer support worldwide.



Mopar is the source for genuine parts and accessories for all FCA US LLC vehicle brands. Mopar parts are engineered together with the same teams that create factory-authorized specifications for FCA vehicles, offering a direct connection that no other aftermarket parts company can provide. Complete information on the Mopar brand is available at www.mopar.com.

SOURCE FCA US LLC

Related Links

http://www.fcanorthamerica.com


SAN DIEGO, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy and AMCP Foundation last night recognized a group of thought leaders for their significant contributions to the profession of managed care pharmacy. Eight awards were presented at the gala Annual Awards Dinner held on March 27 as part of the AMCP Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy Annual Meeting in San Diego, California.

"Recipients of these awards are the pillars of our profession," says AMCP CEO Susan A. Cantrell, RPh, CAE. "The Awards Dinner gives us a chance to honor these individuals for the work they have done to advance the practice of managed care pharmacy and ensure AMCP remains a vibrant and influential organization. Award recipients are role models for their peers and the rising generation of managed care pharmacy professionals."

Managed care pharmacy's highest honor is the AMCP Foundation's Steven G. Avey Award, which recognizes sustained, exemplary and distinguished service to the profession of managed care pharmacy. The 2019 award goes to its namesake Steven G. Avey, MS, RPh, FAMCP, Vice President of Enterprise Specialty Clinical Solutions at Medimpact.

Over his long career, Avey has served in many leadership and advocacy roles that have helped shape the managed care pharmacy profession from its inception. He was AMCP President in 1998 and hired as the AMCP Foundation Executive Director in 2000. During his five-year tenure at the Foundation, Avey was instrumental in establishing the Format for Formulary Submissions, which has become the industry standard for managed care organizations to request information and evaluate pharmaceuticals for formulary placement, coverage and reimbursement decisions.

Under Avey's leadership, the Foundation also started the National Pharmacy and Therapeutics Competition, which gives student pharmacists an immersive experience in the skills necessary for effective formulary review and management. He also launched the Best Poster Competition to recognize outstanding research conducted by student pharmacists, residents and fellows. In the fall of 2005, the Foundation changed the name of its prestigious Life-Time Achievement Award to recognize Avey for his sustained contributions in improving the assessment process of new medications for formulary inclusion.

Other awards presented in 2019 are:

Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy (JMCP) Award of Excellence: The award this year went to an the article "Development of Quality Indicators to Assess Oral Anticoagulant Management in Community Pharmacies for Patients with Atrial Fibrillation", in the April 2018 issue of JMCP. Authors are Mylene Chartrand, Line Guenette, Denis Brouillette, Stephane Cote, Roger Huot, Jerome Landry, Josee Martineau, Sylvie Perreault, Brian White-Guay, David Williamson, Elisabeth Martin, Marie-Mireille Gagnon, Lyne Lalonde

Experiential Education Preceptor Award: Recipient Maher Abdel-Sattar, PharmD, MS, is an Assistant Director within the Global Health Economics and Outcomes Research team at Xcenda, a wholly-owned subsidiary of AmerisourceBergen. Abdel-Sattar has served as a preceptor to dozens of student pharmacists in Xcenda's Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPE) rotations and has served as lead APPE Coordinator.

Managed Care Pharmacy Residency Director/Preceptor Award: Recipient Annie Schuster, PharmD, is Clinical Program Senior Director at Cigna. Schuster is the Residency Program Director for the Post Graduate Year 1 managed care pharmacy residency program, and has helped promote past residents into key roles within the organization. She is the incoming Chair of the AMCP Professional Practice Committee.

New Practitioner Award: Recipient Joshua Brown, PharmD, PhD, is an Assistant Professor and the Associate Graduate Program Director at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Outcomes & Policy. Since his recent graduation, Brown has published roughly 50 manuscripts and has received grants from multiple sources, including the FDA and the National Institutes of Health.

Grassroots Advocacy Award: Recipient Manjula Jayabalan, PharmD, MBA, is a Clinical Pharmacist Account Manager at Magellan Rx Management. Jayablan has been a key member of the AMCP Legislative Regulatory Action Committee, as well as her home state Tennessee Pharmacist Association. Jayablan help revive AMCP's critical grassroots group known as State Advocacy Coordinators program.

Individual Contribution Award: Recipient Christina J. Barrington, PharmD, is Vice President of Pharmacy Programs for Priority Health. Barrington was instrumental in the 2009 start-up of the Midwest AMCP chapter, where she served as President from 2009 to 2011, and again from 2017 to 2018.

Spirit of Volunteerism Award: Recipient Kimberly Lenz, PharmD, is Clinical Pharmacy Manager for the Office of Clinical Affairs at the University of Massachusetts Medical School's Commonwealth Medicine Division. Lenz has been a driving force on the AMCP Professional Practice Committee, and was one of the leaders in the development of AMCP's Pain Tool Kit.

Distinguished Service Award: Recipient Margaret Byun, PharmD, MS, is Assistant Director-Finance and Administration for the Department of Ambulatory Care Pharmacy at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy. Byun has introduced countless students to the principles of managed care pharmacy, and more than 40 student pharmacist teams from her college have participated in the AMCP Foundation's Annual Pharmacy & Therapeutics Competition.

Fellows of the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy: Recipients are:

Ami Gopalan, PharmD, MBA, Vice President of Clinical Services and Strategy for Precision for Value. Gopalan developed an innovative way to demonstrate the value of clinical utilization management policies to commercial clients.

Dana Davis McCormick, Director of Pharmacy Sales and Account Management for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas. McCormick served as 2014-2015 AMCP President, and currently serves on the Past President and Founder's Committee.

Carly Rodriguez, PharmD, Pharmacy Director, Clinical Innovation at Moda Health. Rodriquez currently serves as President of the Northwest AMCP Affiliate, as well as Chair of the AMCP Organizational Affairs Committee, and as an AMCP Diplomat to the University of Washington.

About AMCP

The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) is the nation's leading professional association dedicated to increasing patient access to affordable medicines, improving health outcomes and ensuring the wise use of health care dollars. Through evidence- and value-based strategies and practices, the Academy's 8,000 pharmacists, physicians, nurses and other practitioners manage medication therapies for the 270 million Americans served by health plans, pharmacy benefit management firms, emerging care models and government. www.amcp.org.

About the AMCP Foundation

Established in 1990, the 501(c)3 nonprofit AMCP Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP). It exists to advance collective knowledge and insights on major issues associated with the practice of pharmacy in managed health care settings. By facilitating innovative research initiatives and providing educational opportunities to learn about managed care pharmacy, the AMCP Foundation invests in the future of managed care. Visit www.amcpfoundation.org.

SOURCE Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy

Related Links

www.amcp.org


NEW YORK, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- With over 24,000 restaurants, 13,000 bodegas, hundreds of juice bars and bakeries in New York City fulfilling the endless demand for America's favorite superfruit acai is what made Acai of America the best and most authentic superfood source.

Will Anderson, founder of Acai of America and formerly a consultant at Deloitte Transactions & Business Analytics, delivers premium quality, wild -harvested organic acai berries to New York City's top restaurants, mixologists, juice and smoothie bars, bakeries, bodegas and more.

"We want to ensure all New Yorkers can benefit from this tropical berry found in the Amazon rainforest," said Mr. Anderson. "Our Acai berries contain the good omega fats, that can address blood pressure and cardio health. The fiber and complete protein profile, containing 19 of the 20 needed amino acids, make it excellent for everyday usage whether it's in one's smoothie, mixed drink or favorite meal. Our acai nourishes New York while supporting the farmers, thanks to the growing demand."

Acai of America is well-positioned to lead the charge to service this rising demand. Mr. Anderson's regular travels to Brazil, cultivating deep relationships with the top acai producers in the Amazon river basin, ensure the best possible sourcing. Acai of America also understands the complex needs of NYC foodservice establishments in this bustling, ever-changing city.

Americans are drawn to acai because of its high antioxidant content and other health benefits that give the acai berry "superfood" status. Acai is high in anthocyanins, which are the antioxidants that make the berries purple. Anthocyanins have anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anticarcinogenic properties. They also support eye health, are neuroprotective, prevent LDL oxidation, improve capillary stability, balance cholesterol levels, support immune system, slow the aging process and more.

Will Anderson and Acai of America are the perfect team to bring this delicious, nutrient-packed berry to millions of New Yorkers. With the exponential growth, Acai of America hopes that NYC will not only be known as The Big Apple, but also The Big Berry  acai  the superfood for a super city.

Join the Acai of America community on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

For media inquiries, product samples, high res images, or to schedule an interview with Acai of America's founder Will Anderson, contact Agency of Record, Christie & Co, Gillian Christie, [email protected] or at 805-969-3744.

SOURCE Acai of America

Related Links

https://www.acaiofamerica.com


TORONTO, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - Alternate Health Corp., ("Alternate Health" or the "Company") (CSE:AHG) (OTCQB:AHGIF), an international leader in technology solutions for the regulated cannabis industry, announced today that the Company has signed two agreements to launch operations at a state licensed 60,000 square foot cannabis extraction facility in Adelanto, California.

The first agreement outlines Alternate Health's purchase of DTS Lab Services ("DTS"), a leading cannabis extracts company with over eight years of experience operating in California's medical cannabis industry. The agreement details the purchase of all of DTS's assets, extraction equipment and intellectual property, including the Dank Tank brand of extract vaporisers and cartridges. (Instagram: @danktank_official)

"We are proud to bring DTS and Dank Tank into Alternate Health's growing portfolio of California cannabis brands," says Howard Mann, CEO of Alternate Health. "DTS's expertise and experience in performing high level extractions will be invaluable as we look to capture the value-added cannabis manufacturing market."

Alternate Health intends to bring DTS under the umbrella of a new subsidiary called Alternate Extracts. DTS's management will work with Alternate Health to expand production, including relocating operations to a new licensed facility in Adelanto, California. DTS's founder, Keyan Shokraie, will continue to work with Alternate Health as the manager of the Adelanto facility.

"I am excited to begin this ambitious project with Alternate Health as we push for a leadership position in California cannabis extraction," says Keyan Shokraie, founder of DTS Lab Services. "With state licenses in place, this is the perfect location to develop a world class extraction facility."

Alternate Health has also signed an agreement with two California cannabis companies to expand, build-out and manage the 60,000 square foot Adelanto facility. Alternate Health will take a 55% stake in both companies in return for providing equipment and managing operations, including producing wholesale extracts and manufacturing Dank Tank-branded products.

The Company intends to begin CO2 extraction immediately following the relocation of DTS's assets and equipment to the Adelanto facility. Alternate Health plans to expand production to maximize capacity throughout the 60,000 square feet of already state-licensed space. Leasehold improvements and equipment ordering are underway to expand production rapidly to include distillation, ethanol-based extraction and on-site remediation and decontamination.

"These agreements give Alternate Health immediate access into high-margin cannabis manufacturing," says Howard Mann. "With 60,000 square feet of production space, Alternate Health is well positioned to be a major player in California's cannabis extraction industry."

Alternate Health's new extraction facility will complement the Company's Bionic Bee brand of flavoured cannabis extracts, creating high quality bulk extractions for the Company's product line. Originally announced in a press release on Nov. 19, 2019, Alternate Health acquired the medical cannabis extraction company Kare MMJ and their brand Bionic Bee. With expert marketing and extraction expertise developed over five years of operations, Bionic Bee is a key brand in Alternate Health's growing portfolio of California extraction businesses.

For more information on Alternate Extracts visit www.alternateextracts.com.

Terms of the Agreements

Under the agreement with Genesis Integral, Inc. and Professorganix, Inc., Alternate Health becomes a 55% owner of each company, responsible for managing extraction of hemp and cannabis at two locations in Adelanto, CA. Alternate Health will contribute a full extraction laboratory setup of over 125 items and machinery, including specialized shredding, evaporation and distillation equipment valued over $475,000. Alternate Health will manage full time operations at the facility and employ all staff and technicians.

Under the agreement with DTS Lab Services, Inc. Alternate Health will acquire 100% of the company's assets, equipment and intellectual property. As consideration for the purchase under the agreement, an initial 250,000 Alternate Health common shares will be issued to DTS along with a $48,240.84 reimbursement for equipment costs and other expenses. An additional 600,000 common shares will reserved for issuance to DTS as performance-based incentives.

Both agreements are expected to close on the equipment delivery date at the Adelanto facility, estimated to be in the third week of April 2019.

About Alternate Health

Alternate Health (CSE: AHG,OTCQB: AHGIF) is an international cannabis company, focusing on technology and value-added services. Alternate Health's industry-leading software systems provide the platform for the company's diverse operations, including distribution and the first medial cannabis software portal approved by the Florida Department of Health.

Alternate Health's corporate office is located in Toronto, Canada, with additional offices in Venice and Humboldt County, California and San Antonio, Texas. The Company is well positioned to reinvest internal operating cash flow in its platform and product development over the long term, creating an attractive investment profile for its shareholders. Alternate Health resides in the cannabis sector along with companies like GW Pharmaceuticals, AXIM Biotechnologies Inc., and Canopy Growth Corporation. For more information about Alternate Health Corp., visit www.alternatehealth.com.

Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Statements included in this announcement, including statements concerning our plans, intentions and expectations, which are not historical in nature are intended to be, and are hereby identified as "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements may be identified by words including "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "expects" and similar expressions. The Company cautions readers that forward-looking statements, including without limitation those relating to the Company's future operations, business prospects derived from the DTS asset purchase are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements.

SOURCE Alternate Health Corp.

Related Links

http://www.alternatehealth.ca/


GOTHENBURG, Sweden, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Annual General Meeting of Aktiebolaget SKF, parent company of the SKF Group, was held in Gothenburg on Thursday, 28 March 2019.

The income statements and the balance sheets were adopted, together with the Board's proposal for distribution of dividend. A dividend of SEK 6 per share was approved. To be entitled to receive the dividend, shareholders must be recorded in the share register on 1 April 2019.

The Meeting resolved that the Board's fee for 2019 is to be in accordance with the following:

a) a firm allotment of SEK 7,257,000 to be distributed with SEK 2,133,000 to the Chairman of the Board, and with SEK 732,000 to each of the other Board members; and

b) an allotment for committee work of SEK 1,087,000 to be distributed with SEK 248,000 to the Chairman of the Audit Committee, with SEK 176,000 to each of the other members of the Audit Committee, with SEK 145,000 to the Chairman of the Remuneration Committee and with SEK 114,000 to each of the other members of the Remuneration Committee.

A prerequisite for obtaining an allotment is that the Board member is elected by the General Meeting and is not employed by the company.

The following Board members were re-elected: Mr. Hans Straberg, Mr. Lars Wedenborn, Mr. Hock Goh, Mr. Alrik Danielson, Ms. Nancy Gougarty, Mr. Ronnie Leten, Ms. Barb Samardzich and Ms. Colleen Repplier. The following Board members were newly elected: Mr Geert Follens.

Mr. Hans Straberg was elected Chairman of the Board.

The Meeting approved the Board's proposal regarding principles of remuneration for Group Management and the Board's proposal for a resolution on SKF's Performance Share Programme 2019. The share programme covers not more than 225 senior managers and key employees in the SKF Group with an opportunity to be allotted, free of charge, SKF B shares. Under the programme, not more than 1,000,000 shares, corresponding to around 0.2 % of the total number of outstanding shares, may be allotted. The number of shares that may be allotted must be related to the average TVA development during 2019-2021 compared to the actual TVA in 2018.

The Meeting approved the proposal presented regarding the Nomination Committee.

Aktiebolaget SKF

(publ)

For further information, please contact:

PRESS: Theo Kjellberg, Director, Press Relations

tel: 46-31-337-6576, mobile: 46-725-776576, e-mail: [email protected]

INVESTOR RELATIONS: Patrik Stenberg, Head of Investor Relations

Patrik Stenberg, 46-31-337-2104; 46-705-472-104; [email protected]

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/skf/r/annual-general-meeting-of-ab-skf,c2775017

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Main/637/2775017/1015786.pdf full release as pdf

SOURCE SKF
Together with the 28th China (Guangzhou) International Health Industry Expo (IHE China), IFE China exhibitors presented their products in the 76,000sqm show floor in 2018, while there will be nearly 2,000 exhibitors from 40 countries showing up in the 2019 edition.

40 Countries of Brands Taking the "Policy Express" to Speed up the South Chinese Market

IFE China 2019 is expecting unprecedented presence of international brands and pavilions from nearly 40 countries and regions. Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Brazil, South Africa pavilions will exhibit in the event for the first time.

"Our exhibitors will bring in local and specialty food from the Middle East, such as seafood, dates and nuts," said Mr. Arafat, the head of the Middle East Pavilion. "We have confidence in Chinese food market due to the country's strong food consumption and policy support from the government."

According to the report from the China Chamber of Commerce of Foodstuffs and Native Produce, the amount of imported food has increased by 15.2 times in the past 20 years. The annual market size will exceed 500 billion yuan in 2019.

Exhibitors also sensed more potential opportunity for Guangzhou  venue of IFE China. Besides it's strategic location as an import and export hub in South China, the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area which raise a series of initiatives to facilitate logistics, internationalization and industrial upgrade of this world class city cluster has given Guangzhou a prominent role in China's economic growth. This area covers 10 trillion GDP and 70 million people and is a key consumption market for imported food in China.

Featured Sectors Creating Unique Synergy

In 2019 IFE China has four featured sectors including grains and oil, high-end water, functional food and food processing and packing equipment. These niche sectors are unique in IFE China to present the latest trends with the support of specific special events or competitions.

For grains and oil sector, this year's highlighted product will be the rice bran oil which is featured by The International Conference on Rice Bran Oil (ICRBO), an event which will gather more than 500 professionalism worldwide.

The growth of the high-end consumer groups leads to new opportunities that benefit China's high-end drinking water market. Besides the high-end water sector, the event will concurrently hold the 5th Guangzhou International Water Tasting Competition, which is organized by The Fine Water Society and will gather over 100 high-end water brands from worldwide to compete for three categories of awards.

Probiotics has continued its popularity this year at functional food sector. The Lingnan Science Series Forum - China International Probiotics Industry Development Forum 2019, will be actively attended by nearly 500 scholars from universities, research institutions worldwide. Renowned experts and professionals such us Prof. Dr. Endang Sutriswati Rahayu, Chairman of the Asian Federation of Society for Lactic Acid Bacteria and Prof. Xiao Jinzhong, General Manager of Next Generation Science Institute, Morinaga Milk Industry will give speeches at the forum. The forum aims to explore hot topics such as the application and development of probiotics in various foods and beverages.

Sourcing Ideal Partnerships via Business Matching Service

IFE China's one on one Business matching meetings is well recognized as creating real business for exhibitors and buyers. Besides making appointments with ideal partners, overseas participants can get quick access to the rules and regulations, logistics, marketing of the food industry from relevant onsite service counters.

Pre-register Now to Get More Free Service

Pre-registration for IFE China is now open. Visitors can register either through the event website, www.ifechina.com , or WeChat Official Account, IFEChinaExpo. Visitors successfully pre-registered will have the chance to win five-star luxury hotel accommodations and a Guangzhou Tower sightseeing ticket - this is truly an event worth waiting for!

Contact Us

Organizer

Guangzhou Informa Yi Fan Exhibitions Co., Ltd.

Guangzhou Informa Yi Fan Exhibitions Co., Ltd. is a joint venture between Informa Exhibitions and Guangzhou Yifan Exhibition Service Co., Ltd. Informa Exhibitions strong global network across multiple industries combined with Guangzhou Yifan's established local events in the food, health, medical and nutrition sector will ensure delivery of international standard trade shows for professionals.

Exhibiting Inquiry

Tel: +86-20-2919 1500

Email: [email protected]

Visiting Inquiry

Tel: +86-20-2919 1515

Email: [email protected]

Media Cooperation

Tel: +86-20-2919 1524

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Guangzhou Informa Yi Fan Exhibitions Co., Ltd.

Related Links

http://www.ifechina.com/


BOULDER, Colo., March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- ArcherDX, Inc., a molecular technology company dedicated to developing breakthrough solutions that advance the application of personalized genomic medicine, today announced that it has entered into a research collaboration with the University College London (UCL) and the Francis Crick Institute to use ArcherDX's proprietary Anchored Multiplex PCR (AMP) technology to detect evidence of disease recurrence in lung cancer patients from cell-free circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) as part of the Cancer Research UK funded UCL-sponsored TRACERx clinical study (TRAcking lung CancEr evolution through treatment (Rx))*.

Preliminary findings from the TRACERx clinical study were published in Nature and the New England Journal of Medicine in 2017. In the publication, UCL and the TRACERx investigators demonstrated that a patient-specific approach to ctDNA profiling could be used to characterize Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) in patients who have undergone potentially curative surgery for lung cancer. Early detection of changes in ctDNA burden after the initiation of curative therapy has been associated in clinical literature with poor disease free survival. In collaboration with ArcherDX, the UCL and TRACERx investigators aim to expand upon these initial findings by developing patient-specific assays based on AMP technology to detect low-volume MRD at high levels of sensitivity and characterize the phylogenetic and neoantigen landscape of relapsing lung cancer.

"As we expand upon and progress our research, exploring lung cancer in an unprecedented level of detail, this collaboration with ArcherDX will help towards achieving our goal of a more personalised approach to developing cancer treatments," said Professor Charles Swanton, M.D., Ph.D., lead researcher for the TRACERx study.

"We are thrilled to be working with Professor Charles Swanton and UCL, and TRACERx investigators," said Josh Stahl, executive vice president and chief scientific officer of ArcherDX. "This collaboration aligns closely with ArcherDX's mission to expand access and adoption of personalized medicine in oncology. We've spent the last five years developing and continually evolving our technology for complex and groundbreaking applications like those being studied in the TRACERx study. We are especially pleased to be a part of this study as it has the potential to fundamentally transform patient care in early stage lung cancer."

Financial terms of the collaboration are not being disclosed.

Notes to Editor

*TRACERx (Tracking Cancer Evolution through therapy (Rx)) is the single biggest investment in lung cancer research by Cancer Research UK. Taking place over nine years, the translational research programme is the first study to look at the evolution of cancer in real time and immense detail. Researchers follow patients with lung cancer all the way from diagnosis through to either disease relapse or cure after surgery, tracking and analysing how their cancer develops. TRACERx is led by UCL (University College London) via the Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence and also supported by the National Institute for Health Research, University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre, Francis Crick Institute and the Rosetrees Trust.

About ArcherDX

ArcherDX is advancing molecular pathology with a robust technology platform for genetic mutation detection by next-generation sequencing. By combining patented Anchored Multiplexed PCR (AMP) chemistry in an easy-to-use, lyophilized format and powerful bioinformatics software, the Archer platform dramatically enhances genetic mutation identification and discovery. ArcherDX provides oncology-focused research products and is pursuing regulatory approval for multiple companion diagnostic assays. Learn more at archerdx.com.

ArcherDX is headquartered in Boulder, Colorado.

About University College London (UCL)

UCL was founded in 1826. We were the first English university established after Oxford and Cambridge, the first to open up university education to those previously excluded from it, and the first to provide systematic teaching of law, architecture and medicine. We are among the world's top universities, as reflected by performance in a range of international rankings and tables, and are committed to changing the world for the better.

Our community of over 41,500 students from 150 countries and over 12,500 staff pursues academic excellence, breaks boundaries and makes a positive impact on real world problems.

www.ucl.ac.uk | Follow us on Twitter @uclnews | Watch our YouTube channel YouTube.com/UCLTV

About the Francis Crick Institute

The Francis Crick Institute is a biomedical discovery institute dedicated to understanding the fundamental biology underlying health and disease. Its work is helping to understand why disease develops and to translate discoveries into new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, infections, and neurodegenerative diseases.

An independent organisation, its founding partners are the Medical Research Council (MRC), Cancer Research UK, Wellcome, UCL (University College London), Imperial College London and King's College London.

The Crick was formed in 2015, and in 2016 it moved into a brand new state-of-the-art building in central London which brings together 1500 scientists and support staff working collaboratively across disciplines, making it the biggest biomedical research facility under a single roof in Europe.

http://crick.ac.uk/

SOURCE ArcherDX

Related Links

http://www.archerdx.com


CAMBRIDGE, Mass., March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Asimov, the synthetic biology company building a full-stack platform to program living cells, announced today it has been awarded a contract as part of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Automating Scientific Knowledge Extraction (ASKE) opportunity.

Through ASKE, Asimov will work to develop a physics-based artificial intelligence (AI) design engine for biology. The goal of the initiative is to improve the reliability of programming complex cellular behaviors.

"To achieve truly predictive engineering of biology, we require dramatic advances in computer-aided design. Machine learning will be critical to bridge genome-scale experimental data with computational models that accurately capture the underlying biophysics," said Alec Nielsen, Ph.D., Asimov CEO and principal investigator in the program. "As genetically engineered systems grow in complexity, they become difficult for humans to design and understand. For simple genetic systems with only a couple of genes, synthetic biologists typically use high-throughput screening and basic optimization algorithms. But to engineer more complex applications in health, materials, and manufacturing, we need radically new algorithms to intelligently design the DNA and simulate cell behavior."

Asimov's founders previously built a hybrid genetic engineering and computer-aided design platform called Cello to program logic circuit behaviors in cells. The ASKE opportunity will seek to support an ambitious expansion in the types of biological behaviors that can be engineered.

Asimov's approach will leverage "multi-omics" cellular measurements, structured biological metadata, and novel AI architectures that combine deep learning, reinforcement learning, and mechanistic modeling. Over the past year, the company has ramped up hiring in experimental synthetic biology, machine learning, and data science to accelerate development of their genetic design platform.

DARPA recently announced a multi-year investment of $2B into innovative artificial intelligence research called the AI Next campaign. A part of this wide-ranging AI strategy is DARPA's Artificial Intelligence Exploration program, which was developed to help expeditiously move pioneering AI research from idea to exploration in fewer than 90 days. DARPA's ASKE opportunity is part of this program and is focused on developing AI technologies that can reason over rich models of complex systems.

"Over the past 50 years, DARPA has been a world leader in spurring innovation across the field of AI, including statistical-learning and rule-based approaches. We are proud to work with DARPA to advance the state-of-the-art in AI-assisted genetic engineering," said Nielsen.

About Asimov: Asimov is the synthetic biology company building a full-stack genetic design platform to program living cells. Asimov's multi-disciplinary team combines genetic engineering, design automation, and artificial intelligence to enable new applications in molecular manufacturing and therapeutics. For more information visit www.asimov.io.

TWEET THIS: Synthetic biology co @asimov_io announces it has been awarded @DARPA contract to develop physics-based AI engine for genetic design https://bit.ly/2Wr3w89

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Dr. Alec Nielson, [email protected]

SOURCE Asimov

Related Links

http://www.asimov.io


NORTHBROOK, Ill., March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- For the fifth consecutive year, Astellas has achieved a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's (HRC) annual Corporate Equality Index (the Index).

"Achieving a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Corporate Equality Index five years in a row is a true testament to Astellas' focus on diversity and inclusion and our efforts to build a culture of equity for our LGBTQ employees and allies in the workplace," said Eloiza Domingo-Snyder, executive director, Diversity & Inclusion. "We strive to be a leader in D&I, and this recognition highlights that commitment."

The Index evaluates a company's LGBTQ-related policies and practices including domestic partner benefits, non-discrimination workplace protections, competency programs, transgender-inclusive health care benefits and public engagement with the LGBTQ community. Astellas achieved a 100 percent ranking and the designation as a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality, echoing similar rankings achieved from 2015-2018.

Astellas' benefits cover all lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) employees and their spouses or domestic partners. Coverage includes the company's StarLife Family Care Solutions, a program that embraces the broader needs of employees from child to elder care offerings, among other benefits.

Astellas also supports its LGBTQ employees and their allies through an active employee resource group (ERG), known as Together as One (TAO). The company annually celebrates inclusion by participating in the Chicago Pride Parade, and branched out globally by joining the London Pride Parade for the first time in 2018. Astellas shows its support for the LGBTQ community by flying the Pride flag outside its Americas headquarters during Pride Month and the Transgender Pride flag for the entire week preceding National Transgender Awareness Day. Last year, Astellas launched an Ally curriculum and resource guide to help employees build their skills as LGBTQ allies.

Astellas also works with multiple external partners to positively impact the LGBTQ community. In the last year, many employees used their paid volunteer time off to help refurbish El Rescate, a shelter for homeless LGBTQ youth in the Chicago area. As part of Pride Month, an employee giving campaign provided much-needed materials for residents of the shelter  everything from new bedding to cookware.

For more information on Astellas, visit www.astellas.com/us.

About HRC Corporate Equality Index

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.

About Astellas

Astellas is a pharmaceutical company dedicated to improving the health of people around the world through the provision of innovative and reliable pharmaceutical products. For more information on Astellas, please visit our website at www.astellas.com/us. You can also follow us on Twitter at @AstellasUS, Facebook at www.facebook.com/AstellasUS or LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/astellas-pharma.

SOURCE Astellas
ATLANTA, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Smart City Expo Atlanta (SCATL), in partnership with Fira de Barcelona, today announced its debut from September 11-13, 2019 at the Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC). SCATL is the first, and only, U.S. edition of Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC), the world's leading conference and expo on smart cities and smart urban solutions.

The event will bring together catalytic leaders from government, corporations, nonprofits and entrepreneurial sectors to redefine what it means to be a "smart city." They will discuss how social and economic mobility, equitable infrastructure, and human capital are being prioritized in the new "smart city," one defined by digital transformation, artificial intelligence, early-stage investments, and other civic innovations and solutions.

"I am thrilled to welcome Fira de Barcelona to host the first U.S.-based Smart City Expo in Atlanta," said Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, City of Atlanta. "The focus on cutting-edge technologies, smart city innovation, and equity and inclusion directly align with our One Atlanta vision of affordability, resiliency, and fairness. We look forward to hosting cross-sector leaders from around the globe to this internationally-recognized summit."

"Atlanta is on an accelerated path to becoming a model for Smart Cities across the country. As cities prepare for a paradigm shift, we need to redefine how they operate as complex ecosystems and reshape them to really become "smart" environments where technology, inclusion and sustainability develop livable metropolises that offer their inhabitants the best possible place to live, work and thrive," said Ricard Zapatero, International Business Director, Fira de Barcelona.

"Building on our work to promote the region as a world-class destination for events, we are pleased that Metro Atlanta was selected to host Fira de Barcelona's inaugural Smart Cities Conference in the U.S.," said Hala Moddelmog, President and CEO of the Metro Atlanta Chamber. "We relish the opportunity to showcase how technology can create more equitable and inclusive communities. This event will demonstrate the many ways that metro Atlanta's business and community leaders are committed to helping solve some of the most challenging issues for our region and the world at large."

Over 2,500 attendees, 200 speakers, and 50 exhibitors are expected to attend.

Those who are interested in requesting more information can visit: https://www.smartcityexpoatlanta.com/

About Smart City Expo Atlanta

Smart City Expo Atlanta (SCATL) is redefining what it means for a city to be "smart." Partnering with Fira de Barcelona and hosted by the City of Atlanta and Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, SCATL is the first U.S. edition of the world's leading conference and expo on smart cities and smart urban solutions, Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC).

Media Contact:

Brianne Fortuna

[email protected]

(315) 404-5756

SOURCE Smart City Expo Atlanta

Related Links

https://www.smartcityexpoatlanta.com


Enhanced Securities Lending Platform enables non-Peruvian investors to borrow and lend

securities in Peru and make available an additional US$ 4 billion in Peruvian stock to the market

TORONTO and LIMA, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - The Bolsa de Valores de Lima ("BVL"), along with Cavali ICLV S.A. (the Peruvian Central Securities Depository, CSD), Scotia Capital USA, Scotia Sociedad Agente de Bolsa S.A. ("Scotia Bolsa"), Citibank del Peru S.A. ("Citi Peru") and pension fund manager, AFP Integra, has introduced a new securities lending platform in Peru that enhances the Peruvian market depth, liquidity and efficiency and provides clients with greater opportunity to invest in Latin America.

"Stock lending is a solution that complements efforts to boost local liquidity by facilitating price formation, channel funds back to the market, and attract new kinds of investors," said Miguel Angel Zapatero, Head of Business of Bolsa de Valores de Lima.

"AFP Integra has worked with Scotia Capital, Scotia Sociedad Agente de Bolsa, Cavali and the BVL to develop sustainable processes for securities lending in local markets, enhancing our controlling and reporting systems to prevent and reduce risks associated with these types of transactions," said Jean Pierre Fournier Romero, Chief Investment Officer, Equities, AFP Integra. "We strongly believe that securities lending will provide more liquidity and alternatives to trade Peruvian assets."

"Scotia Sociedad Agente de Bolsa was instrumental in the development and subsequent testing of procedures for the enhanced model," said Cristina Leon Jimenez, Head of Scotia Bolsa. "Our objective was to meet the standards of both local and international clients while bringing the expertise of our global platform for the benefit of the market."

"Scotiabank is proud to work with the Bolsa de Valores de Lima and Peruvian partners to enhance the local securities lending platform and to extend its availability to non-Peruvian investors," said John Stracquadanio, Head of U.S. Capital Markets, Prime Services, Collateral Management & Funding, and U.S. Equities at Scotiabank. "Scotia Bolsa, the brokerage arm of Scotiabank Peru, worked directly with clients to build a securities lending offer that helps to maximize holdings of institutional investors."

"This offering is the result of an outstanding collaborative effort from infrastructure providers to investors and intermediaries that facilitates non-domiciled investors access to market and contributes in developing the Peruvian capital market," said Diego Castro, Head of Securities Services, Citibank del Peru S.A.

Access to securities lending on the platform requires the services of a local broker dealer, such as Scotia Bolsa, to execute the trade on behalf of the foreign broker.

The enhanced platform includes a formal legal structure incorporating industry standard documentation, Peruvian Appendix to the Global Master Securities Lending Agreement (GMSLA), an operating platform that allows for USD and equity as collateral as well as full visibility into the Cavali's Wari platform via Citi Peru's custody and clearing services.

The enhancement is the result of a two year process working amongst all relevant parties including the local market entities aimed at breaking down the local barriers to entry.

About BVL

Bolsa de Valores de Lima (BVL) is the stock exchange for the Peruvian market. It facilitates securities trading by providing a series of services, systems and mechanisms to a fair, competitive, transparent and streamlined market. S&P/BVL Peru General Index and S&P/BVL Peru Select Index and S&P/BVL IBGC Index are the current benchmarks of the local market. For more information, visit bvl.com.pe

About Cavali

Cavali is the Peruvian Central Securities Depository. It recently reached ISO certifications for its Business Continuity, Information Security and Quality International standards. Cavali is also a company recognized by BVL for its Good Corporate Governance practices. It holds more than USD 3.8 billion through its DTCC, CDS, Mila and Euroclear accounts and a total of USD 109.4 billion in holdings. Last year, its traded volume settled was USD 398 million. Cavali provides services to more than 250 issuers and 80 participants (banks, local brokers and factoring/invoices companies).

About AFP Integra

AFP Integra, the largest private pension fund in Peru measured by AUM, is part of SURA, the leader in Latin America in pensions and a major player in the insurance, savings and asset management sectors.

AFP Integra has been a participant of the Private Pension Fund System since its creation in 1993 and manages around US$ 19 billion for over 2 million clients.



About Scotia Bolsa

Scotia Sociedad Agente de Bolsa S.A. (Scotia Bolsa), a subsidiary of Scotiabank Peru S.A.A., started operations in 1993 as Wiese SAB. Scotia Bolsas main activities include sales and trading for Equities and Fixed Income in both primary and secondary markets in Peru. Scotia Bolsa is ranked among the top leading brokers in terms of volume traded in the Peruvian market and is part of Scotiabanks global platform Global Banking and Markets, present in the Pacific Alliance countries: Chile, Peru, Colombia and Mexico plus Brazil.

About Scotiabank

Scotiabank is Canada's international bank and a leading financial services provider in the Americas. We are dedicated to helping our more than 25 million customers become better off through a broad range of advice, products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets. With a team of more than 98,000 employees1 and assets of over $1 trillion (as at January 31, 2019), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: BNS) and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BNS). For more information, please visit www.scotiabank.com and follow us on Twitter @ScotiabankViews.

1Employees are reported on a full-time equivalent basis.

About Citi

Citi, the leading global bank, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions. In Peru, Citi provides to corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including corporate and investment banking and transaction services.

Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com | Twitter: @Citi | YouTube: www.youtube.com/citi | Blog: http://blog.citigroup.com | Facebook: www.facebook.com/citi | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/citi.

SOURCE Scotiabank

Related Links

www.scotiabank.ca


MUSCAT, Oman, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Drawing together leaders from across industries and governments is the forum which has become a landmark annual gathering in the Middle East, one dedicated to creating lasting change in Education and Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) through innovation, interconnectivity and creativity; the MENA Innovation Forum 2019 will proudly take place in Muscat, Oman under the official patronage of Oman Government.

Dr Rawya Al-Busaidi, Omani Minister of Higher Education, has previously stated, "We envision tremendous collaboration with the private sector to accomplish the ambitious goals laid out before us in the realisation of Oman's 2040 Vision. Working alongside us as partners, we will enhance and bring about newfound investment and technology transfer initiatives that will directly correlate to the creation of more job opportunities and high-skills training for our budding youth population. We look forward to working with the team at ArabBrains; Hosting and actively participating in this significant MENA Innovation Forum in Muscat."

John Glassey, Chief Executive Officer of ArabBrains, the organisers of MENA Innovation 2019, stated: "We are privileged to have the full support of the Omani Government behind the organisation of our Forum, one that will also include ministerial participation from the Ministry of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Information, Ministry of Manpower alongside multiple government stakeholders, such the Research Council and other relevant public authorities. We have a shared belief that greater connectivity and unbridled innovation should be reflected in contemporary official ministerial forums, imparting insight, intelligence and ideas to offer the best solutions to the myriad of challenges in education and ICT. The MENA Innovation Forum offers the perfect opportunity to do face-to-face business, at the most senior level, whilst enjoying a wealth of content dedicated to the education, ICT and innovation spaces, where decisions are made to realize concepts."

MENA Innovation will take place, 16  18 September 2019 at the 5 star Kempinski hotel & resort in Muscat's modern and vibrant Al Mouj Muscat waterfront Development.

The 16th September is Government Leaders Day with a multitude of ministerial delegations for higher education, education and ICT, inter-government organisations, universities and education stakeholders all joined by top industry investors. The main event days of 17th & 18th September will involve high level panel sessions and the unique organization of hundreds of bilateral meetings between government and industry utilizing ArabBrains specialized format of pre-scheduled meetings-based events. As well as working closely with many governments, ArabBrains and its leadership remain dedicated to ensuring that private sector technology, knowledge and innovations have access to Middle Eastern and African markets and governments.

For more information on MENA Innovation Forum, please visit:

http://www.mena-innovation.com/



To register your interest in attending please visit:

https://mena-innovation.com/2019/register/

Media Contact

Brains Network

Samuel Amsterdam

+1-202-910-8349

[email protected]

SOURCE Brains Network
MODESTO, Calif., March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Cal/OSHA has issued serious health and safety citations to Underground Construction Co., Inc. of Benicia after two of its employees contracted Valley Fever. The workers were exposed to the fungal disease while using hand tools to dig trenches in Kings, Fresno and Merced countiesareas where the soil is known to contain harmful spores that cause the infection.

"When soil is disturbed by activities such as digging, driving, or high winds, Valley Fever spores can become airborne and potentially be inhaled," said Cal/OSHA Chief Juliann Sum. "Without the proper training, protection and mitigation procedures, workers are likely to be exposed and get sick."

Cal/OSHA was notified in September 2018 that the employees were hospitalized after being diagnosed with Valley Fever, also known as Coccidioidomycosis. Symptoms of the disease are similar to the flu and include fatigue, shortness of breath and fever. Severe cases can cause serious lung problems.

The workers were tasked with digging trenches up to 5 feet deep to allow access to gas pipelines for maintenance. Dust was not controlled, and the workers did not wear any respiratory protection. Exposure to the disease could have occurred in any one of the three counties where the fungal spores are known to be endemic.

Cal/OSHA's investigation found that Underground Construction Co., Inc. did not evaluate the hazard of performing digging work in areas known to contain the coccidioides fungal spores. The employer did not suppress or control harmful dusts and failed to provide employees with respiratory protection. Cal/OSHA issued three citations to the employer with $27,000 in proposed penalties.

Since 2017, Cal/OSHA has cited 12 businesses for work-related Valley Fever.

Valley Fever is caused by a microscopic fungus known as Coccidioides immitis, which lives in the top two to 12 inches of soil in many parts of the state. When soil is disturbed by digging, driving or high winds, fungal spores can become airborne and may be inhaled by workers who are not protected. While the fungal spores are most likely to be present in the soils of the Central Valley, they may also be present in other areas of California. Cal/OSHA's Valley Fever informational page provides detailed information including resources for workers and employers.

Tips for reducing the risk of Valley Fever exposure include:

Determine if a worksite is in an area where fungal spores are likely to be present.

Adopt site plans and work practices that minimize the disturbance of soil and maximize ground cover.

Use water, appropriate soil stabilizers, and/or re-vegetation to reduce airborne dust.

Limit workers' exposure to outdoor dust in disease-endemic areas by (1) providing air-conditioned cabs for vehicles that generate dust and making sure workers keep windows and vents closed, (2) suspending work during heavy winds, and (3) providing sleeping quarters, if applicable, away from sources of dust.

When exposure to dust is unavoidable, provide approved respiratory protection to filter particles.

Train supervisors and workers in how to recognize symptoms of Valley Fever and minimize exposure.

Cal/OSHA helps protect workers from health and safety hazards on the job in almost every workplace in California. Cal/OSHA's Consultation Services Branch provides free and voluntary assistance to employers to improve their health and safety programs. Employers should call (800) 963-9424 for assistance from Cal/OSHA Consultation Services

Employees with work-related questions or complaints may contact DIR's Call Center in English or Spanish at 844-LABOR-DIR (844-522-6734). The California Workers' Information line at 866-924-9757 provides recorded information in English and Spanish on a variety of work-related topics. Complaints can also be filed confidentially with Cal/OSHA district offices.

Members of the press may contact Peter Melton or Paola Laverde at (510) 286-1161, and are encouraged to subscribe to get email alerts on DIR's press releases or other departmental updates.

https://www.facebook.com/CaliforniaDIR

https://twitter.com/CA_DIR

http://www.youtube.com/CaliforniaDIR

http://www.dir.ca.gov/email/listsub.asp?choice=1

The California Department of Industrial Relations , established in 1927, protects and improves the health, safety and economic well-being of over 18 million wage earners, and helps their employers comply with state labor laws. DIR is housed within the Labor & Workforce Development Agency . For general inquiries, contact DIR's Call Center at 844-LABOR-DIR (844-522-6734) for help in locating the appropriate division or program in our department.

SOURCE California Department of Industrial Relations; Cal/OSHA

Related Links

https://www.dir.ca.gov


The index also recognizes Carnival Corporation with the designation of a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality by HRC Foundation, the educational arm of America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender and queer people. Additionally, it is the sixth time the company has been recognized in the CEI report, which is the nation's premier benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality.

"Being recognized by the largest LGBTQ civil rights organization in the U.S. with a perfect score on the CEI for a third year in a row is a great honor that reflects our ongoing commitment to equality, inclusion and diversity," said Roger Frizzell, chief communications officer for Carnival Corporation, whose nine industry-leading cruise brands are among the world's most popular and admired cruise lines, including Carnival Cruise Line, Cunard, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and Seabourn. "We are dedicated to promoting a positive work environment for our more than 120,000 employees from over 150 countries that work with great passion to provide extraordinary vacation experiences for our guests. For us, diversity of thinking is a business imperative that provides a competitive advantage. We know that having people from different backgrounds and cultural experiences organized around a common objective is far more likely to create breakthrough innovation than a homogenous group."

The announcement follows Carnival Corporation being recently recognized as one of America's Best Employers for Diversity in 2019 by Forbes Media, as well as being named to the first-ever NAACP Equity, Inclusion and Empowerment Index, which assesses U.S. companies on their commitment to racial and ethnic equity in every aspect of their business and operations. Additionally, Carnival Corporation's namesake cruise line brand, Carnival Cruise Line, was recognized in 2018 with both a Travvy Award and Women's Choice Award as the best cruise line for LGBTQ travelers.

"The top-scoring companies on this year's CEI are not only establishing policies that affirm and include employees here in the United States, they are applying these policies to their global operations and impacting millions of people beyond our shores," said HRC President Chad Griffin. "Many of these companies have also become vocal advocates for equality in the public square, including the dozens that have signed on to amicus briefs in vital Supreme Court cases and the more than 170 that have joined HRC's Business Coalition for the Equality Act. Time and again, leading American businesses have shown that protecting their employees and customers from discrimination isn't just the right thing to do  it's also good for business."

This HRC honor aligns with Carnival Corporation's 2020 sustainability goals, including a commitment to building a diverse and inclusive workforce and providing all employees with a positive work environment and opportunities to build a rewarding career to further drive employee engagement.

The company has also shown support through:

Partnering with OUTBermuda and other LGBTQ community organizations to support the legal recognition of same-sex marriages in Bermuda ;

; Offering welcoming environments with LGBTQ cruises, onboard activities and special events, including the company's Holland America Line brand sponsoring the 2019 Seattle Men's and Women's Chorus Annual Dinner and Auction;

Participating in Florida Competes (formerly Florida Businesses for a Competitive Workforce), a top coalition to end LGBTQ discrimination in the state's businesses;

Participation and sponsorship of annual Pride events to raise awareness and funds for LGBTQ organizations, including the Seattle Pride Parade and Southampton ( England ) Pride; and

( ) Pride; and Partnering with equal opportunity champions such as the Human Rights Campaign, Executive Leadership Council, Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility, Catalyst, Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics and CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion.

In its 17th year, the CEI evaluates LGBTQ-related policies and practices including non-discrimination workplace protections, domestic partner benefits, transgender-inclusive health care benefits, competency programs, and public engagement with the LGBTQ community.

About Carnival Corporation & plc

Carnival Corporation & plc is the world's largest leisure travel company and among the most profitable and financially strong in the cruise and vacation industries, with a portfolio of nine of the world's leading cruise lines. With operations in North America, Australia, Europe and Asia, its portfolio features Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn, P&O Cruises (Australia), Costa Cruises, AIDA Cruises, P&O Cruises (UK) and Cunard.

Together, the corporation's cruise lines operate 105 ships with 245,000 lower berths visiting over 700 ports around the world, with 19 new ships scheduled to be delivered through 2025. Carnival Corporation & plc also operates Holland America Princess Alaska Tours, the leading tour company in Alaska and the Canadian Yukon. Traded on both the New York and London Stock Exchanges, Carnival Corporation & plc is the only group in the world to be included in both the S&P 500 and the FTSE 100 indices.

With a long history of innovation and providing guests with extraordinary vacation experiences, Carnival Corporation has received thousands of industry awards  including recognition by the Consumer Technology Association as a CES 2019 Innovation Awards Honoree for OceanMedallion. A revolutionary wearable device that contains a proprietary blend of communication technologies, OceanMedallion enables the world's first interactive guest experience platform transforming vacation travel on a large scale into a highly personalized level of customized service. The prestigious CES Innovation Awards honor outstanding design and engineering in consumer technology products.

Additional information can be found on www.carnival.com, www.princess.com, www.hollandamerica.com, www.seabourn.com, www.pocruises.com.au, www.costacruise.com, www.aida.de, www.pocruises.com, and www.cunard.com.

About HRC Foundation

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.

SOURCE Carnival Corporation & plc

Related Links

www.carnival.com


PALM BEACH, Florida, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- As the global pet care market continues it seemingly never-ending rise, year after year all things point to the fact that CBD infused products will be among the winners in the race to revenues. Given the sheer size of this industry, it's no wonder cannabis companies are expecting CBD-for-pets to garner a large share of the market. Here are some background projection numbers for the overall pet care market: Statista.com presents a forecast in pet store revenue in the United States from 2018 to 2023. It is projected that U.S. pet store sales will grow from around 19.5 billion U.S. dollars in 2018 to approximately 22.39 billion U.S. dollars by 2023; and according to a report by Grand View Research the global pet care market is expected to reach USD 202.6 billion by 2025. Rise in the adoption of pets and growing demand for premium care products are few factors expected to drive market growth. The global pet care market size was estimated at USD 131.7 billion in 2016 and is expected to grow with CAGR of 4.9% from 2016 to 2025. U.S. held the largest share in market in 2016 due to rising animal healthcare expenditure and growing awareness of animal health in the country. Active companies in the industry making moves to ready that include: Choom Holdings Inc. (CSE:CHOO) (OTC:CHOOF), Fire & Flower Holdings Corp. (TSX-V: FAF) (OTC: FFLWF), Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. (OTC: CURLF) (CSE: CURA) Trulieve Cannabis Corporation (OTC: TCNNF) (CSE: TRUL), Cannabis Strategies Acquisition Corp. (NEO: CSA.A) (OTC: CBAQF).



A report focused solely on the CBD pet market says: "Pet-and-animal product sales are estimated to reach USD 125 million by 2022, representing a 5-year CAGR of 57%, among the fastest-growing sectors in the CBD market," and it's easy to see why cannabis companies are pouncing on the opportunity. While traditional dog or cat products currently predominate, those targeted for equine and other domesticated animals are on the horizon. As pet-and-animal sales have focused on treat supplements and food additives, CBD with anti-anxiety and anti-inflammation properties remain the top-selling segment.

Choom Holdings Inc. (CSE:CHOO) (OTCQB:CHOOF) BREAKING NEWS: Choom, an emerging adult and medical use cannabis company that has secured one of the largest national retail networks in Canada, is pleased to announce that it has signed a memorandum of understanding ("MOU") with Better Choice Company, Inc. for the exclusive Canadian distribution rights to Better Choice's cannabidiol ("CBD") Bona Vida brand of products targeted for animal health and wellness once approved for sale in Canada. The terms of the MOU are not material.

According to the American Pet Products Association, U.S. pet owners are estimated to have spent over $70 billion in 2018 on pet supplies, treatments and veterinary care. As CBD pet products become more readily available and accepted, well positioned suppliers and distributors will be able to exploit the tremendous opportunities for growth in the CBD pet sales.

Better Choice Products

Under its Bona Vida brand, Better Choice offers a suite of CBD pet focused products in the form of oils and soft chews with several formulations designed to aid the state of good health and well-being in pets. Bona Vida has formulations which specifically target animals Relaxation & Heart Support, Muscle & Joint, as well as, Skin & Body.

"We are excited that Better Choice has chosen us as their exclusive distributor in Canada for their pet focused CBD products," states Chris Bogart, President and CEO of Choom. "We recognize the importance of growing our brand portfolio and having the sole distribution rights for Better Choice products helps us achieve that in an entirely new market on the horizon in pet use products. From what we know of in the United States, the CBD products for pet use market has proven to be a high margin business. As the normalization of cannabis-based products in Canada grows, consumers will begin to shift towards these new natural alternative treatments for their pets." Read this and more news for Choom at: https://www.financialnewsmedia.com/news-choo/





Additional industry related developments from around the markets:

Fire & Flower Holdings Corp. (TSX-V: FAF) (OTCPK: FFLWF) has had a successful first month of operations of its cannabis Click & Collect service. The Click & Collect service allows age-verified adult-use cannabis consumers to reserve cannabis and accessory products for pickup at stores across the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. The service was launched as part of the company's mission to curate the world of cannabis for its customers who seek a more convenient and informative buying experience. Certain cannabis products sell out rapidly, and the Click & Collect service ensures customers are able to reserve high-demand products and receive priority service when visiting a store.

Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. (CSE: CURA) (OTCQX: CURLF) a leading vertically integrated cannabis operator in the United States, recently announced it has opened its 23rd Florida dispensary as the company continues to expand rapidly throughout the state. Curaleaf has the largest cannabis dispensary footprint in the United States, with 43 dispensaries across the country.

"As Curaleaf continues to deliver on its expansion strategy, we are well positioned to improve the quality of patients' lives by providing access to safe top-quality cannabis products," shared Joe Lusardi, Curaleaf chief executive officer.

Trulite, Inc. (CSE: TRUL) (OTCPK: TCNNF) a leading and top performing cannabis company in the United States, was the first medical marijuana licensee in Florida to make a sale of smokable cannabis. The sale took place at Trulieve's Tallahassee dispensary, the first dispensary to have opened in the state.

"We are excited about the opportunity to sell whole flower smokable products to patients in Florida and honored to be the first company in Florida to do so. Thank you to Governor DeSantis and the Legislature for taking up and approving smokable products in Florida and special thanks to the Department of Health and the Office of Medical Marijuana Use for their quick action to make (this) a reality for patients in need. Offering these whole flower products to our patients in their purest, most effective form is something we  and patients  have been looking forward to since we opened the doors of the state's first dispensary," said Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers.

Cannabis Strategies Acquisition Corp. (NEO: CSA.A) (OTC: CBAQF) is pleased to announce that its shareholders have overwhelmingly approved its qualifying transaction to concurrently acquire the target businesses of Washoe Wellness, LLC, The Canopy NV, LLC, Sira Naturals, Inc., LivFree Wellness, LLC and CannaPunch of Nevada LLC (collectively, the " Qualifying Transaction ") at its special meeting of shareholders held on March 18, 2019. Over 99.9% of the votes cast by CSA's shareholders were in favour of the Qualifying Transaction, the amendment of CSA's articles (including the creation of the multiple voting shares and subordinate voting shares of CSA), and the continuance of CSA from Ontario to British Columbia, and over 93.4% of the votes cast were in favour of CSA's proposed equity incentive plan, in each case, as further described in CSA's management information circular dated February 19, 2019, which is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com under CSA's profile.

DISCLAIMER: FN Media Group LLC (FNM), which owns and operates FinancialNewsMedia.com and MarketNewsUpdates.com, is a third party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. FNM is NOT affiliated in any manner with any company mentioned herein. FNM and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. FNM's market updates, news alerts and corporate profiles are NOT a solicitation or recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. The material in this release is intended to be strictly informational and is NEVER to be construed or interpreted as research material. All readers are strongly urged to perform research and due diligence on their own and consult a licensed financial professional before considering any level of investing in stocks. All material included herein is republished content and details which were previously disseminated by the companies mentioned in this release. FNM is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers. Investors are cautioned that they may lose all or a portion of their investment when investing in stocks. For current services performed FNM has been compensated thirty one hundred dollars for news coverage of the current press release issued above by Choom Holdings Inc. by a non affiliated third party. FNM HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.

This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "may", "future", "plan" or "planned", "will" or "should", "expected," "anticipates", "draft", "eventually" or "projected". You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company's annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and FNM undertakes no obligation to update such statements.

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11,600 children and adolescents affected : Expert warns of growing child poverty in Bonn

BONN More than 11,600 children and young people live below the poverty line in the federal city. The figure for Germany in total is as high as 2.8 million. The numbers could rise even further.

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At the Annual General Meeting of the Education and Science Trade Union (GEW), Christoph Butterwegge said he did not like it particularly to talk about child poverty.

According to the latest figures from the Job Centre (from 2017), this problem affects 5849 "Needs Communities" in Bonn who receive unemployment benefit II. According to the press office, 11,615 children in these families were affected by poverty in 2018. Among the 55,692 minors living in Bonn according to the city's statistics office, one in five minors in Bonn lives below the poverty line.

"But the problem is quickly trivialized and played down when it comes to children," Butterwegge worried. Actually, he prefers to focus on the "reseniorization of poverty". So the even more depressing increase of poverty among older citizens who would be defamed as "social parasites".

The political scientist was the 2017 German Presidential candidate of the Left and has now been appointed to the expert commission for the Sixth Poverty and Wealth Report of the Federal Government. He criticised the anti-poverty measures of the latest coalition agreement whichwere no more than a drop in the ocean, Butterwegge clarified.

Then, he went on to talk about child and family poverty. And for a good hour, without a manuscript, he delivered a par force journeythrough social policy. According to the microcensus, 20.4 percent of German citizens under the age of 18, i.e. 2.8 million children and adolescents, are at risk of poverty: They are not properly fed and clothed and are not involved inpolitical or cultural life or interpersonal relationships.

For all age groups, the statistics predict 15.8 percent, i.e. 13.4 million, poor people - a scandal also in view of the growing wealth of individuals, Butterwegge said. The two Quandt heirs alone received a dividend of 1.126 billion euros only for their BMW shares.

In his eyes, there are several causes of child poverty. And then the man who resigned from the SPD in 2005 in protest against the then Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schroder gave out to his comrades.

Firstly, the dissolution of normal working conditions by the Agenda 2010 and the Hartz IV laws, which deliberately created the largest low-wage sector in Europe, was responsible, said Butterwegge. Since then, even people in employment have had to supplement their wages with Hartz IV: "And this subsidises companies that pay hunger wages. Secondly, the tendency of the "normal family" to break up increases the danger for children to grow up poor, because "normal" in Germany still means: a married couple plus children.

Thirdly, the abolition of unemployment assistance has dissolved the normality of social security and has caused poverty figures to skyrocket, as well as sparking hatred and anger among those affected,he said.

So what is to be done? He called for the minimum wage to be raised to twelve Euro, for mini-jobbers to be insured by the social insurance system at all costs, and not, as is currently the case, to be satisfied with an unemployment rate of five percent, Butterwegge said.

In addition, more all-day schools are needed and, finally, schools in which students learn together up to the 10th grade. A citizens' insurance policy that deserves its name is also urgently needed. In his opinion, however, the basic child insurance required by many is not suitable, said the expert. Because lump-sum transfer payments, which are all lumped together, could never work properly against poverty.
DUBLIN, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The "China Space Industry 2018" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

China Space Industry 2018 provides a deep-dive analysis of the current Chinese space ecosystem and future expected evolutions. Focuses include the value-chain, the strategic priorities of the government space program and dynamics by application domain including science & exploration, satellite communications, satellite navigation and Earth observation.



The report also analyzes the Chinese space ecosystem and the policies impacting it, providing an overview of four of the fastest-changing space markets in China: satellite manufacturing, the launch industry, satellite communications and IoT & EO. For each of the markets, we look at key current and potential future players expected to have an impact on the ecosystem, including details on their strategies, funding, technological competencies and potential future plans, with in total profiles of close to 30 companies.



Highlights of the report



The China space value chain had an estimated size of more than $16 billion in 2017, with the downstream market accounting for just over 85%. Satellite Navigation, one of the key satellite applications in China, was the main revenue generator in 2017, ahead of Satellite Communications and Earth Observation.



This premier edition of the report provides a deep-dive analysis of the current Chinese space ecosystem and future expected evolutions, from upstream to downstream, and covers each of the key satellite applications in China: Satellite Manufacturing, Launch, Satellite Communications, Earth Observation, Satellite Navigation and Space Exploration. For each of the markets, key current and potential future players expected to have an impact on the ecosystem are profiled, including details on their strategies, funding, technological competencies and potential future plans.



China's space industry is rapidly evolving, with an increasing number of nominally private companies competing in different parts of the space industry in both China and abroad, with the Chinese space industry starting to play a bigger role in cutting-edge technology. Changes are occurring at a rapid pace across the value chain, for both upstream and downstream activities and for all application domains.



The current changes in the space ecosystem are being brought about using different strategies, such as the opening of some markets to private enterprises and greater competition among incumbents, all of which are aimed at fostering greater innovation among companies within China. Moving forward, it is expected that the Chinese government will continue to open different parts of the space industry. Indeed, with the state-owned giants more recently focusing on grander ambitions, such as China's space station, the Chang'e moon mission, and eventually human missions to the Moon and Mars, it is possible that much of what is considered traditional commercial space, and even new space, will become more open to the private sector as the state sets its sights on bigger targets.

Included in the Report:

Focus on the value chain, the strategic priorities of the government space program and the dynamics by application domain, including science and exploration, satellite communications, satellite navigation and EO

Analysis of the Chinese space ecosystem and the policies impacting it

Overview of four fast-changing space markets in China : Satellite manufacturing, the launch industry, satellite communications and IoT & EO

: Satellite manufacturing, the launch industry, satellite communications and IoT & EO For each market, we look at key current and potential future players expected to impact the ecosystem, including details on their strategies, funding, technological competencies and potential future plans

For Each Market:



The author looks at key current and potential future players expected to have an impact on the ecosystem, including details on their strategies funding, technological competencies and potential future plans, with in total profiles of close to 30 companies.



Who will Benefit from this Report?

Satellite & launch vehicle integrators

Satellite & launch vehicle parts manufacturers

Satellite operators

Space & other government agencies

Key Topics Covered:



1. STRATEGIC DYNAMICS OF CHINESE SPACE ACTIVITIES

Overview of Chinese space industry: Introduction

Value chain overview

Strategic priorities of the government space program

Dynamics by application domain:

Science and exploration

Satellite communications

Satellite navigation

Earth observation

2. THE CHINESE SPACE ECOSYSTEM

Mapping of the Chinese space ecosystem

Map of main cities and clusters

Policies impacting the space ecosystem:

Belt & Road Initiative

Made in Chine 2025

China's 13th Five-Year Plan

3. SATELLITE MANUFACTURING

GEO satellites overview

NGSO satellites overview

Established satellite manufacturers:

Overview

Profile: CASC

Profile: CASIC

Smallsat and start-up satellite manufacturers - Company benchmark

Company profiles:

Mino Space



Spacety



Zero Gravity Lab

4. LAUNCH INDUSTRY

Suppliers of launch solutions overview

Access to space overview

China launch infrastructure

launch infrastructure Profiles of public suppliers of launch solutions:

CALT

SAST

CGWIC

Private suppliers of launch solutions overview

Private suppliers of launch solutions - Future expected trends

Company profiles:

ExPace



i-Space



LandSpace



LinkSpace



OneSpace

5. SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS AND IOT INDUSTRY

Involvement of national telecom operators - overview

Satellite operator licenses

Focus of national telecom operators in IFC services

Operators of geostationary satellite systems - overview

Market shares in China in 2017

in 2017 Benchmarks of key players

Chinese operators: Activities outside of China

Company profiles:

APT Satellite



AsiaSat



China Satcom



Profiles of new entrants:



APT Mobile Satcom



CCT Satcom



Tatwah Smartech



LEO satellite constellation projects overview



Constellation projects - company benchmarks



CASC and CASIC's LEO ambitions



Company profiles:



Commsat



Galaxy Space



LaserFleet



OK Space

6. EARTH OBSERVATION

Established operators of EO systems - overview

Remote sensing market - overview

Chinese Earth observation program

Benchmark of key players

Company profiles:

21AT



Charming Globe ( Chang Guang )

)

HEAD Aerospace



Qian Sheng Exploration



Space View



Zhuhai Orbita Aerospace

Companies Mentioned



21AT

ABS

Amos - Spacecom

Anchorage Capital Group

Apax Partners

APT Mobile Satcom

APT Satellite

Arab Satellite Communication Organization

Arianespace

Arqiva

Arsat

ASI

AsiaSat

Astrium

Avanti Communications

Bain Capital

BC Partners

Boeing Satellite Systems

CASC and CASIC's LEO ambitions

CAST

CCT Satcom

Center of Space Communications in Kazakhstan

Charming Globe ( Chang Guang )

) China Great Wall Industry Corporation

China Satcom

China Satellite Communications

CIB

Citigroup Global Markets Inc.

CNES

Cobham Microwave

COM DEV International

Commsat

Company profiles:

Constellation projects - company benchmarks

Convergence Partners

CPPIB

Crdit Agricole

Crdit Suisse

CSA

Cyfrowy Polsat S.A

Deutsche Bank

EBU

Echostar

Electronic Telecommunications Research Institute

Ericsson

ESA

Eutelsat

ExPace

Fidelity Investments

Galaxy Space

Gazprom Space Systems

Gilat Satellite Networks

Globecast

Goldman Sachs International

GSO Capital Partners

GT Satellite Systems S.A.

HEAD Aerospace

Hispasat

Hughes Network Systems

iDirect Technologies

ING

Inmarsat

Intelsat

i-Space

ISRO

ISS Reshetnev

JAXA

Jefferies & Company

Khrunichev State Research & Production Space Center

Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.

Korea Telecom-Kt Sat

LandSpace

LaserFleet

LEO satellite constellation projects overview

LinkSpace

Lockheed Martin

Macquarie Capital

MDA

Measat

Merrill Lynch

Mino Space

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation

Morgan Stanley

National Operator of Satellite Communications CJSC

NEC Corporation

Newtec

Northrop Grumman

O3b Networks

Ocean Rich Technology

OK Space

OneSpace

Onex Corporation

Optus

Perella Weinberg Partners

Profiles of new entrants:

PT Telkom

Qian Sheng Exploration

Raytheon Company

RRsat Global Communications Network

RSCC

SES

Shumway Capital Partners

Singtel

SK Telecom

SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation

Skyware Global

Socit Gnrale

Space View

Spacety

SpaceX

Spectrum Venture Management

SSL

Star One S.A.

TA Associates

Tatwah Smartech

Telecom

Telenor

Telesat

Telespazio

Temasek International

Tesat-Spacecom

Thales Alenia Space

The Blackstone Group

Turksat A.S.

UBS Investment Bank

Unison Capital

VEGA Deutschland

Wavestream

Yahsat

Zero Gravity Lab

Zhuhai Orbita Aerospace

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/dhglh7/china_space?w=5



Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



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SOURCE Research and Markets

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VANCOUVER, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - Choom Holdings Inc. (Choom) (CSE: CHOO;OTCQB: CHOOF) ("Choom"), an emerging adult and medical use cannabis company that has secured one of the largest national retail networks in Canada, is pleased to announce that it has signed a memorandum of understanding ("MOU") with Better Choice Company, Inc. for the exclusive Canadian distribution rights to Better Choice's cannabidiol ("CBD") Bona Vida brand of products targeted for animal health and wellness once approved for sale in Canada. The terms of the MOU are not material.

According to the American Pet Products Association, U.S. pet owners are estimated to have spent over $70 billion in 2018 on pet supplies, treatments and veterinary care. As CBD pet products become more readily available and accepted, well positioned suppliers and distributors will be able to exploit the tremendous opportunities for growth in the CBD pet sales.

Better Choice Products

Under its Bona Vida brand, Better Choice offers a suite of CBD pet focused products in the form of oils and soft chews with several formulations designed to aid the state of good health and well-being in pets. Bona Vida has formulations which specifically target animals Relaxation & Heart Support, Muscle & Joint, as well as, Skin & Body.

"We are excited that Better Choice has chosen us as their exclusive distributor in Canada for their pet focused CBD products," states Chris Bogart, President and CEO of Choom. "We recognize the importance of growing our brand portfolio and having the sole distribution rights for Better Choice products helps us achieve that in an entirely new market on the horizon in pet use products. From what we know of in the United States, the CBD products for pet use market has proven to be a high margin business. As the normalization of cannabis-based products in Canada grows, consumers will begin to shift towards these new natural alternative treatments for their pets."

Say hello to ChoomTM

Choom is an emerging adult use cannabis company whose mission is to establish one of the largest retail networks in Canada and the United States. The Choom brand is inspired by Hawaii's "Choom Gang"a group of buddies in Honolulu during the 1970's who loved to smoke weedor as the locals called it, "Choom". Evoking the spirit of the original Choom Gang, our brand caters to the Canadian adult use market with the ethos of 'cultivating good times'. Choom is focused on delivering an elevated customer experience through our curated retail environments, offering a diversity of brands for Canadians across a national retail network.

About Better Choice Company, Inc.

At the foundation of Better Choice is the belief that good health practices and nutrition contribute to and promote a higher quality of life. Recently, Better Choice entered into definitive agreements to acquire TruPet an online seller of pet foods, flea and tick products pet nutritional products and related pet supplies and Bona Vida, an innovative emerging CBD platform, focused on developing a portfolio of brand and product verticals within the animal and human health and wellness space. For more information, please visit and https://www.betterchoicecompany.com.

"Chris Bogart"

President & CEO

Cautionary Statement:

NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATIONS SERVICES PROVIDER HAVE REVIEWED OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

Forward-looking information

This news release contains forward-looking information relating to the Company's proposed activities and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking information relates to management's future outlook and anticipated events or results, and include statements or information regarding the future plans or prospects of the Company. Although management of 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. These factors include risks and uncertainties associated with or arising as a result of delays in obtaining or an inability to obtain required regulatory approvals, access to sufficient quantities of cannabis, the results of diligence investigations, the actions of third parties, the results of negotiations with third parties, developments in the cannabis sector, the ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources, reliance on key personnel, regulatory risks and delays and other risks and uncertainties discussed in the management discussion and analysis section of the Company's interim and most recent annual financial statement or other reports and filings, including those made with the CSE and applicable Canadian securities regulators. There can be no assurance that such forward looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward looking information.

SOURCE Choom Holdings Inc.

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BRUSSELS, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- UCB, a global biopharmaceutical company, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved extending the label for CIMZIA (certolizumab pegol) to include a new indication for the treatment of adults with active non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA) with objective signs of inflammation. The approval makes CIMZIA the first and only FDA-approved treatment for nr-axSpA.

Experience the interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8394951-ucb-cimzia-nraxspa-approval/

A chronic inflammatory condition, nr-axSpA mainly affects the spine and sacroiliac joints and is often undiagnosed and not appropriately treated. In nr-axSpA, definitive evidence of the disease is not evident on an x-ray. Disease onset typically begins in early adulthood and causes chronic and debilitating back pain, stiffness and fatigue, often having a profound impact on patients' lives.

"This is such an important advancement for the spondyloarthritis community. More treatment options, earlier diagnosis, and awareness building will lead to better outcomes for people living with the disease," said Cassie Shafer, Chief Executive Officer, Spondylitis Association of America.

"The FDA approval of CIMZIA for adults with non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis will be transformative for the many patients living with this disease," said Emmanuel Caeymaex, Head of Immunology and Executive Vice President at UCB. "We are proud to be at the forefront of discovering and delivering valuable treatment options for patients with significant disease burden and high unmet need. We are committed to improving care and outcomes for patients across the axial spondyloarthritis spectrum of disease."

"Non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis requires early diagnosis, followed by appropriate treatment. Yet for some patients, the journey to diagnosis can take nearly a decade from symptom onset. This FDA indication will make it easier for patients to receive another avenue of treatment in reducing the severe pain, stiffness, and other burdensome symptoms associated with this disease, to help ultimately improve their quality of life," said Dr. Atul Deodhar, MD, MRCP, FACP, FACR, Professor of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, and a lead author for the pivotal C-AXSPAND study.

This FDA approval is based on data from C-AXSPAND, a Phase 3, multi-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled 52-week study that randomized 317 adult patients to receive either CIMZIA or placebo plus common background medications, which included NSAIDs, corticosteroids, analgesics and slow-acting anti-rheumatic drugs.i The study met its primary endpoint, with 47.2% of patients treated with CIMZIA demonstrating major improvement response in Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS-MI) at week 52, compared to 7.0% of patients treated with placebo.i ASDAS-MI is a validated, rigorous response threshold, defined as an ASDAS decrease of at least two points from baseline or reaching the lowest possible value.i C-AXSPAND is the first study to adopt this stringent threshold as a primary outcome measure. Detailed findings from the study were published online in Arthritis & Rheumatology on March 8, 2019.

The study also met ASAS40, an important secondary endpoint, with 47.8% of CIMZIA-treated patients achieving a 40% improvement in Ankylosing Spondylitis Assessment Score (ASAS40) compared to 11.4% of placebo-treated patients at week 12.

The safety profile for patients with nr-axSpA treated with CIMZIA was similar to the safety profile seen in patients with RA and previous experience with CIMZIA.

According to the updated label, the recommended dose of CIMZIA for adult patients with nr-axSpA is 400 mg (given as 2 subcutaneous injections of 200 mg each) initially and at weeks 2 and 4, followed by 200 mg every 2 weeks or 400 mg every 4 weeks. For full prescribing information, please visit www.ucb-usa.com.

CIMZIA is also FDA-approved for ankylosing spondylitis (AS), as well as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, plaque psoriasis, and Crohn's disease.

About Non-Radiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA) and Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS)

nr-axSpA and AS comprise the axial spondyloarthritis, or axSpA, spectrum of disease, which typically starts in patients under 45 years of age. nr-axSpA and AS share similar symptomology and disease burden. In AS there is definitive structural damage in the sacroiliac joints detectable by x-ray. In nr-axSpA, there is no definitive radiographic sacroiliitis, though more sensitive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) testing may detect evidence of active sacroiliitis, visible as inflammation in the sacroiliac joints. Historically, nr-axSpA has not been well-recognized due to a lack of understanding of the disease history, progression, and prognosis, resulting in substantial diagnostic delay.

Patients face a significant disease burden whether they have nr-axSpA (i.e., no definitive evidence of sacroiliitis on x-ray) or AS (i.e., definitive evidence of sacroiliitis on x-ray). They often experience substantial inflammatory back pain, prolonged and severe stiffness, fatigue, sleep disturbances, reduced physical function, decreased quality of life, impaired work and home productivity and social participation.

Limited evidence exists regarding the exact prevalence of axSpA, though it is thought to impact a substantial proportion of the population. Recent data suggest that 0.5% to 1.4% of the adult population have axSpA, similar to the prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis, which is 0.5% to 1.0%.ii,iii,iv Within the axSpA spectrum of disease, the prevalence is split roughly equally between nr-axSpA and AS.iv

About C-AXSPAND

C-AXSPAND included adult patients with active axSpA without x-ray evidence of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Patients needed to have objective evidence of inflammatory disease, defined as sacroiliitis on MRI and/or elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. Patients must have had an inadequate response to, have a contraindication to, or have been intolerant to at least two non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Inadequate response to an NSAID is defined as lack of response to at least 14 days of continuous NSAID therapy at the highest tolerated dose of the administered NSAID. Patients in both the treatment and placebo groups remained on their background therapy for the duration of the study, which could be adjusted at any point. Safety variables assessed in the study were adverse events, vital signs, physical examination, and measurements of laboratory parameters. The safety profile was consistent with previous clinical trials of CIMZIA.

The primary objective of C-AXSPAND was to assess the safety and efficacy of CIMZIA on the signs and symptoms of active axSpA in patients without x-ray evidence of AS. The primary endpoint assessed was ASDAS-MI response at Week 52. The secondary objectives of the study were to assess efficacy, safety, and tolerability, and to demonstrate the effect of CIMZIA on health outcomes, disease activity, sacroiliac joints, inflammation through MRI, and changes in concomitant and background medications.

The first 52 weeks of the study have been completed and an additional two years of safety follow-up are ongoing.

About CIMZIA in the US

CIMZIA is the only Fc-free, PEGylated anti-TNF (Tumor Necrosis Factor). CIMZIA has a high affinity for human TNF-alpha, selectively neutralizing the pathophysiological effects of TNF-alpha.

CIMZIA is indicated for the treatment of adults with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA), adults with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and adults with active ankylosing spondylitis (AS). CIMZIA is indicated for the treatment of adults with active non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA) with objective signs of inflammation.

CIMZIA is also indicated for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adults who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy.

In addition, it is indicated for reducing signs and symptoms of Crohn's disease (CD) and maintaining clinical response in adult patients with moderately to severely active disease who have had an inadequate response to conventional therapy. See important safety information including risk of serious bacterial, viral and fungal infections and tuberculosis below.

Important Safety Information about CIMZIA in the US

CONTRAINDICATIONS

CIMZIA is contraindicated in patients with a history of hypersensitivity reaction to certolizumab pegol or to any of the excipients. Reactions have included angioedema, anaphylaxis, serum sickness, and urticaria.

SERIOUS INFECTIONS

Patients treated with CIMZIA are at increased risk for developing serious infections that may lead to hospitalization or death. Most patients who developed these infections were taking concomitant immunosuppressants such as methotrexate or corticosteroids.

Discontinue CIMZIA if a patient develops a serious infection or sepsis.

Reported infections include:

Active tuberculosis (TB), including reactivation of latent TB. Patients with TB have frequently presented with disseminated or extrapulmonary disease. Test patients for latent TB before CIMZIA use and during therapy. Initiate treatment for latent TB prior to CIMZIA use.

Invasive fungal infections, including histoplasmosis, coccidioidomycosis, candidiasis, aspergillosis, blastomycosis, and pneumocystosis. Patients with histoplasmosis or other invasive fungal infections may present with disseminated, rather than localized, disease. Antigen and antibody testing for histoplasmosis may be negative in some patients with active infection. Consider empiric anti-fungal therapy in patients at risk for invasive fungal infections who develop severe systemic illness.

Bacterial, viral, and other infections due to opportunistic pathogens, including Legionella and Listeria.

Carefully consider the risks and benefits of treatment with CIMZIA prior to initiating therapy in the following patients: with chronic or recurrent infection; who have been exposed to TB; with a history of opportunistic infection; who resided in or traveled in regions where mycoses are endemic; with underlying conditions that may predispose them to infection. Monitor patients closely for the development of signs and symptoms of infection during and after treatment with CIMZIA, including the possible development of TB in patients who tested negative for latent TB infection prior to initiating therapy.

Do not start CIMZIA during an active infection, including localized infections.

Patients older than 65 years, patients with co-morbid conditions, and/or patients taking concomitant immunosuppressants may be at greater risk of infection.

If an infection develops, monitor carefully and initiate appropriate therapy.

MALIGNANCY

Lymphoma and other malignancies, some fatal, have been reported in children and adolescent patients treated with TNF blockers, of which CIMZIA is a member. CIMZIA is not indicated for use in pediatric patients.

Consider the risks and benefits of CIMZIA treatment prior to initiating or continuing therapy in a patient with known malignancy.

In clinical trials, more cases of malignancies were observed among CIMZIA-treated patients compared to control patients.

In CIMZIA clinical trials, there was an approximately 2-fold higher rate of lymphoma than expected in the general U.S. population. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis, particularly those with highly active disease, are at a higher risk of lymphoma than the general population.

Malignancies, some fatal, have been reported among children, adolescents, and young adults being treated with TNF blockers. Approximately half of the cases were lymphoma, while the rest were other types of malignancies, including rare types associated with immunosuppression and malignancies not usually seen in this patient population.

Postmarketing cases of hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma (HSTCL), a rare type of T-cell lymphoma, have been reported in patients treated with TNF blockers, including CIMZIA. These cases have had a very aggressive disease course and have been fatal. The majority of reported TNF blocker cases have occurred in patients with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, and the majority were in adolescent and young adult males. Almost all of these patients had received treatment with azathioprine or 6-mercaptopurine concomitantly with a TNF blocker at or prior to diagnosis. Carefully assess the risks and benefits of treating with CIMZIA in these patient types.

Cases of acute and chronic leukemia were reported with TNF blocker use.

HEART FAILURE

Worsening and new onset congestive heart failure (CHF) has been reported with TNF blockers. Exercise caution and monitor carefully.

HYPERSENSITIVITY

Angioedema, anaphylactoid reaction, dyspnea, hypotension, rash, serum sickness, and urticaria have been reported following CIMZIA administration. If a serious allergic reaction occurs, stop CIMZIA and institute appropriate therapy. The needle shield inside the removable cap of the CIMZIA prefilled syringe contains a plastic derivative of natural rubber latex which may cause an allergic reaction in individuals sensitive to latex.

HEPATITIS B VIRUS REACTIVATION

Use of TNF blockers, including CIMZIA, may increase the risk of reactivation of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in patients who are chronic carriers. Some cases have been fatal.

Test patients for HBV infection before initiating treatment with CIMZIA.

Exercise caution in patients who are carriers of HBV and monitor them before and during CIMZIA treatment.

Discontinue CIMZIA and begin antiviral therapy in patients who develop HBV reactivation. Exercise caution when resuming CIMZIA after HBV treatment.

NEUROLOGIC REACTIONS

TNF blockers, including CIMZIA, have been associated with rare cases of new onset or exacerbation of central nervous system and peripheral demyelinating diseases, including multiple sclerosis, seizure disorder, optic neuritis, peripheral neuropathy, and Guillain-Barre syndrome.

HEMATOLOGIC REACTIONS

Rare reports of pancytopenia, including aplastic anemia, have been reported with TNF blockers. Medically significant cytopenia has been infrequently reported with CIMZIA.

Consider stopping CIMZIA if significant hematologic abnormalities occur.

DRUG INTERACTIONS

Do not use CIMZIA in combination with other biological DMARDS.

AUTOIMMUNITY

Treatment with CIMZIA may result in the formation of autoantibodies and, rarely, in development of a lupus-like syndrome. Discontinue treatment if symptoms of a lupus-like syndrome develop.

IMMUNIZATIONS

Patients on CIMZIA should not receive live or live-attenuated vaccines.

ADVERSE REACTIONS

The most common adverse reactions in CIMZIA clinical trials (8%) were: upper respiratory infections (18%), rash (9%), and urinary tract infections (8%).

For full prescribing information, please visit https://ucb-usa.com/_up/ucb_usa_com_kopie/documents/Cimzia_PI.pdf.

CIMZIA is a registered trademark of the UCB Group of Companies.

For further information, UCB:

Corporate Communications France Nivelle, Global Communications, UCB Investor Relations Antje Witte, Investor Relations, UCB Brand Communications Andrea Levin Christopher, Immunology Communications, UCB









T +32.2.559.9178, [email protected] T +32.2.559.94.14, [email protected] T +1.404.483.7329, [email protected]

Laurent Schots,

Media Relations, UCB T +32.2.559.92.64, [email protected]







About UCB

UCB, Brussels, Belgium (www.ucb.com) is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative medicines and solutions to transform the lives of people living with severe diseases in immunology and neurology. With 7,500 people in approximately 40 countries, the company generated revenue of  4.6 billion in 2018. UCB is listed on Euronext Brussels (symbol: UCB). Follow us on Twitter: @UCB_news

Forward looking statements  UCB

This press release contains forward-looking statements based on current plans, estimates and beliefs of management. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including estimates of revenues, operating margins, capital expenditures, cash, other financial information, expected legal, political, regulatory or clinical results and other such estimates and results. By their nature, such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions which could cause actual results to differ materially from those that may be implied by such forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Important factors that could result in such differences include: changes in general economic, business and competitive conditions, the inability to obtain necessary regulatory approvals or to obtain them on acceptable terms, costs associated with research and development, changes in the prospects for products in the pipeline or under development by UCB, effects of future judicial decisions or governmental investigations, product liability claims, challenges to patent protection for products or product candidates, changes in laws or regulations, exchange rate fluctuations, changes or uncertainties in tax laws or the administration of such laws and hiring and retention of its employees. UCB is providing this information as of the date of this press release and expressly disclaims any duty to update any information contained in this press release, either to confirm the actual results or to report a change in its expectations.

There is no guarantee that new product candidates in the pipeline will progress to product approval or that new indications for existing products will be developed and approved. Products or potential products which are the subject of partnerships, joint ventures or licensing collaborations may be subject to differences between the partners. Also, UCB or others could discover safety, side effects or manufacturing problems with its products after they are marketed. Moreover, sales may be impacted by international and domestic trends toward managed care and health care cost containment and the reimbursement policies imposed by third-party payers as well as legislation affecting biopharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement.

i UCB Clinical Study Protocol. Protocol AS006 (C-AXSPAND) AMENDMENT. Data on File.

ii Reveille JD (2012): Prevalence of axial spondylarthritis in the United States: estimates from a cross-sectional survey. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2012 Jun;64(6):905-10. doi: 10.1002/acr.21621. Epub 2012 Jan 24. Accessed at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22275150

iii Reveille JD, Weisman MH. (2013): The epidemiology of back pain, axial spondyloarthritis and HLA-B27 in the United States. Am J Med Sci. 2013 Jun;345(6):431-6. Accesed at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23841117

iv Strand et al paper (2013): Prevalence of axial spondyloarthritis in United States rheumatology practices: Assessment of SpondyloArthritis International Society criteria versus rheumatology expert clinical diagnosis. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2013 Aug;65(8):1299-306. Accessed at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23436774



SOURCE UCB, Inc.
GREEN BAY, Wis., March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Wisconsin Public Service (WPS) filed proposals with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSCW) today for regulatory reviews that will set customer rates for electricity and natural gas for the years 2020 and 2021.

The proposal includes investments in two solar facilities, Badger Hollow and Two Creeks that will create 200 megawatts of clean energy. It also includes the ongoing modernizing of its electric distribution system by burying or upgrading 2,000 miles of electric distribution lines. Those upgrades reduce outages and bolster reliability when storms strike.

The plan WPS submitted for consideration would increase the typical monthly residential electric bill by approximately 4.9% in 2020 and an additional 4.9% in 2021.

WPS natural gas customers will also see a small increase in their monthly bills in 2020 and an additional small increase in 2021.

Even with the increases, WPS average bills would remain well below the state and national average.

"Nothing is more important to us than providing safe and reliable energy to our customers," said Tom Metcalfe, president - WPS. "These investments in reliability and clean energy mean a brighter future for today's customers and generations to come."

Rate Summary

WPS is proposing to the PSCW to use $40 million in savings from federal tax reform to partially offset the revenue request. With the tax law savings applied, the request would raise retail electric revenues by 4.9 percent in 2020 and an additional 4.9 percent in 2021.

Next steps

On or before May 1, WPS will update the filing to include more specific information on the rate impact for each customer group. The company also will provide this information to customers through a bill insert and on wisconpublicservice.com

The PSCW will conduct proceedings on the WPS proposals and is expected to make a final decision later this year. New rates are expected to take effect in January 2020.

Forward-looking statements

Certain information contained in this press release is forward-looking information based upon management's current expectations and projections that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking information includes, among other things, statements concerning future regulatory action and rate implementation. Also, forward-looking statements may be identified by reference to a future period or periods or by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "anticipates," "believes," "could," "estimates," expects," "forecasts," "goals," "guidance," "intends," "may," "objectives," "plans," "possible," "potential," "projects," "seeks," "should," "targets," "will" or similar terms or variations of these terms. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

In addition to the assumptions and other factors referred to in connection with the forward-looking information, factors that could cause WEC Energy Group's actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in any forward-looking information or otherwise affect the company's future results include, among others, the following: timing, resolution and impact of rate cases and negotiations, including recovery of deferred and current costs and the ability to earn a reasonable return on investment, and other regulatory decisions; political developments; energy conservation efforts; continued adoption of distributed generation by customers; the remaining uncertainty surrounding the tax legislation enacted in December 2017; federal and state legislative and regulatory changes relating to the environment, including climate change and other environmental regulations impacting generation facilities and renewable energy standards, the enforcement of these laws and regulations, changes in the interpretation of regulations or permit conditions by regulatory agencies, and the recovery of associated remediation and compliance costs; current and future litigation and regulatory investigations; and other factors described under the heading "Factors Affecting Results, Liquidity, and Capital Resources" in Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and under the headings "Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information" and "Risk Factors" contained in WEC Energy Group's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 and in subsequent reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. WEC Energy Group expressly disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE Wisconsin Public Service
OAHU, Hawaii, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- On Monday, the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission (PUC) approved power purchase agreements between Clearway Energy Group ("Clearway") and Hawaiian Electric Company for the construction of two solar projects on Oahu: Mililani I Solar and Waiawa Solar Power. The power purchase agreements were previously executed and submitted for review by the PUC in December 2018.

The Mililani I Solar project is sized at 39 MW and located in the Mililani Agricultural Park, while the Waiawa Solar Power project, located in the Waiawa region, is sized at 36 MW. Both projects will include battery storage capability.

"We're excited to move forward with Hawaiian Electric and all of our partners in Hawaii in bringing even more clean energy to Oahu at a savings to ratepayers," said Patrick Sullivan, Vice President of Development at Clearway. "The alignment and support for projects like these by the Governor, the Legislature and the PUC is making Hawaii a true national leader in the clean energy revolution. We're humbled by this vote of confidence in our projects and look forward to advancing them through permitting and into construction in support of the state's 100 percent renewable energy goals."

In addition to the two solar projects approved today, Clearway has three other solar projects that are currently under construction on Oahu and will be completed in 2019. Combined, the five projects will generate 185 megawatts of low-cost, renewable energy  enough to power approximately 62,000 Oahu homes each year.

With renewable assets across 28 states, over 500 employees and the capacity to power about 2.7 million homes, Clearway is one of the largest clean energy companies in the United States.

ABOUT CLEARWAY ENERGY GROUP

Clearway Energy Group is accelerating the world's transformation to a clean energy future. Built for 21st century energy markets and focused on providing customers with the power they need and the customer experience they deserve, Clearway was created and staffed with functions specific to renewable energy generation and distribution. With assets across 28 states, more than 500 employees and the capacity to power about 2.7 million homes, Clearway is bringing reliable and clean power to market from day one. The Company is headquartered in San Francisco, CA with offices in Carlsbad, CA; Scottsdale, AZ; Houston, TX; and New York, NY. For more information, visit www.clearwayenergygroup.com.

SOURCE Clearway Energy Group

Related Links

https://www.clearwayenergygroup.com


FIGEAC, France, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- At a groundbreaking ceremony today with Agnes Pannier-Runacher, the French Secretary of State to the Minister of the Economy and Finance, Collins Aerospace celebrated the launch of a new propeller Center of Excellence at its legacy Ratier facility in Figeac, France. The state-of-the-art 3,000 square meter advanced factory addition will support advanced design, engineering, testing, manufacturing and maintenance capabilities for future propeller technologies and is expected to be fully operational in 2020. Collins Aerospace is a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX).

The new center will enable Collins Aerospace to develop enhancements for existing propellers, new systems for future turboprops and disruptive technologies for next-generation aircraft, while also helping to reduce cycle times for customers through increased automation. The center's advanced engineering capabilities are expected to enable Collins Aerospace to optimize propeller designs that improve aerodynamics, while reducing weight, fuel consumption and noise for a propeller that is more environmentally friendly. To help airlines reduce maintenance time and costs, Collins Aerospace will also use the center to design a propeller with prognostic health monitoring capabilities as part of the company's overarching focus on developing more intelligent aircraft of the future.

"As a world leader in high-power propellers for commercial and military platforms, Collins Aerospace has been at the forefront of propeller innovation for more than 110 years, in the USA and in Europe," said Propeller Systems GM Jean-Francois Chanut. "Now, we're preparing to disrupt the industry once again with new technologies that our Propeller Center of Excellence will help us bring to market. This Center represents our commitment to providing our customers worldwide with optimized solutions, as well as our desire to invest locally in Figeac and the region."

About Collins Aerospace

Collins Aerospace, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX), is a leader in technologically advanced and intelligent solutions for the global aerospace and defense industry. Created in 2018 by bringing together UTC Aerospace Systems and Rockwell Collins, Collins Aerospace has the capabilities, comprehensive portfolio and expertise to solve customers' toughest challenges and to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving global market. For more information, visit CollinsAerospace.com.

About United Technologies Corporation

United Technologies Corp., based in Farmington, Connecticut, provides high-technology systems and services to the building and aerospace industries. By combining a passion for science with precision engineering, the company is creating smart, sustainable solutions the world needs. For more information about the company, visit our website at www.utc.com or follow us on Twitter: @UTC.

SOURCE Collins Aerospace
Whether it's Amazon's Echo or Google Home, Siri or Alexa, smart speakers and voice-activated assistants are now in our kitchens, bedrooms, and play areas and are creating new concerns about privacy. According to a survey released today from Common Sense and SurveyMonkey , more than four in 10 parents of children age 2 to 8 say their families use a smart speaker such as the Amazon Echo or Google Home, and nearly six in 10 say their young children interact with a voice-activated assistant such as Siri or Alexa. A clear, common undercurrent from the findings is concern: Almost all parents worry about the devices' privacy settings and what can happen to the data that is being collected. ( For real-world reasons parents should care about privacy, see below.* )

This latest survey is part of a Common Sense partnership with SurveyMonkey to examine media and technology trends affecting kids and their parents and to share actionable data and insights for families.

Key findings include:

Parents worry someone is listening. Over half of parents (58 percent) whose children use smart speakers think it's at least moderately likely that someone could hack their smart speakers and listen to their conversations. Four in 10 (40 percent) have turned off their smart speaker's microphone to prevent it from listening.

Over half of parents (58 percent) whose children use smart speakers think it's at least moderately likely that someone could hack their smart speakers and listen to their conversations. Four in 10 (40 percent) have turned off their smart speaker's microphone to prevent it from listening. Almost all parents surveyed value controlling and understanding what information is collected from their voice-activated devices. About nine in 10 parents (93 percent) who use voice-activated devices say it's important to them to know when their families' voices are being recorded, to control what information is collected about them (93 percent), and to control whether their family's voice data is being used to deliver more targeted ads (88 percent).

About nine in 10 parents (93 percent) who use voice-activated devices say it's important to them to know when their families' voices are being recorded, to control what information is collected about them (93 percent), and to control whether their family's voice data is being used to deliver more targeted ads (88 percent). Some parents wish they could limit data collection by voice-activated assistants. A full third (33 percent) of parents whose children interact with voice-activated devices say they would like to take steps to limit the data collected by voice-activated assistants, but they don't know how.

A full third (33 percent) of parents whose children interact with voice-activated devices say they would like to take steps to limit the data collected by voice-activated assistants, but they don't know how. Most kids get that Siri isn't a human. Most parents report their children think voice-activated assistants are not human: They are identified primarily as robots (39 percent) or computer programs (26 percent).

Most parents report their children think voice-activated assistants are not human: They are identified primarily as robots (39 percent) or computer programs (26 percent). Many kids talk to smart speakers daily, mostly to listen to music. Half of parents (50 percent) say their children interact with a smart speaker once a day or more, most often to play music (47 percent) but also to get information (12 percent), just to talk or fool around with (12 percent), or to get jokes (10 percent).

Half of parents (50 percent) say their children interact with a smart speaker once a day or more, most often to play music (47 percent) but also to get information (12 percent), just to talk or fool around with (12 percent), or to get jokes (10 percent). Voice-activated assistants are helpful for some parents and many older kids.

About three in 10 parents (29 percent) say voice-activated assistants are "extremely" or "very" helpful in accomplishing parenting tasks, such as making grocery lists, answering children's questions, or setting reminders.



More than four in 10 parents of 6- to 8-year-olds (43 percent) say their children use voice-activated assistants to help with homework.

"This report is a clarion call for tech companies and privacy regulators that as these devices are brought into the home, there's nearly unanimous concern about privacy," said James P. Steyer, founder and CEO of Common Sense. "After all, voice-activated devices collect and store untold amounts of data, and it's unclear what the companies do with the extraneous noise they pick up. Until privacy regulations are worked out, parents should turn off their home assistant's microphone when they're not using it and do regular privacy checks to maintain their comfort level with these devices."

"Our study pinpoints privacy as a major concern among consumers who use smart speakers, particularly among parents of young children," said Jon Cohen, chief research officer at SurveyMonkey. "As voice-activated assistants are incorporated more fully into family life, brands need to carefully balance these widespread privacy concerns with their relentless build-out of ever-more-advanced features that promise value, convenience, and plain-old fun."

The full results of the survey can be viewed at Common Sense Media .

About Common Sense

Common Sense is the nation's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in the 21st century. Learn more at commonsense.org .

About SurveyMonkey

Founded in 1999, SurveyMonkey changed the way people gather feedback by making it easy for anyone to create their own online surveys. Our mission is to power curious individuals and organizations around the globe to measure, benchmark, and act on the opinions that drive success. Our People Powered Data platform enables organizations of any size to have conversations at scale to deliver impactful customer, employee, and market insights. Our more than 850 employees are dedicated to fueling the curiosity of over 17.5 million active users globally.

For more information, including specific privacy-protection tips, check out our Parent's Ultimate Guide to Smart Devices .

Real-World Reasons Parents Should Care About Privacy*

Smart speakers can divulge "secrets." Smart devices collect data to provide a service. For instance, a smart refrigerator tracks what food you buy -- but it typically collects more data than it needs. So what additional information are devices like smart speakers collecting, and where is it going? It's used to create consumer profiles, which are then often sold to other companies. And if you're asking Alexa or Google Home about your symptoms when you don't feel well or are worried about a health issue, that may go into your profile. So maybe you don't mind if that means you're marketed a new ice cream flavor, but how would you feel if your indulgent ice cream habit or other health issues were revealed to your health insurance provider? Smart speakers can "spy." Everyone has the right to privacy, especially in their own home. But home assistants such as Amazon's Echo and Google Home are designed to butt their noses into conversations. These devices collect -- and store -- untold amounts of data. It's unclear what the companies do with the extraneous "noise" they pick up. And if it's subpoenaed, they might have to hand it over. Say your kid jokes about terrorism or something else illegal; if there's an investigation into those activities, the companies might have to cough up the transcripts. In Arkansas , a prosecutor asked for a murder suspect's Echo smart speaker in case its information could shed light on the crime. The suspect agreed to hand over the recordings, and Amazon was compelled to make them available. Smart speakers can profile students. Schools are increasingly using third-party software to teach, test, and diagnose learning issues and interact with students. And the companies that serve up the programs are typically allowed to collect, store, and sell your kids' performance records. If your kid is using your home speaker to get homework help, that just adds to their profile. Wondering about all those offers for supplemental reading classes you're receiving in the mail? Maybe your kid stumbled on her reading assessments -- and marketers are trying to sell you "solutions." Curious why Harvard isn't trying to recruit your kid? Maybe they already decided she's not Ivy League material based on her middle school grades.

SOURCE Common Sense

Related Links

https://www.commonsense.org/


CHICAGO, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE: CAG) will host an investor day webcast on Wednesday, April 10, 2019, at 11 a.m. ET. The company's leadership team will present information on Conagra Brands' value creating opportunities following the completion of its acquisition of Pinnacle Foods, including an update on its robust innovation slate, Pinnacle cost synergy opportunities and its long-term financial algorithm.

The live webcast and presentation slides will be available on conagrabrands.com/investor-relations under Events & Presentations. Please sign in to the webcast 10 to 15 minutes prior to the event start time. No audio dial-in is available for the webcast.

A replay of the webcast will be available within 24 hours of the event start time until April 10, 2020.

About Conagra Brands

Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE: CAG), headquartered in Chicago, is one of North America's leading branded food companies. Guided by an entrepreneurial spirit, Conagra Brands combines a rich heritage of making great food with a sharpened focus on innovation. The company's portfolio is evolving to satisfy people's changing food preferences. Conagra's iconic brands, such as Birds Eye, Marie Callender's, Banquet, Healthy Choice, Slim Jim, Reddi-wip, and Vlasic, as well as emerging brands, including Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP, Duke's, Earth Balance, Gardein, and Frontera, offer choices for every occasion. For more information, visit www.conagrabrands.com.

For more information, please contact:

MEDIA: Dan Hare

312-549-5355

[email protected]

INVESTORS: Brian Kearney

312-549-5002

[email protected]

SOURCE Conagra Brands, Inc.

Related Links

https://www.conagrabrands.com


OKLAHOMA CITY, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Continental Resources, Inc. (NYSE: CLR) (the Company) plans to announce first quarter 2019 results on Monday, April 29, 2019 following the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange. The Company plans to host a conference call to discuss first quarter 2019 results on Tuesday, April 30, 2019 at 12:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. CT). Those wishing to listen to the conference call may do so via the Company's website at www.CLR.com or by phone:

Time and date: 12 p.m. ET, Tuesday, April 30, 2019 Dial-in: 844-309-6572 Intl. dial-in: 484-747-6921 Conference ID: 4290299

A replay of the call will be available for 14 days on the Company's website or by dialing:

Replay number: 855-859-2056 or 404-537-3406 Intl. replay: 800-585-8367 Conference ID: 4290299

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120327/DA76602LOGO

The Company plans to publish a first quarter 2019 summary presentation to its website at www.CLR.com prior to the start of its conference call on April 30, 2019.

About Continental Resources

Continental Resources (NYSE: CLR) is a top 10 independent oil producer in the U.S. Lower 48 and a leader in America's energy renaissance. Based in Oklahoma City, Continental is the largest leaseholder and the largest producer in the nation's premier oil field, the Bakken play of North Dakota and Montana. The Company also has significant positions in Oklahoma, including its SCOOP Woodford and SCOOP Springer discoveries and the STACK plays. With a focus on the exploration and production of oil, Continental has unlocked the technology and resources vital to American energy independence and our nation's leadership in the new world oil market. In 2019, the Company will celebrate 52 years of operations. For more information, please visit www.CLR.com.

Investor Contacts: Media Contact: Rory Sabino Kristin Thomas Vice President, Investor Relations Senior Vice President, Public Relations 405-234-9620 405-234-9480 [email protected] [email protected]



Lucy Guttenberger

Investor Relations Analyst

405-774-5878

[email protected]



SOURCE Continental Resources

Related Links

http://www.clr.com


"We know that enrichment and exploration can propel students on their academic journey, but many exceptional students miss out on these opportunities due to financial need," said Seppy Basili, the Foundation's executive director. "This year's grantees offer a strong framework of programming to close excellence gaps and support students in advancing their education and pursuing their dreams."

Foundation research demonstrates that high-achieving high school students with financial need are less likely than their higher-income peers to continue performing in the top academic quartile. These excellence gaps persist and, in many cases, widen as students continue through their K-12 years. By supporting academic enrichment opportunities for students in middle and high school, the Foundation targets these crucial years for student engagement.

This year's Academic Enrichment Grants provide continued investments in the following five organizations:

Bridge to Enter Advanced Mathematics (BEAM) - $200,000

Through summer programming and extracurricular enrichment, BEAM is helping to develop the next generation of mathematicians and scientists in New York and Los Angeles. Foundation funding will support BEAM 6, a five-week summer day camp for students completing 6th grade, that focuses on developing students' mathematical problem-solving skills, growing their independent study skills, and building stamina and love for mathematical problem solving. As a community of young mathematicians, students are encouraged to continue their mathematical pursuits after the summer by completing math challenges and content at home and are then invited to apply to continue in BEAM's programs from 8th grade to college.

Duke University Talent Identification Program - Project Launch - $150,000

Project Launch provides rigorous educational opportunities and advising to high-ability students with financial need and evaluates which interventions are impactful in changing students' academic trajectory, lead to increased opportunity for higher education and career success, and are cost-effective. The program also provides support to student families including email nudges, targeted communication, dedicated follow-up to empower and equip them to support the social-emotional development of their high-ability children. Continued Foundation funding for Project Launch will support current programing for students in grades 4 through 6, as well as the addition of a new cohort of students.

Northwestern University Center for Talent Development - Online Curriculum Consortium for Accelerating Middle School (Project OCCAMS) - $91,000

Project OCCAMS combines the expertise of the Center for Talent Development (CTD) at Northwestern University; the Center for Gifted Education (CFGE) at the College of William & Mary; and Columbus City Schools (Columbus, Ohio) to bring an innovative solution to closing excellence gaps in public school districts and to help propel students on a track to take advanced curriculum. Funding from the Foundation will be used to support the development and delivery of an accelerated online English Language Arts curriculum, program revisions, and professional development for participating teachers.

Purdue University Gifted Education Research & Resource Institute (GERI), Project HOPE+ - $150,000

Project HOPE+ supports talent development among Native American students in grades 5 through 12 with scholarships to attend two-week GERI residential camps for gifted, creative, and talented youth. Foundation funding supports direct program scholarships for approximately 90 students over two years to attend Purdue's rigorous summer enrichment camps, which help develop students' strengths, interests, and aspirations by exposing them to post-secondary opportunities and high-quality academic programs not available in their schooling experience.

Society for Science and the Public Advocate Grant Program - $100,000

Society for Science and the Public's Advocate Grant Program works to increase the pipeline of high-achieving students with financial need who compete in local, state-wide, and national science research competitions with the help of 50 advocates  middle and high school teachers, college professors and paraprofessionals from 28 states, Washington, DC and Puerto Rico. Foundation funding will support the advocates, who work with 3-5 students to help them transition from conducting research to entering their work in competitions. Participating in middle and high school science research is a key milestone of STEM pathways; however, low-income students often lack the guidance needed to include a successful entry in the complex submission process.

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is dedicated to advancing the education of exceptionally promising students who have financial need. Since 2000, the Foundation has awarded $190 million in scholarships to nearly 2,500 students from 8th grade through graduate school, along with comprehensive counseling and other support services. The Foundation has also provided over $100 million in grants to organizations that serve such students. www.jkcf.org

Media Contact: Amber Styles, 571-799-8063, [email protected]

SOURCE Jack Kent Cooke Foundation

Related Links

http://www.jkcf.org


Bonn website relaunch : New design, new forms, new interactive services

BONN Since late on Tuesday evening the city of Bonn presents itself on the Internet with completely revised pages. These now adapt to the users end devices and offer a central search function for many different requests.

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Anyone who visited the website of the city of Bonn at www.bonn.de (for the English version, please go to: https://www.bonn.de/microsite/en/index.php) on Wednesday will probably have wondered about the appearance of the site. Because since Tuesday evening, 11 pm, it is presented in a completely new design.

Instead of the many different menu items listed on the old homepage, a large teaser picture and a search function now appear. This should lead users quickly to find their destination by entering their request. Scrolling down includes links to the city's citizen services or information on the Beethoven year 2020.

"If you heard a loud rumble that night, it was the sound of a massive load being lifted off our mind," said city spokeswoman Monika Horig at the presentation of the new website. Two years ago, her team from the Press Office, together with the companies Sitepark and City & Bits, started work on the relaunch, i.e. the redesign of the website.

Redesign cost 440,000 Euro

The old version already existed since 2003, so the relaunch was overdue, according to Horig. The site is to be constantly further developed, as Lord Mayor Ashok Sridharan emphasised: "We will not rest on our laurels on the new site, but will constantly expand our service there. According to the city, the costs of the redesign amount to 440,000 Euro. Recently, there have been about one million page impressions per month.

During the presentation, Horig explained that the new development was based on two principles: On the one hand, the presentation of the pages adapts to each user's end device - from smartphone to tablet to PC. "More than two thirds of the users visit the websites while on the move," said Andreas Leinhaas, Head of the Personnel and Organization Office, which was also involved in the relaunch. Secondly, the perspective had changed. Instead of presenting the administration, the focus is now on citizens and their concerns.

For this reason, the city describes around 800 services and responsibilities on its portal, including the respective contact details of the offices. The ten most popular services, including the registration of a new apartment, are now also available in easily understandable language. However, the city wants to expand its range of services in this area in the future.

Tickets for construction sites and events

In addition, 180 forms are available, which can be filled out completely online and then sent to the administration. A further 70 forms are to be added in the course of this year. However, if a form requires a signature, it must still be sent to the administration by post.

The city has attached great importance to the integration of the city map on its pages. For example, users can view the current construction sites as well as those for the next 30 days and the entire year on a map. The locations of events are also displayed on a map. In addition, it is now possible for users to transfer dates from the city's calendar of events - the most frequently clicked offer on the site - to their own digital calendar on their smartphone.

In the next few days, users will have to reckon with a few restrictions if they want to access subpages of bonn.de via Google. Since not all pages have been transferred yet, it is possible to land on error pages. "It will still take a few days until Google displays all new pages," said deputy city spokesman Marc Hoffmann.

If you can't find what you're looking for with the search function, you can use the "I can't find anything" form. "We hope for feedbacks, in order to constantly improve and further develop the search and the Internet appearance itself , said press office chief Monika Horig.
Custom pre-roll product to be available at dispensaries nationwide; portion of proceeds to benefit the Veterans Cannabis Project and awareness efforts

WASHINGTON, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. (CSE: CURA) (OTCQX: CURLF) ("Curaleaf" or the "Company"), a leading vertically integrated cannabis operator in the United States, and the Veterans Cannabis Project (VCP), an organization that advocates for unrestricted and supported access of medical cannabis for veterans, today announced an initiative that seeks to raise awareness and marks an important milestone to make legal cannabis more accessible for veterans.

A custom designed "Veterans Cannabis Project" pre-roll product will be available for purchase at dispensaries in the 33 states where medical cannabis is legal. A portion of all proceeds will be donated to the Veterans Cannabis Project. The product will first be available at Maryland dispensaries with a national roll-out following in the coming months. Each box includes five pre-rolls, totaling two grams; prices will vary by state. Images can be downloaded here.

"We have seen first-hand the powerful and positive impact that medical cannabis can have on people's lives," said Joseph Lusardi, CEO of Curaleaf. "Through our initiative with the Veterans Cannabis Project, we hope to bring additional visibility to the important issue of access to cannabis and help the many veterans dealing with a host of ailments such as PTSD, chronic pain, opioid dependency and other conditions gain better access to quality medical cannabis."

"Despite the life-changing potential medical cannabis holds for millions of veterans facing debilitating conditions, federal law makes it illegal for Veteran Health Administration physicians to recommend cannabis as a treatment option, and that's something we urgently need to change," said Doug Distaso, VCP's Executive Director. "We're excited to partner with Curaleaf  one of the most accessible cannabis brands in the U.S. known for its trusted, quality products  as we work to help veterans gain legal access and promote medical cannabis research."

The first "Veterans Cannabis Project" pre-roll product was sold this morning at Curaleaf's Reisterstown, Maryland dispensary at a celebration event.

As part of the initiative, the artwork of veteran artists will also be featured at Curaleaf and participating partner dispensaries. The first featured artist is VCP's Doug Distaso, a military veteran who served more than 21 years in the U.S. Air Force as a special operations pilot. Distaso suffered from chronic pain and PTSD as a result of a plane accident during his tour. After experiencing the medical benefits of cannabis first-hand, he began working to increase access to safe medical cannabis for veterans, while also helping veterans through art therapy. All displayed artwork will be available for purchase at www.vetscp.org.

About Curaleaf Holdings

Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. (CSE: CURA) (OTCQX: CURLF) ("Curaleaf") is the leading vertically integrated multi-state cannabis operator in the United States. It is a high-growth cannabis company with a national brand known for quality, trust and reliability. The company is positioned in highly populated, limited license states, and currently operates in 12 states with 43 dispensaries, 12 cultivation sites and 11 processing sites. Curaleaf has the executive expertise and research and development capabilities to provide leading service, selection, and accessibility across the medical and adult-use markets, as well as in the CBD category through its Curaleaf Hemp brand.

About Veterans Cannabis Project

Veterans Cannabis Project is dedicated to advocating on behalf of cannabis access issues for U.S. military veterans. VCP is committed to educating policymakers and the public about the value of cannabis to veterans and supporting veterans across the nation with the resources they need to understand the value of medical cannabis, know their cannabis rights, and access the tools they need to encourage federal policy change. We work daily to create a community that can heal our nation's broken approach to cannabis and provide veterans with safe, legal access.

Company Contact:

Curaleaf Holdings, Inc.

Christine Rigby, SVP, Investor Relations

[email protected]

Investor Contact:

Teneo

Brian Waldman, SVP

[email protected]

Press Contact:

MarinoPR

Samantha Qualls

[email protected]

SOURCE Curaleaf Holdings, Inc.

Related Links

http://curaleaf.com


SAN FRANCISCO, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Digital Realty (NYSE: DLR), a leading global provider of data center, colocation and interconnection solutions, announced today it will release financial results for the first quarter of 2019 after the market closes on Thursday, April 25, 2019. The company will host a conference call to discuss these results at 5:30 p.m. EDT / 2:30 p.m. PDT on Thursday, April 25, 2019.

To participate in the live call, investors are invited to dial +1 (888) 317-6003 (for domestic callers) or +1 (412) 317-6061 (for international callers) and reference the conference ID # 3463240 at least five minutes prior to start time. A live webcast of the call will be available on the Investors section of Digital Realty's website at http://investor.digitalrealty.com.

Telephone and webcast replays will be available one hour after the call until May 31, 2019. The telephone replay may be accessed by dialing +1 (877) 344-7529 (for domestic callers) or +1 (412) 317-0088 (for international callers) and using the conference ID # 10129308. The webcast replay may be accessed on Digital Realty's website.

For Additional Information

Andrew P. Power

Chief Financial Officer

Digital Realty

(415) 738-6500

Investor Relations

John J. Stewart / Nina Bari

Digital Realty

(415) 738-6500

[email protected]

About Digital Realty

Digital Realty supports the data center, colocation and interconnection strategies of more than 2,300 firms across its secure, network-rich portfolio of data centers located throughout North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia and Australia. Digital Realty's clients include domestic and international companies of all sizes, ranging from cloud and information technology services, communications and social networking to financial services, manufacturing, energy, healthcare and consumer products.

SOURCE Digital Realty

Related Links

http://www.digitalrealty.com


DETROIT, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- DTE Energy today announced a bold new goal to reduce carbon emissions 80 percent by 2040  accelerating by a full decade the carbon reduction commitment it made to Michigan residents and businesses just two years ago. In the company's Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) being submitted to the Michigan Public Service Commission on Friday, DTE outlines the steps it will take over the next five years, and beyond, to transform to a cleaner generation mix  adding more renewables, increasing energy efficiency for its customers above state requirements and retiring coal plants sooner than previously announced. DTE also announced it will reduce carbon emissions at least 50 percent by 2030, surpassing its previous carbon reduction commitment of 45 percent by that timeframe.

"In Michigan, we are in the midst of a fundamental energy transformation. Two years ago, we were one of the first energy companies in the country to commit to reducing carbon emissions 80 percent by 2050. Our plan has evolved, and we now are accelerating that goal by a decade," said Gerry Anderson, DTE Energy chairman and CEO. "Achieving these goals will require significant investments in the years ahead  and we are convinced we can make those investments while ensuring that electricity remains highly reliable and affordable for Michigan homes and businesses."

The 2016 energy law passed by the Michigan Legislature requires energy companies in the state to file an Integrated Resource Plan every five years. The IRP provides a comprehensive road map for meeting customers' energy and capacity needs.

DTE's plan includes:

Accelerating coal plant retirements : DTE plans to close the St. Clair Power Plant and the Trenton Channel Power Plant in 2022, one year ahead of schedule. The River Rouge Power Plant also will be retired in 2022. DTE is working closely with the impacted communities to help with economic development during this transition. DTE is committed to no employee layoffs and will provide training opportunities for employees to find new roles within the company. We also expect to continue hiring during this timeframe due to anticipated employee retirements.

: DTE plans to close the St. Clair Power Plant and the Trenton Channel Power Plant in 2022, one year ahead of schedule. The River Rouge Power Plant also will be retired in 2022. DTE is working closely with the impacted communities to help with economic development during this transition. DTE is committed to no employee layoffs and will provide training opportunities for employees to find new roles within the company. We also expect to continue hiring during this timeframe due to anticipated employee retirements. Investing $2 billion in renewables by 2024: DTE will more than double its renewable energy production over the next five years, generating enough clean energy to power 800,000 Michigan homes. By the time DTE removes all coal from its generation fleet in 2040, its renewable energy portfolio will have quadrupled.

DTE will more than double its renewable energy production over the next five years, generating enough clean energy to power 800,000 homes. By the time DTE removes all coal from its generation fleet in 2040, its renewable energy portfolio will have quadrupled. Offering homes and businesses the opportunity to voluntarily buy more clean energy to meet their sustainability and carbon footprint goals: DTE is moving aggressively to expand its voluntary renewable program, which will accelerate Michigan's transition to renewable energy and empower companies to meet their sustainability goals through voluntary investments. As demonstrated by DTE's recent partnerships with Ford and General Motors, DTE's MIGreenPower program allows large business and industrial customers to meet their own sustainability goals, while residential and small business customers can choose to source a percentage of their energy from Michigan wind and solar projects.

DTE is moving aggressively to expand its voluntary renewable program, which will accelerate transition to renewable energy and empower companies to meet their sustainability goals through voluntary investments. As demonstrated by DTE's recent partnerships with Ford and General Motors, DTE's MIGreenPower program allows large business and industrial customers to meet their own sustainability goals, while residential and small business customers can choose to source a percentage of their energy from wind and solar projects. Investing in energy efficiency : DTE previously committed to reducing energy usage by 1.5 percent each year within its service area by working with customers to help them save energy. The 2019 IRP steps up the annual energy savings to 1.75 percent, which is 75 percent higher than the state requires. This will help DTE customers save even more energy and more money.

: DTE previously committed to reducing energy usage by 1.5 percent each year within its service area by working with customers to help them save energy. The 2019 IRP steps up the annual energy savings to 1.75 percent, which is 75 percent higher than the state requires. This will help DTE customers save even more energy and more money. Investing in hydro energy storage to ensure reliability: An $800 million upgrade project is on schedule at Michigan's Ludington pumped storage facility, co-owned by DTE and Consumers Energy. This investment allows DTE to protect reliability because the facility operates like a giant battery that can be tapped when renewable output drops. When customer demand increases or generation from intermittent resources decreases and electricity prices increase, the water from Ludington's reservoir can be released, generating electricity for customers. When the project is complete in 2020, Ludington will generate enough power to serve 175,000 DTE households.

The plan DTE is submitting today focuses most heavily on the next five years and considers the most affordable and reliable mix of generation sources that are currently available. Longer-term, DTE will continue to evaluate and refine future options to meet its carbon emissions commitment as technology develops and costs decline.

With this plan, DTE's average annual carbon emissions will drop by 400,000 tons in 2020 and 2021. In 2022, when Trenton Channel, St. Clair and the River Rouge power plants retire, DTE's annual carbon emissions will be reduced by an additional 7.5 million tons. That's the greenhouse gas emissions equivalent of nearly 1.6 million passenger vehicles driven for a year. 1

"As we developed this plan, we reached out into the community and listened to our customers' inputs and feedback," Anderson said. "Our customers care about climate change and want to make sure we are doing everything we can to transition to cleaner energy. All of our customers want us to ensure high reliability as we transition  and we know we need to keep energy affordable for Michigan's homes and businesses as we evolve as well."

For more information about the Integrated Resource Plan and DTE's journey to 80 percent carbon reduction by 2040, visit www.journeyto80.com

About DTE Energy

DTE Energy (NYSE: DTE) is a Detroit-based diversified energy company involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide. Its operating units include an electric company serving 2.2 million customers in Southeastern Michigan and a natural gas company serving 1.3 million customers in Michigan. The DTE portfolio includes energy businesses focused on natural gas pipelines, gathering and storage, power and industrial projects, renewable natural gas, and energy marketing and trading. As an environmental leader, DTE will reduce carbon dioxide and methane emissions by more than 80 percent to produce cleaner energy while keeping it safe, reliable and affordable. DTE is committed to being a force for good in the communities where it serves through volunteerism, education and employment initiatives, philanthropy and economic progress. Information about DTE is available at dteenergy.com, empoweringmichigan.com, twitter.com/dte_energy and facebook.com.

1 EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator

SOURCE DTE Energy

Related Links

http://www.dteenergy.com


SAN FRANCISCO, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Education venture studio, Entangled Group , today announced a Series B investment of $15 million led by global investors Hereditas Capital Management and TDM Partners of Hong Kong and leading education investor Rethink Education.

"When it comes to education, the venture capital model is broken," said Nick Hammerschlag, president of Entangled Group and former member of the investment teams at growth equity firm General Atlantic and Openview Partners. "We're creating businesses from the ground-up through a collaborative approach, at a moment where the intersection of education and employment is experiencing unprecedented dynamism."

Entangled Group's unique model draws upon hands-on experience working with colleges and universities, as well as employers, through its consulting team to identify demand for new and emergent solutions. Earlier this year, the firm launched PathStream in collaboration with Facebook to close skills gaps with untapped talent from community colleges. Entangled-backed ReUp Education helps colleges re-enroll adults with some college credit but no degree. In 2017, the firm exited Entangled-created startup Practice, the video-based skill development platform acquired by Instructure (INST).

"The frustrations of education entrepreneurs and investors represent two sides of the same coin. Investors tend to shy away from the complexity of a market typified by resistance to change and hyper-fragmentation. Entrepreneurs, in turn, struggle to find investors who appreciate both the magnitude of not just the challenge, but opportunity, in education," said Paul Freedman, CEO of Entangled Group. "We've flipped the venture model on its head by creating businesses in response to -- and in collaboration with -- customers, instead of building solutions in search of problems."

In recent years, the firm's participation in early stage investments has served as a signal to Silicon Valley's venture capital firms looking to enter the education and training market. The Entangled portfolio includes Andela, launched by 2U founder Jeremy Johnson, which helps employers develop tech talent in Africa; microscholarship platform Raise.me (backed by Owl Ventures and Redpoint); and Guild Education (backed by Bessemer Venture Partners and Redpoint), which helps employers like Disney, WalMart, and Chipotle provide frontline employees with educational benefits, including college tuition assistance.

About Entangled Group: The Entangled Group is a venture studio pioneering an entirely new approach to the development and scale of education and workforce technology that blends investing, company-building and consulting. As an evolution of the venture capital model, our venture studio approach enables us to not only invest seed capital, but actually launch and operate our own businesses directly aligned with the needs of the education ecosystem. Our company creation efforts are focused on helping the education ecosystem accelerate its transformation from its roots in the industrial economy to optimizing for a knowledge economy and the future of work.

Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE Entangled Group
SAN FRANCISCO and ATLANTA, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, today announced the addition of Vanessa Smiley who will assume a key role in EPIC's growing Integrated Risk Solutions Consulting Practice as Senior Vice President, Operations.

Smiley joins EPIC from Beecher Carlson in Atlanta, where she served as Vice President, Claims Operations.

Maurice Edwards, Managing Principal of EPIC's Integrated Risk Solutions Practice, commented, "We are very pleased and excited to add Vanessa, a well-respected thought leader in the area of operational efficiency. Vanessa will lead operations with a focus on building processes and procedures to further expand and enhance the value we deliver to our clients."

Vanessa Smiley can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at (708) 2870641.

Learn more about EPIC Integrated Risk Solutions at https://www.epicbrokers.com/product/integrated-risk-solutions/

About EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants

EPIC is a unique and innovative retail property and casualty and employee benefits insurance brokerage and consulting firm. EPIC has created a values-based, client-focused culture that attracts and retains top talent, fosters employee satisfaction and loyalty and sustains a high level of customer service excellence.

EPIC team members have consistently recognized their company as a "Best Place to Work" in multiple regions and as a "Best Place to Work in the Insurance Industry" nationally.

EPIC now has more than 1,800 team members operating from 80 offices across the U.S., providing Property and Casualty, Employee Benefits, Specialty Programs and Private Client solutions to EPIC clients.

With run rate revenues greater than $575 million, EPIC ranks among the top 15 retail insurance brokers in the U.S. Backed and sponsored by Oak Hill Capital Partners, the company continues to expand organically and through strategic acquisitions across the country. For additional information, please visit https://www.epicbrokers.com

*LOGO Link for media: Send2Press.com/300dpi/19-0107-epic-insurance-300dpi.jpg

This release was issued through Send2Press, a unit of Neotrope. For more information, visit Send2Press Newswire at https://www.Send2Press.com

SOURCE EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants

Related Links

https://www.epicbrokers.com


VANCOUVER, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - Equinox Gold Corp. (TSX-V: EQX, OTC: EQXFF) ("Equinox Gold" or the "Company") will hold its annual general meeting ("AGM") on May 1, 2019 commencing at 1:30 pm PT, followed by a corporate update commencing at 2:00 pm PT.

Corporate Update Conference Call and Webcast

Equinox Gold will host a conference call and webcast for the corporate update portion of the meeting to discuss the Company's business strategy and objectives and provide an update on activities underway at the Company's projects. Shareholders who cannot attend the meeting in person are invited to join the conference call or webcast and will have an opportunity to ask questions of Equinox Gold's Chairman, CEO and executive team.

Attend in person

Suite 2600, 595 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC

Conference call

Toll-free in U.S. and Canada: 1-800-319-4610

International callers: +1 604-638-5340

Webcast www.equinoxgold.com

Meeting Materials

To further its commitment to environmental sustainability and to reduce its printing and mailing costs, Equinox Gold used the Notice and Access process for the delivery of meeting materials for this year's AGM. Under Notice and Access, instead of receiving printed copies of the meeting materials, shareholders receive a Notice and Access notification containing details of the AGM date, location and purpose, as well as information on how they can access the meeting materials electronically. Shareholders with existing instructions on their account to receive printed materials have been mailed a printed copy of the meeting materials. All of the meeting materials can be downloaded from Equinox Gold's website at www.equinoxgold.com and from Equinox Gold's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Shareholders may request that printed copies of the meeting materials be mailed to them at no cost by contacting the Company at [email protected] or by phone at 1-833-EQX-GOLD (1-833-379-4653) (North America) or +1-604-558-0560 (International).

On Behalf of the Board of Equinox Gold Corp.

"Christian Milau"

CEO & Director

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as such term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Equinox Gold Corp.
PALM BEACH, Florida, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- European CEO, a leading subscription-based print and online publication, delivered to executives in 28 countries throughout Europe, has been tracking the growing CBD market in Europe. A recent article of theirs was titled: "High demand: CBD-based products gain popularity in European markets - As legalization continues to bring cannabis into the mainstream, high-end products containing its CBD compound are becoming increasingly popular across Europe." The article continued: "The consumption of CBD has been increasing at an exponential rate  not just in terms of prevalence, but in its growing variety of forms and uses too. As expected (given recent legislative developments), this trend is swiftly proliferating across North America. But interestingly, it's also spreading throughout Europe via a fast-rising number of both online and brick-and-mortar retailers. While Europe has not experienced the same level of legalization as North America when it comes to the entire cannabis plant, over the last year or so there has been a growing awareness about the merits of its fascinating component, CBD. Given that it can be sold legally throughout the region and has none of the intoxicating effects of THC, the market is by no means limited to those who consume cannabis recreationally. As reflected over the past year, the versatility of cannabis, and CBD in particular, can reach myriad industries. And as awareness grows further, so too will demand  especially for products that boast physical benefits." Active Companies from around the market with current developments this week include: Marijuana Company of America, Inc. (OTC:MCOA), Medical Marijuana, Inc. (OTC: MJNA), Hemp Inc. (OTC: HEMP), The Green Organic Dutchman Holdings Ltd. (TSX: TGOD) (OTC: TGODF), The Supreme Cannabis Company, Inc. (TSX: FIRE) (OTC: SPRWF).

Another observed in article was quoted: "I think CBD in wellness products will end up being a bigger business than high-potency THC products that are meant to get people stoned. With high-end wellness and natural trends now firmly underway and mushrooming, CBD is a perfect fit. And as legalization continues across the region and beyond, the enthusiasm for the compound in its various forms is set to amplify, bringing forth new possibilities for luxury markets and willing players. The green rush has well and truly arrived."

Marijuana Company of America, Inc. (OTCQB:MCOA) BREAKING NEWS: Marijuana Company of America has successfully launched sales of the hempSMART product line in the United Kingdom during the London event on March 23, 2019.

The hempSMART UK team successfully sold out its entire promotional inventory at the launch event, which led to over 1,000 new associates signing up with the Company's associate networking program. The official website of hempSMART UK is live and can be visited at www.hempsmart.co.uk.

The event in London is being followed up by additional launch events taking place in Birmingham and Liverpool. Due to the success of our United Kingdom launch, the Company anticipates that the pre-launch for the hempSMART product line will take place in the Netherlands and Germany during Q2 2019.

Global Sales Director for hempSMART, Ian Harvey, said, "Our First Launch event was a huge success as we had to close registrations due to the hotel capacity being reached. To avoid disappointment, we have now scheduled two further launch events in Birmingham and Liverpool. These events are filling fast and are both on track to be sold out despite booking larger venues. I was just nineteen when I first got involved in MLM and I have never experienced this level of excitement involving a launch. With the next two venues filling up I truly believe that hempSMART will become a household name across Europe very quickly." Read this and more news for MCOA at: https://www.financialnewsmedia.com/news-mcoa/

In the industry developments and happenings in the market this week include:

Medical Marijuana, Inc. (OTCPK: MJNA) the first-ever publicly traded cannabis company in the United States, recently announced that its portfolio company AXIM Biotechnologies (AXIM), a world leader in cannabinoid research and development, has received the issuance of a Notice of Allowance for a patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on a method to treat atopic dermatitis, also known as eczema, using a topical cream containing cannabinoids - specifically cannabidiol ("CBD") and cannabigerol ("CBG"). The USPTO granted this allowance from AXIM's patent application 16/106,524 filed on August 21, 2018.

"As a large investor in AXIM, we are proud to see the company expand their intellectual property protection as they develop this innovative topical cream that aims to treat atopic dermatitis among other skin conditions," said Dr. Stuart Titus, CEO of Medical Marijuana, Inc. "We look forward to continuing our relationship with AXIM as they research the potential therapeutic benefits of cannabinoids and launch additional products that look to transform both the cannabinoid-based pharmaceutical and nutraceutical markets."

Hemp Inc. (OTCPK: HEMP) recently announced the huge success of its 1st Hemp University educational seminar on the west coast, in Ashland, Oregon. Held (Saturday, March 23, 2019) at Southern Oregon University, the sold-out event provided attendees with a full day of networking, education, and support. As a global leader in the industrial hemp industry with bi-coastal processing centers including a state of the art hemp processing center in Medford, Oregon, the 85,000 square-foot multipurpose industrial hemp processing facility in Spring Hope, North Carolina, and a 500-acre hemp growing Eco-Village in Golden Valley, Arizona, one of Hemp, Inc.'s missions has been to revive family farms and small businesses in the hemp industry.

"This has been the best Hemp University educational seminar thus far," said Bruce Perlowin, CEO of Hemp, Inc. "There are so many farmers on the west coast who are passionate about joining the hemp revolution who are seeking quality knowledge in order to create a profitable stream of income by maximizing their crop revenue per acre. The industrial hemp crop in Oregon is expected to grow past $1 billion. Not to mention, Oregon ranks third in the country, in land, that is dedicated to industrial hemp. We initially expected a hundred participants to attend our first west coast Hemp University. However, we ended up having to move to a larger room because the participants more than doubled!"

The Green Organic Dutchman Holdings Ltd. (TSX: TGOD.TO) (OTCQX: TGODF) recently announced that sales of certified-organic cannabis have started with national distribution to medical patients. The Growers' Circle is a select group of patients across Canada now receiving TGOD's first certified-organic flower. The Growers' Circle launch is a limited production rollout of the Company's premium product, allowing TGOD to perfect its distribution ahead of its production ramp-up and scaled rollout this year.

"The launch of the Growers' Circle is another significant moment in TGOD's commercial story," said Brian Athaide, Director and Chief Executive Officer. "Our certified-organic cannabis is a premium experience for patients. We are proud of our product and excited to be sharing it with Growers' Circle members."

The Supreme Cannabis Company, Inc. (TSX: FIRE.TO) (OTCQX: SPRWF) recently announced that its President and Founder, John Fowler was named on High Times list of the 100 Most Influential People in Cannabis.

Mr. Fowler, a pioneer of the Canadian cannabis industry, spent over a decade in the medical cannabis sector as a cultivator, influencer, patients-rights advocate and lawyer. In 2013, Mr. Fowler founded Supreme Cannabis' wholly-owned subsidiary 7ACRES with a clear vision: to create Canada's leading premium cannabis flower brand and produce high quality cannabis on a commercial scale. Today, 7ACRES is one of Canada's leading premium brands. Mr. Fowler is also Vice Chair, Adult Use and Director of the Cannabis Council of Canada, the leading organization of Canada's licensed producers of Cannabis under Health Canada's federal Cannabis Act.

DISCLAIMER: FN Media Group LLC (FNM), which owns and operates Financialnewsmedia.com and MarketNewsUpdates.com, is a third party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. FNM is NOT affiliated in any manner with any company mentioned herein. FNM and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. FNM's market updates, news alerts and corporate profiles are NOT a solicitation or recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. The material in this release is intended to be strictly informational and is NEVER to be construed or interpreted as research material. All readers are strongly urged to perform research and due diligence on their own and consult a licensed financial professional before considering any level of investing in stocks. All material included herein is republished content and details which were previously disseminated by the companies mentioned in this release. FNM is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers. Investors are cautioned that they may lose all or a portion of their investment when investing in stocks. For current services performed FNM expects to be compensated forty six hundred dollars for news coverage of the current press release issued by Marijuana Company of America, Inc. by a non-affiliated third party. FNM HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.

This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "may", "future", "plan" or "planned", "will" or "should", "expected," "anticipates", "draft", "eventually" or "projected". You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company's annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and FNM undertakes no obligation to update such statements.

Contact Information:

Media Contact email: [email protected]

+1(561)325-8757

SOURCE FinancialNewsMedia.com
DUBLIN, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The "The Furniture Industry in Europe" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Europe plays a key role in the global furniture industry and this is evident not only in terms of production, but also in terms of market and international trade values.

Furniture production in the area reaches over EUR 90 billion in 2017, accounting for around one fourth of the global furniture industry. Western Europe is responsible for the largest share, but Eastern countries are the fastest growing ones. Germany, Italy, Poland, the United Kingdom and France rank among the top 12 furniture manufacturers worldwide, and hold a combined share of 15% of world production and 66% of Europe's production.



Furniture manufacturing has a long history in Europe. This, together with cultural heritage, gives European manufacturers a competitive edge and favors the development of creative competences recognized worldwide. Thus, the industry is able to combine new technologies and innovation with cultural heritage and style, provides jobs for skilled workers and is also a world leader in the high-end segment of the furniture market.

While remaining a SME-based industry, Europe is the headquarters of some of the biggest and most important global players. According to the author, 81 out of the top 200 furniture manufacturers worldwide are located in Europe.

Study Coverage

The European furniture sector is described through updated statistics for production, consumption, imports and exports, the main factors affecting the competitiveness of producers (labour cost, availability of raw materials and components, investments in technology and machinery, research and development, innovations and policy issues) and a SWOT analysis.



The study analyses the European furniture market potential and development insights with historical data and future prospects for 2020.



Detailed tables for furniture imports and furniture exports by country and by geographical area of origin/destination, data by furniture segment (upholstered furniture, kitchen furniture, office furniture, other furniture) and statistics for the European furniture manufacturing system are also included.



The competitive system analysis includes figures for the top 100 European furniture companies (company name, country, website, activity, furniture specialisation, total turnover and number of employees, weight of furniture on total sales) ranked according to turnover.



Around 2,000 short profiles of furniture manufacturers are also provided, with information on their activity, product portfolio, turnover range, workforce, email address, and website.



Analysis by Country



Outline of the market, macroeconomic trends and furniture data (production, consumption, imports and exports, for the time series (2012-2017) for: Austria, Belgium-Luxembourg, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom.



As a supplement to the report, an Excel data file providing tables with main statistics for each considered country: production, consumption, imports, and exports of furniture (2012-2017), total value and breakdown by segment (upholstered furniture, office furniture, kitchen furniture).

Key Topics Covered



1. The role of Europe in the global furniture context

Europe and rest of the World. Production, consumption, imports and exports of furniture 2012-2017

2. The integration process within Europe

International furniture trade

3. Traditional and growing manufacturing countries within Europe and the integration of productive systems

Importance and performance of furniture production in each country's economy

Furniture production in Europe, 2012-2017. By area and by country.

4. Factors affecting competitiveness of European furniture producers

Labour cost and skilled labour availability

Availability of raw materials and components. The value chain

Investments in technology and machinery

Research and Design

Policy issues

5. The competitive system

Top 100 major European furniture manufacturers: company name, country, website, activity, furniture specialisation, total turnover and number of employees, share of furniture on total sales

6. The European furniture market development

Furniture consumption in Europe, 2012-2017. By area and by country.

7. Market sources: national production, European market integration and import flows

8. Trade balance

Furniture trade balance, 2012-2017

Import penetration

Furniture imports, 2012-2017

Export orientation

Furniture exports, 2012-2017

9. Trends in furniture sub-segments and specialization

Furniture production by segment (upholstered furniture, kitchen furniture, office furniture, other furniture), 2012-2017

10. Future perspectives for the European furniture sector

Furniture consumption forecasts to 2020

11. SWOT Analysis of the European furniture sector

12. Country analysis

Outline of the market, macroeconomic trends, production, consumption, imports and exports of furniture for the time series 2012-2017, trading partners, manufacturing productive system and consumption by region (when available)



13. Short Profiles For Around 2,000 European Furniture Companies (activity, product portfolio, turnover range, employees range, email address and website)

Companies Mentioned



Actona

ADOVA

Ahrend

B&B

Aramis Invest

Belfield Furnishings

Bo Concept

BRW Black Red White

Calligaris

Colombini

COM40 Comforty

Cotta Collection

DFS Furniture

Ekornes

Flokk SBS

Fournier

Friul Intagli

Hcker Kchen

Howden Joinery

Hls

IKEA

Mandemakers

Meubles Demeyere

Molteni

Natuzzi

Nobia

Nobilia

Nolte

Nowy Styl

Paged

Poltrona Frau

Roche Bobois

SALM

SBA Furniture

Segmller

Senab AB

Tvilum

Vitra International

Welle Holding

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/pnkg5g/europes?w=5

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.

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Research and Markets

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SOURCE Research and Markets

Related Links

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MINNEAPOLIS, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Weber Shandwick, one of the world's leading global communications and marketing solutions firms, announced today the appointment of Andrea Mokros as senior vice president, corporate and public affairs, based in the agency's Minneapolis office. Mokros brings to Weber Shandwick 20 years of experience in communications, strategic planning, and event production at the local, state and national level, including highly visible roles in the Obama administration and the Super Bowl Host Committee for Minnesota.

"Over her impressive career, Andrea has cultivated an expertise in corporate communications, public affairs and community engagement. As an admirer of her work in the White House and her terrific performance leading communications for Super Bowl LII in Minneapolis last year, I could not be happier to have her join us," said Lorenz Esguerra, general manager, Weber Shandwick Minneapolis. "Not only will she serve our clients exceptionally well, Andrea's leadership ability will enhance our culture and help us to continue to attract the best talent."

For the past 15 years, Mokros has provided strategic communications guidance and event consulting to a wide range of nonprofit, government and political organizations. During the Obama administration, Mokros served as special assistant to President Barack Obama and director of strategic planning for First Lady Michelle Obama. In this role, she oversaw the strategic planning process for all aspects of the First Lady's engagements, including trips to China, Africa, the 2012 Olympics and numerous other domestic and international events. Mokros also produced major national tours on behalf of the First Lady's "Let's Move!," "Joining Forces," "Reach Higher" and "Let Girls Learn" initiatives. Most recently, she was part of the team that helped bring Obama's "Becoming" book tour to life.

From 2015 to 2018, Mokros served as vice president of communications and events for the Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee and was integral to creating and promoting Minnesota's brand as 'the Bold North.' She has also held several key roles for local, state and national elected officials, including deputy chief of staff for both Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton and U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and lead advance for Senator John Kerry's presidential campaign. Mokros is a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and a graduate of the University of Minnesota.

"I'm looking forward to joining the amazing team at Weber Shandwick and working with the firm's impressive roster of clients, helping organizations solve problems with ideas grounded in insights and creativity," Mokros said.

About Weber Shandwick

Weber Shandwick is a leading global communications and marketing solutions firm in 79 cities with a network extending to 129 cities around the world. The firm's diverse team of strategists, analysts, producers, designers, developers and campaign activators has won the most prestigious awards in the world for innovative, creative approaches and impactful work. Weber Shandwick was the only public relations agency included on the Advertising Age Agency A-list in 2014 and 2015 and the only PR firm designated an A-List Agency Standout in 2017 and 2018. Weber Shandwick was honored as PRWeek's Global Agency of the Year in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, The Holmes Report's Global Agency of the Year in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2017, and The Holmes Report's Global Digital Agency of the Year in 2016. The firm deploys deep expertise across sectors and specialty areas, including consumer marketing, corporate reputation, healthcare, technology, public affairs, financial services, employee engagement, social impact, financial communications and crisis management, using proprietary social, digital and analytics methodologies. Weber Shandwick is part of the Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG). For more information, visit http://www.webershandwick.com.

Contact: Kimberly Dixon

Company: Weber Shandwick

Phone: 212-546-7876

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Weber Shandwick

Related Links

http://webershandwick.com


LAS VEGAS, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- GB Sciences, Inc. (OTCQB: GBLX) today announced results from a new study that shows only three chemical varieties of cannabis were sold in the Nevada dispensaries between January 2016 and June 2017-- despite nearly 400 different "strain names" appearing on product packaging.

Co-authored by GB Sciences, Chaminade University, Makai Biotechnology and Digipath Labs, and published in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, the study reveals extremely low chemical diversity within the cannabis varieties sold in the Nevada market during its medical-only phase. Over 93% of the samples tested were from a single chemical variety, high in tetrahydrocannabinol but without significant amounts of other cannabinoids.

"There is no protection for patients from inadvertent or intentional mislabeling of cannabis strains. Many cannabis samples with vastly different chemical profiles were labeled with identical strain names. And identical samples were often labeled with a huge variety of strain names," said Dr. Andrea Small-Howard, CSO of GB Sciences.

Medical cannabis patients benefit from having access to cannabis-products with a variety of combinations of clinically-beneficial compounds, including cannabinoids and terpenes. So, the lack of labeling accuracy directly impacts patients. "If names were tied to active ingredients, doctors could recommend products with a higher degree of confidence and patients would have information that is vital to finding products that gave consistent results," said Dr. Small-Howard.

To evaluate the chemical diversity of cannabis products available to medical cannabis patients in Nevada, the study examined the relationship between chemical profiles (cannabinoids and terpenes) and genetic markers from 2,662 cannabis samples, collected during the period when Nevada had a purely medical market, and the corresponding 396 cannabis strain names reported by the cannabis breeders.

Patients who would benefit from specialty products, such as significant levels of "minor" cannabinoids, were not well served during the sampling period. Alternatively, lack of patient and physician education on the medical benefits of the minor cannabinoids and terpenes may have also contributed to the dominance of THC in this medical market. Only intervention in the form of state regulation could have addressed this situation.

GB Sciences is proud to applaud the contributors to this research and paper: GB Sciences' own Chief Science Officer, Dr. Andrea Small-Howard, and Lead Botanist, Dr. Ulrich Reimann-Philipp, join co-authors including Dr. Helen Turner, VP of Innovation and Dean of the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at Chaminade University, Dr. Mark Speck, Senior Bioinformaticist at Chaminade University, Dr. Alexander Stokes, President of Makai Biotechnology, LLC, and Dr. Cindy Orser, Chief Science Officer at Digipath Labs, Inc. in publishing:

"Cannabis chemovar nomenclature misrepresents chemical and genetic diversity; survey of variations in chemical profiles and genetic markers in Nevada medical cannabis samples." The link to the article is found at https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/pdf/10.1089/CAN.2018.0063 .

About GB Sciences, Inc.

GB Sciences, Inc. (OTCQB: GBLX) is a diverse cannabis company, focused on standardized cultivation and production methods; as well as biopharmaceutical research and development. The Company's goal is creating safe, standardized, pharmaceutical-grade, cannabinoid therapies that target a variety of medical conditions. To learn more about GB Sciences, Inc., go to: http://gbsciences.com .

About Chaminade University

Located in the international city of Honolulu on the island of O`ahu, Chaminade is regarded for its remarkably diverse student bodystudents come from the Hawai`i, the mainland U.S., the Pacific region, and beyond. Class sizes are small, with a low student-to-faculty ratio. Here, students develop professionally through service-learning projects, research and internship experiences, and leadership and community networking opportunities. At Chaminade, students receive a personalized education that prepares them for an ever-changing future.

About Makai Biotechnology, LLC

Makai Biotechnology, LLC is a Hawaii-based cardiovascular therapy company established by Dr. Alexander J. Stokes, Associate Professor at the University of Hawaii, John A Burns School of Medicine. Makai Biotechnology is developing novel therapies for the treatment of heart failure. A novel ion channel target has been identified that modulates heart disease. Under the direction of Dr. Alexander Stokes, Makai Biotechnology has validated multiple effective compounds that regulate this target. Makai Biotechnology plans to establish alliances with major pharmaceutical companies to develop and test compounds from pre-clinical through phase II human clinical trials.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain statements relating to future results or events, which are forward-looking statements. Words such as "expects", "intends", "plans", "may", "could", "should", "anticipates", "likely", "believes" and words of similar import may identify forward-looking statements. These statements are not historical facts, but instead represent only the Company's belief regarding future events, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of the Company's control. It is possible that the Company's actual results and financial condition may differ, possibly materially, from the anticipated results and financial condition indicated in these forward-looking statements. Further, information concerning the Company and its business, including factors that potentially could materially affect the Company's business and financial and other results, are contained in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, available at www.sec.gov. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date of this press release, and we do not undertake any obligation to publicly update or correct any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that subsequently occur or of which we hereafter become aware.

Note: Although the Company's research and development activities are not illegal, the production and sale of cannabis products violate federal laws as they presently exist.

Contact Information

Corporate:

GB Sciences, Inc., 3550 West Teco Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89118

866-721-0297, or

Liz Bianco, [email protected]

SOURCE GB Sciences, Inc.

Related Links

http://gbsciences.com/


PISCATAWAY, N.J., March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- GenScript, the world's leading gene synthesis provider, announced today that it will provide funding and DNA synthesis expertise toward a project at Harvard University to generate the first comprehensive, renewable library of Drosophila recombinant antibodies. Proposed by Norbert Perrimon, PhD, the James Stillman Professor of Developmental Biology at Harvard Medical School and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, the project aims to promote the understanding of molecular mechanisms of disease progression and more specifically would give researchers access to novel tools for assessing CRISPR efficiency.

Perrimon, principal investigator of the project, has more than 30 years of experience in the fields of developmental genetics, signal transduction and genomics. Through developing novel large-scale RNAi, CRISPR, and proteomic methods, he and his team have been able to identify key signaling molecules involved in homeostasis and tissue remodeling in Drosophila. These valuable resources, including the upcoming antibody resource, are publicly shared with scientists across the globe to allow systematic interrogation of the genome and proteome of this widely used laboratory model.

Currently, out of the total number of proteins encoded by the ~14,000 Drosophila protein-coding genes, fewer than 400 renewable antibody reagents, i.e. recombinant monoclonal antibodies, are annotated for this fly's proteins. As stated in Perrimon's project proposal, a synthetic library of antibodies generated with advanced recombinant technologies in an optimized fly cell line provides a non-animal platform for generating antibodies that not only have desired post-translational modifications, but also are reproducible and renewable.

The foundation of this project is to have antibody recognition sequences precisely cloned into appropriate expression vectors and protein backbones. GenScript's 16-year track record in delivering thousands of similar projects will help build this foundation for Perrimon's team before expression in an insect vector and selection by a synthetic antibody library. In the first phase of this project, over 100 antibodies will be generated, with scaling up to more than 3,000 antibodies in the next phase.

According to Cedric Wu, Ph.D., GenScript Sr. Director of R&D, Perrimon's successful track record and contributions to Drosophila research and his unique goals for this project were key in choosing to fund it. "The aim of this project, in enabling further research by many scientists within and beyond the fly's research community, is well aligned with our goal," Wu said.

Perrimon's constructs will be codon-optimized with OptimumGene, GenScript's proprietary codon optimization tool, and deposited in GenScript's non-for-profit MolecularCloud repository for access by the scientific community worldwide.

GenScript intends to support more projects in the future that will have a significant impact on improving the health of humans directly, and other organisms and the environment indirectly. For more information about this project or GenScript, please contact Eric Wang at [email protected].

About GenScript

GenScript is the world leader in biotechnology reagent services and biologics. Established in 2002 in New Jersey, United States, the company was the first to commercialize gene synthesis and successfully establish fully integrated capabilities for custom peptide synthesis, protein expression and engineering, custom antibody development and engineering, in vitro/in vivo pharmacology as well as a variety of catalogue products. GenScript has now expanded its business into immunotherapy, CDMO, laboratory equipment, and microbial industry to further fulfill its mission in making people and nature healthier through biotechnology. GenScript has also established open and innovative technology-driven platforms and GMP facilities for pre-clinical drug discovery and pharmaceutical products development.

SOURCE GenScript
Second Independent Proxy Advisory Firm to Recommend Newmont and Goldcorp Shareholders Vote "FOR" Newmont Goldcorp Combination

VANCOUVER, March 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - Goldcorp Inc. (NYSE: GG, TSX: G) ("Goldcorp" or the "Company") and Newmont Mining Corporation (NYSE: NEM) ("Newmont") today announced that Glass, Lewis & Co. ("Glass Lewis") has joined Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. ("ISS") as the second independent proxy advisory firm to recommend that Newmont and Goldcorp shareholders vote "FOR" the companies' respective resolutions relating to their proposed combination at their upcoming shareholder meetings. Goldcorp's special shareholder meeting is scheduled for April 4, 2019 and Newmont's special shareholder meeting is scheduled for April 11, 2019,

In its reports, Glass Lewis stated1:

The rationale and potential benefits of the combination are fairly clear and compelling for shareholders of both companies.

The transaction would create a significantly larger and more diversified gold company with a robust portfolio of producing assets and substantial exploration and development opportunities.

The combined company would have stable, long-term production with a sustainable annual production target of 6 to 7 million ounces of gold, which is expected to generate strong cash flows to support an investment grade balance sheet, an industry-leading dividend and flexibility for future development opportunities.

The full US$365 million of estimated annual pre-tax synergies represents a net present value of US$4.4 billion and the transaction is expected to be 27% accretive to Newmont's net asset value per share.

Overall, we see no reason to doubt the strategic rationale for the proposed transaction, which would create a leading gold company with greater asset diversification and opportunities to achieve meaningful synergies, in our view.

Newmont and Goldcorp expect the transaction to close in the second quarter of 2019, subject to approval by Newmont and Goldcorp shareholders and the satisfaction of customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.

_________________________

1 Permission to use quotes was neither sought nor obtained.

Immediately upon the closing of this transaction, Newmont Goldcorp is expected to:

Target 6-7 million ounces of steady-state gold production over a decades-long time horizon; i





Begin delivering a combined $365 million in expected annual pre-tax synergies, supply chain efficiencies and Full Potential improvements representing the opportunity to create $4.4 billion in Net Present Value (pre-tax); ii





in expected annual pre-tax synergies, supply chain efficiencies and Full Potential improvements representing the opportunity to create in Net Present Value (pre-tax); Have the largest gold Reserves and Resources in the gold sector, including on a per share basis;





Be located in favorable mining jurisdictions and prolific gold districts on four continents;





Deliver the highest dividend among senior gold producers; iii





Offer financial flexibility and an investment-grade balance sheet to advance the most promising projects generating a targeted Internal Rate of Return (IRR) of at least 15 percent; iv





Feature a deep bench of accomplished business leaders and high-performing technical teams and other talent with extensive mining industry experience; and





Maintain industry leadership in environmental, social and governance performance.

In connection with the March 25, 2019 announcement  Goldcorp Announces Support of Newmont Special Dividend, a material change report was filed under Goldcorp's SEDAR profile.

Full details of the transaction with Newmont and certain other matters are set out in the management information circular of Goldcorp dated March 4, 2019. A copy of the information circular can be found under Goldcorp's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

About Goldcorp

Goldcorp is a senior gold producer focused on responsible mining practices with safe, low-cost production from a high-quality portfolio of mines.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the United States Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, or in releases made by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, all as may be amended from time to time, and "forward-looking information" under the provisions of applicable Canadian securities legislation, concerning the business, operations and financial performance and condition of Goldcorp. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to the expected timing and closing of the proposed transaction, including receipt of required approvals and satisfaction of other customary closing conditions; estimates of future production; expectations regarding accretion; estimates of future cost reductions, efficiencies and synergies; expectations regarding advancement of Newmont's and Goldcorp's operations, including, without limitation, expected average IRR, expectations of future dividends and returns to stockholders, including, statements regarding Newmont's special dividend, including its record date and payment date; and expectations of future plans and benefits. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" , "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" , "believes", or variations or comparable language of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "should", "might" or "will", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotation thereof.

Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of factors and assumptions that, if untrue, could cause the actual results, performances or achievements of Goldcorp to be materially different from future results, performances or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. Such statements and information are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which Goldcorp will operate in the future, including the price of gold, anticipated costs and ability to achieve goals. Certain important factors that could cause actual results, performances or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, among others, delays or failure to obtain the required approvals; competitive responses to the announcement of the transaction; litigation or challenges to the proposed transaction; changes to the current scientific and technical information; permitting, development, operations and expansion of Newmont's and Goldcorp's operations and projects being consistent with current expectations and mine plans, including without limitation receipt of export approvals; planning and integration assumptions; gold price volatility, discrepancies between actual and estimated production, mineral reserves and mineral resources and metallurgical recoveries, mining operational and development risks, litigation risks, regulatory restrictions (including environmental regulatory restrictions and liability), changes in national and local government legislation, taxation, controls or regulations and/or change in the administration of laws, policies and practices, expropriation or nationalization of property and political or economic developments in Canada, the United States and other jurisdictions in which the Company does or may carry on business in the future, delays, suspension and technical challenges associated with capital projects, higher prices for fuel, steel, power, labour and other consumables, currency fluctuations, the speculative nature of gold exploration, the global economic climate, dilution, share price volatility, competition, loss of key employees, additional funding requirements and defective title to mineral claims or property. Although Goldcorp believes its expectations are based upon reasonable assumptions and has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended.

Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Goldcorp to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: the inherent uncertainty associated with financial or other projections; the prompt and effective integration of Newmont's and Goldcorp's businesses; the ability to achieve the anticipated synergies and value-creation contemplated by the proposed transaction; the risk associated with Newmont's and Goldcorp's ability to obtain the approval of the proposed transaction by their shareholders required to consummate the proposed transaction and the timing of the closing of the proposed transaction, including the risk that the conditions to the transaction are not satisfied on a timely basis or at all and the failure of the transaction to close for any other reason; the risk that a consent or authorization that may be required for the proposed transaction is not obtained or is obtained subject to conditions that are not anticipated; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against the parties and others related to the arrangement agreement; unanticipated difficulties or expenditures relating to the transaction, the response of business partners and retention as a result of the announcement and pendency of the transaction; risks relating to the value of the Newmont's common stock to be issued in connection with the transaction; the anticipated size of the markets and continued demand for Newmont's and Goldcorp's resources and the impact of competitive responses to the announcement of the transaction; and the diversion of management time on transaction-related issues as well as those factors discussed in the section entitled "Description of the Business  Risk Factors" in Goldcorp's most recent annual information form available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov. Although Goldcorp has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, accordingly, are subject to change after such date. Except as otherwise indicated by Goldcorp, these statements do not reflect the potential impact of any non-recurring or other special items or of any disposition, monetization, merger, acquisition, other business combination or other transaction that may be announced or that may occur after the date hereof. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans and allowing investors and others to get a better understanding of Goldcorp's operating environment. Goldcorp does not intend or undertake to publicly update any forward-looking statements that are included in this document, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

i Caution Regarding Projections: Projections used in this release are considered "forward-looking statements." See cautionary statement above regarding forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information representing post-closing expectations is inherently uncertain. Estimates such as expected accretion, NAV, Net Present Value creation, synergies, expected future production, IRR, financial flexibility and balance sheet strength are preliminary in nature. There can be no assurance that the proposed transaction will close or that the forward-looking information will prove to be accurate.

ii Net Present Value (NPV) creation as used in this release is a management estimate provided for illustrative purposes, and should not be considered a GAAP or non-GAAP financial measure. NPV creation represents management's combined estimate of pre-tax synergies, supply chain efficiencies and Full Potential improvements, as a result of the proposed transaction that have been monetized and projected over a twenty year period for purposes of the estimation, applying a discount rate of 5 percent. Such estimates are necessarily imprecise and are based on numerous judgments and assumptions. Expected NPV creation is a "forward-looking statement" subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause actual value creation to differ from expected value creation.

iii 2019 dividends beyond Q1 2019 have not yet been approved or declared by the Board of Directors. Management's expectations with respect to future dividends or annualized dividends are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which are intended to be covered by the safe harbor created by such sections and other applicable laws. Investors are cautioned that such statements with respect to future dividends are non-binding. The declaration and payment of future dividends remain at the discretion of the Board of Directors and will be determined based on Newmont's financial results, balance sheet strength, cash and liquidity requirements, future prospects, gold and commodity prices, and other factors deemed relevant by the Board. The Board of Directors reserves all powers related to the declaration and payment of dividends. Consequently, in determining the dividend to be declared and paid on the common stock of the Company, the Board of Directors may revise or terminate the payment level at any time without prior notice. As a result, investors should not place undue reliance on such statements.

iv IRR targets on projects are calculated using an assumed $1,200 gold price.

For further information please contact:

INVESTOR CONTACT MEDIA CONTACT Shawn Campbell Director, Investor Relations Telephone: (800) 567-6223 E-mail: [email protected] Christine Marks Director, Corporate Communications Telephone: (604) 696-3050 E-mail: [email protected]

SOURCE Goldcorp Inc.

Related Links

http://www.goldcorp.com


Proven and Probable Mineral Reserves increased by 6% to 1.8 million ounces of gold after mined depletion

Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources stable at 5.9 million ounces of gold

Inferred Mineral Resources increased by 12% to 7.2 million ounces of gold

Wassa Underground Mineral Reserve increased by 47% after mined depletion

Prestea Mineral Reserve decreased by 36% including mined depletion

Sam Coetzer, President and Chief Executive Officer of Golden Star, commented:

"The updated Mineral Reserve at Wassa Underground shows a significant increase, specifically in the upper levels of the mine, and strongly suggests that there is excellent potential to increase our production rate in the near term. In addition, the increase of over 1 million ounces of gold in Inferred Mineral Resources at the Wassa complex to over 6.4 million ounces of gold further demonstrates the potential for the mine. The Company continues to improve its view of the orebody and I am very excited by how Wassa Underground is turning into a world class mine.

"At Prestea, the mine is endowed with good infrastructure and the focus remains on improving operations. The Company continues to address the ramp up challenges with the Alimak shrinkage mining method, and expects steady productivity improvements this year from the mine."

MINERAL RESERVES AND MINERAL RESOURCES SUMMARY

The following table provides a summary of Golden Star's estimated Proven and Probable Mineral Reserves, Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources and Inferred Mineral Resources as of December 31, 2018:



Tonnes ('000) Grade (g/t Au) Gold

Content

('000 oz) Proven and Probable Mineral Reserves1 19,596 2.84 1,790 Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources1,2 66,814 2.77 5,952 Inferred Mineral Resources1 57,333 3.92 7,224





Notes to Table: 1 Includes non-refractory material only 2 Mineral Resources are inclusive of Mineral Reserves

Mineral Reserves were estimated using a gold price of $1,250 per ounce. Mineral Resources were estimated using a gold price of $1,450 per ounce.

MINERAL RESERVE ESTIMATE: BREAKDOWN BY ASSET

During 2018, Golden Star's Proven and Probable Mineral Reserves increased by 97,000 ounces, primarily as a result of positive conversion of Mineral Resources at Wassa Underground.

The following table provides a breakdown of Golden Star's estimated Proven and Probable Mineral Reserves as of the dates set forth therein:

Mineral Reserves Dec 31, 2018 Dec 31, 2018 Dec 31, 2018 Dec 31, 2017 Proven Mineral Reserve Probable Mineral

Reserve Proven and Probable

Mineral Reserve Proven and Probable

Mineral Reserve tonnes grade ounces tonnes grade ounces tonnes grade ounces tonnes grade ounces (000) g/t Au (000) (000) g/t Au (000) (000) g/t Au (000) (000) g/t Au (000) Wassa Open Pit - - - 9,920 1.57 500 9,920 1.57 500 12,254 1.30 512 Wassa Underground 834 4.55 122 6,647 3.87 827 7,481 3.95 949 4,899 4.11 647 Stockpiles 1,205 0.63 24 - - - 1,205 0.63 24 1,595 0.71 37 Subtotal Wassa 2,039 2.23 146 16,567 2.49 1,327 18,606 2.46 1,473 18,748 1.98 1,196 Mampon - - - - - - - - - 105 2.23 8 Prestea South - - - - - - - - - 103 1.80 6 Prestea Underground 37 9.07 11 789 12.04 305 826 11.91 316 1,165 12.35 463 Stockpiles 27 1.18 1 - - - 27 1.18 1 547 1.21 21 Subtotal Prestea 64 5.74 12 789 12.04 305 853 11.57 317 1,920 8.06 497 GSR Total 2,103 2.34 158 17,356 2.93 1,632 19,459 2.86 1,790 20,668 2.55 1,693

Notes to the Mineral Reserve Estimate:

The stated Mineral Reserves comply with the requirements of National Instrument 43-101  Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") and are classified in accordance with the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum's "CIM Definition Standards  For Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves". Mineral Reserve estimates reflect the Company's reasonable expectation that all necessary permits and approvals will be obtained and maintained. Mining dilution and mining recovery vary by deposit and have been applied in estimating the Mineral Reserves. Mineral Reserves are the economic portion of the Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources. Mineral Reserve estimates include mining dilution at grades assumed to be zero. The 2018 Mineral Reserves were prepared under the supervision of Dr. Martin Raffield , Executive Vice President and Chief Technical Officer for the Company. Dr. Raffield is a QP as defined by NI 43-101. The Mineral Reserves at December 31, 2018 were estimated using a gold price assumption of $1,250 per ounce. The slope angles of all pit designs are based on geotechnical criteria as established by external consultants. The size and shape of the pit designs are guided by consideration of the results from a pit optimization program. Cut-off grades have been estimated based on operating cost projections, mining dilution and recovery, royalty and stream payment requirements and applicable metallurgical recovery. Marginal cut-off grade estimate for the Wassa open pit is 0.7 grams per tonne ("g/t") of gold ("Au"). Break-even cut-off grade estimates for the underground mines are as follows: Wassa Underground 2.4 g/t Au; and the Prestea Underground Gold Mine ("Prestea Underground") 7.0 g/t Au. Prestea Underground Proven Mineral Reserve includes underground broken stocks. Numbers may not add due to rounding. Only non-refractory material is included in Mineral Reserves.

Reconciliation of Mineral Reserves

Figure 1 provides a reconciliation of the Company's Proven and Probable Mineral Reserves from December 31, 2017 to December 31, 2018.

WASSA MINERAL RESERVE

The total Wassa Mineral Reserve has increased by 23% after 2018 mining depletion. This increase is attributable to strong results from the 2018 underground definition drilling program combined with a stope design optimization process. Drilling from surface has extended the Indicated Mineral Resource approximately 65 metres ("m") to the south and a hanging wall drive has allowed the definition drilling to access areas to the south of the current stoping area.

Open pit Mineral Reserve tonnes have reduced by 20% and the grade has increased by 20% resulting in equivalent ounces. This change is as a result of increasing the marginal cut-off grade from 0.6g/t in 2017 to 0.7g/t in 2018 to account for a royalty payment that was omitted in 2017. The Mineral Reserve ounces have remained the same due to an increase in the rock density estimate following extensive testing and changes in the resource model.

PRESTEA MINERAL RESERVE

At Prestea the open pit Mineral Reserve was depleted in 2018 and additional material was mined during the year that was outside of the reserve estimate.

The underground Mineral Reserve has reduced by 146,000 ounces as a result of 2018 mining depletion and changes to the resource model following definition drilling and underground development. The new interpretation of the resource includes areas defined by drilling and raising where fault movement has resulted in areas of ore loss within the planned stopes.

The interpretation of the plunge of the high grade core of the resource has moved to the north of the current stoping area. This has resulted in loss of Mineral Reserves between 24 and 27L. Exploration drilling is currently being carried out in this northern area, both above and below 24L, and the expectation is to be able to identify additional Mineral Resources during 2019 to replace these losses.

MEASURED AND INDICATED MINERAL RESOURCES: BREAKDOWN BY ASSET

Golden Star's Mineral Resources at its two assets, Wassa and Prestea, decreased slightly in 2018.

The following table provides a breakdown of Golden Star's estimated Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources as of the dates set forth therein:

Measured and Indicated Mineral

Resources Dec 31, 2018 Dec 31, 2018 Dec 31, 2018 Dec 31, 2017 Measured Mineral

Resources Indicated Mineral Resources Measured and Indicated

Mineral Resources Measured and Indicated

Mineral Resources tonnes grade ounces tonnes grade ounces tonnes grade ounces tonnes grade ounces (000) g/t Au (000) (000) g/t Au (000) (000) g/t Au (000) (000) g/t Au (000) Wassa Open Pit 0 0.00 0 28,042 1.39 1,254 28,042 1.39 1,254 26,652 1.32 1,134 Wassa Underground 593 5.66 108 11,914 4.21 1,613 12,507 4.28 1,721 13,003 4.10 1,713 Father Brown Adoikrom UG 0 0 0 981 7.54 238 981 7.54 238 1,242 5.84 233 Wassa Other 0 0 0 2,308 2.36 175 2,308 2.36 175 2,997 2.52 243 Subtotal Wassa 593 5.66 108 43,246 2.36 3,281 43,839 2.40 3,388 43,894 2.35 3,323 Bogoso/Prestea Refractory 0 0 0 17,677 2.85 1,619 17,677 2.85 1,619 17,809 2.84 1,625 Mampon 0 0 0 83 1.71 5 83 1.71 5 103 1.59 5 Prestea South 0 0 0 1,521 2.15 105 1,521 2.15 105 1,627 2.12 111 Prestea Underground 9 30.07 9 1,298 16.73 698 1,308 16.82 707 1,649 15.16 804 Bogoso/Prestea Other 0 0 0 2,387 1.66 128 2,387 1.66 128 2,414 1.65 128 Subtotal Bogoso/Prestea 9 30.07 9 22,966 3.46 2,555 22,975 3.47 2,564 23,601 3.52 2,673 Total 602 6.03 117 66,212 2.74 5,836 66,814 2.77 5,952 67,495 2.76 5,996 TOTAL NON REFRACTORY 602 6.03 117 48,535 2.7 4,216 49,137 2.74 4,333 49,686 2.74 4,371

INFERRED MINERAL RESOURCES: BREAKDOWN BY ASSET

Golden Star's Inferred Mineral Resources increased by 13% to 7.2 million ounces during 2018, with the increase delivered primarily at Wassa through step out drilling with additional contributions from Father Brown, as was previously reported on February 19, 2019.

The following table provides a breakdown of Golden Star's estimated Inferred Mineral Resources as of the dates set forth below:



December 31, 2018 Inferred Mineral Resources April 13, 2018 Inferred Mineral Resources tonnes (000) grade g/t Au ounces (000) tonnes (000) grade g/t Au ounces (000) Wassa Open Pit 23 0.74 1 91 1.16 3 Wassa Underground 50,661 3.65 5,945 44,909 3.57 5,153 Father Brown Adoikrom UG 2,313 6.38 475 1,506 5.08 246 Wassa Other 382 2.10 26 402 1.86 24 Subtotal Wassa 53,379 3.76 6,446 46,908 3.60 5,426 Mampon 14 1.68 1 14 1.68 1 Prestea South 68 1.89 4 68 1.89 4 Prestea Underground 2488 8.42 674 3,193 8.46 868 Bogoso/Prestea Others 468 1.50 23 470 1.50 23 Subtotal Bogoso/Prestea 3,038 7.18 701 3,745 7.44 896 Bogoso/Prestea Refractory 916 2.61 77 922 2.60 77 Total (including refractory) 57,333 3.92 7,224 51,574 3.86 6,399 TOTAL NON-REFRACTORY 56,417 3.94 7,147 50,653 3.88 6,322





Notes to Mineral Resource Estimates 1 The Mineral Resources for "Bogoso/Prestea Others" include Chujah, Dumasi, Bogoso North, Buesichem, Opon

and Ablifa 2 The Wassa Underground Mineral Resource has been estimated below the $1,450 per ounce of gold pit shell

using an economic gold grade cut-off of 2.1 g/t Au, which the Company believes would be the lower cut-off

grade for underground mining and constrained to a 0.4 g/t Au mineralized grade shell 3 The Father Brown Underground Mineral Resource has been estimated below the $1,450 per ounce of gold pit

shell using an economic gold grade cut-off of 3.2 g/t Au, which the Company believes would be the lower cut-off

grade for underground mining 4 Prestea Underground Mineral Resource has been estimated below the $1,450 per ounce pit shell of Prestea

South down to 3,800 metres elevation using a gold cut-off grade at 6.1 g/t Au 5 Mineral Resources were estimated using optimized pit shells at a gold price of $1,450 per ounce. Other than

gold price, the same optimized pit shell and underground parameters and modifying factors used to determine the

Mineral Reserves were used to determine the Mineral Resources 6 Mineral Resources are inclusive of Mineral Reserves 7 Numbers may not add correctly due to rounding

All monetary amounts refer to United States dollars unless otherwise indicated.

Company Profile

Golden Star is an established gold mining company that owns and operates the Wassa and Prestea underground mines in Ghana, West Africa. Listed on the NYSE American, the Toronto Stock Exchange and the Ghana Stock Exchange, Golden Star is focused on delivering strong margins and free cash flow from its two high-grade, low cost underground mines. Gold production guidance for 2019 is 220,000240,000 ounces at a cash operating cost per ounce1 of $620$680. As the winner of the PDAC 2018 Environmental and Social Responsibility Award, Golden Star is committed to leaving a positive and sustainable legacy in its areas of operation.

Notes

1. See "Non-GAAP Financial Measures".

Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Information

Some statements contained in this news release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. Forward looking statements and information include but are not limited to, statements and information regarding: the potential to increase production rate of Wassa Underground in the near term due to increased Mineral Reserves in the upper levels of the mine, the expectation of steady productivity improvements in 2019 at Prestea, the expectation of being able to identify additional Mineral Resources at Prestea during 2019 to replace losses, the selection of lower cut-off grades for underground mining at Wassa Underground and Father Brown Underground, and 2019 production guidance and cash operating cost per ounce guidance. Generally, forward-looking information and statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", "believes" or variations of such words and phrases (including negative or grammatical variations) or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotation thereof. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements and information are inherently uncertain and involve risks, assumptions and uncertainties that could cause actual facts to differ materially. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting the Company will be those anticipated by management. Please refer to the discussion of these and other factors in Management's Discussion and Analysis of financial conditions and results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2018. Additional and/or updated factors will be included in our annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2018 which will be filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The forecasts contained in this press release constitute management's current estimates, as of the date of this press release, with respect to the matters covered thereby. We expect that these estimates will change as new information is received. While we may elect to update these estimates at any time, we do not undertake any estimate at any particular time or in response to any particular event.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In this press release, we use the term "cash operating cost per ounce". This term should be considered as Non-GAAP Financial Measures as defined in applicable Canadian and United States securities laws and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"). "Cash operating cost per ounce" for a period is equal to the cost of sales excluding depreciation and amortization for the period less royalties, the cash component of metals inventory net realizable value adjustments and severance charges divided by the number of ounces of gold sold (excluding pre-commercial production ounces) during the period. This measure is not representative of all cash expenditures as it does not include income tax payments or interest costs. Changes in numerous factors including, but not limited to, mining rates, milling rates, gold grade, gold recovery, and the costs of labor, consumables and mine site general and administrative activities can cause this measure to increase or decrease. We believe that this measure is the same or similar to the measures of other gold mining companies, but may not be comparable to similarly titled measures in every instance. Please see our "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations for the year ended December 31, 2018" for a reconciliation of this Non-GAAP Financial Measures to the nearest IFRS measure.

Technical Information

The Mineral Reserve and Mineral Resource estimates have been compiled by the Company's technical personnel in accordance with definitions and guidelines set out in the Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves adopted by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum and as required by Canada's National Instrument 43-101  Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). Mineral Reserve estimates reflect the Company's reasonable expectation that all necessary permits and approvals will be obtained and maintained. Mining dilution and mining recovery vary by deposit and have been applied in estimating the Mineral Reserves.

The Mineral Resource technical contents of this press release have been reviewed and approved by S. Mitchel Wasel, BSc Geology, a "Qualified Person" pursuant to NI 43-101. Mr. Wasel is Vice President Exploration for Golden Star and an active member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. The 2017 and 2016 estimates of Mineral Resources were prepared under the supervision of Mr. Wasel. The Mineral Reserve technical contents of this press release, and the 2017 and 2016 estimates of Mineral Reserves, have been reviewed and approved by and were prepared under the supervision of Dr. Martin Raffield, Senior Vice President, Project Development and Technical Services for the Company. Dr. Raffield is a "Qualified Person" as defined by NI 43-101.

Additional scientific and technical information relating to the mineral properties referenced in this news release are contained in the following current technical reports for those properties available at www.sedar.com: (i) Wassa - "NI 43-101 Technical Report on a Feasibility Study of the Wassa Open Pit Mine and Underground Project in Ghana" effective date December 31, 2014; (ii) Prestea Underground - "NI 43-101 Technical Report on a Feasibility Study of the Prestea Underground Gold Project in Ghana" effective date November 3, 2015; and (iii) Bogoso - "NI 43-101 Technical Report on Resources and Reserves Golden Star Resources Ltd., Bogoso Prestea Gold Mine, Ghana" effective date December 31, 2013.

Cautionary Note to US Investors Concerning Estimates of Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources

This press release uses the terms "Measured Mineral Resources" and "Indicated Mineral Resources". The Company advises US investors that while these terms are recognized and required by NI 43-101, the US Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") does not recognize them. Also, disclosure of contained ounces is permitted under Canadian regulations; however the SEC generally requires Mineral Resource information to be reported as in-place tonnage and grade. US Investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of the mineral deposits in these categories will ever be converted into Mineral Reserves.

Cautionary Note to US Investors Concerning Estimates of Inferred Mineral Resources

This press release uses the term "Inferred Mineral Resources". The Company advises US investors that while this term is recognized and required by NI 43-101, the SEC does not recognize it. "Inferred Mineral Resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and great uncertainty as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of Inferred Mineral Resources will ever be upgraded to a higher category. In accordance with Canadian rules, estimates of Inferred Mineral Resources cannot form the basis of feasibility or other economic studies. US investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of the Inferred Mineral Resource exists, or is economically or legally mineable.

SOURCE Golden Star Resources Ltd.

Related Links

www.gsr.com


CHICAGO, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new market research report "Ground Support Equipment Market by Type (Mobile Gse, Fixed Gse) , Power Source (Non-Electric, Electric, Hybrid), Application (Commercial, Military), Component (New, Replacement, Maintenance), RegionGlobal Forecast to 2025", published by MarketsandMarkets, the Ground Support Equipment Market is projected to grow from USD 7.5 billion in 2019 to USD 9.7 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 4.45% from 2019 to 2025. The growth of the market across the globe can be attributed to rising demand for electric ground support equipment, increasing warehouse operations at airports, and ongoing expansions of airports to cater to the rising global air passenger traffic.

Ask for PDF Brochure:

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=264041553

Based on type, the mobile GSE segment is projected to lead the ground support equipment market during the forecast period.

Based on type, the ground support equipment market is projected to be led by the mobile segment from 2019 to 2025. Mobile GSE refer to equipment that can be moved around airports. They are not restricted to one installed location and can be used to service aircraft parked at gates that are not connected to airport terminals. Mobile GSE usually comprise cargo loading equipment and ramp service equipment. The rise in capacity expansions of existing airports has led to increased aircraft and cargo movements, which eventually have contributed to increased demand for mobile GSE.

The commercial segment is projected to lead the ground support equipment market from 2019 to 2025.

Based on application, the commercial segment is projected to lead the ground support equipment market during the forecast period. The commercial segment has been classified into passenger services, cargo services, and aircraft services. These services form a bulk of ground support activities required by aircraft. These services are also called as ramp services. The growth of the commercial segment of the market can be attributed to the rise in demand for electric ground support equipment due to the increased adoption of environment-friendly equipment at airports to carry out different operations.

Browse in-depth TOC on "Ground Support Equipment Market"

127  Tables

44  Figures

197  Pages

The North American and Asia Pacific regions are projected to be high growth potential markets for the ground support equipment during the forecast period.

The ground support equipment market in the North American region is expected to witness substantial growth during the forecast period due to increased demand for ground support equipment from airports of these regions.

Several states in the US have passed regulations to reduce emissions from airports completely. As such, airports in these countries are converting their ground support equipment to electric ground support equipment. States such as California and Seattle have already implemented these regulations and airports in these states have overcome the barriers associated with inadequate infrastructure and input power.

The rapid growth of the ground support equipment market in the Asia Pacific region can be attributed to rise in the number of air passenger and freight movements, which lead to the requirement for the upgradation and expansion of airports. For instance, in December 2018, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) announced the construction of 216 new airports by 2035 to accommodate the growing number of air passengers.

Request Sample pages of the Report:

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=264041553

Major players in the ground support equipment market are JBT Corporation (US), Teleflex Lionel-Dupont (TLD) (France), Mallaghan (UK), Tug Technologies Corporation (Textron GSE) (US), Tronair (US), MULAG Fahrzeugwerk (Germany), Guangtai (China), Rheinmetall AG (Germany), ITW GSE (Denmark), and Cavotec (Switzerland).

Please Explore Relevant Reports:

Passenger Boarding Bridge (PBB) Market by Application (Airport, Seaport), Drive System(Hydraulic, Electro-mechanical), Structure (Glass walled, Steel walled), Model (2 Tunnel, 3 Tunnel), Type (Fixed, Movable), Product and Region - Global Forecast to 2021

Unit Load Device Market by Product Type (Lower Deck 3, Lower Deck 6, Lower Deck 11, M 1, Pallets), Application (Commercial, Cargo), Material Type (Metal, Composite), Container Type (Normal, Cold) and Region - Global Forecast to 2021

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Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model  GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve.

MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets.

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Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/aircraft-ground-handling-system-market.asp

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SOURCE MarketsandMarkets
NEW YORK, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian), a mutual life insurer and a leading provider of whole life, dental, individual disability income insurance and employee benefits, has earned a perfect score of 100 in the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation's 2019 Corporate Equality Index and in recognition of its commitment to diversity and inclusion has been designated a "Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality."

HRC's 2019 Corporate Equality Index is a national benchmarking survey that evaluates corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality, including non-discrimination workplace protections, domestic partner benefits, transgender-inclusive health care benefits, competency programs, and public engagement with the LGBTQ community.

"For the third consecutive year, Guardian is proud to earn a perfect score in the HRC's 2019 Corporate Equality Index and be named a best place to work for LGBTQ equality," said President and CEO Deanna Mulligan. "Our culture is one that appreciates and welcomes diversity in every form which enables our colleagues to bring their best selves to work and better relate to our customers."

Guardian supported a host of efforts throughout the year that resulted in the company achieving a perfect score. These include building momentum around our Pride Network employee resource group, simplifying benefits enrollment for colleagues' domestic partners and removing transgender exclusions from all benefits plans.

Previously, the company was one of the first to sign the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion Pledge  a commitment to advance programs that cultivate inclusive working environments across corporate America. Guardian also raised its overall supplier diversity spend and for the first time documented the portion allocated to small businesses owned by those who identify as LGBTQ.

About The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian)

Every day, Guardian provides Americans the security they deserve through our insurance and wealth management products and services. Since our founding in 1860, our long-term view has helped our customers prepare for whatever life brings whether starting a family, planning for the future or taking care of employees. Today, we're a Fortune 250 mutual company and a leading provider of life, disability, dental, and other benefits for individuals, at the workplace and through government sponsored programs. The Guardian community of 9,500 employees and our network of over 2,700 financial representatives is committed to serving with expertise when, where and how our clients need us. Our commitments rest on a strong financial foundation, which at year-end 2018 included $8.5 billion in capital and $1.6 billion in operating income. For more information, please visit guardianlife.com or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, New York, NY. Guardian is a registered trademark of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America.

For Media Inquiries, Contact:

John D. Pelle

Guardian

(212) 919-7630

[email protected]

SOURCE The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America

Related Links

http://www.guardianlife.com


SAN FRANCISCO, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP alerts investors in American Renal Associates Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: ARA) of the firm's investigation of possible violations of the Federal securities laws. If you purchased or otherwise acquired American Renal securities before March 28, 2019 and suffered losses contact Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP. For more information about the investigation click

https://www.hbsslaw.com/cases/ARA

or contact Reed Kathrein, who is leading the firm's investigation, by calling 510-725-3000 or emailing

mailto:[email protected].

On March 8, 2019, American Renal and senior management announced they would not timely file the Company's annual report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018.

On March 27, 2019, they announced investors should not rely on the Company's previously issued consolidated financial statements for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 or on several interim quarterly period financial statements.

Among other things, American Renal and senior management announced they overstated revenue and would restate the Company's financial statements.

In addition, the Company's Chief Financial Officer (Jason Boucher) abruptly resigned effective March 26, 2019.

Since March 7, 2019, the price of American Renal shares has fallen as much as $6.69, or down over 50%.

"We're focused on investors' losses, the admitted improper revenue accounting that might have been intentional, and the extent to which investors may have been misled," said Hagens Berman partner Reed Kathrein.

Whistleblowers: Persons with non-public information regarding ARA should consider their options to help in the investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower program. Under the new program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC. For more information, call Reed Kathrein at 510-725-3000 or email mailto:[email protected].

About Hagens Berman

Hagens Berman is a national investor-rights law firm headquartered in Seattle, Washington with 78 attorneys in 9 offices across the country. The firm represents investors, whistleblowers, workers and consumers in complex litigation. More about the firm and its successes can be found at www.hbsslaw.com. For the latest news visit our newsroom or follow us on Twitter at @classactionlaw .

Contact:

Reed Kathrein, 510-725-3000

SOURCE Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP

Related Links

https://www.hbsslaw.com


CHICKASHA, Okla., March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- HSI Sensing, an Oklahoma-based manufacturer of custom reed switch and sensor technology, will be showcasing their complete Sentinel product line at the 2019 ISC West Event in Las Vegas, Nevada April 9-12.

The HSI Sensing Sentinel line is a group of advanced, high-security entry-point sensors with a UL 634 Level 2 listing.

The HSI Sensing Sentinel line is a group of advanced, high-security entry-point sensors with a UL 634 Level 2 listing. UL 634 is the standard for all switches and connectors used in alarm systems and can be further ranked between High Security Levels 1 and Level 2. Level 2 devices, such as Sentinel, meet the strict standards for SCIF intrusion detection systems for the government intelligence community.

"We are excited to demonstrate our full line of Sentinel products at ISC West," says Travis Posey, Vice President of Business Development, HSI Sensing. "Our latest addition to the line, the Sentinel Retro, is designed as a drop-in replacement to simplify upgrading outdated technology and seeks to eliminate some of the most common issues that plague the industry, such as false alarms from shock and vibration, and alignment and mounting limitations."

Sentinel technology utilizes Hall sensors and intelligent algorithms making them resistant to physical, electrical and magnetic tampering. Advanced engineering has also eliminated alignment issues at install and can accommodate long term door sagging.

"We are re-defining standards for reliability and tamper resistant performance by introducing these new devices designed to monitor the most secure operating areas," says Posey.

Sentinel products are capable of monitoring highly sensitive areas, including government facilities, prisons, sensitive compartmented information facilities (SCIF) and server rooms, and banks. Sentinel can accomplish all of this in a package that is less than half the size of comparable sensors.

"Sentinel is ready for use right out-of-the-box," says Posey. "Each Sentinel sensor comes with the sensor, actuator and mounting hardware so you can be up and running in no time."

Market use, premium listing, and innovative engineering places the Sentinel line of sensors as one of the most advanced door contact security sensors in the world. Sentinel technology can monitor precise location and strength of all magnetic fields within proximity of the sensor, delivering a 360-degree scope to monitor activity from every angle.

"HSI is run by innovators who strive for continuous improvement," says Posey. "In just the short time after receiving the initial UL 634 Level 2 listing for Sentinel, we've been able to expand the line to develop new and unique products that meet all the needs of the high-security industry."

About HSI Sensing

Headquartered in Chickasha, Oklahoma, HSI Sensing (Hermetic Switch, Inc.) is the innovative leader in the engineering and precision manufacturing of custom reed switch and sensor technology. The industry experts in solving problems for customers in challenging design applications, they also precision manufacture those solutions to ensure consistent, unmatched quality. All HSI products are made in the U.S.A.

Since 1968, HSI Sensing, an ISO 9001:2008 and AS9100 registered company, has been the premier choice for custom and standard reed switches, proximity sensors, and other sensing technologies for an array of industries including fluid control devices, reed relays, implantable medical devices, aerospace, heavy equipment, communications, transportation, and more. Their products are used in a variety of applications including commercial and military jet engines, security systems, commercial lawn mowers, external defibrillators, implantable medical devices, space station equipment, animal tracking, and more.

HSI Sensing is a privately-held company wholly owned by the employees. For more information about HSI Sensing, please call (405) 224-4046 or visit www.hsisensing.com.

Press Contact

Travis Posey, HSI Sensing

Vice President Business Development

(405) 224-4046

Related Images

sentinel-security.png

Sentinel Security

The HSI Sensing Sentinel line is a group of advanced, high-security entry-point sensors with a UL 634 Level 2 listing.

Related Links

HSI Sensing

Sentinel High-Security Sensor

SOURCE HSI Sensing

Related Links

https://www.hsisensing.com


Mr. Poweska is a highly regarded leader with deep experience in the electrical utility sector. With over 25 years of experience at BC Hydro, he currently serves as Executive Vice President, Operations, with responsibility for all aspects of the company's electricity generation, transmission and distribution operations. Throughout his career, he has prioritized safety, exceptional customer service, driving efficiencies and improving the reliability of the electricity system.

"Building on 100 years of proudly powering homes and businesses in Ontario, we believe Mark is the right person to focus on what matters most to our customers, employees, investors and all stakeholders," said Tom Woods, Chair of the Board of Hydro One. "Mark's proven record in building a strong safety culture, exceeding customer expectations and improving operational performance will help to ensure that Hydro One is strong now and into the future."

Mr. Poweska is an engineer with experience at all levels of the electricity industry, from front line to executive responsibility, in all three parts of the business: generation, transmission and distribution. He has a proven ability to build and maintain excellent relationships with industry partners, unions, Indigenous communities, regulators and all levels of government.

"I am very excited for the opportunity to take on this leadership role at Hydro One, which plays a critical part in the lives of everyone in Ontario," said Mr. Poweska. "I am committed to Hydro One being a customer-friendly company delivering safe, affordable and reliable power. I look forward to getting to work and to developing a strategic plan to deliver on these goals."

"My immediate priorities include getting to know the Hydro One team, establishing a positive working relationship with all of our key stakeholders, Indigenous communities and the Government of Ontario, and working to earn the ongoing trust and confidence of the investment community."

Mr. Poweska will begin at Hydro One in early May, succeeding Acting President and CEO Paul Dobson, who will remain with the organization for a period of time to provide support during the transition.

"On behalf of the Hydro One Board of Directors, I want to thank Paul for his exceptional leadership since he took on his current role in July 2018, from his prior position as Chief Financial Officer," Mr. Woods added.

Bio: Mark Poweska, P.Eng.

Mr. Poweska currently serves as Executive Vice President, Operations at BC Hydro, where he is a Member of the Executive Team, reporting to the President and Chief Operating Officer. He is accountable for all aspects of operations in BC Hydro's electric system, serving approximately four million residential, commercial and industrial customers in the province of British Columbia. During his tenure in the role, Mr. Poweska successfully led the merger of the former Transmission and Distribution organization with the Generation organization, to form one Operations group with revenues of approximately $5 billion.

Mr. Poweska joined BC Hydro in 1993 and has worked in several parts of the organization, including engineering, construction and procurement. He was Director, Generation Engineering (2007  2010); General Manager, Generation Operations (2010  2013); and Senior Vice President, Transmission & Distribution Engineering, Design and Customer Connections (2013  2015). He was appointed as Senior Vice President, Training, Development & Generation in 2015 and Executive Vice President, Operations in October 2017.

Throughout his career, he has led teams delivering strong results in technical design; delivery and implementation in engineering and construction; exceptional service to customers; as well as safe operations and maintenance of generation, transmission and distribution assets.

Mr. Poweska sits on the Board of Directors and is Chair of the Operations Committee of the Western Energy Institute, a trade association serving the electric and natural gas industries throughout the Western U.S. and Canada. He is also a Board Advisor to Yukon Energy Corporation, a Canadian Crown corporation that provides electrical power to the Yukon territory.

Mr. Poweska received his B.A.Sc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Saskatchewan in 1993. He is a Professional Engineer with Engineers & Geoscientists B.C. and until recently was a member of the Dean's Advisory Committee to the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan.

About Hydro One Limited

We are Ontario's largest electricity transmission and distribution provider with almost 1.4 million valued customers, over C$25.7 billion in assets and 2018 annual revenues of over C$6.2 billion. Our team of approximately 8,600 skilled and dedicated employees proudly build and maintain a safe and reliable electricity system which is essential to supporting strong and successful communities. In 2018, Hydro One invested almost $1.6 billion in its 30,000 circuit km of high-voltage transmission and 123,000 circuit km of primary distribution networks and injected approximately $1.3 billion into the economy by buying goods and services in Ontario. We are committed to the communities where we live and work through community investment, sustainability and diversity initiatives. We are one of only six utility companies in Canada to achieve the Sustainable Electricity Company designation from the Canadian Electricity Association. Through Hydro One Telecom Inc.'s extensive fibre optic network, we also provide advanced broadband telecommunications services on a wholesale basis. Hydro One Limited's common shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: H).

Forward-Looking Statements and Information

This press release may contain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Words such as "expect", "anticipate", "intend", "attempt", "may", "plan", "will", "can", "believe", "seek", "estimate", and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking information. These statements are not guarantees of future performance or actions and involve assumptions and risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed, implied or forecasted in such forward-looking information. Some of the factors that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from the results expressed, implied or forecasted by such forward-looking information, including some of the assumptions used in making such statements, are discussed more fully in Hydro One's filings with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada, which are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Hydro One does not intend, and it disclaims any obligation, to update any forward-looking information, except as required by law.

Our website is www.HydroOne.com. Follow us on facebook.com/HydroOneOfficial, twitter.com/HydroOne and instagram.com/HydroOneOfficial/.

SOURCE Hydro One Limited

Related Links

http://www.hydroone.com


WELLESLEY, Mass., March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- In Force and Freedom: Black Abolitionists and the Politics of Violence (University of Pennsylvania Press), Kellie Carter Jackson, assistant professor of Africana studies at Wellesley College, provides the first historical analysis exclusively focused on the tactical use of violence among antebellum black activists.

Force and Freedom positions black abolitionists and their embrace of violence at the center of the abolitionist movement, offering a reframing of the familiar narrative that abolitionism was a white-led movement that adhered to principles of moral suasion and nonviolent resistance.

"Much of the abolitionist movement is told through the lens of sympathetic white allies, or limited to the narratives of Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman," said Carter Jackson. "It's important to emphasize that black abolitionist efforts were central to the abolition of slavery. Their activism is furthermore connected to a long tradition of resistance to oppression, including the revolutionary violence of the American and Haitian revolutions."

Through rousing public speeches, the burgeoning black press, and the formation of militia groups, black abolitionists mobilized their communities, compelled national action, and drew international attention, ultimately achieving what white nonviolent abolitionists could not: creating the conditions that necessitated the Civil War.

Force and Freedom takes readers beyond the politics of moral suasion and the romanticism of the Underground Railroad, and into an exploration of the decisions, strategies, and actions of the black abolitionists, who, though lacking an official political voice, were nevertheless instrumental in instigating monumental social and political change.

Carter Jackson is an assistant professor of Africana studies at Wellesley College, where she researches slavery and abolitionism, violence as a political discourse, historical film, and black women's history. She co-edited Reconsidering Roots: Race, Politics, and Memory, the first scholarly collection of essays devoted entirely to understanding the visual, cultural, and political influence of the book and the miniseries Roots on American history. Carter Jackson was also featured in the History Channel's documentary Roots: A History Revealed, which was nominated for an NAACP image award in 2016.

About Wellesley College

Since 1875, Wellesley College has been a leader in providing an outstanding liberal arts education for women who will make a difference in the world. Its 500-acre campus near Boston is home to some 2,400 undergraduate students from 49 states and 58 countries.

Press Contact

Casey Bayer, Director of Media Relations: (781) 283-3321; [email protected]

This news release was issued on behalf of Newswise(TM). For more information, visit http://www.newswise.com.

SOURCE Wellesley College

Related Links

http://www.wellesley.edu


BENGALURU, India and AMSTERDAM , March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Infosys (NYSE: INFY), a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting, today announced a strategic partnership with ABN AMRO, the third largest bank in the Netherlands headquartered in Amsterdam. This partnership strengthens Infosys' position as a leading technology and business process management provider across the mortgage services value chain, improving experience and operational efficiencies, and further enhances the company's strategy to help clients navigate their next digital transformation journeys.

As part of the announced partnership, Infosys will acquire 75% of the shareholding in Stater N.V., a wholly owned subsidiary of ABN AMRO Bank N.V., that offers pure-play, end-to-end mortgage administration services in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. ABN AMRO will continue to hold the remaining 25% of the shareholding.

Stater is a market leader in the Benelux region, operating across the mortgage and consumer lending value chain with deep capabilities in digital origination, servicing and collection. Stater also brings deep European mortgage expertise and a robust digital platform to drive superior customer experience. Infosys will drive the digital transformation roadmap of Stater with accelerators such as dynamic workflow, API layers, RPA and analytics. The current management team of Stater will continue to steer the company.

Mortgage services is a focus area for large corporations in the financial sector, given the importance of the asset on a bank's balance sheet. The specialized knowledge and experience of Stater in the mortgage services market, combined with the global reach, AI, digital transformation and automation capabilities of Infosys, can potentially create differentiated solutions for the market.

Mohit Joshi, President, Infosys, said, "This transaction strengthens our approach to offer clients digital platforms and industry focused solutions. It brings together our complementary capabilities to enhance the value we offer to our financial services clients. We are excited to welcome Stater's talented team to the Infosys family, thereby enhancing our presence in Europe."

Christian Bornfeld, Member of the Executive Board of ABN AMRO, said, "While mortgages are a key product for ABN AMRO, providing administrative mortgage services is not a core activity. That's why we are very pleased with Infosys as Stater's new majority shareholder. ABN AMRO will keep a strategic interest of 25% and will continue to be an important client to Stater."

Erwin Dreuning, Managing Director, Stater, said, "We are eager to welcome Infosys as a new shareholder. As they are already active in mortgage administration services, Infosys offers specific expertise. With the combined forces of ABN AMRO, Infosys and Stater ensures we have a solid basis to pursue our plans to for further development of our service offering. Furthermore, it opens up opportunities for us to grow and service other clients."

The transaction is expected to close during the first quarter of fiscal 2020, subject to customary closing conditions.

Disclosure under Regulation 30 of SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015

Name(s) of parties with whom the agreement is entered Infosys Consulting Pte. Ltd. ("IC"), which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Infosys Limited will be entering into an agreement with - ABN AMRO Bank N.V., a company incorporated under the laws of the Netherlands ("ABN AMRO"); and Stater N.V., a company incorporated under the laws of the Netherlands ("Stater"). Expected date of completion of investment The transaction is expected to close in Q1 FY2020, subject to customary closing conditions. Purpose of entering into the agreement Founded in 1997, Stater is a wholly owned subsidiary of ABN AMRO Bank N.V. providing end-to-end mortgage administration services in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. https://stater.nl/en/ As part of the transaction, Infosys Consulting Pte. Ltd. will acquire 75% stake in Stater from ABN AMRO by way of an acquisition of existing shares. ABN AMRO will continue to hold the remaining 25% of the shareholding. The strategic partnership is in alignment with Infosys' strategy to strengthen its mortgage servicing capabilities in Continental Europe Consideration for the investment EUR 127.5 million for 75% stake, subject to customary closing adjustments Nature of consideration Cash Industry to which the entity being acquired belongs BPM (Business Process Management) Brief details of any governmental or regulatory approvals required for the acquisition Customary approvals from the relevant competition authority and the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets ("AFM") In case of issuance of shares to the parties, details of issue price, class of shares issued No Shareholding, if any, in the entity with whom the agreement is executed Nil Whether, the said parties are related to promoter/promoter group / group companies in any manner. If yes, nature of the relationship. No Whether, the transaction would fall within related party transactions? If yes, whether the same is done at "arms-length". No In case of termination or amendment of agreement, listed entity shall disclose additional details to stock exchanges Not applicable. Significant terms of the agreement As part of the terms of the Shareholders' Agreement, Infosys to have the rights of a majority shareholder including the right to appoint majority of the directors in the supervisory board, right to subscribe to new shares, right of first refusal in the event of transfer of shares, right to restrict amendment of Articles, issuance, redemption and repurchase of shares, merger, demerger, bankruptcy or Liquidation among others.

About Stater

Stater is the largest mortgage service provider of the Benelux. Stater services 1.7 million mortgage and insurance loans for approximately 50 clients in The Netherlands and Belgium. Stater was founded in 1997 and has a solid client base. Several of the largest Dutch and Belgian banks see Stater as a trusted partner for their most important product, mortgages. Stater offers a complete range of mortgage services and is a front runner in digital services regarding mortgages and in developing a digital ecosystem for mortgages.

About ABN AMRO

ABN AMRO is a Dutch based bank for retail, corporate and private banking clients. We are a relationship-driven, knowledgeable and digitally savvy bank, active in Northwest Europe and with expertise in selected sectors globally. Our purpose is Banking for better, for generations to come. Headquartered in Amsterdam, ABN AMRO employs around 19,000 people worldwide. Please visit at www.abnamro.com

About Infosys

Infosys is a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. We enable clients in 45 countries to navigate their digital transformation. With over three decades of experience in managing the systems and workings of global enterprises, we expertly steer our clients through their digital journey. We do it by enabling the enterprise with an AI-powered core that helps prioritize the execution of change. We also empower the business with agile digital at scale to deliver unprecedented levels of performance and customer delight. Our always-on learning agenda drives their continuous improvement through building and transferring digital skills, expertise, and ideas from our innovation ecosystem.

Visit http://www.infosys.com to see how Infosys (NYSE: INFY) can help your enterprise navigate your next.

Safe Harbor

Certain statements in this release concerning our future growth prospects are forward-looking statements regarding our future business expectations intended to qualify for the 'safe harbor' under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding fluctuations in earnings, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, our ability to manage growth, intense competition in IT services including those factors which may affect our cost advantage, wage increases in India, our ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, restrictions on immigration, industry segment concentration, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks or system failures, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies in which Infosys has made strategic investments, withdrawal or expiration of governmental fiscal incentives, political instability and regional conflicts, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, and unauthorized use of our intellectual property and general economic conditions affecting our industry. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our United States Securities and Exchange Commission filings including our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2018. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. Infosys may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. In addition, please note that the date of this press release is mentioned at the beginning of the release, and any forward-looking statements contained herein are based on assumptions that we believe to be reasonable as of this date. The company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the company unless it is required by law.

SOURCE Infosys

Related Links

http://www.infosys.com


LAS VEGAS, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- On August 25-27, the senior executives and leaders in all areas of global aviation will meet in Las Vegas to discuss emerging changes that will affect all areas of transportation.

Boyd Group International, the leading aviation research and forecasting firm, is bringing this prestigious event back to Las Vegas, following a record-setting Summit held in the destination in 2017. The event is co-hosted by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) and Las Vegas McCarran International Airport.

"Las Vegas and its airport, McCarran International, are emerging as the leaders in transportation and travel thought-leadership," noted Michael Boyd, president of the Colorado-based aviation consulting firm. "The event is focused on futurist thinking, and Las Vegas is the perfect venue to encourage new perceptions."

Now in its 24th year, the Boyd Group International Aviation Forecast Summit has emerged as the industry's leading planning event, with attendees from all over the world. It's a forum where airlines, airports, aircraft manufacturers, financial institutions and other key sectors come together to discuss the future and the exciting trends facing the industry.

"The Boyd Group International Aviation Forecast Summit provides valuable and exciting industry updates and predictions, and we're thrilled to welcome the event back to Las Vegas," said Steve Hill, CEO and President of the LVCVA. "As the aviation industry grows and changes, it's incredibly important that its leaders and decision-makers experience our offerings first-hand. Every new seat to the destination and innovation in air travel affords us the opportunity to attract more visitors and strengthen our local economy."

The Summit delivers forecasts for key sectors of the aviation industry, including passenger traffic projections, fleet trends, international cross-alliances, and airline industry strategies.

"McCarran International Airport is pleased to welcome back attendees of the Boyd Group International Aviation Forecast Summit," said Clark County Director of Aviation Rosemary Vassiliadis, who oversees the nation's ninth-busiest airport. "This summit annually brings together key leaders from airports, airlines, manufacturers and other stakeholders, providing each the valuable opportunity to discuss and examine what's in store in this very dynamic industry. It's also a perfect chance to showcase all that our airport and its surrounding community have to offer. We're excited to see its return to Las Vegas later this year."

For more information or to register for the 24th Annual International Aviation Forecast Summit, please visit www.aviationforecastsummit.com.

About Boyd Group International

Founded in 1984, Boyd Group International has emerged as a leader in aviation forecasting and research, and provides top-level consulting assistance to airports, airlines, financial institutions and aircraft manufacturers. The International Aviation Forecast Summit annually brings together top CEOs and executives from all areas of the global industry to explore and discuss the emerging trends that will shape the future. In addition to incisive discussion sessions with aviation decision-makers, the Summit delivers cutting-edge forecasts, including passenger projections, aircraft demand by region, and financial shifts. For insight on Boyd Group International, log on to www.AviationForecastSummit.com or www.AviationPlanning.com.

About the LVCVA

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) is charged with marketing Southern Nevada as a tourism and convention destination worldwide, and also with operating the Las Vegas Convention Center and Cashman Center. With nearly 150,000 hotel rooms in Las Vegas alone and more than 11 million square feet of meeting and exhibit space citywide, the LVCVA's mission centers on attracting ever increasing numbers of leisure and business visitors to the area. Download the virtual reality app, Vegas VR, to experience Las Vegas from your iPhone or Android by visiting http://www.vrtv.vegas/ . For more information, go to www.lvcva.com or www.visitlasvegas.com .

About McCarran International Airport

McCarran International Airport is located in the shadows of the world-famous Las Vegas Strip and is the gateway for nearly half of the people who visit Southern Nevada each year. Including arrivals and departures, McCarran hosted nearly 50 million passengers in 2019, making it the ninth-busiest airport in North America. With more than 30 airlines providing nonstop service to 140 destinations, McCarran makes it possible for the world to experience one of the most alluring travel destinations. McCarran International Airport is owned and operated by Clark County, Nevada, and does not benefit from local tax dollars.

SOURCE Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA)

Related Links

http://www.lvcva.com


DETROIT, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Stratview Research announces the launch of a new market research report on Opportunities & Gaps in the Liquid Biopsy Diagnostic Market. This report, from Stratview Research, studies the global liquid biopsy diagnostic market over the trend period of 2014 to 2018 and forecast period of 2019 to 2025. The report provides detailed insights into the market dynamics to enable informed business decision making and growth strategy formulation based on the opportunities present in the market.

Liquid Biopsy Diagnostic Market: Research Highlights

According to a report published by The World Health Organization in 2017, the number of breast cancer deaths around the globe is expected to increase. By 2040, more than 991,000 women are expected to die annually of breast cancer across the globe.

The potential for liquid biopsies to lead to early detection of cancer may impact several product lines, mainly critical illness (CI) and medical insurance. Over the past few years, CI has undergone several innovations. Companies now offer staged, multi-pay, and cancer-only plans. A unique selling point of cancer-only and staged CI plans is they cover early-stage cancers as well. Increased near-term utilization of liquid biopsy as part of routine screening tests or diagnostic protocols could lead to higher cancer incidence rates than anticipated. This could impact the pricing assumptions of certain products, especially those offering early-stage cancer benefits.

Register Here and Ask for a Free Sample of the Report

Recent mainstream news flow has made much of the CancerSEEK diagnostic test, particularly its ability to detect multiple types of cancer from a single blood sample. Further confirmatory tests will be required post-screening before a patient is placed on the current standard of care for their particular cancer. Also, the test's sensitivity falls to 70% for the purposes of screening certain cancers, which is insufficient to drive standalone clinical decisions. Therefore, considerable further development and validation of liquid biopsy-type platforms are required to establish such a 'one stop' diagnostic test. Among the key competitors in liquid biopsy, Biocept, Oncocyte and few others are creating buzz in the market.

Overall, the liquid biopsy (LB) concept complements the personalized medicine approach and provides an innovative way for patient selection in clinical trials, here mutational analysis supports patient eligibility for targeted therapy.

While we do not anticipate that LB will fully replace or directly compete with SB for most diagnostic purposes any time soon, we do very much foresee that LB will complement SB rapidly within the next 35 years and will become a tool of choice for dynamic monitoring of patients on treatment or under active surveillance. In many instances, LB will also prompt further imaging workup and/or re-biopsy of tissue lesions.

Research Methodology

Our reports offer high-quality insights and are the outcome of detailed research methodology comprising extensive secondary research, rigorous primary interviews with industry stakeholders and validation and triangulation with Stratview Research's internal database and statistical tools. More than 1,000 authenticated secondary sources, such as company annual reports, fact book, press release, journals, investor presentation, white papers, patents, and articles have been leveraged to gather the data. About 20 detailed primary interviews with the market players across the value chain in all four regions and industry experts have been executed to obtain both the qualitative and quantitative insights.

Report Features

This report provides market intelligence in the most comprehensive way. The report structure has been kept such that it offers maximum business value. It provides critical insights into the market dynamics and will enable strategic decision making for the existing market players as well as those willing to enter the market. The following are the key features of the report:

Market structure: Overview, industry life cycle analysis, supply chain analysis

Market environment analysis: Growth drivers and constraints, Porter's five forces analysis, SWOT analysis

Market trend and forecast analysis

Market segment trend and forecast

Competitive landscape and dynamics: Market share, Product portfolio, New product launches, etc.

Attractive market segments and associated growth opportunities

Emerging trends

Strategic growth opportunities for the existing and new players

Key success factors

Future Outlook

Stratview Research has number of high value market reports in the global healthcare industry. Please refer to the following link to browse through our reports:

Click Here for Other Reports from Stratview Research in the Healthcare Industry

Our related premium market report in the healthcare industry:

Opportunities & Gaps in the In Vitro Diagnostic Testing Market By Product (Instruments, Reagents), By Technology (Immunoassay, Clinical Chemistry, Molecular Diagnostics, Hematology, and Urinalysis, Microbiology), By Application (Diabetes, Infectious diseases, Oncology, Cardiology, Nephrology, and Other Diseases) By Type of Demand for Sample (Urine, Hair, and Oral), By Testing Facility (Hospital Laboratories, Independent Clinical Laboratories and Others), By Region (North America, Western Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Rest of the World).

Opportunities & Gaps in the Global Lung Cancer Prognosis Market By Epidemiology, By Treatment Algorithm in Different Regions, By Procedures (Thoracotomy (Lobectomy, Pneumonectomy, and Segmentectomy), Minimally Invasive), By Device (Surgical (Clamps, Forceps, Retractors, Others and by Monitoring Devices - Camera, Trocar and Endoscopic Instrument) and By Region (North America, Western Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Rest of the World).

About Stratview Research

Stratview Research is a global market intelligence firm providing wide range of services including syndicated market reports, custom research and sourcing intelligence across industries, such as Advanced Materials, Aerospace & Defense, Automotive & Mass Transportation, Consumer Goods, Construction & Equipment, Electronics and Semiconductors, Energy & Utility, Healthcare & Life Sciences, and Oil & Gas.

We have a strong team of industry veterans and analysts with an extensive experience in executing custom research projects for mid-sized to Fortune 500 companies, in the areas of Market Assessment, Opportunity Screening, Competitive Intelligence, Due Diligence, Target Screening, Market Entry Strategy, Go to Market Strategy, and Voice of Customer studies.

Stratview Research is a trusted brand globally, providing high quality research and strategic insights that help companies worldwide in effective decision making.

For inquiries

Stratview Research

E-mail: [email protected]

Direct: +1-313-307-4176

SOURCE Stratview Research
MINNEAPOLIS, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- MidCountry Bank and the Central Minnesota Habitat for Humanity (CMHFH) partnered last year to help launch the region's first Veterans Build new home project. Ground was broken in September on a donated lot in downtown St. Cloud, MN, and construction began immediately on a new home for a deserving military veteran. Volunteers worked throughout the winter and a military veteran partner family was recently identified, but additional volunteer assistance is still required.

The recently announced recipient family hails from St. Cloud and Duluth originally. Brandon served as a U.S. Navy Aviation Electronic Specialist during Desert Storm. He comes from a long line of military veterans, including his grandfather and great-grandfather who both served in World War I and II. He is service-disabled and requires leg braces, which impacts his mobility and makes it difficult for him to navigate stairs in the second-story apartment where he has lived for the last 28 years.

Brandon is active in several area veteran groups, which have committed to volunteering sweat equity to help him, his wife Kathi, and his daughter Megan complete and move into their new one story, handicapped accessible home. This local Navy veteran family is overjoyed to be receiving a new home, as it's been a dream of theirs to experience the pride, benefits, and stability of homeownership.

"We are proud not only to give back to the local communities where we operate through initiatives like the Veterans Build project, but to help those who are serving or have served in our nation's military," said Steve Meads, President and CEO of MidCountry Bank. "Our local team members remain committed to being socially responsible, focusing heavily on volunteerism, community giving, and civic leadership in the communities they serve."

MidCountry Bank, headquartered in Bloomington, MN is a regional community bank with 13 branch locations in central Minnesota. Recently named a 2019 Community Champion by the Minnesota Bankers Association, MidCountry Bank also provides scholarships to the children of fallen service members through Folds of Honor, assists veterans across the state through the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MAC-V), and helps underwrite the YMCA Twin Cities' veterans and military outreach program, among other things.

For more information:

CMHFH: www.cmhfh.org/builds

MidCountry Bank: www.MidCountry.bank

Media Contact :

Kathy Wachter

952-843-5209

[email protected]

SOURCE MidCountry Bank

Related Links

https://www.midcountry.bank


COLUMBUS, Ohio, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Demotech's I LEAD 2019 conference will feature the thoughts of Matteo Carbone, Founder and director, IoT Observatory to lead off a focused discussion on utilizing technology to address the needs and expectations of consumers.

According to Joe Petrelli, President, Demotech, the sponsor of I LEAD 2019, "Matteo is well positioned to advise leaders on the importance of using technology to manage the expectations of consumers. He manages an international insurance think tank, is internationally recognized as an insurance industry strategist with a specialization on innovation and technology, and he is an author and world-renowned authority on InsurTech. He is connected to a broad and strong network of insurance innovators. Having spoken to audiences worldwide, we are delighted that he will be joining us in Columbus."

According to Sharon Romano Petrelli, a few of Matteo's quotes should let everyone know what they can expect. Carbone has said:

" Irrelevancy is only a choice for an Insurer, not his inevitable destiny!"

" Insuretech is the "Superpower" for accessing managing and transferring risk."

"I'm helping incumbents to deal with innovation needs."

Subsequent to Carbone's keynote, attendees will hear from Wesley Todd, Founding Shareholder, CaseGlide on how to utilize analytics and proprietary software to meet the needs and expectations of claimants. Randy Smith and Mike Lanese from OnSeen will present the consumer-friendly power of LiveClaim. Athenium Analytics will share their thoughts on how to empower underwriting decisions through the objective assessment of public information. Paresh Patel, Chairman and CEO, HCI Group, Inc., thought leader in the development of the consumer focused flood insurance coverage, will share his expertise and observations on how consumers respond once they understand their exposure to the peril of flood.

About Demotech's I LEAD Conference 2019: Facets of Leadership

Demotech presents I LEAD Conference on August 18  20, 2019 at the Hilton Columbus at Easton. I LEAD is the premier conference for C-Suite insurance leaders. Demotech's program features exceptional speakers presenting facets of leadership of vital concern to carriers who will lead the industry. The conference, formerly known as the Super Regional P/C Insurer Conference, has sold out for the past two years.

Service providers: There is no vendor registration. To attend, you must be a sponsor.

SOURCE Demotech, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.demotech.com


SACRAMENTO, Calif., March 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- McClatchy (NYSE American: MNI) today announced 12 President's Awards for journalists who focused on local accountability journalism that safeguarded the most vulnerable in their communities and led to needed reforms.



The Miami Herald exposed the sweetheart deal a prosecutor who now serves in Donald Trump's cabinet brokered for multi-millionaire Jeffrey Epstein after he sexually assaulted scores of teenage girls. The story continues to reverberate nationally, sparking new scrutiny of the plea deal and giving victims perhaps another chance at justice.



The Fort Worth Star-Telegram also found scores of young victims of sexual abuse in a sweeping investigation of independent fundamentalist Baptist churches, revealing how loosely affiliated churches and private universities worked to cover up crimes and relocate offenders across the country.



The Sun Herald in Biloxi, Miss., detailed shocking assaults on a severely disabled girl at the hands of a teacher and bus driver  and the school district's gross mishandling of the case. The State in Columbia, S.C., uncovered widespread corruption at a rural electric co-op, reporting that resulted in the ouster of the entire board. The Sacramento Bee explored the dangerous consequences of understaffing and a lack of law enforcement resources in sparsely populated sections of Northern California.



McClatchy also honored two winners in the category of breaking news: The Sacramento Bee for its harrowing coverage of the deadly Camp Fire; and the Miami Herald for its timely, probing work on the collapse of a bridge at Florida International University.



The McClatchy President's Awards, now in their 19th year, recognize the best work of 2018 by journalists company-wide.

"These extraordinary examples of essential, local journalism represent the diligence and passion of our reporters across the country," said Craig Forman, McClatchy's President and CEO. "Not only did these stories uncover corruption, expose scandals and provide vital information for the communities they serve, they prompted official investigations, new laws and needed reforms. In short, they're stories that made an impact and strengthened the communities we serve."



Judging this year's competition were Gilbert Bailon, editor of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch; Thomas Koetting, deputy managing editor of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; Elizabeth Williamson, feature writer for The New York Times; Mike Fannin, editor of McClatchy's Central Region and editor of The Kansas City Star; and Colleen McCain Nelson, McClatchy Opinion Editor and Kansas City Star editorial page editor.



Below is a complete list of this year's President's Award winners, along with comments from the judges and links to the stories.



Miami Herald

Perversion of Justice

Julie K. Brown, Emily Michot



An investigation revealing how a multi-millionaire and serial pedophile who sexually assaulted scores of girls leveraged his wealth and connections to escape accountability for his crimes. Reporter Julie K. Brown and videographer Emily Michot showed us how Alexander Acosta, the Trump administration's Secretary of Labor, and former U.S. attorney for Southern Florida, presided over this travesty, secretly and personally negotiating a lenient plea deal for Jeffrey Epstein and then concealing the agreement from the police, the judge, and ultimately, from Epstein's young victims, denying them justice. These stories generated deep national outrage and an overdue review of the case, the outcome of which is still unfolding. Without the sensitivity and full-bore investigative skills deployed in this series, Acosta's shameful failure to do his job would not have reached our national consciousness or secured Epstein's many victims an opportunity for justice long-denied them.



(Biloxi) Sun Herald

Assault of Disabled Girl on St. Martin School Bus Captured on Shocking Video

Margaret Baker, Amanda McCoy

A series exposing the horrific abuse a severely disabled child experienced at the hands of her so-called caregivers. The reporters detailed every parent or guardian's nightmare: assaults on a defenseless child that took place on a school bus, at the hands of people entrusted with her care. The reporters secured the shocking videotape and unearthed records of the abuse and the school district's failure to report it up the chain, helping the perpetrators escape with a slap on the wrist. Their work prompted a state investigation, strengthening of school district policies and new proposals to make such abuse a felony. In their determination to get to the bottom of what may have originally seemed an isolated incident in a small community, Margaret Baker and Amanda McCoy achieved the highest aim of journalism  to give voice to the voiceless and protect the rights of Americans who cannot stand up for themselves.



Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Spirit of Fear

Sarah Smith



A series of stories exposing decades of sexual abuse at independent fundamental Baptist churches and the way a web of churches and schools covered up the crimes and relocated offenders. Judges found reporter Sarah Smith's work a revelation. The series detailed how church leaders fostered a climate of intimidation and used their connections to help abusers advance without checks or consequences. The voices of ex-members describing rape and abuse were powerful and heartbreaking. "It's impossible to read this and not be moved  and angry," judges said.



The (Columbia) State

Corruption at the Tri-County Electric Co-op

Avery Wilks



An investigation into the corrupt leaders of an electric co-op who used their positions to enrich themselves. Through dogged, original reporting, Avery Wilks uncovered a giant scandal within a small co-op in rural South Carolina, exposing the part-time board members who collected outsized pay and benefits while customers were saddled with some of the highest electricity rates in the state. Wilks combined a deep dive into thousands of documents with strong interviews and source development to deliver a series of well-crafted stories that had a high outrage factor and clearly explained why the 1.5 million South Carolinians served by co-ops should care.The judges were moved by the far-reaching impact of these stories, as Wilks' reporting changed the course of events for the better: Board members were voted out of office. A criminal investigation was launched. And legislators are promising reforms.



Charlotte Observer

Carruth

Scott Fowler and Jeff Siner of The Charlotte Observer; Davin Coburn of McClatchy Studios



Exceptional multimedia project on one of America's most infamous murder-for-hire cases. Columnist Scott Fowler channels his deep knowledge and exclusive sourcing on the topic into a tour de force podcast and narrative. The series doesn't simply look back; it brings important new reporting  from a jailhouse interview with the man who pulled the trigger to a conversation with Carruth himself  and elevates the story to another level of understanding. Judges considered Fowler's project to be the definitive work on the subject.



The Kansas City Star

Missouri's Child Brides

Eric Adler



An investigation that exposed Missouri as a national destination for child marriages, which prompted the state legislature to raise the minimum age for marriage in just 68 days. State lawmakers even praised The Star for raising the troubling practice. Six couples shared their stories of child marriage, and the reporting spanned nationally to illustrate how Missouri had become the child bride mecca for the country.



The (Durham) Herald-Sun

The Story of My Street: Gentrification in Durham

Dawn Vaughan, Zachery Eanes, Carli Brosseau, Mark Schultz, Julia Wall



A yearlong project on gentrification and neighborhood change in Durham, using stories, columns, town meetings and social media. This was clearly a must-read for anyone interested or engaged in the community. Judges were deeply impressed by the sustained focus of the work and the intimate connection it fostered between the news organization and its audience. The reporters used historical background, supporting data and clear explanations of economic realities to shed light on what is happening today. "If you talk about branding, building an audience, being essential to your readership  this had it all," judges said.



The Sacramento Bee

Rural sheriffs, can they protect you?

Anita Chabria, Dale Kasler, Ryan Sabalow and Phillip Reese



An investigation into the stark and dangerous lack of law enforcement officers and resources in some rural areas of Northern California. The reporters uncovered disturbing tales of citizens put in harm's way because of understaffing in sheriff's offices, detailing the substantial risks of leaving sprawling stretches of the state essentially unprotected. From the sheriff who abandoned his job but still collected his paycheck to the couple whose lives were endangered because the closest deputy was three hours away, the stories were revelatory. And if not for The Bee's deep reporting on a largely uncovered topic, readers would be unaware of these troubling issues.



El Nuevo Herald

Puerto Rico: La Isla Olvidada

Matias J. Ocner, Al Diaz, Pedro Portal, David Santiago, Carl Juste and Nancy San Martin.



A beautifully crafted documentary that captured vivid images, voices of the people and stories of continued struggle a year after the island was devastated by a hurricane. The daily battle for clean water, housing, medical treatment and reopening businesses continues after 2,975 people perished in the hurricane. The series was produced with support from The Rockefeller Foundation.



Lexington Herald-Leader

Stirring the Waters

Will Wright



Compelling reporting on the dearth of reliable drinking water in Central Appalachia. Reporter Will Wright vividly shows how families in Eastern Kentucky literally pray for rain while their water systems fail. Wright's series of stories  part of a collaborative effort involving several media partners in West Virginia, in partnership with Report for America  resulted in the state attorney general calling for the takeover of an Eastern Kentucky water district plagued with reports of poor water quality. Judges thought the reporting brought to light not only the problems in the region but also the plight of the victims. "Wright surfaces the humanity of poor people who are humiliated by having to line their homes with empty buckets just to have usable water," the judges said.



Miami Herald

The Fall of the Florida International University Bridge

Team



In-depth coverage of the frantic hours following the collapse of Florida International University's pedestrian bridge and the heartbreaking aftermath of the tragedy that claimed six lives. The Herald was on the scene almost instantly, and its team of reporters filed continuous, real-time updates at all hours, using every platform available to provide readers visuals and details from the horrific scene on Southwest Eighth Street. In the days that followed, Herald reporters attacked this story from numerous angles, eloquently and sensitively telling the wrenching tales of victims and survivors  "Mom! The bridge fell on us!"  while launching investigations to unravel and explain how this concrete span could suddenly come crashing down.



The Sacramento Bee

Camp Fire, the Destruction of Paradise

Team



Haunting account of the deadly, mass-casualty fires in Northern California. The writing and reporting take readers to the smoking timber and ash to make sense of the human toll. Beginning with a fire that erupted 90 minutes away in Butte County, the Bee's staff went beyond the breaking news and spent months documenting the incredible loss of life and stories of survival, finding both tales of sorrow and salvation.

About McClatchy

McClatchy operates 30 media companies in 14 states, providing each of its communities with strong independent local journalism in the public interest and advertising services in a wide array of digital and print formats. McClatchy publishes iconic local brands including the Miami Herald, The Kansas City Star, The Sacramento Bee, The Charlotte Observer, The (Raleigh) News & Observer, and the Fort WorthStar-Telegram. McClatchy is headquartered in Sacramento, Calif., and listed on the New York Stock Exchange American under the symbol MNI. #ReadLocal

SOURCE McClatchy

Related Links

http://www.mcclatchy.com


CHICAGO, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- McDermott Will & Emery has earned a 100 percent rating for the 2019 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) and maintained its designation as a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality. This is the thirteenth consecutive year the Firm received a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation's national benchmarking tool in recognition of its inclusive work environment and equality of opportunity for all employees.

"At McDermott, everyone is encouraged to be their most authentic selves," said Michael Weaver, partner-in-charge for LGBTQ Diversity & Inclusion. "We are devoted to an inclusive culture for all LGBTQ attorneys and staff, and we work to ensure that every member of our team is respected, supported and inspired to exceed. Diversity  in all forms  is an important part of what makes us such a great law firm."

McDermott recognizes that by attracting and retaining top talent from a wide range of backgrounds, the Firm can offer the most innovative solutions for clients' toughest problems. As early as 2002, it extended domestic partner benefits to same-sex partners prior to marriage equality. In 2012, McDermott became one of the first law firms to offer full health coverage for transgender lawyers and staff. In 2018, the Firm achieved Mansfield Certification one year after announcing participation in the Mansfield Rule pilot program hosted by Diversity Lab. As part of "Mansfield 2.0," it will prioritize consideration for LGBTQ lawyers and measure diversity as a factor for determining roles in client pitch meetings.

"The top-scoring companies on this year's CEI are not only establishing policies that affirm and include employees here in the United States, they are applying these policies to their global operations and impacting millions of people beyond our shores," said HRC President Chad Griffin. "Many of these companies have also become vocal advocates for equality in the public square, including the dozens that have signed on to amicus briefs in vital Supreme Court cases and the more than 170 that have joined HRC's Business Coalition for the Equality Act. Time and again, leading American businesses have shown that protecting their employees and customers from discrimination isn't just the right thing to do -- it's also good for business."

The 2019 CEI evaluates LGBTQ-related policies and practices including non-discrimination workplace protections, domestic partner benefits, transgender-inclusive health care benefits, competency programs, and public engagement with the LGBTQ community. This year's CEI criteria were updated to reflect changing legal protections and emerging best practices in LGBTQ rights. To receive a 100 percent rating, participants must offer parity between different- and same-sex spouses and have coverage available for domestic partners of enrollees; participants must also have removed transgender exclusions from all benefits plans.

The 2019 Corporate Equality Index report is available here.

About McDermott

McDermott Will & Emery partners with leaders around the world to fuel missions, knock down barriers and shape markets. With 20 locations on three continents, our team works seamlessly across practices, industries and geographies to deliver highly effectiveand often unexpectedsolutions that propel success. More than 1,100 lawyers strong, we bring our personal passion and legal prowess to bear in every matter for our clients and the people they serve.

SOURCE McDermott Will & Emery

Related Links

http://www.mwe.com


DENVER and ALISO VIEJO, Calif., March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today MedeAnalytics, a software as a service (SaaS) healthcare analytics company and UST Global, a business process as a service (BPaaS) firm, announced a partnership with a go-to-market strategy for leveraging new, leading-edge technology creating custom analytics for UST Global's client, Friday Health Plans.

UST Global will be an early adopter for MedeAnalytics' platform-as-a-service offering, MedeCreate. MedeCreate will equip and empower UST Global to rapidly implement robust analytics products and customize those solutions to meet the unique needs of Friday Health Plans. Currently, UST Global provides end-to-end business process services for Friday. "As a business process as a service company, we understand the importance of scalability, customization and speed of solution deployment to health plans," says John Schlichting, chief sales officer for UST Global. "We're excited to be able to stand up new, personalized analytics offerings for Friday."

Uncompromising Deliverability and Scalability

By harnessing the power of MedeCreate, organizations like UST can now quickly implement SaaS-based advanced analytics solutions that include predictive analytics, benchmarking, guided analysis, and machine learning; then personalize the dimensions, metrics and visualizations to fit their clients' needs. UST will even be able to build new analytics applications using MedeCreate, the same tool MedeAnalytics has come to rely on for years to build its SaaS solutions at scale.

"The work performed by UST for Friday Health Plan is a perfect match for MedeCreate, and exactly why we built it," says Paul Kaiser, chief executive officer of MedeAnalytics. "Out-of-the-box analytics products are a hallmark of the MedeAnalytics SaaS portfolio, but we know that health plans like Friday want and need some level of customization for effectiveness and differentiation in their business operations; MedeCreate gives UST these capabilities for their client delivery."

Analytics for Value

For healthcare analytics to be valuable, they must be accessible and usable. MedeCreate allows users to quickly build, customize, and deploy self-service and business-critical applications to deliver meaningful and actionable healthcare insights.

For Friday Health Plans, population health is one of those business-critical areas. Sal Gentile, chief executive officer and co-founder of Friday Health Plans explains, "One of the reasons our plans are so competitive is that we spend a lot of time really understanding the health of our member population. It allows us to create products that fit individual members. We're very excited about the prospect of creating unique analytics capabilities that give us a retrospective and prospective view of member health."

About MedeAnalytics

A leader in healthcare analytics, MedeAnalytics helps organizations make even smarter decisions. With the most advanced data orchestration in healthcare, our intelligent cloud-based analytics platform combines data to deliver state-of-the-art analytics, all in a business context. MedeAnalytics' scalable solutions for financial management, operations, value-based care, and strategic planning deliver the action-ready insights organizations need to achieve success. Helping clients realize financial and operational value almost immediately is just one of the many reasons why MedeAnalytics is the leading healthcare-only analytics provider. Learn more at www.medeanalytics.com.

About UST Global

UST Global is a leading digital technology solutions company that provides advanced computing and digital services to large private and public enterprises around the world. Its clients include Fortune 500 companies in banking and financial services, insurance, healthcare, retail, manufacturing, shipping, technology and telecom. UST Global believes in building long term, strategic business partnerships through client-centric global engagement models that combine local experts and resources with the cost, scale, and quality advantages of global operations. Learn more at www.ust-global.com.

About Friday Health Plans, Inc.

Friday Health Plans, Inc., a healthcare management company, is purpose-built specifically for today's health insurance environment. Headquartered in Denver, the company focuses on overall simplicity to offer low prices so more people can afford health insurance. Operational efficiency, top-notch customer service, and smart technology are core to Friday's consumer-centric approach. The leadership team consists of experienced executives in the managed care, technology, and consumer marketing industries. Learn more at www.fridayhealthplans.com.

Media contacts:

Steph Gustafson

MedeAnalytics

[email protected]

720.838.6392

Divya Singh

UST Global

[email protected]

+918552944004

918.838.6392

SOURCE MedeAnalytics

Related Links

https://medeanalytics.com


INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev., March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Jeff Rumburg, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of MetricNet, presented the Tuesday afternoon keynote, 'The Future of Service and Support  A Brave New World!', at the 32nd Service Desk Conference Hosted by SDI in Birmingham, UK. In the presentation, Mr. Rumburg shared benchmarking data to connect the dots and present a vision of the service organization of the future and discussed how people, process and technology are converging upon a tipping point that will radically reshape the support industry of the future.

"IT Service and Support is now a $250 billion industry that employs 7 million people worldwide," said Jeff Rumburg. "We can reasonably predict that new business paradigms are going to radically reshape the support industry of the future. ITIL 4 and the SDI Global Best Practices Service Desk Standard are game changers when it comes to process. These, together with Artificial Intelligence, have brought us to a tipping point that is going to create unprecedented opportunities, both inside and outside of IT, for those who bring their leadership skills, talent, and experience to the industry."

Following the keynote address, David Wright, Chief Value & Innovation Officer (CVIO) at Service Desk Institute, facilitated a question and answer session. During that session, Mr. Rumburg shared some additional insight with the audience. "In the Brave New World, I think the winners are going to be those who are truly committed to the profession of service and support - not just in IT, but outside of IT. Those that know how to expand their skill sets into related markets, can adapt to new paradigms and are not threatened by artificial intelligence will be the winners in this industry."

Those interested in this presentation can find a copy of the slide deck on MetricNet's website. Mr. Rumburg also presented a round table discussion on Tuesday, March 26, 2019.

Mr. Rumburg is the winner of the Ron Muns Lifetime Achievement Award and was named one of the Top 25 Thought Leaders in Technical Support and Service Management for the last three consecutive years. He is co-founder and Managing Partner of MetricNet, LLC, where he is responsible for global strategy, product development, and client engagement delivery. As a leading expert in benchmarking and re-engineering, Mr. Rumburg authored a best selling book on benchmarking, and has been retained as a benchmarking expert by such iconic companies as American Express, Intel, Coca Cola, and Emory Healthcare.

If you would like more information about benchmarking your service and support functions, please visit http://www.metricnet.com or e-mail MetricNet at info(at)metricnet(dot)com.

About MetricNet

MetricNet is the global leader in IT service and support benchmarking. More than half of the FORTUNE 500 rely on MetricNet benchmarks to improve and optimize their performance. MetricNet is the first, and still the only company to offer downloadable service desk and desktop support benchmarks from their website. With a global benchmarking database of nearly 4,000 IT service and support benchmarks, MetricNet has the most comprehensive database of process and performance metrics in the industry.

About the Service Desk Institute (SDI)

The SDI company mission is to inspire service desks to be brilliant. To achieve this mission SDI has developed a set of goals by which it aims to inspire service desks:

To raise the quality of service delivery by valuing and embracing best practice

To create an inspiring and engaging customer experience

To invest in and empower their teams to be inspired, take action and be better

To shine by demonstrating and delivering exceptional business value

SDI sets the globally recognised best practice service desk standards that provide clear and measurable benchmarks for service desk operations and professionals. The standards are designed to encourage service desks to embrace best practices in order to raise the quality of service delivery.

Related Images

metricnet-logo.jpg

MetricNet Logo

SOURCE MetricNet, LLC

Related Links

http:///www.metricnet.com


The company's SuperMag, a powerful and durable industrial-sized magnet, removes damaging and debilitating debris from any surface. Nails, screws and other metal debris on the roadways and highway shoulder can cause flat tires, which is particularly debilitating during "pothole season." Pothole repair and road maintenance crews experience an average of one flat tire every three hours on the road, said Storch Magnetics CEO Matt Carr.

"It's amazing how much hazardous debris you encounter on the shoulder of our roads," said Carr. "This is particularly true after snow plows and sweepers have pushed these items off to the side when clearing snow and ice this winter."

According to AAA, motorists suffer more than 220 million flat tires each year in the U.S., or seven flats every second. Road repairs are a high priority this summer in Michigan, and added debris causing maintenance vehicle flats slows down repairs and costs taxpayers money. Such debris is often made of metals, wires and other materials.

"While it can cost up to $750 to repair and replace a tire on a maintenance vehicle, the more significant cost is the lost time of the idled crew," Carr said.

SuperMag, which can be mounted to the front of a road maintenance vehicle, is the first magnet of its kind that can be towed or front mounted on an existing snow plow mount. The permanent magnet is hydraulically actuated, hinging upward and away from the working surface. It can be fitted to a lead vehicle on a pothole repair team so that hazardous items are magnetically removed from the road, virtually eliminating the threat of a flat tire from road debris. It is designed to last generations with less than 1 percent of magnet loss per 100 years.

"At less than $15,000, one SuperMag in a road commission fleet can save taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years," Carr said. SuperMag is easy to operate and can be raised and lowered like a snowplow. Operators can turn SuperMag on and off without even leaving their vehicle.

"The amount of debris that exists on many roads is one of the hidden dangers that doesn't always get addressed," Carr said. "SuperMag allows these crews to remain effective and efficient. Plus you have the added benefit of picking up this dangerous debris for other motorists."

There were 738 total motor vehicle fatalities in tire-related crashes in 2017, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In addition, an October 2015 report released by the National Transportation Safety Bureau (NTSB) indicated that each year, about 33,000 passenger vehicle tire-related crashes occur in the U.S., resulting in about 19,000 injuries. The NTSB has publicly stated that a majority of tire-related crashes are preventable and much more can be done to prevent tire-failure-related accidents.

"Before using SuperMag, Jackson County Department of Transportation was experiencing a flat tire about 90 percent of the time it had a crew heading out for pothole repair," said Director of Operations and Deputy Managing Director Bob Griffis. "By using SuperMag for approximately one year, Jackson has already paid for the cost of the magnet just on tire repair savings alone," he said.

"The amount of money we have saved just on tires has been unreal," Griffis said. "We've taken SuperMag out to crash sites to sweep up debris there as well."

SOURCE Storch Magnetics
TUCSON, Ariz., March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- This March, Miraval, the global leader in wellness resorts and spas, will debut two new Life in Balance Culinary Kitchens outfitted by Williams Sonoma at the brand's flagship resort in Arizona, and at the newly opened Miraval Austin. Through the partnership, Williams Sonoma will bring its brand to life in front of Miraval's wellness-minded guests, as they use the renowned kitchen brand's products during the resort's new healthy cooking classes and workshops, including Plant-Based Cooking, Conquering the Blade, Restoring Bone Broth and Wheat-Free Baking.

"For over 20 years, Miraval's goal has been to give guests the skills and confidence to be their healthiest and most balanced selves, and our culinary program is an integral part of that. As our nutritionists and chefs teach us, the food we consume can affect our physical, mental and emotional health," said Marc W. Ellin, global head of Miraval Group. "Through this partnership we will be able to not only enhance our culinary programming, but also give guests easy access to the culinary tools we use at Miraval, so that they can more easily integrate our food philosophy into their lives after they leave the resort."

Each of the Williams Sonoma products chosen for the new Life in Balance Culinary Kitchens were hand-selected by Miraval's chefs to perfectly complement the new suite of culinary classes created specifically for the new kitchens.

New culinary classes include:

Plant-Based Cooking : Guests will learn how to create truly inspired, plant-based versions of their favorite foods such as spaghetti and "meatballs".

: Guests will learn how to create truly inspired, plant-based versions of their favorite foods such as spaghetti and "meatballs". The Secret Art of Sauces : In this hands-on class guests will learn to about the five French "Mother Sauces" and then create a healthier, "Miraval" version of one of the sauces from beginning to end.

: In this hands-on class guests will learn to about the five French "Mother Sauces" and then create a healthier, "Miraval" version of one of the sauces from beginning to end. Conquering the Blade : This informative class teaches guests how to choose the right knife and how to properly use it to create dishes that nourish the mind, body and soul.

: This informative class teaches guests how to choose the right knife and how to properly use it to create dishes that nourish the mind, body and soul. Restoring Bone Broth : During this hands-on workshop, guests will learn to reduce waste by using ingredients normally destined for the trash including animal bones, veggie scraps and leftover herbs to make a healing bone broth that improves digestion, joint health and the immune system.

: During this hands-on workshop, guests will learn to reduce waste by using ingredients normally destined for the trash including animal bones, veggie scraps and leftover herbs to make a healing bone broth that improves digestion, joint health and the immune system. Wheat-Free Baking: Miraval's pastry chefs show guests how easy it can be to use alternative flours to create flavorful breads, pastries and desserts without sacrificing taste, texture or flavor.

Following each culinary class and workshop, Miraval guests will have the opportunity to purchase the products they used from a dedicated retail page on Williams Sonoma's website, and a select number of items will be available at Miraval's onsite retail venues. Among the items available for purchase will be Williams Sonoma's exclusive collection of celebrity-designed spatulas that benefit No Kid Hungry, a charity that fights childhood hunger across the United States.

Miraval's partnership with Williams Sonoma reinforces both brands' mission to bringing best-in-class products, quality ingredients, and knowledge to the home cook. The partnership will continue at Miraval in the Berkshires, which is slated to open in Fall 2019.

To shop Miraval's favorite Williams Sonoma products, please visit: www.williams-sonoma.com/miraval

About Miraval Group

Miraval is a luxury leader in wellness resorts and spas for individuals looking to create a life in balance through alignment of the body, mind and spirit. Opened in 1995, Miraval Arizona in Tucson, AZ, pioneered the destination wellness spa resort category with its comprehensive program of activities, experiences and personal treatments. A second Miraval resort experience opened in February 2019 offering imaginative, compassionate and awe-inspiring moments in natural surroundings in Austin, TX. A third Miraval resort delivering highly personalized journeys is expected to open in Lenox, MA in 2019. Miraval also offers two Miraval Life in Balance hotel spas at Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point, CA and Park Hyatt St. Kitts Christophe Harbour.

About Hyatt Hotels Corporation

Hyatt Hotels Corporation, headquartered in Chicago, is a leading global hospitality company with a portfolio of 13 premier brands. As of September 30, 2017, the Company's portfolio included 739 properties in 57 countries. The Company's purpose to care for people so they can be their best informs its business decisions and growth strategy and is intended to create value for shareholders, build relationships with guests and attract the best colleagues in the industry. The Company's subsidiaries develop, own, operate, manage, franchise, license or provide services to hotels, resorts, branded residences and vacation ownership properties, including under the Park Hyatt, Miraval, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, Hyatt, Andaz, Hyatt Centric, The Unbound Collection by Hyatt, Hyatt Place, Hyatt House, Hyatt Ziva, Hyatt Zilara and Hyatt Residence Club brand names and have locations on six continents. For more information, please visit www.hyatt.com.

About Williams Sonoma

Since its founding by Chuck Williams in 1956, the Williams Sonoma brand has been bringing people together around food. A member of Williams Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE: WSM) portfolio of brands, Williams Sonoma is a leading specialty retailer of high-quality products for the kitchen and home, providing world-class service and an engaging customer experience. Products include cookware, cooks' tools, cutlery, electrics, bakeware, food, tabletop and bar, outdoor, cookbooks, as well as furniture, lighting and decorative accessories. Each store offers cooking classes and tastings conducted by expert culinary staff. A comprehensive gift registry program for weddings and other special events is available in stores and online. On Williams Sonoma.com and the Williams Sonoma blog, Taste, customers can find recipes, tips, and techniques that help them create delicious meals and wonderful memories. Williams Sonoma is also part of an active community on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ and YouTube.

Press Contact

Kathryn Archambault

Nike Communications

646.654.3421

[email protected]

SOURCE Miraval
JERSEY CITY, N.J., March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. (MTPA) today announced a collaboration with the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Neurological Clinical Research Institute (NCRI) to conduct a study designed to identify and measure specific biomarkers in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

"We are honored to be working with the team at MGH on our first clinical trial in the U.S.," said Stephen Apple, M.D., Senior Medical Director, Medical Affairs, MTPA. "This biomarker trial has sparked exponential interest in the ALS community, and with the help of MGH, we hope to further our understanding of the potential role these measures may have in evaluating a treatment response."

The ALS biomarker study, which will be sponsored by MTPA and led by MGH, has been designed to have 200 patients complete six cycles (24 weeks) of treatment, and will be conducted at up to 40 sites across the country. Findings may assist with identifying specific biomarkers as quantifiable, biological, non-clinical measures for the treatment effect of edaravone in people with ALS. The first biomarker study patient is anticipated to be enrolled late spring of 2019, with early interim analyses planned for later in the year.

"ALS is a complex disorder with diverse pathophysiology, and we do not currently have validated biomarkers for diagnosing or following ALS progression," said study Primary Investigator James Berry, M.D., M.P.H., MGH NCRI, Boston. "This study will broaden our understanding of numerous biomarkers that may be associated with ALS, including those for oxidative stress, inflammation, muscle and neuronal injury and death. It will increase our understanding of ALS and of the biological effects of edaravone in people with ALS undergoing therapy."

The biomarker study is a 24-week, prospective, observational, longitudinal, multicenter study. All participants will be newly prescribed commercial RADICAVA (edaravone) and, once enrolled in this study, biomarker and clinical assessments will be obtained prior to initiating RADICAVA, as well as at start of treatment and at pre-specified time points throughout the study. Patient biomarker data and disease progression assessments will be compared to samples stored at biorepositories and progression models, respectively.

The study will evaluate the following biomarkers:

Oxidative stress  4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), 8-Isoprostanes, 3-nitrotyrosine (3NT), 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8OHdG), urate

Inflammation  matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9)

Neuronal injury and death  neurofilament (Nf) heavy and light chain proteins, urinary neurotrophin receptor p75

Muscle injury  creatinine

About Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc.

Based in Jersey City, N.J., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. (MTPA) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation's (MTPC) 100 percent owned U.S. holding company, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Holdings America, Inc. MTPA is dedicated to delivering innovative products that address the unmet medical needs of patients in North America. It was established by MTPC to commercialize approved pharmaceutical products in North America with plans to expand its product line through collaborations with partners. For more information, please visit www.mt-pharma-america.com or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Overview of Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation (MTPC)

Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma, which was founded in 1678, has its headquarters in Doshomachi, Osaka, which is the birthplace of Japan's pharmaceutical industry. With business centered on ethical pharmaceuticals, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma is a well-established company and has the longest history of any listed company in Japan.1 In accordance with the corporate philosophy of "contributing to the healthier lives of people around the world through the creation of pharmaceuticals," the Company formulated the key concept of Open Up the Future under the Medium-Term Management Plan 2016-2020. Through the discovery of drugs that address unmet medical needs, centered on its priority disease areas  autoimmune diseases, diabetes and kidney diseases, central nervous system diseases, and vaccines  Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma will strive to contribute to the health of patients around the world. MTPC is the parent company of MTPA and the license holder of RADICAVA. For more information, go to http://www.mt-pharma.co.jp/.

About RADICAVA (edaravone)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved RADICAVA (edaravone) on May 5, 2017 as a treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).2 In a pivotal trial, people given RADICAVA experienced a 33 percent slower rate of decline in the loss of physical function, compared to placebo as measured by the ALS Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R), a validated rating instrument for monitoring the progression of disability in people with ALS.1,3,4

Edaravone was discovered and developed for ALS by Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation (MTPC) and commercialized in the U.S. by Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. MTPC group companies began researching ALS in 2001 through an iterative clinical platform over a 13-year period. In 2015, edaravone was approved for use as a treatment for ALS in Japan and South Korea. Marketing authorization was granted in Canada in October 2018 and Switzerland in February 2019

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Before you receive RADICAVA, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

have asthma.

are allergic to other medicines.

are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if RADICAVA will harm your unborn baby.

are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if RADICAVA passes into your breast milk. You and your healthcare provider should decide if you will receive RADICAVA or breastfeed.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

What are the possible side effects of RADICAVA?

RADICAVA may cause serious side effects including hypersensitivity (allergic) reactions and sulfite allergic reactions.

Hypersensitivity reactions have happened in people receiving RADICAVA and can happen after your infusion is finished.

RADICAVA contains sodium bisulfite, a sulfite that may cause a type of allergic reaction that can be serious and life-threatening. Sodium bisulfite can also cause less severe asthma episodes in certain people. Sulfite sensitivity can happen more often in people who have asthma than in people who do not have asthma.

Tell your healthcare provider right away or go to the nearest emergency room if you have any of the following symptoms: hives; swelling of the lips, tongue, or face; fainting; breathing problems; wheezing; trouble swallowing; dizziness; itching; or an asthma attack (in people with asthma).

Your healthcare provider will monitor you during treatment to watch for signs and symptoms of all the serious side effects.

The most common side effects of RADICAVA include bruising (contusion), problems walking (gait disturbance), and headache.

These are not all the possible side effects of RADICAVA. Call your healthcare provider for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. at 1-888-292-0058 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch .

For more information, including full Prescribing Information and Patient Information, please visit www.RADICAVA.com .

Media inquiries:

Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America

Debbie Etchison

908-340-8578

[email protected]

1 Research by TOKYO SHOKO RESEARCH, LTD.

2 RADICAVA U.S. Prescribing Information. August 2018.

3 Simon, N. G., Turner, M. R., Vucic, S., Al-Chalabi, A., Shefner, J., Lomen-Hoerth, C., & Kiernan, M. C. (2014). Quantifying Disease Progression in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Annals of Neurology, 76(5), 643657. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ana.24273.

4 The Writing Group on behalf of the Edaravone (MCI-186) ALS 19 Study Group (2017). Safety and efficacy of edaravone in well defined patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet Neurology. 16(7), 505-512.

SOURCE Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc.

Related Links

https://www.mt-pharma-america.com


HOUSTON, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Moss Creek Resources Holdings, Inc. (the "Company"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Surge Energy US Holdings Company, today announced that it will hold a conference call to discuss its 2018 4th quarter and full year financial results on April 2, 2019, at 11:00 AM EDT (10:00 AM CDT). Hosting the call will be Dexter Burleigh, Chief Executive Officer; Phil Webb, Chief Operating Officer; Linhua Guan, Chief Business Development Officer; and James Welch, Chief Financial Officer.

Conference Call Information:

The conference call is intended to provide information to beneficial owners of the Company's outstanding 7.500% Senior Notes due 2026 (the "Notes"), bona fide prospective holders of the Notes and bona fide security analysts of the Notes. If interested in participating in the conference call, please request access to the Company's Virtual Data Room (VDR) available under the Investor Relations tab on the Company's website. Call details are available in the VDR once access is granted.

About Surge Energy US Holdings Company

Surge Energy US Holdings Company is an independent oil and natural gas company focused on the development, exploitation, production and acquisition of oil and natural gas reserves in the Midland Basin of West Texas, one of three primary sub-basins of the Permian Basin. The company is headquartered in Houston, Texas and currently holds approximately 85,000 net acres in the Permian Basin. For more information, visit our website at www.surgeenergya.com.

SOURCE Surge Energy
HUNTSVILLE, Ala., March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Fifty years ago, rockets destined to send humans to the Moon rolled out to the launch pad. Now, it is time for the participants of NASA's Student Launch competition hosted by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, to do the same.

The competition is held annually and challenges student teams to design, build, test and fly a high-powered, reusable rocket while carrying a scientific payload. From all corners of the country, 45 middle school, high school and college teams representing 20 states will rendezvous in Huntsville for the competition. The public and media are invited to the annual rocket fair on Friday, April 5, and the competition on Saturday, April 6.

The rocket fair, to be held in the East Hall of Von Braun Center in downtown Huntsville from 4-6:30 p.m. CDT, provides the public and media alike the opportunity to view the teams' high-flying rockets and payloads up close before launch day. On April 6, the teams will take the short drive to Bragg Farms in Toney, Alabama, to launch and operate their rockets and payloads for official competition scoring. The launches will begin at 8 a.m.

Teams conclude their week with an awards ceremony, sponsored by Northrop Grumman Corp., on April 6, from 5-7 p.m. at the Davidson Center for Space Exploration at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville.

Week-long Schedule of Events:

April 5 : Rocket Fair from 4- 6:30 p.m. at Von Braun Center East Hall

: Rocket Fair from at Von Braun Center East Hall April 6 : Launch Day from 8 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. (or until last rocket launches) at Bragg Farms in Toney, Alabama

: Launch Day from (or until last rocket launches) at Bragg Farms in April 6 : Awards Ceremony from 5-7 p.m. at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center's Davidson Center

: Awards Ceremony from at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center's Davidson Center April 7 : Tentative rain day in case of deterring weather from 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m. (or until last rocket launches) at Bragg Farms

Media interested in covering Student Launch events should contact Angela Storey at 256-544-0034 no later than 4 p.m. Tuesday, April 2.

About the Competition

In 2019, the student teams are challenged to launch their custom-built rockets to an altitude between 4,000 and 5,500 feet, deploy an automated parachute system and safely land. Unlike past years where teams were aiming to hit one-mile in altitude, teams this year predicted months in advance how high their rocket will fly on launch day. The team that comes closest to their predicted altitude in each division wins the coveted Altitude Award.

Each rocket also carries a student-built payload. College and university teams must select one of two Marshall-defined technical payload challenges -- an autonomous rover that collects a soil sample, or an unmanned aerial vehicle that deploys a navigational beacon at a designated location. High school and middle school teams can choose one of the college division payloads or they can design their own payload of science or engineering curiosity.

Student teams were chosen by a team of NASA experts based on proposals including descriptions of their rockets, their recovery systems, payloads, safety and STEM -- Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics -- engagement plans. After selection, competing teams go through an extensive eight-month design, build, test and review process that requires them to meet multiple design and documentation milestones. At each milestone, they present their work to a NASA team of rocketry experts who ensure the teams are making proper progress. The system resembles the real-world process of rocket development.

The Office of STEM Engagement at Marshall manages Student Launch to advance NASA's mission through the collaboration with educational institutions and students. NASA's Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate and the Office of STEM Engagement, as well as Northrop Grumman and National Space Club  Huntsville Chapter, sponsor the initiative.

The rocket launches are open to the public, but pets are not permitted. The launch will stream live online at:

https://www.facebook.com/NASAStudentLaunch/

To learn more about NASA's Student Launch challenge, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/education/studentlaunch

SOURCE NASA

Related Links

http://www.nasa.gov


COLUMBUS, Ohio, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Small business owners in Arkansas, Connecticut and Indiana can now buy business insurance online with 24-hour access to full-service, end-to-end digital capabilities across the entire insurance lifecycle.

Nationwide's Commercial Digital Direct insurance platform is designed to address the specific needs of 30 types of businesses with fewer than five employees. The broad range of business types served means a customized experience that makes it fast and easy to buy the right coverage. The business types include office (such as business consultants and legal practices), service (like beauty/barber salons and photographers) and retail (such as coffee shops and clothing stores).

These small business owners tend to value guidance and validation, be comfortable with online self-service insurance shopping and policy management and seek out convenience and options that allow them to maintain low overhead costs. Commercial Digital Direct first became available to businesses in Illinois in 2018, and Nationwide will expand the service to businesses in additional states throughout 2019.

"Small business owners have so much on their plate, so Nationwide wants to help them simplify the process of getting the coverage they need to protect their livelihood," said Tony Fenton, vice president of Nationwide's Underwriting, Product & New Product Development. "Nationwide's innovative Commercial Digital Direct gives them a fast, easy, online experience to complete a commercial policy purchase within minutes. We've streamlined the process to just a few clicks using automated underwriting criteria and the use of pre-filled data options."

The experience is customized to each business segment and available via mobile or desktop access. Nationwide streamlined the application by minimizing the number of questions required for users to complete the process. In addition, the new offering digitally enables self-service transactions, including:

Payment processing

Policy information lookup

Policy document lookup

Requests for certificates of insurance

"This is the first time an insurer has been able to sell and service commercial insurance for these specific types of businesses through an entirely digital experience," said Tammy Craig, senior vice president of Nationwide's Commercial and Agency IT. "It's fast, easy and exclusively online."

Coupled with Nationwide's Business Solutions Center, Commercial Digital Direct provides 24-access to a variety of resources to business owners.

"Nationwide's Business Solutions Center provides resources to assist business owners navigate the challenges of starting, growing and running a business," Fenton said. "Helping those business owners protect what's most important to them and plan for a secure financial future is at the core of what we do."

For more information, visit Nationwide Commercial Digital Direct and watch this video.

About Nationwide

Nationwide, a Fortune 100 company based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest and strongest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the United States. Nationwide is rated A+ by both A.M. Best and Standard & Poor's. An industry leader in driving customer-focused innovation, Nationwide provides a full range of insurance and financial services products including auto, business, homeowners, farm and life insurance; public and private sector retirement plans, annuities and mutual funds; excess & surplus, specialty and surety; pet, motorcycle and boat insurance. For more information, visit www.nationwide.com. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Nationwide, Nationwide is on your side and the Nationwide N and Eagle are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. 2019.

Contact:

David Gilligan

614-249-6349

[email protected]

SOURCE Nationwide

Related Links

http://www.nationwide.com


Natura Beauty Consultants will now have access to an account free of maintenance charges as well as a digital microcredit line and card terminal

SAO PAULO, March 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Natura, in partnership with Santander, will offer its Beauty Consultants a bank account with exclusive benefits. The initiative, part of the company's revitalisation plan and the digitalisation of its business model, will contribute towards bankarisation as well as the increase in productivity and income for its Beauty Consultants, expanding sales and consolidating loyalty by allowing them to offer a better customer experience.

The fully digital account has an embedded interface with both the website and the Natura Consultant App, allowing access to banking services such as the Natura card, withdrawals, deposits and transfers, as well as a POS (point of sale) machine for credit and debit card payments offering exclusive conditions. The proceeds from sales (made via the webpage, the Rede Natura or the card terminal) will be paid directly into the account. The balance can be used to make purchases with the Natura card, to pay bills and to make transfers.

Beauty Consultants will also be able to access microcredit directly through the App, to be used solely for the purchase of Natura products. The new service also aims to offer credit to Beauty Consultants so that they can invest in the expansion and professionalisation of their activity."This is yet another initiative to empower our Beauty Consultants, enabling them to offer better customer experience. Moreover, we are contributing to their bankarisation and social inclusion", says Joao Paulo Ferreira, Natura's CEO. "Our goal is to enable the Consultant to earn more, which in turn will increase our revenues. By enabling them to conduct more business transactions, it is a win win situation for all. It is also another step towards further cementing their loyalty. New services like this pave the way for an ongoing increase in Consultant productivity."

"Providing support for Natura Beauty Consultants means providing support for enterprise and financial inclusion, both fundamental needs in Brazil, where the most urgent challenge is to generate employment and income", states Sergio Rial, president of Santander Brasil. "This partnership was only possible because we are a bank that has an integrated vision of the value chain. We are able to offer solutions both for large companies and for their suppliers, employees and partners."

To develop the project for Natura, Santander integrated customised solutions offered by three of the group's units: Superdigital, a digital payment account whose interface will be incorporated into the website used by the Beauty Consultants; SuperGet, a portable Getnet payment terminal, offering the best rates in the market, and Prospera Santander Microcredito, the biggest and most efficient private guided production microcredit programme in the country. The process will be 100% digital, and Beauty Consultants will not need a guarantor or support group.

Since 2016, Natura has been conducting a study to measure its Beauty Consultants' Human Development Index (HDI). The study identified a high need for financial education. To address this, the Natura Account card will be pay-as-you-go, that is, the Beauty Consultant can only make purchases when there is a positive balance in the account. Natura will also be offering Beauty Consultants training in finance via WhatsApp.

The Natura Account initiative will be available to the network of 1.1 million Beauty Consultants in Brazil in the first half of 2019.

About Natura

Established in 1969, Natura is a Brazilian multinational in the cosmetics and personal care segment. Market leader in direct sales in Brazil, with over 1.7 million CBeauty Consultants, Natura is part of the Natura &Co group, a corporate brand that brings together Natura, Aesop and The Body Shop, and which posted net revenues of R$ 13.4 billion in 2018. Natura was the first publicly-traded company in the world to receive a B Corp certification in December 2014, underscoring its transparent and sustainable social, environmental and economic performance. It is also the first Brazilian company to be awarded the "Leaping Bunny" certification, granted by the animal protection organisation Cruelty Free International, which certifies a company's commitment to not tests its products or ingredients on animals. It has operations in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, the US, France, Mexico and Peru. Products bearing the Natura brand can be purchased from Natura Beauty Consultants, through Naturas e-commerce site, the Natura App or in stores in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Paris, New York, Santiago and Buenos Aires. For more information about the company, visit www.natura.com.br and its profiles on the following social networks: LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

About Santander Brasil

In activity in the local market since 1982, Santander Brasil is one of the largest banks in the Brazilian financial system and the only international institution with a large scale retail banking operation. The bank has 24.2 million active clients, around 48,000 employees and a network of over 3,500 branches and service points. It operates on two major fronts in Brazil: the commercial bank, which comprises retail activities, such as services for private individuals and small and medium-sized businesses, and wholesale, oriented to large companies and capital market operations. It runs the largest private guided production microcredit operation in the country, Prospera Santander Microcredito, which has granted more than R$ 4.7 billion in loans to over 630,000 entrepreneurs. The bank is part of the Santander Group, the leading financial conglomerate in the Euro Zone, with a major presence in Latin America.

Press information:

Natura - Conteudo Comunicacao

Thais Louzada

[email protected] | (11) 5056-9815 | (11) 99117-8030

Santander  Press Relations

[email protected]

(11) 3553-5244 | (11) 3553-7366

SOURCE Natura &Co

Related Links

http://www.natura.com.br


"Netflix delivers high-quality and varied programming to anyone with internet access and a credit card. The platform has embarked on a disruptive approach to media services and now has incumbents in the market looking over their shoulder," said Alex Haigh, Valuation Director at Brand Finance.

With the media industry feeling the effects of tech disruption, another rapidly growing digital media brand is YouTube (up 46% to $37.8 billion) this year jumping ten spots to 13th nationally. Like Netflix, YouTube is building a broad platform for video content, in an effort to leverage its brand from merely peer-to-peer video creation and sharing to also include a growing premium and professional video library.

Among traditional media brands and performing considerably better than its peers, Disney enters the top 10 nationally on the back of its M&A activity and diversified product strategy. Fresh off the acquisition of 21st Century Fox, the Disney brand jumps 40% in brand value to $45.7 billion.

Holding onto the prime spot, Amazon features once again as the most valuable brand in the US, growing nearly 25% to an impressive $187.9 billion.

Traditional tech giants, Apple (2nd, $153.6 billion) and Google (3rd, $142.8 billion) remain entrenched in their positions, after a year of scrutiny that has led to questions about the sector having reached a saturation point. With a 47% increase in brand value to $119.6 billion, Microsoft moves into 4th position and is the fastest-growing brand among the top 10 most valuable, after the company's successful turn towards a cloud-centric business model. With all eyes turned to 5G, AT&T drops down a spot to 5th position, after a modest 6% brand value increase over past 12 months to $87.0 billion.

Aside from calculating brand value, Brand Finance also determines the relative strength of brands using a balanced scorecard of metrics evaluating marketing investment, stakeholder equity, and business performance.

Though Facebook holds onto its spot as the 6th most valuable brand in the Brand Finance US 500 2019, its brand strength suffered the second worst decline among the top 100 brands, resulting in a brand rating downgrade from AAA+ to AAA- after a year of privacy issues that have landed the company in the hot seat.

Professional services firm Deloitte tells a different story as the year's strongest brand, boasting a BSI (Brand Strength Index) score of 91.2 out of 100 and an elite AAA+ rating.

Behind tech, dominating the Brand Finance US 500 ranking as the largest industry with a combined brand value of over $1 trillion, the retail sector comes in second with $340.5 billion. Eighth-ranked Walmart (up 10% to $67.9 billion) is the nation's most valuable brick-and-mortar retail brand, as it continues to push the boundaries of its physical store and logistics network. Home Depot (up 39% to $47.1 billion) jumped from 11th to 9th rank overall while its rival Lowe's saw its brand value go up 49% to $23.9 billion.

"This year, Amazon's brand is worth approximately half of the combined value of the 42 retail brands in the ranking. The retail industry is another sector at a crossroads as tech giants and online sellers encroach upon the traditional business model with a completely new proposition. Legacy retailers will need brand revolutions to match the needs of modern consumers," Haigh concluded.

About Brand Finance

With offices in over 20 countries, Brand Finance is the world's leading independent brand valuation and strategy consultancy.

Brand Finance helped craft the internationally recognized standards on Brand Valuation, ISO 10668, and Brand Evaluation, ISO 20671.

Additional insights, information on methodology, and definitions of key terms are available in the Brand Finance US 500 2019 report.

Data compiled for this report is provided for the benefit of the media and is not to be used for any commercial or technical purpose without written permission from Brand Finance.

Erika Eyl

Communications Manager, US

T: (917) 794 2924

M: +52 55 1401 8596

[email protected]

SOURCE Brand Finance

Related Links

http://www.brandfinance.com/


VANCOUVER, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - NexGen Energy Ltd. ("NexGen" or the "Company") (TSX: NXE, NYSE MKT: NXE) is pleased to report radioactivity results for the first twenty holes comprising 8,216.5 m from the Company's first phase of Feasibility-stage drilling program at our 100% owned, Rook I property in the Athabasca Basin Saskatchewan.

Highlights:

Objective I: Conversion of Indicated to Measured in the A2 Sub-Zone

Nineteen targets have been successfully intersected within the A2 Sub-Zone. This current phase of the program focuses on targets intersected at a spacing between 9.0 m and 16.7 m (based on geostatistical data spacing report compiled by Clayton V. Deutsch from Resource Modeling Solutions) for Indicated Mineral Resources to be elevated to a Measured Mineral Resource classification. All drill holes intersected the target between -55 and -60 utilizing the latest in directional drilling technology.

The highlights below include composite and off-scale radioactivity results from the A2 Shear only, for radioactivity results for the entire hole see Table 1: Arrow Deposit Drill Hole Data.

AR-19-225c1 intersected 38.0 m of total composite mineralization including 10.15 m of total composite off-scale radioactivity (>10,000 to >61,000 cps) within a 91.0 m section (529.0 to 620.0 m ) in the A2 Sub-Zone. Additionally, of the 10.15 m of off-scale mineralization intersected in the hole 7.0 m of massive-to-semi massive pitchblende with minimum-greater-than-61,000 cps.

intersected including (>10,000 to >61,000 cps) within a section (529.0 to ) in the A2 Sub-Zone. Additionally, of the of off-scale mineralization intersected in the hole AR-19-224c1 intersected 37.5 m of total composite mineralization including 10.8 m of total composite off-scale radioactivity (>10,000 to >61,000 cps) within a 97.0 m section (496.0 to 593.0 m ) in the A2 Sub-Zone. Additionally, of the 10.8 m of off-scale mineralization intersected in the hole 4.0 m of massive-to-semi massive pitchblende with minimum-greater-than-61,000 cps.

intersected including (>10,000 to >61,000 cps) within a section (496.0 to ) in the A2 Sub-Zone. Additionally, of the of off-scale mineralization intersected in the hole AR-19-224c2 intersected 47.0 m of total composite mineralization including 12.55 m of total composite off-scale radioactivity (>10,000 to >61,000 cps) within a 98.0 m section (453.0 to 551.0 m ) in the A2 Sub-Zone. Additionally, of the 12.55 m of off-scale mineralization intersected in the hole 3.0 m of massive-to-semi massive pitchblende with minimum-greater-than-61,000 cps.

intersected including (>10,000 to >61,000 cps) within a section (453.0 to ) in the A2 Sub-Zone. Additionally, of the of off-scale mineralization intersected in the hole AR-19-225c2 i ntersected 35.0 m of total composite mineralization including 11.05 m of total composite off-scale radioactivity (>10,000 to >61,000 cps) within a 92.0 m section (540.0 to 632.0 m ) in the A2 Sub-Zone. Additionally, of the 11.05 m of off-scale mineralization intersected in the hole 1.5 m of massive-to-semi massive pitchblende with minimum-greater-than-61,000 cps.

ntersected including (>10,000 to >61,000 cps) within a section (540.0 to ) in the A2 Sub-Zone. Additionally, of the of off-scale mineralization intersected in the hole AR-19-223c2 intersected 43.5 m of total composite mineralization including 5.5 m of total composite off-scale radioactivity (>10,000 to >61,000 cps) within a 97.0 m section (486.0 to 583.0 m ) in the A2 Sub-Zone. Additionally, of the 5.5 m of off-scale mineralization intersected in the hole 1.5 m of massive-to-semi massive pitchblende with minimum-greater-than-61,000 cps.

intersected including (>10,000 to >61,000 cps) within a section (486.0 to ) in the A2 Sub-Zone. Additionally, of the of off-scale mineralization intersected in the hole AR-19-227c2 intersected 54.0 m of total composite mineralization including 9.75 m of total composite off-scale radioactivity (>10,000 to >61,000 cps) within a 98.0 m section (419.0 to 517.0 m ) in the A2 Sub-Zone. Additionally, of the 9.75 m of off-scale mineralization intersected in the hole 0.5 m of massive-to-semi massive pitchblende with minimum-greater-than-61,000 cps.

intersected including (>10,000 to >61,000 cps) within a section (419.0 to ) in the A2 Sub-Zone. Additionally, of the of off-scale mineralization intersected in the hole AR-19-228c1 intersected 36.0 m of total composite mineralization including 4.25 m of total composite off-scale radioactivity (>10,000 to >61,000 cps) within an 87.0 m section (569.0 to 656.0 m ) in the A2 Sub-Zone. Additionally, of the 4.25 m of off-scale mineralization intersected in the hole 0.5 m of massive-to-semi massive pitchblende with minimum-greater-than-61,000 cps.

intersected including (>10,000 to >61,000 cps) within an section (569.0 to ) in the A2 Sub-Zone. Additionally, of the of off-scale mineralization intersected in the hole AR-19-226c1 intersected 46.0 m of total composite mineralization including 6.4 m of total composite off-scale radioactivity (>10,000 to >61,000 cps) within a 100.0 m section (447.0 to 547.0 m ) in the A2 Sub-Zone.

intersected including (>10,000 to >61,000 cps) within a section (447.0 to ) in the A2 Sub-Zone. AR-19-233c2 intersected 49.0 m of total composite mineralization including 9.45 m of total composite off-scale radioactivity (>10,000 to >61,000 cps) within a 99.0 m section (414.0 to 513.0 m ) in the A2 Sub-Zone.

Drill hole locations and schematics are shown in Figures 1 and 2. Drill hole descriptions can be found at www.nexgenenergy.ca

Development, Activities & Financial

Expediting Arrow to Feasibility by initiation of a 2-stage 125,000m (10 rig) high density drilling program that commenced in mid-December 2018 to focus on mine optimization plans based on Measured and Indicated mineral resources.

to focus on mine optimization plans based on Measured and Indicated mineral resources. The Company has approximately $100 million in the treasury which fully funds NexGen for all drilling, feasibility and development programs planned this year.

Leigh Curyer, Chief Executive Officer, commented: "This development focused drilling continually highlights the incredible nature and strength of Arrow in terms of the continuity of high grade uranium. Intersecting the type of mineralization reported in today's release with such regularity is simply unique and continually increases the technical strength of Arrow. We look forward to delivering the results of the 10 rig program throughout 2019."

Troy Boisjoli, Vice-President, Operations and Project Development, commented: "These results demonstrate the confidence in the continuation of high-grade uranium mineralization within the A2 Sub-Zone. This initial release is just the beginning of what will surely be another highly successful 2019 program as the Company moves towards completing the Feasibility Study which will incorporate an updated mineral resource estimate based on the 2019 drill campaign which is the largest in the Company's history."

Table 1: Arrow Deposit Drill Hole Data

Drill Hole Athabasca Group -

Basement Unconformity

Depth (m) Handheld Scintillometer Results (RS-120) Hole ID Azimuth Dip Total

Depth

(m) From

(m) To

(m) Width

(m) CPS Range AR-19-221c1 327 -65 576 129.5 432.5 433.5 1 <500 - 990









442.5 446 3.5 <500 - 1100









448.5 449 0.5 <500 - 620









478.5 479.5 1 <500 - 580









485 486 1 <500 - 780









495.5 497.5 2 <500 - 1340









506.5 507 0.5 <500 - 670









511 517.5 6.5 <500 - 2200









524.5 549 24.5 <500 - 61000









554.5 555 0.5 <500 - 1180 AR-19-221c2 327 -65 597.5 N/A 426.5 430.5 4 <500 - 2100









437.5 438 0.5 <500 - 680









484 484.5 0.5 <500 - 1100









495.5 501 5.5 <500 - 1000









506 522.5 16.5 <500 - 1500









540 559.5 19.5 <500 - 61000









562 562.5 0.5 <500 - 1200









591.5 592 0.5 <500 - 550 AR-19-222c1 327 -65 597.5 133.45 401.5 404 2.5 <500 - 1400









422 425.5 3.5 <500 - 2600









437.5 439 1.5 <500 - 10800









447 447.5 0.5 <500 - 1000









450.5 482 31.5 <500 - 7400









494.5 551 56.5 <500 - 61000









557.5 559 1.5 <500 - 3720









577 577.5 0.5 <500 - 560 AR-19-222c2 327 -65 594 N/A 412.5 413 0.5 <500 - 1100









417.5 418 0.5 <500 - 2800









433 437.5 4.5 <500 - 1350









443.5 453.5 10 <500 - 32000









456 457.5 1.5 <500 - 2100









461.5 463 1.5 <500 - 3000









466 471 5 <500 - 6900









474.5 478 3.5 <500 - 1600









480.5 490 9.5 <500 - 1150









492.5 493 0.5 <500 - 1250









497 523 26 <500 - 61000









528.5 538.5 10 <500 - 37000









543.5 546.5 3 <500 - 18600 AR-19-223c1 327 -65 588 133.6 435 438.5 3.5 <500 - 1300









446 449.5 3.5 <500 - 2700









453 460 7 <500 - 6900









464.5 468 3.5 <500 - 3800









474 476.5 2.5 <500 - 1400









485.5 486 0.5 900 - 1280









490 495.5 5.5 <500 - 5500









498.5 503.5 5 <500 - 1380









509.5 519.5 10 <500 - 3000









522.5 528.5 6 <500 - 1300









532 549 17 <500 - 61000









553 556.5 3.5 <500 - 3800









559 560.5 1.5 <500 - 4300









569 570.5 1.5 <500 - 1600 AR-19-223c2 327 -65 615.5 N/A 434.5 438 3.5 <500 - 640









444.5 446 1.5 <500 - 1000









451.5 453 1.5 <500 - 1700









455.5 462 6.5 <500 - 17000









466.5 467.5 1 <500 - 2800









473 475 2 <500 - 740









479 483.5 4.5 <500 - 560









488 491 3 <500 - 1500









499 502 3 <500 - 1000









508.5 515 6.5 <500 - 3300









539.5 552.5 13 <500 - 61000









555 558 3 <500 - 34200









565 572 7 <500 - 31000









574.5 576 1.5 <500 - 870 AR-19-223c3 327 -65 586.5 N/A 417.5 418 0.5 <500 - 700









425 426 1 <500 - 920









435 444.5 9.5 <500 - 6900









452 459.5 7.5 <500 - 3300









462.5 465 2.5 <500 - 1100









468.5 470.5 2 <500 - 660









473 476 3 <500 - 5300









485 490.5 5.5 <500 - 2400









493 495 2 <500 - 1450









498.5 517.5 19 <500 - 7000









520 523.5 3.5 <500 - 1000









527 551 24 <500 - 61000









559.5 566 6.5 <500 - 61000









570.5 573 2.5 <500 - 670 AR-19-224c1 327 -65 597.5 129.45 404 404.5 0.5 <500 - 640









443.5 446.5 3 <500 - 1100









449 449.5 0.5 <500 - 1080









452 452.5 0.5 <500 - 640









455 456 1 <500 - 2050









465 465.5 0.5 <500 - 1370









469.5 473.5 4 <500 - 1650









497.5 500.5 3 <500 - 820









503 506.5 3.5 <500 - 1040









510 511 1 <500 - 540









524.5 525 0.5 <500 - 560









530 533 3 <500 - 710









536.5 538 1.5 <500 - 2340









543.5 544.5 1 <500 - 1270









548 551 3 <500 - 3610









554.5 575.5 21 <500 - 61000 AR-19-224c2 327 -65 612.5 N/A 441 442.5 1.5 <500 - 1850









445 447.5 2.5 <500 - 1220









450 453.5 3.5 <500 - 2350









470 470.5 0.5 <500 - 520









476 478.5 2.5 <500 - 4100









494 503 9 <500 - 2800









518 518.5 0.5 <500 - 600









524 524.5 0.5 <500 - 530









538 571.5 33.5 <500 - 61000









582 585.5 3.5 <500 - 13000 AR-19-225c1 327 -65 627.5 128.7 474 474.5 0.5 <500 - 630









494.5 495 0.5 <500 - 520









501 505 4 <500 - 4500









520.5 525 4.5 <500 - 1280









531 531.5 0.5 <500 - 980









545 546 1 <500 - 1180









566.5 598.5 32 <500 - 61000 AR-19-225c2 327 -65 636.5 N/A 473.5 474.5 1 <500 - 900









479.5 480.5 1 <500 - 2000









563.5 593.5 30 <500 - 61000









596 598 2 <500 - 21000









602 605 3 <500 - 650 AR-19-226c1 327 -65 564.5 131.5 446.5 447 0.5 <500 - 740









457 468.5 11.5 <500 - 1350









472.5 473.5 1 <500 - 2040









482.5 483 0.5 <500 - 560









491.5 503.5 12 <500 - 2240









506 508.5 2.5 <500 - 3540









512.5 527.5 15 <500 - 61000









536.5 539.5 3 <500 - 9300 AR-19-226c1a 327 -65 177 144.15 No Anomalous Radioactivity AR-19-226c2 327 -65 567 N/A 453.5 454 0.5 <500 - 740









457.5 458 0.5 <500 - 600









463 466.5 3.5 <500 - 730









474.5 475 0.5 <500 - 510









489.5 492 2.5 <500 - 860









497.5 522.5 25 <500 - 61000









527.5 528.5 1 <500 - 1050









547 548 1 <500 - 2200 AR-19-227c1 327 -65 525.5 138.3 442 442.5 0.5 <500 - 680









445 446.5 1.5 <500 - 1200









463 502.5 39.5 <500 - 61000 AR-19-227c2 327 -65 540.5 N/A 439 439.5 0.5 <500 - 720









454.5 455 0.5 <500 - 860









460 508.5 48.5 <500 - 61000









513 517.5 4.5 <500 - 22000 AR-19-228c1 327 -65 663.5 134 249 249.5 0.5 <500 - 750









458 477.5 19.5 <500 - 23000









480 483.5 3.5 <500 - 3510









487 487.5 0.5 <500 - 3300









492 492.5 0.5 <500 - 1750









505 505.5 0.5 <500 - 800









512 523.5 11.5 <500 - 55300









551 551.5 0.5 <500 - 650









575.5 581 5.5 <500 - 1130









600.5 603 2.5 <500 - 590









605.5 624.5 19 <500 - 61000









629.5 632.5 3 <500 - 61000









635 638 3 <500 - 680









646.5 649 2.5 <500 - 890









660 660.5 0.5 <500 - 700 AR-19-228c2 327 -65 672.5 N/A 459.5 469.5 10 <500 - 40000









472 476 4 <500 - 4400









478.5 481.5 3 <500 - 1500









509.5 510.5 1 <500 - 9600









515 534 19 <500 - 50000









598 599 1 <500 - 750









602 603 1 <500 - 970









605.5 610 4.5 <500 - 1300









616.5 627 10.5 <500 - 61000









630 634 4 <500 - 8500









638 639 1 <500 - 1600









641.5 654.5 13 <500 - 53000









658.5 659.5 1 <500 - 700 AR-19-233c1 327 -65 534.5 133.7 447.5 450.5 3 <500 - 3300









453.5 491.5 38 <500 - 61000









495.5 501.5 6 <500 - 920 AR-19-233c2 327 -65 537.5 N/A 457 465 8 <500 - 2000









467.5 481.5 14 <500 - 61000









484 510.5 26.5 <500 - 61000









522.5 523 0.5 <500 - 920

Parameters:

Maximum internal dilution 2.00 m downhole

downhole All depths and intervals are metres downhole, true thicknesses are yet to be determined

"Anomalous" means >500 cps (counts per second) total count gamma readings by gamma scintillometer type RS-120

"Off-scale" means >10,000 cps (counts per second) total count gamma readings by gamma scintillometer type RS-120

Where "Min cps" is <500 cps, this refers to local low radiometric zones within the overall radioactive interval

Directional drilling has often resulted in mineralization intersected at a more favourable and shallower dip

Hole AR-19-226c1a was terminated due to deviation in the overburden

About NexGen

NexGen is a British Columbia corporation with a focus on the acquisition, exploration and development of Canadian uranium projects. NexGen has a highly experienced team of uranium industry professionals with a successful track record in the discovery of uranium deposits and in developing projects through discovery to production. NexGen owns a 100% interest in Rook I, location of the Arrow Deposit in the Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan, Canada and a portfolio of prospective uranium exploration projects throughout northwest Saskatchewan. NexGen is the recipient of the PDAC's 2018 Bill Dennis Award and the 2019 Environmental and Social Responsibility Award.

Technical Disclosure

The technical information in this news release with respect to the PFS has been reviewed and approved by Paul O'Hara, P.Eng. of Wood., David Robson, P.Eng., M.B.A., and Jason Cox, P.Eng. of RPA, each of whom is a "qualified person" under National Instrument 43-101  Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI-43-101").

The Mineral Resource Estimate was completed by Mr. Mark Mathisen, C.P.G., Senior Geologist at RPA and Mr. David Ross, P.Geo., Director of Resource Estimation and Principal Geologist at RPA. Both are independent Qualified Persons in accordance with the requirements of National Instrument (NI) 43-101 and they have approved the disclosure herein. All other technical information in this news release has been approved by Mr. Troy Boisjoli, Geoscientist Licensee, Vice President  Operations & Project Development for NexGen. Mr. Boisjoli is a qualified person for the purposes of NI 43-101 and has verified the sampling, analytical, and test data underlying the information or opinions contained herein by reviewing original data certificates and monitoring all of the data collection protocols. All other technical information in this news release has been approved by Mr. James Hatley, a Professional Engineer, Senior Vice-President  Project Development for NexGen. Mr. Hatley is a qualified person for the purposes of NI 43-101 and has reviewed the underlying the information or opinions contained herein on mine design.

A technical report in respect to the PFS is filed on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) and EDGAR (www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml) and is available for review on NexGen Energy's website (www.nexgenenergy.ca).

SEC Standards

Estimates of mineralization and other technical information included or referenced in this news release have been prepared in accordance with NI 43-101. The definitions of proven and probable mineral reserves used in NI 43-101 differ from the definitions in SEC Industry Guide 7. Under SEC Industry Guide 7 standards, a "final" or "bankable" feasibility study is required to report reserves, the three-year historical average price is used in any reserve or cash flow analysis to designate reserves and the primary environmental analysis or report must be filed with the appropriate governmental authority. As a result, the reserves reported by the Company in accordance with NI 43-101 may not qualify as "reserves" under SEC standards. In addition, the terms "mineral resource", "measured mineral resource", "indicated mineral resource" and "inferred mineral resource" are defined in and required to be disclosed by NI 43-101; however, these terms are not defined terms under SEC Industry Guide 7 and normally are not permitted to be used in reports and registration statements filed with the SEC. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of the mineral deposits in these categories will ever be converted into reserves. "Inferred mineral resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and great uncertainty as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian securities laws, estimates of inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies, except in rare cases. Additionally, disclosure of "contained pounds" in a resource is permitted disclosure under Canadian securities laws; however, the SEC normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not constitute "reserves" by SEC standards as in place tonnage and grade without reference to unit measurements. Accordingly, information contained or referenced in this news release containing descriptions of the Company's mineral deposits may not be comparable to similar information made public by U.S. companies subject to the reporting and disclosure requirements of United States federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder.

Technical Information

For details of the Rook I Project including the quality assurance program and quality control measures applied and key assumptions, parameters and methods used to estimate the Mineral Resource please refer to the technical report entitled "Arrow Deposit, Rook I Project Saskatchewan NI 43-101 Technical Report on Pre-feasbility Study" dated effective 5 November, 2018 (the "Rook 1 Technical Report") prepared by Paul O'Hara, P.Eng., Jason J. Cox, P.Eng., David M. Robson, P.Eng., M.B.A., Mark B. Mathisen, C.P.G. each of whom is a "qualified person" under NI 43-101. The Rook I Technical Report is available for review under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and EDGAR (www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml) providing details of the Rook I Project including the quality assurance program and quality control measures applied and key assumptions, parameters and methods used to estimate the Mineral Resource and is available on NexGen Energy's website (www.nexgenenergy.ca).

Forward-Looking Information

The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. "Forward-looking information" includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future. Generally, but not always, forward-looking information and statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or the negative connotation thereof 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" or the negative connotation thereof.

Forward-looking information and statements are based on the then current expectations, beliefs, assumptions, estimates and forecasts about NexGen's business and the industry and markets in which it operates. Forward-looking information and statements are made based upon numerous assumptions, including among others, that the proposed transaction will be completed, the results of planned exploration activities are as anticipated, the price of uranium, the cost of planned exploration activities, that financing will be available if and when needed and on reasonable terms, that third party contractors, equipment, supplies and governmental and other approvals required to conduct NexGen's planned exploration activities will be available on reasonable terms and in a timely manner and that general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner. Although the assumptions made by the Company in providing forward looking information or making forward looking statements are considered reasonable by management at the time, there can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be accurate.

Forward-looking information and statements also involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performances and achievements of NexGen to differ materially from any projections of results, performances and achievements of NexGen expressed or implied by such forward-looking information or statements, including, among others, negative operating cash flow and dependence on third party financing, uncertainty of the availability of additional financing, the risk that pending assay results will not confirm previously announced preliminary results, imprecision of mineral resource estimates, the appeal of alternate sources of energy and sustained low uranium prices, aboriginal title and consultation issues, exploration risks, reliance upon key management and other personnel, deficiencies in the Company's title to its properties, uninsurable risks, failure to manage conflicts of interest, failure to obtain or maintain required permits and licenses, changes in laws, regulations and policy, competition for resources and financing, and other factors discussed or referred to in the Company's Annual Information Form dated March 4, 2019 under "Risk Factors".

Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information or implied by 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 forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or reissue forward-looking information as a result of new information or events except as required by applicable securities laws.

SOURCE NexGen Energy Ltd.

Related Links

www.nexgenenergy.ca


PROVO, Utah, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Nu Skin today launched ageLOC LumiSpa Accent and ageLOC LumiSpa IdealEyes, a new targeted treatment clinically proven to improve the appearance of skin around the eyes.

"ageLOC LumiSpa Accent is the latest addition to our line of innovative, science-driven beauty devices," said Ryan Napierski, president. "It builds on the technology and success of ageLOC LumiSpa, which has been a top-selling product for Nu Skin since its launch 18 months ago. It specifically targets the skin around the eyes, which is one of the top skin care concerns but also one that has traditionally been difficult to address. With LumiSpa Accent, customers can now easily address those dark circles and bags under the eyes."

Targeted Focus

ageLOC LumiSpa Accent is a targeted treatment attachment head that works with Nu Skin's award-winning ageLOC LumiSpa beauty device. Paired with ageLOC LumiSpa IdealEyes Activating Eye Cream, ageLOC LumiSpa Accent utilizes LumiSpa's patented technology. Just 30 seconds on each eye area provides immediate hydration, visible firming, brightening and smoothing to alleviate the look of tired, stressed eyes. Together, the system delivers numerous benefits:

ageLOC LumiSpa Accent:

Gently massages skin to help maximize ageLOC LumiSpa IdealEyes benefits

Deliver ingredients to the eye area while treating and stimulating the skin

Refines fine lines and wrinkles for a more youthful look

Made from the softest silicone available for gentle use on delicate eye area

Provides a more hygienic surface area with antimicrobial silver embedded in the treatment head

ageLOC LumiSpa IdealEyes:

Softens, smooths and instantly hydrates skin while promoting radiance

Helps eyes look awake and refreshed while minimizing the appearance of dark circles, puffy eyes, bags under the eye and tired skin

Visibly lifts and firms the eyelids

Increases the appearance of skin volume and density around eyes

Clinically-proven Treatment

In a third-party clinical study, subjects used ageLOC LumiSpa Accent with ageLOC LumiSpa IdealEyes Activating Eye Cream topically twice daily for 12 weeks.

The clinical grader was able to identify statistically significant benefits in the under-eye area in as little as two weeks for appearance of bags and puffiness and eight weeks for under-eye circles. Subjects also noted visible benefits in lines, radiance, luminosity and skin tone evenness. These improvements continued to grow through the course of the 12-week study.

Availability

ageLOC LumiSpa Accent is now available for purchase in the U.S. For more information, please visit www.nuskin.com.

About Nu Skin

Founded 35 years ago, Nu Skin develops and distributes innovative consumer products, offering a comprehensive line of premium-quality beauty and wellness solutions. The company builds upon its scientific expertise in both skin care and nutrition to continually develop innovative product brands that include the Nu Skin personal care brand, the Pharmanex nutrition brand, and most recently, the ageLOC anti-aging brand. The ageLOC brand has generated a loyal following for such products as the ageLOC LumiSpa skin cleansing and treatment device, ageLOC Youth nutritional supplement, the ageLOC Me customized skin care system, as well as the ageLOC TR90 weight management and body shaping system. Nu Skin sells its products through a global network of sales leaders in Asia, the Americas, Europe, Africa and the Pacific. As a long-standing member of direct selling associations globally, Nu Skin is committed to the industry's consumer guidelines that protect and support those who sell and purchase its products through the direct selling channel. Nu Skin is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. which is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol (NYSE: NUS). More information is available at nuskin.com.

SOURCE Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.nuskin.com


VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Virginia-based Optima Health unveiled remarkable new data on prescription opioid reductions among Medicaid members. Anyone can suffer from opioid dependence, addiction, and deadly overdose, even when prescribed the opioid by their doctor. That's why Optima Health has focused on fewer prescriptions and lower doses, in a unique collaboration with the other Medicaid health plans and healthcare organizations throughout the state. According to data from Optima Health, results include:

30 percent fewer members with a prescription for an opioid

43 percent reduction in prescriptions

49 percent reduction in total quantity of prescription opioid tablets and caplets

2.5 million fewer pills prescribed (2,525,085 to be exact)

Theresa Carpenter, a clinical pharmacist with Optima Health, explained, "The opioid utilization management program is working to change how healthcare providers treat pain. A major concept in our work is changing the mindset from prescribing opioids as the first line for pain management for all patients."

Optima Health was part of a partnership led by the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services, which included Virginia Department of Health, Department of Health Professions, Medical Society of Virginia, and the other five Medicaid health plans in Virginia to implement uniform policies that align with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Guidelines and Virginia Board of Medicine Regulations.

The collaboration  including all six Medicaid plans in Virginia  was essential to the program's success. As each health plan grappled with the opioid epidemic at the same time, common policies helped healthcare providers establish new procedures and prevented opioid-dependent patients from shopping for the least restrictive plan.

As examples of common policies, Carpenter noted, "We removed barriers to prescribing non-narcotic alternatives to opioids that actually may be more effective in helping people manage their pain. When an opioid is truly called for, we've decreased the quantity of pills allowed in the prescription, added coverage of certain less-risky formulations, and followed the CDC Guideline to provide certain patients with the prescription opioid along with a prescription for naloxone, which is an injection or nasal spray that can reverse an overdose. What's more, we've partnered with physicians throughout the state to change how they write their discharge orders so a patient is much less likely to leave the hospital with an opioid prescription."

Carpenter added a message to Virginians who continue to receive opioid prescriptions from their doctor or other healthcare provider, saying, "If your doctor prescribes an opioid  such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, morphine, and others  and you have concerns about the long-term impact of this class of drugs, you can discuss with your provider non-narcotic treatments. Fortunately, opioids aren't the only option."

In addition to increased emphasis on decreasing opioid use amongst its members, Optima Health has also committed to increasing access to addiction treatment services. This includes opioid addiction medication, counseling, and psychosocial supports.

The new policies do not apply to Medicaid members with certain types of intractable pain. People with pain associated with active cancer, palliative care (treatment of a life-limiting illness), or hospice care may continue to receive prescription opioids.

According to the CDC, opioids were involved in 47,600 overdose deaths in 2017 (the last year for which data is available), including 1,507 deaths in Virginia. The prescription data of Optima Health is based on October 2017-September 2018, compared to the same period a year earlier.

About Optima Health

Optima Health, based in Virginia, provides health insurance coverage to more than 510,000 members. With more than 30 years of experience, Optima Health offers a suite of commercial products including consumer-directed, employee-owned and employer-sponsored plans, individual health plans, employee assistance programs and plans serving Medicare and Medicaid enrollees. Its provider network features 26,000 providers including specialists, primary care physicians and hospitals across Virginia. Optima Health also offers programs to support members with chronic illnesses, customized wellness programs and integrated clinical and behavioral health services, as well as pharmacy managementall to help members improve their health every day. The company's goals are to provide better health, be easy to use and offer services that are a great value. Optima Health is a service of Sentara Healthcare. To learn more about Optima Health, visit www.optimahealth.com.

SOURCE Optima Health

Related Links

http://www.optimahealth.com


DURHAM, N.C., March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- PureWest Real Estate, the largest independent brokerage in Montana, has partnered with Adwerx to create online ad campaigns for newly listed properties. The ads are built using the Adwerx Enterprise Automated Listing Advertising Program, a proven system to ensure that each property receives maximum visibility online.

These ads showcase each PureWest property with a listing photo, agent contact information, and brokerage branding. All ads are optimized for websites, apps, and social media platforms including Instagram and deployed to target potential buyers based on location and other characteristics. By connecting directly to the PureWest listing feed, Adwerx is able to automatically generate ads immediately when a home is publicly listed for sale. Ads capture the attention of potential buyers by displaying alongside the online content they consume every day. These week-long ad campaigns give PureWest clients confidence in knowing their homes are receiving exposure beyond traditional listing sites.

"Selling Montana homes is also about selling a lifestyle," said Dale Crosby Newman, broker/owner of PureWest Real Estate. "We put our trust in Adwerx because they are experts in developing online advertising platforms that are effective and easy to use."

"It's an honor to welcome PureWest Real Estate as a partner in the Adwerx Automated Listing Advertising Program," added Jed Carlson, CEO of Adwerx. "Our program is the ideal solution to advertise the firm's beautiful Montana properties, leaving PureWest's agents more time to focus on client care."

About PureWest Real Estate

PureWest Real Estate is an exclusive affiliate of Christie's International Real Estate and Leading Real Estate Companies of the World and is the largest, independently owned brokerage in Montana offering clients unparalleled resources and services. We are comprised of 17 offices statewide with more than 160 agents and offer a wide network of services and technologies, bringing you premier real estate solutions and results.

PureWest's global affiliations allow for additional knowledge and personalized attention that is executed in a worldwide network of offices. This provides Sales Agents with excellent global exposure to satisfy and produce real estate results for buyers, sellers and investors. Our Sales Associates are local market experts. They meet strict standards of service, excellence and demonstrate proven success in handling distinctive properties.

About Adwerx

Adwerx provides Brilliantly Simple Digital Advertising for real estate, mortgage, insurance, financial services, and other businesses. Ads powered by Adwerx have received billions of impressions on social media, mobile platforms, and the most widely read news sites. Adwerx has served over 150,000 customers across the U.S., Canada, and Australia and has been named to the Inc. 5000 list of America's Fastest Growing Private Companies for two years in a row. To see how Adwerx can work for you, please visit www.adwerx.com . Plus, NAR members receive 15% additional impressions on Adwerx campaigns , which can be combined with other eligible discounts. This exclusive benefit is available through the National Association of REALTORS' REALTOR Benefits Program.

SOURCE Adwerx

Related Links

http://www.adwerx.com


"It is for the second time in the last 6 months that the Romanian-American Chamber of Commerce is organizing an event in Miami for Romanian business leaders interested in exploring trade and investment opportunities in the region. As a Chamber we are delighted and appreciative of the support we receive locally from our partners and our larger family of chapters at the Romanian -American Chamber of Commerce. The feedback we received from the Romanian companies has been positive, and while we worked with Smart Start USA for the last two events, we as a Chamber are committed to expand our work and encourage all Romanian businesses to reach out to the Chamber in Florida for business development support," said Anda Malescu, President of the Romanian-American Chamber of Commerce in Florida.

The event in March attracted Romanian companies from the IT, logistics, real estate, manufacturing, finance and textile and food industries. In addition, local U.S. company representatives seeking to explore business opportunities with Romania were also present. The agenda included site visits to Port of Miami and discussions with Miami-Dade County Office of Economic Development and International Trade, Downtown Development Authority, City of Coral Gables, University of Miami, City of Doral and Millenia Atlantic University.

The Romanian-American Chamber of Commerce in Florida is a bilateral trade association dedicated to promoting trade and investment between Romania and the United States. Ms. Anda Malescu serves as President and Chair of the Board. She is an alumnus of Eckerd College and University of Miami School of Law. Anda is a Florida licensed attorney and Managing Partner at Malescu Law, a Miami firm that specializes in business law and litigation (https://malesculaw.com/).

The Chamber in Florida conducts conferences, seminars, and special events concerning business and legal issues. It offers direct advice in connection with business concerns relative to U.S. companies doing business in Romania or Romanian companies doing business in the U.S.

For information, contact RACC Florida by calling 786-410-6841, emailing [email protected] or by visiting http://www.racc.ro/chapters.html. To learn more about the author please visit https://malesculaw.com/.

SOURCE Romanian-American Chamber of Commerce Florida
LONDON, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- ShapingTomorrow.com says security is now the major threat facing us all from its first-of-its-kind, mathematical analysis of the most important, leading indicators of opportunities and threats facing the world today. Their robot aggregated >330,000 pundit and expert forecasts from daily trawls of the web and social media for the likely opportunities and threats that we will face by 2025.

Global Challenges - 2025

Shaping Tomorrow

The top threat is now security, which displaces disease from the last update in September 2018 . Policy issues with the use of Huawei technologies, further lone-wolf terrorist attacks, stalling of peace talks with North Korea and rising concerns about cyber attacks, interference with national elections and fake news drive this concern.

. Policy issues with the use of Huawei technologies, further lone-wolf terrorist attacks, stalling of peace talks with and rising concerns about cyber attacks, interference with national elections and fake news drive this concern. The number one topic opportunity remains technology with most mentions for AI, quantum computing, driverless cars, drones, smart cities, IoT, AR, 5G, Biotech, Robotics, Printing, Batteries, Blockchain, Space, Hologramsand Digitalization.

The top country at risk continues to be India where a burgeoning population and climate change will have impacts on liveability.

where a burgeoning population and climate change will have impacts on liveability. The top country opportunities are forecast to be in the USA , India , China , and Brazil .

, , , and . The construction sector was at the top of the opportunity list six months ago because of growing investments in smart cities, Hyperloops and high-speed projects, China's Belt and Road initiative, transport, energy, and burgeoning population growth in China , India and other developing cities. But again, the same security concerns above are creating opportunities for market players and governments to provide mitigating security solutions and new policies.

Belt and Road initiative, transport, energy, and burgeoning population growth in , and other developing cities. But again, the same security concerns above are creating opportunities for market players and governments to provide mitigating security solutions and new policies. Warnings of increasing climate change, spreading diseases and changing technologies, (especially the possible dangers arising from AI) are the main reasons the science sector remains at the top of the sector threat list.

The most mentioned city is London , not just due to the impacts that could arise from the eventual Brexit outcome, but the city's efforts to improve itself.

, not just due to the impacts that could arise from the eventual Brexit outcome, but the city's efforts to improve itself. The most mentioned organization is the European Union, partly due to the uncertainty surrounding Brexit but mostly for its leadership role in many aspects of building a sustainable world from GDPR to plastic control, etc.

Dr. Mike Jackson, a joint founder of Shaping Tomorrow, says that "this latest update shows how security is now the most present danger to the public, and organizations and that, while the biggest risk, there are also great opportunities for policymakers and innovators to solve many of the issues confronting us all."

Contact Dr. Mike Jackson - [email protected] for more details.

Related Images

global-challenges-to-2025.jpg

Global Challenges to 2025

Related Links

Shaping Tomorrow

Global Challenges to 2025

SOURCE Shaping Tomorrow

Related Links

http://www.shapingtomorrow.com


ST. LOUIS, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Every day, Spire crews are working to ensure the safe and reliable delivery of natural gas to customers. Now, they have an extra crew member to help with the work  a robot.

The robot, named CISBOT, was developed by New York-based ULC Robotics and can travel through large-diameter gas mains to repair joints from the inside without interruption to natural gas service. The joints connect pieces of pipe together every 12 feet along the pipeline and are inspected regularly to ensure integrity and reduce future repairs. These inspections and repairs prevent future leaks and extend the life of large-diameter pipes underground.

"At Spire, we're constantly looking for innovative ways to improve the delivery of natural gas  both for field operations and for our customers. While the robot focuses on this project, additional construction crews are freed up to work on other important projects around the metro," said Tim Goodson, vice president of operations for Spire.

Customers will see multiple benefits from this robotic technology:

Faster

Spire can complete repairs in a matter of weeks, compared to the traditional methods, which takes months.

Spire can complete repairs in a matter of weeks, compared to the traditional methods, which takes months. Cleaner

Because the robot can travel underground for 750 feet in either direction, there are far fewer excavation sites in neighborhood streets.

Because the robot can travel underground for 750 feet in either direction, there are far fewer excavation sites in neighborhood streets. More Efficient

With robotic technology, fewer crews and large equipment are needed  and those efficiencies help to avoid costs for Spire customers.

With robotic technology, fewer crews and large equipment are needed  and those efficiencies help to avoid costs for Spire customers. Stay Connected

During the project, customers stay connected to gas service.

"We will be sealing around 14,000 feet of pipeline robotically this year with limited disruption to neighborhoods," said Goodson. "Using this technology, we're delivering on our promise to customers to always provide a reliable system while keeping our rates as low as possible."

"Partnering on these projects demonstrates Spire's commitment to investing in infrastructure to better serve the needs of customers," said Ryan McGowan, vice president of field operations at ULC Robotics. "Identifying and sealing these pipeline joints with CISBOT helps Spire to provide even safer and more reliable service for years to come."

About Spire

At Spire Inc. (NYSE: SR) we believe energy exists to help make people's lives better. It's a simple idea, but one that's at the heart of our company. Every day we serve 1.7 million customers making us the fifth largest publicly traded natural gas company in the country. We help families and business owners fuel their daily lives through our gas utilities serving Alabama, Mississippi and Missouri. Our natural gas-related businesses include Spire Marketing, Spire STL Pipeline and Spire Storage. We are transforming our business and pursuing growth through 1) growing organically, 2) investing in infrastructure, 3) acquiring and integrating, and 4) innovation and technology. Learn more at SpireEnergy.com.

ULC Robotics, Inc.

ULC Robotics, Inc. is a leading Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS) solutions provider and developer for the energy industry, transforming the way that vital infrastructure is maintained and operated. Our diverse team of engineers, sensor scientists, unmanned system pilots, and field operators provide end-to-end solutions for real-world application across a variety of environments. The deployment of ULC's robotic systems and unmanned aerial systems helps utilities lower operating costs while minimizing their impact on customers and the environment. For more information please visit www.ulcrobotics.com.

SOURCE Spire Inc.

Related Links

http://www.spireenergy.com


"We are thrilled to launch Hazte Contar, the most robust and rigorous initiative in the U.S. designed to drive engagement among U.S. Hispanics and raise awareness about the importance of the 2020 Census, the voting process and civic involvement," said Cesar Conde, Chairman, NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises and NBCUniversal International Group. "Social and community impact has always been central to Telemundo's values. It is a privilege to have the trust and credibility of our viewers, and this campaign will help to ensure Hispanics are engaged and informed. The future of America is overwhelmingly Latino and Telemundo is committed to lead this effort and underscore the role of Hispanics in the future of our nation."

The Hazte Contar campaign will inform the Latino community about the importance of participating in the Census and will be on hand to offer assistance to viewers, address questions and encourage completion of Census forms for this once in a decade opportunity.

Hazte Contar will leverage Telemundo's national reach and diverse portfolio of properties including the national network, 30 stations, cable and digital platforms, grassroots and regional presence through comprehensive outreach including:

HAZTE CONTAR COMMUNITY TOUR: Building on the success of Telemundo's recent cross-country Community Empowerment Tour to inform and provide resources to consumers on opportunities to register to vote, the Hazte Contar campaign will feature an expansive tour across the country visiting major Hispanic markets such as New York , Los Angeles , Miami , Chicago , Orlando , Houston , Dallas , Phoenix , Denver and El Paso . Beginning in 2019 through 2020, the cross-country tour will leverage partner organizations' work to increase Census and voter participation among Latinos. The tour will incorporate pop-up location sites where community members can visit and receive accurate information from experts on the benefits of participating in the Census. Experts will also be available to provide guidance and answer questions to guarantee that the Hispanic community participates without hesitation or concerns. The Hazte Contar tour will ensure Latinos across the country have the access and information to make their voice heard.

SPECIAL SEGMENTS: Telemundo will launch a series of ongoing special segments focused on all-things Census across network shows including "Un Nuevo Dia" and " Al Rojo Vivo ." Noticias Telemundo special l segments will incorporate a variety of national experts and trusted voices across "Noticias Telemundo," "Noticias Telemundo Fin de Semana," "Noticias Telemundo Mediodia" and "Enfoque con Jose Diaz-Balart" to educate viewers on the importance of being involved and to inform all audiences on how their voices can be heard and counted during this critically important process.

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS: Leading up to the 2020 Census, Telemundo will roll out a series of public service announcements featuring top on-air talent including Jose Diaz-Balart, Maria Celeste Arraras, Julio Vaqueiro , Vanessa Hauc, Adamari Lopez, Jorge Bernal , Don Francisco , and Rashel Diaz , among others, to leverage their connection with the community and help combat many of the key reasons Latinos are hesitant to participate in the 2020 Census.

DIGITAL RESOURCES: Key resources and information on Census and Voter Registration will be available on the specialized website, www.haztecontar.com, in English and Spanish, including partner resources and specific information based on an individual's locations. This includes information on closest Census assistance locations, polling locations, and voter information tools. Digital content and up-to-date material will continuously be featured on Telemundo.com, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Viewers can also follow the campaign on social media using the hashtag #HazteContar.

CANDIDATE FORUMS: Telemundo will host election candidate forums across its stations and affiliates, including the first Spanish-language Democratic presidential debate in partnership with NBC News and MSNBC in June.

The U.S. Census affects the lives of all Americans by determining funding for communities, representation in Congress, and informing critical community budget and financial decisions. As the nation's second largest population group and one of its fastest growing communities, Latinos account for more than one of every six U.S. residents, and one of every four of the country's population under 18. The 2020 Census will help determine how more than $700 billion in federal government resources will be distributed each year for the next decade to states and localities.

For more information and key resources, visit www.HazteContar.com.

About NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises

NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises is a world-class media company leading the industry in the production and distribution of high-quality, Spanish-language content to U.S. Hispanics and audiences around the world. This fast-growing multiplatform portfolio is comprised of the Telemundo Network and Station Group, Telemundo Deportes, Telemundo Global Studios, Universo, and a Digital Enterprises & Emerging Business unit. Telemundo Network features original Spanish-language entertainment, news and sports content reaching 94% of U.S. Hispanic TV households in 210 markets through 30 local stations, 51 affiliates and its national feed. Telemundo also owns WKAQ, a television station that serves viewers in Puerto Rico. Telemundo Deportes is the designated Spanish-language home of two of the world's most popular sporting events: FIFA World Cup through 2026 and the Summer Olympic Games through 2032. Telemundo Global Studios is the company's domestic and international scripted production unit including Telemundo Studios, Telemundo International Studios, Telemundo International, as well as all of the company's co-production partnerships. As the #1 media company reaching Hispanics and millennials online, the Digital Enterprises & Emerging Business unit distributes original content across multiple platforms, maximizing its exclusive partnerships with properties such as BuzzFeed, Vox and Snapchat. Through Telemundo Internacional, the largest U.S.-based distributor of Spanish-language content in the world and Universo, the fastest growing Hispanic entertainment cable network, the company reflects the diverse lifestyle, cultural experience and language of its expanding audience. NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises is a division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.

SOURCE NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises
"Texas' strong investment opportunities and friendly business environment has drawn attention both nationally and around the world. As REALTORS, it is our duty to show international investors the wealth of opportunities that exist within our great state. At MIPIM, we had the responsibility of promoting Texas as a top place to live, work and do business to the world's leading investors," said Tray Bates, chairman of Texas REALTORS. "Texas has a strong economic climate and is the top creator of jobs in the nation. Investors from across the world are choosing our diverse markets due to the quality of life and business friendly atmosphere we have to offer."

At the four-day MIPIM Conference, the association and members from several Texas markets showcased Texas real estate opportunities to 28,000 attendees and investors from more than 100 countries. This global business development by Texas REALTORS resulted in a potential of up to $3 billion in investments returning to Texas. Such investments will lead to commercial and residential real estate and limitless growth opportunities for Texas.

Bates concluded, "National and foreign investors have taken notice of the opportunities available within our state. As Texas continues to lead the nation in relocation activity and job growth, we expect to see international investment continue to rise in the coming future."

About Texas REALTORS (formerly the Texas Association of REALTORS)

With more than 125,000 members, Texas REALTORS is a professional membership organization that represents all aspects of real estate in Texas. We are the advocate for REALTORS and private property rights in Texas. Visit texasrealestate.com to learn more.

About MIPIM

MIPIM, the world's leading property market, brings together all the key actors of the real estate business. Investors, developers, end-users, architects, hotel groups, public authorities and property associations gather in Cannes for four intensive days of networking, matchmaking and development of international business relations. MIPIM has established itself as an essential meeting place for city administrations who attend in order to both promote inward investment opportunities and discuss major key policy issues that urban conglomerations are facing around the world. Learn more at www.mipim.com.

CONTACT:

Morgan Moritz

Pierpont Communications

512-448-4950

[email protected]

SOURCE Texas REALTORS
NEW YORK, March 27, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Hospital Gowns Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Risk Type (Minimal, High), By Usability (Disposable, Reusable), By Type (Surgical, Non-Surgical, Patient), and Segment Forecasts, 2018 - 2025



Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05741279/?utm_source=PRN



The global hospital gowns market size is expected to reach USD 3.87 billion by 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc., progressing at a CAGR of 6.3% during the forecast period. Increasing number of surgeries, several initiatives pertaining to hospital gowns taken by major players, and rising incidence of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are among the key factors projected to drive the market.



Rising number of surgeries globally is also poised to provide an upthrust to the market during the forecast period.For instance, as per Molnlycke Health Care AB, 70 million surgical procedures are performed every year in Europe.



The trend is creating a significant increase in the demand for hospital gowns as they are one of the essential requirements for surgical procedures. Furthermore, according to the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), in 2014, around 9,942,000 surgeries were performed in U.S. ambulatory setting. Patient gowns provide protection against hospital-acquired infections to some extent owing to which surgeons recommend these gowns.



Key players are also taking initiatives to modify and redesign hospital gowns with an aim to improve the comfort level of patients.For instance, Medstar made a collaboration with New York health wear company, Care+Wear, where students of New York's Parsons School of Design have designed innovative patient gowns.



These gowns have been put to test run in hospitals by the company in order to get quality assurance and based on that the product will be launched officially. Hence, such initiatives are likely to propel the market.



Further key findings from the report suggest:

 In terms of revenue, surgical gowns are anticipated to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Rising number of surgeries worldwide and increasing cases of hospital-acquired infections are contributing to the growth of the segment

 By 2025, Asia Pacific is estimated to witness the fastest CAGR over the forecast period. Penetration of major players in untapped areas of this region is likely to stimulate the growth of the regional market

 Some of the key companies present in the market are Medline Industries, Inc.; Standard Textile Co., Inc.; Angelica Corporation; AmeriPride Services Inc.; and Cardinal Health.



Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05741279/?utm_source=PRN



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



__________________________

Contact Clare: [email protected]

US: (339)-368-6001

Intl: +1 339-368-6001

SOURCE Reportlinker

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OKLAHOMA CITY, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- TokenEx is excited to announce it has been awarded a patent for its innovative, industry-leading Transparent Gateway solution.

The Transparent Gateway enables TokenEx customers to share the sensitive data they've tokenized, such as a credit card primary account number (PAN), with any third-party payment service providers (PSPs) or other desired endpoints. This functionality maintains the utility of devalued and tokenized data while securely desensitizing it and removing it from an organization's environment, making the Transparent Gateway a cornerstone of the TokenEx Cloud Security Platform.

"We are both proud and excited to be on the forefront of the payments and data-security industries, and the Transparent Gateway is just one example of the types of innovative technologies that got us here," TokenEx Co-Founder and CEO Alex Pezold said. "We are committed to the continual development of new solutions that will enhance the security as well as the business utility of sensitive data for our customers around the world."

Customers using the TokenEx Transparent Gateway can continue to utilize any third-party API endpoint, such as a payment processor, with a few minor changes to the HTTP request. By simply including additional HTTP authentication headers and the intended URL, and a locator for the token within the body of the payload, the TokenEx Transparent Gateway service replaces the sensitive data for the token and then forwards the message to the third-party endpoint, returning the response in the same format. Similarly, sensitive data included in an API response can be tokenized before reaching the customer's endpoint.

With the TokenEx Transparent Gateway, customers benefit from a universal tokenization solution and are no longer locked-in to a single payment processor's tokenization solution. Using the Transparent Gateway allows customers to choose among the many payment processors to shop for the best rates, programs, incentives, and service levels for their organizations. In the event that a payment processor becomes unavailable, the Transparent Gateway can enable the customer to design a failover solution, routing API requests to a different endpoint while maintaining the same universal tokenization solution.

Additionally, the Transparent Gateway gives customers the ability to send tokenized data to third parties without reintroducing any PCI compliance scope. It also supports encryption or hashing of sensitive data for API endpoints that require these additional processing functions.

For more information, visit TokenEx.com or contact [email protected] directly with any questions about the company, its platform or how familiarity with tokenization can help organizations and their customers.

About TokenEx

TokenEx offers unlimited flexibility in how organizations secure, store and access their sensitive data  all while remaining vendor-agnostic. The highly secure, cloud-computing data-protection platform has grown rapidly, becoming the choice tokenization and pseudonymization vendor for data protection. TokenEx can secure and desensitize any data set, helping its customers comply with industry and international regulations. Additional information is available at TokenEx.com.

SOURCE TokenEx

Related Links

http://TokenEx.com


ATLANTA, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Tropical Smoothie Cafe, LLC, the leading national fast-casual cafe concept known for its better-for-you smoothies and food with a tropical twist, is proud to announce its aggressive franchise development plans for the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and is currently seeking qualified entrepreneurs to open new restaurants throughout the market. CEO Charles Watson, along with his leadership team, will be hosting an informative event at the franchised Tropical Smoothie Cafe in Dallas-Fort Worth, located at 760 Airport Freeway, Suite 400, Hurst, TX on Tuesday, April 16 at 6:30 pm. The event will welcome interested prospects and offer a chance to learn more about franchising opportunities with the leading fast casual brand, which has achieved compounding success and substantial nationwide growth evidenced by, among other things, increasing average unit volume across the system, recognition amongst top industry awards and seven consecutive years of positive same-store sales growth.

"In the past year alone, our aggressive expansion throughout Texas has proven to be a success, most notably with the celebration of our 700th cafe opening, located right here in Hurst," said Charles Watson, CEO of Tropical Smoothie Cafe, LLC. "There are many opportunities for local entrepreneurs to build on the existing momentum in the local Dallas-Fort Worth market, and we're looking forward to meeting with them in-person to talk about the tools and resources Tropical Smoothie Cafe is able to offer our franchisees that position them for success."

The brand's development priorities in the Dallas-Fort Worth area are fueled by opportunities in the markets and the company's continued demand for accelerated growth. Currently, franchisees operate nearly 50 Tropical Smoothie Cafe locations across the state of Texas, with 11 cafes open in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and another three expected to open in the market before the end of 2019. The Dallas-Fort Worth area offers a dynamic built-in customer base that enjoys an active and better-for-you lifestyle in flourishing local communities. In addition to Dallas-Fort Worth, the brand is continuing to aggressively develop throughout the state with franchise opportunities in Austin, Houston, and San Antonio.

Tropical Smoothie Cafe's food and smoothie franchise system experienced an impressive surge in nationwide expansion in 2018, celebrating the opening of 110 cafes, including its milestone 700th opening, and the signing of 191 franchise agreements. With over 730 locations open nationwide, the company is looking to add qualified franchisees to its growing brand and currently has franchise opportunities throughout the U.S. Interested candidates should have business experience, along with $125,000 in liquid assets and a minimum net worth of $350,000. Candidates that meet these preliminary qualifications will need to make an initial investment ranging between $222,095 and $569,335. The better-for-you food franchise currently boasts an average unit volume (AUV) of more than $681,000  the highest in the company's 21-year-history  with the top 50 percent reporting an AUV of more than $873,000.

RSVP to the Meet-and-Greet event in Dallas on April 16 by visiting tropicalsmoothiefranchise.com/dallas-fort-worth. Members of the real estate, operations, development and marketing teams will also be in attendance. For more information about opening your own Tropical Smoothie Cafe franchise, please visit www.tropicalsmoothiefranchise.com or call 770-293-8377.

About Tropical Smoothie Cafe

Tropical Smoothie Cafe is a fast-casual cafe concept inspiring healthier lifestyles across the country, with more than 730 locations nationwide. With snack and meal options for any time of day, Tropical Smoothie Cafe serves better-for-you smoothies, wraps, sandwiches, flatbreads and quesadillas. Upgraded app technology and enhanced mobile ordering capabilities further elevate the digital and dine-in cafe experience and emphasize the brand's focus on convenience. The rapidly growing franchise has received numerous accolades including rankings in QSR's Best Franchise Deals, Entrepreneur's Franchise 500, Forbes Best Franchises and Fast Casual's Top 100 Movers and Shakers in 2018, as well as Franchise Times' Top 200+ and Nation's Restaurant News' Fastest Growing Chains in 2018.

CONTACT:

Fish Consulting

Chelsea Bear

[email protected]

954-893-9150

SOURCE Tropical Smoothie Cafe

Related Links

http://www.tropicalsmoothiefranchise.com


SAN JOSE, Calif., March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Urban Catalyst, a multi-asset Opportunity Fund, announced that Joshua Burroughs has assumed the position of COO/SVP of Development. Burroughs is a real estate professional with experience supervising and directing all aspects of land acquisition, entitlements, forward planning, and land development including project underwriting, design, construction, relationship management, partnership/joint venture formations, debt and equity placement, management of consultants, and project/asset disposition. He has acquired and entitled over 5M square feet of product in Northern California, including over 1,500 residential units in Opportunity Zones.

"I'm excited to join the Urban Catalyst team as we launch the Bay Area's first multi-asset opportunity zone fund targeting Downtown San Jose and West Oakland," says Burroughs. "I look forward to leveraging our investments to create true economic and community impact in these emerging city districts."

In his new role, Burroughs will be managing Urban Catalyst's acquisitions, forward planning & development teams, lead equity & debt placement, partnership/joint venture formations, and project/asset dispositions. He will also oversee company operations by managing third-party consultants and investor relations/communications teams. Working alongside Erik Hayden, president of Urban Catalyst, Burroughs will help facilitate investment prospects in real estate infrastructure that affect the community in a positive way.

"I look forward to working with Josh in his new position as COO/SVP of Development," says Hayden. "The company is positioned for major growth this year and I expect him to play a key role in the success of Urban Catalyst as we deliver on our long-term financial and strategic objectives."

Launched in 2018, Urban Catalyst assembled an experienced team that understands the unique processes, entitlement hurdles, and timing horizons for development in the Bay Area. Utilizing strong relationships with city constituents and decision makers, they are exceptionally qualified to maneuver the development process and are on track to raise $250M over the next year.

About Urban Catalyst

Based in San Jose, Urban Catalyst is the first multi-asset Opportunity Fund in the Bay Area focusing on downtown San Jose and downtown Oakland. Employing a world-class team of experienced local professionals to build out impact investment opportunitiesmulti-family, office, and industrial investment projectsUrban Catalyst is focused on advancing and improving the community while earning investors advantageous financial returns. Learn more at https://www.urbancatalyst.com/.

SOURCE Urban Catalyst

Related Links

http://www.urbancatalyst.com


PLAINVIEW, N.Y., March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. based security tape supplier, American Casting & Manufacturing, discusses security tapes and labels, and their various uses.

When it comes to security products, there are many different types of products to choose from depending on the application. In this case, American Casting & Manufacturing will be discussing security tapes and labels: the different types and their common applications.

First, it's important to understand the different types of security tapes and labels and their unique benefits. The first major distinction to understand is the difference between security tapes and security labels. Security tape comes in one long roll that can be cut at any length. This is useful when large lengths or areas need to be sealed. Security labels, on the other hand, are of predetermined length and made for smaller, individual uses.

There are also no residue, residue and high residue tapes and labels. No residue tapes and labels do not leave anything behind on the application surface, but they do chance in appearance when they are removed and reapplied. That way, there is still visible evidence of tampering without leaving residue behind. Residue tapes and labels, on the other hand, leave residue on the surface to which they are applied. High residue tapes and labels leave the most behind. With residue, there is clear indication that a seal has been removed or moved.

In general, security tapes and labels perform the same functions. They are very effective for equipment that requires inspection, for indicating the status of that inspection and ensuring nothing is tampered with after. They provide visible evidence of tampering for various equipment, containers, doors, and machines. They are commonly used to secure windows, aircraft doors, gas pumps, ballot boxes, and more.

American Casting & Manufacturing provides a wide range of security tape and labels with customization options like logos, text, numbering, and barcoding to meet the demands of any application.

About American Casting and Manufacturing: American Casting and Manufacturing is a New York based, family-owned manufacturing company, that produces high-quality customizable security seals, including bolt seals, container seals, and trailer seals, across a wide range of industries. Through innovative production, customer service, and both employee loyalty and respect, the tamper evident seals manufacturer has been producing high-quality seals for over 100 years. The company conforms to the highest standards, meeting the requirements of ISO-9001:2008 quality management systems.

SOURCE American Casting and Manufacturing

Related Links

https://seals.com/index.php/all-products/security-tape-and-labels


CHICAGO, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new market research report "Vision Sensor Market by Sensor Type (Less than 3D, 3D), Application (Inspection, Gauging, Code Reading & Localization), End-User Industry (Automotive, Electronics & Semiconductor, Pharmaceuticals, Food & Packaging), and Geography - Global Forecast to 2023", published by MarketsandMarkets, the Vision Sensor Market is expected to grow from USD 2.5 billion in 2018 to USD 4.5 billion by 2023-growing at a CAGR of 12.2%. Major factors surging the demand for vision sensors include the growth of the electronic and electrical industry, the use of machine vision technology in the automotive industry, and the focus of manufacturing companies on cost and time savings.

Ask for PDF Brochure:

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=123423890

Automotive industry to account for largest size of vision sensor market from 2018 to 2023

The automotive industry is expected to be the key end-user industry for vison sensors owing to the increasing demand for these sensors in inspection, identification, and localization applications. Inspection of various parts and components, identification of faulty components, misalignment of parts and components, and guiding robotic arms to perform complex tasks on the assembly line will be some of the key applications, which will boost the demand for vision sensors from this industry. Increasing adoption of factory automation to reduce manufacturing time and cost spent on inspection will boost the demand for these sensors from North America, APAC, and Europe.

Inspection and code reading applications will boost demand for less than 3D vision sensors during forecast period

Less than 3D sensors will hold the largest share of the vision sensor market during the forecast period. The use of these sensors in line scan, area scan, and inspection, gauging, code reading, and localization applications across end-user industries such as automotive, electronics & semiconductor, pharmaceuticals, food & packaging will drive the market for these sensors. The demand from these sensors will be high in APAC, Europe, and North America during the forecast period.

Browse in-depth TOC on "Vision Sensor Market"

66  Tables

39  Figures

157  Pages

APAC to hold largest share of vision sensor market from 2018 to 2023

Asia Pacific (APAC) is expected to account for the largest share of the overall vision sensor market in 2018 and is likely to exhibit the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Major factors driving the growth of the vision sensor market in APAC include the increased spending on industrial automation to reduce manufacturing costs, minimize time to market, and improve quality standards across different end-user industries such as automotive, electronics, food & beverages, and packaging.

Request Sample pages of the Report:

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=123423890

Cognex (US), Keyence (Japan), Teledyne (US), Sick AG (Germany), and Baumer Holdings (Switzerland) are among a few major players in the vision sensor market.

Please Explore Relevant Reports:

Machine Vision Market by Component (Hardware (Camera, Frame Grabber, Optics, Processor) and Software (Deep Learning and Application Specific)), Product (PC Based and Smart Camera Based), Application, End-User Industry - Global Forecasts to 2023

3D Machine Vision Market by Offering (Hardware, and Software), Product (PC Based, and Smart Camera Based), Application, Vertical (Industrial and Non - Industrial), and Geography - Global Forecast to 2022

About MarketsandMarkets

MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions.

Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model  GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve.

MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets.

Contact:

Mr. Shelly Singh

MarketsandMarkets INC.

630 Dundee Road

Suite 430

Northbrook, IL 60062

USA: +1-888-600-6441

Email: [email protected]

Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/vision-sensor-market.asp

Visit Our Web Site: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com

SOURCE MarketsandMarkets
CAMPBELL, Calif., March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- VivaLNK, a leading provider of connected healthcare solutions, today announces more than 30 healthcare solution companies are building the next wave of connected wearable healthcare solutions on its new IoT Medical Wearable Sensor Platform. Available through the VivaLNK Developer Program, VivaLNK is the first to provide an integrated IoT medical sensor software development kit (SDK) for healthcare application developers to access various sensors and data integration options, thereby minimizing the need to source from multiple vendors for a complete solution.

VivaLNK's Sensor Platform is seeing global adoption with partners in more than ten countries, including Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Finland, Germany, Japan, Taiwan, U.K., and the U.S. The unique Sensor Platform captures human vitals and biometrics and delivers data from the patient to the edge or the cloud for application integration and analysis.

The company's wearable sensors, based on its eSkin technology, include reusable temperature and electrocardiogram (ECG) patches to continuously stream ECG rhythm, heart rate, RR-interval, temperature, and three-axis accelerometer data, with additional sensor data planned for the future.

Healthcare applications using the VivaLNK Sensor Platform is nearly unlimited, and include:

Post-chemo treatment remote patient monitoring for neutropenic infections

Hospital bedside patient monitoring for deterioration and fall prevention

Hypertension control using stress and lifestyle management

Nursing home patient health and activity monitoring

Mental health and stress management

Heart failure event detection

Clinical trial remote patient monitoring

AiCare, a company that successfully started in Japan and is now serving the U.S. and Taiwan markets, offers personalized health monitoring solutions such as real-time activity analysis, location tracking, and health monitoring for residents of nursing care facilities.

"VivaLNK's medical wearable sensors provide a real-time, continuous stream of human vitals that can easily be integrated into AiCare's monitoring application," said Sean Tan, CEO of AiCare. "The small and comfortable form factor helps ensure user adoption, and it's reusability makes it economical."

Cardiolyse, headquartered in Finland, offers a unique ECG based assessment aimed at understanding cardiovascular health in order to promote longer and healthier lives.

"VivaLNK's medical wearable sensors are unique given the reusable form factor, ease of use, and continuous data stream," said Anna Starynska, CEO at Cardiolyse. "This enables us to capture a more complete picture of one's health over a longer period of time.

Cheerslife Technology, based in China, is a provider of solutions for nursing applications that improve the patient experience, and increase the efficiency of nursing management.

"VivaLNK's flexible wearable sensors deliver vital information in a timely and accurate manner to our smart care systems within our existing hospitals and nursing homes," said Fred Gu, CEO of Cheerslife. "Our customers feel VivaLNK's products are comfortable to wear and easy to operate, greatly improving the efficiency of care."

For information about the Developer Program visit: https://www.vivalnk.com/developer/

For information about the Sensor Platform visit: https://www.vivalnk.com/products/platform

About VivaLNK

VivaLNK is a provider of connected healthcare solutions for wellness, patient care, and telemedicine. The company's portfolio includes wearable medical grade devices and data analytics applications that continuously monitor the health and well-being of individuals. The company's vision is to improve the quality and accessibility of healthcare worldwide by combining technology, data, and analytics into an integrated solution.

Media Contact:

[email protected]

SOURCE VivaLNK

Related Links

http://www.vivalnk.com


In burn tests with exterior temperatures between 1,250 and 1,500 degrees, any cabinet looking for certification has to hold an internal temperature of under 350 degrees for 10 minutes. These new cabinets from Crescent JOBOX maxed out at only 270 degrees.

"Protecting people, products and property was the guiding force behind us as we developed these new safety cabinets," said product manager Sam Samsel. "We looked at the various ways that safety cabinets can fail and developed innovative solutions to those issues. The result is a flammable storage cabinet that's unmatched."

Some highlights of the Crescent JOBOX Flammable Storage Cabinets

Outperformed the leading competitor cabinet by over 100% in an independent UL 10-minute Burn Test

EZ Level bolster makes leveling simple and safe

Hi-Viz Safety Information Labels provide a reminder and reference for users to follow proper safety and usage practices

Anti-tip feature on the EZ-Level bolster extends the base footprint beyond the width of the cabinet for improved stability

The cabinets come in five sizes and three colors for specific contents. For more, go to www.crescenttool.com/page/flammablestorage.

About Crescent

Crescent is a premier brand from Apex Tool Group, one of the largest hand tool manufacturers in the world. The product line includes Crescent adjustable wrenches, mechanics hand tools and sets, Crescent Wiss snips, scissors, shears, knives and trade tools, Crescent Lufkin measuring tapes, rules, and wheels, Crescent Nicholson files and saws, Crescent H.K. Porter heavyduty cutting products and Crescent JOBOX on-site, flammable liquid and truck storage products. Visit www.crescenttool.com.

About Apex Tool Group

Apex Tool Group, LLC, headquartered in Sparks, Maryland, is one of the largest worldwide producers of industrial hand and power tools, tool storage, drill chucks, chain and electronic soldering products. Apex serves a multitude of global markets, including automotive, aerospace, electronics, energy, hardware, industrial, and consumer retail. Visit www.apextoolgroup.com.

SOURCE Apex Tool Group

Related Links

http://www.apextoolgroup.com


NEW YORK, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Drowsy and fatigued driving is a serious traffic safety issue that nationally results in more than 328,000 crashes annually, taking a toll of more than 6,400 lives and 109,000 injuries every year. Drowsy driving can be just as deadly as drunk, drugged or distracted driving, and high school and college students, young or newer drivers, are especially at an increased risk of driving drowsy.

In an effort to reach college students, the National Road Safety Foundation (NRSF), a non-profit organization, partnered with the New York State Department of Heath and Governor's Traffic Safety Committee to sponsor a "Stay Awake! Stay Alive!" PSA contest. The contest was open to students at the State University of New York (SUNY) campuses at Albany, Buffalo and Stony Brook, who were invited to submit 30-second videos that raise awareness about the dangers of driving drowsy.

NRSF has sponsored video contests for middle and high school students for several years, but "Stay Awake! Stay Alive!" is the organization's first-ever contest for college students.

The winning video, titled "Hand 'em over," brought a $1,500 prize to Ryan Mullane, 23, a Bronx resident and a graduate student at SUNY Albany. The video depicts an obviously exhausted young man yawning as he gets behind the wheel and starts the car. It then winds backward and before he puts the keys into the ignition, his friend stands by the window with her hand out, waiting for him to give her the keys so she can drive.

"Everyone needs to be rested before they drive, but young people, especially college students, are at greater risk of driving while fatigued," said Michelle Anderson, director of operations for The National Road Safety Foundation. "Drowsy driving is not as widely discussed as impaired or distracted driving, which is why these videos are helpful to call attention to this serious issue that impacts us all."

The second-place prize of $750 went to Edward Stanley, 20, of Patterson, N.Y. Kaylin Connors, 18, of Victor, N.Y. won the $500 third place prize. Both are students at SUNY Albany.

The winning videos were unveiled recently at an event at SUNY Buffalo, where traffic safety experts, a sleep researcher and the sister of a young woman killed in a drowsy driving crash spoke about the issue to hundreds of students.

The students were riveted as Jennifer Pearce, a victim's advocate who lost her younger sister Nicki in a drowsy driving crash during her first semester freshman year, described in detail the family's anguish during the aftermath. "The pain never goes away," she told the students.

The winning video and two runners-up were shown and cash prizes from The National Road Safety Foundation were presented. The videos will be broadcast later this year on more than 160 TV stations nationwide.

The National Road Safety Foundation, Inc., a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization founded more than 55 years ago, produces traffic safety programs on distracted driving, speed and aggression, impaired driving, drowsy driving, driver proficiency, pedestrian safety and a host of other safety issues. It distributes the programs free of charge to schools, police and traffic safety advocates, community groups and individuals. It also sponsors contests to engage teens in promoting safe driving to their peers and in their communities. For more information or to download free programs, visit www.nrsf.org or www.teenlane.org. and "Like" us on Facebook.

Media Contact: David Reich

212 573-6000

[email protected]

SOURCE The National Road Safety Foundation

Related Links

http://www.nrsf.org


NEW YORK, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Wolf Popper LLP is investigating potential securities fraud claims on behalf of purchasers of Swedbank AB (OTC: SWDBY) American Depositary Receipts from February 3, 2015 through February 19, 2019.

On February 20, 2019, The Wall Street Journal reported that, according to Swedish television, Swedbank had engaged in suspicious conduct suggestive of money laundering. Subsequently, on March 22, 2019, it was reported that Swedbank's anti-money laundering compliance head had resigned. On March 27, 2018, Sweden's Swedish Economic Crime Authority raided Swedbank's headquarters. Finally on March 28, 2019, Swedbank's President and CEO, Birgitte Bonnesen, was fired.

As a result of this news, Swedbank's ADRs have fallen over $6.50 per ADR since February 19, 2019 or by almost 30%.

Swedbank investors should contact Joshua Ruthizer at (212) 759-4600 or (877) 370-7703 or at [email protected].

Wolf Popper has successfully recovered billions of dollars for defrauded investors. The firm's reputation and expertise have been repeatedly recognized by the courts, which have appointed the firm to major positions in securities litigation. See www.wolfpopper.com.

Attorney Advertising: Prior Results Do Not Guarantee A Similar Outcome.

Wolf Popper LLP

Joshua W. Ruthizer

845 Third Avenue

New York, NY 10022

Tel.: (212) 451-9668

Tel.: (877) 370-7703

Fax: (877) 370-7704

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Wolf Popper LLP

Related Links

http://www.wolfpopper.com


DUBLIN, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Diabetes Device Intelligence Center 2012-2023" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Diabetes Devices Intelligence Center (IC) is a global intelligence database platform that offers data on 25 major countries.

It covers 13 years of comparable data, with 5-year forecasts including values, volume sales, and price & price per-capita expenditure. The IC enhances your understanding of the diabetes devices industry, along with economic factors impacting the market, such as diabetic population levels, Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes population, and obesity, which provide you with actionable business insights.

Market Scope:

Diabetes device market data, volume and value analytics with growth trends (2012-2023)

Segment, sub-segment & company device sales data from 2012-2023

Market indicators - diabetic population levels, diabetes prevalence, Diabetes Type 1 population, Diabetes Type 2 population, and per-capita expenditure

The Diabetes Device Intelligence Centre provides exhaustive coverage (Countries covered account for more than 80% of the overall spending on diabetes), covering and tracking of over 8,000+ data points of the diabetes care devices market, which covers various categories, segments, sub-segments and company share analysis.

Categories and Segments:

Management Devices

Insulin-Delivery Devices

Insulin Syringes



Cartridges in Reusable pens



Disposable Pens



Jet Injectors



Insulin Pump

Insulin Pump Devices

Insulin Pump Reservoirs

Infusion Sets

Monitoring Devices

Self-monitoring Blood Glucose Devices (SMBG)

By Component

Glucometer Devices

Test Strips

Lancets

By End-user

Hospital

Glucometer Devices

Test Strips

Lancets

Personal

Glucometer Devices

Test Strips

Lancets

Continuous Glucose Monitoring Devices (CGM)

CGM durables (Receivers and Transmitters)



Sensors

Market Overview

The Diabetes Device market is expected to grow because of the rising diabetic population levels and increasing diabetes expenditure in established and emerging countries. The Type 1 diabetes population completely depend on insulin therapy, and therefore, they constantly need to monitor their blood glucose. Some of the Type 2 Diabetes patients also depend upon insulin therapy, and therefore, the continuous glucose monitor device market is expected to grow with the highest CAGR of 16.89% in the forecast period.

Global Rise in Diabetic Population Levels:

There has been a tremendous increase in the global diabetic population levels over the past decade. Several reports and surveys documented a drastic increase in the diabetic population, based on changing lifestyles and habits.

Extensive urbanization in various parts of the globe is considered to be the primary cause of obesity, health deterioration, physical inactivity, etc. Owing to these factors, the prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has increased significantly.

It is estimated that out of the total 415 million people suffering from diabetes worldwide, 46% of this demographic is those with undiagnosed diabetes.

The growing diabetic population levels act as a driver for insulin monitoring devices such as glucometers, CGM, etc. In developed countries close to 90% of Type 1 Diabetic patients use glucometers. It is expected that during the forecast period close to 50% of

Type 2 Diabetic patients will use glucometers.

There have been constant innovations driven by manufacturers, in order to compete and struggle in the market. The major players, such as Abbott and Medtronic, resort to inorganic market strategies, such as mergers and acquisitions, to establish market dominance, while also adhering to organic growth strategies, which is evident from the R&D spending of these companies. Examples of a few strategic outcomes include:

In March 2018 , Medtronic PLC received the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for Guardian (TM) Connect continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system, for diabetics aged between 14-75 years.

, Medtronic PLC received the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for Guardian (TM) Connect continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system, for diabetics aged between 14-75 years. In January 2018 , Abbott announced that the FreeStyle Libre System, the company's revolutionary new continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system, was available to Medicare patients in the United States .

Reasons to Purchase this Dashboard

More Granular: Covers more categories, segments and brands' information at country- and global-levels compared to other market intelligence providers

Analyzing the outlook of the market with recent market data, historical data and market forecast

Ease of Comparability: Our analytics is based on a standardized definition across the globe to facilitate better comparability of market data

View the market in different ways among categories and geography to understand where actual opportunities lie

Market segmentation including quantitative research, incorporating the impact of economic and non-economic aspects

Regional- and country-level data integrating the demand and supply forces which are influencing the growth of the market

Market value (in USD million) and volume data for each segment and sub-segment

Understanding of the market based on value and volume changes, intra category competition.

Dedicated analyst support for research queries and training

Continuous yearly amendment of the database with significant changes updated based on scenarios

Companies Mentioned



Abbott Diabetes Care

ACON

Agamatrix Inc.

Arkray

Ascensia Diabetes Care

Bionime Corporation

Dexcom

Eli Lilly

Johnson & Johnson

Medisana

Medtronic

Novo Nordisk

Roche

Rossmax

Sanofi

Trivida

Key Topics Covered



1. Introduction

1.1 Key Deliverables of the Study

1.2 Market Definition



2. Research Approach and Methodology

2.1 Introduction

2.2 Research Designs

2.3 Study Phases

2.3.1 Internal sources evaluation

2.3.2 Research Process

2.3.3 Modeling & Triangulation

2.3.4 Data Finalization

2.3.5 Expert Validation



3. Market Segmentation

3.1 By Device

3.1.1 Monitoring Devices

3.1.1.1 Self-monitoring Blood Glucose Devices

3.1.1.1.1 By Component

3.1.1.1.1.1 Glucometer Devices

3.1.1.1.1.2 Test Strips

3.1.1.1.1.3 Lancets

3.1.1.1.2 By End User

3.1.1.1.2.1 Hospital

3.1.1.1.2.1.1 Glucometer Devices

3.1.1.1.2.1.2 Test Strips

3.1.1.1.2.1.3 Lancets

3.1.1.1.2.2 Personal

3.1.1.1.2.2.1 Glucometer Devices

3.1.1.1.2.2.2 Test Strips

3.1.1.1.2.2.3 Lancets

3.1.1.2 Continuous Blood Glucose Monitoring

3.1.1.2.1 By Component

3.1.1.2.1.1 Sensors

3.1.1.2.1.2 Receivers

3.1.2 Management Devices

3.1.2.1 Insulin Pump

3.1.2.1.1 Insulin Pump Device

3.1.2.1.2 Insulin Pump Reservoir

3.1.2.1.3 Infusion Set

3.1.2.2 Insulin Syringes

3.1.2.3 Insulin Cartridges

3.1.2.4 Disposable Pens

3.1.2.5 Jet Injectors

3.2 By Geography

3.2.1 North America

3.2.1.1 United States

3.2.1.2 Canada

3.2.1.3 Rest of North America

3.2.2 Europe

3.2.2.1 France

3.2.2.2 Germany

3.2.2.3 Italy

3.2.2.4 Spain

3.2.2.5 United Kingdom

3.2.2.6 Russia

3.2.2.7 Rest of Europe

3.2.3 Latin America

3.2.3.1 Mexico

3.2.3.2 Brazil

3.2.3.3 Rest of Latin America

3.2.4 Asia-Pacific

3.2.4.1 Japan

3.2.4.2 South Korea

3.2.4.3 China

3.2.4.4 India

3.2.4.5 Australia

3.2.4.6 Vietnam

3.2.4.7 Malaysia

3.2.4.8 Indonesia

3.2.4.9 Philippines

3.2.4.10 Thailand

3.2.4.11 Rest of Asia-Pacific

3.2.5 Middle East & Africa

3.2.5.1 Saudi Arabia

3.2.5.2 Iran

3.2.5.3 Egypt

3.2.5.4 Oman

3.2.5.5 South Africa

3.2.5.6 Rest of Middle & Africa



4. Market Indicators

4.1 Type-1 Diabetes Population (2012-2023)

4.2 Type-2 Diabetes Population (2012-2023)



5. Company Share Analysis



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/6fbncp/worldwide?w=5

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.

Media Contact:

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



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SOURCE Research and Markets

Related Links

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SALEM, Ore., March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- A new statewide poll of likely voters finds that Oregonians still overwhelmingly oppose granting driver's licenses to illegal aliens. Voters also thoroughly reject efforts by the State Legislature to override the will of two-thirds - nearly a million Oregon voters - who prevented an earlier effort to grant licenses to illegal aliens, from going into effect. The Equal Access to the Roads Act of 2019 (HB 2015) would once again allow people living in the country illegally, to gain access to Oregon driver's licenses and official state photo identification.

Voters continue to oppose granting driver's licenses to illegal aliens by a 63 percent to 30 percent margin, according to the March 18 and 19 poll conducted by Zogby Analytics. Voters even more emphatically reject a new effort by the Legislature and Gov. Kate Brown to override the will of the people who defeated Measure 88 in 2014. That ballot measure struck down a similar law enacted by the Legislature in 2013. Today, 68.4 percent of voters believe that the Legislature "must respect the decisions made by the voters through the ballot initiative process," compared with just 18.7 percent who think the Legislature has the right to enact laws "that have been previously overturned by the voters."

"The voters have spoken. The Legislature and the governor do not like what they had to say, so they are demonstrating their contempt for the people of Oregon with a blatant attempt to overrule the outcome of a fair and democratic election," charged Cynthia Kendoll, president of Oregonians for Immigration Reform (OFIR), the organization that promoted Measure 88 in 2014. "This sort of arrogance of power is the hallmark of authoritarian dictatorships, not the progressivism that Oregon likes to project to the world."

Adding to the arrogance, state leaders want HB 2015 to include an "emergency" clause, which would prevent opponents of the bill from blocking its implementation through a citizen's veto referendum. This despite the fact the bill will not be enacted until 2021. "Frankly, the voters shouldn't have to say no again. They already have  very loudly, very clearly, and not very long ago. Members of the Legislature don't have to like it. Gov. Brown doesn't have to like it. But, at the very least, they should respect the decision of the voters," said Kendoll.

The polling data includes a stark warning to elected officials in the state. A 63.5 percent majority of Oregon voters indicated that they would be "less likely" to vote for legislators who defy the will of the people on this issue, including 46.5 percent who said they would be "much less likely" to vote for such public officials. Only 11.8 percent said such action would make them more likely to vote for such legislators.

The full results of the statewide poll of Oregon voters can be found here.

Contact: Cynthia Kendoll

Cell: 971-701-7372

SOURCE Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR)
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Zoned Properties, Inc. (OTCQX: ZDPY), a strategic real estate development firm whose primary mission is to provide real estate and sustainability services for the regulated cannabis industry, positioning the company for property acquisitions and revenue growth, today announced its financial results for the year ended December 31, 2018.

Full-Year 2018 and Subsequent Financial Results

Revenues were $1.2 million , down 41.5% compared to $2.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2017 , reflecting the company's transition to a new business model.

, down 41.5% compared to for the year ended , reflecting the company's transition to a new business model. Operating expenses, including a one-time non-cash write-off of $1.9 million related to deferred rent receivables in the second quarter of 2018, were $3.2 million compared to $1.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2017 .

related to deferred rent receivables in the second quarter of 2018, were compared to for the year ended . Cash provided by operating activities was $360,000 for the year ended December 31, 2018 compared to $54,000 for the year ended December 31, 2017 .

for the year ended compared to for the year ended . As of December 31, 2018 , the company had cash of $355,000 , compared to $824,000 as of December 31, 2017 .

, the company had cash of , compared to as of . Completed a 32.3% common stock redemption as consideration for amending agreements with its primary tenant and client in Arizona , providing an immediate return of value to its shareholders. As a result, Zoned Properties now has 11.9 million common shares issued and outstanding.

"We enter 2019 with a clean capital structure and no toxic debt, a rarity among companies in the regulated cannabis industry, and a stable base of triple-net recurring revenue to cover our fixed costs," commented Bryan McLaren, Chief Executive Officer. "With this solid platform, we are moving quickly to address significant and largely unmet needs in the regulated cannabis industry. Operators are realizing that real estate project complexities are one of the most common issues inhibiting development and expansion, and finding appropriate, zoned properties in which to conduct business is increasingly challenging. Zoned Properties has the expertise to address these challenges with practical, proven solutions."

"During 2019, we anticipate adding meaningful revenue from our advisory services division atop existing lease revenue from the regulated cannabis properties already under ownership," added Mr. McLaren. "Zoned Properties has valuable expertise in navigating development issues related to regulated cannabis properties, and a track record in securing municipal approvals to develop large-scale projects. Our plan is to leverage this value to reward shareholders."

About Zoned Properties, Inc. (OTCQX: ZDPY):

Zoned Properties is a strategic real estate development firm whose primary mission is to provide real estate and sustainability services for clients in the regulated cannabis industry, positioning the company for real estate acquisitions and revenue growth. We intend to pioneer sustainable development for emerging industries, including the regulated cannabis industry. We are an accredited member of the Better Business Bureau, the U.S. Green Building Council, and the Forbes Real Estate Council. We focus on investing capital to acquire and develop commercial properties to be leased on a triple-net basis, and engaging clients that face zoning, permitting, development, and operational challenges. We provide development strategies and advisory services that could potentially have a major impact on cash flow and property value. We do not grow, harvest, sell or distribute cannabis or any substances regulated under United States law such as the Controlled Substance Act of 1970, as amended (the "CSA").

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release are forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "plan," "potential," "continue" or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements include risks and uncertainties, and there are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors, risks and uncertainties are discussed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Investors should not place any undue reliance on forward-looking statements since they involve known and unknown, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond the Company's control which could, and likely will, materially affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Any forward-looking statement reflects the Company's current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.

Tables Follow



ZONED PROPERTIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS



















December 31,









2018

2017















ASSETS







Cash



$ 354,867

$ 824,240

Rental properties, net 7,730,087

7,170,322

Deferred rent receivable - related parties -

1,708,734

Note receivable - related party -

182,365

Prepaid expenses and other current assets 116,967

127,902

Property and equipment, net 28,695

35,768

Security deposits

600

2,890















Total Assets

$ 8,231,216

$ 10,052,221















LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY





















LIABILITIES:









Convertible notes payable - related parties $ 2,020,000

$ 2,020,000

Accounts payable

117,985

8,896

Accrued expenses

54,636

48,468

Accrued expenses - related parties 34,800

33,600

Deferred revenues

2,750

28,750

Security deposits payable - related parties 71,800

71,800

Security deposits payable

6,032

5,864















Total Liabilities

2,308,003

2,217,378















Commitments and Contingencies





















STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY:







Preferred stock, $0.001 par value, 5,000,000 shares authorized; 2,000,000 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2018 and 2017 ($1.00 per share liquidation preference) 2,000

2,000

Common stock: $0.001 par value, 100,000,000 shares authorized; 17,441,552 and 17,345,497 issued and outstanding at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively 17,442

17,345

Additional paid-in capital 20,746,200

20,630,649

Accumulated deficit

(14,842,429)

(12,815,151)















Total Stockholders' Equity

5,923,213

7,834,843















Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity

$ 8,231,216

$ 10,052,221





ZONED PROPERTIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS







For the Years Ended





December 31,





2018

2017











REVENUES:





Rental revenues $ 50,155

$ 80,180 Rental revenues - related parties 1,186,775

2,033,684













Total revenues 1,236,930

2,113,864











OPERATING EXPENSES:





Compensation and benefits 411,682

569,215 Professional fees 340,134

232,887 General and administrative expenses 187,361

165,500 Depreciation and amortization 276,665

225,220 Property operating expenses 37,919

112,555 Real estate taxes 91,113

90,821 Settlement expense -

20,500 Write-off of related party receivable 1,853,539

-













Total operating expenses 3,198,413

1,416,698











(LOSS) INCOME FROM OPERATIONS (1,961,483)

697,166











OTHER (EXPENSES) INCOME:





Interest expenses -

(42,983) Interest expenses - related parties (121,200)

(129,288) Other income 50,000

831,753 Gain on sale of property and equipment -

12,750 Interest income 5,405

8,504













Total other (expenses) income, net (65,795)

680,736











(LOSS) INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES (2,027,278)

1,377,902











PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES -

-











NET (LOSS) INCOME $ (2,027,278)

$ 1,377,902











NET (LOSS) INCOME PER COMMON SHARE:





Basic

$ (0.12)

$ 0.07 Diluted

$ (0.12)

$ 0.07











WEIGHTED AVERAGE COMMON SHARES OUTSTANDING:





Basic

17,427,038

17,309,446 Diluted

17,427,038

17,482,142



















ZONED PROPERTIES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS





For the Years Ended



December 31,



2018

2017 CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES







Net (loss) income $ (2,027,278)

$ 1,377,902

Adjustments to reconcile net (loss) income to net cash provided by operating activities:







Depreciation and amortization expense 276,665

225,220

Stock-based compensation 84,132

223,375

Stock option expense 31,516

14,806

Stock-based settlement expense -

10,500

Gain from sale of property and equipment -

(831,753)

Impairment loss 1,853,539

-

Change in operating assets and liabilities:







Rent receivable -

-

Deferred rent receivable - related parties (144,805)

(702,563)

Real estate tax escrow -

39,487

Note receivable 182,365

(182,365)

Prepaid expenses and other assets 10,935

12,108

Security deposits 2,290

5,268

Accounts payable 109,089

(69,415)

Accrued expenses 6,168

(26,406)

Accrued expenses - related parties 1,200

(51,941)

Deferred revenues (26,000)

24,000

Security deposits payable - related party -

1,800

Security deposits payable 168

(16,100)









NET CASH PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES 359,984

53,923









CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES







Acquisition of buildings and improvements (829,357)

(497,309)

Cash received from sale of property and equipment -

1,984,188

Acquisition of property and equipment -

(2,586)









NET CASH (USED IN) PROVIDED BY INVESTING ACTIVITIES (829,357)

1,484,293









CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES







Proceeds from convertible debt - related parties -

2,020,000

Repayment of convertible note - related party -

(500,000)

Repayment of convertible note -

(500,000)

Repayment of mortgage payable -

(2,100,000)









NET CASH USED IN FINANCING ACTIVITIES -

(1,080,000)









NET (DECREASE) INCREASE IN CASH (469,373)

458,216









CASH, beginning of year 824,240

366,024









CASH, end of year $ 354,867

$ 824,240









SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURE OF CASH FLOW INFORMATION







Interest paid $ 120,000

$ 225,087









SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURE OF NON-CASH INVESTING AND FINANCING ACTIVITIES:







Common stock issued for buildings and improvements $ -

$ 7,700

Common stock issued for accrued settlement payable $ -

$ 21,875

SOURCE Zoned Properties, Inc.

Related Links

https://zonedproperties.com


Los Angeles, March 28 : Actress Scarlett Johansson and comedian Colin Jost are "in love" and there is "marriage talk" too.

They made their public debut as a couple in Novemeber 2017, and have since met each other's families and recently spent time with the actress's four-year-old daughter Rose (from her marriage to Romain Dauriac) at Disneyland in California.

"Scarlett and Colin are in love and share many of the same interests and the same sense of humour," a source told people.com.

"Scarlett is very happy."

Though the "Saturday Night Live star" hasn't popped the question yet, "There is marriage talk with Colin," the insider said.

Johansson finalised her divorce from her second husband, journalist Dauriac, in September 2017 after filing in March of that year.

She'd also been married to actor Ryan Reynolds for just over two years from September 2008 to December 2010.

But the source believes Johansson is in a different place with Jost, who has never been married, than she has been in previous relationships.

"She is a mother and in a mature place where marriage makes more sense than it did in earlier relationships that didn't last," the insider said.

"She is in love and likes to be married, but is aware of how hard it is these days."
Washington, March 28 : US President Donald Trump has called on Russia to "get out" of Venezuela following recent reports of Russian planes arriving in the country.

During an Oval Office meeting on Wednesday with Fabiana Rosales, the wife of opposition National Assembly leader Juan Guaido, who declared himself as Venezuela's interim President in January, Trump was asked whether Russia's involvement complicates the situation in the South American nation, reports CNN.

"Russia has to get out. What's your next question?" Trump said.

When asked what the US can do to increase pressure on the regime of incumbent Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Trump responded: "They've got a lot of pressure right now. They have no money, they have no oil, they have no nothing. They've got plenty of pressure right now. They have no electricity.

"Other than military you can't get any more pressure than they have... All options are open."

Earlier on Wednesday, Vice President Mike Pence also addressed the arrival of the Russian planes at the Simon Bolivar International Airport near Caracas on March 23.

"The US views Russia's arrival of military planes this weekend as an unwelcome provocation and we call on Russia today to cease all support for the Maduro regime, and stand with Guaido, stand with nations across this hemisphere and around the world until freedom is restored," Pence said.

While the Trump administration made a bold declaration by recognising Guaido as the acting leader of Venezuela, Russia has continued to back the embattled Maduro.

In December, signs pointed to Russia and Venezuela deepening ties as the Kremlin extended a lifeline to the cash-stripped country by agreeing to restructure $3.15 billion of debt payments that it owes Moscow.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday and called on Moscow "to cease its unconstructive behaviour" in Venezuela.

Pompeo also warned that Washington "will not stand idly by as Russia exacerbates tensions in Venezuela".
Jammu, March 28 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) poll campaign for the coming Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday.

BJP sources said the grand start of the party's election campaign in the region will take place from Modi's 'Vijay Sankalp rally' scheduled to be held in the outskirts of Jammu city at the Doomi panchayat in Bhalwal.

The Prime Minister is slated to to arrive here at around 4.30 p.m. and will address the rally half an hour later, after which he will return to New Delhi.

During the rally, Modi will seek votes for the two BJP candidates -- Jugal Kishore Sharma from Jammu and Jitendra Singh from Udhampur -- who are seeking re-election, the sources said.

Elections to the Udhampur seat is scheduled on April 11 while voting for Jammu will be held on April 18.

Meanwhile, elaborate security arrangements have been made at the venue.

An advance security liaison (ASL) team that protects the Prime Minister had already arrived here three days ago.
Patna, March 28 : Armed Maoists destroyed a former Bihar Legislative Council member's house in Gaya district. No one hurt was hurt, police on Thursday said.

The Maoist attack on Anuj Kumar Singh's Bodhibigha residence came late on Wednesday. The insurgents used dynamite for the explosion.

According to a police official, the banned Left wing activists had beaten up a close relative of Singh before ordering him to vacate the house.

"The house was badly damaged," Dharmendra Kumar, police official at Dumaria police station said.

Gaya Senior Superintendent of Police Rajeev Mishra also confirmed the incident and said a search operation has been launched.

The attack comes days ahead of the Lok Sabha poll in which Bihar will vote in all the seven phases, starting April 11 to May 19.
Washington, March 28 : A former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor accused of the largest security breach in US intelligence history is expected to plead guilty on Thursday, his lawyer told CNN.

Harold "Hal" Martin, 54, had worked for 23 years as a contractor for companies that contracted with various intelligence agencies and maintained a government clearance throughout his career.

Prosecutors described him as a hoarder who took home a whopping 50 terabytes of files, including a number of classified ones he stored on drives in his home and car. They have not publicly accused him of trying to leak that information.

Martin's lawyer, Jim Wyda, had previously argued in court that his client "isn't Edward Snowden" and followed "no system" or "spycraft" in taking home those files.

Martin's arraignment is scheduled for Thursday afternoon in Baltimore, where he will enter a guilty plea, Wyda told CNN on Wednesday.

The details of his plea deal weren't immediately made clear.

In 2017, Martin was arrested at his Maryland home and charged with 20 counts of stealing a host of classified files for years and across various jobs.

The files he stole, according to charging documents, included a number of NSA files, including reports on future plans, spy tools, and technical descriptions of an NSA communications programme.

While Martin is accused of being the most prolific of them, the NSA has experienced a number "insider threats" in recent years, in which agency employees and contractors have violated classification laws to remove agency files.

In 2014, Edward Snowden, who like Martin did NSA work through consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton, famously stole more than a million pages of NSA documents which he gave to a handful of journalists in the name of exposing programs that exploited privacy. He has been charged with a violation of the Espionage Act and currently resides in Moscow.

In 2017, Nghia Pho, an employee with NSA's Tailored Access Operations, pleaded guilty to taking home classified work files for five years.

Also in 2017, Reality Winner, an analyst upset about scepticism that Russia had attempted to interfere with the 2016 US election, leaked raw NSA intelligence to the Intercept that showed an apparent effort by Russian military intelligence to hack US election systems.

Both Pho and Winner accepted a plea deals and are serving a five-year sentences.
San Francisco, March 28 : A US court has granted Microsoft control of 99 websites widely associated with an Iranian group that were used to conduct hacking operations globally.

The court authorised Microsoft's Digital Crimes Unit (DCU) to take control of the websites belonging to the group called Phosphorus (also known as APT 35, Charming Kitten and Ajax Security Team) so that these can no longer be used to execute cyber attacks.

"Microsoft's Digital Crimes Unit (DCU) and the Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC) have been tracking Phosphorus since 2013," said Tom Burt, Corporate Vice President, Customer Security and Trust at Microsoft in a blog post late Wednesday.

Its activity is usually designed to gain access to the computer systems of businesses and government agencies and steal sensitive information.

"Its targets also include activists and journalists - especially those involved in advocacy and reporting on issues related to the Middle East," Burt added.

Phosphorus typically attempts to compromise the personal accounts of individuals through a technique known as spear-phishing, using social engineering to entice someone to click on a link, sometimes sent through fake social media accounts that appear to belong to friendly contacts.

The link contains malicious software that enables Phosphorus to access computer systems.

"Phosphorus also uses a technique, whereby it sends people an email that makes it seem as if there's a security risk to their accounts, prompting them to enter their credentials into a web form that enables the group to capture their passwords and gain access to their systems," Burt informed.

Websites registered and used by Phosphorus include, for example, outlook-verify.net, yahoo-verify.net, verification-live.com, and myaccount-services.net.

"The action we executed last week enabled us to take control of 99 websites and redirect traffic from infected devices to our Digital Crime Unit's sinkhole," said Microsoft.
Mumbai, March 28 : With a second prominent Muslim leader - Naveed A. Antulay of Raigad - quitting the Congress in four days, the grand old party's minority-friendly image suffered another dent here on Thursday.

Naveed Antulay, son of the late Abdul Rehman Antulay, former union Minister and Maharashtra's first Muslim Chief Minister, met Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray and tied a 'Shiv-Bandhan' with the party on Wednesday.

This is the second big jolt to the Congress this week after Sillod MLA Abdul Sattar A. Nabi from Aurangabad district quit the party on Monday after he was denied a Lok Sabha nomination.

Though Sattar has not joined any party, Sattar will announce his future political plans on Friday after a meeting with his supporters.

Naveed Antulay's entry would be a boon to the Shiv Sena candidate from Raigad, union Minister Anant Geete, but could prove to be bane for Nationalist Congress Party's Sunil Tatkare, contesting in alliance with the Congress.

Welcoming the Antulay kin, Thackeray said that Naveed Antulay's entry to the party would strengthen and carry forward the old personal friendship enjoyed by Antulay and the Sena founder-patriarch Bal Thackeray for decades.

"They had a unique friendship independent of politics, though they did not belong to one party. Their gen-next will carry forward the old friendship and the legacy of their work in the state," Thackeray said.

The late Antulay still commands respect in the sprawling region, earlier known as Kulaba Lok Sabha constituency, (later renamed as Raigad) in the coastal Konkan, adjacent to Mumbai on the mainland.

Interestingly, the late Antulay was vanquished by Geete, who is now fighting the election from Raigad and Naveed Antulay's support base could help boost his prospects.

In the absence of any political wave this time, the going may not be easy for Geete, who craped through in 2014 with a wafer thin margin of 2,000 votes against Tatkare, who happens to be the late Antulay's protege.
Srinagar, March 28 : Security forces on Thursday shot dead three militants in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district and battled rebels in Kupwara district, triggering street protests and a spontaneous shutdown in both places, authorities said.

The militants were killed in a gun battle that erupted when they opened fire at the security forces in Yarwan village during a cordon and search operation, a police officer said.

The other battle raged in Yaroo village in Kupwara. Two of the slain militants belonged to Pulwama and one to Shopian.

Immediately after the gunfight, civilians engaged security forces in clashes in Shopian and Pulwama towns. Security forces used tear smoke and pellets to quell the mobs, official sources said.

A spontaneous shutdown was observed in both towns, with markets getting shut and transport going off the roads.

As a precaution, authorities suspended mobile Internet services in the affected areas.

Another operation against militants was going on in Yaroo village in Kupwara district where reports said two militants were trapped inside a cordon laid by the security forces.
Chennai, March 28 : It will be all in the family when two siblings take on each other in an Assembly by-election in Tamil Nadu -- one from the DMK and the other from the AIADMK.

Tamil Nadu has seen blood brothers in different parties but fighting it out in the same Assembly constituency is perhaps something new to the state.

The two candidates in Andipatti are DMK's A. Maharajan and his younger brother A. Logirajan of AIADMK.

"This is a prestigious constituency as Amma (late Chief Minister and AIADMK General Secretary J. Jayalalithaa) had contested and won. The prospects are good for me. People will vote for AIADMK," Logirajan told IANS over telephone.

He said politics and family relations were different and the brothers had lived together for a long time as a joint family.

"In elections, all the voters in my constituency are my siblings," he added.

Maharajan, a long-time member of DMK, was not available for comments.
Kolkata, March 28 : In a snub to Congress President Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has called him a "kid" while responding to his blistering attack on her government.

On March 23, at an election rally in Chanchal town in Malda district, Gandhi attacked Banerjee over issues like "atrocities" on Congress workers, farmers' problems and unemployment and alleged that she had done nothing for the people except delivering speeches.

When journalists on Wednesday sought Banerjee's reaction, the Trinamool leader was dismissive of his comments.

"He has said whatever he felt like. I don't want to comment... He is just a kid. What will I say about it?" said Banerjee.
Gurugram, March 28 : The Special Task Force (STF) of Haryana nabbed five members of an inter-state gang blamed for two dozen cases of murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping and looting in Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan, officials said on Thursday.

The gang members, including kingpin Jogender Singh, were arrested from Dharuhera in Rewari district on Wednesday night.

Jogender Singh carried Rs 50 lakh cash on his head for his capture. The STF also seized four pistols, Rs 50 lakh in cash and two cars from their possession.
New Delhi, March 28 : Ahead of its merged entity operation, Bank of Baroda will receive Rs 5,042 crore fund infusion from the government.

The Ministry of Finance has conveyed its decision to infuse the capital in Bank of Baroda. The infusion will be by way of preferential allotment of equity shares (special securities/bonds) of the bank during FY 2018-19 as government's investment, the bank said on Thursday.

Officials said this will help the bank meet credit and contingency needs.

The merged entity also involving Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank will start operation from April 1.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court refused to stay the amalgamation of Vijaya Bank, Dena Bank and Bank of Baroda, rejecting a plea from the Bank Officers Association.

The stock hit an intraday high of Rs 123.45 and intraday low of Rs 120.4. The net turnover during the day was Rs 11.64 crore.

In February, the government approved Rs 48,239 crore recap bonds in 12 public sector banks. The merger will create India's third largest bank with a total business of over Rs 14.82 lakh crore.

When the three banks are merged, the combined entity's capital adequacy ratio will be at 12.25 per cent, with tier-1 capital at 9.32 per cent and net non-performing assets at 5.71 per cent. The merged entity will have nearly 9,500 branches.

Informed sources said the capital may be infused as Dena Bank is a weak prompt corrective action bank and it should not drag down the overall balance sheet of Vijaya Bank and Bank of Baroda on regulatory capital breach when they start operations and also for lending.

The MD and CEO of Bank of Baroda, P.S. Jaykumar, may head the merged entity, the sources said.
Dubai, March 28 : As superstar Shah Rukh Khan reaches the final leg of his mysterious journey traversing through the magnificently adventerous locales of Dubai solving puzzles and riddles unravelling the unknown he realises he has come to know the city like his own, there is a "feeling of belongingness".

The 53-year-old superstar has been featuring in a series of videos that are part of a promotional campaign for Dubai Tourism's #BeMyGuest campaign.

The minute-long video starts with a flashback of the riddles he has already solved to get the three hidden coins in Dubai, which lead him to a final clue.

As he solves the cryptic message, Shah Rukh has to "go back in time" to understand the meaning of the coins.

The final video discloses that the coins mean: "Be my guest", as is explained by his host Saif, a sheikh.

Saif asks Shah Rukh what he has seen. The actor says: "Dubai. Like I have never seen it before. Like I belong."

The actor sees the Middle Eastern city like he has never seen it before.

The #BeMyGuest campaign consists of a series of films across social media and online platforms, highlighting iconic locations and sites in Dubai.
Amaravati, March 28 : It was in 2004 that Nara Chandrababu Naidu met his nemesis in Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy in the then undivided Andhra Pradesh. Fifteen years later he faces a similar threat from his son Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy in the now truncated state.

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief is perhaps facing the biggest challenge of his four-decade-long political career in the fierce battle for power against Jagan, as the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) chief is popularly known.

If surveys by different media organisations are any indication, Jagan seems to be edging ahead of Naidu in what was earlier expected to be a neck-and-neck race for the 175-member Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats going to polls on April 11.

Buoyed by series of defections from the ruling party and the tremendous public response to his election rallies, Jagan is confident of achieving his long-cherished goal of becoming the Chief Minister.

Political analysts say Naidu's flip-flop on the issue of Special Category Status (SCS) to the state, on ties with the BJP and his sudden friendship with the Congress, his bitter enemy of over 35 years, may prove him dear.

In the 2014 elections held in the aftermath of the state's bifurcation, the people reposed faith in Chandrababu Naidu. As the state was making a beginning without even a capital, people preferred Naidu for his vast political and administrative experience and as someone seen by many as the architect of the modern Hyderabad.

As the campaigning gathered momentum, Naidu, who will turn 69 next month, is harping on the 'conspiracy' jointly hatched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Jagan and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao.

On the other hand, 46-year-old Jagan is urging people to give him a chance to usher in 'Rajanna rajyam' , a reference to the rule of his late father YSR, who was credited with introducing many path-breaking welfare schemes for poor and weaker sections of the society.

Naidu fought the previous elections in alliance with the BJP and was a partner in BJP-led NDA government at the Centre. He had accepted a special package offered by the Centre in lieu of SCS and had even defended himself with the argument that SCS was not a panacea.

It was last year that Naidu took a U-turn, apparently after he came under flak from opposition especially the YSRCP, which tried to capitalise on the TDP's failure to achieve SCS and other commitments made by the Centre at the time of the state's bifurcation.

In an attempt to compete with YSRCP as the vanguard of the state's interests, Naidu pulled out of NDA and even moved a no-confidence motion against the Modi government. With the Congress coming out in support of the motion and promising to confer SCS if it came to power at the Centre, Naidu joined hands with the party in a total reversal of TDP's policy since its inception in the early 1980s. He even initiated efforts to cobble up a Congress-led front at the national level to take on BJP.

With Jagan undertaking a state-wide 'padyatra' and making several promises, Naidu announced series of sops for various sections of the people.

With every passing day, Naidu sharpened his attack on Modi and accused Jagan of being hand-in-glove with the Prime Minister to protect himself in corruption cases.

His relations with Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao strained further as he joined the Congress-led front to contest Assembly elections in that state and even campaigned aggressively in and around Hyderabad. However, this experiment of a grand alliance ended in a disaster as the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) retained power with a landslide majority.

The Congress, which was Naidu's ally in Telangana, is contesting the elections in Andhra Pradesh on its own. The BJP is also fighting the solo battle. While both the national parties are not expected to have any major impact, the entry of actor Pawan Kalyan's Jana Sena spiced up the election scene. Fighting the elections in alliance with the Left parties and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Jana Sena could upset YSRCP's applecart.

A slight swing may alter the fortunes and this can't be ruled out considering the statistics of 2014. The difference of votes polled by TDP-BJP alliance and YSRCP was a mere 1.6 per cent in Assembly elections and 2.34 per cent in the Lok Sabha polls. The TDP-BJP had won 106 Assembly seats while YSRCP bagged 67. The opposition party later lost 24 MLAs to TDP.

The TDP had bagged 15 Lok Sabha seats while BJP got two seats. YSRCP got eight seats but three of the MPs later defected to the TDP.

(Mohammed Shafeeq can be contacted at m.shafeeq@ians.in)
Wellington, March 28 : New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Thursday that Facebook needed to do a lot more to curb hate propaganda after the social network announced it would ban such content from its platform.

Ardern's statement comes two weeks after a lone gunman on March 15 opened fire at two mosques in Christchurch, killing 50 people, reports Efe news.

"In the wake of the terrorist attack, there is much to do," she said, referring to Facebook, where the attacker had live streamed the mosque shooting.

On Wednesday, Facebook had said in a statement that they would crack down on white nationalistic messages and white separatism on its platforms, including Instagram.

Following the announcement, Ardern said that these measures "should always have always fallen within their community guidelines of hate speech", and that the solution needed to be a global one given the global outreach of social networks.

"But nevertheless it's positive that clarification has now been made in the wake of the attack here in Christchurch," she said, adding that the Australian government was also considering the possibility of imposing penalties on social media networks if they do not check the spread of extremist material.

Besides streaming the 17-minute attack on the first mosque on Facebook, the attacker, Australian national Brenton Tarrant, had also posted a 70-page manifesto detailing his extreme right-wing ideology and his hatred for Muslims.

Last week, Facebook admitted that its Artificial Intelligence system to detect malicious content on its platforms was not perfect and failed to detect the video of the Christchurch attack.

The video was viewed 4,000 times before the social network took it down, although there were over a million attempts - some successful - to upload it again on Facebook.

Apart from Facebook, online video streaming site YouTube - owned by Alphabet, Google's parent company - also reported removing tens of thousands of videos of the attack from its platform, and said that what happened was unprecedented for them regarding the scale and speed of dissemination.
Beijing, March 28 : China on Thursday indicated that it won't support the unilateral draft resolution circulated by the US to the UN Security Council (UNSC) to declare Masood Azhar, chief of the Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), as an international terrorist and slammed Washington for its move.

Beijing also accused Washington of "bypassing" the UN 1267 Committee and eroding its authority.

Last month, China for the fourth time put on hold the resolution seeking a UN ban on Azhar, a terrorist wanted in India for plotting several deadly attacks including the February 14 Pulwama suicide bombing that killed 40 CRPF troopers in Kashmir.

China's repeated blocking of such requests by India, the US and the UK and others have frustrated these countries.

The latest technical hold on the resolution by Beijing prompted the US to turn directly to the Security Council and unilaterally circulate a draft of such a request to declare Azhar an international terrorist.

"The US has bypassed the 1267 Committee and directly filed the draft of the resolution to the Security Council. This is not in line with the resolution of the issue through dialogue and negotiations," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said.

He was responding to a question about the US circulating a draft banning Azhar in the UNSC outside the 1267 committee framework.

"This has reduced the authority of the committee as the main anti-terrorism body of the Security Council. This is not conducive to the solidarity and will only complicate the issue. We urge the US to act cautiously and avoid forcefully moving forward this resolution draft," Geng added.

"I shall say that China has never denied such a draft... We just put a technical hold."

While putting a hold on the resolution, which was proposed by the UK, US, and France, China sought time to explain the rationale behind the move. Its time runs out this week.

Beijing shields its ally Pakistan where it has billions of dollars of investments as part of its massive Belt and Road project.

"The relevant country filed an application to list Masood at the committee 1267. Since China needs more time to conduct an in-depth and comprehensive review, we put forward a technical hold on the listing on March 13. This is in line with the rule of procedure of the committee and there are some precedent cases of such technical holds," Geng said.

"The listing of Masood involves a series of complex factors and China has also been working seek a proper solution through dialogue.

"Under the current circumstances, the Security Council should act in a prudential way to play a constructive role and create necessary time and space for the relevant parties to conduct dialogue and negotiations," Geng added.
Mumbai, March 28 : "Fast and Furious" actor Tyrese Gibson is a huge fan of Amitabh Bachchan and says he wants to meet the Indian megastar one day.

Gibson, who was in India last week, took to Instagram to praise the Indian cine star.

Calling Amitabh a legend, Gibson wrote: "I hope and pray that I get to meet and greet and shake his hand... Yes, ladies and gentlemen he is legend. (He has done) over 190 Bollywood movies."

He expressed his admiration for Big B by appreciating his contribution to Indian cinema.

Image Source: IANS News

"He (Amitabh) first gained popularity in the early 1970s for films such as 'Zanjeer', 'Deewaar' and 'Sholay', and was dubbed as India's 'Angry Young Man' for his on-screen roles in Bollywood. Referred to as the Shahenshah of Bollywood, 'Sadi ka Mahanayak' (Hindi for 'greatest actor of the century'), Star of the Millennium, or Big B, he has since appeared in over 190 Indian films in a career spanning almost five decades."

The "Transformers" actor added: "Bachchan is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential actors in the history of Indian cinema as well as world cinema. So total was his dominance on the Indian movie scene in the 1970s and 1980s that the French director FranAois Truffaut called him a 'one-man industry'.

"I would be honoured to meet you Sir."

It is still not known what brought the American actor to India. He shared glimpses of his visit to the country on his social media account. According to his Instagram update, the actor is in London currently.
New Delhi, March 28 : As many as 10 members of the outgoing Lok Sabha have declared charges of murder against them while 14 have criminal cases related to attempt to murder, reveals a report by the election watchdog, Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).

The ADR on Thursday released the report which said that as many as 174 (33 per cent) of total sitting 521 members of the current Lok Sabha declared criminal cases against themselves before 2014 Lok Sabha elections while 106 (20 per cent) declared serious criminal cases such as murder, attempt to murder, communal disharmony, kidnapping, crimes against women.

It said the report was prepared after analysing affidavits filed by 521 of total 543 members before 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

Out of 10 members who have declared cases related to murder, four are from the ruling BJP, one each from Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Swabhimani Paksha, and one Independent.

Among the 14 members of Parliament who have cases related to attempt to murder, eight are from the BJP, one each from Congress, Trinamool Congress, NCP, RJD, Shiv Sena and Swabhimani Paksha.

There are 14 members, who have declared cases related to causing communal harmony - 10 from the BJP, one each from Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) and All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF).

Party-wise, 35 per cent (92 out of 267) BJP members have declared criminal cases, while the number is 16 per cent (seven of total 45 members) of the Congress, 16 per cent (six of total 37 members) of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), 83 per cent (15 of total 18 members) of Shiv Sena, 21 per cent (seven of total 34 members) of Trinamool Congress have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.

Similarly, 22 per cent (58 out of 267) BJP members have declared serious criminal cases like murder while the number is 4 per cent (two of total 45 members) of the Congress, 8 per cent (three of total 37 members) of AIADMK, 44 per cent (eight of total 18 members) of Shiv Sena, 12 per cent (four of total 34 members) of Trinamool Congress have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.

As many as 430 or 83 per cent of the total 521 members are crorepaties and the average assets per sitting MP for Lok Sabha 2014 elections are Rs 14.72 crore, finds the report.

Two among them have not declared their PAN details and 24 have not declared income tax details.

Party-wise, 85 per cent of BJP MPs, 82 per cent of Congress MPs, 78 per cent of AIADMK MPs and 65 per cent of Trinamool Congress MPs have declared assets worth more than Rs 1 crore.

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MP Jayadev Galla is the richest MP with the declaration of assets worth Rs 683 crore while BJP MP from Rajasthan Sumedha Nand Saraswati has declared lowest assets of Rs 34,000.

A total of 96 Sitting MPs have declared liabilities of Rs 1 crore and above and 14 of them declared liabilities of Rs 10 crore and above.

TDP MP Srinivas Kesineni has declared liabilities of Rs 71 crore against the assets worth Rs 128 crore.

When it comes to education background, one has declared that he is illiterate.

As many as 126 (24 per cent) have declared that have an education qualification of 12th pass or below while 384 (74 per cent) have declared having educational qualification of graduate or above.

As many as 206 (40 per cent) members are 25 to 50 years while 281 (54 per cent) have declared their age to be between 51 to 70 years and 34 (6 per cent) to be above 71 years.

Out of 521 sitting MPs analysed, 66 (13 per cent) sitting MPs are women while 455 (87 per cent) are men.
New Delhi, March 28 : India's leading travel platform ixigo is the second most downloaded travel app in India and the sixth most downloaded travel app in the world on Google Play Store, the company said on Thursday.

As per Sensor Tower's November 2018 data report, "ixigo trains" app secured the sixth position on the global top 10 list of most downloaded apps in the travel segment, just behind Uber, Grab and Google Earth.

"Where is my Train" app developed by Bengaluru-based Google-acquired Sigmoid Labs topped the list of most downloaded travel apps in India.

With nearly 30 million monthly active users and 120 million app downloads, ixigo touched 1.2 million passenger bookings per month for flights, hotels, buses and trains, the company said in a statement.

"Nearly half of the smartphone population in many tier-2 towns, such as Jaipur, Lucknow, Patna and Indore, now use ixigo for all their travel requirements," said Aloke Bajpai, Co-Founder and CEO, ixigo.

Previously, the company had introduced several Artificial Intelligence (AI), big data and Augmented Reality (AR) tools like multi-lingual voice-based travel assistant TARA.

The company also launched an offline feature for passengers to let them check live running status of trains without having to be connected to the Internet.
Ranchi, March 28 : Noted economist Jean Dreze was detained in Jharkhand's Garwah district on Thursday for allegedly holding a public meeting without permission, an official said. He was later released.

The Belgian-born Indian economist and activist, and two others, were taken into custody when they were holding a public meeting in Vishunpur market of Garwah.

According to police, holding any public meeting without permission is violation of the Model Code of Conduct in place after the Lok Sabha election were announced.

The meeting, in which Dreze was invited as the main speaker, was organised by a social organisation.

"The organisers had sought permission but they did not provide the name of the main speaker. The district administration did not give permission for the public meeting for this reason," Sub Divisional Officer Kamleshwar Narayan told reporters.

According to reports, Dreze was in the police custody for two hours before being eleased.

Terming the event a "peaceful and non-political meeting", Dreze said: "Understanding of democracy is shrinking. Gradually, all freedom being curbed."
SALT LAKE CITY, March 27, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sorenson Communications, LLC (the Borrower), Sorenson Holdings, LLC (HoldCo) and Sorenson Finance Corp. (together with HoldCo, the Issuers, and the Issuers together with the Borrower, the Company) announced today that they are privately inviting the holders (Holders) of the Issuers 13.0% Senior Unsecured PIK Toggle Notes due 2021 (the Existing Notes) to exchange their Existing Notes for cash, term loans under the Borrowers new second lien term loan credit facility (the New Second Lien Term Loans) or a combination thereof (the Invitation). The Company is making the Invitation and related solicitation of consents described below (the Consent Solicitation) upon the terms and conditions set forth in a confidential offer to purchase, information memorandum and consent solicitation statement dated March 27, 2019 (the Information Memorandum) and a related note delivery letter and consent. The Invitation and Consent Solicitation are open to all holders of the Existing Notes. Holders participating in the Invitation prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on April 9, 2019 (such date and time, as the same may be extended, the Early Participation Time) may elect a preferred form of consideration between either cash (Cash Consideration) or New Second Lien Term Loans (Loan Consideration) in exchange for validly delivered Existing Notes (each, a Delivery) which are accepted by the Company in the Invitation.



In conjunction with the Invitation, and upon the terms and conditions set forth in the Information Memorandum, the Issuers are soliciting consents (Consents) from Holders of the Existing Notes to certain proposed amendments (the Proposed Amendments) to the indenture governing the Existing Notes, dated as of April 30, 2014, as supplemented as of August 15, 2014, November 10, 2014, July 8, 2016 and December 15, 2016 (as so supplemented, the Indenture), which will become effective with respect to the Indenture if Consents by Holders representing at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding Existing Notes are received to adopt the Proposed Amendments (the Requisite Consents). The Proposed Amendments would eliminate substantially all of the restrictive covenants and certain events of default currently in the Indenture. By making a Delivery before the Early Participation Time, a Holder is deemed to have delivered its Consent to the Proposed Amendments with respect to its Existing Notes being delivered. Holders may not make Deliveries before the Early Participation Time without also delivering Consents and may not deliver Consents before the Early Participation Time without also making Deliveries.

A summary of the Invitation is outlined below:

Existing Notes

to be Delivered CUSIPs / ISINs Outstanding

Aggregate

Principal

Amount Total Exchange

Consideration represented

by delivery of $1,000

Principal Amount of

Existing Notes by Early

Participation Time(1) Exchange Consideration

represented by delivery of

$1,000 Principal Amount of

Existing Notes after Early

Participation Time and by

Expiration Time(1) 13.0% Senior Unsecured PIK Toggle

Notes due 2021 CUSIP Nos. 83583T AA5, U8358L

AA9

ISIN Nos. US83583TAA51,

USU8358LAA99 $98,862,326 $1,000 consisting of cash,

aggregate principal amount

of New Second Lien Term

Loans or a combination

thereof.(2)

$970 aggregate principal

amount of New Second Lien

Term Loans.

(1) Accrued and unpaid interest on the Existing Notes included in Deliveries accepted in the Invitation up to, but not including, the Settlement Date (as defined below) will be paid in cash in addition to the Total Exchange Consideration or Exchange Consideration (each as defined below).

(2) The form of consideration is subject to the Holders election of preferred form of consideration and the proration and allocation mechanics described in the Information Memorandum.

Certain Holders of Existing Notes holding approximately $59.4 million aggregate principal amount of Existing Notes (the Pre-Launch Committed Holders) have agreed to participate in the Invitation and Consent Solicitation prior to the Early Participation Time with respect to all Existing Notes held by them, subject to certain conditions. Assuming all of the Pre-Launch Committed Holders participate in the Invitation and Consent Solicitation prior to the Early Participation Time, the Company will receive the Requisite Consents for the Proposed Amendments. However, receipt of the Requisite Consents in the Consent Solicitation is not a condition to the Invitation. Certain of the Pre-Launch Committed Holders that are affiliates of certain equity holders of the Company and that hold approximately $29.5 million aggregate principal amount of Existing Notes have also agreed to elect Loan Consideration as their preferred form of consideration.

The New Second Lien Term Loans will be made pursuant to a second lien term loan credit agreement (the New Second Lien Credit Agreement) to be entered into by the Borrower, the Borrowers direct parent company SCI Holdings, LLC (SCI), the participating Holders and other lenders party thereto and Cortland Capital Market Services LLC, as administrative agent and collateral agent (in such capacities, the Administrative Agent and the Collateral Agent, as applicable). The New Second Lien Term Loans will have a maturity date of the sixth anniversary of the Settlement Date (as defined below) and will bear interest at a floating rate based on LIBOR plus 11.50%. The New Second Lien Term Loans will be guaranteed by SCI and by certain of SCIs present and future domestic subsidiaries and secured on a second lien basis, subject to certain permitted liens, by a second-priority interest in the collateral securing the Borrowers new first lien credit facilities (the New First Lien Facilities), which the Borrower expects to enter into on or about the Settlement Date. On March 15, 2019, the Borrower priced and allocated the New First Lien Facilities, which consist of a $700 million term loan credit facility scheduled to mature in April 2024 and a $25 million revolving credit facility scheduled to mature in January 2024.

Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Information Memorandum, the Invitation will expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on April 24, 2019, unless extended or earlier terminated by the Company (such date and time, as the same may be extended, the Expiration Time).

Holders of Existing Notes who validly make and do not validly rescind their Deliveries at or prior to the Early Participation Time (each an Early Participant) will be eligible for the Total Exchange Consideration (as defined below) to be paid on or about April 29, 2019 (the Settlement Date).

The form of the Total Exchange Consideration for each $1,000 aggregate principal amount of Existing Notes surrendered via a Delivery will be as follows: $1,000 of Cash Consideration, $1,000 of aggregate principal amount of New Second Lien Term Loans or a combination thereof, subject to proration and the other terms and conditions of the Invitation. The total amount of Cash Consideration (the Cash Pool) available is $25 million; provided that if the Company receives less than $25 million aggregate principal amount of Existing Notes in Deliveries prior to the Early Participation Time (regardless of whether Early Participants elect Cash Consideration or Loan Consideration as their preferred form of consideration), then the amount of the Cash Pool will be the aggregate principal amount of Existing Notes that the Company receives in Deliveries prior to the Early Participation Time. If Holders electing Cash Consideration as their preferred form of consideration make Deliveries prior to the Early Participation Time of more than $25 million aggregate principal amount of Existing Notes, such Holders would receive a pro rata portion of the Cash Pool and the remainder of their consideration in the form of New Second Lien Term Loans, and Holders electing Loan Consideration as their preferred form of consideration prior to the Early Participation Time would receive New Second Lien Term Loans. If Holders electing Cash Consideration as their preferred form of consideration make Deliveries prior to the Early Participation Time of less than $25 million aggregate principal amount of Existing Notes, such Holders would receive cash, and Holders electing Loan Consideration as their preferred form of consideration that make Deliveries prior to the Early Participation Time would receive a pro rata portion of the remainder of the Cash Pool and the balance of their consideration in the form of New Second Lien Term Loans.

Holders who validly make their Deliveries after the Early Participation Time and prior to the Expiration Time shall be entitled to the Exchange Consideration on or about the Settlement Date. The Exchange Consideration will consist of $970 aggregate principal amount of New Second Lien Term Loans for every $1,000 aggregate principal amount of Existing Notes delivered in connection with such Delivery. Holders who are not Early Participants will not receive the Cash Consideration. If the Early Participation Time is extended, participants in the Invitation prior to the extended Early Participation Time will be eligible to receive the Total Exchange Consideration and may elect their preferred form of consideration during that extended period.

All accrued and unpaid interest on Existing Notes exchanged in the Invitation from the last interest payment date up to, but not including, the Settlement Date, will be paid in cash on the Settlement Date. Interest on the New Second Lien Term Loans will accrue from the Settlement Date. Under the New Second Lien Credit Agreement, all interest payments will be capitalized as an addition to principal (Capitalized Interest) for at least the first five years after the Settlement Date.

Based on the terms of the New First Lien Facilities, the Company expects that all accrued and unpaid interest on the Existing Notes that remain outstanding following the Settlement Date, including accrued and unpaid interest up to and including the Settlement Date and all future interest prior to maturity, will be paid in the form of Capitalized Interest (i.e., PIK Notes or PIK Interest as such terms are defined in the Indenture).

Deliveries validly made before the Early Participation Time may be rescinded, and the related Consents therefore revoked, at any time prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on April 9, 2019, unless extended (the Withdrawal Deadline). Deliveries validly made before the Early Participation Time may not be rescinded, and the related Consents may not be revoked, after the Withdrawal Deadline, subject to applicable law. Deliveries validly made after the Withdrawal Deadline and before the Expiration Time may not be rescinded at any time, subject to applicable law. The Company may extend the Early Participation Time without extending the Withdrawal Deadline, subject to applicable law.

In addition, certain affiliates of certain equity holders of the Company that hold approximately $99.6 million of 9% Senior Secured Second Lien PIK Toggle Notes due 2020 issued by the Borrower (the Existing Second Lien Notes) have agreed to privately exchange their Existing Second Lien Notes for New Second Lien Term Loans (the Second Lien Notes Private Exchange), subject to customary closing conditions, and certain affiliates of certain equity holders of the Company are expected to fund approximately $31.9 million of commitments for New Second Lien Term Loans with cash (the New Second Lien Term Loan Cash Commitment).

The Invitation is conditioned upon, among other things, (i) entry into the credit agreement related to the New First Lien Facilities, (ii) entry into the New Second Lien Credit Agreement, (iii) consummation of the Second Lien Notes Private Exchange, (iv) participation of the Pre-Launch Committed Holders in the Invitation and Consent Solicitation, (v) the funding of the New Second Lien Term Loan Cash Commitment, (vi) definitive documentation for the credit agreement related to the New First Lien Facilities and the New Second Lien Credit Agreement having been agreed to by all parties thereto and (vii) the satisfaction or waiver of certain other conditions. The Company reserves the right to waive or modify, in whole or in part, any and all conditions to the Invitation and to otherwise amend the Invitation, subject to applicable law. The Company also has the right to terminate the Invitation at any time and for any reason, subject to applicable law. Further details about the terms and conditions of the Invitation and Consent Solicitation are set forth in the Information Memorandum.

The Borrower expects to repay its existing credit facility on the Settlement Date. The Borrower also expects to redeem its outstanding Existing Second Lien Notes (other than the Existing Second Lien Notes that will be exchanged in the Second Lien Notes Private Exchange), on April 30, 2019 at a price of 100% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest to the redemption date, conditioned on the receipt of sufficient net cash proceeds from the refinancing transactions described above or from other refinancing transactions.

The Information Memorandum contains certain important information that should be read before any decision is made with respect to the Invitation. In particular, see Risk Factors in the Information Memorandum, including the information incorporated by reference therein. This announcement should be read in conjunction with the Information Memorandum.

General

Questions and requests for assistance, for copies of the credit agreement governing the New Second Lien Term Loan or for additional copies of the Invitation and Consent Solicitation documents may be directed to the Information Agent at its telephone number and email address listed below.

The Company has retained Epiq to act as Information Agent and Delivery Agent in connection with the Invitation and Consent Solicitation, and holders can contact them at (646) 282-2500 or toll free at (866) 897-6433 (ask for the Solicitation Group) or by email at tabulation@epiqglobal.com with a reference to Sorenson in the subject line.

The Information Memorandum and the other documents relating to the Invitation and Consent Solicitation are expected to be distributed to Holders beginning today. Holders are urged to read the Information Memorandum and the other materials carefully when they become available.

This release is for informational purposes only and is neither an offer to buy or sell nor a solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any securities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries. The Invitation and Consent Solicitation are only being made pursuant to the Information Memorandum and related documents.

None of the Administrative Agent and Collateral Agent, the Issuers, the Borrower, the guarantors, the Information Agent and Delivery Agent or any of their respective affiliates makes any recommendation in connection with the Invitation as to whether or not any Holder of Existing Notes should exchange or refrain from exchanging their Existing Notes, and no person has been authorized by any of them to make such a recommendation. Accordingly, you must make your own determination as to whether to exchange your Existing Notes and, if so, the aggregate principal amount of Existing Notes to exchange. You should read the Information Memorandum and consult with your financial, legal and tax advisors to make that decision.

Sorenson Communications, LLC

Sorenson Communications, LLC (www.sorenson.com) is a provider of industry-leading communications products and services for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing. The Companys offerings include SVRS, the highest-quality video interpreting service; the ntouch VP and the ntouch VP2 videophones, designed especially for use by Deaf individuals; ntouch PC, software that connects users to SVRS by using a PC and webcam; ntouch for Mac, software that connects users to SVRS by using an Apple computer; and ntouch Mobile, an application empowering SVRS communication via tablet and mobile devices. The Company and its subsidiaries and affiliates are unrelated to, and unaffiliated with, Sorenson Media, Inc.

CaptionCall, LLC

CaptionCall, LLC (www.captioncall.com) is another innovative solution from Sorenson Holdings, the worldwide leader in telecommunication relay services. The Company has been offering technology and services for assistive communications since 1995. CaptionCall is a revolutionary phone for anyone experiencing hearing loss that keeps them from using the phone effectively. CaptionCall offers amplification and superb sound quality while displaying smooth-scrolling captions of what callers say on a large, easy-to-read screen. CaptionCall helps people with hearing loss stay socially connected for a longer, happier, healthier life.

Additional Information

The statements included in this release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of U.S. federal securities laws. In addition to the assumptions specifically mentioned in the above paragraphs, there are a number of other factors that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, the Companys ability to consummate the Invitation on the terms described in this release or at all, the Companys substantial debt and lease obligations, Video Relay Service and IP Captioned Telephone Service rates, future regulatory actions by the Federal Communications Commission, pending patent litigation and other factors detailed in risk factors and elsewhere in the Information Memorandum, including risk factors incorporated by reference therein. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize or the consequences of such a development worsen, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual outcomes may vary materially from those forecasted or expected. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update publicly or revise such statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

For further information, please contact:

Ann Bardsley

Director of Public Relations

Sorenson Holdings, LLC

801-287-9897

abardsley@sorenson.com
New Delhi, March 28 : Details of expenditure of MPLADS funds by Rajya Sabha members show the lowest unspent funds are from some north-eastern states like Tripura, Sikkim, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh -- though this need not necessarily mean that they are good performers because the funds available with them are small compared to some of the big states.

However, Rajya Sabha MPs from these states also show the highest utilisation over released funds -- those from Arunachal Pradesh showed 95.28 per cent utilisation over released funds; from Assam registered 92.6 per cent of utlization over released funds and projects cited by MPs from Tripura utilized 92.66 per cent of released funds.

The figures available in the summary details of expenditure as on March 28 put out by the Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation show that at Rs 402 crore, the Union Government released the highest amount to Tamil Nadu and had an 89.21 per cent utilisation.

Uttar Pradesh, for which the government released Rs 368.13 crore, had an unspent balance of Rs 109.36 crore, the highest in absolute terms among all states and 73.01 per cent utilisation over funds released.

At 58.03 per cent of utilisation over released funds, Uttarakhand performed the worst in this category.

In terms of utilisation of funds, even Odisha performed poorly. It received Rs 110 crore from the government for development projects but could utilise only 71.28 per cent; as a result Rs 33.28 crore went unutilized.

Apart from the north-eastern states mentioned above and Goa, states that registered generally high per cent of utilisation over released funds are Chhattisgarh (89.90 per cent), Maharashtra (89.33), Kerala (88.86), Andhra Pradesh (88.77) and Karnataka (85.73 per cent).

For the record, and as clarified by the Ministry, under MPLADS, the role of MPs is limited only up to recommendation of works. Thereafter, it is the responsibility of the district authority concerned to sanction, execute and complete the works recommended by MPs within the stipulated time period. Besides, the exact figure for expenditure is available only with the district authorities.
Patna, March 28 : Upset over being sidelined in the party and the family, Tej Pratap Yadav, elder son of RJD chief Lalu Prasad, on Thursday resigned as patron of the RJD student wing ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, dealing a blow to Bihar's main opposition party.

"I am resigning as patron of RJD student wing. Those who think I am naive are mistaken," tweeted Tej Pratap Yadav, a former Bihar Health Minister who has been having simmering disputes with his younger brother and the more active Tejashwi Yadav.

Tej Pratap Yadav added that he knew who wields what kind of influence in party affairs.

The resignation comes in the absence of Lalu Prasad, who is undergoing treatment at a government hospital in Ranchi after being convicted in fodder scam cases.

Tej Pratap Yadav has reportedly told his aides that he was pained because his request to accommodate two of his supporters as candidates in the Sheohar and Jehanabad Lok Sabha seats was rejected.

RJD leaders close to him say he is not happy the way Tejashwi Yadav has been given command of the party and with the latter's style of functioning. Tejashwi Yadav is the Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly.

"In last six months, Tej Pratap had time and again pointed out how he was sidelined in the party" by Tejashwi Yadav, a former Deputy Chief Minister.

The RJD, Congress and some smaller parties have formed an alliance in Bihar to take on the ruling BJP and the Janata Dal-United.

Last year, Tej Pratap Yadav surprised his own family by filing a petition in a court seeking divorce from newly-wed wife Aishwarya Rai. Despite pressure from the family, he has refused to withdraw his plea.

Aishwarya Rai is the daughter of RJD leader Chandrika Rai and granddaughter of former Bihar Chief Minister Daroga Rai.
Kabul, March 28 : As many as 23 fighters from the Taliban and the Islamic State (IS) were killed and over a dozen injured in Chapa Dara district of Afghanistan in the past couple of days, the Army said on Thursday.

According to a statement, the IS attacked the Taliban couple of days ago triggering heavy fighting in the eastern province of Kunar leading to the death of 18 IS fighters and five Taliban insurgents. Eighteen people, including 15 IS militants, sustained injuries.

No civilian and security personnel were hurt in the fighting, it said.

While neither Taliban nor IS has made any comment, media reports suggest the clashes forced hundreds of families to flee their houses for safer places.

Militants affiliated with the IS, according to locals, have been operating in the Kunar and the neighbouring Nangarhar provinces over the past couple of years.

The government forces after a series of bloody operations over the past couple of years were able to shrink the influence of IS in Nangarhar province.
New Delhi, March 28 : A court ordered businessman Sushil Ansal to remain present in the courtroom for the remaining working hours of Thursday as he was late in attending proceedings in a case of alleged tampering of evidence in the 1997 Uphaar fire tragedy.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Deepak Sherawat observed that Ansal was late in attending the case against him and asked him to remain present in the courtroom till the rising of the court.

However, the court allowed him to go after four hours.

The court's direction came two days after it issued non-bailable warrants against him and Gopal Ansal after he failed to appear before it.

Later, Sushil and Gopal Ansal moved an application seeking cancellation of the non-bailable warrants. The court said it will hear the plea on Saturday.

The court was hearing a case of tampering against seven accused including the Ansal brothers.

On June 13, 1997, when the Hindi film "Border" was being screened, a fire engulfed the theatre, killing 59 people and injuring over 100.

The fire was sparked by a blast in a transformer in an underground parking lot in the five-storey building which housed the cinema hall and several offices.

A court on January 31, 2003 ordered an inquiry after some documents related to the Uphaar case went missing from the court record room. After an inquiry, the judge dismissed a court employee.
Bhopal, March 28 : Former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chauhan, here on Thursday, took a pot shot at Digvijaya Singh, the Congress candidate for the Bhopal Lok Sabha seat, saying he made Congress President Rahul Gandhi a "misleader".

Chauhan said he (Digvijaya) was not that great that one should say something about him everyday. "However, I have heard he used to give advice to Rahul Gandhi," Chauhan said.

"Earlier he used to mislead Rahul Gandhi, now he has made him a misleader," the BJP leader said and added, "now Rahul is misleading the country". "Rahul Gandhi earlier misled over farm loan waiver, before that he misled the country over Rafale, and recently he misled people in the name of poor," said Chauhan.

Targeting the Congress government in the state, Chauhan said, "it has deprived the poor of benefits under the Sambal Scheme, failed to waive farm loans, hiked electricity rates and stopped various facilities to the poor women."

Moreover, compensation to the poor, aged below 60, in accidents or in case of death had also been stopped, he said. "The government even blocked the beneficiary amount to the poor for the last rites," Chauhan said.
New Delhi, March 28 : The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed petitions seeking stay on the merger of three public sector banks -- Dena Bank, Vijaya Bank and Bank of Baroda. The merger is set to take effect on April 1.

Rejecting the plea by the staff and officers of two merging banks and their associations, the bench of Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman and Justice Vineet Saran in its order said: "No case for grant of stay."

Appearing for the petitioner staff and officers' associations, senior counsel Shyam Divan questioned the merger decision saying that it happened on the instruction of the government as all the decisions including swap ratio, fairness scrutiny, cabinet decision, impugned notification and the decision by the respective board of directors of the three PSU banks happened on January 2.

Referring to the statutory provisions mandating consultation with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Divan asserted that consultation with the apex bank effectively meant its concurrence.

Divan contended that the manner in which merger was pushed was "complete circumvention of the statutory scheme and safeguard". The merger, slated to take place on April 1, would adversely impact the staff and officers of two merging banks and would result in redundancy, he said.

Both senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said that the absence of workmen and officers' representation in the board of directors in no way impeded the process of merger.

If one post in the board of the merging banks remained vacant that would not invalidate the merger process, Rohatgi told the court.

Mehta said that the service conditions of the staff of the Dena Bank and the Vijaya Bank would continue to be the same and would not be altered.
Akhnoor : , March 28 (IANS) Accusing the Congress, PDP and the National Conference of being biased against the Jammu region, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday claimed that Pakistan wanted him to lose the Lok Sabha elections.

"Pakistan is praying that the 'chowkidar' should somehow lose the elections so that this mixture of sorts comes to power in Delhi," he told a BJP election rally here, referring to the opposition parties who want to unseat him in the April-May battle.

"Those who devise policies and strategies for the Congress come on national media and social media to give a clean chit to Pakistan and terrorists," Modi added.

The Prime Minister then played the Kashmir-versus-Jammu card by saying that the Congress, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the National Conference (NC) have always discriminated against the interests of Jammu's people.

Modi started his speech in Dogri saying: "I am very fortunate that I am here again to bow before Mata Vaishno Devi and Baba Jatoo.

"Dogras are a sweet people, as is their language. I would hear these proverbs when I worked as a party worker here. It is my good fortune that on the very first day of seeking votes for my party, I have come to Jammu."

Launching a scathing attack on the Congress and its leadership, Modi said: "I am surprised at what has happened to the Congress. It is difficult to believe whether it is the same Congress that had Sardar Patel and Subhas Chandra Bose.

"My soul says this is not that Congress. In order to fight Modi, Congress leaders are unable defend the national interests.

"After Balakot, Congress leaders are speaking in a language against the national interests... Their statements are being cheered in Pakistan.

"The Congress has joined hands with those people who praise Pakistan and say 'Pakistan Zindabad'.

"It is because of the PDP, Congress and NC that Kashmiri Pandits had to undergo such suffering," he added, referring to the mass migration of Pandits from the Kashmir Valley in the early 1990s. "It is these three parties which are interested in dynastic rule.

"The country's defence and security are not a priority for these three parties."

Modi went on: "It is for the first time that those running terror factories across the border are shaking in fear. Militants think twice before crossing into our side of the border.

"The Congress is incapable of taking any major decision.

"Whether terrorists are in India or outside, they must realize that any step against India will cost them heavily. Terror funding and its links are being challenged. Groups supporting terrorism are being banned. (So) Congress, PDP and NC are abusing the chowkidar."

Modi spoke about various development projects in the state, of reservations for border residents, hydro-power and road connectivity projects, free gas connection, recruitment of 30,000 youth from border areas in security forces, 20,000 bunkers for safety of border residents and enhanced ex-gratia to those killed in Pakistan firing.

"You have to trust the chowkidar to usher in an age of peace, progress and development."
New Delhi, March 28 : The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Election Commission to hold elections to Ottapidaram, Tirupparankundrrama and Aravakurichi Assembly seats in Tamil Nadu within a "reasonable time".

The SC Bench, comprising Justice S.A. Bobde and Justice S. Abdul Nazeer, asked the poll panel to hold these elections to at a "reasonable time" and the EC in-principle agreed to hold the polls.

On March 10, while announcing the schedule for Lok Sabha polls the Election Commission had declared by-elections to 18 TN Assembly seats, but did not include Ottapidaram, Tirupparankundrrama and Aravakurichi constituencies.

The by-elections to the three seats had not been announced by the EC because of a pending election petition before the Madras High Court.

The DMK had moved the top court seeking by-elections in these three seats. It suggested on Thursday that the vote to these three seats could be conducted on April 23 or April 28 during fourth and fifth phase of polling.

The 18 seats fell vacant after the legislators aligned to the AIADMK faction, led by T.T.V. Dhinakaran, were disqualified after they withdrew support to Chief Minister K. Palaniswami.
Kolkata, March 28 : Expelled CPI-M leader and a prime accused in the 2007 Nandigram violence, Lakshman Seth, on Thursday shifted to the Congress.

Seth, a former MP and Communist Party of India-Marxist frontman in the Nandigram movement, was expelled in March 2014 after he attacked West Bengal's former Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and called the party "autocratic".

"We welcome him in the Congress and our party President Rahul Gandhi has already declared Seth will contest from Tamluk parliamentary seat," West Bengal Congress President Soumen Mitra told reporters here.

Following his expulsion, Seth formed the Bharat Nirman Party which could not make any impact in the state.

Seth had spent 118 days in police and judicial custody after the Mamata Banerjee government cracked down on him for allegedly plotting violent incidents in Nandigram in 2007.
New Delhi, March 28 : An organisation of Kashmiri Pandits on Thursday welcomed the decision to ban Yasin Malik-led Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) and said those responsible for the "Hindu genocide" in the state should be tried expeditiously.

The Roots In Kashmir in a statement said the government for the first time last week acknowledged the genocide of Kashmiri Hindus when Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba said, "Malik was the mastermind behind the purging of Kashmiri Pandits and is responsible for the genocide." The acknowledgement could be "pointless" if justice was not delivered to the victims, it added.

Stating that the country had not ensured resettlement of about 700,000 Kashmiri Pandits even after 30 years, the organisation appealed political parties to ensure their return to the state.

"The status of ethno-religiously cleansed Kashmiri Hindus has seen no improvement in the last three decades. There have been no closures in any of the murders of the community. In most cases even charge sheets have not been filed," the statement said.

"The wheels of justice had not moved until recently when the government decided to ban the JKLF, an organisation responsible for killing and subsequent exodus of Kashmiri Pandits. This is an abdication by the state of its constitutional and moral obligations towards its citizen," it added.

"Malik, Farooq Ahmad Dar alias Bitta Karate and several others guilty of the Hindu genocide in Kashmir should be tried expeditiously, under a special dispensation, and punished for their self-confessed crimes," it said.

The organisation said it is committed "to reverse" the genocide in a time-bound manner.

"We shall also ensure their dignified return to their motherland and protection of their rights as citizens of India to let them live in a secure environment," it said.
NEW ORLEANS, March 27, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC (KSF) and KSF partner, former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors of pending deadlines in the following securities class action lawsuits:



The Kraft Heinz Company (KHC)

Class Period: 7/6/2015 - 2/21/2019

Lead Plaintiff Motion Deadline: April 25, 2019

SECURITIES FRAUD

To learn more, visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nasdaqgs-khc/ .

Weight Watchers International, Inc. (WTW)

Class Period: 5/4/2018 - 2/26/2019

Lead Plaintiff Motion Deadline: May 3, 2019

SECURITIES FRAUD

To learn more, visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nasdaqgs-wtw/ .

CenturyLink, Inc. (CTL)

Class Period: 5/10/2018 - 3/4/2019

Lead Plaintiff Motion Deadline: May 6, 2019

SECURITIES FRAUD

To learn more, visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-ctl/ .

Bridgepoint Education, Inc. (BPI)

Class Period: 3/8/2016 - 3/7/2019

Lead Plaintiff Motion Deadline: May 10, 2019

SECURITIES FRAUD

To learn more, visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-bpi/ .

If you purchased shares of the above companies and would like to discuss your legal rights and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact KSF Managing Partner, Lewis Kahn, toll-free at 1-877-515-1850, via email (Lewis.Kahn@KSFcounsel.com), or via the case links above.

If you wish to serve as a Lead Plaintiff in the class action, you must petition the Court on or before the Lead Plaintiff Motion deadline.

About

Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC, whose partners include the former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is a law firm focused on securities, antitrust and consumer class actions, along with merger & acquisition and breach of fiduciary litigation against publicly traded companies on behalf of shareholders. The firm has offices in New York, California and Louisiana.

To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com .

Contact:

Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC

Lewis Kahn, Managing Partner

lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com

1-877-515-1850

1100 Poydras St., Suite 3200

New Orleans, LA 70163




Guwahati, March 28 : The Ulfa faction negotiating peace with the central government will refrain from voting in the Lok Sabha polls, said Ulfa general secretary Anup Chetia on Thursday.

However, the outfit will not boycott the polls as reported in a section of media. "There is no question of boycotting the Lok Sabha polls," he said.

The members of the outfit had not participated in electoral process since the inception of the outfit and they would not participate in the electoral process this time too, he added.

"We have never cast our votes and never took part in electoral process ever since the inception of Ulfa. Keeping with the tradition, we are going to refrain from voting this time as well," said Chetia.

The pro-talk Ulfa faction, which has been negotiating peace with the government, has about 2,500 cadres in their designated camps as of now.

"We are only going to refrain from the polls until the talks process is over and our demands are fulfilled," said Chetia.

Asked about the talks, Chetia said the ball was in the central government's court.

"We have held several rounds of discussion and submitted our charter of demands," he said adding they were waiting for the central government's response.

Majority of Ulfa leaders, including its chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa who had been holed up in Bangladesh were arrested by the Dhaka authorities in 2010 and handed over to Indian authorities in 2010.

Subsequently, they agreed to sit for talks and were released on bail.

However, Ulfa commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah had remained in Maynmar with a few of his comrades. They are yet to respond to the peace initiative of the government.

Chetia was arrested in Bangladesh on December 21, 1997 and was extradited to India in November 2015. After he was released on bail, Chetia also decided to join the peace talks.
Kolkata, March 28 : The Election Commission (EC) on Thursday replaced K.K. Sharma with Vivek Dube as the central police observer for West Bengal, a day after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee objected to Sharma's appointment calling him "an RSS man".

"The Election Commission had appointed K.K. Sharma as the central police observer for West Bengal. Now Vivek Dube, IPS of 1981 batch, has been appointed in his place," Additional Chief Electoral Officer Sanjay Basu said here.

Dube was part of the Bilkis Bano gang-rape case investigations in 2002.

On the reason for change, Basu said it was the commission's decision.

Objecting to Sharma's appointment citing his closeness to the RSS, the Chief Minister on Wednesday said the Trinamool Congress (TMC) will write a "strong letter" to the EC in this regard.

The TMC Chief also released a photograph alleging last year Sharma was present at an RSS function in Kolkata alongside Rantideb Sengupta, BJP candidate for the Howrah Lok Sabha seat.

Basu also said 24 police observers and 47 general observers have been appointed for the districts and constituencies, respectively.

"We had asked for additional central observers for places like Kolkata South, hill areas of Darjeeling and Jhargram. Hence, there are 47 of them for 42 constituencies," he said.
Jaipur, March 28 : The Rajasthan police on Thursday arrested a man on charges of demanding 'supari' (ransom) to kill Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

According to Bajaj Nagar Police station sub-inspector Ramkripal Yadav, the accused on March 26 night posted on his Facebook wall saying, 'Kya koi hai jo mujhe Modi ko marne ki supari de sake, mere pass foolproof plan hai" (is there someone who can pay me ransom for killing PM Modi, I have foolproof plan).

On Thursday morning, the police after receiving the information arrested the accused, said a police officer.

The accused has been identified as Naveen Yadav, who has been staying in Jaipur for the last 10 years.

During interrogation, the accused told the police that he had been posting on his facebook wall against politicians for years. "He said he was feeling sorry now for posting against the PM," said a police officer, adding the accused had posted the content from his fake account.

The accused is a graduate and his father is a CRPF retiree. Yadav has been working in a bookshop which also provides printouts to school students.

His family members have been informed, police said, adding further investigation is on.
New Delhi, March 28 : As the Congress criticised the biopic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as propaganda and termed its impending release during the poll process as violation of the model code of conduct, film's producer Sandeep Ssingh said, here on Thursday, there was no political agenda behind the movie.

After the Election Commission (EC) issued a show cause notice to producers of "PM Narendra Modi", Ssingh, Vivek Oberoi along with his lawyer Hitesh Jain appeared before the poll panel.

"We are in Delhi. We got the notice yesterday (Wednesday). Vivek and I came to Delhi and as asked by the EC met a team. We have submitted the papers as asked by it and are waiting for the reply," Ssingh told IANS.

"Political parties wanted us to postpone or should not release the film either. We have submitted papers with the proof and documents that it's nothing like that. There should not be a political agenda behind this. There should be a reason if the movie's release has to be shifted from April 5 to any other date. Now they will get back to us," he said.

On the film, he said: "We have made a film. We are living in a democratic country where everybody has the freedom of speech. It's very simple. We are here to follow law, rules and regulations as citizens of the country."

On the Congress labelling the biopic as a propaganda, Ssingh said, "Allegations are there. Everybody is talking without seeing the film and they should have a reason for that. Be it RPI, MNS, DMK, CPI or Congress, they all are raising objections only because of the release date," he said.

"PM Narendra Modi" depicts the journey of Modi from his humble beginnings to becoming the Prime Minister of India.

It also stars Boman Irani, Zarina Wahab, Darshan Kumaar and Manoj Joshi.
Panaji, March 28 : Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said late Manohar Parrikar as the Defence Minister was instrumental in getting the much-delayed Rafale jet deal on track.

Speaking at a condolence meeting, organised by the Goa government here, Singh said Parrikar had gauged the national mood in 2013 and requested him -- I was then BJP national president -- to make Narendra Modi the prime ministerial candidate.

"I remember the time. Rafale. For a long time, nearly 30 years, India did not have a next generation fighter plane. It was natural that the country would be worried. The Rafale deal was pending for a long time," Singh said.

"The Prime Minister gave him the responsibility and he (Parrikar) fulfilled it efficiently. I remember in 2016, there was a agreement with the French Defence Minister. If there is anyone to bring the Rafale deal on track, it was Parrikar," Singh said.

Modi had singled out Parrikar for the Defence Ministry job because of his character, quick decision-making ability and a fighter's attitude.

Singh also credited Parrikar for resolving the 'one rank, one pension' row and bringing the Defence Ministry's Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) project to the fruition.

Singh said it was Parrikar who over a cup of tea during the BJP national executive meeting in Goa first pitched for Modi as the party's prime ministerial candidate.

"He said the country's mood seems to be that Modi should be PM. To that I had said the national executive is being held and some decision should be taken. In the same national executive, Modi was nominated election management committee chairman. He had foresight and the ability to analyse the future," Singh said.

The senior BJP leader also called Parrikar a spiritual person and said one does not need to pray in a temple, mosque or church to be spiritual. "All you need to be spiritual is a magnanimous and an elevated mind like Parrikar's," he said.
Bengaluru, March 28 : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday trashed Congress' "MeToo" charge against its candidate Tejasvi Surya in the Bangalore South Lok Sabha constituency, which goes to poll on April 18.

"A nervous Congress is indulging in slander as it is afraid of its candidate (B.K. Hariprasad) badly losing to Surya in the electoral battle," BJP spokesperson G. Madhusudan told IANS here.

The Congress, he said was stunned by the BJP's choice to field a young, dynamic and promising youth with whom not only millennials, but also the present generation of people identified.

The BJP on Tuesday named 28-year-old Surya, a fiery Rashtriya Swayam Sevak (RSS) worker and a lawyer in the Karnataka High Court to contest from Bangalore South, a constituency dominated by IT workers.

On Thursday, the Twitter handle of Karnataka Congress sent out a screengrab of tweets by businesswoman Som Dutta, who in her interactions with author Shefali Vaidya said: "Dear Shefaliji, I request you to not blindly promote Tejasvi without knowing his full truth. Do you actually want a womaniser, abuser and a woman-beater to lead us? Need proof? I will share. Not every Hindu is dharmik and great speeches don't make a great man."

Replying to @madhusdhanrao7 @ShefVaidya and @Tejasvi_Surya, Dutta also tweeted "Karma gets to everyone my friend. I don't believe in public spats and defamation. Should the party not do background checks before giving ticket. My parents have suffered too much coz of my choice can't let them suffer anymore."

The Congress further tweeted, "Is @Tejasvi_Surya another MJ Akbar in the making? Dear @BJP4India, @Tejasvi_Surya seems to be a great choice. #Bangalore South will remember. #MeToo #LokSabhaPolls2019."

Madhusudan hit back saying, "The Congress has deliberately tweeted against Surya after he filed papers on Tuesday and not before though the 'MeToo' movement has been on for more than a year. This is nothing but mudslinging."

Though the woman deleted her comments against Surya on her Twitter account, a petty Congress has posted its tweet with a screenshot of her posts without verifying the facts, he said.

Rubbishing the Congress tweet as a pervert act for trying to liken him (Surya) to the former Union Minister of State for External Affairs, Madhusudan said the people would not get carried away by its dirty tricks.

MJ Akbar resigned on October 17, 2018 after many women journalists alleged that he had sexually abused them in the 1980s and 1990s when he was the editor of "The Telegraph" and "The Asian Age".
New Delhi, March 28 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched his poll campaign for the Lok Sabha elections with a blistering attack on the opposition as he kept his focus on "nationalism", saying that Pakistan wanted him to lose the polls.

Modi kicked off his campaign from Meerut in the politically crucial state of Uttar Pradesh and followed it with back-to-back rallies in Rudrapur in Uttarakhand and Akhnoor in Jammu and Kashmir.

Slamming the opposition parties for seeking proof for the 2016 surgical strikes and the recent air strikes in Pakistan's Balakot, the Prime Minister claimed that some of them have become heroes in Pakistan while the country needed a Hindustani hero.

Addressing the first rally in Meerut, Modi attacked the opposition for questioning India's capabilities in space and dubbed the opposition's alliance as "mahamilawat" (adulterated) and the alliance of the Samajwadi Party (SP), Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) as "saraab".

"The country has seen many governments in the past which believed in sloganeering. But for the first time, it has seen a decisive government which knows how to fulfil its commitments. Be it on land or sky or space, the government of your 'chowkidar' has shown courage to conduct surgical strikes," he said.

Modi was referring to the air strikes conducted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) on Jaish-e-Mohammed training camps in Pakistan's Balakot on February 26, and the successful testing of an anti-satellite (A-SAT) missile on Wednesday.

He also called the SP-RLD-BSP alliance 'saraab' and said that it was harmful for one's health and the state. "Sapa (SP) ka 'sa', RLD ka 'raa' aur Baspa (BSP) ka 'ba', matlab 'saraab'," he said.

The Congress and the Samajwadi Party promptly slammed the Prime Minister for likening the opposition parties with liquor. 'Saraab' in Urdu means mirage or illusion while a similar sounding 'sharaab' in Hindi stands for alcohol.

In Rudrapur too, Modi raked up the Balakot air strikes and asked the crowd whether he should have remained quite after the Pulwama attack which killed 40 CRPF troopers, saying their "chowkidar" (watchman) didn't inherit the values of cowardice.

"Should I remain quiet despite terrorist threats? Will people forgive those who give anti-national statements just to become a hero in Pakistan," he asked.

The Prime Minister also asked the Congress why its "blood did not boil" when the country was under siege during the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

Warning the enemies of India that he will not be scared, Modi said: "The message is loud and clear. We will not be scared, but will stand firm."

Addressing his last rally of the day in Akhnoor, Modi accused the Congress, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the National Conference (NC) of being biased against the Jammu region.

He also claimed that Pakistan wanted him to lose the Lok Sabha elections.

"Pakistan is praying that the 'chowkidar' should somehow lose the elections so that this mixture of sorts comes to power in Delhi," he said, referring to the opposition parties which want to unseat him in the Lok Sabha elections.

"Those who devise policies and strategies for the Congress come on national media and social media to give clean chit to Pakistan and the terrorists," Modi said.

The Prime Minister then played the Kashmir versus Jammu card by saying the Congress, the PDP and the NC always discriminated against the interests of the people of Jammu.

Launching a scathing attack on the Congress and its leadership, Modi said: "I am surprised at what has happened to the Congress. It is difficult to believe that it is the same Congress that had Sardar Patel and Subhas Chandra Bose in its ranks. My soul says this is not that Congress.

"In order to fight Modi, the Congress leaders are unable defend the national interests. After Balakot, the Congress leaders are speaking in a language that is against the national interests... Their statements are being cheered in Pakistan."

"It is because of the PDP, the Congress and the NC that Kashmiri Pandits had to undergo such sufferings," Modi said, referring to the mass migration of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley in the early 1990s.

"It is these three parties which are interested in dynastic rule. The country's defence and security are not priorities for them," he said.

"It is for the first time that those running terror factories across the border are shaking in fear. The militants now think twice before crossing into our side of the border.

"Whether the terrorists are in India or outside, they must realise that any step against India will cost them dearly. Terror funding and its links are being challenged. Groups supporting terrorism are being banned. So the Congress, PDP and NC are abusing the 'chowkidar'," the Prime Minister said.
Agartala, March 28 : The two MPs in Tripura have utilised 83.25 per cent of the total Rs 40.92 crore funds released under the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) in the past five years.

They have blamed the "cumbersome guidelines and norms" of the government for being the major obstacles in reaching 100 per cent success.

Under the MPLADS, each MP has the choice to suggest to the District Collector for works to the tune of Rs 5 crore per annum to be taken up in one's constituency.

The Central government released Rs 40.92 crore (including the interest) against the entitlement of Rs 62.50 crore for the two parliamentary constituencies in Tripura during the five-year period (2014-2019). While Rs 30.30 crore was utilised, Rs 7.61 crore remain unspent, according to official figures.

Jitendra Chaudhury, MP from Tripura East seat (which is reserved for tribals), told IANS that cumbersome rules and guidelines are the major hurdles in full achievement of MPLADS.

Due to High Court cases, lack of seriousness in some officials and non-execution of previous period's projects, 100 per cent success is not attained, said Chaudhury, who is seeking re-election from the same seat.

Tripura West MP, Sankar Prasad Datta, echoed Chaudhury's views.

According to Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, under MPLADS, role of the MPs is limited only up to recommendation of works. "It is the responsibility of the district authority to sanction, execute and complete the works suggested by Members of Parliament within the stipulated time period."
Srinagar, March 28 : Unidentified gunmen shot and injured a shopkeeper on Thursday in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on Thursday evening, police said.

Muzafar Ahmad Hajam was attacked in Midoora village of Tral area of Pulwama.

"The injured shopkeeper has been shifted to Srinagar for specialized treatment. The area is being searched," a police officer said.
Kolkata, March 29 : The office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) in West Bengal has sent its observation regarding a complaint against Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) MP from Asansol Babul Supriyo to the Election Commission of India (ECI).

It has also given suggestions regarding the party's theme song, an official said on Thursday.

The office of the Chief Electoral Officer had slapped a show cause notice on Supriyo for not seeking permission before releasing a video of the party's campaign song on social media.

"We have discussed all the complaints against him (Supriyo) at the state level and have forwarded our observations to the ECI on Thursday," Additional Chief Electoral Officer Sanjay Basu told reporters here.

He said since the BJP had later submitted a transcript of the lyrics of the campaign song to the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC), the CEO has sent its observations to them.

"We have given suggestions to the party members for re-submission," Basu said.

Talking about the party members and candidates seeking permission on the Suvidha App, Basu said they have received 5,141 applications out of which 1,012 were under process while 3,196 have been disposed.

Sharing the details of the 'cVigil App' Basu said, "As many as 1,814 complaints have been registered so far out of which 1,151 have been found to be correct and action has been taken."

They have also received 798 complaints via the ECI's National Grievance Services (NGS) portal and 281 of them have been resolved.

The citizens portal of NGS recorded 1,131 complaints out of which 483 have been addressed, he said.

Till date, the commission and the police have seized 505,652 litres of liquor and Rs 10.424 crore in cash.

"Mountaineer Kanchan Gaba has been selected as the district icon for Kolkata North and athlete Soma Biswas for Nadia," Basu added.

Gaba is a blind mountaineer, human rights activist and a recipient of the President's Award.
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa., March 27, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --



Kaskela Law LLC is investigating American Renal Associates Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: ARA) (American Renal or the Company) on behalf of the Companys investors. The investigation seeks to determine whether American Renal and certain its executive officers violated the federal securities laws, and whether the Companys investors have been harmed as a result.



American Renal investors are encouraged to contact Kaskela Law LLC (D. Seamus Kaskela, Esq.) at (888) 715  1740, or online at http://kaskelalaw.com/case/american-renal/ , to discuss this investigation and their legal rights and options, or to submit their information to the firm for review.

On March 8, 2019, American Renal disclosed that it was delaying the filing of its fiscal 2019 Annual Report, and that the Companys Audit Committee was examining reserve computations and other accounting practices that could have an impact on accounts receivable and revenue for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, as well as the previously reported fiscal years. Following this news, shares of the Companys stock declined $2.05 per share, or over 16% in value, to close on March 8, 2019 at $10.46 per share, on heavy trading volume.

Then on March 27, 2019, American Renal disclosed that the Companys previously issued financial statements for fiscal years 2014  2017 should be restated and should no longer be relied upon, and that the Companys Chief Financial Officer had resigned effective March 26, 2019. Following this additional news, shares of the Companys stock further declined in value.

American Renal investors are encouraged to contact Kaskela Law LLC to discuss their legal rights and options with respect to this matter. Kaskela Law LLC exclusively represents investors in securities fraud, corporate governance, and merger & acquisition litigation. For additional information about Kaskela Law LLC please visit www.kaskelalaw.com .

CONTACT:

D. Seamus Kaskela, Esq.

KASKELA LAW LLC

18 Campus Boulevard, Suite 100

Newtown Square, PA 19073

(484) 258  1585

(888) 715  1740

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skaskela@kaskelalaw.com

This notice may constitute attorney advertising in certain jurisdictions.
London, March 29 : British lawmakers will hold a vote on the withdrawal agreement on Friday in a fresh effort to break the current Brexit deadlock.

The British House of Commons will hold the vote on Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal, which has been voted down twice by the UK Parliament since January, Xinhua news agency reported on Thursday.

The British government is seeking to hold the vote on Brexit on Friday.

The speaker of the House of Commons, John Bescow, said Thursday in the parliament that the motion is "new and substantially" different while he was clearing the motion for debate and vote on Friday.
Kolkata, March 29 : Over 400 successful School Service Commission (SSC) examination candidates withdrew their 29-day relay hunger strike on Thursday, a day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met them with the assurance that her government would try to find a solution within the first week of June after Lok Sabha elections are over.

The candidates ended their agitation following a meeting with state Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, but said they would review the situation after the first week of June.

A five-member delegation of the hunger strikers met Chatterjee, who reiterated the promise made by the Chief Minister.

The SSC aspirants were holding the hunger strike at central Kolkata's Mayo Road since February 28, accusing the state government of irregularities in appointing assistant teachers at the state-run schools and demanded that the available vacancies be immediately filled.

The agitating candidates, all of whom have successfully cleared both SSC written test and interview more than a year back, have urged the state government to publish the full list of candidates, qualified in the SSC examination along with the details of marks obtained by them and notify the exact number of vacancies for teachers in the state-run schools.

Nearly 80 agitators, many of them women, had fallen ill while two would be mothers suffered a miscarriage and two more persons got infected by Dengue during the hunger strike, the agitators had claimed.
Century 21 Australasia has appointed industry operative Warren McCarthy as their new CEO, a decade after his last big job.

McCarthy (above) is an veteran of 35 years most recently briefly at McGrath Sutherland where he was sales manager.

He'd previously held senior roles with LJ Hooker.

It was in 2004 when McCarthy took over from Grahame Cooke as the chief executive at L J Hooker, then one of Australia's leading real estate franchise chains and one of the country's most recognisable trusted brands.

At the time the Hooker empire had 700 franchises in Australia and New Zealand, and established a number of beachheads in Asia.

Around 6500 people work under the logo, producing around $25 billion in sales in 2003.

On his 2009 departure it was reported the Suncorp-owned agency, in 12 countries, comprised over 7000 people across 750 franchises.

He then became the managing director of McCarthy Business Consultants during which time he served on the advisory board of Nextforsale and on the advisory board for Ibuynew.

McCarthy began in the family business in Helensburgh south of Sydney in 1980 and the operation became an LJ Hooker franchise in 1988.

He then joined the franchisor, rising to become associate director, before managing the LJ Hooker Double Bay operation in Sydney's eastern suburbs.

The longtime executive chairman Charles Tarbey will continue to operate as Century 21s chairman overseeing the team and the franchisees alongside McCarthy.

Tarbey told industry websites that McCarthy brings to Century 21 "a fresh mindset."

John McGrath described McCarthy as one of Australias best real estate agents when McCarthy described McGrath Estate Agents as "the benchmark and the envy of the entire real estate industry and market leaders when it comes to marketing, training, ethics, technology and sales."

Tarbey bought the Australasian arm of the Century 21 Australasia in 1995.
Invisible Fence of Florida donates life-saving equipment to fire department in Cocoa, FL that serves more than 17,000 residents Invisible Fence of Florida donates life-saving equipment to fire department in Cocoa, FL that serves more than 17,000 residents.

Invisible Fence Brand is not only known for its pet containment systems keeping pets happy and safe in their yards, but also safe from other hazards like house fires. Today there are more than three million safer, happier pets and countless lives improved, including hundreds of pet lives saved through the Project Breathe Program, the companys pet oxygen mask donation effort.

Since the Project Breathe programs inception in 2006, over 25,000 masks have been donated to first responders and now the company is giving more. Invisible Fence of Florida grants the newest donation of pet oxygen masks to Cocoa Fire Rescue Department in East Central Florida. The Cocoa Fire Department donation is one of many contributions made by Invisible Fence of Florida  including recent donation in Brevard County.

Each year, its estimated more than 40,000 pets die in fires, most succumbing to smoke inhalation. The reality in most cases is that first responders lack the equipment to resuscitate and save these animals. Programs like Project Breathe are addressing this issue.

The Project Breathe Program goal is simple, said Ed Hoyt, Director of Invisible Fence. We want to ensure that every fire department and rescue unit across the U.S. and Canada are equipped with life-saving pet oxygen masks.

As a program that thrives by word of mouth, Invisible Fence encourages people to contact your local fire department to find out if they have these pet-saving kits. Fire departments can request pet oxygen mask kit donations here. For additional information or questions, customers can call their local Invisible Fence dealer or visit InvisibleFence.com.

About Invisible Fence Brand

Invisible Fence pioneered the pet containment industry in 1973, making it their mission to provide safe boundaries inside and outside of the home. The Radio Systems Corporation owned company predominantly sells pet containment, avoidance and access solutions across the U.S. and Canada. In addition to offering award-winning products like Boundary Plus Technology, Authorized Dealers provide professional installation, Perfect Start Plus Training and integrated solutions that have protected more than three million pets to date. Invisible Fence also founded the Project Breathe Program in 2006, donating more than 25,000 pet oxygen masks to fire departments and first responders. For more information on Invisible Fence or to find a local dealer, visit InvisibleFence.com or follow the company on Facebook.
The Audi R8 is just one of the German performance models that automotive enthusiasts can expect to find at the Chicago-area pre-owned dealership. Though its inventory has recently been the home to the likes of Rolls-Royce, Ferrari, Lamborghini and others, the dealerships most common models are still German luxury brands like BMW, Mercedes-Benz and even Audi.

In the Chicago suburb of Burr Ridge, Apex Motorworks has made a name for itself by offering pre-owned automotive options that range from luxury models to exotic options. Though its inventory has recently been the home to the likes of Rolls-Royce, Ferrari, Lamborghini and others, the dealerships most common models are still German luxury brands like BMW, Mercedes-Benz and even Audi. Not only does the dealership deal in luxury models from these brands, but it has provided performance versions of these cars that rival supercars.

A speed shop called AMG came on the racing scene with modified Mercedes-Benz vehicles in 1967. Mercedes-Benz saw the value in these modifications and acquired the company. To this day, Mercedes-AMG is still making performance versions of the German manufacturers popular models. Multiple AMG models can be found in the Apex Motorworks inventory including G-Class and S-Class options.

BMW is another highly sought after German brand, and much like Mercedes-Benz, it too has its own performance lineup. Collectively, they are known as M models, and they represent the best sedans and SUVs that BMW creates. Apex Motorworks has BMW M models from both the sedan and the SUV lineup routinely in stock.

Audi has its own performance lineup with its S, R and TT lineup. Beyond that though, Audi also makes a supercar known as the R8. Audi R8 models have frequented the Apex Motorworks inventory on numerous occasions, and currently, there is a 2012 Audi R8 available with the signature two-tone paint in black and ice silver metallic in inventory. This stunning all-wheel-drive R8 example will attract enthusiasts even from out-of-state. Apex Motorworks is ready and willing to coordinate and facilitate both purchase and delivery for buyers that are not in the area.

Prospective performance car buyers looking for BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz or other luxury performance options can browse the Apex Motorworks inventory online at http://www.apexdrive.com. The dealership can also be reached by phone at 630-819-5157 or visited in person in the Chicago suburb of Burr Ridge at 16W260 83rd St.
The P&T competition promotes smart, sustainable and efficient design concepts among future young architects said H.E. Shaikha Nahla AlQassimi, Board Director of Society of Engineers on the initiative.

Architecture students across the United Arab Emirates join the Giving Back To The Community challenge presented by P&T Group, a pioneer in architecture and building design, in celebration of the firms 150 years anniversary and 15 years in the United Arab Emirates.

More than 50 participants from the countrys top universities, including the American University of Sharjah, Canadian University Dubai, United Arab Emirates University, University of Sharjah, Ajman University and Al Ghurair University, have joined the challenge to present architectural ideas that respond to the current and future needs of UAEs environment that are both affordable and desirable. P&T competition challenges the next generation of creative thinkers in the UAE to find solutions appropriate to their time and place in history, said Andrij Rostek P&T Group Director. The evaluation criteria upon which the students will be judged includes form, function, innovation, environmental and sustainable solutions and presentation.

The challenge, whose winners will be announced in a special ceremony to be held on 18 April, 2019, will grant the first place winner an internship and a possibility of a permanent position at the company along with a cash prize of AED 10,000, while the second and third place winners will receive AED 6,000 and AED 4,000 respectively.

In efforts to encourage designs that are in line with the UAEs Smart City initiative, P&T will submit the winning or most suitable design to the Mohammed Bin Rashid Smart Majlis, while maintaining the copyrights of the idea to the students.

The P&T competition promotes smart, sustainable and efficient design concepts among future young architects, said H.E. Shaikha Nahla AlQassimi, Board Director of Society of Engineers on the initiative. A member of one of the participating universities further reflected on the competition by adding that [It] is a great opportunity for young generation of future architects to push their innovative skills and explore bold ideas to reach to excellence, said Dr. Mohammad S. Arar Associate professor Ajman University, Architectural Engineering Department

The competition is organised by P&T in collaboration with Dubai Airport Freezone Authority, Society of Engineers- UAE and in support of 2021 Dubai Plan, 10X Dubai, Smart Dubai, Youth Hub, 2071 and Dewa 2050.
Families enjoying a summer Backroads trip "We understand the unique dynamics at play when families travel, from that first real summer vacation when kids are old enough to enjoy it, to the milestone trips that expose older kids and teens to new cultures and experiences," said Backroads Founder and President, Tom Hale.

Backroads continues to innovate and lead in active and adventure travel with even more family trips this summer to hundreds of coveted destinations. Backroads family trips are uniquely designed for distinct youth age ranges, with activities and routes tailored to families with younger kids (aged 4-12), families with teens and older kids (aged 9-19), and families with older teens and 20-somethings (aged 17+).

Offering Biking, Walking & Hiking and Multi-Adventure Tours around the world, Backroads runs family trips to popular summer destinations including national parks like Yosemite, Glacier, Yellowstone, the Tetons, Bryce, Zion and the Grand Canyon in addition to European favorites like the Dalmatian Coast, Iceland and Switzerland. Trips are designed so families can enjoy time together as well as independently, parents can connect with other parents and kids can have fun with new friends of similar ages during kids-only activities that keep them engaged and entertained.

With over 30 years of experience creating and leading trips for families, Backroads is the only company today offering distinct trips designed for families at a particular life stage. By creating trips for kids in specific age groups, Backroads is responding to a growing demand for active family travel, as well as requests from repeat guests who travel with Backroads as their kids grow.

We understand the unique dynamics at play when families travel, from that first real summer vacation when kids are old enough to enjoy it, to the milestone trips that expose older kids and teens to new cultures and experiences, said Backroads Founder and President, Tom Hale. We know that family interests and fitness levels varyand life stages and ages play a key role. We design our trips with this in mind.

Backroads family trips include fun activities and rich cultural experiences tailored to families and kids. On family adventures in Italy, parents can select the biking or hiking route that suits them while kids learn how to make pizza in a hands-on cooking class. In South Africa, Tanzania, or Ecuador's - Galapagos, families can witness incredible wildlife in their natural habitat. Whether camping in a national park, sea kayaking along the Dalmatian Coast, learning to surf in Spains Basque Country or riding horseback in Iceland, on Backroads trips, kids of all ages experience one-of-a-kind adventures.



Best-Selling Family Trips: North America



Utah & Arizona: Bryce, Zion & Grand Canyon Multi-Adventure Tour

Alberta: Canadian Rockies Multi-Adventure Tour  Deluxe Camping also available

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Cinque Terre & Tuscany Walking & Hiking Tour

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For the complete collection of Backroads Family Trips and for more information, visit http://www.backroads.com/award-winning-tours/all-family or call 800-462-2848.



About Backroads

Backroads was founded in 1979 by Tom Hale and has been a leading innovator in active and adventure travel for 40 years. The company hosts thousands of guests each year, 75% of whom are repeat guests or referrals from past guests, in hundreds of locations across the globe. Backroads is a founding member of the Adventure Collection. For more information, please visit backroads.com. Or call 800-462-2848 daily, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Pacific time.
The catastrophic damage caused by the disease of addiction to individuals, families and communities across Ohio can begin to be repaired by the growing presence of evidence-based treatment options.

AppleGate Recovery, a division of BayMark Health Services, announced the opening of two new opioid addiction treatment programs in the Cleveland, Ohio area. AppleGate Elyria and AppleGate Willoughby will offer medication-assisted treatment (MAT) with buprenorphine or Suboxone and in-house counseling. With these opening, AppleGate now operates 12 clinics in 5 states, including 3 locations in Ohio. Additional sites are planned for opening by the end of the year.

The impact of the opioid epidemic in Ohio has been significant. There were 4,854 unintentional overdose deaths reported in 2017 across the state. The increased use of illicit fentanyl, carfentanil and heroin, combined with the misuse of other opioids, are continuing to drive the significant numbers in need of opioid use disorder treatment.

The catastrophic damage caused by the disease of addiction to individuals, families and communities across Ohio can begin to be repaired by the growing presence of evidence-based treatment options, said Dr. Philip Isherwood, National Medical Director for AppleGate Recovery. We have found that with the increasing use of not only heroin, but fentanyl, integrating withdrawal management medications and counseling offers our patients a real opportunity to start meaningful recovery, and return to feeling normal.

AppleGate Recovery medical providers utilize buprenorphine and buprenorphine compounds, also known by the brand names Suboxone Zubsolv, Bunavail to help patients control withdrawal symptoms and cravings for opioids. In addition to proven medication services, AppleGate provides counseling, lab services and case management. Medication-assisted treatment provides these services to address the causes and consequences of addiction while medication addresses the withdrawals and cravings that come with physical addition.

Located at 833 E. Broad Street, Unit 1, Elyria, OH 44035 or 36001 Euclid Avenue, Suite B1, Willoughby, OH 44094, AppleGate Recovery is open 9am-5pm Monday through Thursday and 9am-4pm on Fridays.

For more information or to schedule an appointment call 225.208.2000, or visit: http://www.AppleGateRecovery.com.

About BayMark Health Services:

BayMark Health Services provides medication-assisted treatment to more than 50,000 patients in recovery from substance use disorder across the United States and Ontario, Canada. Our outpatient programs deliver medically supervised treatment, in a variety of modalities and settings, to meet the diverse needs of our patients who struggle with the use of opioids, alcohol and other prescription and illicit substances. The BayMark continuum of patient-focused services includes: highly structured opioid treatment programs utilizing methadone or buprenorphine and outpatient buprenorphine treatment programs, both of which incorporate counseling as part of an individualized treatment plan for opioid use disorder. Additionally, ambulatory withdrawal management services with naltrexone therapy, and inpatient detoxification services are offered for a variety of substance use disorders.


Banks cannot continue to harm the people who they are supposed to serve fairly and transparently. Do no harm must be their highest priority.

On Wednesday, March 27th, the California State Assembly Committee on Banking and Finance, chaired by Assemblymember Monique Limon (D-Santa Barbara), will hold an informational hearing at the State Capitol regarding the current state of the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the actions that California can take to better protect its consumers.

The committee hearing will feature thought leaders and advocates providing input about the state of federal consumer protections and the regulatory options available to provide oversight and enforcement to strengthen these protections. California lawmakers have introduced legislation to fill the gaps left by the federal rollback of protections by Trump Administration appointees. Among the experts providing guidance to the States efforts is the CFPBs first Director under the Obama Administration, Richard Cordray. Mr. Cordrays tenure with the CFPB embodied the principle that Consumers - all of us - deserve to be treated fairly. As the federal government is pulling back in this area, the State of California has the opportunity to lead the way for the rest of the country.

Alongside Mr. Cordray, the Assembly will hear testimony from Beneficial State Bank Co-founder and CEO, Kat Taylor, as well as from consumer advocates Seth Frotman, Executive Director of the Student Borrower Protection Center, Chris Peterson of the Consumer Federation of America, and Suzanne Martindale, Senior Policy Counsel for Consumer Reports. Banks cannot continue to harm the people who they are supposed to serve fairly and transparently. Do no harm must be their highest priority, said Kat Taylor. As the world's fifth largest economy, California has an obligation to ensure that consumers are treated fairly in the face of an increasingly complex financial marketplace.

WHAT: Assembly Committee on Banking and Finance Hearing, titled: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: An Examination of the CFPB under the current Administration and Options for California to Better Protect Consumers

WHEN: Wednesday, March 27, 2019, 1pm-3pm

WHERE: California State Capitol, Room 437; CalChannel:

http://www.calchannel.com/live-webcast/

WHO: Richard Cordray, first Director of the CFPB

Kat Taylor, Co-founder & CEO of Beneficial State Bank

Seth Frotman, Executive Director of the Student Borrower Protection Center

Chris Peterson, Director of Financial Services at the Consumer Federation of America

Suzanne Martindale, Senior Policy Counsel for Consumer Reports

THAT SAME AFTERNOON AT 5:30PM

Taylor, Cordray, and Frotman Will Speak On Panel At Sacramento State University As Part of the

Envisioning California Conference & Speaker Series

Sacramento, Calif. -- On Wednesday, March 27th, Cordray, Taylor, and Frotman will take part in a panel discussion, hosted by the California State Universitys Center for California Studies. This panel will cover how a state-level Consumer Financial Protection Bureau could address payday loans and student loan debt at a time when the average college graduate in California has over $20,000 in debt.

WHAT: Center for California Studies Envisioning California Conference & Speaker Series

WHEN: Wednesday, March 27, 2019, 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.

WHERE: Sacramento State Downtown Campus (304 S Street)

WHO: Richard Cordray, former Director of the CFPB

Kat Taylor, Co-founder & CEO of Beneficial State Bank

Seth Frotman, Executive Director of the Student Borrower Protection Center
The 2019 Asian-American Chamber of Commerce Jewels of Asia Awards Gala is scheduled for Friday, May 3, 2019 from 5:30 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. at the Sheraton in Tysons Corner, VA. This years theme is Creating a Golden Future for Business Success. In honor of AACCs 10th Anniversary, we will be highlighting historical milestones throughout the years and unveiling our vision for the next decade and beyond. The Chamber recognizes businesses, community organizations, and Asian & Pacific American (APA) business leaders who have made outstanding contributions to the Metropolitan Washington, D.C. business community and economy. This gala event is a great opportunity for business leaders and community members to engage and celebrate the contributions made by Asian & Pacific Americans to our vibrant DC Metro region economy.

The Awards Ceremony will recognize individuals, small businesses, corporations, and non-profits who have made a significant contribution to the greater Northern Virginia, Maryland, or District of Columbia communities and the global communities at-large. This years attendance is expected to exceed over 450 attendees due to our 10th Anniversary program that will include a cocktail reception, cultural performances, expanded awards ceremony, silent auction, historical displays, and our next chapter vision showcased. In addition to our attendees and sponsors, the Gala will include special VIP guests, legislative officials, and multimedia personalities that exemplify our diverse community.

Sponsorship opportunities and advertisement spaces are still available for the event program. The online Silent Auction submission is now open on our website for donations to be made and noted in our program book. The annual Jewels of Asia Gala Awards Ceremony is a premier event for those who support the Asian-Pacific business community in our area. AACC welcomes your inquiries and support of this event that allows the contributions of the APA community to be honored and recognized.

AACC is pleased to announce our 2019 Jewels of Asia Award Gala premier level sponsors, whose support helps to make this event possible. This years Top Sponsor List includes: Weris, Bank of America, Capstar Commercial Realty, Mobomo, State Farm, Cathay Pacific Airways Limited, University of North America, Virginia International University, and Washington Gas. We appreciate all our cherished sponsors that help advance our mission and vision for the future.

About Asian-American Chamber of Commerce (AACC)

The mission of AACC is to encourage, facilitate and support the economic growth and sustainability of the greater Washington area community by building bridges and serving as a resource for the Asian-Pacific American business community. AACC achieves this mission through business networking programs, summits, expos, business development workshops, seminars, and other special programs and events. For more information about AACC, please visit: http://www.asian-americanchamber.org. For media requests and questions, contact Dr. Cindy Shao, AACC President, at (703) 752-6292 or event(at)asian-americanchamber(dot)org.

Address

Asian-American Chamber of Commerce

8300 Boone Blvd., Suite 450

Tysons, VA 22182
English French

Marseilles, March 28, 2019

BOURBON awarded a significant integrated logistics contract by SHELL in Bulgaria, in line with its #BOURBONINMOTION strategic plan

Bourbon Marine & Logistics is pleased to announce that it has been awarded by SHELL its first integrated logistics contract for the support of its exploration campaign in Black Sea, Bulgaria, in partnership with Bulgarian operator Bon Marine. The project scope covers the full logistics solution project management, offering for the first time both Marine logistics together with shore logistics: marine services, logistics base, warehousing, port facilities, cargo carrying units, waste management, customs clearance, etc.

Bourbon Marine & Logistics will jointly perform the services with its partner Bon Marine and will operate from Varna (Bulgaria). Working with a strong local partner is fully part of Bourbon Marine & Logistics local content strategy. Two large supply vessels will be dedicated to the project and as well as the latest digital data management tools.

Bourbon Marine & Logistics proposal for an integrated end-to-end solution is in line with SHELL's willingness to pilot a light-footprint strategy in exploration operations with more risk-sharing with its subcontractors.

The drilling operation is scheduled to start early April and should last about 3 to 4 months.

"Providing integrated logistics services for offshore operations, BOURBON will ensure, with its partner Bon Marine, that the entire logistics chain of SHELL exploration campaign is successfully delivered on time, efficiently, while meeting the highest safety standards. We are proud to support SHELL in this new exploration strategy. This contract illustrates the relevance of our #BOURBONINMOTION strategic plan, going a step forward in the creation of new services to accompany our clients' evolving needs" commented Victor Chevallier, Chief Executive Officer of Bourbon Marine & Logistics.

About BOURBON

Among the market leaders in marine services for offshore oil & gas, BOURBON offers the most demanding oil & gas companies a wide range of marine services, both surface and sub-surface, for offshore oil & gas fields and wind farms. These extensive services rely on a broad range of the latest-generation vessels and the expertise of more than 8,400 skilled employees. Through its 29 operating subsidiaries the group provides local services as close as possible to customers and their operations throughout the world, of the highest standards of service and safety.

BOURBON provides three operating activities (Marine & Logistics, Mobility and Subsea Services) and also protects the French coastline for the French Navy.

In 2018, BOURBON'S revenue came to 689.5 million and the company operated a fleet of 483 vessels.

Placed by ICB (Industry Classification Benchmark) in the "Oil Services" sector, BOURBON is listed on the Euronext Paris, Compartment B.

Contacts




This financing will enable Green Tank to capitalize on new opportunities on a global scale." - Corey Koffler, Green Tank Technologies Chief Operating Officer

Green Tank Technologies, (Green Tank or the Company) a leading manufacturer of innovative, high-performance vaporization hardware is pleased to announce the completion of its Series A round of financing. The company, launched in 2016 by brothers Dustin and Corey Koffler, secured the CAD $14 million in funding with continued support from existing investors, including Green Acre Capital, coupled with strong demand from new investors including a cornerstone investment by Newstrike Brands, a leading Canadian licensed producer whose strategic partners include Canadas iconic musicians The Tragically Hip.

The funding comes at a pivotal time for Green Tank, with anticipated revised cannabis regulations coming into effect in late 2019, permitting the legal sale of vapes across Canada. The Company, which experienced annual revenue growth of nearly 300% in 2018, is now working with over 130 brands in the United States and international markets and has signed partnerships with over a dozen licensed producers in Canada including some of the largest in the country. Green Tank also recently announced the launch of a new certified child-resistant vaporizer cartridge, designed exclusively for the cannabis industry. The capital raise will be used to help the Company scale operations, accelerate product innovation, and attract top talent.

According to BDS Analytics, vaping is rapidly becoming the number one cannabis consumption method for recreational and medical use in the United States. In California, vape as a category accounts for roughly 30% of all legal cannabis sales. The appeal of vaporizers, whether it be the discretion they offer, their convenience or the easy entry point they are to new cannabis users, represents a growing trend in the marketplace. Consumer demand, led by vaporizers, is propelling concentrates toward an estimated $8B in retail sales in 2022, outpacing growth in traditional flower sales. Vape sales are expected to hit $6.5B in the same timeframe.

This financing will enable Green Tank to capitalize on new opportunities on a global scale. It will allow us to achieve our innovation goal of producing the highest performing vape technology on the market and to become the premiere B2B solution for our brand partners around the world, said Corey Koffler, Green Tank Technologies Chief Operating Officer.

Our strategic investment in Green Tank underscores our vision of building a premier consumer brand for the adult recreational market, with significant emphasis on the vape category, said Mark E. Burton, Chief Strategy Officer, Newstrike Brands. We expect vape products to be a significant part of our overall revenue profile and we are excited to be working closely with Green Tank to design and deliver highly innovative vaporization hardware specifically designed to work seamlessly with our unique cannabis extracts.

INFOR Financial Inc. acted as financial advisor to Green Tank in respect of the financing.

About Green Tank Technologies

Green Tank Technologies designs, develops and manufactures innovative, high-performance vaporization hardware exclusive to the cannabis industry. The company is committed to providing licensed producers and extractors with state-of-the-art vaporization technology, engineered specifically for each brands extract formulations.
Chicago dog named Shena wins the hearts of thousands after Invisible Fence of Chicagolands Facebook post goes viral. Chicago dog named Shena wins the hearts of thousands after Invisible Fence of Chicagolands Facebook post goes viral.

Chicago dog named Shena wins the hearts of thousands after Invisible Fence of Chicagolands Facebook post goes viral. Despite the entire community rooting for her adoption, Shena is still seeking the perfect family with help from Invisible Fence Brand and Animal House Shelter.

Shenas Story

Shena is a seven-year-old, Boxer/Lab mix, who has been waiting more than a year to be adopted. Despite being victim of animal cruelty, she loves belly rubs, head pats and gives great kisses. She is one of Animal House Shelters favorites.

According to the ASPCA, over 6.5 million pets like Sheena enter animal shelters every year. Even though this number has declined in the last decade, the reality is that only 23% of dogs are adopted from animal shelters and humane societies.

>>> CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SHENA

Invisible Fence Brands Forever Home Initiative

In addition to keeping over three million pets happy and safe at home over the last 45 years with their indoor and outdoor pet solutions, Invisible Fence also supports local shelters and humane societies in their effort to find pets homes. Their initiative started on their 45th Anniversary, where local-authorized dealerships across the U.S. and Canada sponsored Adoption Events in their communities.

We saw the positive impact that animal shelters have on our communities and their dedication to helping pets, said Ed Hoyt, Director of Invisible Fence Brand. That is a passion we align on and feel we can make a positive difference helping pets find and stay in their forever homes.

To expand on their efforts, Invisible Fence uses their Facebook following as a platform to share pets, like Sheena, who are waiting to be adopted.

Animal House Shelters Adoption Efforts

Animal House Shelter is a non-profit, no-kill shelter dedicated to protecting animals and building connections between pets and people through advocacy and education. With the help of thousands of volunteers and foster homes, Animal House Shelter has adopted over 47,000 pets with goals to continue serving even more animals in 2019.

--- Read More ---

Animal House Shelter prides ourselves in bringing in the animals that other shelters pass over for various reasons, said Kylie Moran of Animal House Shelter. We believe that every animal deserves a chance at a loving home, regardless of medical ailments or breed.

For more information or questions about pet adoption through Animal House Shelter, call (847) 961-5541 or visit Animalhouseshelter.com. For additional information or questions about Invisible Fence, call (800) 578-3647 or visit InvisibleFence.com.

About Invisible Fence Brand

Invisible Fence pioneered the pet containment industry in 1973, making it their mission to provide safe boundaries inside and outside of the home. The Radio Systems Corporation owned company predominantly sells pet containment, avoidance and access solutions across the U.S. and Canada. In addition to offering award-winning products like Boundary Plus Technology, Authorized Dealers provide professional installation, Perfect Start Plus Training and integrated solutions that have protected more than three million pets to date. Invisible Fence also founded the Project Breathe Program in 2006, donating more than 25,000 pet oxygen masks to fire departments and first responders. For more information on Invisible Fence or to find a local dealer, visit InvisibleFence.com or follow the company on Facebook.
Mike Manesiotis, The Citadel Graduate College MBA candidate As the Baker School of Business continues earning recognition as one of the best, there are even more reasons to choose The Citadel MBA program.

The Citadel Graduate Colleges online and part-time master of business administration (MBA) programs are now both in the top 100 programs in the nation. U.S. News & World Report recently named the Tommy and Victoria Baker School of Business 89th in the nation for part-time MBA programs. In January, the U.S. News & World Report rankings put The Citadels program in the number one position in South Carolina out of all of the states institutions offering online MBAs.

The college began offering a fully online MBA program in 2016, and has risen rapidly to be considered one of the best part-time and online programs in the country.

It is a testament to the hard work and the persistence of the faculty and staff at The Citadel, said Mike Manesiotis, Citadel MBA student, BenefitFocus employee and vice president of The Citadel MBA Association. Im pursuing a Citadel MBA to advance my career goals, and Ive had a great experience. As the Baker School of Business continues earning recognition as one of the best, there are even more reasons to choose The Citadel MBA program.

Manesitois is one of almost 250 MBA students in The Citadels two program options.

The Citadels MBA program has educated busy professionals on campus to contribute to Charlestons booming economy for decades. These new rankings are especially meaningful because the program has only been offered 100 percent online since 2016, said Michael R. Weeks, Ph.D., dean for The Tommy and Victoria School of Business at The Citadel. We now have military service members and MBA candidates studying around the country and the world. Theyve chosen The Citadel because the college is internationally recognized for developing excellent leaders who thrive in their chosen fields.

Some of the advantages of an MBA from The Citadel include developing essential management and leadership skills that are immediately applicable for students who are working professionals. Additionally, the same expert faculty members who teach on campus teach the online student.

The annual U.S. News & World Report rankings are based on a combination of average peer assessment score, average GMAT and GRE scores of entering students, average GPA of part-time students, the part time students number of years of work experience, and the ratio of full-time to part-time students. For an online program, the methodology is based on a combination of engagement, expert opinion, student excellence, faculty credentials and training, and services and technologies.

About The Citadel

The Citadel, with its iconic campus located in Charleston, South Carolina, offers a classic military college education for young men and women focused on leadership excellence and academic distinction. The approximately 2,400 members of the S.C. Corps of Cadets are not required to serve in the military, but about one-third of each class earn commissions to become officers in every branch of U.S. military service. Citadel alumni have served the nation, their states and their communities as principled leaders since 1842. The Citadel Graduate College, founded 50 years ago, offers 25 graduate degree programs with 22 concentration options, 25 graduate certificate programs and 10 evening undergraduate programs in the evening or online. Named Best Public College in the South by U.S. News & World Report for eight consecutive years and No. 1 Best Public College for Veterans in the South. Learn more about Our Mighty Citadel here.
LaSonya is a passionate advocate for our logistics customers. She believes in actively engaging with companies, proactively listening to their voice, and utilizing predictive analytics to confront issues before they become problems.

Crowley Logistics has named LaSonya Hill, vice president, customer care, to further optimize the customer experience for those utilizing the companys integrated supply chain solutions.

Hill, previously director of customer care, will continue to be based at the company headquarters in Jacksonville, Fla., and will report to Frank Larkin, senior vice president, commercial services.

LaSonya is a passionate advocate for our logistics customers, said Larkin. She believes in actively engaging with companies, proactively listening to their voice, and utilizing predictive analytics to confront issues before they become problems.

Hill worked for Crowley in 1994 as a part-time student before joining the company permanently in 1997 as a documentation coordinator. She has progressed through a variety of roles of increasing responsibility within the logistics freight services group, including those in quality assurance and customer care. Hill has managed Crowleys main call center and rate quote group and has overseen booking and documentation functions for the companys Cuba and U.S. military services. As customer service supervisor, she played an integral part in organizing and managing Crowleys logistics efforts supporting the transportation of humanitarian cargo, materials and supplies following the Haiti earthquake in 2010.

In 2012, she was named manager of customer care, and given oversight for the companys key apparel customer shipments. She was promoted to Caribbean service manager in 2013 and director of customer care in 2015, the position she held until her current promotion.

While working full-time at Crowley, she earned a masters degree in business administration and a bachelors degree in business management from the University of Phoenix. Hill has also served Crowley as a member of its charitable outreach committee, a champion for its high-performance culture training and a mentor.

She fills the role previously held by Kyra Roca, who has transitioned to vice president, freight services for logistics.

About Crowley

Jacksonville-based Crowley Holdings Inc., a holding company of the 127-year-old Crowley Maritime Corporation, is a privately held family and employee-owned company that provides marine solutions, energy and logistics services in domestic and international markets. Crowley operates under four business units: Crowley Logistics, a singular ocean liner and logistics supply chain division; Crowley Shipping, which encompasses ownership, operations and management of conventional and dual fuel (LNG) vessels, including tankers, container ships, multipurpose, tugboats and barges; Crowley Fuels, a fuel transportation, distribution and sales division that also provides liquefied natural gas (LNG) and related services; and Crowley Solutions, which focuses on government services, including vessel management for government agencies, as well as engineering, project management, naval architecture through its subsidiary Jensen Maritime, and marine salvage and emergency response through its 50 percent ownership in Ardent Global. Additional information about Crowley, its subsidiaries and business units may be found at http://www.crowley.com.
adoba hotels announced today that the company recently completed renovations at all three properties in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The hotels are in Gladstone, Sault Ste. Marie and Naubinway, Michigan. All three hotels are located in prime areas of the Upper Peninsula near many great attractions such as Pictured Rocks, Tahquamenon Falls, Little Bay De Noc and Kitch-iti-kipi. adoba Lockview location is located in Historic Downtown Sault St. Marie district across the street from the amazing Soo Locks.

The comprehensive renovations entailed a remodel of the hotels guest rooms, breakfast areas, lobbies and exteriors including all new case goods, floor and wall coverings, as well as a bathroom remodels using sustainable products. adoba uses eco-friendly products to include recycled carpet and flooring and also their luxury adoba bedding. The adoba brand has partnered with Clare bedding to havethe luxury adoba branded beds hand crafted in Escanaba, Michigan with recycled products such as wool, water based foam, wood from Wisconsin and recycled steel. All materials are manufactured in the United States. adoba is a green hotel brand in all their operational practices, construction processes and energy.

We are thrilled with the growth of all 3 hotels in Michigan and the enhancements made to all the hotels. The re-branding along with the renovations should help to solidify the adoba brand position as one of the preeminent green hotel brand clusters in the Upper Peninsula. The renovations and repositioning were designed to meet the needs of todays family travelers while paying respect to the communitys rich history, stunning location and the unique culture of the Upper Peninsula.

The green hotels have a new cozy look and they will continue to provide a first-class service experience. Our core belief is the Upper Peninsula of Michigan is a very special destination that should be enjoyed by people from all over the world. These travelers need excellent accommodations in order to enjoy the experience. We look forward to exceeding each and every guests expectations each and every stay with adoba hotels.

jrh@adobahotels.com

(906) 286-3414
Innovative Construction Technology (ICT), a Saas company delivering innovative and empowering solutions for construction, announced its participation in the upcoming Association of General Contractors (AGC) Equipment, Technology & Construction Solutions Expo being held in Denver, CO on April 1st through 3rd, 2019.

Held in conjunction with the AGC Annual Convention, ICT will join more than 150 exhibitors and 2,500 attendees from across the construction industry. The Expo and all the AGC Convention activities will take place in the Mile High Ballroom at the Colorado Convention Center located in downtown Denver.

The AGC Equipment, Technology & Construction Solutions Expo attracts business decision makers from leading general and specialty contractor firms across the United States. From small- and medium-sized business owners to execs with ENR Top 400 firms to the next-gen construction industry leaders.

ICT will be on hand to present its flagship product, ICT Tracker. ICT Tracker is an easy-to-use mobile construction installation and productivity tracking software utilizing Augmented Reality or 3D Model View for data capture with existing project models. ICT Tracker enables construction teams to benchmark field installation status and productivity rates with real-time data. ICT Tracker delivers innovative and empowering solutions to streamline work processes and enable technology for construction.

Stop by to see a demonstration of ICT Tracker at booth #605 during the show. For more information on AGC 2019, visit their website https://convention.agc.org/

To learn more about ICT Tracker or view a quick video, visit https://www.icttracker.com

About Innovative Construction Technology

Innovative Construction Technology (ICT) is a Saas company that delivers innovative and empowering products to easily solve problems and transform the use of technology in the construction industry. ICT is built on knowledge through experience and the desire to foster authentic and genuine relationships by sharing the outcome in partnership with our customers. https://www.icttracker.com
Luke Williams This is an opportunity for our students to build on what they have already learned at the college and go out and make an impact in our world.

Disruptive innovation expert Luke Williams will be the keynote speaker at Salt Lake Community Colleges 2019 Commencement, scheduled for 9:30 a.m., May 3, at the Maverik Center in West Valley City.

Williams is a leading global expert in disruptive innovation. As a consultant, educator and speaker, he has worked internationally with industry leaders such as American Express, GE, Sony, Crocs, Virgin, Disney and Hewlett-Packard to develop new products, services and brands. He is also the author of Disrupt: Think the Unthinkable to Spark Transformation in Your Business. Williams is an inventor and holds more than 30 patents and has designed over 100 products.

He is executive director of the W.R. Berkley Innovation Lab and Clinical Associate Professor of Marketing and Entrepreneurship at the New York University Stern School of Business. He was previously an adjunct professor and is also a fellow at frog design, a global design firm founded in 1969.

An in-demand speaker worldwide, in 2013 Williams addressed the United Nations General Assembly, where he spoke about the future of entrepreneurship, as well as the World Innovation Forum in New York and the World Business Forum in Milan. He has also been featured in many prestigious news outlets, including Bloomberg Businessweek, Fast Company and National Public Radio.

We are looking forward to hearing what Luke Williams has to say about the world of work, business and industry, said Dr. Deneece G. Huftalin, president of SLCC. This is an opportunity for our students to build on what they have already learned at the college and go out and make an impact in our world.

Salt Lake Community College is Utahs largest two-year higher education institution. The college is Utahs leading provider of workforce development programs and the largest supplier of transfer students to the states four-year institutions. SLCC is also a top 10 college nationally for total associates degrees awarded and the leading provider of applied technology courses in the Salt Lake area.
Being honored as a top global franchise is truly a testament to the great work of our franchise owners, their employees and our support center staff, said Interim HealthCare Inc. President and CEO, Jennifer Sheets.

Interim HealthCare Inc., a leading national franchisor of home care, hospice and healthcare staffing, is ranked first among all home care franchises and 24th overall on Franchise Directs Top 100 Global Franchises 2019 list. The Top 100 Global Franchises recognizes top performing franchises for system size, franchise longevity, year-to-year growth and support methods for franchisees. All honorees share the same keys to success  a well-defined business identity, a commitment to training and support and an ability to innovate.

Being honored as a top global franchise is truly a testament to the great work of our franchise owners, their employees and our support center staff, who have worked hard every day to provide compassionate care in the communities they serve for over 50 years, said Interim HealthCare Inc. President and CEO, Jennifer Sheets. As a company rooted in operational and service excellence, we will continue to capitalize on our unique strengths to redefine homecare from a service that facilitates life at home to a service that enriches life at home for our patients and their loved ones.

With its legendary brand built on over 50 years of home care, hospice and staffing expertise, Interim has a deep understanding of todays regulatory environment and complexities of building franchise operations. For more details about the companys franchisee opportunities, visit http://www.interimfranchising.com or watch what other franchisees have to say here.

To view Franchise Directs Top 100 Global Franchises 2019 list, visit: https://www.franchisedirect.com/top100globalfranchises/rankings.

About Interim HealthCare Inc.

Interim HealthCare Inc., founded in 1966, is a leading national franchisor of home care, hospice and healthcare staffing. It is part of Caring Brands International, which also includes UK-based Bluebird Care and Australia-based Just Better Care, both well-known franchise brands in their countries. With more than 530 franchise locations in seven countries, Caring Brands International is a global healthcare leader.

Interim HealthCare in the United States is unique in combining the commitment of local ownership with the support of a national organization that develops innovative programs and quality standards that improve the delivery of service. Franchisees employ nurses, therapists, aides, companions and other healthcare professionals who provide 25 million hours of home care service to 190,000 people each year, meeting a variety of home health, senior care, hospice, palliative care, pediatric care and healthcare staffing needs. For more information or to locate an Interim HealthCare office, visit http://www.interimhealthcare.com.
We are fortunate to have inherited an enthusiastic staff committed to putting customer needs first, said Wesley Ellis, Vice President of Jim Ellis Toyota of McDonough.

Atlantas largest family-owned automotive group recently welcomed Toyota of McDonough, renamed Jim Ellis Toyota of McDonough, to the organizations family of dealerships. Jim Ellis Toyota of McDonough is now the 18th dealership to fall under the tutelage of the Jim Ellis brand, and is located at 144 Highway 81 West, McDonough, GA 30253, just off exit 218 on Interstate 75. The acquisition also marks the first Jim Ellis location operating in Southeast Atlanta.

It has been our pleasure to provide great car buying experiences in metro Atlanta for more than 48 years, and we are excited to expand our reach to serve customers in McDonough and the surrounding areas, said Jimmy Ellis, Jim Ellis Automotive Group President. We are equally delighted to add the Toyota brand to our retail portfolio and are eager to foster a long-lasting relationship for many years to come.

Jim Ellis Toyota of McDonough is a 57,000 sq. ft facility with customer-focused amenities including a newly remodeled customer lounge, complimentary Wi-Fi, and shuttle service. From sales to service, existing and new customers can expect the best from a knowledgeable sales team and qualified technicians. Experienced staff in the Parts Department will continue to serve the need of customers seeking assistance in navigating the vast inventory of high quality OEM parts.

We are fortunate to have inherited an enthusiastic staff committed to putting customer needs first, said Wesley Ellis, Vice President of Jim Ellis Toyota of McDonough. Jim Ellis customers have become accustomed to a high level of excellence, and our team at Toyota continues to rise to the challenge of stellar service to our valued customers.

About Jim Ellis Automotive Group

Jim Ellis Automotive Group has been serving the Atlanta area since 1971, starting with Volkswagen as the flagship brand. The group has since expanded to 14 brands and 18 dealerships conveniently located in Atlanta, Buford, Kennesaw, Marietta and McDonough. The family-owned automotive group puts a strong focus on striving to deliver an exceptional customer experience and a vehicle buying and servicing process that caters to the client. Visit us online at http://www.jimellis.com
The Lamborghini Huracan was just one of the models that were available at the event for participants to ride in. The event allowed participants to take real supercars and other sport models including Lamborghini and more out on the Circuit of the Americas.

On the third weekend in March, Lamborghini Austin partnered with the Center for Child Protection in Austin to put on the 6th annual Ride.Drive.Give event. The event allowed participants to take real supercars and other sport models including Lamborghini and more out on the Circuit of the Americas. All proceeds went to the Center for Child Protection.

The Center for Child protection is a child-advocacy organization with a child-friendly center in Travis County. With its center, it can facilitate with child counseling, medical exams, intervention, and forensic interviews. It focuses on children who have been the victim of abuse or violence or who have witnessed abuse or violence.

In addition to the Ride.Drive.Give event, Lamborghini Austin has also pledged its support to the cause through the Guardian Angel program at the Center for Child Protection. The Guardian Angel program represents a substantial annually-recurring pledge. Its recurring pledges like these that provide the Center for Child Protection the stability it needs to make long-term plans for its future and for the future of child safety and support in the Austin area.

The Guardian Angel program and the Ride.Drive.Give event are just two examples of the ways that Lamborghini Austin helps support the Austin community. The dealership remains committed to making Austin and the greater Travis County area a better place to live, work and raise a family.

Local philanthropists interested in supporting the Center for Child Protection are encouraged to visit the organization online to see how they can help. Enthusiasts looking for more information about the Lamborghini brand or Travis County residents looking to learn more about the philanthropic activities of Lamborghini Austin can visit the dealership online at http://www.lambroghiniasutin.com. The dealership can also be reached by phone at 512-953-0000 or in person at 4108 North Lamar Blvd.
in millions of euros (except for figures per share)



2018 2017 Revenue 1,0 1,4 Operating expenses (3,2 ) (3,9 ) Net operating result (excluding impairment correction) (2,2 ) (2,6 ) Net profit (loss) (3,1 ) (2,8 ) Net profit (loss) (excluding impairment correction) (1,6 ) (1,9 ) Cash position 2,2 4,1 Basic earnings per share (0,84 ) (0,76 )

Capelle aan den IJssel, the Netherlands - March 28, 2018 - AND International Publishers NV has realized a revenue of  1,0 million (2017:  1,4 million). Net operating result, excluding impairment resulted in  (1,6) million (2017:  (1,9) million). Earnings per share came in at  (0.84) compared with  (0.76) in 2017.

AND Chief Executive Officer Thierry Jaccoud: "2018 proved to be a transformative year for AND. Initiated in 2017, the heart of our transformation is building a new and more consistent revenue stream in the automotive and other innovative verticals. Mapping the real world is more relevant than ever. Highly accurate, rich maps are not only needed for autonomous car, but also for smart cities, IOT technology and new GIS applications. Our objective is to keep strengthening our role in this new mapping arena by investing in advanced technology, such as machine learning, for MapFusion. The economic conditions in Europe in the coming years are uncertain but we do see (as mentioned above) an increasing demand for new, highly customised maps. We will keep investing in technology and our map and continue to expand our reach to new markets."

Course of events 2018

In February AND reached an agreement to license location and boundary data to Mapbox, a company currently revolutionising mapping and location services for the consumer, enterprise and automotive markets. It provides cloud-based services which enable developers to add location features such as maps, search and navigation to any digital experience. With over a million registered developers, Mapbox reaches in excess of 300 million people every month around the world.

By May, we announced a contract with the Dutch government to provide MapFusion for enabling autonomous driving. By collecting information through the on-board sensors in Brabant roadside inspector vehicles, MapFusion can automatically keep map and location data up-to-date.

This led to a collaboration with Talking Maps, a pilot project with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, the province of Noord-Brabant and V-Tron. AND ensures that data collected by smart cameras in roadside inspector vehicles automatically improves, updates and enriches map and location data via MapFusion. The pilot is focusing on adding and updating road markings and traffic signs in HD maps along the Maasvlakte-Venlo corridor, a distance of around 200 km. The next phase will be finalised based on the results of the pilot.

HD Maps provide a very precise model of the road network which enables self-driving cars to determine their exact location and accurately manoeuvre. This is critical to advanced driving applications, co-operative and autonomous driving. As the project develops, other road authorities are expected to join which will expand the number of vehicles collecting data.

At the beginning of June, we confirmed that map update activities will be concentrated in the Netherlands, with a focus on digital technology. Consequently, our facilities in India, which primarily dealt with manual updates, have been closed. This will bring considerable cost savings. By the end of 2018, all operations in India had stopped with AND India ceasing to trade.

November brought the news that Hugo van der Linde would be leaving the company. Having joined AND over 12 years ago, Hugo had been CEO for the last seven and his resignation became official on 1st March 2019. The Supervisory Board formally appointed Thierry Jaccoud as the new CEO of AND International Publishers NV on 12th December 2018.

Thierry Jaccoud joined AND from TI Automotive, where he successfully managed a turnaround as Commercial Director Europe and Managing Director of TI Automotive (Heidelberg) GmbH. Notably, Thierry spent nine years at NAVTEQ (currently known as HERE) where he held several commercial and general management positions.

Also, in November, AND reached an agreement with LocationSmart Compliance Service. LocationSmart is the worlds largest Location-as-a-Service (LaaS) company and the inclusion of AND global maps bolsters its compliance services for international use in applications such as in gaming, lotteries, ecommerce and financial services.

LocationSmart chose ANDs Digital World Map Shoreline and International Administrative Boundaries to use in its compliance APIs. The company has expanded its Smart Zone API which allows businesses to confirm whether a device is located within or outside of a given boundary. This API now includes compliance checks against global country boundaries along with other pre-configured and customer specific boundary options.

In addition, AND announced in November joining the ESRI Partner Network where it will offer Content via ESRIs ArcGIS Marketplace. We will also offer our ZIP+4 Code Boundaries (part of AND proprietary digital maps) to existing and new ESRI end users.

ESRI is the global market leader in geographic information system (GIS) software with its own products deployed in over 350,000 organisations. The ESRI Partner Network is a global community sharing common visions, interests, and goals - and applying The Science of Where to help customers gain efficiencies and make smart decisions. All the Partners adhere to geospatial industry best practices and employ innovative business strategies to deliver market leading geospatial solutions and services based on ESRI technology.

The AND ZIP+4 Code Boundaries features unique ZIP+4 codes in the United States. Each of the Code Boundaries typically covers a delivery area - such as a city block, office building and any location or unit receiving high volumes of mail. They are created by integrating different data layers into a proprietary algorithm based on years of experience in map making.

Finally, in December AND announced a strategic agreement with a European automotive OEM subsidiary to create HD Maps from car sensor data for autonomous driving using MapFusion. This contract will contribute substantially to the further development of MapFusion and the creation of unprecedented rich, accurate and affordable HD Maps.

Financial position

Revenue and costs

Revenue decreased from 1,375,000 to 1,005,000.

Costs for maps and data amounted to 26,000 (2017: 79,000). These costs are related to geographical data for the maintenance of the database.

Personnel expenses decreased in 2018 by 11% to 2,161,000 (2017: 2,422,000).

Total investments in maps in 2018 was  554,000 (2017  408,000) The amortisation of intangible fixed assets decreased from 872,000 in 2017 to 824,000 in 2018.

At balance date, an impairment test was executed, resulting in an impairment loss of 1,553,000. This outcome is the result of lowering ANDs forecasted future results generated by its current database. These forecasts have been adjusted following the disappointing results in 2018.

Other operating expenses decreased to 673,000 in 2018 (2017: 910,000).

Cash flow

The net cash flow from operating activities in 2018 amounted to  (1,329,000) compared to

 (1,821,000) in 2017. The cash flow from investing activities amounted to  (554,000) (2017:

 (421,000)). The cash flow from financing activities amounted to  (37,000) (2017:  (589,000)).

Taxation

Taxes for 2018 amounted to  (564.000) (2017:  963,000).

Financial position

Total assets decreased by 3,387,000 in 2018 to 14,625,000. The solvency ratio remains almost steady, amounting to 93% of the balance sheet total at the end of 2018 (2017: 94%).

As of 31 December 2018, AND held 2,194,000 in cash and cash equivalents (2017: 4,114,000).

Investments

The total investment in intangible assets amounted to 554,000 in 2018 (2017: 408,000). There was no investment in property, plant and equipment in 2018 (2017: 13,000).

Dividend

Given the results for 2018, AND proposes not paying dividends to shareholders.

Market developments

The availability of free of charge, community-based maps and location services has resulted in a huge increase in businesses applying location to processes and products. The underlying map is now more frequently customised in order to optimise the processes and leverage big data.

We see more mapping companies entering new vertical markets which indicates the strategic importance of maps is greater than ever. There is also a growing demand for cloud-based location services; more frequent map updates; and customised products; plus an increasing readiness from customers to pay for map related services rather than just map licences. AND has the solutions to meet these needs and can offer flexible data layers and formats as well as new business models.

In the automotive market, we envisage a rapidly accelerating requirement for highly customised location data to support the autonomous car and connected car. Developments surrounding autonomous cars can only strengthen the strategic importance of worldwide maps in this sector. AND continues to participate in various pilots and initiatives including promoting MapFusion at the Paris Motor Show and other trade events. MapFusion technologies mean we can offer automotive players effective tools for smart mobility solutions - such as HD maps for advanced assisted and autonomous driving. We offer a business model which enables data from car sensors and other sources to monetised.

Although the need for digital worldwide mapping and location services continues to grow, there is still a limited number of suppliers providing global coverage  AND is one of few mapping companies owning worldwide proprietary maps including detailed and premium maps of the main markets of Europe and North America. We will continue to invest in innovation and technology to expand content and improve quality and freshness.

Strategy

AND is the only independent player in the global map market offering digital mapping for location-based services. This creates good opportunities and AND will accordingly be improving and expanding its existing map seven more effectively. AND will also be focusing on increasing the added value which it offers by providing its maps and data as customised services.

Outlook for 2019

The economic conditions in Europe in the coming years are uncertain but we do see (as mentioned above) an increasing demand for new, highly customised maps for automotive, Smart City, IOT and GIS applications. Due to the nature of these new technologies, the volume of business will depend on market adoption. We will keep investing in technology and our map and continue to expand our reach to new markets. As such we expect 2019 to be a continuation of the transformation period initiated in 2017. However, following more success in the automotive sector in 2018, AND aims to further develop its innovative technology solutions in order to grow this revenue stream. We are positive there will be new opportunities within the current, fast changing, technology and market developments. AND does not provide a financial outlook for 2019.

Risks

For details of the various risks affecting AND International Publishers NV and its subsidiaries, reference is made to the companys 2017 annual report. An updated assessment will be included in the 2018 annual report.

The General Meeting of Shareholders will be held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands on 16 May 2019. Detailed analysis of the results can be found in the 2018 annual report. The annual report will be published on the website www.and.com during the course of the day on April 4th, and thus meeting the statutory period for publishing the accounts applicable to AND.

Rotterdam, 28 March 2019

Management Board

Thierry Jaccoud, CEO

2019 Financial Calendar 28 March Publication of 2018 results 16 May General meeting of shareholders 12 September Publication of half-year results

---------------

Editorial note, not for publication. For further information, please contact Thierry Jaccoud, tel 0031-10 8851200, or visit www.and.com.

De in dit persbericht opgenomen jaarcijfers over 2018 zijn ontleend aan de conceptversie van het rapport inzake de jaarrekening 2018. Er is nog geen controleverklaring afgegeven door de externe accountant. De definitieve versie van dit rapport komt beschikbaar op 4 april 2019.

Dit persbericht bevat voorkennis (insider information) in de zin van Artikel 7(1) van de EU-richtlijn betreffende marktmisbruik.

This press release contains inside information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation.

Attachment
Louis Tabor, a Vietnam veteran who attended Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania has completed his book Spread Your Wings: an entertaining coming-of-age tale inspired by the authors own adolescence set in 1950s Baltimore, Maryland.

Tabor writes, The inner city of Baltimore was not what I had pictured in my dreams. The streets were filled with hoodlums, with violence, and they were filthy. Who kneweven murders might have been committed on Washington Street. This was not the place for a kid from the suburbs who loved playing Cowboys and Indians. As my dad called, I knew we were here for good in our new old row house.

Thus begins the new novel from Louis Tabor, a story inspired by his own childhood in the inner streets of Baltimore. The narrator is a young boy names Fuzzy Duncan, age twelve, who has to move to the inner city with his parents and brothers for economic reasons. The city is nothing like the neighborhood the Duncans had moved from. The boys will have to adjust, and quickly, to survive. As the weeks pass, Fuzzy sees, hears, and does things no twelve-year-old could possibly be prepared for and finds himself and his personality changing. Whether it is learning about city life from the shoeshine boy, picking peaches with the snakes, swimming naked with the girls, or talking trash to prisoners, Fuzzy Duncan will produce a happy grin.

Readers who wish to experience this engaging work can purchase Spread Your Wings at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708.

About Page Publishing:

Page Publishing is a traditional New York-based, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create - not overwhelmed with logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and the like. Its roster of accomplished authors and publishing professionals allows writers to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues to focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com.
The office was nice before, but now it is truly a place that any man can walk into and feel good about their decision. The new hardwood floors in the waiting area really open up the space and allow you to relax before your appointment.

The Louisville Mens Just Completed a State of the Art Renovation

News Provided By:

The Louisville Mens Clinic

Mar 28, 2019, 9:00 am EST

The Louisville Mens Clinic is excited to announce the completion of our state of the art office transformation. With a new look, feel, and atmosphere Louisville Mens Clinic is excited to continue helping countless men across the Louisville and Lexington Kentucky area achieve the success from their PE (Premature Ejaculation), ED (Erectile Dysfunction), LowT (Low Testosterone), and Peyronies Disease issues.

After five years of treating patients, the Louisville Mens Clinic decided it was time to fully renovate its offices for a superior patient experience. The renovation was complete with updated patient examination rooms, including treatment rooms dedicated to the PulseED therapy, a more comfortable and welcoming waiting area, televisions in every patient room, and a state of the art medical laboratory . The office was nice before, but now it is truly a place that any man can walk into and feel good about their decision. The new hardwood floors in the waiting area really open up the space, and allow you to relax before your appointment. We also feature a Keurig coffee machine that is available to all of our clients free of charge. Sit down, enjoy a cup of coffee while you watch your favorite program on the flatscreen television. All the while knowing that you are in the right place to get the help you need.

Our welcoming and professional staff will help you identify the issues that may be plaguing your sex life, and help you understand the various treatment options you have available to you. If you are suffering from PE, ED, Low T, or Peyronie's Disease, there is only one place you should go. The Louisville Mens Clinic is the premier mens sexual health clinic in the Louisville, Lexington, and Cincinnati areas. Call the Louisville Mens Clinic today at 502.444.4000 to schedule your appointment, or visit their website at LouisvilleMensClinic.com.
Swirl: Miami host committee members As the national Wine Sponsor of the Swirl series, we are incredibly inspired by the series tremendous success and the impact our partnership has on the lymphoma community.

The Lymphoma Research Foundation (LRF)  the nations largest non-profit organization devoted exclusively to funding innovative lymphoma research and serving the lymphoma community through a comprehensive series of education programs, outreach initiatives and patient services  hosted the sixth annual Swirl: A Wine Tasting Event series in Miami Beach on March 19. Returning to the La Gorce Country Club, the event raised more than $85,000 in support of the Lymphoma Research Foundation and its mission.

Representatives from National Wine Sponsor Southern Glazers Wine & Spirits (SGWS) were on hand to present attendees with a selection of award-winning wines that featured Hot Wine Trends of 2019, highlighting emerging wine trends from lesser known countries and appellations. More than 150 guests attended the evenings unique wine tasting and silent auction, bringing the total amount of funds raised since the inception of Swirl: Miami to more than $365,000.

Due to the success of Swirl: Miami, the Foundation is one step closer to achieving $1 million raised through the Swirl: A Wine Tasting Event series. To celebrate the upcoming milestone achievement and to honor national Wine Sponsor Southern Glazers Wine & Spirits partnership and commitment to LRFs mission, the Foundation will present their coveted philanthropic Hope Award to SGWS at Swirl: Chicago on May 30. LRF Board member, steadfast supporter of the Foundations Swirl series and Executive Vice President of Commercial Operations at Southern Glazers Wine & Spirits Kevin Fennessey will be in attendance to accept the award.

As the national Wine Sponsor of the Swirl series, we are incredibly inspired by the series tremendous success and the impact our partnership has on the lymphoma community, said Kevin Fennessey, Executive Vice President of Commercial Operations at Southern Glazers Wine & Spirits. We look forward to our continued partnership and expanding to more wonderful philanthropic communities to further our support of LRF and all those impacted by a lymphoma diagnosis.

We are truly grateful for Southern Glazers Wine & Spirits support of the Swirl: A Wine Tasting Event series, said Meghan Gutierrez, LRF Chief Executive Officer. Due to their extraordinary generosity and their commitment to LRFs mission, we were able to not only raise nearly $1 million; but, bring together philanthropic communities around the country to make an impact on lymphoma research and the lives of people impacted by this blood cancer. We are honored to show our gratitude to SGWS by presenting them with the Hope Award.

National Swirl series sponsors include Wine Sponsor Southern Glazers Wine & Spirits; Presenting Sponsor Genentech; Platinum Sponsor Kite Pharma, a Gilead Company; and Gold Sponsors AbbVie, and Verastem Oncology.

Nina and Walter Andrews, Debbie and Kevin Fennessey, Barbara and Jerry Freundlich, Midge and Mark Halpern, Leigh and Cory Olson, and Florence and Robert Werner served as the evenings Host Committee. Leigh and Cory Olson are also the Premier Sponsor for Swirl: Miami.

For more information about Swirl: Miami, visit lymphoma.org/SwirlMiami.

About the Lymphoma Research Foundation

The Lymphoma Research Foundation (LRF) is the nations largest non-profit organization devoted to funding innovative research and serving the lymphoma community through a comprehensive series of education programs, outreach initiatives and patient services. To date, LRF has awarded more than $62 million in lymphoma-specific research. For additional information on LRFs research, education and services, visit lymphoma.org.
MPC We first established a relationship with the Childrens Home in Belize in 2013 and weve been delighted to pay visits to the orphanage and help the children living there ever since.

A team from MaidPro Cares is back home after completing its fifth mission trip to visit children at the Liberty Childrens Home in Ladyville, Belize.

MaidPro Cares is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that strives to make a difference for orphaned and high-risk children living in underfunded childrens homes around the world.

Helping children in need is very rewarding for all of us at MaidPro, said Richard Sparacio, president. We first established a relationship with the Childrens Home in Belize in 2013 and weve been delighted to pay visits to the orphanage and help the children living there ever since.

Like all the childrens homes we serve, we work directly with the first line caregivers in Belize to assist with both immediate and long-term needs, he said.

The MaidPro Cares team not only delivers valuable supplies such as clothing, fresh food, and medicine with each visit, but also provides technology to aid in the childrens education and funding to improve the overall conditions for the children at the home. Nearly 100% of MaidPro Cares funding goes directly to improving the quality of life of the children.

In Belize, the team from MaidPro Cares spends time interacting with both the staff and children to create connections that ensure the children thrive well into the future.

To learn more about our mission trips, the childrens homes we support, or to donate, please visit maidprocares.org.

ABOUT MAIDPRO

MaidPro is a Boston-based franchisor of house cleaning services with over 275 locations in 38 states, the District of Columbia, and Canada. The company, which began franchising in 1997, takes pride in its strong owner community, cutting-edge technology, and creative marketing. It has been honored with the Franchise Business Reviews Four-Star Rating and Franchise 50 awards every year from 2006 to 2019 for owner satisfaction. Forbes has named MaidPro a Top Franchise to Own in 2015, 2016, 2018. MaidPro was named one of the Top 50 Franchises for Minorities by USA Todays Franchising Today. MaidPro is also a proud member of the International Franchise Association, Canadian Franchise Association, and the New England Franchise Association. The company can be found online at http://www.maidprofranchise.com.


Ephesian Security helps customers put on the armor of physical and cyber security said Joseph Powell, Director of Compliance.

This week Maritime Defense Strategy, LLC (MDS) announced the launch of a new security-focused subsidiary; Ephesian Security. The new business unit will feature solutions for both physical and cybersecurity solutions, improving what is often a fragmented approach for MDS customers and other maritime-oriented organizations facing increased threats.

The catalyst for Ephesian Security was existing Maritime Defense Strategy LLC customers, and the maritime industry explains Mark Perry, Director of Sales & Marketing, Maritime Defense Strategy LLC customers were challenged to mount effective physical and cybersecurity programs. They invited us to partner with them to better train and equip their resources, who are often hired from third parties. We thought a better approach would be to establish a company focused exclusively on security, so we could better understand the physical, business, and relational needs of customers and implement enterprise-wide security solutions.

Ephesian Security has developed in-depth approaches to security built on years of military security and protective services experience, along with work with private sector oil, gas, and petrochemical industries. Maritime Defense Strategy LLC has worked with companies on the Mississippi gulf coast and around the globe.

Ephesian Security will offer services and programs in these areas:



Security Operations Center (SOC) protocol development and services,

Governance, Risk Mitigation, and Compliance (GRC) strategies,

Cybersecurity assessments to identify shortfalls in defensive operations,

Physical security program implementation,

Security training events,

Incident response assistance, including counterintelligence and information management,

Network threat assessment and defense solutions

Clients can look to Ephesian Security as a partner in the development and oversight of long-range security solutions that detail the efficient and cost-effective utilization of resources. This includes uniformed security guards trained in physical security, management of restricted areas, and interaction with law enforcement and site vendors and visitors, states Joseph Powell, Director of Compliance. In addition to physical security, Ephesians will also help our customers develop processes and programs to enhance their cybersecurity strength, which is a growing threat arena for our customers.

Existing Maritime Defense Strategy LLC customers and prospects can learn more about Ephesian Security offers through personalized meetings and assessments.

About Maritime Defense Strategy LLC

Maritime Defense Strategy LLC consultants are regulatory compliance specialist who work with the oil, gas, and chemical manufacturing industry in order to develop appropriate policies and management systems to manage risks such as environmental, security, and new regulations. Our senior-level consultants offer expertise in the fields of training, consulting, organizational development, audits and assessments to clients operating in time sensitive workplace environments. Based along the Mississippi gulf coast, Maritime Defense Strategy LLC, has built a solid reputation for professionalism, efficiency and high level of service.
The market for commercial drone applications is growing at lightning speed. The sector presently generates almost 16 billion euros of revenues, and this figure is projected to nearly 38 billion euros by 2024. At present, drones are being used primarily in the energy, construction, and agricultural sectors, and these sectors are expected to continue leading the charge in the near future. These are some of the conclusions of the study carried out by the German research firm Drone Industry Insights.

The complete results of the research will be presented at Commercial UAV Expo Europe, to be held from 8 up to and including 10 April in the RAI Amsterdam Congress Centre. The presentation will describe how the drone industry has already developed and will develop further in the coming years per country, sector, and application. The most important uses made of drones involve aerial imagery, inspections, mapping & surveying. Examples include inspections of infrastructure, surveying of construction sites and monitoring crops. Drones can even identify and monitor crop diseases.

Rapid growth

Between 2018 and 2024, the market for commercial drone applications will more than triple. According to Kay Wackwitz, CEO and founder of Drone Industry Insights, there are several drivers behind this growth. First, the importance and usefulness of drones is finding increasing recognition. Drone technology is becoming increasingly accepted. The commercial drone market is still in the early adopters phase, but we are quickly transitioning to the early majority phase when it comes to adoption. According to the innovation theory of sociologist Everett Rogers, these are the forerunners of the big majority that cause the product to become accepted and sold on a much more massive scale. Countries such as the USA, Japan, and China as well as France and Germany will take the lead in this regard.

In addition, various developments in India are also important. The airspace in India will soon be opened for the commercial use of unmanned aerial vehicles or drones. This will create a big new market for manufacturers as well as service providers, according to Wackwitz.

Trends

Besides providing hard data, the research also identifies various trends. Wackwitz mentions the example of drones that are being used to transport (medical) goods or even people. Such applications are going to grow exponentially in countries where there is little or no infrastructure or where traffic in densely populated areas simply grinds to a halt. In Rwanda, a network has been established in which drones fly from one hospital to the other with (often life-saving) medications; in the rainy season, roads simply become impassable. And in mountainous Switzerland, a company named Matternet transports blood samples and other emergency materials from and to hospitals, clinics, and laboratories.

When it comes to transporting people, Wackwitz points to the ambitious plans unfolded by the taxi firm Uber. Under the name of Uber Elevate, the company aims to build hubs on the main traffic routes in the cities. The vision is to have a major hub with the capacity of up to 1000 takeoffs and landings per hour. Partner cities such as Dubai, Singapore, Dallas and Los Angeles have been selected for that purpose, as traffic there is often a mess and there is an urgent need for mobility alternatives.

Drone Industry Insights has been monitoring the commercial drone market for over four years now and spent the last two years building their bottom-up market model. Most of the companies dont make their finances public; they wont do so for strategic reasons. But we were able to identify other ways of finding the necessary data, explains Wackwitz.

About Commercial UAV Expo Europe

Commercial UAV Expo Europe focuses on drone solutions for the commercial services market and the construction, energy & utilities, agriculture & forestry, infrastructure & transport, and safety & emergency services, and surveying & mapping sectors. This includes the use of drones for visual imaging, monitoring, and mapping & surveying. The trade fair and related conference were first held in 2017, with the previous edition in 2018 also being hosted in Amsterdam. Visitors from a total of 43 different countries were drawn to the fair last year. Commercial UAV Expo Europe is organized by the global media company Diversified Communications and is the twin sister of Commercial UAV Expo Americas in Las Vegas, which was first held in 2015.

Note for the editors, not for publication:

For more information, please feel free to contact Koolhoven & Partners: 085-4017175 or uav@koolhovenenpartners.nl.


This campaign dives deep into several key issues, including equality in education, effective teacher training, student digital safety and more.

Ahead of several key education conferences this spring and summer, Mediaplanet today announces the launch of its March edition of The Future of Education.

This campaign dives deep into several key issues, including equality in education, effective teacher training, student digital safety and more. It also highlights the key methods and processes educational leaders are using, such as computational thinking and gaming, while spotlighting leaders in education and companies who are nurturing new initiatives in educational technology (ed-tech).

The average attention span for students dropped from 12 to 8 seconds since the year 2000, and 96% of teachers think ed-tech increases student engagement in learning. This campaign will also serve as a guide for educators, administrators, IT directors and parents on how to invest in the right ed-tech, as well as how to effectively implement that technology to improve students education.

The print component of The Future of Education is distributed within todays edition of USA Today in Chicago, San Francisco, Houston, Seattle, Philadelphia, New York and Washington DC/Baltimore markets, with a circulation of approximately 250,000 copies and an estimated readership of 750,000. In addition, it will be distributed throughout the spring and summer at industry conferences including CoSN, ISTE, ASCD Elementary, TCEA and more, with a circulation of approximately 15,000. The digital component is distributed nationally through a vast social media strategy and across a network of top news sites and partner outlets. To explore the digital version of the campaign and more stories, click here.

Author of the New York Times bestseller, now a major motion picture, The Martian, and ISTE keynote speaker, Andy Weir, graces the cover of the print publication. Through an exclusive interview on the interior, Weir discusses the importance of creativity and talks about getting kids interested in STEM. Creativity is a basic skill that is beneficial to literally any profession. It doesnt matter if youre a physicist or a plumber. Weir has been a software engineer for more than two decades, and now is a full-time writer. Weir advocates for creativity in education as well as for students to utilize the power of science and technology.

This campaign was made possible with the support of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), National PTA, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), International Technology and Engineering Educators Association (ITEEA), Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA), Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA), The School Superintendents Association (AASA), Pearson Education, Acer Inc., LEGO Education, Barco and more.

About Mediaplanet

Mediaplanet specializes in the creation of content marketing campaigns covering a variety of industries. We tell meaningful stories that educate our audience and position our clients as solution providers. Our unique ability to pair the right leaders with the right readers, through the right platforms, has made Mediaplanet a global content marketing powerhouse. Our award-winning stories have won the hearts of countless readers while serving as a valuable platform for brands and their missions. Just call us storytellers with a purpose. Please visit http://www.mediaplanet.com for more on who we are and what we do.

Press Contact:

Rebecca Levine

Rebecca.levine (at) mediaplanet (dot) com
Micross Orion Park Crewe Official Opening

Micross is excited to announce the opening of its newly relocated and expanded processing facility in Orion Park, Crewe. On the 14th March 2019, Micross Chairman, Victor Vescovo, cut the ribbon to officially open the new facility at Orion Park in Crewe. This well-equipped 14,000 sq. /ft. unit demonstrates Micross continued commitment to expand its specialized processing operations in Crewe and throughout the UK.

Victor Vescovo commented: The investment in our facilities and staff in Crewe furthers Micross mission to be the preferred global supplier of distribution, modification, packaging and test services to specialty users of hi-reliability electronic components. We are most very grateful for the hard work and expertise of our UK team members, together with the support of our European and global customers that have helped us grow this UK business; our new premises will provide the perfect platform for further expansion.

Richard Gibbs, Managing Director of Micross comments: It was a great pleasure and honor to host local enterprise partners & associates here at the Orion Park, Crewe facility. We look forward to making full use of this additional capacity and capabilities to better service our customers for many years to come.

Micross Crewe provides and modifies semiconductor components in support of the aerospace, defense, industrial, medical and space sectors, including both the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA.

For additional information on Micross (http://www.micross.com) and links to related articles:

http://candwgrowthhub.co.uk/business-support-news/space-component-manufacturer-doubles-its-premise-space-in-crewe/

https://www.skillsandgrowth.co.uk/space-component-manufacturer-doubles-its-premise-space-in-crewe/

About Micross

Micross (http://www.micross.com) is the global one-source provider of Bare Die & Wafers, Advanced Interconnect Technology, Custom Packaging & Assembly, Component Modification Services, Electrical & Environmental Testing and Hi-Rel Products to manufacturers and users of semiconductor devices. In business for more than 40 years, our extensive hi-reliability capabilities serve the Aerospace & Defense, Space, Medical and Industrial markets. Micross possesses the sourcing, packaging, assembly, engineering, test and logistics expertise needed to support an application throughout its entire program cycle.

Contact Information: Valerie Thomas, Director of Marketing Communications Valerie.thomas(at)micross.com
Were honored to be recognized for our commitment to providing the best resources available to homeschool families.

The list, compiled from nominations and votes from homeschoolers throughout the United States, provides homeschool families with one central place to find answers to their specific school needs, from one-off courses to grading help to full-year-long curriculums.

Two companies under the Northeast Educational Associates umbrella, Bridgeway Academy and Elephango, are being recognized in the Multiple Subjects / Online Homeschooling category.

Bridgeway Academy, celebrating its 30th year in 2019, offers fully-accredited, personalized homeschool programs. From learning style assessments to customized curriculum options, Bridgeway meets the needs of homeschooling families, from Pre-K through high school graduation. Bridgeway knows that every student, every family, is different, and avoids a one-size-fits-all approach to learning through its personalized, flexible programs, allowing students to learn in the way and place that will best guarantee their success.

Elephango, an industry leader in curriculum resources, encourages education through self-learning, creativity, and experimentation. All products provide engaging answers to the question, Why do I need to know this? Products range from core subjects, like math and science, to college and career studies, and are suitable for students in kindergarten through 12th grade, and match learning to a students individual need.

Were honored to be recognized for our commitment to providing the best resources available to homeschool families, says Jessica Parnell, president of Northeast Educational Associates. Were dedicated to working with our families so that they experience homeschool success and ensure their students have the opportunity to discover and pursue their personal excellence, both inside and outside the homeschool classroom.

About Bridgeway Academy

Bridgeway Academy is a proven, highly-customized homeschooling option, combining the freedom of homeschooling with the expertise and support of education experts.

Bridgeway Academy: Love Learning with Us.

http://www.homeschoolacademy.com/

Media contact

Sarah Durkin

610-403-1165

sdurkin@bridgewayacademy.com

###
French English

Rueil Malmaison, 28 March 2019

Publication of the first audit of workers conditions at QDVC by the global union federation BWI

The audit report mentions good practices and positive results, and suggests some additional areas for improvement

The QDVC Workers Welfare Committee elections were recognized as fair and open.

The global union federation BWI (Building and Wood Workers International) conducted the first on-site audit of the operations of QDVC (a Qatari company owned by Qatari Diar Real Estate Investments Company and VINCI Construction Grands Projets) in Qatar on 8 and 9 January 2019, accompanied by French trade union representatives (CGT, CFDT and CFE/CGC) from VINCI. This joint audit followed the agreement on workers rights signed in 2017 between BWI, VINCI and QDVC at the International Labour Organisation (ILO) headquarters in Geneva.

The audit was conducted at QDVCs main project, the Lusail Light Railway Transit System (LRT), and at the workers accommodation.

It included interviews with workers on site, workers representatives and safety champions without management supervision;

On the second day, the ILO Project Office in Qatar and the Qatari Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs (ADLSA) took part in a presentation of the ongoing pilot project between QDVC, the ILO and ADLASA, which aims to ensure the fair recruitment of workers hired in Bangladesh for Qatar by QDVCs recruitment and placement agencies.



The audit covered recruitment and employment practices, health and safety, working conditions, accommodation and grievance mechanisms for all QDVC workers, including subcontractors and manpower providers.

The findings of the audit emphasise QDVCs fair recruitment and employment practices, the good level of health and safety observed at its sites, the safeguarding of workers rights and also proactive initiatives such as:

the Incident and Injury Free (IIF) safety programme;

the buddy peer-support program to prevent psycho-social risks;

the grievance mechanisms for employees and subcontractors.

The audit also noted that workers are paid above the minimum wage and are satisfied with their overall conditions. The main concern that they voice is the fear of unemployment due to the lack of commercial prospects matching QDVCs business model.

The auditors were able to attend the election of QDVCs Workers Welfare Committee (WWC) and noted that the ballot and the counting of votes were carried out properly.

A month before the audit, 31 candidates campaigned to be elected to the WWC. The level of participation in the election was 84% (and increase of 12 points compared to the previous election), with 879 out of a total workforce of 1,047 casting their votes.

QDVC had previously organized elections for its WWC in 2016, but this was the first time that an independent third party was able to observe and assess the process.

BWI and the French unions participating in the audit suggested areas for improvement including:

providing WWC representatives with more time off to consult with other workers;

introducing better integration of the existing grievance mechanism and the WWC;

encouraging more detailed analysis of non-work-related accidents.

Following the audit, QDVC undertook to follow up the BWI recommendations, to continue with the training of the newly elected workers representatives and to increase collaboration in the area of fair recruitment of workers. The full audit report can be consulted at: https://www.vinci.com/publi/vinci/2019-01-BWI-QDVC-VINCI-Joint-Audit-Report-En.pdf .



Ambet Yuson, General Secretary of BWI, commented on the joint audit report, saying, BWI, including representatives of our members in France, was satisfied that the joint audit corresponded with the terms of our framework agreement. Company representatives were transparent, responded to our questions, and welcomed our recommendations. The election of the members of the Workers Welfare Committee was fair and open. The WWC can make a major contribution to the welfare and working conditions of the workers. The BWI is hoping that orders will pick up so that QDVC workers can continue to work. It looks forward to continuing close cooperation with QDVC and VINCI and is ready to increase cooperation, for example in the key area of recruitment.

Philippe Tavernier, CEO of QDVC, said: A year ago, QDVC signed a tripartite agreement with BWI and VINCI to demonstrate QDVCs transparency regarding its CSR policy and to promote continuous improvement of its practices. QDVCs target was and remains to be a leading company in Qatar in terms of fair recruitment, employment rights, well-being and the health and safety of its workforce. We were pleased to welcome BWI and VINCI to Doha to jointly assess our current achievements and the progress made.

Franck Mougin, VINCIs Vice-President, Human Resources & Sustainable Development, concluded: Signing the agreement was a significant first step, but its application and how it is implemented on the ground are even more important. The audit of our practices with BWI was therefore a major step. VINCI and BWI were able to see the robust mechanisms put in place by QDVC in the areas of workers health and safety, rights and welfare. This audit demonstrates our willingness to engage with partners that share our goal of continuous improvement.

About BWI

At its World Congress in Buenos Aires, on 9 December 2005, the International Federation of Building and Wood Workers (IFBWW) and the World Federation of Building and Wood Workers (WFBW) created a new global union federation, the Building and Wood Workers' International - BWI. The BWI is the Global Union Federation grouping free and democratic unions with members in the Building, Building Materials, Wood, Forestry and Allied sectors. The BWI groups together around 334 trade unions representing around 12 million members in 130 countries. The Headquarters is in Geneva, Switzerland. Regional Offices and Project Offices are located in Panama and Malaysia, South Africa, India, Burkina Faso, Chile, Kenya, Russia, Peru and Brazil. Our mission is to promote the development of trade unions in our sectors throughout the world and to promote and enforce workers rights in the context of sustainable development.

About QDVC

QDVC is a Qatari shareholding design and build engineering & Construction Company of international expertise which undertakes large complex projects fostering innovation embracing new technologies and making a difference with clients, partners and employees. Having been incorporated under the Qatari law since April 2007, QDVC stems from the association of : Qatari Diar Real Estate Investments Company (51%) & VINCI Construction Grands Projets (49%). We aim at being a socially responsible leader, mindful of the economic, social, human and environmental objectives towards Qatar National Vision 2030.

About VINCI

VINCI is a global player in concessions and construction, employing more than 210,000 people in some 100 countries. We design, finance, build and operate infrastructure and facilities that help improve daily life and mobility for all. Because we believe in all- round performance, above and beyond economic and financial results, we are committed to operating in an environmentally and socially responsible manner. And because our projects are in the public interest, we consider that reaching out to all our stakeholders and engaging in dialogue with them is essential in the conduct of our business activities. www.vinci.com

PRESS CONTACTS

BWI

Jin Sook Lee

+41 79 962 4793

jinsook.lee@bwint.org

QDVC

Ferial Bouchaib

+97444538487

Ferial.bouchaib@qdvc.com

VINCI

Press Department

+33 1 47 16 31 82

media.relations@vinci.com

Attachment
A short definition of sustainability is the management of environmental and resource systems so that their ability to support future generations is not diminished.

Donald Mann, President of Negative Population Growth (NPG), wrote a significant position paper in 1999 that addressed the formidable problem of how mankind can create an optimal balance between economic growth and population in the 21st century. Recognizing that his insightful presentation of defining sustainability and making the case for seriously reducing world population is still very much on target in an era where the debate over climate change is dominating national conversation, NPG has re-released this valuable publication.

In An Essay on a Sustainable Economy, Mann focused on the steps that must be taken in the decades ahead to create a livable future. Mann makes clear from the very beginning that A short definition of sustainability is the management of environmental and resource systems so that their ability to support future generations is not diminished.

With population size crucial to achieving a sustainable economy, Mann answers the question as to what would be the best size of world population by reviewing major recent studies done on this topic and stating: We at NPG believe that it is in the range of 1.5 to 2 billion, based on the assessments of the major population and resource scientists most concerned with the limits of economic growth.

In his paper, Mann embraces the view of Economist Herman Daly who has defined sustainable development as development without growth beyond environmental carrying capacity, where development means qualitative improvement and growth means quantitative increase.

For Mann, population holds the key to sustainability. Without a gradual but drastic reduction in the size of world population a major reduction in the size of the global economy would be impossible. He follows the thinking of Cornell University Professor David Pimentel and others who have argued convincingly that an optimal and sustainable world population would be no greater than 1.5 to 2 billion.

NPG presently promotes that goal as Mann explains: Their arguments can be briefly summarized as follows: The natural resources needed to sustain human lifeample fertile land, water, energy, forests and diverse natural biotaare finite. Population growth is reducing their per capita availability, and forcing greater reliance on diminishing fossil fuels. Trade and technology have masked these natural limits, but cannot compensate for the shrinkage of natural resources per capita.

Such thinking bolsters Manns belief that Only by achieving a far smaller world population can we have any hope of eliminating forever hunger and poverty, and of creating a society that will be sustainable indefinitely in a sound and healthy environment, with a base of material prosperity that will minimize human suffering and allow civilization to flourish.

As to how we get to that point, Mann proposes: We need a specific goal or target for fertility just as we need a specific target for world population size. I suggest that a fertility of 1.5 is needed for at least several decades in order to halt and reverse world population growth. He notes: Family planning, the provision of contraceptives, is essential. Other vitally important measures include improving the status of women, and their education and job opportunities. But all such measures need to be supplemented by non-coercive incentives and disincentives to reduce desired family size by encouraging couples to have no more than two children. Examples of non-coercive incentives and disincentives would include tax and financial incentives, and preferences for employment and housing for couples with not more than two children...Family limitation, not just family planning, must become the order of the day.

Looking to the future Mann puts forth a call to action to address overpopulation now, before it is too late. He states: We must stop pretending that a global economy with a world population of 10-12 billion could possibly be sustainable. Our already overstressed ecosystem cannot provide, for the long term, an adequate standard of living for our present huge world population of six billion, much less for the even vaster numbers awaiting us unless we take action now.

In conclusion, Mann holds forth that mankind is at a crossroads.

Earth is truly in the balance as the third millennium opens Mann suggests. The United States has the opportunity to lead the world by its example and its support for family limitation toward a smaller, ecologically sustainable population and economy in the 21st century. The task before us, because of its size and complexity, is an awesome one. But the alternative to our goal of a sustainable world economy is unthinkablewidespread poverty and misery in a dreary and depleted environment inhospitable to human life.

Mann wraps up his presentation with the warning: We are living at a momentous time in history. We still have the powerif we can only develop the willto halt and reverse population growth. That power, if not exercised, may no longer exist even a few years from now.

He states, Mankind today stands at a crossroads. One road, that of further population growth, leads inevitably to starvation, poverty, social chaos and war. It leads to the certain destruction of all that we hold dear, including personal freedom and political liberty, peace and security, a decent standard of living and a healthy environment. The other road leads to population stabilization at a sustainable level after a transition period of population decrease. That is the road humanity must start down now. It leads to a world population in balance with its environment and resources, thus creating the condition that will allow the human race to live in peace and prosperity for as long as spaceship earth shall continue to exist.

Founded in 1972, NPG is a national nonprofit membership organization dedicated to educating the American public and political leaders regarding the damaging effects of population growth. We believe that our nation is already vastly overpopulated in terms of the long-range carrying capacity of its resources and environment. NPG advocates the adoption of its Proposed National Population Policy, with the goal of eventually stabilizing U.S. population at a sustainable level  far lower than todays. We do not simply identify the problems  we propose solutions. For more information, visit our website at http://www.NPG.org, follow us on Facebook @NegativePopulationGrowth or follow us on Twitter @npg_org.
Order Sons & Daughters of Italy in America -- Grand Lodge of New York (OSDIA) There has never been an official apology by any New Orleans government official for the tragedy, but thanks to the efforts of the Grand Lodge of New York of the Order Sons & Daughters of Italy in America, that will be rectified on April 12th.

Presentation of an Official Proclamation of Apology by the Mayor of New Orleans to the Italian American Community for Americas Largest Single Mass Lynching

Date & Time: Friday, April 12, 2019 at 11:00

Location: American Italian Cultural Center, 537 South Peters Street | New Orleans

Robert M. Ferrito, State President of the Order Sons & Daughters of Italy in America -- Grand Lodge of New York (OSDIA) in conjunction with John Fratta, Chairman of the New York State Commission for Social Justice, and Michael A. Santo, Esq., is proud to announce an historical event concerning a significant social wound stemming from Americas largest single mass lynching in U.S. History.

On March 14th, 1891, eleven Italian immigrants, accused of killing New Orleans Police Commissioner David Hennessy, were tried and exonerated of the crime, only to be murdered themselves after a crowd of thousands gathered at the prison while the men were awaiting their release. Anti-immigrant sentiment and along with religion, economic forces, and terrorism shaped white Americans views of Italian immigrants as fundamentally foreign, as unwanted competition for labor, and as carriers of violent radicalism.

Given the local New Orleans governmental leaders complicity at the time, the tragedy loomed large, not only over the City, but over the Nation, leading to a serious international dispute as Italy cut off diplomatic relations with the United States setting back Italian/American relations for several years.

There has never been an official apology by any New Orleans government official for the tragedy. However, due to the efforts of the NYS Order Sons & Daughters of Italy in America  Grand Lodge of New York and the New York State Commission for Social Justice, and after 128 years, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell has agreed to issue an official Proclamation of Apology. This solemn event signifies a profound milestone in acknowledging a human tragedy and helps heal decades-old social wounds.

The public and the media are invited to attend the event to take place at the American Italian Cultural Center at 537 South Peters Street in New Orleans. More information about the NYS Grand Lodge can be found here http://www.nysosia.org/about-us.
PwC Vision to Reality Awards

PwC Canada today announced Ondine Biomedical Inc. as a finalist in The Visionary category in this years Vision to Reality (V2R) Awards. The Vision to Reality (V2R) Awards is PwC Canadas annual program aimed at recognizing and celebrating the most forward-thinking organizations in Canada. To learn more: http://www.pwc.com/ca/v2r

Ondine was nominated for its breakthrough and life-saving technology, Photodisinfection, a patented, light-activated antimicrobial system that kills bacteria, viruses, and fungiincluding superbugsof all kinds in minutes without the use of antibiotics. Ondines technology has been deployed for several years in hospitals in British Columbia, preventing significant numbers of surgical site infections which would otherwise have resulted in patient morbidity, mortality and millions of dollars of unnecessary annual cost.

Ondines technology directly targets the global threat of multidrug resistance. Identified by the World Health Organization as one of the top five human health crises, multidrug-resistant infections are forecasted to cause a staggering 10 million deaths and US$100 trillion economic impact annually by 2050 - more than cancer, diabetes, cholera and measles combined.

The Ondine team is passionate about improving patient outcomes with our non-antibiotic, topical technology for treatment and prevention of multidrug resistant infections. We are honored to be recognized by PwC for our unique approach to addressing this global health issue, said Carolyn Cross, Chairman and CEO. We would like to thank PwC for its recognition and support of Canadian innovation.

We're thrilled to recognize our V2R Awards finalists who represent innovators of all sizes and industries. Selected by the independent panel of judges, the finalists demonstrate that innovation is thriving across every region in Canada," says Chris Dulny, Chief Innovation Officer, PwC Canada. "The Awards celebrate some of the country's best innovators and bring together a network of leaders to collaborate and share ideas. Ultimately, this type of collaboration helps make Canada a more competitive place for innovation and we're proud to be a part of that.

About Ondine Biomedical Inc.

Ondine Biomedical Inc. is a Vancouver based company dedicated to the development of non-antibiotic, anti-infective therapies for a broad-spectrum of bacterial, viral and fungal infections. Ondines antimicrobial program utilizes a platform technology called Photodisinfection, a light-activated approach developed to provide rapid antimicrobial efficacy and reduced risk of antibiotic resistance.

Ondines flagship universal nasal Photodisinfection has been deployed at leading Canadian hospitals for several years, where it has helped prevent hundreds of post-surgical infections and saved the facilities millions of dollars annually. A recent abstract was published which found that the impact on post spine surgery infections at Vancouver General Hospital over a period of eight years was highly significant. The results showed a 78% reduction in surgical site infection rate and found one infection was prevented for every 18 patients treated. $4.24 million was saved annually, and no adverse events were reported. As a result, nasal Photodisinfection is being recommended for routine use in all spine surgeries in Canada.

Other applications of the Photodisinfection platform are under development, including Sinuwave (TM), a Photodisinfection product to treat chronic rhinosinusitis, and an endotracheal tube Photodisinfection product designed to reduce the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia.

Contact

Ondine Biomedical Inc.

http://www.ondinebio.com

Angelika Vance | 1.604.838.2702 | avance (at) ondinebio (dot) com
PathPartner Technology, a leading product R&D and engineering services organization, today announced that it has launched a new office in Frankfurt, Germany. The new office is aimed at strengthening the existing presence of the firm in the European Market and place it strategically closer to the broad range of customers developing advanced technology solutions. The standalone office in Frankfurt will enjoy the presence of seasoned development, sales and marketing teams.

Global expansion is always exciting and the new office is only a natural progression in our expansion plans, said Tushar K Adhikary, CEO at PathPartner Technology. PathPartner already counts a number of leading European organizations across most of our verticals like Automotive, Internet of Things, Industrial etc. as its customers. The new office puts us in close proximity to existing clients and a number of major technology-oriented companies, thus giving us the opportunity to develop and put forth innovative product engineering solutions., he added.

Europe is already known to be the powerhouse in advanced technological research and development. Our Frankfurt office would surely broaden our access to this huge market while at the same time help in supporting our existing customers better, said Ramkishor Korada, EVP  Business Development and Marketing at PathPartner Technology.

PathPartner Technology has appointed Ajay Basarur (an INSEAD Alumnus) as the Managing Director of its German Subsidiary and he will be heading Business Development activities for the European market of PathPartner Technology GmbH.

It may be mentioned here that PathPartner already has sales and engineering offices in Fremont, USA and Bengaluru, India.

About PathPartner Technology:

PathPartner is product R&D and engineering specialist. We help our clients develop, productize, and maintain advanced technology products. With our full stack engineering services, re-usable solution accelerators, and an unparalleled experience in transforming innovative ideas into full-fledged products, PathPartner provides its clients the advantage of top-of-the-line technologies, superior performance and faster time-to-market. With extensive expertise in embedded systems, computer vision, deep learning, multimedia and imaging technologies, PathPartner provides next-gen technology solutions to customers in automotive, internet of things, intelligent devices and digital media products domain. PathPartners catalogue of products and services continues to expand. To know more details and collaborate on next-gen products, please visit https://www.pathpartnertech.com or write to us at marcom(at)pathpartnertech.com
The Dads Resource Center (DRC) has concluded a study reviewing the distribution of time that children are assigned to parents in divorce proceedings by Courts of the Commonwealth in 14 Pennsylvania counties and has found that fathers are disproportionately impacted by rulings.

The study reviewed the first 50 cases starting in 2016 for which the courts made a final determination of custody. The population classes ranged from 45,000 to 499,000 and represented a broad geographical range from within the state.

For the 700 cases that were reviewed, the average awarded custody time per week (total 168 hours) was 116 hours to the mother and 52 hours to the father (69% to 31%). Mothers received wither full or primary custody in 496 cases and fathers received full or primary custody in 100 cases. Parents were awarded joint custody in 104 cases.

Studies show that children develop best, and have the greatest chance for success in life, when both parents play an active role in their childhood, states Jeff Steiner, DRC executive director.

Despite Pennsylvania courts embracing the trend of joint physical custody, the outcomes of this study unfortunately support the belief that fathers all too often are not given the opportunity to provide the time and attention their children so desperately need from them and that they want to give.

In Pennsylvania, there is no presumption in favor of joint custody. The Superior Court has maintained (In re Wesley J.K., 299 Pa. Super. 504 (1982)) that a presumption-free law allows lower courts to engage in full, fair and comprehensive examinations of the best interests of the child, without burdening the custodial parent with defending the status quo.

According to the Spring 2016 article in The Philadelphia Lawyer Applying the Best Interests of the Child Standard in Shared Custody Arrangements, Pennsylvania courts historically relied on the primary caretaker doctrine in support of an award of primary physical custody to one of two fit parents.

The Pennsylvania Superior Courts decision in M.J.M. v. M.L.G., 63 A.3d. 331, (2013), changed this in that primary caretakers would no longer be given weighted consideration. The Superior Court determined that the best interests of the child should be given careful and thorough consideration of 16 factors affecting the safety of the child (enumerated in Section 5328(a)).

The article notes that while Pennsylvania courts in theory are embracing the trend of joint, or shared, physical custody, shared custody still does not have a set legal definition. State custody is defined in legal and physical custody. Legal custody is the right to make major decisions on the childs behalf. This includes, but is not limited to, medical, religious and educational decisions. Physical custody refers to the amount of time the child actually spends with each parent, and what parent assumes responsibility for the childs day-to-day needs.

Out of 700 determinations, 343 awarded 132 hours a week to one parent and 36 hours a week to the other. The mother received this primary custody determination 291 times and the father received it 52 times. This almost always represents every other weekend and one night a week custodial time.

This was one of the most striking results of the study, said Steiner. Almost half of the determinations fell into this template, which greatly limits childrens access to one of their parents.

Legal decisions that lean toward mothers have been pervasive for decades. In the case of Commonwealth v. Addicks decided in 1813 by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, the late Chief Justice William Tilghman stated that  considering their tender age, they [the minor children] stand in need of that kind of assistance, which can be afforded by none so well as a mother. With this statement, the tender years doctrine was born and a presumption that custody of children of tender years (in other words minor children) should be awarded to their mother. The tender years doctrine became one of the most pervasive and firmly entrenched presumptions in American law.

While the tender years doctrine was found to be unconstitutionally stereotypic and voided in 1977, the results of the DRC study raises concern that the outcomes of final custody orders do not support the consensus that children need both parents in their lives. According to the website of Lisa Marie Vari & Associates, Pittsburg Family Law and Divorce, Pennsylvania court rulings have favored primary custody awards to the mother, which is not always in the best interest of children.

Research overwhelming supports the importance of both parents being actively involved in the lives of their children. A February 1, 2018 article posted at Fatherly relays that data from 30 studies shows that joint custody is most often the best option for separated families.

The results of the study question the influence legislative provisions are having on the custody decisions made by our judicial system. Our hope is that the results can stimulate further discussion, and analysis, of how the system potentially disenfranchises fathers, which as a result, disadvantages children, said Steiner.

About Dads Resource Center

The Dads' Resource Center was founded by Dr. Joel N. Myers, AccuWeather founder, chief executive officer and chairman in 2015. Its mission is to provide education, resources and advocacy for single fathers so they are able to fulfill their vital role in the well-being and healthy development of their children. At its heart, the Dads Resource Center is a childrens advocacy organization that aims to ensure that each child has the appropriate involvement and contributions from both of their parents.

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Tal Frank, President The alignment between our scholarship investment and a physicians education has direct impact on students when they graduate. At that time, theyll start searching for their first home and will need a mortgage for doctors that meets their unique financial needs.

PhysicianLoans  the premier provider of home mortgage loans for physicians, today announced the companys continued support for medical education and the 2019 Andrew Taylor Still Memorial Scholarship winner Mary Jensen Kracht, OMS III. Through the financial support of PhysicianLoans, a deserving student, or students, is awarded a $1000 scholarship by the Student Osteopathic Medicine Association Foundation, at its spring convention held each year in Washington DC.

Kracht is a third-year osteopathic medical student, and freshman Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) scholar/fellow, enrolled at Midwestern University Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine (AZCOM) in Glendale, Arizona. The award has given her an opportunity to share a memorable experience with the medical community about a particular juvenile diabetes patient with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS). Kracht outlined the patients unique pathology in the scholarship application and detailed how she adjusted osteopathic treatment goals to manage the patients chronic pain.

Scholarships provide key motivators to encourage students to learn more about the sciences and broaden their osteopathic medicine skills. PhysicianLoans has been the sole sponsor of the A.T. Sill Memorial Scholarship and has steadily increased its financial support since its initial funding. The alignment between our scholarship investment and a physicians education has direct impact on students when they graduate. At that time, theyll start searching for their first home and will need a mortgage for doctors that meets their unique financial needs, stated PhysicianLoans President Tal Frank.

Sarah Cottrell-Cumber, the SOMA Foundations scholarships & grants director for 2018-19, also said, This scholarship benefits third and fourth-year osteopathic students who are preparing a vision of their own career. This years award winner has a bold dream for her career, one that will touch patients and medical professionals alike. Kracht stated, I plan to open a pediatric practice that will be a multi-professional center for child behavior and development where Ill practice OMM and provide effortless access to other medical professionals like occupational therapists, speech pathologists, and child psychologists.

About PhysicianLoans

Since 1993, PhysicianLoans, a division of Tower Mortgage Corporation, has focused exclusively on providing home mortgage loans to medical professionals. Located in Columbus, Ohio, PhysicianLoans is known for its unique, flagship product The Doctor Loan, which is offered to medical doctors, dentists and veterinarians, many who find themselves laden with heavy student loan debt that often prohibits obtaining a conventional mortgage loan. For more information about PhysicianLoans, please visit http://www.physicianloans.com.


Pond5 Launches New 8K, 6K, 5K, and 4K RED Camera Footage Collection and Search Filter for Premium RED Content By working with RED to feature this licensable cinema-quality footage, were presenting content creators with some of the best video in the industry, along with the freedom to create work of the highest quality that wont become easily outdated.

Recognizing the growing need for video captured in the highest definition possible, global content marketplace Pond5 today launched a brand new premium footage collection featuring 8K, 6K, 5K, and 4K video shot exclusively on RED Digital Cinema cameras. In addition, Pond5 has debuted a new RED Camera search filter for video on its site, allowing customers to easily discover hundreds of thousands of clips created with REDs award-winning cameras within its library of more than 14 million video clips.

Continuing Pond5s recognition of the technology manufacturers that enable cinematographers to create their most captivating work, the launch of the RED collection and filter gives video producers, filmmakers, and content creators easy access to cinematic footage in resolutions up to 8K  offering unlimited options to zoom in, crop, and creatively edit clips while keeping final projects at 4K or higher. Additionally, with 8K resolution predicted to gain a significant foothold in the consumer market within the next four years, video creators can use this footage to future-proof their work for next-generation screens.

Video production and creation is always evolving with the technology, and offering our buyers the highest-quality and most technologically advanced options for their video projects is a big part of what drives us as a business, said Pond5 CEO Jason Teichman. By working with RED to feature this licensable cinema-quality footage, were presenting content creators with some of the best video in the industry, along with the freedom to create work of the highest quality that wont become easily outdated. The possibilities for what can be done with this footage are endless.

In addition to giving Pond5 buyers access to some of the worlds most high-resolution and captivating footage at budget-friendly prices, this initiative also offers RED filmmakers the opportunity to repurpose their existing footage, giving it new life as creative content licensed for high-profile productions via the Pond5 marketplace. As Pond5 contributors, they can earn substantial incremental income, setting their own prices and receiving an industry-leading share of the resulting revenue.

Creating a special collection exclusively for RED footage on Pond5 is a perfect extension of our own Shot on RED campaign, which includes a huge cross-section of major theatrical and broadcast releases, said RED President Jarred Land. Were excited to collaborate with the Pond5 team to help promote artists working with our cameras and provide them with a new way to earn revenue from their work.

To discover the new Pond5 + RED collection or to submit your own RED footage for consideration, visit http://www.pond5.com/red-cameras and try the RED Camera search filter today on http://www.pond5.com.

Meet with Pond5 at NAB

Professionals attending the NAB Show can book a private meeting and demonstration with the Pond5 sales team at the 2019 NAB Show in Las Vegas. To request a meeting, please contact NAB2019@pond5.com.

Schedule a Private Press Briefing with Pond5 at NAB

Members of the NAB registered press are invited to schedule a private briefing with a member of the Pond5 executive team. To request a briefing, please contact Alexis Isaacs at alexis@zazilmediagroup.com.

About Pond5

Pond5 is the worlds largest video marketplace, providing the footage, inspiration, and resources todays content creators need to tell their stories in film, television, advertising, social media, online video, and beyond. With more than 14 million video clips, award-winning tools including patented Visual Search for video, and integrations for all major video-editing software, Pond5 is the go-to video marketplace for filmmakers, media organizations, and marketers worldwide. Driven by its commitment to the creative community, Pond5 proudly provides a platform where creativity can flourish and contributors can make a sustainable living licensing their work to buyers around the world. All contributors licensing their content on Pond5 receive an industry-leading revenue share. Pond5 is a venture-backed company funded by Accel Partners and Stripes Group with offices in New York, Dublin, Prague, London, and LA.

For more information, please visit https://www.pond5.com.

Press Contact:

Alexis Isaacs

Zazil Media Group

(e) alexis (at) zazilmediagroup (dot) com

(p) +1 (773) 816-7944
These results demonstrate that the performance of the biospecimen testing methods of Chinese biobanks and testing laboratories is in line with that of our international colleagues, and that the measurements obtained by Chinese institutions can therefore be considered trustworthy and of high quality.

In the wake of the success of IBBLs international Proficiency Testing (PT) programme, a new PT programme entirely dedicated to Chinese biobanks was launched in July 2018, in an agreement between IBBL, the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories (ISBER) and the Biobank Branch, China Medicinal Biotech Association (BBCMBA). The one-year pilot programme offered two testing schemes: DNA quantification and purity and RNA quantification and purity. About 30 participants enrolled for each scheme.

The assigned values obtained by the Chinese institutions for both the DNA quantification and purity and the RNA quantification and purity schemes were found to be almost identical to those obtained by the rest of the international participants.

These results demonstrate that the performance of the biospecimen testing methods of Chinese biobanks and testing laboratories is in line with that of our international colleagues, and that the measurements obtained by Chinese institutions can therefore be considered trustworthy and of high quality, states Prof Gao, President of BBCMBA. This will further contribute to enhancing data exchanges between China and international laboratories, thus strengthening cooperation and supporting the development of global health, he adds.

We are very pleased with the outcome of the pilot, since it marks a step forward in terms of biospecimen quality and standardisation of biobanking practices worldwide, declares Dr. Fay Betsou, Chief Scientific Officer at IBBL. This is particularly relevant when considering that participation in PT programmes is a requirement for biobanks seeking accreditation according to the new ISO 20387 norm, she adds.

ISBER is committed to supporting biorepositories globally, and the PT programme in China has proved to be a valuable tool in this respect. The interest and participation of the Chinese biobanking community in the pilot have been very promising and we sincerely hope to witness an increased adherence of Chinese organisations to the programme in the coming years, says Dr Xun Xu, ISBER Director at Large for China.

As the sole ISBER-endorsed PT programme in the world that focuses on biospecimens, IBBLs processing and testing schemes have become increasingly popular over the years. In 2018, 115 participants from 31 countries registered for a total of 492 subscribed processing and testing schemes.

For more information, please visit the dedicated IBBL PT webpage.

About IBBL

IBBL (Integrated BioBank of Luxembourg) is an autonomous not-for-profit institute dedicated to supporting biomedical research for the benefit of patients. IBBL is an integrated research infrastructure offering bioservices, including the collection, processing, analysis and storage of biological samples and associated data. In addition, IBBL carries out research to optimise biospecimen processing and certify biospecimen quality. IBBL is ISO 9001:2008 certified and ISO 17025:2005 accredited. IBBLs quality management system is conceived to be compliant with NF S96-900:2011 and ISO 17043:2010. IBBLs mission is to provide biospecimen related services and a biobanking infrastructure for applied medical research. IBBLs vision is to be an international centre of excellence in biobanking and a valued partner in developing better healthcare solutions. IBBL is an autonomous institute, organised within the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH). For more information, please visit our corporate website (http://www.ibbl.lu) or our public website (http://www.biobank.lu).

About BBCMBA

The Biobank Branch, China Medicinal Biotech Association (BBCMBA) was established in 2009 with a vision to treasure Bio-specimens, implement standards, apply full utilisation of resources and protect property rights. BBCMBA is a national committee which works on promoting the standardisation of biobanking in China. The slogan of BBCMBA is: Industry standard, Education and training, Academic communication and International cooperation.

About ISBER

ISBER is the only global forum that addresses harmonization of scientific, technical, legal, and ethical issues relevant to repositories of biological and environmental specimens. The mission of ISBER as a global organization is to create opportunities for sharing ideas and innovations in biobanking and harmonises approaches to evolving challenges for biological and environmental repositories. ISBER fosters collaboration, creates education and training opportunities, provides an international showcase for state-of-the-art policies, processes, and research findings, and innovative technologies, products, and services. Together, these activities promote best practices that cut across the broad range of repositories that ISBER serves.

Contact

Arnaud dAgostini (Head of Marketing & Communication)

IBBL (Integrated BioBank of Luxembourg)

1, rue Louis Rech

L-3555 Dudelange

Luxembourg

Tel: + 352 26 970 - 524

Fax: +352 26 970 - 502

E-mail: communications(at)ibbl.lu

Corporate website: http://www.ibbl.lu

Public website: http://www.biobank.lu

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The Land Down Under might have a different approach to many things, but house call medicine is growing in popularity there as well. It only makes sense for individuals feeling under the weather to stay put and try to rest as much as possible while medical care comes right to their bedside from doctors on call,

A March 1 article on Thrive Global reported on a survey done in Australia that found a rise in doctor home visits. The survey showed over a quarter of after-hour services were through house call doctors instead of patients visiting hospital clinics. The article discussed the advantages that medical house calls provide, including easier access to care for patients who might have difficulty going to a hospital, avoiding the need to wait in long lines at a clinic, and a flexible schedule that works with the patients availability. Dr. Michael Farzam of House Call Doctor Los Angeles says that the shift toward home visits by doctors is on the rise internationally.

Dr. Farzam understands that some people may be confused as to why a seemingly outdated practice is becoming popular once again. While the advancement of technology is what originally created the traditional medical office and clinic system, it is also how doctors are once again able to visit patients, says Dr. Farzam. The Los Angeles-based house call doctor notes that house call medicine became outdated when new medical equipment and technology came around during the second half of the 20th century. He adds that, due to the size and nature of the large machines, it became more realistic for patients to visit doctors in their offices. Now, however, Dr. Farzam says that technology has improved to the point where medical equipment is now portable and easy to bring directly to patients homes.

Dr. Farzam comments that like the benefits mentioned in the article, people are seeing more and more advantages to scheduling an appointment with a house call doctor. Especially in a busy, traffic-heavy city such as Los Angeles, Dr. Farzam says that simply driving from Point A to Point B can be stressful. He notes that for those who are feeling ill, trying to do anything out of the house can be a challenge. It only makes sense for individuals feeling under the weather to stay put and try to rest as much as possible while medical care comes right to their bedside from doctors on call, Dr. Farzam says.

With a home visit from a house call doctor, patients can be seen at a time that works with their schedule from the comfort of their home. Dr. Farzam and his team say that by visiting patients directly, they are able to spend more time with patients personalizing their care and addressing any concerns the patient might have.

Readers who would like to know more about Dr. Farzam and House Call Doctor Los Angeles may call (310) 849-7991 or visit the practices website at http://www.HouseCallDoctorLA.com.


Leadership from Smile Brands Inc., one of the nations leading providers of business support services to dental groups in the United States, will serve as featured speakers at this weekends Association of Dental Support Organizations 2019 Summit in San Diego.

Leadership from Smile Brands and affiliate DecisionOne Dental will contribute insight on the current state and future of the dental industry in the following breakout sessions and panels:

Thursday, March 28, 2019

General Session

Leadership Panel: CEO to CEO  New Horizons

Steve Bilt, CEO, Smile Brands

Friday, March 29, 2019

Breakout Sessions

Compliance

Victoria Harvey, SVP & Chief Legal Officer, Smile Brands

Growth & Development: Do We Have To Do Something to Make a Difference?

Dr. AJ Acierno, CEO & President, DecisionOne Dental

Steve Bilt, CEO, Smile Brands

Leadership in the DSO Industry

Tanisha Wicker, SVP, Human Resources, Smile Brands

Jody Martin, Chief Marketing Officer, Smile Brands

Clinical Best Practices: Doctor Recruitment and Retention

Dr. AJ Acierno, CEO & President, DecisionOne Dental

Marketing Panel

Stacy Medema, Creative Manager, DecisionOne Dental

About Smile Brands Inc.

Based in Irvine California, Smile Brands Inc. is one of the largest providers of support services to dental groups in the United States. Recently ranked #25 on Glassdoors 2018 Best Places to Work list, Smile Brands Inc. provides comprehensive business support services through exclusive long-term agreements with affiliate dental groups, so dentists can spend more time caring for their patients and less time on the administrative, marketing, and financial aspects of operating a dental practice. Smile Brands supports nearly 400 Bright Now! Dental, Monarch Dental, Castle Dental, A+ Dental Care, OneSmile Dental, Johnson Family Dental, P3 Dental Group, and DecisionOne Dental Partners offices in 17 states, including Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Ohio, Oregon, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington. Smile Brands is a portfolio company of Gryphon Investors, a leading middle-market private equity firm based in San Francisco, CA. For more information, visit http://www.smilebrands.com.
English French

SOITEC ANNOUNCES CHANGES TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Eric Meurice elected as Chairman of the Board, succeeding Thierry Sommelet

Heartfelt tribute paid to Thierry Sommelet, who assumed the role of Chairman of the Board during a prolonged transition period

Bernin (Grenoble), France, March 28th, 2019 - Soitec (Euronext Paris), a world leader in designing and manufacturing innovative semiconductor materials, today announces decisions taken by its Board of Directors during its meeting yesterday in Singapore.

During this meeting, Eric Meurice has been elected by his peers as Chairman of the Board. He succeeds Thierry Sommelet, who assumed this role during a prolonged 16-month transition period.

The latter will continue contributing to the works of the Board as well as to the Committees on which he serves. As for Eric Meurice, he retains his positions of Chairman of the Strategic Committee and Member of the Nomination Committee.

It is recalled that Thierry Sommelet was elected Chairman on November 29th, 2017, for a transition period due to expire at the close of the Shareholders' General Meeting convened to approve the financial statements for the fiscal year ending on March 31, 2018. During the Board meeting held on June 13th, 2018, it was decided to extend this transition period beyond its initial term.

The Board of Directors welcomes the election of Eric Meurice whose profile fits the needs of the Company given his background as a senior executive of a number of internationally-renowned technology companies, primarily in the semiconductor industry, the multicultural dimension of his career, as well his experience as a director of large international companies.

Lastly, the Board of Directors paid a unanimous and heartfelt tribute to Thierry Sommelet, warmly thanking him for having skilfully and efficiently assumed the role of Chairman of the Board during the past 16 months, beyond his invaluable personal contribution.

Resignation of Nabeel Gareeb

The Board of Directors acknowledged the resignation of Nabeel Gareeb as a Director of the Company, with immediate effect. This comes as a result of a reorganisation within NSIG group. NSIG Sunrise S.a.r.l. has informed the Board of Directors of its intention to propose without delay a candidate who will succeed Nabeel Gareeb by co-optation.

Eric Meurice's Biography

A French national, Eric Meurice, 62 years-old, serves as a non-executive director at NXP Semiconductors N.V. since April 2014, IPG Photonics Corp. since June 2014, UMICORE SA since April 2015 and Meyer Burger AG since May 2018.

Previously, Eric Meurice was the CEO of ASML Holding N.V., a semiconductor equipment manufacturer, from October 2004 to June 2013, and its President until March 2014. Under his watch, ASML became the world's largest seller of lithography equipment, leading to a significant equity investment and funding commitment by its largest customers.

From 2001 to 2004, he was Executive Vice President of Thomson-RCA Television, where he completed the merger of his group with TCL Corporation, a leading Chinese consumer electronics company.

From 1995 to 2001, he led Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and emerging markets in the EMEA region for Dell Computer.

Before 1995, Eric Meurice gained significant experience in the industrial and technological fields with ITT Semiconductors, Intel Corporation and Renault SA.

He also served on the boards of ARM Holdings plc until March 14 and of Verigy, Ltd until its acquisition by Advantest Corporation in 2011.

Eric Meurice graduated from Ecole Centrale de Paris (France), and has a Master's degree in Economics from Pantheon-Sorbonne University in Paris (France), and an MBA from Stanford University (California, USA).

# # #

Agenda

Q4'19 sales are due to be published on April 17, 2019 after market close.

Soitec will publish its FY'19 annual results on June 12, 2019 after market close. These results will be commented as part of a Capital Markets Day which will be held on the next day, i.e. on June 13, 2019, in Paris.

# # #

About Soitec

Soitec (Euronext, Tech 40 Paris) is a world leader in designing and manufacturing innovative semiconductor materials. The company uses its unique technologies and semiconductor expertise to serve the electronics markets. With more than 3,000 patents worldwide, Soitec's strategy is based on disruptive innovation to answer its customers' needs for high performance, energy efficiency and cost competitiveness. Soitec has manufacturing facilities, R&D centers and offices in Europe, the U.S. and Asia. Soitec and Smart Cut are registered trademarks of Soitec. For more information, please visit www.soitec.com and follow us on Twitter: @Soitec_EN

Soitec and Smart Cut are registered trademarks of Soitec.

For more information, please visit www.soitec.com and follow us on Twitter: @Soitec_EN

Investor Relations:



Steve Babureck

+33 6 16 38 56 27

+1 858 519 6230

steve.babureck@soitec.com











Media Contact:







Erin Berard

+33 6 80 36 53 40

erin.berard@soitec.com







Isabelle Laurent

+33 1 53 32 61 51

isabelle.laurent@ddbfinancial.fr







Fabrice Baron

+33 1 53 32 61 27

fabrice.baron@ddbfinancial.fr

# # #

Soitec is a French joint-stock corporation with a Board of Directors (Societe Anonyme a Conseil d'administration) with a share capital of  62,762,070.50, having its registered office located at Parc Technologique des Fontaines - Chemin des Franques - 38190 Bernin (France), and registered with the Grenoble Trade and Companies Register under number 384 711 909.

# # #
The Ryding Company Opens New Office in Utah We are very excited to bring The Ryding Company to Utah.

Westlake Village, California-based retirement consultants at The Ryding Company have opened a new Utah location. Ryan J. Pedroza, ERPA, QPA, APA, President and CEO of The Ryding Company, will manage this new office in Clearfield, just north of Salt Lake City. As they continue to expand into new markets, The Ryding Company remains committed to excellence whilst offering retirement and cash balance plans for business owners who seek out quality benefits for their employees.

"We are very excited to bring The Ryding Company to Utah", Ryan Pedroza, President and CEO of The Ryding Company. Utah is such a wonderful and vibrant state with amazing companies and employees. Locating our newest office outside of Salt Lake City Utah seemed like a great fit and addition to our offices in Westlake Village, California and Aiea, Hawaii, on the island of Oahu, Mr. Pedroza added.

Since 1975, The Ryding Company (originally dubbed Truog-Ryding Company) has consulted over 2,500 business owners and currently manage over 1,000 ERISA plans for their clients. Their host of services include the entire spectrum of retirement planning, including but not limited to: cash balance, traditional defined benefit, 401(k) & profit sharing, as well as 403(b) plans for non-profit groups.

As part of their philosophy, The Ryding Company prides itself on working closely with industry partners such as Fund Custodians, Certified Public Accountants, and Financial Advisors to provide comprehensive and compliant plans to their clients. On top of this team-oriented approach, the company also prioritizes community service. By means of an internally run volunteer committee, the business donates their time and resources to local law enforcement, homeless shelters, and the Armed Forces. While the Ryding Company continues to branch out into new Utah territories, theyll bring their tradition of integrity and service to new clients and communities.

About The Ryding Company (TRCO)

Throughout its 40 years of operation, The Ryding Company has provided consultation services to over 2,500 business owners and delivered 1,000+ ERISA retirement plans to clients in need. TRCO remains committed to quality ERISA strategy--from cash balance and 401(k) & profit sharing to 403(b) plans for nonprofits.

For more information on The Ryding Companys full range of retirement planning expertise, contact at 866-764-9222 or visit their website at TRCO.com

Utah companies can contact the Utah office directly at: 801-391-5785
With the impact and frequency of disruption rising due to the confluence of changing geopolitical, socio-economic and technology trends, said Naima Hoque Essing, Senior Research Analyst, Boards in several industries are looking for better ways to anticipate and stay ahead of change.

New research from ALMs Consulting Intelligence division, formerly known as Kennedy Consulting, reports how the topic of risk is finally making it onto the formal agenda of boards and senior leadership.

With the impact and frequency of disruption rising due to the confluence of changing geopolitical, socio-economic and technology trends, said Naima Hoque Essing, Senior Research Analyst at ALM Intelligence Boards in several industries are looking for better ways to anticipate and stay ahead of change.

ALM Intelligence explores how consulting firms are helping the risk management function become more relevant and connected to supporting the organizational imperative for making decisive, bigger and faster bets on the future, including:



Setting the tone at the top to elevate and expand the organizational mindset toward risk.

Balancing the role of risk for protecting downside with opportunities to create value.

Embedding big data analytics, scenario, and simulation tools to drive deeper insights, challenge assumptions and inspire greater confidence in decision-making.

Employing technology to streamline core activities and free up resources to take on more strategic activities.

We continue to see movement among the Vanguard leaders with larger firms building upon the depth and breadth of their core risk consulting services to become trusted advisors at the board level. In contrast, smaller firms distinguish themselves in niche service offerings that either seek to leverage advanced data techniques to optimize controls or harness new technologies to streamline and automate core risk functions.

Providers covered in the report include A.T. Kearney, Accenture, Alvarez & Marsal, Bain & Company, Boston Consulting Group, Capgemini, Crowe LLP, Deloitte, Grant Thornton, EY, FTI Consulting, IBM, KPMG, Milliman, Marsh Risk, McKinsey & Company, Oliver Wyman, Promontory Financial Group, Protiviti, PwC, and RSM.

ALMs Vanguard research series assesses firms in terms of their relative ability to create impact for their clients. In addition to its overall rating assessments of consulting providers depth and breadth of capabilities and best-in-class provider designations, this series includes detailed capability evaluations for each covered provider as well as a qualitative analysis of their consulting organization, approach, and service delivery model.

For more information or to obtain the full version of The ALM Vanguard: Strategic Risk Consulting 2019, visit the ALM Intelligence website: http://crp.consulting.almintel.com/Report/rating-guides/2019/The_ALM_Vanguard_Strategic_Risk_Consulting_2019

ALM Intelligence will be hosting a webinar on the Vanguard report on Wednesday, April 10th at 11 am ET. To register for the event and learn more visit: http://at.alm.com/ConsultingWebinarStrategicRisk

About ALM Intelligence

ALM Intelligence, a division of ALM Media LLC, supports legal, consulting, and benefits decision-makers seeking guidance on critical business challenges. Our proprietary market reports and analysis, rating guides, prospecting tools, surveys, and rankings, inform and empower business leaders to meet business challenges with confidence. Please visit http://www.alm.com/intelligence for more information.
The Franchise Show, presented by Allstate, is pleased to be taking place at the Ohio Expo Center, March 30 & 31, 2019. The Show is the perfect venue for attendees to find their best opportunity to attain prosperity and success by taking the first step to becoming a business owner. Many entrepreneurs dream of starting their own business and every year thousands of Americans consider franchising as a way to make it happen. Visitors have the chance to speak directly with representatives from proven, successful franchises. Full-time franchises and part-time business opportunities are available in Ohio. The event plays a critical role in helping people find the business thats right for them.

Franchising gives people the opportunity to start a business without feeling overwhelmed and alone. They have the support system of a company behind them with training, marketing and in most cases a proven brand, said Fred Cox, president, National Event Management, which produces the Franchise Show.

The event features companies that are household names such as Allstate, 7Eleven, Steak n Shake, Zaxbys, Hand and Stone and UbreakIFix. The exhibitors at the show offer a variety of industries from traditional retail stores and restaurants to fitness, home services, education and printing. The Show is also an excellent venue to discover new franchises and business opportunities to take advantage of being involved from the early stages of growth.

The Franchise Show successfully hosts thousands of attendees across North America every year, with the hope of helping each one become their own boss. Its important to be able to meet and speak with representatives from the companies at the event because it gives you a better understanding of the culture of a company and gives you a better indication of whether or not a company complements your specific personality, says Mr. Cox. The opportunity to speak directly with representatives from the hottest franchises as well as industry experts make this event a must attend for anyone considering owning a small business or looking to grow their already established business.

The show is a significant source of information for people looking to open their own business and research franchising in depth. Visitors may attend free daily seminars given by industry experts including lawyers, financial specialists and franchise experts that have information that entrepreneurs need to know to start and grow a business. Seminar topics include: 5 Lessons I Learned in My First Year as a Small Business Owner, How to Buy a Franchise With Friends, Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Franchising and How to Start Your Own Business  Franchising vs. Small Business Start Up. For a full schedule of free seminars please visit http://www.ColumbusFranchiseShow.com.

The Franchise Show

Dates: Saturday, March 30 and Sunday, March 31

Time: Saturday: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sunday: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Location: Ohio Expo Center

717 E 17th Ave

Columbus, Ohio 43211

Admission:

For more info: $8 at the door, 2 for 1 online

http://www.columbusfranchiseshow.com

Contact Information



For media accreditation and more information, contact:

Lisa Spodek, Director of Marketing

1-800-891-4859 ext. 225

lspodek(at)nationalevent(dot)com
During Round 3 of Spayathon for Puerto Rico, which was held last month in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, veterinaries provided high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter surgeries to a record 8,513 dogs and cats in just 7 days. This was the third out of 4 rounds to be held on the island, and the 20/22 Act Society has committed to and has directly funded the spay and neuter of approximately 2,000 dogs, through the financial support of its members. Spayathon is a massive collaborative effort organized by the Humane Society of the United States, one of the partner charities of the 20/22 Act Societys Foundation.

This initiative solidifies the efforts of the members of the Society in eradicating the local animal welfare crisis while improving the quality of life of the local community, said Founder Robb Rill. Our last clinic was a huge success and we thank you for being a big part of that. Your support is very much appreciated!, said Dr. Ruth Parkin, DVM, President & Chair of ViDAS.

ViDAS is the nonprofit organization who brought the brigade of veterinaries that altered those animals at the Spayathon. This is a historic initiative aimed to spay/neuter over 20,000 dogs and cats in underserved communities across Puerto Rico. Each animal treated also received rabies, leptospirosis, and other essential vaccinations.

That was the 36th clinic for ViDAS as an organization. We couldnt be more excited for this opportunity to help a community recently ravaged by a devastating hurricane, which left thousands of animals homeless, stated ViDAS in their website. Adding to this astonishing feat, ViDAS has officially announced that its Round 4 clinic of Spayathon will be held May 3-8 in Manati, Puerto Rico. We are again very honored to be part of this cause.

In addition to ViDAS, since its inception in 2014, The 20/22 Act Societys Foundation has supported many animal welfare charities on the island, including PR Alliance for Companion Animals, the Humane Society of the United States, and The Sato Project, to name a few.

About The 20/22 Act Society:

The Society is a membership-based organization founded in 2014 and built around Laws 20 and 22 of Puerto Rico to incentivize companies and high net worth individuals to relocate to Puerto Rico under the tax incentive code of 2012. The Society is the epicenter organization for those recipients and has the purpose to educate those interested in the acts, provide members with a community to socialize and interact, donate to local causes, and have a unified voice for its recipients. The 20/22 Act Society is as diverse as it is exceptional, but all members share common values and aspirations. The 20/22 Foundation was formed to bring members individual charitable interests together and to explore how the Foundation could provide support in an effective and efficient way. For more information, please visit http://www.the2022actsociety.org.
The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi Through our Dissertation Fellowship program, Phi Kappa Phi is proud to help doctoral students at a critical point in their degree programs, crossing the line from ABD to completion of the doctorate, said Executive Director Dr. Mary Todd.

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nations oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society, today announced the recipients of a 2019 Phi Kappa Phi Dissertation Fellowship. The $10,000 fellowships are designed to support active Society members in the dissertation writing stage of doctoral study.

This years class of fellows represents a group of 10 students spanning a number of academic disciplines from science and technology to arts and humanities.

The 2019 Phi Kappa Phi Dissertation Fellows:



Kathryn Accurso, University of Massachusetts

Elizabeth Bell, The University of Oklahoma

Saurabh Biswas, Arizona State University

Gustavo Eidji Camarinha Fujiwara, University of Washington

Rachel Fenske, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Jennifer O. Gammage, DePaul University

Kristin George Bagdanov, University of California, Davis

Monica K. Lieng, University of California, Davis

Rachelle Wang-Cendejas, University of Southern California

Christine Wisch, Indiana University

Through our Dissertation Fellowship program, Phi Kappa Phi is proud to help doctoral students at a critical point in their degree programs, crossing the line from ABD to completion of the doctorate, said Executive Director Dr. Mary Todd.

The recipients were selected based on a number of criteria including how the fellowship will contribute to the completion of the dissertation, the significance of original research, and endorsement by the dissertation chair. Each fellow will receive $10,000 to apply toward 12 months of dissertation writing.

Established in 2014, the dissertation fellowships are part of the Societys robust award programs, which give nearly $1 million each year to outstanding students and members through study abroad grants, graduate fellowships, funding for post-baccalaureate development, member and chapter awards, and grants for local, national and international literacy initiatives.

To learn more about the Phi Kappa Phi Dissertation Fellowship Program and this years recipients, please visit http://www.phikappaphi.org/dissertation.

About Phi Kappa Phi

Founded in 1897, Phi Kappa Phi is the nation's oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. Phi Kappa Phi inducts approximately 30,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni annually. The Society has chapters on more than 300 select colleges and universities in North America and the Philippines. Membership is by invitation only to the top 10 percent of seniors and graduate students and 7.5 percent of juniors. Faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction also qualify. The Society's mission is "To recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others." For more information, visit http://www.phikappaphi.org.
Recent college graduates are eligible for a rebate at Toyota of Hattiesburg!

Toyota of Hattiesburg is committed to helping college graduates succeed. The dealership is offering an available $500 rebate to recent college graduates on select Toyota vehicles in their inventory.

In order for students to qualify for the Toyota College Grad Rebate, they must have proof of graduation in the past two calendar years or within the next six months. Along with the proof of graduation, proof of current or future employment that will start within 120 days must also be provided.

Students that qualify for the $500 rebate are able to use it on all new unlicensed Toyota vehicle models when they finance through the Toyota dealership and Toyota Financial Services (TFS). Along with the rebate, students may also have 90 days free of payments depending on the finance program.

Not all applicants will qualify if they do not meet the requirements. This rebate is not available on Toyota Certified Used Vehicles (TCUVs) or Scion Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles.

Along with the College Grad Rebate from Toyota of Hattiesburg, the dealership also offers other rebates and incentives for its customers such as the Military Rebate and the Uber Driver Incentive. All of these available savings can be located under the Coupons and Rebates link that is under the Specials tab on the dealership website (http://www.toyotahattiesburg.com).

Questions regarding the college graduate rebate or anything else pertaining to the Toyota of Hattiesburg dealership can be directed by calling 601-255-0887 or by stopping by the dealership that is located at 6461 US Hwy 98 in Hattiesburg, Miss.
We researched dozens of CBD companies and found over 80 percent dont contain what is printed on their labels. Compassionate Certification Centers has developed a cutting-edge product that meets the needs and goals of our network of over 425,000 registered patients.

Trusted health care leaders Compassionate Certification Centers, a physician-owned medical cannabis network, and MarijuanaDoctors.com, a digital portal and resource for cannabis patients, today announced they have partnered to distribute a co-branded, non-THC, CBD product line nationwide.

When Compassionate Certification Centers debuted its CBD line last year, MarijuanaDoctors.com recognized the brand as one of the few reputable and reliable sources for quality CBD and patient care.

Our brand is medical grade CBD that is triple-tested and affordably priced. With thousands of patients safely taking our products and testing negative for THC on their drug screens, we are glad to be a trusted and reliable option, stated Compassionate Certification Centers CEO Melonie Kotchey.

Made in the U.S., the CBD line contains premium botanical oils derived from organic, all-natural ingredients. The Compassionate Certification Centers brand aligned with the core philosophies at MarijuanaDoctors.com, a commitment to compliance and integrity.

We researched dozens of CBD companies and found over 80 percent dont contain what is printed on their labels. Compassionate Certification Centers has developed a cutting-edge product that meets the needs and goals of our network of over 425,000 registered patients, stated Ray Correa, Chief Operating Officer of MarijuanaDoctors.com.

Under the partnership, MarijuanaDoctors.com and Compassionate Certification Centers will distribute a co-branded, THC-free, CBD line across their platforms. MarijuanaDoctors.com will offer the products for purchase online as well as a wholesale offering for its national network of medical practitioners.

We define success by the magnitude of the beneficial footprint we leave on society, commented Correa. By being patient-centric and collaborating with those that share these values, we are confident the market will welcome this partnership with a warm reception.

MarijuanaDoctors.com is a digital portal for patients, providing visibility and transparency on medical cannabis physicians and alternative healthcare options.

Compassionate Certification Centers is a physician-led organization providing medical cannabis evaluations and certifications with offices throughout Pennsylvania. The health care network is listed on MarijuanaDoctors.com as a reliable and safe resource for patients and has an established five-star rating. For more information visit cccenters.org.

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About Compassionate Certification Centers

Compassionate Certification Centers is the first United States Medical Cannabis Healthcare System, specializing in cannabis medicine. The company is devoted to assisting U.S. citizens discover medical cannabis treatment options in a way that respects the laws of each state with proof of compliance for the respective governing agencies.

Compassionate Certification Centers employs a team of medical cannabis doctors from different specialties who inform, educate, and guide patients on how to obtain a Medical Card and different treatment options to potentially improve quality of life. Its network of convenient healthcare centers offers CBD and THC consultation and care, as well as a full spectrum of CBD products to purchase onsite or online. Compassionate Certification Centers provides a patient-friendly experience in a comfortable and supportive environment. The organization is able to operate its centers with a retail component in every medical region in the country.

Compassionate Certification Centers is involved in expanding medical cannabis education and is currently conducting a clinical trial on CBD. The organization annually hosts the World Medical Cannabis Conference & Expo, a multi-day event that features industry experts in the fields of business, science, medicine, technology, policy, and more. For event information, visit ccconference.com. For company information, visit cccenters.org or join the discussion at Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Google+.
SunStar Strategic is pleased to announce that U.S. Bank Global Fund Services is the Platinum Sponsor for SunStar Strategic's 2019 Mutual Fund Conference, Thriving in an Ever-Changing Industry. The conference is ideal for small to medium-sized fund firms who want to grow.

Andrew Strnad, vice president of Quasar Distributors, the wholesale distribution division of U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, will moderate a high-profile panel featuring two boutique fund firms that had among the highest inflows in the industry in recent years, excluding the biggest firms.

This event brings together a unique blend of insiders, from fund managers to financial journalists. Its a great opportunity for industry professionals to share our success stories, but also address the challenges of an environment that is changing faster than ever before, said Strnad.

The event also features two keynote speakers: Christopher Davis, Head of U.S. Research at Strategic Insight, who will present Distribution Essentials for Boutique Funds. He will share research supporting best strategies for marketing and distribution. Warren Miller, founder of Flowspring, will present data in a presentation entitled, "Beating the Big Guys - How to Attract Assets as an Active Boutique Manager.

Thriving in todays competitive environment is tougher than ever. To address the industrys issues, the conference will offer panels of:



Fund managers with assets ranging from $120 million to $250 billion talking about specific techniques they are using to sell their funds, covering an array of products, sales efforts and marketing structures.

Gatekeepers offering insights on how to get on their platforms and maximize opportunities.

M&A experts discussing whats happening in the industry and how funds can best estimate their value.

Financial journalists sharing what they're looking for and what topics they find to be of interest.

Data and digital providers demonstrating how to maximize their services for advisor outreach through smart data.

The event takes place April 29 and 30 in Washington, D.C. For more information or to register, please visit sunstarstrategic.com/conference or call 703.299.8390.

About U.S. Bank Global Fund Services

Headquartered in Milwaukee since 1969, U.S. Bank Global Fund Services provides single-source solutions to support a variety of investment strategies and products, including mutual funds, alternative investments and exchange-traded funds. As of June 2018, the division currently services 585 fund families comprised of 3,295 portfolios, 4,132 fund classes, and 4.5 million shareholder accounts with $1.14 trillion in client assets. U.S. Bank Global Fund Services is a subsidiary of U.S. Bank, the fifth largest commercial bank in the United States.

About SunStar Strategic

SunStar Strategic offers public relations (PR) and marketing programs to help attract, maintain and grow clients. Core services include comprehensive PR, creative strategy and execution. SunStar is headquartered in Washington, D.C. with offices in Chicago, New York City and Austin.
We applaud our sponsors for investing their time and resources on behalf of our member HBCUs and their students, said Greg Lyles, area development director, UNCF.

During an extraordinary night, UNCF (United Negro College Fund) locally celebrated its 75th anniversary March 16 at its Philadelphia UNCF Mayors Masked Ball and raised more than $760,000 for deserving students and historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Hosted by the honorable Mayor James Kenney, UNCF presented Robert Bogle, president and CEO, Philadelphia Tribune, with a 2019 Masked Award. Comcast Corporation and Wells Fargo also received awards for years-long support of UNCF during the program.

More than 700 guests were in attendance, including event co-chairs Stephanie Mays Boyd, vice president of sales and marketing, Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority; Ric Harris, president and general manager, NBC10/Telemundo62; Alycia Horn, vice president and deputy general counsel, Comcast Cable; Joe H. Tucker, Jr., founder and managing partner, Tucker Law Group; HBCU presidents Dr. Brenda Allen, Lincoln University, and Aaron A. Walton, Cheney University; and Dr. Michael L. Lomax, president and CEO, UNCF.

There are millions of Americans who, over 75 years, have invested in UNCF and better futures for our students, and through that success, for all of us, said Lomax. Tonight, we raised the resources our HBCUs need to do their invaluable work. Tonight, we fund scholarships that narrow the gap between college costs and family resources. And together, we change the narrative of our HBCUs, which help strengthen and elevate a new generation of young, black and gifted students.

Independence Blue Cross and Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church served as Marquis event sponsors. We applaud our sponsors for investing their time and resources on behalf of our member HBCUs and their students, said Greg Lyles, area development director, UNCF.

During the past 75 years, UNCF has helped nearly half a million students earn college degrees. Benefitting HBCUs and students of color, events like the Philadelphia Mayors Masked Ball helped UNCF garner the resources to provide more than $3.4 million in scholarships last year to local students.

To view images from this event, visit http://www.UNCF.org/Philadelphia.

About UNCF

UNCF (the United Negro College Fund) is the nations largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students education and development through scholarships and other programs, supports and strengthens its 37 member colleges and universities and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. UNCF institutions and other historically black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding 17 percent of African American baccalaureate degrees. UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at over 1,100 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized motto, A mind is a terrible thing to waste. Learn more at UNCF.org or for continuous updates and news, follow UNCF on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @UNCF.
A recent report from Urban Institute has been widely trumpeted as documenting college attainment benefits for students receiving a neovoucher through the Florida Tax Credit scholarship program. But a new review raises concerns and cautions that proper use of the study begins with an understanding of its limitations.

Jaekyung Lee, of the University at Buffalo, SUNY, reviewed The Effects of the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program on College Enrollment and Graduation: An Update. Professor Lee found that the report, while making timely and relevant contribution to the research base, provides little guidance for policy and practice.

The report finds neovoucher students were 6-10 percentage points more likely to enroll in some type of college and were one to two percentage points more likely to earn a bachelors degree. The study uses expanded data tracking and appropriate research methods that attempt to match neovoucher students to non-neovoucher students with similar baseline characteristics. However, Professor Lee raises three critical questions about methods, findings and conclusions.

First is the problem of selection bias. The studys attempt to match students resulted in the comparison group having two to three times more students receiving reduced-price lunch. This is on top of the problem of possible unmeasured differences, which the reports authors briefly acknowledge. Professor Lee notes that choosers tend to be more advantaged in unmeasured aspects than nonchoosers, which tends to result in an upward bias (positive effects on achievement).

Second, the study skips over the question of whether neovoucher students have any measured achievement benefits, at a time when research has raised serious questions about whether students do less well academically when they receive vouchers. Without real achievement benefits, the estimated impact of Florida neovouchers on college enrollment may reflect college matching effects rather than true program effects on students college readiness.

Third, the neovoucher programs reporting of much greater apparent effects on college enrollment than on graduation suggests that the conditional neovoucher effect on college completion (i.e., conditional on college entry) could be null or even negative. Even while many more neovoucher students are heading to college, their likelihood of doing well once they get there is much lower.

These concerns call into question the use and misuse of this study by voucher advocates. The study was used by Florida Governor DeSantis in his State of the State address to advocate for vouchers, and it was dutifully covered by The 74 and The National Review, and even as part of voucher debates in Kentucky (The Courier-Journal) and Nebraska (The Omaha World-Herald). Proper use of the study begins with an understanding of its limitations and sees the need for confirmatory research and future exploration of potential mechanisms driving any increased college attainment.

Find the review, by Jaekyung Lee, at:

http://nepc.colorado.edu/thinktank/tax-credit

Find The Effects of the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program on College Enrollment and Graduation: An Update, written by Matthew Chingos, Tomas Monarrez, and Daniel Kuehn, and published by Urban Institute, at:

https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/99728/the_effects_of_the_florida_tax_credit_scholarship_program_on_college_enrollment_and_graduation_2.pdf

Find Documents:

Publication Announcement: nepc.info/node/9707

NEPC Review: nepc.colorado.edu/thinktank/tax-credit

Report Reviewed: urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/99728/the_effects_of_the_florida_tax_credit_scholarship_program_on_college_enrollment_and_graduation_2.pdf

NEPC Reviews (thinktankreview.org) provide the public, policymakers, and the press with timely, academically sound reviews of selected publications. NEPC Reviews are made possible in part by support provided by the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice: greatlakescenter.org

The National Education Policy Center (NEPC), housed at the University of Colorado Boulder School of Education, produces and disseminates high-quality, peer-reviewed research to inform education policy discussions. Visit us at: nepc.colorado.edu
Ragnar Karhus (55), currently CEO of Telenor Broadcast is appointed new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Schibsted ASA. He will take over for Trond Berger (61), who has decided to exercise his early retirement option 1 September 2019, after 20 years in the position.

Ragnar Karhus has broad experience from various positions in Telenor and other Norwegian companies. He has been in his current position since 2014, and was before that Senior Vice President in Telenor Group Industrial Development. He joined Telenor in 2000 and has held the position as CFO in several Telenor companies and deputy CEO of the Nordic region. From 2007 to 2011, he served as CEO of Telenor Norway. Karhus holds a Master of Business Administration from BI, the Norwegian School of Management.

"I am very happy to announce that Ragnar Karhus has accepted to take on the role as CFO of Schibsted. His background as CEO and CFO from various areas of Telenor makes him very well qualified for the position. He has gained experience from managing big technological transitions and also having a complete commercial responsibility of large businesses with good results. I have worked with Ragnar previously and know him as hard working, capable, diligent and results oriented," CEO of Schibsted Kristin Skogen Lund says.

"Schibsted has a long and proud history with an impressive record on both developing its existing businesses and exploring new and adjacent opportunities within a rapidly changing environment, resulting in a substantial value creation to its shareholders over time. I am really excited about the opportunity to contribute together with Kristin, her team and employees to continue this value creation journey in an exciting time for our industry," Ragnar Karhus says.

Trond Berger will stay close to Schibsted even after 1 September 2019, working part time with Group projects.

"The media industry has changed tremendously during my time in Schibsted, and it has been a pleasure to be part of one of the most exciting success stories in this industry. We have experienced a tremendous value creation for shareholders in the period, and we have been able to develop and reinvent our brands and products to the benefit of consumers and society. Schibsted is now moving into yet another phase, after the demerger of Adevinta, and for me this is a natural time to step down. At the same time, I am looking forward to the coming months, contributing full force to the group, until Ragnar comes on board," Trond Berger says.

"Even though Trond will stay in his position until Ragnar is in place in five months' time, I would already now take the opportunity to underscore the vast contribution Trond has made to Schibsted's success over a long period of time. A sharp mind, focus on the real value drivers and a deep dedication and passion for Schibsted's various businesses are Trond's trademarks. I am grateful that he will stay with us for some months also after Ragnar comes on board to ensure a good transition," Kristin Skogen Lund says.

Trond Berger has an individual pension plan which mainly entitles him to an early retirement pension from the age of 62, which he reaches in June 2019.



Contact person investors/analysts:

Trond Berger, CFO. Tel: +47 916 86 895, email: trond.berger@schibsted.no

Jo Christian Steigedal, VP Head of IR. Tel: +47 415 08 733, email: jcs@schibsted.com

Media:

Nathalie Kavin, Head of Corporate Communications, Tel: +47 934 01 363, email: nathalie.kavin@schibsted.com

Oslo, 28 March 2019

SCHIBSTED ASA



Jo Christian Steigedal

Head of IR
Railroad industry leaders and innovators will gather May 21-22 in downtown Chicago for the Wi-Tronix User Conference where they will have the opportunity to network with other rail industry professionals. Wi-Tronix personnel will lead user conference participants in training and demos that will provide meaningful insights into the ever-evolving rail industry, as well as the future capabilities of Wi-Tronix IoT (Internet of Things) solutions for rail.

After two days of in-depth, informative sessions, participants will walk away with a deeper knowledge of solutions that enhance safety, efficiency and reliability of rail operations. Key learnings of the conference will fuel participants efforts to optimize operations while driving long-term growth strategies.

Participants will gain an understanding of the role Video Analytics and Artificial Intelligence are starting to play in decision making and automation of vehicle and infrastructure systems. As a global leader in rail solutions, Wi-Tronix will demonstrate applications for its latest technology to leverage real-time locomotive information.

Wi-Tronix leaders also will share their new engagement and learning platform called Community, explain new Wi-Tronix product packaging, demonstrate how to optimize product functionality and expose new value streams to further leverage a Wi-Tronix investment.

In addition, the User Conference will feature discussions of pressing industry issues and trends, with participants encouraged to add their valuable insight as Wi-Tronix creates a roadmap for the future of its products and features.

Featured keynote speakers and thought leaders at the Wi-Tronix User Conference include:



Larry Jordan, Wi-Tronix President and Founder, who will discuss the see, hear, feel and experience aspect of railroad IoT and the future of automated railway operations. (See bio below.)

Noelle Pikus-Pace, two-time Olympian and world champion skeleton racer, business owner, mother, author and motivational speaker, who has won an Olympic silver medal and is a strategic performance expert.

Industry experts from Canadian National Railway, Amtrak, Florida East Coast Railway, BNSF Railway and others, who will share their own transformations and offer rail insights from across North America.

Conference attendees will have access to more than 20 educational sessions, including interactive presentations, rail-focused use cases, small work groups and training.

We look forward to gathering with other rail professionals and providing a two-day experience that will arm them with tools, knowledge and ideas they need to solve current and future business challenges, Jordan says.

He adds that Wi-Tronix is pleased to present its User Conference in Chicago, a railroad and transportation hub with a long and rich supply chain history. The conference will be held at Convene on 16 W. Adams Street in Chicago. Attendees are asked to register in advance. Registration information can be found on the Wi-Tronix user portal or the new online tool, Community. For participants who register before April 20, a block of hotel rooms is available at the St. Jane in Chicago, located on 230 N. Michigan Ave.

About Wi-Tronix

Wi-Tronix provides the most advanced IoT platform designed specifically for the rail industry, connecting rail companies in real- time with critical information and insights about how their trains and rail networks are performing. Violet Edge onboard technology platform integrates data from across diverse fleets and data sources on an unprecedented scale for rail companies. We partner with our customers to improve the safety, service reliability, and operational efficiency of their transportation systems. The entire Wi-Tronix team is passionately committed to its global vision of saving lives and ensuring the most efficient and reliable movement of goods and people throughout the world.

Larry Jordan Bio

Larry Jordan, president and co-founder of Wi-Tronix, is passionate about delivering a safe, sustainable rail industry through technology innovations that solve the challenges rail companies face. Larry holds multiple patents in the area of locomotive control systems. Before founding Wi-Tronix, Larry managed the development of electronic systems for GM Electro-Motive, where he led the creation of IntelliTrain remote monitoring system and FIRE cab electronics system. He received a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology in 1989 and a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1992. Larry has spent his entire career in the rail industry, with a commitment to improving the safety, efficiency and reliability of rail transport around the globe.
Philadelphia labor, employment, and workers compensation law firm Willig, Williams & Davidson is pleased to announce that attorney Joseph D. Richardson has joined the firm. He focuses his practice on labor law.

Before joining the firm, Richardson spent seven years as a field attorney with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in San Francisco and Philadelphia. As an NLRB attorney, he investigated unfair labor practice charges and represented the board in administrative hearings and injunction proceedings in U.S. District Court. He also represented his co-workers as an NLRB union local president and served as a pro bono arbitrator for denials of service at homeless shelters in San Francisco.

Richardson graduated magna cum laude from American Universitys Washington College of Law, where he was an editor on the Administrative Law Review. He is a member of the Order of the Coif and a recipient of the Mussey Prize and the Wallace L. Duncan Award for Outstanding Scholarship in the Field of Administrative Law. As a law student, he defended low-income tenants facing eviction proceedings in Washington D.C. Superior Court.

Before attending law school, Richardson served five years in the Marine Corps, where he learned Arabic and was selected for an elite Marine reconnaissance unit. He participated in the Iraq invasion in 2003 and deployed to Afghanistan as a civilian in 2004 and 2007.

About Willig, Williams & Davidson  Willig, Williams & Davidson (http://www.wwdlaw.com) is one of the largest and most respected union-side labor law firms in the United States. The firm has offices in Philadelphia, Jenkintown and Harrisburg, Pa., as well as Haddonfield, N.J., and Chicago, Ill. Founded in 1979, Willig, Williams & Davidson focuses on representing labor unions, employee benefit funds and individual working people and their families on a variety of legal fronts, including national, regional and local contract negotiations; dispute resolution through mediation, arbitration and litigation; tax and benefit law compliance issues; discrimination and other employment matters; prepaid legal services for union members; and workers compensation matters in Philadelphia and beyond.
This year's PW Bookstore of the Year, Literati Bookstore, opened its doors in Ann Arbor almost exactly six years ago to the day. Founders Hilary and Michael Gustafson moved back to Michigan from Brooklyn to start the bookstore when Borders went out of business in 2011. Initially Literati had 2,600 sq. ft., seven employees, and 9,000 books. Since then the store has grown significantly and now occupies close to 4,000 sq. ft. and has 27 employees and nearly 30,000 books, as well as a coffee shop.

Former PW Rep of the Year (2007) Kate McCune with HarperCollins nominated Literati because of its selection, events, subscription clubs, and commitment to giving back to the community. The store has seen double digit growth most years since it opened. Publishers regularly trust them to host major authors, most recently Louise Penny who sold out a ticketed 900-seat offsite event. Mike published a book about life at the store, [Notes from a Public Typewriter], noted McKune. She attributed part of the stores success to Hilarys strong sense of retail from working as an in-house rep for Simon & Schuster before opening the bookstore.

This year's PW Rep of the Year is Cindy Heidemann, a PGW and Two Rivers rep in the Northwest who started her book career at the University of Oregon Bookstore before becoming a commission rep for Redsides Pub Services in 2001. Two years later she moved to PGW, where she has worked through several transitions, most recently its purchase by Ingram Publisher Services. Even so, Heidemann said, [PGW] still remains the best at what it does, distributing books to the needy literary masses.

In his nominating letter, ABA president Robert Sindelar, writing in his capacity as managing partner of Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park, Ravenna, and Seward Park, Wash., wrote: In an ever growing and challenging list to navigate, Cindy is a master at helping buyers focus on what is important for their stores. Her judgment and insight are valued by all of our buyers.

Look for in-depth interviews with the 2019 award-winners in the May 13 pre-BookExpo issue of Publishers Weekly. The awards will be presented Thursday morning during the convention.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.  One frustration for doctors and patients dealing with certain cancers and autoimmune diseases is that they know the cause, but they dont know how to reduce its effects in the body.

A clue can be found with the immunoproteasome, a protein complex in the body that is present in specific types of cancers, such as colorectal, colon and breast. It also is present in autoimmune diseases where cells have encountered a pro-inflammatory signal where the bodys immune cells start to attack and destroy themselves. Identifying and reducing this autoimmune response is an ongoing challenge for medical professionals.

It is well understood which types of cells will express the immunoproteasome, said Darci Trader, an assistant professor of medicinal chemistry and molecular pharmacology in Purdues College of Pharmacy, who leads the research team. How its activity can be perturbed to affect disease is not.

Trader and her Purdue University team have designed a new probe to monitor and label immunoproteasome-expressing cells.

Current probes are inefficient for monitoring the activity of the immunoproteasome in live cells because they are not very cell permeable and can easily be degraded by other cellular proteases. The work is published in the March 20 edition of the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Having an immunoproteasome-selective probe that can work in live cells allows for a quicker readout of how small molecules are affecting the activity of the immunoproteasome, Trader said. We are going to use our new immunoproteasome probe to discover small molecules to help tweak the immune system response for people dealing with cancers, infections and autoimmune diseases.

In the case of cancer or infections, the aim is a quicker immune system response. In the case of autoimmune diseases, the goal is to lessen the immune systems response. As the probe fluoresces to indicate immunoproteasome is present, the identification of small molecules could lead to increasing or decreasing the immune system response to best serve the patient.

Trader said they also are working to test the ability of the probe to detect the immunoproteasome and then use it as a vehicle to release drugs to treat cancer and other diseases. They are specifically looking at the use of prodrugs, which are biologically inactive compounds that selectively produce medication effects based on how they are created.

Their work aligns with Purdue's Giant Leaps celebration, celebrating the global advancements in health as part of Purdues 150th anniversary. Health is one of the four themes of the yearlong celebrations Ideas Festival, designed to showcase Purdue as an intellectual center solving real-world issues.

Trader has worked with the Purdue Office of Technology Commercialization to patent several technologies to help in disease monitoring and treatment. Her research team is looking for additional partners and researchers.

About Purdue Office of Technology Commercialization

The Purdue Office of Technology Commercialization operates one of the most comprehensive technology transfer programs among leading research universities in the U.S. Services provided by this office support the economic development initiatives of Purdue University and benefit the university's academic activities. The office is managed by the Purdue Research Foundation, which received the 2016 Innovation and Economic Prosperity Universities Award for Innovation from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. For more information about funding and investment opportunities in startups based on a Purdue innovation, contact the Purdue Foundry at foundry@prf.org. For more information on licensing a Purdue innovation, contact the Office of Technology Commercialization at otcip@prf.org. The Purdue Research Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation created to advance the mission of Purdue University.

Writer: Chris Adam, 765-588-3341, cladam@prf.org



Source: Darci Trader, dtrader@purdue.edu

Abstract

Monitoring the Immunoproteasome in Live Cells Using an Activity-Based PeptidePeptoid Hybrid Probe

Breanna L. Zerfas and Darci J. Trader

Activity-based probes have greatly improved our understanding of the intrinsic roles and expression levels of various proteins within cells. To be useful in live cells, probes must be cell permeable and provide a read-out that can be measured without disrupting the cells or the activity of the target. Unfortunately, probes for the various forms of the proteasome that can be utilized in intact cells are limited; commercially available probes are most effectively used with purified protein or cell lysate. The proteasome, both the 26S and various isoforms of the 20S CP, is an important target with reported roles in cancer, autoimmune disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we present the development of a selective probe for the immunoproteasome, a specialized isoform of the 20S proteasome, that becomes expressed in cells that encounter an inflammatory signal. Using a one-bead, one-compound library of small peptides, we discovered a trimer sequence efficiently cleaved by the immunoproteasome with significant selectivity over the standard proteasome. Upon conjugating this sequence to rhodamine 110 and a peptoid, we generated a probe with a considerable improvement in sensitivity compared to that of current aminomethylcoumarin-based proteasome probes. Importantly, our probe was capable of labeling immunoproteasome-expressing cells while maintaining its selectivity over other cellular proteases in live cell cultures. We anticipate this probe to find wide utility for those that wish to study the immunoproteasomes activity in a variety of cell lines and to be used as a reporter to discover small molecules that can perturb the activity of this proteasome isoform.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.  A team of engineers from Purdues School of Aeronautics and Astronautics will work as part of a new U.S. Department of Defense program intended to accelerate basic research innovations, with defense relevance, into the marketplace.

The team is led by Vikas Tomar, a professor of aeronautics and astronautics, and will collaborate with Mike Dodd, director of business development for the Indiana Innovation Institute (IN3), as part of the inaugural I-Corps @ DoD program.

The collaboration will develop business plans for new Purdue technology that uses advanced sensors, along with data science and machine learning elements, to detect and predict failures within certain materials.

Current practices in damage tolerance are fine, if damage is widely distributed, Tomar said. If the damage is localized and not widely distributed, such as a hairline crack, you must have technology like ours that uses stress sensing to predict if damage is going to be catastrophic. The situation is even more complicated for materials in extreme environments.

Tomar and graduate research assistant Ayotomi Olokun are leading the research for Purdue with mentorship in the program from Dodd, who also serves as the deputy lead for Governmental Advocacy with the Defense Entrepreneurs Forum. IN3 is an applied research institute that brings together top leaders from government, military, industry and research universities in collaboration with Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (NSWC Crane).

The I-Corps @ DoD program is an excellent vehicle for all university researchers to transition their work into the marketplace so that it can directly impact the warfighters mission and create job growth in Indiana, Dodd said.

The Purdue research focuses on detecting stress as a predictor of failure, rather than relying on damage detection to try to predict potentially catastrophic failures of these materials in sometimes extreme and dangerous situations.

The technology is being developed by Tomar in Purdues Interfacial Multiphysics Lab and could be used for nuclear materials, lithium-ion batteries, metals and biological and energy materials, all of which are used in situations with extreme temperatures and shock velocities.

Writer:

Brian Huchel, 765-494-2084, bhuchel@purdue.edu

Sources:

Vikas Tomar, 765-494-3423, tomar@purdue.edu

Raquel Bahamonde, 317-319-6875, rbahamonde@in3indiana.com
English Danish

NOTICE TO CONVENE the annual general meeting of Nordic Shipholding A/S

The Board of Directors hereby convenes the Annual General Meeting of Nordic Shipholding A/S (CVR no. 76 35 17 16) (the Company) to be held on

Thursday, 25 April 2019, at 10:00 a.m. (CET)

Danish Shipping (Danske Rederier, previously Danmarks Rederiforening)

Amaliegade 33, DK-1256 Copenhagen K

Agenda:

Board of Directors report on the financial year 2018 Presentation of the annual report 2018 for adoption Grant of discharge to members of the Board of Directors and Executive Management Resolution on the application of the result of the year Approval of the remuneration of the Board of Directors for 2019 Election of members to the Board of Directors Appointment of auditors Proposals from Board of Directors Extension of the authorisations to increase the Companys share capital Extension of the authorisations to issue convertible debt instruments Extension of the authorisations to issue warrants Authorisation to the chairman of the general meeting Any other business





Complete proposals

Item 1  Board of Directors report on the financial year 2018

The Board of Directors report on the financial year 2018 will be presented at the Annual General Meeting.

Item 2  Presentation of the annual report 2018 for adoption

The Board of Directors proposes that the general meeting adopts the Companys annual report for 2018, including the remuneration paid to the Board of Directors for 2018.

Item 3  Grant of discharge to members of the Board of Directors and Executive Management

The Board of Directors proposes that the general meeting grants discharge to members of the Board of Directors and the Executive Management.

Item 4  Resolution on the application of the result of the year

The Board of Directors proposes that the general meeting approves the Board of Directors proposal on application of the result of the year as stated in the annual report for 2018. The result for the financial year 2018 will be allocated to retained earnings.

Item 5  Approval of the remuneration of the Board of Directors for 2019

The Board of Directors proposes that the general meeting approves the following remuneration of the members of the Board of Directors for the financial year 2019:

Chairman of the Board of Directors: DKK 240,000 (2018: DKK 350,000).

Other members of the Board of Directors: DKK 175,000, as no remuneration will be paid to the board members Jon Lewis, Philip Clausius and Kanak Kapur (unchanged from 2018).

Item 6  Election of members to the Board of Directors

The Board of Directors proposes re-election of Knud Pontoppidan (Chairman), Jon Lewis (Deputy Chairman), Esben Poulsson, Jens V. Mathiasen, Kanak Kapur and Philip Clausius to the Board of Directors.

A description of the background of and offices held by each candidate is enclosed as appendix 1 and is also available at the Companys website, www.nordicshipholding.com.

Item 7  Appointment of auditors

The Board of Directors proposes re-election of the Companys current auditor, PricewaterhouseCoopers Statsautoriseret Revisionspartnerselskab. The Board of Directors confirms that the proposal has not been influenced by third parties nor subject to any contractual obligation restricting the general meetings choice of certain auditors or audit firms.

Item 8  Proposals from the Board of Directors

Item 8.a  Extenstion of the authorisations to increase the Companys share capital

The Board of Directors current authorisations to increase the Companys share capital in article 4.1 of the articles of association expire on 14 April 2019. In light of this, the Board of Directors proposes that the authorisations be extended until 25 April 2024.

If the proposal is adopted, article 4.1 will be amended as follows:

4.1 Authorisation to issue new shares

4.1.1 The Company's Board of Directors is authorised to increase the Company's share capital in one or more issues by up to a total nominal amount of DKK 40,650,000 with pre-emptive subscription rights for the Company's existing shareholders. The authorisation is effective until 25 April 2024. The capital increases may be paid in by cash contribution, non-cash contribution and/or by conversion of debt. The capital increase may be implemented at a subscription price below, at or above market price.



4.1.2 The Company's Board of Directors is authorised to increase the Company's share capital in one or more issues by up to a total nominal amount of DKK 20,325,000 without pre-emptive subscription rights for the Company's existing shareholders. The authorisation is effective until 25 April 2024. The capital increases may be paid in by cash contribution, non-cash contribution and/or by conversion of debt. The capital increase must be implemented at or above market price.





4.1.3 The aggregate nominal value of any shares issued pursuant to article 4.1 shall not exceed DKK 40,650,000. The shares issued in connection with the capital increases shall be negotiable instruments, paid in full and shall not be subject to any restrictions on transferability. The new shares will confer on the holders the right to receive dividends and other rights in the Company as from the date decided by the Board of Directors in their resolution of the capital increase. The shares shall be issued in the name of the holder, and shall be registered in the name of the holder in the Companys register of shareholders. The Board of Directors is authorised to adopt amendments to the articles of association as a consequence of a share capital increase adopted pursuant to article 4.1.

Item 8.b  Extension of the authorisations to issue convertible debt instruments

The Board of Directors current authorisations to issue convertible debt instruments in article 4.2 of the articles of association expire on 14 April 2019. In light of this, the Board of Directors proposes that the authorisations be extended until 25 April 2024.

If the proposal is adopted, article 4.2 will be amended as follows:

4.2. Authorisation to issue convertible debt instruments

4.2.1 The Company's Board of Directors is authorised to raise loans on one or more occasions for a total loan amount of DKK 500,000,000 with pre-emptive subscription rights for the Companys existing shareholders against the issuance of debt instruments convertible into shares. The authorisation is effective until 25 April 2024. The conversion price shall be determined by the Board of Directors as the market price at the time of conversion or as a price below, equal to or above market price at the time of issue of the convertible debt instrument. All other terms and conditions governing the convertible debt instruments are determined by the Board of Directors at the time.

4.2.2 The Company's Board of Directors is authorised to raise loans on one or more occasions for a total loan amount of DKK 250,000,000 without pre-emptive subscription rights for the Companys existing shareholders against the issuance of debt instruments convertible into shares. The authorisation is effective until 25 April 2024. The conversion price shall be determined by the Board of Directors as the market price at the time of conversion or as a price equal to or above market price at the time of issue of the convertible debt instrument. All other terms and conditions governing the convertible debt instruments are determined by the Board of Directors at the time.

4.2.3 The aggregate principal amount of any convertible loan instruments issued pursuant to the authorisations in article 4.2 shall not exceed DKK 500,000,000.

4.2.4 The Companys Board of Directors is authorised to adopt the share capital increases related to convertible debt instruments issued pursuant to article 4.2 for a total nominal amount of DKK 500,000,000 without pre-emptive subscription rights for existing shareholders. The authorisation is effective until 25 April 2024. The new shares issued upon conversion shall be negotiable instruments and paid in full. The shares shall be issued in the name of the holder, and shall be registered in the name of the holder in the Companys register of shareholders. The Board of Directors shall lay down the other terms and conditions for effecting the capital increase, including the date when the new shares will confer on the holders the right to receive dividends and other rights in the Company. A resolution of the Board of Directors to issue convertible debt instruments must be included in the articles of association. The Board of Directors is authorised to implement any such amendments to the Companys articles of association as may be necessitated by an exercise of the authorisation to issue convertible debt instruments and by a conversion of such convertible debt instruments.

Item 8.c  Extension of the authorisations to issue warrants

The Board of Directors current authorisations to issue warrants in article 4.3 of the articles of association expire on 14 April 2019. In light of this, the Board of Directors proposes that the authorisations be extended until 25 April 2024.

If the proposal is adopted, article 4.3 will be amended as follows:

4.3. Authorisation to issue warrants

4.3.1 The Company's Board of Directors is authorised to issue on one or more occasions warrants to subscribe for shares having a total nominal value of DKK 40,650,000 with pre-emptive subscription rights for the Companys existing shareholders. The authorisation is effective until 25 April 2024. The exercise price shall be determined by the Board of Directors as the market price at the time of exercise or as a price below, equal to or above market price at the time of issue of the warrant. All other terms and conditions governing the warrants are determined by the Board of Directors at the time.

4.3.2 The Company's Board of Directors is authorised to issue on one or more occasions warrants to subscribe for shares having a total nominal value of DKK 20,325,000 without pre-emptive subscription rights for the Companys existing shareholders. The authorisation is effective until 25 April 2024. The exercise price shall be determined by the Board of Directors as the market price at the time of exercise or as a price equal to or above market price at the time of issue of the warrant. All other terms and conditions governing the warrants are determined by the Board of Directors at the time.

4.3.3 The Companys Board of Directors is authorised to adopt the share capital increases related to the warrants issued pursuant to article 4.3 for a total nominal amount of DKK 40,650,000 without pre-emptive subscription rights for existing shareholders. The authorisation is effective until 25 April 2024. The new shares shall be negotiable instruments and be paid in full. The shares shall be issued in the name of the holder, and shall be registered in the name of the holder in the Companys register of shareholders. The Board of Directors shall lay down the other terms and conditions for effecting the capital increase, including the date when the new shares will confer on the holders the right to receive dividends and other rights in the Company. A resolution of the Board of Directors to issue warrants must be included in the articles of association. The Board of Directors is authorised to implement any such amendments to the Companys articles of association as may be necessitated by an exercise of the authorisation to issue warrants and by an exercise of such warrants.

Item 9  Authorisation to the chairman of the general meeting

The Board of Directors proposes that the general meeting authorises the chairman of the general meeting, with a right of substitution, to file the resolutions adopted with the Danish Business Authority and to make any such amendments as the Danish Business Authority may require in order to register or approve the resolutions adopted.

--o0o--

Adoption requirements

The proposed resolutions set out in agenda items 8.a-8.c. must be adopted by at least 2/3 of the votes cast as well as the share capital represented at the general meeting. All the remaining proposals on the agenda may be adopted by a simple majority of votes.

Share capital and shareholders voting rights

The Companys share capital amounts to nominally DKK 40,615,840.30 divided into 406,158,403 shares of nominally DKK 0.10. Each share of nominally DKK 0.10 carries one vote.

The record date is Thursday, 18 April 2019 .

Shareholders holding shares in the Company on the record date, have the right to participate in and vote at the Annual General Meeting. The shares held by the shareholder are calculated on the record date on the basis of entries in the share register and notifications of ownership received by the Company for the purpose of entering into the share register. Furthermore, participation is conditional upon the shareholder obtaining an admission card in time as described below.

Admission cards

Shareholders wishing to participate in the Annual General Meeting must request an admission card.

Admission cards may be obtained through VP Investor Services A/S website, www.vp.dk/agm . Furthermore, admission cards may be obtained by contacting VP Investor Services A/S, by telephone +45 43 58 88 66, by e-mail: vpinvestor@vp.dk , or by written enquiry to VP Investor Services A/S, Weidekampsgade 14, DK-2300 Copenhagen S, by using the form available for download on Nordic Shipholding A/S website, www.nordicshipholding.com .

Requests for admission cards must be submitted so they are received by the VP Investor Services A/S no later than Wednesday, 17 April 2019.

Proxy

Shareholders unable to attend the Annual General Meeting may issue a proxy to the Board of Directors or a third party. Proxies may be granted electronically at VP Investor Services A/S website, www.vp.dk/agm . Furthermore, a proxy may be granted in writing by using the proxy form available for download on Nordic Shipholding A/S website, www.nordicshipholding.com. The signed form may be submitted to VP Investor Services A/S, at Weidekampsgade 14, DK-2300 Copenhagen S, or e-mail vpinvestor@vp.dk .

Proxies must be must be submitted so they are received by the VP Investor Services A/S no later than Wednesday, 17 April 2019.

Postal voting

Shareholders unable to attend the Annual General Meeting may submit their votes by correspondence (i.e. postal vote). Postal votes may be submitted electronically via VP Investor Services A/S website www.vp.dk/agm . Furthermore, a postal vote may be submitted in writing by using the postal vote form available for download on Nordic Shipholding A/S website, www.nordicshipholding.com . The signed postal vote form may be submitted to VP Investor Services A/S, at Weidekampsgade 14, DK-2300 Copenhagen S, or e-mail: vpinvestor@vp.dk .

Postal votes must be submitted so they are received by the VP Investor Services A/S no later than Wednesday, 24 April 2019, at 12:00 noon (CET).

Additional information

Until and including the day of the Annual General Meeting, additional information regarding the Annual General Meeting will be available on the Companys website, www.nordicshipholding.com ,

including the notice with agenda, complete proposals and appendix 1, the annual report for 2018 and information on the total number of shares and voting rights on the date of the notice to convene.

Questions from the shareholders prior to the Annual General Meeting

Shareholders may ask questions to the agenda or to documents, etc. to be used at the Annual General Meeting either by submitting such questions by ordinary mail to Nordic Shipholding A/S, Sundkrogsgade 19, 2., DK-2100 Copenhagen , or by e-mail: info@nordicshipholding.com . Any such questions should be submitted so they are received by the Company no later than Wednesday, 24 April 2019.

Personal data

For further information on how the Company collects and processes personal data, reference is made to the Companys website www.nordicshipholding.com, where information on the Companys policy on treatment of, and information regarding, the protection of personal data is available.

Refreshments

Coffee, tea and water will be served at the Annual General Meeting.

Directions

Danish Shipping may be reached by car or by bus. Please note that availability of parking spaces in the surrounding streets are limited. The nearest parking garage may be found at Jeudan Parkering (parking is subject to charge). Public transportation to the Annual General Meeting is possible with bus (line 1A).

Copenhagen, 28 March 2019

Board of Directors

Attachment
Govia Thameslink Railway began the gradual introduction of Siemens Mobility Class 717 EMUs into all-day passenger service on March 25, when the first two six-car units began operating Great Northern services from Moorgate. All 25 Class 717s are expected to be in service later this year.
Ms Fishers Murder Mysteries  from Every Cloud Productions, creators of the global hit new 1960s-set spin-off  centres on the niece of iconic lady sleuth Miss Fisher. UKTV will premiere the eight-part series on Alibi on Wednesday 10 April. Each episode will broadcast weekly in a 9pm slot, with a Sunday catch-up episode also available. The deal follows Alibis acquisition of all three series of the original Miss Fishers Murder Mysteries. all3media international distributes both titles as part of its ongoing first look deal with Fiona Eagger and Deb Coxs Every Cloud Productions. South Pacific Pictures The Bad Seed, a thriller based on the books by bestselling author Charlotte Grimshaw. The five-part drama tells the story of two brothers from a dysfunctional family who have raised themselves up from the desperate days of their childhood, only to see their lives fall apart when one becomes a suspect in a murder. Produced for TVNZ in New Zealand, The Bad Seed will debut on Alibi in May.Commenting on the deals, Caroline Stephenson, SVP EMEA North at all3media international, said: Were delighted to build on our collaboration with UKTV and Alibi as we conclude this brand-new primetime drama deal. Both titles are shining examples of the premium, globally appealing drama delivering right now from our production partners in Australia and New Zealand. The Miss Fisher brand is well-established around the world and Ms Fishers Modern Murder Mysteries retains all the much-loved elements of the original series whilst introducing a wonderfully engaging new lead character and new adventures set in a vibrant and exciting era.Added UKTV acquisitions manager Charlie Charalambous who brokered the deal on behalf of the British broadcaster: I am delighted to have worked with all3media international to bring two brand new crime drama series to Alibi. Miss Fishers Modern Murder Mysteries is an exciting procedural spin-off to Alibis long-running period drama and The Bad Seed is a narrative, dark and brooding mystery thriller. Both shows are a perfect fit with Alibis brand and Im sure theyll prove popular with viewers.
UK-based distribution and rights-management specialist Magnify Media has announced its first licence deal plus options in the UK and Denmark for scripted youth-skewing format Mental.





Produced by Its Alive Productions and Finlands state broadcaster YLE, Mental tells the real-life stories of four teenagers in a secure psychiatric unit, has also been recommissioned for a second series its native Finland, where it was a breakout hit: in a country with a population of five million, the shows content was watched 2.8 million times online according to YLE data. The Finish public broadcaster employed a multi-platform strategy to reach the broadly non-linear 15- to 24-year-old demographic with the objective of de-stigmatising mental illness.The programme is the first scripted format to be represented by Magnify Media and has now been licensed by France Televisions VOD platform Slash for a 10 x 23' series slated to go into production in May with delivery this Autumn. The new series is a co-production from Paris based Black Sheep Films and Endemol Shine. The two companies agreed aco-development and coproduction deal back in September to strengthening their position in young-adult fiction in the region, driven by OTT platforms and emerging digital players.The show has also been optioned by premium production companies in the UK and Denmark. The UKs Various Artists Limited has optioned the show, the production company specialising in comedy and comedy-drama that was launched by Peep Show writers Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong, and ex- Channel 4 commissioning execs Phil Clarke and Roberto Troni. Mental is the first scripted option deal signed by the production company, in which BBC Worldwide has a 20% stake.For our first move into scripted formats, we wanted something special  a show with meaning, depth and purpose, as well as commercial potential. The moment we saw Mental, we knew wed found that something, commented Magnify Media managing director Andrea Jackson. The calibre of producers from around the world who have bought into YLEs vision is not only a testament to Mentals editorial strength, but confirmation that mental health affects us all, regardless of age, social background or nationality. Securing its first license just before MIPTV gives us the extra backing to know this format has real strength.
As it published its annual plan for 2020, the BBC has made an assurance that it would make central a commitment to bold and creative programme making, innovation in how it delivers services.





The new plan comes at a time when the BBC is bullish about its prospects and how it will compete with the new digital giants such as Amazon and in particular Netflix. It has enjoyed recent successes with programmes such as Bodyguard , A Very English Scandal and Dynasties and believes that similar high ratings will be generated by the fifth series of Line of Duty, Gentlemen Jack, and His Dark Materials in drama; Strictly Come Dancing; and RuPauls Drag Race; and One Planet: Seven Worlds and the Our Planet Matters season for factual.It also comes on the back of announcing that it was teaming with ITV to launch later in 2019 a British version of the BritBox streaming video-on-demand service that the firms currently offer in the US.Yet reinvention was also a key topic laid out in the 2020 plan. While this includes more content aimed at younger audiences, it also covers what innovation is taking place in how the BBC delivers content. The corporation has also proposed improvements to iPlayer, which will require a decision from UK broadcast regulator Ofcom.Commenting on the announcement of the annual plan, BBC Director General Tony Hall said: Today, the BBC enhances the lives of almost everyone in the UK. Around 44 million British people use us every day  more than 90% of the adult population every week. All broadcasters face the challenges of a fast-changing media landscape. The BBC can meet those challenges and succeed in the future, just as we have succeeded in the past. We will achieve success by continuing to place British creativity at the heart of our program making.Our ambition is to deliver the very best, most distinctive, British content of any broadcaster. The string of hits and award-winning programmes of the past twelve months shows that we can deliver. We will build on that in the months ahead to meet the rising expectations of the public.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Long waits for surgery and medical treatment cost Canadians $2.1 billion in lost wages last year, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.



Its estimated more than one million Canadians waited for medically necessary treatment in 2018.

Waiting for medically necessary treatment remains a hallmark of the Canadian health-care system, and in addition to increased pain and sufferingand potentially worse medical outcomesthese long waits also cost Canadians time at work and with family and friends, said Bacchus Barua, associate director of health policy studies at the Fraser Institute and co-author of The Private Cost of Public Queues for Medically Necessary Care, 2019 .

The study finds that the estimated 1,082,541 patients who waited for medically necessary treatment last year each lost $1,924 (on average) due to lost wages and reduced productivity during working hours, or $2.1 billion combined.

When including the value of time outside the traditional work weekevenings and weekends (excluding eight hours of sleep per night)the estimated cost of waiting jumps from $2.1 billion to $6.3 billion, or $5,860 per patient.

The study draws upon data from the Fraser Institutes Waiting Your Turn study, an annual survey of Canadian physicians who, in 2018, reported a median wait time from specialist appointment to treatment of 11 weeksthree weeks longer than what physicians consider clinically reasonable.

Crucially, the $2.1 billion in lost wages is likely a conservative estimate because it doesnt account for the additional 8.7-week wait to see a specialist after receiving a referral from a general practitioner. Taken together (11 weeks and 8.7 weeks), the median wait time in Canada for medical treatment was 19.8 weeks in 2018.

As long as lengthy wait times define Canadas health-care system, patients will continue to pay a price in lost wages and reduced quality of life, Barua said.

Because wait times and incomes vary by province, so does the cost of waiting for health care. Residents of Manitoba in 2018 faced the highest per-patient cost of waiting ($2,852), followed by P.E.I. ($2,594) and Alberta ($2,538).

Average value of time lost during the work week in 2018 for patients waiting for medically necessary treatment (by province):

British Columbia $2,455 Alberta $2,538 Saskatchewan $1,639 Manitoba $2,852 Ontario $1,368 Quebec $1,209 New Brunswick $2,391 Nova Scotia $2,487 Prince Edward Island $2,594 Newfoundland and Labrador $1,559

MEDIA CONTACT:

Bacchus Barua, Associate Director, Health Policy Studies

Fraser Institute

To arrange media interviews or for more information, please contact:

Bryn Weese, Senior Media Relations Specialist, Fraser Institute

Tel: (604) 688-0221 Ext. 589

E-mail: bryn.weese@fraserinstitute.org

Follow the Fraser Institute on Twitter and Facebook
A Massachusetts-based company earlier this month cleared the last regulatory hurdle from the Food and Drug Administration to sell genetically engineered salmon in the U.S. Animal genomics expert Alison Van Eenennaam, who served on an advisory committee to the FDA to evaluate the AquAdvantage salmon, explains the significance of the FDAs move and why some have criticized its decision.

1. How is AquaBountys salmon different from a conventional salmon?

The main difference is that AquaBountys AquAdvantage salmon grows faster than conventional salmon, and therefore gets to market weight in less time. This is desirable for fish farmers because it means the fish require less feed, which is one of the main costs in aquaculture.

Fast growth is a commonly selected characteristic in food animal breeding programs. The growth rate of chickens, for example, has increased dramatically over the past 50 years thanks to conventional breeding based on the naturally occurring variation in growth rate that exists between individual chickens.

To produce the AquAdvantage salmon, Canadian researchers introduced DNA from the King salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, a fast-growing Pacific species, into an Atlantic salmon genome 30 years ago. The AquAdvantage salmon are several generations removed from that original fast-growing founder fish. These fish inherited the King salmon fast-growth gene from their parents in the normal way, passed down through sexual reproduction.

2. The Food and Drug Administration approved AquAdvantage salmon in 2015. Why couldnt it be sold in the United States until now?

Because the AquAdvantage salmon is a genetically engineered animal, it was required to undergo a mandatory premarket FDA safety evaluation. The agency completed that evaluation and determined the fish was safe in November 2015, after almost two decades of regulatory scrutiny.

Following this approval, Alaskan Sen. Lisa Murkowski introduced language into the 2016 federal budget bill that banned importation and sale of the genetically engineered salmon until such time as the FDA publishes final labeling guidelines for informing consumers of such content. According to her press release, she did this to protect Alaskas fishing interests and Pacific salmon stocks from the many threats of Frankenfish.

Soon afterward, the U.S. Department of Agriculture was tasked with developing the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard, also known as the GMO labeling rule, which became effective on Feb. 19, 2019. This rule requires the fish to be labeled as bioengineered food.

In response, the FDA deactivated the 2016 import alert that prevented the genetically engineered salmon from entering the United States, clearing the way for its sale here. The fish had already been approved in Canada in 2016, and has been sold there since 2017.

3. Is there evidence that eating genetically engineered salmon could be harmful to peoples health?

No. The FDA evaluated the fast-growing salmon and concluded that it was as safe as conventional salmon. The agency determines safety by compositional analysis  basically, grinding up genetically engineered salmon and control fish samples and comparing them. In these analyses, the genetically engineered salmon and wild Atlantic salmon were not found to differ.

It was also determined that the introduced King salmon gene was not a novel allergen. Needless to say if you are allergic to fish, dont eat this AquAdvantage salmon or any other salmon either. In reality, theres no such thing as a completely safe food, so what the FDA scientists concluded was that the food from AquAdvantage salmon is as safe as food from non-GE Atlantic salmon.

4. Some critics argue that the genetically modified salmon will escape and mix with wild stocks of fish. How likely is that?

AquaBounty is using multiple, redundant biological, geographical and physical containment measures that collectively decrease the possibility of its salmon escape and interbreeding with wild stocks of fish.

Currently it is growing its engineered fish in land-based freshwater tanks in an FDA-inspected facility in the highlands of Panama. This limits their interaction with wild stocks of fish. They are also being raised to be all-female and triploid. Triploidy means the fish have three complete sets of chromosomes rather than the usual two. Triploidy renders females essentially infertile.

The fertile broodstock fish as maintained in a closed FDA-approved facility on Prince Edward Island in Canada that has physical and geographical containment measures. After reviewing those safeguards, Canadian health and environmental authorities concluded that The likelihood of (genetically engineered salmon) exposure to the Canadian environment is concluded to be negligible with reasonable certainty.

In 2017 AquaBounty purchased a fish farm in Indiana where they plan to grow out genetically engineered salmon. This site was approved by the FDA in 2018 as a grow-out facility. The advantage of growing the salmon in land-based facilities in the United States is that it provides a local source of domestically produced Atlantic salmon. Currently, most salmon eaten in the United States is farmed Atlantic salmon imported from Chile, Norway, and Canada incurring considerable transportation costs and carbon emissions.

The Pacific coast has a wild salmon fishery, and some of its representatives say the genetically engineered salmon is an ecological and genetic threat to native gene pools. But Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) are in a different genus from Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) species. This means they cannot interbreed.

In my view, claims that AquAdvantage salmon will negatively affect wild Pacific salmon populations are unfounded, due not only to the fact that AquAdvantage salmon are being raised in land-based tanks with multiple redundant physical, geographical and biological containment measures to prevent fish from escaping, but also due to the basic genetic incompatibility of these two distinct genera of salmon.

5. Where can I read more?

There are two comprehensive yet comprehensible write-ups that I highly recommend for readers looking for more detailed information on the science and politics of the AquAdvantage salmon. The first is from factcheck.org, a project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center, entitled False Claims about Frankenfish, and the second is by the independent educational site biofortified.org, entitled Fast-growing genetically engineered salmon approved.

Alison Van Eenennaam, Researcher, Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 03/28/2019



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Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.

: Before the 90 Days couple Jon Walters and Rachel Bear have hit an exciting milestone in their quest to move Jon from England to the United States.Rachel, 33, and Jon, 34, have dedicated the last year to saving money so they can begin the visa process and eventually reunite their family, and the couple has revealed they've finally saved enough dough to get the ball rolling!Jon and Rachel announced their big news on their joint Instagram account this week."Jon and Rachel saved $11,000 in 51 weeks, one week before their deadline. The visa process can now start," a statement read.The couple captioned their post, "We did it."Jon and Rachel were first introduced to fans on Season 2 of : Before the 90 Days.The pair met for the first time in England in late 2017 after getting to know each other over the phone and video chat for a year-and-a-half.The series documented Rachel and Jon meeting, getting engaged and tying the knot in May 2018, but Jon's criminal past has prevented him from relocating to the United States with ease.Jon explained on the spinoff there are numerous assault charges and five convictions under his belt from younger years when he would get into physical fights with people.In October 2018, Rachel told blogger John Yates on Instagram Live she and Jon were working very hard to save the money for a K-3 or immigrant visa processing."I think if we weren't doing this with a lawyer, it would be a lot cheaper. But we don't want to do something wrong or miss something... and have then deny us," Rachel explained.Rachel and Jon's fans attempted to help the couple when they were struggling financially by setting up two separate GoFundMe pages to raise money; however, the pages were removed from the Internet hours later."Yeah, we did ask them to take it down. Basically, people are pretty much throwing money at us... It is really touching that people want to do this, but it feels wrong going on TV and then saying, 'Okay, now can we have your money?' with nothing in return," Rachel explained in her interview with Yates."I feel like if anyone wants to do something for us, we just don't want to just take it, say thanks, and never speak to you again."But the reality TV stars subsequently heard about the Cameo app, which allows fans to request personalized video messages from their favorite celebrities in exchange for a fee. For example, Rachel will wish someone in particular a happy birthday and receive $30 for the video.Now that Rachel and Jon are married and have enough money in the bank, they can begin the visa process and hire a lawyer to help them fight their case.An attorney reportedly advised the pair on : Before the 90 Days the process could take up to three years to complete, but Jon would get one step closer to a green card every day.
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South Africa: Task Team on KZN political killings making progress

The Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) into the spate of Political Killings in KwaZulu-Natal has commended government efforts to clampdown on the scourge.

Addressing the media in Durban on Thursday, Police Minister and IMC chairperson, Bheki Cele, announced that since May last year a significant 163 cases had been investigated.

It is even more encouraging to note that from 163 case dockets, 52 [were] finalised dockets thus far. 59 cases are currently pending in court. 52 case dockets are still under investigation with a result of 27 convictions, Cele said.

President Cyril Ramaphosa last year set up the IMC in an effort to resolve what was deemed a shockingly slow progress on more than 132 murder investigations in the province.

The IMC convened its very first meeting on 21 May 2018, where the status of cases was thoroughly presented; which led to the establishment of the new task team in July 2018 to investigate all political killings in Kwa-Zulu Natal, the Minister said.

Case dockets

Out of 163 case dockets, he said, 80 accounts was for murder, 24 for attempted murder, 36 for intimidation and other charges. During this period, 161 arrests have been effected by the task team, with the following details:

 Detained for questioning and released 25

 Charged suspects 136

 Suspects in custody 66

 Suspects out on bail 32

 Convicted 27

 Deceased 2

 Life Sentence  5 Accused

 Between 6 months and 50 years imprisonment  22 Accused

On six of the 59 cases currently pending in court, charges have been provisionally withdrawn against some of the identified suspects. Amongst the six cases that have been provisionally withdrawn some suspects have been re-arrested and their cases have been enrolled in different courts, Cele said.

High profile cases

The Task Team has moved amongst others on the following high profile cases to courts from different political parties

 Murder of Sindiso Magaqa (4 accused)

 Murder of Londiwe Mhlongo (1 accused)

 Murder of Derick Mthethwa (2 accused)

 Murder of Wandile Ngobeni (3 accused)

 Murder of Sibuyiselo Dlamini (4 accused)

 Murder of Qashana Mchunu (6 accused)

 Murder of Sibusiso Mbhobo (6 accused)

There are other investigations that are conducted by the task team involving murders of chief traffic officer of Umvoti Municipality, director of Alfred Duma Municipality and the murder of a traffic officer and two others in Plessislear.

Recovery of firearms

During this period, the task team recovered 12 firearms. Among these were rifles (1x3.75 01), 10 9mm pistols, 1 revolver, 140 rounds of ammunition, and 11 magazine.

All firearms have been sent for ballistic tests, three of the 12 have been linked positively to murder cases under investigation by task team, he said.

However, 77 case dockets not related to the Task Team mandate, but linked with allocated politically related cases were taken over by the Task Team for parallel investigations. Out of the 77 cases registered cases, 56 are court going and 21 under investigation.

Over and above the allocated and parallel politically related cases, the task team is conducting intelligence-driven operations targeting unlicensed firearms which have led to 37 arrested suspects on 31 cases and 30 firearms were recovered. These two categories of cases are also allocated to the Task Team to ensure centralised investigation and prosecution, he said.

Private security companies

In an effort to create a safe and secure environment as stipulated in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa the task team has clamped down on private security companies within the province and commits to continuously conduct operations against identified private security companies.

Some of the firearms linked to murder cases have not yet been recovered. The following security companies have been inspected and all firearms are currently confiscated and sent for ballistic testing. Owners or responsible persons of companies have been arrested and charged. The companies include Vuco Security Solutions, Ground Force (subsidiary to Vuco security solutions), Mosheni Communications, Inkunzi Security, LK Security Solutions, Wendlovu, V1 Security, and Sizowakha Security.

Cele said two of the eight security companies (Mosheni and Sizowakha) are not linked to cases under investigation by the task team.

A total of 13 cases have been opened and 14 suspects arrested and charged in terms of Firearms Control Act and PSiRA regulations and 377 firearms from the eight private security companies have been sent for ballistic testing. Firearms will be returned back to owners upon completion of investigation or if declared unfit firearms will be destroyed and affected companies will be dealt with in terms of relevant legal prescripts, he said.

Investigating political killings

The Minister said it is important to state categorically that the task team in its nature of establishment is to investigate political killings in the province. This is where politicians have been killed, at times suspects are politicians. He said this makes the execution of the Task Team mandate bound to trigger political fireworks.

Unfortunately this has been misconstrued as being meddling in political factionalism of political parties using State apparatus. It must be emphasized that, the investigation and subsequently prosecutions of these cases are done in accordance with the rule of law and ideas enshrined in our Constitution, he said.

He said the IMC remains committed in delivering to the fundamental directive by the President of the Republic of South Africa to address the scourge of political killings.

Furthermore, the IMC will continue to provide support to the multi-disciplinary task team that is currently executing its mandate in KwaZulu-Natal. The progress made to date by the task team is highly commendable and evident to the commitment to serve with integrity without fear or favour and prejudice, he said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2019-03-28. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. (NYSE: FSM) (TSX: FVI) is pleased to report that the Mexican National Water Commission (CONAGUA) has completed its investigation and issued a resolution into the overflow of the contingency pond at the dry stack tailings facility at the San Jose Mine on October 8, 2018, which was caused by heavy seasonal rains (refer to Fortuna news release dated October 11, 2018 ). CONAGUAs resolution confirms that no remediation of the nearby Coyote Creek is required. However, the Company received a fine of approximately US$42,000 related to the incident.



The Company has since installed additional pumping equipment, increased its monitoring system and reinforced the pipes and drainage channels from the dry stack facility to the contingency pond in order to mitigate the risk of an overflow in the event of abnormally high rainfall in the future.

The Company reiterates its commitment to safeguarding the wellbeing of the environment, local communities and our workforce.

About Fortuna Silver Mines Inc.

Fortuna is a growth oriented, precious metals producer focused on mining opportunities in Latin America. Our primary assets are the Caylloma silver Mine in southern Peru, the San Jose silver-gold Mine in Mexico and the Lindero gold Project, currently under construction, in Argentina. The company is selectively pursuing acquisition opportunities throughout the Americas and in select other areas. For more information, please visit our website at www.fortunasilver.com .

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Jorge A. Ganoza

President, CEO and Director

Fortuna Silver Mines Inc.

Trading symbols: NYSE: FSM | TSX: FVI

Investor Relations:

Carlos Baca

T (Peru): +51.1.616.6060, ext. 0

Forward looking Statements

This news release contains forward looking statements which constitute forward looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and forward looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively, Forward looking Statements). All statements included herein, other than statements of historical fact, are Forward looking Statements and are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those reflected in the Forward looking Statements. The Forward looking Statements in this news release may include, without limitation, statements about the Companys plans for its mines and mineral properties; the Companys business strategy, plans and outlook; the merit of the Companys mines and mineral properties; mineral resource and reserve estimates; timelines; the future financial or operating performance of the Company; expenditures; approvals and other matters. Often, but not always, these Forward looking Statements can be identified by the use of words such as estimated, potential, open, future, assumed, projected, used, detailed, has been, gain, planned, reflecting, will, containing, remaining, to be, or statements that events, could or should occur or be achieved and similar expressions, including negative variations.

Forward looking Statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the Forward looking Statements. Such uncertainties and factors include, among others, changes in general economic conditions and financial markets; changes in prices for silver and other metals; technological and operational hazards in Fortunas mining and mine development activities; risks inherent in mineral exploration; uncertainties inherent in the estimation of mineral reserves, mineral resources, and metal recoveries; governmental and other approvals; political unrest or instability in countries where Fortuna is active; labor relations issues; as well as those factors discussed under Risk Factors in the Company's Annual Information Form. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in Forward looking Statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended.

Forward looking Statements contained herein are based on the assumptions, beliefs, expectations and opinions of management, including but not limited to expectations regarding mine production costs; expected trends in mineral prices and currency exchange rates; the accuracy of the Companys current mineral resource and reserve estimates; that the Companys activities will be in accordance with the Companys public statements and stated goals; that there will be no material adverse change affecting the Company or its properties; that all required approvals will be obtained; that there will be no significant disruptions affecting operations and such other assumptions as set out herein. Forward looking Statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company disclaims any obligation to update any Forward looking Statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by law. There can be no assurance that Forward looking Statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on Forward looking Statements.
English Finnish

OUTOTEC OYJ PRESS RELEASE, MARCH 28, 2019 AT 11:00 AM

Outotec awarded a pellet plant expansion contract by JSC Stoilensky GOK in Russia

Outotec and Russian iron ore pellet producer JSC Stoilensky GOK (S-GOK), which is a part of NLMK Group, have entered into a contract to expand S-GOK's pellet plant located in Stary Oskol, Russia. The approximately EUR 15 million order has been booked in Outotec's 2019 first quarter order intake.

Outotec has delivered the technology for S-GOK's pellet plant (press release September 12, 2011), which has been in operation since 2017. The annual capacity of the pellet plant will be increased from 6 to 8 million tonnes. Outotec will be responsible for the engineering, supply of key equipment and automation system as well as advisory services for installation and commissioning of the expansion. Outotec's latest technology improvements in green pelletizing, cooling air process, and pallet car changing system will be applied, together with a digital solution package. Outotec's deliveries will take place at the end of 2020.

"We are excited about continued cooperation with S-GOK and the delivery of our latest technology improvements and digital solutions to this project. With intelligent services, applications and equipment we ensure safety, predictability and optimal performance of the plant, and S-GOK will get the best value from their assets," says Kalle Harkki, Head of Outotec's Metals, Energy & Water business.

"Outotec is our long-standing and reliable partner, with whom we successfully implemented Europe's largest pelletizing plant in Stary Oskol. The new expansion project is an important element of our Strategy 2022, aimed at meeting our growing raw material needs as well as increasing efficient steel production," says Konstantin Lagutin, NLMK Group Vice President, Investment Projects.





For further information please contact:

OUTOTEC

Kalle Harkki, President - Metals, Energy & Water business unit

tel. + 358 20 529 211

Eila Paatela, Vice President - Corporate Communications

tel. +358 20 529 2004, +358 400 817198



e-mails firstname.lastname@outotec.com

DISTRIBUTION

Main media

www.outotec.com
State lawmakers overwhelmingly passed a record-high $27.5 billion budget for Georgias 2020 fiscal year with bipartisan support in late March. The budget has now been sent to Gov. Brian Kemps desk.

As a result of the budget, Athens-Clarke County will soon see salary increases for teachers, an increase in funding for Medicaid and continued funding of higher education.
Dancers perform at the 2017 Caribbean Night held by the Caribbean Student Association. This year the event will be held on March 29 and 30.
A scientist who has dedicated her life to studying oceans and a comic artist who has been ma
The smell of barbecue and the sense of community was strong in the air at The Southern Brewi
Only a couple of months after opening her first CBD store near Athens Square Mall, Jacklin Parker is opening up another Your CBD Store in East Athens

In January of 2019 Parker and her husband opened up a franchise location of Your CBD Store in west Athens. Parker said this franchise is unique in the CBD market because it isnt tied to marijuana or smoking at all, and instead sells products with the emphasis on medical applications of CBD, or Cannabidiol.
It's high time we now turn the popular question on its head -- when there is no growth in jobs for several years, how can the real GDP grow at 7 per cent per annum, says Mahesh Vyas.

Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com

Recent announcement that the unemployment rate had reached 7.2 per cent led to a flurry of television interviews on the issue of jobs in which many anchors asked important questions.

While I did answer them on air, a re-cap seems to be in order.

Does the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) survey include people who work in the unorganised sectors?

Does it include informal jobs or the new age jobs like Ola and Uber taxi operators or Swiggy delivery boys?

The answer to all of the above is an unequivocal and unambiguous 'yes'.

The survey includes all kinds of jobs.

The reasoning is very simple and should dispel all doubts.

CMIEs Consumer Pyramids Household Survey (CPHS) is conducted in households selected through a stratified random sample selection process.

This process, combined with a reasonably large sample size (over 174,000 households) ensures good representative inclusion of all kinds of households.

Now, all those Ola and Uber operators and Swiggy delivery boys, all the pakora-frying street hawkers, agricultural and industrial labourers, entrepreneurs and of course also the organised sector workers -- all live in households.

Since this is a household survey, they are all covered. Unless, of course, any of them live on trees.

Is a sample size of 174,000 households adequate to represent the country of 240 million households?

People who are not trained in probability and statistics may wonder how a sample of 174,000 households can give fairly accurate population estimates involving about 240 million households.

But it does, and reflects mankind's mathematical genius.

This is the method used by developed countries to measure unemployment.

And, it is the only method by which any society can measure unemployment.

Magically, statistical theory tells us that the proportion of households in the sample is not important.

The size of the sample does matter but only up to a point and then there are diminishing returns to increasing the sample size.

What is important in a diverse country like India is to select an appropriately stratified sample and ensure that selection process is random.

CPHS ensures these conditions are met.

Why not use a payrolls database that covers millions of jobs instead of a sample of less than 0.2 million households?

And, what about the millions of jobs seen increasing in the EPFO database?

There are several problems with the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), National Pension Scheme (NPS) and Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) databases.

There are duplications, for example.

But, what is more pertinent is that EPFO only covers the organised sector which provides less than 20 per cent of all jobs.

So, it cannot provide the complete picture.

It is very likely that those Ola and Uber operators and Swiggy delivery boys are not covered under EPFO.

Second, growth in EPFO is more likely a reflection of formalisation of jobs and not creation of new jobs on a net basis.

When people working in unorganised sectors move to formal jobs, they show up in the EPFO database.

But, when they do so, they do not join the stock of employed for the first time.

They merely moved from an informal job to a formal one.

Developed countries use payrolls database to measure jobs created.

That makes sense because they have moved jobs out of the unorganised sectors into the organised sectors -- that maintain a payrolls database.

It is foolish to emulate them without first shifting jobs to the organised sectors.

What about the millions of trucks, cars, three-wheelers being produced?

Surely, they are creating jobs by the hordes. Why does that not show up in the CPHS results?

This is a typical cost-accountant's thinking. But, an economy is more complex than a factory.

Those new truck drivers are mostly internal transfers -- to use an accountant's terminology.

Old drivers driving new trucks, old helpers becoming drivers and agricultural labourers becoming truck helpers.

Then, 80 per cent of the new cars are the small cars which are mostly self-driven.

The only way we can find out whether, on a net basis, we are creating new jobs or merely shifting jobs from one sector to another is to conduct a household survey.

And, the household surveys tell us loud and clear that on a net basis we are not creating new jobs.

But when GDP growth is 7 per cent per annum, how can there be no employment growth?

It's high time we now turn this question on its head -- when there is no growth in jobs for several years, how can the real GDP grow at 7 per cent per annum?

There is credible evidence from National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) and CMIE that unemployment has risen and jobs are stagnant.

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) needs to explain, in detail, its GDP growth calculations in the face of these facts.

Mahesh Vyas is the MD & CEO of CMIE
The deal will give India's largest conglomerate indirect stakes in seven airports in India and abroad.

The GMR group is selling 46 per cent share in its airport business to a three-member consortium that includes the Tatas in a Rs 8,000-crore deal to reduce its debt.

The deal will give India's largest conglomerate indirect stakes in seven airports in India and abroad.

The deal values GMR's airport business at Rs 22,475 crore.

The Tata group runs airlines, charters and aviation catering business but its efforts to own and operate airports were unsuccessful till now.

It had expressed interest for Navi Mumbai airport and projects but did not bid for them.

While GMR had been in discussions with Singapores GIC and SSG Capital Management to sell stake in airports for a while, Tatas joined the fray two months ago.

On Wednesday, the GMR group said it had signed a binding term-sheet with the three entities to sell stake in GMR Airports Limited (GAL), its holding company for airports.

The deal includes fresh share sale of Rs 1,000 crore to new investors and secondary sale share of Rs 7,000 crore.

Tatas will own 20 per cent stake while GIC and SSG will hold 15 per cent and 10 per cent, respectively.

While GMR will retain management control, new investors will get board seats.

GMR will give an exit to private equity investors who own 5.8 per cent stake in GAL.

After the share sale, the group plans to demerge the airport vertical into a separate listed entity as this will enable it to attract more investors and get better valuation.

This will create two mirror entities, and with the same shareholding structure.

"This will not be unfair to the minority investors, said Saurabh Chawla, executive director (finance and strategy).

GMR group retains 54 per cent stake now and can increase it to 62 per cent over the next five years, which will value the airports business at Rs 22,475 crore.

This will be based on certain commercial milestones and GMR will receive fresh shares in GAL.

Sushil Kumar Modi, chief financial officer (strategic finance) of GMR group, said the firm will not have to raise much debt to fund its expansion plans and can tap cash flows from real estate monetisation and non-aeronautical revenues like duty-free sales from airports.

At the consolidated level, the company has a debt of Rs 20,000 crore and it will reduce it to Rs 12,000 crore after the transaction.

The group will spend Rs 14,000-15,000 crore to increase capacity at Delhi and Hyderabad airports and would need an additional Rs 4,000 crore for Goa and Nagpur airports.

GMR runs airports in Delhi, Hyderabad, and Cebu in Philippines, and has won bids for projects in Goa, Nagpur, Bhogapuram (Andhra Pradesh), and Crete (Greece).

Photograph: Reuters
Dublin, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Tissue Banking Market Forecast up to 2024" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The global tissue banking market is estimated to witness a CAGR of 11.2% during the forecast period 2018-2024

The conservation and banking of tissues subsequent to donor harvest is an extended medicinal area that has until lately witnessed progress. Nevertheless, in a similar way we bank stem cells, embryos and other tissues at present are likely to govern the biological time for complete tissues through approaches identical to vitrification and controlled hypothermia.



A constant growth of tissues and organs scarcity has led to early deaths with consequences in enormous outlays to society. The capacity to bank tissues has an instantaneous effect on transplant medicine, surgical treatment of cancer, combat trauma, and industrial accidents.



Market Analysis:



Regional Analysis:

The regions covered in the report are North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World (ROW). North America accounts for the largest share of the tissue banking market, followed by Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World. More than 44.0% of the market is occupied by North America, with the US being the major contributor to the market growth.



Type Analysis:

Based on types, the market is segmented into equipment and consumables. Equipment holds a dominant share in the market and is also the fastest growing segment.



Application Analysis:

Based on application areas, the market is segmented into clinical application and research & development. The market is dominated by research & development.



Tissue Type Analysis:

Based on tissue banking areas, the market is segmented into cardiovascular tissue, lung tissue, kidney tissue, corneal tissue, and other tissues. The corneal tissue segment is dominant among others in the market.



Competitive Analysis:



The tissue banking market is facing intense competition due to the presence of many players in the market. However, the majority of the market share is occupied by Thermo Fisher Scientific, Danaher Corporation, Custom Biogenic Solution, Tecan Group, and Brooks Automation, Inc.



To maintain their leadership, the major players are collaborating with small players who have advanced technology. For instance, in March 2014, Brooks Automation collaborated with BioCision for the development of automated temperature-controlled technology for biobanking and sample handling. This association helped in filling the gap amongst sample handling and automation process.



Key Topics Covered:



1 Industry Outlook

1.1 Industry Overview

1.2 Total Addressable Market (TAM)

1.3 Trends of the Market



2 Report Outline

2.1 Report Scope

2.2 Report Summary

2.3 Research Methodology

2.4 Report Assumptions



3 Market Snapshot

3.1 Market Definition

3.2 Segmented Addressable Market (SAM)

3.3 Industry Trends

3.4 Related Markets

3.4.1 Wound Biologics

3.4.1.1 Trends in Wound Biologics Market

3.4.2 Stem Cell Banking

3.4.2.1 Trends in Stem Cell Banking Market



4 Market Outlook

4.1 Evolution

4.2 Market Segmentation

4.3 Porter 5 (Five) Forces



5 Market Characteristics

5.1 Market Dynamics

5.1.1 Drivers

5.1.1.1 Increasing demand for regenerative medicine

5.1.1.2 Advancements in Tissue Banking Technologies

5.1.2 Restraints

5.1.2.1 Stringent regulatory requirement

5.1.2.2 Ethical Issues

5.1.3 Opportunities

5.1.3.1 Market opportunities in Asia Pacific

5.1.3.2 Mergers and acquisitions

5.1.4 DRO - Impact Analysis



6 Types: Market Size and Analysis

6.1 Overview

6.2 Tissue Banking Equipment

6.3 Accessories and Consumables



7 Application: Market Size and Analysis

7.1 Overview

7.2 Clinical Application

7.3 Research and Development



8 Types: Market Size and Analysis

8.1 Overview

8.2 Cardiovascular Tissue

8.3 Corneal Tissue

8.4 Lungs Tissue

8.5 Kidney Tissue

8.6 Others Tissue



9 Regions: Market Size and Analysis

9.1 Overview

9.2 North America

9.2.1 Overview

9.2.2 US

9.2.3 Canada

9.3 Europe

9.3.1 Overview

9.3.2 UK

9.3.3 Germany

9.4 Asia Pacific

9.4.1 Overview

9.4.2 India

9.4.3 China

9.4.4 Japan

9.5 Rest of the World

9.5.1 Overview

9.5.2 Brazil



10 Competitive Landscape



11 Vendors Profile

11.1 Thermo Fisher Scientific, INC.

11.1.1 Overview

11.1.2 Business Units

11.1.3 Geographic Presence

11.1.4 Business focus

11.1.5 SWOT analysis

11.1.6 Business Strategy

11.2 Danaher Corporation

11.3 Custom Biogenic Systems INC

11.4 Brooks Automation, INC.

11.5 Tecan Group



12 Companies to Watch for

12.1 Biolife Solutions

12.1.1 Overview

12.2 VWR Corporation

12.3 PHC Holdings Corporation

12.4 Bluechiip Limited

12.5 Merck KGAA

12.6 Eppendorf AG



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/75j7qv/global_tissue?w=12





Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.
'This will spur job creation and unleash animal spirits.'

Archis Mohan reports.

IMAGE: Kindly note this image has been published only for representational purposes. Photograph: Sivaram V/Reuters

Congress national President Rahul Gandhi says a key promise of his party's manifesto, to be unveiled in the coming days, would relate to helping the MSME sector.

A Congress government at the Centre, he says, will allow any person to start a business with nearly no government permission required for three years.

Earlier this month, the Congress government in Rajasthan notified an ordinance to facilitate the MSME (micro, small and medium enterprises) sector in starting new projects.

It notified the facilitation of establishment and operation ordinance to enable businesspersons to set up factories by filling up a self-declaration form.

Other necessary approvals would need to be sought from the government within six months of the expiry of the three-year period.

Congress research team head M V Rajeev Gowda, a member of the party's manifesto drafting committee, says the Congress promises to "liberate entrepreneurs, MSMEs, and start-ups from inspector raj."

"They will be exempt from all applicable laws and regulations (except Minimum Wages Act and tax laws) for three years or, for new businesses, from the date of commencement," Gowda adds.

For its manifesto drafting exercise, the Congress reached out to several MSME businesspersons who complained of having suffered because of the double whammy of demonetisation and the goods and services tax.

"Our MSMEs need this healing touch after demonetisation and GST. This will spur job creation and unleash animal spirits," Gowda, a Rajya Sabha member, said.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot announced the move for his state on March 4, and the ordinance notified a couple of days later.

While announcing the step, Gehlot said the newly notified norms allow businesspersons to start a new enterprise 'with mere self-declarations and would not have to seek any approval or inspection of any department for the next three years.'

Gehlot said this would save them from 'hardship of legal and administrative scrutiny of government departments'.

Simplifying the process of establishing new businesses would save time, efforts and resources of entrepreneurs, Gehlot said, and hoped the step would attract more investment in Rajasthan.

Rajasthan's Bureau of Investment Promotion is the nodal agency at the state level and the district industries centres at the district level respectively.
India looks less equal to China than 5 years ago, the strategic alliance with the US is hobbled by trade, and Pakistan is looking anything but chastened by Balakot.

What has gone wrong? asks Shekhar Gupta.

Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com

What is more overpowering, fear or love? You should be asking a psychologist.

What a columnist can do is to collect hard facts, sift them from fantasy and propaganda, and provoke an important debate.

Trolling, we take in our stride.

Earlier this month, China delivered a nasty kick in India's shin by blocking Pakistan's Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar's designation as a global terrorist by the UN security council.

Not only did China block it for the fourth time, much inspired commentary in Chinese state or party-controlled media held out admonitions for India.

The rudest was a commentator in the Communist Party-owned Global Times who, with pictures of angry BJP workers in the background, accused Narendra Damodardas Modi of exploiting the situation for his election campaign, and concluding with a final insult: China is India's friend, not a hostage to its nationalism.

With this, China redefined the 'Wuhan Spirit' to mean that if my troops aren't squatting on your territory in the run-up to your elections, I have kept my part of the deal.

For the rest, the old rules apply.

Two reactions to this Chinese arrogance stand out for their tone and emphasis.

India has been ridiculously guarded, not daring to even name China and expressing just 'disappointment' with 'a nation'.

The Americans, on the contrary, had no such hesitations.

They named China in a statement enormously more severe than India's pusillanimous one.

The Modi government hasn't lost its muscularity.

It is just applied more selectively now, though not particularly with an application of mind.

Mr Modi's India of March 2019, two months to the elections, treats a hostile China with nervous deference, but launches an all-out Swadeshi trade war on Donald Trump's friendly America.

We suck up to those who harm and humiliate us because we fear them.

We fight on with those who speak for us because we love them.

Here are the five follies of what we might call the 'Modi Foreign Policy Doctrine' that got us here.

1. Inability to appreciate that strategic alliances need a big heart

Strategically, America has been, to use a familiar Americanism, a stalwart ally.

Yet, at the top levels of the US administration, beginning with Mr Trump, a wary fatigue has developed about India.

It is tempting to dismiss Mr Trump as a petulant child.

But can you afford to do so? You might laugh at his fixation with Indian duties on Harley Davidson motorbikes, but he can also similarly call your Swadeshinomic approach to trade nutty and insincere.

Slashing prices of imported medications and medical aids is a good moral and political idea.

But must you implement it with sudden price controls and import restraints? The Americans must be bemused to see India declaring war on their Amazon and Walmart while it heartily welcomes Chinese investments in Indian e-commerce and digital financial services.

While the way America has stood by India after Pulwama is creditable, there are strains in the relationship and personal chemistry between Mr Modi and Mr Trump.

A bilateral hasn't happened since November 2017 and attempts to set one up at the recent G-20 summit in Buenos Aires in November 2018 failed.

Mr Trump isn't the kind to invest time in photo-ops and platitudes when his favourite peeves are not addressed.

A little 'give' on trade wouldn't hurt India.

Mr Trump isn't asking for something as difficult as troops in Afghanistan or to not buy those Russian S-400s or to shut the Chabahar port in Iran.

All he wants is a little concession on some tariffs and business as usual on the rest.

Smart leaders pick their fights, especially with friends, carefully.

Mr Modi has erred in opening a Swadeshi trade front with Mr Trump, who also has a domestic political constituency.

2. Miscalculation that unilateral appeasement works with arrogant big powers

See it this way.

India has locked horns on trade with the US, with which it enjoys a $60 billion trade surplus, but is giving unfettered access to China, with which it has an equal, $60 billion deficit.

The idea behind opening up our markets so widely to Chinese goods and investments may have been to give them an economic stake to moderate their strategic policy towards India.

Nothing of the sort has happened.

Two years ago, the Chinese walked into Doklam.

Now, the message from them seems to be, if we are not in Doklam or Chumar again, as you head for elections, send us a thank-you note. Likely on a Chinese phone, network, and operating system.

Just as with America, the Modi government has demanded all 'give', with China it is all 'take'.

3. Obsession with personalised foreign policy

Mr Modi has stature and charisma.

But it doesn't substitute the preparation and follow-up of professional diplomacy, and the need to refine policies through internal debate and discussion.

Also, individual styles and approaches of other leaders vary.

The Saudi crown prince might love a copious hug and take decisions on the spot, but a Xi Jinping may be irritated or misread it as fawning.

Besides, although the most powerful Chinese leader since Deng, he doesn't have the personal power in Beijing that a Mohammad bin Salman or Mr Modi does in Riyadh or New Delhi.

Mr Xi works with a structured and empowered 'system' that functions a lot more effectively than the Modi Cabinet.

It is now evident that Mr Modi's first charm-filled approach with Mr Xi was counter-productive, and this continued later through Xian, Wuhan and elsewhere.

The misstep of a Republic Day invite to Mr Trump and the failed hugging outreach with Nawaz Sharif showed inadequate homework.

4. The price of predictability

From politics, diplomacy, to warfare, sport and gambling, predictability is a liability.

Mr Modi has made that error.

Foreign leaders know his personalised style, need for publicity, photo-ops, praise, all of which they understand he needs for his domestic audiences.

The Chinese know very well by now that Mr Modi is wary of another intrusion in the months leading to the polls.

The Chinese also would have known that much as Mr Modi might like a little skirmish with Pakistan, which he could quickly end claiming victory, there is no way he could start and end anything with China like that.

Predictability makes it easy for others to guess your responses.

The Chinese have been the first to do this.

The Pakistanis must have taken note of a few things too.

They know Mr Modi is now publicly committed to a quick retaliation in the case of major terror attacks.

It gives them the power of orchestrating a crisis and drawing the world to the subcontinent at will.

All they need is to tell the ISI to unleash another incident.

Great leaders do not allow themselves to be 'gamed'.

5. Perils of mixing foreign policy with domestic politics

Mr Modi has often used his foreign policy initiatives and summits for domestic image-building.

The Chinese were the first to exploit it.

They knew Indian fears of another intrusion in election season and offered reassurance at Wuhan, but on their terms.

Chinese trade dominance has increased, their view on Arunachal and Pakistan is harder, and India is reduced to protesting meekly on Masood Azhar, without daring to name them.

Do note that since Wuhan, India has not raised the issue of Nuclear Suppliers Group membership with China.

If India's demand is now the banning of Masood Azhar, it does two things: Diminish India in its bilateral equation with China, and enable it to hyphenate its own India policy with Pakistan.

China, therefore, has India just where it wants, triangulated with Pakistan.

To conclude, this isn't a foreign policy balance sheet of the five Modi years.

It is a listing of what we see as his most significant flaws and their consequences.

By Special Arrangement with The Print.
'I was not angry. I was only hurt.'

M I Khan reports from Patna.

IMAGE: Union minister Giriraj Singh on campaign trail. Photograph: Kind courtesy @rajeshchbjp/Twitter

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Wednesday night clarified that he was 'neither angry nor unhappy' over the BJP's decision to field him from Begusarai instead of Nawada, the seat which he currently represents in the Lok Sabha.

Soon after returning to Patna from New Delhi, where he was camping for last few days, Singh told reporters that he was not angry, but was 'pained' by the way his Lok Sabha seat went to his party's ally, Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party.

"I was not angry. I never expressed anger or unhappiness. I was only hurt," Singh told reporters.

Singh thanked BJP national President Amit Anilchandra Shah for listening to him.

"My pain is now alleviated after Amit Shah talked to me and assured me that the party will address issues raised by me," Singh said.

Earlier, Singh had refused to contest the Lok Sabha election in protest after his seat was given to the LJP under the seat-sharing formula finalised by the National Democratic Alliance in Bihar.

According to BJP leaders, Singh had informed the BJP leadership in New Delhi that he will not contest the election from Begusarai.

Singh will now face, among others, former Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar, the Communist Party of India candidate from Begusarai.
'Like one-one drop of water fills earthen pots and one-one brick helps to construct a house, donation of Rs 1 to my campaign fund will help me fight to take the voices of marginalised and exploited people to Parliament.'

M I Khan reports from Patna.

IMAGE: Kanhaiya Kumar addresses a press conference in Patna, March 24, 2019. Photograph: PTI Photo

In a first of its kind experiment in Bihar, former Jawaharlal Nehru University students union president Kanhaiya Kumar, the Communist Party of India candidate from Begusarai in Bihar, has collected Rs 40 lakh (Rs 4 million) in crowdfunding in just 40 hours.

Kanhaiya launched the crowdfunding drive on Tuesday, March 26, to collect funds to contest the Lok Sabha election.

"So far Rs 40 lakh has been collected by crowdfunding in just 40 hours," CPI leader Sushil Kumar, who is close to Kanhaiya, told this correspondent.

The campaign, launched in partnership with OurDemocracy, a crowdfunding platform, aims at collecting Rs 70 lakh (Rs 7 million).

'In a country where a farmer commits suicide every 30 minutes, where unemployment is casting its darkest shadow in 45 years and the unemployed are deluded into a constructed binary of Hindu-Muslim conflict, it is now incumbent upon the common people to rise up and save democracy,' Kanhaiya said in his crowdfunding appeal.

At the local level in Begusarai, Kanhaiya appealed to citizens to donate at least Rs 1 for his campaign fund. 'Please help me by one vote and Rs one note', Kanhaiya appealed.

'Like one-one drop of water fills earthen pots and one-one brick helps to construct a house, donation of Rs 1 to my campaign fund will help me fight to take the voices of marginalised and exploited people to Parliament,' Kanhaiya said.

Kanhaiya Kumar is the Left parties's joint candidate to take on Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Giriraj Singh in Begusarai, a constituency with a sizeable population of the land-owning powerful Bhumihar upper caste.

Both Giriraj Singh and Kanhaiya are Bhumihars, but with a difference. Kanhaiya hails from a poor family, his mother is an anganwadi worker in his native village Bihat in Begusarai.

Gujarat Dalit leader Jignesh Mewani, who arrived in Begusarai to meet Kanhaiya, says Hardik Patel and he will campaign for Kanhaiya. Dozens of activists have already joined Kanhaiya in his election campaign.

Besides, actress Shabana Azmi and her husband Javed Akhtar, the celebrated writer and poet, are likely to campaign for Kanhaiya in Begusarai.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal-led Mahagathbandan, which will also contest the Begusarai seat, has not named its candidate yet.
At 80, this Polish woman is still the life of the party -- quite literally!

Meet 80-year-old "DJ Wika" who stands behind the decks, mixing party music in a huge Warsaw club.

All photographs: Kacper Pempel/Reuters

DJ Wirginia Szmyt is Poland's oldest DJ, but her age doesn't stop her. Self-trained Wika has been DJ-ing for Polish retirees for two decades, earning widespread respect in the trade. In fact, she entertains about 1,000 people at the Hula Kula club, rocking it out with music across all genres -- from disco to rock to samba.

When one asks her if her age is a handicap, DJ Wika is quick to deny it. She says, "I do not fit the stereotype of an elderly person. I dont see a reason why my age should determine my life norms."

Wika says she's well aware of the rejuvenating quality of music for the mind and body. I used to work with young people and I kept this youthful outlook and youthful expectations  My message to youths is that your life does not end when you are 70. They would say Miss Wika we are already 40, we are so old. And I am twice as old as you and  I am not old, by no means.

What about her choice of music? In her own words, DJ Wika finds every kind of music is beautiful. But she does explain that the one thing she doesn't like is when the music is played so loud one can't really distinguish the rhythm.

DJ Wika was quoted about her career option, I dont care if someone likes it or not that I am dancing or jumping behind the console, because I cannot play and stay still, said Wika, raising her hands to clap with her audience. When I play, I feel the melody, I feel the rhythm.
Launching his party's Lok Sabha poll campaign in three states, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday kept the focus on national security, terrorism and how his 'decisive' government showed the courage to conduct a surgical strike in all spheres -- land, sky and space.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi being garlanded by party's senior leaders and workers during Vijay Sankalp Rally, ahead of Lok Sabha 2019 elections, in Meerut, on Thursday. Photograph: PTI Photo

Modi addressed rallies in Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, Rudrapur in Uttarakhand and Akhnoor in Jammu and Kashmir--all part of Lok Sabha constituencies figuring in the first phase of the polls on April 11.

Modi also tore into the opposition parties by coining an acronym 'SaRaB' (alcohol) from the initial letters of the Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Lok Dal and Bahujan Samaj Party alliance and urged people to 'stay away from SaRaB in the polls for the good health of Uttar Pradesh'.

The Urdu word for liquor is 'sharab'.

The remarks by Modi, who also termed the SP-RLD-BSP alliance in UP 'mahamilavat' (adulterated), drew a furious reaction from the Congress and the SP.

The Congress demanded an apology from Modi while SP chief Akhilesh Yadav accused him of spreading the 'intoxication of hatred', saying the prime minister didn't know the difference between 'sharab' and 'sarab' (mirage).

Continuing his attack on the Congress, Modi accused it of raising questions on the valour of the armed forces after the post-Uri surgical strikes in 2016 in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and later the air strikes in Balakot inside Pakistan in February.

The contest is between a 'a decisive government and an indecisive past', Modi said at the Bharatiya Janata Party's Vijay Sankalp rally in the western UP town of Meerut, a day after announcing that India had demonstrated the anti-satellite missile capability by shooting down a live satellite to join an elite club of space super powers.

Calling himself the nation's 'chowkidar', Modi said, "It was this chowkidar's government that had the courage to conduct surgical strikes on land, sky and space. India should develop, India should be secure from enemies."

The country is, for the first time, witnessing a government that knows how to deliver, he said.

The prime minister, who launched the BJP's campaign from Meerut in 2014 too, said he will bring justice to all.

The contest this time will be between 'dumdaar BJP and daagdaar opposition', he said, driving home his point that his party is strong but opposition parties are tainted.

In his third rally of the day at Akhnoor in Jammu region near the Indo-Pak border, Modi said terrorists across the border are living in a state of fear.

In an apparent reference to the Balakot air strikes, Modi said those running the terrorist factory across the border are living under constant fear and the terrorists have been forced to think 100 times before sneaking into this side.

"Those running the terrorist factory across the border are afraid and are living under constant fear. This had happened for the first time that the terrorists are forced to think 100 times to intrude into this side to rattle India," Modi said at his first poll rally in Jammu and Kashmir.

Modi, who spoke in Dogri first and then switched over to Hindi, said when voters press the button of the electronic voting machine on April 11 and choose the lotus, it will not only unnerve the terrorists and their friends within the country but its bang would be heard across the border as well.

The prime minister also attacked Congress president Rahul Gandhi on his mocking tweet on Wednesday wishing him 'happy World Theatre Day' after his address to the nation announcing the success of the anti-satellite missile.

"You all saw how India created history yesterday by achieving a feat in space to ensure we emerge stronger globally and to ensure our safety. But see the kind of funny things people in the opposition have been saying."

"It is both worrying and funny... what do you say about someone who does not even know the difference between a theatre set and ASAT (anti-satellite)?" he said.

Playing on the words 'saboot' and 'sapoot', the Hindi words for proof and good son, Modi attacked the opposition for seeking evidence of the surgical strikes.

"Do we need 'saboot' or sapoot... those who seek evidence are challenging the sapoot."

Alleging that the Congress's blood did not boil even after terrorists struck in the heart of Mumbai in 2008, Modi told a rally in Rudrapur that fear is something unknown to the 'chowkidar'.

"It is the Congress' job to cower in fear. The 'chowkidar' knows no fear. All he knows is put up a dour fight," he said.

In a blistering attack on the Congress for offering 'dole' to people for votes, he said the party gave the slogan of 'garibi hatao' decades ago and in this elections also it had nothing new to offer.

Alleging that the Congress was the very cause of poverty, he asked people to eliminate the party. "Remove the Congress and poverty will go away automatically."

"Will you send a party like this back to power?" he asked.
Dublin, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Autonomous Navigation Market by Solution (Sensing System, Software, Processing Unit), Platform (Airborne, Land, Space, Marine, Weapon), Application (Commercial, Military & Government), and Region - Global Forecast to 2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The autonomous navigation market size is expected to grow from USD 2.2 billion in 2018 to USD 13.5 billion by 2030, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 16.19% during the forecast period.

The market for autonomous navigation is driven by factors such as defense forces across the globe resorting to modern warfare techniques like electronic warfare, information warfare, and network-centric warfare. These techniques require substantial battlefield-related data to control and monitor military operations on battlefields. This requirement has led to the increasing use of autonomous systems on battlefields to gather data through Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance (ISR) activities on a real-time basis, which, in turn, requires advanced navigation systems.

Lack of required infrastructure for autonomous systems in developing countries is limiting the overall growth of the market.

Key players in the autonomous navigation market are Raytheon (US), Thales (France), Northrop Grumman (US), Safran (France), and Honeywell International (US), among others. These companies provide autonomous navigation in various countries across North America, Europe, Middle East, and Asia Pacific.

Sensing systems segment is estimated to account for the largest share of the autonomous navigation market in 2018.



Based on solution, the sensing systems segment is estimated to account for the largest share of the autonomous navigation market in 2018.

There is increasing demand for autonomous robots which, in turn, has led to a rise in the demand for sensors for navigation. This is due to the fusion of the sensor data on which machine intelligence can be applied for decision making. These sensing systems include LiDAR, GNSS, Inertial Navigation System (INS), radar, cameras, ultrasonic systems, and acoustic navigation.



Increasing investment in the development of marine autonomous systems is expected to drive the market for marine segment



Based on platform, the marine segment is estimated to account for the largest share of the autonomous navigation market in 2018.



Increasing investments in the development of autonomous vessels and autonomous surface vehicles, autonomous underwater vessels has driven its market.



Increasing investment in autonomous robots in the military and commercial sectors is expected to drive the autonomous navigation market in 2018

North America is estimated to account for the largest share of the autonomous navigation market in 2018.

The growing technological advancements in the market presents several opportunities for manufacturers of autonomous vehicles. Proximity to the US, one of the largest automotive markets, and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) are driving the growth of the Canadian and Mexican automotive sectors. These factors contribute to the growth of the autonomous vehicles market in the region.

In the military sector, increasing usage of military robots such as UAVs for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance is expected to drive the demand for autonomous navigation.



Key Topics Covered



1 Introduction

1.1 Objectives of the Study

1.2 Market Definition

1.3 Study Scope

1.4 Currency

1.5 Limitations

1.6 Market Stakeholders



2 Research Methodology

2.1 Research Data

2.2 Market Size Estimation

2.3 Research Approach & Methodology

2.4 Data Triangulation

2.5 Assumptions for the Research Study



3 Executive Summary



4 Premium Insights

4.1 Attractive Growth Opportunities in the Autonomous Navigation Market

4.2 Asia Pacific Autonomous Navigation Market, By Solution

4.3 Europe Autonomous Navigation Market, By Application & Country

4.4 North America Autonomous Navigation Market, By Platform

4.5 Europe Autonomous Navigation Market, By Application

4.6 Europe Autonomous Navigation Market, By Platform



5 Market Overview

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Market Dynamics

5.2.1 Drivers

5.2.1.1 Development of Sense & Avoid Systems in Autonomous Systems

5.2.1.2 High Adoption of Autonomous Robots for Commercial and Military Purposes

5.2.1.3 Demand for Autonomous Robots in Logistics

5.2.2 Restraints

5.2.2.1 Performance in Untested Environments and Lack of High-Level Interfacing

5.2.2.2 Lack of Required Infrastructure for Autonomous Systems in Developing Countries

5.2.3 Opportunities

5.2.3.1 Initiatives for the Development of Autonomous Systems

5.2.3.2 Support Services Provided By Autonomous Robots

5.2.4 Challenges

5.2.4.1 Vulnerability of Autonomous Systems to Cyber Threats Due to Automation

5.2.4.2 Unclear Regulatory Framework for Autonomous Systems Use



6 Industry Trends

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Megatrends That Drive Autonomous Navigation Market

6.2.1 Artificial Intelligence

6.2.2 Big Data Analytics

6.2.3 Satellite Communication Enabling Connectivity With Multiple Sites & Navigation for Autonomous Robots

6.3 Technology Trends

6.3.1 Navigation Technology for Autonomous Systems

6.3.1.1 Sensor Fusion Solutions

6.3.1.2 Control Algorithms

6.3.1.3 Research on a Standard Operating System (Os) for Robots

6.3.1.4 Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems Inertial Navigation System

6.3.1.5 High-End Inertial Navigation System

6.4 Innovations and Patent Registrations, 2012-2018



7 Autonomous Navigation Market, By Platform

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Airborne

7.2.1 Autonomous Aircraft

7.2.1.1 Increasing Demand for Autonomous Aircraft is Expected to Drive the Airborne Autonomous Navigation Market

7.2.2 Autonomous Drones

7.2.2.1 Increasing Demand for Air Medical Services and Cargo Delivery in Commercial and Military Sectors is Expected to Drive the Market for Navigation Systems in Autonomous Drones

7.3 Land

7.3.1 Autonomous Cars

7.3.1.1 High Demand in the Military and Commercial Sectors is Expected to Drive the Market for Autonomous Self-Driving Cars

7.3.2 Autonomous Trains

7.3.2.1 The Autonomous Train Market Will Witness a High Growth Due to the Requirement for Efficient Transportation, Low Electricity Consumption, and More Passenger Room

7.3.3 Autonomous Industrial Robots

7.3.3.1 Increasing Demand for Autonomous Industrial Robots in Logistics is Expected to Drive the Market for Autonomous Navigation

7.4 Marine

7.4.1 Autonomous Ships

7.4.1.1 Increasing Investments on the Development of Autonomous Ships are Expected to Drive the Market for Autonomous Navigation

7.4.2 Autonomous Surface Vehicles

7.4.2.1 Increasing Demand from Commercial and Defense Sectors is Expected to Drive the Market for Autonomous Surface Vehicles

7.4.3 Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

7.4.3.1 Growing Military and Commercial Operations are Expected to Drive the Demand for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

7.5 Space

7.5.1 Increase in Demand for Space Exploration Activities is Expected to Drive the Market for this Segment

7.6 Weapons

7.6.1 Autonomous Weapons

7.6.1.1 Increasing Investment in Military Artificial Intelligence from Major Countries is Expected to Drive the Market for Autonomous Weapons



8 Autonomous Navigation Market, By Application

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Commercial

8.2.1 Increasing Demand for Autonomous Robots in Logistics, Automotive, and Marine Sectors is Expected to Drive Commercial Segment

8.3 Military & Government

8.3.1 Application of Robots in Surveillance Operations Along With Decline in Casualties Due to Replacement of Humans With Offensive Robots Has Resulted in Military & Government Segment'S Growth



9 Autonomous Navigation Market, By Solution

9.1 Introduction

9.2 Sensing System

9.2.1 INS

9.2.1.1 Increasing Demand for INS in Autonomous Robots is Expected to Drive this Segment

9.2.2 GNSS

9.2.2.1 Increasing Demand for GNSS Owing to Its High Accuracy is Expected to Drive this Segment

9.2.3 Radar

9.2.3.1 Increasing Demand for Commercial and Military Applications is Expected to Drive the Market for Radar-Based Autonomous Navigation Systems

9.2.4 Lidar

9.2.4.1 High Navigational Accuracy Has Led the Growing Demand for Lidar Systems in Autonomous Robots

9.2.5 Ultrasonic System

9.2.5.1 the Growing Use of Asvs, Auvs, and Autonomous Cars Has Increased the Demand for Ultrasonic Systems

9.2.6 Camera

9.2.6.1 Increasing Use of Electro-Optical and Visual Cameras is Expected to Drive this Segment

9.2.7 Automatic Identification System (AIS)

9.2.7.1 Increasing Demand for Autonomous Ships is Expected to Drive the Market for AIS

9.2.8 Others

9.3 Processing Unit

9.3.1 Growing Requirement for Sensors in Autonomous Platforms Has Increased the Demand for Processing Units

9.4 Software

9.4.1 Artificial Intelligence

9.4.1.1 Machine Learning

9.4.1.1.1 Increasing Demand for Autonomous Vehicles is Driving the Machine Learning Segment

9.4.1.2 Computer Vision

9.4.1.2.1 Increasing Usage of Digital Cameras for a 3D View of the Surroundings is Driving the Computer Vision Market



10 Regional Analysis

10.1 Introduction

10.2 North America

10.2.1 US

10.2.1.1 Increasing Investment for the Development of Mobile Robots for Military Application is Expected to Drive the Autonomous Navigation Market in the US

10.2.2 Canada

10.2.2.1 Growing Demand for Industrial Robots, Increasing Government Grants & Funds, Growing Venture Capital Investments is Expected to Drive the Autonomous Navigation Market in Canada

10.3 Europe

10.3.1 UK

10.3.1.1 Government Investment in Research Activities in the Field of Robotics is Expected to Drive the UK Autonomous Navigation Market

10.3.2 Germany

10.3.2.1 Increasing Investment in Autonomous Cars and Ships is Expected to Drive the Market for Autonomous Navigation in Germany

10.3.3 France

10.3.3.1 Increasing Demand for Autonomous Robots in the Military is Expected to Drive the Autonomous Navigation Market in France

10.3.4 Italy

10.3.4.1 Increasing Investment for the Development of Autonomous UAVs is Expected to Drive the Autonomous Navigation Market in Italy

10.3.5 Russia

10.3.5.1 Increasing Investment in the Development of Military Robots is Expected to Drive the Autonomous Navigation Market in Russia

10.4 Asia Pacific

10.4.1 China

10.4.1.1 Increasing Investment in Automotive and Military Robots is Expected to Drive the Market for Autonomous Navigation in China

10.4.2 Japan

10.4.2.1 Increasing Investment in Robotics is Expected to Drive the Market for Autonomous Navigation in Japan

10.4.3 India

10.4.3.1 Increasing Investment in AI and Robotics Under Digital India Program is Expected to Drive the Market for Autonomous Navigation in India

10.4.4 South Korea

10.4.4.1 Increasing Investment for the Development of Autonomous Cars is Expected to Drive the Market for Autonomous Navigation in South Korea

10.4.5 Australia

10.4.5.1 Investments for Introducing Autonomous Cars & UAVs are Expected to Drive the Market for Autonomous Navigation in Australia

10.5 Middle East

10.5.1 Israel

10.5.1.1 Increasing Investment in Autonomous Robots is Expected to Drive the Market for Autonomous Navigation in Israel

10.5.2 Saudi Arabia

10.5.2.1 High Investment to Transform the Mass Transit System is Expected to Drive the Market for Autonomous Navigation in Saudi Arabia

10.6 Rest of the World

10.6.1 Latin America

10.6.1.1 Increasing Investment for the Development of Autonomous Vehicles is Expected to Drive the Market for Autonomous Navigation in Latin America

10.6.2 Africa

10.6.2.1 Investment to Develop Autonomous Cars is Expected to Drive the Market for Autonomous Navigation in Africa



11 Competitive Landscape

11.1 Introduction

11.2 Competitive Leadership Mapping

11.2.1 Visionary Leaders

11.2.2 Innovators

11.2.3 Dynamic Differentiators

11.2.4 Emerging Companies

11.3 Market Ranking Analysis of Key Players, 2018

11.4 Competitive Scenario

11.4.1 New Product Launches

11.4.2 Agreements, Partnerships, and Collaborations

11.4.3 Acquisitions

11.4.4 Contracts



12 Company Profiles

12.1 ABB

12.2 Honeywell International

12.3 Rolls-Royce

12.4 Kongsberg Gruppen

12.5 RH Marine

12.6 Trimble

12.7 Furuno

12.8 Safran

12.9 Thales

12.10 General Dynamics

12.11 L3 Technologies

12.12 Northrop Grumman

12.13 Raytheon

12.14 Rockwell Collins

12.15 Moog



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/8rqqjt/13_5_billion?w=12

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.
Connecticuts cities were the glories of their time. Handsome and self-reliant, well-built and functional, they were economic dynamos, often known by the products they made: The Hat City, Brass City, Silk City, etc.

These cities made the state strong.

And then the U.S. won World War II. Many cities hit their population peaks just after the war, and then began a long decline. The pre-war trickle to the suburbs became a torrent (of whites), on new highways that wrecked city neighborhoods.

Most of the heavy industries closed or moved away, leaving many employees in the lurch. The state was left with a pattern of wealthy suburbs surrounding poor central cities. Since the 1950s, these cities have relentlessly tried to revive themselves, with mixed results. By and large, they are still poor.

But there is a new interest in cities, from young people, entrepreneurs and others, and a new federal program aimed at promoting investment in distressed areas. Connecticut must take this tide on the flood. Reviving the states distressed municipalities can bring more opportunity and a stronger economy, and should be a top priority.

At least we think so.

For the next several months a remarkable partnership of media organizations  CT Mirror, Hearst Connecticut Media, Connecticut Public Radio, Hartford Business Journal, Hartford Courant, Republican-American, and Purple States  will take a close look at Connecticut cities. We call it The Cities Project.

We will look at renewal efforts of the past and present, examining what worked and what didnt. We will look at factors that inhibit revival  tax inequities, zoning, transportation and others  and look for ways to overcome them. We will travel to cities in other states that are dealing with the same issues Connecticut cities face, to compare notes and see if there are ideas that might be useful here.

And we will pay particular attention to the challenge of inclusive recovery  how a city can share downtown prosperity with struggling neighborhoods, build a local economy that provides opportunity for all residents. This is a national issue, impacting cities such as Pittsburgh and Baltimore as well as Hartford and New Haven.

The state Department of Economic and Community Development measures fiscally and economically distressed cities and towns by ranking all 169 of them based on nine factors including poverty, unemployment, per capita income, job creation and others (see here). The 25 most distressed municipalities in 2018 were Ansonia, New London, Waterbury, New Britain, Derby, Hartford, Bridgeport, West Haven, Windham, East Hartford, Torrington, Bristol, Putnam, Sprague, Norwich, Preston, Winchester, Griswold, New Haven, Meriden, Enfield, Naugatuck, Chaplin, East Haven, and Montville.

A presence on the list makes the community eligible for state assistance in housing, insurance, open space preservation, brownfield remediation and economic development.

The Office of Policy and Management produces a second list, the Public Investment Community Index, of 42 towns, based on per capita income, unemployment, tax capacity and aid to children receiving family assistance benefits. One of the main benefits of making this list is that a municipality can apply for the Enterprise Zone program, which provides tax breaks for businesses that locate or expand in distressed areas. Theres even a third list -- of towns that get reimbursed for the tax breaks the Enterprise Zone provides.

Most of the towns on the first list make the other lists. They are the ones that are struggling.

Why is this important? Because distressed cities limit opportunity. For example, Hartford and Waterbury have the highest rates of unemployment in the state, at 5.6 and 5.4 percent respectively, well above the statewide average of 3.2 percent. Also, children who grow up in struggling neighborhoods generally have less opportunity than those who dont (see The Opportunity Index).

Struggling areas put a strain on local taxpayers and the state. Connecticuts heavy reliance on local property taxes may have made sense when the cities had large industries that could share the burden, but the loss of those factories puts cities behind the eight ball. The struggling cities have the highest mill rates and lowest per capita incomes, with few exceptions.

Perhaps not surprisingly, cities that arent moving ahead are falling behind. A 2018 Brookings study,which found that the lions share of growth in the last decade has been concentratedwith relatively few exceptionsin a small cohort of urban hubs while the rest of the country has drifted or lost ground.

That said, walk through downtown Hartford or New Haven. As with cities across the country, there are feet on the street, new homes, signs of new life. Young adults like the excitement and animation of cities and have little interest in spending hours in commuter traffic. Young entrepreneurs and new industries are clustering in urban areas, as they did in the first age of urbanism.

This is vitally important. According to a 2011 Brookings Institution study, metropolitan regions are carrying the economic development load for nearly every state, including Connecticut. The metro regions work better with prospering cities at their core.

And, as climate change becomes painfully obvious, cities offer a density that can lessen carbon emissions from the transportation and building sectors, the major sources of greenhouse gas emissions.

Finally, the 2017 federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act created the Opportunity Zones program to spur investment in economically distressed census tracts. Opportunity zones reduce capital gains taxes for individuals and businesses who invest in qualified opportunity zone. Connecticut has designed 72 tracts in 27 communities for the program. We will take a close look at the program as it is rolled out this year, to see if it shows more promise than some of the many earlier efforts at place-based revival.

So follow this journalist adventure.

Lets make this a time for cities.

The Cities Project, a collaboration between CT Mirror, Connecticut Public Radio, Hearst Connecticut Media, Hartford Courant, Republican-American of Waterbury, Hartford Business Journal, and Purple States, will publish periodic articles exploring challenges and solutions related to revitalizing Connecticuts cities. Send comments or suggestions to ehamilton@ctmirror.org.
BURLINGTON - There will be an increased presence at at the Region 10 middle school/high school campus on Thursday.

According to a threat Superintendent of Schools Alan Beitman a threat was directed towards the Har-Bur Middle School and Lewis S. Mills High School campus.

On Wednesday, a 15-year-old student was arrested after a threat was made toward Lewis S. Mills High School in Burlington on Wednesday. That threat lead to an early dismissal of the school.

Information was shared with us regarding an unsubstantiated threat for tomorrow (Thursday) directed towards the Har-Bur/Mills Campus, Beitman said in a statement to parents and the community.

The police department and State Police have been informed and are taking appropriate actions to address the students comments/threat.Our armed security guards have also been updated. Both first selectmen have offered their full support and help.

We will have added police presence at all our schools beginning Thursday morning.

Beitman said because this matter may involve a minor, because of student confidentiality and since it is now a police matter I may be very limited in what I can share moving forward. Rest assured we take the safety of all of your children, staff and visitors very seriously and have placed in action proactive steps to keep them all safe.
HOUSTON, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Superior Energy Services, Inc. (NYSE: SPN) announced today that it will release its first quarter 2019 results on Tuesday, April 23, 2019 after the market closes. In conjunction with the release, the Company has scheduled a conference call, which will be broadcast live over the Internet, on Wednesday, April 24, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern time. Investors may participate either by phone or audio webcast.



By Phone: Dial 888-317-6003 (International dial-in 412-317-6061) at least 10 minutes before the call and use entry number 9456386. A replay will be available through May 1, 2019 by dialing 877-344-7529 (International replay dial-in 412-317-0088) and using the access code 10130013. By Webcast: Connect to the webcast via the Investor Relations section of Superior Energys website at www.superiorenergy.com . Please log in at least 10 minutes in advance to register and download any necessary software. A replay will be available shortly after the call.

About Superior Energy Services

Superior Energy Services (NYSE:SPN) serves the drilling, completion and production-related needs of oil and gas companies worldwide through a diversified portfolio of specialized oilfield services and equipment that are used throughout the economic life cycle of oil and gas wells. For more information, visit: www.superiorenergy.com .

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Paul Vincent, VP of Investor Relations, (713) 654-2200
Chinese authorities register the names and personal information of members of the Shouwang Church following a raid of their premises in Beijing, March 23, 2019.

Authorities in the Chinese capital have shut down a large Protestant church that had been continuing to meet since a similar raid several years ago, a church member and an international Christian group said.

"Pastor Zhang Xiaofeng of Shouwang Church was leading a Bible study class on Saturday afternoon," a Shouwang member surnamed Zhou told RFA. "The new premises were a little larger, and could accommodate more people, but they were raided."

"Everyone was taken to the Caihefang Primary School, then sent to their local police stations to make a statement and give their details," Zhou said.

More than 30 police officers and government officials raided the Bible school class, and demanded that the church cease all activities immediately, the rights group International Christian Concern (ICC) said on its website.

"The authorities demanded the church to cease its activities immediately and read out an official document formally banning the church," the ICC statement said.

Police also demanded that Pastor Zhang Xiaofeng sign and keep a document claiming that the church "has conducted activities as a social organization without registration, which is in violation of Regulations of Religious Affairs and Regulations on the Registration and Management of Social Organizations," it said.

Nineteen Bible class students were taken to a nearby school and questioned by authorities, while other church members meeting at the Xiwu International Community residential area were brought to the same location and interrogated, ICC and Shouwang members said. Zhang Xiaofeng was among those detained for questioning, Shouwang sources told RFA.

All those detained were asked to sign a letter of guarantee that they would no longer attend Shouwang activities, but refused to do so. They were sent home by police from their local police stations after being held for several hours.

Same as back in 2011

Meanwhile, officials changed the locks on two properties being used by the church to prevent members from returning, ICC said.

Zhou said the crackdown was similar to a previous operation targeting Shouwang back in 2011.

"Basically, it was the same as back in 2011, except that ... Pastor Jin Tianming retired and Zhang Xiaofeng took over from him," he said.

Shouwang Church is one of the largest unofficial Protestant "house churches" in Beijing, and is attended by more than 1,000 people, the ICC said.

It was targeted in 2011 for its refusal to join the ruling Chinese Communist Party-backed Three Self Protestant Association, which overseas official churches.

"Its senior pastor, Jin Tianming, and two other pastors have been under house arrest ever since and its purchased property is still confiscated by the Chinese government," the group said.

Shouwang Church issued a statement to its members saying it rejects the decision to ban the church, reminding everyone that the legality of the church is not determined by any religious or administrative agencies.

It said the church will continue to meet and operate in different ways and at different venues in future.

ICC regional manager Gina Goh called the ongoing crackdown on religious believers by the administration of President Xi Jinping "deplorable."

"Christians outside of the state-sanctioned churches can no longer worship without fearing harassment, detention, or even imprisonment," Goh said. "Even official churches face increasing pressure to exalt the Communist Party over God."

Raids on other churches

Local authorities in a number of cities across China raided churches last December in a bid to prevent them from celebrating Christmas.

Police and religious affairs officials from the municipal government raided the premises of the Early Rain Covenant Church in the southwestern city of Chengdu early on Monday morning, confiscating bibles, books, computers and other materials.

They changed the locks on the premises, and sealed them up with police tape. The raid comes after police detained more than 50 church members, including Pastor Wang Yi and his wife Jiang Rong.

On Dec. 16, several police officers broke into a house church in Hohhot, saying it was carrying out unauthorized religious activities in violation of recently updated rules on religious activities.

And in the southern province of Guangdong, several house churches had been prevented from holding any services during the Christmas period, according to a Dongguan-based church member surnamed Wang.

Local governments across China are targeting independent churches following the newly amended subsequent dissent from such churches over state control of religious practices.

Officials have required that video surveillance equipment be installed in churches and members' information be handed over, while banning the sale of Bibles online, and demolishing churches or visible crosses in some areas of China, rights groups say.

Early Rain pastors were among more than 100 Protestant pastors who complained about the new policies in a public statement in September.

The church's pastor, Wang Yi, currently criminally detained on suspicion of "incitement to subvert state power," is a former Chengdu University professor, and has been outspoken in defense of religious freedom in China, including for Tibetans Buddhists and Muslims in Xinjiang.

Reported by Qiao Long for RFA's Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
International press freedom groups, labor unions and rights groups are calling for the release of three editors of a labor rights website detained by authorities in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong.



The Paris-based press freedom group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) called this week for the immediate release of editor-in-chief Yang Zhengjun and his colleagues Wei Zhili and Ke Chengbing, all of whom worked for the Xinshengdai (New Generation) website at www.ilabour.net.



Yang was detained in the provincial capital Guangzhou in January, while Wei and Ke were detained on March 20.



All three had criticized life-threatening working conditions in some Chinese factories, via their website which focused on news affecting China's tens of millions of internal migrant workers.



"There are absolutely no grounds for their detention," RSF's East Asia bureau chief Cedric Alviani said in a statement on the group's website. "Investigating factory safety is not a crime, but on the contrary an important contribution for the Chinese publics access to information."



In Hong Kong, around 20 representatives of labor groups in the city staged a protest outside the ruling Chinese Communist Party's representative office on Wednesday to call for the release of dozens of labor activists by the Chinese government.



Chung Chung-fai, vice-chairperson of the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU) called on Beijing "to release all detained labor activists, withdraw charges against them, halt repression against them and revise its legislation to be in line with international standards and international labour conventions, especially regarding freedom of association," the group said.



Meanwhile, the London-based rights group Amnesty International said Wei could be at risk of torture.



"Wei ... was taken away by police officers from his home in Shenzhen," the group said in statement on its website. "No direct contact has been made with him since his arrest and, without access to a lawyer of his choice, he is at risk of torture and other ill-treatment," it said.



Wei's wife, the prominent feminist writer Zheng Churan, said on Wednesday that she has been unable to confirm her husband's location so far, but that she believes he is being held in the Shenzhen No. 2 Detention Center.



Repeated calls to the Shenzhen No. 2 Detention Center rang unanswered during office hours on Thursday.



Assistance to migrants



A Guangdong-based rights activist who asked to remain anonymous said Wei and his coworkers were likely detained because of their advocacy on behalf of migrant workers suffering from pneumoconiosis, or black lung disease, and their attempts to win compensation.



"I think this is likely to do with the assistance they gave to the migrant workers from Hunan who are suffering from pneumoconiosis," the activist said. "Several hundred pneumoconiosis sufferers from Hunan launched a complaint last November in Shenzhen."



"Their treatment hadn't worked, and they had spent a lot of money on it," he said. "If each person was awarded 100,000 yuan (U.S. $14,840), that would be 30 million yuan (U.S. $4.5 million) in total, so that's why the Shenzhen authorities detained [the editors] in a hurry."



Steven Butler, Asia program coordinator for the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said in a recent statement: "The arrest of Wei Zhili is just the latest example of how frightened China's leadership is of journalists who expose the truth about labor conditions in China."



"Wei and his colleagues should be released and hailed as heroes for covering the laboring class, which China's communist leaders have abandoned," he said.



Widening crackdown



The three editors' detentions come amid an ever-widening crackdown on grassroots labor movements in Chinese factories.



Activists have called for the release of more than 40 former workers at the Jasic Technology factory in Guangdong province and members of the Jasic Workers' Solidarity Group (JWSG), who were supporting them.



At least 44 labor activists, students, and recent graduates of China's top universities have been "disappeared" or criminally detained since the nationwide crackdown on the Jasic labor movement, which started in July and continued with further waves of arrests and detentions in August, September, November, and January, the JWSG reported on its Github page.



Among the "disappeared" are Sun Yat-sen University graduate and Jasic movement spokeswoman Shen Mengyu and Peking University #MeToo campaigner Yue Xin.



Shang Kaia former editor for the Maoist website Red Reference who was supporting the Jasic campaignwas released on "bail" under conditions preventing him from appearing in public.



China holds the highest number of journalists in prison, with at least 60 currently behind bars, according to RSF. The country ranked 176 out of 180 in the 2018 RSF World Press Freedom Index.



Reported by Shi Shan for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by the Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- JAGGAER, the worlds largest independent spend management company, today announces that University of North Dakota (UND) has selected multiple JAGGAER spend-management solutions for digital transformation of their university wide procurement processes, including management of sensitive research materials.



The University had been using manual processes for the general procurement needs of the school as well as the specialized needs of research labs. UND selected the JAGGAER ONE Source to Settle spend management suite, along with Supplier Management and Enterprise Reagent Manager (ERM) to provide much needed visibility and compliance to their entire process. The solutions will be integrated with PeopleSoft, which is used by UND.



JAGGAERs ERM is a solution that allows scientific staff throughout the organization to find, source and track proprietary chemicals, reagents and lab supplies from a single application. The solution optimizes chemical inventory and promotes regulatory compliance while managing risky hazardous materials. Information on this solution can be found here .

Our selection was based on JAGGAER being able to demonstrate that its solution could materially improve service to the University community with the potential for lower prices, faster delivery times, at lower cost. In addition, JAGGAER is a known and accepted contracted vendor that has a competitive solicitation contract with E&I, a member-owned, non-profit purchasing cooperative serving higher education. A key aspect is their large installed user base at hundreds of schools around the world, which, with the assistance of our Core Technology Services (CTS) Office from the North Dakota University System will integrate with our existing PeopleSoft infrastructure and provide a powerful inventory management offering for our research needs. Our goal is that between JAGGAER, CTS and the efforts of our large user community we will enable our procurement department to deliver a heightened value to the organization, says Jed Shivers, vice president of finance & operations/chief operating officer of UND.

About University of North Dakota:

The University of North Dakota is the chief opportunity engine for North Dakota and UND students. Founded in 1883, six years before North Dakota was granted statehood, UND is among the nations premier regional public research universities and is at an exciting point in its 136-year history. Classified as a Doctoral University: Higher Research Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, UND is characterized by a solid foundation of the liberal arts, high quality students and faculty, a diverse curriculum, a widely recognized program of graduate education and research, law and medical schools praised for quality and innovation, rich cultural resources, and an outstanding record of alumni support. Its major academic divisions include Arts and Sciences, Aerospace Sciences, Business and Public Administration, Education and Human Development, Engineering and Mines, Nursing and Professional Disciplines, Medicine and Health Sciences, Law, Extended Learning and the School of Graduate Studies. Long a provider of distance education, UND is developing a robust online presence. Learn more at www.und.edu .

About JAGGAER: Global Source to Pay Spend Management Solutions:

JAGGAER is the worlds largest independent spend management company, with over 2000 customers connected to a network of 3.7 million suppliers in 70 countries, served by offices located in North America, Latin America, throughout Europe, the United Kingdom, Australia, Asia, and the Middle East. JAGGAER offers complete SaaS-based Source to Pay eProcurement solutions with advanced Spend Analytics, Sourcing, Supplier Management, Contract Lifecycle Management, Savings Tracking, and intelligent workflow capabilities. JAGGAER has pioneered spend solutions for over two decades and continues to lead the innovation curve by listening to customers and analyzing the market. Our solution suites are trusted by the worlds largest manufacturing, education, health care, retail, consumer package goods, logistics, construction, utilities companies and public service organizations. Additionally, JAGGAER holds 37 patentsmore than any other spend management company. www.JAGGAER.com

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MEDIA CONTACT: Steve Lundin

Stevenjlundin@bigfrontier.com

312-602-2434




The Lao governments economic policies have worsened the living conditions of the nations poor and marginalized populations, while widening the gap between the haves and have-nots, a United Nations rights expert said Thursday, at the end of an 11-day official visit to the country.



In a statement issued at the end of his March 18 -28 visit, Philip Alston, the U.N. special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, said that improvements in the lives of the poorest Laotians had not kept pace with the countrys economic development.



Despite important progress in reducing poverty, the [Lao] governments economic growth strategies have too often destroyed livelihoods, entrenched vulnerability, and actually made some people poorer by taking away their access to land, livelihoods, and resources, Alston said.



During his visit, Alston traveled to the capital Vientiane, as well as Attapeu, Champasack, Xienkuang, and Houaphanh provinces. He met with government officials of various levels, village leaders, workers, farmers and tradespeople to gather information on their daily lives.



In his statement, Alston criticized the government for merely ticking boxes and improving numbers rather than ensuring meaningful changes to the lives of Lao people.



Lao PDR has made impressive progress, halving the number of those living below the poverty line, raising school enrolment rates, and expanding access to electricity and sanitation, said Alston.



However, rapid economic growth has not led to a commensurate reduction in poverty.



The special rapporteurs findings painted a grim picture for many of the nations poor, which the U.N. estimates to make up around a quarter of the population.



An estimated 80 percent of the population live on less than U.S. $2.50 per day and are at risk of poverty. Certain demographics also struggle with adequate representation in the halls of government, putting them at further disadvantage.



Large parts of the country have been left behind, Alston said. Poor women must navigate highly patriarchal beliefs and institutions, are routinely shut out of decision-making processes, and are deeply disadvantaged in relation to education and access to formal work and positions of authority.



Alston noted that ethnic minorities and indigenous peoples continue to experience poverty at a vastly higher rate than the Lao-Tai majority, while people in rural areas have been left behind by economic progress, and may lack roads, water, and electricity.



Children face steep barriers to education and high rates of child labor and early marriage, he added.



Alston recommended that the government place more priority on actual results rather than holding dialogue on poverty reduction. Less emphasis should be placed on large-scale infrastructure projects for their own sake, he said, suggesting they be complemented with policies to promote sustainable farming and investment in the manufacturing, service and tech sectors.



He also recommended, to that end, an overhaul to the tax policy that would address income inequality, with increased transparency regarding tax exemption or reduction for entities involved in land concessions and special economic zones.



In addition, Alston called for an improvement in data collection methods, which he said would lead to more transparent governance.



Focus on rights



The U.N. expert also urged the government of Laos to change its attitude toward human rights.



Although progress has been made on engagement with formal human rights mechanisms, at present, a too common refrain is that rights are synonymous with anti-government policies, the statement said, adding that many consider the use of the term thus effectively banned, except in the context of discussions with foreign governments or for external reporting to the U.N.



In particular, Alston recommended that the government more seriously defend the rights of women and children. At present, he said, authorities are more concerned with the prevention of violence or sex trafficking, and must also focus on societal attitudes towards women, or on health and education for children.



He also warned that dam construction and operation should only proceed after the government has considered the impact on the rights of those it would directly affect. Citing the July 2018 collapse of the dam at the Xe Pian Xe Namnoy hydropower project, which killed at least 40 people in Champassak and Attapeu provinces, he called for more accountability for private entities involved in future projects.



Finally, Alston made recommendations regarding increased spending for health and education, acknowledgement of the disadvantaged status of ethnic minorities, more emphasis on an effective civil society, and a recognition of land tenureespecially respecting those who live in areas designated as forests.



Government response



RFAs Lao Service was not immediately able to reach the Lao Foreign Ministry for comment on Alstons statement at the time of publishing, but the Associated Press quoted Foreign Ministry official Phetvanxay Khousakoun Thursday as saying that the U.N. experts findings did not reflect the actual situation in the country.



Some of that information that you received might be biased, he told the AP, adding that NGOs might have hidden agendas.



This might provide you some misperceptions about Laos  These are rather small groups of people that do not reflect the entire country, said the foreign ministry official, who also implied that Alstons comments went beyond his mandate.



Though highly critical of the government in his statement, Alston was optimistic, having met many Laotians during his visit that he said could be tapped to usher in positive change.



It does not need to be this way. I met with Lao people doing impressive work to support their communities and provide healthcare and education in remote areas, and many government officials who are clearly deeply dedicated and eager to find effective approaches, Alston said.



If the government can be encouraged to adopt policies of transparency, meaningful participation, and genuine public dialogue, a huge amount could be accomplished in terms of promoting sustainable development and alleviating poverty.



Alstons trip to Laos is the highest profile visit by a U.N. official since September 2016, when then-Secretary General Ban Ki-moon attended the 8th ASEAN-U.N. Summit.



During that trip, Ban held a series of bilateral talks with Southeast Asian heads of state and witnessed the signing of the Lao-PDR-United Nations Partnership Framework, which remains in force through 2021.
Myanmar government troops board a military helicopter in the town of Muse near the border with China in Myanmar's northern Shan state, Nov. 25, 2016.

UPDATED at 10:08 A.M. EST on 2019-03-29

Fresh fighting that erupted on Wednesday between Myanmar forces and two ethnic armies in violence-ridden northern Shan states Namtu township has displaced more than 200 villagers and damaged buildings, local residents said.

Government soldiers clashed with an alliance of troops from the Shan State Progressive Party (SSPP)/Shan State Army-North and the Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA) between the townships Mong Mu and San Kha villages, causing residents to flee to safety, they said.

I felt speechless and overwhelmed. I suffered a lot, one displaced woman told RFA.

Im afraid, and I cant imagine going back there again, she said. I'm afraid of heavy artillery fire.

One artillery shell landed in Mong Mu village during the fighting, damaging two houses and a warehouse, residents said, adding that it was not clear which side fired it.

[I was] still in the village when it happened, living at a relatives house as a displaced person, said the owner of one of the damaged homes. I then got a call and learned that my house was on fire, so I rushed there. An artillery shell caused the fire.

Residents reported that military helicopters fired in the area between the two villages on Thursday, and that gunfire from the Myanmar Armys Namtu-based troops continued until noon.

A reporter with RFAs Myanmar Service saw soldiers from the Myanmar Army and another ethnic armed group, the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS), pass through Mong Mu village on Thursday morning, while rebel troops staked out positions around the San Kha and nearby Lon Mate village areas.

TNLA spokesman Major Tar Aik Kyaw said that the Myanmar Armys Light Infantry Battalions 256 and 252 under the command of Brigade 101 launched the attack, and that government forces used a helicopter to continue the attack on Thursday, while Namtu-based troops provided artillery support.

He also denied having any knowledge about the arrest of a local administrator, who residents said had been detained during the conflict, and suggested that civilians address any complaints to the TNLAs public relations team.

SSPP representatives were unavailable for comment on the report of the administrators arrest.

Colonel Win Htut Lay of the Myanmar Armys Northeast Military Command was also unavailable for comment on the battle.

Nearly 45,000 people have been temporarily displaced by fighting in 21 townships in northern Shan and neighboring Kachin states since January 2018, according to an update issued this February by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

More than 106,000 people have taken shelter in 171 displacement camps in both states since 2011, the update said.

Fighting over territorial grabs

The fresh hostilities fly in the face of a unilateral four-month cease-fire that the Myanmar military declared in five of its command regions, including Shan state, which has been under armed conflict for much of Myanmars 70 years of independence from Britain.

The TNLA has been fighting the Myanmar Army and the RCSS in the region since late November 2015, about six weeks after the signing of a nationwide cease-fire agreement (NCA) between the government and some of the countrys more than 20 ethnic armed groups.

The RCSS is one of 10 signatories of the NCA, while the TNLA has been excluded from signing the accord because of its ongoing hostilities with Myanmars armed forces.

The RCSS has also fought the SSPP for more than a year over territory in northern Shan states Namtu, Hsipaw (also known as Thibaw), and Kyaukme townships, resulting in several civilian deaths. The SSPP has not signed the NCA.

Fighting in Namtu and Hsipaw recently displaced more than 2,000 civilians who fled their homes, the online journal The Irrawaddy reported.

The RCSS issued a statement on March 21, calling for a cease-fire with the SSPP, but not the TNLA, which has fought the RCSS since 2016.

Saw Htein (L), Kyaw Wan Sein (C), and An Kam (R) of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K) in Myanmar, December 2017. Credit: Myanmar's Ministry of Information Naga leaders charged

In a separate development, police in the town of Hkamti in northwestern Myanmars Sagaing region charged five leaders of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K) with violating Myanmars Unlawful Associations Act for allegedly cooperating with Assam rebels from India, an ethnic Naga civil society member who spoke on condition of anonymity told RFA.

The armed group operates mainly in northeast India, but seeks to establish a sovereign state for all Naga-inhabited areas both in India and in northern Myanmar.

The NSCN-K leaders have been charged under Section 17 (1) of the act, which carries a prison sentence for those who interact with illegal groups such as rebel organizations, for allegedly sheltering Assam rebels and letting them operate military training schools.

They are being held at the Myoma Police Station in Hkamti, according to the civil society member.

The arrests took place in Hkamti on March 9, when 10 NSCN-K representatives met with the military to discuss peace in Myanmars Naga region, the source said.

Police arrested NSCN-K Peace Committee chairman An Kam, vice chairman Kyaw Wan Sein, official Saw Htein, Major General Aung Mai, and Lieutenant Colonel Aung Sai, and later released the five others, he said.

Hkamti township police officer Myint Lay filed a case against the five on March 26, he added.

RFA was unable to reach the local Myoma Police Station for comment on Thursday.

They violated pre-peace agreements

A statement issued earlier this week by the Myanmar military said it had found evidence that Assam insurgents who operate in northeast India tried to set up a military training camp in Myanmar by pretending to be members of the NSCN-K.

Based on information that the Assam separatists were operating near an NSCN-K camp in Sagaings Takar village, Myanmar forces seized some NSCN-K posts, the statement said.

Colonel Than Naing, spokesperson of Northwest Military Command, accused the NSCN-K of violating the terms of a cease-fire agreement it signed with the Sagaing regional government in April 2012.

They violated pre-peace agreements with the regional government, he told RFA. They had collaborated with the Assam rebel group in their military movements. Thats why we took action against them.

A military raid on NSCN-K headquarters in the village of Ta Ga in Nanyun township in late January caused most of the armed groups troops to leave the base, though a few leaders stayed behind to try to ease the tension, The Irrawaddy reported.

The military reported that it had arrested 36 people in NSCN-K areas and discovered one body, the report said.

Sources close to the Naga organization said the NSCN-K and the government military continue to distrust each other, despite the regional truce.

Theres already a lot of doubt and suspicion between ethnic armed groups and the government army, said the first source, who declined to be named.

The military detained them [NSCN-K leaders] while moves were being made to build trust with the ethnic armed groups, he said It makes the divide between them larger, and the peace process will become very difficult to achieve.

A second source, who also asked to remain unnamed, confirmed that Assam soldiers were in Myanmars Naga Self-Administered Zone.

Assam rebel troops are not only moving around in Naga region, but also in Tamu and Kalay, he said. Locals know about it. The military and the government also know about it, but what they did to the NSCN-K leaders now is like pushing them back into a corner to beat them up. It badly destroys trust.

Naga civil society members have sent a letter to the Myanmar governments National Reconciliation and Peace Center asking negotiators to intervene in the matter, The Irrawaddy said.

The Myanmar government wants the NSCN-K to sign the NCA, but the armed group insists on first having a pact that covers the entire Naga population in northeast India and Myanmar.

Reported by Kan Thar and Lwin Oo for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Nandar Chann and Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
MOSCOW -- Russian lawyers and rights activists have denounced the alleged torture of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Siberian city of Surgut, calling a Moscow press conference to present documentation of injuries followers of the banned religion claim to have suffered at the hands of the Russian authorities.

Lev Ponomaryov, an activist from the group For Human Rights, said on March 28 that Investigative Committee Director Aleksandr Bastrykin should be dismissed over claims by the seven men that they were tortured after being arrested in mid-February on charges of belonging to a banned "extremist" group.

Ponomaryov said the denials by employees of Russia's Investigative Committee who allegedly tortured the men were "laughable."

"Either [Bastrykin] is consciously encouraging the violence perpetrated by his subordinates, or he absolutely can't control the activities of his regional structures," Ponomaryov told journalists.

Ponomaryov and Civic Assistance rights activist Svetlana Gannushkina, together with four lawyers who represent Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, called for a criminal investigation into the claims that Investigative Committee employees in Surgut forced false confessions from the men by suffocating them and torturing them with stun guns.

The group also presented results from an independent medical analysis, based on photos of the men's injuries, which concluded that they showed signs of being tortured.

Yegiazar Chernikov, a lawyer representing the seven men, announced the surnames of Investigative Committee employees in Surgut that he claimed were involved: "Yermolaev, Tkach, Adiatullin, Gaysin, Bogoderov, and Asmolov."

Chernikov told RFE/RL he did not have any evidence that officials from Moscow took part in the interrogations in Surgut or that the raids had been ordered from the Russian capital.

The U.S.-based Jehovah's Witnesses organization has long been viewed with suspicion by the Russian government for its positions on military service, voting, and government authority in general.

A 2017 ruling by Russia's Supreme Court effectively banned worshippers from the country, but the group says it still has about 170,000 adherents in the country.

Jarrod Lopes, a spokesman based at the religious organization's New York headquarters, says 40 Jehovah's Witnesses were detained in Surgut in raids on February 15, and seven were tortured.

The claim elicited an uproar from the international community and vehement denials from Moscow.

Surgut's Investigative Committee launched a probe into the activities of its own employees, and on March 27 issued a statement suggesting the Jehovah's Witnesses were to blame for the injuries they sustained.

"Employees of law enforcement deployed combat maneuvers within the scope of their authority, which led to minor bruises and grazes on the legs" of the defendants, the statement said.

Such measures were necessitated by "active resistance" during attempts by police to search the homes of the faith's adherents in Surgut, the statement said.

All other reported injuries, including burn wounds from stun guns, could only have occurred at a later date, the Investigative Committee said.

The authorities in Surgut also said efforts by Jehovah's Witnesses to spread rumors about state repression and torture were aimed at influencing the investigation and discrediting law enforcement officials who "routinely come across this 'active line of resistance' on the part of defendants."

Yaroslav Sivulsky from the Jehovah's Witnesses' European branch said the Surgut raids were part of a broader clampdown in Russia in which 27 people remain detained, 28 are under house arrest, 60 have been subjected to travel restrictions, and 165 are under investigation.

Sivulsky said raids had been conducted by police and law enforcement in 36 Russian regions and 400 separate locations since the April 2017 ban came into force.

President Vladimir Putin has appeared, at times, to oppose the crackdowns on Jehovah's Witnesses, telling his Human Rights Council on December 11, "We probably can, and even at some point should, be much more liberal toward representatives of various religious sects."

But Sivulsky said that the crackdown across Russia had accelerated since Putin made that remark, suggesting that local authorities are trying to convince their superiors in Moscow that the faith's adherents are dangerous extremists.

"Those who believe that the Jehovah's Witnesses would scatter after their ban, or disown their faith en masse, have clearly not learnt the historical lessons of the Soviet Union, Nazi Germany, or the first Christians," Sivulsky said.

Gannushkina, who heads Civic Assistance and has provided legal aid to Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia's North Caucasus region, said believers in Russia were defenseless against the state's prohibition.

"If there's violence a person can turn to law enforcement, but in this situation they cannot do so," Gannushkina said. "These people find themselves in a completely hopeless situation."

"What should I do with such people when they turn to me? What should I tell the courts, what should their lawyer say? That these people are being repressed because they're members of a banned organization?" she said. "That will look like a denunciation, not legal defense."
An Afghan-born Australian man was sentenced to life in prison for running down pedestrians in Melbourne in late 2017 and killing an elderly man.

The sentence handed out on March 28 by Supreme Court of Victoria Justice Elizabeth Hollingworth means that 37-year-old Saeed Noori must serve 30 years before being eligible for parole.

Upon his arrest, police found images of terrorist attacks abroad and videos about the extremist Islamic State group on Noori's computer and a USB stick.

Video from a security camera showed Noori driving an SUV onto tram tracks near the Flinders Street Station and then accelerating through the intersection as dozens of people crossed the road four days before Christmas 2017.

Noori, driving his mothers car, plowed over dozens of pedestrians, injuring 21 people, including an 83-year old man who died a week later in a hospital.

The judge said it was "sheer good fortune" that more people were not killed or injured.

"Some victims have likened the scene to a horror movie -- one which keeps replaying in nightmares and flashbacks," she said.

Based on reporting by ABC, AAP, and dpa
India says it has successfully test-fired an antisatellite weapon in a move that brought a warning from the United States that countries around the world should avoid making a "mess in space from all the debris.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a live broadcast on March 27 that Indian scientists had destroyed one of the country's own satellites in low-Earth orbit with a missile, highlighting its position as a "space power" along with the United States, Russia, and China.

"Our scientists shot down a live satellite 300 kilometers away in space, in low-Earth orbit," Modi said.

"India has made an unprecedented achievement today. India registered its name as a space power."

Later, acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan warned any nations contemplating such antisatellite weapons tests that they risked making a "mess" in space because of the debris fields they can leave behind.

"My message would be: We all live in space, lets not make it a mess. Space should be a place where we can conduct business.

"Space is a place where people should have the freedom to operate," Shanahan said.

Shanahan said the United States was still studying the effects of the Indian missile test.

Experts say that antisatellite weapons that blast apart targets can create a space hazard by the formation of a cloud of fragments that can collide with other objects in orbit.

India's Foreign Ministry played down the risk, saying impact occurred in low-Earth orbit and that the fragments would "decay and fall

back on to the Earth within weeks.

Based on reporting by Reuters and AP
Soviet-era cosmonaut Valery Bykovsky, who was one of the first group of military pilots chosen to join his country's space program, has died at the age of 84, Russia's space agency has announced.



Roscosmos said on March 27 that Bykovsky had died a day earlier, but it did not give the cause of death.



Bykovsky was one of 20 Soviet military pilots in the first group picked for the manned space flight program.



Bykovsky flew into space three times. His first mission was in June 1963, spending what was then a record five days in space alone aboard Vostok-5.



He was among those chosen for a Soviet moon mission and underwent specialized training for it, but the plan was canceled after the United States won the race to the moon in 1969.



Bykovsky flew again in 1976 and a final time in 1978, spending nearly 21 days in orbit in his combined flights.



He was a recipient of the Hero of the Soviet Union and Order of Lenin awards.

Based on reporting by AP
BRUSSELS  The European Parliament has once again backed visa liberalization for citizens of Kosovo in an attempt to put pressure on reluctant EU member states.



A total of 331 lawmakers on March 28 voted in favor, 126 against, and 12 abstaining.



The chamber held a similar vote in September 2018, but the issue remains contentious in the European Council.



Sources in Brussels have told RFE/RL under condition of anonymity that France and the Netherlands are especially reluctant to grant the council a mandate to negotiate with parliament on visa liberalization for Kosovars.



The council is not expected to discuss the matter during Romanias EU presidency, which finishes at the end of June, they also said.



During a debate on the issue on March 27, the rapporteur on the file, Slovenian lawmaker Tanja Fajon, slammed the council for dragging its feet and asked: Why didnt they put it on the agenda and when are they planning to put it on the agenda? We are losingcredibility."



Kosovo remains the only country in the Western Balkans whose citizens still need a visa to travel to the EU.



Visas were abolished for the citizens of Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia in 2009 and for Albania and Bosnia-Herzegovina in 2010.



Once the European Parliament and the European Council reach a deal on the visa waiver, Kosovar citizens will be able to enter the bloc without a visa for 90 days in any 180-day period if they hold a biometric passport.



The waiver applies to all EU countries apart from Britain and Ireland but includes non-EU states such as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who has been in his post since 2014, has had his term extended until September 2022, NATO said on March 28.

"Allies expressed their support for the secretary general's work to adapt and modernize NATO and ensure it remains fit for the future," NATO said in a statement.



All 29 allied states voted for the extension.

Stoltenberg's term was due to end in September 2020.

With the extension, the former Norwegian prime minister will be the first alliance chief since Germany's Manfred Woerner to serve longer than five years.



Only former Dutch Foreign Minister Joseph Luns, who was NATO head for 13 years from 1971, will have served in the post longer if Stoltenberg sees out his term.

Stoltenberg said he is "honored" by the decision made by the 29 allies.



"Together we will continue to adapt & modernize our Alliance to keep it fit for the future," he said on Twitter.



Stoltenberg will travel to Washington next week, where he will hold talks with U.S. President Donald Trump, address a joint session of the U.S. Congress on NATO's 70th anniversary, and attend a meeting of NATO foreign ministers.

With reporting by AP and dpa
The Russian Foreign Ministry has accused Lithuania of "unfriendly and provocative" actions after a court in Vilnius found a former Soviet military chief and a senior KGB officer guilty of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity.



Former Soviet Defense Minister Dmitry Yazov, 94, was sentenced in absentia on March 27 to 10 years in prison for his role during Moscow's 1991 crackdown on Lithuanias independence movement.

Ex-KGB officer Mikhail Golovatov was sentenced in absentia to 12 years in prison.



Yazov and Golovatov were the most prominent of 67 defendants in the trial over the momentous events that unfolded in Vilnius in January 1991, when the Soviet Union's government tried to halt the country's collapse by cracking down on the first republic to declare independence.



The other defendants -- all citizens of Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine -- were handed prison terms ranging from four to 12 years. Only two of them were present in the courtroom.



Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite praised the outcome of the trial, saying in a statement: "The guilty have been named for killings of people who peacefully protected freedom."



In March 1990, Lithuania became the first of the 15 Soviet republics to declare independence.



Lithuania joined the European Union and NATO in 2004, as did its Baltic neighbors Latvia and Estonia.

The three Baltic states were independent until 1940, when they were occupied by the Soviet Union and annexed in an act never officially recognized by the United States.
Islamabad has dismissed a dossier handed over by New Delhi in the wake of a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir last month that brought the neighbors to the brink of war, saying that the allegation Pakistan-based militants were involved was unsubstantiated.



India alleges that Islamabad had a hand in the February suicide bombing in which 40 paramilitary personnel were killed. Pakistan, long accused by India of using militant proxies in disputed Kashmir, denies playing any role.



The Pakistani Foreign Ministry said on March 28 that India had provided Islamabad with a list of 90 individuals suspected of belonging to banned organizations with militant links and 22 locations of alleged militant training camps.



The ministry said that 54 individuals detained during an apparent crackdown against militant groups based on its soil were being investigated and that "no details linking them to [the attack] have been found so far."



"Similarly, the 22 pin locations shared by India have been examined. No such camps exist," it added.



Tensions between two nuclear-armed neighbors soared after the February 14 suicide bombing, which was claimed by the Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM).



Both countries carried out aerial bombing missions on each other's soil and their warplanes also fought a brief dogfight over Kashmir's skies.



Tensions later cooled and Pakistan handed back a captured Indian pilot.



The two neighbors have a history of bitter relations since gaining independence from Britain in 1947.



The rivals have fought three wars, two of them over the Himalayan region of Kashmir, where the two sides still regularly exchange fire.

Based on reporting by Reuters and AFP
NEW YORK, NY, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DirectView Holdings, Inc. ( DIRV ), a company focused on ownership and management of leading video and security technology companies, today announced that the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Virtual Surveillance, have signed a master agreement with Integrity General Contractors, and have received the first contract. The master agreement grants DirectView the ability to bid on any jobs in which Integrity General Contractors is operating as a general contractor.



Under the contract, DirectView will supply and Virtual Surveillance will install security, surveillance, access control, and low voltage cabling to a facility in the food manufacturing industry. DirectView anticipates the first contract will be one of many in this newly formed business relationship.

Integrity General Contractors is a well-known general contractor in the Dallas Fort Worth area, servicing Texas and the United States. Integrity General Contractors operates as a general contractor for various new and existing construction projects, most notably in the Industrial, Energy, and Oil and Gas industry, including hospitals, retail stores, office buildings, schools, and aircraft hangers.

Roger Ralston, CEO and Chairman of DirectView, stated Its always an exciting time for DirectView and its subsidiaries when we sign a new master agreement with a general contractor - this time with Integrity General Contractors, a proficient general contractor headquartered in Dallas, Texas. The master agreement grants us the option to bid on jobs that call for security, surveillance, access control, and low voltage cabling equipment and installation. Given Integritys experience servicing various projects in the Dallas, Fort-Worth area, it is self-evident that we will put our best foot forward to nuture this new business relationship. We will do so by completing our first contract in a professional and timely manner. Its standard practice for DirectView and its subsidiaries to exceed the expectations of our security, surveillance, access control, and low voltage equipment project clients, especially general contractors.

About DirectView Holdings, Inc.

DirectView Holdings, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides video surveillance solutions and teleconferencing products and services to businesses and organizations. The company operates in two divisions, Security (Video Surveillance) and Video Conferencing. The Security division offers technologies in surveillance systems providing onsite and remote video and audio surveillance, digital video recording, and services. It also sells and installs surveillance systems; and sells maintenance agreements. The company sells its products and services in the United States and internationally through direct sales force, referrals, and its Websites. The Video Conferencing division offers teleconferencing products and services that enable clients to conduct remote meetings by linking participants in geographically dispersed locations. It is involved in the sale of conferencing services based upon usage, the sale and installation of video equipment, and the sale of maintenance agreements. This division primarily provides conferencing products and services to numerous organizations ranging from law firms, banks, high tech companies and government organizations. For more information visit our website at www.DirectView.com and connect with us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Google+.

Contact:

DirectView Holdings, Inc.

Roger Ralston

+1-212-858-9100 EXT. 111

www.DirectView.com

IR@DirectView.com

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements

Forward Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding the outlook of the Company's business and results of operations. By nature, these risks and uncertainties could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated. Generally speaking, any statements using terms such as "will," "expect," "anticipate," or "may," or which otherwise predict or address future results or events, are likely to contain forward-looking statements. It is important to note that actual results may differ materially from what is indicated in any forward-looking statement. Readers should consider any forward-looking statements in light of factors that could cause actual results to vary. These factors are described in our filings with the SEC, and readers should refer to those filings, including Risk Factors described in those filings, in connection with any forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
The European Commission has criticized Romania for backsliding on the rule of law and warned Bucharest to treat fairly Laura Koevesi, the country's former anti-corruption chief who is a front-runner to become the EU's first-ever anti-fraud prosecutor.



Romania, which currently holds the six-month rotating EU presidency, indicted Koevesi on corruption charges on March 28, prohibiting her from traveling abroad.

"It is crucial that all candidates put forward by an independent selection panel are treated fairly in the course of this process," commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas told a March 29 news briefing.

"We call on the Romanian government and on the Romanian authorities to fully respect the principle of sincere cooperation as enshrined in the treaty regarding the selection procedure of the European chief prosecutor," Shinas said.

"All candidates need to be able to participate in all steps of the selection procedure, unhindered," he added.

European Parliament President Antonio Tajani also criticized the Romanian authorities' move. "Concerned by news that Laura Codruta Kovesi has been placed under judicial control. @Europarl_EN stands by its candidate for European Public Prosecutor. I'll raise the issue at the EP group leaders' meeting next Wednesday," Tajani wrote on Twitter on March 29.

Koevesi ran the DNA anticorruption agency in one of the EU's most corrupt countries until she was dismissed last year by the new leftist government for alleged abuse of power.



Critics say that her dismissal was prompted by her prosecuting and indicting a record number of ministers, politicians, and other officials on corruption charges, including the leader of the ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD), Liviu Dragnea, who could not become prime minister because of an abuse of office conviction.



On March 29, a newly established and controversial panel charged with investigating magistrates confirmed that Koevesi had been indicted on counts of "passive corruption, abuse of office and false testimony.

The panel, which is under the government's direct supervision, said she had been placed under a measure known as judiciary control, which is milder than house arrest or detention -- but that she had been banned from traveling abroad for 60 days.



During this time she will be banned from working in her current post at the Prosecutor-General's office as well as from leaving Romania without prosecutors' consent.



Being forbidden from leaving the country prevents her from taking part in further stages of the EU Prosecutor application process, were she required to attend in person.

Manfred Weber, the leader of the main center-right alliance in the European Parliament and a likely successor of Jean-Claude Juncker at the helm of the European Commission, on March 29 called Koevesi's indictment "totally unacceptable in Europe and unprecedented for an acting #Council presidency of the EU."

In a written reply to a question by the g4media.ro news site, the U.S. Embassy to Bucharest voiced concern about the authorities' moves against Koevesi. "Such actions violate the principles of democracy and appear to be a form of judicial harassment," the Embassy said on March 29.

Koevesi has said that she has been forbidden from talking to the media about the accusations against her.



It's obvious that I am being targeted by a campaign of harassment and intimidation," Koevesi told reporters as she left the Bucharest police station on March 29 where she must now regularly report.



Her lawyer told Romanian media that she will challenge the measures against her in Romania's highest court. The Supreme Court is expected to decide on the case on April 3.

Koevesi was dismissed last year by the leftist government for alleged abuse of power.

Despite her dismissal, Koevesi last month earned the preliminary backing of a European Parliament committee to become the EU's first anti-fraud prosecutor. European lawmakers are now negotiating with representatives of EU member states, who support France's candidate, to decide upon the winner.

"It's a measure intended to silence me, to harass all of us in the judicial system who did our jobs," she said.

"Probably some people are in such despair that I might get this job [EU prosecutor] that I'm not allowed to speak to the media anymore."

In a related move, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has called a referendum on the leftist ruling coalition's drive to reverse anti-corruption reforms implemented over the past 12 years.

The governing coalition is largely considered as being under the control of Dragnea, who is also speaker of the lower house of parliament. Dragnea has replaced three prime ministers in a little more than two years.

The referendum will be held alongside the vote for the European Parliament on May 26, Iohannis, who is backed by the country's center-right opposition, said in a televised statement on March 28.

"It cannot go on," Iohannis said, arguing the government must be prevented from turning "corruption into state policy."

He did not elaborate on the precise question the voters would be asked.

Thousands of Romanians protested last month after the leftist government passed without any public debate an emergency measure that critics said restricted prosecutors' independence.

The move was the latest in a series of legislative and personnel changes by the Social Democratic Party (PSD) since it took power two years ago that have raised EU and U.S. concerns for the rule of law in Romania.

Written by Eugen Tomiuc with reporting by RFE/RL's Romanian Service, g4media.ro, hotnews.ro, Reuters, AFP, and dpa
Russian authorities have detained a former governor of the Far Eastern Khabarovsk region on embezzlement charges.



The Investigative Committee said in a statement on March 28 that Viktor Ishayev and several other unnamed individuals were accused of embezzling money via fraudulent activities from the state-oil company Rosneft.



Ishayev has not been officially charged yet as searches were being conducted at unspecified locations, the statement said.

Moscow's Basmanny District court later placed Ishayev under house arrest, Russian news agencies reported from the courtroom.

Earlier in the day,Khabarovsk governors spokeswoman, Nadezhda Tomchenko, told reporters that the offices of the regional administration in the city of Khabarovsk had been searched by officers of the Federal Security Service (FSB).



Ishayev, a member of the ruling United Russia party, was a vice president at Rosneft in 2013-2018.

He governed the Far Eastern Khabarovsk Krai region in 1991-2009.



In April 2009, he was appointed as the presidential envoy to the Far Eastern Federal Territory, and served as Russia's minister for the development of the Far East in 2012-2013.



He has been a member of Russia's Science Academy since 2008.

Based on reporting by RIA Novosti, Interfax, and TASS
Moscow says the arrival of Russian soldiers in Venezuela does not present a threat to anyone, after U.S. President Donald Trump called on Russia to withdraw its troops from the South American country and warned that "all options" were open to achieve that..



"Russia is not changing the balance of power in the region, Russia is not threatening anyone, unlike [officials] in Washington," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told journalists on March 28.

Zakharova said that the "Russian specialists" were sent to Venezuela under a military cooperation deal, adding they would remain in the country "for as long as needed."

Two Russian military planes landed outside Caracas on March 23, carrying nearly 100 Russian military personnel.

The move came amid a diplomatic confrontation between Washington and Moscow over a push by Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido to try to overthrow President Nicolas Maduro.



The United States and more than 50 other countries have recognized Guaido as Venezuelas interim president.



Russia, which has made billions in investments in the Latin American country, has remained a staunch ally of Maduro.



"Russia has to get out," Trump told reporters at the White House on March 27.



Asked how he would make Russian forces leave, Trump said: "We'll see. All options are open."



Vice President Mike Pence called the arrival of the Russian military planes in Caracas an "unwelcome provocation."



The U.S. government believes the Russian troops include special forces and cybersecurity experts.

Venezuela's military attache in Moscow, Jose Rafael Torrealba Perez, said on March 28 that the Russians will not take part in military operations.



He also said that Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez is expected to visit Moscow next month as part of the cooperation between the two countries.

With reporting by AFP and Reuters
YAKUTSK, Russia -- The head of Russia's Sakha-Yakutia region has signed a decree banning the employment of foreigners in dozens of economic sectors and other activities, amid tensions following the arrest of a Central Asian migrant suspected of raping a local woman.



Aisen Nikolayev's decree, which was placed on the website of the Far Eastern region's government on March 28, bans foreigners from working in a total of 33 sectors including trade, city transportation, food and garment production, construction, taxi services, and accounting.



A statement quoted Nikolayev as saying that the decree was "in full accordance with federal legislation.



It said the text takes into account "peculiarities of the labor market on the territory of [Sakha-Yakutia] and the necessity of giving priority to citizens of the Russian Federation in employment issues."

There was no indication that the matter was discussed during Russian President Vladimir Putin's one-day visit to Kyrgyzstan on March 28.



The move comes amid a wave of attacks against Central Asian migrants in recent weeks that hit the regional capital, Yakutsk, 4,900 kilometers east of Moscow.



Tensions rose there after police on March 17 said that a 23-year-old Kyrgyz citizen had been arrested on suspicion of abducting and raping a 36-year-old woman the previous day.

On March 28, police in Yakutsk said that they had detained overnight four men accused of attacking a grocery corner store owned by a "migrant from Central Asia."



The detentions took place after a video shared on social media on March 27 showed attackers trying to destroy scales at the corner store, throwing fruits and vegetables at the owner, and threatening him and insulting him.



In a video distributed by police showing the four suspects in custody, one of them said they were drunk during the attack.



Yakuts, a Turkic-speaking indigenous people, make about half of the vast region's population of roughly 1 million.



There is tension between labor migrants from Central Asia and other residents, including ethnic Russians and other indigenous groups, in cities across Russia.
BISHKEK -- During Russian President Vladimir Putin's one-day visit to Kyrgyzstan, the sides have agreed to expand the territory of Russias military base in the Central Asian country by 60 hectares, or 0.6 square kilometers.



According to a protocol placed on Russia's legal documents website, the annual rent for Russia's air base in the northern town of Kant will be increased from $4.5 million to $4.79 million.



Rules concerning the use of drones on the territory of the base will be introduced, the document said. The document did not specify the types of drones the rules refer to.



The the chief of the Kyrgyz armed forces' General Staff, Raiymberdi Duishenbiev, told reporters that the protocol will also allow for the modernization of runways at the military airport in Kant.



The agreement needs to be ratified by the two sides before it enters into force.



Russia's air base in Kant was opened in 2003 under the auspices of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which also includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan.

Kyrgyzstan is home to other Russian military facilities: a navy base on Lake Issyk-Kul, a seismology center in the southern town of Mailuu-Suu, and a communication center in the town of Chaldybar near the Kyrgyz-Kazakh border.



In 2012, all four facilities were united in one single entity called the Russian Joint Military Base.



Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said during a visit to Kyrgyzstan last month that Moscow was amenable to discussing the idea of opening a second military base in the Central Asian country if Bishkek was interested.



Lavrov's statement came just three days after the Kyrgyz ambassador to Russia, Alikbek Jekshenkulov, said that Kyrgyzstan does not rule out opening a second Russian military base in the south of the country.



Reports and rumors about the possibility that Russia could open a second military base have been circulating in Kyrgyzstan and Russia for months.

A day before Putin's visit, Bishkek police arrested a couple that staged a protest in front the Russian Embassy.

Human rights defender Rita Karasartova told RFE/RL that Nurlan Karymshakov and his wife, Gulnaz Imaeva, were arrested and charged with inciting ethnic hatred after they held posters saying, "Putin is an aggressor, a murderer, an occupant," and "No to Putin's torpedoes in Issyk-Kul! No to bombs!"

At the start of their meeting in Bishkek, Jeenbekov and Putin vowed to develop relations between what the two leaders called two "reliable allies and strategic partners."



Kyrgyz Deputy Prime Minister Jenish Razakov said that 65 bilateral agreements worth of $12 billion are expected to be signed during Putin's visit.

Putin ended his visit by laying flowers at the Eternal Fire memorial in Bishkek honoring Soviet soldiers fallen during World War II.

Russian media reports said Jeenbekov gave Putin two gifts: a horse of the Oryol Trotter breed and a dog of the Kyrgyz breed known as the Taigan.

With reporting by KyrTAG, RIA Novosti, and TASS
Lado Apkhazava is a schoolteacher in the village of Chibati, near the Black Sea, in one of the poorest parts of Georgia.

His underdeveloped Guria region is economically depressed, and the parents of many of Apkhazava's students have been forced to look for work abroad.

He says many of his pupils live in meager conditions and come to school hungry.

So when Apkhazava was nominated for the prestigious Global Teacher Prize for 2019 and made the list of 10 finalists, the 43-year-old announced that if he won the accompanying $1 million prize he'd donate it to the area's schools and its students.

Apkhazava -- who was named Georgia's schoolteacher of the year in 2017 -- was disappointed when he didn't win the award, which went to Kenyan science teacher Peter Tabichi.

Yet Apkhazava was still mobbed by his proud students upon his return on March 27 from the world's best teacher award ceremony in Dubai.

But Apkhazava's quest to help the schools and students in his region didn't end there.

The story of Apkhazava's emergence as an elite, world-class teacher has inspired a businesswoman in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, to start a campaign to raise money for the local schoolteacher's cause.

Ana Mikadze-Chikvaidze started the Facebook campaign Let's Raise A Million For Lado Apkhazava, asking people to donate one lari (about one-third of a dollar) to the teacher so he could use the funds to help schools in Guria.

"Lado managed to introduce Georgia to the world [through his nomination as a superior teacher]," Mikadze-Chikvaidze said. "I realized that this young man deserves love and support from our society."

Apkhazava was overwhelmed by Mikadze-Chikvaidze's gesture. "This will be a bigger responsibility for me than to win a million dollars," he said. "When society becomes united and demands that the teacher profession be appreciated and recognized, this is the greatest responsibility. Our country is ready to help the teacher. This should be a signal for the government, too."

Apkhazava had previously worked with private companies to help improve conditions for students in Guria -- where none of the schools has a cafeteria -- and also secured funds to bring computers and foreign-language books to schools in Guria.

He has also built and maintains -- along with his students -- a greenhouse that the school uses to grow fruit and vegetables, an idea he wants to bring to other schools in Guria.

"I try to create for my students the kind of environment they deserve," Apkhazava says. "When you let a child solve even the smallest of problems, they begin to think that they are caring for their homeland and their country."

Georgia, an economically lagging former Soviet republic of 3.7 million people, is also plagued by divisive territorial issues with neighboring Russia, which has troops in Georgia's breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

But Apkhazava, who says he lives by the slogan "the future is in education," sees hope for his country, and he sees the education system in Georgia "slowly gathering strength."

"I see many steps forward being made, which sparks hope in me for the future."

Written by Pete Baumgartner, based on reporting by Nino Tarkhnishvili and Lela Kunchulia of RFE/RL's Georgian Service and RFE/RL Havel Fellow reporter Tornike Mandaria
The United States faced pushback from the European Union and in the UN Security Council for President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights.



The EU Foreign Affairs Department said on March 27 it was the "unanimous position" of all 28 member states to honor the UN resolution that identifies the Golan Heights as occupied territory and rejects the seizure of land by force.



Meanwhile, British UN Ambassador Karen Pierce told the Security Council that the U.S. decision was in contravention of the UN's 1981 resolution.

Russia's deputy UN ambassador, Vladimir Safronkov, said Washington's action could fuel instability in the Middle East.



Other European council members -- France, Germany, Belgium and Poland -- also expressed concerns on March 26 about the effects of "recognizing illegal annexation."



Israel seized the strategic plateau from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War. In 1981, it extended its laws to the region, effectively annexing it, a move not recognized by the international community.



Trump signed a proclamation on March 25 officially recognizing the Golan Heights as Israeli territory, reversing long-standing U.S. policy.



Iran and a number of Arab countries including U.S. allies in the Persian Gulf have also blasted Trumps decision.



During the council session, the United States said that UN peacekeeping forces in the Golan Heights still had a vital role to play in preserving stability between Israel and Syria."



Trump's Golan decision came after the United States moved its Israel embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem last year, also sparking international criticism as well as Palestinian and Arab anger.

Trump at the time said that Israel had the right to choose its own capital.

Based on reporting by AP, Reuters, and AFP
A U.S. judge says Russian citizen Maria Butina will be sentenced in April after admitting she was a secret agent for the Kremlin who tried to infiltrate U.S. conservative political groups as Donald Trump rose to power in 2016.

Butina appeared briefly on March 28 in federal court in Washington where U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan set her sentencing date for April 26.

Butina did not speak during the court hearing.

In December, she pleaded guilty to a single charge of conspiracy to act as an unregistered foreign agent.

She agreed to cooperate with investigators as part of a plea deal with federal prosecutors.

Butina admitted that she and former Russian lawmaker Aleksandr Torshin used their contacts in the National Rifle Association to pursue back channels to American conservatives during the 2016 presidential campaign.

The charges against Butina were brought by federal prosecutors in Washington and her case is unrelated to Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the election.

Butina faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, though her lawyers have previously noted that federal sentencing guidelines recommend no time to six months.

She has been jailed since her arrest in July

Based on reporting by Reuters and AP
U.S. lawmakers from both parties have ripped President Donald Trump's plan to drastically cut funding for the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).



Representative Eliot Engel, Democratic chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said on March 27 that Trump's proposal was "dead" on arrival in Congress.



"This budget...signals to the world that the Trump foreign policy is one of disengagement," Engel said during the second of two House hearings on the budget.



Hal Rogers, the senior Republican on the House subcommittee that oversees State Department spending, said the proposal slashes the State Department and aid budget by about $11 billion to $40 billion, which he called "woefully inadequate."



"Given what the world looks like right now, this approach seems detached from reality," Rogers said.



In written remarks before appearing before the House, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the budget seeks to double funding for countering increased Chinese aggression and to strengthen systems to target Russia's growing threats to the United States and the West.



"China is proactively applying its power and exerting its influence in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond," Pompeo said.



"This budget prioritizes countering Russian malign influence in Europe, Eurasia, and Central Asia, and further strengthens the Department's own systems against malign actors."



Trump has sought major cuts to the State Department in each of the three budgets he has proposed to Congress during his term.

Congress has ignored the requests.

Based on reporting by Reuters and AP
-- EDITOR'S NOTE: We have started a new Ukraine Live Blog as of August 17, 2019. You can find it here.

-- A court in Moscow has upheld a lower court's decision to extend pretrial detention for six of the 24 Ukrainian sailors detained by Russian forces along with their three naval vessels in November near the Kerch Strait, which links the Black Sea and Sea of Azov.

-- The U.S. special peace envoy to Ukraine, Kurt Volker, says Russian propaganda is making it a challenge to solve the conflict in the east of the country.

-- Two more executives of DTEK, Ukraine's largest private power and coal producer, have been charged in a criminal case on August 14 involving an alleged conspiracy to fix electricity prices with the state energy regulator, Interfax reported.

-- A Ukrainian deputy minister and his aide have been detained after allegedly taking a bribe worth $480,000, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau said on Facebook.

*Time stamps on the blog refer to local time in Ukraine
Dublin, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Cloud Services Brokerage Market (2018 - 2024)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The Global Cloud Services Brokerage Market size is expected to reach $14.4 billion by 2024, rising at a market growth of 16.4% CAGR during the forecast period.



A cloud services broker intermediaries cloud providers with consumers and makes it possible for companies to choose cloud services and offerings that are appropriate to their requirements. The Cloud Services Brokerage (CSB) technology is capable of encompassing all cloud services within a single bill. In other words, by employing an effective CSB technology, a customer can manage various cloud service provider bills for different platforms like infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS), platform-as-a-service (PaaS), and software-as-a-service (SaaS).



Based on Platform, the market is segmented into External Brokerage Enablement and Internal Brokerage Enablement. A CSB can combine all cloud services with one bill, i.e. a customer can manage cloud service provider bills for different IaaS, a platform as a service (PaaS) and a CSB platform. Internal CSB provides employees with a unified multi-cloud/SaaS management, security, compliance, license and support, spending management and overall user experience. Internal Brokerage has dominated the market during the forecast period.



Based on Deployment model, the market is segmented into Public, Private, and Hybrid. The general public can access cloud services. The services may include a single tenant or a multi-tenant (single instance, application-based split). There are many locations providing services under many public cloud implementations and neither the location of service nor data are guaranteed. The Public model has dominated the market during the forecast period.



Based on Organization size, the market is segmented into Large Enterprises, and Small & Medium-Sized Enterprises. Out of the aforementioned organization sizes segments, the large enterprises segment is projected to hold a larger market share.



Based on Regions, the market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin America, Middle East & Africa. Remarkable improvements and innovations in the CSB technology are likely to support the ruling position of North America among other regions across the global market.



The market research report covers the analysis of key stake holders of the market. Key companies profiled in the report include IBM Corporation, Dell technologies, Accenture, Wipro, DXC Technology, Arrow Electronics, Tech Mahindra, ComputeNext, Oracle Corporation, and HP Enterprise.



Key Topics Covered



Chapter 1. Market Scope & Methodology

1.1 Market Definition

1.2 Objectives

1.3 Market Scope

1.4 Segmentation

1.4.1 Global Cloud Services Brokerage Market, by Platform

1.4.2 Global Cloud Services Brokerage Market, by Service Type

1.4.3 Global Cloud Services Brokerage Market, by Deployment Model

1.4.4 Global Cloud Services Brokerage Market, by Organization Size

1.4.5 Global Cloud Services Brokerage Market, by End User

1.4.6 Global Cloud Services Brokerage Market, by Geography

1.5 Methodology for the research



Chapter 2. Market Overview

2.1.1 Introduction

2.2 Executive Summary

2.2.1 Market Composition and Scenario

2.2.2 Players Outlook for the Market

2.3 Key Factors Impacting the Market

2.3.1 Market Drivers

2.3.2 Market Restraints



Chapter 3. Market Analysis

3.1 Cardinal Matrix

3.2 Recent Industry Wide Strategic Developments

3.2.1 Partnerships, Collaborations and Agreements

3.2.2 Product Launches

3.2.3 Mergers & Acquisitions

3.3 Top Winning Strategies

3.3.1 Key Leading Strategies: Percentage Distribution (2015-2018)

3.3.2 Key Strategic Move: Leading Players



Chapter 4. Global Cloud Service Brokerage Market by Platform

4.1.1 Global Cloud Service Brokerage External Brokerage Enablement Market by Region

4.1.2 Global Cloud Service Brokerage Internal Brokerage Enablement Market by Region



Chapter 5. Global Cloud Service Brokerage Market by Service Type

5.1.1 Global Integration, Sourcing, & Procurement Cloud Service Brokerage Market by Region

5.1.2 Global Vendor Management Cloud Service Brokerage Market by Region

5.1.3 Global Governance & Control Cloud Service Brokerage Market by Region



Chapter 6. Global Cloud Service Brokerage Market by Deployment Model

6.1.1 Global Cloud Service Brokerage Public Market by Region

6.1.2 Global Cloud Service Brokerage Private Market by Region

6.1.3 Global Cloud Service Brokerage Hybrid Market by Region



Chapter 7. Global Cloud Service Brokerage Market by Organization Size

7.1.1 Global Large Enterprises Cloud Service Brokerage Market by Region

7.1.2 Global Small & Medium-Sized Enterprises Cloud Service Brokerage Market by Region



Chapter 8. Global Cloud Service Brokerage Market by End User

8.1.1 Global Telecom & IT Cloud Service Brokerage Market by Region

8.1.2 Global BFSI Cloud Service Brokerage Market by Region

8.1.3 Global Retail & Consumer Goods Cloud Service Brokerage Market by Region

8.1.4 Global Government Cloud Service Brokerage Market by Region

8.1.5 Global Healthcare & Life Sciences Cloud Service Brokerage Market by Region

8.1.6 Global Manufacturing Cloud Service Brokerage Market by Region

8.1.7 Global Others Cloud Service Brokerage Market by Region



Chapter 9. Global Cloud Service Brokerage Market by Region

9.1 North America Cloud Service Brokerage Market

9.2 Europe Cloud Service Brokerage Market

9.3 Asia Pacific Cloud Service Brokerage Market

9.4 LAMEA Cloud Service Brokerage Market



Chapter 10. Company profiles

10.1 IBM Corporation

10.2 Dell Technologies Inc.

10.3 Accenture PLC

10.4 Wipro

10.5 DXC Technology Company

10.6 Arrow Electronics Inc.

10.7 Tech Mahindra Limited

10.8 ComputeNext Inc.

10.9 Oracle Corporation

10.10 HP Enterprise Company



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/6s9nxk/cloud_services?w=12

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.
Ukraine is bracing itself for "unprecedented" cyberattacks during the first round of voting in the presidential election on March 31, Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service has warned.

"Russia intends to carry out unprecedented cyberattacks on the servers of the Central Election Commission and district election commissions of Ukraine on the day of the presidential election in order to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the process," the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine (SZRU) said in its latest report on March 27.

Relations between Kyiv and Moscow have plunged since Russia seized Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in March 2014 and started backing armed separatists in eastern Ukraine in a conflict that has killed more than 13,000.

Kyiv has accused Russia in the past of launching cyberattacks on its computer systems and critical energy infrastructure since Moscow annexed Crimea, including one on its power grid at the end of 2015 that left part of western Ukraine temporarily without electricity.

The European Union's disinformation watchdog has also warned about Russian "conventional and hybrid aggression" ahead of the vote.

The European External Action Service East Stratcom Task Force said on March 27 that the Kremlin was in the midst of an "ongoing disinformation campaign" that is "both an attempt to interfere in Ukraine's democracy and an extension of hybrid warfare against its sovereignty."

Ukraine's presidential and parliamentary elections in 2019 "will take place in the context of conventional and hybrid aggression from the Russian side," said the EU watchdog, which was formed in 2015 to challenge Kremlin disinformation campaigns.

Thirty-nine candidates are running in Ukraine's presidential election. The front-runners ahead of the first-round vote are pro-Western incumbent President Petro Poroshenko, former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, and comic actor Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Should no candidate secure more than 50 percent of the vote, the two top will face off in an April 21 runoff.

Russia has repeatedly denied that it is interfering in Ukraine's election campaign.

In its report, the SZRU said Russia may try to infect Ukraine's electoral-system hardware with "malware worms" that cause a number of disruptions, such as issuing bogus exit-poll data that deliberately undercounts votes cast for pro-Russian candidates -- particularly in eastern parts of the country that are under Kyiv's control.

Voting is not taking place in territory under the control of Russia-backed separatists.

The three main contenders -- Poroshenko, Tymoshenko, and Zelenskiy -- have all put their opposition to Russia front and center in their campaigns and have championed warmer relations with the West, raising the possibility of joining the European Union and NATO.

Russian hackers have a history of meddling in Ukrainian elections. In 2014, Russian hackers tried to influence the presidential election by targeting voting infrastructure and using fake news reports in an attempt to manipulate public opinion.

That campaign was widely seen as a precursor to Russian interference in U.S. and French elections.

On March 26, Facebook deleted more than 1,907 "inauthentic" group pages and accounts "linked to Russia" in a crackdown against social-media troll networks that try to manipulate public opinion in others countries.

The "Russia-linked" accounts and pages were "posting spam" that included "content related to Ukrainian news and politics" ahead of the March 31 vote, Facebook said.

"The Kremlin has long used Ukraine as a testing ground for its (dis)information and hybrid operations, refining techniques that it would later apply in Europe and the United States. Its election interference efforts are no exception," the EU's Stratcom Task Force warned in its report on March 27.

It said "negative messaging" about Ukraine's upcoming election was "ever-present in the Russian state media, with a blatant focus on undermining the legitimacy of the electoral process and its results."
CALGARY, Alberta, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NXT Energy Solutions Inc. (NXT or the "Company") (TSX: SFD; OTC QB: NSFDF) is pleased to announce that it has signed an $8.9 Million USD contract with PE Energy Limited (PE), a Nigerian oil and gas service company that has a contract with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), to provide 5,000 line kms of SFD Surveys in Nigeria. Data acquisition operations for this contract are expected to commence in early April 2019 and NXTs interpretations and recommendations are expected to be delivered during the third quarter of 2019.



The Company has received a $300,000 USD mobilization fee and a $1 Million USD pre-survey payment must be paid to NXT within five (5) days of performing a 100 line km pilot survey. The pilot survey must be completed to the satisfaction of NNPC to evaluate the response of the SFD in the Nigerian geological environment. Thereafter, payments will be made upon completion of each of three (3) project milestones: data acquisition, interpretation and delivery of a report and upon satisfaction of all performance conditions under the contracts. The contracts have resulted from more than six months of negotiations and the exchange of substantial technical information on the performance of the SFD.

George Liszicasz, President and CEO of NXT, commented: Nigeria is seeking to improve the effectiveness of their offshore exploration activity. The SFD survey will provide NNPC with information on potential oil and gas traps that will open up new areas for oil and gas exploration. We are also currently working with other companies in the region to become an integral part of their future on-shore and off-shore exploration programs. As Nigeria is a new jurisdiction for us, we conducted significant due diligence to ensure we understand the business environment with special attention to compliance with NXTs Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption Policy. I want to thank our advisors, especially Norton Rose Fulbright, Kreller Group, and our Board of Directors for providing guidance to ensure the integrity of these contracts.

About NXT Energy Solutions Inc.

NXT Energy Solutions Inc. is a Calgary-based technology company whose proprietary SFD survey system utilizes quantum-scale sensors to detect gravity field perturbations in an airborne survey method which can be used both onshore and offshore to remotely identify areas with exploration potential for traps and reservoirs. The SFD survey system enables our clients to focus their hydrocarbon exploration decisions concerning land commitments, data acquisition expenditures and prospect prioritization on areas with the greatest potential. SFD is environmentally friendly and unaffected by ground security issues or difficult terrain, and is the registered trademark of NXT Energy Solutions Inc. NXT Energy Solutions Inc. provides its clients with an effective and reliable method to reduce time, costs, and risks related to exploration.

Contact Information

For investor and media inquiries please contact:

Mr. George Liszicasz

President & CEO

+1-403-206-0800

nxt_info@nxtenergy.com

www.nxtenergy.com

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information provided in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, the ability to successfully complete the SFD data acquisition, complete the SFD recommendations within the contract parameters, and ensuring payments of all contract amounts. 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. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. Risk factors facing the Company are described in its most recent Annual Information Report for the year ended December 31, 2017, which has been filed electronically by means of the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval ("SEDAR") located at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof, and except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company assumes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements made herein or otherwise, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.




WASHINGTON, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global business advisory firm FTI Consulting (NYSE: FCN) and Washington, D.C.-based womens leadership firm Mine The Gap today released the third installment of the firms research on gender dynamics in the workplace. This report, entitled Culture at Work , highlights the critical importance of office and workplace cultures in cultivating, developing and protecting most companies biggest investment: their people.



FTI Consulting and Mine The Gap surveyed nearly 6,000 women and men professionals across the technology, finance, legal, energy and healthcare industries. According to the research, both women and men professionals, across all the surveyed industries, consider work-life balance and a welcoming office culture with camaraderie and connectivity among colleagues to be top corporate values, outweighing financial perks and company growth. For both women and men, feeling undervalued was the number one reason for leaving a company, above dissatisfaction with current compensation or being recruited away for better pay. In addition, 62% of women professionals reported personally feeling or witnessing others feel undervalued by their manager, team or company in the last year. Combined, these numbers demonstrate the need for workplace culture change in key industries to strengthen worker satisfaction and ensure long-term employee retention.

Commenting on the research, Elizabeth Alexander, a Senior Managing Director in the Strategic Communications segment at FTI Consulting and a crisis communications and gender inclusion specialist, said, This data offers unique insight into a question plaguing companies across the country: why do our employees leave, and particularly, why are our women employees leaving? Our research belies a common myth that women leave their jobs solely due to family demands. Instead, the data demonstrates that the reasons for employee departures are much more nuanced, with a combination of problematic workplace cultures, unsatisfactory compensation and feeling undervalued by the company being the main drivers. To remain competitive and viable in todays market, companies should carefully study their own workplace cultures, reconsider their own communications practices and make critical changes going forward, tailored to their employees needs.

Jessica N. Grounds, Co-Founder of Mine The Gap, added, In 2019, every enterprising company and organization should be focused on their current and future workforce and how to attract and keep the best talent. A healthy workplace culture is particularly important to recruiting and retaining the best people. Women do not leave because of motherhood; they leave because the culture of their company does not support them. Studies show that women are leaving their place of work because of lack of competitive pay, which was reinforced by our second report, The Enthusiasm Gap , as well as a lack of learning and development and a shortage of meaningful work. We hope companies use these insights to develop equitable, inclusive and supportive work cultures that better value their female talent.

The Culture at Work survey also revealed significant gaps between professionals current workplace cultures and the office environments in which they believe they would thrive. The FTI Consulting/Mine The Gap research looked at four typical organizational cultures, identified by University of Michigan professors Robert Quinn and Kim Cameron: Clan, Adhocracy, Market and Hierarchy. The Culture at Work survey found that women and men overwhelmingly believe they would thrive in a Clan culture  a workplace built on teamwork, participation and consensus  while less than one-third stated they work at companies with such an environment. Many professionals also believe they would thrive in an Adhocracy culture, a dynamic and creative environment that promotes individual initiative and creativity; however, only about 1-in-10 professionals reported that they currently work in this environment. Furthermore, while about 1-in-3 employees reported being in a workplace with a Hierarchy culture, defined by its focus on formalized structure and efficiency-based procedures, it was the lowest-rated culture in which both men and women say they would succeed. Approximately 1-in-5 women professionals report working in a Market culture, defined by its emphasis on results, stock and competition, while only 14% believe they would thrive in such a culture.

Notable findings from the Culture at Work research include:

Work-Life Balance and Welcoming Office Culture Named as Most Desired Company Values: A majority of women (54%) and 50% of men cited work-life balance as one of the most attractive values to have at their companies. Meanwhile, 45% percent of women cited a welcoming environment, camaraderie, and connectivity among colleagues as one of their top values, while only 37% cited financial perks.



A majority of women (54%) and 50% of men cited work-life balance as one of the most attractive values to have at their companies. Meanwhile, 45% percent of women cited a welcoming environment, camaraderie, and connectivity among colleagues as one of their top values, while only 37% cited financial perks. Office Culture of Current Company vs. Office Culture Where They Would Thrive: Most women professionals identified their companies as having either a Hierarchy culture (30%) or Clan (30%) culture. However, 44% of women professionals believe they would thrive in a Clan culture, versus only 12% in a Hierarchy office culture. Additionally, while only 9% of women reported working in an Adhocracy culture, nearly 20% believe they would succeed in such an environment. The research showed similar gaps for men.



Most women professionals identified their companies as having either a Hierarchy culture (30%) or Clan (30%) culture. However, 44% of women professionals believe they would thrive in a Clan culture, versus only 12% in a Hierarchy office culture. Additionally, while only 9% of women reported working in an Adhocracy culture, nearly 20% believe they would succeed in such an environment. The research showed similar gaps for men. Feeling Undervalued Is the Top Reason Women Professionals Leave Current Workplace: About 62% of women professionals report personally feeling, or witnessing others feel, undervalued by their manager, team or company in the last year. Feeling undervalued for the contributions you provide to your team and the company is also the number one reason women report leaving their current workplace.



About 62% of women professionals report personally feeling, or witnessing others feel, undervalued by their manager, team or company in the last year. Feeling undervalued for the contributions you provide to your team and the company is also the number one reason women report leaving their current workplace. Top 5 Reasons Women Cite for Leaving Current Company: The top reasons for women leaving, or considering leaving, their current workplaces are (ranked in order), (1) feeling undervalued; (2) compensation below industry average, or salary not aligned with those of peers doing the same work; (3) another company offered more pay and responsibility; (4) the inability to maintain work-life balance; and (5) lack of effective communication with management.



The top reasons for women leaving, or considering leaving, their current workplaces are (ranked in order), (1) feeling undervalued; (2) compensation below industry average, or salary not aligned with those of peers doing the same work; (3) another company offered more pay and responsibility; (4) the inability to maintain work-life balance; and (5) lack of effective communication with management. Women Professionals Are Experiencing or Witnessing Discrimination or Gendered Micro-Aggressions in Substantial Numbers: Nearly half of women professionals report receiving ineffective feedback from managers, being paid less than industry counterparts, not being promoted despite meeting all of the criteria, being expected to clean up after office functions, or being expected to be the designated note taker during a meeting.



Nearly half of women professionals report receiving ineffective feedback from managers, being paid less than industry counterparts, not being promoted despite meeting all of the criteria, being expected to clean up after office functions, or being expected to be the designated note taker during a meeting. Strong Support for a Culture of Respect and Accountability in the Workplace: Approximately 82% of women and 80% of men said it is important for companies to create a culture that does not tolerate inappropriate or offensive language that makes employees feel uncomfortable and for those companies to establish formal accountability protocols for those who break policies. This idea received a strong positive response among women professionals, with 46% rating it as extremely important.



Approximately 82% of women and 80% of men said it is important for companies to create a culture that does not tolerate inappropriate or offensive language that makes employees feel uncomfortable and for those companies to establish formal accountability protocols for those who break policies. This idea received a strong positive response among women professionals, with 46% rating it as extremely important. Ability to Change Workplace Culture: Most professionals (55% of women and 61% of men) believe they can change the culture at their workplace. Of the industries surveyed, women in tech are the most likely to believe that they can change their company's culture (64%), with 1-in-4 being very confident in their ability to do so ("strongly agree").



Most professionals (55% of women and 61% of men) believe they can change the culture at their workplace. Of the industries surveyed, women in tech are the most likely to believe that they can change their company's culture (64%), with 1-in-4 being very confident in their ability to do so ("strongly agree"). Need for Company Actions and Corporate Values to Align: A significant majority of professionals (78% of women and 74% of men) report believing that it is important that companies actions and corporate values align. This belief is higher among women in the technology industry (86%) and women in finance (82%). In addition, 68% of women believe it is important for companies to incorporate gender inclusivity within the companys brand, mission statement or stated goals and actions. This sentiment is reported higher among women in technology (78%).

This report, Culture at Work , is the third installment of research and data-driven insights developed by FTI Consulting and Mine The Gap on gender dynamics in the workplace. To download the full Culture at Work report and an accompanying infographic, please visit https://gender.fticommunications.com/ .

Survey Methodology

In a comprehensive online survey conducted over the summer of 2018, FTI Consulting and Mine The Gap polled 4,764 professional women and 1,030 professional men in the technology, finance, legal, energy and healthcare industries to test a number of key gender issues impacting workplaces today.

About FTI Consulting Strategic Communications

The Strategic Communications segment of FTI Consulting designs and executes communications strategies for clients managing reputational, financial, regulatory and legal challenges. We combine global reach with local and specialized knowledge to help clients seize opportunities, manage crises, mitigate risk, navigate market disruptions, articulate their brand, stake a competitive position, and preserve their permission to operate. Drawing upon our unrivaled depth of industry expertise and interdisciplinary experience, we help organizations clarify, persuade and ensure that the right message reaches the right audience at the right time.

About FTI Consulting

FTI Consulting, Inc. is a global business advisory firm dedicated to helping organizations manage change, mitigate risk and resolve disputes: financial, legal, operational, political & regulatory, reputational and transactional. With more than 4,700 employees located in 28 countries, FTI Consulting professionals work closely with clients to anticipate, illuminate and overcome complex business challenges and make the most of opportunities. The Company generated $2.03 billion in revenues during fiscal year 2018. For more information, visit www.fticonsulting.com and connect with us on Twitter (@FTIConsulting), Facebook and LinkedIn.

About Mine The Gap

Mine The Gap equips leaders and industries with the strategy and tools to create and sustain gender-inclusive work environments. We architect a strategic plan to build a gender-inclusive culture resulting in accelerated company growth, increased revenues and unlock hidden talent through awareness, training and education. Our work is underpinned by two core elements: growing an inclusive corporate culture and showing the bottom-line impact of gender inclusion. We have unparalleled expertise working on gender and womens leadership in every region of the world in more than 120 countries. More information can be found at www.minethegap.co & connect with us on Twitter (@MineGaps) & Facebook.

Media Contact:

Kim OHalloran

FTI Consulting

+1.312.553.6733 T

kim.ohalloran@fticonsulting.com
Military releases new Guardia Nacional uniforms

Mexico City, Mexico  With the countrys approval of the formation of the Guardia Nacional, the head of National Defense has released the intended uniforms that will be worn.

In a press conference headed by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, General Luis Cresentius Sandoval, head of la Secretaria de la Defensa Nacional, says that the uniforms should be put into action within six weeks, adding that members of the Fuerzas Armadas (Armed Forces) already wear the uniform.

During the conference, he explained that one of the details of the uniforms is the GN (Guardia Nacional) badge on the left arm adding that in some cases, the badge will be on the backs of jackets and shirts.

According to Sandoval Gonzalez, they expect 21,000 men and women of the Army and Navy to be moved into the new civil organization. He says once they are transferred, they will begin basic training, which will last three months, followed by four or five more months of specialized public safety training.
CHICAGO, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via OTC PR WIRE -- Alliance Creative Group, Inc., (http://www.AllianceCreativeGroup.com) (OTC: ACGX) is pleased to announce the results of Operations for the Three Months Ended December 31, 2018 and the 2018 Annual Financials.



Revenues for the quarter ending December 31, 2018 (Q4 2018) were $3,750,842

Total Revenue for the year ending December 31, 2018 (2018) was $15,339,599

Gross Profits for the quarter ending December 31, 2018 (Q4 2018) were $2,053,405

Gross Profits for 2018 were $4,590,011

Net Income for the quarter ending December 31, 2018 (Q4 2018) were $11,074

Net Income for 2018 was $475,139

The total assets on the Balance Sheet for the Alliance Creative Group as of 12/31/18 were $7,208,321.

The total outstanding common shares as of December 31, 2018 were 2,098,651,682 with 1,998,330,307 of those shares in the float.

The Company ended the quarter with $231,959 in the bank.

Total Stockholder Equity as of 12/31/18 was $4,061,229

The full financial statement, balance sheet, statement of operations, cash flow statement, and disclosure statements are posted on the OTC Market Company website at www.OTCmarkets.com under the stock symbol ACGX in the section for filings and disclosure and on www.ACGX.us in the investor relations section. There will not be an earnings call this year. The reduction in total revenues compared to 2017 is due to the transitioning and discontinuing of the Primary Trucking and Rapid Freight Solutions services.

The Company is still in the process of completing PCAOB audits of prior periods and will disclose the report information to the public when it is completed.

Paul Sorkin, COO and General Counsel of the Alliance Creative Group, Inc., said, This year included a lot of transitioning our focus from trucking services back to our core business of offering packaging solutions to our clients. We continued to reduce our debt and expenses while creating more future efficiencies to help us attempt to create a better growth company in the future. We will continue to evaluate other opportunities and discuss any and all options for us to create more future shareholder value. We believe the changes we have been making and will continue making will better position us to become a more expandable, scalable, investable company in the future. We are also very excited about the future potential of PeopleVine. We were able to add some key clients and features in 2018 and believe 2019 could be the crucial break-out year weve been working towards.

CEO of the Alliance Creative Group, Steven St. Louis, said, We have re-focused more of the company's resources on our core of being a packaging solutions company. From this re-focus we have grown our fulfillment solutions and our clients are finding value in our expanded services. We will continue to evaluate multiple ways to expand these services in the future. We believe the reason we have so many long term relationships is because we offer a very valuable service to our clients. However, we believe we need to continue improving our internal processes to help us grow faster in the future. The team has worked very hard and will continue to work hard to allow us to leverage our improved foundation to increase our growth rate while maintaining the highest quality of our services.

About Alliance Creative Group, Inc.

Alliance Creative Group, Inc. (OTC: ACGX) is a Packaging Solutions Company focused on Retail Packaging and Packaging Management. ACG helps its clients from initial concept and packaging development through final production and managed inventory solutions. The core business has been around since 1997. ACG currently focuses mostly on providing solutions for flexible and clear packaging, folding cartons, vendor managed inventory supply chain services and fulfillment. Additional services include but are not limited to corrugated boxes, commercial printing, labels, and other products and services related to the printing or packaging of consumer products. ACGs team includes experts to provide high-quality packaging and printed products. The ACG experience includes very hands-on operational support out of 8 different warehouse locations and several national and international manufacturing partners. ACG provides customer support during the entire product process or cycle including but not limited to creating, warehousing, delivering, and replenishing their packaging products. For more information, visit www.AllianceCreativeGroup.com or www.ACGX.us.

About PeopleVine

PeopleVine is a consolidated platform that allows businesses to build more personal relationships with their customers at scale. PeopleVine solves the problem businesses have creating and managing holistic relationships with their customers without using multiple products that only support a portion of the relationship building activities. PeopleVine seamlessly brings together the tools needed to market, sell, and operate a business with streamline efficiencies in a customer engagement suite and enables businesses to make data informed decisions to help generate revenue growth.

PeopleVine is becoming an industry leader in the growth market of incubators and coworking spaces. Our platform is used by the best in the industry, from 1871 and mHub, to Daymond Johns Blueprint + Co and the Playboy Club. These clients need a robust platform to manage and engage with their members and PeopleVine supports them in this effort. In addition to these incubators and coworking spaces, PeopleVine also works with United Airlines, Chick-fil-a, and Bosch.

We are committed to being the most essential and adaptive SaaS engagement platform for companies that take a customer centric approach to business.

For more information www.PeopleVine.com

This news release contains forward-looking statements as defined by the bespeaks-caution doctrine. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements that are other than statements of historical facts. These statements are subject to uncertainties and risks including, but not limited to, product and service demand and acceptance, changes in technology, economic conditions, the impact of competition and pricing, government regulation, and other risks described in statements filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All such forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, and whether made by or on behalf of the Company, are expressly qualified by the cautionary statements that may accompany the forward-looking statements. In addition, the Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.

Investor Relations and Media Contact

Paul Sorkin

1-847-885-1800, ext. 175

Paul@ACGemail.com


A GROUP of students are looking forward to getting filthy to support Bluebell Wood  and fund an expedition to Africa.

Sixteen youngsters from Winterhill School will travel to Tanzania to learn about life and beginning a project to boost educational facilities there.

The students have needed to raise money for the July trip  including race nights, fashion shows and bag packs.

Next up is Bluebell Woods Mud Madness event this Saturday, March 30, when their sponsorship cash will be split between the childrens hospice and the trip.

Teacher Mike Torr, Year 9 behaviour for learning leader at the Kimberworth school, said: The students have worked extremely well together over the past year and have united to make a fabulous team.

The team were looking at ways to further strengthen their relationships while having fun and the mud run is the ideal opportunity to do this while raising money for a good cause.

The students were all keen to get involved in supporting others but its also an excuse to get filthy whilst racing through mud and tackling obstacles.

He added: In Tanzania, students will be participating in community life, exchanging cultural differences and supporting a local project to help improve educational facilities.

They will also assist with tree planting through the Kilimanjaro tree planting project to help tackle the problem of deforestation.

Mud Madness  at the Hesley Wood scout centre, Chapeltown  includes 3km and 5.5km routes over dozens of obstacles.

The shorter route will be suitable for anyone over 11, while the longer one is for participants aged 17 or over.

Ruth Wallbank, Bluebell Wood events fundraiser, said: Were really inspired by the students at Winterhill who will be tackling Mud Madness to raise funds to help local children and families make magical memories together.

Theres still time to sign up and take on this very muddy challenge with friends, family members, or co-workers.

If you decide to sign up, wed love it if you joined Winterhill School and chose to raise sponsorship for your local childrens hospice too.

Every pound you raise makes a real difference to families going through the toughest times imaginable.

Visit www.myraceentries.co.uk/mudmadness/EntryForm.aspx for entry details.


PAST wrongs are not erased  but the end of Government intervention is a chance for the council to be responsible for itself once again.

That was the verdict of Sir Derek Myers, the lead commissioner parachuted in from London in 2015 to rescue unfit for purpose RMBC in a four-year package.

The commissioner team dwindled from five to three and Sir Derek described his 2017 resignation as very good news for Rotherham because it was another mark of progress.

The commissioners  on up to 800 a day  left in September and the Government has now formally closed the intervention period.

Sir Derek said the latest news was very welcome and added: The wrongs of the past are not extinguished but the council has changed and deserves the opportunity to move forward and be responsible for its own success or failure once again.

Rotherham Borough Council was placed under government control after the Casey report found significant failings, especially in relation to child sexual exploitation.

Powers were gradually returned and intervention was withdrawn early last year. But it required one final healthcheck  carried out by former commissioners  before formally ending on Sunday (31).

Their report said: The council is increasingly displaying the attributes necessary for a good and continuously improving council.

Crucially, the political and managerial leadership have re-established the councils moral compass.

There is clarity on the councils values and ethos and a whole council commitment to safeguarding young people.

This gives confidence that the council will be vigilant in protecting the vulnerable, will avoid back-sliding or failure to address adverse issues as they arise.

Two risk areas were meeting the financial challenge amid continued cuts and improving staff sickness absence rates.

The Government took unprecedented action after the Casey report flagged serious concerns in the wake of the CSE scandal.

In a joint letter, communities secretary James Brokenshire and childrens minister Nadhim Zahawi said: We see no evidence that suggests that Government should seek to extend these directions or put in place new ones.

Council Leader Cllr Chris Read said: The end of the intervention is an important milestone, and one that should give residents confidence in the changes that we have made.

But we take nothing for granted and we continue to work hard to deliver the services that people rely on.

Chief executive Sharon Kemp said: The review highlighted that the progress made since September has surpassed the expectations of the former commissioners.
BISMARCK, N.D.  Gov. Doug Burgum declared a statewide flood emergency in preparation for the threat of significant spring flooding across North Dakota, as state agencies gathered to begin coordinating their response and resources. The governor also toured flood-affected areas in western McKenzie County, hearing heartbreaking stories from residents displaced by the flooding Yellowstone River.

In an executive order declaring the emergency, Burgum cited flood outlooks from the National Weather Service indicating the potential for significant river, tributary and overland flooding in the Red River and Devils Lake basins, and high water in the southern James River basin. The combination of deep frost depth and above-normal moisture from snow and fall rains have increased the risk of flooding because saturated and frozen soils won't be able to absorb snowmelt, compounding the risk of runoff, the order states.

"All signs point to a high potential for significant floods that could overwhelm local response capabilities across the state, and the devastating flooding we saw today along the Yellowstone River shows just how quickly these situations can arise," Burgum said. "This emergency declaration is an essential step in making sure that state personnel and equipment are available and ready to respond when significant flooding threatens the safety of people and property, and toward pursuing a federal disaster declaration that could bring additional assistance to local residents and political subdivisions."

More than 50 homes have taken on water and 110 residents have been displaced by flooding near the North Dakota-Montana border, where lengthy ice jams have backed up the Yellowstone River. A submerged section of Highway 200 between Cartwright, N.D., and Fairview, Mont., remained closed Wednesday.

During a meeting with displaced residents at the Fairview Fire Hall, homeowners described the devastation to their property and disruption to their lives caused by the unexpected flooding.

Jack and Jackie Damm, who live one mile south of Highway 200 and one mile west of the river, said their farmstead, which hasn't experienced flooding in the 70 years it's been in their family, is now under 4 to 5 feet of water, and like many families in the area they don't have flood insurance.

"We've never flooded before," Jack Damm said. "It came up so quick. We had about three hours to get out what we could."

Among those joining Burgum on a tour of inundated areas were the state's adjutant general, North Dakota National Guard Maj. Gen. Alan Dohrmann; District 39 state Sen. Dale Patten and Rep. Keith Kempenich; McKenzie County Commission Chairman Tom McCabe; and County Emergency Manager Karolin Jappe.

Burgum has activated the North Dakota State Emergency Operations Plan and directed all state agencies, including the North Dakota National Guard, to maintain high readiness levels with flood response resources.

The State Flood Unified Command held its first meeting with staff from several state agencies on Wednesday, discussing current hydrological conditions, weather forecasts, agency preparations, resource coordination and anticipated flooding in the coming weeks.

The executive order also grants emergency relief by waiving load restrictions and spring road restrictions for vehicles necessary for levee construction and other flood fight efforts in affected areas, at the discretion of the North Dakota Department of Transportation director.
English French

MONTREAL, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NanoXplore Inc. (NanoXplore or the Corporation) (TSX-V: GRA and OTCQX: NNXPF) is pleased to announce that the Corporation has qualified to trade on the OTCQX Best Market. NanoXplore upgraded to the OTCQX from the Pink market. OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM) is an operator of financial markets for 10,000 U.S. and global securities. It enables investors to easily trade through the broker of their choice and empowers companies to improve the quality of information available to investors.



NanoXplore began trading on March 26 on the OTCQX under the symbol NNXPF. U.S. investors can find current financial disclosure and Real-Time Level 2 quotes for the Corporation on www.otcmarkets.com .

"We are delighted to have achieved this very important milestone. Trading on OTCQX will allow for more transparency and liquidity to our current U.S. shareholders," said Soroush Nazarpour, CEO and Founder of NanoXplore. "As a leader in graphene technology, NanoXplore has a patented process in graphene production that provides a cost-effective solution for high-volume applications. The OTCQX Market will provide a platform to attract a broader U.S. investor base as we continually achieve our objectives and position ourselves as one of the largest graphene producers in the world".

About NanoXplore

NanoXplore is a graphene company, a manufacturer and supplier of high-volume graphene powder for use in industrial markets. The company provides standard and custom graphene-enhanced plastic and composite products to various customers in transportation, packaging, electronics, and other industrial sectors. NanoXplore is headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, with nearly 400 employees supporting manufacturing facilities across Canada, the U.S., and Switzerland.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For more information, please contact:
Rabb Da Radio 2 Press Conference

Chandigarh, 28th March'19: Vehli Janta films and Omjee Group are set to release the sequel to Punjabi industrys classic film Rabb Da Radio that had released in 2017. Titled as Rabb Da Radio 2, this film also stars Tarsem Jassar and Simi Chahal in the lead roles and will release on March 29 th , 2019. Apart from Tarsem Jassar and Simi Chahal, the film stars Wamiqa Gabbi, BN Sharma, Avtar Gill, Nirmal Rishi, Jagjeet Sandhu, Harby Sangha, Gurpreet Bhangu, Shivandra Mahal, Sunita Dhir, Tania, and Baljinder Kaur in pivotal roles.

Simi Chahal & Tarsem Jassar

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Manpreet Johal in association with Ashu Munish Sahni has produced the film under Vehli Janta films and Omjee Group banner respectively. This film is directed by Sharan Art. Jass Grewal has written the story of the film. The music of the film has released under Vehli Janta Records label. This sequel will focus on the story after the marriage of the protagonists, Manjinder and Guddi. Speaking on the film, the lead actor, Tarsem Jassar said, Manjinder had become a part of me when I was shooting for Rabb Da Radio.

Press Conference

Thankfully, this character also won the hearts of all with its simplicity and values. It is always a pleasure to recreate the magic of a classic film. Rabb Da Radio 2 will now take the journey we had started in 2017, forward. It will focus on the family values and bonds. I just hope that with this sequel will be able to create that same impact again and people will appreciate our efforts once again. Actress Simi Chahal said, Rabb Da Radio was a film that gave me recognition.

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Simi Chahal

Every character of that story was significant in taking the whole dynamic forward. The trailer of Rabb Da Radio 2 has already made people curious to know what happens to Manjinder and Guddi after marriage. We have tried our best to take you back to the beauty of the prequel and hope that people will come take this emotional and dramatic ride with us on 29 th March at their nearest cinemas. Director of the film, Sharan Art said, I had a huge responsibility to recreate the same ambience and emotions in Rabb Da Radio 2 as its prequel.

Tarsem Jassar

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Tarsem Jassar is true performer and Simi Chahal is so easy in front of the camera. They made the whole filmmaking process easy for me. Now, I am really looking forward to the response from the audience. The poster, trailer and tracks of film have already created excitement amongst the audience. Considering Rabb Da Radio 2 is a sequel, we have tried our best to keep the essence of previous part alive in this film as well. We promise you that this film will be loved and remembered just like Rabb Da Radio, the producers of the film, Manpreet Johal and Ashu Munish Sahni said. Worldwide distribution of the film is done by Munish Sahnis Omjee Group. Rabb Da Radio 2 will release on 29th March 2019.
Modi likely to address 8 LS poll rallies in Maharashtra

Mumbai, Mar 28 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to address eight election rallies in Maharashtra where voting in total 48 Lok Sabha seats will be held in four phases starting April 11, a senior BJP leader said on Thursday. Modi's first rally is scheduled to be held on April 1 in Wardha constituency, where polling will be held in the first phase, he said.

"He is likely to hold eight rallies in the state. The number may go up as more constituencies will go to polls in the third and fourth phases as compared to the first two phases," the leader said. As of now, two rallies each have been planned for the four-phase Lok Sabha polls, to be held on April 11, 18, 23 and 29 in the state, he said.

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Asked about Modi's public address schedule in Mumbai, which has six Lok Sabha seats, he said, "Only one rally has so far been planned in the city where Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray will share the stage with the prime minister." The BJP-Sena alliance won all the seats in Mumbai in the 2014 Lok Sabha election.

This time, state Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Thackeray have agreed to hold separate rallies of their respective parties.

"We want to create more impact, so instead of holding joint rallies, it is better to address separate public meetings so that we can cover more areas," the leader said.
BBMB

Chandigarh: 28th March'19: Member, Irrigation, Dr. Gulab Singh Narwal: Dr. Gulab Singh Narwal has been appointed as Member, Irrigation in Bhakra Beas Management Board by Govt. of India, Ministry of Power and he took over his new assignment on 27.3.2019 (FN). Born in March, 1969 he is the youngest ever Whole Time Member of BBMB with many Technical, Law & Management degrees. Prior to his appointment as Member, Irrigation, BBMB, he was working in BBMB as Chief Engineer, BSL.

Dr. Narwal has a vast experience of over 21 years in Planning, Design and Construction of Irrigation infrastructure, Water Resources and Hydro Power projects. During his service tenure, Dr. Narwal has presented twelve Technical papers in the national and international journals .He has the honour to represent India in Singapore in the year 2007 on the subject of Integrated Water Resources Management.

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He has also been a key resource person in the Haryana state for his extensive experience of world bank projects and the knowledge of world bank policies, monitoring and supervision. At present, he is a life member of 12 national engineering institutions and societies.

Member, Power, Er. Harminder Singh: Er. Harminder Singh has been appointed Member (Power) in BBMB by Govt. of India, Ministry of Power and he took over his new assignment on 27.3.2019 AN. An officer from PSPCL, Er. Harminder Singh, holds a Bachelors Degree in Mechanical Engineering and has over 33 years of extensive hands-on experience in Generation, Transmission and Distribution of Power.

Out of 33 years of service in PSPCL & BBMB till date, about 25 years of experience is in Generation organization. Prior to his appointment as Member (Power), BBMB, he was working as Chief Engineer/ System Operation, BBMB, Chandigarh. He has been instrumental in kick starting the implementation of SCADA (for operation of Bhakra Left Power House from Chandigarh) and ERP in BBMB. During his tenure in PSPCL, he has been instrumental in erection & commissioning of dry fly ash handling system in GGSSTP and issues related to arrangement of coal for Thermal Power Stations.
SAN DIEGO, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Shareholders Foundation, Inc. announces that a lawsuit was filed for certain investors in General Electric Company (NYSE: GE) shares.



Investors, who purchased shares of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE) between October 12, 2018 and October 29, 2018, have certain options and there are short and strict deadlines running. Deadline: April 2, 2019. NYSE: GE investors should contact the Shareholders Foundation at mail@shareholdersfoundation.com or call +1(858) 779 - 1554.



The plaintiff alleges that the defendants violated the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 by issuing false and misleading statements relating to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commissions expanded investigation into the Companys accounting practices, including investigating GEs $23 billion goodwill impairment charge.



On October 30, 2018, General Electric Company announced that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had expanded its previous investigation into the Companys accounting practices to now include GEs $23 billion goodwill impairment charge. General Electric Company announced that the Department of Justice was also investigating GE.



The plaintiff claims that General Electric Company had failed to disclose this material information on October 12, 2018 when defendants announced that GE was delaying the release of the Companys quarterly earnings.



Those who purchased General Electric Company (NYSE: GE) shares should contact the Shareholders Foundation, Inc.



CONTACT:

Shareholders Foundation, Inc.

Michael Daniels

+1 (858) 779-1554

mail@shareholdersfoundation.com

3111 Camino Del Rio North

Suite 423

San Diego, CA 92108



The Shareholders Foundation, Inc. is a professional portfolio legal monitoring and a settlement claim filing service, which does research related to shareholder issues and informs investors of securities class actions, settlements, judgments, and other legal related news to the stock/financial market. The Shareholders Foundation, Inc. is not a law firm. Any referenced cases, investigations, and/or settlements are not filed/initiated/reached and/or are not related to Shareholders Foundation. The information is only provided as a public service. It is not intended as legal advice and should not be relied upon.
Jennifer Spencers longtime customers began reaching out to her, worried about her, after news spread that a person with the measles had visited her business and about a dozen others along the North Shore and in Chicago in recent weeks.

Spencer, whose family has owned a Dairy Queen in Northbrook for 45 years, just finished undergoing chemotherapy and radiation for stage 3 breast cancer about six months ago.

Adding to her worry, Spencer spent time with her newborn granddaughter the day after the person was at her business, before she knew she had been exposed.

Its kind of frightening, Spencer said. She and her employees scrubbed down the restaurant several times Wednesday night, on top of the three times a day they regularly clean it. I wanted my customers to know that we (made) an effort. Also, with my health concerns, I wanted to make sure Im safe as well.

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Cook County health officials said Wednesday that theres no ongoing risk of catching the disease at the businesses the infected person visited. Measles can stay in the air for two hours, and the person, who has not been identified, visited most of the businesses about a week ago or more. But many of the businesses were rattled by the news, and spent part of Thursday talking with customers and employees.

Between March 17 and March 22, the person visited a fitness studio in Glencoe, grocery stores in Niles and Northbrook, a salon in Niles, a gas station in Niles, a cleaners in Northbrook, a Bed Bath & Beyond in Deerfield, a Home Depot in Deerfield, a Jewish high school in Deerfield, the Dairy Queen, a restaurant in Chicago, and the James M. Nederlander Theatre in Chicago as well as medical offices and hospitals.

The north suburban resident had recently traveled to a country with ongoing measles transmission, officials said. The Cook County Department of Public Health wouldnt say whether the person had been vaccinated, citing privacy.

In recent years, measles has come back in some areas of the country, as some families have eschewed vaccinating their children. Vaccines do not cause autism, which has been a concern for some families.

Measles can lead to complications, including pneumonia and brain swelling. It can be spread through the air when a person coughs or sneezes or through contact with mucus or saliva from an infected person. It typically takes about seven to 14 days for someone exposed to the illness to show symptoms, and, in rare cases, can take as long as 21 days, said Dr. Jennifer Grant, associate medical director of infection prevention and control at NorthShore University HealthSystem. A person with measles is contagious about four days before getting the rash, which is usually one of the later symptoms, Grant said.

Jennifer Spencer, a Dairy Queen franchise owner, gives a to-go order to a customer at the DQ in Northbrook on March 28, 2019. (Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune)

John Sitt, owner and operator of Full Circle Fitness in Glencoe, said that when the person visited his business more than a week ago, she seemed healthy and wasnt coughing. He said only one other client was there at the same time as the person.

I think during the hour she was here, she was completely unaware she was ill, Sitt said.

George Samarino, owner of Giorgio Elan in Niles, said he also reached out to customers who were there at the same time, to make sure they were aware of the exposure. He said some of them had already heard it on the news.

And Angelo Petratos, a manager at Greek Islands restaurant in Chicago, said he planned to hold a meeting with his staff Thursday morning about the exposure. The person visited Greek Islands the evening of March 19  a night that Petratos remembers his restaurant being busy.

Petratos hopes those people were vaccinated.

How do you avoid something like that? You cant. Its impossible, Petratos said of the exposure. What are you going to have, a blood pressure machine and thermometer when a customer comes in?

Its scary for the young and elderly, he said. We have to protect these people.

The infected person also visited several medical facilities.

When a person with measles visits a doctors office or hospital, the office or hospital will typically identify any other patients who may have been exposed, determine their immunity and contact them, Grant said. If its caught early enough, in some cases, a person or employee whos not vaccinated could get the vaccine, Grant said.

If an employee is unvaccinated, and cant get the vaccine, the worker may be asked to stay home, Grant said.

In the health care setting, we have an extra level of vigilance, Grant said.

Its part of the reason health officials are asking people who think they might be experiencing measles symptoms to call ahead before going doctors offices or hospitals. That way, if they do need to be seen, the health care providers can prepare so other patients arent exposed.

That would include by asking the patient to put on a mask right away and taking him to a private room immediately, and perhaps scheduling the person for lunch or later in the day when fewer other patients are likely to be around, Grant said.

We want to be prepared so that when it happens we know, Grant said. We can act and make sure we dont put other people at unnecessary risk.

lschencker@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @lschencker
The Icelandic budget airline Wow Air abruptly ceased operations Thursday, canceling all flights and stranding passengers around the world.

In an early morning travel alert, Wow Air urged ticket holders to look elsewhere to complete their trips, noting that other airlines may offer so-called rescue fares, in light of the circumstances.

Wow Air did not include any details about other flight options, only that Information on those airlines will be published, when it becomes available.

Irelands Aer Lingus said that it would offer special rescue fares to Wow Air passengers who were scheduled to fly between Thursday and April 11. Customers who have Wow Air tickets for trips after April 12 are eligible for value fares with Aer Lingus, the company said.

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In a section of the alert with the heading What are my rights? the airline outlined how some passengers may be entitled to compensation for their canceled flights. Those who purchased travel insurance or who bought their tickets with a credit card that offers travel protection may be able to recoup some costs, Wow Air said, but noted that such compensation is often limited.

The carrier said it may be obligated to compensate passengers in accordance with European regulations. In case of a bankruptcy, claims should be filed to the administrator / liquidator, the company said.

On Twitter, stranded passengers expressed their frustration and tagged the airline and other carriers in an apparent effort to get home.

The airlines customer support account on Twitter was hit with request after request for help. A litany of apologies in public messages Thursday instructed individual customers to send their booking information through private, direct messages for assistance. Customers complained about canceled flights, demanded refunds and asked for new bookings to continue their journeys.

Passengers who booked Wow Air travel using the app Hopper will receive a refund, Hoppers chief executive, Frederic Lalonde, said Thursday. The company will also cover the cost of rebooking for stranded passengers. Close to 1,000 Hopper customers were affected by the cancellations, the company said. It is reaching out to them through text messages and push notifications through the app.

As of Thursday, Wow Air was offering sub-$200 fares from Baltimore, Detroit, New York and Boston.

Last year, Icelandair reached an agreement to buy Wow Air. Both airlines had been struggling in the face of higher oil prices, slowed tourism to Iceland, and competition from rivals that offered direct flights to Europe. But the deal evaporated.

A private equity firm also recently discussed investing in Wow Air, but last week the carrier announced the suitor had backed out of the talks. In a last-ditch effort, just one week ago, the company said it had rekindled conversations with Icelandair for a potential takeover, the Financial Times reported.

Based in Icelands capital city of Reykjavik, Wow Air was founded in 2011, employing about 1,000 people, according to the companys website. The airline flew 3.5 million passengers last year, serving airports in Europe, the U.S., Canada and Israel.

Wow Airs end of operations follows the demise of another European low-budget airline, Primera Air, which folded in October, less than two months after launching regular service between Dulles International Airport and Londons Stansted Airport. As with Wow Air, Primera Airs sudden cancellations left many passengers stranded on both sides of the Atlantic.

First published in The Washington Post
Q: Im in the Navy, and I chose to enroll in the militarys new blended retirement system last year. How can I make the most of the new plan?

A: To get the most out of the new retirement system, make sure you contribute enough to the federal Thrift Savings Plan to qualify for a government matching contribution, something the old system doesnt offer. You can also boost your retirement savings the longer you stay in the Navy.

Under the new blended retirement system, you -- or anyone who joined the military in 2018 or later -- will receive a smaller lifetime pension than you would under the old system. Youll receive an annual pension of at least 40 percent of your base pay if you stay for 20 years, or 60 percent if you stay for 30 years.

But youll also receive extra money in your Thrift Savings Plan, the tax-advantaged retirement-savings plan for members of the military and federal employees. Any member of the military can contribute to the TSP, but people who are covered by the blended retirement system will receive a matching contribution from the U.S. Department of Defense. The department will automatically contribute 1 percent of your base pay to the TSP after 60 days of service, and it will match your TSP contributions for the next 4 percent of your pay, which can continue for up to 26 years of service.

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Because the TSP benefits are matching contributions, people in the blended retirement system need to take some extra steps to receive the maximum -- specifically, you have to contribute 5 percent of your pay each year to the TSP to receive a full Defense Department match. Try to contribute at least enough money to receive the full match each year. And if possible, its a good idea to invest even more in this tax-friendly plan.

The government introduced the new retirement plan after finding that fewer than 20 percent of service members stayed long enough in the military to qualify for a pension. Under the traditional retirement system, service members receive a lifetime income of at least 50 percent of their base pay if they remain in the military for at least 20 years, and up to 75 percent of pay for 30 years of service. But if they leave before 20 years, they dont receive any retirement pay. People who joined the military before 2006 or didnt opt in to the blended retirement system are still covered under the traditional plan.

For more information about the Thrift Savings Plan and other special saving and investing opportunities for members of the military, see the updated edition of our Financial Field Manual at www.investorprotection.org.

(Kimberly Lankford is a contributing editor to Kiplingers Personal Finance magazine. Send your questions and comments to moneypower@kiplinger.com. And for more on this and similar money topics, visit Kiplinger.com.)

(c) 2019 Kiplingers Personal Finance; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Ask Jean Isaacs about Live Arts Fest 2019, and she will proudly rattle off a litany of things that make it special.

No two evenings are the same  because each evening presents a unique perspective on expressing cultural identity, and the range of expression in each evening is vast, says Isaacs, artistic director of San Diego Dance Theater. Each dance maker curated into the festival brings another piece of the dance discourse for which San Diego is becoming known.

San Diego Dance Theater, founded in 1972 and long known around town as a pioneer in celebrating the art of dance, is again presenting the nine-night festival, now in its seventh year. It will feature dance from all around the globe, including Mexico, Sweden and the United States.

Live Arts Fest does not showcase San Diego Dance Theaters primary choreographers. Instead, Isaacs points out, it honors those choreographers with whom we often give and take inspiration  dance makers along the U.S.-Mexico border; others whose aesthetic veers away from traditional modern dance into unexplored territory; older dance makers; those who steer away from perfect body-instrument; outliers.

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One of those dance makers is renowned contemporary dance choreographer Wendy Rogers, whose See What Happens will be performed on April 14, the last night of the festival.

The work I create thrives on movement as a way to locate ones self in the world: in memory, in place, in energy, in community, in solitude, says Rogers, a UC Riverside dance professor who started working on the still-in-progress See What Happens back in 2011.

In See What Happens, Rogers says, she rekindles past dancing through repo, a process she describes as recovering and exploring histories at play in dance making.

She adds: Together with collaborators, I repossess moving artifacts from my body of work (1968-present) while generating dances arising from the emerging present. For me, the dancers are the dance, so time in the studio with John Diaz and Jennifer Jerum, both artistic allies since 1998, is my kind of heaven. San Diego performers Grace Shinhae Jun and Mitchum Todd bring fresh and different perspectives into our process.

Choreographer Chelsea Zeffiro, whose Circle Made of Dashes: a shape to name love by will be performed on April 4, is all about injecting fresh perspectives into her work. Zeffiro, who captured San Diego Dance Theaters Young Choreographers Prize in 2018, says Circle Made of Dashes was inspired by her award-winning work last year.

Initial thinking for this piece came from the creation of an eight-minute duet  titled Rooting for You. This piece attempted to invoke and incorporate childhood dreams, fantasy and memory as a source of hope and joy alongside the concept of eternal love, as I had just experienced the loss of a close friend, Zeffiro says.

I knew that I wanted to make a dance which served as a dedication to enduring love, but I wasnt exactly sure what enduring love looked like, she says of Circle Made of Dashes, which will also feature performer Ian Isles. I began by revisiting memories of love and play  dancing to a mixtape of iconic female vocalists from the 90s with the vivid disco lights of a roller rink. It was important for me to excavate memories which served as spaces of comfort and joy. Meditation also served a vital role while moving through an experience of loss  so theres a meditation in the form of a dance which remains constant from the eight-minute duet to the piece which will premiere at Live Arts Fest 2019.

Its that kind of emotion-filled choreography, Isaacs says, that makes Live Arts Fest unique.

I hope viewers will respect the power of the moving body to express a vast array of human emotions: Dance is healing, educational, spiritually uplifting and transcends language. Each of the nine evenings creates the narrative that is the community in San Diego and its dance world, says Isaacs, whose Senior Prom  to be performed April 6  will feature 35 dancers and choreographers. Its described as an intergenerational, interactive walk down memory lane.

Isaacs  the force behind one of San Diegos most iconic performing arts events, Trolley Dances  admits mounting a nine-night dance festival is daunting  everything from staging to marketing can prove to be challenging.

The fatigue factor is great, she says, but the rewards are worth it.

San Diego Dance Theater: Live Arts Fest 2019

When: April 3-7 and April 11-14. All shows start at 7:30 p.m.

Where: White Box Live Arts at Liberty Station, 2590 Truxtun Road, Building 176, Point Loma.

Tickets: $20 for a single performance. $150 for all nine shows. Parking is free.

Phone: (619) 225-1803

Online: sandiegodancetheater.org

On April 12, Creating Community will showcase the work of six community college dance programs. (Courtesy photo)

Live Arts Fest 2019 schedule

All shows start at 7:30 p.m. (Descriptions courtesy of San Diego Dance Theater)

Wednesday, April 3: Holding Your Hand Until The End: (in preparation for a transcendental crossing) Diego Pinon with Douglas Allen and Christopher Mankowski. A gift to his mother, fusing aesthetics of Japanese avant-garde and indigenous Mexican ritual.

Thursday, April 4: Circle Made of Dashes: a shape to name love by: Chelsea Zeffiro, with guest performer Ian Isles. An exercise in play and fluidity; a dedication between the performers and the audience.

Friday, April 5: The Life and Times of Ms. Karen Henderson: Maria Naidu, supported by the Swedish Arts Council. A vibrant and colorful one act solo with a touch of ironic humor.

Saturday, April 6: Senior Prom: San Diego Dance Theater Aging Creatively program and guests. An intergenerational, interactive walk down memory lane.

Sunday, April 7: Emerge: Into The Light: San Diego Dance Theater Work Study Artists. Concepts of transformations sifted thru the various lens of nature, connectivity and status quo.

Thursday, April 11: Get Free: bkSOUL. Centering on the possibilities after destruction and the recourse for holism and healing.

Friday, April 12: Creating Community: San Diego City College, San Diego Mesa College, Grossmont College, Mira Costa College, Palomar College and Southwestern College. Artistry from six community college dance programs plus a performance of Jean Isaacs iconic Tabula Rasa.

Saturday, April 13: Raices (Roots): Neiman Danza Escenica. An Evening of Three Choreographies: Reverbarancia, Kafkiana and Historia de Historias from Mexico City choreographers.

Sunday, April 14: See What Happens: Wendy Rogers with John Diaz, Jennifer Jerum and featuring Grace Shinhae Jun, Mitchum Todd. Rekindles past dancing while generating dances arising from the emerging present.

Twitter: @outdoorlivingsd

michael.rocha@sduniontribune.com
One could make the case that Trystan Merrick was destined to be a prince.

He has been the dashing Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake. Hes played the brave, sword-fighting Nutcracker Prince. And as a principal dancer for California Ballet Company, hes Prince Charming in its upcoming production of Cinderella.

Its nice to feel regal, admits Merrick, laughing.

But the movement is very challenging. There are a lot of large, classical male steps mixed in with intricate footwork and a lot of turning. You want to be prepared enough so that the steps can be performed with a certain amount of ease. Its also good, in terms of mastering princely behavior, to try and be someone who is thoughtful and kind. Its a chance to really practice mindfulness towards yourself and everyone.

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As a student attending Inland Valley Classical Ballet Theatre in Temecula, Merricks first lead part was the role of Prince Charming. At the time, he was a teenager, and a future as a dance professional was an unlikely dream. Merrick had already answered the call to be a part of the family construction business and was expert at bathroom and kitchen remodeling.

But really, all he wanted to do was dance.

He grew up watching dance on television and dancing around the house with his three sisters.

When his church group enrolled in a ballroom dance class at the Inland Valley Classical Ballet Theatre, Merrick, then 18, signed up.

Svetlana Kanivets, the owner of the ballet studio, watched him practicing. She approached Merrick and made some observations. He had great posture, she noted, and he was tall and handsome. She asked if he were flexible.

I could do the splits, and I was pretty active as a kid, Merrick says. I surfed and skated and climbed trees. As luck would have it, I was flexible. She immediately offered me a full scholarship to her school. My parents were surprised, but they didnt discourage me.

Ahita Ardalan, a guest teacher and former dancer with the Paris Opera Ballet, visited the studio.

Thats when, Merrick says, his life changed.

Ardalan trained him privately and encouraged him to audition for the Boston Ballet, where he completed a summer program on a full scholarship. Then he auditioned for the Nevada Ballet Theatre and was offered a paid apprenticeship.

Merrick was 21 and had only taken classes for a few years. There was tremendous pressure to succeed.

I was cast in more roles than my technique and experience could handle, he says. I was suffering from an eating disorder at the time, and I ended up getting dual tibial fractures because my bone density was low. After that year and a half, I had to move home to San Diego. I didnt understand the difference between being thin and being strong.

Merrick saw a therapist for a time and resolved to heal.

It was a good learning experience, he says, to find out that limits do exist and that limits can be surpassed with enough time and work.

In San Diego, Merrick started taking classes at San Diego Ballet, located in the same building as San Diego Dance Theater. Artistic director Jean Isaacs saw him rehearse and invited him to be a part of her troupe.

Merrick has since danced for San Diego Ballet, San Diego Dance Theater, Malashock Dance and City Ballet of San Diego, among others.

During the summer of 2012, while vacationing in New York, he took a company class with Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, an internationally renowned, all-male professional ballet company that parodies classical repertoire.

Merrick was asked to join a European tour in six days.

A friend sent his passport by FedEx. First stop: Iceland.

I was with Trocks for almost two years, Merrick says. I performed in 22 countries on five continents. We had a beautiful run in Paris, and the Canary Islands were incredible. It was an experience I wouldnt exchange for anything.

After two years of touring, Merrick returned to San Diego to set down roots in the city where he most loves to dance. He joined California Ballet in 2014 along with Ana da Costa, the principal ballerina who performs the part of Cinderella. The Civic Theatre engagement of Cinderella includes four shows and California Ballet principals Zachary Guthier and Reka Gyulai also play the roles of Prince Charming and Cinderella.

Its fantastic that there are two casts, says Merrick, who lives in a Sherman Heights Victorian home he remodeled himself.

Jared Nelson, our artistic director, gives us enough space to learn from the choices were making, while still being clear about the steps that he wants. His choreography is whimsical. Its classical with a contemporary approach that is really interesting. And the step sisters (Oscar Burciaga and Isaiah Bindel) are hilarious.

When it comes to being Prince Charming, some things come naturally for Merrick.

There is a certain amount of interpretation that happens, he says, chuckling, like how far to turn a head, how much to look up and when to bat an eyelash. Ana and I have danced together for years, so charming Cinderella is easy. Its the audience I hope to enchant.

California Ballet Company presents Jared Nelsons Cinderella

When: 7:30 p.m. April 12; 2 and 7:30 p.m. April 13; 2 p.m. April 14

Where: San Diego Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave., downtown

Tickets: $25 to $95. Children ages 4 to 12 receive up to a 20 percent discount; must be at least 4 years old to attend.

Phone: (858) 560-6741

Online: sandiegotheatres.org

Manna is a freelance writer.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GTX Corp (OTCQB: GTXO) (GTX) , a pioneer in the field of wearable GPS, people and asset tracking Location-Based Services (LBS) and Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS), today announced it has been awarded a Supplier Registration Certificate from the Sri Lanka Ministry of Defense.



Over the past six months, GTX has been working with the Sri Lanka government to get its line of military-grade GPS tracking solutions approved for sale and import into the country as part of a large scale requirement from the Sri Lanka Army, Disaster Management Centre, and Centre for Research and Development under the Ministry of Defense to tag, track and locate (TTL) their personnel and equipment.

We have been diligently working with Major General (retd) Fadyl Meedin RSP Ldmc, from the Space Technology & Solutions (Pvt) Ltd to provide all the necessary requirements in order for GTX to become an approved Sri Lanka military supplier, stated Andrew Duncan, GTX Corp Director of Business Development.

Shortly following the Sri Lanka government approving their 2019 annual budget of $17.5 billion, GTX received an Official Letter and Certificate (registration number F191478) approving the Company as a registered supplier for the year 2019 under the Ministry of Defense for categories J6, J28, J29, J44, J57, J70, RS1 and RS2.

Patrick Bertagna, GTX Corp CEO, commented, As we continue to support our U.S. military, we are very pleased to have this opportunity to supply GPS technology solutions for the Sri Lanka Army. Our line of TTL products at their core are designed to help save lives and track valuable equipment and it is very rewarding to see GTX be recognized as a solution provider in this area.

Dr. Kathleen Kiernan , a GTX advisor, with 30-plus years of government experience and who has worked in Sri Lanka, added, Sri Lanka is an extraordinary country, rich in culture and an absolute pleasure to work with. And as part of our ongoing commitment to purse and grow this channel of business both domestically and internationally, we have scheduled meetings with several other government agencies in April in Washington D.C.

GTX Corp is best known for its flagship GPS SmartSole shoe inserts, which are designed to improve and save lives of people who wander due to Alzheimers, dementia or autism. GTX is a For-Profit with Purpose company that owns and licenses more than 85 patents and takes particular pride in the fact that many of its products are manufactured in the USA, with multiple GPS tracking solutions in the marketplace, all of which are available through the Companys online store , Amazon and authorized resellers and distributors across the globe.

About GTX Corp

GTX Corp (OTCQB: GTXO) is a pioneer in smart, mobile and wearable GPS tracking and recovery location-based solutions, supported through a proprietary IoT enterprise monitoring platform and intellectual property portfolio. GTX offers a global end-to-end solution of hardware, software and connectivity and develops two-way GPS tracking technologies, which seamlessly integrate with consumer products and enterprise applications. GTX utilizes the latest in miniaturized, low power consumption GPS, Cellular, RF and BLE technology, enabling subscribers to track in real time the whereabouts of people or high value assets. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, GTX is known for its game-changing and award-winning patented GPS SmartSole -- think Dr. Scholls meets LoJack, the worlds first invisible wearable technology tracking device created for those at risk of wandering due to Alzheimers, dementia, autism and traumatic brain injury. GTXs business model is built around technology innovation and holds over 85 patents, with many issued patents in the area of GPS tracking. The company has international distributors servicing customers in over 35 countries and is a U.S. Military Government contractor. Other customers include public health authorities and municipalities, emergency and law enforcement, private schools, assisted living facilities, NGOs, small business enterprises, senior care homes, and consumers.

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Disclaimer: GTX Corp does not warrant or represent that the unauthorized use of materials drawn from the content of this document will not infringe rights of third parties who are not owned or affiliated by GTX Corp. Further GTX Corp cannot be held responsible or liable for the unauthorized use of this documents content by third parties unknown to the company.

Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements. The terms and phrases expects, would, will, believes, and similar terms and phrases are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by GTX in light of its experience and its perception of current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that GTX believes are appropriate in the circumstances. Many factors could cause GTXs actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Certain risk factors that may cause actual results to differ are set forth in GTXs Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (which may be obtained on the SEC Website ). These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on GTXs forward-looking statements. GTX has no intention and undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

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The plays of Lynn Nottage have a way of taking on huge and difficult topics and distilling them into intimate, gritty and deeply authentic stories of individual lives in turmoil.

They shy from neither heartbreak nor humor, and Monique Gaffney marvels at the way they encompass multiple story threads and tones.

There are so many layers, but they weave together beautifully, says Gaffney, who plays the key role of Cynthia in the upcoming San Diego Rep production of Nottages Pulitzer Prize-winning Sweat.

The result is seamless, like looking at a quilt. You have this colorful pattern, she adds.

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And then it just plays like a piece of music. Whether you hear classical or jazz in your head, whatever it is  it just has these dips and dives, and then theres a riff. And youre like, Wow, how did that come into play?

Sweat, a saga of struggling factory employees in Reading, Penn., is based on interviews with real-life workers in the Rust Belt city.

Ruined, Nottages first Pulitzer winner, tells of shattered lives and raw perseverance among people who haunt a brothel in the war-blasted Democratic Republic of Congo; it was likewise built around research Nottage conducted on-site.

That kind of approach to theater hits home for Gaffney, who besides being one of San Diegos most admired actors is also a playwright. And both her performing and storytelling sides are about to receive a huge boost.

In mid-March, the Theatre Communications Group announced that Gaffney was among six winners nationwide of the Fox Foundation Resident Actor Fellowships, a prestigious honor that affords funding, time and resources for each recipient to work on a specific project with a local host theater.

Gaffney, whose host is the Old Globe, will develop a multimedia theater piece inspired by the book Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust  Immaculee Ilibagizas true story of a woman who survived the 1994 Rwandan genocide for 91 days alongside seven other women in a tiny bathroom.

The creation of that piece will take in original stories of survival, resilience and forgiveness collected locally, the TCG citation says. The idea is for the finished work to be used as a teaching tool on such subjects as the refugee and asylum-seekers crisis.

The fellowship dovetails with all kinds of artistic impulses that drive Gaffney, a Columbia University and University of California San Diego-trained artist who comes from San Diego theater royalty: Her dad was the late Floyd Gaffney, co-founder of UCSDs renowned theater and dance department, and longtime artistic director of Common Ground Theatre.

Local audiences may know Monique Gaffney for memorable turns in such shows as Disgraced and Clybourne Park at the Rep, and The Piano Lesson and The Wind and the Breeze at Cygnet Theatre, where shes a resident artist.

But lately she also has been busy working as a teaching artist at the Old Globe, where she has previously appeared in the theaters touring Shakespeare for All program.

They put me into many different roles, which really stretches me as an artist, she says of her Globe experiences.

Gaffney also just finished a teaching-artist stint with Carlsbads New Village Arts Theatre, working with Blake McCarty of the local company Blindspot Collective on projects with three different area schools.

The verbatim projects, based on real-life interviews, tackled such topics as gender roles and substance abuse.

Those pursuits of Gaffneys seem to form a natural connection to Sweat and its basis in the struggles and dreams of the people Nottage met in Reading.

I think theres this level of authenticity, Gaffney says of the play and her character. This is a real person with real problems.

Cynthia, as Gaffney explains the character, has lived her whole life in Pennsylvania; shes a single mom who works in a factory alongside childhood friends.

She has always wanted to rise in terms of her position in the factory, Gaffney says. She has always been interested in going up to the next level, and was just waiting for the next opportunity to go into management, because shed been on the floor of this factory for a long time.

Cynthia wants to earn more money to support her family  but she also wants to prove to herself that, as Gaffney puts it, I deserve to be in this position.

Its a story, she says, of economics and class  all those things that are real and present, especially in the present climate.

In sum: You couldnt pick a better time to do a piece like Sweat, says Gaffney.

Or, from Gaffneys own perspective, a better place for her to be pursuing her theater passion.

As she puts it: I get to do what I love to do.

Sweat

When: April 18 to May 12

Where: San Diego Reps Lyceum Stage, 79 Horton Plaza, downtown

Tickets: About $21-$61 (discounts available)

Phone: (619) 544-1000

Online: sdrep.org

jim.hebert@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @jimhebert
They may not do your waistline good, but the pastries baked for the 2019 Chef-Driven Bake Sale are at least good for the San Diego community. The March 31 event, held at Herb & Eaterys gallery space in Little Italy, is hosted by the nonprofit charity Friendly Feast with proceeds from the bake sale supporting Friendly Feast and Monarch School .

The event will feature 12 of San Diegos hottest pastry chefs, including Erik Aronow of Puesto, Jamie Decena of Cowboy Star, Elizabeth Olson of Ironside, and Adrian Mendoza of Herb & Wood. Participating chefs will incorporate produce from local farms and food distributors, including Cyclops Farms, Stehly Farms, and Specialty Produce.

Enticing offerings will include chicken and waffle cupcakes, huckleberry almond croissants, spiced pecan and chocolate tarts, and dulce de leche cheddar cheese brioche.

Friendly Feast was launched in 2017 as an event- and program-driven nonprofit organization that gives back to the local community and the Chef-Driven Bake Sales supporting charity, Monarch School, is a public school in Barrio Logan that has a mission to address youth homelessness through education.

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PACIFIC chatted with Friendly Feast founder Erin Jackson to find out more about the bake sale and the succulent sweets that will be up for grabs.

PACIFIC: What inspired you to found Friendly Feast?

ERIN JACKSON: I founded Friendly Feast to celebrate chefs and food producers in San Diego. Our events are a fun way to explore the local food scene and give back to the community at the same time. If youve ever wanted to change the world while eating delicious baked goods, this is your chance!

How were the chefs chosen for the bake sale?

Chefs are invited by me. I like to include a mix of familiar faces, local favorites and indie chefs so theres an element of discovery at the event.

Whats the connection with Monarch School? How were they selected?

Friendly Feast is a proud supporter of Monarch School because their values align with our founding principles. This is the third year we will be donating funds from the bake sale to support their mission to educate youth affected by homelessness and give them the skills they need to break the cycle. When I toured the school, I was immediately struck by the care and compassion of the staff members and teachers. The comprehensive services they provide are absolutely crucial to the community.

Pastry chef Jeremy Harville of Trust will create a sweet treat for this years Chef-Driven Bake Sale. (Courtesy photo)

Is there a competition involved?

Last year, Faye Rodriguez of Fayes Desserts won the most tempting award, which means she sold out of her items first. This year, Im changing things up by allowing people to vote for their favorite chef. The winner will be crowned Best in Show and will win a custom cake plate and gift basket from Trader Joes.

We hear Domaine Sante is donating wine grape nectar to the event, what is that?

Its a non-alcoholic sugar substitute made from California wine grape varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon or Sauvignon Blanc.

Have you gotten to taste all of the treats? Can you tempt our taste buds with a few standouts?

Yes, Ive tasted all of the items. The three items that made the biggest impression with me are chicken and waffle cupcakes from Victoria Sorrisio Scully (The Wild Thyme Company), a brunch-themed creation with a sweet and savory flavor profile that is truly unique; Caramelized banana and dark chocolate pan de elote from Erik Aronow of Puesto, a sweet corn cake with flavors inspired by bananas foster; and strawberry and basil layer cake from Jamie Decena of Cowboy Star, a light and elegant option with refreshing flavors that are perfect for spring.

Complete list of participating chefs

Adrian Mendoza, Herb & Wood

Crystal White, Wayfarer Bread

Jamie Decena, Cowboy Star Restaurant & Butcher Shop

Erik Aronow, Puesto

Jeremy Harville, TRUST

Vicky Sorrisio Scully, The Wild Thyme Company

Elizabeth Olson, Ironside

Faye Rodriguez, Fayes Desserts

Ginger Niles, The MED at La Valencia

Marco Maestoso, Maestoso

Jose Alonzo, NINE-TEN Restaurant & Bar

Gan Suebsarakham, Pop Pie Co.

Chef-Driven Bake Sale

When: 11 a.m. March 31

Where: Herb & Wood, 2210 Kettner Blvd., Little Italy

Cost: $10 donation (kids 12 and under are free); once inside, each pastry can be purchased for $5. VIP tickets also are available.

Info: friendlyfeast.org
Heavy-hitting restaurants continue to open around San Diego as the year blossoms into the spring. And speaking of opening days, a few of these new spots will be great to check out now that the Padres have launched their season at Petco Park  the teams 50th anniversary, too.

Heres a look at 14 new places to eat, drink and bask in the sunlight the spring is sure to bring.

Cesarina, Point Loma

Cesarina, Point Loma. (Courtesy Photo )

Open since February, this authentic Italian trattoria has won raves for its lasagna and tiramisu, among other family recipes brought from the homeland of its young expatriate owners, Rome-born Niccolo Angius and Naples-bred cousins Giuseppe Scognamiglio and Giuseppe Capasso. The restaurants menu features a build-your-own pasta plate, with choice of housemade pastas, sauces and other toppings.

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4161 Voltaire St., Point Loma, 619.226.6222, cesarinarestaurant.com



Cesarina, Point Loma. (Courtesy Photo )

Himmelbergs, East Village

Himmelbergs, East Village. (Courtesy Photo )

The Patio Group reopened its former Harvest by the Patio restaurant on March 25 as Himmelbergs, a rock n roll surf-style fast-casual restaurant/bar with live music. It serves a sustainably sourced menu of American comfort foods and custom-made Himmelbrew beer. Both the restaurant and beer are dedicated to owner Gina Champion-Cains close friend Joey Himmelberg, who died in 2016.

369 10th Ave., East Village, 619.541.8301, himmelbergs.com



Himmelbergs, East Village. (Courtesy Photo )

Hiro Nori Craft Ramen, Hillcrest

This Orange County-based ramen shop opened its first San Diego County store in February in Hillcrest. The four-store chain was started in Irvine in 2017 by Japanese-born ramen chef Hiromichi Igarashi and businessman Tadanori Akasaka. Its known for the authentic Japanese flavors in its tonkotsu and shoyu ramen dishes, pork buns and vegan offerings.

3805 Fifth Ave., Hillcrest, 619-241-2856, hironoricraftramen.com



Hiro Nori Craft Ramen, Hillcrest. (Courtesy Photo )

Holy Matcha, East Village

Geraldine Riaduara, owner and founder of Holy Matcha in North Park ans East Village. (Courtesy Photo )

Geraldine Ridaura opened the first location of this Asian-inspired healthy cafe and matcha green tea room in North Park in 2017. Her second location opened in early March in the Park 12 development near Petco Park in East Village. Like the original, the new pink-walled Holy Matcha shop is certain to be a popular spot for Instagrammers. The new location has a unique menu with additional matcha drinks, snacks, toasts and soft-serve desserts. Read PACIFICs interview with Ridaura here.

201 Park Blvd., Unit 105, East Village, holymatchasd.com



Holy Matcha, East Village. (Courtesy Photo )

Louisiana Purchase, North Park

Louisiana Purchase, North Park. (Courtesy Photo )

Grind & Prosper Hospitality opened this New Orleans-inspired courtyard restaurant and Southern cocktail bar in March. A recent graduate of the Culinary Institute of New Orleans, chef Quinnton Austin has created a menu featuring alligator cheesecake with crawfish cream sauce, Andouille-fried red beans and rice with chipotle mousse and Southern-style BBQ shrimp.

2305 University Ave., North Park, 619.255.8278, louisianapurchasesd.com



Louisiana Purchase, North Park. (Courtesy Photo )

Medina Moroccan Baja Kitchen, North Park

Chef/owner Alia Jaziri credits her North African and Chinese/Indonesian heritage and her passion for Baja cuisine for the eclectic Mediterranean/Mexican menu at this new fast-casual restaurant and wine bar that opened in October. It offers lunch and dinner service and brunch service will be added soon.

2850 El Cajon Blvd., Ste. 4, North Park, 619.230.5037, medinakitchen.com



Medina Moroccan Baja Kitchen, North Park (Daniel Lee)

Mustangs & Burros, La Jolla

Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa reopened its signature restaurant in February with a new look and new coastal-inspired menu. Signature dishes include blackened swordfish tacos, charred Spanish octopus, pineapple-achiote pork ribs and ceviche negro.

Estancia La Jolla Hotel, 9700 N. Torrey Pines Rd., La Jolla, 858.964.6537, meritagecollection.com/estancia-la-jolla



Mustangs & Burros, La Jolla.

One Paseo, Carmel Valley

The first phase of this mixed-use community project opened its first group of restaurants in March and will continue opening more throughout April. They include Shake Shack, Salt & Straw ice cream, Parakeet Cafe, a healthy foods venue, Blue Bottle Coffee, Susie Cakes, Joe & the Juice bar, Mizukiyama Sushi, Tender Greens and The Butchery meat, grocery and seafood market. Read the latest about One Paseo here.

12860 El Camino Real, Carmel Valley, onepaseo.com



One Paseo, Carmel Valley. (Hayne Palmour IV )

The Owl Drug Co. Social Eating House, downtown

The Owl Drug Co. Social Eating House, downtown (Courtesy Photo )

In January, restaurateur Jason King took over the food side of the business at the 1-year-old Bell Marker brewpub. He relaunched the restaurant operation in March as the Owl Drug Co. Social Eating House, an elevated brew pub serving American comfort food. The existing brewery operation, run by the Artisinal Brewers Collective, has remained onsite. The name comes from the original tenant of the 1908 historic building, a drugstore that over the years was used as a bowling alley and a cafe.

602 E. Broadway, downtown, 619.756.7598, owldrugco.com



The Owl Drug Co. Social Eating House, downtown. (Christian Villareal )

The Porchetta Shack, North Park

The Porchetta Shack, North Park. (Howard Lipin )

After eight years running Carnitas Snack Shack in North Park, married co-owners Hanis Cavin and Sara Stroud shuttered their original pork-centric outdoor fast-food restaurant to give the outlet a refresh and new name. The Porchetta Shack, which opened in March, has a new menu focused around the porchetta pork loin roast. The menu will also feature sandwiches, burgers and side dishes. The bar menu now includes cocktails. The Carnitas Snack Shack locations on the Embarcadero and at Petco Park are now under the ownership of the Grain & Grit Collective, which launched a new menu on March 12.

2632 University Ave., North Park, porchettashack.com



The Porchetta Shack, North Park. (Lyudmila Zotova)

Richard Walkers Pancake House, Carlsbad

Third-generation restaurateur Richard Walker Jr. of San Diego has opened a North County outlet of the family-owned gourmet pancake house concept in the new Square at Bressi Ranch shopping center. Launched in Illinois in 1989, Richard Walkers is known for its oversize oven-baked omelettes and Granny Smith apple and cinnamon pancakes. Everything on the 70-item menu is made from scratch daily with never-frozen ingredients. Read more about the Carlsbad restaurant here.

2656 Gateway Rd., Carlsbad, 760.893.8400, richardwalkers.com



Richard Walkers Pancake House, Carlsbad (Pam Kragen)

Sister Rays, Sherman Heights

Sister Rays, Sherman Heights. (JTran Photos )

In January, Balboa Bar & Grill owner Tom Logsdon and Pizzeria Luigi owner Luigi Agostini took over the lease on this American comfort food kitchen and craft beer spot in Sherman Heights. Since then, theyve revamped and expanded the menu with a mix of burgers, chili dogs, sandwiches and vegan options.

549 25th St., Sherman Heights, 619.237.8041, facebook.com/sisterrays



Sister Rays, Sherman Heights. (JTran Photos )

Storyhouse Spirits, East Village

Storyhouse Spirits, East Village. (Courtesy Photo )

Co-founders Matt Kidd and Steve Kuftinec opened this two-story urban distillery and restaurant in February. The 7,600-square-foot project houses a distillery and production facility and a full-service bar, tasting room and lounge. Chef Nick Paulerios menu features seasonal plates, mostly cooked in a copper wood-fired oven. Read more about the East Village distillery here.

1220 J St., East Village, 619.241.2780, storyhousespirits.com

Storyhouse Spirits, East Village. (Courtesy Photo )

REIMAGINED

Small Bar, University Heights

Small Bar, University Heights. (Courtesy Photo )

Longtime Small Bar owner Karen Barnett partnered this year with the Trust Restaurant Group to revamp her 10-year-old restaurant/bar, with a refresh to the interior, updated menu, new staffing and a new cocktail program overseen by new part-owner Frank McGrath, formerly of Polite Provisions. It reopened in late February.

4628, Park Blvd., University Heights, 619.795.7998, smallbarsd.com

Small Bar, University Heights. (Courtesy Photo )

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Full plate: April food + drink happenings
Two weeks after Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a moratorium on executions, two justices on the states highest court called Californias death penalty an expensive and dysfunctional system that delivers neither justice nor timely closure.

The California Supreme Court justices decried the states administration of the death penalty in a concurrence to a unanimous decision upholding the death sentence of Thomas Potts, who robbed and killed Fred and Shirley Jenks in their Hanford home in 1997.

The case was the first death penalty decision issued by the court since Newsom announced the moratorium. Though California judges have leveled similar criticism for years, Thursdays denunciation was unusual in that it came in a published court decision.

Justice Goodwin Liu, joined by Justice Mariano-Florentino Cuellar, both appointed by former Gov. Jerry Brown, reiterated the evidence Newsom cited when he announced the moratorium.

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The capital sentence the court upheld Thursday does not alter a fundamental reality, Liu wrote.

A death sentence in California has only a remote possibility of ever being carried out, he said. As leaders of the judiciary have long observed, the death penalty presents serious challenges for the fair and efficient administration of justice. For decades, those challenges have not been meaningfully addressed.

The two justices also said that Proposition 66, passed by voters in 2016 to speed up executions, will not resolve the problem because it did not provide additional funding.

In the meantime, the judiciary will continue to do its duty under the law, leaving it to the voters and our elected representatives to decide whether California should double down on the current system or chart a new course, Liu and Cuellar said.

They described Thursdays decision on Potts appeal of his death sentence as instructive.

The death judgment was issued in 1998, they said. Now, 21 years later, we affirm the judgment on direct appeal, but there is more litigation to come in the form of habeas corpus petitions in state and federal courts. This timeline is typical of our capital cases.

Liu noted that he has voted to uphold scores of death sentences and would continue to do so if the law required it. He also said he was expressing no view about the morality or the constitutionality of capital punishment.

It is impossible to review these cases without feeling tremendous compassion for the victims and their families, who have suffered unimaginable heartbreak and loss, Liu wrote.

But the promise of justice in our death penalty system is a promise that California has been unable to keep, he added.

Both California Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye and her predecessor, Ronald M. George, Republican appointees, have said that Californias death penalty system is broken.

Referring to a comment by Cantil-Sakauye, Liu and Cuellar said California was long overdue to have a merit-based discussion about the costs and effectiveness of the death penalty.

Newsom issued a statement commending the two justices for their pronouncement.

Santa Clara University law professor emeritus Gerald Uelmen, an expert on the state high court, called the concurrence an eloquent expression of frustration.

I am sure it is a frustration the entire court feels but they may not have agreed that it is appropriate to express that in a concurring opinion in a death penalty case, Uelmen said.

Justice Leondra R. Kruger, another Brown appointee, did not sign the concurrence. Justice Joshua Groban, Browns fourth appointee on the seven-member court, had not been confirmed when the case was heard and did not participate.

The concurrence was reminiscent of a 2015 dissent by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen G. Breyer, who called capital punishment unfair, cruel and unusual.

That dissent, which was joined by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, went further than Thursdays state Supreme Court concurrence. Breyer was essentially calling the death penalty unconstitutional.

Kent Scheidegger, legal director of the pro-death penalty Criminal Justice Legal Foundation, dismissed Thursdays concurrence as nothing new.

He said the court was partly responsible for the states huge backlog of death penalty appeals. It has routinely granted time extensions to defense lawyers in capital cases, he said.

I sincerely hope the California Supreme Court will continue to follow the law and not the opinions of the judges, he said.

maura.dolan@latimes.com

Twitter: @mauradolan
Two Inglewood police officers were shot Wednesday when responding to reports of a man with a sword entering the Church of Scientology of Inglewood, authorities said.

The suspect died after he was taken to a hospital in critical condition, authorities said.

Inglewood Police Lt. Neal Cochran said the suspect entered the church at 315 S. Market St. wearing a hoodie about 3:30 p.m., but he did not describe what happened inside.

One officer was shot in the hand, the other in the forearm. Neither injury was believed to be life-threatening.

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No other injuries were reported, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Inglewood Police Lt. Oscar Mejia said at a news conference Wednesday evening that police are still trying to determine whether the suspect had a gun.

At this point, police believe that only the man who drove up to the church in his white Bentley and entered the church with a very large sword was involved.

There were about five people in the lobby when the suspect entered. Mejia said police have not identified the suspect and did not know how or why he entered the church. He added that to speculate about that would be improper.

The Church of Scientology said in a statement: We thank the Inglewood Police Department for their rapid response in protecting our parishioners and staff members. These officers are doing a heroic job protecting the community and keeping houses of worship safe.

(Los Angeles Times)

Kebron Faris, 35, of Inglewood, rushed over to the church after getting a text message from her friend who was inside the building. Her friend told her that a man entered the church acting peculiarly and was shot by police.

Faris said she was initially worried but was glad her friend  who was waiting at the police station to be interviewed  was not hurt.

Witnesses at the scene on Market Street in downtown Inglewood said the area had been closed off by police.

Rebecca Hirsch, an employee at a store that sells candles across the street from the church, said she heard a pop like a gunshot about 3:30 p.m.

Market Street was then closed off by authorities, she said, and she was told by police she couldnt leave the shop, Botanica La Milagrosa.

They took a young man away in the ambulance, Hirsch said.

Ron Sigur, 52, goes to the Market Street Bar & Grill every week. When he arrived Wednesday about 4:30 p.m., Sigur was surprised by police tape cordoning off about three blocks.

I thought it might have been the bar that was shot up, Sigur said.

Sigur said the police presence has been heavy.

Two hours after the incident, a group of about 15 law enforcement officers stood near the corner of Market Street and Nutwood Street.

The police arent playing around  all of them are out here, Sigur said. This is my city, I live in Inglewood. I want to know what happened.

This is not the first time a man has entered a Scientology location in Los Angeles County with a sword.

On Nov. 23, 2008, a former Scientologist, Mario Majorski, 48, was shot and killed by a security guard after he drove a rented convertible onto the church grounds and confronted guards with two samurai swords.

Majorski, a Hollywood native who had moved to Oregon several years before the incident, threatened the guards and said something about revenge, according to a prosecutors report. He dropped one sword and started walking back to his car, but then unsheathed a second sword and said he would kill anyone who tried to arrest him. The guard shot him after he ran with the sword at the guards, according to the report.

Majorski had made at least a dozen threatening phone calls to Scientology offices in Oregon and California, according to the church.

The Church of Scientology of Inglewood, along with a nearby church community center, opened in late 2011, according to the churchs website.

Times staff writers Benjamin Oreskes and Richard Winton contributed to this report.
The San Diego field office for Immigration and Customs Enforcement carried out about 8% of the nations removals in the first quarter of fiscal 2019, according to data released by the agency.

Thats down from the 10% that the field office averaged last year for sending people back to their home countries. While ICE increased the number of removals nationwide compared with the first quarter of fiscal 2018, local ICE officers removed fewer people at the beginning of this fiscal year compared with the same period last year.

ICE officers in San Diego and Imperial counties deported or otherwise returned more than 5,300 people between October and December 2018. Nationwide, officers removed more than 66,500 people.

In fiscal 2018, ICE officers for the San Diego field office removed more than 6,000 people, and nationwide officers removed more than 60,500 in the same time frame.

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ICE counts both deportations  when someone is ordered to leave the U.S.  and voluntary returns  when someone agrees to leave  as removals.

About 39% of those removed from San Diego and Imperial counties in the first quarter of fiscal 2019 had criminal convictions. An additional 5% had been charged with crimes but had no convictions.

The remaining 56% did not have any criminal charges or convictions.

Nationally, 57% of those removed from the U.S. had criminal convictions. About 9% had pending criminal charges but had not been convicted of crimes, and 34% had no charges or convictions.

The majority of removals from the state of California, more than 60% in the beginning of fiscal 2019, are carried out through the San Diego field office.

The San Diego area also saw fewer arrests by ICE officers in the first quarter of fiscal 2019, which mirrored the national trend.

Officers for the San Diego field office arrested 717 people between October and December 2018. Nationwide, officers caught 35,167 people.

The majority of those arrested in the San Diego area, about 61%, had criminal convictions. Similarly, about 65% of those arrested around the U.S. had been convicted of crimes.

Morrissey writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.
San Diegans will probably be asked in coming years to pay for a costly, yet world-class public transit system  complete with a San Diego Grand Central, new rail lines and commute times that rival driving.

To fund the ambitious vision, officials are gearing up to ask the regions historically tax-averse electorate to approve not one but two new tax hikes, the first of which could be before voters as soon as November 2020.

For months, leaders at the countys premiere transportation and planning agency, the San Diego Assn. of Governments, have sketched out the need for tens of billions of dollars in public funding to overhaul the regions transit system.

Now officials with the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System say theyre also serious about pursuing a tax increase to pay for bus and rail upgrades.

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Political and transportation experts have said the move could be risky, potentially confusing voters and stretching thin their patience for new taxes.

Theres only so many sales-tax measures that voters are going to support, said Ethan Elkind, a transportation and land-use researcher at UC Berkeleys Center for Law, Energy and the Environment. I think thats a legitimate concern if you have these dueling measures. Its going to be hard to go back to voters for a second bite at the apple.

Still, if voters believe that officials can deliver a transit system worth riding, they could be convinced to fork over the money, said Thad Kousser, chair of the political science department of UC San Diego.

What voters care about is the value proposition, he said. If you can sell them on this being a good investment, it doesnt matter how big that investment is.

Its making people who dont think of themselves as transit riders now, envision themselves as riding, he added.

Asking voters to approve multiple ballot measures, each requiring the onerous two-thirds approval, does not appear to be a coordinated tactic among the two transportation agencies.

MTS board Chair Georgette Gomez announced last week the organizations strong interest in placing a half-cent sales tax increase before voters in the upcoming presidential election.

Gomez  who also sits on the SANDAG board  dismissed the idea that a second measure was even on the table.

At the moment, I dont know that SANDAG has been exploring a measure, but I do know that MTS is, she said. I, we, are working very closely with SANDAG. If they are to explore a measure  I dont think this is competing to that, but thats if they ever go back to the ballot, to the voters, in the future.

But over the last three months, SANDAGs recently hired top official, Hasan Ikhrata, has been leading the charge to radically modernize the regions transit system  making no bones about his intent to go to the voters for public funding.

Its going to need more than half a cent of sales tax, he recently said in an interview. Its going to be expensive.

Ikhrata, whos rumored to be privately concerned about putting two measures before voters, has publicly expressed support for MTSs efforts to raise money.

I hope theyre successful, and Im going to support and coordinate with them, he said. If this is a down payment thats OK.

Ikhrata  a widely lauded transportation expert who left his position as the head of the Southern California Assn. of Governments in December to lead SANDAG  has repeatedly said his goal is to develop a public transit system thats at least as fast as driving.

His ambition has seemingly emboldened other transportation officials.

If you really want to make transit work better, theres really two key ingredients, make it goes faster, make it go more frequently, MTS CEO Paul Jablonski said at a recent event.

To make transit competitive with driving, Ikhrata has floated everything from exploring a futuristic hyperloop system to constructing an underground trolley line from San Ysidro to Kearny Mesa to building a Grand Central station that would connect regional transit riders to the San Diego International Airport.

All this is necessary, hes argued, not only to boost the economy and draw new talent to the area but to meet state mandates for limiting greenhouse gases from cars and trucks.

His ideas have been everything the regions environmental and transit advocates have been yearning to hear for decades.

I will credit Hasan in being relentless in his public outreach in conveying a big vision, said Nicole Capretz, executive director of the San Diego-based Climate Action Campaign.

One of those public transit advocates has been Gomez, who before being elected to the City Council in 2016 worked for more than a decade with the Environmental Health Coalition, representing low-income neighborhoods of color suffering from toxic air pollution.

SANDAG is expected to release an initial blueprint for modernizing the regions transportation system by the end of the year.

At the same time, Gomez said MTS will be embarking on a months-long public outreach campaign to better understand what projects voters desire and would be inclined to fund.

Were going to be very intentional on how were going to be gathering information and very transparent, she said. Were going to be inclusive, transparent and we are going to be making sure that we are held accountable to our riders.

Her comments come less than two years after SANDAGs previous executive director, Gary Gallegos, resigned amid scandal. After a 2016 tax increase put forth by the agency failed at the ballot, it was revealed that Gallegos had promised voters a long list of highway and transit projects the half-cent levy probably wouldnt have covered.

Both agencies would like to distance themselves from SANDAGs former incarnation, which had made enemies on all sides of the political spectrum.

While MTS has a relatively clean record, its efforts to raise money for an all-transit ballot measure will probably be an uphill battle. Most successful transportation tax measures include a wide variety of projects, from rail and bus expansions to highway and road improvements.

Voters serviced by L.A. Countys Metropolitan Transportation Authority have approved four half-cent sales tax measures since 1980, all of which included some funding for highway infrastructure.

Transit-only measures face a much more demanding hurdle than measures that include things for multiple interest groups, said Martin Wachs, a distinguished professor emeritus at UCLAs Department of Urban Planning, who has studied transportation systems and policies around the world.

Wachs also said that putting two tax increases before voters could jeopardize the success of both.

Its pretty clear that voters need to have a relatively straight forward understanding of what is happening, and they will vote no if they dont understand what the measure is or they think another measure is coming soon, he said. So a single measure will stand a much greater chance of passage.

MTS officials said this week that recent polling found 67% of voters would definitely or probably vote for a half-cent sales tax to fund an expansion of the existing transit network. The agency wouldnt release the full survey results, citing an exemption under the California Public Records Act.

Such a razor-thin margin raises questions about to what extent organized groups will attempt to kill the tax increase.

Yeah, there will be funded opposition, said Tony Krvaric, chairman of the Republican Party of San Diego County. I think peoples appetite for taxes is over. We just had a gas tax. Its completely absurd.

Haney Hong, president and CEO of the San Diego Taxpayer Assn., struck a more measured tone.

Expanding public transit in our region is important, but the devils in the details. We look forward to seeing what MTS puts together for a ballot measure and then giving it a good scrub to see if it uses taxpayer dollars well, and is able to deliver what it promises.

The first measure to the ballot has the best chances of passing, but that does mean it will raise enough money to truly overhaul the transit system, said Carl Luna, a political science professor at San Diego Mesa College.

It would be nice and smart and more effective if SANDAG and MTS would have come together to develop a unified, complementary plan, Luna said.

Summers coming, he added. Maybe we can lock the leadership in a room, turn off the air conditioning and keep them in there until they come up with a comprehensive regional transportation plan. Ill pop for a round of iced lattes to reward them all if they reached a deal.

Smith writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.
A Wisconsin man pleaded guilty Wednesday to kidnapping 13-year-old Jayme Closs and killing her parents, in a move that spares the girl held captive in a remote cabin for three months from the possible trauma of having to testify at his trial.

Jake Patterson, 21, sniffled and his voice caught as he pleaded guilty to two counts of intentional homicide and one count of kidnapping. As part of a plea deal, prosecutors dropped a count of armed burglary. Patterson faces up to life in prison when he is sentenced May 24; Wisconsin does not have the death penalty.

Patterson had said he would plead guilty in a letter sent this month to a Minneapolis TV station, saying he didnt want the Closs family to worry about a trial.

Patterson admitted kidnapping Jayme after killing her parents, James and Denise Closs, on Oct. 15 at the familys home near Barron, about 90 miles northeast of Minneapolis. Jayme escaped in January, after 88 days in Pattersons cabin in near the small, isolated town of Gordon, some 60 miles from her home.

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The plea, coupled with an earlier decision by prosecutors not to bring charges in the county where Jayme was held, increases the chances that the details of her time in captivity will remain private.

Patterson stoically answered yes and yeah to repeated questions from Barron County Judge James Babler about whether he understood what he was doing. Later, as he responded guilty, to each count, he could be heard sniffling. He paused for several seconds after the judge asked him about the kidnapping charge before stuttering, guilty.

Defense attorney Richard Jones told Babler that Patterson wanted to enter a plea from the day we met him and brushed off strategies presented to him, including trying to suppress his statements to investigators.

He rejected all that and has decided this is what he wants to do, Jones said.

Members of the Closs family and Pattersons father and sister all left the courthouse without commenting.

According to a criminal complaint , Patterson told authorities he decided Jayme was the girl he was going to take after he saw her getting on a school bus near her home. He told investigators he plotted carefully, including wearing all-black clothing, putting stolen license plates on his car and taking care to leave no fingerprints on his shotgun.

Jayme told police that the night of the abduction, the family dogs barking awoke her, and she went to wake up her parents as a car came up the driveway. While her father went to the front door, Jayme and her mother hid in the bathroom, clutching each other in the bathtub, with the shower curtain pulled shut.

Patterson shot Jaymes father as he entered the house, then found Jayme and her mother. He told detectives he wrapped tape around Jaymes mouth and head, taped her hands behind her back and taped her ankles together, then shot her mother in the head. He told police he dragged Jayme outside, threw her in the trunk of his car, and took her to his cabin, the complaint said.

During Jaymes time in captivity, Patterson forced her to hide under a bed when he had friends over and penned her in with tote boxes and weights, warning that if she moved, bad things could happen to her. He also turned up the radio so visitors couldnt hear her, according to the complaint.

Authorities searched for Jayme for months and collected more than 3,500 tips. On Jan. 10, Jayme escaped from the cabin while Patterson was away. She then flagged down a woman who was out walking a dog and pleaded for help. Patterson was arrested minutes later.

Authorities have not released any additional details about Pattersons treatment of Jayme. Soon after he was charged in Barron County, prosecutors in Douglas County  where Jayme was held  announced they had no plans to charge him for crimes there. It was a move widely seen as aimed at sparing Jayme further pain, and one that University of Wisconsin law professor Cecelia Klingele praised Wednesday.

People are always interested in hearing salacious details, but there is no right to know the details of a crime victims suffering, Klingele said in an email about Pattersons plea.

Patterson grew up in the cabin where he held Jayme. He wrote in his high school yearbook of plans to join the Marines after graduation, but he was kicked out barely a month after joining up. He worked just a single day at a turkey plant in 2016 before quitting; he told investigators he spotted Jayme while heading to work at a cheese factory where he already planned to quit after two days.

The day Jayme escaped, Patterson had applied online for a job at a liquor store with a resume that misrepresented his experience.

Laura Tancre, of nearby Star Prairie, said she was relieved by Pattersons plea and happy for the little girl. Tancre, 57, worked at the same plant as Jaymes parents and called them very nice people.

I think he should get life for killing both parents, she said. Id hate for him to get out and be able to do it again.

Associated Press writers Todd Richmond and Amy Forliti contributed from Minneapolis.
Pope Francis greeted the faithful at St. Peters Square on Wednesday and allowed nuns and priests to kiss his papal ring during his weekly audience without a hitch, a likely relief to a Vatican encountering sharp criticism this week.

The Vatican came under fire from some Roman Catholics after images showed Francis repeatedly pulling his hand away from worshipers who leaned down to kiss his papal ring Monday in Loreto, Italy. In addition, the all-female staff of the Vaticans womens magazine resigned, alleging editorial interference from their male boss.

Some Catholics said the so-called baciamano is a sign of respect paid by the faithful to the church, not only the pope.

Is it possible that the pope does not understand that the people who wish to kiss his ring wish to honor St. Peter and not him? priest Dwight Longenecker, pastor of Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Greenville, S.C., wrote on his blog. If he does not, then it would seem that he has not learned one of the basic lessons that every priest should learn  that its not all about him.

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Reactions posted on the conservative Catholic website Lifesite News went so far as to describe Francis behavior as demonic and mentally unhinged. Some Catholics are already angered by Francis mercy-before-dogma papacy and his push to allow divorced and civilly remarried divorcees receive Communion.

The Vatican did not comment on the images of the pope in Loreto.

Austen Ivereigh, who has written a biography of the pope, said the pontiff disliked the air of deference about the ring kissing gesture.

The kiss is part of the monarchical trappings of the papacy Francis is keen to abandon, just as Pope Paul VI dropped the three-decker tiara and John Paul II halted the practice of being carried around on a papal throne in favor of the popemobile, he said in an interview.

He has stopped people kissing his ring before, but this time he did it consistently, Ivereigh said. He sees these meetings as an encounter, not an act of obedience to a king.

Rich Raho, a priest who teaches at St. Patrick High School in Chicago, tweeted, He prefers people not kiss his ring, he would rather kiss their feet.

The papal ring, known as the Ring of the Fisherman, is traditionally destroyed when a pope dies, and a new one is made for his successor. Francis ring shows an image of St. Peter holding two keys, one representing power in heaven and the other the spiritual authority of the papacy on earth.

The resignations involving the womens magazine staff occurred Tuesday.

Women Church World, which is published alongside the Vatican daily LOsservatore Romano, has lifted the lid on scandals within the church, including the cases of bishops and cardinals who compel nuns to cook and clean for them for little or no pay.

Last month, the publication exposed the sexual abuse by priests of nuns who are forced to have abortions or give birth to children who are not recognized by their fathers. The article said nuns have kept silent about the abuse for years out of fear of retribution.

Francis acknowledged the abuse when asked about it last month, saying, I cannot say no, in my house we dont have this problem.

Lucetta Scaraffia, who founded the womens publication in 2012, said a newly appointed editor at LOsservatore Romano, Andrea Monda, who took over in December, had tried to assume editorship at the magazine as well.

He had retreated when the staff threatened to resign, but then added new female writers to tone down the coverage, said Scaraffia.

We are throwing in the towel because we feel surrounded by a climate of distrust and progressive de-legitimization, Scaraffia wrote in an open letter to Francis, who has often called for a greater role for women at the Vatican.

In its final editorial for the magazine, which has yet to be published, the staff said Monda was pitting women against one another.

Monda denied the accusation, saying in a statement that he had merely suggested topics and contributors.

In her letter, Scaraffia said there was a return to the antiquated and arid custom of choosing women considered trustworthy from on-high, under the direct control of men.

Francis has countered arguments that women are underrepresented in the church by claiming, The church is a woman.

But Scaraffia told the Italian daily Corriere della Sera on Wednesday that was not good enough.

Its beautiful, but it is a way to turn us into a metaphor. We want to be listened to, contradicted, debated with, as would be the case with men, rather than becoming a metaphor.

Vatican officials, she said, live in a male world where no one would think of letting women enter. They cant even conceive of that  for them women do not exist.

Kington is a special correspondent.
The Border Patrol plans to release large numbers of migrant families in multiple locations along the southern border in coming days, expanding a practice that began last week in south Texas.

Something needs to be done, a Border Patrol official said Wednesday, briefing a group of reporters here on condition that he not be identified. We are at full capacity everywhere.

Texas Rio Grande Valley and the El Paso area have seen the biggest influx of migrant families. So many have been taken into custody at the border that last week the Border Patrol took the rare step of releasing more than 2,000 migrants in the valley, officials said.

Some of the migrants said they and their children had been held for a week in miserable conditions before they were finally set free with notices to appear in immigration court.

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Normally, the agency transfers migrants to Immigration and Customs Enforcement to be processed and placed in detention or released while they wait for court hearings. But as ICE facilities filled, the agency stopped accepting transfers from the Border Patrol.

Local shelters, which are already struggling to take care of large numbers of recently freed families, are preparing for even more.

Large releases are planned in El Paso, Yuma, Ariz., San Diego and possibly Del Rio, Texas, according to the Border Patrol official.

Were woefully underfunded for facilities, he said. It is a liability to have people in our custody for too long.

Ruben Garcia, director of Annunciation House shelter in El Paso, said he was scheduled to meet with Border Patrol officials late Wednesday to discuss how many migrants will be released there. Hes not sure where the families will go. Area shelters were already nearly full Wednesday, when ICE released 750 more migrants.

We had space for them  barely, Garcia said.

The total number of migrants caught crossing the border illegally is still well below peaks of the early 2000s. But the surge of families, whose care presents more challenges compared with lone migrants, has overwhelmed U.S. facilities.

Of the 66,450 migrants caught last month, more than half were traveling with family. An additional 9,653 migrants arrived at border crossings with their relatives and claimed asylum.

The Border Patrol expects the total number of migrants taken into custody this month to reach 100,000, more than double the number last March. About 55,000 will have arrived in families, including 40,000 children.

After President Trump declared a national emergency on the border to pay for construction of his long-promised wall, Congress approved $415 million for improved medical care and detention for migrant families, including a new processing center with space for 800 migrants in El Paso. But that wont open for months, and it wont address crowding in other border cities.

As of Tuesday, the massive central processing center that holds thousands of migrants in the Rio Grande Valley was at 245% capacity, the Border Patrol official said. Overcrowding had reached similar levels in Yuma, El Paso and McAllen, Texas.

Where it used to be just [the Rio Grande Valley], now its spreading, the official said.

During a visit to El Paso on Wednesday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan warned that the agency had reached a breaking point and was facing an unprecedented humanitarian and border security crisis all along our southwest border.

We are doing everything we can to simply avoid a tragedy, he said. But with these numbers, with the types of illnesses were seeing at the border, I fear that its just a matter of time.

The Border Patrol was forced to increase migrant medical screenings in December, after two Guatemalan children died in its custody in the El Paso area. State medical examiners have yet to release the childrens autopsy reports.

Now, the Border Patrol hospitalizes about 60 migrants along the border each day, McAleenan said. During the last week, he said, infants have had 105-degree fevers, a 2-year-old suffered seizures in the desert, and a 40-year-old man suffering organ failure refused surgery.

The Border Patrol is temporarily reassigning 750 customs officers to assist Border Patrol agents processing, transporting and guarding migrant families, McAleenan said. Thats in addition to 85 agents already reassigned this year from the northern border to the southern border.

Removing hundreds of agents from the ports will probably cause traffic delays at border crossings during peak Easter holiday traffic, a popular time for cross-border family visits, he said.

The Border Patrol also took the unusual step of closing numerous highway checkpoints in its El Paso sector, which includes 268 miles of border in Texas and New Mexico.

The Border Patrol official said checkpoints could also be closed in other areas of the border, including the Rio Grande Valley, if the flow of migrant families does not slow.
ATHENS, Greece, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Diana Shipping Inc. (NYSE: DSX) (the Company), a global shipping company specializing in the ownership of dry bulk vessels, today announced the preliminary results of its tender offer to purchase up to 5,178,571 shares of its common stock, par value of US$0.01 per share (the "common stock"), at a price of US$2.80 per share, net to the seller in cash, less any applicable withholding taxes and without interest. The tender offer expired at 5:00 P.M., Eastern Time, on March 27, 2019.



Based on a preliminary count by Computershare Trust Company, N.A., the depositary for the tender offer, the total number of shares tendered in the tender offer was 3,889,386.6175 shares, including 1,211 shares tendered pursuant to the guaranteed delivery procedure described in the tender offer documents. Because the preliminary information received from the depositary indicates that the tender offer was undersubscribed, it is expected that the Company will purchase all validly tendered shares from each tendering shareholder. The Company offered to purchase a total of 5,178,571 shares in the tender offer for an aggregate purchase price of approximately US$14.5 million.

The number of shares of common stock expected to be purchased by the Company and the aggregate purchase price for the shares are preliminary and subject to final confirmation by the depositary and the proper delivery of shares tendered, including shares tendered pursuant to the guaranteed delivery procedure. The final results of the tender offer will be announced promptly following completion of the confirmation process. Payment for shares of common stock accepted for purchase by the Company will be made in accordance with the terms of the tender offer promptly following final confirmation of the number of shares validly tendered. Certificates for all shares tendered and not purchased will be returned or, in the case of shares tendered by book-entry transfer, will be credited to the account maintained with the book-entry transfer facility by the participant who delivered the shares to the tendering pursuant to the terms of the tender offer.

If shareholders have any questions, please call our information agent, Georgeson LLC, by telephone, toll free at (800) 248-7690.

About the Company

The Company is a global provider of shipping transportation services through its ownership of dry bulk vessels. The Companys vessels are employed primarily on medium to long-term time charters and transport a range of dry bulk cargoes, including such commodities as iron ore, coal, grain and other materials along worldwide shipping routes.

Certain Information Regarding the Tender Offer

The information in this press release describing the Companys tender offer is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to buy or the solicitation of an offer to sell shares of the Companys common stock in the tender offer. The tender offer is being made only pursuant to the Offer to Purchase and the related materials that the Company is distributing to its shareholders, as they may be amended or supplemented. Shareholders should read such Offer to Purchase and related materials carefully and in their entirety because they contain important information, including the various terms and conditions of the tender offer. Shareholders of the Company may obtain a free copy of the Tender Offer Statement on Schedule TO, the Offer to Purchase and other documents that the Company is filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission from the Securities and Exchange Commissions website at www.sec.gov. Shareholders may also obtain a copy of these documents, without charge, from Georgeson Inc., the information agent for the tender offer, toll free at (800) 248-7690. Shareholders are urged to carefully read all of these materials prior to making any decision with respect to the tender offer. Shareholders and investors who have questions or need assistance may call Georgeson Inc., the information agent for the tender offer, toll free at (800) 248-7690.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Matters discussed in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides safe harbor protections for forward-looking statements in order to encourage companies to provide prospective information about their business. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements, which are other than statements of historical facts.

The Company desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The words believe, anticipate, intends, estimate, forecast, project, plan, potential, may, should, expect, pending and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including without limitation, the Company managements examination of historical operating trends, data contained in the Companys records and other data available from third parties. Although the Company believes that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies that are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond the Companys control, the Company cannot assure you that it will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or projections.

In addition to these important factors, other important factors that, in the Companys view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include the strength of world economies and currencies, general market conditions, including fluctuations in charter rates and vessel values, changes in demand for dry bulk shipping capacity, changes in the Companys operating expenses, including bunker prices, drydocking and insurance costs, the market for the Companys vessels, availability of financing and refinancing, changes in governmental rules and regulations or actions taken by regulatory authorities, potential liability from pending or future litigation, general domestic and international political conditions, potential disruption of shipping routes due to accidents or political events, vessel breakdowns and instances of off-hires and other factors. Please see the Companys filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for a more complete discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement, or to make any other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
The death toll from a massacre in a central Malian village rose to 134 dead, the U.N. said, as new video emerged Sunday showing victims strewn on the ground amid the burning remains of their homes.

An ethnic Dogon militia already blamed for scores of attacks in central Mali over the past year attacked an ethnic Peuhl village just before dawn on Saturday.

Among the victims in Ogossogou were pregnant women, small children and the elderly, according to a Peuhl group known as Tabital Pulaaku.

Graphic video obtained by The Associated Press shows the aftermath of Saturdays attack, with many victims burned inside their homes. A small childs body is covered with a piece of fabric, and at one point an ID card is shown covered with blood.

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In the capital of Bamako, visiting U.N. Security Council President Francois Delattre, condemned the killings as an unspeakable attack late Saturday.

At least 55 people were wounded and the U.N. mission in Mali said it was working to ensure the wounded were evacuated.

In New York, the U.N. secretary-general condemned the attack and called on the Malian authorities to swiftly investigate it and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Islamic extremists were ousted from urban centers in northern Mali during a 2013 French-led military operation. The jihadists scattered throughout the rural areas, regrouped and began launching numerous attacks against the Malian military and the U.N. mission. Since 2015, extremism has edged all the way to central Mali where it has exacerbated tensions between the Dogon and Peuhl groups.

Members of the Dogon group accuse the Peulhs of supporting these jihadists linked to violent groups in the countrys north and beyond. Peulhs have in turn accused the Dogon of supporting the Malian army in its effort to stamp out extremism.

In December, Human Rights Watch had warned that militia killings of civilians in central and northern Mali are spiraling out of control. The group said the ethnic Dogon militia known as Dan Na Ambassagou and its leader had been linked to many of the atrocities and called for Malian authorities to prosecute the perpetrators.

Malis Dogon country with its dramatic cliff landscapes and world renowned traditional art once drew tourists from Europe and beyond who hiked through the regions villages with local guides. The region, though, has been destabilized in recent years along with much of central Mali.

___

Larson reported from Dakar, Senegal.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
New Zealanders are debating the limits of free speech after their chief censor banned the 74-page manifesto written and released by the man accused of slaughtering 50 people at two mosques in the city of Christchurch.

The ban, issued Saturday, means anybody caught with the document on their computer could face up to 10 years in prison, while anyone caught sending it could face 14 years. Some say the ban goes too far and risks lending both the document and the gunman mystique.

At the same time, many local media organizations are debating whether to even name the Australian man charged with murder in the March 15 attacks, 28-year-old Brenton Tarrant, after New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern vowed she would never mention him by name.

In some ways, Tarrants manifesto provides the greatest insight into his character and thinking, with neighbors and those he met in a gym in the sleepy seaside town of Dunedin recalling nothing particularly remarkable about him.

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Chief Censor David Shanks said Tarrants manifesto contains justifications for acts of tremendous cruelty like killing children and encourages acts of terrorism, even outlining specific places to target and methods to carry out attacks.

He said that in banning the document, he and his staff worried about drawing more attention to it. But in the end, he said, they decided they needed to treat it the same way as propaganda from groups like the Islamic State, which they have also banned.

Shanks had earlier placed a similar ban on the 17-minute livestream video the killer filmed from a camera mounted on his helmet during the shootings. He said researchers and journalists could apply for exemptions from both bans.

But while free speech advocates havent questioned banning the graphic video, they said banning the manifesto is a step too far.

People are more confident of each other and their leaders when there is no room left for conspiracy theories, when nothing is hidden, said Stephen Franks, a constitutional lawyer and spokesman for the Free Speech Coalition. The damage and risks are greater from suppressing these things than they are from trusting people to form their own conclusions and to see evil or madness for what it is.

Franks said he had no interest in reading the manifesto until it was banned. He now is curious because it is forbidden fruit, he said, and he worries others may feel the same way. He said the ban makes no sense when New Zealanders remain free to read Adolf Hitlers autobiography, Mein Kampf.

Ardern told Parliament last week that she wouldnt give the gunman anything he wanted.

He sought many things from his act of terror, but one was notoriety, she said. And that is why you will never hear me mention his name.

She said people should instead remember the names of the victims.

Some media organizations appear to be taking up her call. News website Stuff on Saturday published an 1,800-word profile on Tarrant without once naming him.

Our view at the moment is that were dialing back on naming him, unless its pertinent or important, said Mark Stevens, the editorial director at Stuff.

The New Zealand Herald also published a profile on Tarrant with an accompanying editorial that mentions Arderns stance. The editorial says, Our piece keeps the mention of his name to a minimum.

News organizations fear Tarrant will use his trial as a soapbox to promote his white nationalist views, especially after he fired his lawyer and said hed represent himself.

But Danish journalist Claus Blok Thomsen, who works for the Politiken newspaper and covered the trial of Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik, said there are dangers in censoring Tarrant. He said that during the Breivik trial, many media outlets, including his own, were careful to report only what happened in court without discussing Breiviks far-right ideology.

He said it was an approach favored by intellectuals and so-called experts, but when he interviewed the families of the victims, he found many of them were angry.

They said when we start to censor ourselves, we just make him into a martyr, Thomsen said. We are not able to learn how mad this guy was, what his thinking was, until everything is out in the light.

In his manifesto, Tarrant describes himself as being born into a working-class family and not being interested in university. He says he made some money investing, although in other internet posts he talks about getting an inheritance when his father died.

In Dunedin, about a five-hour drive south of Christchurch, Tarrant lived in a modest pale-green wooden apartment. His neighbors said theyd see him out running sometimes, but that he mostly kept to himself. At the Anytime Fitness gym, those who knew him described him as polite and interested mainly in pumping weights that build upper-body strength.

Tarrant was also a member of the Bruce Rifle Club, which has a shooting range down a dusty forest road thats used mostly by hunters and loggers, about a 45-minute drive southwest of Dunedin near the rural town of Milton.

Dozens of boxes of bowling pins stacked in teetering towers and a few fluorescent vests are all there is inside a simple hut at the range. The club closed indefinitely last week after it emerged that Tarrant was a member.

But like much of his life in Dunedin, Tarrant was something of a ghost at the club. Polite, low-key, helpful, normal. Club vice president Scott Williams told the Otago Daily Times that Tarrant seemed as normal as anyone else and never mentioned anything about his white supremacist beliefs.

I think were feeling a bit stunned and shocked and a bit betrayed, perhaps, that weve had this person in our club who has ended up doing these horrible things, he told the newspaper.

Williams said Tarrant was always helping out around the club, including setting up and packing down the range. He said Tarrant used a hunting rifle and an AR-15, which wasnt unusual.

One of the few people who has publicly said he had concerns about Tarrant before the attacks is hunting guide Pete Breidahl. He said he complained in 2017 to a local police officer who monitors gun licenses about the disturbing behavior of some members of the rifle club.

In a Facebook video and comments posted online, Breidahl said some club members had Confederate flags, wore camouflage clothing with rank insignia, vilified Muslims and had homicidal fantasies. He claimed to have met Tarrant, calling him not right. Police said they had no record of a complaint but were looking into Breidahls claims.

In his manifesto, Tarrant claims he got approval for his attack from Breivik, who killed 77 people in Oslo and a nearby island in 2011. Breiviks lawyer has said thats very unlikely because his client has limited contact with the outside world from his prison cell.

Thomsen, the journalist, said the biggest fear he and other reporters had when they were covering Breivik was that he would inspire a copycat killer. Now hes traveled to Christchurch to learn more about what happened there.

I think its safe to say that this is what we feared, he said.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
A military-backed party has taken the lead in Thailands first election since a 2014 coup, preliminary results showed, suggesting junta leader and Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha could stay in power, helped by an electoral system tilted in the militarys favor.

With 93 percent of votes counted late Sunday, the Palang Pracharat party was first with nearly 7.6 million votes, according to the Election Commission. Its vote total falls short of the numbers needed for an outright majority in parliament. Pheu Thai, which was the governing party ousted by the coup, was next with 7.1 million votes.

The country likely faces several weeks of bargaining among political parties before a potentially unstable coalition government is formed in May or June. Thais voted for a 500-member parliament, which along with a 250-member junta-appointed Senate will decide the next prime minister.

A new party, Future Forward, which was anti-junta and popular with young voters, scooped up 5.2 million votes. But voters deserted the Democrat Party, the countrys oldest political party, in its Bangkok and southern strongholds. Its leader, former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, resigned. Another party, Phumjai Thai, which experts say could support the junta, picked up 3.2 million votes.

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It looks unlikely that a sizeable enough anti-junta majority will form in the House to put pressure on the military to back away, said Peter Mumford, an analyst at Eurasia Group, which advises international companies on political risks.

That combined with the role of junta-appointed senators in helping to pick the next prime minister means Prayuth remains in pole position for now, he said in a post-election analysis.

There will be uncertainty created by post-election coalition negotiations, potential recounts, disqualifications and constituency race reruns, and concerns over the legitimacy of the election, Mumford said.

The election was the latest chapter in a nearly two-decade struggle pitching conservative forces including the military against the political machine of Thaksin Shinawatra, a tycoon who upended tradition-bound Thailands politics with a populist political revolution.

Thaksin was ousted as prime minister in a 2006 military coup and now lives in exile abroad to avoid a prison term, but parties allied with him have won every election since 2001. His sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, who led the Pheu Thai government that was ousted in 2014, also fled the country after what supporters said was a politically motivated prosecution.

The blunt-speaking Prayuth, who as army chief led the 2014 coup, was hoping to extend his hold on power after engineering a new political system that aims to stifle the influence of big political parties not aligned with Palang Pracharat and the military.

Nearly 6 percent of votes were disqualified, according to the Election Commission, which said it would provide an update on counting Monday.

Pheu Thais secretary general, Phumtham Wechayachai, said the party was waiting for official results but believes there were irregularities. The party wants to inspect disqualified and spoiled ballots, he said.

Even the reported numbers from the Election Commission and each media outlet are different. We have our own number too. The Election Commission report even paused for a while. It will be clearer once the official result is announced, Phumtham said.

About 51 million Thais were eligible to vote. Leaders of political parties opposed to military rule urged a high turnout as the only way to derail Prayuths plans, but the 66 percent turnout fell short of their hopes.

A statement from Prayuths office said he thanked people for voting and officials for holding the election in an orderly fashion.

What is now interesting is how Palang Pracharat can bring together a coalition, said Kevin Hewison, a Thai politics expert who is a University of North Carolina emeritus professor.

It looks like it needs at least two other parties but will probably cobble together more than that in the hope of creating a more stable government, he said.

Thailands powerful King Maha Vajiralongkorn had issued a statement on the eve of the election that said the role of leaders is to stop bad people from gaining power and causing chaos. It was also broadcast on Thai television stations minutes before voting started.

Invoking a speech by his father, the revered monarch who died in 2016 after reigning for seven decades, Vajiralongkorn said not all citizens can be transformed into good people, so leaders must be given support in ruling to create a peaceful nation.

He urged government officials, soldiers and civil servants to look after national security.

It was the kings second notable intervention in politics recently. Last month, he demanded his sister Princess Ubolratana Mahidol withdraw as a prime ministerial candidate for a small Thaksin-allied party within 24 hours of her announcement.

When it seized power in 2014, the military said it was to end political unrest that had periodically turned violent and disrupted daily life and the economy. The claim has been a selling point for Prayuth, who according to critics has overseen a period of growing inequality and economic hardship in Thailand.

After the coup, political party gatherings were banned and pro-democracy activists and other dissenters were regularly arrested, interrogated and imprisoned. Just days before Sundays election, Pheu Thai said the houses of party officials and its campaign canvassers in some provinces were searched by military personnel in an act of intimidation.

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Associated Press journalists Grant Peck, Kaweewit Kaewjinda and Preeyapa T. Khunsong contributed to this report.

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Prince Charles and his wife Camilla began the first official trip to Cuba by the British royal family on Sunday, in a pomp-filled display of disagreement with the Trump administrations strategy of economically isolating the communist island.

The heir to the British throne arrived in Havana and laid a wreath at the memorial to colonial independence hero Jose Marti, near massive portraits of socialist revolutionary icons including guerrilla fighter Che Guevara. The next two days include visits to historic sites, a solar park, organic farm and biomedical research center, and a meeting with entrepreneurs, cultural gala and dinner with President Miguel Diaz-Canel.

It does not include visits with political dissidents or other critics of Cubas single-party system, a decision prompting criticism from Cuban exiles.

Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida last month asked Charles to cancel his trip based on Cubas support for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and the islands decades-long history of persecuting and imprisoning its defectors and repressing its people.

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Fellow Florida Sen. Marco Rubio also has long advocated for isolating Cuba and Venezuela, and the senators have found a receptive audience in the Trump administration, which has been tightening financial sanctions on both countries in the hopes of toppling their governments.

U.S. President Donald Trump has seen European and Latin American support for his Venezuela policy, but less backing on Cuba, whose government has already withstood a 60-year U.S. embargo without showing any signs of losing its grip on power.

Sir Alan Duncan, the British minister of state for Europe and the Americas, wrote Scott last month that like a number of other countries, we believe that the best way to promote human rights and encourage a Cuba that fully respects fundamental freedoms is through practical diplomacy, such as with this visit.

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Michael Weissenstein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mweissenstein

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Chinese President Xi Jinping has found one country in Europe that isnt worried about Chinas growing global clout or its ambitions to dominate the future of technology: Monaco.

Xi visited the tiny Mediterranean principality Sunday as part of a European tour that is clouded by mixed feelings about how to engage with China and benefit from its trade  while setting limits on its appetite for greater economic and diplomatic influence.

Xis appearance alongside Monacos Prince Albert and Princess Charlene marked the first state visit by a Chinese president to the principality. The palace said Monaco is interested in increased trade and economic cooperation with China and boosting Chinas image in the principality.

Monaco last year clinched a deal with Chinese tech company Huawei to develop its 5G telecommunications network  a thorny issue for several European countries.

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The U.S. government says Huaweis 5G network could give Chinese security services a backdoor to spy on consumers, and has pressed European partners to shun it. Huawei says the fear is unfounded.

Monaco imposed exceptional security for the Chinese visitors: The entire Rocher  the nickname for the cliff that Monaco is perched on  was effectively shut down for the day.

Its the first time Ive seen this ... stores closed, windows shuttered, no one in the street, said Marc Bonafede, owner of Le Castelroc restaurant in front of the palace. He said he hadnt seen such heavy security even when Albert buried his father, Prince Rainier, or held his royal wedding to Charlene.

Monaco banned all flights in its airspace during Xis brief visit and any sailing in its waters or mooring in its luxury yacht-filled harbor.

The nearby French city of Nice, where Xi is spending the night, was similarly cordoned off. The Promenade des Anglais  the palm-lined beachside avenue that is the citys premier attraction  was closed to traffic all weekend. The promenade was targeted by a deadly extremist attack in 2016.

Outside the French resort town of Beaulieu-sur-Mer, where Xi was dining Sunday night with French President Emmanuel Macron, a police boat patrolled throughout the day, and police divers worked to secure the area.

Xi will sign energy and other contracts with Macron on Monday, then meet in Paris on Tuesday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.

The European Union is Chinas biggest trading partner, but many in Europe worry about unfair competition from Chinese companies that benefit from government financial backing.

Xi comes to Monaco and France from Italy, which just endorsed a vast Chinese transport infrastructure project, the Belt and Road Initiative. Macron criticized Italys move, calling for a concerted European approach to China instead.

There is this bad European habit to have 28 different policies, with countries competing against each other to attract investment, a top French official said. We need to speak with a common voice if we want to exist. We have the same approach on the 5G issue: avoiding 28 different decisions.

France hasnt decided yet whether to let Huawei build its 5G networks but its likely to be a subject of discussions during the Chinese leaders visit.

Europe wants to increase trade with China but on European terms, especially amid U.S.-China trade tensions. France also wants Chinas cooperation on climate diplomacy, in the face of U.S. President Donald Trumps skepticism.

Human rights concerns in China seem a lesser concern now than when Chinese leaders visited Europe in the past, though Macrons office says the French leader will raise concerns about Chinas repression of Muslim Uighurs in Xinjiang.

The U.S. State Department says China has significantly intensified a campaign of mass detentions of minority Uighurs over the last year, with between 800,000 and 2 million people interned in camps that have drawn condemnation from across the world.

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Charlton reported from Paris. Claude Paris in Beaulieu-sur-Mer contributed.

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A group of migrants desperate not to go back to Libya made it safely to Europe on Thursday after commandeering the oil tanker that rescued them at sea  a drama that underlined contradictions in Europes migration policies and could discourage future rescues.

Both Italy and Malta initially refused entry to the Palau-flagged El Hiblu 1. But Maltese armed forces intercepted it overnight after confirming with the captain that he was navigating toward Europe against his will. Special forces boarded it and restored control to the crew.

The 100 migrants, including 15 women and 47 claiming to be minors, left the tanker in a port near the Maltese capital of Valletta; five were handcuffed after being detained on suspicion of being the ringleaders.

Italys hard-line interior minister called the hijacking the the first act of piracy on the high seas with migrants. But humanitarian groups rejected that label, saying they were victims of Europes inhumane border policy, citing reports that many migrants have been mistreated, raped and tortured in Libya.

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The German humanitarian group Sea-Eye said its rescue ship, the Alan Kurdi, was in the area of the El Hiblu 1 when it heard radio communications between the tanker and a European aircraft monitoring the seas.

The aircraft asked the tanker to respond to two rubber boats, saying that the people on board were in mortal danger and that the Libyan coast guard was out of service. After the rescue, the captain reported to the aircraft that the migrants are very upset and do not want to be brought back to Libya. However, the captain said the Libyan capital of Tripoli was the tankers destination.

Sea-Eye spokeswoman Carlotta Weibl said that they dont have exact information of what happened aboard the El Hiblu 1, but that we dont see it as piracy because those people were claiming their right. It was completely illegal for a European plane to send them back to Libya.

Migrants have long reported that commercial ships either ignore smugglers boats in distress, or merely stop to give them water, said Hassiba Hadj-Sahraoui, humanitarian affairs adviser with Doctors Without Borders. Similar incidents could accelerate the trend.

They are doomed whatever they do, she said. This is extremely disturbing for commercial ships. The shipping industry is trying to follow a tenant of international law, which is rescue. ... But if you are a commercial ship on tight deadlines and you need to deliver goods, it is an impossible situation.

The International Chamber of Shipping based in London expressed concern about the incident and said it would raise the issue with the U.N. International Maritime Organization.

If a ship is directed to disembark rescued people in Libya, it creates a potential for conflict between the crew and desperate and frustrated people that might object to being returned, ICS secretary-general Guy Platten said in a statement. He added that civilian merchant seafarers can be severely affected by the traumatic situations they have to face, having complied with their legal and humanitarian obligation to come to the rescue of anyone found in distress at sea.

The European Union has been training the Libyan coast guard in the hope that it will prevent migrants from entering international waters, where they have routinely been rescued, either by commercial ships or those run by humanitarian groups filling in the void after member countries significantly scaled down an EU operation in the Mediterranean.

But the contradiction lies in the fact that no EU member considers Libya, or any other northern African country, to be a safe third country where migrants can be returned without fear for their well-being. The EU also opposes the death penalty, and in extradition cases generally refuses to send people to countries where they might be killed or tortured.

Matthew Brook, the acting representative for the U.N. refugee agency in Libya, told reporters in Geneva that the conditions for many migrants in government-run detention centers in Libya were terrible. He relayed an anecdote from some migrants that electric shocks were administered to them in vats of water.

While Europe is reducing its own rescue mission, Italy and Malta have refused to accept aid group rescue ships in their ports. That has led to offshore standoffs with boats loaded with migrants, often weak from their journey and mistreatment in Libya, while EU nations haggle over their fate.

Many humanitarian groups have stopped taking part in rescues; in fact only the Alan Kurdi is currently active in the central Mediterranean. Doctors Without Borders suspended their operation in December due to port closures, administrative pressure on Panama to pull its flag, and containment measures meaning that fewer migrants were making it past the Libyan coast guard.

The policies have had the effect desired by populist leaders like Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini. Migrant arrivals in Italy were down dramatically last year to 23,370 from nearly 120,000 a year earlier, according to Interior Ministry figures. Deaths at sea also sank to the lowest levels in five years, 2,299, according to the International Organization for Migration.

Details of what happened aboard the El Hiblu 1 remains sketchy, but the fact that the migrants made it to European soil makes it unlikely that they would be sent back to Libya.

Naval tracking signals show that the tanker was headed straight toward Libya when it deviated from its course, presumably for the rescue. After resuming toward Libya, it abruptly turned northward, suggesting the moment the hijackers took over, heading toward the island nation of Malta or Italys southernmost island of Lampedusa.

Maltese armed forces established communications with the captain while the ship was still 30 nautical miles offshore. The captain said he was not in control of the vessel and that he and his crew were being forced and threatened by a number of migrants to proceed to Malta, the armed forces said.

A military official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media said the migrants did not have weapons, but that the captain and crew were outnumbered and forced to surrender. Special forces backed by a patrol vessel, two fast interceptor craft and a helicopter regained control of the ship, and it was escorted back to Malta with armed military personnel standing guard on deck.

The condition of the crew was not known, and they were not seen exiting the tanker. Malta officials said they were also being questioned.

The vessels owner, Salah al-Hiblu, said from Tripoli that the tanker was empty and was being captained by his brother, Nader, from Turkey. He said he received a call from Libyan naval guards, who asked him to contact his brother to rescue the migrants. They had resumed the voyage to Tripoli when the migrants used force and told him to go to Italy or Malta.

The migrants told him, we are not leaving or going back to Libya. We already left Libya to go to Europe, al-Hiblu said.

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Barry reported from Milan. Associated Press writers Maggie Michaels in Cairo, Lorne Cooke in Brussels, Jamey Keaten in Geneva, Lori Hinnant in Paris and Vanessa Gera in Rome contributed.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
One of Germanys richest families, whose company owns a controlling interest in Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Panera Bread, Pret a Manger and other well-known businesses, plans to donate millions to charity after learning about their ancestors enthusiastic support of Adolf Hitler and use of forced laborers under the Nazis, according to a report Sunday.

In a four-page report, the Bild newspaper reported that documents uncovered in Germany, France and the U.S. reveal that Albert Reimann Sr. and Albert Reimann Jr. used Russian civilians and French POWs as forced laborers.

Family spokesman Peter Harf, who is one of two managing partners of the Reimanns JAB Holding Company, said recent internal research confirmed Bilds findings.

It is all correct, he told the newspaper. Reimann senior and Reimann junior were guilty ... they belonged in jail.

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The father and son, who died in 1954 and 1984, did not talk about the Nazi era and the family had thought that all of the companys connection to the Nazis had been revealed in a 1978 report, Harf said.

But after reading documents kept by the family, the younger generation began to ask questions and commissioned a University of Munich historian in 2014 to examine the Reimann history more thoroughly, Harf said.

The expert presented his preliminary findings to the Reimann children and grandchildren, as well as Hanf, several weeks ago, he said.

We were all ashamed and turned as white as the wall, he said. There is nothing to gloss over. These crimes are disgusting.

In addition al Krispy Kreme Doughnuts and Pret a Manger, the Luxembourg-based JAB Holding Co. has controlling stakes in Keurig Green Mountain, Peets Coffee & Tea, Caribou Coffee Co., Panera Bread and other companies.

Many German companies have acknowledged using slave laborers during the Nazi era and have conducted their own independent investigations.

In 2000, the German government approved a 10 billion mark (about 5.1 billion euro) fund to provide compensation, with half the money coming from companies like Bayer, Siemens, Deutsche Bank, Daimler-Benz, Volkswagen, and AEG.

Bild reported that even before the Nazis came to power, the Reimanns donated to the paramilitary SS.

During World War II, the company used forced laborers in its industrial chemicals company. It was not clear how many were used overall, but Bild said in 1943, 175 forced laborers were being used, about 30 percent of its workforce.

In addition to Russian and other Eastern European civilians, the company used French prisoners of war  about whom Reimann Jr. complained in a letter to the Ludwigshafen mayor in 1940 that they werent working hard enough.

After the war, the two were investigated by the occupying Allied powers and initially banned by the French from continuing their business activities but then had the judgment overturned by the Americans, Bild reported.

Harf said the family would donate 10 million euros ($11.3 million) to a not-yet-determined charity as a gesture, and once the historians report is complete, it would be released to the public.

The whole truth must be put on the table, he said.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Rodney Horgen recalled the moment he thought he was facing the end: when a huge wave crashed through the Viking Sky cruise ships glass doors and swept his wife 30 feet across the floor.

Horgen, 62, of Minnesota, was visiting Norway on a dream pilgrimage to his ancestral homeland when the luxury cruise quickly turned into a nightmare.

The Viking Sky was carrying 1,373 passengers and crew, going from Norways Arctic north to the southern city of Stavanger when it had engine trouble along Norways rough, frigid western coast. Struggling in heavy seas to avoid being dashed on the rocky coast, the ship issued a mayday call Saturday afternoon.

Horgan said he knew something was badly amiss when the guests on the heaving ship were summoned to the vessels muster points.

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When the windows and door flew open and the 2 meters (6 feet) of water swept people and tables 20 to 30 feet that was the breaker. I said to myself, This is it, Horgen told The Associated Press. I grabbed my wife but I couldnt hold on. And she was thrown across the room. And then she got thrown back again by the wave coming back.

Photos posted on social media showed the ship listing from side to side and furniture smashing violently into the ships walls. The hands and faces of fellow passengers were cut and bleeding from the shattered glass, he said.

An experienced fisherman, Horgen said he had never before encountered such rough boating conditions.

I did not have a lot of hope. I knew how cold that water was and where we were and the waves and everything. You would not last very long, he said. That was very, very frightening.

And yet, the scariest part was yet to come.

That was when hundreds of passengers, including Horgen, were winched off the heaving ship by helicopter, one-by-one as winds howled around them in the dark of night, by rescue workers trying to evacuate everyone on board.

Waves up to 26-feet- (8-meters-) high were smacking into the ship, making it impossible to evacuate anyone by boat.

The ship was within 100 meters (300 feet) of striking rocks under the water and 900 meters (2,950 feet) from shore when it stopped and anchored in Hustadvika Bay so passengers could be evacuated, Coast Guard official Emil Heggelund told Norways VG newspaper.

Norways Joint Rescue Coordination Center stepped in, sending in five helicopters. Passenger Alexus Sheppard told the AP that people with injuries or disabilities were winched off the cruise ship first.

It was frightening at first. And when the general alarm sounded it became VERY real, she wrote in a text.

Janet Jacob, among the first group of passengers evacuated to the nearby town of Molde, told Norwegian broadcaster NRK that the winds felt like a tornado and prompted her to start praying for everyone on the ship.

I was afraid. Ive never experienced anything so scary, she said.

We saw two people taken off by stretcher, passenger Dereck Brown told Norwegian newspaper Romsdal Budstikke. People were alarmed. Many were frightened but they were calm.

Viking Ocean Cruises, the company that owns and operates the ship, said 20 people were injured and received treatment at medical centers.

The airlift evacuation went all through the night and into Sunday morning, slowing for a bit when two of the five rescue helicopters had to be diverted to save nine crewmembers from a nearby ailing cargo ship.

In all, 479 passengers were airlifted to land, leaving 436 passengers and 458 crew members onboard, the company said, when the Viking Skys captain decided on a new plan.

Einar Knudsen of Norways Joint Rescue Coordination Center said the airlift was halted when the captain decided before noon Sunday to try to bring the cruise ship to the nearby port of Molde on its own engines.

The conditions were good enough for the captain to have no more evacuations, Knudsen told the AP.

Three of the ships four engines were working so a tug boat and two other vessels assisted the Viking Sky as it slowly headed to Molde under its own power. It finally docked at the port late Sunday afternoon, the cruise company said.

The Viking Oceans Cruise company said the ships next scheduled trip, to Scandinavia and Germany that was to leave on Wednesday, was cancelled. Norways Accident Investigations Board said the ship would remain in Molde, pending an investigation.

The Viking Sky was a relatively new ship, delivered in 2017 to operator Viking Ocean Cruises.

It had departed for a 12-day cruise from the southern Norwegian city of Bergen, visiting the Norwegian towns and cities of Narvik, Alta, Tromso and Bodo before its scheduled arrival Tuesday in the British port of Tilbury on the River Thames. The passengers were mostly an English-speaking mix of American, British, Canadian, New Zealand and Australian citizens.

Viking Cruises chairman Torstein Hagen praised the rescue operation by Norwegian authorities and the actions of the vessels crew.

He told the VG newspaper that the events surrounding the Viking Sky were some of the worst I have been involved in, but now it looks like its going well in the end and that weve been lucky.

Shipping tycoon Hagen is one of Norways richest men and the founder of the Switzerland-based Viking Cruises that operates river and ocean cruises.

Im very proud of our crew, Hagen told VG.

When asked why the cruise ship ventured into an area known for its rough waters in the middle of a storm that had been forecast by meteorologists, Knudsen, from Norways rescue service, said it was the captains decision to proceed with the cruise.

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Tanner reported from Helsinki, Finland.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Millions of Kurdish votes will be crucial in determining the fate of Turkeys March 31 local elections, as a pro-Kurdish party has made the strategic decision to send votes to an opposition rival to challenge the ruling party in key races in Istanbul and Ankara.

The Peoples Democratic Party, or HDP, is running in municipal races amid a polarized political landscape and a heavy government crackdown on its members for alleged links to outlawed Kurdish militants. Party mayors and lawmakers, including former chairman Selahattin Demirtas, have been jailed.

The HDP  the second biggest opposition group in Turkeys parliament  draws most of its support from Kurds living in the southeast and in large Turkish cities, as well as other groups for its emphasis on minority rights. Kurds make up about a fifth of Turkeys 80 million people.

The HDP is leading a Kurdish election alliance with seven smaller political groups to run in the municipal elections. It has fielded candidates for the March 31 vote in Turkeys predominantly Kurdish southeast but is sitting out critical races in Turkeys major cities, including Istanbul and Ankara, the capital.

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The strategy aims to deliver HDP votes to Turkeys main secular opposition party, the Republican Peoples Party (CHP), and its alliance with a small nationalist party so the opposition can better challenge President Recep Tayyip Erdogans ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP.

Opinion polls suggest Ankara could be won by opposition candidate Mansur Yavas, after being held by AKP and its Islam-oriented predecessor for a quarter of a century.

The race for mayor of Istanbul  Turkeys largest city  may also be tight between former Prime Minister Binali Yildirim from Erdogans party and opposition candidate Ekrem Imamoglu.

Pervin Buldan, co-leader of the Kurdish party, told supporters in Istanbul on Sunday that the HDP had become a key party in Turkey.

We are a party that will determine the fate of the elections in Istanbul, she said.

The Kurdish HDP party got nearly six million votes in last years general election and Demirtas has twice run against Erdogan for president  the last time from prison.

Tens of thousands of Kurdish supporters attended Sundays rally, waving flags and chanting slogans for Demirtas and the imprisoned leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK.

Ridvan Tekin, a 35-year-old HDP member, said hell vote for the secular rival party.

Its not because I love the CHP, but because this regime (of Erdogans) needs to change now, he said.

The campaign for municipal seats has been lopsided in favor of Erdogans party, with the presidents daily rallies broadcast live on Turkish television. In every speech, Erdogan has called the elections a fight for national survival and branded Kurdish HDP politicians as terrorists and traitors.

HDPs campaign has found no place in mainstream media and the party accuses Erdogan of hostile rhetoric to shore up nationalist sentiments.

In the southeast, the HDP aims to win back control of municipalities that were seized by the government during a state of emergency declared after the 2016 failed coup. Government-appointed trustees replaced elected officials in nearly a 100 municipalities, including in Diyarbakir, the symbolic capital of Kurds in southeastern Turkey.

My vote is for the HDP because HDP is honor, peace, fraternity. Long live HDP, long live freedom, said Diyarbakir voter Mehmet Birgul, 30.

In October, Erdogan threatened not to accept such an outcome in the southeast.

If people involved with terror are chosen in the ballot boxes in these elections, well immediately do whats necessary and continue on our path by appointing trustees, he said.

The government accuses HDP politicians of links to PKK, and Erdogan regularly brands them terrorists and traitors. The HDP does not deny such links but says it only advocates for Kurdish rights and democracy through legal, political means.

The PKK, considered a terror group by Turkey and its Western allies, has waged an insurgency since 1984 and the conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives. A fragile cease-fire held for more than two years as the Turkish government, HDP politicians and the PKKs jailed leader, Abdullah Ocalan, negotiated a peace process.

But the resumption of hostilities in the summer of 2015 brought clashes to southeastern cities where round-the-clock curfews were declared. Since then, at least 4,280 people have been killed, including civilians, according to the International Crisis Group.

A string of bomb attacks claimed by the PKK and its offshoots hit Turkish cities in 2016 and 2017 and the countrys jets regularly strike PKK camps in the mountains of northern Iraq.

According to the Kurdish party, 10 lawmakers, 40 mayors and nearly 5,000 activists remain jailed. It says thousands in prisons are on a hunger strike to demand an end to Ocalans isolation on a prison island in western Turkey.

The rally in Istanbul also marked Newroz, or the Kurdish New Year, where fires symbolizing purification and the arrival of spring burned, following days of celebrations in southeastern Turkey. People jumped over the fires and danced in celebration, despite a heavy police presence.

Today is Newroz, which for us means peace, freedom, the fellowship of people. We accept everything and thats why we choose the HDP, first-time voter Ozlem Kaya said.

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Mehmet Guzel contributed.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
A Kenyan teacher from a remote village who gave away most of his earnings to the poor won a $1 million prize on Sunday for his work teaching in a government-run school that has just one computer and shoddy Internet access.

The annual Global Teacher Prize was awarded to Peter Tabichi in the opulent Atlantis Hotel in Dubai in a ceremony hosted by actor Hugh Jackman.

Tabichi said the farthest hed traveled before this was to Uganda. Coming to Dubai marked his first time on an airplane.

I feel great. I cant believe it. I feel so happy to be among the best teachers in the world, being the best in the world, he told The Associated Press after his win.

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Tabichi teaches science to high schoolers in the semi-arid village of Pwani where almost a third of children are orphans or have only one parent. Drought and famine are common.

He said the school has no library and no laboratory. He plans to use the million dollars from his win to improve the school and feed the poor.

Despite the obstacles Tabichis students face, hes credited with helping many stay in school, qualify for international competitions in science and engineering and go on to college.

At times, whenever I reflect on the challenges they face, I shed tears, he said of his students, adding that his win will help give them confidence.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said in a statement that Tabichis story is the story of Africa and of hope for future generations.

As a member of the Roman Catholic brotherhood, Tabichi wore a plain floor-length brown robe to receive the award presented by Dubais Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

The prize is awarded by the Varkey Foundation, whose founder, Sunny Varkey, established the for-profit GEMS Education company that runs 55 schools in the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Qatar.

In his acceptance speech, Tabichi said his mother died when he was just 11 years old, leaving his father, a primary school teacher, with the job of raising him and his siblings alone.

Tabichi thanked his father for instilling Christian values in him, then pointed to his father in the audience, invited him up on stage and handed him the award to hold as the room erupted in applause and cheers.

I found tonight to be incredibly emotional, very moving, Jackman told the AP after hosting the ceremony and performing musical numbers from his film The Greatest Showman.

It was a great honor, a thrill to be here and I just thought the whole evening was just filled with a really pure spirit, he added.

Now in its fifth year, the prize is the largest of its kind. Its quickly become one of the most coveted and prestigious for teachers. Tabichi selected out of out 10,000 applicants.

The winner is selected by committees comprised of teachers, journalists, officials, entrepreneurs, business leaders and scientists.

Last year, a British art teacher was awarded for her work in one of the most ethnically diverse places in the country. Her work was credited with helping students feel welcome and safe in a borough with high murder rates.

Other winners include a Canadian teacher for her work with indigenous students in an isolated Arctic village where suicide rates are high, and a Palestinian teacher for her work in helping West Bank refugee children traumatized by violence.

The 2015 inaugural winner was a teacher from Maine who founded a nonprofit demonstration school created for the purpose of developing and disseminating teaching methods.

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Associated Press writer Malak Harb contributed to this report.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Boston, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Duck Creek Technologies announced today that GAINSCO Auto Insurance, a provider of non-standard auto insurance products specializing in minimum-limits personal auto insurance, has elected to replace its on-premises policy and billing systems with Duck Creek Policy and Duck Creek Billing. The insurer will be implementing the software via Duck Creek OnDemand, the providers SaaS solution for the P&C insurance industry. GAINSCO cited scalability and efficiency as key factors in the decision to replace its existing legacy policy and billing systems, which were preventing the carrier from growing at the rate its business trajectory demands.

Our industry has made significant strides in embracing SaaS solutions for policy, billing, and claims systems, and it is exciting to see the Duck Creek OnDemand solution gain traction and momentum with great success, said Deb Smallwood, founder and CEO of Strategy Meets Action. And for insurers, with the long list of various technology initiatives and investments on their plates, having ongoing maintenance and upgrades off their plates allows them to focus on strategic initiatives - the true competitive differentiation.

GAINSCO's commitment to digital transformation ultimately led us to Duck Creek for our Policy/Rating/Billing platform in order to meet the growing demands and needs of an increasingly savvy customer base, said Phil West, SVP & CIO of GAINSCO. Our focus is on best of breed solutions for our core applications, solutions that give us a strong foundation for future initiatives without the need for complex IT projects. The Duck Creek Anywhere API gives us the ability to more easily integrate with other market-leading solutions or to leverage our own custom solutions. We expect the Duck Creek SaaS offering to give both operational and cost efficiencies, allowing us to quickly get to market with innovative products and features.

More and more carriers recognize the value of moving core systems into the cloud, said Karlyn Carnahan, head of property casualty business for Celent for the Americas. In a fast-paced world, utilization of a cloud platform is becoming the foundation for deriving speed to value.

The billing experience in particular has become a critical opportunity for carriers to offer differentiated, personalized customer service - something that consumers in all industries have come to expect. As a highly customer-focused insurer, GAINSCO plans to further enhance its customer experiences with billing, expand to new states, and introduce and update its innovative products with industry-leading speed. The carrier also licensed Data Hub, a component of Duck Creek Insights, to get more actionable data from its policy and billing systems as part of its overall strategy to make more data-driven decisions.

We are very happy that GAINSCO has chosen Duck Creek Policy, Billing, Insights, and our OnDemand solution to support its business, said Jeff Wargin, VP of Product Management at Duck Creek Technologies. GAINSCOs growth has been driven by a strong focus on customer centricity, so this was a great choice for them as they look to continued success in the future. And Duck Creek OnDemand provides a complete solution that takes the responsibilities of maintenance, hosting, and upgrades off of carriers hands, so GAINSCO will be able to focus on innovation rather than burdensome IT work.

About GAINSCO

GAINSCO, Inc. is a Dallas-based property and casualty insurance holding company established in 1978. Its insurance operations are conducted through MGA Insurance Company Inc. under its insurance brand, GAINSCO Auto Insurance. The firm concentrates its efforts on the non-standard personal automobile market, specializing in minimum-limits personal auto insurance. GAINSCO Auto Insurance markets its products through more than 8,000 independent insurance agents across ten states: Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Oklahoma, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, and Utah, as well as through comparison shopping websites. GAINSCO is driven to provide:

Insurance policies that are flexible and easy to customize to insureds needs

A highly competitive price designed to save policyholders money

Superior customer support and claims handling

A solid company on which people can rely

Learn more at https://www.gainsco.com/

About Duck Creek Technologies

Duck Creek Technologies paves a genuine path to the future for P&C insurance companies. Decades of insurance experience underpin advanced technologies specifically designed to accommodate change  allowing carriers to navigate uncertainty and capture market opportunities faster than their competitors. Duck Creek solutions are available standalone or as a full suite. All are available via Duck Creek OnDemand, the providers SaaS solution for the P&C insurance industry. For more information, visit www.duckcreek.com.



Media Contact:

Paul Rechichi

Racepoint Global

617-624-3295

prechichi@racepointglobal.com
When Lorena Delgado approached the Venezuelan consulate in Colombias capital on a recent afternoon hoping to extend the life of her expiring passport, she found the metal gates to the languishing building shuttered.

Days earlier, Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro had severed ties with the neighboring Andean nation where over a million of his compatriots have fled in recent years, recalling all his diplomats and leaving the consulate and embassy buildings closed.

The man challenging Maduros claim to the presidency had appointed a new ambassador, but he was at a loss about how to help her. Despite Colombia recognizing Juan Guaido as Venezuelas legitimate president, the ambassador he sent does not have access to the consulate or the ability to issue passport extensions.

You feel trapped, said Delgado, 32, who needs to travel abroad to apply for a work visa. Were in limbo.

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As Venezuelas power struggle stretches on, a parallel dispute for control of embassy buildings in the countries recognizing Guaido as Venezuelas true president has taken root. While new opposition-appointed diplomats are being recognized around the world, the United States is the only nation where they control a consulate building. In no country do Guaidos envoys have the ability to carry out basic tasks like issuing a passport, as Venezuelas civil registration agency remains under the control of Maduro.

The diplomatic duel has left the estimated 3.4 million Venezuelans who now live abroad stuck between two administrations. In most countries holdover consular employees continue to carry out tasks like registering births abroad while new, Guaido-appointed ambassadors remain outside embassy walls, symbols of their movements lagging advance.

At this moment, we dont have a solution from either side, said Paola Soto, 25, who is trying to reunite with her 5-year-old son in Chile.

The battle for diplomatic recognition is largely taking place behind closed doors, but it has occasionally spilled out into public.

In February, the Guaido-appointed ambassador to Costa Rica, Maria Faria, announced she had taken control of the embassy in San Jose, proudly posting on Twitter a photograph of herself standing in front of a Venezuelan flag inside the building. A shouting match erupted outside when the Maduro-appointed diplomats tried to get in.

Costa Ricas Ministry of Foreign Affairs, despite recognizing Faria as Venezuelas ambassador, issued a statement deploring her actions, saying shed broken an established protocol allowing Maduro appointees 60 days to leave.

In March, a similarly confusing incident took place in Lima, Peru when workers were spotted at night removing chairs and even a stately bust of South American independence hero Simon Bolivar from the Venezuelan embassy. The furniture was put back inside after anti-government protesters decried them.

Youve robbed enough in Venezuela! one angry woman shouted.

More recently, on Monday, Guaidos U.S. ambassador announced he was taking control of the New York consulate and two military-owned buildings in Washington where images of Maduro have now been replaced with portraits of Guaido.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza accused the United States of violating articles of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations that require host countries to protect foreign embassy buildings even when ties are severed.

He warned that if the U.S. doesnt fulfill its international obligations, the Venezuelan government could pursue legal action and retaliate with reciprocal action - a not so veiled threat that they might occupy the recently vacated U.S. Embassy in Caracas. The U.S. withdrew all embassy personnel from Caracas due to safety concerns after Maduro severed ties with the U.S. over its support for Guaido.

Gustavo Marcano, an exiled Venezuelan mayor who now works for the Guaido-backed Venezuelan embassy in the U.S., said the building acquisition is one of several attempts to ensure Venezuelas assets abroad are protected. The U.S. is also working to transfer other prized belongings, like Houston-based CITGO, a subsidiary of Venezuelas state oil company, to Guaido.

This is the first step toward ending usurpation, he said from inside the Manhattan consulate, where photos of the late socialist leader Hugo Chavez still hung on the walls.

He added that while they cannot issue documents like passports, the Guaido-led consulate does plan to look for other remedies to help the increasingly large number of Venezuelans who possess no valid form of identification. One idea being floated is the creation of a consular-issued identification card that would be recognized by the host nation.

In other countries, the Guaido-named ambassadors are taking a gentler approach, choosing to slowly work toward eventually taking control of consulates in conjunction with the host nations foreign relations ministry - or avoiding the topic altogether.

Humberto Calderon, the appointed ambassador to Colombia, said hes focused more on tending to Venezuelan migrants, viewing occupying the buildings as a potential agitator that could harm Colombians living in Venezuela.

Its our decision, he said. We havent wanted to do it.

Calderon once served as Venezuelas energy minister and is working from a hotel. He said that when Maduro severed diplomatic relations with Colombia, nearly all the consular staff left, boarding a government-sent plane and flying home. Hes had no access to anything they left behind in the buildings.

In other countries, some Maduro employees have stayed on, gingerly sidestepping the higher-voltage political fight.

In Peru, five Maduro-appointed envoys will remain in place to carry out consular functions, according to a high-ranking Venezuelan official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the situation. He said that after talks with Perus foreign ministry, an agreement was reached allowing them to remain in the country and continue working in the embassy, even though the nation recognizes Guaidos ambassador.

The objective is to maintain consular relations, he said. Not diplomatic ones.

Thats a scenario thats likely to play out in most countries: Even as more than 50 heads of state declare their allegiance to Guaido, necessity will inevitably compel them to maintain a range of ties to the Maduro government.

Ultimately its not in any countrys real interest to maintain an embassy thats run by staff that have no ability to advance commercial or consular interests, said Geoff Ramsey, a Venezuela researcher at the Washington Office on Latin America.

He pointed to the case of the Netherlands, which despite backing Guaido, has pledged to keep the Maduro consular staff intact in the Dutch Caribbean island of Curacao, which stands about 40 miles from Venezuelas coast. The Netherlands has joint ventures with Venezuelas giant state-run oil company at stake.

Its very much a dual diplomacy situation for many of these countries, Ramsey said.

Soto said she doesnt know how to explain the standoff to her son, who left by plane from Venezuela with his father over a year ago. Ever since shes been trying to meet up with him in Chile but has gotten stuck in Colombia.

Theres no solution, she said. Not here, not in Venezuela, nowhere.

_

Associated Press writer Claudia Torrens contributed to this report.

_

Follow Christine Armario on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/cearmario

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
U.S.-backed Syrian fighters cleared explosives in the last area retaken from the Islamic State group on Sunday and arrested a number of militants hiding in tunnels, a day after declaring military victory and the end of the extremists self-styled caliphate.

The U.S.-led coalition said the clearing operations will continue until the area is secure.

A spokesman for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, who goes by the nom de guerre Mervan The Brave, said Baghouz village where the militants made their final stand is full of all kinds of explosives. He said SDF forces have detonated land mines and suicide belts left behind by the militants.

The Kurdish Hawar News Agency reported that during the combing SDF forces arrested a number of militants found hiding in combat tunnels. Mervan The Brave confirmed the reports but had no further details.

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Other activist groups monitoring the area reported limited clashes between remaining militants and SDF fighters.

In a series of tweets, the U.S.-led coalition said the SDF continued back-clearance operations to rid Baghouz of any militants or weapon caches.

The Syrian Democratic Forces will continue to deny Daesh a physical space and influence in the area and work to deny them the resources they need to return, it said using the Arabic acronym for IS. This back-clearance operation will be deliberate and thorough and help ensure the long-term security for the area.

A day earlier, a Syrian driver working with NBC News reporters was killed by an explosive device that went off in a house used by the SDF as a command post and a media center for journalists covering the fighting in Baghouz.

Noah Oppenheim, the president of NBC News, said in a statement that network employees escaped unharmed and that the reason for the explosion was being investigated. He expressed deepest sympathies to the drivers family and said the network is in touch with them to support them however we can.

The victory announced in Baghouz on Saturday marks the end of a devastating five-year campaign by an array of forces to retake territories held by IS in Syria and Iraq. At its height, IS controlled a sprawling self-declared caliphate between the two countries that was home to some 8 million people.

The campaign against the group came at a staggering cost, with entire neighborhoods and towns destroyed in both countries. Thousands of civilians are believed to have been killed by IS during its brutal reign as well as the air and ground operations by the coalition and allied troops. Watchdog groups continue to document the casualties.

Meanwhile, the SDF said 11,000 of its fighters were killed in the fight against IS.

The militants were holding hostages and had detained civilians, the fate of many also remains unknown.

Despite the territorial defeat, the militants have reverted to insurgent tactics and continue to carry out attacks in areas liberated months or even years ago. An unknown number of fighters and supporters slipped into Syrian and Iraqi towns and villages, forming the backbone of the new insurgency.

The fate of the groups leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, remains unknown. There is a $25 million bounty on his head.

In recent weeks, thousands of people, including IS fighters and their family members, left Baghouz and were taken to detention centers and crowded camps for the displaced elsewhere in eastern Syria.

This is an historic moment, but we cannot be complacent, tweeted Maj. Gen. Christopher Ghika, the deputy commander of the U.S.-led coalition against IS.

Even without territory, Daesh will continue to pose a threat to the people of Iraq and Syria, as well as to the wider world. The coalition must remain firm in its determination to counter Daesh, he said.

Separately, Syrian state media reported that nearly two dozen people have suffered from asphyxiation after shells were lobbed from rebel-held areas into government-administered villages in the countrys west. The state news agency quoted director of a local hospital in Hama province as saying that 21 people were hospitalized after inhaling gases in the attack on al-Rasif and al-Aziziyeh villages.

The pro-state Al-Ikhbariya TV interviewed survivors at the hospital who said a foul smell followed the launching of mortars into their villages.

The months-old truce, sponsored by Russia and Turkey, in Syrias west has been tested, as fighting between government forces and al-Qaida-linked militants resumed. The government wants to regain control of a key highway that flanks the opposition-held area. Al-Qaida-linked militants have expanded their dominance in northwestern Syria, rooting out other armed opposition groups and undermining the truce.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
A note referencing the recent terrorist attacks in New Zealand was found at the scene of a possible arson fire at a Southern California mosque, police said Sunday.

Nobody was hurt, and members of the Islamic Center of Escondido were able to extinguish the small blaze before firefighters around 3:15 a.m., officials said.

The incident was being investigated as arson and a possible hate crime, said police in the city about 30 miles (48 kilometers) north of downtown San Diego.

A note was found in the parking lot referencing the shootings this month that killed 50 people at mosques in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand, police Lt. Chris Lick said. He did not elaborate about the contents of the note.

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Investigators did not release information about a suspect.

The fire caused minor damage to the buildings exterior.

Seven people were inside the mosque at the time of the fire, police told the KNSD TV station . They were able to put out the fire with a fire extinguisher before firefighters arrived on the scene, KNSD reported.

There are people who sleep there overnight, member Yusef Miller said. They heard the sounds, they smelled some funny smells, and there was a letter saying something connecting to New Zealand at the same time. So, this made everybody especially on edge.

The Escondido mosque was created four years ago and serves several hundred people in the city of about 143,000 residents, Miller said.

He told KNSD that worshippers are undeterred.

We wont stop praying, Miller said. We wont stop gathering.

Dustin Craun, the head of the Council of American-Islamic Relations in San Diego, said his civil rights group stands with the mosque.

It is disturbing enough that some sick individual would attempt to burn a house of worship to the ground, but referencing the slayings in New Zealand is beyond the pale, he said in a statement. While the majority of humanity has responded to the tragedy to draw closer to one another and refute hatred, a violent and hate-filled minority seeks further divisions.

We are grateful that someone was inside the mosque and was able to act quickly to put the fire out. We ask anyone with information to come forward and contact the Escondido Police Department. We stand in solidarity with our community members who attend the Islamic Center of Escondido.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
A man serving a life sentence for fatally shooting seven people at a small Northern California vocational college has died in prison.

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said Wednesday that 50-year-old One Goh died at California State Prison-Sacramento on March 20. CDCR spokeswoman Vicky Waters said a cause of death hasnt been determined. She did not respond to requests for more details.

Goh was also convicted of injuring three people during the April 2012 shooting at the Christian-affiliated Oikos University in Oakland. Police said Goh was angry with school administrators for expelling him and refusing to refund his tuition.

Goh pleaded no contest to murder charges in 2017 after a judge declared him mentally competent to stand trial after previously finding him unfit in 2013 and 2015.

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Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Massachusetts regulators are investigating whether large marijuana companies are trying to bypass state law limiting to three the number of licenses any one company can control or own.

A lawyer for the state Cannabis Control Commission on Wednesday cited an ongoing investigation in denying The Boston Globe records relating to any allegations that companies were violating licensing caps.

The newspaper reported last week that two companies have publicly bragged to investors about amassing large numbers of licenses and provisional licenses in Massachusetts, using complex corporate structures. There is fear such tactics will shut out small, independent operators of recreational pot shops.

Both companies have denied violating any rules and insist they operate within state law.

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If state regulators find violations, they could revoke existing licenses or deny applications for future ones.

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Information from: The Boston Globe, https://www.bostonglobe.com

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
California Sen. Kamala Harris sent a subtle signal to the old-guard of Democratic politics that every era has its end.

At an Atlanta church service dedicated to youth Sunday, the presidential candidate compared leadership to a relay race in which each generation must ask themselves what do we do during that period of time when we carry that baton.

Then she added with a smile that for the older leaders, it also becomes a question of lets also know when to pass the baton.

The 54-year-old senator  one of the younger contenders for the White House in 2020  did not mention any other presidential hopeful or tie her remarks to the Democratic presidential scramble. Her spokeswoman said she only wanted to encourage the youth at Ebenezer Baptist Church.

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Her commentary to the congregation once led by Martin Luther King Jr. comes as former Vice President Joe Biden, 76, considers whether to join a field that already includes Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who is 77. Both men have run for president before and fallen short.

Biden and Sanders are seen as strong contenders for the Democratic nomination, though other candidates and some voters have emphasized the need for a more youthful approach to try and beat President Donald Trump in the general election. Several other candidates in the race, including two governors, are also in their late sixties.

Harris noted Sunday that King was 26 when he led the Montgomery Bus Boycotts that pushed him to the forefront of the civil rights movement.

Later Sunday, Harris told a rally at Morehouse College in Atlanta that Attorney General William Barr should testify under oath on Capitol Hill, rather than just submit the written summary of special counsel Robert Muellers report on the Russia investigation.

The Justice Department said Sunday that Muellers team did not find evidence that Trumps campaign conspired or coordinated with Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election. Mueller also investigated whether Trump obstructed justice but did not come to a definitive answer.

Other highlights of Sunday campaigning:

KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND

Democratic presidential candidate Kirsten Gillibrand assailed President Donald Trump as a coward who is tearing apart the moral fabric of the vulnerable, as she officially started her campaign for president.

The senator spoke in New York Sunday, feet away from one of Trumps signature properties, the Trump International Hotel and Tower.

She said that instead of building walls as Trump wants to do along the U.S.-Mexico border, Americans build bridges, community and hope.

Gillibrand also called for full release of Muellers report in the Russia investigation. Attorney General William Barr released a summary Sunday afternoon, but Democrats want to see the full details.

Gillibrand is trying to position herself in the crowded field of Democrats seeking the partys nomination. While some hopefuls have shied away from mentioning Trump, Gillibrand has not hesitated to do so.

ELIZABETH WARREN

Sen. Elizabeth Warren said Sunday the National Rifle Association is holding Congress hostage when it comes to stemming gun violence.

The Massachusetts senator and Democratic presidential candidate tells a campaign rally that if seven children were dying from a mysterious virus, wed pull out all the stops till we figured out what was wrong. But in terms of gun violence, she said the NRA keeps calling the shots in Washington.

Warren finished a two-day campaign trip to New Hampshire with an event at a middle school in Conway Sunday afternoon.

Warren focused much of her speech on her approach to economics, but paid special attention to unions Sunday. She said more power needs to be put back in the hands of workers.

BETO OROURKE

Democratic presidential candidate Beto ORourke told voters in Las Vegas Sunday that President Donald Trump bears blame for the separation of families at the U.S.-Mexico border but responsibility lies with everyone in the country to fix the situation.

ORourke spoke Sunday to more than 200 people packed into and snaking around a taco shop on the citys north end. He said immigrant families are leaving their home countries and journeying on foot because they have no other choice.

The former Texas congressman said desperate families were broken up in the U.S. when they were at their most vulnerable and desperate moments, and what happened to them is on every single one of us.

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Woodall reported from Conway, New Hampshire. Associated Press writers Juana Summers in New York and Michelle Price in Las Vegas contributed to this report.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand on Wednesday released her tax return for 2018, showing she paid $29,170 in federal taxes on an income of about $214,000.

The New York Democrat became the first 2020 presidential candidate to disclose the latest tax filing. Her income included her $167,000 Senate salary, a $50,000 book payment and a $3,000 capital gains loss.

Gillibrands early disclosure of her 2018 tax return is a recurring nod to political transparency. She has provided tax returns each year since 2012, midway through her first Senate term, and disclosed older returns dating to 2007, her first year as a New York congresswoman.

I want voters to know that I am beholden to no one, that my values are not for sale and that Im working only for you, Gillibrand said in a video posted by her campaign. We cant fundamentally change Washington unless we can show the American people we are brave enough to do what needs to be done.

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The capital loss was carried over from investments made in previous years, campaign spokeswoman Meredith Kelly said. The 2018 return lists only one holding, Wind Crest LLC, a medical services company that is an inactive investment vehicle. Gillibrands recent Senate financial disclosures have shown a $15,000 to $50,000 investment in the company.

Gillibrands move comes as many of her rivals for their partys 2020 nomination to take on President Donald Trump have yet to share their own tax return data, even as Democrats continue to slam Trump for not releasing his returns during his 2016 run for president.

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren has released 10 years of her tax returns but not her 2018 filing. Other Democratic candidates have yet to share as much tax information. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders last month pledged to sooner than later make public 10 years of his tax returns, though he has yet to do so. During his 2016 presidential bid, he released just one year of tax returns.

Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchars campaign also has indicated that she will release her tax returns, but it did not commit to a timeline.

A spokeswoman for South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who is exploring a presidential bid, said he will release taxes when or if he formalizes his campaign.

Trump broke with decades of tradition by not releasing his tax filings during his 2016 Republican presidential campaign. He argued that he couldnt release his taxes because he was under an audit by the Internal Revenue Service, but being under audit is no legal bar to a candidate from releasing tax returns.

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Associated Press writer Sara Burnett in Chicago contributed to this report.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Authorities in South Dakota are searching for two men missing after a garbage truck went into a flooded river.

Searchers returned Sunday to the James River about 15 miles (24 kilometers) north of Mitchell, South Dakota.

KELO-TV reports the men have been missing since Thursday. Sanborn County Sheriff Tom Fridley says authorities believe the truck went off state Highway 37 into the river. Authorities began searching a stretch of the river after finding a damaged guardrail on the highway near the James River Bridge.

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Authorities have not released the mens names. State and local agencies are involved in the search.

Recent flooding in the Midwest is blamed in three confirmed deaths. In addition, two men in Nebraska have been missing for more than a week.

In central Minnesota, crews rescued dozens of people stranded inside a restaurant in Waite Park after flash flooding Saturday night on the Sauk River.

The National Weather Service warned Sunday that rain storms expected later this week could lead to another crest along the Missouri River and its tributaries just as residents are cleaning up from this springs flooding.

NWS hydrologist Kevin Low said that more than an inch of rain is expected to fall in Nebraska and Iowa later this week.

Low says the storms between Wednesday and Friday could create a 1-foot rise in the level of the Missouri River around Omaha and cities downstream starting next weekend.

But its not yet clear how much additional flooding that rise could create.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The first glimpse into the special counsels investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election did little to mend a gaping American political divide.

The four-page summary of Robert Muellers probe released by Attorney General William Barr didnt satisfy many who wanted more details. But in a bitterly divided country, the little bit that was known stirred cheers from many Republicans and scoffs from many Democrats.

The one side thats happy is happy. And the other side thats not happy wants to do some more investigation or do something else, said Stephen Turner, an electrical engineer from Belmont, North Carolina, who is Republican and voted for Trump. I wish itd just go away.

Across the union, the split reaction to the Mueller news repeated.

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In West Palm Beach, Florida, along the route Trumps motorcade took before returning to Washington on Air Force One, Mary Jude Smith got a wave and a smile from the chief executive. The 71-year-old retiree from Hypoluxo, Florida, speaks about him with passion and insists he has been exonerated. She sees the investigation as Democrats pathetic attempt to impeach Trump.

I think Mueller was a crook. He wasted millions of our tax dollars for nothing, she said, before offering her assessment of Trump: Hes as clean as the driven snow.

In blue-state New York, 49-year-old filmmaker Dan Lee of Brooklyn Heights felt let down by Mueller and left with more questions than answers.

It stings a little, because I trusted Mueller, said Lee, a Democrat. There are still so many questions and it seems inconceivable that obstruction isnt one of the conclusions.

In red-state West Virginia, 44-year-old truck driver Michael Tucker of Bancroft, declared the Russian investigation a joke, for the most part and that Trump has been treated unfairly.

Its one witch hunt after another, said Tucker, who gave his vote to Trump in 2016 and likely will again next year. If they could have found anything, they would have.

There were morsels in Barrs letter both sides could savor. For Republicans, it was acknowledgement that there was no evidence Trump or his campaign conspired with Russia. For Democrats, it was the admission that while Trump wasnt charged with obstruction, he also wasnt exonerated.

Trump supporter Richard C. Osburn, 52, a nurse from South Charleston, West Virginia, said Muellers findings were proof the president was drug through the mud. He knows Democrats are hell-bent on destroying Trump, but says its time for the president to be given a break.

The things that the mans doing to try to help the average worker in this country never gets recognized by the mainstream media, said Osburn, a longtime Republican. They would rather hate, hate, hate than recognize accomplishments. Those days have got to stop.

In Los Angeles, 57-year-old accountant Sue Arani, checked news on her phone as she took her dog for an afternoon walk Sunday. She calls herself a Republican-leaning voter, though she gave her support to Clinton in 2016. She trusts Mueller, but even with Barrs release, she thinks there was collusion between Trumps campaign and the Russian government.

The public needs to see the report, she said, especially before the next election.

Claire Finkelstein, a University of Pennsylvania professor who founded the Center for Ethics and the Rule of Law, said if the full report isnt made available to the public and its contents become known only through leaks and back channels, it would be damaging to faith in the government.

Secrets are where conspiracy theories fester and grow, Finkelstein said. The only way that we are going to be able to move past this state of affairs is by as much coming out into the light as possible. Lets flesh out the facts, lets get them on the table and have a robust conversation.

What seemed certain was there would be no end to the debate over Trump, Muellers investigation, and the political divide across the U.S.

In Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 74-year-old Richard Howell, a supporter of the president, said news of the Mueller report proves what critics of the investigation have been saying all along.

So we spent two years and millions of dollars, he said, worrying about nothing.

In Gaston County, North Carolina, Trump voters outnumbered Clinton backers nearly two-to-one in 2016, but Joy Owens didnt budge from her opposition. She believes Mueller has done a good job with the investigation but shes left feeling unfulfilled.

I keep hoping that if we just be patient, we be patient for a little bit longer, that there will be justice, said Owens, 66, who recently retired from running a yarn shop and framing business. I cannot believe of all the other convictions that are happening about this that Trump is going to be scot-free on this.

___

Sedensky can be reached at msedensky@ap.org and https://twitter.com/sedensky

___

Contributing to this report were Corey Williams in Detroit, Michigan; Sharon Cohen in Chicago, Illinois; Chris Weber in Los Angeles, California; Claire Galofaro in Louisville, Kentucky; Jeff Baenan in Minneapolis, Minnesota; Rebecca Santana in New Orleans, Louisiana; Tim Talley in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Alanna Durkin Richer in Boston, Massachusetts; Denise Lavoie in Richmond, Virginia; Josh Replogle in West Palm Beach, Florida; Colleen Slevin in Denver, Colorado; Sarah Blake Morgan in Belmont, North Carolina; Roxana Hegeman in Wichita, Kansas; Adam Geller in New York, New York; and John Raby in Cross Lanes, West Virginia.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Attorney General William Barr is expected to miss House Democrats deadline to provide Congress the full report documenting special counsel Robert Mueller IIIs investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, increasing the likelihood lawmakers will subpoena the Justice Department.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., said that during a Wednesday phone call with Barr, the attorney general said it would be weeks, not months before lawmakers can see the report, making it apparent that the department will not meet the April 2nd deadline that we set earlier this week.

Barr would not promise an unredacted full report with the underlying documents, evidence, would be provided to Congress and to the American people, Nadler said. Were not happy about that, to put it mildly.

Though Nadler would not commit to issuing a subpoena, he told reporters that April 2 was a hard deadline that we set and we mean it.

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A Justice Department spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Barr informed Congress Sunday of Muellers main findings, writing in a four-page letter to the heads of the House and Senate Judiciary committees that the special counsel did not establish a criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia to sway the election and offered no conclusion on whether the president sought to obstruct justice during the probe.

The report is several hundred pages - though less than a thousand, Nadler said - and Democrats believe it is vital to see its details before they can determine whether they agree with Barrs assessment, believing there may evidence of collusion that Mueller did not consider as part of his findings.

On the question of obstruction, Barr wrote in his summary for lawmakers that he and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein had decided that the evidence was not sufficient to conclude Trump had committed an obstruction-of-justice offense. Nadler said he did not discuss with Barr why he made that determination, but Democrats have vowed to look further into the evidence.

Barr did pledge that he would make himself available for an interview with the Judiciary Committee, Nadler told reporters, and that that would happen reasonably soon. Barr is expected on Capitol Hill for a budget hearing with the House Appropriations Committee on April 9.

We may very well want Mueller after Barr, Nadler added.

First published in The Washington Post.
KIRKLAND, Wash., March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GrowLife, Inc. (OTC: PHOT) (GrowLife or the Company), one of the nations most recognized indoor cultivation product and service providers, today announced that the company has launched a subscription service for consumable cloning supplies as part of its EZ-Clone commercial propagation equipment line. Through its e-logistics platform, commercial cannabis and hemp cultivators will be able to subscribe to monthly shipments that include all of the products necessary to clone plants at a discounted price.



GrowLife has been focused on building its product offering for cloning and propagation through its recently acquired EZ-Clone Enterprises product line. The products are designed to help commercial plant cultivators decrease costs associated with cloning plants. The Company offers two subscription packages specific to the EZ-Clone unit the customer is using. Customers can select the Commercial Pro unit or the EZ-Clone 128. The packages include automatic shipments of all nutrients and collars needed to produce two cycles of clones in a given month.

GrowLife created this subscription service as a result of an increased demand for cloning supplies and to create recurring revenue for the Company. This new subscription service provides customers with a turn-key solution to run their EZ-Clone units.

We have observed a spike in demand for commercial cloning systems and this subscription service allows us to service these customers without additional overhead cost, said GrowLife Executive Vice-President of Sales and Marketing Joe Barnes. Our newly launched e-logistics program achieves just that. We are excited to fulfill cultivators requirements for consumables in a very efficient manner. This subscription service allows us to offer the best price on these packages while creating a strong consumer base. Specifically, hemp cultivators are turning to cloning as a way to meet production goals with healthy and consistent plants.

The Company has seen significantly increased interest in these commercial units since the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill in the U.S., legalizing commercial hemp cultivation, as well as in Canada after the legalization of adult-use cannabis late last year. New Frontier Data estimates that the U.S. hemp cannabidiol (CBD) market alone will reach $1.3 billion by 2022 due to legalization. Cultivators will need to increase production to meet demand and the EZ-Clone product is specifically designed with this goal in mind.

Visit the Companys website for more information on its new subscription service.

For more information about GrowLife, including the CEOs most recent video statement, visit the companys website . Products can be purchased at ShopGrowLife.com in the U.S. and GrowLifeHydro.ca in Canada.

About GrowLife, Inc.

GrowLife, Inc. (PHOT) aims to become the nations largest cultivation service provider for cultivating organics, herbs and greens and plant-based medicines. Our mission is to help make our customers successful. Through a network of local representatives covering the United States and Canada, regional centers and its e-Commerce team, GrowLife provides essential goods and services including media, industry-leading hydroponics and soil, plant nutrients, and thousands more products to specialty grow operations. GrowLife is headquartered in Kirkland, Washington and was founded in 2012.

Public Relations Contact:

CMW Media

Cassandra Dowell, 858-264-6600

cassandra@cmwmedia.com

www.cmwmedia.com

Investor Relations Contact:

investors@growlifeinc.com

206-483-0059
House Democrats are ready to accuse Attorney General William Barr of a coverup to protect President Donald Trump if he refuses to detail for Congress the information special counsel Robert Mueller III provided the grand jury during his investigation of Russias interference in the 2016 election.

The pointed warning, delivered by senior Democratic aides during a media briefing Thursday, marked the latest sign of a potential legal standoff between lawmakers and the Justice Department over access to Muellers complete findings. Barr has pledged to redact grand jury information from Muellers report, which spans more than 300 pages, according to people familiar with the document, and that process is expected to take weeks.

That is far longer than Democrats say they are prepared to wait, and they have begun to express suspicion that the attorney general intends to prevent the public disclosure of information within Muellers findings that may be unflattering or otherwise problematic for the president. It remains unclear what precisely Barr plans to deliver to Congress.

If he does not include grand jury information in the summary or report or redacted report or whatever he gives to Congress, that amounts to a coverup, a House Democratic staffer told reporters during Thursdays briefing. We do not want anything in the words of the attorney general. We want to see Robert Muellers words.

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House Democrats also said Thursday that they are prepared to authorize a subpoena for Muellers full report if Barr misses the Tuesday deadline lawmakers set for him to deliver it to Congress. They stopped short, however, of promising to issue a subpoena, even though the attorney general has indicated he is unlikely to make their deadline.

Democrats are bracing, too, for a potential fight with the administration if the White House attempts to assert executive privilege over portions of the report, the staffers said - and they are contemplating whether the House counsel should appeal to a judge on behalf of the six House committees investigating Trump, if Barr does not include the grand jury information in the information he provides lawmakers.

A spokeswoman for the Justice Department said there were no plans to give a copy of the report to the White House, but she otherwise declined to address questions concerning the Democrats plans and insinuations about the attorney general.

A four-page summary of Muellers findings, which Barr delivered to Congress on Sunday, has exacerbated Democrats concerns. The summary said the special counsel did not establish a criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia, and that he offered no conclusion on whether the president sought to obstruct justice during the investigation. Absent a firm conclusion from Mueller, Barr, in consultation with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, determined there was insufficient evidence to establish obstruction, the summary said.

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., charged Thursday that Barrs letter was an attempt to try to exonerate Mr. Trump, one that had the odor of political expediency.

House Democratic staffers said Thursday they believe Barrs statement broke with Justice Department precedent and showed a willingness to flout Congress oversight role.

Barr said during his confirmation hearing that he would be as transparent as possible, within the confines of the law and Justice Department policy. But he has never committed to turning over all of the materials Mueller reviewed, which Democrats say are essential for them to determine whether the president was ever compromised by his foreign contacts, even if they did not rise to the level of criminal activity.

As Democrats pledged to continue investigating the president, Trump and his allies lashed out at his critics, chiefly the House Intelligence Committee chairman, Rep. Adam B. Schiff, D-Calif., who maintains there is still evidence of collusion with Russia, even if Trump wont be charged. On Thursday, the committees Republican members formally called on Schiff to step down as chairman, submitting a letter they all signed declaring they had no faith in his ability to lead them.

Youve been at the center of a well-orchestrated media campaign, claiming, among other things, that the Trump campaign colluded with the Russian government, Rep. K. Michael Conaway, R-Texas, said to Schiff at the start of a hearing, reading from the letter.

Muellers findings, the letter said, have exposed you as having abused your position to knowingly promote false information, having damaged the integrity of this committee, and undermined faith in U.S. government institutions.

At a news conference Thursday, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., compared Schiff to the disgraced late senator Joseph McCarthy, who was the driving force behind a campaign to expose communist infiltration in government and across society. His heavy-handed tactics and rampant charges of treason are remembered as one of the countrys darker periods. The minority leader accused Schiff of lying to the public and smearing an innocent man. Trump, on Twitter, called on Schiff to resign from Congress.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., backed Schiff, chastising Republicans as scaredy cats who were afraid of the truth.

Theyre afraid of competence, she said.

When he took over as chairman earlier this year, Schiff launched a new Intelligence Committee investigation into alleged collusion and money laundering involving Trump and his associates. For the past two years, the Senate Intelligence Committee also has investigated Russian interference in the 2016 election, including allegations of Trumps ties to Russia. On Thursday, the panel met privately with Jared Kushner, its second interview with the presidents son-in-law and senior adviser.

Elsewhere on Capitol Hill, Republicans closely aligned with the president have urged for a return to inquiries focused on how the federal law enforcement agencies conducted themselves during the investigations of Trump and Russia, and Hillary Clintons emails - topics House Republicans explored last year.

On Thursday, the House Judiciary Committees ranking Republican, Rep. Douglas A. Collins of Georgia, released the transcript from a 2018 interview with Nellie Ohr, a former employee of Fusion GPS, the firm behind a controversial dossier alleging Trump had personal and financial ties to Russia. Ohrs husband, Justice Department official Bruce Ohr, met on several occasions with the author of that dossier, former British intelligence agent Christopher Steele.

In her interview, Nellie Ohr told congressional investigators that part of the work she did for Fusion GPS involved looking into open-source materials concerning potential links between Trump, his subordinates and organized crime.

The Washington Posts John Wagner, Rachael Bade and Shane Harris contributed to this report.

First published in The Washington Post
Lawmakers seeking assurance that the Trump administration will exempt their states from offshore drilling plans received no such promise during Thursdays confirmation hearing of the presidents pick to run the Interior Department.

Senators grilled David Bernhardt on the administrations proposal to open nearly all of the United States coastal waters to oil and gas drilling. What they got in response was Bernhardts commitment to listen to state leaders and a hint that the final plan may cover a smaller area. But that was all.

Well work with you, the nominee told Sen. Joe Manchin III, a West Virginia Democrat.

Bipartisan opposition to the administrations plans has been loud and strong.

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When former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke announced a proposal last year to allow offshore oil and gas exploration access to more than a billion acres in the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic, governors up and down the countrys coasts objected.

Florida lawmakers asked to be exempted because of their states dependence on tourism dollars, prompting other states to demand the same consideration.

As the backlash has grown, the administration has begun quietly laying the groundwork to weaken a decades-old federal law that empowers California and other states to slow and even stop offshore development in federal waters.

I can tell you weve got a governor, a legislature and a bipartisan congressional delegation that is  to use your term  rock solid against offshore drilling or testing, said Sen. Angus King, an independent from Maine.

King said the opposition in his state is so fierce that if he voted for Bernhardts confirmation, and the Interior Department later opened the states coastal waters to drilling, I dont know if I can go home again.

Bernhardt tried to placate senators. The administrations drilling plan is in its early stages, he told the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and would be winnowed down.

Were at step 1, not step 7, Bernhardt said, adding that he had yet to see a completed draft of the plan.

His suggestion that some of the nations coastline might be left out of the final proposal did little to convince his detractors. After the hearing, 15 Democratic senators from coastal states said they would vote against Bernhardts confirmation.

Todays hearing made one thing absolutely clear: A vote for Bernhardt is a vote for offshore drilling, the group of East and West Coast senators said in a statement.

Bernhardt has led the department since early January, when Zinke stepped down under a cloud of scandal.

As Zinkes second-in-command and then as acting secretary, Bernhardt has overseen the Interior Departments push to expand oil and gas drilling. Under his oversight, the department has shrunk the size of two national monuments in Utah in the name of opening up lands for coal and mineral mining. It has also loosened protections for the habitat of the sage grouse, a bird whose nesting area includes land in Western states coveted by the oil and gas industry.

As acting secretary, he now regulates many of the businesses whose interests he formerly advocated as a lobbyist.

Bernhardts former firm, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, has sued the Interior Department four times on behalf of Westlands Water District, the nations largest irrigation district. Bernhardt personally argued one appeals case challenging endangered species protections for California salmon.

Facing questions over his industry ties, he pledged Thursday to fundamentally transform the Interior Departments ethics programs to ingrain a culture of ethical compliance and reduce workplace misconduct.

Citing several instances of documented misuse of funds by agency employees, Bernhardt told senators that ethics would be a priority.

The reality is that the ethics program throughout the Department of the Interior has been sadly neglected for some time, he wrote in a prepared statement.

Throughout the hearing, Republican senators praised Bernhardts qualifications. We need experience around here, said Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, the committees chairwoman.

But during one particularly heated exchange, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) accused Bernhardt of lying to him during a meeting at the senators office. Youre just another corrupt official, he told the nominee.

The latest from Washington 

More stories from Anna M. Phillips 
Feeling vindicated by the release of a summary of special counsel Robert S. Mueller IIIs report, Republicans on Capitol Hill have launched an aggressive campaign to oust  or at least embarrass  House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, one of the Democrats leading voices on the Russia probe.

The mounting feud spilled out Thursday in an intelligence hearing intended to discuss Russian President Vladimir Putins playbook of using money and intelligence to undermine other countries, including the U.S.

Instead, the hearing was overshadowed by lawmakers heated back-and-forth, with Republican committee members taking the unusual step of calling for their chairman to resign, and the Burbank Democrat sharply swatting back their complaints.

Your willingness to continue to promote a demonstrably false narrative is alarming, said Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Texas). We have no faith in your ability to discharge your duty.

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Schiff has continued to assert that President Trumps campaign colluded with the Russians in the 2016 election, a claim that Republicans say Mueller has discredited.

Conaway and the other eight Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee submitted a letter calling for Schiffs resignation.

But the effort is largely partisan theater since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) appoints the Intelligence Committee chair, and she has strongly backed Schiff.

Democrats meanwhile continued their push for the release of the full Mueller report, which so far has only been described in a four-page summary by Atty. Gen. William Barr.

In a phone call Wednesday evening, Barr would not commit to House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) to voluntarily turning over a full, unredacted copy of the report to Congress, according to Democratic House aides who spoke on the condition that they not be identified. The House is prepared to subpoena the report if necessary.

At the intelligence hearing, Schiff angrily accused Republicans of failing to fulfill their oversight responsibilities. He described the attacks as an effort to divert attention from the presidents actions, which House Democrats are continuing to investigate.

Schiff said he accepted Muellers decision not to file any indictment for collusion but insisted that it didnt change his position that Trumps campaign was open to Russian assistance. Schiff repeatedly cited the difference between what he viewed as acts of improper coordination and the higher bar Mueller had to clear for a criminal case.

He went through a litany of evidence that he said suggested collusion, including Trumps calls for Russians to hack Democrats emails; sharing American voter profile data with Russians; the Trump Tower meeting with Donald Trump Jr., Jared Kushner and Russian officials; and the campaigns decision not to tell the FBI that foreigners had offered damaging information about Hillary Clinton.

You might think thats OK, Schiff said to his Republican colleagues. I dont.  I think its immoral. I think its unethical. I think its unpatriotic. And yes, I think its corrupt and evidence of collusion.

Trump has also targeted Schiff, accusing the lawmaker  without providing evidence  of breaking the law.

Congressman Adam Schiff, who spent two years knowingly and unlawfully lying and leaking, should be forced to resign from Congress! Trump tweeted shortly before the hearing began.

Rep. Michael Turner (R-Ohio) accused Schiff of operating the panel in a way that posed a danger to our national security and acting in true McCarthy fashion, a reference to the questionable tactics of former Sen. Joseph McCarthy in his anti-Communist campaign.

Democrats have rallied around Schiff. Pelosi called the comments by Republicans shameful, sad, irresponsible.

What is the president afraid of? Is he [so] afraid of the truth that he would go after a respected chairman of a committee? Pelosi said. I think they are just scaredy cats. They just dont know what to do so they have to make an attack.

House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) also defended Schiff, saying earlier this week that he expected him to be chairing that committee for a long time to come.

Schiff was also recently named to a key fundraising chairmanship post at the Democratic committee tasked with preserving the partys majority in the House.

The House Intelligence Committee had traditionally conducted itself with relative bipartisanship, but that changed in recent years as the Russia investigation progressed.

The former Republican chairman, Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Tulare), was temporarily forced to step aside from leading the Russia investigation on the panel two years ago, shortly before the House Committee on Ethics said he was under investigation because of reports that he might have made unauthorized disclosures of classified information. He denied the charges.

Times staff writer Sarah D. Wire contributed to this report.

The latest from Washington 

More stories from Jennifer Haberkorn 
Greg Moran is a reporter covering criminal justice and legal affairs issues on the Public Safety team. He has worked for the Union-Tribune since 1991. He covered state, federal and appellate courts for 17 years. He has also been an investigative reporter on The Watchdog team and a reporter on the enterprise reporting team. He is a graduate of Carleton College and previously worked at newspapers in Minnesota and New York.


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PHOENIX, AZ, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NEWMEDIAWIRE -- For The Earth Corporation (the Company or FTEG) (OTCMKTS: FTEG), an emerging vertically integrated CBD producer and retailer, is very excited to announce the addition of its newest team member, David Michael Errington, as Director of Research and Development for its new state-of-the-art CBD extraction and production facility to be located in Eugene, OR.



David is ideal for the role, stated FTEG CEO Nelson Grist. We are getting down to the final steps in our process of acquiring and launching our Eugene facility. One of the most important steps in that process was finding someone with blue chip credentials who also seemed like a strong fit with the For The Earth culture. With David, we hit the jackpot.

Mr. Errington is a molecular, microbiological, and computer scientist experienced with regulatory compliance, employee training, and new product initiatives. He previously worked as a genetic scientist and consultant with Footprint Biosciences, where he specialized in chemical process evaluation and testing under State and Federal compliance guidelines, regulations compliance and process development for industrial manufacturing environment, chemical production line factors, and microorganism genetic manipulation and industrial application design.

Mr. Grist continued, David is one major piece of the puzzle. With the right team in place, the rest of the process becomes that much more manageable.

Management notes that the Company continues to be fully committed to a vertical model with a strong emphasis on differentiating itself in the rapidly expanding CBD marketplace by connecting an aggressively organic and natural production process with its end-market brand identity.

The CBD market continues to explode into a $20 billion monster, and we continue to believe there is a significant opportunity to outperform that steep curve by owning the farm-to-table image in that expanding marketplace. Getting our Oregon facility up and running as soon as possible will go a long way toward achieving that objective, concluded Mr. Grist.

About For The Earth Corporation

For The Earth Corporation is an emerging integrated CBD producer and retailer in the United States. The Company is in the process of establishing a vertical framework that will extend from cultivation to extraction and production to a strategic retail footprint that includes multiple locations in Las Vegas and New York featuring mall kiosks, vending machines, e-commerce, and full store locations serving both the human and pet CBD markets. Two mall leases have been signed recently in Las Vegas, with another vending machine location secured in New York City. The Company plans to expand its New York vending machine penetration by the end of 2019. In addition, the Company has begun early-stage work to establish a state-of-the-art CBD extraction and production facility in Eugene, OR.

Forward-Looking Statements

Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in this press release are forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements and are subject to risks and uncertainties. See For The Earths filings with OTC Markets, which may identify specific factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements.

Safe Harbor Statement

This release includes forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions and reflect management's current expectations. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations. Some of these factors include: general global economic conditions; general industry and market conditions, sector changes and growth rates; uncertainty as to whether our strategies and business plans will yield the expected benefits; increasing competition; availability and cost of capital; the ability to identify and develop and achieve commercial success; the level of expenditures necessary to maintain and improve the quality of services; changes in the economy; changes in laws and regulations, including codes and standards, intellectual property rights, and tax matters; or other matters not anticipated; our ability to secure and maintain strategic relationships and distribution agreements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.




People with and without cancer are more likely, over time, to use a more potent form of medical marijuana with increasingly higher amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a new study shows.

In a report publishing in the Journal of Palliative Medicine on March 26, researchers say that cancer patients were more likely to favor forms of medical marijuana with higher amounts of THC, which relieves cancer symptoms and the side effects of cancer treatment, including chronic pain, weight loss, and nausea.

By contrast, marijuana formulations higher in cannabidiol (CBD), which has been shown to reduce seizures and inflammation in other studies, were more popular among non-cancer patients, including those with epilepsy and multiple sclerosis, say the study authors.

Cancer patients were also more likely to prefer taking oil droplets containing medical marijuana under the tongue than "vaping."

"Although there is growing patient interest in medical cannabis, there is a scarcity of solid evidence about the benefits, risks, and patterns of use of marijuana products in various disease settings," says study lead investigator Arum Kim, MD, an assistant professor of medicine and rehabilitation medicine at NYU School of Medicine and director of the supportive oncology program at its Perlmutter Cancer Center. "Such information is important for delivering the best care."

Since 1996, 31 states, including New York in 2014, have legalized medical marijuana.

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For the study, researchers analyzed data from 11,590 men and women in New York, of whom 1,990 (17.2 percent of the total patient cohort) were cancer patients who purchased and used cannabis products from Columbia Care LLC., a dispensary licensed in New York State, between January 2016 and December 2017.

The researchers caution that their data did not include the type of cancer the purchasers had, how much of what they bought was used, or whether marijuana was used for symptoms unrelated to the cancer. Nevertheless, the patterns of use among cancer patients were distinctly different from those of non-cancer patients.

Specifically, the study found that cancer and non-cancer patients used different dosages of cannabis formulations with dramatically different THC:CBD ratios. The two most common formulations contained THC and CBD, but one had twenty times more THC than CBD, whereas the other had the opposite ratio.

Over the two years of the study, the research team found that all types of patients increased their THC dose by approximately 0.20 milligrams per week.

"Our study provides valuable new information about how cancer patients are using marijuana," says study senior investigator Benjamin Han, MD, MPH, an assistant professor of medicine and population health at NYU School of Medicine. "In the absence of strong clinical research data for medical marijuana, identifying patterns of use offers some sense of how to guide patients who come in with questions for using medical marijuana, and what may or may not help them."

Researchers say they next plan to get more detailed information about how medical marijuana affects patient response to therapy and functional status at different stages of their disease, as well as the risks and side effects of treatment. Furthermore, the profiles of other cannabinoids besides THC and CBD in medical marijuana products warrant further research, according to the study authors.

Along with Kim and Han, another co-author from NYU School of Medicine and Perlmutter Cancer Center, which funded the study, was Zujun Li, MD. Other study authors include Christopher Kaufmann, PhD, MHS, at University of California San Diego; and Roxanne Ko, BA, BS, at the University of Hawaii.
Just like oxygen, nitrogen is of fundamental importance for life on Earth. Depending on the forms and compounds in which it occurs, it can promote life, but also limit it. In addition, some nitrogen compounds, such as nitrous oxide, are extremely effective greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. It is therefore important to understand the formation processes of various nitrogen compounds in nature and the factors that influence these processes.

Researchers at the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel have now succeeded for the first time in directly detecting an oceanic process that is fundamental to the nitrogen cycle, the so-called nitrification, by measuring the short-lived compound hydroxylamine. "This detection is otherwise only possible with very complex analyses in special onshore laboratories. With the new method, we were able to carry out the measurements on board," explains marine chemist Dr. Frederike Korth from GEOMAR. She is the lead author of the study, which has now been published in the international journal Geophysical Research Letters.

Hydroxylamine (NH2OH) is a compound of nitrogen with hydrogen and oxygen that decomposes very quickly if oxygen is present. "This is why there have been no measurements of hydroxylamine from the oceans so far," explains Prof. Dr. Hermann Bange from GEOMAR, head of the working group and co-author of the new study.

However, the chemists from Kiel, who are specialized in measurements in the ocean, were able to determine dissolved hydroxylamine in water samples from numerous stations during several expeditions of the German research vessels MARIA S. MERIAN and METEOR to the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. "The compound can be a precursor of nitrous oxide in the nitrogen cycle, but only in the transformation process of nitrification," explains Korth. A comparison of nitrous oxide and hydroxylamine concentrations in ocean water therefore provides a relatively quick and simple indication of the occurrence of this process.

The method used was already known in theory, but there were still problems with chemical interferences. "For our study, we have now -for the first time- found a reliable way to determine hydroxylamine concentrations in seawater on board," says Professor Bange.

With this new method, there is now a comparatively simple and quick way to determine where nitrification takes place in the ocean -- and ultimately where nitrous oxide can form in the ocean as a result of this process. "Of course, many more measurements are necessary in order to make global statements. But the simpler the analyses are, the more likely it is that we will receive the large amounts of data we need to assemble further pieces in the puzzle of the nitrogen cycle," emphasises Professor Bange.

This study was funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) within the framework of the joint project SOPRAN ("Surface Ocean Processes in the Anthropocene") and by the German Research Foundation(DFG) within the framework of the Collaborative Research Centre 754 "Climate-Biogeochemical Interactions in the Tropical Ocean."
Learning one's native language may seem effortless. One minute, we're babbling babies. The next we're in school reciting Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech or Robert Frost's poem "Fire and Ice."

But new research from the University of California, Berkeley, suggests that language acquisition between birth and 18 is a remarkable feat of cognition, rather than something humans are just hardwired to do.

Researchers calculated that, from infancy to young adulthood, learners absorb approximately 12.5 million bits of information about language -- about two bits per minute -- to fully acquire linguistic knowledge. If converted into binary code, the data would fill a 1.5 MB floppy disk, the study found.

The findings, published today in the Royal Society Open Science journal, challenge assumptions that human language acquisition happens effortlessly, and that robots would have an easy time mastering it.

"Ours is the first study to put a number on the amount you have to learn to acquire language," said study senior author Steven Piantadosi, an assistant professor of psychology at UC Berkeley. "It highlights that children and teens are remarkable learners, absorbing upwards of 1,000 bits of information each day."

For example, when presented with the word "turkey," a young learner typically gathers bits of information by asking, "Is a turkey a bird? Yes, or no? Does a turkey fly? Yes, or no?" and so on, until grasping the full meaning of the word "turkey."

A bit, or binary digit, is a basic unit of data in computing, and computers store information and calculate using only zeroes and ones. The study uses the standard definition of eight bits to a byte.

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"When you think about a child having to remember millions of zeroes and ones (in language), that says they must have really pretty impressive learning mechanisms."

Piantadosi and study lead author Frank Mollica, a Ph.D. candidate in cognitive science at the University of Rochester, sought to gauge the amounts and different kinds of information that English speakers need to learn their native language.

They arrived at their results by running various calculations about language semantics and syntax through computational models. Notably, the study found that linguistic knowledge focuses mostly on the meaning of words, as opposed to the grammar of language.

"A lot of research on language learning focuses on syntax, like word order," Piantadosi said. "But our study shows that syntax represents just a tiny piece of language learning, and that the main difficulty has got to be in learning what so many words mean."

That focus on semantics versus syntax distinguishes humans from robots, including voice-controlled digital helpers such as Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant.

"This really highlights a difference between machine learners and human learners," Piantadosi said. "Machines know what words go together and where they go in sentences, but know very little about the meaning of words."

As for the question of whether bilingual people must store twice as many bits of information, Piantadosi said this is unlikely in the case of word meanings, many of which are shared across languages.

"The meanings of many common nouns like 'mother' will be similar across languages, and so you won't need to learn all of the bits of information about their meanings twice," he said.
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TORONTO, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Flexwork Properties Ltd. (formerly Reliant Gold Corp.) ("Flex" or the "Corporation") (CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE: RNG) is pleased to provide a corporate update. In a press release dated August 31, 2018, the Corporation announced that it had received overwhelming approval from its shareholders for the Corporations proposed (i) name change to Flexwork Properties Ltd. and (ii) change of business from a junior mineral exploration company to an active real estate acquisition, development, management, and rental income company. Subsequently, the Corporation also received regulatory approval from the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) for the change of business and the re-listing of the Corporations common shares on the CSE, subject to the (i) submission of any final documentation and listing fees to the CSE and (ii) completion of a concurrent minimum private placement financing (as was described in a press release dated May 28, 2018).

During the course of the Corporations attempt to raise the proposed concurrent minimum private placement financing, it discovered that financing was generally more readily available to Canadian junior companies involved in the cannabis industry. As a result of this changing landscape for junior public companies in Canada with respect to access to capital, it has necessitated the Corporation to consider strategically pursuing another type of business, such as a cannabis company, that has access to funding and has a far greater and faster revenue growth potential than a real estate entity.

Consequently, the Corporations Board of Directors and management team are now reviewing all strategic options, including a reverse takeover, for re-positioning the Corporation for entry into a higher revenue growth business. There is no guarantee that the Corporation will be able to pursue any one type of business or that the Corporation will be able to pursue any business involving the cannabis industry.

There is also no guarantee that the Corporation will be able to successfully conclude any one particular strategic option (which may or may not include a potential reverse takeover transaction with a particular target company). Furthermore, any proposed new strategic option that results in a change of business, reverse takeover and/or fundamental change will be subject to approval from the Corporations shareholders and will require regulatory approval from the CSE pursuant to its Policy No. 8. There will be no further announcements on this issue until the Corporation is able to enter into a definitive agreement, subsequent to which, shareholders will have an opportunity to approve any proposed change of business, reverse takeover and/or fundamental change.

Subject to any applicable regulatory approval, the Corporation is also pleased to announce the appointment of Peter Hogg as a director of the Corporations Board of Directors as a replacement to Dezso Farkas who retired from the Corporations Board of Directors to pursue other opportunities. The Corporation thanks Mr. Farkas for his many contributions during his tenure as a director and looks forward to working with Mr. Hogg in his new capacity as a director of the Corporation.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements in this press release may constitute "forward-looking" statements which involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements of Flexwork Properties Ltd. (Formerly Reliant Gold Corp.) (the Corporation) or the industry in which it operates to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. When used in this press release, the words "estimate", "believe", "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "plan", "may", "should", "will", the negative thereof or other variations thereon or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the current expectations of the management of the Corporation with respect to future events based on currently available information and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by those forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties are detailed from time to time, including, without limitation, under the heading "Risk Factors", in the Corporations prospectus and in other continuous disclosure documents that are filed by the Corporation from time to time with the Ontario, Alberta or British Columbia Securities Commissions which are available at www.sedar.com and to which readers of this press release are referred for additional information concerning the Corporation, its prospects and the risks and uncertainties relating to the Corporation and its prospects. New risk factors may arise from time to time and it is not possible for management to predict all of those risk factors or the extent to which any factor or combination of factors may cause actual results, performance and achievements of the Corporation to be materially different from those contained in forward-looking statements. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based upon what management believes to be reasonable assumptions, the Corporation cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent and investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results.

The forward-looking information contained in this press release is current only as of the date hereof. The Corporation does not undertake or assume any obligation, except as required by law, to release publicly any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

No securities commission or regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the contents of this press release.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
In a great stride toward finding an effective treatment for early-stage neurodegenerative diseases, UC Santa Barbara neurobiologist Kenneth S. Kosik and collaborators have uncovered a "druggable" mechanism of pathological tau protein aggregation. For the millions of people at risk for frontotemporal dementia and a host of other such conditions including Alzheimer's, this could signal a shift toward significant management of symptoms or outright prevention of some of our most devastating diseases.

"We're super excited about this," said Kosik, the UCSB Harriman Professor of Neuroscience and co-director of the campus's Neuroscience Research Institute. While there is much more work to be done, promising evidence for this treatable mechanism is mounting and the stage is set for future investigations. In the wake of the recent halting of clinical trials for Aducanumab, a drug that once looked to be a promising Alzheimer's treatment, this development signals a ray of hope.

The team's paper, "A Farnesyl Transferase Inhibitor that Targets Rhes Reduces Tau Pathology in Mice with Tauopathy," is published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

Tau, a protein found primarily in neurons, is typically a somewhat innocuous, very soluble protein that stabilizes microtubules in the axon -- the part of the neuron that conducts signal to other neurons.

"People think of it as the ties on railroad tracks holding the microtubule tracks together," Kosik said. However, when soluble, stable tau misfolds -- sometimes the result of a mutation of the gene that expresses it -- the resulting protein becomes insoluble and tangled, gumming up the works inside the neuron as a neurofibrillary tangle. In one of several neurodegenerative diseases caused by tau, frontotemporal dementia, the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain are impaired, resulting in problems with emotion, behavior and decision-making.

"Patients do not initially show very many, if any memory problems in this condition," Kosik said. "They tend to show more psychiatric problems, often with impulsive personalities in which they show inappropriate behaviors." Other forms in this group of conditions affect language and motor skills.

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By taking skin cell samples from a few individuals who harbor tau mutations and converting them in vitro into stem cells, and then into neurons, the researchers found that three genes were consistently disregulated in those with tau mutations, one of which was of particular interest: RASD2 -- a gene expressed primarily in the brain that belongs in a family that catalyzes energy-producing molecules (GTPases) and which has been studied extensively.

"People had already talked about this gene as possibly involved in Huntington's disease, which is another neurodegenerative disease," Kosik said. RASD2 and its more famous cousin RAS (studied heavily in cancer research) are considered "druggable," Kosik explained.

"There are drugs or potential drugs or small molecules that are out there that could affect the levels of this gene," he said.

From failed cancer drug to potential dementia treatment

If you're a neuroscientist interested in tau mutations and cures for the conditions they create, you know you're in for a long game. The nature of these diseases -- genetic and neurological -- means that advanced studies must be highly controlled and are often extremely difficult and expensive to come by and any drugs developed must be both effective and relatively nontoxic. Such has been the case for Kosik and the paper's lead author, postdoctoral researcher Israel Hernandez, who have for years been studying tau tangles and the protein coding genes that could contribute to or counteract tau misfolding.

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Kosik, Hernandez and their colleagues' combination of expertise and curiosity led them to examine a GTPase called Rhes, which is encoded by the gene RASD2 and has been shown to play a role in the development of Huntington's disease. However, it wasn't Rhes's catalytic activity that piqued their interest.

"We quickly realized the obvious function of the Rhes protein -- its enzyme activity -- was not critical to what we were looking for," Kosik said.

"What we ended up focusing on was the fact that this protein and all members of its family are attached to the cell membrane in a very interesting way," he continued. Like its cousins in the Ras superfamily, Rhes is a signaling protein that does its work on the cell surface, where, Kosik explained, it is attached to the inner membrane by a small carbon chain -- a farnesyl group -- through a process called farnesylation.

"There's an enzyme called farnesyl transferase that takes this protein, Rhes, and attaches it to the membrane, and we decided to focus on that reaction," Kosik said. "It was a bit of a jump to go in the direction."

This attachment has been the target of a couple decades and millions of dollars of cancer research under the assumption that if the Ras protein connection to the cell membrane could be interrupted, so would the signals that cause unregulated growth of tumor cells and other cancer behaviors.

"It turns out the drugs in this category, called farnesyltransferase inhibitors, have been tested in humans. They're safe," Kosik said. "But, they did not work in cancer."

In mice models with frontotemporal dementia, however, it seems they do. And the results are dramatic. Using the drug Lonafarnib, the researchers treated mice who at 10 weeks were erratic -- running around in circles or completely apathetic -- and by 20 weeks they were sniffing around their cage or nest building and doing other normal mouse behaviors. Scans revealed the arrest of brain tissue deterioration and inflammation. Most dramatic: The once-insoluble neurofibrillary tangles were greatly reduced, and in some areas including the hippocampus -- the memory part of the brain -- were nearly completely gone.

"The drug is very interesting," Kosik said, "It seems to have a selective effect on only the forms of tau that are predisposed to forming the neurofibrillary tangles." To prove the drug was targeting the farnsylated Rhes protein, the scientists introduced into the brains of other mouse models an inhibitory RNA gene that specifically suppresses the production of Rhes. And the results completely replicated the effects of the drug.

"This makes us begin to think that although indeed the drug is a general farnesyl transferase inhibitor, one way it's actually working is by specifically targeting the farnesylation of Rhes," Kosik said. "And, fortunately, the other farnesyl inhibitions that it's also doing are not toxic."

On the cusp

The publication of this paper represents a milestone in the researchers' years-long effort to gain ground on the uphill battle that is tauopathic neurodegeneration. As if grueling research wasn't enough, along the way they have had to search the globe to get the sign-off from a team member who was literally heading uphill -- at Mt. Everest. Hernandez, meanwhile, celebrated the birth of his first child on the day the paper was accepted.

But the race isn't over yet. Now the stage is set for human trials, with a few volunteers at risk for the disease. And perhaps further down the road, the team is considering a population with frontotemporal dementia in Colombia where Kosik has conducted similar studies in Alzheimer's disease.

"We wouldn't even necessarily do an efficacy study right away," Kosik said. "We have to just first show that the drug is getting into the human brain and affecting the target."

But even that early stage may be in limbo, as the makers of Lonafarnib, currently in trials for the drug as a treatment for progeria, are reluctant to involve their product in new trials before they get their approvals. Kosik and his team are pondering their options as they contemplate a potential long-awaited solution to a group of heartbreaking -- and wallet-draining -- neurodegenerative diseases.

"It's a big challenge," Kosik said. "I'm working on that."

Research on this study was also conducted by Gabriel Luna, Jennifer N. Rauch, Michael Giroux, Daniel Boctor, Alexander A. Kang, Cassidy Hinman, Vesna Cerovac, Honjun Zhou and Steven K. Fisher of UC Santa Barbara. Nadia J. Storm, Antonio Diaz and Ana M. Cuervo at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine also contributed research, as did Celeste M. Karch from Washington University; Cezary Zekanowski from Polish Academy of Sciences; and Alison Goate from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Social media had only a small influence on how much people believed falsehoods about candidates and issues in the last two presidential elections, a pair of new national studies found.

And Facebook -- which came under fire for spreading misinformation in the 2016 campaign -- actually reduced misperceptions by users in that election compared to those who consumed only other social media.

The results suggest that we need to put the dangers of social media spreading misinformation in perspective, said R. Kelly Garrett, author of the study and professor of communication at The Ohio State University.

"Given the amount of attention given to the issue, it may seem surprising that social media doesn't have a larger impact on Americans' belief in falsehoods," Garrett said.

"It is an issue that we should be concerned about, but it is not the main driver of why so many people believe false information about issues and candidates."

The study was published today (March 27, 2019) in the journal PLOS ONE.

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In previous research, Garrett found evidence suggesting that email contributed to the spread of false information in the 2008 election, before social media was as popular as it is today. Garrett specifically designed these studies to gauge the role of social media in what Americans believed in the last two election campaigns.

Reliance on social media for political news has increased rapidly. In 2012, about two in five Americans reported using social media for political purposes, according to the Pew Research Center.

In 2016, more Americans named Facebook as the source they used for pre-election political information than any other site, including those of major news organizations, this new research found.

"This study began long before 'fake news' became as popular a topic as it is today. But the questions that drive this study are very much in keeping with our concerns about how disinformation is spread online," Garrett said.

During both the 2012 and 2016 election seasons, groups of more than 600 Americans filled out surveys online three times, indicating their social media use at each point as well as their beliefs in confirmed falsehoods.

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The 2012 study involved misperceptions about the two presidential candidates, Barack Obama and Mitt Romney. Participants rated on a five-point scale how much they agreed with eight falsehoods, including "Barack Obama is Muslim, not Christian" and "As governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney signed a health care law providing taxpayer-funded abortions."

Overall, Republicans tended to hold less accurate beliefs about President Obama than Democrats did, while Democrats held less accurate beliefs about Romney than did Republicans.

Results showed that increasing social media use reduced participants' belief accuracy about Obama falsehoods, although the effect was small.

In the most extreme case, someone using social media to get political information could have an accuracy score concerning Obama falsehoods almost half a point lower on the five-point scale than someone who did not use social media at all.

Social media use did not influence belief in the Romney falsehoods, Garrett said. One important reason may be that the rumors about Romney were much less known than those about Obama.

The 2016 study focused on false beliefs about four campaign issues. The misperceptions studied were: Repealing the Affordable Care Act would reduce the national debt; Most Muslims support violence against Western countries, including the U.S.; Immigrants are more likely to commit violent crimes than individuals born in the U.S.; and Human activity has no influence on global climate.

After considering more than a dozen potential issues, Garrett selected these four because they were referenced most frequently on the campaign trail and received extensive media coverage, and because of evidence that Americans were at least occasionally mistaken about them.

Results showed that, overall, Republicans beliefs tended to be less accurate than those of Democrats, which made sense because the falsehoods were a prominent part of the Republican campaign strategy, Garrett said.

Participants with higher levels of education held more accurate beliefs.

Unlike in 2012, participants in 2016 were asked which social media platforms they used during each of the three waves of the study.

Facebook was the most popular social media platform for following news among study participants, followed by YouTube and Twitter.

Overall, social media use was not related to participants' belief accuracy on the four issues.

But the influence of using social media was different for people who used Facebook than for people who only used other platforms. Among the heaviest social media users, those who used Facebook were about a half point more accurate on the five-point scale, on average, than those who didn't.

"It is not a huge difference, but it does call into question the conventional wisdom that Facebook had an especially harmful influence on campaign issue beliefs," Garrett said.

He said the small effects found in this study don't mean we should ignore the problem of fake news shared on social media -- but we should reevaluate its role in Americans' belief in falsehoods.

"We have evidence that foreign powers have tried to sway American elections by sharing falsehoods on social media and that is profoundly troubling. If it has an effect, even a small one, we should be deeply concerned," he said.

"But we need to have a broader perspective on the problem. We know that Americans hold beliefs that are not accurate, with frightening regularity. And if social media aren't the primary driver of this, we really should invest more energy into finding out what else is going on."

The study was based on work supported by the National Science Foundation.
Coffee grown under a tree canopy is promoted as good habitat for birds, but recent University of Delaware research shows that some of these coffee farms may not be as friendly to our feathered friends as advertised.

Working with geographer Robert Rice of the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center (SMBC), University of Delaware Professor of Entomology Doug Tallamy and former UD graduate student Desiree Narango studied canopy tree preference of birds in shade-coffee farms with a particular focus on the implications for migratory birds that spend the winter in neotropical coffee farms. The research was published in the journal Biotropica.

Americans drink a lot of coffee -- 64 percent of those aged 18 or over had at least one cup per day. That's more than 150 million people in the U.S. and we all know one cup is a light day for many of our friends and family. This incredible demand for coffee means a lot of land in tropical zones is used to grow coffee beans in neotropical countries like Colombia and Nicaragua (where the UD study took place). Across central and South America, land converted to coffee agriculture occupies more than five million hectares of what was once prime overwintering natural habitat for migratory birds.

"Coffee grows right at the altitude that most of our neo-tropical migratory birds are spending the winter, particularly species that are losing one to two percent of their population every year like the cerulean warbler, Canada warbler and wood thrush," said Tallamy. "A lot of this land has been leveled for coffee farms."

In these and other countries in the tropical zone, forests are being cut down and turned into ecological deserts at an alarming rate. In traditional coffee agriculture, farmers clear-cut an area, remove all trees, and plant coffee plants in direct sun. In that case, the cultivated area provides almost no habitat for species of birds and insects. An alternative method for growing coffee is shade-grown coffee. The beans are grown in the shade of a mature tree canopy, which can also provide ecosystem services for the farmer (like shade) as well as habitat for local wildlife.

"Sun coffee produces more yield, but is not as sustainable," said Narango, who now works for Advanced Science Research Center at City University of New York and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. "Shade-coffee farms can produce just as high quality coffee beans as the direct sun approach and with added benefits for people and wildlife. First, it's more comfortable for the workers. Second, the tree canopy protects the coffee. Third, it provides critical habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife."

Important to note, the insects that are attracted to these trees (and attract the birds to forage) do not pose a threat to coffee plants because they don't feed on them.

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Most coffee farms are still sun-grown. Fortunately, some farmers have gone to the shade-coffee route. They can earn a Bird Friendly coffee certification from the Smithsonian through a combination of foliage cover, tree height and biodiversity to provide quality habitat for birds and other wildlife. SMBC has advocated the use of shade trees in coffee systems since the 1990s, when Smithsonian staff discovered the habitat quality of such systems in southern Mexico. But, until now, no one asked an overlooked question. Which types of trees are bird friendly? Tallamy's short answer: Non-native, exotic trees do little to nothing for birds and the insects they feast on, but certain native plants do wonders.

"The research all started here in Delaware when we realized how different plants are in producing food that drives bird populations," said Tallamy, who conducted previous research with Narango and SMBC on non-native plants on bird populations.

The Smithsonian's Rice added, "We had yet to understand which trees actually provide the better food resources in terms of insects for birds. Doug Tallamy has researched the association of tree species and the insects that make a living on them in the U.S. After talking with Doug, we thought that investigating that association within the shade-coffee systems would yield valuable insight as to which trees are the most beneficial for birds. Diverse, native trees act very much like local forest and do so with the economic advantage of having coffee produced beneath the shade canopy."

The researchers quantified bird foraging activity on 22 tree species in two coffee farms. Specifically, they used timed observations to determine tree preferences, foraging bird abundance, foraging time and species richness of birds using each canopy tree species. Results indicate that birds do not forage randomly, and instead exhibit preferences for particular native tree species, especially legumes. The UD-Smithsonian findings indicate that coffee farms can serve as habitat refuge for wildlife, evidence that agroforestry land can be improved for birds of conservation concern by prioritizing canopy tree species that not only help birds, but also farm productivity.

"Farmers often select tree species that are beneficial to them and produce other products to sell in addition to coffee," said Narango. "Some farms might prioritize walnut trees because they produce lumber or mango trees to produce fruit. There are so many choices. The goal of this project was to get more information to help farmers make that decision."

In an effort to get dual crops out of the land, eucalyptus trees are another popular choice as they are a great source of lumber. But these trees are native to Australia, not central and South America. And these non-natives trees don't jive with local insects in these critical migratory bird zones.

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"A very common scenario on these farms is to have eucalyptus, pine, mango and citrus," Tallamy said. "All of these are non-native trees that support few insects -- critical food for birds -- or not nearly enough insects to make a difference. If you have a substantial amount of land with non-native plants, we're not helping the birds at all. Biodiversity-wise, it's a real scourge."

So farms with these non-native trees would not get certified as bird friendly, but are still growing shade-coffee.

"The public reads shade-coffee and thinks it's automatically bird friendly. That's not necessarily the case," said Tallamy. "But the growers don't know. It's not that they are trying to pull a fast one. They think insects are everywhere. They don't know that the type of plant matters, so of course they use the plant that produces the highest amount of income. We can now correct that misinformation."

Attracting birds could also serve as a boon to coffee production because birds attracted to the canopy trees can also protect the coffee crop by providing pest control. The plants that tended to be highly preferred, native legumes, also simultaneously provide nitrogen to the coffee crops increasing production.

"The preferred tree species for birds' foraging tended to be native, which makes sense from an evolutionary point of view," Rice said. "Insects have co-evolved with native trees over millennia, so our findings that birds preferred the native species, while not surprising, is clearly confirming. Our challenge for future studies will be to determine which trees are providing the greatest diversity and abundance of insects."

SMBC's long-term relationship with coffee producers throughout Latin America positioned the researchers well to help find the countries and regions within countries to conduct this research. With funding from the Disney Conservation Fund, Rice found local collaborators in Colombia and Nicaragua.

The study points strongly to the recently publicized topic of global insect decline.

"The decline is not new. What's new is that the public is beginning to recognize it. People are writing about it. They write about climate change, pesticides, and habitat loss, but they aren't being specific enough," Tallamy said. "The fact that humans are taking away the plants that allow insects to thrive and replacing them with plants that do not is something that has not been mentioned in any articles. Habitat is not just a location to live; it's the food that you eat. Insects need particular plants. Taking those plants away is, in my opinion, a major cause of insect decline, which is what we are going to study next."

Undergraduate research opportunity

Wildlife ecology and conservation major Kerry Snyder, who graduated in 2015, is also a co-author on the research paper. As a UD junior, she began working on undergraduate research with Tallamy and formed her honors thesis around the topic.

"Research gave me an opportunity to travel abroad and learn how environmental problems affect farmers in Central America. In addition to the technical experience the work gave me, set me up well for my assignment in the Peace Corps," said Snyder, who studied for two summer sessions under Tallamy and works for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. "Doing research allowed me to connect what I was learning in the classroom with real environmental conservation issues and allowed me to learn about the importance of coffee certification programs. It would have been impossible to take a class that would have taught me everything I learned through this experience."
Our gut microbiome -- the complement of bacteria we carry around in our intestines -- has been linked to everything from obesity and diabetes to heart disease and even neurological disorders and cancer. In recent years, researchers have been sorting through the multiple bacterial species that populate the microbiome, asking which of them can be implicated in specific disorders. But a paper published today in Nature addressed a new question: "What if the same microbe is different in different people?"

It has been long known that the genomes of microbes are not fixed from birth, as ours are. They are able to lose some of their genes, exchange genes with other microorganisms, or gain new ones from their environment. Thus, a detailed comparison of the genomes of seemingly identical bacteria will reveal sequences of DNA that occur in one genome and not others, or possibly sequences that appear just once in one and several times over in others. These differences are called structural variants. Structural variants -- even tiny ones -- can translate into huge differences in the ways that microbes interact with their human hosts. A variant might be the difference between a benign presence and a pathogenic one, or it could give bacteria resistance to antibiotics.

Drs. David Zeevi and Tal Korem, initially in the lab of Prof. Eran Segal in the Weizmann Institute of Science and then in their present positions in Rockefeller and Columbia Universities, developed algorithms that systematically identify structural variants across human gut microbiomes. The researchers began with microbiomes from nearly 900 Israeli subjects, in which they succeeded in identifying over 7,000 variants. Next, they formed a collaboration with Dutch researchers from the University of Groningen, in the Netherlands, and they looked for these variants in the microbiomes of a large group of Dutch subjects. Most of the structural variants they had identified in the Israeli subjects could also be found among the Dutch ones, despite the differences in genetics and lifestyle between the groups.

The scientists next asked whether any of the structural variants they had identified are associated with health or disease. The group turned up more than 100 that were associated with risk factors for disease. Many of these associations were again replicated in the Dutch cohort.

In one case, individuals who had a certain variant present in the genome of a particular microbial species in their microbiome were 6 kg thinner and had a 4 cm narrower waist, on average, than individuals who had the same microbe -- but one that did not harbor that particular variant. The scientists then analyzed the genes encoded on this variant and found that it gives the bacterium the potential ability to turn certain sugars into a substance called butyrate. Butyrate is a small fatty acid that smells like rancid butter (thus its name, from the Ancient Greek for "butter"); despite its odor, butyrate has been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects and a positive influence on metabolism. This ability, say the scientists, could help explain the weight difference between those carrying bacteria with and those without the structural variant.

The finding suggests the method the group developed could help researchers pinpoint the connections between our microbiome, health and disease in significant ways that might be missed with other means. "The real potential of this approach," says Zeevi, "is that it allows us to look for the actual mechanisms behind the associations we find."

Segal estimates there may be tens of thousands of structural variants within the human gut microbiome and thousands of these could be associated with disease and disease risk. Since the makeup of the microbiome has been implicated in so many different syndromes and disorders, this research could have a lasting impact on the search for better, more targeted probiotics for treating disease.
A small asteroid has been caught in the process of spinning so fast it's throwing off material, according to new data from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and other observatories.

Images from Hubble show two narrow, comet-like tails of dusty debris streaming from the asteroid (6478) Gault. Each tail represents an episode in which the asteroid gently shed its material -- key evidence that Gault is beginning to come apart.

Discovered in 1988, the 2.5-mile-wide (4-kilometer-wide) asteroid has been observed repeatedly, but the debris tails are the first evidence of disintegration. Gault is located 214 million miles (344 million kilometers) from the Sun. Of the roughly 800,000 known asteroids between Mars and Jupiter, astronomers estimate that this type of event in the asteroid belt is rare, occurring roughly once a year.

Watching an asteroid become unglued gives astronomers the opportunity to study the makeup of these space rocks without sending a spacecraft to sample them.

"We didn't have to go to Gault," explained Olivier Hainaut of the European Southern Observatory in Germany, a member of the Gault observing team. "We just had to look at the image of the streamers, and we can see all of the dust grains well-sorted by size. All the large grains (about the size of sand particles) are close to the object and the smallest grains (about the size of flour grains) are the farthest away because they are being pushed fastest by pressure from sunlight."

Gault is only the second asteroid whose disintegration has been strongly linked to a process known as a YORP effect. (YORP stands for "Yarkovsky-O'Keefe-Radzievskii-Paddack," the names of four scientists who contributed to the concept.) When sunlight heats an asteroid, infrared radiation escaping from its warmed surface carries off angular momentum as well as heat. This process creates a tiny torque that can cause the asteroid to continually spin faster. When the resulting centrifugal force starts to overcome gravity, the asteroid's surface becomes unstable, and landslides may send dust and rubble drifting into space at a couple miles per hour, or the speed of a strolling human. The researchers estimate that Gault could have been slowly spinning up for more than 100 million years.

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Piecing together Gault's recent activity is an astronomical forensics investigation involving telescopes and astronomers around the world. All-sky surveys, ground-based telescopes, and space-based facilities like the Hubble Space Telescope pooled their efforts to make this discovery possible.

The initial clue was the fortuitous detection of the first debris tail, observed on Jan. 5, 2019, by the NASA-funded Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in Hawaii. The tail also turned up in archival data from December 2018 from ATLAS and the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS) telescopes in Hawaii. In mid-January, a second shorter tail was spied by the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope in Hawaii and the Isaac Newton Telescope in Spain, as well as by other observers. An analysis of both tails suggests the two dust events occurred around Oct. 28 and Dec. 30, 2018.

Follow-up observations with the William Herschel Telescope and ESA's (European Space Agency) Optical Ground Station in La Palma and Tenerife, Spain, and the Himalayan Chandra Telescope in India measured a two-hour rotation period for the object, close to the critical speed at which a loose "rubble-pile" asteroid begins to break up.

"Gault is the best 'smoking gun' example of a fast rotator right at the two-hour limit," said team member Jan Kleyna of the University of Hawaii in Honolulu.

An analysis of the asteroid's surrounding environment by Hubble revealed no signs of more widely distributed debris, which rules out the possibility of a collision with another asteroid causing the outbursts.

The asteroid's narrow streamers suggest that the dust was released in short bursts, lasting anywhere from a few hours to a few days. These sudden events puffed away enough debris to make a "dirt ball" approximately 500 feet (150 meters) across if compacted together. The tails will begin fading away in a few months as the dust disperses into interplanetary space.

Based on observations by the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, the astronomers estimate that the longer tail stretches over half a million miles (800,000 kilometers) and is roughly 3,000 miles (4,800 kilometers) wide. The shorter tail is about a quarter as long.

Only a couple of dozen active asteroids have been found so far. Astronomers may now have the capability to detect many more of them because of the enhanced survey capabilities of observatories such as Pan-STARRS and ATLAS, which scan the entire sky. "Asteroids such as Gault cannot escape detection anymore," Hainaut said. "That means that all these asteroids that start misbehaving get caught."

The researchers hope to monitor Gault for more dust events.
Populations with a high prevalence of AIDS-immunocompromised people are more likely to see the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections, according to a study coauthored by researchers at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and published in PLOS One.

"People with weakened immune systems are more vulnerable to opportunistic bacterial infections and are therefore frequently prescribed antibiotics to prevent or treat these infections," said Nina Fefferman, a professor in UT's Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and coauthor of the study. "This increases the exposure of those bacteria to antibiotics, giving them more chances to evolve to become resistant to the medication and contributing to the current serious public health threat of drug-resistant diseases."

The research was led by Ashley DeNegre, who at the time of the study was ecology and evolutionary biology PhD student at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. Kellen Myers, research assistant in UT's Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and the UT-based National Institute of Mathematical and Biological Synthesis, also participated in the research.

For the study, scientists used mathematical models to integrate and extend results from many previous studies to consider the effect on the emergence of antibiotic resistance in two populations: the African nation of Swaziland, where there was a reported HIV/AIDS prevalence of 27.4 percent of the population, and Indonesia, in southeast Asia, where there was a much lower reported HIV/AIDS prevalence of 0.46 percent.

The results provide a better understanding of epidemiological patterns in populations with a high number of immunocompromised people due to AIDS and HIV, with special attention to low-income communities in the developing world.

"This work will hopefully help inform public health decision makers about how antibiotic stewardship should be tailored differently in high-prevalence AIDS-affected communities to help combat the rising global risk of drug-resistant infections," said Fefferman.
English French

MONTREAL, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Theratechnologies Inc. (TSX: TH) (Theratechnologies) announced today that it will issue its financial results for the first quarter ended February 28, 2019, on Thursday, April 4, 2019.



A conference call will be held on April 4, 2019 at 8:30 a.m. (ET) to discuss the results. The call will be hosted by Luc Tanguay, President and Chief Executive Officer. The conference call will be open to questions from financial analysts. Media and other interested individuals are invited to participate in the call on a listen-only basis.

The conference call can be accessed by dialling 1-877-223-4471 (North America) or 1-647-788-4922 (International). The conference call will also be accessible via webcast at http://www.gowebcasting.com/9927. Audio replay of the conference call will be available on the same day starting at 11:30 a.m. (ET) until April 18, 2019, by dialling 1-800-585-8367 (North America) or 1-416-621-4642 (International) and by entering the playback code 3552358.



INFORMATION:

Contact: Laetitia Scarlat

Phone: 514.336.7800 ext. 223
Ministry of Trade, Tourism, Cooperative and Ni Vanuatu Business Group Retreat at Le Life Resort with Deputy Prime Minister seated front row fifth from left with Director General Roy Micky Joy surrounded by Directors and technical staff
HOUSTON, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lawyers with Shepherd, Smith, Edwards & Kantas, LLP (SSEK Law Firm) are investigating claims involving Hector A. May, a former broker with Securities America and president of now-defunct Executive Compensation Planners, Inc. Over the past year, May has been the subject of multiple investigations by the U.S. Attorneys office for the Southern District of NY (SDNY), U.S. Postal Investigative Service, FBI, U.S. Securities Exchange Commission (SEC), and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) for allegations of operating a Ponzi scheme that bilked clients out of millions of dollars over a 20 year period. Regulators and state authorities state that May, along with his daughter, Vania May Bell, made payments to investors with other investor money and issued false account statements to conceal their fraudulent activities. The former clients who allege their complaints  exposed the fraud  filed a lawsuit on February 26, 2019 against May and Securities America for $18 million claiming  fraud , concealment, breach of fiduciary duties , negligence , unjust enrichment, and failure to supervise .



May is now a convicted felon, having pled guilty on December 13, 2018 to charges filed by the SDNY of investment fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud . According to Geoffrey Berman, U.S. Attorney for the SDNY, May abused clients trust by siphoning money from their accounts to line their [Mays and Bells] pockets and continue to perpetrate their illegal scheme. Marc Berger, the SECs NY regional director, stated This father-daughter team betrayed the very people who knew and trusted them  including family members, close friends, seniors and local community members. May is facing up to 25 years in prison, has been permanently barred from the securities industry and penny stock trading by the SEC and FINRA, and has been ordered to forfeit $11,452,185 in ill-gotten gains.

If you were a client of Hector A. May or any of his financial entities, please contact the law firm of Shepherd, Smith, Edwards & Kantas, LLP today for a free, confidential evaluation of your accounts and to discuss your options for recovery. We have a team of attorneys, consultants, and staff with over 100 years of combined experience in the securities industry and in securities law that are ready to assist you in recovering your investment losses today.
NEEDHAM, Mass., March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Enservio, Inc. , a Solera-owned company, announced it will exhibit at the upcoming PLRB Claims Conference & Insurance Services Expo to be held at the Indiana Convention Center, March 31  April 3, Indianapolis, IN. Enservio is a Gold sponsor and will be exhibiting at Booth #939.



At the conference, Enservio will be highlighting their latest products: Customer Portal 3.0 and Straight Through Contents.

Customer Portal 3.0 enables policyholder self-service to simplify the contents inventory experience by providing quick and easy contents inventory list creation anytime, anywhere.

Straight Through Contents is an end-to-end contents claim solution, guiding the policyholder from inventory capture straight through to settlement in real-time. Straight Through Contents streamlines the contents claim process by automating low risk claims and providing accurate settlement.

Enservio will also showcase their unmatched software and inventory and valuation services designed to help claims professionals close claims accurately and drive policyholder satisfaction.



Key Facts

What: PLRB Claims Conference & Insurance Services Expo Who: Property & Liability Resource Bureau Where: Booth #939, Indiana Convention Center When: March 31 - April 3, 2019

For more information on the PLRB conference visit: http://www.plrbclaimsconference.org/



About Enservio, Inc.

About Solera



Founded and continuously led by inventor and entrepreneur Tony Aquila, Solera is a global leader in digital technologies that manage and protect life's most important assets: our cars, homes and identities. Today, Solera processes over 250 million transactions annually for approximately 200,000 partners and customers in nearly 90 countries. For more information, please visit solera.com.

About Enservio, Inc.



Enservio offers the industrys most robust contents software platform as well as world-class contents claim services that bring value to the entire spectrum of contents claim management. Insurance carriers rely on the Enservio platform to achieve the optimal business outcome for their contents programs, driving superior policyholder satisfaction and efficient workflow.



Founded in 2004, we are headquartered in Needham, MA, with offices and professional staff across the U.S. For additional information, please visit the company's web site www.enservio.com or call 888.567.7557.



Connect with Enservio via LinkedIn ( http://us.linkedin.com/company/enservio ), Twitter ( https://twitter.com/enservio ), and Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/enservio ).



Enservio is a registered trademark of Enservio, Inc. All other trademarks referenced are the property of their respective holders.
SOUTHFIELD, Mich., March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The WardsAuto Interiors Conference, the annual event with a laser-focus on the automotive interior, announces Dennis Sartorello, Chief Designer, Global Strategic Design at Ford Motor Company, and Andrew Hill, Director of UX, Data and AI at Mercedes-Benz Research & Development, will deliver the keynote addresses. The event will be held May 9, 2019 at Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, Michigan.



The event will also host vehicle and supplier exhibits, as well as an awards ceremony for Wards 10 Best Interiors and will celebrate the industrys top designers. The ten winning vehicles will be on display for attendees to see the advanced features, styling excellence, innovative material usage and other details that make the vehicles worthy of their honors. Plus, attendees will choose from eight deep-dive breakout sessions, each focused on specific aspects of the vehicle interior:



Breakout Sessions

How Autonomy Will Drive a Materials Rethink

Creating the Ultimate User Experience

Advanced Design and Manufacturing

The Next-Generation Cockpit

Innovative Materials Solutions

How Vehicle Sharing, Commercial Ride-Hailing Fleets Will Change Interiors

Designing Specifically for Fully Autonomous Vehicles

New Concepts and Tech for Enhancing Interiors

The event will also spotlight the winners of the WardsAuto Interiors Student Design Competition sponsored by IAC and Lectra. Award winners will be announced, and the work of all finalists from the College for Creative Studies, judged by a panel of the industrys top designers, will be on display.

Autonomy, electrification and new mobility strategies are forcing major changes in the way vehicle interiors are designed and experienced. The WardsAuto Interiors conference is the largest event of its kind in North America and it is aimed at understanding these forces, where they are taking vehicle interiors and how new challenges can be met, says Drew Winter, senior content director at WardsAuto.

Its always exciting to pack so much design talent, along with technologists and industry disruptors, into a single venue for a high level of information sharing and networking.

A limited number of seats remain available, and individual session seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Exhibit space is also available for suppliers of interior technologies and materials to display their products. Registration, exhibit and additional information is available at http://www.AutoInteriors.com.

ABOUT WARDSAUTO

WardsAuto is a world-leading provider of automotive insights and analysis, having served the industry's information needs for more than 90 years. A Southfield, MI-based Informa business, WardsAuto provides a forward-looking perspective on all aspects of the automotive business, from the tech center to the plant floor to the showroom. Its services include the premium Subscribers.WardsIntelligence.com resource and suite of customizable data reporting tools, the WardsAuto Interiors and User Experience (UX) Conferences, digital newsletters and magazines, as well as the Wards Intelligence Outlook and Focus Conferences. Subscribe to WardsAuto and attend its events by visiting http://www.wardsauto.com.

ABOUT INFORMA

Informa PLC is a leading, international business to business information services Group, operating in over 30 countries. We create transaction-led exhibitions and content-based events, specialist data, intelligence and marketing services products, as well as scholarly research and specialist reference-led academic content. Our products and services help businesses and professionals connect, learn, do business and gain an edge over the competition. Informa is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a member of the FTSE 100.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Alexa Madden

Marketing Manager

WardsAuto

248 799 2648

Alexa.carron@informa.com




The Securities and Exchange Commission today filed charges against the former Chief Operating Officer (COO) of a Commission-registered investment adviser for aiding and abetting the advisory firm's actions to overbill its clients as part of a fraudulent scheme to improperly inflate his own pay.

According to the SEC's complaint, between 2011 and December 2018, former COO Richard T. Diver, a resident of Spring Lake, New Jersey, engaged in an illicit scheme to steal approximately $6 million from his employer. Diver, whose duties included managing the advisory firm's payroll and client billing functions, allegedly inflated his salary by hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. As part of this scheme, Diver defrauded investors by causing the investment adviser to overbill more than 300 investment advisory client accounts by approximately $750,000, for the purpose of generating additional revenue. As alleged in the complaint, Diver used this revenue to finance his inflated salary and when confronted by the investment adviser's CEO in December 2018, Diver confessed to having carried out the scheme.

The SEC's complaint, filed in federal district court in Manhattan, charges Diver with aiding and abetting the investment adviser's violations of the antifraud provisions in Sections 206(1) and 206(2) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. The SEC is seeking a judgment ordering permanent injunctive relief, disgorgement plus prejudgment interest thereon and civil monetary penalties against Diver.

Separately, the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced criminal charges against Diver.

The SEC's investigation has been conducted by Gerald Gross, James Hanson, and Paul Gizzi of the New York Regional Office, and the litigation will be handled by Messrs. Gizzi and Hanson. The case is being supervised by Sanjay Wadhwa. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
NEW YORK, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Levi & Korsinsky announces it has commenced an investigation of Coty, Inc. (Coty or the Company) (NYSE: COTY) concerning possible breaches of fiduciary duty. To obtain additional information, go to:



https://www.zlk.com/mna/coty-inc

or contact Joseph E. Levi, Esq. either via email at jlevi@levikorsinsky.com or by telephone at (212) 363-7500, toll-free: (877) 363-5972.

Levi & Korsinsky is a national firm with offices in New York, California, Connecticut and Washington D.C. The firms attorneys have extensive expertise in prosecuting securities litigation involving financial fraud, representing investors throughout the nation in securities and shareholder lawsuits. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
Arrests by federal immigration officials at California jails dropped by nearly a third in the months after the state implemented its historic immigrant sanctuary law last year, according to a new report from the University of Oxford.

Yet 40 percent of police agencies studied are using legal loopholes and outdated law enforcement policies to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or are violating the sanctuary law altogether, the report said.

The analysis from the Asian Law Caucus in San Francisco, a pro-immigrant civil rights group, and the University of Oxford Center for Criminology in England was released Wednesday amid a renewed debate about sanctuary policies in the Bay Area and how far law enforcement agencies can legally go to protect undocumented immigrants.

On Tuesday, law enforcement leaders in Santa Clara County called on the Board of Supervisors to loosen the countys sanctuary policy following the murder of 59-year-old Bambi Larson, who was fatally stabbed in her San Jose home last month. Police arrested Carlos Arevalo-Carranza, an undocumented immigrant from El Salvador, on suspicion of Larsons murder. Arevalo-Carranza had a long criminal history and had evaded immigration authorities who had sought to detain him several times.

In a letter to the supervisors, 11 police chiefs, Sheriff Laurie Smith and District Attorney Jeff Rosen urged the board to let jails notify ICE agents about the release of inmates charged with or convicted of serious felonies or violent misdemeanors, as the states sanctuary law, SB54, permits. The county prohibits law enforcement from notifying ICE when an inmate is released from custody or from holding inmates past their release date so that ICE can pick them up.

The existing policy that allows predatory criminals to evade lawful deportation requests makes everyone less safe, the county officials wrote.

Chris Carlson/AP

The states sanctuary law prohibits local law enforcement officers from helping federal authorities detain and deport immigrants except in cases of violence or a serious felony. Even so, some law enforcement groups and conservatives oppose the policy, saying it encourages illegal immigration and lets criminals evade jail time. The Legislature passed the law in 2017 in response to President Trumps hard-line immigration policies.

ICE said allowing undocumented immigrants who commit crimes to be released puts our communities in avoidable potential danger.

Families who have lost loved ones at the hands of a removable criminal alien can share the heart-breaking aftermath they have to live with every day because of this irresponsible law, ICE said in a statement Wednesday. To be clear, ICE neither expects, nor wants, local law enforcement agencies to participate in immigration enforcement in the community; but as law enforcement officers, we do expect our partners to participate in protecting public safety.

The report found ICE arrests at local jails decreased by 31 percent  985 arrests  in the first five months after SB54 was implemented. The study compared the number of ICE arrests made from January to May 2018, with the same period in 2017, before the law took effect.

But the effects of SB54 remain partial and unfinished, as law enforcement agencies across California continue sharing information about undocumented immigrants with ICE, the report said.

Even with some failures of implementation, these laws are incredibly effective at disentangling local law enforcement (from) ICE, said co-author Peter Mancina, a research associate at Oxfords Center for Criminology who has studied sanctuary policies in California for about a decade.

The report also analyzed public documents from 169 law enforcement agencies  including 121 police departments and 48 sheriffs departments  and found that 68 of them, 40 percent, were out of compliance with the law.

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.

Dozens of law enforcement agencies are using an exception under SB54 that lets them provide inmates release dates to ICE or to Customs and Border Protection if the detainees criminal history meets certain requirements, or if the information is already available to the general public. Statewide, 24 sheriffs departments posted the dates when inmates would be released, their hearing dates and locations, what city they lived in, their occupation, and other personal information, according to the report.

The California Sheriffs Association and the California Police Chiefs Association declined to comment.

The Marin County Sheriffs Office, which shared inmate-release information with ICE officers before the states sanctuary law was approved, began posting inmate release information on its website after the law took effect in January 2018  but stopped last fall, except in cases where an inmate is charged with or convicted of a serious or violent crime, said Marin County Sheriff Robert Doyle. Frustration with Trumps immigration policies and a meeting with immigrant right groups in Marin led Doyle to re-evaluate his departments policy, he said.

In San Jose, law enforcement provides a wide range of information to ICE by using broad and undefined policy language that lets police share information with ICE, according to the report, which cited a San Jose police policy requiring officers to share information with ICE about people charged with certain drug crimes. The report said that was in violation of the states sanctuary law. But the report failed to note that San Jose police changed this policy in March 2018, two months after the study began.

San Jose Police Chief Eddie Garcia disputed the reports findings, saying his agency does not cooperate with ICE on civil immigration enforcement  but does cooperate with ICEs criminal arm, Homeland Security Investigations, in cases of human trafficking, gang enforcement, weapons smuggling, money laundering, and cyber and financial crimes.

We would coordinate on those criminal investigation efforts as our community would expect us to, Garcia said in a statement.

Tatiana Sanchez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tatiana.sanchez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TatianaYSanchez
San Francisco Sheriff Vicki Hennessy, the first woman to lead the nearly 170-year-old law enforcement agency, will not seek re-election in November, ending a four-decade career with the department while leaving it up to her successor to continue reforming the citys jails in an uncertain political climate.

Hennessy, 66, said she will retire at the end of the year after four years as sheriff. Her decision came after months of reflection after recent painful knee-replacement surgery along with family and personal issues. In the end, Hennessy said, she can no longer dedicate the time required to do the job.

Ive devoted over 40 years to the Sheriffs Department and the city, and thats a good run, she said. I have to now carve out some time for myself.

Hennessy spoke Thursday morning in her office on the fourth floor of San Franciscos City Hall, where she detailed her accomplishments, recent department failings and goals she has for her final nine months in office. Whoever becomes the citys next sheriff will have to negotiate a range of challenges that come with leading the department, such as working to manage the inmate population, improving jail conditions and navigating issues related to immigration enforcement.

Hennessy was elected in 2015 and immediately faced scandal after deputies were accused of holding gladiator-style battles between inmates under her predecessor, Ross Mirkarimi. This year, new allegations of excessive force and misconduct by jail deputies in city jails came to light.

Throughout her time as sheriff, Hennessy has fought to replace the dilapidated County Jail No. 4 on the seventh floor of the Hall of Justice, which she called an embarrassment. City officials, however, rejected plans to build a new facility last year, and the jail population has not decreased.

She has also had to deal with controversy surrounding San Franciscos sanctuary policy, after it was revealed an undocumented immigrant fired a fatal shot that killed a young woman walking with her father on a city pier.

Despite the controversies  many of which, Hennessy noted, predated her time as sheriff  she has sought to develop a reputation for transparency and accountability. In one recent example, Hennessy said, the Sheriffs Department handed off an investigation into inmate abuse allegations to the citys Department of Police Accountability to ensure trust and transparency in my agency.

Mayor London Breed on Thursday called Hennessy a trailblazer in the department, who paved the way for women to serve in public office.

She has fought to advance public safety and modernize our criminal justice system, Breed said in a statement. We are lucky to have her leading the Sheriffs Department and I wish her the best of luck in her well-deserved retirement.

Hennessy sees herself as a policy-focused manager for the 1,000-plus-person department. The work is what drives her, she said, noting that she hasnt taken a vacation since being elected.

Im not a person who is politically motivated, she said. Im motivated by what I think is right and fair, and about what we can do to make sure we are working with San Francisco values and doing the best we can for the people in our custody.

In her time as sheriff, shes hired 236 sworn officers, eliminated fees for electronic monitoring and community service, and started the states first certified training program for deputies working with transgender inmates.

Hennessy also modified the way deputies do their rounds to better monitor inmates, and said there have been zero suicides in San Franciscos jails since she took over as sheriff.

She began her career at the department in 1975 and was promoted to captain in 1983 before advancing to chief deputy in 1997. She then became deputy director of the San Francisco Department of Emergency Services in 2006, and two years later she was named director of the Department of Emergency Management before retiring in 2011.

Hennessy was lured back a year later and was appointed interim sheriff by Mayor Ed Lee, who suspended then-Sheriff Mirkarimi for misconduct following a domestic violence incident with his wife. Four members of the Board of Supervisors later voted to reinstate Mirkarimi, but he lost in a landslide to Hennessy in the November 2015 election.

Debates between the two candidates focused on San Franciscos sanctuary-city policy following the 2015 shooting death of Kate Steinle on Pier 14 by Jose Ines Garcia Zarate, an undocumented immigrant who had been released from San Francisco Jail. Federal immigration agents had asked to be notified when he was going to be released, but Mirkarimi rejected the request.

Hennessy said she would have considered notifying immigration agents at the time, but she has since softened her position. She said her department hasnt notified Immigration and Customs Enforcement about any inmates release in her time as sheriff.

Along with becoming the first woman elected sheriff in San Francisco, Hennessy stands alone as the only sheriff to come up through the departments ranks.

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.

While on the command staff, she helped the countys jails become among the most progressive in the country. Inmates can get a high school diploma, take college courses, check out library books and take parenting classes among many other programs.

Hennessy has not yet endorsed anyone to be her successor. Chief Deputy Paul Miyamoto pulled papers for the position in December, anticipating that Hennessy might not run for re-election, but he has not yet declared his candidacy.

The 2019 election will mark the first time an incumbent hasnt sought the position since Michael Hennessey opted not to run in 2011 after serving more than 30 years as sheriff. With open races for district attorney, public defender and now sheriff, the Nov. 5 election will undoubtedly change the face of San Franciscos criminal justice system.

While her left-knee replacement was a major factor in her decision to retire, Hennessy admitted she also considered the recent deaths of her colleagues in city politics. Both Lee and Public Defender Jeff Adachi died unexpectedly while at the height of their political careers.

I miss them both, Hennessy said. I did think about that. They were both younger than I am. I think that may be a part of my decision  certainly not the whole part. I think it would be in the back of anybodys mind.

The sheriff is also coming up on the first anniversary of the death of her husband, Jim Hennessy, a retired San Francisco police officer. The couple had been married more than 40 years when he died of cancer at age 75 in April. Hennessy said she cant talk about him without crying.

As her term as sheriff nears an end, Hennessy said she plans to charge ahead with her responsibilities. Shes working on expanding the departments body-worn camera program and is overhauling policies and procedures to comply with the latest state and federal laws.

Im going to work as hard as I can until the end of my term, she said. Theres a lot in my life that I have to enjoy, and theres a lot of obligation I have with my family. Im looking forward to that.

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky
Carlos Yescas thought itd be OK to drive his new car to the market in his Vallejo neighborhood.

Sure, the car didnt have a license plate and Yescas didnt have a drivers license. But his 12-year-old brother, Jonathan Chavez, wanted thinly sliced meat to make tacos before Yescas left for work.

Jonathan likes to cook and Yescas, a sushi chef, likes teaching him the ropes in the kitchen. The market on Laurel Street is less than a quarter of a mile away from their house and Yescas has a learners permit. What could go wrong?

Yescas never made it inside Guanajuato Market.

Thats because he was arrested with what appears to be, on video, disturbing force by a Vallejo Police Department officer in the parking lot. As Yescas, 18, wailed in pain, Jonathan recorded the incident on a cell phone.

Now Playing: Phone video shows the Jan. 31 arrest of Carlos Yescas. Video: San Francisco Chronicle

Since the fatal shooting of Willie McCoy on Feb. 9, the Vallejo Police Department has once again come under scrutiny for the allegedly aggressive and excessive use of force by its officers. In the past two years, the controversial fatal shootings of Angel Ramos, Ronnell Foster and McCoy have gotten attention outside of the city, unlike the non-fatal arrests like the one Yescas experienced. The troubling arrests have long had black and brown people who live in the city on edge.

This is how it unfolded for Yescas. A little before 2 p.m. on Jan. 31, Yescas and Jonathan got into the car for the one-minute, two-turn drive to the market.

Yescas said he didnt get pulled over. He was parked when he said a man wearing blue jeans, a black jacket and sunglasses approached the car. Yescas said the man didnt show his badge and didnt say he was a police officer until after the handcuffs were slicing through the flesh on his wrists.

He wasnt dressed like an officer, Yescas told me one afternoon last week. He just runs up to my window. He said, You know you f up, right. I never assumed this man was police.

Paul Chinn / The Chronicle

The officer walked back to his vehicle and turned on his flashing lights, Yescas said. When he returned, he reached through the driver-side window and took the keys out of the ignition. When Yescas objected, he said the officer grabbed his left hand and put a handcuff around his wrist. Yescas said thats when he felt he was in danger. The officer then told Yescas to take off the seat belt. When Yescas reached toward the buckle with his right hand to release the strap, the officer reached behind Yescas to twist and pull his right arm behind his back.

I felt like he was going to break my arm, Yescas said. Ive never had my arm twisted like that before.

Jonathan was recording, watching as Yescas got caught by the seat belt that was wrapped around his body as the officer pulled him from the car. Jonathan watched as Yescas was flung onto the ground. He watched the officer drive his knee into his brothers back.

I cant feel my arm, Yescas cried.

What is wrong with you, Jonathan can be heard saying to the officer repeatedly on the video, his voice cracking.

Something certainly seems to be wrong with policing in Vallejo, and the community deserves answers. Was the officer on duty? And judging by what Yescas said and by the video, why didnt he immediately identify himself, and why didnt he command Yescas to exit the car before using force? And why is the date for Yescas appearance in Solano County Superior Court written on the ticket as March 31, a Sunday?

The Police Department hasnt responded to my requests for comment. On the ticket, the arresting officer is listed as M. Nichelini. Yescas identified Lt. Michael Nichelini as the man who arrested him.

Yescas was taken to Vallejos police headquarters on Amador Street. According to Yescas, Nichelini told other officers there to keep the handcuffs on because hes a fighter. Yescas said police didnt allow him to make a phone call, and before being transferred to the Solano County Jail in Fairfield he was kept in a cold cell with blood smeared on the walls. Yescas said he stood for hours because it hurt his back to sit.

After he was released around 2 a.m. the next morning, his mother, Wendy Martinez, took him to the emergency room.

We were so glad that hes alive, said Martinez, who posted the video to Facebook on Feb. 1. Were not happy at all with what happened. Im depressed from what happened. Were glad that hes here with us.

Yescas said his back still hurts. His arm is still sore. He has trouble sleeping. Hes cut down on his hours working as a sushi chef.

Now when Im looking down, I just get so sore, he said. I just feel heavy, like everythings pulling down on me. This never started until then.

Im relieved nothing happened to Jonathan for recording the incident. Nine days before Yescas arrest, Adrian Burrell claims he was assaulted by a Vallejo police officer because he was recording the officer detaining his cousin in his driveway. After video of Burrells arrest was posted online, the Police Department opened an internal investigation.

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.

Vallejo police officers appear to be incapable of policing themselves. Since October 2014, the city has spent $4.5 million to settle civil rights abuse and misconduct lawsuits against the Police Department. And there are at least 10 pending lawsuits and claims against the city alleging police misconduct. I suggest that an outside investigation needs to occur before someone else dies.

I feared that my younger brother was going to watch me just pass out or ... be gone, Yescas said. I didnt exactly think about myself.

Karina Guerreros parents have owned Guanajuato Market for two decades. She knows Yescas and his family. He cashes his paychecks at the store. She was at the market when the confrontation with Nichelini happened, went outside and watched it  and she talked to Martinez on the phone as Yescas pleaded for help.

Im really familiar with everyone here, and I know him, Guerrero said. Hes hardworking. We know that hes a good kid.

She said she called the police after hearing Yescas scream, but they didnt answer. The police did call back. Still, the arrest angered her.

I feel like people dont even feel secure to be walking around. I feel like you cant even defend yourself, because if you defend yourself, theyre going to think youre attacking them, she said over the whirl of a meat slicer. Its lose-lose for Hispanics and African Americans, because I dont see (the police) doing that to white people.

Guerrero told officers they could leave Yescas car in the parking lot, but it was towed. And when Yescas called to retrieve it, he said, police couldnt locate the car hed bought for $3,500 on Jan. 5. It was a present to himself for his 18th birthday. He had it less than a month.

Hes given up on getting his car back, but he feels fortunate to be alive.

Its been worse situations, he said, mentioning McCoys death. From what Ive seen, not much has happened to any of the officers.

San Francisco Chronicle columnist Otis R. Taylor Jr. appears Mondays and Thursdays. Email: otaylor@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @otisrtaylorjr
California would become the first state in the nation to ban the sale of flavored tobacco products, including the mango- and mint-flavored Juul nicotine pods popular among teens, if proposed legislation advanced by lawmakers Wednesday becomes law.

The Senate Health Committee passed SB38, which would prohibit retail stores and vending machines from selling flavored tobacco, including nicotine cartridges that evoke the smell and taste of candy, dessert and fruit. The ban would also apply to flavored hookah, cigars, cigarillos, chew and snuff. But it would not ban the sale of the smoking devices themselves, like electronic cigarettes or vape pens, unless the devices come packaged together with the flavor cartridges  in which case the products would have to be de-coupled and the device sold separately.

The measure is co-authored by state Sens. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, and Steve Glazer, D-Orinda, and sponsored by the American Cancer Societys Cancer Action Network, the American Heart Association and the American Lung Association.

It is early days for the bill, which now heads to the Senate Appropriations Committee. A companion bill in the Assembly, AB739, has been introduced but has not been heard by any committees yet.

Under the bill, stores that violate the ban would be subject to civil penalties ranging from $400 to $600 for the first violation, and up to $5,000 to $6,000 for the fifth violation within five years. Stores that do not comply could also have their tobacco license suspended for 40 to 90 days after the third offense.

The bills proponents say they hope to limit the number of teens who vape, mostly for the appealing flavors. But vaping industry groups and manufacturers argue that such policies would harm adult cigarette smokers who vape as a way to wean off traditional cigarettes. E-cigarettes are not approved by federal regulators as a smoking cessation product, but some smokers have attested that vaping helps them smoke fewer cigarettes.

These are products marketed to youth and have been driving a strong uptick of youth use, ultimately leading to addiction and use of other tobacco products, said Lindsey Freitas, senior director of advocacy for the American Lung Association in California. We dont want youth going down that road.

In 2018, 1.5 million more middle and high school students smoked e-cigarettes compared to 2017, according to the U.S Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

We are at the center of the youth tobacco epidemic, Hill said.

Juul, the largest seller of e-cigarettes with 70 percent of the U.S. market, opposes the legislation. The company has long maintained that its products are meant to help adult smokers smoke fewer conventional cigarettes. In November, amid pressure from regulators, the company said it would pull flavored pods off store shelves to limit youth access. Still, flavored Juuls are incredibly popular among teens who would not otherwise have started smoking if not for the flavors, public health officials say.

We feel its imperative that as we continue to pursue new legislation to protect children that we also preserve access for the millions of California smokers who could potentially benefit from switching from combustible cigarettes, Juul Chief Administrative Officer Ashley Gould said at the health committee hearing. Smokers need a viable alternative to drive them from cigarette use. Vapor products can fill that void and flavors play a critical role.

The Vapor Technology Association and the California Retailers Association also oppose the measure, with the retail group saying it would hurt brick-and-mortar stores.

Some researchers say vaping is less toxic than smoking combustible cigarettes because heating liquid nicotine releases fewer toxins than burning tobacco. However, heating nicotine also releases chemicals that are not yet well understood because vaping is relatively new. Both cigarettes and e-cigarettes contain nicotine, a highly addictive substance.

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At least 26 California counties and cities already have restrictions on the sale of flavored tobacco products. The East Bay city of Hayward was the first to do so in 2014, though it was limited to stores within 500 feet of schools, according to the Center for Tobacco Policy and Organizing, part of the American Lung Association, which tracks local tobacco ordinances. Berkeley followed suit in 2015. San Francisco voters in 2018 banned the sale of flavored tobacco products in the city through Proposition E, which took effect in January.

There is limited evidence that local laws cracking down on the sale of flavored tobacco is leading to fewer teens vaping. In Berkeley, the percentage of seventh-graders who said they used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days fell from 5 percent in 2014 to 2 percent in 2016, according to a 2018 report by the Berkeley Public Health Division. For ninth-graders, it fell from 13 percent to 5 percent; for 11th-graders, it fell from 13 percent to 8 percent, according to the report. The report does not specifically attribute the declines to the flavored tobacco ordinance, but the timing does coincide.

After New York City in 2010 enacted a ban on flavored tobacco, teens in 2013 were 37 percent less likely to try the flavored products and 28 percent less likely to use any type of tobacco, according to a 2016 study evaluating the policy. However, the New York policy and the study focused on flavored cigars, cigarillos, chew and snuff  not e-cigarettes  and they were done before the popularity of Juul really took off in middle and high schools.

A second related bill, SB39, would impose additional age verification protocols for people buying tobacco products online by requiring the person who signs for the package to show proof he or she is over age 21. Current law already prohibits people under age 21 from buying tobacco products online at the point of sale, but not delivery. It was also passed by the Senate Health Committee on Wednesday.

Correction: An earlier version of this story gave incorrect information on seventh graders use of e-cigarettes in Berkeley. It fell from 5 percent in 2014 to 2 percent in 2016, according to a report last year by the Berkeley Public Health Department.

Catherine Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Cat_Ho
U.S. regulators say digital advertising practices at Facebook Inc. violate housing law and they are reviewing whether ads placed by Twitter Inc. and Alphabet Inc.'s Google also discriminate against those seeking a place to live.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development on Thursday accused Facebook of enabling and encouraging bias based on race and religion, as well as sex, by restricting who can see housing-related ads on its platforms and across the internet. HUD also has sent letters to Twitter and Google inquiring about the advertising systems for their sites and products as well, said Brian Sullivan, a department spokesman.

"Facebook is discriminating against people based upon who they are and where they live," HUD Secretary Ben Carson said. "Using a computer to limit a person's housing choices can be just as discriminatory as slamming a door in someone's face."

The social network allowed those advertising housing to exclude people it classified as parents; non-American-born; non-Christian; interested in accessibility and Hispanic culture; as well as other group's deemed protected classes, HUD said in a statement.

The Washington Post reported earlier Thursday that HUD had alerted Google and Twitter last year that it was scrutinizing their practices for possible violations of the federal Fair Housing Act.

"We've had policies in place for many years that prohibit targeting ads on the basis of sensitive categories like race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, disability status, negative financial standing, etc," a Google spokesman said in an email. "Our policies are designed to protect users and ensure that advertisers are using our platforms in a responsible manner. "

A Twitter spokesman said the company doesn't allow discriminatory advertising on its platform and that, "someone using Twitter to advertise agrees to comply with the law and not use our services for illegal activities."

The government's civil lawsuit against Facebook came after the social network has been working to address many of the issues raised and last year eliminated advertising targeting options that could be misused.

Last week, the Menlo Park, California-based company reached agreements with the National Fair Housing Alliance, the American Civil Liberties Union and others to change how housing and credit ads can be run on the platform. Facebook said it would no longer let advertisements for housing, jobs or credit be targeted to particular users by age, gender or zip codes and companies that use the social network and its other platforms to run those ads will have to certify compliance with anti-discrimination laws.

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"We're surprised by HUD's decision, as we've been working with them to address their concerns and have taken significant steps to prevent ads discrimination," Facebook said in the statement. "While we were eager to find a solution, HUD insisted on access to sensitive information -- like user data -- without adequate safeguards. We're disappointed by today's developments, but we'll continue working with civil rights experts on these issues."

HUD's accusation will be heard by a U.S. administrative law judge unless one of the parties to the lawsuit wants it moved to federal district court, according to the agency. If the judge rules that Facebook violated the Fair Housing Act, penalties could include fines and a ban on the ads in question.

---

Bloomberg's Selina Wang and Gerrit De Vynck contributed to this report.
Clouded by his past as a Wells Fargo insider, Tim Sloan stepped down Thursday from his position as the banks CEO and president, with plans to retire from the San Francisco bank at the end of June.

Allen Parker, the firms general counsel, will serve as interim CEO and president, Wells Fargo said.

We have made progress in many areas and, while there remains more work to be done, I am confident in our leadership team and optimistic about the future of Wells Fargo, Sloan said in a statement. However, it has become apparent to me that our ability to successfully move Wells Fargo forward from here will benefit from a new CEO and fresh perspectives. For this reason, I have decided it is best for the Company that I step aside and devote my efforts to supporting an effective transition.

Wells Fargo has been under intense scrutiny since it was revealed in 2016 that bank employees opened accounts without customer permission to meet sales goals. Sloan, who has been with Wells Fargo for 31 years, became CEO in October 2016 following the scandal. He sought to defend the companys reputation in Washington hearings, facing sharp questioning from politicians like Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., over its reform efforts.

Warren blasted Sloan on Twitter Thursday, saying he should have been fired a long time ago.

He enabled Wells Fargos massive fake accounts scam, got rich off it, & then helped cover it up, Warren said. Now  lets make sure all the people hurt by Wells Fargos scams get the relief theyre owed.

Wells Fargo said it would begin an external search for a new CEO. The search committee will meet for the first time on Friday, and the company has not yet spoken to any candidates, Chairwoman Betsy Duke said on a conference call Thursday.

I dont think its appropriate to run a search for a CEO when you have a CEO sitting in the seat, said Duke, who said the board would conduct a thorough search.

Wells Fargo doesnt have much choice but to look at candidates working at other firms, said Jo-Ellen Pozner, a professor of management and entrepreneurship at Santa Clara University. Sloan came into the position at a difficult time and with the challenge of changing a culture he had been part of for decades, she said.

Its hard to do that if youre already embedded in these long-term relationships, Pozner said. And, on top of that, nobody really buys that internal candidates are willing to change or are able to make change happen. So the research on this suggests that external candidates have a much better chance of being seen as credible change agents than internal candidates.

There could be someone capable of leading Wells Fargo within the organization, Pozner said, but the optics of the situation require an external candidate.

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On the call, Parker said Sloans retirement had nothing to do with the Federal Reserve placing an asset cap on the bank last year, which barred Wells Fargo from growing until it made certain reforms.

But replacing Sloan couldnt hurt Wells Fargos chance of having the asset cap lifted, Bloomberg Intelligence analysts Alison Williams and Neil Sipes wrote in a note to investors.

A candidate with no management history at the bank may better satisfy some regulators and critics when CEO Tim Sloan retires after less than three years, the analysts wrote, adding that additional regulation of the bank was unlikely and the asset cap should be lifted by late 2019 or early 2020.

Wells Fargo shares rose 2.2 percent in after-hours trading to $50.15.

Sophia Kunthara is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sophia.kunthara@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SophiaKunthara
The San Francisco Victorian used in the opening credits of the TV sitcom Full House and its Netflix reboot Fuller House is going back on the market.

Its owner, Jeff Franklin, the creator and executive producer of both series, plans to list the five-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom home at 1709 Broderick St. by the end of April. A price has not been determined.

Neighbors say the home has been attracting throngs of tourists since Franklin purchased the home in 2016 and began talking it up in interviews about Fuller House, which debuted the same year.

The home will always have tremendous emotional significance to me, Franklin said in a statement. It is a symbol of the shows I love, and the second family I have formed with the casts of Full and Fuller House. Now that Fuller House is ending, I will be putting the home back on the market. I hope to find a buyer who wants to make it a full house once again.

Photos of the homes exterior were used for the original series featuring the fictional Tanner family, which ran on ABC from 1987 to 1995, and the Netflix sequel, which includes some of the original cast. The shows fifth and final season is coming this fall. Its interior has never been used in the shows.

Franklins statement said he was banned from filming the house after the first shoot in 1987, but his ownership allowed production on Fuller House to capture new footage used in the main titles and featured in season threes episode Fullers in a Fog.

Franklin bought the Pacific Heights home in August 2016 for $4 million from decorator Courtnay Daniels Haden. She bought the place in 2006 for $1.85 million, according to property records, and transformed it inside and out.

Laura Morton / Special to The Chronicle 2016

Shortly after he bought it, Franklin redid the exterior to match its Full House days, down to the distinctive red doors. He planned to remodel the interior and was issued a building permit in 2017, but neighbors appealed it because the Planning Department hadnt notified them in advance as required.

After Franklin began using the home to publicize the Netflix series, a trickle of selfie-taking tourists turned into hundreds per day, said Carla Hashagen, who lives two doors down and filed an appeal.

Franklin talked about shooting new footage at the house and perhaps renting it out to the public. In December 2016, Franklin filmed a publicity event at the home featuring 14 members of the Fuller House cast.

At a discretionary review hearing in December 2017, neighbors said Franklin was planning to make the interior resemble the fictional Tanner family home, and feared that would draw even more fans or be used for more promotional purposes.

Laura Morton / Special to The Chronicle 2016

The San Francisco Board of Appeals revoked the permit because of the lack of notification.

He could have applied for the same work again. Instead he submitted new plans that didnt mimic the set, Hashagen said. We didnt object. He got the permit and they have been working on the house since July or August.

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The home is covered in netting, which obscures the facade, and that has cut down on traffic in the neighborhood, she added. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agencys board also banned tourist buses from that stretch of Broderick in July.

When Franklin purchased the house, it still had its original foundation from the 1800s. He did a seismic retrofit, upgraded the infrastructure and opened up the floor plan.

Hashagen said that for a few months Franklin has been telling neighbors he planned to sell the home, which he never lived in.

In February 2018, Warner Brothers TV removed Franklin as the Fuller House show runner and declined to renew its production deal with him. It did not give a reason, but a story in Variety quoting anonymous sources said the studio had received complaints about Franklins behavior in the writers room and on the set. Franklin had no comment on his removal.

Fuller House was in the news again after one its stars, Lori Loughlin, was indicted this month for allegedly taking part in a bribery scheme to get her daughter into the University of Southern California.

The Broderick home will be listed by Rachel Swann of The Agency and Cindy Ambuehl of Compass.

Kathleen Pender is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. Email: kpender@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kathpender
English Lithuanian

Lietuvos Energijos Gamyba, AB, company code 302648707, registered office at Elektrines st. 21, Elektrenai (hereinafter referred to as the Company). The total number of registered ordinary shares issued by company is 648 002 629, ISIN code  LT0000128571.

On 28 March, 2019 the Supervisory Board of Lietuvos Energijos Gamyba, AB, adopted the following decisions:

1. Approve the Annual Report of Lietuvos Energijos Gamyba, AB, for the year 2018;

2. Approve the Annual Financial Statements of Lietuvos Energijos Gamyba, AB, for the year 2018 audited by the audit company PricewaterhouseCoopers UAB;

3. Approve the profit (loss) allocation of Lietuvos Energijos Gamyba, AB, of the year 2018;

4. Submit this review to the Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders of Lietuvos Energijos Gamyba, AB, to be held on 12 April 2019.

Shareholders can familiarize themselves with documents related to the agenda of the General Meeting of Shareholders of the Company, draft decisions of the agenda, documents to be submitted to General Meeting of Shareholders and other information related to the implementation of the rights of shareholders on the website of the Company at https://gamyba.le.lt as well as on the premises of the Company (Elektrines st. 21, Elektrenai or Zveju str. 14, Vilnius) during working hours (7.3011.30 a.m. and 12.154.30 p.m.; 7.3011.30 a.m. and 12.153.15 p.m. on Fridays).
An Oakland man was arrested after his girlfriends 4-year-old son was shot in the head, police said Thursday.

Terrence Wilson, 37, was booked Wednesday night into Santa Rita Jail on suspicion of criminal storage of a firearm, felony child endangerment, receiving stolen property and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Police are still investigating how, exactly, the boy was shot.

Officers responded just after 2 p.m. Wednesday to a home in East Oakland on the 2400 block of Ritchie Street, where they found the child suffering from a gunshot wound to the head and provided medical treatment.

The boy was taken to a hospital, where he was in critical but stable condition on Thursday, authorities said.

A family member told The Chronicle the boy shot himself in the head.

My brother called me, said he was in the living room, and my little cousin crawled up under the bed, grabbed a gun and actually shot himself in the head, said Anthony Wilson, adding that he was hurt, sad, pissed, mad ... everything.

Officers detained a woman for questioning after the shooting but she was released, said Johnna Watson, an Oakland police spokeswoman.

Police said they recovered a single firearm from the scene.

A person can be charged with criminal storage of a firearm in California for keeping a loaded firearm in a place where a child could reasonably obtain access and that child causes death or great bodily injury.

Whether prosecutors choose to pursue that charge against Wilson depends on several factors, legal experts said.

Theres a dynamic to those cases which suggest prosecutors dont always go after people because of the tremendous trauma associated with the family this happens to, said Steve Clark, a former Santa Clara County prosecutor.

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The burden falls on the district attorneys office to prove the person knew the child could access a gun. The level of supervision over the child would also be considered.

Prosecutors would also consider the persons criminal and family background, Clark said.

What theyre looking at could be different from an accidental death associated with a parent who just completely spaces out and leaves their gun out, but is otherwise a responsible person, and has suffered a tremendous family tragedy, he said.

San Francisco Chronicle staff writers Megan Cassidy and Lauren Hernandez contributed to this report.

Gwendolyn Wu is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: gwendolyn.wu@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @gwendolynawu
When Taiepisi Gutu was arrested and charged in a violent strong-arm robbery that left a Chinese bakery owner badly beaten earlier this year in San Francisco, he vowed to stay out of trouble if released from custody.

And last month, a Superior Court judge granted his pretrial release on strict conditions, including that he wear an ankle monitor, and only leave home to go to school or work.

But as the Downtown High School student apparently attempted to avoid violence, it still found him. On Monday afternoon, which happened to be Gutus 19th birthday, another young man with a similar criminal past shot him inside a city building in broad daylight, police said.

Now Gutu, and the suspect in the shooting are both hospitalized with gunshot wounds. The suspect was shot on Tuesday by California Highway Patrol officers in Southern California where he fled after the shooting, police said.

Police have not disclosed the name of the suspect, but sources told The Chronicle he is 20-year-old Hakim Oden, and jail records confirmed that he is in custody in Southern California.

Police officials would not elaborate on a motive or circumstances around Mondays attack in San Francisco. Officers found the victim suffering from a gunshot wound shortly before 4 p.m. in the lobby of the large city building on the 200 block of 13th Street.

Multiple sources with knowledge of the investigation identified the victim as Gutu, who is listed in critical condition at San Francisco General Hospital, officials said. Police initially identified the building where he was shot as a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation facility, but state prison officials said neither the victim nor the alleged shooter were parolees.

While state parole officials have an office on the first floor, the rest of the building is home to various city service providers. When the gunfire erupted, parole agents heard the shots and ran to give the victim first aid, said Luis Patino, a spokesman for the corrections department.

The shooter fled the scene but was soon identified and an alert was sent out to law enforcement agencies around the state. A license plate reader picked up Odens silver Ford Focus in Southern California on Monday night and the CHP closed in on him around 3:10 a.m. near the Riverside County town of Blythe near the Arizona border, officials said.

The CHP opened fire during the encounter, wounding Oden, police said. No officers were injured in the shooting. Oden was taken into custody and is being held on suspicion of attempted murder, records show. He was being treated at a hospital for his wounds and is listed in custody at Indio Jail in Riverside County.

Before being suspected in Mondays shooting, court records show Oden was arrested in December 2016 for a strong-arm robbery in San Franciscos Tenderloin.

He was booked in jail and later released as his case continues toward trial. His attorney, Charles Dresow, declined to comment until he had more information about the latest incident.

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Gutus trouble began around February 7 when he was arrested for an attack that grabbed headlines in San Francisco at the beginning of the year. He and a juvenile accomplice allegedly stole $3,000 and beat up the owner of Good Orchid Bakery at 4675 Mission Street on Jan. 19.

The owner, Jingwen Zhen had suffered a fractured hand, along with blows to the head and body, police said. The case drew scrutiny after police took 4 hours to respond to the bakery following Zhens calls to dispatchers in his native Cantonese.

Prosecutors asked that Gutu to be held without bail, but he was granted conditional release following arguments from his attorney. His counselor at San Franciscos Occupational Therapy Training Program wrote a letter to the judge saying Gutu has PTSD and is set to finish high school this month.

If Taiepisi is released from custody, he will have continued access to services from myself/OTTP as well as his extended support system at his school and home, she wrote.

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky
Items have been culled from The Chronicles archives of 25, 50, 75 and 100 years ago.

1994

April 8: PBS has pulled the plug on a miniseries sequel to Armistead Maupins Tales of the City, which met with high ratings and sporadic controversy when PBS aired it in February. Maupin yesterday accused PBS of knuckling under to conservative pressures, especially because the sequel was to deal directly with gay rights and Christian fundamentalist opposition to homosexuality. The Rev. Donald Wildmon of Tupelo, Mississippi, a long-time critic of liberal themes on television, last month urged members of his American Family to contact their congressional representatives to protest the use of tax dollars for Tales of the City. Citing Tales of the City and other programs with homosexual themes, Wildmon said PBS should be called the Homosexual Pride Tax-Funded TV Network.

Maupin said yesterday that though he discounted Wildmons individual influence on PBS, apparently in their eyes the controversy it generated somehow outweighed the critical praise and overwhelming public response it received. PBS spokeswoman Karen Doyne said the decision not to finance a sequel was made for budgetary reasons and added, Doing a popular program doesnt mean were going to do it again and again. For them (PBS) to deny that theyre running scared at this point is preposterous, Maupin said, because I think thats exactly what they are doing. Tales of the City was widely acclaimed by critics and was PBS highest -rated dramatic series in a decade. In San Francisco, it out-rated competing prime time programs on the commercial networks.

 John Carman

1969

April 7: At least 20,000 people marched to the Presidio yesterday to protest the Vietnam War and the mutiny courts-martial of 27 stockade prisoners. The protest was marred by a brief flurry of violence that broke out when some 150 of the demonstrators attempted to storm the Presidio gate after the rally. The G.I.-Civilian Easter Peace March assembled at Civic Center at noon and by 1 p.m. began pouring a steady stream of marchers onto Van Ness Avenue. They were still leaving the Civic Center when the front of the column reached Lombard Street and turned west toward the Presidio.

Wave after wave surged down Lombard. The tide of bodies, men, women, children, dogs became so great that the march came to a standstill some six blocks from the Presidio gate. Opening six-packs of beer and uncorking bottles of wine, many sat down on the pavement and eased back for an afternoon of sunshine and oratory. The speaker who received the longest and loudest applause was Ginger Bunch mother of Richard Bunch the stockade prisoner who was fatally shot by a guard while trying to escape. Bunchs death led to a singing-sitdown in which the 27 stockade prisoners were charged with mutiny. As the crowd began to drift away between 150 and 200 of the more militant demonstrators ringed the gate. San Francisco police moved in with patrol cars forming a chain. Rocks and bottles were hurled as the gates were closed Police responded with force, beating and arresting at least two demonstrators before driving the crowd off.

 Rob Haeseler

1944

April 13: For the first time in the history of the asbestos workers union, women are being accepted as asbestos pipecoverers. Thirteen women have already taken classes in this work and are now earning full scale salaries. The Heat and Frost Insulators and Asbestos Workers Union is closed. But due to the recent demand for extra workers in essential wear industries, permits have been issued to members of both sexes to do asbestos work for the duration of the war. Two classes in asbestos work are now open at the War Production Training School at 1663 Mission Street. These classes have been carried on the last two years, but until last February only men were eligible to join. Beatrice Cunningham, now working at Treasure Island, was the first woman in California to be turned out of this class. The women do very well at this type of work-practically better than the men, Frank Williams, instructor of these classes yesterday. Before taking a job, women are required to put in 200 hours of classroom work at the asbestos school. Using steam pipes to work on, students learn to cover hot water, steam and refrigeration pipes. Sam Kagel, acting director of the War Manpower Commission, said yesterday women asbestos pipecoverers are an example of how women can be used in the war effort.

1919

April 11: From the clear blue sky of a California spring, aviators of the Victory Liberty Loan Flying Circus, who tomorrow afternoon will stage in the clouds above San Francisco a thrilling air battle, will shower the city with 100,000 leaflets asking support for the Governments fifth great war loan. Among the thousands of leaflets will be included 200 orders for German helmets. These helmets were sent from France by General Pershing to be used in the coming drive, and a helmet will be given away free to the lucky ones who pick up one of these orders as they fall.

Johnny Miller is a freelance writer.
BURLINGTON, Iowa  Democrat Beto ORourke jumped into the 2020 presidential race Thursday, shaking up the already packed field and pledging to win over voters from across the political spectrum as he tries to translate his sudden celebrity into a formidable White House bid.

The former Texas congressman began his campaign by taking his first trip ever to Iowa, the state that kicks off the presidential primary voting. In tiny Burlington, in southeast Iowa, he scaled a counter to be heard during an afternoon stop at a coffee shop.

Let us not allow our differences to define us as at this moment, ORourke told a whooping crowd of 120, his heels perched at the countertops edge. History calls for us to come together.

Earlier in the day, ORourke popped into a coffee shop in Keokuk while many cable networks aired live coverage. He took questions about his support of federal legalization of marijuana as well as the possibility of a universal basic income, all while characteristically waving his arms and gesticulating fervently.

I could care less about your party persuasion, ORourke said.

It was the kind of high-energy, off-the-cuff style that made him a sensation in Texas and a monster fundraiser nationwide, but ORourke also was clear that he doesnt believe in strict immigration rules  drawing a distinction that could allow him to clash openly with President Trump on the issue.

Trump took more note of ORourkes gyrations than his policy plans.

Well, I think hes got a lot of hand movement, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. Is he crazy or is that just how he acts?

After weeks of gleefully teasing an announcement, ORourke now must prove whether his zeal for personal contact with voters will resonate beyond Texas. He hasnt demonstrated much skill in domestic or foreign policy, and as a white man, hes entering a field that has been celebrated for its diverse roster of women and people of color.

Until ORourke challenged Republican Sen. Ted Cruz last year, he was little known outside his hometown of El Paso, on Texas border with Mexico.

But the Spanish-speaking, 46-year-old former punk rocker used grassroots organizing and social media savvy to mobilize young voters and minorities and get within 3 percentage points of winning in the nations largest red state.

ORourkes record in Congress has drawn criticism from some for being too moderate, but he also spoke at length on Thursday about combatting climate change and supporting the Green New Deal, a sweeping environmental plan backed by liberal Democrats.

ORourke refused donations from outside political groups and shunned pollsters during his Senate campaign. Nonetheless, his nationwide popularity helped him rake in more than $80 million during the Senate bid.

Will Weissert and Alexandra Jaffe are Associated Press writers
Citing Gov. Gavin Newsoms recent moratorium on executions, two state Supreme Court justices called Californias death penalty law expensive and dysfunctional in a published opinion Thursday and said an initiative approved by the voters in 2016 wont fix it.

The unusual comments by Justices Goodwin Liu and Mariano-Florentino Cuellar were part of a ruling in which the court unanimously upheld the death sentence of a Kings County man who robbed an elderly couple of their jewelry and then killed them with a knife and a hatchet in 1997. Liu, writing for the pair, noted that he has voted to affirm many death sentences and said he would continue to do so when the law requires.

But he said the executive order Newsom signed March 13, which called the death penalty discriminatory and immoral and barred all executions as long as he is governor, should be a signal for a renewed examination of capital punishment in California.

Californias death penalty is an expensive and dysfunctional system that does not deliver justice or closure in a timely manner, if at all, Liu said. He noted that 70-year-old Thomas Potts, the defendant in Thursdays case, was sentenced to death in 1998 and still has years of state and federal appeals available. Many of the states 737 condemned inmates have been on Death Row for 20 years or longer.

I express no view here on the morality or constitutionality of the death penalty, Liu said. But the promise of justice in our death penalty system is a promise that California has been unable to keep.

He also said Proposition 66, the 2016 initiative aimed at speeding up executions in California, promised more than the system can deliver.

The court upheld most of Prop. 66, including new limits on inmate appeals and a prohibition on regulatory review of one-drug lethal injections, but rejected  as both unfeasible and unconstitutional  its most prominent provision, a five-year deadline for deciding capital appeals in state court. Liu, who took part in that ruling, said Thursday that the ballot measures goal could not possibly be met unless California devotes considerable additional resources to its judicial branch.

The author of the initiative issued a prompt rebuttal.

The notion that massive additional resources are the answer is a fabrication of the opponents created to bolster their argument that we should repeal the death penalty because it costs too much, said Kent Scheidegger, legal director of the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation in Sacramento. He said other states handle death penalty appeals faster and less expensively, and California could follow their example by limiting successive appeals, as Prop. 66 sought to do.

Newsom, meanwhile, issued a statement praising Liu and Cuellar, and asserting that the death penalty violates foundational principles  like equal justice before the law and the timely administration of justice  upon which our entire legal system is built.

The justices opinion, and Newsoms executive order, signal a return of the issue to public debate, two years after an election in which narrow majorities of the voters rejected an initiative to repeal the death penalty while approving Prop. 66.

A new measure is pending in the Democratic-controlled Legislature that would place another death penalty repeal on the November 2020 ballot. The latest Public Policy Institute of California poll, issued Wednesday, found that 62 percent of adults surveyed said they would prefer a life-without-parole sentence instead of death for first-degree murder  the highest majority ever, the poll said, but only a few points higher than a similar survey showed before the 2016 election.

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While the states high court upholds most of the death sentences it considers, its leaders, as Liu noted, have expressed frustration with the system.

Former Chief Justice Ronald George, who as a state lawyer successfully defended the death penalty law in court, said in a post-retirement memoir in 2013 that the death penalty system places the administration of justice ... in a very bad light because of its costs, delays and overall ineffectiveness. Current Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, a former prosecutor, said in a 2011 interview soon after taking office that it was worth asking whether the criminal justice system can make better use of our resources.

Liu said the court would leave it to the voters and elected officials to decide whether California should double down on the current system or chart a new course. But a lawyer opposed to the death penalty said the issue could also be back in court.

American Civil Liberties Union attorney Shilpi Agarwal noted that after Washingtons governor declared a moratorium on executions, the states Supreme Court struck down its death penalty law in October on the grounds that it was used in an arbitrary and racially discriminatory manner.

What motivated the Washington Supreme Court decision is also true in California, Agarwal said. Both before and especially after Gov. Newsoms moratorium, advocates are exploring a range of strategies. Courts are part of that discussion.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko
English Lithuanian

As initiated and decided by the Board of Directors of AB Amber Grid (legal entity code 303090867, office address Savanoriu pr. 28, LT-03116 Vilnius, Republic of Lithuania), the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders of AB Amber Grid will be convened at 10.00 a.m., 23 April 2019, at the Company's head office (address: Savanoriu pr. 28, Vilnius).

Draft Agenda of the Meeting:

Annual Report of AB Amber Grid for 2018 Auditors report on AB Amber Grid financial statements for 2018 and AB Amber Grid Annual Report 2018 Approval of AB Amber Grid financial statements for 2018 Approval of AB Amber Grid Profit (Loss) Allocation for 2018 Amendment of remuneration of Independent board members of AB Amber Grid Approval of standard contract terms (standard contract forms) of AB Amber Grid Board members (without remuneration; with remuneration)

Shareholder registration will commence at 9.15 a.m., 23 April 2019.

Shareholder registration will be closed at 9.45 a.m., 23 April 2019.

The Record Date of the General Meeting of Shareholders: 16 April 2019. To be entitled to attend and vote at the General Meeting of Shareholders, persons must be registered shareholders of the Company at the end of the Record Date of the General Meeting of Shareholders. Shareholders' Rights Record Date shall be 8 May 2019. Persons entitled to receive the dividend shall be the ones who will be shareholders of AB Amber Grid as of the end of the Shareholders' Rights Record Date.

To be entitled to participate and vote at the General Meeting of Shareholders, persons must provide their identification documents. Persons who are not shareholders of AB Amber Grid, shall in addition to the aforesaid documents present documents certifying their right to vote at the General Meeting of Shareholders.

A possibility of participating and voting in the General Meeting of Shareholders by electronic means of communication shall not be provided.

On 28 March 2019, the Board of Directors of the Company approved the draft agenda and draft decisions of the General Meeting of Shareholders (explanations if decision is not required):

1) Annual Report of AB Amber Grid for 2018

Submitted explanation:

Decision of the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders is not required. The Board submits Annual Report of the Company for 2018 to take account of (added). (Annex 1)

2) Auditors report on AB Amber Grid financial statements for 2018 and AB Amber Grid Annual Report 2018

Submitted explanation:

Decision of the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders is not required. When taking decisions regarding approval of AB Amber Grid financial statements for 2018, to take note of the opinion presented in the Independent auditors report to the shareholders of AB Amber Grid (added). (Annex 1)

3) Approval of AB Amber Grid financial statements for 2018

Draft decision:

To approve AB Amber Grid financial statements for 2018 (added). (Annex 1)

4) Approval of AB Amber Grid Profit (Loss) Allocation for 2018

Draft decision:

To approve of AB Amber Grid Profit (Loss) Allocation for 2018 (added). (Annex 2)

5) Amendment of remuneration of Independent Board members of AB Amber Grid

Draft decision:

From 1 April 2019 to set an hourly fee of 60 (sixty) euros (before tax) for an Independent board member of the company's board, up to a maximum amount of 1,200 (one thousand two hundred) euros per month (before tax). In case that an Independent board member would be elected the Chairman of the Board, set a maximum amount of 1,560 (one thousand five hundred sixty) euros per month (before tax).

6) Approval of standard contract terms (standard contract forms) of AB Amber Grid Board members (without remuneration; with remuneration)

Draft decision:

To approve the terms and conditions of the standard contracts of the members of the Board (standard forms of contracts) (without remuneration; with remuneration) (attached)

The shareholders may familiarise themselves with the Draft Resolutions of the General Meeting of Shareholders and supplementary material thereof, also with the implementation of the shareholders rights on working days from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. (on Fridays until 3.15 p.m.) from 1 April 2019 at the office of AB Amber Grid at Savanoriu pr. 28, LT-03116 Vilnius, tel. +370 5 2360855 These documents are also presented on the Central Database of Regulated Information www.crib.lt and at Companys website www.ambergrid.lt.

The shareholders of AB Amber Grid, whose shares are entitled to at least 1/20 of the total number of votes, shall have the right to supplement the agenda for the General Meeting of Shareholders. The proposal to supplement the agenda shall be submitted in writing and sent by registered mail or delivered to the head office of the Company to the address: Savanoriu pr. 28, LT-03116 Vilnius (hereinafter the Head Office). Draft Resolutions on the proposed issues or, when it is not mandatory to adopt resolutions, explanatory notes on each proposed issue of the agenda of the General Meeting of Shareholders must be presented alongside with the proposal. The agenda will be supplemented if the proposal is received not later than on 8 April 2019.

The shareholders entitled to at least 1/20 of the total number of votes shall have the right, at any time before the General Meeting of Shareholders or during the Meeting, to propose in writing new draft resolutions on the items put on the agenda of the General Meeting of Shareholders. Such a proposals must be executed in writing and sent to the Company by registered mail or delivered to the Head Office of the Company. The proposal submitted during the course of the Meeting must be executed in writing and handed over to the Secretary of the General Meeting of Shareholders.

The shareholders shall have the right to submit questions to the Company in advance, but not later than till 17 April 2019, in relation to the issues on the agenda of the General Meeting of Shareholders to be held on 24 April 2019. Questions must be executed in writing and delivered to the Company by registered mail or to the Head Office of the Company. The Company will not present any answer to the question submitted by a shareholder personally to him in the case relevant information is available on the Companys website.

Any shareholder shall be entitled to authorise a natural or legal person to participate and vote in his name at the General Meeting of Shareholders. The proxy of the shareholder must present the document confirming the persons identity and the certified power of attorney as provided for by law, which must be delivered to the Head Office not later than before the end of the registration of the attendees of the General Meeting of Shareholders. During the General Meeting of Shareholders, the proxy exercises the same rights as the shareholder he is representing should. The form of the Power of Attorney to represent at the General Meeting of Shareholders is available on the website of the Company: www.ambergrid.lt .

On the issues on the agenda of the General Meeting of Shareholders, the Shareholders may vote in writing by filling in a General Ballot Paper. On the shareholders request, the Company, not later than 10 days before the day of the General Meeting of Shareholders, will send a General Ballot Paper by registered mail free of charge or submit it in person against signature to the shareholder. The shareholder or his proxy must undersign the filled in General Ballot Paper. If the General Ballot Paper is signed by a person who is not a shareholder, a document certifying his right to vote must be appended to the filled in Ballot Paper. The duly filled in General Ballot Paper must be delivered to the Company by registered mail or submitted against signature at the Head Office not later than before the end of registration of the attendees of the General Meeting of Shareholders. The form of the General Ballot Paper is available on the website of the Company: www.ambergrid.lt .

On the day of convocation of the General Meeting of the Shareholders the total number of shares was 178 382 514. All these shares grant voting right.

Information referred to in Article 262 of the Law on Companies of the Republic of Lithuania shall be available on the website of the Company: www.ambergrid.lt . Information about the additions to the agenda, as well as decisions made by the general meeting shall be also available on the Central Database of Regulated Information www.crib.lt

Annexes:

AB Amber Grid audited financial statements for 2018, including Annual Report of AB Amber Grid for 2018, submitted together with the Corporate Governance Report form. Allocation of 2018 AB Amber Grid Profit (draft). Standard terms and conditions (forms) of the Board members of AB Amber Grid. AB Amber Grid Power of Attorney Form. AB Amber Grid Shareholder Ballot. Confirmation of Responsible Persons. Report of Audit Committee of UAB EPSO-G.

The individual authorised by AB Amber Grid (the issuer) to provide additional information on the material event:

Giedre Osinaite

Head of Legal Division

tel. +370 5 2327733

fax +370 5 236 0850

e-mail: g.osinaite@ambergrid.lt



Attachments
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AZINCOURT ENERGY CORP. (Azincourt or the Company) (TSX.V: AAZ, OTC: AZURF), announces that it has elected not to retain its ten percent (10%) interest in the Patterson Lake North Property (Patterson Lake). The Company held an interest in Patterson Lake through an option and joint venture arrangement (the Joint Venture) with Fission Uranium Corp., and later Fission 3.0 Corp. In accordance with the terms of the Joint Venture, the Company was required to fund a pro rata portion of any development at Patterson Lake, in order to maintain its interest.



The Company is currently focusing its efforts and available capital on development of the East Preston Uranium Project in the western Athabasca basin in Northern Saskatchewan. As a result, the Company has elected not to fund its pro rata portion of planned expenditures at Patterson Lake. This election allows for the Company to concentrate capital in the ongoing drilling and exploration program being conducted at the East Preston Uranium Project. For further information regarding ongoing development at East Preston, readers are encouraged to review the Companys news release of March 20, 2019.

About East Preston

Azincourt is currently earning towards 70% interest in the 25,000+ hectare East Preston project as part of a joint venture agreement with Skyharbour Resources (TSX.V: SYH), and Clean Commodities Corp (TSX.V: CLE). Extensive regional exploration work at East Preston was completed in 2013-14, including airborne electromagnetic (VTEM), magnetic and radiometric surveys. Three prospective conductive, low magnetic signature corridors have been discovered on the property. The three distinct corridors have a total strike length of over 25 km, each with multiple EM conductor trends identified. Ground prospecting and sampling work completed to date has identified outcrop, soil, biogeochemical and radon anomalies, which are key pathfinder elements for unconformity uranium deposit discovery.

Only one of the corridors has been drill tested to date, successfully intersecting structurally disrupted graphitic metasedimentary rocks and anomalous pathfinder elements (including uranium) at the Swoosh S6 target using a combination of Horizontal Loop EM (HLEM) and gravity as primary targeting tools.

To view Figure 1: Project Location  Western Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan, Canada, please click on the following link: http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/df5e514b-cd1b-4cbe-9960-3fab39670747

East Preston Geophysical Work - Winter 2018

The Company completed a winter geophysical exploration program in January-February 2018 that generated a significant amount of new drill targets within the previously untested corridors while refining additional targets near previous drilling along the Swoosh corridor.

The work included 51.5 km of grid preparation (line cutting/picketing), 46.1 km of horizontal loop electromagnetic (HLEM), and 40.6 km of ground gravity along the previously known airborne helicopter VTEM conductive trends.

Ground-truthing work confirmed the airborne conductive trends and more accurately located the conductor axes for future drill testing. The gravity survey identified areas along the conductors with a gravity low signature, which is often associated with alteration, fault/structural disruption and potentially, uranium mineralization. The combination/stacking of positive features has assisted in prioritizing targets.

The Main Grid shows multiple long linear conductors with flexural changes in orientation and offset breaks in the vicinity of interpreted fault lineaments  classic targets for basement-hosted unconformity uranium deposits. These are not just simple basement conductors; they are clearly upgraded/enhanced prospectivity targets because of the structural complexity.

Targets

The targets are basement-hosted unconformity related uranium deposits similar to NexGens Arrow deposit and Camecos Eagle Point mine. East Preston is near the southern edge of the western Athabasca Basin, where targets are in a near surface environment without Athabasca sandstone cover  therefore they are relatively shallow targets but can have great depth extent when discovered. The project ground is located along a parallel conductive trend between the PLS-Arrow trend and Camecos Centennial deposit (Virgin River-Dufferin Lake trend).

Qualified Person

The technical information in this news release has been prepared in accordance with the Canadian regulatory requirements set out in National Instrument 43- 101 and reviewed on behalf of the company by Ted OConnor, P.Geo. a director of Azincourt Energy Corp., as well as a qualified person.

About Azincourt Energy Corp.

Azincourt Energy is a Canadian-based resource company specializing in the strategic acquisition, exploration and development of alternative energy/fuel projects, including uranium, lithium, and other critical clean energy elements. The Company is currently active at its joint venture lithium exploration projects in the Winnipeg River Pegmatite Field, Manitoba, Canada, the East Preston uranium project in the Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan, Canada, and the Escalera Group uranium-lithium project located on the Picotani Plateau in southeastern Peru.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF AZINCOURT ENERGY CORP.

Alex Klenman

Alex Klenman, President & CEO

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This press release includes forward-looking statements, including forecasts, estimates, expectations and objectives for future operations that are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of Azincourt. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and that actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking information represents managements best judgment based on information currently available. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual future results may vary materially.

For further information please contact:

Alex Klenman, President & CEO

Tel: 604-638-8063

info@azincourtenergy.com
LISLE, Ill., March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Real estate technology is moving forward at a record pace, and Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED) is making moves at the forefront with the introduction of MobilityScore integrated into its property data system. The Chicagoland area multiple listing service (MLS) announced this latest advancement in the form of a partnership with TransitScreen that brings MREDs more than 45,000 real estate professionals a new way to help home buyers and sellers.



The MobilityScore tool displays an address nearby transportation options on all MRED listings, evaluating the ease of mobility on a 1-100 scale. Scores are available for all locations in the United States and Canada, gauging public transit options as well as available carsharing, bikesharing, and hailed ridesharing services. The result is an easy-to-understand measure of transportation access that can play a major factor in home-buying decisions.



"We're excited that Chicagoland homebuyers will now be able to understand their mobility and commuting options while searching listings on MRED, said Ryan Croft, TransitScreen Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer. With MobilityScore, MRED search is amplified with local rail, bus, carsharing, ridehailing, and bike/scootershare info to choose the best home with mobility in mind. MobilityScore and MRED's deep data insights are a great fit and moves forward our mission to help people get around without a car."



The MRED-TransitScreen partnership began through the Moderne Ventures Passport Program, a company-to-company mentoring initiative. This program introduced MRED to TransitScreen and its cutting-edge mobility tool that was launched in 2017.



MobilityScore is now an integrated part of MREDs connectMLS, joining a diverse list of more than 20 product and service offerings.



Our goal is to provide our real estate professionals with everything they need to succeed, so were happy to offer an easy way to show clients the transportation options near a home theyre interested in, said MRED President/CEO Rebecca Jensen. MobilityScore gives agents another MRED tool to help meet the demands of an always-changing market.



About MRED



Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED) is the real estate data aggregator and distributor providing the Chicagoland multiple listing service (MLS) to more than 45,000 brokers and appraisers and over 7,300 offices. MRED serves Chicago and the surrounding "collar" counties and provides property information encompassing northern Illinois, southern Wisconsin, and northwest Indiana. MRED delivers more than 20 products and services to its customers. MRED is the 2013 Inman News Most Innovative MLS/Real Estate Trade Association, and for nine consecutive years the MRED Help Desk has been identified as one of the best small business centers in North America by BenchmarkPortal. For more information please visit MREDLLC.com.



About TransitScreen



TransitScreen is a Washington, DC-based software company, known for its real-time displays of nearby mobility choices, from public transit to bikeshare, carshare, and ridehailing services. They have more than 1,000 customers in multifamily and commercial real estate lobbies and corporate offices across North America. In November 2018, TransitScreen launched CityMotion, the first mobility app for business commuters. For more information, check out TransitScreen.com.
Anyone who thought the delivery of the Mueller Report would be the last word was sadly mistaken. The report has not been made public, but Attorney General William Barrs four-page summary of its upshot (no collusion, no Mueller decision on obstruction of justice) has only amplified the polarization on the issue. Democrats are demanding release of the full report by Tuesday and urging Americans to withhold judgment until then. President Trump and his most fervent supporters are declaring complete exoneration (which Mueller expressly stated that he was not concluding about obstruction) and demanding an investigation into the origins of the investigation. As our editorial notes, Barr is the epitome of an unreliable narrator on this issue, having previously advanced the dubious theory that the president could not conceivably be guilty of obstruction of justice. Stay tuned.

What were saying

True lines: One federal judge rightly called gerrymandering a cancer on our democracy. Its flat-out wrong for elected officials to choose their voters instead of the other way around. To their credit, California voters approved reforms that put the drawing of legislative and congressional boundaries in the hands of a citizens commission instead of the state Legislature. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has continued his crusade for redistricting reform after leaving office. Now the U.S. Supreme Court is reviewing two challenges to the gerrymandering that exists in other states. Our editorial looks at the prospects of the justices doing the right thing.

Unhealthy move: The Trump administration is now going all out to repeal the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. The Department of Justice signaled this week that it would challenge the constitutionality of the entire landmark law. Its bad policy and bad politics, as our editorial observes.

All talk about speech: President Trump is moving forward with an executive order that would strip federal funding from colleges and universities that fail to sufficiently protect free speech. The treatment of conservative speakers has long been a cause celebre for the right, and that concern was inflamed by the attack on Hayden Williams at UC Berkeley. Our editorial asserts that this Trump policy represents the real threat to free expression.

FEMAs failure: As if the victims of natural disasters havent suffered enough, we learn that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has mishandled their personal information. This privacy breach underscores the need for Congress to address cybersecurity in a more serious and sophisticated way, as our editorial states.

Coming in Sunday Insight

Editorial: With the Trump administration walking away from regulation of for-profit colleges, the California Legislature is considering seven proposals to fill the void. We look at the pros and cons of the pending legislation.

Twitter.com

Diaz column: Ill assess the intense scrutiny on coverage of Russian interference in the 2016 election. Was it really a catastrophic media failure, as a Wall Street Journal essayist alleged? Ill offer an assessment of what went right and what went wrong in the news coverage and  perhaps most important  what we still dont know about the Mueller report.

Sign up for the newsletter Want to get the latest San Francisco Chronicle Editorial Board opinions in your inbox? Subscribe to Opinion Central. See More Collapse

Letter of the Week

Against the grain: Not surprisingly, since this is the San Francisco Bay Area, the overwhelming majority of letters we received about the subject were not satisfied with Attorney General William Barrs summary of the Mueller report. I always appreciate readers willing to take a public stand against popular sentiment. Thank you, Ed Kahl of Woodside, for bringing balance to Tuesdays editorial page with this letter:

How is it possible that Special Counsel Robert Muellers Democrat-dominated team of attorneys let President Trump off the hook? Its because there was no collusion or obstruction of justice. But the investigations arent over for Democrats. The Justice Department is investigating the insurance policy scheme and how an unverified dossier, paid for by Hillary Clinton, was used to obtain a FISA warrant to spy on the Trump campaign.

And please check out our other letters of the day responding to this and other matters. You can send us a letter via this form.

Where to follow us

We have a Twitter channel, Opinion Central (@sfc_opinions). Please add it to your stream. Youll catch our editorials and opinion pieces, as well as our drive-by comments on assorted subjects in the news. Follow me on Twitter: @JohnDiazChron

Just a reminder

The Chronicles editorials represent the collective judgment of our Editorial Board, which includes the publisher as well as the writers and editors from the opinion team. Our editors and reporters on the news side are not involved in those decisions (including election endorsements). They are charged with reporting fairly and objectively without regard to our editorial positions. It is one of the core values here at Fifth and Mission streets.

Opinion Central is a thrice-weekly newsletter from John Diaz, The Chronicles editorial page editor, and the rest of the Editorial Board. Follow along on Twitter: @sfc_opinions
If Donald Trumps defense budget for 2020 were to be approved at its requested $750 billion, 5 percent more than the current allotment  but coming on top of a 10 percent increase in the 2018 fiscal year  the Pentagon and the defense elements of the Department of Energy would, for the first time, be spending more than $2 billion per day. But aside from setting a precedent  a most troubling one in this time of trillion-dollar deficits  the budget request is replete with eyebrow-raising items that demand close, critical scrutiny.

For example, why, when foreign interventions are scaling down, has the overseas contingency operations allotment been increased by $100 billion? Candidate Trump ran for office as a sharp critic of the costly Iraq war  the bill for which is now nearing $2 trillion. (And possibly $3 trillion or more, if analysis of the sort crafted by Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz is taken into consideration.)

Could it be that this big increase heralds the prospect of a new intervention?

Or is it more a case of slipping huge sums into a slush fund not subject to the Budget Control Act of 2011? Overseas contingency operations are excluded from the acts constraints.

Drew Angerer / Getty Images

Other concerns the budget document raises have to do with requests for yet another Stealth bomber, a nuclear-capable cruise missile, and a new, land-based intercontinental ballistic missile. None of these should just appear in a budget document; all should be subjected to lively public debate.

Stealth is needed for penetrating dangerous airspace; but bombers can launch missiles from far outside danger zones  which is why the aged B-52 is still around.

As to nuclear cruise missiles, they could undermine crisis stability, because now an adversary wouldnt know whether the American attack was coming with a conventional explosive or a nuke  sharply raising the potential for an enemy to go nuclear in response, just because of this uncertainty.

With regard to land-based ballistic missiles, it just seems foolhardy to spend huge sums, then plant them in fixed silos where they make easy targets.

handout / AFP / Getty Images 2018

The much-touted Space Force is also there in the budget and raises important questions of its own. Aside from cost issues, there is the larger matter of whether the United States intends to abide by its obligations under the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which forbids the weaponization of space. Outer space already has been militarized, in that all the military services rely on space-based assets to provide critical reconnaissance, communications and other services. But war in space, aside from violating a key treaty, would surely degrade land, sea and air operations  as it is quite easy to disrupt or destroy the costly orbital assets upon which the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines increasingly depend.

Aside from troubling new spending initiatives, some older matters need to be subjected to scrutiny. Since the Vietnam War, only one U.S. fighter plane has been shot down by an enemy fighter  and that was back in Operation Desert Storm. Why, then, do we need to spend a projected $1 trillion for 1,500 new F-35s? There is simply no strategic requirement for doing so at this time. Besides, the plane itself suffers from all sorts of teething problems. Much better to save money now, keep a small design team working, and introduce a fifth-generation fighter only when we must.

The last matter to consider in the new budget has to do with personnel costs, now upward of one-fourth of all defense spending  and heading on relentlessly toward one-third. Now is the time, as the post-9/11 wars are winding down, to rethink the size and composition of our armed forces.

Do we really need 1.4 million service members on active duty? After Vietnam, there was a 40 percent drop, from 3.5 million to 2.1 million. When the Cold War ended, there was another reduction, this time by one-third, to the current level. Even in an era when we consider the possibility of renewed great-power competition  a self-fulfilling prophecy, if ever there was one  Russia seems to prefer operating with small bands of little green men, and China is innovating with smart hypersonic missiles and a range of automated weapons. The opportunity here is to recalibrate, reducing active duty forces while perhaps expanding part-time reserve units, which cost far less than full-time regulars.

Even if only some of the reductions Ive recommended are embraced, it is easy to see how defense spending could be put on an annual 10 percent reduction regime. In just five years, this would bring the overall budget down to roughly $425 billion. That is, a little less than $1.25 billion per day  but still more than enough to preserve and protect the Republic.

John Arquilla is distinguished professor of defense analysis at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey. The views expressed are his alone.
Gov. Gavin Newsom and his plans for California have solid support from voters looking to see if he can deal with the states long-standing problems, according to a new poll by the Public Policy Institute of California.

On issues like soaring housing prices, income inequality, high-speed rail and wildfire protection, California adults favor the new governors early agenda, said Mark Baldassare, president and CEO of the institute and director of the poll.

For the time being, most Californians are willing to give the governor the benefit of the doubt as they try to get to know who he is, Baldassare said.

After about two months in office, Newsom has the approval of 45 percent of both the states adults and its likely voters, the poll indicates. Among all adults, 26 percent disapprove of how he has done. That figure rises to 36 percent with likely voters, who typically are older, higher-income homeowners who are more fiscally conservative than California adults overall, Baldassare said.

Newsoms numbers are a far cry from those of former Gov. Jerry Brown, who took office in 2011 during a steep recession that left the state in desperate financial shape. Only 34 percent of Californians were happy with Brown months after he took office with promises to make tough budget cuts.

Brown took office in difficult circumstances, Baldassare said. But now the challenge is to figure out what to do with the surplus, not what to do with the deficit.

In some cases, Newsoms support is nearly unanimous. The poll found his budget call for $415 million in one-time spending for wildfire preparedness was supported by 81 percent of adults, with support rising to 89 percent in the Bay Area. The spending was popular across party lines, with backing from 92 percent of Democrats, 79 percent of independents and 62 percent of Republicans.

However, Californias partisan divide showed up in a number of other areas.

Just over half of adults liked the governors plan to scale back construction of the high-speed rail network and build the Bakersfield-to-Merced leg while continuing to seek money for the entire Los Angeles-to-San Francisco system. Republican politicians, however, have called for the project to be abandoned entirely, and the poll found only 31 percent of GOP respondents favored Newsoms plan.

In contrast, 56 percent of Democrats surveyed liked his approach.

The numbers  and the partisan split  were almost identical when people were asked about Newsoms suggestion to trim Browns proposed two-tunnel plan to move Northern California water through the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to a single tunnel.

The Democrat vs. Republican chasm shows up even on issues both sides recognize as important. When asked about housing affordability, 89 percent of adults and 93 percent of likely voters agreed it was problem, with a survey record 68 percent of adults calling it a big problem where they lived.

But while 72 percent of adults backed Newsoms budget plan to put $1.8 billion into increased housing production, only 39 percent of Republicans were in favor, as opposed to 87 percent of Democrats and 65 percent of independents.

Republicans opposition to Newsoms spending plan for housing puts them on the opposite side from every other political, ethnic, geographic and demographic group in the state. Even more conservative parts of the state back the governor, with 69 percent support in the Inland Empire and 64 percent approval in the Orange County/San Diego area.

Baldassare stressed that the poll is a snapshot of public opinion, taken when Newsom is in the midst of the political honeymoon that voters grant to most newly elected leaders. Those honeymoons usually dont last.

Theres no guarantees Newsoms numbers will look the same by the end of the year, Baldassare said. But right now hes connecting the dots in a way that Californians are approving.

The poll was based on a telephone and cell phone survey of 1,706 California adults, including 1,112 likely voters, taken from March 10 to March 19. The margin of error was 3.4 percentage points for the full survey and 4.3 percentage points for likely voters.

John Wildermuth is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jwildermuth@sfchronicle.com Twitter:@jfwildermuth
The states latest employment figures are chock-full of good news for the Bay Area and Southern California, but bring more of the same dismal message to the Central Valley.

That could be worrisome for a pair of Democrats who swept into Congress in November on the nationwide blue wave and now have to show voters they can provide the local help thats desperately needed.

Rep. T.J. Cox of Bakersfield finds his district at the very bottom of the states jobs well, with an 11 percent unemployment rate in February that was the highest of any of Californias 53 congressional districts. Rep. Josh Harders Modesto-area district is also hurting, at 6.8 percent. Both are much higher than Californias overall 4.2 percent.

Theyre not alone, and its not just a Democratic problem. Of the 10 congressional districts with the highest unemployment rates, seven are in the Central Valley. They include the homes of Tulare Republican Rep. Devin Nunes at 8.6 percent and Rep. Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield, the House GOP leader, at 8.2 percent.

Its a simple fact of economic life in California, said Rob Lapsley, president of the California Business Roundtable, which produces a monthly report on the states employment figures.

From the counties where you cant see the ocean, its high unemployment and a completely different job picture than along the coast, he said.

The new numbers reinforce that picture. Five Bay Area districts sport the states lowest unemployment numbers, led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosis San Francisco district at 2.3 percent. The next five are all in coastal Southern California.

Thats great news for three Southern California Democrats who flipped GOP-held congressional seats in November. Reps. Mike Levin of Oceanside (San Diego County), Katie Porter of Irvine (Orange County) and Harley Rouda of Newport Beach (Orange County) all represent prosperous, job-heavy areas where the unemployment rate now is 2.8 percent or lower. That gives them one less thing to worry about in their 2020 re-election campaigns.

The geography of the jobs gap also shows up in the Legislature. The states lowest unemployment rates are seen in Democratic state Sen. Jerry Hills Peninsula district (2.1 percent) and in San Mateo Democratic Assemblyman Kevin Mullins (2.0 percent).

On the wrong end of the job scale? Its a pair of Central Valley Democrats, state Sen. Melissa Hurtado of Sanger (Fresno County) at 12.2 percent and Assemblyman Rudy Salas of Bakersfield at 11.2 percent.

Something has to be done, said Harder, who ousted Republican Rep. Jeff Denham of Turlock (Stanislaus County) last fall.

For too long the Central Valley has been left behind and our unemployment rate reflects that, Harder said in an email. Our community is full of some of the most dedicated employees in the country, we just need the job opportunities to prove it.

While agriculture is still the employment king in the Central Valley, the region lacks the high-paying tech and financial industries of the Bay Area and coastal Southern California, Theres been little effort by the state to close that divide by bringing in higher-paying industries, Lapsley said.

The gap is widening as we dont get back manufacturing jobs, he said. The state is bringing in high-wage jobs and low-wage jobs, but were losing the middle-class jobs.

Lapsley, whose organization is made up of large and midsize businesses looking to promote job growth, said he is encouraged by Gov. Gavin Newsoms expressed interest in improving the Central Valleys economy.

The governor seems to recognize that in a state with the size and diversity of California, economic support cant be a one-size-fits-all choice, Lapsley said.

Too often (Sacramento) doesnt take into account regional differences, Lapsley said. The Legislature is making major statewide policy decisions based on the Bay Area economy.

The Central Valley has individualized needs, and its up to its political leaders to see that theyre met, Harder said.

When folks overlook the Central Valley theyre missing out, not just on one of the most beautiful places to live but one of the best places to start a business, he said. We need to promote the growth of small businesses here in the valley, and we need real investments in career and technical education so our workforce has the skills for the 21st century.

John Wildermuth is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jwildermuth@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jfwildermuth
Should To Kalon, Californias most hotly contested vineyard, become an appellation?

Hear me out.

Although To Kalon is in Napa Valley, it operates more like a vineyard in Burgundy. There, vineyards are appellations, with boundaries delineated by the government. Individual wineries own portions of each vineyard, but no one owns the name. All stakeholders of a vineyard like Le Chambertin or Le Montrachet are equally entitled to use those words on their labels, in the same way that anyone making wine from the Oakville American Viticultural Area (AVA; our appellation system) may use the term Oakville on its labels.

A vineyard has to be pretty special for multiple parties to want a piece of it  and for all those parties to want to call it by a common name. Such is the case with To Kalon, which worked its way back into the news cycle last week when Jeremy Nickel filed a lawsuit challenging the legitimacy of Constellation Brands To Kalon trademarks. I wont go into all the details of the lawsuit (which makes a pretty similar argument to a suit filed in 2002 by Andy Beckstoffer) so I hope youll read the article. (I could talk To Kalon trademarks all day, but this newsletter is probably not the place for that.)

We speak about To Kalon in the same way we speak about Monrachet, as if it were a real place. But the federal government regards To Kalon as a brand asset of Robert Mondavi Winery and its owner Constellation.

Could that change? Beckstoffers failed attempt to establish the Registry of Historic Napa Valley Vineyards in 2004 seemed like a bid to strengthen the To Kalon-as-place argument. In a similar vein, another To Kalon parcel owner, Graeme MacDonald, has successfully petitioned the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to recognize To Kalon Creek. Then last month he completed documentation for To Kalon with the Historic American Landscapes Survey, a division of the National Parks Service.

These endeavors represent an effort to establish To Kalon as a name that describes a place, in irrefutable geographic terms. And if To Kalon is a place, there ought to be some objective principle guiding the use of its name. If you accept this premise, the only logical outcome is for an appellation: the To Kalon AVA.

To Kalon could meet the AVA applications initial burden of name evidence; it has been known as To Kalon under multiple owners since the nineteenth century. The vineyard is fully contained within the Oakville AVA, making it eligible for a sub-AVA. It falls neatly along geographic boundaries: west of Highway 29, east of the Mayacamas Mountains, north of Oakville Grade Road, south of the Rutherford AVA boundary.

The benefits of a To Kalon AVA would not be confined to those who own portions of the vineyard. The modeling of this famous vineyard on the Burgundian system would be a boon for all of Napa Valley: It would affirm its lands potential for viticultural greatness throughout disparate eras and diverse interpreters. A vineyard like Montrachet is great because it has proven its greatness over hundreds of years.

Most slices of California vineyard land have not been around long enough to compete in that arena. But one has.

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P.S. When I was interviewing Dirty & Rowdy winemaker Hardy Wallace for my recent piece on Beaujolais-inspired wines in California, I learned about the tragedies he experienced during the 2017 vintage  a family death and temporary blindness, and that was before the wildfires hit. What came out of that harrowing moment was a wine that Wallace initially hated but eventually came to embrace. I was so moved by the story that I ended up writing a separate piece about it.

What Im drinking

A handful of California wineries model their lineups on Frances Loire Valley, focusing on Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc. Lang & Reed has been waving the Loire flag for two decades, and in the last few years Gamling & McDuck has been generating some Franc buzz. Now, a new label called T. Berkley, from winemaker Taylor Berkley Boydstun, explores these grape varieties from various North Coast vineyards. The T. Berkley Leaning Oak Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2016 ($60, 13.9%) leans toward the fuller, more generous side of Cab Franc, with juicy blood orange coming through on the nose, leading into strawberry leaf, dry cocoa powder and pencil lead flavors. Its got the varietys characteristically chalky tannins and a relatively subtle pyrazine presence.

What Im reading

Jessica Christian / The Chronicle

Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more.

When Emma Silvers was growing up in Albany, Calif., the Hotsy Totsy Club was the seedy dive bar where youd go for poorly made, very strong drinks while still underage. So imagine her surprise to see how charming the Hotsy Totsy has become. The drinks are actually good now. Heres Emmas full Drink Up review.

The week in winery acquisitions: Lede Family Wines, owner of Cliff Lede Vineyards and Fel Wines, is now an equal partner in Mas Doix, a winery in Spains Priorat region. (Lede is on a spree: In January, the company bought 120 acres of Carneros vineyard land for $10.8 million.) Meanwhile, Distinguished Vineyards & Wine Partners (the group that owns Argyle and MacRostie) announced the purchases of two Napa wine brands, Markham and Textbook.

Food & Wine magazine named its 2019 Sommeliers of the Year. Among them: our own Vinny Eng, of Tartine Manufactory.

Lighter wines: Theyre actually everywhere (and not just in my translucent reds feature last week). In the New York Times, Eric Asimov writes about a new wave of Australian wineries that are reacting against that countrys legacy of big, bold, boozy reds. And Jancis Robinson looks at Californias new wave.

A wine-adjacent (love that) beverage is suddenly popping up in a few North America wineries: piquette, a kind of spritz made from the grape skins left over after wine pressing. Have you tasted a piquette? Was it good? I am curious.

Bordeaux first-growth Chateau Lafite  which will not be participating in the regions upcoming en primeur week  has announced it is re-releasing its 2008 grand vin  for about $3,376 a case, which is 11 percent more than the 2008 is currently selling for in the secondary market, according to Decanter. Hmm.

Drinking with Esther is a weekly newsletter from The Chronicles wine critic. Follow along on Twitter: @Esther_Mobley and Instagram: @esthermob
Tony Naganuma was too young to remember the day in 1944 when he arrived at the internment camp in Texas. Like some of the immigrant children held in U.S. detention centers today, he was just a toddler.

Naganuma, who now makes his home in San Francisco, would later learn from his older sisters about the two FBI agents who showed up that March at their home in Callao, Peru, and arrested their father, a prosperous small businessman. The feds told the bewildered family they they were going away and had only three days to prepare to leave.

Flatbed trucks took the them to the city's port where they were marched onto a U.S. Army transport ship. Guards searched them and took all of their valuables, including the money Kiyoka, the second oldest daughter, had hidden in her shoes.

Naganuma, his parents and six siblings were among the approximately 2,000 Japanese-Peruvians who were forcibly deported  basically abducted with assistance from racist Peruvian authorities  under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's secret prisoner exchange program. The idea was to use the prisoners as bargaining chips for U.S. nationals captured by Japanese forces in Asia.

On Saturday, Naganuma will return to the Crystal City (Family) Internment Camp, where he and his family were imprisoned from 1944 to 1947. He will be joining other camp survivors  now in their 70s, 80s and 90s, some in wheelchairs or pushing walkers  for the Crystal City Pilgrimage, a protest against the Trump administration's immigration policy and the detention of immigrants in mass incarceration centers across the country.

"After 75 years, many people are still not aware of what took place in our history at the U.S. Department of Justice Internment Camps at Crystal City," Naganuma says.

"My family suffered badly and was deprived of our basic civil rights. We were never charged with a crime and put into prison without due process."

The suffering endured by his family on the cargo ship was especially harrowing.

Naganuma's father and oldest brother were kept in the ship's hold with about 200 other male prisoners. They were allowed on the deck for 10 minutes twice a day. His mother, three daughters and the three youngest sons were crowded into a 6- by 6-foot cabin.

"Even the air we had to breathe had a distinctive stench, and we all became nauseous," wrote Naganuma's sisters Iwaichi and Isoka in a memoir. "The journey took approximately three weeks and we were not allowed to bathe. (Their sister) Kiyoka recalls how she begged for milk for her youngest brother, Kazumu, 20 months old at that time, and was turned down."

Kazumu is Tony Naganuma's Japanese name.

When the ship finally arrived at the port in New Orleans, the family had no idea what city or even what country they were in. Immediately they were herded into a warehouse, stripped naked and sprayed with DDT.

Tony Naganuma/Special to SFGATE

A two-day ride on a train with blacked-out windows took them to the Crystal City facility, formerly a camp for spinach-picking migrant workers, on a hot, dusty plain in south Texas. Despite their ordeal, Naganuma's mother was heartened by the fact that they had not been executed.

"We were stripped of our personal rights, we were interned in a concentration camp in a foreign country," the sisters wrote. "We were frightened, humiliated, treated like animals, and we lost our home, all in a matter of a few weeks. But after this horrible experience, our mother was relieved because our family was able to stay together and our lives were spared."

About 100 people of Japanese ancestry, including former detainees, their children, grandchildren and friends are expected to take part in the Crystal City Pilgrimage. At least 31 from the Bay Area are making the journey.

MORE: Photos illustrate effects of WWII internment camps

The first stop Saturday will be at the camp, or what remains of it. The fences, guard towers, barracks, cottages and huts were razed long ago  only foundation slabs and a sad-looking flagpole remain today.

The group will then assemble at 2 p.m. for a demonstration outside the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, about a 90-minute drive from Crystal City. The South Texas Family Residential Center is the largest immigrant detention center in the nation.

A fanfare of Japanese taiko drums will open the program.

Pilgrimage organizers stated in a release that the protest was being staged to show support for current detainees and to express outrage that "their World War II history of unjust detention" is being repeated.

More than 10,000 individually folded paper cranes, or tsuru, the Japanese symbol of hope and healing, are being shipped by individuals and organizations throughout the country as a massive show of solidarity with the children and families confined South Texas Family Residential Center, organizers said. The cranes will be hung on the fence that surrounds the facility.

During the Second World War, more than 120,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry, many of them U.S. citizens and innocent of any crime, were forcibly removed from their homes and held under indefinite detention. Many lost their businesses, farms and other assets, often their entire life savings.

Up to 4,700 people were interned at Crystal City, with some families even held several years after the war ended. In August 1944, the camp held about 2,100 people of Japanese ancestry, many from the West Coast.

But Crystal City also imprisoned Germans and a much smaller number of Italians within its barbed-wire fences. In addition to Japanese-Peruvians and other Japanese-Latin Americans, FDR's prisoner exchange program also targeted German nationals living in the U.S. About 800 people of German descent were held in the camp in August 1944.

No matter what their ethnicity, no resources existed for the accused. There was no right to counsel, no questioning the proceedings or their accusers.

No Crystal City prisoner  and for that matter, no one held in any of the American internment camps  was ever convicted of spying or sabotage for Axis powers.

RELATED: Looking back on Ansel Adams' photographs of Japanese American internment

In 1988, then-President Ronald Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act and apologized on the government's behalf for the internment of Japanese-Americans. Tens of thousands of survivors of the camps were paid $20,000 each in reparation.

But many Japanese-Peruvians received nothing because they had not been U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the the United States at the time of their internment.

Naganuma wants to make sure this dark chapter of American history  the mass internment of people of Japanese descent  is not forgotten.

"I'm hoping to bring awareness to this unlawful act by our government," he said.
SAN FRANCISCO, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Neuromation, the leading Synthetic Data company for building smarter computer vision applications, today announced it will be exhibiting at AI Expo Tokyo . The company will be at Booth #10-5 and will welcome customer Panasonic Digital Communications (PDC) at its booth in the Exhibition Hall.



In todays explosive era of AI Transformation, organizations are attempting to master an influx of data. Its becoming evident that many companies will be disrupted if they dont adapt to Artificial Intelligence (AI). Just within the last four years, the number of companies implementing AI technologies has grown by 270 percent . But successful AI needs three core capabilities: talent, the latest models and techniques, and high-quality training data. Today, there is a widespread lack of high-quality training data to power AI applications. Synthetic Data is digitally created training data that enhances and substitutes real world data for building smarter AI applications. Neuromation enables the creation of vast, perfectly labeled Synthetic Data sets to enhance model performance and drive new model capabilities.

Panasonic Digital Communications (PDC), a Neuromation customer, will also be at the companys booth at the Expo. PDC drives over 30,000 screens worldwide for some of the worlds most recognizable global brands like CITIBANK, Japan Railway, and Tokyo Skytree. As PDC displays become more interactive, PDC engaged Neuromation to develop innovative solutions to improve consumer engagement in retail environments via the integration of computer vision AI with their interactive displays. In collaboration with Neuromation, PDC is developing their AI roadmap focused on creating a next-generation retail consumer experience through facial recognition, object recognition, gaze estimation and interactive display technologies. The initial project has been successfully demoed to wide acclaim at Japans premier shopping center exhibition SC Business Fair 2019 in front of over 55,000 attendees.

Were enthusiastic and excited to experience AI Expo Tokyo 2019 first-hand as an exhibitor, said Yashar Behzadi, CEO of Neuromation. Japan is one of the most established regions for AI accomplishments and is consistently on the cusp of global innovation and trend-setting. Were humbled to be a part of the local AI community and look forward to making meaningful connections at the Expo.

AI Expo Tokyo 2019 Details

Where : Tokyo Big Sight, Japan; Booth # 10-5

: Tokyo Big Sight, Japan; Booth # 10-5 When: April 3-5, 2019

About Neuromation

Neuromation is the leading platform that lets you build smarter computer vision applications using synthetic data. Based in San Francisco and founded in 2017, the companys mission is to empower more companies around the world to build smarter AI applications using computer vision and synthetic data. To learn more, visit Neuromation.io .
This article, FTC shuts down four groups responsible for billions of illegal robocalls, originally appeared on CNET.com.

Four companies that made billions of illegal robocalls have been caught and fined.

The Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday said the agency reached settlements with four operations responsible for billions of illegal robocalls pitching debt-relief services, home security systems, fake charities, auto warranties and Google search results services. The companies were charged with violating the FTC Act, as well as the agency's Telemarketing Sales Rule and its Do Not Call provisions.

"We have brought dozens of cases targeting illegal robocalls, and fighting unwanted calls remains one of our highest priorities," said Andrew Smith, director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection at the FTC, in a release. "We also have great advice on call-blocking services and how to reduce unwanted calls at [our website.]"

The settlements come as the agency focuses on combating illegal robocalls. The four companies, NetDotSolutions, Higher Goals Marketing, Veterans of America and Pointbreak Media, are banned by court orders from robocalling and most telemarketing activities, according to the FTC's release.

Industry analysts in September predicted that nearly half of the mobile phone calls we get this year would be scams. The Federal Communications Commission has been calling on carriers to step up their game in combating robocalls. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai last month said phone companies need to implement robust caller ID authentication systems by the end of this year. If they don't, the FCC will consider "regulatory intervention."

The fines the FTC imposed on the companies and their owners range from $500,000 to over $3 million. Some of the proposed settlements are still waiting for final court approval.
Dear Abby: Im originally from El Salvador. I have been living in the U.S. for five years, have been studying English for four years and I have my GED. I want to join the U.S. Marine Corps because it is my dream. I want to do it because I think that service to this country is the best thing I can do. I want to protect this country, and I want my family to be proud of me. Here is the problem: My mom and my wife dont want me to do it because they say it is dangerous. I love them both, but I want to achieve my dream. What should I do?

Dreaming in Houston

Dear Dreaming: I appreciate the concern your mother and your wife feel for your safety. Because they love you, of course they worry. However, the person who must live your life is you. If joining the United States Marine Corps is your dream, then following your dream is what you should do. Now is the time to have a heart-to-heart talk with your wife because this decision will have an impact on her life as well as yours.

Dear Abby: I raised my children to be respectful, responsible adults who are career- and family-oriented. Both are college graduates, married and successful. My eldest daughter recently announced that she has been going through something and surprised us with a tattoo on her shoulder sporting her childrens names on a colorful, rather large background. I was shocked because she works at a large banking firm and was recently promoted as a senior financial investor. Im now afraid it will impede her career advancement, and also concerned it will encourage her two young daughters to get tattoos. I have never encouraged my children to do something like this. In fact, I did the opposite. Am I overreacting? What does a mother say about something so permanent? I no longer feel I know this person I thought was conservative.

Disappointed in North Carolina

Dear Disappointed: Yes, you are overreacting. This is not a referendum on your parenting or your daughters character. In a situation like this, a mother should ask her daughter what things she has been going through, and what that tattoo means to her. The mother should also recognize that her daughter is an adult now, and her choice to apply body art is just that  a choice. Then she should listen carefully to what her daughter has to say, so that, if necessary, she can be supportive.
RIMOUSKI, Quebec, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Puma Exploration Inc. (PUMA-TSXV) (the Company or Puma) is pleased to release positive results for the metallurgical program currently in progress at Murray Brook Deposit located in the Famous Bathurst Mining Camp (BMC) in New Brunswick (see Figure 1). The program was designed to investigate the potential of processing the Murray Brook mineralization by utilizing the existing mill flowsheet at the Caribou Mine. Flotation test work was conducted from the two distinct zones (Zn-Pb and Cu-Zn) to the current Caribou plant grinding and flotation conditions. Additional flotation test work of a scoping nature was also conducted to evaluate a third zone for potential optimizations of near surface mineralization.



The Zinc-Lead Zone (P1) (see Figure 2) of the deposit yields recoveries of 86.6% Zn and 70.4% Pb with 39.9% of Ag reporting to the Pb concentrate. The P1 results are higher than the published results by Trevali from the Caribou underground mine (07/11/2019) and also significantly higher than the initial recovery tests conducted by Votorantim Metals Canada in the studies of 2013.

For the first time, recovery tests were conducted on a newly defined Copper-Zinc zone of the Murray Brook Deposit. The Copper-Zinc Zone (P3) (see Figure 2) also reported positive results with initial Copper recovery of 79.5 % Cu with 54.9% of Ag reporting to the copper concentrate and a Zinc recovery of 65.6 % Zn. Further optimization test work is in progress on both P1 and P3 Zones to evaluate the potential to further upgrade recovery and reduced reagent consumption.

Table 1. Feed Grade Analyses of the Zones P1, P3, and PB composite samples

Zone Sample ID Pb (%) Zn (%) Cu (%) Ag (g/t) Au (g/t) P1 Zn - Pb 1.70 5.15 0.16 68 0.365 P3 Cu - Zn 0.63 1.31 1.01 44 0.504 PB (Surface) Zn - Cu 0.55 2.48 1.31 27 0.364

Marcel Robillard, President and CEO, stated: "We are very pleased with these metallurgical tests, as they prove the zinc-lead sulphide mineralization from Murray Brook Deposit is amenable to industry standard flotation processing and have produced excellent first pass zinc recoveries and a market-ready concentrate: an important step towards de-risking the project. The increase of the lead and consequently of the silver recovery is significant in the overall economics of the project as the MB Deposit contains a current resource of 610 Mlbs of Zn, 209.3 Mlbs of Pb, 53.8 Mlbs of Cu, 110.9 Koz of Au and 11.7 Moz of Ag (filled sedar).

As an additional upside potential, preliminary recovery tests on the near surface material were performed for the first time. The near surface zone (PB) (see Figure 2) was found to be oxidized and rougher flotation results indicated that further scoping test work on the rougher flotation circuit would be required to ascertain operating conditions that will allow for the efficient separation of Zn and Cu. Optimization and Zn cleaning test work is in progress on these concentrates to evaluate the potential for Zn upgrade and an estimate of final recovery.

A review of the news release since January 2016 found on the Puma Exploration website will help to better understand the potential of these metallurgical results as they related to the current size of the deposit and reported resources.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION REGARDING THE NEWS RELEASE

The metallurgical drilling program consisted of 1,683 meters of drilling within seven (7) new holes collared on the Murray Brook Deposit (see news release 2018-08-29). The locations, orientations and angles of the holes were defined according to a preliminarily mine design including the two (2) main targeted zones of the Murray Brook Deposit which are the High-Grade Zinc-Lead (P1) and High-Grade Copper-Zinc sulphide (P3). As a potential upside, preliminary metallurgical tests were also performed on the surface zone (PB).

Table 2: Drill Results of the Massive Sulphide intersected at the Murray Brook Deposit

DDH # From (m) To (m) Length Pb% Zn% Cu% Ag g/t Zones MB-2018-01 46.7 101.0 54.4 0.57 1.23 1.16 37 Cu-Zn MB-2018-02 19.0 228.0 209.0 0.84 2.83 0.38 33 Zn-Pb & Cu-Zn MB-2018-03 11.4 110.0 98.6 0.48 2.51 0.79 29 Zn-Pb & Cu-Zn MB-2018-04 114.0 252.3 138.3 0.69 1.56 0.65 37 Cu-Zn MB-2018-05 109.4 230.3 120.9 2.05 6.11 0.11 70 Zn-Pb MB-2018-06A 57.0 215.1 158.1 1.20 3.75 0.15 38 Zn-Pb MB-2018-07 154.9 242.0 87.1 2.35 6.86 0.13 96 Zn-Pb

Note: the true thickness is ranging from 70%-90% of the core intercepts.

The aim of the metallurgical test work conducted was to develop a favourable recovery process using the Caribou flowsheet as currently in usage or with small modifications. The historical Votorantim metallurgical composite was used as a starting point (RPC Report Reference No.: MIS-J1859). Further objectives of the tests conducted also included evaluating the operating conditions that would produce a high-grade Zn concentrate at high Zn recovery values during Zn cleaning flotation the P1 Zone; a good Cu and Zn separation during rougher flotation on PB Zone near surface material and optimizing flotation results on P3 Zone (Cu-Zn zone).

Flotation test work was therefore conducted to evaluate the response of Murray Brook material from the two zones to current Caribou plant grinding and flotation conditions, as well as some flotation test work at a scoping level to evaluate potential optimizations. In addition to the flotation test work, additional metallurgical test work was performed to better understand the characteristics of the Murray Brook material; and included the following work:

Heavy Liquid Separation (HLS) tests were conducted on P1 material to evaluate the potential for pre-concentration;

Bench scale milling test work was conducted to obtain comminution circuit design information;

Mineralogical characterization was conducted to aid in designing the flotation operating conditions;

Zn concentrate material produced during Zone P1 locked cycle flotation was also subjected to characterization test work;

Mill standardization test work was accomplished on all 3 zones to ensure that target grind sizes could be reached during flotation test work; and

Scoping work on rougher flotation on P1 and P3 Zone material aided in developing optimal operating conditions.

1. HIGH-GRADE ZINC-LEAD DOMAIN (P1)

A total of 75 meters of half core (270 Kg) of High-Grade Zinc P1 Zone core was collected from five (5) different holes well distributed and representatives of the higher-grade zone (see figure 2). The head grade of the composite sample is 5.15% Zn, 1.70% Pb, 0.16% Cu, 68 g/t Ag and 0.37 g/t Au. Through locked cycle test work, it was found that the P1 material could produce a Zn concentrate product from the 4th cleaner cells containing 49.00 % Zn metal at a Zn recovery of 86.6 % in 7.4 % of the feed mass in closed circuit. The 4th cleaner cells Pb concentrate product graded 39.29 % Pb, 833 g/t Ag and 0.465g/t Au at 68.9 % Pb recovery in 2.7 % of the feed mass. Detailed variability testing on lower grade Zn zone material produced positive results during open circuit Pb cleaning scoping flotation test work.

Mineralogy of P1 material indicated that the estimated mean particle size of the sulphides was 207 m with galena particles being ~ 11 m, sphalerite particles ~20 m and chalcopyrite particles being ~12 m. The material contained 71.78 % pyrite, 11.18 % sphalerite, 2.07 % galena and 0.24 % chalcopyrite.

Based on the P1 bench scale milling test work, the Zn-Pb Zone P1 was classified as moderately soft with respect to SAG milling and as moderately hard with respect to its RWI. The sample fell in the soft range of hardness with respect to ball milling (BWI) and was also categorized as abrasive.

2. HIGH-GRADE COPPER-ZINC DOMAIN (P3)

This is the first time that the P3 Zone has had metallurgical test done on it. A total of 134 meters of half core (471 Kg) of High-Grade Zinc core collected from four (4) different holes well distributed and representatives of this higher-grade Cu-Zn zone (P3). The head grade of the composite sample is 1.31% Zn, 0.63% Pb, 1.01% Cu, 44 g/t Ag and 0.50 g/t Au. The P3 material was found to produce a Cu 4th cleaner concentrate product containing 19.36 % Cu, 367 g/t Ag and 0.739 g/t Au at a Cu recovery of 79.5 % in 3.8 % of the feed mass along with a Zn 4th cleaner concentrate containing 48.70 % Zn metal at a Zn recovery of 65.6 % in 1.1 % of the feed mass in a closed circuit. Further optimization test work was recommended, to evaluate the extent to which recoveries could be further increased.

3. SURFACE DOMAIN (PB)

A total of 65 meters of half core (195 Kg) of surface material core collected from two (2) different holes representatives of the near surface zone (PB). The head grade of the composite sample is 2.48% Zn, 0.55% Pb, 1.31% Cu, 27 g/t Ag and 0.36 g/t Au. This is also the first time that the PB (near surface zone) has had metallurgical testing. In these initial tests it was found to be difficult to treat, possibly due to oxidation and further test work was recommended to evaluate conditions that would allow for better separation of Zn and Cu. At a depth of 30 m, the metallurgical response improved as indicated from depth variability test work and it was possible to produce a product that contained 14.78 % Zn and 3.67 % Cu at recoveries of 86.1 % for Zn and 59.7 % for Cu in 20.4 % of the feed mass. Optimization and Zn cleaning test work was recommended on this product to evaluate the potential for producing an upgraded Zn product from this zone. Further work on a copper recovery was also recommended. The surface zone was amenable to leaching with extractions of 96.5 % for Zn and 79.6 % for Cu being obtained during scoping test work and further optimization work was recommended.

About the Murray Brook Project

The Murray Brook Project consists of three (3) distinct contiguous areas that covers 8,800 hectares and more than 18 kilometers of the favorable rocks that host the operating Caribou Mine (Trevali Mining Corp.), the Murray Brook Deposit and the past operating Restigouche Mine (Trevali Mining Corp.). From east to west, the Murray Brook Project comprises the Murray Brook East Property (4925), the Murray Brook Mining Lease (# 252) and the Murray Brook West Property (7846).

About the Murray Brook Deposit

The Murray Brook Deposit (Mining Lease #252) covers an area of 484 hectares with a currently defined measured and indicated mineral resources of 5.28 million tonnes averaging 5.24% zinc, 1.80% lead, 0.46% copper, 68.9 g/t silver and 0.65 g/t gold. The core of this mineral resource occurs in the West Zone which is 200 meters wide, extending from surface to 300 meters vertical and the true thickness of the massive sulphide body varies from 75 meters to 100 meters. The East Zone (Copper-Gold) is 100 meters wide, also extending from surface to 300 vertical meters and is mainly mineralized with gold and copper. On February 20th 2017, a NI 43-101 report was accepted and filed on SEDAR.

About Puma Exploration Inc.

Puma Exploration is a Canadian mineral exploration company with advanced precious and base metals projects in Canada. The Company's major assets consist of an option to acquire 100% beneficial interest in the Murray Brook Property, the wholly owned Turgeon Zinc-Copper Project and the Nicholas-Denys Project all located in the Bathurst Mining Camp of New Brunswick. As well as an equity interest in BWR Resources, exploring in Manitoba. Pumas objective for the coming year is to focus its exploration efforts in New Brunswick and advance the Murray Brook Deposit.

Qualified Persons and QC/AC

The content of this press release was prepared by Marcel Robillard, P.Geo., President and Dominique Gagne, P.Geo., Vice President Exploration of Puma Exploration, qualified persons as defined by NI 43-101, who supervised the preparation and technical information that forms the basis for this news release. 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. Mr. Robillard and Mr. Gagne are not independent of the Company, as both are officers and shareholders thereof.

You can visit us on Facebook and Twitter.

Learn more by consulting www.pumaexploration.com for further information on Puma Exploration Inc.

Marcel Robillard, President

(418) 724-0901

president@explorationpuma.com

Forward-Looking Statements: This press release may contain forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Puma Exploration Inc. to be materially different from actual future results and achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements which speak only as of the date the statements were made, except as required by law. Puma Exploration undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties are described in the quarterly and annual reports and in the documents submitted to the securities administration.

Two figures accompanying this announcement are available at:

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ee754e1b-1afe-4c3b-aada-8db37a51f94b

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3cd6f491-f0d2-45cd-933d-1d0ffbc9b7ed
Christian Petzold's "Transit" takes a huge risk and mostly pulls it off. A German, and one of today's premier European filmmakers, Petzold gambles on a simple but radical alteration of his source material that's certain to infuriate some viewers.

That source is an acclaimed 1944 modernist novel, "Transit Visa" by Anna Seghers, a German Jew and communist who in 1940 fled Paris after the Nazi occupation. It's a story about the crushing imperative to flee from murderous ideologies and the mixture of desperation and tedium suffered by those thwarted in the attempt.

Like the novel, Petzold's film takes place in Paris and Marseilles as the Germans are spreading terror through France. But "Transit" doesn't take place 80 years ago  it's set in something that looks more like the present, a present where shrieking police sirens are a constant and house-to-house searches take place to find and eradicate enemies of the state.

A young German man, Georg (a riveting Franz Rogowski), is focused on getting out of Paris one step ahead of the invading Germans, having already experienced their brutality. He is persuaded to accompany a famous communist writer, carrying his latest manuscript, to Marseilles, where the author will meet up with his wife and flee to Mexico. The writer never even makes it to Marseilles.

Mistaken for the writer, Georg realizes that an impersonation might be his ticket out of France. Of course, complications arise. He encounters the writer's wife (Paula Beer), who had told her husband she was leaving him. She has taken up with a doctor (Godehard Giese), who is almost wounded by his love for her. Georg falls for her himself, which raises more difficulties.

There are ample opportunities for self-sacrifice, and betrayals as well. Characters collapse in the face of fear, or collaborate. Our hero needs to flee but can't or won't, and time is growing short as the Germans close in.

"Transit" aims to invoke dread and a suffocating atmosphere. It trusts viewers to make connections. Overall, the filmmaking is exceptional. Still, I have qualms about the director's choice to use occasional voice-over narration, and there's a digression involving Georg's relationship with a lonely Arab boy and his deaf-mute mother that seems unnecessary.

But Petzold, whose "Barbara" (2012) won the best director award at the Berlin Film Festival, has no difficulty creating a sense of existential woe. "Transit" has a hint of science fiction, and more than a hint of Kafka. And despite the story's link to World War II, it's clear that Petzold wants it to resonate with today's immigration problems.

It's a demanding film but gives a lot in return.
Improved volcano monitoring and early eruption warning systems could be coming soon to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Up to $55 million could go toward the systems in just one part of the omnibus public lands bill signed by President Donald Trump earlier this month, though it's not yet known how much would go to Washington state.

The funding is great news to USGS scientists, who say such a system could save lives, especially in Washington state where four of the country's 18 most threatening volcanoes are located. Four more are in Oregon, and three are in California.

"Really, the bottom line for us is ... the strategy of 'wait for it to wake up and then get monitoring equipment out there' is not a good strategy," Seth Moran, scientist in charge at the USGS's Cascades Volcano Observatory, said by phone.

The four highest-threat volcanoes in Washington are Glacier Peak, Mount Baker, Mount Rainier and Mount St. Helens.

RELATED: These West Coast volcanoes pose 'very high' threat, USGS says

Mount St. Helens, which explosively erupted in 1980, already has a sufficient amount of monitoring equipment, including 25 monitors and 20 GPS stations within 12 miles of the volcano, along with webcams and instruments able to detect sound waves or monitor gas.

"That full suite is the goal for what kinds of networks we think we should put on the volcanoes in the Cascades that pose the greatest risk to people," Moran said.

But right now, the other volcanoes on the most-threatening list are a little lacking. Mount Rainier is about halfway there, Moran said, but Glacier Peak and Mount Baker have just one and two seismometers respectively.

"Glacier Peak has been a place where we're working on a permanent process with the Forest Service for several years now to bring the volcano up to at least a baseline of monitoring," Moran said, adding that the dense forest of the terrain in the area makes it difficult to access. "It's been a tough nut to crack for a long time.

RELATED: We may still not know how to predict earthquakes  but there are ways to prepare

"We've been working with the resources we're given, and that's been our plan. That could change conceivably ... if there are appropriations that are received as a result of the (bill) authorization."

Though the bill authorizing the system has been passed by Congress and signed by the president, funding for the system has not yet been approved as part of the national budget. The country's fiscal year begins on Oct. 1, so appropriations wound need to be passed before then for the system to be funded -- and the $55 million mentioned in the bill represents the upper limit of what could become available.

As for how much warning such a system could give -- well, it's hard to say. Moran gave the examples of a volcano in Alaska giving signs of an upcoming eruption over a year in advance. Others gave a week or several hours of warning. But when Mount Ontake erupted in Japan in 2014, it was almost spontaneous.

But a warning system in place will give society "the most amount of time" to respond and get to safety, Moran said.

RELATED: 'The safest place to be': Why the new SR-99 tunnel will withstand large earthquakes

In Washington, scientists expect an early warning system to be especially effective because it has been thousands of years since Mount Baker, Glacier Peak or Mount Rainier have erupted. That means magma would need to break through cold rock to re-establish a pathway to the surface.

"We expect to get decent warning, like what Mount St. Helens gave us," Moran said.

The first signs of eruption at Mount St. Helens were observed over a month before the well-known explosion on May 18, 1980. Small earthquakes began on March 16, 1980. Earthquakes intensified over the next 11 days, and steam vented on March 27. Small eruptions continued through April 22 before activity seemingly paused until they began again on May 7. They continues until May 18, 1980, when a 5.1 magnitude earthquake struck, causing one side of the volcano to collapse and explosively released plumes of ash and smoke into the air. Fifty-seven people died.

Producer Natalie Guevara can be contacted at natalie.guevara@seattlepi.com. Follow her on Twitter. Find more from Natalie on her author page.
WASHINGTON 

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday called Attorney General William Barrs synopsis of the Mueller report that cleared President Trump of campaign collusion with Russia and criminal obstruction condescending and arrogant.

Mr. Attorney General, we do not need your interpretation, Pelosi said. Show us the report and well come to our own conclusions. She mocked the administration and Republicans as scaredy-cats.

As that battle brews, House Democrats barreled ahead with their oversight of the Trump administration, and Trump resumed his attack on Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, just as the chairman of the intelligence committee was about to gavel the panel into session.

Congressman Adam Schiff, who spent two years knowingly and unlawfully lying and leaking, should be forced to resign from Congress! Trump tweeted early Thursday.

Republicans picking up on Trumps complaints formalized their demand that Schiff resign as chairman of the intelligence panel over his comments that there was significant evidence the president and his associates conspired with Russia.

We have no faith in your ability to discharge your responsibilities in line with the Constitution, the Republicans wrote to Schiff in a missive they read aloud at the hearing.

Republicans pointed to Barrs synopsis that the Trumps campaign did not conspire or coordinate with the Russian government to influence the 2016 presidential election.

Schiff stood by his remarks, listing the meetings those in Trumps circle had with Russians. He noted Trumps pursuit of a deal to build a Trump Tower in Moscow.

There is a different word for that than collusion, and its called compromise, Schiff said, as he opened the session. The hearing was called to provide an overview on how Russia in the past has blackmailed Americans.

Since Barrs findings were released, Schiff this week has repeated his assertion that evidence of collusion is in plain sight. He says Muellers failure to find a criminal conspiracy with Russia does not absolve the Trump campaign of its actions.

Pelosi stood by Schiff, saying she was proud of him and taunted Republicans  and Trump  for fearing the chairman whom she called a patriotic leader.

Lisa Mascaro, Laurie Kellman and Mary Clare Jalonick are Associated Press writers.
SAN FRANCISCO, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Yulia Mitchell, Zephyr Real Estate agent, recently passed the brokerage exam and is now a bona fide licensed broker. She joined Zephyr four years ago, and was awarded the Rookie of the Year award. That award, along with her passion for real estate, has been the key to her continued success.



Originally from Russia, Yulia and her husband have traveled the globe extensively but were drawn by the magnetic pull of San Francisco in 2011. The Bay Areas international community and flavor provide the perfect match for her global experiences and training.

With a Masters in Economics, coupled with an inherent entrepreneurial spirit, she has found the real estate industry to be a lifestyle in which she excels and finds great fulfillment. Navigating the diverse cultures and neighborhoods of San Francisco allows Yulia to maximize her strengths for her clients and to fuel her need to expand her knowledge and polish her skills.

I truly enjoy personal growth and continuing my education, Yulia commented. I want to showcase my experience, improve my knowledge and take my license to the next level.

Achieving her brokers license was the latest step in her growth and continuing education. The preparation for the exam includes completing several college-level courses, and a minimum of two years experience as Realtor. The written exam is an exhaustive 200-question test lasting in excess of five hours. Yulia managed all that with flying colors. She joins over 30 of the 350 Zephyr agents who have also earned their brokers license

We congratulate Yulia on achieving this next milestone in her career, commented Michael Barnacle, manager of the Pacific Heights office. Her star will continue to rise with her unwavering enthusiasm and commitment to excellence.

Yulia, fluent in both English and Russian, may be reached at yuliamitchell@zephyrsf.com or 415.385.3712.

About Zephyr Real Estate

Founded in 1978, Zephyr Real Estate is San Franciscos No. 1 independent real estate firm with nearly $2.3 billion in gross sales and a current roster of more than 350 full-time agents. Zephyrs highly-visited website has earned two web design awards, including the prestigious Interactive Media Award. Zephyr Real Estate is a member of the international relocation network, Leading Real Estate Companies of the World; global luxury affiliate, Mayfair International; the local luxury marketing association, the Luxury Marketing Council of San Francisco; and the regional luxury real estate affiliation, the Artisan Group. Zephyr has nine locations across San Francisco, Marin, Alameda and San Mateo Counties and two brokerage affiliates in Sonoma County, all strategically positioned to serve a large customer base throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. For more information, visit www.ZephyrRE.com.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6c37cfc4-2885-4476-ae84-aeb14085b61c
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KCRA)  A family is seeking answers about two missing people who they believe were in a tow truck that plunged off the Pioneer Bridge and into the Sacramento River Tuesday night.

The crash happened around 8:30 p.m. on westbound Highway 50, just west of Interstate 5. The California Highway Patrol said a big rig crashed into the tow truck, catapulting it over the bridge's guardrail and into the Sacramento River. The bridge is about 100 feet above the river.

Shalvinesh Sharma and Roselyn Sharma are the owners and operators of Justin's Towing of Sacramento. Family members believe the married couple was in the tow truck when it fell into the river.

KCRA

Search crews located the tow truck about 30 feet under the water Tuesday night, but had to call off recovery efforts because water conditions were too dangerous, West Sacramento Fire Department Battalion Chief Scott Pfeifer said.

Donald Singh, Roselyn Sharma's brother, said he fears the worst. The GPS on the couple's tow truck showed they were driving west on Highway 50, toward Pioneer Bridge at the time of the crash.

"We located the GPS. It says we lost the signal at 8:30 p.m." Singh said. "The tow truck is in the water, and hopefully we can recover them as soon as possible. But so far, there is no help -- there is no help."

Help for the recovery mission has been delayed because the Sacramento River is running too fast on Wednesday for divers to go in the water.

"River flows are currently estimated to be between 5 and 6 knots; the fast currents allowable in in public safety diving are between 1 and 3 knots," the Sacramento Drowning Accident Rescue Team said in a statement to KCRA.

Finding the exact location of the tow truck is challenging in the swift water, so the Sacramento County sheriff's marine unit has been asked to help.

"One of our boats is equipped with a size-scan sonar unit, and that allows us to scan the water in different ways and get a different angle on maybe an object in the water," Sgt. Shaun Hampton said.

In the meantime, it's an agonizing wait for family members hoping that Shalvinesh and Roselyn somehow survived the crash.

"Are they alive or not? We just want to know that because their kids are waiting," said Usman Batcha, the brother-in-law of Shalvinesh.
London, UK, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (via Blockchain Wire) CoinAcquiring today announced the addition of crypto friendly bank accounts to its growing portfolio of essential financial services it can offer to crypto industry businesses and merchants.

The London-based firm is an innovative company specialising in providing crypto merchants with fiat-to-crypto payment processing, and more recently corporate banking and other financial services too. CoinAcquiring is now able to assist businesses with account opening at banks which are friendly to the crypto industry. The corporate bank accounts available include features such as:

Multi-currency accounts in GBP, EUR, USD, AUD, CAD, CHF, CZK, DKK, HKD, JPY, NOK, PLN, RON, SEK, ZAR

SEPA instant credit transfers

Virtual IBANs

0% foreign exchange

Wire transfer by SWIFT

Physical and virtual debit cards for spending

Visa & MasterCard merchant acquiring facilities

This exciting new service is worth noting due to the difficulty that crypto merchants face with finding any sort of banking or payment processing services. Banking is notoriously difficult for crypto businesses said David Jones, Senior Payments Consultant at CoinAcquiring. Banks still dont fully understand how to evaluate risk in the crypto industry, and instead just turn the business away and close accounts. These core banking & payment services are vital for any crypto business to operate and CoinAcquiring is excited to offer a service which takes the headache out of account opening and makes the process easy and straightforward.

Using CoinAcquiring services also adds a layer of security and longevity to the merchant and bank accounts opened owing to its strong relationships with the banks. If CoinAcquiring is involved in the process, it means that banks are more likely to consider a company, and not simply turn the business away.

Backed by a number of cryptocurrency and financial services veterans, CoinAcquiring is a stepping stone for cryptocurrency merchants to successfully enter the industry in the most hassle-free way possible.

Offering crypto friendly corporate bank accounts to our services is a huge milestone for both us and the crypto industry. said Jones. We are very excited to be the channel through which crypto merchants can gain access to fiat based payment processing and banking services without any issues. We know how difficult fiat to crypto payment processing can be to set up, and we want to create a space where crypto businesses can focus on building exciting products and technologies instead of having to worry about whether their banking infrastructure is reliable or not.

About CoinAcquiring:

CoinAcquiring is a consulting firm specialising in helping crypto industry businesses solve their financial services needs. Based in London and founded by a group of fintech and crypto veterans in 2018, through its banking partners CoinAcquiring is able to offer payment processing merchant accounts, corporate bank accounts and foreign exchange services to businesses across the crypto industry.

Press Contacts:
Acumen Research and Consulting, a global provider of market research studies, in a recently published report titled Energy Storage Systems Market (By Technology: PHS, Electrochemical, Electromechanical, Thermal) - Global Industry Analysis, Market Size, Opportunities and Forecast, 2018 - 2026.



LOS ANGELES, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The worldwide energy storage systems market size is anticipated reach a total capacity of 211,823 MW by the end of 2026 and the industry is estimated to show a CAGR of 2.2% during the coming years.

Rising demand for efficient and competitive energy resources over the past period has mainly driven the industry. It is projected to register a CAGR of 2.2% during the coming years.

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Increasing consumer consciousness regarding efficient energy consumption paired with demand for smart homes with operative load management is anticipated to play a main role in the growth of energy storage system industry. Rising need by electric utilities, on account of demand for distributed energy integration with the main grid, is possible to fuel the development over the prediction period.

Hybrid systems comprise of start-stop systems, e-bikes and hybrid vehicles, are anticipated to present the strongest development opportunity for lithium-ion battery producers. Players for instance, Altairnano, AES, and GE Renewable, are spending enormous capital in R&D of novel technologies within the battery storage segment.

(PHS) Pumped Hydro Storage systems is anticipated to remain a leading segment by 2026 owing to continuing investments to advancing on-grid capacity and upgrading energy infrastructure in Asia Pacific and North America. The segment captures around 90% of the worldwide energy storage systems capacity in 2018.

Expanding acknowledgment of hybrid and electric vehicles couple with the government incentives offered for advancing EV innovation is anticipated to support development of electric vehicle and energy storage system industry. While battery services are yet to improve and outperform the gasoline fueling infrastructure, unstable costs of gas are relied upon to decidedly impact the demand for electric vehicles over the estimated period.

View Detail Information with Complete TOC@ https://www.acumenresearchandconsulting.com/energy-storage-systems-market

The global energy storage systems market has been classified into technology and region. Based on technology, the global energy storage systems market is segregated into PHS, electrochemical, electromechanical, and thermal. On the basis of region, the global energy storage systems market is bifurcated into North America, Latin America, Europe, Middle East & Africa, and Asia Pacific.

Asia Pacific drove the worldwide market with a storage capacity exceeding surpassing 81 GW in 2017. Up and coming PHS projects are foreseen to help the area development over the estimate time frame. Rising power utilization has brought about the requirement for storage systems in China, Japan, and Southeast Asia. Growing requirement for energy the executives in utility-scale ventures and peak load requirement are relied upon to drive the need for different ESS, for example, batteries, CAES, and flywheel.

Spain, Switzerland, Germany, France, Italy, and Austria represented a storage capacity limit of over 6.6 GW in 2017. Be that as it may, the huge market entrance of existing hybrid and pure renewable energy technologies in Germany and U.K. is probably going to drive need in potential areas over these nations.

North America has an expansive number of PHS offices when contrasted with different ESS advancements. The market is foreseen to observe noteworthy development soon inferable from a substantial number of arranged electrochemical facilities. Rising activities in R&D ventures combined with stringent guidelines relating to the environmental emissions of fossil-fueled power generation is relied upon to additionally fuel the development.

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Augmented installation of renewable energy sources along with rising requirement of storing the generated electricity for (UPS) Uninterrupted Power Supply has also led to substantial increase in demand. Numerous nations in Europe and North America have undertaken initiatives for advancing renewable power generation by the end of 2050 to accomplish a sustainable future with the assistance of clean energy.

Thermal energy storage has been the most prominent sector for government interests in the Americas. The administration of Chile has broadened the tax credits required for installing solar thermal systems in buildings by the end of 2020. Rising need to reduce the exponentially developing pollution and give residents a sound living climate, clean drinking water, green condition, and outside air to accomplish a supportable future are probably going to drive the market over the estimate time frame.

The top companies in the global energy storage systems market are AltairNano; GE; The Furukawa Battery Co., Ltd.; Maxwell Technologies, Inc.; Electrovaya; Active Power; EnSync; Furukawa Battery; and Fluence; Saft.

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To call Meredith Monk a vocalist and composer is true as far as it goes, but that only captures a fraction of the multifarious splendor of her 50-year artistic career. Shes also a dancer, choreographer and filmmaker, as well as someone who consistently unfolds creative paths in regions where few if any have trod.

Monk returns to the Bay Area this week with a new work for vocal ensemble. Cellular Songs is billed as a music theater piece (these genre boundaries are always fluid where Monk is concerned), and it comes on the heels of the ecologically minded On Behalf of Nature. Once again, Monk will use music, motion and gesture to evoke the mysteries of our interdependent relationship with nature  and much else besides.
NEW YORK, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Levi & Korsinsky announces it has commenced an investigation of Bloom Energy Corporation (NYSE: BE) concerning possible violations of federal securities laws. To obtain additional information, go to:



https://www.zlk.com/pslra-1/bloom-energy-corporation-loss-form

or contact Joseph E. Levi, Esq. either via email at jlevi@levikorsinsky.com or by telephone at (212) 363-7500, toll-free: (877) 363-5972.

Levi & Korsinsky is a national firm with offices in New York, California, Connecticut and Washington D.C. The firms attorneys have extensive expertise in prosecuting securities litigation involving financial fraud, representing investors throughout the nation in securities and shareholder lawsuits. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
English French

United Kingdom: JCDecaux awarded second place in Sedex award for "Best Environmental Sustainability Programme"

Paris, March 28th, 2019 - JCDecaux S.A. (Euronext Paris: DEC), the number one outdoor advertising company worldwide, announces that its subsidiary JCDecaux UK has been awarded second place in the prestigious "Best Environmental Sustainability Programme" award in the supplier category, at the Sedex conference in London on March 26th.

Over 50,000 companies (buyers, suppliers and auditors) in 150 countries use Sedex to manage their performance in relation to labour law, health and safety, sustainability and business ethics. Sedex provides one of the world's largest collaborative platforms for sharing responsible sourcing data about supply chains. The Sedex conference is an annual event held to recognise responsible businesses, with award winners selected by a panel of experts. The conference brings together more than 700 business leaders, professionals and government representatives.

This award recognises JCDecaux's sustainable development strategy and extra-financial results in the United Kingdom. Thanks to JCDecaux's waste management programme, 98% of its UK waste is now sorted and recycled with the goal of bringing this to 100% by 2020. Since 2012, JCDecaux UK has reduced its vehicle carbon emissions by 31% and has generated energy savings of 65% across all its buildings and premises. In 2018, JCDecaux worked with partners including Heathrow Sustainability Partnership, TFL (Transport for London) and Network Rail on a range of initiatives to reduce its environmental footprint. As a result of the ongoing efforts of its teams, the environmental and energy management systems used by JCDecaux UK have received ISO 14001 and ISO 50001 certification respectively.

Jean-Francois Decaux, Co-Chief Executive Officer of JCDecaux, said: "We are very proud of JCDecaux UK's recognition for "Best Environmental Sustainability Programme". This award recognises the long-term approach that we have taken to achieve development through a sustainable business model that respects the planet and its inhabitants. A core element of the company's strategy, sustainable development enables us to anticipate future changes and represents a significant driver of growth and innovation. As we currently implement a rigorous six-pronged Group-wide action plan to reduce our environmental footprint, this recognition reflects the expertise of our teams, notably in the United Kingdom, and will spur us on to increase our efforts to make JCDecaux an ever more responsible economic player."

Key Figures for JCDecaux

2018 revenue: 3,619m

JCDecaux is listed on the Eurolist of Euronext Paris and is part of the Euronext 100 and Euronext Family Business indexes

JCDecaux is part of the FTSE4Good index

N1 worldwide in street furniture (528,660 advertising panels)

N1 worldwide in transport advertising with more than 210 airports and 277 contracts in metros, buses, trains and tramways (366,000 advertising panels)

N1 in Europe for billboards (137,020 advertising panels)

N1 in outdoor advertising in Europe (648,570 advertising panels)

N1 in outdoor advertising in Asia-Pacific (239,300 advertising panels)

N1 in outdoor advertising in Latin America (72,880 advertising panels)

N1 in outdoor advertising in Africa (24,170 advertising panels)

N1 in outdoor advertising in the Middle East (16,450 advertising panels)

Leader in self-service bike rental scheme: pioneer in eco-friendly mobility

1,061,200 advertising panels in more than 80 countries

Present in 4,030 cities with more than 10,000 inhabitants

13,030 employees

For more information about JCDecaux, please visit jcdecaux.com. Join us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Communications Department: Agathe Albertini

+33 (0) 1 30 79 34 99 - agathe.albertini@jcdecaux.com

Investor Relations: Arnaud Courtial

+33 (0) 1 30 79 79 93 - arnaud.courtial@jcdecaux.com
A 95-year-old World War II veteran says he was so saddened by the horrific mosque attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand, that he took four buses to attend a solidarity march against racism in Auckland.



John Sato told Radio New Zealand he couldn't sleep the night after the March 15 terror attacks that left 50 people dead.

"I stayed awake quite a lot at the night. I didn't sleep too well ever since. I thought it was so sad. You can feel the suffering of other people," Sato said.

So, he decided to get to the rally Sunday any way he could from his home in the Auckland suburb of Howick.

Once there, he was supported on the arms of a police officer and another man. The scene was captured in a photo taken by Alexa Unrein, who was also attending the march.

"I was late for the march because I had back surgery a while ago," she told CNN. "While we were trying to catch up we were lucky enough to witness the scene. I didn't know who the old man was at the time but it was so beautiful to see him there and how everyone tried to help him to be a part of what seemed very important for him."

Sato, whose mother is Scottish and father is Japanese, admits to being out of touch with the modern world. But the attacks in Christchurch prompted him to show solidarity with the Muslim community and opposition to racism.

"I think it's such a tragedy, and yet it has the other side. It has brought people together, no matter what their race or anything. People suddenly realized we're all one. We care for each other," he continued.

After checking in at a vigil at a mosque in Pakuranga, not far from where he lives, Sato decided to hop on more buses to get to the city center and join the big rally.

Pakuranga is about 15 minutes away from Howick by bus. From there to Aotea Square, where the rally took place, it takes about 45-50 minutes by bus, depending on the route.

There he was helped by police and strangers to the awe of the people marching.

Others said they walked beside Sato and were impressed by his incredible mood.
OAKLAND (BCN) A 4-year-old boy is in critical condition after being shot in the head in East Oakland on Wednesday afternoon, a police spokeswoman said.



Officers responded shortly after 2 p.m. to a report of a child shot in the head in the 2400 block of Ritchie Street.



The child was taken to a hospital and an update on his condition was not immediately available, Officer Felicia Aisthorpe said.



Aisthorpe said police remained at the scene late Wednesday afternoon to investigate how the boy was shot. No other information was immediately available.

Copyright  2019 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.
SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)



Two men initially arrested on suspicion of murder for a Saturday night shootout in San Francisco's Fillmore District that killed one man and injured five others, including one of the suspects, will not face murder charges at this time, prosecutors said Wednesday.



Both Sean Harrison, 25, and Jamare Coats, 26, have been charged with various gun offenses for allegedly engaging in a gun battle outside a memorial service being held at the Fillmore Heritage Center, located at 1330 Fillmore St., around 8:30 p.m.



The shooting killed Misterdee Simons III, 25, and left a 27-year-old man paralyzed from the waist down, court documents revealed.



Also injured as a result of the shooting: a 19-year-old man, a 51-year-old man and a 51-year-old woman, police said.



Harrison also suffered injuries not considered life-threatening in the shooting.



During his arraignment Wednesday afternoon, Harrison appeared in court using a crutch.



Both Harrison and Coats did not enter pleas and their arraignment was put over for Thursday.



According to court documents, prior to the shooting, Simmons, Harrison and Coats were among several attendees at a memorial service for Ron Newt, a well-known San Francisco businessman. Inside the memorial, Simmons allegedly got into a confrontation with Harrison and Coats.



When Simmons revealed he had a gun, prosecutors said Harrison, Coats and unidentified friends then went to their cars to get guns.



Although security guards at the service tried to stop the group of armed men, Harrison, Coats and an unidentified man allegedly pushed past the guards and confronted Simmons as he sat on the sidewalk outside of the center.



According to a witness, Simmons then brandished his gun and gunfire erupted immediately, court documents said.



Simmons shot at Harrison and Harrison allegedly returned fire before trying to run. Simmons, although injured, continued to fire, according to court documents.



At that point, Coats also allegedly began firing his gun at Simmons.



At the same time, a 27-year-old innocent bystander was walking on Fillmore Street and began to run when he heard the gunshots. As the man was running, he was shot in the spine, paralyzing him from the waist down, court documents said.



"There were numerous people that were walking up and down the street and all these individuals had guns. They had absolutely no concern for the safety or public welfare of bystanders or citizens or children who were walking up and down the street," Assistant District Attorney Michael Swart said outside of court.



"While at this point and time we have not charged these individuals with murder or attempted murder, from a moral standpoint, these two individuals are responsible for paralyzing the 27-year-old," he said.



Following the shooting, the Fillmore Heritage Center had canceled all events for the rest of the month. However, Wednesday afternoon, the center announced the events were back on "in light of the outpouring of support from the community."





Copyright  2019 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.
SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)



An alleged robbery ended with a shootout between the suspected robbers and the victims early Sunday morning in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood, which injured two people, including one of the suspects, police said Thursday.



Around 2:05 a.m. Sunday, officers responded to a robbery in the 400 block of Bay Street and found a 21-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman with gunshot wounds, according to police.



The man was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries. The woman was hospitalized for a gunshot wound to her leg but she is expected to survive.



Later that morning, around 6:30 a.m., three people walked into the San Francisco Police Department's Southern Station and said that they were involved in the shooting but that they were victims, police said.



The victims told investigators that before the shooting, two men had robbed them at gunpoint. Afterwards, the victims saw the two men approach another group, and believing that the two men were going to rob that group as well, the three victims attempted to warn the group.



One of the suspected robbers then shot at the three victims, according to police.



One of the victims, however, had a gun and returned fire, striking one of the suspected robbers.



That suspect, according to police, is the 21-year-old man initially found at the scene of the shooting. He's since been identified as Jorge Islas-Garcia of Oakley.



Later that day, officers were also able to apprehend the second robbery suspect. He's been identified as Shane O'Roark, 20, of San Francisco.



Both Islas-Garcia and O'Roark have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, robbery, and assault with a deadly weapon, among other offenses, police said.



Both men are being held without bail and are scheduled to appear in court Friday, according to jail records.





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The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved the disbursement of $500,000 toward efforts to rebuild the Millbrae Community Center, which burned down in 2016.



The four-alarm fire that destroyed the community center at 477 Lincoln Circle began just before 4 a.m. on July 21, 2016. Investigators determined that the fire was an act of arson, and two teenage boys were arrested for allegedly starting it.



Sheriff's officials said at the time that the boys had confessed and that authorities believe the fire started "due to negligence and was not intentional." Because the blaze was not set deliberately, the two teenagers were not charged as adults.



Since the fire, Millbrae has been using a collection of portable buildings and trailers as a stand-in for the former center and community hub.



The plans for the new facility at 477 Lincoln Circle are to offer a broad array of services, with recreational, cultural, community, and educational opportunities. It will feature a senior lounge, preschool classrooms, and a community room, along with other enhancements and amenities.



The original center had a floor space of 16,000 square feet, while the proposed new installation will cover 25,000 square feet, according to the county.



However, funding for the project still needs to be worked out. The $500,000 from the county comes from Measure K, a half-cent sales tax increase approved by county voters in 2016.



In November 2018, Millbrae voters did not approve Measure II, a $12 million bond to rebuild the center. The measure got 62 percent approval, short of the two-thirds needed to pass.



While the financial hurdles are significant, a tentative design, with an estimated cost of $31 million, was selected by the City Council in a vote on Feb. 26.





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U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Francisco, which handles maritime security, safety and stewardship from the San Luis Obispo County line north to the Oregon border, will get a new commander Thursday.



Coast Guard officials said a ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. at 1 Yerba Buena Island in San Francisco.



Capt. Marie Byrd will replace Capt. Tony Ceraolo during a change-of-command ceremony on Yerba Buena Island.



Coast Guard officials said Ceraolo is set to become a senior counselor to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen.







Police said two adults have been detained and a gun recovered at an East Oakland home where a young child was shot Wednesday afternoon.



A 4-year-old boy is in critical condition after being shot in the head, police spokeswoman Officer Felicia Aisthorpe said.



Officers responded shortly after 2 p.m. to a report of a child shot in the head in the 2400 block of Ritchie Street.



Police said the child was treated by paramedics at the home and taken to a hospital. He was still in critical condition as of 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to police.



The two people detained were one man and one woman.







Two Powerball lottery tickets sold at separate Bay Area locations each matched five of six winning numbers in the drawing Wednesday night, according to the California Lottery.



One was sold at Centerwood Liquors at 35 Laurie Meadows Drive in San Mateo and another at Gateway Food & Liquor at 1305 N. Bascom Ave., No. G in San Jose. The tickets are worth nearly $3 million each.



No one in California won the roughly $750 million jackpot, but a Wisconsin ticket did have all six numbers.



The winning numbers were 16, 20, 37, 44, 62 and the Powerball was No. 12.







A federal jury in San Francisco on Wednesday awarded a Sonoma County man more than $80 million in compensation and punitive damages from Monsanto Co. for causing his cancer with its Roundup herbicide.



The award to Edwin Hardeman, 70, of Santa Rosa, includes $5.8 million in compensation for medical expenses and past and future pain and suffering, plus $75 million in punitive damages for willful disregard for his safety.



Hardeman was diagnosed in 2015 with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, which is now in remission. He testified he sprayed Roundup on properties in Gualala in Mendocino County and Forestville in Sonoma County for 26 years from 1986 to 2012 to control poison oak and weeds.



The case was the first to go to trial of more than 760 federal lawsuits pending in the court of U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria against Monsanto for lymphoma allegedly caused by Roundup.



In an earlier trial in the California state court system, a San Francisco Superior Court jury last year awarded $289 million, later reduced by the trial judge to $78 million, to cancer-stricken former school groundskeeper Dewayne Johnson of Vallejo.







An elderly couple with health and financial challenges was found dead from gunshot wounds Wednesday in a camper trailer at a campground on the Sonoma County Coast, sheriff's officials said.



Robert Wade, 71, shot 72-year-old Maria Wade, their dog then himself in the trailer at the Ocean Cove Campground in a remote area of Sonoma County just north of Timber Cove, sheriff's Sgt. Spencer Crum said.



Deputies responded to the murder-suicide around 5:10 a.m. after Robert called his daughter to report he shot Maria, Crum said. Deputies found the couple and the dog dead when they arrived around 5:50 a.m. A handgun was recovered at the scene, Crum said.



The investigation revealed deputies went to the camper trailer on Feb. 25 and found Maria, who has stage 4 cancer, suicidal and holding a gun to her head, Crum said. She was taken for a mental health evaluation, and deputies removed two handguns from the trailer, Crum said.



The couple had extensive medical and financial issues that were getting worse, Crum said. Their daughter, who was not in town at the time of the murder-suicide, was interviewed and her cooperation was instrumental in determining what happened, Crum said.







Two men initially arrested on suspicion of murder for a Saturday night shootout in San Francisco's Fillmore District that killed one man and injured five others, including one of the suspects, will not face murder charges at this time, prosecutors said Wednesday.



Both Sean Harrison, 25, and Jamare Coats, 26, have been charged with various gun offenses for allegedly engaging in a gun battle outside a memorial service being held at the Fillmore Heritage Center, located at 1330 Fillmore St., around 8:30 p.m.



The shooting killed Misterdee Simons III, 25, and left a 27-year-old man paralyzed from the waist down, court documents revealed.



Also injured as a result of the shooting: a 19-year-old man, a 51-year-old man and a 51-year-old woman, police said.



Harrison also suffered injuries not considered life-threatening in the shooting.







The Berkeley City Council went forward Tuesday night with a ban on overnight street parking for RVs, despite hours of criticism during public comment, but enforcement will be delayed until a parking permit system can be established to allow certain "RV dwellers" to remain on a limited basis.



The move amends the city's existing parking regulations to make it unlawful to park a recreational vehicle on any street for more than an hour between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. -- compelling hundreds of people living in those RVs to move their vehicle's outside city limits at night.



The city will also make an outreach effort prior to enforcing the overnight parking ban in an attempt to connect those impacted by it with services from a homeless services provider. The services may include funding for RV repair in some cases as well as referrals to health, mental health or addiction services. RV's presenting health and safety concerns, however, may still be subject to immediate enforcement.



The permitting system has not yet been fully developed, but city documents indicate that two-week permits would be given out on a limited basis and that the locations in which they could be used would need to be spread out among the city's various city council districts. There would also be a fee involved to cover the city's costs in doing so.



Long-term permits could be issued for up to three months at a time, with the possibility of renewal under specified circumstances that have not yet been determined. Eligibility would depend on criteria already established by Alameda County, factoring in health, disability, age and the presence of children in the household.







The Santa Clara city agency that oversees Levi's Stadium will convene a special meeting Wednesday to address a $643,568 bill from the San Francisco 49ers for flooring maintenance, which the city says it did not approve beforehand.



The city has issued a "breach of contract" letter to 49ers management for the bill and requested an audit of the Santa Clara Stadium Authority's spending.



The city owns Levi's Stadium and leases the venue to the team, who in return manages the Stadium Authority's finances. The City Council oversees the Stadium Authority, but taxpayers are protected from any losses.



In an email to 49ers president Al Guido on Friday, city manager Deanna Santana said stadium manager Jim Mercurio did not provide documentation showing proper bidding and minimum wage practices in securing the flooring contract.



"Given the unknown magnitude of potential non-compliance with the issuance of public contracts with public funds as the Stadium Authority's agent, you must produce copies of all Stadium Authority contracts issued by the Stadium Manager no later than April 12, 2019," Santana said in the letter.







The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved the disbursement of $500,000 toward efforts to rebuild the Millbrae Community Center, which burned down in 2016.



The four-alarm fire that destroyed the community center at 477 Lincoln Circle began just before 4 a.m. on July 21, 2016. Investigators determined that the fire was an act of arson, and two teenage boys were arrested for allegedly starting it.



Sheriff's officials said at the time that the boys had confessed and that authorities believe the fire started "due to negligence and was not intentional." Because the blaze was not set deliberately, the two teenagers were not charged as adults.



Since the fire, Millbrae has been using a collection of portable buildings and trailers as a stand-in for the former center and community hub.



The plans for the new facility at 477 Lincoln Circle are to offer a broad array of services, with recreational, cultural, community, and educational opportunities. It will feature a senior lounge, preschool classrooms, and a community room, along with other enhancements and amenities.







A 62-year-old Antioch man was killed after being ejected from a vehicle during a rollover crash in Antioch on Wednesday afternoon, according to the California Highway Patrol.



The solo-vehicle crash occurred around 3:15 p.m. on Deer Valley Road, the CHP said. The man was driving a silver Ford Expedition when he lost control on a curve and veered off the roadway. He was transported by helicopter to a hospital, where he died.



The CHP said an initial investigation determined that the motorist wasn't wearing a seatbelt. Investigators haven't determined if drugs or alcohol played a role in the crash.



Anyone who may have witnessed the crash is asked to call the CHP at (925) 646-4980.







Thursday will see showers likely. Highs will be in the upper 50s. Southwest winds will be 10 to 20 mph.



Thursday night will be mostly cloudy, with a chance of showers in the evening. Lows will be around 50. West winds will be 10 to 20 mph, before becoming 5 to 10 mph after midnight.



Friday will be partly cloudy in the morning, then becoming sunny. Highs will be in the upper 50s. North winds will be 5 to 10 mph, before becoming west winds at 10 to 20 mph in the afternoon.





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BCN28)



SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)



A federal jury in San Francisco on Wednesday awarded a Sonoma County man more than $80 million in compensation and punitive damages from Monsanto Co. for causing his cancer with its Roundup herbicide.



The award to Edwin Hardeman, 70, of Santa Rosa, includes $5.8 million in compensation for medical expenses and past and future pain and suffering, plus $75 million in punitive damages for willful disregard for his safety.



Hardeman was diagnosed in 2015 with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, which is now in remission. He testified he sprayed Roundup on properties in Gualala in Mendocino County and Forestville in Sonoma County for 26 years from 1986 to 2012 to control poison oak and weeds.



The case was the first to go to trial of more than 760 federal lawsuits pending in the court of U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria against Monsanto for lymphoma allegedly caused by Roundup.



In an earlier trial in the California state court system, a San Francisco Superior Court jury last year awarded $289 million, later reduced by the trial judge to $78 million, to cancer-stricken former school groundskeeper Dewayne Johnson of Vallejo.



Opening statements are scheduled to begin Thursday in Alameda County Superior Court in Oakland in another trial in which Alva and Alberta Pilliod of Livermore claim that Roundup caused both of them to develop non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.



Hardeman's lawyers alleged in his case that the agrochemical company failed to test Roundup adequately, failed to warn consumers it could cause cancer, sold a defective product and sought to undermine or influence scientific studies, to the point of ghostwriting some papers.



Attorney Jennifer Moore said after the verdict, "The jury sent a message loud and clear. Companies should no longer put products on the market without being truthful and without conducting testing.



"There is no question Roundup causes cancer and Monsanto needs to come clean once and for all," she said.



Co-counsel Aimee Wagstaff said, "The science does not support the safety profile Monsanto has been pushing. They chose not to tell the world their product was dangerous."



Hardeman and his wife, Mary, appeared at a news conference with their lawyers but spoke only to thank the attorneys and the jury.



Monsanto was acquired by the pharmaceutical company Bayer AG of Germany last year for $63 billion.



Bayer said it disagrees with the verdict and will appeal.



"We are disappointed with the jury's decision, but this verdict does not change the weight of over four decades of extensive science and the conclusions of regulators worldwide that support the safety of our glyphosate-based herbicides and that they are not carcinogenic," the company said in a statement.



Bayer said the Hardeman verdict "has no impact on future cases and trials, as each one has its own factual and legal circumstances."



"We have great sympathy for Mr. Hardeman and his family," the company said, but "Bayer stands behind these products and will vigorously defend them."



Monsanto has contended that tests have shown, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has concluded, that Roundup's main ingredient, glyphosate, does not cause cancer.



The plaintiffs in the various lawsuits have argued that other ingredients including surfactants added to Roundup make the herbicide more dangerous than glyphosate alone.



The other federal cases pending in Chhabria's court were filed in U.S. district courts around the nation and transferred to Chhabria's court for judicial coordination.



Chhabria designated Hardman's lawsuit and two others as test or "bellwether" cases in order to give both sides a sense of possible outcomes as a prelude to potential future settlements.



An estimated more than 10,000 other Roundup lawsuits are pending in state courts around the nation. In California, a similar coordination procedure has been used and more than 260 state court lawsuits have been transferred to Alameda County Superior Court.



DeWayne Johnson's lawsuit in San Francisco Superior Court last year was the first state or federal Roundup case in the nation to go to trial, according to Robin McCall, a spokeswoman for a plaintiffs' law firm. Johnson's case went first among the California lawsuits under a procedure giving priority to terminally ill plaintiffs.



At Monsanto's request, Chhabria divided the federal trial of Hardeman's lawsuit into two phases, both heard by the same six-member civil jury.



The first phase concerned the causation of Hardeman's blood cancer and the jury ruled last week that Roundup was a "substantial factor" in causing the illness.



That finding was necessary to allow the case to proceed to the second phase, in which the jury was asked to decide whether Monsanto was legally liable, and if so, whether it must pay a financial award.



Monsanto argued that while it disagreed that Roundup caused Hardeman's cancer, it should not be held liable in any case because it acted responsibly in view of science available as of 2012.



But the jury found that Monsanto was liable for creating a defective product, failing to warn consumers of the dangers and negligence as well as misconduct justifying the punitive award, defined in Chhabria's jury instructions as "despicable conduct" that was done "with a willful and knowing disregard of the rights or safety of another."



The total award included $200,000 for past medical expenses, $3.6 million for past pain and suffering, $2 million for future pain and suffering and the $75 million punitive award.



In Johnson's case and the upcoming Pilliod case in Alameda County Superior Court, the trials have not been bifurcated and the juries heard or will hear causation and liability issues at the same time.









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Swedish English Norwegian

STOCKHOLM - March 28, 2019 - ContextVision, a medical technology software company specializing in image analysis and artificial intelligence, today announced the signing of an agreement which opens up for several new research projects within digital pathology, based on cleaned and structured data from a large Biobank.

With more than six million human specimens - including blood, tissue and associated clinical data - pathology slides from cancer patients will now be digitalized and a database will be developed for defined patient cohorts.

Unique big data cohorts of pathology images and related clinical data will be extracted, and advanced deep learning technology will be applied to generate new medical insights that will help improve treatment decisions for individual cancer patients.

"We are really looking forward to explore the commercial potential of applying deep learning technology to generate new predictive decision support tools," said Anita Tollstadius, CEO of ContextVision.

ContextVision will have exclusive rights to the scanning cohort and access to anonymized associated clinical data - with cleared and structured histopathological descriptions, diagnosis and outcome data - for the defined patient cohorts and all commercial rights from output based on the data.

The agreement gives ContextVision an opportunity to create AI-based decision support tools that will help doctors make more accurate treatment decisions. Today, many cancer patients suffer from life impairing side effects from treatments they did not need while other patients do not get treatment which is necessary.

"It is our ambition to develop new decision support tools that will help doctors better differentiate between patients needing treatment from those that don't." said Tollstadius.

Big data advantage

Having access to very large amounts of data offers a unique opportunity for ContextVision as it allows the development of AI based decision support tools by using weakly supervised or semi-supervised deep learning technology.

"The technology means that the neural network will find key features by itself rather than humans instructing the neural network what to look for," Tollstadius said. "With this, algorithms detecting new predictive features can be of great use for the doctors treating cancer patients."





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This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5 -12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

This information is information that ContextVision is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact persons set out above, on March 28, 2019.

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For further information, please contact ContextVision's CEO, Anita Tollstadius, cell: +46 70 337 30 26 or visit www.contextvision.com.

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About ContextVision

ContextVision is a medical technology software company that specializes in image analysis and artificial intelligence. ContextVision is the global market leader within image enhancement and is a software partner to leading medical imaging manufacturers all over the world. Its cutting-edge technology helps doctors accurately interpret medical images, a crucial foundation for better diagnosis and treatment.

As an industry pioneer for more than 30 years, ContextVision is significantly investing in R&D to develop new applications of the latest artificial intelligence technologies and expanding into the growing digital pathology market. The release of its first product, supporting the diagnosis of prostate cancer, is planned in the near future.

The company is based in Sweden, with local representation in the U.S., Russia, Japan, China and Korea. ContextVision is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker COV.

For more information please visit www.contextvision.com.
Norfolk, Va., March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

NBCs TODAY Show, the countrys top-rated morning news program, will feature two Old Dominion University (ODU) researchers who are studying climate change in the Arctic during live segments April 1 and 2.



TODAY Show host Al Roker will join Victoria Hill, an assistant professor in the Department of Ocean, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences in the College of Sciences, and Petros Katsioloudis, professor and chair of the Department of STEM and Professional Studies in the Darden College of Education and Professional Studies, as they launch Warming and irRadiance Measurement (WARM) buoys in the Arctic Ocean north of Utqiagvik, Alaska.

Roker has been a vocal advocate for climate change awareness.

We are stewards of this Earth, Roker said on a TODAY Show broadcast this past December. And to not take care of it and to not take action is a sin.

Hill has studied the effects of climate change on the rate of melting icecaps in the Arctic Circle since her first trip to the region in 2004. She is particularly interested in how sunlight impacts both the ice and the water below it.

The buoys  either tethered to the ice or floating in the water  measure temperature, salinity and the amount of sunlight absorbed in the water under the thinning ice pack. They send hourly observations via satellite to ODU and to the National Science Foundation (NSF) Arctic Data Center website.

The buoys last only about a year in the Arctic climate, requiring annual visits to replace them.

Sunlight absorbed by the ocean under the ice causes warming, which can lead to accelerated ice melt resulting in even more sunlight reaching the ocean, Hill said.

Hill added that species living in the Arctic Ocean are also at risk due to thinning ice, which increases the light available for photosynthesis. This can change phytoplankton blooming seasons.

The organisms that feed on them can miss the bloom with consequences for the entire food web of the Arctic, Hill said.

Katsioloudis joined the research team in 2017 when Hill asked if he could help design and fabricate a light sensor to replace the $800 one she had been using on the buoys.

Using 3-D printing technology, Katsioloudis, with the help of ODU lecturer Basim Matrood, created a new version for around $40. The updated sensor has the potential to be used in other environmental research.

ODU President John R. Broderick said the TODAY show is highlighting research the University has been pioneering for more than a decade. In 2010, Broderick instituted the Climate Change and Sea Level Rise Initiative, now known as the ODU Resilience Collaborative, to examine the threat of sea level rise and its effects on Hampton Roads.

Climate change and sea level rise are undeniable, especially in Virginia, Broderick said. But the research at Old Dominion University has never been focused on only our region. Since 2008, ODU has been on the forefront of global coastal adaptation research. Weve learned and shared critical information and strategies to help address its effects.

Having the TODAY show accompany us on this trip is a dream come true for every researcher, Katsioloudis said. It allows us to share the findings of our research and to educate individuals across the globe. Bringing this type of awareness could eventually influence the creation of new regulatory measures that will protect the environment and ensure its existence for future generations.

The teams trip is being funded by a grant from the NSF Office of Polar Programs and the Joshua P. and Elizabeth E. Darden Foundation. You can follow the buoys and learn more on the projects website.

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About Old Dominion University

Old Dominion University, located in the coastal city of Norfolk, is Virginia's entrepreneurial-minded doctoral research university with more than 24,000 students, rigorous academics, an energetic residential community and initiatives that contribute $2.6 billion annually to Virginia's economy. As a leader in coastal resilience and sea level rise research since 2008, Old Dominion University plays a key role in national and global conversations about the continuing impact of climate change. The Universitys Institute for Coastal Adaptation and Resilience conducts research, education and outreach on sea level rise and climate science; health dimensions of coastal resilience; social science and policy of coastal resilience; and flooding and built environments.

Attachments
English Lithuanian

On 25 April 2019 the General Meeting of Shareholders of Public limited liability company Novaturas, code 135567698, registered at A. Mickeviciaus st. 27, Kaunas, the Republic of Lithuania (hereinafter, the Company), is being convened (hereinafter, the Meeting) upon the initiative and decision of Board of the Company.



The place of the Meeting  hotel Radisson BLU Lietuva, Konstitucijos ave. 20, Vilnius 09308, the Republic of Lithuania. The Meeting commences at 10 a.m. (registration starts at 9 a.m. and ends at 9.45 a.m.).

The Meetings accounting day  17 April 2019. The persons who are shareholders of the Company at the end of accounting day of the General Meeting of Shareholders or authorized persons by them, or the persons with whom shareholders concluded the agreements on the disposal of voting right, shall have the right to attend and vote at the Meeting.

The Board of the Company initiates and convenes the Meeting, which on 27 March 2019 approved the following agenda of the Meeting:

Agenda of the meeting:

Approval of the audited annual financial statements of 2018 (attached as Annex);

Draft decision proposed:

To approve the audited annual financial statements of 2018 (attached as Annex).

Approval of the Annual Report of 2018 (attached as Annex);

Draft decision proposed:

To approve the Annual Report of 2018 (attached as Annex).

Decision on profit (loss) distribution.

Draft decision proposed:

To distribute the Company's profit as follows:

1. Undistributed result  profit (loss) of the previous financial year at the end of the accounting financial year 5,127 2. Net profit (loss) of the accounting financial year 8,552 3. Dividends paid during year 2018 4,060 4. Total profit (loss) to be appropriated 9,611 5. Share of profit allocated: to mandatory reserves 0 to reserves of own shares 0 to other reserves 0 for payment of dividends 0 for other purposes (annual bonuses to Board members, etc.) 0 6. Undistributed profit (loss) as of the end of accounting financial year, carried forward into the following financial year 9,611 All amounts are in thousand EUR

As 75 percent of net profit earned in 2018 was paid out as dividends during the year 2018, no additional dividends are allocated.



Public limited liability company Novaturas notes that within 2019, taking into account the Company's financial results and competitive environment, it might be decided regarding the allocation of the dividends for a period shorter than a financial year.

The total number of the Companys shares of EUR 0.03 par value each and the number of shares granting voting rights during the general meeting of shareholders is the same and amounts to 7,807,000.



ISIN code of the Companys shares is LT0000131872.

A person attending the general meeting of shareholders and having a voting right must provide a persons identification document. A person who is not a shareholder must additionally provide a document confirming his/her right to vote at the general meeting of shareholders.

Each shareholder shall have a right in the manner established by the laws to authorise other (natural or legal) person to attend and vote at the general meeting of shareholders on his/her behalf. At the general meeting of shareholders an authorised person shall have the same rights as would be held by the shareholder represented by him/her, unless the authorized persons rights are limited by the power of attorney or by laws. The authorized person must provide a power of attorney certified in the manner established by laws. A power of attorney issued in a foreign state must be translated into Lithuanian and legalised in the manner established by laws.

The Company does not establish special form of power of attorney.

Shareholder shall have the right to authorize through electronic communication channels another person (natural or legal) to participate and vote in the meeting on shareholders behalf. Such authorization shall not be approved by the notary public. The power of attorney issued through electronic communication channels must be confirmed by the shareholder with a safe electronic signature developed by safe signature equipment and approved by a qualified certificate effective in the Republic of Lithuania. The shareholder shall inform the Company on the power of attorney issued through electronic communication channels by e-mail tomas.staskunas@novaturas.lt no later than until the last business day before the meeting at 12.00 a.m. The power of attorney and notification shall be issued in writing. The power of attorney and notification to the Company shall be signed with the electronic signature but not the letter sent via e-mail. By submitting the notification to the Company the shareholder shall include the internet address from which it would be possible to download free of charge software to verify an electronic signature of the shareholder.

A shareholder or a person authorised by him/her shall have a right to vote in writing in advance by filling in the general ballot paper. Upon a shareholders request, the Company, not later than 10 days before the general meeting, shall send the general ballot paper by registered mail free of charge. The general ballot paper is also provided on the Companys website at www.novaturasgroup.com on the menu item For investors. The filled-in general ballot paper and the document confirming the voting right (if any) must be submitted to the Company sending by registered mail or providing them against signature at the address of the registered office of the Company indicated in the notice and received by the Company not later than on the last business day until the meeting.

The Company is not providing the possibility to attend and vote at the general meeting of shareholders through electronic means of communication.

The shareholders holding shares that grant at least 1/20 of all votes shall have the right of proposing to supplement the agenda of the general meeting of shareholders. Draft decisions on the proposed issues shall be submitted together with the proposal or, if the decisions do not need to be approved, explanations on each proposed issue of the general meeting of shareholders shall be presented. Proposal to supplement the agenda must be presented to the Company sending them by registered mail or providing it against signature at the address of the registered office of the Company indicated in the notice. The agenda will be supplemented if the proposal is received not later than 14 days before the general meeting of shareholders.

Each shareholder holding shares that grant at least 1/20 of all votes at any time before the general meeting of shareholders or during the meeting shall have the right of proposing draft resolutions on the issues already included or to be included in the agenda of the general meeting of shareholders, as well as the additional candidates to the members of the Supervisory Council of the Company (if elected). The proposed draft decisions must be presented in writing sending them by registered mail or providing them against signature at the address of the registered office of the Company indicated in the notice.

The shareholders shall have the right to present questions related to the agenda issues of the general meeting of shareholders to the Company in advance in writing, by providing the shareholders personal identification number and consent to process personal data  personal identification number in the letter which should be sent to the Company by registered mail or delivered against signature. The Company undertakes to respond if the questions are received not later than 3 business days before the general meeting of shareholders. Responses of a general character shall be posted on the Companys website www.novaturasgroup.com on the menu item For investors. The Company will not respond personally to the shareholder if the respective information is posted on the Companys website.

The shareholders could get familiarised with the documents possessed by the Company related to the agenda of the meeting, including notification on convocation of the meeting, information about the total number of the Companys shares and the number of shares granting voting rights during the general meeting of shareholders, draft resolutions, and other documents to be submitted to the general meeting of shareholders as well as to get information regarding execution of the shareholders rights at limited liability company Novaturas, registered at A. Mickeviciaus st. 27, Kaunas, or on the Companys website at www.novaturasgroup.com on the menu item For investors.

Attached:

General voting ballot; Annual Report with Audited Annual Financial Statements and Corporate Governance Report.

Contacts:

Tomas Staskunas

CFO

Mob. +370 687 10426

E-mail: tomas.staskunas@novaturas.lt

Attachments
ST. PAUL, Minn., March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Smithfield Foods, Inc. has donated more than 41,000 pounds of protein to Second Harvest Heartland as part of the companys 2019 Helping Hungry Homes  donation tour. Helping Hungry Homes is Smithfields signature hunger-relief initiative focused on alleviating hunger and helping Americans become more food secure. The donation, equivalent to more than 169,000 servings, will help families fight hunger in Minnesota and western Wisconsin.



Our mission to end hunger through community partnerships is fulfilled by generous donations from like-minded organizations and initiatives including Smithfields Helping Hungry Homes program, said Allison O'Toole, CEO of Second Harvest Heartland. Helping our hungry neighbors find their next mealso they can thrive at work, in the classroom, and in their communitiesis what drives Second Harvest Heartland, its partners, and supporters.

This is the eighth large-scale protein donation made by Smithfield to food banks across the country during its 2019 Helping Hungry Homes tour. Since the programs inception in 2008, Smithfield has provided more than 120 million servings of protein to food banks, disaster relief efforts, and community outreach programs nationwide.

At Smithfield, as part of our social purpose, we are dedicated to making a significant impact against hunger, said Jonathan Toms, associate manager of charitable initiatives for Smithfield Foods. With Second Harvest Heartlands expansive reach across 59 counties in need, we know this donation will truly make a difference in the communities they serve.

For more information about Smithfield Foods Helping Hungry Homes initiative and a list of upcoming donation events, visit helpinghungryhomes.com .

About Smithfield Foods

Smithfield Foods is a $15 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield, Eckrich, Nathans Famous, Farmland, Armour, Farmer John, Kretschmar, John Morrell, Cooks, Gwaltney, Carando, Margherita, Curlys, Healthy Ones, Morliny, Krakus, and Berlinki. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental, and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com , and connect with us on Facebook , Twitter , LinkedIn , and Instagram .

About Second Harvest Heartland

Second Harvest Heartland is one of the largest, most efficient and most innovative hunger relief organizations in the nation. In close partnership with nearly 1,000 food shelves, food pantries and other meal programs, Second Harvest Heartland helps the one in 11 people in Minnesota and western Wisconsin who face hunger every day. On average, 74 percent of food our partner agencies distribute comes from Second Harvest Heartland. In 2018, Second Harvest Heartland helped provide a record of nearly 89 million meals to more than a half million people. We will continue to leverage our unique position in the emergency food chain to advocate, educate and provide food until everyone in our service area has what they need to thrive. For more information, visit 2harvest.org or call 651.484.5117.

Media Contacts:
SHERMAN OAKS, Calif., March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Petroteq Energy Inc. (Petroteq or the Company) (TSXV: PQE; OTC: PQEFF; FSE: PQCF), a fully integrated oil and gas company, is proud to announce that it is has been continuously producing in excess of 500 barrels a day for the last two weeks.



This is a significant milestone as the Company demonstrates the commercial viability of its first in kind technology that has the potential to be a disruptive technology giving the Company a competitive advantage and licensing opportunity in the clean extraction of oil sands. Petroteq is one of the first companies to produce oil from the multi-billion barrel surface bitumen oil sands resource in Utah and is has the potential to be a leader in the oil sands play in coming years. Petroteqs technology has produced 10,000 barrels from its Asphalt Ridge facility to date.

The Asphalt Ridge oil sands processing facility is designed to produce 1,000 bpd and the Company anticipates achieving new rated production capacity near term. Management is ramping production in a deliberate and step wise approach to ensure that the quality of the end product meets the high standards expected by the Company and its customers. The ability to demonstrate consistent production at this critical phase will ultimately benefit the Company as it seeks to pursue licensing opportunities in coming years.

Commenting on Petroteqs recent milestone, David Sealock, CEO, stated, I am exceedingly pleased with our performance, it took us a couple of weeks longer than expected due to delays in delivery of equipment by third party vendors.

With operations ramping up, the Company believes that it is now in a position to achieve the previously announced goals of 700 bpd in the next couple of weeks and 1,000 bpd within 8 weeks.

The Company anticipates that cash flow associated with these production milestones will be transformative for Petroteq and will allow Petroteq to minimize dilutive share financings to maximize the upside for our shareholders.

For more information please refer to the Companys website for a recently posted updated corporate presentation.

About Petroteq Energy Inc.

Petroteq is a fully integrated oil and gas company focused on the development and implementation of a new proprietary technology for oil extraction. The Company has an environmentally safe and sustainable technology for the extraction of heavy oils from oil sands, oil shale deposits and shallow oil deposits. Petroteq is engaged in the development and implementation of its patented environmentally friendly heavy oil processing and extraction technologies. Our proprietary process produces zero greenhouse gas, zero waste and requires no high temperatures. Petroteq is currently focused on developing its oil sands resources and expanding production capacity at its Asphalt Ridge heavy oil extraction and processing facility located near Vernal, Utah.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this press release contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. and Canadian securities laws. Words such as may, would, could, should, potential, will, seek, intend, plan, anticipate, believe, estimate, expect and similar expressions as they relate to the Company, including: the Companys technology being disruptive and giving the Company a competitive advantage and licensing opportunity in the clean extraction of oil sands; Petroteq becoming a leader in the oil sands play in coming years; the facility producing 700 bpd in the next couple of weeks and 1,000 bpd within 8 weeks; and cash flow associated with these production milestones being transformative for Petroteq and allowing Petroteq to minimize dilutive share financings; are intended to identify forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that there is no certainty that it will be commercially viable to produce any portion of the resources. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking information. Such statements reflect the Companys current views and intentions with respect to future events, based on information available to the Company, and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Material factors or assumptions were applied in providing forward-looking information, including, without limitation: current access to equipment, parts and personnel remaining unchanged; current commodity prices remaining materially unchanged; and demand from refineries remaining stable; the facility being commercially viable; identification and negotiation of licensing agreements. While forward-looking statements are based on data, assumptions and analyses that the Company believes are reasonable under the circumstances, whether actual results, performance or developments will meet the Companys expectations and predictions depends on a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results, performance and financial condition of the Company to differ materially from its expectations. Certain of the risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Companys forward-looking statements in this press release include, without limitation, uncertainties inherent in the estimation of resources, including whether any reserves will ever be attributed to the Companys properties; since the Companys extraction technology is proprietary, is not widely used in the industry, and has not been used in consistent commercial production, the Companys bitumen resources are classified as a contingent resource because they are not currently considered to be commercially recoverable; full scale commercial production may engender public opposition; the Company cannot be certain that its heavy oil and bitumen resources will be economically producible and thus cannot be classified as proved or probable reserves in accordance with applicable securities laws; changes in laws or regulations; the ability to implement business strategies or to pursue business opportunities, whether for economic or other reasons; status of the world oil markets, oil prices and price volatility; oil pricing; state of capital markets and ability of the Company to raise capital; litigation; the commercial and economic viability of the Companys oil sands hydrocarbon extraction technology and other proprietary technologies developed or licensed by the Company or its subsidiaries, which currently are experimental nature and have not been used at full capacity for an extended period of time; reliance on suppliers, contractors, consultants and key personnel; the ability of the Company to maintain its mineral lease holdings; potential failure of the Companys business plans or model; the nature of oil and gas production and oil sands mining, extraction and production; uncertainties in exploration and drilling for oil, gas and other hydrocarbon-bearing substances; unanticipated costs and expenses, availability of financing and other capital; potential damage to or destruction of property, loss of life and environmental damage; risks associated with compliance with environmental protection laws and regulations; uninsurable or uninsured risks; potential conflicts of interest of officers and directors; and other general economic, market and business conditions and factors, including the risk factors discussed or referred to in the Companys disclosure documents filed with the securities regulatory authorities in certain provinces of Canada and available at www.sedar.com.



Should any factor affect the Company in an unexpected manner, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, the actual results or events may differ materially from the results or events predicted. Any such forward-looking information is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement. Moreover, the Company does not assume responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of such forward-looking information. The forward-looking information included in this press release is made as of the date of this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information, other than as required by applicable law.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Petroteq Energy Inc.

Alex Blyumkin

Executive Chairman

Tel: (800) 979-1897



Twitter: https://twitter.com/PetroteqEnergy

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/petroteq/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Petroteqenergy/
TORONTO, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Star Navigation Systems Group Ltd. (CSE: SNA) (CSE:SNA.CN) (OTCQB: SNAVF) ("Star" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce that it is extending the term of 31,801,333 common share purchase warrants ( the 2016 Warrants) issued pursuant to a private placement announced April 13, 2016. The 2016 Warrants, originally due to expire April 12, 2019, are exercisable at a price per common share of $0.07.



The new expiry date of the 2016 Warrants will be April 2, 2021.

The Company also announces that it is extending the term of 3,766,667 common share purchase warrants (the 2018 Warrants) issued pursuant to a private placement announced April 26, 2018. The 2018 Warrants, originally due to expire April 27, 2019, are exercisable at an exercise price of $0.07.

The new expiry date of the 2018 Warrants will be April 2, 2021.

About Star Navigation:

Star Navigation Systems Group Ltd. owns the exclusive worldwide license to its proprietary, patented In-flight Safety Monitoring System, STAR-ISMS, the heart of the STAR-A.D.S.  System. Its real-time capability of tracking performance trends and predicting incident-occurrence enhances aviation safety and improves fleet management while reducing costs for the operator.

Stars M.M.I. Division designs and manufactures high performance, mission critical, flight deck flat panel displays for defence and commercial aviation industries worldwide. These displays are found on aircraft and simulators, from P-3 Orion and C-130 aircraft, to Sikorsky and Agusta Westland helicopters, as examples.

Stars subsidiary, Star-Isoneo Inc. is a specialised software firm, developing complex solutions in engineering, simulation and development for Canadian customers. Star-Isoneo works closely with Star in the development of the Companys MEDEVAC (STAR-ISAMM and STAR- LSAMM) applications of the patented STAR-A.D.S.  technology, and on its current R&D program with Bombardier.

Certain statements contained in this News Release constitute forward-looking statements. When used in this document, the words may, would, could, will, expected and similar expressions, as they relate to Star or its management are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect Stars current views with respect to future events and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Many factors could cause Stars actual performance or achievements to vary from those described herein. Should one or more of these factors or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Star does not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this release.

Please visit www.star-navigation.com or

Roger S. Peacock, General Counsel (416) 252-2889 Ext. 225

roger.peacock@star-navigation.com




Flue Gas Desulphurization has gained popularity over the years due to increasing air pollution and high prevalence of sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere.



Market Size  USD 16.01 billion in 2018, Market Growth - CAGR of 4.8%, Market Trends  the Growing prevalence of airborne diseases.

NEW YORK, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global Flue Gas Desulphurization (FGD) market is expected to reach USD 23.49 Billion by 2026, according to a new report by Reports and Data. These equipment removes sulfur dioxide from the flue gas before it is emitted. When fossil fuels are burned in power plants such as oil and coal combustion unit, these equipment lowers sulfur dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions.

The demand for Flue Gas Desulphurization (FGD) is growing in power plants, chemical manufacturing units, iron & steel, and cement manufacturing industries due to the stringent government policies concerning the environmental hazards. Rapid industrialization and growth of infrastructure are going to push the market for Flue Gas Desulphurization (FGD). Increase in demand for power assisted with dependence for coal will encourage the market in the coming years. Technological advancements in high performing equipment and decreasing cost of it is going to provide new players with opportunities to explore.

Request for a sample of this research report at: https://www.reportsanddata.com/sample-enquiry-form/1192

APAC is estimated to be the highest growing region owing to the rising population levels in China and India. Government policies will boost the market. The demand for power generation in this region due to the growing infrastructure and industrialization is set to fuel the growth if Flue Gas Desulphurization (FGD) in this region. Europe has strict regulations for Sulfur emission and is one of the leading users of Flue Gas Desulphurization (FGD).

Further key findings from the report suggest

The rise in demand for energy and stringent regulations for environmental benefit is set to increase the market for Flue Gas Desulphurization (FGD).

Expensive installation and waste disposal cost are still challenges faced by the manufacturers and is limiting the markets growth.

Emerging countries like China, India, and Brazil are some of the regions that are paving the way for the growth of the market.

On the basis of Type, Wet FGD is expected to have a larger market share as they are mainly used in industrial plants owing to their higher efficiency in removing sulfur dioxide.

Utilization of coal in the industry is maximum, government across the globe has strict policies to install wet FGD.

Power generation segment in the End-User sector is expected to lead the market as most of the countries still use coal for electricity generation.

Brownfield technology is one where the equipment will be updated keeping it linked to coexist with the prior equipment whereas Greenfield is the installation of all new equipment.

Cement manufacturing unit will have the second largest market share after power generation due to the emergence of new infrastructure and industries.

Read more at: https://www.reportsanddata.com/report-detail/flue-gas-desulphurization-market

APAC to have the highest market share owing to the emergence of manufacturing units and their utilization of coal.

Europe to have the second largest market share due to strict government policies regarding sulfur dioxide emission.

Key participants include Marsulex Environmental Technologies Corporation, Clyde Bergemann Power Group, Inc, Hamon Corporation, FLSmidth & Co. A/S, Siemens AG, Rafako S.A., Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises Inc., Doosan Lentjes GmbH, General Electric Company, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.

For the purpose of this report, Reports and Data have segmented global Flue Gas Desulphurization (FGD) market on the basis of technology, installation, end-user, application, and region:

Technology Outlook (Volume, Kilo Tons; 2018-2026 and Revenue, USD Million; 2018-2026)

Dry FGD

Wet FGD

Semi-Dry FGD

Installation Outlook (Volume, Kilo Tons; 2018-2026 and Revenue, USD Million; 2018-2026)

Greenfield

Brownfield

End-user Outlook (Volume, Kilo Tons; 2018-2026 and Revenue, USD Million; 2018-2026)

Power Generation

Chemical Manufacturing Industry

Iron and Steel Industry

Cement Manufacturing

Make an Inquiry for purchasing this report at: https://www.reportsanddata.com/make-enquiry-form/1192

Application Outlook (Volume, Kilo Tons; 2018-2026 and Revenue, USD Million; 2018-2026)

New Systems

Reagents

Replacements

Scrubbers

Ball Mill Slurry

Cyclone/Filter Feed

Others

Regional Outlook (Volume, Kilo Tons; 2018-2026 and Revenue, USD Million; 2018-2026)

North America U.S.

Europe Germany UK

Asia Pacific China India South-east Asia

Latin America Brazil

MEA

Browse More Reports of Energy Storage Category At: https://www.reportsanddata.com/report/category/energy-storage

About Reports and Data

Reports and Data is a market research and consulting company that provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. Our solutions purely focus on your purpose to locate, target and analyze consumer behavior shifts across demographics, across industries and help clients make a smarter business decision. We offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a multiple industries including Healthcare, Technology, Chemicals, Power, and Energy. We consistently update our research offerings to ensure our clients are aware about the latest trends existent in the market. Reports and Data has a strong base of experienced analysts from varied areas of expertise.

Contact Us:

John Watson

Head of Business Development

Reports And Data | Web: www.reportsanddata.com

Direct Line: +1-800-819-3052
An 1883 Italianate San Francisco Victorian with an exterior many recognize because it appeared for a brief moment in the opening credits of 80s sitcom "Full House" and Netflix's "Fuller House" reboot is about to hit the real estate market.

Here's what we know:

 Jeff Franklin, the creator and executive producer of both series, owns the home and has told the San Francisco Chronicle he plans to list the property at the end of April. Franklin bought the property for $4 million in 2016, and it's unknown what the 2019 price will be.

 The home at 1709 Broderick St. has five bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms spread across 2,484 square feet. The interior is sophisticated and its 11-foot- ceilings, beautiful doors and original molding give it timeless elegance.

 The interior looks nothing like the home inhabited by widowed father (Bob Saget), his three adorable daughters, best friend (Dave Coulier) and brother-in-law (John Stamos). That's because "Full House" was shot in a Burbank studio. So was "Fuller House."

 The house has long been a tourist magnet and visitor numbers increased even more after the Netflix reboot in 2016. The Wall Street Journal reported on crazed fans thronging the home in 2016 and said the sequel "kicked the gawking into overdrive. And neighbors wish they would cut it out."

 The owner before Franklin painted the home a deep purple and the famous red door was changed to a light teal. Franklin revamped the exterior to match its "Full House" look.

For more on the upcoming sale, see the story from the San Francisco Chronicle.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- By Order G-71-19 , the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) has established a regulatory timetable for its inquiry into the regulation of Indigenous utilities in British Columbia.

The Indigenous Utilities Regulation Inquiry (the Inquiry) will explore and seek feedback on a number of important questions, including:

What are the characteristics of an Indigenous Utility with respect to: The ownership and operation of the utility; What services are provided; Who the services are provided to; and/or The location or area served by the utility?

Should Indigenous utilities be regulated or not? And if so, how? If they should be regulated, should they be regulated by the Utilities Commission Act (UCA) or another mechanism? If unregulated, how will the interests of indigenous utility ratepayers be protected?



Indigenous peoples, all levels of government, utility owners and operators, the public and other organizations will have an opportunity to participate in the Inquiry. Ways to participate in the review process, are outlined below.

Request intervener status by Monday, July 15, 2019: Persons who are directly or sufficiently affected by the BCUCs decision or have relevant information or expertise, and who wish to actively participate in the proceeding, can request intervener status by submitting a completed Request to Intervene Form online.

Persons who are directly or sufficiently affected by the BCUCs decision or have relevant information or expertise, and who wish to actively participate in the proceeding, can request intervener status by submitting a completed online. Submit a letter of comment: Members of the public can submit a Letter of Comment online. Letters of comment enable any member of the public to contribute views, opinions, and impact or potential impact, with respect to a matter before the BCUC, to the public record.

Members of the public can submit a online. Letters of comment enable any member of the public to contribute views, opinions, and impact or potential impact, with respect to a matter before the BCUC, to the public record. Register as an interested party: Interested parties can register online to receive updates on the proceeding.

Interested parties can online to receive updates on the proceeding. Attend an engagement session: The BCUC will provide more information about dates, times and locations for Community Input Sessions over the coming weeks. There will be an opportunity for attendees to speak or present their thoughts to the Panel on the items within the scope of the Inquiry. Making a submission at a Community Input Session is equivalent to providing a written submission.

For more information on this application, please see the proceeding page for the inquiry here .

Background

On March 11, 2019, the Lieutenant Governor in Council, pursuant to section 5(1) of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA), requested the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) provide recommendations to Government regarding the regulation of Indigenous utilities in British Columbia. The terms of the Inquiry have been outlined in Order in Council (OIC) No. 108 . The BCUC established the Inquiry on March 19, 2019 by Order G-62-19 .

Currently, under the Utilities Commission Act (UCA) most utilities with a connection to an Indigenous community are regulated by the BCUC as public utilities. Some utilities have requested exemptions from existing regulatory requirements. Findings from the BCUCs Inquiry will inform Government as it develops a clear regulatory framework for Indigenous utilities in BC. An interim report is due to the Government by December 31, 2019 and a final report is due by January 31, 2020.

About the BCUC

The BCUC is a regulatory agency responsible for oversight of energy utilities and compulsory auto insurance in British Columbia. It is the BCUCs role to balance the interests of customers with the interests of the businesses it regulates. The BCUC carries out fair and transparent reviews of matters within its jurisdiction and considers public input where public interest is impacted.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Krissy Van Loon

Communications Specialist

Phone: 604.660.4727

Email: Krissy.VanLoon@bcuc.com
The fabled watering-hole Edinburgh Castle in the Tenderloin is on the market for $3.995 million.

The sales price includes the bar's business and liquor license in addition to the low-lying building at 950 Geary painted to look like a castle with crenellations at the top of its faded-gray facade.

Built on a 3,900-square-foot lot in 1946, the building is zoned for development with an 80-foot height limit, meaning a potential buyer could expand the Castle's empire.

Listing agent Alex Kolovyansky of Vanguard Properties says the owner has been with the business for a long time and hopes to find a buyer who appreciates the bar's roots and continues its history

"It's come the time for a younger, more energetic person to take over," says Kolovyansky. "It's a wonderful opportunity to take over a classic."

He also says a new buyer could spruce up the business and add to the building. "The lot isn't huge so you can't build a skyscraper there," he says, "but it has an opportunity to be expanded."

ALSO: Transgender bar Divas closing its doors after throwing one last party

The pub dates back to 1959, and while its day-to-day status is a bar with cheap booze and good DJs, it has gained fame by serving as a Hollywood filming location and a site for literary events.

A scene from Mike Myers 1993 comedy "So I Married An Axe Murderer" was shot here, and British actor Tom Hardy supposedly sat on a barstool while filming "Venom" in and around the bar.

Scottish novelist Irvine Welsh, whose "Trainspotting" book was turned into a film, did readings here back in the early 2000s. Welsh held the U.S. premiere of the stage version of his book at the Castle, and Salon reported there was so much interest that theater-goers were turned away.

The city's literary festival Litquake was also dreamed up at the Castle in 1999, and it was the site of the Swearing Festival in 2007. Only time will tell if the legend and its history filled with quirks and charm lives on.

SFGATE has reached out to the owner for comment. This story will be updated if we hear back.
Summer's about to end, and with it our delighted roles as food artists. You know, the naked joy each time we paint streaks of red and yellow down the length of a hot dog and every time we squirt spirals on a hamburger patty.

If many of today's cutting-edge chefs design $50 plates with squeeze bottles filled with sauces, reductions and oils, you can bet they started as tots with the one and only American food paint - red tomato ketchup.

As Labor Day arrives, we can tip our hats to the American art of ketchup eating, cooking and designing. If it weren't for the most popular American condiment, we'd probably be stuck in the primal ooze of food seasoning. Along with salt and pepper, ketchup is one of the major flavor components of food.

Yet, ketchup has hidden charms. Explore them and you learn there are hundreds of ways to design with ketchup besides streaking hot dogs.

For a while, ketchup's position as the American condiment was wobbly. A tidal wave of salsa threatened ketchup's 100-year-plus rule as America's top glop. In 1992, Packaged Facts, a food and beverage marketing research group, reported that salsa sales had grown 14 percent from the previous year, to $640 million; ketchup was at a mere $600 million. Salsa may have taken the top spot in dollars earned, but, says Robin Teets, spokesperson for Heinz North America, "by volume, ketchup was always the leader." Salsa, he explains, has different "host foods" {ndash} i.e. not hot dogs. And, salsa was more expensive, so naturally it gained on ketchup in dollar amount." Ketchup wasn't always king.

In the beginning, ketchup wasn't red. It wasn't tomato, in fact. Historians have variously attributed the word itself to British, French, Arabic, Malay, Indonesian and Chinese (Cantonese as well as Amoy dialects) influences, among others. What's clear is that ketchup primarily was a fish-, walnut- or mushroom-based condiment.

The generally accepted myth is that ketchup comes from Chinese origins, especially the Chinese who migrated to Indonesia and Malaysia, where the word "kecap" or "kacap" is still in everyday usage. Any Cantonese-speaking Chinese can rise to the occasion by noting that fan-kae jup, shortened to kae jup, sounds right and means right: "tomato sauce" or "tomato gravy."

History in the making

But Andrew F. Smith, author of "Pure Ketchup, a History of America's National Condiment" (Smithsonian Institution Press, 2001), questions this argument. He says that the origins of the word come from a confusing, well- mixed cauldron.

The word "ketchup" or some variation of it appeared in British cookery books as early as the 17th century, he writes, largely for something pickled. Sources reveal ketchup as a homemade sauce based on walnuts, fish or mushrooms, each of them boosted by spices and herbs such as cloves, pepper, ginger and mace, as well as garlic, onions, shallots, mustard, horseradish, cayenne and chili peppers. The job of the spices? They "enhanced taste and masked the stench of putrefaction."

Early uses

Ketchup was used as a topping or sauce by itself, or as a finishing element in the making of sauces.

By 1742, ketchup recipes showed up across the Atlantic and were just as popular in the colonies as in mother Britain. Ketchup belonged in the cook's repertory along with the pickles and condiments of the American kitchen. A recipe for tomato ketchup, modeled on those earlier ketchups, was published in 1812. All of the ketchups succeeded for one great reason: They could keep for a long time. Already shelf life was the defining characteristic of American food.

A second great American characteristic also fit with ketchup: It could move. As a highly concentrated, cooked-down sauce, ketchup could be carried anywhere and, when added in a little dash to food, woke it up.

Going commercial

"In Britain and America, ketchup recipes ran wild," Smith says.

Commercial ketchup-making started as a by-product of the tomato canning industry -- as a brown product. In 1869 in Sharpsburg, Pa., Heinz & Noble Co. produced tomato and walnut ketchup for 24 cents per gallon and sold them from whiskey barrels. Later, H.J. Heinz emerged with his own company. He had found a way to purify tomato ketchup and keep it red. With that, he packaged it in a glass bottle. Although H.J. Heinz began as a pickles and horseradish manufacturer, ketchup became one of the company's main products.

By the early 20th century, Heinz was the largest tomato ketchup producer in the world. By the mid-20th century, homemade ketchup recipes virtually disappeared from cookbooks.

That was in America.

In another part of the world, ketchup led something of a parallel life. "Kecap" is part of everyday language in the Malay-speaking world.

However, it means something quite different. In Indonesia, kecap stands for various sauces. Kecap manis means sweetened soy sauce, a thick, syrupy brew of Chinese soy sauce cooked down with many spices, functioning, as it did in its early days in England and America, as a finishing sauce of concentrated flavors.

Exotic ingredients

Kecap manis contains palm sugar, garlic, star anise, galangal root and other spices, says Daniel Sudaryanto, sous chef at Betelnut, a Pan-Asian restaurant in San Francisco. Sudaryanto, 29, remembers cooking down soy sauce at home in Yogjakarta, Indonesia. Kecap manis is the most popular of the kecaps. Like American tomato ketchup, it is rarely homemade these days; rather, it is manufactured. Also like American tomato ketchup, it has become sweet. Then there is kecap asin, Sudaryanto says, meaning salty soy sauce, which is used as a dipping sauce in Indonesian cuisine.

Sauce Americana

American ketchup delivers a shock to Indonesian newcomers. Sudaryanto chuckles when he describes the first time he asked for ketchup in this country and got a red, tomato-y product. "It was different," he says. Another Indonesian immigrant, Fi Li Tjioe, who operates a small coffee stall in a San Francisco corporate building, says she exclaimed, "This is what we call saus tomat!" when she was first served American ketchup. Even in Sulawesi, Indonesia, where she grew up, she says, the Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant dispensed red chili sauce next to "saus tomat," or ketchup. She would use both.

Flavor fusion

Alex Ong, Malaysian-born executive chef of Betelnut, says that kecap and ketchup both retain the role of a seasoning in Asian cuisine. Like the original early ketchups of the West, it is the finishing ingredient in many sauces, providing one more facet of flavor. Tomato ketchup is primarily a sweetened, concentrated, tomato flavor called for in everything from sweet-and- sour fish to dishes such as chile crab {ndash} which is what ketchup was originally meant to do.

So the idea of painting with ketchup lives on, but in complex and subtle ways, closer to the way the early ketchups of fish, mushrooms and walnuts were called on to wake up sauces.

Then there's yet another unexpected use -- this one from the July 2003 United Kingdom edition of Cosmopolitan Hair: "If your recently highlighted locks have turned a green tinge from too many pool parties, jump at the nearest BBQ invite and smother your hair in Heinz tomato ketchup for 10 minutes. The PH-balance will bring your hair back to full colour."

That's what we said: Ketchup is the ultimate food paint.

Ketchup factoids

-- In 1896, Scientific American magazine names ketchup "America's Favorite Condiment."

-- In 1927, Heinz markets the first bottles of ketchup, selling for 10 cents apiece.

-- The world's largest ketchup bottle -- 170 feet -- is located in Collinsville, Ill. where it is the town's water tower.

-- Ketchup leaves the glass bottle at 25 miles per hour.

-- Heinz produces 291,000 gallons of ketchup per day, 400 million bottles per year and 16 billion single-serve packages per year..

From Heinz North America

A ketchup time line

Earlier: Ketchups imported into Britain, mostly from "East-India" (now Indonesia)

1727: First known English-language recipe for "English Katchop" published in "E. Smith's Compleat Housewife, or, Accomplished Gentlewoman's Companion." It contained anchovies, shallots, vinegar, wine and spices such as mace, ginger, cloves, peppers, nutmeg, lemon peel and horseradish. "Mushroom liquid" was optional.

1732: First appearance in English of a Southeast Asian ketchup recipe based on kidney beans (as a substitute for soybeans), from Sumatra, settled by the British in 1684.

1742: England's "Compleat Housewife" cookbook is published in North America.

1743: "Kitchup" is declared a kitchen staple in a British housekeeper's guide. Fish, mushroom and walnut emerge as the three main ketchups.

1795: Manuscripts for American cookbooks include walnut and mushroom ketchups, but also tomato ketchup. One of them, from Mrs. Michell, called for love apples to be layered with salt, allspice, mace and whole pepper, then boiled, sieved, cooled and pounded.

1812: First published American tomato ketchup of unstrained tomato pulp with spices -- more like tomato sauce.

1817: Criticism of commercial ketchup voiced by cookbook author Dr. William Kitchiner. His book, "Apicius Redivivus, or, the Cook's Oracle," included 11 ketchup recipes, including two each for mushroom, walnut and tomato ketchups, and one each for cucumber, oyster and cockles and mussels ketchups.

1829: New Englander Lydia Child opines that the best sort of ketchup is made from tomatoes. She uses it in beef soup, fricasseed chicken and fish chowder.

1830: Commercial bottling operations for ketchup begin in Boston, Baltimore and New York. Ketchup is bottled about 10 years later.

1850s: Sugar appears as an ingredient in tomato ketchup recipes.

1855: Anderson Preserve Co. incorporates and sells Boston Market Catsup throughout the United States.

1869: Henry J. Heinz partners with L.C. Noble to form Heinz & Noble in Sharpsburg, Pa., selling fruit and vegetable preserves.

1882: Heinz begins patenting ketchup bottles.

1888: H.J. Heinz Co. forms manufacturing operations in the United States and other countries.

1896: H.J. Heinz has agencies in London, Antwerp, Sydney and Bermuda.

1904: Homemade ketchup takes a dive. Survey shows only one-sixth of respondents ate homemade ketchup.

1940: Ketchup recipes all but disappear from cookbooks.

-- From "Pure Ketchup"

Oseng Oseng

An Indonesian dish that uses "kecap" as Indonesians mean it -- as a type of flavored soy sauce. Kecap manis is the sweetened, reduced soy sauce so beloved of Indonesians. This is a recipe from Daniel Sudaryanto, sous chef at Betelnut. He says Oseng-Oseng means wok-tossed, in other words, stir-fry.

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound mixed seafood, such as cubed, mild fish (like halibut) and peeled whole shrimp

Kosher salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 magrut leaf (kaffir lime), bruised

1 stalk lemongrass, cut into 1-inch segments, bruised

Juice of 1/2 lime

1/2 teaspoon Asian fish sauce

1 teaspoon sambal oelek (Indonesian hot chili paste)

2 tablespoons coconut cream (skimmed off the top of frozen coconut milk)

2 tablespoons chicken stock

1 tablespoon kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy)

Sugar to taste

Garnish

Sliced red chiles

Julienned scallion (white part only)

Tender cilantro leaves

INSTRUCTIONS:

Season the seafood with salt and pepper. Heat a frying pan or wok and add the oil.

Add the seafood and brown, but do not cook all the way through. Remove to a serving dish.

In the same pan, saute the onion until soft. Add the ginger, garlic, magrut leaf and lemongrass and saute until fragrant.

Add the lime juice, fish sauce, sambal oelek, coconut cream, chicken stock and kecap manis. Season with salt, pepper and sugar.

Cook until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Return the seafood to the pan and simmer until cooked through. Discard the lemongrass.

Serve garnished with chiles, scallion and cilantro.

Serves 2 as a main dish, 4 as an appetizer

PER APPETIZER SERVING: 165 calories, 22 g protein, 4 g carbohydrate, 7 g fat (2 g saturated), 99 mg cholesterol, 443 mg sodium, 0 fiber.

DEVILED PRAWNS

Created by Executive Chef Alex Ong of Betelnut restaurant. The ketchup combined with other seasonings captures the way Asians and Southeast Asians use this condiment as a finishing ingredient that contributes bright and intense flavors.

INGREDIENTS:

16 gulf prawns (about 1 pound), peeled (leave tail on), deveined

Kosher salt and white pepper to taste

Oil

1/4 cup tomato ketchup, or 1 pint ripe sweet cherry tomatoes

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

1 to 2 Thai bird chiles

12 roasted garlic cloves

1 teaspoon cayenne

2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine (Shaoxing wine)

2 tablespoons chicken stock

3 tablespoons oyster sauce

2 tablespoons sriracha sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

15 Thai basil leaves

1 magrut leaf (kaffir lime), finely minced

1 green onion, thinly sliced on the diagonal

2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, sliced

INSTRUCTIONS:

Season the prawns with salt and pepper, then stir-fry them in oil. When they turn pink but are not yet cooked through, add the ketchup, ginger, chiles, garlic and cayenne. Stir to combine.

Add the wine and stock, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Stir in the oyster and sriracha sauces. Add the sugar and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half.

Stir in the basil, magrut and green onion. Add the butter in small pieces, stirring until incorporated.

Serves 3 or 4 as an appetizer

PER SERVING: 155 calories, 6 g protein, 16 g carbohydrate, 6 g fat (4 g saturated), 62 mg cholesterol, 960 mg sodium, 0 fiber.
Not much has been revealed about the new attractions coming to Disneyland's Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge this May 31, but there is one thing visitors can absolutely count on: super long lines.

When it opens, Galaxy's Edge will offer two rides in addition to the numerous immersive attractions and shops. One, Rise of the Resistance, debuts later this year, but Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run launches with the new land in a couple of months.
Finland, the Nordic nation, which has for the second year in a row been named the "happiest country in the world" by the United Nations World Happiness Report, is ready to share the secrets of its success with the rest of us more joy-averse humans.

The official Finnish travel bureau, Visit Finland, is rolling out a tourism promotion  a free summer vacation for contest winners  in an effort to share the intel. They're calling it Rent A Finn.

RELATED: Norwegian Air's new London nonstops land at SFO

As part of the contest, Finland designated six individuals and two couples to personally play host to tourists around where they live; two hosts each are in Lapland, Helsinki, Lakeland and the Coast, and Archipelago. Their main goal: to share nature with you.

"Our secret is in our nature, very literally," reads Rent A Finn's website. "When others go to therapy, Finns put on a pair of rubber boots and head to the woods. Now it's time everyone had a chance to learn from the best."

Those who enter the contest to visit Finland will need to do a few things before the contest closes on April 14. First, they have to record a 3-minute video detailing their relationship with nature and why they want to travel to Finland. Then, they'll need to fill out a form with some basic information. Visit Finland will shortly thereafter pick some winners and fly them (with one or three companions, depending on destination) to visit one of their hosts.

RELATED: Hyatt adds 85 more properties to its loyalty program

Vacations will likely vary wildly. One host, Esko, is actually the mayor of Lapland's Rovaniemi, the largest hub in the Arctic Circle (and, apparently, the "official" home of Santa Claus). A couple, Linda and Niko, spend their days seaside living on a lighthouse island in the Baltic Sea. And Katja is a yoga teacher who lives in a "very idyllic wooden neighborhood" near Helsinki.

Each trip lasts about two to three days, though winners may want to consider stopping in a nearby country before heading home; several other Nordic countries  Denmark, Iceland and Norway  were also among he world's happiest.

Alyssa Pereira is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at apereira@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @alyspereira.


TravelSkills on SFGate is brought to you by Visa

Norwegian Air has painted Harvey Milk's face on the tailfin of its newest Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, the latest in a series of "tailfin heroes" on the carrier's fleet.

In addition to Milk's 20-foot-tall visage, interior bulkhead walls are fitted with captioned photos of the slain civil rights leader, so passengers who see his face on the outside will learn more about his life and legacy once they are onboard. (See all this in the slideshow at the top of this post.)

The 338-seat jet will be based in London, flying to several of Norwegian's long-haul destinations, including San Francisco, where it launches service this Sunday. (More about that here.)

Milk joins the ranks of other American notables on Norwegian's tailfins, including Mark Twain, Charles Lindbergh, Babe Ruth, Benjamin Franklin and Sojourner Truth. Milk is the fourth LGBTQ tailfin hero, following in the contrails of Freddie Mercury, Jane Austen and Oscar Wilde.

Don't miss a shred of important travel news! Sign up for our FREE bi-weekly email alerts.

Norwegian says that the 100 historical figures on its fleet of Boeing 787s and 737s share the airline's "vision of pushing boundaries, inspiring others and challenging the status quo."

I was able to catch up with Stuart Milk, Harvey's nephew, and the head of the Harvey Milk Foundation to ask a few questions:

What was your initial reaction when you learned about this honor for your uncle?

We have been working with Norwegian on this project now for some time. I particularly like the company that Uncle Harvey will be in, with the Sojourner Truth and Oscar Wilde Dreamliners that are already in service. There are still 72 nations where is is illegal to be LGBT - this is both educational and sends a beacon of hope to all that see Harvey and learn about his courage and dream for our visibility and authenticity!

Was Harvey much of a world traveler? It is this his chance to "see the world" posthumously?

Rather than this being a chance for Uncle Harvey to see the world, this is an opportunity to spread the life sustaining hope and message of visibility that Harvey provided. I have Noritake China he brought back from Japan and the lithographs sent from the Pacific Islands for my family. I also have postcards Harvey sent me from Miami, Dallas and Montreal, so I would say Uncle Harvey got around!

How do you think Harvey would react to having his face on a big beautiful Dreamliner flying around the world as well as his name on a shiny new SFO terminal?

We are still struggling with getting Harvey's name on the terminal or at least in typeface that will be visible but I believe the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and Mayor Breed are staying on top of that - these are all opportunities to teach out prejudice and hate.

Milk is referring to the current controversy regarding the prominence of Milk's name on the new Terminal 1, the first phase of which opens at San Francisco International Airport this summer.

The Harvey Milk aircraft is the 26th Dreamliner in Norwegian's fleet. By next year, it expects to have 34 of them. It also flies 136 Boeing 737s.

What do you think about having Harvey Milk or other heros on the tailfins of jets? Sound off in the comments.

Read all recent TravelSkills posts here

Get twice-per-week updates from TravelSkills via email! Sign up here

Chris McGinnis is the founder of TravelSkills.com. The author is solely responsible for the content above, and it is used here by permission. You can reach Chris at chris@travelskills.com or on Twitter @cjmcginnis.
Year after year, he came.

Orange, plastic and hungry for lasagna, his self-satisfied face was stuck in a permanent grin. Sometimes he came intact. Other times, he was in pieces or badly coated in grime.

"It never stops," one local said.

For 30 years, Garfield the cat novelty phones kept washing up on the beaches of France. A 15-mile stretch of beach near Brest saw nearly 200 phones and phone pieces wash ashore in 2018 alone. Why, locals wondered, did Phone Garfield live in seemingly endless numbers off the coast of Brittany?

French environmentalists sought an answer, hoping to finally stop the relentless, if whimsical, pollution. An anti-littering group called Ar Vilantsou started a media blitz about the phones, which caught the attention of a local farmer. That man remembered a stormy day in the 1980s; from that day on, phones appeared on the beaches with some regularity.

ALSO: Adopted dog returned to shelter for being too good

The farmer contacted Ar Vilantsou and told them about the incident. He also recalled, tucked away in some sea caves, a container that blew off the ship that day.

So curious anti-littering crusaders followed the farmer into the sea cave. And there, they found the remnants of a broken shipping container. All around were more pieces of Phone Garfield. At last, they'd found the breeding ground of their orange mystery.

"This is the first time in our lives that we've seen that,"Ar Vilantsou's Claire Simonin-Le Meur told reporters.

Alas, while the mystery is solved, the problem is not. Garfield will continue to wash up on the shore, because the container is wedged in an inaccessible spot.

For now, all locals can do is continue to police the beaches for those errant telephonic cats, forever seeking a Pooky to keep them company.
VALLETTA, Malta  A Maltese special operations team boarded a tanker and took back control of it Thursday after the ship was hijacked by migrants it had rescued at sea. Italys hard-line interior minister slammed the migrants as pirates but aid groups said they acted in self-defense, blaming instead the European Unions policy of sending migrants back to lawless Libya.

Armed military personnel stood guard on the ships deck, and a dozen or so migrants were also visible, as the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1 docked safely Thursday at the Maltese port of Senglea. Five suspected ringleaders were led off in handcuffs.

In all, the Turkish tanker had rescued 77 men, 19 women and 12 minors, including toddlers, at sea, Malta officials said. One pregnant woman and one child were being treated at a hospital as a precaution.

Authorities in Italy and Malta on Wednesday said the group had hijacked the vessel after it rescued them in the Mediterranean Sea off Libya, and forced the crew to put the Libya-bound vessel on a course north toward Europe.

Maltese armed forces said the captain told them, when the ship was still 30 nautical miles offshore, that he was not in control of the vessel and that he and his crew were being forced and threatened by a number of migrants to proceed to Malta.

No details were given of what force or threats were used, and there was no immediate word on the condition of El Hiblu 1s crew. But a military official not authorized to speak to the media said the migrants did not have weapons but that the captain and crew were outnumbered and forced to surrender.

Last year, 2,299 migrants died at sea while trying to reach Europe, according to the International Organization for Migration. So far this year, 289 have died.

The ship had been heading toward Italys southernmost island of Lampedusa and the island nation of Malta when Maltese forces intercepted it.

Stephen Calleja and Colleen Barry are Associated Press writers.
KABUL  Afghanistan will remain dependent on international donors and foreign help even after a peace deal with the Taliban is reached, a U.S. watchdog said Thursday.

The warning by Washingtons Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction, or SIGAR, which monitors billions of dollars in U.S. aid to the country, came in a new report identifying main high-risk areas for Afghanistan.

John Sopko, head of SIGAR, urged policymakers to plan for the day after, saying a peace agreement wont automatically resolve Afghanistans many crises.

Should peace come, if that peace is to be sustainable, it will come at an additional price that only external donors can afford, Sopko said, according to a statement emailed to The Associated Press ahead of the reports release.

The report said main points of concern include widespread insecurity, underdeveloped civil policing capability, endemic corruption, sluggish economy, the Taliban-run narcotics trade and threats to womens rights.

Over the past months, the Trump administration has stepped up efforts to resolve Afghanistans 17-year war  Americas longest conflict  and U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has held several rounds of peace talks with the Taliban, with both sides citing progress in the negotiations. The talks include five senior Taliban officials who were held at Guantanamo for 13 years before being exchanged for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the only known U.S. service member to be held by the insurgents as a prisoner of war.

But despite the talks, the Taliban stage near-daily attacks on Afghan forces, inflicting staggering casualties, and now hold sway over half of the country. Also, the insurgents refuse to talk directly with the government in Kabul, considering it a U.S. puppet.

If a peace deal is struck, SIGAR said another concern would be the reintegration of as many as 60,000 heavily armed Taliban fighters and their families back into Afghan society.

Donor countries are expected to finance approximately 51 percent of Afghanistans 2019 government spending of $5 billion. Yet the Afghan governments capabilities are generally weak and it often lacks the capacity to manage and account for donor funds, the report said.

Rahim Faiez is an Associated Press writer.
This was the moment a vintage Cadillac went up in flames and rolled down the road before crashing into a nearby front yard in Tennessee.



In footage captured yesterday (March 27) in Chattanooga, two friends who were supposed to go for an outing in the vehicle noticed smoke coming from under the bonnet.



They deserted the car before it was suddenly engulfed in flames.



The fire department arrived and proceeded to hose the car down but moments into the dousing, the breaks burned according to the filmer and the car rolled down the hill.



As it nearly lightly crashes into a neighbour's front yard the car comes to a halt after being stopped by some foliage.



The filmer said: "My friend and I were going for a drive in his 1970s caddy when we saw some smoke come up from the engine.



"We turned the car off immediately and got out and called 911.



"When the fire department arrived they started hosing the car down and not 20 seconds later, the breaks burned and the car just went down the hill with gravity!



"The car ended rolling into a neighbour's yard with minimal damage on the property but the car [was] completely destroyed."
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NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE U.S.

TORONTO, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sandy Lake Gold Inc. (Sandy Lake or the Corporation) (TSX-V:SLAU) is pleased to announce that it has closed the third and final tranche of its previously announced non-brokered private placement financing, pursuant to which it has issued an aggregate of 6,609,000 units (the Units) at a price of $0.10 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of $660,900 (the Final Tranche Closing). Each Unit is comprised of one common share in the capital of the Corporation (a Share) and one-half of one (1/2) share purchase warrant. Each whole share purchase warrant is exercisable to purchase one additional Share at a price of $0.20 for a period of 24 months from the Final Tranche Closing, provided that if at any time after July 29, 2019, the closing price of the Shares on the principal market on which such Shares trade is at least $0.30 for more than 20 consecutive trading days, the expiry date will be accelerated to the date which is 30 days following the dissemination by the Corporation of a press release announcing such acceleration.

All securities issued and issuable in connection with the Final Tranche Closing are subject to a statutory hold period expiring on July 29, 2019. The Offering remains subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

About Sandy Lake Gold Inc.

Sandy Lake Gold Inc. is a Toronto based mineral exploration company focused on the exploration and development of the Sandy Lake Gold project in Canada and proposed to acquire the Aremu Oko and Peters Mine properties in Guyana.

For further information please contact:

Patrick Sheridan

Executive Chairman & CEO

(416) 628-5904

Email: info@sandylakegold.com

Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains certain forward-looking information and statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. The use of any of the words expect, anticipate, continue, estimate, may, might, will, project, should, believe, plans, intends and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking information and/or statements. Forward-looking statements and/or information are based on a number of material factors, expectations and/or assumptions of Sandy Lake which have been used to develop such statements and/or information but which may prove to be incorrect. Although Sandy Lake believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements and/or information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements as Sandy Lake can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. In addition to other factors and assumptions which may be identified herein, assumptions have been made regarding, among other things: receipt of all applicable regulatory approvals; availability of financing; and the timely receipt of any required regulatory approvals. The forward-looking information and statements included in this news release are not guarantees of future performance and should not be unduly relied upon. Such information and/or statements, including the assumptions made in respect thereof, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results and/or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information and/or statements including, without limitation: risks associated with the uncertainty of obtaining all applicable regulatory approvals, the availability of financing, and/or certain other risks detailed from time-to-time in Sandy Lakes public disclosure documents (including, without limitation, those risks identified in this news release and Sandy Lakes current managements discussion and analysis). Furthermore, the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as at the date of this news release and the Corporation does not undertake any obligations to publicly update and/or revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of additional information, future events and/or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities laws.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy and / or accuracy of this release




Police in East Java exposed a large cargo of endangered animals being smuggled out of Indonesia by a international syndicate of criminals yesterday (March 27).



The arrest was made in Surabaya after police traced a suspect identified as 'RSL' trafficking the animals to his home, and arrested him on February 22.



A full inventory of the retrieved animal cargo was shown at a police press conference on March 27.



The syndicate had been smuggling various type of endangered animals including pangolins, Komodo dragons, otters, monkey, birds of prey and parrots among a host of other protected species.



The smugglers are believe to have been operating since 2016, and are estimated to have sold 41 Komodo dragons abroad, which reportedly can sell individually for 15-20 million INR (around $1000-1400 USD).



The suspects can face up to five years in jail and heavy fines for violating the environmental conservation laws.
This is the heartbreaking moment a stray dog was found after walking around with her head stuck inside a plastic bottle for three days.



The female dog had been trying to eat leftovers from the container found in the local palm field in Chumphon, southern Thailand.



Unfortunately, her head became stuck inside the bottle making her unable to eat or drink as she wandered aimlessly through the woodland.



The stray was found on Monday (March 25) when she was shaking and hitting her head against bushes and trees in desperate attempts to remove the thick plastic tub, once used for storing food.



Villagers had been trying to help the five-year-old dog after they had seen her in the terrible condition for three days but none of them could approach her because she was very nervous and ran away each time.



Field owner Udom Wisairath, 52, said: The dog was very scared of people and she always ran away. There were other people before me who were trying to help her but they all got the same response.



The dog became noticeably exhausted as she did not have food or water for more than 70 hours which worried the locals. They wanted her to be rescued as soon as possible.



Udom added: Everyone had seen her around the neighbourhood before, so we all felt sorry for her. We hope some volunteer units would come to remove the bottle for her before she starved to death.'



Locals said they had contacted the local rescue service but nobody had arrived to catch the dog.
Page Content

Efforts to raise the federal $7.25 minimum wage were boosted after fast-food giant McDonald's announced that it would no longer lobby against minimum-wage increases at the federal, state or local level.

We've rounded up SHRM Online resources and articles from other trusted outlets on the news.



Policy Shift

Genna Gent, McDonald's vice president of government relations, wrote in a letter to the National Restaurant Association that McDonald's believes wage increases should be phased in and that it doesn't wish to impede advancement on the issue. She also stated that the average starting wage at its corporate-owned restaurants already exceeds $10 per hour. The McDonald's Corporation does not control the wages that franchisees pay in their restaurants.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has also signaled it would be willing to negotiate over raising the federal hourly minimum, which has been at $7.25 since 2009, but it must "be paired with relief for small businesses," said Neil Bradley, the chamber's executive vice president and chief policy officer. He added that the Chamber would not support an increase to $15 an hour, as the recently introduced Raise the Wage Act proposes.

(Politico)



Raise the Wage Act Moves Forward

The House Education and Labor Committee passed the Raise the Wage Act on March 6, where it currently awaits a vote on the House floor. The bill would increase the federal minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $15 an hour by 2024. Approval in the Republican-controlled Senate is expected to be difficult.

(SHRM Online)



Good for Business, or Does It Cost Too Much?

The plan to raise the federal minimum wage has reset the stage for an enduring argument: Do minimum-wage increases lead to more prosperity or fewer jobs for low-wage earners?

(SHRM Online)



Bill Ends Low Pay for Workers with Disabilities

The Raise the Wage Act would also gradually increase the base hourly wage for tipped workers and workers under age 20 and end the subminimum wage system used by some employers for workers with severe disabilities.

(SHRM Online)



Many States and Cities Raised Their Minimum Wage in 2019

While the federal minimum wage has been stalled for a decade, many states have a higher rate and more wage hikes will take effect this year.

(SHRM Online)


Page Content

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, reintroduced a revamped New Parents Act on March 27, which would create a voluntary option for paid parental leave by allowing parents to use a portion of their Social Security after the birth or adoption of a child. A companion bill was introduced in the House by U.S. Reps. Ann Wagner, R-Mo., and Dan Crenshaw, R-Tex. The legislation allows new parents paid leave that lasts one, two or three months in exchange for delaying or reducing future Social Security benefits. Parents also could choose to keep working full-time or part-time and use the Social Security funds to pay for childcare expenses.

The Child Rearing and Development Leave Empowerment (CRADLE) Act, introduced a few weeks earlier by Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, would let parents receive up to three months of paid leave if they postpone Social Security benefits and take leave from work.

On the other side of the aisle, 179 House Democrats have co-sponsored The Family and Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act, which provides partial wage replacement for all Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) qualifying events funded by a payroll tax on employers and employees. SHRM Online has selected the following articles to provide a deeper look into this topic.

Republicans' Rationale

"Our economic policies have left young, working families behind at a time when our marriage and childbirth rates are falling. It is time to realign our economic policies in support of American families," Rubio said.

"We have put forth a responsible paid family leave policy that allows new parents flexibility to spend more time with their children during one of life's most precious and exceptional moments. Importantly, this legislation gives new parents the option of paid parental leave without raising taxes or burdening small businesses," Wagner said.

(Office of Sen. Marco Rubio)



Public Supports Paid Leave, Disagree on Specifics

Americans largely support paid leave for new mothers and fathers, as well as for workers who need to care for a family member with a serious health condition or deal with their own medical issues, a 2016 study by the Pew Research Center found. But the public is sharply divided over whether the government should require employers to offer this benefit or let employers decide for themselves.

A 2018 survey of 1,700 adults by the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, found that 74 percent of respondents support a new federal government program to provide 12 weeks of paid leave to new parents or to people dealing with their own or a family member's serious medical condition. Support slips, however, after costs are considered. While 54 percent would be willing to pay $200 a year in new taxes to fund a 12-week federal paid-leave program, most oppose establishing a federal paid-leave program if it would cost them $450 a year or more.

(SHRM Online)



[SHRM members-only toolkit: Managing Family and Medical Leave]

Republicans Getting Onboard

Crenshaw, one of the few Millennial Republicans in Congress, said he knows of young parents who simply cannot afford to take time off from work to be with their babies. "A strong family unit is the backbone of a society," Crenshaw said. "So the question always becomes how can we invest in family leave programs that recognize that value without creating yet another burdensome government program?"

Rubio, of Florida, acknowledged that despite the growing support in GOP circles for paid family leave programs, it's still an idea that is not widely accepted within Republican ranks. Just five years ago, the issue was not part of Republican orthodoxy at all, he said.

(Houston Chronicle)



Seeking Bipartisanship

This is not the first time a paid family leave bill has been presented in Congress. The issue has been dear to Ivanka Trump, who has discussed the prospect with Republican leaders since her father took office. [If Republican proposals were] coupled with the Family Act and an expressed willingness to compromise, landmark bipartisan legislation could be on the horizon.

(New York Times)



[Visit SHRM's resource page on paid time off.]




Los Angeles, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Los Angeles City Councilmembers Paul Koretz (CD5) and Mitch OFarrell (CD13) will honor Dr. Jane Goodalls unique legacy of scientific discoveries, courageous leadership, and her contributions to our understanding of nonhuman animals and the planet we all share. The event will take place on Dr. Goodalls 85th birthday and marks the launch of the Jane Goodall Institutes #GenerationJane campaign.

Joining the Councilmembers will be Steven M. Wise, founder and president of the Nonhuman Rights Project, for which Dr. Goodall is a founding board member and scientific expert, in addition to staff and supporters of Dr. Goodalls community-centered conservation, research and youth empowerment organization, the Jane Goodall Institute.

WHAT:

Upon the recommendation of Los Angeles City Councilmembers Paul Koretz and Mitch OFarrell, the Los Angeles City Council, the Los Angeles office of the Nonhuman Rights Project (NhRP), and the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) will hold a ceremony during the City Council meeting to celebrate Dr. Jane Goodalls accomplishments and impact.

WHEN:

Wednesday, April 3rd, 2019

(Jane Goodalls 85th birthday and Councilmember Koretzs birthday as well)

City Council Meeting  10-10:40 am

Press Q&A  immediately following the presentation

WHERE:

Los Angeles City Hall Council Chambers

200 N Spring St

Los Angeles, CA 90012

WHO:

During the ceremony, Dr. Goodall, DBE, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute & UN Messenger of Peace, will speak for approximately 15 minutes after introductory remarks by Councilmember Koretz, Councilmember OFarrell and NhRP President Steven M. Wise. A press Q&A will immediately follow the ceremony.

WHY:

The City of Los Angeles, Dr. Goodall, the Jane Goodall Institute, and the Nonhuman Rights Project share common goals striving to create greater harmony between people and animals. Today, more than ever it is of the utmost importance to further conversations around animal protection and conservation, which are framed solidly in science, and which honor individuals and thought leadership that propels this work. This event celebrates the contributions of Dr. Goodall and aims to engage individuals in her and her organizations mission to empower people through hope to act on behalf of other animals in the wild and in captive conditions.



RSVP: Email your Press RSVP to stacey.doss@sagon.phior.com

PLEASE NOTE: RSVPs are required to enter the event. Your name must also appear on the RSVP list to receive a parking pass. Security provided by Los Angeles Police Department.

PRESS CONTACTS:



the Jane Goodall Institute

Shawn Sweeney

703-389-7575

ssweeney@janegoodall.org



Councilmember Koretz

Alison Simard

213-473-7005

alison.simard@lacity.org



Councilmember OFarrell

Tony Arranaga

213-258-9533

tony.arranaga@lacity.org

Nonhuman Rights Project

Stacey Doss

949-285-2362

Stacey.doss@sagon-phior.com



About Dr. Jane Goodall

Jane Goodall was born on April 3, 1934, in London, England. At the young age of 26, she followed her passion for animals and Africa to what is now Gombe Stream National Park, Tanzania, where she began her landmark study of chimpanzees in the wildimmersing herself in their habitat as a neighbor rather than a distant observer. Her discovery in 1960 that chimpanzees make and use tools rocked the scientific world and redefined the relationship between humans and animals. In 1977, she established the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) to advance her work around the world and for generations to come. JGI continues the field research at Gombe and builds on Dr. Goodall's innovative approach to conservation, which recognizes the central role that people play in the well-being of animals and the environment. In 1991, she founded Roots & Shoots, JGIs global program that guides young people in nearly 50 countries in becoming conservation activists and leaders in their daily lives. Today, Dr. Goodall travels the world, speaking about the threats facing chimpanzees, environmental crises and her reasons for hope. In her books and speeches, she emphasizes the interconnectedness of all living things and the collective power of individual action. Dr. Goodall is a UN Messenger of Peace and Dame Commander of the British Empire.
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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Hidden from the public at one of New York Citys 11 correctional facilities is the man who allegedly murdered a Mafia king pin, a defendant described by some experts as a dead man walking.

Granted protective custody, sources say the now infamous Anthony Comello, 24, of Eltingville, is being kept away from inmates who might have a score to settle; whether theyve got mob ties or are looking to make a name for themselves.

The facility where hes being housed is being withheld from the public, while Comello is permitted to make phone calls and accept visitors at his own discretion, based on Department of Corrections policies.

Sources familiar with Rikers facilities suspect Comellos only human contact throughout at least most of the day is with corrections officers, in a facility where detainees such as celebrities and police officers would be held.

The levels of protective custody afforded to inmates varies from case to case. In 2018, for instance, two men held in a protective custody unit at Robert N. Davoren Center were slashed in the face in the shower stalls, according to media reports.

But Comello appears to be a different story.

He is in protective custody, as such he should not have contact with other prisoners, said his Manhattan-based defense attorney Robert Gottlieb.

NOT TAKING ANY CHANCES

Comello was transported at 4 a.m. Monday to Criminal Court in St. George for a pre-scheduled arraignment. A few hours later, members of the state courts Special Response Team were posted on the roof of the mezzanine above the front entrance, while Gottlieb was escorted into the building by armed guards.

It reflects the concern that (law enforcement) thankfully has, said Gottlieb, following his clients highly publicized arraignment on Staten Island. Concern that might have, in part, been heightened by news reports that his clients family was receiving death threats in the days leading up to the arraignment.

CONCERNS OF ODD-BEHAVIOR

Comellos family, who became concerned with Comellos mental state in recent months, have kept in continuous contact with the defendant, said Gottlieb, who at a press conference Monday claimed evidence will show that right-wing hate speech played an intricate roll in what he called a tragedy for both families.

"At the end of the day, after everything is known about the case, its going to show that the hate thats spewed on the Internet by QAnon and other right-wing conspiracy websites...including politicians, and including right at the White House... those words matter, and they have an effect.

While law enforcement sources have said the incident at this point doesnt appear to be mob-related, it remains unclear whether Comello knew Cali on a personal level. Sources said there might have been either a real, or perceived, relationship between the defendant and a female member of Calis family, while at the same time referring to him as a mob-obsessed conspiracy theorist.

A MARKED MAN

A private funeral for Cali attended by family and mob associates was held at Moravian Cemetery in New Dorp, after, according to the New York Post, one of his associates payed $45,000 in cash.

White roses put in front of Calis tomb after the burial were gone by last Thursday and a white sticker indicating Calis name and the years of his birth and death was removed, making his grave impossible to detect for visitors.

Meanwhile, a law enforcement source and expert with mafia cases has speculated Comello is a dead man walking.

In regard to Comellos undisclosed illness for which hes been prescribed medication, and claims that conspiracy theories played a role in the incident, one law enforcement source told the Advance he knows what he did."

Comello is due back in court April 3.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Three suspects have been charged in the disappearance last week of a New Jersey teenager -- including the girls biological mother and father, according to an NJ.com report.

Brian K. Combs, 44, was charged with interference in child custody and obstruction of the administration of law after investigators found his daughter, Ashley Combs, 17, at his home Wednesday, according to the report.

Also charged in connection with the incident are Ashleys mother, Mechelle Combs, and Linda Roszel, described by police as an associate of Brian Combs, the report said. Both women were released with a summons.

Ashley Combs, who lives with her uncle Rob Nieratko and his wife, was reported missing Friday by her legal guardians.

Missing Toms River girl Ashley Combs.

In a Facebook post this week, Nieratko stated the teen was not allowed to make contact with her birth parents or have a cell phone, adding, my family dynamic is absolutely none of anyones business.

On Monday, the familys attorney issued an ultimatum on social media demanding the teen be sent home, or else whoever had aided in her disappearance would be "prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Toms River police stated on multiple occasions while Ashley was missing that her disappearance was not considered suspicious and that detectives were looking for her, according to the report.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Following his most recent stint in the federal prison system, longtime underboss of the Colombo crime family John (Sonny) Franzese sat down with reporters on Long Island for an extended interview about his life, at one point proclaiming, I never hurt nobody that was innocent."

According to the Newsday report, law enforcement linked Franzese to multimillion-dollar loan sharking, bookmaking and extortion rackets on Long Island and in New York City while he reportedly was caught on tape alluding to multiple murders he claimed to have committed.

But despite spending more than 35 years in prison, he never flipped on any mob-associates, while other bosses violated the code of La Cosa Nostra in exchange for easier prison sentences.

He claimed that in the 1950s -- in the prime of the New York City mafia -- he hobnobbed with Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield and Frank Sinatra while appearing regularly in the tabloids.

He also spoke about the pride and pain he felt about his sons, who were active members of the Colombo family before both at one point cooperating with law enforcement officials in an effort to break away from the lifestyle, according to the report.

Authorities believe Franzese personally killed or ordered the murders of dozens of people.

Asked about the prosecutors and judge who sent him to prison, who have all died, Franzese told reporters, Ill meet them in hell.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.-- Even Kate Beckinsale is tired of reading her name in the news.

The actress gave the Los Angeles Times an exclusive interview to talk about her role on the British television series The Widow" and her relationship with Saturday Night Live comedian and Great Kills native Pete Davidson. The writer notices Beckinsale didnt mention Davidson by name, but we all know the deal. After rumors swirled the Internet, their love affair was confirmed by a photo of them at a New York Rangers game earlier this month.

Im surprised by the interest, Beckinsale told to the Times. Ive never been in this position before  never dated anybody who comes with their own bag of mischief. Its all quite shocking, and something to get used to.

She discussed how the couple manages to rise above the headlines. The couple has been subject to scrutiny over the 20-year age difference: Beckinsale is 45 and Davidson is 25.

I think if you liked the person less, you would bow out of it, the actress said. If that were the main thrust of the relationship, there would be a problem. But its not.

Davidson also addressed the age difference on SNL alongside former Advance intern Colin Jost.

Apparently, people have a crazy fascination with our age difference, Davidson said on the Weekend Update segment. But it doesnt really bother us. But, then again, Im new to this, so if you have questions about a relationship with a big age difference, just ask Leonardo DiCaprio, Jason Statham, Michael Douglas, Richard Gere, Jeff Goldblum, Scott Disick, Dane Cook, Derek Jeter, Bruce Willis, Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee, Alec Baldwin, Sean Penn, and whoever the president of France is, Mel Gibson, Billy Joel, Mick Jagger, Sylvester Stallone, Eddie Murphy, Kelsey Grammar, Larry King, Rod Stewart and Donald Trump.

The actress exclusive Los Angeles Times interview ended with: Id rather not have people hiding outside my house. Its a little old fashioned to have a womans personal life [looked at like that]. Its a little bit tired.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.-- The upcoming film projects with Staten Islands name attached to it are FXs What We Do in the Shadows," the Hulu docuseries Wu-Tang: An American Saga and the forthcoming untitled Pete Davidson autobiographical film.

Talk about a weird bunch of titles. What We Do in the Shadows," a vampire comedy based on the feature film of the same name from Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, is set to premiere Wednesday at 10 p.m. Clement spoke to Gothamist about the series and answered the age-old question: Why is this show based on Staten Island?

You know, you throw around a lot of ideas when youre coming up with things, Clement told the outlet. You throw out a lot that you dont think youll use. But then were called up about it, and it didnt seem crazy.

Staten Island was the suggestion that made it through. The interviewer threw in the notorious forgotten borough stereotype, adding New Yorkers dont necessarily travel there, out of their way, unless they have family or work obligations. (BTW Ben Yakas, you forgot to mention our thriving art, music and theatre community along with award-winning restaurants. I dont blame you, the bright orange boat to get here can be distracting.) Turns out, Clement has visited the borough many times while working on the film Humor Me.

Because its a little quieter than the rest of New York, I thought it might be a good place to hide, Clement said. And also, as is mentioned in the pilot, those vampires may not have gotten very far after arriving to America in the 1800s. They might notve gone very far from there.

The network describes the show as a "documentary-style look into the daily (or rather, nightly) lives of four vampires whove lived together for hundreds of years. After an unexpected visit from their dark lord and leader, Baron Afanas, the vampires are reminded of what they were initially tasked with upon their arrival on Staten Island over a hundred years ago -- total and complete domination of the New World.

Scenes from the trailer show the vampires low-lit home and supermarkets; no familiar Staten Island locales are in sight. The series stars Matt Berry, Kayvan Novak, Natasia Demetriou, Harvey Guillen and Mark Proksch.

Although the show is set on Staten Island, IMBD lists the filming location as Toronto, Canada.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Police had a close call when a man allegedly tried to arm himself with a loaded gun during a search of his home in New Brighton.

Police empowered with a search warrant showed up around 6 a.m. Tuesday at the studio apartment of Vaughn Chiddick, 23, and Christina Oforiyeboah, 37, on the 400 block of Jersey Street, according to the criminal complaint.

Chiddick was standing when he reached for a backpack on the floor that contained a .38-caliber Smith & Wesson revolver with five bullets inside its cylinder, according to the criminal complaint.

Oforiyeboah was on the bed where police allegedly recovered about eight ounces of marijuana, according to the criminal complaint.

Both suspects are charged with criminal possession of a weapon, criminal possession of a firearm, criminal possession of marijuana and unlawful possession of marijuana, according to the criminal complaint

Bond has been set at $25,000 for Chiddick, who was convicted of attempted robbery in Bronx Supreme Court in May 2015, according to the criminal complaint.

Oforiyeboah was released on her own recognizance and is due back in Criminal Court on Friday. She was convicted on July 2015 of assault on Staten Island, according to the complaint.

Attorneys for the suspects could not immediately be reached for comment.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Dozens of officers were honored in New Dorp Wednesday at the NYPD Police Appreciation Day award ceremony inside the Crossroads Church.

Pastor Ray Parascando highlighted the notion of standing in the gap, a term he used to describe they way officers make themselves shields to protect others, and sacrifice their lives every day to help us.

They are running into the fray, fighting crime, while others are running in the other direction, Parascando said.

Joining him on stage, City Council Member Steven Matteo showed his gratitude to the many officers that serve the community, and with kind words showed his support for them.

We have to give the NYPD our thanks, our appreciation, because of what they put on the line every single day, Matteo said. As we go to sleep, theyre patrolling to make sure that when we wake up that we are just as safe as when we went to sleep.

Commanding officers commended the officers for their bravery and quick thinking and Deputy Chief Scott Henderson showed his appreciation for the community.

Its really an honor,'' he said. "Ive only be assigned to Staten Island for a few months, but in my 24 years of service with the Police Department, I have not seen an event where the police officers were honored in this manner.

The efforts officers were recognized for included saving a 1-year-old child who had stopped breathing, protecting children from school threats, assisting an emotionally disturbed person and saving a man from bleeding out.

Officers awarded include: Amir Pali and Salvatore Balisteri, 120th Precinct; Sgt. Julia Griffin, Anthony Cimmino, Nicole Aiello, 121st Precinct; Alan Bungay, Renette Pierre-Antoine, 122nd Precinct; Gabriel Cuadros, Merlin Sahmanovic, 123rd Precinct; Danieldel Pino, Strategic Response Group, Sgt. Garcia; Highway Patrol Unit and the Emergency Service Unit.

The dedication ceremony ended with a row of bowing heads as Parascondo prayed for the officers safety, noting that the community is thankful for their commitment.

Community contributors to the event included Ambrosinos, Andrews Diner,Applebees, Bagles On The Lane, Better Gourmet Health Kitchen, Brioso, Cafe Con Pan, Campania, Chickurin, Chik-Fil-A, Errigos, Giacomos Pizzeria & Restaurant, Goodfellas, Guyon Bagels, Jade Asian Bistro,Johns Deli, La Strada, Little Italy, Nuccis, Oakwood Diner, Piece of Cake, Pizzeria Giove, Precious Island, Restaurant On The Plaza, Taste Of India,Tex Mex, Trackside and Wing World.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- In an effort to integrate New York Citys school system, Council Speaker Corey Johnson is calling for the creation of additional city-designated elite high schools, he wrote in a letter published in Chalkbeat.

Johnson proposed the idea of the elite high schools -- which would be separate from the eight test-based specialized high schools that are governed by state law -- after he expressed disappointment in the number of minority students admitted to specialized schools.

Results like that do not happen overnight, and reflect a failure not just of the admissions process for our specialized high schools, but of our education system overall, Johnson said in the Chalkbeat letter.

He explained that creating city-designated elite high schools would allow New York City to add thousands of seats that would expand opportunities for students in any community.

Johnson added that the City Council is prepared to work with the Department of Education (DOE) to begin a process of designating these schools and expanding opportunities as soon as possible.

This would also allow the DOE to pilot new admissions criteria that will promote diversity without needing state approval, Johnson said in the letter.

Criteria could include measures like class rank, grade point average and scores on standardized state exams. Johnson said the criteria is similar to Mayor Bill de Blasios proposal to replace the admissions requirements for the citys specialized high schools.

Johnson said the City Council Education Committee will soon hold a hearing on school diversity and related legislation.

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  I have an idea: Tell me what catastrophe climate change isnt responsible for. Thats getting to be the shorter list these days.

Lefties like Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez blame global warming for just about everything that ails us. On Wednesday, AOC linked climate change to child asthma sufferers in the Bronx.

Before long, global warming driven by carbon emissions will be blamed for everything from obesity to tooth decay. Thats what happens when you cant have an open discussion about a topic. You can attach anything you want to it and nobodys allowed to argue.

Not that we call it global warming anymore anyway. Hard to push that point when temperatures in the Northeast are still in the 30s more than a week into spring.

But hold on there. Climate isnt weather, Ive been told. So its not fair to use colder temperatures to cast doubt on the superheating of the planet. Except that climate does become weather when it can be linked to big hurricanes or titanic rainfalls. Or floods in the Midwest. Or any other darn thing, it seems.

Senate Republicans had a show vote on AOCs Green New Deal this week. The bill got voted down, with Republicans voting no, and Democrats turning their noses up at the whole thing by voting present.

The Green New Deal calls for an end to the use of fossil fuels, and increased use of solar, wind, hydroelectric and geothermal power.

Solar and wind are the renewables most frequently mentioned when we talk about eliminating carbon emissions, but neither is reliable as a consistent power source yet.

The sun doesnt shine at night. It shines with less intensity during winter months. It can be blocked by clouds. And there goes your power generation.

Wind? Sometimes the wind doesnt blow at all. And those wind farms take up a lot of space. Surely that land could be put to better use. Those turbines are noisy too. And, speaking of being eco-friendly, the turbines are a threat to wildlife.

And remember: The one-percenters dont want wind farms built off their pristine shorelines or in the hills around their palatial homes, so guess which neighborhoods would be host to those big propellers?

Do we want our power grid dependent on the vagaries of the weather? Not until battery technology has evolved to the point where the power can be stored efficiently. And while were on the topic, how will we dispose of all those batteries once were done with them? A question for another day.

Not talked about as much is nuclear power, which has carbon emissions comparable to renewable sources, and which is already part of the U.S. power grid.

Environmentally enlightened France, birthplace of the Paris Agreement climate accord, has been using nuclear power for decades. So have progressive countries like Canada, Sweden and England. Never mind China, Russia and India.

The technology has evolved since the bad, old Chernobyl days, even if its certainly not foolproof, and even if the Fukushima disaster led some counties to scale back or eliminate their nuclear power programs.

But if were talking about a radical change in energy policy, everything should be on the table. Even if those on the left recoil in horror at the very thought of another Three Mile Island.

And if you want to keep your community from getting drowned by a bad storm, stop paving over every parcel of open space in sight. Give the rain a place to go.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- House Democrats introduced legislation that would preserve important health care protections one day after the Department of Justice asked a federal court to undo the Affordable Care Act.

The Protecting Pre-Existing Conditions and Making Health Care Affordable Act, co-sponsored by Rep. Max Rose (D-Staten Island/South Brooklyn), would lower insurance premiums, strengthen protections for individuals with pre-existing conditions, and crack down on junk health insurance plans.

Rose said the Trump Administrations plans are obvious -- to take a wrecking ball to the entire health care system.

Thats unfathomable. Staten Islanders and South Brooklynites are already suffering enough from skyrocketing health care costs, and I refuse to sit back as this Administration tries to rip their coverage altogether, Rose said.

Studies have shown that insurance premiums in New York could rise 8.6 percent this year if the Affordable Care Act is reversed.

ACT WOULD UPHOLD IMPORTANT AFFORDABLE CARE ACT MEASURES

A former chief of staff at Brightpoint Health, a network of non-profit community health centers throughout the five boroughs, Rose said he saw firsthand the challenges that low-income families have getting access to needed treatment and services.

He said families are already getting crushed with the increasing cost of health care prescription drugs.

Instead of trying to blow up the system in one way or another, Im more focused on finding real solutions to lower costs and improve access. Ive seen first-hand the challenges low-income families face in our communities getting the care and treatment they need and deserve, so Im going to keep fighting for them because we have to do better, he said.

The Protecting Pre-Existing Conditions and Making Health Care Affordable Act would:

Allow more middle class individuals and families to qualify for subsidies by strengthening tax credits in the Marketplace;

Provide funding for reinsurance;

Curtail the Administrations efforts to give states waivers to undermine protections for people with pre-existing conditions;

Stop health insurance plans that dont provide coverage for essential medical treatments and drugs;

Require open enrollment outreach, education, and funding for navigators;

Hold the Administration accountable for its use of federal monies dedicated to increasing awareness and enrollment.

Additionally, Rose has co-sponsored the Medicare Negotiation and Competitive Licensing Act, a bill that would allow Medicare to negotiate drug costs and the Safe and affordable Drugs from Canada Act, that would allow the importation of branded drugs from Canada, which are on average a third of the cost.
CLEARWATER, Fla., March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Sunday 24 March, the park just south of Scientologys Fort Harrison religious retreat in downtown Clearwater was awash with yellow t-shirts as 70 Volunteer Ministers learned the basics of how to help at disaster sites. Their training included: how to safely use a chain saw to clear debris after disaster strikes; how to pitch a tent; the importance of hydration; and other important skills.



Before the training began, two VMs with over 3500 volunteer hours at disaster sites around the world told stories of how they were able to provide immediate help and give disaster victims the tools and knowledge they need in order to rebuild and carry on.

Shannon Barnes, an Emergency Medical Technician and a member of the international rescue team Los Topos, gave the heartwarming story about arriving on top of a mountain in Nepal to find hundreds of people staring at the ground in apathy, and how he and his team got them smiling and communicating with each other again.

Living in the southern United States, especially Florida, we know that hurricane season is coming soon, says Glendy Goodsell, Executive Director of the Clearwater Volunteer Minister Center. Two years ago, we experienced Hurricane Irma in this area, then last year Florence and Michael devastated the North Carolina coast and Florida Panhandle. Because we were prepared, and well trained and organized, we were able to deploy large numbers of VMs with equipment, supplies, and knowledge to help.

The Volunteer Minister program was created by Scientologys founder, L. Ron Hubbard, and has adopted the slogan Something Can Be Done About It. Scientology ministers are training in the 19 chapters of the Scientology Handbook to apply specific technology to help anyone in lifes little disasters, such as The Technology of Study, How to Resolve Conflicts, and The Basics of Organizing.

Anyone can train as a Volunteer Minister. Classes are free at the Clearwater VM Center and online at www.volunteerministers.org.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/786e20fc-4bde-4a9c-9063-38add15b1c1e
Put together a British model, a drag queens podcast and Disney princesses, and youll make headlines.

Cara Delevingne, a well-known model who has crossed over into acting -- most notably in the 2016 film Suicide Squad -- has stirred debate about the impact of the ever-popular princesses during a discussion of her own sexuality on RuPauls podcast, Whats the Tee?

According to multiple published reports, during a wide-ranging interview Delevingne talked frankly about her idolization of the Disney characters during childhood, and how it contributed to her confusion about her own attraction to women.

I was like, Disney princesses all love men. Thats the way it is, and Im not going to be a princess if I dont, you know what I mean? asked Delevingne, according to a Vogue report.

The 26-year-old Delevingne has had high-profile relationships with both men and women, and identifies as sexually fluid.

She said the Disney films had an outsized impact on her childhood, which she says is partially why I never really wanted to accept my sexuality."

The podcasts co-host, Michelle Visage, said that Disney could make a big difference in this world with characters that represent sexuality outside of the norm.

How the Disney princesses influence young girls, and whether that impact is positive or negative, has been debated across the Internet in every format, from YouTube to listicles to the Wall Street Journal.

Writers ask whether the princesses are sexist or anti-feminist. Researchers study the impact of princesses on girls -- one found that those girls that engaged the most with princess culture over time had the lowest body esteem. Actress Keira Knightley banned her daughter from watching Cinderella, and then faced backlash that prompted her to say: Dont f*** with Cinderella. Her fans will end you. More than 37,000 people signed a petition that asked Disney to add a plus-size princess to their lineup.

And Delevingnes comments are not the first to suggest Disney should explore gay characters. The hashtag #GiveElsaAGirlfriend surfaced as the Frozen sequel was in the works.

Despite the ongoing online controversy, the Disney princesses are as popular as ever -- a 2016 Brigham Young University survey found that more than 90 percent of preschool girls had some viewed at least some princess media.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- An undercover NYPD operation led to the arrest of three individuals who allegedly sold heroin to officers in the vicinity of New Dorp.

Tiafolous Spencer, 35, and Joseph Buttacavole, 45, sold officers heroin on multiple occasions in the vicinity of Milton Avenue in New Dorp Beach, according to information from the office of District Attorney Michael E. McMahon.

On two separate occasions in February 2019, Spencer, of the 100 block of Lincoln Road in Brooklyn, and Buttacavole, of the 100 block of Winham Avenue in New Dorp Beach, allegedly engaged in an illegal drug transaction with an undercover officer, the criminal complaint says.

The criminal complaint also says that Spencer and Buttacavole were observed selling heroin to a separately charged individual on Rose Street in New Dorp in November 2018.

Following the drug sales, a search warrant was issued for Spencers home, located on Titus Avenue, along with his vehicle, a 2004 Nissan Altima.

The search at the Titus Avenue home, which took place on March 26, 2019, at approximately 10:15 a.m., netted a scale with heroin residue, two ceramic plates with heroin residue and various ziplock bags commonly used for packaging narcotics, the criminal complaint alleges.

In addition, a search of Spencers vehicle on the corner of New Dorp Lane and Hylan Boulevard garnered 150 glassine bags of heroin located in the center console, according to the criminal complaint.

Spencer is charged with one count of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, three counts of third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, two counts of second-degree criminal use of drug paraphernalia and two counts of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, authorities allege.

Buttacavole was charged with two counts of third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, one count of second-degree criminal use of drug paraphernalia and two counts of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, the criminal complaint alleges.

The NYPD touted the arrest on Twitter on Wednesday.

Great job by Staten Island Narcotics, Major Case on a successful search warrant, preventing these dangerous and deadly drugs from reaching the streets. #NYPDProtecting pic.twitter.com/gUf0Kp9jMb  NYPD 122nd Precinct (@NYPD122Pct) March 26, 2019

Robert Clearwater, 30, of Ebbitts Stret in New Dorp, was also charged with two counts of third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance and two counts of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, according to a separate criminal complaint.

Clearwater allegedly sold an undercover officer heroin and fentanyl on Dec. 26, 2018 in the vicinity of Beach Avenue and Clawson Street in New Dorp, the criminal complaint alleges.

Clearwater is currently on supervised release, according to the office of McMahon.

Spencers bail is currently set at $25,000; Buttcavoles bail is set at $7,500.
So, I would guess that the defense lawyers for the accused killer of the reputed mob boss Frank Cali are blaming the White House for influencing his actions.

What will the White House be accused of next? Perhaps people dodging their fare on the buses?

(Thomas M. Bell is an Arden Heights resident.)
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NEW YORK, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Conagra Brands, Inc. (Conagra or the Company) (NYSE: CAG) and certain of its officers and directors. The class action, filed in United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, and indexed under 19-cv-01805, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities, other than Defendants and their affiliates, who purchased, or otherwise acquired, Conagra common stock from June 27, 2018 through December 19, 2018, inclusive (the Class Period), seeking to pursue remedies under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the Exchange Act). The Exchange Act claims allege that certain defendants engaged in a fraudulent scheme to artificially inflate the Companys stock price.



The action is also brought on behalf of all persons or entities who purchased shares of Conagras common stock pursuant and/or traceable to the Companys false and/or misleading registration statement, prospectus and prospectus supplement (the Offering Documents) issued in connection with the Companys secondary public offering commenced on or about October 9, 2018, for the sale of approximately 16.3 million shares of Conagra common stock (the SPO), at $35.25 per share, seeking to pursue remedies under the Securities Act of 1933 (the Securities Act).

If you are a shareholder who purchased Conagra securities between June 27, 2018, and December 19, 2018, you have until April 23, 2019, to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at rswilloughby@pomlaw.com or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 9980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased.

[Click here to join this class action]

Conagra manufactures and markets packaged foods for retail consumers, restaurants and institutions. The Company has a portfolio of well-known food brands including Reddi-wip, Hunts, Healthy Choice, Slim Jim and Orville Redenbachers. Conagra is based in Chicago, Illinois.

In January 2013, Conagra acquired Ralcorp Holdings, Inc., a manufacturer of private branded food, for $6.8 billion including debt. After trying and failing to address executional shortfalls and customer service issues, Conagra divested its Private Brands business in February 2016 to TreeHouse Foods for $2.7 billion, recognizing a substantial loss.

Less than two years later, Conagra was again acquiring another large publicly traded food service company. On June 27, 2018, Conagra announced the acquisition of Pinnacle in a cash and stock transaction valued at approximately $10.9 billion (the Transaction).

At the time of the Transaction and throughout the Class Period, Conagra represented the merger as a combination of two growing portfolios and a no brainer of a deal that would enhance Conagras multi-year transformation plan and expand its presence and capabilities in its most strategic categories, including frozen foods and snacks. Conagra highlighted their due diligence of the deal, the similar cultures and work ethics of the two companies, and the tremendous synergies of the deal. Specifically, Defendants represented that the Company was acquiring a portfolio of complementary, leading brands as the Pinnacle team has done an absolutely phenomenal job driving innovation and growth here, and that meant a lot to us. In addition, Defendants represented that the Company had a proven track record of executing strategic transactions and will be able to implement a smooth integration process, as weve been very clear-eyed from the beginning of the Transaction.

The Complaint alleges that in Conagras Offering Documents and throughout the Class Period, Defendants failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Companys financial well-being, including the troubled acquisition of Pinnacle Foods, Inc. (Pinnacle). As a result of Defendants wrongful acts, false and misleading statements and omissions, and the precipitous decline in the market value of the Companys common stock, Plaintiff and other Class members have suffered significant losses and damages.

On or about October 9, 2018, in order to partially finance the pending acquisition of Pinnacle, Defendants effectuated a secondary public offering of 16,312,057 shares of common stock, priced at $35.25 per share. In connection with the SPO, Defendants issued the materially false and/or misleading Offering Documents. The Company received net proceeds of approximately $612 million after underwriters exercised their option of an additional 1,631,206 shares of Conagra common stock.

Unbeknownst to shareholders, however, Conagra and its management were aware or recklessly disregarded that the Transaction would not result in the sort of benefits that Defendants had publicly represented. Just a few weeks after the closing of the merger, on December 20, 2018, Conagra stunned the market by releasing its third quarter 2018 results, as well as an update on the performance of the newly merged company, which revealed that Pinnacles performance had been much worse than Defendants had previously represented. In addition, Defendants revealed that Pinnacles three leading brands had suffered sales and distribution losses in 2018 and accounted for the vast majority of Pinnacles current challenges due to self-inflicted subpar innovation and executional missteps.

As a result of the disclosure, on December 20, 2018, Conagras stock price fell $4.81 per share to $24.28, or nearly 17%, wiping out over $2.3 billion in Conagras market capitalization. On the next trading day, Conagras stock declined an additional $2.13 per share, or approximately 8.8%. In fact, in three trading sessions, Conagra stock declined $8.13, or nearly 28%, to close at $20.96 on December 24, 2018.

The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

rswilloughby@pomlaw.com

888-476-6529 ext. 9980
Boeing said it was agonisingly close to a software fix for its 737 MAX jetliner when an Ethiopian Airlines jet plunged to the ground on March 10, the second deadly crash in less than five months.

The US planemaker, working with regulators, has spent months refining the feature since flight data from the October crash of a Lion Air jet in Indonesia indicated that the flight-control system had repeatedly tipped the nose down before pilots lost control.

The upgrade proved more complicated than the manufacturer initially estimated, according to a Boeing executive.

Among the challenges for Boeing flight-control engineers is girding against "unknown unknowns," the random and unlikely circumstances that could cause the so-called MCAS software to again overwhelm pilots, said Mike Sinnett, a Boeing vice-president of product strategy and development.
A $US436 million ($616 million) superyacht belonging to a Russian billionaire at the centre of one of the world's costliest divorce battles has been released by a Dubai court after being impounded last year.

Oil and gas tycoon Farkhad Akhmedov was ordered to pay about 40 per cent of his fortune to his former wife Tatiana Akhmedova by London's High Court in 2016 in one of the largest divorce settlements in legal history.

The MV Luna is back in the hands of oil and gas tycoon Farkhad Akhmedov.

But Akhmedov failed to pay the 453 million pound ($835 million) divorce bill and the London court granted a worldwide freezing order, under which Akhmedov's superyacht M.V. Luna was impounded in Dubai.

Luna, an expedition yacht built for Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich before Akhmedov bought it in 2014, has at least nine decks, space for 50 crew, two helipads, a vast swimming pool and a mini submarine.
US stocks have climbed as Treasury yields rose off 15-month lows, with investors optimistic about the latest round of US-China trade talks.

But the day's advance was limited by concerns about economic data.

Wall Street climbed as a sense of optimism returned to markets. Credit:AP

The domestic economy slowed more than initially thought in the fourth quarter, keeping growth in 2018 below the 3 per cent annual target, and corporate profits failed to rise for the first time in more than two years.

Worries about economic growth hit markets last week after the Federal Reserve abandoned projections for any interest rate hikes this year and the US Treasury yield curve inverted for the first time since 2007.
The global pace of new construction of power stations is slowing while retirement of ageing plants is accelerating, placing the world on track for "peak coal" capacity within a couple of years.

The annual Boom and Bust report, compiled by researchers including Global Energy Monitor and Greenpeace, found construction starts, pre-construction activity and completions of coal-fired plants each fell in 2018 for a third year in a row. New starts are down 84 per cent since 2015.

Retirements were also at a record pace, led by the US despite backing for the sector by the Trump administration. The US shut 17.6 gigawatts of coal power, while the European Union retired 3.7GW including 2.8GW in the UK where coal's share of electricity dived to just 5 per cent in 2018.

China accounts for about half of the world's new coal-fired power stations being built in the Middle Kingdom or elsewhere. Credit:Sanghee Liu

The future of coal demand, however, continues to pivot on China. The world's largest coal consumer issued permits for 5GW of new coal-fired power plants last year, a fraction of the 184GW approved in 2015.
A critically compromised computer-based test meant to determine the futures of aspiring physicians was signed off by a low-level employee, triggering a disastrous IT meltdown.

A damning investigation into the Royal Australasian College of Physicians' botched basic training exam has exposed high-level failures of governance and cut-corners by the organisation responsible for 25,000 specialists and trainees.

Trainees who were forced to resit the RACP exam after an IT glitch shut down the test. Credit:Wolter Peeters

RACP ignored warnings from their own trainees months before exam day on February 19 last year, when "an unknown technical fault" shut down its first attempt at a computer-based Basic Training Exam.

At exam sites across Australia, roughly 1200 trainees were left distraught, angry and confused after months of study, minimal sleep, personal sacrifice and an $1800 exam fee.
One legacy of the sexualised trolling of Carlton footballer Tayla Harris is that a line was drawn by a shocked community: such vile misogyny online is intolerable.

Another is the understanding that for women  the main targets of gendered abuse  any remnants of a safety barrier between online and "real life" have gone; as far as potential impact is concerned, it's all the same thing.

Carlton's Tayla Harris was correct when she said what happened to her online amounts to sexual assault. Credit:Justin McManus

After the Harris trolling-backlash, sexists looking for women to victimise were put on notice that they are being watched, which is great.

But ordinary online users had a stark reminder, too: that we need to be on guard for tangible harms to which we may be exposed in a place we once considered somehow slightly removed.
Brother John "Kostka" Chute was too sick and so excused from hearing his six victims describe the abuse he subjected them to. He was not present when the judge delivered his verdicts on Thursday in a hearing that took less than a minute, and he will not fully comprehend what has happened.

Kostka in 2008. Credit:Karleen Minney

He is elderly, stricken by dementia and Parkinson's disease, and unable to control his bowels nor maintain a meaningful conversation. He was a passive participant in the justice process.

The notorious paedophiles mind will likely not see significance in the vulnerable position he now finds himself, and how he over and over again took advantage of power over powerlessness when it came to his victims.

Powerless and extremely vulnerable was how one victim described feeling as a result of Kostka's abuse. Santa Claus without the beard shamelessly and repeatedly molested his victims for years.
Telstra Tower takes off like a rocket for the 2019 Heritage Festival, thanks to Trevor Dickinson.

If you need someone to add retro funk to the Heritage Festival, who ya gonna call?

Trevor "Bus-Shelter Man" Dickinson - who else?

His posters for the 2019 Heritage Festival are out of this world, inspired by this year's theme of space and the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, but also by Canberra's own essential quirkiness.

He has created three posters for the 2019 Heritage Festival: the Telstra Tower as a rocket, the Shine Dome (aka the Martian Embassy) finally on Mars, and a Canberra bus shelter on the moon (but will the timetable allow for the most direct route?).
Electromagnetic Geoservices ASA ("EMGS" or the "Company") is currently participating in a sole-sourced tender process for a multi-year acquisition contract.



Based on the information currently available to EMGS, the Company believes that the contract, if awarded, will have a value in excess of USD 30 million over a two-year period.



The Company believes that the tendering process will be completed or, as the case may be, terminated within the second quarter of 2019.



Contact

Hege Veiseth, CFO, +47 99 21 67 43



About EMGS

EMGS, the marine EM market leader, uses its proprietary electromagnetic (EM) technology to support oil and gas companies in their search for offshore hydrocarbons. EMGS supports each stage in the workflow, from survey design and data acquisition to processing and interpretation. The Company's services enable the integration of EM data with seismic and other geophysical and geological information to give explorationists a clearer and more complete understanding of the subsurface. This improves exploration efficiency and reduces risks and the finding costs per barrel.



EMGS operates on a worldwide basis with offices in Trondheim, Oslo, Houston, Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro and Kuala Lumpur.





This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act
By 1983, in the face of continuing indifference from the Department, Reg decided to go it alone, according to Learning Journeys, 30 Years of International Grammar School 1984-2014. He opened International Grammar School with just 44 students in February 1984 in a former convent in Randwick. When Federal Government funding was withdrawn, IGS moved to the former Elizabeth Arden Factory in Surry Hills. Staff and parents worked together through the summer holidays to create teaching and learning spaces.

In February 1985, IGS reopened with 350 students, but financial struggles were significant, rent went unpaid, and certification for the high school was withheld due to concerns about the campus. Lockouts and a series of court challenges followed. Founding and long-serving IGS staff remember the early years as a new frontier. Sport was taught in a basement where mushrooms grew after rain. Rocks were moved by hand so the children had somewhere to play. Resources were created from nothing. In early 1986, the NSW Director-General of Education ordered IGS to tell students under 15 they were liable to prosecution if they continued to attend the uncertified high school, and then that students in Years 10 and 12 would be ineligible to sit for their School Certificate and Higher School Certificate. Reg St Leon outside the Supreme Court with pupils, May 7, 1986. Credit:SMH

On September 9, the first day of Term 3, staff, students and parents found themselves locked out of their school. Staff remember guard dogs barking inside. Carl saw his father carried out of the school still sitting in his principals chair. Students lined the streets and parents honked their car horns in solidarity. Headmaster Reg St Leon welcomes the pupils back to school after days of not knowing if they had a school or not, September 10, 1986. Credit:SMH By October, 300 students, parents and teachers took to Parliament House in Macquarie Street to protest against their schools imminent closure. The school issued a media release accusing elements in the NSW Department of Education of acting against the advice of 13 of its inspectors and of waging a carefully orchestrated campaign  to force it into bankruptcy. Four days later, NSW education minister Rodney Cavalier announced he had certified the School. IGS archives show letters of support from Prime Minister Bob Hawke and NSW Opposition Leader Nick Greiner dated November 1986. Letter of support from Prime Minister Bob Hawke.

In December 1986, in the sixth court battle fought and won by the school that year, the NSW Supreme Court found in favour of the Schools HSC students, confirming their qualifications were valid. IGS Director of Dramatic Arts Rita Morabito was one of three founding members of the School, and the first Italian teacher. Regs passion, fervour and unflinching conviction that learning a language was an exercise in academic excellence meant that he took us along with him to create a vision for a school like no other. Reg was so passionate about the dream that parents mortgaged their homes to help fund this idea. We worked without wages for weeks so that this School would survive no matter how many obstacles we faced.

He was kind, supportive, and believed in and trusted us by encouraging us to try new ideas and to be bold risk takers, she said. A school like ours didnt exist anywhere in the world The dream was about far more than proficiency in another language. St Leon established the values of connectedness, diversity, vibrancy, authenticity and personal achievement for his school. It was about understanding, belonging and mutual respect. Communication would be an antidote to ignorance and prejudice.

IGS Head of Primary Languages Vilma Rotellini said she had grown up embarrassed by her Italian heritage until St Leon showed her it was a gift. "He made me realise that speaking another language is very special, she said. When you learn a language you think differently and see things differently. You connect with others, and understand and accept difference.

IGS Head of Human Society and Its Environment (HSIE) David Miller described Reg as indefatigable.

The fight to ensure the schools survival required enormous energy and belief, he said.

Reg would be very proud of the fact that IGS is as accepting and welcoming today of anyone who enters the gates as it was when the school first started. The secular, coeducational school with the motto Unity Through Diversity, now in Kelly Street, Ultimo, has grown to more than 1,250 students, from pre-school to Year 12, faithful in its quest to teach languages through partial daily immersion from the age of three, in French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish and Mandarin. A painting of Reg St Leon recently unveiled. St Leon was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2017 for his service to the multicultural community, and to education. At the time, he said: When I am gathered to my fathers at the end of my life, I will think, I did one thing that was terribly worthwhile, and that was starting the foreign language teaching at IGS. Those kids at IGS are the luckiest children in the world. IGS Principal Shauna Colnan described him as her great friend, mentor and inspiration.

He was a giant in education; a trailblazer. He had immense creativity and a restlessness to make things better. He marvelled at what the school had become.
American founding father Benjamin Franklin once wrote: "Any society that would give up essential liberty to obtain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." Since September 11, 2001, its a trade-off with which we are increasingly familiar.

The Christchurch attacks were senseless acts of terror that reverberated around the world, but we need to be wary of knee-jerk proposals to limit our freedoms  in this case, restrictions on free speech via tighter regulation of the internet.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern comforts her nation after the Christchurch atrocity ... but should it be a reason to forfeit out freedoms? Credit:AP

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is leading the charge among world leaders, warning G20 nations last week that it is "unacceptable to treat the internet as an ungoverned space". However, the exact content that Morrison proposes to govern against is frustratingly unclear.

Morrison and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten are reported to be on a "rare unity ticket" on this issue. We should be concerned when politicians on both sides come together to rush dramatic changes to our laws without time for proper consolation or policy development.
A fall and a bump to the head may have caused a patient to allegedly arm himself with two knives and slash a nurse in dramatic scenes at a western Sydney hospital last year, a court has heard.

Subramani Shrinivasan, 48, was bailed by a NSW Supreme Court judge on Thursday despite uncertainty remaining over exactly why he turned into a violent state at Blacktown Hospital on August 27 last year.

Blacktown Hospital, where a patient allegedly knifed a nurse in August 2018. Credit:Fairfax Media

Mr Shrinivasan was under the care of the nurse when he allegedly began behaving erratically about 10pm, walking into patients' rooms and taking photos with his mobile phone before taking two knives from the staffroom.

When the nurse, who was unaware he was armed, tried to persuade him to return to his room, he allegedly attacked her with the knives, cutting her wrist and slashing her clothing.
The driver of a red car who allegedly stalked another woman in the minutes before the suspected abduction and murder of Bathurst woman Janine Vaughan is back in the frame under a new police investigation.

Also, as part of a new appeal for information, the NSW government has increased to $1 million the reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.

Ms Vaughan, then 31, went missing in 2001 and no trace of her has been found.

A coroner concluded in 2009 that Ms Vaughan was murdered, although the circumstances remained a mystery because "the trail has gone cold".
The RSPCA has appealed for information about a three-legged dog, whose leg was apparently amputated, that was seized from a rescue group in north Brisbane last week.

Numerous dogs were seized by the RSPCA on May 20 at Storybrook Farm, many with serious disabilities living in rancid conditions and open wounds.

The shocking condition of the nearly 40 animals at the farm, which frequently appealed for donations while posting photos of the animals covered in knitted blankets and sharing updates on their progress, left inspectors in tears.

One dalmation was immediately put to sleep by the animal welfare organisation's vets after it was found with major open pressure sores along its back legs, abdomen and tail.
A man was stabbed in the back in his Gold Coast unit after refusing to hand over money to two would-be thieves.

The two men entered the Barton Street unit in Southport through an unlocked door about 3.20pm on Wednesday and demanded money from the male resident.

The 36-year-old homeowner fought back but was stabbed during the struggle and taken to hospital with the non-life-threatening injury.

The thieves fled empty-handed and detectives have appealed for information regarding anyone seen acting suspiciously in the area close to the time of the attack to come forward.
In the midst of one of the biggest summer outbreaks of influenza in the state's history, debate is raging over the most effective time to get your flu vaccination.

Earlier this month, a Victorian child died after contracting influenza in a spike which has seen more than 4000 confirmed cases of flu in the state so far this year.

A young child has died in Victoria due to what health authorities have labelled one of the biggest summer outbreaks of flu the state has seen. Credit: Justin McManus

It is more than double the 1536 cases recorded by VicHealth at the same time last year.

The surge in cases of the infection has prompted the Pharmacy Guild of Australia to issue a public appeal on Thursday for people to get vaccinated as soon as possible, with some pharmacies already offering vaccines.
Lawyer Xs police handlers warned the highest echelons of Victoria Police as far back as 2008 that their use of the supergrass could lead to a royal commission, a public inquiry has heard.

The role played by Nicola Gobbo, a former gangland barrister turned high-level police source, and the forces use of her is at the centre of a royal commission being held in Melbourne.

Day two of the inquiry on Thursday was told her handlers raised concerns with senior police, including then deputy commissioner Simon Overland, in late 2008 when Ms Gobbo was going to be used as a witness for the Petra Taskforce against suspected drug squad detective Paul Dale.

Nicola Gobbo. Credit:Justin McManus

Police suspected Dale organised the murders of police informer Terence Hodson and his wife Christine. At the time, Hodson was giving police information about Dale that led to him being charged with a drug burglary.
A new searchable school zone website will be launched early next term in a bid to resolve ongoing confusion about enrolment boundaries.

Confusion has been so widespread that the Education Department has been flooded with almost 6000 calls, letters and emails from families seeking clarity about their local school zone in just 15 months.

A new website will help resolve confusion over school zones

The launch of the department website follows a review of Victorian school zones, which will lead to changes at up to 70 state schools.

While 30 sought-after state schools, including McKinnon Secondary College, will retain their existing zones, Queenscliff Primary School's zone will be tweaked to fix a bizarre glitch.
NEW YORK, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Attorney Advertising -- Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC announces investors that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Mobile TeleSystems PJSC (MBT or the Company) (NYSE: MBT) and certain of its officers, on behalf of shareholders who purchased or otherwise acquired MBT securities during the period between March 19, 2014 through March 7, 2019, inclusive (the Class Period). Such investors are encouraged to join this case by visiting the firms site: www.bgandg.com/mbt.

This class action seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

The Complaint alleges that Defendants made materially false and misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) MBT and its subsidiary were involved in a scheme to pay $420 million in bribes in Uzbekistan; (2) consequently, MBT knew or should have known it would be forced to pay substantial fines to the U.S. government after disclosing in 2014 that the U.S. Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission were investigating its Uzbekistan operations; (3) MBTs level of cooperation with the U.S. government and remediation was lacking; (4) due to the aforementioned misconduct, MBT would be forced to pay approximately $850 million in criminal penalties to the U.S. government; and (5) as a result, defendants public statements were materially false and/or misleading at all relevant times.

A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to review a copy of the Complaint you can visit the firms site: www.bgandg.com/mbt or you may contact Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or his Investor Relations Analyst, Yael Hurwitz of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 212-697-6484. If you suffered a loss in MBT you have until May 20, 2019 to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.

Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a corporate litigation boutique. Our primary expertise is the aggressive pursuit of litigation claims on behalf of our clients. In addition to representing institutions and other investor plaintiffs in class action security litigation, the firms expertise includes general corporate and commercial litigation, as well as securities arbitration. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

Contact:

Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC

Peretz Bronstein or Yael Hurwitz

212-697-6484 | info@bgandg.com
Experts say mercury levels near coal-fired power stations in Victoria and NSW have skyrocketed since the facilities opened despite assurances from their operators, and have urged the federal government to curb emissions of the lethal substance.

The 20 university researchers say Australia should follow the example of 107 countries including China, the United States and those in the European Union that have ratified a global agreement to limit mercury pollution.

Researchers say mercury levels in the environment around NSW and Victorian coal-fired power stations have increased substantially since the facilities opened. Credit:Michele Mossop

The agreement, known as the United Nations Minamata Convention on Mercury, came into effect in 2017. Australia signed the deal but has not officially adopted it, which would require it to control mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants and other sources.

Mercury is a naturally occurring element that can be dangerous if released into the environment. It can be found in cosmetics, fluorescent light bulbs and emissions from industrial activity among other sources.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size When Malcolm Turnbull told Tony Abbott that there was no way he would ever allow him into his cabinet, it didn't go down well. "Fair enough," replied Abbott in their meeting in the Australian Club in Sydney after the 2016 election, specially brokered by a mutual friend to try to find a peace settlement between them. "You do your thing and I'll do mine," said Abbott. "And you have a lot more to lose than I do." He set about destroying the leader of his party. Then-Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull on September 14, 2015. Turnbull defeated Abbott in the leadership ballot that night. Credit:Andrew Meares The prime minister had again tried to interest him in a diplomatic posting, but there was only one job Abbott would accept. "I put Malcolm in my cabinet, whatever my judgement about him as an individual, because he was a sufficiently senior politician," Abbott says. "But Malcolm never reciprocated  that was his fundamental mistake. "The first duty of a party leader is to keep his party together. But you can't keep your party together if you appear to have a personal grudge against some of your most senior members. You don't want a cabinet full of sycophants."

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Yet while Abbott's project of vengeance dominated the public debate over the prime ministership for almost the entirety of Turnbull's three years, inside the government it was a different story. Abbott's wrecking tactics cost him the respect and support of an ever-growing number of his colleagues. His visions of a glorious return to the prime ministership faded. This didn't deter him. He only ever thought of a return to the leadership as a bonus. More important than recovering the prime ministership for himself was to wrench it away from Turnbull. And as he threw himself noisily into the effort, a new challenger quietly built his strength. For more than two years Peter Dutton was a close and loyal ally of prime minister Malcolm Turnbull. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen At his desk as immigration minister, Peter Dutton was feeling the constraints of his position. Quite literally. Dutton prized the handsome, antique desk that he'd found  he believed it had once been John Howard's. But Dutton is a big man and the desk was small. To sit at it properly, he needed to balance it on his knees. Bearing Howard's mantle was no light affair, it appeared. Facing him on the wall opposite his desk was an enormous map of Australia and the world to its near north. This was a useful accessory for a minister anxious to track approaching boatloads of asylum seekers.

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But with the restraining desk and the big, beckoning world beyond, surely it could be only a matter of time before Dutton dreamed of bigger things. And so it was. For more than two years he was a close and loyal ally of Turnbull's. When Brisbane-based Dutton, his wife Kirilly, and their young boys visited Sydney during summer, Turnbull would invite the family to visit his harbourside home. Dutton refused to help Abbott. He told his former leader that he shouldn't try to bring down Turnbull, that "Malcolm is very capable of blowing himself up without any help from you". The smarter game for Abbott would be to say nothing, allow Turnbull to fail on his own terms, and perhaps recover some of his previous support in the party. But Abbott was beyond logic, lost in a burning, visceral hatred of Turnbull. Malcolm is very capable of blowing himself up without any help from you. Peter Dutton to Tony Abbott Some outside observers claimed to be certain that Dutton was just a stalking horse for Abbott the whole time, one conservative aiding another against a progressive prime minister. The truth was more interesting. Soon after Abbott launched his full fury on the prime minister in the aftermath of the 2016 election, Dutton told him over dinner that he would not help him destabilise Turnbull, that it was Dutton's best and wisest course to try for as long as possible to make the Turnbull government successful.

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"It wasn't true that Peter was a stalking horse for me," says Abbott. "He's a friend of mine, I assume he always will be. He was an effective minister in my government and in Turnbull's. I would talk to Dutts every month or two and we'd chat about things but, to his great credit, he was a very loyal member of the Turnbull government." In fact, Dutton had concluded that Abbott's time had come and gone. It was now his opportunity to supplant Abbott and emerge as the leader of the conservatives and ultimately prime minister. He played a patient, careful game. He would build his strength until his time came. Loading Sometimes other conservatives would lose patience with Dutton and complain that he was too loyal, that he was propping up a leader they despised. Dutton's most dramatic rescue of Turnbull was over same-sex marriage. Turnbull was stuck. He'd pledged to implement the Abbott government policy of a plebiscite. But Labor and the crossbench combined to block parliamentary approval for any plebiscite. The public demanded action on same-sex marriage but Turnbull could do nothing now without provoking an immediate internal crisis and the end of his government  the conservatives in his party and the Nationals would revolt if he tried any course other than a plebiscite.

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If Dutton had wanted to see an early collapse of Turnbull's prime ministership, he simply would have stayed mum. Instead, he helped solve the crisis of August 2017. He pushed for the lateral solution of a postal plebiscite, which could be held without need for parliamentary approval. He persuaded Turnbull of this course over a couple of dinners at the Lodge and then advocated it forcefully within the government. It delivered Turnbull victory from the jaws of defeat on one of the most fraught issues of the time. Dutton and the conservative West Australian senator Mathias Cormann emerged as an unlikely praetorian guard for Turnbull, protecting a progressive prime minister from attack from his right flank. One of the younger conservative Liberals explained that "most of us didn't have the standing to pick up the phone and blast Turnbull directly and we wanted Peter and Mathias to do it for us, but instead they'd defend him. It was very irritating for us." Peter Dutton and Mathias Cormann in December 2017. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The pair gave Turnbull honest advice and helped him solve political problems. Like a joining of the Terminator and the Enforcer, Cormann and Dutton developed the habit of going for early walks around Canberra to discuss their work. Cormann was especially deft at negotiating government legislation through a prickly Senate. Turnbull appreciated and admired Cormann's judgement and skill. The prime minister pushed him forward for media appearances as one of the government's most reliable spokespeople. Any reservations about his intimidating Belgian accent were trumped by his ability to stay calm and "on message".

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Liberal MP Scott Buchholz charged taxpayers more than $1700 to cruise Sydney Harbour with his partner aboard a luxury vessel chartered by mining magnate Gina Rinehart.

Mr Buchholz, the assistant minister for roads and transport, was a guest of Ms Rinehart at the National Agriculture and Related Industries Day Gala Dinner on November 21.

The Starship Sydney, scene of the 2018 National Agriculture & Related Industries Day Gala Dinner attended by MP Scott Buchholz. Credit:Alex Healing/Andrew Meares

The cocktail function was held on board the palatial Starship Sydney, billed as the largest glass cruising vessel on the harbour, which seats 350 guests for a sit-down black-tie dinner.

Agriculture Minister David Littleproud also billed taxpayers to attend the function, where he delivered a keynote speech.
The way Teena McQueen rose to the top of the Liberal Party left cabinet ministers aghast at their federal council meeting in Sydney last year, when a factional shoulder-charge propelled her onto the partys federal executive.

McQueen was the unlikely winner from a crude exercise in power by the angry faction of a divided gathering, where a few factional heavies were so determined to elevate one of their own that they shrugged off the damage to the wider party.

Liberal Party vice-president Tina McQueen is said to be paid about $400 every time she appears on Sky News. Credit:Sky News

Now she is a minor star or a major embarrassment, depending upon your opinion of her performance on the ABCs Q&A program on Monday night. While conservatives loved her message, she was a poor ambassador for the Liberals among the swinging voters, who they will need at the coming election.

The election of McQueen as one of the partys vice-presidents, decided in June last year by 110 delegates to the federal council, was another sign of the gulf within the party between conservatives and moderates. It remains emblematic of the struggle among the Liberals to achieve, rather than merely promise, the unity needed to run a coherent government.
The Morrison government will create a $44 million foundation to mend relations with China as it sends a new ambassador to Beijing after tensions over trade, the South China Sea and foreign interference.

The new foundation will widen the scope to offer federal grants to projects that tighten the economic and cultural ties between Australia and China, in what the government is billing as a step to "turbo-charge" the engagement.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne. Credit:AP

Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne will announce the move on Friday as well as naming Graham Fletcher as the next ambassador to China.

Mr Fletcher, who has served three postings in China over a long career as an Australian diplomat, will take up the position in July after the departure of the current ambassador, Jan Adams, who has been in the post since February 2016.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has directed the Liberal Party to put Labor ahead of One Nation on how-to-vote cards at the upcoming election in a bid to defuse growing anger about Pauline Hanson's minor party and its ties to the gun lobby.

Mr Morrison said further revelations from an al-Jazeera investigation overnight - in which Senator Hanson seemed to suggest the Port Arthur massacre could have been a government conspiracy - convinced him to draw a line in the sand on preferences.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has pledged to preference One Nation below Labor on how-to-vote cards. Credit:AAP

"This is a decision which is based on our strong view about the sanctity of Australia's gun laws and to ensure that at no stage that those things should ever be put at risk," Mr Morrison said at a press conference on Thursday morning.

"It is very important - having been the party that introduced those laws - that we ensure that they are forever protected and there can be no compromise when it comes to those issues or any trading on the issue of those gun laws."
The 50 people murdered in Christchurch have convinced many that Senator Hanson's race baiting is not just an aberrant fringe view but poses a real threat to society. One Nation crossed the line 10 days ago when Senator Hanson refused to condemn her former colleague Senator Fraser Anning for his comments expressing sympathy with the motives of the Christchurch terrorist.

While John Howard put One Nation last at the 1998 election, since then the Liberal Party has adopted a more ambiguous posture, occasionally doing preference deals and avoiding attacking Senator Hanson head on.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison's decision on Thursday to preference Pauline Hanson's racist One Nation party after the ALP at the federal election shows he has understood that truth.

Since the Christchurch massacre, Australian politicians have suddenly discovered they are no longer able to walk both sides of the street on questions of racism.

Some will question the time it has taken Mr Morrison to make up his mind but it must have been a difficult decision to admit that he has much more in common with the ALP than Senator Hanson. The whole two-party system is based on the idea that there is an unbridgeable divide between left and right.

He also had to overcome self-interested opposition from some in his party, the LNP and the Nationals who wanted to attract One Nation preferences or voters with One Nation sympathies. They will have noticed that One Nation won 6 per cent of votes in the election for the NSW upper house last week, which could flow to the Coalition.

There are also technical issues about whether One Nation should be preferenced behind even more deplorable candidates.

Yet Mr Morrison has ultimately taken a decision which rises above machine politics. Mr Morrison was apparently convinced after an undercover expose by al-Jazeera television this week in which One Nation party officials appeared to consider taking donations from the US National Rifle Association in order to lobby against Australian gun control laws.

Mr Morrison said he gave One Nation a few days to respond and only changed his mind on Thursday after more undercover footage appeared to show Senator Hanson apparently endorsing a conspiracy theory that the 1996 Port Arthur massacre was a charade designed to provoke a change in gun laws.
Former prime minister Tony Abbott says the Coalition should still direct preferences to One Nation ahead of Labor and the Greens, despite Prime Minister Scott Morrison's change of heart following revelations about the party's links to the US gun lobby.

A spokesman said Mr Abbott stood by his remarks at Pauline Hanson's book launch last year, when he said the government had worked constructively with One Nation and advocated placing the right-wing party favourably on how-to-vote cards.

Tony Abbott launched Pauline Hanson's book in Parliament House in March 2018. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

"I think that you should preference in the order of people's capacity to make a constructive contribution to our national life," the former prime minister said in March 2018.

"Based on the current record I would put the Greens last, I would put Labor second last, then I would put constructive independents and minor parties and then I would put the Coalition and its allies first."
Ms Hanson disowned remarks captured in the al-Jazeera documentary in which she appeared to entertain conspiracy theories that the Port Arthur massacre was not carried out by perpetrator Martin Bryant, or not by him alone. She said those remarks had been "heavily edited" and "do not reflect how I feel about those tragedies that occurred in 1996. There is no question in my mind that Martin Bryant was the only person responsible." In the documentary, Ms Hanson could be heard referencing an unnamed MP's 1987 prediction that Australia's gun laws would only be tightened once there had been a mass shooting in Tasmania. This eerily prescient remark, made by then NSW premier Barrie Unsworth in December 1987, has often been used by conspiracy theorists to suggest some kind of state-backed actor was involved in the Port Arthur attack, much to the distress of the families of the 35 victims.

On Thursday, Mr Unsworth slammed his 1987 remarks being used in this way, saying the al-Jazeera program had done the country a great service. He told the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age that in 1987, his government banned semi-automatic weapons after two multi-fatality shootings in Victoria, one of which was the Hoddle Street massacre. Former NSW premier Barrie Unsworth says the al-Jazeera documentary has done Australia a great service. Credit:Brendan Esposito Then Labor premier of Victoria John Cain had rung him for advice and they decided to press then prime minister Bob Hawke to host a national summit in December 1987 to try and achieve a national ban on semi-automatics. The two non-Labor governments of Queensland and Tasmania dug their heels in, Mr Unsworth said. "Getting towards the end of the day, Hawke said to me, 'we're not getting anywhere, go out and tell media where we're up to'."

Mr Unsworth did so, telling journalists 'we can't get national agreement, quite frankly you are not going to get anywhere unless there is a shooting in some small place in Tasmania'. I said that because I had the Tasmanians in the front of my mind. That's all ... I went back inside and the whole thing wrapped up." Mr Unsworth says he believed he lost the subsequent state election because of his gun laws, which were subsequently wound back. We can't get national agreement ... you are not going to get anywhere unless there is a shooting in some small place in Tasmania Former NSW premier Barrie Unsworth in 1987 Former senator and gun enthusiast David Leyonhjelm  now on the cusp of being elected to the NSW upper house  told the Herald and The Age on Thursday there were "legitimate" questions about Port Arthur, though he denied being a conspiracy theorist himself. "People say 'well what is there to know about Port Arthur'. Well there's actually a lot," he said. "The solution is let's have an inquiry and let some of them at least go away.

Former senator David Leyonhjelm says there were "legitimate" questions about Port Arthur. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen "There are a lot of questions that would be resolved by an inquiry. It may well be that there are good answers to them. There are assertions  I'm not asserting these myself  but there are people who say there was more than one shooter. "There are people who say that people were killed with head shots which would require substantial marksmanship which [Martin] Bryant didn't have. "There's several other questions that keep coming up. I think they deserve to be answered." Tim Fischer, who was deputy prime minister when John Howard achieved a national ban on military-style weapons in 1996, told Sky News that he had a "deep-seated concern" that One Nation had engaged with the "deadly evil playbook of the NRA  and we have not seen much condemnation of those links from Pauline Hanson."
Launch of HMAS Warrego



HMAS Warrego, the third vessel of the Australian Navy and the first warship to be put together in Australia, will launch at noon tomorrow from the Fitzroy yards on Cockatoo Island. The Prime Minister will host the launch which will be followed by a state government luncheon for 800 guests. Mrs Pearce, wife of the Minister for Defence, will have the honour of naming the ship. A large area will be set aside on the island for the general public.

First federal census

Last night the census was taken throughout the Commonwealth. Every householder was cast the duty of seeing that particulars of every person under his roof were filled in on the census papers. Even those who have no homes were accounted for as far as possible by the officials who scoured domains, parks, and other public places in search of the unfortunate  Hotel-keepers and boarding house proprietors complained that not enough cards were given out.

News in brief

The harem skirt' was introduced to Gunnedah for the first time this morning when a lady paraded the main street up one side and down the other. Much interest and curiosity were shown in the matter, but there was no hostile demonstration  Giuseppe Defins, a fruiterer, pleaded guilty at the Central Police court to a charge of having ill-treated a horse by working it while it suffered from a sore back. He pleaded guilty and was fined 40s.
NEW YORK, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of investors in United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC or the Company) (NYSE: UMC) against certain of the Companys current and former officers and directors. The class action, filed in United States District Court, Southern District of New York, and indexed under 19-cv-02304, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities, other than Defendants and their affiliates, who purchased or otherwise acquired publicly traded securities of UMC between October 28, 2015 and November 1, 2018, both dates inclusive (the Class Period), seeking to recover damages caused by Defendants violations of the federal securities laws and to pursue remedies under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the Exchange Act) and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, against the Company and certain of its senior officials.



If you are a shareholder who purchased UMC securities during the class period, you have until May 13, 2019, to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at rswilloughby@pomlaw.com or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 9980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased.

[Click here to join this class action]

UMC purports to engage in the research, development, and manufacture of products in the solar energy and light-emitting diode industries.

On May 13, 2016, the Company announced that it had entered into a Dynamic Random-Access Memory (DRAM) Technology Cooperation Agreement with Fujian Jianhua Integrated Circuit Co. Ltd. (Fujian). Under the agreement, Fujian was to provide UMC with related equipment for its research and development, as well as service fees subject to the progress of the technology development. UMC was to develop DRAM related technologies for Fujian and deliver such development results to Fujian before May 12, 2021. The developed technologies were to be jointly owned by both parties.

DRAM is a memory device product used in electronics to store information. DRAM is a technologically advanced commodity that is widely used in digital electronics, as well as leading-edge computing, consumer, networking, automotive, industrial, embedded, and mobile productions.

At all relevant times, one of UMCs primary competitors has been Micron Technology, Inc. (Micron), a leading U.S. semiconductor company known for its development and production of DRAM products.

Throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding UMCs business, operational and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) UMC conspired with Fujian to steal trade secrets from Micron relating to its research and development of DRAM; (ii) UMC hired former Micron employees for the purpose of stealing such information from Micron; (iii) the foregoing conduct placed UMC and certain of its employees at an increased risk of criminal and regulatory investigation by the U.S. government; and (iv) as a result, UMCs public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

On November 1, 2018, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) indicted UMC, Fujian, and Chen Zhengkun a.k.a. Stephen Chen (Chen), a former Micron employee hired by UMC, for conspiracy to commit economic espionage, conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets, and economic espionage (receiving and possessing stolen trade secrets). The indictment stated that the companies conspired to steal trade secrets from Micron relating to its research and development of memory storage devices. According to the indictment, the conspiracy to commit economic espionage began in or around January 2016, the conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets began in or about October 2015, and the economic espionage (receiving and possessing stolen trade secrets) began in or about February 2016.

According to the DOJs indictment, Chen, a Taiwanese national, resigned as the President of Microns subsidiary, Micron Memory Taiwan Co., Ltd. (MMT), in July 2015. Thereafter, Chen began working for UMC as its Senior Vice President and Fabrication Director in Taiwan in September 2015. According to the indictment, Chen, as well as agents of UMC, later hired additional former employees of Micron who stole Micron trade secrets and, at the direction of UMC employees, used such trade secrets to enhance UMCs DRAM technologies.

As news of UMCs indictment reached the market, UMCs ADS price fell by $0.19 per share, or nearly 10%, over the following two trading sessions to close at $1.71 per share on November 5, 2018.

The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com.

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

rswilloughby@pomlaw.com

888-476-6529 ext. 9980
Thousands of residents living in apartments across Melbourne have been told for the first time that they are living in buildings that are likely covered in dangerous flammable cladding.

Planning Minister Richard Wynne has taken over responsibility for 283 apartment buildings around the city that may have dangerous cladding on some or all of their exterior.

A resident's view of a cladding fire in a tower on Spencer Street last month. Many residents in the tower did not know of the building's dangerous cladding, despite it being put on a confidential list by the Andrews government in 2017.

They are the buildings considered the most dangerous from an initial confidential list compiled by an Andrews government taskforce established two years ago.

The new buildings are on top of 44 others considered extremely dangerous that Mr Wynne already removed from councils and gave planning powers to the Victorian Building Authority.
The Senate seat of One Nation's Peter Georgiou is in doubt after his party moved to open up the number one spot on its Western Australian ticket to challengers.

Senator Georgiou, who is the party's only senator aside from Pauline Hanson, took the seat of his brother-in-law Rod Culleton, who was declared invalidly elected by the High Court, at the beginning of 2017.

Senator Pauline Hanson with her WA colleague Peter Georgiou, who was face a challenge to keep his own job. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

He was re-endorsed by the party to recontest his seat in June 2018.

But WA One Nation leader Colin Tincknell said the party had opened nominations for the Senate ticket to "see what else is out there".
Boao: Billionaire miner Andrew Forrest has waded into the racism debate, slamming some politicians for exploiting ignorance in Australia about Chinese families who just wanted to work hard and have "a fair go".

"Theres been short term exploitation by politicians of the lack of understanding of China by most Australians, and of the Chinese heart by most Australians," Mr Forrest said in an interview on the sidelines of the Boao Forum economic summit.

Andrew Forrest says Australia should not demonise China.

Mr Forrest said the "Chinese heart" was no different from that of many Australians.

"They love their family, they love their country. They are happy to work hard and have a fair go."
The UK parliament will vote for a third time on the Brexit divorce deal on Friday in the UK, the day the country had originally been due to leave the European Union.

But the government has been accused of political trickery of the highest order with the vote, which could seal both the future of the country and the fate of prime minister Theresa May.

Parliament will be asked to approve the Withdrawal Agreement, setting out the terms of Brexit, but not the accompanying Political Declaration, which sets the framework and aims for a yet-to-be-negotiated future trade and customs relationship between the UK and EU.

A vendor holds Union flags and whistles for sale near the Houses of Parliament Credit:Simon Dawson/Bloomberg

The Withdrawal Agreement has twice failed to pass parliament, defeated heavily by an alliance of Conservative Brexiters and opposition parties. But both previous times it was twinned with the Political Declaration.
"Taken from a British ship, this picture shows water spurting skywards as an enemy shell falls harmlessly in to the sea."

First published in the Sydney Morning Herald on April 7 and July 7, 1941

Italian casualties in the Battle of Cape Matapan are probably the heaviest in any naval engagement since the Battle of Jutland, says the Alexandria correspondent of the Associated Press of America.

The cruiser, H.M.S. Gloucester, steamed past the scene the morning after the battle, and her officers told the correspondent:

"Thousands of bodies were strung over fifteen miles of sea off Cape Matapan, there sometimes being groups of 100 or more at one spot. Many of the bodies were half clothed."
London: British security officials say telecoms equipment made by Huawei contains significant flaws, dealing a blow to the Chinese company's hopes of supplying Britain's 5G network.

An oversight board which assesses the security implications of Huawei's involvement in the British telecommunications system released its annual report on Thursday.

British security officials say Huawei's telecoms equipment Huawei contains security flaws. Credit:AP

The board said it could only provide "limited assurance that all risks to UK national security from Huaweis involvement in the UKs critical networks can be sufficiently mitigated long-term."

It identified "further technical issues" in Huawei's engineering processes "leading to new risks in the UK telecommunications networks" and in a further damning assessment, said the company had not made any improvements on issues raised in the board's last report in 2018.
Kiev: As Ukraine's presidential election draws near, its ultranationalist groups are becoming increasingly visible, posing a dilemma for the West.

Thousands of far-right activists marched to incumbent President Petro Poroshenko's administration headquarters this month, chanting about alleged corruption and throwing funeral-style bouquets and toy pigs to symbolise the embezzlement of state funds.

Volunteers with the right-wing paramilitary Azov National Corps stand to attention. Credit:AP

Ultranationalists have also gone to campaign rallies where they fight with police and heckle Poroshenko, who is running for a second five-year term in the March 31 presidential election. And earlier this month, the ambassadors of the Group of Seven leading industrialised nations sent a letter to the Interior Ministry voicing concern about the ultra-right's assertive posturing ahead of Sunday's presidential vote.

The protests reflect the growing presence of far-right groups in Ukraine and their power in shaping the nation's political agenda, leaving the West in a quandary. On the one hand, the ultranationalists have played a key role in fighting Russia-backed separatist rebels in the east and are now challenging government corruption. On the other, they are pushing with increasing boldness for changes that go against traditional democratic ideals.
Dohuk, Iraq: Nine-year-old Ayham Azads family believe his life under Islamic State could have been a lot worse had it not been for the American wife of a terrorist sniper.

Captured by the group in his home town of Tel Banat in northern Iraq in August 2014, the boy from the long-suffering Yazidi minority was sold several times and eventually bought by Samantha Elhassani, who he says cared for him like her own son.

Anas Azad, 4, hugs his nine-year-old brother, Ayham Azad, at their home in Sharya village, Iraq. The boys were were kidnapped by IS and forced to live with them. Credit:Kate Geraghty

While the US government does not share the Yazidi familys admiration for Elhassani  she is now on remand back home on terrorism charges  Ayham's twist of fortune ensured that he did not join the 7000 Yazidis killed or the 3000 who remain missing.

The plight of the Yazidis is one of the primary ways in which ISs predations upon the people of Iraq and Syria live on, even after the collapse of its so-called state. IS suffered its final territorial defeat in the Syrian village of Baghouz last week.
And earlier this month, the New York state Department of Financial Services subpoenaed records from Trump's longtime insurer, Aon. A person familiar with that subpoena, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe an ongoing investigation, said "a key component" was questions about whether Trump had given Aon these documents in an effort to lower his insurance premiums. Both inquiries stemmed from testimony last month by Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen, who told Congress that Trump had used these statements to inflate his wealth - and then sent them to his lenders and his insurers. Michael Cohen, the President's former personal lawyer, said Trump is a "cheat". Credit:AP "Mr. Trump is a cheat," Cohen said, in describing what the statements showed. Cohen told Congress that statements were given to Deutsche Bank, as Trump sought a loan to buy the NFL's Buffalo Bills. Since then, Deutsche Bank and another Trump lender have also received subpoenas, from the New York State attorney general.

The statements may additionally draw the interest of the House Financial Services Committee, which is scrutinising Deutsche. A committee spokesman declined to comment. The White House declined to comment for this report. The Trump Organisation also declined to comment about the statements or answer questions about specific errors the statements contained. Trump International Hotel & Tower New York has 58 floors. Credit:Bloomberg Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, the president's sons who are running his business, noted on social media that Cohen has provided false testimony about other topics.

Mazars USA, the accounting firm, issued a brief statement Wednesday after the House Oversight letter became public, saying that it "believes strongly in the ethical and professional rules and regulations that govern our industry, our work and our client interactions." It declined to comment further about Trump. The Washington Post reviewed copies of these documents for 2002, 2004, 2011, 2012 and 2013 - obtaining them from court files, from people who received them from Trump's company, and from Cohen. Cohen also provided copies of documents from 2011, 2012 and 2013 to Congress. Loading Since the 1980s, Trump has defined himself by his wealth, but he has often avoided providing proof to back up his boasts or provided documents that inflated the real values. As president, Trump has declined to release his tax returns, unlike every president since Jimmy Carter. Trump is far from the first real estate developer to inflate his projects or wealth.

But there are laws against defrauding insurers and lenders with false information. Financial and legal experts said it's unclear at this point whether Trump will face any legal consequences. They said it depends on whether Trump intended to mislead or whether the misstatements caused anyone to give him a financial benefit. "How much would [the errors] impact an investor?" said Kyle Welch, an assistant professor of accountancy at George Washington University. "If it's systematic and it's across the board, and it's all in one direction, that's where you have a problem." Loading Welch said Trump could be protected by disclaimers that his own accountants added to the statements, warning readers that they weren't seeing the full picture. And in an odd way, Welch said, Trump could be helped by the sheer scale of the exaggerations. They were so far off from reality, Welch wondered whether any real bank or insurer could have been fooled. Welch said he'd never seen a document stretch so far past the normal conventions of accounting.

"It's humorous," Welch said. "It's a humorous financial statement." Investigators for the New York State Department of Financial Services, which sent subpoenas to Aon, and the New York State attorney general - who subpoenaed Deutsche Bank - declined to comment. Aon and Deutsche Bank also declined to comment, beyond saying they plan to cooperate with investigators. The story of Trump's "statements of financial condition" - in essence, sales brochures for Trump the man, given out by Trump the company - goes back to the early 1980s, according to past testimony from Trump's accountants and staffers. In 2007, a Trump lawyer named Michelle Lokey said she had sent these statements out to Trump's lenders, for projects in Chicago and Las Vegas, because Trump had personally guaranteed those loans. That meant that if Trump's company defaulted on its obligations, the lenders could come after Trump's personal assets.

"Therefore they'd want information on his net worth?" an attorney asked Lokey. "I assume," she said. He said Trump Tower has 68 stories. It has 58. The statements were prepared by Trump's longtime accountants, a firm now called Mazars. In other contexts - such as when one of Trump's companies was seeking to secure a federal contract - this firm prepared rigorously audited financial statements. This was a different sort of job.

When compiling these statements of financial condition, those accountants have said they did not verify or audit the figures in the statements. Instead, when Trump provided them data, they wrote it down without checking to see whether it was accurate. "In the compilation process, it is not the role of the accountant to assess the values," said Gerald Rosenblum, one of the accountants. "The role is to accept those values and move them forward." Donald Trump Jr. Credit:AP An attorney asked: Do the values have to be logical? "The value per se does not have to be logical," Rosenblum said. He and Lokey were deposed as part of a lawsuit in which Trump sued a New York Times reporter for allegedly lowballing his net worth. Trump's suit against the reporter was later dismissed.

In 2014, Trump used the same accounting firm to prepare financial information for his most expensive development project in decades, his $US200 million transformation of the historic Old Post Office Pavilion in downtown Washington into a Trump International Hotel. But in that case, Mazars vouched for the accuracy of the information, writing that the firm "is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of these financial statements" using industry standard accounting rules. This was a formal audit of finances related just to Trump's DC hotel, rather than a summation of all of his assets based on Trump's own estimates. The statements Cohen provided to The Post - and to Congress - begin in 2011. Two of them are 20-page "Statements of Financial Condition" signed by Trump's accountants. In his testimony to Congress, Cohen said these statements included Trump's self-appraisals of his buildings' value - which aimed to impress, instead of aiming for reality. Cohen said Trump would take real measures of value, such as the amount of money his tenants paid in rent, and simply inflate it until he got a number he liked. "If you're going off of your rent roll, you go by the gross rent roll times a multiple," Cohen said. "And you make up the multiple."

The documents begin with two-page disclaimers, warning of various ways in which the statements don't follow normal accounting rules. The accountants note that Trump is the source of many buildings' valuations - and that, contrary to normal accounting rules, he had inflated them by counting future income that wasn't guaranteed. The accountants also note that Trump had told them to simply omit two of his major hotels, in Chicago and Las Vegas. Both buildings were carrying mortgages. That omission means that some of Trump's actual debt load was hidden from anyone reading the statement. "Users of this financial statement should recognise that they might reach different conclusions about the financial condition of Donald J. Trump" if they had more information, the statement concludes. Legal experts interviewed by The Post said that sort of broad disclaimer might shield Trump from allegations that he misled his lenders and insurers. After all, his own accountants told readers they weren't getting the full story. "The transparent disclaimers - even if frustrating - typically wipe out a basis" for bringing charges of fraud, said Jacob Frenkel, a former federal prosecutor who is now a private attorney at Dickinson Wright.

In 2012, Trump's statement said he owned a 2000-acre vineyard in Virginia. But land records in Virginia show the Trump family owns about 1200 acres. The Trump winery's own website says 1300 acres. In 2011, the statements said that Trump's Seven Springs estate in Westchester County, New York, was "zoned for nine luxurious homes." In the statement, Trump said those homes would yield significant cash flow as he built them and sold them. That led him to value the property at $US261 million - far more than the roughly $US20 million value assigned by local assessors. At the time, Trump had received preliminary "conceptual approval" to build homes on the site. But local officials said he never finished the last step in the approval process to build the homes or sell the lots. None of the homes was built. The 2013 statement that Cohen provided - and which he said was also given to Deutsche Bank, in pursuit of a loan to buy the Bills - is different from the other two.

It is just two pages long, with a slightly different title: "Summary of Net Worth." It does not include the usual disclaimer from Trump's accountants, so readers aren't told that the debts from Trump's Chicago and Las Vegas hotels are missing. This document also includes a new "asset" that wasn't there before. It says that Trump's brand value - his name, essentially - was worth $US4 billion, and that it ought to be counted among his assets as if it were a building or a resort. With his brand included, Trump's net worth jumped from $US4.6 billion to $US8.6 billion. For Trump, the Bills would have been a financial prize far larger than any he had won in the recent past: Bids were expected to be around $US1 billion. In public, Trump had bragged that he was ready to pay $US1 billion in cash. But privately, one of his lieutenants told a business contact that they were struggling with the bid.
New City, New York: Some parents who had resisted having their children vaccinated have reluctantly brought them in for a measles shot as a state of emergency took effect in a county in New York City's northern suburbs.

Rockland County enacted the emergency order on Tuesday night to fight a measles outbreak that has infected more than 150 people since last autumn.

A woman receives a measles, mumps and rubella vaccine at the Rockland County Health Department on Wednesday. Credit:AP

Under the declaration, which lasts for at least 30 days, anyone under 18 who is not vaccinated against measles is barred from public gathering places, including shopping malls, civic centres, schools, restaurants and even houses of worship.

Loreen Costa told the Rockland Journal News she brought her son to his paediatrician for a vaccination on Wednesday after getting a robocall from his school explaining the ban.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lawyers with Shepherd, Smith, Edwards & Kantas , LLP (SSEK Law Firm) are continuing to represent Puerto Rican investors seeking to recover losses from UBS Financial Services, Inc. of Puerto Rico (UBS-PR). After pleading guilty in November 2018 to one count of bank fraud, Jose Gabriel Ramirez-Arone, Jr.  a former top-selling broker for UBS-PR and also known on the island by many as The Whopper  was sentenced to a year and a day in prison. Ramirezs sentencing was due to his admitted role in a scheme in which various of his clients at UBS-PR fraudulently obtained non-purpose credit lines and were encouraged to misuse those credit lines, resulting in commissions in excess of $1.2 million for Ramirez. To date, Ramirez is the only person connected to the UBS-PR closed-end bond fund scheme to receive any jail time for their participation. Up to less than a week ago, Ramirez had stayed silent about the involvement of any other UBS employees in the closed-end fund scheme. Ramirez broke that silence on March 23, 2019 alleging in his sentencing memorandum the following individuals were either involved in, had knowledge of, or encouraged the transactions of the scheme:



Doel Garcia, UBS executive

Ramiro Colon, Ramirezs former supervisor

Carlos Ubinas, Chairman and President of UBS-PR

David Lugo, former UBS broker

Fernando Castillo, current UBS broker

Leslie Highley, UBS Closed-end Fund Manager

Luis Sanchez, former UBS broker

UBS terminated Ramirez in January 2014 and he was permanently barred from the securities industry in August 2015 by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), as a result of multiple investigations into allegations of his illicit activity and misconduct by regulators and the FBI. The SEC currently has outstanding civil charges against Ramirez.

If you were a client of Jose Gabriel Ramirez-Arone, Jr., his associates, or UBS-PR and suffered losses, please contact the law firm of Shepherd, Smith, Edwards & Kantas, LLP today for a free, confidential evaluation of your account(s). We have a team of attorneys, consultants, and staff with over 100 years of combined experience in the securities industry and in securities law that are ready to assist you in recovering your investment losses today.
Wellington: Representatives of governments from around the world are expected to attend a national remembrance service in New Zealand on Friday for the 50 victims of a mass shooting at two mosques in Christchurch.

"This is an event that affected New Zealand deeply. But it was our Muslim New Zealanders who were targeted. So rightly so, that would be reflected in the remembrance service," Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told a news conference on Thursday.

Paying his respects: Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Credit:AAP

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will be represented at the service, but the full list of the attendees from 59 countries was withheld for security reasons, as the country has been on high alert since the March 15 attack.

Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison, the governor-general Peter Cosgrove and opposition leader Bill Shorten will be among foreign leaders attending the service, Ardern said.
Two NSW tactical operations officers were among the first police officers to respond to the Christchurch mosque shootings.

Police sources have confirmed that the two officers were in the South Island city for an international sniping course run by the New Zealand military and police.

The alleged Christchurch shooter in court. Credit:Stuff.co.nz

When word of Australian Brenton Tarrant's alleged attacks on the Al Noor and Linwood mosques broke, the two officers and others from the course were deployed to the shootings.

Sources say that the men were issued with firearms, because the alleged attacker had not yet been apprehended.
The inner workings of the infamous "unruly" travelling family have been revealed through their deportation documents.

The British clan that made international headlines spoke a mysterious language that officials didn't recognise and used their children as "tools" in their alleged scams, according to Immigration New Zealand documents released to Stuff under the Official Information Act.

Police talking to the family at a Burger King in Hamilton. Credit:Tom Lee/Stuff.co.nz

After being accused of trashing a Takapuna beach and "rude" antics at an Auckland hotel and cafe in January, five members of the clan were issued deportation liability notices at Burger King in Hamilton.

Documents show the drama at the fast food joint began with complaints of "a Scottish family" being rude to customers and deliberately spilling drinks on their food before asking for a refund. Children yelled "obscenities" into the drive-through speaker box and the whole group walked away when police turned up at the restaurant.
PHILIPSBURG (DCOMM:--- On March 26, 2,019 the Minister Plenipotentiary and her Cabinet hosted a reception themed Building Partnerships, in honor of the visit of the Governor of Sint Maarten, His Excellency (H.E.) drs. E. M. Holiday.



The venue chosen for this event was Domo Eclectica, an art gallery in the City Center of The Hague. The owner of this unique location, Mrs. Mariella van der Net not only has direct family ties to Sint Maarten through Sint Maartens representative in the Council of State, Mrs. Maria Plantz, but she is also very much involved in the promotion of arts from the Dutch and French Caribbean as well as the African and Asian diaspora.



The Minister Plenipotentiary welcomed the invited guests to the event by reminding them of the purpose of the gathering. The theme Building Partnerships entailed not only the area of diplomacy, but includes economic, social and educational partnerships.



Sint Maarten having much to offer in these fields, and even much more to acquire, the Minister stated, can only become a fundamental reality through strong ties and partnerships.

His Excellency drs E.M. Holiday, in addressing the guests reiterated this sentiment in his speech themed Building Partnerships of cooperation for socio-economic sustainability.



He briefly touched on the challenges where Sint Maarten, like many small island developing states, is more vulnerable to the external global developments, and of which a number have translated into real threats for the financial systems and social economic stability of small island developing states like Sint Maarten.



For example, the increasing level of global warming resulting in the increase in the strength of hurricanes.



The contacts and partnerships formed now will play an important role in building expertise and mutual respect and understanding, consequently resulting in an increase in shared values and ideals.



This, His Excellency stated, is especially important in building societies on shared principles of democracy, equality, the rule of law, peaceful co-existence and international solidarity.



Believing in mutual benefits to build partnerships and cooperation will greatly assist in the recovery of Sint Maarten after the devastating hurricanes of 2017, he stated.



In closing His excellency emphasized that in our globalized world, where countries are highly interconnected, there is an imperative for us to build partnerships of cooperation for social-economic sustainability in the interest of our people, through friendship and dialogue which are the bedrock for a sustainable, interconnected global community.



Also, on the program was the launching of an auction for paintings made by Sint Maarten youth in the Too Cool to Loot campaign.



Guests were able to bid on 14 paintings, and all proceeds generated from the auction will go directly to the participating schools and after-school projects as a contribution to strengthen their arts and crafts departments and classes.



The auction was a huge success, with 10 of the pieces having been auctioned off on the spot. The combined total amount generated through this auction amounted to 5.700 Euros.



The auction is ongoing and will be opened to online bidders within short.



The Building Partnerships reception in honor of H.E. Governor Holiday has been deemed a great success by all guests in attendance, ranging from ambassadors, representatives of the Second Chamber, representatives of international Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) organizations, of schools who donated to our local schools, the private sector, local Sint Maarten entrepreneurs and young professionals, Sint Maarten students, retired Sint Maarten professionals, and friends of Sint Maarten.
~ submits a counterproposal for approval ~

--PHILIPSBURG:--- On Tuesday, March 26th, 2019, the Committee of Civil Servants Unions (CCSU), formally known as the GOA submitted a counterproposal to the draft amendment to the National decree on remuneration for civil servants to the honorable Minister of General Affairs, Mrs. Leona Romeo-Marlin. The CCSU informed the Prime Minister that the CCSU could not approve the draft amendments to the National decree on remuneration for civil servants as submitted. The members of CCSU are of the opinion that both the current Remuneration decree and the draft amendment proposed by Government do not do justice to civil servants. In particular, where it pertains to the aanloopschaal, the remuneration criteria when being promoted and child allowance. Both the Wicsu-PSU and the Witu are of the opinion that the benefits are outdated and do not reflect the current Sint Maarten economy and labor market.

Based on article 112h of the Landsverordening materieel ambtenarenrecht (Lma), the CCSU has to provide its approval on any matter pertaining to changes to the remuneration rules for civil servants.

The CCSU received a draft amendment document to review and approve on October 16th, 2018. The CCSU members held a number of consultation meetings with government in October and November of last year in an effort to seek clarity as to the reasons for the proposed changes and also discuss their discontent with the different challenges civil servants are experiencing with the current rules on remuneration.

After the sessions with government, the Wicsu-PSU union (one of the two union members of the CCSU) organized sessions with their members to discuss the amendments proposed by government. The Witu encouraged their members to take part in these sessions. Throughout the sessions, members got the opportunity to express their opinions. The main view coming from these discussions was that the rules were outdated and unfair considering Sint Maartens current economy.

The Wicsu-PSU submitted in January 2019 a counterproposal to the amendments to the CCSU for approval. The Wicsu-PSU and the Witu approved the counterproposal on March 19th, 2019.

In its counterproposal, the CCSU proposes a number of amendments to the National decree on remuneration for civil servants. Two important counterproposals are: the increase of the child allowance and the introduction of a minimum salary promotion for candidates when applying for positions internally.
Attn.: Boston Assignment/Photo Editors, Art Editors, Healthcare Editors, Tech Editors

Media Advisory: April 3 - Photo & Interview Opportunity

Who:



Dr. Ed Boyden , Assoc. Professor, Biological Engineering and Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Media Lab and McGovern Institute, Y. Eva Tan Professor in Neurotechnology, MIT, Boston, MA

Assoc. Professor, Biological Engineering and Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Media Lab and McGovern Institute, Y. Eva Tan Professor in Neurotechnology, MIT, Boston, MA Marton Varo , Award-winning sculptor, noted for his life-size sculptures, which are largely figurative.

Varo's approach to sculpting is true to classic form, carving directly into the marble or stone, as masters like Michelangelo did. Varo's marble even comes from the same quarry in Carrara, Italy , as Michelangelo 's. He is known for the Angels at the Bass Performance Hall in Ft. Worth, Texas, and a 30-foot-tall sculpture of The Annunciation , on the Ave Maria Oratorys facade in Florida.

Award-winning sculptor, noted for his life-size sculptures, which are largely figurative. Varo's approach to sculpting is true to classic form, carving directly into the marble or stone, as masters like Michelangelo did. Varo's marble even comes from the same quarry in , as 's. He is known for the Angels at the in Ft. Worth, Texas, and a 30-foot-tall sculpture of The , on the Oratorys facade in Florida. Paul Domb , Co-Founder, Visual Snow Initiative (VSI), a Beverly Hills-based US charity formed to encourage collaboration, support education and raise research funds to fast track a cure for Visual Snow (VS)  a neurological condition that impairs a persons vision, among other symptoms.

, Co-Founder, (VSI), a Beverly Hills-based US charity formed to encourage collaboration, support education and raise research funds to fast track a cure for Visual Snow (VS)  a neurological condition that impairs a persons vision, among other symptoms. When: Wednesday April 3, 2019 - 10  10:30 a.m. (EST)

(EST) Where: McGovern Reading Room, MIT, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge MA 02139

Event Details:

On behalf of Marton Varo, Paul Domb, Co-Founder, VSI, will present a The Brain  a marble, abstract sculpture to Dr. Boyden to thank him for collaborating with global researchers on new technologies to treat or cure VS.

Remarks from Marton Varo about his donation

Remarks from Dr. Boyden about his collaboration with the VSI and its global researchers

BOSTON, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Award-wining sculptor Marton Varo , noted for his monumental public art, wants everyone to see all the beauty in the world  from natural wonders like sunsets to classic and contemporary art.

Unfortunately, people with a neurological condition called Visual Snow (VS) cant enjoy the worlds beauty because they see tiny dots 24/7, like a static TV screen. They see Varos sculpture  The Brain  like this pixelated photo. Distorted vision, plus other symptoms, such as tinnitus, impaired night vision and headaches, make it challenging for people with VS to read, drive or enjoy a full quality of life.

Since May 2018, global researchers with the Visual Snow Initiative (VSI) have collaborated with MIT Neuroscientist Dr. Ed Boyden on VS treatments or a cure.

On April 3, Paul Domb, Co-founder, VSI, is donating The Brain - an abstract, 18 x 8 marble sculpture (approx. $30k USD value) to Dr. Boyden for his work with the charity. With Boyden, global researchers and other collaborators work, Varo and many others look forward to the day when people with VS can enjoy the worlds beauty and lead full lives.

You dont have to wait. You are invited to see this sculpture presentation, meet Varo, hear Boyden speak about his work with VS researchers and learn about this debilitating condition, which often strikes young people in their 20s and 30s.

@VisualSnowInitiative on Instagram and Facebook | @VisualSnowInit on Twitter

For more information, photos or interviews with Dr. Boyden, Marton Varo or a VSI spokesperson, please contact:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2b54fce3-17c0-4945-95f5-14b9c01638c9
The Security Event 2019

2019 will see the return of a UK focused security exhibition, back at its traditional home at the NEC, Birmingham. The Security Event has been carefully developed with consultation and guidance from leading players in the industry to specifically address the needs of the commercial security market in the UK.

Spearheaded by ten of the industrys major players, the exhibition will host around 100 of the worlds leading security brands. The Security Event - powered by Security Essen will attract thousands of attendees over three days with key features including a tailored content programme and networking opportunities out of show hours.

Our core vision is to create a dedicated platform that levels that playing field, enabling exhibitors, installers and end users alike to reconnect at the NEC, Birmingham. The Security Event has been designed to provide the UK security industry with an ideal focus point to come together, facilitating meaningful interactions for exhibitors and visitors.

The Security Event is organised by Western Business Exhibitions Ltd (WBE), owner of the highly successful and respected Health & Safety, Facilities and Fire Safety events. With our 25 years of experience we have built an unrivalled reputation for delivering incisive, timely and pertinent content across a diverse range of sectors. Delivered via a portfolio of market leading exhibitions, events, print and digital publishing. WBE is part of Nineteen Group  organisers of International Security Expo, the International Disaster Response Expo and the Safer Cities Summit.
NEW YORK, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities law firm, reminds investors in Mobile TeleSystems PJSC ("Mobile TeleSystems" or the "Company") (NYSE:MBT) of the May 20, 2019 deadline to seek the role of lead plaintiff in a federal securities class action that has been filed against the Company.



If you invested in Mobile TeleSystems stock or options between March 19, 2014 and March 7, 2019 and would like to discuss your legal rights, click here: www.faruqilaw.com/MBT. There is no cost or obligation to you.

You can also contact us by calling Richard Gonnello toll free at 877-247-4292 or at 212-983-9330 or by sending an e-mail to rgonnello@faruqilaw.com.

CONTACT:

FARUQI & FARUQI, LLP

685 Third Avenue, 26th Floor

New York, NY 10017

Attn: Richard Gonnello, Esq.

rgonnello@faruqilaw.com

Telephone: (877) 247-4292 or (212) 983-9330

The lawsuit has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York on behalf of all those who purchased Mobile TeleSystems securities between March 19, 2014 and March 7, 2019 (the "Class Period"). The case, Salim v. Mobile TeleSystems PJSC et al., No. 19-cv-01589 was filed on March 19, 2019.

The lawsuit focuses on whether the Company and its executives violated federal securities laws by failing to disclose that: (1) Mobile TeleSystems and its subsidiary were involved in a scheme to pay $420 million in bribes in Uzbekistan; (2) consequently, Mobile TeleSystems knew or should have known it would be forced to pay substantial fines to the U.S. government after disclosing in 2014 that the U.S. Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission were investigating its Uzbekistan operations; (3) Mobile TeleSystems level of cooperation with the U.S. government and remediation was lacking; and (4) due to the aforementioned misconduct, Mobile TeleSystems would be forced to pay approximately $850 million in criminal penalties to the U.S. government.

On November 20, 2018, the Company disclosed that it had reserved approximately $840 million USD (RUB 55.8 bln) as the potential liability concerning investigations by the SEC and the DOJ into its former operations in Uzbekistan.

On this news, Mobile TeleSystems's share price fell from $8.09 per share on November 19, 2018 to a closing price of $7.45 on November 20, 2018: a $0.64 or a 7.91% drop.

On March 7, 2019, the DOJ reported that the Company and its subsidiary entered into an agreement to pay $850 million in penalties to the United States to resolve charges arising from its role in a scheme to pay $420 million in bribes in Uzbekistan.

On this news, Mobile TeleSystems's share price fell from $7.78 per share on March 6, 2019 to a closing price of $7.54 on March 7, 2019: a $0.24 or a 3.08% drop.

The court-appointed lead plaintiff is the investor with the largest financial interest in the relief sought by the class who is adequate and typical of class members who directs and oversees the litigation on behalf of the putative class. Any member of the putative class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision to serve as a lead plaintiff or not.

Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP also encourages anyone with information regarding Mobile TeleSystems's conduct to contact the firm, including whistleblowers, former employees, shareholders and others.

Attorney Advertising. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP (www.faruqilaw.com). Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your particular case. All communications will be treated in a confidential manner.
4 smart ways to use security to power the business of the future

In the new era of work, our relationship with the workplace is defined by flexibility and mobility. Employees are working across the home, office, and blended spaces more than ever before, as well as working varied hours to suit the modern work schedule. This new hybrid workforce model holds the potential for more diverse talent and better productivity, but it also comes with its challenges  one being how to ensure security, health, and safety in the workplace. Strong and smart security ecosystem While nearly one-third of companies report that theyve implemented a hybrid model, according to a recent survey by STANLEY Security, many still have much to do to prepare their office for the future. Building a strong  and smart  security ecosystem is crucial in preparing for the future. As such, businesses should consider technologies that help protect their people, as well as safeguard their assets, optimise their operations, and secure their network. 1)Protect your people Implementation of a security ecosystem combines health, safety, and security hardware and software solutions seamlessly Nearly 60% of mid-market and enterprise businesses across the UK and US report that the health and safety of their employees and customers are a primary concern when implementing modern and hybrid working models. This begs the question: How can businesses create a safe and healthy work environment when 59% are planning to bring employees back on-site in some capacity within the next 18 months? The answer lies, in part, in the implementation of a security ecosystem that combines various health, safety, and security hardware and software solutions seamlessly. Integrating platform Nearly half (46%) of business decision-makers say they are interested in adopting an integrated platform such as this. This means integrating traditional and digital security solutions, then leveraging the data and insights they produce to further enhance the workplace experience. Take this example: With employees and visitors moving in and out of the office at different times, a business may lack oversight of occupancy or density levels, people flow, workspace scheduling, visitor check-in processes, and more. However, with visitor management, access control, and other building/business systems integrated, employees can reserve a workspace for a specific date and time and be granted access to the building. Leveraging AI and machine learning Visitors can pre-register, answer a health screening questionnaire, and receive a mobile credential before arriving. Once the visitor arrives on-site, the system can alert the respective department  all without the close contact typically required for traditional visitor check-in processes. When layering artificial intelligence and machine learning on top of the data, a business may identify trends in people flow and opportunities to optimise congested areas. They may also see that certain rooms within the building get more use than others and leverage these insights to manage their space more effectively. All of this is powered by a security ecosystem that can help a business better protect its people while realising other benefits in the process. 2) Safeguard your assets Businesses are concerned about the security of their assets when it comes to the hybrid workforce model Even more, businesses are concerned about the security of their assets when it comes to the hybrid workforce model. About 72% of leaders say this is, in fact, their primary concern with the hybrid approach. This figure isnt surprising when you consider the impact of the pandemic, which left many businesses closed either temporarily or permanently, with few people allowed on-site to manage facility operations. As a result of the pandemic, we saw tech adoption accelerate at an astonishing rate  simply because businesses had to implement cloud and remote technologies to survive during a time when buildings were closed indefinitely. Remote management and visibility This was particularly true for security solutions, such as cloud video surveillance and cloud access control solutions like wireless IoT-connected locks. Nine out of 10 businesses (91%) report that they have already implemented cloud security technology; of those, nearly half (48%) stated that this was due to the pandemic. These technologies allow for remote management and provide visibility into business operations at the same time. In a retail setting, for example, cloud video surveillance allows businesses to identify and track not only criminal activity, but also foot traffic patterns, peak operating hours, staff shortages, and more. Loss prevention strategy When integrated with the retailers point-of-sale (POS) system, businesses can gain greater insights into their traffic counts, end cap effectiveness, loyalty card activity, and a variety of POS exceptions, such as high-dollar transactions, repeated transactions, excessive returns, employee discounts, and more. For retailers especially, a security ecosystem means a more efficient loss prevention strategy that helps safeguard assets and profits. 3) Optimise your operations The future of work is still very much a work in progress, but one thing is clear: Businesses are looking for ways to increase efficiencies, drive cost savings, and, ultimately, optimise their operations  especially now with the challenges posed by price inflation. A relatively untapped opportunity for businesses to achieve these goals lies within their security infrastructure. Security technology and solutions gather incredibly rich data which, when unlocked, can help businesses understand how their buildings are being used, when the busiest times are, where there are highly trafficked areas, and more. Leveraging cloud video surveillance systems, businesses could identify emerging staff training needs Cloud video surveillance systems For example, by leveraging the insights produced by cloud video surveillance systems, businesses could identify emerging staff training needs, which could ultimately result in improved employee satisfaction and reduced attrition. However, much of this data sits untouched within the infrastructure, leaving businesses unaware of the opportunities in front of them. 44% of businesses that currently use a cloud security system for its primary use say they want to know how else this technology can be utilised, and an additional 20% arent even aware that it could be used in other ways. AI and analytics The interest in adoption is promising for the office of the future, especially when we see that the majority of businesses (78%) would consider using AI and analytics technologies to optimise their operations, helping their business to operate more effectively and efficiently. The increase in adoption of cloud technology  paired with the rise in interest in AI, machine learning, and advanced analytics  could make it possible for businesses to uncover invaluable insights from their security infrastructure and leverage them to adapt and build business resilience. 4) Secure your network Advanced technology help businesses improve their cybersecurity, making it harder for hackers to gain entry With cyber threats becoming more prevalent, businesses are increasingly looking to secure their networks and protect their data. More than half (54%) of those surveyed expressed interest in using AI, machine learning, and advanced analytics to secure their network by identifying and eliminating cybersecurity threats. Advanced and automated technology can help businesses improve their cybersecurity, making it harder for hackers to gain entry to the larger corporate network. Modern cybersecurity tools that use AI and machine learning can detect anomalies in network traffic or alert and act on suspicious behaviour. Cybersecurity software For example, if an IoT device suddenly begins broadcasting and establishing connections with multiple devices, cybersecurity software could detect this abnormal behaviour, send an alert, and suspend traffic or quarantine an endpoint immediately  saving precious time during a potential breach. A single data breach could result in widespread distrust from workers and customers, potentially leading to decreased business as well as litigation issues. As such, businesses need to take action to update and strengthen their defences so that they can avoid downtime and continue to operate with peace of mind. Prepare your business for the future Businesses will continue to look for more ways to extract value out of their existing infrastructure, including their security technology. For many, the tools to do so are already in place, its just a matter of unlocking the insights with a security ecosystem. With such an ecosystem  one that helps protect a business people, assets, and network, while optimising operations  companies can better safeguard the future of their workspaces and usher in the new era of work with confidence.
TORONTO, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Microbix Biosystems Inc. (TSX: MBX, Microbix or the Company), an innovator of biological products and technologies, announces the voting results from the Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the Meeting) which was held on March 27, 2019.



At the Meeting, 41.67% of the issued and outstanding shares were represented. Shareholders voted in favour of all resolutions brought before the Meeting. Details of all resolutions that were voted upon are set out in the Management Information Circular (the Circular) dated February 11, 2019. The Circular is available on the Companys website (www.microbix.com) and on SEDAR (www.sedar.com).

All of the board of directors nominees listed in the Circular were re-elected as directors of Microbix. Results of the vote were as follows:

Nominee Votes For % Votes For Withheld % Withheld Peter M. Blecher 36,349,446 99.42 % 213,598 0.58 % William J. Gastle 36,199,546 99.01 % 363,498 0.99 % Martin Marino 36,347,446 99.41 % 215,598 0.59 % Joseph D. Renner 36,345,046 99.40 % 217,998 0.60 % Mark A. Cochran 36,316,446 99.33 % 246,598 0.67 % Cameron Groome 36,122,546 98.80 % 440,498 1.20 % Vaughn C. Embro-Pantalony 36,157,546 98.89 % 405,498 1.11 %

In addition, shareholders also approved a resolution re-appointing the Companys auditors, Ernst & Young LLP with 99.36 % of the votes cast in favour.

The slides of managements presentation at the Meeting have been posted at www.microbix.com

About Microbix Biosystems Inc.

Microbix specializes in developing proprietary biological and technology solutions for human health and well-being. It makes a wide range of critical biological materials for the global diagnostics industry, notably antigens used in immunoassays or quality assessment products. Its products are sold to more than 100 customers worldwide, primarily to multinational diagnostics companies and laboratory accreditation organizations.

Microbix also applies its expertise and infrastructure to create proprietary new products and technologies. Currently it has two; (1) Kinlytic urokinase, a biologic thrombolytic drug (used to dissolve blood clots) and (2) LumiSort cell-sorting, a technology for ultra-rapid and efficient sorting of cells or particles that can be used to enrich cell populations of interest, such as in sexing semen. Established in 1988, Microbix is a publicly traded company, listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.

Forward-Looking Information

This news release may include forward-looking information, as such term is defined in applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information includes, without limitation, discussion of financial results or the outlook for the business, risks associated with its financial results and stability, its biologicals business, development projects such as those referenced herein, sales to foreign jurisdictions, engineering and construction, production (including control over costs, quality, quantity and timeliness of delivery), foreign currency and exchange rates, maintaining adequate working capital and raising further capital on acceptable terms or at all, and other similar statements concerning anticipated future events, conditions or results that are not historical facts. These statements reflect managements current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations; they are not guarantees of future performance. The Company cautions that all forward looking information is inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond the Companys control. Accordingly, actual future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. All statements are made as of the date of this news release and represent the Companys judgement as of the date of this new release, and the Company is under no obligation to update or alter any forward-looking information.

Please visit www.microbix.com or www.sedar.com for recent Microbix filings.



For further information, please contact:

Cameron Groome,

CEO

(905) 361-8910 Jim Currie, CFO

(905) 361-8910 Deborah Honig, Investor Relations

Adelaide Capital Markets

(647) 203-8793 ir@microbix.com

Copyright  2019 Microbix Biosystems Inc. Microbix, Kinlytic and LumiSort are trademarks of the Company
Georgetown City Council during its annual retreat March 15 at the Wampee Conference Center in Pinopolis.
How do you make an ambitious goal and a speedy timeline seem worth tackling among a busy slate of jostling existential crises? Appeal to America's competitive spirit, apparently.

That's the current administration's apparent tactic, at any rate, as revealed by Vice President Mike Pence during a speech to a meeting of the National Space Council held on March 26. There, he unveiled the administration's new schedule for landing humans on the moon again  now pushed up from 2028 to 2024, just five years from now.

And he referenced Russian and Chinese activities in space and uttered those magic, rhyming words. "Make no mistake about it, we're in a space race today, just as we were in the 1960s, and the stakes are even higher," Pence said. He went on to detail two types of competitions that the administration argues are unfolding in the realm of human lunar spaceflight  international, with Pence citing China and Russia by name; and internal, with our own complacency.

Related: US Is in a New Space Race with China and Russia, VP Pence Says

On the international stage, Pence highlighted two potential opponents. "Last December [ in fact, Jan. 2, 2019 ], China became the first nation to land on the far side of the moon, and revealed their ambition to seize the lunar strategic high ground and become the world's pre-eminent spacefaring nation," Pence said. "And for more than seven years, without a viable human space launch program of our own, Russia has been charging the United States more than $80 million a seat every time an American astronaut travels to the International Space Station."

But neither country seems to be particularly interested in joining America in this race, space policy experts told Space.com. To be fair, the first space race was also not particularly consensually constructed. "We entered into a competition to get to the moon in the '60s without knowing what the Soviet Union was doing, and so we made up the fact that they could potentially build a moon rocket on the same time schedule as we did," John Logsdon, a space historian at The George Washington University, told Space.com. "It turned out they started two and a half years behind us and never had much of a chance."

No one to race

This time around, it seems unlikely the U.S. will attract any serious competition when it comes to putting humans on the moon for a very simple reason  Pence's highlighted competitors don't seem to have any interest in speeding toward that goal.

"The Russians don't have a stated public interest in going to the moon with human spaceflight," Wendy Whitman Cobb, a political scientist at Cameron University in Oklahoma, told Space.com. "[The Chinese] have taken a purposefully slow, methodical approach to spaceflight and for them, I think the motivations are more in the military and national prestige realms."

China is certainly interested in the moon, but its current timeline puts human landings sometime after 2030, slower even than NASA's timeline before this week's aggressive rescheduling. Right now, its human spaceflight aspirations are directed elsewhere: to a space station called Tiangong 3, the first module of which is due to launch within the next year or so.

"They're not exactly racing to the moon," Brian Weeden, director of program planning of Secure World Foundation, told Space.com. "I'm sure China is thinking about the moon and getting back there, but I have not seen any concrete plans with timelines and budgets to do so."

Where China is feeling the competitive drive, instead, comes in the military realm, Whitman Cobb said, and here's where the comparison to the Cold War space race makes sense. "Spaceflight is just a ballistic missile pointed in a different direction," she said. "There probably would not have been a space race if it hadn't been that we could use that as a peaceful demonstration of military capabilities."

But still, China isn't in a position to truly compete, Weeden said. "Pretty much everything they're doing are things the U.S. already has done in the past," he said. "China is still catching up."

And even if Russia wants to reprise its role in the Apollo-era space race, they're in a weak starting position. "I think that's a nonstarter in my view," Logsdon said of either country competing with the U.S. "The Russian space program is just in chaotic condition , they're in no shape to take on a major challenge."

Races closer to home

After referencing China and Russia, Pence highlighted the ways he believes a lack of urgency for a new moon landing among Americans in general and at NASA in particular is the real factor hobbling the next "giant leap."

And for Logsdon, that was the real takeaway from Pence's speech. "Well, are they really framing it as a race? I didn't hear a whole lot of that in what Pence had to say," he said. "I think it's more, this is taking too long on our own terms, not that we've got to go faster because we're racing somebody.  I think you have to pay kind of lip service to the fact that Russia and China also are interested in major space activities, but say it's really a challenge to us to do better."

For some, framing the increasingly aggressive lunar landing timeline on the international stage may be a tactic to encourage the government to fork over more money for the effort, according to Weeden. "There are certainly people who want people to think that there's a race," he said. "It's motivational, there's a strain of thinking that the only reason we were able to go to the moon in the first place was this competition with the Soviets."

Of course, there's another type of race on the horizon  the regular schedule of presidential elections. And here, the new target date of 2024 for this space race is striking. "It's the last year of the Trump administration, assuming he wins a second term," Whitman Cobb said. "That's one way to burnish your legacy."
Soviet cosmonaut Valery Bykovsky, seen here wearing his Vostok 5 spacesuit, died on March 27, 2019 at the age of 84.

Soviet-era cosmonaut Valery Bykovsky, whose first of three spaceflights was a joint mission with the world's first woman to fly into space, has died. He was 84.

Bykovsky's death on Wednesday (March 27) was confirmed by Russia's federal space corporation Roscosmos.

"Bykovsky belonged to the first generation of Soviet cosmonauts, who wrote many bright pages in the glorious history of Russian manned cosmonautics," officials at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City said in a statement.

Related: 50 Great Russian Rocket Launch Photos

Valery Bykovsky (at left) with fellow Vostok cosmonauts Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman to fly in space, and Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space. (Image credit: Roscosmos)

Bykovsky was selected for the Soviet space program alongside Yuri Gagarin as a member of the first group of cosmonaut trainees in March 1960. He flew three times to space, logging a total of 20 days, 17 hours and 47 minutes in Earth orbit.

Bykovsky launched on his first mission on June 14, 1963, as the pilot of Vostok 5, the former Soviet Union's fifth spaceflight and the 11th worldwide. Once in orbit, he radioed to the ground that he was "feeling fine."

Bykovsky spent his time conducting basic science experiments, using a camera to film Earth's horizon and observing the growth of peas. He exercised and recorded his body's reaction to the microgravity environment.

Two days into his flight, on his 31st orbit of Earth, Bykovsky was joined by another cosmonaut in space. "Have started carrying out joint spaceflight," radioed the pilot of Vostok 6.

Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space , flew in tandem with Bykovsky, with their two spacecraft coming as close as 3.1 miles (5 kilometers) of each other.

"Dependable radio communications established between our ships. Are at close distance from each other," they reported.

Bykovsky had originally planned to be in space for eight days, but increased solar flare activity resulted in his Vostok 5 mission coming to an end after 4A days, 23 hours and 7 minutes. The duration was long enough to set a new record for time in space and Bykovsky's retains the title for the longest solo spaceflight in history.

His landing on June 19, 1963, three hours after Tereshkova, also marked the end of the Vostok program.

Bykovsky's next mission came 13 years later, with his liftoff on Sept. 15, 1976 as commander of Soyuz 22, a refurbished spacecraft that had been a backup to the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project jointly flown with the United States the year prior.

Flying with his Soyuz 22 crewmate Vladimir Aksyonov, Bykovsky spent a week observing Earth, taking more than 2,400 photos of the planet with a multi-spectral camera that could take six images simultaneously. The two captured photographs of Siberia, Central Asia and Kazakhstan, as well as the moon as it rose and set through Earth's atmosphere.

Bykovsky's third and final spaceflight was an Interkosmos mission with Sigmund Jahn, Germany's first citizen in space .

Valery Bykovsky (back row, second from right) with his fellow cosmonauts in 1964. Back row, from left to right: Gherman Titov, Yuri Gagarin, Bykovsky, Andrian Nikolayev; front row: Pavel Popovich, Boris Yegorov, Valentina Tereshkova, Vladimir Komarov and Konstantin Feoktistov. (Image credit: Roscosmos)

Bykovsky and Jahn lifted off on board the Soyuz 31 spacecraft on Aug. 26, 1978, on a week-long flight to deliver supplies to the Salyut 6 space station. The two joined the orbiting outpost's two person crew to conduct experiments before returning to Earth on Soyuz 29, leaving their Soyuz 31 capsule behind to land with a later crew.

Valery Fyodorovich Bykovsky was born on Aug. 2, 1934 in the town of Pavlovsky Posad, located about 40 miles (65 kilometers) east of Moscow. Initially interested in being a sailor from a young age, a talk at school attracted him to learn to fly and he joined the Moscow City Aviation Club.

Bykovsky graduated from the Kachinsk Military Aviation Academy in 1955 and, after a year-long assignment to a jet fighter unit, began serving as chief pilot and a parachute instructor with the 23rd Interceptor Flight Regiment of the 17th Air Division in the Soviet Air Force. In 1959, prior to testing to become a cosmonaut, Bykovsky was promoted to promoted to senior lieutenant and achieved the rating of military pilot, 3rd Class.

Valery Bykovsky (left) with his Soyuz 31 crewmate Sigmund Jahn, the first German in space. (Image credit: Roscosmos)

In addition to his three spaceflights, Bykovsky served as a backup to the Vostok 3 and Soyuz 37 missions. Between his first and second launches, Bykovsky was assigned to the prime crew of Soyuz 2, but that mission was canceled after Soyuz 1 ended in tragedy. He then trained for a circumlunar mission slated for March 1969, but that too was canceled as a result of technical problems and the success of NASA's Apollo 8 mission in December 1968.

Following Soyuz 31 and his Soyuz 37 backup assignment, Bykovsky served as a cosmonaut trainer before leaving the space program in 1988 to serve as the director of the House of Soviet Sciences and Culture in Berlin. He retired in 1990 at the age of 56.

For his service to his country's space program, Bykovsky was named a Hero of the Soviet Union and awarded the Order of Lenin and the Order of the Red Star, among numerous other Russian and international honors.

Bykovsky was preceded in death by the pilots of the first four Vostok missions (Gagarin in 1968, Gherman Titov in 2000), Andriyan Nikolayev in 2004 and Pavel Popovich in 2009), who died in the same order they flew. Of the original group of 20 cosmonauts, only Alexei Leonov and Boris Volynov are still living.

Bykovsky was married to Valentina Mikhailovna Sukhova, with whom he had two sons, Valery (who preceded Bykovsky in death in 1986) and Sergei.

"The leadership of the Cosmonaut Training Center, pilot-cosmonauts of the USSR and Russia and the whole team offer their condolences to the families and friends of Valery Fyodorovich," the training center leadership said.
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said Wednesday (March 27) that speeding up production of NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) megarocket is absolutely essential to getting humans to the moon by 2024 .

Bridenstine emphasized this point in a statement about U.S. Vice President Mike Pence's call Tuesday (March 26) to meet that goal, and the administrator discussed it in more depth yesterday at a U.S. House of Representatives hearing on NASA's budget request for 2020. That budget request delayed work on upgrades to the megarocket, whose first version is still under construction, and moved some of the SLS's prospective payloads to other spacecraft.

During a recent Senate hearing, Bridenstine had also mentioned the possibility of launching the Orion crew capsule on a private booster, so multiple questions at the House hearing concentrated on reconciling these statements.

Related: Photos: NASA's Space Launch System for Deep Space Flights

"If we're going to have boots on the moon by 2024, as the vice president indicated yesterday [was a goal], which I believe we can achieve, we're going to need SLS. We're going to need to accelerate it and get as many of those [technologies ready] as soon as possible, and we're going to need Exploration Upper Stage [EUS] as soon as possible," Bridenstine said during the hearing yesterday, referring to the advanced second stage that will allow SLS to carry larger payloads. The EUS does not receive funding in the current budget request.

Bridenstine went into more detail about how the agency planned to meet the vice president's deadline and to aim for a June 2020 first launch of SLS. However, he said he didn't think that exact launch date was "in the cards." Nonetheless, he said, SLS is essential to getting Orion flying as soon as possible.

"I did make the statement before the Senate a few weeks ago that we need to look at all options to maintain [the] schedule," Bridenstine said. "We did look at those commercial options, as you identified. We came to a determination that while some of those options are feasible, none of those options  are going to keep us within budget and on schedule."

Bridenstine added that the agency is doing a 45-day study about the best ways to pick up the pace on SLS without increasing cost. That study should produce results within a few weeks. He said NASA had purchased hardware to help integrate the rocket horizontally rather than vertically. This would allow for more of the rocket to be constructed without waiting for the engine section, which has proven to be more challenging to build than expected.

He also discussed the possibility of shortening the engine-testing phase. Because SLS's RS-25 engines, which also propelled space shuttle launches, have already been used extensively, NASA may be able to intensively test them individually rather than performing a big test that combines all of them. A test of all four, called a green run test, would add several months to the SLS preparation time.

Related: NASA's Space Shuttle Program in Pictures: A Tribute

"The key is to test in a way that we know that we optimize the success of the first launch. That has got to be the goal," Bridenstine said. "When we talk about a green run test, we're talking about basically building the core stage of the rocket with all four engines, all at the same time, and running the whole rocket, minus the side boosters that are solids  for a period of 8 minutes. The question is, is that necessary?

"And could we test each engine individually at very high off-nominal conditions to get certainty, or at least eliminate either as much risk or almost as much risk as we would do if we were in the full green run?" he continued. "That could save six months of schedule, depending on how we do it."

House representatives questioned Bridenstine about the pace of SLS flights after Exploration Mission-1, the first, uncrewed launch of Orion, and Exploration Mission-2, which will have astronauts onboard and is targeted for 2022. He said that after those two launches, NASA would have to get into an operations tempo with SLS, possibly ramping up from one launch per year to one per six months. This would reduce the cost of each launch and would be necessary to get everything in place for human missions to the moon.

He added that in light of that, NASA may need to make a change to another mission. Although Congress has pinned an uncrewed mission to Jupiter's moon Europa to ride on SLS, it may be worth sending that mission on a commercial rocket, traveling more slowly, to reserve SLS for the moon work, Bridenstine said.

When asked about this year's budget cuts, Bridenstine was firm that everything could be accomplished without going over budget. But the questioning about the specific pieces that would be necessary made clear that the budget may need to be reconsidered, at least for future years.

"2024 is a very aggressive schedule, and there is nothing that we can do to accelerate that in a more meaningful way, to get boots on the moon in 2024, than having Exploration Upper Stage and the Orion crew capsule, the European Service Module [which attaches to Orion] and the Space Launch System," Bridenstine said in response to a question by Congressman Charlie Crist, D-Fla. "And with the Exploration Upper Stage, we'll need that second mobile launcher" at Kennedy Space Center.

"So, I assume this all means that we will need more funding in order to accomplish those goals?" Crist asked.

"Yes," Bridenstine said. And they were on to the next topic.
An emergency motor designed to steer future NASA Orion capsule crewmembers to safety ignited during a recent 30-second test and produced over 7,000 lbs. of thrust, according to the space agency.

The Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle is currently slated to sit atop the Space Launch System (SLS), a superheavy-lift launch vehicle that could one day bring humans back to the moon. The evolving project might even bring the first crew to Mars. For now, Orion will travel on SLS, but there's a possibility it will fly atop a commercial carrier , instead, for its first test flight around the moon  Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1)  if SLS won't be ready for the June 2020 flight.

No matter the vehicle, Orion needs a backup plan if the rocket malfunctions upon exiting low Earth orbit. To prepare for a worst-case scenario, propulsion engineers need to have a keen awareness of the three dimensionality of a launch. So, having the right attitude is important.

Related: Astronauts Zip-Line to Safety in These NASA Emergency Evacuation Test Photos

Attitude is the orientation of a spacecraft in three-dimensional space. It's an element that's essential to navigation, and errors in precision have been known to cause mission failure, like the case of Europe's Schiaparelli Mars lander .

"This test was the first in a series of evaluations aimed at qualifying the attitude control motor for crewed missions," NASA officials said in an agency statement March 25 .

The eight valves that recently lit up at the Northrop Grumman facility in Elkton, Maryland, are part of the attitude control motor that could orient the Orion crew capsule and guide its trajectory moving away from the rocket in case of an emergency. Rather than just speeding up faster than the rocket accelerating below it, the eight valves around the motor's cylindrical body would jettison the crew off to one side and away from a dangerous situation.

The Orion abort attitude control motor fires during a test at Northrop Grumman's facility in Elkton, Maryland. (Image credit: Northrop Grumman)

Elishabet Lato, propulsion engineer at Northrop Grumman, and astronaut Randy Bresnik of Expedition 52/53 to the International Space Station, spoke during a Facebook Live event on March 20 to explain the Orion Launch Abort System attitude control motor test.

Each valve is positioned on one-eighth of the cylindrical body, and depending on which direction they need to take, the valves will ignite in milliseconds as hot gas comes out each of those valves to pivot Orion in the opposite direction, according to Lato.

If launch is successful, the Launch Abort System won't be needed any longer. In that case, it would be discarded by the launch vehicle so the spacecraft doesn't have to use its propellant to push unnecessary weight as it continues on its journey.

NASA tested Orion's crew module uprighting system off the coast of North Carolina in March 2018. (Image credit: NASA)

NASA also reported that the crew module uprighting system (CMUS), which ensures the Orion capsule re-enters Earth right side up, underwent testing last week off the coast of North Carolina, agency officials said in the statement.
This artist's illustration shows Pluto and some of its moons, as viewed from the surface of one of the moons. Pluto shines as the large object at center, while Charon glimmers as a smaller disk to the right. Image released June 13, 2014.

Textbooks had to be rewritten. Members of the public were outraged. Our understanding of the solar system itself was forever changed on Aug. 24, 2006, when researchers at the International Astronomical Union (IAU) voted to reclassify Pluto, changing its status from a planet to a dwarf planet  a relegation that was largely seen as a demotion and which continues to have reverberations to this day.

Several years later, many still don't quite understand all the fuss, nor why Pluto was knocked from its planetary position. But the solar system's transformation from nine planets to eight was a long time in the making and helps encapsulate one of the greatest strengths of science  the ability to alter seemingly steadfast definitions in light of new evidence.

What is a planet, anyway?

The word planet stretches back to antiquity, deriving from the Greek word "planetes," which means wandering star. The five classical planets  Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn  are visible to the naked eye and can be seen shifting in strange pathways across the sky compared with the more distant background stars. After the advent of telescopes, astronomers discovered two new planets, Uranus and Neptune, which are too faint to spot with the naked eye.

Pluto was found and classified as a planet in 1930, when astronomer Clyde Tombaugh of the Lowell Observatory compared photographic plates of the sky on separate nights and noticed a tiny dot that drifted back and forth against the backdrop of stars. Right away, the solar system's newest candidate was considered an oddball. Its orbit is so eccentric, or far from circular, that it actually gets closer to the sun than Neptune for 20 of its 248-years-long trip.

In 1992, scientists discovered the first Kuiper Belt object, 1992 QB1 , a tiny body orbiting out in Pluto's vicinity. Many more such objects were soon uncovered, revealing a belt of small, frozen worlds similar to the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Pluto remained the king of this region, but in July 2005, astronomers found the distant body Eris , which at first was thought to be even larger than Pluto.

Size of Pluto (lower left) in comparison to Moon and Earth. (Image credit: Tom.Reding, CC BY-SA)

Researchers had to ask themselves these questions: If Pluto was a planet, then did that mean Eris was one as well? What about all those other icy objects out in the Kuiper belt ? Where exactly was the cut-off line for classifying a body as a planet? A word that had seemed straightforward and simple was suddenly shown to be oddly slippery.

Intense debate followed, with many new proposals for the definition of planet being offered.

"Every time we think some of us are reaching a consensus, then somebody says something to show very clearly that we're not," Brian Marsden, a member of the IAU Executive Committee in charge of coming up with a new meaning for the word planet, told Space.com in 2005.

A year later, astronomers were no closer to a resolution, and the dilemma hung like a dark cloud over the IAU General Assembly meeting in Prague in 2006. At the conference, researchers endured eight days of contentious arguments, with four different proposals being offered. One controversial suggestion would have brought the total number of planets in the solar system up to 12 , including Ceres, the largest asteroid, and Pluto's moon Charon.

The suggestion was "a complete mess," astronomer Mike Brown of Caltech, Eris' discoverer, told Space.com.

Near the end of the Prague conference, the 424 astronomers who remained voted to create three new categories for objects in the solar system. From then on, only the worlds Mercury through Neptune would be considered planets. Pluto and its kin  round objects that shared the neighborhood of their orbit with other entities  were henceforth called dwarf planets. All other objects orbiting the sun would be known as small solar system bodies.

The drama continues

A contingent of professionals did not take the decision lightly. "I'm embarrassed for astronomy," Alan Stern, a leader of NASA's New Horizons mission, which flew past Pluto in 2015, told Space.com, adding that less than 5 percent of the world's 10,000 astronomers participated in the vote.

Such views are shared by many in the public. In 2014, experts at the Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, debated different definitions of a planet. Science historian Owen Gingerich, who chaired the IAU's planet-definition committee, asserted that "planet is a culturally defined word that changes over time." But the audience watching the CfA debate overwhelmingly chose a different participant's definition  one that would have brought Pluto back into the planetary fold.

Alternative classification schemes continue to pop up. A 2017 proposal defined a planet as "a round object in space that's smaller than a star." This would make Pluto a planet again , but it would do the same to the Earth's moon as well as many other moons in the solar system, and bring the total number of officially recognized planets up to 110. A year later, Stern, along with planetary scientist David Grinspoon, wrote an opinion article in The Washington Post arguing that the IAU's definition was "hastily drawn" and "flawed" and that astronomers should reconsider their ideas.

But such pleas have fallen on deaf ears so far, and it seems unlikely the IAU will revisit the controversy any time soon. Astrophysicist Ethan Siegel responded to Stern and Grinspoon in Forbes by writing : "The simple fact is that Pluto was misclassified when it was first discovered; it was never on the same footing as the other eight worlds."

Mike Brown also chimed in. "So, hey, Pluto is still not a planet. Actually, never was. We just misunderstood it for 50 years. Now, we know better. Nostalgia for Pluto is really not a very good planet argument, but that's basically all there is. Now, let's get on with reality," Brown wrote on Twitter, where he has embraced his role in the redefinition with the handle @plutokiller.

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STAMFORD  Three years after being found guilty by a Stamford jury of hiring one of his workers to kill the Greenwich boyfriend of his estranged wife, city millionaire businessman Miguel Juarez has used up every legal avenue to overturn his conviction and will be sent to prison next month.

The state Supreme Court has just issued an order denying Juarezs petition to review the Appellate Court decision in his case and as a result Juarez, 58, will be sent to prison for eight years on April 22.

We are disappointed with the result. We have exhausted all avenues of appeal and the sentence will commence in April, said attorney Robert Bello. It is difficult for my client but he has accepted the final decision and he understands there is no appeal from the final decision by the supreme court.

Bello said Judge Richard Comerford has allowed Juarez a months time to get his affairs in order before he has to turn himself over to the commissioner of corrections and be admitted into the prison system.

the prosecutor in the case James Bernardi said the court made the right decision.

This should send a message that violence is no way to solve marital issues and we are gratified to see the Supreme Court upheld the decision and shortly the defendant will report to court to see that justice is done, said Bernardi, who is now retired.

On Feb. 25, 2016 Juarez was sentenced to 20 years with his sentence to be suspended after spending eight years in prison. He is then required to go on probation for five years, during which time he could be made to serve all or part of his 12-year suspended sentence if he violates his probation.

But the sentence was suspended pending an appeal to the states Appellate Court, which upheld the conviction reached at the Stamford trial presided over by Comerford. Bello and attorney Martin Minella then filed a petition with the Supreme Court for certification for review of that decision, which has just been denied.

Juarez, a millionaire businessman who employs more than 120 people in his five businesses around Stamford, fled his native Guatemala after his father was murdered and came to Stamford while in his 20s. He was facing up to 40 years in jail after being convicted by a jury in April 2015 of conspiracy to commit murder and attempted murder. Juarez owns MJM Stamford Landscaping, MJM Stamford Hardware and MJM Stone Supply.

Bello and Minnella argued that the states star witness in the case, former Juarez employee German Zecena, was so untrustworthy that a jury could not have reasonably believed his testimony and the verdict should be set aside. But Comerford remained unconvinced and ruled that the jury would have the final word in the matter.

Zecena, who ended up spending four years in prison until he was released after testifying in the weeklong trial, was arrested in June 2010 after police learned he was looking for a hitman on behalf of Juarez. Stamford police steered Zecena to an undercover Greenwich police officer who pretended to be someone who promised he could make the hit.

Zecena said he would give the undercover officer $6,000 to kill William Forte and gave him an $80 downpayment along with a dagger to do the job, after showing him Fortes Greenwich home, according to testimony in the case. Police learned that Forte was dating Juarezs wife, Orfilda. Facing the same charges as Juarez, Zecena turned states evidence and told police Juarez ordered him to tail his wife for months and to find someone to kill her lover.

Senior Assistant States Attorney James Bernardi told Comerford that Juarez was driven by a jealous obsession that is old as the Bible and as old as the story of Cain and Abel. Bernardi said if the Stamford police had not acted so quickly, Forte would have been killed.

Bernardi also said Orfilda Juarez was the second victim in this case, because if the plan had gone through, she would have been forever terrorized, by her husband. The two have since divorced.

Comerford also noted at the time of his sentencing that Zecena spent four years in prison because of Juarezs actions.

jnickerson@stamfordadvocate.com
STAMFORD  An unapologetic Marion McGarry, censured by her colleagues on the Board of Representatives for posting hate messages on Facebook, has left the Democratic Party.

McGarry said she changed her registration to unaffiliated Thursday, the day after the Democratic City Committee voted to proceed with a hearing that could have resulted in ousting her from the party.

Democratic Registrar of Voters Ron Malloy confirmed Thursday that McGarry removed her name from the party rolls and re-registered as unaffiliated.

McGarry, 75, who has represented District 12 for 12 years, said she will stay in her seat on the Board of Representatives for the remaining two years of her term.

In her first public statement since the airing of her Facebook posts, which disparage immigrants, Muslims, and even Democrats, McGarry said she has not been afforded due process, the fair treatment to which citizens are entitled.

I have been stalked, abused, lied about, victimized and denigrated, tried and unfairly convicted by the Board of Representatives, the Democratic Party, as well as the media, without due process, McGarry wrote. Because of this, my family and I have been put in harms way, with extra patrols to keep us safe. I have suffered defamation of character and been stripped of my freedom of speech.

Her record, McGarry wrote, shows I have always voted for the people of Stamford  hardly the actions of one who has been so accused of so much. Forty-five years ago I became a Democrat; it was when Democrats stood for God, our country, our flag and our freedom. Today, like so many others, I change my affiliation to independent. My prime commitment will still be to vote on the Board of Representatives for the people of Stamford.

She finished by saying, A moral compass lies in the heart of a person, not in the D or R after their name. God bless you all.

She did not confirm or deny that she posted the Facebook messages.

Josh Fedeli, chairman of the 40-member Democratic City Committee, said members voted Wednesday night to hold a hearing that would have been a preamble to a decision about whether to remove McGarry.

Fedeli said Democrats on the committee wanted there to be due process.

They want her to answer for her posts and public statements, Fedeli said. The biggest question was, Does she want to remain a Democrat?

A hearing would provide a way to get that answer and make a determination, he said.

The Democratic Party would certainly accept her resignation, Fedeli said. We havent heard much of anything from her in terms of a public apology of any kind.

Asked about Fedelis call for an apology, McGarry said, They didnt do their due process. They have no idea if I posted those things or not. They tried and convicted me already.

Rep. Jonathan Jacobson, McGarrys Democratic District 12 colleague, said its disingenuous for her to claim she was not offered due process. On March 12, the Board of Representatives took up a motion to censure McGarry, which came with a chance to speak, Jacobson said. McGarry did not attend.

If she now takes a position that she did not post those statements, she could have said that then, said Jacobson, who led the censure effort. She had an opportunity to take responsibility ... but she stands by her statement and continues to represent residents of this city of all races and religions, including those she targets in her posts.

District 12, which includes downtown and Glenbrook, has a dense, diverse population.

Fedeli said city Democrats also voted Wednesday to condemn, in forceful terms the social media posts.

One showed a photo of Muslim Americans being sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives alongside a photo of the 9/11 terror attacks with the caption, How quick we forget. Another said, Moderate Muslims only exist in the mind of the West, not in Islam.

A third shows a judge ordering an idiot illegal immigrant to leave the country and take your lawnmower with you.

A McGarry spokesman has said she is upset with her partys stance on abortion. In one post she called party members Dem-o-rats. Another said, Overthrow Roe v. Wade and all Democrats for it.

Malloy said the move to oust McGarry is rare in Connecticut, and unprecedented in Stamford. By state law, he, as Democratic registrar, and Fedeli, as head of the city party, have the power to have people struck off the list, Malloy said.

Im uncomfortable with that. I dont want to see the kind of thing where two people make that kind of decision about a person, Malloy said. As long as it was going to be the first time this is happening in Stamford, I felt we should have a process.

He read court cases and consulted with people in the state Legislature, where some want to change the rule, Malloy said.

It should be the party that decides, and I felt a hearing would give the party the chance to do so, Malloy said.

Now McGarry has eliminated the need for a hearing, he said.

The censure by her board did not discipline her or remove any of her authority as a representative.

The boards majority leader, Democrat Rodney Pratt of District 9, said the incident calls for a review of how to handle such incidents.

Pratt said that, as leader, he is bound by Roberts Rules of Order, guidelines designed to ensure maximum fairness within an organization.

According to Roberts Rules, being censured is the end result, not the beginning result, of how to resolve something, Pratt said. Roberts Rules says to try to resolve things internally, and I was in the middle of doing that.

If there is no resolution, it gets bumped up to the next level, which could be the Board of Ethics. That should come before public humiliation and censure, which is what happened in this case, Pratt said. What (McGarry) did was wrong, but I think shes right that there was not due process. There would have been  had everyone followed Roberts Rules.

acarella@stamfordadvocate.com; 203-964-2296.
NEWTOWN  The wife of a Sandy Hook man who took his own life this week said he could not overcome the trauma of losing their daughter, Avielle, in the 2012 elementary school shooting.

Jennifer Hensel, the widow of Jeremy Richman, posted a statement Thursday on a crowdfunding site saying the nonprofit the couple founded to honor their daughter would now also honor him.

The work of the Avielle Foundation is meaningful, Hansel wrote on a GoFundMe page about the nonprofit, which supports research about the roots of violence in the brain. Now we also honor Jeremy through the continued work of our foundation.

Richmans suicide, which has been in national headlines all week, is raising awareness about the depths of grief-based trauma  particularly trauma that is complicated by a mass tragedy such as the one in Sandy Hook, where 26 first-graders and educators were slain.

Richmans death follows the suicides of two teenagers who survived the Parkland, Fla. shooting where 17 high school students and staff were killed last year.

Richman, a 49-year-old neuropharamacologist, understood as much as anyone the relationship between brain science and behavioral health.

Yet on Monday morning he walked into the old Edmond Town Hall where his foundation has an office and killed himself.

[M]y champion and the love of my life is the person who had every tool in the toolbox at his disposal, Hansel wrote on Go Fund Me, where supporters had donated nearly half of the $30,000 goal in 24 hours. He succumbed to the grief that he could not escape.

Hansel expressed gratitude for the hope and the joy that returned to their lives after 2012 with the birth of their daughter Imogen, now 4, and Owen, 2, calling them a true reflection of Jeremy and me.

She shared it was heartbreaking to think about raising them alone.

To parent our children without my champion shatters my heart and I will love my best friend forever, she said.

rryser@newstimes.com 203-731-3342
LOS ANGELES, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Schall Law Firm , a national shareholder rights litigation firm, announces the filing of a class action lawsuit against Wirecard AG (Wirecard or the Company) (OTC: WCAGY , WRCDF ) for violations of 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.



Investors who purchased the Company's shares between April 7, 2016 and February 1, 2019, inclusive (the ''Class Period''), are encouraged to contact the firm before April 9, 2019.

If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate .

We also encourage you to contact Brian Schall, or Sherin Mahdavian, of the Schall Law Firm, 1880 Century Park East, Suite 404, Los Angeles, CA 90067, at 424-303-1964, to discuss your rights free of charge. You can also reach us through the firm's website at www.schallfirm.com , or by email at brian@schallfirm.com .

The class, in this case, has not yet been certified, and until certification occurs, you are not represented by an attorney. If you choose to take no action, you can remain an absent class member.

According to the Complaint, the Company made false and misleading statements to the market. A senior Wirecard executive located in Singapore was accused of backdating contracts and other acts of forgery including falsifying accounts and money laundering, throughout the time period of 2015 to 2018. When the Company hired an external law firm to investigate the Singapore office, it reported serious offences of forgery and/or of falsification of accounts. Wirecard denied material weakness in its internal controls and failed to disclose the true weakness of its financial reporting controls to investors. Based on these facts, the Companys public statements were false and materially misleading throughout the class period. When the market learned the truth about Wirecard, investors suffered damages.

Join the case to recover your losses.

The Schall Law Firm represents investors around the world and specializes in securities class action lawsuits and shareholder rights litigation.

This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and rules of ethics.

CONTACT:

The Schall Law Firm

Brian Schall, Esq.,

Sherin Mahdavian, Esq.,

www.schallfirm.com

Office: 310-301-3335

Cell: 424-303-1964

info@schallfirm.com

SOURCE:

The Schall Law Firm
President Donald Trump says he is backing off a budget request to cut funding for the Special Olympics after days of criticism.



Trump told reporters at the White House Thursday, "I've overridden my people for funding the Special Olympics."
LONDON - The gods heard Theresa May's offer to fling herself into the volcano to save Brexit, and shrugged.

Naysayers are still denying the British prime minister her exit plan. No one can say what it will take to close this deal - or what will happen to May, who promised to resign, sometime in the future, if the deal is approved.

Britain was supposed to be leaving the European Union on Friday. May promised it would happen more than 100 times. That it will not represents one of the great stumbles of any government in postwar Britain.

Instead of Brexiteers celebrating independence day, lawmakers will be debating May's Brexit deal, again.

But not her total plan - no, only the 585-page withdrawal agreement. That's the part of the treaty that spells out, in a legally binding way, how much Britain will pay to leave the European Union ($50 billion), how the two-year transition will preserve the status quo for trade and travel (no change), and how Britain and the European Union will treat each other's citizens in the interim (nobody gets kicked out of anybody's country).

The withdrawal agreement also includes the controversial "Irish backstop," an ironclad guarantee to preserve the open, invisible border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland - with trade-offs that have been a stopping point in the past.

Parliament will not vote Friday on the second part of the treaty, the political declaration, which sets out the aspirations for the future relationship on trade, security and borders.

The hope, from Team May, is that the withdrawal agreement on its own will win over more votes than the overall agreement.

In a sign of how Brexit maneuvering doesn't tend to get very far, earlier the thought had been that the political declaration was needed to sweeten the withdrawal deal.

Will this new play work any better? The May government is deeply into its improv stage. The government now lives vote by vote - and Friday it is again playing for time.

If Parliament approves a withdrawal agreement by the end of the week, then the European Union is expected to extend the Brexit deadline from April 12 to May 22. But Parliament needs to approve both the withdrawal agreement and the political declaration if it wants to avoid crashing out of the European Union without any transition period.

Meanwhile, protesters demanding a just-get-on-with-it Brexit have been marching toward the capital this week, under a "Leave Means Leave" banner unfurled by the arch-Brexiteer, radio personality and President Donald Trump friend Nigel Farage - who has mostly begged off on the marching-in-the-rain bit. These folks at one point numbered a few dozen. That's compared with the hundreds of thousands that came out to call for a second referendum on Brexit last Saturday.

There have now been a series of "meaningful votes" and "indicative votes," but Parliament has twice refused to pass May's withdrawal agreement. On Wednesday, the House of Commons could not muster a simple majority for any of its own eight Brexit proposals.

The very same Parliament members are threatening another go at it Monday. It is possible they will narrow down the options to a mere handful, seeking to know whether the House of Commons might go for a second Brexit referendum or back a "softer" Brexit, say along the lines of Norway's half-in, half-out arrangements with the EU.

Good luck with that - the votes are nonbinding and could be ignored by the government, as cabinet ministers have warned.

EU leaders advise that the withdrawal agreement is not open for more negotiation. It is what it is.

A European Commission spokesman tweeted Thursday: "@EU_Commission takes note of the indicative votes in @HouseofCommons last night. This is part of an ongoing political process in the #UK, which we fully respect. We counted 8 'noes' last night. Now we need a 'yes' on the way forward."

Charles Grant, director of the Center for European Reform in London, spent the past few days watching this endless second-act drama - all buildup, no denouement - from Brussels.

In a tweet, Grant reported the Europeans "think the chances of no deal are high, because they don't trust the U.K. political class not to screw up."

On Thursday, former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab - who might be a contender for May's job - said he still believed it is possible to get concessions from Brussels on the withdrawal deal. If not? Raab suggested "sensible conversations" about leaving with no deal.

Many in Britain were still chewing over May's "back me then sack me" move, which prompted several Conservatives - some of whom covet May's job - to signal they would finally, finally be ready to support May's Brexit deal. But that swing didn't appear to be enough.

The Democratic Unionists, the small Northern Irish party that props up May's government and who May is desperate to get on her side, made it clear their problem is not one of personnel. They won't be voting for the agreement.

"We will continue to do what we can to get the best deal for Northern Ireland," the party's deputy leader, Nigel Dodds, told the BBC.

Even though May offered no exit date, there is already intense interest in who might replace her.

Trump weighed in Thursday, wishing "the Brexit movement" well and commending May. "She's strong, she's tough and she's in there fighting," he said.

Asked about May rival and former foreign secretary Boris Johnson as a possible future leader, Trump replied: "I like Boris Johnson a lot. He's a friend of mine."

Broadcasters on Thursday were camped outside of the homes of prominent Conservative politicians, such as Environment Secretary Michael Gove and Home Secretary Sajid Javid.

Nigel Evans, a Conservative member of Parliament, seemed to sum up the mood of the nation when he told the BBC: "All we know about tomorrow is it's called Friday."
B usiness leaders made a fresh plea to end the Westminster farce over Brexit on Thursday in the wake of Theresa Mays dramatic decision to step down as Prime Minister.

The intervention came just two weeks before the UK leaves the EU on April 12 unless MPs vote for Theresa Mays withdrawal agreement.

May has pledged to go if the deal is backed in a third meaningful vote, but its passage still looks doubtful and MPs are unable to agree on alternatives.

A clutch of senior executives called on politicians to resolve the impasse with a no-deal still technically possible in 15 days time, and bring to an end a spell of damaging uncertainty for the UK.

Annette King, the chief executive of advertising giant Publicis, said: Its no longer about May. Business wants what business has wanted all along; a greater degree of certainty.

Youngs pubs boss Patrick Dardis slated the incredible shenanigans in the House of Commons. He said: What a farce. Changing the PM is not what is required at the moment, even though she has shown very poor leadership in this time of need.

Paul Eagland, boss of accountant BDO, said: This is a Gordian knot and we need somebody to come along and cut it and move on, but so far I havent seen any obvious leadership candidates.

Catherine McGuinness, chair of the City of London Corporations policy and resources committee, said it was a matter for the Conservative party who they want to lead them, but echoed the concerns over lingering uncertainty.

We need our MPs to find a way forward before we slip into a no-deal Brexit which no one wants by accident because of their inability to find a compromise, she added.

Several bosses called on MPs to back Mays deal to avoid crashing out.

Passion Capitals co-founder Eileen Burbidge said: We need some decisiveness, anything is better than a no-deal.

Housebuilder Bellways boss Jason Honeyman also called for a managed and controlled exit on May 22 to offer the best chance for longer term stability, while Funding Circles Samir Desai said: I think they should have a vote in Parliament for Theresa Mays deal but with the amendment that it has to go to a Peoples Vote.

"I reckon shed get it through the House, then a few months down the line we have another referendum and then we have an answer. A decision. Otherwise, were just drifting and theres yet more uncertainty.

But business leaders are as split as MPs on the way forward, with Shaftesburys Brian Bickell calling for a second referendum, and hedge funder Crispin Odey saying a general election was the most likely outcome, saying: Youve got to go for a new parliament.

Brexiteer Theo Paphitis said he would rather stay in than leave under Mays deal.
T he European Union was today accused of acting like a 'banana republic' over proposals to ban oxo-biodegradable products because of fears they generate micro-plastics.

Michael Stephen, chairman of the Oxo-Biodegradable Plastics Association, claimed the EU is acting in an outrageous manner without any scientific evidence" if it goes ahead with plans to ban certain chemical additives which help break down plastics within months rather than decades.

The European Parliament is due to vote imminently on a draft directive which includes measures to ban what it describes as 'oxo-degradable' plastics - but not all plastics. If it goes ahead, the rules will become law next month.

Stephen, who is also deputy chairman of Symphony Environmental which makes the oxo-biodegradable additives, says the draft Directive contains clauses which are not founded on scientific evidence, and constitutes a complete failure to comply with the European Unions own legal procedures." If the ban goes ahead, the OPA is threatening to take the EU to the European Court of Justice.

He says: The EU is acting like a banana republic in the way it is rushing through this ban and not waiting for the outcome of its own scientific investigation. There is no scientific evidence to show that our technology generates micro-plastics. Sadly, there is a fundamental misunderstanding of the science involved.

Aim-listed Symphony has created a chemical catalyst which, when added to plastics, promotes oxidation so that the material can be safely consumed by microorganisms and biodegrades within months.

The OPA claims the EU is rushing to ban the technology - which is used around the world - without even waiting for the advice of the European Chemicals Agency - ECHA- which is due to report in July. Yet ECHA informed Symphony last year that it had found no evidence to support fears that its technology generates micro-plastics.

The OPA and Symphony are represented by Miriam Gonzalez Durantez, of lawyers Cohen & Gresser, who has lodged a formal complaint to the EUs Ombudsman, alleging the EU is in breach of a "serious maladministration".

Durantez, the wife of Sir Nick Clegg, adds the proposed ban is unfair, discriminatory and a clear abuse of power, that deprives not only my client, but European society at large from their right to fair treatment by the EU institutions.
NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES

OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sabina Gold & Silver Corp (the Company) (SBB  TSX) is pleased to announce that it has arranged a non-brokered private placement (the Financing) pursuant to which it will sell 3,162,419 million flow through common shares (the Flow-Through Common Shares) at a price of $1.55 per share to raise gross proceeds of $4,901,750. The proceeds from the sale of the Flow-Through Common Shares will be used for exploration on the Companys Back River project.

This financing enables us to use flow-through dollars for exploration rather than dollars allocated for continued development activities at Back River, said Bruce McLeod, President & CEO. This financing will fund an 8,000 meter drill program at Back River this spring to follow up on successes from 2018. Crews are currently mobilizing and camp is opening in preparation for the start of drilling.

The Financing is scheduled to close on or about April 4, 2019 and is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals, including the approval of the Toronto Stock Exchange. The total gross proceeds from the Financing must be used to incur Canadian exploration expenditures as defined by the Income Tax Act (Canada) by December 31, 2020.

SABINA GOLD & SILVER CORP.

Sabina Gold & Silver Corp. is well-financed and is an emerging precious metals company with district scale, advanced, high grade gold assets in one of the worlds newest, politically stable mining jurisdictions: Nunavut, Canada.

Sabina released a Feasibility Study on its 100% owned Back River Gold Project which presents a project that has been designed on a fit-for purpose basis, with the potential to produce ~200,000 ounces a year for ~11 years with a rapid payback of 2.9 years (see Technical Report for the Initial Project Feasibility Study on the Back River Gold Property, Nunavut, Canada dated October 28, 2015).

The Project received its final Project Certificate on December 19, 2017. The Project received its Type A Water License on November 14, 2018 and is now in receipt of all major authorizations for construction and operations.

In addition to Back River, Sabina also owns a significant silver royalty on Glencores Hackett River Project. The silver royalty on Hackett Rivers silver production is comprised of 22.5% of the first 190 million ounces produced and 12.5% of all silver produced thereafter.

The Company had approximately C$50.4 million in cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments as at December 31, 2018.

For further information please contact: Nicole Hoeller, Vice-President, Communications: 1 888 648-4218 nhoeller@sabinagoldsilver.com
T hat's clear, then. Really, it is. Ignore the acres of lazy commentary about chaos in the Commons. Yesterday resolved a number of key questions about Brexit and British politics.

First, Theresa May has resigned. True to her short and undistinguished premiership, she delivered her message to her party not the country, and she couldnt quite bring herself to spit it out in clear English  she merely acknowledged the near-universal scream for what she called new leadership.

But theres no doubt now. Shell be out by the summer.

If her deal passes, she wants her swansong to be her appearance at the G20 in Japan in late June.

There are echoes of David Camerons plan in the summer of 2016 for a leisurely departure, waiting until after an autumn G20 summit in China. As it was, he was hustled out in just a fortnight.

If Mrs May loses the vote on her deal (or doesnt hold it) then she will be gone very quickly. You cant say: If I succeed, Ill go; but if I fail, Ill stay.

There will be crocodile tears from the Cabinet and MPs but almost all will be glad to see her gone.

The looming car crash for the Conservative Party is this: the leadership contest now under way will only select someone who draws the same undeliverable red lines as she did, but it cannot change the parliamentary arithmetic that defeated her.

The second thing that has become clear is that Mrs Mays sacrifice is still not enough to save her deal.

We explained last week that even if leading Brexiteers, and the DUP, do a U-turn, it wouldnt be enough. But yesterday there was still the usual flurry of excitement from the usual excitable commentators that her act of self-immolation had saved the day.

Ever anxious about missing the boat, Boris Johnson panicked. The man who resigned from the Cabinet over the deal, then spent months denouncing the slave state it would create, joined Jacob Rees-Mogg in a Mao-style public recantation.

His political stalker Dominic Raab has not, yet. The ERGs deputy leader, Steve Baker, went further and said hed rather resign from the Tory Party than vote for her deal.

Mr Johnson must have woken up today with the words of Homer Simpson on his lips: Doh! For he knows, as hes been saying privately, that the deal is dead  and he exposed the truth that he didnt have a big enough following to resurrect it.

The third thing that became clear yesterday is that there is a way forward on Brexit.

You wouldnt guess that from the screaming headlines about how MPs voted no, no, no to all the options put before them. That was always predicted, not least by the MP who organised them, Oliver Letwin.

But the results for the different options were very different. A no-deal Brexit, the Malthouse compromise and a straight Norway option were all heavily defeated.

But permanent membership of the customs union  a policy the Evening Standard has advocated for two years  was only eight votes short of commanding a majority.

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The Cabinet abstained in the votes. The only way they can stay united now is if they dont express an opinion.

If they had been allowed to vote, as they will eventually, and others who abstained had taken part, then there would have been a majority for staying in the customs union.

But the bigger surprise yesterday was how close the vote was for the idea, proposed by former foreign secretary Margaret Beckett, for a confirmatory referendum on any deal to leave the EU.

It was close because former recalcitrant Jeremy Corbyn whipped the Labour Party in support, a sign that the million marchers last Saturday are having an impact.

What conclusions can we draw from all of this?

If the deal cant pass, if the Tory Party is about to have a leadership contest, if MPs are looking to a customs union, and if either a referendum and/or a general election is a real possibility, then Brexit is heading for a long delay.

Thats clear, then.

TODO: define component type apester

Saving London lives

The money will be given to local groups who offer support to vulnerable young people.
T he Prime Minister has announced she is departing, and the Conservative Party has a generation-defining decision to make. Brexit has consumed, divided, obfuscated and polarised this nation for nearly three years now, and we are tantalisingly close to completing ... just the first phase, Im afraid.

The country has had enough and wants a change in direction and the Conservative Party must now decide who is going to be that change. Given the scale of the challenges that the party now faces, as the issue of Europe eats up another of our prime ministers, one could say that the survival of our entire movement is at stake.

The party must decide whether it can meet the challenges presented by the changing of the guard in politics. The old rules that used to govern politics have been blown away, most obviously displayed in the rise of characters such as Jeremy Corbyn and Donald Trump. Politics is not ours  it belongs to the British people: they want change, and we must deliver it. The risks of our failure to do so are stark, and you only have to look at the opposition front bench to see this.

So how? Well for a long time now, and after speaking at more than 150 Conservative Associations and knocking on thousands of doors across this country, I have thought, yes, Europe is a defining issue for some, but it should not be the defining issue for a modern, compassionate Conservative Party. There are millions of people in Britain crying out to be inspired by a centre to centre-Right political movement that defines the future, instead of being defined by its past.

Its exciting. Its a huge opportunity. There are choices to be made. Candidates will come forward and offer their views. He or she must be a Brexiteer they say; He or she must have served in the Cabinet  or even better, He or she must have come up through the party.

It wont surprise you that I totally disagree. More importantly, the nation disagrees. The process of Brexit has stripped bare the abilities of the career politician to meet and understand the challenges posed by a country that voted to leave the European Union, but was in fact giving its verdict on a Westminster that they thought had no idea, let alone cared, about what it was like to walk in their shoes. Its time for genuine, authentic change.

Ive made clear my desire to see the process of the Tory party choosing a new leader expanded, in the hope that we get a better result from a wider field of candidates. MPs who are too often deaf to the political tide in the country should select four candidates to present to the party membership, instead of two, as is currently the case.

Why? Simple. If its two, Brexit will again define the debate, yet the country wants a leader who is not going to be defined by that one issue. It will force candidates to lay out what a modern Conservatism that can invigorate our movement truly is  beyond Brexit.

The candidates must try to rebuild not a party but a movement. Its time for pride in being in a member of the Tory party to be restored. It needs to be a movement young people want to be part of, one that is characterised by everything aspirational and hopeful about being a young person in a modern Britain; one that our volunteers and activists  without whom we are nothing  are proud to be the bedrock of and will be advocates for.

"We need to be a movement characterised by everything aspirational about being young in modern Britain"

A post-Brexit Britain represents a huge opportunity to rebalance the economy. There is something fundamentally wrong with our movement when people in this country genuinely think that instead of being on the side of small business owners, who are taking risks and employing people up and down this country, we are instead seen to be on the side of the big corporations who can employ expensive tax lawyers to reduce their taxation to almost nothing, while enjoying the ear of the Chancellor, just a phone call away.

There is something wrong in a country that is taking more children into care than at any time in its history. Im constantly told how all the figures are improving  jobs, wealth, income inequality, health. And yet, as I walk from Victoria station to Westminster every week, I see more and more people homeless than ever before. Yes, the country has changed since the Conservatives have been in power. But who has it really changed for?

So the candidates have plenty to get stuck into beyond Brexit. It will be a very visceral struggle for the agenda  a generation-defining struggle for a party that has struggled to modernise throughout its existence but must now urgently do so if it is to serve a country and a society changing faster than at any stage it its history.

A third of millennials will now live until they are 100; most of us will work into our 80s. The NHS, social care and the military require fundamental reform. Someone will be brave enough to speak to those challenges  I have no doubt. The question is: will the Conservative Party be brave enough to listen?

Will it see this process as an internal issue to be decided in the corridors and tea rooms of Westminster, appealing ever more strongly to our core vote, or is it an opportunity to speak to the millions of younger, aspirational but currently disenfranchised voters who feel little option but to look at an increasingly desperate Jeremy Corbyn for authenticity in politics.

Will they look to manage their party  or inspire a nation?
E ighty years after the beginning of the Second World War , the irregular warfare of the resistance continues to fascinate historians. In particular, the work of women in a field fraught with the likelihood of arrest, torture and death has captured the peacetime imagination. While the names and fates of some are well known, others are less familiar: the service of

US-born Virginia Hall in the British Special Operations Executive and the American Office of Strategic Services is unmentioned in M R D Foots 1978 history of the brilliantly diverse skein of resistance. But Halls biographer, Sonia Purnell, describes her activity as a Homeric tale of adventure, action and seemingly unfathomable courage.

Hall emerges in Purnells account as a strong-minded woman, with a restless energy for which she found little satisfactory outlet in peacetime. She was born in 1906 to a once-prosperous Baltimore family. Her mother Barbara intended that she should marry well, but having become engaged at the age of 19, Virginia abandoned her fiance to study languages in Paris and Vienna, before working as a clerk in the American Embassy in Warsaw.

Frustrated by a lack of promotion, she moved to Izmir, in Turkey, where she accidentally shot herself in the foot while snipe shooting. The injury became infected and her left leg was amputated below the knee. Equipped with a prosthetic wooden leg, which she named Cuthbert, Virginia continued an active life, and on the outbreak of war she volunteered as an ambulance driver with the French Service de Sante des Armees.

A chance meeting with an undercover British agent furnished her with the phone number of Nicolas Bodington, a senior officer in the fledgling SOE. Purnell observes: Dispatching a one-legged thirty-five-year-old desk clerk on a blind mission into France was, on paper, an almost insane gamble but Virginia duly travelled there in 1941, claiming to be a journalist for the New York Post. Soon after her arrival, a dozen SOE agents were arrested in Lyon, leaving her almost the sole agent in Vichy France.

Her distinctive appearance (she was known as la dame qui boite, or the limping lady); her success in planning spectacular operations such as the escape from prison of 12 arrested agents; and the infiltration of her network by double agent Robert Alesch  a priest later tried and executed for collaboration  placed Virginia in mortal danger. In 1943 she escaped to London, via a precipitous passage over the snowbound Pyrenees. She had survived longer in the field than any other agent and wanted only to return to duty. Her wish was denied. Frustrated by a series of desk jobs, she returned to France with the OSS until the liberation. But if peacetime brought an end to the jeopardy and strain of the past four years, it came with its own problems.

Undercover: Les Marguerites Fleuriront ce Soir by Jeffrey W Bass, which depicts Virginia Hall radioing London in Vichy France / Jeffrey W. Bass

Having settled in the US with her former resistance colleague and future husband Paul Goillot, Virginia found finding work was anything but easy, especially for a disabled woman. She was offered an administrative job with the CIA, but despite her experience and decorations for gallantry (Croix de Guerre, DSC, honorary MBE), she was sidelined. Valour, Purnell remarks, rarely reaps the dividends it should. Retiring to the country, she and Paul grew vegetables and kept poodles. She died in 1982, aged 76.

Purnell reflects: The fact that a female guerrilla leader of [Virginias] stature remains so little known is incredible... Yet that is perhaps how Virginia would have wanted it. She operated in the shadows, where she was happiest. While Purnells extensive research brings the facts of Virginias life into brilliant focus, her subjects reticent and self-contained character remains elusive. Perhaps that too is what she would have wanted.
F ollowing the French Jacobins, Russian Bolsheviks sought to inter-nationalise their road to revolution, but neither movement was as successful as Chinas Maoists in going global. This is not a well-known story because it does not fit the peaceful, win-win rise which Chinas contemporary leaders are pursuing, in which power comes from trillions in low-interest loans and vast infrastructure projects rather than from the barrel of Maos gun.

The Chinese Communist insistence on absolute party discipline, anti-imperialism, and guerrilla warfare in the countryside, had an enormous appeal to those seeking to overthrow colonial regimes in the post-war period. It also caught the imaginations of those in the West who  in the abstract  fancied a perpetual revolution in which, as the older Mao himself did in the Cultural Revolution, they tore down what had been built just for the hell of it.

Julia Lovells title may suggest a dry political science tract but there is not a dull sentence in this scintillating and wry account of the global impact of Maoism.

In 1936, long before Mao Zedong was much more than a Communist military commander in a remote redoubt in Yanan, a fashionable but gullible American reporter called Edgar Snow was chosen to help boost Maos authority in the party, and to sell him to the wider world. Snows background was in advertising, after all.

His bestseller Red Star Over China was dictated and then vetted by its subject, who spent most of their interviews extracting lice from his pubic hair. Snows breathless account is an improbable vision of happy comrades who in reality were taken out of their caves and shot if they disagreed with Mao and more senior Communist leaders.

In a classic case of how misleading reportage can be, Snow failed to notice he was the only person in Yanan to gain weight, from food that the Communists organised for their illustrious foreign visitor, while every-one else (other than Mao) ate rice.

Snow was a shrewd investment, since revolutionaries the world over would adopt the simple maxims which Mao added to the more complex canon of Marxist-Leninism. Gnomic utterances like political power grows out of the barrel of a gun had a wider resonance than the labour theory of value.

Lovell colourfully depicts the grim results, from Southern Rhodesia and Tanzania, via Vietnam and Cambodia, to Nepal and Peru. At a time when 40 million Chinese were being starved to death in the Great Leap Forward, Mao and Zhou Enlai spared no expense in hosting Third World enthusiasts to whom they dispensed advice, loans and armaments in prodigious quantities.

A dedicated apparatus, the Inter-national Liaison Office, the Nanjing Military Academy, a Friendship Hotel for foreigners, Radio Peking  which broadcast even in obscure Amerindian dialects  and mountains of glossy magazines flooded target countries with the materials for Maoist revolution.

In Indonesia, the pro-Chinese Communists botched a coup in 1965 against President Sukarno, which resulted in half a million of their suspected sympathisers being slain by Suhartos counter-revolutionary army, followed by a corrupt dictatorship that lasted 31 years until 1998.

Cambodia became a hellish laboratory for Maoist Year Zero theories, which under Maos clients Ieng Sary and Pol Pot resulted in the deaths of two million people, often under the axes of child killers. Older experts were eliminated, leaving black-shirted juveniles running oil refineries or flying planes.

In Peru, an Andean democracy with a mainly urbanised population, a minor Maoist professor called Abimael Gonzalo Guzman led his Shining Path movement into a dirty guerrilla war, the majority of whose 70,000 victims were Amerindian peasants. You still some-times see his face stencilled on London walls by persons unknown.

These peripheral struggles to implement Maoism continued long after China itself had diluted Maoism in favour of the combination of authoritarianism and turbo-capitalism that has made it a global force today. But sympathy for the embalmed Great Helmsman has not disappeared, for there is an angry and voluble Maoist lobby in China today. The Macbeth-like party boss of Chongqing, Bo Xilai, tried to mobilise such support, only to be cut down by Chinas current leader Xi Jinping.

President Xis own family felt the full malignancy of Maoism, and the teenage Xi was ejected from an elite Zhongnanhai school to labour in the boondocks. Yet he has assumed many of the symbols and titles of one-man rule, mixing it with turbo-capitalism and a rediscovery of Confucian moralism.

Controlled glimmers of Mao are essential if the Communist Party is to celebrate its centenary in 2024, and the nation he forged its first 100 years in 2049. But the China dream Xi wishes to export wont be anything like the chaotic and sanguinary original, but based on buying a port here, a corporation there, and an avalanche of cheap money.
W hen Michael Jackson died in 2009 Paul Morley had an interesting thought. I thought about myself, he tells us. I thought what the hell am I going to say, when someone asks, as they surely will, very soon, what my opinion is about Michael Jackson? So Morley waited for the phone to ring. Did I have an opinion? I wasnt sure, he tells us.

Of course, he had hundreds of opinions, possibly thousands, and this book is an account of those opinions as they rushed into his mind while he waited for the phone to ring. What he didnt have was the sort of soundbite-friendly opinion that would be expected of him. He couldnt sum up Michael Jackson in, say, one or two minutes. Jackson had been a huge phenomenon, certainly, but also, in many ways, pitiful, unbelievably pathetic, embarrassing, and even obnoxious and deeply creepy.

This book, which I loved, which I whizzed through, and which left my mind buzzing with ideas, is about Michael Jackson, but its also about what will happen to Michael Jackson in the future. Its about the process we go through when we decide what to think of a famous person.

The recent documentary about Jacksons alleged child abuse , which aired after this book was written, only serves to endorse Morleys point. When we think of Jackson now, we think of him as an abuser. In fact, weve known this for decades. But somehow, other stories about him muddied the waters of the collective memory.

So Jackson has been the child star, the moonwalker, the abuser, the victim of surgery, the shattered, self-piteous, fallen idol. And now, in death, people are still arguing about his reputation. Morley tells us about his history. The dreadful father who bullied him. His early life in a Motown family act. The fact that, when he watched cartoons on TV, some of them were about himself. The way he emerged as the talented one. A quiet few years, in his later teens, when he was just an ordinary pop star.

But then something happened. He got together with Quincy Jones, the uber-producer, and created a series of albums  Off the Wall, Thriller, and Bad  which made him the best-selling solo artist in the world. He provided his voluptuous narcissism and the scorched, lithe craving of an insecure outsider for love and attention; Jones provided his technical expertise. They were both perfectionists. Morley explains this process, how pop music gets made, superbly well.

Height of his fame: Michael Jackson performing in Brunei in 1996 / AFP/Getty Images

Ultimately, he tells us, it is the dark, afflicted side of him that actually seemed to eat into his face and mind ... that fascinates me more than the music. He wonders about the rumours. Did the tip of his nose actually fall off, to be stood on by a member of his dance troupe who thought he had stood on a snail. In the end, the seediness of his death seemed inevitable. The afterlife continues.
S hakira Martin, the 31-year-old president of the National Union of Students, is so angry with Jeremy Corbyn, her voice shakes.

She actually and personally campaigned with the Labour leader before the EU referendum in 2016, she says. He knows me. He knows my name. She voted for him in two leadership contests and the 2017 General Election. She pledged her allegiance to him and spread his message among the seven million students who make up her confederation. She persuaded friends to vote for him, too, which wasnt hard because I loved this man, she says. He was a role model, an idol almost. Now? I wouldnt wave at him. I wouldnt even say hes an ally. He has broken her heart. He lied to me.

Martin, like many who felt a betrayal of trust over Labours handling of Brexit, didnt initially speak out. I didnt feel confident saying anything. She wandered around Labours conference in Liverpool last September thinking it was an absolute joke. For her, the spirit of Corbynmania had died. What surprises her now is how many other young people feel the same; a sentiment echoed during more than a dozen interviews for this piece.

Corbyn is happy to facilitate what he knows young members dont want, but hes not been honest about it

Remember, it was politicised young people  hundreds and thousands of them  who carried Corbyn, a now 69-year-old, beige-jacket-wearing vegetarian, to leadership victory. They swelled the partys membership from 200,000 to more than half-a-million by 2016. This army of millennial socialists was forged in the fallout of the recession a decade ago, which left many young people with a dire economic inheritance. They were the corps of the 42,000-strong grassroots organisation Momentum. He may seem an unlikely hero of a youth movement, but his campaign learned a lot from Bernie Sanders, the US Democrat with socialist politics and an army of young supporters coming up with slogans like #FeelTheBern.

With its message of a kinder, gentler politics, a benign economy and a fairer society, Corbyns moral socialism galvanised a generation otherwise mistrustful of politicians. In doing so they contributed to the greatest surge in the Labour vote in 2017 since 1945. Despite being led by an elderly man with old-fashioned left-wing policies, Labour was suddenly perceived as fresh, populist and modern. (Nowhere was this better crystallised than in the fields of Glastonbury that year, where his name was chanted as an anthem.) Using social media, these new young supporters revolutionised Labours election campaign. This was not the work of Corbyn, or his shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, or Jon Lansman, co-founder and chair of Momentum, but the digital natives they had inspired to work for them.

So why are the young falling out of love with Jeremy Corbyn?

At first glance: Brexit. Labours membership is overwhelmingly Remain  88 per cent according to YouGov polls  and the partys confusing policy on leaving the EU has resulted in a dramatic drop in confidence among 18- to 34-year-olds. According to an Opinium poll, their approval of how Corbyn is handling the issue has dropped 27 percentage points since last July. While Corbyn says he officially backed Remain in the referendum, he was always Eurosceptic. Footage recently emerged of him in 2009 describing Europe as a military Frankenstein. Tariq Ali, a friend since the Seventies, told a reporter in spring 2016: Jeremy is completely opposed to the EU. Even during the campaign, Corbyn described his passion for the EU as a damp seven, or seven and a half, out of 10.

At the heart of Labours civil war over Brexit is the explosive question of whether and when to support another referendum or peoples vote. Most young members and supporters back a second referendum. They were frustrated when, at Labours 2018 conference, a motion opening the possibility was passed, but only as a last resort.

Today, policy depends on who is speaking. Labour has either arrived at a historic point of backing a second referendum thanks to figures such as Sir Keir Starmer, shadow Brexit Secretary  or is only doing so as an empty gesture before swinging back to Brexit. Corbyn himself is seen as the hostage of the four Brexit-supporting Ms: Len McCluskey (Unite union boss), Seumas Milne (Corbyns comms director), Andrew Murray (his political adviser) and Karie Murphy (his chief of staff).

No one actually thinks Corbyn is cool  there are pictures of him with massive marrows. But that is why its funny. Its Corbo-irony

Shakira Martin believes that Corbyn was hoodwinking Remain supporters all along. The stupid thing is, she adds, I believed in Jeremy Corbyn so much that if hed have given me a reasonable enough explanation two years ago as to why leaving the EU was beneficial, then he potentially couldve swung me. But he didnt.

Its precisely this intransigence that has drawn many members to groups like For Our Futures Sake (known as FFS, one of the youth movements for the Peoples Vote campaign), Another Europe is Possible, and Led by Donkeys, the guerrilla activists who expose the hypocrisy of politicians by pasting their quotes on billboards around London.

Richard Brooks, 26, co-founder of FFS, believes Corbyn triangulated on Brexit  which to activists of his generation is emotive because that strategy of casting policy to appeal both to right and left is so associated with Tony Blair. Brooks says this damages Corbyns greatest asset: his authenticity. Corbyn is happy to facilitate what he knows young members dont want, but hes not been honest about it.

Many, like Rosie McKenna, 24, who works as a policy co-ordinator for a charity, believes Corbyn to be a secret Lexiter (a Labour or left-wing Brexiteer). As a proud socialist, McKenna believed in Corbyns vision when she joined the party in 2015. She stayed loyal, despite her disappointment with his lacklustre backing of Remain. But this year Ive become very frustrated, she says. Some of that is to do with Brexit, some with anti-Semitism.

But there is another issue. Corbyn promised her generation  young people born into an era of self-empowerment  a say in the political process. When I voted for him, I was voting for a new kind of politics where our politicians listened to the grassroots membership, she says. Right now he is going with his own opinions, not the grassroots, which is the opposite of the platform he stood on.

How damaging is this for Labour? Very, says McKenna. She says many friends are leaving Labour  good principled activists [who] dont feel they can any longer be part of what should be the biggest party in the UK. When it comes to the next General Election, people will say: Corbyn might say all the right things, but when you look at his actions, does he do them?

Other members have similar concerns about how this millennial malaise might translate at the ballot box. Interviewed over beer, Jonathan, 24, agreed with Michael Mackenzie, 23, that if a snap election was called, Jeremy Corbyn would take a hammering. Labour would be stuffed. This is a shame, Mackenzie says, because he joined Labour precisely because he saw Corbyn as someone who represented a change from the really stagnant politics of the past.

The other unsettling issue for Labour has been, of course, the crisis over anti-Semitism. Whether founded or not, there is a sense that, although not racist, Corbyn is too willing to tolerate those with warped views. Jacob Armstrong, 23, says that it exposes large flaws in the partys discipline mechanisms, which have not been expanded since the massive influx of members and have great weakness for factional misuse. Armstrong wont leave the party  he believes its a socialists duty to stay and fight  but feels more despondent about it than when he joined aged 17.

"Life is going to be pretty tough until you get to the election, then its going to start to get fun"

What has been surprising is the extent to which Momentum has avoided the whole Brexit row. One Labour commentator put its silence down to a dual loyalty to both EU-supporting members and Corbyn. It hasnt been their policy to call for a second referendum because they want to stay on board with the leadership.'

That doesnt mean Momentum activists dont have their own frustrations with the Labour leadership. Some fear the policy isnt radical enough and would like to see more dramatic policies on climate change, housing, education and justice as well as perhaps devising a Green New Deal along the lines of that offered by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the American Democrat (which was voted down in the Senate this week after strong opposition from Republicans). They feel Labour could go further, and hope that in future it will find its own version of Ocasio-Cortez.

To many young supporters, Corbyn is a figurehead, a spiritual guide. A Momentum source says the press never quite grasped the fact that there was humour in this. Its irony that is really particular to my generation. Stuff like the jumpers with the Nike tick. No one actually thinks Jeremy Corbyn is cool  there are pictures of him with massive marrows. Hes teetotal and rides a bike and goes on his allotment. But that is why its funny. Its Corbo-irony.

I ask how the two sides of Labour  the dynamic young activists like him, and the older leftists, those of interminable meetings in stuffy rooms  coexist. My generation is very conscious of how we spend our time, he says. Frankly, most of those meetings are really boring. Weve got better things to do.

The way he engages them is with campaigns that have a demonstrable theory of change. For instance, If you say to activists, Knock on doors, that doesnt land. If you say, This might be the one shot weve got to get a socialist government, and the way to do that is to go and talk to people face to face, in this marginal constituency where the Tories are just a couple of hundred votes ahead, then theyll say, Its worth spending my afternoon doing that.

His modern socialism is not the state socialism of the Sixties and Seventies, which he describes as incredibly bureaucratic and inefficient. Instead he regales me with ideas of post-capitalist futures, tech utopias (in which we mine minerals from asteroids and where theres so much solar power that we will have an abundance of power) and ways in which you can create universal basic income and universal basic services in a society with robots.

But Michael Walker, 29, a commentator at left-wing media organisation Novara Media, draws similarities between the older and younger Labour activists. He says the socio-economic contexts in which they grew up are not so different. They had the Vietnam War, we had Iraq. They had the Seventies economic crisis, we had 2008. Youve got the same in the US: a point when young people are more inclined towards socialism. I ask if he thinks weve passed the apex of Corbyns popularity. There is a lull, he says, but there will always be a lull between election periods. Life is going to be pretty tough until you get to the election, then its going to start to get fun.

The Momentum source charts the mood of party conferences since 2015. The mood in 2016 was really split, he says, remembering a BBC film that cut the excitement of The World Transformed (someone was sculpting Harold Wilsons face out of clay) with Labours main conference hall (stale, eerie: lots of people walking round in suits). At the post-election, post-Glastonbury conference of 2017, however, the crossover between the two audiences was huge. It had the celebratory feel of arrival. On 2018 he stalls. Obviously all the anti-Semitism stuff was really difficult, he says. The atmosphere at conference was different.

Here, perhaps, Momentum is aligned with Martin who asks wistfully: The Jeremy Corbyn we loved, where has he gone?
' He looks familiar, I thought, upon seeing a photo of Nathan Westling on Instagram.

Duh. Westling has come out as transgender: the reason he looked familiar is that he was previously Natalie Westling, the striking red-haired model who has walked for Marc Jacobs, Prada and Chanel. Westling grew up in Arizona, where he said LGBTQ individuals were treated like freaks. Im glad to say that at my elder daughters state secondary school, this is not the case. At least two girls identify as boys, and no one bats an eyelid. Thank you, London, for being a more tolerant place to live than most.

"Children are born without judgement, their minds as open as the sky. Any prejudices they acquire are learned

Which is why everything must be done to maintain and encourage Londons reputation for inclusivity. In a recent interview about the teaching of LGBTQ issues in schools, Andrea Leadsom was pilloried for saying that parents should be able to choose the moment at which their children become exposed to that information, an ill-judged turn of phrase. Of course children should be exposed to that information. Children are born without judgement, their minds as open as the sky. Any prejudices they acquire are learned. The earlier you introduce them to different permutations of sexual preference, the more readily they will accept them.

No ones proposing classes on gender realignment surgery for five-year-olds, but the idea that being taught about same-sex relationships will make you gay, or that being educated on gender dysphoria will encourage you to have it, as some critics argue, is ridiculous. Nobody would go through the mental and physical pain of transitioning unless they profoundly felt they needed to. It wasnt all sunshine and rainbows, Westling explained of his experience. It wasnt until I started to see physical changes that aligned with my mental state that I finally woke up and started living. Im happy.

Isnt that all any of us wants for our loved ones? To be happy? Schools shouldnt need to teach kids that there is no such thing as normal, or that a persons sexuality is no ones business but their own. But if doing so stops even one vulnerable young person from suffering pain and prejudice, then its a lesson well learned.

Paris is spurning

Paris Jackson at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party / FilmMagic

If you want a reminder of how much work still needs to be done to combat #EverydaySexism, look no further than the treatment of Paris Jackson in the wake of the recent documentary about her father. Sorry, but I was under the impression that Michael Jackson had three children, not one, yet its only 20-year-old Paris who is constantly hounded by paps, her every tear and tantrum written up with vile, distasteful salaciousness as evidence that she is in the throes of some sort of breakdown. Whose mental health wouldnt be in a parlous state under such circumstances? Whatever her fathers crimes, Paris is innocent, her only crime to be a woman, which apparently makes it open season on conjecturing about her wellbeing. If you really cared about that, youd leave her alone.

If I could find my shirt

Cher's famous t-shirt / WireImage
Where to wander

Although it feels built up, you are never far from the water.

Take a peaceful walk along the Elliott Bay Trail, which tracks the shore with sculptures, nature reserves and wildlife, winding alongside railway lines and old industrial buildings. To the north, theres Discovery Park and the magnificent Ballard Locks, which separate Lake Washington from Puget Sound.

Where to eat and drink

You are never far from a Starbucks  this is its hometown after all  but for an alternative, Storyville in Pike Place Market does a smooth latte. The market itself is one of the oldest farmers markets in the US and is bursting with seafood, fresh fruit and global fare. Savor Seattle will give you a tasting tour that is a meal in itself. For seated fare, it has to be Ettas, which does astonishingly good crab cakes. Fremont Brewing just north of Downtown is your beer stop and, for some homegrown whiskey, try the tasting bar at the Westland Distillery.

What to see

No trip to Seattle is complete without a visit to Space Needle, the citys equivalent of the Eiffel Tower. Afterwards, get your slice of Nirvana at the nearby Frank Gehry-designed Museum of Pop Culture. Given the areas tech history, it is also worth a trip to Living Computers: Museums + Labs, founded by Microsofts Paul Allen. More low-tech is Bill Speidels Underground Tour, a fascinating guided walk through subterranean Seattle. Ballard in the north has a wonderful Sunday market and a beautiful Nordic Museum. This is not entirely random: Scandi immigrants settled here in large numbers.

Where to stay

For the business oriented traveller, the Sheraton Grand Seattle does all you expect. Design-savvy visitors should try the Motif Seattle, which has some fine views of Puget Sound. Joy was a guest of Sheraton Grand Seattle (rooms from 195; marriott.com) and Motif Seattle (rooms with a view from 195; destinationhotels.com)

How to get there
Movies and shakers

From superheroes to spacemen, get the popcorn in for springs hottest films.

Godzilla

Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) / Image supplied by Capital Pictures

If youre counting down the days until Stranger Things returns to Netflix in July, get your Eleven fix with Godzilla: King of the Monsters, starring Millie Bobby Brown. Out 31 May.

Aladdin

Mena Massoud and Will Smith in the new Aladdin / Supplied by LMK

The next Disney remake is a corker: Will Smith and Naomi Scott play Genie and Princess Jasmine in Aladdin, a slick but just as fun update on the 1992 animation. Out 22 May.

Rocketman

Taron Egerton as Elton John (Supplied by LMK)

Weve been looking forward to Rocketman, the Elton John biopic with Taron Egerton, since last years John Lewis adverts. Out 17 May.

Avengers: Endgame

Brie Larson playing Captain Marvel / MARVEL/PLANET PHOTOS

Captain Marvel joins the rest of the mega-budget super crew in Avengers: Endgame. The 22nd film in the Marvel universe, it promises a final stand. We bet theyll be back. Out 25 Apr.

High Life

Robert Pattinson in High Life / Allstar/ALCATRAZ FILMS

Could High Life be any cooler? From the mind of renowned French filmmaker Claire Denis and starring Robert Pattinson, Juliette Binoche and Mia Goth, this spaceship drama is a hard-hitting must-see. Out 10 May.

Face the music

Bag tickets to these festivals now, feel smug later...

All Points East

Christine and the Queens / The Washington Post/Getty Images

One of this years earliest festivals, All Points East in Victoria Park has a stellar line-up, from The Strokes to Christine & the Queens. Tickets from 60.24 May to 2 Jun (allpointseastfestival.com)

Mighty Hoopla

All Saints / Redferns

A Nineties bonanza including All Saints and Bananarama, Brockwell Parks Mighty Hoopla is brilliantly bonkers. Tickets 45. 8 June (mightyhoopla.com)

The last word

Turn your Tube journey into an enlightening ride with one of these...

Machines Like Me

Machines Like Me

Set in an alternative 1980s London (think Alan Turing turning his hand to AI), Ian McEwans latest novel, Machines Like Me, is a topsy-turvy tour de force. Out 18 Apr (19.99, Jonathan Cape)

Saltwater

Saltwater

Student Lucy finds London life isnt all she expected in Saltwater, the lyrically poetic debut from Jessica Andrews. Pick this up if you like Rachel Cusk and Olivia Laing. Out 16 May (14.99, Sceptre)

The Parisian

The Parisian by Isabella Hammad has already won advance praise from Zadie Smith, and deservedly so: this tale of a Palestinian immigrant in Paris in 1914 is beautiful historical fiction. Out 11 Apr (14.99, Vintage)

What Red Was

Youve probably already heard of What Red Was, given the hype around this conversation-starting novel about love, violence and toxicity from subversive new voice, Rosie Price. Out 9 May (12.99, Harvill Secker)

How to Fail

How to Fail

A handbook to making the most of lifes slip-ups, How to Fail is an uplifting guide to learning from our mistakes, by journalist and author Elizabeth Day. Out 4 Apr (12.99, Fourth Estate)

Telly you what

Cancel your plans and make a date with the sofa...

Game of Thrones / HBO
P eople all over the world are competing to play the best practical tricks on each other, because today is April Fools' Day.

Tricks can vary from something as simple as a whoopee cushion on a chair, or as grand as a fake proposal - and the results are sure to be all over your social media feeds.

Whilst the exact origins of the day are unknown, its thought to have been celebrated in the UK since at least the 19th century.

Back then, pranks were mostly played on children but nowadays, no one gets away lightly.

Heres everything you need to know about what is (supposedly) the funniest day of the year, April Fools Day:

April Fools' Day origins

Newspapers often prank their readers with fake stories on April Fools' Day / Getty

There are various theories about where the day actually came from, but the most likely seems to trace all the way back to the late 16th century when Pope Gregory XIII decided it would be a good idea to adopt the Gregorian calendar (no prizes for guessing why).

Where the year had previously started at the end of March, under the new calendar rules it was moved to January 1.

Even though the news was spread, some people clearly didnt get the message in time and continued to celebrate the New Year on April 1. Because of this, they were ridiculed and branded as fools; thus the tradition of April Fools Day began.

April Fools' Day around the world

People take pictures of a giant straw fish in France during April Fools' Day / Getty

In France, children prank their friends by taping a paper fish to their backs.

In Scotland, April Fools Day lasts two days. On the second day, known as Taily Day, pranks involving the backside are played. Its thought to be where kick me signs originated.

In New York, press releases for a non-existent April Fools Day Parade have been released every year since 1986.

In Canada and England, April Fools Day jokes are only supposed to be played until noon.

In Poland, April Fools Day is so strongly believed that an anti-Turkish alliance signed on April 1 with Leopold I in 1683 had to be backdated to March 31.

Is April Fools' Day a bank holiday?

Yes, April Fools Day is a national holiday and everyone gets the day off.

Fooled you!
NEW YORK, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of U.S. Xpress Enterprises, Inc. (U.S. Xpress or the Company) (NYSE: USX). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at rswilloughby@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 9980.



The investigation concerns whether U.S. Xpress and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.

[Click here to join a class action]

On November 1, 2018, U.S. Xpress issued a press release announcing the Companys financial and operating results for the third fiscal quarter and nine months ending September 30, 2018. Therein, and in a conference call discussing the results, U.S. Xpress disclosed how unusual shipping patterns were impacting its segments and how market challenges for drivers resulted in a year-to-year tractor count decrease. The Company and its executives further disclosed higher driver wages and independent contractor costs, lower than expected recruitment levels, and a higher insurance expense.

On this news, U.S. Xpresss stock price fell $3.04 per share, or nearly 30%, to close at $7.10 per share on November 2, 2018.

The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com.

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

rswilloughby@pomlaw.com
U PDATE (28/03/2019): Peter Hill was cleared in 2008 and did not face any charges under the Official Secrets Act.

A former soldier from the Territorial Army was being questioned last night for allegedly attempting to sell military secrets to the Russians.

Peter Hill, 23, was arrested when, it is alleged, he went to a meeting in an apparent bid to hand over material to a Russian agent at a rendezvous in Leeds.

A Whitehall source said: "It is not thought we are dealing with a professional spy but someone who took a chance believing they could make some money.

"He attempted to make contact with the Russians but he was intercepted before he could pass anything on."

News of Wednesday night's arrest comes days after MI5's new director general, Jonathan Evans, warned: "There has been no decrease in the numbers of Russian intelligence officers conducting covert activity in the UK, despite the Cold War ending nearly two decades ago."

Hill, a risk analyst, from Skipton, North Yorkshire, was detained in Leeds by Metropolitan Police officers under the Official Secrets Act.

Last night his Leeds-based lawyer Grahame Stowe, said: "My client is being held for questioning and we are awaiting further developments."

Hill, originally from Colne, Lancashire, is a politics, philosophy and economics graduate from Keele University where he also served in the Territorial Army.

On his MySpace internet site, which he last logged onto on the day he was arrested, he has written: "Just trying to find a job I can enjoy. When I'm not busy doing that I spend time training with the TA but that all ends next week after three years of fun."

He lists his hero as General Sir Mike Jackson and his favourite film as the Hunt For Red October, the story of the hunt for a missing Soviet submarine.
A father nicknamed The Magician is facing life behind bars for murdering a 17-year-old boy and hiding his body in a north London loft.

Gary Hopkins, 37, hacked 17-year-old Abdi Ali to death at the home he shared with his partner and their three children in Enfield, north London.

Mr Ali has been described as a happy person who loved life, according to his older sister.

The teen was brutally hit over the head with a claw hammer and repeatedly stabbed with a 16cm-long knife on December 21, 2017.

Window cleaner Hopkins then bundled the teenager in a duvet cover and hid him in the attic with the murder weapons.

After his disappearance, his family said they had a torturous wait to find out what happened to the former Oasis Academy Enfield pupil.

A true light: Abdi Ali, 17, was found in a loft in a property near his Enfield home / Handout from family

Following an Old Bailey trial, a jury found Hopkins guilty of murder after 16 hours of deliberations.

Hopkins had admitted perverting the course of justice and preventing the lawful burial of a body.

The jury cleared his partner Stacy Docherty, 28, of murder but was unable to reach verdicts on the two other charges.

The hatch to the attic in the Enfield, in the home of Gary Hopkins / PA

Judge Nicholas Hilliard QC discharged jurors and adjourned sentencing of Hopkins until April 26.

The court heard how Hopkins took about 400 from the victim to give his own family a good Christmas and took them to Leominster, in Herefordshire, to lay low.

Despite Mr Ali being reported missing by his family, his body lay undiscovered for eight months.

When it was finally found, the body was badly decomposed and infested with insects, Gareth Patterson QC said.

The prosecutor told how Hopkins let slip what had happened to friends who visited the flat last August.

The court heard how Mr Ali had been working as a drug dealer, and was said to be linked to the Get Money Gang (GMG).

A photo of the claw hammer used by Hopkins / PA

Hopkins, who was known for performing magic tricks, had threatened to kill another drug dealer saying: "I've done it before. He's in the loft."

Docherty wept as Hopkins got a ladder and encouraged the friends to look for themselves, jurors heard.

When police searched the roof space, they found Mr Ali body wrapped in a black and red duvet cover with plastic bags over his head.

Giving evidence, Hopkins blamed a senior member of the GMG called Gaille Bola for the killing.

By the time Mr Ali was found, Bola had been found guilty of the manslaughter of 18-year-old drug dealer Meschak Dos Santos, jurors heard.

Hopkins, who was convicted of causing death by dangerous driving and aggravated vehicle taking in 1999, told jurors he feared he would be blamed.

He told jurors: "I was scared my kids would wake up and see the body, so I wrapped it up and put it in the attic.

"I was trying to investigate what the reason was behind it."

But in her evidence, Docherty said her "controlling" and "aggressive" partner had killed "respectful" Mr Ali, who used their flat to sell drugs.

A cable Hopkins used / PA

Docherty, whose previous convictions include assault and criminal damage, said she "froze" and was "petrified" when Hopkins told her he "lost it" and they had to leave.

She said: "He had blood on him. I didn't want to look. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

"I was in shock. I was thinking 'oh my God, my children are in the next room'."

Explaining why she helped Hopkins push the body into the loft, Docherty said: "He could have hurt me. He had just killed someone. He's a loose cannon."

The prosecution was given seven days to decide on whether to seek a retrial for Docherty.

Mr Ali was a "very respectful, helpful son" who was particularly close to his late grandmother, according to his sister Kowsar.

Speaking outside court on behalf of his mother Iisha, she said: "I am aware that Abdi had trouble with police before but as a family we were hoping that he would change since he was still very young. However, he does not have that opportunity now.

"As a mother, to lose one of your children is the hardest thing ever and very painful. It is also very painful when you are told that your son's body was found very close to your home address and you could not help him when he was being murdered, in the way he was, and when at the same time you used to look for him in that same area.

"As a family we miss Abdi very much and I cannot understand why he (Hopkins) did what he did to Abdi.

"He had no reason to hide his body for that long in a loft and not even allow us to bury him respectfully, which is a very important part of our faith."

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Considine, of Scotland Yard, said: "I am pleased to have received this verdict today in what has been a tragic case to investigate.

"Not only was a young man brutally murdered, but his body being hidden put Abdi's family through the anguish of not knowing where he was. Great efforts were taken to conceal the body and make sure it could not be found.

"This has been devastating for Abdi's family, who were not aware of a lot of aspects of his life. Hopkins showed a callous disregard for the consequences of his actions, which were driven by money and drugs.

"If the friend had not done the right thing and informed police, Abdi's family would have had to endure even longer than they did without knowing where he was or what had happened to him."
P olice are investigating the attempted murder of a woman who is fighting for her life in hospital after falling from a fifth-floor window in Southend.

A 44-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after the woman plunged from a window at a block of flats around 2am on Thursday.

The woman, aged in her 40s, has been left with life-threatening injuries and was rushed to hospital.

An Essex Police statement said: "A woman is being treated for life-threatening injuries after it was reported she fell from the 5th floor window of an address on Jones Close, Southend at 2am.

"A man has been been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
P olice investigating allegations of anti-Semitism in the Labour Party have made three arrests.

Two men and a woman were held on suspicion of publishing or distributing material likely to stir up racial hatred, Scotland Yard said.

It came after Met chief Cressida Dick was handed a dossier by LBC Radio detailing anti-Semitic social media messages allegedly posted by Labour Party members. Scotland Yard said: It is alleged that the documentation included evidence of anti-Semitic hate crimes. The contents have been examined by specialist officers.

A criminal investigation commenced into some of the allegations within the documentation. Advice regarding these allegations was received from the Crown Prosecution Service and has been considered.

Two men in their 50s were arrested in Birmingham and Tunbridge Wells earlier this month, and the woman, in her 70s, was held in Wandsworth last Thursday.

They are no longer party members and have been released pending further enquiries.

A Labour spokesman said: We welcome the police investigating these alleged crimes. Anti-Semitism has no place in our society and we are committed to challenging and campaigning against it in all its forms.

Meanwhile, Jeremy Corbyn was today facing pressure to sack three of his frontbench team after they appeared to rebel over giving the public a say on Brexit.
A teenager has been rushed to hospital after being stabbed in east London.

Police, paramedics and London's Air Ambulance scrambled to the scene following reports of the attack in Walthamstow shortly after 5.30pm on Thursday.

The boy, believed aged 17, was found suffering knife wounds on Markhouse Road.

A spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Police said it awaits an update on the victim's condition.

A cordon remains in place following the incident.

There have been no arrests and enquiries continue.

Waltham Forest Police tweeted: "We are responding to an incident on Markhouse Road E17.

"A person has been taken to hospital with stab injuries.
A murder inquiry was under way today after a young man was shot dead at a block of flats in south London.

The 25-year-old victim was blasted in the chest on a third-floor walkway on a housing estate in West Norwood at about 4pm yesterday. Medics and bystanders battled to save him but he died at the scene 30 minutes later.

It is the 30th killing and the first fatal shooting in London this year.

Witnesses told how neighbours rushed from their homes on the Hainthorpe estate to try to save the victim as he lay bleeding. One resident said: My wife was at home with her eight-year-old and was the one who gave him CPR. It is very traumatic for her. Another added: He had a bullet wound to the chest and they were trying to put pressure on it to stop the bleeding.

One report said the man had been chased up to the third floor before being shot. Residents said the area had become more dangerous because of drug dealing and violence. One said: People all rallied around to help, some were trying CPR, it was very distressing. The area has got worse but for someone to be shot dead is horrific.

Forensic workers at the scene of the fatal stabbing in West Norwood / Lucy Young

A mother of five boys who lives nearby said: Its a nightmare. We are losing a generation of young black men. Every time my boys go out Im scared they wont come back. There is nothing for some of these young people. We are living in bad times.

Two young men arrested at the scene were being questioned at separate south London police stations today. It is not known if a gun was recovered.

Police also ordered Section 60 search powers to be imposed in the area in an attempt to prevent retaliatory attacks.

Forensic science officers were last night checking a grey Mercedes car parked near the scene.

In January, a 16-year-old boy was seriously injured in a separate shooting outside his family home about a mile away in Unity Close, and in November two men were shot and injured in a drive-by attack in nearby Gypsy Hill.

Lambeth councils cabinet member for safety Mo Seedat said he was appalled by the latest attack.

As the number of shootings in London rises, the Met yesterday seized guns, grenades, drugs and stolen cars near a farm in South Ockendon, Essex. A 31-year-old man was arrested.
A rmed police swooped on a mosque near Regent's Park in the hunt for suspects after a man was stabbed to death in central London on Thursday evening.

A man was found with stab wounds at a housing block in Cunningham Place, Westminster, at about 6.15pm on Thursday. The suspects had fled the scene, police said.

The victim, believed to be in his early twenties, was treated in Elmton Court before being taken to hospital where he later died.

Images circulating on social media showed police at London Central Mosque following the incident, where a witness said two people ran towards shortly after the knife attack.

Police at London Central Mosque after stabbing nearby - In pictures 1 /12 Police at London Central Mosque after stabbing nearby - In pictures Police activity outside London Central Mosque, near Regent's Park PA Police Officers cordon off Regent's Park Mosque Getty Images Officers stood guard outside the mosque Getty Images Police officers outside London Central Mosque, near Regent's Park PA There was a heavy police presence at the scene PA People were stopped from leaving the mosque as it was put on "lockdown" PA Police Officers cordon off Regent's Park Mosque following a nearby fatal stabbing on March 28, 2019 in London, England. Police are working at the scene of an incident in Cunningham Place, Westminster Getty Images Armed officers attended the mosque after the stabbing PA An armed police officer outside London Central Mosque, near Regent's Park PA An armed police officer outside London Central Mosque, near Regent's Park PA Police and members of the public outside London Central Mosque @MohamedWrites/PA Wire Police activity at London Central Mosque, near Regent's Park Georgina Stubbs/PA Wire

Police shut gates surrounding the mosque (Leon Neal/Getty Images) / Getty Images

Scotland Yard said the stabbing, which was around half a mile from the mosque, was not terror related.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said the incident was linked to police activity at the mosque, where pictures showed a large number of police on the scene.

At around 10pm, a helicopter was still circling above the mosque and surrounding area as armed officers could be seen walking through one room of the sprawling religious building.

Emergency services attend the scene a fatal stabbing in Cunningham Place / Getty Images

Bahir Moulana, 39, said as he was walking towards the mosque the police were pushing people back then closed the main gate.

Areas around the mosque are cordoned off / Georgina Stubbs/PA Wire

He said armed police on the scene gave him the "jitters" and added: "I saw all the blue lights and my heart was in my mouth.

"There was one girl who said she saw two guys run in. Someone else told me the police were chasing them."

High-vis clad officers are at the scene / PA

John Stealer, a taxi driver who drove by the scene, told the Standard: "I could see a massive police presence outside the mosque and I could hear the helicopter above.

"I could see the flashing lights from a distance.

"When I heard the buzz of the helicopter I thought it was being taken seriously."

Another witness told the Standard gates around the mosque were locked and there was "a mass of people" outside.

Armed officers surrounded the building (Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire) / PA

Some people were said to be unable to leave the mosque though a number have started to be allowed to exit, according to reports.

Social media users had described it as being "on lockdown" and a section of the A41 Park Road was also closed off by police.

Following news of the attack Karen Buck, Labour MP for Westminster North, said: "Deeply saddened to hear this awful news. Police have been in contact with me and we await further details."

At the scene in Cunningham Place, a large collection of used and discarded medical equipment including bloodied bandages could be seen in the middle of the road.

A neighbour, who did not want to be named, said: "I looked out of the window at around 6.30pm and I saw him on the floor... he was already getting CPR."

Before the incident she said she heard someone saying "What happened? What have you done?" ahead of going out to see what was going on.

Police activity in Elmton Court, Cunningham Place, near Regent's Park / PA

A police search dog could be seen scouring around the area.

A police cordon was in place at the mosque following the incident, with officers flanking parts of the building's perimeter.

The Metropolitan Police said in statement: "Police were called at 18:15hrs on Thursday, 28 March to Elmton Court, Cunningham Place NW8 following reports of a man having been attacked.

"Officers attended with LAS.

"A male [no further details] was found suffering from stab injuries. He was treated at the scene before being taken to hospital, where he sadly died.

"Enquiries continue to trace the suspects, who fled the scene.

"There have been no arrests.
N ewborn babies with jaundice are being wrapped in a 3,000 light-emitting blanket to enable them to be treated at home.

A trial at Evelina London childrens hospital found the blankets were as effective as placing babies under a special light in a hospital cot.

The lit-up blanket avoids the distress of a newborn remaining in hospital and allows parents to start bonding at home. It also saves the NHS the cost of neonatal inpatient care.

Jaundice, a common condition affecting six in 10 newborns, causes the skin and white of the eyes to yellow due to the build-up of bilirubin in the blood. It usually clears with a fortnight of light therapy but very high bilirubin risks causing brain damage if untreated.

Zoe Wingfield, 41, from Battersea, was one of the first mothers to trial the bilisoft blanket when her twin daughters Freya and Megan were born six weeks early in May 2017.

Both twins received hospital treatment for jaundice but Freya required further phototherapy, so Ms Wingfield and partner Jon Shaw were given a portable light-emitting blanket.

Ms Wingfield said: I had been in hospital for over a week before the girls arrived and then a further week once they were born, so it felt like I had been there forever.

We couldnt wait to get home, so being able to take them together made a huge difference. The support we received was amazing and we felt confident treating Freya at home because we had used the biliblanket on the ward with Megan.

The latest version, the bilisoft, costs 3,000. The blanket, which is returned to the hospital after use, has a glowing cushion that is placed next to the skin, with the baby then swaddled or placed in a babygro. Treatment can continue during breastfeeding.

Home treatment normally lasts about three days and parents are supported daily by an outreach nurse. The study, which involved 10 babies, found the blanket was safe, cost-effective and welcomed by parents.

"It means families can go home sooner, while freeing up beds and cots in the hospital"

Dr Gosia Radomska, neonatal associate specialist at Evelina London, said: One of the most common ways to treat jaundice is with phototherapy, which involves placing the baby under a therapeutic blue light in an incubator. We have found that babies who are strong, growing and are otherwise healthy are suitable for home phototherapy treatment. This means families can stay together and go home sooner, while freeing up beds and cots in the hospital.

The treatment is now the standard at the Evelinas sister hospital, St Thomas. Infants are considered if they have been receiving phototherapy on the postnatal ward for at least 48 hours, have stable or falling bilirubin levels and are able to feed.

Evelina London medics are due to present the study to the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health conference in May.
A n Instagrammer who flew a drone through central London days after unmanned aircrafts had caused chaos at Gatwick said he only wanted to film the New Year fireworks and did not know he broke the law, a court heard.

Viktor Vajda, 30, was caught piloting the drone along the banks of the Thames on New Years Eve. Just 12 days earlier, drone sightings at Gatwick had caused flights to be cancelled.

Hungarian national Vajda, who was in the UK visiting family, told police: I had no intention of harming anyone. I was using the drone to film and upload to Instagram.

I didnt know this was an offence. I accept full responsibility, and I will never intentionally break the law.

Drones cannot be flown within 150 metres of a congested area without a Civil Aviation Authority permit.
T he country's national newspapers have had their say after Theresa May vowed to step down if her Brexit deal is approved.

The Prime Ministers promise came just before MPs rejected all eight options for alternative ways forward on Britain's departure during Commons votes on Wednesday night.

The Guardian summed up the result of the indicative votes in its front page headline, declaring: "Parliament finally has its say: No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No."

Several papers described the situation as "chaos", with the Daily Telegraph warning of more uncertainty despite Theresa May's pledge to step down.

Praising her for a "Herculean effort" in trying to achieve Brexit, the paper suggested the PM is likely to resign on May 22 if her deal is passed.

"But there are still many obstacles to be negotiated on the way to that outcome," it wrote. "Even at this stage, on the eve of what should have been Brexit Day, so much is still unresolved."

There was no clear majority for any of the alternatives to Theresa May's Brexit deal / AFP/Getty Images

The Times was more optimistic, however, suggesting her offer to stand down "holds out the possibility of a brighter future".

"The priority will be to find a prime minister with the energy and ideas to tackle the challenges facing the nation, challenges that have been neglected on Mrs May's watch," it said in its leader.

"The country will want a dynamic reformer who can bring Britain together, not another divisive figure who has helped to drive it apart.

"Above all, they will want a person who can lead."

Indicative vote: How MPs narrowly rejected the customs union amendment

"Back me and sack me," was the i's take. The paper said a snap election or a long delay to Brexit are becoming increasingly more likely.

Unwavering in its support of Mrs May, the Daily Express described the PM's sacrifice as a "selfless gesture" and a "valiant attempt to break the Brexit deadlock".

It questioned what more Mrs May has to do in its front page headline, and in its leader the paper hails her as a leader of "integrity, intelligence, courage and self-sacrifice in the face of adversity, desertion and challenge".

MPs cast their votes on Wednesday / AP

"Her willingness to hand over the reins is further evidence of the PM's humility, dignity and wisdom - qualities her critics sorely lack," it adds.

"Our political class should learn from her towering example. It is time for those from all parties to put the British people first by voting for her deal and enshrining it in law without delay."

The Daily Mail also showed its backing for the PM and praised her for "doing what she thought right for her party and her country, regardless of personal cost" and urged Tory MPs not to let her "sacrifice" be in vain.

"Buffeted and battered by a fractious and divided Cabinet, obstructive backbenchers, a capricious and venal Europe, and a spiteful Opposition, she has behaved throughout with dignity," the paper wrote.

It attacked the Commons for taking control of the Brexit agenda, lamenting that the outcome of the votes "added to the confusion"."But be under no illusion. The purpose of these measures was to dilute or kill off Brexit," it warned.

The Sun said Mrs May's dedication as a public servant "cannot be doubted", adding: "Brexit will only happen now if enough MPs swallow their pride and stand up, as Mrs May has, for our democracy."

Arlene Foster: DUP cannot sign up to PM's Brexit deal

The Daily Mirror was less complimentary of the PM, and described her premiership as an "inglorious spell in Downing Street".

Her promise to resign was "the act of someone who long ago should have accepted they lacked the skills, temperament and imagination for the top job", it added.
CALGARY, Alberta, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Canadian Utilities Limited (TSX: CU, CU.X)



Today, the Fort McMurray West 500-kV Transmission Project was energized three months ahead of schedule, on-budget and with an impeccable safety record. This 508-km transmission line, running from Wabamun, Alta., just west of Edmonton, to Fort McMurray will provide essential electricity, greater reliability and enhance the transmission system to meet growing demands in northern Alberta.

Valued at $1.6 billion, the project was financed through the largest public-private-partnership (P3) bond in Canadian history . It is also the longest 500-kV AC transmission line in Canada and was ranked among the top 50 infrastructure projects in Canada.

In 2014, we competed against global proponents to win the bid for this critical piece of electricity transmission infrastructure. Today, along with our partner Quanta Services, we successfully completed construction on this project ahead of schedule and on-budget, said Wayne Stensby, Managing Director, Electricity, ATCO. We take pride in the genuine, heartfelt engagement and trust that we have built with all communities and indigenous peoples along the route. The success of this project would not have been possible without these strong, mutually beneficial relationships.

Alberta PowerLine, a partnership between Canadian Utilities Limited (80 per cent), an ATCO Company, and Quanta Services Inc. (20 per cent), was selected in 2014 by the Alberta Electric System Operator through a competitive global process to develop, finance, design, build, own, operate and maintain the line. Following extensive consultation, the final route was approved by the Alberta Utilities Commission in February 2017, and construction began shortly thereafter.

With approximately 5,000 employees and assets of $22 billion, Canadian Utilities Limited is an ATCO company. Canadian Utilities Limited is a diversified global energy infrastructure corporation delivering service excellence and innovative business solutions in Electricity (electricity generation, transmission, and distribution); Pipelines & Liquids (natural gas transmission, distribution and infrastructure development, energy storage, and industrial water solutions); and Retail Energy (electricity and natural gas retail sales). More information can be found at www.canadianutilities.com .

Media Inquiries:

Sue Watson

Manager, Marketing & Communications

Electricity Global Business Unit

ATCO

403 828 3550

Forward-Looking Information:

Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as anticipate, plan, estimate, expect, may, will, intend, should, and similar expressions.

Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information.

The Companys actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in this forward-looking information as a result of regulatory decisions, competitive factors in the industries in which the Company operates, prevailing economic conditions, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company.



The Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking information should not be unduly relied upon.

Any forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the Companys expectations as of the date hereof and is subject to change after such date. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities legislation.

PDF available:

http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/9eb84e58-d533-4b74-bffb-4e2340bbf6da
S peaker John Bercow has agreed that part of Theresa May's Brexit deal can be voted on for a third time by MPs after a motion was put forward that gets around parliamentary rules.

MPs are to vote on the Government's EU Withdrawal Agreement on Friday, but the motion will not count as a fresh attempt to pass a "meaningful vote" on Mrs May's deal because it will not cover the future relationship with Europe.

The vote, on Brexit day, will proceed because MPs will vote only on the legally binding withdrawal agreement and not the political declaration, meaning Speaker John Bercow had no choice but to allow it.

Mr Bercow said the government's new motion complies with a convention that motions that are the same or substantially the same must not be put to the house more than once in a parliamentary session.

"In short, the motion is new, and substantially different" he said.

Theresa May's deal was branded 'dead' earlier today / AFP/Getty Images

He confirmed tomorrow's vote will only cover the withdrawal agreement and not the accompanying political declaration.

"The previous meaningful vote encompassed both the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement and the Political Declaration - this motion covers the former but not the latter," said Mr Bercow.

If passed by MPs on Friday, the vote would qualify the UK to be granted an automatic delay to May 22 of the formal date of Brexit.

But Labour and the DUP have said they will vote against the Withdrawal Agreement.

John Bercow confirmed the Government will debate and vote on a Brexit motion tomorrow / AFP/Getty Images

The Government's move is set to allow Mrs May to present it as a choice between a short delay to Brexit and the potential for a much longer postponement which would mean taking part in European elections.

But it would not allow Parliament to go ahead and ratify the withdrawal deal, as Brexit legislation allows this only after the passage of a "meaningful vote" on both the Withdrawal Agreement and a Political Declaration on the future relationship.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn spoke to the PM by telephone for twenty minutes about the situation on Thursday, and said his MPs would not back the Government move.

A Labour spokesman said: "Jeremy made clear Labour will not agree a blindfold Brexit to force through Theresa May's damaging deal, which would leave the next Tory party leader free to rip up essential rights and protections and undermine jobs and living standards."

Andrea Leadsom making the announcement in the Commons today about a third vote on Theresa May's Brexit deal / AFP/Getty Images

News of the new vote came hours after Boris Johnson branded Mrs May's deal as being "dead."

Mr Johnson's remarks came amid further calls today for Mrs May to honour her commitment to step down even if Parliament rejects her blueprint again.

A ministerial source said Mrs May is determined to put the twice-rejected withdrawal agreement to a third vote, possibly as early as tomorrow, despite her DUP allies publicly opposing it.

Former foreign secretary Mr Johnson, who pivoted behind the Prime Ministers deal last night only after she made clear she will resign from No 10 once it is through, has told friends: Its dead anyway.

Mark Francois, vice-chairman of the European Research Group of Tory Brexiteers, told BBC TV: I told my whip the other day I wouldnt vote for it if they put a shotgun in my mouth.

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Andrew Bridgen, an ERG backer, said Mrs May and her deal should both go. Her authority is gone now, he said.

Whatever her solution is, how can she be part of it when all along she was the problem? He said the parliamentary maths meant her deal stood no chance: Twenty Conservatives and the DUP are not going to vote for it. It is not going to go through.

Dominic Raab, the former Brexit secretary who is expected to stand for the Tory leadership in a summer contest, said the Government should go back to the EU again and ask for a legally binding exit from the backstop.

Former chief whip Andrew Mitchell revealed speculation on the leadership battle is building, telling the BBC that quite a lot of colleagues are pressing former Brexit secretary David Davis to stand.

TODO: define component type apester

An option being considered by No 10 in an attempt to win a third vote is to bring back the withdrawal agreement without the political declaration, which sets out future trade relations.

Significant doubts remain over whether Mrs May can secure a majority for the Withdrawal Agreement alone on Friday.

The agreement includes the controversial "backstop" customs arrangements for the Irish border which continue to represent the biggest obstacle to support from the DUP and Brexit-backing Tories in the European Research Group.

DUP Westminster leader Nigel Dodds said his party would not support Mrs May on the issue.

He told the BBC: "We will be voting against the Withdrawal Agreement because the concerns that we have about the trade border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom, and what that would mean in terms of who makes our laws - not Stormont or Westminster - those concerns remain.

US President Donald Trump said Mrs May is 'a very good woman' / EPA

"We regret the fact that we weren't able to get to a position to support the Withdrawal Agreement, and the fact of the matter is that had there been legally binding changes at treaty level then we could have been in business."

Moving the motion to enable the debate to take place on March 29 - initially slated as Brexit day - the Leader of the Commons Andrea Leadsom urged MPs to back the deal "so that we can leave the EU in an orderly way that gives businesses and people the certainty that they need".

Downing Street has said that Mrs May will not move to a third meaningful vote - known in Westminster as MV3 - unless she believes she has a realistic chance of success, having seen it defeated by 230 votes in January and 149 in March.

But it is understood that Number 10 believes that passing the Withdrawal Agreement alone would allow the UK to guarantee its departure date and avoid the need for Britain to take part in European Parliament elections on May 23-26.

This would buy time to seek wider agreement among MPs on the shape of the UK's future relationship with the EU, in the hope of passing MV3 in April and leaving with a deal on May 22.

If the motion fails, the UK will have until April 12 to ask for a further extension to Brexit negotiations - which would require voters to choose new MEPs - or leave the EU without a deal.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has praised Mrs May.

He told reporters outside the White House: "She's a very nice lady. She's a friend of mine.

"I hope she does well. I hope the Brexit movement and everything happening there goes very well.

"But, Theresa May is a very good woman. And, I'll tell you what, she's strong, she's tough, and she's in there fighting."
B oris Johnson has branded Theresa Mays Brexit deal dead amid calls for the Prime Minister to honour her commitment to step down even if Parliament rejects her blueprint again.

A ministerial source said Mrs May is determined to put the twice-rejected withdrawal agreement to a third vote, possibly as early as tomorrow, despite her DUP allies publicly opposing it.

It emerged this morning that former foreign secretary Mr Johnson, who pivoted behind the Prime Ministers deal last night only after she made clear she will resign from No 10 once it is through, has told friends: Its dead anyway.

Mark Francois, vice-chairman of the European Research Group of Tory Brexiteers, told BBC TV: I told my whip the other day I wouldnt vote for it if they put a shotgun in my mouth.

Boris Johnson pictured arriving at the Commons yesterday for a series of votes on Brexit / PA

Andrew Bridgen, an ERG backer, said Mrs May and her deal should both go. Her authority is gone now, he said.

Theresa May is to hold a third vote on her Brexit deal / AFP/Getty Images

Whatever her solution is, how can she be part of it when all along she was the problem? He said the parliamentary maths meant her deal stood no chance: Twenty Conservatives and the DUP are not going to vote for it. It is not going to go through.

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Dominic Raab, the former Brexit secretary who is expected to stand for the Tory leadership in a summer contest, said the Government should go back to the EU again and ask for a legally binding exit from the backstop.

Former chief whip Andrew Mitchell revealed speculation on the leadership battle is building, telling the BBC that quite a lot of colleagues are pressing former Brexit secretary David Davis to stand.

An option being considered by No 10 in an attempt to win a third vote is to bring back the withdrawal agreement without the political declaration, which sets out future trade relations.

In an interview with the Evening Standard, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt revealed that he thinks the EU might be flexible with its deadline for the deal if the Government decides to wait until next week for a final vote.

TODO: define component type apester

But the DUP appeared to be as firm as ever. In a statement at 10.25am on Twitter, the party said: Back in December 2017 we warned about the dangers of the backstop. We cannot sign up to something that would damage the Union.

Sir Oliver Letwin warned the UK could be heading for a no-deal break on April 12 unless MPs back either Mrs Mays deal or an alternative / EPA

One of Mrs Mays oldest allies, former de facto deputy prime minister Damian Green, predicted: [Mrs May] will take the path of soldiering on because she sees the great duty of her and her Government is to get a Brexit deal. He warned Brexiteers: If you want a deal, the choice is now between the Governments deal or a customs union. The customs union was only eight votes off winning yesterday.

Sir Oliver Letwin, the architect of the inconclusive indicative votes staged yesterday on Brexit, warned the UK could be heading for a no-deal break on April 12 unless MPs back either Mrs Mays deal or an alternative such as a Commons Market 2.0 or customs union.

At the moment we are heading for a situation where, under the law, we leave without a deal on the 12th, he told BBC Radio 4s Today programme. At some point or other we either have to get her deal across the line or accept that we have to find some alternative.

Belgian MEP Philippe Lamberts agreed that if the UK cannot ratify the withdrawal agreement and has no new plan by April 12, Brussels is ready to see Britain leave without a deal.

Thats the state of mind in Brussels, said Mr Lamberts, who sits on the European Parliaments Brexit steering group. Both in the European institutions and the member states, people have come to realise that, in absence of a positive majority in the UK, the by-default result will be a no-deal Brexit.

We dont like it, but you have to prepare for things that you dont necessarily like.

Eight options for handling Brexit were put to MPs yesterday but none found a majority. A customs union came closest.

TODO: define component type apester

ERG chairman Jacob Rees-Mogg left confusion over his voteafter creating headlines by indicating he would back Mrs May.

ERG chairman Jacob Rees-Mogg left confusion over his vote / REUTERS

Last night he told the Peston show on ITV: Ive said I will support the DUP if the deal is brought back and they are still opposing it. But this morning he told reporters: Im in favour of the deal and I hope the DUP will come over to the deal but well have to wait and see what they do.

Labour former foreign secretary Dame Margaret Beckett, who tabled a motion calling for any Brexit deal to be put to a confirmatory referendum, said MPs now need to be prepared to compromise. They are going to have to look over the abyss, she told Today.

Former Attorney General Dominic Grieve said he saw no advantage to Mrs May quitting if her deal gets through.
A deadlocked Parliament failed to produce a clear majority for an alternative to Theresa Mays twice-rejected Brexit deal.

Eight options were put to MPs on Wednesday in a series of indicative votes on a way forward for the UKs withdrawal from the EU.

While all of them were rejected, the margin of votes for and against each could provide an insight into what is to come.

Here the Standard outlines what we have learned from the votes and what could happen next

There was no clear majority for any of the alternatives to Theresa May's Brexit deal / AFP/Getty Images

The call for a customs union came closest to a majority

It won support from 264 MPs but was rejected by 272.

Supporters view it as a way of protecting trade flows between a post-Brexit UK and the European Union, protecting manufacturing industries which rely on the just-in-time arrival of components and would face major disruption if red tape at the border held up deliveries.

But critics say it would prevent the UK from striking trade deals with countries around the world, as tariffs would have to remain aligned with those set by Brussels

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A 'confirmatory' referendum on any deal also had significant support

Some 268 MPs voted in favour of putting any deal agreed by Parliament to a public vote, making it the proposal which garnered the most support. However, there were 295 votes against it.

But deputy Labour leader Tom Watson said it was a sign of "growing support for our compromise solution".

Brexit deadlock: House Speaker John Bercow / AFP/Getty Images

The Government remains committed to the PMs deal

The two "meaningful votes" on the Prime Minister's Withdrawal Bill saw it fall to defeats by a margin of 230 and 149, with 242 MPs supporting it at the second time of asking.

Supporters of a customs union and second referendum pointed out both options received more backing than Mrs May's deal.

But Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay told MPs: "The results of the process this House has gone through ... strengthens our view that the deal the Government has negotiated is the best option."

MPs reject all eight Brexit alternatives

MPs remain deeply divided

Even Sir Oliver Letwin, architect of the plan to hold a series of indicative votes on Brexit options, said it was disappointing that no proposal had secured a majority but he had anticipated as much and so MPs can do it all again on Monday.
C ommons speaker John Bercow has denied being biased in Parliament and says he believes it is important "to give a voice to minorities".

In a wide-ranging interview with Italian newspaper La Repubblica, Mr Bercow insisted he is "simply fair".

He added he has "consistently" shown his desire to hear all views on an issue including during the Brexit process.

In the interview, he said: "There was a time when Europhiles, pro-Europeans, used to criticise me years ago for selecting urgent questions from Brexit supporters when they were in a minority.

John Bercow and Andrea Leadsom clash in Commons row

"And now the Brexit supporters criticise me for choosing questions or amendments from Remainers. So in other words, at different times, I've upset both sides.

"And like most Speakers, I think it's important to give a voice to minorities in the House, not just to the Government view or the majority view, but to the minority of the dissident view."

Declaring he is "impartial in Parliament but... not impartial about Parliament", he added: "If I'm biased, I'm biased in favour of Parliament. Parliament being heard. Parliament having a right to speak. Parliament having time. Parliament being respected by the Government of the day and indeed by the opposition."

Earlier this month, Mr Bercow's ruling over another vote on Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal earned him the title of "The Brexit Destroyer" in some parts of the press, along with a suggestion that he had potentially triggered a constitutional crisis.

John Bercow: Government cannot hold another Meaningful Vote unless it is substantially different

He told the paper he was optimistic for the future of Britain, despite the current deadlock, and said British people showed resilience in times of crisis.

Elected as the 157th Speaker of the House of Commons in June 2009, Mr Bercow has become known for his caustic parliamentary put-downs.

Earlier this week, he sparked uproar in the Commons by aiming an "insult" at a Conservative MP.

The Speaker remarked that former minister Greg Hands "wasn't a very good whip" as he admonished the MP for Chelsea and Fulham for "disorderly" behaviour.

Mr Bercow insisted his actions in the Commons were not a performance.

"What you see is what you get," he added.

"I think that it is better to try to handle things with a degree of humour, if possible, rather than everything being deadly serious," he said.

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M Ps have failed to find a majority for alternatives to Theresa Mays Brexit deal.

The Prime Minister promised to step down if the Tory rebels standing in her way back the plans.

It was hoped that Wednesday nights indicative votes would provide an indication of a way forward.

But all eight options put to the Commons were rejected by MPs.

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So what happens now?

Brexit deadlock: All eight options were rejected by MPs / REUTERS

PMs deal could return

The UK was due to leave the European Union on Friday, but instead it could be the day Mrs May tries to make it third time lucky for her Brexit deal.

The Commons was not expected to sit on March 29, but Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay said plans were being made for that to happen because "it's better to have it and to not need it, than to need it and not have it".

But Commons Speaker John Bercow could throw a spanner in the works after he again stressed that there would have to be substantial changes before he would allow another vote on an issue that had already been considered.

MPs reject all eight Brexit alternatives

Is there enough support for it?

Brexit standard-bearer Boris Johnson, who once compared Mrs May's deal to a "suicide vest" wrapped around the British constitution, told the European Research Group of Tory MPs he will now back it.

Other Eurosceptics previously opposed to the deal have also reluctantly swung behind it because they fear the alternatives are now softer forms of Brexit or the possibility of not leaving the EU at all.

But the Democratic Unionist Party remain opposed, with leader Arlene Foster saying she could not sign up to a deal that "threatens the union" of the United Kingdom.

The DUP's continued opposition means that some Tories, including Jacob Rees-Mogg, will also refuse to back the deal

DUP leader Arlene Foster / PA

What about the Prime Minister?

Mrs May told MPs: "I know there is a desire for a new approach - and new leadership - in the second phase of the Brexit negotiations - and I won't stand in the way of that."

But in order to get to that "second phase", her deal would have to pass. It remains to be seen whether her commitment to leave office is enough to win over wavering rebels.

Mr Rees-Mogg acknowledged that if her deal did not get through then "she would have every right to carry on".

But a third defeat - or ducking another vote entirely - would surely cause further damage to her crumbling authority.

Theresa May vowed to step down if her deal is accepted / Getty Images

When will the UK leave the European Union?

Unless the Withdrawal Agreement is passed by MPs by the end of the week, Brexit day is set for April 12. This is the final day on which the UK can set out its next steps to the European Council, if it wishes to be granted a longer extension. If it does not do so, the UK would crash out without a deal.

If Mrs May finally gets her deal through Parliament the UK will leave on May 22.

Indicative vote: How MPs narrowly rejected the customs union amendment

And when will Mrs May leave Number 10?

Once the Withdrawal Agreement is passed, the Government needs to rush an implementation bill through Parliament, along with other legislation needed to ensure a smooth departure. It is unclear whether Mrs May would delay her resignation until this process is complete and the UK formally leaves on May 22.

It would be possible for her to declare she is stepping down, but to remain in post during the contest to select a successor

If she remains in office until May 25, she will overtake Gordon Brown's tenure of two years and 319 days in office to become the 35th longest-serving PM in British history. If she lasts until May 26, she outstrips the Duke of Wellington and another 28 days to June 23 will take her past Neville Chamberlain.

She is due to represent the UK at the annual G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, on June 28-29, which could be her last outing on the international stage before stepping down.

Will there be more indicative votes?

After Wednesday's votes failed to produce a majority for any of the eight options under consideration, more time has been set aside on Monday, April 1.
J eremy Hunt sits deep in his chair in his vast Commons office; arms stretched either side so that both his watch and a Fitbit are visible (no one should forget Hunt made 14.5 million as a tech entrepreneur before becoming a politician).

The Foreign Secretary is relaxed, grey eyes darting as he delivers his views in a gale of buzzword messaging that must be exhausting to repeat all day, if how it feels to type them is anything to go by. He talks about compassion and conservatism (10 times), of bringing the country together (eight times), of healing the wounds of Brexit (three times), One Nation Conservatives (five times), tolerance (15 times).

Hes keen to stress  perhaps so that we dont see today as a leadership bid  how much the Prime Minister has his support. Brexit is far more important than the ambitions of the many people who might like to succeed Theresa May. But this being Westminster in the current climate, when hes called away, his advisers WhatsApp starts pinging like the warning signal on an explosive device. What now? Oh! May has announced that if her deal passes she will step down by May 22. The starting gun on the leadership race is fired.

Does Hunt want the job? Every politician has a corner of their heart where theyd like the top job, has been his line. And hes certainly qualified. Hes done culture, media and sport (The Ministry of Fun, as it was once dubbed) and Health (the Ministry of Career Death) and is known for his staggering achievement as the longest-serving health secretary in history (six years). Even May joked that if Jeremy Corbyn became PM shed be breaking rocks in John McDonnells re-education camp but Jeremy Hunt would still be Health Secretary.

He weathered cuts, strikes, hospital closures and name-calling  some politicians can only dream of being this unpopular. And yet he survived, taking over the Foreign Office (to the relief of civil servants) from Boris Johnson.

Jeremy Hunt with his Chinese wife Lucia Guo / AFP/Getty Images

In his new brief, an immediate concern is to secure the release of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the British citizen in jail in Tehran on trumped-up charges of spreading propaganda. He has called out Iran for its policy of detaining people for diplomatic leverage, he says. Iran needs to know we are not going to pass by on the other side.

The tragedy, he says, is that shes not the only one: there are others in the same position but their families dont want to go public.

On Yemen, too, he is determined. While acknowledging it is the worlds forgotten crisis, he says they are within a hairs breadth of a peace process, having put heavy pressure on the Saudis (who are bombing indiscriminately in the region) to end the worst humanitarian crisis in the world today.

So far his only gaffe  while on a trade trip to Japan  has been to misidentify his wife, Lucia Guo, as Japanese. My wife is Chinese, he says today. I can confirm that she is officially Chinese. She also has a sense of humour. After hed writhed with embarrassment for six hours until he could reasonably wake her up in London, she picked up the phone and said Konnichiwa, darling.

Hunts other defining characteristic is his handbrake turn from Remain to Leave. He would never support a second referendum (it would make things worse) but if there was one, he would vote Leave now. Why? To respect the outcome of the last referendum. The way to heal divisions is not to try and unpick a result, we have to make a success of Brexit, bring the country together. Does his wife agree? Uhh. Id better let my wife speak for herself on these issues.

What he will say is that he had some initial fears for his children (aged four, seven and eight). When they turn 18, they will be members of an ethnic minority. I want them to be able to walk down the street thinking London is every bit as international and welcoming to all colours and creeds.

Was he alarmed by the uptick in xenophobia after the referendum? When those stories happen, you worry, he says. Who wouldnt worry? But I always thought that this country is going to remain tolerant, open, outward-looking. He says this is the motivating factor for him to bring the country together.

Even before Mays departure bombshell Hunt was uncomfortable with any talk of succession. Its all deal, deal, deal, and a positive vision for the future of the Conservatives, who are not the money, money, money party but have a social mission too. No party, he says, has a monopoly on compassion. Perhaps he feels the public cant see that, with all their bickering over Europe.

Certainly hes frustrated that the potential of One Nation Conservativism has been overshadowed. Everything [David Cameron] wanted to do was eclipsed by the need for huge public spending cuts and austerity after the financial recession, he says. Then, Theresa May arrived as a One Nation Conservative and had to deal with Brexit. So we have really never had a chance to show the British people what One Nation Conservatism can be.

He sees the Tory future as winning a battle of values and young people, who are not just the future of the country, they are the future of the Conservative Party. So how does he see himself? Not, perhaps, as junior doctors might. Certainly he sees his past as a tech entrepreneur as important, and says he looks forward to a post-Brexit future where our dinner-party conversations will be about robots doing our hoovering and drones delivering our Amazon parcels and AI curing our diseases far more than they will be about Brexit.

He supplies an enlightening anecdote about visiting an Aids orphanage in Nairobi with Estelle Morris in the early 2000s. He and Morris  then a Labour Arts Minister  were on the board of a charity, which was the also the recipient of five per cent of Hunts tech companys profits. He felt compelled to confess to her that hed just been selected to stand for Parliament as a Conservative. Her reply? Jeremy, you are interested in Aids, you are interested in development, just why are you a Tory?

Its a good question. Those whove known him a long time say hes always been unquestionably TRG (Tory Reform Group). He was always the person who wanted to persuade you that Tories were nice, says a friend of 30 years. And that he felt sorry for the miners. At Oxford, he was a famously cheery character, the son of an admiral who would say hello to everyone as he wandered about Magdalen in his favourite green jersey.

But dont underestimate him, adds a contemporary. Hes sharp as a tack. Even after he made his fortune at Hotcourses, an educational listings company, he stayed nice. And fun. By his own admission he spent his much of his 30s drinking caipirinhas in Brazilian clubs all over London because he enjoyed lambada dancing so much (he lessens the romance by calling it a hobby). His old house in Hammersmith even had a sprung wooden floor for his Brazilian parties  I didnt put it in he hastens  although he did have a dance teacher. Someone tracked him down, he says, self-deprecatingly, and asked if Hunts moves were any good.

Nicely, he said, In lambada we dont have good dancers or bad dancers. We have people who dance with passion and people who dont. Jeremy danced with passion.

Passion is also what helped him survive in Health, he says. I would repeatedly ask to stay because I want to make it my abiding mission to improve on patient safety. But his wife also teases him for being a control freak). Is he? I think it is very difficult to get to the top table in British politics and not be, he says. I think all of us around [the Cabinet] table in one way or another are probably control freaks.

He wont give examples of how that tendency manifests itself at home. He volunteers that he wishes he could see more of his children: The truth is that with my responsibilities as Foreign Secretary I am probably not as hands-on as Id like to be. He was a nappy-changer, at least, unlike Jacob Rees-Mogg. I should be helping my son with his homework several times a week. He did at least go bike riding with them last Sunday, although the sight of the Foreign Secretary whizzing around was too much for some constituents, and for a group of soldiers in training. I could see the look of astonishment on their faces when they saw me, [as if] saying What the hells this guy doing outside with his kids when weve got Brexit? That is unfortunately the price you pay for being at the front line of politics.

Thats where he will be for the foreseeable future. Friends and former colleagues say that while he may have been willing to tack a long way to the Right to get into Number 10, Hunt as PM would govern from the centre. There are some who feel he can be robotic. Like a Theresa May 2.0 with updated software, says a former minister. If shes the iPhone 4, hes the 8s.
M ichael Gove remains the bookies favourite to succeed Theresa May as Conservative Party leader.

But he faces competition from fellow Cabinet ministers, not to mention his erstwhile friend and later rival Boris Johnson.

After Mrs May promised her MPs she would step down if her Brexit deal goes through, the Standard spoke to Tim Bale, a politics professor at Londons Queen Mary University, for his analysis of the top contenders to replace her.

Starting with Mr Gove, Prof Bale listed the key strengths and weaknesses of the 10 MPs given the best odds by William Hill as of Thursday.

Michael Gove (5/2)

Environment secretary Michael Gove leaves his London house for a run on Thursday / Peter Nicholls/Reuters

Strengths: Great parliamentary performer. Pretty good in the media. Has performed well as a minister.

Weaknesses: Stabbed Boris in the front during the last leadership contest. So theres a question about his reliability. And hes not particularly popular with the public because of his time as education secretary.

Boris Johnson (5/1)

Boris Johnson arrives at the Houses of Parliament on Wednesday / Dominic Lipinski/PA

Strengths: Celebrity. Some charisma.

Weaknesses: Very poor performer as foreign secretary. Very poor parliamentary performer. Hes not very good at answering questions or making speeches. If you want a comedy panel show, then great. But defending the government line? Hes not your man.

Jeremy Hunt (7/1)

Foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt in Downing Street on Tuesday / Andy Rain/EPA

Strengths: Generally seen as a safe pair of hands. Experienced. Reasonable media performer.

Weaknesses: Uninspiring.

David Lidington (7/1)

Defacto deputy PM David Lidington in Downing Street on Tuesday (Matt Dunham/AP) / AP

Strengths: Experienced. Collegiality. Good media and parliamentary performer.

Weaknesses: A Remainer.

Dominic Raab (8/1)

Former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab (Reuters) / REUTERS

Strengths: Ambitious. A Leaver.

Weaknesses: Relatively inexperienced. Failed as Brexit secretary.

Sajid Javid (9/1)

Home secretary Sajid Javid pictured in Downing Street on Tuesday / Andy Rain/EPA

Strengths: Backstory. Competent minister. Understanding of business.

Weaknesses: Not a traditional Conservative."

Matt Hancock (10/1)

Health secretary Matt Hancock leaves Parliament on Wednesday / Jack Taylor/Getty Images

Strengths: Good minister. Good parliamentary and media performer.

Weaknesses: Heavily associated with David Cameron [who called the 2016 referendum].

Jacob Rees-Mogg (20/1)

Jacob Rees-Mogg, chair of the European Research Group, leaves his home in Westminster on Thursday / Neil Hall/EPA

Strengths: Celebrity  same as Boris. Media presence. Leaver.

Weaknesses: Old-fashioned. Seen by many as simply too posh for the job in the 21st century.

Andrea Leadsom (20/1)

House of Commons leader Andrea Leadsom does the media rounds in London on Wednesday / Toby Melville/Reuters

Strengths: Leaver. Understanding of the parliamentary process. Business background.

Weaknesses: Performed very poorly in the last leadership contest.

Amber Rudd (20/1)

Work and pensions secretary Amber Rudd in Downing Street on Tuesday / Tolga Akmen/AFP/Getty Images

Strengths: Good media and parliamentary performer. Had performed well as a minister, Windrush notwithstanding, though that wasnt really her fault.

Weaknesses: Remainer. Marginal seat, but that can be changed.

TODO: define component type apester

And who would Prof Bale put his money on?

"If Johnson can get through the parliamentary party, the membership would pick him.
R achel Riley has said she burst into tears as she read messages of support from fellow celebrities after being targeted over her comments on anti-Semitism.

The Countdown presenter thanked those who defended her as she faced a stream of abuse from online trolls and the hashtag #BoycottRachelRiley began trending on Twitter.

Comedian Katherine Ryan shared one of Ms Rileys posts and said she absolutely stands with her against the disgusting anti-Semitism she and people of the Jewish faith experience.

Ms Riley replied: Literally just burst into tears reading that. Thanks Katherine.

Among other celebrities who spoke out in support of the Countdown mathematician was comedian David Baddiel. He wrote on Twitter: [Ms Riley] is a member of an ethnic minority calling out racism vs that minority. For the crank left to start a #BoycottRachelRiley hashtag, something they'd never do to a member of any other minority, is just an example of how, as far as they're concerned, #JewsDontCount.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews said the hashtag tells you just about everything you need to know about these people. Racists and racism-apologists, attacking a Jewish woman for speaking out against anti-Semitism.

Womens rights activist Aisha Ali-Khan wrote: Whichever idiot started this hashtag should be ashamed of themselves! This is yet another example of a targeted campaign against a woman for speaking out.

It comes after Ms Riley last month threatened to take legal action against online trolls who allegedly sent her abuse online.

The presenter said she suffered with horrendous abuse on Twitter from Labour followers, particularly over her comments on Jeremy Corbyns handling of alleged anti-Semitism in the party.
A former soldier has told how he drew on his survival training to cope with sleeping rough in cities around the UK for a hard-hitting documentary.

Ed Stafford spent months without a warm bed and coped with little food and water as he faced the same challenges homeless people face each night while sleeping out in major cities.

The former army officer spent two months sleeping rough for three-part C4 documentary series 60 Days on the Streets.

He said he relied on survival skills but it was really his people skills that helped him the most.

Ed has spoken out about his own mental health issues and says that "chinks in my armour" helped with his 60 days on the street / Channel 4

It was personal skills  more than the sort of physical, army rufty-tufty stuff  that helped me, he told the Standard.

Being competent outdoors  go to the toilet, wash myself, sleep in a sleeping bag without being thrown by having to it all outside  was good grounding.

It was human skills that I needed.

I suffered from severe depression when I came off 60 days on an island between Fiji and Tonga, after doing an isolated survival project for the Discovery Channel.

Weirdly, I think it was this  actually not being perfect, having suffered a little bit of depression, having chinks in my own armour  that enabled me to have a bit more compassion and be able to relate a bit more to the people I met.

Stafford divided his sixty days on the streets between London, Manchester and Glasgow, with each of the cities documented in a separate episode of the TV series.

On the streets: Ed Stafford in Manchester / Channel 4

The third and final episode, which airs on Channel Four tonight, tracks his experiences in Scotlands largest city.

In tonights episode Ed encounters a man  Deryk  who describes the dangers, and occasional deception, behind begging in the city.

Deryk, who said he was stabbed and robbed on Glasgows streets, also reveals that he has his own flat in the city and normally wears designer clothes.

The man, who admits to having owned a wee flat for six, seven months, maybe longer tells Stafford: I dress down for the day to come in to make money. Today I'm not doing that so I just dress normal  as I normally would.

People don't give you money when you are dressed in expensive clothing  200 boots, 250 jacket and 100 jeans. They just don't do it.

Ed estimates that only 30 homeless people brave Glasgow's streets every night, compared to more than 1,000 in London.

Stafford is in Glasgow for the final episode of the three-part series / Channel 4

This last episode I think is a nice conclusion to the series because its kind of a ray of hope at the end of quite a dark tunnel, he said.

He describes the series as shining a light on the gritty reality of homelessness in the UK, but considers his time in Glasgow a breath of fresh air.

Glasgow had a very forward-thinking set of policies in terms of how to deal with rough sleepers.

I saw all sorts of positive examples of information sharing and collaboration between the different organisations that help homeless people.

Theres even a charity that was formed simply to allow all of the different institutions helping homeless people to talk to each other. They were operating in a very fractured manner before but now they hold a forum every week to discuss the issues.

Also  and I dont know whether Im being a little bit romantic in saying this  people seemed to care a lot more, from the local authorities, to the charities, to literally each of the rough sleepers that I spoke to that seemed to be interacting with each other.

There seemed to be more compassion.

I dont really understand why that is, aside from making the slightly twee assumption that Scottish people are maybe a bit more kind to each other than English people.

But it really did feel like that. It almost felt like it was a little village.

Stafford suggested that the English system would do well to take a leaf out of the Scottish citys book.

Theres always going to be social issues that we pay lip service to  and this isnt pointing the finger at British government or anything like that because this programme was never really intended for that  but I think at a human level, when you actually start caring, things start shifting.

And that seemed the main difference between Glasgow and the other two cities: it was just joined-up thinking, people going how are we actually going to fix this?
P rince William has written to the family of schoolgirl Molly Russell after her father claimed Instagram was partly to blame for his daughters suicide.

The Duke of Cambridge, who has in previously spoken out about the responsibility of social media firms to tackle harmful content, penned a private letter to the 14-year-olds relatives.

Molly, from Harrow in north-west London, took her own life in 2017 after viewing online content which promoted self-harm. Her father Ian Russel said Instagram helped kill his daughter.

Kensington Palace confirmed the duke had contacted the teenagers family on Wednesday. The content of his letter has not been made public.

The Duke of Cambridge has previously spoken out about social media firms and the responsibility they have to block harmful content / PA

In a speech in November, the duke accused tech giants of being "on the back foot" in tackling cyber bullying and hate speech online.

"The noise of shareholders, bottom lines, and profits is distracting them from the values that made them so successful in the first place," he said.

Mr Russell's comments on his daughter's death sparked a nationwide debate about how platforms including Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, deal with such issues.

In January, Mr Russel said he believed new legislation may be needed to police "disturbing content" online.

Molly Russel's father Ian is raising awareness of harmful content on social media / PA

His calls earlier this year came after Health Secretary Matt Hancock said social media firms need to "purge" the internet of harmful content that promotes self-harm and suicide.

Mr Hancock wrote to internet giants following Mollys death, telling them they have a duty to act.

The Health Secretary said he was "horrified" to learn of Molly's death, and feels "desperately concerned to ensure young people are protected".

In his letter to Twitter, Snapchat, Pinterest, Apple, Google and Facebook - which owns Instagram, he said: "I welcome that you have already taken important steps, and developed some capabilities to remove harmful content. But I know you will agree that more action is urgently needed.

"It is appalling how easy it still is to access this content online and I am in no doubt about the harm this material can cause, especially for young people.

"It is time for internet and social media providers to step up and purge this content once and for all."
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Following this announcement, Mobile TeleSystems ADR price fell $0.24 per share, or 3.08%, to close at $7.54 per share on March 7, 2019, damaging investors.

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M ore than 600 people were outside of a hotel disco before a crush which claimed three teenagers lives, police said.

Almost half have been interviewed by detectives probing the St Patricks Dar tragedy in County Tyrone.

Schoolchildren Morgan Barnard, 17, Lauren Bullock, 17, and Connor Currie, 16, died after people were trodden under foot near the entrance to the Greenvale Hotel in Cookstown on March 17.

The startling revelation about how many people were outside of the hotel disco comes after it was reported that Police Ombudsman Dr Michael Maguire is to examine how police responded when the first emergency call was made at around 9.30pm.

Police at the entrance of the Greenvale Hotel in Cookstown / PA

The total number of people outside before the crush has been revealed at 619, according to the police.

Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) detective chief superintendent Raymond Murray said: "By yesterday evening, detectives involved in the investigation had identified 619 people who were in the queue or car park on the evening of March 17th."

Connor Currie, 16, was one of those killed in the crush / PA

He said 267 of those have been fully interviewed using appropriately trained detectives.

He added: "We will be continuing to interview others over the next few days.

Lauren Bullock was killed in the crush in Northern Ireland

"We are very aware that this continues to be an extremely traumatic time for all of those who were at the Greenvale Hotel and witnessed the terrible events of that night.

"We have taken considerable steps to make it as easy as possible for them to provide their statements to police."

Greenvale Hotel in Cookstown Co. Tyrone in Northern Ireland / PA

Over 100 people attended a dedicated room at Burnavon Arts Centre in Cookstown and spoke to officers who are specially trained in interviewing young people.

Police are speaking to students at their schools.

Morgan Barnard was one of those killed in the hotel crush

Investigators have used a major incident public portal to allow people to upload mobile phone footage and images of the evening.

They have been downloading mobile phone footage from people at the scene using a cyber support vehicle in Cookstown.

The head of Ireland's Catholic church, Archbishop of Armagh Eamon Martin, said the deaths had created a "valley of tears" as back-to-back funerals were held for the three youngsters last week.

Detectives appealed for anyone else with information to come forward.
B ewildered parents are hiring 40-an-hour tutors to help them understand their childrens homework.

More than two thirds of parents admitted to not grasping their children's schoolwork in a survey of 2,500 parents conducted by London tutoring agency Tutor House.

Half of the parents surveyed worried they were hindering their childrens progress by trying to help.

Founder of Tutor House, Alex Dyer, said: To be honest, with the curriculum constantly being updated, its not a surprise that parents struggle to understand their childs homework.

"Its one of the main reasons families hire a tutor. At the same time, its quite sad, and I can imagine many feel inadequate that they dont know how to help.

Demand for private tuition of school pupils has risen sharply in recent years.

In July 2018, a survey published by education charity The Sutton Trust revealed that 27 per cent of secondary students in England and Wales have had home or private tuition. This figure hit 41 per cent in London.

Pressure over exam performance and competition for secondary school places has been blamed for the increase in tuition popularity.

Analysis released by the Good Schools Guide earlier this month warned that a record 115,000 children will miss out on going to their first-choice secondary school this year

New, tougher GCSEs were introduced in the UK in 2015, after a spokeswoman for the Department for Education said that Britain had fallen behind other nations in terms of achievement, and that the value of GCSEs has declined.

A fifth of respondents to the Tutor House survey said they regularly tried to help their children study, but found new terminology particularly baffling.

More than two thirds of the group also said they did not understand new teaching methods.

Mr Dyer said that the growing popularity of parent tutoring was the result of parents not communicating with parents.

'If you've got 30 kids in a class there's no way you can get through the course - and if you can't do that, you definitely can't communicate with the parents, Mr Dyer told MailOnline.

Tutor Houses parent tuition sessions will take place either online or in face-to-face lessons.
P rimary school pupils will learn about LGBT relationships following a landslide vote by MPs in the House of Commons.

The governments new LGBT-inclusive regulations for Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) were approved by 538 votes to 21, after Education Secretary Damian Hinds announced the proposed update last month.

Pending approval by the House of Lords, from September 2020 all secondary schools will be required to teach pupils about sexual orientation and gender identity, and all primary schools to teach about different families, including those with LGBT parents.

In the wake of the result, Green Party, MP Caroline Lucas, tweeted: Historic day for Sex and Relationships Education!

Delighted that long, long awaited regulations to keep children informed and safe have been passed today. Well done to so many for years of hard work.

The vote, which took place in the Commons on Wednesday, comes as a number of schools in Birmingham have stopped teaching about LGBT rights, following protests by parents.

Primary schools in Greater Manchester also reported complaints against RSE education classes, which Mayor Andy Burnham addressed in a statement on Wednesday.

It is right that children learn about all kinds of relationships and the equality of every relationship. This supports LGBT young people, teachers and parents and helps to build strong, cohesive and united communities, Mr Burnham said.

A number of non-governmental organisations have been involved in pushing for more inclusive RSE, including sexual health group The Terrence Higgins Trust and LGBT+ charity Stonewall.

Mo Wiltshire, Stonewalls Director of Education and Youth, said she looked forward to working with the government to delivery high-quality inclusive teaching and build on best practice.

These new subjects have the potential to deliver real change in how LGBT families, people and relationships are taught about, Ms Wiltshire announced in a statement.

This will help foster greater inclusion, acceptance and understanding in our classrooms, playgrounds and school corridors.

All students, whether they are LGBT or not, should have the time and space to learn about the diversity that exists and makes our world beautiful.
S ocial media influencers begging for free stays at a luxury beach club in the Philippines have been branded freeloaders by staff who told them they need to "actually work" to pay for their stays there.

The resort slammed entitled social media users who try to leverage their following to receive free food and accommodation.

A Facebook post from White Banana Beach Club Siargao said: "We are receiving many messages regarding collaborations with influencers, Instagram influencers.

"We kindly would like to announce that White Banana is not interested to 'collaborate' with self-proclaimed 'influencers'.

"And we would like to suggest to try another way to eat, drink, or sleep for free.

"Or try to actually work."

Following the post, which prompted a swathe of comments and debate, the resort shared another statement expanding on its stance, which said: "We want to clarify that we are not against INFLUENCERS.

"Just against freeloaders.

"A REAL influencer is called as such by the rest, he does not address him/herself as an influencer."

One social media "content creator" named Lance De Ocampo said he felt "strongly offended" by the statement because he felt they made a "hasty generalisation".

As he responded to the comments in an Instagram story he said he "would not have survived" if he "only relied on free stuff".

Some backed this opinion, with one writing: "Those with real influence do not need to beg for free whatever."

Some, however, defended the target of the backlash and said: "If these people formally sent you a message, I think they deserve a formal rejection as well. Not like this. "

Others suggested there may be some cynical attempt for promotion behind the post itself, with one saying describing it as "clever" before adding: "Bad publicity is still publicity."

The beach club's bar has since made a cocktail named "the influencer" in the wake of its post going viral.
T he mayor of Chicago has accused US actor Jussie Smollett of abusing the city the day after all charges against him were dropped.

Mr Smollett was accused of staging a hoax hate crime by saying two men had attacked him on a Chicago street, shouting racist and homophobic slurs.

Prosecutors accused him of paying brothers Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo to carry out the attack to advance his career, but the charges were abruptly dropped on Tuesday.

Cook County State's Attorney's office said it stood by its accusation of the alleged hoax but said the actor's prior community service and his agreeing to forfeit his $10,000 bond was a just outcome.

Speaking to ABC News the day after Mr Smollett walked out of court saying he had been vindicated, Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel hit out at the actor, accusing him of abusing Chicago.

"The state's attorney's office is saying he's not exonerated, he actually did commit this hoax," Mr Emanuel said. "He's saying he's innocent and his words are true. They better get their stories straight, because this is making fools of all us."

Saying he would like to see records from the investigation into the alleged attack made public, Mr Emanuel added: "Let's get to the bottom of this. Let's find out what happened."

Mr Smollett had been charged with 16 felony counts of disorderly conduct alleging he gave false accounts of an attack on him.

He earned widespread sympathy over his account of the alleged assault, but police arrested him on February 21, accusing the actor of paying the Osundairo brothers to stage an assault.

Actor Jussie Smollett / Getty Images

After the charges were dropped, Mr Smolletts attorney Tina Glandian told Good Morning America on Wednesday that the brothers lied, saying the actor had hired one of them as a personal trainer.

She said that Mr Smollett and the two brothers discussed training and nutrition in the hours before the attack as the actors flight to Chicago was delayed.

Ms Glandian claimed Mr Smollett, who she said just wants his life back, had no idea who attacked him until the brothers were later identified by police.

Mr Smollett pleaded not guilty to the charges, and told reporters on Tuesday he had been "truthful and consistent" in maintaining his innocence.
D onald Trump has blasted Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation into his election campaigns alleged ties with Russia as an attempted takeover of the government.

In his first interview since being cleared of collusion by the Mueller report, Mr Trump said: We can never allow these treasonous acts to happen to another president.

This was an attempted takeover of our government, of our country, an illegal takeover, he told Fox Newss Sean Hannity.

If the Republican Party had done this to the Democrats, if we had done this to President Obama, youd have 100 people in jail right now and it would be treason. It would be considered treason and theyd be in jail for the rest of their lives.

Special counsel Robert Mueller / AP

Going on the attack after Attorney General William Barr issued a four-page summary of the 22-month probe on Sunday, the president insisted he would get to the bottom of the allegations of Russian interference in his 2016 presidential campaign.

If you wrote this as a novel, nobody would buy it. It would be a failure, because it would be too unbelievable, he said. You had dirty cops, you had people who are bad FBI folks. At the top, they were not clean, to put it mildly.

Were getting to the bottom of it. This can never, ever happen to a president again. That was a disgrace and an embarrassment to our country Well have to see how it all started, but Im going to leave that to other people, including the attorney general and others, to make that determination.

Donald Trump: 'It was a complete and total exoneration'

In the 45-minute telephone interview, the president praised Mr Barr and refused to rule out pardons for aides such as former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who was convicted during the Mueller investigation.

Many, many people were hurt by this whole scam, said Mr Trump. I dont want to talk about pardons now, but its so sad on so many levels.

Although Mr Mueller found there was no collusion with Moscow, he did not exonerate Mr Trump of obstruction of justice. But Mr Barrs summary said there was insufficient evidence that the president committed a crime.

Mr Trump called Mr Barr  who is deciding how much of the report to make public  a great gentleman and suggested the investigation would not have gone ahead had he been in office earlier in his presidency.
A New York Jewish community invited nearly 600 Muslims to pray in their synagogue after fire damaged a neighbouring mosque.

The invitation extended by the congregation of the Central Synagogue, Manhattan, last Friday has been hailed as an important moment of interfaith solidarity.

Daniel Mutlu, senior clergy member at the historic synagogue told HuffPost: We talk a lot about the unity of people and the unity of love and that was so apparent on that day.

Muslim worshippers arrived at the Islamic Society of Mid-Manhattan for Friday prayers on March 22. The service was to mark the one-week anniversary of the New Zealand mosque attacks in which 50 people were killed.

However, a fire in a next-door restaurant two days before had damaged the worship space rendering it unsafe for use.

A rabbi from Central Synagogue noticed the crowd of people waiting outside the building, and told their imam that all were welcome to worship in their space, just a block away.

In a sermon posted online, the imam of the Islamic Society addressed his congregation, saying: The most blessed moment maybe in my life in New York, Im witnessing it right now.

I feel very good for all of you. You were able to be a part of this historic moment.

To witness the love and the care of our neighbours, who show us their love and solidarity.

And this is for real and faithful people what they should do.

Rabbi Mutlu said that the synagogue would welcome the Islamic Society back this Friday with open arms as they await repairs to their worship space.

One person can cause a lot of damage and cause a lot of pain, the cantor said, referring to the Christchurch shootings.

But we can come together and we can heal.

This is not the first time the two religious groups have collaborated.
P rince Charles and Camilla completed their tour of the Caribbean today with a whistle-stop visit to the Cayman Islands.

It was the final leg of their 12-day trip that took in five Commonwealth countries and a historic first royal visit to Cuba.

On arrival in the tiny British Overseas Territory, the heir to the throne opened the new Owen Roberts International Airport.

A large crowd greeted the royal couple after their RAF Voyager plane touched down, with schoolchildren handing Camilla a balloon ahead of the couples 14th wedding anniversary next month, below.

Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall attend the opening the new terminal as they arrive at Owen Roberts International Airport. / Getty Images

Premier Alden McLaughlin told them: It is my sincere hope you both enjoy your time here and return home with fond memories of these islands and our people.

Charles and Camilla were today carrying out a number of solo engagements on the islands, with the prince visiting the Blue Iguana recovery centre to learn about a programme to safeguard the threatened species.

The Prince of Wales meets the locals as he arrives at Owen Roberts International Airport, Cayman Islands. / PA

Later he was heading to a pagoda for a discussion with local businesses about how the finance industry can assist with environmental projects.
A teenager who pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment after pushing her friend off a 60ft bridge has been sentenced to two days in prison.

Taylor Smith, 19, pushed 16-year-old Jordan Holgerson off the Moulton Falls Regional Park bridge in south-western Washington state last August. She suffered punctured lungs and six broken ribs as she landed in the water below.

Smith was sentenced to two days in prison, ordered to pay a fine of $300 and have no contact with Ms Holgerson for two years at the district court hearing in Clark County yesterday.

She was further ordered to spend 38 days doing community service.

Taylor Smith pushes her friend off the bridge after she changed her mind about jumping

Reckless endangerment carries a maximum penalty of a year in jail and a $5,000 fine. However, a state prosecutor recommended the teenager receive a non-custodial sentence at a court hearing on 18 March.

Clark County District Court Judge Darvin Zimmerman addressed Smith before delivering her sentence, emphasising the severity of Ms Holgerson's injuries.

I think you need to do some jail time," he said.

Earlier in court proceedings, Judge Zimmerman heard from Ms Holgerson, her mother and the defendant.

A victims advocate read Ms Holgersons statement on her behalf after the 16-year-old grew too tearful to speak.

This nightmare started for me when I was falling through the air, and I was really terrified," the statement read.

"When I was being pulled from the water, I thought, Im going to die, because I couldnt breathe. And I was watching my body change colour by the second."

Her mother, Genelle Holgerson, told the judge she believed Smith should serve three days  the same number her daughter had spent in hospital following the incident.

After Taylor pushed her, she did not rush down to see if Jordan was OK, she left the scene, the Mrs Holgerson said.

She did not show up at the hospital to check on Jordan. She did not stop by our home to see if she was OK or in any other way act like a friend.

Smith apologised to Ms Holgerson during the hearing, saying she had grown as a person.

"Id like to sincerely apologise to Jordan Holgerson, her family and friends for the pain and humiliation I have caused by my mindless actions that occurred last summer, said Smith.

Although it may have seemed like my intent was to harm and like I may have moved on without putting any punishment on myself, this is false.

"Jordan has passed through my thoughts repetitively since the incident."
A woman in Bangladesh has given birth to twins almost one month after having a premature baby boy.

Arifa Sultana, 20, was rushed to hospital 26 days after giving birth to her first child and doctors were stunned to find she was still pregnant with twins in a second uterus.

They performed an emergency Caesarean and delivered a healthy baby girl and boy.

Ms Sultana, who is from a rural village, delivered her first baby at the Khulna Medical College Hospital.

She was rushed to the Ad-din Hospital in the Jessore district nearly a month later with stomach pains where Dr Sheila Poddar performed a Caesarean to deliver the other babies.

"When the patient came in we performed an ultrasound on her and found there were twin babies," Dr Sheila Poddar told the BBC.

"We were very shocked and surprised. I have never observed something like this before."

According to Dr Poddar, Ms Sultana did not know she had a second uterus as she was very poor and had never had an ultrasound before.

"The babies and her are all healthy. I am very, very happy that everything went well," Dr Poddar said.

Ms Sultana told AFP she was happy with her children but concerned about her financial situation.

Her husband earns less than 6,000 taka (53) a month as a labourer, but he said he would "try his best".
TORONTO, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wilmington Capital Management Inc. (Wilmington or the Corporation) today announces results from the Special Meeting of Shareholders held on March 28, 2019 in Calgary, Alberta (the Meeting).



Shareholders approved the special resolution relating to the sale of certain assets of the Corporation, including all of its equity interests in Real Storage Private Trust, Real Storage GP Inc. and 2242907 Ontario Inc. to StorageVault Canada Inc. (the Sale Transaction Resolution). The voting results for the Sale Transaction Resolution are set out below.

Class Votes For Votes Against Class B voting shares 839,426 (84.14%) 0 (0%) Class A non-voting shares and Class B voting shares (Combined) 7,613,974 (74.87%) 0 (0%)

Final voting results on all matters voted on at the Meeting are filed on SEDAR ( www.sedar.com ).

About Wilmington

Wilmington is a Canadian investment and asset management company whose principal objective is to seek out investment opportunities in the real estate and energy sectors, which provide shareholders with capital appreciation over the longer term as opposed to current income returns. Wilmington invests its own capital, alongside partners and co-investors, in hard assets and private equity funds and manages these assets through operating platforms.

WILMINGTON CAPITAL MANAGEMENT INC.

For further information, please contact:

Executive Officers

(403) 705-8038
I celandic airline Wow Air has ceased operating with all flights cancelled.

The carrier previously said it was in the final stages of completing an agreement over raising new funds with a group of investors.

Wow Air said in a statement: "Wow Air has ceased operation. All Wow Air flights have been cancelled.

"Passengers are advised to check available flights with other airlines.

File photo: Passengers were left stranded after the Icelandic airline cancelled flights

"Some airlines may offer flights at a reduced rate, so-called rescue fares, in light of the circumstances. Information on those airlines will be published, when it becomes available."

The carrier connected Europe and North America via Reykjavik, with UK flights serving London Gatwick, London Stansted and Edinburgh.

The airline, which was launched in 2012, had a fleet of 11 planes and employed around 1,000 people.

Denise Riordan was flying to Ireland to meet her six-month-old nephew for the first time at his Christening, but will now miss the family reunion after her flight was cancelled.

She was hoping to fly from BWI Airport in Baltimore to Dublin but has now been left stranded.

She said: The airline sent stock texts and emails offering a refund or rebooking but they arent in a position to do anything for passengers.

I am considering whether to pay a lot of money to go anyway - family is so important - but its $2000 return now, when Id paid $623.

You get what you pay for, or not, as the case may be.

Im feeling so disappointed but Im not going to let myself get angry.

The Civil Aviation Authority said travel firms with an Atol licence are responsible for making alternative arrangements to bring their customers home if they are currently overseas with a Wow Air booking.
T hey joked about it last year, but Jagermeister has come good on its promise to release its very own egg in time for Easter.

The German drinks brand has created 38g chocolate eggs which are filled with a silky Jager-infused cream at the centre.

Tim Hawley, Innovation Controller at Jagermeister UK said, The last three years weve been inundated with customers demanding the #JagerEgg, weve had everything from desperate DMs to pleading phone calls. Its personally kept me up at night thinking about all those people tossing and turning, dreaming of the #JagerEgg that never was - so this is for them.

Similar to the much-loved Cadburys creme egg, this one is strictly for adults only as each egg contains 3 per cent alcohol.

While you cant buy Jager Easter Eggs individually, to mark their first ever release, Jagermeister is selling them in black and gold branded gift boxes containing two gold foiled eggs, two shot glasses and a 10cl green bottle of the iconic digestif.

Theres a limited edition run of just 250, so if you want one, youd better get cracking.
A riana Grande has teased her upcoming new song with fellow musician Victoria Monet.

The pop princess, who recently kicked off her Sweetener tour, has hinted at details of her latest musical venture.

Taking to social media Grande shared a string of exchanges with Monet, with whom she co-wrote hit track Thank U, Next, which teased details of the release.

She wrote: Man, lets drop it tomorrow night @VictoriaMonet seven rings is ab to be number one for eight weeks and the album might go back to no. 1 too.... we need to celebrate tbh ! life too short and too sweet rn. hmmmmmmm. [sic]

Excitement: Grande teased the upcoming release / Ariana Grande Twitter

The cryptic post was followed up by Monet, who told the star that they should drop the song on Monday instead so they can celebrate an eighth week at number one for 7 Rings.

Grande added: Word its also like .... not mastered or ready or delivered lmaooo. see, this is why i cant go on twitter anymore. i get too excited and say s*** i shouldnt. however, monday is soon enough ! we love uuu.[sic]

Monopoly: Monet appeared to hint at the title of the song / Victoria Monet Twitter

Monets final message in the chain appeared to reveal the name of the mystery track as she told followers its going to be #MonopolyMonday, hinting the song title is Monopoly.

Fans were sent into meltdown over the revelation with many joking that Grande never sleeps.

One user posted: When I say u NEVER stop feeding us I really mean it. I love u. wow.

Another added: This is a dream a literal dream.

Ariana Grande International Woman award acceptance speech Brit Awards

A third joked: Can you slow down or?

Last week Grande embarked on the start of her Sweetener world tour, named after her 2018 album.

The opening New York show made headlines after she appeared to start with a tribute to her late rapper ex-boyfriend Mac Miller with a song of his playing out across the Times Union Center, before she took to the stage.

The start of the tour comes after a tumultuous year for Grande following her split from fiance Pete Davidson and Millers death.
J ordan Peele has sparked a backlash after revealing he has no plans to cast a white actor as the lead in any of his films.

Speaking at New Yorks Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, the Oscar-winning director, who recently released horror movie Us starring Lupita Nyong'o and Winston Duke, said that he feels fortunate to give black people a platform.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, he said: "I dont see myself casting a white dude as the lead in my movie. Not that I dont like white dudes. But Ive seen that movie.

The way I look at it I get to cast to black people in my movies. I feel fortunate to be in this position where I can say to Universal, I want to make a $20 million horror movie with a black family.' And they say yes."

His comments were met with fury, with some branding the move double standards.

One user wrote: Now why the hell is it ok for @JordanPeele to say he can't see himself casting a white dude??? If a white director were to EVER say this is would be an all out race war. I'm so sick of this double standard! Why does ANYONE have to bring colour in it!?!? #whatajoke #DoubleStandard.

@JordanPeele I am a white male & I just dont see myself ever paying to see one of your movies ever again since you do not ever 'see yourself casting a white dude as a lead'. How would you react to a white director saying the same thing about an African American actor? #racism, said another.

However, others threw their support behind Peele for taking a bold move towards diversity in Hollywood.

One user tweeted: Jordan Peeles doing what bigoted a******* encouraged us to do when they were decrying POC being centred over white characters or cast in roles they thought should be reserved for white actors. 'Make your own stories but dont put them in *ours*.' He did it and theyre still mad.

Backlash: The comments were met with a mixed reponse / Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP

Peele is yet to respond to the backlash over his comments.

Last year he revealed that Kanye Wests bizarre snaps of an empty corridor had sparked inspiration for a potential sequel to Get Out.
A two-hour Game of Thrones documentary is set to air after the show comes to an end, HBO has announced.

Titled Game of Thrones: The Last Watch, the feature-length film will explore the creation of the shows most ambitious and complicated season, the channel said.

The documentary was directed by British filmmaker Jeanie Finlay, who was granted unprecedented access to the shows set while season eight was being filmed.

In a statement announcing the project, HBO promised that the film would be much more than a making of documentary, describing it as funny and heart-breaking.

Finale: the concluding series of Game of Thrones will air in April / HBO

Game of Thrones: The Last Watch delves deep into the mud and blood to reveal the tears and triumphs involved in the challenge of bringing the fantasy world of Westeros to life in the very real studios, fields and car-parks of Northern Ireland, the statement read.

Made with unprecedented access, Game of Thrones: The Last Watch is an up-close and personal report from the trenches of production, following the crew and the cast as they contend with extreme weather, punishing deadlines and an ever-excited fandom hungry for spoilers.

Game of Thrones: Trailer for final series released

Much more than a making of documentary, this is a funny, heart-breaking story, told with wit and intimacy, about the bittersweet pleasures of what it means to create a world  and then have to say goodbye to it.

The film will air on May 26 on HBO in the US, one week after the show bows out with the final episode of series eight. Sky Atlantic is yet to confirm a UK broadcast date.

Game of Thrones returns for a final season on April 15, simulcasting with the US at 2am. Episodes will then be repeated at 9pm on Sky Atlantic that day.
A Sex and the City follow-up series is in the works, based on a new novel by author Candace Bushnell which focuses on the love lives of women in their 50s and 60s.

Is There Still Sex In The City? will be published in the US in August, and a TV adaptation is currently in the works at Paramount, with Bushnell writing the pilot script and serving as an executive producer.

According to an official synopsis, the book and show will follow the love and dating habits of middle aged women as they continue to navigate the ever-modernising world of relationships.

But, fans of the original series will be disappointed to learn that it will not follow the adventures of Carrie Bradshaw and co.

Spin-off: the new series will reportedly focus on a different set of characters. / Getty Images

The show will instead focus on new characters who are based between the Upper East Side of Manhattan and a country enclave known as The Village, Deadline reports.

It didnt used to be this way, Bushnell said in a statement announcing the project. At one time, fifty something meant the beginning of retirement  working less, spending more time on your hobbies, with your friends, who like you were sliding into a more leisurely lifestyle.

In short, retirement age folks werent meant to do much of anything but get older and a bit heavier. They werent expected to exercise, start new business ventures, move to a different state, have casual sex with strangers, and start all over again.

But this is exactly what the lives of a lot of fifty- and sixty something women look like today and Im thrilled to be reflecting the rich complexity of their reality on the page and now on the screen.

Success: the series inspired two hit spin-off films (Warner Bros)

Paramount Television president Nicole Clemens said: The original Sex and the City book and series served as a ground-breaking touchstone for an entire generation of women, myself included.

Were thrilled to be able to continue that conversation from the underrepresented point of view of women in their 50s.

The original Sex and the City series was based on Bushnells 1997 essay collection of the same name, and aired on HBO from 1998 to 2004.

It starred Sarah Jessica Parker as Manhattan-based columnist Carrie Bradshaw, and chronicled the lives and loves of her and her three best friends, Charlotte (Kristin Davis), Samantha (Kim Cattrall) and Miranda (Cynthia Nixon).

The success of the show spawned two spin-off films, released in 2008 and 2010, and prequel series The Carrie Diaries, which aired on The CW.
T he latest social media craze doesnt feature avocados, cats or head-stands on a beach. But if youre in possession of a sold-out Minkeh (thats an anti-bacterial cleaning cloth, FYI), you too could become a cleanfluencer.

The current fascination with cleaning on Instagram has seen a surge in hashtags such as #cleaningobsessed and #cleaningtime, and made stars out of the likes of Sophie Hinchliffe aka Mrs Hinch (two million followers).

This 28-year-old hairdresser from Essex has acquired a Hinch army who tune in to watch her scrub her sink and disinfect her toilet, and the products she uses, such as the sponge she calls Minkeh, caused the Minky website to crash under the demand.

Then theres Lynsey Queen of Clean Crombie, who has 114,000 followers, and Gemma Bray, The Organised Mum, with 143,000.

Across the Atlantic, Melissa Maker has more than a million subscribers to her YouTube channel, Clean My Space, where she posts videos such as How to Clean a Fridge! and How to Unclog a Toilet.

Chicago-based Becky Rapinchuk has 310,000 followers on her Clean Mama Instagram page  a typical post shows a sparkling sink with tips on how to speed-clean your bathroom.

The rise of cleaning influencers on social media is fundamentally about order during uncertain times, says Dr Stephanie Baker, a sociology lecturer at the University of London and author of the forthcoming book Lifestyle Gurus.

Tidying up has consistently featured in self-help literature since the 19th century and has achieved tremendous growth with the rise of lifestyle media and home makeover programmes. Beyond having a clean home, it is about creating a structured environment in which to flourish when the world feels disordered.

So blame Brexit, basically. And although scrubbing the floor isnt exactly the sexiest of topics, the tech industry is now not only focusing on our smart homes but how to keep them spotless.

Last week Dyson unveiled its latest vacuum cleaner, the Dyson V11 (499.99), which has a high-torque floorhead which can intelligently detect the surface its on, and change its suction power accordingly.

Weve been developing vacuums for more than 25 years, says James Dyson, who prototyped 32,500 parts to give the V11 20 per cent more suction than the previous model. The evolution never stops. With the Dyson V11 cord-free vacuum our focus was not only on improving performance, but on adding intelligence to genuinely assist peoples cleaning.

Dyson's latest robot vacuum cleaner / Dyson

We may not have a robot maid like The Jetsons yet but the number of robotic vacuum cleaners and mops on the market make poor Henry and Cos days seem numbered. Dysons 360 Eye Robot Vacuum (799.99) and the iRobot Braava jet mop (249) are best-sellers: Dysons is voice-activated, has turbocharged suction and use sensors to navigate around obstacles; the iRobot Braava Jet Robotic Mop has a precision jet spray and vibrating cleaning head.

Even everyones most hated job  scrubbing the loo  could become a thing of the past, if youre willing to invest 4,672 in the Kohler Veil Intelligent toilet, which uses UV light and electrolysed water systems to sanitise surfaces.

Anyone whos been to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas over the past few years has seen the explosion of home-cleaning robots and appliances, says trend forecaster Lucie Greene.

There are now automated laundry washing and folding machines, intelligent dishwashers that detect how dirty your dishes are and set their own cycle, and washing machines that learn your habits and adapt water usage to save money based on the weight of the load.

Its not just appliances that are getting smarter, were expecting more from our cleaning products too. Consumers are becoming aware that chemically clean or stripped-out spaces and surfaces are not necessarily great for us or the environment, says Greene. Millennials expect natural and organic products. That extends to cleaning habits.

Jet-powered: the iRobot Braava mop has three clever cleaning modes / iRobot

Leading the charge in eco-friendly cleaning products is Tincture, whose white bottles would look more at home at a spa than on your sink. The company is the brainchild of Kensington-based Angelika Davenport, who came up with the idea seven years ago after struggling to find a non-toxic cleaning product that didnt aggravate her childrens asthma and eczema.

Studies have found that exposure to chemical agents in cleaning products can be as harmful to the respiratory system as smoking 20 cigarettes a day, says Davenport. These cleaning products are going in to the water supply and harming the environment. I didnt want to clean my home with vinegar but I thought there must be a better way.

Tinctures collection of products uses only essential oils and plant extracts, and are free from chemicals, parabens, synthetic fragrances and dyes. The bottles look expensive, and they are (the washing up liquid is 4.99 for 475ml), but Davenport believes Tincture products are an investment in our health and the environment.
NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES



TORONTO, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Trigon Metals Inc. (TSX-V: TM) (Trigon or the Company) has closed its previously announced non-brokered private placement financing (the Offering). The Company issued 15,200,414 common shares (the Shares) at a price of $0.10 per Share for gross proceeds of $1,520,041.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering to advance its project finance transaction with Shandong Xinhai Mining Technology & Equipment Inc. and other interested parties, property maintenance and security for the Kombat Project, and for general corporate purposes.

Closing of the Offering remains subject to the final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. The Shares issued pursuant to the Offering will be subject to a four month and one day statutory hold period expiring on July 29, 2019. The Company did not pay any finders fees in connection with the Offering.

Certain directors and officers of the Company have subscribed for Shares pursuant to the Offering (the Insider Participation). The Insider Participation will be considered to be a related party transaction as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 (MI 61-101). The Insider Participation is exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101.

Cost Cutting Initiatives

Management of Trigon is currently focused on ensuring the majority of the capital is used to advance the development of the Kombat Project. Monthly corporate overhead expenses have been reduced by approximately $60,000, in ways that should not impact our ability to advance the project on the ground.

Closing of the Offering introduces Silvercorp Metals Inc. (Silvercorp) as a strategic investor into Trigon.

Jed Richardson, President of Trigon, commented: We are pleased to welcome Silvercorp on board as a new strategic partner to Trigon, a strong financial and technical partner that shares my commitment to seeing this mine back in production, with strong returns for our shareholders and the community where we work. We are also pleased with the progress made on our cost cutting initiatives and reiterate our focus on bringing the Kombat mine back into production.

Silvercorp is a low-cost silver-producing Canadian mining company with multiple mines in China. Silvercorp, which is publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: SVM) and on NYSE American (NYSE: SVM), is Chinas premier silver producer, as well as a producer of lead, zinc and gold. Silvercorps vision is to deliver shareholder value by focusing on the acquisition of under developed projects with resource potential and the ability to grow organically.

Board and Management Appointments

The Company also announces the resignation of Mr. Mark Eaton from the board of directors of the Company to make way for the appointment of Mr. Gordon Neal to the board, Silvercorps appointee to the Companys board of directors.

Mr. Neal is currently the President of New Pacific Metals Corp. He was previously Vice President of Corporate Development for Silvercorp, and prior to that, Vice President of Corporate Development for MAG Silver Corp. Mr. Neal has more than 30 years experience in governance, corporate finance and capital markets. He has served on the boards of Falco Resources, Balmoral Resources, Americas Petrogas, Rockgate Capital, and Xiana Mining. Mr. Neal graduated from Dalhousie University with a B.Sc. in Biochemistry. He has also served as a member of the Dalhousie University Senate and Board of Governors.

Trigons board of directors would like to thank Mr. Eaton for his contributions to Trigon and welcomes Mr. Neal to the Company.

Trigon Metals Inc.

Trigon is a publicly traded Canadian exploration and development company with its core business focused on copper operations in Namibia, one of the worlds most prospective copper regions, where it has substantial assets in place. The Company continues to hold an 80% interest in five mining licenses in the Otavi Mountain lands, an area of Namibia widely recognized for its high-grade copper deposits. Within these licenses are three past producing mines including the Companys flagship property, the Kombat Mine.

For further information, contact:

Jed Richardson

+1 416 861 5893

jed.richardson@trigonmetals.com

Website: www.trigonmetals.com

Cautionary Notes

This news release may contain forward-looking statements. These statements include statements regarding the Offering, the expected use of proceeds of the Offering, the impact of board appointments, cost cutting initiatives, the Companys future plans and objectives, the Companys ability to restart the Kombat mine, and the Companys strategies and abilities to execute such strategies. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially because of factors discussed in the management discussion and analysis section of our interim and most recent annual financial statements or other reports and filings with the TSX Venture Exchange and applicable Canadian securities regulations. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable laws.

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.
ST. JOHNS, Newfoundland and Labrador, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fortis Inc. ("Fortis" or the "Corporation") (TSX/NYSE:FTS) continues to strengthen its commitment to a cleaner energy future with positive announcements at two Fortis utilities this week.



Tucson Electric Power ("TEP") announced the construction of the US$370 million Oso Grande Wind Project (also referred to as the New Mexico Wind Project). Once constructed, this 247megawatt ("MW") wind farm will become TEP's largest renewable energy resource, enough to power nearly 100,000 homes.

FortisBC announced its energy conservation and efficiency program expenditures will increase substantially to $368.5 million over the 2019-2022 period. The new program represents a doubling of expenditure in 2019 and a tripling of expenditure by 2022. The new program will lower energy use, emissions and costs in everything from hospitals to homes. Customer benefits include extending the residential high-efficiency natural gas furnace rebate to be offered year-round and providing greater access to certified experts to help manage energy use.

"With this wind farm and other upcoming projects, TEP's renewable energy production is expected to exceed 28 percent of its retail sales by 2021, bringing the utility close to the 30 percent goal it has planned to achieve by 2030. FortisBC's conservation and efficiency program enhancements are expected to decrease carbon dioxide emissions by 50,000 tonnes annually, the equivalent of taking close to 11,000 cars off the road," said Barry Perry, President and Chief Executive Officer, Fortis. "The actions of TEP and FortisBC are examples of the good work taking place across all Fortis utilities to transition to a lower-carbon economy."

EDF Renewables North America will develop the wind farm for TEP through a build and transfer agreement. The project was selected through a competitive bid process and will qualify for federal tax credits that are expected to recoup more than two thirds of its cost over its first ten years of operation, savings that will be passed along to TEP's customers. Construction is expected to begin later this year and the wind farm should be online by the end of 2020.

Over the next two years, TEP's clean energy resources will be boosted by the Oso Grande Wind Project and two other large new projects expected to come online in 2020:

The 99-MW Borderlands Wind Project in western New Mexico. This project is being developed through a power purchase agreement with Borderlands Wind LLC, a subsidiary of NextEra Energy.

The Wilmot Energy Center in southeast Tucson, which will include a 100-MW solar array and a 30-MW battery storage system being developed through a power purchase agreement with NextEra Energy.

FortisBC's enhanced energy conservation and efficiency plans incorporate feedback from extensive consultation with customers and stakeholders and a comprehensive review of British Columbia's ("B.C.") energy savings potential. The plans were designed with the intent of helping achieve the goals and targets set out in B.C. legislation including the Clean Energy Act and the Energy Step Code.

"We continue to execute on our five-year $17.3 billion capital plan with sustainability and delivering cleaner energy as one of our key focus areas," added Mr. Perry. "Our commitment to sustainable practices remains front and centre while serving our communities across North America."



About Fortis

Fortis is a leader in the North American regulated electric and gas utility industry with 2018 revenue of C$8.4 billion and total assets of C$53 billion as at December 31, 2018. The Corporation's 8,800 employees serve utility customers in five Canadian provinces, nine U.S. states and three Caribbean countries.

Fortis shares are listed on the TSX and NYSE and trade under the symbol FTS. Additional information can be accessed at www.fortisinc.com, www.sedar.com, or www.sec.gov.

Forward-Looking Information

Fortis includes "forward-looking information" in this media release within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively referred to as "forward-looking information). Forward-looking information included in this media release reflects expectations of Fortis management regarding future growth, results of operations, performance and business prospects and opportunities. Wherever possible, words such as "anticipates", "believes", "budgets", "could", "estimates", "expects", "forecasts", "intends", "may", "might", "plans", "projects", "schedule", "should", "target", "will", "would" and other similar terminology or expressions have been used to identify the forward-looking information, which includes, without limitation: the Corporation's forecast capital expenditures for the period 2019 through 2023 and the nature, timing, expected costs and benefits of certain projects, including the Oso Grande Wind Project, Borderlands Wind Project, Wilmot Energy Center and the increase in energy efficiency capital expenditures at FortisBC.

Forward-looking information is subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Certain material factors or assumptions have been applied in drawing the conclusions contained in the forward-looking information. These factors or assumptions are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations generally, including those identified from time to time in the forward-looking information. Such risk factors or assumptions include but are not limited to: the implementation of the Corporation's five-year capital plan; no material capital project and financing cost overrun related to any of the Corporation's capital projects; and risks relating to failure to complete the transaction and the timing thereof. Fortis cautions readers that a number of factors could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results discussed or implied in the forward-looking information. These factors should be carefully considered and undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking information. For additional information with respect to certain of these risks or factors, reference should be made to the continuous disclosure materials filed from time to time by Fortis with Canadian securities regulatory authorities and the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking information included in this media release is given as of the date of this media release and Fortis disclaims any intention or obligation to revise or update any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

A .pdf version of this press release is available at : http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/3de2ddf5-b6aa-472b-949b-83aa4ecf0cc3

For more information please contact:
NEW YORK, March 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Acreage Holdings, Inc. (Acreage) (CSE: ACRG.U) (OTC: ACRGF) (FSE: 0ZV) Chairman and CEO Kevin Murphy provided the following statement regarding todays successful vote of the U.S. House of Representatives Financial Services Committee. The Committee voted in favor of the SAFE Banking Act, which would allow cannabis businesses to work with banks and credit unions. The vote advances the bill to the House floor.



Statement From Kevin Murphy, Chairman and CEO of Acreage:

Today, the House Financial Services Committee signaled to the entire Congress that lawfully licensed cannabis businesses require access to traditional banking services like any other business. By passing with such overwhelming support - with 100% of Democrats and more than 40% of Republicans - we are a step closer to aligning federal policies to support the economic growth of the fastest growing industry in the US. While today marks a welcomed and deserved win, we still have work to do, including ensuring access to capital markets.

ABOUT ACREAGE HOLDINGS

Headquartered in New York City, Acreage is the largest vertically integrated, multi-state owner of cannabis licenses and assets in the U.S. with respect to the number of states with cannabis related licenses, according to publicly available information. Acreage owns licenses or has management services agreements in place in 19 states (including pending acquisitions) with a population of more than 172 million Americans, and an estimated 2022 total addressable market of approximately $14 billion in legal cannabis sales, according to Arcview Market Research. Acreage is dedicated to building and scaling operations to create a seamless, consumer-focused branded cannabis experience. Acreages national retail store brand, The Botanist, debuted in 2018.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking information, including, for greater certainty, statements regarding expanding our industry-leading footprint, rolling out a national brand, pending legislation, successful completion of our pending acquisitions and opening of new cannabis markets. Generally, forward-looking information may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as plans, expects or does not expect, proposed, is expected, budgets, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates or does not anticipate, or believes, or variations of such words and phrases, or by the use of words or phrases which state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, or might occur or be achieved. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. This forward-looking information reflects Acreages current beliefs and is based on information currently available to Acreage and on assumptions Acreage believes are reasonable. 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 Acreage to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; general capital market conditions and market prices for securities; delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals; the actual results of future operations; operating and development costs; competition; changes in legislation or regulations affecting Acreage; the timing and availability of external financing on acceptable terms; favorable production levels and outputs; the stability of pricing of cannabis products; the level of demand for cannabis product; the availability of third-party service providers and other inputs for Acreages operations; and lack of qualified, skilled labor or loss of key individuals. A description of additional assumptions used to develop such forward-looking information and a description of additional risk factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking information can be found in Acreages disclosure documents, such as Acreages listing statement filed on November 14, 2018, on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com . Although Acreage 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. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the expectations of Acreage as of the date of this news release and, accordingly, is subject to change after such date. However, Acreage expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities law. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider has reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release.

Investor Contact:



Steve West

Vice President, Investor Relations

Investors@acreageholdings.com

646-600-9181 Media Contacts:



Howard Schacter

Head of Communications

h.schacter@acreageholdings.com

646-600-9181




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The AGERPRES National News Agency joined European Data News Hub (EDNH), a benchmark website for major European issues, subsidised by the European Commission, but with total editorial independence.

AGERPRES is part of the news agencies consortium which produce the website - the AFP agency based in Paris, the Italian news agency ANSA and the German press agency dpa.

Already recognised as a benchmark website on major European issues, the EDNH launches a new version of its platform. Already available in five languages - English, German, French, Italian and Spanish - from now on, the EDNH will also broadcast information in Hungarian and Romanian. Just like over the past two years, the platform will provide to European press and other readers text, photos, infographics and 3D videos.

"We are delighted to contribute to the EDNH by distributing verified information and correctly obtained data to the public. The EDNH has an essential mission to promote a better understanding of the major challenges which the European Union is confronted with, at a time when disinformation campaigns are proliferated," AFP Regional Director Europe Christine Buhagiar said.

The EDNH content, which isn't subject to copyright, can be downloaded and published by the media and distributed by online users. The EDNH is subsidised by the European Commission and benefits from total editorial independence.
Romania's and Japan's Communication Ministries agreed to conclude a cooperation accord regarding the exchange of experience and good practices, in view of developing the Society 5.0 concept of communication infrastructures for future technologies and cyber-security, Communication Minister Alexandru Petrescu stated on Thursday after the meeting in Bucharest with Japan's Ambassador to Romania Hitoshi Noda.

"At international level, the digital transformation registers an accelerated growth pace at all levels and through the development of smart cities, global innovation ecosystems and intelligent networks, the architecture of a society of the future which will focus on the citizen's comfort and security is shaped. In this regard, I agreed with Japan's Ambassador to Romania Hitoshi Noda, the conclusion of a cooperation agreement with the counterpart minister regarding the exchange of experience and good practices, in view of developing the Society 5.0 concept of communication infrastructures for future technologies and cyber-security," Petrescu stated.

According to a Communication and Information Society Ministry (MCSI) release sent to AGERPRES on Thursday, in the context in which Japan is world leader in the technology area and the initiator of the "Society 5.0" concept, the two officials talked about the punctual solutions regarding the creation of a modern society to respond to the challenges by incorporating innovative technologies, such as internet of things, robotics, artificial intelligence, big data, in the economic, industrial branches and in the citizens' lives.

Japan's Ambassador welcomed the sustained efforts of the Romanian Presidency at the EU Council on the digital area and commended the events which the MCSI organises on the sidelines of the six months of this mandate, as being highly important for the development of the digital ecosystem, the quoted source mentions.
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Romania's Supreme Court's Justice Crime Investigation Division (SIIJ) has ordered the closing of a case that targeted, among others, First Vice-President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans.

"The Justice Criminal Investigation Division of the Prosecutor's Office attached with the Supreme Court of Justice on March 27, 2019, ordered closed a criminal case generically called 'Timmermans' involving the offence of abuse of office, as described by Article 297 in Romania's Criminal Code, misrepresentations, as described by Article 321 in the Criminal Code, the communication of false information, as described by Article 404 in the Criminal Code, and the creation of an organised crime group, as described by Article 367 in the Criminal Code, since it has been established that no evidence has been produced that would have led to the reasonable assumption that the alleged facts existed in their materiality," according to a court's press statement.

In January, the Lumea Justitiei (Luju.ro) filed a complaint against Frans Timmermans, European Commissioner Vera Jourova, Head of the EC Representation in Romania Angela Cristea, and Attorney General Augustin Lazar for the alleged creation of an organised crime group, abuse of office, misinterpretations, communication of false information all related to an alleged falsification of a report on Romania's progress under the Co-operation and Verification Mechanism (CVM).

The Luju.ro complaint said that the report was drawn up by distorting facts or circumstances by failing to insert essential data and circumstances directly related to the CVM objectives and the use of criminal techniques distorting the reality and the truth about the state of justice in Romania, in order to use the report against the interests of the Romanian state.
Romanian Crown Custodian, Margareta, was proud to receive the Award for the most influential personality in Romania at the Forbes Woman Gala held at Bragadiru Palace on Wednesday night.

Read also: PMP's Basescu, about announcement on move of Romanian Embassy to Jerusalem: 'Act of foolishness'

"I am very proud, because here we are talking about values, principles - and this is somewhat missing in today's society - and about courage, because I feel courage here in a sense of community. You are courageous and professional. And I greatly appreciate that. To hope that I can go forward with the force you represent. Thank you very much for this award," said MS Margareta.

Raluca Michailov, general manager of BP Publishing Media, editor of "Forbes Romania" magazine, praised on this occasion "the elegance, the dignity and wisdom" of MS Margareta.

The Romanian Crown Custody, Margareta, ranked first in 2014 and second in 2015 in the Forbes Magazine Top of the Most Influential Women in Romania. Since 2016, MS Margareta has been awarded the Award for the most influential personality in Romania at the Forbes Woman Gala.

At the event, which celebrated the most important women's figures in Romania, models in business, politics, philanthropy, public relations, education or sport, Crown Custodians Margareta was accompanied by Prince Radu.

AGERPRES .
Stella Ronner-Grubacic, Ambassador of the Netherlands to Romania, had a meeting with Justice Minister Tudorel Toader on Thursday, expressing concern over the amendment to the Criminal Codes by emergency ordinances.

This meeting is part of a regular dialogue with the Ministry of Justice. As you know, there are many discussions about one or several emergency ordinances. I could say that I had a very good meeting with the minister and I conveyed our concerns. We have concerns about an ordinance that could pass, perhaps today or tomorrow, that amends the Criminal Code, and I hope that our concerns will be understood, said the ambassador after meeting with Tudorel Toader.

The Ministry of Justice has recently submitted to the Superior Council of Magistrates a draft legislative act amending and completing Law 286/2009 on the Criminal Code and Law 78/2000 on the prevention, detection and sanctioning of corruption acts, as well as a draft amending and completing the Law 135 / 2010 on the Code of Criminal Procedure, as well as other normative acts.

One provision stipulates that the conviction decision cannot be based to a determining extent on the statements of the investigator, the collaborators or the protected witnesses.

Another amendment to the Criminal Procedure Code refers to public communication and the provision of information during criminal prosecution and trial of the case.
The staff of the Israeli Embassy in Bucharest on Thursday cast ballots for the April 9 parliamentary election in Israel, with ambassador David Saranga mentioning that the first time he voted abroad was in Romania in 1999.

"We, here abroad, all Israel's missions in the world are voting today, because the vote must reach Israel before the elections, so that on April 9, after the day the elections end, everyone will know what happened, who won; the fact that we are voting today shows that we, diplomats from all over the world, are part of this democracy of Israel," Saranga told AGERPRES.

In total, 26 people registered to vote at the Embassy of Israel.

He added that his people are very interested in what is happening on the political stages.

"Israelis are very interested in the election, I think we are one of the most political nations, and every person in Israel has an opinion about what's going on, so the Israelis are going to the polls in a huge turnout," he said.

He also mentioned that he had voted abroad for the first time 20 years ago when he was a deputy chief of mission.

"The first time I voted abroad was here in Bucharest in 1999, when I was Israel's deputy chief of mission in Bucharest in May 1999. That was the first time. (...) the last time I voted abroad was in 2009 in New York," said Saranga.
A trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and Vietnam eliminating a significant number of custom taxes will bring new advantages to the business milieus in these two areas, the Ministry for Business Environment, Trade and Entrepreneurship (MMACA), informed on Thursday in a press release to AGERPRES.

The signing of the trade agreement and the organisation in Bucharest of a Romanian-Vietnamese business forum were the main topics approached at today's [Thursday] meeting between the Minister for Business Environment, Trade and Entrepreneurship, Stefan-Radu Oprea, and the Ambassador of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in Romania, Dang Tran Phong.

The economic forum is being organised on the sidelines of the visit in Bucharest of Prime Minister Bguyen Xuan Phuc, who is answering thus to an invitation extended by the Romanian PM Viorica Dancila, with important Vietnamese companies to participate, as they will be on an economic mission in Romania on April 14-16.

"The two officials appreciated the concrete cooperation opportunities, in fields of common interest such as: energy, oil and gas, car industry and IT. The entrepreneurs who will accompany the Vietnamese PM will also have the chance to have some B2B meetings under the Romanian-Vietnamese business forum, to be organised in April with the support of the chambers of commerce and industry of the two countries. At the same meeting, Minister Oprea assured the Vietnamese diplomat of Romania's support for the signing of the Free Trade Agreement. This topic is a priority of the Romanian presidency of the Council of EU and it was also included with the agenda of the informal meeting of trade ministers that took place in February this year in Bucharest. The Romanian official invited, in this context, the Vietnamese partners, to join the message sent by Romania to the European business community to promote an international trade framework based on rules," reads the same press release.

According to the official data, on December 31 2018, the value of bilateral trade exchanges between Romania and Vietnam reached 214.9 million US dollars, down 5.32 per cent compared with the same period of 2017.

Moreover, exports accounted for 45.05 million US dollars and imports for 169.89 million US dollars.

Trade exchanges between Romania and Vietnam saw a significant increase in the past 10 years (+108.7 per cent against December 31 2009), with exports increasing by 164 per cent and imports doubling.
The opposition Save Romanian Union - PLUS Alliance (USR-PLUS) believes that President Klaus Iohannis should participate in a government meeting that is supposed to deal with controversial ordinances on the criminal codes in order to block their adoption, USR national leader Dan Barna said on Thursday.

He announced having sent a letter to Prime Minister Viorica Dancila asking her to give up on the adoption of the ordinances and he also submitted a similar document to the European partners.

"There is again the aggression with the ordinances. This threat, which has kept Romanians in the streets ever since Ordinance 13 almost continuously, is almost here again, as we see that [justice minister] Tudorel Toader and Mrs Dancila are talking again about the ordinances on the criminal codes and our position is very clear: the ordinances do not need to be issued. I have sent Mrs Dancila a letter in which we are asking for that backed by arguments. We are also sending a similar document to the European partners informing them and asking them for a firm position against the position of the government to issue ordinances on the codes," Barna said at a news conference.

USR-PLUS argues the ordinances are "sabotaging" justice.

"There is an optimistic thread, nonetheless, that these ordinances will be dropped. If they remain on the agenda of tomorrow's meeting, we think it would be a good idea for President Klaus Iohannis to take part again in the government meeting and chair it to block these ordinances, because these ordinances only continue to sabotage justice," added Barna.

He said that in drawing up these ordinances, Toader ignored the positions of the professional associations and the Venice Commission.
Senator Traian Basescu, Romania's two-term president (2004-2009 and 2009-2014), who opens the list of PMP (People's Movement Party) candidates in the European Parliament election, reiterated on Wednesday that "it is an act of foolishness" what the Government did through Prime Minister Viorica Dancila with regard to the announcement on the relocation of the Romanian Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Read also: Simona Halep, impressive qualification for Miami semis (WTA)

"In foreign policy, everything is possible, but it is very important when you do it, how you do it, and what the advantages and disadvantages are. What the Government did through Madame Dancila is an act of foolishness. Why? First of all, there was no correlation between the stance of the Government and the foreign policy holder, who is the President of Romania. You need a decree issued by the President of Romania to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Or how does one commit to changing the location of the embassy without having the president's consent. We are at a time when Romania wants to receive the majority votes of the UN member states to obtain a non-permanent term of office of the Security Council. How do you think Romania will receive at least a vote from the Arab countries - and there are many," Basescu said at the Central Electoral Bureau.

He added that there have been "50 years of balanced foreign policy, in which Romania was a good partner and a credible partner for both the Arab world and the Palestinians, and for Israel."

"At this moment, we are no longer a credible partner for the Arab world. OK, you can assume such an attitude, but how useful are you to Israel at this time, given that the promise will not be fulfilled, because the president has a completely different point of view. So you have just provoked a scandal, you have lost your credibility, and then you do not even solve the problem. How stupid can you be to do this? I am just wondering," Basescu concluded.

AGERPRES .
Romania has the second largest area of forests registered with the UNESCO World Heritage Forest Programme after Ukraine, Romania's Minister of Waters and Forestry Ioan Denes told an international World Heritage Beech Forests workshop hosted by Sibiu City on Thursday.

"The year 2019 is an important year to Romania, given that it had committed to organising this Sibiu workshop this year to develop a best practice guide on forest management in the UNESCO buffer zone. After finalising the list of UNESCO forests as part of the 41st session of the World Heritage Committee in Krakow, July 4-12, 2017, Romania has the largest area of forests registered with the World Heritage Forest Programme. The most valuable among the outstanding testimonies in the history of humankind and natural history are included in the UNESCO World Heritage, because their saving and preservation is important to the world community, and Romania enjoys such testimonies of nature which value recommended them for the world heritage(...)," Denes said.

He also announced that the annual meeting of representatives of the 12 countries with forests under the UNESCO World Heritage Forest Programme will be held at Gura Humorului, May 22-23, 2019.

"In Suceava, Romania has perhaps the oldest forest, declared a natural forest as far back as 1907, a part of the site. The meeting at Gura Humorului is an important one, because you, the specialists, will draw up the necessary documents to prepare for a favourable resolution at the next general meeting of the UNESCO Heritage Committee to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, in July 2019," said Denes.

Denes on Thursday paid a working visit to Sibiu County accompanied by senior official Daniel-Constantin Coroama, Director General of the Romsilva National Forest Administration Gheorghe Mihailescu and ministerial adviser Ciprian Musca.

Also in Sibiu are representatives of the 12 World Heritage Beech Forests Conference state parties, as well as many representatives of environmental organisations from countries that have beech forests.

Romania currently has the largest forest area under beech in the European Union - 23,983 hectares (26.7pct), while Ukraine has the largest such area in Europe Europe - 26,742 hectares (29.8pct).

In 2019, Romania coordinates the activities of the 12 states parties - Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Italy, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Ukraine, Germany, Slovakia, related to the transnational series of the site.
On Thursday, in the afternoon, at Parliament House, His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC presided at a meeting of the Executive Council.

Following, His Excellency commenced duty as Administrator of the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia, and the Honourable Justice Walter Sofronoff assumed duty as Acting Governor of Queensland.

In the evening, at RAAF Base Amberley, His Excellency and Mrs Kaye de Jersey attended a reception for 2019 Air Force Week.
Description

GIS - 28 March, 2019: The 5th edition of the annual SIL (State Informatics Ltd) e-Gov conference, aiming to share new technological trends that affect governments around the world with regard to artificial intelligence and blockchain, opened yesterday at the Hilton Hotel in Flic-en-Flac. The theme of the conference is "AI & Blockchain in Government". The Minister of Technology, Communication and Innovation, Mr Yogida Sawmynaden, and other personalities were present at the opening ceremony. The 5edition of the annual SIL

In his address, Minister Sawmynaden, highlighted that the ultimate goal of Government is to meet the needs of citizens and engage them by streamlining service delivery and bringing accuracy, promptness, and transparency. The conference, he indicated, will act as a platform to inform the Government and stakeholders about the latest trends in the high-tech world and also pave the way for collaboration between government entities and the private sector. He emphasised that Government will continue to promote innovation and new technologies as essential tools, and added that ICT-based activities create opportunities for employment, offer prospects to young entrepreneurs and provide means to improve the performance and productivity of traditional sectors.

Speaking about the benefits of blockchain, Mr Sawmynaden underlined that it is the next disruptive technology that can potentially change the process in which governments and the corporate operate in Mauritius and abroad. By making data accessible through a common digital platform, blockchain can effectively become a game changer whenever a transaction occurs, where trust is at a premium, and where people need protection from identity theft including in the public sector, he said.

Furthermore, the Minister dwelt on the various initiatives being undertaken by his Ministry so as to ensure an effective public service delivery. They include: e-government and e-services which consist of reviewing the current processes and work procedures in the public sector so as to better serve our citizens and businesses. He also stated that a definite digital transformation is possible through the collaboration of the public and private sector and all stakeholders. He thus called on their concerted efforts to pave the way towards making ICT one of the principal pillars of the economy.
Description

GIS  28 March, 2019: The High Commissioner of Canada to Mauritius, Mrs S. McCardell, paid, yesterday afternoon, a farewell call on the Prime Minister, Minister of Home Affairs, External Communications and National Development Unit, Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth , at the New Treasury Building, in Port-Louis.

In a statement to the press, Mrs McCardell underlined that discussions with the Prime Minister focused mostly on the bonds of friendship uniting Mauritius and Canada, both being French-speaking countries, and through the Commonwealth. Canadian-Mauritian bilateral relations are dynamic and this partnership has gained considerable momentum in a number of areas such as education, she indicated.

Speaking about further collaboration between Canada and Mauritius, the High Commissioner pointed out that both countries are poised to explore bilateral opportunities in different spheres, namely tourism, education, climate change and environment. The Blue Economy which represents a huge area for Mauritius can be a great link to further unite the two countries, she added.

High Commissioner McCardell recalled that around 6 500 Canadian tourists come to Mauritius yearly and according to her, there is an opportunity to significantly increase this number.

Mrs McCardell has served as High Commissioner of Canada to Mauritius for a period of three years.
Now Its Official: God, Not the Russians, Elected Trump

The conclusion of the Mueller inquiry should be welcomed by everyone because it frees up resources that can now be used to determine whether God had a hand in electing Donald Trump.

Governments that pride themselves on being either democratic or republican in nature claim that they are empowered by the will of the people, but the sad reality is that most regimes come to power based on promises that they have no intention of honoring after the election is over. In the United States we have seen President Donald Trump quite plausibly enjoy a margin of victory that was due to his pledges to end Americas involvement in senseless Middle Eastern wars and to mend relations with Russia. Neither has occurred, quite the contrary, with a serious threat that war with Iran on behalf of Israel is imminent and a relationship with Moscow that is worse than it was in the latter phases of the Cold War. Whether all of that is due to Trumps own character and intellectual failings or instead the fault of the advisors he has chosen to listen to remains somewhat unclear.

Even when something emerges that might provide clarity over specific issues, some leading government official inevitably steps in and says something that suggests that the politicians are incapable to dealing with anything outside the scripted responses that they are accustomed to rely on.

The recently released long-awaited Mueller report on the 2016 election did not find any evidence that senior members of the Trump campaign conspired with the Russian government to change the outcome, a proposition that has largely been promoted by Hillary Clinton and her supporters. The full report, if it ever surfaces unedited, may or may not determine that there was some influencing activity by Moscow on the peripheries of the electoral process, but everyone agrees that the result was not materially influenced by any foreign government. Nevertheless, the wily but brain-dead Senate Major Leader Mitch McConnell acknowledged the report with I welcome the announcement that the Special Counsel has finally completed his investigation into Russias efforts to interfere in the 2016 elections. Many Republicans have long believed that Russia poses a significant threat to American interests. I hope the Special Counsels report will help inform and improve our efforts to protect our democracy.

Mitchs apparent belief that the Kremlin was the target may surprise some who thought that the purpose of the investigation was to uncover possible collusion by the Trumpsters, something that apparently was not demonstrated in the case of Russia but was revealed regarding Israels overtures to National Security Advisor designate Michael Flynn. However, while it is perfectly acceptable or even expected to say nasty things about Russia, doing the same about Israel is a no-no, so McConnell was being politically astute in failing to take the bait.

But the conclusion of the Mueller inquiry should be welcomed by everyone because it frees up resources that can now be used to determine whether God had a hand in electing Donald Trump. In a story reported by the BBC and elsewhere, dispensationalist Secretary of State Mike Pompeo responded oddly to a question regarding the Jewish Purim holiday, which commemorates the alleged rescue of the Jewish people by Queen Esther from the Persians. When Pompeo, at the time in Israel, was asked if President Trump right now has been sort of raised for such a time as this, just like Queen Esther, to help save the Jewish people from an Iranian menace he answered that As a Christian, I certainly believe thats possible. I am confident that the Lord is at work here.

So, Pompeo is confident that God elected Trump to protect the Jews from Iran. It is an interesting observation, particularly as the biblical Purim-Esther story has the Jews killing 75,500 Persians and then feasting to celebrate the event.

One must consider that the theory that there was a possible divine intervention to bring about the result of the 2016 election to save the Jews is possibly the most frightening bit of commentary to come out of the entire feckless Trump national security team. Pompeo, by virtue of his office, has great power to do good or ill and he has clearly chosen to make decisions relating to the conduct of United States diplomacy based not on American interests but rather on his own personal religiosity as reflected in his interpretation of a religious text. Has Pompeo never heard of separation of church and state?

Further, Pompeo is promoting American interference in an election in Israel which might have led to a rejection of the extreme right-wing philosophy that guides its current government. The recent White House move to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights was clearly part and parcel of a plan to promote Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the candidate who would be best able to secure unlimited support from Washington. More might be coming in the form of some additional recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Palestinian West Bank prior to the April 9th election or even some military action against Iran. Pompeo clearly believes that this is all part of some divine plan.

Anyone who persists in thinking that nations should pursue policies that are proportionate, rational and based on genuine interests should be appalled by the Pompeo comments and fearful of what the consequences might be.

Given the awfulness of the Pompeo remarks, one might wonder where is the condemnation of them on the editorial pages of the New York Times or the Washington Post? Surely there should be a demand for his resignation as he is suggesting that the United States should be fighting a divinely mandated war against Iran to protect Israel which is, for what its worth, not actually threatened by the Iranians while even the Pentagon has declared Iran to be a rational actor in foreign policy. But one hears mostly silence. The Washington Establishment clearly believes that one can and should condemn Russia without any evidence, but one cannot investigate or even challenge a Secretary of State who believes that he is receiving his guidance directly from God.
Why Therell Be No US-Russia Reset Post-Mueller

The notion that Russia interfered in the US elections  even without Trumps collusion  has become an article of faith among the American political and media establishment.

President Donald Trump and his White House team may have been cleared of collusion with the Kremlin in the 2016 presidential election. That startling conclusion by Special Counsel Robert Mueller after nearly two years of investigation, might be viewed by some as giving Trump freedom to now get on with normalizing relations with Moscow. Dont bet on it.

Muellers report, and US attorney general William Barrs appraisal of it, only partially vindicate Trumps long-held claims that the whole so-called Russiagate story is a hoax.

Yes, Mueller and Barr conclude that neither Trump nor his campaign team conspired with Russia to win the presidential race. But Democrat opponents are now dredging up the possibility that Trump unwittingly facilitated Kremlin cyber operations to damage his 2016 rival for the White House, Hillary Clinton.

In his summary of Muellers report, Barr unquestioningly accepts as fact the otherwise contentious claim that Russia interfered in the US election. Democrats and the anti-Trump US news media have not been deterred from pursuing their fantasy that the Kremlin allegedly meddled in US democracy. Trump has been cleared, but Russia has certainly not. It very much continues to have the smear of interference slapped all over its image.

At the heart of this narrative  bolstered by Mueller and Barr  is the false claim that Russian cyber agents hacked into the Democrat party computer system during 2016 and released emails compromising Clinton to the whistleblower website Wikileaks. That whole claim has been reliably debunked by former NSA technical expert William Binney and other former US intelligence officials who have shown indisputably that the information was not hacked from outside, but rather was released by an insider in the Democrat party, presumably based on indignation over the partys corruption concerning the stitch-up against Clintons rival nomination for the presidential ticket, Bernie Sanders.

That is real scandal crying out to be investigated, as well as the Obama administrations decision to unleash FBI illegal wiretapping and dirty tricks against Trump as being a Russian stooge. The Russian collusion charade was always a distraction from the really big serious crimes carried out by the Obama White House, the FBI and the Democrat party.

In any case, the notion that Russia interfered in the US elections  even without Trumps collusion  has become an article of faith among the American political and media establishment.

That lie will continue to poison US-Russia relations and be used to justify more economic sanctions being imposed against Moscow. Trump may be cleared of being a Kremlin stooge. But he will find no political freedom to pursue a normalization in bilateral relations because of the predictable mantra about Russia interfering in American democracy.

But there is a deeper reason why there will be no reset in US-Russia relations. And it has nothing to do with whether Trump is in the White House. The problem is a strategic one, meaning it relates to underlying geopolitical confrontation between Americas desired global hegemony and Russias rightful aspiration to be an independent foreign power not beholden to Washingtons dictate.

Russia under the leadership of President Vladimir Putin has presented a somewhat shocking quandary for the US ruling class. It found that Russia was no longer in the servile business of rolling over to pander to Washingtons tyranny in international relations. Under Putin, Russia shook off the vassal status that it had unfortunately acquired under the feckless presidency of Boris Yeltsin (1991-99).

Putins landmark speech in Munich in 2007 was certainly a watershed moment in geopolitical relations whereby the Russian leader condemned US rampaging across the Middle East with criminal wars.

Then there was the failed attempt in 2008 by the US and NATO to over-run Georgia, failed because of a decisive military intervention by Russia in support of neighboring South Ossetia.

The return of the Cold War in US-Russia relations under former President GW Bush was due to the realization in Washington that Putin and Russia were no longer subordinates that could be pushed around for the gratification of American imperialism.

The Americans then tried another tack. Public relations and inveigling.

When Barack Obama took over the White House in 2009, there was the famous reset policy initiated by Washington towards Moscow. In March 2009, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton greeted Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Geneva with a jokey reset button, purportedly to demonstrate a willingness in Washington for a new beginning in bilateral relations.

Ominously, Clintons State Department mislabelled the button with the Russian word for overload not reset. Her inane cackling to ingratiate herself with the skeptical Lavrov was also a giveaway of a phony reset.

Look how hollow such ostensible claims for reset by Washington have since manifested.

Admittedly, there was a significant gain in Obamas negotiation of substantial nuclear arms reductions with the New START treaty in 2010.

However, it didnt take long until Washington was back to its usual business of subversions and covert wars for regime change against foreign states that didnt kowtow to its dictates. We saw this with ample evidence in the overthrow of Libyas government in 2011, the attempted ouster in Syria beginning the same year, and the even more daring American intervention in Ukraine in early 2014 when it installed a rabidly anti-Russian regime through an illegal coup detat.

We are also presently seeing this criminal American imperialism being conducted brazenly towards Venezuela, where Washington wants to overthrow a socialist president in order to get its corporate hands on the South American countrys vast oil wealth.

All the while, Russia has become ever more resolute its defiance of Washingtons global gangsterism. Moscows military defense of Syria from US-led regime change was certainly a pivotal moment in defining the limits of Moscows tolerance, as was Russias defense of Crimea.

For these reasons, Washington in its chagrin has moved to abandon the other major arms control treaty, the INF, which could allow it to install short and medium-range nuclear missiles in Europe, thus aggravating threats and tensions with Russia. The future of the much-vaunted New START treaty is also in doubt because of American vacillation. So much for Obamas reset.

These are the structural, strategic factors in why Washington is set on a course of hostility towards Moscow. It has got very little to do with President Trump being in the White House or whether he has been cleared of collusion with Moscow.

The fundamental issue for Washington is that Russia is not a vassal for American imperialism. Thats why there will be no reset. There will only be reset when American imperialism is replaced by a law-abiding, genuinely democratic US government. Until then, expect more US hostility, confrontation and even war towards Russia.
The U.S. Army is developing a master defense system for vehicles that will control one or more APS (Active Protection System) capabilities. The testbed for this is MAPS (Modular Active Protection Systems) and it is being developed by an American firm. MAPS is designed to link different types of sensors (such as built-in sensors found on the most modern tanks) with defensive systems for different types of threats. This would make it easier for a MAPS equipped vehicle to upgrade APS capabilities quickly.

The current MAPS has only one APS capability; to disable wireless electronic guidance systems of incoming ATGMs (anti-tank guided missiles). MAPS has done very well with this capability. The next step is to integrate a module that handles the non-electronic (or wireless electronic) guidance systems found in many common portable anti-tank weapons (like RPGs/rocket-propelled grenades and wire-guided TOW ATGM) that are still around. During the recent (2012-18) fighting in Syria RPGs and TOW systems (both the U.S. original or the Iranian copy) were a major cause of damage to (or destruction of) even the most modern tanks (like the Russian T-90). MAPS is being developed to not only deal with more types of threats but to make it easier to update to deal with new threats, including those no one has thought up yet. Thus the main feature of MAPS is the modularity that allows rapid updating of APS defenses on MAPS equipped vehicles. Meanwhile, the most effective APS out there concentrates on detecting and destroying any slow (sub-sonic) moving object coming at a tank. Supersonic objects are shells fired from a cannon, including the cannon mounted on tanks and these tend to be defeated by passive systems (composite armor and explosive bricks).

Lockheed is trying to perfect the next generation APS using the MAPS approach. So far American firms have been coming in second to Israeli APS designs. Aside from world-class engineers and scientists, Israel has a unique advantage; their vehicles are under constant attack by anti-tank weapons. This threat adds urgency to Israeli firms developing APS defenses.

Other nations are accepting the fact that tiny Israel is the leader when it comes to APS. In 2018 the U.S. Army arranged to upgrade 261 of its M1 tanks with the Israeli Trophy APS by 2019. Trophy has already been tested on the M1. Trophy has been around for a decade and has gained considerable combat experience. The U.S. has noted that Western tanks, like the M1 and Leopard 2 are vulnerable to the weapons Trophy defeats. This was demonstrated recently in northwest Syria where Turkey lost at least ten Leopard 2s and older American M60s to Kornet ATGMs (Anti-Tank Guided Missile). Russia also lost many T-90s to ATGMs. Had the Turks or Russians been using Trophy they would have reduced those losses considerably.

Israel has been a pioneer in APS development and there are several Israeli firms developing and selling APS gear. One of those firms created the Iron Fist APS, which lost out to Trophy in the competition to get the lucrative contracts to equip Israeli tanks with APS. In response, the Iron Fist manufacturer (IMI), despite losing out in 2010 to Trophy (from Rafael), continued development without government funding. As a result, Iron Fist developed into an APS that is lighter, more compact, easier to install and, on paper at least, has more features. Thus Iron Fist will be equipping lighter American armored vehicles like the M2. Iron Fist contains heat sensing as well as radar to detect threats and that includes rifle and machine-gun fire. These weapons cannot damage armored vehicles but it is useful for the crew to know where the fire is coming from.

A full-size Iron Fist installation can also jam guidance systems on some missiles and has a lower false-alarm rate. The lightweight version of Iron Fist has fewer features but this system can be installed on much lighter vehicles like trucks. While Iron Fist has not been proven in combat like Trophy the manufacturer says it has worked well in tests and that was enough to encourage the American and Dutch armies to evaluate it on some of their armored vehicles. The Israeli army also selected Iron Fist for its Nemer heavy IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicle).

Iron Fist recently replaced a similar American developed APS called Iron Curtain that was going to be used on Stryker armored vehicles. Iron Curtain was created by American firm Artis which began development in 2005 and was part of a Department of Defense effort to catch up in APS development. That did not work out and by 2018 Artis was dropped as a contender

Until recently Trophy was the only APS most people heard about. That is largely because Trophy was the first APS to perform frequently and successfully in combat. In 2010 the first battalion of Merkavas was equipped with Trophy. Then in 2011 Trophy defeated incoming missiles and rockets in combat for the first time. This included modern ATGMs like the Russian Kornet E. This is a laser guided missile with a range of 5,000 meters. The Kornet launcher has a thermal sight for use at night or in fog. The missile's warhead can penetrate enough modern tank armor to render the side armor of the Israeli Merkava tank vulnerable. The Kornet E missile weighs 8.2 kg (18 pounds) and the launcher 19 kg (42 pounds). A few weeks before the ATGM intercept Trophy defeated an RPG warhead (an unguided rocket-propelled grenade fired from a metal tube balanced on the shoulder). As it was designed to do, Trophy operated automatically and the crew didn't realize the incoming RPG warhead or missile had been stopped until after it was over. That is how APS is supposed to work and Trophy has proved to be the most reliable and effective APS out there. By 2012 Israel was convinced sufficiently to equip all the Merkava tanks in an armor brigade with the Trophy APS. Now the U.S. Army is equipping three brigades with Trophy.

This first combat use was a big deal because APS has been around for nearly three decades but demand and sales had been slow until there was actual proof that the APS concept worked in combat. The main purpose of APS is to stop ATGMs aimed at tanks. But for more numerous but less heavily armored vehicles stopping RPG type warheads is important as well. The Israeli Trophy APS uses better, more reliable, and more expensive technology than the original Russian Drozd (or its successors, like Arena) APS. This includes an electronic jammer that will defeat some types of ATGMs. For about $300,000 per system, Trophy will protect a vehicle from ATGMs as well as RPGs (which are much more common in combat zones). Israel is the first Western nation to have a lot of their tanks shot up by modern ATGMs and apparently fears the situation will only get worse. Trophy protected Israeli tanks from ATGM and RPG attacks during the 50 Day War with Hamas in mid-2014 and ever since.

In 2015 a lightweight (200 kg/440 pound) version of its Trophy APS called Trophy LV was introduced. This is intended for MRAPs (heavily armored trucks), IFVs (Infantry Fighting Vehicles) and other heavy vehicles that are lighter than tanks. The regular Trophy weighs about a ton and is one of several APS models on the market but it is also the one with the most impressive combat record. The Israeli manufacturer of Trophy also partners with American firms to manufacture Trophy and Trophy LV for the U.S. market. But in this case, another Israeli firm entered the American market with the similar and more capable Iron First.

Israel first encountered ATGMs, on a large scale, in the 1973 Arab-Israeli war. But these were the clumsy first generation missiles that turned out to be more smoke than fire. More recent ATGM designs have proved more reliable and effective but no nation, except Israel, has yet made a major commitment to APS. That may now change simply because effective APS like Trophy are available and losses to RPG and ATGM are growing.

Most APS consist of a radar to detect incoming missiles and small rockets to rush out and disable the incoming threat. A complete system weighs about a ton. There is also a Trophy Light (weighing half a ton) for lighter, often unarmored, vehicles and now the even lighter Trophy LV for vehicles as small as a hummer.

Russia pioneered the development of these anti-missile systems. The first one, the Drozd, entered active service in 1983, mainly for defense against American ATGMs. These the Russians feared a great deal, as American troops had a lot of them, and the Russians knew these missiles (like TOW) worked. Russia went on to improve its anti-missile systems but was never able to export many of them. This was largely because these systems were expensive (over $100,000 per vehicle), no one trusted Russian hi-tech that much and new tanks, like the American M-1, were seen as a bigger threat than ATGMs.
Description

GIS  28 March, 2019: A national workshop for the validation of the outcomes of component one of the Adapt Action Programme set up by the Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD), opened this morning at La Pirogue Hotel in Flic en Flac. The Programme has as objectives to help 15 vulnerable developing countries from Africa and Small Islands Developing States to achieve low-carbon and climate resilient development with a focus on adaptation to climate change.

For Mauritius, the Adapt Action Programme is focusing on three key sectors, namely: climate change vulnerability and adaptation assessment; the formulation of the National Land Drainage Master Plan; and the elaboration of a new framework to enhance National Disaster Risk Reduction Management.

In his address at the opening ceremony, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Social Security, National Solidarity, and Environment and Sustainable Development, Mr Nazir Soobratty, underlined the alarming effects of climate change and observed that the world has experienced an unprecedented series of four warmest years. In the wake of extreme weather events, climate-related risks to health, livelihoods, food security, water supply, human security and economic growth are projected to worsen globally in the coming years, he said.

The Permanent Secretary underscored the urgent need for bold and concrete actions to combat climate change. We need to build resilience, reduce our vulnerability and strengthen our capacity in terms of disaster risk reduction and management, and more importantly as a Small Island Developing State, our priority remains adaption, he stated. In this regard, he highlighted Governments proactive stance and indicated that 2% of the countrys GDP, roughly USD 285 M, is earmarked annually for environment and climate change related actions as well as some USD 57 M has been injected into a National Environment Fund portfolio to implement measures such as flood management, and rehabilitation of eroded beaches.

Other series of measures to improve response and preparedness to disasters include: the setting up of an institutional and legislative framework through the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act (2016), a Land Drainage Authority Act (2017), and a Local Government (Amended) Act (2018), to effectively manage flooding and water accumulation.

According to the Permanent Secretary, along with Governmental initiatives, the technical and financial support from the international community is essential to meet the Mauritiuss objectives for a climate resilient and safer country. To that end, he underlined that the Adapt Action Programme will enable Mauritius to assess its vulnerability in terms of coastal erosion, sea-level rise, loss of habitat, and water vulnerability in specific vulnerable regions. France, he further emphasised, is a longstanding and key partner to Mauritius and has provided support to the countrys socio-economic development. The AFD, he said, has provided considerable assistance to Mauritius in a number of important environmental and climate change related projects, namely the formulation of our Nationally Determined Contributions.

The workshop and the Adapt Action Programme

The workshop aims at validating the findings of Component One of the Programme which focuses on climate change vulnerability assessment on coastal zone and recommendations for adaptation measures to reinforce resilience capacities on coastal zones.

Under the Adapt Action Programme, Mauritius is to benefit in terms of capacity building, feasibility studies and impact assessment to the tune of Euros 2 M. The assistance will help Mauritius to access funds from the Green Climate Fund and other funding institutions for the implementation of the Mauritius Nationally Determined Contributions.
A lone pit bull wanders down a gravel road lined by rusty fences.

Lawns are covered in knee-length grass, windows are cracked, and paint is peeling away from small houses dotted along the estuary side.

A security guard keeps watch outside a bright-blue house with police tape hanging across its driveway.

This is Little Waihi - a community that last week was rocked when the body of two-year-old Nevaeh Jahkaya Whatukura Ager was found in the mudflats.

Her body was found after 10.40am on Thursday, 21 March, following a police response to reports of disorder in the area.

Inquiries soon began and on Tuesday, 26 March, police announced the results of an autopsy had caused them to upgrade the investigation to a homicide.

A dive squad began searching the waters around Little Waihi.

Locals in the town said they were deeply saddened by the incident, but not necessarily surprised.

One neighbour says calls had been made to Oranga Tamariki, police and Te Arawa Lakes Trust about Nevaeh's safety - and concerns had been held up to six months before her death.

But locals say those had gone ignored and Nevaeh had been allowed to stay.

The neighbour said there had been a man living in the community who was "bizarre".

The neighbour told RNZ the man would splash about in the estuary making strange poses, hit a pole in his back yard with a belt, and bang sticks against fences.

Another local said that same man was full of contempt; someone else said he was a "drug nut".

Christine Willis says the community is like a whanau and is devastated by the loss.

She says a service had been held the day Nevaeh's body was found and that everyone in the settlement had attended. They threw flowers in the water and said a prayer.

Christine says the town had decided Nevaeh's death would not be in vain, and they had already taken steps to ensure it's not.

A new initiative is in the works to create better lines of communication with the police and a zero-tolerance for P strategy might soon be introduced.

Those trying to rehabilitate and get off methamphetamine were welcome - but people who wanted to use the town as a hideout from the police were not, says Christine.

The investigation is ongoing, and detectives remain in the town.

Oranga Tamariki say privacy waivers were needed for any information to be released and police said they would not comment as the investigation is ongoing.
Tauranga City and Western Bay of Plenty District Council Mayors welcome members of their communities to join them to watch the simulcast of the national memorial service this Friday at Trustpower Baypark Arena from 9.45am.

The intent of the National Remembrance Service is to bring people and communities together to reflect honour and mourn, says a statement released by the Tauranga City Council.

This give New Zealanders of all ethnicities and beliefs the opportunity to remember those who lost their lives and to gather together to emphasise that New Zealand is a country of diversity, acceptance, hope and peace.

People are able to come and find a seat from 8.30am for the 9.45am start.

There is plenty of onside parking available, including accessibility parking.

Due to New Zealands risk level remaining at high, there will be a visible police presence at the service and the possibility of bag searches.

Please join us on Friday March 29 from 9.45am to 11am at Trustpower Baypark Arena, so we can stand together at the same time in our grief, and to show aroha and compassion to those who have been affected.
An 11-year-old boy from Pyes Pa, and one of the smallest schools in the Western Bay of Plenty have topped the whole country in raising funds during the Shave for a Cure 2019 fundraiser for leukaemia and blood cancer research.

Sam Murfitt, age 11, raised $9,080 for the Leukaemia & Blood Cancer Society by having his head shaved outside Farmers in the Bayfair Shopping Centre. He leads the country, with the second highest fundraiser raising over $6,000.

Across the other side of town, Pahoia Primary School raised more than $10,000 - the most of any school in the entire country, when six hairdressers shaved 23 heads.

The annual Shave for a Cure Week is the annual fundraising activity for Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand (LBC). This organisation supports the 21,000 Kiwis living with blood cancers and receives no Government funding so every dollar raised is essential for support services, advocacy and to fund research projects. One Kiwi is diagnosed with blood cancer every four hours.

Farmers stores around the country hosted community shaves to help fundraise for kiwis living with blood cancer. Will Johnston from The Hits compered the Farmers Mount Maunganui Shave for a Cure event.

Sydrina Nicholls, Sam Murfitt, 11, and Manihera Gardiner, 12

Sam wrote on his fundraising page: My stepdad, Chris, was diagnosed with leukaemia in February 2018. I am shaving my hair to raise funds for Chris and other families going through leukaemia.

This time last year my mum cried non-stop for a few months. But the Leukaemia & Blood Cancer Society supported our family through plain English resources, a monthly support group and Chris and mum went to the national conference in Wellington last September.

Sams mum Kirsten Murfitt came with Sam to Farmer, however his stepdad Chris Minty had to be in Auckland on the day of the Shave for a Cure.

Chris is up at Northshore Hospital on a trial at the clinic, says Kirsten. The trial costs $18,000 per month.

The Cancer Society has given us so much support. Sam has raised over $9,000. Were hoping to get to $10,000. Our original goal was $500, so were just blown away about the generosity.

Sams done fantastically with his fundraising, says Laura Hyde, who is the Donor Development Manager for Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand. Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand receive no government funding, so everything we achieve, all the support  we give to patients and their families.

Carolyn Redshaw, Sydrina Nicholls, Sam Murfitt, 11, and Manihera Gardiner, 12, Will Johnston, and Kamira Terangi.

All the research we fund it only possible because of the amazing fundraisers like Sam and everybody else. Our mission is to care, our vision is to cure.

Were really pleased to be able to support this worthy cause, says Tim Willson, Store Manager at Farmers Mount Maunganui. Its great for New Zealanders.

Manihera Gardiner, age 12, from Tauranga Intermediate, and mother-of-two Sydrina Nicholls from Matakana Island also came to Farmers Mount Maunganui to have their heads shaved by Carolyn Redshaw, a barber from Perus Hairtek at Bayfair, and Kamira Terangi, a hairdresser from Links Hair Direction.

Pahoia Primary School

The Pahoia Primary School team managed to shave 23 heads, including two teachers and 21 students. Their goal was to raise $6,000.

By raising over $10,000, they beat their previous years total, and have raised more than $15,000 in two years. They remain the leading school in the country.

This included five extremely brave girl with extremely long locks! says Sarah Oemcke, a teacher at Pahoia Primary. We had six hairdressers from Havana barbers take the afternoon off to help us! Our school only has 200 students. We are a relatively small rural school! This is a big deal for us.

Pahoia Primary School students Shave for a Cure. Photo: Supplied

The Shave for a Cure fundraising initiative ran from March 18  24, with 987 people having their heads shaved, and more than $450,000 raised.

Its not too late to still be involved with supporting the New Zealanders who are living with a blood cancer or blood condition, by sponsoring the locals who have shaved their heads. Its an inspiring way to help fund research, and provide vital care and resources for the 2,500 people affected that LBC works with every year, and every dollar raised is another important step in the search for a cure. To find out more go to www.shaveforacure.co.nz
Chamber Reports Progress

Sidneys City Council on Tuesday approved a public hearing for April 9, at which time members will obtain information for the proposed purchase of an office building at 812 13th Ave. in Sidney. The building, which originally housed Sidneys John Deere dealership, became the original retail store for Cabelas, and later was used by the company for office space.

The city proposes to purchase the property for $1 million and to lease the space to UST Global, a company planning a business expansion into Sidney. Melissa Norgaard, the citys economic development director, told the Sun-Telegraph earlier this week that the purchase would help protect the investments UST Global has already made here.

The public hearing will be at 7:15 p.m. April 9.

During the short meeting Council also heard a report from Cheyenne County Chamber President/CEO Hop Feeney.

In her report, Feeney said Chamber welcome packets are being distributed consistently to new residents.

She also reported that the Chamber has had discuussion recently on new business startups seeking membership. Some of those, she said, dont have a business location per-se, but are working out of the business development center at Western Nebraska Community College. Due to their status, Feeney said those businesses are being charged the base membership rate of $170.

Of particular interest to Council was Feeneys report on the proposed Hickory Square Project. Feeney said the Chamber has been working to establish a 501(c)(3) charitable designation for Project funding. She said funds have been handled through the hospitals 501(c)(3) organization, but the Chamber wants to establish its own organization for Hickory Square to handle finances in a better manner.

She said among the advantages of the Project having its own 501(c)(3) status is being able to apply for additional grants. Many grants are available for such a project, Feeney said, and the 501(c)(3) status is needed to make those applications. The Chamber is in the process of obtaining its 501(c)(3) status for the project and hopes to have it in place by the end of May.

So far project has had $530,000 in grants and matching funds dedicated to the Project. Cost of Hickory Square was estimated at $700,000, but Feeney said the Chamber hopes to raise about $1 million so extra funds are available for maintenance and other needs.

Feeney told Council the next step in the fund raising process is sending out letters for a gift registry. Those choosing to donate using the registry can specify which parts of the project funds may go to.

That way if they want to designate a bench in the name of someone, or give toward a certain feature they can, she said.

Mayor Roger Gallaway said one thing he would like to see is a joint work session with Council and the Project Committee so Council can be aware of progress.

In another portion of her report, Feeney said the Chamber is working with the town of Potter to put on an event where businesses stay open later to allow visitors an opportunity to visit. Similar to the Business After Hours, but on a differnt scale, the event would be a way to highlight businesses in the countys villages. Feeney hopes to have the event sometime this summer and if successful, do something similar in other towns as well.
Perini Navi are world leaders in the design and build of elite super yachts, and will be making their way to the 34th edition of this major event in the boat show calendar. The Italian yard bring models from their recently developed sailing yacht series, E-volution, as well as their brand new motor yacht range, Argonaut.

E-volutions cutting edge exterior design has made waves in the industry. Specifically, the boats will feature a hull form with a maximum beam that extends almost to the transom, the result of which is a greatly enhanced exterior and interior volume. The SY 47m flybridge sloop and SY 56m ketch will be presented at Palm Beach.

The 47m is currently in build, but when completed will feature hybrid propulsion and a brand new swing keel. This distinctly modern sloop will offer power and maneuverability in a Panamax package.

The 56m, meanwhile, marries timeless design with innovative new initiatives on performance. This new-generation ketch is below 500GT and is available with a forward cockpit, a feature that offers increased liveability and privacy when moored stern-to.

In terms of the motor yachts making their way to the Floridian coast, Perini will introduce a 63m, a 83m and 93m in the in-house developed steel and aluminium Argonaut series. The concept adopts the sleek profiles, flared bows and low-rise superstructures for which Perini Navi are known, and moulds them into a series of motor yachts up to 93m.

Weve really invested heavily in these new product lines that offer our clients innovative solutions and, at the same time, continuity with our brand tradition, says Lamberto Tacoli, Chairman and CEO. The USA market has strategic importance for Perini Navi and we have every intention of growing our profile with further investment.

The Perini Navi stand is at Superyacht Villas D, Ramp 4 of the boat show. If you happen to be at Palm Beach, make sure to drop by and peruse these fantastic models!
Authors of sweet or clean romance share about their lives and their stories.
Technical details about the proposed 2021 cars have leaked in the days since highly secretive meetings took place in London.

While the meetings themselves were not secret, it is believed all the leading players have agreed with Liberty Media to maintain radio silence.

It is amid a particularly tense time, with the 2021 regulations needing to be finalised in June and the Concorde Agreement also not agreed on all sides.

"A new one should have been in place long ago," said Peter Nygaard, a correspondent for the Danish newspaper BT.

Prior to the radio silence, Gunther Steiner admitted that the negotiations are in their eleventh hour.

"We need to find a solution as soon as possible, because if we don't know what we're doing in 2021, I cannot run the business," said the Haas team boss.

At the very least, some technical details of the 2021 cars have leaked in the days since the meetings.

Auto Motor und Sport reports that the car concept, codenamed 'India', has been developed in the Sauber wind tunnel.

Supposedly, a car will still have 80 per cent of its downforce intact when closely following a rival and planning an overtaking move, compared to 30pc at present.

That will be thanks to a new front wing that connects to the nose rather than supports, the removal of bargeboards, and a two-channel 'ground effect' floor.

However, the already heavy F1 cars look set to get heavier again, apparently due to the imposition of several standardised components in 2021.

(GMM)
Syracuse, NY -- Former Cicero teacher James Ball has had a murder charge hanging over his head for 1 1/2 years. Itll be months more before he has a chance to defend himself in court.

Ball, 58, will likely head to trial later this year for the shooting death of his brother-in-law, Christoper Ross, 40, after a dispute inside Balls residence early July 4, 2017.

Before then, his case will take a detour to a Rochester appellate court, which is considering a challenge to the murder indictment against him.

Balls lawyer, Michael Spano, said today that the court will hear in-person arguments on the case May 13. However the court rules, that will pave the way for Balls case to head to trial, many months from now.

Spano is expected to contend at trial that Ross was the aggressor and that Ball feared for his life within his own home.

Prosecutor Michael Kasmarek argues that Ball left the confrontation to retrieve a gun, then returned to kill Ross.

Ball has remained free on bail as the court battle plays out.

The detour to Rochester does not directly relate to Balls guilt or innocence. Instead, it involves nitty-gritty legal rules concerning the grand jury process.

In short, Kasmarek has defended the grand jury process that led to Balls murder indictment. But Spano asserted that the grand jurors didnt have enough evidence to consider Balls argument of self-defense.

County Court Judge Thomas J. Miller ruled in Spanos favor, throwing out the original indictment.

Its expected that Kasmarek could get another indictment against Ball. But instead, the district attorneys office decided to appeal Millers ruling that tossed the indictment.

Kasmarek has indicated that his office felt the decision set a bad precedent for cases that follow.

The Rochester appellate court can take months after the May 13 arguments to rule. If the indictment remains tossed, prosecutors will need to get another grand jury to vote. If the indictment is reinstated, the case will be ready for trial.

Ball, free on $150,000 bail bond, faces up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted of murder. Hes a former Smith Elementary School teacher.
There will be "no news" about the fate of the 2020 Dutch grand prix on March 31.

That is the official word from Formula One Management, even though Dutch reports have said the last day of March is the deadline for Zandvoort to ink a race deal with Liberty Media.

Days ago, the municipality of the Dutch beach resort town said it would pledge EUR 4 million towards the funding of the F1 race.

However, it is believed the organisers actually have to raise ten times that much in total.

When asked about the EUR 4m, race boss Jan Lammers told Algemeen Dagblad newspaper: "Just as important as the four million is the signal behind it.

"It is a financial injection, but it also creates confidence to guarantee the other part that is needed from parties who are considering investing," said the former F1 driver.

The signs, though, are positive, and Lammers agrees that the "lack of clarity" about the fate of the 2020 race is "increasingly disappearing".

When asked if a deal is almost done, he answered: "That is not something I would say. But that it is heading in the right direction is a clear yes.

"The most difficult phase seems to be over."

Much has been made in the Dutch press about the March 31 'deadline', but Lammers says it has always been more of a "guideline".

"March 31 or April 1 is by no means a crucial make or break date," he insisted.

"F1 normally wants to complete the calendar for next year in June, so logic tells us that it has to be done a month earlier. But we are now opting for F1 to be the leader in terms of statements," Lammers added.

When asked by De Telegraaf newspaper about the supposed March 31 deadline, a spokesperson for Formula One Management said: "The discussions are going in the right direction.

"But there will be no news on March 31. We are in no hurry."

(GMM)
Syracuse, NY -- An employee of the Onondaga County medical examiners office accused of lying about his bosss misconduct has vowed to fight the charge.

Tyler Strutz is facing a misdemeanor of making a false written statement against since-fired Dr. Robert Stoppacher who had served as the countys medical examiner.

Today, prosecutor Anthony Johnston announced in court that Strutzs case would not be indicted, ensuring that Strutz will not face a more serious felony charge. However, Johnston announced he was ready for a trial on the misdemeanor charge.

Strutzs lawyer, Paul Carey, told Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard that he expects judicial subpoenas will show that his client did not lie against Stoppacher.

For his part, Stoppacher -- who was fired in January -- continues to testify on the countys behalf in criminal trials. Stoppacher remains employed by Upstate Medical University and does autopsies on a contract basis with other agencies.

During a Syracuse homicide trial earlier this month, Stoppacher told a jury that he had been exonerated of wrongdoing by the states health department and the DAs office. Thats consistent with the account that led to charges against Strutz by the DAs office.

Stoppacher was fired after complaints that he had defaced a corpse by writing a letter on the body as part of an office joke. He was also accused of punching another corpse.

Strutz went on record with the allegations against Stoppacher. But DA William Fitzpatrick said later there was evidence that Strutz hadnt been truthful about the allegations and that his story changed over time. In addition, Fitzpatrick said, an older state health department investigation had also cleared Stoppacher of wrongdoing.

Carey, the defense lawyer, has maintained that his client was telling the truth and simply reporting what he saw happen.

Strutz, who has never been jailed, is due back to court in a month. He faces a misdemeanors punishable by a jail sentence, though no incarceration is required.
HERKIMER, N.Y. -- A former security guard will serve close to two decades behind bars for raping a woman at a popular Old Forge camping resort in 2016.

Erik G. Kenney, 46, of Floyd, was sentenced Thursday morning to serve 18 years in prison, Herkimer County District Attorney Jeffrey Carpenters office announced in a news release.

Herkimer County Court Judge John Crandall Sr. also ordered Kenney to serve 10 years of post-release supervision when he gets out of prison, the DA said.

Kenney lured a Fulton woman into a cottage at the Old Forge Camping Resort on Aug. 2, 2016, and raped her.

At the time of the attack, Kenney was working as a security guard, patrolling the Old Forge campgrounds and Enchanted Forest Water Safari amusement park. He was 44. The woman he raped was 19.

A jury took three hours to find Kenney guilty of first-degree rape last month after a four-day trial.

The woman Kenney attacked said she was pleased with the sentence. She shared with Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard the statement she read in court today.

In the statement, the woman told Kenney how the attack has haunted her family -- and how, during the rape, he took away her control of her own body.

I felt like I was no longer my own person. I didnt have power over my own body. I didnt have the option to decide what happened with my body, she said. "It didnt matter to you whether I said yes or no because you werent looking for consent. You were looking to take what you wanted. Me telling you I did not want to have sex with you wasnt enough to make you stop and neither was the obvious terrified look on my face.

She also explained how the attack changed how she views the world.

I used to be someone who was big on forgiveness. I believed you should always forgive someone who does something wrong to you so that you can let go of any pain that they have caused you, she said. Being raped showed me that some things are just unforgivable and some pain you will never be able to let go of.

Kenney worked for the Old Forge Camping Resort in the summer of 2016, company officials said in a statement Wednesday. He was immediately fired after officials learned he had been accused of rape, the company said.

Kenneys family has said he is innocent and created a GoFundMe page to raise money to hire a lawyer for him.

His wife posted a link on Facebook Tuesday asking Stryper, a Christian metal band, for help. In a post to the band, she said Kenney had been falsely accused, charged and incarcerated for rape.

The fundraiser has been taken down.

CNY womans court statement
Big names from The Walking Dead, The Boondock Saints and the WWE are coming to Buffalo for a comic book and pop culture fan convention.

The Buffalo News reports Nickel City Con announced Wednesday that TWD star Michael Cudlitz, best known for playing Abraham Ford on the AMC zombie drama for four seasons, has been added to the 2019 lineup. The actor, also known for D3: The Mighty Ducks, Southland, Grosse Point Blank and The Kids Are Alright, will be among the special guests at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center this spring.

According to the Nickel City Con website, other guests include The Boondock Saints star Sean Patrick Flannery, An American Werewolf in London actor David Naughton, Candyman star Tony Todd, Joe Dirt actress Brittany Daniel, Halloween star Tony Moran, Star Wars BB-8 puppeteer Brian Herring, and wrestling stars Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Eric Bischoff, and the WWE tag team Demolition.

Nickel City Con also hosts Horror Fest in the lower level ballroom of the convention center, featuring actors from scary movies like Naughton, Tony Moran (Michael Myers in Halloween), Alex Vincent (Childs Play), Deborah Foreman (April Fools Day), C.J. Graham (Jason Voorhees in Friday the 13th Part VI), and Daeg Faerch (young Michael Myers in Rob Zombies Halloween).

The weekend fun also includes cosplay, comic book artists, and special off-site screenings of movies with star Q&As, including:

Childs Play with actor Alex Vincent (Thursday, May 16 at 7 p.m.) at the Dipson Amherst Theatre

Valley Girl with Deborah Foreman (Thursday, May 16 at 7 p.m.) at North Park Theatre

The Boondock Saints with Sean Patrick Flannery (Friday, May 17 at 8:30 p.m.) at North Park Theatre

Friday the 13th Part VI with actor C.J. Graham, (Friday, May 17 at 8:30 p.m.) at the Dipson Amherst Theatre

An American Werewolf in London with actor David Naughton (Saturday, May 18 at 7:30 p.m.) at the Dipson Amherst Theatre

The 2019 Nickel City Con runs May 17-19, from 3-8 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Some special guests will not be available all three dates; Cudlitz, Nash and Hall, for example, will only attend Saturday and Sunday.

Tickets are on sale at nickelcitycon.com/tickets/. Early-bird single tickets are $15 for Friday/Sunday and $25 for Saturday; three-day passes start at $40 for adults, or $5 for children ages 10 and younger. Autographs, photo opportunities and other VIP experiences cost extra.

Admission to the movie screenings and Q&A events are $15 each and do not include convention passes.

Other comic/pop-culture fan conventions in Upstate New York include Flower City Comic Con in Rochester (April 13-14, 2019); Saratoga Comic Con in Saratoga Springs (April 27-28, 2019); Salt City Comic Con in Syracuse (July 6-7, 2019); Uticon in Utica (Sept. 22, 2019); Upstate Comic Con in Massena (Sept. 28, 2019); and Scare-A-Con in Verona (October 2019).
The show of high-flying six-ton monster trucks competing in a series of races and stunt competitions at up to 70 miles per hour will be back in Syracuse this April.

Monster Jam fans will fill the Carrier Dome on April 6 to cheer for their favorite drivers and trucks, including Grave Digger, driven by Adam Anderson.

Anderson has been competing for 14 years in the Monster Jam circuit and you could say he was born to do this job. Andersons father is the creator, team owner, and former driver of Grave Digger. Ever since he was a baby, Anderson has been in and around monster trucks and on tour with his dad.

Anderson spoke with us about the Grave Digger family legacy, what scares him more than crashing monster trucks, and what goes on behind the scenes at Monster Jam.

If someone doesnt grow up in a monster truck family, how does someone learn to drive monster trucks for competition like Monster Jam?

Its crazy to think that my first time I ever jumped cars was in front of a crowd of 15,000 people; all of my training was in public. Now, however, Monster Jam has created Monster Jam University where people can go and be taught not only how to drive, but all the other things that is involved with Monster Jam. Theres media training, fitness training, and its all in one place. Theres only a select few that get to go there.

Theres fitness training for Monster Jam?

They get people on an individualized plan for going to the gym and train them basically to get beat up.

Do you have a fitness plan that you follow?

I dont stop driving Grave Digger, and as long as I dont stop, it doesnt hurt. All of the employees at our shop in North Carolina go to the local YMCA together.

Whats the best part about being in Monster Jam?

Its hard to describe. I dont know if its the thrill or the excitement of the people youre showing off for, but its like a sickness. It takes a certain type of person to do this job and a certain type of family to support it. With the amount of traveling we do and the late nights, it is never ending and it goes year-round now with the international component. If you become a part of this and try to leave, you are immediately drawn back to it. Its an unbelievable opportunity to travel the world and drive a monster truck.

Do you have a favorite country that you have visited so far?

Australia was amazing to me. It was different than the United States, but getting around was easy, we had access to communication, and every place we went was beautiful. I have been to every major city in the continental U.S. and in comparison every Australian city was clean and the people were so nice.

What kind of car do you drive when youre not driving Grave Digger?

My addiction is trucks. I have a bunch of older trucks that I fix up and are really cool and I take a lot of pride in. I have two kids though, so for my daily driving I did get a regular vehicle. Its somewhat of a bigger truck, but Im just a normal guy driving a regular truck up and down the highway. I get my road rage out on the Monster Jam track.

How much time a week do you spend on your tricks for Monster Jam?

Honestly, most of the time if I try something new, its discussed between the crew and I, I do it at the event. I judge it based on how the other competitors are doing. If theyve done well and just completed these awesome maneuvers, then I think I need to try something different to try and top them. If you try it and you make it youre a hero, but even if you crash, youre still a hero because people love a good crash.

Senior drivers can go to Monster Jam if theyre trying to learn a new trick and they just want to repetitively practice it.

Is there anything fans might be surprised to learn about the behind the scenes at Monster Jam?

We do private pit parties and people come to meet us and see the nice pretty trucks. A lot of people ask if its the same truck I drive during the show. Sometimes they ask if its the same truck I drove the night before, or even the week before. I always tell them yes, it is the same. The Monster Jam crew does whatever it takes to get the truck back out on the track again, even after a horrific crash. I always make it back for the next competition.

My team and all the teams come together to get other competitors back out on the track. Its a pretty unbelievable feat.

How many people are on your crew?

Theres only three guys, but you really dont want more than that or you will be stepping over each other. Everybody works together to get the job done. The other crews will come in to help my guys if they need it and my guys will do the same in return. We want it to be a fair competition. It is real and legit, but I dont want to just win because another competitor couldnt get back out there.

Do you drive other competitors trucks?

I have helped other people with their trucks because I have been around them for so long, but Ive never driven anyone elses truck. The Grave Digger name has been in my family for so long, I dont really want to drive anyone elses truck. Other people have driven my truck though. I dont care; I want them to. If they think Im cheating, I say go ahead and drive it and see what it feels like.

What kind of pressure is there with the Grave Digger family legacy?

When I show up to an event and you pull out on the track and theres 50,000 people cheering for Grave Digger, thats because of what my dad has created over the past 36 plus years or so. They want Grave Digger to win so there is definitely pressure. It is hard, but a lot of times I thrive on that. It gives me goosebumps every single time because I know people came to see Grave Digger go crazy and that is what I want to give them. I dont want to let them down. My biggest fear is that the truck wont start up when I get ready to go, that the dumbest thing will happen and I wont get to go out in front of all these people who have been behind not only Monster Jam, but Team Grave Digger and my father for 30 plus years. I want to give them what they deserve.

Do you any other extreme activities, like skydiving?

I am scared of heights. I have kids now so I have to hang up Christmas lights so I am just starting to get comfortable being up on a ladder and on my roof at home. Were on the Outer Banks in North Carolina and right on the ocean so we play in the water all summer long, take ATVs out on the beach with our kids. I have my two boys and my brother has a little boy so it is non-stop playing in the dirt.

Are your sons interested in Monster Jam and being drivers like you?

One of my sons says he is going to be a doctor, so Im great with that. Hes been saying it since he was four and now hes six and Im not going to stop him. I hope one of my sons will be a driver, but I dont know if that will happen. Those kids can drive so good already on their ATVs and go-karts. We got them these toys to start conditioning them now in case they do want to drive monster trucks someday. That is what my dad did with us. He would get us cars for Christmas and my brother and I would race them through the woods and around our large property to learn how to drive when we were eight years old. That is sort of the same conditioning were trying to do with my kids.

What can people expect when they come to Monster Jam at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse?

One of Monster Jams slogans is to expect the unexpected.' It could be the same format, drivers, trucks, and you will never get the same show twice. I think thats why people keep coming back. Its a great competition for the entire family to be a part of and cheer for your favorites. I am still a fan myself, watching from inside my truck, and then I realize, Oh shoot, I have to do better than that guy. To still be excited about it myself after doing it all these years, somethings done right there.

Want to experience Monster Jam and see Grave Digger in action? Here are the details:

Where: Carrier Dome, 900 Irving Ave., Syracuse.

When: Saturday, April 6. Gates open at 5:30 p.m.; show starts at 7 p.m. The pre-show Pit Party will take place on the Carrier Dome floor from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Early access to the Pit Party is from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.

How much: Tickets start at $20. Pit Party passes are $15 and Pit Party Early Access passes are $35. Both the Pit Party Early Access Pass and Pit Party passes need to be accompanied by an event ticket.
A star-studded zombie movie filmed in Upstate New York now has a release date.

Variety reports The Dead Dont Die, written and directed by Jim Jarmusch, will be released in theaters in June 14, 2019. The cast includes Bill Murray, Selena Gomez, Adam Driver, Chloe Sevigny, Danny Glover, Tilda Swinton, Steve Buscemi, Rosie Perez, Iggy Pop, RZA, Carol Kane, Austin Butler, and Tom Waits.

Plot details have been kept under wraps, but the story has been described as a zombie comedy." ComicBook.com reports it is not a remake of the 1975 film of the same name.

Much of the cast was spotted filming on location in the Hudson Valley region last year. Murray, Driver and Sevigny were seen wearing police officer uniforms on set in Kingston and Fleischmanns, N.Y.

Murray previously played with the genre in the 2009 film Zombieland," and is rumored to be making in appearance in the upcoming sequel, Zombieland 2, with his Ghostbusters co-star Dan Aykroyd. However, Murray said that he will not be playing a zombie in The Dead Dont Die, his third movie with Jarmusch after Broken Flowers and Coffee & Cigarettes.

Ive got a good job coming up. Brace yourself: Its a zombie movie," Murray told Philly.com last year. "Jim Jarmusch has written a zombie script thats so hilarious and it has a cast of great actors: Rosie Perez, Daniel Craig. Its titled The Dead Dont Die, and it shoots over the summer. But, no, I will not play a zombie.

Its unclear if Daniel Craig, best known for playing James Bond in Spectre and other 007 films, is still a part of the cast.

Laurent Rejto, director of the Hudson Valley Film Commission, told the Poughkeepsie Journal in 2018 that The Dead Dont Die" was on track to provide an even greater economic boost to the region than John Krasinskis A Quiet Place, which was filmed in Little Falls and locations around the Catskills in 2017. Krasinski is returning to direct the sequel, expected to film in Upstate New York again (thanks in part to New York State Film Tax Credits) with his wife Emily Blunt.

"The dead don't die" movie starring #SelenaGomez will be released on June 14th.  pic.twitter.com/QnAVpDVpUi  chriscruz2019  (@chriscruz2019) March 27, 2019

 Jim Jarmuschs zombie film The Dead Dont Die will release June 14, 2019



Cast: Adam Driver, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Selena Gomez, Chloe Sevigny, & Steve Buscemi



(via @Variety) pic.twitter.com/a9GtUQ0JCy  Culture Crave  (@CultureCrave) March 28, 2019
David Hoyne brought the St. Baldricks fundraiser to Syracuse in 2005. In one afternoon that first year, he and his team raised nearly $75,000 and buzzed more than 70 heads, creating the first wave of shavees to stand in solidarity with kids and families affected by pediatric cancer.

Thousands of scalps and millions of dollars later, Hoyne says the continued success of the fundraiser hosted at Kitty Hoynes Irish Pub and Restaurant is the result of the unrelenting commitment from the family its created.

Its the Syracuse community that has raised this amount of money, Hoyne said. You wont find any better communities than those that are here.

Nearly 15 years later, the dedication and tenacity of participants in the Kitty Hoynes event has repeatedly placed this specific location among the top-five in the nation for the most money raised. Kitty Hoynes took top spot with most funds collected in both 2016 and 2017.

According to one of St. Baldricks national media coordinators Michele Franco, Hoynes event has shaved more than 6,000 heads and raised $5.3 million, punching far above its weight class when competing with similar events in major cities like Chicago, New York City and Atlanta.

The success at Kitty Hoynes has also inspired dozens of other Baldricks events across Central New York - this year, heads will be shaved at West Genesee Middle School and Fowler High School, Full Boar Craft Brewery in North Syracuse and Murphys Law in Manlius.

For Hoyne, the accolades are nice, but the rankings come in second to the mission. The St. Baldricks Foundation bills itself as a volunteer- and donor-powered charity committed to supporting research to find cures for childhood cancers and is now the largest private funder of childhood cancer research grants on the globe.

We certainly didnt know how big it was going to get, Hoyne said of the events success, as he recalled his initial motivations for wanting to bring a chapter to Syracuse.

After coming across the foundation online in 2005, he decided to dig a little deeper. According to the foundations history, the event began at a St. Patricks Day celebration in 2000. Three friends in a pub challenged each other to go bald and raise money for kids with cancer.

Nineteen shaved heads and $104,000 later, St. Baldricks came to life.

As bar owner born in Dublin, Hoyne said he was all too familiar with St. Patricks Day festivities as excuses to drink too much alcohol, and wanted to use the St. Baldricks event to expand the meaning of the holiday for the local community into something more than just celebrating at bars.

Any time we can do well, and do well for area as a whole, thats what were about, Hoyne said.

Volunteer organizer Sophia Meskos has helped plan and execute the event for 12 years. A former employee at Kitty Hoynes, Meskos said shes especially proud to see the event take on a life of its own.

Meskos described the current planning process to be a well-oiled machine, echoing Hoyne in her praise of the participants and other volunteers for their ownership of the event.

Now we have such a high rate of people coming back ... they just get the job done, Meskos said. Its a true testament to the area that our participants are so committed.

That sense of duty, according to Meskos, flows from the top down. Meskos praised Hoyne for his leadership and compassion, attributing much of it to his humble upbringing as well as to his wife Cindy, who Meskos described as having a similar bend toward public service.

(The Hoynes) are dedicated, true people who get hard work, perseverance, honesty and commitment. They have all of those qualities. Both of them, Meskos said.

With most of the growing pains and kinks worked out, Meskos said the most challenging logistical aspect of her role is orchestrating the shavee schedule. Given the large number of heads to be shaved  517 at last count  theres a special attention on herding participants through the experience safely and efficiently without compromising its gravity or meaningfulness.

We make connections between parents that have gone through a shared experience, Meskos said.

Emcee Chow Downey post-shave. Participants in the St. Baldrics Day, held at Kitty Hoynes in Syracuse, March 25, 2018. A fund-raiser for a cure of pediatric cancer is held yearly. Over 550 shavees had their heads and/or beards shaved off in honor of survivors and those who passed away. Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com SYRSYR

Chow Downey is the events MC and was brought into the event by Hoyne during the first year. In his description of what the event means to him, Downey refers to it as a Catch-22.

Weve had success stories but weve also had unfortunate stories, Downey said, Weve saved a lot of kids, but weve also lost a lot of kids.

Even in the face of the heartbreaking losses, Downey is grateful for the relationships hes made with the family members, fighters and supporters for whom St. Baldricks exists, like the McBride family whose son Michael was one of St. Baldricks Honored Kids before succumbing to cancer in 2011.

Still, Downey said, helping to create a place where families can honor and sustain the memories of their lost loved ones is one of the most meaningful parts of the job.

We made a promise 15 years ago to these families, and it was a serious promise ... were not gonna stop doing this until we get some relief.

Its a promise Downey said he intends to keep, supported by the confidence he has in the Kitty Hoynes team and its leadership.

We just have a great thing down there being led by that man.

If you go

What: 15th annual St. Baldricks fundraiser

Where: Kitty Hoynes Irish Pub & Restaurant, 301 W. Fayette St., Syracuse

When: Sunday, March 31

Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Contact: Contact David Hoyne at 315-424-1974 or hoynebaldricks@yahoo.com.

For more information: https://www.stbaldricks.org/
Plastic bottles, bottle caps and bamboo may not be the most common materials for clothing, but for Daniel Tagliamonte, they are a step in the right direction for clothing brands to take for good of the planet. And they look fashionable, too.

Tagliamonte is the force behind Sea Culture Brand, a clothing and lifestyle company whose products include hats, polos, t-shirts, sweaters and more, all inspired by boating attire and the sea.

My family started boating in Oneida Lake back in the day when I was a kid, Tagliamonte said. So, when I was like 1 or 2, I was always in a boat.

The 24-year-old was born and raised in Syracuse and is a graduate of Jamesville-DeWitt High School. He founded the brand about a year ago and runs it with his parents Daniel Tagliamonte Sr., who helps with the build-outs and shelving for pop-up shops and stores, and Cheryl Tagliamonte, who is in charge of merchandising.

Currently, the brands products are about 75 percent sustainable in terms of materials used, Tagliamonte said. The signature polos are made of bamboo, which regenerates quickly and doesnt need pesticides in production. The brands t-shirts are made of cotton and six recycled plastic bottles to create synthetic polyester. The cable-knit beanies are made of wool and recycled plastic from bottle caps.

Instead of making new plastic for polyester, these companies take recycled plastics, mainly from bottles, and shred them into really fine fibers and weave it into polyester, Tagliamonte said.

But working with the sustainable materials hasnt been easy. Some factories are hesitant to work with these kinds of materials, Tagliamonte said.

You have to do a lot of research on what the best fabric is and if its actually hurting the environment more than using regular fabric, he said.

Tagliamonte said he takes some inspiration from Patagonia, an American clothing brand that focuses on sustainability as one of their core values. He added he thinks more clothing companies need to adopt sustainable practices.

The clothing industry alone is one of the most polluted industries in the world, Tagliamonte said. (In 2015, EcoWatch reported that the clothing industry is the second biggest polluter in the world, after the oil industry.)

In addition to focusing on sustainability, Sea Culture Brand also strives to work with factories based in the United States, to limit their carbon footprint and ensure ethical working conditions, Tagliamonte said. While not all their products are manufactured in the U.S., Tagliamonte said the company takes pride in the products that are, such as their bottle t-shirts. They work with U.S. cut-and-sew factories in Mississippi and New Jersey, he said.

Clifford Carey, the founder of American Reserve Clothing Co. in Syracuse, a store that stocks Sea Cultures products, said he appreciates the brands pushback against fast fashion.

Fast fashion, Carey said, is the fashion industrys attempt to create 12 seasons of clothing, rather than 4, so consumers feel the need to continually purchase new, low-quality clothing to stay on trend.

What the consumer sees is the ability to buy something at such a low price point, they dont mind throwing it out, Carey said. And in order to keep those prices artificially deflated, the clothing is made by exploiting poor people in developing countries.

Carey said he loves that Sea Culture Brand is willing to sacrifice setting their clothing at the lowest possible price point, in order to ensure their clothes are being manufactured ethically.

The reason that theyre at the price point theyre at is because they want to do things in a responsible manner and they dont want to take advantage of cheap labor, Carey said.

In his personal wardrobe, Tagliamonte said he has owned the same clothing for years and if something tears, he sews it back together.

I want to kind of be a benchmark to teach customers to keep their products longer and not buy stuff and throw it out and end up in a landfill, he said.

Sea Culture Brand products can be purchased in Syracuse at American Reserve Clothing Co., along with several other stores in New York, Alabama and Louisiana. Purchases can also be made through the brands website.

In the future, Tagliamonte says they hope to expand the brand to more stores and eventually open their own flagship store, along with working with more sustainable materials.

I think that theres a real focus on positivity and community, Carey said. And I think that those are really important pieces of what makes Sea Culture Brand what it is.
Syracuse, N.Y. -- One of the worst tax-delinquent properties in Syracuse is owned by a company with, of all things, alleged ties to a Kazakhstan corruption scandal.

The huge, vandal-wrecked former Syracuse Developmental Center on the citys West Side has been owned since 2013 by Syracuse Center LLC, a limited liability company once thought to be owned by a Jewish trade school in California.

But it turns out the center is actually owned by a company that Kazakhstan officials allege to be a shell corporation formed to hide tens of millions of dollars in stolen money, syracuse.com has learned.

The company is Triadou SPV, a holding company incorporated in Luxembourg with an office in Switzerland.

The city of Almaty, Kazakhstan, has alleged that Triadou is one of many foreign shell companies formed by its former mayor, Viktor Khrapunov, and his family to launder $300 million looted from the city during his tenure, which ran from 1997 to 2004.

In a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York, Almaty alleges that the shell companies have used the ill-gotten money to purchase real estate in the United States, including the former Syracuse Developmental Center. It has sought to block Triadou from profiting from the sale of any of the real estate, including the Syracuse property.

Khrapunov, 70, took office six years after the Soviet Union collapsed and broke into 15 smaller countries, one of them Kazakhstan stretching from the Caspian Sea all the way to China. The years following the collapse led to the rise in the former Soviet republics of oligarchs, politically connected individuals who accumulated vast wealth as state property was privatized.

Almaty, Kazakhstans biggest city with 1.8 million residents, said it and other departments of the former Soviet republic began a series of investigations in 2008 into the family of Khrapunov based on allegations that he had abused his position to transfer public assets to himself and his family members, according to court documents.

Almaty and other governmental authorities subsequently discovered that Mr. Khrapunov had looted an estimated $300 million during his tenure as mayor, funneling these assets through his family members into foreign holding companies," the city said. "In response to this investigation, Mr. Khrapunov fled Kazakhstan to reside in Switzerland, and has not returned to answer these charges.

Allegations against Kazakh oligarch Viktor Khrapunov have drawn attention from international media. This is a screen capture of an article about Khrapunov.

Khrapunov and his wife, Leila, were sentenced in October to lengthy prison terms in absentia after a court in Almaty found them guilty of organization of a criminal group, financial fraud and bribe-taking. The couple, who remain fugitives in Switzerland, have called the charges politically motivated.

Triadou was also accused of using embezzled money to purchase a former Manhattan hotel and the Cabrini Medical Center in New York City.

Jumping into this complex international mess, the city of Syracuse is moving to seize the former Syracuse Developmental Center at 800 Wilbur Ave. for $765,089 in unpaid property taxes. But its foreclosure proceeding has been moving slowly because of the propertys murky ownership, according to Syracuse officials.

Were actively working on it," said Honora Spillane, deputy commissioner of the Syracuse Department of Neighborhood and Business Development. The ownership is extremely complicated.

Built on the site of a former 19th century asylum, the center sits on 48 acres halfway up a steep, grassy hill between Wilbur Avenue and the Rosamond Gifford Zoo. It features an impressive view of the Syracuse skyline to the east.

An aerial view of the former Syracuse Development Center in 2010. (Dick Blume | syracuse.com)

Syracuse Center LLC acquired the 628,808-square-foot former home for children and adults with developmental disabilities in a bankruptcy auction for $2.1 million in 2013. It has not paid a dime in property taxes since January 2016, according to the city Department of Finance.

The state opened the center on the site of a former mental health asylum, the Syracuse State School, in the early 1970s and closed it in 1998 as part of a shift toward placing the developmentally disabled in smaller residential facilities in their own communities. New York state sold the center to Syracuse Resort Development Inc. in 2008 for $2.2 million.

The Long Island investors behind Syracuse Resort at first talked about turning it into a resort for disabled people and later expressed a desire to redevelop it as a business park, but those ideas went nowhere.

In 2010, a proposal to lease the facility to the Syracuse City School District for use as temporary classroom space went nowhere as well. Soon after that, Syracuse Resort filed bankruptcy, leading to Syracuse Center LLCs purchase of the property in 2013.

The true ownership of Syracuse Center has always been something of a mystery because, under U.S. law, the owners behind limited liability companies are not required to disclose their identities.

Adding to the intrigue were the actions of the man who submitted the bid for Syracuse Center at an auction in April 2013 at the Onondaga County Courthouse. After submitting the winning bid of $2.1 million, the man ran from reporters, refusing to identify himself and even hiding his face with an iPad.

A McClatchy DC story in 2017 identified the mysterious man as New York developer Felix Sater, who it said was a two-time ex-con turned government informant and a one-time adviser to Donald Trump.

BTA Bank, once one of the largest banks in Kazakhstan, has alleged that Sater and Ilyas Khrapunov, Viktor Khrapunovs son, helped to launder some of the $4 billion stolen from the bank by ex-BTA Chairman Mukhtar Ablyazov by investing it in the United States, according to published reports.

U.S. court records show that Sater, a U.S. citizen born in Russia, signed a document in September 2013 authorizing the opening of a business checking account for Syracuse Center. In the document, Sater listed himself as one of Syracuse Centers managers.

The Syracuse Developmental Center is auctioned at the Onondaga County Courthouse on April 11, 2013. The man with his back to the camera placed the winning bid for Syracuse Center LLC. Across from him is Kenneth Silverman, the property's trustee at the time. (Ellen M. Blalock | syracuse.com)

Adding to the mystery was a claim by a California rabbi later in the day. Mayer Schmukler, the founder and director of Jewish Educational Trade School, of Granada Hills, Calif., called a syracuse.com reporter to say the school was the organization behind the limited liability company.

Schmukler said at the time that the school might establish its East Coast campus on the site. But he added that he had not actually seen the property and would try to flip it to another buyer if its condition did not make his development plans feasible.

Were not sure about it, Schmukler said. Were going to spend the next month or two evaluating.

No redevelopment of the property has been attempted. McClatchy DC reported in 2017 that Schmukler said in a phone interview that he never had actual ownership of the property.

Schmukler did not respond to a voicemail or email from syracuse.com last week seeking comment on the current status of his interest in the property.

Syracuse Center continues to be listed in Onondaga County tax records as the owner of the property. But in a challenge to its tax assessment in 2016, Syracuse Center listed itself and Triadou as the propertys owners.

Attorney Sidney Devorsetz, who is representing Syracuse Center in the assessment challenge, declined to comment on the litigation or the propertys ownership. The challenge is ongoing, but the citys Department of Assessment lowered the propertys assessed full-market value from $5.3 million to $3.5 million this year.

Syracuse assessor David Clifford said he lowered the assessment after seeing how much damage vandals and thieves have done since a security firm that had been managing the property walked off the job a couple of years ago after not getting paid.

Theyve actually taken metal roof panels off a large portion of the roof, he said. Theres a lot of physical deterioration of the property.

Clifford said hes aware of the international intrigue surrounding the property but has had no contact with anyone asserting ownership since Schmukler made his claim.

Nobody knows whos steering the ship on this thing, he said.

In a 2013 corporate profile and financial report, Triadou said it was formed on Sept. 12, 2012, to acquire, manage and hold real estate interests in the USA. It said it was wholly owned by SDG Capital, a Swiss company based in Geneva. It listed the Syracuse property as one of its investments, having acquired it through its U.S. holding entity, Argon Holding Corp.

Triadou said it planned to redevelop the Syracuse property in partnership with a local developer into student housing that could be sold to an institutional investor. Noting that the property is about two miles from Syracuse University, it boasted that it already has 600 parking spots, a swimming pool, lounges, a gymnasium and a vast re-developable residential infrastructure.

The asset should be valued as part of a whole redevelopment, in which scenario it could yield values in the area of USD ($) 5 million, it said.

A 2013 report from Luxembourg company Triadou SPV shows its corporate structure, including ownership of the former Syracuse Developmental Center.

In 2016, Triadou listed the property for sale. According to court records, it temporarily pulled the listing in 2017 after rejecting a $3.5 million offer from a potential buyer.

The CBRE real estate company is again listing the property for sale -- at a price of $3.5 million. It is promoting it as a potential site for senior housing. CBRE broker Martin Dowd confirmed the property is again for sale but said he could not comment on its ownership.

These days, the property gives every appearance of being abandoned.

Vandals have broken nearly all its hundreds of windows, ripped down ceiling panels, torn out wiring and light fixtures, and written graffiti on its walls, inside and out. (See photos above.)

At about 6 a.m. on March 18, Syracuse firefighters responded to a report of a fire at the center. When they arrived, they found heavy smoke coming from a fire on the third floor. It took them about an hour to put it out, but the fire does not appear to have caused major damage to the structure.

Fire officials said it appeared that someone intentionally started two separate fires in a mechanical room in the building, which has no working alarm or sprinkler system.

After the fire, the city had the centers doors and windows boarded up. But within days, someone had pulled some of the plywood off.

Spillane said the city hopes to find a buyer willing to redevelop the property. However, the city will not be able to market the site until it takes ownership, she said.

Site control is really a critical component of site development, she said. That makes it tricky.

Rick Moriarty covers business news and consumer issues. Contact him anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148
ROME, NY - It was a pleasant afternoon this past Sunday, and Josh Hardesty, his girlfriend and another friend had just completed a four-mile run on the path along the New York State Barge Canal in Rome.

Hardesty, 30, of Rome, said his girlfriend, Sara Corbo, started pointing to the water. He looked out and saw a boy in the water who appeared to have fallen through the ice. The boy was desperately trying to hoist himself back onto the ice.

He seemed frantic, and I heard him say he couldnt swim, Hardesty told Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard this week.

Hardesty, a former lifeguard, said he could recognize when someone is in serious trouble.

He stripped off his outer layer of clothing and headphones and entered the cold water with his sneakers still on. He yelled out for someone to call 911, which they did.

He was probably 20 yards out, and as I got near him the water was over my head, said Hardesty, who works as a New York State court officer.

Thick ice was blocking Hardestys path to the boy - 14-year-old Brandon Blanchard - so Hardestys friend threw him a long stick to reach the boy with.

Hardesty told Brandon to grab the stick, but the boy said he couldnt feel his hands, Hardesty said.

"I told him to muster all his strength and grab that stick, and he did, and then I was able to yank him through the ice,'' Hardesty said. Then I could get hold of him and pull him out.

Hardestys friend, Josh Corbo, helped him pull the boy onto dry land. Hardesty took off Brandons wet shirt and gave him his own dry shirt, while rubbing is chest to get the blood flowing.

Brandon was conscious, but too cold to answer any questions, Hardesty said.

Within a couple minutes of getting the teen on shore, police, fire and rescue personnel appeared and took Brandon to the hospital.

Brandons mother, Jean Blanchard, said she and her entire family are grateful for Hardesty.

"He is our hero sent from heaven,'' she said. Brandon was very scared and cold, and hes so very grateful Josh rescued him.

Aside from being shaken up and extremely cold, Brandon is fine, she said. The hospital warmed him up, released him and he was back to school the next day, she said.

The Blanchards were able to make contact with Josh, and the family arranged to meet him by the canal earlier this week for hugs and thank-yous.

Hardesty is indeed a hero, said Rome Fire Department Deputy Chief Bernard Kaier.

"He was in the right place at the right time, and he did the right thing,'' Kaier said. "That boy was chest deep in the water, and Mr. Hardesty jumped right in and saved him. Im afraid something bad would likely have happened if he hadnt been there and did what he did.''

Hardestys lifelong friend, Brandon Hubal, said hes proud of his friend.

"Im not surprised at what he did,'' he said. Thats the kind of guy he is.
SYRACUSE, NY  A Syracuse charter school operator wants to expand into Rochester.

Science Academies of New York, which operates the Syracuse Academy of Science and the Syracuse Academy of Science and Citizenship, will seek state permission to open a charter school in Rochester in 2020, initially serving 168 students in grades kindergarten through second grade.

The proposed Citizenship & Science Academy of Rochester Charter School would eventually become a K-12 school over 10 years, according to Tolga Hayali, superintendent of Science Academies of New York. The nonprofit also operates a charter school in Utica.

Hayali said his organization wants to replicate in Rochester what its doing in Syracuse.

The proposed Rochester school will focus on serving English language learners in a college-bound setting focused on science, technology, engineering and math.

Charter schools are free, independent public schools funded by school districts and the state that operate under a contract known as a "charter." They are exempt from some of the regulations governing typical public schools. The state passed a law in 1998 allowing charter schools as a way to improve learning and offer parents and students more choices. Charter schools in New York are authorized by either the Board of Regents or SUNY.

Syracuse has four charter schools and two others have been proposed here.

The Syracuse Academy of Science Charter School was founded in 2003 by Syracuse University faculty. It launched the Utica school in 2013 and opened the Syracuse Academy of Science and Citizenship in 2017.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has approved a bill to set up the nations first independent commission to investigate reports of misconduct by prosecutors.

Cuomo on Wednesday sign the bill championed by former state Sen. John DeFrancisco, R-DeWitt, who retired at the beginning of the year.

The governor said he supports the concept but has serious misgivings about whether the legislation will survive a legal challenge.

The District Attorneys Association of the state of New York and two individual DAs filed a lawsuit in October. The lawsuit was put on hold while lawmakers and Cuomo negotiated changes to the legislation.

The creation of this commission rightfully drew praise by most, but swift scorn and a legal challenge by those who would be subject to its oversight, Cuomo wrote in a memo attached to the bill Wednesday afternoon.

Cuomo said some problems he identified with the bill last year still exist, leaving the law vulnerable to legal attack on issues that include the separation of powers between the executive and judiciary branches of government.

State lawmakers were unwilling to make changes he recommended to strengthen the bill, Cuomo said in the memo. But he agreed to sign the bill as written because of the promise that it brings for a more transparent and just criminal justice system.

The new Commission on Prosecutorial Misconduct will have 11 members. The commission members will be appointed by Cuomo, the state Legislature, and New Yorks chief judge any time after April 1.

The panel will review claims against district attorneys and their assistants. It will have the power to recommend discipline to the governor, who already has the authority to fire district attorneys in New York.

Contact Mark Weiner: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751
NEW YORK -- Seagrams liquor heiress and NXIVM defendant Clare Bronfman collapsed at a pre-trial hearing in Brooklyn federal court Wednesday after a judge questioned her lawyer about whether she was being secretly represented by embattled celebrity attorney Michael Avenatti.

Bronfman, 39, fainted and was caught by Mark Geragos, another celebrity attorney representing her, who has been identified as an unindicted co-conspirator in an extortion case announced Monday against Avenatti, the former lawyer for adult film star Stormy Daniels, who has sued President Donald Trump. The account of the courtroom activity was provided by two people who were present.

According to a letter filed by prosecutors that is under seal, according to the source, Avenatti and Geragos met with the government last week to discuss the case of Bronfman, the operations director for NXIVM, the Colonie-based organization now at the center of a racketeering case in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn. Both the government and Geragos confirmed the meeting in court, the source said, adding that U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis was extremely irritated at being kept in the dark. Bronfman never informed the judge she was being represented by Avenatti, the person said.

Bronfman is charged along with NXIVM co-founder Keith Raniere; Lauren Salzman; television actress Allison Mack; and Kathy Russell, a longtime bookkeeper for NXIVM. Another codefendant, NXIVM co-founder Nancy Salzman, has pleaded guilty.

The person said the sequence of events started when Kathleen Cassidy, an attorney for Bronfman, raised a question that Cassidy said involved attorney-client privilege and sensitive matters -- and asked the judge to clear the room. The source said several reporters objected and the judge refused to close the courtroom.

Garaufis had been attempting to question Bronfman at the bench about whether she had retained Avenatti. Donna Newman, a lawyer for Bronfman, objected to her client answering the question, saying it was a matter of attorney-client privilege. Cassidy requested a sidebar conference at the bench.

A five-minute break followed. As Bronfman walked back to the defense table, she started wobbling and staggering on her feet, the person said. She looked pale and her knees were buckling, the person said, noting that Geragos then caught his client and put her down in a chair.

EMS and firefighters arrived and treated Bronfman in a separate room, the person said. She did not return to court. The hearing was set to continue Thursday afternoon. She left the courthouse unaided, with Geragos.

Jury selection in the trial will be early next month with opening arguments scheduled for April 29.

Federal prosecutors in Manhattan charged Avenatti with trying to shake down as much as $25 million by threatening Nike with bad publicity. In a separate case, he faces charges he embezzled a clients money to pay his own expenses, and was charged with extortion and bank and wire fraud in separate cases in New York and California.

By Robert Gavin Times Union, Albany, N.Y.
NEW YORK (AP)  An already bizarre case accusing a secretive self-help group in upstate New York of engaging in sex-trafficking took another strange turn Wednesday thanks to firebrand attorney Michael Avenatti and a courtroom scene caused by a wealthy defendant he's tried to represent.

At a hearing in federal court in Brooklyn, prosecutors confirmed that Avenatti appeared on behalf of liquor fortune heiress Clare Bronfman at a closed-door meeting last week that also included Mark Geragos, another high-profile lawyer representing Bronfman.

When U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis asked Geragos whether he and Avenatti had told prosecutors Avenatti was being brought into the case, he responded, "That's exactly what happened."

The revelation came only two days after Avenatti, the lawyer best known for representing porn actress Stormy Daniels, was arrested on charges accusing him of trying to extort millions of dollars from Nike. He wasnt in court Wednesday and didnt immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

Geragos has been linked to the Nike case by reports naming him as the unidentified co-conspirator mentioned in court papers. Asked outside court Wednesday if he was cooperating in the case, he said no, but declined comment on whether he was the alleged co-conspirator.

Bronfman, a daughter of the late billionaire philanthropist and former Seagram chairman Edgar Bronfman Sr., has pleaded not guilty to charges accusing her of bank-rolling a cult-like organization that brainwashed and branded women who served as sex slaves for its spiritual leader.

Under stern questioning by the judge Wednesday about which lawyers are actually representing her and whether she knew if Geragos was involved in the Nike case, Bronfman turned pale, staggered away from the bench and collapsed into a chair. An ambulance was called, but she later left the courthouse on the arm of Geragos.

The judge adjourned the hearing but told lawyers Bronfman would need to come back to court Thursday to give some answers.

Youre going to tell me who the lawyers are, he said. Youre going to tell me when they were retained.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - An avowed neo-Nazi who killed one woman and injured 35 other people when he plowed his car into a group of counterprotesters at an infamous rally here pleaded guilty to hate crimes in federal court Wednesday.

James Alex Fields Jr., 21, of Ohio admitted guilt to 29 of 30 counts in a federal indictment as part of a deal with prosecutors, who agreed they would not seek the death penalty in a case that has come to symbolize the violent resurgence of white supremacism in the United States. Fields is set to be sentenced July 3.

Late last year, Fields was convicted in state court of first-degree murder and other charges for killing Heather Heyer, 32, and injuring dozens at the chaotic Unite the Right rally on Aug. 12, 2017. The jury in that case recommended a life sentence, and a state judge is scheduled to formally impose it in mid-July.

Admitting guilt to hate crimes marks a dramatic shift for Fields, whose attorneys argued during his trial in state court that he sped toward the crowd out of confusion and fear for his safety. They said he immediately regretted his actions.

On Wednesday, Fields, who has grown a bushy beard in the months since his state trial, entered a federal courtroom here in a gray-and-white-striped prisoner's jumpsuit and handcuffs. He spoke only to answer a judge's questions and displayed no emotion during the hourlong hearing.

This undated file photo provided by the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail shows James Alex Fields Jr. (Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail via AP, File)AP

Susan Bro, Heyer's mother, said after the hearing she was satisfied with the result.

"There's no point in killing him. It would not bring back Heather," Bro said.

It's a relief to think we don't have to go through another trial. It was exhausting the first time. I can get on with my life and the other victims can, too."

Thomas Cullen, U.S. District Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, said he was gratified that Fields finally had to admit he was motivated by hate, calling the crime "an indelible mark on the city of Charlottesville, our state and our country."

Fields pleaded guilty to one count of a hate crime act that resulted in the death of Heyer and 28 counts of hate crimes that caused injury and involved an attempt to kill other people in the crowd. Each of the 29 counts carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Attorney General William Barr approved the deal.

The violence in 2017 and President Donald Trump's assertion afterward that there were "very fine people" on both sides of the Charlottesville rally sparked intense criticism and a fresh focus on the renewed forces of ethno-nationalism.

The events began on Aug. 11 when far-right groups mounted a torchlight march through the University of Virginia campus shouting racist and anti-Semitic slogans, including, "Jews will not replace us!" Fields was already on his way to Charlottesville, arriving the next day for a rally that was nominally held to protest the planned removal of a Robert E. Lee statue. The event, involving hundreds of marchers, generated national media attention after rallygoers carrying Nazi flags and shouting racial epithets clashed violently with counterprotesters. Police eventually dispersed the groups.

A short-time later, Fields was seen driving his gray Dodge Charger up to a group of counterprotesters on a narrow street. He slowly backed up and then accelerated down a hill directly into the group.

Video, which was played at Fields' state trial, shows protesters tumbling and screaming as the car slams into them. Fields then reverses at a high rate of speed, hitting and dragging others. Someone repeatedly yelled: "Oh god! Oh god!"

Heyer was killed, while others were seriously wounded. One woman who limped to the stand at Fields' state trial testified she had five surgeries and was expecting a sixth. Another described a broken pelvis and a third how he pushed his fiance out of the way before he was hit by Fields' car.

Fields, who a mental health expert testified suffered psychiatric issues from childhood and worked as a security guard, did not deny running into the crowd, but his attorneys argued that he acted to protect himself.

But prosecutors forcefully countered that argument and the jury at the six-day trial ultimately rejected it.

Jurors were shown a deleted Instagram post by Fields shared three months before that crash that featured a car running into a group of people. A caption read: "You Have the Right to Protest, But I'm Late for Work."

A state prosecutor also showed a blown-up image of Fields in his car to counter the idea that he was scared when he acted.

"This is not the face of someone who is scared," said a state prosecutor said at the time. "This is the face of anger, of hatred. It's the face of malice."

As part of the plea agreement in federal court, prosecutors said Fields admitted that before the rally, he had used social media to "express and promote white supremacist views," including admiration for the racial-purity doctrine of Adolf Hitler. They said he used those accounts to "espouse violence against African-Americans, Jewish people, and members of other racial, ethnic and religious groups he perceived to be nonwhite."

After Wednesday's federal court hearing, Bro was asked whether Heyer's killing had raised the community's consciousness about racial disparities.

"Sadly, it took a white girl dying before anyone paid attention to civil rights around here," she told reporters. "I wish we had woken up sooner."

But Bro did describe one moment of healing. When asked whether she had ever come in contact with Fields' mother, Bro said she had seen her just once, at the state trial.

She looked at me, and I looked at her, Bro said. "I said, Im sorry. She said, Im sorry. "
Hold the crust. Photo: Marvin Orellana/New York Magazine

It must seem strange to anyone whos ever packed a school lunch for a third-grader to think that the biggest thing going in gourmet-sandwich circles these days is egg salad on squishy white bread with the crusts removed. That is the thing to get at Konbi, a bakery and cafe the size of a canoe run by two Momofuku vets in Los Angeles. Hot on its heels in New York is the Black & White, a cheeky riff on a PB&J consisting of a mixture of black-sesame paste and peanut butter, plus citron jam and a schmear of cream cheese. Thats the sandwich  also served on squishy white bread  that everyone whos been to David Changs brand-new Peach Mart at Hudson Yards cant stop talking about. Both of these minimalist mouth-waterers (and the places that make them) were inspired by the Japanese convenience stores called conbini, where the act of placing a few meticulously made ingredients between two slices of crustless white bread, cutting them into immaculate triangles, and shoving them into plastic Pret a Mangerstyle containers is a bit of an art form and increasingly a fetish object for a certain breed of American chef.

Much about these of-the-moment sandwiches seems to fly in the face of current trends like the naturally fermented, whole-grain, house-milled artisan loaf and overstuffed sandwiches of every culinary persuasion, from juicy tortas and bountiful poboys to drippy double cheeseburgers. But in its clean geometric lines, its architectural restraint, and its uncanny ability to underpromise and overdeliver in the flavor department, the Japanese white-bread sando exerts its own allure. Which isnt to say that its a wholly novel creation. In fact, the sando of todays Instagram feeds is a direct relation to other, less celebrated but worthy crustless finger-food icons, namely the British tea sandwich and the Italian tramezzino. Whats great about these sandwiches is the ease with which you eat them. No pull. No chew. No crust. No chaos. Aside from freshness and flavor, soft, elegant efficiency is all. In short, theyre perfect sandwiches for imperfect times. Even if your life is a mess, your lunchtime sandwich (or afternoon snack) neednt be.

Three Types Of White-Bread Sandwiches That Arent So White-Bread

1. The British Tea Sandwich Clockwise from top left: Tea & Sympathy's cucumber and cream cheese, cheese and tomato, cheddar and Branston Pickle, and egg salad and watercress. Photo: Marvin Orellana/New York Magazine. Clockwise from top left: Tea & Sympathy's cucumber and cream cheese, cheese and tomato, cheddar and Branston Pickle, and egg salad and watercress.... more Clockwise from top left: Tea & Sympathy's cucumber and cream cheese, cheese and tomato, cheddar and Branston Pickle, and egg salad and watercress. Photo: Marvin Orellana/New York Magazine. Natural Habitat: Beneath the scones on triple-tiered afternoon-tea trays. History: In 1840, Anna Maria Russell, the seventh Duchess of Bedford and a Queen Victoria BFF, invented the notion of afternoon tea (and along with it, the tea sandwich) to prevent her social circle from going hungry between lunch and dinner. Where to Find It: Tea & Sympathy, 108 Greenwich Ave. The Fillings: Scottish Cheddar with Branston pickle; egg salad and watercress; Coronation chicken; and, of course, cucumber, the sleek, nearly aerodynamic quintessence of all minimalist sandwiches, served with cream cheese. The Bread: Fresh and springy Pullman-style white baked by Orwashers. Its the closest to the real thing that Ive found in New York, says Tea & Sympathy owner Nicky Perry.

2. The Japanese Conbini-Style Sando Clockwise from left: Peach Mart's chicken katsu, Black & White, and potato salad and pickled jalapeno Photo: Marvin Orellana/New York Magazine. Clockwise from left: Peach Mart's chicken katsu, Black & White, and potato salad and pickled jalapeno Photo: Marvin Orellana/New York Magazine. Natural Habitat: Japanese convenience stores like 7-Eleven and FamilyMart. History: One of the most influential conbini-sando specialists in Asia is Lawson, which opened in Japan in 1974 but originated in northeastern Ohio as Lawsons, an all-American convenience store known for its orange juice and sour-cream dip. Where to Find It: Peach Mart, 20 Hudson Yards The Fillings: Black sesame and cream cheese; potato salad; chicken katsu. The Bread: Shokupan, or milk bread. It may look like glorified Wonder bread, but each loaf is a little miracle of fluffy perfection thanks to a starter technique borrowed from the Chinese called Tangzhong  a traditional method for making steamed buns.

3. The Italian Tramezzino Cipriani Le Specialitas prosciutto cotto and egg. Photo: Marvin Orellana/New York Magazine Natural Habitat: Aperitivi bars in Turin and Venice, including Harrys, where Orson Welles would knock back plates of shrimp tramezzini the way ordinary barflies down salted peanuts. History: Devised in 1926 at Caffe Mulassano in Turin and christened by the proto-Fascist dandy writer Gabriele DAnnunzio, who once declared himself Italys greatest poet since Dante. He backed up the claim (on this occasion at least) by coining the word, a diminutive of tramezzo (meaning in between or partition), to describe the little sandwichs role as a between-meals snack. Where to Find It: Cipriani Le Specialita, 110 E. 42nd St. Clockwise from top left: Cipriani Le Specialita's Shrimp salad, tuna and tomato, mushroom and prosciutto cotto, and egg and asparagus. Photo: Marvin Orellana/New York Magazine. Clockwise from top left: Cipriani Le Specialita's Shrimp salad, tuna and tomato, mushroom and prosciutto cotto, and egg and asparagus. Photo: Marvin O... more Clockwise from top left: Cipriani Le Specialita's Shrimp salad, tuna and tomato, mushroom and prosciutto cotto, and egg and asparagus. Photo: Marvin Orellana/New York Magazine. The Fillings: Egg and asparagus; tuna and tomato; prosciutto cotto and mushroom. The Bread: Most tramezzini are cut into tiny triangles, but Ciprianis house-baked milk-bread version is rectangular with gently pressed edges and a hump in the middle to keep the fillings from falling out.

*This article appears in the April 1, 2019, issue of New York Magazine. Subscribe Now!

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A new analysis revealed that people with mental health problems are more likely to fall into deep debt compared to those without mental health conditions.

In particular, the link between spiralling debt and mental health issues was strong among those with bipolar disorder, depression, or obsessive compulsive disorder, the study said.

In fact, people with obsessive compulsive disorder were six times more likely to have money problems, as explained by the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute.

As a result, the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, which is an independent charity in the United Kingdom that conducts research on such matters, is calling for greater protection for people in these situations.

About 1.5 million people in the UK are struggling with mental health and debt issues at the same time, the institute claimed.

"We're here to change that," the institute said in its website.

The Link Between Crippling Debt And Mental Health Problems

In a study, the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute analyzed data from the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey, which recorded responses from 7,500 people in England.

Someone who was suffering from debt and mental health problems was Debbie who lived in the West Midlands.

According to Debbie, when she developed depression after the death of her father, her debt spiralled. When she felt low due to depression, she would use her credit card to go out and buy something. Often she bought items she didn't really need.

Eventually, her debt incurred into a total of 70,000 (more than $92,000), which was a result of credit card, store card, catalogue debt as well as travelling expenses for a low-paying job.

The survey analyzed by the institute said that one in every four people in England like Debbie were suffering from "problem debt," compared to one in every 20 people who did not have mental health conditions.

Symptoms of depressions, such as poor concentration and low moods, often affect how people manage their finances.

Helen Undy, chief executive of the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, said when a person is struggling with mental health issues, it will be harder to stay at work or manage spending.

At the same time, being in debt causes stress and anxiety, so these issues feed off of each other. This creates a vicious cycle which can destroy lives, she said.

How To Help Those In Debt

Despite all these interconnected problems, Undy said financial services rarely think about people's mental health, while mental health services rarely consider what is happening to patients' finances.

With that being said, the institute believes there is a way to change that. In fact, the institute says service providers have the power to improve both the emotional and financial well-being of customers. This can happen by introducing new tools, settings, and process that help people with mental health problems manage their finances well.

Undy called on the government to create policies that dictate the standards for providers of services, ranging from banks and energy suppliers to debt collectors. This should be offered to those with mental health difficulties.

According to Huffington Post, the government is already consulting on changes to improve protection of consumers across the country. The institute says it plans to boost support for customers with mental health problems, which includes helping them avoid debt from banks and energy suppliers.

Photo: Mario Sanchez Prada | Flickr

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
There's hope that men will be able to take contraceptives in the future as an experimental male birth control pill passes preliminary testing with flying colors.

Results of the clinical trial were presented at the Endocrine Society's annual meeting on Sunday, March 24, in New Orleans, Louisiana.

New Birth Control Pill For Men Undergoes Testing

Led by Stephanie Page of the University of Washington School of Medicine and Christina Wang of the University of California, Los Angeles, the team reveal that their clinical trials included 40 healthy men who took the birth control pill every day for 28 days.

According to the study, 30 of the participants took a modified testosterone pill that's a mix of male hormone androgen and progesterone. The 10 remaining men took a placebo.

"It's one pill with two hormonal actions," Wang says. "Although the body's production of testosterone is lower ... the compound will support sex function, retain muscle mass, and all the good things that the male hormone does for the body."

What To Expect From Male Contraceptives

The pill, called 11-beta-methyl-19-nortestosterone dodecylcarbonate, or 11-Beta-MNTDC, was able to preserve libido while decreasing sperm production.

While a number of mild side effects were reported, such as fatigue, acne, and headache, none of the men dropped out of the study due to severe side effects. Five men reported mild decrease of sex drive and two others reported mild erectile dysfunction, but sexual activity was reportedly not decreased.

Low testosterone had minimal effects, since the 11-Beta-MNTDC mimics testosterone throughout the body without supporting sperm production.

It should be noted that because the pill takes 60 to 90 days to affect sperm production, the 28-day trial period was not enough time to observe how truly effective it is in sperm suppression.

The 11-Beta-MNTDC is a "sister compound" to the dimethandrolone undecanoate (DMAU), which was the first male birth control pill to undergo testing. The trials for DMAU, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, were also conducted by the same research team.

"The goal is to find the compound that has the fewest side effects and is the most effective," Page explains, adding that the team is developing two different drugs as an attempt to move the field of contraceptive medicine forward.

Wang predicts that safe, reversible hormonal male contraception will be available to the public in 10 years.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A British Airways flight bound for Germany landed in Scotland instead, leaving many passengers onboard surprised and confused.

The plane reportedly took off from London City Airport and headed for Dusseldorf, Germany. However, it was somehow redirected during its flight and ended up in Edinburgh, Scotland, 525 miles from where it should have landed.

The passengers, who were unaware of what was going on with their flight, only found out about the mix up when they heard the "welcome to Edinburgh" announcement.

The BA flight was still able to make it to Germany later on, despite the initial confusion. The airline has also offered an apology to all affected passengers.

"We have apologized to customers for this interruption to their journey and will be contacting them all individually," British Airways wrote in its statement.

Redirected British Airways Flight

BA said it is already working with German company WDL Aviation to find out how exactly the plane's flight was mixed up. WDL was the one who operated the redirected flight through a leasing deal.

For its part, WDL said it is collaborating with authorities to investigate the incident. The company stressed that none of the flight's passengers were put in danger and that they all made it to their intended destination following the brief stopover in Scotland.

However, people onboard the flight were not convinced with the explanation provided by British Airways.

One passenger by the name of Son Tran tweeted about the whole experience, claiming that it felt like a "mystery travel lottery."

When BA replied to his tweet explaining that the flight was redirected, Tran fired back by saying that the incident was more like an honest mistake on the part of the airline.

Sophie Cooke, another passenger of the BA flight, told the BBC that the pilot himself said he was not sure how they ended up in Scotland, and that it never happened before.

Cooke said they had to wait two and a half hours on the tarmac of the Edinburgh airport before the flight to Dusseldorf was resumed.

Ryanair's Twitter Trolling Backfires

Irish low-cost airline Ryanair tried to take advantage of the British Airways blunder by trolling the company on social media only to have it backfire.

On its Twitter page, Ryanair wrote that it had a "present" for BA and added an image of the book Geography for Dummies.

BA offered a short reply, telling the Irish airline that "no one is perfect." However, other social media users were a lot snarkier in their remarks.

One user answered the book joke with an image that read Customer Service for Dummies.

Meanwhile, others reminded Ryanair of its labor problems, such as when it had to cancel 250 of its flights in 2018 because its pilots and staff went on strike. Some 35,000 passengers were left to change the travel plans while the protests were ongoing.

In December, Ryanair was slapped with a lawsuit from the Civil Aviation Authority after the airline had refused to compensate all of its passengers who were affected by canceled or delayed flights.

#frequenttravel #britishairways @British_Airways can you please explain how can my morning flight taking off from LCY to Dusseldorf land in Edinburgh ? While an interesting concept, I don't think anyone on board has signed up for this mystery travel lottery... #BA3271  Son Tran (@sontrantuan) March 25, 2019

This feels like an honest mistake rather than a diversion. The crew was convinced of the Edinburgh flight path from the get-go...  Son Tran (@sontrantuan) March 25, 2019

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Older American adults are turning to marijuana to relieve joint pains and symptoms of other health conditions that come with age.

Marijuana Use Among Senior Citizens

Over the years, the use of medical marijuana has soared among seniors citizens. In fact, industry experts agree that people aged 65 years and older are the fastest-growing segment of marijuana users across the country.

"I would say the average age of our customers is around 60, maybe even a little older," stated Kelty Richardson, a registered nurse at the Holos Health clinic which provides physician-recommended cannabis.

A study published last year claimed that the number of baby boomers, age 50 and above, who smoke weed or consume cannabis products have doubled in the past decade. For seniors age 60 and above, the use of the drug increased sevenfold.

Marijuana is becoming more popular among the older population because it addresses conditions that many seniors face because of old age. The drug promises to alleviate issues such as joint pain, muscle spams, anxiety, insomnia, and loss of appetite. It also has been proven effective for chronic pain.

Ron Atkin, 76 years old, told Los Angeles Times that he turned to marijuana out of "desperation." Although his doctor never recommended it, he tried marijuana when his prescription opiates stopped working to treat his painful spinal stenosis.

Another senior, Adele Frascella, takes marijuana in the form of gummy candies to prevent arthritic pain. She said she does not like to take an opioid to cure her ailments.

Advice On Senior Use Of Marijuana

Little is known about the effects of marijuana use among the older populations, but medical experts cannot deny its potential benefits. A group of professors from the University of Washington released recommendations to prevent any harm from the use of marijuana.

"Start low, go slow," stated Zach Marcum, an assistant director of research at the University of Washington's School of Pharmacy.

Those who are using medical marijuana for the first time should begin with one-quarter to one-half of the recommended dose.

Senior users should also consider the CBD-THC ratio to avoid experiencing the psychoactive effects of the drug. Experts recommend opting for topical and transdermal products.

Lastly, they must only buy from reputable sources. They should not purchase marijuana products over the internet or on the streets.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
It looks like McDonald's is hitching a ride on the AI bandwagon after purchasing a machine learning start-up for a reported $300 million.

The fast-food chain has bought New York-based tech start-up Dynamic Yield in a move that could radically change how consumers order their favorite Big Macs. The company hopes to use the AI program to power its customer experience strategy beginning with its drive-thru windows.

AI-Powered McDonald's Menu Displays

McDonald's plans to take advantage of Dynamic Yield's machine learning program to optimize the menu display at drive-thru windows.

The AI will choose what products to show them based on historical sales data and the popularity of certain items. It will also consider other factors such as the time, weather, local events, and even the traffic levels in the surrounding area of the McDonald's store.

For example, if customers were to approach the menu display on a hot summer day, they would be able to see the different refreshments McDonald's has to offer, such as iced coffees or the McFlurry.

If there is a long ordering cue, customers would be presented with simpler items that are faster and easier to prepare for the store's crew.

The AI-assisted ordering system has already been tested at several McDonald's stores last year, and it appears the company is hoping to add more soon.

Daniel Henry, who is McDonald's executive vice president and global CIO, said that they plan to launch the new system at more than 1,000 stores over the next few months. Soon, all 14,000 McDonald's branches across the United States and even those in other markets will feature the AI-assisted menu displays.

The fast-food chain will incorporate its machine learning program to its smartphone app and self-order kiosks. In time, it might also make its way to the restaurant's kitchens.

Despite being acquired by McDonald's, Dynamic Yield will still exist as an independent entity.

In its blog, startup welcomed its upcoming tech ventures with its new parent company.

"We are excited to become a part of the amazing McDonald's family and look forward to continuing our work building the best personalization technology in the market," Dynamic Yield wrote.

Other Technology-Focused Investments

Buying Dynamic Yield is just one of the many tech-driven investments McDonald's has made under CEO Steve Easterbrook. Ever since Easterbrook took over leadership of the fast-food chain, he has overseen the launch of the McDonald's smartphone app and its partnership with online food ordering and delivery platform Uber Eats.

McDonald's HQ has even changed addresses, moving back to Chicago after 47 years of being in the city's suburbs. The new $250-million facility is located in the Chicago's West Town neighborhood. Many observers believe this is a way for the company to attract and recruit younger talents for its workforce.

Henry hinted at the possibility of using license plate recognition software along with the new machine learning program. The AI would identify customers through their vehicles and customize the menu display to match their buying history.

McDonald's rivals in the fast-food industry are also trying to leverage technology to attract more customers.

Fellow burger joint Burger King used its own mobile app to launch a promo where customers could buy a Whopper for just 1. The catch is that they have to be within 600 feet of a McDonald's store.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
After battling court challenges from environmentalists and others, the builders of the controversial Bayou Bridge Pipeline across southern Louisiana say they will be able to carry crude oil from the northern Midwest to the Mississippi River valley beginning Monday.

Energy Transfer and Phillips 66 Partners said the 163-mile crude oil line, which cuts through the heart of the Atchafalaya Basin, North America's largest river swamp, is finished and ready for service. The $750 million pipeline will link the first leg of a line that had ended in Lake Charles with terminals in St. James Parish along the west bank of the Mississippi River.

Some landowners along the path and environmentalists have tried to fight the pipeline in court, raising a variety of challenges, including over the company's use of eminent domain and the appropriateness and enforcement of its wetlands permit. Other activists have tried acts of civil disobedience to halt construction to no avail.

Vicki Granado, spokeswoman for Energy Transfer, said the company began filling the line with oil Tuesday so that the crude could begin flowing to its destinations in Louisiana by Monday.

Once operational, the line will link Louisiana refiners to crude oil drawn from the country's heartland, tying into the Dakota Access Pipeline that taps oil from the Bakken Formation in North Dakota and from other sources.

Randy Hayden, spokesman for Louisianians for Energy, a nonprofit grassroots group based at a law office in New Orleans, said the pipeline will continue to fuel economic growth across the state.

"With the U.S. producing record amounts of crude oil, Louisiana will be well-positioned to play a key role in the industry for years to come, he said.

The horizontal fracking revolution in drilling has opened up large plays of oil and gas across the country. Two months before work started on the Bayou Bridge Pipeline in January 2018, all that drilling had already helped push the nation's daily oil production past the previous all-time record from 1970.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, since that record was broken, crude oil production has risen another nearly 2 million barrels per day to about 11.9 million barrels per day.

Energy Partners and Phillips 66 made the announcement even as fights over the underlying legal principles raised in the pipeline suits continue to churn in court. But those legal challenges failed to significantly derail construction.

Opponents' concerns centered around yet another pipeline slicing through the huge arboreal forest in south-central Louisiana, the safety record of Energy Transfer and the impact of the line's terminus on poor, primarily black residents in St. James.

Environmentalists charged the line's construction will destroy ancient cypress and tupelo unlikely to return in Louisiana's subsiding swamps and further interrupt natural flow of water through the swamp.

Others worried about the effect of the pipeline on the Burton Lane area of St. James, where oil tank farms and other industry have already hemmed in long-term homeowners, many elderly and disabled, with limited ways to evacuate during an emergency.

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Dean Wilson, executive director of the Atchafalaya Basinkeeper, charged that the company continued to violate its permits with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, including working in high water in the basin.

Wilson's group and other environmentalists brought a federal lawsuit in early 2018 over the Corps permits and briefly got an injunction on construction on part of the line, though work continued elsewhere. A federal appellate panel threw out the stay weeks later and eventually undercut his group's ability to try to enforce the permit despite repeated alleged violations.

"How do you deal with that problem," Wilson said Wednesday

The plaintiffs in Wilson's suit sought another preliminary injunction earlier this year over alleged work during high water but the federal judge rejected that, finding, in part, that the environmentalists and crawfishermen knew about the work in high water for many months and so seeking a preliminary injunction was too late.

"Additionally, it is undisputed that the construction in the Basin is near completion, and the request for relief may already be moot," Judge Shelly Dick found Feb. 7.

Anne Rolfes, director of the Louisiana Bucket Brigade, added that the fight over the pipeline has led to a "public awakening" that has "set the scene for important battles over eminent domain and, in St. James Parish, the construction of the Formosa Plastics Plant."

Energy Transfer has pointed out that the line will track existing rights of way to minimize impact on the swamp. The company will pay into mitigation banks to offset the loss of wetlands and touted pipelines as the safest way to move crude cross-country.

The company has also pointed out that the pipeline brought 2,500 construction jobs. Stupp Corporation, which is based in the Baton Rouge area, fabricated the 24-inch pipe.

The line was also expected to generate $17.6 million in sales tax revenue during construction and $1.8 million in local property tax revenue during the first year of operation.

The pipeline, which is owned 60 percent by Energy Transfer and 40 percent by Phillips 66 Partners, is operated by Energy Transfer, a statement issued Tuesday says.

The first phase of the Bayou Bridge Pipeline went into service in April 2016 and carries crude from Nederland, Texas, to Lake Charles.
As city-parish leaders try to reduce transmission rates of HIV/AIDS by getting more lifesaving medications in the hands of those affected, the Metro Council on Wednesday agreed to disburse $4.5 million to six agencies for outreach and medical services this year.

The Metro Council gave Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome the authority to allocate funds awarded through the federal government's Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program and Minority AIDS Initiative to six of the eight local agencies hoping to receive funding for the grant period, which began March 1 and runs into Feb. 29, 2020.

"We're looking to increase viral suppression through the test-and-treat model," said Shamell Lavigne, program administrator for the city-parish's Ryan White Program. "Medical research has shown that any time someone tests positive and they get on antiretroviral medication within 72 hours, the virus is more likely to become suppressed in 30 to 45 days."

Suppressing the presence of the virus in HIV-positive individuals, which means reducing the strength and presence in a patients's blood, not only improves the health of the patient but makes it less likely for that person to spread the disease to others.

Baton Rouge Mayor Sharon Weston Broome to sign pledge to increase HIV treatment Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome will sign a pledge on Saturday to improve treatment of HIV in Baton Rouge, with one goal of ensuring that

The Baton Rouge Metro area is ranked 5th in the nation, behind New Orleans, for the number of people diagnosed with HIV in a metropolitan area, according to the latest quarterly report published by the state Department of Health on Dec. 31, 2018. The five-parish metro area is ranked 2nd in the nation for the number of AIDS cases, the same report states.

The six agencies to receive the funding are: HIV/AIDS Alliance for Region 2, Capitol City Family Health Center, Our Lady of the Lake Inc., Family Services of Greater Baton Rouge, NoAIDS Task Force, and Volunteers of America Greater Baton Rouge.

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Each vied for the funds by submitting proposals outlining their scope of services and were selected based on the number of people they serve in the city-parish, their capacity to cater to the needs of certain geographic areas, and their history of service to the community.

Since 2007, the city-parish has received grant funding through the Ryan White Program to combat the disease and provide treatment to those battling disease who can't afford or don't have access to healthcare.

Last year, the mayor pledged to improve treatment of HIV in the city by ensuring that at least 90 percent of the people who test positive for the disease were on medication by 2020 through the nationwide health campaign Fast-Track Cities.

Lavigne said that deadline has been extended to 2030.

"This is going help reduce the stigma for people living with HIV," she said. "Because of the Affordable Care Act and the Medicaid expansion, we're not having to pay as much for medical care for underserved individuals."

The percentage of HIV-positive patients on medication has steadily increased in the Baton Rouge area since 2014, jumping from 54 percent to 67 percent in 2017, according Louisiana Department of Health.

Lavigne said more than 80 percent of the HIV-positive patients enrolled in the Ryan White Program in the city-parish are now receiving medication.
Houston-based law enforcement officer, pastor, and new gospel recording artist, Marcus Jordan will make his first appearance this weekend during The 34th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards held in Las Vegas, NV.

In addition to Jordan's first appearance, he has been tapped as a Presenter at The Stellar Gospel Music Awards Pre-Show hosted by Charles Jenkins and Lexi, which takes place on Thursday, March at 7 p.m. PT at the Orleans Showroom.

Marcus Jordan is a Gospel artist-songwriter, Pastor and Law enforcement officer and resides in Houston, TX. In January 2018, Marcus released his debut project I Will Bless The Lord, Co-written by Marcus along with Samuel Fisher who also produced the track, "I Will Bless The Lord" continues to gain traction at Gospel radio. The track is available now on all digital and purchasing retailers including AppleMusic, iTunes, GooglePlay, and AmazonMusic.

Tags : marcus jordan marcus jordan news stellar awards 34th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards
The two Amite men who died Saturday in a double homicide in St. Helena Parish actually shot each other, according to a press release from the St. Helena Sheriff's Office.

Detril Nichols Jr., 22, and Wayne Golman, 28, were found dead Saturday morning at 1418 Opal Bennet Road. The St. Helena Sheriff's Office determined the two men shot each other, and noted Wednesday the men had previous altercations.

No further information about the those altercations was released.
An 18-year-old man was shot in the head Wednesday afternoon, the Pointe Coupee Sheriff's Office said.

The shooting was reported around 5:15 p.m. in the 8600 block of Pecan Drive in East New Roads. At the scene, deputies found the man suffering from a gunshot wound to the head.

The man was airlifted to Our Lady of the Lake in "very serious condition," Sheriff's Office spokesman Capt. Steve Juge said. Anyone with information on the shooting is acked to call the PCSO at 225-694-3737.

The shooting is the second reported in Pointe Coupee Wednesday. Earlier in the day, sheriff's deputies received a call around 1:40 p.m. about a shooting in Livonia, where they found the victim, Karl Grimmer, with a gunshot wound to the abdomen, said Juge.

The initial investigation shows there was a family dispute in the 8100 block of La. 81 East, then Grimmer's uncle, Carl Grimmer, shot his nephew. There is no further information on the nature of the dispute, Juge said, but the uncle has been in custody as of Wednesday afternoon.
Prosecutors who reviewed a profanity-filled viral video of East Baton Rouge Parish School Board member Connie Bernard confronting a young partygoer at a Lakeside home last summer lodged a new charge against her, saying that when she put her hands to the boy's neck it amounted to simple battery.

Bernard this week pleaded not guilty to the charge and also an earlier complaint that she entered the home and refused to leave. Both are misdemeanors.

District Attorney Hillar Moore said Thursday the simple battery charge stemmed from a moment in the video when Bernard is seen placing her "hands to the neck" of a young man. Moore, however, would not go so far as to describe what Bernard did as choking, though some who had seen the video did conclude that.

Bernard, who was not present in court, was initially cited the night of the party, Aug. 10, and pleaded not guilty Monday through her attorney. A status conference has been scheduled for May 23 before State District Judge Louis Daniel.

+3 BR school board member issued summons over confrontation at neighbor's party An East Baton Rouge Parish School Board member landed in hot water Friday after a confrontation involving a party at a neighbor's home.

Moore said he went forward with charges after waiting months for Bernard to produce mitigating evidence that may have allowed him to resolve the matter without going to court, and he said hes still in hopes that such documentation will be forthcoming. He said such evidence would require Bernard taking responsibility for what happened that Friday night.

It would be anything that she would like for me to consider so that I can give it to the affected parties, Moore said.

Warning: The video below contains graphic language.

Can't see video below? Click here.

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The Advocate left messages with Bernard on Thursday that were not returned. The Advocate also left messages Thursday with her listed attorney, Aidan Reynolds, as well as another attorney, John McLindon. Moore said that McLindon told him that he would soon be enlisting as Bernard's attorney.

+3 Baton Rouge school board member apologizes for using profanity; DA looking into confrontation District Attorney Hillar Moore said Tuesday he is looking into a confrontation among an East Baton Rouge Parish School Board member and young 

In August, right after the incident, Bernard said she went to the home on High Lake Drive, down the street from her home, which was being rented, after hearing loud noises. She said she knocked on the door and knows the owners of the home, whom she called close personal friends.

Three days after the incident, Bernard issued an apology for the profanity she used that night and the embarrassment the incident caused to friends and family, as well as distracting from her work on the School Board. Bernard, however, did not apologize for going into the house to begin with or any of her other actions that night.

Bernard has resisted scattered calls for her to resign from the School Board altogether. Three weeks after the incident, Bernard, however, resigned from her position as vice president of the board. In her resignation letter, she made no mention of that incident, saying instead that she left board leadership because her husband, John, had been diagnosed with cancer and has been undergoing time-consuming treatments.

Embattled EBR school board member Connie Bernard gives up VP post, citing husband's cancer diagnosis Embattled East Baton Rouge Parish School Board member Connie Bernard on Friday gave up her position as vice president of the panel, saying her

Bernard was first elected to the board in 2010 and is in her third term representing south Baton Rouges District 8. She was re-elected to her third term in July, just weeks before the incident, after no one qualified to run against her.
Louisiana officials are hoping that a meeting next week will be the final push needed to break through the federal government logjam that has kept thousands of Louisiana homeowners from tapping into recovery aid since catastrophic floods swept the state in 2016.

I feel fairly optimistic about the meeting, but up here you never know, U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, R-Madisonville, said of his and U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidys meeting with the heads of the Office of Management and Budget, Housing and Urban Development and the Small Business Administration next week, as they work to usher the new duplication of benefits fix into action.

If that doesnt work, Kennedy says hes already requested a face-to-face meeting to take the issue directly to President Donald Trump.

Im tired of seeing my people being screwed around, Kennedy told reporters Wednesday.

Kennedy and Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, met with HUD Secretary Ben Carson on March 14 to try to address hang-ups that have prevented people whose homes flooded in 2016 from tapping into federal grant assistance if they sought SBA loans. Both came away with positive comments from the meeting, but HUD still needs to issue a rule directing the release of Restore Louisiana funds to people who applied for SBA loans.

It remains unclear when residents will be able to access the funds. An estimated 6,000 Louisiana residents who took out or applied for loans from SBA could be affected by the change.

Louisiana received more than $1.7 billion from Congress to aid recovery from the 2016 floods. The bulk of the money, about $1.3 billion, has been designated to go toward homeowner rebuilding assistance, but a federal rule has restricted those who received Small Business Administration loans from reaping the full benefits of the program.

Denham Springs couple sues HUD over 'duplication of benefit' trap for '16 flood recovery A Denham Springs couple whose home flooded in August 2016 sued the Trump administration on Monday, seeking to have a federal judge declare tha

Members of the Louisiana delegation spearheaded efforts last fall to eliminate the requirement that SBA loans count against Restore Louisiana grants, but months later HUD hasn't yet released federal guidance that will allow the state to begin distributing money to newly-eligible homeowners.

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Trump signed those changes in the federal Stafford Act into law in October.

We crafted the language, it was passed by both houses and signed by the president, Kennedy said. Its the law.

One Denham Springs couple, fed up with the delays, earlier this month filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over the issue.

Sens. Cassidy, Kennedy use 'holds' to force administration guidance on duplication of benefits Louisiana's two senators have resorted to a parliamentary tactic attempting to force the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development t

As in previous disasters, affected homeowners who sought SBA loans have been unable to tap into grant dollars that duplicated whatever loan amount they were deemed eligible to receive  even if they never accepted the loan money.

For example, a homeowner with an estimated $25,000 in damage who qualified for a $20,000 SBA loan would only be eligible for $5,000 in grant money, which doesnt have to be repaid. Meanwhile, a homeowner who took on the same value of damage  $25,000  but didnt apply for a loan could potentially receive for the full $25,000 grant if all other qualifications were met. In many cases, SBA loan awards were larger than the value of total damage, leaving homeowners without an opportunity for any grant assistance.

The rift has continued to impact communities as they struggle to recover from the August 2016 floods in the Baton Rouge area and other parts of southern Louisiana and the March 2016 floods in north Louisiana. Officials have repeatedly said that the duplication of benefits issue has created the biggest problems for homeowners and spawned the most complaints about the states efforts to rebuild.

Cassidy and Kennedy recently resorted to a parliamentary tactic to try to get the federal government's attention to the issue by holding up the Trump administrations HUD nominees. They have promised to lift the hold if HUD acts.

Kennedy said there has been a series of excuses and finger-pointing between government entities that as needlessly complicated the issue.

All I know is the money is there, its not doing anybody any good being in the bank, except the banks, he said. I think its clear.
The state has identified a partner for its efforts to eradicate Hepatitis C in Louisiana through an innovative medication subscription model.

The Louisiana Department of Health and Department of Corrections will enter into a contract with Asegua Therapeutics LLC (a subsidiary of Gilead Sciences, Inc.) to make its antiviral medication available over the next five years to Hep C patients enrolled in Medicaid and people who are incarcerated.

Under the partnership, the state will receive an unlimited amount of the drug, which has an overall cure rate of 98 percent across all six main types of hepatitis C.

The state expects to have the contract in place by June 1, with the states Hepatitis C elimination plan to officially start July 1.

Hepatitis C is virtually curable, but the high costs of medication have made it unaffordable for thousands of Louisiana residents who are infected and rely on the state for health care coverage. The state has been able to cover only a fraction of patients on the state's Medicaid program and in prisons who have the deadly liver-damaging disease.

Under the proposal, which is being dubbed a "Netflix-style" subscription model, the state will take the money that it currently spends toward Hep C treatment in Medicaid and the prison system and pay that amount to Asegua for unlimited access to its generic medication over a five-year period.

3 companies vying to become state partner on Hepatitis C treatment for Medicaid patients, prisoners Louisiana is one step closer to implementing a new method of obtaining normally pricey Hepatitis C drugs  a move that health officials hope w

This is an important step forward on the path to eliminating the virus in Louisiana, Gregg Alton, a representative for Asegua, said Tuesday.

Nearly 35,000 people in Louisiana's Medicaid program have the Hep C virus, which is spread through blood contamination and can lead to liver disease and cirrhosis. Because of the high cost of medication, which can run in the tens of thousands of dollars, just 384 Medicaid patients were treated for it last year. Another 4,000 prisoners have Hep C, and a similar fraction received medication in the past year.

The actual number of Louisiana residents living with the curable illness is likely thousands more  at least one LDH estimate put it at more than 70,000 residents.

Louisiana moves ahead with subscription model to pay for hepatitis C drugs for thousands Louisiana is on track to become the first state to adopt a new method of obtaining normally pricey hepatitis C drugs  a move that health offi

LDH's goal is to treat more than 10,000 Medicaid-enrolled and incarcerated patients by 2021 and ultimately eliminate the disease through the use of the subscription model.

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The next step is to complete the contract between Asegua and our agency, Health Secretary Dr. Rebekah Gee said in a statement. We were extremely pleased that three manufacturers offered proposals, with the plan submitted by Asegua offering us a clear path forward to offer a hepatitis C cure to our most vulnerable patients.

Jimmy LeBlanc, secretary of the Louisiana Department of Corrections, said the partnership will help improve public safety.

Louisiana considering new method for increasing access to Hep C drugs Louisiana could soon become the first state well on its way to ridding its residents of the nation's most deadly infectious disease, under an 

By curing these offenders, we are releasing healthier individuals to the communities, and we are protecting the public by further preventing the spread of the Hepatitis C epidemic into Louisianas towns and cities, he said.

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Baton Rouge Republican who worked for years as a hepatologists in the states charity hospital system, said years ago he and others set out to see how long it would take to treat all of the neediest existing patients who had the disease. Staying on trend with numbers that have received treatment in recent years, Cassidy said the full effort would take up to three decades, and that doesnt account for any new patients.

Weve got a big problem with Hepatitis C in our state, he said.

Cassidy said the effort ends up saving money over time  both in direct health care costs by preventing costlier treatments down the road and through making patients healthy enough again to become contributing taxpayers.

You save money through direct medical care, he said, calling the idea fantastic for patients, families and society.

Louisiana sought federal guidance to be able to move ahead with its proposal. Cassidy has joined with U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat, to propose a change on the federal level that would give states more flexibility to enter into similar cost-saving arrangements.

These populations have been way left behind. I know from my experience working in the charity hospital system how many of these patients there are, he said. Its not unique to Louisiana  they are all over the country.

The proposed Patient Affordability, Value and Efficiency Act wouldnt only apply to the Hep C treatment or the subscription model. Cassidy said he could see value in a mortgage model where costly treatments can be financed over time.

As a senator, Im trying to think about how we manage the cost of medications, still get the benefit from the innovation but make people healthier, Cassidy said.
Several races and taxes are on the March 30 ballot in the Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Acadiana areas.

The polls open Saturday at 7 a.m. and will close at 8 p.m. Early voting has already closed.

Once the polls close, the election results can be found on the Secretary of State's website.

What's on the March 30 ballot in the Baton Rouge region? Get key information on races, propositions Early voting starts Saturday and ends March 23 for the March 30 election. On the ballot in parishes in the Baton Rouge region are a number of
From left, Brandon Smith, John Newman and Kevin Guillory participate in the Longest Table event. Conversation Starters, a local organization which is focused on facilitating cross-racial dialogue hosted the Longest Table event on March 24, 2019 on Jefferson St in Lafayette. It began with a series of dinners which lead up to the Longest Table event.
CRC Music announces the global release of the 'Greater Than All' Deluxe Album, the 3rd and final form of the 'Greater Than All' series that makes up the second live album from thepassionate, dynamic and diverse South African worship team of Christian Revival Church.



Featuring 13 tracks that were recorded live in CRC Pretoria, South Africa, in front of 7000 multicultural and multigenerational worshippers on a night that can only be described as unforgettable. The Deluxe album also features 2 new studio versions of "A Love Unbroken" and "No Greater Love", as well as 2 new studio songs never released previously.



The Deluxe album sums up the entire year of CRC Music, that was appropriately themed GREATER, and what a Great year it was. Both of the Greater Than All EP 1 and 2 released on 02 October 2018 and 11 December 2018 had great success on the Christian music charts. Both EP's soared to the top of the South African iTunes charts and topped the global and gospel charts at #1 for two weeks. Songs like, Letting Go, A Love Unbroken, Recklessly Abandoned, Oh How I Love You, You Are Good and Praise on My Lips quickly became popular requests on Christian radio stations.



"The new album by CRC Music truly lives up to its name. It's quite simply Greater ThanAll worship albums I've ever heard to emerge from South Africa." These songs speak profoundly into our culture appealing to all ages and demographics. The anointing is incredible!



Greater Than All, by CRC Music, is a landmark worship album that will make a global impact on worship music for years to come." - Nurden Cross (General Manager of CCFm)



Greater Than All, is the product of a collaboration among songwriters across CRC campuses, nationally and internationally. These songs are inspired and birthed from sermons by Ps At Boshoff, with one goal in mind, "to win the lost at any cost".



We believe that music is a language that everyone speaks, and this album speaks love, the love of God, that is Greater Than All pain, suffering, challenges or setbacks that we may face. Our heart and our prayers are that these songs will impact and change people lives, not just today or tomorrow but for generations to come.





Tags : crc worship crc music crc music greater than all deluxe album crc music news
William Detweiler, a New Orleans lawyer and longtime city official who advocated for fellow military veterans as national commander of the American Legion and was instrumental in the founding of the National World War II Museum, died Wednesday. He was 79.

In December, although he was suffering the effects of treatment for pancreatic cancer, Detweiler, known as Bill or Billy," attended a ceremony at the museum where he was honored by the French government with the French National Order of Merit.

He had been associated with the museum since it was just an idea proposed by University of New Orleans historians Stephen Ambrose and Gordon Nick Mueller.

There ought to be 1,000 bricks with his name inscribed around this museum for all he has done," Mueller told the crowd at the ceremony. "He's been a tireless champion and advocate for this museum and its mission, on local levels, on national levels and international levels."

Over the years, Detweiler served as a member of the museums board of trustees and a consultant for military and veterans affairs. At the December event, Mueller credited Detweiler with connecting local leaders, military officials and French authorities to stage grand opening ceremonies for the museum.

He also was instrumental in fundraising and programming, launching a World War II conference at the museum in 2007 and working closely with veterans groups.

A native of New Orleans, Detweiler graduated from St. Aloysius High School and earned his undergraduate and law degrees from Loyola University. He served in the Army Intelligence Corps from 1963 to 1966 as an operations officer with the U.S. Air Defense Command at Fort Bliss, Texas. He later advanced to the rank of captain in the Army Reserve.

He joined the American Legion in 1966. He was elected to a one-year term as national commander in 1994.

During his tenure, Detweiler pushed for better health care for veterans, an overhaul of the Veterans Affairs Department's medical system and better funding for health care facilities, including New Orleans' Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

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He also led an effort to promote a constitutional amendment prohibiting the physical desecration of the American flag.

Detweiler's wife of 57 years, Maureen Reed Detweiler, said he was always motivated to take up positions of service, whether as an Eagle Scout, altar boy, soldier or public servant. Working with the military and veterans was a particular passion of his and brought him a lot of joy, she said.

Politics was another longtime interest. In 1978, he was elected constable of New Orleans' 1st City Court, serving in that post for nearly 20 years.

He was a member of the Governors Military Advisory Board and the Louisiana Senates Select Committee on Military Affairs, among other boards and commissions. He served several nonprofit institutions, including Belle Chasse Academy and the Foundation for Science and Mathematics Charter School.

In 1973, he was appointed by President Richard Nixon to the Veterans Administration's National Rehabilitation and Education Advisory Committee, later serving as chairman.

He and his wife were among the founders of the Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival. He was our first attorney and very active, said festival president and co-founder Peggy Scott Laborde, senior producer at WYES-TV.

Laborde interviewed the Detweilers for several of her WYES cultural documentaries, where Detweiler shared memories of everything from shopping on Canal Street to Tulane Stadium, Mardi Gras and St. Patricks Day celebrations.

In addition to his wife, Detweiler is survived by two sons, Scott Detweiler, of Woodland Hills, California, and Keith Detweiler, of Metairie; two daughters, Bonnie Detweiler Shorr, of Gurnee, Illiois, and Jeannie Detweiler Millet, of New Orleans; and six grandchildren.

Funeral arrangements are pending.
Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon made headlines last month when he directed all bail bondsmen in New Orleans to dig back 14 years into their files and write partial refund checks to tens of thousands of customers  a bill estimated at $6 million.

The bail bond industry has responded with a sharp rebuke of Donelons order, demanding a hearing and suggesting a looming court fight if he tries to enforce it.

Attorney Stephen Marx, representing a handful of bail bond surety companies, told Donelon in a letter last week that the Republican insurance commissioner went far beyond his authority in imposing affirmative, onerous and impossible duties on the entire industry that are not otherwise required by law.

Donelons directive marked a sudden reversal, Marx wrote, for a state agency that had never before taken issue with, or even reviewed, Orleans Parish bondsmen's practice of charging the highest rate in the state.

Four similar letters requesting a hearing before an administrative law judge were filed recently by other bail bondsmen and sureties, according to records provided by the agency Thursday.

If it survives legal challenge, Donelons order would likely force the bail bond companies to issue an average refund of about $100 to the vast majority of people who have paid for bail bonds in Orleans Parish since 2005.

Thats when the local bondsmen began charging their customers more, after the Legislature authorized an increased licensing fee on all bondsmen in Orleans Parish, equal to 1 percent of the total amount of their bonds.

The special Orleans Parish fee piggybacked on top of a statewide licensing fee of 2 percent on all bail bonds.

The statewide fee goes to a variety of local agencies, including parish courts, sheriffs, district attorneys and public defenders. But the extra 1 percent in Orleans Parish, totaling about $500,000 a year, all goes to Criminal District Court.

What the Legislature didnt change, though, was a separate statute that sets the premium that bail bond customers pay in Louisiana at 12 percent of the total bond amount. That law carves out only one exception: an extra half-percent premium in Jefferson Parish.

Still, Orleans Parish bondsmen soon began passing the local fee increase onto customers, in a practice that continued unabated until the Southern Poverty Law Center filed a complaint in September 2017, calling the practice illegal and demanding that Donelon's agency take action.

The complaint was part of a broader assault by criminal justice advocates on the money bail industry nationally, with New Orleans serving lately as a primary target.

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The SPLC complaint forced Donelon to weigh in on a pivotal question: Whom did state lawmakers intend to bill for the extra money to help fund Criminal District Court? Bail bondsmen, or the people who go to them for help in getting out of jail?

Donelon first asked a state judge to interpret the competing statutes for him. But the judge threw out the case, saying Donelon first would need to find that a bail bond company had violated the law.

Ultimately, Donelon sided with the advocacy group, finding that the extra 1 percent fee was meant to be absorbed by the industry, not passed on to consumers.

That last claim was one the commissioner was making for the first time ever, the companies challenging him said.

Over 14 years, the commissioner has not issued any interpretive guidance, suggested that any interpretive guidance was necessary, or publicly informed the bail bond industry that any bond producer or surety was over-charging by charging 13 percent, Marx wrote on behalf of the surety companies.

Lawmakers didnt raise the 12 percent premium, Marx argued, because the licensing fee is a separate pass-through.

The companies claim the department was even explicit at times in endorsing the practice. Donelon acknowledged as much in his Feb. 20 directive, writing that the bond companies may have been erroneously informed that they could charge 13 percent premium.

Indeed, a few months before the SPLC filed its complaint, one of Donelons top deputies told The Advocate that state law allowed bondsmen to levy the extra charge on customers.

"That's just a pass-through to the jailer," said Barry Ward, deputy commissioner for the agency's Office of Licensing and Compliance.

Ward likened it to small administrative fees that court clerks and sheriffs often charge for processing bond documents.

Well over a year later, his boss concluded differently.

Marx requested a stay in Donelons order pending a hearing. He also claimed Donelons directive fails to account for a large portion of clients who get bonds on a promise to pay the premium over time and never do.

An Insurance Department spokesman provided the various appeal letters, declining to comment on them.
A little more than two months after being sworn into office, New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Shaun Ferguson is looking to change the leadership at the high-profile district that patrols the French Quarter and Central Business District, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the shuffle.

Cmdr. Nicholas Gernon, who has supervised the 8th District since 2016, is being reassigned to lead the division that includes the forces crime lab, the sources said Wednesday.

The move comes roughly two months after the NOPD opened an internal investigation into whether Gernon properly handled a Louisiana State Police complaint about the roadside manner of an off-duty 8th District sergeant who was pulled over by State Police in November. But the looming switch appears to be part of a wider management shakeup at the agency rather than a reaction to that episode.

The department declined Wednesday to comment on any impending changes. The sources said the moves will apparently involve other agency divisions and patrol districts; they could be announced by the end of this week.

Such shakeups are relatively common for a new superintendent like Ferguson, who took over the reins at the NOPD when Michael Harrison retired in January to become police commissioner in Baltimore.

Still, the imminent transfer of Gernon  who will retain his rank of commander  stands out because of the prominence of the 8th District, where large crowds routinely gather for special events and crimes against tourists often make headlines worldwide.

During Gernon's tenure, the neighborhood continued seeing a low gun violence rate when compared with other areas in the city.

His officers made the most of the high concentration of crime cameras and manpower in the district, making arrests in the vast majority of shootings and killings registered there under his watch.

Gernon was also praised for being accessible to the residents and business owners of an area that teems with visitors.

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Although I am thrilled with the fact that Nick can be the person leading us to the next level (through the crime lab), I of course hate to lose him in the 8th because I think hes done an exceptional job there, City Councilwoman Helena Moreno said Wednesday. He never backed away from an issue that was brought to him. He would always respond and take it head-on.

Moreno, a member of the councils Criminal Justice Committee, added that she hopes the next 8th District commander will remain as open to having  dialogues with the City Council and members of the public as Cmdr. Gernon was able to do.

The sources who spoke to The Advocate said they expect NOPD Lt. Octavio Baldassaro to be named as Gernon's replacement overseeing the 8th District. Baldassaro is in charge of the investigative unit at the 1st District, which includes Mid-City and Treme.

Meanwhile, Gernon  who arrived at the 8th District after assignments as chief of homicide investigators as well as assistant commander of the Central City-based 6th District  is in line to assume control of a crime lab that for several years has been led by Cmdr. Darryl Albert.

It wasnt clear what Alberts next posting might be.

The first sign that leadership changes at NOPD were in the offing came earlier this month, when two top civilian officials announced they were joining Harrison in Baltimore.

The officials were Danny Murphy, the deputy chief in charge of the agencys long-running effort to comply with a federal reform agreement, and Eric Melancon, the deputy chief of staff.

Baltimore police recently entered into a similar reform pact  known as a consent decree  and as a result became interested in Harrison, who left as the NOPD got closer to reaching full compliance with the agreement.
The corporate watchdog is looking at about 20 matters where criminal offences may have been committed in the wealth management sector and expects to refer many of them to prosecutors.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), which has signalled a new hardline approach after coming under fire at the royal commission for being too lenient, said charges might be recommended against more than one person or entity in some of the matters.

ASIC said it had a "very clear will" to take wrongdoers to court. Credit:Peter Braig

In response to a question taken on notice at Senate estimates, ASIC said it had "approximately 20 matters within its expanded wealth management project scoped for investigation of criminal offences".

"We expect a large number of these matters will result in referrals to the [Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions]," ASIC said.
Icelandic budget airline Wow Air abruptly ceased operations on Thursday, cancelling all flights and stranding passengers around the world.

In an early morning travel alert, Wow Air urged ticket holders to look elsewhere to complete their trips, noting that other airlines may offer "so-called rescue fares, in light of the circumstances."

Wow Air did not include any details about other flight options, only that "Information on those airlines will be published, when it becomes available."

Ireland's Aer Lingus said that it would offer special rescue fares to Wow Air passengers who were scheduled to fly between Thursday and April 11. Customers who have Wow Air tickets for trips after April 12 are eligible for "value fares" with Aer Lingus, the company said.
Byron Bay Bluesfest organisers have been found guilty of misleading and deceptive conduct over their proposal to introduce paid parking at this years festival.

The organisers will refund the payments of parking fees paid in advance to all Bluesfest customers by April 14.

Bluesfest Pty Ltd is appealing the court ruling.

Byron Bay Bluesfest organisers tried to introduce paid parking for the festival in 2019. Credit:Phil Bacon

Organisers intended to charge festival-goers $50 a day to park at the festival, or $25 a day if they booked in advance.
Bayer AG lost a second trial over claims its Roundup weed killer causes cancer, increasing pressure on the company to spend billions of dollars to settle thousands of similar lawsuits.

Edwin Hardeman, centre, and his wife Mary, left, hug attorneys Jennifer Moore, second from left, and Aimee Wagstaff Credit:AP

A jury in San Francisco federal court awarded 70-year-old Edwin Hardeman from California a total of $80.3 million in damages. Mr Hardeman became ill after spraying the herbicide on his property for decades. The total is comprised of compensatory damages of $US5.3 million and punitive damages of $US75 million.

The verdict follows a similar decision by a state court jury last year, and comes as a third trial over Roundup is under way in Oakland, California.

"You can't keep trying case after case after case and keep losing and say, 'We're not going to settle," said Thomas G. Rohback, a trial lawyer at Axinn in New York. If Bayer continues to lose at trial, it "has to put the possibility of a settlement of these cases into the mix."
What is a nation? A nation is a thing of the soul, a spiritual principle. Thats what the 19th century French Historian, Ernest Renan, wrote, in an essay that for me, remains among the most profound words written about nationhood.

A nation, he said, was not defined by race or religion or language or borders; it was a collective will. A nation is ultimately a story; a story that binds people in ways that law cannot.

I have thought about that this past week as people have taken up positions over whether the Australian War Memorial needs an upgrade. It is a lot of money, topping half a billion dollars. More than 80 venerable Australians  from politicians, to historians and authors  have signed an open letter arguing the money can be better spent.

Undoubtedly so. Other national institutions go poor, not to mention how veterans and their families could benefit from such a cash splurge. But theres something else to consider here, a bigger story about our nation, about what we choose to celebrate or commemorate, what we choose to define us.
More than 18,000 Queensland buildings have been registered online as part of the states efforts to remove dangerously flammable cladding from apartment buildings and office blocks.

Friday is the final day for building owners to register their properties online and complete a checklist to ensure their buildings do not have combustible cladding.

Cladding was removed from the Princess Alexandra Hospital. Credit:Bradley Kanaris/Fairfax Media

Last year the state government amended building legislation to introduce new laws covering combustible cladding on multi-dwelling properties such as apartment buildings and office buildings.

In September 2017, flammable cladding was found on five Queensland government buildings including the Princess Alexandra Hospital, Logan Hospital, a Queensland Rail building in Brisbane and the former Childrens Court on Quay Street.
We had a discussion with party leaders as early as last autumn about how to avoid not only external attempts to influence but a boiling over of the election atmosphere, too, he wrote in his blog on Wednesday.

PRESIDENT Sauli Niinisto has revealed he has discussed the upcoming parliamentary elections with party leaders since last autumn.

Ive continued the same dialogue with party leaders in light of the recent events. We all share an understanding that we must ensure the elections are peaceful. Threats and violence, be it by words or actions, do not belong on the campaign trail, continued Niinisto.

Suldaan Said Ahmed, a candidate on the ticket of the Left Alliance in Helsinki, has stated that he was assaulted during a campaign event in Itakeskus, Helsinki, on Monday. Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini (BR), meanwhile, was the target of what is investigated as attempted assault at a campaign event of the Blue Reform in Korso, Vantaa, on Sunday.

The Police of Finland on Wednesday reported that it has already received reports of several attempts to disturb candidates campaigning for a seat in either the Finnish and European Parliament.

Violence and threats are offences as such. Violence and threats in conjunction with elections are particularly serious acts from a societal viewpoint that seek to undermine, question and take away the democracy and the opportunity to influence used by most voters, stated Sanna Heikinheimo, a Deputy National Police Commissioner at the National Police Board.

Disturbing, threatening or using violence to influence a candidate in elections carries a maximum punishment of two years in prison under the criminal code of Finland.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Source: Uusi Suomi
A female cyclist is fighting for life after a hit-run in Chelsea. Credit:James Bird/Ten News Melbourne

A man has been charged and a cyclist is fighting for life after a hit-run in Melbourne's south-east.

A 50-year-old woman was riding her bike on the Nepean Highway near Chelsea Road, Chelsea, about 5.40am on Thursday when she was struck by a white ute.

She was rushed to The Alfred hospital where she remains in a critical condition with life-threatening injuries to her head and chest.

Later on Thursday, police arrested a 28-year-old Parkdale man in Broadmeadows within hours of the incident. The ute was found in Seaford about 8.15am.
Pokies magnate and multi-millionaire Bruce Mathieson Junior has personally visited local mayors and offered to pay for community services for at least one council as part of a campaign for more favourable treatment for gaming venues.

Mr Mathieson, the chief executive of Woolworths pubs and pokies business ALH Group, is meeting with mayors across suburban Melbourne to argue that poker machine venues benefit the community socially and economically, and to counter the potent anti-pokies campaign by activists including Reverend Tim Costello.

Poker machines are under pressure in some council areas. Credit:AFR

According to one mayor, Mr Mathieson offered financial support for services including ones to treat problem gambling.

The gambling lobby is concerned that councils increasingly anti-gaming policies are squeezing pubs and clubs and their revenue, especially in suburban Melbourne.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison revealed $1.6 billion in new spending on WA road and rail projects ahead of next week's budget and a federal election which will likely be called within weeks.

The money, which Mr Morrison announced at a train station in Carlisle this morning, will be spent on "congestion busting" projects such as removing three level crossings in Swan MP Steve Iron's at-risk seat, rebuilding the Fremantle Traffic Bridge and an extra $348.5 million for Tonkin Highway upgrades.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison in Perth on Thursday announcing an extra $1.6 billion in WA infrastructure funding Finance Minister Mathias Cormann, Liberal Curtin candidate Celia Hammond, Defence Industry Minister Linda Reynolds and Swan MP Steve Irons. Credit:Nathan Hondros

The Prime Minister said the budget would include $248 million to complete the long-awaited Karratha to Tom Price Road, money towards a new train station north of Mandurah and a multi-storey carpark for the coastal city's existing station.

Mr Morrison said the projects were aimed at bolstering the WA economy after its post-boom downturn.
Jeremy Richman. Photo: Portland Press Herald/Press Herald via Getty Images

More than six years after the Sandy Hook mass shooting, Newtown, Connecticut is mourning yet another related passing: the father of one of the victims, who was found dead by apparent suicide.

At 7 a.m. on Monday, police were called to the Edmond Town Hall, where they discovered Jeremy Richman, 49, who they believe died by suicide. The Hartford Courant reports that the office of the chief medical examiner has yet to determine the exact cause of death.

In December 2012, Richmans daughter Avielle was one of the 20 first-graders shot and killed by gunman Adam Lanza, who later took his life. Since then, Richman had dedicated his life to Avielles memory: He co-founded the Avielle Foundation, which studies brain research to better understand why someone may be driven to commit violence, and he was among the Sandy Hook families who filed a lawsuit against Infowars host conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, who long claimed that the Sandy Hook shooting was actually a hoax.

Following news of Richmans death, the Newtown community expressed sadness and devastation over the news, which Connecticut senator Chris Murphy called awful, horrible, devastating.

Jeremy was a good friend and an unceasing advocate for better research into the brains violence triggers, he tweeted. He was with me in my office two weeks ago, excited as could be about the Avielle Foundations latest amazing work.

My god. This is awful, horrible, devastating news. Jeremy was a good friend and an unceasing advocate for better research into the brains violence triggers. He was with me in my office two weeks ago, excited as could be about the Avielle Foundations latest amazing work. https://t.co/xhy89JlXG8  Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) March 25, 2019

A Sandy Hook family member who remained unidentified told the Courant that they were shocked by the news, saying of Richman, He had such a clear purpose of what he wanted to do to honor his daughter  Im sitting in my car right now crying.

This comes after two Parkland survivors died by apparent suicide.

News of Richmans passing comes on the heels of the deaths of two others whose lives were touched by horrific school shootings: Sydney Aiello and another unidentified student, both of whom survived the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in February 2018, and both of whom died by apparent suicide.

Last week, Aiellos mother told CBS Miami that her 17-year-old daughter had died by suicide on March 17, after a year of struggling with survivors guilt and post-traumatic stress disorder. As has Newtowns community in the wake of Richmans death, the Parkland community has mourned Aiellos death. Ryan Petty, whose daughter died in the shooting, told CBS that it breaks [his] heart that weve lost yet another student from Stoneman Douglas.

And then, just yesterday, the Miami Herald reported that another Parkland student had died by apparent suicide: a tenth grade student who attended Stoneman Douglas last year. (While Coral Springs police believe the cause of death was suicide, they are still investigating.)

Parents and locals want officials to take action.

In the wake of the two Parkland student deaths, the Herald reports that more than 60 school, governmental, and law enforcement officials attended an emergency meeting to discuss how officials should give the community necessary mental health support.

Now is the time for the Florida Legislature to help, Jared Moskowitz, Floridas emergency management director and a former state representative from Parkland, tweeted on Sunday. Mental health is a bipartisan issue.

I will be the FIRST person to co-sponsor something to deal with mental health in our schools and our communities.



This issue cannot wait. Lets act while we are in session. We can do this, Florida. #FlaPol  Shevrin Jones (@ShevrinJones) March 24, 2019

Petty, who founded Walk Up Foundation, a suicide-prevention organization, after his daughters death told the Herald its time society talk seriously about suicide.

17 + 2 he tweeted on Sunday, with a broken heart emoji  a reference to the 17 students who were killed in the Parkland school shooting, and the two who have died since.

17+2   Ryan Petty (@rpetty) March 24, 2019

This post will be updated as new details emerge. In the U.S., the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255.

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16-Year-Old With Peanut Allergy Removed From Plane, Stranded With Younger Brother in South Korea

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2 Female Elephants Die Days Apart After Testing Positive for Herpesvirus at Indianapolis Zoo

INDIANATwo young female African elephants have died a week apart at the Indianapolis Zoo after testing positive for herpesvirus.

Kalina died on Tuesday, March 26, after showing similar symptoms as Nyah, who died on March 19, the zoo said in a statement.

Both Kalina and Nyah tested for high levels of elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus, or EEHV, which leads to hemorrhagic disease in elephants, according to the zoo.

#BREAKING Indianapolis Zoo announces 2nd African elephant dies one week after 6-year-old Nyah. "The Indianapolis Zoo is deeply saddened to announce that a second African elephant in the herd, Kalina, has died. Words cannot describe the emotional impact this is having on Zoo staff. Everyone in our Zoo family is devastated. On Saturday, March 23, 8-year-old Kalina started showing symptoms similar to elephant Nyah, who died March 19 after a short illness. While we are still awaiting all the histopathology results from Nyah, tests indicated high levels of elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV)."We will be at a 4pm news conference and have updates on WISH-TV at 5p and 6p and on www.wishtv.com  Kylie Conway, Anchor/Reporter  2019326

The zoo said its staff is devastated after the loss of the two beloved animals within days of each other. Please keep our staff in your thoughts at this difficult time, it said.

The deadly viral infection is commonly found in Asian elephants, and affects the mammoth animals in the wild as well as in sanctuaries and zoos.

There is no cure for the virus, and elephants cannot transmit it to humans and other animal species, according to the zoo.

EEHV is a type of herpesvirus that can cause fatal hemorrhagic disease in elephants. It is one of the most deadly viral infections in elephants worldwide but is most commonly found in Asian elephants. It occurs in elephants in the wild as well as those in human care. (3/5)  Indianapolis Zoo (@IndianapolisZoo) March 26, 2019

The elephants were two of several at the zoo, and were among the youngest.

Nyahthe smallest in the herdwas born on June 28, 2012, while Kalina was born on July 20, 2011.

The Smithsonians National Zoo said it first identified the EEHV in 1995 after its 16-month-old elephant died. Scientists have identified 14 different elephant herpesviruses, and most of them cause hemorrhagic disease, it said.

Herpesviruses are widespread in all vertebrate taxa, including humans, the Smithsonian said. While herpesviruses are usually species-specific, they can affect closely related species. EEHV does not pose a health risk to humans, though humans are host to their own strains of herpesviruses.

While its unclear how many African elephants are left in zoos and sanctuaries, the populations in the wild have plummeted over the years due to poaching.

In 1930, the African continent had about 10 million wild elephants, according to the World Wide Fund. Poaching and conflict have decimated those numbers over the years, with experts estimating there are 415,000 elephants left across Africa, according to the WWF.

While elephant poaching is trending downward, with significant declines in East Africa, poaching continues to steer the species dangerously nearer to extinction, the WWF said.

Depleting Asian Elephant Population

Asian elephants in Burma are being poached at an alarming rateall to meet soaring demand for the animals skin in China, where its considered a potent traditional medicine.

Elephant skins? Give me four hours, and Ill get you anything from the hunters in the jungle, a shopkeeper at a pharmacy in Kyaikto, a town in southeastern Burma (also known as Myanmar), according to a Sept. 11 article in the English-language newspaper The Myanmar Times.

The plight of Asian elephants, listed as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), is detailed in an April report published by Elephant Family, a U.K.-based NGO that is dedicated to the protection of the animals. The NGO conducted a field investigation in Burma and China to compile the report.

Elephant skin is a traditional Chinese medicine ingredient thats considered to have high therapeutic potency. According to the Chinese search engine Baidu, elephant skin can be used as a cure for gastritis and ulcers, and can facilitate skin and muscle regrowth. According to the report, elephant skin can also be shaped into beads to make bracelets and necklaces.

The number of Asian elephant carcasses found in the wild in Burma reveals a disturbing trend since 2012, according to the report. Before 2012, the average number of dead elephants found was less than 10 annually; however, the number jumped to 26 in 2013, followed by 61 in 2016.

Coinciding with the alarming increase of dead elephants has been the growing discussion on Chinese social media about the availability of Asian elephant skin. Its typically sold online in three different forms: skin pieces, powder, and beads, according to the report. In 2018, elephant skin products were spotted by Elephant Family investigators at local markets in three Chinese provincesYunnan in southwestern China, and Fujian and Guangdong in southeastern China.

In Burma, the average price for elephant skin pieces is 660 yuan (about $96) per kilogram (2.2 pounds). The same skin pieces are sold for an average of 1,800 yuan (about $262) in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong.

The sales of elephant skin products arent limited to just social media. Chinese pharmaceutical companies also advertise medicine containing Asian elephant skin, which is sold legally sinceChinas State Forestry Administration has issued licenses for the manufacture and sales of such pharmaceutical products, according to the report.

Nicholas Cox, conservation director of the World Wildlife Funds Burma office, warned, If it becomes difficult [to kill elephants in Burma], then they [the poachers] will go somewhere else, according to The Myanmar Times.

According to the report, the estimated population of Asian elephants is 30,000 to 50,000, either living in the wild or bred under captivity in 13 different countries, including Burma, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and India.

A search on Chinese online wholesale marketplace 1688.com, which is operated by Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, revealed many online store vendors peddling beads made of elephant skin.

In August, Chinas state-run media The Paper reported that in Mong La, a town in northern Burma, there are many Chinese traders who engage in the illicitsale of elephant skins.

Epoch Times reporter Frank Fang contributed to this report.
(L-R) Terry Martindale, 20, Kaci Bercham, 19, Steven Sparks, 23, Betty Sparks, 45, and Michael Mayfield, 19, face multiple charges, including murder, in connection with a deadly home invasion in Middleton, Tn., on March 22, 2019. (Hardeman County Jail)

5 Arrested and Charged With Murder Following Deadly Tennessee Home Invasion

Five people in Tennessee have been arrested and face charges that include first-degree murder after an apparent home invasion that turned deadly.

The death of Deon Edward Turner, 31, is being investigated by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) as a possible homicide following an apparent home invasion at a Hardeman County residence on March 22, according to the Jackson Sun.

Investigators said an unidentified woman was also seriously injured in the incident, which took place in Middleton.

A WREG report indicated that the mans death and womans injury was the result of a shooting.

Hardeman County sheriffs deputies and TBI agents arrested Kaci Bercham, 19, Terry Martindale, 20, Michael Mayfield, 19, Betty Sparks, 45, and Steven Sparks, 23, on Monday in connection with the injuries sustained by the woman and Turners death.

The five suspects face a range of charges in connection with the deadly incident.

According to the TBI, the charges include: first-degree murder, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, aggravated assault, especially aggravated burglary, especially aggravated robbery, attempted criminal homicide, criminal homicide, and attempted first-degree murder.

The suspects are being held at Hardeman County Jail, according to a TBI news release, and no bonds have been set.

No official motive has been announced.

Possible Motive?

The TBI announcement was posted on Facebook by Tennessee River Valley News General Manager Burt Scott Staggs.

A number of people have commented on the post, including someone who claims to know one of the suspects.

FIVE ARRESTED ON NUMEROUS CHARGES IN HARDEMAN COUNTY HOMICIDE MIDDLETON  In a joint investigation with the Hardeman  Burt Scott Staggs  2019326

Its sad that my son has to grow up without his grandma and uncle, wrote Alyssa Jimmy Patterson, all because they wanted to commit a stupid heartless murder on a young man who DID NOT DESERVE to have his life taken from him! Prayers for the family of Deon Turner! 

Thank you God bless your child, wrote Hoopie Matthews in response to the post. I am the cousin of the one murdered in this senseless act.

The same social media user identified as Alyssa Jimmy Patterson wrote further: I know Betty Sparks PERSONALLY. She is my sons grandma. She and the others took Deon Turners life for Money and Drugs. They robbed him and killed him all because Deon didnt help her get her son(Steven Sparks) out of jail like he said he would through the cheap bondsman he knew. Im VERY UPSET and DISGUSTED WITH ALL OF THEM! THEY DESERVE TO ROT IN PRISON! Deon Turner DID NOT deserve to have his life taken so soon!  (sic)

AlyssaJimmy Patterson thank u for acknowledging the wrong they did 2 my cuzn (sic), wrote Skeetspoiled Wood.

So sad to see someone lose there life and scar another ones life forever for something so small (sic), wrote commenter Andy Rumbaugh. One move is all it takes to change the outcome of everyones life. Someone so young lose there life, someones son, someones father, someones boyfriend. Justice will be served.

Meanwhile, the police continue to investigate.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has published booking photos of all five suspects.

Steven Sparks:

Terry Martindale:

Michael Mayfield:

Betty Sparks:

Kaci Burcham:
Trainees negotiate a confidence course on Sand Hill at Fort Benning, Ga., on Feb. 27, 2019. Benning is the first stage of Ranger School, where soldiers undertake an intense training program. (U.S. Army photo by Patrick Albright)

A Battle Buddy Can Keep You Going and Help You Succeed

Get out of your own head and find support by joining forces with someone going your way

I met Cliff Patterson in 1991 when I was going through the United States Army Ranger School. As ranger buddies, we shared some crazy times, some hard times, and some rough times. We were two very different guys. He was from Washington, D.C., grew up in the city. I was a country boy. I dont think he was crazy about having my scrawny redneck self as his ranger buddy, but it all worked out.

We couldnt have been more different, yet we became brothers. A lot of it had to do with the adversity we went through together. We were always checking in with each other. No food. No sleep. Lots of stress. We leaned on each other to get through the course. When one of us was feeling bad, the other would be feeling okay. When one of us was out of food, the other one would have a little bit of food left in their MRE ration pack to spare. Thats just how it went over and over, day in, day out, taking care of each other. We eventually got each other through that course and went on to be great friends.

We lost Cliff in the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001. Cliff taught me a lot through the years, but the importance of battle buddies and getting out of your own way are what still sticks with me now.

Yeah, he was my ranger buddy, but in other units, they call that one person who looks out for you and you look out for them, your battle buddy. Its the same thing really. Having a battle buddy serves a range of purposes both in peacetime and in combat. You always check in on your battle buddy. That way, no one gets left behind.

There are so many lessons from the military that we can share with those of you in the civilian community who are leading every day, doing big work, and the battle buddy concept is one of them. As I travel around the country working with civilian leaders, what I see consistently is that so many are isolated and stuck in their own heads.

They feel, in many ways, like theyre struggling uphill. Maybe they feel theyre not good enough to accomplish what it is thats been put in front of them. Theyre wondering if they can accomplish what they want to achieve. In many cases, leaders today in the civilian world feel cut-off from everything around them.

Those same things happen in the military. Battle buddies help us make that something that we can endure, and even thrive upon.

It works just as well in the civilian world.

This doesnt mean you have to go into your job on Monday and assign a battle buddy, but apply this concept of checking in with each other. Apply this concept of getting out of your own head and checking in with the person to your left and right and seeing how theyre doing. Just ask them, How are you doing? How are you feeling? Is everything okay?

Thats the exact same thing Cliff would do with me all the time with that big smile of his, and it would totally change my world. When I would do that for him or other folks around me, it would pull me out of my own head as well.

Think about this battle buddy concept in your life. Think about the power of checking in with the people in your cubicle, with the people on your team, the people in your association, or your nonprofit. How often are you checking in with your wife or your kid? Just look them in the eye and ask them how theyre doing. Those people closest to us in life, those are our battle buddies. Besides, if we dont look out for each other, who will?

One of my favorite authors, Steven Pressfield talks about the concept of battle buddies in ancient Sparta in his book Warrior Ethos:

The greatest counterpoise to fear, the ancients believed, is love, the love of the individual warrior for his brothers and sisters. At Thermopylae on the final morning when the last surviving Spartans knew they were all going to die, they turned to one of their leaders, the warrior, Dienekes, and asked him what thoughts they should hold in their minds in this final hour to keep their courage strong. Dienekes instructed his comrades to fight not in the name of such lofty concepts as patriotism, honor, duty, or glory. Dont even fight, he said, to protect your family or your home. Fight for this alone, the man who stands at your shoulder. He is everything, and everything is contained within him.'

Thats true in your life as well. Look to the woman to your left, the man to your right. Fight for them. Check in with them. Check in with your battle buddy, and youll find that youll get out of your own way, out of your head, and lead the way you were meant to lead.

Scott Mann is a former Green Beret who specialized in unconventional, high-impact missions and relationship building. He is the founder of Rooftop Leadership and appears frequently on TV and many syndicated radio programs. For more information, visit RooftopLeadership.com
Aging in the City, Captured Through a Lens

Photographer Herb Bardavids project of telling the stories of the elderly

NEW YORKMeet Eva, who in her 20s, was interned in three different Nazi concentration camps in Italy.

And Dr. Robert H. Resnick, who was a major contributor to the discovery of the Hep C virus that causes almost 40 million deaths worldwide each year.

Then theres Yale, who as a 12-year-old Japanese-American boy was forced into the Manzanar War Relocation Center during WWII with his family. After four years, they were released, only to find they had no home to go back to and were unwelcome everywhere.

If you live in New York City, you might walk by Eva, Dr. Resnick, or Yale in the grocery store, on the sidewalk, or while rushing to catch you train. And you would never know about their fascinating life stories. You may just see yet another old man or woman shuffling down the street, with a cane or shopping trolly, just like the other 1.1 million senior citizens living in the citythat is if youre not Herb Bardavid.

The 75-year-old photographer, Bardavid, started taking pictures and writing stories about NYC senior citizens three years ago.

Originally, I was just photographing people, bringing in the pictures for critiquing in [a photography] class, he said. But being who I am, and what I like to do, I started talking to these people, and I started finding out very interesting things about them, fascinating things.

One day, Bardavid helped a very bent-over gentleman who was lost. As they warmed into a conversation, the man picked up his cane and pretended to play it like a guitar while singing Walk Away Renee, a popular song from the 60s.

It turns out, he is Tom Finn, bass player and founding member of New York rock-and-roll band The Left Banke. Walk Away Renee was their biggest hit.

He was a rock star who now is this old man who lives alone and just walking down the street, and nobody is paying any attention to him. I think its just amazing, Bardavid said.

Through his efforts to stop and talk to the elderly, Bardavid has been surprised by how much people have to share. They are amazed that someone is interested in them. And when they have an opportunity to talk, which they dont usually, about themselves, sometimes they dont want to stop talking, he said.

Bardavids wife Jane served as a director for a mental health clinic in Queens for the elderly for 32 years.

She said she would often hear from older adults about how they felt invisible and felt there was no role for them anymore. Hearing their stories gives them a sense of home that they actually have a past, that they were active, healthy, functioning, contributing to their family and to society, Jane said. She is the one who suggested her husband focus on seniors as his project.

In his work, Bardavid often takes close-ups to show the texture of their aging faces and the sparks in their eyes. These he believes are the parts through which peoples lives are expressed. Eyes are very important. They are the windows to your soul, he said.

In New York City, we see the elderly as invisible. We look past them. We dont want to see old.  Its too difficult, Bardavid said. People had lives. They did things that were important. And now no one is paying attention to them. And I want to hear their stories. 
(L) "Full Disclosure," a memoir by adult-film actress Stormy Daniels, is offered for sale at a Barnes&Noble store in Chicago, Ill., on Oct. 2, 2018. (R) Lawyer Michael Avenatti speaks to the media outside the office of the LAPD after posting bail for domestic violence, Los Angeles, Nov. 14, 2018. (Scott Olson/Getty Images; AP Photo/Michael Owen Baker)

Prosecutors Briefed Avenatti on NXIVM Case Last Week

Department of Justice prosecutors last week briefed attorney Michael Avenatti and his alleged co-conspirator in the Nike extortion case, Mark Geragos, on the NXIVM secret society sex-trafficking case.

The bizarre twist in the NXIVM case, which involves billionaire Seagram heiress Clare Bronfman and Smallville actress Allison Mack, was revealed in a federal court in New York on March 27, with the judge asking Bronfman if she had retained Avenatti. Geragos is already representing Bronfman.

Yes or no, the judge asked, according to Emily Saul, a reporter with the New York Post.

The judges question caused Bronfman to faint.

Avenatti was arrested March 25 and charged with attempting to extort millions from Nike. According to The Wall Street Journal, which cited two people familiar with the matter, Geragos is the unnamed co-conspirator in the Nike case. Geragos hasnt been criminally charged, The Associated Press reported.

Avenatti gained national attention by representing Stormy Daniels, the adult film performer who claimed to have had an affair with President Donald Trump. Daniels had retained Avenatti until earlier this month.

According to Saul, Avenatti never entered a notice of appearance in the NXIVM case.

First assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Lesko says on the record he met with Geragos and Avenatti last week about THIS case, Saul wrote on Twitter.

Saul added that Geragos wouldnt admit that he was the co-conspirator in the Nike case. He also grumbled no when asked if he would be testifying against Avenatti.

Avenatti also represented one of the accusers of Justice Brett Kavanaugh during the judges Supreme Court confirmation hearings. After Kavanaugh was cleared of all accusations and confirmed, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee referred Avenatti and his client for criminal investigation for lying to Congress.

A federal court unsealed a superseding indictment on July 24 that charged Bronfman, a member of NXIVMs executive board, for the first time, as well as Kathy Russell, a former bookkeeper, Nancy Salzman, the president of NXIVM, and her daughter, Lauren Salzman, also a board member.

All four women were charged with racketeering conspiracy, including identity theft, extortion, forced labor, sex trafficking, money laundering, wire fraud, and obstruction of justice.

The New York-based NXIVM masqueraded as a self-help company that ran executive success programs and other similar curricula. In the wake of the allegations, the company announced the suspension of all operations until further notice.

The details of these alleged crimes become more and more grim as we continue to dig deeper into the conduct of this organization and its intended mission, FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William Sweeney said in a statement accompanying the charges against Bronfman.

Members of the NXIVM society were recruited on the condition they gave up private information about themselves, including compromising images or videos, as collateral. Once inside, they were regularly required to provide additional materials to ensure they kept secret the societys inner workings.

Bronfman was the groups largest financial backer, contributing at least $150 million, Frank Parlato, a whistleblower who first broke the story about the societys alleged schemes, told The Epoch Times. The $150 million was also cited in documents that came out in a legal case, going back to 2010.

While some money went into recruiting, the majority, Parlato said, went toward legal fees so NXIVM could prosecute its enemies, who were largely whistleblowers.

Brandon Porter, NXIVMs doctor, is facing accusations of illegally conducting a slew of disturbing human experiments.

The New York State Office of Professional Medical Conduct (OPMC) accused Porter of moral unfitness, gross negligence, and gross incompetence.

Depending on the findings of a closed-door hearing, Porter, 44, a high-ranking member of the society, could face a criminal referral to the New York state attorney general. The current charges only center on suspending or revoking his license.

Porter is accused of conducting illegal and highly perverse experiments, including a so-called fright study, which involved showing murder and dismemberment videos to subjects without their consent. In another incident cited by the OPMC, 50 to 60 children fell ill from an undetermined infectious disease at an NXIVM retreat in August 2016.

Bowen Xiao contributed to this report.
Border Patrol agents apprehend illegal aliens who have just crossed the Rio Grande from Mexico into Penitas, Tex., on March 21, 2019. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

Border Patrol Apprehensions Reach 10-Year Single-Day Record of Over 4,100

Border Patrol agents caught 4,117 people who were either trying to cross the U.S.Mexico border illegally or through a border crossing on March 26.

It was the most apprehensions in a single day in the past 10 years, according to Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Kevin McAleenan.

McAleenan made the point during a March 27 press conference in El Paso, Texas.

Two weeks ago, I briefed the media and testified to Congress that our immigration system was at the breaking point, he said. That breaking point has arrived this week.

He estimated the agency will conclude the month with some 90,000 caught trying to cross the border illegallyup more than 140 percent from the year before and the most since 2008.

Overcrowded

Two-thirds of the inflow are children and families from Central America, a big difference, McAleenan said, from the high numbers in the 1990s and 2000s.

The last time we had crossings near this level, they were almost all adults from Mexico who could be swiftly repatriated, he said, while now the families and children, commonly asking for asylum, are almost guaranteed to be released to remain in the U.S. indefinitely despite the fact that 8590 percent of them will eventually have their asylum claim denied.

With more than 13,000 migrants in custodyan unprecedented number and more than twice what CBP considers a crisis levelMcAleenan said, calling the situation an unprecedented humanitarian and border security crisis all along our southwest border.

The overcrowding of CBP facilities have caused the agency to start directly releasing some migrants caught at the border, instead of transferring them to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which itself doesnt have sufficient detention capacity to accept them.

This is the first time in more than a decade that the CBP has had to directly release its detainees and is trying to pick those with the lowest risk, McAleenan said.

Criminal Exploitation

Directly profiting from the situation are the criminal organizations that control the human smuggling channels.

The same criminal organizations that are smuggling migrants, profiting from them, abusing them on the journey, are benefiting from our reduced security presence, McAleenan said. Theyre bringing drugs, theyre bringing adults who are trying to evade capture behind those families as were bogged down with large groups.

He said that 35 percent of those caught attempting to cross illegally are still single adults who try to evade apprehension at our border and within that flow, there are thousands of criminals, smugglers, gang members, and public safety threats.

Mission Compromised

The humanitarian crisis, as President Barack Obama called it in 2014 during the first influx of unaccompanied Central American minors, is pulling the CBPs personnel from its primary function and competence of guarding the border, officials said.

In El Paso and other key sectors, up to 40 percent or more of CBP personnel care for the families and children, including medical care, transportation, and processing, McAleenan said.

That means our security posture at the border is negatively impacted.

He described CBP quarantine cells set up to isolate migrants with flu, chicken pox, and lice.

Were not trained to do what were doing nowadays. Well do it because were humans, but thats not what we were trained to do. Our job is to protect the border, Ramiro Cordero, Border Patrol special operations supervisor in the El Paso sector, told The Epoch Times in an interview earlier in March.

McAleenan mentioned cases of infants with high fevers, a 2-year-old suffering seizures in a desert, a 19-year-old woman with a heart defect requiring emergency surgery, a man with multiple organs failing still trying to refuse medical careall in the previous four days.

Our expanded medical efforts are saving lives, but they come at a high cost to our enforcement mission, he said.

He said the CBP is pulling 750 agents from border crossings to help care for the migrants.

There will be a slowdown in the processing of trade, there will be wait times in our pedestrian and passenger vehicle lanes, he said.

Urgent Reform

McAleenan blamed court decisions and flawed laws for the growing influx, which is projected to reach 1 million border apprehensions in fiscal 2019.

Changes in the law and closing the vulnerabilities in our legal framework is the only way that this flow is going to be reduced and were going to be able to restore integrity to our immigration system, he said.

Right now, we are not able to even reach the claims of legitimate asylum seekers. Our courts tell us that 1015 percent of Central American migrants have a legitimate asylum claim at the end of the process. Those people wont even see a judge now for 25 years or more to have that asylum claim adjudicated because this economic migrationwhich it primarily is: fleeing poverty, fleeing difficult conditions, food insecurity, especially in the western highlands of Guatemala and in rural areas of Hondurasis overwhelming that legitimate asylum population. Thats a broken system.

He said the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005 needs to change to allow repatriation of children to countries that dont share a border with the United States, which the law prohibited due to human trafficking concerns.

For unaccompanied children, we have government partners in the Northern TriangleEl Salvador, Guatemala, Honduraswho are ready to take children back and handle that humanely, McAleenan said. Those are their citizens they believe they have a responsibility for and were not allowed to do that under the law, under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act.

The government also needs to overcome a court decision that has blocked the government from keeping families with children in detention.

We need to be able to detain families together for a short period of time, 48 weeks to go through an immigration court proceeding. If they dont have a valid claim, well repatriate. If they do, theyll be released with certainty that they have asylum, with the ability [to] plan, to invest in a business, to make choices for schools. Right now they dont have that. They live with uncertainty for years at a time because the system is broken and overwhelmed.

The two changes are urgently needed and would make an immediate impact, he said, pointing to the reduction of the influx after 2014.

When [the Department of Homeland Security] started to repatriate families that didnt have a valid claim, the numbers went down immediately, he said. We dont have the ability to do that due to court decisions that have come subsequently.
A U.S. Border Patrol agent checks identification of a driver at a highway checkpoint in West Enfield, Maine, on Aug. 1, 2018. (Scott Eisen/Getty Images)

Border Patrol Shuts All Checkpoints In New Mexico

Federal authorities have shut down all highway Border Patrol checkpoints in New Mexico, re-allocating agents to deal with the influx of migrants from south of the border.

The checkpointsall within 100 miles of the borderare meant to be a last line of defense against people seeking to enter the U.S. illegally.

That safety net has now been compromised.

We were told to go ahead and close down all the checkpoints, one official told Texas Monthly anonymously. Its really out of control, its bad.

A total of six checkpoints have been closed, including all five in New Mexico, and one in West Texas, according to the Albuquerque Journal.

Unprecedented Border Security Crisis

The move comes after U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPB) officials announced in a press conference Wednesday extraordinary steps being taken in response to an unprecedented humanitarian and border security crisis.

Unusual new measures include re-assigning up to 750 Customs and Border Patrol Officers from ports of entry along the southwest border, who will soon be supporting Border Patrol with care and custody of migrants.

The United States Border Patrol (USBP) continues to apprehend illegal alien families and unaccompanied children in steadily increasing numbers. To process and ensure appropriate care for those in custody, resources including personnel have been diverted from other border security priorities, a CBP spokesperson stated on Monday, according to the Texas Tribune.

This shifting of resources and personnel will have a detrimental impact at all Southwest border ports of entry, the CBP said in a statement. CBP will have to close lanes, resulting in increased wait times for commercial shipments and travelers.

Immigration officials were cited by the Texas Tribune as saying that resources from the checkpoints are intended as a temporary measure.

Overwhelming the Entire System

Earlier, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin K. McAleenan told a press conference in El Paso that a dramatic increase in illegal crossings along the Southwest border was a major strain on law enforcement resources.

The surge numbers are just overwhelming the entire system, McAleenan said on March 27, according to the El Paso Times.

CBP is facing an unprecedented humanitarian and border security crisis all along our Southwest Border, McAleenan said in a statement. And nowhere has that crisis manifested more acutely than here in El Paso Sector. Here in El Paso, we have almost 3,500 migrants in custody this morning, in facilities designed for many fewer. We had over 1,000 apprehensions on Monday. The vast majority are families from Central America.

Arrests along the Mexican border jumped to 66,450 in February, 149 percent more than a year earlier.

The number of illegal alien apprehensions in the Border Patrols El Paso sector grew by about 800 percent over the past year.

Nationwide, CBP had more than 12,000 migrants in custody this week, CBP said in a statement. The agency considers 4,000 to be a high number of migrants in custody and 6,000 to be at a crisis level. More than 12,000 migrants in custody is unprecedented.

Immigration officials expect that in the month of March, CBP agents will make over 100,000 illegal alien apprehensions.

If accurate, those figures will represent the highest monthly total in a decade.

When you have checkpoints shutting down and you have huge distractions away from the core mission of border security, that puts our country in a very vulnerable position, said Manuel Padilla, commander of the Department of Homeland Securitys Joint Task Force-West and the former head of the Border Patrol in the Rio Grande Valley, according to the Associated Press.

Failed Override

Meanwhile, the Democratic-led House failed on Tuesday to override President Donald Trumps first veto, salvaging his effort to steer billions of extra dollars to erecting barriers on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Congress has approved less than $1.4 billion for a border wall. Trump declared a national emergency at the Southwest border, allowing him to shift an additional $3.6 billion from military construction projects to build the wall.

Trump last month vetoed a House resolution disapproving his national emergency declaration.

Keeping our nation secure should be the presidents very highest priority. With President Trump, there is no question he has and will continue to carry out this priority, Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) said during Tuesdays floor debate, according to Politico. He has very clearly laid out the case for a declaration for a national emergency. There is a crisis at the border.

Lawmakers voted 248-181 to overturn Trumps veto, but that fell 38 votes shy of the required two-thirds margin.

The futile congressional effort bolsters Trumps drive to build a wall along the boundary with Mexico, a hallmark of his 2016 presidential campaign and a priority of his presidency.
Injection materials are pictured in the first drug supervised injection site in Paris on October 11, 2016. (Patrick Kovarik/AFP/Getty Images)

Residents Share Concerns About California Bill to Allow Drug Injection Site in San Francisco

SACRAMENTO, Calif.Individuals from the Sacramento and Bay Area regions met at the state capitol on March 19 to voice their opposition to a bill that would create a so-called Safe Injection Site (SIS) in San Francisco.

The bill, AB-362, would allow for for operation of overdose prevention programs, according to the text of the bill. The legislation was introduced this year, and the previous year, by Democratic Assembly Member Susan Eggman.

In 2018, the bill was vetoed by former California Governor Jerry Brown. After great reflection, I conclude that the disadvantages of this bill far outweigh the possible benefits, Brown wrote in a letter to the California State Assembly. I do not believe that enabling illegal drug use in government sponsored injection centerswith no corresponding requirement that the user undergo treatmentwill reduce drug addiction.

AB-362 has already passed the lower-house Health Committee. California Governor Gavin Newsom has said he is open to allowing safe injection sites and is expected to sign the bill.

Words of Warning

Those opposed have voiced similar opinions to Brown: The bill would increase drug use and not help drug users break their addiction.

Frank Lee, the Bay Area Director of the California Coalition Against Drugs, organized the rally. AB-362 is virtual legalization of all kinds of drugs, including schedule 1 prohibited drugs, Lee said.

Heroin is one of the many schedule 1 prohibited substances.

Lee described an existing SIS in Vancouver, Canada named Insite. The proponents major argument is that it would reduce the number of drug overdose cases, Lee said. However, Lee argued that the number of overdose related deaths has increased by nearly ten times in Vancouver since Insite opened in 2003.

In 2003, about 44 people died in Vancouver from drug related overdoses, according to the British Colombia Centre for Excellence (pdf). In 2018, 387 died from such overdoses, reported the Coronors Service (pdf). Data suggests that the most significant increase in deaths began in 2015.

One doctor who is experienced with drug users promotes prevention instead.

Ive seen a lot of drug addicts, Doctor Evelyn Li said.

Li, a cardiologist with 35 years of practice, said that a SIS is not the best solution. She suggested that prevention is the way to stop addictive behavior.

In a [National Institute of Health] study over 30 years of following drug addicts, they found that accessibility and exposure are the number one reason why people can not stay away from drugs, said Li. Having centers like this would just increase more opportunity for them to access the drugs.

90% of addiction starts in ones teenage years, according to Li. She said providing people with a place to use drugs is not the way to stop addictive behavior.

John Lovell, who works as a lobbyist primarily for law enforcement agencies, including the California Narcotics Officers Association, warned about the bill. He said that it doesnt provide a solution to peoples addiction, and also brings damage to the areas around it.

AB-362 Will simply enable drug use, and thats the tragedy of this, said John Lovell, who works as a lobbyist primarily for law enforcement agencies, including the California Narcotics Officers Association.

Lovell described Insite in a similar way to Lee. The location of Insite has now become a magnet for all related street drug activity, Lovell said. Dealers have come because thats where the customers are, so the neighborhood has been severely damaged.

Lovell said that even though he is Democratic, he doesnt support the bill.

The bill doesnt offer a solution to addiction, according to Lovell. What we should be doing is committing all of our resources, all of our creativity, to help people break the vice of addiction, Lovell said. Not engaging in activity which simply enables the continuation of that addictive behavior.

A comparison that Lovell made was of an alcoholic who decided to not drink at an inexpensive bar, and instead drink at a fancy hotel restaurant. Its safer, but its not going to get you out of the throes of addiction. Another comparison he made was of a transit authority acknowledging a drunk driving problem, then adding a drunk driving lane to every freeway.

Voices of Experience

Bishop Ron Allen, founder and president of the International Faith Based Coalition, warned against SIS from his own experience.

Its easy to think that there is a safe place to do drugs, said Allen. But there is no safe place.

Allen describes himself as a recovering addict with 21 years of sobriety. He spoke from 7 years of experience in being consumed by addiction. Helping addicts get high will not induce them to want to go to rehab, said Allen.

Rehabilitation is needed instead of access, according to Allen. Its over the top madness for us to think that by supplying heroine addicts, or any other addict, with the tools to get high is the correct thing to do, Allen said.

Doctor Christy Brown had first had experience watching her son go through levels of addiction. When my son was suffering from heroin addiction, the last thing I wanted was to have anybody help him to be able to inject drugs into his system, Brown said.

Brown, the Bay Area Director of Momstrong, a group for parents whose children suffered from drug use, also suggested prevention of addiction at its earliest stages. We need prevention programs as part of a comprehensive strategy, Brown said.

A SIS doesnt provide a comprehensive solution, according to Brown. Theyre just a bandaid, its not going to do much, Brown said.

Though Brown also says she is Democratic, she does not agree with the bill. Her son has been sober for five years, after receiving treatment.
Cancer Patients to Get Life-Changing Therapy As Australia Plans $105m Treatment Center

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Actor Jussie Smollett leaves the Leighton Criminal Courthouse in Chicago on 26, 2019, after prosecutors dropped all charges against him. (Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times/Chicago Sun-Times via AP)

Chicago Police to Send Jussie Smollett Bill for Hate Crime Investigation

Chicago officials said they were planning to send actor Jussie Smollett a bill for the cost of the investigation into claims that he was a victim of a hate crime.

Police Department spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told Page Six on March 28 that the City of Chicago will be sending Mr. Smollett a bill.

From a 30,000-foot view, the bill will include the hours, the overtime, the financial costs and the resources that were used, Guglielmi said.

It was an extensive investigation that required a lot of review of cameras. There was technical assistance provided by external agencies, but itll likely only include Chicago expenses and not expenses incurred by the FBI and other technical experts we brought in for analysis, he added.

The approximate cost or the timeline for when the bill will be due was not provided.

Earlier today, Mayor Rahm Emanuel told WGN Radio that he thinks Smollett should foot the bill for the polices investigation.

The police right now is assembling the cost of what was put into this and the Corporation Counsel will take action based on those costs directly to Jussie Smollett, Emanuel said.

Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel joins Steve Cochran Show to talk Jussie Smollett outcome. To Donald J. Trump: Sit this one out  WGN Radio  2019328

The Corporation Counsel, once they  feel good about the numbers will then send a letter to Jussie Smollett and his attorneys trying to recoup those costs for the city, he added.

Its a small way of acknowledging 1. guilt, and 2. that we spent these resources and that the taxpayers deserve a minimum  ethical cost.

Prosecutors announced on March 26 that 16 felony counts filed against Smollett for filing a false police report were dropped because the actor completed 16 hours of community service and forfeited his $10,000 bond to the city.

The financial cost, this $10,000, doesnt even come close to what the city spent in resources to actually look over the cameras, go through data, gather all the information that actually brought the indictment by the grand jury, Emanuel told CBS News on March 26.

Joe Magats, the assistant state attorney who made the decision, told the New York Times that they did not exonerate Smollett. Instead, he said the decision was made in exchange for the actor completing community service and forfeiting his bond.

Heres the thingwe work to prioritize violent crime and the drivers of violent crime. Public safety is our number one priority. I dont see Jussie Smollett as a threat to public safety, Magats said.

We stand behind the investigation, we stand behind the decision to charge him and we stand behind the charges in the case. The mere fact that it was disposed of in an alternative manner does not mean that there were any problems or infirmities in the case or the evidence, he added.

Chicago police officials and Emanuel were furious after the charges were dropped, with the mayor calling it a whitewash of justice.

President Donald Trump commented on the situation early March 28, alerting people that he was getting federal authorities involved.

FBI & DOJ to review the outrageous Jussie Smollett case in Chicago. It is an embarrassment to our Nation!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 28, 2019

FBI & DOJ to review the outrageous Jussie Smollett case in Chicago. It is an embarrassment to our Nation! he said in a post on Twitter.

The FBI is already conducting a probe into a threatening letter Smollett received on the set of Empire in Chicago. According to the police, the incident was orchestrated by Smollett himself.

NTD Reporter Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.
Chicago Prosecutor Defends Decision to Drop Smollett Charges

CHICAGOCook County States Attorney Kim Foxx on Wednesday, March 27, defended the decision by her staff to drop charges that Empire actor Jussie Smollett staged a racist, anti-gay attack in January.

Foxx recused herself before Smollett was charged last month because she had discussed the case with a Smollett family member. The case was handed to First Assistant States Attorney Joseph Magats.

Foxx didnt directly answer the question when CBS 2 TV in Chicago asked if she believed Smollett was innocent, as Smollett has continued to contend, saying only that the matter was handled properly. She pointed to Smollett forfeiting his $10,000 bond and doing community service in return for dropping the charges. Magats has said that he does not believe Smollett is innocent and Chicago police say he faked the attack.

I believe that the outcomehim having to forfeit the $10,000, having to do community service, based on the allegations, and again the (low level) felony and no (criminal) background, are an outcome that we could expect with this type of case, she said.

If people dont know how the justice system works, and more specifically, alternative prosecution diversion, pre-trial diversion, this would seem like an odd outcome says States Attorney Kim Foxx about response to decision to drop charges against Jussie Smollett. @MaiReports pic.twitter.com/SvnL3pFOpy  CBS Chicago (@cbschicago) March 27, 2019

She also insisted no one tried to intervene on Smolletts behalf, despite emails showing that Foxx was contacted by people linked to Smollett about the case.

There was no attempt, whatsoever, to influence the outcome of this case, she said. None whatsoever.

Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx admits they didnt like the punishment for type of felony with Jussie Smollett and changed the standards: We have to expand at how we look at accountability and justice looks like pic.twitter.com/8fYjgwMXJu #JussieSmolett  Matt Batzel (@MattBatzel) March 28, 2019

Email and text messages provided to the Chicago Sun-Times by Foxxs office show former first lady Michelle Obamas chief of staff Tina Tchen contacted Foxx a few days after the report of the attack to set up a telephone conversation with a Smollett relative. Foxx told the Sun-Times the relative expressed concerns over leaked information that media outlets attributed to police sources. Foxx then called Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson to ask him to let the FBI investigate the alleged attack. The contacts were cited by Foxx in recusing herself from the case on Feb. 13, well before Smollett was charged.

Again Wednesday, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel criticized prosecutors, saying that dropping charges made no sense.

Something is rotten in Denmark, he told reporters Wednesday during an unrelated event. It doesnt add up. Hours after the charges were dismissed Tuesday, Emanuel called the outcome a whitewash.

A whitewash of justice, says @ChicagosMayor Rahm Emanuel after all charges against Jussie Smollett dropped. It is wrong. Full stop. https://t.co/x4ioZtOMbp pic.twitter.com/f070IVaGYX  CBS Chicago (@cbschicago) March 26, 2019

Also Wednesday, a spokeswoman for Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said the Democrat is considering a lawmakers request to review the prosecutors decision to dismiss charges against Smollett.

Raoul spokeswoman Annie Thompson had no further comment Wednesday.

Republican state Rep. David McSweeney filed a resolution requesting a comprehensive examination of the circumstances around the Smollett case.

The House would have to approve McSweeneys resolution. Democrats outnumber Republicans 74-44. And the attorney general is not bound by such a legislative request.

Defense attorneys have said Smolletts record was wiped clean of the 16 felony counts hed faced. The actor told reporters Tuesday that he had been truthful and consistent on every single level since day one.

Authorities alleged that Smollett, who is black and gay, knew the men and arranged for them to pretend to attack him as a publicity stunt.
Members of the U.S. trade delegation Robert Lighthizer and Steven Mnuchin arrive at a hotel in Beijing on March 28, 2019. (Jason Lee/Reuters)

China Makes Unprecedented Proposals on Tech, Trade Talks ProgressUS Officials

WASHINGTON China has made unprecedented proposals in talks with the United States on a range of issues including forced technology transfer as the two sides work to overcome remaining obstacles to a deal to end their protracted trade war, U.S. officials told Reuters on March 27.

President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on $250 billion of Chinese imports last year in a move to force China to change the way it does business with the rest of the world and to pry open more of Chinas economy to U.S. companies.

Among Trumps demands are for Beijing to end practices that Washington alleges result in the systematic theft of U.S. intellectual property and the forced transfer of American technology to Chinese companies.

China put proposals on the table in the talks that went further than in the past, including on technology transfer, said one of four senior U.S. administration officials who spoke to Reuters.

Negotiators have made progress on the details of the written agreements that have been hashed out to address U.S. concerns, he said.

If you looked at the texts a month ago compared to today, we have moved forward in all areas. We arent yet where we want to be, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Theyre talking about forced technology transfer in a way that theyve never wanted to talk about beforeboth in terms of scope and specifics, he said, referring to Chinese negotiators. He declined to give further detail.

Reuters reported previously that the two sides were working on written agreements in six areas: Forced technology transfer and cyber theft, intellectual property rights, services, currency, agriculture and non-tariff barriers to trade.

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin arrive in Beijing on Thursday for a new round of talks with Chinese officials to work on a deal that would end a months-long trade war that has cost both sides billions of dollars and hurt global economic growth.

The in-person talks, which will be followed by a round in Washington next week, are the first face-to-face meetings the two sides have held in weeks after missing an initial end-of-March goal for a summit between President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to sign a pact.

Talks would continue as long as progress is being made on the core issues, the official said.

It could go to May, June, no one knows. It could happen in April, we dont know, another administration official said.

The two sides still have differences over intellectual property and how to enforce a deal, he said.

Some Tariffs Will Stay

China wants the United States to lift its tariffs as part of a deal. Washington, which is cognizant that the tariffs give it leverage to ensure Beijing follows through on any commitments it makes, is wary of lifting them right away.

Trump said last week the United States may leave tariffs on Chinese goods for a substantial period to ensure compliance.

Some tariffs will stay, the second official said. Theres going to be some give on that, but were not going to get rid of all the tariffs. We cant.

The topic will be addressed in upcoming talks.

Obviously that is an issue that we need to resolve  and will be an important part of a final deal, the first official said. He said there was some agreement on enforcement on what he termed the backend once a deal was in place: A structure in which both sides could raise grievances and implement tariffs if there were violations to the agreement.

Since July 2018, the United States has imposed duties on $250 billion worth of Chinese imports, including $50 billion in technology and industrial goods at 25 percent and $200 billion in other products including furniture and construction materials, at 10 percent.

China has hit back with tariffs on about $110 billion worth of U.S. goods, including soybeans and other commodities.

The first official said the focus of talks had shifted from Chinese purchases of U.S. goods to the trickier structural issues, which he said Trump wanted as part of a great deal.

Bipartisan support at home for his tough stance on China as well as from the business community have emboldened Trump as he pushes for a deal that addresses long-standing complaints on trade, the source said.

And the president has made clear, both in word and in action, that hes going to walk away from deals if theyre not good deals, the source said.

By Jeff Mason
People check on travel packages offered by travel agencies during the Guangzhou International Travel Fair in Guangzhou in south China's Guangdong Province on March 3, 2018. Travelers in China were blocked from buying plane tickets 17.5 million times in 2018 as a penalty for failing to pay fines or other offenses, the Chinese regime reported this week on penalties imposed under a controversial "social credit" system. (Chinatopix via AP)

Chinese Regimes Social Credit System Aims to Foster Political Obedience Among Young Citizens

In the latest move to implement a social credit system across mainland China, Chinese authorities recently launched a credit rating app targeting Chinas 460 million adults aged 18 to 45. According to this scheme, those who earn the highest credit scores enjoy greater access to training and employment benefits, while those with low scores encounter restrictions even in day-to-day life.

Observers say that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is trying to use technology to build a unique form of totalitarianism that has never existed in the past.

The social credit rating app, called Unictown, was formally released in February by a team at Tsinghua Unigroup under the dual leadership of Communist Youth League Central Committee and the National Development and Reform Commission, according to the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post (SCMP).

Unlike the financial credit system in the West, Unictown gathers a large amount of non-financial information about its users, including so-called anti-social behavior and participation in volunteer work.

By collecting, sorting, and analyzing a vast array of data, from a persons educational background to online shopping habits, the app aims to encourage good behavior and deprecate bad behavior, especially among college students and new graduates.

For this group of users, extra points can be earned for publishing papers, inventing products, and participating in social volunteer activities, while cheating on exams or committing plagiarism will affect their social credit scores.

When a student purchases an online course via Unictown, the app will determine how much of a discount can be applied based on his or her social credit score. More importantly, when looking for employment, those who have higher social credit will be prioritized.

According to SCMP, the developers of Unictown declined to disclose how the app evaluates various data to calculate a credit score, and denied that whether a person is a member of CCP is taken into account in the metric.

Chinas state-run media praised the credit system as being able to guide young people to consciously practice the CCPs socialist core values.

High-tech Totalitarianism

Chinese human rights lawyer and visiting scholar at New York University Teng Biao told the Chinese-language Epoch Times that the new social credit scheme is part of a series of measures taken by the CCP to strengthen its surveillance over the whole of society and re-activate totalitarian rule.

Teng believes the CCP is in the process of building a super-totalitarian system using big data, video surveillance, DNA collection, internet technology, facial recognition technology, and social credit, creating an unprecedented form of totalitarianism.

In the past, there was the Nazi totalitarianism and Mao Zedongs totalitarian system, but a totalitarian system powered by the internet and contemporary technology has not existed before, Teng said. The CCP is now taking the first step to build such a high-tech totalitarian system, by using credit ratings and monitoring and recording every detail in peoples daily life, which is very frightening.

While some may welcome the imposition of a social ranking system as an avenue to earning certain benefits, Teng warned against the darker aspects of digital social control, as it would severely curtail individual freedoms in China.

According to Teng, the development of todays social credit system is rooted in the CCPs sense of crisis as a ruling party. The CCP has tightened its control in every aspect in Chinese society in recent years; such as by launching tougher crackdowns on human rights lawyers, religious groups, Uyghur and Tibetan activists, and imposing more stringent internet censorship.

Xia Yeliang, a former professor of economics at Peking University now living in the United States, said in an interview with Radio Free Asia that the social credit rankings system for young people is a new means for the Chinese authorities to control them, especially college students.

He compared the social credit system to a huge net, trapping everyone inside. The CCP wants to make sure that these young people dont do or say anything that is considered out of the boundary, Xia said.
Chinese Exchange Student to Seek Residence in Taiwan After Online Criticism of Beijing

TAIPEI, TaiwanA mainland Chinese exchange student studying in Taiwan has received death threats, and fears that his parents in China may be under house arrest, after he live-streamed criticism of the Chinese communist regime.

Li Jiabao, 21, from Zibo, a city in eastern Chinas Shandong Province, is currently studying at Chia Nan University of Pharmacy and Science in the Taiwanese city of Tainan. He said he wants to stay in Taiwan, adding that he will file an application with authorities next month.

In a March 26 interview with Taiwans Central News Agency (CNA), Li said he began receiving death threats after he criticized Beijings authoritarian rule during a live-stream on Twitter on March 11. In the video, he said the Chinese Communist Partys rule will soon come to an end.

Li, on March 23, posted on Twitter a screenshot of a threat he received on the messaging app Telegram. A man named Chen Yun wrote, I am waiting to kill you piece of trash with my hands. The screenshot showed that Yun was a sales director from Jiangyin, a city in Chinas Jiangsu Province.

Chinese authorities are aware of Lis criticism. According to the outlet, Li said he hasnt been able to reach his parents by phone or on the messaging app WeChat. The last text message he received from his father was on March 14, in which he asked Li to delete all his dissenting online posts and quickly return to China.

Li told CNA that he suspects his parents have been put under house arrest by Chinese authorities.

He said he managed to speak to his aunt on the phone, who told him that authorities have opened a case against him. She told him that multiple Chinese agencies, including its intelligence agency, police, and education department are handling the case.

Li says hes now in financial trouble because his family hasnt transferred him any money to cover his living expenses since the Twitter stream. To make things worse, Lis Chinese cellphone number was unexpectedly canceled, leaving him unable to access money wired by his friends to his online account.

I dont know what I am going to do, Li told CNA, adding that he only has enough money to last to the end of April.

Li is in contact with Taiwans immigration agency and the Straits Exchange Foundation, a semi-official organization that handles issues relating to China, CNA reported.

Mainland Affairs Council, a Taiwanese government agency that deals with China issues, said in a March 27 statement that it will respect Lis freedom of speech because Taiwan is a free, democratic society, the CNA reported.

The council implored China to refrain from suppressing Li or intimidating his family members in China.

The Chinese regime considers Taiwan a renegade province, despite the fact that the latter is a de facto independent country with its own elected officials, constitution, military, and currency. In contrast, China is under authoritarian one-party rule, lacking in basic freedoms such as the right to free speech or press.

The regime strictly blocks speech about Taiwan independence and its democratic values, while any comments critical of the Chinese Communist Partys rule is also swiftly censored.

In an earlier interview with CNA, Li expressed fear that he might be charged with inciting subversion of state power or similar crimes if he returns to China.

The Chinese communist regime is known to charge dissidents and human rights activists with vague catch-all crimes, including inciting subversion of state power and gathering a crowd to disrupt the order of a public place.

The student told CNA that he formed his views about the regime after he learned how to bypass the Great Firewall Chinas massive online censorship apparatuswhen he was 12 years old.

Li said that allowed him to learn about the truth about events such as the Cultural Revolution and the Tiananmen Square Massacre.
In this file photo, members of a SWAT team work in a parking lot in Des Moines, Wash., on Feb. 16, 2018. (David Ryder/Getty Images)

Concerns Raised Over Footage of SWAT Raiding Family House for 2-Year-Old With a Fever

A SWAT team raided a family home in Arizona looking for a 2-year-old with a fever, breaking down the door with guns at the ready in security footage that has raised concern with a local lawmaker.

Authorities took three children, aged 2, 4, and 6, during the raid on Feb. 25, according to local reports and have yet to return home.

The raid was triggered when Sarah Beck and Brooks Bryce brought their feverish 2-year-old son to a naturopath, reported the Arizona Family.

The boys temperature was 105. The doctor advised them to head to the ER citing concerns over meningitis when they disclosed that the child was unvaccinated. But, according to the parents, his fever soon broke, dropping to 102 in the car on the way home.

A couple decided not to take their feverish child to the hospital. Hours later police kicked down their door. https://t.co/c9wlq7mWvS pic.twitter.com/W8dVeHHY13  azcentral (@azcentral) March 27, 2019

But the doctor learned they had not gone to the ER and he called Childrens Services, who contacted Chandler police.

The mother and father refused to allow officers onto the property, talking with them on the phone and trying to convince them that the boys temperature had dropped to 100 degrees.

Armed with a court order granting temporary custody to DCS, and unable to verify the condition of the child, the SWAT team smashed their way in.

The incident occurred in Chandler, a city to the southwest of Phoenix.

State Rep. Kelly Townsend was instrumental in passing legislation that required Childrens Services to get a search warrant before removing children in nonemergency situations. After seeing footage of the raid, shes now concerned about how the law is being applied.

It was not the intent (of the law) that the level of force after obtaining a warrant was to bring in a SWAT team, Townsend told the Arizona Republic. The imagery is horrifying. What has our country become that we can tear down the doorway of a family who has a child with a high fever that disagrees with their doctor?

What about parents rights to decide whats best for their child? Townsend said. Parents felt the child was fine. Next thing we know, the Gestapo is at their door.

The doctor chose to use DCS to remove the child, and DCS chose to use the police, and the police chose to use the SWAT team, she told KGO-TV. That is not the country that I recognize.

The child actually had an upper respiratory infection and not meningitis like the doctor had feared, according to Townsend.

State Representative Kelly Townsend says she's troubled by video that shows Chandler police officers with guns drawn, forcing their way into a family's home.  ABC15 Arizona  2019327

All because of a fever. A fever! Its absolutely ridiculous, Nicholas Boca, the familys attorney told ABC15. That type of kicking your door in, with guns drawn  it should be reserved for violent criminals.

The DCS has declined to comment in media reports on the case, saying it would be in violation of privacy laws.

According to Arizona Family, a police report described the home as cluttered and messy, and difficult to walk in the rooms. with stains in the childrens bedrooms. The children told police they had vomited several times in their beds.

Police also said, A shotgun was lying next to the bed, against the wall, and was not locked or secured.

Police Break Down Door of Arizona Family at 1 AM to Medically Kidnap 3 Children Because Parents Refused to Take Child to  Health Impact News  201933

But Bryce dismissed the reports, according to Arizona Family. The clutter was laundry on our couch, he said.

He said the shotgun was inert. It does not work.

He claims that he didnt hear the police stating that they had a warrant for removal because they were sleeping in the back bedrooms with their sick children.

I know people have the right not to let the police into their home, he told the Republic. But if the caseworker had called me or knocked, and shown me their warrant, I wouldve let them in.

Bryce told The Republic on March 15 that DCS had placed their three children with his parents.

We get to see them again, he said. Thank God.
Smoke can be seen from miles away after a truck explodes near Camden, Ark., on March 27, 2019. (Courtesy of CDLLife)

Deadly Truck Explosion Leaves 15-Foot-Deep Hole in Federal Highway

A truck carrying a highly flammable chemical has exploded, killing the driver and leaving a massive crater in the middle of a federal highway in southern Arkansas.

Blann Trucking Company Truck Driver Randall McDougal was traveling along U.S. Highway 278, west of Camden near the Arkansas Highway 57, on March 27 when he noticed his brakes were on fire.

McDougal, 63, of El Dorado reportedly contacted the area fire department about 6:40 a.m. local time to report that the truck brakes on the commercial carrier truck he was driving were on fire. He informed the department that he would try to extinguish the blaze.

When the first fire department personnel arrived on the scene, they started to evacuate nearby residents from the area. They said they witnessed McDougal return to the truck just before the vehicle exploded.

A fertilizer truck exploded in the middle of the road in Camden, Arkansas, killing the driver and leaving a massive crater in the ground. https://t.co/SUX9ik6Zly  700WLW (@700wlw) March 28, 2019

The truck was carrying ammonium nitrate, a chemical widely used in fertilizer, on the 88-mile journey west from El Dorado to Texarkana.

According to the New Jersey Department of Health, ammonium nitrate is reactive and a dangerous explosion hazard.

High levels may cause methemoglobinemia with headache, fatigue, and a blue color to the skin and lips, the department warned in a hazardous substance publication. Inhaling ammonium nitrate can irritate the nose, throat, and lungs.

Arkansas State Police confirmed that they had located what was left of McDougal.

Remains of an individual suspected to be those of Randall McDougal, 63, of El Dorado, have been recovered from the site, the police said in a press release dated March 27. The Arkansas State Police has requested the human remains to be examined for positive identification by the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory.

EXPLOSION CLAIMS LIFE OF TRUCK DRIVER: Remains of an individual suspected to be those of Randall McDougal, 63, of El Dorado, have been recovered from the site of an explosionRead: https://t.co/WOTnxWghPg pic.twitter.com/7mdhhdtwwD  AR State Police (@ARStatePolice) March 27, 2019

Authorities responded to reports of the explosion about 7:05 a.m. by shutting down the highway indefinitely.

The roadway remains closed as the result of a large hole caused by the explosion that stretches across the highway, police said.

According to the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management, one person died in the explosion. The blast also destroyed two police cruisers and left two officers with minor injuries.

Arkansas Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin (R) extended his condolences to all people affected by the blast.



My thoughts & prayers go out to all affected, especially the family of the victim killed in the tragic explosion near Camden, he said in a Twitter post dated March 27. Please keep our first responders in your prayers as they work to contain this incident.

My thoughts & prayers go out to all affected, especially the family of the victim killed in the tragic explosion near Camden. Please keep our first responders in your prayers as they work to contain this incident. https://t.co/xORz6gWWbJ  Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin (@LtGovTimGriffin) March 27, 2019

Union County Sheriffs Office Patrol Sgt. Erick Meadows said the explosion left a big hole in the middle of Highway 278. The department of transportation estimated the crater measured about 15 feet deep, according to CDLLife.

There have been reports the force of the explosion could be felt up to 60 miles away.

Heres video from the Ouachita Electric Cooperative of the scene down in Camden. The Department of Emergency Management has confirmed one has died from the explosion. @KATVNews #ARNews pic.twitter.com/W8zspbj8Nj  Nick Popham (@KATVPopham) March 27, 2019

Highway 278, Highway 57, and Highway 24 were closed while police searched the scene.

An investigation continues.

Ouachita Co: Vehicle fire reported on U.S. Highway 278 approximately 1.3 miles east of State Highway 57. Lanes blocked at this time: all. Reported by: @ARStatePolice / Troop F. Monitor https://t.co/l1xGNNByOO for the latest information. #ARtraffic #SWAtraffic #ARnews  Arkansas DOT (@myARDOT) March 27, 2019

A man is dead following a truck explosion that was carrying the dangerous chemical ammonium nitrate. For more on the story, click on the link: https://t.co/QbIyouN1zD pic.twitter.com/qfddCS4FoG  FOX16 News (@FOX16News) March 28, 2019
Dog the Bounty Hunter, Duane Chapman poses with a fan outside of a press conference where New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, was speaking to the media about the capture of convicted murderer David Sweat in Malone, New York, on June 28, 2015. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Dog the Bounty Hunter Gives Update on Wifes Cancer Battle

Dog the Bounty Hunter star Duane Chapman has revealed more details about his wifes battle with cancer, saying she is fighting like hell.

I have cried a lot over this because Beth is my everything, he told the Daily Mail. Despite all of the obstacles I have overcome, this is by far the biggest test of my life and mark my words, I will not let her die.

He added, She is my rock and my bodyguard. I will do everything I can to keep her here.

'My wife wants to spend her last days on the hunt'  Daily Mail  2019327

His wife, Beth Chapman, was diagnosed with throat cancer several months ago. She underwent chemotherapy, according to the family lawyer. She was hospitalized in November after she had trouble breathing.

Beth started chemo for throat cancer last month. The treatments are in LA. They are going well, but they certainly take their toll on Beth, Chapman family attorney Andrew Brettler said in January. The Chapmans certainly have a lot on their plate. They just started filming for the new WGN show while Beths been going through treatment, Brettler added.. [Its] not easy.

In the Mail interview, which was published March 27, Duane Chapman said his wife is opting for a different treatment, without elaborating.

If this were me, I would be a big sissy. But not Beth. She is still hitting the ground running with me. Beth is determined cancer wont slow her down, he told the news outlet.

In fact, I am so amazed by Beths strength and positive attitude, he said.

She has told me repeatedly that if these are her last days on earth she wants to spend every moment with me on the hunt, living life to the fullest and enjoying the time we have left together.

The best part of my job is having her by my side on every journey. I cant imagine a day without her and think deep down inside she is always concerned for my safety because she wants the security of knowing I come home to her every night.

According to the report, he confirmed that WGN America committed 10 episodes to his new Dogs Most Wanted show, adding that five of them have already been shot.

On one level the series will seem similar to my original program. Beth and I are still going coast to coast capturing people on the lam, he stated. However, in this installment, we are upping the level of intensity on how we capture these fugitives, the level of their crimes and where we will find them because these folks are more dangerous than anything you have seen in seasons past.

In the fight against cancer, the couple credited their faith.

Faith is probably the number one thing in our lives, no matter what were faced with.  Through this cancer episode, we had to drum up as much faith as we could. And the Bible talks about having faith as small as a mustard seed. And thats not much.  And I thank God that we had at least that much faith to get her through that, Duane Chapman said several years ago. His wife was previously diagnosed with cancer.

Duane and Beth, who have been in a relationship for 30 years, both rose to fame in the mid-2000s on their A&E series Dog the Bounty Hunter, which stopped airing in 2012. They had another show that aired from 2013 to 2015.
Voters cast their ballots in Los Angeles on June 5, 2018. California's voter rolls have been plagued by problems. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Election Integrity Problems May Have Interfered with California Elections

Evidence suggests that election fraud, ballot manipulation, and other election issues may have harmed the integrity of Californias electoral results during the 2018 midterm elections.

Judicial Watch, a non-partisan educational foundation, reported in a press release in January that they signed a settlement with the State of California and the County of Los Angeles, pressuring the county to clean up voter registry files.

In 2017, Judicial Watch filed a federal lawsuit to force Los Angeles County to remove inactive individuals from its voter registry.

The Epoch Times interviewed Steven Bailey, a law attorney and retired California Superior Court Judge, to gain a better understanding of the election integrity situation in California. Bailey was a candidate for attorney general in the 2018 election.

According to Judicial Watch, Los Angeles County has a registration rate of 112 percent of its adult citizen population, meaning there are more people on the registry than the number of known eligible people physically living in the area.

Judicial Watch, in the lawsuit, were able to prove there are people whove died and ought to be taken off the roll. You and I would agree that if youre dead, you dont get to continue voting. There are people who have moved and have multiple registrations in L.A. County. Those need to be cleaned up, said Bailey.

Los Angeles voter registry currently contains both active and inactive voters. Some people who have also moved out of the area are still on the registry.

As a result, ballots are still sent out to people who are no longer living at the registered address. This situation opens a door of opportunity for election fraud or other dishonesty.

Bailey said that when voter ballots are mailed out to everyone on the list, no one has control over what happens to ballots for inactive individuals.

Although Judicial Watch primarily pays attention to the Los Angeles area, the issue of election integrity also holds true for the rest of California.

Part of what election integrity is doing right now is monitoring not only whats happening in Los Angeles to clean up the voter files, said Bailey. Judicial Watch kind of watches L.A., but there are a number of lawyers now; we will start pushing on San Diego.

He said they would also start pushing other counties to start cleaning up their files.

However, there is more to the issue of election integrity than just cleaning up voter files.

There is the whole issue of ballot harvesting, Bailey said.

Ballot harvesting is when someone turns in a ballot meant for someone else. In some states, it refers to the legal practice of third-party collection of multiple absentee ballots for submission. Ballot harvesting carries the risk of people stealing ballots, filling out forms for other people, and forging the intended recipients signature.

The law was fairly specific, but theres still ambiguity in it. The specificity was you cant pay a person to go out and collect ballots. So, what was being done in California wasnt paying you to go out and collect the ballots, but you might work for the campaign, generally doing all kinds of things, and one of the functions you have is to go out and collect ballots, Bailey said.

He said that while these people arent getting paid per ballot they collect, they are being paid by the campaign to collect ballots as a task.

That would seem counter to the law, said Bailey.

Congress recently introduced H.R.1, also known as the For the People Act.

One of the things they are going to prohibit in H.R.1 is cleaning up the voter files, Bailey stated.

Additionally, the resolution aims to force states to implement early voting, online voter registration, and no-fault absentee balloting, among other things.

Another factor of election integrity lies with the addition of non-citizens voting in elections.

According to U.S. Code Title 18  611, it is unlawful for non-citizens to vote in any election held solely or in part for the purpose of electing a candidate for the office of President, Vice President, Presidential elector, Member of the Senate, Member of the House of Representatives, Delegate from the District of Columbia, or Resident Commissioner.

The law further states that whether non-citizens can vote in local elections is determined by individual state constitutions and local ordinances.

There is evidence that undocumented individuals are registering to vote through the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), which would inadvertently give them access to voting in federal elections, Bailey said.

The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 was originally created to encourage citizens to register to vote through the DMV. However, some states like California both implemented automatic voter registration at the DMV and allowed non-citizens to obtain driver licenses, which led to some people being mistakenly registered to vote.
People stand at the entrance of a closed store in Caracas on March 27, 2019 during a power outage in Venezuela . (Cristian Hernandez/AFP/Getty Images)

EU Parliament Calls for More Sanctions Against Maduros Regime in Venezuela

BRUSSELSThe European Parliament has called for further sanctions against key figures in the Venezuelan regime including asset freezes and restrictions of their movements, as well as those of their families.

European lawmakers sitting in Strasbourg voted through a new resolution on March 28 that also stated that the EU should provide emergency funding to neighboring countries that are taking in large numbers of refugees.

They passed the measure as a Brussels-backed International Contact Group on Venezuela, which has been set up to help find a way toward new elections in the crisis-torn country, met for the second time in Ecuador.

It came together as the EU condemned the presence of Russian military personnel in Venezuela, with a spokesman for the European Commission accusing Moscow of being a destabilizing presence in the region.

Europe has struggled to agree on a tough and united line on how to deal with Nicolas Maduros regime amid splits within the bloc over whether to get involved in a foreign countrys internal affairs.

In its March 28 resolution, which was carried by 310 votes to 120, the EU Parliament delivered a rebuke to capitals that have not recognized National Assembly leader Juan Guaido as Venezuelas legitimate interim leader.

It encouraged them to do so urgently and asked member states to consider new sanctions on members of Maduros regime to ratchet up pressure on Caracas.

The resolution calls for additional sanctions targeting illegitimate state authorities assets abroad and those individuals responsible for human rights breaches and repression.

European lawmakers also floated the idea of an international donors conference with the aim to provide broad financial support for reconstruction and the transition to democracy in Venezuela.

On March 27, the EU Commission announced $56 million of emergency funding for extra aid efforts in the country, especially targeting vulnerable groups like the young, the elderly, and new mothers.

The EU Parliament also criticized the effectiveness of the International Contact Group, which met for the first time in Uruguay in February, saying it regrets the lack of any tangible result of the contact group so far.

The group met for the second time on March 27, bringing eight European countriesFrance, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the UKtogether with South American nations Bolivia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Uruguay.

Brussels foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini, who chaired the meeting, said, I praise the reception efforts of the region, including Ecuador, which has received millions of Venezuelan refugees and migrants, and our solidarity is full.

We have been working well together and we will continue our joint efforts with the objective of helping the Venezuelan people find a peaceful and democratic solution.

However, the meeting was overshadowed by the announcement that nearly 100 Russian troops had landed in Caracas and disembarked from military planes.

Moscow acknowledged their presence in Venezuela with a foreign ministry spokeswoman saying they were tasked with the practical implementation of provisions of military-technical cooperation agreements.

Reacting to the move, a Commission spokesman said: The situation in Venezuela is very polarized. All actions and gestures that further escalate tensions will only create more obstacles to a peaceful, democratic, and Venezuela-owned resolution to this crisis.
Anna Sorokin and her defense attorney Todd Spodek sit at the defense table in New York State Supreme Court, in New York, on March 27, 2019. (Richard Drew/AP Photo)

Fake Heiress Life of Luxury Left Others Footing Big Bills

NEW YORKAnna Sorokin traveled in celebrity circles and tossed $100 tipsall the more reason to believe she was the German heiress she said she was. But behind the jet-set lifestyle and pricey threads, prosecutors have said, was a fraudster who bilked friends, banks, and hotels for a taste of the high life.

Sorokin, 28, lived in luxury New York City hotel rooms she couldnt afford, promised a friend an all-expenses-paid trip to Morocco and then stuck her with the $62,000 bill, and peddled bogus bank statements in a quest for a $22 million loan, the Manhattan District Attorneys office has alleged.

On March 27, the one-time darling of the Big Apple social scene went on trial on grand larceny and theft of services charges alleging she swindled various people and businesses out of $275,000 in a 10-month odyssey that saw her jetting to the Midwest and Marrakesh before landing in a cell at Rikers Island.

Fake heiress #AnnaSorokin appears with a black dress at the start of her trial in a #Manhattan court room. What followed was a tough opening statement by the prosecution: She stole, she lied! pic.twitter.com/QReg0CFja0  Herbert Bauernebel (@bauernebel) March 27, 2019

Her overall scheme has been to claim to be a wealthy German heiress with approximately $60 million in funds being held abroad, prosecutor Catherine McCaw said after Sorokins October 2017 arrest. Shes born in Russia and has not a cent to her name as far as we can determine.

Sorokins attorney said she never intended to commit a crime.

Lawyer Todd Spodek told jurors in an opening statement that Sorokin was exploiting a system that was easily seduced by glamour and glitz after she saw how the appearance of wealth opened doors. Spodek said she was merely buying time, so she could launch a business and repay her debts.

Anna had to fake it until she could make it, Spodek said.

Sorokin, jailed since her arrest, faces deportation to Germany regardless of the outcome of the trial because authorities say she overstayed her visa. Her story, however, may stick around. Shonda Rhimes, the force behind Greys Anatomy and Scandal, is developing a show about Sorokin for Netflix. Lena Dunham, of Girls fame, is working on one for HBO.

Sorokin arrived in the world of champagne wishes and caviar dreams in 2016 with a new name (Anna Delvey) and a wardrobe to match (Celine sunglasses, Gucci sandals and high-end buys from Net-a-Porter and Elyse Walker). She made a show of proving she belonged, passing crisp Benjamins to Uber drivers and hotel concierges, but she gave varying accounts for the source of her wealth, according to people who knew her.

At different times, they said, shed claim her father was a diplomat, an oil baron, or a solar panel muckity-muck. In reality, her father told New York magazine, hes a former trucker who runs a heating-and-cooling business.

At first, people around Sorokin didnt see a red flag when she asked them to put cabs and plane fares on their credit cardsshe sometimes said she had trouble moving her assets from Europe, they saidand they laughed it off as forgetfulness when they had to hound her to pay them back.

It was a magic trick, Rachel Williams, the friend from the Morocco trip, wrote in Vanity Fair. Im embarrassed to say that I was one of the props, and the audience, too. Annas was a beautiful dream of New York, like one of those nights that never seems to end. And then the bill arrives.

Lawyer quotes Frank Sinatra tune to defend wannabe socialite Anna Sorokin https://t.co/RgYM2atxmC pic.twitter.com/G6UFjaA38m  New York Post (@nypost) March 27, 2019

As she ingratiated herself into the New York party scene, prosecutors said, Sorokin started talking up plans to spend tens of millions of dollars building a private arts club with exhibitions, installations, and pop-up shops. She thought about calling it the Anna Delvey Foundation.

Sorokin kept up the heiress ruse as she went looking for a $22 million loan for the club in November 2016, prosecutors said. She claimed the loan would be secured by a letter of credit from UBS in Switzerland and showed statements purporting to substantiate her assets, according to an outline of the charges.

One bank rejected Sorokin because she did not have sufficient cash flow to make loan payments, prosecutors said. She bailed on another firm when it pressured her for a meeting with a UBS banker who could verify her assets, prosecutors said. At the same time, Spodek said, one of the firms executives sent Sorokin provocative texts, telling her she was beautiful inside and out, that he was forcing myself not to kiss you and asking to come up to her hotel room.

While seeking the loan, prosecutors said, Sorokin convinced one bank to lend her $100,000 to cover due diligence costs. She ended up keeping $55,000 and frittered away these funds on personal expenses in about one months time, prosecutors said. A few months later, in May 2017, Sorokin allegedly chartered a plane to and from the Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, but never paid the $35,400 bill.

Broke and facing a big bill at a midtown Manhattan hotel in July 2017, Sorokin pleaded with a police officer that a bailout was on the way, prosecutors said.

I have no money and no credit cards. Im waiting for my aunt from Germany. Shes going to pay, Sorokin said, according to court documents. Im not trying to run. Why are you making a big deal about this? Give me five minutes, and I can get a friend to pay.
Father Commits Suicide After Principal Beats Son

A man jumped out of the fifth story window of a hospital where his son was staying, and fell to his death. His son was in the hospital because the school principal beat him for being disrespectful, according to Chinese state-sponsored media The Paper.

Xu committed suicide on March 13 at a hospital in Sichuan Province, China. His wife, Tan, believes he took his own life because he couldnt take the criticism about their sons behavior on social media.

Many social media comments accused Jay of being a bear child, a nickname for a spoiled and undisciplined child in China.

The primary school principal, Hu Gang, has been suspended from his position.

The Beating

The 12-year-old boy, given the false name Jay, was near his home on the afternoon of March 7. When Hu, the school principal, walked by, he heard Jay shouting out a somewhat derogatory nickname for him.

Jay was shouting out black child over and over at Hu. Black child refers to a child born outside of Chinas one-child policy.

The name was something that only close friends would call him, and anyone else saying it was considered disrespectful, Hu told The Paper. He also said that he was unaware that Jay was once a student at his school.

Hu confronted Jay immediately. Hu asked if Jays parents were home. Jay said they were not. Then right at that moment, Jays father, Xu, arrived at the house.

I said to the kids dad, Im going to give the kid a lesson in your place, Hu told The Paper.

Hu then pinched and slapped Jay. Hu said that Xu did not attempt to stop him.

Jays mother, Tan, immediately took a video of his injuries when he arrived home and shared it on social media. Look, this is how the Huzhu School principal beats kids, Tan said in the video, according to The Paper. My kid only said black child, he doesnt understand  a principal beating a child, that makes me really angry.

Jays parents reported Hu to the police. They took Jay to the hospital and found he had soft tissue injury, but he was in stable condition. As of March 25, he was still in the hospital.

Hu regretted lashing out at Jay.

It was indeed impetuous, Hu told The Paper on March 25. I really regret it  I should have let the boys father take care of it, then there wouldnt have been this big thing.

Consequences

On March 8, Hu, along with his wife and the principal of Jays school, went to the hospital to visit Jay. They arrived early in the morning to apologize to Jays parents. Hu paid for Jays medical expenses.

An investigation into the incident began on March 8. It was decided on March 10 that Hu would be suspended from his position as principal. Jay began receiving psychological treatment on March 11.

Then, on the morning of March 13, Xu unexpectedly jumped to his death from the fifth floor window of the hospital. Local authorities said that Xu committed suicide. His wife, Tan, was said to be present when he jumped.

The Paper did not report any sentiment of mourning from Xus wife.

A long-time friend of Xus, named Zhao, said that he was an honest and hardworking man who didnt gamble and rarely drank. He put food on the table, but he was never able to say anything, as his wife often scolded him, Zhao told The Paper.

Zhao also acted as the mediator between the family and Hu when they negotiated financial compensation.

Tan said that she suspects the reason for her husbands suicide is the widespread criticism that the family received online, according to The Paper. She was unwilling to discuss other aspects of Xus life.

The Paper reported that several netizens said: Bear children should be beaten, the child doesnt understand, the parents even moreso dont understand, if it was me, Id hit him too.

Others pointed out the principals error: As an educator, is this how you educate children?

There were a lot of people who felt my kid was wrong, that we as parents didnt educate him well, [Xu] felt he had been humiliated, Tan told The Paper. She said that she asked Xu to not read the comments online, but he didnt listen to her.

Tans sister-in-law said that Xu was a business man and his family lives in a small towns0 everyone would gossip about them, according to The Paper. She said that he didnt defend his own child, and that he wouldnt be able to accept what others said about him.

Bear Children

A modern consequence of Chinas now derelict one-child policy is bear children. Families in China were traditionally very large. Now, the opposite is the case. As a result, many families have four grandparents and two parents focusing all their attention onto one child.

This has made for highly spoiled children in some cases. These children have been colloquially referred to as little emperors or bear children.

In one instance, a grandmother allowed her grandson to play with the buttons of an elevator. There was also another woman in the elevator with them. She asked the grandmother to stop the child, but instead, the grandmother told her to mind her own business.

The woman decided to take revenge on the bear child without putting up a fight. She took out a delicious treat from her bag and ate it in front of the boy, taunting him and causing trouble for the grandmother.
Attorney Michael Avenatti speaks to the press after leaving the federal court house in Manhattan, on March 25, 2019. (Johannes Eisele/AFP/Getty Images)

Federal Prosecutors: Michael Avenatti Hasnt Filed a Tax Return Since 2010

Former Stormy Daniels attorney Michael Avenatti hasnt filed an income tax return since 2010 and skipped out on payments in 2009 and 2010, according to federal prosecutors.

The Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday that Avenatti, now facing federal indictments in both New York and California, appears to have been living the life of luxury  all while allegedly stiffing Uncle Sam on a regular basis.

In 2009, the IRS reports that Avenatti claimed some $1.9 million in personal income  but never paid his tax bill, which amounted to $570,000. He allegedly repeated the same move in 2010, when he claimed $1.2 million in earnings but never paid the $282,000 he owed on that income.

Since 2010, the IRS reports that Avenatti did not file tax returns, either personal or for his law firm, Avenatti & Associates, in spite of bank deposits totaling $18 million and $38 million respectively.

Remoun Karlous, an IRS criminal investigator, wrote in his sworn statement that in that time, Avenatti generated substantial income and lived lavishly.

While allegedly failing to pay taxes, the bombastic attorney appears to have also racked up an impressive number of luxury expenses:

$217,000 at Neiman Marcus

$117,000 at Jewelers on Time

$277,236 to Porsche dealers

$100,000-a-month rent on Lido Isle in Newport Beach

$39,762 in Ferrari lease payments

$123,825 in rent on a luxury high-rise in Century City

$176,500 to Exclusive Resorts

According to the California indictments, Avenatti allegedly embezzled money from clients in order to defray his own personal expenses  and then presented fraudulent tax documents to the bank.

In an ironic twist, Avenatti has now been indicted for several of the crimes he accused President Donald Trump of committing during a 2018 Twitter spat with Fox News Liz Peek. (RELATED: Four Fake News Stories And Two Indictments Perfectly Sum Up The Medias 2019 So Far)

Yep. Other than the bank fraud, wire fraud, tax fraud, money laundering, and campaign finance violations, its no big deal. Keep being a Trump sycophant.  Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) August 14, 2018

The attorneys current tax woes also raise questions as to whether or not he ever seriously considered a run for the 2020 Democratic nomination  especially since he had promised more than once to release his tax returns publicly if he decided to do so.

A lot of misinformation being thrown about re my tax returns. Be clear  on Aug. 12 (This Week interview on ABC), I stated I would release my tax returns if I ran. On Sept. 28 (Texas Tribune interview), I stated the same thing. Both on video. My position remains the same.  Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) October 22, 2018

Avenatti was also indicted Monday by the Southern District of New York on charges that he attempted to extort Nike.

By Virginia Kruta | Associate Editor
Firefighters Dunk Smoking BMW Hybrid Electric Vehicle in Huge Vat to Put It Out

Fire crews in the Netherlands responded to a smoking BMW i8 plug-in hybrid by lifting the car with a crane and immersing the vehicle in a huge vat of liquid.

Firefighters from the Central and West Brabant Fire Brigade in the Dutch province of Brabant were summoned to a local showroom on March 25, following reports of the BMW with smoke coming out of it.

This morning an electric car started to smoke in a showroom, the fire department wrote on Facebook (translation from Dutch). The employees of the garage and the fire brigade acted quickly to drive the car outside. Because it is an electric car, a creative response was necessary.

Since lithium-ion battery fires have been known to require extraordinary response measuresincluding dousing with massive amounts of waterthe Dutch fire department brought in a crane and a huge vat of water. They then dunked the smoking car.

The car was immersed in a container of water because extinguishing it in the normal way is difficult with these cars, the fire department said in the statement.

The car will remain in the vat of water for the next 24 hours, they added.

Electric Vehicle Battery Fires

Battery-powered vehicles are notoriously difficult to deal with when they catch fire.

A Tesla Model S crashed on a Florida motorway on a Sunday afternoon in February, and a day later crews were still struggling with the cars damaged lithium-ion battery pack, which kept reigniting.

Battery fires can take up to 24 hours to extinguish. Consider allowing the battery to burn while protecting exposures, Tesla says in its Emergency Response Guide. Due to potential re-ignition, a Model S that has been involved in a submersion, fire, or a collision that has compromised the high voltage battery should be stored in an open area at least 50 ft (15 m) from any exposure.

In addition to letting the battery burn itself out fully over time, Tesla also advises that a thermal imaging camera can be used to actively measure the temperature of the high voltage battery and monitor the trend of heating or cooling even after the fire appears to have gone out.

Safety experts cited by Bloomberg say putting out a lithium-ion battery fire requires much more water than what it takes to stop a fire in a typical gasoline engine.

Its such a difficult fire because it takes so much water to put out, said Robert Taylor, fire marshal in Davie, Fla., where the Tesla Model S crash occurred on Feb 24.

Following the Ft. Lauderdale incident, the National Transportation Safety Board announced an investigation.

NTSB has a long history of investigating emerging transportation technologies, such as lithium ion battery fires in commercial aviation, as well as a fire involving the lithium ion battery in a Chevrolet Volt in collaboration with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, said NTSB Chairman Robert S. Sumwalt. The goal of these investigations is to understand the impact of these emerging transportation technologies when they are part of a transportation accident.

Another incident reviewed by the NTSB involved a Tesla Model S electric-powered passenger car that caught fire in West Hollywood, California.

Los Angeles County firefighters wearing self-contained breathing apparatus responded to the fire and applied both water and foam. The flames were quickly extinguished, but smoke continued to come from the vehicle, the NTSB wrote in a statement.

Firefighters removed portions of the vehicles left front fender and under-hood trim, severed the high voltage cut loop, and applied additional water and foam under the hood and behind the front wheels. The fire captain estimated that less than 300 gallons of water and foam were applied during the event.
(L) Mariah Gondeiro Watt of the Freedom Foundation, (C) plaintiff Bethany Mendez, and (R) Harmeet Dhillon of the Dhillon Law Group, on March 11, 2019. (Ted Lin/NTD)

Five Teachers Sue California Teachers Association

Five schoolteachers have filed a lawsuit against the California Teachers Association (CTA), one of the largest teachers unions in California politics.

Plaintiffs Bethany Mendez, Linda Leigh-Dick, Audrey Stewart, Scott Carpenter, and Angela Williams claim in the lawsuit that CTA violated the teachers First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and freedom of association.

During a press conference on March 11, Harmeet Dhillon, lawyer and founder of the Dhillon Law Group, stated that the unions must obtain legally valid consent before deducting further union dues from plaintiffs paychecks and must also refund illegally obtained union dues from the past.

The case stems from right-to-work laws, which are state laws that guarantee a person the ability to work without being compelled to join a labor union or pay union dues. Currently, 27 of 50 states have officially adopted right-to-work laws.

The role of a union representative is to represent the workers when negotiating issues, such as wages or other work needs, with company management. In this case, the plaintiffs had resigned from union membership but continued to have union dues deducted from their paychecks.

Dhillon explained that part of the legal issue rests with the fact that union representatives often use the money collected through union dues to carry out their own political agendas.

Reports have found that, between 2010 and 2016, labor unions gave over $1.1 billion to various liberal advocacy groups without prior approval from union members.

The defendants conduct in this case is illegal, in line with the plaintiffs constitutional right of the First Amendment [of] the United States Constitution to not fund union political acts in which they disagree, said Dhillon.

Additionally, the lawsuit states that union membership forms do not contain language that outlines a need to receive clear informed consent from members regarding union dues.

Dhillon said during the press conference that informed consent should make clear and transparent the following: (1) that union membership and fees are not a requirement of employment, (2) that the union representative should maintain fair representation regardless of union dues, and (3) that the union will use a portion of collected union dues to fund political lobbying.

Plaintiff Bethany Mendez noted that CTA, the union representing her and her coworkers, failed to be transparent and to provide this information to the union members.

Mendez mentioned the 2018 Janus v. AFSCME case, in which the Supreme Court ruled that collecting union fees from non-union members in the public sector is a violation of the First Amendment right to free speech.

The employees were never informed of this [Janus case ruling], so I signed believing that there were no other options available to me and deduction would be made regardless, said Mendez.

The focus of the case is not on the union itself, but rather on the unions lack of transparency and honesty as well as its failing to abide by right-to-work laws.

Mariah Gondeiro-Watt, California Litigation Counsel with the Freedom Foundation, said: The union has accepted the public employees opt-out request but are still holding them to a dues deduction authorization. The fact that the union is continuing to deduct dues, but [has] accepted their resignation [from union membership], shows that they are really only concerned about the money.

Gondeiro-Watt said the Freedom Foundation also took on this case because the organizations goal is to inform employees of their right to choose not to financially support a union if they so wish, which was established under the Supreme Court Janus case.

Janus v. AFSCME

In 2018, plaintiff Mark Janus filed a lawsuit against the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) in the case known as Janus v. AFSCME. This case ruled that the union fees in question were a violation of the First Amendment, overturning the Abood v. Detroit Board of Education case in 1977 that had previously approved of such fees.

Janus works for the state of Illinois, where government workers were unionized. Though states cannot compel workers to join a union, Illinois was one of 23 states that allowed unions to charge nonmembers, such as Janus.

In the other 27 states, right-to-work laws prohibit unions from charging nonmembers. Janus argued that Illinois violated his First Amendment rights by requiring union fees and compelling him to speak through a union.

Unions have defended the fees by arguing that nonmembers such as Janus still benefit from wage negotiation, job protection, and other benefits negotiated by the union on the workers behalf.

Siding with Janus, the Supreme Court imposed a right-to-work rule on public-sector unions in the 23 states that dont have the law.

Because jobs in education are part of the public sector, teachers are protected by the right-to-work laws.
Brian Anderson, 32, reported a fake armed robbery in order to get out of work, police said. (Polk County Sheriff's Office)

Florida Man Allegedly Reports Fake Robbery in Order to Get Out of Work

A man from Florida has been caught lying to police about a robbery in order to get out of work, authorities said.

The Polk County Sheriffs Office said on March 26 that 32-year-old Brian Anderson did not want to show up to work. So he called 911 and told dispatchers that unknown suspects took his money, necklace, and cellphone before throwing his phone on the ground and fleeing in a black Ford Crown Victoria.

Brian of Dundee called 911 to report an armed robbery. Two unknown suspects took his money, his necklace, and his  Polk County Sheriff's Office  2019326

Deputies responded to the call, along with Air and K-9, but when they arrived they thought something was suspicious.

What did you dial 911 on? Well they threw my cellphone down. So we said to our self, Self, this is a little suspicious, Sheriff Grady Judd told Fox 13.

Authorities said after that Anderson confessed that he made up the story because he didnt want to show up for his 11:00 a.m. shift at the restaurant where he works.

Judd said they were frustrated by the fake crime report as it held up police resources.

Were not only sending a deputy to the scene. Were now scrambling cars, setting up a perimeter, looking for robbery suspects, the sheriff told the news station.

So, when I think about people out there who are real victims of crime that really need our help and we wasted resources on him, it makes you angry, he added.

Anderson was subsequently arrested an charged with misuse of 911 and knowingly giving false information to law enforcement.

On the bright side, Brian didnt have to go to his 11:00 a.m. shift at the restaurant, the sheriffs office said in jest.

Similar Extreme Measures

There have been many past cases of people using extreme measures to get out of work.

In one recent example, a Walmart employee from Hesperia, California confessed to authorities that he started several fires in the store so that he did not have to work. The employee was identified as 24-year-old Kevin Jermaine Smith, who was scheduled to work later that night. He was taken into custody, reported Fox 11.

Walmart employee accused of setting fires at store in order to get out of work https://t.co/n7XbpxMgCz  KTVU (@KTVU) March 26, 2019

Last year, a 22-year-old man was arrested for intentionally hitting two pedestrians with his car because he wanted to get out of a job he hated, reported Komo News, citing court documents. The man was identified as Eli Aldinger who told police he was not happy with the way his life was heading.

I had to change something in my life, so I hit three people with my car, he said, according to court documents. The intent wasnt to kill but just to injure.

The man was calm when he talked to police and seemed to almost look forward to going to jail, court documents say.  KOMO News  2018423

Police said at the time of arrest Aldinger did not appear under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The officer wrote in court documents, He was completely calm and did not seem confused, excited, nervous or scared.

The officer also noted that Aldinger said he was seemed relieved that he would be spending a few years in a room.

Im not happy with the direction my life is going. Ive been working in the food industry for five years and hate it, Aldinger said to the officer.

Ive been dealing with insomnia for the past couple of months, and its been horrible.
Siegfried Nagl, Mayor of Graz, enjoyed Shen Yun Performing Arts at Opera Graz, in Austria, on March 25, 2019. (NTD Television)

GRAZ, AustriaThe Graz audience was amazed as they were gifted with a performance that brought scenes and stories alive from Chinas 5,000 years of civilization and traditional culture, from past to present.

Shen Yun Performing Arts New York Company presented three performances on March 25 and 26 at the Opera Graz, all long sold out before the performance dates.

Siegfried Nagl, Mayor of Graz, was in the audience on Monday evening, March 25.

Shen Yuns scenes reminded him of his youth when he had shown great interest in the Chinese martial arts.

I know that such abilities as shown by the dancers can only be achieved through hard work and great effort, he said during intermission.

Im excited to learn about Chinese tradition and the culture that is displayed during the performances on stage.

He felt transported into another world that people had forgotten aboutallowing him to let go of his daily worries.

The artists brought to us beauty, which exists in this world, something that people still can share and will not forget, he said.

The individual scenes brought beauty and goodness to us, and we should take this very seriously, he said, before returning to his seat for the second half of Shen Yun.

Austrian Painter Was Stunned by the Optical Charm and Appeal of Shen Yun

On Monday evening, Cornelia Hagen-Fuchs, an artist who had married into the renowned Fuchs painting dynasty, and whose oil and watercolor paintings are enjoyed by many in her area, attended the Shen Yun performance.

Fuchs was amazed by the colors and said, I am stunned by the optical charm and appeal that I saw throughout the show.

She was astounded by how the costumes complemented the dancers movements, giving a dazzling display of colors.

The dancers moved with a grace and elegance over the stage that was astonishingthis was even more highlighted by the colors of the costumes, she said.

Shen Yun opened my eyes to a different kind of beauty and I will need some time to process all I have seen. However, I can assure you that the evening was enchanting and the beauty of the entire show gave me some inspiration for my own work, she said before leaving for home.



With reporting from NTD Television, Anja Wang, and Heide B. Malhotra.

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.
Henry Avocado Recall Is a Reminder to Wash Your Avocados

An avocado grower and distributor in California announced the recall of avocados in six states, and it is a reminder to wash them.

Henry Avocado announced that conventional and organic avocados will be recalled Arizona, Florida New Hampshire, North Carolina, and Wisconsin, according to an alert posted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on March 24. The avocados were grown in California, and the firm didnt start packing until January 2019.

Tests showed that some samples contained the bacteria listeria, which can cause the potentially deadly listeriosis illness.

Consumers can identify the products with the Bravocado sticker on conventional avocados, and organic and California on the stickers on the sticker. Mexican-grown avocados distributed by Henry are not subject to the recall and are safe to eat

The recall should serve as a reminder to wash avocados. Although people dont eat the skin, when one uses a knife to cut through the skin, it can drag the Listeria bacteria through the avocado.

In December 2018, the FDA discovered that Listeria monocytogenes bacteria was found on 17 percent of avocado skins between 2014 and 2015. About 0.2 percent had Listeria inside the avocado in the edible part.

All avocados should be washed before eating, according to the FDAs report last December, which also noted that the bacteria easily transfers from the skin into the inside via a knife. It also noted that the bacteria could also contaminate other food if one uses the same knife.

Based on the test results, the FDA found the overall prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes in the avocado pulp samples to be 0.24 percent and in the avocado skin samples to be 17.73 percent. The report addresses these findings in its various sections and aggregates the discussion of them in a dedicated appendix, in addition to providing breakdowns as described above, the FDA report said.

It noted there are practices associated with avocado consumption that reduce contamination.

Consumers commonly slice avocados and extract the fruits pulp prior to eating it, discarding the fruits peel as they would a banana peel or an orange rind. Consumers also typically eat avocados shortly after slicing the fruit as its pulp tends to brown quickly once exposed to oxygen. These practices generally limit the amount of the pathogen, if present, that consumers may be exposed to, said the FDA.

Officials at the FDA blog Foodsafety.gov also recommend scrubbing the skin of any vegetable with a produce brush and then drying it with cloth or a paper towel.

Even if you plan to cut the rind or peel off the produce before eating, it is still important to wash it first so dirt and bacteria arent transferred from the knife onto the fruit, the agency wrote.

Regarding the Henry Avocado recall, no illnesses have been reported. Consumers should return them to where they bought them.

Consumers who have purchased Henrys recalled avocados are urged not to consume them, but to discard them or return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with further questions can contact Henry Avocado at (760) 745-6632, Ext 132 or visit www.henryavocado.com/media.

Listeria Symptoms

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), listeria can be fatal sometimes.

Individuals who are particularly at risk of the bacteria are children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems.

You should seek medical care and tell the doctor about eating possibly contaminated food if you have a fever and other symptoms of possible listeriosis, such as fatigue and muscle aches, within two months after eating possibly contaminated food, the CDC says. This is especially important if you are pregnant, age 65 or older, or have a weakened immune system.

Symptoms of listeriosis include a headache, high fever, diarrhea, nausea, and abdominal pain.

Henry Avocado said it is working with federal and California health officials to recall the avocados.
Former CIA Director James Woolsey speaks at the launch of the Committee on the Present Danger: China, at the Reserve Officers Association in Washington on March 25, 2019. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

Highlighting Threat From Red China, US Launches Committee

WASHINGTONProminent national security and human rights experts have launched a new effort dedicated to educating U.S. citizens and policymakers about the threat posed by communist China.

The coalition, called the Committee on the Present Danger: China, includes former Clinton administration CIA Director R. James Woolsey, former Reagan Education Secretary William Bennett, former Trump Chief Strategist Steve Bannon, former Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.), former Strategic Defense Initiative Director Ambassador Henry Cooper, and Chinese dissident and China Aid President Bob Fu.

According to the committees chairman, former Claremont Institute President Brian Kennedy, the initiative is a wholly independent and nonpartisan effort to educate American citizens and policymakers about the existential threat presented by the Peoples Republic of China [PRC] under the rule of the Chinese Communist Party.

More specifically, [its] purpose is to explain these threats, which range from the military buildup of the PRC, their active information and political warfare that targets the American people and our business, political, and media elites, their cyber warfare, and their economic warfare, said Kennedy.

America, Kennedy said, has not been so divided politically since the Civil War, and its media and half our political system have spent the last two years pursuing allegations of Russian collusion that turned out to be baseless. He said this is especially ridiculous when one considers the array of threats posed by the Peoples Republic of China.

The original Committee on the Present Danger (CPD) was formed in 1950 as a bipartisan education and advocacy organization to build a national consensus behind President Trumans policy of containment against Soviet expansionism, according to its official website.

In 1976, the committee reconstituted based on concerns about strategic drift in U.S. security policy and determined to support policies intended to bring the Cold War to a successful conclusion, according to its website.

During that time, Kennedy said, the Soviet Union had very few economic ties with the United States. By contrast, he pointed out, Chinas ties to the United States are extensive, through which Americans have transferred trillions of dollars of wealth through trade. Red China also has stolen and extracted U.S. technologies, through which it has become a First World military and economic power.

Though this dynamic is poorly understood, especially here in Washington, Kennedy said he was encouraged that the threat is understood by President Trump.

Kennedy pointed to statements that Trump wrote 20 years ago, in his book The America We Deserve:

We have to make it absolutely clear that were willing to trade with China, but not to trade away our principles, and that under no circumstances will we keep our market open to countries that steal from us.

There are some things more important than profits, and one of them is our own national security.

Trump wrote that communist China fears freedom because it knows its survival depends on oppression. It does not respect individual rights. It is still, at heart, a collectivist society. As such it is a destabilizing force in the world, and should be viewed that way.

Alternative Warfare

An array of foreign policy, human rights, and national security experts spoke at the event on March 25 at the Reserve Officers Association headquarters, including original CPD director, former naval aviator, and Pentagon official Chet Nagle, who noted that since the original committee had closed its doors, another existential threat to America has arisen, namely communist Chinas plan to dominate the United States, and ultimately the entire world.

Nagle gave the example of Unrestricted Warfare, a 1999 document by Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) colonels Qiao Liang and Wang Xiangsui, describing the approach by which a then-second-tier power like communist China could best a first-tier superpower like the United States.

According to the books summary, Qiao and Wang argued, American military doctrine is typically led by technology; a new class of weapon or vehicle is developed, which allows or encourages an adjustment in strategy, [which is] a crucial weakness in the American military, and that this blind spot with regard to alternative forms [of] warfare could be effectively exploited by enemies.

Specifically, such alternative forms of warfare might include international policy, economic warfare, attacks on digital infrastructure and networks, and terrorism. By this measure at least, Nagle said, the United States is already engaged in warfare with the Peoples Republic of China and it will stay that way for decades.

Former Clinton CIA Director James Woolsey highlighted that, should a military conflict with the Peoples Republic of China take place, it wont be as straightforward or as quick as, say, the Gulf War in 1990. For instance, he said, it would be perfectly easy  to launch a satellite, and if you put it in polar orbit that crosses a single place in the United States  a couple times a day, if the satellite has a nuclear weapon in it, even a small, Hiroshima-style one, detonating it above the surface of earth could both destroy our electric grid and each of our electronic devices with the electromagnetic pulse (EMP) that would result.

In addition, Woolsey said, America is almost completely unprepared to deal with the implications of fifth-generation communications technology, known as 5G. We have to be able to turn away Chinese domination of our internet, he said. Through Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., the dominant Chinese telecom and electronics manufacturer, and other paths, the Chinese regime has embarked very heavily on that effort. That is a loser for us in every way one can possibly lose.

He continued, Every purchase of Huawei materials, everything that is being done by people who have blinders on with respect to what the Chinese are going to be able to do if we dont stop themeveryone who has blinders on better take them off.

Biggest Organized Crime Group

Vice President of the Independent Federation of Chinese Students and Scholars Lianchao Han, who also spoke at the event, argued, The Chinese Communist regime has become the biggest threat to the United States and the free world. According to Han, This threat is real, and very, very seriousbut many people have not realized the magnitude, and the scope, and the seriousness of this threat.

The engagement and appeasement advocates, he said, continue to push for their failed China policy. Therefore, it is our duty to inform and educate the American public and decision-makers about what members of the CCP intend to do and why theyre so dangerous.

Despite the deceptive cover, the CCP is nothing but the biggest evil cult, the biggest organized crime group in the world, Han said. During its nearly 70 years in power, the CCP has killed tens of millions of people.

Another speaker, best-selling author and Claremont Institute senior fellow Mark Helprin, argued that Americans have a crucial interest in preventing the hegemony to which China has always felt entitled because a world subject to Chinas hegemony will suffer continual warfare as well as smothering restrictions, the model of which we have seen in Maos China.

To block Chinese hegemony and avoid open warfare, we have only one course of action, Helprin said. This would be to concentrate on Americas strengths, specifically by putting its defenses in order first, re-gearing our economy to that task, and focusing on the repair of our own faltering civilization. No matter what China trade agreement Trump strikes, Helprin said, no deal will ever correct our own deficiencies, and a deal that would bring the PRC into a nuclear arms control regime, we mysteriously do not seek.

According to Helprin, China can accomplish its first war aims, namely clearing its vicinity of American power, by eliminating our vulnerable bases there, none of which has sufficiently hardened aircraft  [nor] air and missile defenses sufficient to defeat a saturation attack. Without these assets, he said, the United States will be defeated.

All this, without striking the U.S. homeland.

The distance across the Pacific is twice that across the Atlantic, Helprin said, and by spiking the Panama Canal by blocking it with attack submarines to deny us passage, the Chinese would have to fight only 60 percent of our fleet. The United States has catastrophically truncated development of long-range air power, and has a Navy half the size of the Reagan Navy.

Overall, he argued, it is foolish, cowardly, and, in the long term, not survivable to accept that provisioning our defense is secondary to assuring our comfort. In the peacetime years between 1940 and 2000, U.S. military spending constituted 5.7 percent of GDP, Helprin noted, while today, as during the Obama administration, that figure remains at just 3 percent.

We sleep as a nation because we betray our ancient character, Helprin said.
Product and interaction designer Nikki Sylianteng at her home in Brooklyn, New York on Feb. 12, 2019. (Oliver Trey/The Epoch Times)

Human-Centered Parking Signs Ease the Pain for Drivers

Designer Nikki Sylianteng may have revolutionized the world of confusing parking signs

NEW YORKAmong all the frustrations urban drivers experiencepermanent traffic jams, ambulances screeching by, and the risk of having your bumpers bumpedparking signs are definitely one of the biggest headaches.

For many, an encounter with a convoluted parking sign might end with a parking ticket or a Twitter rant aimed at the Department of Transportation.

Thats not the case, however, for Nikki Sylianteng, a product and interaction designer who felt the pain herself but transformed it into a design so smart that cities from Columbus, Ohio to Brisbane, Australia have piloted her design on their streets.

Everything started with several $75 parking tickets Sylianteng got while living in L.A. She did an entire research project on why parking signs are so confusing and couldnt come up with an answer. So as a design student, Sylianteng made her own humanly understandable version of the sign as her graduation project at the School of Visual Arts in New York City.

The idea looks quite simple. Its basically, in Syliantengs word, a spreadsheet. The horizontal axis is for the seven days in a week, and the vertical for the hours in a day. Green means you can park, and red means you cant. The design is also friendly to color-blinded drivers, distinguishing no-park times from allowed times by adding stripes.

The current way it was designed, its from a very city point of view, Sylianteng said, noting that signs contain a lot of unnecessary information about school days, street cleaning, and such. They focus too much on why when drivers really need to know what.

While designing, Sylianteng tried as much as possible to put herself in the shoes of drivers. Just be thoughtful, she said.

Then, she printed out her spreadsheets and stuck them under existing parking signs near her Brooklyn apartment. She also left a blank space under the signs and Sharpies to let people comment.

I got a comment like: the mayor should hire you. Sylianteng said.

The media picked it up after Sylianteng tweeted out her little survey result. First, it was Business Insider, then The Atlantic, Fox News, Wired, Gizmodo, and more.

Then, Los Angeles City Council Transportation Committee officially piloted the parking sign in its Downtown area in June 2015.

A couple people that I know sent me posting signs from Downtown L.A., saying Oh this saved me!Sylianteng said.

She was also informed that L.A. will be rolling out her signs to the entire city this year.

Syliantengs design also got attention outside of the United States. After a 3-month trial, Brisbane, Australia announced in November 2015 that they found an upto 60 percent improvement in terms of compliance with parking rules (meaning, less tickets), according to the Lord Mayor Graham Quirk, reported the Brisbane Times.

This has resulted in less confusion and fewer parking fines for motorists, the mayor said.

The design also went viral online. People start tagging Sylianteng on Twitter whenever they came across a confusing parking sign. She would then solve the puzzle on paper, drawing one of her signs, and tweet back to those calling for help. Im running a parking sign hotline, Sylianteng said.

Right now, Sylianteng keeps paying attention to little designs that feel counterintuitive to her in the city, like the arrows on the ground of the entrance to the subway. There are things that shouldnt be so complicated but are complicated in our world. I enjoy solving problems like that.
ICE arrested a Mexican man on alien smuggling charges after executing a search warrant at a home in Texas and finding over 50 illegal aliens. (ICE)

ICE Bust Discovers Over 50 Illegal Aliens in Overcrowded Stash House

A Mexican man has been arrested on alien smuggling charges after 54 illegal border-crossers were discovered in an overcrowded stash house in south El Paso, Texas, on March 26.

Special agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcements (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) made the discovery while executing a search warrant on the duplex in the 100 block of Seville Drive. The man, who has not be identified, currently remains in custody, according to a news release.

According to authorities, the property was used to harbor illegal aliens who were smuggled into the United States.

The overcrowded conditions of this stash house in a residential neighborhood show the lack of respect human smugglers have for people who put their lives in smugglers hands, said Jack P. Staton, special agent in charge of HSI El Paso.

HSI continues to target transnational criminal organizations that rake in huge profits by illegally smuggling people with clear disregard for their safety and welfare, he added.

ICE agents found 45 adult males, five adult females, two accompanied teenagers, and two unaccompanied teenagers. According to the federal agency, they had traveled from five different countries including Belize, Brazil, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico.

ICE officials said the illegal aliens had been kept in the stash house for more than a week and several of the individuals needed medical attention for injuries sustained while traveling to the United States.

This discovery comes a day after Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan called on Congress to address the crisis at the border during a press conference.

Legislative relief, changes in the law, and closing the vulnerabilities in our legal framework is the only way that this flow is going to be reduced and were going to be able to restore integrity to our immigration system, McAleenan said on March 27. Right now, we are not even able to reach the claims of legitimate asylum-seekers.

McAleenan said these legal loopholes are acting as magnets for migrantsmost of whom, he says, are economic migrants.

The Justice Department has said that only 9 percent of Central Americans who claim asylum at the border will end up being granted asylum by an immigration judge.

Average Daily Border Crossings Hit 13-Year High

The daily average number of illegal aliens attempting to cross into the United States from the southwest border during the past month reached a 13-year-high, reported NBC News, citing Customs and Border Protection data.

Federal agents arrested 3,974 illegal aliens on March 19the most arrests in a single day since President Donald Trump took office.

On six days during February, the number of arrests surpassed 3,595, topping the daily average of 3,530 in the fiscal year 2006. In addition, over the past six weeks, DHS broke the record for the highest number of arrests during the Trump administration seven times, a DHS official told the network.

The dramatic spike in border crossings is overcrowding detention facilities. As a result, the DHS is negotiating with the Defense Department to handle the overflow by using military bases.

The Department of Health and Human Services has also asked the Pentagon to add bed space for up to 5,000 children, but the Pentagon has not yet approved the request.

McAleenan said to relieve overcrowding at the facilities, Border Patrol agents have started to release illegal aliens immediately after processing them as a temporary solution.

For the first time in over a decade, CBP is performing direct releases of migrants, he said. This is in a limited capacity, its very reluctantly, and it represents a negative outcome for enforcement.

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen warned lawmakers earlier this month that illegal immigration is simply spiraling out of control and threatening public safety and national security.

In February, we saw a 30 percent jump over the previous month, with agents apprehending or encountering nearly 75,000 aliens, Nielsen told the House Committee on Homeland Security. This is an 80 percent increase over the same time last year. And I can report today that CBP is forecasting the problem will get even worse this spring as the weather warms up.

The Epoch Times Reporters Ivan Pentchoukov and Charlotte Cuthbertson contributed to this report.
India Says Space Debris from Anti-Satellite Test to Vanish in 45 Days

NEW DELHIIndia expects space debris from its anti-satellite weapons launch to burn out in less than 45 days, its top defense scientist said on March 28, seeking to allay global concern about fragments hitting objects.

The comments came a day after India said it used an indigenously developed ballistic missile interceptor to destroy one of its own satellites at a height of 186 miles, in a test aimed at boosting its defenses in space.

Critics say such technology, known to be possessed only by the United States, Russia, and China, raises the prospect of an arms race in outer space, besides posing a hazard by creating a cloud of fragments that could persist for years.

G. Satheesh Reddy, the chief of Indias Defence Research and Development Organisation, said a low-altitude military satellite was picked for the test, to reduce the risk of debris left in space.

Thats why we did it at lower altitude, it will vanish in no time, he told Reuters in an interview. The debris is moving right now. How much debris, we are trying to work out, but our calculations are it should be dying down within 45 days.

Few satellites operate at the altitude of 186 miles (300 km), from which experts say the collision debris will fall back to earth, burning up in the atmosphere in a matter of weeks, instead of posing a threat to other satellites.

In 2007, China destroyed a satellite in a polar orbit, creating the largest orbital debris cloud in history, with more than 3,000 objects, according to the Secure World Foundation.

Because the impact altitude exceeded 500 miles (800 km), many of the resulting scraps stayed in orbit. Some of it could still be there, Reddy said, adding that India had been much more careful in conducting its test.

In Florida, on a visit to the U.S. militarys Southern Command, acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan warned any nations contemplating similar anti-satellite weapons tests that they risked making a mess in space from debris.

The U.S. militarys Strategic Command was tracking more than 250 pieces of debris from Indias missile test and would issue close-approach notifications as required until the debris enters the Earths atmosphere, Pentagon spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Dave Eastburn said.

Reddy identified the military satellite shot down as Microsat R, weighing about 1,653 pounds (750 kg) and launched on Jan. 24. by the Indian Space Research Organisation for the purpose of the test.

A week after launch, it was moved into a different orbit in preparation for the test.

The technology has been completely proven, we hit it with centimeters of accuracy, probably less than 10 cm, Reddy said.

Indias test of the anti-satellite weapon from an island off its eastern coast broke a lull since the United States used a ship-launched SM-3 missile to destroy a defunct spy satellite in Operation Burnt Frost in 2008.

The Union of Concerned Scientists said nearly 2,000 orbiting satellites provide key benefits to people around the world, and Indias launch showed more countries were seeking the capabilities that put satellites at risk.

Destroying satellitescan have ripple effects, producing dangerous clouds of debris that could stay in orbit for decades or centuries, disabling or destroying any satellites they collide with, one of its scientists, Laura Grego, said in a statement.

By Sanjeev Miglani
President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence meet with Fabianan, Rosales, the wife of Venezuelan interim president Juan Guaido, in Washington on March 27. (McNamee/Getty Images)

Juan Guaidos Wife Fabiana Rosales Meets With Donald Trump

WASHINGTONThe wife of Venezuelan interim president Juan Guaido was welcomed Wednesday, March 27 at the White House as she rallies international support for the ouster of Nicolas Maduro.

President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence lavished praise on Fabiana Rosales, the wife of Juan Guaido, who has emerged as a prominent figure in her husbands campaign to bring change to the crisis-wracked country.

We are with Venezuela, the president said at the start of a meeting with Rosales and other opposition figures. Whats happening there should not be happening.

The United States was the first nation to recognize Guaido as interim president, asserting that Maduros re-election last year was illegitimate, and has stepped up sanctions and other diplomatic measures in hopes of forcing him to give up power.

Trump said the Venezuelan people have been through unfathomable trials under Maduro as food and medicine have become scarce, crime has soared and, more recently, blackouts have struck most of the country. An estimated 3 million people have fled, most to neighboring countries but thousands to the U.S. as well.

Today, in Venezuela it is freedom or dictatorship, it is life or death, Rosales said at the start of the meeting. It is the children who are paying the price.

Pence called on governments around the world to stop supporting the Maduro government, singling out Russia for its deployment of military forces to the country over the weekend.

The United States views Russias arrival of military planes this weekend as an unwelcome provocation and calls on Russia today to cease all support for the Maduro regime, the vice president said.

Russias Foreign Ministry says it sent the personnel in accordance with the Venezuelan constitution and a bilateral agreement with the government there.

Among those at the White House meeting were the wife and sister of Roberto Marrero, a top aide to Guaido who was taken from his home in the middle of the night by masked agents last week. The government says he was the ringleader of a plot to bring hitmen from Central America to Venezuela to carry out assassinations.

Rosales was scheduled to meet later with members of Congress and will speak at a conference with the ambassador recognized by the Trump administration.

By Ben Fox and Darlene Superville
Kathie Lee Gifford speaks during the SiriusXM 'Town Hall' Series with Victoria Osteen and Joel Osteen at the SiriusXM studios in New York City, on October 1, 2018. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for SiriusXM)

Kathie Lee Gifford Is Still Very Good Friends With Matt Lauer

Today show co-host Kathie Lee Gifford said shes still in contact with former co-host Matt Lauer despite the fact that he was fired from the show over sexual misconduct claims.

Lauer was fired from Today in November of 2017 for sexual misconduct, yet Gifford said she still keeps up with the disgraced news anchor because he is her friend.

I was texting him last week and praying for him this morning. Thats what a friendship means to me, Gifford said in a report published Wednesday by People. Ive been through very, very hard times in my life, and I saw my friends drop away because they werent my friends. Times like that test the mettle of friendships. The Matt I love is the Matt I still do. (RELATED: Jenna Bush Hager Joins Hoda Kotb As New Today Show Co-Host)

Gifford has forgiven Lauer for his mistakes telling People, He made mistakes and he paid dearly for them. But I believe in second, third and 100 chances.

She continued, I believe in redemption because Jesus did. And its not for me to judge any choices he made. Thats between him, his wife and his God.

Gifford has stood behind Lauer ever since he was fired and has made comments in support of Lauer from the beginning.

My job is to be his friend and be there for him. Hes found out who his real friends are, Gifford said.

By Lauryn Overhultz
The CFIA issued a class 2 food recall warning for Lee's Tea brand teas on March 27, 2019, which they say is linked to the recall of Organic Matters teas from March 21. (CFIA)

Lees Teas Recall Over Possible Salmonella Contamination, Links to Previous Tea Recall

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) issued a moderate risk food recall on March 27 warning for Lees Tea brand teas due to possible Salmonella contamination, which they say is linked to another tea recall from last week.

Lees Provisions is recalling its Lees Tea brand teas from the marketplace due to possible Salmonella contamination. The Toronto-based company specializes in ghee and tea. The CFIA says the issue was identified during a food safety investigation and the product has been distributed across Canada.

Consumers should not consume the following recalled products:

Lees Tea Gold Rush Loose Leaf, organic tulsi tea blend with turmeric, in 110-gram (3.9 oz) and 105-gram (3.7 oz) quantities

Lees Tea Mint Chill Loose Leaf, organic tulsi tea blend in mint, in 70-gram (2.5 oz) and 60-gram (2.1 oz) quantities

Lees Tea Original Loose Leaf, organic three tulsi tea blend, in 60-gram (2.1 oz) and 50-gram (1.8 oz) quantities

Lees Tea Pink Chai Loose Leaf, organic spiced tulsi tea blend, in 90-gram (3.2 oz) or 30-gram (1 oz) quantities

The CFIA has given the recall a class 2 warning, meaning there is a moderate level risk if the tea is consumed, and the chance of serious or life-threatening health symptoms is low. Recalled Lees teas should be thrown out or returned to the store where they were purchased, and the federal agency is verifying that the industry is removing the recalled products.

According to the CFIA, this recall is related to the Organic Matters brand tea recalls from a week ago, where a number of teas were given a class 2 warning due to possible Salmonella contamination. The agency says the two recalls are related because some of the recalled tea is re-packaged in other tea brands.

That recall referred to Organic Matters organic tulsi tea blend (holy basil) and OM tea blends, which are distributed in British Columbia and possibly other parts of Canada. Both teas were distributed in 113-gram (4 oz) and 454-gram (16 oz) packages, while the tulsi tea blend was also distributed in one-kilogram (2.2 pound) packs.

The recall of the Organic Matters teas was triggered by inspection activities and there have been no reported illnesses associated with the teas consumption.

Risks of Salmonella

Food contaminated with Salmonella may not look or smell spoiled but can still make you sick the CFIA warns. Healthy people may experience short-term symptoms like fever, headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea. Long-term complications may include severe arthritis. Young children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems may contract serious and sometimes deadly infections.

The CFIA says consumers who believe they have become sick from consuming a recalled product should call their doctor.
Platform four at Flagstaff Train Station in Melbourne, Australia, on Aug. 21, 2017. (Wpcpey/Wikimedia Commons)

Major Train Station Evacuated in False Alarm After Buskers Guitar Bag Mistaken for Gun Bag

Heavily-armed police were called in to investigate reports of a potential shooter after a passenger mistakenly confused a buskers instrument bag with a gun bag in downtown Melbourne, Australia, on March 28.

The musician had been on the way to play his guitar in the central business district when the Flagstaff train station was suddenly shut down during the morning peak hour commute.

Victoria Police is responding to an incident at Flagstaff Train Station. Police are currently moving passengers away from the area and ask everyone to please avoid the station for now. Updates to follow. pic.twitter.com/i1OZp2y08c  Victoria Police (@VictoriaPolice) March 27, 2019

Critical incident police then raided the station and quickly evacuated all passengers at about 8.30 a.m. local time, forcing distressed crowds to postpone their plans and race out of the underground platforms.

Construction worker Shannon Marrell was one of the many who seemed to be shaken as he run out of the station just before police stormed onto the platform.

I heard on the train that they had to duck, like they wanted everyone down, he told the Australian Associated Press.

Fellow passenger Paddy Naughtin was on the 8:19 a.m. train heading to the northern Melbourne suburb of Mernda when the locomotive stopped.

A dozen cops came running past, Naughtin said, adding that half had been heavily armed.

When police finally approached the man, they realised he was only carrying a sports duffel bag that looked nothing like a gun bag. Police spoke with the man for about 20 minutes and confirmed he was not actually carrying a weapon before the train station was opened again. They confirmed that there had been no threat to the community.

He was a local busker who was there to play an instrument in town, Victoria Police Inspector Jacob Bugeja said at a press conference. There was a bag that the person was carrying and he had his tools to busk with him.

Police will continue to investigate the incident, however at this time there is no ongoing threat to the community. Police will remain in the area today to speak with any members of the public who may have concerns.  Victoria Police (@VictoriaPolice) March 27, 2019

When asked why the passengers had reported the busker, police explained that the man had aroused suspicion because he was doing breathing exercises on the train.

Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton defended the evacuation as a safety precaution as members of the public really believed they saw a rifle case.

Were concerned there mightve been someone with a firearm on a train this morning heading in towards the city loop, he told 3AW radio. Weve stopped the train at Flagstaff and the critical incident response members conducted a search of the train and were after that  content there was no firearm on the train, so theyve given the all clear for those trains to resume.

LATEST 9.30AM: Police responded to reports a man was allegedly carrying a firearm bag on a train at Flagstaff this morning. Police evacuated the train and Flagstaff Station about 8.30am. The area was searched and has now been cleared by police. pic.twitter.com/XcHLJYqx07  Victoria Police (@VictoriaPolice) March 27, 2019

Ashton plans to investigate why the train driver informed passengers there was a gunman travelling across the rail network without confirmation.

We have to be really careful about the sort of communications that are put out and when theyre put out. You dont want people to be reacting in a way that might put their safety at risk, he said. Fortunately, people are able to get back on their way. Were sorry for the interruption but we had to obviously take action quickly and the critical incident response team did respond quickly.

Police have made enquiries to the government-funded heavy rail operator Metro Trains.

Police have reviewed CCTV footage in relation to the earlier incident at Flagstaff today. No offence was detected and there will be no further police action. pic.twitter.com/PxrXPdEmnA  Victoria Police (@VictoriaPolice) March 27, 2019

Additional reporting by the Australian Associated Press.
Mother Gives Birth to Twins One Month After Previous Birth

A woman gave birth to twins just one month after she had given birth to another baby boy.

The Bangladeshi woman had no idea she was carrying twins in a second uterus until doctors performed a scan when she was rushed to the hospital on March 22 suffering stomach pains.

Arifa Sultana Iti, 20, had given birth to a premature baby on Feb 25, according to local reports. But during the pregnancy she never had the ultrasound that would have revealed a rare second uterus, let alone the fact that inside it twins were growing.

She didnt realize she was still pregnant with the twins. Her water broke again 26 days after the first baby was born and she rushed to us, Sheila Poddar, a gynecologist who treated the woman, told AFP.

She was rushed to the Ad-din Hospital in Jessore District where doctors delivered twins by emergency caesarian sectiona boy and a girlafter scans revealed two wombs.

Iti was discharged from hospital on March 26 and according to reports is doing well, along with her three babies.

Its a rare incident. I have seen such a case for the first time. I hadnt even heard about such incident before, the chief of the hospitals gynecology department, Dr. Sheila Poddar, told bdnews24.com.

 bdnews24.com  2019326

The woman and her husband are very poor Poddar told the BBC, and she had never had an ultrasound before.

She had no idea that she had two other babies, said Poddar.

The babies and her are all healthy. I am very, very happy that everything went well, she said.

Having two uteruses is not as rare as some people think, Singapore gynecologist Christopher Ng told the BBC, and would usually be picked up easily during pregnancy.

If you go for a scan beforehand it would be very obvious to see two sets of uteruses. But obviously, they are from a more rural area [and might not have access to ultrasound scanning], he said.

Her husband, Sumon Biswas, earns less than 6,000 takas ($70) a month as a laborer but said he would try his best to keep them happy, describing it as a miracle AFP reported.

Goes to Sleep With a Headache, Wakes Up a Mom

A British woman with two uteruses also had no idea she was pregnant until she woke up on Dec. 6 from a four-day coma to discover she was now mom to a baby girl.

Ebony Stevenson, 18, from Oldham had continued to have periods as usual throughout the pregnancy since her baby was growing in one of two wombs. She had developed no bump, according to the BBC.

She had gone to bed with a headache and was rushed to hospital after she was sick and started having seizures.

Ebony has a rare condition which means she has two wombs, and had no idea she was pregnant when she fell ill.  BBC News  2019218

Doctors found that she was suffering from preeclampsia and that the baby needed to be delivered.

Stevenson said that when she woke from her coma, she was confused when the hospital staff put her newborn girl, Elodie straight on her chest.

It sounds awful now, but I asked them to take her away as I was so confused and sure theyd made a mistake, she told the BBC.

But my mum explained it all to me while the nurses were there and they gave my little girl back to me to hold properly for the first time.

Although I was so confusedand pretty scaredit was a beautiful moment and she was so quiet.
An artist impression of the Titanic II ocean liner at Liberty Island, N.Y., on Dec. 17, 2013. (Courtesy of Blue Star Line)

New Titanic II Ocean Liner Setting Sail in 2022

A remake of the RMS Titanic, which famously sank after crashing into an iceberg nearly 107 years ago, will once again sail the Atlantic Ocean as early as the year 2022.

Construction is well underway on the US$500 million (A$700 million) Titanic II ocean liner in a shipyard in China and is on track to make its maiden voyage in the year 2022.

The vessel will be operated by the Brisbane-based Blue Star Line company, which is named similar to the original Titanics White Star Line shipping company, and will travel between Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Southampton in the United Kingdom, and finally New York City in the United States. The Titanic II is intended to be a worldwide vessel, traveling between different ports as a floating tourist attraction.

Blue Star Line Chairman Clive Palmer, an Australian billionaire, and political hopeful, confirmed the Titanic II will actually cross the same path traveled by the original ship, except it will make the trip during summer. Other routes are being considered for the colder seasons.

Updated info on status of @Blue_Star_Lines @titanic_ii at the end of this interview RT My chat with @michellegrattan http://t.co/k35XNdqG6W  Clive Palmer (@CliveFPalmer) March 6, 2014

Palmer originally announced the Titanics revival back in the year 2012.

The RMS Titanic is perhaps the most famous ship to set sail in history, especially because the mighty passenger liner claimed to be unsinkable and then sank just five days into its first voyage from Southampton to New York City on April 15, 1912.

The original vessel has been criticized for more than a century for failing to stock enough lifeboats in the event of an accident, which in the original Titanics sinking resulted in the death of more than 1,500 passengers and crew members who were stranded on the ship. The RMS Titanic had also suffered from a number of design flaws, inadequate safety protocols, and human error.

Several books and the 1997 Oscar-winning Titanic by James Cameron have been released to retell some of the many lessons learnt from the maritime disaster.

Palmer has responded to this by adding a number of safety measures and 21st Century technology to make the Titanic II more seaworthy than the original. A large number of extra lifeboats have been added and the hull has been widened and assembled using welds instead of rivets, giving it greater durability. Modern navigation equipment is also being installed to reduce the chance of a surprise obstacle appearing en route.

The Titanic II is also promised to feature exactly the same restaurants and dining rooms as the original. The eateries are touted to provide an authentic at-sea dining experience as if it were still 1912, including antique decor and menu choices. There will also be saunas, pools, and a Turkish bath.

If you havent seen this video, you should check it out now. https://t.co/QnvKDa5TGo http://t.co/MgpX5EcARb  Blue Star Line (@Blue_Star_Line) May 16, 2014

Accommodation will be sectioned based on whether a passenger has a ticket for first-, second-, or third-class. Quarters in third-class are expected to be cheaper, albeit fairly cramped, while those in first-class will enjoy great elegance. Other class options are still being considered.

Staff is also widely speculated to wear uniforms inspired by the early 20th Century throughout the voyage.

The ship was originally meant to set sail in the year 2016 but was postponed because of a financial dispute between Palmers company and China-based CITIC that controlled the shipyard where the ship was under construction.

When the Supreme Court of Western Australia finally ruled CITIC should pay Palmer millions of dollars in back payments, it was already 2017. As a result, shipbuilding was paused between the years 2015 and 2018, after which the work started up again.

Soooon its first journey Titanic II will dock in #Townsville for a week according to @CliveFPalmer. Also Im riding back from lunch on a unicorn #auspol @tsv_bulletin pic.twitter.com/19o9vAYaHy  Jenna Cairney (@JennaCairney1) November 23, 2018

Meanwhile, another replica of the Titanic is being built in Sichuan province, China. The Chinese state-funded replica is not intended to sail in open seas and will just be a tourist attraction on a reservoir in the Qijiang River. Construction started in the year 2016.

Palmer is often the subject of controversy, especially after having served as a federal Member of Parliament for Fairfax in Queenslands Sunshine Coast between 2013 and 2016. He is now running for a seat in his home state in the Australian federal election with his Make Australia Great campaign that some have commented echoes U.S. President Donald Trumps Make America Great Again slogan.

Clive Palmer re-launches Titanic II at a lavish dinner in Cairns. Off to a bad start, saying hes happy to be in Townsville @9NewsQueensland pic.twitter.com/pPf8eEcS2Y  Jordan Bissell (@jordan_bissell9) February 17, 2019

Palmer previously pioneered the Palmersaurus dinosaur-themed park in Queensland. His net wealth is this year estimated to be A$1.8 billion (US$1.2 billion), according to Forbes Magazine.

Tourists can still visit the original Titanic with a number of diving companies offering to take tourists down to the site for a fee of more than A$100,000 (US$70,913) per person.
Nielsen: Fox News Dominates CNN, MSNBC Days After Mueller Report Released

The Wednesday night ratings for various cable news stations have been releaseddays after Special Counsel Robert Muellers report that showed President Trump didnt collude with Russian operatives to secure the 2016 elections.

According to Nielsens ratings for the night of Wednesday, March 27, the Fox News Channel bested other cable news stations such as MSNBC and CNN, Fox reported.

Fox averaged 3,685,000 viewers, including 653,000 in the coveted 25-54 age demographic, according to Nielsen ratings.

MSNBC had 2,141,000 viewers and 333,000 viewers in the 24-54 demographic, the figures show.

CNN had 904,000 average viewers with 235,000 in the demographic, Nielsen said.

Nielsen was evaluating the ratings across the 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. time slots.

The ratings said that Sean Hannitys show Hannity at 9 p.m. had 4,303,000 viewers and 778,000 in the age 25-54 demographic. Meanwhile, MSNBCs The Rachel Maddow Show had 2,678,000 total viewers with 432,000 in the 25-54 demographic, while CNNs Cuomo Prime Time drew 900,000 viewers.

Other Fox programs, including Tucker Carlsons shows and Laura Ingrahams shows, dominated the cable news airwaves.

Since last Fridays release of the Mueller report, Maddows audience has dropped, reported The Associated Press.

Maddows audience has dipped on her two days back on the air since Attorney General William Barr reported that special counsel Mueller had found no collusion between Trump and Russias efforts. Her audience of 2.5 million on Monday was 19 percent below her average this year, and it went down further to 2.3 million on Tuesday, the Nielsen company said, AP reported.

Meanwhile, her head-to-head competitor on Fox News Channel, Sean Hannity, saw his audience soar on Monday to 4 million viewers, a 32 percent increase from his average, noted AP.

Typically, Maddow and Hannity run neck-in-neck in terms of cable news ratings, and AP noted that Maddow has had a slight edge overall.

Carlson and Ingraham also saw their audiences top their averages both days, while other prime-time hosts on MSNBC and CNN saw their audiences plunge, as AP reported.

On March 28, President Trump made note of MSNBCs and CNNs respectively low ratings, saying that some shows on the networks have gone down by as much as 50 [percent]. It shows that fake news never wins! he added.

Wow, ratings for Morning Joe, which were really bad in the first place, just tanked with the release of the Mueller Report. Likewise, other shows on MSNBC and CNN have gone down by as much as 50%. Just shows, Fake News never wins!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 28, 2019

He also blasted Morning Joe, which is hosted by Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski.

Wow, ratings for Morning Joe, which were really bad in the first place, just tanked with the release of the Mueller Report, Trump noted.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
House Intelligence Committee ranking member Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) (L) arrives for a closed-door hearing with Michael Cohen, former attorney and fixer for President Donald Trump, in the basement of the House Visitors Center at the U.S. Capitol, on March 6, 2019, in Washington. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Nunes to Make Criminal Referrals on Officials Involved in Spygate in 1 or 2 Weeks

Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) plans to refer several people involved in the surveillance operation against the Trump campaign for criminal investigation, the representatives spokesman confirmed to The Epoch Times.

Nunes will make the referrals in a single letter to the Department of Justice, which will be sent within one or two weeks. In February, Nunes said he planned to send the referrals once Attorney General William Barr was confirmed by the Senate.

Nunes, the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, announced his intention in an exclusive interview with Breitbart News on March 27, days after Barr released the final findings of the special counsel investigation led by Robert Mueller.

Muellers conclusion was the same as the one the House Intelligence Committee reached more than a year ago, when the panel was led by Nunes. The committee and the special counsel concluded there is no evidence of conspiracy or coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia.

We knew this was a joke from the beginning, and Ive said as much for a long time. Basically, from the time our report came out, which has been a year, Nunes told Breitbart. But now, the real work begins. Its good to not have that sitting out there. But we have to now go on offense and track down all these dirty cops and bad players.

While finding no evidence of collusion, the House Intelligence Committee uncovered a battery of potential surveillance abuses targeting the Trump campaign. Among them, the committee found that the FBI obtained a surveillance warrant on a former Trump campaign associate using an unverified dossier of opposition research funded by the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee.

As of now, itll be one criminal referral, but with multiple referrals on a number of different crimes, Nunes told Breitbart. We will have some leakers in there, for sure.

On March 28, all Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee called on the panels current chairman, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), to resign from the leadership role. In the letter, the lawmakers appear to suggest that Schiff leaked information to the media in order to sustain the Russia-collusion narrative.

President Donald Trump called on Schiff to resign from Congress, saying he spent two years knowingly and unlawfully lying and leaking.

According to Nunes, the committee has enough evidence to establish that the FBI began investigating the Trump campaign long before late July 2016. He said the strings of the operation reach all the way to the Obama White House, although he added that its unclear what level of involvement the former president had.

Look, theres big problemsbig problems that the public needs to know about. Maximum transparency is the best thing here, he said.

Nunes said he believes Barr will act on the referrals. He told Fox News on March 26 that the crimes include lying to Congress and conspiracy.

Therell be things in there that cannot be ignored. There will be crimes, Nunes said. So they have to be dealt with.

While several officials involved in the targeting of the Trump campaign have previously been referred for criminal investigation, none have yet been charged with a crime.
Open Letter to a Journalist About His Papers Position on Climate Change

Commentary

Mark Trumbull, Staff Reporter

The Christian Science Monitor

Boston, MA 02115

Dear Mr. Trumbull,

Last month, in your introductory remarks to The Christian Science Monitor Daily online news stories, you addressed the issue of the Monitors coverage of climate change. Your challenge is how to report when you and your Monitor colleagues believe that human emissions of CO2 are triggering dangerous climatic conditions while some of your readers do not.

You wrote, Part of good journalism is to seek out a range of viewpoints rather than just present a story through one lens. But a corollary journalistic responsibility is to weigh the credibility and relevance of viewpoints. I agree wholeheartedly, and I hope you will follow through in fairly reporting opinions with which you may personally disagree.

Climate change science doesnt lend itself to facile conclusions. The science itself is complex, many relationships are imperfectly understood, and then there is the daunting challenge of predicting the future. As I have written elsewhere, in fields such as economics and climate change, there is no such thing as expertise about the future. In the words of a report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)which your paper accepts as arguably the most credible authority that espouses the catastrophist positionThe climate system is a coupled nonlinear chaotic system, and therefore the long-term prediction of future climate states is not possible.

Your statement that there is a strong consensus within the climate science profession that human emissions are now the leading factor affecting changes in Earths climate is almost correct, but not quite. Some climate skeptics object to the use of the word consensus. They state (correctly, I believe) that consensus is more appropriate in politics, where majorities shape reality, than in science, where what a majority may believe to be true today may be disproven tomorrow. You, however, used the word consensus correctly, because your supporting hyperlink takes the reader to a story about the political consensus that has been forged at the U.N. through the reports of the IPCC.

It is important to understand that the IPCC is a political organization (after all, it is the Intergovernmental Panel), not a scientific body. I can cite a number of quotes from scientists who have done work for the IPCC, but disagreed with the published consensus. The political nature of the IPCC and its reports is underscored by appendix A of the principles governing IPCC work. It authorizes the few dozen political appointees who actually write the summary for policymakers to alter what scientists have written in order to conform to what the Summary states.

Hundreds of peer-reviewed articles every year differ from the official pronouncements of the IPCC. There is not so much a strong consensus within the climate science profession in general that human activity is causing a dangerous climate as there is a strong consensus within the extensive but not all-encompassing government-employed climate science clique.

Journalists often ask those who dissent from the official position of the IPCC if they receive or have received remuneration from fossil fuel companies. The ugly insinuation, of course, is that a person receiving compensation from a conventional energy company is automatically suspected of being a paid propagandist. Is it not equally as plausible that a scientist funded by government grants might tailor his findings so as not to risk losing a valuable source of income? There should be symmetry here, treating people on both sides of the issue with equal respect, instead of proceeding from the unfounded assumption that those receiving money from nongovernmental sources are not trustworthy while those receiving government funds are.

Regarding your assertion that human emissions are now the leading factor affecting changes in Earths climate. That assertion would have more credibility if it were proven that carbon dioxide is, in fact, the principal driver of global temperatures. However, when one looks at the historical record, one encounters a couple of inconvenient facts: 1) over hundreds of millions of years, graphs plotting global temperatures and atmospheric CO2 show no fixed relation or meaningful correlation; 2) the Vostok ice core graph shows the two variables following similar paths over the past several hundred thousand years, but with changes in CO2 lagging behind changes in temperature by 800 to 1,000 years, and effect cannot precede cause in a temporal universe.

Space prevents me from discussing other unresolved issuesthe numerous measuring limitations and errors; the logarithmic scale of how much heat CO2 can trap; the fact that CO2 concentrations before the modern increase were dangerously low (plant life would cease to exist if the concentration fell much below 150170 ppm, whereas it will flourish optimally nearer 1,000 ppm); whether warmer temperatures, on the whole, are better or worse for humans than cold.

I would urge the Monitors reporters to not rely so heavily on the scientists employed by the IPCC. Very subtly, the dangerous perception has set in that these are the best scientists in the world. I am not saying that there arent many fine scientists employed by Uncle Sam and contracted for by the IPCC, but to assume that if the government employs them, that stamps them as the best is unfounded. Politicians have no special power to identify which scientists output comes closest to the truth, but they are shrewd enough to pick scientists whose work can be used in support of pre-determined political agendas.

I hope none of your reporters is allied with the Society of Environmental Journalistsa group dedicated to censoring dissent. It does appear that your principal environmental reporter has become over-reliant on the eminently quotable Dr. Katherine Hayhoe, director of the Climate Science Center at Texas Tech University, and a lead author for the IPCC.

Dr. Hayhoe is very, very skilled at verbal manipulation. Take, for example, this cleverly constructed straw man: [Climate] science is so old and so basic that to deny that science, we would have to be denying basic thermodynamics  and basic fluid dynamics that explains how airplanes fly. And theres not a lot of politicians and pundits claiming that airplanes dont fly.

Brilliant! Unfortunately, it is also disingenuous. Skeptics about the catastrophist scenario arent rejecting the basic laws of physics; they dont deny that Earths climate is volatile; they dont deny that CO2 is a greenhouse gas or that human consumption of fossil fuels is increasing its concentration in the atmosphere.

There remain important disagreements about the degree of climate change, the impact those changes will have, whether any benefits that can be gained by retooling our lives would exceed the costs of making those changes and other issues with public policy implications that need to be studied and discussed. I hope that the Monitor will contribute to these needed discussions by reporting todays minority positions as well as the most popular ones.

Mark Hendrickson is an adjunct professor of economics and sociology at Grove City College. He is the author of several books, including The Big Picture: The Science, Politics, and Economics of Climate Change.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Photos of Linda and Clifford Bernhardt, who were killed in 1973, are displayed at a press conference at the Yellowstone County administrative offices in Billings, Montana on Monday, March 25, 2019. Yellowstone County Sheriff Mike Linder, pictured at right, says authorities have identified the couple's now-deceased killer. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown)

Police Solve 45-Year-Old Double Homicide Cold Case Using DNA Evidence

In 1973, a young couple was found dead in their home in Montana. Police investigated painstakingly for years, conducting hundreds of interviews, They even brought in a psychic to help but to no avail.

Now over four decades later, police have finally made a breakthrough, announcing on March 25 that they have identified a suspect for the murder of Linda and Clifford Bernhardt, who were both 24 at the time of their deaths.

Today we can tell you that based on the evidence collected on the scene, which includes biological evidence and all the reasonable inferences taken from this evidence, we have determined that Cecil Stan Caldwell, a former coworker of Linda Bernhardt at Ryans Inc. is the person responsible for the deaths of Linda and Clifford Bernhardt, Yellowstone County Sheriff Mike Linder said during a press conference on March 25.

Caldwell worked at the City of Billings Street Traffic Department and was a part-time driver for U.S. mail contractor Dallas Parkins. He died in 2003 at the age of 59, according to his obituary in the Billings Gazette. He did not have a criminal record.

Authorities said that Caldwells name was in the investigative file but could not confirm whether he had been interviewed.

The suspect, Cecil Stan Caldwell, died in 2003, Linder said. He was a coworker of Linda Bernhardt, Linder said. https://t.co/UjdFFdOXui  Andrea Lutz (@AndrearLutz) March 25, 2019

Police also did not reveal a motive for the killings but speculated that Linda was probably the target, according to the press conference.

Linder said all the leads had dried up by 2004 when DNA was discovered on evidence gathered at the crime scene. A comparison between the DNA with an FBI database of known criminals yielded no results.

In 2012, a cold case unit was formed and the investigation of the Bernhardt murders was made a priority, the sheriff said.

Then in 2015, the sheriffs cold case unit enlisted a Virginian technology company, Parabon NanoLabs, to analyze the DNA by comparing it to genetic samples available through a public genealogy database.

Cecil Stan Caldwells name was in the Bernhardt investigative file but he was likely never interviewed, detectives said.  Billings Gazette  2019325

For Vince Wallis, a former detective captain with the sheriffs office, this helped narrow the list of suspects to Caldwell and his brother. They cleared 80 male suspects across 12 states as possible suspects using DNA evidence, authorities said.

Wallis said after comparing the sample with DNA obtained voluntarily from the brother, it was analyzed by the Montana State Crime Lab to eliminate him as a suspect. That left only Caldwell on the list.

Clifford Bernhardt was a concrete worker and Vietnam veteran, while his wife worked at a grocery distribution warehouse. The couple had been married several years and had just moved into the house weeks before they were murdered. Their bodies were discovered by Lindas mother who went to their residence when her daughter did not turn up to work.

Here is a composite profile of the suspect Cecil Caldwell from DNA. Second photo is a yearbook photo of the suspect in the double murder of Linda and Clifford Bernhardt. pic.twitter.com/CEoievfLYT  Michael Kordenbrock (@BGKord) March 25, 2019

Media reports at the time described the homicides as the most sensational unsolved murder case in Billings history. They detailed how Linda had been bound and sexually assaulted before her death. Authorities reportedly employed psychologists to try to build a profile of the suspect.

Police also enlisted the help of The Amazing Kreskin when the mentalist visited town, according to a 1980 news report.

Family members of the victims, who were in attendance at the press conference, issued a statement thanking the sheriffs office for its work but made no further comment and asked for privacy.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Pompeo Meets Uyghurs, Demands Beijing End Mass Detention

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has renewed calls for the Chinese regime to end its detention of more than 1 million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities after meeting with a survivor and relatives of prisoners on March 27.

We call on the Chinese government to release immediately these individuals family members and all others arbitrarily detained in the camps, the State Department said in a statement about Pompeos meeting.

Pompeo met with four Uyghurs including survivor Mihrigul Tursun, a woman who has spoken publicly about her experiences of being tortured and abused at an internment camp in Chinas northwestern Xinjiang province.

In November 2018, Tursun testified before a U.S. congressional committee that she was given unknown drugs and electrocuted while tied to a chair during her detainment in one of Chinas so-called vocational re-education centers.

Pompeo also met with three other Uyghurs, whose relatives have either been detained or criminally sentenced in China.

The United Nations estimates that the communist regime is holding more than 1 million Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs, and other Muslim minorities in a vast network of internment camps, where prisoners undergo political indoctrination and are forced to renounce their faith. Beijing has used the pretext of extremist threats to justify such measures.

Peter Irwin, program manager at the World Uyghur Congress (WUC), said Pompeos meeting shows that the U.S. government places great importance on the Uyghur issue, in an email to The Epoch Times.

It must also be said that the Uyghur issue, and human rights more broadly, must remain a central element to engagement with China and not be overtaken by issues of trade or geopolitics, Irwin added.

Pompeo, at a March 26 press briefing, described the Chinese regimes treatment of Uyghurs as historic human rights abuse.

Were working to convince the Chinese that this practice is abhorrent and ought to be stopped, he told reporters.

Irwin added that WUC will continue to work with supportive governments to bring to light the plight of Uyghurs in China.

It is critical that a broad coalition of states join together to condemn Chinas abuse of Uyghurs to show that no international community will stand by while crimes against humanity are being perpetrated as we speak, he said.

Suppression

Uyghur and Kazakhstan national Gulbakhar Jalilova, 54, a former detainee, told The Epoch Times in December 2018 that detained Uyghurs were psychologically and physically tortured, poisoned, and even killed by injection of unknown drugs.

Another former Uyghur detainee, a Kazakhstan national aged 54, who spoke to The Epoch Times in 2018 on condition of anonymity, said young girls were being raped inside these camps and were given pills to stop them from becoming pregnant.

Beyond the camps, Uyghurs also face harassment from local Chinese authorities. Radio Free Asia reported in February that Uyghurs were forced to eat pork and drink alcohol, both of which are strictly forbidden in Islam.

In addition, more than 10 million Uyghur and other Turkic minorities in Xinjiang are subject to intense monitoring via a dense network of surveillance systems and security checkpoints.

In November 2018, Reuters reported that the Trump administration was considering sanctions against Chinese officials and companies with ties to the regime in the region.

Around the same time, bipartisan legislation was introduced in both the Senate and the House calling for a stronger U.S. response to the regimes suppression, including an export ban on U.S. technology that could be used in surveillance in the region, and sanctions against culpable Chinese officials.

In early March, State Department official Michael Kozak, in a briefing presenting the departments annual human rights report, said that abuses like those currently being committed against Chinas Muslim minority had not been seen since the 1930s.
In this satellite image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Tropical Storm Florence is shown located northeast of Bardados on Sept. 6, 2006. In a letter, John Kerry argued that Hurricane Florence was an example of global warming damaging national security. (NOAA via Getty Images)

Restrictions on Conventional Energy, Not Global Warming, Threaten National Security

Democratic Party stalwart John Kerry published a letter this month claiming that global warmingand even the act of scientifically debating global warmingposes a threat to national security. Kerrys letter lists 58 co-signers with a national-security background, primarily from the Obama administration.

The letter implores President Donald Trump to block the formation of a proposed federal red team/blue team panel of scientists to examine global warming issues.

Global warming, however, isnt a threat to national security. As demonstrated in a Heartland Institute policy brief that I published March 5 in close consultation with Adm. Thomas Hayward, the former chief of Naval Operations and commander-in-chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, climate alarmism and restrictions on conventional energy pose a much greater threat to national security than does Earths modest recent warming.

The Trump administration is reportedly considering the suggestion of National Security Council lead scientist William Happer to form a panel of scientists to examine climate science and related national-security effects.

Unlike past federal panels, the National Security Council panel would encourage an open, fact-based analysis of global warming topics, rather than merely summarizing and advocating pre-determined climate alarmist talking points. The National Security Council panel would be a welcome and necessary addition to the climate science discussion.

Unsurprisingly, climate alarmists fear a true debate about the causes and consequences of climate change. Inadvertently, Kerrys letter calls attention to exactly why its necessary to convene the proposed panel.

Imposing a political test on reports issued by the science agencies, and forcing a blind spot onto the national-security assessments that depend on them, will erode our national security, reads the letter. It is dangerous to have national-security analysis conform to politics.

Exactly right! That is precisely why we need a science panel that will examine global warming issues from an evidence-based perspective, rather than pushing carefully selected political group-think.

Kerrys letter argues the Trump administration and the military should defer to a recent National Climate Assessment paper commissioned during the Obama administration. The widely publicized report was co-authored by a Union of Concerned Scientists activist, and its other authors and reviewers were selected based on their allegiance to climate alarmism. Rather than being an authoritative science summary, the National Climate Assessment clearly illustrates why a new panel and assessment are needed.

The Kerry letter loses what little credibility might otherwise remain by asserting human-caused global warming was a key factor in ISIS gaining and maintaining control in Iraq throughout much of the Obama administration. A change of policies under Trumpincluding a reversal of the policies imposed by many of the Kerry letters signatoriesquickly ended the seemingly invincible ISIS caliphate. Political and military competence in the Trump administration proved a more forceful factor regarding ISIS, Iraq, and U.S. national security than asserted global-warming impacts.

A review of the facts shows climate alarmism and restrictions on conventional energy pose the true threat to U.S. national security. The policy brief that I authored in consultation with Adm. Hayward, Global Warming Energy Restrictions Threaten National Security, debunks assertions that ongoing modest climate change creates threat multiplier political instability. Instead, a gradually warming world has nurtured record global crop production, a greening of the earth, a reduction in extreme weather events, and a reduction in the persistently low temperatures that kill far more people than higher temperatures. Each of these developments reduces political and military stresses that can lead to armed conflict.

Kerry and his alarmist allies make a habit of taking acts of nature, which have always occurred, and ascribing them to global warming. The Kerry letter argues, Just last year, Hurricane Florence caused $3.6 billion in damages to Camp Lejeune, home of the Marines expeditionary units on the East Coast.

However, the Kerry letter fails to acknowledge that from 2005 through 2017, the United States benefited from the longest period on record without a major hurricane strike (Category 3 or higher). Sooner or later, the record lack of major hurricanes was bound to end. And when it did, Kerry and his fellow alarmists were ready to blame any major hurricane that finally occurred on global warming.

Importantly, the Heartland policy brief explains that a dominant economy enabled America to assemble and maintain post-World War II military dominance. Policies that impose expensive low-carbon energy sources would stifle the U.S. economy, which would, in turn, undermine Americas ability to fund a strong military. The United States long-term military dominance requires a dominant economy, and that can only occur in the near term if its fueled by affordable, abundant conventional energy sources.

Hopefully, Trump and a newly appointed science panel will carefully consider these important points.

James Taylor (jtaylor@heartland.org) is a senior fellow for environment and climate policy at The Heartland Institute.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro speaks during a rally at the Miraflores Presidential Palace in Caracas, Venezuela on March 9, 2019. (YURI CORTEZ/AFP/Getty Images)

Russia Rebuffs Trump, Says They Sent Specialists to Venezuela

Russia rebuffed calls from President Donald Trump to remove all military personnel from Venezuela, saying on March 28 that they had sent Russian specialists as part of a military cooperation deal.

A day before, Trump said that all options were being considered in order to make Russia pull their troops out of Venezuela. The presidents remarks follow reports last week that two Russian air force planes landed outside Caracas carrying nearly 100 Russian troops.

Venezuelas military attache in Moscow, Jose Rafael Torrealba Perez, said that Russia had sent servicemen to Venezuela, but that they would not take part in military operations.

The presence of Russian servicemen in Venezuela is linked to the discussion of cooperation in the military-technical sphere, Perez was quoted as saying.

Russia and China have for years fed billions of dollars to Venezuela and the countrys illegitimate dictator, Nicolas Maduro, through loans and energy deals. Russia has also repeatedly warned the United States not to intervene militarily in Venezuela. Other notable Maduro supporters include Turkey, Bolivia, Iran, and Cuba.

The United States supports Juan Guaido, the internationally recognized interim president who has the backing of more than 50 nations. As Venezuela spirals into political turmoil, the Trump administration has intensified pressure on the socialist regime with the addition of new sanctions on March 22this time, targeting Venezuelas National Development Bank, Bandes.

The Russian troops were described by Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as Russian specialists on March 28. She did not give further details.

Russia is not changing the balance of power in the region, Russia is not threatening anyone, unlike (officials) in Washington, she told the briefing. Russian specialists have arrived in Venezuela in line with the provisions of a bilateral inter-government agreement on military-technical cooperation. No one canceled this document.

The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Epoch Times. Maduro, who retains control of the state apparatus and the countrys military, has described Guaido as a puppet of the United States.

US Responds

Carlos Trujillo, the U.S. Ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS), denounced Russias sending of military troops.

The OAS brings together all 35 independent states of the Americas and constitutes the main political, juridical, and social governmental forum in the hemisphere, according to their website.

I take the floor to strongly condemn the deployment of Russian aircraft and military personnel in Venezuela on March 23, Trujillo told the council. This deployment is a reckless escalation of a dangerous situation.

Trujillo noted that Russia was not alone.

Cuban military and intelligence officials have been propping up Nicolas Maduro for years, and they have taken on an even a larger role now to protect the crumbling former regime, he said.

The ambassador also brought up that under article 187 of the Venezuelan constitution, the National Assembly shall authorize the operation of Venezuelan military missions abroad or foreign military missions within the country.

He said the Russian deployments were a clear violation of Venezuelas constitution since the National Assembly, which Guaido heads, had not authorized the presence of Cuban and Russian military forces.

I call on all OAS Member States to vigorously protest the arrival of the Russian military personnel, and the continuing presence of Cuban agents in Venezuela, Trujillo said.

Reuters contributed to this report
Several bullet holes can be seen in the driver's side window of a metro Bus after a shooting in beattle, on March 27, 2019. (Dean Rutz/The Seattle Times via AP)

Seattle Bus Driver Hailed a Hero for Saving Passengers After Taking Bullet in Chest

A Seattle bus driver has been hailed a hero for driving passengers to safety amid a shooting spree despite taking a bullet to the chest.

This bus driver truly is a hero, a Seattle Police Department representative said, CBS reported. He was able to have the wherewithal to put the bus in reverse, back it up, turn it around, which is no easy feat in and of itself.

Metro bus driver Eric Stark was hit in the chest by gunfire in a mass shooting on a Seattle street on March 27 at around 4 p.m.

Despite his wounds, Stark managed to get all 12 passengers to safety.

He Acted Heroically

King County Executive Dow Constantine was cited by NBC as saying that Stark described the incident from his hospital bed, saying the gunman fired at the bus without warning.

He acted heroically and put the well-being of his passengers above all else, Constantine said of the seven-year-veteran of Metro bus services.

Speaking to reporters from the Seattles Harborview Medical Center, Stark described the moments after getting shot in the torso.

I ducked down really quick for some cover, did like a two-second assessment of my injuries and figuredwell, I can breathe, I can think, I can see, and I can talk, Stark said from his hospital room. So for me that was enough to go, OK, were getting out of here. Ive gotta get these people out of here.

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan also praised Stark, The Associated Press reported, saying he saved lives and took action even after being harmed.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said in a tweet that he and his wife, Trudi, are pulling for those injured, grieving for those who were killed, and appreciating the bravery of all who responded and took action to stop the shooter.

Horrible news. As we await more information, Trudi and I are pulling for those injured, grieving for those who were killed, and appreciating the bravery of all who responded and took action to stop the shooter. https://t.co/c1ZulY065n  Governor Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) March 28, 2019

Stark told ABCs Good Morning America, he was just doing his job and Its what any other driver would be able to do if they were physically able.

Deadly Shooting Spree

A man opened fire on motorists in a Seattle neighborhood in what authorities have called a random attack.

It didnt matter who you were. He was going to shoot you if he saw you, one witness told CBS.

Investigators said the gunman tried to carjack several people and shot at multiple drivers, leaving two dead and two wounded.

One of the victims was killed by gunfire. The seconda 70-year-old mandied after the gunman plowed into his car with a hijacked vehicle.

Two other people were shot but survived, including Stark.

We believe its a random, senseless act, Deputy Police Chief Marc Garth Green told reporters. Were outraged at what this suspect did.

The suspect was taken into custody after a brief standoff.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
U.S. House Majority Whip Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) walks to the House chamber for a vote February 26, 2019 at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC. Alex Wong/Getty Images

Senior Democrat Who Compared Trump to Hitler Formerly Collaborated With Fidel Castro

Commentary

Highly influential Democrat and House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) compared the Trump administration to the rise of Nazism in Germany earlier this month. Clyburn told NBC News that though hed never before seen a toxic political climate like the one at present, hed studied ones like it.

Former President Barack Obama gushed over Clyburn, describing him as one of a handful of people who, when they speak, the entire Congress listens. As the No. 3 Democrat in the House, Clyburn is the leadership liaison to the powerful Appropriations Committee and one of the Democratic Caucuss primary liaisons to the White House, according to his website.

Adolf Hitler was elected chancellor of Germany. And he went about the business of discrediting institutions to the point that people bought into it, Clyburn told NBC. Nobody would have believed it now. But swastikas hung in churches throughout Germany. We had better be very careful.

Clearly, Clyburn is worried that President Donald Trump, who has been supported by many prominent American Evangelical Christians, might become a dictatorthough there is naturally no proof offered for this irrational allusion.

One suspects that Clyburn is more concerned about Trumps America First agenda, because Clyburn seems to have little aversion to real dictators. In fact, Clyburn once collaborated with one of the worst dictators of the 20th century: Cuban communist leader Fidel Castro.

Cuba Links

In May 2000, a group from the Congressional Black Caucus led by Clyburn visited Castro. Accompanying Clyburn were Reps. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and Greg Meeks (D-N.Y.). Thompson reportedly described huge areas in his district where there were no doctors, and Castro responded with an offer of full scholarships for U.S. citizens to study at Cubas main medical school, Escuela Latinoamericana de Medicina (ELAM).

According to The Hill, Clyburn praised Castro for his great sense of history and a great sense of self. He added the Cuban leader was very reflective and a policy wonk'but perhaps forgot to add communist dictator and mass murderer.

Later that year, Castro spoke at the far-left Riverside Church in New York, reiterating his offer of places for U.S. students who would pledge to practice in poor U.S. communities on completion of their studies. Castro opened the doors of the program to 500 U.S. students, who began enrolling in the spring of 2001.

Writing in the Cuban Communist Party newspaper Granma on April 7, 2009, Castro gave his own version of the caucus delegations visit:

In May 2000, another Caucus delegation visited us. It was presided over by the then Caucus President James Clyburn and was made up of Bennie Thompson from Mississippi and Gregory Meeks from New York. These congressmen were the first to learn from me of Cubas disposition to grant a number of scholarships to low-income youths, to be selected by the Congressional Black Caucus, so that they could come to Cuba and study medicine.

When the anti-Cuban pressures and activities of the Bush administration were intensified with respect to travel and the presence in Cuba of persons under U.S. jurisdiction, Black Caucus legislators addressed Secretary of State Colin Powell and managed to secure a license that legally allowed American youths to continue their medical studieswhich they had already begunin Cuba.

In other words, U.S. legislators pressured a Republican secretary of state to allow a hostile foreign dictator an opportunity to indoctrinate young Americans against their own country.

Communist Recruits

Its not known how many Americans have graduated from ELAM, but student numbers were hovering around 80 to 90 per year in the late 2000s.

Some of the young medical trainees were radicals before they even traveled to Cuba. Many are the sons and daughters of Communist Party USA (CPUSA) members, including Jack Lubka (ELAM 10), son of the late North Dakota communist Lewis Lubka, and Cori Marshall (ELAM 12), daughter of prominent Chicago communist Scott Marshall.

The Cuban medical scholarships are coordinated through the late Rev. Lucius Walkers Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization. Walker was a long-time CPUSA supporter and a lifelong supporter of Castro.

Many of these young doctors are now working in low-income communities across the United States. Its highly likely that many of them try to recruit their patients and colleagues to the communist cause. Cuba has a known history of sending spies and terrorists to the United States, so some of these young doctors could also be trained in espionage or even terrorism.

In 2010, Clyburn sent staffer David Francis Grimaldi, Jr., to Cuba for a three-day fact-finding mission to understand the importance and culture of U.S. policy toward Cuba. The same year he also sent staffer Adam Arguelles on a fact-finding trip in Venezuela and other Latin American countries with the mission of fostering dialogue and improving U.S. policy and bilateral relations. Both trips were paid for by the pro-Cuban nonprofit Center for Democracy in the Americas.

Like the vast majority of Americans, Clyburn clearly has no time for Nazi-style dictatorship. However, he seems perfectly willing to support and enable communist dictatorship.

There is zero danger of a fascist or Nazi takeover of the United Statesany claims to the contrary are simply communist propaganda. However, America faces a major communist/socialist threat through the now-dominant left-wing of the Democratic Party.

Clyburn is in a position to know full well where the real danger lies. Didnt Russian revolutionary Vladimir Lenin always tell his comrades to accuse their opponents of what they were doing themselves?

Trevor Loudon is an author, filmmaker, and public speaker from New Zealand. For more than 30 years, he has researched radical left, Marxist, and terrorist movements and their covert influence on mainstream politics.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Supreme Court Finds Investment Banker Following Orders Culpable

WASHINGTONAn investment banker who sent deceptive emails to prospective clean-energy investors greatly overstating a companys financial health cant escape responsibility for securities fraud because he was only following his supervisors directions, the Supreme Court ruled March 27.

Justice Stephen Breyer wrote the 6-to-2 majority opinion in Lorenzo v. SEC, rejecting the reasoning employed by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, when he was a member of the lower court panel that previously heard the case.

By sending emails he understood to contain material untruths, [the petitioner] employ[ed] a device, scheme, and artifice to defraud within the meaning of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rules, and engage[d] in a[n] act, practice, or course of business that operate[d]  as a fraud or deceit.

The court rejected Lorenzos argument that as the mere disseminator of false information he had not primarily violated the rules.

That is not what Congress intended. Rather, Congress intended to root out all manner of fraud in the securities industry. And it gave to the Commission the tools to accomplish the job.

The case arose out of the business of Waste2Energy Holdings Inc. of Neptune Beach, Florida, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2013.

In 2009, investment banker Francis V. Lorenzo of Staten Island, New York-based Charles Vista LLC emailed would-be investors in an effort to sell $15 million in debentures secured only by Waste2Energys earning capacity.

The emails presented Waste2Energy as having $10 million in assets and more than $40 million in purchase orders, but when the emails were sent, the company acknowledged an audit had found its assets werent even worth $400,000.

Lorenzos boss and firm settled with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) but Lorenzo refused and an administrative law judge found he had broken the law by sending the emails, even though he hadnt drafted them. The SEC banished Lorenzo from the securities industry for life and fined him $15,000.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit rejected Lorenzos appeal in 2017.

Justice Kavanaugh, then a member of the circuit court, dissented. How could [petitioner] have intentionally deceived the clients when he did not draft the emails, did not think about the contents of the emails, and sent the emails only at his bosss direction?

Kavanaugh recused himself from the Supreme Court case, leaving the other eight justices to participate in oral arguments Dec. 3.

During those oral arguments, the Trump administration sided with the SEC. I dont think youre likely to see a  more egregious fraud than this, Christopher Michel, assistant to the solicitor general, told the justices at the time.

Justice Clarence Thomas filed a dissenting opinion in Lorenzo v. SEC, in which Justice Neil Gorsuch joined.

[I]t is undisputed that Lorenzo did not engage in any conduct involving planning, scheming, designing, or strategizing, as SEC rules require for a primary violation, Thomas wrote.

The Supreme Courts majority opinion misconstrues the securities laws and flouts our precedent in a way that is likely to have far-reaching consequences, the justice wrote, as he described the sweeping nature of the Courts holding in this case.

In Janus Capital Group Inc. v. First Derivative Traders (2011), the high court drew a clear line between primary and secondary liability in fraudulent-misstatement cases: A person does not make a fraudulent misstatement within the meaning of SEC Rule 10b-5(b) and thus is not primarily liable for it.

Today, the Court eviscerates this distinction by holding that a person who has not made a fraudulent misstatement can nevertheless be primarily liable for it.
Supreme Court Hears Case About Medical Benefits That Could Shake Administrative State

WASHINGTONA lawyer for a Marine Corps veteran said to have been arbitrarily denied medical benefits urged the Supreme Court to overturn a bureaucracy-empowering legal doctrine that allowed the executive agency to refuse those benefits.

If the court agrees with James Kisor, who seeks disability benefits for post-traumatic stress disorder arising out of his participation in Operation Harvest Moon, a bloody combat battle in Vietnam in December 1965, the stage could be set for invalidating the 35-year-old so-called Chevron doctrine, under which courts defer to agency interpretations of the statutes they enforce.

If this happens, it could help work a smaller-government revolution that tears away at the legal underpinnings of the modern administrative state.

Critics call executive agencies the fourth branch of the U.S. government. They say officials in this so-called administrative state are unaccountable to voters and allow unelected bureaucrats to usurp the functions of governmental branches. Congress, they say, is supposed to make the laws of the land, but lawmakers have steadily ceded that bodys constitutionally prescribed powers to the administrative state, to the overall detriment of society.

Current case law allows agencies to regulate ambiguously and then interpret those regulations to taste later, with the expectation of forcing such reinterpretations on the courts, which, in turn, leads to the near complete erasure of Congress legislative power itself, and robs the judiciary of its power to say what the law is, transforming the judiciary from a check and balance on the executive into a rubber stamp, the Pacific Legal Foundation stated in a friend-of-the-court brief.

In the landmark administrative law ruling in Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council, the Supreme Court held while courts must give effect to the unambiguously expressed intent of Congress, where courts find Congress has not directly addressed the precise question at issue and the statute is silent or ambiguous with respect to the specific issue, the question for the court is whether the agencys answer is based on a permissible construction of the statute.

In other words, under Chevron, an executive agencys interpretation of a statute it administers is entitled to deference unless Congress has indicated otherwise.

PTSD

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) ruled in 1983 Kisor did not suffer from service-related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In 2007, the agency reversed that finding but refused to award him retroactive benefits.

He argues official records showing his involvement in Operation Harvest Moon were relevant because they speak to the presence of an in-service stressor, one of the requirements of compensation for an alleged service-connected injury.

The VA countered, saying the records were not relevant because they addressed the matter of an in-service stressor, which was not in issue, rather than the issue of whether he suffered from PTSD, which was in issue.

Even though the Supreme Court has long recognized, as it did in Fishgold v. Sullivan Drydock & Repair Corp. (1946), that legislation is to be liberally construed for the benefit of those who left private life to serve their country in its hour of great need, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit sided with the VA.

Regulations require the VA to reconsider a claim when it receives or associates with relevant official service department records. The effective date of the benefits is the date entitlement arose or the date the VA received the previously decided claim, whichever is later, the appeals court stated Sept. 7, 2017.

According to Kisors petition, the governments decision turns on the meaning of the term relevant as used in a federal regulation. On that basis alone, the court held that the regulation is ambiguous, and  deferred to the VAs interpretation of its own ambiguous regulation.

Auer Deference

Kisor is asking the Supreme Court to overturn Auer v. Robbins (1997). The so-called Auer deference instructs courts that an agencys interpretation of its own regulation is given controlling weight unless it is plainly erroneous or inconsistent with the regulation, Christopher J. Walker wrote last year in the Georgetown Journal of Law & Public Policy.

Liberals defend Auer deference but for years, conservatives have wanted to do away with it.

In an article titled The boring Supreme Court case that could help make America great again, David French wrote at National Review on Dec. 11, 2018, that the courts decision to take the case was a Big Deal in the battle against the metastasizing administrative state.

Auer is the Little Satan that works with the Great SatanChevron deferenceto fuel the explosive growth in the power of executive-branch agencies.

During oral arguments on March 27, liberal Justice Stephen Breyer mocked the conservative take on Auer.

This sounds like the greatest judicial power grab since Marbury v. Madison, which I would say was correctly decided, Breyer said to Kisors attorney, Paul W. Hughes. The 1803 Marbury case established the principle of judicial review in the United States.

Breyer told Solicitor General Noel Francisco that agencies may not be very democratic but there is some responsibility. Judges are still less democratic so the best solution may be to trust the agency because it is the institution thats closer to it.

Francisco also defended Auer deference, saying it promotes national uniformity, predictability, and political accountability.

Frequently Changing Interpretations

To make a point, Justice Samuel Alito asked Hughes if the Federal Communications Commission knows a lot more about the meaning of the word relevant than federal district judges? Hughes answered in the negative.

Hughes said that frequently changing agency interpretations, which are made without input from the public, violate federal law and are unfair.

The public is unable to participate in the underlying lawmaking process that leads to the ultimate rules, the lawyer said. And that is not just some speed bump along the administrative process. This matters as a practical matter a great degree.

Liberal Justice Elena Kagan asked Hughes why it was so urgent for the court to overrule really 10 or 12 or more decisions over the past half-century.

Congress could have done this at any time, Kagan said. Congress knows that this goes on. Congress has repeatedly acted in this sphere and shown no interest whatsoever in reversing the rule that the court has long established.
A device called a "bump stock" is attached to a semi-automatic rifle at the Gun Vault store and shooting range in South Jordan, Utah on Oct. 4, 2017. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Supreme Court Refuses to Block Trump Administrations Ban on Bump Stocks

The Supreme Court rejected efforts by gun rights activists to block the Trump administrations ban on firearm bump stocks from going into effect, according to a court order on March 28.

President Donald Trump signed a memorandum in February last year directing the Justice Department to ban all bump stock devices and other devices that turn legal weapons into machineguns.

Bump stocks are devices that allow a shooter of a semiautomatic firearm to fire continuously with a single pull of the trigger.

The courts order denied an application for a temporary stay in a Michigan lawsuit filed by groups like Gun Owners of America, which would have delayed the ban while litigation continues. This order is the second this week from the Supreme Court regarding the ban.

Chief Justice John Roberts rejected similar efforts by gun rights activists to temporarily delay the ban on March 26the same day the Trump administrations policy went into effect.

Trump began efforts to ban these devices after a gunman used them in an October 2017 shooting spree that killed 58 people at a country music festival in Las Vegas.

The Justice Department announced in December 2018 that it has amended the regulations of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to clarify that bump stock falls within the definition of machinegun under federal law, effectively restricting their use.

Department of Justice Announces Bump-Stock-Type Devices Final Rule https://t.co/AsgTwJ1zW3  Justice Department (@TheJusticeDept) December 18, 2018

President Donald Trump is a law and order president, who has signed into law millions of dollars in funding for law enforcement officers in our schools, and under his strong leadership, the Department of Justice has prosecuted more gun criminals than ever before as we target violent criminals. We are faithfully following President Trumps leadership by making clear that bump stocks, which turn semiautomatics into machine guns, are illegal, and we will continue to take illegal guns off of our streets, then-Acting Attorney General Whitaker said at the time.

As a result, any person who owned bump stocks and related devices were required to destroy the device or abandon it at the nearest ATF office without any compensation by March 26.

Semiautomatic weapons with bump stocks use the recoil of the gun to bump its trigger, enabling a semiautomatic weapon to fire hundreds of rounds per minute, which can transform it into a machine gun.

Since the Las Vegas and Florida school shootings last year, states and retailers started imposing stricter limits on sales of guns and accessories.

The National Rifle Association released a statement after the Vegas shooting calling for ATF to to immediately review whether [bump stocks] comply with federal law.

"In the aftermath of the evil and senseless attack in Las Vegas, the American people are looking for answers as to how  NRA  National Rifle Association of America  2017106

The NRA believes that devices designed to allow semi-automatic rifles to function like fully-automatic rifles should be subject to additional regulations, the statement said.

Meanwhile, several lawsuits were brought by gun activities to challenge the federal regulations in multiple states, including Michigan, Ohio, and Washington.

Those challenging the policy have argued that the ATF lacks the authority to equate bump stocks with machine guns. One of the laws at the center of the legal dispute was written more than 80 years ago, when Congress restricted access to machine guns during the heyday of American gangsters use of tommy guns.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Taiwan President, Seeking Tanks and Fighters, Says US Responding Positively

WASHINGTONTaiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said on March 27, the United States was responding positively to Taipeis requests for new arms sales to bolster its defenses in the face of growing pressure from China.

Speaking during a stopover in Hawaii at the end of a Pacific tour, Tsai told Washingtons Heritage Foundation think-tank via video link that Taiwan had submitted new requests to the United States for M-1 Abrams tanks and F-16V fighter jets.

These, she said, would greatly enhance our land and air capabilities, strengthen military morale and show to the world the U.S. commitment to Taiwans defense.

The United States has no formal ties with Taiwan but is bound by law to help provide it with the means to defend itself and is its main source of arms.

On Sunday, Washington sent Navy and Coast Guard ships through the narrow strait separating the island from the mainland, part of an increase in the frequency of U.S. movement through the strategic waterway to show support for Taipei.

Tsai said mounting pressure from China for Taiwan to accept a one country, two systems model and its attempts to alter the cross-straits status quo underscored the need for Taiwan to increase our self-defense and deterrence capabilities.

#TaiwanUS #Military #F16V

President Tsai Ing-wen announced that the Taiwanese government has decided to purchase F-16 Viper fighter jets from the U.S. and the Ministry of National Defense (MND) has submitted a Letter of Request to the U.S. https://t.co/xP6BMWO1Us  Taiwan Security Research  (@taiwan_security) March 20, 2019

Fortunately  Taiwan does not stand alone, she said. The United States commitment to Taiwan is stronger than ever.

Tsai said she felt the process of U.S. arms sales to Taiwan had become less politicized, adding: We are able to have frank discussions with the U.S. on the right equipment for Taiwans defense and the U.S. is responding positively to our request.

She said big-ticket defense items would be managed through a special budget and Taiwans regular defense budget would increase based on challenges coming across the strait.

Speaking in Beijing, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian said China opposed any arms sales to Taiwan, and that it would not brook any interference in what China views as an internal matter.

Why did Taiwans Tsai Ing-wen ask for US arms during Hawaii visit? https://t.co/MUQPzcXORk  Gander the Social Media News Network (@Social_Media_ax) March 28, 2019

Any words or actions that damage the one China principle is tantamount to shaking the foundations of Sino-U.S. ties, is inconsistent with the fundamental interests of China and the United States, and is extremely dangerous, Wu told reporters.

Tsais Pacific tour has come amid heightened tension between Taipei and Beijing, which has stepped up diplomatic and military pressure to assert its sovereignty over Taiwan.

China suspects Tsai and her pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party of pushing for the islands formal independence.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said in January that Beijing reserved the right to use force to bring Taiwan under its control, but would strive to achieve peaceful reunification.

Pressure

Beijing has regularly sent military aircraft and ships to circle the island on drills in the past few years and has heaped pressure on Taiwan internationally, including whittling by down its few remaining diplomatic allies.

Tsai stressed that Taiwan sought positive relations with Beijing, but China needed to talk without preconditions.

She said developments in Hong Kong, a former British colony that returned to Chinese rule in 1997 under a one country, two systems formula, were not encouraging.

One country, two systems will become just one country, she said. The two systems do not seem to be respected that much. So I think the experience of Hong Kong teaches the Taiwanese a lot.

China has urged the US to prevent Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen from staying in Hawaii next week. https://t.co/ENfd8oKVWM  The Australian (@australian) March 24, 2019

Tsai said this month that Taiwan has sent a request to the United States to buy an unspecified number of F-16s, a move that could add another irritant to Beijing-Washington ties.

Last week, U.S. China hawk Peter Navarro, director of the White Houses Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, wrote in the New York Times that Taiwan may soon buy 108 M-1 tanks.

Tsai, who faces re-election in January, has repeatedly called for international support to defend Taiwans democracy in the face of Chinas warnings.

Her Hawaii stopover, a customary practice for Taiwanese presidents, has drawn criticism from Beijing.

This week, Republican and Democratic U.S. lawmakers introduced legislation seeking to boost Taiwan ties, which among other things would direct the Pentagon to make efforts to include Taiwan in military training exercises and expresses congressional support for regular U.S. arms sales.

Tsai visited three diplomatic allies in the Pacific, part of an effort to prevent Taiwans 17 remaining allies from switching allegiance to China. Four of the six Pacific island nations aligned with Taiwan have elections this year.

On Monday, Naurus parliament passed a resolution supporting Taiwans democracy and opposing Beijings one-China policy after Tsai made a speech there. She also visited Palau and the Marshall Islands during her eight-day trip in which she offered support to the agriculture sectors of the island nations.
TayLor Smith, a woman who pleaded guilty to pushing her 16-year-old friend from a bridge, has been sentenced to two days in jail and 38 days on a county work crew, Vancouver, Wash., March 27, 2019. (Amanda Cowan/AP)

Teen Who Shoved Friend Off 60-Foot Bridge Sentenced to Jail

A woman who pushed her 16-year-old friend from a bridge at a popular swimming area near Vancouver has been sentenced following a plea deal on charges of reckless endangerment.

Clark County District Court Judge Darvin Zimmerman sentenced 19-year-old TayLor Smith on Wednesday, March 27, to two days in jail and 38 days on a county work crew.

Zimmerman was cited by The Associated Press as saying some jail time was justified in light of Jordan Holgersons serious injuries.

This nightmare started for me when I was falling through the airand I was really terrified, Holgerson wrote in a statement read out in court, the New York Post reported.

The Incident

Holgerson was pushed off of a bridge in Vancouver, Washington, on Aug. 7. She was standing atop the Moulton Falls bridge, which sits above the Lewis River in Clark County.

A cellphone video shows Holgerson looking down on the water while someone off-screen counts down.

Holgerson hesitates, but then someone pushed her from behind.

She could be in trouble  prosecutors say later today they will announce whether shell face any charges.- @joefryer says of the girl who pushed her friend off of a 60-foot bridge pic.twitter.com/LXFEFDoMz0  TODAY (@TODAYshow) August 17, 2018

I went to the top of the bridge and my othermy friend  she came up to the bridge with me, Holgerson told KATU from her hospital bed as she described the moments leading up to the push.

And so, she was counting down, but I didnt think anything of it. And I was like, No, dont count down, like, I wont go if you count down. Im not ready. And then, she pushed me.

Holgerson suffered five broken ribs, a punctured lung, and air bubbles in her chest.

Heres the bridge in Yacolt a teenager was shoved off of, shes in the hospital recovering after breaking her ribs. #LiveOnK2 https://t.co/9IZ660iNwl pic.twitter.com/Rub8YlvuBu  Reed Buterbaugh (@Reed_PDX) August 9, 2018

Plea Deal

Despite admitting to pushing her friend off the bridge, Smith initially entered a not guilty plea during her first court appearance on Sept. 7, reported KOIN.

Smith appeared on ABCs Good Morning America show and said Holgerson wanted to jump and she was scared, and she had asked me to give her a push.

I didnt think about the consequences, Smith added. I thought she would be fine.

Prosecutors cited a statement by the arresting officer that stated in part, It is clear that Taylor Smith engaged in conduct, which created a substantial risk of death and resulted in serious physical injury to Jordan Holgerson.

Smith faced charges of reckless endangerment and a possible maximum sentence of one year behind bars.

She was later offered a plea deal, announced on Feb. 11 by her attorney, reported the Columbian.

The details of the plea were not disclosed.

At first I didnt really want TayLor to get into trouble, Holgerson told NBC last August. But now that Ive thought about it more, Im kind of wanting her to sit in jail and think about at least what she did.

The Sentencing

In court Wednesday, Holgerson said she still struggled with physical therapy, pain, anxiety, and panic attacks.

I didnt ask for any this, but last summer my said-to-be good friend changed my life for the worst, Holgerson read from a statement, as reported by the New York Post.

Holgerson was terrified when she was pushed and when she was in the water thought she was going to die.

She wrote in the statement that she suffers from PTSD and insomnia.

Holgersons mother expressed relief her daughters injuries werent more severe.

We feel lucky today that she is alive, Genelle Holgerson told the judge of the incident involving her daughter, adding that shed like to see some jail time. It has cost me and my family lost wages not to mention stress and heartache.

Smith apologized to Holgerson in court saying Holgerson has been in her thoughts and that she has and will continue to do her best to right her wrongs.

She broke down in tears when a deputy handcuffed her and led her out of the courtroom.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
An electron microscope image of a tapeworm's head. ("Tapeworm SEM" by Mogana Das Murtey and Patchamuthu Ramasamy [CC BY-SA 3.0 (ept.ms/2Bw5evC)])

Teenager Dies After Tapeworm Infection Left His Brain Riddled With Cysts

A teenager died after his brain became riddled with hundreds of larvae from a tapeworm often picked up from eating pork.

The case of the unnamed 18-year-old in India was featured in the New England Journal of Medicine, which showed MRI scans of his brain, dotted with white specks that indicated where cysts had formed.

The boy was admitted to ESIC Hospital in Faridabad, India, suffering from tonic-clonic epileptic fits.

He was in a confused state, with swelling over his right eye and a pain in his groin.

Ultrasound also revealed that the pain in his groin and eye was caused by further cysts in those regionsby larvae from the tapeworm.

The most dangerous aspect of Taenia solium infection is not the tapeworm absorbing nutrients in ones gut, which can go undetected for many years.

The tapeworm also produces eggs, which can spread to other parts of the body, where they form cysts and damage tissuesa disease known as cysticercosis.

If cysts form in the brain it is known as neurocysticercosis, and is a major cause of epileptic fits in the developing world.

Anti-parasitic medicines can be used to treat tapeworm infections and some cases of cysticercosis.

But the teenager had so many cysts that his doctors feared the anti-parasitic drug might cause further inflammation and cause swelling in the brain and eyes.

He was treated instead with dexamethasone and antiepileptic medications, but died two weeks later.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), tapeworm infections are the leading preventable cause of epilepsy in the developing world.

Humans become infected after consuming undercooked food, particularly pork, or water contaminated with tapeworm eggs, or through poor hygiene practices, the WHO says.

Taeniasis is the intestinal infection of the adult tapeworm. When left untreated, a more serious condition known as cysticercosis develops as T. solium larvae invade body tissues. When larvae build up in the central nervous system, muscles, skin and eyes, it leads to neurocysticercosisthe most severe form of the disease and a common cause of seizures worldwide.

The tonic-clonic seizures experienced by the Indian teenager are what used to be called grand mal seizures.

As the name suggests, the seizures have two phases: First, the person loses consciousness as all of the muscles go stiff as they fall to the floor if they are standing. Then the limbs jerk rhythmically.

According to WHO, Cysticercosis is a natural infection of pigs, but it can also affect humans, usually when they swallow T. solium egg-contaminated soil, water or food (mainly vegetables).

Taeniasis [a tapeworm infection] and cysticercosis are common in areas where animal husbandry practices are such that pigs come into contact with human faeces.

Tapeworm infections can also come from fish.

In California last year it was reported a man appeared at an ER in California wanting to be treated for a tapeworm infection.

Doctors were skepticaluntil he produced a grocery bag with a five-foot worm inside.

The patient at first thought that his guts were coming out, according to Dr. Kenny Bahn, who treated him at a hospital in Fresno, describing the case on the podcast This Wont Hurt a Bit.

Bhan was initially mystified by how the patient had contracted the parasite, usually associated with drinking from wells in third world countries.

But the unnamed man hadnt been out of the country, said Bahn.

Then he says, the only thing is I love sushi. Do you think it came from the salmon. I eat salmon almost every day.

He loves salmon sashimi, Bahn said.



Salmon are known to carry the parasitic larvae, which can then develop into the full-blown tapeworm in human guts.

However, the cooking process kills them completely. Eating raw fish carries a riskwhich is why salmon sushi is flash-frozen, which should make it completely safe.

In 2017, research by the CDC showed that some Alaskan salmon contained tapeworm larvae.
Waters rise on the Elkhorn River south of Arlington, Neb., on March 15, 2019. (Nati Harnik/AP)

The Midwest Flooding Has Killed Livestock, Ruined Harvests and Has Farmers Worried for Their Future

Farmers in parts of Nebraska and Iowa had precious little time to move themselves from the floodwaters that rushed over their lands last week, so many left their livestock and last years harvest behind.

Now as they watch the new lakes that overtook their property slowly recede, some have a painfully long time to reflect: They lost so much, staying in business will be a mighty struggle.

Across parts of the Midwest, hundreds of livestock are drowned or stranded; valuable unsold, stored grain is ruined in submerged storage bins; and fields are like lakes, casting doubt on whether they can be planted this year.

Historic, widespread flooding will continue through May, NOAA says

These are especially cruel times for Nebraska and Iowa farmers who had to scrape money to keep going just eight years ago, when floods overtook their lands in 2011.

I would say 50% of the farmers in our area will not recover from this, Dustin Sheldon, a farmer in southwestern Iowas flood-devastated Fremont County near the swollen Missouri River, said this week.

700 Hogs Drowned at One Farm

Floodwaters washed over the Plains and Upper Midwest as a bomb cyclone dropped heavy rain and snow last week, and as previous snow and ice melted.

Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts called this the most widespread disaster we have had in our states history. Officials expect their initial farm damage estimates$400 million in damages to crops, and $400 million in lost livestock, will be exceeded, Nebraska Department of Agriculture spokeswoman Christin Kamm said.

In Iowa, after Gov. Kim Reynolds flew over flooded farms in a helicopter, she said she could see only the tops of grain bins sticking out of what looked like an ocean.

Farmers and ranchers have been especially hard hit. In rural eastern Nebraska outside of Omaha, farmer Eric Alberts told CNN affiliate WOWT that about 700 of his hogs drowned, many in his barn.

He was trying to move his animals when the waters started rising last week.

Within 30 minutes, we had over 2 feet of water come through the front barn, and just swells were coming, and we barely made it out of here, leaving most of the animals behind, he told WOWT.

The fate of other animals is a mystery. Sheldon, the Iowa farmer, said Wednesday he knows of six facilities holding about 3,000 pigs each  and no one was immediately able to reach the flooded buildings to see how the livestock fared.

Rescue groups have tried to help in some cases.

Over the weekend, Iowan Scott Shehan crossed state lines to help ferry donkeys and ponies to dry land. In one of his Facebook videos, rescuers used a makeshift floating platformpushed by an airboatto get a pony out of a stranded portion of Sycamore Farms in Waterloo, Nebraska, on Sunday.

At least one donkey was found dead there, he said.

Nobody could plan for this, Shehan, co-owner of Lusco Farms Rescue, told CNN. Its flooded in places its never flooded before.

A Farmer Says He Lost Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars in Ruined Harvest

Beyond livestock, crop lossboth harvested and not yet plantedwill weigh heavily on farmers.

In Iowas Fremont County, Sheldons farm supports three families. Floodwaters got into their bins, ruining about 75% to 80% of their stored crop.

He estimates thats hundreds of thousands of dollars of revenue lostmoney that now cant support the families or pay the farms expenses.

Farmers commonly store the harvest and sell portions throughout the year, sometimes to wait for better prices in the spring. Losing it is devastating.

In 2011, we thought we had the 500-year floodthe Noahs Ark of all floods, Sheldon, who also is the Fremont County supervisor, told CNN. We didnt file bankruptcy, but we went though some really tough times on the money side.

It took every dime of money our family had to put the land back into production at the level it was. Here, eight years later, we are right back to square one.

Some Farmers Fear They Wont Plant This Year

In that same county, farmer and fire chief Dan Sturm spent a chilly Wednesday morning wrestling with numerous problems on one hour of sleep in the small community of Hamburg.

Flooding knocked out water service in the tiny city, and he and others were trying to pump watershuttled from other towns in tanker trucksinto the water system so residents could use it for bathing and flushing while awaiting a more permanent fix.

His farm wasnt floodedhe lives on high ground. But he knows many farmers in the area whose binsstoring thousands of bushels of corn and soybeanswere deluged.

One bushel of corn sells for about $3.40. So just 10,000 ruined bushels means around $34,000 in lost revenue.

Lost harvests arent the only problem. Its unclear whether the fields will be good for planting this year.

More than likely, they will not be able to put in a crop this year, because of flooding now, and because we will not have time to do any levee repairs to protect this years crop, Sturm said.

This already was a financially challenging time. Midwestern farm bankruptcies were up 19% in 2018 from a year prior, and at the highest level in more than 10 years, according to the American Farm Bureau.

Market conditions have been tough. Soybean sales have slowed through a trade war with China, a top buyer. Corn cash receipts have been below a 10-year average for four straight years, the American Farm Bureau says.

Insurance Policies and Other Programs May Help

There are insurance products that could help farmersif they had them.

First, consider the revenue farmers will lose if they arent able to plant this year. About 90% of Iowas tillable acres are covered by crop insurance, and many of these coverages guarantee some revenue when planting is prevented, said Steven Johnson, a farm management specialist at Iowa State University.

On one hand, the guarantee is limited. Such policies typically will pay 55% of covered corn revenue and 60% of soybean revenue, he said.

On the other hand, a farmer who cant plant wont have to spend on seed, fertilization or harvesting.

Second, look at the ruined crops in storage. Since theyre harvested, crop insurance doesnt cover these.

But some farmers will have a separate, blanket policy that covers buildings, machinery, equipment and stored crop, Johnson said.

Even if farmers do have this separate policy, that doesnt mean they wont suffer losses.

A $2 million blanket policy, for example, may have a $10,000 deductible the farmer pays out of pocket, Johnson said.

Federal programs also can assist. The US Farm Service Agency offers money to livestock owners whove lost animals because of weather. It also offers funding to help them rehabilitate land damaged by natural disasters, in addition to emergency loans.

Sturm, the fire chief and farmer in Hamburg, said some farms could be destroyed financially if they deal with both loss of stored harvest and inability to plant this year.

Theres many farmers that are not going to know what to do. Theyll probably look for some type of assistance, (but) its simply going to be devastating, he said.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a Rose Garden event at the White House in Washington, on April 12, 2018. President Trump gave remarks on tax cuts for American workers. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Wealthy People in High-Tax States May Pay More in Federal Taxes Under New Code

WASHINGTONContrary to standard Democratic talking points, rich people in high-tax states such as New York, New Jersey, and California will likely pay higher federal taxes under the new tax code than under the old law.

The new cap on deductions of state and local taxes (SALT) may increase the tax burden for residents of the high state- and local-tax states who earn more than $500,000, according to a report titled Rich States, Poor States, published by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).

Under the previous tax code, individuals who itemized their deductions were able to deduct all their SALT against their federal taxable income.

A provision of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), however, limits individuals deduction for SALT payments to $10,000 a year ($5,000 for a married person filing a separate return). Any state and local individual income or property tax payments in excess of that amount are no longer deductible by individual taxpayers. Businesses, however, can deduct state and local taxes with no limit.

The U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration predicts that the new cap on SALT deductions will affect nearly 11 million taxpayers, who will lose the opportunity to deduct a cumulative $323 billion.

States with higher individual income and property tax rates have objected to this cap and tried to create tax maneuvers to avoid this new limit. Andrew Cuomo, the Democratic governor of New York, called Trumps tax reform crass, ugly, divisive, and partisan.

According to Cuomo, the change in SALT deduction was a declaration of an economic civil war between Democratic states and Republican states.

Governors of Connecticut, Illinois, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington, Rhode Island, and Hawaii also joined Cuomos fight against the SALT deduction limit. Theyve urged Congress to reverse it.

Repealing Cap Benefits Rich

Blue state Democrats insist that the SALT cap is unfair to their residents and consider it a deliberate political assault. According to a report by the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, however, repealing the SALT deduction cap would mostly benefit high-income taxpayers.

More than a quarter of the benefit in repealing the cap would go to the top 0.1 percent of income-earners, the report shows. And the top 1 percent of households, those making over $755,000, would receive more than 56 percent of the benefit.

Upper-income households would do especially well if the SALT cap is killed, the report said, because the new tax bill also significantly weakened the individual Alternative Minimum Tax and repealed the limitation on itemized deductions. Both were used in the past to limit the federal tax subsidy for state and local tax payments by high-income households.

On average, New York millionaires pay about $500,000 in SALT per year, whereas millionaires in Texas pay about $70,000, according to Rachel Greszler, a research fellow at the Heritage Foundation.

With the highest federal income tax rate being approximately 40 percent, the effect of the SALT deduction on federal returns meant that individual filers could save up to 40 cents in federal taxes for every dollar of state taxes paid.

Hence, if the cap were repealed, federal taxpayers would give the New York millionaires roughly a $200,000 break on their federal taxes and give the Texas millionaires roughly a $28,000 break, Greszler said at a Heritage Foundation event on Mar. 18.

Republicans argue the state and local tax deduction mostly benefits wealthy individuals and is unfair to residents in lower-tax states.

According to Adam Michel, senior policy analyst at the Heritage Foundation, the SALT deduction makes people in low-tax states such as Tennessee and Texas subsidize high-tax states like California and New York.

Capping the SALT deduction at $10,000 creates an incredible opportunity for states to reform their tax systems and revise the detrimental impact that the subsidy was having on states around the country, he said at The Heritage Foundation event.

Michel also rejected claims that the SALT cap is a political tool to punish blue states. He said that it simply aimed at getting rid of the subsidy that previously existed.

We looked at every congressional district around the country and Democrats tend to represent congressional districts that are impacted both the most by the SALT cap and the least by the SALT cap, he said. They represent high-income districts and low-income districts.

Taxes Affect Migration and Growth

New York has one of the highest state and local tax rates in the country. The state lost more than 1.3 million residents over the past decade to more economically competitive states, according to the Rich States, Poor States report. States that lowered their corporate and personal income tax rates have witnessed benefits such as higher in-migration and economic growth, the report said.

Michel said the highly progressive tax system isnt only detrimental to a states economy but also to its budget. One wealthy resident can move out of the state, putting the entire state budget at risk, he said.

In 2016, for example, hedge-fund billionaire and New Jerseys wealthiest resident David Tepper changed his domicile to Florida, leaving a hole of hundreds of millions of dollars in New Jerseys budget overnight.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which was signed into law on Dec. 22, 2017, reduced individual tax rates, narrowed itemized deductions, and nearly doubled the standard deduction for individuals. It also doubled the child tax credit.
Trump and House Republicans Call on Adam Schiff to Resign

President Donald Trump and Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee on March 28 called for the resignation of House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.)

Congressman Adam Schiff, who spent two years knowingly and unlawfully lying and leaking, should be forced to resign from Congress! Trump wrote on Twitter on March 28.

The president issued the message as nine Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee sent Schiff a letter calling on him to step down from his post as chairman of the committee.

Congressman Adam Schiff, who spent two years knowingly and unlawfully lying and leaking, should be forced to resign from Congress!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 28, 2019

In the letter, the nine Republicans wrote that Schiffs actions both past and present are incompatible with your duty as chairman of this committee.

As such, we have no faith in your ability to discharge your duty in a manner consistent with your Constitutional responsibility and urge your immediate resignation as Chairman of this Committee.

Republicans including Rep. Devin Nunes (Calif.), Rep. Michael Conaway (Texas), Rep. Michael Turner (Ohio), Rep. Brad Wenstrup (Ohio), Rep. Chris Stewart (Utah), Rep Eric Crawford (Ark.), Rep. Elise Stefanik (N.Y.), Rep. Will Hurd (Texas), and Rep. John Ratcliffe (Texas) signed the missive. Similar to the president, the Republicans appear to accuse Schiff of lying and leaking information to sustain the collusion narrative.

Your repeated public statements, which implied knowledge of classified facts supporting the collusion allegations, occurred at the same time anonymous leaks of alleged intelligence and law enforcement information were appearing in the media, the letter stated.

GOP letter asking Schiff to resign as House Intelligence Committee chairman: pic.twitter.com/QfRbnfD1cO  Kristina Wong  (@kristina_wong) March 28, 2019

Schiff has been the leading voice among the Democrats claiming to have evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. He has not released any evidence despite becoming the chair of the intelligence committee this year and having the power to do so.

Calls for Schiff to resign began after special counsel Robert Mueller concluded a 22-month investigation and reported that there is no evidence of conspiracy or coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia.

White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said on March 25 that Schiff should resign for peddling a lie.

He has no right as somebody who has been peddling a lie day after day after day unchallenged, she said.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) did not go as far as to ask Schiff to step down from Congress but demanded that the California Democrat step down from his chairmanship of the intelligence committee.

He owes an apology to the American public, McCarthy told Fox News. There is no place in Adam Schiffs world or in Congress that he should be chair of the intel committee.

Despite Muellers conclusion that there is no evidence of collusion, Schiff stands by his prior statements.

Mueller did not find sufficient evidence to establish conspiracy, notwithstanding Russian offers to help Trumps campaign, their acceptance, and a litany of concealed interactions with Russia, Schiff wrote on Twitter, without offering evidence. I trust Muellers prosecutorial judgment, but the country must see the evidence.

Mueller did not find sufficient evidence to establish conspiracy, notwithstanding Russian offers to help Trumps campaign, their acceptance, and a litany of concealed interactions with Russia. I trust Muellers prosecutorial judgement, but the country must see the evidence.  Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) March 24, 2019

Schiff shrugged off calls for his resignation, telling CNN that he is more than used to attacks from my GOP colleagues and I would expect nothing less.

Ashley Etienne, a spokeswoman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) defended Schiff.

Democrats arent going to be intimidated by the White House or congressional Republicans, were not going to be distracted from securing the release of the full Mueller report and the underlying evidence, and we will continue to pursue legitimate oversight because thats what the Constitution requires, Etienne told Politico.

Reporting on statements by politicians insulates the media from libel claims. As a result, Democratic politicians became useful conduits for establishment media outlets, which sustained the Russia-collusion narrative without evidence.

The Washington Post, The New York Times, CNN, and MSNBC led the charge in sustaining the collusion narrative, publishing more than 8,500 articles on the investigation since Mueller was appointed in May 2017, according to research by the Republican National Committee.

The bulk of the news coverage misrepresented developments in the Mueller investigation as further evidence of collusion, even though both prosecutors and the deputy attorney general specifically noted at various stages of the Mueller probe that no American has been charged with conspiring with Russia. The coverage continued even after the House Intelligence Committee concluded more than a year ago that there was no evidence of collusion.

In the meantime, television networks devoted 38 hours of coverage spinning the false Russia-collusion narrative, according to a review of news coverage by the Media Research Center, a level of coverage one senior editor said is normally associated only with a major war or a presidential election.
Trump Campaign Adviser Calls for Investigation Into Origins of Russia Collusion Narrative

Special counsel Robert Mueller has concluded his probe and determined there is no evidence showing that President Donald Trump colluded with Russia.

In this episode of American Thought Leaders, Jason Meister, an adviser to the Trump 2020 campaign, says its time to investigate the origins of the Russia collusion claims.

Meister says that Hillary Clinton, the Democratic National Committee, and the so-called Steele dossier should all be investigated, so that the nation can heal and move on from this.

Jan Jekielek: In February 2018over a year ago nowyou wrote a column for The Epoch Times, and Im going to quote something that you wrote that I thought was fascinating. You wrote, Muellers investigation is a total sham and the president should treat it as such. Mueller should be put to the test. Let him indict whoever he has evidence to indict and then pack his bags. It seems like things have actually played out as you were suggesting then. What I want to know is, what made you so sure of your outcome at the time?

Jason Meister: Thats a good question. I think that if youre paying attention, if youre consuming news from reliable sources like The Epoch Timesyou guys have been on top of this story since Day Oneand I think that it was just my acute sense of the news and staying on top of what was actually occurring. This was the greatest political scandal in American history. It makes Watergate look like a nothing situation. And its the story of our time. The fact that President Trump was able to win the election, with this conspiracy theory sort of pointed at him, is just one of the most amazing political feats in American history. So, what a story that we get to talk about today and finally have behind us.

Mr. Jekielek: It was a very bold thing to say, I think, especially given what we saw and a lot of media back then. [There were] a lot of suggestions that Mueller is going to come in, hes going to indict President Trumps family, he is going to indict the president himself, and its just moments away, the evidence is coming, the evidence is coming. You went out on a limb and you said, Let this play out. Lets see what actually comes of it. I think there werent a lot of people saying that.

Mr. Meister: No, there definitely wasnt. But you could tell.

Mr. Jekielek: I mean, that believed he was innocent. Can you expand on that a little bit? How is it that you had the courage to be so unequivocal in this?

Mr. Meister: Look, this was a result of not accepting the results of an election of a duly elected president, OK? There was no collusion. The American people voted for a president and he won. He didnt go to Russia. He went to the states that he needed to win the Electoral College. And Hillary Clinton didnt do thatshe was inefficient in her policies, there was criminal behavior behind her. And so I think that, really, this was the result of not accepting the results of an election and thats why this all unfolded.

Mr. Jekielek: So, let me read a quote here. This is actually a tweet from the president. He wrote, No collusion, no obstruction, complete and total exoneration. Keep America Great. Is what were seeing: Truly total exoneration? Im seeing a lot of folks not agreeing with that statement out there.

Mr. Meister: They dont want to lay in the beds that they made for themselves. This is a complete exoneration of the president and his campaign. This was a conspiracy theory that was pushed for two years. You had 2,800 subpoenas. You had 500 witnesses. You had 500 search warrants. You had 280 some-odd communications that were looked at. You had 13 foreign government intel investigations. This was a complete exoneration. It couldnt be more of an exoneration for the president. This is a great day for the president.

Now, its time to look at how this all unfolded. What actually occurred? How did this investigation get opened to begin with? Thats what the American people need, to really heal and move on from this.

Mr. Jekielek: President Trump has been saying it all alongno collusion. Weve seen it a few times. I guess my question is: What else do you think hes been right on that the media dont seem to understand?

Mr. Meister: The media dont understand a lot. Theyve been pushing fake news 

Mr. Jekielek: Lets say the legacy media, because theres certainly some media out there 

Mr. Meister: Theres some, but its very limited. Look at the Covington boys story. Look at the Jussie Smollett story. Look at the Russian collusion hoax story. If you just look over the past six months, every storyone after the nextwas fake, pushed. It was a narrative that the liberal mainstream media wanted to push and brainwash Americans to think one thing, when the reality was the complete opposite.

So, theyve taken a huge blow. This president is a pragmatist [and] hes a problem solver. Its not about, any longer, the Democrats or the Republicans. Its about solving Americas problems and making this country great again. And I think that what the media doesnt understand is that this president isnt an ideologue, and hes not going to fit into a little box or into their narrative. And whats happened is what many people have called Trump Derangement Syndrome.

Mr. Jekielek: Right.

Mr. Meister: This is a real thing. And its really just  its driven people to hysteria, like the Russian collusion stuff thats been sort of put out there into the media in sort of a brainwashing wayjust like the way that they put the Smollett story or the Covington boys story. So I think that been a major blow to the legacy media.

Mr. Jekielek: I guess this is kind of an opportunity for the legacy media to do some soul searching. What do you think?

Mr. Meister: I think its time. I dont know if it will actually happen, but I think that we are at a moment in American history for some self-reflection. And also for some honest reporters and networks to think really long and hard about what has unfolded over the last two years, and [whether] they want to exist, because they will go extinct like the dinosaurs. No, Im not kidding. You know, social media, in some respects, has put a check on the legacy media. And thats why you had some of these stories that were totally faked stories, corrected by peopleindividuals that had social media accounts that  like a video camera, like where the Covington boys were and they can see what actually happened.

What happens is that that video goes viral on social media, and then all Americans can see that what was being pushed upon them and what they were being brainwashed with was completely not true.

Mr. Jekielek: So  this so-called Trump Derangement Syndromeits very interesting to me because it suggests [a sort of] an illness, and that people dont really know what theyre doing. I guess my question is: When you say, Oh yeah, theres Trump Derangement Syndrome, are people who have this so-called Trump Derangement Syndrome responsible for themselves in this? Is there something else that  you mentioned brainwashing  Can you unpackage that for me?

Mr. Meister: I think its driven the legacy media crazy. This president has driven the legacy media crazy. So they become crazy. They lose a sense of rational thought. They lose a sense of facts and 

Mr. Jekielek: So this refers to media mostly 

Mr. Meister: Well, no, I think that it refers to  I am discussing the media now, but its the other side of the aislemany Democrats have this Trump Derangement Syndrome. Many of my colleagues and many of my friends have this [too]. Its a syndrome that  and I dont blame them necessarily, I think that its this hysteria of wanting something to be true thats not true, because they want to get the president. They want to, you know, impeach the president,  but, in reality, they cant, because hes done nothing wrong. And so thats what we see in this whole Mueller investigation and this report that came out.

Mr. Jekielek: It sounds like youre putting the reason for this hysteria, lets say, beyond the media itself, at least, into the hands of the media. Is that fair?

Mr. Meister: Well, I think the media perpetrates and furthers it because people consume media and they consume news. And if theyre consuming something thats being put out by reporters with Trump Derangement Syndrome, theyre not going to be getting facts, theyre not really getting reality. Just like you had the Smollett story or the Covington story, where they were reporting something that was literally the opposite of what actually occurred. So I do point blame towards the media. I think that the media needs to live up to their lies. I dont blame the people that consume the news, because thats the news that theyre consuming and they dont know any better.

Mr. Jekielek: Actually, Ive heard a lot and I remember watching a kind of back and forth on CNN with Chris Cuomo and Matt Schlapp about this, in which Cuomo was talking about, Oh, look the president lies, he lies, and he just wouldnt let Matt get a word in. And this seems to be a very common statement, lets call it a narrative. Yet, in this situation, I mean, surely there is some evidence to support this whole Russia collusion thing? How did this all happen? Could this just be a complete and total lie from the beginning? Its just hard to fathom, I think, for many of our viewers.

Mr. Meister: Its very unfortunate but it is a sham. You basically had a fake dossier, the fake Trump dossier, which was paid for by Hillary Clinton and the Democratic National Committee. It was then taken to the high-ups at the Obama administration. They then went to the FISA court to get a warrant to spy on the opposition candidate and his campaign [who are] all by the wayprivate U.S. citizens. And that abuse of the FISA courts and that abuse of our system is what youre seeing play out in this Mueller investigationnot one indictment of any single individual. After two years of investigatingnot one indictment. Its a complete sham.

Mr. Jekielek: Well, there were some indictments.

Mr. Meister: Well, there was. But none of them, not oneand youll hear this in the media that there was this indictment and that indictmentnot one indictment having anything remotely to do with Russia or collusion. And thats a very important thing to point out. Theyre victims of Russiagate, which is the biggest disinformation campaign in American history.

Mr. Jekielek: What do you make of Attorney General Barr basically being given the license from Mueller to decide, based on the evidence, [if] there was obstruction or not. What do you make of Mueller deciding to walk away from answering that question?

Mr. Meister: I dont make much of it. I think that Mueller was the [one] who conducted the investigation, and hes giving it to a third party to sort of read through it and then deliver the results to the American people, and he did.

Mr. Jekielek: Theres a lot of people, actually, of all stripes politically, that are calling for a full release of the report. What do you make of that?

Mr. Meister: I think thats great. I think transparency is a great thing. I think we need transparency to heal from this terrible collusion hysteria thats gone on for two years. Its ripped this country apart. The media has dragged us through the mud, and I think its time for transparency, so that all Americans can see the sham that it is.

Mr. Jekielek: So youre advocating for more investigation, just to shift of the focus. Is that what I think 

Mr. Meister: Its time for the real investigationthe investigation into Hillary Clinton, into the DNC, into the fake dossier, into the Steele dossier that created this entire mess, into Comey, into all the perpetrators of this Russian collusion hoax. I think its very important. We live in a country where theres the rule of law, and people that break the law need to be punished for those laws that were broken. I think that we need, as a country, to heal and figure out how we got into the mess that were in.

You cant just have a sham for two years2,800 subpoenas, 500 witnesses, 500 search warrantsand not have any rational reason for that and not have any understanding of where that came from and why were here today.

Mr. Jekielek: Senator Lindsey Graham, the head of the Senate Judiciary Committee, seems to agree with your idea that there should be an investigation. Hes actually inviting Attorney General Barr to testify. I also heard that Congressman Nadler is also inviting Barr to testify. What are your thoughts?

Mr. Meister: I think that they should come and testify. We should hear what they have to sayunder oath. I think that, again, in order for this country to heal after two years of being ripped apart  and I actually do feel bad for people that believed this nonsense. You know, people go about their lives every daythey go to work, they take care of their families. Theyre not in the weeds on this stuff. And you put on CNN and you put on MSNBC, and its 24 hours-a-day complete nonsense stories. I dont know the numbers, but the amount of stories per day, I think it was like 13 stories per day on this for the past two years.

The American people were brainwashed into believing a complete hoax. And I think that in order to heal and get beyond this we need to really understand the truth. And the American people need to understand the fake dossier. How did Obamas administration get a FISA warrant to spy on an opposition candidate? Just think about that for a second. I mean thats a banana republic. We have an election, we have a Democrat running and a Republican running, and the sitting president of the United States of America on the Democrat side was spying on the opposition campaign and candidate for president of the United States.

Mr. Jekielek: Allegedly.

Mr. Meister: He was spying on it. No, no, we know that there were wiretaps. We know that the FBI was looking at the Trump campaign. We know that there were phone taps and email taps. And why were those phones and emails tapped? Because of the fake dossier, which was paid for by Hillary Clinton and the DNC. We need to get to the bottom of this. Its a very serious matter. So I hope that the Republicans and I hope that the Trump administration do.

Mr. Jekielek: So you feel theres some kind of reckoning coming? The reason Im asking this is because Ive seen a lot of kind of cynical chatter in the social mediaso the narrative is well just shift and there will be some other issues, perhaps. You know, theres all sorts of investigationsI think 81 or something like thatdifferent investigations that are the really important thing actually, maybe the Mueller report isnt that important.

Mr. Meister: Thats what theyre saying today.

Mr. Jekielek: And if you folks have said well, wait a sec, this was two years. This is like you said the biggest deal, its a bigger deal than Watergate. So its not going to go away so fast.

Mr. Meister: Its not going away fast. And the president and this administration has been focused on the American people, on the economy, on tax reform, and has been making America great again from the time hes taken his position in office. And he will continue to do so going forward. By the way, I think that with this cloud off him and his administration, hes going to do even better than before. But I think that its vitally important to this country that we get to the bottom of how this all came about. How did this sham hoax, collusion illusion come about to begin with?

Mr. Jekielek: It just occurred to me that I think there have even been Pulitzer Prizes that have been won on the basis of reporting around Russia collusion. What does this conclusion mean for the media and the outlook for the legacy media?

Mr. Meister: I think this past weekend, with the Mueller report totally exonerating the president after two years of a fake hoax, puts the media in a terrible place. I think that theyve lost tremendous credibility. They were losing credibility leading up to this, but it was a major blow. And I think that people  I mean, I cant imagine. I was thinking about that this morning as people were getting up for work and they were getting dressed and they put on the news like I did. How could you even put on CNN, how could you put on MSNBC and actually watch that? I mean, you might as do, well, like my children dowatch Bugs Bunny. There is no reality to what was being pushed over the last two years. How could they have any credibility left for you to even give them a second of your time? I do think it was a massive blow to the mainstream media, mostly the liberal mainstream media. I think that it will have a huge impact on the 2020 race.

Mr. Jekielek: So thats actually the big question, isnt it?

Mr. Meister: Im sure.

Mr. Jekielek: I imagine that the president will be discussing this exoneration for at least a bit of time. Obviously, its incredibly important for the American people to know what the Department of Justice thinks about all of this.

Mr. Meister: Right.

Mr. Jekielek: How do you feel the outlook changes for 2020, or does it?

Mr. Meister: I think it does change a lot. I think that you had  well, first of all, on the one hand, you had 2020 Democrat contenders that are vying for the nomination pushing this complete hoax for two yearsBernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, Cory Booker. Weve all heard quotes from them believing in this nonsense. So I think that thats going to have a real impact on them. I think I saw over the weekend, Beto ORourke was giving a speech somewhere in a gymnasium and he was pushing the collusion delusion. So I think that is going to have a huge impact on the 2020 race. But I think the broader thing that I see is the fact that President Trump ran on  that theres this establishment and hes running against the establishment. I think thats the broader theme. The media, the corrupt politicians, like what happened in the 2016 election, the fake dossierits all true. His criticism of the media being totally at odds with him and constantly giving him negative press and jumping down his  running against him on the collusion stuff. Its all feeding into what hes been saying, and hes right about it and its a vindication. So I think its going to have a huge impact in 2020.

Mr. Jekielek: So there were several people, even some very prominent people, like the head of the House Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff [and] DNC Chairman Tom Perez. Theyve saidI hope Im saying this righttheyve seen evidence of collusion. I believe that something like that was said by both of those people. What do you make of that?

Mr. Meister: What do I make of it? We spent 35 million dollars. Like I said earlier, there were 2,800 subpoenas, 500 witnesses, 500 search warrants. There was no collusion. And Mueller said in his report that there was no collusion between President Trump, his campaign, and the Russians. So I think that its such a disgrace that politicians at the highest levels of our government areeven after Mueller comes out with a reportsaying these types of things and pushing this fraud onto the American people. I think weve had enough of it and now its time to get to the bottom of it.

Mr. Jekielek: OK, so what would you recommend for folks that have gone out on a limb and said this? Or do you think there is something that they have [something] tangible?

Mr. Meister: They have nothing. Thats why were here where we are today. I think that its a dereliction of their duties as who weve elected. I think that it takes  again, its a major blow to their credibility as individuals. Theyve been pushing this hoax for two years, and I think that we need to investigate what actually occurred here. How did this fake dossier that was paid for by Clinton and the DNC get into the hands of a FISA court for a warrant? Who at the Obama administration knew about this and how did they go about getting the FISA warrant? These abuses Devin Nunes has spoken out about over the last two years, I think we need to get to the bottom of all that. And, again, I dont think Americans can heal until they get to the bottom of it.

Mr. Jekielek: Ostensibly, you know, no collusion basically says whatever they used to get that spying in the first place was simply not enough. Because FISA warrants  its a very big deal to get one of those things, especially for an American, from what I understand.

Mr. Meister: Thats right. So, look, I think that we do have some investigating to do. I think weve already found out a lot about this fake dossier. Theres a lot more to find out. But I think that, again, we live in a country that has a rule of law, and we need to stand by the rule of law. People that break the laws in our country have to be punished for doing so.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

American Thought Leaders is a new Epoch Times show available on Facebook and YouTube.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Trump: Jussie Smollett Case Will Be Reviewed by FBI, Department of Justice

President Donald Trump said federal authorities will review the case against Empire actor Jussie Smollett.

Following a weekslong probe into an alleged hate crime against Smollett, the Chicago Police Department announced that he had faked the alleged assault, hiring two friends to pose as Trump supporters and beat him up.

A grand jury returned 16 felony counts stemming from filing a false police report.

But on March 26, in a stunning turn of events, prosecutors decided to drop all the charges against Smollett despite the lead prosecutor admitting that the case was solid.

Calling the deal an agreement, the Cook County State Attorneys Office said the charges were dropped in exchange for 16 hours of community service and the actor agreeing to forfeit his $10,000 bond.

As Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel considers suing Smollett to recover the money spent on the investigation, Trump commented on the situation early March 28, alerting people that he was getting federal authorities involved.

FBI & DOJ to review the outrageous Jussie Smollett case in Chicago. It is an embarrassment to our Nation! he said in a post on Twitter.

The FBI is already conducting a probe into a threatening letter Smollett received on set on Empire in Chicago. According to the police, the letter was orchestrated by Smollett himself.

FBI & DOJ to review the outrageous Jussie Smollett case in Chicago. It is an embarrassment to our Nation!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 28, 2019

Trumps announcement came as the National District Attorneys Association condemned the prosecutors office for how it handled the case.

In a press release (pdf) about best practices for prosecutors dealing with high-profile cases, the group stated: The local prosecutors involved in the case must weigh all the facts and determine the best path forward to ensure justice is served.

Referring to how lead prosecutor Kim Foxx recused herself from the case for speaking with a member of Smolletts family before the actor was arrested, the group said, When a chief prosecutor recuses him or herself, the recusal must apply to the entire office  This is consistent with best practices for prosecutors offices around the country.

Regarding Foxx taking advice from a former aide to former first lady Michelle Obama, the group stated: Prosecutors should not take advice from politically connected friends of the accused. Each case should be approached with the goal of justice for victims while protecting the rights of the defendant.

Taking aim at how the agreement didnt include Smollett admitting wrongdoing, the group added: When a prosecutor seeks to resolve a case through diversion or some other alternative to prosecution it should be done so with an acknowledgment of culpability on the part of the defendant. A case with the consequential effects of Mr. Smolletts should not be resolved without a finding of guilt or innocence.

The group also said that Smolletts record should not have been immediately expunged.

The letter came as Smolletts attorneys said city officials should stop referring to the case and as Foxx defended the decision to drop the charges.

If people dont know how the justice system works, and more specifically, alternative prosecution diversion, pre-trial diversion, this would seem like an odd outcome says States Attorney Kim Foxx about response to decision to drop charges against Jussie Smollett. @MaiReports pic.twitter.com/SvnL3pFOpy  CBS Chicago (@cbschicago) March 27, 2019

I believe that the outcomehim having to forfeit the $10,000, having to do community service, based on the allegations, and again the (low-level) felony and no (criminal) background, are an outcome that we could expect with this type of case, she told CBS Chicago.

Foxx declined to answer a question regarding whether or not she believes Smollett is innocent.

Foxx also denied that anyone tried to influence the case, despite messages between her and the former Obama aide, Tina Tchen, being released by the Chicago Sun-Times.

There was no attempt, whatsoever, to influence the outcome of this case, Foxx said. None whatsoever.

From NTD News
Trump Vows to Declassify Documents on Surveillance of His Campaign

President Donald Trump intends to declassify all documents related to the surveillance of his presidential election campaign by the Obama administration.

Trump revealed his intentions in an exclusive interview with Fox News on March 27. The president explained that he held back from releasing the documents while the special counsel investigation was still ongoing in order to avoid the appearance of obstructing the probe.

The FBI obtained surveillance warrants to spy on at least one former Trump campaign volunteer, Carter Page, beginning in October 2016.

I do, I have plans to declassify and release. I have plans to absolutely release, Trump said. I have some very talented people working for me, lawyers, and they really didnt want me to do it early on.

A lot of people wanted me to do it a long time ago. Im glad I didnt do it. We got a great result without having to do it, but we will, the president added. One of the reasons that my lawyers didnt want me to do it, is they said, if I do it, theyll call it a form of obstruction.

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrant applications on Page have been partially declassified. The documents show that the FBI used the discredited Steele dossier as the basis of the rationale to surveil Page. The bureau failed to disclose that the Steele dossier was funded by the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee.

Former British spy Christopher Steele compiled the dossier by paying second- and third-hand sources with ties to the Kremlin for information. Steele was biased against Trump and did not want Trump to be elected president, another fact the FBI failed to disclose in the FISA application, despite being aware of it.

Fusion GPS, the firm that hired Steele to run the Clinton-funded project, peddled the dossier to the media while Steele funneled it to the FBI. The bureau eventually terminated Steele for talking to the media in violation of its policies for confidential human sources.

When I said there could be somebody spying on my campaign, it went wild out there, Trump said. They couldnt believe I could say such a thing. As it turned out, that was small potatoes compared to what went on.

Millions and millions [spent] on the phony dossier, and then they used the dossier to start things. It was a fraud, paid for by Hillary Clinton and the Democrats, the president added.

The president also denounced the officials involved in investigating his campaign, accusing them of committing treason. The president called former FBI Director James Comey a terrible guy, suggested that former CIA Director John Brennan is potentially mentally ill, and derided Democrat House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff as a criminal.

It was treason, it was really treason, Trump said in reference to former FBI Deputy Assistant Director Peter Strzok and former FBI lawyer Lisa Page.

You had dirty cops, you had people who are bad FBI folks  at the top, they were not clean, to put it mildly, the president added. We can never allow these treasonous acts to happen to another president.

In text messages, Strzok and Page spoke of stopping Trump from being elected, discussed an insurance policy in the unlikely event he won, and mused about impeachment after his victory. The two officials were central in the Crossfire Hurricane probe of the Trump campaign that started in late July 2016 and then briefly joined the special counsel investigation by Robert Mueller.

Mueller finished his 22-month investigation March 22, concluding that there is no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.
A Huawei logo seen above the companys booth booth at the GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Feb. 26, 2019. (David Ramos/Getty Images)

UK Criticizes Huawei For Serious Security Vulnerabilities

LONDONChinese telecom company Huawei has been strongly criticized in the United Kingdom for its security failings.

The board overseeing Huawei equipment in the UK, which is linked to the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) security service, said Huawei had failed to fix long-standing security issues.

In a report released March 28, the National Cyber Security Center said it could give only limited assurance that the long-term security risks can be managed in the Huawei equipment currently deployed in the UK.

It follows a similar report from July 2018 in which the board said there was significant risk in the UK telecoms infrastructure due to its use of Huawei equipment.

Since that time, Huawei has made no material progress to correct security flaws in its equipment, which underpins the UKs communications networks, according to the report.

Like many countries, the UK is currently deciding whether to allow Huawei to build its 5G networks. BT, one of the largest telecom companies in the country, has rejected Huawei equipment from its 5G network.

The board also said it no longer had confidence in Huaweis ability to address underlying defects, despite the companys pledge to spend more than $2 billion fixing them.

Previously, the board claimed any risks from the Chinese company could be sufficiently mitigated.

The report said that Huawei had not followed through on promises to rectify security problems going back as far as 2012.

The evidence of sustained change is especially important as similar strongly worded commitments from Huawei in the past have not brought about any discernible improvements, it said.

Serious and Systematic Defects

However, the report stopped short of saying the company had deliberately introduced backdoors in its equipment or was spying for the Chinese regime.

Instead, it said the company had been negligent in the way it operated, leaving security holes in its products, revealing serious and systematic defects in Huaweis software engineering and cyber security competence.

The report pointed out significant technical issues in Huaweis engineering processes, including concerns about a product that enables a connection between someones cell phone and the network.

Huawei had updated its software in order to improve its security, but the general software engineering and cyber security quality of the product continues to demonstrate a significant number of major defects, the report noted.

Experts have pointed out that there is little that separates Huawei from the Chinese Communist Party.

Anthony Glees, professor of security at the University of Buckingham, said that the political risk of working with Huawei was too great.

Theres a technical software risk which is that the security of Huawei stuff is not as good as it should be, Glees said.

It might be because theyre sloppy but it might be because you cant get a cigarette paper between Huawei, Chinese government, the Peoples Liberation Army, and the Chinese Communist Party.

Author Gordon Chang, meanwhile, wrote in a tweet: Who would have ever thought that a company formed, promoted, and controlled by a regime determined to steal secrets and intellectual property would have security flaws permitting the theft of secrets and intellectual property?

Oversight Board

The Huawei Cyber Security Evaluation Center was founded in 2010 in response to British government concerns about possible security threats to national infrastructure by Huawei. British security officials from agencies including GCHQ sit on its oversight board and report annually on its work.

The center is funded and ran by Huawei, with one of its staff members, David Francis, serving as managing director. However, it is monitored by an oversight board, which reports on its activities once a year.

The oversight board is chaired by Ciaran Martin, chief executive of the National Cyber Security Center, which is part of GCHQ, but there are four members from Huawei also on that board, as well as British government representatives.

Huawei has said it is a private company not under the control of the Chinese regime and not subject to Chinese security laws overseas.

However, it is well documented that Chinese companies are tightly linked to the communist regime. Many are required by law to establish Communist Party branches that can take part in decision-making to ensure the companys activities are in line with the Communist Partys goals.

The report said, The oversight board advises that it will be difficult to appropriately risk manage future products in the context of UK deployments, until the underlying defects in Huaweis software engineering and cyber security processes are remediated.
Update: W. Virginia Police Say No Explosives Found After I-68 Shutdown

West Virginia State Police, after closing down a section of Interstate 68 near the Maryland border, offered more details on the incident on March 27. Reports had indicated that a man threatened to kill President Donald Trump and blow up the Pentagon.

The man was stopped driving more than 130 mph on the interstate, leading to a traffic stop, WDTV reported.

K-9s initially detected explosives, but officials were not able to find any.

State Trooper First Class D. W. Satterfield saw a gray sedan with Missouri plates speeding down the freeway, it was reported.

According to the report, the 42-year-old male appeared to be confused and made concerning statements to police. From those statements, police believed that there was an explosive device in his car.

The man was detained, and all lanes on I-68 were shut down, according to local reports.

More bomb-sniffing K-9s were deployed to the scene, WDTV reported. They all detected explosive materials in the mans vehicle.

UPDATE: According to a press release from the West Virginia State Police, the detainee was stopped for going over 130 mph and although K-9s initially detected explosives, none turned up in vehicle search.  WDTV 5 News  2019327

But the West Virginia State Polices Explosives Response Team couldnt find any after a search. The suspects vehicle was removed at around 2:30 p.m. on March 27.

The FBI, Secret Service, and ATF were called to the scene and were investigating.

Earlier reports, including one from The Associated Press, indicated that the man made threatening statements about killing President Donald Trump and blowing up the Pentagon building. Reports also indicated that the man had a gun in his car.

#BREAKING: A man was arrested for threatening to kill President Trump and blow up the Pentagon after a traffic stop that shut down Interstate 68 in northern West Virginia  WHSV  TV 3  2019327

I-68 was shut down for more than three hours.

The suspects name wasnt released by police.

Other details were not provided.

#FBI Pittsburgh is assisting our law enforcement partners with an incident on Interstate 68 in West Virginia. No other information is available. pic.twitter.com/2MNWmy9S3s  FBI Pittsburgh (@FBIPittsburgh) March 27, 2019

According to an earlier statement from the West Virginia State Police: As a result of the investigation based on a traffic stop that occurred earlier this morning, it had been discovered that threats were made to kill the President of the United States and to blow up the Pentagon. A search of the vehicle revealed a firearm and an explosive powder. A 42-year-old male has been detained for questioning. WVSP in conjunction with the FBI and Secret Service are continuing to investigate, according to WV MetroNews, which added that the interstate was reopened.

Obviously, theres a lot of people pulling off at the exit up here confusedasking whats going on, talking to one another, trying to give each other directions, Dominion Post reporter Ben Conley told WV MetroNews. I was just speaking with one lady who was on her way from Kentucky to Ocean City, and shes just kind of sitting here stranded right now like a lot of folks. 

Another Recent Threat

An Illinois man got mental health treatment and substance abuse counseling after pleading guilty to making online threats against President Donald Trump.

Joseph Lynn Pickett of Edwardsville was also ordered to spend six months behind bars for the June threats, though hes already served the time since his arrest last year, according to The Associated Press.

Pickett pleaded guilty in an agreement with prosecutors in October, after authorities said he posted several times online that he wanted to assassinate Trump.

The posts included frequent profanity and detailed death threats. Pickett also taunted federal authorities when he wasnt immediately arrested.

His co-workers reported the threatening posts to the Secret Service. He was later arrested.

Under terms of his sentencing last week, Pickett also will be on supervised release for three years.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Vice President Mike Pence and Juan Guaido, recognized by Washington and others as Venezuelas interim president, take part in a meeting with foreign ministers of the Lima Group at Colombia's Foreign Affairs Ministry in Bogota Feb. 25, 2019. (Diana Sanchez/AFP/Getty Images)

With China Cash, Venezuela Could Go From the Frying Pan Into the Fire

Venezuela has reached the latter stages of socialism, with devalued money littering the streets, and with starving citizens being forced to eat rotten meat from the garbage. Citizens opposed to Nicolas Maduros socialist experiment are protesting in the streets, and Maduro regime forces are shooting them.

Its likely the days of the Maduro regime are coming to a close, however, with the Trump administration recognizing Juan Guaido as the acting president of Venezuela.

Yet, the future of Venezuela could still swing in either direction

Theres an old Chinese saying that a sick man will seek any doctor, and as the Venezuelan people and their new government look to any solution to fix their political troubles theyve turned their eyes to China.

Guaidos head of the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) for the interim government, Ricardo Hausmann, believes that China could play a large role in rebuilding Venezuela. He also called on the Chinese regime to communicate with Guaido.

China needs to assure its energy supplies and Venezuela has very large oil reserves, probably the largest in the world, Hausmann said, according to the South China Morning Post.

He added that after Maduro is removed, Venezuela is a country that needs to be reconstructed. China can have a very large role to play in that process.

Debt Traps

The Chinese regime has an established record of using loans and infrastructure projects in its Belt and Road initiative to lock countries down in debt traps. Included on the list of nations that have fallen into these traps are Malaysia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and many others.

The Philippines was well on its way towards one of the Chinese regimes debt traps, but recently announced it found a way to potentially pay off its debt before its too late.

Bloomberg reported on March 27 that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte now faces concern that hes agreed to unfavorable terms while taking on China-funded infrastructure projects including dams, roads and rails.

In Sri Lanka in 2005, local officials turned to China for economic help in order to recover from damage caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. The Chinese regime was quick to jump on the offer, and gave over $1.1 billion to build its Hambantota Port. When Sri Lanka couldnt repay the loan, the Chinese regime repaid itself by taking control of the port.

During his election in 2015, Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena addressed the looming crisis of Chinas debt traps. In his election manifesto, he said the credit money received from abroad was a mega ransom that goes to a few individuals, and was resulting in Sri Lankas property falling into the hands of foreigners.

If this trend continues for another six years our country would become a colony, and we would become slaves, he wrote.

Doublespeak

The Chinese regime is playing a careful game in Venezuela. On the business side it isnt demonstrating much interest. The Chinese regime denied Hausmanns visa to attend the annual IADB conference, which is this year being held in Chengdu, China. (IADB is the largest lender to Latin America, and is headquartered in Washington.)

Yet on the military side, the Chinese regime is playing a different tune that demonstrates its clear interest in shaping the future of Venezuela.

Russia recently deployed troops to Venezuela, and both Russia and China are backing the Maduro regimegoing against the stance of the United States that the opposition faction under Guaido is the official acting government.

In response to Russias military deployment, John Bolton, the U.S. Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, tweeted that The United States will not tolerate hostile foreign military powers meddling with the Western Hemispheres shared goals of democracy, security, and the rule of law. The Venezuelan military must stand with the people of Venezuela.

Then, in response to Russia sending military troops to Venezuela, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang criticized the United States for opposing Russias actions. He said, according to Newsweek, that Latin America is not a certain countrys backyard.

Of course, Venezuela has for a very long time been Chinas backyardalongside the rest of the Socialist countries in Latin America that broke from the U.S.-led model with the pink tide in the 1990s and 2000s.

And the Chinese regime doesnt seem keen on losing this. Shuang stated, China would like to work with the international community to help Venezuela restore stability at an early date. What he meant here by international community was unlikely the U.S. response, which he criticized, but instead the Russian response of sending troops.

Normalizing the Situation

China quietly walked Venezuela into the state of crisis. During a 2017 Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, Evan Ellis, a senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, explained how Russia and China were behind the Maduro regime.

I would like to emphasize how both Russia and China, in the pursuit of their commercial and strategic interests in Venezuela, have provided capital, goods, services, and political backing that has indirectly enabled the populist regime to ignore and ultimately destroy the mechanisms of democratic accountability, he said.

Ellis then explained the process that China and Russia used to keep the Maduro regime afloat, and how the Chinese regime in particular used this to gain control over key Venezuelan infrastructure.

The chaos in Venezuela fits in with a long-established strategy that Russia and China know all too well, and both have played a large role in walking the Maduro regime along to its present state.

When it comes to subversion, also known as active measures, the Soviet model developed along four stages: demoralization to alter the thinking and will of the population; destablization to break the foundations of the society; the creation of a crisis; then a manufactured response to that crisis to seize control of the targeted nation known as normalization.

Venezuela now sits at the stage of chaos, and Russia and China are looking to normalize the situation.

Ellis stated in 2017: I believe that Russia and China as much as everyone else wants a transition away from the Maduro regime. But what they want to transition to is very different.

I believe that they are hoping they can get a transition to an equally anti-U.S. authoritarian regime that will let them legally legitimize their holdings.

Of course, it doesnt have to be this way. Guaido sits at a crossroads between the U.S. model and the China model, and the United States is left with a choice on how to respond to Russias troop deployment. These factors will have a large role in determining Venezuelas future.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Worlds Second-Worst Outbreak of Ebola Sweeps DRC Amid Islamist Attacks on Treatment Centers

More Than 1,000 Cases Reported

The deadly Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has now exceeded 1,000 cases and claimed the lives of more than 600, the countrys health ministry confirmed on Monday, March 25.

But the situation has been made worse with attacks on treatment centers by militant Islamists in the region who have been entrenched in Eastern Congos 25-year-long civil war.

WHO reaffirms commitment to #DRC as #Ebola outbreak nears 1000 cases amid increased violence; and calls on international community to join urgent push to end outbreak https://t.co/NPk02TEdKS pic.twitter.com/KeVFoWoK7R  World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) March 23, 2019

The total is now 1,009 new cases, Congolese health officials said in a statement. But the response, led by the Health Ministry in collaboration with its partners, has limited the geographical spread.

The 1,009 cases are part of an outbreak that began in August last year. Of those, 944 have been confirmed and 65 are considered probable. The total death toll stands at 629, of which 564 are confirmed and 65 are probable, reported CNN.

Related Coverage Ebola Cases Rising Steadily in Congos Latest Outbreak

It is the second worst outbreak in history, surpassed only by the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa which killed more than 11,000 people, according to the U.N.s World Health Organization (WHO).

More than 80% of people affected by #Ebola in #DRC accept safe and dignified burials for their loved ones who died of the disease  key to preventing onward transmission https://t.co/NPk02TEdKS pic.twitter.com/dVhEZa7zoj  World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) March 23, 2019

We use words like cases and containment to be scientific but behind every number is a person, a family and a community that is suffering, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general said in a statement on Saturday. This outbreak has gone on far too long.

We use words like cases and containment in the #Ebola response in #DRC to be scientific, but behind every number is a person, a family and a community that is suffering- @DrTedros https://t.co/NPk02TEdKS pic.twitter.com/z57JOEq7o4  World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) March 23, 2019

Ebola is a deadly and contagious virus that spreads to people from wild animals and is transmitted among people through direct contact, such as through bodily fluids or broken skin. Over half of Ebola cases are fatal. The disease causes fever along with diarrhoea, severe vomiting, bleeding, and rashes.

On average Ebola patient has a 50 percent survival rate, making it one of the deadliest known viruses in the world.

But advancements in the treatment of the Ebola virus, such as a trial vaccine, experimental treatments, and mobile units for treating patients have meant that health workers have been better prepared for the latest outbreak.

WHO continues working with the government of #DRC  and #Ebola-affected communities to build resilient health systems https://t.co/NPk02TEdKS pic.twitter.com/CnsBD7NhxJ  World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) March 23, 2019

The virus has been prevented from spreading into neighboring countries and there have been no reported Ebola cases outside of the DRCs provinces Ituri and North Kivu, the U.N. health body confirmed on March 23.

WHO has more than 700 people in #DRC and is working hard with partners to listen to the #Ebola-affected communities and address their concerns and give them greater ownership of the response, particularly in the current outbreak hotspots of Katwa and Butembo  pic.twitter.com/b2GdaShUs8  World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) March 23, 2019

Only 10 percent of those eligible for the vaccination have refused treatment, the WHO said, and more than 80 percent of those who become fatally infected accept arrangements to be made for safe and dignified burialsa key to preventing the spread of the disease that remains contagious for several days after death.

The WHO cited increased security challenges, including the recent direct attacks on treatment centers, and pockets of community mistrust as causes for the recent reported weekly rate of confirmed Ebola cases, following several weeks of decline.

Ebola treatment facilities have been attacked in recent months by the radical Islamist group the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies. The group was founded in Uganda in 1989 to overthrow right-wing Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and has been active in the region for decades.

International health NGO Doctors Without Borders (MSF) were forced to suspend its humanitarian efforts after two attacks on treatment centers in North Kivuan ADF strongholdin February amid the ongoing political crisis.

Local residents told Deutsche Welle that there have been rumors circulating in the community that Ebola is being deliberately spread by the DRCs central government or the DRCs former left-wing President Joseph Kabila, who lost power in January after 18 years of rule, as a weapon of war.

Other rumors among the community that has a deep mistrust of the government and foreigners have claimed that the disease is being spread by the aid organizations working in the area. WHOs Dr. Peter Salama told AP that there have been problems resulting from the makeshift tradi-modern health centers, which have been offering both traditional and modern treatment that have been linked to new cases of infection. Misdiagnosis and lack of proper hygiene have also been an issue, he said.

Update on #Ebola in #DRC for 7 March, with data up to 6 March: Total of 913 cases (848 confirmed & 65 probable), including 574 deaths, 306 survivors, and patients still under care. In addition, 181 suspect cases were investigated. https://t.co/nG8YhjMXL2  Peter Salama (@PeteSalama) March 8, 2019

According to WHO, of the 51 reported Ebola cases among health workers working in the region, 17 have died.

An attack on a treatment center earlier this month saw a local police officer killed, according to CNN.

As we mourn the lives lost, we must also recognize that thousands of people have been protected from this terrifying disease, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa, said in a statement.

We are working in exceptionally challenging circumstances but thanks to support from donors and the efforts of the Ministry of Health, WHO and partners, we have saved thousands of lives.

Ebola is endemic to the DRC. The first outbreak of the virus occured in 1976.
WOW Air Ceases Operations, Stranding Thousands Around the World

Icelandic budget airline WOW Air ceased operations, reportedly leaving passengers stranded across the world.

The firm, which specialized in budget trans-Atlantic flights, announced its closure in a statement on its website on March 28, advising passengers to book new flights on other airlines. Some might be eligible for compensation.

WOW AIR has ceased operation. All WOW AIR flights have been cancelled, the company wrote, adding: Some airlines may offer flights at a reduced rate, so-called rescue fares, in light of the circumstances. Information on those airlines will be published, when it becomes available.

Wow Air CEO Skuli Mogensen said that negotiations to save the company went until the early morning hours in Iceland.

20 min to board, @wowairsupport cancels the flight. But then sends an email that its just delayed until 9pm. Oh but the crew left because it was cancelled. Updates coming from the guy in the middle of this crowd. pic.twitter.com/bRmnQUXvz4  Mike Wendling (@WendlingMike) March 27, 2019

As is normal, people believed we would get the investment, Mogensen was quoted by CNN as saying. We have been very transparent, but it didnt happen.

More than 1,000 passengers have been impacted by the closure. He didnt know how many tickets were sold.

But, according to the CBC, the airline had 27 flights scheduled on March 28, which had about 2,700 passengers. Local news website Iceland Review reported that an estimated 2,700 to 4,000 passengers were stranded

Wow  CNN  2019328

Im very sorry about this as these are people who have supported us, said Mogensen, CNN reported. Im disappointed not to honor our commitments.

At the Toronto airport, Saurabh Aggarwal, a passenger who was slated to go from Toronto to Reykjavik, said there was chaos.

Aggarwal said customers were provided conflicting information by the airliner about their flights status before it was canceled at around 10:55 p.m. on March 27.

Passengers were given no accommodation. No refunds were given, she told CNN.

This really scared everyone, at that point we were finally given back our bags and no money as of now has been issued back to me, Aggarwal told the news outlet.

All WOW Air flights have been cancelled. Are you left scrambling to rebook a trip? Tell us in the comments.   CBC Windsor  2019328

The next day, passengers got an email from WOW Air, saying the airliner ceased operations and flights were canceled.

Another WOW passenger complained.

I have heard absolutely nothing from WOW Air. But earlier this week I did receive quite a few emails encouraging me to upgrade my seat or check more bags, so they were definitely active in asking for more money the past few days, Alex Space of Canada told the CBC.

Mogensen, who founded the company in 2011, said he was sorry.

I will never forgive myself for not acting sooner, Mogensen said, reported the CBC. WOW was clearly an incredible airline and we were on the path to do amazing things again.

This is going to affect so many people  Daily Mail  2019328

More Details

On its website, WOW Air said that people who paid via a credit card can contact their credit card company to check whether a refund is available.

Passengers who may have bought travel protection, or those passengers whose credit card terms may include such protection, may be entitled to claim compensation and assistance due to delays or travel disruption. However, such compensation is often limited, the firm also wrote.

It added: Passengers who bought their ticket from a European travel agent (within the European Economic Area) as a part of a package tour (a package which includes flights and accommodation or other services) are protected by the Package Travel Directive. Those passengers are advised to contact their travel agent to arrange an alternative flight.

The firm didnt offer any other details.

WOW Passengers can check with several website:

 Icelandic Transport Authority: www.samgongustofa.is / www.icetra.is

 Keflavik Airport: www.isavia.is/en

 WOW AIR: www.wowair.com

 General information about passenger rights can be found at www.icetra.is
WASHINGTON  By their third day on Capitol Hill, Mike and Kristin Song have learned a lot about the landscape, including the distance they have to cover to get from meeting to meeting.

No one warned it could take a half hour to get from one to the next, Kristin Song said.

The Guilford couple is here to urge Congress to consider legislation to require gun owners to safely store their weapons. Their lobbying comes as Connecticut lawmakers near approval of Ethans Law, named after their son who died just over a year ago in an accidental shooting at the home of a friend where the father had unsecured guns.

The General Assemblys Judiciary Committee last week voted 34-4 in favor of Ethans Law, a bill which would require all firearms, loaded and unloaded, to be safely stored in homes occupied by minors under 18 years of age. An owner of a gun that isnt properly stored could face criminal prosecution under the proposed law.

Connecticut has had a safe gun storage law on the books for about two decades but it only requires that loaded firearms be properly stored if a minor is likely to gain access to the firearm without the permission of the parent or guardian of the minor.

Ethan Song died of a self-inflicted gunshot. The Waterbury states attorneys office said that he accidentally shot himself in the head; it concluded its investigation without charging the gun owner.

This loophole allows for there to be a lot of fog because we dont have a videotape of who loaded that gun, Mike Song explained.

Kristin Song said the idea of taking Ethans Law national came from U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. The couple linked up with Po Murray, co-founder of Newtown Action Alliance and a near constant presence on Capitol Hill, who took them under her wing this week.

Along with Westport selectwoman Melissa Kane, they have visited several members of Connecticuts D.C. delegation seeking support for a safe gun storage law. Rep. Rosa DeLauro is expected to introduce such a bill in the near future. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said he supports the proposal. He expects that if Connecticut approves its bill with bipartisan support, it might motivate Congress to consider it.

They also met with leaders of March for Our Lives, a group advocating for universal background checks and other gun safety laws that organized global protests a year ago including marches in Hartford, East Haddam, Enfield, Guilford, Middlebury, New Haven, Old Saybrook, Pawcatuck, Roxbury, Salisbury, Shelton, Stamford and Westport.

Nearly 1,000 minors died and more than 18,000 were injured from unintentional gunshots from 2005 to 2014 in the United States, according to data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A 2018 Rand Corp. study found that 4.6 million minors in the U.S. live in homes with at least one loaded, unlocked firearm.

Meanwhile, Blumenthal noted the Songs presence for a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday on so-called red flag laws.

Their courage and strength has inspired me and reminded me that there is no panacea  no single solution here. There has to be a comprehensive approach, including background checks that the House recently adopted as well as other measures, Blumenthal said.

The Songs  as well as Murray and Kane  were surprised at the tone of the Judiciary Committee hearing where the panelists and senators were more interested in policy details than in making partisan pronouncements.

It was shockingly civil, Kristin Song said.

The Senate hearing focused on extreme risk protection laws, commonly known as red flag laws, that states have adopted allowing guns to be temporarily taken away from individuals who appear to pose a threat to themselves or others. Connecticut has such a law and Blumenthal has introduced legislation for a federal version.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said he does not anticipate a federal law will be approved but suggested that Congress might be able to agree on a bill that would encourage states to adopt red flag laws that fit their needs.

I think passing a federal law is probably beyond what the market will bear. But creating an incentive at the federal level for states who want to go down this road ... I think thats the best way, at least initially to solve this problem, he said.

Graham noted that Florida adopted a red flag law following the Parkland school shooting, giving law enforcement officers a chance to intervene before it is too late. In Broward County, the red flag law has been used 108 times to remove guns from individuals who posed a threat to themselves or others because of mental illness, suicide or domestic violence.

When you look at who it happened to it is probably the best thing that could have happened to them. It probably saved their life and, I dare say, other lives, Graham said.

Kane says she left the hearing feeling somewhat optimistic.

I think everyone walked away from the hearing feeling cautiously optimistic that something may come out of that and maybe we are in a moment where there is a possibility for things like safe storage and background checks. Things that are sensible that can appeal to everybody. Were not taking peoples guns away or curtailing anyones rights but are just saying, Be responsible, she said.

Mike Song noted that throughout the hearing senators and panelists were pointing to Connecticut as an example.

Connecticut has very, very strong gun laws and I think thats thanks to Po and Melissa and lots of concerned citizens. And, Connecticut is also at the very top of the list of states with a low gun mortality rate, Song said. It really paints a start picture of the value, of the lives that theyve saved by doing all this stuff. We just want to be a little part of that legacy  get this through and maybe go national because that could save a lot of lives.

Song expects it may take some time for a national law to pass but he and Kristin arent going away.

If we dont get it through right away, you know we are here for the long haul, he said.
An official with the National Rifle Association corresponded with a prominent Sandy Hook conspiracy theorist to call into question the school shooting in Parkland, Fla., the HuffPost reported Wednesday.

Twenty children and six adults were killed during the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

In the years since, doubters have floated conspiracy theories questioning whether the shooting happened.

According to a report from HuffPosts Sebastian Murdock, NRA officer Mark Richardson emailed Wolfgang Halbig, a noted harasser of parents of Sandy Hook Elementary School victims, to float a conspiracy theory about the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where 17 people were killed last year.

Just like [Sandy Hook], there is so much more to this story, Richardson said in an email dated Feb. 15, 2018  just one day after the Florida shooting, according to the HuffPost story. [The Parkland shooter] was not alone.

The report says Richardsons email was sent from his official NRA email address.

According to the report, the email exchange between Richardson and Halbig emerged as part of the discovery process for an ongoing lawsuit between Infowars host Alex Jones and Sandy Hook parent Scarlett Lewis, who is suing Jones and his show for intentional infliction of emotional distress.

According to the HuffPost report, Halbig is an Infowars contributor and is on the front lines of spreading false statements about the victims of Sandy Hook.

The report comes a day after Jones spouted conspiracy theories about the suicide of Sandy Hook father Jeremy Richman.

A medical examiner confirmed Richman died by suicide Wednesday.

In the past two weeks, the HuffPost report notes, two survivors of the Parkland shooting have also died by suicide.

HuffPost notes the NRA, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment, is floundering financially, having reported a loss of $55 million in 2017 as its membership plummeted.
WESTPORT  The state of a significant portion of Westports sidewalks are in poor condition.

In total, 15 percent of towns existing sidewalks are currently categorized poor according to Public Works Department standards, department Director Peter Ratkiewich said.

Poor sidewalks may have tripping hazards, such as potholes or other areas of deterioration that make the sidewalk difficult to walk on, Ratkiewich said.

Public Works appears before the Representative Town Meeting to request funding for sidewalk maintenance on a biannual basis, he said, noting this practice began in 2002 when then Public Works Department Director Stephen Edwards asked the towns funding bodies for sidewalk improvement funds.

That year, the town agreed to appropriate funds for sidewalk maintenance every other year. Since that time, the allotments have climbed from about $150,000 for each two-year period to the latest $200,000 appropriation the RTM approved at its Feb. 27 meeting.

Some sidewalk maintenance and construction projects in town are also funded by state grants, Ratkiewich said, but state money varies year to year.

The current funding pattern for sidewalk upkeep is not enough to meet the need for improvements, RTM member Chas Durkin said at the meeting, adding the RTM should consider a larger allotment when making future appropriations.

Meanwhile, RTM member Peter Gold said the town needs a better process for determining which sidewalks are improved with the allotted funds.

Gold was particularly critical of the decision to use $55,000 of the $200,000 appropriation to build a new sidewalk on Maple Avenue North from Hyde Lane to Long Lots Road. The decision was not made through a clear process to determine if Maple Avenue North had the greatest need for a sidewalk, Gold said.

Over 200 people provided their signatures in support of building a sidewalk on Maple Avenue North, saying the sidewalk is necessary to provide a safe route for kids and parents walking to and from Long Lots Elementary School.

Ratkiewich said his department prioritizes the worst section of sidewalk in using the RTMs funding. Public Works is currently working on an inventory of all towns sidewalks, and Ratkiewich said he expects the percent of paths categorized poor will rise once the inventory is complete and the new figures are available.

Ratkiewich will present before the RTM in the next few months about the departments process for identifying which sidewalk maintenance and construction projects to pursue.

As for when the current appropriation will be put to use, Ratkiewich said, I have a limited staff and two years to spend before we apply for another one, but theres certainly a need out there, so as soon as I can do it, Ill do it.

svaughan@hearstmediact.com; 203-842-2638; @SophieCVaughan1
NORWALK  Representatives from the Connecticut Department of Transportation visited City Hall Wednesday to provide information on a Merritt Parkway rehabilitation project stretching from New Canaan to Westport that could begin summer 2020.

There were a little more than 20 residents who came out for the informational meeting about the project, including state Reps. Lucy Dathan, D- 142, and Tom ODea, R-125, followed by a question and answer session.

The team of engineers described a 6.1 mile long project, which could take three-quarters of a year to complete, beginning at South Avenue in New Canaan and ending just shy of the Newtown Turnpike Bridge in Westport. The estimated $85 million cost would come 80 percent from federal funds and 20 percent from state funds.

Its the eighth and final corridor project along the Merritt Parkway., said Michael Cherpak, project manager at the Department of Transportation. The exception, Cherpak said, is the area around the Route 7 and Merritt Parkway interchange in Norwalk, which is an estimated $175 million project still several years from approval.

Along the route, the parkways shoulders will be widened by eight feet  four of which will be paved and four of which will be reinforced grass  existing guide rails will be replaced, median barriers will be installed where the width of the road is limited and the roadway will be resurfaced.

During construction, drivers will experience road closures during the day and night, though they will be limited to non-peak hours. There will also be proposed detours, including a roughly 5-mile long redirect around Comstock Hill Road.

So its just important to mention that this is our official state route detour. and thats because we have to consider height of vehicles, weight of vehicles. we try to use all state routes when were assigning an official state route detour, Cherpak said. No one would be precluded... to use some sort of other way around.

At any of these detours we would be in constant coordination through the design process with that municipality and their emergency services people, Cherpak continued. We do take these very seriously and we do take a lot of precaution.

In the area of Norwalk near the Route 7 and Merritt Parkway interchange, the roadways will be resurfaced, the guiderails will be upgraded and the shoulders widened. No major bridge reconstruction or landscaping will be undertaken.

We call this our area of limited project scope, said Nicholas Ivanoff, project engineer for the state Department of Transportation. Thats a major interchange project. Its goal is to improve system linkage between 7 and 15. and its not slated for construction until 2024.

The portion of Merritt Parkway connecting New Canaan and Westport will be the last of roughly two decades of work to improve the road.

Public comment will remain open until April 10.

justin.papp@scni.com; @justinjpapp1; 203-842-2586
NORWALK  For most of his life, Pierre Antoine has lived within a small radius in South Norwalk. But for the proximity, each space has been different.

When he first came with his family from Haiti to America, they moved into the former NEON house, directly next to Dennis Bradburys 22 Haviland Gallery. The latter is where the young Antoine made lifelong friends and gained early exposure to art.

Later, Antoine and his family moved a few block south, into Washington Village, Norwalks oldest housing project, where foot traffic was heavy in the public spaces between rows of brick houses.

They had cookouts  so many cookouts  and children playing, Antoine said.

In 2018, as the Washington Village Redevelopment began and buildings were razed, Antoine moved across the road with his family to Soundview Landing, the new, mixed-income apartment unit replacing the old housing project, as part of a federal Choice Neighborhoods Initiative grant.

In many ways, the newly constructed Soundview Landing is an improvement on Antoines previous lodgings. But the social aspect of the NEON house and Washington Village, that was so much a part of Antoines upbringing, is largely absent at Soundview Landing. He said the new buildings quiet hallways can feel hotel-like.

At the new place people are staying inside. There are two common areas, but you dont see many people at all, Antoine, 26, said, standing near Bradbury in the gallery where as a boy he worked as an assistant.

The need, Antoine thinks, is for a common space in the neighborhood for residents to congregate. The hope, of people like Antoine, Bradbury and city officials, is that Ryan Park  which is set to be refurbished as part of the Washington Village redevelopment  could be the space. They believe public art installations could be a way to cultivate connections in the community and create a place-making effect.

I think our main creative principal is unity in community. This is the rebirth of a neighborhood and were looking for a piece of artwork that can bring people together, said Julio Pardo, a creative director and founder of a Norwalk-based firm who was contracted by the city to put out a call to artists, asking for a selection of art installation proposals for the redesigned park.

Submissions are being accepted until April 21, at which point Pardo will make recommendations to the Redevelopment Agency, which will then choose finalists to submit a Request for Proposal (RFP) to complete the commissioned work.

The public art aspect that has found its place at Ryan Park is a line-item funded component of the Choice Neighborhoods Grant, said Susan Sweitzer, senior project manager for development at the Norwalk Redevelopment Agency, who is helping to administer the grant money. It did not prescribe a location, but it did prescribe a requirement for public art.

It was determined by Sweitzer and others at the city level that Ryan Park was a suitably public place to display art within the Choice Neighborhoods Grant area. The Redevelopment Agency recruited Pardo to serve as a liaison between the agency and local artists and Pardo, in turn, sought the aid of Bradbury, a singular champion of the arts in South Norwalk.

Dennis has been in SoNo for about 20 years, Pardo said. Most importantly for me is that shes in the neighborhood, shes two blocks away from Ryan Park.

As a way of spurring conversation, Bradbury and Pardo invited local artists to a meeting at 22 Haviland Gallery on March 10.

It was very diverse, there was a lot of enthusiasm, Bradbury said, of the meeting.

Bradbury also installed a temporary Art Up exhibit in her gallery  on view weekly Thursday through Saturday 2 to 6 p.m., or by appointment  with three separate rooms relating to the park and Norwalk artists.

The first room, straight past the staircase near the entrance, showcases the history of the park and its namesake, John H. Ryan, a longtime mail carrier and city councilman who died in 1962. Old newspaper clippings and prints of South Norwalk scenes, donated by Jeffrey Price of Artists Market, accompany aerial shots of the old Washington Village. A pamphlet with 18 pages of Ryan Park site plans sits on a table, next to name tags, a sign-in sheet and a coffee table-book of street art from Cincinnati.

A second room, at the back of the gallery, features a collection of works by local artists who came to Bradburys aid last summer, after she fell down a flight of stairs and broke her collarbone. Fifty-three artists donated work and the entirey of profits of sales in order to support the gallery. Those that have not been sold remain on display.

The third room, to the left of the entrance, features a small selection of paintings by 5iveFingaz, Jahmane, and Duvian Montoya, a quilt made by the Piece by Piece Community Quilt Project and a series of photographs of Washington Village by the late photographer Tony Velez, whose work also hangs in the Norwalk Historical Society Museum.

The artists represent that aspect of engagement, but also bring perspectives of diverse backgrounds, Bradbury said.

This idea of diversity is also crucially important to Pardo. When he was first contracted, early in 2019, he began by researching the park and its surroundings. What he found was a reputation going as far back as the early 20th century as a welcoming place for immigrants.

Originally, it was the Irish that came in to work in factories. Obviously, there was a large African American population, but there were Hungarians, Italians and Portuguese working in the shell fishing industry. This neighborhood has always been that open door for immigrants, Pardo said.

Though the demographics have, in some ways, shifted, Pardo and Bradbury are in the early stages of facilitating a project they hope will celebrate the neighborhoods past residents, while continuing to welcome those of the future.

For the park to show the history (of the neighborhood) I think is definitely important, Antoine said. You dont have to speak the same language. I think art will bring people together.

justin.papp@scni.com; @justinjpapp1; 203-842-2586
NORWALK  Calling for change in Norwalk, Lisa Brinton laid out her goals for her 2019 race for the mayors seat at a campaign launch event on Wednesday night.

I believe we can steer a better course, Brinton, an independent candidate, said.

She emphasized that her campaign was not only bipartisan, but nonpartisan. Brinton said one of her main goals with the campaign was to give all Norwalk citizens their voices back.

She listed her three main priorities as people, places and processes.

Brinton advocated for preserving and enhancing the small business community, more transparency in the local government and providing better financial accounting at City Hall.

Were at a financial crossroads, not just in the city, but the state as a whole, she said.

Brinton called for fostering economic development for all that enhanced the character of Norwalk, not created problems, such as contractor yards across the street from residents in South Norwalk.

Planning isnt really our problem  implementation and expertise are, she said.

Brinton said that she believed Mayor Harry Rilling recognized some of the areas of concern she highlighted, but hasnt been able to properly address them.

The mayor campaigned on these issues six years ago, and I supported him, Brinton said. Sadly things have only gotten worse.

Brinton highlighted her background in business, as a skill she could bring to city hall to improve financial management and support for local business.

More than 60 supporters gathered at BJ Ryan's Banc House to cheer on Brinton, who is running as an independent candidate.

Her understanding of how a city runs, resident Nizajet Gjuraj said. She comprehends the whole process. Shes always saying pay attention.

Others said they appreciated her calls for transparency in city government and the way she was able to communicate with a wide variety of residents.

Shes a wonderful woman and I believe she would be a great mayor, resident Rachel Konstantin said.

Debra Clark, who said Konstantin encouraged her to come out and learn about Brintons platform, said she hoped Brinton would be a supporter of small businesses like those in South Norwalk along Washington Street.

Others, such as Bob Kunkel, of the Harbor Keeper, a local conservation group, said that they were in attendance to hear Brintons platform related to the Walk Bridge project.

He and Robin Penna, also of the Harbor Keeper, said they wanted to hear her plans related to how she wanted to mitigate effects on small businesses and if she would work with them to protect the harbor before and during the project.

Brinton, a District E unaffiliated voter, finished second in the mayors race in 2017. Brinton said she believed the city needs more transparency and financial accountability in its actions.

This campaign is not about me, she said. Its about us.

Brinton called on those in attendance to help her spread the word about her campaign, especially because she said only one-third of eligible voters tend to participate in local elections.

This is the best city in the state of Connecticut, she said, highlighting that the city needed to changes to realize its full potential.

She registered herself as a candidate with the Norwalk Town Clerks Office in December 2018  the first candidate to enter the race. Incumbent Harry Rilling, a Democrat registered to run for his fourth term in January.

The Mayor is honored by the opportunity to work day in and day out for the people of Norwalk, Adam Wood, campaign spokesman for Rilling, said in a statement. This year, as he has in the past, the Mayor looks forward to receiving additional feedback from city residents on the state of the city and his job performance through the democratic process of the November election campaign."

kelly.kultys@hearstmediact.com
GREENWICH  Police arrested a Massachusetts man after he allegedly tried to fill out a fraudulent prescription for 240 Oxycodone pills. He also had heroin in his possession at the time of his arrest, according to the police report.

Officers were called to a pharmacy in Byram Monday morning about a suspicious order for prescription pills.
HARTFORD  A small group of activists, led by a Tony Award-winning actor who watched his wife of 50 years waste away from pancreatic cancer, made a last-minute plea on Thursday for aid-in-dying legislation.

But the bill, which has failed during legislative sessions dating to the mid-1990s, might be on life support in the Public Health Committee.

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Actor James Naughton, of Weston, joined advocates including Sharon Hines, of Middletown, a stage IV lung-cancer patient, stressing that terminally ill patients deserve the option to end their suffering.

We told that its closer than its ever been, by a lot, Naughton said during a late morning interview in the cafeteria of the Legislative Office Building, where the group huddled at a table to discuss strategy.

One or two votes, Naughton said. If we do that, I think weve got it. It seems kind of cruelly ironic that at a time when nationally the latest Gallup Poll says that 72 percent of Americans are in favor of this legislation, that this committee might not allow a vote in the House, again. That doesnt seem really fair to me.

Its really a grassroots effort, Hines said. Its not been a major campaign, but really people hearing about it, people supporting it are letting their legislators know that its important to them. Hines said she wants the option if she needs it, if she becomes more ill.

The committee co-chairman, state Rep. Jonathan Steinberg, D-Westport, said the bill will be on the agenda Friday, but with the deadline to act next week, he may not ask the 26-member panel to debate it until then, to possibly give the advocates more time to change minds if it looks like it might not pass on Friday.

I think its very much up in the air, Steinberg said Thursday afternoon. Its one of those controversial subjects that people feel passionate about on both sides.

Opposition is mostly based on religious beliefs, and part of the medical community that believes modern drugs can relieve most of the pain for the terminally ill.

The bill, which failed to survive the committee process in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017 would allow terminally-ill patients get medications from their doctors to end their lives. On Monday, New Jersey passed similar legislation and it awaiting the governors signature.

There are folks on this committee who still are saying to us Oh maybe there should be a few more safeguards, a few more provisions, said Naughton, who won a 1990 Tony Award for the musical City of Angels.

Well okay, vote it out of committee and we can continue the conversation, because if you dont, its going to end again and we cant address those issues again for another session or two, and it could be too late for a lot of people.

It may be too late for me, Hines said. I may not be here next year.

kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter:@KenDixonCT
EDWARDSVILLE  Laura Flamuth was carrying on with her day at work, loses and struggles hanging above her head, whenever she met a man who changed her life.

I actually was doing my job  I am a mail carrier in town  I started talking to a gentleman who was working on a house that happened to be a Habitat house, Flamuth said.

The man recognized the need and introduced Flamuth to Habitat for Humanity.

[Greg Erspamer] was talking to her one day  they were working on another Habitat house  and he asked her if she would consider a habitat house and she kind of got started from there, Habitat for Humanity board member Mark Hagemann said.

In four months, Flamuth lost both of her parents. She took some time off of work soon after talking to Erspamer that day.

My parents passed away four months apart, at that point it had almost been a year and I was pregnant with my daughter  shes about a year and a half now. The gentleman said that I should apply and, shortly after, I ended up taking some time off of work, because of everything that was going on, Flamuth said.

Erspamer ran into her again at the right time at the day of orientation.

When I came back [to work] I saw the gentleman again and he let me know that was the day for orientation, Flamuth said. We did a little orientation there and I filled out the paperwork and by the grace of God I was accepted.

Habitat for Humanity holds two open orientations where anyone can come in to apply for a house. The committee then selects a future homeowner based on how well they meet the groups criteria.

They look for people who are working on their credit, are working on making a better situation for themselves, arent overwhelmed in debt, and have a job and are able to pay the mortgage, Flamuth said. Its not getting a home for free; I do have a mortgage, its just at a lower rate for the new home in Edwardsville because of Habitat  because its all volunteers building the home.

Flamuth was chosen for the home and believes a higher power was the mastermind behind her running into Erspamer that day.

It was 100 percent a meant-to-be God thing, Flamuth said. I went through a lot of loss and was really at a sad point in my life, and everything worked out that came in and my family is going to be taken care of now, so its awesome.

The future homeowners, Flamuth and Anthony Davis, must put in hours of sweat equity as part of the process to acquire the home.

My significant other and I each have to do 200 hours, Flamuth said. We go on Saturdays when we can; hes able to go every Saturday, I can only go every fifth Saturday because of my work schedule.

Flanmuth has been able to complete her hours by also going to other volunteer opportunities Habitat for Humanity offers.

I am fortunate enough that one of the volunteers is close enough to the home that I can go  after work or on my weekdays off  and clean up and do whatever I can to get my hours in that way, Flamuth said. I also go and volunteer at the Habitat resale shop when I can. You can also volunteer at your childrens local school; anything volunteering counts as your sweat-equity hours.

Habitat for Humanity has also introduced Flamuth and Davis to new experiences in the city and, according to Flamuth, they are excited to continue to volunteer in the community once their required hours have been finished.

My significant other was born and raised in Edwardsville, he has learned a lot and grown a lot through this, Flamuth said. He is just loving it.

Volunteers have been working on the house located on Klein Avenue on Saturdays since August to get the house ready. They have now finished insulating the walls, interior electrical and plumbing.

According to Hagemann, they hope to have it finished and ready to move into by the end of May.

Habitat for Humanity in Edwardsville and Glen Carbon owns another property in Worden, Illinois. According to Hagemann, they are discussing the possibility of it being the location for their next build.

Reach reporter Bre Booker at bre.booker@edwpub.net
SPRINGFIELD  Already in 2019, motorists have hit 14 squad cars stopped along Illinois roads. One of those incidents cost an Illinois State Police trooper his life.

This information is obviously extremely concerning, acting ISP Director Brendan Kelly said Tuesday during a news conference at the Capitol in Springfield. While only one of these impacts resulted in a fatality, that is one too many.

In January, trooper Christopher Lambert was struck and killed along Interstate 294 near Northbrook while he was assisting at an accident scene. Its the worst-case scenario among incidents occurring more often, Kelly said, despite a law that requires motorists to move over and slow down for emergency vehicles that are stopped and have their hazard lights flashing.

Scotts Law was passed in Illinois in 2002. In 2013, the law was extended to apply to other vehicles, including ambulances and tow trucks.

Kelly said so far in 2019 there have been 494 recorded violations of the law, compared to 184 during the same period last year.

This years 14 collisions, occurring statewide at a rate of more than one per week, are already more than the yearly totals for 2016 (5), 2017 (12), and 2018 (8).

Kelly blamed the increase on distracted and impaired driving.

The amount of distracted driving out there is something everybody is sensitive to, Kelly said. And its increasing, at least anecdotally, from talking to our colleagues across the country.

As he spoke during Tuesdays news conference, Kelly was flanked by photos of recent collisions, mangled squad cars hit by distracted or impaired drivers, which Kelly said have resulted in injuries ranging from concussions, lacerations and muscle tears, to ruptured and bulged discs, compound bone fractures  and a death.

It was the ISPs second stop on a three-day trip across the state to remind people of the law. A stop in Belleville is planned Wednesday.

Kelly and other officers held a news conference Monday in Chicago with Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who described the anguishing call he made to Lamberts family in January, notifying them of the accident.

On Tuesday, Kelly referenced a plan to increase Scotts Law enforcement by allocating an extra 2,000 man hours and using some new and creative techniques devoted to catch drivers breaking the law.

If you see a squad car with warning lights on, dont assume its a lone trooper just doing a regular traffic stop, Kelly said. You could have eyes, video, and other instrumentation all around you as part of a special Scotts Law detail.

Asked to elaborate on the new tactics, which will be paid for with ISPs existing funds, Kelly said he was not going to spell it out right here.

The 14th recorded collision with a parked squad car occurred March 20, when a state trooper and his parked squad car were hit by a semitrailer along Interstate 55 in Collinsville. The officer was outside his car when the crash occurred, and suffered serious injuries. The squad car was demolished.

If you see an emergency vehicle with their lights activated, Kelly said, please slow down and move over. Its the right and safe thing to do, but failure to do so could also result in prosecution.

Those who violate Scotts Law face fines from $100 to $10,000 and a possible loss of a drivers license. The law is named after Chicago Fire Department Lt. Scott Gillen, who was struck and killed while assisting at a crash scene on a Chicago expressway in December 2000.

Reach reporter Grant Morgan at gmorgan@capitolnewsillinois.com
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Linkedin Jurgen Ruland (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, March 28, 2019 09:32 991 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873011716 3 Opinion Insight,ASEAN,parliament Free

In the view of many observers, ASEAN is a success story of regional integration. Despite its highly diverse membership, the 10-nation grouping is often rightly commended as a resilient regional security manager, institution builder, norm provider and dynamic economic block. Critics, however, deplore the state-centric and elitist nature of ASEAN.

For them ASEAN is an executive dominated organization. The ASEAN Charter responded to these criticisms, pledging to transform ASEAN into a people-oriented organization.

One way to make regionalism more inclusive is strengthening regional parliaments. In the Global South, Mercosur (South American trade bloc), ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) and the East African Community have established regional parliaments with a modicum of competencies, including legislative, oversight and budgetary functions.

ASEAN established a regional parliamentary institution as early as 1977. At the time of the formation of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organization (AIPO), ASEAN was a club of dictators, raising questions why after all it has been established. The answer is simple: to provide a facade of legitimacy to ASEAN and to make it look better in the eyes of Western donors of development aid. In 2007, AIPO was renamed the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA).

However, AIPA is not part of the ASEAN institutional structure. It is merely listed as an entity associated with ASEAN. The renaming did not coincide with an increase of powers. As in 1977, AIPA is still a consultative and recommendatory body, which meets only once per year for a few days in its General Assembly.

Each national parliament names up to 15 legislators, including the House speaker, for the annual General Assembly. The delegations are hardly representative as especially ASEANs authoritarian regimes tend to send MPs closely affiliated with the government. Fluctuation in the delegations is substantial, preventing the regional parliamentary body from developing a strong identity.

The resolutions the General Assembly passes are largely affirmative of the decisions made previously by ASEAN member governments. AIPA is thus part and parcel of the regional corporatism by which the body serves as a transmission belt for socializing ASEAN decisions and policies in the national parliaments.

Repeated calls to elevate AIPA to a full-fledged regional parliament repeatedly came from the Philippines, arguably one of the more open political systems in the region. Yet, such overtures have been regularly rejected by the majority of ASEAN members, relegating them in a face-saving way to commissions for further study.

To make AIPA more responsive is thus largely left to its leadership. The current secretary-general Isra Sunthornvut, a former Democrat Party MP from Thailand, is trying in his three-year term to increase the parliamentary bodys relevance by internal professionalization and the focus on specific themes which matter for all ASEAN countries.

But the sustainability of these advances is dependent on whether the succeeding leadership shares this priority.

Internal reforms of AIPA are welcome, but by far not enough. Even in intergovernmentalist, sovereignty based regional organizations such as ASEAN, the groupings policies impact an ever increasing part of the population. The ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) and even more the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) strongly affect the competitiveness of businesses in the member countries with far-reaching repercussions on jobs. Rural communities and urban poor in the way of large-scale infrastructure modernization projects, for instance under the ASEAN Masterplan for Connectivity, face displacement and resettlement. Policies on labor migration also deeply affect the income, livelihood and welfare of large segments of the population.

Under these circumstances, regional organizations must become more inclusive and accountable. For AIPA reforms this would mean to vest the body with oversight functions. With rights for parliamentary interrogation, it could invite foreign ministers, senior officials and officials of the ASEAN Secretariat to appear in AIPA sessions and explain and defend decisions.

Another way forward is an increase of the frequency of AIPA meetings, say, on a two-monthly basis. This would add relevance to AIPA, both in the view of parliamentarians as well as ASEAN executives.

Another reform should make AIPA more representative. National delegations should reflect the true proportion of political forces in the legislatures. Moreover, meetings between leaders and legislators must become an obligatory summit event and must be more interactive than in the present format.

And, finally, better funding to conduct more meaningful activities is also an essential step to increase the significance and the visibility of AIPA.

***

The author is a professor of political science at the University of Freiburg and speaker of the universitys Southeast Asia program.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
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Linkedin Naimah Talib (The Jakarta Post) Canberra  Thu, March 28, 2019 18:39 990 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873044dfe 3 Opinion Indonesia,natural-disaster,disaster-mitigation,disaster-risk-reduction Free

Recently Papua, Yogyakarta and Central Java were hit hard by floods and landslides, killing at least 84 people and affecting over 11,000 families. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has confirmed that hydrometeorogical disasters would pose serious risks for our country this year. Last year alone, Indonesia was hit extremely hard by volcanic eruptions, earthquake and tsunami apart from a fairly new phenomena, soil liquefaction in Central Sulawesi. Although Indonesia is known to be prone to natural disasters due to seabed landslides and being located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, comprehensive plans and actions to deal with these risks are still lacking.

The central and regional governments have been working hard to deliver social protection policies in 2018. However, are we sure enough that we are not missing anything to realize SDGs goal 1 (end poverty), goal 5 (gender equality) and the vision of Golden Indonesia 2045?

Among others we have the staple food assistance program (Rastra), one of the most established programs of its kind, to support the poor. The government says Rastra will be fully transformed to non cash food aid to promote accountability, transparency, and effective service delivery. In healthcare, the health card (KIS) and the Indonesian Health Insurance Scheme (BPJS) itself, aims for universal health care, which today is the worlds largest universal health coverage. Under President Joko Jokowi Widodo, the government launched the Smart Indonesia Card (KIP), to improve enrolment and attainment rates of the obligatory 12-years school program. The conditional cash transfer program for the poor (PKH), aims to smoothen consumption at the household level in the short run, while attempting to promote better health, education, and nutrition outcomes in the long run particularly among the poor.

The government, regional governments, related agencies and the National Family Planning Agency BKKBN, have also addressed stunting which significantly burdens communities and affect children into adulthood. These policies suggest Indonesia is heading towards the right direction in reducing poverty and investing in human capital.

As Armando Barrientos and David Hulme write in their book, Social Protection for the poor and the poorest, social protection policies are a set of policy instruments to alleviate poverty, while dealing with risks and vulnerability, including disabilities, sickness, normal life cycle (childhood and ageing), and of course, natural disasters.

So far responses towards disasters have been largely residual social protection, through on-request disaster funds and the presidential instruction to develop and implement the curricula on the mitigation and readiness against natural disasters. What else should we do to lift up thousands of people affected by the disasters? Some may fall into poverty, or worse, some might have become even poorer than before the disasters.

Obviously, no single solution can overcome vulnerability and risks, especially considering the uncertainty and complexity of natural disasters. Social risk management, a framework first introduced by experts in 2000, shed light to approach this issue through policies related to disaster: ex-ante (prevention and mitigation) and ex-post (coping strategies) disasters. Some examples of ex-ante policies are policies in health, education, technology adoptions, investment in social and hard infrastructure, migration, and labor policies, which aim for sustainable and resilient communities.

The ASEAN Regional Mechanism on Disaster Management has provided a framework that links economic and labor policies with national disaster mitigation strategies. Scandinavian countries use tax and redistribution, through health and education policies to cope with risks, including natural disaster and climate-related risks.

Ex-ante policies are important to mitigate, reduce the likelihood, and minimize the catastrophic consequences of natural disasters, and we should start to re-think what type of ex-ante approach would suit best with Indonesians socioeconomic, political, and cultural contexts.

Now lets look at ex-post policies, which other than emergency disaster relief funds still rely on informal and community-based short-term solutions, such as donations, crowdfunding, and voluntarism. Examples include the National Disaster Management in Bangladesh and Ethiopias Productive Safety Net Program to let communities resume their livelihoods, while providing job skill training, or measures to resume classrooms in Haiti while reconnecting social relationships after Hurricane Matthew.

Whatever policies are decided, they should respond to the communitys needs and priorities, while protecting their dignity.

***

The writer is a research officer at Crawford School of Public Policy, at the Australian National University. Her interests are on the areas of social development issues and gender equality.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
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Linkedin Gilang Kembara (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, March 28, 2019

It seems Indonesias foreign policy buzzword of 2019 is Indo-Pacific. The term has re-entered the countrys foreign policy in the last two years and has been vehemently supported by Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi. After being cooked up for months within the ministry, Retno announced the Indo-Pacific concept at the ASEAN Summit in August 2018, and further explained her intention to elevate it into an ASEAN-led concept.

The rationale behind the support for an ASEAN-led Indo-Pacific concept stemmed from the array of Indo-Pacific strategies being offered by ASEANs external partners. The concern that this assortment of strategies would elude ASEAN altogether led to Jakarta taking on the initiative of building up its and/or ASEANs own Indo-Pacific concept. This move would avoid any possibility of ASEAN centrality on the Indo-Pacific to be dictated by any of its external partners.

In addition, 2019 marked the beginning of Indonesias fourth accession as one of the United Nations nonpermanent Security Council (UNSC) members. A prestigious international position, where Indonesia sought to commit to combatting terrorism, promotion of human rights, global peace and conflict resolution, to name a few areas. Months into its membership within the UNSC, progress was seen in Indonesias diplomacy in certain cases, especially on the issue of Palestine, UN peacekeeping operations, womens rights and various armed conflicts. The diverse issues that have seen progress is certainly laudable, yet there seems to be a lack of originality and breakthrough in Indonesian foreign policy.

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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
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Linkedin John Boudreau, Andreo Calonzo, Anuradha Raghu and Eko Listiyorini (Bloomberg)  Wed, March 27, 2019 22:02 991 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8730049c0 2 Food chocolate,cocoa,Asia Free

Soy sauce and noodle soups arent the most natural flavor pairings for chocolate, but a rising crop of artisanal chocolate makers are daring to tryand succeedingin the unlikeliest of places.

In Ho Chi Minh City, artisans are creating world-class chocolate bars and adding a splash of spices for a pho confection. Chocolate-makers in the Philippines are mixing soy sauce with their sweets, while in Indonesia chocolatiers are producing cocoa with a tobacco aftertaste.

Nearly all these chocolatiers identify as bean-to-bar, or single-origin confectionery factories, sourcing locally from small cocoa farms and then roasting and fermenting the beans to perfection. While concocting their own regional flavors, these chocolate makers have much in common: They are risk-taking pioneers.

The whole chocolate scene in Southeast Asia is very new, says Vincent Mourou, who gave up an advertising agency career in San Francisco about nine years ago to make chocolate in Vietnam. We turned many heads. Vietnam didnt do chocolate.

Indeed, they have their work cut out for them in tropical climes, where chocolate melts as fast as ice on hot humid days. But perhaps the tougher challenge is wooing domestic consumers, who are not known as the biggest fans of the cocoa treat. Asians eat much less than North Americans and Europeans, who devour more than half of the worlds chocolate every year5.4 million tons of confectionery, compared to the Asia Pacifics mere 867,000 tons, according to Euromonitor International.

Heres a look at the growing crop of artisans gaining local followings as they garner gourmet awards from London and Paris and slowly win over chocolate lovers worldwide.

Marou Faiseurs de Chocolat, Vietnam

Marous cacao beans are distinctly Vietnamese, coming from a half-dozen provinces in locations ranging from the Mekong Delta, with its sediment soil, to the red volcanic earth of the Central Highlands Lam Dong province. The different soil types give each single bean a distinct flavor, while the blended, finished chocolate, wrapped by hand in art deco designed paper, bursts with notes of fruit and spices.

Most intriguing is its pho chocolate, a distinctly Vietnamese communion of dark chocolate with star anise, cardamom, coriander, fennel, cloves, cinnamon, and peppera classic melange in the countrys famous soup, without the beef. The inspiration for the sweet concoction came from a pho vendor near the chocolate factory who was grilling fresh spices for her soup noodle dishes.

The Ho Chi Minh City-based company exports in small quantities to around 20 countries, mostly in Western Europe, North America, and North Asia. It has garnered global honors, from the Salon du Chocolat in Paris to the annual Academy of Chocolate Awards.

Any chocolate that is made not using bulk West African cacao is, almost by definition, a specialty product, ex-banker and Marou co-founder Sam Maruta says. The emergence of tiny craft chocolate makers using scarce local cacao resources, as we do, is a very niche phenomenon. The bars carry the price to match, up to $6.50 a bar. The company pays cacao farmers $4,100 a ton, almost double the market price.

Marous founders were looking for an adventure when they hit upon the idea of tapping Vietnams small but dedicated cacao farmers to create a global chocolate brand. They had no consultants and no road maps for making chocolate in the countrys sweltering climate. They built their own cracker, which splits the beans, and their own winnower, which separates the cracked shells from the cacao nibs.

The two founders turned Marutas home kitchen into something of a chocolate laboratory; they created 55 batches from February 2011 to October of that year before creating their version of the perfect chocolate. We kept a journal for each batch testalmost like a science experiment but with chocolate, Mourou recalls. Between batch tests, we would change only one variable at a time.

Read also: Balis chocolate puts smiles on farmers faces

They made their first sale in late 2011 and now are producing six tons of chocolate a month, a figure they expect to reach 10 tons a month next year. The company forecasts 30 percent to 50 percent sales growth this year.

People at first thought we were crazy, giving up our careers to go into chocolate-making and doing it here, says Mourou, who studied neuroscience in college. Hes standing in a grove of Mekong Delta cacao trees, which in turn are shaded from the intense sun by coconut palms. (Fun fact: His father, French scientist Gerard Albert Mourou, was awarded a Nobel Prize in physics last year.)

Their answer to the sweltering heat? Lots of air-conditioning, eight-foot high dehumidifiers, and a meticulously timed route to Ho Chi Minh Citys Tan Son Nhat International Airport for the completed bars. They insist their chocolate, packed tightly in four-layer cardboard boxes, is the last pickup of the day and will make it onto the plane in about three hours. (Large orders go by ship in refrigerated containers.)

Krakakoa, Indonesia

Krakakoa Chief Executive Officer Sabrina Mustopo, a former McKinsey analyst focused on climate change and agribusiness, says she founded her six-year-old company to help Indonesian farmers find a bigger domestic market for their cacao beans. We looked at the macroeconomic trends, and there is a very strong correlation between [gross domestic product] and per capita consumption of chocolate. Indonesias growing middle class and an expanding economy provides farmers with a new and lucrative market.

Krakakoa works with small-plot farmers in Lampung province, about 250 kilometers northeast of Jakarta, training them to plant and harvest the beans sustainably and then sell them to Krakakoa at an above-market price of $3,000 a ton, which ensures a good income for the farmers. The typical fermented beans they buy cost up to $4,200 per ton.

The first collection of $4 bars (an upscale price point for the country) was built around the idea of Indonesia as the spice islands, with flavors of sea salt, pepper, chili, cinnamon, and ginger. Their most popular product is a sugar-free, 100 percent dark chocolate bar made from Sumatra beanswhich is deliciously bold and tart.

Chocolate Concierge, Malaysia

Ong Ning Geng taught 3D design at a university in Illinois before returning to his homeland in 2010 to make a quality chocolate from Malaysian ingredients. It took me a couple of years to find out how to make it and then another couple of years to source for the right quality of beans, he says, driven by curiosity to see what a high-quality, locally sourced product could be. He founded Chocolate Concierge in 2015.

Ning sources from local farms, including some operated by indigenous peoples from central Malaysia. He also jointly owns farms, so he can control the fermentation process, which imparts varying floral, fruity, nutty, or earthy flavor notes. Chocolate Concierge exports beans and chocolate in small quantities to Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

I love Malaysian produce, says Ning on a visit to his cacao farm in Batang Kali, Selangor, an hours drive from Kuala Lumpur. Tiny flies, which pollinate the cacao fruit, swarm the trees, which were rehabilitated after being abandoned by farmers years ago. I like things that have a connection with nature, what I can see and touch. In my mind, its also consuming more responsibly when we consume more locally.

He ferments some of his cocoa longer than anyone in the world71 days vs. the standard six, he says, to give it a different taste profileand creates flavors based on popular Malaysian nibbles such as tangy asam laksa (spicy noodle soup), sweet onde onde (glutinous rice balls), and cendol (an iced dessert with string-like green jelly) that appeal to the Malaysian palate.

The hope is that his $7 bars and $1 truffles can stoke a taste for a new local treat.

If you wave a cocoa fruit in front of 20 Malaysians from different walks of life, more than half of them would say, Hey, when I was growing up, I remember walking by a cocoa tree, or eating a cocoa fruit, or my neighbors or family were harvesting cocoa, says Ning. But they have not made that same connection to what they know as cocoa and to what they know as chocolate.

Read also: Black coffee and dark chocolate: Enjoying the after taste

Theo and Philo, the Philippines

Philo Chua, owner of Theo and Philo Artisan Chocolates, left his job as a web developer in the U.S. in 2007 at the age of 28 to return home and take a crack at chocolate-making in the Philippines. He wanted to produce something world-class, without the palm oil or other additives typical of the regions mass-produced candy. He researched chocolate on the internet, watched online instructional videos, and lurked in discussion threads to find people who could link him to cacao bean suppliers.

After three years of perfecting his recipe and setting up a small factory using his savings, he came out with the Philippines first bean-to-bar single origin chocolate bars in 2010.

He experimented by adding candied lime peel and whole peppercornsa hitand even ripe banana, whose flavor didnt register well until he added caramel and sesame seeds to replicate the taste of a beloved fried-banana snack called turon. Indeed, his most popular flavors are inspired by Filipino dishes and snacks, including adobo (a salty, vinegary meat stew), calamansi (key lime), and salt-flecked green mangoes. Their $2 adobo milk chocolate bar, with hints of soy sauce, and a black sesame and cashew variety have won awards from European and U.S. chocolate institutes.

These distinctive flavors and word-of-mouth marketing helped propel his business into a multimillion-peso enterprise that now exports products to Japan and the U.S.

We introduced something unique to the market, and we saw people responding to it. We want to experiment with more flavors that are iconically Filipino, Chua says.
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Linkedin Dominique Vidalon (Reuters) Paris, France  Wed, March 27, 2019 23:07 991 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873004736 2 Lifestyle Galeries-Lafayette,Paris,champs-elysees,Tourist,Chinese-tourists,France,department-store Free

High-end French department store Galeries Lafayette will open a new outlet on Paris's Champs Elysees this week, aiming to lure big-spending tourists and trendy Parisians back to the tree-lined avenue that was once a byword for style.

The opening comes as top-tier department stores are increasingly trying to pitch themselves as day-trip destinations to counter competition from online rivals such as Amazon and Net-a-Porter.com.

"The store is a retail laboratory where we will test new practices," said Nicolas Houze, head of the family-owned Galeries Lafayette group, which also owns retailer BHV Marais.

"It is a symbol of our ongoing transformation into an omni-channel retail leader," he said of the March 28 opening.

The four-story, 6,500-square-meter store, in an Art Deco building once home to a Virgin megastore, will sell edgy fashion brands such as RouJe, Walk of Shame and Mira Mikati, as well as top-end labels from Gucci to Chanel.

The store, at 60 Champs Elysees, has recruited and trained 300 tech-savvy personal stylists to advise shoppers on the range of fashion, accessory, beauty and lifestyle brands on offer.

The opening comes at a difficult time, however, with the Champs Elysees repeatedly targeted by the "yellow vest" protest movement that has rocked France, with windows smashed, stores looted and buildings set on fire this month.

The historic avenue has also been battling for years to put itself back at the heart of the Paris fashion map - many locals avoid the Champs Elysees, seeing it as a tourist trap for its 300,000 daily visitors.

As well as the shopping, the new Galeries Lafayette will offer an upmarket food court, a coffee lounge, a restaurant and "smart hanger" technology, giving shoppers information about product availability and fitting rooms with natural light.

Both Galeries Lafayette and rival Printemps are trying to capitalize on a rebound in Paris' tourism industry, which was hit hard by a wave of militant attacks in 2015. Both cater heavily to shoppers and tourists from Asia.

Read also: Indonesian hammock, backpack available at Paris' Galeries Lafayette

Yellow vest violence

Galeries Lafayette's move has been welcomed by France's finance minister, who sees it as a vote of confidence in central Paris at a challenging time.

"The Champs Elysees are standing up again," said Bruno Le Maire. "They are stronger than all of this violence, which is unacceptable and must stop as it hurts the attractiveness of our country."

The store, designed by Danish architect Bjarke Ingels, is a tenth of the size of the group's flagship one on Boulevard Haussmann, which draws 60,000 to 80,000 visitors a day, half of them foreign tourists, notably Chinese.

Houze sees the Champs Elysees store as a complement to the headquarters, whose revenue rose 2 percent to 2 billion euros ($2.3 billion) last year. The new store hopes to draw 10,000-15,000 visitors per day.

Founded in the late 1800s, Galeries Lafayette has 61 stores in France and abroad. It opened a second store in Shanghai last weekend and has plans to open 10 more across China in the coming three to four years, Houze said.
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Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Los Angeles, United States  Thu, March 28, 2019 09:09 991 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa87301087f 2 Food Breaking-Bad,beer,series,Dean-Norris,united-states,Schraderbrau Free

With Homer Simpson's Duff Beer having already been transformed from fiction to reality, why not Schraderbrau from the crime drama Breaking Bad? The project has been in the pipeline since last year and the beer is expected to be available in stores at the end of May, actor Dean Norris (alias Hank Schrader) has told US media.

In Breaking Bad, Drug Enforcement Administration Agent Hank Schrader had an absolute passion for beer from the second season, and made his own homebrew. This became such an integral part of the character that fans of the series wanted to sample it themselves.

Dean Norris has told Esquire magazine that he decided to work on producing Schraderbrau on the 10th anniversary of Breaking Bad last year. It took some time to find a brewery that was up to the task. In the end, California-based company Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co was chosen to produce the amber brew.

Read also: Heres what we know about the sequel to Netflixs 'Breaking Bad'

The American actor proudly displayed his involvement in the project by posting a photo of himself alongside the tanks on his Instagram account.

Schraderbrau is set to become available at the end of May. Fans of the series who aren't American won't be disappointed as there are plans to sell the German-style lager online. Expect to pay between US$5.99 and US$6.99 a bottle.

Fans will also be pleased to learn that Norris already has plans for a winter beer and a summer pale ale. There could even be a beer created with his screen partner Agent Gomez in the future.
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Linkedin Kinda Makieh (Reuters) Damascus, Syria  Thu, March 28, 2019 01:06 991 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873003b8e 2 Entertainment Damascus,Syria,film,Movie,film-industry Free

On a long-disused film set outside Damascus featuring mud houses, palm trees, alleyways and camels, actors in flowing robes are making a television series that the producers say is part of a gradual revival of their industry.

Like most other sectors of the economy in Syria, the film and television business has been hit hard by a war that has killed half a million people, forced millions from their homes and laid waste to swathes of the country since 2011.

Any films or TV series made by Syrian production houses during the war were rarely bought by the customers in the Gulf and elsewhere that once made up an important part of their market. Actors and directors moved abroad. Studios lay silent.

However, fighting around Damascus ended last year after a series of massive government offensives, reflecting a wider increase in state control around the country, and Syrian studios are starting to work again.

Ziad al-Rayes, head of the television producers' association in Syria, said it was again possible to film comfortably and effectively.

"Here you can find four seasons. Here you have mountains, desert, valleys and snow," he said. It is cheaper to film in Syria than elsewhere, he added.

Read also: Syrian war documentary wins top Venice prizes

The television series being produced outside Damascus is about a Sufi cleric called Muhiy al-Din bin Arabi, and is set in historic Mecca, the holiest city of Islam located in modern-day Saudi Arabia.

It is being made to air in the United Arab Emirates, the producers said. Television series are also being made for broadcast in Lebanon and in Syria's two closest allies Russia and Iran, the producers' association said.

The film set was part of a large studio lot that was unused for most of the war and shows signs of disrepair. A nearby set in the same studio is made up like an ancient Roman city.

During the war many famous Syrian actors left the country to work in other Arab states. One well-known actor, 41-year-old Qays al-Sheikh Najib, is now filming for the first time in Syria for eight years, playing a photographer in a new series called A Safe Distance, which looks at how the Syrian war affected people.

"Syrian actors always tried to keep up their good level and they could maintain their level in the Arab world," he said.
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Linkedin (Reuters) London, United Kingdom  Thu, March 28, 2019 17:07 990 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa87302e8cd 2 People Prince-William,New-Zealand,New-Zealand-shooting,Britain,royals Free

Britain's Prince William will visit New Zealand next month to honor the 50 victims of the mass shooting at mosques two weeks ago, his office said on Wednesday.

William, the Duke of Cambridge, will make the trip on behalf of his 92-year-old grandmother Queen Elizabeth, New Zealand's head of state, following a request from its Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

"The Duke will meet with those affected by the attack and will pay tribute to the extraordinary compassion and solidarity that the people of New Zealand have displayed in recent weeks," Kensington Palace said in a statement.

Read also: Britain's Kate and William celebrate St Patrick's Day

William and other senior royals have already spoken of their horror at the March 15 attack on two mosques in Christchurch for which a suspected white supremacist has been charged with murder.

"This senseless attack is an affront to the people of Christchurch and New Zealand, and the broader Muslim community. It is a horrifying assault on a way of life that embodies decency, community, and friendship," William said.

"We know that from this devastation and deep mourning, the people of New Zealand will unite to show that such evil can never defeat compassion and tolerance."
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Linkedin Bambang Muryanto (The Jakarta Post) Yogyakarta  Thu, March 28, 2019 18:34 990 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8730455ff 1 Art & Culture Handiwirman-Saputra,venice-biennale,art,art-exhibition,Indonesian-artists Free

Indonesian artist Handiwirman Saputra, 44, has been invited to exhibit his works at the upcoming Venice Art Biennale (La Biennale Arte di Venezia), slated to run from May 11 to Nov. 24 in Italy. According to the biennales official website, the artist is one of 79 international artists invited by the event.

I will be the third Indonesian artist to participate in the Venice Biennale, Handiwirman told The Jakarta Post in his studio in Bantul regency, Yogyakarta, on Tuesday.

The first Indonesian artist to have been invited by the Venice Biennale, held since 1895, was Affandi in 1954. A book titled Seni dan Mengoleksi Seni: Kumpulan Tulisan Dr. Oei Hong Djien (Art and Collecting Art: A Compilation of Articles by Dr. Oei Hong Djien), cites that after Affandis invitation, another was sent to Indonesian artist Heri Dono in 2003. It took 49 years for that second invitation after Affandis.

Handiwirman said he would exhibit five artworks at the biennale.

[The works comprise] a painting [for display] at a pavilion at the Giardini site, and four three-dimensional works [for display] at the Arsenale space, he said.

This years Venice Biennale, which is the 58th since its inauguration, will be titled May You Live in Interesting Times, said to be taken from an apocryphal ancient Chinese curse. Reflecting the title, Handiwirman will present a 3 by 4 acrylic on canvas painting titled Hari ini Esok Kemaren (Today Tomorrow Yesterday) and four three-dimensional works, namely Menahan Letakan di Bawah Sangkutan (Holding Placement Under Suspension), Tak Berakar dan Tak Berpucuk No. 8 (Without Roots and Without Buds No. 8), Tak Berakar dan Tak berpucuk No. 7 (Without Roots and Without Buds No. 7) and Pemangkasan (The Trimming).

All the three-dimensional artworks are from the Tak Berakar Tak Berpucuk series made between 2010 and 2019.

[The painting] Hari ini Esok Kemaren is the sequel from the series, said Handiwirman, who is an alumnus of the Indonesia Institute of Arts (ISI) Yogyakarta.

He went on to say that Tak Berakar Tak Berpucuk offered a perspective in understanding a historical process. History sometimes has to curve and not move in a linear way according to someones plan or wish. There are other forces that may not be visible but they are impactful and cause changes in history.

[The Venice Biennale] curators saw that [perspective] in these works and apparently that is what they were looking for, he said.

The title May You Live in Interesting Times for this years Venice Biennale, according to its curator Ralph Rugoffs note (https://www.labiennale.org/it/arte/2019/intervento-di-ralph-rugoff) is an expression falsely believed to be an ancient Chinese curse that was quoted in a speech by British statesman Sir Austen Chamberlain in the late 1930s. Chamberlain explained that interesting meant moving from one crisis to another, in a succession of traumas and disorders.

Meanwhile, Rugoff feels that news these days announces one crisis after another, amid the digital diffusion of fake news and alternative facts that undermine the political debate and the trust on which it is based.

It is worth pausing, if possible, to question our points of reference, wrote Rugoff.

Read also: ARTJOG aims for collaborative, environmentally conscious art

The biennale will therefore feature works of art that reflect the precarious aspects of the current situation, including those that challenge the founding traditions, institutions and relations of the post-war order.

Fully aware that art does not directly stop the advances of authoritarian governments or help refugees all over the planet, the biennale aims to highlight a general approach to making art and stimulate critical thinking. In other words, May You Live in the Interesting Times hopes to seriously use art to investigate things that could be off-limits, exist in undercurrents or be inaccessible for various reasons.

Besides exhibiting his own artworks, Handiwirman with fellow artist Syagini Ratna Wulan and curator Asmudjo Jono Irianto will also present a joint piece.

It is titled Lost Verses: Akal Tak Sekali Datang, Runding Tak Sekali Tiba (Lost Verses: Wit Doesnt Come Once, Discourse Doesnt Arrive Once), Asmudjo told the Post in a WhatsApp message.

Workers dismantle a cradle created by Asmudjo Jono Irianto, which was prepared at Handiwirman's studio in Bantul regency, Yogyakarta. The work, part of a collaboration with Handiwirman and Syagini Ratna Wulan, will be shipped to the Venice Biennale. It is titled 'Lost Verses: Akal Tak Sekali Datang, Runding Tak Sekali Tiba' (Lost Verses: Wit Doesnt Come Once, Discourse Doesnt Arrive Once). (JP/Bambang Muryanto) (JP/Bambang Muryanto)

Asmudjo made a cradle and Handiwirman made a smoking room. Both artworks were prepared at the latters studio in Bantul. Meanwhile, Bandung-based Syagini prepared a transparent locker cabinet installation artwork in her hometown.

Handiwirman said the collaborative work sent a message to the world that Indonesian contemporary art was still striving in its own homeland, amid a lack of complete infrastructure. He said he believed that the development of visual art in Indonesia could not only be viewed from the western perspective.

People should not observe Indonesian visual arts from only one perspective, he said. (mut)
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Linkedin Daniel Rudi Haryanto (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, March 28, 2019 09:32 991 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873013f26 3 Entertainment documentary-film-festival,documentary,filmmaker,filmmaking,#2019GeneralElections,2019-presidential-election,2019-legislative-election,social-media,hoax Free

Docedge Kolkata, India's largest documentary movie-pitching platform, brought together the potential energy of documentary filmmakers from the world over. All kinds of issues, including geopolitical, economic, social, cultural, historical and environmental, were deeply delved into during the event, which took place from March 3 to 10 in the city of Kolkata, India.

As an invitee, I had the opportunity to meet other filmmakers from other countries, as well as film-festival caretakers, film critics, producers, film financing organizations, distributors and international-level broadcast industry stakeholders.

At this forum, I found a very strong correlation between the realities of human problems, with film as an engagement media to awaken public consciousness into becoming involved in real change. Documentary films can be seen as an indicator of the changes happening on the local, regional and also global levels.

What I found in Docedge Kolkata was, of course, quite different from the reality that we currently face in Indonesia. Nearing our National Film Day on March 30, the potential of the Indonesian documentary film as a product has yet to receive maximum appreciation from industry stakeholders, or from the beholders of cultural strategies -- in this matter the Indonesian government. An adequate appreciation of documentary filmmaking would be the barometer by which to measure the strength of civil society in maintaining the health of democracy.

In Indonesia, the Center for Film Development at the Education and Culture Ministry and the Creative Economy Agency (Bekraf) have worked together for the past five years, exerting maximum effort to push the Indonesian film industry forward and yet within this concerted effort, when it comes to documentary films, an adequate impact has yet to be felt.

Various organizations in Indonesia have consistently carried out documentary training sessions, production and screenings: for instance, the Eagle Awards Documentary Competition, In-docs, Jogja NETPAC and the Documentary Film Festival in Yogyakarta.

I hope that the Indonesian Film Festival, which so far has focused on fictional movies, would in the future provide more room for the appreciation of documentary films. In the global field, we are currently quite far behind other Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea and China.

Read also: WWI brought back to life in Peter Jackson's new 3D documentary

Hoax versus documentary

On April 17, Indonesia is to hold the 2019 general elections. Political communication machines have been working 24 hours a day to sway the hearts of the electorate. In this highly political situation, hoaxes have become unavoidable, filling every crevice in the daily lives of most Indonesians. Hoaxes are born in social media and spread into personal and familial spaces with worrying impact as they threaten to create conflict.

Digital information technologies have opened the floodgates of virtually unlimited communication and information, melting away the boundaries of journalism. Social media has changed the way the human race communicates and distributes information. Each piece of information may as well have been published without any noticeable control. How do we wisely face this problem? Can we navigate our way out?

With the right and good intention of criticizing and dispelling hoaxes, efforts by incumbent President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo have instead unfortunately resulted in protests from Moscow over his use of the phrase Russian propaganda during a rally held in Surabaya in February.

On one hand, the dynamics in social media is a form of democratic celebration, but on the other it becomes tragic; any party that spreads hoaxes, whether intentionally or unintentionally, faces the risk of being subject to legal due process and imprisonment.

Reflecting on Indonesias political reality through the window of Docedge Kolkata, I realize there is a difference between the dynamics of social media and the dynamics of documentary films.

Dziga Vertov, a Russian filmmaker who lived from 1896 to 1954, declared his manifesto, called Kino-Pravda (Cinema of Truth), in the 1920s. Another figure with a similar spirit was Robert J. Flaherty (1884 to 1954), who introduced Cinema Verite (Cinema of Honesty) as a style of documentary filmmaking grounded firmly in participatory observation. The 1922 movie Nanook of the North is an important example of such work and is a primary reference in the study of visual anthropology.

Vertovs manifesto inspired a cinematic movement in the 1960s, inspiring, among others, Jean Rouch and Edgar Morin from France when they made Chronicle of a Summer in 1961. They both firmly believed that the exploration of a camera is no different than that of the eye of a witness gazing upon reality as the story is told as-is.

The documentary film stands inside a corridor of strong methodology in research, developing empirical qualitative data into a visualization that can bring the audience into the true reality and it is within this corridor that film has the ability to open up audience awareness of the reality being told.

This is what differentiates documentary film from fictional film. Although perhaps both would begin their journey from the background of a true story, the fiction film has the freedom of interpretation in storytelling; meanwhile, the documentary does not have this degree of freedom and yet the documentary does influence the film-watching society to take action upon reality as recorded in film.

For his supporters, President Jokowi has undoubtedly been successful in developing and establishing physical infrastructure throughout Indonesia, but for those aligned with the opposition and the oppositions supporters it is not so. The opposition asks by what criteria we measure this success. What are the indicators of such success, other than the official reports produced by government bodies and by the incumbents supporters? Outside of the incumbent and the challenger, how do the people appreciate the achievements of development from the point of view of the people themselves?

It would be quite difficult to achieve a Mental Revolution by using a political machine that reproduces one-way narratives in the service of power through the frame of memes pumped through the canals of social media. For the past five years the public has been shackled by over-dosage of political fanaticism, giving birth to cebong and kampret polarization mired deep in copy-paste debating.

This is why I truly believe that the documentary film can be an indicator of national development and be a solution for this nation after this election. The achievement of physical infrastructure development should ideally be accompanied by achieving a mental revolution of honesty involving all national stakeholders.

It is time for the infrastructure of Indonesian documentary films to be made a priority, as a medium to indicate development that can help people actively contribute, to become the bridge by which it is communicated what developments have been carried out and what public hopes have been achieved.

On my journey back home, I dream of a documentary film training workshop for the now generation, to be carried out in unison in several rural villages, empowering village millennials to carry out their own research, to construct narratives based on facts, to record, to construct into film and to give form to forums of discourse based upon their produced works.

Can we imagine? The President and the Cabinet, director generals, governors, regents, district heads and village heads, directors of state-owned enterprises: Imagine them all in the presidential airplane, through gadgets and digital distribution platforms, all easily accessing documentary channels and appreciating works produced by millennials from throughout Indonesia.

Indonesia needs documentary films and achieving this dream is inevitable.

***

The writer is a filmmaker and a recipient of a Director Guild of Japan Award in 2011. He is also an alumnus of the American Film Showcase and the Asia Pacific Screen Lab.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
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Linkedin Gosia Wojtunik (Reuters) Warsaw, Poland  Thu, March 28, 2019 21:09 990 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa87304f8a4 2 People DJ,Poland,age,Wirginia-Szmyt,DJ-Wika Free

Donning yellow trousers, shiny platform shoes, red lipstick and headphones, 80-year-old "DJ Wika" stands behind the decks, mixing party music in a huge Warsaw club.

Instead of baby-sitting grandchildren, Poland's oldest DJ Wirginia Szmyt packs her CDs, mixer and laptop, and heads off to spin for a packed dance floor of mainly senior citizens.

"I don't care if someone likes it or not that I am dancing or jumping behind the console, because I cannot play and stay still," said Wika, raising her hands to clap with her audience. "When I play, I feel the melody, I feel the rhythm."

Aware of the rejuvenating quality of music for the mind and body, the self-trained Wika has been DJ-ing for Polish retirees for two decades, earning widespread respect in the trade.

Read also: DJ super group Swedish House Mafia reunite

Every Monday night, she entertains about 1,000 people at the Hula Kula club, smashing stereotypes and empowering seniors as she plays everything from disco and rock to samba and ballads.

"I do not fit the stereotype of an elderly person. I don't see a reason why my age should determine my life norms," Wika, a former special educational teacher, told Reuters.

"I used to work with young people and I kept this youthful outlook and youthful expectations ... My message to youths is that your life does not end when you are 70. They would say 'Miss Wika we are already 40, we are so old'. And I am twice as old as you and ... I am not old, by no means."
Fashion designer Musa Widyatmodjo shows that architectural material can be transformed into costumes in Viro Dream, a show that merges art performance and a fashion show.

Held during the opening ceremony of Indonesia Fashion Week (IFW) 2019 on Wednesday at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC) in Senayan, Central Jakarta, Viro Dream featured a collaboration between Musa and Viro, a brand owned by PT Polymindo Permata that provides material solutions for architectural and interior design.

A total of 18 looks were presented at the show; all made out of Viros eco faux material, which is a synthetic fiber made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE).

We can make it look exactly like rattan, bamboo, wood and alang-alang [cogon grass], said Viro general manager Hardjanto Nusantoro at a press conference on Wednesday.

Musa worked alongside Viros creative team for about a month to prepare the costumes.

Eco faux is a stiff material as it is used for architectural purposes, while materials in fashion are [mostly] organic and flexible. Hence I told Viro teams to develop it to be more flexible and stretchable, Musa said.

Read also: Indonesia Fashion Week 2019 to put spotlight on Kalimantan's culture

Despite the original use for eco faux, Musa stated that his models were comfortable moving throughout the show, however the material is not recommended for daily wear. It can be used as a costume [material] for carnival or theater performance, Musa said, adding that the material could be an interesting alternative for the fashion industry as natural material is getting more expensive.

Said to be environmentally friendly, eco faux is water and heat resistant as well.

Natural material [generally] will last two to three years if exposed to outside [weather], while eco faux can last for 20 years and can be recycled up to seven times, said Hardjanto.

Entering its eighth year, IFW will be held from March 27 to 31, with cultural values as the main theme. This years event also highlights Kalimantan as its inspiration.

Few people focus on Kalimantan culture, though the provinces main ethnicities, which include Melayu, Dayak, Banjar Kutai and Dayak Paser, offer a unique atmosphere [to the fashion industry], said IFW president Poppy Dharsono in a statement.

The opening ceremony showcases collections from different designers, including Myanmar designer May Myat Waso and 10 designers who are part of a collaboration between fashion stylist Caren Delano and the Indonesian Fashion Designers and Fashion Entrepreneurs Association (APPMI) in APPMI Rising Star Designers x Caren Delano. (kes)
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Linkedin (Reuters) Paris, France  Thu, March 28, 2019 16:01 990 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873026037 2 Food milk,raw-milk,France,cheese,cheese-maker,Cheese-Day Free

French traditional cheese makers on Wednesday urged governments and lawmakers to protect raw milk cheese products as an increasing number of industrial cheeses made out of pasteurized milk hit markets worldwide.

As France was celebrating its national "Cheese Day", raw milk cheese manufacturers organised several events across France to praise health benefits of raw milk on the human body.

"The real issue for Western societies is our immune systems," Veronique Richez-Lerouge, with local cheese association "Fromages de terroirs" told Reuters.

Read also: Hip hop best bet for a cheese that will please: Swiss study

"Why do people suffer food intolerance? Why are people more and more resistant to antibiotics? It is because they do not eat enough living foods and notably raw milk or cheese made from raw milk."

Carlos Yescas, a program director for the US-based Oldways Cheese Coalition, said he believed France's cheeses were at risk as small farmers and their ancestral know-how were slowly disappearing in the wake of competition brought on by large dairy companies using pasteurized milk.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, March 28, 2019 13:30 990 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873021983 4 Entertainment Si-Doel-The-Movie,rano-karno,Cornelia-Agatha,Maudy-Koesnaedi Free

The sequel to beloved soap opera Si Doel Anak Sekolahan movie spin-off, Si Doel The Movie 2, will be released on Idul Fitri as a holiday movie. The official trailer for the upcoming movie was released on Wednesday.

In the trailer, it is hinted that the love triangle between the leads, Doel, Sarah, and Zaenab remains.

By the end of the movie, there will be [an answer about whom he chooses], Rano Karno, who served as the movies director and main lead, told the press at his house in Lebak Bulus, South Jakarta, on Wednesday as quoted by kompas.com,

Read also: Si Doel film adaptation to kick off production next year

Actors from the previous movie and of the legendary series reprise their roles in the movie, portraying the familiar characters. Cornelia Agatha plays the lively and sophisticated Sarah, and Maudy Koesnaedi plays the humble and kind-hearted Zaenab. Suti Karno and Mandra return as Doels chatty relatives, Atun and Mandra.

Veteran actress Aminah Cendrakasih also has a role in the movie as the beloved Mak Nyak, Doels mother, despite her health conditions. Aminah revived her role while lying down in her bed to accommodate her glaucoma.

The principal photography for the movie commenced in December 2018. The movie was shot in Indonesia and the Netherlands. (gis/asw)
PATNA  Humane Society International/India has joined with Bihars Department of Animal Husbandry, People for Animals and local organization Jag Jagran Sansthan to urge devotees of the Gadhimai festival in Nepal not to transport or sacrifice animals during the event this year in November, consistent with the order of the Honble Supreme Court.

The quinquennial festival has long been considered the largest animal sacrifice festival in the world; hundreds of thousands of buffalo, goats, chickens and other animals are decapitated to placate Gadhimai, the goddess of power. Following campaigns by HSI/India and PFA at the last Gadhimai in 2014, there was an estimated 70 per cent reduction in animal sacrifice. In 2015 temple authorities declared a ban on future animal sacrifice. The public awareness drive seeks to ensure that news of the ban reaches the estimated 5 million devotees expected to attend the event.

In a joint effort spanning many months and multiple languages and dialects, the organisations are running street plays, radio advertisements, billboards, and utilising local celebrity support across key districts of Bihar via which the majority of devotees travel to Nepal for the Gadhimai festival.

Arkaprava Bhar, Humane Society International/Indias regional manager for East India, said: The decision by the Gadhimai temple committee to end the animal sacrifice should spare the lives of hundreds of thousands of innocent animals. But for it to have impact we now have the huge task of making sure that the millions of people heading to Gadhimai are made aware of the temples ruling, and bring flowers, sweets and fruit to offer to the goddess instead of buffalo and birds. We are extremely grateful to the Government of Bihar for supporting our efforts to spread the news that the transport of animals to Nepal for religious sacrifice is illegal, and that the temple has also declared an end to this bloodshed. We hope that by watching our street theatre, listening to our radio ads, and reading our education materials, we can save as many animals as possible from a terrible and needles fate.

The awareness drive started in early March and is now in its second phase in Muzaffarpur, bringing street plays to districts including Darbhanga, Madhubani, Supaul and Kishangan. Similar initiatives will be conducted in other districts of Bihar until October. The Government of Uttar Pradesh also joined with HSI/India and PFA earlier this year at the Kumbh Mela, the worlds largest religious congregation, to make attendees aware of the Gadhimal festival ban on animal sacrifice.

In 2014 the Sashastra Seema Bal, the border force at the Indo-Nepal border, was increased to intercept those attempting to bring live animals for sacrifice, and in total more than 2,000 animals were confiscated.

Mr. Vinod Gunjial, director of Bihars Animal Husbandry Department said: With guards at the Indian-Nepalese border, the movement of animals can be controlled. The practise of sacrifice is not only brutal but also is very stressful to watch. We hope that with all these measures, the awareness drive should leave a positive impact on devotees of Gadhimai.

Facts:

The origins of Gadhimai are said to date back some 265 years when the founder of the Gadhimai temple, Bhagwan Chowdhary, had a dream that the goddess Gadhimai wanted blood in return for freeing him from prison, protecting him from evil, and promising prosperity and power. The goddess asked for a human sacrifice, but Chowdhary offered sacrifice of five animals instead, and this been repeated every five years since.

It is estimated that more than 500,000 animals including buffalo, goats, chickens and others were decapitated at Gadhimai in 2009, but in 2014 the numbers had reduced by 70 percent.

The Gadhimai temple committees 2015 ban on animal sacrifice at the temple was announced after rigorous negotiations with the Temple Trust members by Animal Welfare Network Nepal, PFA and HSI/India.

While the temples ban on animal sacrifice is limited to the slaughter of buffalo within the main temple arena (as the only area that comes under its jurisdiction), it has appealed top devotees to refrain from all animal sacrifice that also takes place outside of the arena.

Download images from Awareness Drive and Gadhimai 2014 here.

Media Contact: Sanjana Rao, +91 8897827214, srao@hsi.org
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, March 28, 2019 08:18 991 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873008dc7 4 Business Tanjung-Selor,new-independent-city,agreement,DarminNasution,north-kalimantan Free

Several government institutions signed on Wednesday an agreement to develop Tanjung Selor in North Kalimantan as a new independent city (KBM), as stipulated in the 2015-2019 National Medium Term Development Plan (RPJMN).

The ten cities included in the RPJMN plan are Padang in West Sumatra, Palembang in South Sumatra, Pontianak in West Kalimantan, Banjarbaru in South Kalimantan, Maja in Banten, Makassar in South Sulawesi, Manado in North Sulawesi, Sorong in West Papua, Jayapura in Papua and Tanjung Selor.

The agreement on the action plan for Presidential Instruction (Inpres) No 9/2018 on the development of Tanjung Selor signed by President Joko Jokowi Widodo in October 2018 includes several government institutions as well as the North Kalimantan provincial and Bulungan regental administrations.

The development of the new city is aimed at controlling continued urbanization of metropolitan cities in Java and Bali, said Coordinating Economic Minister Darmin Nasution, adding that the signing ceremony was a sign of the central governments commitment to accelerating the development of Tanjung Selor.

Geographically, Tanjung Selor is located in a strategic position as it is near the border of Indonesia and Malaysia. It is also the site of the Tanah Kuning integrated industrial and port area.

Coordination among the relevant institutions is important to ensure efficiency and effectiveness so that there is no repetition of work by different ministries or government institutions, Darmin said as quoted by kontan.co.id.

Meanwhile, the local administrations are tasked with completing the various paper work, adjusting the regional spatial plan (RTRW) and spatial detail plan (RDTR) and handling other relevant permits.

North Kalimantan Governor Irianto Lambrie welcomed the signing of the agreement, saying that the Inpres indicated the central governments seriousness to spread development across the country.

It is a breakthrough. We have to follow it up to accelerate development all over the country so that development is not just Java centered, but is Indonesia centered, he added. (bbn)
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Linkedin Riza Roidila Mufti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, March 28 2019

Indonesias rapidly growing aviation industry is in need of ever more skillful and competent human resources, including qualified pilots.

However, airlines face the same old problem of dealing with regard to the qualifications of rookie pilots from flight academies across the country. Despite the availability of many fresh flight academy graduates, airlines are having a hard time recruiting high-quality ones.

During a recent panel discussion at the Indonesia Aviation Training and Education Conference (IATEC) in Jakarta, Air Asia Indonesia operations director Wuri Septiawan, for example, shared the airlines difficulty in recruiting high-quality ab initio pilots. Ab initio pilots are pilots who have finished their education at aviation academy but do not have flight experience outside their schools yet.

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Linkedin Marchio Irfan Gorbiano and Riska Rahman (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, March 28, 2019

Bank Indonesia (BI) is expecting a growth in loans this year to help boost the economy, as a regulation that was revised to accommodate lenders will take effect in July.

The current version of the regulation, called the macroprudential intermediation ratio (RIM), was introduced in October of last year to help conventional and sharia banks to better manage their liquidity.

Under the newer version of the regulation, banks are expected to increase their RIM from between 80 and 92 percent to between 84 and 94 percent.

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Linkedin Arya Dipa (The Jakarta Post) Bandung, West Java  Thu, March 28, 2019 21:47 990 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa87304fd9f 1 Business Kertajati-Airport,Kertajati-Airport-Majalengka-WestJava,Airport,infrastructure,Cargo,ridwan-kamil Free

Almost 10 months after Kertajati International Airport was inaugurated, the airport that was touted as the largest in the country after Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Banten has experienced no growth in traffic.

In an interview with the media in February, a representative of PT Bandara Internasional Jawa Barat (BIJB), the airport developer, said the airports load factor was only at 20 percent.

To help increase passenger traffic, the West Java administration has called on all civil servants in the regencies close to the Kertajati airport in Majalengka to depart from it if they want to travel by airplane.

So far, five airlines serves 11 routes to and from Kertajati: Garuda, Citilink, Wings, Lion and Trans Nusa.

As the growth of passenger traffic at Kertajati airport remains slow, the provincial administration has decided to boost activities there by making it a cargo airport.

West Java Governor Ridwal Kamil said the airports traffic and flight frequencies would increase within 10 years.

The governor said he expected the amount of traffic would increase as soon as the Cileunyi-Sumedang-Dawuan (Cisum- dawu) toll road was completed.

Ridwan explained that the West Java administration was making Kertajati a cargo airport because of the large potential of the cargo business in the region.

In just five years, the potential is expected to reach US$80 billion in Southeast Asia. We are trying to take part in the business, Ridwan recently told reporters in Bandung, West Java.

He added that the cargo services provided by the countrys busiest airport, Soekarno-Hatta, were inadequate.

Ridwan said a provincial administration-owned company, BIJB, had sealed an agreement with publicly listed cargo and ground-handling firm PT Jasa Angkasa Semesta (JAS), allowing the latter to hold a 20-hectare concession on the Kertajati airports land for loading, unloading and storage.

BIJB had agreed with international consortium JAS to develop the airport into an international hub, facilitated by advanced storage facilities, he said.

JAS has operated a premiere lounge that provides food and beverages, as well as a waiting room with Wi-Fi connection, flight information and a smoking area. The facility is located on the second floor of the domestic arrivals terminal and has a capacity for 70 people.

JAS Airport Services general director Muhartono Sigit said the company would support the BIJBs vision of becoming the gateway to West Java. He expressed hope that the airports passenger traffic would increase following improvements in its services and routes.

Ridwan said the collaboration would also involve state-owned postal company PT Pos Indonesia, which would deliver the received goods to consumers.

Ridwan added the airport would serve international flights soon.

The first international flight from Kertajati airport will be an umrah [minor haj] flight of Malaysia Airlines, he said.

He said he had asked stateowned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura II not to move all 80 routes of the Husein Sastranegara International Airport in Bandung, West Java, to Kertajati airport.

We will decide on Husein Sastranegara International Airports role after we make final decisions about Cisumdawu. We wont be taking any risks. Kertajati airport should complement Husein airport, he said.

Kertajati International Airport is located some 200 kilometers from Jakarta. Its construction cost an estimated Rp 2.1 trillion ($153.7 million). Combined with its operational costs, total investment in the new airport would be about Rp 2.6 trillion. (ars)
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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Istanbul, Turkey  Thu, March 28, 2019 09:29 991 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8730108b2 2 World #Turkey,#religion,president,Recep-Tayyip-Erdogan,Hagia-Sophia,mosque,Museum Free

President Recep Taayyip Erdogan said Wednesday it was time to rename Istanbul's landmark Hagia Sophia as a mosque, saying that it had been a "very big mistake" to convert it into a museum.

"Hagia Sophia will not be called a museum. It will be taken out of that status. We will call Hagia Sophia a mosque," Erdogan told A Haber television during an interview.

"Those who come to Hagia Sophia will visit Hagia Sophia mosque," he said.

The former church and mosque, now a museum, often sparks tensions between Christians and Muslims over Islamic activities held there, including the reading of verses from the Koran or collective prayers.

Its secular status allows believers of all faiths to meditate, reflect or simply enjoy the astonishing architecture of a building dating back to the sixth century.

Erdogan is campaigning for votes for his Justice and Development Party (AKP) ahead of municipal elections on March 31.

The Turkish leader said the plan would be discussed after the elections.

"We think the time has come to take such a step given there is a demand" from the Turkish people, he said.

Such a move is likely to cause anger among Christians and raise tensions between historic foes Turkey and Greece, both NATO members.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras visited the Hagia Sophia in February.

Asked about the criticism, Erdogan said: "There are attacks targeting Al-Aqsa mosque," referring to the compound in Jerusalem known to Jews as the Temple Mount.

"Those who remain silent on this cannot dare to give advise to us on (Hagia Sophia)," he added.
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Linkedin Glenn Chapman (Agence France-Presse) San Francisco, United States  Thu, March 28, 2019 08:48 991 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa87300f1d0 2 World #facebook,#HateSpeech,Facebook,bars,white-supremacist,hate-speech Free

Facebook announced Wednesday it would ban praise or support for white nationalism and white separatism as part of a stepped-up crackdown on hate speech.

The ban will be enforced starting next week at the leading online social network and its image-centric messaging service Instagram.

"It's clear that these concepts are deeply linked to organized hate groups and have no place on our services," the social network said in a statement.

Facebook policies already banned posts endorsing white supremacy as part of its prohibition against spewing hate at people based on characteristics such as race, ethnicity or religion.

The ban had not applied to some postings because it was reasoned they were expressions of broader concepts of nationalism or political independence, according to the social network.

Facebook said that conversations with academics and "members of civil society" in recent months led it to view white nationalism and separatism as linked to organized hate groups.

"Going forward, while people will still be able to demonstrate pride in their ethnic heritage, we will not tolerate praise or support for white nationalism and separatism," Facebook said.

People who enter search terms associated with white supremacy will get results referring them to resources such as Life After Hate which focus on helping people turn their backs on such groups, according to the social network.

Amid pressure from governments around the world, Facebook has ramped up machine learning and artificial intelligence tools for finding and removing hateful content while remaining open to free expression.

"Unfortunately, there will always be people who try to game our systems to spread hate," Facebook said.

"Our challenge is to stay ahead by continuing to improve our technologies, evolve our policies and work with experts who can bolster our own efforts."

Facebook said the new ban would not apply to topics such as American pride and Basque separatism, which "are an important part of people's identity," according to the statement.

Difficult to enforce

Mark Potok, a senior fellow at the Centre for Analysis of the Radical Right, believed Facebook's new ban could limit the spread of white nationalist rhetoric but doubted it would rid the world of the ideology.

"We'll see if they are able to enforce this," Potok said.

"There are thousands of white nationalists posts on Facebook every day. They werent able to stop the Christchurch video so it will be challenging to do this" he said, referring to the stream of the deadly attacks at New Zealand mosques earlier this month.

The New Zealand massacre demonstrated the global reach of a white nationalist movement that preaches an imagined "European" ideal, rejects immigration and shares often vicious threats over the internet.

Some analysts say it is a cohesive movement bound together online that stretches across Europe into Russia, has a deep following in the US and Canada.

They say it poses as much of an international threat as Islamic extremism, and even more so in the United States where white nationalist attacks have outpaced those by jihadists for years.

According to some researchers, white nationalists have been emboldened by the rise of politicians espousing traditionalist views and a tough line on immigration -- from Marine Le Pen in France and Viktor Orban in Hungary to Russian President Vladimir Putin; and the UKIP party in Britain.

The same holds true in the United States where President Donald Trump campaigned for the White House on an anti-immigration platform, backed by an overwhelmingly white voter base.

Trump notoriously appeared to sanction the march by white supremacists and neo-Nazis in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017, and has avoided condemning violence from the far-right.
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Linkedin Anuj Chopra (Agence France-Presse) Riyadh, Saudi Arabia  Thu, March 28, 2019 08:08 991 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873004b63 2 World #SaudiArabia,#SexAssault,Women,detained,tortures,sexual-abuse Free

Saudi women activists detained for almost a year offered their defence at an emotionally charged hearing on Wednesday, alleging torture and sexual harassment during interrogation, courtroom sources said.

Eleven women responded to charges that rights groups say include contact with international media and human rights groups, in the second hearing of a high-profile trial that foreign reporters and diplomats are barred from attending.

Some of them wept and consoled each other and their family members gathered before a three-judge panel in Riyadh's criminal court as they accused interrogators of subjecting them to electric shocks and flogging and groping them in detention, two people with access to the trial told AFP.

At least one of the detained women tried to commit suicide following her mistreatment, a close relative said.

The government, facing intense international scrutiny of its human rights record, denies the women were tortured or harassed.

The women, including prominent activist Loujain al-Hathloul, blogger Eman al-Nafjan and university professor Hatoon al-Fassi, were detained last summer in a sweeping crackdown on campaigners just before the historic lifting of a decades-long ban on female motorists.

The women had long campaigned for the right to drive and to abolish the restrictive guardianship system that gives male relatives arbitrary authority over women.

Their trial has intensified criticism of the kingdom over human rights following global outrage over journalist Jamal Khashoggi's murder by Saudi agents last October.

Loujain's brother and sister, based overseas, have alleged that Saud al-Qahtani, a top advisor to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman who was fired over Khashoggi's killing, oversaw the torture.

"The top adviser of the prince was threatening to rape my sister, kill her, cut her body into pieces," Walid al-Hathloul, Loujain's brother, told CNN.

"He's the one who should be in court today, not my sister."

Qahtani has not appeared in public since his sacking was announced.

Crackdown on dissent

Some of the detained women have appealed for bail, with the judges expected to make a decision on Thursday, family members told AFP.

The trial is set to resume on April 3, they added. There was no immediate comment from the criminal court.

At the time of their arrest, officials accused the women of links to foreign intelligence agencies, while state-backed media branded them traitors and "agents of embassies".

The charge sheets, however, make no mention of contact with foreign spies, campaigners who have reviewed the documents say.

Some of the charges against the women fell under a section of the kingdom's sweeping cyber crime law, which carries prison sentences of up to five years.

Loujain asked the court for one month to respond to the charges saying she was not given enough time to prepare, Walid said. He added that his family had been stopped from taking written legal documents inside her prison cell.

It was not clear how the court responded to the request.

The detained women were initially expected to appear in a court set up to handle terrorism-related cases.

But trial was shifted to the criminal court at the last minute, without any explanation, after months of Western criticism.

That has triggered speculation the trial could pave the way for the women's release after the crackdown sparked international criticism against Prince Mohammed, the kingdom's de facto ruler.

Some detainees, including Loujain, were recently made to sign letters in prison requesting a royal pardon from King Salman, family members told AFP.

Western nations, including the European Union, the United States and Britain, appear to have stepped up pressure on the kingdom to release the activists.
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Linkedin Riza Roidila Mufti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, March 28, 2019 11:26 990 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa87301aed7 1 Business airfare,draft-regulation,preparation,transportation-ministry Free

The Transportation Ministry is preparing a new regulation on airfares because the government is unhappy with the move by several airlines to lower their ticket prices.

The ministrys spokesman, Hengki Angkasawan, said on Wednesday the draft regulation was being prepared by its law department and the directorate general of civil aviation.

"We cant explain the details as it is currently being worked on," said Hengki, adding that the process had entered its final stage.

He said the ministry had talked to many parties, including airline representatives to seek input before the draft regulation process started. "We will release the new regulation soon."

It is expected to end the continuing debate on the high price of plane tickets, which has been blamed for low occupancy rates at hotels.

Currently, Transportation Ministerial Regulation No.14/2016 only regulates the ceiling price of airfares. Airlines are given the space to implement their own business strategies to generate revenue as long as they set prices at a determined rate. (bbn)
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Linkedin Bernadette Christina Munthe and Fransiska Nangoy (Reuters) Jakarta  Thu, March 28, 2019 17:53 990 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa8730359ca 2 National EU-palm-oil-regulation,deforestation,Paris-Agreement Free

A senior Indonesian minister warned on Wednesday Southeast Asias biggest economy could consider exiting the Paris climate deal if the European Union goes ahead with a plan to phase out palm oil in renewable transportation fuel.

Indonesia, the worlds biggest palm oil producer, has lashed out at the EU after the bloc classified palm oil as a risky crop that caused significant deforestation and ruled that its use in renewable fuel should stop by 2030.

Speaking at a palm oil forum, Luhut Pandjaitan, the coordinating minister overseeing maritime and natural resources, said the EU should not underestimate Indonesia and pledged the government would firmly defend its national interest.

Palm cultivation is often blamed for deforestation and destroying the habitat of endangered animals such as orangutans and Sumatran tigers.

Indonesias government, however, says palm requires far less land to produce oil compared to crops such as soy and rapeseed.

If the US and Brazil can leave the climate deal, we should consider that. Why not? Pandjaitan said.

Under the Paris climate accord, Indonesia has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions unconditionally by 29 percent and conditionally by 41 percent by 2030.

On Tuesday, the government said it plans to adopt sustainable economic policies which could help cut greenhouse gas emissions while boosting economic growth.

The US was not sanctioned at all by the EU [after leaving the Paris accord], said Peter Gontha, special staff at Indonesias foreign ministry.

He also said Indonesia faced EU pressure over palm oil despite the government declaring a moratorium on permits for new estates.

Indonesia claims palm is being discriminated against by the EU to protect the market of European oils such as sunflower and rapeseed oils.

Indonesia has said it is preparing to challenge the EU and its Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) at the World Trade Organization as soon as it is implemented. The government is also examining its relations with EU members which support the act.

EU delegates for Indonesia and Brunei have said the bloc is complying with WTO rules and continues to be open for discussion with Indonesian government over the issue.

Earlier this week, and Indonesian Trade Ministry official urged palm companies to log legal action of their own over the issue at courts.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, March 28, 2019 16:29 990 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873028516 1 City school,child,Nutrition Free

The Jakarta administration has disbursed Rp 324 billion (US$22.7 million) for a child nutrition program to be implemented at state elementary schools across the province.

"The funds will cover [the programs implementation] in the five municipalities and one regency of Jakarta. Hopefully, [Jakartans] will immediately enjoy the benefits," Jakarta Education Agency head Ratiyono said at the launch of the Children Supplementary Food Provision (PMTAS) program at a state elementary school in Penjaringan, North Jakarta, on Wednesday, as quoted by kompas.com.

Ratiyono said every child would receive supplementary food worth Rp 10,800 every day including fruit, bread and milk.

The school committee will manage this program. The committee members who live around the school will serve them cakes, bread or lemper [meat-filled glutinous rice wrapped in banana leaves]," he said.

Ratiyono added that the program would be carried out on every of the next 154 week days.

North Jakarta Education Department head Budi Sulistiono said the program would be carried out at 26 schools in North Jakarta alone.

[The program will cover] 10 state elementary schools in Pademangan district, 12 in Penjaringan, and 4 in Tanjung Priok," Budi explained. (ggq/swd)
Russ Greenlaw, vice president of operations for Adam's Hometown Market, says the supermarket will be open for business on Friday  barely three weeks after it closed as the Big Y. The shelves are once again stocked at Adam's Hometown Market. PreviousNext

Adam's Hometown Market Grand Opening Friday

ADAMS, Mass.  It was a race to the finish but Russ Greenlaw had a promise to keep: open the newest Adam's Hometown Market by Friday.

"There was some thought that we weren't going to make it. There was no product and the place was a wreck so I pulled the team together," Greenlaw, vice president of operations, said on Wednesday. "I told them that I made a promise and that I was going to do everything in my power to get this market open and I am super proud of this team for accomplishing that."

After the Big Y suddenly closed in February, the Connecticut grocery chain swooped in to the rescue and in early March announced it had purchased the Myrtle Street property and planned to reopen the longtime grocery market that was a cornerstone in the community.

The target opening date was March 29 and Greenlaw said every store manager from the company was brought in as well as other resources to get the bulk of the work done in 2 1/2 weeks.

"I have never opened up a store in 18 days," he said. "Our objective was to get people back to work and get food back into the community."

The Big Y's history in the Mother Town dated back a century once it bought the local Adams Supermarket in the 1980s. The Myrtle Street store opened brand new in 1969, close to where founder Jacob Wineberg had opened his first butcher shop. Big Y officials said the store was too small for it to continue and had pledged to work with a grocer that could reopen it.

Greenlaw said when they first approached the town he heard town officials and the community's discontent over losing their only market loud and clear.

"When I first met with the Selectmen I heard it from them and from the customers. The hardship has been great," he said. "Day one, 149 people applied [for jobs] with another 80 online. It was incredible to see my team respond because we did not expect such a huge welcome  We had people back to work in less than a week."

Some 90 employees had been affected by the closure.

Greenlaw said they knew they had to move quickly but it did take the time to "freshen up" the market. He said the layout has been somewhat changed to accommodate more room in the front and in the back of the store.

"Fresh is what we are really about and we want to bring fresh food to people," he said. "So we opened this up to give the customer space to linger and shop. That has been a focus."

Greenlaw said they even went as far to reseal food storage and preparation areas to make sure the market is completely food safe.

They leaned heavily on former Big Y employees to help inform them what would be the best fit for Adams, he said.

"We brought in some feedback from the managers  we figured they know best," he said. "One of the things that is really unique about us is that we are very small so we like to behave very small. We want to carry what the community needs and fill that void."

The grocery will carry fresh and premade sandwiches and soup for those on the go. He said most of the prepared foods are made in-house.

"We make the things that we sell," he said. "We boil the potatoes in our potato salad. Bill the deli manager shared with me that he makes a wonderful ham salad so we are going to sell his ham salad."

Greenlaw said there will be giveaways during the grand opening on Friday morning for the first 200 customers as well as samples.

He said judging by the welcome the market has already received, he expects Friday to be a big morning.

"We have asked a couple of veterans to assist us with our first official flag raising and we will hear some words from town officials," he said. "I am going to spend some time thanking this community for the incredibly warm welcome and, hopefully, everyone is super excited."

Activities related to the opening begin at 8:30 a.m. on Friday morning; doors open at 9 a.m.
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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Jakarta  Thu, March 28, 2019 19:07 990 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa87304e663 2 Politics #Indonesia,#election,Joko-Widodo,hologram,campaign,presidential-election,#2019GeneralElections,#2019PresidentialElection,Jokowi Free

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has started beaming a hologram of himself to reach voters in key battleground provinces as he shuttles around the Southeast Asian archipelago ahead of national polls.

Jokowi, running for re-election in the world's third-biggest democracy, has a tight schedule so he and his vice-presidential running mate are projecting three-dimensional images of themselves at some campaign rallies, his team said.

The high-tech campaign launched this week and is targeting the heavily populated provinces of West, Central and East Java -- seen as key sources of support.

More than 190 million people are registered to vote on April 17, with thousands running for seats in parliament and local councils across Indonesia, the world's biggest Muslim majority nation.

Like the candidate himself, Jokowi's life-sized hologram will keep moving across the Southeast Asian nation in the coming weeks.

The 57-year-old leader is believed to be the first Indonesian politician to rely on a hologram, but others including Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan, India's Narendra Modi and a far-left French politician have used them in recent years.

Dressed casually in a white long-sleeved shirt, jeans and sneakers, the hologram pitches Widodo's economic record.

It also hits out against false claims, including that Jokowi is an ethnic Chinese communist and not a devout Muslim.

Indonesia has been battling a wave of fake news and misinformation campaigns online in the lead-up to the polls.

Last month, three Indonesian housewives were arrested over an online video that claimed Jokowi would ban prayer and make gay marriage legal if re-elected -- deeply unpopular moves that the politician has never publicly pushed.

"I assure you it's all slander, lies. Don't believe it," his hologram said.

"We must fight against it, explain this to those who do believe it."

The image of Jokowi's vice-presidential running mate Ma'ruf Amin -- a prominent Islamic cleric widely seen as a buffer against questions about Widodo's Muslim credentials -- warned against letting religion influence voters.

"Islam has become a political commodity," the hologram said.

"Verses from the Koran are being used for political purposes."

Recent polls show Jokowi and Amin hold a wide lead over rivals Prabowo Subianto, a retired general, and business magnate Sandiaga Uno.

Jokowi beat Subianto in a 2014 presidential contest.
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Linkedin Kharishar Kahfi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, March 28, 2019 10:30 991 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873015c61 1 Politics #Indonesia,#GraftCase,lawmaker,director,PupukIndonesia,arrested,corruption Free

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) apprehended a lawmaker and a high-ranking official of state fertilizer holding company PT Pupuk Indonesia during an operation in Jakarta that took place Wednesday night to the early hours of Thursday.

KPK deputy chairwoman Basaria Panjaitan confirmed the arrests, saying they took place after investigators obtained information about an illicit transaction through an intermediary.

There were several people arrested during the operation, consisting of a member of PT Pupuk Indonesias board of directors and businesspeople. We allege the transaction was related to the distribution of fertilizer by ships, Basaria said in a statement on Thursday.

Separately, KPK spokesperson Febri Diansyah added that the antigraft bodys investigators had also arrested a House of Representatives lawmaker in connection to the same case on Thursday. Graft busters are questioning the apprehended individuals at the KPK building in Jakarta.

Basaria added that investigators had seized rupiah and US dollars, although she stopped short of revealing the amount.

The antigraft body is expected to announce the legal status of the apprehended individuals on Thursday evening or Friday morning.

The arrests took place four days after the KPK named Wisnu Kuncoro, a director at state-owned steel manufacturer PT Krakatau Steel, and three business executives, suspects in a bribery case related to procurement projects worth a total of Rp 26.4 billion (US$1.8 million).
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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Washington, United States  Thu, March 28, 2019 17:05 990 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa87302de89 2 World #USA,#HateCrime,American,Neo-Nazi,pleads,guilty,hate-crime,Charlottesville Free

An American neo-Nazi who drove his car into a group of counter-protesters during a white supremacist rally in Virginia in 2017, killing a woman, pleaded guilty to federal hate crimes on Wednesday.

James Alex Fields Jr, 21, had already been sentenced to life imprisonment by a jury in Charlottesville in December after being convicted of murder and other charges.

Fields rammed his car into the group of counter-protesters in Charlottesville on August 12, 2017, killing 32-year-old paralegal Heather Heyer and injuring dozens of other people.

The counter-protesters had gathered in opposition to a group of white supremacists who came to the university town to protest the removal of a Confederate statue.

Fields pleaded guilty in federal court on Wednesday to 29 counts of violating the Hate Crimes Prevention Act, the Justice Department said in a statement.

Each count carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a $250,000 fine.

"In the aftermath of the mass murder in New Zealand earlier this month, we are reminded that a diverse and pluralistic community such as ours can have zero tolerance for violence on the basis of race, religion, or association with people of other races and religions," Attorney General Bill Barr said.

"Prosecuting hate crimes is a priority for me as attorney general," Barr said.

"The defendant in this case has pled guilty to 29 hate crimes which he committed by driving his car into a crowd of protesters," he said. "These hate crimes are also acts of domestic terrorism."

FBI Director Christopher Wray also described Fields' actions as a case of "domestic terrorism" and said "we won't stand for hate and violence in our communities."

President Donald Trump drew broad criticism in the aftermath of the Charlottesville violence when he spoke of "blame on both sides," appearing to establish a moral equivalence between the white supremacists and those who opposed them.

The incident turned Charlottesville into a symbol of the growing audacity of the far right under Trump.

Fields had driven overnight from his hometown of Maumee, Ohio, to support the "Unite the Right" rally to protest the removal of a statue of Robert E Lee, the top general of the pro-slavery Confederacy during the 1861-1865 American Civil War.

The Justice Department said Fields had admitted that prior to the attack, "he used social media accounts to express and promote white supremacist views."

These included support for "the social and racial policies of Adolf Hitler and Nazi-era Germany, including the Holocaust; and to espouse violence against African-Americans, Jewish people, and members of other racial, ethnic, and religious groups."
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, March 28, 2019 12:12 990 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa87301cb5c 1 National #Indonesia,#wildlife,komodo-dragons,smuggler,sold,arrested Free

Police in East Java have busted a network of criminals they say attempted to smuggle 41 Komodo dragons out of the country and sell them for Rp 500 million (US$35,000) each.

The special crimes unit head of the East Java Police, Sr. Comr. Akhmad Yusep Gunawan, said the force had also rescued five baby Komodo dragons from the Surabaya-based group of alleged smugglers.

The criminals intended to ship the animals to three countries in Southeast Asia through Singapore, Yusep told reporters on Wednesday, as quoted by kompas.com.

Each Komodo dragon is sold for Rp 500 million in the international black market, he added.

He went on to say that the animals had been illegally taken away from their habitat on Flores Island in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). He added that the protected species had been sold for prices ranging from Rp 6 million to Rp 20 million by other illegal vendors in the past.

Komodo dragon is among the most endangered species in the world. The Komodo National Park in East Nusa Tenggara is the only place in the world where people can see Komodo dragons in their natural habitat. The park is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Police have taken nine suspects into custody in several cities of East and Central Java, according to Yusep.

One key suspect is still on the run, he said. (rfa)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, March 28, 2019 14:44 990 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa87302480b 4 Business palm-oil,B30-mandatory-policy,acceleration,September,EU-palm-oil-regulation Free

The government has said Indonesia will accelerate the mandatory use of 30 percent blended biodiesel (B30) in anticipation of the European Unions move to ban palm oil-based biofuel in its member countries.

Its mandatory use was set to take effect in 2020 but it was brought forward to September in response to the drafting of the EUs Renewable Energy Directive (RED) II that was prepared by the European Commission. It is currently being debated by EU leaders.

Indonesian Oil Palm Estate Fund (BPDP-KS) head Dono Soestami said in Jakarta on Wednesday that the policy was needed because the country needed to expand the domestic market for palm oil and its derivative products.

We will use B30 in September or October 2019, starting with 30,000 kiloliters or 50,000 kl. The most important thing is that we have to start, Dono added as quoted by kontan.co.id.

Indonesia introduced the mandatory use of 20 percent blended biodiesel (B20) in September last year and the government is also studying the possibility using B100.

With the mandatory use of both B20 and B30, the domestic market is expected to absorb 9 million tons of crude palm oil (CPO).

Last year, Indonesia exported 34.71 million tons of CPO from 32.18 million tons the previous year, according to the Indonesian Palm Oil Association.

Dono suggested that the green fuel program was expected to absorb some 25 million tons of CPO in 2025. He said without an effort to expand the absorption of CPO in the domestic market, the oversupply of the commodity would reach 55 million tons in 2025. (bbn)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, March 28, 2019 16:35 990 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873029828 4 Business rupiah-against-dollar,weakening,US-dollar,index,strengthening Free

The rupiah exchange rate fell to Rp 14,255 per US dollar on Thursday, 0.37 percent lower than its position on Wednesday of Rp 14,202 per US dollar, according to the Jakarta interbank spot dollar rate (Jisdor) published on Bank Indonesias (BI) official website.

Meanwhile, on the foreign exchange spot market, the rupiah exchange rate stood at Rp 14,240 per US dollar at 10:37 a.m., 0.23 lower than its position on Wednesday.

The majority of currencies in Asia also weakened against the US dollar on Thursday. Meanwhile, the US dollar index stood at 96.88 from 96.77 at market close on Wednesday.

Securities firm Samuel Sekuritas Indonesia economist Ahmad Mikail estimated that the US dollar index would be in the range between 96.8 and 97 on Thursday and would help strengthen the US currency exchange rate against other currencies.

The strengthening of the US dollar was caused by uncertainly surrounding the negotiation between the United States and China that could exacerbate the trade war between the two countries, which would have serious effects on global economic growth, he said.

The correction that occurred in the US stock market will encourage capital outflows from emerging countries and weaken the rupiah, Ahmad said as quoted by kontan.co.id.

Meanwhile, investment service firm Garuda Berjangka Ibrahim said uncertainty over Brexit had also helped strengthen the US dollar index.

He added that because of uncertainty, investors were reluctant to put their funds in risk instruments. Because Britain is the fifth biggest world economy, the impact [of uncertainty] is felt by other countries, which become its trade partners, Ibrahim added.

Ahmad estimated the rupiah exchange rate was in the range between Rp 14,250 and Rp 14,300 per US dollar on Thursday. (bbn)
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Linkedin Timothy Gardner (Reuters) Washington, United States  Thu, March 28, 2019 17:25 990 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873047311 2 World #USA,#SaudiArabia,US,approval,Saudi-Arabia,nuclear-power-generation Free

US Energy Secretary Rick Perry has approved six secret authorizations by companies to sell nuclear power technology and assistance to Saudi Arabia, according to a copy of a document seen by Reuters on Wednesday.

The Trump administration has quietly pursued a wider deal on sharing US nuclear power technology with Saudi Arabia, which aims to build at least two nuclear power plants. Several countries including the United States, South Korea and Russia are in competition for that deal, and the winners are expected to be announced later this year by Saudi Arabia.

Perry's approvals, known as Part 810 authorizations, allow companies to do preliminary work on nuclear power ahead of the deal, but not ship equipment that would go into a plant, a source with knowledge of the agreements said on condition of anonymity. The approvals were first reported by the Daily Beast.

The Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) said in the document that the companies had requested that the Trump administration keep the approvals secret. "In this case, each of the companies which received a specific authorization for (Saudi Arabia) have provided us written request that their authorization be withheld from public release," the NNSA said in the document.

The NNSA and the Department of Energy did not immediately respond to requests for comments.

Many US lawmakers are concerned that sharing nuclear technology with Saudi Arabia could eventually lead to a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told CBS last year that the kingdom would develop nuclear weapons if its rival Iran did. In addition, the kingdom has occasionally pushed back against agreeing to US standards that would block two paths to potentially making fissile material fornuclear weapons clandestinely: enriching uranium and reprocessing spent fuel.

Concern in Congress about sharing nuclear technology and knowledge with Saudi Arabia rose after Oct. 2, 2018 when US-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. The Part 810 authorizations were made after November 2017, but it was not clear from the document whether any of them were made after Khashoggi's killing.

Representative Brad Sherman, a Democrat, called on Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during a congressional hearing on Wednesday to release the names of the companies that got the approvals by the middle of April, and Pompeo said he would look into it. Sherman also said the Trump administration has attempted to evade Congress on sharing nuclear power with the kingdom. Pompeo said the administration was working to ensure any shared technology nuclear power would not present proliferation risks.

Last month, Democratic House members alleged in a report that top White House aides ignored warnings they could be breaking the law as they worked with former US officials in a group called IP3 International to advance a multibillion-dollar plan to build nuclear reactors in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia.

IP3 did not immediately respond to a request for comment about whether it was one of the companies that got a Part 810 authorization.

Separately, the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, has accepted a request by Senators Marco Rubio, a Republican and Bob Menendez, a Democrat, to probe the administration's talks on a nuclear deal with Saudi, a GAO official who spoke on condition of anonymity, said on Wednesday.
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Linkedin Aksel Tmte (The Jakarta Post) Oslo  Fri, March 29 2019

There has been much attention on and criticism of declared nonvoters or abstainers, known as golput (named after ballots marked outside valid choices) in the run-up to the April presidential election.

Among those warning against golput are Patrick Ziegenhein and the philosopher Franz Romo Magnis-Suseno, writing for The Jakarta Post and Kompas, respectively.

The term refers to the act of not voting for any of the presidential candidates. Golput can affect both candidates but is widely perceived to threaten the incumbent President Joko Jokowi Widodo the most.

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Linkedin Karina M. Tehusijarana (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Fri, March 29 2019

A day at the races: Incumbent leader Joko Jokowi Widodo (left) and his challenger Prabowo Subianto (right) campaign for support ahead of the April 17 presidential election. On Thursday, Jokowi campaigned in Dome, Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, while his rival, Prabowo, sought support by giving a speech at Sidolig Field in Bandung, West Java. (JP/N.Adri, JP/Arya Dipa)

With the campaign period entering its final stretch, presidential contenders Joko Jokowi Widodo and Prabowo Subianto are likely to concentrate on the ground game to ensure that their declared support is converted into actual votes.

A poll released by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) on Thursday showed Jokowi with a double-digit percentage lead over the Gerindra Party chairman, with less than a month to go until election day on April 17.

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, March 28, 2019 16:39 990 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa87302af91 4 News Komodo-National-Park,East-Nusa-Tenggara,travel,tourism,national-park,destination Free

The East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) administration has urged the Environment and Forestry Ministry to hand over the development rights for Komodo National Park amid recent reports of crime and disturbances around the world-famous destination.

NTT administration spokesman Marius A. Jelamu said such a rights transfer would allow the regional administration to increase security measures around the park.

NTT Governor [Viktor B Laiskodat] urged the central government to hand over the authority to the regional administration so Komodo National Park could be more closely guarded, Marius said in Kupang, NTT, on Thursday as quoted by Antara.

He went on to describe disconcerting reports of a fire on the Gili Lawa hills in the park complex, as well as the smuggling of komodo dragons that had prompted the regional administration to seek a more active role in ensuring the parks safety.

Read also: Police foil attempt to export Komodo dragons for Rp 500 million apiece

Recent reports of crimes and disturbance around Komodo National Park proves that the central government has been doing a poor job in protecting the park, Marius said.

On Wednesday, the East Java Police apprehended a criminal network that allegedly attempted to smuggle 41 komodo dragons out of the country.

The komodo dragons, which had been illegally taken away from their habitat in Komodo National Park, were sold for Rp 500 million (US$35,119) each on the international black market, according to the police. (rfa/kes)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, March 28, 2019 15:39 990 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa87302599b 1 News Nam-Air,millennials,Airlines,travel Free

Nam Air, a subsidiary of Sriwijaya Group, has announced a plan to apply the boutique airline concept, which mainly focuses on lifestyle branding.

The carrier aims to make itself more appealing for customers of the millennial generation by delivering what it refers to as a unique concept that is more masculine.

Nam Air director Asa Perkasa said passengers would experience the new concept even prior to their departure, and it would continue until their arrival at an airport. There will be a number of changes, starting from our style to our products, said Asa in an official statement. But it will still have an Indonesian touch.

Read also: Nam Air launches Semarang-Karimunjawa route

Asa described millennials as a promising target group, as they made up a large portion of the market and medium-service airlines were challenged to cater to their needs.

Entering its fifth year of operation, Nam Air plans to change its internal operations as well. We plan to apply the millennial lifestyle to our internal work pattern, from our outfits and offices to our business processes, said Asa. Well provide training for all of our employees to keep up with market [trends]. (wir/wng)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, March 28, 2019 21:55 990 db1d47cf6ffbed4060cffaa873052624 1 News Sriwijaya-Airlines,Sriwijaya-Air,flight,flight-delay,check-in,Indonesia,travel,power-outage,passenger,Airlines Free

Sriwijaya Air Group has formally apologized to its passengers for having to manually check them in at Terminal 2 of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten, on Wednesday and delaying flights after airport management cut power to Sriwijaya's counters.

The airlines vice president and corporate secretary, Retri Maya, explained that the power was cut because Sriwijaya had failed to pay state-owned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura II money that it owed.

Currently we are trying our best to fix our companys financial situation so that we can pay our dues, Retri said in a statement as quoted by tempo.co on Thursday.

Retri said that the operational collaboration between Sriwijaya Air Group and Garuda Indonesia Group plays a pivotal role in negotiations between her company and Angkasa Pura II. However, she added that the governments decision to lower ticket prices might hinder Sriwijaya Air from stabilizing its financial situation.

In the statement, she also said the slow checking-in of the long lines of passengers that formed at Sriwijaya counters on Wednesday because of the power outage caused flights to depart late.

For now, we will conduct the check-in service manually. Once again, we apologize to our passengers on behalf of Sriwijaya Air Group, she said. (dpk/kes)
This is the price of freedom.  Bill OReilly on the Las Vegas massacre

Freedom to be afraid is all you won.  Gil Scott-Heron from Gun

Originally, this was going to be a column about Sydney Aiello. She was 19 years old, a graduate of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland, Florida, and she was buried Friday after committing suicide. Her parents said she lost friends in last years shooting at her school. They said she carried survivors guilt and had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Then the column about Sydney became a column about Sydney and a boy, his identity not yet released, who died of an apparent suicide the day after her funeral. He was a sophomore at her old school.

Then the column changed yet again. Jeremy Richman, the father of 6-year-old Avielle Richman, who was killed in the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, was found dead of an apparent suicide on Monday. It seems reasonable to suspect, though at this point not possible to know, that proximity to tragedy played a role in the deaths of the man and boy, as it evidently did with Sydney.

So this is a column about the three of them. And the 328 million of us. And the singularly grotesque thing Bill OReilly said two years ago after 58 people died and over 500 were wounded in the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history, a thing that has hovered like smoke over every mass shooting since.

This is the price of freedom, he said.

Which is, of course, ridiculous. Canada is free. Australia, Spain and Finland are free. As the nation that gave us the Magna Carta, England might fairly be said to have invented freedom.

None of them has anywhere near the level of gun violence America does.

But it is not the inaccuracy of OReillys statement that gives it such grim resonance in the wake of this triple suicide. It is, rather, the substance, that idea of paying a price for so-called gun rights.

We think of that price in terms of fallen bodies, blood shining on asphalt. Truth is, thats only the beginning.

Long after the bodies have been recovered and the asphalt scrubbed, after the media fold their tents and the nation turns its restless attention elsewhere, there are people left learning to walk again, or talk again. And there are families with holes shot through them, hearts that grieve behind sunny smiles, invisible wounds bleeding. Because each bullet that finds flesh injures not just its victim, but everyone around her until eventually, the whole country is walking blood stained and wounded.

We have second-graders with PTSD. We have preschoolers practicing active-shooter drills. In South Carolina, a 7-year-old survivor takes to pulling out her eyelashes and clawing her own skin. In Arizona, a 4-year-old cries active shooter as fireworks burst overhead. In Florida and Connecticut, three people are dead by their own hands. This is our new American normal.

And for what?

This is the price of freedom, OReilly said, trying to imbue mass murder with a sheen of patriotic sacrifice. His absurd words reflect a nation that resolutely refuses to do anything but think and pray about an ongoing national disaster. We regard gun violence like earthquakes and windstorms, acts of God we cannot prevent, but only learn to live with.

But gun violence is no act of God. And we cant live with it. Thats the whole point.

The price of freedom, he says. Well, that price keeps going higher.

And whatever were buying, freedom isnt it.

Leonard Pitts is a columnist for The Miami Herald. Readers may contact him via e-mail at lpitts@miamiherald.com.
Palang Pracharath candidates mark victory in Phuket

PHUKET: The Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) candidates who defeated their Democrat rivals for both Member of Parliament seats for Phuket in the national election last Sunday (Mar 24) have marked their victories with public visits to thank their supporters.

politics

By Tanyaluk Sakoot

Thursday 28 March 2019, 04:31PM

Sutha Goh Tui Pratheep Na Thalang who won the seat for Phuket Constituency 1 with an unofficial count of 32,338 votes.

Sutha Pratheep Na Thalang, who won the seat for Phuket Constituency 1 with an unofficial count of 32,338 votes, has been visiting supporters and is expected to mark his victory with a tour of Phuket Town and other areas in the electorate tomorrow (Mar 28).

Phuket Constituency 1 comprises Muang District, including Rassada, but excluding Koh Kaew, Rawai and Karon.

Mr Sutha, known by his nickname Goh Tui, defeated long-standing Phuket Democrat Raywat Areerob, who placed second with 25,194 votes, ahead of Wisit Anansiriphan of the Future Forward Party, who placed third in the race for the seat with 22,599 votes

Following the Phuket Election Commission (PEC) confirming his victory on Tuesday (see story here), Mr Sutha told The Phuket News, I feel calm about winning, I am not overwhelmed with rejoicing. I actually feel pretty normal. I just want to get started on fixing problems for Phuket people. Thats all, he said.

My campaign is to focus on development in Phuket. There are many issues related to this, such as traffic jams, making the process of registering land ownership easier, our water supply, making our beaches safer, insisting on zero corruption and allowing our natural environment to recover.

I think tackling these issues will be effective only if everyone works together to achieve our common goals, not just relying on me to achieve results, he said.

There will be other issues to contend with relating to party policy, but for those I will need to talk with party officials again later, he added.

One issue that Mr Sutha has already been called on to support is that of beach vendors wanting to expand their areas on the sand, especially the areas used by sunbed and umbrella rental operators. (See story here.)

People have raised the beach vendor issue on social media. They want me to approach this issue  but different people want different goals with this, and this (the 10% zones set out under the beach management rules) was introduced under a previous governor.

I will raise this issue to be considered again, but please keep in mind that it is not I who have raised this issue  other people want this, he said.

Mr Suthas victory stunned many election observers, especially considering that Phuket has for decades remained a stronghold for the Democrat Party. Until now, it has been nigh inconceivable that any other party would claim a political victory on the island.

More stunning is the fact that Mr Sutha is nearly dismissive of his online presence. His victory statement posted on Facebook as of today (Mar 28) so far has received just 205 Likes and only 20 Shares  despite Mr Sutha winning the seat with 32,338 votes.

His official Facebook page has just 563 Likes. (See here.)

I dont engage with social media much. Also, I never thought of promoting myself as a politician until I joined a political party.

So the new generation does not know me much on social media, but I am well known to people in real life, which has brought me closer to people in their daily lives.

I am always volunteering to help local people. Thats how lots of local people know me. Just because I dont keep posting photos on social media and telling people online everything that I am doing does not mean I am doing nothing, Mr Sutha said.

Thats why people voted for me, and anyone who supported our Prime Minister, Prayut Chan-o-cha, when they voted for me, it was a vote for him too, he added.

Nattee Thinsakhu, the Palang Pracharath Party candidate who won Constituency 2, has also been out thanking his supporters. Phuket Constituency 2 comprises the remaining areas of Thalang and Kathu Districts, but also includes and Koh Kaew, Rawai and Karon.

Mr Nattee secured 27,267 votes to defeat his Democrat rival Chaiyot Panyawai, who received 23,958 votes.

Mr Nattee was more joyful of his victory than Mr Sutha.

I am happy to have won a seat in Phuket, he told The Phuket News.

Mr Natee campaigned on the issues of traffic jams, better medical welfare and preserving Phukets mangrove forests. I would prefer to not explain in detail right now. We will hold a press conference later, he said.

Regarding the issue of beach vendors expanding their areas on the sands, Mr Nattee added, I am aware of this issue but I am not going to get involved in this.

Of note, Mr Nattees constituency literally includes every one of Phukets tourist-popular west-coast beaches. However, while Mr Natee declined to comment further on the issue, it is historically usual for the lead candidate in Phuket to take up the more important issues on the island.

Meanwhile, defeated Democrat Mr Raywat has publicly accepted the election result.

Thank you for all the votes in support of me in this election. I accept the election result. Also I will still stand alongside my Phuket brothers and sister forever. With respect, he wrote on his Facebook page on Tuesday (Mar 26).

Asked how the Democrats could lose such long-standing seats in Phuket, Mr Rewat told The Phuket News, Thai people were divided in either supporting Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha or Thaksin Shinawatra. The people chose Gen Prayut as they believe he can maintain stability in the country. I accept the vote result.

Mr Raywat also pointed out greater failings by leading Democrats at the national level.

Also, the former head of the Democrat Party was unclear when speaking in some of his public appearances. I believe that many people were waiting to hear clearly what the Democrat Partys intentions were, but it was not clear, he said.

Former Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva announced his resignation almost five hours after the polls closed on Sunday night in a show of responsibility after the party won fewer than 100 seats.

Worse, the party failed to retain a single seat in Bangkok, resulting in arguably its worst defeat ever in the capital. In the previous election, the Democrats swept the capital, winning 23 out of the 33 seats up for grabs, reported the Bangkok Post. (See story here.)

He (Mr Abhisit) thought that people in the South and in Bangkok would choose Democrats. But the result was different than the expectation, Mr Raywat rued.

Asked what he plans to do next, Mr Raywat said, I still have to take care of my businesses. I will continue to develop my property business and hotel.

Mr Raywat is the owner of the Andaman Thai Boutique Resort, located in Soi Aree near Rawai Beach.

Regarding his political career, Mr Raywat added, Now people will see what the winner will do, who they have chosen. I will wait and see what they achieve.

I have some issues for the winner to focus on, issues that affect people living in Phuket  traffic, schools and hospitals and sustainable tourism.

More and more people are living in Phuket, the number of Phuket residents (natives) and Thai people who come from other areas of the country is increasing. They need more places to be taken to, to make sure their welfare is cared for, he said.

Asked whether he would contest the next election, Mr Raywat said, I have to wait to see the situation first. But I do want to say thank you to everyone who came out to vote  even if they voted for me or not, I am so grateful.
Phuket PEA chief debunks election slurs over rising power bills

PHUKET: The chief of the Phuket office of the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) today responded to a slew of complaints online over higher electricity bills although the standard rate charged per unit had not increased, with some people blaming the utility price hike on political machinations.

economics

By Waranya Prompinpiras

Thursday 28 March 2019, 06:02PM

One of the tariffs on power bills has increased, but the rise has nothing to do with politics, the Phuket PEA chief explained today (Mar 28). Photo: Natapol Umloy

The complaints have spiralled on Thai social media pages, with many people complaining that their electricity bills were suddenly more expensive since January.

When called by The Phuket News today (Mar 28), Phuket PEA Manager Wichan Praenam said that he was not aware that many people had posted complaints online about their higher electricity bills.

Mr Wichan explained that the cause was an increase in what the PEA calls the Ft.

The Ft is defined by the PEA as a variable tariff or tariff derived from the Automatic Tariff Adjustment Mechanism formula.

It reflects the change in uncontrolled cost of the utilities, such as fuel cost and purchasing power, which are only differ from base tariff.

It now is particularly important to encourage efficient procurement of generation from EGATs own plant and EGATs power in purchasing from independent power producers (IPPs) , small power producers (SPPs) and neighbouring countries (Laos and Malaysia) as generation costs are the largest component of electricity costs. Ft is also included the expense occurred from Government Policies, the PEA explains.

Mr Wichan explained that the Ft is reviewed every four months: January, May and September each year.

It increased by B0.1160 per unit in January, he said.

The Ft sometimes increases, it also sometimes decreases or it can even remain unchanged, Mr Wichan said.

The rate is determined by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) as appointed by the Ministry of Energy. In doing so, they consider costs such as oil prices, natural gas prices and the trading value of the baht, among other things, he said.

We understand that people might criticize an increase in the Ft as this can increase the electricity costs of each house considerably.

This is especially so when the weather is hot (when many people use their air conditioners much more). The electricity bills can much more, he added.

Also, people use a lot more electricity during the school holidays. Any home that has children will use more electricity during this time, he said.

The month of March is when Phuket uses more electricity than any other month of the year, Mr Wichan added.

So it is not surprising that peoples electricity bills are higher, he added.

Regarding the increase in the Ft, it is not about any government's policy. Its not about the election, Mr Wichan.

Its normal and it has been adjusted for a long time now, he said.

Mr Wichan told The Phuket News that he would be posting a public announcement to explain the Ft as soon as practicably possible.
Phuket police officer shoots himself in the head after years of migraines and work stress

PHUKET: A police officer has died after shooting himself in the head to relieve himself of migraine pains and stress.

deathpolicesuicide

By Eakkapop Thongtub

Thursday 28 March 2019, 11:29AM

Corp Raschasak was taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital where he remained in a coma until 7:15am this morning (Mar 28) when he passed away. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

Cpl Raschasak was taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital where he remained in a coma until 7:15am this morning (Mar 28) when he passed away. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

Police were notified of the shooting at about 1:10am early this morning (Mar 28).

Col Sompong Thip-arpakul of Phuket Provincial Police arrived at the mans house in Rassada with Kusoldharm Foundation rescue volunteers to find Cpl Raschasak Daecha lying on the floor with a gunshot wound to his head above his left ear. He was barely conscious and in critical condition.

Police also found a .45-calibre handgun and a bullet casing at the scene.

Rescue volunteers rushed the officer to Vachira Phuket Hospital where he remained in a coma until 7:15am this morning when he finally passed away.

The wife of Cpl Raschasak explained to police what had happened. My husband was in the bedroom getting dressed for work when I heard a gunshot, she said.

So I rushed in to check what had happened and found him lying on the floor bleeding from the head.

She explained that her husband had long struggled with severe migraines and suffered from work related stress. He was known locally as a good, honest police officer.
Phuket Towns Chinese community to observe Ancestors Day

PHUKET: Phuket Municipality has announced that Soi Susanti, along the popular shortcut from Samkong to the back of Surakul Stadium at the base of Rang Hill, will be one way southbound only daily from Saturday (Mar 30) through April 7 as local residents observe the traditional Chinese festivities for Ancestors Day.

Chineseculture

By The Phuket News

Thursday 28 March 2019, 09:58AM

The popular street will be one way only as many Chinese families attend to the graves of their ancestors. Photo: Google Maps

Ancestors Day, also called the Ching Ming (or Qingming) festival and also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day (sometimes also called Chinese Memorial Day) is a traditional Chinese festival when families visit the tombs of their ancestors to clean the gravesites, pray to their ancestors, and make ritual offerings.

Offerings typically include traditional food dishes, and the burning of joss sticks and joss paper. The holiday recognises the traditional reverence of ones ancestors in Chinese culture.

The section of Soi Susanti to be affected from 6am to 7pm each day of the festival is from the three-way intersection at the Sod Sri Apartments to the Opsamoonphrai Sauna about 400 metres away.

Phuket Municipality has organised a parking area at the Trilak Buddhist meditation centre in Soi Susanti for people coming to attend to the many Chinese graves in the area.

A free shuttle service will also be provided from the Trilak Buddhist meditation centre so that elderly and impaired devotees can more easily access the graves they would like to attend to.

Phuket Municipality asked all people be observing the tomb-cleaning activities in Soi Susanti to not burn any grass, branches or any other unwanted materials collected from the grave sites.

Instead, people are asked to leave any materials collected in a pile along the street so that local council workers can collect it in order to help prevent any wildfires.

If persons who see any wildfires in the area are urged to report them as quickly as possible to by call the DDPM 24-hour hotline 199 or Phuket City Municipality at 076-211111 or 076-212196.
PM vows no mercy for rogue drivers over Songkrans 7 dangerous days

BANGKOK: Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has vowed legal action will be taken against rogue motorists and their companions after the cabinet approved new measures to curb deadly road accidents during the Songkran festival in the middle of April.

accidentspolicepolitics

By Bangkok Post

Thursday 28 March 2019, 12:48PM

Motorists in Bangkok. Photo: Bangkok Post

The measures, proposed by the Interior Ministry, are a mix of road safety campaigns and advertisements and strictly dealing with drivers who break the law, Col Taksada Sangkachan, an assistant spokesman for the PMs Office, said after the cabinet meeting.

The latter approach will be carried out between April 11 and 17.

The government has all the necessary laws to cut the number of accidents, but losses continue every year, Gen Prayut said, stressing that authorities will be more strict in enforcing existing laws to tackle risky behaviour.

The problem may not lie in the content of the laws but how they are enforced.

We issue warnings on drunk and impetuous drivers, he said.

Even those who accompany them may be considered [wrong] due to their failure to stop drivers from being careless, he added.

So far the government has been trying to keep the number of casualties low, but the results have been disappointing, especially during national holidays.

Despite its Seven Dangerous Days campaign over Songkran, the death toll rose 7% to 418 last year, with 86 deaths on April 13, which marked the Thai New Year.

According to Col Taksada, the Interior Ministry will use seven measures to deal with road accidents this year. These include efforts to minimise risk on public transport services.

One measure mandates a quick emergency response for accidents.

Others include plans to make roads safer for tourists and people travelling by boat, as well as streamlining officials work and management.

Read original story here.
A way to help during the holidays
TOWAMENCIN  A construction project in Hatfield Township has gotten permission from their next-door neighbors to use the back entrance.

Towamencins supervisors voted unanimously on Wednesday night to grant permission for Advanced Living Communities, owners of the Derstine Run complex on the border of Hatfield and Towamencin, to proceed with an expansion project.

The developer is requesting that Towamencin permit the temporary use of an emergency access driveway that connects the development, in Hatfield Township, to Allentown Road in Towamencin, for the purpose of separating construction traffic from the residential traffic onsite, said supervisors Chairman Chuck Wilson.

Earlier this month representatives from Advanced Living told Hatfields commissioners their plans for an expansion project, which would involve constructing a third building of roughly 20,000 square feet and 60 new units for residents age 62-and-older who meet certain income categories, just next to two existing buildings of similar size.

Engineer Tim Woodrow showed those plans to Towamencins board on Wednesday night, as a team from Advanced Living sought similar land development approvals from Hatfields board at the same time.

The grass area to the rear is the proposed site for the new building, and you can see the driveway that has already been constructed, leaving from Derstine (Road), provides access to the community, and loops back out to Allentown Road, Woodrow said.

In the back, you can see a gate is closed  it prevents through traffic from using the driveway for access to Allentown Road. It is emergency access only, he said.

As he spoke, Woodrow showed the supervisors an overhead view of the current driveway configuration, with a main driveway that runs past the two existing residential buildings.

You can see how difficult it would be to bring materials, concrete and supplies, to this site having to go by all the residences and parking spaces, and residential uses for the property, he said.

The applicant has contacted PECO and the townships traffic engineer, and will provide a site distance analysis if required by the board, Woodrow said. The board then voted unanimously to grant permission to use the rear driveway.

Parks projects move ahead: The township supervisors also voted to award contracts for utility lines for two new restrooms at Grist Mill and Green Lane parks.

Both projects were included in the townships 2019 budget, and the sewer and water line services will be installed while the township proceed with buying prefabricated kits for the restroom buildings themselves. Doing so will let township staff do the assembly of the structures, according to Wilson, which will be bought off of a state contract for a lower price than bidding them out.

There is some lead time associated with the kits, so we are hoping they are in by early fall, so the project can be completed this fall, said Wilson.

The board voted unanimously to award a contract for the utility lines to JNS Contracting LLC at a bid price of just over $132,000, which Wilson said was the lowest of eight bidders.

The board also awarded a contract to Borowski Home Improvements for just under $9,000 to construct a storage building for chlorine storage at the townships pool complex on Weikel Road.

The townships annual risk management inspection in 2018 identified that the chlorine chemical used for treating the pool was being stored outside  although in a fenced-in area, it was exposed to the elements, said Wilson.

Both projects will be funded by a $1 million loan meant to cover those and several other parks-related long term capital projects, which was also anticipated in the 2019 budget. A third motion approved by the board March 27 authorized staff to proceed with obtaining that loan from the Delaware Valley Regional Financing Authority, which Wilson and supervisor Dan Littley said was the best of five proposals vetted by staff and the boards finance committee.

The recommendation is that we finance that over 15 years, with an option after the seventh year to be able to pay that off, or to refinance that, Wilson said.

Grant application gets OK: The supervisors also authorized township engineer Tom Zarko to begin preparing a grant application seeking up to $500,000 from Montgomery Countys Local Share Account grant program for wastewater infrastructure projects.

Grants are capped at $500,000, and the application would spell out upgrades to the townships Skippack Creek interceptor line, with a 20 percent match of up to $100,000 required from the municipality.

We are seeking some assistance from our current industrial customers that have additional needs, to cover the township match for the project, Wilson said.

House demolition planned: Littley and Township Manager Rob Ford announced that staff are looking into options for demolishing the Hanks house, one of two houses located adjacent to Fischers Park on Kriebel Road.

This house was included in the original acquisition of Fischers Park by the township, and had a condition that Mrs. Laura Hanks be allowed to live in the building until her death, or vacating the property, Littley said.

Hanks had worked for the family that had owned and operated Fischers Park as a private attraction, until it was acquired by the township in 1989 with the condition that the houses occupied at the time be allowed to stay as long as they were occupied, according to Ford. Hanks passed away last summer, and her family has since moved out her belongings, according to Ford and Littley, and the townships engineering consultant has estimated it would cost over $100,000 to do needed repairs on the house.

Due to the dilapidated condition of the structure, and the significant projected cost of repairs, and the restriction that the township cannot sell the property, and a need for funds for other capital improvements at Fischers Park, the best course of action may be to demolish the structure, Littley said.

The boards finance committee has recommended staff seek estimates for the cost of demolishing the house, Littley told the board, who then voted unanimously to authorize staff to do so.

Towamencins supervisors next meet at 7:30 p.m. on April 10 at the township municipal building, 1090 Troxel Road. For more information or meeting agendas and materials visit www.Towamencin.org.
China is ramping up pressure on Justin Trudeau in a feud that already had the Canadian prime minister facing few good options.

The Asian nation halted certain canola shipments from Canada this month in the aftermath of last years arrest of a top Huawei Technologies Co. executive in Vancouver on an American extradition request. Officials in Beijing are now, in the same breath, defending the canola move and invoking Canadian previous mistakes, in an apparent nod to the arrest of Meng Wanzhou, the tech giants chief financial officer and daughter of its founder.

Trudeau doesnt have a clear solution. His government cant legally intervene in Mengs case at this point, even after President Donald Trump hinted she could be a bargaining chip in U.S.-China trade talks. The prime minister was already grappling with Chinas continued detention of two Canadians on national security grounds and a looming decision on banning Huawei from his countrys next-generation wireless networks. Now hes getting an earful from farmers whose crops are being turned away.

This is part of the usual playbook that is used by China, Guy Saint-Jacques, a former Canadian ambassador to China, said Wednesday on BNN Bloomberg television. Australian coal exporters are facing similar pressure tactics from Beijing, which struck a canola deal with Trudeaus government three year ago that was supposed to run through 2020.

Nothing has changed in the meantime  except we have entered into this big bilateral crisis following the arrest of Ms. Meng, Saint-Jacques said.

Billions in Trade

The northern nation shipped $4.4 billion ($3.3 billion U.S.) of the crop to China last year, according to the Canola Council of Canada. Beijing has confirmed the suspension of exports from Glencore Plc-owned Viterra Inc. and Winnipeg-based Richardson International Ltd. Trudeau is considering sending a Canadian delegation for talks on the rejected orders.

Read more:

China ratchets up pressure on Canada amid Huawei dispute

Chinas track record on business ethics casts doubt on Huaweis trustworthiness claims, observers say

Canada tainted by Huaweis human rights abuses, researcher suggests

China says the move is due to quarantine rules but hasnt yet offered evidence. China says it found pests in shipments that had already been cleared by Canadian inspections.

The Chinese side has taken these precautionary quarantine measures to ensure safety, China Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang said Wednesday. As for China-Canada relations, we hope that the Canadian side could work with us to promote the sound and steady development of bilateral relations. The Canadian side should take some concrete measures to correct its previous mistakes.

In recent years, Beijings displeasure with smaller trading partners including South Korea, the Philippines, and now Canada have all been accompanied by economic pressure through import restrictions, store inspections and safety warnings to Chinese tour groups.

Trudeau, speaking Tuesday, cited diplomatic tensions as one cause for the canola problem. Jim Everson, president of Canadas canola council, supports the idea of sending a delegation. Were really eager to talk to China about the issues theyve raised, Everson told BNN Bloomberg television. Farmers are increasingly perplexed by what the issues are.

Detained Canadians

Meng was arrested on Dec. 1. China detained Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, both Canadian citizens, on Dec. 10. The two remain in Chinese custody.

Canada agreed this month to allow Mengs extradition hearing to proceed, a move that angered China. Meng then launched a civil suit in response. Then on March 4, Chinas Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission said Kovrig had violated Chinese law by spying and stealing state secrets while working for the International Crisis Group, and said Spavor was his primary contact.

Its unfortunate that we ended up in this mess, thanks to our friends, the Americans. We have to try to use all avenues to try to resume a dialog with China, to try to lower the temperature related to the case of Ms. Meng, Saint-Jacques said. And lets not forget that we have two people in jail in China that are going through some very difficult interrogation problems.

Trudeau is weighing whether to ban or restrict the use of Huawei equipment in Canadas 5G networks. He said this week theres significant concern around privacy, though upside to Canadian businesses having cutting-edge technology. He gave no timeline for a decision.

Wang Peng, an associate research fellow of the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at the Renmin University of China, said in spite of the canola pressure, China is backing away from its adversarial stance. The tough strategy has not worked so well. China has realized that Canada is much more reliant on America than China, he said. Therefore Chinas strategy has become more rational, effective and realistic.

China shouldnt expect to be able to use pressure to stop legal cooperation between the U.S. and Canada, since the countries share an extradition treaty, he said. Instead, China should focus on its legal fight to free Meng.

Legal methods have become the mainstream approach, Wang said. It is unwise for China to solve this problem through a primarily political approach.

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MONTREAL - The former owner of Aeroplan will cut about one-quarter of its workforce as it charts a new course following the sale of the loyalty program to Air Canada.

Aimia Inc. said Thursday that it expects to reduce its workforce to about 550 employees by the end of 2019, and plans to evolve its business through a combination of organic growth from its other businesses and acquisitions.

Chief executive Jeremy Rabe said the focus on wrapping the Aeroplan sale has prevented an extensive search for potential bolt-ons until recently.

Theres just hundreds and hundreds of small-ish loyalty solutions companies out there...and a lot of them are founder-led and have grown to a certain size but cant scale too much beyond that, Rabe said in an interview with The Canadian Press.

These guys or gals have been doing it for 20 or 30 years and are ready to monetize part of their investment.

North America is likely to be a market where we spend a lot of time hunting for loyalty analytics companies, he said.

The company is on track to become profitable by 2020, he said.

The past two years have been turbulent for the Montreal-based company. Rupert Duchesne, Aimias previous CEO, stepped away from the job in January 2017, replaced by Jeremy Rabe in May 2018. Former president and chief strategy officer Nathaniel Felsher left in November less than three months after he took the job.

Aimias global reach has sometimes come at a cost. In February 2018, the company announced it had sold Nectar, a U.K. loyalty program, to British retailer Sainsbury for $105-million, 11 years after Aimia bought it for $755-million.

Analyst Drew McReynolds of RBC Dominion Securities said the new consolidation strategy will likely take some time to play out.

While this outcome of the strategic review was probably the most probable and logical, we do believe the onus is firmly on the company to demonstrate that sustained shareholder value can be created on a timely basis, McReynolds said in a research note to investors.

Bill McEwan, who became chairman Aimias board of directors on Thursday, said it has concluded there is a tremendous opportunity available due to a strong balance sheet, tax assets, and expertise in the loyalty and travel sectors.

McEwan, a former president and CEO of the Sobeys grocery business who has been an Aimia director since 2016, succeeds Robert Brown, who retired from the board.

Aimia chief financial officer Mark Grafton will also leave the company in May, to be replaced by Steven Leonard, who has been with the company since 2010.

The company reported a loss of $126.2 million for the quarter ended Dec. 31 compared with a loss of $214.7 million a year earlier.

Revenue from its continuing operations, as of Dec. 31, was $36.8 million  down 23 per cent from $47.3 million.

On a per share basis, Aimia says its loss from continuing operations amounted to 98 cents compared a loss from continuing operations of 50 cents per share a year ago. Aimias adjusted net loss from continuing operations was 51 cents per share compared with 52 cents per share a year ago.

Aimia completed the sale of the Aeroplan loyalty program to Air Canada on Jan. 10.

The companys other assets include Air Miles Middle East, a stake in the Club Premier program in Mexico that it jointly controls with Aeromexico, and an investment with Air Asia in a travel technology company that operates BIG Loyalty.

Companies in this story: (TSX:AIM, TSX:AC)
CALGARY - A First Nations consortium planning to offer $6.8 billion for majority ownership of the Trans Mountain pipeline and its expansion is welcoming federal government principles for Indigenous buyers announced Monday.

The governments continued endorsement of Indigenous ownership is fantastic news, said Shane Gottfriedson, director for British Columbia for the group calling itself Project Reconciliation.

This is one hell of an opportunity for all of our First Nations to look at our own reconciliation through this pipeline and build unity among many of our nations, added the Kamloops resident, who is a former chief of the TkEmlups te Secwepemc First Nation and a former B.C. regional chief for the Assembly of First Nations.

Several First Nations have indicated they are interested in buying a stake in the pipeline as an investment to promote their economic well-being but its construction is strongly opposed by many others, particularly in B.C., who fear its environmental risks.

The principles unveiled by Finance Minister Bill Morneau in Calgary on Monday wont affect Project Reconciliations plan to invite all Indigenous communities in Western Canada to join in a united bid for 51 per cent of the expanded pipeline, said Harrie Vredenburg, an executive board member for the group and professor at the University of Calgarys Haskayne School of Business.

Minister Morneaus four principles for Indigenous ownership ... are exactly aligned with those of Project Reconciliation, he said in an email.

In fact, we shared our vision along those lines with the ministers office some time back.

The four points suggest that discussions of potential Indigenous ownership of the pipeline can proceed only if the communities involved have meaningful economic participation, if the deal can proceed in the spirit of reconciliation, and if the resulting entity works to the benefit of all Canadians and goes forward on a commercial basis.

Project Reconciliation, led by executive chairman Delbert Wapass, a former chief of the Thunderchild First Nation in Saskatchewan, is well-advanced and there have been meetings with investment banks, oil companies and First Nations, said Vredenburg.

He said the project is backed by a team of Indigenous and non-Indigenous professionals from offices in downtown Calgary.

Morneau has said the government wont negotiate the sale of the pipeline it bought for $4.5 billion last summer until after construction of its controversial proposed expansion is de-risked.

Court-ordered consultations with affected Indigenous groups are expected to wrap up in May, allowing the expansion to go to Ottawa for a decision on approval.

Follow @HealingSlowly on Twitter.
MONTREAL - Two of Canadas artificial intelligence pioneers are warning about the consequences of AI in robotic weapons and outsourcing lethal decisions to machines, calling for an international agreement on its deployment as Canada marches toward the binary battlefield.

Geoffrey Hinton and Yoshua Bengio, who along with computer scientist Yann LeCun won the Turing Award on Wednesday  known as the Nobel Prize of the technology industry  say so-called weaponized AI and killer robots could spell danger for civilians.

I think we need to worry about lethal autonomous weapons, said Hinton, a professor emeritus at the University of Toronto and a senior researcher at Google Brain.

Those are things that arent a worry about the distant future; those are things that are coming now. The technology is already capable of producing these things and theyre desperately in need of regulation.

Hinton compared robotic weapons such as drones with land mines, which were banned in a 1997 international treaty. Theyre very stupid, but theyre lethal and theyre autonomous, he said of the explosives.

Facial recognition technology and other forms of computer vision or surveillance could soon be deployed to identify individuals or locations for drone strikes, said Bengio, a professor at the Universite de Montreal.

You could basically select a particular list of people and have them killed.

Bengio said that even if an international convention were not signed by key players  the United States, China and Russia declined to sign the Ottawa Treaty banning mines  the awareness it stirs up can deter proliferation.

The American companies gradually stopped producing land mines because of the moral stigma that became attached to doing this. So those treaties play not just a legal role, but also set social norms in ways that end up influencing behaviour, he said.

Last year, Google opted not to renew a contract with the Pentagon for Project Maven  the U.S. militarys pathfinder AI program  after more than 3,000 employees signed a protest letter.

The technology at work in Project Maven, which uses machine learning to scan drone video for targets, has already been deployed in the Middle East and Africa, with the eventual aim of loading the software onto drones to locate people and objects on the fly.

The Canadian Armed Forces are now exploring how to use AI, with the air force conducting experiments, according to army Maj. Geoffrey Priems.

My personal view is we need to look at this and approach it very methodically and get it right, as opposed to rushing and screwing it up, said Priems, who is tasked with sketching out a concept by June 2020 for AI deployment.

Nobody wants to cause a death through some friggin computer, unless we chose for that to happen, intentionally.

Retaining human agency  and accountability  in decisions of life and death is one issue. Another is digital defects or built-in biases, said Graham Taylor, who heads a new AI ethics centre at the University of Guelph.

Military organizations may be trying to frame these systems such that they reduce the civilian casualties, he said. On the other hand, there is always the capability of these systems making mistakes where a human is not directly in charge...and it becomes difficult to place responsibility on a particular individual.

Privacy concerns also factor into the reams of data spawned by surveillance images.

Its an area thats under development right now, but theres no widespread regulation regarding the use of specifically AI technologies in the military, he said.

The Department of National Defence says international law should form the basis for emerging weapons protocols, and that more discussion around this complex and multi-faceted issue is needed at the international level and within Canada.

An expert group established by the United Nations Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons held its inaugural meeting in November 2017, but progress toward a treaty has been slow, Bengio says.

The way the UN works is not very functional. Its enough that a few countries oppose to slow things considerably, he said.

Bengio was among 400 participants at a November 2017 forum that produced the Montreal Declaration on the Responsible Development of Artificial Intelligence. It lays out a principle that the decision to kill must always be made by human beings, and responsibility for this decision must not be transferred to an AI.
TORONTOFirecrackers director Jasmin Mozaffari knew telling a story about the grittier side of rural Canadian life would require shooting in places scarred by neglect.

Sprawling vacant fields, rundown houses and abandoned malls  each offered a deeper glimpse into the unforgiving world of two young women that conspire to escape their dilapidated small town.

I always thought it was weird that Canadian films didnt really look at those settings, the 31-year-old director said of her feature-length debut, which opens Friday in Toronto and Vancouver before a wider rollout.

I drove across Canada when I was in my early 20s, from Toronto to Vancouver and back, and  I was like, Wow there are so many locations to be explored.

Canadian films typically favour slivers of urban life, the sprawling beauty of the Prairies or storylines that unspool on picturesque coasts. Mozaffari instead portrays gutted communities she describes as being left behind by globalization.

Those places arent necessarily beautiful, she contends, but that doesnt mean theyre any less interesting.

The young women, Lou and Chantal, are introduced in a parking lot brawl as one of them throws punches at another teenage girl. Both are brash, defiant, and confident theyre about to ditch this world for a new independence in New York.

Those plans are quickly dashed when an ex-boyfriend hears about their escape plan, and the money they saved cleaning motel toilets ends up in someone elses hands. Without an alternative escape plan, Lou and Chantal end up trapped amid the misogyny thats defined their youth, and the people who are complicit in keeping them down.

I felt like now is the time the story needed to be told and in a way that was unapologetic, bold and unrelenting, just like the characters in the film, Mozaffari said.

I am exploring topics that are darker, surrounding sexual assault and repression, that I feel are now such a bigger part of the conversation.

Shot around Hamilton, London and St. Thomas, Ont., Firecrackers borrows from behaviour Mozaffari witnessed as a teenager. She grew up in nearby Barrie, Ont., where she remembers watching boys levy their power over girls.

Some of her female friends were bold and unapologetic in their ways, she said, though it rarely worked in their favour.

I admired their bravery, but they were always punished for being proudly sexual, and they were punished for speaking their mind, she said.

I used that as a bit of a story template, in a way, to explore the things I felt about being a woman coming of age as a girl.

Finding authenticity in the two lead actresses offered its own challenges.

After the film was financed by Telefilms Talent to Watch program, Mozaffari began canvassing Facebook and Instagram in search of people who might fit the parts.

She eventually landed on Michaela Kurimsky, whose monologue in Wintersleeps Amerika music video made her an instant contender, while the confidence of Karena Evans also captured her attention in a video audition.

Both actresses were part of an improvisational audition that weeded out people who were not ready to take chances and risks, Mozaffari said. They were cast a year before the film went into production.

That gave them ample time to explore their roles in consultation with the director, said Evans in a recent interview.

(Mozaffari) allowed for so many opportunities for us to learn about them, so when we got to set we could just forget about everything and play, she said.

Social media tools, including Instagram and Tumblr accounts, were created in the likeness of the characters, giving the actresses an outlet to explore their personalities.

To understand what it would be like to live in this rundown, boring town as a teenager, you turn to Instagram, Evans said.

Who are their Instagram influencers that would change the way they dress, the way they talk?

Ahead of its release, Firecrackers has already received acclaim at the Toronto International Film Festival, and elevated awareness helped by the rising star of Evans, who directed four music videos for Drake last year.

Mozaffari hopes that leads to more curiosity, particularly from Canadian women interested in a story that she hopes resonates with their own lives.

I want to keep creating films that challenge the way we think about women and people of colours experiences, she said.

My goal is to keep creating things that stem from an intersectional feminist point of view and put under-represented stories on screen.
HALIFAXA long-awaited report confirms Black people are disproportionally targeted by street checks, but political leaders refused to immediately halt the practice while planning a solution.

Toronto criminologist Scot Wortley tabled the report at an event at the Halifax Central Library on Wednesday.

Police data released to the CBC in January 2017 showed Black people in the municipality were more than three times more likely than white people to be subjected to street checks. The Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission hired Wortley to review the use of street checks in September 2017.

The new report, which looked at a larger data set spread over 12 years, found the disparity is even more stark. Wortley found that Black people in Halifax are almost six times more likely to be street checked than white people.

Wortleys report offered two options, with corresponding sets of recommendations: ban the practice  which is also known as carding  altogether or better regulate it to mitigate racial disparities in surveillance and data collection.

Robert Wright of the African Nova Scotian Decade for People of African Descent Coalition called for an immediate moratorium on street checks while the municipalitys board of police commissioners and the provincial government make their choice, but he and the coalition believe they should be banned completely.

We cant begin to talk about the regulation of something that may be, and in our position is, indeed, illegal. We do not regulate illegal activity, he said during the event.

Wright said he believes there is good will among politicians to change the practice, but in an interview after the event, he said the lack of immediate action shows they made a choice.

Who do we want to demonstrate our support to today? Front-line police officers or members of the Black community? If we want to please front-line police officers, no moratorium. Business as usual, no confusion, no stress for you. But the Black community has been thrown under the bus, he said.

Councillor Steve Craig, the chair of the municipalitys board of police commissioners, said the power to make change is ultimately in the hands of the provincial government. He was, however, the only politician to offer an apology.

The board of police commissioners, we did not completely fulfil our role and responsibility of oversight in this area, nor the state of relationships between police and our African Nova Scotian communities in HRM. And for this, the commission and I am very sorry, he said during the event Wednesday.

We will do better.

Craig said in an interview afterward that he apologized because he felt the board shouldve been more proactive in addressing this issue, but its up to the Justice Department to make changes. He said hes not sure the municipality could unilaterally ban street checks even within its borders.

Provincial justice minister Mark Furey wouldnt commit to a temporary ban and expressed concern that banning street checks would drive the practice underground.

I can stand here and apologize for 200 years-plus of mistreatment towards African Nova Scotians, but my commitment to you today is to effect change from this point forward. This cannot continue to happen, he said at the library.

Its important to review the impacts of making any one decision, and Im going to need time to do that.

Furey said systemic racism over 200-plus years was to blame for the racial disparities in street check data and vowed to include African Nova Scotians in the decision-making process.

Wortleys report detailed accounts from dozens of Black people in Halifax, pulled from interviews and a series of community meetings.

Trayvone Clayton, 20, told his story on Wednesday. He said he left a party when he was 16 years old and was stopped by a police officer who put him in a chokehold, slammed him to the ground and pressed a knee to his head.

Its funny because my father, he told me to read the Charter of Rights. I was like, Dad, Im 16. I dont have to do that. Clearly I was wrong, he said.

(The officer) said sorry, but that sorry doesnt mean nothing till all this is fixed because this continues to happen to us Blacks.

Marcus James, Claytons father and the co-founder of the group 902 Man Up, which works with young Black men in Halifax, said hes still kept up at night worrying about his son.

Those are generational curses that have plagued our African Nova Scotian community, Blacks globally. We dont have 400 years to fix this, he said.

Wright said he knows substantial and symbolic gestures, like an immediate stop to street checks, are scary for leaders in justice and policing.

I would suggest to you that they are less scary than being a 16-year-old boy lying on the pavement with someones knee on your head, he said.

Wright hoped that by the time the 6 p.m. news came on, thered be a change of heart. He said hed be waiting.

As will all of the people in this room, as will all African Nova Scotians, as will all African Canadians because were Scotians here and the rest of the country looks to us in terms of our treatment of people of African descent, he said.

Sen. Wanda Thomas Bernard voiced her support for Wrights call for a ban during the event, saying shes been street checked herself more times than she cares to admit.

This is not just about Halifax. This is a national problem, and I absolutely agree with Mr. Wright, that the rest of Canada will be watching what happens from here. So the actions that the leadership in this province takes will be very, very important, she said.

Wortley has been involved in studies into street check data in several jurisdictions in Ontario, dating back to a study in Kingston in 2005.

Wortley found that Halifax has a higher rate of street checks than Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary. Halifaxs rate is comparable to cities like Edmonton and Calgary and much lower than Torontos.

The numbers in Halifax have been dropping since 2007, but the overrepresentation of Black people in street check statistics is remarkably consistent.

Every year from 2006 to 2017, Black people have been five to six times more likely to appear in street check statistics than their representation in the general population would predict, Wortley wrote in the report.

Asked by reporters whether he believes systemic racism exists, outgoing Halifax Regional Police Chief Jean-Michel Blais said there has been racism in Canada, Nova Scotia and Halifax.

The question is are we doing something to deal with those issues on a regular basis, Blais said.

Though his final recommendations provide two options, Wortley was adamant that something needs to change.

I do think a decision must be made to either ban or regulate street checks in Nova Scotia. The status quo should not be an option, he said during Wednesdays event.

The consequences  clearly outweigh, in my opinion, any crime prevention benefits.

He said he doesnt believe the decision to either ban or regulate street checks is an easy one and outlined some of the pros and cons. A ban on street checks would have a great symbolic value, he said, but may not change racial disparities in police stop, question and search activities.

He also said hes heard from both sides of the debate on whether street checks are even legal, and the provincial government and board of police commissioners should seek a full independent legal opinion regarding the lawfulness of street check practices.

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Its the cusp of planting season, and Canadas canola farmers are nervous.

On Tuesday, Chinas General Administration of Customs revoked the canola-seed export license of Viterra, a Regina-based grain handler. It is the second Canadian company to have its canola-seed export rights revoked, after Beijing suspended shipments from Richardson International  Canadas largest exporter of the crop  earlier this month. The Canola Council of Canada, an industry group, said last week that Chinese importers have mysteriously stopped buying Canadian canola seeds altogether.

Even before these developments, Canadian canola traders had complained of longer-than-usual customs inspections and trouble getting import permits for their product.

China, which accounts for 40 per cent of Canadas canola exports, said its reasons for blacklisting Canadian canola are scientifically sound and reasonable.

But experts and some in the Canadian canola industry believe that Chinas decision is driven by politics, not science. They fear canola has become collateral damage in a broader geopolitical conflict between the United States and China that has left Canada caught in the middle.

What is Chinas problem with Canadian canola?

China claims that it has found harmful organisms and pests in Canadian canola seed shipments.

Read more:

China blocks canola shipment from second major Canadian producer

China ratchets up pressure on Canada amid Huawei dispute

Chinese importers have stopped buying Canadian canola seed: Industry group

At a news conference, Geng Shuang, a spokesman for Chinas Foreign Ministry, said, The Chinese side has taken these precautionary quarantine measures to ensure safety.

Whats the larger Canada-China issue?

Ties between Canada and China reached a new low in December, when Canada detained Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Chinas Huawei Technologies, at a Vancouver airport pursuant to an extradition request from U.S. officials, who claim that she and Huawei violated U.S. sanctions on Iran.

Canada has said that Mengs arrest was a legal matter and that it was simply following the terms of its extradition treaty with the United States. China, which promised severe consequences if Canada did not release Meng, arrested two Canadians in China on vague security charges in a move that is widely believed to be retaliatory. A Chinese court sentenced a third Canadian to death after a hurried retrial on drug charges.

Earlier this month, Canada said it would move ahead with an extradition hearing for Meng, who is out on bail in Vancouver.

Lynette Ong, a political science professor at the University of Toronto, said the canola issue and Mengs detention are definitely linked.

There is no hard evidence, Ong said, but there are enough precedent cases where China has punished trading partners for behaviour they do not like.

After the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Liu Xiaobo, a Chinese democracy advocate, China halted imports of Norwegian salmon, citing disease. Two years later, it restricted banana imports from the Philippines, claiming they had been imposed for health reasons, though growers said it was retribution for a flare-up in disputed waters in the South China Sea.

China is strategically ambiguous about its reasons for the restrictions, Ong said, to make it difficult for countries to challenge it before the World Trade Organization or other international dispute settlement bodies.

What is canola?

Canola is an oil seed crop that is used to make cooking oil, animal feed, cosmetics, biodiesel fuel and more.

It is also a Canadian invention. Plant breeders in Saskatchewan and Manitoba developed it during the 1960s and 1970s by breeding out the most undesirable traits of rapeseed. The word canola combines Canada and ola, which its inventors said sounded like oil.

Canola is one of Canadas largest agricultural exports, and the countrys agriculture department estimates that it contributes more than 26 billion Canadian dollars to the economy each year.

Has China complained about Canadian canola before?

Yes.

In 2009, China restricted imports of Canadian canola, citing concerns about blackleg, a fungal disease. Scientists from both countries worked together to largely eliminate the risk of the disease.

In 2016, China again raised concerns about Canadian canola and blackleg. It asked Canada to cut the dockage rate  the amount of extraneous material such as stems and pods that ends up in shipments  from 2.5 per cent to 1 per cent.

Canadian scientists were unconvinced that changing the dockage rate would mitigate the blackleg risk, which they said was minimal. Some suggested that the move was an attempt to protect Chinas domestic canola crop, which had a bumper harvest that year.

The two countries resolved the dispute, signing an agreement stating that the trade in canola would continue.

What do canola farmers say?

Canadas canola industry disputes Chinas claims, and Canadas agriculture minister said the Canadian Food Inspection Agency conducted investigations and did not find any harmful pests in its shipments.

Some believe the developments are motivated entirely by politics.

We think this is part of a larger Canada-China issue, Jean-Marc Ruest, vice president for corporate affairs and general counsel of Richardson International, told CBC News.

What is the Canadian government doing?

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been careful not to draw a direct link between Mengs arrest and the canola issue, but he said he is taking the issue very seriously and may send a high-level delegation to China.

Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, who grew up on a canola farm, said this month that she does not see any scientific basis for Chinas decision.

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VANCOUVERA Vancouver human-rights tribunal has ruled theres no room for public debate about whether transgender people are who they say they are.

Well-known trans advocate Morgane Oger filed the complaint against Christian activist Bill Whatcott after he distributed flyers disparaging her for being a trans woman.

The 104-page ruling, which goes into detail about the types of discrimination trans people face, is a win for trans rights in B.C. and across the country, said Susanna Allevato Quail, Ogers lawyer.

This decision is really a landmark decision in establishing the scope of protections under the human-rights code for transgender people, she said.

In defence of the flyers, Whatcott had argued that he was contributing to important public debate about the morality of being transgender. The judgment rejects this argument, Quail explained.

It is no longer a legitimate subject of public debate, whether or not its OK to be transgender or whether transgender people are real, she said.

Read more:

Religious activist asserts his right to distribute flyers challenging trans identity

B.C. Human Rights tribunal rejects request for physical, DNA testing on trans woman in hate-speech case

Freedom from discrimination trumps freedom of speech, argues lawyer in case against religious activist

The decision reads that this so-called debate of whether trans people exist and are entitled to dignity is as valuable to ongoing public debate as whether one race is superior to another.

The flyers Whatcott distributed described Oger as a biological male and a transvestite who is embracing transgender propaganda and trying to live a lie. They referenced Ogers pre-transition name alongside a photo of her before she transitioned.

The flyers were distributed in the Vancouver-False Creek riding in 2017 when Oger was running for office with the B.C. NDP.

Ogers human-rights complaint said the flyers were discriminatory and hateful. Whatcott denied the allegations, asserting that his freedom of speech and religion entitled him to publish his views on Oger.

Whatcott told the Star that the ruling doesnt matter, and he has no confidence in the system. He plans to continue distributing flyers about Oger and told the Star he will do so at an upcoming event in Kamloops this weekend.

Im not going to shut up, he said, adding he has no intention of paying the fines ordered by the tribunal, both because he doesnt want to and because he doesnt have the money.

Oger said she is relieved by the decision but is also feeling emotionally drained, having just read through the decision before speaking with the Star.

I am really so happy, that in a tribunal, using the law, we finally put it down that someone publishing hateful material that says that a transgender woman is a man, got in trouble, she said.

It was just very vindicating to read the analysis by the court, but so awful to relive the moments, because I cant get them out of my head and my heart and thats awful.

Transgender people have been protected by B.C. human-rights law since 2016 and by Canadian human-rights law since 2017.

As outlined in the ruling, despite some gains, transgender people remain among the most marginalized in our society. Their lives are marked by disadvantage, prejudice, stereotyping and vulnerability.

Back in 2017, after Whatcott distributed the flyers, Oger feared for her safety and on the advice of police employed various personal security tactics, the ruling explains. She also had to tell her children to pay close attention to strangers and that somebody might want to hurt her because they (hate) me because of who I am.

Reached while she was on a ski vacation with her children, Oger said she would take her kids out for hot chocolate and share the news.

Im going to give my kids a hug and explain to them how this terrible period is behind us now, she said.

In the ruling, posted on Wednesday, the tribunal judge ordered Whatcott to pay Oger $35,000 in compensation for injury to her dignity, feelings and self-respect. Whatcott was also ordered to pay Oger an additional $20,000 for his improper conduct during and before the hearings.

In discussing the discrimination that trans people experience, the ruling says that unlike other groups protected by the (human-rights) code, transgender people often find their very existence the subject of actual public debate, resulting in some people believing trans people are less worthy of respect and basic rights.

The ruling also describes that during the hearing, Oger was repeatedly and deliberately attacked based on nothing more than a belief that her very existence is an affront.

Quail said the ruling is a dream come true for trans rights.

(It) is really so encouraging, Quail said.

To have the tribunal say, You know you cant argue that you are just commenting on a legitimate public issue, because this is not a public issue. There is no debate about whether people are or should be transgender.

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OTTAWAAlmost 20 years after a Halifax-area man was gunned down for having an affair with the girlfriend of a Hells Angels biker, the Supreme Court of Canada has convicted the hit man of second-degree murder.

Sean Simmons was shot in the head in the lobby of a Halifax-area apartment building in October 2000.

Dean Kelsie was convicted of first-degree murder in 2003 and sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for at least 25 years.

But the Appeal Court of Nova Scotia ordered a new trial after ruling last year that the trial judge erred in his instructions to the jury.

In a decision issued Wednesday, the Supreme Court of Canada decided Kelsies conviction should be reduced to the lesser charge of second-degree murder.

The Nova Scotia Supreme Court must now sentence Kelsie on the new charge, which will involve adjusting his parole eligibility period to 25 years or less.

Read more :

Top court agrees to hear appeal in Hells Angels-ordered killing in Nova Scotia

Hells Angels charged with drug trafficking in Nova Scotia, Ontario, RCMP say

Hells Angels re-establish East Coast presence: They have a good footprint

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OTTAWAPrime Minister Justin Trudeau is apologizing after he sarcastically dismissed demonstrators who paid to attend a Liberal fundraiser in Toronto Wednesday night to voice concern about mercury poisoning at the Grassy Narrows First Nation.

Video from the event, posted on Twitter by the advocacy group Free Grassy, shows a demonstrator interrupting Trudeau during the event by standing in front of him and unfurling a large banner. Someone is heard calling out: People in Grassy Narrows are suffering from mercury poisoningYou committed to addressing this crisis.

As the demonstrator is led out of the room by security, Trudeau says: Thank you very much for your donation tonight. I really appreciate it.

The comment is met with laughter and applause from people attending the Liberal fundraiser.

Speaking to reporters in Halifax Thursday morning, Trudeau said he was sorry and that the party will refund those who paid to attend the event to raise the issue with the prime minister.

It is obviously an issue that they feel very, very  take very seriously, and as I know, understand it involved their child possibly, Trudeau said.

The situation in Grassy Narrows is one that we have been following for quite a while, he added, stating his officials will check with Indigenous Services Minister Seamus ORegan to make sure the government is doing everything it can to resolve the situation in the remote Ontario First Nation.

Read more:

Opinion | Emma Teitel: Justin Trudeau made a smug remark to a protester. Its hard to recover from that

Grassy Narrows chief questions delay on promised mercury testing

I started to have seizures at the age of 2. Ontario residents describe the ravages of mercury exposure

I always try to be respectfulI didnt do that last night. Last night I lacked respect towards them and I apologize for that, Trudeau said.

In an emailed statement, Grassy Narrows First Nation Chief Rudy Turtle said he acknowledges Trudeaus apology but calls on the prime minister to follow through on his governments commitment in November 2017 to help the community build a new treatment centre for victims of mercury poisoning.

Trudeaus apology rings hollow while our people are suffering without the care and support that we need, Turtle said. I am calling on him to treat us humanely and to fairly compensate all of our people for the terrible impacts of the ongoing mercury crisis.

Elsewhere Thursday, Trudeaus jibe at the Liberal fundraiser was greeted with criticism. Perry Bellegarde, National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, posted on Twitter that Trudeaus comments unacceptable and offensive and said he should apologize directly to those involved.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh told reporters on Parliament Hill Thursday that Trudeaus comment was callous. He called the situation in Grassy Narrows a horrible tragedy that should be approached with compassion.

I think we were all deeply offended by Mr. Trudeaus remarks, Singh said. The fact that Mr. Trudeau didnt respond with compassion maybe speaks to the fact that he doesnt actually care about what people are going through, and thats something thats really hurtful.

The Star has reported extensively on the effects of an industrial mercury dump 50 years ago upstream from Grassy Narrows First Nation, revealing that fish near the community are the most contaminated in the province, that there is mercury-contaminated soil and river sediment at or near the site of the old mill, and the provincial government knew in the 1990s that mercury was visible in soil and never told anyone in Grassy Narrows or nearby Wabaseemoong (Whitedog) Independent Nations.

New research reported in December indicated children in Grassy Narrows whose mothers ate fish at least once a week while pregnant are four times more likely to have a learning disability or nervous system disorder.

People in the community have also developed tremors, slurred speech, impaired hearing and tunnel vision, and lost muscle co-ordination, the Star has reported.

On top of that, the fishing industry in the region has been decimated.

With files from David Bruser

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VANCOUVERSince the Stars Vancouver bureau chief shared the story of how she intervened to help a teen girl being harassed on a plane, the Star has received a flood of messages from readers with similar experiences.

Some were unsure how to help.

To find out, the Star approached airlines, the International Air Transport Association, RCMP and an aviation safety consultant with more than 30 years of experience.

Whats the first thing passengers should do if they witness an incident?

Barbara Dunn, an aviation safety consultant who also worked as a flight attendant for 33 years, advises bystanders or victims to first notify the cabin crew if they feel uncomfortable or witness inappropriate behaviours.

The cabin crew is trained to deal with all different kinds of safety-related emergencies: in-flight fire, medical emergencies, abusive passengers  Theyre there to look after the safety and well-being of the passengers, Dunn said.

There is an overriding policy on the airlines that cabin crew and pilots are there to do whatever they can to keep passengers safe.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) represents 290 airlines globally and has what it calls the worlds largest database of air safety reports. The association says the number of incidents of unruly behaviour voluntarily reported by its member airlines has declined  but more severe incidents, such as sexual harassment and assault, are on the rise.

Read more: I saw an older man harassing a teen girl on the plane. Heres what I did about it

According to the latest reports analyzed in 2017, a total of 8,731 incidents of unruly behaviour were reported, 350 of which were Level 2 incidents, which include racial, ageist and homophobic slurs and unacceptable physical behaviour such as inappropriate touching.

What are the in-flight policies on harassment and sexual harassment?

Under the Criminal Code of Canada and the Aeronautics Act, conduct that interferes with a flight or puts passengers at risk is illegal. This includes harassment, verbal abuse, physical assault, sexual offences, intimidating behaviour, drunk or disorderly conduct and refusing to follow crew instructions.

In a statement to the Star, WestJet said it is the duty of the crew to assess, refuse or move anyone who is exhibiting signs of not being fit to fly or is perceived to be posing a risk to the safety and well-being of our guests and crew.

If our crews observe a guest they believe poses a safety risk, out of an abundance of caution and in adherence with Transport Canadas regulations, they have the authority to remove the guest from the flight, divert and request the presence of authorities on arrival, it added.

If an incident occurs on the ground before the airplane takes off, the cabin crew have the same authority, Dunn clarified.

What kind of training do crews have?

In Canada, flight attendants must undergo safety training to handle any situation that may threaten the safety of a passenger, such as how to approach abusive people, explained Dunn.

Although the duration of the training may vary among airlines, they are usually six to eight weeks long and include harassment response as well as firefighting procedures and use of emergency equipment, she added. It is also a requirement in Canada for the cabin crew to be retrained for one to two days every 12 months on safety protocols.

In a statement to the Star, Air Canada said its crews are highly skilled professionals whose top priority always is the safety of all customers on board. Our crews undergo in-depth training including annual recurrent training, which includes responding to an extensive range of safety-related occurrences.

Is it appropriate for bystanders to intervene?

I would never expect anyone to intervene if it put them in jeopardy or if there was a possibility the situation might escalate and put someone else in jeopardy, Dunn said. But certainly, advising the crew is the best thing to do and letting the alleged perpetrator know that they have been seen and that this behaviour is not acceptable.

Speaking to the incident witnessed by the Stars Vancouver bureau chief, Dunn said the crews actions reflected the training they received.

(The crew) had two options. They could have either moved him, which is what they did, or they could have moved the young lady. Either way thats perfectly acceptable, Dunn said.

They also got witness statements, which is very important because if youre going to involve the authorities, you must have statements from people who have seen what is going on. They informed the captain, the captain called the authority, and the authorities met the flight  so everything was done exactly the way it was supposed to be done.

Are there policies on the amount passengers can drink, potentially leading to inappropriate behaviour?

It is illegal to be drunk on a plane or appear to be intoxicated on an aircraft, Dunn said.

So if someone appears to be intoxicated before an airplane takes off, they can be removed from the aircraft. And if they are intoxicated during the flight, then they get cut off. People are not allowed to consume their own alcohol on board an aircraft, so drunken behaviour is just not acceptable in Canada, she said.

In some cases, the pilots will be advised.

If it escalates into a more dangerous situation where someone becomes physically abusive, it may be necessary to land that aircraft and have that person removed by the authorities.

Which jurisdiction do cases fall under?

The B.C. RCMP said if an incident occurs in the air, the case falls under the laws of the destination and to the authorities in charge of that particular airport.

In an emailed response, media-relations officer Cpl. Chris Manseau referred to a 2011 Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador ruling that determined the location where the flight ended was the place of jurisdiction.

The passenger was later found guilty of mischief under the Criminal Code and of interference under the Aeronautics Act. The passenger initially argued that there was no jurisdiction; however, the Supreme Court upheld the decision, stated Manseau.

What are the protocols around children or youth travelling by themselves?

WestJet offers a mandatory unaccompanied-minor program for children travelling without a guardian between ages eight and 12, but it is optional for children between 12 to 18 on non-stop flights only.

Air Canada states that children under eight must be accompanied by another passenger who is at least 16. Those between eight and 11 can use its unaccompanied minor service. The service is optional for those 12 to 17 who are travelling alone.

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In early 2016, Mayor John Tory and the citys chief planner Jennifer Keesmaat made a tantalizing pitch: with the same $3.56-billion earmarked for a three-station subway extension in Scarborough, the city could instead extend the subway by just one stop and have enough money left over to expand the Eglinton Crosstown light rail line from Kennedy to U of Ts Scarborough campus.

Records obtained by the Star through freedom of information requests show that officials at the city and the Toronto Transit Commission felt they couldnt guarantee the two-for-one price. Those typically responsible for verifying cost estimates were kept out of the loop until just days  or in some case hours  before the proposal was publicly unveiled.

The skeptics were right.

Within five months, the cost of the one-stop subway extension would swell to consume nearly all of the money budgeted for the original three-station configuration, leaving almost no funds for the promised LRT extension.

And even before that happened, even as the plan was endorsed by a majority of city councillors as a peace in the land solution to a growing political problem, one senior TTC official privately cautioned his colleagues against doing anything to legitimize what he saw as an ill-conceived idea.

This wasnt a transit plan, this was a sales job, said Councillor Josh Matlow.

It was a bait and switch, and the public was misled.

Torys spokesperson told the Star that the mayor was relying on professional advice at the time, and still stands by the plan.

Keesmaat says she stands by what was promised at the time, based on the information they had then.

On Tuesday, Premier Doug Ford shocked councillors as the provinces plans to take over major transit projects already underway became clearer, including a return to the more expensive three-stop option just as city council is set to debate updated costs and schedule for the one-stop extension.

Those costs, city staff said Wednesday, now total $3.9 billion  hundreds of millions of dollars more than the city has budgeted to pay for it.

Meanwhile, the clock is ticking on replacing the failing Scarborough RT, which is plagued by breakdowns as it undergoes stopgap repairs to keep its aging equipment operating.

And the commuters who rely on the SRT today? They could have had a seven-stop, rapid transit line operating (this year) if their elected politicians and top bureaucrats had put the peoples interest before their own, Matlow said.

Every Toronto resident deserves better transit and, importantly, they should be demanding answers.

Read More:

How Fords transit plans could impact Toronto

Breakdown of Scarborough RT a grim reminder of what may be in store for transit riders

Experts call Scarborough subway funding proposal far-fetched

Before the one-stop subway extension, there was the plan to replace the SRT with three subway stations.

The three-stop plan was approved by council under then-mayor Rob Ford in 2013, scrapping plans for a seven-stop LRT that was nearing construction and fully funded by the province. It was budgeted at $3.56 billion, combining money from the province and Ottawa with $910 million raised over several decades from Toronto homeowners. That budget was based on no design work being done and therefore had little grounding.

But as early as 2015, staff realized potential flooding issues would push the new subway stations deeper underground and costs above budget, according to an internal city planning memo from late 2016. There were also concerns that Torys promise to build new GO stations on the Stouffville line would cannibalize ridership from the three new stations.

So the city planning team started reviewing the transit plan for Scarborough.

Led by Keesmaat, it proposed eliminating two of the subway stations and ending the line at the Scarborough Town Centre, rather than on Sheppard Ave. By cutting those stations and tunnelling, Keesmaat believed the city would have enough money left from the original budget to fund an LRT extension along Eglinton Ave. E. to the University of Torontos eastern campus.

In October 2015, Keesmaat presented the plan to the mayors office, which saw it as a solution to cost and ridership problems. According to the city planning memo, it was also presented to the TTCs then-chief executive officer, Andy Byford, and some of his senior staff. The memo noted no feedback was provided at that point, and that city planning did not have access to detailed cost estimates.

The plan was also socialized with political stakeholders between September and December 2015, the memo says.

John Campbell, who was then a new city councillor and TTC board member, remembers being shown a presentation on paper by Keesmaat.

If we remove these stops, theres going to be enough money ... to pay for the Eglinton LRT, he recalls Keesmaat saying.

That was the selling point for me, Campbell said. They never should have presented that to us unless they had really hard numbers.

Meanwhile, city staff were preparing a public report on the plan, which was set to be released on Jan. 21 for discussion at Torys executive committee a week later.

The Toronto Transit Commission often estimates costs for transit projects built by the city and, on Jan. 14, TTC officials discussed a request from then deputy city manager John Livey to assist with the new subway plan.

I repeat my worry that, among other things, if/when we provide information on these matters, it will legitimize the ill-conceived proposal which is being pursued by city planning and, one way or the other, the word will be that the TTC endorses it, wrote Mitch Stambler, who was the TTCs head of strategy and planning.

I sure dont (want) my name associated with this stuff.

The following day, TTC project manager Gary Carr outlined various unanswered questions in an email.

He concluded, I see no way of city being able to get costing info on this concept by Jan. 28 regardless of who does the costing  too much discussion/assessment needed.

One day before the reports release, on Jan. 20, Keesmaat and staff from the mayors office gave a briefing to Star reporters.

Chris Eby, who was Torys chief of staff, said the plan meant more transit could be built for more people at no additional cost, the same funding envelope. He said city manager Peter Wallace would phrase it differently  that it was within the same order of magnitude  but Eby described that as being within the ballpark of the $3.56-billion budget.

Keesmaat described the funding in a similar manner, saying one more subway station and the Eglinton LRT extension could be built within the same funding envelope as the three-stop subway extension.

(There is a difference between the same funding envelope and the same order of magnitude. A rough order of magnitude estimate, as Wallace noted in one internal email, is a factor of 10, literally  in other words, up to 10 times as much.)

Both the mayors office and Keesmaat have said the numbers were verified in a third-party review by the U.S.-based engineering and consulting firm HDR.

According to city spokesperson Brad Ross, city staff sought high-level advice from HDR on the Eglinton LRT extension, but the provided guidance was not based on design and was not a formal cost estimate.

The city did not respond to a request from the Star to see what HDR reviewed and what it concluded.

On Jan. 20, at 3:07 p.m.  less than 24 hours before the city planning report was to be released  senior transportation planner Mike Logan asked the citys financial staff to review the financial impact section of the report, which is typically meant to spell out how much recommendations from staff to council will cost.

He apologized for the rush.

The request was forwarded to then-chief financial officer Rob Rossini, who responded with an email to then-deputy city manager John Livey. John, Finance needs to be able to review reports of these magnitude well before the day before they go out, Rossini wrote. This is unacceptable.

He also asked a key question: What assurances do we have that the new plan costs the same as the old plan?

Rossini also wanted to know how the planning department had estimated savings of $1 billion by eliminating two of the proposed subway stops.

Livey replied that the sole purpose of this report is to get the idea into the public forum.

The report, he said, is not intended and expected to have a financial section with the normal due diligence that we normally do, because we are only tabling the idea for the start of a much longer investigation.

Rossini persisted  it was by then after 8 p.m.  saying his staff would be asked about costs and responsible for answering.

But more importantly, he wrote, my fear is we create an expectation that this can happen with no increase in costs, only to find 12 or 18 months later its another half a billion or a billion dollars.

He referred to the ballooning costs of rebuilding and rehabilitating the Gardiner Expressway: The original estimate we had was about $700 (million), now were up to $2.8 (billion).

Livey said it was the city manager, Wallace, who did not want us to get into the costs.

The following day, Rossini pulled Wallace into the conversation, and the city manager acknowledged Keesmaats estimates were less than solid.

We have only the rough estimates of equivalency from the chief planner, with little incremental substantiation. We agree on that, Wallace wrote to Rossini and Livey. Given this, I have asked that we not refer to the projects as costing the same and we not directly offer public assurances of this.

The plan is better, but we do not yet have the information to speak confidently to costs.

Too late, Rossini wrote as he watched Tory step in front of television cameras on the upper floor of the council chamber at city hall and say that both projects could be provided from approximately the same funding envelope as the original subway plan.

Im watching the press conference, Rossini wrote, and everyone is saying it will cost the same.

Keesmaat made the same claim on Twitter that day: The proposed optimization of transit planning for Scarborough results in more transit within the same funding envelope.

At the executive committee meeting on Jan. 28, where the plan was presented publicly, Keesmaat said there had been conversations with both TTC and Metrolinx and while more work needed to be done, the higher order of magnitude costs have indicated that we are within a similar range.

TTC spokesperson Stuart Green says his organization was never asked to verify the claim that the two projects could be built at a similar cost to the original plan.

A leaked version of the draft report said the plan could be built for a similar cost and in a similar time frame, the Globe and Mail reported. In the publicly released final version, however, the words order-of-magnitude appear before the word cost.

The city spokesperson Ross noted in an email to the Star that the final report also said a revised city funding strategy may be required.

Neither Wallace nor Rossini said what was meant by order-of-magnitude estimates at the executive meeting. TTC officials were present at the meeting, but did not speak.

By June 2016  five months later  the cost of the subway was quoted at $2.9 billion and then $3.2 billion, sucking up nearly all of the funds for Scarborough transit and effectively pricing out the promised LRT extension, which was estimated to cost at least $1.67 billion.

So why were assurances given that both projects could be done for $3.56-billion?

Mayor Tory supported this plan based on the advice of our professional staff, Tory spokesperson Don Peat said in an email. We are getting on with building transit including the Bloor-Danforth subway extension to the Scarborough Town Centre  thats what Mayor Tory was elected and re-elected to do by Toronto voters.

Keesmaat said in an email she was flabbergasted by the Stars line of questioning, likening it to conspiracy theories.

She also said correspondence reviewed by the Star did not represent all the conversations that would have taken place about the transit plan, and that costing is well within the domain of city planning. Calling it a sales job, she said, undermines the technical analysis that went into the creation of the plan.

I continue to stand by what I said at the time was that the express subway was within the envelope of the order of magnitude costing, she said. The fact that this could be achieved within the order of magnitude funding envelope was verified by a third party in advance of us stating this in public.

And yet, the estimate for the subway extension now stands a $3.9 billion, according to city staff, putting the cost of the two-for-one transit plan at just over $5.5 billion.

While technically within an order of magnitude, its almost $2 billion more than the citys $3.56-billion funding envelope.

Whats more, even if the LRT extension is permanently stalled, it still leaves the city more than $300 million short of the price for a single new subway station.

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The provincial governments push to take over Torontos transit network could throw into chaos city plans that are underway or in development.

While Premier Doug Ford wants to build more subways in the city and beyond, some Toronto councillors say the provinces proposal will only cause more delays.

The risk here is further, and further, and further delays to actually build transit, said Councillor Joe Cressy (Ward 12, SpadinaFort York) on Wednesday.

But the province argues that by taking responsibility for new lines it can use its greater financial leverage to accelerate projects.

Read more:

What an alternative Downtown Relief Line could look like under the provinces subway upload plan

We simply cannot build transit alone: Tory defends plan to stay in talks with Ford over TTC overhaul

Editorial | Fords subway upload plan just keeps getting worse

Heres what the provinces proposed changes could mean for four key lines:

Downtown Relief Line

City and TTC staff have spent the past five years advancing design work for the proposed 7.4-kilometre subway  long considered by experts to be the citys most pressing transit priority  which would connect the eastern end of the Line 2 (Bloor-Danforth) subway to Line 1 (Yonge-University-Spadina) downtown.

Last October the line reached an important milestone when the city and Metrolinx completed their environmental assessment, a necessary step before moving to the construction phase.

The line had a tentative completion date of 2031 but earlier this month council approved a plan to spend $325 million over two years to bring forward its opening to 2029.

That planning could go out the window if the province has its way. Fords government envisions a very different version of the relief line, built using unspecified alternative delivery methods that would create a truly unique transit artery separate from other parts of the subway system.

City and TTC officials told council that provincial representatives have so far been tight-lipped about their vision for the line.

They have not given us any specifics whatsoever, said TTC chief executive Rick Leary.

They talk about different elevations, they talk about a lighter train. The slope and the taper of the rail. But no specifics.

The lack of details led Councillor Mike Colle (Ward 8, Eglinton-Lawrence) to quip that Queens Park was planning a magic carpet ride in the sky.

In an email, a spokesperson for Transportation Minister Jeff Yurek said the new relief line will be a subway but the government is open to new ideas and technologies that will help us to deliver subway lines better, faster and smarter.

Its not clear how many stops the provinces version of the relief line would have, where it would run, and by when it would be complete.

Eglinton West LRT

The Eglinton West light-rail transit (LRT) line would be an extension of the under-construction Eglinton Crosstown LRT that would run from Mount Dennis toward Pearson airport. The city has been planning it since late 2014.

The province wants to put a significant portion of the Eglinton West line underground, an option that city staff have already studied and advised against.

In a 2017 report, they determined tunnelling or elevating the LRT for portions of the nine-kilometre route would add between $881.9 million and $1.32 billion to the cost, and concluded the expense wouldnt outweigh the benefits.

James Perttula, the citys director of transit and transportation planning, told council that because the line was still in its early design phases, it was difficult to say if burying it would delay its opening. But he said certainly building the tunnelled structure as opposed to an at-grade LRT would take longer.

Scarborough subway extension

The Ford governments stated intention is to convert the one-stop extension of Line 2 to a three-stop project.

Although previous versions of the three-stop extension would terminate at Sheppard Ave. E., the ministers spokesperson would only say Wednesday that the province would push the line beyond the existing planned terminus at the Scarborough Town Centre.

Adding two stations would dramatically increase the cost, but its unclear by how much. Previous city estimates put the three-stop version of the plan at $4.6 billion, compared to $3.35 billion for the one-stop plan  although city staff say an updated estimate, to be released in a report next week, put the cost of the one-stop version just shy of $3.9 billion. Its not clear if the three-stop plan has also grown more expensive.

The province has floated the idea of enlisting private developers to pick up the costs of the additional two stops in exchange for development or air rights near the line, although experts doubt such a scheme could raise the hundreds of millions of dollars required.

According to a city spokesperson, next weeks report will recommend council put the one-stop plan out to tender, which would mark a major step to completing the project. The city has previously said construction could start next year, with a tentative completion date of 2026, by which time the aging Scarborough RT that the subway would replace is expected to reach the end of its service life.

Councillor Shelley Carroll (Ward 17, Don Valley North) said that stopping that work and designing a three-stop version would ensure nothing gets built for the foreseeable future.

Scarborough will have nothing for 12 more years, she said.

Yonge North Extension

The province wants to advance planning work for a 7.4-kilometre extension of Line 1 to Richmond Hill in parallel with work for the relief line, in order to ensure the extensions opening date is fast-tracked to the greatest extent possible.

That runs counter to the position of city and TTC officials, who are adamant the relief line open before the Yonge extension. They argue the extension would only add passengers to the already crowded Line 1, and congestion will become unmanageable if the relief line isnt already open to provide an alternative route downtown.

Weve been very clear that if theres an order to these projects that the Yonge extension would not be a first priority, city manager Chris Murray told council Wednesday.

While Yurek, the transport minister, has in the past said it makes sense to open the relief line first, his spokesperson wouldnt commit to that sequencing Wednesday.

Both the downtown relief line and the Yonge North extension can be built in parallel. Our government will work to ensure that this is done in a way that addresses congestion, wrote Mike Winterburn.

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Today the TTC boasts four subway lines, 10 streetcar routes and nearly 200 bus routes, but there is a long list of Toronto transit projects that have been proposed, approved and even started, but never completed.

Heres a look at some of the citys many attempts at building transit.

The first subway lines

1910-1912

Plans for a subway system in Toronto started to catch wind in the early 1900s. The city hired New York-based consulting firm Jacobs & Davies, Inc. to put together a report for city council evaluating how feasible an underground rail network would be, with recommendations as to how to create one. The report proposed three lines, one each on Yonge, Bloor and Queen Sts.

What happened? The city found the plan too ambitious and only went ahead with one subway line. But in 1912, when the cost of constructing it was put to a vote, Torontonians axed the plan.

The Queen Line

1946

A referendum on the heels of World War II revitalized the dream of a subway line on Queen, to be constructed as the east-west complement to the north-south Yonge line once construction on the latter was completed. The subway was to be a combination of underground and open-cut lines and would run north of the existing Queen streetcar line.

What happened? By 1954, when the construction on the Yonge line up to Eglinton was complete and it came time to begin work on the Queen line, changes in development and population had made Bloor the busier street. The Queen line was forgotten again, in favour of the Bloor-Danforth line.

The Metropolitan Toronto Transportation Plan

1966-1972

Following the incorporation of Metropolitan Toronto in 1953 and a subsequent flurry of construction that produced the Lakeshore Expressway, Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway, traffic planners put forward plans for five new expressways in Metro Toronto: the Spadina, the Crosstown, the Scarborough, the Hamilton and the Christie-Clinton.

What happened? Many of the proposed expressways faced criticism from city residents due to the potential impact of the construction. In 1971, a decision by the province effectively killed construction of the Spadina Expressway. By 1972, the provincial government called for an entirely new transit plan in an effort to reduce the use of cars, and most of the proposed highways were never completed.

The Intermediate Capacity Transit System Plan

1970s-1980s

After the demise of the Metro Toronto expressways, the provincial government devised GO-Urban, a plan for three advanced mass transit lines that would be run by the newly-formed GO Transit agency. The Intermediate Capacity Transit System (ICTS) was designed to have a capacity halfway between subways and buses. It was to run east-west along Finch and Eglinton Aves. and form a wide U through downtown.

What happened? One small part of the plan, now known as the Scarborough RT, went ahead after the provincial government pressured the TTC into switching out its planned streetcar extension. Otherwise, the project was largely abandoned; GO-Urban was cancelled after running into technical problems and funding issues, and GO Transit eventually turned to conventional heavy rail systems.

The Network 2011 Plan

1985

Network 2011, aimed to play catch up after the ICTS fell short of its goals, planning to expand service with three subway lines to be finished by 2011. The Downtown Relief Line would run south from Donlands Station, past Union Station to the intersection of Front and Spadina. The Sheppard Line would run from Downsview Station along to the Scarborough Town Centre. Finally, the Eglinton West Line would run from Eglinton West Station to Renforth Dr., making connections with Pearson airport and a Mississauga busway.

What happened? The plan faced opposition from the beginning, and after the defeat of the Conservative provincial government by the Liberals in 1985 it was put under review and revised, adding an extension of the Spadina subway line to the mix. When the NDP came into power in 1990 the plan was revised and delayed yet again, and again after the Conservatives regained power in 1995. The Spadina extension to Downsview opened in 1996, and a truncated version of the Sheppard Line, which opened in 2002, is all that remains of the initial plan.

The Transit City plan

2007

Transit City was proposed by former mayor David Miller. The plan included building seven light rail lines, including a transit corridor on Finch Ave. W. and lines along Don Mills Rd., Jane St. and Eglinton Ave. It would also extend the Scarborough RT by three stops, create rapid transit lines for buses, and improve the frequency and timing of 21 pre-existing bus routes.

What happened? The plan was on track to receive funding from the provincial and city governments, but the project was delayed when the provincial government postponed its funding. When then-mayor Rob Ford took office in 2010 he declared plans to cancel the project, calling for a new plan with only underground lines. However, city council eventually approved some key components of Transit City, including the Eglinton Crosstown LRT and the conversion of the Scarborough RT to light rail transit.

The OneCity plan

2012

The proposal, brought forward by then-TTC chair Karen Stintz and vice-chair and Glenn De Baeremaeker, both councillors, included a 175-kilometre, citywide transit expansion featuring six subway lines, 10 LRTs and five bus and streetcar routes. The plan, billed at $30 billion, would rely on funding from increased municipal property taxes and the provincial and federal governments.

What happened? The plan, which was heavily opposed by then-mayor Rob Ford, ultimately failed to gain support at city hall or from the provincial government and could not move forward.

SmartTrack

2014-mid 2020s

First proposed during John Torys 2014 mayoral campaign, this commuter heavy rail line was initially planned to run along Eglinton Ave. from the Airport Corporate Centre in Mississauga to Mount Dennis, then down to Union Station, then northeast through Scarborough to Unionville in Markham, for a total of 22 stations and 53 kilometres. Tory initially estimated the line could be completed within seven years, although a 2016 report from the city suggests completion in 2024-2026.

What happened? Debates about whether LRT would be more feasible than heavy rail for certain stretches of the lines proposed route, concerns that the eastern section of the line would run too close to the proposed Scarborough extension of the Bloor-Danforth line, issues with funding, and revisions to the proposed number and location of stops have plagued the project since its conception. The most recent integration of the plan proposes 14 stations, with terminal stations at Mount Dennis in the west and Milliken GO Station in the east.

The Downtown Relief Line

1910-present

The idea of the Downtown Relief Line was proposed decades ago to relieve some of the pressure on Line 1, which sees some of the worst congestion. Different versions of the line have been suggested over the years, but they all mostly start at Pape and form some U-shape through downtown, similar to Line 1. The DRL had always been identified as a need for the future, when transit congestion would get worse with a growing population, but is seemingly always put on the back burner.

What happened? In January 2019, Mayor John Tory said the city and TTC could speed up construction of the line by two years, which means the line could open by 2029. Tory said the plan requires the city to accelerate $325 million in spending on early work. However, the provincial governments recently announced changes to Toronto transit, which include a proposal to build the relief line with an unspecified alternate technology, have thrown this long-awaited updated into question yet again.

Rhianna Jackson-Kelso is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Stars radio room in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter: @RhiannaJK

Premila DSa is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Stars radio room in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter: @premila_dsa

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A 22-year-old man is dead after a suspected homicide in Whitchurch-Stouffville.

The York Regional Police homicide unit is looking for three suspects after police responded to a call on Ninth Line just north of Aurora Rd. that a male had been shot shortly after 3 p.m. Wednesday.

According to police three male suspects fled in a dark-coloured SUV.

The body of the victim had definite signs of trauma and police are treating the situation as a homicide, according to Const. Laura Nicolle.

Police are advising roads in the area will be closed for most of the evening.

Anyone who may have seen or heard anything in the area is asked to contact police. Investigators are also appealing to any nearby businesses or residences that may have video surveillance or any drivers who may have dash cam footage to please come forward.

Anyone with information should call the homicide unit at 1-866-876-5423 ext. 7865 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
WASHINGTONAttorney General William Barr has agreed to testify to the House Judiciary Committee on Special Counsel Robert Muellers report, the committee chairman said Wednesday.

Chairman Jerrold Nadler said the attorney general told him in a phone call he would testify reasonably soon. However, Barr wouldnt commit to releasing the full Mueller report on President Donald Trump and Russian election meddling, Nadler told reporters.

Were not happy about that, to put it mildly, said Nadler of New York. He also said its apparent the Justice Department wont meet the Judiciary panels April 2 deadline to turn over Muellers report and begin providing underlying documents.

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WASHINGTONThe Trump administrations surprise decision to press for a court-ordered demolition of the Affordable Care Act came after a heated meeting in the Oval Office on Monday, where the presidents acting chief of staff and others convinced him that he could do through the courts what he could not do through Congress: repeal his predecessors signature achievement.

Mick Mulvaney, the acting White House Chief of staff and former South Carolina congressman, had spent years in the House saying that the health law should be repealed, and his hand-picked head of the Domestic Policy Council, Joe Grogan, supported the idea of joining a Republican attorneys general lawsuit to invalidate the entire Affordable Care Act.

That suit, and the Justice Department, initially pressed to nullify only the part of the law that forces insurance companies to cover people with pre-existing medical conditions as well as a suite of health benefits deemed essential, such as pregnancy and maternal health, mental health and prescription drugs.

But a district judge in Texas ruled that the entire law was rendered unconstitutional when President Donald Trumps tax law brought the tax penalty for not having health insurance to zero, and the administration faced a choice: stick with its more limited intervention or back the judges decision.

Trump has declared that he has kept his promises, Mulvaney and Grogan argued, and as a candidate he campaigned on repealing the health law. His base of voters would love it. Besides, they argued, Democrats have been campaigning successfully on health care, and Republicans should try to claim the issue for themselves. This could force the matter.

Among those with concerns was Pat Cipollone, the White House counsel, who shared that the new attorney general, William Barr, opposed such a move. Vice President Mike Pence was worried about the political ramifications of moving ahead without a strategy or a plan to handle the millions who could be left suddenly uninsured if the suit succeeded.

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The health and human services secretary, Alex M. Azar II, was on speakerphone during the meeting and also voiced concern about the move, people familiar with the call said. And Marc Short, Pences chief of staff, suggested that it was risky for Trumps administration to be at odds with so many Republican attorneys general on such a key issue.

But Trump had been sold, and on Monday night, the Justice Department issued a letter saying it supported the Texas judges decision.

The blowback has been severe. Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California, the House Republican leader, who is close with Trump, had privately warned the president not to interrupt the victory lap he should be taking after the delivery of the report by special counsel Robert Mueller. Mueller, according to a letter by Barr, found no criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and the Russian government.

The reaction was even more intense in the Senate. Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader, had planned to use the week to publicize his floor vote to force Democrats to take a stand on progressives Green New Deal  an important party-building exercise for Republicans after Trumps decision to declare an emergency at the border sparked an insurrection in their ranks this month.

Members of McConnells leadership team were incensed at Mulvaney and allies like the acting White House budget director, Russell Vought, for rekindling a fight that served Democrats so well in 2018 and could harm vulnerable incumbents in 2020, according to two senior aides with direct knowledge of the situation. The manoeuvre may make it much less likely that Vought, the chief of staffs hand-picked successor to head the Office of Management and Budget, will be confirmed by the Senate, the aides said.

And Democrats pressed their advantage.

The equivalent of a nuclear bomb fell on our country when the president said what he said this week, Rep. Anna G. Eshoo said Wednesday as her House subcommittee began pushing through health care legislation. This is deadly serious.

But Trump doubled down while talking to reporters in the Oval Office. He predicted that the Texas decision would be upheld by the appeals court, then go to the Supreme Court.

If the Supreme Court rules that Obamacare is out, well have a plan that is far better than Obamacare, he said.

White House press aides did not immediately respond to a request for comment. And one official, who asked for anonymity to speak about the meetings, insisted that Mulvaney had simply been convening people with various views so that the president could make his own decision. But Mulvaney was described as leading the charge to back the suit, in an account of the two meetings that was described by a half-dozen people with knowledge of what took place.

Politico first reported that Mulvaney pushed Trump to get involved in the suit.

Barr did not favour the move but did not object to the White House decision once it had been made, people familiar with what took place said. And one White House official said the administration faced a deadline imposed by the court if it wanted to support the suit.

But the decision to thrust Trumps administration so directly into the lawsuit caught several people inside the White House by surprise, and took the focus off what was arguably the best weekend of the Trump presidency.

Trump did not seem to care about shifting the political focus toward an issue that Democrats far preferred to the aftermath of the Mueller report. He charged ahead at a Senate Republican luncheon, telling reporters as he went in, Let me just tell you exactly what my message is: The Republican Party will soon be known as the party of health care. You watch.

But Republicans in Congress have no obvious road forward on legislation to replace the Affordable Care Act that could pass the Democrat-controlled House. And House leaders have little political incentive to bow to Republican wishes on health care, an issue that they believe delivered their House majority and that they are eager to campaign on in 2020.

The Trump administration has tried to minimize and contain the Affordable Care Act over time. The president has been in favour of previous efforts to end the law. And Mulvaney has over time built up his internal political capital, and grown his team of loyalists.

Mulvaney is the first ideological purist who has served as Trumps chief of staff. His critics inside the West Wing say he has tilted the voices Trump hears in favour of those who will back his own views.

As Republicans pointed fingers, House Democrats began moving legislation on Wednesday to ensure safeguards for people with pre-existing conditions and to hold down the costs of health insurance and prescription drugs. Eshoo, the chairwoman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, said the bills were needed to counter what she described as a monstrous attack on the health law by the Trump administration.

Several Republicans on the panel distanced themselves from the administrations position.

Im not with the president on eliminating pre-existing conditions, said Rep. John Shimkus. Republicans, he said, believe in protecting people with pre-existing conditions.

The subcommittee approved a bill that would provide $100 million a year for insurance counsellors known as navigators who help consumers enrol in health insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act.

The Trump administration has slashed, practically eliminated, funding for the navigators, said Rep. Kathy Castor.

Several Republicans said insurance agents and brokers were enrolling more people at a lower cost than the navigators, so the additional money was not needed.

The panel also approved bills to outlaw two practices that have been used by brand-name drug companies to stifle competition and delay the sale of lower-cost generic medications.

One measure would prohibit makers of brand-name drugs from paying off generic companies to delay sale of the less expensive products. Banning such pay for delay arrangements could save consumers billions of dollars over a decade, economists say.

Another bill approved by the House panel would require brand-name drug companies to provide samples of their products to generic drugmakers.

Generic drug developers need samples of brand-name drugs to show that a generic copy is equivalent to the original. Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, has called on the industry to end the shenanigans that prevent consumers from getting access to low-cost generic drugs.

The House panel also approved on a party-line vote a bill to provide federal money to states to help pay the largest health insurance claims. Democrats said such reinsurance programs would lower premiums, as shown by the experience of Minnesota, Alaska, Maryland and several other states. Republicans said they worried that federal funds would go to health plans that covered abortion.

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WASHINGTONThe House Oversight Committee announced Thursday it is expanding its investigation into allegations of voter suppression efforts in Kansas and Texas during the midterm elections.

The committee, led by Rep. Elijah Cummings, already launched an investigation earlier this month into such allegations in Georgia where Democrats allege GOP officials enacted policies that disproportionately suppressed voting among people of colour.

House Democrats, including Cummings, have made voters rights a key priority this Congress. While those investigations have not received as much public attention on Capitol Hill compared to investigations of President Trump, Democrats have vowed to highlight local disputes they say smack of attempts to decrease Democratic voter turnout or representation.

On a related matter, Cummings has also pressed Trump officials about a new citizenship question on the 2020 Census. House Democrats worry the move is aimed at intimidating immigrants and will have a chilling effect on reporting, giving the census an inaccurate picture of population in Democratic-leaning areas and thus fewer Democrat seats in the House.

Cummings and the civil rights subcommittee chairman, Rep. Jamie Raskin, sent letters to officials in Texas and Dodge City, Kansas, requesting documents relating to actions that may have impaired the ability of people in those states to exercise their right to vote, according to a committee statement.

Texas came under scrutiny earlier this year after Secretary of State David Whitley was forced to walk back claims that there were 95,000 non-citizens on the voter rolls. Democrats accused Republicans of trying to purge voter lists or scare immigrants away from voting.

At the end of February, a federal judge ordered Whitley to stop his voter purge of non-citizens after it turned out only about 80 on his original list had actually been ineligible to vote.

Cummings and Raskin are also raising questions about a decision to move a polling site outside the city limits of Dodge City just before the 2018 election. The two lawmakers note the city is 60 per cent Latino. And since the new location was more than a mile from the closest bus stop, the decision to move the polling site last year may have impacted the ability of Dodge City residents to vote in the 2018 election, the two wrote.

Ford County, Kansas, in a lawsuit settlement, has since agreed to open new polling sites within the city, according to the Cummings and Raskin letter. But they still want information about the sudden change.

In both cases, the Democratic lawmakers gave the state officials a list of questions to answer by April 11. In the Texas probe, the officials requested any communications with Trump administration officials.

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Days after President Donald Trump declared the Islamic States caliphate had been eliminated in Syria, the prime minister of one of West Africas most turbulent nations urged the United States to shift attention to a rising extremist threat in the Sahel.

Malian Prime Minister Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga visited Washington this week to ask U.S. officials to bolster support for his countrys fight against terrorism, warning that a weakened Daesh in Iraq and Syria could jump-start the flow of extremists across the Sahel, Africas arid northwest, worsen the regions security and jeopardize American interests there.

The United States should have the same engagement in the Sahel as it does in the Middle East, he said in an interview. Malian security is the essential key to international security.

Extremist groups, including some affiliated with Daesh and Al Qaeda, have wreaked havoc across parts of West Africa and the Sahel. In 2012, al-Qaida-linked extremists infiltrated Mali, taking control of some of the countrys territory. A French intervention eventually beat them back, but parts of Mali remain a hotbed for extremists.

In December, the White House unveiled a broad Africa strategy that included prioritizing efforts to counter radical Islamic terrorism. But the Pentagon has also announced plans to slash by 10 per cent its presence in Africa, where about 7,200 U.S. troops and personnel are stationed.

Maiga said Mali is not demanding a massive presence of American soldiers but wants Washington to supply training and equipment to help its military counter violence that has claimed the lives of hundreds of civilians this year. After Maiga met with White House National Security Adviser John Bolton on Wednesday, Bolton tweeted that he had reiterated our commitment to partnering with Mali to defeat threats from terrorist groups in the Sahel.

The White House did not respond to requests for comment on the nature of the commitment.

Maigas visit came days after one of the deadliest attacks on civilians in Mali in recent years,asIslamist extremism, reactionary ethnic violence and heavy-handed security forces have led to a deteriorating security situation there.

On March 23, gunmen targeted members of the Fulani ethnic group in central Mali, killing at least 157 people  many of them children. The United Nations and the International Criminal Court are sending experts to investigate the massacre.

The attack may have stemmed from a conflict between Islamist extremists, who have successfully recruited some Fulani, and anti-extremism vigilante groups. Conflicts between Fulani, who are predominantly Muslim herders, and other ethnic groups have erupted across West Africa as competition over land and resources has grown.

In Mali, extremist recruitment of Fulani has amplified those tensions, human rights groups have documented, and self-defence groups have in some cases responded by targeting Fulanis over perceived allegiances to extremists.

The mounting violence between Malian communities has worsened the crisis in parts of Mali that were already prone to extremist attacks. Earlier this month, militants attacked the Malian military, killing at least 23 troops in the same region where Saturdays attack took place.

Insecurity has spread despite the presence of French troops and a U.N. peacekeeping mission in Mali.

A third of all attacks and 12 per cent of related deaths in the Sahel since November occurred in Mali, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, a non-governmental organization.

Militants have targeted civilians 145 times over that period  a 150 per cent increase compared with the same window the year before.

The government is ill-equipped to deal with the surging violence, analysts say. Mali is nearly two-thirds desert, with porous borders, and does not have enough soldiers to patrol a nation nearly twice the size of Texas.

The stage was set for Malis unrest in 2011 after Libya collapsed with the fall of Moammar Gaddafi, said Adotei Akwei, deputy director for advocacy and government relations at Amnesty International USA. Fighters fled to the south and west, and weapons poured into the Sahel.

The undoing of Daesh in Syria has raised fears the groups downfall in the Middle East could fuel a similar rush of chaos in North and West Africa.

That turns small groups that could do a little damage into really destructive forces, Akwei said. Daesh may have lost its territory, but you dont know where theyre going to reappear, and West Africa is clearly a porous place.

Maiga acknowledged the governments resources are spread thin, and that lack of infrastructure and equipment has made it difficult for the military to control the widespread violence.

The country has long relied on France for backup, and about 4,500 French troops are based throughout the Sahel. The U.N. peacekeeping mission has nearly 15,000 military and police personnel in Mali alone.

Now Mali wants extra support from Washington.

The flow of U.S. military hardware to Mali dropped off after the 2012 coup detat that set off a long period of instability. (Previously, the Pentagon provided more than $5 million (U.S.) in new vehicles, including 37 Land Cruiser pickup trucks and communications equipment to Malian troops.)

Marc Porter, an American special adviser to the Malian prime minister, said that the government soon plans to ask the United States for equipment, including C-130 and Black Hawk aircraft, to assist it in the fight against extremism. Cmdr. Candice Tresch, a Pentagon spokeswoman, said she could not discuss specific content of internal conversations, including predecisional intentions.

But experts warned against providing further equipment to the Malian military, which has faced accusations of widespread human rights abuses in its crackdown on extremist violence.

Judd Devermont, director of the Africa program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Mali wants to outsource security responsibilities to the U.S. and France while doing as little as possible to address underlying matters.

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TAKING A RISK: Students at a grammar school in Kent, England. Two teenage girls have been suspended, accused of putting crushed peanuts on the floor near a teacher with a severe allergy, the Daily Telegraph reports. The teacher was unharmed. The girls denied being part of the prank.

AVOIDING GERMS: Pope Franciss explanation f or why he pulled his hand away when throngs of people lined up this week to kiss his ring. The Vatican said Francis was concerned about spreading germs at the receiving line in Loreto, Italy. Of course, the incident was, on the web, highly contagious.

COMING CLEAN: Yale University, after a fashion. It has rescinded the admittance of a student who was part of the college admissions scandal. Yale said the student had fraudulent endorsements from a womens soccer coach, but did not name the student.

COVERING UP: An Indonesian theme park. Two mermaid statues in Jakarta have had their breasts covered with golden chest wraps. The mermaids have been there for 15 years and the sudden concern for modesty has confused many, BBC reports. The park denied it was forced into the move.

ACCIDENTAL: A womans entry into Justin Biebers hotel room. Police say the incident occurred at a resort in Laguna Beach, Calif., when the guest was drunk. The 36-year-old was asked to leave after mistakenly entering the room  down the hall from her own. Next time, perhaps a do not disturb sign?

DELIBERATE: An opera singers dress with hints of the EU flag. But after a London concert, British soprano Anna Patalong was asked to change for the next show by the concerts producer. She called the blue and yellow number (with a necklace of gold stars) a subtle nod to Europe.

SORRY: Emmanuel Macron, feeling badly about injuries to a 73-year-old protester. Genevieve Legay fractured her skull after riot police charged protesters nearby. Macron wished her a speedy recovery, but was accused of patronizing her by saying a fragile person does not put oneself in that kind of situation.

NOT SORRY: Spain. Madrid refused a demand from Mexicos president to apologize for its conquest, the Daily Telegraph reports. Said the Spanish government: The arrival of Spaniards in what are now Mexican lands 500 years ago cannot be judged in the light of contemporary thinking.

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NAIROBI, Kenya - The Latest on explosion in Somalias capital (all times local):

5:30 p.m.

Police say the death toll in a car bombing in Somalias capital has risen to 16, while the al-Shabab extremist group claims responsibility.

Police Col. Mohamed Hassan tells The Associated Press that at least 17 people were wounded in the blast outside a crowded restaurant in Mogadishu.

The al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab often targets the capital of the Horn of Africa nation.

___

2:55 p.m.

Police say at least 10 people have been killed and seven others wounded in a car bomb blast outside a restaurant in Somalias capital, Mogadishu.

Capt. Mohamed Hussein tells The Associated Press that most of the casualties were among people who were dining at the crowded restaurant.

The al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab extremist group often targets high-profile areas in Mogadishu with suicide bombings.

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2 p.m.

A Somali police officer says an explosives-laden vehicle has detonated outside a restaurant in Somalias capital, Mogadishu.

Capt. Mohamed Hussein says the blast occurred as the restaurant in Waberi district was crowded with diners.

There is no immediate word of casualties.

The al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab extremist group often targets high-profile areas in Mogadishu with suicide bombings.
ALGIERS, Algeria - The Latest on the alleged abduction of an Algerian media groups CEO (all times local):

4:20 p.m.

An Algerian media company says its chief executive has been released several hours after what it described as his kidnapping by security forces.

The Echourouk Group television station said CEO Ali Fodhil was released on orders of the prosecutor following the alleged abduction outside Fodhils house.

Earlier Thursday, the TV station tied the episode to Fodhils allegation this week that the brother of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika was linked to corruption.

Fodhil alleged this week on TV that Algeria was run by extraconstitutional forces and that the presidents younger brother, Said Bouteflika, was head of the gang.

___

3:30 p.m.

A media company in Algeria says its owner was kidnapped by security forces and tied it to his blaming the presidents brother for alleged corruption.

The television channel of the Echourouk Group reported that chief executive was abducted Thursday as he left home for work.

Fodhil alleged this week on TV that Algeria was run by extraconstitutional forces and that President Abdelaziz Bouteflikas younger brother, Said Bouteflika, was head of the gang.

Corruption has long been considered widespread in the North African country, but the presidents critics allege it has grown during Bouteflikas two decades in power.

Its among the chief complaints of protesters who have been demanding that Bouteflika step down.

Massive protests started last month and have thrown Algeria into an unprecedented political crisis.

The chief of a media company was released Thursday, several hours after being kidnapped by security forces, the Echourouk television station announced.

Ali Fodhil was released on orders of the prosecutor after being kidnapped this morning, the TV station said. It has tied the episode to Fodhils allegation this week that the brother of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika was linked to corruption.

It said Fodhil was abducted as he left home for work Thursday morning. He was released in mid-afternoon, the TV station said.

Fodhil alleged this week on TV that Algeria was run by extraconstitutional forces and that the presidents younger brother, Said Bouteflika, was head of the gang.

Corruption has long been considered widespread in the North African country, but the presidents critics allege it has grown during Bouteflikas two decades in power.

Its among the chief complaints of protesters who have been demanding that Bouteflika step down.

Massive protests started last month and have thrown Algeria into an unprecedented political crisis.
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina - A federal judge in Argentina has launched an investigation into former President Cristina Fernandez.

Judge Claudio Bonadio said Thursday that Fernandez committed embezzlement by taking advantage of the presidential plane fleet while she was president from 2007 to 2015 and while she was a lawmaker during the 2003-2007 presidency of her late husband Nestor Kirchner.

She was accused of using presidential airplanes to transport furniture, a bed, clothing, newspapers and even a hair stylist to her homes in the countrys south.

Fernandez has immunity from arrest, which she gained after being elected to the Senate.

Bonadio says that testimony by pilots shows that Fernandez and Kirchner regularly used the presidential fleet to get newspapers delivered from Buenos Aires to the cities of Rio Gallegos and El Calafate.

Fernandez denies wrongdoing.
SAO PAULO - Brazils justice ministry says more than 100 people have been arrested in an offensive against internet child pornography in Latin Americas biggest country.

The ministry said at least 106 suspects were taken into custody on Thursday and face charges of producing, storing and sharing child pornography, which are crimes that carry jail sentences of up to eight years.

The ministry said arrest, search and seizure warrants were issued in all 26 states and in the capital of Brasilia.

Most of the arrests were made in the states of Sao Paulo and Goias in central-western Brazil.
RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazilian mining giant Vale says a total of four of its dams could collapse at any moment.

On Wednesday night, the company raised the risk level at three of its mining dams to the highest grade, which means that a rupture is imminent or already happening.

It took similar measures on Saturday for one of its waste dams in the city of Barao de Cocais.

The company said in a statement that it sounded alarms in rural areas where the state cannot guarantee a timely rescue. But evacuation orders were already issued in those same places in February after another Vale-operated dam in the city of Brumadinho collapsed.

That tragedy unleashed a wave of toxic mud that contaminated rivers and almost certainly killed about 300 people.
QUITO, Ecuador - Ecuadors chief prosecutors office has decided not to investigate allegations that former President Rafael Correa accepted funds from Venezuela to destabilize the government of his successor.

In announcing its decision, authorities said Thursday that records show no indication of illegal activity.

Officials also note the prosecutor wouldnt have jurisdiction over an issue involving Venezuela.

Anti-corruption secretary Ivan Granda delivered a complaint against Correa on Wednesday and said he was surprised prosecutors were able to determine so quickly there was no reason to suspect irregularities.

Granda alleged that the government of Nicolas Maduro funneled $281,000 through a foundation run by Correa in August to destabilize the current government of President Lenin Moreno.

Correa has been in a protracted feud with Moreno, who he accuses of betraying his 21st century socialism platform.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand - When the gunman began to attack the Al Noor mosque, Ahmed Alayedy scrambled to get to the nearest emergency exit. He was the first one there.

I tried to open the door, he said. But it doesnt open.

Alayedy and other survivors of the March 15 mosque attacks in New Zealand have described to The Associated Press a scene of confusion and terror at the door on one side of the main prayer room, in the first accounts of the role the door played.

Alayedy said so many people began crushing him against the door that some of his ribs cracked. Another survivor, Khaled Alnobani, says he thinks as many as 17 people may have died trying to get out through the door.

Investigators have likely examined a new electric locking system installed on the door in the days before the attack. The mosque says an electrician disabled that system the day before the attack, although some of those who escaped question whether that was the case. What is clear is that nobody managed to open the door that afternoon.

With the gunman in the middle of the room, the door represented the only escape route for those on one side of him, at least until people started smashing windows to get out.

Fifty people were slaughtered by the gunman at two Christchurch mosques during the attack, including 42 who died at Al Noor. Alayedy and others say that if the door had been wide open like it typically was during Friday prayers, many more people might have escaped.

Shagaf Khan, the president of the Muslim Association of Canterbury which oversees the mosque, said the door was closed and latched much like the front door of a house. He said it wasnt locked, although worshippers may have believed it was in the confusion.

He said an electrician had tested the new electric locking system on Thursday, and then disengaged it for Friday prayers. He said that to open the door, somebody needed to turn a lever. It was just happenstance, and perhaps the cool weather that day, he said, which meant the door wasnt wide open as usual.

On any other Friday, the door would be open, he said. But on this Friday, nobody opened that door.

He said he agreed that more people would have escaped if the door had been open.

If it had been completely open, it would have been easy for people to get out, he said. But nobody was prepared for this. We were prepared for an emergency like a fire or an earthquake, and people would still have time to get out. This is something totally different. You dont put this in your emergency plan.

Alayedy said that in the confusion, he cant be sure if he simply failed to turn the lever properly or if something else stopped the door from opening.

Alnobani, said he, too, tried to open the door and it didnt work, and hes familiar with the lever. He said he believes the door was electronically locked. Simply pushing a button next to the door would have unlocked it, he said, but nobody knew about the new system.

Khan said the mosque was in compliance with regulations, which require emergency exits to be clear from objects, easily accessible, and unlocked.

Police said the scene examination is part of their investigation and they will not be commenting while the investigation is ongoing.

Robert Wright, the Christchurch City Council head of building consents, said in an email the mosque was in compliance with the Building Act at the time of the attacks and had a valid certificate known as a Building Warrant of Fitness.

Alayedy, 30, said that on the day of the attack, hed been listening to a holy speech by imam Gamal Fouda when he heard six or seven shots. He thought it was an electrical fault at first but then heard screaming and ran for the door.

All the brothers come in behind each other, on top of each other, he said.

Because he couldnt open the door, he said, he tried punching the hexagonal piece of glass in the lower part of the door. When that didnt work, he drove his knee through it, shattering the glass, and then kicked it out. He crawled through and ran for safety.

Alayedy, a chef from Jordan who moved to New Zealand nine years ago, said he thought about his family back at their house as he ran. His pregnant wife, his 3-year-old son, and the baby daughter they hope to have within the next couple of weeks.

Behind the mosque, Alayedy said, he began helping people to escape over a fence but couldnt get over it himself because of his injured ribs.

Another survivor provided a second escape route near the door by diving through a window with his arm wrapped around his eyes. Tarik Chenafa said he heard a tat-tat-tat-tat-tat and knew right away it was a semi-automatic weapon from his two years of compulsory military training in the Algerian army.

I know someone is coming to kill us, he said.

Alnobani said that when he first came to the mosque that Friday, hed noticed the side door was shut and considered opening it but then saw there were some older worshippers. It was a little cold and windy outside, he figured, so he left it alone.

Alnobani said he also managed to crawl through the doors smashed glass and run. He returned to help rescue a young boy whose father was shoving him through the opening, he said, and then helped the father as well.

I tried to save the child, and I thought maybe I lose my life, he said. But I am just alone, he said, adding He had more than me to lose.

When he tried to help a third person through the opening, Alnobani said, that man was shot. The gunman walked out of the mosque to get another gun from his car, Alnobani said, and began shooting at him when he returned. But he managed to escape, and then drove two injured people to the hospital.

The gunman acted quickly, mowing down people on both sides of the mosque. On the side opposite from the closed door, some worshippers were able to escape, but the gunman also killed many others as they tried to leave.

And he was actually standing behind them, and he was shooting and shooting and shooting and shooting, Fouda, the imam, told the AP after the attack. Tragedy. Tragedy.

Brenton Tarrant, a 28-year-old Australian, has been charged with murder in the attack. His next court appearance is scheduled for April 5.

Chenafa said hes still sad and confused, and finds it hard to sleep. And he doesnt know what to believe about the door.

There will be a lot of waiting to find out the truth, he said.
THE HAGUE, Netherlands - Authorities say a fourth victim has died from injuries sustained in the March 18 tram shooting in Utrecht, an incident being investigated as a possible extremist attack.

The 74-year-old man died Thursday. Two men and a woman died on the day of the attack, and one victim remains injured in hospital. No further details were available.

The main suspect in the shooting in the central Dutch city faces multiple manslaughter or murder charges and authorities continue to investigate terrorist intent in the attack, the prosecutors office said in a statement.

The suspect, a Utrecht resident of Turkish descent, was arrested hours after the shooting. He has said he acted alone. Prosecutors say the man has a long criminal record and did not know any of his victims.
COPENHAGEN - Norways justice minister has submitted his resignation after his partner was accused of setting his car on fire and other threatening acts.

Justice Minister Tor Mikkel Wara said during a news conference on Thursday: There is someone who needs me more than the government does...my family.

Earlier in the day, Norways domestic security agency said the ministers partner, Laila Bertheussen, was detained for questioning in eight crimes targeting Wara since December.

The agency, known as PST, said they include the car arson, sending an anonymous threatening letter to Wara, setting the garbage container outside Waras home on fire and scrawling graffiti on the house.

Bertheussen denies wrongdoing.

Wara joined Norways centre-right government last year. He said he is stepping down Friday.
COPENHAGEN - A Russian diplomat quietly left Sweden following the arrest of a computer specialist he allegedly handled as a spy and met for dinner in Stockholm three weeks ago to carry out an act of espionage, Swedish authorities said.

The delay in Moscow recalling the diplomat back to Russia after he was seen meeting with the Swedish computer specialist at the nightclub where the arrest took place puzzled government officials and analysts.

An intelligence report from a European service obtained by The Associated Press identified the diplomat as Yevgeny Umerenko and alleged he served as a line-x officer, or a specialist in technology espionage. The report said he previously served a similar spying role while stationed as a diplomat in Germany.

Swedish daily newspaper Dagens Nyheter first named Umerenko. Anna Lundbladh, a spokeswoman for Swedens Ministry for Foreign Affairs, confirmed Thursday that Umerenko had left the country but said we will not discuss this matter in further detail.

Following the computer specialists arrest on suspicion of espionage, Sweden summoned Russias ambassador as a result of a diplomats activities.

A former Swedish intelligence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment on the case, said it was unusual Russia waited so long to withdraw the diplomat given his public exposure. SAPO chief Klas Friberg, also expressed surprise in an interview with Swedish daily newspaper Dagens Nyheter.

The Russian Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The computer specialist was arrested on Feb. 26 by the countrys domestic security agency. The agency, known by its Swedish acronym SAPO, said a Russian intelligence officer recruited the Swede after working the case for a long time. Criminal activity had been going on at least since 2017, the agency said.

Magnus Ranstorp, an analyst at the Swedish National Defence College, described the arrest as a big case, noting that Sweden and neighbouring Finland are important spy posts for Russian intelligence.

The European intelligence report identified the computer specialist as Kristian Dmitrievski, a naturalized Swedish citizen who previously held a Russian passport. Dmitrievski is married to a Swede and lives in Gothenburg, Swedens second-largest city and home to several prominent research institutions.

Mr. Dmitrievski is a specialist in computer simulation and biophysics, the intelligence report said. A Swedish court document states he has a domestic violence conviction.

SAPO spokeswoman Sofia Hellqvist could not provide new information and referred to the prosecutor in charge of the investigation.

Dmitrievski previously worked at the Chalmers University of Technology, according to the report, and founded a company called Computer Simulation AB. Those details match the information on a LinkedIn page of a man named Kristian Dmitrievski.

Christian Borg, the press spokesman for the Chalmers University of Technology, told the AP Dmitrievski was employed as a researcher until 2011 but did not have access to sensitive information. The university has not been contacted by investigators, Borg said.

The charges came as a total surprise for us. We see no connection to his former work at Chalmers, he said.

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Butler reported from Washington.
VALLETTA, Malta - The Latest on a ship seized by migrants in the Mediterranean (all times local):

7:40 p.m.

Salah al-Hiblu, the owner of a tanker that was temporarily hijacked by migrants in the Mediterranean Sea, says his brother, the tankers captain, was asked to rescue the migrants by the Libyan coast guard.

Speaking Thursday from Tripoli, the Libyan capital, he said the tanker was coming in empty from Turkey and heading to Tripoli.

He received a call Wednesday from the Libyan coast guard asking him to contact his brother Nader to save migrants who were in trouble in the Mediterranean. He called his brother, who then rescued 108 migrants.

Al-Hiblu said the tanker kept heading to Tripoli when the migrants used force against his brother and told him either to go to Italy or Malta. He says the migrants told him we are not leaving or going back to Libya. We already left Libya to go to Europe.

Italy and Malta refused at first to let the tanker dock in their ports. But a special operations team from Malta boarded the tanker on Thursday, took it back under control, and escorted it to a Maltese port.

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6:45 p.m.

The German humanitarian group Sea-Eye is refuting that migrants pirated a tanker based on communications its rescue vessels in the Mediterranean monitored.

Sea-Eye said Thursday it heard a European naval aircraft ask the tanker to respond to two rubber boats, which reported that the people onboard were in mortal danger and that the Libyan Coast Guard was out of service.

The tankers captain rescued more than 100 people and reported to the aircraft that they are very upset and do not want to be brought back to Libya. However, the captain said that the capital Tripoli was the ships destination.

Italys interior minister has called the migrants pirates. Sea-Eye spokeswoman Carlotta Weibl said that they dont have exact information of what happened onboard the ship, but that we dont see it as piracy because those people were claiming their right. It was completely illegal for a European plan to send them back to Libya.

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3:40 p.m.

Italys hard-line interior minister has called migrants who temporarily took over a cargo ship pirates but aid groups reject that label, saying that the European Unions policy of sending migrants back to lawless Libya is to blame.

A Maltese special operations team boarded a tanker Thursday that had been hijacked by migrants rescued at sea and recaptured control of it before escorting it to a Maltese port. Five migrants have been arrested and an investigation into the incident has been opened.

The aid group Sea Watch said the migrants actions were in self-defence against the deadly consequences forced upon them by Europes inhumane border policy.

It and other aid groups say that migrants returned to Libya have been repeatedly mistreated, raped and tortured. They have urged EU nations to change their policies on sea rescues.

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12:15 p.m.

Italys interior minister has praised Maltese armed forces for intercepting a ship that had been hijacked by migrants to avoid being returned to Libya.

Matteo Salvini on Thursday said that immigration is managed by criminals and should be blocked by any legal means necessary.

Salvini had called the incident the first act of piracy on the high seas with migrants, adding they would not be allowed to land in Italy even as the tanker head north toward Malta and Italy.

Humanitarian groups cautioned against the characterization, saying the migrants were acting in self-defence to avoid being returned to lawless Libya.

Maltese armed forces returned control of the tanker to the captain who then sailed to Malta under military escort. Four migrants were taken off the tanker in handcuffs.

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10:05 a.m.

Four migrants have been handcuffed and escorted off an oil tanker that was hijacked at sea, after Maltese special forces restored control of the captain.

The El Hiblu 1 arrived in Malta Thursday morning under armed forces escort with more than 100 migrants on board. Images showed armed military on the deck as migrants milled about nearby. Several police vans were parked on shore waiting to take the migrants into custody. Four men who were led off in handcuffs were believed to be suspects in commandeering the vessel.

The rescued migrants were resisting being returned to Libya, where humanitarian groups say they face abuse and even torture. Italys interior minister called it an act of piracy. But the humanitarian group Sea Watch disputed that term, saying the actions were in self-defence against the deadly consequences forced upon them by Europes inhumane border policy.

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8:45 a.m.

A tanker that had been hijacked by migrants it had rescued at sea has arrived in a Maltese port after armed forces restored control to the captain.

Several military personnel with weapons could be seen on board the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1 when it arrived at port in the capital, Valletta, Thursday morning. Armed forces said that the migrants would be turned over to police for investigation.

A Maltese special operations team had earlier boarded the ship, returning control to the captain, who sailed to Malta under military escort.

Authorities in Italy and Malta said that the migrants had hijacked the ship on Wednesday after it rescued them in the Mediterranean Sea, and forced the crew to put the Libya-bound vessel on a course north toward Europe.

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7:35 a.m.

Malta armed forces say a special operations team has seized a tanker that was hijacked by migrants and it is now heading to a Maltese port with the migrants and crew.

Malta armed forces said Thursday that control of the vessel was returned to the captain and it was being escorted and monitored to Malta, where the migrants will be handed over to police for investigation.

Authorities in Malta and Italy said the migrants had hijacked the cargo ship after it rescued them in the Mediterranean Sea and forced the crew to put the Libya-bound vessel on a course north toward Europe. The tanker had rescued about 120 people before it was taken over in what Italys interior minister described as the first piracy on the high seas with migrants.
LONDON - Theresa May is the Brexit Means Brexit prime minister. For almost three years since Britain voted to leave the European Union, May repeated the mantra that she would deliver the departure.

But time and circumstance have made her change her words.

July 11, 2016, while candidate for Conservative Party leader: Brexit means Brexit and were going to make a success of it.

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July 13, 2016, in her first speech as prime minister: As we leave the European Union, we will forge a bold, new, positive role for ourselves in the world.

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January 17, 2017: After all the division and discord, the country is coming together.

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March 29, 2017, triggering the two-year countdown to departure under EU rules: This is an historic moment from which there can be no turning back.

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December 15, 2017: What people voted for last year was for us to leave the European Union and we will leave the EU on 29 March 2019.

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December 20, 2017: We are very clear  we will be leaving the EU on 29 March 2019 at 11 p.m.

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November 18, 2018: Im clear people voted for us to leave. We will leave and will leave on 29 March 2019.

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February 7, 2019: Im clear that I am going to deliver Brexit. I am going to deliver it on time.

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February 24, 2019: We still have it within our grasp to leave the European Union with a deal on 29 March.

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March 20, 2019: Two years on, MPs have been unable to agree on a way to implement the UKs withdrawal. As a result we will now not leave on time with a deal on the 29th March. This delay is a matter of great personal regret for me.

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March 27, 2019: I know there is a desire for a new approach - and new leadership - in the second phase of the Brexit negotiations  and I wont stand in the way of that.

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Follow APs full coverage of Brexit at: https://www.apnews.com/Brexit
LONDON - Theresa May is set to join the ranks of Conservative prime ministers whose time in office has been overwhelmed  and cut short  by the issue of Europe.

Ever since Edward Heath took the U.K. into what was then the European Economic Community in 1973, the Conservative Party has been anguished by how close the countrys ties should be with the continent.

All of Heaths Conservative successors in 10 Downing Street  Margaret Thatcher, John Major and David Cameron  have been swamped by Europe. On Wednesday, May told lawmakers from her own party that she will step down once she has secured Britains departure from the European Union. Though the actual Brexit date remains clouded in mystery, few expect May to last more than a few more months.

Throughout my adult lifetime, every Conservative prime minister has been brought down by Europe, Damian Green, a long-time close associate of May and a former member of her Cabinet, told BBC radio Thursday.

For a successful political party that represents a very significant part of this country .... that is extraordinary.

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EDWARD HEATH, Prime Minister 1970-1974

On taking office, Heath made membership of the EEC a key objective. He was fortunate to have in Georges Pompidou a French president more amenable to the prospect of Britain joining the bloc than his predecessor Charles de Gaulle, who twice in the 1960s vetoed British membership.

In October 1971, the House of Commons voted by a margin of 356 votes to 244 to join the EEC in 1973, with a sizeable chunk of Heaths own party voting against. Though Heath and the Conservatives were voted out of office a year later after an economic crisis, his passionate pro-European stance weighed against him when Thatcher challenged him for the partys leadership in 1975.

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MARGARET THATCHER, Prime Minister 1979-1990

Thatcher was a keen backer of the EEC at first  she even wore a sweater with the flags of the member countries during Britains first referendum on membership of the bloc in 1975. But her 11 years in Downing Street were marked by growing opposition to Europe.

Though her government backed the creation of the single European market in the mid-1980s, she became increasingly hostile to the move to further integrate European countries.

The appointment of French socialist Jacques Delors to head the executive European Commission added fuel to her fire. Thatcher and a growing part of the Conservative Party were aghast at Delors ambition for a single currency.

In a 1988 speech, Thatcher rejected the prospect of a European super-state exercising a new dominance from Brussels. Not everyone in her party was that hostile, and Thatchers growing antipathy to Europe prompted the 1990 resignation of her deputy.

In a cricket reference, Geoffrey Howe savaged Thatcher, arguing that she was sabotaging discussions with Europe: Its rather like sending your opening batsmen to the crease only for them to find the moment the first balls are bowled, their bats have been broken by the team captain.

Thatchers time was up.

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JOHN MAJOR, Prime Minister 1990-1997

Her successor, John Major, sought to mend fences with Europe, even while keeping Britain out of the single currency. His government would soon after descend into civil war over the Maastricht Treaty, which bolstered integration on an array of issues, including foreign policy, and led to the creation of what is now known as the European Union.

Many of the hard-line euroskeptic lawmakers who have bedeviled Mays leadership came to the fore during Majors premiership. John Redwood, one of the more passionate Brexit-backers in Parliament, challenged Major for the leadership of the Conservative Party in 1995. Though he lost overwhelmingly, it was clear that the party was riven by the issue of Europe, both in parliament and beyond.

Hugely divided, the Conservatives, after 18 years in office, suffered one of their worst defeats in history in 1997 in an election that saw Tony Blair lead a decidedly pro-European Labour Party into power. His ambition was to put Britain at the heart of Europe and he even indicated a willingness for the country to join the euro, which launched in 1999.

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DAVID CAMERON, Prime Minister 2010-2016

During the Blair years, the Conservatives became more and more hostile to the EU. But Cameron promised that his party would no longer carry on banging on about Europe.

Despite his intention, Cameron couldnt avoid the issue of Europe when becoming prime minister in 2010, leading a coalition with the far-more pro-European Liberal Democrats. With the U.K. Independence Party making headway with its demand for a fresh vote on Britains membership, and its assertion that Britain had ceded too much sovereignty to Brussels, Cameron felt compelled to promise a referendum to bind his party together.

That referendum took place on June 23, 2016 and the British people voted by a margin of 52 per cent to 48 per cent to leave the EU. Cameron resigned the day after and May won the ensuing succession battle on a promise to deliver Brexit.

Nearly three years on, thats proven more difficult than she could possibly have imagined. And in perhaps her final roll of the dice, she has promised to step down if Parliament backs her twice-rejected Brexit deal.

Whenever she leaves, her successor, whoever he or she is, will likely face the same problems.

Prediction: the same fate awaits her successor, whoever it is, Nick Boles, a Conservative lawmaker, tweeted soon after Mays announcement.

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Follow APs full coverage of Brexit at: https://www.apnews.com/Brexit
JERUSALEM - The Latest on the Israel-Palestinian conflict (all times local):

6:10 p.m.

The Israeli military says it has beefed up its troop presence along the border with the Gaza Strip and completed preparations for possible renewal of hostilities with Palestinian militants this weekend.

The army said Thursday that Israeli forces are continuing with advancing readiness ahead of a possible escalation following this weeks cross-border violence and planned mass protests along the Israel-Gaza border on Saturday.

The military issued a video showing soldiers massing near the border and performing urban combat drills.

Earlier in the week, Israel mustered reservist troops and deployed tanks and armoured personnel carriers near the Gaza Strip.

Egyptian mediators are trying to reach a negotiated truce between Israel and Hamas

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3:45 p.m.

Israels prime minister says he is prepared to take further military action in the Gaza Strip, but only as a last resort.

Benjamin Netanyahu made his comments Thursday as Egyptian mediators were trying to broker an expanded cease-fire between Israel and Gazas Hamas rulers following a new round of fighting.

Netanyahu visited troops sent to the Gaza border this week after a two-day outbreak of fighting.

If we need a broader operation, we will enter it strong and confident, and after we have exhausted all other options, he said.

Israel carried out retaliatory airstrikes against Hamas after a rocket fired from Gaza destroyed a house north of Tel Aviv and wounded seven Israelis. Palestinian militants responded with rocket barrages in some of the most intense fighting since a 2014 war.

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3:10 p.m.

Egyptian mediators are heading to Israel to discuss a potential cease-fire plan with Hamas to end hostilities in the Gaza Strip that began earlier this week.

Three Hamas officials familiar with the negotiations said Thursday that the Egyptians offered Hamas a series of measures to ease the Egyptian-Israeli blockade on Gaza. In exchange, Hamas would have to pledge to halt rocket fire and keep protests along the Israeli border under control.

The officials say the deal would only take effect after a planned mass demonstration along the Israeli border. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the negotiations were ongoing. One of the officials described the atmosphere as positive.

Another official said the Egyptians were discussing the proposal with Israel on Thursday afternoon.

There was no immediate Israeli comment.
CAIRO - The U.N. envoy to Libya says corruption and fighting over resources among rival factions are core issues impeding progress in resolving the countrys turmoil.

Ghassan Salame told the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera TV late Wednesday that building national institutions in charge of a fair distribution of wealth is the only solution for Libya.

He spoke ahead of the April 14-16 national conference that all Libyan factions are expected to attend.

Salame denounced prevalent corruption among Libyas political elite that ignores citizens who are poor and miserable in the oil-rich country.

He says its saddening to see them taking over the wealth, investing it overseas, and engaging in money laundering.

Libya slid into chaos after the 2011 uprising that toppled long-time ruler Moammar Gadhafi with rival administrations and militias fighting one another.
BEIRUT - The U.S.-led coalition says more than 1,250 civilians were killed in 34,038 airstrikes against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria during a more than four-year period.

The coalition in a statement Thursday released the civilian death toll from the period between when the aerial campaign began in August 2014 until February this year.

It comes just days after the U.S.-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces announced it defeated IS in the last area it held in Syria in the village of Baghouz near the Iraqi border.

The coalitions statement says: We continue to employ thorough and deliberate targeting and strike processes to minimize the impact of our operations on civilian populations and infrastructure.

It said the death toll was based on information available to the coalition.
PHOENIX - Arizona Rep. David Stringer resigned Wednesday amid an ethics investigation of 1983 sex charges and his comments on race and immigration.

The Prescott Republican lawmaker stepped down as he faced a 5 p.m. deadline to hand over documents demanded by the House Ethics Committee. Earlier in the day he made an emergency request for a judge to block the Legislature from expelling him, then withdrew it as a hearing was scheduled to begin.

Im grateful that the House will not be forced to take action against one of our members, and we can begin to put this matter behind us, Republican House Speaker Rusty Bowers said in a statement announcing Stringers resignation.

Stringer did not respond to a request for comment. His resignation letter said only: This is to confirm my resignation as State Representative for Legislative District 1, effective 4 p.m. this date, March 27, 2019.

Stringer is the subject of two ethics complaints following newspaper reports that he was charged with sex crimes more than three decades ago. The charges were later expunged.

His actions were unbecoming of a state legislator, and racism should have no place in the House of Representatives, Rep. Reginald Bolding, a Democrat who filed one of the two complaints, said in a statement. The evidence that he was trying to withhold from the Ethics Committee must be damning since he chose to quit rather than comply with a subpoena.

The State Bar of Arizona earlier this month ended an investigation into whether Stringer disclosed the expunged conviction when he applied for an Arizona law license in 2004, which he was required to do. A bar investigator said Stringers application materials no longer existed, and that the District of Columbia did not discipline Stringer following the 1983 charges.

Stringers lawyer has said the charges never resulted in a conviction.

Stringer was also being investigated over comments that were widely denounced as racist. Last summer, video circulated on social media of him saying there arent enough white kids to go around when discussing integration in schools. Despite a backlash, he was re-elected in November.

A few weeks after the election, the New Times reported that Stringer told Arizona State University students that African Americans dont blend in. He also said Somali immigrants dont look like every other kid as previous European immigrants do.

He apologized for his language in a speech on the House floor in January.

Ethics Committee Chairman TJ Shope, a Republican, has not said what was subpoenaed, but Stringer faced a potential expulsion vote for his refusal to turn over documents.

Stringers lawyer, Carmen Chenal, said in the withdrawn court filings that the panel sought records of a 1984 disciplinary proceeding for the District of Columbia bar and records of his applications for a teaching credential and a masters degree, among other things.

Chenal wrote the DC bar did not discipline Stringer and considers the record confidential. She has said the document includes material that could damage Stringer if taken out of context.

His resignation temporarily ends the Republican governing majority in the House and will likely delay some of the GOPs top priorities just as the legislative session heats up. Without Stringer, the House is divided 30-29 between Republicans and Democrats. Legislation requires 31 votes to pass.

By law, the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors must replace him with a Republican chosen by the countys GOP precinct leaders.

Stringer is the second Arizona lawmaker to lose his seat over ethics questions in just over a year. Lawmakers voted last February to expel Republican Rep. Don Shooter for a lengthy pattern of sexual misconduct.
CHICAGO - Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx on Wednesday defended the decision by her staff to drop charges that Empire actor Jussie Smollett staged a racist, anti-gay attack in January.

Foxx recused herself before Smollett was charged last month because she had discussed the case with a Smollett family member. The case was handed to First Assistant States Attorney Joseph Magats.

Foxx didnt directly answer the question when CBS 2 TV in Chicago asked if she believed Smollett was innocent, as Smollett has continued to contend, saying only that the matter was handled properly. She pointed to Smollett forfeiting his $10,000 bond and doing community service in return for dropping the charges. Magats has said that he does not believe Smollett is innocent and Chicago police say he faked the attack.

I believe that the outcome  him having to forfeit the $10,000, having to do community service, based on the allegations, and again the (low level) felony and no (criminal) background, are an outcome that we could expect with this type of case, she said.

She also insisted no one tried to intervene on Smolletts behalf, despite emails showing that Foxx was contacted by people linked to Smollett about the case.

There was no attempt, whatsoever, to influence the outcome of this case, she said. None whatsoever.

Email and text messages provided to the Chicago Sun-Times by Foxxs office show former first lady Michelle Obamas chief of staff Tina Tchen contacted Foxx a few days after the report of the attack to set up a telephone conversation with a Smollett relative. Foxx told the Sun-Times the relative expressed concerns over leaked information that media outlets attributed to police sources. Foxx then called Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson to ask him to let the FBI investigate the alleged attack. The contacts were cited by Foxx in recusing herself from the case on Feb. 13, well before Smollett was charged.

An attorney for Smollett late Wednesday blasted Chicago officials , saying they have continued their campaign against Jussie Smollett after the charges against him have been dropped.

Patricia Brown Holmes said the case is closed.

We should all allow Mr. Smollett to move on with his life as a free citizen, she said in a statement.

Again Wednesday, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel criticized prosecutors, saying that dropping charges made no sense.

Something is rotten in Denmark, he told reporters Wednesday during an unrelated event. It doesnt add up. Hours after the charges were dismissed Tuesday, Emanuel called the outcome a whitewash.

Also Wednesday, a spokeswoman for Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said the Democrat is considering a lawmakers request to review the prosecutors decision to dismiss charges against Smollett.

Raoul spokeswoman Annie Thompson had no further comment Wednesday.

Republican state Rep. David McSweeney filed a resolution requesting a comprehensive examination of the circumstances around the Smollett case.

The House would have to approve McSweeneys resolution. Democrats outnumber Republicans 74-44. And the attorney general is not bound by such a legislative request.

Defence attorneys have said Smolletts record was wiped clean of the 16 felony counts hed faced. The actor told reporters Tuesday that he had been truthful and consistent on every single level since day one.

Authorities alleged that Smollett, who is black and gay, knew the men and arranged for them to pretend to attack him as a publicity stunt.

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Check out the APscomplete coverage of the Jussie Smollett case.

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Indianapolis International Airport is landing a farmers market that will give air travellers a taste of locally grown Indiana foods.

Airport officials say the Farmers Market, featuring Indiana Grown, will showcase foods, beverages and brands found only in Indiana.

Construction of the 3,300-square-foot market is expected to begin this year in the airports Concourse B. It will include a sit-down dining area where visitors can sample everything from a fresh, locally grown salad to local craft beers and wines.

Visitors will also be able to order from a full-service menu created by celebrity chef Greg Hardesty.

The Farmers Market will be managed by SSP America.
LOS ANGELES - Mayor Eric Garcetti said Wednesday that Los Angeles is considering a major crackdown on illegal marijuana shops that have been bedeviling the citys legal marketplace.

The move that could pump tens of millions of dollars into police enforcement comes as legal shops struggle to turn a profit while hundreds of illicit storefronts enjoy brisk sales, thanks to their typically cheaper, tax-free prices.

The legal shops cant get undercut every single day by everybody else thats out there, the mayor told reporters at City Hall.

The Democratic mayor in his second term didnt put a precise figure on the spending for the citys upcoming budget, but he estimated it would be a ten-fold increase from the current year.

It really comes down to how much overtime, how any officers we can have closing illegal shops, he said.

The proliferation of illicit shops has outraged legal businesses that warn that the illicit shops pose safety and health concerns. Pot sold in state-licensed shops is tested by independent labs.

Legal and illegal shops can sometimes operate in the same neighbourhoods, with storefronts that look similar. In the unlicensed storefronts, prices can be 50 per cent below the legal marketplace.

Industry officials welcomed the plan. By some estimates, up to 80 per cent of the sales in the state still are under the table, snatching profits from legal storefronts.

With so much business going into the illicit market, many legal shops have been laying off employees and cutting staff, trying to figure out how they can stay open and keep the lights on, said Ruben Honig, executive director of the United Cannabis Business Association, an industry group of licensed operators.

Garcetti said more enforcement money is also needed to break a familiar pattern: Illegal shops that are shut down quickly reopen somewhere else.

We have to reward the good actors, the mayor said.

California kicked off broad legal pot sales in January 2018, but the states effort to transform its longstanding illegal and medicinal marijuana markets into a unified, multibillion-dollar industry remains a work in progress.

The rollout of licenses has been slow. Many communities have banned marijuana sales or not created rules for the legal market to operate. A promised state tax windfall has yet to arrive, while businesses complain about hefty state and local tax rates that together can approach 50 per cent in some communities.

LA is the largest U.S. city with a legal pot marketplace.
NEW YORK - Rachel Maddow isnt backing away from her coverage of President Donald Trump and any connection to Russias involvement in trying to influence the 2016 presidential campaign. The question is how much her fans want to listen.

Maddows audience has dipped on her two days back on the air since Attorney General William Barr reported that special counsel Robert Mueller had found no collusion between Trump and Russias efforts. Her audience of 2.5 million on Monday was 19 per cent below her average this year, and it went down further to 2.3 million on Tuesday, the Nielsen company said.

Meanwhile, her head-to-head competitor on Fox News Channel, Sean Hannity, saw his audience soar on Monday to 4 million viewers, a 32 per cent increase from his average. It slipped to 3.57 million on Tuesday. One of Trumps most prominent media fans, Hannity was to interview the president on Wednesdays show.

Hannity and Maddow have run neck-and-neck atop the cable news ratings this year, with Maddow having the slight edge.

Foxs Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham also saw their audiences top their averages both days, while other prime-time hosts on MSNBC and CNN saw their audiences plunge.

The phenomenon isnt unusual; political camps are more interested in watching news when it reflects well on their favourites, and vice versa. Maddows ratings dropped sharply in the immediate aftermath of the 2016 election, as many fans of Hillary Clinton couldnt bring themselves to watch the news after Trumps victory, but eventually rebounded. Similarly, Hannity saw some ratings weakness late last year as bad news piled up for Trump.

Maddow has been the most visible television personality taking on Trump during Muellers probe, her reports methodical and detailed. As a result, shes a target of Trump supporters seeking vindication. The New York Post compiled a mock Mueller Madness bracket of Trump critics with Maddow the top-seeded cable news figure, and the chart was retweeted Wednesday by White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders.

Maddow devoted virtually all of Mondays show to what shes calling the Barr Report, listing a series of questions she wanted to pose. About half of Tuesdays show was on the investigation.

She hasnt engaged her critics, but fellow MSNBC personality Joe Scarborough took them on in an angry monologue on Wednesday.

He wondered aloud what journalists were supposed to do for the past two years as stories piled up about Trump and associates misleading Americans about contacts to Russians. He said he wasnt just unhappy about political critics, but also some in the media who are hand-wringing about the amount of coverage.

He criticized unnamed people who had sold their soul to a personality cult.

And he promised that MSNBC wouldnt abandon the story.

Were not going to divert our eyes, he said. Damn the torpedoes. Full steam ahead. Follow the story where it leads us.
NEW YORK - An already bizarre case accusing a secretive self-help group in upstate New York of engaging in sex-trafficking took another strange turn Wednesday thanks to firebrand attorney Michael Avenatti and a courtroom scene caused by a wealthy defendant hes tried to represent.

At a hearing in federal court in Brooklyn, prosecutors confirmed that Avenatti appeared on behalf of liquor fortune heiress Clare Bronfman at a closed-door meeting last week that also included Mark Geragos, another high-profile lawyer representing Bronfman.

When U.S. District Judge Nicholas Garaufis asked Geragos whether he and Avenatti had told prosecutors Avenatti was being brought into the case, he responded, Thats exactly what happened.

The revelation came only two days after Avenatti, the lawyer best known for representing porn actress Stormy Daniels, was arrested on charges accusing him of trying to extort millions of dollars from Nike. He wasnt in court Wednesday and didnt immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

Geragos has been linked to the Nike case by reports naming him as the unidentified co-conspirator mentioned in court papers. Asked outside court Wednesday if he was co-operating in the case, he said no, but declined comment on whether he was the alleged co-conspirator.

Bronfman, a daughter of the late billionaire philanthropist and former Seagram chairman Edgar Bronfman Sr., has pleaded not guilty to charges accusing her of bank-rolling a cult-like organization that brainwashed and branded women who served as sex slaves for its spiritual leader.

Under stern questioning by the judge Wednesday about which lawyers are actually representing her and whether she knew if Geragos was involved in the Nike case, Bronfman turned pale, staggered away from the bench and collapsed into a chair. An ambulance was called, but she later left the courthouse on the arm of Geragos.

The judge adjourned the hearing but told lawyers Bronfman would need to come back to court Thursday to give some answers.

Youre going to tell me who the lawyers are, he said. Youre going to tell me when they were retained.
BRANDENBURG, Ky. - Steel producer Nucor Corp. announced Wednesday it will build a $1.35 billion manufacturing mill in a rural Kentucky county, creating several hundred jobs while expanding its presence in the bluegrass state.

Gov. Matt Bevin said the steel plate mill to be built at Brandenburg in Meade County ranks as one of the states largest-ever single investments. After the announcement, the Republican governor who is seeking re-election this year received a congratulatory call from President Donald Trump.

These are the jobs upon which the greatness of America was made, Bevin told reporters.

Nucor CEO and President John Ferriola said the project will create about 400 jobs at an average annual salary of about $72,000 at the rural site some 45 miles (70 kilometres) southwest of Louisville.

With the Brandenburg project, Ferriola said, the North Carolina-based company is currently investing more than $2 billion in its Kentucky operations.

Ferriola later praised Trumps trade and tax policies that he told reporters helped make the Brandenburg project possible.

Its a very big impact, he said when asked about the presidents trade policies after the announcement. We have dealt and competed on an unlevel playing field for decades, as a steel industry.

Large U.S. steelmakers have benefited since the Trump administration began imposing tariffs on imported steel last year, largely because they were able to raise domestic steel prices.

Other countries said the taxes break global trade rules and some impose tariffs of their own.

The presidents willingness to pick trade fights with multiple trading partners at once set off rounds of retaliatory tariffs that have hurt some other sectors of Kentuckys economy, including its renowned bourbon industry. Counter-tariffs on American products make those goods costlier in those foreign markets.

Overall exports of bourbon, Tennessee whiskey and rye whiskey fell 11 per cent during the second half of 2018 compared to the prior-year period, as the impact of tariffs began to be felt, the Distilled Spirits Council said recently. The drop-off was even larger in the European Union, the industrys biggest export market. Large and small American distillers alike are sharing the pain.

Retaliatory tariffs in this leading agricultural state also drove down the price of pork, corn and soybeans in farm country.

Nucors announcement came shortly after Kentucky officials gave preliminarily approval to about $40 million in state incentives for the Brandenburg project. The Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority voted in favour of the incentives in a special meeting.

In the small town of Brandenburg, state and local officials cheered Nucors announcement.

This massive project will transform the regions economy and provide high-quality jobs to Kentuckians for generations to come, Bevin said.

The 1.5 million-square-foot facility (139,000-square-meter) facility will be built in an industrial park along the Ohio River, Bevins office said in a news release.

The steel plant will be capable of producing up to 1.2 million tons per year to help meet regional national demands, Nucor said.

The new plate mill will grow our companys already significant presence in Kentucky, Ferriola said.

The company said it expects construction will begin by years end, with the mill opening by 2022.

Six months ago, the company announced a $650 million, 70-job expansion at its steel plant in Ghent in northern Kentucky. An earlier expansion announced in May 2017 is expected to open in the first half of this year, representing a $176 million investment and the addition of 75 jobs, also at the Ghent plant.
WASHINGTON - Buoyed by word that the special counsel didnt find collusion with Russia, President Donald Trump is voicing new interest in policymaking, including a fresh effort to repeal and replace Obamacare. But Trump has few detailed policy proposals to back up his words, suggesting hes as focused on highlighting issues that appeal to his political base as actually enacting legislation.

Trump stressed his desire to revive his failed effort to kill the Affordable Care Act on Wednesday, a pivot to health care that both broadens and complicates the administrations agenda. Many in the GOP remain skeptical that Trump can notch many policy wins in the divided Congress.

Speaking of a new health care proposal  still unproposed  Trump promised on Wednesday that were coming up with plans and his GOP was the party of great health care.

His administration this week surprised many when it asked a federal appeals court to strike down President Barack Obamas entire 2010 health care law, breaking with what had been a more modest effort to undo only parts of the act. The change in course by the Justice Department, backed by the White House, was encouraged by acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, a longtime Obamacare critic, said two people familiar with the deliberations who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations.

The idea was quickly embraced by Trump, the officials said. Trump, who met with aides to discuss the decision Monday, saw it as a way to deliver on his campaign promise to repeal and replace the law, as well as put pressure on congressional Republicans to act.

While aides expressed concern about a policy path forward  and many Republicans on Capitol Hill were reluctant to revisit such a thorny topic after repeals spectacular failure in Congress in 2017  Trump happily discussed his plans to make the GOP the party of health care.

Left unsaid was that Republicans couldnt tackle health care when they had unified control of Washington, and the prospects in divided government are even bleaker. Instead, aides said, Trumps rhetoric largely amounted to a recognition of the political significance of the issue to his re-election prospects. His failure to repeal the Affordable Care Act constitutes a broken promise to his base.

Aside from this return to health care, the White House is pursuing a limited legislative agenda, with reining in prescription drug prices and passage of a new trade agreement with Canada and Mexico as its priorities.

Some allies are optimistic about the idea of a shift to policy. South Carolina Sen. Lindsay Graham encouraged Trump over the weekend to get back to governing to capitalize on good will generated by the end of special counsel Robert Muellers probe. But health care has not been atop the GOP priority list in the House or Senate.

In fact, many Republicans were downright alarmed, preferring to put the focus on Democrats interest in Medicare for All, an idea the GOP has sought to brand as socialism. House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy phoned Trump to express his frustration with the administrations course reversal, warning that it made little political sense after the GOPs losses in the 2018 midterm elections, according to people familiar with the call. They spoke only on condition of anonymity to discuss private discussions.

Trumps White House had already been supportive in the lawsuit brought by Republican state attorneys general to challenge the laws requirement that insurance plans cover pre-existing conditions and certain essential health benefits, such as pregnancy. But the administration faced a deadline to stake out the extent of its request to undo the law after a Texas federal judge ruled that the entire Affordable Care Act had been invalidated.

The administration decision appeared rushed to some. Such a major change typically would involve considerable planning and discussion at the Department of Health and Human Services but that didnt happen, said a person familiar with the decision-making process. The person was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The suit appears destined for the Supreme Court, which could find itself issuing another election-year opinion on the issue. The court has upheld much of the law previously, and should it be undone in its entirety, about 20 million Americans who have insurance under the law could be left in the lurch, a political and policy reality the White House has yet to prepare for, aides acknowledged.

Trump on Wednesday described the lawsuit as phase one.

If the Supreme Court rules that Obamacare is out, we will have a plan that is far better than Obamacare, he promised.

On another health care issue, the administrations efforts to push the poor toward self-sufficiency were dealt a blow Wednesday when a federal judge ruled that Medicaid work requirements undermined the programs mission of providing health care for the needy.

APs VoteCast survey of more than 115,000 voters in the 2018 midterm elections found that health care was identified as the most important issue by 26 per cent of voters, including nearly 4 in 10 of those who voted for a Democratic House candidate. Overall the issue was a potent one for Democrats, for whom those concerned most by health care voted by a 3 to 1 margin.

A GOP senators lunch on Wednesday brought little, if any, discussion of a new health care push, according to those familiar with the private session.

Sen. Collins of Maine, who has pressed her colleagues to stabilize Obamas health care law, said she was vehemently opposed to invalidating the entire law, urging the administration to work with Congress to make changes.

Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana said Obamacare should be struck down with vengeance and furious anger. But he added I dont think we should kill it until we have a replacement.

On other policy issues, Republicans have been exploring ways to reach across the aisle to make progress on reducing the cost of prescription drugs. White House staffers have been holding meetings with House Speaker Nancy Pelosis staff, but aides cautioned the talks were still in their infancy.

Trump has also been reaching out lawmakers directly to talk policy. He spoke to Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., about a number of policy issues Tuesday night, said a person familiar with the conversation who was not authorized to speak publicly.

Another issue Trump has talked about is infrastructure, raising it recently during a luncheon with Pelosi. But the White House has not planned to put out a proposal of its own, waiting to see what can develop on Capitol Hill. Discussions between the chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., and the White House continue.

Why are the issues now attracting Trumps attention?

What is the number one issue still out there? Its jobs. The number two issue? Health care, said White House ally Rep. Mark Meadows. And if we ignore both of those areas, and hope that the 2020 elections will be better somehow, without addressing real problems? Then were making a mistake.

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Associated Press writers Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar and Alan Fram contributed to this report.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - An Arkansas man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for the murder of an Italian tourist during an attempted robbery almost two years ago.

Andre Jackson pleaded guilty to first-degree murder Wednesday in Pulaski County Circuit Court in the slaying of Carlo Marigliano, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported. Jackson, 34, was originally charged with capital murder.

Marigliano, 31, was found shot to death in a crashed jeep outside a Little Rock apartment complex in July 2017. Jacksons hand print was found on the drivers door, according to court records.

Savannah Johnson, 18, told police she was with Jackson, Fanicqua Blalock and Charina Fort when Marigliano approached her seeking marijuana and sex. The group first went to a nearby motel in search of drugs before they headed to the apartments, Johnson said.

Jackson then pulled out a gun and demanded money from Marigliano, Johnson said. Jackson shot Marigliano when he tried to drive away, she said.

Jackson was arrested a week after the shooting, according to court records. He was mistakenly released from prison in 2018 after completing a sentence for a separate crime.

Blalock has been charged with capital murder, according to court records. Shes accused of arranging for Marigliano to be robbed.

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Information from: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, http://www.arkansasonline.com
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he will travel to El Salvador in April to discuss the poverty and violence thats causing waves of migrants to seek asylum in the United States.

It will be Newsoms first international trip as governor and his latest effort to position California  not the White House  as the leader on the nations toughest issues.

The announcement Thursday came days after U.S. and Central American leaders signed a new border security compact. Still, President Donald Trump said Thursday that foreign leaders were doing nothing to stop the flow of migrants.

In announcing his trip, Newsom said that while the Trump administration demonizes those who are fleeing violence from Central America, California is committed to lifting up our immigrant communities and understanding the root causes of migration.

Newsom, a Democrat, has sparred with Trump on immigration more than any other issue. In his first two months as governor, he withdrew most California National Guard troops from the border and filed a lawsuit over Trumps declaration of a national emergency to fund a border wall.

Newsom has pledged $25 million to aid asylum seekers and wants to expand access to health care for young people living in California illegally. One of the first bills he signed as governor provided $5 million to help open a migrant support centre.

This is our answer to the White House: No more division, no more xenophobia and no more nativism, Newsom declared last month in his State of the State address.

He met Thursday with Central American community leaders in Los Angeles to discuss the challenges facing families in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, said she appreciated Newsoms efforts to start dialogue with immigrant groups.

I think now that as he embarks on this trip to El Salvador, he will have a deeper understanding of our perspective, she said after the meeting.

California is home to the nations busiest border crossing at San Ysidro in San Diego and has more than 680,000 El Salvadoran immigrants, according to Newsom.

The governor will travel there from April 7 to 10.

Cesar Rios, executive director of the Salvadoran Migrant Institute, welcomed Newsoms visit to Central America. He said its important that officials pay closer attention to the causes of migration instead of looking for someone to blame for provoking the migration.

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen travelled to Honduras this week to meet with leaders from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador and offered U.S. support for combating drug and gang violence. The gang MS-13 is active in El Salvador.

The administration also approved $5.8 billion in aid for Central America in December.

Trump on Thursday blunted that message with a darker assessment of the U.S.-Central American partnership.

Mexico is doing NOTHING to help stop the flow of illegal immigrants to our Country, he tweeted. They are all talk and no action. Likewise, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador have taken our money for years, and do Nothing.

California governors have engaged in international diplomacy before. Former Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown travelled to China and Russia and served as a special envoy to the United Nations on climate change. Newsoms trip to El Salvador will expand his national profile and likely fuel speculation about his ambitions for higher political office.

Brown broke with the Trump administrations immigration policies, particularly by signing a bill limiting local law enforcement from co-operating with federal immigration agents.

Newsom has been more aggressive. He reversed Browns decision to deploy several hundred California National Guard troops to the border, removing most of them in February to focus on other issues such as preparing for the upcoming wildfire season.

He kept roughly 100 on the border to aid in combating international drug crime and said hed be willing to work with the Trump administration on that front.
HOUSTON - The chief executive of a Houston-area petrochemical storage company has apologized more than a week after a fire erupted, causing school closures , an order for residents to stay indoors and the partial closure of a critical commercial waterway.

Intercontinental Terminals Company CEO Bernt Netland said in a brief video posted Wednesday to YouTube that hes very sorry for the fires effect on the area southeast of Houston.

Also Wednesday, Harris County Commissioner Adrian Garcia called Netland and other senior ITC executives cowardly for not being more visible and transparent in the aftermath of the dayslong fire that began March 17. Garcias district includes the tank farm in Deer Park.

All of the Houston Ship Channel was reopened to daytime traffic Wednesday after flammable chemicals seeped into the busy channel.
WASHINGTON - The Trump administration has approved six applications for U.S. companies to sell nuclear power technology and assistance to Saudi Arabia, Energy Secretary Rick Perry testified on Thursday.

Perry told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the Energy Department has approved 37 nuclear applications since January 2017, including nine in the Middle East. Besides the six to Saudi Arabia, two were approved for Jordan. Perry did not mention the ninth country in his testimony.

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., asked Perry whether the applications were approved after Oct. 2, when Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist, lived in Virginia.

Perry said he did not know the specific date.

We sign a lot of papers, he said. Ive got a pretty good memory, but to remember every date that I sign a piece of paper might be above my ability to recall.

Lawmakers from both parties have expressed concerns that Saudi Arabia could develop nuclear weapons if the U.S. technology is transferred without proper safeguards.

Congress is increasingly uneasy with the close relationship between the Trump administration and Saudi Arabia. President Donald Trump has made the kingdom a centerpiece of his foreign policy in the Middle East as he tries to further isolate Iran, a regional rival to the Saudi regime. In the process, Trump has brushed off criticism over the killing of Khashoggi and the Saudis role in the war in Yemen.

The nuclear approvals, known as Part 810 authorizations, allow companies to do preliminary work on nuclear power ahead of any deal to build a nuclear plant. They do not allow equipment to be shipped. The authorizations were first reported by the Daily Beast before Perry confirmed them in public testimony.

Perry disputed media accounts describing the authorizations as secret, saying, These U.S. companies that are going to be doing this work want to keep that proprietary information from being out in the public domain.

But Democrats said nuclear authorizations are normally made public. They accused the Trump administration of trying to conceal its negotiations with Saudi Arabia.

It appears to me that this is an end run around the law in an effort to achieve a policy, Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif., told Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at a House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday.

Pompeo said U.S. officials were working to ensure that the nuclear power that (the Saudis) get is something we understand and doesnt present that risk of allowing them to make nuclear weapons.

Sherman called the U.S. response to Khashoggis murder inadequate and said officials must do everything in their power to prevent Saudi Arabia from getting a nuclear weapon.

If you cannot trust a regime with a bone saw, you should not trust them with nuclear weapons, Sherman said, referring to reports from the Turkish government that Saudi agents used a bone saw to dismember Khashoggi after he was killed last year.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., a member of the Armed Services Committee, told Perry it was a bad idea to even consider passing on nuclear technology to the Saudi government, given the possible role of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Khashoggis murder.

The last thing we should be doing is giving the Saudi government the tools to produce nuclear weapons, said Warren, a Democratic candidate for president.

The announcement of the nuclear approvals came as Republican and Democratic senators requested that the Government Accountability Office review the Trump administrations negotiations with Saudi Arabia.

Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Bob Menendez, D-N.J., asked the GAO to investigate reports that some negotiations have been conducted without oversight required under the federal Atomic Energy Act. The senators, who both serve on the Foreign Relations Committee, said it was unusual that the Energy Department apparently was leading the negotiations, rather than the State Department.

The senators said they were troubled by the administrations lack of consultations with Congress and concerned that specific proposals presented by Energy officials may not have been fully vetted with other agencies.

The Trump administration had previously opened talks with Riyadh on whats known as a 123 agreement. The name comes from the section of the law that establishes the parameters for major nuclear co-operation between the United States and other countries. Without one, U.S. nuclear energy companies such as Westinghouse would lose out on business opportunities with the Saudis.

The Democratic-led House Oversight Committee, meanwhile, has opened an investigation into claims by several whistleblowers who said they witnessed abnormal acts in the White House regarding a proposal to build nuclear reactors in Saudi Arabia.

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Associated Press writers Richard Lardner and Ellen Knickmeyer contributed to this report.
BALTIMORE - A former National Security Agency contractor accused in a theft of classified documents from the agencys headquarters pleaded guilty Thursday to wilful retention of national defence information.

In a federal courthouse in Baltimore, Harold T. Martin III pleaded guilty to one felony count, which authorities said involved a top secret NSA leadership briefing from March 2014 that he had multiple copies of. Another 19 counts he faced are expected to be dismissed at sentencing in July. As part of a plea agreement, Martins defence team accepted nine years in prison with three years of supervised release.

The 54-year-old private contractor and former U.S. Navy lieutenant who held various security clearances was arrested at his Maryland home by heavily armed FBI agents in August 2016. Hes been in federal custody ever since. Martin initially pleaded not guilty to 20 counts of wilfully retaining classified information and was due to go to trial in June, but prosecutors announced this week that he would be arraigned again, signalling a change in plea.

After his change of plea on the one count, Martins federal defenders said he had no intention to harm his country or the intelligence agencies he served. During the Thursday hearing, Martin told a federal judge that he was diagnosed with ADHD and took medication for that disorder.

Todays plea is an affirmation of what Mr. Martin and his defence team have maintained from the beginning of this case. His actions were the product of mental illness. Not treason, his federal defenders statement said.

One of his lawyers has previously described Martin of Glen Burnie, Maryland, as a compulsive hoarder who took work documents home with him. An indictment accused Martin of stealing top secret and classified documents between 1996 and 2016. Authorities said they found a trove of documents stowed in his car and his Maryland home.

The NSA has suffered a series of significant breaches in recent years. Most notably, Edward Snowden disclosed a cache of classified material in 2013, exposing U.S. government surveillance programs. Martin, like Snowden, had worked as a contractor for Booz Allen Hamilton.

Steven Aftergood, a government secrecy specialist with the Federation of American Scientists, said the breaches at the NSA are a reminder that keeping secrets is a tricky task, particularly now as technological advances allow large amounts of information to be stored inside routine devices.

The string of breaches is a humbling reminder that keeping secrets is hard, that people are fallible, and that perfect security can never be achieved. What has changed over the past several decades or so is that the scale of the breaches has increased tremendously. Instead of individual secrets being compromised, it often turns out that entire databases or libraries of information have been breached, Aftergood said in an email.

People have stolen government secrets throughout history but intelligence contractors hoarding reams of classified information at their homes appears to be something new.

Last year, another Maryland man who had worked at NSA pleaded guilty to keeping numerous top secret U.S. defence materials at home. At his sentencing, Nghia Hoang Pho, 67, told a federal judge he took copies of U.S. government documents and writings containing national defence information so he could work from home and possibly earn a promotion. He got 5 1/2 years in prison.

I dont know if psychological screening can uncover hoarders before they are employed, and that might be especially challenging because the age of onset is typically not young. But once an employee is in the grip of a powerful obsessive compulsion like hoarding, I would imagine that they are extremely difficult to stop, said Gabriel Schoenfeld, a national-security policy expert and author of the book Necessary Secrets.

Its not clear whether the NSA has instituted new protections in the wake of Martins case.

I dont have any specific knowledge of new security measures. But every compromise of classified information is a learning opportunity, and security officials would be derelict if they did not use the occasion to make improvements, said Aftergood, who writes the Secrecy News blog reporting on developments in secrecy policy.

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Follow McFadden on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dmcfadd
WASHINGTONA seated U.S. President Donald Trump handed commemorative pens to his wife, daughter and eight others who hovered around his desk, then theatrically held up for the cameras the latest executive order bearing his oversize signature.

He had done something that people have wanted presidents to do for a long time, a triumphant Trump told the applauding military families who packed the White House East Room. We will now ensure that you have better access to federal jobs.

Yet 11 months later, its clear that the four-page document he signed in May did no such thing.

The order provided no money, created no policies and added no hiring authority. It merely required federal officials to post notices on their websites and draft reports about an order signed a decade earlier by President George W. Bush, which allowed agencies to waive competitive hiring requirements for military spouses in some circumstances.

The substance mattered little, however. For a president who relishes pomp and shows of executive action, unchecked by Congress, signing ceremonies have become a hallmark, a way to convey accomplishment for a man who asserts he has done more than any president in history.

The Los Angeles Times reviewed 101 executive orders Trump has signed since Inauguration Day, and interviewed experts, advocates and administration officials about their effects. Many were geared toward favoured political constituencies, including veterans, blue-collar workers and evangelical Christians. Few moved policy significantly; generally the orders created committees or task forces, demanded reports or pressed for enforcement of existing laws.

Trumps boldest unilateral actions, the ones that have provoked the most vigorous objections to his use of presidential power, were not carried out through executive orders.

He did initially sign two executive orders to fulfil his campaign pledge to ban all Muslims from entering the country, but courts struck both down. A third version, revised again to pass court muster, was written as a proclamation; it was upheld by the Supreme Court. Trumps recent effort to circumvent Congress to pay for a southern border wall, now the subject of another court challenge, is based on his Feb. 15 declaration of a national emergency.

The presidents executive orders are usually more modest, though Americans wouldnt know it from the ceremonies the White House stages.

Many orders seek action from Cabinet secretaries, something Trump could easily accomplish with a phone call.

You dont really need an executive order for a lot of this stuff, but it makes for a good show, said Elaine Kamarck, a Clinton administration veteran who is the director of the Center for Effective Public Management at the Brookings Institution.

He even gives out pens, which is really sort of ridiculous, she added, noting that past presidents reserved that tradition for signing momentous laws like the Civil Rights Act.

White House officials argue that Trumps orders focus agency leaders on his priorities and that ultimately some have had broad impact, including the reduction of regulations across the federal government and the expanded availability of less expensive health plans that dont offer a full set of benefits.

The formality of a written order, they say, can command attention across government.

The question is not whether Trumps rhetoric aligns with the legal language in the orders, the White House said in a written response to questions about the orders. Rather, the statement added, its what they have accomplished And theyve done a lot!

The Times review shows a different picture. A few of Trumps orders have led to changes in policy. Many, however, have proven more ceremonial than substantive.

At least 18 of the 101 orders created new task forces, councils or committees. Among them was an infrastructure council that disbanded within a month; members resigned in 2017 after Trumps qualified criticism of white supremacists who marched in Charlottesville, Va. He issued two orders related to his unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud: One established a commission, the other disbanded it after bipartisan criticism.

At least 12 included language such as encourage or to the extent permitted by law, underscoring the presidents lack of authority to make sweeping change without help from Congress.

At least 15 reversed or curtailed former President Barack Obamas initiatives, notably the orders overturning environmental regulations. Those made for some of Trumps most consequential actions even as they demonstrated a major drawback of executive orders they can fairly easily be undone by a successor. Also, courts have blocked some environmental rollbacks.

At least 43 called for agency reports or reviews, including one on historically black colleges and another on retirement savings rules. A few in this category led to significant changes, such as Trumps order sharply shrinking the Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears national monuments in Utah that Presidents Bill Clinton and Obama, respectively, had established.

At least five related to members of the military, veterans and their families. Two called for plans and task forces on mental health and suicide among veterans. One established an accountability office at the Department of Veterans Affairs. A fourth purported to create a job training program for veterans to enter the U.S. Merchant Marine, but it duplicated an existing Military to Mariner program.

It complements what were doing, said Coast Guard Lt. Amy Midgett.

In several cases, Trump has made broad claims about the impact of his executive orders that have proven untrue. He has repeatedly claimed that two of his orders require American-made steel in federal pipelines. In reality, they simply encouraged federal agencies to choose American companies for the product.

The order Trump signed on Inauguration Day, to ease the economic burden of Obamas health care law, was similarly toothless. Yet another told federal education officials to follow existing laws respecting local and state boards independence.

Trumps 100th executive order, signed March 21 in an East Room event complete with a string quartet, followed up on a promise he made earlier in the month to a conservative conference, promising to force colleges to support free speech.

Trump called it historic and groundbreaking. Experts who read the text afterward said the ultimate impact was uncertain, given that public universities already must follow the First Amendment and it simply instructed private colleges to comply with their existing policies.

An official who briefed reporters beforehand struggled to explain the order and how the administration would enforce it.

Some of the orders seemed to have little purpose. One replaced the White House Rural Council with the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity and two renamed a financial fraud task force and a council on physical fitness.

Another one of the five related to the military was the order for employing military spouses that simply promoted an existing program. It demonstrated that, for beneficiaries, executive orders can be a mixed blessing bringing attention to issues but inviting complacency that the issues have been addressed.

There was definitely quite a bit of excitement out there about the military spouses order, but what I was personally concerned about was that excitement leading to a check the box mentality, said Jennifer Akin, an applied research analyst for Blue Star Families, a military family advocacy organization.

Akin said the order brought needed attention to the issue but failed to address bigger obstacles, such as poor child care options for military spouses.

Another favourite of Trumps are his buy American orders.

After signing his first one in April 2017, he claimed at political rallies that it would require the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines to be built with American steel. It did not. The order stated a broad goal and required the commerce secretary to write a report.

Signing a second such order earlier this year, he insisted at a White House ceremony that the first was having an incredible effect on jobs for steel workers. The second order, to encourage agencies to use U.S. products to the extent consistent with law, has had no more impact than the first.

I could encourage my kids to go to bed; doesnt mean they will, said Scott Paul, president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing, which represents steel workers and manufacturers. Its highly unlikely that an aspirational statement is going to produce actual jobs.

Paul noted that Trump has senior advisers and Cabinet officials who have a record of opposing such requirements, including his acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, and Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao.

Experts say Trumps inability to stock his administration with experienced officials can diminish the impact of his orders; it takes committed, loyal advisers to oversee the laborious rule-making processes at government agencies.

If you want it to actually happen, youve got to have people in the department who know what theyre doing, said Kamarck.

Trump is hardly the first president to use executive orders to attempt to bypass Congress. Obama, frustrated by a Republican-controlled Congress obstruction in his final years, famously spoke of his desire to use a pen and phone to bypass Capitol Hill. Yet he seldom held signing ceremonies or made the kind of grand claims Trump has made.

Trump and his advisers speak often of his impatience with the legislative process, though he spent his first two years with a Congress run by his own party. After his first 100 days, he boasted that his signed orders were central to his historic accomplishments.

At the American Farm Bureau convention in Nashville last year, Trump hailed the millions of hardworking Americans, completely forgotten, and told the excited crowd that he had heard that broadband internet access was a vital concern. Then he pulled out a pen to sign the first step to expand access to broadband internet in rural America so you can compete on a level playing field.

The crowd roared. Yet again, the order was modest, directing agencies to review procedures for placing private cell towers on public lands.

Christopher Mitchell, director of the Community Broadband Networks Initiative, said it has had practically no impact for the tens of millions of Americans who lack broadband.

Its not unlike trying to bail out a cruise liner with a pint glass, he said. These executive orders seem to be more about appearing to do something than really do something.

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ORLANDO, Fla. - An uncle and nephew who had been imprisoned for 42 years for a Florida murder were vindicated Thursday when prosecutors asked a judge to vacate their convictions, saying they no longer believed in the mens guilt.

Clifford Williams, 76, and Hubert Nathan Myers, 61, wiped away tears after the judge said she was vacating their convictions. They are the first men cleared since the state attorneys office in Jacksonville started an initiative last year reviewing claims of wrongful conviction, the first effort of its kind in Florida.

When we have an opportunity to correct errors, we should do so, State Attorney Melissa Nelson said.

Myers, who was only 18 when convicted, said at a news conference after the hearing that the first thing he wanted to do is re-establish ties with his family since everything else is second. He thanked Nelson and Shelley Thibodeau, the lead attorney who re-examined the case.

Everyone else had plugs in their ears and wouldnt listen, said Myers, who recounted how he reached out to Thibodeaus office after reading about the wrongful-conviction initiative in a newspaper. I tried and tried and tried.

The men were convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the 1976 fatal shooting of Jeanette Williams and the attempted murder of her girlfriend, Nina Marshall. The women, who knew the defendants socially, were asleep in bed at the time of the shooting.

Williams died instantly but Marshall was able to flag down a car that drove her to a hospital. She identified Williams and Myers as the shooters.

The men claimed they had been at a birthday party a block from the shooting, and other party-goers backed up their alibis.

Their first trial ended in mistrial; the men were convicted at a second trial during which prosecutors contended a drug debt was the motive. Defence attorneys presented no witnesses and entered no evidence but instead attacked Marshalls credibility as a witness.

No physical evidence linked the shootings to the men and the case relied solely on the testimony of Marshall, who said the men had fired their shots from the foot of her bed.

In fact, the physical and scientific evidence actually contradicts her testimony about what happened, according to a report from the state attorneys office outlining the reasons for vacating the convictions.

Broken glass along with bullet holes in a curtain and an aluminum screen showed the shots came from outside a bedroom window, the report said. Forensics evidence also showed only one gun was fired.

Marshall died in 2001 and investigators re-examining the case were unable to question her.

The report said another man who died in 1994 had claimed responsibility for the slaying and Myers answered questions truthfully during a polygraph test taken as part of the review of innocence.

The culmination of all the evidence, most of which the jury never heard or saw, leaves no abiding confidence in the convictions or the guilt of the defendants, the report said.